Lucy Heartfilia stood there before Boudica and her assembled group. Lucy was completely caught off guard by their sudden arrival, and wasn't sure what to do. Just a few minutes earlier she had been sleeping soundly (if not comfortably) inside the guild. She had been woken by a strange noise, came out to investigate, and found this scene in front of her. The only thing Lucy knew for sure was that they wanted to see Makarov. She noticed that Macao and Wakaba struggled and tried to speak, but the strange specters holding them prevented them from doing either.
Most of the attention was now placed on Lucy. She knew who these people were, and also knew it probably wasn't a good idea to try taking them on by herself. She needed to warn the others. While Lucy was having these thoughts, Seraiisa had moved back to Boudica, whispering something to her. Lucy got the feeling that she should get out of there while she could.
"Just… just wait right here, I'll go get the master for you. I'm sure he'll be right out." She tried to remain calm as she said this. She turned and moved back towards the door to the guild, but after taking a single step she found that she couldn't move any further. She tried to move, but some force was preventing it. At this point the little girl stepped forward again.
"Actually, I think you should wait right here." Seraiisa said. "I can deliver the message myself." Seraiisa then clenched her fists and put them to her shoulders, crossing her arms. The symbols on her outfit glowed brighter. Lucy didn't know what was happening, but she felt she should do something, even if only to distract them and get back to her friends. She reached for her keys, and began to draw one.
"You shouldn't do that." Boudica said. "I'll cut you down before any of your spirit friends can help you, child." Lucy hesitated, but decided to listen to Boudica for the moment. She just hoped her friends inside would know how to handle this.
Inside the guild hall, things were still quiet. Cana was still asleep, but Mirajane was now awake. She was sitting at a table rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, and straightening her hair. She was thinking about how to start the day. Should I have coffee first or brush my teeth first? She thought. I know you're supposed to brush your teeth first thing in the morning, but I don't like the taste of coffee and tooth paste together.
As Mirajane was having these mundane thoughts, another "thought" suddenly entered her mind. Mirajane. Can you hear me? Mirajane was startled by the sudden, but familiar voice. She turned her head left and right, wondering if she had just imagined it. But then it came back.
Mirajane, its me, Seraiisa. I know it's been a while. I'm outside the guild. I'm not alone. My friends and family are here. Mirajane listened to this, and became increasingly concerned.
"Seraiisa, can you hear me?" Mirajane said. She waited a moment.
Yes, I can hear you, barely. Seraiisa "said". Usually, this sort of communication is one way, but you're a pretty powerful mage.
"What do your friends want? Why are they here?" Mirajane asked.
I think you should come out here so we can talk in person. And bring Master Makarov too, please. Its important. A few of your friends are already out here with us, and I think they'd like you to hurry.
"Seraiisa wait, what do you mean? What are you planning to do?" Mirajane waited for a reply, but got none. Something suddenly occurred to her, and she looked around the room. She noticed that Lucy was no longer there. And she also remembered that Macao and Wakaba had been outside standing watch…
Mirajane stood up. She walked over to Cana, and gently but firmly shook her to wake her. "Cana, wake up." She said. Cana's eyes opened.
"Wha? What is it? Mirajane?" Cana said.
"Cana, listen. Seraiisa and some of her friends are outside. I think they might have Lucy, and I'm sure Macao and Wakaba are in trouble. We need to go get Master Makarov and tell him about this. Right now."
Cana blinked. She was still half asleep, and what Mirajane said didn't immediately register. "Wait, what do you mean?" Cana asked. "Seraiisa… Those 'Shadow King' guys? They're here?"
Mirajane nodded. "Yes. Now please hurry." Cana got up as quickly as she could and looked for her deck of cards.
"Hell of a wake-up call." She said. They then quickly went to get the master in the back. He had just woken up himself. They quickly explained what was happening, and he told them to wait at the door while he got ready. They did as he told them, and less then a minute later Makarov joined them. He had also brought Mystogan, who had stayed in the guild overnight, just in case something like this happened.
"Should we ask Miss Corona for help, since she's still here?" Mystogan said. Flare was still asleep in another room.
"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea." Cana said.
"I actually agree, she should sit this out." Mirajane added. While she didn't have the same distrust of Flare that Cana did, she still was unsure of how Flare would handle this situation, especially after the previous night.
