Fiore Academy
Chapter Sixteen – The Dance Begins I
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any shape or form. I am a mere FF writer paying tribute to the world of Hiro Mashima, the rightful owner of Fairy Tail.
Authors' Note – Now the plot begins to thicken, and now it truly begins. I hope you guys are ready for these next few chapters, as the Dance begins.
When Natsu returned to the group after his conversation with Jellal, it was to a stark contrast from his recently grim conversations.
Zeref it seemed, had finally pulled off a joke that caught the laughter of Hisui and Mirajane, as well as even a smile from Erza. The laughing girls were gorging themselves on cream cake and caramel slices, whilst Erza and Zeref sipped from goblets filled with fruit punch.
When Natsu stepped up to them, it was with a smile that Hisui greeted him back, "Hey Natsu, where have you been?"
Natsu smiles, "Having conversations with important people" he told half the truth.
Zeref smirks, "Had any marriage propositions yet brother?"
Natsu frowned, "'Marriage…propositions?' What are you talking about?"
Zeref waves his right hand dismissively, "That answers my question, don't worry".
Shaking his head, Natsu asks Zeref covertly away from the girls' ears, "Have you noticed anything from Jellal?"
Zeref shook his head, "He's had a few conversations with his men, but there was nothing none of my men could make out plain; they said he is suspicious, but they can't tell what from when".
Natsu nods, "Well, if he has a hand, he'll show it soon; never be sure it's a bluff".
Zeref smiles, "Keep quoting like that, and you'll end up like father".
Smirking, Natsu retorts, "You show traits as well brother; first thing you did tonight was suspect someone of wrong doing".
Zeref smiles at that, "Alas, you have a point; he is our father after all".
Natsu feels a little sad at that; he wondered if it still troubled Zeref, knowing that he may be a Dragneel, but in the eyes of many… he was still a bastard son of another woman.
"I spoke to Jellal before myself" Natsu pulls away from the potentially hazardous topic of Zeref's blood.
Zeref raises an eyebrow, "Oh? Anything to note?"
Natsu chuckles, "Only that he's an asshole… as well as I think it's all but inevitable that guy is way too ambitious to be of good intentions".
Zeref nods agreement, "Indeed… my men are still watching him and his men, so we'll have good warning I'm sure".
Natsu nods, and their conversation came to a close because of Erza.
"Natsu, I trust you remember your duties" Erza says, surprising Natsu.
"Duties?" Natsu asks, confounded as to what she meant.
Rolling her eyes, Erza replies, "You need to report to Ashley Heartfilia, remember? You're a member of the Disciplinary Squad are you not?"
Natsu stared at Erza for a moment, soaking in what she was saying… then it soaked in.
"I'm supposed to be on duty now!" Natsu slaps his head.
The girls giggle as Natsu sets down the drink he picked up before his conversation with Zeref.
"I better head off, I'll see you all in an hour or so" Natsu says, already running off.
Hisui shakes her head, "He'll be okay, won't he?"
Mirajane nods, "I'm sure he'll be fine; he's still the most powerful mage in the squad".
Hisui frowns, "That wasn't what I meant".
Erza places a hand on Hisui's shoulder and says, "Don't worry about Natsu… right now I am more worried about Virgo; where is she?"
Zeref and the girls look around, but could not see the pink haired girl.
"You're right" Mirajane says, "I don't see her anywhere".
While the girls were wondering where their girlfriend was, Zeref was thinking.
Perhaps she is just as suspicious of Jellal as Natsu and myself are, he thinks to himself, I hope she'll keep her distance… but all the same, Zeref looks out somewhere in the distance, as though he knew the whereabouts of where she'd be, of all the people Natsu… you had to attract her.
…..
While the others were wondering where Virgo was, the woman herself was tailing one of Jellal's men.
After Natsu left somewhere with Erza, Virgo decided to act on a hunch and do some recon on Jellal Fernandez, Captain of the Knights of the Red Cross. She had received reports that he was suspect of being the brain behind the mage attack in the city a couple weeks ago, and something seemed off tonight.
After watching Jellal and this man converse earlier in the party, Virgo began to tail him.
For minutes, the man led Virgo through the party, where he stopped to talk to a few people along the way; Politicians, Knights and even a noble.
Finally, however, he led Virgo to somewhere more promising.
Using striding steps, Jellal's man began to lead Virgo away from the party, and into an unused classroom.
Hiding herself within, Virgo watched the man wait in the middle of the room. Taking in her surroundings, the walls were covered in stacked old desks and chairs, and a layer of dust covered nearly everything.
For minutes she waited, and just when she was becoming impatient, another figure entered the room. The figure was tall and cloaked, and spoke in a female voice that sounded familiar.
"I've done what Jellal has asked me" the cloaked woman said to the man, "I assume my part of the deal is done?"
