Disclaimers: I do not own Fairy Tail, Dungeons Dragons, or Pathfinder.
A/N: This story is not dead, just so you know. But feel free to check out my other stories as well.
Fire and Ash (Full Chapter)
Fonaar was chowing down on the remains of one of the wild boars he killed when the wind shifted and he caught the whiff of a foreign scent. He lifts his head up, using his long tongue to lick all of the blood from around his face as he sniffs the air, trying to pinpoint the new scent. Whoever it belongs to must have recently arrived in the area.
From what he could go off of, the scent smell akin to a volcano, a mixture of fire and sulfur.
The dragon took one long sniff and his eyes widen in shock. He could smell both Romeo's and the new arrival's scent and they had nearly the same potency, indicating that they were at least in the same area as each other. He lets off a feral growl, knowing that the only reason he was eating so far away from Romeo was that the boy apparently couldn't stomach his eating habits but now it seems that that was a mistake.
But there would be time to dwell upon that later, he had to move. Quickly.
"And there's mommy and daddy. Juliet and Rosalina", Romeo said as he drew stick figures of his family in the dirt while he waiting for the dragon to finish eating, "Me and….Fonaar?", he slowly said as he looks closer at the drawing that was supposed to resemble his friend.
"Would mommy and daddy let me keep him? He is kind of big", he tells himself.
The boy stares at the ground for a little while, taking in the drawing while wondering just how he was going to convince his parents to let him keep the dragon because even at his young age he knew that Fonaar wasn't going to just go away so easily.
"Be alert, young Wild Master. Danger is near.", he suddenly heard a voice call out to him.
Romeo snaps his head and began looking all around. He swore he just heard the same voice he heard at the temple and when the giant spider attack. But where was it coming from?
"Fonaar? Fonaar?", he began calling out, hoping that the dragon was nearby.
As if on cue Romeo turns and spots the familiar figure of the ash-coated dragon bounding toward him in a hurry. His eyes were narrow, his claws were extended out and his teeth were bared.
"Fonaar?", Romeo says right before the dragon leapt into the air. The boy watches as he soars over him and as he follows his movement he caught sight of something large and red just out of his direct line of sight.
Turning his full attention to whatever it was, he is shocked to see that it was another dragon, and not even a second later witnesses Fonaar crash into it with a roar that nearly shattered his eardrums.
Back at Magnolia
Enno stood frozen in surprise while looking out the window in front of the kitchen sink with a thousand-yard stare, the plate that she was washing slipping out of her hand and landed back on top of the others she had yet to clean.
For a moment in time, she wonders if she heard correctly what her oldest child just said to her. A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed that her husband couldn't believe what he just heard either as he pulls the newspaper that he was reading down to look at his daughters.
"Juliet, dear", Macao began after recovering, "Can you say that again?"
"Can't Romeo just stay there at that village he's visiting?", the eldest Conbolt sibling repeated, prompting a nod from the youngest, "Does he really have to come home once he's done with Grandma Porlyusica? It's not like anyone really misses him here."
Macao slams the paper down, rattling the table and startling the two girls.
"Young lady, who put such an idea in your head? Who have you been talking to?"
Enno couldn't help but feel a little joy swell in her heart at the knowledge that Macao knew that his daughters wouldn't have come up with such a ridiculous notion on their own. He knew them too well and easily realize that someone else must have planted it in their young minds.
Her daughters were smart but they weren't that smart.
Juliet at least had the audacity to look away but her eyes went straight to Enno's whose were narrow in anger.
"Look at your father when he's talking to you", she orders, and Juliet reluctantly turns her head back to face Macao.
"Bickslow", she confesses, causing her father to stand up and exhales sharply.
"What are you going to do?", Enno wonders.
"I'm going to have a talk with that man, what else?"
"That might get Laxus involved", his wife warns, worried for her husband's safety.
"He won't do much even if he does because then the old man will get involved. He is already on thin ice with him as it is", Macao reassured her as he walks out the kitchen and out the front door, leaving Enno alone with her daughters.
"You two go to your room and think about what you did", she tells them.
"But mom-", both girls start to say.
"No buts, go now!", Enno snaps and with that, Juliet and Rosalina scrambled up the stairs and out of her sight.
The mother then places a hand on her forehead and rubs it, trying to calm herself down.
"I can only hope that Romeo is having a fun time with Porlyusica", she tells herself, "I would hate for him to have to come back to all of this in a sour mood."
