Hi everyone, I wanted to thank you once more for your patience, I know you've all been waiting for this for a very long time, and I apologize you had to wait so long; things have been pretty crazy with work, the holidays, not to mention the pandemic, as well as my other stories that I am currently writing; the way things are, I can really only work on one story a week, and I've got four stories on hand at the moment, so I only ask that you continue to be patient, because I have every intention of seeing this story through (as well as my other ones).
This is one chapter I'm very excited to write about as we are finally introduced to that one Devil May Cry character you've all been waiting for! I have been wanting to write this particular arc since I started writing my story, and now we're finally here! With all that being said, let's get started.
Father's Memento
Fire. That was all that could be seen around the burning and crumbling ruins of the church. What was once a sacred and strong building had now completely collapsed and was being engulfed by the flames. The priests and nuns who served there all screamed and panicked as they saw their church burn to the ground.
"He's close…" An ominous voice spoke from the flames, drawing the attention of the priests and nuns. "So very close…"
Within the flames, standing atop a pile of rubble was a figure clad in a dark, hooded robe. His face could not be seen, and all he carried was a katana, tied to its own sheath by a set of bandages.
"The Savior comes…" The figure continued to speak before he began to yell. "He shall deliver us a glorious chaos!" The figure exclaimed in a state of crazed jubilation, laughing like a madman.
An elderly man awoke with a startle, shooting out from his bed, his face covered in sweat as his heart raced. He desperately tried to catch his breath as he recalled the terrible nightmare he had just awoken from.
"That dream… Not again… The Savior comes… to deliver chaos…?"
A single train rode the tracks toward the city of Magnolia, and probably wouldn't arrive till the morning. Among the many sleeping passengers, sat a young woman near the window. This woman had long wavy dark blonde hair, dark blue eyes, and wore a pink resembling something from an upper-class society, with a pink bonnet on her head.
On the seat across from this mysterious woman was a long case, the contents of said case were to be delivered to a specific person, and she was determined to deliver this case no matter what.
The Next Day
"Her grave? Your pretty morbid this morning." Natsu commented toward Mira as they, Dante, Lisanna, Elfman, Lady, and even Happy all worked on the farm outside the guildhall.
"Well since Lisanna's still alive, it's pointless to have it up." Mira pointed out.
"And I'd rather not have to look at it again." Elfman added.
"You'd think that be taken down during our seven-year catnap." Dante said.
"Well considering we were all missing, I'm surprised they don't have a mass memorial built for us." Lady replied.
"You don't like Lisanna's grave, just knock it over." Happy said.
"That seems a bit harsh." Lisanna said with a slight wince.
"For real Happy, you don't just knock over someone's grave." Even Dante seemed to agree. "Even if the person's alive, that's just plain wrong."
"The church said the decision's up to us, so we have time to think it through." Elfman said.
"Natsu will never take down the one we made, right ya big softie?" Happy teased, causing Natsu to blush slightly.
Lady snickered. "You actually built your girlfriend a grave, that's surprisingly sweet of you. Guess you're not such a destructive moron after all."
"Course he's not." Dante teased as well. "He's actually got more heart and muscles than brains."
"Oh ,shut up Dante, you're the same way!" Natsu exclaimed but was caught off guard by Lisanna giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. He turned toward her as she had a loving smile on her face, showing just how touched she was by the gesture.
"Well, we could leave it as a monument to the day she came back home." Mira suggested. "Changing it might be a bit pricey."
"Hey, speaking of the church, isn't there something big going on for them right now?" Lisanna wondered, changing the subject.
"What do you mean?" Natsu asked.
"Apparently there's this new religious group going around that's planning to merge itself with the whole Zentopia church system." Elfman replied.
"Actually, the master did talk about that." Mira said, getting everyone's attention. "It was one of the topics covered during his meeting with the other Wizard Saints. Apparently, this new group is called 'the Order of the Sword'."
"Order of the Sword?" Dante asked in minor surprise. "Kinda sounds a bit aggressive for a religious group."
"I've actually heard a few rumors myself about them." Lady added. "Heard they've been collecting demonic artifacts, even looking for Devil Arms."
"Devil Arms? You mean those weapons that Dante uses?" Happy asked.
"Yep." Lady confirmed. "But they're all just rumors, and I've never actually seen anything myself."
"Well, if they're planning on doing a museum, they'd better be careful." Dante said. "Even small demonic stuff can be dangerous, not to mention a lot of psychos who'd love to get their hands on a Devil Arm."
"Oh, you wanna know something really surprising?" Mira asked. "According to the master, the main figure of worship for the Order Dante, is your father; Sparda."
To say they were surprised would have been an understatement.
"Okay, that is news to me." Lady pointed out. "No rumors or anything about that."
"They worship a demon?" Natsu asked in surprise. "I'm not big on religions or whatever, but isn't worshiping a demon supposed to be bad or something? I mean wasn't Grimoire Heart the same?
"Grimoire Heart worshiped Mundus." Lisanna replied. "This sounds completely different. Sparda may have been a demon, but he was also the Dark Knight who saved the world, so it sounds like a good thing."
"Hey Dante, maybe you should pay these Order guys a visit and tell them you're Spada's son." Happy suggested. "You could be like a prophet to them! You can make them do whatever you want, like getting a lifetime supply of fish!"
"You mean, get you a lifetime supply of fish." Dante corrected with a raised-eyebrow and cocked smirk
"Exactly!" Happy replied.
"Hmmm, nah." Dante shrugged. "I like the spotlight as much as the next guy, but I'm not one to put myself up like that."
"And manipulating an entire religion like that is morally wrong." Lady pointed out.
"So where are these Order guys anyway?" Natsu asked Mira specifically.
"They reside in the island nation of Fortuna." Mira explained. "It's actually its own independent nation, existing outside Fiore's jurisdiction as well as that of the Magic Council. Based on what the master's said, it seems like their entire society is run by the Order of the Sword."
"Really? Just one tiny island is a whole country?" Natsu asked in minor surprise.
"Geeze Natsu, you don't know anything." Happy teased.
"You don't either!" Natsu shot back.
"But, if that rumor Lady said is true, and they've been collecting demonic artifacts and Devil Arms…" Lisanna began. "I'm not saying they're gonna do anything bad with them, I'm not making any accusations; but…"
"You're still worried something bad could happen, even if it's an accident?" Dante asked, which Lisanna nodded in confirmation.
"Yeah, I'd be lying to say I wouldn't be concerned about that too." Lady agreed. "Even if they don't want to cause trouble, there's probably gonna be a lot of outside parties that will, which might end up being bad news for the Order."
Dante gave a slight shrug. "Well, if we hear anything, we'll look into it. Otherwise, I think it's best we don't go picking fights unless we have to."
Meanwhile, on the island of Fortuna, a single young man ran down the paved road straight toward the cathedral at the center of town. This man had white brushed down hair with blue eyes. He also wore a long, dark blue jacket, with a red inner lining; underneath the jacket was a red zip-up hoodie, and a black shirt underneath that. He also wore a pair of dark blue pants and long brown boots. Strangely, his right arm was completely bandaged up and in a sling.
The young man cursed himself for oversleeping, knowing he was going to be late for the service. Though he wasn't too excited about the service in particular, he made a promise to a certain someone that he wouldn't be late, as she had a performance to give.
At the same time, inside the cathedral, the service was being held as virtually every man and woman present wore a white hood and sat down around the stage, waiting for the opening ceremony to begin.
A spotlight shinned down on the central stage to reveal a beautiful young woman auburn hair tied back in a ponytail, and hazel-colored eyes. She wore a long white dress that stretched all the way down to her ankles with brown boots underneath.
