Mirajane sat in a comfortable padded chair with armrests. The chair had been brought to her by a servant so she could be more comfortable while talking with Boudica. Physically she felt relaxed. But internally, less so. She was on guard in this room full of people she didn't know, and had little reason to trust. She was also distracted by thoughts of what she had primarily come here for: Lisanna. Not that she wasn't interested in settling things peacefully for Fairy Tail's sake, if possible. But, as kind as she was, she wasn't so naïve as to blindly trust these people who she knew so little about. Including the woman sitting across from her.
Boudica sat looking at Mirajane, sitting in a comfortable yet alert position. "Mirajane Strauss." Boudica said. "I've wanted to speak with you for a while now."
Mirajane regarded Boudica, still wary. "Why?" she asked. "Why me? Makarov is our guild master. If you want to speak to someone in authority…"
Boudica waved her hand. "I'll speak to your master soon enough. Right now, I want you. As for why; to be frank, some of us have an interest in you, Mirajane. Like Seraiisa. She's fond of you. How do you feel about her?"
Mirajane shifted slightly, but kept focused on Boudica. "She's intelligent, and charming, and fun to talk to. I grew to like her quickly after I met her. But…" Mirajane let the word hang.
"She deceived you." Boudica offered. "You feel she betrayed your trust. And maybe you even put some of the blame on her for what happened to your guildmates. Just let me say, that she was only doing as I wished. That is to say, myself and the other leaders of our alliance. She is but a child, and has no authority yet. If you want to blame someone, then blame me. Just know that I have my reasons for everything I've done."
Mirajane made an effort to keep her voice and expression neutral. Boudica wore a friendly expression. Although, intentionally or not, there was still a hint of menace there as well. "I'm sure you do." Mirajane said. "What are they? Your reasons, I mean."
Boudica tented her fingers. She appeared to consider Mirajane's question. "That's a reasonable question, and I'll be happy to explain it to you in time. But we have other things to discuss right now. For example: what would you say if I said you could be with Lisanna again? Not just for today. She lives with us now, you know. But you live with Fairy Tail."
"Fairy Tail is my home, and its Lisanna's home too." Mirajane said.
"It was. But she has a new home. I believe she's content where she is. However, I think she would be even happier if she could be with you. She misses you."
Mirajane lowered her gaze a little. She listened to Boudica's words, trying to control her emotions. "I miss her too. That's why I want her to come home."
Boudica sighed. "You and she could both have a home with us. She's taken care of. You would be too."
"You want me to leave Fairy Tail and live with you? I don't know where you live, what your people are really like. I don't know how you brought Lisanna back either. In fact, until I see her I can't be entirely sure that she really is back. I won't leave my home to go live with you when I don't even know anything about you."
Boudica paused. "Of course, you're right. Fine. What do you want to know then?"
Mirajane took a breath and collected her thoughts. This was ostensibly a diplomatic mission, and Makarov had chosen to bring her along. She knew she needed to make some effort at choosing her words carefully. Although, she wasn't going to pretend that Lisanna wasn't a priority for her. "First of all, I want to see Lisanna, and speak to her. Second, if you want me to even consider your offer then you'll need to at least tell me what your goal is, what all of this is for."
Boudica nodded slowly, and smiled a little. "All right. I'll answer your questions, and then you can see Lisanna." Boudica crossed her legs and folded her hands. "As you may know, I am one of four people in charge of this alliance. We don't really have an official name, but some people like to call us 'Shadow Kings'. I don't mind it, even if it is a little arch. At any rate, my own goals and the goals of the other three leaders are not exactly the same. Arnok is a conqueror. Ergo, he wants to conquer. Yoshimoto is a dishonored samurai shogun. He wants to regain his honor, or at least his idea of honor. And myself? I have grander ambitions."
"And what would those be?" Mirajane asked.
Boudica looked up at the ceiling, seemingly gazing towards something far off. "Well, for one thing, I would like to overcome death. Not just for myself, but everyone."
"Is that why you've been reanimating those people, and animals?" Mirajane asked.
"That's one step in the process. But I'm trying to develop a better way. A way where they can come back perfect. Just imagine, no one ever having to lose anyone they love ever again. No more funerals, no more graves, no more mourning. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"
Mirajane's expression softened a little. "It does." Her voice was mixed with wistfulness, sadness, and a tinge of doubt that Boudica noticed.
"I want to show you something Mirajane. Wait a moment." Boudica raised a hand. "Torqarro." She called. Torq, at the other end of the room, turned at the mention of his name. "My child, come over here for a minute, please." Torq did as he was asked. He made his way over to Boudica and Mirajane. Mirajane noticed he was still carrying a stave. The same one Mystogan lost? She thought.
"Son, please. Come closer." Boudica said. Torq did as requested. She put a hand on his shoulder. He knelt down next to her. She stroked his head, still covered by a mask.
Mirajane watched this sight with some curiosity, unsure of what to expect. "If you don't mind me asking, why does he wear that mask?" Mirajane asked Boudica instead of Torq himself. She was starting to get the impression that Torq couldn't or wouldn't speak for himself. Boudica looked at Torq with what appeared to be motherly affection, while stroking his head. She then raised her eyes to Mirajane.
"I'll show you, dear. Maybe then you'll understand a little more." Boudica put her hand on Torq's mask, and started to remove it. He seemed to dislike this, and put a hand up.
"It's okay, Torqarro." Boudica said gently. He seemed to calm down, and she removed the mask covering his face. Mirajane looked at the unmasked man before her. It wasn't exactly what she was expecting. He looked relatively normal. He was a young man, even handsome. Or at least, he would be handsome, except that there was something off about him. His expression was dull and listless. His eyes were wide and unfocused. His mouth hung slightly agape. He moaned softly. Mirajane wasn't sure what to say. She just looked from Torq to Boudica.
