The air stank of conflict and secrets. Even up in the trees, Gray could feel the hardness of the forest, a stale weight that clung to his skin. The gray bark of the tree flaked under his hands and feet, splintering into his palms as he crouched among the foliage. Even the trees had adapted to the harshness, their razor sharp needles longer than human fingers. More than once already, they had drawn Gray's blood, slicing thinly like glass as he climbed higher into the canopy. Why did these trees have to be so damn big?
Huffing, Gray dragged himself up, fighting against gravity and the bark biting into his bare chest as he heaved onto the wide branch. A steel hand dipped into the corner of his vision, palm open and inviting. Gray took it, allowing Erza to pull him the rest of the way. She steadied him with a hand on his shoulder as he looked up.
"I hate this place," he mumbled, brushing flecks of wood from the hairs on his chin. Gajeel snickered from his own spot within the needles, unbothered thanks in no small part to his iron skin. The three exceeds took shelter beneath him, curled low under his chest. Next to the dragon slayer, Alzac laid on his belly, peering through the sights of his borrowed rifle.
"I'm not very fond of it either," Erza scowled, armored fingers grazing a hairline cut on her cheek. "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can go home. Alzac?"
Alzac focused his eye to the scope, pressing the stock into the gap of his shoulder. Through the dim light of the trees, he could barely make out the large hunched form of a man.
"Elfman's in position."
"And Lucy and Wendy?"
Shifting the gun slightly, Alzac adjusted the sights. It was easy to pick out Lucy's blonde hair through the trees, even when she and the young dragon slayer crouched within the shadowed roots of a gnarled tree.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Everything is ready to go," Gray whispered to Erza. Juvia was nowhere in sight, but he knew she was out there, waiting for the silence to break. "This isn't going to be easy."
"Nobody said it would be," Erza said, following Gray's eyes to the dark structure below them. "Let's get ready."
Finding the Ruby Manticore guild had actually been surprisingly easy. They had set off the day after arriving in Newwart Town with the heart of Juniper Hills as their destination and no real idea for what exactly they were looking for. The woods were crawling with large, dangerous animals, both above ground and below. The trek wasn't going to be safe, and trying to stay in one piece was the main priority. This was not a time when experience would see them through. Rumors could only get you so far.
But as it turned out, that problem solved itself. They practically stumbled upon the building by accident, the maroon stone walls hardly blending in with the colorless landscape. It stood out like a drop of red paint upon a canvas of white. It was confusing, why a dark guild would go through the trouble of placing their hall in such a dangerous region, only to leave it so blatantly out in the open. But when they all got a good look at the building, they realized why it hadn't been hidden very well; because it didn't need to be. The hall had been built like a fortress. At first, they all thought that they had discovered an old prison. The painted symbol of the Ruby Manticore – a hexagonal cut stone, encompassed by a scorpion's tail – confirmed that they had found what they were looking for. High walls, reinforced doors, and barricaded windows – it made them all wonder whether this building was meant to keep dangerous creatures out, or violent wizards and mercenaries in.
There was one vulnerability that the architect had not taken into account, though. The roof hadn't been fortified, leaving the whole structure with a significant lack of protection from above. Normally, that might not have been a problem. But with the towering trees and dark canopy, it had been all too simple to climb to a high vantage point and scope out the layout of what lay behind the walls and devise a plan.
The Ruby Manticore guild was comprised of two sections connected to each other by a narrow passageway. The one closest to the gates was larger than anything else – probably where the main hall was, if the builder had any common sense. That would be where they struck first. The roofing was simple shingles and tarp in a rustic façade, basically papier-mache against their strength. It was difficult to say what the other part of the odd building was for, but if they had to guess, it might have just been for storage. It would be checked out anyway - no room for slip ups. As far as enemy numbers went, there was no one outside, and the building was only large enough to house about a couple hundred people. Honestly, they had no idea how large their numbers were. But given their track history, they had faced worse odds before.
Gray huffed through his nose. Something in his stomach twisted against his nerve, dull and uncertain. The soft touch of Happy's paws alighted on his shoulders, hesitant.
"Stay on your guard, and watch each other's backs." Erza stated, Carla digging her paws in between the plates of her armor. Alzac looked up at her, gun prepped and ammo set out beside him. "I don't want any accidents."
"Speak for yourself," Gajeel smirked. Pantherlily hovered behind him.
