Secrets, part 6
Lucy sat beside Yona, trying to ease the pain. Yona was doubled over on her side, visibly shaking. The virus had a full hold of her now. Setting a cool rag on her friend's forehead, Lucy sighed, wondering how her guild mates were faring. A sweaty hand suddenly grasped her wrist. "Where's Jasper?", wheezed the fallen dragon slayer. "He went to see Puck", replied Lucy. Yona seemed to grin faintly at the reply. "Good...He can't see me like this", she uttered. It was quite obvious that Yona hid her soft side and any weakness from the world, but why? "He left a few minutes ago while you were sleeping. He'll be back soon", said Lucy, offering some water. Yona gulped it down gratefully. "Don't let him in", she said. Lucy shook her head. It was his room; She couldn't exactly deny him entry.
The door opened and Yona froze stiffly. "How's she doing?", inquired Natsu, Happy one shoulder and Rani on the other. "Go away", said Yona. She sent Lucy a pleading look. She didn't want anyone to see her so weak. "Still in good spirits then", smirked Natsu. Rani hopped down and went to her friend's side. "Yona-chan, it's okay if you're sick. No one thinks any less of you", she said softly. "Like I'm taking advice from a cat", teased Yona. Rani sent Natsu a small smile, assuring him Yona would be fine. "Lucy, you got a minute?", he asked. She glanced at her patient before excusing herself.
Out in the hall, she wondered what could possibly be so important. The grin Natsu had put on their sick friend was gone. "What's wrong?", asked Lucy nervously. Natsu had another letter clutched in his hand. His expression was serious and even Happy said nothing, a bad sign. He handed her the paper slowly. Her eyes widened as she read its contents, worry consuming her. "The master", she uttered softly. It seemed Makarov was the newest victim. He was an old man. What chance did he have if this virus could send a dragon slayer into a coma? She glanced down the corridor toward Kavi's room. He'd been out cold for days even had a few more breathing scares.
Natsu stared into nothing, avoiding eye contact. What could he possibly say to make things better? "There's talk of someone strong approaching town", he said absently. "I can't smell anything down here", he added, in thought, hoping that would answer Lucy's next question. "Who is it?" So much for hoping. "Nobody really knows. Puck went to check it out. Jasper said he thinks they know who it could be, but they won't be sure until find him", he explained. "Or her", chimed Happy. The dragon slayer couldn't take the silence anymore. Everyone was so worried and depressed, the atmosphere was almost suffocating. Looking for any words to fill the air, he asked, "How is she really?". Lucy looked at him with sympathy. He stared at Jasper's door. They were all worried, but as a fellow dragon slayer, it made sense he would have deeper concern. After all, he could be next. His blunder with the barrier put them at risk.
Lucy sighed heavily. "She's in a lot of pain. It's consuming her magic...I wish there was something we could do", she stated sullenly. "But she'll be okay, right?", asked Happy nervously. She offered a kind smile and nodded. "I'm sure she will. It is Yona", she grinned. Natsu fought off a faint grin of his own at that sentiment. Getting more serious, Lucy inquired about Kavi. "No change. He's still out", replied Natsu. "Anything else about the guild?", asked the spirit mage. Natsu shook his head. He hoped their friends weren't suffering, but he knew what the virus could do. Before more information could be exchanged, Jasper approached them with something in hand. "Is she awake?", he asked. "Yes. Rani's with her", nodded Lucy. He thanked her for her help and slipped inside the door.
Inside, Jasper's eyes settled over the shivering form in his bed. He walked quietly, not wanting to disturb her in case she'd fallen back asleep. Rani's huge, worried eyes greeted him as he sat beside Yona. Gently brushing the loose strands from her face, he tried to smile for her. "How are you feeling?", he inquired. She glanced up, clearly embarrassed to be seen in that sorry state. "Like I got hit by a yacht", she teased. Carefully scooping her into his arms, he helped her to sit up against him. "Here, I brought you some medicine." She eyed the bottle with caution, knowing it was going to taste awful. Rani watched the incubus care for their common friend with warmth in her heart. She was glad someone as gentle as Jasper had found his way into Yona's heart.
