Hey, guys. How are you ? So here we are for the eight chapter of this fic. I hope you'll like it. This will be a transition chapter, with the first appearance of another Strizer.
And I am not Fairy Tail owner.
Let's go !
Chapter 8 : Newcomers and beach party
- " Well, what happened exactly ? "
The question of Makarov, still sitting on the bar of the guild, was more than legitimate. In front of him was the group which had fought in Tetsuga against the Strizer of metal, Dmitri. Meanwhile, the 5 members of the group had the opportunity to take care of themselves. Covered with bandages, casted arms, with crutches for some of them. When the others had seen them return wounded and covered in scratches and gashes, they had been more than surprised. Levy, Panther and Gajeel were supposed to be taking a few days of and if Jet and Droy had actually left for a mission, nobody would have imagined that they were going to eventually find one of Strizers. Sited in front of the master of Fairy Tail, the group began to explain what happened in Tetsuga, with the other mages listening to the explanation.
- " At first, Droy and I had left for a missions to investigate about some strange machines noises which worried some villagers, not far from the forest where those guys appeared for the first time. " Began Jet before his partner take over the story.
- " We followed some clues left behind by the guy behind those noises and we eventually arrived at Tetsuga where we found Levy, Panther and Gajeel, which we weren't expecting. And in the evening, we heard those same noises coming from a kind of forge outside of the city. "
- " This is where we found the person behind all of this. The Strizer of the metal, a guy wearing a grey suit named Dmitri. " add Panther, holding his injured arm.
- " The Strizer of metal ? That had to be a child's play for you, Gajeel. "
The remark of Gray was more than relevant, the talent of Gajeel to eat metal being a considerable advantage on a big metal bender. But the embarrassed expression of the iron dragon, who rubbed the back of his neck by looking away made them understand that it was in fact far from being so simple.
- " Except that this guy was not only a man of metal. It also controlled machines and was a real walking arsenal. "
- " He knew that Gajeel could eat metal and that it could become a real problem for him, so he used his weakness to put him offside. "
- " He-Hey, Levy, they don't have to know all the details. " Gajeel cut Levy, not really wanting for the others to discover that he had been put offside so easily by this dude. It wouldn't be very good for his reputation. But regrettably, Levy didn't listen to him. In fact, she kept on with a small smile on her face.
- " The Strizer stuck Gajeel on a sort of trolley which started riding on a rail and Gajeel, paralyzed by his motion sickness couldn't escape from it and was sent away. "
This revelation caused a general laughing fit in all the guild, which imagined without any problem what it could have looked like, making them laugh even more. Gajeel felt the pressure rising inside of him, threatening to explode at any time, whereas Levy from her part kept on with the story.
- " Then, we had to use some trickery to save Gajeel before it was too late. "
- " What do you mean by that ? " cut Mirajane, behind the bar as always, wiping a glass while listening to the story.
- " The trolley on which Gajeel was strapped was heading for a furnace which would have, according to the Strizer, been able to melt Gajeel's metal like butter. We had to intercept him before he reached it. " Explained Panther before taking a breath and resuming. " I stayed behind to hold our opponent back while the others ran to fetch Gajeel. But I couldn't hold for a very long time, he quickly put me out of the fight. "
- " From our part, we split up to be able to find Gajeel more quickly. Jet and I found ourselves to be the first ones facing him and we tried to win as much time as possible because Levy had just reached the furnace. " kept on Droy, before being interrupted by Wendy, who was listening to them while taking care of the wounded mages.
- " And after that ? Gajeel came back ? " She Asked, captivated by the story.
- " Not exactly. " resumed Levy. " When I destroyed the rail on which the car was, Gajeel had not reached the furnace yet. I made sure that Gajeel could never falls in the furnace and I left to help Jet and Droy. It's only a little later, when I was the only one still able to fight that Gajeel arrived. "
- " We then began to fight seriously, but this chap was strong as hell. He gave me a good run for my money. And little by little, he began to get the upper hand, mainly thanks to the fact that he was more than iron. In the end, we had to work together, all 5 of us to stop him. Especially after he brought out his armor. "
- " Wait, did I heard that right ? Gajeel teamed up without flinching with Jet and Droy ? Where is the world going. " Wondered Cana, like always a barrel of alcohol in her hands.
