And so it begins.
Enjoy!
"Nashi? Nashi?" Nashi blinked and looked back at Drake, who was making a face at her.
"Huh?" She asked. "Sorry, I spaced out." Drake sighed at this.
"I was telling you about my fight against Elizabeth,"
"Oh, right. Sorry." Nashi was currently walking towards the guild hall with Drake, who had wanted to tell her all about his involvement in fighting the Skylance Demon Hunters.
Nashi didn't mean to be rude, but her mind was elsewhere.
"Are you even interested?" Drake asked. Nashi knew from the tone of his voice he was feigning offence, just to get an apology out of her.
"Not really," she replied, keeping her eyes forward just to drive her point home. "I'm not keen on listening to you blow your win out of proportion."
"I'll have you know everything I'm saying is one hundred percent fact." Despite the turmoil she felt, Nashi snorted at this.
"Right," she replied. "And I'm the reincarnated spirit of a goat." Drake raised an eyebrow, and smirked.
"Would explain a few things," he said. Nashi shot him a look.
"What are you saying?" She asked.
"Nothing, nothing." Drake said, holding his hands up in mock innocence. The two fell silent, though Nashi could still hear Drake snickering every once and a while.
She wished she could feel so lighthearted.
It had been a few days since she'd returned with her parents after their...excursion, and she was doing her best to act normal.
She wasn't doing well.
Although the Etherious had promised to not hurt those she cared about, she couldn't help but feel uncertain. She hadn't tried to talk to it again, but she wasn't even sure what she'd say to it if she did. What's up? Feeling good? Nashi felt those questions wouldn't illicit much of a response. After all, it was apart of her. It felt, saw, and heard what she did. Not much for a conversation.
"Are you feeling okay?" Nashi made a face and turned to look at Drake, who looked concerned.
No.
"Why do you ask?" Nashi asked. Drake shrugged.
"Ever since you got back with your parents, you've been acting kind of distant. Just wondering if anything was going on."
Nashi wasn't sure what to say. She wanted nothing more in the world to tell someone about what was going on, but she didn't know how. What would Drake say? How would he react? She was still lost on this, and she didn't feel justified dumping it on someone else until she got a better grasp on it herself.
"I'm fine, don't worry." Nashi said, smiling for his benefit. "Just tired, you know how it is."
"Boy do I ever," he muttered, massaging his arm. "I'm still sore from the fight."
"I thought you destroyed her?" Nashi asked with a sly smile. Drake narrowed his gaze at her.
"So you were listening," he said.
"And you were lying," she shot back. The two just glared at each other before Drake rolled his eyes and looked away, making her snort. It seemed to her he'd backed down from his lies.
Once they made it too the guildhall, They made a beeline for their friends, who were already seated around a table close to the entrance.
"Hey guys," Ultear greeted, shuffling over for Nashi to sit down.
"Morning," Nashi greeted.
"You guys up to make some money today?" Simon asked. "I thought we could take a job."
"It might have to be something light," Steph said from the other end of the table. "Damien still isn't feeling well." Damien seemed to take slight offense to this comment.
"I feel great," he said. "I can handle a fight."
"Don't lie for our sake, Damien." Elise said, picking at her breakfast. "We know you're not in good shape. We take you out into a battle and you'll end up like you did last time, just less coma and more angry cursing." A chuckle went through the table at this, but Damien seemed like his pride had been hurt.
"Whatever," he muttered, sipping from his mug. Their regular talk made Nashi feel a little bit better, but deep down she could still feel the unease. She hadn't felt like this since, well, forever. She had way too much on her plate.
"Excuse me? Is this the Fairy Tail guild hall?" Nashi was broken from her thoughts and looked over her shoulder. A man was standing by the doorway, wearing a cloak and holding a staff. She watched as Laxus approached him, and the two began to speak in ushered tones.
"Who's that guy?" Drake asked, also watching the conversation.
"No idea," Ultear said. "Maybe he's looking for someone to help him out." Nashi guessed that might be it She turned to Drake.
"What're they talking about?" She asked him. Drake focused on the conversation, and his ears twitched.
"He's a trader from up north," he said. "From the sounds of it his goods were stolen and he was told to contact a guild. Looks like he came from the best."
