Chapter 1

A Mission Gone Poorly

Somewhere in a port town, the members of Fairy Tail and Team SKYYYLAARC were now assembled for a very important job.

"If we want to find these creeps, we gotta get to that old fortress at the top of that hill," Lucy Heartfilia said.

"You're pretty gung-ho about this one, huh?" remarked Gray.

"You bet. We've been on a major hot streak lately, so this is gonna be a piece of cake," she grinned.

"Just be careful not to harm any innocent people. Remember, if we fail, then Master Makarov will most certainly have our hides for this," warned Kirito.

"I have to agree with Kirito, Lucy. Caution is advisable," added Cody Xehanort, the newest addition to Sora's team.

He still wore the clothes of his father, Master Xehanort, which did cause him pain after Frey gave them to him, but he knew that they'd still help him out

"Yeah, but we were born to deal with some bad guys, right Happy?" smirked Natsu.

"Aye sir!" Happy replied.

Disney

Square Enix

CrunchyRoll

Rooster Teeth

Marvelous Entertainment

Aniplex

And

Studiopolis

Present

Team SKYYYLAARC's Adventures of

Fairy Tail Phoenix Priestess

"Just speed it up Don't be afraid

Run Run Get it start

nagare te ku subete ga

saki yuku kumo ga yon deru

motto motto

shissou Highway

narabu Speed gun

tsuduku Crooked street

hate nai Cross road

kaze o saki kake agare

ikkini kumonoue he

jiyuu wa kono te ni

Speed up Speed up Speed up

Just speed it up Don't be afraid

Run Run Get it start

nagare te ku subete ga

saki yuku kumo ga yon deru

motto motto

shissou Highway"

As the group hurried up the streets of the small town, Gray decided to break the silence.

"So these clowns call themselves what again?" he asked.

"The gang's called the Bacchus bandits, but the real target is their leader, Geese. The job was posted by the mayor himself, so the reward is gonna be huge," squealed Lucy.

"Wow, Lucy, you get the craziest look on your face when you start talking about money," remarked Happy.

"Ugh, don't remind me about what happened between Weiss and her idiot dad, Jacques. But, we've still got a job to do," groaned Sora.

"Yes, Sora's right. Focus on the mission," agreed Carla.

"Hey, Erza," Wendy Marvell said.

"Yes, what is it?" asked Erza Scarlet.

I don't know, but doesn't this place seem too quiet," she replied.

"I think Wendy may be on to something. I have a feeling there's an ambush… up ahead of us," added Yui.

It turned out that they were right. Thousands of bandits burst out and had them all surrounded.

"Well it was quiet," muttered Gray.

"Sorry, punks, but you came to the wrong part of town," one of the thugs said.

"And you got here, just when we were looking for someone to feed the sharks," added another.

"Everyone, pick your targets and engage at will, but remember, we have to capture Geese alive," Yumi said.

Sora nodded to his teammates.

"You heard the lady. Everyone, prepare for battle," he told his teammates.

"Now you guys are speaking my language," grinned Natsu.

"Don't forget that he's their boss. He's the target. We have to capture him if we want the reward. Is that clear?" Erza said.

"Roger that, Erza," replied Leafa.

She turned to Lucy who was still dancing with joy, then tapped her shoulder.

"Lucy, you'd better get your game face on. Remember, if we fail to capture Geese, the big reward is gonna be lost to you," she warned her.

Nodding in agreement, Lucy knew what she had to do, and her eyes burned with determination like Natsu's.

"Alright guys, let's take 'em down one at a time, otherwise Geese will slip through our fingers," Asuna said.

The fight was on, as the group soon took on any dangerous adversaries, with Team SKYYYLAARC joining forces with the group's members. Of course, Carla would sometimes be annoyed at Happy for following her, rather than going with Natsu, despite his love of fish.

"Wendy, now!" cried Kirito.

"With pleasure, Kirito. SKY DRAGON ROAR!" shouted Wendy.

The shockwave sent the thugs flying, but Happy was caught in it, making the poor dragon slayer shocked.

"Don't worry. He'll be alright. For now, we've gotta find Geese," assured Kirito.

Meanwhile, Sora and Natsu were fighting off another band of thugs.

