Chapter nine
AN: Do you guys want a NALU wedding ceremony? I have referenced it but I haven't made up my mind. Review and lemme know.
Mystogan walked into the guild after putting everyone to sleep with Siegrain by his side. Siegrain had returned with a bleeding lip from where Millianna had punched him after their talk. However when Simon told them that he knew something was up with him, the rest of them were forced to admit that there had been something off about his behavior ever since that day. Now that they knew the truth the group decided to tour the world.
They all felt too guilty to face Erza just yet. He did tell them where they could find her if they wanted to talk to her. He knew that they would go to her eventually but for now they were finally free to make their own choices. They wanted to see what the world had to offer before they came home and faced their pasts. He could understand wanting to get some distance before having to face the past. It was kind of his plan as well.
Siegrain had planned on speaking with her as well but he didn't have the courage to face her just yet. He needed to figure out who he was and what he was going to do before he faced her. He needed time, clarity, and to somehow figure out the man he was going to become. When he told Mystogan that he wasn't ready to face the whole guild and that he didn't know how to move forward the other man had a good suggestion for him.
"You spent most of your life locked away as a slave and then a prisoner of your own mind. Natsu wanted me to take Laxus on a job and beat the meaning of nakama into him but you should come with us as well. We'll take the long way and a couple extra jobs and explore the world a little so you can see whats really out there with your own eyes and make your own choices. Then when we get back Erza will be at the guild and you can talk to her."
He shed the name Jellal afterwards. Jellal had been a slave and a prisoner of his own mind but Siegrain was a wizard saint. He had officially retired but it didn't change the fact that Siegrain was who he hoped to be when he had been a slave. He was someone strong who had been in a position to protect people even though at the time it was just another game to him.
It was his way of reinventing himself and leaving the past behind him while baring his sins. Siegrain was a name he created in the depths of his own madness. He was determined to carry that reminder for the rest of his life. He wanted to remember how far he had fallen for future reference.
Mystogan picked up the tiny form his master and noticed the grin that was Siegrain's face as he did so. He barely refrained from rolling his eyes at him. Mystogan could see the humor but really did he have to be so obvious about it.
They took the master up to his office and once the door was locked he woke everyone up. No sense in leaving everyone asleep while he spoke to Makarov in his office. This conversation could take some so he would put them back to sleep when they left, or they could just silently travel away before anyone could see them.
Makarov knew about the Edolas world. He knew that Mystogan was the counterpart to Jellal on Earthland however several things always put the master on guard around the young wizard saint. Siegrain was supposedly the twin brother of Jellal and his record was spotless. It had been part of the plan that Ultear had created. She was the one who came up with the idea that Jellal and Siegrain would be twins. She knew that eventually the tower would be noticed and once it was they were going to blame it on Jellal while Siegrain played the council.
Makarov could sense darkness coming from him and he never trusted him. Now that Makarov was in the room with both boys there was nothing indicating dark magic. When he woke up to see both blue haired men together he had questions. There was also the feeling that something big was about to happen that was going to give him many headaches.
"What's going on Mystogan?" asked Makarov, preparing himself to hear the worst but not expecting the story that his child had told him.
Mystogan launched into the full story, explaining that he travelled to Edolas and ensured that connection between the two worlds would be severed. He told the master that he chose to remain in this world as he had spent most his life here and didn't want to leave the guild.
Makarov was touched that the boy would choose this world over the one that he had been borne too but at the same time he could understand not wanting to leave the place he saw as home.
"I met someone on my travels who told me that Jellal was possessed and I helped clear the taint from his mind and now he is completely sane."
Makarov didn't know where to start with his questions on that sentence so Siegrain explained his past and how it included Erza. He explained that he was listening to the voices and that they had a plan that he couldn't remember or even understand now that he was once again sane. He spoke of the girl, one that he was sure that whispered in his ears but he didn't know who she was or where she came from.
Siegrain explained that there was a different girl who figured out that he was possessed and decided to help him get rid of the taint. She knew about Edolas and gave him the chance to choose which world he wanted to stay in. Once he had done so they decided that after making Siegrain sane again, the two would pose as twin brothers to explain why they looked so a like.
"Who is this girl?" he asked and Mystogan replied to him, "A friend, she's busy but she'll eventually come to the guild and I'll introduce you to her when she's ready."
