The four Shadow Kings were all gathered in the war room on the top floor of their base. All of them were seated except for Arnok, who chose to stand as usual. A day had passed since the meeting in Fiore, and it was now late at night in Bosco. The room was not brightly lit, and the darkness contributed to a solemn atmosphere. Normally their meetings were held during the daytime, but because of the unusual circumstances of recent events, they decided to hold a special meeting that night, as soon as they were all available.
"Not to state the obvious, but there are some things we need to discuss." Sael spoke up first. He sounded outwardly calm, but there was a hint of disturbance in his voice.
"Yes, there are." Boudica said with a serious tone. "Arnok was the only one of us to witness any of what happened, but I've spoken with several other witnesses. To summarize, the intruders from Fairy Tail found our base, breached the defenses, released several prisoners and experiments, broke into King Sael's tower and caused much damage. They then proceeded to escape by stealing one of the airships that Sael had built, and then crashed it somewhere near the border. Is that about right?" Boudica had deliberately left out a few details, but Sael and Yoshimoto both nodded grimly. "And how many of them were there? The intruders, that is." she asked.
"Three." Sael said.
"Three." Boudica repeated.
"Technically five, counting the cats they had with them." Sael said. Boudica tented her fingers. She stared at the table for a moment, her face showing no strong emotion.
"Could they be identified?" she asked. Sael adjusted his spectacles.
"According to eyewitnesses, there was a masked man with staves, a blonde girl with a whip, and a dark-haired young man with ice magic."
"The ice wizard, the celestial wizard, and the false wizard." Boudica said. Arnok suddenly slammed his hand onto the table.
"I told you this diplomacy of yours was a waste of time." Arnok said. "We should have just dealt with them with brute force to begin with."
For a moment Boudica said nothing. She then said, "You may have a point. Perhaps if we had approached things differently from the start, things might have gone better. But who's to say? I do believe diplomacy is important, but in this case, it seems a lost cause. They are an especially stubborn lot."
"We should launch a counterattack." Yoshimoto said from the opposite end of the table. He was not wearing his armor, but was still wearing somewhat formal garb. "They can't be allowed to get away with this. What they did was an insult to us. To allow this to go unanswered would be disgraceful."
"Are you and your samurai going to attack them alone?" Boudica asked.
"We are allies." He said. "Surely, one of you…"
"I am still consolidating power." Boudica said. "King Arnok is busy with a campaign against a crucial region of Bosco. And King Sael will need to recover after his tower was attacked. You're free to go after them now if you like, but the rest of us will need to wait a little longer." Yoshimoto looked as though he wanted to say something, but just hung his head, clearly frustrated.
"We should at least bolster our defenses of the valley." Sael said. "We should have more patrols outside, and make sure they're better equipped to deal with mages."
"I agree." Boudica said. "And we should start looking for a second base, just in case. As for Fairy Tail… We'll deal with them in the near future, but for now I suggest we focus on continuing to expand outward into Bosco and Fiore. If anyone encounters any mages from Fairy Tail again, deal with them as you will."
"When I'm finished with the campaign here, there will be a reckoning for them." Arnok said.
Boudica smiled. "Of course."
More than two days had passed since the meeting in Oshibana, and Gray's team going to Bosco. That was how long it took for Makarov's team to return to Magnolia. It was nighttime again in Fiore. Gray and his team had arrived back in Fairy Tail first. They waited a day for the master to return. After returning, Makarov had told them that he wanted to talk with them that night. The mages who accompanied Makarov were mostly taking the day off after the tense meeting and long trip.
That night, Gray, Lucy, and Happy all arrived at the guild together after taking some time to rest. When they arrived, they saw that Mystogan was already speaking with Makarov. Wendy and Carla were there as well.
"At that point we managed to land the aircraft in the trees, and made it out with only minor injuries." Mystogan said.
"At least you all made it back safely." Makarov said. Lucy and Gray walked closer. Wendy spotted them and waved.
"Hey, good to see you." She said. "It sounds like you had some close calls."
"Yeah, you could say that." Lucy said, and then laughed nervously. Gray walked over to a chair and sat down.
"So, Mystogan brought you up to speed on everything?" Gray said to Makarov. Makarov nodded.
