Chapter 30
Flight of Mercury
Glacia shivered uncontrollably; the poor girl looked like she would collapse any second. Sasori, however, couldn't control his laughing fit; the fact that the two men who vied for Glacia didn't kiss her for so long amused him to no end. Excluding the older Imperial Guardians, the three males glared at Sasori murderously.
He KISSED her, Rogue. Are you going to take that sitting down?
Jigumo whipped his head towards Avian. "And you tell me to be more like him," he recalled in distaste, jerking his head at his brother. "What, I'm supposed to kiss a girl just to piss off any guy who likes her?"
"At the time, I did not think he would do this," Avian rebutted, still surprised.
"Still, I feel sorry for Prin—Glacia," Mizuno corrected himself, adjusting his jacket anxiously.
"He could have at least toned the kiss down for the little kid," the spider master interjected.
"Ha...heh..." Sasori's laughter died down, but the sneer remained. "How about that? I just stole a kiss from our own Imperial Highness, Princess Glacia."
"You...complete bastard..." was all Rogue could manage angrily.
"So tell me, you two," the scorpion specialist said calmly, as if he didn't kiss Glacia moments before. "Why didn't you—why wouldn't you—kiss the girl of your dreams? Why did you keep her lips pure, knowing that another man could easily taint them before you?"
"Unless it was due to her childlike appearance?" It only then occurred to Rogue how much Glacia now differed from her ten-year old appearance. "Then again, the two of you were in Sabertooth last year. Pride came before joy; neither of you could claim her without damaging Sabertooth's image even further, isn't that right?"
"Gh..." Neither the tiger nor the ex-saber could think of a way to counter that.
Sasori returned his attention to the former Dragon Slayer and Imperial Guardian, a predatory smile adorned his face. "Who were you saving your kiss for, Glacia? Since you brushed Dobengal under the rug, I can only assume that you meant it for Rogue?"
At his words, another shock wave ripped through Glacia like a water ripple. Even if she closed her eyes, she couldn't forget the cold feeling of Sasori's tongue probing her mouth, licking over her lips.
"You know, when you think about it, princess—" Sasori forcefully spun Glacia around to look at him. "If a kiss from you was that sweet—" He held her chin in his hand and lifted it towards him. "—it makes me wonder what it would be like if it were just the two of us," he breathed in her ear with a seductive tone.
Two sets of ears twitched, both belonging to the Dragon Slayers present. Jigumo covered his eyes with one hand. "Really, that man is one disgusting j—!"
"You je—!" But as Glacia tried to push him away again, an abnormally strong heartbeat pulsed through her body before it slowed; her eye widened as she began to fall to the side. "—j-jer..." Sasori swooped down and caught Glacia before she ever hit the ground.
A low growl escaped from Rogue. "Take your filthy hands off her!"
"Make me," Sasori dared.
"Sasori!" Niebel growled as he kicked his left heel against Serket's pincer. Ice formed on the clawed arm, enabling Niebel to land on his feet and break into a run towards Sasori. A dark shadow whooshed past Avian and Mizuno, both of whom just remembered that they were supposed to restrain Rogue.
"Shouldn't we—?"
"Leave them be," Avian said solemnly, shaking his head. "The thing is...I'm curious to see how far they would go for her...Especially Rogue."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jigumo said as Dobengal tried to lift himself up. The spider master planted his boot firmly on his prisoner's left hand. "I only reset your shoulders, but that doesn't mean you can use your arms immediately."
"You know what this reminds me of?" he continued. "'I hate it when you cry. It makes me feel like I can't do anything.'" Jigumo's mouth pulled back in a grin at the reaction. "Here we are: Glacia's very damn close to crying, and you really can't do a thing in your condition."
Sasori reached for Rogue's katana; raising it above his head, the scorpion master stabbed it into the ground. Blinding light surrounded him as an enormous shock wave threw Rogue and Niebel back; the earth cracked, crumbling rapidly under the sheer force that Sasori put into the stab.
"Hey, if you want blood, kill them, not us!" Jigumo yelled through the shock wave.
"Tell me, little kitty!" Minerva yanked Millianna up by the back of her head, eliciting a yelp of pain from the Mermaid Heel mage. The tigress hurled her against the walls of the abyss, advancing towards her injured form. Erza slowly stood up, trying to drag her foot as quietly as possible. "If you weren't the leader, who is!"