Gray would have tried to find his own humor, if only the dither in his chest would allow it. Even after so many years, the intensity of an upcoming brawl never really went away. Erza did not respond to Gajeel, her dark gaze trained on the hall below, distant anger hiding within the set of her jaw. A slight breeze played at her red and silver hair.
It was now or never.
They tipped forward, falling from the tree-tops. With the exceeds directing their fall, they plummeted through the air like missiles. Gajeel drew back his arm, his flesh darkening to a thick iron sword. Gray balled one fist and placed it in the palm of the other. As one, the exceeds tucked in their wings and let gravity take them all the last few yards to the target.
"Iron Dragon Claw!"
"Ice Make Hammer!"
Dust and rubble flew through the air as they quickly drilled through the thinner layers of the infrastructure. Muffled shouts and screams cried out beneath them. As the roof began to crumble, silhouettes darted away from under the falling debris within. Dropping down through the new, gaping hole in the ceiling, the three mages landed in a crouch, knees cushioning against the shock. The interior of the Ruby Manticore guild was dimmer than Gray thought it would be, only lit by a few spare lacrimas. Encompassed in a curtain of light that cascaded from above, the trio stood tall and squared off against the foes within the darkness. The symbol of Fairy Tail gleamed off of Erza's armor. Whispers echoed back at them - some of them frightened, others angry at the sight of the emblem on Gray's bare chest and Gajeel's shoulder.
In a flash of light, a long sword manifested in Erza's hand. Raising the blade aloft, Erza called out loud and clear for all to hear.
"You know who we are and why we are here. If any of you wish to surrender, do it now!"
A stunned silence followed, thickening the air with distrust. The dust began to settle, and faces became clearer as Gray's eyes adjusted. The large hall was full of dark wizards and mercenaries, glaring at the intruders in a silent standoff. Gray could tell from the hard set of their faces, from the tension in their jaws, that none of them were going to back down. Good, Gray thought. He didn't think he could find any mercy in his heart for these bastards. Weapons were itching to be drawn, magic crackling through the air like lightning preparing to strike. Everyone coiled, ready for the ball to drop, for someone to throw the first punch or cast the first spell. Gray was tired of waiting.
Lifting his arms high above his head, Gray dropped down and slammed his fists to the ground. A thick sheet of ice snaked over the floor, covering the entirety of the hall, the few columns that held up the ceiling, as well as the walls. Cries arose from the crowd of Manticore members, losing their footing, clinging to each other for support. Taking advantage of the confusion, Gajeel lunged forward. Iron spikes on the soles of his boots bit into the ice, a metal beam crashing into the fray of mercenaries and wizards. Erza dodged to the side, a chained blade barely grazing the heart cruez on her chest. The guild hall exploded into battle.
Gray charged forward, splitting off from Erza and Gajeel. A hooded mercenary charged for him, swinging a pair of swords at his neck. Ducking below the mans wild swipes, Gray thrust his fist forward, up and under the merc's ribs. The man crumpled over his arm. After another second, the wizard to his left was dropped, nursing a broken knee. Spinning and ducking, then following through with his own attacks, Gray brawled his way through Manticore members. The sounds of skirmish echoed off the icy walls, a horrid cacophony of discord. But it was almost too easy. Gray hardly had to work, felling his enemies with scarcely more than one or two well aimed strikes. Ruby Manticore certainly had numbers on their side for this fight, but it was an advantage they were quickly losing. Dark mages and mercenaries pressed forward. Gray growled, too crowded for his liking. One brave mage even managed to grab his wrist. She let go quickly, Happy's fangs sunken into her knuckles. A back-handed haymaker from Gray swiftly knocked her out.
Loud crashes echoed through the hall from outside. The battle paused, apprehension spiking for approaching danger. In a sudden burst of light and flying rock, the east and west walls of the guild crumbled away. Elfman stood against the debris, Lucy and Wendy mirroring his path. Steel boots of her Scorpio form gleaming, Lucy's kick cracked against the back of a mercenary's skull. With the majority of the Manticores concentrated to the front of the hall, their back side was left wide open - a mistake they realized far too late. There was hardly a second for them to react to the new threats. Unwittingly, the Manticores split themselves from each other, crowding opposite sides of the hall. - leaving the middle wide open. Erza dashed through the thinned crowd, where the doors to passageway waited. Juvia was waiting for her on the other side, maybe dealing with her own enemies in the other part of the guild. Erza grasped the door handles, yanking them open and off their hinges. Her brown eye locked with Gray's own one final time.