"The sharks are getting hungry, aren't they? Well then, I'm gonna grill something up real good for 'em! FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" he said.

But once again, Happy was caught in the crossfire.

"Heal!" Sora cried.

All of the cat's injuries were healed.

"Thank you, Sora," Happy said with relief.

"It's my honor," he replied.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll hand over Geese this instant," Erza said.

"You're crazy if you think we're gonna rat out our boss, lady," remarked the thug.

"You know, there are times when you play hard to get, and when you're way too stubborn to cough up information about your leader's whereabouts. And believe me, I don't like it when my enemies are playing that role," glowered Asuna Yuuki, as her aura became truly terrifying to the thugs to witness.

"Steady, Asuna. Some of them may have a sense of honor in them. However, I share in your sentiment for battle!" warned the requip mage, and she changed armor.

"Soul Drive! PRETTY GUARDIAN SOUL!" she cried.

Instantly her clothes changed into that of a Sailor Guardian, but she still had her own looks.

"Face the wrath of Sailor Asuna!" declared the lightning flash.

But the thugs were unfazed, and they still charged at them. But they were all defeated, one by one.

"Seems like they didn't have the information," sighed Asuna.

"I see. Then we must continue the hunt," replied Erza, and they raced off.

While Sora was busily fighting off the thugs, Natsu had found a fireplace so that he could replenish his fire attacks. As they distracted them, Gray and Yumi soon came up against several more.

"We're only going to ask you this once," she said.

"Which one of you losers goes by the name, Geese?" he asked.

But the thugs didn't bother talking, until they were all defeated, one by one.

"These guys don't know when to quit. Do they?" quipped the ice maker.

"Then we must get them to speak," replied Yumi, after she assumed her Ice Queen form.

They attacked again, but still they didn't get the information, until Natsu sent one of the thugs flying out, right into Gray's ice beam. This almost caused the rivals to start bickering, until Asuka grabbed him and hung him upside down.

"Now, why don't you start telling us where Geese may be hiding," she said.

"I can't tell you, he'd kill me," replied the goon.

"You really think so? Then what would happen if I asked Natsu and Gray to do something so immoral that Erza would put them on janitorial duty for a full month?" Sora asked.

This shocked the two rivals to no end, but made Erza gain a proud smile.

"I believe janitorial duty would be a far more fitting punishment for those who are unable to see past their differences, Sora," she said.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! We'll behave, Erza! We promise!" cried Natsu and Gray, and they raced away so as not to incur her wrath any further.

"By the way, Sora. Thanks for healing my injuries. Your morality is okay," smiled Happy, and he fluttered off.

Meanwhile, Cody and Lucy were now tackling some other thugs.

"Now, do you want to tell us where Geese is hiding? Or do you want to tell it to the raging bull?" she asked.

Taurus engaged the thugs, sending them flying about, much to her disappointment. She decided to have him dismissed for now.

"Now, Bahamut, COME FORTH!" cried Cody.

Bahamut swooped down and glared at his prey, eyes glinting with hunger.

"Now, do you want to tell us, or would you rather face the wrath of the Dragon King himself?" he asked.

"Holy macaroni, Cody," Lucy gasped, looking at the dragon in awe.

This made most of the thugs flee, except one who started soiling himself, because he was too paralyzed to run for his life. At the same time, Happy saw Bahamut, and was horrified to see him, but then he saw Natsu, who was motion sick yet again. Despite the beration, Geese, having been seen by the others, raced out the door. They all knew it was the target they were looking for.

"We've got this one!" Lucy called to the others as she pursued him, with Cody trailing after her, Keyblade in hand.

The chase was on, as they raced up streets and through alleyways, jumped over crates, until the gang leader used his power to slip through a narrow opening with a shrinking spell. Lucy was aghast.

"No way!" she cried.

But it was too late. Geese continued fleeing.

"There goes Lucy's reward to pay the rent. I guess it's time to face the music," sighed Cody, and he walked off with mild disappointment in his eyes.

They soon came to the mayor's office, and explained everything to him.

"So you're telling me that you guys wrecked my beautiful town and that Geese fella's still on the loose!?" he snapped at them.

"Yes sir," replied Lucy.

