It had been half a month since Romeo warned the guild of the incoming menace. And while everyone was keeping their guard up as much as possible, everything else had pretty much returned to normal.
Wendy was doing fine with the only real bad injury remaining being her leg. The doctors, (and her own diagnosis), had said that she would have to walk around with a crutch, so she was forced to take a sort of vacation from missions. Now just staying at the guild and talking with the others.
Mavis had finally decided to try and get Zeref on a mission with her. What better distraction from current events than trying to re-kindle a love with the woman who (for the past two years), became rage induced whenever your name was brought into conversation? So, she sat down next to him at the bar, and asked him.
His reply was somewhat what she expected.
"Mavis, there is a man trying to kill me and level the entire guild to dust. I personally think that maybe we should wait until after he's no longer a threat." Zeref said, staring into the emptiness in front of him as he had been doing before.
Sadly, as if to add to his bad luck, Mira popped out from under the bar with her expression the same manipulative smile as always. "Well, I think it's a great idea! Besides, it's been two weeks, I'm sure that guy would have shown up by this point."
"Mira's right, you're just paranoid is all, I'm sure someone from the magic council or crime sorciere would have gotten hold of him if he hasn't shown up now. So the best way to get your mind off it is to do something other than worry." Mavis said egging him on.
Zeref sighed, leaning his head down in thought as he pondered his answer.
Minutes passed until he spoke again. Finally relaxing for the first time in a week. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I am just paranoid. But don't pick a s-class request, the one I did before was enough for me."
Mavis hopped from her seat and ran over to the request board while Mira lowered herself back into her evil lair under the bar.
The board was filled with a multitude of requests, some being straightforward and basic, like killing a monster or guarding a special delivery. The one she grabbed was one of the simple monster hunt type, some creature was lurking in a swamp and terrorizing the nearby town. She ripped it off and ran back, slamming it down on the bar.
"Ooo, this one will be good," Mira said happily. "Nothing like rekindling a old romance by hunting down and slaughtering a flesh eating monster."
Mavis stared blankly in response.
Zeref meanwhile, let out some air, got out of his stool and held his bad arm, still stinging every now and again. "Alright then, let's go." He said.
"Hey can we go with?" Natsu said, his wife and cat partner next to him.
"Sure, but we're leaving now." Zeref called. And before they knew it, the five of them were off to the town.
When they got there, the mayor of said town happily let them into his office to give them a rundown.
The walls were nothing but pictures of him opening new places in the town, complete with red ribbons and novelty sized scissors. A grin on each of the versions of his monopoly man like face, and even in person, the man seemed just as cheery. Which made the following dump of details all the more saddening coming out of his pity filled voice. "You see, about 3 weeks ago one of the locals lost track of his pet dog. He spent lord knows how many hours trying to find it, but he didn't find anything, until he went searching in the swamp not too far from here, and about an hour later, he came back running and screaming with a bone in his hands, claiming a monster ate his dog, since then we've gotten report after report of attacks at that swamp, so I thought I'd call in a guild to figure out what was going on."
"Alright, We'll go check it out of you show us the swamp." Zeref said.
"Oh it's only to the north of here, can't miss it, but I do want to ask that you four-"
"Five." Happy cut in.
"Sorry, five of you keep the fight contained in the swamp, I don't want half my town destroyed after this." The mayor said, as happy and trustworthy as he was in the pictures.
The group hesitated. All five of them with guilty looks on their faces. A whole minute passed without any word being spoken.
Zeref finally got up from his chair and started the group out the door as fast as he could, reassuring the mayor just as fast. "Well sir We'll make sure that monster is taken care of, don't worry about a thing, we have this under control, it's head will be mounted on the wall within the hour, goodbye now!"
He shut the door as he finished. Turning to the rest of his group with a sigh. "This is why we should get paid in advance for these."
*Slosh*
The swamp was full of old trees that popped out of the mud, along with countless bugs and creatures, but the most prominent part was the mud taking the role of the grass. Which is not something to have covering one's bare foot up to their ankle.
