More will be said at the end here, but here is the fourth chapter of "Titan Slayer."
Enjoy! :D
"Now, what seems to bring you two kids here today?" Makarov asked, as he sits down on the bar, with his cane on his lap and his drink nearby.
It was not long ago after the master of Fairy Tail gave his inspiring speech to his members, as Gareth can still feel much of them were in high spirits. But ever since then, Makarov had come down and brought him and Lucy to him with Mira also accompanying them, thus bringing to where all four were right now.
"My name's Lucy and this is Gareth," said girl introduced both of them, "We would like to join the guild."
"Hehe, I had a feeling you would say that," Makarov smiled, "But call me curious today; what reason given do you want to join Fairy Tail?"
Lucy smiles back and looks ahead, "Ever since I first heard about Fairy Tail, I've always wanted to join. In fact, there have been a lot of things I've heard about this place. But what really drew me here is how recognizable you all are, and it has become a dream of mine to be a part of that." Lucy momentarily rubs the back of her head, "You may have heard something similar to what I'm saying many times before, but I really want to join Fairy Tail and it would be an honor if you accept me!"
"And we will gladly accept you, Lucy," Mira smiled brightly, feeling affectionate and grateful for the girl's admiration to her home.
Makarov agreed wholeheartedly by humbly nodding his head, before turning to Gareth, "And what about you, Gareth?"
Gareth, after again admiring Lucy's personality, turns to the master and begins to speak. But Gareth stops short before he does and pauses for a moment, waiting on what his instincts want him to say. The other three notice this visually but none proceed to interrupt him. It didn't go for long, till Gareth speaks out again, "Do not intend to bring the mood down, Master Makarov. But the reason me is here is a personal one."
Makarov's smile dimmed a bit, but his expression remained positive, though his curiosity did spike a bit, "There is no need to worry, Gareth. Whatever it is that brought you here, I will not hold any grudge over it." But I do appreciate that he cares, Makarov thought.
As she was hearing this, Lucy felt the need to say something to Gareth. She had not forgotten the moment last night where Gareth almost did not tell Natsu and Happy about his father's origins and of the Titans overall. She now felt concerned that this may happen here. So, as a show of support, Lucy rest her hand on Gareth's shoulder. He looks at her, as she said, "It's okay, Gareth. You don't have to hide anything to the master. You don't have to hide anything to anyone here."
Gareth gradually understood what Lucy was referring to, and replied, "But the knowledge me has carries so much weight to this world."
This earned a few raised eyebrows.
"Well... yeah," Lucy continued, even though she felt a bit weirded out by how Gareth phrased it, "but I don't think anyone here has the intention of misusing that knowledge. Do you?"
Gareth then looked around the guild and felt his instincts activate. As every moment passed, he figured that Lucy was right; none of the members here shared any negative intent, with each showing a sense of compassion and a high level of trust. The boy wasn't really sure if he could share that level of trust as well at the moment, but he did nonetheless agreed with Lucy by shaking his head.
Lucy lets go of his shoulder and gently smiles at him, "Then there is no issue in doing so."
Gareth was silent for another moment, and then nods at Lucy in content.
He then looks back at Makarov, and finally answers, "Looking for my father." Makarov's smile now fully dimmed as his gaze on the boy sharpened, even Mira perked up at Gareth's words. Said boy notice both of these reactions, but continued, "It was a long time ago when my father disappeared; do not know how, but it happened. As that day grow older, me gave myself the strength and intention to walk on to civilization to find him. It was only yesterday when me did so, and when me met Lucy. She told me that bringing me here, and to you, would help me gain more knowledge on these lands and help better understand where my father is. That is also why me wants to join Fairy Tail."
Makarov gazed at him for a brief moment, before looking down. His story reminds me of a certain fire wizard, he thought, Still, I feel sorry for the kid. His past has greatly affected him; of how he pushed himself to even be here in the first place. But he said that he arrived here... yesterday? Where did he come from? ... ...His magic. When I touched Gareth's hand... Hmmmm...
As the master was pondering, Mira was showing similar sympathy to Gareth. While neither were aware of what the fate of Gareth's father could be, she understood the feeling of loss. But even then, feeling a bit guilty to admit it, Mira did wonder how Gareth went through those emotional moments of his life.
"I am sorry you had to go through that," Makarov said, looking back up at Gareth.
"Thank you for your words, Master Makarov," Gareth nods in response.
"I do have to ask you, if you don't mind?" Makarov opens up. Gareth shakes his head in response, letting the master continue, "Who is your father?"
"Before me answers your question, would like to ask you one as well," Gareth says.
Makarov snorts and smiles, "Amuse me."
"Have you ever heard the tale of the Titans?" Gareth asks again.
Makarov's smile fades again quickly, but this time his eyes widen in shock. It all makes sense now!, he thought.
Gareth notice this and, confused at first, realized his reaction and gain a sense of surprise of his own. "You know of the Titans!?" he shouted, catching the attention of a lot of the members. Gareth noticed the mood shifting and many eyes turning to him.
