A/N: And here we are with chapter 25!

I don't own Fairy Tail!

I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 25: Black Cat

August 1st, X784

A man ran desperately through the backstreets of Crocus, his feet echoing as he ran through the dark alleyways, uncaring of the amount of noise that he was making.

"Dammit!" he hissed as he bumped into a rotting crate, causing it to collapse as his feet stumbled through a deep puddle, splashing water and muck onto his pantlegs, the man looking down and making a disgusted face as he felt the grime seep into his socks through his shoes, "Gotta keep running," he mumbled before he felt a ringing in his ears and what seemed to be static began to obscure his vision, "Shit!" he screamed as he started sprinting as fast as he could until he lost feeling in his legs and began to fall forward, "Fu-!" he started to curse before his face impacted against the stone ground and began screaming and clutching his face after he felt a sickening pop in his nose after falling.

"You know, it's rude to run from a lady," a mischievous voice called out, the man scrambling to roll over and prop himself up on the alleyway wall so he could look around as the static in his eyes got worse and footsteps seemed to start to come from everywhere as his body grew more and more numb as blood leaked out through the fingers covering his nose.

"Where are you!?" the man screamed, panting heavily as his eyes darted back and forth, trying to see through the static obscuring his vision, unaware of the hooded woman who was now standing right next to him, kneeling down to whisper in his ear.

"Right here, love," Sable whispered, the man screaming as he fell over to the side, trying to scramble away from her as Sable slowly walked around the man, bent down and placed her hand on his head, "Now, hold still or this part could get messy," Sable instructed as a savage grin appeared on her face, her hand pressing against the man's skull as magic began to glow from under her hand as the man struggled, his movements growing more sluggish until his thrashing became squirming as he began to foam in the mouth and eventually stopped moving all together.

Sable removed her hand from the man's head, pulling out a lachrima crystal with her other hand before placing it in her other hand, still aglow with magic and small images of memories that were floating around her hand. She gripped the lachrima crystal tightly as the magic and memories flowed from her hand and into the crystal.

"Memory Magic: Extraction," Sable muttered quietly as the crystal in her hand began to glow as it finished absorbing the magic in her hand before looking down at the man who was now writhing on the floor, "Sorry man, but you really have shit luck and a job is a job," Sable stated as she looked down at him, sighing heavily as she raised her right leg, "Better luck in the next life," she muttered before stomping down on the man's skull repeatedly until his face had caved in and she was certain he was dead.

Sable scowled at the mess on her boot before looking at the now deceased man, letting out another sigh before light began to bend around her, obscuring her from the vision of others as she stepped out of the alleyway and into the streets of Crocus once again, her magic doing its job as no one paid her any attention, even as she swiped an apple from a fruit stand before stepping into another alley and pulling down the hood of her black cardigan as she took a bite from the apple, her dark eyes scanning the alley as walked through it, her eyes eventually landing on a group of cats, most of which began to scatter and hiss as she approached, with the exception of one black cat wearing a purple scarf around its neck with bright, almost glowing yellow eyes.

"Hey catman, how ya doing?" Sable asked cheerfully as the black cat glared at her, the silver-haired woman almost swearing that she could hear the cat growling at her in response, "Yeesh. Are you not home right now or something?" she asked as she stepped closer to the cat, "I got what you wanted in exchange for the intel," Sable stated as she pulled the crystal out of her pocket and began waving it around, "Hello?" she called out as she got no response from the cat before shrugging and reaching her free hand out towards the cat, extending a single finger until, "Booped your snoot!" she said happily as her finger poked the cat's nose.

"You know full well there are codes and protocols for speaking to me in public, Devereux," the cat suddenly said in a deep, masculine voice as it lifted a paw and pushed Sable's hand away from its face.

"Blah blah blah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. And I don't got time for it. I'm not one of your agents, Proclus," Sable bit back as she mimicked a mouth with her hand.

"But you were-," Proclus began to counter.

"And that ended when I joined Phantom Lord," Sable stated, "Look, I did a job for you to get what I want as payment just now, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna be one of HIS lackeys again. We're doing fine without his 'help'."

"Bold of you to assume his 'help' ever stopped," Proclus corrected, "And you would do well to remember that it never did stop."

"Bastard," Sable growled, "I told him to shove it…" Sable muttered as the cat stared at her, an almost smug look on the cat's face, "You better have left Raoul out of it though."

"Not to worry. He was not an asset worth maintaining and we have had no contact with him since he joined Phantom Lord, unlike you and your dear brother," Proclus explained, the faint existence of a threat hanging over the last word of what he said.

"Look, are you going to give me what I asked for or not?" Sable demanded, changing the subject away from her brother.