Makarov let it go. He trusted his children and Mystogan never did anything without reason so if he was protecting this girl then he would leave it at that for now. Besides he was a patient old man. Mystogan said that he would introduce her eventually so he would wait for her to come to them when she was ready. There were plenty of mages who travelled the world, searching for adventure, to study their magic or just for a home until they decided to join a guild. He could give her some time to find what she was looking for.
"So you have come to join the guild?" Makarov asked Siegrain and he straightened his back and nodded his head. He owed this guild more than they knew. Lucy was one of them even if they didn't know it and it was her idea to save him and he wanted to make it up Erza.
The master stared at him and he could feel the guilt and remorse coming from him. He was a good man and without the darkness that he once carried Makarov believed that he could put his faith in him. Fairy Tail was a family. This young man was searching for redemption and a place to belong after clawing himself out of a place of deep darkness.
Makarov was never a person who turned people away especially when they needed help. He handed him the guild stamp and raised an eyebrow waiting for him to take the final step. Siegrain marked his left arm in scarlet and became a member of Fairy Tail.
"We also need you to call Laxus, we're going on an adventure." Mystogan said it as he played with one of his staffs.
Mystogan said it so casually that Makarov nodded his head absently going so far as to giving them the communication lacrima because he wasn't sure where his grandson currently was and then paused. Mystogan merely gave the master a blood thirsty grin and Siegrain chuckled quietly before the poor man nearly fainted.
"What are you boys planning?" he asked and Siegrain just shrugged, "I was told he could be powerful enough to challenge a wizard saint, we're going on a little excursion."
Makarov's eyes widened as Siegrains eyes flashed gold and for a moment he wondered if he looked like that when he used his magic and then he asked, "You are bringing him back right?"
Makarov couldn't help but ask. These boys were both exceptionally powerful mages and they wanted to join forces with his grandson. A mage of considerable power and experience even if he was currently a pain in the ass. They were planning something.
For two boys who were only pretending to be twins they did read each other very well. He couldn't help but wonder if Laxus would come back in one piece. They didn't look like they were going to be going easy on him, or even if it would be friendly. They were more like sharks smelling blood in the water.
Siegrain chuckled and Mystogan raised his hand in scouts honor, "Promise, he'll come back maybe not in one piece but he'll be back eventually."
Makarov couldn't really get anything more out of them. Laxus was in the guild (surprisingly), he had returned from a job just yesterday so Mystogan went to get him. Siegrain grabbed two s-class requests and one SS-class request even though he technically shouldn't have done that since he technically was not an S-class mage.
Although he was a former wizard who had more or less formed a team with two S-class wizards so he let it go and watched them all but ninja Laxus out of the guild. Siegrain left telling Makarov to inform his grandsons team that he won't be around for a couple of months and that they should train and entertain themselves until he returned.
Makarov watched the twins drag a very confused Laxus out the guild, talking a mile a minute and for a moment he wondered if they really would be alright. Then again Laxus was a stubborn bastard so he should be fine. Maybe he would learn something or maybe he would come back in a worse mood but in the end he should be fine.
Those three could probably handle anything that was thrown at them. He should actually probably wonder about the amount of damages he would have to cover and if the guild would be able to do it without going bankrupt.
When they were gone, Mystogan finally ended the illusion spell that kept people from seeing them ninja Laxus out of the guild. The first thing Freed did was look around and realize that he couldn't find Laxus anywhere and they were just talking about doing another job in a few days once he rested.
"Master what happened to Laxus?" he called out and everyone turned to him.
They were waiting for an answer once they realized that the blonde man had been sitting next to his team one minute and seemingly disappeared into thin air in the next.
"Mystogan required his help. They'll be gone for a few months and they said to tell you to train and entertain yourselves until he comes back." Replied Makarov calmly.
Makarov ignored the look of shock on their faces. Mystogan had been a very mysterious member of the guild but since he no longer had to worry about Edolas and the anima. He could finally build bonds with the people in the guild instead of always hiding.
Then again he was supposed to have a twin brother now so maybe he would help in getting him more socialized. He would introduce Siegrain when they returned and after Erza had the chance to speak with him and resolve their past. It wasn't his place to reveal him until he was ready to face her.
