A/N: MoredernRogue11 here. I'd like to address some comments about the previous chapter.
Anikong: That will happen further into this arc.
OneYuTriSlayers: Thanks for sharing your opinion. I plan to have them together by the end of Tartaros Arc or before the Alvarez Empire Arc.
Rastaman Yow: Makarov will always prefer the methods with the least amount of bloodshed, preferably no bloodshed at all. However, he also understands that some threats need to be dealt with permanently.
Davidab931: Now that I thought about it, it will make a pretty funny scenario. The only problem is, Chelia has a major crush on Lyon, so I don't think it's possible.
Without further ado, here is Chapter 7!
Edited on September 17, 2021
Chapter 7: Mysteries and Consequences
"I haven't seen Kazui all day."
Orihime mentioned while walking with her husband to the infirmary. After the ruckus at the bar earlier and finally learning about Lumen Histoire, Ichigo decided to get his son and sleep for the night. His lovely wife agreed and decided to accompany him along the way. Yuzu and Karin requested to stay with the rest of the guild and have some fun. Ichigo will discuss the information they gathered from their meeting with Ultear and Meredy later on.
Along the way, the hybrid Soul Reaper can't help but contemplate the information Makarov had given him. Lumen Histoire. The guild's most valuable treasure and the memento left by Mavis Vermillion. It possessed unlimited energy powered by a god's curse. Any devious bastard would want such an artifact. His decision earlier to make himself the biggest threat in the entire tournament was the right call.
"Ichigo?"
The carrot-top's thoughts were cut at the mere mention of his name. "What is it dear?"
"You've been quiet for a while now," the Fullbringer answered. "What's on your mind?"
"Lumen Histoire."
"The guild's most sacred treasure?"
"Yeah. To think that the guild has something that powerful hidden away," Ichigo remarked. "...And knowing that Raven Tail might be after it doesn't sit well for me."
"I know, honey," Orihime eased her husband's worry. "Even if we just joined this guild a few months back, it's grown on me. Like you, I too don't want anything to happen to our new family. I know that you can protect them as you protected us. Yuzu, Karin, I, and even Kazui will do the same."
Ichigo can't help but smile at his wife's remark. Even with all the tragedies, she still had that positivity that he admired about her all those years ago. Wrapping an arm around her waist, the substitute Soul Reaper pulled Orihime into a hug. It caused the woman to yelp in surprise but quickly accepted the affectionate gesture. "You always know how to brighten my mood, Orihime."
Orihime simply leaned her head into her husband's shoulders before saying, "Of course I do, Ichigo." She paused for a moment. Her eyes then gave Ichigo an enticing look and said, "Besides, I think we can have a little fun before we go to sleep."
Ichigo's eyes slightly widened, and his cheeks turned pink for a bit at his wife's offer. Orihime had matured over the years since they came into Earthland. Though that bubbly and ditzy personality he liked was still there, he had to admit that this alluring side she developed was a welcome addition. "I might just take you on that offer," he replied with a smirk.
"Not until we get Kazui," she replied playfully.
"Sure thing, sweetie," Ichigo replied before planting a kiss on his wife's forehead. Instead of using Flash Step or Bringer Light, they opted to walk and enjoy the evening while picking up their beloved son.
It didn't take long for them to reach the infirmary where Wendy and Carla rested. Just as they arrived, they saw Porlyusica coming carrying what looked like herbs and other medical supplies.
"Good evening, Porlyusica," Orihime greeted the healer gleefully.
"Good evening to you too, Orihime," the aged healer returned the greeting. She then looked to the man the Fullbringer and quickly deduced who he is. "This must be your husband then."
"I am," Ichigo replied before bowing courteously. "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"And with manners, too," the wizened doctor remarked. "It seems that your family might be the only group of humans who I can tolerate."
That little comment confused the couple. "Ummm…okay?" they both said in confusion.
"I presume you are here to pick up your son."
"Yes," Ichigo answered.
"He's inside with Wendy. The boy has been keeping her company all day, no doubt still worried about her condition even with the impressive healing your wife did."
Following the older woman inside, the two parents made their way to Wendy's room. As the three opened the door to the infirmary, Ichigo and Orihime saw something that made their hearts melt. Inside was Wendy and Kazui lying in the same bed. The Sky Maiden had a content expression as she slept under the blanket. Beside her was none other than Kazui, who was also in blissful slumber. Unlike the blue-haired girl, he wasn't under the sheets. He was facing the sleeping girl. His left arm served as Wendy's pillow while she had her left arm wrapped around him. All in all, it was truly an adorable sight to see. If any of the other girls in the guild were here, no doubt they'd pull out cameras and start taking pictures of the two.
Orihime internally squealed upon looking at the two children. "They look so adorable together."
Ichigo can't deny what his wife said. Kazui and Wendy did indeed looked adorable together. He wouldn't mind if they started going out, but it should be when they're old enough…say fourteen or fifteen. "You're right. Although, it's a bit early for them to start dating. I wouldn't mind, though; I just prefer if they were older."
"I don't mind," Orihime said while resting her head on Ichigo's shoulder. "I'm just happy that Kazui has found a friend dear to him."
"Me too. Joining Fairy Tail was the best decision I've made since we came to Earthland."