"I did at least ask Warrod to call the other mages for help." Makarov said. "I wasn't expecting to have to do that again so soon." He sighed. "Anyway, enough standing around, our family needs our help." Without another word, the four of them stepped outside to meet their enemy.
The Fairy mages walked outside together, where they quickly took in the sight. Boudica, Seraiisa, Lucy, and the rest. Lucy, still standing at the same spot, turned to look at her friends. "Hey guys, good to see you." She said this in a calm voice, but there was an undercurrent of nervousness when she spoke.
"Its okay Lucy, we're here now." Mirajane said. Mirajane and Makarov both observed Lucy being held in place, and Seraiisa's glowing symbols. They saw Macao and Wakaba being held. Makarov took a few steps forward.
"So here we are again." He said. "This is the second time you've come to my guild, taken my children hostage, and attacked us. We'll have to make sure there's not a third time." He sounded steely and unafraid. Boudica smiled.
"You may be small, but you talk big. I see why you're the leader." She said. "I'll also point out that this is actually the first time I've come here. You must be thinking of Lord Yoshimoto. It is true he attacked your guild. But that was his idea, not mine. This time will be different. Unless you attack us first, of course. I wouldn't advise it."
"You have the nerve to say that after you show up here without warning and manhandle our mages?" Makarov said. He noticed that Boudica had a small group with her. And yet, she appeared very confident. Does she have more troops in that aircraft? Or is she really that powerful on her own? He silently thought this as he sized her up.
Boudica shrugged. "I wanted some assurance you would listen to me. I couldn't take the chance you would attack on sight. But I'll let them go if you promise not to attack us." She leaned back in her chair, awaiting Makarov's response. The keepers beside her stood impassive, their grip on the hostages like iron.
Makarov stood there, his fists shaking with anger. But he kept his anger in check and spoke in a level voice. "If you let them go right now, we won't attack. But we will defend ourselves if you go any further."
Boudica smiled. "Fair. We have an agreement." She clapped her hands, and the keepers let Macao and Wakaba go. Although, they weren't gentle about it. The two men were thrown forcefully several yards towards the guild. They rolled on the ground in an undignified manner. Seraiisa also released the spell holding Lucy, and the symbols on her robe stopped glowing.
Macao and Wakaba got up from the ground. Macao said, "You bitch!", directing the comment at Boudica. He charged his magic in his hands, but Makarov cut him off.
"Stop Macao! Enough. I promised we wouldn't attack if they released you. If you don't like that, go inside." Makarov made it clear he wasn't debating the matter. Macao reluctantly relented, but chose to stay there.
"There." Boudica said. "Now the hostages have been released, and you outnumber us. Feel better?"
"Marginally." Makarov responded. He was still on guard. "What is it you want?"
Boudica leaned forward. "Well, Master Makarov. Firstly, I wanted to meet you. I am Boudica by the way. Secondly, I wanted us to talk."
Makarov folded his arms. "Really? What is it you want to talk about?" He spoke with unveiled skepticism.
"I don't think we should talk here. Too public. Someplace more private." A small crowd of people were in fact starting to gather and watch the spectacle even as she said this. Just ordinary people witnessing the affairs of mages.
"Where did you have in mind?" Makarov asked.
"A neutral location." Boudica said. "Of my choosing."
"That doesn't sound very neutral." Makarov said.
"We can work out the details. In a few days, I'll send someone to your guild so you can discuss the matter. But if you refuse to meet with me, then that will be the end of that. I would like to work things out with you. We don't have to be enemies, even after what's happened. Keep in mind, our side has suffered losses as well. But I'm willing to forget that, and start a new relationship. But that depends on your answer. Of course, you don't have to decide today. Think on it for a few days."
After that, they all just stood in silence for a minute as they absorbed the words. Then, Boudica spoke again. "Now, does anyone else have anything they want to add?" She looked at Mirajane as she said this. Mirajane opened her mouth, but someone else spoke first.
"I believe that belongs to me." Mystogan said. He was pointing towards Torq. Or rather, he was pointing to what Torq was holding, a stave. One that looked suspiciously like the stave Mystogan had lost in the battle at the guild weeks earlier. Torq tilted his head and looked at Mystogan, while gripping the stave in his hand. As usual though, he said nothing. Seraiisa spoke up instead.
