Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail
Lyon had at least gotten to the train station with plans to return to Fairy Tail. Yet, it was as he was supposed to board the train that he stopped with a frown. He let out a sigh, before watching the train take off and leave for Magnolia without him. He had no information, not really. All he had was news that Phantom Lord planned for a war with Fairy Tail. His task, however, had been to find information on Zeref's curse. So, really, his mission was incomplete. He had no reason to go back. After all, hadn't he earned the right to join Phantom Lord? Perhaps from the inside he could gain the information he needed. At least, that was the reasoning he told himself to explain why he found himself turning back around, heading straight to the guild hall once more. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that a certain blue-haired water wizard was inside, pining away after a lover who didn't deserve someone as amazing as she was.
Gray could handle one measly attack, right? They had both trained under Ur. Perhaps Lyon was the superior of the two of them, but that didn't mean Gray wouldn't have some skill. Plus, he had an entire guild to assist him. Overall, it shouldn't be difficult for him to handle. So, Lyon wouldn't feel guilty about pushing off this tiny warning. He'd play along as a Phantom Lord mage for now. Then, he'd get to spend more time with Juvia — to investigate, of course.
When he entered the guild again, he was faintly disappointed to see that Juvia actually wasn't sitting at the table like she had been before. Yet, the other three wizards were. "Oh, you've returned." Red barely glanced over at him, focusing instead on his companions. "And I had thought you'd be one of our guild members instead. A shame, really."
"Juvia sure is taking her time out there. Such a naughty girl, leaving when Master wishes for us to all be at the guild hall!" The foreign man spoke, his accent thickly coming over his words.
"What if something has happened to her? It would be so sad to lose a member at a time like this…"
"Don't worry about it, Aria. It isn't like Juvia cannot handle herself." Well, Lyon had one name now, for the large man. Red still looked bored and finally looked over at him. "And what brings you back? I thought we'd kicked you out finally."
"I changed my mind. After thinking through my battle with Juvia from earlier, I decided that perhaps I do have some skills to hone in on and improve upon." He crossed his arms over his chest. "It took me too long to defeat her and I'm not pleased with the results."
There was a slight shriek in the distance, which made Lyon frown. After a moment, the guild hall doors opened and Juvia rushed back in. "Did Juvia hear correctly? Is Lyon becoming a fellow member of Juvia's guild?"
How had she heard that? Perhaps she'd been just about to enter as he spoke. "I…well, I am certainly considering it. For now, I'll likely remain as just an ally for the upcoming conflict." He'd prefer to avoid a permanent association, if he could manage it. Joining a guild that was about to break multiple laws didn't seem like a great way to start his climb upward to the title of wizard saint.
Juvia smiled brightly, before startling Lyon as she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Juvia is so happy to hear this! Lyon will make a wonderful addition to the guild! She will work hard to prove to him that Phantom Lord will be the best place for him to grow his strength."
"Oh my. Is it just me, or has our Juvia grown quite attached to this man quickly?" The accented man smiled faintly. "It isn't like you, to be so intent on—"
Juvia glared at him, throwing a wave of water his way and soaking him completely. "Juvia does not wish to hear taunts from the likes of you, Sol." Her gaze had hardened and her smile faded. After a moment, she turned back to Lyon, slowly bringing that smile back. "Would Lyon like to be introduced to the others? Juvia is among the elite of Phantom Lord, as are her companions here."
"We're more like comrades in arms, Juvia." Red looked over at her, while Juvia seemed to narrow her eyes at him.
"Juvia does not need Totomaru's approval. Juvia has found one who will accept her and has finally seen the sun."
"Wait, it stopped raining for once?" Totomaru's eyes were wide, and his gaze flickered towards the window. "Damn. Looks like I don't have to worry about you getting in the way of my fire this time around. Maybe having this wizard around will help us out, even if that's all he can manage to do."
"You think that's all I'm good for?" Lyon narrowed his eyes. "I am a skilled ice wizard, capable of—"
"Lyon need not explain himself to the likes of Totomaru. He's simply jealous of Lyon's skill and refuses to say it out loud."
It certainly didn't seem that way, based on Totomaru's snort and way of ignoring him. Even the rest seemed to just accept his presence, not really saying much of anything. Perhaps they were just going along with Juvia's whims for now to keep her happy? It seemed like the sort of thing a guild would do for its fellow members. Regardless, it got Lyon closer to the guild and the ability to stay near Juvia. Er, the ability to stay near her to learn about the curse. Yes, that was what he meant. Speaking of which, he really should start asking about their history, right?