"All the way from up north?" Damien asked. "How much was taken, I wonder?" Nashi didn't know, but she watched as Laxus nodded and pointed in their direction, and then walked with the man over.
"Hey you guys," he said. "I have a guy here looking for you. Says he's got a job opportunity."
"A good one at that," the man said, smiling weakly. He had a pasty face and curly brown hair and eyes of the same color. From the looks of him he was rather tired, probably from the travel. "I hope you will be able to help me."
"We'll see what we can do," Simon said.
"I'll leave you all too it then," With this, Laxus walked off. This left the man with Nashi and the others, and for a moment or two their was silence between them.
"So uh, what was the job opportunity?" Ultear asked, breaking the silence. The man laughed at this.
"I'm sorry," he said, voice much deeper and smoother than a moment ago. "There is no job. I lied."
"What?" Simon asked. "Explain yourself." The man chuckled again.
"It's so nice to meet all of you face to face. Just watching from a distance gets so boring after a while."
"What're are you talking about?" Damien demanded. "Start making sense really fucking quick, buddy." The man looked up and made eye contact with Damien.
"Unless you want everyone in this guild hall and the city of Magnolia to die, I suggest you lower your voice." The man said.
Nashi's stomach dropped.
The calm demeanor the man exuded did not change whatsoever at the threat of a mass murder, and that was what scared Nashi the most.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Elise asked, voice much quieter than Nashi would have expected.
"I suppose I should start explaining myself, huh?" The man asked. "You all seem so lost. Allow me to introduce myself. I go by the name of Hermes. Although you might recognize the name The Olympians a bit more."
The Olympians.
He worked for The Olympians.
Nashi stared at the man in shock as he put his staff in both hands.
"Now listen carefully children, I have some ground rules to set out. If anyone in this city, this guild, or even a pet overhears you speaking of this conversation, the city will burn. My words will not leave this table, is that understood?"
Nobody spoke.
"Is that clear?"
"...Y-Yes," Steph mentioned. "We understand." Hermes nodded.
"Also, put on a little act for me. We're discussing a job, not threatening you." Nashi managed to put on a weak smile at this, and the others followed suit with weak acting.
"What's the angle?" Simon asked loudly to distract anyone nearby. Hermes also smiled. It looked much too genuine.
"Good," he said. "Now, I come bearing a message from Zeus. He wishes to convene with you lot in a weeks time. If you do not show up, we will destroy the city. If you come with reinforcements, we destroy the city. If you so much as disrespect us, we'll destroy the city. Okay that last one is a bit much, but you get the idea."
And Nashi thought she felt lost a second ago.
"Why?" Drake asked, pretending to look intrigued.
"Zeus wishes to discuss with you all the consequences of your meddling in our affairs," Hermes said. "Five have you have been quite problematic for us over the past few months. The blonde girl only gets this message because she is expected to be a problem in the future."
"Yay..." Steph muttered.
Don't lie to me," Nashi seethed, dropping her act for a moment. "You really think I don't know what's going on? Your operatives sure are blabbermouths." Hermes made a face.
"Whatever do you mean, Nashi girl?" He asked.
"Apocalypse and Blake both said the same damn thing," Nashi said. "You're after me. Why, I don't know. But whatever you say about this meeting, it's not about our actions, it's about me. Isn't it?" Hermes rolled his eyes.
"The self absorbed attitude on that one," he said. "Perhaps Apocalypse and Blake did not deliver the message clearly enough. They were after you to kill you. Athena has deemed you the biggest threat of the six, and thus we needed to deal with you."
"That why Kronos tried to amplify her powers at the Games?" Ultear demanded. "How's that dealing with her."
"I have no idea what you mean," Hermes said. "Ah, you mean manipulating Crocus' irregular time flow to send you flying around time? We intended for you to get lost in time, darling. And clearly we underestimated you once more."
Nashi wasn't sure if she believed him. What he said made sense, but then she remembered Kronos' confusion during their confrontation. Had he not been informed what would happen?
"So..." Simon started. "You want us to meet with Zeus in a week? Is that the message?"
"Summed up, yes." Hermes nodded. "Does that interfere with anyone's schedule? I really don't care."
"Where exactly are we supposed to go?" Elise asked. Hermes looked at him.
"Near the border between Fiore and Bosco, there is a dock." Hermes said. "You can't miss it, and you lot can't afford too. There you will find a man who will take you to us. He will take you to and from our base."
