Author's Note 1: Fairy Tail: The Bravestar Saga is a non-profit fanfiction series.
Fairy Tail and Fairy Tail Series II are all owned by A-1 Pictures, Satelight, Bridge Madman Entertainment, Funimation TXN, Kodansha, and Hiro Mashima.
Any original characters and concepts are owned by Navek or xpegasus.
Please support the official release.
EDIT (07/31/2022): So I previously uploaded this chapter, not realizing that there were some gaping plot holes and discrepancies I and xpegasus didn't catch before. This 2nd upload is the fixed version uploaded at a better time.
Chapter 8: Reunion in the Monstrous Canyon
It was a bright, cloudless morning in the town of Clover. Citizens, Guild Masters, and Rune Knights worked together to clean up the rubble from Lullaby's attack. However, one group was busy with a very different matter.
In a large tent set up just outside of Clover, a stunned Ewald sat across from Makarov, team Bravestar, Erza, Gray, Bob, Goldmine, and Kageyama. Ewald took a deep breath to compose himself before picking a stack of paper and addressing the gathered wizards.
"So, let me get this straight," Ewald began, looking over at Kageyama. "You are a wizard from the Dark Guild Eisenwald." Kageyama nodded. "And your Guild Master—"
"Former Guild Master," Kageyama interjected. "I've decided I don't want to be part of a guild, legal or otherwise, where they think it's okay to literally stab other members in the back."
"…Right. So, your former Guild Master, Erigor Eisenwald—"
"He named the guild after himself?" Zeke said.
"Actually, it was founded by his great-grandfather," Kageyama said.
"Please stop interrupting me!" Ewald exclaimed. Zeke and Kageyama shrank into their seats. "Your former Guild Master, Erigor Eisenwald, conspired to commit mass murder of all the Guild Masters in attendance at this year's GMC by way of a cursed flute called Lullaby. When you," Ewald pointed to Erza, "caught wind of this plan, instead of informing the authorities, you gathered a group of wizards from your guild and went after them yourself?"
"I wasn't aware of their plan at the time," Erza explained. "All I knew was that Eisenwald was after an item called Lullaby. I had no idea what Lullaby was, its capabilities, or Eisenwald's plans for it. If I had known, I would have informed the authorities."
"Right," Ewald said, going back over his notes. "So, you all followed Eisenwald to Oshibana, defeating the Dark Wizards while Erigor escaped with Lullaby. You then caught up with him at Clover Canyon. After defeating him, Kageyama stole the flute and your Magic-Mobile, came to Clover to enact the plan, but realized the error of his ways thanks to…Makarov?" Ewald stared at the short guild master, utterly bewildered at the fact that Makarov, of all people, managed to talk Kageyama down instead of making the situation exponentially worse.
"Hey!" Makarov exclaimed, reading Ewald's expression like an open book. "You don't become a guild master without learning a thing or two about helping the younger generation find their way!"
Ewald opened his mouth to argue but simply sighed. "Moving on. After Kageyama surrendered, the flute transformed into a…giant plant woman, calling herself a "child of Zeref." It then turned all the trees into monsters to attack the town, resulting in the extensive collateral damage my knights and I saw after you defeated Lullaby." He looked over the gathered wizards, a tired look in his eyes. "Is there anything else?"
"Nope, that about covers it," Zeke said.
"I see." Ewald put down his notes and leaned back in his chair. "I had my knights interview the townsfolk and the other guild masters, and I received a communication detailing what happened in Oshibana this morning. Suffice to say, it all corroborates your story, so it appears apologies are in order." He took a deep breath. "I am sorry for what happened last night. I arrested you all without probable cause when you had, in fact, done nothing wrong; as a Member of the Rune Knights, my behavior was shameful."
The Fairy Tail wizards stared at Ewald in absolute shock. After that, the tent went completely silent, so quiet the occupants could hear the beating of their own hearts if they listened hard enough.
"YAHOOOOOO!" This silence was shattered by Natsu literally jumping for joy. "In your face, you old stick in the mud!" Natsu had the absolute biggest shit-eating grin he could muster. "I always knew you—"
"Natsu, sit down!" Zeke, Erza, and Makarov shouted in unison. Natsu pouted but obliged their request.
"You know," Kageyama said. "Something's been bugging me since last night. Why did you try and arrest all of them when you arrived?"
"Simple," Ewald said. "I saw Fairy Tail was there and naturally assumed the chaos and destruction was all their fault."
"Oh, come on," Makarov snapped. "Look, I know my kiddos can get out of hand, but we're not that bad. You and everyone in Era always blows our actions way out of proportion."
Ewald gave Makarov a flat look. "The Pinecone Incident." Makarov, Bob, and Goldmine went bugged-eyed and pointedly avoided looking at Ewald or even gazing in his general direction.
"Hold on, what the hell's the Pinecone Incident?" Lucy asked.
"Ah, well, that is quite the tale," Ewald said as he began to tell his story. "It was back when I was a rookie Rune Knight, freshly graduated from Avalon Academy. My first assignment was transporting a mad alchemist named Alister Solomon from Pinecone Town to prison. I was informed that a team of guild wizards had apprehended him and were still in Pinecone Town in case Solomon tried to escape. But by the time my squadron of knights arrived, chaos was still brewing in Pinecone Town. And at the center of the chaos…was the Midsummer Knights, a team of Fairy Tail wizards led by none other than Makarov Dreyer."
Makarov, Bob, and Goldmine began to sweat, realizing what was about to come next in the story.
"I later learned that the Midsummer Knight had celebrated their successful mission with a night of partying at the local tavern, the Crooked Moon, and had gotten completely hammered. The first thing I saw when I entered the town was Makarov, having grown to over 20 feet tall and extremely inebriated, flirting with a statue of the Pinecone's founder," Ewald recounted. "When the statue failed to respond, Makarov burst into tears and destroyed it before running off, destroying several more buildings in the process. After that, he got thirsty and tore apart the church's bell tower to use the bell as a glorified cup." Ewald turned towards Goldmine. "Then I found Goldmine, in his Cerberus form, tearing through the streets with mouthfuls of meat he'd pilfered by demolishing the butcher shop, grocery stores, and most of the restaurants. Afterward, he dug up the local fields to bury the bones from his ill-gotten gains, ruining Pinecone Town's next harvest. Then we come to Bob, who had at some point stripped naked and was flying through the air. All the while flip-flopping between accosting passersby, flying through random windows, and stealing peoples' clothes."
At this point, the three guild masters were thoroughly mortified. Bob held his face in his hands, too ashamed to look anyone in the eye. Goldmine was trying desperately to explain his actions and was failing miserably. And all Makarov could do was stare ahead with a faraway look in his eyes as the color drained from his face.
"And the rest of their teammates were no better; Balam broke into the farms and let loose all the livestock before bringing down a pair of silos. Porlyusica force-fed dozens of people strange, untested potions and somehow turned the water in the town's reservoir into grape soda. Finally, Rob started a fire in the park because he wanted to roast marshmallows."
"Hey, I put out that fire!" Makarov exclaimed.
"As I recall, you were trying to relieve yourself in the middle of town. I had to redirect you towards the blaze so you could urinate on and extinguish it," Ewald said. "It took us hours to coral the Midsummer Knights, and Solomon managed to break out of prison in all the chaos. Thankfully, I was able to recapture him before he escaped. Since that day, I have dedicated myself to putting a stop to Fairy Tail's destructive shenaniganary."
Lucy and Kageyama could only stare at Ewald, mouths agape at his story. Makarov, Goldmine, and Bob all look like they wanted nothing more than to embrace the sweet release of death. And the rest of the Fairy Tail wizards were a mix of sympathy, frustration, and annoyance toward the three guild masters.
