Chapter Five:
Everyone stared at the door as Rogue raced outside. Silence overtook the room as Lucy, Natsu, Sting, and Sorano exchanged glances, worried and not quite sure how to react as Hezim and his Rune Knights filed back into the room.
"He's going to do something stupid, isn't he?" Sting finally asked after a long silent..
"You two," Hezim turned to a pair of his men. "Go after h-"
"That won't be necesary," a voice called as Jellal and the rest of Crime Sorciere walked in.
"Sawyer," Jellal turned to his friend.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it," Sawyer said before thaking off.
"You can't-" Hezim began, but Jellal cut him off.
"I already did," Jellal said."Besides, are any of your men actually capable of chasing down a Shadow Dragon Slayer?"
Jellal pushed passed the Rune Knights and walked to Natsu and Lucy. "I have some questions I need to ask you."
"Excuse me, but this is our investigation," Hezim called.
"You're welcome to listen in," Jellal shrugged.
"Exactly what authorization do you have to be investigating this matter?" Hezim asked, eyes narrowing.
"What authorization do you have to tell me I cannot investigate this matter?" Jellal didn't even turn to face the man and instead focused his attention on Natsu and Lucy.
"What is it?" Lucy asked.
"You were both attacked by a wizard who had the ability to turn his body to crystal, correct?" Jellal stated.
"Yeah," Natsu's eyes narrowed as he thought back to the man who had put him in this blasted wheelchair.
"Did the crystals look something like this?" Jellal pulled a book out of a pocket in his cloak and showed it to Natsu and Lucy.
"I don't know. He didn't use the crystals on me," Lucy said.
"Yeah, that's what they looked like," Natsu confirmed. The crystals were a dark green and jagged and pointed.
"These are Torbenite crystals. And as I'm sure you can guess from the name they are one of the main ingredients of torbernite poison," Jellal explained.
Natsu and Lucy both gasped. Sorano and Sting drew closer to Jellal, keenly interested.
"They're known as a magic cancelling agent," Jellal continued. "They neutralize magic energy around it. Because of that there have been multiple campaigns to destroy Torbernite crystals wherever they can be found, hence making them difficult and rare to find."
"If that's true than how could someone use magic to transform their arm into Torbernite crystals?" Lucy asked. "How can you use magic to make something that destroys magic?"
"It's most certainly odd," Jellal agreed. "None-the-less, it does seem a bit of an odd coincidence that Natsu was attacked with Torbernite crystal just a week before you, Yukino, and Minerva were attacked with Torbernite poisoning."
"But the man who attacked Natsu isn't the same person who offered the poison to me and Yukino," Lucy said. "It was a woman with rainbow hair. I had a drawing but Rogue took it."
"Hm," Jellal rubbed his chin. "Even still, in order to make this poison your attacker would have had to have gotten her hands on the crystals. It is possible that the man who attacked Natsu was her provider, or at the very least would have an idea of where she would have gotten the crystals from. I can't imagine there are many people who could get their hands on Torbernite Crystals."
"He got away, though," Natsu muttered in an angry voice. "So we have no clue where he is. And even if we did I don't think he would tell us anything."
"We know he's in the black market," Jellal said. "And since he possess such a a rare item no doubt he's popular in the illegal magical item trade. Surely we can figure out where he is if we ask around long enough."
"I'll start looking," Erik volunteered.
"Careful," Natsu said. "You can see what he did to me."
"Heh," Erik smirked. "I'm a Poison Dragon Slayer. I think I have a slight advantage over you. Besides, I'm a former member of the Oracion Seis. You're one of Fairy Tail's most prominent members. I think I'll fit into a shady crowd more than you will."
"Right," Natsu sighed, a bit peeved that Erik was going to get a chance to get back at the man before he did.
"I'll go with you," Richard offered.
"No thanks. The fewere of us there are the less attention we'll draw," Erik said. "Besides, someone's got to stay and help Jellal keep digging for clues."
"I'm still here, you know?" Meredy asked in an annoyed voice.
"Don't overwork yourself, kid," Erik patted Meredy on the head as he sauntered out.
"Hey!" Meredy protested as Erik left.
"Don't pay him mind. You'll only encourage him," Macbeth sighed as the door opened and a nurse stepped in. Everyone stared up at her, anxious for news.
"How is she?" Sting asked.
"Still unconcious," the nurse answered. "We've already neutralized her magic energy. We're currently looking for a transfusion match. Since her posioning is not as severe as Mrs. Eucliffe the transfussion is not as urgent."
"And the baby?" Sting asked.
The nurse smiled. "A little boy. Small, given he was born so early, but as healthy as he can be given the circumstances. Thankfully there are no signs of poisoning within him. I think we got to him just in time."
A sigh of relief fell over the room.
"Has anyone contacted the father?" the nurse asked.
"Um...well…" Meredy awkwardly scratched the back of her head as Jellal stepped out of the room, a communication lacrima in his hand.
A small whimper came from the corner of the room. Lucy and Natsu both turned to find their three children huddled in a corner. Layla's bottom lip trembled as she held her doll close, scooting towards Nashi who held a wide-eyed Igneel in her arms as she stared at both her parents, obviously terrified.
Lucy sighed as she walked towards them, kneeling down to their level.
"Is there anyway we can go back to the hotel?" Lucy asked Hezim.
"No. That place is not secured enough to keep you safe. We'll take you to a new hotel where we can keep an eye on you."
Natsu grumbled to himself. He did not like Hezim. He especially didn't like the idea of Hezim keeping a constant eye on him and his family. However, he knew why this was needed so he just crossed his arms and huffed to himself.
