Note: So sorry for the long time till I updated, I don't know if many are still following this story but for those that are, sorry about the wait. Been a bit busy lately. My updates are pretty sporadic usually. I wish I could get the text font to be bigger, but I don't know how. I did try to reread and fix mistakes but I doubt I found that all. All mistakes are my own. I believe this is a longer chapter than usual. Hopefully it makes up for the wait. Enjoy the story!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail and its characters.
"I regret a lot of things." Intoned a teal haired woman, slate-grey eyes glaring at her guildmate. "Having this conversation tops the list."
"Be that as it may, Akina, I am still uncertain of this idea of yours. Especially, since you don't want us to inform the master of who we are after?" Questioned a muscular male with a wine red mohawk. He stared at her in astonished bemusement as she swallowed down a whole chicken leg and grabbed another two. A glance beside her showed a stack of plates reaching for the ceiling. How a petite woman like her could eat like a starving horse was a mystery to him. Where did all that go? She probably had a fast metabolism, lucky her.
"Well, the plan is solid, so I don't understand what you are concerned about." Akina commented after taking a sip of tea to wash down her meaty meal. "As for the master, I didn't want to tell him because I want it to be a surprise. Not to mention that if I tell him about it, and we fail the master will have our heads then."
The two were sitting at a table in the back of their guild, a dark guild called Red Ghoul. Three other mages sat with them. Akina had come back the other night with a bounce in her step and a gleam in her eyes. This morning she gathered the group she usually goes on jobs with and told them that she had a plan to please the master. The mohawk guy was usually her partner in crime, so she was put out when he questioned her.
"It is just that, unlike the master, we don't know that much about devil-slayer magic. So, how can you be so sure your plan with work?" And he continues to question her; yeah, she really regrets this conversation now.
"Because, my dear Hiroshi, those legal mages can never resist sticking their noses where it doesn't belong. And as long as we have the element of surprise it will be a cake walk."
There was a sudden shout making the plotting mages pay attention to their surroundings and Hiroshi activated his magic barrier as someone's stray magic came hurtling towards their table. He would have made the person pay but he didn't catch who did it, there was a couple groups of mages arguing and fighting. He turned his attention back to Akina as he heard her speak up.
"Honestly, I could most likely handle it myself, but the ice devil-slayer has a friend, so to be sure, I prefer to have extra manpower."
Hiroshi gave in with a sigh, he had to agree that the plan had promise. He couldn't help the hesitation, between the two of them he was the more cautious one. Someone had to keep her recklessness in check, after all.
"Ok, I guess, I'm in."
Akina gave him a roguish grin as she finished her last plate of food. The petite woman let out a loud burp, startling others nearby, as she stood up and headed towards the guild doors.
"Alright then, let's get a move on boys!"
"Watch out!"
A pale hand latched onto Gray's arm jerking him away from a Vulcan fist.
"You need to be more careful!"
Lyon lectured as he released the younger one's arm. Gray spoke through gritted teeth.
"I was caught off-guard for a second."
Lyon look over at him in confusion and caught the black marks of Gray's devil-slayer mark receding. Gray blocked another Vulcan with an ice shield and exclaimed.
"I'm fine, focus on the fight!"
The two ice mages were surrounded by Vulcans. How had they got here? Well, it started the other day when they had made another trip into town for supplies.
The mages had got what they needed and were on the way out of town when Lyon stopped in front of a meat store, staring at a special kind of ham. He tugged Gray to a stop and blurted
"I know a great dish to cook!"
The answer was instant.
"No!"
Lyon gave the other a wounded look as he asked.
"What-why not?"
Gray rolled his eyes and turned his ire to Lyon as he replied.
"Have you forgotten of the Incident?"
Lyon stared at him in bewilderment.
"You can't be serious, that was years ago."
"You nearly burnt down our home!" exclaimed Gray.
"Don't be dramatic Gray." Groaned Lyon, "It was just a small kitchen fire and we put it out quickly. Well Ur did."
"Your memory is slipping in your old age." Gray teased, "Anyways the size of the fire doesn't matter. What was truly appalling was that you caught rice on fire! How does one do that?" Gray amazed. "Even Ur was shocked by your inability to cook a simple dish."
"And here I thought you would welcome my help." Lyon jested, "So you wouldn't have to keep cooking all the time. But I guess not."
"Thanks for that." Came the sarcastic reply. "But I see that as more a threat than helpful."
Lyon scowled at the younger one for a moment before a tilt of his lips gave way to a smile.
"Well, can't say I didn't offer. We should still get that meat for the dish. I have the recipe; you can make it."
Gray didn't bother agreeing out loud, just headed into the store and got the meat.
The mages were leaving the store when a gentle-looking lady approached them asking for help. They listened as she explained that there was a Vulcan nest too close to her home on the outskirts of town. She was searching for someone to possibly clear them out.
Gray and Lyon exchanged a look, Gray raised an eyebrow in question and Lyon shrugged unsure. This was a bit odd. Lyon cautiously spoke up,
"Why do you think we would be able to help you more than anyone else?"
"Oh, I just noticed your guild marks, that's all. So, I thought a guild mage would be strong enough to handle this and I am willing to pay."