"Holy shit," Kageyama said in almost a whisper. He turned to the guild masters. "You guys did all that?"
"We were young and stupid, okay!" Makarov shouted. "Don't act like you've never done something you regret."
"I mean, yeah, but never something like that," Kageyama replied.
"I guess being an agent of chaos just comes with the Fairy Tail guild mark," Lucy said with a laugh. Makarov simply groaned as he rubbed his temples.
"Anyway, Makarov, I'll let you take your wizards back to Magnolia," Ewald said. "Bob, Goldmine, I'd like you two to stay."
"Seriously, you're just letting us leave," Gray said, confusion evident in his voice.
"I figured that, given the severe mana depletion you all suffered, you're in no state to help with repairs. So it would be best to let you recuperate back home," Ewald explained.
"Hey, I don't need pity from a stick in the mud like you," Natsu said.
"Besides, we're fine," Alyssa stated, flexing her arms before wincing in pain.
Ewald raised an eyebrow at them. "Oh, really." He grabbed a small leather bag from underneath his desk, and from that bag, he pulled out five brightly colored rubber balls. "Catch." Ewald tossed them to Natsu, Zeke, Alyssa, Gray, and Erza, who all failed miserably to catch the balls. "None of you are even remotely well enough to do anything more than light housework. Go home and get some rest."
"What about me?" Kageyama asked. "Even though I've turned over a new leaf, I know you can't just let me go."
Ewald looked at Kageyama solemnly. "It's true; as a Rune Knight, I cannot possibly let you go. And the Magic Council doesn't have much sympathy for Dark Wizards. So it's entirely possible you'll spend the next decade or two in a Maximum-Security Prison."
Kageyama's face fell. "I see." His face was utterly devoid of hope.
The Fairy Tail wizards looked in shock and felt anger boiling up inside them. Several of them were about to stand and come to Kageyama's defense before Ewald suddenly spoke.
"However," Ewald exclaimed. "Given the circumstances, I believe arrangements can be made." Everyone looked at Ewald in confusion as the man continued. "Kageyama, if you are willing to testify against your former guildmates and assist the Rune Knights in our investigation of Eisenwald, not only will that put you in a favorable light before the Magic Council, I will personally put in a good word you and act as a character witness in your trial."
"For real?!" Kageyama yelled in a mixture of joy and confusion.
"I can't guarantee anything," Ewald explained his face the picture of neutrality. "There is still a possibility of the council punishing you as harshly as they can. But I truly believe we can get you a reduced sentence if we cooperate. So, what do you say?"
"O-of course," Kageyama said as he practically leaped out of his chair, nearly tripping over himself. "Thank you, Mr. Shuttman. Thank you so much."
"Well, if that's all settled, I guess we should get going," Makarov said as a young Rune Knight entered Colonel Schuttman's tent. "Hopefully we can get back to Magnolia before the end of the day."
"Magnolia?" the Rune Knight said. "I'm afraid that won't be possible, Mr. Dreyar."
Ewald raised an eyebrow at his comment. "What do you mean by that?"
"That's actually why I'm here, Colonel. We just got word that the Clover Canyon Bridge has collapsed."
Ewald side-eyed the Fairy Tail wizards. "I see," he said, voice like an icy dagger. Natsu and Zeke pointedly avoided his gaze, guilty looks on their faces.
"It collapsed sometime last night, but repair teams are already on their way. They've made the Clover Canyon Bridge their top priority," the Rune Knight explained. "Best estimates give it a week before trains can safely cross the canyon again. Clover should have more than enough food to last until then."
"Thank you, Private, you're dismissed."
"Sir, yes, sir," the Rune Knight said with a salute and the left.
Ewald sighed. "Well, it appears I spoke to soon about you all leaving. I'll have my knights look into lodging for you until the bridge is repaired."
"Thank you, Colonel Schuttman, but that would be necessary," Zeke proclaimed. Ewald furrowed his brow in confusion as the archer stood. "I, Fairy Tail's Archer Extraordinaire and proud member of the renowned Hudson family, will lead us through Clover Canyon."
"Um, are you sure about that, Zeke?" Lucy asked. "Clover Canyon is infamous for being like a giant labyrinth."
Zeke scoffed at her worries, a cocky smile on his face. "That's nothing compared to the greatness of the Hudson legacy." He turned back to Ewald. "Just give us a few supplies, and I'll lead them back to Magnolia by nightfall."
And then…
"We're lost."
"No, we're not."
"We're lost."
"No, we are not."
"I'm almost certain that we're lost."
"For the umpteenth time, we are not fucking lost!" Zeke shouted.
"Are you sure, Zeke?" Alyssa asked, sticking her head out of the covered wagon as they passed by a plateau. "Because I think we've passed that butt-shaped rock three times."
"Heh, heh. Butt," Natsu chuckled as he walked alongside the wagon, unbothered by the canyon's heat.
"Real mature, flame brain," Gray said before glancing at the rock and having a short chuckle himself.
"You know, Zeke, there's no shame in admitting when you're lost," Erza stated as Zeke continued to scowl at the map.
"WE. ARE. NOT. LOST!" Zeke screamed, pulling on the horses' reins and abruptly stopping the wagon. "I'm the descendant of an expert map maker. I can read a goddamn map."
"Let me see that for a moment," Makarov said as he climbed up to the coachman's seat and plucked the map out of Zeke's hand. His brow furrowed before he looked back up at Zeke. "Where did you get this map from?"
"Oh, my great, great, great grandfather Geoffery Hudson was one of the greatest explorers Fiore's ever known," Zeke said with a smug look. "He practically mapped out the entire country by himself, including this whole canyon. So trust me, this map will get us out of here."
"It probably would've helped…over forty years ago," Makarov explained, making the brunette raise an eyebrow. "Ya, there was a big battle between the rune knights and a rampaging geophage that changed the landscape of this entire canyon. Took them almost a decade to come up with new maps."
"So mine is-"
"Completely useless." Zeke gaped at the revelation. He tried to say something, but his stomach started rumbling. His face flushed bright red as he hung his head low. Makarov saw this and simply reached up to give him a reassuring pat on the back.
"There, there. No shame in admitting when you're wrong. Now, let's have some lunch!"
"Now you're speaking my language!" Natsu shouted joyfully.
"Aye!" Happy chimed in.
The wizards set up a tarp to grant them a bit of shade from the scorching midday sun as they set up their picnic. While Gray and Zeke laid down the blankets, Erza looked through the food supplies they had been given and sighed.
"Not a single slice of cheesecake," Erza grumbled.
"You know, I never expected you to like sweets, Erza," Lucy commented, only to get a glare from the redhead.
"And why is that?"
"...o-oh hey, they gave us chips," Lucy replied, desperate to change the conversation.
Soon enough, the group was relaxing on a blanket and munching some snacks.
"So if the map's useless, how are we gonna get home?" Gray asked.
"Well, we can always just ask the locals," Natsu chimed in.
"What, locals? We're in the middle of the desert," Lucy replied.
"Nah, there's birds, vultures, scorpions, worms, wolves, meerkats," Natsu explained. "We got plenty of animals to ask for directions."
"Only if you can speak animal," Lucy joked…only to realize that Natsu was looking at her with an unchangeable expression. "Wait…can you actually talk to animals?!"
"Igneel taught me a lot of different languages. Expect snakes," Natsu said as he gobbled up a rice ball. "Snakes are deaf, so they don't really have a language. It's all about body movement."
"I suppose it's worth a shot," Erza said as she munched on a sandwich. "Though I doubt any of the local wildlife would even know where Magnolia is."
"Well, they probably know a way out of the canyon, at least," Gray chimed in.
"Are we seriously having this conversation right now?" Lucy asked.
"This ain't that weird," Zeke replied. "I once had a debate with a sentient moss about the meaning of existence. Now that was weird."