"Master, what is Gareth talking about?" Mira wondered, as she looked at Makarov recollecting himself.
The master took a heavy breath and gazed at the ceiling, "It has been a very long time since I last heard that word," he then slowly looks back at Gareth, "But yes, I do know of the Titans, and I think it's time that you all know as well."
Gareth understood what he was saying; he sensed much of the guild had gotten out of their seats or their previous positions and have headed closer to Makarov, with notable inclusions like Gray, Cana, Elfman, and a short turquoise haired girl who he learned was named Levy, inching closer to Gareth. The boy began to feel uncomfortable, but thankfully remembering what Lucy said, Gareth's senses calmed down and allowed Makarov to continue by nodding at his direction.
"Back then, long before any of us were born, Earthland was in a very bad place," Makarov began, "As the world itself was being made, an infection was created. This infection was no ordinary one, however, as its spread would stall the planet's growth and threaten its destruction. But thankfully, that did not happen, as the strongest, first ever beings of this world were there to fight this infection. They were known as the Titans. Once this infection was destroyed, these giant monsters would go on to build order and balance to Earthland, and oversaw the continued development of the world, including the birth of many other beings, such as Gods, dragons, demons, Celestial Spirits, and even us folk; and whenever the infection tried to come back, the Titans would face it together."
Gareth heard some of the members gasp in awe, as they all stared at their master in amazement. But surprisingly, Gareth was also amazed by this story; considering how the Titans came to be in this world, but also he never remembered his father telling him this side of his life. Guess it really did not matter to him; can understand why. Still... Father, you are incredible, Gareth thought, now feeling proud.
"Wait, I thought Gods were the strongest," Elfman thought.
"Nope; it was always the Titans. Their very presence helped shape the landscape of how Earthland looks today. But of course, that's just part of the legend," Makarov explained more.
"Even as you say that Master, that is still mind blowing!" Cana exasperated.
"Beings that are older than Gods," Levy voiced out, "These Titans are fascinating."
An aged man with brown hair sticking out in the front, who Gareth learned his name was Wakaba, whistled, "And I thought I saw everything."
"So how come nobody else knows about this?" Gray said, confused while crossing his arms.
"Well, that's because they don't," Makarov pointed out, "The Titans have not been seen since over a millennia, and because of that, only a few people around the world are aware of the Titan's existence, including you Gareth."
Said boy noticed everyone turn their heads to him, but he didn't pay too much attention as he was still keeping his emotions in check while gazing down at Makarov.
Makarov gazed back at Gareth, and then went on to ask, "Your father... he is a Titan, is he not?"
"Yes," Gareth momentarily said back, as he then sense the many looks of the guild members intensifying, "He raised me, trained me, and took care of me... But Master Makarov... how did you know?"
He heard the Master sigh gently and heard him say, "I sensed the Magic within you. It felt heavy, pure... and also ancient in a spiritual sense. I have encountered a few other people who had a similar effect on me, but nothing like yours Gareth; and honestly, I wasn't really sure what it exactly was until you confirm it yourself."
So there are humans here who can sense the Ethernano as well, Gareth figured.
The boy tried to say something else, before Makarov caught on by holding up his hand, "Before you ask me Gareth; no. I do not know your Father personally, nor have I met any of the Titans."
Gareth looked a bit disappointed, but he understood Makarov's answer. No one can know everything, he thought. However, as he continued to hear the Fairy Tail Master's knowledge of the Titans, Gareth's confidence toward Makarov grew. He found it helpful that there was actually someone within civilization that knew about the giant monsters, and the more he learned Gareth couldn't help but feel thankful to the one who brought him here. Thank you, Lucy. This has already been a great help to me.
He then looked back at the other guild members, and Gareth notice how sympathetic, amazed, or even accepted they were toward him. He honestly felt surprised of how easy it was for them to believe in his story, but Gareth's instincts caught on the bond between them and Makarov. It looks like their Master has never wronged them before. Me have sensed that Master Makarov is not lying at all to prove that... This place is so.. livable. It is no wonder Fairy Tail is seen this way by civilization... Perhaps... it is right to share more of my Father to them, he thought.
Gareth, with a newfound sense of safety, slowly smiled and went on to say, "Then you should at least know who my father is."
"Of course," Makarov nodded.
"Gojira," Gareth answered.
The boy again noticed the master's eyes widen, but not by much as previously. "Really?" Makarov asked, not sounding doubtful but rather intrigued. Gareth nods. He then saw Makarov smile and hummed, "Well, isn't this a fateful day."
"God.. zilla?" Cana slowly repeated.
"That is an easier way of saying my Father's name; yes," Gareth pointed out.
"And how does he stand out?" Levy responded.
"Because he was the leader," Gareth explained, "Some even called him as the King of All Monsters."
"WHAT!?" pretty much almost everyone shouted.
And in return, Makarov barked out laughing.
Gareth felt his right shoulder tingle with Ethernano, as he watched Mira pressed the tattoo stamp onto his skin. It was also not long after Makarov and Gareth explained to the guild the history of the Titans. It amazed them still, but once the two finished, everyone returned to their seats and Gareth and Lucy were brought over to Mira for their official joining of Fairy Tail.