The man grins, "Once you hand over the key, you're done".
The woman reaches inside her cloak, and appears to hesitate to hand over what appeared to be an old but intricate brass key.
"You know the consequences if you do not hand it over" the man says, hand outstretched.
The woman nods and hands it over, "I can't help but feel ashamed… I never thought I would ever succumb to threats and blackmail".
The man giggles a little, "Well… you never know until it's been done to you".
The woman nods and leaves; Virgo decided to tail the woman from this point, hoping for the answers she sought.
Something was definitely wrong.
Virgo tailed the woman for a few minutes, through the main Academy Building.
But it was in the middle of the hallway that the woman stopped, and gave Virgo a great surprise.
"I assume you will go tell Natsu what you saw, young Virgo?" the woman calls out behind her shoulder.
Virgo steps out from the shadows, a knife in hand.
"How did you know I was there?" Virgo asks.
Virgo could feel the woman smile beneath her cowl.
"You may be the Master of Spies for the Knights of the Red Cross, Virgo Constellar" the woman says, turning around, "But there is always someone who taught you everything you know" the woman pulls back the hood of her cloak, and Virgo pales.
"U-Ur" Virgo stutters, staring at the woman, "Milkovic?"
…..
"I'm sorry I'm late" Natsu apologises breathlessly when he reaches Ashley Heartfilia.
Ashley looks him up and down and smirks, "I suppose having four dates keeps you busy… here" she hands him a badge and red cloak, "Put these on, once you're shift is over, you can return to your dates".
Natsu nods, "Where will I be?"
"You'll be with me" Ashley sighs, "We're going to patrol the Academy Border, see how many breach attempts there've been; care to make a wager? I wager thirteen".
Natsu shrugs, "A friendly one? Eleven".
Ashley laughs, "Of course it's friendly; wouldn't do for those of the Disciplinary Squad to actually gamble, now let's go".
Ashley and Natsu walked off toward the boundary, and began to count the breaches.
…..
Hisui, Mirajane, Erza and Zeref were sitting down at a table to eat an actual dinner besides cakes.
Zeref had just made a failed joke, which was what made it funny, when Hisui began to cough.
Erza pats her on the back, "You okay there Hisui?"
Hisui shakes her head as she clears her mouth. But it was all she could manage to point and say, "Over there".
Everyone's eyes look over to where Hisui was pointing, and Zeref immediately stands up; approaching them was a woman who looked ageless, being anywhere between mid-twenties up to mid-forties, with stark black hair and hazel doe eyes. Trailing behind her, being a younger version of the woman in front of her, was a girl who could only be her daughter.
"Katherine" Zeref greets the older woman with a hug, which she returns.
Hisui looked absolutely horrified, and Erza asked her quietly with Mirajane listening in, "What's the matter Hisui? I thought by your attitude, you liked Katherine".
Hisui shakes her head, "I like Katherine… it's who's behind her…".
Both Erza's and Mirajane's eyebrows raise as they look at the younger girl behind the named Katherine; she looked exactly like her mother, except she was only about fourteen or fifteen years old.
"Katherine" Zeref says again, drawing the girls' attention away from the younger girl, "These three I trust you've heard of, and you of course know one of them; this is Hisui E. Fiore, Erza Scarlet and Mirajane Strauss".
The girls stand up and curtsy.
"It's nice to see you again Katherine" Hisui greets her mother figure.
Katherine smiles and walks over and hugs Hisui, "I hope you are well Hisui".
Hisui nods into Katherine's shoulder, "I am, thank you for asking".
Katherine pulls away and looks at Mirajane and Erza; she began with Mirajane.
"White hair, blue eyes; you must be Mirajane" Katherine says, and hugs Mirajane, who hesitantly returned it.
Katherine pulls away, and smiles at her as she says, "The way I hear it, you're the one who took Natsu's virginity".
Mirajane blushes, "Ah… say… what?"
Katherine laughs, "No need to be shy my dear… can I call you Mira? Natsu says he calls you Mira".
Mirajane nods, and Katherine continues, "Sex is a highly-overrated thing; you feel like doing it? Then just do it".
Mirajane was stunned for words; what kind of person would say that to the partner of someone who was essentially their child?
Katherine turns to Erza and says, "Scarlet hair, brown eyes and the power of deduction; you're Erza Scarlet".
Erza blinks and curtsies, thinking that if Natsu said anything embarrassing about herself to Katherine, she'd kill him.
"So, you're the cause for Natsu having multiple partners?" Katherine asks.
This was not something Erza expected.
"I fail to see why that would be me, my lady Kathrine" Erza answers her.
Katherine waves a dismissive hand and says, "Dispense with the formalities; it's Katherine. As for what I said, well… you were the one who opened the gate of opportunity for Natsu… you were the one who allowed him to see that having two partners would be an okay thing. Am I wrong?"