"He is brain damaged." Boudica said. "That's the most blunt way of putting it. He wasn't always like this though. He was different once. When he was younger, he was actually quite intelligent. He was charming, and cunning. Quick witted, and charismatic. Many people also said he was good looking."
"I was grooming him to be my right hand, and possibly even my successor one day. Even as a teenager he was already good at making speeches, and helping me to convert those who were lost and needed guidance. I had high hopes for him. Then, one day, he died. We were at war at that point. Naturally, it was a dangerous time. But he didn't die in battle. Not directly, anyway. He didn't participate in battles, but would stay off to the sidelines, helping others. I felt he was too important to risk. But fate can be capricious. A stray arrow flew too far, and struck him through the skull." Torq winced at this point, as if he was recalling the moment in question.
"He died quickly." Boudica continued. "My only son. My first born, whom I had such high hopes for. At that point, I had been looking into raising the dead. But I hadn't actually attempted it yet. I decided that it was time I did. Torq was the first. I used what knowledge I had, and what power I had. I brought him back. He lived again. But not as he was before. He was changed. He lived and breathed, but the young man I had known was gone forever." Boudica sighed, and stroked Torq's short hair. "So you see, I know what its like to lose someone you care about. To be willing to go to pains to bring them back." Boudica replaced her son's mask, and gestured for him to return to his previous position. He did as he was told.
Mirajane touched her mouth with her hand while absorbing what she had just been told. She sat and reflected for a minute. "I'm sorry for your losses and hardships." She said. "I'd like to believe you're being sincere about your goals. Even if you are… that doesn't explain why you've been attacking people. Killing, invading towns. How does that help anyone?"
"As I said, my goals and the goals of the others are not the same. They have their own reasons for wanting to invade and fight. I would have preferred using diplomacy rather than violence. That being said, the fighting has made it easier for me to find… people to help me in my goal. Or rather, the goal of everyone in the New Light."
"The New Light?" Mirajane asked.
"Its one of several names we are known by. I like that one. I am not including the other 'kings' or their subjects in that though. The New Light is a part of this alliance, but the alliance is not the New Light."
"Okay… and how does Lisanna figure into this? Why her?"
"In order to bring someone back from death, with their soul intact, it requires someone else willing to sacrifice a part of themselves. Somebody must strongly want that person back, and be willing to give up a part of their essence, their life. It can't just be anyone. It has to be someone who cared about the deceased, and truly wants them back. We call it a life bond. The returned person is dependent on the other to continue living. Its an imperfect system, but it's the best one we have at the moment."
Mirajane furrowed her brow. She had several different questions, but settled on just one. "Someone needed to have a 'life bond' with Lisanna, so she could live again. Who? Who did this?"
Boudica smiled. "Maybe you should ask Lisanna. I think its time you spoke to her. Talk to her, and then you can decide what you want to do. I'll be waiting here."
Wendy looked out on the town of Oshibana. She could see houses, and shops, and guilds. She thought it looked like a really nice town, and a nice place to live. But maybe that was because of the view. She was currently up on the third floor of the church, which was also the top floor. Seraiisa had taken her up there to talk. And , by Seraiisa's own admission, she also liked the view, and wanted to see it again.
"You were right, it is a nice view." Wendy said.
Seraiisa turned to look at Wendy. "Well yeah. It's not like I would lie about that." The two of them were leaning over a railing as they watched the town below. Wendy felt the afternoon sun on her face. She was aware of the undercurrent of danger, but at the moment things seemed too peaceful to seriously think about that.
"I wish Carla were here though." Wendy said.
"Oh? Who's Carla?" Seraiisa asked.
"Well, she's a cat. A small white one."
"Oh, so Carla's your pet."
Wendy shook her head slightly. "No. She's my friend. She talks, and wears clothes. And she can fly too. But she's also a cat."
Seraiisa raised her eyebrows a little. "Oooooh, one of those. I've heard of them."
Wendy gazed down at the people below, watching them go about their lives. A gentle breeze suddenly blew, blowing some of Wendy's hair into her face. She brushed it away with her hand. For a minute, they just stood in silence, before Wendy spoke again. "Carla's my oldest friend. Normally, we go everywhere together."
Seraiisa again looked over at Wendy. "Where is she now?"
"She's, well…" Wendy paused, and looked off to the side. "She's busy working on a job for the master."
"I see." Seraiisa said. "You have other friends though, right?"
"Well, sure." Wendy said. "There's Gray, and Mystogan. They're my friends. And I feel like Lucy and I could be friends."
"Hmm, Gray, Lucy. And where are they?"
"They're… also busy. Somewhere else."
Seraiisa looked at Wendy curiously. "All your friends are busy. And they just left you here, alone."
"I wouldn't put it like that…" Wendy said.
"Do you feel lonely sometimes Wendy?" Seraiisa stood with her hands behind her back. Wendy stepped away from the railing, and took a few steps looking away from the other girl.
"No." Wendy said. "I mean, not really." Wendy's words didn't sound convincing, and there was a note of sadness in her voice.
"I do. Get lonely, sometimes." Seraiisa said. Wendy turned her head.
"Do you have friends?" Wendy asked. Seraiisa smiled, but the smile didn't touch her eyes.
"Me? Not really. I used to have friends, but they're all dead now."
"Oh." Wendy said. Before she could say anything further, Seraiisa continued.
"I was friends with Mirajane, but… I don't know now. Things are complicated."
"Aren't there any kids your own age back home?" Wendy asked.
"There are a few." Seraiisa said. She looked wistfully out on the city. "But mom doesn't like me making friends with them, since they're her followers. She doesn't think it would be appropriate for me to get too close to them. Besides, most of the people who live in the valley are adults."
