Before anything, I just want to apologize for how late this is. The holidays were crazy and this arc... well, it's never been my favorite. I couldn't get on with Daphne as the villain, but the show must go on. So please forgive for the late update, but hey, I did it! (Very Late) Merry Christmas and a (Not Super Late) New Year!
Thank you so much for looking at my story, guys! I absolutely love it when you guys review or follow or favorite, and seeing that number crawl up makes me feel like I'm actually giving you all something worth reading! I think any author would agree that writing is fun on its own, but knowing someone enjoys it and loves your characters as much as you do, it makes it so much more fulfilling!
Also, sorry if I scanned over a lot of dialogue on this chapter, but I was having so computer troubles all through the episode. Besides, you guys have heard that before, so let's keep this chapter original!
Lynn: Aw, you never cease to amaze, my friend! I'm glad that you understand the message I'm trying to convey within the group. As to if Guildless' history with Fairy Tail, I did hint to it in Lacrima for All, the last chapter. It might have been a bit vague, but yes, Guildless has experience with the guild. As to the past itself, I'll have to keep you in suspense. Thanks for reviewing and here's that chapter you requested!
The following days with the guild were fairly calm, at least by Fairy Tail standard.
Guildless didn't have to follow the wizards on every job, so luckily, she didn't have to tag along on every ridiculous trip the many mages made over then next week. The lone mage was always on guard, still wary of the threats of the mysterious Kyja, but no Demon's Shadow wizards came. The first week came and went, calm and without incident beyond the occasional drinking party or the often fighting. Lucy had still been friendly, often trying to get Guildless to open like she had before, but she had locked herself closed. She avoided Gray at nearly all costs, baffling the ice wizard to no end, though he disappeared for half of the week.
As usual, on Guildless' 9th day on the job, slipped in at daybreak, taking her now ceremonial place on the second floor, leaning against a pillar there, overlooking the entire first floor. She liked her view to be open when she would see anyone entering the guild or anything happening inside.
People filed in, a good amount of them greeting Guildless. She wasn't very vocal unless spoken to, but she'd quickly become a normality in their lives, a black angel watching out for the guild.
Soon the guild was overflowing again, loud and boisterous. Guildless looked down on their happy conversations and at the little blue-haired girl staring at the job board. Guildless had especially spent a good amount of her time looking down on the young girl as she wandered the guild, glad no one could see the shine that crept into her eyes when she saw the girl. Wendy reminded her of what she'd lost years ago.
She heard as several of the girls talked with Wendy about her first job, Wendy choosing to go on her first job with one of Team Natsu to see if she would fit in there.
Yet what caught her eye was Gray approaching Natsu and informing him about a dragon sighting.
The two talked for awhile, Wendy asking to tag along and Gajeel warning that they shouldn't get their hopes up. Still, the two left, but Guildless watched Gray with hidden eyes. He wasn't acting himself. He was... secretive, like he was keeping something from Natsu about the job.
She fell into shadow again, reappearing next to Gray. She hadn't spoken to him since their little chase through Magnolia. The guild was surprised- Guildless usually only moved from her post to disappear for twenty minutes, most likely to eat. She didn't usually come to talk.
She softly asked, "Mind explaining?"
Gray nodded sharply. "Not here." They stepped outside the guild, standing next to the door.
Guildless asked, "So? Why are you acting like you just broke Makarov's favorite vase?"
Gray sighed. "Natsu made a promise a long time ago. This is how I'll get him to hold it."
Guildless nodded sharply. "As long as it stays at that. My job is to protect everyone in this guild, and if this puts anyone in danger, I have to take action." She had a feeling Gray's plan was a bit more dangerous than he let on.
Gray reminded, "It's Natsu. Nothing can hold that guy back."
Guildless' eyes caught on his clenched fists. "And what holds you back?"
Gray quickly looked away, tucking his hands in his jacket. "Don't worry about Natsu. He's the toughest guy I know."
Guildless had to hold herself back from speaking her words. Not the toughest I know.
The ice mage walked off as Guildless turned to shadow, quickly shooting back to her pillar as if shot by Bisca's gun.
When Erza returned from the cake shop, speaking of an attack, Guildless was instantly next to her. Erza flinched ever so slightly, still wary of the wizard. Guildless made her nervous, her backstory and her actions too suspicious for her liking.
Guildless listened intensely all through her words until-
"Hey, where is Gray?"
