Secrets, part 34
Jasper stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Yona laid silently by his side, likewise awake. She was on her side, facing away from him. The twins slumbered across the room, Rani neatly tucked in her brother's protective embrace. Yona stared at them as she thought. The soft call of her name pulled her back to reality in the darkness. "Yona?", whispered Jasper. "Hmm?", she replied. He fidgeted, unsure what to say. Finally he uttered, "I'm sorry." He listened to her roll over, avoiding eye contact as she curled against his chest. "For what?", she asked. "I should have told you sooner...I should have been there when Noctis attacked...I-...", he trailed, guilt ridden. He blushed at the sensation of her finger against his lips. "You talk too much", she teased, nuzzling into his shoulder. "None of it's your fault. Your dad should have told you that crap years ago and - ...that Noctis guy was just an asshole...Van doesn't blame you and neither do I. If you'd been there, then maybe it would have been you instead", she said, slightly tightening her grip. Jasper's gaze softened at the slight break in her voice. He held her close, gently kissing the top of her head. He couldn't even imagine losing her, so knew how shaken she was.
Lightening the mood, she added, "By the way, Van says we're married now." Jasper chuckled faintly. "That sounds like Van...But the two of you are bound", he said, becoming more serious. Easing his worry, she kissed his cheek. "I'm too young to marry either of you fools", she taunted. He blushed lightly, grateful for the break in the tension. "And Pax can stand in line. I saw you first", she added playfully. "I'm not exactly a prize", he sighed. Caught off guard, he turned deep crimson as Yona climbed over him. She straddled his torso, pinning him to the bed. "You just don't realize how interesting you are", she said, a taunting smirk on her face. Glancing at the sleeping exceeds, he cleared his throat nervously. Following his line of sight, Yona laughed to herself. "We'll just have to keep the noise down", she teased, leaning in. Jasper both tensed and relaxed at her kiss. Tenderly caressing her cheek, he deepened the kiss.
"Is it really okay to be doing this now?", he whispered. A coy grin, she teased him relentlessly. "This? What exactly did you have planned...Zephyrus?" Shying his face, he sighed, unused to the name. Staring at his neck, she leaned close, whispering in his ear, "Now you're just tempting me." He shivered as she kissed and nibbled his skin. His mind wasn't ready for this. On one hand, he was still processing everything that had happened - Van, Puck, the guild exploding, and the abduction of his brothers. On the other, he could really use a distraction from the turmoil. Both froze at the sound of Ronen's voice. He looked at them with one open eye and a grand smirk. "That's not sleeping", he teased. Jasper was too embarrassed to even respond. "Spoil sport", replied Yona, sticking out her tongue. "You heard the master. Sleep. We leave in a few hours", chided Ronen. "Fiiine", whined Yona, rolling off Jasper. Snuggling against him, she whispered, "Later", and finally managed to nod off. Several minutes passed before Jasper finally felt the pull of sleep. He'd been lost to his thoughts, teased, embarrassed, and was now completely exhausted. A long trip laid ahead, thus he gave up the fight and fell into slumber.
Out in the main area of the sanctum, plans were being hashed. "Someone has to guard the guild", stated Gray. Tired of arguing, Yung-Li sighed. Gray was right. "Now that they have Blythe, they probably have little interest in coming back", stated Veda. Staring Erza in the eye, she humbly lowered her body. "Please save my sons", she uttered sincerely. "We won't come back without them", replied Erza. Gajeel sat silently nearby, watching the proceedings. He'd offered to go as part of the advance team with fey. Pax and Eadmund readied themselves a few yards way. Eadmund quietly sharpened his claymore, paying close attention to detail. "Do you even need that thing?", asked Happy. The gargoyle grinned softly at the curious exceed. "Better to have it and not need it than the other way around", he stated.
Natsu was trying to cheer Lucy up. She was really concerned for Yona since everything with Van. She wouldn't admit it, but she was concerned for Natsu, too. Nova had come and gone so quickly, there was no time to ask questions. Someone clearing their throat interrupted Natsu's attempts to make Lucy smile. Both turned in surprise to see Pax standing with a smile. "Hello", uttered Lucy, unsure what the succubus wanted. "You two make a cute couple", grinned Pax. "C-couple?!", panicked Lucy. Natsu blushed faintly, but covered it with a laugh. "That'd just be weird", he teased. Lucy sighed. Did he have to deny it so quickly? "Look, I just wanted to say...Thank you for being Jasper's friends", said Pax, unusually serious. "You don't have to thank us for that", replied Natsu. "Why wouldn't we want to be?", added Lucy, shaking the previous awkward feelings. Pax smiled softly as she stared at the sand. "He won't have much chance to make friends once he goes home, so I'm glad he got the experience out here", she said. Eadmund sternly called her name with a chiding look.