Erza blushes, "You're partially right… but most of what you said lies at another girl's door".
Katherine nods, "Yes, I did receive word just a few days ago that Natsu has taken on another woman; where is she?"
"We do not know where she is" Erza answers, "And she wasn't who I was talking about. The girl I was talking about isn't dating Natsu, although I suspect she will one day".
Katherine nods, "Well… I do look forward to meeting the fourth girl, Virgo Constellar I believe her name was".
Mirajane nods, "I'm sure she looks forward to it as well".
Katherine nods and asks, "So where is Natsu?"
"Fulfilling his duties as a member of the Disciplinary Squad" Erza answers.
Katherine giggles, "He would love that, I'm sure" she say sarcastically, and the girls share a humorous smile.
"Mother" the teenage girl behind Katherine brings attention.
Katherine appears flustered for a split second, "Oh, please forgive me" Katherine steps back and wraps an arm around her daughter, "Allow me to introduce to you two girls, my daughter, Karen Dragneel".
Karen smiles at the girls and nods to Hisui, "Nice to see you again Hisui".
"Likewise" Hisui mutters dishonestly.
Kathrine turns to Zeref, "So Zeref, what do you say we allow these girls time to get to know each other, we ourselves must catch up; it's been nine months since I last saw you!"
Zeref nods, hiding a laugh, "Of course".
Zeref and Katherine began to walk away, and just before they got out of earshot, the girls could hear the pair of them laughing.
"Why are they laughing?" Mirajane asks.
"Because the situation we're in is a joke" Hisui growls.
Karen sighs, "It is in a way, but there doesn't need to be hostility".
"Why would there be hostility?" Erza asks.
"Isn't it obvious?" Hisui asks, "I wasn't the only girl in Natsu's life before he came here you know".
Mirajane blinks, "Well yeah, I guess he has a sister as well".
Hisui rolls her eyes, "You guys are dense".
Karen giggles, "They are at that; let's just say he had a sister with a big brother complex".
Mirajane and Erza blink at Karen for a moment, before they take a step back.
"You like Natsu!?" Mirajane cries out.
"But he's your brother" Erza scolds out.
Karen shrugs, "Only by marriage; there is not a single drop of blood connecting the two of us".
"But still" Mirajane tries to say, but Karen puts a hand up.
"Isn't it still weird? Don't you think it's still wrong? These are questions I have been asked before" Karen says, surprising Mirajane and Erza, "And to all these questions, I answer; I do not care, I love Natsu, even if our parents are married".
"And this" Hisui sighs, "Is why I wasn't happy to see her; she's more devoted to Natsu than she is in love".
"Devotion is a form of love" Karen counters dismissively.
"But it is still off-putting" Hisui counters heatedly.
"Love holds no shame" Karen counters.
"It is not shame I speak of, but madness" Hisui growls.
"Love is a form of madness" Karen growls.
"They've had this argument before" Mirajane sighs.
Erza nods agreement.
It would be a while before the two girls stopped arguing.
…...
"U-Ur" Virgo stutters, staring at the woman, "Milkovic?"
Ur Milkovic smiles at Virgo, "Surprised to see me?"
Virgo didn't know what to say; Ur Milkovic was helping Jellal Fernandez with some kind of plot?
"It's not by choice" Ur sighs, reading Virgo's mind and drawing her attention.
Virgo raises an eyebrow, "Oh? So why are you helping him?"
Sighing seemed to be in fashion for Ur; she was tired.
"He's blackmailing me with information I prefer to keep hidden" Ur answers Virgo.
"What's the information?" Virgo asks.
"The father of my child… Ultear" Ur answers.
Virgo did not expect this; she had thought of corruption, or perhaps Ur was a bit… over-exciting in her time? But this…
"Information like that would be on Ultear's birth certificate though" Virgo counters and Ur laughs.
"There is no name under father; it is a great secret" Ur says.
Virgo shakes her head, "That doesn't matter right now; what is Jellal planning?"
Ur smiles, "Come now, little Virgo; don't you want to greet your old master better?"
Virgo shakes her head, "Just answer me".
Ur sighs, "In the end, all apprentices one day become your equal; it's not good Virgo" Ur walks up to Virgo and stares into her eyes, "Listen to me Virgo, you can't do this alone… nobody can stop this I don't think… but find the Dragneel brothers, Natsu and Zeref. Together… those two might be able to do something".
"But what is his plan?" Virgo asks Ur.
Ur smiles, "Virgo, Master of Spies of the Knights of the Red Cross… what was the original purpose for the founding of the order?"
Virgo's eyes bulge, "You don't mean…"
Ur nods, for that was all she could do before Virgo ran, to look for Natsu.
…...
"I've already counted twenty-three" Natsu exclaims in shock, "And we're only halfway done".
Ashley frowns, "You're right; this is not normal".