"Really? Cause it looks like it belongs to him, ninja man. Don't you people have a saying about possession being part of the law?" Mystogan didn't respond to this. Mirajane spoke instead.
"Seraiisa." She said. Seraiisa turned to look at Mirajane. The humor left Seraiisa's face, and she became more pensive.
"Mirajane." She responded simply. The two of them stood there for a moment in awkward silence. "Are you mad at me?" she asked.
"I'm not mad." Mirajane said. "Just disappointed." Seraiisa lowered her eyes.
"I'm sorry I had to lie to you. I'm sorry if I hurt you. But..."
Mirajane held up a hand. "I think I understand. You're not really responsible. You're just a child. You're only eleven years old."
"Twelve actually." Seraiisa said. "I had a birthday." She couldn't help showing a small smile at saying that.
"Oh, that's nice." Mirajane said. "The point is, you're just a kid." At this point, Mirajane moved a little closer to Seraiisa and knelt down. She then whispered, "I know you have some kind of attachment to that woman, but she's done bad things, and I think she might be crazy."
Seraiisa looked at Mirajane for a moment, and then back to Boudica, and then back to Mirajane again. "Mirajane…" Seraiisa said. "That crazy woman is my mom. And she is the opposite of bad." This last part was said in a stage-whisper. Mirajane stood back up, and a disturbed expression came over her features.
"Your m-mom?" Mirajane said. "Boudica is your mom?"
"Yeah." Seraiisa said. "She's actually pretty awesome once you get to know her."
Boudica smiled and shrugged. "She can be very expressive." She said to Mirajane. "Not that I discourage it." Mirajane didn't know what to say. She was still processing this.
"Now, if there's nothing else…" Boudica said.
"Actually, there is one more thing." Mirajane said.
"And what would that be, dear?" Boudica said.
Mirajane stepped forward. "Is Lisanna with you?" she asked. Boudica didn't immediately respond. She sat up in the chair and leaned back, her expression cold. A moment of silence. Boudica's reaction told Mirajane that what they heard from Mystogan was probably true. If it wasn't true, then Boudica would have simply asked who Lisanna was, or at least denied knowing anyone by that name. This was Mirajane's thought process.
"Where is she?" Mirajane persisted. "What have you done with her? What have you done to her? I want to know." Seraiisa became visibly concerned at this point and looked back at her mother. Boudica then shrugged again.
"I am curious how you found out about that." Boudica said. "But yes, your sister Lisanna is with us. She has been for some time. You want to see her? You can. I'm sure she wants to see you too. Which gives you further incentive for agreeing to meet with us. If you do that, then you can see her, and all of your questions will be answered."
Mirajane exchanged a look with Makarov. Even if Mirajane wanted to agree, the decision was ultimately his. Makarov's expression was hard to read. He didn't want to give anything away in front of the enemy.
"You can take time to think about it, talk amongst yourselves." Boudica said. "As for us, we'll be leaving now." The keepers finally began to move after standing still as statues for some time. They each went to grab Boudica's chair. But before they could go any further, something happened.
"Hey!" a voice said. It came from several yards away in the street. Everyone turned to look at the source. "You made a big mistake coming back here." The newcomer said. As he approached, they could now see who it was: Gray Fullbuster. He had heard Warrod's call, and arrived before most of the other mages did. Gray threw off his shirt (as he is wont to do) and advanced on the intruders while preparing an ice-make spell. Boudica stood up.
"Gray, stop!" Makarov said. It was unclear if Gray didn't hear the master in time, or just ignored him. Either way, he launched an ice volley directly at Boudica. The ice impacted against what appeared to be a golden shield of light around her.
"You'll have to do better than that, child." She said.
"Oh, I will." Gray said, preparing another, larger attack. "I'm not afraid of you."
"Are you sure about that?" Boudica said. She raised her hand and snapped her fingers. Almost immediately after she did that, Torq raised one hand, and in the other raised the stave. He struck the bottom of the stave into the ground, and a percussive sound could be heard, followed by a magical force that quickly spread outward. Gray stopped preparing the spell, and his expression changed to one of fear and dread. He slowly got to his knees, and put his hands to his head. The other Fairy Tail mages in the vicinity reacted similarly.
