Happy New Year, everybody! For me, there are a few hours left till 2019! And I'm looking forward to that, because in real life, 2018 sucked for me.
Levy: It couldn't have been that bad.
Oh, it was. Anywho, I want to thank stephenieeiche10, Fin-Fish Jun-Tenshi, SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta, Ray Akaba 210, OneWhoCharms, and Professor of Gallifrey for their reviews. I am so glad you enjoyed the start to my little arc. Anyway, I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does, and let's get started on the next chapter.
Rewrite the World: A Violent Family Reunion
Gajeel growled as he marched forward to the invaders' leader. "Who the hell are you?"
"Stay out of this, Strainseir," Mercator replied coldly.
"Not till you explain why you three smell like Shrimp!"
"Then I might as well inform you," Mercator said. "We are Clan Garten, the nation devoted to research. And we are here to capture the legacies of Joseph Mcgarden, traitor to our people."
"So much for getting the old building back," Macao grumbled as he, Makarov, Erza, and Wakaba walked over the dirt pass to their current Guildhall.
"Not like we had a chance," Wakaba said as he lit a cigarette in his mouth.
"Don't go saying that," Erza reprimanded. "Sure our current credit standing is low, but at the current rate we're going right now we might be able to buy the Guildhall back soon."
"Yeah, in five years," Macao added.
"It's not just that," Makarov said. "The mayor can't afford to have us be their official guild. Much of their commerce came from our original reputation, and we no longer have that" he suddenly smiled. "Well, no need to end this day so glum. Let's go check on the rest of the brats and see what's-"
All four stopped with dropped jaws as they saw that the backyard of their building looked like it went through a war, with the grass burnt and shards of copper lying around. Many of their guildmates were covered in grime and soot
"What in the-"
"Did they left?" he turned and saw Freed, Gajeel, and Mira (in only a towel, much to his joy) running towards them.
"They suddenly transformed to runes," Levy explained, a haunted look in her eyes.
"Just like that hook bastard," Gajeel growled.
"We should start contacting Lyon and Lucy," Mira said. "He said they're going after all legacies of Joseph Mc-"
"Could anyone of you explain what happened here?!" Macao yelled, causing them to turn to him.
"Oh, hey master," Max said casually. "How did it go?"
"I should be asking you that," Makarov said sternly. "Now what happened?"
Mira sighed "Long story short, we were just attacked by Levy's relatives."
"... I'm going to need more than that, Mira."
Ten minutes earlier.
"Traitor?" Levy gapped. "No way. That's not like grandfather…"
"Believe what you want, girl," Mercator stated. "He abandoned the clan for the measly outsiders."
Freed held his rapier towards Mercator. "If you continue to speak slander against my master, I shall cut off that tongue."
"So that makes you Freed Justine, then," the bearded man said as sea-green runes appeared in the air. "Good. Poseidon Scroll's Kathará!" in the blink of an eye, the runes reappeared around Freed and combined into a net that wrapped him up.
"What-" he said before he was pulled forward by the net into Mercator's arms.
"Freed!" Bickslow shouted.
"He grabbed him so quickly," Evergreen gapped
"Deal with the rabble," Mercator ordered, as he turned around to the forest. "I'll deal with this one in private."
"Let me go!" Freed protested.
"Give him back to us, prick!" he turned and saw Evergreen and Bickslow charging towards them.
"Fairy Leprechaun!"
"Baryon Formation!"
"I don't think so," Murray lifted the right of her bracelet covered arms, and one from two of them glowed. "Stone, Eye: Mirror!" A triangular knot composing of a single circle of magic tied into in loops appeared, catching the attack and sending it back to the fairies in large amounts, forcing them to brace the barely missed attacks and releasing dust from the air.
"How did she do that?" Evergreen asked in surprise.
"Scribe Legion, attack!" She ordered
"Yes, mum!" the sword wielders yelled in order, as they started to write into the air.
Lisanna's eyes widened. "Are they-"
"Solid Script: Fire! Solid Script: Stone! Solid Script: Lightning! Solid Script: Water!"
Numerous words made of magic were sent towards the fairies.
