Sometime before the fight with the Oracion Seis...
Eastern Forest
Fairy Tail's associated medic, Porylusica was inside her home, researching a potion, before mixing a few leaves into it. Nothing was happening at the moment, much to her dismay. She sighed before opening the door and leaving for some air. She walked to a area with a perfect view of Magnolia, she sighed again with her dislike of humans.
Suddenly, she heard something rustle. A figure that looked to be injured was coming her way. For some reason, when he got closer the temperature began to slowly drop.
She had half a mind to leave him there, but that would give her some unneeded attention, so she dragged him inside her house for medical aid.
Remnants of the Fairy Tail Guild Hail
After defeating Phantom Lord, the guild was disbanded by the Magic Council for violating the non-aggression rule between the guilds. Now Fairy Tail had some major repairs to do to their guild hall.
At a temporary table, Natsu and his teammates were bored. Lucy complained that she needed to pay rent soon, but she didn't have any jewels. Just then, Mirajane, the guild's barkeep, approached them.
"Hey there." She said before noticing their expressions. "Is something wrong, you guys?"
Erza looked at her and explained they were tired of just rebuilding and Lucy needed to pay rent. "You guys need something exciting to do." She told them. The re-quip wizard nods, and Mira snapped her fingers. "Oh, yeah. The request."
This got Natsu's attention. "What?"
Mira walked to the bar and the wizards and Happy followed her over. "This came while you were on Galuna Island. I planned on giving it to you, but the issue with Phantom Lord happened."
This got everyone's attention and they waited briefly until they heard. "Ah, here it is." After giving the paper to Gray, the team read the request.
Wanted
Drake Frost
Picture of Frost
Has access to powerful magic and should be taken seriously
Contact Suishou in Eastern Forest to accept the request
The reward is 720,000 jewels
When the request was processed, they had the same thing to ask, Gray got to it first. "Why's this request for our team only?"
He's been running for seven years. A mage that can track across great distances is necessary.
They all nodded, realizing why Mira handed them the request. Since Natsu's a dragon slayer, his senses were sharper than a ordinary individual's and put the sense of smell a animal has to shame. That made him a top-class hunter that would get each of them 175,000 jewels. "We're heading out immediately." Erza ordered as she walked off.
On the way out of town, Natsu was thinking about something other than fighting. "Seven years, that's when Igneel disappeared..."
Eastern Forest
Poryluscia's House
Fire raged as one house was burned down after another. Bodies were on the ground, as blood poured from each body on the ground. Two shadows emerged, one was a young boy. Suddenly, the child shot forward, with anger and blood lust in his expression.
"Ah!" Shooting forward, the man woke up, gasping for air.
"I see you've woken up?" Porlyusica spoke, turning to the man she saved. Finally able to look at his face, she described his appearance as...unique.
He looked to be around 17. He had black hair that went down his neck. His hazel eyes were above some freckles and he had pale white skin.
His shirt was different than what she's seen most people wear. It had a red dragon in the center. He was also wearing tan shorts.
After climbing out of bed, his lower body was visible.
The pink-haired healer glared at him and said, "So, will you tell me your name or do I have to first?"
He looked at her and said, "Wouldn't the host do that first?"
She took a deep breath. "Porlyusica."
Upon hearing that, his eyes widened. "So this is the Eastern Forest, correct?"
"I'm still wanting a name." She said, starting to become angry.
The man took a deep breath, looked towards her and told her his name. "I'm Drake Frost."
Eastern Forest
As Natsu and his teammates traveled through the forest, they called for Suishou. Soon enough, there was rustling coming from a bush. Erza summoned a sword and pointed it at the bush. "Who's there?"
A deep, squeaky voice answered. "I'm Suishou, who are you guys?"
"We're Fairy Tail wizards, here to help you apprehend the fugitive."
The voice curiously asked. "Who's the searcher in your group?"
Natsu smiled after pounding his fist into his palm. "I am. I'm Natsu, the Fire Dragon Slayer."
"Dragon Slayer? So Salamander and his friends received my request. Perfect." The rustling resumed and their employer emerged from the bush. To say his appearance was unexpected was a understatement.
In front of them was a child, around thirteen years old, appearing to be in shape for his age. His grey hair was tied in a bun with a black string keeping it in place. He had dark brown eyes. Decorating his face were two white, wing-like tattoos under his eyes. His outfit consisted of a white tank-top under a brown trench coat, black cargo pants and gray sneakers. A strange black ring was on his left index finger.
"You're our employer?" Lucy asked, surprised by his appearance.
"Yes, me and my partner will join you on this job." He answered.
Gray was curious. "Who's your partner?"
"Astaroth, the Demon of Vengeance." Suishou told them, expecting shocked expressions on their faces.
Lucy screamed. "Demon!?"
"Calm yourself, once you get to know him he's not that bad." Suishou said, defending his partner.
Erza was unimpressed with the two. "No disrespect, but do you really wish to accompany us? You said this criminal used powerful magic."
