The world of Earthland is a place filled with magic and stories of epic adventure, romance, and friendships…
The stories you are about to hear are decidedly not like any of those major themes.
[Kageyama: Former Criminal, Currently Humanitarian.]
It was cold, it was dark, Magnolia was in the process of starting to rebuild due to the attack from Phantom Lord.
However, on one corner of the City, a young woman with long blond hair, dressed for the cold stood at the very edge of a half broken building. She sighed deeply, feeling the wind in her hair and how gravity was so close to pulling her off the edge…
"Don't jump."
The woman gasped when a hand touched her shoulder and turned back to see Kageyama Maru from Fairy Tail standing behind her. "Please. Not here… I mean Magnolia Cathedral is just a few blocks down, there's a way better chance of you dying by throwing yourself there than in this place where you might have a decent chance of surviving. Trust me; I've seen people survive the craziest crap." His tone sounded honest at first, but then by the end it started to turn more light hearted and somewhat—
"You're making jokes?" The blonde woman asked in utter shock before Kageyama quickly wrapped his arm around her other shoulder and threw his hand out to the front of the two of them.
"You see, my entire life is one grand cosmic joke, so—"
"Get off!" The woman said as she pushed Kageyama away from her. However, the shadow mage seemingly went with the flow and ended up twirling from the push and sat on the edge the girl was standing on.
"So I'm Kageyama. What's your—"
"Don't." The girl harshly interrupted.
"Don't what?"
"Don't pretend to care."
It was then Kageyama pointed to the girl in a scolding like manner. "Don't be presumptuous! I don't care. Yet. Here I am trying to actually be a decent person, but you're making it awfully hard to do so. What? Was it some asshole boy? An asshole girl? Money? An ancient Evil Flute?"
The girl could only stare in anger and disbelief. "Are you trying to make me jump?"
"No! Never! … Though I do have certain effect on a large amount of people." Kageyama smiled while the back of his mind thought back to Fairy Tail and how he wasn't truly welcomed yet. He then shook his head and tried something else. "Look, hasn't this place seen enough tragedy? Phantom Lord pretty much decimated the entire city in their war with Fairy Tail before I even had to pay my rent in my new place here. The last thing this place needs is your soul haunting the place."
"Sooo, yeah. I'm sure literally any of the saints and heroes back in Fairy Tail could say something profound to instantly make you feel better, but…" Kage looked out to the city and just shrugged his shoulders.
"…I'm all you got."
After hearing those words, the girl started to cry and let tears fall from face. She had technically heard great things from the number one guild in Magnolia and all of its mages. So hearing that the worst of the best was the only one there for her made her feel… more miserable.
Kageyama pointed over towards the Cathedral with his thumb after standing back up. "Well again— the cathedral is right over there."
"I hate you."
"If I had a jewel every time I heard that." Kageyama then said to her, "Let me make you an offer: if you're that determined that this is going to be your last night on Earthland, what do you want to do? Have you seen the hit play my guild mates have been hosting, 'Frederick and Yanderica'?"
"You're a maniac!" The girl said through the tears. "What is wrong with you? No. I haven't seen it. And anyway, aren't tickets now a million jewels and impossible to get?"
Kageyama beamed with pride. "Ha! Don't worry, I know a guy with tickets!"
Later…
BAM! POW! WHAM!
"Rosebud…" an old man and woman groaned as Kageyama and the girl took their seats in the balcony of the theater.
"I can't believe you! Are they going to be okay?" The blonde girl asked in shock but still sat on the seats as down below most of Team Valiant was putting up a play that without a doubt was going to spiral out of control.
Kage quickly responded. "I said I knew a guy with tickets, I didn't say he would give them to us. And don't worry about these two, these guys are drug lords I've been trailing a while back."
Afterward, Kageyama and the girl were walking out of the theater.
"See? I had a blast! They say the endings are never the same and it was fun to watch some of my guild mates squirm like that." Kage then turned to the girl, "Where to now?"
"Magnolia Cathedral."
"Ha! So you can make a joke—wait, are you not joking?" Kage's smile faded when he realized the girl was still deadly serious.
After a while, the two were found cruising down the streets on a motorcycle.
"Did we just steal one of those new Lacrima Motorcycles?" The girl asked as she tried to position herself so the wind wouldn't hit her directly on the face.
While driving, Kageyama responded, "I dunno, did we? What does your heart tell you? C'mon! We had Fun. Right? Aren't you glad you picked a building near my address to fail to off yourself?"
"Yeah, sure. But I think you have a pretty good handle on things without me. Like the rest of the world. You can let me off anywhere."
To the surprise of the girl, Kageyama stopped the stolen vehicle even though she didn't see the Cathedral nearby.
