Chapter 4 - The Blooming Capital - Crocus
Written by LastationLover5000 and Demod20
It was quite the trip planned.
When Team Wendy - the elected name for the new squad for Fairy Tail missions - set out, they did so by planning the easiest mode of transportation from Magnolia to Crocus. Given there was no train tracks linking up with Magnolia with the other towns that gave ease of movement through long distances, their options came down to cross-country airship, or vehicle rental. The option to have Doranbolt utilize his Teleportation came up, but he rejected it, since if he was ever in a compromised position, they'd have no means of conventional travel.
While Max felt like he was just holding out, Wendy pointed out a means of getting to Crocus; a traveling band, known simply as the "The Celebs" who dressed fabulously akin to actual famous actors and thespians known throughout Fiore. They were in the middle of a tour, and take their Airship as a means of marketing their names and also moving from place to place to perform en masse.
Once they took off, Wendy felt relief that she was up in the air and not moving along the ground. For whatever the case, she felt more comfortable high up and the air seemed to fill her lungs with an almost serene sensation. It also seemed to taste like sugar as she looked out of the guest room of the airship she was staying in. While the festivities of the band kept them all entertained, they avoided discussing the topic of the mission outright. None of them knew why but, even after mustering the gumption to travel at once, it was likely the team didn't know what to expect or how to properly prepare for such a meeting with the king, no less.
However, reaching the mountains, all of them got to see the capital hanging in the vista; a wondrous site to behold for sure.
Crocus, better known by the citizens as the Flower Blooming Capital, stood as the largest city in the expansive trading hub of a nation. Much like its described name, the scale of its architectural design was inspired off a flower in full bloom. The castle - Mercurius - stood in the epicenter with circular rows upon rows of red-tiled roofs of buildings that swept outward from business to residential and recreational in purpose. Even from their long distance away they could see speckles of colors of the many flowers that adorned the streets and structures, giving it a vast array of colors that made it an earthy and homely beauty that few could contend. And of course, one of its biggest wonders was the western mountain based stadium, the Domus Flau arena, surrounded by four chains that held it aloft while also flanked by four gargantuan statues of meticulously detailed figures of the far-flung past of the city's.
So much to see, it was a night and day difference compared to the Crocus that Wendy remembered seeing in Edolas; there, it was a fabulous city hiding its fleeting magical supply, and here, it boasted a majesty that the other world's counterpart couldn't even come close to.
"Wow!" She exclaimed, her eyes blinking and her mouth hung open as she leaned off the balcony of the airship, joined soon by Max, Charle and Doranbolt. "I've never seen a city so big before!"
"Well I'll be," Max commented, his bowl-cut hair swishing in the breeze much more mildly compared to Wendy's long cobalt tresses. "I never knew the capital would be so...overwhelming."
It just dawned to the young Slayer that what Max said likely indicated he hadn't seen what she did in Edolas.
Turning her head to the beige haired man with a curious look in her brown orbs, "Have you...never been to the capital?"
"Pffft, who me?" Max guffawed dismissively, waving away while a wry smile affixed to his face. "I don't think any of us hicks ever stepped foot in a city that fancy before. Naw, I think only the Big Three, and maybe some of the old timers and the master ever went to the capital. Usually for business, of some kind or another."
"Ohhhhh," Wendy awed, getting a grasp of just how little westward those in Fairy Tail did their business.
"It looks like it hasn't changed much," Doranbolt noted aloud, breaking the reverie between the other Fairy Tail members. Looking back at them, he gave a sheepish grin as he mentioned with a scratch of his chin, his left ear's earring jingling as he spoke. "I used to run errands and reported here on occasion."
"What kind of errands?" Max inquired with a raised brow.
"The Council kind," Charle intercepted with a huff, causing the scarred man to chuckle nervously with Wendy.
"Ah, I guess that makes sense," The brownish-blonde remarked, running his hand through his hair as he looked back at the capital. "Still, a trip out here must have been a cinch with that teleportation magic of yours."
"On my own, yes. But as I explained, it would be a handicap for you - including I - to rely on me for transportation. At least this way we can enter the city without raising a fuss as traffic into the capital is usually regulated pretty strictly," Doranbolt explained as neutrally as he could.
"Still doesn't make me like the idea of taking two whole days to get here," Max grumbled, looking over his shoulder at the ritzy dressed musicians and singers still playing in the background. "I...am starting to miss the peace and quiet."
"We should be there soon," Doranbolt encouraged, looking down to Wendy with a smile. "Once we get there, we'll meet with the king and then decide where we should stay for the night before our next plan of action is invoked."
"Alright," Wendy nodded, hiding her fatigue with a brighter smile than she had any right showing from the past week of grieving she had done. The teleporter didn't remark, simply smiling in return as best as he could. Charle looked with concern at Wendy and Max furrowed his brows, wondering just exactly what they were in for.
Upon landing the airship, the band gave their farewells to the team and they took a short hike down the designated landing zone near the base of the mountain to the nearest gate. Doranbolt gave the guards the letter that was sent to Fairy Tail, showed him his newly minted mark along with the rest of his party and they were easily allowed entry into the city through the massive gates.
It was even more gorgeous up close.