What it was took Gareth aback a bit, due to its short simplicity. Apparently, in order to become a member of the guild, every newcomer has to have a magical tattoo imprinted on the person's skin, with the tattoo being the symbol representing the guild. In this case, the tattoo Gareth would have depicts the silhouette of a fairy with multiple wings sprouting out behind and it's 'tail' pointing out below... or at least that's what Gareth thought represented as; for all he knew, the symbol could've been depicted in a way he did not realized. Nevertheless, this was the piece of art that gave the guild its name, and it stayed true since Gareth had noticed the symbol on many of the guild members, each with a different color and on a different part of the human body.
Lucy decided hers would be pink on the back of her right hand, while Gareth decided his would be black below his right shoulder blade.
"And all done," Mira said, just as she lifted the tattoo stamp off Gareth's skin, "Welcome to Fairy Tail, you two."
"Yes; I did it! Lets go!" Lucy cheered, grabbing her imprinted hand in sheer joy.
Gareth however rubbed his left hand over his imprinted shoulder, staring at his new tattoo and feeling the remnants of Ethernano still tingling his skin. "To be honest, me thought us joining would have taken longer," he said, looking back at Mira after rolling down his poncho sleeve.
"Ufufufu, now why would we do that?" Mira said, smiling brightly.
It took a moment for Gareth to catch on to her sarcasm and understood her way of speaking. "Guess not," he simply replied back, "Thank you."
"Natsu, look!" Gareth turn to see Lucy heading over to said boy, who was looking over at the wooden board filled with multiple pieces of written paper Gareth saw earlier, trying to have him see the new tattoo on her hand, "I finally joined Fairy Tail!"
However, Natsu didn't seem to bother looking at Lucy and continued looking at the board, all while lamely saying, "Oh yeah? That's great. Glad to have you here Louis."
Lucy looked a little insulted at the mispronunciation and jabbed, "The name's Lucy!"
Gareth again didn't know if he should feel amused or confused.
But he did put his focus more on the wooden board both his acquaintances were looking at. Back in Hargeon, he remembered Lucy saying that in guilds, wizards are able to take jobs and earn money when completing them. Noticing the writing on the papers sticking to the board, he can deduce those were the jobs themselves. Still, he wanted to confirm.
"So Master Makarov," Gareth called out, who looked back after sipping his drink, "that board over there; that is where members can take jobs?"
"Yes," Makarov responds, "It is there that guild members can choose whatever quest they want to take. Each quest, and the rewards, varies on what the client wants us to do, and depending on how long much of the quests there get done, new quests are then posted."
Interesting, Gareth thought, These.. quests may help me learn more about this place and others around it. Could also give me knowledge on where to find Father. But even as he thought that, Gareth admitted that he wouldn't be able to learn more on his father's whereabouts immediately; he knew it was going to take some time before he did. Nevertheless, this was the best lead Gareth had since leaving his home, and he was for sure going to take that no matter how many times it took.
However, before he could start heading over...
"Um... excuse me," Gareth turned and looked down at a young boy with short dark purple hair and black eyes standing near him but otherwise looking down and feeling nervous, hence the slight fidgeting Gareth also noticed, "Can you help me?"
Gareth wasn't sure how to reply back to the boy, because frankly this was the first time someone approached him this way. For a long time, Gareth had his mind set to finding his father, to the point where no one really bothered speaking to him in this manner; but almost all that time was back home, so that wasn't a good argument. What fit better in this scenario was that Gareth was still not used to the communications between humans, so he was still trying to understand that factor.
It was Gareth's instincts that told him what the boy meant by saying 'help'; he was requesting his aid. "What is wrong?" Gareth responded, after a moment of silence.
"My name's Romeo," the boy introduced himself, "and I heard what you said earlier; that you were looking for your dad." Gareth notice Romeo fidget more before looking up at him with slight watered eyes, "I need your help looking for my dad."
Gareth's instincts immediately shifted.
"Happy; what can you tell me about these Vulcans?" Gareth asked the blue cat, as they, Natsu, and Lucy were riding in a small carriage up to the Hakobe Mountain.
For good reason, too.
When Gareth listened in on Romeo's plea, in that moment he felt that a connection was formed between the two. While Romeo's situation was much more recent, Gareth understood how the boy felt when his father had been absent for the past few days. It felt strange to Gareth; him seeing someone have feelings that he has had for a long time, and in a way it felt... good and bad. It felt good that he wasn't the only one facing this dilemma, but at the same time he knew it would have turned out bad if this lasted longer for Romeo.
And as he sit inside the carriage, Gareth slowly figured that this is what Natsu would be feeling from time to time as well.
So of course, he figured that helping Romeo was the right thing to do. But, the problem that he quickly faced afterwards was that he didn't know where Romeo's father, who Gareth learned was named Macao, was exactly. Thankfully, he figured that out, as Makarov overheard the two's conversation.