While Gajeel, held back by Levy, tried to punch Cana, Makarov shook his head, eyes close before raising his head towards his 'children'.
- " The way you did it doesn't matter. In the end, we were able to get rid of another one of these Strizers. Rest. We do not know when they will launch their next move. "
Once the report ended, everybody returned to his activities. Levy got to see Lucy, who still had some wounds because of her fight against Xun, the group of Tetsuga having learn about Rufus and Orga's aggression and especially the fight against the Strizer of the sun by returning at the guild, whereas Gajeel got up to go to the sick bay to visit Rogue, his friend and rival, who was still in a coma. By entering the room, his face twisted slightly. To see his friend of Sabertooth laying on a bed, covered with bandage and always unconscious after several days, it was particularly hard to see. He was not alone in the room however. Minerva was still there, sitting at the edge of the bed, waiting for the awakening of the shadow dragon. She spent most of her time here, except to eat and also when she is dragged outside by the girls to force her to have a change of air.
- " How did he end up in this state ? "
Gajeel had asked the question without raising his head, addressing Minerva who answered without raising her eyes either.
- " Simply put, he wanted to be a hero. By putting himself between us and the enemy. "
Gajeel slightly chuckled, as to say ' that looks like him to do that ', before going towards the exit. Arrived at the door, he stopped, giving a look at Minerva over his shoulder.
- " He'll wake up. He is a tough, there's no doubt about it. Keep an eye on him and when he'll wake up, give me a word, ok ? "
After Minerva agreed with a nod, a light smile on her lips after hearing the encouragement from Gajeel, which was a rare occurrence, the dragon of iron got out of the room, joining Levy and the others in the hall of the guild. Everybody had resumed their usual activities, although disrupted the attacks of the Strizer which seemed more and more unpredictable. However, a person in the room seemed in full reflection. It was Juvia who for once seemed to be think about something else than Gray, which worried her friends who sat with her. Nobody dared to interrupt her until Erza decides to break the ice.
- " Uh, Juvia. Are you worried about something ? "
The water mage did not answer immediately, acting like she didn't heard the question. Erza got ready to repeat it when Juvia answered by another question, without looking at her companions.
- " Why Juvia has the impression that Levy and Gajeel are closer than before ? "
The other girls, namely Erza, Wendy, Lucy and Cana, were surprised by the remark of Juvia, then they followed her gaze to see that she had her eyes aimed at Levy who had been joined by Gajeel. The dragon sat next to the small woman before pulling her towards him, making her sit down on his laps and Levy didn't seem to worry about it, keeping on reading but with a light smile on her lips nevertheless.
- " It is true that they seem to be closer than ever since their return from Tetsuga. " Commented Lucy, sipping on her vanilla milkshake.
- " It is not surprising. It is the kind of hardship that bring people closer. " Added Wendy innocently, a concept Cana apparently didn't know, already twisting what the young girl had just said.
- " How you can know that ? *Gasp* Something happened during your last mission with Romeo ? I WANNA KNOW EVERYTHING ! "
- " N-No, it is n-nothing like that. Really. " Answered the young mage, her shyness showing once again as her face turned cherry-red. But her embarrassment was cut short when Erza returned to the main subject of the discussion.
- " Wendy is not wrong. Look at Minerva and Rogue. Before, they were shyer than Alzack and Bisca and now, Minerva swore to tell how she feels to Rogue when he'll wake up. "
- " Besides, it was either after a stay in a spa or during holidays. Some would think that holidays bring people closer. "
Suddenly, a crackle was heard. The 4 girls turned their head to the source of the noise and what they saw really frightened them. Juvia, pupils over dilatated, had her nails sinking more and more into the massive wood of the table, whereas they could almost see her brain working at top speed, analyzing the situation.