"More or less." Makarov said. "Although, I'd be interested in hearing the two of you fill in some of the gaps. I have the time." Gray shrugged.
"Sure, if that's what you want." He said. He and Lucy took turns explaining what had happened, with Happy and Carla interjecting occasionally. After several minutes, they finished.
"It sounds like you were really cool, Carla." Wendy said. "I wish I could've been there."
"Me too." Carla said.
"I'm guessing they're not going to invite us for any more meetings after this." Gray said.
"That would be the safe bet." Makarov said. "At any rate, now we need to decide what our next move is."
"Attack them?" Gray said. "Like, go to Bosco and kick their asses."
"That's a nice idea." Makarov said. "But the magic council has been increasing guards and patrols along the border. Getting a large attack force through wouldn't be easy. Besides, the 'Shadow Kings' will probably be expecting us to go back to their base again, since we've already done it once."
"Please don't tell me you want us to just sit here and do nothing." Gray said.
"Of course not." Makarov said. "We'll fight them, by driving them out of Fiore. We'll make them retreat back to Bosco. Maybe then, the border patrols will ease up and we can get through. Then, if they still want to fight, we take the fight to where they live."
"That sounds like a good plan to me." Lucy said. "What do you think, Mystogan?" She turned to the masked man, only to find that he was no longer there.
"Uh, Mystogan?" she said. "He already left?"
Makarov shrugged. "I'm sure he has other matters to attend to." he said. He then looked around at the young mages gathered around. "As for our immediate plans: starting tomorrow, I want us to start contacting the other guilds in Fiore and see if we can get them to cooperate with us, and form an alliance of our own."
"Like when we fought the Oracion Seis." Wendy suggested.
"Something like that, only a little more long term. I think it will take more than a single outing to resolve this, considering how far their influence has already spread."
"I don't think it'll take that long." Gray said.
"There's still one thing we haven't talked about." Lucy said suddenly. Everyone turned to her. She suddenly felt a little uncomfortable, but took a step forward, nonetheless. "What about… what about Natsu? What are we going to do about him? And Lisanna too. We can't just leave them there, right?" For a few moments, no one said anything. Lucy had expected Gray to react badly when she mentioned Natsu, but he kept silent as well. Finally, Makarov answered.
"I haven't forgotten them. But right now, we need to deal with the immediate threat. We'll talk about Natsu and Lisanna another time."
"Another time?" Lucy said.
"Yes. That's all for now. Good night." Makarov then left without saying another word. Lucy felt like she wanted to say something more, but the master was obviously finished. Gray looked over at her.
"Guess that's that then." He said.
"Yeah." She said quietly.
Elsewhere in Magnolia, Elfman and Evergreen were walking down a street together. Though it was dark out, streetlamps lit up the road, making it easy to see. There weren't many people out at that time, so they were able to enjoy the walk in relative peace. They were on a date together. Or rather, they were at the end of a date. After they got back from Oshibana, Elfman was in an unhappy mood. After some prodding, Elfman told Evergreen about what had happened with Lisanna. Evergreen listened sympathetically, but didn't have any immediate solutions. She suggested that they go on another date that night, since they had already made vague plans for another date anyway. He was initially unsure if he was in the mood, but decided he didn't want to pass up the opportunity.
They took a walk around town, visiting places they normally don't see. Evergreen wanted to get a carriage, but Elfman couldn't afford one. Evergreen had the money, but Elfman felt it would be unmanly to let her pay for it, so they walked instead. As they walked side by side down the street, Elfman turned to look at her.
"Are you mad we didn't take a carriage?" he said cautiously. She turned to look at him and smiled.
"No, its fine. Well, I guess I might have been a tad annoyed at first. A carriage would have been nice, but walking around in the fresh air like this was good too. I had fun. Having said that, my legs are getting a little tired."
"Okay, I guess we should call it a night then." He said. After a moment, she turned to him again.
"What about you? Did you have a good time?" she asked. Elfman thought for a moment, and then smiled back.
"Yeah, I did. In fact, I think this was our best date."
"I'm glad." She said. At the start of the night, Elfman still seemed a little down. Evergreen was worried he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about Lisanna. Not that she wanted him to forget about Lisanna. She just didn't want him dwelling on things he couldn't do anything about.