"The Valley?" Wendy said.
"Uh, forget I said that." Seraiisa said.
"Ok." Wendy said.
Seraiisa leaned back against a pillar and put her hands behind her head. Wendy just looked at the view below once more, this time looking at the architecture of the church. She wasn't used to seeing structures like this, having grown up in the primitive Cait Shelter "guild".
"I guess we're both lonely." Seraiisa said. Wendy looked back at Seraiisa, considering her words.
"Maybe. Sometimes…"
"I'm sorry Wendy." Seraiisa interrupted. "Mom needs me. We have to go back now."
Wendy stepped away from the railing and raised her eyebrows. "Huh? How do you know?"
"Trust me, I know." Seraiisa said. "I hope we can talk again soon." Seraiisa started heading back towards the main hall, with Wendy following behind.
Master Makarov had accompanied Sael to a room a short distance away from the main hall. The room looked like a workshop, just as Sael had said. There were brown metal parts and dirty rags scattered here and there, along with tables that had half finished mechanical inventions that Makarov could only guess the purpose of. This all contrasted with the white walls and bright lighting and religious décor. Makarov wondered if Sael was a religious man. He figured it would make sense, given his association with Boudica.
Sael moved his chair into the room, and picked an empty area to rest. Makarov moved into the room, and stood several feet away from the other man. He waited for Sael to speak first, since Sael had insisted they come here.
"Please, have a seat." Sael said. He indicated a nearby stool for Makarov to sit on. There were no other chairs in the room, since Sael would obviously not need one. Makarov walked over to the stool and sat down.
"Very well." Makarov said. "So, Lord Sael, is it?"
"King Sael, actually." He said. "Although, I don't stand on ceremony. So to speak. You can call me Sael if you prefer."
"Alright. So Sael, you are the leader of your faction alongside Boudica?"
"My faction? You mean the alliance. Some call us the 'Shadow Kings', which I think sounds a little silly. Arnok and Yoshimoto seem to like it though. They, by the way, are the other two leaders. You've already met Lord Yoshimoto."
Makarov narrowed his eyes, and smiled bitterly. "Yes, I have. We have."
Sael nodded. "Yes, your encounters have not been pleasant from what I hear. Which is why Yoshimoto isn't here today. We agreed it would be a bad idea given previous events. As for Arnok, well… he didn't want to come, to be frank. Diplomacy isn't his strong suit. By which I mean, he considers it to be a waste of time."
"Yes, I've heard of him." Makarov said. "I was actually a little curious to meet him."
"You're better off not." Sael said. "I don't think that would end well."
"Hmm. If you don't mind changing the subject, I'd like to ask what your plans are." Makarov said.
"My plans?" Sael said.
"The Shadow Kings' plans." Makarov said.
"Ah. Well, I don't want to speak for the others. Yoshimoto and Arnok aren't here. As for Boudica, you can ask her yourself later on. And for me personally? I suppose I can tell you that." Sael adjusted himself in his chair to make himself comfortable. He moved a little closer to Makarov.
"I want revenge, master Makarov."
"Revenge? On who?" Makarov said.
Sael paused momentarily, the light reflecting off his large spectacles. "I suppose, in a way, you could say that I want revenge on you." Makarov raised his eyebrows. "Well, not you personally." Sael continued. "Not even your guild specifically. Fiore. Your country. That is what I want revenge on."
"Because of something that happened a thousand years ago?" Makarov asked.
Sael smiled slightly. "A thousand years ago. I realize, intellectually, how long ago that was. How long it must seem for you. Many lifetimes ago. However, for me it was my lifetime. My history." Sael took a moment to compose his thoughts. This was a personal subject for him. "My kingdom was overrun by barbarian invaders. They breached the walls, overran the cities, slaughtered men and women without mercy."
"My father ruled as king before me. I was a teenager when he died. Natural causes, in case you're curious. I was not ready to be king. But king I was. I tried my hardest. I worked with my advisors and civic leaders. I had worked so hard to create a society built on science, on knowledge, and creativity. And it was destroyed almost overnight by bloodthirsty savages. Maybe I should have focused a little more on strengthening the military. Not that I would know much of such things. At any rate, my kingdom was destroyed. I was only saved thanks to a last-minute intervention by Boudica and her undead creations. I was grateful, and agreed to join her. And seeing what she created, inspired me to create myself. My machines of war. Beautiful and ugly all at once."
Sael stopped and took a breath. He adjusted his spectacles. "As for the barbarians? They were driven off, and many died. But not all of them. They retreated back to their homeland. What it was called back then is irrelevant. As you've probably guessed, it is now known as Fiore."
Makarov sat and listened to Sael's story. Makarov had guessed quickly how the story would end, but allowed Sael to speak without interruption. "I'm sorry for what happened to you, and your people." Makarov finally said. "However, that was a thousand years ago. Regardless of how it may feel to you, that doesn't change the fact that the people alive today had nothing to do with that. You can't hold them responsible for what happened back then."
Sael's face darkened a little. "Someone needs to be held responsible. Someone needs to answer for what happened. The destruction of an entire kingdom. The genocide of an entire people. I'm supposed to let that go unanswered?"
"Getting revenge on Fiore isn't going to bring your people back. You don't have to dedicate your life to revenge. You seem to be intelligent, and are good at inventing things. You could use that to help people. Create things to make life better instead of destroy it."