"Urgh!" the tangled-up Freed grunted as he tossed onto a tree.
"Don't resist me," Mercator said sternly. "Those runes cannot be broken by mere force, no matter what training the traitor gave you."
"Why are you doing this?" Freed questioned as his fingers danced behind him.
"I only ask you one question. Did Joseph Mcgarden hand you an artifact?"
"What do you speak of?"
"A parting gift of some sort," Mercator explained. "Something that once belonged to our clan."
"Let me guess," Freed said, keeping the purple runes in his hands hidden from the enemy's sight. "He stole it before you left."
"Actually, the artifact was given willingly as a parting gift to my uncle. Back then it was seen as insignificant. That was a grave mistake."
Freed's eyes widened "Uncle?"
"But now the clan requires that machine back."
"Well, you must keep looking, because I do not have such a device."
"Then so ends your days," Mercator then pulled out a white rune-stone.
"It was you," Freed said, his eyes open in sudden realization. "You were the ones attacking the letter mages and putting them into a coma. What reason you do so?"
"It doesn't matter," Mercator said. "Me wife and me men will be keeping your coworkers busy. They can't save you."
"Guess again, asshole!" Mercator turned around and quickly caught an Iron Dragon's Sword with his hook.
"You found me," Mercator asked Gajeel. "How?"
"I'm not too familiar with Purple's scent, but it ain't hard picking out the scent of seafood in the middle of the forest," Gajeel boasted, only to be shocked when Mercator used the palm of his left hand to push him off, leaving a trail in the dirt.
"Thank you, Gajeel," Mercator turned and saw that Freed was now free, the rune-net now purple and fading apart. "And honestly, purple?"
Gajeel shrugged. "Hey, it's the first thing I thought."
"You plan to chat while you fight?" Mercator asked in annoyance.
"You are right, it is impolite," Freed stated. "Gajeel, let's work together to deal with this menace."
"Fine by me," Gajeel grinned viciously at Mercator. "I don't care if you are Shrimp's relative. You're just another enemy of my guild."
"Such overconfidence will be your downfall."
"Requip: Machine Guns!" Bisca shouted as two machine guns appeared in her hands
"Gun Magic: Tornado!" Alzack yelled as he and Bisca began firing on the incoming projectiles, either blasting them apart or blowing them away.
"Nice save," Warren gasped while he held a finger to his forehead.
"Can you figure out what they want with Levy and Freed?" Max asked.
"I'm trying! They have some sort of mental shield that blocking me."
"Hang on," Levy said as she looked around. "Where's Gajeel?"
"Take them down and isolate the target," Murray ordered as the army charges towards Fairy Tail.
"He must have gone after Freed. The rest of us must deal with them!" Lily yelled as the fairies moved forward.
"Easier talked out then done!" Laki shouted as she created a wood shield to block a Solid Script: Stone. "They're so many!"
"And they got too many spells!" Elfman said as he grabbed a clansman and threw him at another. He spotted several with swords coming at him, only for them to be blasted down by Evergreen's Leprechaun.
"We'll be overrun at this rate!" she yelled, quickly ducking from a Solid Script: Wind.
"They're using their staves for magic," Levy said as she used Solid Script: Fire to counter Solid Script: Ice. "And without them-"
"They're weak!" Cana finished. "Got it! Card Magic!" she threw several cards charged with magic at five letter mages, causing their staves to break apart.
"Our staves!" one of them shouted.
"Don't give in!" another one said as he began writing with his finger. "Solid Script: Explosion!"
But this only sent out a white word "egg," which broke when it fell to the ground.
"Cra-ahh!" the five were quickly brought down by an increase of gravity thanks to Kagura.
"You okay, Cana-san?"
"I am thanks to you, kid."
"We might have a chance," Levy said.
"Clever," she turned and saw Murray in front of her. "You went for their weak points."
"Believe me," Levy said as she applied blue runes on her arm, transforming it to its Bogha form. "I know how defenseless an unbalanced letter mage can be. Solid Script: Twister!" she fired the spinning word at her opponent
Murray didn't flinch as the spell came at her. "Wind: All Glyphs!" a single glyph on each of her bracelets glowed as she trusted her hand forward, nearly pushing Levy off her feet and breaking apart "Twister" with ease.
