Chapter 54: Part of the Light
The mood in the room was grim.
The guild hall was relatively empty. Most had went home for the night. Those who remained were Master Makarov, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the stage in front of a gathered group of Fairy Tail members. All of Team Derelict Heart, Erik, Gajeel, Mirajane, Wendy and Carla.
Macbeth stood in front of Makarov, hands buried in his pockets, coat and scarf discarded so that he wore only the black halter top that revealed his waist, and his dream catcher necklace. His bare shoulders revealed both of his guild marks, the red "Seis" and the pink "Fairy Tail." To his left stood Dreamer, in her gray jacket vest and black striped leggings. Her own guild mark was nearly flush against his. To his right was Jezran, in a white muscle shirt, fresh bandages wrapped tightly around his leg. Piper sat on the edge of a table, one leg dangling while the other rested on the bench. Mirajane stood next to Dreamer, a hand on her shoulder as a comforting gesture. Gajeel stood arms folded behind Macbeth while Erik sat a little further from everyone else, eyes closed as he listened. Wendy and Carla sat on the stage next to Makarov.
At the moment, no one was speaking. Several heads were bowed in thought, including Master Makarov's. Finally, he released a long sigh.
"So, Resmond had already moved the Nikolana Device when you arrived, and you walked into a trap." It was more of a statement than a question. He had already heard the story, but was trying to grasp it.
"That's right." Macbeth kept his red stare on the old master.
"And you say you fought a dragon-slayer?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Sânge," Erik scoffed.
"You know the guy?" Gajeel turned a hard gaze on Erik, scarred arms folded over his chest.
"I never met him," Erik shrugged. He still didn't open his eyes. "I only worked for The King for a little while, but I heard some things about him. A real nut-job that guy."
"Yes, I can attest to that, dear me." Jezran chuckled before absently rubbing the inside of his thigh where Sânge had severed an artery.
"Hm." Makarov stroked his mustache and sighed heavily. "This is more serious than I thought."
"What are you thinking, Master?" Mira asked, as she massaged Dreamer's tense shoulder.
"He's thinking that it's bad news," Erik answered for him. "It's a bad sign that Resmond was thinking so far ahead, and that he's powerful enough to have a dragon-slayer on his side."
"I can speak for myself, young man," Makarov chided. Erik simply smirked and shrugged.
"It certainly is cause for concern," Makarov continued.
Dreamer was trembling faintly. Her cream hair hid her face as she stared at her feet.
"And there are no clues as to where he might have moved the device?"
"If there were," Macbeth said, darkly, "they're not there anymore."
He and Jezran recalled the devastating explosion. It was through sheer luck they had survived it themselves. Macbeth had used his reflector magic in attempt to make a shield as the rubble fell on them. Luckily, his magic succeeded in protecting them from the largest of boulders, but they had still wound up buried under the wreckage of the cave. It was the villagers who came and freed them, after several long hours trapped. Though Jezran had been able to bandage his leg with torn strips of his shirt, by the time they were rescued he had fainted from blood loss. They'd stayed in the village for three days while he recovered. When he was well enough to walk, they'd gone back to investigate the cave and see if they could find anything that would lead them to Resmond. The earth was far too scarred to make out any signs, however.
"That's unfortunate." Makarov sighed again.
"There has to be something we can do…" Dreamer's voice was a whimper. "We have to find him."
Several sets of sympathetic eyes fell on her. Mira leaned her head against her shoulder.
"I am very sorry, my dear," Jezran said. "I would have stayed to continue tracking him, dear me, but with my injury and the loss of our communication cards, it seemed unwise."
She clenched a tight fist, still hiding her face as tears began to fall.
"You did well, old friend." Makarov gave Jezran an encouraging smile. "You deserve to rest for now. Wendy will continue to see to your leg."
"I will!" Wendy nodded with determination.
"And I could always ask Porlyusica to give you a check-up, if necessary." Makarov's eyes twinkled and Jezran chuckled.
"That will not be necessary, I assure you, dear me."
"We can't give up now," Dreamer said, her voice a little more frantic. "We were so close! We need to keep looking!"
"Doll, you's need to take a deep breath," Piper looked at her with concern.
