Disclaimer: In before two weeks since I last told you that I don't own Fairy Tail.
Illusions
"Bisca, I don't see anything that stands out against the imps on radar. What did you find?"
The words buzzed in her head, but Bisca couldn't hear them. The barrel of her gun quivered. The man with pale skin walked closer with a calm expression; the crimson of his eyes and the overwhelming pressure of his magic power were anything but. Her chest pounded a dozen times for every pace he drew nearer.
"Bisca?"
The sharpshooter's instincts returned at the sound of Alzack's voice in her mind. She requipped her rifle in exchange for a shotgun and loaded it with her own magic.
The red eyes that had ignored her snapped into focus on her face; she froze. Her target walked right past her. She'd been blinded; only the impression of darkness from his magic registered in her vision.
The sound of gunfire brought her out of it. She pulled the trigger on reflex. Her stance had faltered during her lapse of concentration and the backlash hurt her shoulder and knocked her down.
"Bisca!"
She heard her husband talking to her; Alzack knelt next to her.
"He's here," she murmured. "Zeref's here."
Warren felt sweat forming on his brow. A hand came to rest on his shoulder.
"Bisca," Makarov said. "Are you certain?"
"Dark robes, pale complexion, red eyes," she replied in their minds. A beat. "Cowlick of black hair in the middle of his head."
"It's him."
Warren glared at his Magic Radar. Mavis didn't let him dwell on it.
"Quickly," she said. "Get everything ready!"
"Jet," Warren said with his magic as he ran up to the guild's second floor. "Did you get all that?"
"I'll be there in a few seconds!"
Warren's breathing grew harried, and not from the short sprint up the stairs. He burst into the infirmary and pulled Lisanna from Happy's cot. The young take over mage's face reflected the alarm pulsing through him. Without trading any words, she transformed.
Warren scooped her into his arms and pushed his telepathy to its limit; he removed the qualifications he'd set earlier. He reached into the minds of everyone within a four and a half mile radius, regardless of their allegiances. The sheer amount of feedback hit him like a sledgehammer. He grit his teeth.
Thousands of tiny, inarticulate voices whooped inside his head. He could almost feel the cocktail of emotions stirring inside each of his guild mates.
"Is there a fairy in my head?"
God Serena. Warren cut off that connection. He ran back downstairs, trying to find Zeref.
"Warren!"
The telepath stopped dead at the base of the staircase.
Zeref had already made it into the guildhall. He stared with cold eyes at Warren. He couldn't read anything of the immortal dark mage's thoughts.
He forgot how to breathe when that realization struck.
His magic was useless.
"Warren!"
Jet shouted the second he saw the telepath. The redhead speed mage saw Mavis' likeness in his arms. He also saw Zeref standing between him and Warren. Jet kicked his magic into high gear and kept running.
He sensed the dark wizard's power; if he paused for even a millisecond, he'd lose his nerve.
"Take Mavis' body and run!" Makarov yelled.
Jet kept his eyes focused on Lisanna.
After he'd closed half the distance between Zeref and Warren, Jet halted. He didn't stop running; his body just ceased to move. He remained suspended in between the moment of one foot leaving the ground and the other reestablishing contact.
The speedster couldn't figure out what had happened. His whole body had been locked somehow; he couldn't even turn his gaze in a different direction.
The one change he could see was Lisanna. Her coloring had gotten weird.
"You," Zeref said from behind him. Jet wanted to respond, but even his vocal chords were immobilized. "Drop the facade."
Jet understood the demand had been aimed at Lisanna. The take over mage didn't move or react. Jet began thinking of a way out when something small and solid penetrated his legs. It bore through the back of his knees and through the joints.
Yet he couldn't scream.
Lisanna, peeking through the space between her eyelashes, saw the thin, spiked tendrils of Zeref's black magic cripple Jet. The speed mage's color was still inverted and he still hovered.