Apparently, Macao was out hunting these creatures called Vulcans up north of Magnolia within a region called Hakobe Mountain. While Gareth was not aware of what Macao's Ethernano was or what he was capable of, him being out there for almost a week since taking the quest should have given at least some concern. While Gareth was confident in finding Macao by himself, he again was still new to these lands, so he asked Natsu and Happy to help guide him there. Lucy, who also overheard the conversation, decided to tag along as well.
Now he was listening in on what Happy had to say about the Vulcans; Lucy was sitting next to Gareth, while Happy sat next to Natsu and his bag of supplies, who was slouching to the side, motion sickness already kicking in.
"Vulcans are these ape-like creatures that roam across different parts of Earthland; there are a few subspecies as well, but the ones that we'll face are the Mountain Vulcans," Happy explained, "There's nothing really special about these creatures, other than the fact that it can use Take-Over magic."
"Take-Over?" Gareth asked, a bit confused.
"It's a type of Caster magic that allows the bearer to 'take over' someone else, whether it is their abilities or the person as a whole," Happy explained further.
Gareth found that information fascinating, but considering the current situation it also unnerved him. These Vulcans may look weak, but that weakness can trick those who fight them. Will have to be careful, he thought. But then he thought back to Macao's quest and his period of absence, Can not doubt Macao so soon... but if it is true, will have to free him somehow.
That's very scary, Lucy thought, as she was more frightened by the fact than him. But not wanting to let fear cloud her judgement at the moment, she looked back at Gareth and began thinking back of how quickly he was in helping Romeo. She definitely didn't forget the main reason Gareth was in Fiore, nor why he wanted to help, but it did surprised her nonetheless, despite Gareth having only met the kid. She then considered something about Gareth; his so-called 'instincts.' She's already heard him say it a few times already, but considering how these 'instincts' have affected him, Lucy definitely would've called herself curious at this point. I'm seriously gonna ask him about that after this is over, Lucy thought.
The four then felt the carriage stop. "Huh, looks like we are here," Gareth quickly figured.
"ALRIGHT! WE STOPPED MOVING!" Natsu screamed happily, quickly recovering from the motion sickness.
Gareth again didn't know whether to feel amused or confused.
"Sorry, but this is as far as I can take you," they all heard the carriage escort say.
Gareth and Lucy were confused at that statement at first, but the former quickly caught on as he can feel his skin vibrate from the cold wind coming through the curtain.
The latter caught on when she opened it.
"WHAT THE HECK!?" Lucy screamed, as she and everyone else saw the windy, snowy landscape that was Hakobe Mountain.
Gareth paid no mind, as he circled around her and landed on the deep snow. Now, would have been nice if me can see the tracks, but the snow is already covering it. However..., he thought to himself, before kneeling down.
The others watch him grab a handful of snow, held it up to his face, and sniff it. It took a few whiffs before he stood back up and dropped the snow. "He went that way," Gareth said, pointing to the correct direction while raising his voice over the strong wind gusts.
"Wow, you must have a strong nose Gareth," Happy said, impressed.
"Thank you, Happy. Able to track Macao's scent. It is faint. Let us move before it is gone," Gareth acknowledged, before trudging through the deep, heavy snow; Natsu, Happy, and reluctantly Lucy started to follow.
Thus began a slow journey through the heavy blizzard that blanketed Hakobe Mountain. It had been a while since Gareth witnessed such a snow storm; usually when such a case occurred, he would normally stay inside and only go out in the rarest occasions. But in this instance, Gareth was thankful that Mother Nature decided to give him and his acquaintances some good visibility.
However, it still didn't take long for the first call to be made.
"MACAO! WHERE ARE YOU OLD MAN!?" Natsu shouted out, his voice echoing out across the mountain.
Unfortunately, Lucy was facing a more personal matter at the moment. "Ugh, it's freezing out there!" Lucy whined, wrapping her body tight as she shivered.
"That's what happens when you show too much skin during a snow storm, Lucy!" Happy called out.
"Oh, quit being a smartass, cat!" Lucy angrily shouted, directing her attention to the others, "How come none of you are freezing up like I am!?"
"Us cat's fur are adaptable to the cold," Happy said, sounding prideful.
"My magic makes me immune," Natsu explained.
"Training," Gareth simply said.
That explains a lot, Lucy thought, sweatdropping a bit from Gareth's explanation. Suddenly, her face brighten up, as her hand immediately went to her keychain, Wait, I know what to do!
Gareth and the others looked back when they saw a yellow magic circle appear below the girl. Gareth was confused at first. What is Lu-... wait a minute. Me recognize this Ethernano, Gareth now realized. He remembered back to a moment last night, when he saw the half fish, half human girl floating next to Lucy during their assault against Bora. He wasn't able to recognize who that being was, due to how far he was at the time; but now that he can feel the Ethernano coming off of Lucy, Gareth recognized who that being was and who Lucy is about to summon.
"OPEN; GATE OF THE PENDULUM CLOCK! HOROLOGIUM!" Lucy casted, bringing one of her silver keys to the ground. Once she did, an actual clock with arms and legs sprout up from the Magic circle, its face representing the handles.
