Outside Fairy Tail Guild, Magnolia Town
. .
Late Afternoon-Present Day, X784
. .
Peering from the alleyway the blond head stood as Erza, Gray, Natsu and Lucy made their way out of the guild and off on to the train station for the mission; that the blond so conveniently created, and walked back into the alley nodding her head, no expression showed behind those goggled eyes.
"This is very good, Fairy Tail you'll see so much more soon." There the world blurred a moment in that alley as she walked deeper into it, the stone walls shifting sideways then swirled all the while illuminating with neon blue and black till nothing of the girl was there and no sign of the peculiar sight were left.
From the place she vanished a faint glow illuminates further away in another alley just blocks away. Her feet bare of shoes only to be wrapped in browning bandages slip out the dark hole hanging overhead the foreign alleyway.
With her feet already in motion before touching back with the river walk streets she appears out the hole continuing her stepping quietly to come alongside with the fast paced guilders and their wandering to the station ahead.
Strawberry Street, Magnolia Town
. .
Present Day, X784
. .
"Hey, Natsu," Gray asked walking alongside with Natsu, his eyes shine a little with the sunbeams on himself. Natsu made an annoyed expression at Gray but held his tongue since of Erza's side-glances back to them as she talked to Lucy.
"What do you want?" Natsu whispered angrily and stepped faster away from him. Gray frowned but moved forwards to Natsu continuing what he was going to say.
"Something's not right about this mission," He pauses catching Natsu's confused expression. "It had everything our group needed at the moment; a challenging fighter, money, all right before the Magic Council convenes on Fairy Tail's actions out in Balsam Village." He drops off after that leaving an air of questions for Natsu to figure out, but as always; he doesn't get it.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Natsu stares blank eyed and Gray face palms with both hands at his oblivious nature.
"Gray's a idiot." Happy floats by sighing at the strange words Gray spoke of.
"Shut up Happy!" Gray slammed down a fist on Happy but then Natsu socked Gray in the jaw.
"Have you two forgotten your friendship?" They both freeze once again caught in the sight of Erza's wrath upon them as her aurora showed up visible in dark flames about herself.
"Aiiiieee!" the screams shouted long and terrified across Magolina then. Through the hollering of the guys Happy saw Lucy looking away from them her eyes squinting out to something on the other side of the river walkway.
"What are you doing Lucy?" He never got a reply as she turned back, like being awoken in a shock. Erza strutted forwards with the guys in toll all beat up looking.
"Let's be off now, obviously these two are itching for a battle to even break good terms to do so." As always Ezra completely unaware of the truth of the rivals, Lucy took a moment to relay the information before sighing and moving in ahead with the others.
The Celestial Spirit Mage from yesterday caught the sight of I, from across the river walk as I headed out for the second phrase of this task, now that they were out of the picture.
Miss Heartfilia Lucy-san, her eyes are very brown; soft like a princess eyes should be, but they have a striking quality of roughness to them. She's quite a naive girl, but with such potential to grow, with any luck that will change with good experience.
I had not planned to look over to the innocent Fairy Tail member to locking gazes for a fair 5 seconds before "Titania, Erza" snapped her out the spell we stepped into at that moment.
What wasn't known to them was a figure followed close behind. Decked in black and enshrouding their magic they lurked with a keen touch to it, dark guild member most likely.
An enemy I suppose, but nothing of my doing as for their mission details go for. Then again Fairy Tail has plenty of enemies before I came about these parts, so a few sidetrack battles or conflicts, to better say it, would not be a problem rather a blessing for my workload ahead.
Magnolia Station, Magnolia Town
. .
Present Day, X784
. .
"Can't we run there?" Natsu again pleaded with Erza as they found their train, about to set off for departure. His eyes shifted back & forth between the stream machine and the arches out of the station, this wasn't going to be easy and they hadn't even start the mission yet.
"Natsu, we have to go by train if we expect to make it on time." Erza explained calmly as they walked to the train.
"Oy Natsu shut up at ride the train, it will be down before you know." Gray sarcastically spoke pretending to be friendly with Natsu as Erza pulled out the tickets to the conductors.
"You know I never remember hearing of a village beyond Clover town." Lucy stood by the guys as she tapped a finger to her cheek wondering if she wasn't looking at the mission detail well enough.
"Lucy's turning senile." Happy spoke out from the ground by Natsu shifty form.
"You liar, shut up, it's just odd okay!" Lucy swatted at Happy but he jumped back saying another phrase to piss her off again.
"Aiee, Lucy's scary face is back!" Lucy took chase to the flying cat but only to make herself look like a fool swatting a flying creature in the station.