"I'll leave the rest to you!" Erza declared. Carla left her side, soaring to Wendy's aid. For a brief moment that hung in the air for a small eternity, an understanding passed between them. She tipped her chin at him, and Gray felt like he was a little kid again, following her to the riverbank.
Gray nodded, moving to fill in the space that she had left behind. Those that attempted to follow her were quickly blocked. Lucy and Wendy spread out, the Celestial mage's body swallowed in a brief flash of light. Donning her Taurus dress, the boon of her amplified strength more than enough. Wendy's howls rose up meet the ruckus of the fight, a hurricane within the walls. Beastly roars shook Gray's ear drums, Elfman's heavy claws slashing through the dimness. It seemed that for every one they took down, two more would take their place. But even so, Gray began to feel suspicious.
These Manticores fought like amateurs. The left themselves open, or were predictable, or even gave up and ran away. Luckily, Alzac was roosted in the perfect spot to gun down any strays. Gray could just barely pick up the concussive sound of the sharp shooter's rifle in action. There might have been many of them, but Gray couldn't imagine a guild like Sabertooth having problems with a force like this. Either this wasn't the real Ruby Manticore they had heard about, or Sting was seriously losing his touch.
Something wasn't right.
It didn't take long for the battle to end. One thing Gray had to hand these guys, they fought to the last man. In due time, the only ones left standing were those that bore the Fairy Tail emblem. Slightly out of breath, but relatively unharmed, Gray looked out across the hall to all the moaning and unconscious bodies scattered about. This victory had been won a little too easily. Gray's gut twisted, a worried itch scratching at his brain.
"You doing okay, Gray?" Wendy asked, trotting up to him. Carla hovered close behind, eyes vigilant.
"Yeah," Gray frowned, the itch becoming a buzz. Raising his voice, "you guys good?"
Happy and Lucy looked over, nodding the affirmative. Across the hall, Elfman and Gajeel stomped around. The dragon slayer looked less than pleased as they all gathered together in the center of the hall.
"This was seriously less awesome than I thought it would be," Gajeel sneered. His boot kicked a small bit of rubble, pecking a delirious mercenary in the face. "What the hell kind of weakling guild like this could possibly go up against the Twin Dragons and almost win?"
"I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed as well." Lily looked around. "But Erza's not back yet. Perhaps she may need assistance?"
Elfman grunted. "If I know Erza, then she should be able to take out these wimps with her pinkie finger."
"And she's got Juvia with her as back up," Wendy chimed in.
"Between the two of them, I almost feel sorry for these guys." Lucy peered down at an unconscious enemy, within a single stride of her. It was a young boy, probably no older than 18. She frowned, her heart breaking the slightest to see someone wasting their life away in a place like this.
That was when they heard the scream. A woman's scream, echoing back onto itself through the hall. Pain and fear coiled around the columns, dripping down to them like cold rain.
Gray's heart leapt into his throat as his legs immediately propelled him forward. Barely registering the footsteps of the others following him, Gray sprinted across the hall and plunged into the darkness of the passage, not caring that he could barely see three feet in front of him. He wasn't sure who had screamed. It didn't matter. Adrenalin surged through him, quickening the marrow in his bones. This wasn't the first time he had plunged into darkness for the sake of those that he loved.
A small ball of light twinkled beside Gray's shoulder, drifting along as he ran. The the little star didn't provide much light on it's own, the swirling cosmos of tiny suns that filled the passageway were more than enough to brighten the path ahead of them. Gray peered through the nebulae over his shoulder, a thankful nod in Lucy's direction. She called it her "Star Bright" spell, developed a couple of years ago should she ever need a source of light and Natsu wasn't around. The scattering if stars danced around her shoulders, flung from her fingers and hair. If one knew what to look for, they could find the familiar constellation of Leo. Flickering like distant explosions, it wasn't long before they started to wink out.