Natsu and Happy were a bit dumbfounded as they watched their friend step inside the anthropomorphic clock and sat down, but Gareth was amazed by the appearance and went to point out their identity.
"You are a Celestial Spirit!" Gareth said.
This caught Horologium's attention, while Lucy look up at Gareth with slight surprise. "You recognize me so easily?" Horologium said, speaking in his own terms.
"Of course; the Ethernano you carry shows that," Gareth explained, "Father would at times talk about your kind. Me found your kind amazing. It is an honor to finally meet one of you."
Hearing that made the spirit and Lucy smile with appreciation; the latter also felt delighted that someone she knew was very interested in her magic. Lucy would be happy if she were to explain her magic to Gareth... and also point out something that may help Gareth prepare for any awkward situations in the near future, but she knew this wasn't the right time to do so.
Gareth then notice Lucy speaking through the glass, but only he could understand what she was saying. However, not wanting to feel bad, he allowed Horologium to speak for her. "'While I would like to explain my magic to you Gareth, we still do have someone to rescue.' she says pointedly," Horologium translated.
Gareth still remembered why they were here, but he did nevertheless replied by nodding and turning back to Natsu and Happy, "Right; let us continue then."
The pair silently nod back and the group continued onward through the heavy snow.
From then on, not much was said between the group, as Gareth led them through the falling snow, his long hair black and poncho strongly breezing from the winds, with Natsu and Happy moving next to him and Horologium and Lucy following not too far behind.
But soon, Gareth stopped moving and looked down at the snow.
The others quickly noticed. "What's wrong?" Natsu asked.
"The trail stops here," Gareth replied.
RAWR!
Gareth's instincts immediately spiked dangerously high, as he, Natsu, and Happy look up and notice the silhouette of a large monster preparing to land on top of them.
The three jump back, well more like Gareth and Natsu jump while Happy hold onto the latter on their shoulder, just in time before the monster crushed them. Gareth got a look at the beast once he and Natsu landed next to Lucy's spirit.
It was not hard for Gareth to realize that the beast was actually a Vulcan, due to its appearance fitting Happy's description very well; the Vulcan really did look like a certain Titan Gareth heard his Father talk about at times, but what stand out that made this creature unique were its pointed ears, multiple black spots on its white fur, long tail, and pointed head that resembled a singular horn.
"So that is a Vulcan," Gareth nonetheless whispered, as he positioned his feet ready to strike or defend, with Natsu following suit. Need to watch it carefully.
The boys watched as the beast began sniffing around him.
It then turn towards the group, but Gareth soon notice where it's eyes we're pointing towards.
The Vulcan then charged.
No, you do not!, Gareth shouted inwardly, readying himself to shoulder swipe the big creature, as the Vulcan was closing in.
However, the Vulcan caught on to what the boy was planning; just as it closed the gap between it and the group, the Vulcan grabbed a large handful of snow and flung it at Gareth.
Gareth notice it and use his free hand to swipe the snow away.
But it was too late.
"'Don't you two just stand there! Help me, please!' she shouts with anxiety," Gareth and Natsu turn back ahead, as they watched the Vulcan running off into the distance, carrying Horologium in its arms, who despite the situation he was in was still translating what Lucy, who was still inside, said.
Gareth grits his teeth, Damnit! Looks like the search will be put on hold for now.
"Let us go after it!" the boy then shouted, before he, Natsu, and Happy began chasing Vulcan.
Despite the storm still raining down on them, they were all capable in not letting the creature get away; following it into the depths of an icy cave. Once inside though, Gareth had to at first keep his body, and even at times Natsu's, from slipping onto the icy floor. But they were able to stay steady and continue onward.
Once they caught up to the beast, Gareth notice that Horologium had disappeared (he momentarily wondered why that was the case before refocusing) and that the Vulcan was now leering over the scared Lucy. He, Natsu, and Happy were glancing at the beast behind an iced cave wall.
"Woman," Gareth was then caught off guard a bit when the Vulcan spoke in human language, although sluggishly.
"It speaks?" Gareth whispered, turning to Happy.
"It is rare, but they are capable in doing so," the cat whispered back.
Rare?, Gareth thought, as he turn back to the beast. While he wasn't doubting Happy's short explanation, the boy felt his instincts spike a bit, 'telling' him that there was more to it than that. Gareth then narrowed his eyes on the beast and focused on finding possible Ethernano that originated in the Vulcan. He did found it, but what he saw unnerved him again; while there was a tiny amount of Ethernano that came from the monster, Gareth noticed another, much larger set of Ethernano that did not originated from the monster... as if it came from someone else. So Macao was taken over by this Vulcan. Will have to free him now, Gareth summarized and planned out, as he began moving out of cover.
Natsu had the same idea, or at least part of it. "Hey, monkey!" he shouted, as he ran past Gareth and Happy, "Where's Macao!? Tell us where he is or else we're gonna pound you!" The Vulcan turn towards the pink-haired boy, with the black-haired boy and blue cat following behind. The three stopped in front of the beast, as Natsu continued, "Yeah, you know! Old man with short blue hair! You must have seen him, right?"
