Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but if I did...this would be canon.
Reminder:
Magic Spells will be in bold. Thoughts and flashbacks will be italicized.
Now, on with the story!
Exceed Hunt arc~Chapter 7~ Unwavering Fairies
~Outside the Exceed Village/Beyond the Barrier~
"We're all fired up!"
Under a setting sun, Romeo, Wendy, and Shinji began scaling up the hillside where Wanda carelessly revealed her reinforcements from the Magistia Lacrima Company would show up by airship. Happy, Carla, and Lily glided behind them, their white, angelic wings spread out like owls commencing a nightly hunt.
Behind them, the entire Exceed Village was held captive in a lacrimal barrier that was intended to trap both the Exceeds and Fairy Tail mages. Thanks to Aria's teleportation magic, the six of them were transported out of the village. If not for her effort, they wouldn't have the chance to meddle with the Magistia Company's nefarious plot. Romeo lead the way, his fists blazing with determination. "We have to do this! Our pride as Fairy Tail mages is on the line! Also..." in his thoughts an image of Papillon-the Magistia employee who saved them from Mr. Magius's sadistic clutches-popped up, "...the lives of innocents...human and Exceed..."
Wendy kept her gaze forward with equal resolve,"For the Exceed, we can't let these jerks have their way!"
As Carla flew alongside Happy and Lily, she silently prayed for the Queen and the Four Elders, "Mother...everyone...I won't let you down."
Lily tightened his grip on his Musica Sword, "For those who threaten my people and my guild, I shall swing this blade without mercy!"
Happy looked a little nervous as he flew, "Hmm...there may not be much I can do..." his discomforted expression changed to a blissful one, " Once this is over...I should really treat myself to a deluxe set of fish!"
Carla was perturbed as the blue Exceed next to her was happily drooling as he flew next to her...
Lastly, Shinji momentarily glanced back at the translucent magenta barrier that encased the village they were trying to protect. His thoughts fell upon the teammate they left behind within the barrier, "Aria..." He closed his eyes momentarily, picturing her pink locks blowing in the breeze as she smiled back at him gently, "...Thank you...We'll make sure the chance you've given us will not be in vain."
He opened his eyes. His blue irises sparked as the stars began to reveal themselves. The light of afternoon was fading, making an entrance for a curtain of night...
~Exceed Village/Inside the Barrier~
Magenta hues mixed with the pink-purple gradient from the sunset cascaded the territory isolated within Wanda's lacrimal trap barrier. Smoke rose from the spot in the ground where Wanda's magical laser was reflected.
Aria entered a fighting stance and summoned a crystalline knife in her right palm. Her eyes, ruby and fierce, were locked on Wanda," Never keep your eyes off your opponent."
Wanda pouted as she pointed her pink wand at Aria's vicinity,"I wasn't planning to, you sneak!"
The magician girl furiously waved her wand, sending a wave of round, glowing projectiles in Aria's vicinity. To evade, Aria teleported above the attack, so see the projectiles burst explode upon contacting the construction behind her...Aria's eyes widened as she soon realized her carelessness...
With a boom, the Exceed Village's medical hut was obliterated.
Wanda chuckled condescendingly,"Teeheehee~You idiot! You can't just teleport anywhere!"
"What have I done...?" Aria reprimanded herself. Even though everyone was evacuated from the area, it was an inconvenient for things in the village to get damaged. Refocusing, she threw her knife; the sharp edge of the crystal weapon glinted directly at Wanda.
Wanda giggled whimsically as she fired a small beam straight at the knife. Upon contacting the wand's beam, the knife burst into shards that littered the ground.
"How sad...Not only will your teleportation lead to collateral consequences, but your knives are practically useless against Pretty Pink's laser attacks!" the Magistia spy mocked.
Aria paid no mind to her opponent's provocations. Instead, the name of her opponents weapon made her a tad curious, "Pretty Pink? What kind of name for a weapon is that?"
Wanda puffed her cheeks in dismay in response,"Only the best name suited for a magical girl weapon, like, ever! Mr. Magius made this one at my request when I was little!"
Aria smirked, restocking herself with six crystalline daggers, "Oh...You still act like you're little...Sure you're not lying?"