Just like a toddler, Yona tried everything to avoid taking her medicine. "Come on, open up", sighed Jasper, exhausted. She shook her head with her mouth firmly closed. Getting annoyed, he said, "It's going in one way or another." Yona twisted to glare at him. "You would da-", she began. The last word was cut of by the bottle being jammed into her mouth. Jasper let her go and tried not laugh at the awful faces she was making. "Oh my god! What the hell is that?! Liquid nasty?!", she fussed, frantically reaching for her water. "It's a special blend of rare herbs from the higher realms of Yggdrasil...You're welcome", he replied. Yona downed every last ounce of water. She sent him a horrible look. "And you're positive that crap isn't going to kill me?", she snapped. Jasper nodded, ignoring her spiteful tone. "Apparently my brother's been taking a diluted form for years", he stated, looking to the distance. It seemed his talk with his father revealed a few things he didn't know about Kavi.
Seeing his troubled stare, Yona ventured, "Don't take his secrets personally. It's Kavi; He probably didn't want you to worry." Jasper nodded with a soft sigh. She was right, but he was still uneasy. "Now then", said Yona, putting on her bravado act. "Fair's fair. Drink up", she said, pointing to the bottle. Jasper sent her an odd look. "Come on. You owe me", she stated smugly. "But Yona-chan, it might not be such a good idea", said Rani, trying to smooth things over. Before Yona could harass him further, she felt strange. Everything got really blurry. She fainted right into Jasper's arms. Rani stared with concern. "Don't worry. It's supposed to help her sleep", assured the incubus. Rani nodded, staying firmly by Yona's side and hoped the tonic would help.
Yona had pinned Jasper's leg when she passed out, so he wasn't going anywhere. He didn't mind holding her in silence. He smiled softly to himself as he watched her sleep. If was strange to see her so peaceful. Rani snoozed beside them, glad her friend's pain had eased. It still bothered Jasper that Kavi had been hiding his health problems, but then again, he'd always known on some level. He tried to focus on his brother, but his eyes dragged his thoughts back to Yona. She looked so beautiful, laying there lost to her dreams. He wished he could join her, but his magic was still sealed. Puck had stated it was highly unlikely that they would get infected, but precautions were in place just in case. In time, Jasper nodded off, as well. When he next opened his eyes, he wasn't alone.
Lucy, Natsu, and Happy all lounged nearby in the bedroom. Natsu and Happy were sound asleep. Lucy smiled gently toward the incubus as he glanced over. He blushed and shied his gaze. He barely knew these people and know one of them was watching him sleep with Yona in his arms. "She's lucky to have you", ventured Lucy. Fighting off his blushing reflex, Jasper tried to smile. He was just glad no one had asked about his tail. It had wrapped around Yona in their slumber and he know shyly slid it out of sight. "Your guild sure is interesting", sighed Lucy, homesick. "We do what we can", replied Jasper in a low tone. He knew what she meant, but didn't feel the need to expand on it.
His vision settled over Yona once more. She was still fevered. Her face was red as she slept in his arms. He blushed faintly at the sight. "You two seem happy together...I'm glad", said Lucy. Jasper looked to her in question. "When I met Yona, I wasn't sure she'd ever settle into a relationship...You must be really special", she ventured with a kind grin. Jasper grinned, too, despite his red cheeks. "She likes to tease that no 'mere human' could handle her", he quoted shyly. Lucy chuckled at the sentiment. It definitely sounded like something Yona would say.
"Do you love her?" The question shocked him. It was so straight-forward and came from an unexpected source. Natsu stared blankly, waiting for an answer. Both Jasper and Lucy blushed at his sudden intrusion. "N-Natsu! That's none of our business!", chided Lucy, embarrassed. Jasper managed to smile genuinely even though he was bright red. "Yeah, I do", he uttered. Natsu grinned wide, glad to hear it. "Make sure you tell her when she wakes up", was the only thing the dragon slayer said before casually going back to sleep. An awkward silence filled the room. Lucy stared at her slumbering team mate, surprised by his inquiry. Who knew Natsu actually thought about things like love?
-
In another chamber, Kavi was still unconscious and showed no sign of improvement. Puck refused to unseal Wendy's magic, thus rendering her no help. Instead, she stayed with Blythe, trying to cheer him up. Charle and Ronen played chess in the corner while Wendy watched over the worried blood mage. He'd finally gone to sleep, huddled over the side of Kavi's bed. She was glad to see him rest for a change. He'd been singing a sad tune for hours. His voice had gone raw by the time he stopped. He said he knew Kavi could hear it and it would lead him home. The dragon slayer had once told him that his voice was the best sound he'd tasted, something he'd neglected to tell Wendy. Then again, she was too young to know all of the details anyway.