"I think so too, Ichigo." The two parents stood there and watched their son sleep peacefully beside his most precious friend. They stayed that way for another minute or so before Orihime looked to her husband and said, "I think it's time we go home."
"What about Kazui?" Ichigo questioned.
The Fullbringer turned her gaze towards her son, who was sound asleep. "I think he'll be fine in Wendy's company. Besides, I don't want to disturb the two while they're asleep."
"I guess you're right, honey. That just means we'll have more time for our fun," Ichigo replied while emphasizing the last word he said.
A blush made its way to Orihime's face. However, it didn't deter her because it has been a while since they've done it. With a mischievous smile, she replied, "I like how you think, dear."
Letting a smirk escape, Ichigo turned his attention to Porlyusica and asked, "I'll leave Kazui in your care for a while, Porlyusica."
A tick mark popped on the said healer's head. If it were any normal member of the guild, she'd lash out, but since this was the Kurosaki family, Porlyusica decided to let it slide for now. "I will watch over your son for tonight, but I expect that this will be the last time."
"Of course," the two, spirit warriors replied in unison.
"Go along then. I wouldn't want to stop you from having your fun now, would I?"
Ichigo and Orihime became red-faced at the old lady's little comment. Needless to say, it caught them off guard. They forgot that the wizened healer was listening. The two could only say, "Sure," before vanishing via Flash Step and Bringer Light.
Morning came early for Wendy…too quickly for her liking if she were honest. She just had the most wonderful dream since returning from Tenrō Island. The girl can't make out the specifics, but she can recall a few details. One image that stood out was a young swordsman wearing a white mask clad in a fitting black robe. Said young warrior wielded a pitch-black sword with an intricate design. It had a long single-edged blade with serrations on the blunt side and a curved handle for an ergonomic grip. That isn't what was strange about the sword, though. The weapon had no guard, but instead, it had what looked like the crescent moon embracing a six-pointed star (or sun) with the top ray connecting to the blade while the bottom ray led to the handle.
The image of the said warrior was so enthralling to the young Sky Maiden that she wished to never wake up from her slumber. Alas, all good things must come to an end. Letting out a small groan, Wendy squirmed as she tried to get up from the comfort of her bed.
"Wait! I can't move!"
She can't move, alright. Something was wrapped around her frame, preventing her from getting up. She slowly opened her eyes to see whatever obstacle was hindering her movement, and to her surprise, all she can see was black. She shook her head again and closed her eyes, thinking that she was still dreaming. When she opened her eyes once more, she still saw black. Wendy noticed a little detail on the black object; it was rising and falling in a steady rhythm like it was breathing.
"Breathing!? That's not right, unless…."
Wendy gradually tilted her head upward, following the trail of black cloth only to find the most awkward sight she could ever imagine. Beside her was none other than Kazui Kurosaki, blissfully asleep with his right arm around her waist.
"How did he end up asleep next to me!? Did something happen between us!? Why is he even here!?"
Those were just some of the questions that were racing in her mind at over a hundred miles a minute. She frantically began observing every square inch of the room – or at least what she could observe given her limited movement – to come up with a logical conclusion as to how they ended up sleeping in the same bed. All she could remember last night was that talk they had about promising to protect each other, and the rest was a blur. Just then, Kazui moaned a bit before tightening his hold on Wendy and pulled her closer to him. This innocent action caused the girl to let out a squeak before blushing heavily at their proximity.
"Ummm…Kazui? Please, wake up." Wendy's effort to wake up the sleeping reaper proved futile as the boy simply tightened his grip on her even further.
"Comfy pillow," the boy muttered in his sleep, clearly enjoying whatever dream he had right now. In an unexpected move, Kazui grabbed Wendy's body with both arms (his left arm wrapping around her head since she used it as her pillow) and turned to lie face up, lifting the girl much to her chagrin and placing her onto his chest. "Ahhh…," he let out a contented sigh before resuming whatever dream he was having.
Wendy couldn't prevent herself from blushing at their rather unusual position. If anyone from the guild were here, she'd be in the butt of everyone's teasing, especially from Mira, Happy, and most of all, Karin. It was still early, though, so she thought that things wouldn't go wrong.
That, unfortunately, was just wishful thinking on her part.
CLICK.
The sound of the knob twisting caught Wendy's attention. The door to her infirmary room opened to reveal Lucy. Behind her were the rest of Team A, who wanted to check up on her. Much to the girl's horror, though, they were accompanied by the three people she didn't want to see, namely Happy, Mirajane, and Karin, accompanied by Lisanna and the rest of the Kurosaki Family.
"Wendy! How are you…," Lucy's greeting was cut short once the blonde took a good look at the two children's position, "…doing today?"
"Why'd you stop, Lucy?" Gray followed, unaware of what was inside. "Seriously, you were so excited to find out that Wendy…is…fine. Uhhh…we came at a bad time, didn't we?"
"Come on, Lisanna!" Natsu yelled while dragging the youngest Strauss sibling.
"Natsu!" Lisanna cried. "Slow down!"
Once the two reached the room and saw the Wendy on top of Kazui, they could only exclaim one word.
"EH!?"