Fairy Tail Guild sure has gotten stranger over the past years. Is what most pedestrians would think at the sight of the four, plus Happy, a stripping ice head Mage, a fiery dragon Mage boy, a busty celestial mage girl, and the famous "Re-quip" queen of Fairy Tail.
"Mountain express train is leaving the station in two minutes, Hiro, hurry the hell up now!" A burly coal miner barreled out to the train, clutched for the nearest door, and pulled in toll a lanky red head with him who was covered in a fine layer of ash even with the sweat greased on his forehead.
"I'm know already, boss, if you would of-" the door slams shut cutting off the shouting of the miners.
"Ah, that's us as well!" Erza tugged at her luggage and passed it along to a train worker to put in cargo, she motioned for the group to follow after her; they did so expect Natsu of course.
"Oy Natsu, they are leaving us behind!" Happy panicked as the gang walked off to the train just ahead of where Natsu now stood with a serious look, Happy instantly got quiet at seeing his face.
"Natsu what's wrong, need to use the toilet?" He said in a hush as he got to Natsu's shoulder. Natsu turned to Happy and spoke in a gruff tone.
"I smell gun powder, lots of it but it's being masked by something else magic like..." Natsu dropped off the words and sprint forward with a terrified look.
"Lucy, Gray, Erza get off the train!" He pounded forward just reaching the doors where the group where exchanging bags to a sweaty bag boy.
"What, Natsu be serious no- Ahhh you Baaaassstttaarrdd!" Natsu took Gray by the collar throwing him back, lucky not crushing him to the concrete arches as Gray launched back to ground on a ice ramp just made before inpact.
"What the hell was that for!" Gray shouted out anticipating the next attack. Natsu only yelled back and grabbed for Lucy's hand as she blushed in shock at his tight hold on her.
"Erza," Nastu turn to Erza as Lucy squirmed about, "We got to get the train to not leave!" At that she nodded looking back for the bag boy but he already was turned to Lucy with a dagger in hand coming right for her head.
"Arrruughh!" The sweaty boy lunged, the dagger tip just made contact to her shoulder as she knew to move off but not quick enough as it seemed.
"Ah!" Lucy clutched her shoulder paralyzed by the new pain erupting with a bloody mess staining her hand, Natsu pulled her away as the boy lunged again.
"You Fiend!" Erza re-quiped to her Flight armor slashing the threat into the air, a vast streak of blood trailing up with him.
"What!" Lucy in shock stared at the fallen bag boy his eyes twitching madly as he sputters out a few feeble words.
"Die Fairy Dust, kukuku..." His eyes shut as he spits out a blob of crimson to the concrete.
Natsu pulled Lucy away from the unconscious body as she struggled along her injury profusely bleeding still. Erza ran ahead to where Gray had appear to run into more threats, his back to the incoming assailants already dealing with a set of ninja looking thugs.
"Kekekhaha, Fairy Tail got'en so weak!" A crackly voice laughed out just as a sliver canister drop in front of Erza.
"Erza, look out!" Lucy cries out pulling forward Loki's key to summon for backup.
"Open, Gate of the Lion, Loki!" A golden pattern glimmers out from the air above Erza and appearing out of it is Loki.
"Got'cha!" Jumping out the way with Erza in his grip they narrowly miss a spray of some kind of purple gas trickling out of its bouncy form.
"Get back, it's poisonous!" Gray shuffled back cloaking his mouth from the hazardous gas blooms above them all. People were running, all trying to escape this horror but getting caught in the cloud, they hacked and cough then fall over with their bodies racked in tremors.
"Lucy, what's going on!" Loki called just now pulling out from the purple cloud, Erza re-quip to another armor ready for the next hit. Lucy stood outside station's walls clutching her arm while Natsu torn from his vest to help subdue the bleeding.
Gray jumped over top the wall tripping over the uneven cobblestone at his landing; his jacket was splattered with blood.
"I don't know, we were going to get on the train but-" Losing her voice she sank to the ground holding back whole bunch of tears dripping out already.
"We can't sit by now, we need to get everyone safety out, that gas is not poisonous long as we get them to fresh air soon!"
"I'm on it!" Natsu stepped up already a heading back.
"Wait, Natsu don't be hasty-" Erza's words are ignored as the dragon slayer jumps over the brick walls encasing the station port.
"That guy, dammit." Gray mutters out before holding tight to his stomach in a fit of hacking coughs.
"Gray, don't push yourself!" Lucy shuffled a step over placing her hand lightly on Gray's hunched form. The tears again were at the verge of spilling out but she bite at lips to be quiet in this panicked situation. Loki stood behind her looking at her bleeding arm with a pained expression.