Both mages glanced down at themselves simultaneously and nearly groaned. They were shirtless, courtesy of their stripping habitat ingrained by Ur. At least they still had their pants. After that embarrassment they agreed to the woman's quest; especially since she offered pay and it was still a form of training.
Now, here they were, with at least 15 Vulcans around them. Vulcans are not difficult opponents when taking on one to a few. They become a menace when there is more than three. However, with the training of the past couple weeks the maker mages worked together seamlessly. Managing to clear out the nest with nothing more than minor cuts and bruises.
After Lyon surreptitiously made sure that Gray truly didn't have any serious injuries, he suggested they had back for the evening. They would go into town and let that girl know they completed her request tomorrow. With Gray's agreement they started back for Ur's old home.
They were not long into the journey back when Lyon broke the silence.
"What has you worried now?"
Gray didn't response right away as he was staring at his arm that the devil-slayer mark resided on. Lyon observed this for a moment before clearing his throat to get his attention. The younger one jolted, bringing his attention to his brother. Gray dropped his arm to his side, letting out a sigh as he requested,
"Sorry, what were you saying?"
From the corner of his eye, Gray caught a worried look from Lyon as the older repeated what he asked. Gray glared at the ground like it was to blame for his problems as he replied,
"The devil-slayer magic almost activated again! I have not got it under any better control since we started training." Gray kicked a pebble in frustration as he continued to fume. "I have a bit over a week left to get it under control or else who knows how the counsel will handle things! It is not looking good."
"Screw the counsel!" Bellowed Lyon, "If they don't deem it as the accident, it was, then they are clueless and don't need to be in the counsel. What do they know anyways, they are a bunch of old hags!"
Gray stared at his older brother, awed. Suddenly, he burst into laughter, touched by Lyon's words more then he could ever express. Without thinking, Gray pulled Lyon into a hug with a murmured,
"Thanks."
Though stunned Lyon carefully wrapped his arms around his younger brother in a hug, wondering what was so funny because he was serious. It felt like he had barely returned the hug when Gray pulled back and added.
"But promise me, you won't do anything crazy if the counsel doesn't go my way."
Lyon glared and stated,
"It wouldn't be me you would have to worry about. I think you should be more concerned about your team and possibly all of Fairy Tail."
Gray smirked, realizing that Lyon was correct, and then groaned, when he thought of that new worry. He debated about banging his head into a tree. Maybe that would help him find a solution to this nightmare. Luckily Gray was so caught up in that new revelation that he didn't catch that Lyon never made that promise.
The ice brothers ambled along their path home in companiable silence for some time. Then Lyon made an idle comment.
"You know, I am sure I beat more Vulcans than you did."
Gray gave him a blank stare, followed by a cynically raised eyebrow.
"Really, is that what you think? Because I am certain that I defeated more than you."
Lyon scoffed in offense.
"You lie! I beat you and you know it."
"I wasn't aware it was a contest," Gray gave Lyon a slight shove. "Still, you lost. Admit it!"
"Did not."
Was Lyon smart reply with a shove of his own.
"Did too."
"Did not."
"Did too."
Before their childish argument could continue Gray put a finger to his lips and pointed up ahead. Lyon saw there was a young girl looking scared and lost. She could be hurt. The mages approached her carefully, not wanting to startle her.
Lyon stayed a few paces back as Gray crouched down in front of the girl.
"Hey, are you ok?" Gray soothingly murmured. "We won't hurt you."
The girl whimpered, refusing to move with her hands covering her face.
The clouds were blowing in dark and heavy with the promise of snow as Lyon checked their surroundings. They were in the middle of nowhere, Ur's cabin still a way off and all he saw was trees. He didn't see anything worrisome but there was a sense of uneasy that he couldn't shake. His disquiet became dread as Gray reached out to touch the girl's hand. His hand froze as the girl dropped her hands to reveal a wicked grinning face.
Lyon barely had time to shout.
"Trap!"
When a puff of smoke appeared, and the girl transformed.
In place of the girl stood a teal-haired woman. Her hand formed the shape of a gun and before they could move a magical sphere was shot at Gray. Gray moved quickly but the bullet magic still grazed his side. Gray stumbled to the ground, hand over his side.
With an angry shout Lyon sent an ice eagle towards the woman. However, his magic didn't touch her as a magical barrier appeared to block the attack. Suddenly two other mages appeared beside the woman. A man with a red mohawk lowered his hand as he dropped the barrier he had created. Their sudden appearance concerned Lyon as he realized that they had someone with stealth magic.
Lyon rushed to Gray's side just as Gray recovered from the earlier attack. The two ice mages stood side by side, ready to attack.
The young woman let out a giggle.
"Well, such cuties we have here! Both are adorable but I only want one." She pointed at Gray with a smile. "The one with the devil-slayer mark. You should join our guild, if you join on your own free will then no one comes to any harm. Sound like a deal?"
Before Gray could response in any way, Lyon angrily shouted,
"That's not happening! Gray would never join a dark guild."
Gray glared at the woman and her crew as he agreed,
"I have no interest in your guild. Leave!"
The woman giggled again, with a hand over her mouth.
"Oh well, I guess we do things the fun way now!"
~TBC~