Changing the subject, Pax quickly took on her perky personality. "Anyway, what is it you two do?", she asked. Lucy's keys caught her eye. "Oh, a spirit mage!", she ventured excitedly. Retuning a friendly smile, Lucy detached the keys from her belt and held them up for inspection. "So many zodiacs, too!", beamed Pax, admiring their gold hue. "You know a lot about celestial magic", snorted Natsu. "Of course I do", grinned Pax. She reached into the folds of her skirt and produced something that surprised the fairies. "Keys?", uttered Lucy, near disbelief. "Sure. Not only humans practice magic, you know", taunted Pax. She laid her few keys in Lucy's open hand. "Three silver and one - ...What is this?", asked Lucy, inspecting the odd key. It was clear, yet prismatic and oddly bright. "Diamond", stated Pax. Natsu snatched the key and inspected it. Stabbing it into a nearby rock, he smiled. The rock fractures, but the key was unharmed. "Yep, that's diamond", he grinned.
Lucy smacked him over the head and quickly took the keys away from him. "Be careful! Those aren't yours!", she chided. "He couldn't hurt it if he tried", beamed Pax. "Maybe I can melt it!", ventured Natsu, a mischievous grin on his face. "No way!", yelled Lucy, holding the key out of reach. "Melt?", inquired Pax. "Natsu's the fire dragon slayer", explained Lucy. "Taught by Igneel himself", beamed Natsu, proud as ever. A strange look twinkled in Pax's eyes. "I see. Perhaps I'll let you meet this guy later", she said, tucking the keys away. "What guy?", asked Happy, idly walking over to see what the fuss was about. "Draco", stated Pax, a smug grin on her face. "The dragon?!", spat Lucy, shocked. Natsu blinked with a slightly flat expression. His eyes softened as he thought aloud, "I guess it isn't Nova if it's a guy." Pax grabbed his shoulders with keen interest. "You know Laniakea?!", she asked desperately.
The surprised faded from his eyes as he grinned. "Yeah, we both do. Right, Lucy?", he replied. Pax released him and turned her attention back to the spirit mage. "When? Where did you see her? how long ago?!", she questioned near frantic. Lucy shied her gaze. "She's gone", she stated solemnly. "What do you mean gone?", asked Pax. "The last dragon has left this world", said a soft voice behind the succubus. Pax turned to see Veda with a sad look on her face. "I'm sorry", she said, lowering her eyes. Pax grit her teeth. "Did she leave anything?", she asked, intrigued. Lucy glanced at her palm. "There was a scale, but -...It's gone now", she stated. "Nothing else? Are you sure?!", pleaded Pax. "There is one more thing", sighed Veda. She moved her body to lift the end of her tail into the air. On its end slept a small opossum. "Tepin?!", spat Natsu. "I almost forgot about her", said Happy sheepishly. "An overgrown rat? How's that supposed to help me?", snorted Pax, annoyed.
She froze as an eerie cold settled into her. She knew that feeling. Eadmund was glaring and was right behind her. "Stop causing trouble. It's time to leave", he said with an air of authority. The mammal on Veda's tail yawned widely and opened her small, dark eyes. A moment later, she'd taken on human form. She jumped onto the gargoyle excitedly. "Saturnus squad!", she beamed, happily hugging his face. "Tepin, I don't think he can breathe", uttered Lucy nervously. Eadmund peeled the girl from his face with one hand with little effort. "Tepin, I presume", he grinned. "That's me", she beamed. "What's a Saturnus squad?", asked Natsu, confused at the sudden change of atmosphere. "It's the corp I represent", stated Eadmund, glancing at the red patch on his sleeve. "They're kind like a sibling to the Nightmare Regiment", stated Pax. Ignoring the commentary, Tepin stared happily at the gargoyle, suspended in the air by her clothes in his hand. "Nova-sama said to look for you guys", she said.
