Chapter 23
FWOOSH! Mason, carrying a depressed Cobra by the hands, flew in circles over the crumbling city as he scanned for signs of life. "C'mon… C'mon…. Where are you guys?"
"Stop…." Cobra called up to his captor. "I think I'm going to be sick…." The dark mage's face grew pale.
Mason continued to scan the ground beneath him until he saw a flash of red through the forest near Nirvana's crash sight. "There!" Mason announced before he swooped down.
"OH NO!" Erik called out as his face went green as they dropped down.
As Mason got closer to the ground he noticed something, a large army of Rune Knight soldiers Led by Captain Lahar, had surrounded the remnants of the allied forces and captured them in a prison of Magic runes and an argument between the two clans had broken out. "What the hell?" Mason muttered.
"If you insist on standing in the way of justice then we have explicit orders to destroy anyone who would get in our way." Lahar snapped his fingers and two soldiers carrying magic staves stepped forward and aimed their weapons.
"I'm tellin ya man! You're making a huge mistake!" Natsu roared back in defiance.
PLOP! Erik was dropped down, in between Natsu and Lahar. "Oww…." The poison dragon groaned before WHAM! Mason dropped down on top of him. "Owwww….."
"What the hell is going on here?" Mason asked as he stepped off of his captive.
"Oh there you are." Lahar replied, sounding disappointed. "For a second there I thought you had actually died this time, maybe you'd been crushed under all that rubble but I should've known that things wouldn't have gone my way."
"Oh hello Lahar. Nice to see you again too." Mason said sarcastically. "So just what seems to be the problem, why are my friends stuck in one of your stupid boxes."
"These civilian wizards tried to interfere with our apprehension of a known dangerous criminal." Lahar declared. "I had no choice but to detain them."
"That's not true!" Lucy called back from behind Lahar's magic prison. "We've been stuck in here since we got off of Nirvana."
"Yes! They trapped us in here!" Ichiya cried out. "And I'm about to make a letter of the alphabet in my favorite white pants!" Tears began to well up in the "Handsome" man's eyes. Mason placed his hand on the magic wall and with a surge of magic power the barrier was destroyed. "THANK YOU!" The muscle bound Ichiya sprinted into the woods for some privacy.
"You brought two whole platoons to detain one prisoner." Mason looked around at the dozens of nearly identical soldiers, before his eyes fell back to Lahar. "Little excessive, don't you think."
"For a prisoner of this magnitude the council won't take any chances but if you hadn't interfered on the tower of heaven, I doubt I'd even be here right now." Lahar's eyes narrowed as Mason began to understand just who they were after. "I will give you and your new "Friends" one las chance, surrender Jellal Fernandes to us at once or we will be forced to take him!"
Mason put a hand on his old teammates shoulders. "What I'm about to say may sound ridiculous and the fact that you hate me won't add me anymore credibility but Jellal killed my friend so I wouldn't have any reason to protect him out of loyalty but he's not the man he was. Jellal saved my life just a few minutes ago even though I threatened to kill him, he helped to stop Nirvana. He's a good man."
"There's plenty I don't trust about you. I don't trust your methods, I never trusted your loyalty and I was right, I certainly don't trust your sanity but with that being said I've always trusted your sense of right and wrong so if you say Jellal is now a good man then I believe you." Lahar brushed Mason's hand off his shoulder and stared back at him with serious eyes. "But unfortunately that doesn't change what he did before he was a good man. Thirty five innocent people were crushed when the council was destroyed and we gave up on counting the number of bodies in that tower. He will have his day in court, you can be there to speak on his behalf but that doesn't change the fact that I'm not leaving here without him."
"I'm not gonna let you take him, it's best you just forget he was ever here." Mason threatened as he took a battle stance.
"You don't scare me Dragon Slayer." SNAP! With a snap of his fingers ten soldiers stepped forward. "The council doesn't have your back this time, if you're planning on getting in my way then I will have no problem going through you."
"Big talk." Mason waved his arm and, using his telekinesis, ripped the staffs out of the hands of every Rune Knight present and crushed all of them in the air. "But if you wanna fight, you'll do it yourself."
"Are you insane?! How dare you attack the magic council! I'll have you thrown in a cell yourself!" Lahar pulled out a small batton like item that ignited into a sword of magic power. "If you want a fight, then that's what you'll get."
"Enough!..." A raspy voice called out from behind the waves of soldiers. Slowly, out trudged Brosnan, one arm around Tyson's shoulder and in her other hand she was using her massive sword like a walking stick to support her. Her face was completely pale and her eyes were tired and baggy. "Hasn't there been enough fighting for one day?..."
"Brosnan!" Lahar immediately shaped up in the presence of his commanding officer, putting away his weapon and stepping back from conflict.
"Boss…." Mason muttered as a massive wave of relief washed over the dragon slayer, to the point that Mason's scales disappeared as he lost any desire he had left to fight. He slowly began to walk towards Brosnan. "You're alright…"
"Umm… Yeah I'm okay. OOFF!" Brosnan was soon wrapped in a deep hug, delivered by the phantom dragon. A small red blush formed on the head captain's face. "Ahem! That's enough…" She pushed the white haired mage off of her.