Whilst the ball went on, Natsu and Ashley patrolled the perimeter of the Academy, which was protected by a transparent field of magic. They had only gone halfway around the circle, and there were already twice as many breaches as was predicted.
Natsu was beginning to wonder if this had something to do with Jellal.
"There's another one" Ashley points at an attempted breach ahead. Attempted breaches were areas in the wall that appeared red, and ahead was a large red circle in the wall.
"That makes twenty-four" Natsu says, dotting it down on a piece of paper.
Ashley shakes her head, "Well, it doesn't matter so much; they weren't successful".
Natsu nods, "Still… I find it concerning".
Ashley shrugs, "Like I said; so long as they're not successful, there's no real issue".
Ashley and Natsu continue to walk around the perimeter.
"So how are the girls?" Ashley asks conversationally.
Natsu smiles, "Beautiful, healthy and I hope I make them happy".
Ashley nods, "I have no doubt you make them happy; Erza used to be a tyrant until she met you… now all I see her do nowadays is smile".
Natsu smiles, "That's good to hear… I know it's probably immoral of me to have more than one girlfriend, but… I love them all".
Ashley smiles at that, "Yes, I suppose it should be frowned upon, but for some reason, it seems normal when you do it".
Natsu laughs, "Normal? I don't think so, I always feel guilty whenever I think that one day, I'll have to choose one of them".
Ashley frowns at him, "Why would you have to choose? You don't have to marry one of them, they can all be your partners; marriage is just a piece of paper in the end".
Natsu frowns in thought, "I guess you may have a point; but what happens If they want me to choose?"
Ashley shrugs, "I have no idea Natsu, after all; I'm not the one with multiple girlfriends".
Natsu laughs, "Yes, I suppose you aren't".
They continue to walk a little longer, before they stop suddenly, staring at a point in the wall ahead of them.
"But… how?" Ashley asks, a little shocked.
Natsu frowns angrily; is this Jellal's doing?
Ahead of them, was a blue circle in the wall; a successful breach.
"We have to return to the ball, now" Natsu says.
Ashley nods, "You're right… this could spell trouble… serious trouble".
Immediately, Natsu and Ashley ran to the ball.
…..
Zeref and Katherine returned to the girls.
"So, are we acquainted now?" Katherine asks the four girls with a smile.
Hisui and Karen were still frowning at each other, and Erza and Mirajane looked a little embarrassed.
"You could say that" Mirajane answers.
Zeref giggles, "How did you react to the bro-com here?"
Mirajane and Erza look at Karen and sigh.
However, at that moment, there was no room for a good laugh and joke over it all, as Virgo had come running to them.
"Virgo, where have you been?" Mirajane asks.
Virgo tries to catch her breath, before looking at Zeref, "Where is Natsu?"
Zeref blinks, "He's on Squad duty, why?"
Virgo stares at Zeref, "This is bad… I know what Jellal is up to".
Zeref's eyes widen, "You found out? What's his plan?"
Virgo shakes her head, and was about to answer until Erza spoke up, "What's this about Jellal?"
Zeref and Virgo look at Erza, before Zeref answers.
"We've been keeping an eye on Jellal; he's been suspicious for a while now" Zeref says.
Erza's eyes widen, "Suspicious? How?"
"Who's Jellal?" Hisui asks.
Virgo shakes her head, "There's no time! Zeref" Virgo turns to Zeref, "He's after it!"
"After what?" Zeref asks her.
Virgo looks at the girls uncertainly; its existence was a secret.
Virgo gulps, "The order… the Knights of the Red Cross… he's after its original purpose!"
Zeref frowns for a moment, then his eyes widen in realisation, "You don't mean…"
Virgo nods, and Zeref began to search the ball.
"Where is Jellal?" Zeref asks to no one in particular.
Everyone looks around, but none could see where the blue haired man was.
"This isn't good" Zeref mutters, "Where is Natsu? We'll need him".
"What is Jellal after?" Mirajane asks.
Zeref and Virgo look grim; Mirajane, Erza, Hisui, Karen and Katherine frowned at them, wondering what was happening.
"Jellal is after something that the Knights have protected for centuries, since its founding… it was founded for this exact purpose" Zeref answers.
"But what is it?" Erza asks.
"It's a secret, you're not supposed to know" Virgo answers.
"But we'll need your help if we're to stop him" Zeref says, surprising Virgo.
"Captain" Virgo says, "You don't mean you're going to tell them".
Zeref sighs, "I am going to tell them" shocking Virgo.
"What is it?" Hisui asks.
Zeref breathes deeply, "It's a vast concentration of magic, enough magic to re-shape this world… there is no mage that can alone control it… we, the Knights… call it… Fairy Heart".
Authors' Note – I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you all look forward to the next chapter, which will be uploaded within a few days. Be sure to comment what you think!