"Strange kind of comes with the territory of being a guild wizard, Lucy," Alyssa replied.
Lucy just sighed and tried to focus on her lunch, but then…
"Does anyone else hear tha-" But before Natsu could finish his sentence, a bevy of small creatures burst from the ground and quickly grabbed the wizards' food. They were left momentarily stunned before turning to look at the food thieves and saw—
"Are those moles?!" Lucy shouted in surprise.
Indeed, the creatures that had grabbed all of the food were a group of moles. But unlike regular moles, these creatures had distinct silver fur and blue eyes.
"Hey, I was eating that!" Natsu shouted, reaching out to grab his riceball, only for the mole to begin running away in a burst of super speed.
"Woah! That's speed magic!" Lucy commented.
"They're Quicksilver Moles!" Zeke shouted, attempting to swat a bunch of them away from the supply crate the Rune Knights gave them. But while Zeke was distracted, more moles burrowed out from the other side of the crate and began to break into it. Gray saw this and fired a blast of icicles to scare them off.
But the moles were nothing if not persistent. Lucy spotted one of them about to run off with the rice balls she had been snacking on. The blonde decided to try using her charm.
"Hey, little guy," Lucy said with a bright smile. "I know you're probably hungry, but you really shouldn't steal like that. I know, how about we share the food?"
The mole looked between Lucy and the rice balls as if contemplating Lucy's words…and then spat in her face. Lucy screamed in disgust. She quickly wiped off her face, her expression twisted into pure rage as she grabbed her whip.
"Okay, you asked for it, ya overgrown rat!" Lucy shouted, chasing after the laughing mole while cracking her whip against the ground.
"No! It's my fish wrap!" Happy exclaimed as he was engaged in a tug-of-war with one of the moles. The mole grunted before gasping and pointing behind Happy. "Huh? What are you poi-" The second Happy turned his head, the mole slapped Happy upside the head and pulled the fish wrap out of the dazed cat's paws.
"Come back here, you topo sporco!" Alyssa shouted as she chased after a group of moles, running away with all her food. She leaped at the moles with a crazed yell, only for them to burrow under the ground…leaving Alyssa to smack face first into a large rock.
"Freeze!" Gray shouted, literally freezing a bunch of the quick rodents in a block of ice, and smirked in satisfaction. But suddenly, the moles began to vibrate faster and faster inside the glacier, leaving Gray dumbfounded when the ice shattered and the moles ran off.
With Natsu, the moles were taking a more violent approach. A dozen or so Quicksilver Moles bite Natsu all over his arms, legs, head, and even his butt to force the Dragon-Slayer to drop his food. Then, suddenly, one mole ran a small distance and began running towards Natsu. With a look of fierce determination, the mole lept into the air like a rocket…and headbutted him right in the junk.
"Mama," Natsu whimpered as he dropped to his side, clutching his tacklebox while the moles made off with his food.
Erza wasn't having much luck either, summoning a big hammer to whack the moles, only for them to duck under the ground. They keep popping back up and blowing raspberries at the redhead. With each swing of her hammer, Erza's frustration only grew. Finally, Erza let out a primal roar and summoned a dozen massive hammers. She brought the hammers down with her telekinesis magic, turning the ground in front of her into fine powder. For a moment, Erza allowed herself to smile in satisfaction… until one of the moles still emerged from the ground to mock her.
Zeke aimed his bow at a retreating mole, targeting one that was running away with a cupcake. The brunette fired an arrow that hit the mole…but the tiny creature quickly turned and caught the cupcake in its mouth as it hit the ground. "Are you shitting me?!"
And just like that, the Quicksilver moles escaped, leaving the Fairy Tail wizards humiliated and baffled.
"That…that was all our food," Lucy said. Finally, her legs buckled, and she fell to her knees. "They didn't even leave us a single crumb."
"Curse those contemptible rodents!" Erza bellowed as she kicked a rock and sent it flying. "If it were not for our weakened state, I would hunt them down myself." The Fairy Tail wizards all stared at the holes the Quicksilver Moles had disappeared into as if hoping they'd pop back up and return their food.
Suddenly, Lucy had a thought. "Wait a second." She turned to Makarov. "Master, you have shape-changing magic, right?" Makarov nodded. "So, why don't you just shrink down and follow the moles? You can lead us straight to their burrow, and we get back all our food!"
Gray, Natsu, and Alyssa all perked up at her idea. "That's a great idea!" Natsu exclaimed. "Come on, Gramps, let's show those little bastards what happens when you mess with Fairy Tail!"
Makarov looked at them incredulously. "Do I look like a bloodhound to you?!" he exclaimed. "Just because I could shrink down and get in the tunnels doesn't mean I could actually find those damn moles." Lucy wilted at her Guild Master's word. Makarov sighed and plopped on the ground. "Good grief, it's times like these I wish Gildarts was around more often. If he were here, we'd just send Natsu and his super-sniffing dragon nose down there."
Lucy opened her mouth to ask who "Gildarts" was but was cut off by the sound of her growling stomach.
"Dang it, Lucy, your stomach is making me even hungrier," Alyssa said. "Well, if chasing after the moles is a bust, then what are we going to do for food?"
As the wizards discussed their situation, Happy sat on a rock, contemplating ways he could help. Suddenly, he spotted something in the distance. Something tingled in the back of his mind. "Could it be?" He pulled out his telescope to get a better look, and his jaw dropped. "FISH!" Happy joyfully exclaimed. Everyone looked at him in confusion.
"Uh, Happy, we're in the desert. I doubt there are any fish for miles," Zeke said.
"It's not just any fish; it's Wing Fish!" Happy shouted. "They're a special type of magical fish that have wings and can fly through the air like birds. Their migration paths take them through Clover Canyon, and there's a whole flock right over there!" He shoved the telescope in the archer's hands and pointed him towards the flock.
"HOLY SHIT!" Zeke shouted. "There's got to be dozens, no, hundreds of them!"
"Really!" Lucy said, her eyes sparkling with hope.
"Oh, yeah." Zeke grinned. "It's a whole feast just waiting for us."
"Then what are we waiting for," Natsu shouted as he got back in the wagon. "Let's get going and eat until we feel sick!" The wizards piled into the wagon and shot off after the wing fish.
"I heard wing fish are the tastiest, yummiest, and juiciest fish in the whole wide world," Happy said as he drooled on Natsu's hair. "I've always wanted to eat one, but I could never get my paws on one. Until now!"
The wagon reached the flock of wing fish. Zeke directed his guildmates to stand under them while he got to a good vantage point and shot them out of the sky. "Alright, everyone," Zeke said as he summoned his bow. "Lunch is served. Arch Shot: Arrow Volley!" Hundreds of green arrows flew through the air towards the flock. While most of the arrows missed their targets, the wing fish were so numerous that taking out a mere tenth of them provided more than enough food for all of them. Everyone cheered as the wing fish fell like stones into their awaiting arms.
"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Happy said, tears of joy welling uncontrollably in his eyes.
"I wouldn't go that far," Lucy said with a laugh. She turned to see Zeke coming down the hill, looking slightly winded. "This is incredible. Thank you so much, Zeke."
"No need to thank me," Zeke replied, although clearly beaming from her words. "This is hardly anything for… for Fairy Tail's Arch… Archer Extraordinaire…" Zeke's legs suddenly gave out under him. Alyssa swooped and kept her friend from tasting dirt.
Alyssa gently helped Zeke stand back, keeping a hand on the archer in case he started wobbling again. "Are you okay?" Alyssa asked, a look of concern across her face.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Zeke protested, his speech slightly slurred. "That spell just took more out of me than I realized."
Makarov looked over at Zeke and sighed. "Damn, kids, you need to be more careful. You're all still suffering mana exhaustion. None of you should be pushing yourselves right now."