- " Holidays … Move people closer… The way she feels … "
- " Uh, Juvia … Are you feeling good ? "
All of a sudden, the water mage got up without warning, fixing a right(straight) point in front of her.
- " Juvia has something to do ! "
With this, she rushed far from the table and went to search on a board on which was posted many advertisements and announcements before going to throw herself almost literally on Gray. After that, following a few minutes of discussions, or rather monologue on behalf of Juvia, because she didn't let the ice mage the time to say anything. And in the millisecond after he had accepted what Juvia had proposed to him, he was literally towed outside of the guild by Juvia, under the dumbfounded look of the other mages, in particular the 4 friends of the blunette, always sitting at the table. Once the shock past, Levy joins them, still surprised by what had just taken place.
- " Is it a good idea to let them go, uh, where they want to go ? "
- " Why do you ask this question, suddenly ? " Asked Erza, not understanding(including) why witch of the words seemed so worried.
- " Well, with Gajeel, we thought about what happened to Tetsuga. And here's what we are thinking : what was the probability that the Strizer we met could end in the city where I and Gajeel were when he was followed by Jet and Droy ? According to us, this Strizers has to know us enough to be able to predict where they will have the opportunity to find us. And thus … "
- " And thus you think that one of them already waits for Gray and Juvia where they are going ? " With this new possibility, uneasiness reach its peak for the girls. " *sigh* I hope that you are wrong. "
- " That's the problem with Levy: she is never wrong. " With this last sentence, pronounced by Gajeel who had just joined Levy, an arm wrapped around her waist, a chill ran down the spine of the people sitting at the table. They all hoped that whatever happens, Juvia and Gray will be safe.
Suddenly, the doors opened once again, but if most of the people were expecting for it to be Gray, who would try to flee Juvia, it was instead two mages whom nobody expected to see.
- "Luxus ?!" Exclaimed Erza, surprised when she saw the grandson of the master coming back so early from a mission which would have taken much more time than that, having left the city early in the morning the day after the party at the guild for the commemoration of the war against Alvarez.
- "Dad ?!" Exclaimed Cana almost at the same time, surprised seeing Gildarts returning. "But what are you two doing here ?"
Indeed, the most powerful mage of Fairy Tail was standing in the door frame, standing right beside Makarov grandson. The prosthesis wearing mage had left early in the morning the day after the anniversary of the victory on Alvarez, basically at the same time as Luxus, to free the kingdom of some remaining dark guild while Luxus had left at the same moment alone for a S-rank quest to free a region of the kingdom which was still undergoing attacks from a remaining battalion of Arbaless. In other words, nobody expected to see them returning so early, and especially together.
- "We crossed on the way back, then we said to ourselves, why not to get here together."
However, the looks on the other mages faces as well as the presence of the members of the other guilds instigated their curiosities as well as their concerns.
- "What's with those gloomy faces? Something happened ?" Gildarts question brought down a heavy silence on the hall of the guild which was ended only after some long seconds by Makarov.
- "It turns out that we are actually facing a threat of a new kind." The faces of Gildarts and Luxus tightened, clearly not liking what the old man was just saying. Another reason to worry for the guild. "A threat which is a lot more difficult to fight than we thought. A dozen of us have already been hurt, one of them still unconscious."
This new information shook the 2 newcomers to their very core, who looked through the hall to try to find who it was, Luxus thinking mostly about a barmaid, while Gildarts was quickly relieved to see that Cana was fine.
- "And who is it exactly ?" Asked Luxus.
- "Rogue Cheney."
That name shocked Luxus. Every Dragon Slayer, no matter their generation, were extremely powerful and Rogue was no exception. However, his thoughts were stopped when his eyes reached the one and only fire breathing mage of the guild. The latter was far too serious given the situation, so much that the two mages couldn't help but feel that something was really wrong. They noticed however that something was missing and it's Gildarts who asked the question they both had in mind.