Sael sat there for a moment, looking at the ground. Without saying anything, he then moved his chair over to one of his creations, lying half-finished on a table. He touched it with his hand. "I'm sorry master Makarov, but… I've gone too far to go back now. I'm committed to this. Besides, from what I've seen of the modern world, I don't think my creations would be appreciated very much. When I first came to this time, I was greatly curious to see what kind of scientific wonders had been achieved since my time. New technologies, and theories. There has been advancement, don't get me wrong. But it wasn't what I had hoped for. I was disappointed to find that the world had decided to favor magic over science. Spells and emotions over inventions and intelligence."
"I think there's room for both." Makarov said.
"Is there?" Sael said. He picked up the strange device on the table. He then pointed to another one on a table nearer Makarov. "Please, pick that up."
Makarov looked at the device. "Why?" he said.
"Its not a weapon, I assure you. I just want to show you something." Sael said. Makarov slowly picked up the device. Sael then pressed something on his own device. "Hello, master Makarov." He said. His voice could be heard through the device Makarov was holding, albeit not very clearly.
"Interesting." Makarov said.
"It's something I've been working on. It could be used for communication over distances. Honestly though, I feel like something like this should already have been invented by this point."
Makarov looked at the device and then put it back down. "Its impressive, but I think the reason it hasn't been invented is because its not necessary. There are certain mages who can communicate telepathically, and we have lacrimas."
"Yes, magical items." Sael said. "In limited quantity, and only available to some people. My device could be recreated and given to many people, so they could use it all of the time. Of course, more refinements would have to be made before that were feasible, but still." Makarov was still skeptical, but said nothing.
"There's also a lack of automobiles." Sael continued.
"Trains exist." Makarov said.
"What about personal transportation? Something faster than a carriage?" Sael said.
"There are cars too."
"Magical powered cars, that only mages can use. You never invented a way to power them without magic. The world is designed to favor magic users, and magic in general. Which doesn't leave much room for scientists and inventors."
Makarov paused, and thought about this. "You may have a point. But I still think you could make a place. Maybe some people would like an alternative."
Sael lowered his head. "Thank you, but no. Its obvious there's no place for me and the other few survivors of my kingdom. We are ghosts in this time. All we have left now is revenge."
"I'm sorry you feel that way." Makarov said. "But if you insist on being our enemy, then we won't back down."
Sael turned to look at Makarov. "Whether or not we will be enemies depends on what happens today. Personally, I like you master Makarov. I would be willing to spare your guild, if not the rest of your country. But I know Boudica still wants to talk with you. You two can decide what happens next."
Gajeel stood at the doorway of the guildhall, looking outside. It was raining again. It wasn't a storm, just a sun shower. Just enough rain to get people to stay indoors for a little while. Gajeel stood with his arms folded, watching children playing in the rain, and their parents trying to get them to go back inside.
"I hate the rain." Juvia said. She was standing several feet away, also looking outside. Gajeel didn't turn to look at her.
"Funny, coming from the rain woman."
Juvia scrunched her nose a little. "I don't want to be called that anymore."
"I know." Was all he said. They stood there in silence for a few minutes, neither looking nor speaking to each other. The rain spatters pelted outside.
"Damn, all the good jobs are taken." Flare said nearby. She was looking at the job board, and had been for twenty minutes. She stood there looking up and down at the different job postings, reading and rereading them. Gajeel said he was fine with her checking out jobs, as long as he got final approval. He turned to look at her.
"Having a hard time there, Flare?" he asked in a disinterested tone.
"I'm trying to find a job that won't take too long, but still pays well." She said without turning around. Gajeel snorted.
"Good luck." He said. He turned to Juvia. "She was in a guild before, but she chooses jobs like a rookie."
Juvia didn't immediately respond. She looked at the falling rain for a little longer. She then looked back at Flare, and then back at Gajeel. "To be fair, she used to be in a dark guild." She said. "They don't generally do traditional jobs like we do. They're more about…"
"Doing criminal stuff." Gajeel offered.
"Yes, that." Juvia said. After that, the conversation died down again. Juvia looked outside with an unhappy expression on her face. She appeared lost in thought over something, and sighed audibly. Gajeel considered going somewhere else to not have to deal with her. Despite himself, he ended up asking, "Something wrong, Juvia?"
"I'm just thinking." She said. "They're out there, in danger, and we're still here. I'm here."
"We don't know for sure they're in danger." Gajeel said. "Maybe the old man actually managed to hash things out without fighting." Juvia raised her eyes to him.
"I actually wasn't talking about the master and his team. I was thinking of Gray, and Lucy, and the rest."
"But mostly Gray, right?" Gajeel said, half playful and half tired from hearing her talk about him.
"Its not like I don't care what happens to the others." She said. "But Gray might need me, and I'm not there. They're far away, surrounded by all kinds of dangerous people."
Gajeel raised an eyebrow. "They're just on a guild job, right? Its not supposed to be that big of a deal." Juvia looked up at him again. She remembered that Gajeel didn't know where Gray and the others actually were. Most people in the guild didn't. Juvia only knew because she showed up to Gray's meeting uninvited.
"Yes. Of course." Juvia said. She continued to worry in silence though. The conversation ceased again, and they all privately focused on their own concerns.
Far away in Bosco, Mystogan was underground. He was standing in a grotesque room, at the center of a menagerie of monsters and prisoners. He was surrounded, and had no allies nearby. His only weapons were the staves on his back.
Across from Mystogan stood Nikodias, and the monstrosities were apparently under his command. The man didn't look impressive at all. He was a fairly ordinary looking man in a drab and somewhat dirty robe. However, his surroundings which he seemed so comfortable with were far from ordinary. Mystogan didn't know exactly what this place was, but he felt that he should keep an eye on Nikodias as much as the monsters. The room was better lit now, but still slightly dim, making it difficult to see everything clearly.