Mirajane went to the ground, feeling a sudden sensation of great fear, just as the others were. It came on suddenly and without warning. Mirajane looked up at Seraiisa, who looked at her sadly, and then began to walk away. If Mirajane looked directly at Torq, than she found that the fear sensation became even worse.
"My offer to meet with you still stands." Boudica said, although they could barely concentrate on her words. "I'll send an envoy. Although, if you do decide to come, then I would advise you not bring the ice mage along." By this point Mirajane had closed her eyes tight. Gray still made an effort to stand, but found he couldn't make significant progress towards his enemy. His fear wouldn't let him. Amongst all of this, the sound of the airship taking off could be heard. After it left the scene, the mages began gradually returning to normal.
Back in Bosco, Lisanna was just waking up from the night before. She had stayed outside with Natsu that night. She hadn't planned on that happening, but she was glad it did. She enjoyed spending time with him more than anyone else, even if they were asleep for much of that time.
Her eyes fluttered open as the too bright sunlight shone down on her. She slowly started to get up and stretch. Despite sleeping outside instead of on a bed, her sleep had been surprisingly comfortable and restful. But something was missing. She looked around her, and realized that she was alone. Natsu was gone. It wasn't unlike Natsu to just take off without saying anything, but she was still slightly disappointed. She was hoping to spend more time with him in the morning.
As Lisanna started to get up, she noticed something. There was a piece of paper pinned under a rock on the ground, and something was written on it. She picked it up and read it.
Lisanna, I got up early and you were still sleeping. Didn't want to wake you. I'm going for a walk. We'll talk later.
Natsu
The note was short and to the point, but it made her feel a little better. Although, she didn't know when she was going to see him again. Maybe he's really just going for a walk, Lisanna thought. But knowing him, its just as likely he's going off to do something dangerous that'll keep him away all day. I guess I'm one to talk though. Besides the Catena excursion, Boudica had also had Lisanna accompany them on another mission after that. Not as big or dangerous, but still with a certain amount of violence and magic.
She got up, and started heading back towards the entrance. She stepped inside and looked around. What should I do? Go back to my room? Or… After thinking for a minute, she decided that she would go visit Sael. She had been getting to know him, and felt more comfortable around him than many of the other people here. He was also working on some new project she was curious about. The problem is, he didn't live there in the main building. He lived in a separate building a short distance away. In between those two buildings was Arnok's camp. Arnok and his warriors didn't live inside, but lived outside wherever they felt like. Currently, they had decided to set up shop near Sael's building, much to his annoyance.
After thinking about it, she decided to go anyway. They probably wouldn't do anything to hurt her, she decided. But just in case, she would try to pass through as quickly as possible.
Lisanna walked to the other side of the building and went outside. She started walking towards Sael's building, which was about a twenty-minute walk. The building was tall and bronze colored, so she could already see it as soon as she left the main building. Instead of being a rectangular building, it was more like a tower. She had never been inside before, but Sael had told her that she could come visit if she wanted.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, she came to Arnok's camp. Arnok himself was sitting on a makeshift throne of sorts. His warriors were engaged in various activities; drinking, fighting each other, sharpening weapons. Most of them were half naked (what little clothes they wore largely consisted of animal skins and furs), and all of them were male. Lisanna didn't feel especially comfortable or welcome there. Arnok didn't necessarily seem opposed to female warriors, since he was willing to fight with Boudica. But Lisanna had a hard time picturing any women being part of Arnok's group, with how decidedly masculine and macho it was.
"What are you doing here, girl?" Arnok said, noticing her. She didn't want to talk to him, but he might get offended if she didn't respond.
"I want to see Sael. His tower is over there, so I'm just passing through. Don't mind me." She said.
"But I do mind you." Arnok said. "You're standing in my shadow." For a second Lisanna was confused by this, until she realized he was speaking figuratively. She had come to his space uninvited. Some of the warriors had stopped to stare at the altercation. A few of them stared at her specifically, making her a little uncomfortable.
"Well, sorry for intruding." She said. "I really just wanted to talk- "
"Yes, your kind does love to talk." He said. Lisanna didn't know what he meant by "your kind". She wasn't sure how to respond, so for a minute she just stood there awkwardly, wondering if it was okay for her to go. She knew that if Natsu were here then this situation would play out different. Probably violently.