Suishou gave a small smile. "Let me show you something." They watched as he closed his eyes and gathered magic energy. He quickly opened his eyes and slammed his palms to the ground. "Glimmering Pillar!"
A magic seal appeared behind him, then a large pillar, made of crystal, shot out from the seal, growing higher than the tallest tree in the forest. As quickly as it materialized, it dissipated and was no more. The four wizards and the cat were in awe of the power shown by the young wizard.
From behind, they heard a demonic voice. "Was that really a good idea, Suishou? We're trying to be stealthy and you made a pillar over 30 ft. tall." Turning, they met Astaroth.
Landing in front of them was Suishou's partner. Astaroth was a tall figure with curly brown hair that covered his ears. His face was well-balanced. There were two small orange horns on his head. His skin was a shade of red. His fingers resembled claws with orange nails. Folding into his back were two bat wings. The patagium were orange and the bones were brown. A snake tattoo wrapped around his right wrist. His attire consisted of simple straps on his chest and torn brown pants.
"They doubted my abilities and needed a demonstration." Suishou said nonchalantly.
The demon sighed. "Let's just hope our target didn't see it." The two began to walk away, when they noticed the Fairy Tail wizards weren't coming. "Hey you coming?"
Shaking their heads, the wizards begin following them. After a while, Suishou spoke up. "Last time we encountered him, he was fairly injured. Is there a place nearby to heal up?"
Erza spoke next. "A old friend of our master's lives here. He'll likely be at her house."
Lucy was confused. "I thought she hates humans. Why would he be there? She's not gonna help him."
Astaroth stopped. "Knowing our target, he probably forced her to do so."
Gray finally broke his silence. "You sure know a lot about this guy."
Suishou turned around, continuing his stride. "Indeed. We've been hunting him for seven years."
Porlyusica's house
"Frost? That's a weird name." The healer spoke before continuing. "Would you explain how you were injured so badly."
"Well, I-It's nothing." He started.
"Don't lie. Tell the truth. Now!" She stopped him mid-sentence. Drake decided to explain further.
"I fell into a trap. The hunters surrounded me, but I somehow managed to escape. Then I heard about a healer who lives somewhere in the Eastern Woods."
"Thank you." He informed the healer.
"If you really wish to show gratitude, gather morning dew flowers. They'll help you recover." He nodded, walked to the door, opened it and exited the house.
He stepped out of the house. A few feet away he found the flowers he needed. As he gathered them, he felt the ground shake. He had a idea of what it was and ran back. He ran back in and slammed the door, placing his back in front of it.
"What now?" Porlyusica demanded. He ignored her and looked out the window. Six figures were approaching the house, two he knew very well. He lowered the blinds in a panic.
"Excuse me, if you're leaving then you'll need supplies." She prepared a small sack with medicine and handed it to Drake. "There's a back window. Now leave." Nodding in agreement, he jumped out the window. At the same time, someone knocked on the door.
Outside (Around the same time)
"So, this is the place?" Suishou asked, unimpressed.
"Yeah, it's Porlyusica's house." Lucy answered Suishou.
"Well then, let's go." Suishou started walking towards the house when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw it was Erza's.
"It's not that simple." She explained. "Porlyusica really dislikes humans."
Astaroth chuckled slightly. "It's good that I'm not a human." Then he walked toward the house. He knocked on the door and the pink-haired healer opened it.
"Excuse me, but my partner and I are tracking a dangerous criminal. Have you seen him." He handed her the wanted poster.
"No. I haven't. Now leave me alone." She said, slamming the door in his face.
Walking back to the group, Astaroth looked disappointed in himself. "She says she hasn't seen him, and she doesn't just hate humans."
At that time, Natsu was sniffing the air. "Hold on. That's new."
Everyone turned towards the Dragon Slayer.
"What is it, Natsu?" Erza asked.
Natsu suddenly sprinted forward, screaming. "I got him." The others understood what he said and quickly followed.
With Drake
'Damn. Those idiots must have hired someone with a tracking ability. That's the only way they could hope to find me.' He cursed mentally as he ran through the forest, breaking branches along the way. 'They've been at this for seven years. Why can't they just stop.'
He soon approached a quarry surrounded by stone walls. A waterfall was at the base, leading to a river. He stopped in front of the fall. "No choice. I have to hide behind the waterfall." He passed through the fall.
"Come on, this way!" Natsu shouted, urging them to catch up. As he entered the quarry, he stopped, causing everyone else to crash into him. As Erza got out of the pile, she punched Natsu on the head. "Warn people before you stop next time!"
Happy was curious. "Why'd you stop Natsu?"
"The smell, it ends here." Everyone was curious: how can a scent end without anyone there?
"Well, it's getting late." Everyone turned towards Suishou. "We should probably set up camp."
Erza nodded in agreement, and they began setting up camp.
After setting the camp up, they gathered food from the river and let the fire cook it.
"So." Gray looked at Suishou. "You wanna tell us about him and why you chased him for seven years."
Suishou sighed as he looked up to the stars. "Alright, since we'll be working together on this mission, you should know the full story."
He looked at the team as he began to tell his story. "I was born in a small village on Mt. Hakobe.