Makarov couldn't help but look forward to their return even if Laxus hadn't learned anything from them. Makarov could at least look forward to Mystogan finally coming out of his shell and making some real friends. The man had spent most of his time in this world alone and even though he didn't have many friends he still decided to stay with them.
His loyalty to the guild was something that Makarov respected. Things would change in the coming months especially with so many of his brats on so many different journeys. He knew that when they all returned they would be on the path to a new adventure.
Lucy had figured out how to use the focus stone on her weapon to create fire. It was the first element that she focused on learning since Natsu needed to eat flames to replenish his energy life would be a lot easier if she could create a meal for him in the middle of battle.
She always remembered that fight with Gajeel when he came to save her. She hadn't been able to help him power up until the absolute last minute and it always grated on her nerves a little. She hated being helpless. She had noticed however that the flames were not very powerful. The spell was extremely basic. Romeo's flames would probably be more powerful than the ones she could create.
Lucy could create a flame and then create a mini explosion to burn something non-magical. All in all the flames would not damage a mage. At least not a mage of considerable power. At best it could be used as a distraction and it could be used to increase her offensive attacks as she used the staff.
She noticed that when she spun the staff in tight circles while maintaining the flame she was able to create a shield of fire that would do a little more damage than normal. It also created a good defense.
Lucy had been warned though that this technique would not be very powerful. It did give her a slight edge in battle. It was nice to have an ace up her sleeve just in case even if it wouldn't hurt anyone it could be used as a distraction or as food for Natsu.
She was however getting no-where with creating spells that she could use with her keys. To be honest she was having a little trouble understanding the theory of what Capricorn was telling her to do.
Capricorn had told her in theory she could combine her spirits defensive powers or their offensive powers into a single attack but she didn't know where to even start with something like that. Loke could feel her confusion and opened his gate to come and try to help. There was a very limited amount of knowledge that they had to share. It was truly up to her and her power level and intelligence to see if she could come up with something like this but Loke had faith that she could do this.
Their magic was always looked down upon and the spirits did take offense to things like that. Their magic wasn't weak, not by a long shot. It was just never truly explored. Celestial mages could be cruel and because of that no spirit ever wanted to truly help their mages.
To explore their depths of their magic needed trust between spirit and master. They didn't deserve to do this if they only saw spirits as tools. It was also extremely hard to gather all the keys, something that was needed to explore the magic further.
There had been kind masters before like Layla however she wasn't interested in exploring magic further. She got ill and didn't want to fight. There had been other mages who were interested but they didn't have the magic ability nor did they have enough keys. Lucy was the first to be kind, trustworthy and she gathered all the keys.
"I don't know where to even start Loke." She told him and he could see that she was taking this very seriously. She was surrounded by books all of which referenced celestial magic but he could also sense her frustration since she wasn't getting anywhere.
Loke didn't know what she thought they meant by creating celestial spells. He decided to just ask her what she was looking for or hoping to find in these books. There was no way she was going to find a step by step manual by looking in her books. This had never been done before. There was no written manual or guide, she was technically writing the manual.
"Lucy what are you trying to create? What did you think you would be able to do when you were told that you might be able to create a celestial spell?" he asked and Lucy narrowed her eyes at him but not in anger but confusion.
"I thought I would be able to use it in battle." She replied and Loke shook his head at her, resisting the urge to face-palm. Lucy knew that celestial magic wasn't like maker magic or even dragon slayer magic. It would never be caster magic but every time she thought about powering up, she was thinking of doing something that was like caster magic.
"When you say that do you mean like how Gray uses magic?" he asked already knowing what she was thinking, probably chanting something and things going 'boom'.
Lucy shrugged, "I don't know." She bit her lip and realized that she didn't even know what she thought she was going to create, "I was thinking along the lines of Urano Metria."
Loke sighed when he realized that he had been right all along. She was trying to create something similar to Urano Metria, "That's not how it works. Spells like that are technically caster magic which is why you nearly pass out every time you used it before your magic levels grew. You aren't a caster mage, your power comes from your keys. You need to think more along the lines of a unison raids."
Lucy thought about her spirits and when they were used in battle. Scorpio, Natsu and Wendy during their battle with Hades managed to do a unison raid. Scorpio and Taurus could join their powers together as well. She knew that because they managed to do it in the Grand Magic Games when they fought against Flare. Her spirits actually did unison raids quite often.