Still, Juvia was dragging him away from the others, shaking her head. "We do not need to speak with them any more. Juvia finds her comrades irritating to deal with and often prefers to be alone. Though, Juvia is happy to speak with you whenever you wish."
"Ah, that's good," Lyon said. She had started gripping his arm, practically hugging it against her body. Was her boyfriend really okay with her acting like this? Not that Lyon was going to object. "So, for my considerations of your guild, I was wondering if you would share details on Phantom Lord's history? I hadn't considered joining a guild until quite recently, so I'm afraid I have done little research beyond gathering the more well-known names out there."
"Of course! Juvia would be happy to share, if it makes Lyon more comfortable with staying." Lyon nodded, seeing her take a seat and pull him down with her. She leaned against him, her eyes closing as she started to talk with a smile. Lyon was glad her eyes were closed, so she couldn't see how red his face was likely becoming with her behavior. "Phantom Lord is one of the strongest guilds in existence. Our guild master is one of the wizard saints, with strength on par with Master Makarov of Fairy Tail. He's a direct descendent of our founder, Master Geoffrey, who created the guild nearly a hundred years ago. The entire time, Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord have been battling for the spot as the number one guild in Fiore. Currently, Juvia is sad to admit that Fairy Tail holds such a title." She pulled away, lowering her gaze. "But she is certain we will surpass them! Phantom Lord has Juvia and Gajeel is more powerful than even Fairy Tail's Salamander, she's certain of it."
He had no idea who this salamander was supposed to be, but he simply nodded. "I see." Lyon paused, frowning for a moment. "So, why was the guild founded in the first place?"
"Hmm? Oh, well, Juvia doesn't know much about that. Geoffrey was supposedly a guild master before founding Phantom Lord, but Juvia hasn't heard of many stories about his former guild. There are some records of that in our archive here however." Juvia smiled, clasping her hands together. "Juvia will show you, right? And then Lyon will reward her for being helpful, after being so grateful for…" Her words began to get quieter as her cheeks grew red. Lyon wasn't certain what she was saying, but she had pulled away fully and was hugging herself, wriggling in her seat over whatever she was thinking about.
Seeing her so happy made him want to see more of her like this. She was just adorable when she blushed like that, even if he had no understanding of what she was rambling on about. "That would indeed be helpful, Juvia. Though, I'm not certain if I have anything to reward you with. Unfortunately, I did not exactly come here with funds." He paused, realizing he had an explanation for needing to join a guild so suddenly as well, then. "That's why I need to join a guild, actually. It seems as if I've grown a bit zealous in my spending lately and as such, I need further funding."
"Oh, no, Juvia does not wish for money! Juvia is certain Lyon will think of something to reward her with." She was blushing again, though Lyon had no clue what she had in mind. Either way, he shrugged and followed after her as she led him through the guild hall, towards the archive in the guild. "Here we are. Phantom Lord's archives are a bit in-depth, but the historical section is over there." Juvia pointed towards a section of shelves off to the side, though the entire room was lined with shelves filled with books. "Would Lyon like company as he researches more about our guild?"
Should he? He really should focus on his research, but turning Juvia down when she looked so hopeful…he just couldn't do it. "Of course. It would be pleasant, to have someone nearby in an unfamiliar place. At this point, I almost feel like I've known you for quite some time, as strange as it sounds."
Juvia smiled happily, practically skipping forward to sit down at a table. "Juvia will be quiet! She will not disturb your work, she promises."
He smiled at her, moving towards one of the shelves and finding a few selections that might prove to be useful. Most of them spoke of Master Geoffrey, their first guild master and their founder. It was the topic he wanted, at least, but he couldn't see even a passing mention of Galuna island in them after scanning through the index. With a frown, he pulled out a few more, scanning them again to see what they mentioned. One brought up a guild by the name of Blue Skull and seemed to focus on its rivalry with Red Lizard and how that fueled Geoffrey's desire to be the strongest initially. He skipped over that quickly, before frowning as he saw that Red Lizard had been decimated entirely, though it seemed as if a single member remained. That member sought revenge against Blue Skull and apparently with the help of a treasure hunting guild, they managed to make it appear as if Blue Skull had been involved in illegal activities.
Glancing at the cover again, he frowned. The book was written by another descendent of Geoffrey's. Part of Lyon wondered how truthful the account was, based on what he'd heard. Then again, he hadn't been there, so perhaps it was true. Either way, it went on to say that Red Lizard in essence transformed into Fairy Tail, starting with that last member, and that Blue Skull turned into Phantom Lord after being forced to disband. The rivalry lived on and it gave little details about the actual battle or what led into it.