When the rest of the visitors finally came in and saw what caused the surprise from the Take-Over and Dragon Slayer mage, they all began sporting either blushes or smirks. The biggest reactions, which came in the form of massive grins, came from a blue cat, the eldest Strauss, and a female Soul Reaper. It was bad enough that Ichigo and Orihime came in the nick of time and got a good look at the sight.
"AWWW!"
Everyone who entered, mostly the girls, all cooed at what could be the most adorable sight they lay their eyes upon. Even Carla, who usually gets annoyed, could only mutter an "Oh," upon seeing the two children. The sound quickly stirred the boy from his sleep, and when he opened his eyes and noticed what was on his chest, Kazui went beet red and quickly panicked when he saw Wendy on top of him.
"Holy Shit!"
On reflex, the young Soul Reaper Flash Stepped away from the bed, not realizing that he was still holding onto the girl. Once he noticed this detail, he quickly let go of her. Now the two of them are sporting bright red faces that even their necks were starting to get a crimson hue.
"Kazui, young man!" Orihime called the boy in question, making him jump at the serious tone she used. "What did I say about language?"
"Dang it," Kazui groaned.
Karin approached the boy while carrying a jar labeled "Swear Jar." The smirk in her face still present, the older Kurosaki twin smugly gestured her nephew to put some money into the container. "Pay up, kiddo."
Reluctantly, Kazui did as he was told and pulled out some money before putting it into the jar. "Happy now?"
"Yup," Karin replied. She began to walk away but stopped, remembering something. She turned around and showed a mischievous smile that unnerved the two. "Did you two enjoy your sleep together?"
"AUNT KARIN!" Kazui yelled at her playful aunt. He then turns his gaze to the girl beside him and saw her covering her face in embarrassment.
"I wish I had a camera," Mirajane innocently said. Her eyes were beaming with excitement. "That way, I could've taken a picture of you two hugging together while asleep. This is the birth of a new ship!"
"MIRA!" It was Wendy this time who yelled against the teasing from the white-haired beauty.
Finally, Happy flew right past everyone and went straight to the two flustered children. Covering his mouth while giggling, he got right in front of Kazui and Wendy and impishly whispered to the two. "You like each other."
"NO, WE DON'T!"
"Wow. They're so in sync," Ichigo said under his breath while holding in a snicker.
Throughout that morning, right before heading to the stadium, Kazui and Wendy became the butt of everyone's teasing just as the latter predicted.
The second day's event was "Chariot." The rules for this game were simple; the contestants from each team are made to run along the tops of interconnected chariots, which start at one end of Crocus and end at the Grand Magic Games colosseum. Anyone can use magic at any time to help the competitors reach the goal faster or hinder the other participants. Falling off the chariots results in disqualification, and the first one to reach the finish line is declared the winner.
The contestants for this event were Risley Law of Mermaid Heel, Ichiya V. Kotobuki of Blue Pegasus, Yuka Suzuki of Lamia Scale, Kurohebi from Raven Tail, Quatro Cerberus' Bacchus Groh, and for some odd reason, dragon slayers Sting Eucliffe of Sabretooth, and Natsu and Gajeel of Fairy Tail.
The outcome of the event wasn't what everyone expected. Sabretooth's resident Dragon Slayer ended up in the last place, shocking the crowd. Coming in sixth and seventh place were Natsu and Gajeel. This wasn't a surprise for most wizards since Dragon Slayers tend to suffer a bad case of motion sickness when riding any moving vehicle. In the end, Bacchus of Quatro Cerberus finished the competition first. Kurohebi came in second, Risley Law finished third, while Yuka and Ichiya finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
The battles that followed shifted the momentum in Fairy Tail's favor. In the first match, Toby of Lamia Scale fought Kurohebi of Raven Tail. The two combatants decided to have a little wager; Toby will reveal his biggest secret while Kurohebi will tell the dogman his name. After a long-fought battle, the Raven Tail member pulled an easy win, and like the malicious prick that he is, he ripped Toby's prized sock to shreds.
The second match was between Elfman and Quatro Cerberus' strongest mage, Bacchus Groh. The sudden announcement of the middle Strauss sibling worried Lisanna and Mirajane. They knew who Bacchus was and how formidable of an opponent he can be. To add even more pressure, the two male fighters also made wagers. For Bacchus, he wanted to have fun with Elfman's siblings for the night. Needless to say, it angered the Take-Over mage at how this drunkard looks at his sisters like they were pieces of meat. He reluctantly agreed on the condition that Bacchus' guild changes their name to "Quatro Puppy." With both wagers in place, the two eager fighters pounced on each other.
Elfman was first on the offensive, throwing punches and kicks at Quatro Cerberus' ace. Bacchus expertly dodged the hulking man's attacks and manage to land in a few good hits on Elfman. In its early stages, Bacchus has the advantage with his superior strength and agility. To compensate for this, Elfman transformed into his Weretiger Take-Over to compensate for the difference in speed. Sadly, it did little to turn the tide in battle. It didn't help when the drunkard decided to get serious and began drinking from his gourd, getting himself inebriated. In an instant, the S-class mage lunged at Elfman and delivered seven strikes in quick succession. However, the Take-Over mage was able to transform into his Lizardman form, his strongest form in terms of defensive capability to ward off Bacchus' assault. In a daring move, Elfman challenges Bacchus to see which would last longer, his body or the other's palms. Accepting the challenge, the drunkard lunged at the Lizardman and began assaulting him with a flurry of powerful attacks while Elfman endured the onslaught. After an intense battle, the two fighters finally dropped to their knees. Bacchus praised the middle Strauss by calling him a real man and promptly collapsed into unconsciousness, giving Elfman victory. With that win, Fairy Tail Team A garners them a total of 12 points, tying them with the guild now renamed Quatro Puppy.