The young woman looked around her audience just as the music began to play. She noticed an empty seat and briefly expressed disappointment before beginning to sing.
"Listen to my voice calling you…. Calling you out of darkness. Hear the Devil's cry of sin… Always turn your back on him."
The young man came to an abrupt stop when he noticed a group of demonic figures block his path. They looked as if their skin was made entirely out of sewn fabric and were heavily stuffed inside. Their hands and feet also appeared to be curved blades. The young man gave an annoyed scoff before charging head-on at this newfound enemy.
"With the wind you go…. Still, I dream of your spirit, leading you back home. I will give my gifts to you…. Grow your garden, watch it bloom."
He leapt to give a powerful kick to send the front-most demon flying into all of his friends to knock them down. He then threw out a punch to the demon on his right to send it crashing into the wall. When another one was about to swing its blade down on him, the young man caught the blade in his unbandaged hand and threw the demon away before snapping the blade off its arm, which he then took as his own for a makeshift weapon. He didn't hesitate to make use of it as he hacked and slashed any demon that got close to him.
"The light in your eye is an angel up high… Fighting to ease the shadow side. Hearts will grow though having bend… Leaving behind all the things in the end.
The young man ran across the wall before leaping up at a demon who jumped toward him, kicking him down to the ground while propelling himself straight upward, kicking down any more demons that continued to try to leap toward him. He then fell back to the ground to slice up the demon that was in front of him before kicking up another demon to leap up after him, slicing not only that demon but the other ones that tried to jump around him, while also delivering some more fierce kicks to send them crashing into the walls. Once he landed, he only needed to slice down three more demons to finish off the group.
With the demons all finished, he resumed his run straight toward the cathedral, hoping to at least get there before the opening ceremony came to an end.
"Listen to my voice calling you…. Calling you out of darkness. Hear the Devil's cry of sin… Always turn your back on him…. On him… On hiiiiiiimmmmm!"
With that, the song of the opening ceremony came to an end, which was met with a massive applause from the audience. As the young woman looked around, she was pleasantly surprised to see the young man with white hair sitting down. Though she could tell he was out of breath, having probably just arrived, she was nonetheless glad that he actually made it.
Once the ceremony came to an end, the rest of the cathedral slowly lit up to reveal its internal halls. Though it didn't seem that much different from a regular church with chandeliers and stained-glass windows, aside from the stage that the young woman once sang on. What really stood out was the large statue at the back of the wall. This statue appeared to be that of a man with a human face, wearing a robe, while holding a sword downward; what stood out the most was the fact that this so-called man had curved horns on the side of his head.
An elderly man then walked onto the stage and was greeted with an applause of his own. This man was dressed mostly in a white and golden robe, along with a red pallium draped over his shoulders. He also wore a large white headpiece, indicating he was something akin to a pope.
"Two thousand years ago…" The elderly man began. "The Dark Knight Sparda, turned against his demon brethren and took up his sword for the sake of mankind. Though despite his brave efforts in our names, I fear some have forgotten the truth of his great sacrifice, and have even dismissed him as a myth, or even of a children's tale."
As the ceremony took place, the same white-haired man from before didn't seem to be paying attention as he sat cross-legged, listening to some music via his pair of headphones. This did not go unnoticed by a certain man standing in the far corner of the chamber, a man sharp brown eyes and dark auburn brown hair with a slight goatee. He wore a long white coat with white pants, and high boots, and even had a sword sheathed on his side. Both men made eye-contact as the white-haired man rolled his eyes at the narrow glare from the other.
"If the events of that terrible time were to reoccur, the fusing of both the demonic and human realms, we, weak humans, would have no means by which to oppose our submission." The elderly man continued.
Meanwhile, the songstress from before had walked up to join the white-haired young man and was about to sit down next to him. He tried to look away to hide the semi-shameful expression for being late, something that caused her to roll her eyes. However, she noticed a small gift wrapped on her seat, which caused her to smile slightly as she sat down next to him.
"And so, I ask you to unite, and pray that even if such a dark time of chaos were to revisit us, our gracious Savior would shelter us from the storm. Let us pray!"
The elderly man brought his hands together for a prayer, one where everyone else followed, all but the white-haired young man who only sighed as he knew this was going to be a long ceremony.
After an hour, the service came to an end. Everyone had begun to leave, with the white-haired man and the young woman at the front until…
"Nero."
The young man apparently named Nero turned around to see the same man from before walking toward him with a stern look.
"Yes, Credo?" Nero asked with an annoyed expression.
"You were late." Credo pointed out.
"I was held up." Nero brushed off.
"This isn't the only time you've missed the opening ceremony." Credo said. "Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't just straight-up skip the entire service."
"You know, that's actually a really good idea. Think I might try that next time." Nero said in a somewhat-spiteful tone, causing Credo to glare harder.
"Come on, break it up you two." The young woman got in-between the pair. "Credo, Nero said he was going to try and fix that habit of being late, but you could stand to lighten up from time-to-time."
Credo gave a small sigh. "I apologize Kyrie, but I am Captain of the Holy Knights and duty must be taken seriously."
"Since when is being five- or six-minutes late part of my duty?" Nero questioned, which Credo was about to retort when someone else stepped in.
"That's quite enough." The same elderly man who held the service spoke in a gentle yet firm tone as he approached the young group.
"Your Holiness." Credo bowed, along with Kyrie, while Nero just gave a small nod.
"Tardiness is such a minor inconvenience, and I'm sure young Nero here had his reasons, so I think you can forgive him for something so trivial." The leader of the Order of the Sword, Sanctus, said with a compassionate smile.
"Of course." Credo nodded in acceptance.
"Now then, there is something that I wish to share with you Credo, so if you wouldn't mind following me?" Sanctus asked.
"As you wish." Credo bowed his head once more.
"As for you two." Sanctus turned to Nero and Kyrie. "It's such a lovely day, so go enjoy yourselves."
"Thank you, your holiness." Kyrie smiled before she took Nero's arm, and they began to leave while Sanctus and Credo walked off in the opposite direction. As they were about to get to the door, Kyrie looked at the gift Nero gave her.
"Happy birthday, Kyrie." Nero told her, trying to maintain an indifferent façade, which Kyrie easily saw through as she smiled and opened the gift.
Her present was a golden necklace, with a red crystal held high in place by two overlapping wings similar to that of a seraph. She smiled as she put it on. "It's beautiful, thank you Nero."
"Yeah, sure." Nero had a small smile as Kyrie playfully pulled on his arm to lead him outside.
Magic Council Headquarters
"Your absolutely certain of this?" Gran Doma questioned as he, and the rest of the Council, were given the report by Lahar via thought projection.
"Yes, I'm very sorry sir." Lahar confirmed. "But despite our best efforts, it appears a church in the Akasa Region burnt to the ground yesterday morning."
"That makes over thirty incidents. Yet the identity of the perpetrator still alludes you, Lahar?" Gran Doma asked.
"We're analyzing pieces of the building, but there are no solid leads yet." Lahar informed.
"These incidents didn't begin until the Order of the Sword made its announcement to officially join with the church." One Council member said. "I worry that may be the cause of this."
Org stroked his beard as he expressed concerned as well. "Other lands have begun to take notice of this as well. If we are to save face, we must find and capture the culprit quickly."
"At this rate, the Custody Enforcement Unit's reputation will be ruined, and the Council's right around with it." Gran Doma stated before addressing Lahar once more. "Do not fail!"
"Sir." Lahar nodded in understanding.
