"What was that?" Levy asked Lisanna as she handed the object to its owner.
"I'm not sure," she replied. "He always kept it, along with a small box. I didn't let anyone mess with it".
"And did you know where he lived?", asked a curious Lucy.
"Well, when he moved, we went with him. He spent a lot of time with us so it's natural to share certain things," Lisanna replied with a certain nostalgia.
"I understand. Now what does that thing do?" Levy was curious about the object.
Ryker watched that translucent spherical object for a few seconds without reacting. He reached out and, applying a little magic, 'turned on' the sphere. It glowed in an intense and beautiful blue light, projecting, right after that, a panel with numerous folders and files in the air, in the form of holograms.
"Amazing!" Levy looked in awe. "It's like some kind of tear, but I've never seen anything like it. He's projecting all that," she had gleams in her eyes.
"Open video folder," Ryker said, and as he gave orders the sphere obeyed, projecting exactly what he asked. "Open 'War Clippings' folder, play video sequences, starting at 'one'", the wizard said. With this command a huge window took over the guild hall, and it started to play videos.
Everyone began to see what appeared to be a certain chronological order of events, not the war, but as if it were a documentary. Starting with the arrival and training of the children and other events that that group went through.
.
A bus is shown, carrying children no more than 10 years old, arriving at a military base, a fully uniformed soldier enters and shouts, rudely and crudely ordering them all to leave in order. They obey, leaving and lining up at the barracks door with their bags. Several instructors pass them looking them up and down, with serious and closed faces, showing total enmity. Their faces showed that the children were scared and scared, not understanding or knowing what to do. They send them forward and in, always yelling and bullying. They pass by the hairdresser who shave their heads, not caring if they were boys or girls, carelessly, one after the other. All taken to barracks, with hundreds of trellis beds. This would be their home for years.
Everything was shown and narrated by a reporter, who cared little for the condition of the poor souls. He just wanted to show and narrate the facts to have the largest possible audience.
Day after day the instructors woke them up at dawn, screaming, sometimes throwing bombs to scare them and give them a rush of adrenaline. Without the slightest affection they were taken out of bed, pulled into the hallway and put to attention or dragged outside.
"You're not at your parents' house anymore!", an instructor shouted to hundreds and hundreds of children lined up to attention.
"Here is the army! I'm going to turn you into men, you useless pieces of shit!", he and others yelled in the children's faces
"What's it!? Are you crying your worm?", another instructor yelled at a boy crying in fear. "And now he's pissing himself! You will be the cause of their punishment! Is that what you want, you weakling, you useless one!?", he told everyone to lie down on the floor and forced them to do endless push-ups, while laughing at them.
"This is beautiful!"
"Hey!", another instructor yelled at a child. "Do it right, you lazybones! Restart! He did it wrong, now it's his fault you're going to do it all over again".
"May this serve as a lesson for you. Soldiers don't cry!", they yelled and started slapping all the kids in the face.
When awake, the children should get ready quickly, otherwise they would be punished, as already happened. They were led outside and forced to exercise for hours, in the cold air, in the rain, in the mud. When any of them failed to comply with the exercise, the instructors humiliated her and punished the whole group; no breakfast or more exercise or sleepless nights.
Meals were weak and always the same, without color or pleasant taste. Running, swimming, intense physical activities were the routine in the early days. The instructors frequently inspected the barracks and the little soldiers could not show fear. However, it was not uncommon for some to cry when confronted or urinate on themselves in fear. It didn't come cheap and the whole group was punished.
More than once the senior instructor spoke that they were machines and would be transformed into killing machines for the empire and to win 'The War'. It was almost like a mantra that was repeated by all the children. They were machines, killing machines.
.
The magicians, along with the master, were watching the video and feeling disgusted, it was one thing to hear, another thing to see with your own eyes, it was difficult to watch. Ryker had his head placed on Mira's chest holding him, comforting him, he didn't see the video, she felt a strong wave of hatred for those guys. But things would only get worse.