Pax stepped close. "Then you have it?!", she asked anxiously. "Yup!", beamed Tepin. "Eadmund, put the kid down", hissed Pax. He gently set on her feet. "I put it somewhere reeeeeally safe, too", said Tepin proudly. "Put what? What are you guys talking about?!", vented Natsu, irritated at the lack of understanding and information. Pax glanced at him briefly before kneeling to Tepin's eye level. "The card, where is it now? I'll probably need it if we're taking on Noctis" she said. "You want it now?", asked the girl. "Please", said Pax sincerely. "Okay", beamed Tepin. She closed her eyes to concentrate. Lucy, Happy, Natsu, and Veda watched with interest as her magic manifested. A strange looking card seemed to slip out of thin air. Pax eagerly caught it before it hit the ground. "There we go", smiled Tepin. Pax stared at it in her trembling hands. "He'll be so happy...", she trailed, tears in her eyes. Eadmund grinned faintly. "You'd better give it to him before you lose it then", he stated. The succubus turned her gaze to Natsu as if questioning him.
"What? Is there something on my face?", he asked nervously. "He's always looked like that", chimed Happy, barbing his friend. Pax slowly turned the card over, revealing its face. "Nova?!", shouted Natsu and Lucy in unison. "She's a spirit now", said Tepin as if that would explain anything. Holding the card close to her heart, Pax smiled to herself. "Finally", she sighed in relief. "Draco isn't your average celestial spirit. You probably guessed from his key, am I right?", she grinned. Lucy furrowed her brow in thought. It was diamond, a type of key she'd never seen before. "That key once summoned Laniakea herself, a long, long time ago, but she gave its power to another and he's kept it safe since...Yes, Lucy, Draco summons other spirits, overriding the mage's limit of how many he or she can handle at once", explained Pax. "And that card is how he does it?", ventured Lucy. Pax nodded. "He has a deck for each celestial plane", said yet another familiar face. "Loke", uttered Lucy in surprise. "Been a while, Pax", he grinned. Everyone except Eadmund stared in shock as Pax kissed Leo deeply. "Tasty as ever", she grinned, playfully kissing his nose.
Loke carefully disentangled himself from the affectionate succubus in Lucy's presence. "Listen, summoning him here isn't a good idea. Noctis has enough reasons to come back as it is", he warned. "Yeah, I figured", sighed Pax. Handing Nova's card to him, she said, "Here. Keep take this to him for me." He nodded with a grin. "Sure." Lucy thought is over. If Draco could summon any other spirit, then of course he would already know Loke and that must be how Pax met him, but...how far did their 'relationship' go? "Oh yeah, you can find him in your world, right?", grinned Natsu. "I think you'll be surprised when you do meet him, but now isn't the time. Pax, you have to get moving. Things aren't looking good on the other end", said Loke, somewhat grimly. Veda stared at him in obvious concern.
"You mean the Noctis base...What have they done?", she asked, afraid to find out. Loke shied his gaze. "You don't want to know", he sighed. Putting on a kind smile, he added, "Blythe and Kavi are both alive, though, so you have time, but not much." Veda shifted her eyes toward the fey duo. "Please", she uttered, her voice almost breaking. "We won't fail Jasper", stated Eadmund, a slight bow toward the naga. "Let us depart. Come, Pax", he said, walking off to find Gajeel. Pax pouted playfully at Loke. "See you again soon? You know you miss these curves", she winked. Lucy's mouth dropped open. She knew Loke was a womanizer, but had he really 'been with' Pax? The spirit laughed nervously. "Have the little guy dial me up some time when this is all over", he grinned. "All right. See you guys when we get back!", she said, waving to the fairies as she ran to catch up with her partner.
"What little guy?", asked Tepin, confused. Veda loving stroked her head. "They must mean Draco. Come on, you can help me with some things", she said. "But I usually follow Puck's orders", said Tepin, mildly confused. Silence fell over the group. Finally, Loke spoke up. "He went to Avalon for a while. He said to make sure you listen to Veda until he gets back", he said, a soft smile on his lips. "Oh, okay", said Tepin. "Go to our chamber. I'll meet you there in a moment", said Veda. Tepin nodded and took off in that direction. "Thank you", he uttered, bowing her head to Loke. He smiled kindly in response and watched her slither away. "Somebody will have to tell her", stated Natsu darkly. "Yeah, but this is good enough for now. You guys better get some rest if you're planning on going with Jasper", said the spirit. Lucy nodded, gathering the last of her things. Loke leaned close to ear and whispered to her. Natsu couldn't make out what was said, but it whatever it was seemed to only add to her distress. A few minutes later, Loke was gone.