Lisanna could hear someone chanting. It was a man standing over what appeared to be a large bronze axe. The weapon was on an altar while the man chanted some kind of spell. This man was different from the others in Arnok's group. He was not a warrior, but a shaman. He was less muscular, but still shirtless, and wearing some sort of kilt.
"Your weapon should be ready soon master." The shaman said. Arnok shifted in his seat.
"It had better be." Arnok said. While still looking at the shaman's ritual, Arnok said, "You can go, girl. Go and talk to your cripple king, and watch as he plays with his toy soldiers." His tone was both derisive and dismissive.
"Thank you." Lisanna said in a neutral tone, and quickly left the camp site. She headed on to the tower, and was glad to be away from them. But then she realized she would have to pass them again on the way back…
After walking a few more minutes, she arrived at the door to the tower. She knocked. After a moment, she could hear some noise from inside, and a sound at the door.
"Um, its Lisanna." She said. "I wanted to talk to Sael, if he's here." She was starting to wonder if this was a good idea. What if he's not here? What if he doesn't want to see me? She thought to herself. But the door opened, and Sael himself was there.
"Hello Lisanna. Its good to see you. Come in." he said. She followed him inside, and he closed the door. She moved to the side of his chair as he moved forward into the room.
Lisanna stepped into the room and looked around. It was spacious, and yet cluttered at the same time. There was a spiral staircase that went up to further levels, although she imagined Sael couldn't use that.
"There is a device I can maneuver the chair into so I can go up." He said. He noticed her looking, and felt the need to explain. Now that he mentioned it, she did notice something sticking out. Some prongs that can attach to the chair.
"That's… cool." She said, unsure how else to respond. She looked around more, and one of the walls had various machine parts hanging up on it. There was a work station nearby as well. This must be where he works on them, she thought. She saw limbs, big and small. Heads, both animal-like and humanoid. And various weapons as well. The rest was just circuits, and screws, and other odds and ends scattered about the station.
Sael also kept a bookcase on the other side of the room, many of them having to do with science or magic. I guess he's not big on fiction, she thought. But there was one thing in the room that she was particularly curious about. In a corner was something large with a sheet draped over it. It didn't look dusty or neglected. She assumed it must be something he's working on.
"So, what brings you here today, Lisanna?" he asked. She turned back to him.
"Oh, well… To be honest, I just wanted someone to talk to." She said. "Which I guess sounds kind of silly. I didn't mean to bother you. You're obviously busy with stuff."
Sael adjusted his spectacles and smiled a little. "No, its alright. I rarely get visitors here, so this is a nice change from routine. Besides, I'd rather talk to you than Arnok out there. I hope he didn't give you too much trouble."
"Just a little." She said. "He seemed more interested in that axe of his. I guess it's important to him?"
"It's a replica of one he used a millennium ago." Sael replied. "It enhances his power. But the original was lost. The shaman is enchanting the replacement. But enough about him. How are you doing? And how is your friend Natsu?"
Lisanna shifted a little, thinking of how to respond. "I'm doing good, more or less. And Natsu… He's fine. I think. I'm not really sure." Lisanna paused and tried to organize her thoughts better. "I was with him earlier, but I don't know where he is now. I was hoping to talk to him this morning. It seems like its hard to keep track of him. He's always off doing something."
Sael nodded. "I imagine Boudica and the others keep him busy. I know she likes to keep him on a leash, so to speak." Lisanna gave him a questioning look. She knew that, due to extenuating circumstances, Natsu had been restricted in his movement. But she had never thought of it in terms of Boudica deliberately keeping him "on a leash". It made her feel uncomfortable. Sael noticed her reaction.
"Well, you didn't hear that from me." Was all he said. Lisanna still hadn't fully figured him out. She thought he was nice, and friendly. But he also seemed… off somehow. But then, she felt that none of the people she knew, herself included, were really "normal".
Her thoughts were interrupted by an unexpected voice. "Sire, we've finished with three of the lacrimas, but the other two will take more time. The stronger material is definitely helpful though." The voice belonged to a young woman standing on the stairway.
"Thank you." Sael said. "I'll be up later to look it over." The woman nodded and returned to what she was doing.