"I guess it's time we head back now." Evergreen said. "Fairy Hills is a few miles away though…"
"Hmm. I can carry you if you want." Elfman said.
"Carry me? I don't think so." Evergreen said. "Where do you live?"
Elfman turned to her. "Me? Well, I just got my own apartment. It's just a few blocks from here actually."
"Oh, really? Can I see it?" she asked.
"You want to see my apartment?" he asked.
"Sure. I mean, if you want to."
"Well, it's not that I don't want to. But I just moved in, and there's not a lot there. Just a bed and some chairs and stuff."
"That's fine, as long as there's a place to sit down and rest my feet." She said. Elfman shrugged.
"Okay. It's this way then." He pointed a certain direction, and turned a corner to maneuver them toward his apartment. "Don't expect much. I don't think you'll like it."
She smiled again. "I'm sure I'll like it fine." She said. She then entwined her fingers with his, and held his hand as they walked down the street. He felt her hand touching his, and felt his heartbeat quicken a little. He once again began wondering how she truly feels about him.
They arrived at Elfman's apartment a short time later. Evergreen wasn't sure what to expect. She figured that, whatever it was, it probably wouldn't be to her taste. Her own dormitory was stylish, and lavish (some might say gaudy). Elfman's apartment was… plain. Sparsely decorated. Although, he had just moved in, so that wasn't unusual. It had white walls, and a decent sized bed, and several chairs, just as Elfman had said. There was also a small table, and a box where he kept his clothes. So, actually slightly better than he had indicated. The apartment was also small, bordering on cramped. It at least wasn't dirty though, which she was thankful for.
"Well, this is it." Elfman said, walking into the main room. There was only that room and a bathroom. "I know it's not much."
"Its… a fixer upper." Evergreen said, slowly walking inside. She looked around the room. It was fine for one person, but with even just a second person there it felt a little small. "Maybe I could help you shop for furniture sometime. I think we could make it look decent."
"Yeah, I bet you'd be good at that." He said earnestly. He sat down on his bed, and stretched a little. Evergreen stood there, watching him. He noticed, and patted a spot on the bed beside him. "Have a seat. You said your legs are tired, right?" Evergreen stood there and considered for a moment.
"Elfman… would you mind if I use your bathroom?" she said.
"Oh, sure. Whatever you need." He said. She nodded and walked over to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Elfman sat there on the bed, alone. He ran his hands along the dark sheets. He wondered what he should say or do next. He wanted to ask her about what she meant when she said she loved him. But he was afraid of how she might respond. Normally, Elfman was confident, and unafraid to express himself. But this situation was different. He didn't have much experience with girls. At least, not in a romantic sense. He knew that he liked Evergreen. Maybe even more than that. He was afraid of screwing things up though, by saying or doing the wrong thing. As he thought this, he balled his fists on the bed.
Come on, I have to be a man. He thought. I've just gotta be confident, and I'll figure out what to do.
As Elfman had this internal monologue, the bathroom door opened, and out stepped Evergreen. Elfman looked up at her. For their date, she had worn a green dress (naturally), a short jacket, and stockings with heels. As she reentered the room, he noticed she had removed the jacket, drawing attention to her low cut bustline. It might have been his imagination, but it seemed even lower than before.
"So, do you want to talk?" she said, looking at him with a curious expression.
"Uh, yeah, sure." He said. He patted the spot next to him again, and couldn't help staring at her as she moved towards the bed and sat down. She glanced at him sideways.
"What's on your mind?" she asked casually. Elfman hesitated.
"Well, I was just thinking. I mean, we've been having fun together, right?"
"I think we have." She said.
"And, I really like you. And… you like me." He phrased this last part as a statement, but almost intended it as a question.
"I do. Really." She said. She looked down at the floor. "I like you quite a lot, actually. I never expected us to get along so well, given how different we are." Elfman nodded.
"You mean because I'm a man, and you're a woman." He said. She looked at him, and sighed.
"No Elfman, not because of that." She said.
"Oh yeah, you mean the other stuff." He said. She looked at him for a moment, and stifled a laugh.