The next fight was between Juvia and Ichiya. Due to the earlier event, the Blue Pegasus dwarf was not in full strength. Still, he put up a good fight against Fairy Tail Team B's resident water mage. Sadly, the strain from earlier and the over-exhaustion during the battle finally took its toll on Ichiya, which Juvia capitalized to snag the win.
The final fight was between Yukino Aguria, a relative rookie from Sabretooth, versus Kagura Mikazuchi, Mermaid Heel's strongest wizard. Like the previous matches, the two ladies decided to make a bet. Unlike the other ones, however, they decided to wager their lives. With both parties agreeing, the battle finally began with Yukino summoning the Paired Fish, Pisces, that took the form of giant black and white koi fish with elongated bodies reminiscent of eels. The two massive Celestial Spirits rush toward Kagura from two different angles, but the brunette dodges the assault. Yukino then summoned the Heavenly Scales, Libra, who looked like a belly dancer. This surprised the audience to see a Celestial Mage who can summon multiple Zodiacs at once. She then orders the newly summoned spirit to alter the gravity of Kagura by the use of Gravity Change while Pisces wraps around the Mermaid Heel mage to attack. However, the swordswoman proved this tactic to be useless because Kagura nullified it with her Gravity Magic. With this turnout of events, Yukino was forced to open the thirteenth Zodiac gate, the Snake Charmer Ophiuchus. Undeterred, Kagura grabbed her weapon, "The Blade of Resentment," Archenemy, and charged at the giant mechanical serpent. She eviscerated Ophiuchus and managed to get near Yukino to the surprise of the white-haired Spirit Mage. Using her Style of the Undrawn Long Sword, Kagura attacks Yukino, thus ending the match. The loss of one of Sabretooth's mages left everyone in shock, especially the aforementioned guild. The defeated Celestial mage began to cry at her loss. Kagura asks her if she will honor their wager and give her life to the swordswoman, to which Yukino agrees.
Though feeling sympathy for the young Celestial mage, Ichigo can't help but be impressed at Kagura's swordsmanship, which he deduces to be on par with Erza's. He noticed Karin in the balcony where the rest of Fairy Tail was watching the match. The female Soul Reaper had a wide grin plastered on her face, no doubt itching to cross blades with Mermaid Heel's ace. He had to admit, though, he would like to gauge Kagura's skill in a fight. That being said, now that the day's events have concluded, there were other matters he needed to take care of, so he left the stadium ahead of his teammates.
"You still can't sense anything?"
"No, I haven't."
Throughout the first two days, Jellal has been trying to sense that malevolent magic he and the rest of Crime Sociére usually detect every year. However, he has yet to feel anything. It was strange. The dark energies were easy to sense in the earlier tournaments. With this turn of events, he needed to talk with Erza about it.
"We usually detect a power reminiscent of Zeref at the games. However, we have yet to sense this year," he explained to the redhead knight.
"Why do you think that is?" Erza questioned.
"I can think of several reasons," Jellal replied. "The power might come from a wizard. Maybe he didn't attend the games this year or he didn't use that particular magic."
"…Or it could be someone from the tournament who hasn't had the chance to compete yet," the Requip mage added.
"It could also be a device or a specific location," Jellal interjected. "It makes things complicated though. Either this device hasn't been used yet or there's some sort of filter that's preventing the magic from seeping out."
"It's not someone but something that's the source of your mysterious dark magic."
The two wizards looked to the origin of the voice to see Ichigo approaching them. "Ichigo," Erza and Jellal said.
"Hello, you two," the Soul Reaper greeted. "I have some info regarding this mysterious magic."
"Please, we'd like to hear them," Jellal requested.
"Yuzu and Karin managed to meet up with Ultear and Meredy during the first day of the games. Using a tracking Kidō, they managed to pinpoint the exact location of this energy."
With the prospect of finally knowing the origin of the malicious power that's been building up every year in Crocus, Jellal quickly urged Ichigo to reveal the location. "Where?"
"In Mercurius Palace. That's not the only thing we detected, however."
That bit of information surprised the two mages.
"What else have you detected?" Erza inquired.
"Yuzu and Orihime have been detecting a strange amount of spiritual energy near the source of the dark magic you were searching. If my hunch is right, these two could be connected somehow."
"Do you think it's another spirit energy user?"
"I doubt it. If it were, it would most likely be a hollow. However, we should've detected its presence early on and eliminated it."
"I'm confused," Jellal remarked, gaining the attention of the Fairy Tail guildsmen. "What are these hollows you speak of?"
"They're evil spirits that feed on the souls of the living and the dead to gain power."
"I see," the bluenette nodded. "Are you certain that none of these creatures are the cause?"
"I'm certain. The only other beings that can manipulate spiritual energy are Soul Reapers like myself, Kazui, and Karin, Quincies like Yuzu, and Fullbringers like Orihime."