The tentacled creature, whatever it was, suddenly attacked him again from behind. It was no longer bound by the cage. Mystogan backstepped it, and ran into a more human monster. It was a naked, reanimated man. He grabbed at Mystogan. It grabbed Mystogan's head. He elbowed the monster and ducked away, but his mask came loose doing so.
"Stop a minute." Nikodias said. The beasts stopped. Nikodias looked at Mystogan. Mystogan tried to readjust his mask, although his face had already been seen.
"I know you. You're from Fairy Tail, aren't you?" Nikodias said. Mystogan said nothing. "Why are you here?" he continued. "Your guildmates are meeting with Boudica and Sael right now. She won't be happy you were here. Tell me, are there others? If you cooperate, I'll spare your life."
"You talk too much." Mystogan said. He threw down his four staves, and unleashed a spell. He sent a ground shattering wave towards the monsters surrounding him. It helped to clear the area. The monsters were only knocked around though, not killed. Mystogan grabbed his staves again.
Nikodias backed up a couple of steps. "Not bad." He said. "But you're not an actual mage, correct? You need those staves to produce magic. It doesn't have to be that way though. I could help you."
"Help me?" Mystogan said.
"Yes. That's what I do. I give power to those who don't have it. Like what you see around you. Many of these things were weak. I gave them strength. I could do the same for you. Give you real power, so you wouldn't need those staves."
"And what would I have to give up?" Mystogan asked. Nikodias smiled. Not a sinister smile, but a warm and friendly one.
"You would give us information. About your guild, and Fiore. And of course, whoever happens to be accompanying you on this venture right now. Turn them in, and you'll be greatly rewarded."
"You really have the ability to give people that kind of power, all by yourself?"
"Not all by myself. But I can control the flow of magic, and memories, when I bring someone back, or modify them. And I can borrow parts from other sources, to help out."
"Other sources?" Mystogan said. "Like the demon parts."
"Oh yes. Would you like to be part demon?" Mystogan didn't immediately answer. He stood there, not moving, but still tensed. The monsters stood on standby, apparently awaiting orders from Nikodias.
"So, you have the ability to bring people back, and give them greater power than before?"
Nikodias smiled again, this one more proud. "Yes sir, I do. The ability to make the weak strong, and the strong weak. That is true power, wouldn't you say?"
Mystogan nodded. "Quite impressive. However, you don't have any actual combat abilities then?" Nikodias' expression changed to a frown. His reaction seemed to confirm Mystogan's suspicion.
"Thank you for all the information." Mystogan said. He then pulled his staves again. Before he could form a spell, he was attacked from multiple sides by the creatures around him. He fell to the ground, but semi-recovered with a roll. He tried to reach for his staves, but was blocked by half-living things in his path. A rollodillo ran over to him. He tried to jump over it, but was only partially successful, jumping onto its back, before being thrown back off seconds later. Nikodias laughed.
"You can't do much without those staves, can you?" he said in a chiding tone. "You had your chance to cooperate."
Mystogan knew Nikodias was right. Mystogan did know how to defend himself in a normal fist fight if needed. But against magic and monsters, there wasn't much he could do without his staves. At this rate it would only be a matter of time before they tore him apart. He knew he needed to think fast.
"Wait." He said.
"I don't think so." Nikodias said. The monsters advanced on Mystogan. He had nowhere to run. Mystogan hurriedly reached into his clothes, and grabbed something. He pulled it out and held it up.
"This is yours, right?" Mystogan said as he held up the book he had pocketed earlier.
Nikodias signaled the creatures to stop. He looked at the book Mystogan held. His face remained mostly neutral, but his eyes narrowed slightly. "So, you found that." He said in a neutral tone.
"If you want it, then let me leave." Mystogan said. Nikodias shook his head.
"I would like that back. But I can't just let you go. If you give it to me, then I'll let you live. Of course, you'll have to stay here as a prisoner. But you have my word you won't be killed."
"That isn't good enough." Mystogan said.
"Then we'll just take it from you by force." Nikodias said. The monsters started moving again. Mystogan moved his hand slightly, and there was suddenly an orange burst. A small but brilliant flame erupted from his hand, and the book caught on fire. Nikodias made an angered sound. Mystogan threw the book across the room. Nikodias quickly went after it. The creatures seemed to become distracted and confused as well. Mystogan took advantage of the confusion and ran past the monsters toward the door Nikodias had entered from. He was barely able to grab his staves, looking not entirely graceful doing so. Sometimes retreating was the best option.
Mystogan would have preferred to go back the way he had entered, but that wasn't an option. He was thankful he had remembered the fire trick though. He wasn't actually able to use fire magic, of course. It was a trick that most stage magicians could do. But it served his purposes in that moment. He ran towards the door past Nikodias, who was now shouting something behind him. He assumed he was going to be chased, but didn't bother to look back. If they caught up to him, he might at least have a chance to regroup and counterattack. Although, without his fifth stave he couldn't use his most powerful spells.
He reached the door and quickly shut it behind him, but not before pressing another button he saw in the doorway. He hoped it would seal the door. Instead, it opened the remainder of the cages. He wasn't sure if that made things better or worse. He hoped it might cause more confusion and chaos for Nikodias and his monsters.
After shutting the door, he was now in another corridor. He didn't have time to look around. He started moving quickly down the hall, away from the pursuing enemies. He wondered how his guildmates were faring, and when he would meet up with them again.
Lucy sat on the floor, looking up at the menace around her. Brutal, emotionless machines surrounded her and Carla. Half the machines had almost featureless "faces" and were huge and hulking. The others looked eerily reminiscent of Lisanna as a harpy. Despite having actual features, their faces were still expressionless. Finally, there was the flesh and blood woman at the stairway, who, despite being human, looked just as cold as the machines.
"What do we do, Lucy?" Carla whispered.