Not sure if it understands you, Natsu, Gareth thought with lowered eyebrows.
They all then witness the Vulcan making different hand gestures, with a few pointing to its right. Natsu turn to Gareth and Happy, "Hey, I think it's trying to tell us where he is."
Gareth then turn to where the Vulcan was pointing and saw a small opening leading outside; the boy figured what the beast was attempting to do. "Uh, Natsu, me do not think it is...," Gareth's voice died down, as he notice the beast was successful in luring Natsu to the hole.
Gareth grunts in annoyance and called out the flying cat behind him, "Happy,... get ready."
"Macao, are you out he-!" Natsu began to say, before the Vulcan kicked him out of the cave and down the mountain's edge. Gareth watched Lucy run to the hole and shouted the boy's name, with Happy zooming past her and racing to his falling friend.
Gareth's focus turn back to the beast, his eyes now filled with anger and rising disgust.
"Me don't like man! Me like woman!" the Vulcan said repeatedly, as it pounded its chest with pride.
"HEY!" the Vulcan stopped and turn to the last remaining man in its cave, with Lucy shortly following suit. Here, they both notice Gareth had changed his stance; his legs were bended, his upper body tilted forward, and his arms curled up with his hands pointed to his chin. The Vulcan then saw his face; his eyes were giving off an angry predatory look, ready to strike hard at any moment. This face made the creature very uncomfortable.
But what the boy did next completely scared the beast.
First taking a step forward, Gareth moved his arms up to his face, violently brought them down, and spread them wide, as he unleashed a violent loud sound from his mouth:
SKRREEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNGGK!!!
The Vulcan immediately backed up to the nearest wall, as Gareth's roar vibrated the entire area.
Lucy covered her ears and looked at her friend with wonder. The sounds that were made to create such a roar, it felt nonhuman nor did it feel natural; like it would not have made sense if this roar came from some normal beast. But for some odd reason, it made sense to her. This roar that she was hearing right now was something that could never be replicated freely; that it only belonged to one monster that lived somewhere within Earthland, and that monster was able to pass it down to his son.
"W-Whoa...," Lucy breathed out, as Gareth finished his roar.
There was a prolonged silence; the Vulcan stared at the boy with wide eyes, its body slightly twitching in shock.
"YOU HAVE SOMETHING WE WANT!" Gareth shouted, a prominent growl mixed with his voice, "RELEASE HIM! NOW!"
The Vulcan continued to stare at him at first, before its face softened as it seem to recognize what Gareth was referring to. For a moment, Gareth thought the beast would comply with his request; but then the Vulcan's face harden again, this time with fierce anger. The beast then moved forward and slammed its fists to the ground and shouted with a loud, "NO!"
"...So be it," Gareth replied back, as his body began to coat with Ethernano.
"Gareth, let me help!" Lucy, having realized what Gareth said, called out to him with a brave smirk, as she pulled out one of her golden keys, "OPEN; GATE OF THE GOLDEN BULL! TAURUS!" From the yellow magic circle, out came the summoned Celestial Spirit; a half-man, half-cow being wielding a giant axe.
"Half-human, half-bull?" Gareth called out the spirit's description with interest, all anger having disappeared.
Lucy nods in his direction and then turns her attention to the Vulcan, who was also staring at the spirit, "Don't be so fooled, beast! Taurus is the strongest Celestial Spirit I own, so you better watch out!"
Then suddenly, the tense moment was embarrassingly broken as Taurus turn to his owner and said with a flirty tone, "Wow Lucy; almost forgot what a nice body you have. Why don't you come over here and give me a smooch?"
"What?" Gareth quietly sharply said, flabbergasted as his eyebrows lowered and his left eye twitched.
"Oh yeah, and he's also a huge pervert," Lucy faceplamed and sweatdropped, inadvertently explaining to Gareth's confusion.
"Hey!" the Vulcan, sensing a rivalry, glared at Taurus, "Don't touch my woman!"
Taurus, hearing that, glared back at the beast. "Your woman?" the spirit said, as his hands tighten their grip around his axe, "Them's fighting words, you mooooooooonkey!"
...Just going to ignore this and start fighting, Gareth decided, before he lunged at the Vulcan.
The Vulcan, still distracted, was struck in the face by Gareth's Ethernano covered fist.
The beast stumbled back, and didn't have time to realize as he was then struck to the side by Taurus' fist and quickly jabbed it in the stomach with his axe handle.
All this sent the Vulcan back a few feet, before it finally recover their senses and rushed back towards the two.
The Vulcan slam its fist down on Gareth, but the boy was able to dodge.
It then rush to grab Taurus' face, which was successful before the bull spirit manage to break free by kneeing it in the stomach.
The Vulcan clutches their stomach in pain, giving Gareth to jump and kick it in the neck, followed by a small series of paddle kicks to its upper chest.
Gareth then jumped back from the now stunned Vulcan, giving Taurus the chance the slash it across the chest with his axe, sending the creature to the wall.