"Master, can we please talk about self-care when we're not wandering a desert without a map and no food," Zeke said flatly. Makarov relented but still didn't seem too happy about it.
They made their way over to the rest of the group, where Natsu already had a fire going to cook the fish. "Alright, now let's get cooking," Natsu exclaimed, shifting into what his friends liked to call 'Chef Mode.' "Happy, my tools!"
"Aye, sir." Happy pulled a set of cooking knives, a cast-iron skillet, a bottle of cooking oil, and an entire spice rack out of his backpack. Lucy would have wondered how Happy managed to fit so much into his tiny green bag, but at the moment, she was too hungry to care. As Natsu got to work on the first wing fish, an absolutely divine aroma wafted through the air.
"Normally, I'm not one for fish, but this smells utterly delectable," Erza said.
Gray nodded along with her. "If this thing tastes half as good as it smells, I think this'll be the best meal of my life."
After a few minutes of pan cooking over a fire, Natsu presented his guilds with a huge, juicy, perfectly seasoned, and seared Wing Fish. Everyone was practically drooling (and literally drooling in Happy's case). The wizards sat in a circle with the Wing Fish on a plate in the center.
"Alright, everyone, dig in!" Natsu exclaimed. Happy and the wizards wasted no time in plunging their forks into the Wing Fish, its meat flaking beautifully, begging to be eaten. Every aspect of this creature was like a dream come true, and as they took their first bites—
"AAAHHH!" Lucy screamed as she spat out the wing fish as Zeke started dry heaving next to her.
—that dream quickly turned into a nightmare.
"Are you trying to kill us, scale-breath?!" Gray shouted in-between spitting out the chunks of fish. "That was the worst thing I've ever eaten!"
"...I wouldn't say it's THE worse thing I've eaten, but it's definitely up there," Erza said as her face took on a slightly green hue.
"Sweetie, are you sure you cooked it right?" Alyssa asked, trying to wash down the taste with water.
"I know I cooked it right," Natsu grumbled in genuine confusion.
"You obviously didn't! It's nasty!" Happy cried out.
"No problem. Maybe I just got to cook it a different way."
Natsu's second attempt at cooking a Wing Fish this time involved him just setting it on fire until it was well-done. But one experimental bite proved that this wasn't any better than pan cooking it.
Attempt #3 involved battering it and then dumping it in a vat of boiling oil to deep fry it. And that proved even more disastrous as it caused the dragon-slayer to vomit off the nearby cliff.
This continued for the next hour or so, with Natsu trying various cooking methods. But no matter how he cooked it, what spices he put it on, or what equipment he used from Happy's backpack, nothing made the wing fish edible. It was almost like a personal insult at this point.
By the end of it all, Natsu was on all fours, looking comedically depressed as he finally admitted defeat. "It's impossible. I can't make these stupid fish taste good. Why? What sort of gods would make something like that?"
"Well…at least you tried," Makarov said in a vain attempt to cheer the dour Dragon-Slayer up.
"So we're back to square one," Zeke said, noticing Alyssa trying and failing to eat the Wing Fish. "Um, Alyssa, I don't think you have to worry about not making Natsu feel bad."
"It's not that," Alyssa said as she bit on fish, looking like she was about to start crying as she chewed on the disgusting meal. "Sure, this stuff tastes like raw sewage…but I gotta get my protein somehow."
"Is protein really that important?" Lucy asked. Alyssa looked at the blonde as if she had just slapped the taller woman across the face.
"Of course it is!" Alyssa said before gesturing to her muscular frame. "How else am I supposed to maintain all of this?"
"Typical," Erza chimed in. "Even in desperate times, you're still acting like a meathead."
Alyssa glared at her rival but soon got a nasty idea. The moment Erza opened her mouth to start insulting her again, Alyssa flicked a piece of Wing Fish into the redhead's mouth, causing her to gag.
"You're gonna pay for that, gorilla arms!"
"Bring it on, metal tits!"
As the rest of the wizards tried to stop the two women from beating the ever-loving shit out of each other, Natsu stared at the pile of what was now dubbed "uncookable hell fish." Ever since he first learned to cook, this was the first time he had ever encountered something he couldn't make taste good. As Natsu pondered the pile of fish that was, quite frankly, starting to reek under Clover Canyon's blazing sun, a lone bearded dragon scurried out from the rocks and approached the Wing Fish. The lizard sniffed the fish before giving it an experimental nibble, promptly spat it out, and started hissing at the pile.
Natsu chuckled at the lizard's disdain for the fish. "I know, it's pretty disgusting," he said. Natsu looked at the bearded dragon and made a series of strange noises and movements. The bearded dragon nodded, seemingly agreeing with Natsu, and then froze. The lizard looked at the Dragon-Slayer for a moment before making clicking noises and wiggling its body. Natsu smiled and made more strange noises and movements. This went on for a few minutes as the other Fairy Tail wizards tried to stop Alyssa and Erza from killing each other.
"ENOUGH!" Makarov screamed. His body shined with magic, and in an instant, Makarov's arms grew to enormous size. Before anyone could react, Makarov picked up Alyssa and Erza and hoisted them into the air.
"Master!" Erza exclaimed.
"What the hell, Gramps?!" Alyssa shouted.
Makarov glared at the pair and started shaking them. Alyssa and Erza started screaming, with Alyssa's face turning slightly green. "Will you two just shut up and listen?!" Makarov suddenly dropped them at his feet and returned his hand to their normal size. He looked down at Alyssa and Erza. "Look, I get it, you're rivals, but we've got more important things to deal with. We've got no food, a limited water supply to split between 8 wizards and 2 horses, and no idea where we are. So," Makarov put his hands on Alyssa and Erza's heads and gently knocked their heads together. "Will you two get it through your thicks skulls and save it until we're back home?"
"Yes, Master," Erza proclaimed, back on her feet and giving him a deep bow. "I promise to be on my best behavior and not allow Alyssa's crudeness to get to me."
"Seriously?!" Alyssa spat. She took a deep breath and sighed, a look of annoyance still on her face. "Fine, I won't try and crush the Tin Can or do anything to set her off. Like having fun."
"…I guess that's best I'm gonna get out of you girls," Makarov said a bit defeatedly. Then, suddenly, his mouth curled into a grin. "Besides, if you kill each other now, how are you supposed to have your fight back at the guild? Everyone's gonna want to see that."
The three shared a hearty laugh while Lucy looked in confusion. "Wh-what just happened," Lucy muttered. "Did he seriously get them to stop fighting and then encourage their rivalry?"
Zeke put a hand on her shoulder. "It's Fairy Tail, Lucy; this stuff is par for the course. You get used to it."
"Hey, guys." The wizards turned to see Natsu jogging towards them with the bearded dragon climbing his back. "We're saved; there's a village not too far from here."
"And the…lizard, told you that?" Lucy asked.
"Bearded dragon," Natsu corrected as said bearded dragon sent a glare at Lucy. "And, yes, she's going to lead us to the village."
'I don't believe it; he can talk to animals,' Lucy thought as she stared at the bearded dragon that had made itself so comfortable on Natsu.
Gray raised an eyebrow in skepticism. "Seriously, you want us to take directions from a reptile. Has the sun finally managed to cook your pea brain?"
"She knows this desert a hell of a lot better than we do," Natsu said, glowering at Gray with crossed arms. "Besides, I don't see you suggesting anything better." Gray pressed his lips into a thin line before stomping off towards the wagon.
The gang followed Natsu (who refused to get back in the wagon after the mad dash to grab the wing fish) as the bearded dragon gave him directions from her perch on top of the Dargon-Slayer's head. Within the hour, they spotted a village nestled between two cliffs.
"Huh, I'll damned. So the lizard-" Zeke began to say before she hissed at him. "-bearded dragon was right."