Ryker was among those boys, he was younger, a nine-year-old with frightened eyes, but still sweet and innocent despite everything. Fairy Tail noticed when he appeared in the images, but thankfully they didn't comment anything, they were apprehensive for him, and scared, in a way, with what he went through and what he was going to go through.
.
In the other video, three years had passed. Thousands of young soldiers were lined up in a courtyard, a commander speaking. They were ready to graduate, leaving only to pass the last test.
Some adult soldiers took iron bars with the symbol of empire molded to the tip and set them on fire until they glowed. The commander ordered all graduates to take off their shirts, and they did so. The executioners went to those children and without pity or pity they marked them.
One after another they were branded with a branding iron on the left chest, with the emblem of the empire. None of them showed signs of pain, thus becoming soldiers, in fact. Their physiques had changed, from skinny boys to small, strong men, from frightened, docile looks to cold, serious looks.
"You graduates will be fighting for freedom against the slavery of the red regime. Give your best, give your life for freedom", the commander spoke with enthusiasm.
"What are you!?", the commander shouted to the graduating class.
"Machines!", they responded in chorus.
"From what!?"
"To kill!"
"What are you going to do on the battlefield!?"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!", those children repeated like a mantra.
.
The disgust couldn't have been greater when Fairy Tail's wizards saw and heard that.
.
In every video the same reporter was present, documenting everything he could, narrating as if it were the most spectacular thing ever. It was clearly war propaganda.
And in another video, it showed that thousands of those young soldiers were in a hangar at a military base waiting to get on a plane. They were preparing to enter combat. Those kids were wearing a camouflage uniform with a Hard Head Veterans ATE Gen 2 vest and ballistic helmet. That reporter approaches a young man and begins an interview.
"What's your name soldier?", he asked the boy.
"It's Ryker, sir."
"Ryker, you are going to the battle of Valle del Infierno. Neither side has had a head start on the other for weeks. What do you hope to find there and what do you intend to do to help us?".
"I'm going to go over there and kill as much of those damn reds as possible. They're not expecting us, we'll be done with them in a moment," Ryker replies darkly.
"Yes, yes, this is the spirit", vibrates the reporter and turns to the camera. "Look citizens this young soldier beside me is determined to end this war. These are our heroes. Congratulations young man and good luck", he greets the young boy.
"Yes thanks"
After the interview, a young Ryker gathers his things and goes to the airstrip to wait, along with other child soldiers, for his chance to embark for the war.
.
The difference was clear from before and after Ryker. His bloodlust and his cold, serious eyes didn't suit a 12 years old. What they did was terrible, turning a human into nothing more than a tool of war and death. At this point the magician holds his ears so as not to hear what was being broadcast on the video, while Mira consoled him, astonished by what she saw, as well as the rest of her companions.
"What's that?", asked an astonished Natsu, he was looking at the image of some planes stopped on the runway, model C-17.
"I don't know, Natsu," Lucy replied, also surprised.
"Apparently it's an object they use to fly," Levy said, analyzing the image. "We use magic and we have boats that can fly, like when we were attacked by the Alvarez Empire and like the Blue Pegasus has, too. But this is different. It seems more suitable for flight." The video continued...
.
The reporter arrives at a devastated city, destroyed buildings, houses, streets, bridges, everything, absolutely everything, on the ground, together with debris in the streets. He descends in a helicopter and walks through the city showing all its devastation.
"We are here in Santiago, after our brave soldiers took over the city and expelled the Reds. Those young soldiers played an enormous role in the victory at Valle del Infierno a few days ago. Now it's safe for us to come here.", he narrated while showing the once beautiful city.
"See the destruction of war. All buildings destroyed, lives lost. A tragedy. But with our victories and our advances, life will return to this place."
He showed everything, walking through the city, until he reached where the soldiers were gathered. They looked more like a bunch of zombies. Distant eyes, many of them smeared with blood, dried by age - not from themselves but from other people - lost gazes staring into space, soldiers talking nonsense to themselves, some laughing hysterically and hundreds of them wounded, left on stretchers, others on the floor. A good part had their limbs amputated, as there was no way to save them. Many of them moaning in pain due to their injuries, many others heavily sedated. Nurses and doctors trying to help whoever they could, running around and many suffering from the stress of it all, it was chaos. Doctors became patients.