"Hey! I'm not a little kid! I'm-" offended by the remark, Wanda yelled. But Aria vanished in front of her eyes midsentence.
Wanda grumbled, "Sheesh...How rude..."
In a split-second, the pinkette reappeared from above a few yards behind her and launched three of her knives at her foe. Hearing a faint rush of air from behind, Wanda turned around.
The magician girl's eyes sparkled with excitement,"Ha! I see you!"
She waved her Pretty Pink in a curved motion, which cast a pink crescent-shaped projectile to collide against Aria's knives. More shards of glass scattered onto the ground. At this, Aria vanished.
A vein popped on Wanda's forehead,"Grrrr...if you're going to fight me, quit disappearing! I'm the only one whose supposed to-"
Hearing another rush of air, Wanda turned to left to see Aria to fling three more knives at her. Wanda quickly pointed her magical girl stave at each knife and fired a beam at each to wither them into glass shards crumbled to the earth. Much to Wanda's chagrin, Aria teleported again after her knives were destroyed.
"Again!?" Wanda gritted her teeth, clutching Pretty Pink close to her.
In a split-second Aria reappeared behind her, "Yes, again...And as many times as needed!"
The pinkette lunged for a kick. Knowing the voice was behind her, Wanda pivoted and countered Aria's kick with a momentum-filled kick of her own. Both were moved a little back by each other's strike. Seizing the opportunity, Wanda pointed her wand at the pinkette and fired a projectile nearly at point-blank range. The projectile exploded upon contacting the Fairy Tail mage.
"Aggghhhh!" Aria was blown back many yards. As her falling figure nearly hit the ground, Aria anchored her legs and hands onto the ground. She skid to a stop. Although the blast didn't hurt as much as she expected, it still left a slight burn mark on the skin it touched.
While Aria was dusting herself off, Wanda pointed her weapon at Aria, her magical girl wand gathering an intense, shimmering radiance.
Aria placed her left arm over her forehead as the light grew more intense. The pinkette contemplated her predicament,"This is more dangerous than I thought...What do I do? I can't just teleport away...someone else could get hurt...I don't want that...my only option..." she removed her arm from her forehead, red eyes glistening as she looked into the light,"...I must endure it all!"
"NERF THIS!" Wanda yelled as a large, sparkly magenta beam shot out from her wand. As the beam bounded towards her, the ground that touched it was singed.
With the scant seconds she had left, Aria kneeled to the earth and and placed her right hand on it tenderly. Pouring in her magic, she initially whispered," Please...-CRYSTAL GARDEN!"
A row of tall crystal precipices sprung from below. They continued to rise the ground in the direction of the upcoming laser.
"Nnnnnnnnggggggghhhhhhh!" Aria grunted as she poured more magic into her spell. A drop of sweat dribbled from her forehead.
Larger, faster, stronger, the crystalline pillars began to cluster and spread across the battlefield. At last, Wanda's laser and Aria's crystals collided, invoking an ear-deafening shatter.
Magistia Airship Crew Cabin~
Magius examined the navigation hologram, the ships blue beacon was closer to the red beacon which represented the Exceed Village. He lifted his head up and searched through the airship's window. He espied a magenta speck in the distance. Smirking, he raised his arms in preconceived victory, "Fantastic! Magnificent! Our livestock are trapped and there for the taking!"
Gloriously, he turned to his red-headed assistant, "Ambrose, fetch me some champagne! What better way to celebrate other than some fine refreshments?"
"I've already prepared a bottle and a glass," Ambrose answered emotionlessly, holding a tray in which a bottle and a wine glass sat atop. Magius gently took the glass and Ambrose poured the liquid into it.
"Thank you very much, dear boy," Magius smiled, lifting his glass as the bubbling champagne slid down his throat.
"Mr. Magius! Exterior surveillance has detected six life forms approaching!" A voice from the cockpit yelled out.
Subsequently, a holographic image was projected showing the hillside. The image zoomed in, showing Romeo, Wendy, Shinji, and a full grown Lily running up the hills followed by a flying Happy and Carla.
Magius spat his drink out onto the holographic image, "BLAST IT! Damn those guild mages. Who the hell do they think they are interfering with my business exploits! BLASTED! BLASTED! BLASTED!"