Fairy Tail guildhall
"Wow, another one?" Lucy voiced in surprise as she read the newspaper of the recent church burning. Sitting at the same table with her included Patty, Wendy, Carla, Happy, Modeus, and Trish.
"That's over thirty total… very disturbing." Modeus noted.
"Did something bad happen?" Kinana asked as she brought a bowl of fish for Happy.
"Someone's been setting fire to churches lately." Wendy answered.
"That's a sadistic hobby." Carla commented.
"You think demons would be involved in this?" Patty asked.
"Maybe, or it could just be some random psycho." Trish replied. "You don't have to be a demon to be bad."
"True." Carla nodded. "We've met more than our fair share of bad humans as well."
"Hey, wait… we know that guy!" Lucy spotted Lahar's picture in the newspaper. "He worked for the Council!"
"That's right." Modeus confirmed. "Seems he's still part of their forces."
"Seven years and he hasn't stopped frowning." Happy commented on seeing the picture. "Natsu, look!"
"Flame-for-brain's kinda dead to the world right now." Dante joked as Natsu himself slept on the floor, complete with a snot bubble as he snored.
Lucy didn't seem all that surprised. "Braindead and oblivious is pretty much par for the course for him."
"Hey Dante, think this might have something to do with the church joining with the Order of the Sword?" Lisanna asked. "I mean, they do worship Sparda, and if demons are behind it, it could be their way of retailing."
"Yeah, that would make sense." Dante understood the logic. "Or it could be some overly zealous freakshow who hates the ideas of demons being worshiped in general."
"You've got a pretty twisted imagination; you know that Dante?" Patty told him.
"You spend most of your life fighting and being hunted by nightmare-fuel monsters, and then we'll talk about twisted." Dante replied.
"I can't believe someone would actually set fire to churches; times have changed." Happy noted.
"Once more, we're reminded that this is no longer the time that we're all familiar with. A lot can happen in seven years." Modeus said.
"Not to mention being frozen during that time all but destroyed my clairvoyance." Carla said. "The future's nothing but fuzzy pictures to me now."
"That's not good." Wendy said in minor surprise.
"It's rather annoying." Carla agreed.
Suddenly, Natsu awoke when his nose picked up an unusual scent. "That's a weird smell."
"Sleeping beauty's up." Dante joked.
"Hey Lucy! You have a visitor!" Romeo called as he was at the front door, helping the same young woman from the train, carrying the long case, into the guildhall. "The blonde with the pigtails is the one you want." He told her.
"Thank you for the help, young man."
"You know her?" Trish asked Lucy as everyone looked in minor confusion at this stranger.
"No… I don't think so." Lucy replied as she stood up to address the young woman who walked toward the table.
"Excuse me, but are you Lucy Heartfilia?"
"Yes ma'am, I'm a Heartfilia but… who's asking exactly?"
"Who am… I…?" Suddenly tears formed in her eyes before they sprayed out in comic fashion like a fountain. "How can you forget your dear Michelle Lobster, you meanie?!"
"What?!" Lucy looked nothing short of confused and surprised.
"Those are some serious waterworks." Dante noted.
"Yeah, her tears are like waterfalls." Even Wendy agreed.
"Way to be a jerk, Lucy." Natsu criticized.
Already, Patty and Lisanna were at the girl apparently named Michelle. "There, there, it's okay. I'm sure Lucy didn't mean to hurt your feelings." Lisanna tried to console, despite the awkward situation.
"Is there anything we can do? Why don't we make you some tea?" Patty offered.
"Would you like some tissue?" Kinana also offered, which seemed to calm down Michelle a bit.
"No… it's alright." She sniffled as her tears stopped flowing. "I'm so sorry, I guess I shouldn't expect you to remember me after such a long time."
"How could you forget a vision like that?" Elfman questioned toward Lucy with a slight blush on his face, much to Lucy's irritation.
"Elfman, I hate you."
"Looks like she comes from a pretty high-class family to dress up like that." Lady noted, standing alongside Trish.
"Wonder where she came from."
Michelle then turned towards a certain red-clad swordsman. "And you must be Dante, right?"
"Yeah? Did I forget you too?" Dante asked.
"Oh no, we've never met." Michelle replied. "But I know all about you. Allow me to properly introduce myself; my name is Michelle Lobster of the Lobster family, and I'm thrilled to finally meet you Dante, son of Spada, and even more so that you and Big Sister Lucy are together."
That last statement caught all of them by surprise.
"Saywha…?" Dante stuttered.
"Hang on…" Lucy's eyes twitched slightly.
"SISTER?!" Everyone exclaimed, shaking up the entire guildhall.
"I guess Daddy Lucy was selling something else on those business trips!" Happy pointed out in a teasing manner.
"Another dead-beat dad who can't even keep it in his pants. Why am I not surprised?" Lady rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"I got another cousin?" Dante questioned, still more than a little surprised. "Okay, this is getting to be too much, even for me."
Michelle smiled somewhat apologetically "Well the Lobsters and Heartfilias are related, Lucy and I aren't really sisters."
"I see, so you're a distant relative of hers." Carla observed.
"That makes a little more sense." Wendy nodded.
"Yeah, they do seem pretty different." Patty noted.
"I can see an uncanny resemblance between the two." Modeus observed as well.
"First Lisanna, Elfman, and Mira are related to that Angel-chick; Dante and Lucy are cousins; Gildarts is Cana's dad; now Lucy's got a shellfish for a daughter?" Natsu asked, resulted in Dante laughing hard with even Lisanna giggling while Lucy looked comically mortified.
"How did you get that idea?!"
"Just kidding! Don't blow a gasket!" Natsu replied.
After the entire situation calmed down; Dante and Lucy began to speak calmly with this newfound relative of theirs.
"So, you know about me?" Dante asked.
"Yes." Michelle confirmed. "I know your father was the Dark Knight, Spada; as well that your mother was the older sister of Lucy's mother. Of course, that information had to be kept within the family for… obvious reasons."
"Yeah, figured." Dante replied. "So, what you're my second cousin three times removed, or the other way around? I never really understood how that works."
"Don't worry about it, I know distant relations can be confusing." Michelle said. "Let's keep it simple and say we're cousins, alright Cousin Dante?"
"Sounds fine with me." Dante shrugged.
"Okay, he's your cousin, but why are you calling me Big Sister?" Lucy asked.
"Because you're older than me Silly-Goose." Michelle replied.
"Does anyone actually say 'Silly-Goose' nowadays?" Dante questioned, which Lucy ignored.
"Okay… no offense, but I thought you were the one that was older." Lucy said to Michelle.
"No offense taken, it's alright." Michelle replied.
Meanwhile, everyone else hung back as they observed the interactions. "What's the matter Natsu? You look confused." Lisanna noted to her Dragon Slayer lover.
"That girl's from the future, I totally get it." Natsu misinterpreted.
"Ugh, do we have to explain it again?" Lady rolled her eyes. "We went over this so many times!"
"Okay, listen up." Trish tried to explain to Natsu as slowly and simply as she could. "You know we were basically frozen on Tenrou Island seven years, so we didn't age in that time."
"Yeah, I know that." Natsu nodded.
"But, from a chronological standpoint, Lucy is technically older." Modeus added.
"Hold on… wouldn't that mean we're all older too?" Natsu asked in confusion. "I mean, that would make Wendy over there nineteen, and she's still pintsized."
"Natsu!" Wendy exclaimed with her face red with embarrassment, while Carla and Patty both smacked him in the back of Natsu's head.
"Ow! What I'd say?!" Natsu rubbed his head.
"You don't ever comment on a young girl's age!" Carla scolded
"Yeah, a boy wouldn't understand, let alone an idiot like you!" Patty also scolded.