"No. I can't. I'm smart enough to know I'm dumb enough that I can't help you." The girl looked at shock when Kageyama pointed to the building in front of them: an emergency clinic. "But they can."
The woman turned to Kageyama with rage across her face. "You promised to let me go!"
In response, Kage was still calm. "I am. This is where you and I part ways. I've been sending messages to the staff. They're expecting you."
The girl seemed conflicted but then sighed. "What if I don't wanna go inside? Are you going to make me?"
For the first time that night, Kageyama seemed unsure. "I-I dunno. I don't think I'll have to because… I think you wanna walk in." Kageyam didn't pride himself as being able to read people well, but he truly did hope to whatever being up there that he was seeing traces of her considering the opposite. "Will you walk in with me? Plus maybe we can visit all the elderly people I accidentally beat up when sneaking into the theater."
However, Kageyama looked at the girl with an honest face. "Look, I don't think you're crazy. You just need a little help. And I am not the guy to help you."
For the longest second, the girl looked at Kageyama. It was then that she got off… and walked into the clinic with the shadow mage.
From outside the clinic, someone who was watching Kageyama practically the whole time stared in wonder.
"Éclair, can we go now? I don't think he's going to hurt her after all." Momon the flying bird asked while he shivered in the cold of the night.
"… Yes, let's go."
[End]
[Laxus and the Thunder Legion: In the end, it doesn't even matter~.]
"Whoa! Nice going, Laxus! You're finally the Guild Master!" Bickslow of the Thunder Legion congratulated their leader, Laxus Dreyar.
"It should have been given to you sooner," Evergreen of the Thunder Legion added in. "But none the less, congratulations, Master."
"Hmph!" Laxus grunted with a smile until he noticed something, or rather a lack of something. "Hey, where's Freed? I thought he would be with you two?"
"Huh? You didn't send him off to a special mission? We haven't seen him in a few days." Bickslow answered.
The door opening made the three look back to a rather disheveled and exhausted looking Freed who had just entered, panting for air but looking very proud of himself.
"Laxus, do not worry! Even though the war between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord ruined most of the script magic I had originally set up after months and months of sneaking around Magnolia—and almost was eaten whole by Ignis the one time I was carless near the guild—I have rushed non-stop without food or sleep the past two days to restore every single damage! Now by the time the Fantasia Festival starts, we can ensure your take over to become guild master!"
Bickslow and Evergreen eyed each other nervously before looking to Laxus.
The fourth guild master of Fairy Tail had this unreadable look on his face before he opened his mouth… then closed it. He took a few more contemplative seconds before opening his mouth again.
"Freed, sit down. There's something I need to tell you."
Outside the guild master office, Kain was wondering why he felt like heard the sounds of hard work being fruitless and someone doing muffled sobbing.
As he opened the door, he was greeted with the strange sight of the Thunder Legion all hugging a crying Freed who was just crying and crying… "I'm so hungry… I could eat a horse!" Then he cried even more.
Kain did not visibly react but silently closed the door behind him and told himself he saw nothing.
[End]
['Siegran' Fernandes: Mixing business and pleasure.]
The Wizard Saint known as Siegran Fernandes sat down near his desk as he saw the files and recent reports on the Phantom Lord-Fairy Tail war.
A smirk appeared on his lips as he took a special magical Lacrima that was labeled: Team Valiant.
In it was a detailed record of the current members of said team. He would have to study each of their characters, abilities, and weaknesses… especially that of Erza Scarlet.
There was a sound echoing on the marble floor, like that of a woman's high heels hitting the floor as they came closer before stopping nearby him. "I see you're not even wasting time."
Siegran didn't even turn to the voice before he closed his eyes and returned, "I would just like to make sure that all my bases are covered." He activated the orb crystal as it opened with a glowing light and brought up a magical screen with five human pictures. "According to these files, all members of Team Valiant, even their quote-unquote 'weak' members," The blue haired man pointed lightly towards a certain lawyer and heiress before continuing, "are capable by their reports. So much in fact that I believe that the current employment of Trinity Raven from Death's Head Order, will actually not suffice in subduing my opponents."
"So? What will you do?"
The blue haired Wizard Saint calmly put his hands together and stared once more at the file picture of Erza Scarlet. "Why, hire more help of course. There is no shame in bolstering one's forces when their opponents do the same."
He turned his head to see Ultear of the Magic Council with a smile. "I have some ideas on who I want. Do you?"
"Are you asking me?"
"I have a feeling that you might be more help if you were there." The council man's eyes wandered dangerously to that of a young lawyer. "Among those in Team Valiant, one of them seems to baffle me no matter how many plans I take, a wild card if you will… and I quite loathe the idea of wild cards in my game."