"Finally asleep?", asked Charle. Wendy nodded with a sigh of relief. Blythe was in shambles to the point he was no longer even trying to hide it. Ronen grinned to himself, glad the girl was able to ease his team mate's worries. He'd spent little time with the young dragon slayer in the past, but knew Blythe simply adored the girl. He was beginning to see why. "Thank you", he ceded. Wendy smiled kindly at the exceed as if to say, "No trouble". Rising, she pulled a blanket over her adopted big brother's shoulders. Sitting beside the felines, she tried to keep a pleasant expression. Knowing her well, Charle sighed, "Stop worrying. With your magic sealed, there's nothing you can do." Ronen glanced between them, inferring the shared thought. "Try not to let it get to you. Blythe's unable to help Kavi, too, and it's eaten him alive...Don't let that happen to yourself", he said, moving his rook. "It's gotten to all of us", he added sullenly.
Attempting to move to lighter topics, Charle asked questions about the guild. Ronen was happy to answer. The subject took the immediate darkness of his mind for a while. "Everyone seems very nice", ventured Wendy. Ronen smirked faintly, "Most of them, yes." Eventually, the subject turned closer to home. Ronen explained what had happened to Jasper and why they hadn't met him before. Such a tale hit Wendy deeply. She could only imagine what he was feeling now. Charle had her doubts about Dalia, but it seemed that was the general census. "It seems strange to have so many fey in one place, assuming everything I've heard is true", stated Charle. "It's all centered around Puck", explained Ronen, "If it weren't for his presence, not even Master Veda would be here." Wendy watched the chess match come to an end. "I didn't know elves and fairy folk were real", she said shyly. Ronen glanced her guild mark curiously. "Yet you belong to Fairy Tail", he stated. She smiled to herself, seeing his point.
"Do you think he'll tell us?", asked the girl. "If you ask", replied Charle. Ronen waited for a hint at their topic. "Master Makarov told us that the guild was named so by the first master because no one had seen fairies in so long, nobody remembers if they had tails or not", explained Wendy. "I'm sure he'd answer you if you asked. Puck is more approachable than he looks", said Ronen. "He's actually very nice", said Rani, perched upon Lucy's shoulder. The spirit mage smiled gently at her sleeping friend and asked, "How is he?". "Resting for a change. We have Wendy to thank for that", stated Ronen. Even in his sleep, Blythe clinged to Kavi's hand. It looked so sweet. Taking her place by her friend, Lucy sat down quietly. "Check mate", said Ronen with a grin. Charle looked over the board in mild surprise. How had she not seen it? Ronen sent a sly glance toward Kavi. It seemed he had a good teacher.
"How's Yona?", asked the exceed, resetting the pieces. Though he didn't show much of his emotion, Ronen cared deeply for his friends. "Jasper brought her some medicine", said Rani with a shy smile. Ronen smirked, imagining how well that went over. "She's resting now", added Lucy. "She'll be okay, won't she?", inquired Wendy. "Don't worry too much. She has a strong constitution", replied Ronen. "We've never seen her sick for more than a few days", assured Rani. Wendy nodded, still feeling helpless to Kavi. "I understand Kavi's never really been well to start with. That's why he's like this...He should wake up soon", added Ronen. A knock on the door stirred Blythe. He was a little confused at first as to why so many people were in the room, but pulled himself together. The door opened, revealing Veda.
"Master? Is everything all right?", he asked hazily. She nodded, though an odd expression fell over her face. "Lucy, your friends outside of the barrier are looking for you", she stated. All three fairies answered the summons. At the barrier, Gray waited anxiously. Juvia was out of sight. "You heard about the master?", ventured Lucy. Gray nodded grimly, but that wasn't why he called her. "I actually have some good news. Juvia went into town to confirm it", he said. "What is it?", asked Wendy, glad to hear something good for a change. "Sabretooth is back to normal. Sting and Rogue are going around the guilds with something that's supposed to help. That's all I know so far", he explained. "They're all better? That wonderful!", said Lucy, relieved. She remembered how bad their status had been not so long ago. "Apparently someone cured them, but the details are sketchy at best", he said. The girls glanced at one another in thought. "But who could do something like that?", inquired Charle. Gray shook his head. "I don't know. Rumors say it was two women", he shrugged. "I hope Juvia gets back soon. I'd be really glad to hear they're on their way to Fairy Tail", uttered Lucy. It was shared sentiment. Finally, there was a cure! With luck, it would exhume everyone from their dark fate.