The greedy geezer violently slammed onto the hologram repeatedly. Finally, he turned out and eyed the cockpit, "Dispatch my soldiers! Now!"
Panting, he turned to Ambrose. "Ambrose, I suggest you go down too. If those mages incapacitate my soldiers, I'll need you to eviscerate them. Without fail."
"I can't. "
But in reality, Ambrose quietly nodded at Magius.
"I mustn't ."
Magius's irritation lessened. He placed a hand on Ambrose's shoulder, "Off you go. Remember the promise we made?"
"This is wrong. Dreadfully wrong..."
Ambrose nodded.
"Still..."
Magius smiled fiendishly, "Good. Dear Papillon will forever be grateful for your valiance."
Although conflicted, Ambrose nodded and exited the crew cabin.
"Still...Papi is my precious...precious friend..."
Magius then pulled up a holographic surveillance image of the room they kept Papillon [Phalene] in. However, the room was vacant...
"Oh dear," the Magistia founder faked his shock...only to twist his lips into a smile most cunning,"...my bad."
As Ambrose walked down the corridor of the Airship towards the exit hatch where Magius's mind-controlled soldier unit was being dispatched, memories of his days on the streets flooded back into his mind...
~Flashback: The Streets of Freesia~
A lone orange-haired boy dressed in worn-out clothes hid behind some crates in a dark alleyway. He hadn't eaten in what felt like days...So, there was a just reason for him to steal from all those places. He tightly hugged two loaves of bread, three green apples, and a large meat package in his arms.
"Oi! Where did that red-headed runt go? He stole some of my fruits!"
"Pesky little bugger! How dare he steal from uncle's bakery!"
"Damn brat snatched a whole sausage link behind my back!"
The volume of those voices increased as his pursuers got closer into the alley. The young boy bit down on his tongue as his body began to tremble.
"This alley seems like a waste of time. Kid could be on the other side of town by now..."
"You've got a point. Let's leave."
To the young thief's relief, the voices faded away as the people who chased after him left to find him elsewhere. Still, he was too scared to move from his spot as soon as they were gone.
As the afternoon grew late, the young boy poked his head from behind the crates with a single sausage halfway jutting out of his mouth. He quickly shifted his glance form side to side to check if the coast was clear. With a fast nod of his head, he scampered out of the alley and into the tired streets.
Past the street markets, out of the townside, and into the tall grass field where the yellow freesias bloomed. Finally reaching his destination, the child sighed and planted his back onto the grassy blanket beneath him. Every day entailed the same thing. The boy lived just to fulfill his basic needs. If you're hungry, then steal. If you're thirsty, then the sewers and fountains have plenty of water to drink from. If you're tired, then sleep...Sleep in a place where no one can find you, where no one can hurt you, where no one can give you their false pity.
The fields in the outskirts of Freesia was the perfect place. The grass grew over four feet tall, so it always covered him from the sight of travelers whenever the lad lay down. Laying flat down on the fields was something he never got bored of albeit his life being a broken record of his struggles to not starve. As he stood looking over the fields lavished with the beautiful flower which adorned the town with its named, he caught glimpse of a black swallowtail butterfly fluttering from flower to flower then into a gap within the tall grass. Elluded by the organism's contrasting coloration, the boy followed it into the tall grass...
Brushing aside the tall grass, he smiled as he found the butterfly...atop an unconscious boy's body!
"Ahhh!", the red-head fell over in surprise. The rustling of the nearby grass caused the butterfly to fly away.
After getting up, the boy glanced at the unconscious child who subsequently turned in his sleep before returning to total dormancy. The child was definitely younger than him by a few years as he was shorter. The child had dark purple hair. He wore a long cream-colored button-up stained in some chlorophyll. His trousers were greyish black, probably worn from friction and weathering.
Hesitant, the orange-haired boy got close and shook the purple-haired boy, "Um...are you...awake?"
That turned out to be a mistake.
The purple-haired boy's eyes flashed open. Pitch black pupils enveloped by blood red irises glared back into the orange-haired boy's eyes, as if staring down into his soul.
Before he could gasp, the orange-haired boy was pinned down to the grass by the purple-haired boy.