"Dreamer, I think everyone needs a break," Mira said, as soothingly as possible. "Especially you. Maybe everyone can relax for a few days before—"
"No!" Dreamer yanked away from her. "Relax? How are we supposed to relax when he's out there somewhere?"
"Hey, come on girly," Gajeel said. "Take a couple of days to just be grateful Beth and the old man made it back alive." He clasped a hand on Macbeth's shoulder, who winced slightly at the motion. "Come on, tell Beth here how much you missed him."
"Get your hand off of me before I rip it off, Gajeel," Macbeth said darkly.
Gajeel laughed out loud and pinched Macbeth's cheek, who simply took it, while looking thoroughly unamused.
"I'm sorry…" Dreamer wiped her eyes. "I am glad you two are okay." She wouldn't meet anyone's eyes. "You're right. We should all rest for a few days."
"Liar."
She glanced over in shock at Erik, whose beady eyes were fixed on her.
"This idiot thinks she'll run off and find Resmond on her own while you have your down time, Midnight."
Dreamer wished her glare was strong enough to kill him. This thought just made him laugh.
"Yeah, I know. I'm a tattle-tell, right?"
Now there were red eyes fixed on her as well. Macbeth's face showed a thinly veiled warning. She gasped when she felt fingers thread painfully through hers.
"She'll do no such thing," he hissed, blood-swirling eyes focused intently on hers.
"That's enough," Makarov snapped. He stood up and crossed his arms over his chest, eyes on Dreamer. "Child, we all understand the severity of this situation."
"No, you don't!" she snapped. "He's evil! He won't stop until—"
"Dreamer Cumula!" The Master used his magic to make his shout echo in the guild hall. Erik winced and slammed his hands over his ears. "Your lack of faith in your guild and its members is disturbing at the very least! Do you doubt that your family will protect you and Syllestra from this man? Is your trust in the people who love and support you really so empty?"
Dreamer winced at his words, instinctively shrinking back. Piper winced too, remembering the same kind of lecture he'd received about having more faith in Dreamer.
"As long as I live, no harm will befall any of my children!" He fumed. "And if you think anyone in this room would not give their life to keep you safe, then you are sorely mistaken!"
She tried to lift her hands to weep into them, but Macbeth's fingers were still tight around hers, so she clutched onto him instead. His mouth parted in surprise, but he did nothing as she sobbed against his chest. Mira frowned and stroked her hair as she wept.
Makarov calmed down. "I command Team Derelict Heart to take a vacation. In the meantime, the rest of us will continue to seek out Resmond. Is that clear, Dreamer?"
"…I understand." Her voice was muffled against Macbeth's shirt.
"Erik?" Makarov glanced at the poison dragon-slayer.
"She's not planning to run off," he answered the unspoken question.
"Good. Then this meeting is dismissed."
He hopped off the stage and made for the doors, his little shoulders as tense as everyone else in the room.
Jezran bowed low before Wendy, mustache brushing the wood floor. "My lady, I am in your debt for the healing services you will provide for me. Please, dear me, if there is anything you require, I will procure it for you post-haste."
Wendy blushed. "N-No, that's okay! I just want to help!"
"I can buy you an estate on the hills outside of Magnolia if you would like?"
"I really don't think that's neces—"
"I will have a tailor-made ball gown fashioned for you, crafted entirely from gold thread."
Wendy fidgeted, flustered by the encounter. Carla folded her paws and smiled smugly.
"You are quite a gentleman, Jezran. If only the other heathens in this guild would learn a thing or two from you." Her judgmental eyes scanned over the other men in the room.
Dreamer cried against Macbeth until he pried her off of him.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just… I'm sorry."
She collapsed to her knees and continued to weep. Her friends gathered comfortingly around her, but could only watch in sympathy as the emotion overwhelmed her.
"Come on, Dreamer," Mira knelt down and hugged her tightly. "Let's go home. I'll make you some tea and you can take a hot bath with lavender."
Dreamer nodded through sniffles and clung to her friend. Mira led her out. Macbeth watched them leave, his eyes lingering on Dreamer as she walked. Then, he looked at Piper.
"…"
"Ah, shit…" Piper's green eyes narrowed. "It took me three hours to clean that damn bathroom, so if you's screw it up—"
Macbeth smirked.
