Secrets, part 20

Veda watched her husband's fevered rest. He looked unwell, though he insisted he was only tired. She had no idea of the deal made with Bran, the raven. She didn't even know the truth behind Puck's missing eye. How could he possibly explain losing a kidney? She longed for answers, but respected his privacy. Instead of simply viewing his seemingly tormented dreams, she merely held him close, softly stroking his sweat licked face. He looked like he was in pain, but why?

Veda was one of the few to ever see Puck without his trademark bracers. Strange light glowed from a line on each forearm, always dimming over time. Whenever he returned to Avalon, the light always shone brighter upon coming home. She knew it had something to do with maintaining his physical form in Earthland. He'd told her that it was a way of monitoring his time and magic stores once, a long time ago. It made sense enough, so she didn't question it. She glanced at their precious egg with worry. Was it her imagination or had Puck's light grown darker over the last several years?

Out in the sanctum, it had become late. Fairy Tail and some of their serpentine friends camped under the stars, surrounding a small fire. Ever shy, Jasper retreated to his room after it was refused by his newest guests. Yona followed, leaving the twins to their own devices. It would have been a heart warming scene of friendship if not for the sad little opossum that stared into the heavens above, wondering why she'd been left behind.

In Jasper's room, he slept with his arms wrapped around Yona. His hand still bore the mark from summoning his father. He said it would fade, but when? It still looked fresh to the dragon slayer. Yona, herself, couldn't sleep. There was so much happening and she hated not having any control over it. The virus seemed to have passed, but the wakes from it remained. Kavi was steadily improving, though blind. Noctis was somewhere in the city. Not only that, supposed high ranking agents were present. The dragon slayer was itching for a fight, but the guild was still pulling itself out of lock-down. She sighed, trying to shake the thoughts from her mind. At least her friends were near and she promised to go drinking with Van soon. Maybe Natsu would come and liven up the scene. She grinned to herself at the thought. Jasper had come a long way from his shell, but he was no party animal. She watched him sleep, smirking at her thoughts. She wondered how deep of a sleeper he really was. With a dark smile, she reached over to find out.

The next morning was spent with a lot of talking amongst the allied guilds. It was in the middle of discussing tactics that another of the S-class serpents appeared. Kavi stood in the door, seemingly glaring at his adoptive father. Blythe fretted nearby, half amazed and half worried. Silence overtook the group at the sight of his scowl. He stared directly at the elf that had been interrupted. "What did you do?", asked Kavi skeptically. Noting his focused eyes, Veda lit up. She slithered over and gave him a crushing hug in joy. Erza hid a smile. She was glad to see their friend had recovered and was well loved, but the coddling of his guild master did little to accentuate Kavi's fury. "You seem well", said Puck with an innocent grin. Jasper glanced between them. He knew his father had been up to something the night before.

Veda grasped Kavi's face and looked hard into his eyes. He could clearly see her. Slowly, her smile faded as she turned to face her husband. "Puck?", she asked. Puck sighed deeply. "Please excuse us. This is a family matter", said the elf. Taking the cue, Erza gathered her fellow fairies and make a silent exit. Once they were gone, Blythe stood nervously beside his lover. What was going on? "It was you. I know it was", said Kavi, staring straight ahead at Puck. The elf nodded. "It was. Can you see well? Your vision should be something close to what it was", he replied calmly. Kavi had been too shocked to think about his glasses. Blythe sheepishly offered them. Accepting them, Kavi placed the spectacles on his face. "Dad, what did you do?", inquired Jasper, recalling how pale his father had looked.

Puck took a seat and interlaced his fingers on the table. "I found a way to help, so I did. Is it so wrong to help one's own family?", he asked. "At what cost?", asked Kavi. He admittedly knew more of Puck's doings than Veda. "That doesn't matter. Your eyes have been returned to you", said Puck, proverbially standing his ground. Veda returned to her husband's side. Setting her hand on his arm, she looked to him for answers. With his entire family staring him down, he had to come up with an answer. "It's simple. You all know I lost an eye some years ago...I recovered the vision attached to it and transferred it to you, son...My eyes see worlds other than this one, but divided equally for your eyes, it should be about what you had."