"Ah-" the orange-haired boy's breath hitched as the purple-haired boy on top of him was gripping his arms so tight that it hurt.
The purple-haired boy above him stared down at him with wide, ferocious red orbs. Instantly, the blood-red eyes turned lavender colored. The purple-haired boy gasped upon realizing what he was doing
The purple-haired boy quickly got off the orange-haired boy and bowed to him apologetically, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I swear I don't know what happens when I become 'him'. Nobody likes the trouble he causes, so...I was left behind "
The orange-haired boy was taken aback by this total 180 in personality. Earlier the purple-haired boy he tried to wake up pinned him down with immense hostility. But when his eyes changed color...he became apologetic and polite...
The orange-haired boy nervously laughed and lifted the purple-haired boy from his bowing position, "Don't worry so much about it. You're apologizing now for...'his' sake?"
The purple-haired boy shifted his eyes away at the orange-haired boy,"Oh…'he's' a strange person who takes over my body. Whenever 'he's' in control, I don't remember what happens..." the purple-haired boy looked up to the orange-haired boy with tears surfacing form his eyes, "You don't think I shouldn't have been born...do you?"
"No!" the orange-haired boy answered as the boy's remark hit home.
He placed his hands on the purple-haired boy's shoulders and shook him real hard,"You deserve to live just as much as me or anyone else in this world does! It doesn't matter what other people tell you or me! They can go...screw themselves or whatever!"
Offering his hand, the orange-haired boy introduced himself, "My name is Ambrose...You see, I was also abandoned by my family..."
"You too...?"
"Yeah" young Ambrose smiled melancholically, "But, I've been living off the streets for months...it's not so bad."
A clear stream slid down the purple-haired boy's cheek as he shakily took the hand,"My name is Papillon...In some other language it means 'butterfly'."
"Fancy name!" young Ambrose petted the purple-haired boy, "How about I just call you Papi?"
Young Papillon's lavender eyes sparkled, "Mmmm! I'd like that!"
Ambrose giggled, "Papi it is then..."
Soon, his thoughts were interrupted by the growling of Papillon's stomach. The purple-haired boy blushed in embarrassment, "Sorry...I haven't eaten for a while."
"No worries! I got a lot of things from today's trip to town," Ambrose pointed to the food astrewn on the grass, "Let's have a feast!"
Upon eying the food, Papillon's eyes sparkled, "Woah! Foood!"
Ambrose nervously brushed the back of his hair, "Haha, please dig in."
Although they didn't have a royal feast's worth of food, they ate like kings that night...
Tomorrow and onward, they wouldn't have to face the world's unfairness all alone.
They had each other.
Chilling night air blew Ambrose's orange locks as the exit hatch gate lowered. Beneath them lay a vast sea of woodland. He looked back at the soldiers behind him with a solemn expression. They all wore grey body suits with a purple stripe that runs down the spinal chord. All were armed with lacrimal weapons ranging from staves to guns and thick, grey boots. Adorned on all the soldiers' heads were grey helmets; attached to each was a black visor that supposedly covered their eyes. Void of sentiment, he ordered them, "Soldiers, let us move out."
"Yes sir," the soldiers monotonously responded.
One by one, the soldiers jumped down the hatch. After the last soldier jumped, Ambrose walked up to the edge of the hatch. Momentarily he turned around and clutched his chest. A reddish flow emanated from behind his shirt, showing the shining silhouette of a small oval.
"Papi...I won't let you down..." he whispered sorrowfully before commencing his descent.
~ Exceed Village/Inside the Barrier~
Amidst the enduring radiance, the two girls covered their eyes...
When the light dimmed, a panting Aria uncovered her eyes. She checked herself for cuts but found she was unharmed. She still had a slight burn from directly taking one of Wanda's magical projectiles to the stomach, but she bore no cuts, scrapes, etc. Subsequently, she looked up and was astonished by what she saw.
The surrounding environment was frozen by amethystine crystals: the entire ground, the trees, the bushes, even the debris from the destroyed hut. Like her spell entailed, it was a garden of crystals.
In front of her, the crystal precipices she summoned earlier still stood. However, the ones beyond them were broken, for their fragments lay scattered across the crystalline floor. She looked at her hands and smiled, "Haaa...I did it!"
