Fairy Tail the True Tale Chapter 35: W: The Trial, a fairy tail fanfic

Believe it or not, this is not an angsty chapter! (mostly)

—

The door ground open, squealing as it scraped against the rock floor of the hallway beyond.

Aki looked up, expression amicable. "Is it time, then?"

The guard, Rodin, scowled at her, silently lifting his staff, sending a shock of painful magic through her.

As her body relaxed, she sighed, pushing herself to her feet. "These are really heavy, you know," she commented blithely.

He jabbed his staff into her knee and she yelped, falling sideways into the cell door frame. Before she could fall, he grabbed the side of her head, shoving it against the wall. "You demon, don't talk as though you're human," he hissed.

"Well, that's not very nice," Aki replied reprovingly. She grunted as he kneed her in the gut, then let her drop to the ground. Instead of curling, though, she pushed herself roughly up, coughing and wiping at her mouth. "No blood," she commented, glancing at her fingers. "That felt a lot more damag-EEP!" she squeaked as he kicked her square in the back, sending her ploughing face first into the rough, stone-hewn floor.

As she struggled to her feet again, hindered more by the chains than anything he had done, he pointed his staff at her, attacking her repeatedly with the prison's magic. She collapsed to the ground, where she lay mostly quiet, much to his annoyance, only groaning and occasionally letting out a particularly loud grunt. After a minute of trying to force a scream from her, he lifted the enchantment, grumbling to himself.

He jumped as she pushed herself up again, trembling slightly, whilst rebuking him, "It's going to take a long time to get to the court room if you keep this up."

He grit his teeth. "Get going!" he snapped, poking her in the back with the stick.

"Wonderful."

—

As she entered the court room, she saw Makarov and Zeref already there, though in vastly different positions. While Makarov was sitting in a comfortable – though he didn't look comfortable – chair behind a railing, Zeref was standing on a platform, arms strapped high above his head by chains, looking as relaxed as ever.

He glanced around as she entered. "Hey."

She gave a slanted grin, doing her best to wave around the manacles. "We really don't have the audience I was expecting," she remarked as she was led to a similar circular platform beside Zeref.

One could be forgiven for thinking that Aki had gone insane (again, though differently) and that they actually had quite the audience: the Chairman of every branch of the Council were there, the five Don's of the Council – the highest governing body on much of Earth Land for magic users – on a mezzanine above them, seven of the Ten Wizard Saints of Ishgar and the First Wizard Saint of every country under the council's jurisdiction lining the walls.

Zeref wiggled his fingers in place of shrugging as Aki let herself be hung up, too. "I win, then," he smirked.

She stuck her tongue out at him as they pulled the chains taught, her feet barely reaching the ground. Her feet were then strapped down to the floor, and, simultaneously, she and Zeref had think iron collars pushed roughly around their necks. Aki tilted her head slightly to let him get it on easier; Rodin scowled at her.

"You know," Aki commented, "these really don't do anything except make us look like circus seals. I mean, really, did it need to be so thick?" she asked, addressing the five Don's. "Don't you have some kind of metal that could achieve the same without the drama?" Rodin growled behind her, and she snickered. "Unless you wanted the drama of stringing up the Black Mages and putting absurdly large chains on them for show?" She glanced around, smirking when she, indeed, saw a photographer standing next to who she presumed to be a reporter.

Sorry, but we can't have that.

"Silence!"

As Aki glanced away, the photographer's camera powered off. He shook it violently, clearly used to this happening, but, when nothing happened, looked down at it in annoyance.

Meanwhile, Aki had looked at the podium from which the call to order had come, seeing a frog-

She yelped, doing a double take, her chains clinking at the movement. "Why are you a frog?!"

"Silence, on penalty of being shocked!" the frog barked at her.

Aki pouted, lips scrunching to the side; Zeref sighed wearily.