"Don't be so hard on him, he's trying to understand." Lisanna said. "As slowly as he can…"
"That's our Natsu." Mira smiled.
"Yeah, slow and oblivious." Lady's eyelids lowered.
Back with Michelle, she was starting to tear up again as she faced Dante and Lucy. "At long last… I finally found you…"
"Hey, hey, we don't need the waterworks again." Dante told her.
"You know what? Why don't I take that case for you?" Lucy offered.
"Oh, that's right." Michelle recalled. "I'm supposed to give this to you. You're so thoughtful Lucy!" She was about to hug Lucy, only to accidentally drop the case onto her own foot.
"OW!"
Dante quickly picked up the case himself while Michelle held her foot, her big toe comically pulsating in pain. "The entire point of my journey was to find you so I could deliver that case to you, Big Sister!"
"Don't know why you're so keeled over for it, it's light as a feather." Dante spun it on his finger for emphasis.
"Well, I don't have demonic strength like you do, also could I get some ice for my footsie?" Michelle asked.
"A real man would have saved her footsie!" Elfman scolded the pair of cousins.
"Then why didn't you save it, you jerk?!" Lucy shot back.
"Are you sure they're related?" Natsu asked.
"They're both blonde, busty, with their own personal brand of crazy. Sounds like family to me." Happy replied.
"Can't you tell by how they smell?" Lisanna asked.
Natsu took a few whiffs. "Well, they do smell kinda alike… but that Michelle girl… I can't quite put my finger on but she smells kinda weird."
"Yeah, I never smelt anything like her before either." Even Wendy noted; something that caused Patty to look in confusion while Modeus shared concerned glances with Carla, as well as Lady and Trish.
After Michelle's foot was quickly tended to, Dante had set the case on the table as he and Lucy looked at it. "Okay, so what's in this thing that's worth all the trouble?"
"You said you came here to give that to me?" Lucy asked Michelle.
"That's right." Michelle confirmed. "Your father wanted you to have it." That caught Lucy and Dante by surprised; and even drew the attention of everyone else in the guildhall. "I was his assistant until just a short while ago, and this is my last errand for him. Actually, he passed the case on to me when he was on his deathbed. So here we are, my last assignment from Mr. Jude's come to an end."
"His final moments, and you were right there with him." Lucy said in a somber tone.
"He never stopped worrying about you after you went missing all those years ago." Michelle began. "But he was sure you were alive somewhere. And the fact that he knew you were with her Dante, that made him nothing short of happy as he was certain you would be able to protect her. It's because he held on to that hope that he asked me to find you and give you this memento. He went peacefully, as if falling asleep. And ever since then, I've been searching for you. Finding you has been my sole purpose." Michelle rubbed a few tears from her eyes before smiling "And now it's all done, I think Mr. Jude will finally be able to rest in peace."
Lucy looked ready to shed some tears, with Dante putting a comforting hand on her shoulder as he had a somber expression of his own.
All around; Natsu, Lisanna, and Happy looked with sympathy as the white-haired girl held the Dragon Slayer's hand with the blue Exceed already in tears. Mira was even on the verge of crying herself. Modeus, Wendy, Romeo, Patty, Trish, Lady, Carla, and Kinana also had their own sympathetic expressions to give as well, with Elfman shedding comic tears himself.
"Thanks Michelle." Lucy said sincerely before turning back to the case. "So, what's in it?"
"I don't know." Michelle replied. "I was only told to deliver it, so I never looked inside to see for myself."
"Well, no time like the present." Dante said. "You know, you really went the distance to get this thing here; so, you might as well as see what's in it too."
Michelle smiled. "Thank you, Dante."
Lucy undid the buckles to open the case and reveal the contents to the three, only for them to look in minor confusion as it seemed like a long object wrapped in cloth.
"The heck…?" Dante muttered as Lucy took the wrapped object in her hand.
As Lucy began to unwrap it, Carla suddenly had an oddly terrified look on her face, something Wendy and Patty both noticed.
"You okay Carla?" Wendy asked.
"Yeah, you look like you've just seen a ghost." Patty said.
"Oh… it's nothing." Carla tried to shake her head and wipe the look from her face. However, Modeus had a concerned expression, this may be connected to her clairvoyance, but with the damage it received due to being in suspended animation in seven years, it was hard to tell if whatever vision she just got was related to the object that Michelle had just delivered.
Once it was unwrapped; Lucy and Dante got a good look at it. The object appeared to be a long and oddly twisted piece of metal, resembling something of a large clock hand.
"Michelle what is this exactly?" Lucy asked.
"I assume it's something Mr. Jude was fond of." Michelle replied, apparently having no knowledge of what it was either. "Does it look familiar?"
"Not really." Lucy answered. "I don't remember seeing anything like this around the house."
"So, Uncle Jude never even told you what it was?" Dante asked Michelle.
"No, he just told me to deliver it, nothing more." She replied. "Perhaps something from your father."
"Hmm." Dante took the object into his hands and showed it to the rest of his friends. "Hey Modeus, does this look like something my old man would have?"
"I don't know, I don't recognize it." Modeus replied.
"Doesn't look familiar to me either." Trish also said.
"Maybe some kind of a weapon?" Natsu wondered.
"No, it doesn't look like one, and I know my weapons. Lady commented.
"Maybe it's a piece of something… like a puzzle or…?" Lisanna wondered.
As the group tried to think and continued to wonder, Michelle gave a slight gasp. "I just remembered!"
"You know what it is?" Dante asked.
"No… it's just… I remembered that I haven't eaten anything in three days." She revealed, with her stomach growling hard for emphasis, causing everyone to sweatdrop in confusion.
After getting Michelle some food, Dante and Lucy led her through the streets of Magnolia toward their apartment building.
"It seems like a fun guild." Michelle observed.
"You kidding? Fairy Tail's only the most badass guild in the world." Dante stated with a grin. "And don't let all those negative reviews of us being at the bottom tier fool ya, we're gonna get back up to the number one spot in no time, just you wait."
"After everything you two have been through, I'm surprised you remained here." Michelle said.
"Really? I don't think either of us would trade it for anything. Dante and I might be the only biological relatives we have, but Fairy Tail's our family." Lucy said.
"Sure, it's got a few bad apples, and most of the people seem like a bunch of idiots, but we're all thick as thieves and they can throw down with the best and the worst of em. I wouldn't leave the place even if my life depended on it." Dante added.
"Um… hey Michelle, speaking of biological relatives…" Lucy began as a concerned expression formed on her face. "Have you… by any chance spoken at all with Vergil? Did Dad tell you about him?"
Dante's smile faded as he had a serious expression on his face but said nothing. Michelle had a similar expression as she spoke. "I'm afraid not. I remember Mr. Jude telling me about him, but I've never met Vergil face-to-face."
"Probably for the best." Dante said. "We're not exactly on speaking terms with him."
Lucy had an expression mixing concern and sympathy toward her older cousin as Michelle leaned in close to whisper. "Did something happen between them?"
"It's… kinda complicated. Best you let Dante explain it later when he feels comfortable with it." Lucy whispered back.
Dante was able to hear what they were talking about, and he still had mixed feelings in regard to his older brother, he didn't quite feel it was necessary to talk about his history with Vergil just yet. Just then, Dante noticed they had arrived at their destination.
"Hey, we're here." He told them, showing the apartment building, while also changing the subject.
"Yep. Welcome to Casa de Lucy and Dante, madam." Lucy announced to Michelle who had a smile of awe on her face.
"It's no mansion, but hey, a roof over our heads is a roof over our heads." Dante said.
