Side mission

Chapter 22

I walked into the guildhall with Sapphire the following day. None of us said anything after last night so it was quite awkward. When we opened the guildhall doors, Zeke came swooping down from above and grabbed me out of the air with no warning whatsoever.

"Whoa," I looked down towards Sapphire who was looking at the situation. I laughed at how weird this must have looked.

"Bye Sapphire! I'll see you later I guess! Say hi to the guys for me!" I waved at her. She waved back. I turned to look at my partner.

"Soooo… where are we going?"

"WE… are going on a mission." Zeke said proudly.

"I meant what KIND of mission. I knew we were going on a mission because you never grab unless you need something."

"We are going to be bodyguards at a fancy party being held in a nearby city."

"Sure are you going to fly me all the way there please?"

"No we're taking the train," dammit I thought to myself. I could almost feel the motion sickness already. When we got to the train station, I paid for our ticket much to my dismay. Since Zeke was counted as a pet much to HIS dismay, he went for free. When we arrived at the city, we were supposed to be at Zeke had to literally drag me off the train and onto the wagon; we were taking the rest of the way.

"Jack you lazy bum get up we're here," I didn't respond but I was just on the ground looking all green. Zeke sighed.

"Alright fine have it your way," Zeke let go of me and knocked on the big door to a castle. A very formal looking man opened the door and looked around. Zeke sighed once more.

"Down here," The man looked down.

"And who might you be? We do not have a cat and a green human on the guest list," Zeke gritted his teeth.

"First I'm an exceed and this my partner. We're from Fairy Tail and we came to take your request as bodyguards," the man raised an eyebrow.

"Sssuuurree… guards take them away please," Two men dressed in all black came and grabbed Zeke and me.

"Hey you bastard put me down! REQUIP: ANGEL FEATHERS!" Zeke's wings appeared and he started flying up with the men still holding on to him. He started spiraling sending the two men flying out to either side of him. He landed on the ground and glared at the one who was holding on to me. He immediately let go of me.

"Now SIR!" Zeke took off his plate and showed the man his guildmark.

"Oh I see I apologize but people have a habit showing up to these parties pretending to be wizards so they can get some free drinks, which is actually why I requested assistance," the man showed us inside and I was feeling a bit better. We came into a giant hall full of people dressed in their finest clothes. They were all talking and their conversations were anything but exciting. I lowered my head down to Zeke.

"I must say Hans the bingo night last night was terribly exciting," in an old lady-like voice causing Zeke to giggle. I looked around and noticed that everyone was starting at us. Some of the women we walked past even fainted. I sniffed my armpits and lowered my head down to Zeke again.

"Do I smell bad? People are fainting around me," I whispered.

"Yes you smell," Zeke said nonchalantly.

"Gee. Thanks."

"Alright you two if you make sure no one comes in here you'll get your reward understood," We both nodded and Zeke spawned his angel feathers and flew out of a window. He landed on the middle spiral and sat down. Meanwhile I was still inside walking towards the door. A waiter came and offered me a drink.

"Thanks just what I needed," I took the glass, poured the content into another glass, and ate the one I was holding. The waiter's eyes widened as I crushed the glass between my teeth making a loud noise. The people near me stopped talking and looked at me. I didn't notice it and started walking towards a flight of stairs.

"What a strange person," a woman whispered to the man next to her. I raised a hand.

"I heard that lady!" I shouted and went up the stairs and onto a balcony where I could overlook at the entire hall at once.

Most of the evening was so boring that was about to fall asleep most of the time. I was laying on the railing looking into the air. It sure was a pretty ceiling.

"Excuse me sir but what are you doing?" I jumped a little, fell down from the railing, and hit the floor with a thump.

"Ow… what do you want?" I sat up cross-legged and rubbed my head. I looked up and saw a young girl in a long wavy dress. She was giggling.

"I was just wondering who you are. I've never seen you before," she said and tilted her head making her hair bun wiggle slightly.

"Well um… I'm Jack. Nice to meet you…"

"I'm Diana," she raised her hand for a handshake. I shook her hand a little awkwardly since I don't normally shake hands with people.

"So why are you here Diana? Everyone else is at least over 30 and you look like you're about 16."

"Well that's because I am. It's my birthday party I'm 16 now," she clapped her hands together.

"Then happy birthday I guess,"

"But everyone I know are business partners of my dad," I stood up.

"So you don't have any friends your age? That must be really boring in the long run."

"It is. Most people don't understand," She looked over the crowd.

"I do. I've been all alone for 10 years with only my partner Zeke who's not even human."

"So what do you do for fun?" she said and looked at me.

"Well I know a really cool trick. Wanna see it?"

"Yes please," she said and looked at me. Waiting for me to do my thing.

"Alright. Name your favorite animal," she started thinking.

"OH I got it. A tiger. With stripes and stuff."

"That's good. Alright here we go," I rubbed my hands together and molten glass started forming. I made it into a ball and held it out in front of me. Diana looked at it with intrigue. The ball started changing form into a tiger. When it was done, I blew on it and I dried. I handed it to her. It was no bigger than a hand.

"Here you go. Think of it as a birthday present from me," she took the tiger out of my hand and inspected it.

"This is amazing. Thank you," She said and smiled at me.

"You're really cool. What else can you do?

"Well a lot of things but they all involve destroying things," Diana clapped her hands.

"Do you want to go somewhere other than this place," before I could reply she grabbed my arm and pulled me with her.