- "Where is Happy ?"
By seeing the looks of Natsu and almost all the fairies turning away, they understood that something bad happened to the Exceed. It's Erza who took care of explaining what happened to him.
- "Happy disappeared. It seems like he ran away the day after the fight against the first member of this new group of enemy."
The 2 mages were bewildered by this information, to the point that Gildarts had to sit down, completely in shock. Laxus remained standing, although shaken, before asking another question to his grandfather.
- "What do we know about this group? Is it a dark guild ?"
- "No. In fact, they are not even of our world." Gildarts and Laxus opened wide eyes in surprise. "They are 12 and all very powerful. It seems like they came to test us. Although we have absolutely no idea why. But they are ready to do anything apparently."
- "I see. In this case, I am going to stay here. I had planned to leave for another mission, but it would be criminal to let you all handle this without one of your most powerful mage, isn't it ?" Luxus decided, for the biggest enjoyment of the mages, in particular the Raijinshu but also Mirajane, who locked her gaze with Luxus for a few second, a small happy smile appearing on their faces.
- "As for me, I am going to leave to explore the kingdom. They had to hide somewhere. So I am going to discover where and I will tell you if I learn anything interesting."
- "Very well, Gildarts. Then takes this." said Makarov by handing a communication lachryma at Gildarts. "With that, you can keep us informed about your whereabout."
- "Very well, I will. Oh, Natsu." The young man turned his head to look at his idol, wondering what he wanted from him. "If I find anything about Happy, You'll be the first to know."
- "Thank you, Gildarts."
- "Ok then. Take care and beat their asses !"
/- Aonami, the next day -/
Gray had no idea what he was doing here. When Juvia had jumped on him at the guild, he had been taken by surprise, but when she began speaking about taking some holidays, he had lost his capacity to form coherent thoughts and was dragged into those totally improvised holidays at the beach. The problem isn't that Gray doesn't love Juvia : it was quite the opposite to be honest. It's just that he had a really hard time in finding how he could exteriorize his feelings. He had promised to pay more attention to the feelings of his partner a few years back, but he had no experience on this subject and didn't know how to confess his feelings in due form, which is the reason why he had still said nothing. And so he was there, Juvia clinging to his arm, in front of one of the most beautiful beach of the kingdom, which was covered with a lot of people, since it was the first day of a festival, taking place on the beach as well as the town.
- " Ah, Gray-sama. This place is wonderful, isn't it ? Did Juvia choose a place that pleases you? "
- " Juvia, I didn't even have the opportunity to give my agreement about it. You dragged me here against my will. Besides, with what is taking place at the moment, taking holidays is the least of my concerns."
These remarks hurt Juvia, who had frozen, eyes filling with big tears. Gray clenched his teeth. He hate seeing her crying, or seeing her sad for all that matter. Especially since he knew that the water mage waterworks were more than extreme. More than once, the guild had been half flooded because of her and he didn't really want for this city to experiences the same thing, moreover during a festival. For these 2 reasons, he decided to calm her.
- " Well, I imagine that thinking about something else than our current problems isn't that bad. And since we are already here, we might as well make the most out of it. Just a thing, though. Stop with the sama, please. " Tried Gray to calm Juvia, rubbing the back of his head while Juvia agreed, nodding as the sadness was replace by joy in an instant, gripping his arm once again, before heading towards the festival.