"I do. Information on the whereabouts of the Element Four and Black Steel Gajeel, as you requested," Proclus stated as a crow with the same, almost glowing yellow cat eyes descended into the alley, a small tube around its neck, "The intel is written in code on a paper inside this tube, place the lachrima here and you may take the intel," Proclus stated as he patted his paw on the box he was sitting on.

Sable stared at the cat as she placed the lachrima where had requested before reaching out towards the crow, removing the tube and opening it before letting out a breath she didn't even know she was holding as the crow hopped over and picked up the lachrima crystal with its beak before flying off.

"The exchange is complete then," Proclus stated as he hopped down from the box and began walking past Sable before suddenly stopping, "One last thing, Devereux, your brother's life is always hanging on a knife's edge, no matter how good his health is. Remember that," the cat warned before running out of the alley and into the crowded streets of Crocus.

"Bastards… Every last one of them," Sable growled as she placed the tube in her pocket and pulled her hood up before leaving the alley herself.

. : + : .

"Do they have any idea what went down near the town gate earlier today?" a Rune Knight questioned as he and a comrade walked through the halls of their fortress in Coleus Port.

"They don't know for certain, other than there was a brief fight with one casualty, they're still unidentified," the other Rune Knight answered as both their footsteps echoed throughout the stone hallway, the dull browns of the stone being broken up only by the light blues of several banners hanging from the ceiling emblazoned with the emblems of their organization, an ankh.

"Neither party involved in the fight was found then?"

"No. Captain Gunnar's real pissed about it too. So, if you can, try and walk the other way when you hear him screaming."

"Right. That guy has a habit of taking it out on the poor furniture if he can't find someone to yell at," the Rune Knight sighed, just as a door opened up right as they passed it, revealing a tall bald man with several scars on his head.

"I have a bad habit of what?" he growled as he reached out and grabbed one of the Rune Knights by the shoulder.

"C-C-Captain Gunnar!" the Knight squeaked, turned pale as the other Knight turned to face the Captain with a salute.

"I asked you a question," the Captain said lowly, "And as your Captain I expect you to answer in the next five seconds or I'll have you both thrown out of that window and right into the ocean!"

"D-defenestration!?" one of the two cowering Knights squeaked.

"He accused you of having a bad temper, Sir!" the Knight whose shoulder was being gripped squealed.

"Oh?"

"Sir! False accusation, Sir! It was he who accused you of such!" the other Knight protested.

"Funny thing that. I could have sworn I heard both of you sorry lot say similar things before I opened this door!" the Captain roared before he tightened his grip and hurled the man he was grabbing out of a window on the other side of the hall while the other Knight took off running before he fell flat on his face, taking just a second to try and nurse his now bleeding nose before looking down and seeing a chain wrapped around his ankle, the other end being pulled in by Captain Gunnar.

"Oh no," the Rune Knight whimpered as he tried in vain to crawl away, but would eventually find himself being pulled up by his collar by the Captain.

"Don't worry, you might survive the drop… And I also hear the water is lovely this time of year," Gunnar chuckled as he dragged the man to an as of yet unbroken window before hurling the man through it and out into the ocean below. The Captain stood there a moment longer, looking down at the water below before turning away, only glancing at a falcon perching on the nearby cliff before walking away.

A few minutes later, the falcon let out a cry before a mess of purple hair peeked down from above the window, looking left and right down the hall before jumping into the fort.

"It's clear," Vincent called out before Iva, Rocco and Van followed him inside, all of them wearing tattered, brown traveler's cloaks with hoods, all of them pulling them up as they got inside.

"That was that asshole Rune Knight Captain that shut down our branch of Phantom Lord, wasn't it?" Rocco asked.

"I think so, smelled like the rotten bastard anyways," Iva added.

"That's an unfortunate stroke of luck then," Van added, "It'll be trouble if he recognizes any of you."

"Somehow I think agree with Rocco Number Two," Vincent said, "Look, that just makes this more complicated, especially since our plan requires us to split up."

"I think I've got a solution then, if you don't mind," Van stated, looking between the other three before Vincent sighed and gave him a nod.

"Instead of me going with Rocco and Iva here, why don't I go and personally distract the Captain? That way I can try and make sure he stays as far away as possible from you guys while you try and pull off your heist."

"He's got a fair point," Iva said after a few seconds of silent contemplation.

"Hey, no, it's too dangerous, I'm not gonna let you go be a distraction by yourself. What if he catches you?" Rocco protested, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"He won't," Van replied simply.

"That doesn't instill a ton of confidence," Rocco stated.

"Trust me," Van added.

"The last time I did that you disappeared for three years!" Rocco snapped before Vincent quickly rushed over and covered Rocco's mouth.

"Are you crazy! Keep your yap shut you waterlogged loudmouth!" Vincent hissed, "Look, I'm fine with the plan, so you need to get your differences sorted out and quickly, it's dangerous to keep standing around so much."

