Hello! I plan on updating quickly, so sorry again for the long wait for chapters. I'll update this story/part all at once until part/story 3 is complete. Then I'll begin part/story 4. Enjoy this chapter! :D
Plan In Action
No One's P.O.V
As Natsu sits, holding a sleeping Cyrus, who just suffered a severe vision, the rest of the group wanders off to find supplies to spend the night and possibly the next day. Gajeel, Freed, and Jellal leave to find the needed wood for building shelters and a bon fire. Juvia, Erza, Wendy, and Lucy head off to find safe food and fresh water. The sun beginning to send fire golden ribbons through the trees.
As the ladies make their way back to the clearing, where Natsu and Cyrus remain seated, Wendy pauses behind a bush to spy on the two. Having left before Cyrus fell asleep, the girls huddle together behind the bush at Wendy's motion and they all curiously peek through the bush together.
"Are they sleeping?" Juvia asks, a look of longing and jealousy plastered on her face. Gray is on her mind, but she takes care to be quiet, so not to be heard by the two.
"Awe! They are so cute, aren't they!" Wendy smiles, hands clasped together, as she answers just as quiet as Juvia.
"If Natsu is really asleep, we would have heard him by now." Lucy flatly, yet quietly, responds.
"What do you mean?" Wendy questions.
"He would be snoring so loud, that we would have heard him on the other side of the forest!" She whispers loudly, obvious irretation in her voice.
"You're jeeeeaaalllooouuuuuss!" Happy, appearing suddenly behind her, drags out, paw over his mouth to fail at stopping his laughter. Wendy giggles, and Carla sighs.
"SHUT IT CAT!" Lucy spats loudly, making Natsu look in her direction.
"Will you all be quiet!" He barks in a loud whisper. "She's trying to sleep!" He scowls.
"Wait, you knew we were here?" Wendy asks curiously with a little guilt.
"Yeah, cuz you guys talk loud enough!" He frowns slightly, as the girls go around the bush and into the clearing, safe, edible berries and other plants in their arms.
"Did she speak of her vision at all while we were gone?" Erza asks quizzically as she sets down her load on the ground, and the others follow her lead, making a fair sized pile. He shakes his head.
"Nope. Slept the whole time." He grins at the thought. "But she's been muttering in her sleep about long twisting hallways and screaming. Something about 'Don't hurt them.' or 'Get away.' and 'leave them alone.' It's weird." He lifts his shoulders, out of ideas. But just as he moves, Cyrus stirrs and slowly blinks her eyes open. Taking a deep breath, she rubs her eyes with her hand.
"Wha...?" She quietly mumbles, looking around, bewildered.
"Hey, sleepy head." Natsu smiles, looking down at her. She foggly looks back at him, then shifts her gaze to Erza as she walks over.
"How are you feeling, Cyrus?" Erza asks.
"Lazy and tired." Cyrus mumbles in return, humor still very well in tact.
"What did you see?" Erza presses. Cyrus stiffens.
"I can't remember." She answers a little too quickly, recieving a blank look from Erza in return. "Fine. I remember, but...I don't want to talk about it." Cyrus mutters, looking away from Erza's peircing stare.
"I understand that, but we need to know. If it is something of importance, then it may help us find Levy and Grey." Erza perssists. When Cyrus hears that it could possibly help her missing friends, she reluctanty whispers to Natsu.
"Could I tell just you, then you can tell them after? Like...alone. I don't want them watching me..." She ends with a bit of embarrassment.
Natsu smiles, and nods. "Sure thing. I'll see what they think." He then turns his attention to Erza and the others. "Would guys mind if Cyrus and I talked it all over, then I pass it on to you guys after?"
"Why can't she talk to us?" Lucy begins to mouth off. "It's not that bad, I mean-"
"Of course, Natsu." Erza interrupts, " We don't mind at all. Besides, Lucy," She gives the blonde a hard glare, "We could use more rations than this. It's not much, and there's lots of time to get more. Right?" She solidly calls behind her to the girls, and they all agree, as well as a reluctant Lucy's quiet "sure". "Alright then. We'll be off, and when we get back with more rations, you'll let us know about the vision. Correct?"
"Yep." Natsu nods, and Cyrus avoids eye contact at all costs.
With a curt nod and final glace at Cyrus, Erza shoos her group away and back into the woods to begin finding more edible plants. Once Natsu is sure they're out of ear shot and making more distance, he nudges Cyrus' arm.