"How did you-"
"Let's make this easier to talk," the older woman said as two of her glyphs glowed. "Stone, Box: House!" right before Levy's eyes four stone wall grew from the ground around them and then extended into a roof as well.
"Levy/Levy-san!" Lily and Kagura raced to the stone structure, only to be kicked away by Moreau.
"I rather you do not interfere," the odd man said as the two glared at him. "My sister wants to deal with Levy privately, for whatever reason she thinks of."
"Sister?" Kagura asked. "Are you two related?"
"The member of the main house of our clan are all related," he replied. "Even Levy is related to us through her traitorous grandfather. As such, her fate is ours"
"It doesn't matter who you are," Lily said as summoned his stave. "You might be related, but you are not Levy's family. Blood does not define bonds."
"You are wrong. Blood defines everything," Moreau turned to the remaining soldiers. "Summon the Automatons!"
"Yes sir!" three of them shouted as they slammed their swords into the earth
"Come forth, Dire Wolves!"
"Come forth, Argentavis!"
"Come forth, Ibex!"
In front of the swords, three knots similar to Murray's mirror spell appeared on the ground, and three creatures, a wolf, a vulture, and a wild goat, appeared from them.
But what most surprising to the fairies was that the beasts were not composed of flesh but of metal. Bronze pieces moved in place as the animals made their call and the Argentavis took flight.
"Witness here wizards," Moreau said. "Witness the power of our mechanical might!"
"Sun, One: Small Light." Appearing in Murray's hand was a small ball of light that rose to reach the top of the roof, illuminating the small room she and Levy were in.
"That's better," she said gently as she gazed at Levy, who matched with a cautious stare as she aimed her bow-arm at her. "It's better we see each other's faces when talking."
"What do you want with me?" Levy asked.
"Our main goal is to retrieve an item that belonged to your grandfather, a powerful artifact that will bring us to our true goal. However," she then had a gentle smile on her face. "what I want is to bring you back."
Levy's mouth dropped open a bit as she lowered her arm. "Excuse me?"
"Despite your grandfather's desertion, you still share blood with us. It is foolhardy of us to have you suffer for his crimes," Murray ignored how the intensity of Levy's glare had increased. "We want you to join us officially, Levy. You can be part of our family now if you help us."
"And what about Fairy Tail?" Levy asked, her voice thick with distrust.
"What about them?" Murray asked in confusion. "They're just a company, right? Isn't a real family worth it?"
"There's one problem with that statement," Levy said as she began writing in the air. "Fairy Tail is my real family, more than some strangers that are insulting my grandfather. Solid Script: Swarm!"
She fired the spell straight at Murray, who held up her left hand and shouted "Beetle, Hand, Moon: Spider!" and released spider-silk from her hand that caught the word before it could hit her, leaving the multiple bugs trapped in the spider-web.
"I don't want to fight you, Levy," the older woman said.
"Well, I'm sure that she wants to," a male voice shouted as the rock above them started to glow red from the heat, before breaking apart. The two women shielded themselves from the falling rubble as Bickslow smirked from above while balancing on two of his dolls.
"Thanks, Bickslow," Levy said. "Holy Scrioptúr: Etilt!" her arms turned back to normal as her wings appeared.
"You can use Holy Scrioptúr?!" Murray exclaimed as the younger girl flew out. "Just like her?!"
"Glad that's- whoa!" Levy flew out of the way of a screeching Argentavis. "What's going on now?!"
"Shit's gone weird, that's what!"
"Iron Dragon's Club!" Gajeel sent the metal club towards Mercator, who leaped out of the way.
"Poseidon Scroll's Chelóna!" A set of runes lined together to form a turtle shell around his left arm and caught the attack, with only a slight push and cracks to show the result.
"Dark Écriture: Pain!" Mercator roared as an immense burst of agony came from the purple runes on his back as Freed flew back. The attack caused Mercator's shield to break, and him to pushed to the ground
"Without my rapier, I am forced to get close for my attacks," Freed muttered. "In that case," he quickly wrote on his chest. "Dark Écriture: Darkness!" he roared as he transformed into his demonic form.