Wendy's eyes sparkled and her open mouth turned into a genuine ear to ear smile.
Flowers. Flowers of all kinds were everywhere. Roses, lilies, turnips, lilacs, and many more in beautiful arrangement were adorned in any place they can. Beds filling the front of residences, pots on window sills, wreathes on balconies and even the edges of the tiled roofs were colorfully assembled with swathes of the decorative flora. The tiled roads were speckled with arrangements of floral designs with varying colored hues that were in conjunction of each other in sweeping patterns down the streets. As the wind filled the streets, petals danced in the air, creating an enchanting vista with the Sun still high in the sky that gleamed all of the splendorous view they've embalmed themselves with.
And just as there were colors surrounding them, people were filling the streets in numbers that made Magnolia feel small. Dressed in far better garbs and in fashion of what was currently vogue, they displayed jewelry, silk and fashionable tailored leather and even some in bristling armour. Tourists of lands near and far mingled with the city's populace, and those of the not too far away Fiore citizens of which made a good number that Wendy found herself among.
"Man, this feels a bit much," Max remarked with a nervous chuckle, bobbing his head and sliding from side to side to avoid the people that walked past him on either side. "Here I thought the guild was crowded, or Magnolia. But this? I've never seen so many people!"
"There certainly feels like quite the bustle," Charle remarked, floating casually beside Wendy, her wings making the occasional flutter to course correct her small body to be in sync with Wendy's altitude. "Keep close to me so you don't get lost."
"T-Thanks, Charle," Wendy commented with a sheepish smile.
"Hey!"
They all stopped in place, their heads turning in unison at a man who stopped them in the middle of the crowd. Dressed in far more simpler tunic of a black suit jacket and long grey pants, the man was holding a newspaper in one hand and had a clean shaven angular shaped head.
"Are you...Fairy Tail Mages?" The man inquired, causing some of the passer-biers to stop their movement and begin casting gazes at the four.
"Uh...I...ah," Wendy attempted to form words, but found the courage sapped under so much attention.
Max, despite being overwhelmed by the proximity of the people, stepped up and smiled confidently. Dragging a hand through his bowl cut hair, he thumbed at his face and nodded with sincerity, "Yeah, believe it or not, we are from Fairy Tail. In the flesh. Anything we can do for you will have to wait cause we have business with the king."
Doranbolt felt himself wince, and Charle closed her eyes as the people surrounding them suddenly swelled to double, and triple the amount as murmuring and talking began anew.
"If you really are Fairy Tail," The man spoke, unfurling the newspaper and holding up the paper for them all to say, "Can we really count on such a weak Guild?!"
It was enough to make Max's confidence do a one hundred eighty spin, and his body lurched back. Doranbolt began to sweat and Wendy paled. Charle's eyes widened as she flew up to look at the text up close for herself.
"FAIRY TAIL LOST AT SEA?"
- Fairy Tail, the reported strongest guild of Mages in Fiore, has been through some incredible things. From having a strife against the nationally expanding Phantom Lord, to a mass panic within Magnolia formed by one of its former members, and then helping bring down one of the infamous Balam Alliance's Dark Mage Guilds, the Oracion Seis, they have been through thick and thin. But now, from reliable sources it has been confirmed that the guild's old founder home of Tenrou Island is where they were seen last; until it was destroyed by an unknown specter. While word from the Council refuses to comment, speculation runs wild. Magic gone awry? Natural disaster? Bard Karma? Or was it even the mythical dragons? Whatever the case may be, the bulk of Fairy Tail's best and brightest have vanished under the merciless waves within the sea south of Fiore. All but one have been reported to have vanished, though this survivor is not famous one nor publicly adored; simply named Wendy Marvell. Can one survivor be worth the bulk of a beloved and profitable organization? We think not, and it is likely the guild's end is sooner than anyone thinks...-
And, beside the front page article, was a picture of Wendy, somehow caught amidst sometime not long after she had joined the guild with Charle hanging not far out of frame.
"You're Wendy Marvell, aren't you?" The man spoke, almost accusingly at her with his rhetorical question. As Wendy felt herself shrink, Charle backed up to hide her face from the man as he walked up aggressively towards her. "Erza Scarlet, the Titania, is dead and you're still here! How dare you come here in person, spreading lies like coming to meet with the king! You're a nobody!"
"Master Makarov is gone, and she survived? That's just unfair."
"Give me back Mirajane!"
"Where's Mystogan? Was he reported to be out at sea too?! Tell me he's not gone!"
"This is all because you guys kicked out Laxus! Bring him back and fix this!"
"I..." Wendy felt herself buckle at the knees, her eyes dilating as her breathing began to become sporadic. Her chest clenched and her hand reached for her blouse's front as she began to feel her head spin. "I-I didn't...I didn't want to..."
"Give us Fairy Tail back!"
"Go look for them!"
"Why are you even here?!"
"Get lost-!"
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry," She began to choke out, her eyes filling up with moisture as her voice became hoarse and pinched at the base. "I wanted to stay with them...b-but I was afraid...I'm sorry..."