Back to Romeo and Fonaar
The momentum behind Fonaar's lunge was so great that it sent both dragons tumbling across the field and down a nearby hill, both of them roaring while doing so. It was the sound of their fierce battle cries that shook the boy out of his stupor as he ran over to the top of the hill looked down only to be greeted by an amazing and terrible sight.
Fonaar and the red dragon were circling one another, their eyes fixated on the other's movement.
"Who are you to prevent me from satisfying my hunger?! Who are you to stand before I, Shageyi, Scourge of the Northern Ualisd Mountains?!" he heard the red dragon boasts as she spread her wings wide while doing so all before giving an ear-splitting roar to the sky with a stream of fire coming out afterward, "ANSWER ME!"
For all his worth, Fonaar didn't seem the least bit intimidated by the display of power that Shageyi put on, if anything it only causes him to be more on edge, spreading his wings as well while arching his stinger up so that Shageyi could see it.
And see it she does as she lowers herself to the ground and prepares to pounce.
"I will ask one last time", she growls, "Who are you? I would know the name of whose soul I am about to send to Tiamat as an offering."
Finally, as though he was fed up with all of her talking, the ash-colored dragon speaks and lets out a growl.
This causes Shageyi to tilt her head at him, for she was completely caught off guard by what she heard.
"What did you say to me?", she says. Surpingsly, this was not as means of a threat, but because she was sincerely confused.
"I said, I go by Fonaar and you need to leave before I get mad", he growls again.
"Okay, Fonaar. Answer my question and I promise that you will receive a quick death in response.", Shageyi says as she once again begins to circle him, her movement mimic by the male dragon in response. The red dragon only momentarily takes her eyes off her opponent long enough to spare a brief glance up at Romeo who was still watching from his spot at the top of the hill, "Who are you to speak to me in the Dawn Tongue? Do you think yourself above me?"
Now it was Fonaar's turn to tilt his head in confusion, "What's the Dawn Tongue? Also, that's two questions."
Shageyi's eyes narrow in anger and two streams of fire snort out of her nose, "First you dare to hinder my hunt, then you proceed to talk down to me and now you mock me?! I will feast upon your flesh and reduce what I don't devour to ash!", as she lets out one last roar and charges at Fonaar.
The male dragon reacts to this with a swift spin and a powerful tail whip to the side of Shageyi's skull, the impact so heavy that the sound of it carries throughout the area and almost knocks the red dragon off her feet. As she tries to regain her balance, Fonaar takes advantage of this and rushes her, colliding with her torso. The power behind this blow lifts her off her feet and sends her sailing through the air, only coming to a halt once she impacts a nearby tree. As the tree snaps in half underneath her weight, Shageyi finds herself rolling across the ground once more for a short while before coming to a stop.
Suddenly both Wild Master and companion felt a pulse of energy surge through the surrounding area and the temperature dramatically increases as they watch Shageyi slowly get up. Fonaar takes note of the trees surrounding the red dragon and how the leaves, branches, and even the bark started to slowly flake off and burn away in mid-air. Memories of last night began to play in his mind and he instinctively knew that this fight was going to be far more difficult than all the previous ones he had in the last few days.
Shageyi stood to her full height, spreading her wings before rearing up on her hind legs. She then brought her legs down with a thunderous crash, smoke instantly rising from the soles of her feet.
Once more, her gaze briefly fell on Romeo and for that moment in time, the child truly knew what fear was. He thought he knew what it was that day in the temple or the night of the spider attack for less than an hour ago, he considered those two incidents to be the most frightening of his short life. But that fear was different than what he was feeling now. That was him merely being afraid, but as the red dragon's eyes bore into him he was terrified beyond belief. This was a fear that was etched into him and dated back to the dawn of men, back when they were merely playthings for the first masters of this planet and were hunted for food and sport. It was primal, it was instinctive, it was in every living human on in this world. Romeo could feel a warm liquid traveling down his leg but he paid no heed to that.
All he knew is at this very moment was that Fonaar was the only chance he had of living long enough to remember that intense new feeling.
"When I send your soul to Tiamat it will be as though it came from the depths of the nine hells themselves!", Shageyi growls as she turns her attention back to Fonaar, flames spewing out of her mouth with every word she spoke, "And once I'm done with you, the human is next!", as a flood of fire came rushing out of her maw and straight at Fonaar.
Fonaar finds himself leaping backward to avoid the inferno torment, landing a couple of yards back from Shageyi who the second she was done spewing flames, charges him.