Blythe watched Kavi closely. He was starting to lose some of his edge. Taking a deep breath, the dragon slayer began to calm. "Yes...Thank you...It's not that I don't appreciate it. I'm just worried about you. I wouldn't take Blythe's eye. Why would you think yours was any different?", he said. Puck grinned faintly. "I'm used to my current vision. I know you care for all of us, but don't fear for my sake. I know what I did and I'd do it again", said the elf. Jasper eyed his father carefully. he was hiding something. Jasper, too, knew more than his mother. Puck had said he'd given Lucy a lesson in the northern zodiac. Based on how poorly he looked, that could only mean Bran. Of course he made a deal. Getting him to admit it was something different. The incubus sent his brother a knowing look. They would have to discuss this without Veda, lest she worry.

Thirty minutes prior, Kavi awoke to the sound of Blythe singing as he cleaned up around the room. To the dragon slayer's shock, he could see the ceiling overhead.

"Blythe?", he called. The blood mage promptly came to his side. As he approached, he noted Kavi holding his hand over his face. "Everything okay? Sorry if I woke you", he said bashfully. Kavi slowly turned toward him. "I...can see", he uttered breathlessly. Blythe's amber eyes widened. "That's great!", he beamed, happily glomping his beloved. Once he let go, he looked deep into Kavi's eyes. Something was different. Noting the concerned look, Kavi asked, "What's wrong?". Blythe lilted his head to one side as if mildly confused. "Yours eyes...", he trailed. Kavi's flat expression was almost comical as Blythe grasped his face and turned it this way and that. "I could have sworn I saw something", said Blythe.

Pulling his focus back, he chuckled at the look on his lover's face. Apologizing sheepishly, he let go. Kavi grinned despite himself and assured him it was all right. "What did you see?", he inquired. "It's no possible, but...I thought I saw...triangles...", said Blythe, unsure of the meaning. Kavi's eyes narrowed. Of course! "Puck", he sighed. "He did it? But how? I mean, his spells didn't work before", uttered Blythe, trying to piece it together. He shrank back a little as Kavi tensed. He was getting angry. "Kavi-kun?", he ventured. Grabbing a shirt, Kavi got to his feet. "Do you know where he is?", he asked, his tone demanding. Blythe nodded shyly. Even he had no desire to tango with Kavi's temper.

Presently, Puck's serene smile left little to be argued about as he faced his son. "Was it forbidden magic again?", asked Veda in a low tone. She knew his knowledge of the forgotten and that he may face a penalty for using it. The elf grasped her hand gently. "Don't fret, my love. It was just a spell I dug up from the library", he replied soothingly. Jasper and Kavi exchanged glances. He was clearly lying. Veda knew it, too, but knowing what really happened would only strain her sanity. Forcing a smile, she sighed, "That's good. We wouldn't want the king getting cross." Her thoughts were already preoccupied as she glanced at Jasper. It wouldn't be much longer now until he found out his own truths.

The tension broken, each member of the family secluded themselves with their thoughts. When the doors opened, Erza, Natsu, and Gajeel stood in the hall. Kavi paused briefly upon seeing them. "Forgive my intrusion", he said shyly. He hated losing his temper, but it was something he'd learned to deal with. Natsu stared at his glasses with question. Smirking, he said, "Glad to see you back on your feet." The dragon slayers exchanged a sly nod before Kavi departed once more. Blythe sighed deeply, drawing Gajeel's attention. "I know you wanted to ask, but thanks for holding it in", said the blood mage, grinning toward Natsu. Erza grinned to herself upon noting Gajeel's concern. "Natsu, let's check on Yona. She said she had a surprise", she prompted. Natsu went with her without arguing. After all, if Yona was up to something, it was likely to be loud, destructive, and loads of fun.

Once they faded from view, Gajeel cleared his throat, still avoiding eye contact with childhood friend. "I'm all right, Jeel-kun", said Blythe. Faintly blushing, Gajeel stated, "I wasn't worried." Blythe beamed at his friend's notorious attitude. "You're so cute when you lie", he said with a hint of flirt, teasing the dragon slayer in a way only he could get away with. Annoyed, Gajeel began walking after his comrades. "You're an idiot", he grumbled. Blythe chuckled before following Kavi. Some things would never change.