However, despite the onslaught, the Vulcan was able to get back up, more angrier than ever. Noticing the chunks of ice that fell from his collision, the Vulcan picked two up and threw them at the spirit and boy.
Both quickly noticed and use different tactics to response; Taurus slash his block of ice into pieces, while Gareth jumped above his piece and slam it down with his feet; smashing it and sending him higher into the air.
The Vulcan notice the boy and attempted to rush him again, as Gareth brought his two fists above his head.
They both roared, as the gap between them closed. In the end, fortunately for Gareth, and unfortunately for the beast, the boy was just too high for the Vulcan to grab; Gareth slam his fists on the Vulcan's head, sending the beast's body violently to the ground, creating a small shockwave and sending ice into the air.
This attack greatly hurt the beast, who was now barely conscious. But before it was able to move again, the Vulcan felt its neck being held by the boy's hands as its head then move to the boy's eyes. "RELEASE MACAO! NOW!" Gareth shouted.
As Gareth held the monster in place, Lucy looked at him from a far with amazement. She wasn't able to clearly see his previous fight back at Hargeon, so for her to see how easy it was for Gareth to outmaneuver the Vulcan, as well as how quickly it came for him to cooperate with her spirit despite the shenanigans it displayed, all Lucy can think right now was that Gareth was an incredible fighter. Whatever his father taught Gareth, it surely stands out, she thought, now feeling a bit giddy from the performance and their chances at winning.
Suddenly, that moment broke, as both Gareth and Lucy saw Natsu zoom past them and struck Taurus hard in the face, sending the spirit tumbling to the ground and back to the spirit world.
Lucy screamed with embarrassment.
"Natsu!" Gareth called out, not knowing his grip on the Vulcan slipped.
This was enough for the Vulcan to grab the boy and toss him back to the others.
Gareth was able to reconfigure his body and land with his feet on the ground, sliding past and stopping in front of Natsu.
"What do you think you're doing!?" Lucy angrily shouted at Natsu, "That was one of my spirits!"
Natsu, not showing much reaction, calmly scratched the back of his head, "I thought that was another Vulcan."
This made Lucy grit her teeth and Gareth to shake his head in disappointment. Lucy then notice something, "Wait, how did you get up here so quick?"
This made Gareth confused now, turning to her, "You did not see Happy?"
Lucy looks back at Gareth and notice said cat flying above the two boys, who just smiled back at her. This then made Lucy lower her eyebrows, "Okay, now I'm confused. You get motion sickness when riding a vehicle, but not when Happy is carrying you. Why is that?"
This actually stunned Natsu, as he stares at Lucy with a raised eyebrow, "What kind of question is that? Happy is not a vehicle; he's my friend. I don't think he's any different from anything else."
"Uh... right, sorry," Lucy weakly apologized to him.
Gareth really didn't know how to respond to that answer, but he didn't need to any longer, as he notice the Vulcan had gotten back up and was now rushing to strike Natsu from behind. "Natsu! Move!" he abruptly shouted.
But instead of moving, Natsu raised his fist above his head, blocking the Vulcan's own fist and creating another small shockwave.
"Listen up, you big ape!" Natsu shouted, directing his attention to the Vulcan, "I consider everyone in the Fairy Tail guild my friend! That includes Master, Happy, stupid Gray, and even Macao!"
Using the strength of his lower body, Natsu push the Vulcan off his fist and into the air. It crashed onto the ground, while Natsu turn around to face it, his magic emitting from his body. "Lucy and Gareth; they're also my friends," he calmly stated.
This caused Lucy to blush a bit, while Gareth raised his head in acknowledgement.
"And if you don't want to answer anything we have to say," Natsu began to walk towards the struggling Vulcan, "then I'll just force it out of you!"
Right after he said that, Natsu lunged toward the monster with his fist arching back and coated with his Lost Magic. "IRON FIST OF THE FIRE DRAGON!"
After all the beatdowns the Vulcan had to suffer, it wasn't able to move in time as it was violently sent deep into the cave wall from Natsu's attack.
When the dust settled, what the group found the Vulcan slouching down unmoving and out cold.
"I... think I overdid it," Natsu slowly said, feeling embarrassed.
"No," Gareth stated, his Ethernano moving back into his body and beginning to sense the shift of the Vulcan's Ethernano, "Me thinks you did enough."
Before Natsu can ask why, the group suddenly notice the Vulcan's body begin to glow and transform. It was a quick process, but once the transformation finished what they saw in the Vulcan's place was an unconscious middle-aged man with short dark blue hair wearing only brown pants and black shoes, his upper body uncovered and filled with bruises and cuts.
"Macao!" Natsu shouted the man's name, as he and the others run towards his body.
Once they got close, Gareth kneels down and places his fingers on Macao's neck.
He felt a pulse. "He is alive," Gareth said.
"Then it's best we lay him down and treat his injuries. We can wait for him to wake up after," Happy said.