The advance team set out consisting of Pax, Eadmund, Gajeel, and Lily. Natsu and Lucy intended to fill the blank spot on team one for the rescue mission along with Erza while the others were to stay behind to help the wounded and start rebuilding. Serpent Wing had taken quite the hit. Still, with enough help, they would persevere. Currently, Gray and Juvia were guarding Wink. No one was really sure he could be trusted, but he seemed to honestly wish to help his cousin. Only time would tell if his information was correct or a setup.
Hours later and far away, Kavi's eyes hot open to the sound of a horrid scream. "Blythe", he uttered. Fighting his restraints was no use. Dubhan had lodged another magic blocker into him on a lower setting. He'd said he wanted to be able to hear the anguish of his melancholy, so he let just enough mana flow to allow Kavi's speech. Still, his body felt weak and heavy from the strain. After all, to a mage, magic is life itself. The door to his cell slowly creaked open as a lithe figure stepped in. "It isn't fair. He won't scream for me...Why do you think that is?", sighed Dubhan. Kavi struggled again, rattling his chains. "What are you doing to him?!", he demanded. "Oh it's the master's turn now. He's the only one that can make him wail like that", replied Dubhan, casually entering the room. "I tried lots of things, but he wouldn't even drop a single tear, the stubborn fool", he snorted, leaning against the wall nearby. Kavi's heart sank. Just what were they doing to his beloved?
"Enough about him. He's literally all I hear about these days...I figured I'd come play with you instead. Won't that be fun?", he taunted, an eerie grin on his face. "Why are you doing this?", asked Kavi, hate in his voice. "Doing what? Blythe? We're simply 'waking him up', you see. He can't do his job if his power isn't fully awakened...If you meant why you're here...Well, I'm going to keep you", said Dubhan, stroking Kavi's face with one finger. "Keep me?", he repeated, pulling away. "Don't sound so resentful, Kavi-kun. You may fall for me yet. After all, you do love this face", said the shadow mage. "Unlikely", sneered the dragon slayer. First he'd been beaten and now his captor was coming onto him? What was wrong with this strange man that looked like Blythe?
Dubhan stepped mere inches from Kavi's bonds, hovering in front of his face. "He took everything from me, you know...Everything! I was supposed to be baron, not him...Tihanna ruined everything...", he sneered. "So, I'm going to take whats most important from him, one way or another", he said, leaning in. Kavi spat in his face. "Then you'll have to kill me", he said, defiantly glaring. Dubhan wiped his face, an icy look in his eyes. "You can play hard to get if you want, but I will still your heart, even if I have to carve it out myself", sneered Dubhan. Kavi flinched at the sharp pain in his chest. Dubhan pulled his blade free with a grin. "My master piece, the virus that hunts mages is still inside you. Having lived in a dragon slayer so long, it just might have mutated to take out the fey, just like I wanted." Kavi stared in horror. "Is that why?", he gasped, fighting the pain. Dubhan smiled casually. "I've read your files. You're an unhealthy sort. The only thing fighting off my virus is my dear brother's blood, isn't it?" He chuckled darkly at the look on Kavi's face. "Yes, I know about the transfusion. It is his blood keeping you alive, isn't it?...Well, if that's the case, then I'll just have to drain it out of you, won't I?"
Kavi tensed as Dubhan's face drew near once more. This time, he wasn't attempting a kiss. He grabbed the dragon slayer's long hair and jerked his head to the side. He was stronger than he looked. He appeared frail in comparison to Blythe's physique, but maybe there was something else at work besides muscle tone here. "Do your worst", sneered Kavi. "I intend to", whispered Dubhan. Kavi shuddered violently as he felt teeth sink into the side of his neck. It was a harsh bite, not a playful one. Dubhan released him and wiped the blood from his lips. "I can taste him in you. We'll have to eradicate all traces of him if I'm going to make you mine." He grinned at the strain in Kavi's eyes. "Where is your precious guild now? Or even your beloved Oberon? No one's coming to save you. Just accept me and things will go much easier for you." Dubhan sighed at the lack of response. He wanted to see his captive squirm. "It's interesting, those scales. They may save you from a frontal attack, but the sides and back of your neck are just as vulnerable as anyone else." He playfully dragged his finger over the bite wound as it bled. "Yes, we'll just have to drain his blood from you. Then you'll be all mine."
To be Continued...