The seafoam festival is one of the biggest celebration of the region, known all over the kingdom. A festival which celebrated the sea, to thank her for offering so much to the kingdom, but especially to this city since all of its activities depended on it for more than 10 generations, whether it is fishers, hotels managers and other campsites. Juvia on her part, was like she ended in paradise. At least, it is what her wide smile and shining eyes could make people believe. Dressed in a blue bikini with waves design and a white sarong tied around her waist, she looked at her surroundings, admiring the paradisiac landscape as well as the people who went and came. But she spent most of her time looking at Gray, who wore just a dark blue bermuda shorts and sunglasses, while being totally stuck on his right arm, squeezing him so hardly as it was almost a miracle that his blood still ran in it. They walked on the beach, taking advantage of the weather, more than clement before stopping in front of a stand to satisfy their hunger, since it became more and more intense since they arrived. The stand was kept by a young woman, as tall as Juvia, with long black hair with blue highlight which seemed to wave in the sun, combed in 2 braids on each sides of her head. Glittering sapphires eyes and a pale round face which was radiating with life. She was dressed like a student, sort of, with a navy blue blouse with white lines on the sleeves and collar and a kind of red scarf around her neck. Because of the heat, she had knotted her shirt in a way to make her belly show. She also carried a matched pleated skirt reaching the middle of her thigh and ballerinas of the same color. She would have been cute, if she did not have her eyes soaked with sheer madness, which put the 2 mages ill-at-ease.
- "Hello!" The young woman had shouted, almost making the passers-by deaf, while she talked to both mages. "My name is Mizuki and welcome in the 'Sea for yourself', the stand which serves the best fish dishes and seafoods of all the festival ! Can I help you ? Oh but wait, if you are here, it's probably to eat since I'm a food stand, so in this case … WELCOME ! What I can serve you ?"
The answer took a long time coming out, given that Gray wasn't able to speak, always trying to understand what was the problem of this girl who seemed to be suffering mental disorder and whose face was now so close to his face that he could see his own reflection in her eyes, the whole thing happening just in front of Juvia, who was glaring at her, muttering ' Love Rival! ' by seeing this girl so close to her Gray-sama.
- " Uh, well … Do you have anything interesting ? " Asked Gray, trying not to be impolite in spite of its growing desire to run far away from this madwoman, who would make Juvia's stalking look like a sane behavior.
- " Everything is interesting here. " began Mizuki always smiling to them, before correcting herself. " Well, if you like seafoods and fish, but you wouldn't be here if that was not the case. I thus recommend you these fish stick. They are delicious, but keep an eye on the fish bones, it is possible that there are some in there. I'm not that good with a knife when I'm in the kitchen. " While the young woman rubbed the back of her head sheepishly but still grinning like a madmen, Gray and Juvia glanced behind her and saw what could be described as a cook's nightmare. Fishes had been ripped, as if they had been cut with a chain saw. Water was dripping from everywhere and they even was some birds eating what was left of the fish. Might as well say that the hunger of the 2 mages disappeared as quickly as it arrived, replaced little by little by nausea. While Gray got ready to tell the young woman about how she clearly didn't know how to cook, a voice echoed from the loud speakers all across the beach.
- " Watch out. Last reminder. The contestants for the surfing competition are asked to come register before the competition start. "
- " AH ! I HAD FORGOTTEN THAT ! SORRY, BUT I HAVE TO GO ! Goodbye ! "
With this, she left her stand, rushing to the officials of the competition, abandoning the 2 mages who were left alone, speechless for a moment before their hunger came once again, making them go look for food once again.
/- End of the afternoon -/
Gray and Juvia, walking on the beach, with real fish sticks in their hands, were having a good time together, laughing and talking about everything and anything, forgetting everything about their actual problems. By approaching the crowd gathered at the edge of the ocean, they saw a silhouette up on a surfboard, chaining figures on several meters waves with an outstanding ease, its dark hair fluttering according to the wind and the figures. When its session ended, she joined the beach and the 2 mages, still impressed by what they had just seen, were in shock to see that it was Mizuki, the same madwoman who had almost poisoned them earlier during the day.
- "Oh. It's you two."
Mizuki approached them, her surfing suit open and folded up around her waist, showing her navy blue bikini top. Where Juvia looked at the surfer suspiciously, Gray was more surprised by the brutal change of attitude of the young woman. By seeing the unsympathetic look of Gray, Mizuki laughed lightly, understanding what put him in this state.