Juvia had a meltdown as Guildless started toward the door. She knew Gray was tied into this, and she was done waiting to see what happened.
Guildless preferred not to travel by shadow, as it was exhausting and especially hard to sustain in daylight, but she fell into shadow in the door frame and began to speed across the ground to the wastelands.
As a shadow, she could still see everything, though she could also sense the shadows around her more clearly. And when she reached where the inn should've been, she saw nothing but sensed an enormous amount of shadows.
Darkness Magic.
She slipped in easily, reforming and catching her breath. She'd wasted a full forth of her power travelling here alone, now she didn't even know what was happening.
Standing straight, she heard, "Guildless!"
Looking around, she saw a ridiculous room of button-eyed creatures as decorations, a strange dark-haired woman next to Wendy and the cats. Wendy was looking at her, though the hole in the wall behind them was what caught Guildless' attention.
The mage demanded, "What's going on?"
Daphne whirled, staring. "Wha'?! No one should be able to enter my Hidden Cage without my permission!"
Guildless growled, "Your magic is a Darkness Sub-Magic, making pockets of darkness into physical places tangible. But my magic is the ultimate Darkness Magic."
Daphne scowled. "I don't have time for this. You're not a Dragonslayer, so you should skee-daddle."
Guildless scoffed. "Don't give me orders. I don't leave without the Fairy Tail wizards. Now-" Ignoring Daphne, Guildless turned to Wendy. "- where are the idiots?"
Wendy pointed to the hole in the wall. "They're fighting each other! Gray's acting really strange, and he's working with Daphne!"
Guildless turned to look at Daphne. "Care to explain before I go bash their heads in for being ridiculous?"
Daphne wagged a finger at Guildless. "No no no, honey! We've got to let the boys work things out." She pointed a hand at Guildless. "Now leave us be."
The ground at Guildless' feet turned into a disk of black, leading to a void- yet Guildless didn't fall, crossing her arms and looking completely unimpressed. "As I said: the ultimate Darkness Magic."
Daphne backed up nervously, Guildless advancing as the girl stammered, "What? But no one's known the Arc of Night for years!"
Guildless swiftly swiped her arm, a wave of shadow sending Daphne into the wall. "I'm the exception."
Wendy exclaimed, "Guildless, the boys went down the hall and they won't stop fighting!"
Guildless nodded. "I'll get them, then we're going-" She hesitated, almost saying home. "-back to the guild hall."
Guildless raced down the hall and iced stairs, through a hole in a wall in the pool room, and into the lobby to find the boys panting. Racing between their faceoff, she raised a palm at each of them. She roared, "I don't give a crap what this is about, but you're going to settle it back at the guild hall like you actually have two brain cells between the two of you!"
Natsu growled, "Stay out of it, Guildless!"
Guildless hissed, "Fat chance. Now come quietly before I have to use force. You're coming back to the guild and that's final."
An ice lance flew, Guildless sliding in inch out of the way, the ice grazing her skin. Whipping her head to look at him, you could feel the anger flowing off of her. "Okay. Force it is." She aimed a palm at him. "Blackness Rain!"
Needle-like bolts of light rained down, Gray quickly creating a shield as Natsu insisted, "Hey, this is my fight, Guildless!"
Guildless turned to glare at him for a split second, keeping up her barrage so to keep Gray busy. "Shut it or I'll take you down too, Dragneel!"
Natsu glared at her, ruffled. He had lost a lot of trust in Guildless after finding out she'd been lying. Threatening him was only making his blood further boil.
Gray sent a matching hail of ice, Guildless turning to shadow and appearing behind him, kicking him to the ground. Planting a foot on his back, she kept him down. "Now we're going to the guild, you idiots."
Guildless glanced at Natsu as Gray managed to kick her other leg out from under her. She stumbled, Gray pushing to his knees and yelling, "Ice Make Hammer!"
Guildless couldn't regain her footing quickly enough to dodge, being knocked back through the wall to the left. Natsu quickly tackled Gray while his back was turned, the two of them crashing through the next wall.
Guildless swayed as she stood, brushing the debris off of herself. She muttered to herself, "Calm. I'm not going to kill him, I'm not going to kill him... Just going to pound the hell out of him."
"Natsu!"
Her head whipped around to the hole in the wall and she raced over, finding a pocket of darkness to the ground, Daphne battered but next to it. Guildless dove for it, sensing Natsu inside but Daphne closed the opening.