"Are you crying? What a weakling!" The man spoke aloud, turning to the distressed to angry crowd. "Let's show this pathetic excuse of a mage she's not welcome here in the heart of Fio-"
In an instant, the man was suddenly feeling himself thrown back by a loud CRACK! His face was indented by the shape of a fist, his paper fluttering into the air while he shoved past a few bystanders and the crying shifted as they'd see the perpetrator.
"SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU!" Max hollered, his face beading sweat and his eyes threatening to overflow with tears. "Do you think we like it that they're gone?! You have no clue, not at all!"
"Shut up, nobody-"
"No, you shut up!" The beige haired man pointed at a woman who had spoken, catching her off guard by how brazen he was behaving. Gesturing to Wendy, he kept a gritted expression while holding back his tears as he spoke impassioned. "Wendy is my friend, and a part of my family in Fairy Tail. Even if its just one, we should be happy that she's come back from the jaws of oblivion. Even if the rest of my family is gone, she is still here! So knock off with berating her; she has nothing to feel sorry about so snap out of it, or I'll come at you with the pride of a real Fairy Tail Mage!"
"M-Max," Wendy hiccuped, her eyes glimmering behind the reddened cheeks that had formed from her overwhelmed emotional state.
"Y-Ya bas-ulk!" The angular faced man muttered, his hand holding his swollen jaw as he comically stumbled back to his feet. "Y-Ya hit m-ay!"
"Oh no..." Charle whispered.
"G-G-GUARDS! G-GUARDS! A-Y BEHN AS-ULT-ED!"
In a split instant, the nervous scarred man grabbed hold of Max's back and pulled him towards the others so he'd get a half-wrap hold with his arms. Just as quickly as the crowd saw and remarked on the existence of Fairy Tail mages, they'd instantly see them disappear out of thin air. Remarking on the event, they all looked around while guards armed with enchanted spears walked up and broke up the crowd.
All the while, in the shadow of a proximate alley, stood a small girl of spritely stature with orange frayed hair and a sleeveless jacket covering her lithe form. Placing finger-less gloved fingers up behind her head, she glanced at her shadow and gave a shrug, waltzing away; till she disappeared in the dark, as if she never existed to begin with.
"Gah!" Max exhaled, finding himself squatting on a patch of grass in comparison to the tiled ground he was expecting himself to fall on.
"W-Where are we?" Wendy asked, her eyes still blurry from tears she was attempting to dry with her bare arms. Her green-diamond dress swished as she stood herself up, her head looking at what seemed to be a circle of water separating the rest of the city and where she was standing. Turning around she'd almost double back and eyes bulge out as she'd see a massive structure that could only be one thing; the castle, Mercurius.
"S-S-So big!" She squeaked out as Doranbolt slowly stood himself up.
"Sorry I didn't act sooner, Wendy," The Slayer then heard the scarred man speak. She'd see his head hang as his face was still pale and covered with moisture that ran down the side of his marred temple. "They were just citizens with harsh feelings lashing out at you. I'm...sorry I couldn't do anything to protect you."
Wendy didn't speak. She knew he was lamenting that he couldn't silence them with gusto that she had come to expected from the likes of Natsu, Erza or even Gray. The man couldn't fill the void, and she had to come to terms with that.
"It was probably for the best you didn't do anything rash," Charle spoke, dusting off her white skirted lower body as she looked over her shoulder at him. "Someone needs to be the level headed one and keep their cool."
"H-Hey! I thought you'd compliment me!" Max remarked with a turn on his heels and a raised hand. "Why the lecture?"
"We can't afford to be caught in a domestic, regardless of how uncouth people are behaving towards us," The Exceed turned, crossing her paws over her chest as she stared up at the man. "If we were arrested for a brawl you caused, we wouldn't ever see the king and we might even lose this opportunity; because you lost your cool."
"I-I can't believe I'm being lectured by a cat-!"
Huffing, Charle turned towards the castle at large and saw a group of royally garbed guards of yellow-blue cloth uniform walk towards them. Flanking a man with steel armour and sharp features with a wild set of black hair on his head and armed with a goatee, he strode up to the group of Fairy Tail mages and gestured for the men to stop just behind him.
"My name is Arcadios, Chief of the Cherry Blossom Holy Knight Squadron," The man introduced himself with a curt nod, gesturing to Doranbolt and the others with one hand. "I take it you are Fairy Tail mages, here on request by the king?"
"We are," Doranbolt replied, ensuring Max wouldn't say a word out of turn.
"That is...good to hear," He hesitated, averting his gaze before returning it stoically. "I'm sure you're aware of the news that's spread, by now. Your guild is not as favorable as it once was. Perhaps the king has chosen out of turn from ignorance of recent events-"
"We can do it!" Wendy stepped up, surprising the others as she barely kept herself from revealing the emotional turmoil inside of herself. With hard brown eyes staring up at the dubious expression of the man, her hands balled up at her sides and she said with certainty. "We won't fail."
"I'll hold you to that, for your guild's sake," The Chief spoke, nodding to the guards and they in turn turned about on heel to begin marching the way to the gate. "I'll escort you. It is unfortunate his majesty isn't available for a meeting at this time but time is of the essence due to the delicacy of this matter. His daughter will attend this meeting in his stead."
Exchanging a few looks a mixture of emotions was filled between the four. Hope. Excitement. Happiness. Fear. Uncertainty. Caution. And of course...Doubt.