The raven haired woman gave a small laugh. "Actually, I too am somewhat interested in this… wild card… you speak off. I'm rather interested why someone so insignificant and pathetic was accepted among the likes of Fairy Tail."
Siegran silently agreed on why something even lower than the mages of Fairy Tail, a normal person, was welcomed among them even with a super weapon attached to him.
Still, he'll be nothing more of something amusing by the time his plan comes to play.
Oh, it's fun just thinking about it.
[End]
[Bora: The City of Otwill.]
Far to the western coast of Fiore, there was a beach city known as Otwill, known for its elaborate water passage ways that fill the city, boat transportations instead of road vehicles, and known to have an infamous smell due to said water.
In this town, three men threaded among some of the many bridges that connected over somme of the many water ways the city had.
"Welcome to Otwill, Bora! I do hope it's too your liking!" Ryan Peloth jubilantly threw his hands out in the air as he did a little twirl while walking on a bride.
The one referred to as Bora was currently pinching his nose hard, considering nearly no one else was doing this in the city; it was an obvious giveaway that he was new. "It smells horrible."
"You get used to it." Fero spoke out as he walked beside his associate. "This is our main base after all. Despite how it looks on the outside, this place is where rogues and the likes of the black market exist."
The three turned to an alley way where there was a steel door with graffiti written all over it.
Ryan Peloth knocked on the door five times in a specific pattern before a magic circle appeared in front of his face.
"What is the password?"
The leader cleared his throat before saying, "Ryan Ta Peloth."
Bora stared in shock. "The password is your full name!?" He harshly whispered.
"No," The voice from the magic circle began with a sigh. "It's not the darn password, but that is definitely our Boss who wants his name as a password even though we keep telling him it's stupid!"
"No one suspects names to be passwords!" Ryan began in a manner in which he seemed insulted. "Come on, Oshen, I think it's clever."
The magic circle faded and the large door opened. Bora didn't really know what to expect on who was behind the door, be he was never expecting to see the one behind the door was a long-legged green troll with upward tusks growing out of his mouth.
"This one's head is full of damn stupid ideas!" Oshen the long legged troll pointed to Ryan as he looked towards Bora.
"If they're so stupid," Ryan began as he walked in through the door which led to a stairs to go underground. "Why do they work?"
"Because the universe just wants to see the rest of us suffer under your damn whimsical nature." Oshen retorted as he walked behind him.
Fero was about to walk after them until he noticed Bora with a gapping mouth.
"Oh? You didn't know? We're basically an International illegal business. We have more different races down there."
"W-Wait!? Other races!?" Bora practically choked on those words as they came out. "You mean we're more than just humans?"
"If it was just humans, we wouldn't be as effective. Come now, Bora, we mustn't lose our boss. And I if you reacted like that to Oshen, one of the more serene members, I truly doubt you want to see how you will react towards our more animated coworkers," Fero motioned the man to follow him down the stairs. As Bora walked passed him, Fero started closing the door behind them. "Here's a fact I'm telling you now: humans are the most common species, but the most fragile of them all."
Then the door slammed behind them.
[End]
{Author Notes}
Foolish, fools! Did you actually expect me quickly addressing the previous cliffhanger?! Mwahahaha!
I apologize for the whole, random interlude chapter. But I didn't really want to start writing a real chapter after that climatic fight and I thought that a small amount of short stories here would better suit to easing everyone down before things pick up again when I tackle some other major arcs.
Kageyama's short chapter is directly taken from a Deadpool comic. It might even be dubbed on youtube so it's really good.
I think Kageyama kind of fits Deadpool in this scenario and I just wanted his character to be focused on more. Also, suicide is a real issue, kids, reach out to people if they need it.
I'm not going to say much about the Thunder Legion skit since that's more just for comedic effect. Though, I did recall Freed's magic was based mostly on preparation. So if Laxus was indeed made Guild Master, it means all the work he did was absolutely useless. Poor guy.
Otwill was the small intro into the world building to come for this story. I'm excited for my ideas for this story and I do hope all of you will like it down the line.
"Siegran" 's passage is basically just setting up the next major arc in Fairy Tail. Since by now, I can safely say that Team Valiant here is stronger than the ones in Cannon or at least have more spell variety. As such, a buff of enemies and a twist is needed to counter the new growth of the main heroes.
So yeah. Just a short collection of things all happening throughout Magnolia. Nothing too ground breaking or anything.
Now to put aside talk about the actual chapter, and some hints into the next one! I am very excited because the next arc literally cracks open the possibilities of world with lore and culture that Mishma never freaking expanded on.
Just a fair warning that I'm retconning a few world-building themes he had in Cannon and making a whole new one: you'll start to see it more next chapter, I swear. It's one of the main things that I really would have loved to see in a magical world.
Thank you for reading, see ya all soon!