They ran through the hall with the galaxy at their heels. By the light of the stars, a pair of double doors faded into Gray's vision, closed and locked. It must have been a trap, Gray realized, and Erza had walked right into it on purpose... knowing that Juvia was counting on her. Gray balled his hand, a hardened ball of ice encompassing his angry fist. With a roar ripping from his mouth, Gray bludgeoned the door with all of his might. Metal frames cracking and hinges ripping, the doors flew inward. Gray whirled up again, ready to face whatever lay beyond with vengeance on his mind.
A curtain of black mist tumbled through the open doors, washing over Gray and the rest of the Fairy Tail mages, flooding into the hallway. Before Gray could stop himself, he was coughing and gagging on the toxic air, the taste of rust on his tongue. His heart spiked with fear as small pricks of pain in his chest quickly escalated to a throbbing pressure against his heart. Strength abandoned him, sapped from his body like water in a desert. Falling to his knees, Gray struggled to breathe, his throat closing tighter and tighter with every breath he took. Wheezing in desperation, Gray tossed his head frantically, eyes searching for anyone who could help. Gajeel was closest to him, in a similar condition. If Gajeel's iron lungs couldn't protect him, then this was some very serious black magic they were dealing with. Lucy was just past him, quivering on her hands and knees. But her gaze was locked up ahead of them, terror and confusion painting her face. Gray forced himself to look up, afraid of what he might see.
Scribbled, messy letters covered the walls, foreign characters that Gray couldn't hope to interpret. They dripped with black veins down the rough stones, splattered like a bird against a clear window. Lucy's stars were gone. Two strangers loomed in the dimness of the square, empty room. One was a hulking man, a leather holster that carried an enormous halberd across his bare back, and leather pantaloons with a chainmail skirt that matched his buckled boots. His long hair was black as night, as were his eyes. The emblem of the Ruby Manticore guild was printed largely across his muscular torso. Fresh blood dripped from his knuckles, a small spattering across his face. Just past him, Erza and Juvia lay prone, their skin a tye-dye patchwork of purple bruises and fresh gashes. Juvia didn't look like she was breathing. Blood dripped from Erza's ear, staining the silver hair on her head. Gray's lungs refused to draw breath, shock and terror the key to the cage that were his ribs. He had never seen either of them like this, not since the war three years ago. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't.
"You'll have to forgive him. We were becoming bored."
A girl stood in the center of the chamber. She was young, perhaps only slightly older than Wendy. Her pale blonde hair unkempt, clothes disheveled. Her deep blue eyes were ringed with red veins and darkness, mania darting behind her gaze. Her Manticore emblem warped with her face, just above her right eyebrow. In her hands was an old, leather-bound book, opened to the center page. Black mist flowed out of the pages of the book, a fountain of pitch and curses. Gray felt a pang of déjà vu at the sight of the tome. The girl smiled crookedly, revealing yellow teeth. When she spoke, there was a slight hiss to her voice.
"We knew you were coming." Snapping the book shut, the young woman tucked it under arm and stepped up to the weakened mages, wading through the toxin unaffected. "But we seem to be missing a certain someone."
Gray didn't know how much longer he could hold out, his paralyzed lungs screaming. A blackness soaked the edge of his vision as he watched the strange girl approach Lucy. Lucy quickly reached out to Happy, pulling the small cat closer to her, protecting him as he whimpered in pain. She wasn't faring much better. The girl looked down her nose at the Fairy Tail mages. The red and blue of her eyes contrasted each other, glowing with malice. Lucy tried her best to defiantly glare right back. The man stepped away from Erza and Juvia, flinging their blood from his fingers.
"I guess we'll just have to wait for him, then," she said in a bored tone. Gray wanted to punch her in the face. Hard.
Lips twisting into a cruel smile, the girl tilted her head as she laughed, high-pitched and giggly. "I'm sure the demon dragon will be joining us soon." Gray slumped to the floor, eyes rolling back in his head. He reached for Juvia, desperate and pleading. But his hand went limp, mind finally letting go. The last thing he heard before he was overcome with darkness was the girl's manic laughter and her hissed words.
"I can't wait."
"How does that feel, honey?"
Natsu lifted his arms and bent his elbows, taking note of how the fabric stretched and how high the cuffs pulled up. "I think the sleeves could be a little longer, and it's kind of tight around my biceps."
"It's supposed to be a little snug on your arms, darling." Master Bob smiled. "When you have rotund muscles such as yours, you don't hide them away in loose sleeves."