The photographer looked distressed now, turning to a reporter—the only reporter allowed in the court that day—and whispering anxiously in his ear. The reporter—a certain cool-obsessed man from weekly sorcerer—replied in an undertone, and the photographer nodded, giving him a quick kiss before hurrying off.

The frog straightened itself haughtily, beginning, "The charges are as follows: The defendants appearing before the court today are, indeed, the Black Mages, Zeref and Aki. In that case, they are then charged with the following accounts: Aggravated Assault, Arson, Assault, Attempt, Disturbing the Peace, Homicide, Manslaughter – Voluntary, First-degree, Second Degree, and, specifically, the murder of Queen Alyse of Fiore – in addition to several war crimes. They are additionally charged with any and all crimes committed by their demonic creations, which include a wide array of infractions."

The frog sat down, and Makarov took to his feet; he was so short that he had to climb onto his chair to see over the railing. He did so with some level of dignity, though many in the room still snickered. "The defense proposes that the defendants are not at fault for said charges as they were not in control of themselves on any of the aforementioned occasions. They are, additionally, not liable for their creations' deeds, as they were not in control of themselves at the time of creation." He sat.

The foremost of the Five Don's asked in a booming, magically enhanced voice, "The accused have been read their charges; how do they plead on being the Black Mages?"

"Guilty," Aki and Zeref said simultaneously. "Not guilty on the rest of the charges."

Both grit their teeth as magic shot through them. "Do not speak unless spoken to!" the frog shouted furiously.

Aki sighed, rolling her eyes conspicuously.

"How do the defendants plead on the rest of the charges?" asked the Don.

"Not guilty," they repeated wearily. They only were pleading so because Makarov had told them under no uncertain terms that Natsu would be… well, his words had been, 'I'll be so mad at you that I won't be able to bring myself to stop Natsu from storming whatever prison they send you to and then Fairy Tail will be a dark guild and I'll have to retire knowing that I was Master when the guild finally crossed the line with the council—so plead not guilty, got that, brats?!'

With the additional shock of being referred to as brats for the first time in centuries, they hadn't been able to hold onto any of their arguments after that.

"So you plead insanity?" questioned the frog.

"At that time."

Many scoffed as the frog rose. "The evidence is as follows, —"

—

"— The plaintiff calls Arcadios, Chief of the Cherry Blossom Holy Knight Squadron of the Royal Kingdom of Fiore, alias The White Knight, to the bench," the frog finally finished.

Arcadios, in his full suit of white armor, strode forward from the wall. "Present," he said in a stately manner.

"You headed a plan to assassinate the past versions of the Black Mages?"

"Indeed."

"For what reasons?"

"For what I had believed to be their crimes against humanity and the murder of Queen Alyse."

"Do you still hold your position against them?"

"No."

There was a beat of silence. "N-no?" the frog croaked weakly.

"No," he repeated firmly.

"And neither do I," said a female voice. From the shadows of the wall, Princess Hisui and the King of Fiore strode forward.

"Majesties Fiore," said the frog, kneeling.

"At ease," said King Fiore in his own croaky voice, raising a hand.

"I am afraid to say," started a Don in a grinding, barely polite voice, "that this is a matter of the Greater Magic Council. Whatever the King of Fiore says" —he inclined his head barely towards the pair, "he cannot force us to judge these criminals free."

"I had no intention," the king said, displaying tact gained from countless political meetings, finally in his element, "of attempting such, Robert-dono. I have come as a mere witness to their innocence."

As he and the court continued their exchanges, Hisui and Arcadios slipped over to Zeref and Aki's platform.

"I am sorry about this, Aki-dono," she said quietly as Arcadios intimidated Rodin out of hearing range, "Zeref-dono. Both my father and I wished to have you released, but we cannot do so directly."

"That is fine, Hii-chan," Aki said, a little surprised. She sounded a little more royal, herself.

Arcadios scowled. "Hii-cha-"

"Arcadios," Hisui interjected; he grudgingly dropped it.