"Oh Elfman." She said. She closed her eyes, and leaned back on the bed while sitting on the edge, supporting herself with her hands. She breathed deeply. Elfman watching her, seeing her chest rise and fall. He couldn't help noticing her breasts. He saw her lips painted with red lipstick. Her long hair flowing behind her head. Her lips parted slightly.
"What are you thinking about right now?" she practically whispered. He wasn't sure what he was thinking. He knew what he wanted though. Looking at her in that position, her form on display… His instincts were telling him something. He suddenly put a hand on her head, and went in. He touched her lips with his. They had kissed before, but only pecks. This was not a peck. He kissed her. After several seconds, he pulled back. In that moment, he couldn't help but wonder if he did the right thing. She looked at him, and blinked. She touched his face.
"Don't stop now." She said. A smile came to his face. He kissed her again, deeper. He didn't use his tongue, but he pressed against her lips firmly. He knew he probably wasn't doing it right, but in that moment he didn't care. He was enjoying it, and it seemed like she was too. Finally, they parted again. They both sat there, sitting next to each other.
"Well damn." He said.
"That's one way of putting it." She said.
"That was… pretty intense." He said. She looked at him and smirked.
"It was. But you know, we could go further if you want."
"Further?" he said.
"Yes. Much." Evergreen ran her finger along the bust of her dress, outlining her breasts. She then put the finger to her lips playfully, while rubbing her other hand along her hosiery.
"Oh." Elfman said. He looked at her, understanding. No real man could say no to this, He thought. He moved closer, and they kissed once more.
Levy McGarden stood outside the Book Land bookstore. She had just finished shopping, and had bought several books she was interested in. She had them in a bag, and was currently inspecting it to make sure everything was in there. She had arrived at the store a few hours earlier, and had spent the whole time shopping; debating which books to get and which to leave, based largely on what her current financial situation would allow. Eventually though, it was time for the store to close for the night, so she hurriedly picked a few, paid, and left.
After checking her bag, Levy sighed contently. She couldn't wait to get home and start reading. She didn't leave immediately though. She looked around at the town around her. There were a few people walking around, going about their business. But she was looking for something in particular, and didn't see it.
"I guess not tonight." She said. She looked up at the starry sky. She stared for a few moments, and realized she could make out a few constellations in the sky. This reminded her of Lucy and her spirits. Lucy lived withing walking distance of the bookstore. Levy didn't really visit Lucy at home, and didn't feel tonight would be a good time to start, unannounced. She did want to talk to Lucy after the incident in Bosco, which Levy had only found out about after master Makarov and the others had returned to the guild. The whole thing sounded really risky and dangerous to her, but Fairy Tail regularly did risky and dangerous stuff.
"I think I can see Taurus." She said to no one. She found it amusing to think about the contrast between the ethereal figures people see in the stars, and the flesh and blood incarnations of the zodiacs that appear when summoned.
"Yes, the stars are quite bright tonight." Someone else said. Levy quickly turned, and saw Mystogan standing beside her, looking up at the sky.
"Hey, when did you get here?" Levy asked.
"Just now." He said quietly.
"Oh. Well, I was just about to leave." She said. Earlier, Levy had told him she was going to a bookstore, and invited him to come if he wanted. When he didn't show up, she assumed she wouldn't see him that night.
"I know you were expecting me." He said. "My apologies. I was busy with the master. He had many questions."
"Hey, that's fine. I understand. I mean, its not like we promised, or picked a specific time or anything."
"Yes." He said, pausing to think. "Still, I can walk you home, if you'd like."
"You don't have to do that." She said.
"No, but I would like to." He said, looking directly at her. Levy looked down at the ground. She did this because she suddenly felt like she was blushing, and didn't want him to see. She didn't feel she had a reason to blush. Ironically, the fact she was blushing made her feel embarrassed, and was probably causing her to blush more.
"Okay. We can do that." She said.
"Are you okay?" he said, noticing her looking at the ground.
"I'm fine. Let's start walking." She said. Levy led the way, with Mystogan walking beside her. They walked down the street, and took a turn. They ended up at the canal that runs along Lucy's apartment. Levy walked down the canal in the opposite direction though, since that was where Fairy Hills was. She had thought about Lucy, but they would talk another time. Right then, she was with Mystogan.