The ash-colored dragon lands with just enough time to brace himself for the impact brought forth by the stampeding red dragon, but it was all for naught as the force behind Shageyi was too great for him to withstand; as he found himself easily getting lifted up off the ground and push into the forest, his back collided with and breaking through a number of full-grown trees before finally landing with a crash. While he was able to ignore the pain and quickly get back up, he only did so in time to narrowly lean out of the way of Shageyi lunging at him, her razor claws barely gazing at his scales and leaving a thin stream of blood in the process. She lands a distance away from him, her claws digging into the ground and leaving a trail before turning around to face him again.
"Ha! Now do you see just what you are going up against?! How can a dragon as pathetic as you even in your wildest dreams hope to stand against-!" Shageyi began to boast before...
THWACK!
She found her world spinning after Fonaar whacks her with the end of his tail mid-sentence, sending her spiraling to the ground with a thump, a small dust cloud forming in response.
"You talk too much", Fonaar comments as he looks down at her, "Has anyone ever told you that?"
Shageyi doesn't reply back and instead just laid there on the ground for a moment, motionless in all but her breathing. This surprises Fonaar who moves a little closer to inspect her. Upon doing so he instantly felt a surge in the surrounding area, the temperature rising rapidly as well as the female dragon's body starting to faintly glow.
Every nerve in Fonaar told him to get away fast and he decides to listen to them as he jumps back, using his wings to help him put more ground between him and his red-scaled foe.
It was just in the nick of time as Shageyi unleash another stream of blazing heat even more powerful than her previous ones making herself look more akin to a volcano eruption than an angry red dragon.
"I WILL END YOUR VERY EXISTENCE!", she roars with a fury that could rival that of a thousand suns as she finished her breath attack and charge at Fonaar.
Her target recovers himself and moves to meet her at the halfway point as the two mighty beasts collide in a storm of fangs, claws, wings, and tails.
Through all this carnage Romeo watches from atop the hill, too frightened to move as he watches more and more wounds appear on Fonaar's body courtesy of Shageyi. In the small boy's opinion, the dragon look worse now than he did right after his fight with Wendy and it has only been going on for a couple of minutes, if that, and it seems that Fonaar wasn't on the winning end. From what he could see, Shageyi barely looks like she has suffered any serious wounds though it was hard to tell with her red scales.
Even at his young age, Romeo could tell that Fonaar has to stay close to her in order to neutralize her fire breathe but meant that he was in range of her fangs and claws and the Red Dragon used them to great effect as deep red streaks were all over his body, mainly focus around his head and face, and there were tears and rips all over his wings.
But still Fonaar and Shageyi clash with one trying to gain a distinct advantage over the other. At one point Shageyi pins Fonaar to the ground and moves to blast him at point-blank range with her breath but Fonaar was just barely able to make a bite at her neck and cause her to misfire as another spew of fire shoots into the air. While still holding on to her neck Fonaar pushes the female dragon off of him and is able to get back on his feet; causing the two to become lock in a deadly push and shove as Fonaar held onto Shageyi's neck with a vice-like grip while the red dragon was constantly trying to latch onto his, her razor teeth missing him by mere inches. But Romeo's companion wasn't just holding onto his foe; he was smashing her into anything he could get her close enough to. Trees, rocks, and even the ground if he could manage all the while Shageyi was clawing and biting at him with a savage look in her eyes.
"Unhand me you insufferable pathetic fool so that I may rend you asunder!", she roars as she was constantly slammed again and again.
Eventually, one of her claws attacks finds its mark, and digs deep into Fonaar's forward right leg, causing the ash dragon to release her neck from his jaws, and the moment he did Shageyi turn the tables on him. Slamming her body into him, Shageyi sends Fonaar stumbling back and she follows this up with a pounce attack that allows her to slash into his left side with both her sets of claws, leaving bloody gashes in their wake.
Fonaar roars in anguish pain but his cries are cut short as now Shageyi return the favor and dug her fangs into his neck. Using all her might she plows her opponent into the ground and began dragging him along it; her fury and rage giving her all the strength she needed to perform such a feat on a creature roughly her same weight. Eventually, this show of dominance comes to an end as one final burst of strength allows Shageyi to slings Fonaar into the cliff wall, his body colliding violently with it and leaving a large size crater at the point of impact. When his body collapses to the ground and didn't immediately get back up, Romeo feared the worst as even he could see the pool of blood begin to form underneath his companion's neck.
But he had little time to dwell on such matters before another form of fear grip his senses and that was the fear of his own life as Shageyi, satisfied that Fonaar wasn't getting up anytime soon, now had her eyes on him.