Aki seemed to miss or ignore the entire exchange. As though coming from a daze, she twitched, and her mask was lost. "I mean," she mumbled, ashamed, "it's our fault that-"

Hisui shook her head, smiling gently. "I am quite certain that my mother would have agreed with us. Truly, Zeref-dono," she added as he continued to not meet her eyes, "I am appreciative of your situations."

Both Zeref and Aki started in alarm. "Don't-! …" They looked away, saying, again in a more regal manner, "It is no exc-"

They found a hand covering each of their mouths, belonging to Arcadios and Hisui. "You must not let your guild's efforts go to waste," whispered Hisui. "I know you do not yet forgive yourselves. You need not say."

As she removed her hand, Aki looked up at her. "Hii-chan, we… We are grateful for your efforts, as well," she said, flushing and looking away at the end, having lost her nerve.

Hisui tilted her head, smiling in a soft, royal manner.

—

"You ain't gettin' no food or wa'er, ya demon!"

She shrugged. "Alright," she called back.

She grunted as he shocked her.

"Aren't you going to beg?! I might give you something if you did, monster!"

She frowned. "Do you treat everyone like this?"

She bit her lips together as another shock enveloped her. "Lizards like ya deserve it!"

Her eyes narrowed. "So you do?"

She couldn't help shouting this time, recovering to hear him laughing. "-all break in the end, even Jellal!"

Her eyes widened, flashing red, then she smirked loftily. "But we last much longer than you do, don't we?"

Pain.

"Shut it, you!"

"I wonder how long you would really last, if our positions were reversed?"

Pain.

"Shut up!"

"Why should I obey someone who hurts people and laughs."

Pain.

"You're the flapping Black Mage! You-"

Pain.

"-don't-"

Pain.

"-get to say-"

Pain.

"-a thing!"

She panted, staring at the ground. "You're saying you don't mind being like Me?"

Pain.

"I said, SHUT UP!"

"You say you hate us, but you're acting like what you despise."

The door was kicked open, and the weird frog creature towered over her. "Shut up, or you'll starve to death before the trial is over," he roared, red mixing with the blue of its face, turning it purple.

She watched him, evaluating. "I have no reason to listen to someone who would stoop to our level."

He kicked her, knocking her over before burying his foot in her stomach. "SHUT UP!"

"Why?" she managed breathily.

She barely contained a scream.

"This goes up several more, lizard, I'm warning you!"

She sneered from where she lay, her arms suspended above her as he pressed her into the wall. "You were never even directly hurt by us, were you?"

He seemed to pop. "What do you know about me?!"

She looked him in the eye, and he took a step back; it was somehow icy and burning, a frigid, crimson fury. "You don't hold the fear that those who suffer do," she said coldly. "You boil hate for something you don't know, and in your self-absorption take the same face. Followers idolize, victims fear; the mensch condemn, but only the ignorant become what they claim to despise. Jellal was better than you in every way," she added in hiss.

He started kicking her again, periodically shocking her, but she bit her lips together and was quiet, anger fueling her.

—

Aki chuckled when she entered the courtroom again, seeing Zeref looking a bit battered, as well. She didn't notice, perhaps intentionally avoiding his gaze, Makarov's expression at their injuries. He had to have known this would happen; it couldn't have been a surprise. They were the Black Mages, or, at least, had been. They had already been prepared for this (and so much more).

She internally winced as Rodin pulled her arms taught, but didn't make a sound or let it register on her face. She glanced around, seeing the same photographer as before, and said a silent apology as she again magically fried his obviously new camera.

"The trial of the Black Mages resumes!"

—

"The defense calls Porlyusica Grandeeney to the bench," said Makarov.

The formidable doctor strode forward, already scowling. She didn't take the seat offered her by another frog beside the interrogator, instead standing defiantly in front of Aki and Zeref.

"You are Porlyusica Grandeeney?" asked the frog.