"We also extend a formal apology for our failure, which we all take full responsibility of," added Sora.

"He may still be at large, but his gang has been routed," agreed Erza.

"I wanted the boss, and you still call yourself a guild? You're more like a circus act. A bunch of clowns," grunted the Mayor.

"Clowns? You want to see a clown!? I'll show you a clown!" snapped Kirito.

"Kirito! That's enough. It's best if we leave at once, regardless of what happened," Asuna said to Aincrad's dark knight.

"Given what Asuna said, I'm afraid I have to agree with her. What's done is done. The mission may have been a failure, but we'll find a way to capture Geese at a later time. For now, we should head back to Fiore," added Leafa.

"I'm sorry, you guys. This was my fault," sighed Lucy, but Natsu placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. We're all in this together," assured the dragon slayer.

"Yeah, we win or lose as a team," agreed Happy.

"That's right. After we head back to the guild hall, we'll all take our share of the blame, after we speak with Master Makarov," added Cody.

"Speaking of…" mused Erza, then she turned to Sora.

While she was talking with him about having Natsu and Gray working as janitors, Eclair was now alone, sitting under a tree in the desert as she looked at half of the stone in her hand that hung around her neck. A small birdlike creature arrived and landed on her lap.

"You. I was afraid that you weren't coming back," she said.

The little bird looked sadly at her.

"I'm sorry. I know, you said that you'd stay forever," sighed Eclair.

Inside the chamber of the magic council, the leader was now addressing the council members of what was going on.

"An unusual amount of power has been detected in the mountain region north of Fiore. An investigation is underway to determine the source, but preliminary reports say that the blast was strong enough to obliterate two mountain peaks," said one.

"What's more, we have reason to believe this was only a fraction of its full power. Our biggest concern was that its power rivals that of Zeref," added another.

"Mmm… a troubling thought to say the least," murmured Makarov, as the remainder of the council murmured to each other.

"That kind of power could spell the world's destruction," he continued.

"At any rate, we cannot overlook it, which is precisely why I've summoned the guild masters here. We need our best minds working together," said the leader of the council.

Outside, Makarov grumbled about the best minds within the council putting their heads together. He turned to one of Fairy Tail's members, asking if he could handle the task. Inside Magnolia, where the Fairy Tail guild was located, Sora, Natsu, and their companions were now returning to the hall for a debriefing and immediate reprimand for their failure to capture Geese, the leader of the Bacchus Bandits. The dragon slayer was pleased that they were home, until Lucy decided to speak up.

"Hey, we've been on the road for a while, so before we go back to the guild hall, I'm gonna go home and freshen up. See you guys in a bit," she said, and darted away.

"Well she's not fooling me with that," quipped Carla.

"Carla may be right. I should go after her so that I can cheer her up," agreed Cody.

"Are you sure, Cody?" questioned Erza.

"Positive. I know that she doesn't like being disturbed whenever Natsu and Happy trespass on private property, but as someone who doesn't like seeing girls feel sad, I gotta try," he replied.

Sora nodded, looking into his eyes.

"Okay, we'll see you back in the guild hall," replied Sora.

Nodding towards the others, Cody gained their approval to go after Lucy, and he raced after her. Once the remainder of the group returned to the guild hall, it was very busy and lively, as Kirito sat down at a table, while Yang went to the bar to ask Mirajane for a Strawberry Sunrise without ice. However, Ruby asked for milk. Juvia Lockser, of course, was relieved to see Gray, but decided not to cause a ruckus between herself and Asuna which would end up leading to Erza going full on drill sergeant on them.

"By the way. The main reason Lucy and Cody aren't with us right now is because they need some time away from the guild for a while. Still, don't let your own feelings cloud your judgment, otherwise you might end up causing problems when you go full on third wheel," warned Kirito.

Thankfully, Cana informed Erza that Makarov was away at an important meeting, much to her mild relief. But outside near the canal, Lucy was still feeling down, hoping to figure out how she'd impress the guild master, when she heard Cody's voice as he ran up to her.

"Cody, what are you doing here?" she asked, confused as she stopped and turned to face him

"I just wanted to try and cheer you up. Carla could tell that you were still disappointed about the mission being a massive bust after Geese escaped. But, we'll both find a way to make sure that you get twice the amount paid if there's a bonus in the reward for a successful mission," Cody explained.