"Immersion state," Mercator said, a sense of curiosity in his voice. "Not bad for a Strainseir." He rolled out of the way to avoid an Iron Hard Fist from Gajeel.
"What the hell does straight-sheer mean?" Gajeel scoffed as he pulled his fist from the earth while Mercator got onto his feet.
"Strainseir is a term for outsiders like you," Mercator said. "Men who revel in chaos. A contrast to the order of our clan. You are far weaker than the rest of us."
"You're arrogance is showing," Freed said in a deep tone as he landed next to Gajeel. "And that shall be your undoing.
"Not arrogance," Mercator said as he wrote green runes over his chest. "Confidence. Poseidon Scroll's Triton!" Green runes flooded over his body as it started to change. He grew taller by a foot as his skin become covered with deep-blue scales. His legs fused together into a long, scaly tail that ended with an ax-shaped fin coming out of his kilt. Both of his arms now ended with long, slippery hands with talons and webbings, and the arms were covered in green wave patterns. His eyes became pitch black sphere, and his mouth was now full of rows of razor-sharp teeth.
"Triton, the prince of the sea," Freed mused. "We must be careful, Gajeel."
Gajeel scoffed. "Why, he's just a fish now. There's no way he can even-" his statement was left unsaid when he was sent flying into a tree by Mercator's tail.
"What did your comrade said of arrogance, Black Steel?" Mercator taunted as he floated above the ground.
"He's moving in the air like he is swimming in water. What sort of magic is this?" Freed asked, fear piercing his voice as sweat raced down his back.
"Yikes!" Levy shouted as she avoided another strike from the Argentavis. "What is that thing?"
"I don't know!" Bickslow yelled back. "But for some reason, it has a soul!"
"What?!"
"But there's something weird about- ah!" Bickslow screamed as the two dolls he was balancing on were destroyed by a fire attack.
"Daddy!" his three remaining dolls yelled as they flew to catch him.
"Impressive," Murray said as she, now with two eagle wings on her back, said as she flew right next to the Argentavis "So that's seith magic."
"Lady, you better have a good reason for blowing up my babies!"
Levy looked down and saw Alzack and Bisca shooting at the ibex, while Max and Laki were dealing with the Dire Wolf. "What kind of machines are those?"
"Automatons," Murray explained. "Ancient machines that serve Clan Garten. Aren't they amazing?"
"Maybe," Levy stated. "But that won't matter against us."
"Is that so?" she said. "Very well. Argentavis, Gatling mode!"
A compartment opened at the vulture's belly, revealing a small machine gun.
"Oh come on!" both blue-haired fairies yelled as the vulture started to blast hundreds of bullets at them.
"Two Layered Magic Circle: Blitzheart!" Lily yelled as he unleashed electricity at Moreau, who was barely able to dodge.
"Assist Moreau!" A clansman yelled as two charged towards him, only to be blasted back by a side strike by Kagura.
"Thank you, Kagura," Lily said. " Go said the Connells with their... beast."
"Right!" Kagura nodded as she intercepted the goat with the Archenemy.
"Warren, can you connect us?" he said mentally as he used his stave to block Moreau's palm trust.
"Already, on it!" the telepath replied as he kept to the back on the battlefield. "It's all I can do right now...."
"We're getting mashed here!" Laki yelled while trying to trap the dire wolf with her Wood Make, only for it break free every time.
"Same here!" Levy said as she used Solid Script: Block against the incoming bullets.
"Nee-san's still inside!" Elfman shouted while knocking out several clansmen with his fist. "She can help us turn the battlefield."
"Good, I'll contact her right now- ahhh!" Lily turned and saw that Warren had been blasted by an explosion from a lone clansman.
"Warren!" Lily shouted, only to receive a kick to the gut from his opponent.
"Never lose focus in the fight, Exceed," Moreau chided as the Exceed spat out blood. He thrust his feet to his opponent's skull, only to pull back to avoid several energy blasts at him.
"Word of advice," Evergreen said smugly as she flew above them. "Never mess with the Queen of the Fairies."
