Secrets, part 7

Somewhere outside of town, two women camped for the night. One stared into the flames of their fire in silence. The other occupied herself chasing various insects and eating a few when the first wasn't looking. "Tepin, haven't you had enough protein for one day?", sighed the older of the two. Looking bashful, the younger replied, "I'm sorry. You know I get hyper at night, Nova-sama." Nova smiled kindly at the girl. "It's only your nature", she grinned. She had vast patience for Tepin's antics, but then again, she had also created the girl, or least her current form. Staring into the stars, Nova sighed deeply. It felt like so long ago she'd last been home. Fiore seemed like such a strange place now. What had happened? Where had the dragons gone? Puck would know, she was sure.

Nova returned her gaze to the flames. Her mismatched eyes watched with mixed emotions as the wood burned to ash. Fire always brought up memories, but now she had nothing else to look at, so it kept her attention. Tepin's primal nocturnal activity kept her busy. Nova never said much about the girl's odd behavior; It would take time to learn how to be human and she'd already made great strides. The girl was excited to meet an actual elf once they reached their destination. They'd made many stops along the way, helping various guilds and mages recover from the awful virus that held the country in its grip. Now that others had been recruited to help, they could go where they intended to from the start. Little did they know that Serpent Wing had guests from Fairy Tail. Had Nova known that, she may have delayed her journey.

-

Far away, in Magnolia, the stricken mages were beginning to recover. Sting grinned to himself as he watched over them. It was good to see the color return to their pallid faces. Too bad Natsu was away. Sting only hoped his friend hadn't fallen ill, as well. Rogue was busy at Blue Pegasus, curing the fallen. Neither dragon slayer could provide the answers everyone wanted, but at least they had a cure. When everything blew over, maybe the guilds could track down their saviors and thank them properly. For now, however, they only needed to recover.

-

Back at Serpent Wing, things were still grim, at best. Van had managed to drag Hantu back home, kicking and screaming, with the bruises to prove it. Little news of the strange approaching power could be found. It was hoped that whoever it was would be a friend, but no one really knew for certain. They were all, but oblivious to the real danger coming toward them. Focused on the strong magical essence nearby, those without magic slipped in under the radar. The agents of Noctis had reached the town. While Wink wasted time on women, Judd was annoyed that the guild had been locked down, but he'd hunted for years. He knew how to wait. Surely this city had something to occupy his time...

-

Far below ground, deep in the sanctum, Jasper watched Yona sleep, nervously waiting for her wake once more. Her fever had peaked, causing mild delirium. She was throwing herself at him every chance she got, but he cared too much for her to take advantage of the circumstances. He prayed morning would come swiftly as his will power began dwindling away, little by little. He was just glad that he'd learned pressure points from his father. Whenever Yona pressed him into a proverbial (or sometimes literal) corner, he'd tap a few spots and she'd fold to gravity, sound asleep once more.

News of a cure had reached his ears. Part of him hoped it was true while part of him denied it was even possible. All he could think of was, "Please hurry", to whoever was coming to help them. Kavi wouldn't hold on much longer. Everyone held their breath as the hours ticked by without the dragon slayer waking. He was critically weak. It had been days since he'd last been conscious and his room was now under special rules. No one was allowed in, but Puck. Blythe stayed inside, ever ready to do anything that could possibly help his love. Ronen, Rani, Jasper, and even Veda had been told to keep out and let the ill rest. The present members of Fairy Tail made themselves as at home as they could. The sanctum was vast, giving lots of room, but the dark tension of the virus clinged to the air.

After some careful research, Puck unsealed his family and the exceeds. The virus seemed to only feed on human magic. This left Veda free to reach out to the fallen. She desperately looked for Kavi in his dreams, but he was nowhere to be found. Was he so far gone that even his dream self had been compromised? She tried time and again with no luck, fearing the alternative. The only thing that kept her hope alive was the mild warmth she could feel from the egg Puck and Yona had dislodged from her body. Surely her prayers couldn't have been answered. After all, combining the DNA of a naga and an elf was impossible...Wasn't it?

Puck had finally told her of Titania's whispered words. It all seemed to make sense. This egg was alive. There was no denying it, but what would come out of it and when was unknown. Veda tended to it carefully, knowing she'd never get another chance. She sang to it at night and talked to it during the day, telling it about its big brothers and how happy they'll be to meet the being inside. She had yet to tell Jasper and there was no way to tell Kavi. Even still, she hoped with all her heart that this egg would survive. Puck had been more than loyal to the crown of Avalon for centuries. For them to give such a gift only to take it away would be both crushing and cruel. Still, she knew Oberon's reputation. Yet, this seemed to be the queen's doing and that gave her hope.

-

The next day, Yona opened her eyes with a feeling of relief. Her fever had finally broken. Looking around the room, she found an exhausted Jasper on one side and the twins on her other. Rani sat up with a yawn. "Yona-chan?", she uttered. The dragon slayer offered a soft smile of assurance. "Hey. Sorry if I worried you", she said. By now Ronen, too, was beginning to stir. "The one you need to apologize to is right there", he said, pointing at the resting incubus. Yona glanced between them. "He worries about everything", she said sheepishly, avoiding the feelings welling up inside her. The exceeds seemed to be hiding something; She could tell by their behavior. "What?", she asked bluntly. Rani blushed and shied her gaze. Ronen sighed. "Make sure you apologize when he wakes up...You need to eat. We'll get you something", said the feline, hopping down and waiting for his sister to join him. As they left, the sound of the door woke Jasper.