"So. What is it about this vision that's sewed your mouth shut to everyone?" He tries to tease and get her started on the vision, but only recieves a dark glare. "Okay." He puts his hands up in a show of surrender. "So that didn't work. But you know. You'll have to tell us sooner or later." He tiltes his as far sideways as he can to peer at her face when she looks away. He leans up against her, "Soooooooo...? What's it gonna be...?" He bursts into a defiant, big smile when she glares at him again. Seeing him smile so care free forces her to smile too, but she tries with all her might to not smile. Natsu notices this, and he smiles even bigger.
"Okay...I'll talk." She pouts slightly, before bracing herself to remember the vision. She pulls her knees to her chest. "First...it starts here. And I am shown the way to the dark guild's building. It's like the size of our guild hall. It looked dark and gloomy. The darkness seemed to leak out of it. I'm taken over a big wall and into the court yard, then through some big doors. I go down many halls, taking a bunch of turns...I can barely remember how many...And I end up in front of these massive wooden doors with a big lock on them. I can hear screams behind it, full of pain. The doors open, and I see 3...no...4 people, I think. There's Levy and Grey both unconcious on the floor, beaten and bleeding out..." Her mouth quivers as she pauses to collect herself and steel her emotions so she can finish. "Then, next to them...stands one of the men I've been attacked by. I remember seeing him a few times...I think his name was...uh...J-Jag...And then over in a corner on this ledge way up the wall by the ceiling, there's this shadowed figure I can't make out. There...might have been a fith person behind the figure, but it was so dark, that I don't know if it was just an object up there, or an animal, or a person, or what. But then it all went black, and I heard Wendy and Carla's voices..." Cyrus trails off and goes silent. Natsu gives her a hug, with a squeeze before letting go.
"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" He grins, and recieves a hard glare. "Okay. It was probably awful to talk about, but you did it. I'll tell everyone once they get back. Thank you." Natsu grins widely, making Cyrus give a small smile of her own in return. Then a big yawn overtakes her, and she slumps against Natsu again, ready to sleep. She closes her eyes despite Natsu's shock, and falls back to sleep once more. Natsu watches her for a little, then smiles and waits patiently for everyone to return.
Shortly, the group has made 5 little shelters that can hold 2 people each, and they have managed to find a good amount of food, and water. Happy and Pantherlilly found a stream, and bring back several fish for the mages to cook. Happy had eaten a few before they returned though, returning with another in his mouth, munching away. This left Pantherlilly to switch to his big version and carry all the fish for everyone else back, so Happy won't eat anymore of them.
As the group roasts their fish over an open fire Natsu had started, he describes what he can remember of what Cyus had told him, who sits beside him sleepily. Every now and again, she would quietly correct or remind him, not looking away from the fire and her shish kabob fish.
"And that's it." Natsu finishes with a shrug.
Erza frowns, deep in thought. "This is something we should not take lightly." She announces. "We must plan our way to get in without alerting the whole building, and get Levy and Grey out of there before the others get to them."
"Yes. That is the main priority once Cyrus is well enough to travel and can hold her own once more." Jellal nods in agreement.
"But how to penetrate the hall without being detected will be another matter." Freed warns. " We cannot be seen, or we'll only escalate risk of being captured ourselves."
"If we can get over the wall that surrounds the courtyard and guild, then we could stay in the shadows it will cast and dodge the possible soldiers that will be guarding the yard." Lucy ponders, a plan brewing already. "Once we get in and past everyone, then we could sneak through the halls, and stay around a corner if a guard happens to show up...Then when we get to the doors with the lock, we can pick the lock, and try to rescue Levy and Grey somehow..."
"That's a good idea, Lucy, but there are many details you have not yet considered." Erza replies. "Say this guild has tight security, since it is a dark guild, and the council could be after it. Should there be security lacrima, which there most likely are, we would be spotted immediatly before we even get to the outside of the building."
Her knowledgable point makes everyone agree silently. Only, Cyrus frowns with worry and a hint of sadness.
"If there are security lacrima, what if we were to somehow shut them down long enough to get out of their range of survalence and into the courtyard?" Freed suggests. Cyrus' eyes widen slightly as though she remembered something.