"Goddammit, Mac! Why don't you's move in with Gajeel and leave me the hell alone?!"
"I ain't dealin' with the snoring," Gajeel snapped.
Erik chuckled under his breath. "Remember dog piling with the rest of the Seis to sleep, Midnight?" He sent him a wink. "I had to wear ear phones to drown you out."
Piper moped heavily, bottom lip jutted out in a pout. "Well, havin' my own room was nice while it lasted."
Macbeth simply continued to smirk as he turned on his boot heels to go to that very room.
"Hey, Beth, we're practicing for our gig tomorrow, so get some good sleep!"
Macbeth waved in understanding.
Erik glanced at Gajeel, who bared his teeth at him. "He's my best pal, got it?"
"You keep saying that," Erik smirked. "I hear ya loud and clear."
"N-No, really, Jezran, I don't need all of that!" Wendy was still defensively flailing her hands in front of the old man.
"Oh, I don't know, Wendy," Carla said, amused. "I could use a diamond studded cat-bowl…"
The following day:
Gajeel strummed his acoustic guitar on the stage. Next to him, Macbeth sat with his arms crossed behind his head, leaned against the wall, eyes scanning lazily over the Fairy Tail members. The hall was fairly laid back—with music playing low, beer mugs galore (including the two that sat empty between the two men), and the low murmur of conversation.
At the bar, Dreamer was leaned over the counter chatting with Mirajane. She still seemed anxious, but that was to be expected. At least she was smiling and talking exuberantly with her friend at the moment. It appeared that she was at least making an effort to take it easy today.
He watched her with muted interest. Her cream-colored hair had gotten longer since they first met, and now brushed between her shoulder blades. She was currently wearing an outfit he'd never seen her in. It looked new, and revealed considerably more skin than she usually showed. He'd learned long ago that she purposely refrained from showing her stomach or thighs, to aid in the lie that she was Syllestra's mother. For whatever reason, her paranoia seemed to have died down over the past few months, and that was evident in the clothes she wore at the moment.
It was a short, peach-colored dress with a brown belt that hung loosely from her waist. She didn't wear leggings underneath it, only thigh-high socks and flats, so the upper portion of her smooth legs was exposed, brushed teasingly by the short, ruffled hem of her dress/long shirt-thing.
Mira slid a drink to Wakaba and then leaned over the counter to whisper something in Dreamer's ear. The girl stiffened a bit, then turned her gaze toward the stage. She gave Macbeth a cheery smile and wave. He stared at her in response until she turned back to Mira with slightly rosy cheeks. The taller girl burst into giggles.
"She's got it hard for you, man," Gajeel said. He hummed under his breath and kept strumming a low melody.
"What gives you that impression?" Macbeth's tone was carefully void of emotion. He yawned and sat cross-legged in his usual position.
"That cutesie wave sure as hell wasn't for me," the iron-slayer said. He put his guitar pick between his teeth and tuned some strings.
"I am her teammate," Macbeth pointed out. His posture expressed disinterest, but his red eyes remained fixed on the woman at the bar.
"That don't mean nothing." Gajeel straightened up a bit. "Everyone sees it, you know? You shoulda seen the way she was acting while you and the old man were gone. I've seen stray puppies look happier than that." He nodded in her direction. "Watch when she walks away."
Macbeth withheld a smirk and obeyed his friend's prompting. After a few moments, Dreamer was walking away from the bar to join Lucy and Levy at a table.
"That's called the tail wag," Gajeel nudged him with an elbow.
"What exactly am I supposed to be looking at?" Macbeth asked mockingly, though he had a pretty good idea.
"Swinging her hips, walkin' practically on tip toes, posture straight. That's all for you, Beth."
"Feh." Macbeth shrugged, but his eyes lingered on the edge of her dress—on the way it swished back and forth with the sway of her hips while she walked.
"Five hundred jule says she looks over her shoulder in three seconds."
"You're on."
"One…" The two men watched her like ravenous hawks from onstage. "Two…" Macbeth crossed his arms over his chest. "Three."