"A celestial spell using your keys will be similar to a unison raid. You will get one extremely powerful defensive or offensive blast of magic and how we manage to do that is up to you. That's what we need you to figure out but it won't be for repeated use. It will be a final attack or some sort of shield."
Lucy nodded her head and sent Loke home. Now that she had a better idea on what she was supposed to be trying to do she could better understand her magic. She wouldn't be able to create several spells like she first believed. It would probably be more along the lines of a final spell in a battle and probably something that she needed a few minutes to gather her power to cast similar to the Urano Metria.
It would either be on the same level as Urano Metria if it was offensive or a defensive spell. She decided to work on the defense spell first she didn't have much defensive magic besides her own ability to protect herself.
Lucy was already going through her keys and calculating their defensive magic to see which had the most powerful defensive magic. The first would definitely be Aries. She was mostly a support spirit but her defense magic was greater than her attacking power.
Sagittarius was the next spirit she chose. His skill with the bow made him a long distance fighter who mainly supported her and protected her. Virgo while being a capable fighter also had one of the highest defensive capabilities of all her spirits and finally she chose Scorpio as his abilities were about the same as Sagittarius although his offensive capabilities were higher.
Then she got to work on trying to figure the rest of the spell. For the first time since Capricorn told her that something like this was possible she finally had an idea of what she needed to do. It was a good feeling knowing that she was exploring parts of her magic that no mage had ever been able to reach.
It also made her that much closer to their goal. She was getting there, one step at a time, she was determined that she would be able to take on Erza one day and it had to be soon. The war would come and this time she was determined that she would be able to win.
While she was busy working on herself Natsu and Happy managed to complete their job two days early. Natsu had been given a silver gate key as part of the reward. He knew that Lucy would be over joyed with her present and the opportunity to make a new friend but at the same time he enjoyed spending time with Happy.
It felt like ages since the two of them had hung out without anyone around. Thinking back to the amount of time that he had been spending with Lucy he realized that it had been nearly three months since they had travelled to the past and already so many things were different.
Happy seemed at peace floating next to him pointing out some of the things that he found interesting and the two of them mostly chatted aimlessly. It was nice, not to be worrying about anything and just enjoying the day with his friend even though he knew that he hadn't been a very good friend to Happy recently.
Natsu hoped that Mystogan and Siegrain had already left the guild with Laxus. They did say that they would be gone in about four days and that time was up. He also wondered how much longer Mira and Erza would stay away. He gave it another month tops which also meant that they would all be back soon and then he would be watched even more closely. He resisted the urge to sigh at that thought. He really wished that everyone would just disappear for a little while longer.
He knew that he was different and that he was acting differently. When everyone came back they would all be on his head, nagging him about the changes and he didn't want that. He knew things and remembered things that they didn't have he did change a lot. He had grown during the time that he met Lucy and formed his team and the problem was that they didn't know that and he didn't know how to explain his changes to them.
Natsu knew that gramps was already worried about his change. Master Makarov was watching him closely ever since he had come back. Natsu didn't mean to act different but he couldn't even remember how he was supposed to be acting.
He knew things that everyone else didn't and he had an idea of what the future could hold. Natsu just wasn't the person that he had been at eighteen years old and now that the change hadn't been gradual he had people looking at him funny.
When Erza and Mira got back things would get more difficult especially if he wanted to hide Lucy. They could just introduce her to the guild and let her join but they didn't want to do that just yet. Lucy wanted to work on her magic and her training.
They both spent nearly ten to twelve hours a day training either together or separately. Once she joined the guild their team would be around constantly. They wouldn't have the same time that they had now and then there was the fact that he had technically gotten married and he hadn't told anyone in the guild.
Natsu knew that it would come out eventually but he couldn't help but want to be a little selfish. He wanted to keep things the way they are now, just Lucy, Happy and him as a family. Natsu guessed that Lucy would probably want to train for maybe nine more months. Then she would be done with her training and want to exercise her new powers and go on jobs. That would be the perfect time to join the guild.
That would also give them technically a year as a married couple. It would be enough time for them to be together and move out of their honeymoon phase. It would also be enough time for him to be comfortable with the change in their relationship and make it strong. He just wanted some time away from the guild and the people there. They all wanted answers and to be there and to try and help but sometimes you don't need help. You just need some time alone.