"The images are shocking, but thanks to them we have one more day to live. These are our brave warriors." , the reporter said showing all the pain for what they went through and what they are going through.
Ryker was among the survivors, sitting with others, dirty, bereft and traumatized. Wide-eyed, lifeless and unfocused, tired, waiting for the next assignment.
.
"My God! What happened to them?" Makarov said, frightened and horrified. He had never seen expressions like those men, even in the most desperate and terrible situation before, and he's been through a lot. So this was the war Ryker had gone through? He can understand why his son didn't want to play in the past.
The videos were no longer calm, showing more and more scenes of combat, of bodies lying on the ground, of destruction, shaken soldiers. They were heavy and disturbing images.
Clips of bombings in fields and cities were shown. Thousands of planes dropping heavy bombs, devastating everything on the ground, whether buildings or lives. Tanks roaming the streets, soldiers marching dirty and desolate. Cities brought down, filthy children crying, lost to their parents or over their bodies. Parents mourning the death of their children, sometimes with them in their arms, broken families that lost everything they had.
In many of them Ryker did not appear, in others he did. He always looked worse with every sena he showed.
In some, in particular, the guild got scared, and a shiver came over everyone when Wendy appeared in the images. Or at least someone identical to her, but darker, was Silvia. It was clear that she was a copy of the young Dragon Slayer. As much as it wasn't Wendy, they still felt uncomfortable with her in that place. Wendy was in shock when she found herself, being supported by Erza and other nearby members. Ryker couldn't see these parts, nor did he want to hear. After a few videos Silvia never appeared again, the implications filled the guild members with dread and dismay.
More and more videos were broadcast, one after another...
.
The reporter was on an aircraft carrier talking about an offensive the Empire was planning. It would be a strong blow against the Red Regime, however it would be risky and dangerous. He was aiming for the coast, where in a few hours many planes and boats would attack strategic positions on the enemy side.
"Within a few hours the operation will start. It's a very risky thing, but if we succeed, it could represent the beginning of the end of this terrible war that has plagued our world for years. We are here with the Admiral responsible for the attack. Good afternoon Admiral. What to expect from the disembarkation today?"
"Good afternoon. We hope to have a large number of casualties, but we believe, along with our efforts and the quality of our men, in a victory. It won't be easy, but we will triumph," he said stoically.
"This is good news, Admiral. Thank you and good luck."
The images returned to the interior of the ship, with the soldiers eating an unappetizing food paste. Then they showed them preparing for combat, a crowd. The camera wandered around the room and focused on Ryker and others around him. His cold and lifeless gaze cast a hatred for the journalists present there.
In the early evening, when the light starts to change, the camera shows the carrier's runway full of helicopters and planes ready to depart and take the soldiers to the mainland. Small boats in the distance heading for the beach. Rows and rows of soldiers getting into their mode of transport and leaving for battle.
"Here, gentlemen, could be the beginning of the end of the war. Everything is in the hands of these heroes, may these brave men succeed", the reporter said as men and more men climbed into planes and helicopters and boats.
Planes and helicopters departed in gigantic numbers for the battle in the distance.
It was dawn and the invasion had already taken place. It was dark and you could only see explosion lights in the background and columns of smoke rising in numerous places when they were lit by the explosions.
"It's been a few hours since the invasion started, now we can see those lights in the background. The Commander told us that those flashes are from explosions, from our bombers, but also from our enemies. Let us pray for everything to go well."
.
At this point Ryker had his hands over his ears and his eyes closed, but he could hear the sound of the explosions, the noise of the bombs coming, the sound of people dying and screaming in agony. He could hear it all, see it all, all the repressed memories coming to the surface at once. The wizard huddled on the bench in Mira's arms. She looked at him, seeing his nervous and anguished reaction, and looked at the video and at him again. The mage was reacting to the video, even though he wanted others to see what he went through, he himself wasn't reacting well to it.
"I'm here, calm down," Mira whispered in his ear, running a hand down his back to soothe him, without much success.