"Funny, Erza ain't here," Cana quipped as she walked next to Lily.
"Hmpf," the Petrify Mage huffed as she landed nearby. "At the very least let me get a shot at him."
"Same here," Cana pulled out several glowing cards. "I want payback for messing with Gildarts's home."
"Three on one isn't that fair," Moreau said as he held out his hand, where a small sheet of brown paper with torn edges appeared. "So let make it easier." He pressed a button on the side of his muzzle, causing it to open slighting.
"What's he up to?" Cana said.
"It's best not to find out, Two Layered Magic Circle: Blitzheart!"
"Sacred Sun!"
"Fairy Leprechaun!"
All three attacks covered to Moreau, only for him to jump back and let them hit the earth, blasting dust to the air.
"That's rude," he quipped as he emerged from the cloud with the piece of paper finishing entering his muzzle. "Didn't your mum tell you not to interrupt a man's meal?"
"Did he just," Evergreen blinked in surprise. "Ate that paper?"
"There's a lot more I can do that eat," Moreau held out both of his hand, and both were soon covered with green flames.
"Oh crap," Cana said.
"Burn!" He threw both flames towards the three.
"I have this," Lily said as the two girls got behind him. "Three Layered Magic Circle: Mirror Water!" the three circles stood between him and the fireballs.
But before they could make contact, the fireballs exploding into massive clouds of fire, which the shield was barely able to hold back. Some of the flames were sent back to Moreau, who leaped away in time.
"What kind of fire is that?" Cana asked
"More like what kind of magic that was," Evergreen argued. "He must have got it from eating that paper."
"That was a page from the logbook of a Byzan pirate captain," Moreau said as he walked towards them with new flames in his hand.
"The Prayer's Fountain!" Cana yelled as she threw a card towards him, which unleashed a massive geyser of water to the air in front of him.
"Heh," Moreau scoffed as he held his hands towards the water, then unleashed his green fire unto it. Surprisingly, the green fire did not go out from the high-pressure water. Instead, it continued to grow larger through it until it reached and burnt the card, stopping the spell entirely.
"How did he do that?!" Cana asked.
"They specialized in the use of Wildfire, a chemical compound that could even burn in the water."
"You have some sort of Lost Magic," Lily questioned as he deactivated the magic circles.
"No," Moreau said, extending his hands to show off the green flames. "This is no mere magic from centuries ago. It is a magic of the new age. One that shall stop all enemies of our clan."
"Are mommy, daddy, and the others okay, Kinana," Asuka asked the purple-haired barmaid. The two, as well as Rogue and Frosch, were the only ones left in the Guildhall, hiding behind the bar.
"Of course they are," Kinana reassured, though Rogue heard the hesitation in her voice. "We have some of the Tenrou Team with us."
Rogue turned to the front door, where he heard the battle occurring. "We might want to get Mira-nee out."
"Fro thinks so too."
"That's not happening," Kinana and Rogue turned and saw three men wearing black armor and having shaved heads standing behind them. Kinana shrieked as she picked up Asuka and jumped over the bar while Rogue did the same with Frosch. They moved back as the trio marched towards them.
"Who are you?" Rogue asked.
"We're the Tash Trio," the center one said. "And you four are coming with us."
"Are we sure we should do that, brother," the man to his right said.
"Of course," the leftmost one argued. "We need a bargaining chip against those guild workers."
"But one is a wee lass."
"Stay back," Rogue growled as shadows crawled up his body, while Kinana grabbed Frosch and turned both he and Asuka away from the trio
"I won't let them get you," she reassured.
"Don't make this too hard, wrench," the leader said.
"Stay away!" the purple-haired snarled, her fangs seeming sharper as her eyes thinning to stilts, startling the three intruders.
"What the devil-"
"No," the Tash Trio turned and saw hell itself in only a towel. "The devil's right here," she then sent them crashing to the wall with a single kick.
"What in blazes- ohhhh!" the leader screamed as he felt a shadow-coated punch to his genitals before collapsing.
"Don't mess with Fairy Tail!" Rogue shouted as he pulled back his fist.