They had no way of knowing if they could back up their words with results. But, until they knew what made this an S Class Job, they'd never know what they couldn't achieve.
Following the broad-shouldered, armoured man and his assortment of guards, the four found themselves graced by the long wide halls of the castle's interior. Paintings adorned the outer corridors with drapery of crimson and beautiful enamored windows. Farther inside they'd move into the throne room itself, currently occupied by a lithe but developed woman on the seat.
Dressed in a short white with green trim dress, the woman looked young, barely much older than Mirajane and Erza appeared to have been. With a crown of gold with a diamond-shaped ruby gem affixed at its center over her bangs-covered forehead, she possessed a necklace of silver with a blue jewel on its center. Flanked by similar dressed guards that escorted the mages inside, she looked impatient but soon replaced her irritated expression with one of a welcome expression on her face.
"Ah, the Fairy Tail mages have arrived!" She exclaimed excitedly, sitting upright on her father's throne with glee. "I was worried you wouldn't come...after, well...the news broke."
Arcadios bowed and gestured to the mages to do the same. As they gave a formal bow of their own, they approached a few more steps and then addressed her more formally.
"Your grace, it is great to make your acquaintance," Doranbolt spoke ahead of them, placing a hand over his chest as he announced to her. "Though I am not as tied to the guild as heavily as those beside me, I think I speak for all of us that I am grateful that you made the time for our audience."
"Please, it is I who am happy to see you came all this way even after your guild has experienced such hardships so recently," The Princess spoke, her verdant hair moving luxuriously across her bare shoulders and neck as she shook her head with dismissal. Looking to Wendy, she gave her a nod of respect her way. "I am pleased to hear at least one had survived the tragedy. I won't speak of it since the Council has deemed it a classified matter, but I do hope the fate of your guild is unraveled and perhaps we can all move past it."
"I...thank you," Wendy hesitated, though formed a weak smile as she bowed respectfully to the princess once again.
"Now, onto matters," The royal blooded teenager spoke, her face becoming a more stoic and business oriented mask to deal with their current transaction. "I'm not sure you've been made aware, but the bounty on this job is very high for good reason. Have you come to any conclusions as why that is?"
Looking to one another, they began to ponder what had been lingering in the back of their heads.
"Is it because this isn't strictly a matter involving Fiore?" Charle inquired thoughtfully.
"That's correct," Hisui remarked with a chaste grin that vanished as quickly as it came. "This gang, you see, is quite notorious for its effective ability of targeting various nations of their most prized possessions. Specifically, they are after the treasuries belonging to the monarchies, and have made no secret they have a special kind of prejudice to those of the ruling bodies of these various countries."
"Why do they have such a beef with royals, if you don't mind me asking?" Max inquired a furrowed brow.
"We have no idea," The Princess confessed. "While attempts have been made to impair their progress, nothing has come close to stopping them. They've stolen precious artifacts, jewels of countless worth and many forms of physical currency. We don't know where they're redistributing them or if they're keeping a hoard close at hand or far away. The only thing we know is that the less fortunate towns and cities based on the victimized leadership sudden get anonymous 'donations' that give them a wave of temporary relief."
"Are they...really that bad?" Wendy inquired, almost wincing at the looks she got from the Chief and the guards standing nearby. "I mean. They're not doing a good thing, stealing from people. But, they're giving it away to others. I don't understand how they can be solely terrible if they-"
"You must believe in the story of the Generous Robin, yes?" The Princess inquired, cutting off any further postulation from the Sky Dragon Slayer. When she shook her head, the princess smiled and looked up at the glamorous ceiling and began to recall it from memory. "There was a crook with a generous heart, you see. A folktale passed down for hundreds of years to those bearing the hood or guile of the robin, a bird known for mischievous gifts and thefts alike. This figure of local myth has always been a hero to the people who feel they are disenfranchised or suffer on hard times, believing that the Generous Robin will always save them when they need it most. It is a misguided sense of dependency, and something not to put faith in."
"O-Oh," Wendy weakly replied, feeling a bit meek after being talked down to as if she really was a child; despite that she knew she was about to turn thirteen in the next month or so.
"Its fine to believe in fairytales, especially given in what your guild represents, but these are no myths but actual brigands," Hisui remarked, her voice turning icy as her eyes looked from Max to Doranbolt for emphasis. "Lives have been taken, and many injuries to those who try to stop them, or just happen to be in the way. Regardless of their intentions the hoard they've accumulated isn't equally distributed. They are pocketing the large sum of it, likely for their own selfish gain. They must be stopped, and that is why every wronged royalty has put in a commission for this special job."
"Every royalty?" Doranbolt suddenly gawked, his eyes widened and his mouth slackened. "Then, that means-"
"The whole fifty billion is an accrued lump sum by Fiore, Bosco, the Seventh Kingdom, Stella and Desierto," The blue blooded, viridescent haired girl replied seriously. "It is a handsome reward to deal with a serious threat. Though we were deliberating on who we were to ask for aid next should Fairy Tail be not up to the task; because the Robin Hoodlums may end up damaging Fiore that will hurt all mage guilds for the foreseen future."
"What do you mean?" Max asked, his eyes blinking curiously. "No offense but, this is just your treasury. How does this harm the rest of the country?"