Glancing hazily at first, he relaxed at the sight of Yona's complexion. It was back to normal. "How are you feeling?", he inquired, pressing his hand to her forehead. "Fine. I knew I'd kick that germ's ass", she grinned. Jasper seemed to be avoiding eye contact, same as the twins. "So, what's everyone acting so weird about?", she asked bluntly. True to his nature, the incubus turned bright red. Slowly getting control of himself, he uttered, "You really don't remember anything, do you?". Over the next several minutes, he explained Yona's delirious behavior. She tried to laugh it off, but it obviously made an impression. "Did any of it work?", she asked, shyly staring into nothing. She managed to catch a glimpse of Jasper shaking is head. "Of course not. You should know me better than that by now", he sighed. Taking his hand, she smiled warmly. "Well, damn", she teased. He grinned to himself, recalling the night's events and fighting off his reflex to blush.

Getting up, he promptly offered her some water. "You still need to rest. We can talk about it more when you've fully recovered. She stared at him with a sneaky smile. "So, what you're saying is I at least tempted you", she taunted. Turning his pink cheeks away, he said nothing. Yona laughed, "It's about time!". That only made him turn a deeper hue. He was saved from further teasing by relieved faces popping through the door. "You're up!", grinned Natsu. "Are you feeling better?", asked Happy. "You guys can come in. I think the worst is over", said Yona.

Once her friends had entered and the exceeds returned, everyone discussed the news she had missed. "Sure, now there's a cure", she whined. Lucy chuckled, glad to see Yona was returning to her antics. "I didn't need any freaking cure. I kicked its ass!", proclaimed Yona triumphantly. "With help", added Ronen slyly. "I still kicked its ass", said Yona, not ready to give up her victory. "You've always had a strong constitution", beamed Rani. "Unlike my brother", thought Jasper. As if on cue, Yona sent him a concerned look. "How's Kavi?", she inquired sincerely. The smiles from moments before faded from the room. "No change", said Jasper solemnly. "Help's coming, though. He'll be fine in a few days, right?", offered Natsu, trying to lift the group's spirits. "We can hope", sighed the incubus.

Natsu hooked his elbow around Jasper's neck and pulled him down to eye level. "You mope too much", he said flatly. "Natsu!", chided Lucy. "He does", agreed Yona, defending her friend's comment. Jasper forced a small grin as he straightened his back. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to drag you down with me", he said bashfully. "Just try to focus on the good things. You've got Yona back", said the fire dragon slayer. "Aye!", chimed Happy. Jasper nodded and tried to pull himself out of the gloom. Natsu was right. He had to look at the bright side. If he only focused on darkness, it would consume him.

Turning the conversation, Yona said, "Now that I'm better, I can leave the barrier, right? I'm dying for a good swim." Jasper shook his head, but grinned at her enthusiasm. "Sorry. Dad controls that and I don't think he'll be swayed so easily", replied the incubus. Yona glanced around and finally noticed the missing forehead symbols. "Hey...When did he unseal your magic?", she inquired, inadvertently reaching for her own. "We spent some time in the library. He's confident that the virus only infects humans", explained Lucy. Yona rolled her eyes. Leave it to Lucy to stick her nose in a book instead of exploring the caves. "That's good, I guess. That means Veda's fine then, right?", she ventured. "Yes, the master is back to her old self", said Ronen. At least the fey were safe.

-

The rest of the day seemed more cheerful than the previous. Seeing that the virus could be beaten without this 'miracle cure' was comforting. Jasper kept a close on Yona. He was amazed she'd stayed inside the barrier as long as she had and knew it was only a matter of time before she'd try to sneak out. Everyone was still curious about the strangers that had helped the various guilds and wondered if the same two women were who they all sensed coming toward them. Puck said little about it, but it was clear he had his own theories and suspicions as to who it could be. Eventually, he unsealed Yona's magic. His research showed that the virus was something that could only be caught once. If the person survived, they would be immune for the rest of their days.

Natsu was annoyed about his own magic being off limits, but understood the reasons why. Lucy silently accepted it. Besides, if something important happened, Loke would appear on his own. For now, she looked forward to the lunar eclipse. Puck's private library provided some missing pieces to the puzzle of Valentine's transformation. Both Lucy and Yona were eager to restore his humanity, but also wondered where he would go once freed of his curse. It seemed fate had plans for the girls and Valentine alike. For one person who could help and answer all of their questions was just outside of town. Whether or not she was willing to assist in the matter, however, remained to be seen.

Glad to be out of bed, Yona went to the barrier to catch up with her friends. She laughed as Juvia told her about meeting Van and gladly harassed Gray about not asking the water mage on a date yet. Jasper seemed to be slowly becoming more comfortable around the fairies. They seemed like good people and accepted him for what and who he was. No one belittled him for his heritage. In fact, it only seemed to make him more interesting. He was wealth of knowledge that the others hadn't even thought of to ask. Lucy lit up when he told her about the other types of celestial spirits. She'd never really thought about the fact that there was more than one zodiac out there. The ancient lore had been forgotten by most of the world. Still, she was intrigued to find out more about these lost spirits. Luckily, someone who knew them intimately was closing in on Serpent Wing. Fairy Tail was fated to meet the lady Necahual, even if neither knew it at the time...

-

To be continued...