"And it's thanks to Dad that we're even able to call this place our home." Lucy added with a sincere smile.
The group entered Lucy's apartment as Dante already sat down on the couch while Michelle began to wonder around.
"Get comfy, I'll brew us some tea." Lucy told Michelle.
"I'll take a beer please." Dante said.
"Go get that yourself, I don't have beer here." Lucy told him, which Dante waved off as he stood up.
"What about you?" Dante asked Michelle. "You don't seem like the beer-type, but I might have some wine at my place."
"Oh, you two don't have to trouble yourselves over me." Michelle told them.
"It's no trouble, trust me." Lucy said as she continued to set up the tea, while Michelle picked up a stack of papers from Lucy's desk. "I can't tell you how happy I am. I was so little when Mom died, then I lost Dad in a blink of an eye. When I first found out Dante and I were cousins, you can imagine how shocked I was."
"Why? Cause your cousin's a good-looking, demon-slaying badass?" Dante joked.
"No, more like you're an insensitive jerk who's twice as destructive as a certain fire-breather we both know." Lucy cracked. "But seriously, finding out I had other relatives, and that the actual Dark Knight was part of my family… talk about a bombshell. So, are there any other Lobsters nearby, Michelle? I'd love to meet them sometime. Do you get to see them often?" She heard Michelle stifle some tears, causing Lucy to look in surprise and even some shame, thinking she touched on a sensitive subject. "Don't mind me, I just ramble when I'm excited."
But, as it turns out, Michelle was shedding tears like a waterfall at the half-completed story that Lucy had written. "Keep your chin up Iris! You'll get through it somehow!"
While Dante laughed at the scene, Lucy's eyes nearly bulged out. "Oh, come on! Don't read things without permission!"
After that little display; the trio sat around the table with some tea and snacks, excluding Dante who had a bottle of beer from his hands that he got from his apartment next door. "So how long have you wanted to be a writer Big Sister?" Michelle asked Lucy as she ate a snack.
"You're worse than Natsu." Lucy commented with a slight smile. "Chew or talk, it's not hard."
"Well, she's not the most creative writer." Dante said as he grinned toward Michelle. "Get this, she tried her hand at a horror-novel, and she came up with… wait for it… an invisible man!" Dante stated with a laugh. "Seriously, she's been face-to-face with literal demons and the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to horror is some random dude you can't see?"
"Yes, that is rather surprising." Michelle agreed slightly.
"I've had to deal with more than enough demons in my life, thank you." Lucy said with an annoyed sweatdrop on her head. "And besides, I've already started training to be a Devil Hunter, I don't want everything in my life to be centered around that kind of stuff."
"Fair enough." Dante and Michelle said at the same time.
Lucy then looked at the mysterious item they had re-wrapped in cloth and set in the open case. "I really wish I knew what this thing is. There's no inscription or anything."
"Eh, pretty sure we'll find sooner or later." Dante replied. "That kind of thing always seems to happen… ironically in the form of blowing up in our faces."
"Yeah, probably." Lucy said with a wince.
"You're both so cool, I'm jealous." They heard Michelle say. "You've each suffered severe hardship, but despite it you rose above the darkness, seeking to fulfill not only your own dreams, but each other's, and even that of all your friends." She then paid a glance toward Dante. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly happened to you after… your mother passed? I know you formed your own mercenary shop before you joined Fairy Tail but… everything else in-between…"
"Actually, I've been wondering about that, too." Lucy said as she glanced at Dante who had a serious expression form on his face before he sat up straight.
"After my mom died… I just wondered around for a while." Dante began. "I didn't know where I was going, I was just some kid who was lost. After a little bit though, I ran into this old lady was actually an acquittance of my dad, a weapon's smith named Nell Goldstein. I pretty much spent the rest of my life at her place and let me tell ya, that old lady was a real pistol." Dante smirked as he reminisced her. "She taught me how to sword-fight, and even made my guns." He showed Ebony and Ivory for emphasis. "But she hated it when I called her 'Old Lady' or 'Grandma' and always smacked me upside the head." He chuckled, along with Lucy.
"She sounds like fun, probably get along with Erza or even Lady real well." Lucy smiled.
"Yeah, she would have liked you too." Dante smiled back. "And probably would have beaten the crap out of Natsu and Gray."
Lucy laughed again. "So, where is she now?"
Dante's smile faded. "She's dead." Lucy gave a small gasp as even Michelle paid attention. "A demon named Gilver killed her. So, I hunted him down and killed him myself, with these." He held up Ebony and Ivory again. "Only seemed right, that he'd die by the same weapons made by the woman he killed. After that, I met Morrison and he, along with the money and stuff that Nell left for me, all helped me to establish my Devil May Cry shop, and you already know the rest."
Lucy looked with sympathy toward her cousin. "Dante I… I'm so sorry…"
"I'm sorry too." Michelle looked down as well. "I shouldn't have brought it up."
"It's cool, don't worry." Dante assured. "She might be gone, but in a way she's still with me." He looked at his pistols again with a smile. "Still with me even as I kick demon ass to kingdom come." Lucy smiled with Dante as well before they turned to Michelle again. "But enough about me, what are you gonna do now? You got your package delivered so what's next for you?"
Michelle fidgeted slightly, not even able to come up with a proper answer, which was silently telling both cousins that she really had no plan in mind, or even a place to go to.
Lucy then smiled as an idea came to her. "Hey, why don't you stay with us for a bit?" Michelle gave a slight gasp as Lucy turned to her cousin. "What do you think Dante? You don't mind."
"I'm cool with it." Dante said, not particularly minding as this did give him the chance to keep an eye on Michelle as well.
Lucy then took both of Michelle's hands into her own. "Don't worry, it's no trouble at all."
"Eh… no, I don't wanna be a bother…" Michelle looked away slightly.
"Don't be silly! I'd love a roommate!" Lucy smiled, even Dante had a smirk of his own with a nod.
This seemed enough for Michelle to start crying once again with snot dripping down her nose as well. "Thank you… I promise you won't regret it… Big Sis… Cousin Dante…! I'll find a job quick! Don't worry about rent! I'll be on time! Promise!"
Dante then handed her a tissue. "Here, your noose is dripping as bad as your eyes."
"I've got an idea; why don't you work at the guildhall?" Lucy suggested.
"Me?! Work at Fairy Tail?!" Michelle exclaimed with excitement.
However, neither of them appeared to notice the mysterious item began to glow slightly, the faint and ominous golden light emanating from underneath the cloth wrapped around it.
It wasn't long before Michelle was fully integrated into Fairy Tail. Though she wasn't a wizard, she was warmly welcomed and well-received by everyone in the guild; they all adored her from the moment they met her. Though her official job at the guildhall was as a waitress alongside Kinana, she helped with every other odd job one could think of, even laundry and doing people's hair. Lucy was nothing short of happy for having her as part of her family; and while Michelle was rather shy and tended to keep to herself, and was often clumsy as well, Lucy still took rather good care of her. Even Dante looked out for her wellbeing.
However, while Dante did appear happy on the surface, and a part of him truly felt that way to find another family member, albeit extended family; there was another part of him that was cautious as well. Call it experience from everything he'd endured during his life; but he spoke with Morrison, as well as Macao and asked them to perform a background check on Michelle, just in case; which they understood, even Macao said he was already planning on performing it himself before Dante even asked him. But so far, it seemed like Michelle didn't cause any trouble, save for the occasional tripping and accidental broken plates, as well as constant waterworks. But overall, things seemed to be working well for the pair of cousins, as well as the rest of their guild.