"A fair question, Max Alors, to which I have another question to pose to you," The princess posed, placing one leg over the other as she looked at him curiously. "How do mages get jobs?"
"Uh...we get them from job boards," He replied simply.
"And who puts jobs on the job boards?" She persisted.
"People who want mages to help with jobs, obviously," The beige haired man shrugged. "People from all over Fiore, local and distant."
"How do you think they can afford that?"
"Uh," Max scratched his chin, trying to think aloud. "Because...we...have a good...economy?"
"Crude, but not inaccurate," The princess replied, returning her gaze back to the others. "We in Fiore pride ourselves in being a very trade competitive nation when it comes to our magical produce to share with the rest of the continent. And from that trade we have kept our kingdom from levying a moderate tax, allowing citizens a much easier lifestyle and keeping trade mostly free to the common man. But that is only possible so long as the coffers of the kingdom stay in good care. If we were out of a large amount, the value of Jewels will be arbitrarily inflated, taxes will rise and businesses will not flourish as much. Meaning-"
"-less jobs to mage guilds," Doranbolt said aloud what Charle, Max and Wendy all thought at the same time with similarly wide eyes. "With the guild in the state it is, we need every job we can get. But, if we get even less than what we can afford then-"
"Fairy Tail really will be history...!" Max exclaimed, his face caked in sweat as his hands shook at his sides.
"Now you see why the situation is so dire," Hisui remarked with a grim smile. "The Robin Hoodlums, no matter their intentions, are hampering the entire economic well-being of every nation's royalty they attack. Though relief will come to the less unfortunate, those they don't even deem as needy will soon become as such due to a lack of business, value in trade and increase in taxes to help recoup the damages done by these criminals. And once they have what they want, they'll move onto other game, and continue this endless cycle of theft and suffering. It must end here, in Fiore, before they do anymore damage to the rest of Ishgar!"
Standing up, the princess did something that made Arcadios, the guards and the mages all look on in shock as she bows to the four of them.
"I beg of you, as heir to the throne of Fiore, please do all that is in your power as Fairy Tail to end this madness!"
A sense of tension rose from the pregnant silence that was only marginally helped by the sound of breathing, muttering and exchanges of glances with clinking of armour. Doranbolt felt at a complete loss for what would be the most appropriate reaction. His confusing relationship with the guild didn't help matters as he didn't do well with people and had a better time misleading others rather than convince them. Max was out of his depth, and beyond his bluster of confidence, he knew he wasn't up to the task that was being asked of him. Even Charle felt this was a mistake, and that perhaps they shouldn't have come this far to disappoint such a passionate youth, princess or not.
But Wendy, beyond all of the turmoil still swirling inside of her, chose to take a step forward.
"We will stop them, your grace," Wendy spoke, her voice not shaking nor hollow, as her brown eyes met Hisui's surprised jewels for irises. "And we'll give back the stolen treasures to the kingdoms they've wronged. That I promise you."
Team Wendy's audience with the Princess of Fiore was brief and to the point, but it told the nascent group of Fairy Tail mages everything they needed to know. Far more than simply the reputation of the Fairy Tail Guild was riding on the success of their first ever S-Rank mission — should they fail, the society of mages, and everyone who depended on their support, would be disrupted. It was hard to say that, as the group retired to their lodgings to rest and prepare for the next day, that they felt absolutely no pressure.
The Royal Family of Fiore graciously agreed to provide rooms to the Fairy Tail mages within the castle, partially as a kind gesture of accommodation for the mages they had summoned all the way to Crocus, and partially to make combating the thieves that much easier. As Arcadios was explaining to the group before he showed them to their rooms, the mages sleeping within the castle itself would make it easier to call on them when the thieves attacked and the wizards' talents were needed.
Wendy caused quite a stir, however, when she insisted to Arcadios — who was quite insistent towards the opposite — that Doranbolt sleep in her room, rather than get a room to himself. The young man tried to defend himself from the suspicious stares of Arcadios' soldiers; the matter was quickly shelved, however, when Charle had the stroke of brilliance to ask for a cot to be brought in. Doranbolt heaved a sigh of relief that he would not be forced to defend himself against a gaggle of soldiers, and inwardly thanked Charle for her quick-thinking.
Only when everyone had been settled into their guest rooms — Wendy and Charle had been given the largest of the lot as a courtesy, while Max had been given a slightly smaller but no less luxurious room on the floor above — did the quiet fall upon the castle. Beyond the normal comings and goings of the royal affairs, nothing seemed out of place. Max was fast asleep in his room, and within her room, Wendy had fallen to sleep as well. The sheets were drawn tightly around her, as if she thought the cloth would keep her safe, and though she shivered, she did not wake.
Doranbolt lay awake on his cot, hands wrung together, head down. He almost appeared to be in penance, and yet he was simply staring at the floor. I'm officially a member of Fairy Tail now...and I'm here with them in Crocus, on an S-Rank mission to protect mage society as the world knows it. No matter how many times he rolled this over in his head, it simply didn't sound right. He was the Magic Council's Doranbolt, was he not? Yet something Macao had said about him being undercover had struck a chord in the back of his brain...it was something he knew had been there, but when Wendy had broken down crying in his arms, had dissolved into nothing.