Lucy also sighed as she stood to her feet, set Layla on her hip and guided Nashi and Igneel back towards their father. Natsu held his arms out for Layla and Igneel, setting one child on each leg. Lucy pushed the wheelchair out of the room, Nashi following along behind them.
Hezim watched Nashi intently. He had not forgotten about her, despite the nine years that had passed since the catastrophe that was her entrance into the world. He still believed there was too much unknown about this child and her magic. She needed to be studied so that they could better prepare for any potential dangers that could arrive in the future should she decide to...misbehave.
Nashi could feel the man's gaze on her. She didn't look at him. She'd learned a while back that giving the judgemental her attention only fueled their prejudice. She instead hugged her arms around herself and followed along behind her mother. She kept her eyes fixed on Lucy, worry nagging at her stomach. She knew someone was trying to kill her Mommy, and she was scared. But she didn't know what to do.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Rogue stopped suddenly, stepping out of the shadows to look about. No sign of anyone with rainbow hair. His eyes narrowed. His jaw clenched. This little wench had to be around here somewhere. She couldn't have gotten that far so soon. He tried to run off again but felt a strong hand on his shoulder.
"There you are," Sawyer said.
"Let go of me," Rogue said as he shrugged Sawyer off and dove back into the shadows. He didn't get very far when he felt something run over him before grabbing him and jerking him out of the darkness.
"C'mon," Sawyer said as he tried to drag Rogue off.
"Let go!" Rogue shouted. "I have to find her!"
"You and a dozen other people, but running around like a chicken with your head cut off won't solve anything. I should know."
"She attacked my wife! She tried to kill her and our baby! I have to find her!" Rogue tried to turn to a shadow and slip off again, but Sawyer was too quick and caught him again.
"No, you should get back to the hospital and be by their side."
"What good is that going to do?" Rogue thundered twisting to get out of Sawyer's grip. "Minerva will just be unconcious, fighting for her life! I can't change that now!"
Tears began brimming Rogue's eyes. "I can only try and stop this monster from hurting everyone else. I can no longer help my wife now. My presence at the hospital will make no difference to Minerva! I can't-"
"But what about your son?" Sawyer asked. "You could take care of your son."
"Son?" Rogue asked, looking up at Sawyer. "I have a son?"
"Jellal called. They performed the c-section just in time," Sawyer explained. "You've got a healthy baby boy."
"Baby boy?" Rogue asked again, almost as if he didn't believe it.
"Yup. Now come on, dad," Sawyer set Rogue down and slapped him on the shoulder. "Let's get you back so you can meet your kid."
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Jellal began flipping through yet another book, reading up on the other ingredients of Torbernite poisoning.
"Jellal?" Meredy asked as she walked up behind him.
"Yes?" He asked.
"Minerva has black hair."
"Always has."
"That means it's not just light haired women that this killer is going after…"
"I'm aware," Jellal nodded.
"So that means it's just S-class wizards who happen to be mothers…" Meredy continued.
"It would seem so," Jellal agreed as he closed the book and picked up another one.
"You...you realize what that means, right?" Meredy asked.
Jellal sighed as he set the book down, staring straight ahead. "Erza's a strong warrior. I have no reason to be worried about her."
"You say that," Meredy said. "But don't you think you should be a little concerned? Maybe at least warn her?"
"It's late," Jellal said. "She's probably asleep. I'll tell her in the morning. Right now she should be resting."
His voice was calm, but his heart was heavy. He knew that his wife was on the short list of next potential victims. He wanted more than anything but to run home to her. But he knew that the best way to keep her safe was to ensure this killer was found and locked away. Jellal picked the book up again and kept reading. A page boy walked in, carrying a stack of papers.
"Here's the information you asked for."
"Thank you," Jellal said as he set the book down and looked through the papers. They were a list of every woman in Fiore who had rainbow hair. Going through all of these was going to take a long time. Hopefully by the end of it, though, they'd have a short list of suspects. How many women with rainbow hair and density magic could there be?
Taking a deep breath he tried, in vain, to calm his nerves. At least whoever this was attacking women was still in Crocus. No way she'd get to Magnolia any time soon. Right?
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Nashi stared out her window, fear still gripping at her chest. Layla and Igneel had already fallen asleep in the king-sized bed next to her. Lucy and Natsu were asleep in the bed next to their's. Nashi sighed and sat up to look at her sleeping parents. She carefully slipped out of her bed and ran to her mother's side. Lucy was sound asleep, hands tucked under her head.
Nashi sighed. She was worried about her Mommy. She knew someone wanted to kill her and it scared her. Nashi held out a hand and whispered:
"Rhea."
A pink flame engulfed Lucy. At least now no one who wanted to hurt her could touch her without getting burned. It wasn't much but it was something. Nashi felt her throat getting tighter. She quickly slipped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her so that no one could hear or see her cry.
She was so scared! More scared than she had ever been in her whole life! She wished there was something she could do. Some way to make sure no one hurt her Mommy the way that they had hurt Yukino and Minerva.
"Nashi…"
Nashi picked her head up. Had someone just called her?
"Nashi…"
"H...hello?" Nashi asked as she wiped her eyes and looked about the bathroom. There was no one in here but her.
"Nashi…"
Nashi turned. The voice sounded like it was coming from the mirror. Nashi set her hands on the sink and stood on her toes.
"Hello?" she asked. This was stupid, there was no one-
"Hello, I am the Titaness Rhea."