"Brother!" another yelled, only to get knocked out by a bottle by Kinana.
"M-m-" the last one stuttered as he scooted further into the wall. "Monsters!" a small pellet then struck him in the forehead. "Owww..." he then fainted from the shock.
"Get out of our guildhall, meanie!" Asuka said with a pout.
She was then picked up by Kinana, who gave her a smile. "Good shoot, Asuka-chan." The toddler giggled back in joy.
"You weren't too bad yourself, Kinana," Mira complimented. "So were you, Rogue," she turned to the young boy, only to see his face was beet red.
"Um, Mira-nee," he muttered as he looked to the floor. "Couldn't you put any clothes on first?"
"Sorry, no time," she replied. She turned to Kinana and asked, "What's happening anyway?"
"Some people calling themselves Clan Garten are after Levy and Freed."
"That's all I need to know," Mira said. "Satan Soul: Beelzea!" transforming to her demonic form, she ran to the front door and kicked open the door, where she saw her guildmates in combat against the intruder.
"Mira, Gajeel and Freed are battling their leader in the forest," Lily said as he avoided another blast of Moreau's flames. "Can you locate them?"
"Leave that to me!" Mira shouted as she pulled out her wings and flew to the forest.
"Not so fast, girl!" Moreau shouted as he created Wildfire in his hands, only to leap away from a massive fist.
"Don't even think of hurting my nee-san, freak!" Elfman snarled in his Beast form.
"Iron Dragon's Lance!" Gajeel roared as his arms transformed, before spinning around and swinging the long lances towards Mercator.
The merman only snarled as he ducked under one and caught the other. "Weak," he snarled in a gravelly voice as he swung it upward, sending Gajeel to the air. "Is that really what the son of Metalicana is capable of?"
Gajeel regained his bearing and reverted his transformation. "Iron Dragon's Roar!" he spewed a storm of iron at Mercator, who swam out of the way in time.
"Flare Bomb!" he turned around and saw Freed right behind him, holding a pure-black sphere of dark magic between his hands.
"Poseidon Scroll's Tríaina!" Appearing in his hand was a trident made of green runes. As Freed brought the sphere down on Mercator, the merman struck it with his trident, creating an explosion that sent both flying back.
But suddenly Mercator was stopped in the air as he felt a tug on his face. "Gotcha," Gajeel said as he gripped Mercator's beard with an iron-coated hand. "Now Iron Dragon's Club!" Lifting his leg up, he transformed it into a growing pillar that kicked the enemy and sent him crashing into several trees.
"Not bad," Mercator said as he swam back up into the air, shaking off bits of bark and leaves from his body. "You are fearsome warriors."
"That's a nice trick," Gajeel said as he should his metal-coated palm, which was now covered in scratches. "Most people would try to grab your beard, but you got barbs in them so they get hurt in the process. I'd be spilling a lot of blood if I didn't have my iron."
"Now is the time that you surrender," Freed said as he walked next to Gajeel. "And answer for the crimes you have committed."
"Only in a blue moon," with a swipe of his tail, a series of runes appeared beneath Mercator. "Poseidon Scroll's Ýdra!" Suddenly from the runes came nine water sprouts that took the form of hissing hydra heads. The hydra heads sprung forward to Gajeel and Freed, and before they could react, one head each was wrapped around their waists while four more had their arms in their grips.
"I can't move!' Gajeel snarled as he struggled to break free.
"His magic is on an entirely different level," Freed said, wincing from the bites of the hydra heads.
"I had enough games," Mercator said as he swam up to them. "My orders from the chieftain was clear. Locate the artifact, and neutralize all of Joseph's legacies. I'm sure that the children of Ur Milkovich and Layla Heartfilia will be dealt with."
"You mean..." Freed's eyes widened in shock.
"You're going Ice Prick and Bunny Girl after us?!" Gajeel yelled.
"Oh no," Mercator said as he rose the trident to Freed's neck. "Our agents are already dealing with them."
"Then you've made a big mistake," a woman's voice called out. Before Mercator could locate it, the water hydras suddenly snarled in pain as they broke apart, dropping Gajeel and Freed to the ground.