- "I imagine that after what you saw at my stand, you can't think it's possible for me to be something else than a madwoman. I understands you, but it's the ocean, or even the water more generally, which calms me. I feel good there."
Her explanation was however cut short, because a horrified shriek was heard all over the beach, coming from Mizuki's stand. A man with neck long brown hair, wearing glasses with square frames, with a Hawaiian shirt with green designs, a white pair of shorts and flip-flops was standing in front of the stand, his eyes riveted on the massacre which had taken place in the kitchen of the stand.
- "You have a problem with my stand, sir?" asked Mizuki, her surfboard under her arm, the other hand put on her hip.
- "If I have a problem with your stand ? Are you fucking kidding me !?" The man turned his green eyes full of anger towards the young woman, in front of the 2 mages who did not know what was going on anymore. "A decent chef should never …" By seeing who he was talking to, he stopped, shocked, before starting up again with a renewed vigor. "Mizuki ? Everything make sense now."
- "Vincenzo, calm down, would you ? You know well that I'm not good in the kitchen."
The explanation of Mizuki didn't seem to be enough for him, seeing that he head straight at the young woman before stopping right in front of her, pulling her cheeks apart.
- "It's like Lucy with Happy. " commented Juvia, who was looking at the scene with Gray without understanding anything that was happening, even if Gray was thinking about something.
- " In this case, you should have asked me to do it ! Such a waste of food, it's criminal ! " This is when Vincenzo noticed the 2 mages who were looking at them for a few minutes now. " Mizuki, don't tell me that you spent the day with Fairy Tail mages without realizing it ? "
- "Wait, they are ?"
- "They have the mark of the guild on them." Said Vincenzo, looking at Mizuki but pointing at the crest on Gray's torso and Juvia's thigh. Seeing them, Mizuki just answered with a "Oooooh.", making Vincenzo sighed.
- " Wait a little. Vincenzo, that name rings a bell. " admitted Gray, suddenly on his guard.
- " I imagine that several of your friends told you about my restaurant. By the way, how is the signora Kagura doing ? "
By hearing Vincenzo talk about a restaurant and Kagura, Juvia and Gray realized that this guy was the Strizer of the forest, the first Strizer who had faced Natsu, Sting, Kagura and Lyon at Karista.
- " But then, Mizuki … "
- " Is a colleague of mine. " Completed Vincenzo, cutting Juvia's sentence. " Mizuki Takeda, Strizer of the ocean. "
- " Yep. And since the beach is going to be closed to be ready for tomorrow, we have a perfect battlefield at our disposal. "
SHITABA !
Mizuki swept the air with her arm in the direction of the 2 mages, throwing waves bigger and bigger, the most impressive being more than 2 meters, pushing away the 2 and sending them farther on the beach.
- "She has the same powers as Juvia ?!" Exclaimed the water mage, whereas she and Gray got up, facing Mizuki who was covered with a blue aura, spheres of water swirling around her.
- "Not exactly. Well, since I we can't help our friend to fight and since I've already lost mine, I'm going to go back to the others. Goodbye."
- "Wait !" Vincenzo stopped and, without turning around, looked at Gray who had just questioned him. "Join them where ? You have a HQ or something like that ?"
- "Naturally. We need a place where to rest and to plan our missions."
With this, Vincenzo walked away from the beach whereas Gray thought about what the Strizer had just said.
"To plan their missions ? Why do I feel like he wasn't just speaking about us. They have other objectives ? But which one ?"
- "Well, now that we are alone, we can start it for good." Threw Mizuki
- "Yeah, let's go. Juvia is going to show you who is the real water queen." Countered Juvia, more motivated than never.
- "What did I do to end up in this ?" Gray sighed.
And this chapter come to an end. I hope you liked it. I'll be back in about 2 weeks for the next one. Goodbye!
Next time: Rivalry between water maidens ! Ocean's animals and problematic regeneration. The ocean's warrior.