The other members didn't even know how to behave in front of what they were seeing, especially after so much information. It was nothing they had imagined, in fact it was worse.
.
Days later and the battle was still intense. The sounds of explosions and bombs could be heard, one after the other, day and night, without pause, without respite.
"We are receiving reports that the battle is raging. We dominate a part, but there is still a lot of resistance. Isn't that what Admiral?"
"Exactly, now our men are entering the city, the combat will be much closer, man to man, corner by corner, building by building."
"What could this bring risk, sir?"
"In cities there are many places for ambushes and sieges. Our people must be aware of every move. The fights, as I said, will be very close, combatant to combatant, hand to hand. The most skillful has the advantage. Luckily we train our men very well. They have a lot of experience, let's prevail."
"Now combat will be more dangerous than ever, may our men have the strength to face our enemies."
"But we must not forget that we have the artillery, our bombers and fighters and our armor on our side. We are bigger, we are better", said the Admiral triumphantly.
"Yes, this is great Admiral. Thank you," replied the reporter.
More and more bombs fall, plane after plane takes off with material to drop to the ground.
"The sounds, make it stop…" Ryker moaned to Mira. She can only hug him tighter, shedding tears for his pain.
"We were allowed to go to where the battle was taking place. A few hours ago we had the confirmation that we won. An important step towards peace, which we all aspire to."
"We're going out on this helicopter that will take us to the battlefield, which is now safe."
Before landing they showed the image of the battlefields, seen from above. Craters and more craters as far as the eye could see. Fires everywhere, houses destroyed, there was no more city there. If before there was any forest, there was only a black scorched earth and dead trees. Everything was dead.
When landing, the images were devastating, there were bodies scattered everywhere, swarms of flies could be seen and heard in the footage. Some soldiers collected the bodies and burned them. The city no longer existed, some residents wept for their lost loved ones, wept for the destruction of their homes and their lives. Parents carried and buried their children's bodies.
Helicopters skimmed by, as well as fighter jets crossed the skies coming and going looking for possible threats and fugitives. Battle tanks roamed the destroyed streets, going over what they could, including corpses strewn across the streets. Cars and trucks travel where they could, taking and bringing what was asked of them. Troop movement was high despite the destruction.
The soldiers' situation was dire, however. Rows of bodies waiting to be removed, and more to come when they found them. Wounded people huddled, screaming and moaning in pain, some of them limbless, being taken care of in a situation and in precarious facilities. Desolate and lost survivors, eyes fixed on nothing, drinking and smoking to get rid of the nightmare they were in, trying anything to relieve themselves. Ryker, bandaged in bloodstained body parts, being filmed showed a man who no longer had a soul.
"It's a scary scenario, gentlemen. We won, at a high cost, but we won. We owe it to them, to these valiant men."
.
"Enough of this!" Mira shouted.
Makarov saw her, she was protectively holding the mage who was out of control, curled up in the mage's arms, covering her ears and with her eyes closed. The master looked at the video and decided. "Enough! Turn it off, that was enough."
Mira slapped the sphere to the ground, causing it to shut down.
Makarov looked at Ryker in pain, he couldn't imagine what it would be like to go through all that and how he managed it. But the wounds were deep and perhaps never healed.
"Ryker, I can't imagine what it was like to go through all of this. But, I want you to know that we are with you," Makarov said paternally.
The mage heard the master's words of support and felt the surge of support from the other guild members, but it was of no use in his condition.
"I... I still see them, I still hear them", the magician spoke in a trembling voice, "I have pain all over my body, I take medicine, many medicines, I'm an addict, I need them, no I want to see, I don't want to hear, I don't want to feel pain anymore".
"Mira, take him home, he needs to rest. He went through a lot today", said the master. She nodded and helped Ryker to his feet and walk.
"I will take you to my master house. I don't think he should be alone," she said.
"Do it," he replied.
"He has nightmares, so stay with him," Lucy told Mirajane who nodded.
As they were leaving the guild Ryker stopped for a few seconds and looked at Erza, who knew what that look was. She extended her hand into his in comfort, letting go when he started walking again. Elfman and Lisanna accompanied their sister back home.