"Targeting even one member of Fairy Tail," Mira said as she stood above her guildmates. "And you get the wrath of hell!"
"Thank you, Mirajane," Freed said as he and Gajeel got back on their feet. "I thought you were taking a shower."
"I was until these pricks interrupted me," Mira replied bitterly.
"No kidding," Gajeel grumbled as he placed a hand over his nose. "You still stink even when using take-over."
"Oh, shut it, Gajeel."
"You must be the she-demon, Mirajane Strauss," Mercator said.
"That's right. So does the talking sushi platter have a name?"
"Mercator Garten."
"Thanks," Mira smirked. "Now I know the new guy I beat. Evil explosion!"
"Darkness Breath!"
"Iron Dragon's Roar!"
Mercator stood his ground as the three attacks approached him. "Poseidon Scroll's Leukothea!" he roared as he wrote runes in the air in front of him, which transformed into a hexagonal shield that took the brunt of the spells, which combine into a massive explosion.
The fairies braced themselves from the massive wind created by the collision. But once the wind stopped, they saw that while the shield had shattered, Mercator still stood with only a few scratches and missing scales.
"Impressive," Mercator mused as he gazed at the shocked three. "To overpower Leukothea is no small feet. But alas, it wasn't enough."
"The power of all three of us," Mira said, her eyes wide in disbelief. "And he's still standing."
"It's clear you three together will be a challenge," he continued on as a white rune-stone appeared in his hands. "And since none of you know where the artifact is, there is no need to stay. To all agents of Clan Garten, we shall leave imminently." The rune-stone glowed, and he began to break apart into numerous white runes.
"No, you don't!" Gajeel shouted as he held up his arm and transformed it into a club sent extending to Mercator. But the attack harmlessly went through the man as his body became strands of runes before vanishing.
5 Minutes prior
"Do you have to hide behind me?!" Levy shouted as she and Bickslow remind behind a "Block" as it held up against the Argentavis's bullet magic.
"Hey, I only got three babies left for flying!" Bickslow yelled back. "The backup bodies are back in the guild, and I can't just send them out in that crazy storm!"
"Crazy storm, crazy storm!"
"You might as well surrender," Murray said.
"I don't think so!" she turned around only to receive a kick from Lisanna in her Harpy form that brought her down a few feet.
"Lisanna-chan!" Levy cheered. The Argentavis turned around and saw the fate of its master, and shrieked at the white-haired girl.
"Not so fast, big bird," Lisanna said as she flew over the vulture automaton. "Animal Soul: Lamia!" she glowed as her wings turned back to arms, while her talons and legs fused together into a long, scaly pink tail, which she used to wrap around the Argentavis's belly, forcing the gun-compartment shut, causing to shriek as it tried to shake her off.
"Way to go, Animal Crossing!" Bickslow cheered.
"You picked the wrong form," Murray said as she flew behind the Argentavis. "Moon, Wind: Night Howl!" From her hand came a cool breeze that blew onto Lisanna.
"Oh no," she said sleepily as her grip on the Argentavis weakened, the stomach compartment slowly opening.
"Hang on, Lisanna!" Levy shouted as she began writing. "Solid Script: Warmth!" she threw the spell at Lisanna, where it broke apart and filled her body with heat.
"Thanks, Levy-chan!" the white-haired girl said energetically as she increased her grip.
"I don't think so. Night Breeze!"
A blast of cold wind hit Lisanna as her eyes started to drop. "Aww, why do snakes have to be cold-blooded…"
"Solid Script: Warmth!"
"Night Breeze!"
"Solid Script: Warmth!"
"Night Breeze!"
"Solid Script: Warmth!"
"Night Breeze!"
"Guys!" Lisanna yelled in between yawns. "I can only go through this for so far."
"I got her!" Bickslow suddenly appeared behind Murray and placed his hands over her hands.
"Got her! Got her!"
"Let me go, ya tool!" she yelled back in annoyance as she tried to pull his arms off of him.
"Incoming!" a small body then crashed into her back.
"Ouf!" Lisanna huffed from the impact. The Argentavis also cawed in annoyance
"Sorry, Lisanna-nee," Rogue said sheepishly. "Frosch could only hold for so long."