"Well how sweet of you, Cody. But, I'll be fine. You don't need to worry about me too much," Lucy replied.

"

Lucy smiled at him, but then they heard the little bird asking if Eclair was alright after she passed out near them. This made them rush towards her.

"Oh, please help us. Please, you gotta help my friend, Eclair," cried the bird.

"Listen, little one. A friend of ours once said that it was his honor to help people. And now, we say the same to you, as we help out your friend," Cody spoke in a quiet voice.

As both he and Lucy carried the unconscious Eclair to the guild hall, the young woman was now beginning to have strange dreams of what happened in the past, but the memories were foggy. However, in a kingdom far away, Prince Cream stood before a group of soldiers who were waiting for orders. Among them was Sephiroth, the One-Winged Angel, who had come to the world of Earth Land.

"...So, it's really quite simple. If I were to take my family's phoenix stone, and then reunite it with its long lost twin, something rather extraordinary will happen," he said to his group.

"Then you say that the twin has been rediscovered, and is being held by some foolish woman, which in turn will result in the celebration of Veronica's 400th anniversary after its founding, and to ensure that the full power of the stone will enable you to call forth the bird of life, so that it's blood will be used as your elixir of life, in a ritual of immortality. Thus, the world will see you as the chosen king of that kingdom. Thus, the group, Carbuncle, will gladly assist you in this task. Once the stone has been taken, we'll make doubly sure that the girl shall share in the glory of watching you ascend the throne," grinned the One-Winged Angel.

"I appreciate it, Sephiroth. See that our 400th anniversary is a success, and you will be handsomely rewarded. You'll get 400 million," Cream said to the group of miscreants.

"Four hundred mill's a lot of jewels," said the first member.

"Yes indeed, and all at the behest of snatching it up from a girl at the behest of a boy duke. Apparently, the child has far more money than common sense," said the second.

Suddenly, a cruel cold chuckle was heard, and out stepped Hyena Razor Droid.

"Yes, you may be right about that, Coordinator. But the reward is handsome enough, but what if you were to take advantage of Cream's generous offer and take the power for yourself, Dyst?" he grinned wickedly.

"That, I don't know," remarked Dyst.

He motioned for Chase to proceed with the plan. The plan Hyena had suggested gave him a clear idea.

"The Phoenix Stone. We are both the glittering garnet jewel and the creature that lurks beneath the shadows. And when this is done, Sephiroth will have the pleasure of killing Cream, and repeat the cataclysm that destroyed Fire Village this Kingdom was built on, after our pockets are lined with money," he said.

Then he turned to Hyena.

"But, I may not know who you are at the moment," he hissed to the dark Keyblade Wielder.

"Oh, I am known as Hyena Razor Droid, arch enemy of the Yuuki family, hence why I want that wretch Rose Cheria Yuuki out of the way, and then Asuna's skull will be mine to keep as my personal trophy," grinned Hyena, but none knew that Gajeel was listening in on them with Panther Lily at his side.

Meanwhile, inside the Fairy Tail guild hall, everyone was now gathered around the young woman, Lucy and Cody had brought in, as they shared dinner with each other.

"Here you go," Mirajane said, as she handed her a glass of some sort of juice to help wash down the meal.

"Thank you," Eclair replied solemnly.

"Any ideas, guys?" Asuka asked them.

"Maybe she fainted earlier because she was hungry," replied Lucy.

"Could be, but none of us know who this woman is," said Cody.

"You're right. I don't think any of us have met this woman, although Cody did tell us that her name was eclair, thanks to her little bird friend," Kirito whispered inquisitively.

"You're very kind," she said to them.

"It's thanks to both Cody and Lucy that they brought you here, Eclair. After all, it was their honor to help you," replied Sora.

"Yeah, Sora's right about that," agreed the celestial mage.

"I would be fine with or without the meal," remarked Eclair.

This made everyone react to what she said, either in shock, or bewilderment.

"Now, now, you know better than to say things like that," the bird tried to assure her.

"Your friend is right. Kindness and trust are stronger than contempt, and that turns against the darkness," agreed Yumi.