-
Out in town, Juvia was looking for answers. By chance, a man with an eye patch was walking toward her. He recognized her guild mark. "You must be one of Yona's friends!", he beamed. "Juvia knows her", she said with a polite smile. The man took a broad step back, framing her face in his fingers. "Let me guess...hmm...Juvia!", he said as if he'd figured it out all on his own. She nodded, unsure what this guy's deal was. Shaking her hand firmly, he said, "My name is Van. I'm from the guild." Finally, something that made sense. "Nice to meet you", she said, trying to get her hand back. "Are you close to Yona-chan?", she inquired. He grinned wide. "Close? I'm her fiance!" Juvia froze in shock. Then, Van laughed and let her in the truth. "Actually, she's turned down my proposal thirty-eight times, but you can't blame a guy for trying", he grinned. Seemingly unbothered by his previous statement, Van continued, "You haven't seen seen a girl with blonde, spiky hair that likes to blow things up, have you?". Juvia shook her head just as a loud "BOOM!" went off a few streets over. Van sighed, "Never mind." Hurrying off in that direction, he waved and shouted, "Nice to meet you!". Juvia watched him fade from sight. It seemed Serpent Wing had its own 'Natsu's to deal with.
-
A few miles outside of town, two shadows sat upon the wreckage of a small guild. One was a middle aged man with a beard and mustache, staring steely eyed toward the next city. The other was a much younger man who proudly shined his massive sniper rifle. "Well, that was fun", he teased. The other man ignored the corpses around them. "I thought I told you not to follow me, Winchester", he sighed. "Come on, Judd! You didn't think I'd let you have all the fun, did you? Besides, you know my friends call me 'Wink'!", argued the younger man. "I ain't your friend", said Judd sternly. Wink didn't let his brutal honesty bother him. He'd followed Judd of his own accord. They belonged to the same group of mage hunters. Strange symbols decorated their clothes. A new one burned itself into the fabric, the mark of the guild they'd just destroyed. "How does this stuff work, anyway?", asked Wink, watching the shapes appear. "Hell if I know. Probably some kind of magic, but you know as well as I do that these damn things don't come off", grumbled Judd. Every member of their order wore the same bodysuit beneath their choice of clothing. Once they put it on, it didn't come off until their contract was fulfilled.
"Maybe mine won't, but yours should. You completed your body count years ago", stated Wink. Judd smirked to himself. It was a creepy smile, the kind of proud grin that serial killers and psychopaths wore. "I like my work. Nothin' wrong with that", he said. Wink prodded the closest body with the toe of his boot. "Should we bury them?" Judd kept his gaze on the distance. His true target was getting closer. "Let the crows eat 'em. They're nothing, but a bunch of abominations anyway", he said stiffly. Wink nodded in agreement. "To Noctis!", beamed the young man. Judd repeated the phrase under his breath with less enthusiasm. The clandestine Order of Noctis were firm believers that magic was a corruption to the human spirit, a malady that fools embraced. Their creed stated that humans were meant to live by their own hands and not supernatural powers, thus mages were considered weak and less than human.
Judd started walking to the distance without his younger compatriot. "Hey! Wait for me!", cried Wink, rushing to catch up. "You'll just get in my way when Necahual shows", sneered Judd. He'd give anything to be rid of the boy. "I don't get it. What's the big deal about this witch anyway?", asked Wink idly. Judd stopped dead in his steps. "She's no witch. Hell, she was never human to start with. You stay back and let me handle that monster. Her bounty is mine alone, understood?", he said, glaring darkly. Wink nodded nervously. Their stride began anew. Wink sighed and wondered to himself why he came along in the first place. Judd was no fun at all. Then again, this legendary mark he was after had eluded the order for years. "I thought the old man said her name was Nova", he said absently. Judd gripped his collar and threw him to the ground without warning. "Boy, you'd better watch your tongue. You ain't got the experience or respect to call her by her first name", he growled. Wink stared up in shock. "Since when do you 'respect' a a mage?!", he gasped, his throat slowly being crushed. Judd sneered and let go. Wink took several deep breaths before getting back to his feet. "She's no ordinary mage", was all that was said before the older man started off once more. Wink checked over his precious gun before following. "Geez!", he thought. Didn't Judd realize he could have broken it? Then again, Judd really wouldn't have cared. "This Necahual' better worth it", sighed Wink under his breath. He'd find out soon enough.
-
To be continued...