Millianna could see Erza charging towards Minerva and grinned, happy to help Erza surprise attack Minerva if it ended with the tigress' downfall. "She's the only person...who will give you premature wrinkles with one conversation, Frau Minerva!"
"Why you—!"
"Er-chan, now!"
"Thanks, Millianna!" Erza slashed an X with her swords on Minerva's back. The Sabertooth mage had failed to move away in time, arching her back as the sting of the her injury kicked in. Minerva whirled around, her magic at her disposal only to be met with a slash across her chest.
"Ih Ralgas!" Minerva screamed in rage, preparing her next spell.
"I've been saving this for you! Prepare yourself, Minerva!" The ground where Erza stood cracked as light surrounded her, before dissipating to reveal a new armor. "Nakagami's Armor!"
"Sissy!" Niebel yelled beyond the dust. Only the sound of weak coughs told him that Glacia was okay...ish.
The dirt cloud pulled away; a tall, earthen pillar stood alone in a wide crater connected with the trench Kagura made. Sasori remained on the face of the structure holding his hostage; his scorpions lurked at the bottom of the pit: a perfect pitfall trap.
"A pitiful demonstration, don't you think?" Sasori sneered.
"Sasori, what did you do to Sissy?"
The scorpion master cocked his head at his youngest lieutenant. "Did you think that I couldn't recall which scorpion among millions had the poison? I assume you didn't forget what happened directly after my little assassin stung her?"
A vein popped in Jigumo's temple as he sighed in annoyance. "The guy just has to rub it in."
"The only problem with the antidote is that it slows down the actions of the user but—" Sasori exhaled tiredly. "—that's the way the cookie crumbles."
"Just so you could get back at Sabertooth—just to insult us and Sissy—!" Niebel kicked his feet against the ground, practically soaring with the wind as tiny ice wings formed on his shoes, preparing to leap the distance.
"Niebel," Sasori started, "you would do anything and everything for Glacia. Now I want to see how far you can go for her—literally!" The scorpion master snapped his fingers at his giant pet.
Serket's tail elongated, thinning itself until it was as wide as a spear before the scorpion plunged it into the ground. The ground near Niebel's right ankle erupted as the end of Serket's tail pierced through his tendon with a sickening crack. The young Dragon Slayer screamed in pure agony as he fell, holding his leg.
"Niebel!" Jigumo cried. He could never admit it out loud, especially not here; but within Imperial Snow, his closest friend had to be Niebel. The little squirt grew on him, and in time became his partner in crime.
"He's your guild mate!" Rogue yelled at Sasori.
"You seem to misunderstand, Rogue." Sasori readjusted his hold on Glacia. Was it his imagination, or did Glacia just stir a little? "I don't need a Guardian who won't perform his duty. I don't need a pipsqueak who cries over the silliest things."
"'We don't need weaklings! We don't need losers!'" Jiemma's words from last year, after his and Sting's defeat, echoed in Rogue's mind. This guy's just like him...
"Can't you do anything, Jigumo?" Dobengal asked.
The spider master swallowed. "I wish I could...but you have no idea what this guy turned into after you, Vóreia, and Glacia left. Monster can't even describe Sasori. Even I'm terrified of him, and I'm his brother."
"Any last words, as an Imperial Guardian?"
Trembling in pain, Niebel managed to raise himself on his arms. "Sa..ori...let...go...sy..."
Sasori smirked. "Come again?" he mocked.
"He said," a voice from Sasori's arms articulated, which drew all eyes to the speaker. "Let go—" Glacia looked up with a defiant countenance. "—of me."
An explosion forced Sasori and Glacia apart from each other. Both were knocked off the pillar, but Avian thrust his hands out, causing a wind to blow under the master of the Imperial Guard; keeping him in the air.
"Glacia!"
The remains of an Explosive Lacrima rolled off the pillar and into the giant scorpion pit. Glacia, on the other hand, had jabbed a knife into the side of the pillar and currently hung for her life by it. Niebel exhaled in relief, albeit painfully.
"You didn't disarm yourself of every weapon," Sasori noted.