"So, what do you think is the cause of this build-up of magical energy?" Erza asked Ichigo for his opinion.
The carrot-top thought for a moment before concluding. "I'd have to go with the last reason Jellal presented."
"You mean it's a device?"
"Think about it. If they gather magical energy from the participating wizards, it'd be too much for a single wizard to contain regardless of the amount his or her magical container can hold. It has to be an object to be able to collect and store that much magic in the past seven years. Not only that, but this device is also inadvertently gathering up spiritual energy. Given the difference magical energy and spiritual energy have, it's safe to assume that whoever is behind this is planning something big by the end of the Grand Magic Games."
Jellal and Erza could only stare at Ichigo in awe. None of them have ever come up with a sound conclusion as the Soul Reaper did. Given the information they were presented, they couldn't help but agree with the reaper's statement.
"I agree," Erza remarked. She then turned to face Jellal. "Although, the fact that you can't sense it means that we don't have to worry right now."
"I doubt it," Ichigo countered. "Considering that there are two types of energies being gathered, we need to stay vigilant from here on out. Jellal, what do you plan on doing now that you have this information?"
"I'll be investigating the organizers tomorrow," the former dark mage answered. "It's likely that they're involved in this."
"Be careful then," Erza advised. "Try not to draw too much attention to yourself."
Ichigo chuckled at this, knowing who the cause of the bluenette's defeat during his match.
"I've learned my lesson," Jellal said as he began to leave the two. "Ultear drove that point home loud and clear."
"Don't push yourself too hard," Erza said with a smile that hid her concern.
"I won't," Jellal replied before pulling up his mask. "Goodnight Erza. Ichigo."
"See you soon, Jellal," Ichigo bid farewell to the man for the night. Turning to Erza, he asked, "Where are you headed now?"
"I'm going back to the inn and take some rest."
"You should. We still don't know what surprises are in store for tomorrow's events."
"I agree. Goodnight then, Ichigo. See you tomorrow."
"Likewise."
They then went their separate ways. Erza going to the inn while taking a stroll in the night. Ichigo decided to Flash Step to his destination.
"Did all of you have to embarrass me and Kazui that much?"
Wendy was finally allowed to leave the infirmary. Porlyusica advised the child to take it easy for the day so she could participate tomorrow. Speaking of the healer, Porlyusica had her hands full with Elfman. It seemed that the buff mage would be out of commission for a while, thus allowing Wendy to participate in the games finally. That said, the young Sky Maiden was still reeling from the teasing she received earlier this morning.
"It's not our fault you ended up on top of him," Lucy retorted.
"Aye!" Happy exclaimed.
"Still, it made for a pretty wholesome sight," Karin remarked, causing the bluenette to blush.
"Karin, please stop teasing her," Yuzu requested, which fell on deaf ears. She sighed, knowing this won't go anywhere, and just decided to question Wendy. "Seriously, how did you end up on top of my nephew?"
"Well…" Wendy began explaining everything that happened yesterday. She told them the talk they had about fighting for the ones most precious to them, they resolve to do whatever it takes, even making difficult choices, and finally, the promise she made to protect the young Soul Reaper as well. Lucy had stars in her eyes when Wendy told this part. It just sounded so sweet and romantic that she decided to use it as inspiration for her novel. After that, the young Sky Maiden recounted how she found herself in Kazui's arms when she woke up and the circumstances that led to the awkward position everyone stumbled upon.
"I should've seen that coming from the kid," Karin said while snickering. She knew about Kazui's habit of taking anything nearby as a pillow while sleeping.
"Regardless, I'd rather not have my charge be reminded of something embarrassing," Carla said. She had to admit, though, it was a bit surprising finding the two children in a rather compromising position.
"I don't mind," Orihime remarked, getting the attention of everyone around her. "I'd love it if you two started going out. Even Ichigo says he's okay with it."
That comment finally did it. Wendy's head finally exploded metaphorically as steam emerged from her head in heaps, all the while her face turned as red as a habanero. "Me and Kazui going out!?" she thought to herself. "I mean, he is a great guy. He did save me from that hollow back in Aldebaran. He swore to protect me with his life. He is kind of cute and I do like him, but not that much…I think?" While Wendy was contemplating on her and Kazui being together, the rest who were with her were somewhat worried about her silence.
"I think you broke her, Orihime," Yuzu commented while looking at the overly flustered girl.
"Did Ichigo agree to the two of them going out?" Karin questioned the Fullbringer.
"Yes, he did," the woman in question answered gleefully. "Although, he said that it should be when they're older, around fourteen or fifteen."
"I can see big brother saying that," the Quincy twin said.
"I can't wait when they start going out!" Orihime exclaimed at the top of her lungs. "By then, they'll be going out on dates. When they get old enough, they'll get married and I'll make sure they get the best wedding possible. After that, they're going to live on their own and give me grandkids that Ichigo and I can spoil…."
With all the rambling Orihime was doing, Wendy turned even redder. How was this sweet motherly woman able to come up with such ridiculous yet not improbable scenarios?
"Okay," Karin called, "…somebody should stop her before her nonsense starts making sense."