"Yes, I am," she snapped. "And if you bitter old fools ever call meto Crocus, the human-nest of Fiore, again, I will not be coming."

"Oh?" said the fifth Don, apparently amused. "And why did you come this time?"

"Because you're all such doddering old fools that you might actually find these two guilty if I didn't."

Angry mutters broke out; Makarov had a hand to his racing heart, praying that his soul would wait to drift away until after the trial.

"What about the other Fairy Tail members?" someone snided.

"Lock them all away, see what I care," Porlyusica dismissed haughtily.

"Porlyusica," Makarov appealed weakly.

"And why do you stand by them so firmly?" asked another Don.

"They were cursed to kill. They killed. They are no longer cursed."

"That doesn't change all they-"

"Let me reiterate in terms you council members, worse than even guild mages, so addicted to violence, are capable of understanding:" interrupted Porlyusica, a tick mark appearing on her forehead, "they were forced to act under another's hand. They have done nothing" —both Aki and Zeref cringed slightly, but, thinking of Natsu, and of Makarov's threat, kept their silence—"wrong. Additionally," she added dourly, glowering up at the court, "they feel bad for their deeds; tell me, have you decided to fire off any other super weapons lately? You sure have plenty to play with! Don't you ever feel ashamed of how hypocritical you are? You filthy humans love pointing blame at anyone but yourself, so quick to point out what doesn't suit your base desires, tch!" she spat.

Makarov's heart had stopped.

The frog seemed to be struck dumb, but a Chairman started angrily, "You think you can speak to us that-"

"I'll whack you if you try to baby me, boy!" she howled back, pulling her broom from who knows where. "I was here when you were two generations away, and I'll be here long after you're gone!"

"That gives you no right to-"

"AH! I see!" she sneered. "I say things you don't like, so you throw me in jail!? Does it ever occur to your monkey-envious brains that you're supposed to be the justice system?! HAH?!"

Aki and Zeref were watching in quiet interest; indeed, Aki was feeling quite touched.

"Someone take her away!" The fifth Don ordered.

"Oh really?" she challenged, arching an eyebrow. "Does that mean you want me to tell everyone all the dirty little secrets you keep once I escape jail?"

Aki and Zeref held back snorts with difficulty.

The guard that had started towards Porlyusica froze, looking to the Dons for direction; Jason's antenna {Thanks, Ed Elric, for the vocabulary!} seemed to have exploded with excitement.

"Are you," spluttered the fifth Don, "are you threatening-"

"And what if I am, boy?!" she returned challengingly. "What are you, in your corrupted beyond Edolas government, going to do to the lady with all your dirty laundry?! Honestly, even this trial is a sham! You know you can't imprison them under the quote unquote laws of this land! Quit preening and go home already, you COWARDS!"

And, with that, she spun around and stomped out, whapping the guard over the head with her broom to rid herself of pent-up energy.

The court was reeling.

"Why- the nerve-"

"-think she is to-"

"-can't believe-"

"Makarov!" the first Don barked, and the rest fell silent.

No response. They all looked around, and only the members of the Council of Fiore didn't do a double take.

The fourth- sixth- eighth- seventh?- third- … the… the m-master {yes, perfect save} of Fairy Tail, Makarov Dreyar, heading the defense on behalf of the Black Mages, was asleep.

"Ah, Makarov-san?" the frog tried lamely.

"Hm?!" He jerked, looking blearily around. "Is she- ah, she's gone."

"Makarov!" boomed the first Don. "Do you believe we will let your guild get away with its behavior today?!"

Makarov, whose soul had returned halfway through Porlyusica's rant, replied serenely, "I do believe we have behaved quite adequately."

"You call that adequate?!" the fifth Don, red-faced, roared, pointing toward the door through which Porlyusica had left.

"With all due respect, Dons of the Greater Magic Council," Makarov said courteously, and one could almost hear a sardonic bow in his voice, "Porlyusica Grandeeney is no longer a member of Fairy Tail. She left the guild some…" He went silent, counting his fingers. "Some decades ago," he shrugged.