"You promised that you wouldn't hurt them," Glacia shot back with difficulty as she maintained her hold.
"'Scratch,'" Sasori reminded Niebel's predecessor with a smirk. "Next time you make a deal with me, make sure that you choose your words carefully."
"Great, he's a natural lawyer," Jigumo grumbled.
"Now...the cliff or the scorpions? That knife won't guarantee your safety." On cue, some dirt crumbled away from where Glacia struck the pillar. "In fact..." On the scorpion master's signal, Avian floated the former Imperial Guardian over to the edge of the crater. Sasori held his pinkie up, staring at the tiny spider. "I believe you know what to do."
The arachnid spat spider silk at Rogue, holding him in place. "Don't even try to escape," Sasori added as the Shadow Dragon Slayer struggled against the thread. Shadows wrapped around him before vanishing, but Rogue remained where he stood. The purple and blue-haired mage leaned closer to his ear. "Let's watch her die together, shall we?"
Eyes widened in alarm at Sasori's words, not just his adversaries'. "Sasori!" The Imperial Guard yelled.
The scorpion tail struck the earth pillar. It crumbled considerably; the knife began to loosen from its place. The end of Serket's tail struck once more, this time it decimated the whole pillar. Glacia lost her grip on the knife as it spun out of her reach and she plummeted towards the end of the pit. She crossed her arms over herself, closing her eye tight as she braced herself for the impact that would definitely kill her again.
She felt herself spin in midair before wind brushed past her face. Glacia opened her remaining eye and discovered why: Niebel had caught her, utilizing Ice Dragon's Wings on his feet to keep him hovering. The Ice Dragon Slayer flew towards the connecting trench. It then occurred to Glacia how much Niebel had grown if he could catch and carry her. Nearly everyone sighed in relief as Niebel faded in the distance with his surrogate sister.
Jigumo whistled appreciatively. "My friend," he said to Dobengal, "if you want Glacia to fall for you, you're gonna have to top that dramatic rescue."
"Enough, Jigumo." Sasori wheeled on Avian and Mizuno, possessing a strangely calm visage. "You two, follow them."
With no choice but to follow orders, the Imperial Guardians gave chase after the siblings. Sasori regained Rogue's katana from the ground after the explosion knocked it out of his grasp. "Jigumo..."
The familiar lavender aura surrounded Jigumo before he was hurled against a tree. "Gah!"
"Not just as a Guardian, but as a younger brother you failed to follow my orders," the scorpion master admonished. He swept his hand in a sideways motion, tossing his younger brother on the ground on his stomach.
Rogue thought that he saw everything after Jiemma tried to kill Lector. But brother against brother...
"Jigumo!" The ninja winced as Sasori jabbed the blade tip directly through his right hand.
"Do you know how jealous I was?" Sasori informed with a tone of disbelief, digging the blade deeper. "How much I envied you because of what you could do to her?"
"Wait—what?" Dobengal asked. Rogue was also at a loss for words: what reason did Sasori have to be jealous of...unless..."Why were you jealous of me?"
"Why? Why?" Sasori removed the katana, leaving a thin bleeding hole in his enemy's hand. "Because I wanted Glacia," he revealed.
Unimaginable incredulity flooded the tiger and the ex-saber. Sasori's kind façade on the first day; his invitation after the games...had that all been a lie? "Every moment she spent with you; the gift you gave her when you found out her birthday; and the rare few times that she cried...do you how much I wished that it was me instead of you? I was so thrilled when you were excommunicated, because if you were gone, she'd come to me...with all her heart."
"But you tried to defend me years ago—"
"Are you sure that was me?" Sasori bristled. "Jigumo and I resembled each other so much back then, even Glacia and Niebel had problems telling who was who."
"Ugh..." Jigumo brought himself to his knees, but under the aura's influence, he was frozen in that position.
"But then Nordenburg whisked her away, drilling her to perfect her magic," Sasori continued distastefully. "And she obeyed willingly. So I knew he had to go. You know Glacia: under guidance she will act, but on her own she's just a little puppet. She couldn't have killed her master and father on her own."
"You mean you...using Glacia—?"