"Giddy up Mr. Horsey-man, it's outlaw Lucy!" The toddler Asuka said as she rode atop Makarov's shoulders, pulling on his mustache like a pair of reigns with Alzack and Bisca behind the pair. "We gotta go catch her!"
"Oh no, it's the little bounty hunter!" Lucy played along with Dante and Michelle next to her.
Dante snickered. "How you doing, you old horse?" He joked toward Makarov.
"Regretting having facial hair." Makarov winced as Asuka pulled on his mustache harder.
"Horses don't talk, silly!"
"But they feel."
"Natsu's been looking for you guys." Bisca told Dante and Lucy specifically.
"Said something about hunting bandits." Alzack added.
"Only bandits?" Dante asked with a cocky grin. "What no demons or dark guilds this week?"
"I for one wouldn't mind a chance of pace." Lucy said.
"About time you slow pokes!" Natsu exclaimed as he and Happy suddenly appeared.
"We've been waiting for you!" Happy also exclaimed.
"May I come along?" Michelle requested. "I'd love to watch you work!"
"Huh?!" Alzack and Bisca exclaimed in surprise.
Lucy took a look at the flyer. "Um… I'm not sure that's such a good idea."
"But I'd love to see what wizards do firsthand, and you'll be there to protect me!" Michelle said.
"I don't have a problem with it." Dante shrugged. "We've handled much worse."
"That's true." Lisanna added. "Between this group, it shouldn't be that hard."
"Yeah, she'll be fine." Even Natsu didn't see a problem with it.
"Come on Lucy, there's nothing more fun than watching this team put the hurt on some bad guys!" Happy sang.
"And we do guaranteed satisfaction." Gray also said.
Despite that, Lucy still didn't seem all that comfortable with the idea. "Master, would you talk some sense into them?"
"May I please go?" Michelle asked Makarov.
"You bet." Makarov gave his approval while flashing a peace-sing with his fingers.
"Go for it!" Asuka also flashed a peace sing.
"Guess it's settled." Bisca said.
"Any objections, Master Macao?" Alzack asked Macao, while Wakaba snickered.
"Whatever, knock yourselves out." Macao gave the go-ahead.
"I have no objections either." Erza stepped forward. "Experience isn't a bad thing, even if that experienced is forced on someone too early, it will still benefit them. You know all about that Miss 'I'm going on an S-Class quest without permission'?" She said in a somewhat teasing manner to Lucy.
"Yes Erza, I see your point." Lucy winced slightly before smiling. "Alright Michelle, welcome to the team!"
"How exciting!" Michelle exclaimed, already feeling ecstatic.
"Hey, mind if I tag along too?" Lady asked as she walked up.
"Really? You wanna join in on the fun?" Dante asked.
"Sure. Haven't done really a whole lot, anyway, save for the training I've been putting in." Lady answered. "Plus, it might give me a chance to break in my new magic and see how it handles against non-demon guys."
"Alright, fine with me." Dante accepted.
Natsu was already cracking his knuckles with anticipation. "This is awesome! We're gonna make hunting down these bandits a family affair! I'm fired up!"
The group consisting of Dante, Natsu, Lisanna, Lucy, Gray, Michelle, Happy, and Lady had arrived at the top of a cliff overlooking a forested area where their target appeared to be located. Though Erza appeared to be missing
"Okay, so what do we got here?" Lisanna asked as Gray began to read the contents of the flyer.
"The flyer says these bandits are so ruthless, the victims suffer from night terrors after the attacks." Gray read aloud.
"Oh really?" Dante asked with a raised eyebrow and half smirk. "Well, you got my attention."
"Yeah, they sound nasty, this should be fun!" Natsu sounded just as eager.
"Any fatalities?" Lady asked. "Maybe these bandits have dangerous weapons or something?"
"Doesn't seem like they got any special weapons or anything, and it doesn't look like they've killed anyone either." Gray answered from the flyer. "But it also that even royal soldiers who went into the mountains to search for them came back sobbing like a bunch of babies."
"That doesn't sound good." Lisanna voiced with concern.
"I'm starting to have second thoughts about this whole thing." Lucy said.
"I brought snacks if you're hungry." Michelle said as she took out a bag of muffins and even helped herself to one.
"She's just like Natsu, totally clueless." Lucy muttered.
"I heard that!" Natsu himself said with an annoyed sweatdrop on his forehead.
"I can't believe we're depended on more than the royal soldiers." Michelle said.
"I wouldn't quite go that far." Lady replied.
"Yeah, we're more like a last resort type deal." Dante added. "Mostly because this group caused a bit more collateral damage than most others; and there's also Fairy Tail's current status at the bottom of the barrel."
Suddenly, Erza arrived in a horse-drawn wagon, only instead of a horse, it was a large boar at the reigns. "The client gave us this to use."
"Please tell me she's not driving." Natsu winced upon seeing the wagon.
"I've got this all worked out." Erza began to explain her plan. "First, we need to tempt the bandits into robbing us. Lucy, Lisanna, and I will ride in the front seat, posing as a trio of helpless women. Meanwhile, Natsu, Dante, Gray, Lady, and Michelle will hide in the wagon so they can spring the trap. Once we're surrounded; Lucy, Lisanna, and I will distract as many of the fools as we can with our feminine wiles, at that moment; Natsu, Dante, Gray, and Lady will leap out and dispatch the other bandits before joining us in a…"
"IF YOU THINK I'M SETTING FOOT IN THAT WAGGON, YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR MIND!" Natsu suddenly yelled.
Erza flashed her usual look of intimidation. "You object to my plan do you? That's a gutsy move."
"Beat me up all you want! I ain't going!" Natsu remained firm, while also shaking slightly at Erza's glare.
Lisanna slowly walked in between them, hoping to defuse the comic tension. "Um… Erza, did you forget that Natsu can't ride in vehicles?"
"Aye." Happy also stepped forward in a similar manner. "And since Wendy's not here, she can't cast her Troia spell to let Natsu ride in vehicles without getting sick."
Erza's eyes widened in surprise before falling to her knees with a depressing cloud hanging over her. "How could I forget something so obvious?! I'm such a fool!"
"Geeze, don't beat yourself up over it." Lady said flatly. "So, we'll just change up your plan a little bit."
"I have an idea!" Michelle raised her hand. "Since Natsu apparently can't ride in vehicles, maybe Happy could fly him above the clouds so the bandits can't see him, while Erza rides in the back instead."
"That's a good idea." Gray nodded.
"Yeah, that could work." Lisanna also accepted.
"And if you still need a third person up front, I'm a fairly capable driver." Michelle volunteered, much to everyone's surprise.
"Hold on, you're willing to make yourself bait for a bunch of ruthless bandits?" Dante said somewhat skeptically. "No offense, but if your too clumsy at home, you probably can't hold your own in a fight."
"No offense taken Cousin Dante, and I thank you for being concerned." Michelle replied. "Besides, it makes more sense to have all the fighters in the back, doesn't it? If it'll better our chances, I'll gladly take the reins."
"She does make sense." Lady seemed to get it. "I'd say we go for it."
Lisanna noticed that Lucy had an unsure look on her face, but quickly put her hand on the blonde's shoulder. "She'll be fine, Lucy. Between the two of us, I'm sure we can keep her safe."
This seemed enough to convince Lucy that it was the best course of action. "Alright, let's do it."
Fairy Tail's plan was set into motion; Lucy, Michelle, and Lisanna rode up front in the wagon as they proceeded down the trail; which didn't go unnoticed by a certain group of bandits hiding in the trees.
"Looky, looky."
"Oooh, more visitors."
"We got a big haul today."