"So, how was your big, dangerous mission with Lucy and the others?" she asked, looking at him. Her face had returned to normal by that point. They were initially walking at a brisk pace, but now had slowed down a little.
"We learned a lot. We know where they live now, and even how they live. I also got my fifth stave back, thanks to Lucy and Carla." He said.
"That's good." She said. "So, no one got hurt?"
"No one in our group did. We were lucky." He answered. Levy took that to mean that other people had gotten hurt, but she decided not to press it.
"So, Natsu was there, huh?" she said. Mystogan paused a moment before answering.
"He was, according to Gray Fullbuster. I didn't actually see him myself."
Levy sighed. "This whole thing's pretty complicated, huh?"
"It seems so." He said. "Finding out their ultimate goal would probably help to simplify it." Levy nodded. Mystogan hadn't told her about this mission, just as Lucy hadn't. She wasn't mad about it, but she did wish they would be more frank with her about things like that. Maybe another time she would talk to them about it. For the moment, she just thought it was nice to talk to him again, but the topic was getting a little maudlin. She decided to change the subject.
"So, now you've got some time off, right? What do you do for fun?"
He glanced at her, surprised by the question. "Not much." He answered. "I've had to stay hidden, so I can't do many outdoor activities. There are also very few people that I socialize with."
"You like reading though, right?" she asked. Mystogan answered yes. "So then, maybe we could read together. It could be fun." She said.
Mystogan nodded. "I think I'd like that. Maybe at the guild hall."
Levy frowned. "We only ever talk at the guild hall. Maybe somewhere else?"
"Where do you have in mind?" he asked.
"Hmm. You avoid being in places where other people are around. And I can't bring you to Fairy Hills, because you're a guy. I'll… think of something. I guess it can't be tonight then."
"Some other time then." He said.
"Yeah, but we'll do it." She added.
"I look forward to it." He said. They walked quietly together the rest of the way, although they both intended to keep the promise.
Sitting alone under a tree, was Lisanna. The tree sat atop a small hill, somewhere in the middle of the valley. Normally, Lisanna would find someplace more secluded when she wanted to be alone. Or just stay in her room. Tonight though, she felt like a change of scenery. She found a spot she doesn't normally visit, and decided it would be a good place to sit and think. There wasn't anyone else around at that time of night, and the moon was bright enough that night that the lack of artificial light wasn't even a problem.
Lisanna saw a family of rabbits at the bottom of the hill. It appeared to be a mother and a bunch of babies. Lisanna had always loved animals, and they had always loved her. Or at least, they used to. She sat and watched as some of them approached her. They came closer, but then stopped when they came within a certain distance of her. The mother hurried the babies away, perhaps sensing danger. Lisanna wasn't surprised by this, but was still a little sad. She knew that she had more important things to worry about though.
She had been ruminating on her encounter with her siblings since she left Oshibana. Mirajane and Elfman. She had been looking forward to seeing Mirajane again, though she also feared her sister's reaction. But Mirajane accepted her with open arms. The memory still brought a tear to her eye. Then there was Elfman. Her brother, her killer, whom she had come to dread and hate. She had endured visions of her own demise at his hands for a while. Sometimes sleeping, sometimes awake. Boudica had brought it up numerous times. She didn't know what she would do if and when she saw him again. But see him again she did, and she acted, without even thinking.
Lisanna attacked him, transforming, and using her claws against him. She shed blood. He didn't fight back. Mirajane intervened, and Lisanna ran. Before running, as she was attacking him, she experienced something surprising. The anger she felt began to ebb, and she felt something else alongside it: sadness. Heartache. In that moment, she didn't understand. She was confused, and ran away. After leaving, she rode back in an airship with Boudica and the others. Boudica had asked her what happened. Lisanna gave her a brief explanation. Boudica seemed quite interested in hearing about it. When Lisanna got to the part about attacking Elfman, she thought she saw a small smile flash across Boudica's face. But then, Boudica said, "I'm sorry things turned out that way, but its not at all surprising." As Lisanna told Boudica about this, that now familiar feeling of anger returned. This time though, Lisanna felt different somehow. When they returned to the valley, Lisanna slept. She dreamed of Elfman.