Guildless immediately grabbed her by the jacket front, anger radiating off of her. She may have had the better magic, but a spell like this... its own caster had to open it. The Hidden Cage spell she'd created the inn from had bared a glaring flaw that Guildless exploited, but this one Daphne had carefully sealed.
The lone mage growled, "Open it."
Daphne smiled coldly. "Sorry, no can do, partner. My plan's finally in place."
The eyes of Guildless' mask began to let off a soft red glow as she threatened, "Open it or I'll throw you into a darkness you'll never escape!"
She never got the chance to prove if she would follow through.
Gray tackled her down from the side, the two tumbling across the room, attempting to get a hold on each other. Guildless' eyes lost their strange glow as the two fought, kicking and punching until Gray managed to come out on top. Pinning Guildless' arms, he growled, "You may be strong, but you can't beat me, Guildless."
Guildless hissed back, "I'm more than enough, I assure you." She turned to shadow, reappearing over him and aiming her hands at him. If he was going to act like this, she'd bring him back to Makarov unconscious. She proclaimed, "Blackness Rain!"
Gray retorted, "Ice Make Shield!" Guildless' attack crashed into the ice but his shield held long enough for him to aim around it and yell, "Ice Make Arrows!"
Streaks of ice flew toward Guildless as she hit the ground, rolling out of the way, letting the arrows shatter against the ground before rushing at him, growling, "Dark Claws!" Her knives appeared in her hands and she flung them at him, yet he released another volley of arrows to meet them halfway. However, this allowed Guildless to make her move, ramming her shoulder into his chest, pinning him against the wall.
She pressed her forearm across his chest as she raised a hand, a sphere of darkness gathering in her hand. "Twilight Bullet!" The sphere launched for his chest, but Gray suddenly kicked her leg, making her sway just enough so that the hit crashed into her own shoulder. With a sharp yell of pain, Gray shoved her down, putting his hands into position. "Ice Make Hammer!" The hammer crashed down as Guildless melted away again, reforming at the other end of the room, panting slightly.
She was done playing. "Didn't want to do this, Gray." She hit her fists together, then supported her right arm with her left, her right palm aimed at Gray.
He recognized this stance- she'd used it on Brain!
He tried to move, but she yelled, "Arc of Night: Shade's Rebellion!"
Gray's shadow took on a three dimensional form, quickly swiping an arm at the boy, hitting him in the back. Gray summoned his ice sword, yet he couldn't slice through it as it determinedly stalked closer, cornering him and swiftly cracking him across the head. He slumped, but his shadow caught him. Guildless had the copy set him down before releasing the spell, feeling drained. Shade's Rebellion was one of the most costly spells she had in her arsenal, and one of the most dangerous.
She walked over to Gray, grabbing him by the belt as the inn began to shake. She saw Wendy and the cats slipping out, turning to shadow and pulling Gray out with her. She'd have to deal with the Natsu situation in a minute...
Once she'd reformed outside, she found Erza and Lucy staring in shock at a massive dragon that towered over them. Yet...
Guildless muttered, "A fake?"
Lucy looked to the side, seeing her. "Guildless! I'm glad you're alright!" She looked at the unconscious ice mage the girl held. "Gray..."
Guildless assured, "Don't worry, he's not too beat up. But he helped trap Natsu and was working with Daphne, the woman who I assume created this fake dragon.""
A booming voice came, "Yes yes! But don't be so critical! So few ever get to see a dragon, and this beautiful creature's the best there is or ever will be!"
Guildless scowled. "This is why I hate other dark mages. They're always so full of themselves."
A magic mobile pulled up, a white-haired hulk of a man on top, a blue-haired fellow driving. Guildless knew their names well- Elfman and Macao.
They pulled to a stop, Wakaba coming from inside the cab, reporting, "Makarov sent us to get Gray once he heard what Daphne was up to."
Guildless lifted the boy again, thinking privately, God, he's gotten bigger. Seriously, how heavy is this boy? Outloud, she instead said, "Well I've finished half your job."
Elfman slung Gray over his arm effortlessly as Daphne spewed the details of her process of making Dragonoids, taking off for Magnolia.
Guildless hit her fists together, ignoring that she was now down to barely over half her power. Sprouting wings, she said, "I'll try and stop the Dragonoid, you all go protect your town."
Erza insisted, "I'm coming with." She brandished a new sword. "I've never gone dragon hunting before."
Guildless gave a sharp nod. "Fine, but just you. Fairy Tail's going to need all it can get." And with that, she took to the skies.