"This is why you should start wearing shoes Mavis." Zeref said. "Even the narrator thinks so."
The woman in question brushed him off. "Ha, that's what you think, but this is the whole reason why I don't wear them!" She boasted.
"Really?" Zeref mocked. Brow raised.
"Yes really, I don't wear them so that I can truly feel nature with every step I take!"
"Well then, nature's kinda gross."
"Well I guess you'll never appreciate the beauty of it then!"
"Do you think she forgot that he spent 400+ years not being able to do that?" Lucy deadpanned to Natsu, both walking behind the arguing duo.
"I think they both did." He replied in the same tone.
"How long do you wanna bet they're gonna keep arguing with each other?" Happy asked. "I'm putting two fish on for tomorrow."
"Knowing this kind of story I bet those two are gonna be on and off with it as time moves on with soft tender moments in between, leading up to a breaking point where they split up but then come together for the climax to confess their love in front of the villain." Lucy blurted out. "So I'm gonna say second last chapter."
"Why?"
"I've written five books with that exact plot."
"Oh."
Natsu on the other hand called over to the two in front. "See anything yet?"
"Well it would be a whole lot easier if we actually knew what it looked like." Mavis called back.
"I don't think it would be that hard to find a giant monster, do you?" Zeref said to Mavis in a mocking voice.
Mavis stuck out her tongue at him in reply.
Only to not spot the rock in her path and proceed to trip on it.
Thankfully, Zeref was able to grab one of her flailing arms before she fell right into the mud. Pulling her back up as hard as he could. Resulting in her going right up, then falling backward onto Zeref, who was able to keep himself from ending up like a domino.
Mavis, her head on his chest, looked up to see his face, being met with a upside down view (from her perspective at least), of his concerned face, somehow complete with sunlight coming in and brightening the trees behind him, making him look, for lack of a better word, like an angel. The only thing to make it even more overplayed was just the way he said "Are you alright?" Her mind was making it all seem like something out of a romance.
Blushing like mad, Mavis shot back up straight as a chunk of metal, and kept walking forward. "Thanks." Being the only word she said on the matter.
Lucy on the other hand grew a faint, coy smile. "I wonder what goes well with fish." She asked herself.
"Ugh, we've been at this for an hour now, why haven't we found it yet?" Natsu complained.
"Maybe it's got some kind of camouflage skin or something." His brother said.
"Wait a minute!" Mavis paused, her hand up, stopping the group. "Do you hear that?"
The reply was a mix of buzzing flies and a light breeze, and a frog and toad having a argument with each other at the same time.
"I don't-"
"Shh." Lucy had tried to speak up, but was cut off by Mavis.
"Anyone else hear growling?"
The mud in front of the group erupted like a volcano. A mud dripping animal skull with yellow slit snake eyes and teeth shot out followed by the neck and body of a long neck dinosaur, the neck being pure skeleton, and the body and legs covered by a thick layer of mud, a large skeleton of a tail sticking out of the rear.
"Found it." Zeref said.
The monster roared, mud flying off it's head.
"RUN!"
The head lunged for the group, everyone dodged it as the head swung around as much as it could.
Natsu was the first to attack as he let out a breath of fire at the monster, getting it right in the head. Taunting all the while. "Come on, that all ya got?"
The monster roared again, visibly pissed, went for a running start and lunged right for the dragon slayer.
Natsu leaped up and landed right on it's body, letting out another huff of flames on the layer of mud. "And here I thought this was gonna be entertaining."
While Natsu was distracting it, Zeref appeared and used his good arm to let out a blast of dark magic at it.
The monster roared again, shooting itself up on it's legs and using it's tail to slap the mage off it.
But instead of retaliating, it ran as fast as it could into the mud and sank deep into it until it was gone.
Natsu on the other hand stopped his fall by using his flames to get him to land safe on his feet. "Is it running away already?"
"I doubt it, stay on guard." Zeref said.