This indecisiveness is only going to endanger our mission, Doranbolt thought firmly. I am Doranbolt of Fairy Tail...and Wendy's protector. I will repay the debt I owe her...that I owe to this Guild. Even if I must act as a member truthfully this time.
"You're thinking a bit too hard, Doranbolt," Charle's crisp voice caught Doranbolt's attention, snapping him out of his reverie. The Exceed had flown back inside from an opened window, her white fur mixing with the subtle moonlight and casting a brilliant glow over her body. She landed neatly onto the man's cot, her wings fading away, and she plopped herself down. "I just completed a full circle around the castle; no sign of anyone."
"That's a relief," replied Doranbolt. "We might have an easy night then." His stern eyes fell on Wendy, who shuddered and jerked in her sleep. "Wendy's sleep hasn't been a restful one...I'd want to be able to focus solely on her tonight, without dragging her into a fight with thieves right off the end of one of her night terrors."
"You..." Charle gazed at him, half-shocked, half-impressed.
"What is it?"
"Nothing," replied Charle quickly. "I'm just glad to see I was not mistaken in sparing you the wrath of the palace guards by requesting your separate bedding."
Doranbolt actually chuckled slightly. "I appreciate you clearing up that misunderstanding. It was a small favour, but I'll pay you back eventually."
"You can pay me back by protecting Wendy," Charle's response was quick and firm.
"...That goes without saying," Doranbolt replied without hesitation.
"Thank you," Charle muttered. Doranbolt's ears picked it up, and he smiled all the same.
Wendy's two protectors watched her dutifully, taking turns to gain the brief respite of sleep in shifts as the night lost its youth. The moonlight began to shift its angle when Doranbolt, who had taken his turn to shut his eyes and sleep while Charle kept a watchful eye out, tossed in the cot. His sleep was far from restful, but actually having a proper place to lay his head — as opposed to sleeping on the floor at the foot of Wendy's bed, as he had taken to to ensure she was free from night terrors — was easing his shuteye.
It was when the young man was beginning to fully drift off into sleep that his ears exploded under the force of a bloodcurdling shriek. Doranbolt sat bolt upright, scanning the room instantly. Charle's fur bristled, the sound of the shrieking ending the Exceed over the edge. It dawn on the two of them immediately who the source of it was; Wendy, who was sitting up, clutching her soaked sheets, her body covered in a sheen of sweat. She was panting as if she'd just run a mile, tears stinging her eyes.
"Charle...Doranbolt...please tell me you're here...!" Her vision was muddled from the tears, and sight came difficulty to her. When Doranbolt and Charle had rushed to her side, Wendy's breathing began to pace even, and she calmed down. "I'm...sorry...! It happened again...I saw it. Everyone gone...in a flash of light...and I was alone!" Wendy found she had to force the words out, as her voice caught in her throat when she tried to explain.
Surprising both Doranbolt and Charle, Wendy grabbed hold of his shirt, clutching Doranbolt tightly as she began to cry afresh. Her tears stained his clothes, but Doranbolt did not rebuke her, nor did he try and shake her off. He simply let the girl cry, gingerly placing his hands on her shoulders, almost as if he feared the contact; yet he still wanted to comfort the girl, refusing to push her away.
"Do you...have nightmares too?" Wendy hiccuped into his shirt, her voice muffled only slightly.
Do you have nightmares too? The question stuck Doranbolt like a physical blow. And he knew the answer. "Yes," he replied quietly. "Every night." His own guilt-rattled mind tormented him whenever he sought the solitude of sleep. The sight of Acnologia, rushing across the sky, the faces of all the people he could have saved — he, a member of the Magic Council who had let the innocent and guilty alike be purged by fate — and the sight of a brilliant white light on the horizon.
This shocked Wendy enough that she pulled away from his torso, reddened eyes widening as they met Doranbolt's narrower ones. The young Dragon Slayer hadn't been so ignorant to believe that Doranbolt wasn't carrying his own baggage, but he always seemed so strong and self-assured. He was the rock she was relying on, and to hear that he too had his own nightmares of the incident shocked her...but also made her feel a closer kinship with Doranbolt than ever before. "You do...really? How do you...deal with them?"
Doranbolt shook his head. "We're still not so far removed from the tragedy that I can say I have. Truth be told, I might never get over them. But I just deal with them when they come, that's all."
"...Oh..." The disappointment in Wendy's voice was clear, striking through Doranbolt's heart. Wendy had been searching for an answer; she wasn't to be rid of this pain.
Gripping her shoulders, perhaps more tightly than initially intended, Doranbolt kept his eyes locked to Wendy's. "But you're not me, Wendy. You'll get over this in time. Being so young helps give you the benefit of learning how to cope as you mature." He chose his words carefully, deliberately, putting meaning behind each of them. He could not let Wendy suffer like this. "And with such good friends still in the Guild, I'm sure your family will help look out for you."
"T-Thanks, Doranbolt," Wendy rubbed her eyes, letting the remainder of the tears smear the back of her hand. "It helps..talking to someone about all this. It really does."
"Don't mention it," replied Doranbolt.