"Juvia, would you happen to know where I can find out more about this old rivalry of your founder? It is just fascinating to read about."
"Old rivalry?" Juvia leaned over, glancing at the section he was on. "Oh! Yes, Juvia has heard of that. She had almost forgotten that Jose mentioned the story to her, of how the deceptive black wizard tricked Geoffrey into a devastating defeat. Yet, Geoffrey managed to get his revenge, without even having to act. Black magic comes with a price, you see, and his enemy was cursed forever more, meaning justice was served. That is the only reason Geoffrey was content to leave her be, as her curse made her less aggressive and helped her turn away from dark practices. He truly was a kind-hearted man, allowing a black mage to survive like that."
There was a curse that stemmed from black magic? Lyon had never heard of such a thing. Yet, it would fit what they were researching. "Do you know any details about that curse? It would be interesting to know what that price was, to make him think she'd suffered enough."
"Oh, Juvia does not know, but…" She got up, walking towards a shelf as she trailed off. After a moment, she pulled a book out, holding it up triumphantly with a smile. "Here! Juvia knows where the old notes were kept, from Geoffrey's research on it. He heard of the curse, after looking into the exact spell his enemy used to deceive him."
Lyon smiled, taking the book from her with a nod. "Perfect." She clasped her hands in front of her, lowering her gaze again. "I really am happy to have you here, Juvia. You truly are a great help for research projects it seems."
"Juvia is a great help…" She whispered, before toying around with her thumbs, her cheeks red again. She really wasn't used to any sort of compliment, was she? He almost wanted to ask about her lover immediately, so he could corner the man and demand to know why he didn't show Juvia the affection she so clearly deserved. However, he sadly had work to do and it was not his place to interfere with a relationship Juvia had seemed so happy about before.
The fact that he even wanted to interfere showed just how attached he was getting already. Lyon wondered why he even thought it was a good idea, getting drawn in by this girl that was meant for another. Either way, he was getting distracted, again. Shaking his head, he opened the journal, reading through the notes that were there. It hardly mentioned what spell had been used to defeat Geoffrey, but it did go into detail on something else the man had dug up.
I found an island of strange creatures, following rumors of dark magic and its creations. After what happened, I was certain that the key to understanding my defeat was to understand exactly what this child had been capable of. Afterwords, I'd be able to create a guild designed to overpower her and her allies in every way, and re-establish myself amongst the magical community.
The demons, as they called themselves, were well-informed and more intelligent than any wizard I'd spoken to in the past. I discussed the magic I'd seen, and what had happened, and the mood of the island turned dark. It seemed as if they knew what had happened, but they said it might be best to leave the matter be. So, I bided my time, trying to gain answers by gaining their trust. Only one seemed intent on pushing me away the entire time and the others explained that he'd gone insane after spending too much time isolated on the island. The man wished to see the moon destroyed, so when the other villagers spoke with me, we'd go outside of the village and meet in secret, discussing magic and its more intricate aspects in a way that no one else could explain.
Eventually, when they realized I intended to face off against my former foe in battle again, they decided it was worthwhile to explain the end result of her power. They told me that likely, she was already paying the price for interfering with black magic. She'd gained a curse, they said, a curse handed down by the gods themselves. It is known by two names: the Curse of Contradictions, for how it acts, and Ankhseram's Curse, after the god who gifts it.
The details of the curse itself were rather disturbing to hear and illuminating on why it would be pointless to target her directly. Not only does the curse grant true immortality, the inability to age or be killed by any mortal wound, but it also grants powerful death magic that cannot be defended against by any means. Even if that girl is at a stage where she cannot control it, the risk to my own life is too great to even consider it. So, I will instead challenge her guild, rather than her. One day, she'll leave, to evade detection as a true black mage, and that is when my guild will rise from the shadows like a phantom and win over the world as the strongest guild to ever exist.
There were other entries in the journal, some detailing his selection of mages and others about methods he attempted to devise to block out this death magic. Yet, that was the end of the details on the curse. Never had the man considered ending it, or breaking it. However, Lyon had at least gained one more piece of information. He had the curse's name and supposedly, its origin. He'd just been laughing with Gray about the potential of facing gods to end this thing, thinking it was impossible. Could gods really exist? Had Zeref actually been cursed by such a being?