"And from?" Drake asked. "So we'll get to leave?"
"Of course, dear boy." Hermes replied. "We only mean to talk, to meet face to face. Unless you come with different intentions, of course. Then things will go down a different path altogether. Any questions"
For a while, nobody spoke. Nashi suspected all her friends felt just as lost as she did. She had no idea what to do or what to ask. What she did know was that they were about to be in deep shit.
"I take this awkward silence as a no, then." Hermes said. "Well, if none of you have any questions or concerns you wish to voice to me, fine. I only hope you see logic and do not keep us waiting. That will be very unfortunate." With this, Hermes flashed a brilliant fake smile, laughed while nodding, and turned to leave.
The group of six sat in stunned silence. Nobody had any idea what to say. Judging from what Hermes had told them, that was also for the best.
"So," Nashi heard Laxus say as he approached them. "What did he offer you?"
"We're fucked," Damien said from his seat on the couch. Nashi looked up at him and did her best to ignore Drake pacing back and forth around the apartment.
All six of them were currently seated in Simon's new apartment he'd bought. He'd wanted to show them at a later date, but they all agreed a private place to talk would be best.
"Don't say that," Elise said, curled up on the floor leaning against the couch."They just want to talk."
"Right," Simon retorted sarcastically. "And I'm the Queen's son."
"Bad example, Simon." Ultear said, her nose buried in her Arc of Time book. Simon made a face.
"Oh...right. Well, still! What are the odds that they just want to talk? Really?"
"Slim," Steph said, practically in Damien's lap. Nashi figured she was a little scared. "He talked about the consequences of our actions."
"You shouldn't be involved, for fuck sake!" Damien said to her. "What have you done to them?"
"Calculated future risk," Drake said, still pacing and biting on his nails. "That's what Hermes said, a calculated future risk."
"Okay, so they'll just want to talk to her to make sure she doesn't ever try it." Elise tried.
"Stop being optimistic," Nashi muttered. "We're in deep, and I don't believe this 'we wanna talk' crap for a second."
"Well what the hell do we do?" Drake asked. "We just do what they say?"
"If we don't the city gets blown to pieces." Steph said to him. "Want to test them that badly?"
"What if they're bluffing?" He asked.
"And if they aren't?" Damien demanded. "Want to try it?"
"No.." Drake muttered, still pacing.
"Any other brilliant ideas?" Simon asked him. Drake ignored this and kept pacing.
"We just have to play along, then." Nashi said, crossing her arms. "They have us in a bind."
"One that we're alone in as well," Elise added. "More so than ever before." Nashi knew she was right on this. In almost every other situation they'd been in, they had some sort of outside help. Now, it was just the six of them. No parents, no guild, no other friends, nothing. If they spoke to a single person not one of the people currently in the room, they were in danger of having their home annihilated.
All in all they were screwed.
"So we need to head out in a few days." Simon said, breaking the silence that had come over them. "If we're going to find this 'dock' than we'll need to leave in a day or so. Depends on if we can get north fast enough."
"We should sort our shit," Elise said. This made everyone look at her, and she shrugged. "I'm just saying, there's a good to fair chance we aren't coming back."
"Elise don't talk like..." Steph started.
"She's right," Nashi said, closing her eyes. "We might never come back. We need to make sure we...Say our peace. Just in case." Her friends only stared at her silently, before they all seemed to agree.
"Can't hurt," Drake said, pocketing his hands. "We should do that as soon as possible."
"Before tomorrow ends, at least." Steph said, looking upset. "Just reassure everyone we love them and all. Basic stuff." They would have too. Nashi knew it was for the best. She wanted to come home, and she'd go to hell and back to make sure they did. But there was a chance they'd never be seen again.
"I'll play along," Simon said, making Nashi perk up. "But don't misunderstand, we're getting home."
"We're not accepting our fate," Ultear muttered, still reading through her book. "We're just preparing for the worst."
"I know," Simon said. "But I'm making sure we all get home, you hear me. I swear we will."
"Don't swear something like that," Damien said, rubbing his face. "Especially not in a situation like this."
"I don't care what you think," Simon said, looking absolute. "I swear to God I'll get us all back home. I won't let anything else happen. Not a single person is going to die." Damien just grumbled and looked at his feet. Nashi sighed and stood.