"You three stay and help out anyone coming out still, I'll help Natsu out in there." Erza grabbed both Lucy, Gray by the shoulder telling them the plan and sprinting off into the scene of the battle.
"Please be safe..Erza.." Lucy caught the sullen words being spoken by her and looked as Loki stared on forward to were Erza stood before vanishing in the purple clouds.
"Loki..." Lucy whispered surprised by the intense concern written on his face, but looked the other way with a small smile.
"May you both be happy."
"Huh, Lucy you say something?" Gray peered over and Lucy waving her hands around.
"Nope, just that we should do our best here." She laughs and Gray shrugs before getting up with a slight sway to his stance.
"Alright, team search out the victims and citizen and keep them out of the way." Loki spoke pressing up his glasses and the others nod before splitting up in different directions.
Whoever was doing this would not get away. That's a Fairy Tail promise!
Magnolia Station
. .
Natsu plowed through the smog spitting at the numbing tasting of the gas smothering about him without sight of its end.
"Dragon style, flaming wings!" Bulked up stretching far back with his arms, shoots forward a hot wave of fire to dissolve out the gas around into the sky above for now. The area clears lifting from the purple haze to a light gray misting about the station.
There piles of people still crawl to escape with moans and pleas writhing their remaining strength. Children crying in corners, among others citizens surrounding them with dead open eyes. Some of these citizens won't make it out alive.
"Bastards come on fight me!" Natsu seethes straining out his eyes searching for the scum who would do such cruel torture on innocent people to get to their actually targets.
"Fight me bastards!" He swings at the clouds drifting back down and blast fire at it dissipating the purple poison all together. No motion but the citizens still trying to escape, Natsu holds back his punches and rushes over helping to pull the people out of here.
"Natsu!" Natsu turned as he picked a pair of elderly men, Erza rushed over her arms already carrying a bundle of children with whimpering sobs.
"Ezra, where-" Natsu stepped to her but she quickly starting shouting again like it was hard to hear.
"We got to get these people out, no enemy in sight but be careful now!" Then Erza was gone running out into the thickest of the gray mist.
Natsu started after Erza not daring to lose her in the mist drawing near. He picked up another pair of people and shifted throughout the fog, for once with a careful eye in the threat lurking within the shadows.
Right Outside Magnolia Station
. .
"Princess it looks as we have more than 50 of the passenger out here, the others will have the rest soon." Virgo calls out with a bow but from her face she sweats a bit from all the work of tunneling over people to the park here before the station walls.
"Thank you Virgo, please keep it for a little longer." Lucy hugged her, even Lucy was beginning to feel her magic dwindle down with summoning now. Virgo for past hour now, Leo for the first summon (other than that he was a free with his own magic), Aries, plus Gemini twice; a couple of folks she couldn't understand their foreign words we're crying and yelling at one another.
"Time for punishment, Princess?" Virgo holds out a whip to Lucy, but Lucy knocks it away.
"No, I'm not like that! Stop it Virgo!" Lucy whines but Virgo still awaits the punishment; though it won't happen ever.
"Oy, Lucy!" Clomping heavy to the grassy park Lucy lay out the citizens Gray comes over with a gaggle of young children all covering in soot and teary eyed.
"Where were these kids?" Lucy looked to Gray before flopping forwards taking a small red head girl into her arms who was choking back a sob.
"Said they came out of the station right before it all happened but some older kids went back for an adult that was with them still in the station as the clouds came out."
A puffy faced boy with teal green eyes started to shout once Gray got that far in their story.
"Kalyn still in there, Rock went in to get her out, you gotta save her!" The boy's face puffed out more and red as tomatoes with his increased yelling. Another kid, a girl with braided blond pigtails, comes up behind and slugs him hard in the back with her small fist.
"Aaaaiiee!" The boy froze stiff but his face contorted in a grimace.
"Oy, that suppose to be your boyfriend, why you do that, Renzi!" A group a girls to the right braved out to Renzi and her grouchy expression.
"Toby," Renzi turned to Toby completely ignoring the pint size girls, Toby's puffed face was still in pain but she walked in front and gave him a kiss in the forehead before looking to the girls with a extra grouchy glare.
"We gotta stay calm or Rock and Kalyn won't come back." She didn't shout, but just spoke in a calm voice not belonging to the angry face she makes till walking back to grass to sit alone and shuts her eyes like she were sleeping.
"What the hell's wrong with these kids." Gray muttered about still processing the whole punching deal. Lucy looked equaled puzzled but keep her lips seals to the strange events.