"Wait," Levy said as she flew over. "If you're here, then where's Frosch."
"Gah!" they turned and saw that the Green Exceed had crashed onto Bickslow's head.
"Fro tired," the Exceed yawned.
"Yeah, well it ain't a picnic for me either!"
"No picnic, no picnic!"
"Just leave this to me," Rogue said. "Shadow Orochi!" snake heads made of shadows came from his shoulders and began biting onto the Argentavis's wings, pulling off its metal feathers.
"Better get off soon," Levy said as she began writing. "Solid Script: Explosion!" she tossed the word right into the vulture's mouth.
Lisanna unwrapped herself from the beast and transformed into her Harpy form, before grabbing Rogue and flying off just as a loud boom was heard inside the automaton. The flying beast let out a wheeze as smoke fell out before crashing back down to the ground.
"Nice!"
"Dammit!" Moreau shouted as he saw the incident from below. He looked around and saw that the other automatons and clansmen were defeated as well. He saw the Dire Wolf buried in sand and the Ibex with its legs cut off.
"End of the line, Moreau," Lily said as he, Cana, Evergreen, and Elfman circled him.
"Well, it seems we are outmatched," Moreau admitted.
'To all agents of Clan Garten,' he heard Mercator said. 'we shall leave imminently'
"I wish to stay and chat," Moreau said to the fairies as, to their eye-bulging surprise, he started to transform into white runes. "But we must take our leave. Slán leat."
"No way!" Cana shouted as she threw her cards at him, only to go through him.
Evergreen looked around and saw that the defeated clansmen and automatons were also transforming to runes. "They're retreating," she said. "It's just like what Freed can do."
Elfman gapped "Doesn't that mean-"
"Help!" they both look up and saw Bickslow and Frosch falling through white runes, only to be caught by Levy right before they hit the ground.
"You," Levy began, her face scrunched up with strained effort. "Are too heavy!" all three then plopped to the grass as her wings vanished.
"What makes you think I'm heavy?" Bickslow said. "How'd you know it ain't Frosch?"
"Fro isn't heavy!" the Exceed protested.
"Ah, I'm just joking, ya little cat-frog.
"Fro thinks so too," Frosch said as Lisanna and Rogue landed next to them, the black-haired boy rushing to pick up his friend.
"At least we won," Bisca said, her hands on her knees in exhaustion.
"Barely," Lisanna said. "We barely managed to beat those guys. And they had those weird machines, auto-whatsits. Who knows if they had more?"
"And we're stuck with more questions than answers," Alzack added. "Like why were those clan guys were after Freed and Levy."
"And my dad," Cana added with a somber note.
"Is it even true?" Levy muttered to herself. "was my grandfather really a traitor?"
Everyone turned to her, not sure how to respond without unsettling her more.
"Did they left?" they all turned and saw Freed, Gajeel, and Mira running towards them from the forest.
"They suddenly transformed to runes," Levy explained
"Just like that hook bastard," Gajeel growled.
"We should start contacting Lyon and Lucy," Mira said. "He said they're going after all legacies of Joseph Mc-"
"Could anyone of you explain what happened here?!" They heard Macao yelled, causing them to realize that he, Wakaba, Erza, and Makarov were standing to the side of the Guildhall.
"Oh, hey master," Max said casually. "How did it go?"
"I should be asking you that," Makarov said sternly. "Now what happened?"
Mira sighed "Long story short, we were just attacked by Levy's relatives."
"... I'm going to need more than that, Mira."
Hey, hey, I love a good "How We Got Here," don't you?
Mira: Hmm, it does add a sense of enthralling.
I know, right. Hopefully, we'll figure out more of what Clan Garten wants. And hopefully more on what happened with Lyon, Lucy, and the rest.
Oh, by the way, I made a new series, "Alternate Tail Openings," which includes my made up origins for the Alternate Tail series. It only has the first two so far, but I plan to write more. Also, try to check out the TV Trope page for Alternate Tail, and see if you can add to it.
Well, anyway, leave reviews on your thoughts, favorite or follow if you haven't yet, and have a Happy New Year!