As if on cue, Dreamer's hair swept gently to the side as she glanced over her shoulder at the stage. She blushed at the sight of the men looking at her, and quickly turned away. Macbeth smacked a wad of cash into Gajeel's outstretched hand.
"Told you." Gajeel slipped the money into his pocket. "She's got the hots for you."
Macbeth didn't respond. He continued to watch Dreamer talk with the other girls, in muted interest. Levy gave them both hugs and left the guild hall toward the library. Lucy and Dreamer kept talking, joined eventually by Kinana and Laki as well.
His mind mulled over the past few months—all the time he'd spent with her. Her blush whenever he teased her—her whine when he pushed her too far. The flustered panic on her face when they'd walked through the rose garden together and she'd realized it was like a date. The terror in her eyes when he accidentally groped her boob on the magic carpet. Her sleeping head rested against him on that trip home. The time she replaced his nightmares with the sweetest dream he'd ever had. The night she laid in his bed while he made one of the hardest choices of his life. More recently, when they sat on the bench in the garden and she'd expected him to kiss her…
"What are you gonna do about it?" Gajeel asked, shocking him out of his memories. He handed his guitar to Macbeth, who took it with some hesitance.
"About what?" He leaned back and practiced plucking a few strings. He still wasn't very good.
"You gonna chase that tail?" The iron dragon-slayer folded his arms over his chest and got off the chair to join Macbeth on the floor.
"No." Finally, he looked away from Dreamer in favor for focusing on the guitar.
"Really?" Gajeel raised his eyebrows, as if this was the last response he was expecting. He furrowed his brow in thought. "Wait… The lipstick, the long hair, the heels, the girly earrings… This whole time…" He scooted two feet away from Macbeth. "Just so ya know, you and me are friends, alright?! I don't swing that way, so if you get any crazy ideas—"
"Gajeel, I'm not gay," he cut him off and rolled his eyes.
"That's a damn relief because I'm not sure I could've kept giving you one-on-one guitar lessons if you were."
Macbeth smirked and chuckled under his breath at his idiot friend.
"I don't get it." Gajeel scooted back over and furrowed his brow in consternation. "If you ain't interested in guys, then why aren't you chasing Dream?"
"You call her Dreamer," Macbeth warned. Dream was his name for her. No one else's.
Gajeel bared a fang with his knowing smirk. "Well? You really mean to tell me you're not interested at all?"
Macbeth's lips were a thin line. He sat the guitar down. His mind went back—back to his first job at Fairy Tail, when he and Dreamer were tasked with babysitting a little boy while his mother finalized the adoption. He remembered standing in the dark of an alleyway next to scum, watching the light radiating from the cherry-blossom-eyed woman.
"It doesn't matter if I'm interested or not." His voice was dark. "I won't pursue her."
"Why not?"
"You know why."
"Why don't you tell me anyway?"
Macbeth sighed in obvious irritation. "For the same reason you're not pursuing Levy."
Gajeel's cheeks took on some color and he gave a pout. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Midnight smirked. "I'm not a fool, Gajeel. All of the things you said about Dreamer could be said about Levy McGarden toward you. The tail wag." His smirk widened at the ridiculous analogy.
"That ain't true!" Gajeel's muscles tensed, pout deepening. "I'm her teammate!"
"To quote the iron-slayer, 'that don't mean nothing.'" Macbeth teased.
"Hey, at least I ain't leading her on making her think I'm after her when I'm not!" Gajeel's tone was accusing. It seemed to instantly sour Macbeth's mood.
"Gajeel." His face was dark, red eyes shadowed. He watched Dreamer forcing a smile at something Lucy had said. She was trying so hard to be the sunlight. "You don't respond to Levy's advances because you know it would be futile." The shadows danced in his eyes. "The two of you are from different worlds. The world of light and the world of darkness. Phantom Lord may not have been a dark guild, but toward the end of its reign, it may as well have been. Even the Oracion Seis heard stories of the vicious Black-Steel Gajeel." The room seemed to grow quieter in the space around them as the conversation took this turn.