"I'm sorry I doubted ya," Gray said as he scratched the reptile's chin. The eight wizards ran into the village…but they noticed something.
Silence. Absolute silence save for the wind and their own footsteps. There was no one walking the streets, manning the shops, or just hanging out by the town fountain. It was the very definition of a ghost town.
"Well, this is creepy," Zeke said as everyone looked around.
"Maybe they're all just taking a nap," Natsu suggested.
"Pronto?" Alyssa shouted. "Is anyone here?"
"We're starving like crazy out here! Somebody cook us some dinner!"
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Wow, Happy; ever heard of the word, please?"
"You really think the whole town's taking a nap?" Gray spitballed. It wouldn't have the dumbest or weirdest thing the ice mage had ever seen.
"That or they all got drunk and passed out," Makarov suggested.
"I don't think that's the case, Master," Alyssa said. "There's nowhere near enough property damage."
"Hm. You got a point, Alyssa."
"Pretty sure that only happens at the guild," Lucy replied.
Zeke was going to retort…but then realized that that did seem to only happen at Fairy Tail. Especially during Happy Hour.
"Hey, Beatrice, what gives?" Gray asked the bearded dragon. "You said there was a town."
"Beatrice?" Zeke, Lucy, and Makarov questioned why Gray randomly gave the reptile a name while Erza thought it was fitting. Beatrice hissed a bit, and Natsu translated.
"She said there was a town but never said there was anyone there." She then hissed some more. "Huh, a weird light?"
Beatrice hissed again.
"I'm getting a bad vibe from this place," Zeke stated.
"She says there was a weird light about two weeks ago and saw a bunch of humans running out of town."
"Definitely a bad vibe," the archer said while Lucy shivered. In all of those adventure books she read, an ominous light was never a good sign.
While the humans were trying to figure out what was happening, Happy's nose picked something up. Something good.
"Food!" The starving blue cat said as he ran towards a house.
"Happy! Aspetti!" Alyssa shouted as she chased after him. The cat opened a door and lept for joy at what he saw. On the dining room table was a meal fit for a king. Soups, bread, roasted vegetables, and a large glazed ham at the centerpiece.
"I don't even care that it's not fish. It smells so good." Happy said with drool escaping his mouth.
In any other circumstances, Alyssa would've told Happy not to eat strange food…but she was just as hungry and needed some protein. That ham just looked so damn tasty. And like the cat, she was lightly drooling too.
"Maybe one bite won't hurt," Alyssa said…while holding up the entire ham.
"Hold it," Erza said, stopping her rival before she ate a huge chunk of it.
"But…but…"
"Alyssa, think about what Beatrice said," Zeke chimed in. "If no one's been here for two weeks, then who cooked this meal?"
Everyone saw the logic in the archer's words. And begrudgingly, Alyssa and Happy put the food down and stepped out of the house. However, when the gang walked far enough away, Natsu's nose picked up another oddity: the smell of food was gone.
This went on for almost an hour. Whenever the wizards opened a door to investigate a house, there was always a full meal on the table, looking and smelling as though it had just been made moments ago. A few times, the wizards were half-tempted in their hunger, but they resolved not to eat any of the food. Natsu also told everyone that the smell of food kept vanishing when they walked away from a house.
To test this, Zeke told Erza to walk towards a house while he used his goggles to view the table through a window. As Erza approached the front door, Zeke saw an entire four-course meal appear on the tables from a purple magic circle.
"It seems that someone…or something is trying to tempt us," Makarov reasoned out. "It's trying to use our hunger against us."
"But why?" Lucy asked, being the novice that she was.
"Could be any number of things," Zeke said as he looked around. "For all we know, a dark wizard could be watching us, and that food is poisoned or has some kind of dark enchantment on it. Or it could be some gnomes trying to trick us. Or a pissed-off djinn."
"Either way, whoever is conjuring up this food wants us to let our guard down," Erza chimed in.
"I'm half-tempted. I'm starving," Happy cried out.
"Me too, little buddy. Just hang in there," Natsu said.
"Hey, guys!" Gray had gone ahead to scout some more of the town. "There's a guild hall!"
The rest of the group followed the ice wizard and found a guild hall sitting at the edge of the town. It was rather modest when compared to Fairy Tail's guild hall. The name "Cactus Termina" was written on the sign above the entrance.
"You guys ever heard of them?" Alyssa asked, getting a negative from Zeke and Erza.
Makarov stroked his chin in contemplation. "The name sounds familiar. I think someone mentioned them not showing up to the conference in Clover." He gave the building a once over. "The place looks dead, but we might just find our answers inside."
Team Bravestar, Gray, Erza, and Makarov entered the halls of Cactus Termina. The moment they opened the doors, they were met with sights and scents that would make even the most stalwart of dieters waver in their convictions.
On the multiple long tables was a veritable banquet. Food that looked like it had been hand-crafted by the most talented cooks. Salads of various varieties with crisp lettuce. Every kind of pasta dish one could imagine. Steamed Meat Buns. Pizzas. Burgers. Ramen. Steak. Sushi. Chocolate Cake. Every single piece of food or dish you could imagine. And all of it smelled so good.
Not a single stomach among the wizards didn't grumble.
"You know, I'm starting to think one bite wouldn't hurt," Lucy said as she gazed at some scrumptious-looking chocolate cake.
"Ummm…" Gray was too tempted by the chilled udon to comment.
"Remember: we must not give in to temptation," Erza said, hiding the fact that she wanted nothing more than to ravenously consume the strawberry cheesecake she saw.
'Stay focused. Stay focused,' Zeke thought as he tried to ignore how good the grilled chicken salad looked.
Makarov passed a table and saw several chilled mugs of beer manifest. The short master was half-tempted to drink it but scoffed. "You think you can seduce me with free beer?! Don't make me laugh!"
But out of all of them, Natsu, Alyssa, and Happy had the most challenging time resisting to urge to eat everything in sight. Natsu was biting on his beloved scarf, Alyssa kept slapping herself, and Happy's drool dripped onto the floor. The gluttonous trio looked like they were in complete and utter agony. In contrast, Beatrice just looked on, confused about why these humans would be tempted by this stuff. After all, she didn't see a single cricket in sight.
Miraculously, the wizards managed to control themselves and not eat one bite. They went to work investigating the Cactus Termina guildhall to see if they could find a clue about the strange things happening around them.
Lucy came across one of the bedrooms and searched through it. And within one of the drawers (aside from some cute underwear), she found a diary. Looking through it, it detailed the life of its owner, who seemed to go about the usual wizardly business…until about a month ago.
Dear Journal,
There's a sense of dread forming around the guild. For the last few weeks, Master Luan has confined himself to his study. Only Dilan's been able to visit him, but he won't tell us anything about what Luan's working on day-in and day-out.
It hasn't been the same since the master started raving about some supposedly miraculous discovery he's made.
Speaking of Luan, Zeke and Makarov had found the Termina master's lab. It had all manner of scientific equipment from flasks, bunsen burners, microscopes, and even some rare and expensive-looking lacrima.
"Looks like we had a bit of a researcher," Zeke commented while Makarov looked at this equipment with a peculiar look in his eye. Like a sense of nostalgia mixed with regret. As if he had seen a lab like this before…and had no pleasant memories about it.
Zeke looked around and hit the jackpot, finding Luan's research journal. Looking through it, the archer didn't find anything out of the ordinary, having done similar arcane formulas to create some of his spells. But while flipping through, he spotted something strange.
"Master, take a look at this." Zeke brought the journal to the diminutive wizard. Makarov looked through it while the brunette continued to talk. "If I'm reading this right, it looks like a sequence for some type of material conversion spell. But I've never seen anything like it."