The atmosphere shifted almost immediately, and the trio were frozen by the sudden tremor, unable to think coherently. The ground felt as if it was moving, the castle walls shaking, and a noise comparable to thunder rang out throughout the walls of the building. For a moment, the idea that an earthquake was the source of the tremors passed through everyone's minds, and only when the sounds became discernible as explosions did the truth come to light. Doranbolt realised it first.
"We need to get Max! The castle is under attack!"
Mercurius Exterior
The siege outside of the Mercurius Castle had begun; the suddenness of a late night assault had caught the regular castle guard completely off balance. Whatever was going on, it was quite clear the result was chaotic; a multitude of armoured soldiers had rushed to the entrance of the guarded gates, brandishing weapons, only to find themselves sent flying backwards. Stepping forward was a well-dressed man, standing tall at a height of 213 centimetres at minimum; his most prominent feature was a pronounced chin, coupled with a stern stare and auburn hair combed backwards. He would not have looked out of place at a dinner party, but he certainly stood out standing in the middle of fallen bodies.
Even more striking, however, was the arm he raised; rather than a regular human arm, connected from his shoulder joint forward appeared to be a half of a naginata.
"This is disappointing!" bemoaned the man, his voice a deep baritone that rumbled with every vocalisation. "I was given permission to lead the assault on you pitiful fools and this is how I am greeted?! Pathetic!"
"W-Who the hell are you?!" stammered one of the soldiers, undignified as he lay flat on his back.
"Is there any point in answering the question of a dead man?" inquired the giant man, sauntering over with a gait bearing resemblance to a giraffe. In an instant, his naginata-like hand sliced the air. The sound of squelching blood accompanied the sight of a head arching skyward; the inquisitive soldier drew breath no longer. Each and every soldier who gathered themselves to their feet felt their breath hitch. They had no sense of magical power, but they could tell he was a mage simply by the unnaturalness of his appearance.
"W-We won't let you pass...!" shouted one of the soldiers.
"Our orders from Lord Arcadios are to waylay the intruders!" declared another.
A grin split the giant's face. "You have spirit! I may have some fun with you all yet!" The naginata-arm vanished in a rush of light, and the man knelt down — a considerable feet for someone of his height — reaching for the discarded sword of his fresh victim. "Decently tempered steel...the balance impeccable...guards like yourselves are always fitted with decent equipment..." He placed a hand on the hilt of the blade; this action was accompanied by a brilliant glow, and within seconds, the weapon itself had vanished. Where once had been a forearm, it was nothing but a finely crafted blade that glittered in the moonlight. The giant raised the blade to his own face, his grin never fading. "Wiping out trash like you won't take me long, no matter how spirited you are!"
Sudden realisation dawned on one of the guards. It was accompanied by a violent shudder. "Wait! I know him! He's a wanted criminal! You're—"
Whatever the man's name was, the word never escaped the guard's lips. He was the first to fall to the giant's new weapon; blood splashed, flecking the grass and dyeing it red. In turn, each and every guard was slaughtered despite their best efforts for defence. The man was relentless, giving no quarter as he cut down each and every armoured simpleton.
High above the exterior yard, balancing with irregular dexterity was a beautiful young woman. Her hair, the colour of candy floss, flowed in the gentle breeze of the night, and her attire — the very definition of 'light armour', with a basic breastplate, gauntlets, greaves, a cloth skirt, and a broadsword at her hilt — was in stark contrast to the murderous Prince Charming down below. She heaved a sigh, her crimson eyes observing the movements of her comrade with a measure of distaste. Her pointed ears picked up more sound than necessary; she could feel her stomach turn at the sounds of violence, yet she could not bring herself to despise the man who fought so hard down below. Pity, however, flowed out from her in waves.
Behind her back, oscillating ring of light cycled through various colours; her armoured hands clasped together, spreading outward as the ring settled on a single colour. Vivid azure light spilled from between her palms, bleeding outward through each digit. This light had a very specific effect, one that was the sole reason for her placement in a location such as this. Manifesting against her free hand was the ethereal shape of an ocean shell. She placed it against one of her pointed ears, and within the back of her mind, she felt a connection establish with multiple other individuals.
My dears...
The elven woman's voice reached out, covering the entirety of the castle and its ground, yet it only touched the minds of those close to her heart. All motion within the castle slowed; her allies, many of whom were still unveiled, faltered only slightly; they were used to her telepathy, but every now and again, it still gave them pause.
We have our orders, loves. Please avoid any unnecessary violence...all for the sake of our blue bird.
A mix of emotions flooded her mind. Irritation. Understanding. Amusement. A smile played on her lips; they truly were like children.
The preemptive assault is being carried out in Section A-1. Our forward units may proceed into the interior of Mercurius; the treasury is located
deep in section D-3. The staff is asleep; we are to avoid unnecessary casualties. Only take the lives of the guards who stand in our way.
The mental connection was terminated, and the woman heaved a sigh. The children were always so rowdy, and she wasn't quite sure it was fair to let her shoulder the responsibility of raising them. That responsibility should not fall to someone of my role, should it, my blue bird? No, that should fall to you and your Lieutenant... Her crimson eyes glanced towards the section of Mercurius Castle she knew the treasury to lay. Sending in a small, light squad was always ideal for a proper theft, but she felt that her presence may be needed.