"Haha! I knew you were stronger than that stupid snake! You had me scared there for a second but I never should've doubted you." Mason happily commended his old friend as she slowly began to lift her sword into the air, until WHAM!
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Brosnan scolded as Mason dropped to the ground with a large knot on his head. "Do you know how much two platoons worth of Magic stalves is gonna cost us and all because you're too impatient to talk things out." Brosnan then turned to Lahar and shot him an equally angry glare but she soon calmed down. "I hate to admit it but Mason's right, from the little time I've spent around him I've gathered that Jellal is a decent human being and without his assistance I doubt we would've been able to stop Nirvana without a single casualty." Mason looked hopefully at his old captain, but her expression remained stern and serious. "Though like you said fourth captain, that doesn't change the fact that he is responsible for the destruction of the previous magic council and all the lives that were lost in that event. We were tasked with arresting Jellal Fernandes and that is what we must do. I promise that when the time comes for a trial that I will speak to his good character and I urge you to do the same." Brosnan looked back at Mason sympathetically before continuing. "But the new magic council wishes to make an example out of and I doubt a million positive testimonies will change their verdict but that doesn't change the fact that our job a soldiers of the magic council is to ensure that justice and peace exists throughout Fiore and to that end we must take him with us…"
"I won't resist arrest!" Jellal declared as he finally stepped to speak his peace. "I won't denounce my sins, even though I have no memory of these crimes I won't deny their existence and I won't stand in the way of peace." Jellal lifted his hands to be cuffed. "I will go with you."
"No way!" Natsu roared.
"You can't!" Erza called out.
"DRIVE!" Magic power exploded around Mason as he turned to face Brosnan and her army. "He's my FRIEND! There's no way I'll let you take him! I don't care if I have to take on an entire army on my own! Who wants a piece of me?!"
BANG! A green energy bullet hit Mason dead in the forehead and he immediately dropped to the ground. CLICK! The petite Brunette Amber Celadon sat atop the detainment car and cocked her massive magic rifle. "Sleeping bullet…" Was the only thing she said in reference to her attack on Mason.
(Later)
RUMBLE! RUMBLE! The Magic Council's caravan rolled down the dirt roads that occupied the forest until they came across a familiar face. As if she somehow knew they would go this way, Julia stood at the side of the road, laying next to her was the celestial wizard Angel and the speedster Racer both of whom were tied up and incapable of moving.
"Took you long enough." Julia joked as she carried the two bound mages to the holding carriage. "I'll be honest boss, you've looked better."
"How'd it go, did you find what you were looking for?" Brosnan asked, still sounding sickly.
"No trace of Midnight or Brain so you know." Julia slid open the door to the mobile prison to find Erik who had buried his face in his hands as well as Hoteyes and Jellal who were just sitting quietly at the back of the car. "Hey he got him. Now doesn't that make you feel good, Mason went out and defended your honor, I've never seen him take something so seriously. He's totally into you." Julia joked but when Brosnan didn't give her a reaction worth wild, she eventually moved on and that's when her eyes fell on Jellal. "Hey isn't that…"
"Unfortunately he couldn't be spared, there was no other way." The well mannered Tyson said as he shut the barred door behind Julia.
"You know I don't believe that." Julia said as she forced a smile as the two of them returned to their Magic Mobile. "I'll drive!" The dragon slayer quickly piped up.
"I'd prefer that you didn't…" Tyson lowered his head as Julia sprinted for the driver's seat.
"Children, they shouldn't show sympathy towards the enemy." Lahar said as he readied the prison carriage to move.
"They have a point though." Brosnan answered as she took a seat next to the fourth captain. "When did our job become that of arresting good people?" Lahar didn't have any response for what Brosnan had asked, so he just focused on driving.
(Later, Cait shelter guild)
"OOMMM! NOM! NOM! NOM!" Natsu began to chow down on the small banquet the cait shelter guild members had put on for the male wizards of the coalition.
"Hey! Save some for the rest of us!" Gray cried out as he hurried to scarf down whatever he could before the bottomless pit known as Natsu could eat it all.
"C'mon Gray, have some manners.. What would Ur say if she saw you eating like a pig after all she taught us.?" Lyon facepalmed as his shirt somehow found a way off his body.
"C'mon.." Mason growled at one of the Cait Shelter wizards. "Old man, Tall, eye patch, scraggly grey beard. He had to have come through here, where else could he've gone?"
"I'm sorry, I don't remember seeing any such wizard come through here. You'll have time to worry about that later, please enjoy the food." The cait shelter wizard tried to calm down Mason to no avail.
WHAM! Mason punched the wall to the point where the whole building shook. "Damn it…" The dragon slayer growled as he marched towards the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" The wizard saint Jura stood between the door and Mason. "You won't do anyone any good out there."