Carla deadpanned at how the Soul Reaper twin worded that out. "I'll do it. Although, I don't think I'll be able to get through to her now that she's talking about Kazui and Wendy growing old."
A blob of sweat appeared on Lucy's forehead while staring at the funny scene before her. She then turned her attention to the younger Kurosaki twin. "Orihime kind of reminds me of Mirajane. I guess it's no wonder they hit it off so quickly."
"True," Yuzu concurred.
"And you remind me of Lisanna with how kind and caring you are."
"Thank you, Lucy. Speaking of, where is Lisanna, by the way? I haven't seen her since she left the pub."
After the day's events, the guild celebrated their first major victories the only way they know how: by drinking their lights out. It was a joyous evening wherein members from Quatro Puppy got in on the fun. A little later, though, Lisanna decided to get some fresh air and enjoy the moonlight. Not long after, everybody else decided to hit the sack and left for their respective inns. Yuzu, Karin, Lucy, Orihime, Wendy, Carla, and Happy all went together.
"Now that you mention it," Happy contemplated, "…I haven't seen her too. I'm starting to get worried."
"I'm sure she can handle herself," Lucy told the cat. "She's strong. There's no way she's going to let someone have their way with her."
"You're right, Lucy. I just miss the times when Lisanna, Natsu, and I spent time together. I haven't even called her Mama in a while."
"You called her Mama when She and Wendy fought Ichigo three months ago," Karin said, recalling the hard lesson her brother instilled in Lisanna and Wendy.
"THEY FOUGHT ICHIGO!?" the blonde exclaimed in surprise. "Why did they fight him? How did they survive?"
"We invited them for a friendly spar," Karin paused and sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. "That said, it was more of a lesson than a spar."
"How so?" the blonde inquired.
"Ichigo wanted to know what drives Lisanna and Wendy when they fight. The moment he did, he was disappointed," Yuzu answered for her twin.
"Why would he be disappointed?"
"Because when he felt the magic of the two during their spar, all he felt was fear."
"Anyone would be afraid of Ichigo, to be honest," Lucy remarked, recalling the bone-chilling expression the reaper had two nights ago.
"That's not what I mean," Yuzu retorted. "I meant that Wendy and Lisanna had doubts and lack self-worth. Ichigo sensed that and reminded them that those emotions will get them killed in battle."
"Geez. Talk about harsh."
"You should've seen it," Karin interjected. "Ichigo drove the point home by launching a Getsuga Tenshō at them."
"HE WHAT!? How could he do that?"
"It was the only way to make Lisanna and Wendy realize that they're holding themselves back with their inhibitions. Fear of being called incompetent or being unworthy of someone, regardless of whatever reason, serves no purpose in a battle. The instinct to fight with everything you have with a noble goal should be at the top of everything else while in battle."
Yuzu then added, "When you counter, you don't let them cut you. When you protect someone, you don't let them die. When you attack, you kill."
"One should abandon their fears, whatever they may be," Karin said. "One should look forward. One should move forward and never stop or turn back. Retreating will cause your resolve to wither, and hesitation will get you killed. The outcome of a fight is always absolute: you either live or die. Anything less than your best is pointless."
"Wow," Lucy could only say in awe. Although harsh, what the twins said was true. She could remember the close calls she and the rest of Fairy Tail's mages endured in their adventures. Any one of them could've died, but luckily, they were able to pull through despite adversity. "Those are some very deep words. I take it Lisanna, and Wendy learned those lessons?"
"They did," Karin quickly answered with a smile. "Even if they lost, they were able to show the resolve to fight and let go of their fears."
"Where'd you learn that belief, anyway?"
"It was taught to us by our brother while he learned it from his mentor, Kisuke Urahara," Yuzu answered.
"Wasn't he one of those War Potentials?"
"So Ichigo already told you where we come from," the younger twin commented. "It was just a matter of time."
"Yeah," Lucy nodded. "Loke, Mirajane, Erza, Gildarts, Laxus, Macao, and Master Makarov also know."
"So, what do you think about our family?"
Lucy's expression took on a somber look. "It must be hard losing your loved ones…your world to a mad god."
"It is," Karin replied, recalling the last images of her father. "But we got to move on. No point in sulking around in guilt for something that was beyond our power that time."
"Hey. Whatever happens, just know that in Fairy Tail, you're always treated like family."
"Thanks, Lucy," the twins said with sincerity.
The group walked silently after that conversation. They opted to enjoy the moonlight and the evening breeze as they headed to their respective inns. However, they heard a familiar voice nearby.
"I'm not going to let you touch her," Lisanna declared with utmost conviction.
While strolling in the streets of Crocus, the youngest Strauss stumbled upon a girl about her age with silvery-white hair being ganged upon by around five men. Looking closely, the snowy-white-haired mage recognized the girl to be Yukino from Sabretooth. In her person was her luggage, but the hooligans trashed it. Her clothes were scattered on the streets, while some were torn from the abuse. When Lisanna managed to look at the assailants, she was surprised to find out that it was Yukino's guildmates. Having seen enough, she jumped in to defend the Celestial mage.
"Huh?" Yukino looked to see who was standing between her and her tormentors.
"What's this!?" a scumbag questioned. "Who the hell is this chick?"
"I don't know," another answered. "She's just as hot as Yukino though. Maybe we can have fun with her along with that weakling."