Near the base of Mt. Hakobe, a village nestled in the snowy terrain. The houses were made of wood, dragged from a nearby forest. Mothers were out with their children, fathers teaching the boys the art of hunting. In the distance, children were practicing magic. In the center of the village sat the house of the chief, Chief Frost.
"Wait." Lucy interrupted. "Our target's from the same village as you!?"
He nodded. "I was the village doctor's apprentice and he was the chief's adopted son. Things changed while he was there."
"How so?" Erza asked.
"You see; our village had a policy. Any travelers were welcomed and could stay as long as they desire."
7 years ago
Suishou was walking when the village bell rang. When they reached the center, they saw Suishou's father and a child.
He had slicked back black hair, a pair of glasses on his face, a black shirt and tan jeans.
"Everyone, this is Drake Frost." Suishou's father began to explain. "His biological parents are dead, so I agreed to take him to our home. Please be nice to him."
"My name is Suishou. Nice to meet you." Drake looked at him, didn't say anything and walked off. "He's odd."
"Okay, so your dad brought him in." Natsu said. "How'd you start chasing after him?" Suishou sighed and confused.
"A few days after that, I came back from a unsuccessful hunt with the chief."
Three days after Drake arrived
Suishou and Chief Frost returned to see a horrifying sight. The village was burning and the ground was littered with bodies. Men, women, children, no one was spared. The chief dropped his spear and ran into the remnants of the village, with Suishou following close behind. "Drake!" The chief cried, looking for him.
"Hey!" He turned around, to see him covered in blood. Suishou was happy his friend survived.
"Who did this?" The chief asked.
"I did." The men looked at him, arms covered in blood.
"Why, after everything we did for you?" Suishou screamed at him.
"It wasn't that hard." He explained calmly.
The chief stood up. "How dare yo-" He never finished his sentence, as Suishou noticed blood dripping from his chest, near his heart. He looked and was speechless.
Drake punched a hole into his father's chest. As it was pulled out, his hand was different. Instead of five fingers, there were three claws. As he fell back, he said his last word. "Why?"
"What's wrong with you?" Suishou shouted.
He turned and walked away, as the lone survivor fell to his knees, weeping as his destroyed home turned to ash.
"Wow, that's horrible." Lucy said.
Erza was deep in thought. 'Betrayed by someone that was once his friend.'
"Yes, it was. I still see the chief's face at night. It haunts me." Soon, they heard sniffles as Suishou was crying.
Astoroth put his hand on his partner's back as he wept. "That's when I arrived."
Astoroth was walking in the snow when he saw smoke coming from a mountain. 'This isn't a volcano.' Astoroth quickly spread his wings and took flight.
Soon enough, he arrived at what remained of a village, bodies sprawled across the ground, apparently all murdered. 'I don't think anyone survived.' Astoroth was about to leave, but a sound caught his attention. He followed it to the source, a child, and perhaps the only survivor. "Excuse me, what happened here?"
Sniffles could be heard as the boy explained. "He-he killed everyone. It's all his fault, that kid's. This started after his arrival."
Astoroth was surprised that children were capable of something like this. "What's your name?"
"S-sui-shou. My name is Suishou." The child answered.
"That's a good name." Astoroth placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I am Astoroth, the demon of vengeance. I can help you."
Suishou looked up hopefully. "You mean it?"
"Of course." Astoroth said with a semi smile. "I'll help you bring him to justice. Now, let's go. You'll catch a cold."
"Since then, I aided Suishou for seven years."
"Wow, that's tough." Natsu said, looking up at the sky.
"It is." Suishou said, regaining his composure. "But it's worth it. Soon enough, he'll pay for what he's done. Well, it's getting late. We should get some sleep."
One by one, they all fell asleep.
A cave behind the waterfall
"I should be safe here for the time being. But I shouldn't stay for long, after all they're going to find me eventually." Drake said to himself.
The next morning
Natsu awoke as the others packed up. "Breakfast?"
Erza sighed. "Happy's catching it right now." Natsu could see the blue cat at the waterfall, trying to catch the fish as they fell down.
"Gotcha!" Happy caught one. But this one had some fight in it. "Come on. Whoa!"
Suddenly Happy was pulled right into the fall. But the weird part was that he stayed in the middle of the fall, despite his wings vanishing. Erza saw this and put the pieces in place.
"Gray!" She shouted. "Freeze the fall!"
"Got it." He channeled his magic into his hands. "Freeze!"
The fall froze solid as Erza Re-Quipped into her Purgatory armor. Shattering the ice with one strike of her sword, everyone saw a hand sticking out of the rock, holding Happy.
"Natsu!"
"Right!"
Natsu charged forward. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist! Let Happy go!" The attack connected with the wall, causing a huge explosion.
As the dust settled, they could see the fugitive behind the remnants of a stone wall. "Damn it! Should have let the fish go."
Erza Requipped into her Heart Kreuz armor, sword in hand. Pointing it at him, she glared at him. "Nowhere left to run!"
Drake smirked. "I'm not going down so easily."