Natsu snickered, turning to look in the mirror. Other than the tape, pins, and undone seams, his suit was coming along nicely. The torso hugged him in just the right places. The cut of fabric under his arms followed the curve of his ribs and dropped along his abdominals, allowing him to twist around and bend over without the jacket riding up. Master Bob might have been a strange man, but he sure did know how to tailor a suit. The pants had been easy, even if Natsu was suspicious whether Master Bob really need to get that close to certain parts of him for measurements. The jacket had been more complicated then Natsu would have imagined, but the Blue Pegasus Master was good at what he did, and easily made adjustments when needed and provided suggestions when necessary.
"I'm just worried that I might rip them."
"Darling, you're getting married, not arm wrestling," Master Bob chided. "Trust me, when I'm done with you, Lucy will be thanking me."
"You should listen to Master Bob, young man," Ichiya chimed in, his usual glamor sparking in passion. "He's designed all the suits that the men of Blue Pegasus wear. He knows what he's talking about!"
Natsu shrugged, taking the man by his word. When Natsu had arrived at the Blue Pegasus guild earlier that morning, he hadn't been expecting Master Bob to be waiting for him at the front doors. Wasting no time, the flamboyant man whisked Natsu away to a room, separated from the main club of the guild, where the walls were a light shade of pink and tall mirrors were mounted before round pedestals, bright lights shining down on them. At first it was a little overwhelming for Natsu, but eventually his eyes adjusted. He still wasn't sure why Ichiya was there, though. The man hadn't done anything except tell Natsu how good he looked.
"So tell me, Natsu." Bob spoke up, motioning for Natsu to turn around and stand straight. "Why didn't you go with your fiancé to take care of those scoundrels that attacked Sabertooth?"
Natsu bit his lip, lifting his arms as Bob wrapped a tap measure around his chest.
"It's kind of personal. Sorry."
"It's a terrible thing, what happened to our friends." Ichiya lightly pressed a hand to his forehead. "I can barely stand the thought."
Natsu tried not to scowl. Lucy and his friends were there, right now, running into jaws of danger while Natsu was here playing dress up. It wasn't fair, he thought for the hundredth time.
"It's just a shame they didn't randomly attack us," Natsu thought out loud. "They wouldn't have gotten away."
Master Bob and Ichiya looked to each other, a knowing between them.
"Didn't you hear? Sting believes that it wasn't just a random attack. That dark guild targeted them." Master Bob stuck pins into the fabric of Natsu's shoulders as he spoke. "In fact, Sting had reason to believe they were targeting one of their members."
Natsu tried not jerk under the man's sharp tacks. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Master Bob stepped away, looping his measuring tape around his neck like a practiced habit. He crossed his arms as he regarded Natsu, a frown on his painted lips. Natsu had never seen Master Bob frown before.
"I talked with Sting over lacrima the day after it happened. He thinks that they were looking for someone. But he had no idea who and for what reason. But he heard one of them say something that was very strange. It had something to do with a 'demon dragon'." Master Bob shook his heard, hoop earrings swishing. "Sting is afraid they might have been looking for Rogue for some reason. He hasn't let the poor man out of his sight, for protection. But you and I both know that Rogue is no demon. I doubt they were looking for him."
Natsu swallowed. Coincidence was not something he was familiar with, happenstance a stranger.
"It's entirely possible they may have been looking for Acnologia," Ichiya spit, tossing his hair. "Someone needs to tell those ruffians that the Dark Dragon has been gone for years, and that he's never coming back. Don't you agree, Natsu?"
Natsu only stared at the two men, his mind working in overdrive. Realization hit him like a train, his mouth falling open. His hands balled into fists, nails digging into his palms. The etherious behind his heart thrummed. Lucy was in danger, it seemed to tease. And he was hundreds of miles away.
"Master Bob, Ichiya." Natsu spoke quickly as he began stripping off the unfinished suit. "I have a favor to ask you."
A/N: And the second part of the double chapter special! I'm sorry that this is a little later than I usually post, but this weekend was really busy. I'm also well aware of the crappy quality of this chapter. I promise, I will come back and to some super heavy duty editing later this week.
EDIT: Chapter has been edited for grammar and content 10/7/2021.
Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate the feedback. Keep it coming. If this story reaches 100 reviews I'll do another double chapter (so basically if every person that follows this leaves a review, you should be good.)
As always, read, review, and enjoy!