Lisanna scowled after hearing that statement. "You sick perverts. You're from Sabretooth, right?"
"Yeah?" a thug replied. "What about it?"
"She's your guildmate! Why are you out here molesting her!?"
The men all gave a perverted smirk. "She's no longer part of the guild," one of the brutes answered.
"What?" the youngest Strauss asked in confusion.
"The master kicked her out for bringing shame to Sabretooth," one of the men said. "As an added punishment for losing in her match, she was made to undress in front of every Sabretooth wizard. All of us got a good look at her, hehehe."
"You sick creeps," Lisanna growled. She usually doesn't get angry like this, but the way they treated Yukino was just too much. Why'd they kicked her out of their guild? Because she lost? That's not what guilds are. They're meant to be a place to call home. Not only that, Yukino was punished in the most degrading way.
"Please…"
Lisanna turned to see Yukino with tears in her eyes.
"Leave," the silver-haired girl pleaded, "…I deserve this punishment."
"What are you saying!?" the white-haired girl asked, not believing what she heard.
"I brought shame to my guild. This is punishment for failing to win my match."
"No!" Lisanna yelled, surprising the girl. "You don't deserve to be punished for something like that. So what if you lost? You can just consider it a lesson and improve. It's no grounds to be humiliated. If that's how Sabretooth handles its people and failure, then you don't belong there. They don't deserve someone like you."
"I recognize you!" a thug exclaimed, garnering the attention of his guildmates. "You're one of the Take-Over Siblings, Lisanna Strauss."
"So, she's from Fairy Tail," another man remarked. "You're going to pay for humiliating Sabretooth."
"No!" Yukino cried. "She has nothing to do with this. Leave her alone."
"SHUT UP, WEAKLING!" a thug shouted, causing Yukino to flinch. "After we're done with this Fairy Tail bitch, we'll continue where we left off with you. After that's done, us five will have fun with you and this Strauss."
Their threat made the two girls shiver, more so Yukino. Lisanna, however, stood her ground. Her scowl never disappearing. "Try it, assholes."
The brutes charged at the two young women. Yukino shielded herself with her arms while Lisanna took a fighting stance. No matter what happens, she's not going to let these perverts have their way with them. As the closest thug closed in for an attack, he was sent away by a fist covered in fire.
Lisanna quickly recognized who came to their rescue. "Natsu!"
The Dragon Slayer got in front of Lisanna and Yukino. "Are you alright, Lisanna? How about your friend there?"
"I am. Yukino's a bit hurt but apart from a few bruises, she's fine."
After ensuring that the two ladies were fine, Natsu shifted his gaze towards the ruffians. "You have a lot of guts harming these girls," he said with venom in his voice. "You also threatened to do your way with them. I can't forgive you for that. You were planning to hurt Lisanna and her friend." Everyone noticed that the pinkette's voice got higher. "You sick freaks were planning to hurt Lisanna. NOBODY TOUCHES LISANNA WHILE I'M HERE!"
That declaration caused the miscreants to flinch. The Sabretooth guildsmen knew who was standing before them. The fury in Natsu's voice was evident. It was clear that whoever decided to lay a finger on the youngest Strauss would answer to Salamander. Still, it didn't hinder their intent to bully Yukino and have a piece of Lisanna, regardless of whether Natsu was there or not.
Those aspirations, though, were put to rest when a powerful force put them on their knees. Yukino was also surprised. She recalled the man known as Ichigo, who had the same oppressive presence. She looked to see Lisanna and Natsu looking at each other, clearly having an idea of who among the Kurosaki family might it be. They didn't have to wait long when an orange-haired woman clad in an elegant white dress appeared before them. It was Orihime. Not long after, Yuzu and Karin appeared beside the Fullbringer.
The two Fairy Tail wizards noticed the look on Orihime's face. Gone was the bubbly and motherly vibe that she had with the guild. Replacing it was a face of a hardened fighter. The same can be said for the twins.
"Lisanna! Natsu!"
The two mentioned mages looked to see Lucy, Wendy, Happy, and Carla approaching them.
Upon reaching the Take-Over mage and dragon slayer, the wizards plus Yukino were all put inside a protective dome made of golden light. The Fairy Tail mages immediately recognized the dome to come from Orihime. Interestingly, a second dome was erected around Yukino.
"I've put up Santen Kisshun to protect all of you and Sōten Kesshun to heal whatever injuries that poor girl sustained," the Fullbringer explained. She then exclaimed, "I reject!" and almost immediately, all of Yukino's bruises began to vanish. The girl could only look in surprise at the orange-haired woman.
"Check out the MILF," one of the men said, pointing at Orihime. "She's smoking hot compared to the two earlier."
"Heck yeah!" shouted another.
This didn't go unnoticed by the three Kurosakis. They overheard what these lowlifes said to Lisanna and Yukino, and without surprise, it didn't sit well with them. How could these men try to force themselves onto teenagers? Once more, they set their sites on Orihime of all people. If Ichigo were here, these buffoons would've been six feet under after that comment.
Orihime's motherly instincts were screaming in her head to teach them a lesson. She did so and summoned Tsubaki to her side.
"What is it, Orihime?" the male pixie asked.
"Teach them a lesson," the Fullbringer commanded.