"You were raised to be selfish—to care for nothing other than your own ambitions and pleasures. You flourished in dark and desolate cages, trapped away from the light. But she…" Cherry blossom eyes, rosy blush, a smile like sunlight. "She grew like a flower in a garden, nourished by light and goodness. She doesn't know how to be selfish. She might have seen the dark, but it's never been a part of her. You can't pursue her because dark can't have anything to do with light like that. Thorns choke out flowers, the way you and I would crush Levy and Dreamer."
There was a long silence. Macbeth had never spoken so openly about his feelings like this. His words echoed in the space between them for an eternity.
"You're wrong. "
His eyes widened and he looked at Gajeel, whose face was set as the steel he represented.
"I used to feel that way, sure," he continued. "I sure as hell didn't feel like I belonged here or anywhere near Levy after the shit I pulled with Phantom Lord. Destroying Fairy Tail's guild hall, beating Levy and her friends unconscious and pinning her to a tree…" Deep regret lined his iron-studded face. "But I sorta realized something after all the time I've been here with these freaks." He smiled weakly.
"The thing about darkness and light," he went on, "is that darkness just don't win. How many times have you turned on a light in a room and the darkness put it out? It just don't happen. Being in Fairy Tail's taught me that light is hella stronger than darkness. Strong enough that even an asshole like me can be changed by it. I mean, it ain't like I'm ever gonna be some goody two-shoes, but I ain't the same guy I was with Phantom Lord. Same way you're not the same guy you were with the Seis.
And as far as Pinky and Shorty… You got another thing comin' if you think you can darken lights like that. You can't even put a dent in them. It'd be like trying to put out a whole forest fire by blowing on it. It ain't happening. So, if that's your reason for giving Dreamer the cold-shoulder, you're gonna have to come up with a better excuse than that, cuz I ain't buying it."
Macbeth stared at his friend with wide, wavering eyes. "If what you say is true…" he tried to counter. "Then why haven't you pursued Levy?"
Gajeel huffed and shrunk a little bit. "Hell, I don't know… I guess I'm just shy."
The dual-haired wizard threw his head back and laughed out loud.
"IT AIN'T FUNNY, ASSHOLE!" Gajeel settled back down. "Look, all I'm saying is… You're a member of Fairy Tail now, Beth. That means you're a part of the light whether you like it or not. So you gotta make up your mind. You going after your girl or you gonna leave her hanging with black lipstick on her forehead all the time?"
Macbeth gave a noncommittal shrug. "I'm not interested."
"That so?" Gajeel scoffed. "You ain't fooling me. Y'know I saw you lookin' at her boobs this morning at the pool."
Mira had dragged Dreamer along to the pool, or more specifically the hot tub, early this morning as a means to help her relax. In fact, the she-demon was practically waiting on hand-and-foot at Dreamer's beckon today, doing everything in her power to distract her best friend from the Resmond situation. Macbeth, and the rest of Team Derelict Heart, had been drinking tea by the spa while this occurred—since Jezran insisted that everyone have tea with honey every single morning to keep from getting sick. Now that Macbeth was a member of the team, he was required to participate in this ritual as well, whether he liked it or not.
Dreamer had been wearing a flowery string-bikini, not that he was thinking about it.
He rolled his eyes. "We already established that I'm not gay. Consequently, I may be caught admiring the female form, like anyone else." His tone was his usual mocking drawl. He did not deny Gajeel's accusation.
"I'd buy it if she was the only chick out there in a swimsuit, but the she-demon was out there too, and if we're talking only about admiring the female form, hate to say it but there's more to look at in that department with her, if you know what I mean." Currently, Mira was leaned over the counter chatting with Wakaba, her breasts pumped up by her black dress.
"I can't say I've noticed," Macbeth yawned in response.
"Of course you haven't," Gajeel laughed, "cuz you only got eyes for Sweet Dream."
Macbeth's eyebrow twitched in irritation. He closed his eyes. "I'm growing bored with this topic of conversation. If you're done being a pest, I'd like to sleep now."
"No problem." Gajeel stood up and stretched. Macbeth opened one eye and watched him jump off the stage and start toward the table of girls.
"Where are you going?" He raised an eyebrow, suspicious of the dragon-slayer's motives.
"We're done talkin,' right?" Gajeel gave a mock salute and walked between the tables, straight toward where Dreamer and the others were sitting. Macbeth watched through narrowed eyes, a shadow crossing over him.