Makarov tried to think. That archaic symbols seemed familiar. He had been getting the strangest sense of deja vu rumbling around in that old noggin of his. Then, while he was thinking, he saw something that made his eyes widen and his breath still.
"Zeke," Makarov whispered, his face pale. With a shaky finger, he pointed above them. "Look there: slowly."
Unnerved by his master's apparent fear, Zeke turned his gaze to where Makarov was pointing…and his blood ran cold. At that moment, it took every ounce of willpower he had not to scream at the nightmarish sight before him.
A massive, pulsating eyeball was embedded in the ceiling, glaring at the two wizards. It looked like a human eye with a red iris, but it was almost the size of a fully grown man. It looked at the two with a look Zeke recognized from than beasts that Bravestar had fought: hunger. Pure, unadulterated hunger.
"What the fuck?" Zeke whispered. Last night, he had battled a demon of Zeref, and now, this. He was starting to think his luck was just plain shit.
"I know what kind of magic this is," Makarov whispered back, trying to take a step back. But the eye narrowed at them…and then the building began to violently shake, the furniture turning purple and dissolving into slime. "We need to leave: now!"
Luckily, everyone noticed the building shaking and quickly left before it faded into purple light…the same purple light that was now engulfing the entire town.
"The hell's going on?!" Natsu shouted while Alyssa protectively held Happy. The blue cat was terrified at the feeling of hunger and bloodlust that enveloped the town like poison gas.
"It's forbidden magic! A form of Lost Magic that's been outlawed for how unpredictable it is!" Makarov shouted as a multitude of shapes began the form within the light. "Arc of Alive!"
The light faded and revealed a massive creature. It was as if a Kraken, a hydra, and several species of octopi had a tryst, and this was the result. A large dark purple body that was home to several fanged red-eyed heads. They screamed in a way that no naturally living creature could.
"What in the Celestial King's name is this?" Lucy asked in horror.
"It's Lost Magic," Zeke said, staring defiantly at the writhing monstrosity. "Magic that's either so rare only a handful of people possess it, or so dangerous that all knowledge of it was destroyed. And this definitely looks like the latter."
"Arc of Alive imbues any inanimate object with life. However, there's no control over exactly what kind of life will appear as a result," Makarov explained. While horrified at the monster brought to life by this magic, Makarov couldn't help but feel sympathy for the Guild Master of Cactus Termina, even as they ran for their lives. In his life, Makarov had seen plenty of wizards attempting to regain and understand all manner of dangerous Lost Magic. Be it out of morbid curiosity, a chance at fame for having rediscovered an ancient form of magic, or some kind of misguided attempt at heroism. "But there is an upside to all of this."
"What possible upside could there be?!" Zeke shouted. From his perch on the high cliffside, he could see the magic circle encompassing the entire town. "This thing's gone from Lost Magic to a straight-up curse!"
"The monsters are true living creatures. And most living creatures…can be turned into food!" Makarov's serious tone almost made Lucy and Zeke slip off the cliff.
"Master, you're joking, right?" Lucy asked. But before Makarov could respond, the stomachs of the hungry wizards howled.
"You know what? I don't even care what these things are," Gray proclaimed before tossing away his shirt. "I just need to eat something!"
"After those gross wing fish, I gonna cook up some tasty evil monster!" Natsu shouted.
"Aye!" Happy exclaimed.
"You stronzas tempted me with all that delicious protein-rich food," Alyssa said as she cracked her knuckles. "I'll teach you not to toy with a pure maiden's desires!"
"Okay, everyone. Let's just calm down." Zeke chimed in as the voice of reason. "Because this sounds like a really bad id-ARE YOU SHITTING ME, ERZA?!"
Indeed, the famous Titania rushed down towards the sea of monsters.
"Re-Quip: Chef Eccellante!"
In a flash of light, Erza had changed into a new armor…which was simply a traditional chef's uniform, complete with the tall, white hat. What was more impressive were the two delicately sharpened chef's knives she held, and the thirty-six knives of various shapes and sizes floating around her.
"They're really gonna cook those things?" Lucy asked. Just when she thought she had seen everything ridiculous the Fairy Tail wizards had to offer, they just kept finding ways to surprise her.
"When you're desperate for food, even mystically-conjured monsters are a godsend," Makarov explained, taking a seat on a nearby rock.
"I'm not so sure about that." While Zeke watched his friends and guildmates go to work, Beatrice crawled away. She had it up to hear with these weird humans and the weird town. It was back to the desert where things made sense for the bearded dragon.
Natsu jumped out of the way of a monster's tentacle attack, a smirk on his face as fire danced around him. "You things are screwed, 'cause I like my meat well-done! Fire Dragon's Roar!"
"I honestly prefer cold leftovers, so this should speed the process," Gray stated as he eyed a one-eyed monstrosity. "Ice-Make: Geyser!"
"Prepare yourself for oblivion, foul yet (hopefully) tasty beasts! Heaven's Sharp Barrage!"
"Time to tenderize!" Alyssa slid under a creature's claw swipe and began to channel magic into her arms and legs. "Boost Magic: Boosted Uppercut!"
In a matter of minutes, the monsters that were formally buildings and houses were either burnt, frozen, beaten to a pulp, or chopped into pieces. And after making sure they weren't poisonous, Natsu went to work on cooking the monsters he and Alyssa slew.
"Here ya go, sweetie."
"And to you, mi amore," Alyssa said as the couple fed each other some thoroughly cooked monster, their eyes widening at the taste.
At the same time, Grey had just finished freezing all of his monsters, cutting off a piece with an Ice-Make Sword. "Should probably be like chilled sushi." The half-naked wizard took a bit, and his eyes widened as well.
"There we go." Erza used her Telepathy Magic to cut the monsters into a pyramid of perfectly-shaped sticks resembling gray french fries. As the redhead took a bit, Lucy and Happy walked towards her.
"Is it really any good?" The Re-Quip mage said nothing in response to Lucy's question. Instead, she simply and wordlessly handed a rectangle to each of them, confusing the blonde. "Um, okay."
"Whatever. Let's chow down," Happy said as he and Lucy bit down on their respective pieces. And at that moment, the Celestial Mage and talking cat reached the same conclusion Natsu, Alyssa, Gray, and Erza just made.
These monsters….tasted terrible!
"What the hell?!" Natsu shouted as he spat out his piece while Alyssa almost choked on hers. "This is worse than the wing fish!"
"Madre di Dio! Ha il sapore di un'asse del pavimento!" Alyssa screamed to the heavens, both from the taste and despair, that she couldn't find any good meat at all today. Her guildmates weren't fairing much better. Gray was having flashbacks to when Elfman dared him to lick a pair of church doors when they were kids. Erza tried to remain stone-faced as she desperately wished for something to wash the taste away. Happy was convulsing. Lucy was trying to rub the taste off of her tongue.
"It's like someone spat a carpet into my mouth." Not the most elegant comparison, but that was all Lucy could come up with.
"So that's a no go too, huh?" Makarov said with a disappointed sigh.
"I figured as much," Zeke's statement confused his fellow wizards. "Think about it, guys: what were these things before they were turned into monsters?"
That's when the proverbial ball dropped. It took everyone else a second or two to realize why the monsters tasted like carpets, bricks, wood, floorboards, chairs, etc. Because that's what these creatures were before they were enchanted with Arc of Alive.
And as if the Gods weren't quite done screwing with our lovable band of heroes, the ground shook once more, and more monsters erupted from the ground.
"Seriously?!" Zeke shouted.
"Arc of Alive must've affected the sewage system too!" Makarov said, making Lucy and Happy wince in disgust. They didn't want to think about what those would taste like.
"We'll just have to fight them o-" Suddenly, Erza's knees buckled, and she fell flat on her face, her knives and chef's outfit vanishing in a flash of light.