Gray had been right that the demons on the island had such information. They just hadn't been willing to share because Gray specifically asked about Zeref. Geoffrey, on the other hand, had someone else to ask about. Someone else had the same curse, based on this account. Fairy Tail's founder had the answer they needed, perhaps? Though, she was long dead, as far as he knew. It would be a question for Gray, at that point, to find out more about his guild and the potential of their founder being alive or dead. If she was dead, it gave proof that the curse could be broken, at least.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" Juvia's voice interrupted his thoughts, making Lyon blink over at her. Had she been watching him think in silence about it for a while? He didn't know. Yet, she was still smiling, clearly not knowing what information he'd just learned. Whatever Gray was involved in, it was larger than Lyon had originally thought. Now, he was starting to see why Zeref didn't seem to care if they made an attempt at this or not; a curse given by a god did not seem like the sort of thing a normal wizard could break.
Interrogating demons was a tedious task, especially when none of them seemed to be willing to talk. Meredy had attempted to play the kind and innocent wizard, seeking out information on the black wizard due to a tragic past. A cult worshipping the man had 'kidnapped' her child and she was desperate for any information on what might happen, according to the story. Her disguise helped sell the story, giving her an older appearance. Yet, the village had been guarded from the moment she arrived no matter what her story was.
She'd finally gotten to the point where asking them was no longer worth the effort. Her prior interactions did show that the guild wizards on the island knew something about the black wizard. So, she supposed it would be worth exposing this disguise as a black wizard to force some answers out of them. This was why she was approaching the cabin she'd last seen them near, knocking on the door and waiting for an answer.
When it opened, she found herself frowning as she met the eyes of a red-skinned demon. "Oh, hello! Come on, hurry inside. I want to surprise the village tomorrow and you'll ruin my plans if you keep the door open for long." Meredy blinked, seeing him quickly backing away from the door. Still, she supposed he might know where her true targets were so she entered the building.
"Sorry for rushing you." The door closed behind her and the demon rubbed the back of his neck. "It's been a while since I've really had a place here. The idiot wizard from before didn't even have the curtesy to inform me that he'd managed to lift the curse, so I had to find an empty place at the last minute."
"It's okay." Meredy didn't need to know his reasons. They were unimportant to the overall plan, after all. "I prefer to not waste time as well."
"Haha, right?" The demon grinned at her. "My name's Bobo and before you ask, no, I'm not dead. People just made some pretty crazy assumptions so I'm looking forward to cheering them up tomorrow with my return!"
She frowned, before shrugging. "Do you know where the guild wizards went? I thought they were staying here."
"Saw them all boarding a ship just the other day." Bobo folded his arms over his chest. "Like I said, they were rather rude. I had personally offered my assistance and advice in breaking the curse, but then they just go and run off without a word to me. Had to fly around town a few times before I realized people were back to normal again."
They were gone then. Meredy stared at the floor, closing her hands into fists. She shouldn't have let him go in the first place, him or Black. Black had Deliora's book and that alone meant he had some knowledge on the black wizard of legend. The other man had been asking questions just like her, though she was at least calmed by the fact that his luck had been identical to hers.
"Thank you then. I won't bother you further." She rose to her feet, but Bobo frowned.
"Hey, wait! You sure you don't need something? Looks like you've got something on your mind. Not certain if I can do much if you were looking for magical help, but I'm willing to try."
"Unlikely." Meredy turned around, raising her eyebrows at the demon. "For personal reasons, I am hoping to find information on the black wizard Zeref. I know little about him, but I do know he is associated with demons and thought it would be reasonable to start with demons for answers."
She could give her story if he hesitated. One last attempt at interrogation wouldn't hurt, after all. Bobo was staring at her, frowning for a moment. "Now, what would a nice young girl like you want with a wizard like that?"
"Knowledge, mostly." She lowered her head, avoiding his eyes. "My child was taken away by dark wizards, worshipping Zeref and his goals. I've already gone to the guilds to request someone rescue him, but I can't just sit still. I need to know what they might want to do with him."
"Hm." Bobo folded his hands over his chest, before shaking his head. "Sorry, I guess you were right. Not much I can do to help with that."
She'd expected as much, though she was aware he knew something just like the others. "Look, it isn't anything personal." He kept speaking, even as she turned to leave. "But a cult that worships the guy and the wizard himself are two different things. I'd say you're better off researching the cult rather than him - misconceptions lead to a lot of dangerous paths for some folks."
Thinking, Meredy bit her lip at the realization. Perhaps she did have a poor story to explain her interest. She needed to become more skilled at infiltration in the future - she lacked comfort with most social interactions just due to the nature of her training isolating her amongst Grimoire Heart's wizards.
"I will keep your suggestion in mind." She didn't have much else to say, not when she was attempting to seem at least somewhat innocent. "If you change your mind though, I still think I might be interested in knowing more about the truth about this wizard they worship. Then, I can at least make assumptions about what misconceptions may be guiding their group, even if I don't find anything about the cult themselves."