"Hey." Gajeel nodded at the table of women.
"Oh, hello, Gajeel." They smiled at him. "What's up?"
"What were you and Macbeth talking about?" Dreamer asked, curiosity getting the better of her. She couldn't help but notice the two of them had been glancing in her direction several times in the past few minutes. It was making her jittery. While she was still finding it difficult not to think about Resmond, she couldn't deny how good it felt to have Macbeth home again—to catch his red eyes peering at her with their piercing stare. And she kept thinking about how he'd hugged her when they were reunited, or about their night in the garden when he almost kissed her. Thinking about all of that was definitely a distraction from the more serious issues in her life at the moment.
"Not much," Gajeel shrugged. "Just catchin' up with my best buddy, that's all."
Dreamer gave a sweet laugh. "It's cute how close you two are."
"Funny, that's the second time I've heard that." Gajeel pouted, blushing a bit.
Macbeth watched from the stage as Dreamer giggled at something Gajeel had said, and as Gajeel's cheeks took some color.
"Sorry, Gajee," Laki said. "But Levy just left to decipher some script. I think she's in the library if you're looking for her."
"What makes ya think I'm looking for that shrimp?" Gajeel cut his eyes away, blush spreading.
"Oh, no reason…" Kinana giggled and the other girls joined in.
"Girls…" Gajeel grumbled under his breath. "Actually, I was hopin' Dreamer could help me with something." His narrowed eyes fixated on the girl.
"I'm not going to persuade Levy to like you, Gajeel," Dreamer teased, causing more giggles. It was about time she got a chance to tease Gajeel for once. Usually it was him and Macbeth teaming up to mess with her. Revenge was sweet.
"I DON'T WANT HER TO LIKE ME, DAMMIT!" He pushed his fingers to his temples. "You got sadistic sense of humor just like Mr. Drag Queen," he commented, while—much to the surprise of the entire group—putting an arm around her shoulder.
"Gajeel?" Dreamer blinked at him, totally confused. His muscular arm tugged her against his side.
"What? We're all pals here, right?" Fingers closed around her upper arm. She tensed under his touch.
The girls looked at each other in befuddlement.
"Y-Yeah, I guess…" Dreamer blushed. She had a feeling that most girls would be more than thrilled to have Gajeel touch them like this. He was one of the more attractive, masculine men in the guild. And there was something warm and pleasant about his large hand on her skin. But she much preferred the chilly sensation of Macbeth's touch, and his lean muscles and chamomile scent… Her blush deepened, mostly because she knew he was on stage right now, likely watching this entire scene unfold.
And in fact, Macbeth was onstage, watching this entire scene unfold. He scowled at the sight of Gajeel's arm around Dreamer's petite shoulders, and her responsive blush.
"Hey, so anyway, I was meaning to ask…" Gajeel's other hand started to raise. It only got halfway toward Dreamer's free shoulder however, before his glove gave a metallic whirring sound and he suddenly punched himself in the face, hard enough to knock him off of his feet and instantly make his lip bleed.
"Gajeel, are you okay?" The girls gasped and rose to their feet in shock.
"What just happened?" Laki gaped at the sight of Gajeel staggering backward.
Gajeel stood up and wiped the blood off of his lip with a smirk. He looked back at Macbeth, who was glaring at him with all the fury of a murderer.
"Not interested, huh?" Gajeel grinned victoriously. Macbeth raised his hand again and Gajeel quickly jumped over the table toward the doors. "Hey, Dreamer." He sent her a wide grin. "Don't quit shakin' those tail feathers. I've never met a cat that could resist pouncing on his bird."
"A… what?" She cocked her head at the obscure analogy, body still frozen in place where he'd been wrapped around her.
"Do me a solid and don't tell shorty about this!" he yelled at the girls before dodging a flying stool.
"Are we missing something?" Lucy asked.
"Beats me."
Dreamer gazed at the stage and caught Macbeth looking at her intensely. So intensely that she felt a shiver of something like excitement, fear, or both go down her spine.
She had a pretty good idea what all of that was about. And the thought of Macbeth being jealous of Gajeel made butterflies flutter in her stomach, and electricity spark on her skin.