"Erza!" Gray shouted, rushing to her side in concern. Before he could reach the red-haired wizard, Gray, Natsu, and Alyssa collapsed as well.
"Oh no!" Makarov shouted before he and Zeke rushed down the cliffside. 'They haven't had time to recover from their mana fatigue!'
Zeke summoned his bow and began taking potshots at the seemingly endless sea of monsters before they could eat his teammates. "Lucy, summon your spirits and get Alyssa, Gray, and Erza out of here!"
"Right!" Lucy exclaimed as she pulled a gold key and one of her new silver keys. "Open - Gate of the Golden Bull: Taurus! Gate of the Dragon - Draco!" The two Celestial Spirits manifested before her.
"Why hello, Miss Lucy," Taurus said with a flirtatious grin. "How can I help you to—" The words died in his throat when Taurus saw the tempest of tentacles and snapping jaws in front of them. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!?"
"No time to explain," Lucy said. "Taurus, Saphira, grab my friends and get them away from those monsters."
"Got it," Taurus said.
"At once, Lady Heartfilia," the Dragon Spirit proclaimed, still not used to actually having a proper name.
"I'm coming too!" Happy shouted. Even though he was still hungry and tired, Happy put all that aside and summoned his wings. He charged towards the collapsed wizards alongside the spirits, a Lacrima bomb in each paw.
"Master, think you can keep those things busy while I cover you?" Zeke asked, getting a nod from Makarov.
"Been a while since I've gone all out." Light began to emit from the diminutive guild master, and a huge magic circle manifested under his feet. "O graceful light, grant me the strength to stand up and fight! Origin Union: Luminous Colossi!"
In a split second, Makarov transformed into a 10-story version of himself, his torso and limbs elongated and his body glowing with golden light. Lucy, Taurus, and Saphira stared at Makarov in awe, transfixed by his display of overwhelming power and fine control. The spirits quickly refocused as they and Happy carried the Fairy Tails wizards out of danger.
Makarov charged at the monsters, hitting a horde of them with a dropkick. One of the beasts tried to attack Makarov from behind. Makarov grabbed it, tore it apart, and threw the remains at another monster.
"Light Magic: Shining Cutter!"
A spinning disk of light flew from Makarov's hands, cutting the monster in half. Makarov turned around and blocked an attack from another monster before punching it back. With the others still near him, the Fairy Tail master couldn't really use most of his more destructive spells, so he would have to stick with melee and the occasional smaller-scale light magic.
For the next few minutes, Makarov continued to battle against the monsters of Alive, with Zeke supporting him from range. But neither the archer nor the Guild Master noticed one of the tentacled monsters burrowing under the ground, making its way towards Zeke, Lucy, and the other wizards. A monster burst from the ground with a vicious scream and lunged at Zeke. With no time to dodge, Zeke reflexively tried to block the attack with his bow. But that proved a dire mistake as the monster snapped Zeke's bow in half while Zeke was sent flying into a boulder.
"Zeke!" Lucy shouted. At her distressed cry, Makarov turned around and swatted the monster away before it could attack Lucy. But with his back turned, another of the monsters lunged and bit into the giant's left shoulder. From that bite wound, a strange dark blue energy began to spread around his body. Makarov tossed the creature away but found himself having trouble moving his left arm. Suddenly, a strange sensation began overtaking Makarov's body. His blood felt hot and heavy like molten lead, his lungs felt like they were being frozen from the inside out, and his head felt like it was filled with cotton balls.
Suddenly, the light emanating from Makarov's body flickered and died. He stumbled before shrinking back to his original size. Even in his weakened state, Makarov made sure put himself between the monsters and Natsu, Alyssa, Gray, and Erza.
"Master, what's wrong!?" Lucy exclaimed as she rushed to his side.
"V-v-venom," Makarov said as he struggled to stay on his feet, still flinging light magic at the monsters. "That thing bit me and pumped me full of venom."
"Natsu, I thought you said these things weren't poisonous!" Happy screamed in despair.
"Not natural…" Natsu managed to force out. "...magic."
As Lucy took in their situation, dread consumed her soul. Their master was slowly losing his ability to move, her team and guildmates were down, and there was no way she, her spirits, and Happy could fight off these monsters by themselves. She tried desperately to think of some miraculous way to get them out of this horrible place, but every scenario ended the same way; All of them dead. Eaten by these disgusting monsters.
It seemed this was truly the end.
The monsters looked at the wizards, the hunger in their eyes stronger than ever, and they lunged. Lucy closed her eyes, bracing herself for the inevitable.
But then…
"Solid Script: Barrier!"
A massive wall suddenly appeared between the wizards and the monsters! The beast reeled back in pain from the unexpected collision. Upon closer inspection, Lucy saw the wall seemed to be comprised of giant letters to form the word "BARRIER." As suddenly as the wall appeared, it then vanished.
"Hurricane Kick!"
Faster than the eye could see, someone leaped from the nearby cliff and kicked a monster in the face with such force it was knocked over and into the other monsters. The massive beasts came down like dominos.
"Seed Magic: Constricting Vines!"
"Cooking Magic: Ghost Pepper Bombs!"
Seeds flew through the air like bullets, embedding themselves in the ground before dozens of massive vines burst from the ground and entangled the monsters. As soon as they were immobilized, what looked like glowing peppers were flung from the cliff and struck the monsters, exploding in a beautiful yet terrifying display.
"Sentinel Magic: Noble Slash!"
Finally, an arc of golden magic energy soared through the air and cut the bound and burned monsters in half in a single strike. It even managed to strike a few of the other monsters before fading.
"Wh-wh-what just happened!?" Lucy sputtered as she tried to process what she had just seen.
"Gods, Zeke; you and your team definitely know how to land in trouble." A feminine voice proclaimed. Zeke looked up and smiled.
"Well, I'll be damned," the archer said.
Lucy followed Zeke's gaze, and her jaw dropped. Standing on a cliff above them were five wizards, each radiating with magic power, ready to fight.
"No way!" Lucy exclaimed. As soon as she saw them, she instantly recognized each and every one of them.
The lankiest of the five was a young man named Jet Langly. He had spiky orange hair covered by a large fur-trimmed brown hat. He wore a matching jacket over a purple button-up shirt, silver wristbands on each wrist, black pants, and long black socks tucked into his shoes.
The distinctive black hair styled in the shape of a sprout could only belong to Droy Valentino. He had lightly tanned skin and wore a white shirt with checkered green pants and brown shoes. A pair of yellow bandoliers crossed over his chest to form an "X."
The lone lady among them was a petite woman with short blue hair held by an orange headband. From her use of Solid Script Magic, Lucy knew she could be none other than Levy McGarden. She wore a yellow bikini top covered by a teal vest, a silver necklace, white shorts held up by a belt, and brown sandals. In her right hand was an intricate silver pen. She, along with Jet and Droy, formed Fairy Tail's Team Shadow Gear.
On her opposite side was a dark brown-skinned man dressed in a chef's outfit like Erza had worn earlier, only lacking the hat and with the addition of a red apron. He had short lime green hair in a flattop, amber eyes, and was stirring something in a glowing pot with a wooden spoon.
The final member of this quintet was a young man with swept-back, curly red hair, and shining blue eyes. He was clad from the neck down in blue and gold armor, adorned with a blue cape that fluttered in the wind. In his right hand was an arming sword, and in his left hand, he carried a massive silver shield similar to a heater shield. The shield was emblazoned with Fairy Tail's guild mark in blue, and a green gem was embedded near the top of the shield.
"Reinforcements," Saphira commented.
"Hoo-wee! That blue-haired gal's a cutie!" Taurus chimed in.
"It seems like fortune has favored our noble guild this day," Fionn said before putting on his helm and grabbing his greatshield. "Come, my comrades; let's vanquish these foul beasts!"