"Don't celebrate too soon, you ditz!"
Aria looked up at those threatening words. Through the translucent precipices in front of her, Aria could see a faint, pink glow...
"Yikes!" the pinkette's instinct took over as she jumped to the ground for cover before the pillars in front of her were blown to bits.
On the other side, Wanda was a wreck. Her mini magician top hat was missing. Her light blue haired was disheveled. She bore cuts and scrapes from the shards that flew in her direction. Naturally, her navy blue polo dress and stockings were torn up. Worst yet, one of her twin tails was now way shorter than the other...probably chopped off by a wide glasslike shrapnel. Once Aria raised her head up to look at her in the distance, she cringed...The look in Wanda's eyes were no longer whimsical and playful...The Magistia spy's irises narrowed so much, Aria could see the whites in her eyes albeit the gap between them. Her smile was demented...the kind of evil smile a girl wears when she sees the opportunity to fulfill her vendetta against you for ruining her hair. That shit ain't pretty.
"You did well to survive Pretty Pink's strongest attack..." Wanda tightly gripped Pretty Pink, and grinned deviously at Aria,"...BUT NOW YOU"RE TOO DRAINED TO DEFEND YOURSELF!~AHAHAHA!"
"Great...she's been knocked off her rocker now..." Aria nervously sweatdropped.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"
Wildly, the torn magician girl waved her wand. Incessantly, the crystal garden around them was bombarded by sparkly pink explosions. Boom after boom, the crystal utopia cracked and shattered. The shards that rose from the force of the explosions were further broken into smaller grains. Aria, who nearly dried her reserve of magic, had to duck and slide without stop in order to evade her enemy's vehement onslaught.
"Eeeek!" the pinkette dove away from another pink burst that would have charred her if she were less than a foot closer.
However, the shockwave from the adjacent explosion sent her sprawling,"OH...CRAAAAP!"
Aria rolled across the damaged ice-like surface until she skid to a halt many yards forward. As she tried to get up, a brown leather shoe kicked her in the shoulder and sent her a rolling a few feet back, "Ack!"
As her back arched from the blow, she espied Wanda for a second, Aria's breath hitched in fear. She hit the ground with her back before rolling over onto her side, where she could have a full view of her opponent before she deals the finishing blow.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! SERVES. YOU. RIGHT." Wanda she then pointed Pretty Pink at Aria, "How dare you ruin my hair AND my dress! When I'm finished with you, no one will recognize you!"
Tears welled up in the pinkette's eyes as Pretty Pink glowed. "Shinji...Wendy...Romeo...Carla...everyone"
A pink glare was reflected on the cracked-jewel ground as the radiation emanating from Wanda's wand increased intensity.
"I'm sorry...everyone...I'm not strong...I'm not strong at all..." the pinkette closed her eyes as turned her head to the crystal-coated floor, giving in to her demise.
Pretty Pink's light met its peak intensity; Wanda squealed, "AT LAST! You are fini-huh?!"
Before Wanda could execute her final laser, three spears zipped by her from her left. One spear hit the bright magical girl wand in her hand, disarming her while simultaneously piercing the heart-shaped lacrima. Another spear darted a few from her eyes, scaring the crap out of her. The final spear dug itself into a random tree trunk...attached was a long strand of hair from Wanda's "remaining" twin tail.
"Why am I not dead?"
Aria opened her eyes. Much to her relief, an unarmed Wanda screaming whilst pulling To the Magistia spy's far left were two spears on the ground, one of which pierced through a now broken lacrima wand. It was then that Aria heard a multitude of small voices from the bushes.
"Don't give up!"
"Ms. Mage, please get up!"
"You're our only hope!"
Her breath hitched upon realization. She lifted herself off the ground to a bent-leg stance. Wiping away her tears, she smiled as she reprimanded herself, "I was such a fool...I'm sorry."
"What was that?" Wanda turned at her with irritation
"No..." Aria smiled with confidence, "It's not about you...it's about me..."
Wanda reverted back to her mocking whimsical self, "What a sweet smile...but there's not much you can do without your magical energy..."
"You can't threaten me or anyone else in this village with your main firepower gone!" Aria yelled back.