Out in the city, Noctis was getting restless. Aerona was finally free from her bonds and glad of it. She glared harshly every time Wink said something, but over all ignored him, giving him the cold shoulder. Eventually, he took the hint and went into town to find new weapons. Granted he'd never find anything close to what he had, but a simply gun was better than no gun at all. he grumbled to himself about the demon girl, Domino, as he walked from shop to shop. After a few hour, he gave up. Sitting in a shaded alley, he never jumped at the presence that neared him in silence. Smirking, he flicked his cigarette and asked, "What are you doing here?".

A pair of eyes opened from what otherwise appeared to be a shadow on the wall. A cryptic voice laughed darkly. "You always were the only one who could sense me", it chortled. "Yeah, yeah. What'd the old man say?", replied Wink. The ambient shadows began to pull together, forming what looked like a hole. A large case came out of it. As the shadows returned to their natural places, Wink grinned wide. "Eliminate them", said the darkness. The presence left as quickly as it had come. Unshaken, the sniper opened the case and smiled darkly at its contents. He held a brand new scope into the sun. "Nice. Old man didn't spare any expenses this time", he said to himself. In his expert hands, the sniper rifle came together seamlessly within minutes. A note sat in the bottom of the case with a box of specialized bullets. Lifting the paper he read, "You know what to do."

The bullets were wrapped in magic. He could tell even if he couldn't weave a spell himself. "Red thinks she's the upper agent around here. Isn't that cute?", said Wink, inspecting the ammo. It was true as Puck suspected. The Order of Noctis was more than it seemed. In the public eye and the minds of most of its agents, they existed to eradicate all magic, swearing a deep hatred of it. However, a secret ring of upper agents existed that knew the truth. Winchester Sandrunner was one of them. Neither Judd nor Aerona had any inkling that the seemingly useless sniper actually far outranked them both combined. If they did, they'd know why the uppers put up with him.

Carefully loading the bullets, Wink sighed, "Sandrunner curse...I just hope you can forgive me, Blythe." Cocking the massive rifle, he smiled at the sound of clinking metal parts. "This is all for you, Cos'...Or should I say Baron?" Getting to his feet, he slinged the huge weapon across his shoulders with little effort. One of the enhancements in his uniform gave him impressive strength. "Judd, I hope you got Patch because the orders have changed. The snakes are mine now", he smirked.

As if on cue, across town, Judd sneezed seemingly from nowhere. "Damn city air", he grumbled. Still, he focused on other things. He'd watched the tavern all day yet again. He'd learned Van's habits. Undoubtedly the mage would appear in a few hours and gamble with travelers, scamming their money away with his filthy magic. This time, however, a new face would grace the game table. Judd grinned to himself, content that Van had no clue about his impending fate. "I love my job", said Judd, grabbing his gear and heading down from the roof. He could already taste mage's blood.

Back in the sanctum, Lucy excitedly talked about the other spirits she had met. "So, you're going to master all of them?", ventured Gray. "Good luck, princess. It's like some fifty spirits or something", taunted Yona. Having no luck with his parents, Jasper rejoined the group. "That's not likely. No human has ever mastered more than a single zodiac", stated the incubus. "Lucy can do it!", beamed Happy. "Not unless she becomes a god", snorted Yona. "Jasper-san, is that true? Is it impossible?", asked Wendy. The incubus blushed faintly at the girl's polite demeanor. "...Yes...There's a reason the realms separated", he replied. Bored, Yona yawned loudly. "Oh well. At least Valentine's taken care of", she shrugged.

Erza and Natsu finally joined the group. She'd taken him the long way around. Yona perked up at the sight of them. "About time", she teased. "So what's the big surprise?", asked Natsu eagerly. Hopping to her feet, Yona smiled wide. Pointing into the air, she announced, "To the training grounds!". Jasper hung his head. Of course she;d plan a fight. "Let's try not to destroy the guild this time", he sighed. Grabbing his arm, Yona jerked him toward her proud stance. "Buck up, Boo! you can play, too!", she proclaimed. He blushed brightly at the surrounding faces trying not to laugh. Yona began looking about. "Where's that iron guy? I wanna see if he rusts!" Stepping in, Erza said, "I think two dragon slayers can make enough of a mess." Shrugging it off, Yona, Natsu, and their exceed companions were quickly racing to the massive staircase that lead above ground. Gray smirked, amused at the thought of Natsu losing. One by one, the fairies followed suit. Lucy paused and glanced back to Jasper. "Aren't you coming?", she inquired. Shaking his concerns about his family, he conceded. "Sure", he said with a faint grin.

To be continued...