"I…" Lucy started to say. Lucy could be clever in her way, but she wasn't used to coming up with plans on the fly when in immediate danger. Especially not without a team to support her. For a moment, she just froze.
The woman looked down at Lucy and Carla. "Considering how hard it is to get in here, you're obviously not just a lost tourist." She said. "I'm guessing you're the ones who broke the hatch, somehow. If you had been caught by Boudica's order, they would probably take you prisoner. However, King Sael doesn't take prisoners. In his absence, I decide that you will be executed here and now."
"Wait!" Lucy said. "Don't you want to, you know, question us? There are things we could tell you. Things you don't know." Lucy didn't intend to actually tell them anything useful, she was simply trying to stall for time. In response to Lucy, the woman looked her up and down without moving.
"Judging from the guild mark on your hand, you are a member of Fairy Tail." The woman said. "Judging from the set of keys you possess, you are also a celestial wizard. And you are also obviously not Fairy Tail's guild master, and therefore not someone we need to speak to. That is all we need to know."
Lucy just sat there, mouth agape. She silently wondered if the woman was actually a machine after all. "But…" she said, trying to think of something else.
The woman snapped her fingers, and the machines began advancing again. Lucy doubted she would be able to call a spirit before one of them could get at her. She suddenly saw something fly by, startling her. It was Carla. The cat launched herself at the woman. Carla almost hit the woman in the face, but the woman caught Carla at the last second. Carla was held in midair, struggling in the woman's grasp. A few of the machines turned their attention to Carla, momentarily forgetting Lucy.
"Run, Lucy!" Carla said.
"No way!" Lucy said. She took advantage of the distraction and reached for a key. She quickly thought about which spirit might help in this situation. There was no water around, so Aquarius was out of the question. Lucy also felt that Virgo wouldn't be helpful in this environment. She decided on Taurus. He was big and strong, and might be able to hold off the machines.
After she summoned him, the large spirit appeared before her holding his axe. Almost immediately after he materialized, he was attacked from behind. He was hit on the back of the head by a large machine. Taurus stumbled. He turned and swung at the machine. The axe connected, leaving a big gape in the creation. But the axe was now stuck. Taurus struggled to remove it, but was then attacked from the side by a harpy.
Lucy stood up and pulled out her Fleuve d'étoiles whip. As she brought it up, something leapt at her. It was another harpy, rearing its talons at her. Lucy yelped and put up her arm defensively. The talons slashed her arm, leaving bloody gashes. Lucy stumbled back, and clutched her wounded arm. She had been lucky she put her arm up when she did; it was aiming for her face. The machine tilted its head at her a few times, as if it was confused. It was apparent that the machines still needed some extra work. Some of the ones against the walls weren't even operational, fortunately for Lucy and Carla.
Lucy raised her whip again in her good hand. She swung it at the harpy. It jerked its head back from the impact of the whip, but it still stood. Lucy hit it again. It charged at her and she jumped out of the way. Lucy successfully dodged, but the pain in her arm flared up. Lucy gasped, and held her arm close while kneeling. She was bleeding on the floor. Taurus was holding off some of the enemies, but he could only do so much alone. Lucy knew she would need to call another spirit, even if it would use up much of her power. In that moment, she could only think of one spirit she had that might help. She called his name.
"Hi Lucy." Loke said as he materialized before her.
"Hi. Also, help." Lucy said. As she said that, a harpy came at Loke from the side. He grabbed it by the neck and held it there.
"I'm on it." He said. It slashed at him, but he managed to avoid most of the attack. He threw it to the ground. He then tried punching it. This damaged his hand more than the machine.
"Okay, bad idea." He said. Behind him a larger machine approached. Lucy struck it with her whip as hard as she could, actually knocking it back a step. "Thanks Lucy." He said. The harpy got to its feet and prepared another attack. Loke put up his fists. It jumped at him, pushing him back. Lucy was aware of the large machine advancing again, this time headed for her. The harpy jumped at Loke again, this time trying a slash attack. He grabbed its leg and used all of his strength to throw it right into the larger machine, knocking them both back several feet towards the large window. Loke hadn't planned it, but he saw the opportunity. He rushed at them both. He jump-kicked the harpy, plowing it into the other machine. They both were pushed back to the window, which broke apart. Together they fell to the ground below. A loud impact could be heard.
Lucy looked down at the inert machines below, and then looked back at Loke. "Good work." She said.
"It's what I do." He said. Before they could celebrate though, they heard a yell from behind them. They turned, and saw Taurus being overwhelmed by his opponents. They pushed him to the ground and pummeled him, until he disappeared. It all happened so quickly that Lucy and Loke didn't have time to help. Taurus was now gone, and Lucy would probably not be able to summon another spirit. They had gotten rid of two of the machines, but there were still two big machines and three harpies left. And the woman still had Carla.
"This has gone far enough." The woman said. "Surrender now or I kill the cat." Lucy paused.
"Don't listen, she said they'll kill us all anyway." Carla said. The woman put a hand over Carla's mouth.
"I did say that." She admitted. "Consider this: if you surrender now, then your deaths will be quick. If you don't, I can't make that guarantee."
"That's not much of an offer." Loke said. He took a step forward. The woman tensed her grip on Carla. Loke held up his hands. "Hey come on, don't hurt her. I'm a cat person, you know." The woman gazed at him with a slightly irritated expression.
While this was happening, Lucy brought up her whip, trying to be discreet. She knew she would only get one chance at this. She was aware this was risky, but she couldn't think of any better options. She swung her whip, aiming for the woman's arm to make her let go of Carla. The whip connected, and the grip loosened. Carla quickly grew wings and flew away, while the woman took a couple steps back from the unexpected impact. She lost her balance, right at the top of the stairs. She started to fall backwards over the railing at the edge of the floor. That was not Lucy's intention. She panicked and ran to help the woman. As she ran, the pain in her arm flared up again, causing her step to falter slightly.