The little bird apologized to them.

"No, don't be. But, I can tell that she still seems very bitter about something, but none of us know what," said Ruby.

"Well, we all know that you mentioned that her name's Eclair, thanks to what Cody told us, but we don't know your name," added Yui.

"I'm Momon, and this is Eclair. I took her under my wing just a few years ago," Momon replied.

"That explains it then. I can tell that she must have been lost and alone without a true friend at her side," said Asuna.

Then Lucy extended her hand to the little bird, and introduced herself.

"I'm Sora," said Sora.

"Hey there, my name's Kirito," added Kirito.

"I'm Yang," grinned Yang.

"My name's Yumi. It's a pleasure," smiled Yumi.

"My name is Yui," chirped the little A.I.

"I'm Leafa, nice to meet you," greeted Leafa.

"My name's Asuna," added Asuna.

"I'm Asuka, it's nice to meet you," smiled Asuka.

"I'm Ruby," said Ruby.

"My name's Cody, and we're known as Team SKYYYLAARC. The others are known as Natsu Dragneel, Erza Scarlet, Happy, Wendy Marvell, Gray Fullbuster, and Carla. As for the others, they mostly do odd jobs for Fairy Tail. They're known as Team Natsu, with Erza as the leader," finished Cody.

"You're all very kind," replied Eclair.

But as she was about to leave with Momon, Carla was suddenly struck with a vision. This made her jump out of her seat.

"You're heading toward a forest. Watch out. Great sadness awaits you there," she said.

"A forest," murmured Eclair.

This caused something within her mind to snap, and a man who was dying before her told her where to go.

"That's right. Deep within the boundary forest. That's where it is," she said to herself.

"I don't think you want to go there," warned Happy.

"Happy's right, Eclair. And believe me, you shouldn't go alone. What I'm gonna say to you comes from personal experience. Ever since my home was destroyed by the darkness, thanks to my best friend Riku, who's still repentant of his actions, I was transported to another world, and was all alone for a long time. I was so scared, that when I saw the Heartless attacking Traverse Town, even before I knew what they were, I chose to fight them, but they were too much for me to handle, until I was tutored by a man named Leon, who was once called Squall Leonhart. That's why no matter the number of reasons I've got for why we go with you, we're not letting you do this on your own. We're gonna protect you from those that want to harm you," explained Sora.

Eclair was reluctant at first, but with some encouragement from Momon, she agreed to let Team SKYYYLAARC join her. On the way, Lucy and several others stopped her, asking where she was off to.

"We're going to the Boundary Forest, for three important reasons, Lucy. 1: We may not know why, but I have a feeling that there might be some clues that'll help Eclair out in her own personal journey. 2: The forest is filled with a lot of dangerous creatures that would try and have her ravaged in a rather brutal fashion, like the Heartless, which are drawn to the darkness within people's hearts. That's why we feel like being with her, to protect her. And 3: I doubt Erza may approve of any of us going, but it's the only way to make sure that we don't see her getting lost and left alone without anyone at her side. So, if that happens, then Momon may get worried and start to panic, which will attract a lot of Heartless to her location. And we don't want that to happen ever. So, you see, that's one risk we shouldn't even think of taking, regardless of the consequences," he said to them.

"Sora's right. It's calling to me. And I can't ignore it," added Eclair.

This made Lucy surprised, but she furrowed her brow with determination.

"Well, if Sora and his friends are going, then we're going as well. We are wizards after all," she said.

Eclair turned away from her.

"I'm not very fond of magic," she hissed.

"Hey, show some restraint!" barked Yang.

"Please, listen to her," added Momon.

"Because magic brings tremendous sorrow with it," Eclair said somberly.

"You're wrong, Eclair. Not all magic brings sorrow and death. Sometimes it can be used to bring happiness and hope to others. And you know what else? Lucy thinks so too," Cody argued quietly.

"Yeah, Cody's right. So we're going with you," added Lucy.

"That's right. We can show you that not all forms of magic are pure evil, like what Sephiroth and most of our other enemies have used before," said Yumi.

The rest of the group agreed with them as they arrived, knowing that they had nothing more to do. Finally, Eclair agreed.