Suddenly, a wooden barricade appeared that blocked the wagon from proceeding any further. "Here they come." Lucy muttered toward Michelle as she and Lisanna got serious. "Don't leave our side, understand?"
Michelle nodded as a group of at least a dozen bandits, oddly dressed in mostly pink clothes, came out and surrounded the entire wagon.
"Operation: Show the Goods, is a go." Lucy said.
"Let's do it." Lisanna nodded.
Inside the wagon, Dante, Erza, Gray, and Lady got ready to spring the ambush. "Prepare yourselves." Erza muttered.
"Got it." Dante nodded along with Lady and Gray. "But 'Show the Goods' is the best op name you could come up with? Seems a little too obvious."
"You'd know all about that, you perv." Lady muttered in annoyance.
In less than two seconds, both Lisanna and Lucy appeared in bikinis to try and seduce the men, while Michelle blushed with embarrassment.
"We're so lucky you big strong men found us." Lucy took a seductive pose as Lisanna slid next to her, both half-naked girls sitting back-to-back.
"We're lost and could use some help right now." Lisanna also said in the same sort of alluring tone. 'I'd say we got them.'
However, every single one of the bandits looked either disgusted or embarrassed. "Oh my, cover yourselves!"
"Yeah, nobody wants to see that!"
"Only bimbos flaunt it! Besides, my skin as much more luster."
"You tell her, girl. Get the cargo before I vomit." They all proceed to walk around; while Lucy and Lisanna were left in comic shock, both of them turning completely white.
"Definitely didn't see that coming." Lisanna winced.
"I think my self-esteem just died." Lucy also winced.
"Hope you're packing product ladies." One bandit, who like his peers was something of a transvestite, hoped as he and his friends went around the back and opened it up.
"Or a wagon full of chocolate…!" But they were all blasted back by an ice-blast and a powerful sword swing, courtesy of Gray and Dante respectively.
"Sorry pals, but the only thing we're packing is an ass-kicking." Gray smirked.
"So, who's first?" Dante also smirked.
"They're gorgeous!" One bandit exclaimed as they were literally drooling at the sight of Dante and Gray.
"Kiss me!"
"I call dibs on the pretty sword boy!"
Both Gray and even Dante screamed in comic fashion before the bandits were kicked away by a furious Erza. "You fiends! I stayed up all night long planning that strategy, and now it's been for nothing!" She quickly quipped into a Samurai-like attire. "In the name of all night owls, I shall punish the lot of you!"
"And survey says, crazy." Gray stated before the group went on the attack; even Lady leapt out, her fists coated in metal from her Steel Devil Slayer magic to break their weapons and beat down the bandits, while Natsu fell from the sky to throw out a series of fiery punches.
Dante swung Rebellion to knock down two bandits. "Having fun there, Dante?" Lady teased as she held a beaten bandit by his collar, while Dante himself had an annoyed sweatdrop on his head.
"You made me break a nail, witch! I'll get you back!" One bandit shook with fear, speaking toward Lady.
"Keep trash talking, that's not all she'll break." Lucy said with an annoyed sweatdrop.
"Brazen hussies!" The apparent leader of the transgender bandits stepped forward, getting the attention of Lucy, Lisanna, and Michelle.
"Big Sis, it's you!" The other bandit exclaimed with joy.
"You may have been born women, but your hearts will never possess the feminine spark ours do!" The leader stated. "Also, your hair is atrocious, your hips are too curvy, and those fun bags look about as real as Daddy's dentures!"
"Big Sis, I have such a girl-crush on you!" The other bandit said in awe; while Lucy, Lisanna, and Michelle looked far from impressed.
"I see…" Michelle commented.
"I think I know why they're victims all had nightmares for months." Lisanna muttered.
"I think somebody deserves a spanking!" The leader was about to lash out at them with his sword when Michelle quickly got back on the wagon and took the reins.
"Lucy, get out of the way!" She exclaimed as she tried to run down the bandit leader, while Lucy and Lisanna dove out of the way.
"You almost killed me you nut job!" The bandit leader exclaimed, only to find himself entangled by the metallic chain from Lucy's Morning Star whip.
"You're done! Take this!" Lucy swung the whip and pulled the bandit leader toward Lisanna, who transformed into her She-Cat form to deal a powerful kick to his face to knock him out.
It didn't take long for the rest of the bandits to be subdued by the rest of the Fairy Tail group. "So much for exercise." Dante commented, but shivered once he saw all the bound bandits kissing toward him.
"Looks like you're popular among the guys." Lady teased, causing Dante to grumble.
"I'm not homophobic or anything, but I prefer actual women."
Shortly afterward, the bandits were taken into custody by the royal soldiers and were currently being loaded onto the train; and while most of the group made their report, Michelle hung back with Erza and Gray.
"How did you like your first job?" Erza asked Michelle.
"It was awe-inspiring." Michelle answered. "Wizards and their guilds are amazing!"
"That's right." Gray smiled. "It can get kinda rowdy at times, but there's never a dull moment."
Meanwhile, at the Fairy Tail guildhall, night had already fallen as Macao, Modeus, Wakaba, Carla, and Trish spoke with one another at the bar.
"So, did you find anything?" Macao asked Trish.
"Morrison said he'd look into it and be back once he got the info." Trish replied.
"Hey, speak of the devil." Wakaba said as they saw Morrison enter the guildhall. "So, did you find anything?"
"As a matter of fact, yeah." Morrison then gave his report. "I looked into it, and the Lobsters were a wealthy family that had a lot of land in the Zentopia region's townships and had legitimate connections to the Heartfilia family."
"So, we were worried over nothing." Macao said.
"I wouldn't say that." Modeus stated. "I feel much more at ease now that we know for certain."
"I agree, there's no such thing as too cautious these days." Carla agreed. "Even Dante suggested that we'd perform a background check and given his past it shouldn't be surprising. Still, this is quite a relief."
"Hold on a second." Trish noticed something in Morrison's phrasing. "You said they we're a wealthy family, past tense."
"It's actually pretty rough stuff." Morrison explained. "The entire family was lost in a tragic accident several years ago, just shortly after the whole Tenrou Island mess."
"Man, rough is right." Wakaba said as most of the group had sympathetic expressions.
"I suppose that would make Michelle the sole-survivor." Modeus commented. "Something she has in common with both Lucy and Dante."
At the same time, Lahar and a group of Rune Knights were investigating another incident where yet another Zentopia church had been burnt down.
"This makes no sense." Lahar stated upon seeing the ruins of the building. "First it burns, then it collapses, and now it's corroding? Given the distance from each perish, and the traces of magic left behind, there's clearly more than one person involved." He then noticed someone who was not part of his group on his knees and muttering in despair.
"This can't be… it's impossible…"
"Who is he?" Lahar questioned.
"The priest." One Rune Knight answered. "He was outside when the incident occurred."
"But the early reports stated that there was a body found among the wreckage." Lahar stated.
"Yes sir." The same Rune Knight confirmed.
"So if the only man who was supposed to be here is still alive, where did the body come from? Is it one of the culprits?" Lahar questioned.
"We don't know sir." The Rune Knight replied. "He insists that no one else was here."
However, completely unbeknownst to any of them, they were currently being watched by a mysterious figure from a nearby balcony. The figure was covered with a dark hooded robe, while carrying a katana with the sheath wrapped in cloth in his hand. This mysterious individual gave a small chuckle in amusement as everything was going according to plan.
The Next Day - Magnolia.
Lucy and Michelle were having breakfast at a café in Magnolia. "I've been putting some thought into this, and I was wondering if I could bend your ear?" Michelle wondered.
"What's up?" Lucy was listening.