Lucy watched as the woman fell over the railing, but unusually didn't scream at all. It was as if she accepted her fate. Lucy quickly ran over to where the woman was standing before, and looked over the edge. The woman had landed farther down on the stairway. Her body lay in a twisted position. She wasn't moving.
"Oh no." Lucy said. The sound of the woman's fall brought others out. They saw her unmoving body. Some tried to help her. Others looked up at Lucy. Lucy took a few steps back, away from the edge. Although, she could hear some of them beginning to ascend the stairs.
"It wasn't your fault, Lucy." Loke said nearby. Lucy didn't know how to respond. Loke appeared about to say something else. But one of the machines began moving forward again. It stomped the ground, and raised its arm. As it swung, Loke dodged its attack and quickly countered with a kick..
"Get out of here." He said.
"Loke." Lucy said. She suddenly found Carla flying over her, carrying something. She impatiently gave it to Lucy. It was Mystogan's stave. Carla then flew around and picked Lucy up.
"Hey." Lucy said.
"We need to get out of here." Carla said. She began flying towards the broken window.
"Loke!" Lucy said.
"He'll be fine, he'll just return to the spirit world." Carla said. The two of them then flew out the window, out into the open air and sunshine. Lucy blinked, adjusting to the brightness outside. "Ah, its good to be out of there." Carla said.
"Yeah." Lucy said softly.
"Loke was right, Lucy. What happened to that woman wasn't your fault. It was her own fault. You saved me. Thank you, by the way."
Lucy absorbed the words. They made her feel a little better. "You're welcome." She said. The two of them flew through the air, the wind rushing past. The sun shone down from above. It was a big change from the gloomy environment they were just in.
"You know, it really is pretty here." Carla said, changing the subject. Lucy looked down at the colorful foliage below. She smiled a little. "Yeah, it is." For a moment, they just admired the scenery in silence, unsure of where to go next. They then heard an unusual sound. It was the sound of wings flapping, only louder. Lucy turned around to look. She gasped.
"No." she said.
"What is it?" Carla said without stopping to look.
"Its… one of those machines." Lucy said. She saw one of the harpies from the tower following them, flying through the sky, albeit less than gracefully. Lucy was shocked it could stay airborne. She then saw its eyes glow with magic. Lucy figured the magic was what was keeping it up.
"We need to get out of here, fast." Lucy said. She didn't know if they could outrun it, or if she still had enough magic left to fight it if they couldn't run. Either way, Carla strained to fly as fast as she could.
Gray rushed at Natsu, fists clenched. As he ran, his hood fell off, revealing his face. Natsu, Cobra, and everyone else present all stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the sudden intruder. Even though it only lasted a few seconds, it seemed like an entire minute passed as Gray ran at Natsu, and Natsu just stood there, completely caught off guard. This was the last thing he had expected to see right then and there.
Gray reared up a fist. Natsu just stood there staring as Gray's fist connected, pushing Natsu's head back. Gray didn't hold back. Natsu staggered several steps back, and then fell on his backside on the ground.
"Natsu, you…" Gray said. He repeated some variation of this phrase several times, apparently unable to think of anything else.
"I take it you two know each other." Cobra said.
Natsu quickly sprung to his feet. He and Gray both put up fighting stances. "Gray." Natsu said.
Without waiting for another word, Gray rushed at Natsu again. He swung, but this time Natsu dodged it. Natsu threw his own fist from the side, but Gray blocked it. Natsu grabbed the sleeve of the robe Gray was wearing and threw him into the side of a tree. Natsu charged Gray. Gray quickly recovered and dodged the charge, whereupon Natsu hit the tree with his shoulder. At the last second, he managed to shift his momentum to avoid hurting himself too badly. Gray took advantage of the momentary reprieve by throwing off the robe he was wearing. He formed an ice hammer and hurled it at Natsu. At the same time, Natsu had charged an attack of his own. He threw several fireballs at Gray, who avoided most of them, but was singed on the shoulder by the last one. Natsu dodged the hammer as it hit a tree, shards of ice flying around.
By this point many of the bystanders watching this had become alarmed at this sudden violence involving what was obviously an outsider. Some of them began to run, and a few cowered but continued to watch from a safe distance. As for Cobra, he just stood there with an expression that started off as confusion, but slowly turned to amusement.
Natsu and Gray squared off, and carefully circled around each other. They locked eyes with each other. "You shouldn't have come here, Gray." Natsu said.
"That's funny. I was going to say the same thing to you." Gray replied.
"I don't know how you got here, but get the hell out and don't come back." Natsu said.
"That's not gonna happen, you traitor." Gray said. "We're going to settle this here and now." Before Natsu could respond, Cobra stepped forward.
"Yeah Natsu, he can't leave. Not after coming all this way." He said. "He's going to stay here."
Gray warily faced Cobra while still trying to keep an eye on Natsu. "Come on, I'll take you both on."
"Oh really?" Cobra said. From out of the shadows behind him, something could be heard. A slithering sound. It rose up, large and reptilian. It was the snake Cubellios. It was large and deadly looking. "I don't think you realize how out of your depth you would be there." Cobra said. "But don't worry. I think this fight should stay between the two of you. It'll make a good test. Show everyone who's side you're on, Natsu. This ice guy's from Fairy Tail, right? So, kill him and maybe you'll be taken off the leash. Or don't, and see what happens. Your choice." Natsu just stood there, fists clenched, looking at the ground.
"You know Natsu…" Gray said. "I never did like you. We've always fought and argued. But I at least respected you. You cared about Fairy Tail, and fought for it. But now I see what a scumbag you really are."