Silence hit the forest yet again, the two brothers stayed close, eyes darting all around. The only noise being a few buzzing bugs and the *sniff sniff* of Natsu's nose.
The mud erupted again. This time right behind them as the monster stomped it's legs on both sides of them and sent it's head for theirs.
Only for a whip from one of the trees stopped it, wrapping around it's neck and pulling it away.
"Don't even think about it!" Lucy yelled, in her Taurus dress and yanking her whip as far back as possible.
Natsu, seeing his opportunity, jumped up and iron fist punched the beast right in the jaw. Followed by a shot of black magic from Zeref. The monster growled in pain as it teetered over. Falling once again into the mud. Sinking back in with it's lifeless body.
"Alright! That was easy!" Natsu cheered. "Nice job grabbing a hold of him there Lucy!"
Zeref was still on guard. Lucy's bird's eye view looking for any shifting mud.
Mavis was in the trees, trying her best to get a grasp of the area they were in.
Natsu soon saw the look on his brother's face. Stopping his victory cheer and changed his expression from happy to puzzled.
The mud came up a third time somewhere off from where the brothers were. But the beast came charging as fast as it could, opening it's jaw to show off it's large, jagged teeth.
Both brothers were able to dodge the charge in time as the monster used it's legs to halt it's charge, swinging it's head toward Zeref.
The dark mage couldn't avoid it in time and got hit square in the stomach. Launching him into the trunks of one of the trees, letting out a cry of pain as he did.
"Hey jackass!" Natsu yelled. The monster turning it's head to see the dragon slayer leap up. his legs lighting up and kicking the monster on it's head as revenge. Sending it down in a instant. Though it used it as a chance to sink into the mud yet again.
"Damn it, that trick is starting to get on my nerves." Natsu said, falling back to the ground. Then he ran to his brother to check up on him while he still could. Mavis and Lucy coming out from their hiding spots to join them.
"You okay Zeref?" Lucy asked.
"Yea, I'm fine, just got caught off guard that's all." Zeref reassured.
"Can you still fight?" Mavis said, her expression stern and determined.
"Yea, yea, just. Give me a minute to catch my breath."
"Good." Mavis said, a smile growing on her lips. "Cause I've got an idea."
Natsu was the bait, standing in the middle of the mud. Waiting for the monster to show up again. Mavis, Lucy, and Zeref were up in the branches of the trees with Happy floating beside. Each one surveying the ground in hopes of seeing bubbles form.
Mavis was the first to see it, starting out as small clumps then slowly enlarging to one huge bubble, the monster's skull head appearing inside. By the time Natsu saw it, the bubble popped and the long neck shot right out, the monster roaring as it's legs got ready to stomp down.
Before it squashed him Natsu ran from it and went right for the hard ground, the monster chasing with it's mouth open to bite. It's large feet crushing the broken sticks littered on the ground.
When he was far away enough, Natsu stopped and breathed fire at the beast. It's skull being set aflame in seconds. Roaring mad, it swung it's head for Natsu.
Natsu jumped up to avoid it and lit his arm, punching the beast right down into the ground, flames engulfing the head. Spreading out to the sticks nearby and setting them on fire.
The flame crackled as the sticks burned, slowly spreading from one stick to another, then another, then another, and soon enough every carefully laid branch and leaf was burning as bright as Natsu's hair.
The beast raised it's head after Natsu jumped off it. Flames tickling it's tongue and melting whatever flesh remained on it. It's roar now gargled with blood. It's eyes barely being able to make out the ring burning sticks surrounding it.
"NOW!" Screamed a voice, and the three mages jumped out of the trees and landed inside the fire with the beast. Zeref opposite his brother on the sides, Lucy at the back, and staring the monster down was Mavis Vermilion, arms crossed with a smirk on her face. Her green eyes against the monster's snake ones winning the fight for intimidation. "Try escaping now." She said.