"Who was that?" Lisanna asked.
"Hm? Oh, she's one of my assistants." He responded. "I have a number of researchers and engineers helping me with these creations."
"Funny. Somehow, I kind of pictured you doing all this stuff yourself." She said. "But I guess this makes more sense."
Sael smiled softly. "Well, that's flattering, but I couldn't do all of this alone." He said. "I have a few dozen researchers and helpers working with me. They are, in fact, all that remains of my former kingdom." He didn't sound emotional when he said this, although his voice took on a dark tone.
"I don't really know much about your kingdom. I guess I never thought of asking before." Lisanna said.
"I doubt you would find it interesting." Sael said. "From your perspective its all ancient history. I'll just say that it was a very advanced society. More advanced than any other at the time, and in some ways still more than modern countries. Ironically, we were eventually overrun by barbarians."
"Arnok?" she asked.
"No. Although, the fact that I aligned with him is also ironic, I suppose." He said.
Lisanna thought this over for a moment. "I'm a little curious about something. Arnok has warriors, but I've only seen you use machines. Do you have any soldiers like he does?"
Sael shook his head. "I'm afraid not. They all died or surrendered before I… disappeared from the world. As I said, the few dozen I mentioned and myself are all that's left. It is possible there are still living descendants of our old culture. I don't know. As for Arnok, he also only has a few dozen. Mostly warriors, because that was always his priority. Lord Yoshimoto was luckier. He still has hundreds of his samurai."
In her time there, Lisanna had never really known the details of the alliance, so this was all new information for her. She still had more questions, but found that Sael had moved over to a different part of the room. He had apparently lost interest in the subject.
"Well, I guess you're pretty busy here, so I won't hold you up anymore." She said.
"Actually, there is something I wanted to show you. If you have time." He said.
"Sure. What is it?" she said, moving closer to him. Sael looked at the large figure with the sheet over it.
"This is something I've been working on." He said. "I haven't been satisfied with the performance of my machines in combat situations. So, I've been working on some new and improved models. Stronger, faster, more durable. I had to search for new materials. This is one of the first results."
Lisanna's curiosity was piqued. She really wanted to know what it was.
"Could you please remove the sheet? Its difficult for me since I cannot stand." He said. Lisanna obliged. She walked over to the figure, and carefully removed the sheet, revealing what was underneath. Upon seeing it, she gasped in surprise. It was a human sized machine. It was humanoid in shape, but had wings and talons. It looked familiar to her, especially the face.
"Do you like it?" Sael said. Lisanna tilted her head a little while looking at it.
"Um, its very nice." She said. "Its detailed, and it looks stronger than the others. But… Is it just me, or does it…"
"Look like you?" Sael said. "Why yes, it does. I'm glad you noticed." Now that Lisanna thought about it, she remembered him saying that he might create something based on one of her animal forms. But she wasn't expecting this. It resembled her harpy form closely. But that wasn't all. The face looked quite similar to Lisanna's own face, and even the "hair" was similar. She wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or creeped out by it.
"You obviously put a lot of work into it." She said slowly.
"I'm glad you like it." He said, seemingly not noticing her discomfort. He spent a few minutes explaining some of the technical details of the creation. But for the most part she wasn't really paying attention. The machine modeled after her threw her off. She wondered what it would look like when it was moving.
"So, any questions, or comments?" he said.
"Oh, it's very nice." She said briefly.
"You seem a little distracted." He said. She shrugged.
"Oh, I was just thinking about Natsu. I was wondering if he was back from his walk." She said.
"Ah. I see." He replied. "Well, I won't get in the way of young lovers. You should go see him, instead of spending all day in here."
"Well, we're not lovers." She said. "I mean, I like him. And I like being around him. But we're not- "
"Its fine." He said. "Relationships can be complicated. Or so I'm told. You should go be with your… Natsu. I'm glad you stopped by. Good day, Lisanna."
"Thanks. Same." She said. She started to leave, but then remembered something and groaned.
"Something the matter?" Sael said.
"I just remembered I'll have to pass by Arnok again. Not looking forward to that. But Its fine. I'll just deal with it."
Sael turned to face her, putting his hand on his chin. "If it bothers you that much, then why don't you just turn into a bird and fly over them?" he said. Lisanna looked at him for a second, and then smacked her head with her hand.
