Chapter 22: Unexpected Meeting

—Fairy Tail guild hall—

Natsu and Cana walked in dragging the rest of Team Natsu behind them, one mage on each of their shoulders. Natsu had Happy tucked under his chin. They entered the med bay and laid down their friends. Natsu looked around as Makarov and Mirajane entered as well.

"Um, where's Siprix?" he asked.

Makarov sighed. "He must've went out. He should be safe, now that he isn't a target." He looked at the sleeping mages. "For now, let's focus on them."

—With Siprix—

The still banged up water mage breathed a sigh of relief. He got into a ready stance, and waved his hand. Water from the ocean slowly followed the movement. Raising both hands, he molded the water into the shape of his guild mark. Once he got it there he held it for a minute, before releasing it. He pumped the air with his fist. "Finally. Molding a shape fast is easy, but doing it slowly shows real skill. And power too." He floated a glob in front of his face. "Now let's see if I can do it while walking to that base." He started walking while shaping the water glob into the Fairy Tail logo again. He frowned. "I just hope it isn't too late."

—With Beth—

The Dragon Slayer yawned and rolled over for the millionth time. She looked up at the vent with a bored expression. "What time is it?"

She saw movement as the guy up above checked his wristwatch. "One thirty." Beth groaned and flopped onto her back. "Why don't you just use your magic and get out? You haven't tried that."

Beth raised an eyebrow. "I'm not that strong. I can take one on one, not all of you. Trust me, otherwise I would bust out. But it would mean doom for myself. So I'm not going to do it."

"Seems like you know a lot about combat."

Beth shrugged. "I just think. Something people need to do more of." She got a thoughtful hum for response. "Hey do you guys have a greenhouse or garden room or something?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Just curious."

The guy hesitated for a second before saying. "Yeah, it's actually the only place with windows. I'm usually stationed there. Being here is new at least."

"You mean that room in the front right?"

"That's the one."

Beth rolled over onto her stomach and smirked. Thanks for telling me where I can gain some power, she thought. Hope you have the right plants.

—Siprix—

The water mage grunted as he focused on walking and shaping the water slowly into different complex shapes, starting with the Fairy Tail logo and then moving on to other guild marks he had seen while out and about. He was so focused, he walked straight into a wall. He grunted as he fell and water splashed all around and on him. Siprix sighed. "I should be feeling at least something from that. But I don't." He stood up. "Whatever Beth must've gave me is good." He looked around and noticed that he was near the Vineghoul base. "Not a high security, huh." The water mage looked and saw a tree behind a building a few buildings down from the base that reached the roof. Not bothering to pick up the water, he quickly walked over and scaled the tree.

Siprix walked over to the edge of the roof. He judged the distance, took a few steps back, and took a running leap across the gap. His fingers barely managed to grab the edge of the other roof. Panting and gritting his teeth, the mage pulled himself up and repeated the action to get to the roof of the Vineghoul base. "Okay," he panted. "Never doing the again."

Siprix walked over to the still open vent and jumped in.

—Fairy Tail—

The mages groaned as they woke up.

"What— where's Beth?!" Erza shouted as she bolted upright, startling the others. Natsu shot up from the chair he was sitting in.

The fire mage sighed. "We failed. She's captured." Lucy groaned.

"Sleep Magic," Gray muttered. "What's the plan?" They all looked to Natsu.

"Tell everyone you're all awake. Then Bisca and Gajeel are coming with us to get Beth. Laki and Aaron are going to lead us there." They nodded and stood up.

"Then let's go."

They exited the room.

—Beth—

Beth examined the shoes she made. Large leaves made the body and tongue, wood bark as the soles for traction. Thin vines served as the sewing to hold the items together. Thicker ones served as laces. She slipped then on and tied them, deep in thought.

"You know you're not going anywhere right?" the guy in the vent asked. "Why bother."

"Because It's something to do and my feet are cold."

"Then why not slippers?"

Beth shrugged. "Never made them before. Might as well learn now." She set to work on making the footwear.

Soon she was holding slippers made of leaves with moss lining. "What do ya think?" She heard banging in the vents and then silence. The Forest Dragon Slayer stood silently, listening for any indication that something was happening. She looked into the vents.

A pair of ocean blue eyes looked back at her. "What are you doing?" Beth asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." The figure dropped to the floor and approached Beth.

She swung her slipper and hit him hard in the face. He stumbled back and bit back a yelp.

"Are slippers your new weapon?" The person stumbled into the one crack of light in the room and Beth ran and embraced him.

"What are you doing here? You should be resting!" she scolded him quietly. He laughed. "Siprix I'm not joking. You're hurt badly."

"And not help you?" the water mage said, still rubbing his cheek. "Fat chance. But why are you wearing those?" The door started to creak open, and Beth shoved Siprix into the corner where he wouldn't be spotted right away. A man in gilded clothes stood there. Beth couldn't get a good look at his face due to the backlighting.

"You are to come with me. Quickly and quietly." He stared at Beth. She put out three fingers from her hand. Two. One.

An explosion shook the building as shouting and footsteps echoed down the hall. The man at the door turned and ran. Beth and Siprix glanced at each other and shrugged. They ran out of the room.