"NATSU GO FOR IT!" Zeref shouted, his brother responding by hitting the belly of the beast square on, sending it wailing. Zeref stopping it from falling on him by blasting dark flames of his own on the other side. Lucy controlling the tail with her whip. The beast acting like a metronome being knocked between the two brothers.
"Hey bro did we ever play catch when we were kids?" Natsu said as he punched the beast again.
"Yes, only problem was you kept hitting me on the head with it!" Zeref said letting out another set of flames.
"Maybe you were just a bad catch!" A set of red flames burning the beast.
"Maybe you were a bad pitcher!" A set of black flames burning the beast.
"At least I was getting it to you!" Red.
"yea after a hour of you throwing it up and down onto your own head!" Black.
"Hey give me a break I was only two for crying out loud!"
"You were just as violent then as you are now!"
"QUIT IT!" Mavis and Lucy screamed.
"Yes Dear." Both men dryly said. Then they both attacked at the same time with their flames, mixing with one another on the beast's body, slowly engulfing it.
The beast swung it's weight around, the whip no longer on it's tail as it's skull head raised up as high as it could, just under the roofs of the trees. Using the last of it's strength to give out one final roar so loud it shot out the blood in it's throat and sent the crows nearby flying. Eventually giving in and letting it's bright yellow pupils give out like a worn out bulb. The roar ending, it's jaw hanging loose. It's feet giving in and going in it's knees as the entire body fell on it's side with a weight that sent ripples in the mud it once called home. The burning neck falling like a tower without a bottom. The skull cracking on the side that connected with the ground. With only darkness inside the eye sockets.
Lucy quickly switched to her Aquarius dress and put out the flames so they didn't spread.
The four mages and the exceed looked at the corpse. The smell of burnt mud filling the air. The battle won and the job done.
"And we didn't even burn down a city this time!" Lucy said.
Soon enough the group had collected the reward money and were heading back to town, Mavis and Zeref lagging just a bit behind to have a word with each other.
"So, that was fun." Zeref started.
"Yea." Mavis said.
Silence.
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"You were right, I was kinda on edge after what happened to Wendy, I needed to get my mind off it, so thanks for helping me."
"Oh, well. You're welcome." Mavis said with a soft smile. "Wanna go on another tomorrow?"
"Yea, just, make sure it's one that's a little more... calm." Zeref put it.
"Sure."
"Alright then, It's settled."
And with that, the two walked away, maybe not yet hand in hand, but they at least had matching speeds.
(Sorry this took so long to do, not only did this turn out longer than I thought it would I also was going through some crazy times in my life. But don't think this is gonna be one of those fics that never finishes. I'm gonna make sure I see this to the end. I'm doing my best to have Ch. 6 out before October so just hang tight. But most importantly, don't forget to leave a review on what you thought. They help a lot more than you think! Till Next time!)
Deep within the swamp lay the husk of the giant monster that once terrorized the town. It's head, tail, and legs now rotten and burned away. Yet it's main body remained intact. The round, mud covered base was still as large as it was when the monster first appeared.
A bird had swooped in and landed it's feet on it, it's talons trying to grip into it, then proceeding to peck at the body. Only for a dull clanging sound to ring inside.
The bird, being curious, peck again and again at the same spot, hearing that dull clanging each time. Until finally a small, mouse sized chunk of the body opened up and let loose a veil of steam, scaring the bird away.
When the steam cleared, out came two white, cartoon mice, one with a large head, the other...
"Remind me to never use a combination of organic and non-organic material in a robot ever again Pinky." The large headed one said rubbing his temples.
"Rightly-o Brain!" Pinky said. "Just one question though, why did we spend all our time in a swamp instead of taking over the town?"
"Because the plot demanded it!" Brain said hopping out of the body and onto the ground. Pinky following behind. "Come along now Pinky, we must prepare for tomorrow night."
"Gee Brain, what are we gonna do tomorrow night?"
"The same thing we do every night Pinky, TRY TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!"
(Couldn't resist.)
(Also, shout out to the guest who told me about the glitch this had when I first uploaded it. Never would have caught it otherwise. thanks!)