"With pleasure," Tsubaki replied with a grin.
"Ha! You think some itty-bitty fly can...," the poor idiot didn't finish as he was sent flying into the nearby canal by the spirit pixie.
It didn't stop there. Tsubaki quickly turned his attention to the rest of the fools and charged at them. Meanwhile, two of the five men decided to pounce on the Fullbringer. That miserable attempt failed when Karin and Yuzu drew out their bladed weapons and positioned them by the throats.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Yuzu warned while holding her Seele Schneider against one of the assailant's throats.
"You should've just walked away," Karin added while holding her zanpakūto on the other's neck.
With the two would-be attackers subdued, Orihime let Tsubaki take over and continued his thrashing of the buffoons. They were thrown left and right by the small pixie with such force that they leave impressions on wherever they land. After a good five minutes of a one-sided beatdown by the spirit, Tsubaki immediately returned to Orihime with a smile.
"It's good to stretch out, once in a while," the spirit remarked while stretching his arms.
"Glad you had a good time," Orihime said while smiling.
"Thanks, Orihime," Tsubaki exclaimed before turning back into a portion of the Fullbringer's hairpin.
The two goons held at swordpoint by the twins were quickly put to sleep by a chop to the neck.
"Well, that was easy," Karin remarked, earning a nod from Yuzu.
After dispatching the Sabretooth members, Orihime promptly took down the barrier she set up, its fairies all converging into her and forming her signature hairpins. She then made her way to the now healed Yukino, who was staring at her in bewilderment. "Why was she being attacked by her guildmates?" she asked Lisanna.
"She was kicked out of her guild," the white-haired girl answered, not liking the silver-haired Celestial mage's current predicament.
"For what reason?"
"Because she lost her match against that swordswoman from Mermaid Heel."
"WHAT!?" the Fairy Tail mages who just arrived exclaimed in surprise.
"Not only that, she was humiliated in the most degrading way before she was forced to leave Sabretooth."
Orihime listened to Lisanna's recounting of the circumstances that led to the current situation. To be kicked out of the only thing you called home is one the hardest things anyone could experience, and this girl here just suffered that. There was also the fact that instead of encouragement to do better, her guildmaster punished her in the most obscene way possible. No one should be punished for something as petty as losing a competition.
"Why did you do that?" Yukino asked the Fullbringer.
Orihime knelt and placed a hand on the poor girl's face. Her thumb moved ever so gently to wipe off a tear stain. "Because no one deserves to be treated like that," she answered, her motherly and caring nature showing. "No one should be punished because of failure. They should be encouraged to do better next time and learn from their mistakes." Orihime then showed a caring smile that exuded concern and understanding. "…And because you need a home."
That did it. Her expulsion from Sabretooth, the inhumane punishment she received from her former guildmaster, and the torment she got from her abusive guildmates finally disappeared when this woman healed her and showed her the care and affection she longed for. Unable to hold in anymore, Yukino lunged into Orihime's arms and began sobbing heavily.
"There, there," the Fullbringer whispered while rubbing the back of the crying mage.
The rest of Fairy Tail looked at the scene and felt pity for Yukino. She no longer had a home and was subjected to harsh treatment simply for failing to accomplish something so petty. However, one mage was feeling a different emotion.
"How dare they!?"
They all looked towards Natsu. He was clenching his fist and greeting his teeth in anger. Without warning, the dragon slayer ran off to who knows where. Happy followed suit to make sure the pinkette doesn't get into trouble.
"Natsu! Happy!" Lucy called, but her efforts fell on deaf ears as the images of the two faded into the night.
"That guy's going to get himself in trouble," Karin quipped. She had an idea where the flame mage was headed.
"He's going to storm Sabretooth's headquarters," Yuzu said.
"Is he insane!?" the blonde Celestial mage exclaimed. "Somebody should stop him before he does something stupid."
Just as Lucy said that another individual appeared before them.
"Ichigo!" they all said in sync.
"I felt a spike in spiritual pressure earlier," Ichigo said. "What happened?"
"Natsu's about to dive head-first into Sabretooth's building," Wendy answered.
"What for?"
"Payback for humiliating and kicking this poor girl out of their guild," Orihime replied.
The adult Soul Reaper glanced to whom his wife referred to and saw the same Celestial wizard who lost her match earlier. Putting two and two together, he finally found out why Yukino was expelled from her guild. "Get her to our inn, Orihime," Ichigo said. "The rest of you go back to your respective apartments and rest for the night. I'll handle Natsu." With that declaration, he disappeared from their sight.
A/N: I'd like to apologize for the delay in releasing this chapter. I had some stuff to do at school that I had to set the story aside for a bit. This might continue until the start of July since the end of the school year is fast approaching.
For this chapter, I wanted to add a bit of comedy to our two lovebirds. The "waking up in each other's arms" was the only thing that came into mind. I hope I executed that perfectly.
You may have noticed that there are some changes in Orihime's personality. I wanted to show that she's matured over the years. Her bubbly and ditzy side is still there, but she can be serious and protective if need be. Couple that with the events that led her and her family into Earthland, then you get a mature, hardened Orihime who won't hesitate to fight back and use necessary force when needed.
I hope you enjoy this chapter despite the time it took to release it.
Until next time!