There was a presence within Mercurius Castle. She had felt it when her awareness had been extended throughout the castle, searching for her allies. A presence only too similar to one she knew well. The elf frowned.
"This may not be a simple theft after all."
Mercurius Interior, Treasury Chamber
Arcadios, a statuesque man even under normal circumstances, was now regaled in armour that sharply contrasted his dreary grey standard ordinance. The White Lily Armour was now adorned over his sharply shaped facial features and broad muscular body. Armour platemail with a gleaming silver hue with petal-adorned pauldrons, matching the petals of metal that formed his greaves, and a helmet that covered all but his lower face in the immaculate pale colored metal in the shape of a bird of prey. A head of feathers in bright yellow flourished with a proud mane, a jade cloak wrapped around his neck to flow down in a tapestry of beautiful material like silk as it rivulet around in the air rushing past him; all of this highlighting features that overshadowed the deep forest green undersuit that was worn beneath the heavy plate-mail. With his hands, one on top of the other, resting on golden hilted broadsword with a verdant jewel resting within the pommel; the edge of the double-sides placed in between the tiles that led straight to the vault rearing up behind him.
Standing astride Arcadios were five men, armoured similarly; his division of Knights, the Cherry Blossom Holy Knight Squadron.
The vault itself, home to the vast wealth of Fiore's crown royalty, was an immense arching pair of doors. standing behind the Squadron. The trim was that of steel with accented emerald metal akin to vines with blossoming flowers that wrapped itself from the bottom of the seam to rest over top. Within the base was a massive dial, with a key slot resting in its center; each handle being as long as the sword of the man standing in front of it, and thicker than any pike a guard would carry. It truly beheld a glamour and sturdiness one would expect of a gateway leading to the greatest of treasure troves.
Not a single soul will make it past this spot. On the honour of the His and Her Highness, I swear it, thought Arcadios, determined.
A sizzling, firecracker-like sound could be heard from the distance, alerting Arcadios and his knights to suspicious activity incoming. The hallway that loomed out before them was shrouded in darkness, but this darkness was not being pierced by a brilliant orange glow. It cast off an eerie light, illuminating a humanoid figure. As she breached the hallway and into the spacious room that contained the treasury, it was revealed that it was a beautiful, but tiny girl. She had blonde hair, cut short at her neck, wearing what could only be described as an adventurer's outfit; a brown vest, worn over a thin strip of elastic cloth that covered a non-existent bust, with black shorts, hanging loosely and only held up by a thick belt. Around her neck, she donned a crimson cape, and as she moved, her hips swayed. And yet the most noteworthy thing about the young woman wasn't her diminutive build, or her strange attire...
...it was the fact that her hands were cloaked in flames.
"We've only got five of 'em?" grumbled the tiny woman. "Hey Brutalia, you might be disappointed! We ain't got much of 'em here, just a runty bunch of soldiers and a peacock with a sword!"
"Don't you have any finesse, Runt?" a voice, as crisp and beautiful as a bell-chime, yet frigid and cold as a winter gust. "The irony of you, with someone so lacking in womanly charms, calling others 'runt' is quite delicious." The woman came into view, her visage and body aglow, and it revealed the form of a beautiful woman who was practically royalty by looks alone. She was draped in a gown of crimson and ebony, ornately decorated with jewels and roses. It was cut low at the chest, revealing a plump bosom that quivered with each step. Her hair, a deep honey-blonde was worn long, adorned by a wreath of flowers as black as night. Within her hands, she clasped a hand-held fan directly over her face.
"Hello, boys. We're going to breaking through now."
Arcadios gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his face firm and set. "Not on my life, woman."
A/N:
Demod20:
Ah yes! World building! Something wholly lacking from Fairy Tail the farther you read in that I and my co-author are all too eager in correcting. Given how it stole from better properties of similar job descriptions (Naruto's Mission Boards and One Piece Bounties) I took it upon myself to provide a very real and tangibly relatable threat caused by economic upheavel from thefts of such a scale. That and my reinvention of how the tale of Robin Hood is something of a folktale that only downtrodden respect because they have no context of what goes into stabilizing a Feudalistic Society. Giving Hisui this responsibility helps introduce her character sooner, as well as Arcadios, so you can see what kind of people they are before the asinine Plot of Canon made them bizarros for the sake of 'Suspense' of an inane mystery. Meanwhile, my Co-Author did a damn good job continuing the trend of character development as Doranbolt and Wendy are still dealing with their nightmares in their own ways, encouraging each other as they do. And his introduction of the First Arc's antagonists gave me goosebumps; I can't wait to continue where he left off in the next chapter, forthwith!
LastationLover5000: Now this was a very fun chapter! My counterpart is brilliant with things like this; we're both fans of Magi, so being able to do some world-building that coherently explains how the flying fuck Fairy Tail's society works. Because I'll be honest, Hiro was not the biggest fan of world-building. He made slight stabs at the start but never tried any harder after that. Mercifully, as I said, both of us are fans of Magi, and my counterpart is much better at explaining things than I am, so here we are. I enjoyed writing my section, especially since it was a combination of emotional development and character introductions. I'm looking forward to our next chapter, and we'll see you all soon!