Natsu just had to hope that Erza and Gray stayed out of his business until he was ready. He also hoped that when they came back he would still have enough time to spend with Lucy. He bit his lip because he knew that they wouldn't leave him be, they cared too much. Erza especially wouldn't buy any of his excuses. Since everyone got to go on a training trip, he thought that maybe he and Lucy should do the same thing and then he thought back to Wendy.
She was currently nine years old. A young girl with extraordinary powers and he could see that she looked up to both of them. If he waited for Erza and Mira to return before taking his own trip with Lucy, Wendy and Happy then he could buy more time and probably get a lot more done.
Wendy needed training and even though he had given her the basics of their offensive abilities she needed more practice. She needed someone to help her train so that she didn't hurt herself. At the age that she was, if for any reason she pushed herself too far she could get hurt or damage her magic container and that would open up a whole new set of problems.
His powers on the other hand were extremely destructive and he needed to train them. An island somewhere would be the perfect place to train Wendy and for himself. A place where no one would get hurt or worry about the destruction. There were plenty of deserted islands crawling with monsters that they could test their strength against.
Lucy could also teach Wendy how to open her second origin. Natsu and Lucy still had their second origin open from the Grand Magic Games when Ultear opened it for them. All she did was technically speed up the process for opening the container. While exercising your magic container it was possible to slowly open the second container in the body. Lucy meditated and exercised both containers while she trained and she taught him how to do it as well.
If he could convince Wendy to come with them on their training trip then Lucy could teach her how to do that. He knew that leaving her guild would be extremely hard but at the same time he knew that if he left her there all alone she would only be hurt in the long run when Nirvana was finally destroyed. He didn't want her to stay there, not knowing about the world or how powerful she could be.
Wendy didn't grow in Caitshelter. She didn't go on jobs she didn't train or meet new people. She just hid away waiting for Mystogan. He wanted her to live a better life. One that was less lonely than the one she currently had so taking her away for a little while would probably sit better with her than telling her to leave her guild and join his. Wendy would feel more comfortable if he offered to bring her back after some training and maybe, just maybe she would choose to come with them earlier.
Lucy wrote letters to Wendy every couple of days, letting her know how they were doing and answering any questions that she had or giving her advice. They weren't strangers to her anymore so she wasn't afraid of them however he didn't know how Carla would take it. He would essentially asking them to leave their guild and go off to a place where there are no other people and trust that he won't get them killed. Carla was very protective of Wendy but she would also follow her anywhere that she went so he assumed that she would moan and groan for a little while before getting over it.
As for Lucy, Natsu had the feeling that she was going to be getting restless soon. There was only so much that one could do on their own or with a partner if they wanted to train their magic. There would come a time when you would want to see how much you have improved and beating up some magical creatures on an island would probably be the best way to do something like that. Lucy could see how far she has come fighting against someone that isn't him and gain some experience. The best way to learn is through experience.
Natsu grinned to himself. He was happy that he managed to come up with a solution to his problems. He knew that Lucy would be excited to go on this journey to see how far she had come. He could also admit that he really wanted to see how she did all on her own. Lucy hated the fact that she needed to be saved all the time and now she was someone who could protect her friends and save them instead of having it the other way around.
"Hey Happy how would you like to go exploring?" he asked and the blue cat simply saluted him with an 'Aye sir'. He knew that it would be the only way to ensure he got some peace would be to go away for a little while. When they returned Lucy would make friends again and they wouldn't have as much time together but she wouldn't be lonely besides he couldn't be selfish forever.
Natsu knew that once they returned things wouldn't be the same anymore. He wouldn't be the only person in her life anymore and that would be fine because they were still married. He would be her priority besides he once brought her to Fairy Tail and gave her a family because she had been lonely and he promised her that she would never be alone ever again.
Lucy missed Erza, Cana, Mira and even Juvia and when they returned it wouldn't be much longer before the rest of their family would find their way to her. Lucy had been named the 'Light of the Fairies' not only because she embodied their values but because she soothed their demons. Everyone had been drawn to her in some way. When they returned it would happen again and he knew it so for now he was going to be selfish. He was going to hide away with his wife until they were ready to face the rest of the world.