"I suppose that might be worth something." Bobo shook his head. "Still, it isn't my right to share. You're welcome to stay for as long as you'd like, but people around here aren't the sort to gossip about others."
Nodding, Meredy turned once more. "Then enjoy the rest of your night." She didn't give him the chance to delay her further and stepped out of the cabin, back into the village. This place was a waste of time, despite being filled with so many demons. The most she'd managed to find were a few history books but even they didn't speak about Zeref. They were ancient, discussing the major battles throughout the war with dragons from centuries ago. It seemed like they were outdated too, as the events they described stopped before that war even ended.
She had just stepped inside of the room she'd rented in the village when she sensed magic echoing in the lacrima she had in her pocket. Grimoire Heart was trying to contact her for a report and she had nothing to give. Letting out a sigh, she pulled out the device and found herself facing the images of Hades and Ultear on the other side.
"Meredy, please return to the airship immediately. Your mission is being suspended for the time being."
"Master?" Meredy frowned, shaking her head. "Please, I can handle this. I may be having some delays, but this task will be—"
"Listen to him, Meredy." Ultear interrupted with a smile on her face. "We've had a breakthrough in the search from the skies. A magical signature was detected that couldn't possibly be anyone other than Zeref."
"I thought his magic was sealed." That was what the keys were for, after all.
Even Hades frowned, looking uncertain. "We can discuss it further on the airship. I'd prefer to not have this conversation where we risk being overheard by others." Looking at her surroundings, Meredy nodded. She cut off the communication lacrima and put on one of the teleportation rings. After a brief moment, she was back in Master Hades' office with Ultear and Hades.
"Welcome back." Ultear walked over, reaching out and ruffling her hair. "That look suits you. Makes you actually look as old as you act."
With a scowl, Meredy dropped the transformation spell and focused on Master. "I can act however I want."
"Girls." Master interrupted before they could get sidetracked. "As Meredy has stated, we do have a mystery on our hands. While I am confident that this magic cannot be anyone other than Zeref, it does leave bring up questions on what the keys of legend actually accomplish."
"Perhaps it is merely a partial seal," Ultear suggested. "I cannot imagine it would be a small feat to seal off all of the power of such a legendary wizard. Time weakened the seal, or it was never fully blocking him from his magic in the first place. What we're sensing now would then just be a small fraction of what he could accomplish."
"But Ultear, that doesn't seam likely." Meredy shook her head. "Seals, especially ones designed by the magic council, are typically resistant to time-erosion. I cannot see them making such a mistake."
"The partial seal may be accurate, however." Master Hades scratched his chin, looking thoughtful. "It would explain this unexpected turn of events."
"Even that seems peculiar." Meredy folded her hands over her chests. "They took no risks when it came to numerous findings throughout history involving Zeref. Demons were fully sealed, as were countless spells throughout the country. No matter how challenging the task may seem, I'd sooner suspect they were constantly keeping Zeref under guard than assume they'd abandon him after only partially sealing his power."
"Ah, but he is a deceptive man." Hades' eyes widened, leaning forward eagerly. "He deceived them all into thinking the seal was successful. Trust me, Meredy. You do not know of him as well as I do." He sighed, smiling happily. "Plus, it makes all the more sense given his location."
Still doubtful, Meredy nearly continued the debate. Ultear nudged her, shaking her head slightly and stopping her. So, she sighed and folded her arms over her chest, letting the subject drop. "Where exactly is he then?"
"An island that will be quite difficult to infiltrate." The man turned towards them. "Tenrou Island. At one point in time, I would have been able to enter with ease, but things will be more complex now." He frowned, looking thoughtful. "Regardless, I will work out the details of getting us to him. For now, we have everything in place for when we finally retrieve our final keys. I'd like you to begin strategizing for the future - targeting Tenrou Island will result in a battle with Fiore's number one wizard's guild and it is best if we are prepared."
While Meredy may have struggled with knowing where to start for a tracking job, strategizing was her specialty. She'd taken after her parents, after all. Yet, something about the sudden knowledge of the black wizard's location was strange. It was odd that there'd suddenly be a detectible beacon of magic to trace and locate a wizard who'd evaded everyone for so long. Still, Hades was confident in his conclusions. It wasn't her place to question his decisions, no matter how improbable they seemed. So, she left him to his planning and began to return to her room. Her brief mission was over before it even began and now, she had a new research task to begin for Master. Meredy would become an expert on this guild and ensure that Grimoire Heart succeeded in awakening the black wizard Zeref.
After a long delay, we've got a bit more progression on Meredy's subplot again. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!