"Do you think that was the others?" Beth asked.

"Totally." They ran into some Vineghoul wizards, who fired at Siprix, thinking Beth was an ally. Siprix took half and Beth took the others. They each finished off their opponents with two spells.

"When did you get so strong?" They asked each other at the same time.

"Must've been stronger than I thought."

"Trained before I came." They took off again. They rounded a corner.

"Oof!" The duo ran onto some people. Beth felt a slight breeze and sword edge gently touching the back of her neck.

"Hey cool it. It's us," Siprix said, holding up his hands in surrender. Bisca pointed her gun at Beth, unconvinced.

"Why are you helping an enemy?"

"Cause I'm not one." The others realized their mistake.

Erza lowered her sword. Lucy ran up to Beth and pulled her off Aaron. Natsu pulled the air mage to his feet. "Sorry, we got confused," Happy said, landing on Beth's shoulder. She smiled, signalling it was fine.

"And how did you get here?" Erza asked Siprix.

"I snuck in through the vents." He looked at the Fairy Tail mages gathered in the hall. "Someone needed to get her out while you caused a distraction."

"It worked," Aaron said. "Just don't crash into us again."

"No promises," Beth said. She started jogging to the exit. "Let's go." The mages exited the building without problem, and remained unaware of the two wizards following them.

—

The group was met with cheers and sighs of relief when they entered the guild hall. Makarov stood up from where he was seated and walked over to them.

"I see that the mission was successful. I'm glad to see you safe Beth. Siprix, I'm surprised that your feeling better already."

"Thank her," the water mage said nodding in Beth's direction. He shifted his weight to one leg.

"BETH!" Everyone turned as Ken came charging into the guild hall. He tackled Beth in a hug.

Natsu gave an embarrassed smile and put a hand on the back of his head. "Yeah, I forgot about him."

"You forgot?" Beth said raising an eyebrow. "He literally sleeps across the hall."

"He didn't react at all the entire time," Gray said.

"That's 'cause I was asleep!"

"Sorry," Lucy said.

"Well now that we're all here," Makarov started, "and that it is near three in the morning-how about some sleep?"

"I can have some spirits keep an eye out for any enemies," Lucy said. Makarov nodded. The guild master gestured for Ken, Beth and Siprix to follow him. They entered the med bay.

"Feel free to rest here as long as you need. And you," he said gesturing to Beth, "aren't leaving without one of us there. Just as a precaution. Siprix you don't count as you're injured."

"Thank you Master," Beth and Siprix said as he left to address the situation to the other mages.

"Hey, why is everyone still here in the middle of the night?" Beth asked as they each took a bed.

"Because they thought this was going to happen when they saw you and Team Natsu leave," Siprix said. He grimaced as he shifted into a comfortable position. "Hey, what did you give me and how long does it last?"

"Pain killing plant that lasts for about two hours. Snuck it into your salad." Beth yawned.

"It helped a lot. *yawn* Thanks." He mumbled the last part before drifting off. The last things that Beth heard was her uncle's snores and Lucy summoning her spirits before sleep claimed her.

—

Beth stretched out as light came in through the window. Siprix and Ken were still asleep, sprawled across their beds. She heard the door open and turned to look.

Erza met her eyes and smiled. "What time is it?" Beth asked groggily.

"Nine thirty." Beth sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Okay then." She was about to speak again when Lucy came into the room, looking concerned.

"Beth, stay here." Beth frowned as she stood up and followed Lucy out of the room, Erza right behind them.

Beth raised an eyebrow and waited a minute before slipping out of the room silently. She climbed onto the stage and peered over the mages gathered around the entrance. Beth's expression changed to one of surprise, caused by the two Vineghoul wizards. There were only two, a man and a woman. The man had short, curly red hair while the woman had shoulder length straight black hair. Both had pale skin and freckles. They both had on gilded pants and shirts, but the man had on black sandals while the woman had on grey one inch heels. Both wore black bandanas traced with white designs over their mouths and sunglasses.

"We mean no harm," the man said in a deep voice. "We just want to talk." Beth furrowed her brow in thought as a familiar scent reached her nose.

"As if we could trust you," Natsu said from his place near the front center. Beth placed the scent, and stifle a gasp of surprise.

"And what makes you think that you're welcomed here?" Makarov asked. Beth slowly climbed off the stage, and crept over to the crowd.

"The fact that we have a family member here." Beth lit up at those words.

"I thought I recognized your voices and scents," Beth said. She smiled. "Ones I haven't heard of smelled in a long time." The Vineghoul wizards turned to face her directly, as did everybody else. The woman's hands flew to her mouth as the man just stared. "Answer me this though: how did you end up in Vineghoul?"

"After running from a mine in Rosemary Village. That's where it started," the woman answered. Beth relaxed and ran to the two, pure joy on her face. She tackled them on a hug. "I missed you two so much. Mom. Dad."

Hey I made it! It's still Friday here! Depending on where you live it might be Saturday by the time you read this. But it still counts as a Friday update because it's Friday here. Hope you all have a good weekend. Go get 'em tigers!

-ThinMintE