"I'm with ya, my guy!" Jet said, getting into a running position. Orange mana flowed through his legs. "Bursting Sprint!"
Jet took off like a bolt of lightning, faster than even the quicksilver moles. Before Lucy realized what was happening, she suddenly found herself standing next to Shadow Gear, Fionn, and Clive. In the blink of an eye, Makarov, Gray, Erza, and the rest of team Bravestar were next to her.
Clive looked over his exhausted guildmates and saw the discoloration of Makarov's skin. "Don't worry, folks. Old Clive's gonna cook something right up." Clive pulled a bag of tea leaves, a thermos, and a teapot from his satchel. As Clive poured the steaming water of the thermos into the teapot, a teal magic circle appeared beneath it. "Cooking Magic: Rejuvenating Tea Mist!"
Clive waved the teapot around, and a mist with the scent of chamomile washed over the wizards. And the warm and comforting vapor enveloped them, they felt their exhaustion and pain washed away, and the paralysis magic vanished from Makarov's body!
"Alright! I'm up and at 'em!" Natsu shouted as he practically lept to his feet. He instantly turned to shake Clive's hand. "Thanks for the save."
"Hey, anything for my friends," Clive said with a comforting smile.
"Come on, you damned hellspawns!" Fionn shouted as he leaped down the cliff. As he stood before the monsters, Fionn's sword flashed and was replaced by a war hammer. "See if you have what it takes to best the Shield of Fairy Tail! Sentinel Magic: Shield Lure!"
Fionn's hammer and shield shined with blue magic. He lifted the hammer and banged it against his shield, creating a sound that drew beasts towards him, completely ignoring the other wizards. A snake-like creature tried to headbutt him, but Fionn blocked with his shield. He was immovable as the beast's skull cracked open, spraying dark purple blood on the ground. With the monsters, distracted Levy and Droy ran towards Fionn. Droy pulled a handful of seeds out of one of his bandolier pockets.
"Seed Magic: Sun Flower Array!"
"Solid Script: Sunlight!"
A stylized version of the word 'Sunlight' appeared in the air above Levy and Droy as the latter tossed his seeds into the ground. The seeds grew into massive sunflowers almost instantly, and Solid Script Sunlight began to glow, sending rays of concentrated sunshine directly into the flowers. The giant sunflowers began to glow before each of them fired a massive yellow beam that vaporized the monster in front of them…as well as the monsters behind it.
"Okay, does everyone in Fairy Tail have crazy strong magic?!" Lucy exclaimed and was then confused as she heard Makarov laugh.
"My dear, if you think that's crazy, you ain't seen nothing yet!"
"Alright! Let's join in!" Natsu shouted…only for the flame in his fist to die at a slight breeze.
"My tea mist cured your fatigue and injuries," Clive explained matter-of-factly. "But I can't really do anything about a lack of mana."
"Well, we appreciate it regardless," Erza said with a polite bow.
"I guess we just gotta sit back and let Shadow Gear and Fionn handle this," Alyssa said as she took a seat on the cliff.
The beasts continued to attack Fionn, and he repelled them with his shield, the gem glowing brighter and brighter with each hit. Finally, when the gem shined with enough intensity to rival the blazing sun above their heads, Fionn smiled. Mystical energy began to flow into his war hammer, enveloping the weapon in a radiant blue aura, as he stared down the last three beasts.
"Your end has arrived!" Fionn proclaimed as he held his shining hammer aloft. "Sentinel Magic: Retaliation Slam!"
With a mighty and righteous roar, the Fionn slammed his great hammer into the ground. From the impact came a wave of bright blue magic that consumed the beasts. And in an instant, the last of the Arc of Alive beasts were vanquished.
And then…
"Alright, guys! Help yourselves." Clive proclaimed as everyone, especially the hungrier among them, began to chow down on some campfire chili and rice as the sun began to set. After the last of the monsters were defeated, Levy led all the wizards to an encampment of Cactus's former residents north of the town. Both Bravestar's horses and Shadow Gear's mounts, large and brightly colored flightless birds, were munching on some feed nearby.
"Finally!" Alyssa shouted as she began to chow down on the delicious food.
"Wow, this is so good!" Lucy said as Natsu, Happy, and Gray went to town on their servings, Erza eating just as much but doing so in a more dignified manner. After the wing fish and the Alive monsters, some good chili was just the palette cleanser everyone needed. "Sorceror Weekly didn't lie when they said you were a master cook."
"Clive's the best. He's the one who taught Natsu how to cook," Happy explained before going back to eating.
"Ya, my boyfriend's the best damn cook in Fiore," Droy proudly proclaimed.
"And just for that, I'm making Mr. Flatterer here a special dessert," Clive said with a wink. Droy's face turned red as a tomato.
"So, what were you guys doing in the desert?" Zeke asked Levy. "I don't think we were that lost."
"Just a big coincidence, actually," Levy replied. "Jet, Droy, and I saw a job taking care of a spell gone wrong in Cactus Town. The former residents told us about the deal with the Arc of Alive, and wanted someone to get rid of them."
"And naturally, with such a dangerous job, I offered my aid to Shadow Gear," Fionn explained.
"What about you, Clive?" Gray asked. "Why did you tag along?"
"Simple; I heard this canyon's got a crazy amount of winged fish, and I had to try my hands at that."
"Trust me, man; that's a bad idea," Natsu said with a scowl. "I tried cooking some earlier. And no matter how I cooked it, it tasted like rotten garbage."
"Ha! Droy, you owe me 3,500 Jewels!" Jet shouted.
"Huh?" Alyssa asked with her mouth full.
"During our journey to Cactus Town, we came upon a pile of deceased wing fish." Fionn explained. "Their sheer volume was strange alone, but then we noticed a particular series of holes in each of them."
"I'd recognize the aftermath of an Arch Shot spell no matter what," Levy said, giving Zeke a sly smile and making the brunette pout. "Sorry about your bow, by the way."
"Eh, no worries. I just gotta take it to Edgar's when he gets back," Zeke replied…but then his eyes seemed to widen as if he had a horrific realization. "Fuck, he's gonna be so pissed."
As this little exchange happened, Natsu was telling Clive all the ways he tried to cook the fish, earning a chuckle from the master chef.
"Here's the thing, Natsu; wing fish are a notoriously tricky meal to cook. In fact, there's only one way you can actually prepare them because…well, you've tasted everything else."
"Really? What is it?"
"You gotta pickle them."
Natsu's eyes widened in shock. "Seriously?!"
"P-p-pickled fish," Lucy said, the idea sounding absolutely revolting to her.
"It may sound weird, but the results are delicious," Clive said. "Pickled wing fish is a delicacy, and Cactus is known for having some the best."
"But that takes so long!" Natsu shouted. "There's got to be a faster way to make them taste good."
"Natsu, what's the first rule of cooking?" Clive asked, getting a pout from the Dragon-Slayer.
"To be patient," Natsu grumbled.
For the rest of the night, the Fairy Tail wizards exchanged words and tails about their latest jobs, Lucy introduced herself to the others. They were finally allowed to relax after the craziness of the last week.
That night, Lucy went to bed both tired and excited. Her first two weeks at Fairy Tail were the craziest the celestial mage had ever experienced. And yet, despite the monsters, the dark guilds, and all the wackiness that came from her new friends and guildmates, Lucy couldn't wait to have even more adventures with Bravestar.
Author's Note 2: Those of you who read the original A New Day might realize this, but I've replaced the character of Jackson Zephyr with these two new OCs; Clive Blythe and Fionn Innes. Trust me, you'll learn more about these two later.
The next few chapters are gonna be a bit more lowkey after this one, but trust me; they're gonna be just as good.
Next Time: Exploring Magnolia! Please remember to read and review!
See ya next time!