"This place is weird!" Mason argued. "The whole town has this weird unsettling smell. The people smell weird, the buildings smell weird, even the food doesn't smell quite right…"
Natsu looked down at the half eaten chicken leg in his hand before shrugging. "Smells fine to me." He commented before returning to his gorge fest.
"There's something not quite right about this place and I shouldn't be here!" Mason yelled back as he phased through the wizard saint and continued to the door. "Not while that one eyed psychopath is on the loose and my friend is stuck behind bars!" Mason reached for the door but his other arm was wrapped up in Jura's massive hands before he could leave."Let go…" The dragon slayer growled.
"There's nothing you can do for him now.." Jura said softly but his eyes were filled with seriousness.
"Fine!" Mason ripped his arm from Jura and went so sit down at the noisy dinner table. Natsu slid his guild mate a plate piled with food that Mason initially ignored but soon his hunger had overtaken him and he partook in the meal.
(a few days later)
CREEK! Mason slowly pushed open the massive doors and was met with something truly unexpected, silence. All eyes were on the Dragon Slayer as he walked through the guild hall but he didn't notice, he simply took a seat at the bar and ordered a drink.
"So?" Grey asked as he, natsu, lucy, wendy as well as Happy and Carla huddled around him. "How did the trial go?"
"I think the whole guild would like to know." The ever cheerful Mirajane added with a smile as she served Mason his drink.
"Well…" The Dragon Slayer sat up and forced a smile. "It took everything we had but Brosnan and I managed to talk them down from a life sentence…" Spirits in the guild hall perked up, until Mason continued. "We managed to get them down to a hundred years, without the possibility of parole…" Mason said before he began to sip form his foamy glass.
Groans and curses erupted around the guild, Natsu even went as far to throw a few tables. Through the chaos the sound of stomping metal boots could be heard and everyone was soon silenced. Mason already knew who it was and didn't bother to turn around, that was until he felt a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Erza?" Mason turned around to see the red haired mage smiling down at him.
"Wanna take a job?" Erza asked as a comforting wave washed over Mason. The Dragon Slayer nodded. "Good, apparently there's a herd of thunder rhino's heading towards A small village to the north. Natsu! Gray! Lucy! We have work to do!"
"No way!" Gray called back.
"We just got back!" Natsu complained as well.
"A Fairy Tail wizards work is never done!" Erza declared proudly. "So are the two of you gonna shape up or am I gonna have to whip you into shape myself!"
"Aye sir!" Natsu and Gray said in unison as they clung to each other out of fear. Mason seeing the scene play out in front of him cracked a smile.
(Weeks later, Council Prison)
"Name?" A disembodied voice asked as two council guards pat Mason down.
"Mason Alastor…" The dragon slayer muttered, not feeling too comfortable about what was transpiring.
"Reason for being here?" The voice continued.
"Visitation…" Mason answered as a large drawstring bag was returned to him.
"Approved." The voice declared as Mason was escorted to a heavily guarded elevator.
There wasn't much talking as the elevator descended through dozens of floors before reaching the bottom where the doors opened to reveal four more guards were there waiting for Mason. This new set of guards escorted Mason down a long hallway full of camera lacrima. The guarded escort finally ended when they came to a large door covered from top to bottom with locks. Two guards went to work unlocking each individual lock, while the other two kept a firm watch over Mason.
Eventually the door opened into a white room that had been fully furnished. A magic television, large dining table, two completely full book shelves and a large well made bed. "You have a visitor!" One of the guards called out before shoving Mason into the white room. "One hour."
"Yeah, yeah I know." Mason said as they shut the door behind him, meanwhile CLICK! A large leather recliner clicked back into the upright position and Jellal pushed himself up and out of the cushiony seat. "Looks like you're finally enjoying yourself. Just so you know it took every last of my favors to get you set up in this room." Mason bragged.
"Yes I know." Jellal smiled back at his visitor. "You told me the last time you were here and the time before that and the time before that and the time before that." Jellal tried to peak his head around Mason as if he was looking for someone. "Did she not make it this time?"
"Not this time Romeo." Mason poked fun as he opened up his drawstring bag and pulled out a large white cake box. "She did send this, made it herself." Mason said as he placed the cake on the dining table.
"Oh thanks.." Jellal tried to be polite but his face gave truth to his real feelings.
"And I brought this." Mason said, pulling out a large bottle of liquor and placing it next to the cake.
"Oh! Thanks!" Jellal perked up at the site of Mason's gift.
"I also brought cards." Mason said as he brought out a pack of trading and took a seat at the table, Jellal took a seat across from him. "I don't think I've asked this before but what are they feeding you here?"
"Once again thanks to you I'm having steak tonight." Jellal said as Mason dealt him a hand.
"Really? Well for me I think I'm gonna grab a sandwich at the train station before I leave." Mason replied, sounding a little jealous.
"Fast food and Train travel? You sure that's the best idea?..." Jellal poked fun.
"Haha… Maybe not…" Mason said and the two wizards began to chuckle as they enjoyed their game.
(End)