—

"The plaintiff calls Warrod Sequen to the bench."

One of the Ten Wizard Saints of Ishgar stood, making his way forward, sitting down beside the row of council heads.

"You are Warrod Sequen?" asked the frog.

"Yes."

"You have met the defendants before?"

"Yes."

"Did they seem insane at the time?"

"No."

Makarov stood. "Did they try to keep their distance?"

"Yes."

"To what lengths?"

"At least twenty feet at-"

"Say Sequen?!" Aki blurted, jerking out of a doze. She disregarded the painful shock of magic, continuing, "You're still- Hold up, you manifested your element?!"

Warrod laughed, and Aki went slightly pink, chuckling.

"Uhm, Sequen-sama…" the frog trailed off, Warrod not looking at it.

"Never thought you were the Black Mages," he said casually; Aki snorted; the council was in shock.

"Warr-kun, you were always so sweetly naïve."

"Don't-" a council member started, but recoiled when Warrod raised an eyebrow at it.

"Did you really not realize at all?" Zeref asked with blatant disbelief.

Warrod chuckled. "Well, Mavis was pretty tight-lipped about who you were."

Aki blinked. "And here I had thought all her friends were just really chill."

"That too," he conceded, nodding good-naturedly.

"Erm, Sequen-sama," the frog started hesitantly, "the trial…"

"So how goes your game?" Warrod asked, ignoring the frog.

Aki frowned. "What?"

A crown of flowers sprouted from Warrod's head, and Aki said, "Oh."

"You knew about that?" asked Zeref.

Warrod laughed again. "I figured it out eventually and did some research on you"

"Speaking of, how old are you, now?" Aki asked curiously. "I'm just surprised you're still alive."

Several members of the congregation hissed, but Warrod just raised an eyebrow.

Aki's eyes sparkled, and she snickered. "Bocchan was reaching the end of his own line when we met him something like a decade ago, so. It's a fair question, Mr. Overgrown-Broccoli-Magi."

"How dare-"

Warrod guffawed, doubling over. The council stared at him; only a couple, those who had previously interacted with him, weren't stunned, merely resigned. Under the counter, one covertly slipped another 500 Jenny. Warrod suddenly straightened, stoic, and said, "You saw Precht, then?"

"Hades," Makarov supplied before either Black Mage could answer. "Master of Grimoire Heart."

Warrod's face fell. "I'd heard rumors, but I never really wanted to believe them…" He added to Zeref and Aki, "You guys don't seem to have aged a day since then. At least I'm wearing my age, even if I'm not dead yet."

Aki chuckled. "Fair enough."

"Can we get back to the trial, already?" snapped a Don.

"But of course," Warrod said amiably.

He moved toward the platform, and the frog resumed, clearing its throat, "To what lengths did they-"

It broke off as Warrod put a hand on the Ceremonial Lacrima, raising his right hand, and, eyes closed, saying, "I tell only the truth." He took his hand off and moved back toward Aki and Zeref; Aki was oddly pink, as though she weren't breathing.

"Ehm, y-yes, so," the frog stammered. "T-to what, um, to what l-"

Reaching the platform, Warrod had raised his hand again, saying, "I plead not guilty on all charges."

The council members of Fiore who had met the eccentric wizard saint before groaned, while the rest gawked in dead shock.

"Y-you're not the accused-" started the frog.

"Then why am I here?" Warrod said, surprised. "I have no reason to be at the courthouse if there is no court held."

"The-" The frog stopped, bewildered. "This is the Black Mages' trial, Sequen-sama."

Warrod nodded sagely, saying, "Ah, I see. Forgive my misunderstanding."

"Of course," the frog managed, but–

"I plead not guilty of being the Black Mages," Warrod said, hand in the air again. "For I am one person."

Aki choked on her muffled laughter, sharing a look with Zeref, who was hiding his hilarity much better.