Her red glowing eyes full of malice and destruction.
"It would seem that you have cost me far more trouble than you are worth, human. Rest assured that I will make you suffer for such a thing", she threatens as she then starts to charge back up the hill toward the boy.
Back at Fairy Tail
When Macao came marching into the guild hall he wasn't in the mood for alcohol or having a good time, a rarity for him. So when Wakaba came up to him and offer him a mug, he only said two words to him while scanning the building…
"Where's Bickslow?"
The Smoke Mage could only stare at his best friend for a moment before speaking, "What did you say?"
"Where Bickslow?", Macao says again, "I need to talk to him."
"Everything okay?", Wakaba asks.
"I need to have a chat with him", Macao says with a little more force in his voice.
"I don't think that is a good idea seeing how you seem to not be in a good mood right now", Wakaba advises him.
"Noted", Macao says, "Now where is he? I'll find him myself if I have to."
Wakaba takes a breath and lets it out slowly, "He's sitting off by the door to the infirmary. It's just him for now because I heard the others are running errands in Magnolia and Hargeon."
The fire mage to the location his friend was describing and spots the Human Possession Mage off in a corner by himself sitting at a table with his feet kick up on top of it while drinking silently. His dolls floated around him in a circular motion and just by going off of his body language alone he gave the impression that he wasn't in a talking mood.
"Perhaps you ought to wait until Master Makarov returns from his meeting with the mayor before you talk to him", Wakaba suggests, hoping to avoid confrontation with one of the more "unstable" members of the guild, especially when some of the stronger mages weren't around. Even Mira wasn't around as she was with the old man at town hall.
Macao then gave him a look that conveys that to the Smoke Mage that he would do no such thing. Instead, he sidesteps his friend and moves to the back of the building. As he passes through the scores of tables to get to where he wanted to go, nearly everyone he passes stops what they were doing and took notice of his negative aura, and became interested in just what may have caused this. An eerie silence fell over the guild hall as Macao came to stop in front of Bickslow who did nothing to acknowledge him as he only stares at his mug. For what seems like an eternity no one spoke and both men were as still as statues with the only movement coming from the table were the Seith Mage "babies" circling overhead.
Finally though, one of them spoke…
"Alright! Since it seems like you're going to be standing there for a while if I don't say anything, I'll bite!", Bickslow shouts as he slams his mug on the table and turns to look at Macao, "The fuck you want, old man?"
"Old man! Old man!", his dolls repeat.
"Stay away from my kids", the Purple Flare mage said without hesitation.
This prompts the dolls to stop their circling and hover down to Macao until they were eye-level with him and they continue to stare at him with emotionless eyes as Bickslow slowly stood up.
"You want to repeat yourself?", he says as he came to his full height.
"I said stay away from my kids. I want you to stop putting nonsense in their heads like how my son needs to stay in the village where he is at right now and never come home", Macao repeats as he puts his hands on the table, not being intimidated at all by Bickslow, something that surprise everyone watching them.
"Oh? And why not?", Bickslow laughs, "It's not like anyone here misses him or wants him around! Who would want a walking anti-magic bomb around them?"
Macao could hear faint murmurs of agreement from behind him but decide it best to ignore them….for now.
"Regardless of what other people's opinions are in this matter, stay away from my kids. I won't tell you again", he replies and some of the people around him couldn't help but wonder if it was courage or stupidity that allow Macao to say such a thing.
Bickslow lets out a laugh as he crosses his arms, "Or you're going to what?", he asks as his dolls began to form up around him while still looking directly at Macao.
"Going to what? Going to what?", they repeat.
Wakaba, who has been watching all of this from a few feet away, notices purple flames starting to form around both of his friend's hands.
"Oh this won't end well", he told himself, worried about the consequences this impending conflict could lead to. Now he was by no means afraid of Bickslow or the rest of the Thunder God Tribe, but he did have qualms about having to deal with Laxus whose strength was only second to Gildarts. But before he could move to stop Macao was making a bad decision, a voice sounds from behind him.
"What is the meaning of all this?"
Every single pair of eyes in the building turn to see both Freed and Evergreen standing at the front door, sharp glares affixed in their own eyes which were directed at the Purple Flare mage.
Without speaking another word, the duo began walking slowly toward Macao and Bickslow, their fellow guild members parting away and making a path for them. Freed came looking straight ahead at their destination while Evergreen regarded everyone around them with a look that one would give when them looking at a pile of garbage. Soon enough though the duo were at the table and Macao felt a wave of uneasiness wash over him as he and Wakaba found themselves trap between the Thunder God Tribe.