"Oh, well duh. I'm so stupid." She said.
Sael shrugged. "We all have our moments where we miss something obvious." He said. Lisanna laughed.
"Yeah. Thanks. And thanks for making time for me."
"Don't mention it." He said. Lisanna then left the tower, and changed into a form with flight.
"So, what do we do now?" Cana said.
"That's what we're here to decide." Makarov added.
"We go and kick their asses, that's what." Gray responded.
They were all back inside the guild, the fear effect having worn off. No serious damage had been done to anyone, but it was not one of Fairy Tail's finest moments.
The mages were all sitting and standing in a disorganized fashion. A few other mages, like Juvia and Elfman, had since arrived, and were quickly caught up on what had happened. Unsurprisingly, emotions were running high.
"We could have taken them if some of you guys had backed me up." Gray said.
"We didn't exactly have a lot of time to prepare." Cana said.
"If I had been there, things would have been different." Elfman said.
"All of you, shut up!" Makarov said. Everyone went silent and looked at him. He stood up on a table to make himself seen. "Enough of this. Its time for us to make a decision. These people gave us an ultimatum, and are giving us a few days to decide. We could meet with them like they want. On the other hand, we could also just go and attack them head on. Both options are risky. I could make this decision for the guild as its master. But I want to know what you all think. What should we do?"
For a moment no one said anything. They considered Makarov's words. Gray was the first to speak up.
"Well, you already know what I think. We attack the bastards, like they've attacked us. Enough of this playing defense crap." There was no hesitation in Gray's words.
"Hey look, I want revenge too, but we don't even know where their base is." Macao was the one who said this.
"We know its in Bosco, and based on what Mystogan told us we should at least have a general idea of where to start looking." Gray said.
Mirajane stood up. "Maybe meeting with them wouldn't be a bad idea. There's a chance we could work this out peacefully."
Gray looked disgusted. "Work this out peacefully? What are you talking about? After everything they've done, there's no resolving this peacefully. Are you saying that because of that little girl? Cause she was just using you. Or maybe its Lisanna? Even if they do have her, you think they're gonna let you see her?"
At this point Elfman stood up. "Hey, that's enough. I want to kick their asses as much as you do. But if Mira says we should talk, maybe its worth trying. If it doesn't work, we can always kick their asses after that. And if Lisanna is going to be there, then I want to see her too. I need to know if it's really her."
Gray made a "tch" sound in response. Juvia then raised her hand. "Personally, I'm in favor of going to meet them." She said. "It could give us a chance to learn more about them. If nothing else, it could be useful information."
Now Gray just looked annoyed. "What the hell is wrong with you people? You realize this is probably a trap, right? They came here and attacked us, twice, and now you want to go sit down and have a chat with them? Screw that. Let's stop wasting time and go deal with them once and for all." At this point, there was a silence in the room. A palpable tension could be felt.
"Never thought I'd see the day when Juvia sided against gray." Cana said.
"I don't always take his side. I have my own thoughts." Juvia said defensively.
"You usually take his side." Cana said. "At any rate, I agree with Gray. No talking, let's just go fight."
"I feel the same." Lucy said. "I mean, I'm not opposed to talking things out. But I really don't trust them. I don't think going to meet them would be the best idea."
At this point, Makarov nodded and said, "Alright, its good to know how you all feel about this, even if our opinions are divided. But not everyone is here. I want to know how the rest of the guild feels before I make my decision. And now that we've met some of these people in person, and have additional information from Mystogan, maybe we can use that as well. When Levy gets back I'll see if we can use all of the information we have to learn anything else that might help."
Makarov started to leave the room, but stopped and said, "I will say this: I am fully prepared to go head on and attack them. But if you all decide that we should go speak with them, I'll go along with that."
"You can't be serious." Gray said. Makarov turned to look at him.
"I'm trusting my children on this one. Choose carefully. But whatever is decided, I want us all to stand together." He said this softly, but firmly. He then left the room.
Murmurs of conversation sprang up around the room. People discussing what had happened, and what might happen. Gray just stared ahead for a moment, and then started to leave the guild. As he was leaving, he said something under his breath: "Talk things out with them? I don't think so."