"HEY! Easy there," we dragged me into a room. Most likely hers and she let go of me.

"Just a second Jack," She ran behind a cover and I saw her dress being put over it. I blushed slightly. Was she really changing right there? She came out in clothes that looked more normal. She went over to the window and opened it.

"Come on Jack. Let's go."

"But I should really…" I tried but she climbed out of the window.

"Dammit," I ran over to the window and went out after her. I turned around to look at the spire. "GLASS DRAGON ROAR!" I fired my roar right above the spire catching Zeke's attention. Zeke looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I shrugged and Zeke nodded in understanding. I caught up to Diana.

"Where are we going? Geez."

"You said you needed some things to destroy. So here," I looked and saw a formation of rocks. I looked at her confused.

"I never said that," She grabbed my arm and looked into my eyes.

"Please I need something fun to watch," I sighed. There really was no way out of this. "GLASS DRAGON…" but I was interrupted by someone screaming from the castle. I looked back and started running back.

"Sorry but I have a job to do," Diana ran back with me. I looked in a window and saw someone standing with a huge sword into the air.

"GIVE ME ALL YOUR POSSESSIONS OR SOMEONE DIES!" I assessed the situation.

"What should we do Jack?" Diana said right next to my face. I jumped a little at her closeness.

"Just stand back I've got this. GLASS DRAGON PISTON!" I fired my piston through the window and I hit him straight in the block. Zeke came swooping down to grab the lady before she hit the ground. I jumped through the broken window and everyone looked at me.

"Are you okay miss?" I asked the woman. She nodded and I turned my attention to the man who had attacked the poor woman. I saw that he had a guildmark. It was a strange looking chest with a snake eye on it. I suddenly got a massive headache from looking at it and I fell to my knees. The man stood up and raised his sword. He swung it at me. Zeke got in the way. "REQUIP: IRON TURTLE!" Zeke's plate disappeared and was replaced with another plate. But this one had a metal Sphere instead of two holes. Next, a shining metal shell appeared and attached itself to his plate. The sword collided with the shell and stopped. "REQUIP: TWIN BARREL CANNON!" The shell disappeared and a double-barreled cannon replaced it. Zeke shot the cannon sending the man flying through the wall. The cannon and sphere plate disappeared and Zeke ran over to me.

"Jack! Are you all right? What happened?" I sat up and shook my head.

"I… I don't know. I just looked at his guildmark and then I got a headache," Zeke looked at me with concern and Diana came running.

"What guild was he from? Jack," Zeke asked. I thought about the guildmark. I grabbed my head in pain again.

"Whoa whoa… if it hurts thinking about it don't, let's go home Jack," I stood up and we started walking towards the exit. Diana came running up behind me and I felt her hug me from behind.

"Thanks for a fantastic evening Jack. I'll see you later," she let go and I turned around and smiled at her. I looked behind her and saw the man from earlier came walking.

"These are for saving our lives. I must say that's quite the impressive power you have my boy," he handed me a piece of paper. I looked at it. It was a free meal of me plus one at Rays Palace, one of the fanciest restaurants in Magnolia.

"Thank you sir," I said but Zeke was not so easy going.

"Hold on a second! Where the cash! Where's the prize that was on the poster!"

"My apologies but you did destroy some of my castle and your cash will be enough to pay for the damages," Zeke grunted a bunch of displeased noises and then we left. When we were on our way to the carriage Zeke's realized something and his eyes widened.

"Hold on a second! You were spending the evening with that rich girl weren't you?" he looked at me and I laughed.

"Yeah I guess I did."

"Are you kidding me? Why have you never told me you were such a chick magnet?"

"Well because I'm not. At least I didn't know that I was," the two of us laughed but I stopped once I saw the thing I dreaded the most. A vehicle.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes. Now get on," Zeke pushed me into the wagon and told the driver to start driving.

Once we came back to Magnolia, I was as good as dead. Zeke had to fly me to the guild because I couldn't walk. We came into the guildhall and said hello to everyone.

"So did you complete the job?" Mira asked when we got to the bar. I had gotten my stomach under control.

"Yeah we did."

"Alright. Just say if you need anything else," Mira said and smiled. I kindly declined and went over to Hyper-blade and sat down with them. I talked to Silver about the job.

Meanwhile somewhere just outside Magnolia a group of three people was looking into a lachrima showing a picture of the guild doing it's normal routine.

"Is this really a good idea? Is it? I mean what if they notice it. But it's still kind of exciting isn't it?" one of them asked speaking very fast and sounding really happy.

"Yes I think we found their weak link," another said in an angry tone.

"Call it back."

"Yes of course, anything for you," the third one said in a dreamy voice and waved her hand. A few minutes later, a little bug came flying and landed on her arm. "Disassemble," she said and the bug fell apart into various gears, wires, metal plates and circuit boards.

"Did it take the picture?" The girl handed the picture to the man.

"Uh…uh can I see? Can I? Please," the last one cried out. He saw the picture.

"So that's the weak link huh. Can I kill him? Please! Can I? Huh. Huh,"

"Shut up and go wake Mr. sleepyhead over there up," The boy ran over to another one who was sitting and sleeping against a rock.

"Wake up lazy. Come on. Get over here with the other! Come on! Let's go! You're so slow!"

"Looks like it's time for our revenge!" He laughed an evil laugh. The girl sitting next to him sighed, as Juvia would do every time she saw Gray.

"You're so dreamy when you act all evil."

Who were these people and what do they want with Fairy Tail!?