Her eyes shot open and she rolled out of Warren's arms to the floor. She released her transformation and lunged.
Animal Soul: Harpy!
The youngest Strauss sibling shifted in midair, intent on raking the dark mage's face with her claws. Zeref blinked once.
Jet's color returned to normal and he touched down on the floor. He screamed. His body, moving with the momentum of his magic, barreled into Lisanna and sent them crashing into the Magic Radar. The device shattered once they hit the ground.
"Did you really believe you could fool me with an imposter?" Zeref asked.
Lisanna found herself greeted by the immortal wizard's hand once she separated from Jet. Darkness filled her vision as Zeref called on his black magic.
"Stop!"
Makarov set his feet apart, barking at Zeref with balled fists. The old wizard saint kept his gaze steady as Zeref turned his neck to make eye contact. Makarov saw Porlyusica descending the stairs from the second floor; to his mild relief, Zeref either didn't notice or didn't care.
"If you swear to leave my guild alone," Makarov said, taking a breath. "I'll take you to Lumen Histoire."
"Master, don't!" Lisanna said.
Jet hissed a similar sentiment through clenched teeth.
"Quiet," Makarov said, his voice low and hard. "I've had enough."
Zeref's black magic dissipated and he stepped away from Lisanna.
"Fine."
Makarov gulped. Porlyusica, assessing Jet's injuries, scoffed.
"This is why I hate humans."
Zeref paused; Makarov stiffened.
"I shouldn't be surprised to find another misanthrope among Fairy Tail," he said, turning to look over his shoulder. "You are, after all, only human."
Porlyusica shot upright with unusual speed for her age and hurled one of her medical instruments at Zeref.
Makarov's giant hand stretched out to catch the projectile. He sighed. The pink-haired wizard huffed and hoisted up Jet. Makarov began leading Zeref toward the entrance to the basement.
"It'll be all right." He whispered, quiet so only Warren and the others would hear via telepathy. When he heard no reply, the small giant took one backward glance; understanding and a swirl of other emotions came to him.
Warren sat with his knees to his chest on the floor near the foot of the staircase. The telepath had turned off his magic.
"And for them you'd surrender the world."
Makarov pinched the inside of his cheek with his teeth and swallowed his pride. He brought Zeref down a long flight of stone stairs. He stopped once to ignite a torch when the light above no longer reached them.
The tense silence coupled with the pressure of Zeref's magic looming behind him provoked a dull inflammation in his chest. Makarov couldn't even hear Zeref's footsteps, though they kept a short distance between them.
After a brief eternity, Makarov turned left and descended another short set of wooden steps. A hallway stretched out in front of them at the bottom. A faint light illuminated the tunnel.
At last, the hall opened out into a spacious chamber. Makarov extinguished his torch and lowered his head. Mavis' form, covered by long, pale blond hair, hovered amidst a huge array of crystal. Makarov stepped to one side and watched Zeref approach the center of the room with a hungry expression.
Juvia summoned a fierce tide that flooded the street she stood on; imps were sent flying and submerged with bubbling cries by the dozens. The water mage kept her eyes focused on her surroundings, searching for-
A head of raven hair poked out from around a corner. The flow of Juvia's magic waned and her waves calmed. Her heartbeat stuttered; water lapped, harmless, against the feet of her favorite ice wizard.
"Gray-sama."
A/N: Till next time~!
... Is kind of what I want to say, but there's one item of business (pft!) to announce. I've put up a poll regarding Mutual Burns on my profile. I won't say on what specifically, but depending on the results it might alter the course of things. Emphasis on might.
As per usual, if you enjoyed reading this chapter, leave behind a review! If you didn't, just type something so I get that little bit of eagerness to see a notification email for this story!
Speaking of Reviews:
The Age of Awesomeness: I updated sooner than I have been! Here's a chapter for you! I'll trade you for that platter! Enjoy~
0FairyTail0: I'm so glad to hear it! Have another update! I'll bring more soon!