"No." She whispers. Everyone turns their attention on her. "No." She says louder. They look at her questioningly. " I remember that guild. I was there once before as an assessment. I had to get in, reach the center of the building without getting lost, then get out without being spotted. It was one of my final tests. There aren't any larcima outside the wall, or inside it either. But the halls are full of them." Her eyes harden with a stratigic look in them, her mind realing. "If we take out the lacrima by destroying them, then the soldier at the post watching them, would notice something wrong, and would alert the whole place. But...if one of us can get in, and take that post out, turn off the lacrima, then give us a signal somehow, we'll be able to get in without notice." She looks everyone over to make sure they were following her. But of course, Natsu just stares, almost lost, but impressively still understanding most of it. "That's where it'll get tricky. How would we get that one person in without sounding an alarm you ask? Well. There's no easy way to do it. So I'm going to need Freed and Lucy for that part." The two said mages straighten their backs at that. "I'll explain why later. But while us three are busy, everyone else needs to sneak by and get into a hall to hunker down and wait for us. Once we are done, Jellal. You'll flash a light in our direction 3 times once you see us to give us your location. We'll meet up there to rest up for a little." Again she pauses to make sure everyone understands. "None of the soldiers will know we're in. So we have to get through the halls like Lucy meantioned earlier. Hide around the corners when a soldier is comming. Then, pick the lock and get Levy and Grey. Wendy, you'll have to tend to their wounds while everyone keeps watch. Once they're well enough to get around easily, we'll get out, and get out fast." I nod, indecating that my plan is through.
Erza slowly nods first, then the rest join in. Even Natsu managed to absorb the plan for the most part. "And what of Freed and Lucy's jobs?" Erza reminds Cyrus.
"They will be with me." Cyrus states. "Freed, do you think you could write a force feild over the courtyard, so none of the soldiers can escpae to throw the alarm?" She asks.
"It is within my abilities, yes. But I will need time, and I must know their strength. I wouldn't dare make the force feild too weak to contain them."
"The soldiers in the courtyard are quite the Knit-Wits, so I would say about half of your magic's strength worth of a sheild will do nicely. I've learned to never underestimate the enemy's abilities. They won't be able to get through with force, or try to rewrite it to get free, since their minds don't have the copasity to do so." She grins a bit darkly. "Once you've done that, Lucy and I will be the distractions to let you past to turn off the lacrima in the hallways. The room is in the corner tower next to the entrance of the building, not the wall, to the left. Once you've done that, wave through the window, I'll let the others know once the lacrima are down, so they can sneak past and get to a rendezvous point. That alright with everyone?" She asks the group. Lucy slightly raises her hand.
"U-umm...What exactly are you and I going to do?" She asks nervously.
"Nothing too crazy." Cyrus replies with an unnerving smile.
"Why don't I trust that look she's giving me...?" Lucy shakily says to the others.
Cyrus' P.O.V
Within a few hours, we are on the move again, guided by my memory. Gradually, I begin to see faint strings of dark grey-purple fog within the trees and brush. I am the first to notice this, but as it becomes thicker, the others take notice as well.
"What is this...?" Lucy murmers to herself, think no one would hear.
"This is the what I meant by you could see the darkness leaking from the guild, Lucy." I call back. She turns to look at me with a jolt. I look back at her blankly as the others look at me aswell. "Once this dark fog gets so thick that you can barely see 3 feet infront of you, it will stop abruptly, as though there is a barrier keeping it going this way." I point back the way we came. "There will be a clearing with none of this fog in it. At the center...will be the guild." My face stays blank and serious.
"So by the thickness of this, it will indecate how close we are." Erza replies. I nod.
"Yes. Let's keep going." I begin to move inward, and the others follow, Wendy and Lucy glancing at each other hesitantly, sharing their tiny spark of unease, before following.
After a while of walking, the complaints return. "How much longeeeeerrrrrr...We've been walking for houuuurrrrrrrssss..." Happy whines.
"Walking!? YOU'VE BEEN FLYING YA STUPID CAT!" Lucy yells.
"Quiet!" I snap at them, slowing my walk to to a gliding stalk. I lower myself to a crouch almost as I reach a big bush and cluster of trees. The fog has become blindingly thick in the area. I peek through the bush...and hear the whispered continuation of Lucy and Happy's argument.
"Will you two be quiet!?" I whisper shout to them. "Lucy! Get over here! You too Freed." I order. Lucy grudgingly walks over, along with an unfazed Freed close behind. "Lucy, get three keys ready." She looks at me with confusion. "Get out Gemini, Leo, and Aquarious."
"O-okay...why?" She asks, pulling out the three mentioned keys.
"We're here."
OOOOOOHHOOOOHHOOOO! WELL! I'mma leave you THERE! OOOOO! Suspence! Not really. So. What do ya think is gonna happen to our rescue team!? What's Lucy gonna get dragged into AGAIN!? They just made it to the Death Guild! OOOOOO! Very nasty stuff in there, don't you think? Yeah, okay. I had a bunch of caffene today, so yeah. I'm a bit jittery. That's what's up with all the "OOOOOOOO"s and stuff. Anyway, read on! The next chapter will be waiting soon! xD