"Touche," the light bluenette grit her teeth temporarily before switching to a smile,"But I still have my vanishing act!"
Wanda then procured her traditional-looking magician wand from under her skirt-the Invisi-wand. She twirled it around like a baton and then stopped to pose with her other hand sticking out a peace sign whilst she stick her tongue out like the magical girl wannabe she was, "TA-DAAAAAAA!"
"Give me a break already..." Aria internally groaned.
"Teeheehee~! You got lucky to survive. Pardon the exit but..." Wanda giggled, "Now you see me...Now. You. Don't!"
With a 360 degree pirouette and a twirl of her wand, Wanda poofed into nothingness. Invisible tot eh naked eye, Wanda sneered internally, "Teehee~Time for leave!"
Already, her plot to leave was interrupted as Exceed soldiers sprung from the bushes raising their spears and shields with pride. Alongside the soldiers stood Queen Chagotte and the Four Elders. The Queen spoke with a stern voice, "It is futile. Once you tarnish our land, you must expect the wrath of our people."
Aria grinned, "Silly cats...I thought I told them to leave..."
Initimidated, Wanda staggered back. Her brown, leather shoe cracked on shard on the ground.
That crack was all Aria needed.
Focusing her attention to the sound, Aria conjured her signature crystal knife from her hand, "Gotcha!"
The pinkette flung the knife in the sound's vicinity, earning her a frightened squeak and a clinking sound. Immediately, Wanda phased back into the visibility. Her Invisi-wand was broken. Shock was painted all over her face as she gawked at Aria, "B-But how? My vanishing act was s-supposed to be...f-flawless."
Aria sighed and shrugged, "Guess I got lucky this time," then she smiled teasingly at Wanda whilst wagging her finger, "then again, weren't you the one who broke everything while trying to blow me up? It's sad how you were done in by your own recklessness...and kinda funny."
Wanda clenched her teeth in anger. She was the one who teased and played with others. But, oh, how the tables turned.
"Damn you...you SNEEEEEAAAAKKK!" humiliated, the light blueberry lunged for a kick.
Careless move.
When Wanda got close enough, Aria grasped ghe Magistia spy's extended leg with her right hand and clenched her left hand into a fist. Wanda was about to push herself off of Aria as a last resort but...
Aria has something to say...
"Nice haircut by the way!" she smiled.
That remark caught Wanda off guard. Within seconds, she finally realized that her twin tails were asymmetrical, "WHAT THE HE-pow!"
Aria socked her on the back of the head before she could finish her exclamation. The Magistia spy collapsed onto the cool, crystal-coated floor. Aria sighed with relief and sunk to her knees, "Ah...finally...!"
She then felt a sudden throbbing in her left hand. Aria shook the hand wildly in hopes of getting rid of the irritating pain. Finally, she clutched her arm and rubbed it with her other hand, "Ack...this is annoying...I should really practice punching other people..."
Her painful soliloquy ended when she heard the roaring cheers of the Exceed villagers who saved her. They ran to her side showering her in accolades.
"Miss Mage, You did it!"
"Thank you so much!"
"Miss Mage, defeated her!"
"Fairy Tail mages are so cool!"
"You saved our village!"
"No...I couldn't have done this without you guys. If it weren't for you guys, I...I would have failed," the Fairy Tail mage humbly bowed to the soldiers, the Queen, and the Elders, "Thank you...from the bottom of my heart."
One of the Exceed soldiers rushed to the unconscious Wanda's side, "What should we do with this one? She's an enemy, right?"
The queen and the Elders exchanged glances. Martam gave the order, "First, we should treat her wounds. But just in case..." he chuckled as he pulled a long rope from underneath his robe, "A rope and a smidgeon ought to keep this rascal down!"
The Queen and the other three Elders took a step back in fright. Aria gawked.
"M-M-Martam!?" the Queen stuttered, "Why on earth do you have that!?"
The grayish Exceed laughed, "Hehehe~It comes in handy from time to time," he then turned to the soldiers, waving the rope, " Now men! Tie her up!"
"Aye sir!" The Exceed soldier's saluted as they got to work on their hostage.