This time, the dream wasn't bad. She dreamed about them playing as children. About how kind and affectionate Elfman was, in his own way. Mirajane too. The three of them were close. They were a team.
Lisanna had woken up in her bed, thinking how weird the dream was. But more images came to her. She realized that this wasn't just a dream. These images were memories. Her time at Fairy Tail. Her childhood. Things that had been locked away, now being revealed to her. Not all of her memories returned. But she did remember several important things. Including how much she had cared about Elfman, and he her. She thought back to those times Boudica had spoken of Elfman, and that same feeling of anger returned. In that moment, something occurred to her. She realized that the anger wasn't directed at Elfman. She was angry at Boudica. This realization completely surprised her. She had forgotten so much. But perhaps subconsciously she still remembered these important things, even if her conscious mind had forgotten. Some part of her knew, deep down, that what Boudica was saying about Elfman, about Fairy Tail, was wrong. It had taken her the better part of a day to put all of this together. By the time she had pieced it together, her head was spinning.
She had tried to stay in her room and be alone to think. She tried to sleep. She couldn't. She wanted to get up and go somewhere. She went outside. She wasn't being watched as closely at that point. Everyone seemed distracted by what had happened while they were away at Oshibana. Lisanna wasn't entirely clear on what had happened, just that many in the valley were not happy about it.
Lisanna had walked aimlessly for a little while before finding the tree on the hill, and decided to sit there. She enjoyed the peace and quiet, and the sights, and sounds, and scents of nature. Even as she sat there though, she knew that she had some very important decisions to make.
"Hello Lisanna." A voice said. Lisanna was startled, unaware that someone else had come along. She looked up and saw Alrace. He looked as frail and sickly as ever. Her reverie interrupted, she greeted him.
"Um, hi Alrace. What are you doing here at this time?" He stood there awkwardly as Lisanna stood up to speak to him.
"Ah, I was on my way to King Sael's tower. I was requested to help with some tasks. There was some destruction. Intruders."
"Yeah, I heard." Lisanna said. "What happened?"
"Ah." Alrace appeared uncomfortable. "I'm not supposed to say…"
"Oh. Okay." Lisanna said. She looked a little disappointed.
"Well, I can tell you." He said quickly. "Just don't tell anyone I told."
"I promise." She said. Alrace looked around, making sure they were alone.
"Fairy Tail." He said. "Your guild, yes?"
"Fairy Tail?" she said.
"Yes. Several of them got into the valley, somehow. They… They destroyed things. Hurt people. While you were away."
Lisanna considered this information. "Did they kill anyone?" Alrace shook his head.
"I don't think so. I saw one of them talking to Natsu. And they escaped in an airship. Arnok chased them away."
Lisanna stood there, thinking this all over. It was a peaceful night with nice scenery. However, despite the calming environment, she just felt tense, and uneasy. She decided she didn't want to sit there anymore.
"Where is Natsu?" she asked. Alrace shrugged.
"Not sure. He's being watched closely right now. They say he's important." He shrugged again, indicating that he didn't understand what that meant.
"I know he is." Lisanna said. She sighed, and looked off into the distance. "Alrace, thank you for telling me what you know."
"You are welcome." He said.
"I'd like it if we could be friends." She said.
I'd… I'd like that too." He said. He smiled, although it seemed like that expression was uncomfortable for him. He always seemed in pain. Lisanna smiled back for a second, but then looked thoughtful again.
"Right now, I feel like I need to clear my head, think things through. I need to decide what to do next. We'll talk later though, ok?"
Alrace nodded. "Where are you going, Lisanna?" he said awkwardly. She looked out into the dark distance.
"I'm going to see what's going on in the rest of the valley. Maybe then, I'll figure out what to do. If you see Natsu, tell him… Never mind. Good night, Alrace." At that point, Lisanna changed into her harpy form, and stretched her wings. She began flapping her wings, lifting herself into the air. She hovered for a moment, and then flew off into the night.
Endnotes: After how big and eventful the last few chapters were, I felt that this chapter should be smaller and more low key, just to break things up. Think of it as a way of giving the characters (and reader) a break before things get heavy again. The biggest stuff in this story has yet to happen.