"Bickslow, explain to me what is going on here", Freed says.
"Hmph, well you see, Freed, this little upstart piece of shit here came up to me and try telling me what to do", Bickslow answers as he points a finger at Macao, "And as you can guess I didn't take too kindly to that."
Evergreen makes a haughty laugh and looks at Macao, "Oh my, it seems someone has forgotten their place in the guild."
"I know, right? Perhaps I need to remind him just where that is!", Bickslow adds as he cracks his knuckles.
"Enough, both of you" Freed suddenly orders, causing everyone to return their attention to him. Once the Rune Mage was certain that he had everyone's undivided attention, he spoke.
"Bickslow, What pray tell did he want you to do exactly?", he asks his comrade.
"Well, this fool try telling me to stay away from his kids! Didn't like it that I was putting thoughts in his daughters' head in regards to his son!", the man answers.
"Hmmm, I see", Freed merely says as he now regards Macao with a stern gaze.
While remaining calm on the outside, Macao realizes that he was within arm's length of Freed and his sword, which he had his hand on.He briefly wonders that if the worse came to pass if he could dodge the first lightning-fast strike. But then he realizes that it probably wouldn't mean anything since he would then have his back to Bickslow and he would have to deal with Evergreen as well. He was certain Wakakba would have his back but as of right now, things weren't looking good. He was actually starting to think that maybe he should have taken his friend's advice and waited for Master Makarov to return before confronting Bickslow.
It was at that moment that everyone was sure that a fight was about to break out that Freed spoke once more.
"Well if that is the case, Bickslow, then perhaps you should leave his children alone."
The sound of dozens of mugs dropping out of the hands of their holders could be heard throughout the building and even Evergreen found herself gawking at Freed.
"W-What?", she gets out.
"Macao is the father of Juliet, Romeo, and Rosalina, as well as the main provider for them. If he wishes for you to stay away from his children, Bickslow, then he is well in his right to act as such. Therefore, I would advise that you do ask he say and have no more interactions with them", Freed explains.
Bickslow stares directly at Freed for a time, his body language showing that he couldn't believe what he just heard. After a moment though, he stomps away toward the front door without a word, his dolls flying close behind him as he left the building. Everyone made way for the large man for none of them wanted to be a target of his anger or his babies and pretty soon he disappears into town.
"Evergreen, go see to him and calm him down. I will catch up in a bit to explain myself", Freed orders and the Fairy Queen leaves without a word as well.
After both members of his team left the building, the leader of the Thunder God Tribe turns to face Macao.
"I'll admit that I wasn't expecting you to take my side in this", Macao confesses but spoke no further as Freed raise a hand at him.
"Do not mistake what I just did as a show of friendship. I was merely trying to avoid having a close companion get into trouble", Freed states, "For I have no doubt that if he didn't back down and left your children alone, your wife would have certainly gone to the authority, most presumably the Rune Knights."
Macao regards Freed with a cold look, "I doubt they would have gotten involve in an inner guild dispute."
"If your son was not the way he is then I would agree with you. But since they have an interest in Romeo, then there is a chance that they would try to stay on your good side by getting involve and let's just say that Bickslow is already on eggshells as it is with them in regards to the type of magic he wields as is Evergreen", Freed says, "I would prefer the Rune Knights not have a reason to come to Magnolia."
"I...see", is all Macao says as he decides to take his leave but not before being stop by Freed stepping in front of him.
"Let me make one more thing clear with you though. When Laxus-sama becomes guild master, and he will, your family will be at the top of the list of people he is kicking out of Fairy Tail. Though he could be persuaded to allow you, Enno, and your daughters to stay under two conditions."
"Okay, just for laughs then, what are those conditions?", Macao asks as he tries to keep his anger in check.
"That Romeo is never allowed to come inside the guild hall ever again and that you allow Laxus to train Juliet and Rosalina for he sees great potential in them", Freed answers.
"You can all go to hell, Freed", Macao says and leaves before the mage swordsman could get a word out.
"Hmph", was all Freed said as he watches the Purple Flare mage and Wakaba leave before he makes his way to the tavern for after all of this he really needed a drink.
A/N: Macao is just acting like any good father would though that does sometimes makes him act before he thinks. Also, Freed is right in telling Bickslow that Macao is well in his rights as a father to tell him not to ever talk to his kids again.