"But even after the old man's death, she wouldn't come. No, she left...to join her friend in Fiore. Pretty soon, Niebel followed after. Then he returned...with her dead body." Sasori stomped on the bleeding hand, holding his victim in place. "Take pride, Dobengal. Not many people can make the master of Imperial Snow jealous. Of course, Rogue will be joining you as the last."
Rogue's head shot up at his words. "Imperial's master...?"
"It's one messed up chain of command," Jigumo grunted, struggling to get up. "Should anything happen to the master, the Guardian of the North always acts in his place. Even now, I wonder what would have happened if Glacia took on the role of guild master. Sure, she looked too young, but it would have been better than living under him," he finished the last part with disgust.
"The master can never take part in the games, though," Rogue noticed.
Sasori raised the katana above his head. "The rules flew out the window when Glacia asked Dobengal to forgive her," he replied, a sinister glint in his eye. The blade sang out as the guild master swung it downwards with every intention to decapitate.
"Hey, Saso! Stop!"
A metallic song rang through the field as a dark blur pushed Sasori back. Rogue's blade had split in two, rendering it useless. Dobengal chanced a look to see who had rescued him, as did Rogue. Standing beside him was the mysterious Mermaid Heel witch who pulled Glacia with her into the games. Pitch-black, knee-high boots with cuffs covered her feet; she wore dark mini-shorts set with double belts, a handle of a weapon could barely be seen hanging on the side of each due to her jacket. What looked like a long navy trench coat earlier revealed to be a double-sleeved jacket with a hood and shiny fastenings, flaring out at the waist. A black string top covered her flat chest while dark gloves did the same for her hands. A long red strip of cloth was tied around her upper left arm, the ends flying with the wind. The helmet hid her face, but one could notice a thin smile under it. The crest of Mermaid Heel decorated the back of her jacket.
"Who...?"
"Don't try to move, you're injured," the woman warned as she helped him up, leading him over to a large white wolf with a sleek surface before getting him on. Her voice seemed eerily familiar, though he could only associate it with a metal, for some reason. "I can get you to Glacia, if my magic will let this hold."
Sasori returned to his feet, dusting himself off. "You're Mermaid Heel's leader, aren't you?"
"And that is relevant because?" She carried a distinct accent with her 'v's, not just with her entire speech.
"Your guild marked the man you saved their enemy. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they had their own dead or alive poster. Aren't you worried that your guild will excommunicate you for such an act?"
"The thoughts of my guild are not mine, so I don't share their opinions." The mermaid looked back at the ninja. "It's because this man lives that I exist. And for that, I'm grateful. Not just for that...but for smuggling our dear Glacia out of Crocus Gardens, and back into the living world." Whistling to the wolf, her familiar trotted off. "But I should thank you also, for reviving her in the first place. It's the least I should do for the master of Imperial Snow. Even if you had to kill hundreds for one, and poisoned two to keep your guild's secrets safe."
Sasori narrowed his eyes at her, but kept his distance. Everything about this woman screamed authority. "You seem well-informed for a guild foot soldier. A little too well-informed," he added. "But you should also know what happens when one of my guild's secrets doesn't stay buried."
"Right, you poison them to keep their mouths shut; but you also feed their barely conscious bodies to your scorpion," the woman said with disdain.
The young guild master smirked. "Poisoning is an art, but the brush can't be wielded by many."
"Right, now you call yourself an artist." The witch lifted her shielded head. "Come on, artist. Let me knock you back into the canvas." Obviously irked by this, Sasori ran at the Mermaid Heel witch, who remained where she was, her hands placed near her pockets.
Even Rogue had trouble keeping up with the speed as the woman vanished in a dark blur. Sasori's armor cracked before it fell apart, chunks of metal falling near his feet while he held his chest, now marked by a bleeding X. Mermaid Heel's leader reappeared kneeling with her back to Sasori, arms crossed and holding two knives downwards.
"Whoa," was all Jigumo could say.
The scorpion master glanced back at the woman, shaking from the sting of his new injury. "You're not an ordinary foot soldier, are you?"
Underneath the helmet, she smirked. "'Foot soldier?'" she repeated as she stood, replacing her weapons on her belts. "My foot, soldier."
I could not help but put that in.
When I was reading the last chapter, I was also listening Fairy Tail's Kizuna with it. Not the theme song, but the sad song.