"N-no, Sequen-sama," the frog, by now almost pitiable, stammered. "The Black Mages are behind you."

Warrod gasped, spinning around and pointing at Rodin, who blanched.

"I ain't! I ain't-"

Aki's damns finally broke, and she burst out into full fledged hilarity. "W-Warr-kun-" she gasped, swaying dangerously, "s-sto- can' breathe-!"

Warrod looked at her as though she hadn't been there. "When did you get here, Sensei?"

"Alright, alright, Warrod Sequen-dono," the First Don interrupted, having received a note from one of the council members of Fiore, "thank you for your time."

Warrod nodded, looking confused. "I haven't given you time."

"I-"

"I don't know Time Magic, only Green," Warrod continued blithely.

Aki snorted.

"Yes, we understand, Wa-"

"Sensei could give you time, most likely," he said, nodding at Aki. Many looked angry, but remained silent in front of the wizard saint. "She knows it; I'm afraid I don't."

"We do not want help from the Black Mages!" snapped the third Don.

Warrod blinked, looking from the don to Aki to Rodin, who was still stiff with shock. "That dear man is not who I meant. I meant Sensei, not the Black Mages. Alas," he continued, turning away and grinning at Aki and Zeref, of which only Zeref was still holding his amusement in whatsoever. "-he must not be the Black Mages, either, since one is a girl."

"Order-"

"Ah-ha!" Warrod said, plopping a fist into his hand and spinning around again. "It must be that I am the girl!"

"You're what?!"

"I shall take my leave now," Warrod said simply, striding toward the door.

As the door shut, the air of the room remained solidly befuddled and weary.

"That was a fiasco," muttered the Chair of the Council of Fiore.

There was a gentle knock on the door.

"Y-yes?" called another frog, hurrying forward to answer.

Warrod stepped through it, holding it open with one hand. They all looked resigned, but all he said was, "Just kidding!"

He could be heard guffawing down the hallway.

—

Aki, sleeping during a trial: like guild master like guild member.

Me, with no experience in law: They won't notice. I'll just, ya know, write some legal-ly sounding words and skip over any of the actual trial proceedings and evidence and whatever else goes on at a trial.

You, reading 'in addition to several war crimes': what

Believe it or not, this is not an angsty chapter! (mostly)

—

The door ground open, squealing as it scraped against the rock floor of the hallway beyond.

Aki looked up, expression amicable. "Is it time, then?"

The guard, Rodin, scowled at her, silently lifting his staff, sending a shock of painful magic through her.

As her body relaxed, she sighed, pushing herself to her feet. "These are really heavy, you know," she commented blithely.

He jumped as she pushed herself up again, trembling slightly, whilst rebuking him, "It's going to take a long time to get to the court room if you keep this up."

He grit his teeth. "Get going!" he snapped, poking her in the back with the stick.

"Wonderful."

—

As she entered the court room, she saw Makarov and Zeref already there, though in vastly different positions. While Makarov was sitting in a comfortable – though he didn't look comfortable – chair behind a railing, Zeref was standing on a platform, arms strapped high above his head by chains, looking as relaxed as ever.

He glanced around as she entered. "Hey."

She gave a slanted grin, doing her best to wave around the manacles. "We really don't have the audience I was expecting," she remarked as she was led to a similar circular platform beside Zeref.

Zeref wiggled his fingers in place of shrugging as Aki let herself be hung up, too. "I win, then," he smirked.

"You know," Aki commented, "these really don't do anything except make us look like circus seals. I mean, really, did it need to be so thick?" she asked, addressing the five Don's. "Don't you have some kind of metal that could achieve the same without the drama?" Rodin growled behind her, and she snickered. "Unless you wanted the drama of stringing up the Black Mages and putting absurdly large chains on them for show?" She glanced around, smirking when she, indeed, saw a photographer standing next to who she presumed to be a reporter.

Sorry, but we can't have that.