"Ah glad to see you two made it back, I have checked about but it seems as if we rounded up everyone outside the premise." Loke appeared both Lucy and Gray had to look up with a surprised look at his sudden appearance above.
"Loke, why are you up there?" Lucy sheepish asked a little freaked by it all, Gray shrugged but went on in a serious voice to Loke.
"So that means either there is more in the place passed out or Natsu and Erza got it under control." They both exchange a subtle nod and murmur of agreement.
"Erza, where you go?" Natsu raced still finding no way out of the fog drifting in from above. Erza had run off this way, but there's nothing but walls and smog. Where was she going?
"Boy where's the-" The elderly man groaned spitting up a bit of blood still going on about leaving the cloudy area. Still Natsu couldn't give him an answer, but that made it more important to tell the man anyways. He stopped jogging letting his legs rest a moment but they keep twitching to keep moving and turn to the man resting on his left shoulder.
"Ah, just a bit more to go till we are out." That was all he could give at the moment. Maybe that was the truth even if he wasn't aware of it.
"Is that so?" The old man squinted trying to help see past the clouds, but went back to his unconscious state.
Where's the way out?
"Heavens Wheel: Profusion of Swords!" the silver daggers splay out reaching their targets, dark blobs shifting in the cloud cover. Even with Erza's eyes working over time to see every attack she kept getting pushed back, further and further into the thicken smog. Each move to protect herself lead her deeper into a blind and vulnerable state in the station's walls all lurking around.
"Fiend, reveal yourselves!" Another swish of metal passes by her neck but Erza manages to block it out by a X-block with a cryptic sword in hand but two more in the other hand.
"Titania, Erza," A grueling voice boomed just as another darken shadow appeared flickering about like a candle on a windy night. Erza threw back the attacker sending it away to the clouds and turned to the new shadow.
The shadow moved forward growing in size already stretching far above Erza, but only because the helmet thing it wore with spiraled horns jutting out from all sides of it.
"This is quite the chance, would you not agree, Titania." The voice seemed to be delighted by the words, Erza could only imagine the horned head was smiling now.
"You, who are you, and why involve Magolina town?" Erza flung at fog, rushing at the figure.
"Titania, must we make this such a hasty encounter." The voice boomed chuckling a little.
Just as her swords reached the foggy figure poised to strike it down now and finish with this menace. The figure rose a hand and out came a conjuring of neon white and blue static shooting out jolt her back with an electrifying course of power.
Wrenched the feeling of electricity pulsing Erza's misfortunate body, the curling of her toes and eyes break back to ease the fiery sensation ripping through, across, then coming back to stab back & forth her armor clad body.
Wrenched the feeling of electricity pulsing into Erza's once protective shield from pain is now turned into a metal cage of torture, the curling of her toes and eyes break back to ease the fiery sensation ripping through, across, then coming back to stab back & forth her armor clad body.
This is horror!
This is the pain I do not wish to remember!
Why is this happening Jellal!
"Gawd!" The scream flies out crackling with her convulsing body, turning from a shirek to a frightful howling of pain, the flashing electricity swarms wrapping increasingly into her metal prison.
"Tehaha! Look at yourself Titania!" The horned shadow flickering even more cackled rejoicing in Erza's screaming pain as she fought back the many pleas and desperate cries for help. No one was near her, she had left Natsu far to long ago in the maze of fog, and the citizens she had grabbed were mere figments of magic summoning.
This whole thing has been a trap even before they entered the station.
Natsu was either lucky or got out before they noticed his return or he was fighting whatever this beast thing is at the moment.
Lucy, Gray, and Loke had gotten out okay, they might be helping the real citizens out, but they are to far away now.
"Re-re-r-e-RE," The static erupted again cutting off her voice to change to the Lightning Empress Armor. It may be her one chance if she could stay strong for a few more minutes, this can't last forever!
"Kerekekeke, Titania this shall be your end!" The voice echoed fading out into a dull buzz, clashing with the metallic ringing gonging in her eardrums.
Erza was losing herself to this pain, finding her arms stiffen to the ground and her mouth twitching open to catch a gasp of air. The world shaking like a tornado that just was in contact with the concrete beside her body.
It feels so cold, lifeless to her face smashed to the ground, to alike to the Tower of Heaven's stone floors. Tears began to trickle out in heavy drips but the voice in itself fat off voice paid no mind but proceed to send out the electrifying jolts to her armor.
"Save me, anybody please...Save me."
What lies ahead for the gang?
Is Erza really going to fall against the unknown enemy?
Can Natsu and the others save her?
What is happening all in one day!