"Get your affairs in order," She said. "We're leaving tomorrow night."
"At night?" Elise asked. "Why?"
"We weren't given a specific area to go to," Nashi replied. "We might need as much time as possible." The others seemed to agree with this, except Ultear, who was still reading.
"Ultear why're you reading those spells?" Drake asked. "Looking for some that might help us?" Ultear looked up at nodded.
"Yeah," she said. "Anything at all would help out, no?"
"We need all the help we can get, so yeah." Simon said.
Simon watched as his friends left his apartment, and turned around.
"You leaving Ul?" He asked. She nodded and stood, closing the book slowly.
"Yeah..." She muttered. She looked to be deep in thought. Simon put a hand on her shoulder as she reached him.
"We'll be fine," he said. "I promise." Ultear looked up at him, eyes full of worry.
"Please don't promise that," she said weakly. "I'll hold you too it."
"Than go ahead," Simon said. "We're not going to let these bastards beat us, not after everything we've been through. You have my word." Ultear smiled weakly.
"I appreciate you saying that." She said. Reaching forward, Ultear enveloped him in a hug. Simon returned in, doing his best to comfort her. "I just don't want anyone to die."
"Neither do I," he replied. "And no one will."
"Promise?"
"...Promise."
"You should call Michael," Nashi made a face and looked over at Drake as he said this. The two of them had split off from Steph and Damien, who'd gone for a walk.
Nashi felt horrible when she realized Michael hadn't crossed her mind since she'd woken up. She knew perfectly well that he was the least of her worries, but it still made her feel bad.
"I probably should, yeah." she said. "He should know." Drake nodded.
"Just don't let his nice guy demeanor make you spill the beans." he said. "Can't let anyone know."
"I know, I know." Nashi replied, looking at her feet. "I won't I promise." There was silence, and then Nashi felt Drake wrap her in a one armed hug.
"Don't sweat it," he said. "We'll be okay." Nashi found herself leaning into him a little.
"Don't play cool with me," she said. "I know you're worried."
"Nah, we got this."
"...Drake, what if something does happen to one of us?" She asked weakly. She got no response, so she shifted slightly and looked at him. He seemed conflicted on this issue. "Drake?"
"...Then The Olympians will pay," he replied. "All of them will. I won't let them escape." Nashi nodded and returned her gaze to the street ahead, memorizing the details as she went.
"Yeah," she said. "They'll pay."
"Damien, you shouldn't go." Damien perked up as his sister said this. They were in the park near the Sola tree, but no one else was around to hear them.
"What?" He demanded. Steph hugged herself tightly.
"You're still using a cane to walk for God sake, I can't let you go to that thing."
"If I don't they'll wipe Magnolia off the map," Damien said. "You remember that, right?"
"Of course I do!" She hissed. "I'm just worried about you! You an barely walk, much less fight! What if something happens to you?"
"Then you get the bastard who did it," he replied, making her look upset. "Steph, this isn't just some random enemy like the Demon Hunters. The Olympians have been problem since we fought Phantom Dove. They've been involved in almost very major situation we've had thus far. They aren't just some pushovers, they'll be the strongest enemies we've ever faced. And I'm facing the very real possibility we'll get very hurt." Steph nodded, but looked upset.
"I know, it's just...I'm scared."
"I am too," Damien replied, wrapping her into his arms. "But we'll fight as hard as ever. And we'll make it."
"Promise?" Damien paused and looked up to see Xisplate watching him from the edge of the park, a serious look on his face.
"After the Grand Magic Games in seven months, One of the five will die."
"...I promise."
Ultear took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror, and then double checked the book open on her bed.
"They look right..." she murmured to herself. She once again examined her body, making absolutely sure she hadn't skipped over any errors she'd made. Doing another once over, Ultear convinced herself she'd made no mistakes.
If she was right about this, it could be the difference between life and death. And going against The Olympians, they'd need all the help they could get. Looking back at the open book, Ultear eyes read over the example once more. Ultear then looked back at the red marking that ran up and down her body, and took a deep breath.
"The pain will be worth it if it works," she murmured.
If she could open her Second Origin, it could be the difference between life and death.
I get the sense you guys will like this arc. I hope you guys enjoyed, leave a review! Let's try to get five!
Chapter 270: Affairs in Order