"Shut up." Natsu said through clenched teeth. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Is Erza here?" Gray said abruptly. Natsu paused.
"…What?"
"I said, is Erza here? What about Lisanna?"
"Lisanna…"
"Yeah, we've seen her. Did you do something sick to bring her back? Bring her back as a monster, to fight for these people?"
"Don't talk about Lisanna! You don't know anything!" Natsu roared, and unleashed a salvo of fireballs. Gray put up an ice shield to block them, but it quickly melted from the heat. Gray rolled to the side. Natsu quickly charged at him again, this time fists aflame. Gray, still on hands and knees, summoned large, jagged icicles from the ground, rushing up towards Natsu. Natsu stopped, but couldn't quite dodge in time. He was caught up in Gray's attack, and he howled in pain.
"You're going to pay for what you've done." Gray said savagely. He prepared another, more powerful attack. Natsu roared again, and flames erupted from his body. The ice quickly began to melt, and Natsu sped up the process by smashing it apart with his fists. He landed on the ground several feet from Gray. Gray prepared an ice-make spell to assault Natsu before he could regroup. However, what Gray noticed too late was that Natsu had already started preparing his own fire dragon roar before he even hit the ground. Natsu fired the powerful blast. Gray tried to dodge, but it was too late. The flames engulfed him. Gray was brought to his knees. He coughed and trembled from the attack. Smoke drifted around him. Natsu approached his former teammate, looking down at him. Gray struggled to say something to Natsu.
"I'll kill you." He said. Natsu didn't respond. He just ignited his fists in flames. He raised a fist at Gray, rearing back. Gray looked up with a sneer.
"Natsu, stop!" a voice said from somewhere. Natsu paused. He blinked. He knew that voice.
"Natsu!" it said again. Something shot at Natsu from the side. Natsu took a step back as it hit him. It was Happy. Natsu's friend, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.
"Natsu, stop." Happy said, this time more quietly, his voice full of emotion. Natsu stared down at him.
"Happy…" was all Natsu could think to say. Happy looked up at Natsu.
"Why, Natsu?" Happy said. "Why did you leave us? Why did you leave Fairy Tail? What are you doing with these people? They've killed people. Even people in our guild. Did you know that? Please tell me you had nothing to do with that."
Natsu didn't know how to respond to all of Happy's questions. He didn't know what to say, how to explain everything.
"Happy, I… I didn't…" Natsu said.
"Go ahead Natsu, answer him." Gray said, standing up again to face Natsu. "What the fuck are you doing here with these people?"
Natsu didn't meet their gaze. "It's a long story." He said.
"I bet it is." Gray said. "Just answer this one question then: is Erza here? Is she alive?" Natsu looked up to meet Gray's gaze this time.
"No. Not yet, anyway."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Gray said. Natsu looked from Gray to happy, feeling a mixture of emotions.
"I'll bring her back." He said softly. "I'll bring Erza back. She'll be alive again, just like Lisanna. I just need to stay here a little while longer. I'll make everything right."
"Natsu, no." Happy said.
"The hell you will." Gray added. "You've done enough already. From what I can tell, you've done more harm than good."
"You don't what you're talking about, Gray." Natsu said.
"I know this: if Erza were here right now, she'd be ashamed of you."
Natsu looked like he'd been slapped. He started breathing heavy, and clenched his teeth. The moment was interrupted by the sound of clapping. It was Cobra, who had been watching the whole thing from the sides.
"Alright, this has been entertaining as hell, but the ice man and the talking cat need to be dealt with. Either killed or taken prisoner."
"You're not killing anyone." Natsu said.
"Fine, take them prisoner. Let the bosses decide what to do with them. For the record, I suggest killing."
A large crowd was now starting to gather, watching what was happening. At first it was just robed followers. But then more dangerous looking people started showing up, some armed with weapons.
"Time to make a choice, Natsu." Cobra said.
"Screw that." Gray spoke up. "I'm making a choice. Happy, lets get the hell out of here."
"We can't just leave Natsu." Happy said.
"We have to report this back to the master." Gray said. "And we need to find Mystogan, and Lucy and Carla. They could be in trouble."
"…Aye sir." Happy said. He quickly flew towards Gray and picked him up. Happy took a look back at Natsu, and then flew off. Natsu watched them fly away.
"Lucy?" Natsu said.
"I don't think they're going to get far." Cobra said. "I heard Arnok's wandering around here somewhere. Better hope he doesn't find them."
Natsu listened to Cobra's words as he stood there, watching his friends… watching Gray and Happy fly away, disappearing from his view.
Endnotes: To be continued, again. This section of the story is longer than originally intended. But then, the story in general is longer than I originally intended.
I feel like I didn't do a good job explaining how Nikodias' power is supposed to work. Since his abilities aren't combat oriented, I don't know if there will ever be a good place in the story to explain it. I'm not sure how much people actually care about my ocs' abilities. For anyone who might care, my intention is that he can read a person's thoughts if he is making physical contact with them. Generally the person he's reading would either need to be cooperative, or dead, otherwise it would be much harder for him. When bringing someone back he can control which memories are restored and which aren't (imprecisely though). He also has some control over their magic capabilities, aided by demon augmentations (he isn't the one who adds those parts though). Even though Nikodias can do these modifications, Boudica is primarily responsible for actually reanimating the body, and retrieving the soul. Torq and Seraiisa use their abilities to help as well. I don't know if anyone will actually care about this oc lore, but there it is.
As for how Lisanna was brought back specifically, I might leave some aspects of that a mystery. I was originally going to go into greater detail there, and was even considering a subplot where there would be a question if it was even the real Lisanna, or just a simulacrum. For various reasons I decided not to go this route.