That is what they did next; using the bag of supplies Natsu miraculously still carried, the group was able to treat Macao's wounds, wrapping bandages around his waist, left arm, and any other part that showcased a serious injury. Once they were done, they all sat around Macao's body and waited.
Thankfully, it didn't take too long for them to hear the first grunts coming from Macao.
"Macao,... you okay?" Natsu said.
"Hnnn,.. Natsu? Is that you?" Macao slowly said, barely opening his eyes.
"Yeah, it's me," Natsu smiled down at him, "Now, take it easy. Romeo's waiting for you."
"Romeo...," Macao called out the name of his son, before suddenly saying, "I'm pathetic." This caught everyone off guard, with Natsu, Happy, and Gareth feeling doubtful, while Lucy was confused. Yet they continued listening to him, "I took down nineteen of those things, but the twentieth one got to me. I felt so angry at myself, that I wasn't proving to my own son that I was capable of being a strong wizard... and I failed at that. He'll find me embarrassing when I come home like this."
Gareth looked down at the wizard, contemplating on what he just said. It made him feel sad that Macao was facing this sense of guilt; fearing that he was weak and worst giving the impression of that to his kin. While he didn't know the full story between the father and son, Macao's words reminded Gareth of his own dilemma. He remembered all the times he trained under his father, and all the times he did by myself after his father disappeared. Him going to these lands, to try and find his father, all that training he did was a big reason to why he did so. So for Gareth to see the man in such a state, it force him to recall the possible failure he might face.
But also, he felt that Macao was looking at this the wrong way.
"You are not pathetic," Gareth began, making Macao and the others look at him, "You are what you say you are not. You said so; you defeated nineteen of those Vulcans. Do not focus on the one that defeated you, focus on the ones that you defeated. Your son would be proud of that."
Macao stared in awe at the boy he never met until now. "...Have we met before?"
"No; my name is Gareth... and me understands what it is like to have something missing in your life. But me knows that someday it will be found; not today, not tomorrow,... and maybe not for some time. But one day it will be. For you Macao, you will not have to wait, because you have already found it," Gareth went on to say, as he stares up at ceiling.
Everyone else stared at him in disbelief, as they were not expecting Gareth to sound so inspirational.
Natsu was affected the most though, for he understood the reasoning of those words. For years now, he too had been searching for his father Igneel; he had discovered many clues and leads that turned out to be untrue or simply sent him nowhere. But despite it all, Natsu never gave up. So for him to hear these words from someone he barely knew, but still considered a friend nonetheless, it gave him more faith that someday his father would be found safe and sound.
"Yeah, exactly what Gareth said," Natsu smiled in agreement, "And Romeo will find that too once we bring you home!"
Lucy looked on at the two boys in wonder. These past first hours as a Fairy Tail guild member have been so eventful to her, and after going through it all she already understood the importance of being a part of this guild. The care, the bond, and the connection that this guild had was so strong that it gave Lucy the impression that it would forever remain so. It felt like she was part of a large family.
...And for all of that, it made her smile.
Then she thought back to Gareth, of how his role in this situation played out. Again..., despite everything she learned, it felt as if there was more to him than she realized. Lucy felt sympathetic when she notice the sad tone in Gareth's voice just now. She knew there was nothing wrong with him, but for some reason, she figured that there was more to his backstory than he let on. But Lucy also knew that she wouldn't be able to force it out of him.
Ultimately, perhaps one day she'll know.
Perhaps one day Gareth can reveal more about him and his father.
These past two days have been... a lot.
Finally swam to these shores to see civilization for the first time.
Civilization had so many things to see, to learn, and to adapt that made me feel amazed... and conflicted.
Father would always say that civilization was important to this world, but never did say how. Me does not blame him; just curious.
On that first day, me met a few people.
A man searching for his own father; a dragon to be exact.
A woman wanting to complete her dreams.
A cat with wings that bonds with the man.
Found them all fascinating to meet, especially the woman. She helped me understand civilization better, and guided me to where me is now: a member of this guild called Fairy Tail.
But the journey there and the events after helped me understand that... to earn things are not simple to gain.
Me fought a group of bad humans.
Me revealing my presence here, and the history of my father's kind, to the woman, the man, the cat, and then to the people of Fairy Tail.
And just now, me rescuing the father of another son.
In the end, it felt as if me did good. Like it was the right thing to do. But it also helped me understand... how life, how morality, adapts with humans.
And me believes that this is not the end; that more problems will come and will have to be faced alone or with these humans.
Father, these people...
...this ever changing society...
...me does not think will find you very soon.
You will have to wait for me a little longer.
But that day will come, and you will see how my strength has grown.
Another chapter down, and to be honest I'm actually in a very good Godzilla mood right now. So you're likely gonna see more updates to this story more frequently before I move on to something else.
But do you want to know what's fascinating? Whenever I write Gareth's lines, I always find it difficult not to have him say the word 'I'; it's like the number one rule for me right now. I can't have this one protagonist say this word... until he does so, because character development.
Anyway, that's all I have to say for today. Hope everyone has a good day, night, or whenever you are and I'll see you all next time!
See ya later, everyone. :)