SailorStar9: After a long period of hiatus, I'm back to continue this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and my OCs.
Chapter 129: Avatar Arc: Avatar
One year later after the events of Tartarus...
The reunited Natsu, Happy, Lucy, Wendy and Carla headed to the Village of the Rainbringer to track down their next Guild mates.
"Wow, it's really raining there and only there." Lucy gawked.
"It's certainly suspicious." Wendy agreed.
"It doesn't look like anyone's here." Lucy remarked, the group entered the downcast village.
"This place does seem deserted." Wendy nodded.
"No, I do smell Ulyo and Juvia." Natsu assured. "This way." he led the group to the back of a house.
Hey, you two!" he shouted.
"It's good to see you again, Ulyo, Juvia." Wendy beamed.
"Are you two living here by yourselves?" Lucy asked.
"Is that..." Carla turned to the grave marker the two females were standing in front of. "A grave? Elia Fullbuster..." she read the name from the stone tablet. "Gray's daughter?"
"Daughter?" the others exclaimed.
"We'll explain in the house." Ulyo informed their visitors.
In the house...
"Ulyo, Juvia, is this your house?" Lucy looked around.
"There's also a faint whiff of Gray." Natsu reported.
"Ulyo-sama and myself lived here with Gray-sama." Juvia brewed Ulyo's elderberry tea for their visitors. "It was Ulyo-sama who found this deserted village and borrowed this empty house. We would eat together, train together and work together. It was true bliss."
"But then one day..." Ulyo took over, recalling how she had noticed the Devil Slayer markings covering Gray's right arm. "After that, he would often leave the village on his own. About half a year ago, he never came back. It was shortly afterwards when I found out I was pregnant."
"Then, three weeks later, Ulyo-sama miscarried." Juvia added.
"Oh no..." Wendy gasped.
"That jerk, just leaving like that." Natsu cursed.
"You're in no position to talk." Lucy chided. "You still suddenly left us behind. Think about how I felt."
"So, you don't know where Gray went?" Happy inquired.
"If they knew, they won't be here." Carla reminded.
"The two of us searched all around for days." Juvia recalled. "But we never found him. So, we decided to wait."
"I'll find him for you." Natsu declared. "For all of us. We're gonna get everyone back together and rebuild Fairy Tail."
Under the house's porch...
"So how do you intend to find him?" Carla asked.
"Even I lost track of him while keeping tabs on everyone." Lucy added.
"They're not too far from here." Natsu stated. "We're visiting Sabertooth." he informed Lucy.
Elsewhere in the Avatar Cult Hall...
"The Oración Seis, Grimoire Heart and Tartarus." Alok addressed his gathered Generals. "The fall of the Baram Alliance has marked the end of the dark guilds' era. Now begins the era of Avatar. Our gospel is a world ruled by the dark wizard Zeref. The time has come. We must purify the world of wizards who dare oppose Zeref. Everything we do, we do for Zeref."
"Everything we do, we do for Zeref." Gerome repeated.
"Everything we do, we do for Zeref." Gray reiterated.
En route to the Sabertooth Guild Hall...
"There it is." Happy beamed.
"It's so big." Lucy gawked at the huge building in the distance. "Natsu, are you sure Sabertooth would have info on Gray?"
"Can't talk about that." Natsu replied. "Listen Lucy. I trust Gray. But the only way to get info on Gray this time is to stop trusting him. I gotta stop trusting him for now, but only until we find him again. So don't ask any questions until then."
In the Sabertooth Guild Hall...
"Natsu-sama, Lucy-sama." Yukino greeted their visitors. "Happy-sama."
"Yukino." Lucy beamed. "It's good to see you. How've you been?"
"Very well." Yukino nodded. "Thank you."
"That voice brings back memories." the overweight Sting stepped out.
"That it does." Lector agreed.
"Isn't it Natsu and Lucy?" Sting remarked.
"Hey, Sting." Natsu grinned.
"So, what brings you here, Natsu?" Sting asked.
"Is Carla not with you?" Lector noticed Carla was missing.
"Likewise." Happy told the other Exceed. "Is Frosch not here?"
"Frosch is out on a job with Rouge and Milady." Lector explained.
"Where did they go?" Natsu demanded.
"I don't know." Lector stammered. "But they only just left. They might be at the city entrance."
"Thanks, Lector." Natsu hurried over with Lucy and Happy in tow.
On the streets...
"Rouge!" Natsu called out. "Come with me." he pulled the Shadow Dragon Slayer off. "We gotta talk. Everyone stay there!" he ordered. "This is just between the two of us. Show me your job flier." he demanded Rouge after dragging him into a nearby hedge. "Give it." he snatched the flier. "Destroy Avatar..." he read. "So this is it? I'm taking this job." he informed Rouge.
"This is our job." Rouge protested. "Besides, you don't even belong to a Guild."
"You're wrong." Natsu corrected. "I'm in Fairy Tail. Listen Rouge, I'm taking over this job. In exchange, you can have all the reward money. Just promise me, you and Frosch won't leave town until I get back, no matter what. Let's go, Lucy, Happy!" he dragged the other two off, leaving Rouge in the maze. "Minerva, keep an eye on Rouge and Frosch. Don't let them leave town." he warned, recalling what Future Rouge had told him.
In the forest...
"Natsu, what is this 'Avatar' thing Rouge was on his way to?" Happy looked at the flyer.
"It's a black magic cult." Lucy explained. "it rose up after the dark Guilds collapsed. They're Zeref's followers. I don't know if he's personally involved, but the cult members basically worship Zeref as a God. Anyway, what makes you think Gray is a member of Avatar now?"
"The future Rouge explained it to me." Natsu answered. "A year after the Grand Magic Games, we apparently ran into Gray as an enemy. So I'm thinking Gray might be where Rouge's job takes place. You heard Ulyo, Gray had a black pattern all over his body. He had it during our battle with Mard Geer too. I think learning Devil Slaying Magic so quickly caused Gray to get taken over by some devil-like thing. Don't worry." he assured the worried Lucy. "Gray is one of us, no matter what."
"There it is." the trio arrived at the Cult building's entrance. "That's the place."
"It looks like an old, abandoned church." Lucy noted.
"What's the plan, Natsu?" Happy asked.
"Take it by storm, of course." Natsu grinned.
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.