"Look, I'll come visit you at your new guild sometime after this is over, all right?" Van offered, Rocco looking skeptical for a minute before pulling Vincent's hand off his face.

"If you don't, I'm gonna find you and drag you there, got it?" Rocco stated.

"All right, it's a promise then," Van agreed.

"Cool, ya done then? Great," Vincent huffed, not waiting for them to confirm or deny that, "All right, Rocco and Iva, you two are gonna go towards the front end of the fort and make a mess to drag as many Rune Knights and soldiers that way as possible, Van, you're gonna chase after the Captain and drag him to the eastern wing of the fort. We're in the south wing right now, keep him busy and out of the northern wing where Rocco and Iva will be."

"I'm assuming keep him out of the heart of the fort where the vault is too then," Van asked as he pulled up his hood.

"Naturally, that's where I'm going. I'll send Jinjo to signal you all when I'm done and on my way out, got it?" he asked as Jinjo flew into the building and landed on his shoulder as the other three quietly nodded in response, "All right, the plan starts now then," he quietly declared as the three groups split up.

. : + : .

Out in Coleus Port three cloaked figures stood in an alley with a few of the Rune Knight's fortress high up on a cliff overlooking the town. One of the three had pulled their hood down, revealing a mess of black hair, fair skin and sharp, rusty brown eyes that almost looked red in the right light.

"Mother, we made contact with her," she said into a small crystal lachrima orb.

"And how did that go, Emilia?" an image of Lady Tanith said from inside the orb.

"He interfered, mother. Killed one of us and we were forced to withdraw before our pet could properly test her power," Emilia explained as one of the other figures writhed almost violently before letting out a low growl as smoke rose from his hood.

"No one important, I hope," Tanith mused as she checked her nails.

"Mother. He killed one of our members, this cannot go unpunished. This is not the first time he has interfered with our plans," Emilia protested, stomping her foot down.

"He is not worth the effort right now. The Dragon Slayer is more important than anything else right now and I will not have you put our master's plan at risk," Tanith stated, a hard stare focused on her daughter.

"I… I understand, mother," Emilia relented.

"Now, where is the Dragon Slayer located currently?" Tanith asked.

"We believe they have infiltrated the Rune Knight's fortress. They must be looking for something important to their guild," Emilia explained, turning the orb so that Tanith could see the fortress in the distance before turning it back towards her, "We don't know what that might be though."

"Is Jozo still with you?"

"I am here, my lady," the third cloaked figure stated, pulling down his hood to reveal a dark-skinned man.

"Whatever the Dragon Slayer and her companions are up to is unimportant. I want you to draw them back out of that fortress. Threaten the town, use your magic to draw in a monster to force them back out into the open and ensure that she is drawn into a fight with Dimo," Tanith ordered.

"Of course, my lady. It shall be done within the hour," Jozo declared while Dimo let out a seemingly excited growl as more smoke billowed upward from his hood.

"And should he choose to stand with the Dragon Slayer and her friends?" Emilia asked.

"Do what you will, but don't complain of the consequences," Tanith warned.

"Of course, mother, that would be unbecoming of me," Emilia said as she pulled her hood up, watching the image of her mother disappear from the orb before she put it away, "Jozo," Emilia called out.

"Yes, my lady?" he responded.

"I want this town razed to the ground. I want them to understand the full consequences of their actions against us. Bring forth a Deepscale Hydra to level this pathetic town," Emilia said coldly, a harsh gaze in her eyes as a sneer grew on her face.

"A beast of that magnitude will take time to conjure," Jozo explained as Emilia's expression turned sour, "I did not say it couldn't be done, but it will take time and it shall be done as you command."

"Good. I can't wait to see it begin," Emilia said as she turned to look back out at the town, "The carnage will be worthy of our lord and of the dragons of the ancient times. Please begin immediately."

"Give me thirty minutes and the beast shall be set upon the town," Jozo requested as he pulled his hood back up and moved to stand next to Emilia, "If you will excuse me, I must journey out into the atolls for this conjuration."

"Yes, please do so," Emilia replied happily as Jozo quickly vanished teleporting away as Emilia turned to look at Dimo, "Soon brother, soon," she stated as the man seemed to almost snicker in anticipation of the coming fight, tufts of blue flames burst out of his hood.

Credits:

Emilia – Dreadburner94

Dimo – Dreadburner94

Jozo – Dreadburner94

A/N: And there we are! Chapter 25 is complete! We're about to go into the finale of this story arc, so that's quite exciting.

But to give credit where credit is due, the concept of the upcoming Deepscale Hydra was created by Grimnack, so thanks for that.

Anyways, I'd like to XLil MEkoX, Grimnack, UnseenAssailant, wjolix98, MyDearWatson, Joshua1277 and musicaldreams89 for the reviews! They are all appreciated.

That's all for now.

Your host,

Dreadburner94.