"I'm curious as to how your guild receives its jobs. Do people pay for their requests to be considered?" Michelle asked.
"I think so." Lucy replied as she took a bite of her jam-covered toast.
"I'd really like to know more about the memento your father left, so I'm thinking about putting in a request." Michelle said.
Lucy nearly choked on her toast before smiling. "Michelle, you're a freaking genius!"
Fairy Tail guildhall
"This is a first." Makarov said upon hearing Lucy's suggestion.
"In all of my years, I don't think I've ever seen a wizard hire another wizard." Wakaba commented.
"I don't see any problem with it." Macao said. "I'll have Mirajane make a request poster for the board."
"What a great idea, Lucy." Mira smiled as she worked at the bar.
"Indeed, I look forward to seeing who takes the job." Makarov said.
"So, you're asking Fairy Tail for help?" Natsu asked Michelle as she sat the case carrying the memento down on a table with Dante, Lisanna, and Happy around the table as well.
"Yep, it's approved." Lucy confirmed as she walked over to join them.
"I'm curious about the magic on the cloth wrapped around the memento." Michelle explained. "And I'd like to figure out what Mr. Jude was trying to tell Lucy. It is his very last message to her, after all."
Lisanna then got an idea. "Hey Dante, why don't you, Natsu, Happy, and I take the job? If it's part of Lucy's family, and your mother was part of that family, maybe it could be connected to your dad."
"Yeah, maybe." Dante nodded with a slight smile. "Let's do it. You guys in?" He asked Natsu and Happy in particular.
"Heck yeah, we'll solve this case, no problem." Natsu smirked.
"Just don't let him hold it unless you want him to break it." Happy warned in a teasing manner.
"Yeah? How about I break your face, pal!" Natsu shot back.
This did not go unnoticed by Gray, Erza, Lady, and Trish as they all sat on the table together. "Is it just me, or does Dante seem a bit happier than usual?" Gray asked with a slight smile.
"I imagine he must feel rather relieved." Erza replied. "He was concerned about Michelle at first, enough so that he and Macao asked Morrison to conduct a background check."
"But since it's all cleared, I bet he's pretty happy to know he's got more family out there." Lady said as she smiled toward him, honestly feeling quite happy for Dante.
At the same time, while Trish was happy for both Dante and Lucy at this, she couldn't help but think about what Capricorn told her back on Tenrou Island.
"Though you were a demon created by Mundus, you share quite a bit of qualities with Eva. If she ever had a daughter, I believe she would have turned out just like you."
Those words caused Trish to smile even deeper as she continued to see Dante interacting with Michelle and Lucy, thinking about joining in as well alongside them.
Also, Makarov, Mira, and Macao hung at the bar as they too watched the exchanged. "Seems like fate, doesn't it? Those three meeting up." Makarov commented.
"The only family either of them has left is each other." Macao said.
"Unless you count Vergil, but I'm pretty sure he's not worth mentioning." Mira added, in which Makarov and Macao both nodded in agreement.
"By the way, I want you to know that I'm impressed you had the foresight to run a background check on our new friend." Makarov spoke to Macao. "From the sound of it, you were considering it before Dante even suggested the idea."
"Being thrust into the role of master for seven years teaches you to think on your feet." Macao replied. "I've learned a lot, like how to be paranoid."
Meanwhile; while Wendy, Romeo, and Patty all talked at a table alongside Modeus and Carla, the white Exceed found herself staring oddly at the wrapped memento as Michelle took it out of the case.
'I still can't shake the feeling that something is very wrong here.' Carla thought to herself, with Modeus silently reading the expression on her face as he was beginning to have similar thoughts himself.
As Michelle began to unwrap the memento, she suddenly tripped and dropped it across the ground.
"Not my fault!" Natsu quickly said.
"Nobody asked you." Dante stated.
"Are you okay, Michelle?" Lucy asked as she and Lisanna went down to help her back up. However, everyone in the guildhall soon had their attention drawn to the memento that began to hover and spin around in mid-air.
"What the heck?" Lady muttered.
"You guys seeing this?" Gray voiced in surprise.
"Yes, we do." Erza confirmed with a serious expression.
The memento then pointed straight up as a series of unreadable golden symbols shined all over the item.
"What's going on? What is that?" Lisanna asked with concern.
"Some kind of ancient writing, maybe." Dante replied, sounding unsure himself.
"If it is, Levy could read it." Lucy said.
"She left with Shadowgear this morning for a job clear across Fiore, Freed is gone too." Makarov stated.
"I can't quite read the language…" Modeus said as he approached the hovering memento. "But this aura emanating from it… it feels… almost demonic."
That got everyone's attention. "Demonic?" Erza questioned.
"Modeus, are you sure?" Wendy asked in surprise.
"Not quite… it's hard to put it words." Modeus tried to explain it as best as he could. "It feels demonic, but at the same time, not. The best way to describe it, would be if the sun were to suddenly appear in the middle of the night. I know it sounds confusing, because I honestly don't quite understand it myself."
"And you can't read the language? Or even identify the type of symbols on it?" Dante asked.
"I'm afraid not." Modeus shook his head.
"What do you think it's trying to tell us, Big Sister?" Michelle asked Lucy.
"I wish I knew." Lucy replied.
"Can't you read ancient graffiti too, old man?" Natsu asked Makarov who merely grunted with a serious expression before speaking to Lucy in particular.
"Listen closely, I think you should let sleeping dogs lie."
While everyone looked to Makarov with his or her own serious expression as well, Lucy didn't seem convinced. "What are you talking about?" She turned back to the memento. "I can't! I'll solve it! I have to!"
"Then go ahead." Trish walked up. "But trust me when I say, anything demonic related is something you do not want to mess around with. I'm not saying don't solve it, just be careful, which is why I'm going to help you."
That took Lucy by surprise. "Trish…?"
"You heard me, I'm gonna help you. You might need some advice from a demon yourself, and a little extra fire power just in case things get hairy." Trish said as she showed a bit of lightning in her hand for emphasis.
Dante silently thought that was a good idea, and he'd be sticking close with Lucy as well before turning back to the memento. Whatever this thing was, something in his gut told him that it could be serious bad news, and he would protect his family no matter what. However, none of them seemed to notice Michelle having an odd look in her eyes.
Done.
And now, we've finally been introduced to Nero. I know he only had a short appearance in this chapter, but trust me, he's going to have a major role to play; not just for this arc, but my entire series, I've got big plans for him.
We've also appeared to have met Michelle as well and she's brought over a mysterious item that is already beginning to spell trouble for Fairy Tail.
A few things to note here…
*This arc is going to mix the 'Key of the Starry Sky' filler arc from the cannon Fairy Tail with the storyline from Devil May Cry 4. While that game was incredibly fun, and one of my personal favorites, most of it was Nero exploring Fortuna, while the rest was Dante playing Nero's missions in reverse; so rather than adapt a whole story arc out of that, I decided to mix these arcs together; and it seems to fit perfectly given each theme they both share and express. But this arc won't proceed exactly like how the filler arc from the anime went, or exactly like how the game went as well; I've got a few special twists thrown in here that should be surprising for everyone.
*Also, that hooded figure seen twice in this chapter, let me say right now, that is not Vergil! Many of you are probably thinking it was based on how he was seen at the start of Devil May Cry 5, but this individual isn't Vergil. In fact, Vergil's not even going to make an appearance in this arc, and won't appear till we get to the Grand Magic Games, but first things first.
What's in store for our heroes now? What is the secret of this mysterious memento? And what role does the Order of the Sword have to play in all this? Find out next time on Fairy May Cry.