Despite the victory, Aria looked up with concern at the magenta barrier placed around the village, "How are we going to get rid of this thing?"
Queen Chagotte ascended her head, "There is a way, child..."
Aria, whose interest was perked, turned to the Exceed leader, "Wait...you know a way?"
Chagotte nodded sadly at Aria, "But you might not like what I have to say..."
~Far Outside the Exceed Village/Beyond the Barrier~
Once they went over the hill, the barrier that encased the Exceed Village vanished. Everything became a blur of dark green as they entered the woods. During the night, the woods become almost pitch black for even the luminosity of the stars is blocked by the countless, leafy branches. But it is in the dark where the fire burns brightest. Undaunted, Romeo lead the way with his fists still set ablaze. Wendy and Shinji ran close behind him, not wanting to get lost in the dark. The Exceeds fly by closely as well.
"Damn...these woods are pretty dense..." the Fire Mage complained.
"We'll be out of here soon." Lily consoled, "Past these woods should lead us to a clear valley. Only then can we engage our enemies..."
"Heaven knows what they've got in store for us..." Carla groaned.
"Don't worry my sweet feline friend! I'll protect you!" Happy cheered.
"Yeah right...I'm way stronger than you..." Carla jeered.
Happy retched in mid-air, "What the heck!?"
Shinji grinned, "Quite the burn."
"I'd say..." Lily grinned back.
They kept running. Oddly, the surrounding woods became clearer to see: from the grass on the trail they were running on to the silhouettes of faraway trees. Lurking in the surroundings were these strange butterfly-like creatures that emanated a white-light with a lavender tinge. But butterflies don't fly at night. Moths, on the other hand, are nocturnal.
Immediately Wendy felt something was off. She heard a distant rustle from the bushes ahead of them, "Everyone! Get down!"
Upon hearing those words, everyone ducked as something whizzed past them. Romeo caught a glimpse and saw what looked like...a purple playing card. As if attracted to a magnet, the card spun back to it's thrower...a purple-haired man who stepped out from the darkness. No longer did he wear his typical magician-like attire I normally adorns to attract customers. Instead, he wore a white dress-shirt stained with red marks- dried blood perhaps? The top three buttons undone. Messily, the collar of his dress shirt was untucked. His black dress pants were torn. Fastened on each of his arms were the individual handcuffs of a broken shackle...the shackle that he broke with his sheer strength. Purple locks disheveled. Skin covered with bruises. Red, bloodthirsty eyes locked onto the poor souls in his line of sight. He rose his hand and the glowing insects swarmed around him, forming a sphere-like veil.
Romeo's and Wendy's eyes widened in shock as they saw the man who saved them from Magius's clutches, but different.
"Papillon!" Romeo gasped.
The purple-haired man chuckled, "Haha! So you know the other me..."
"Other...him?" Romeo questioned, trying to wrap his head around what 'Papillon' said.
Happy inquisitively cocked his head at Romeo, "You know this guy?"
"He saved us from Mr. Magius back at their headquarters in Freesia..." Wendy added.
Hearing that, the purple-haired man smiled, "He did?...Tch. What a dumbass...Because he helped you he had to be punished by Mr. Magius...and that bastard gets off on torturing others."
A sudden surge of guilt spread over the two Fairy Tail mages as they imagined what Papillon must have suffered through at the CEO's hands. Wendy held her hands to her mouth, "That's...awful."
"All's fine though!" the purple-haired psycho smiled, "Because now I can make up for my other self's mistake by beating the shit out of you!"
When he was about to raise his hands, Romeo stopped him, "Wait! Papillon! Why are you doing this!? You saved us back at HQ!"
'Papillon' flashed his red eyes at Romeo along with a psychotic smile, "First of all, you dipshit, my name is Phalene, not Papillon. It is true that we share the same body but we're different as night and day. Right now, Papillon is asleep. So I get to take control and do as I please...Now go to hell! Attack them, my swarm!"
Phalene gestured erected his hand at the group. Obeying his orders, the flood of glowing moths bounded towards the Fairy Tail mages. Romeo, frustrated, couldn't believe that the person who saved them was forced to turn against them. Wendy, too, was rendered immobilized for the same reason. The jubilant Papillon they met, whose eyes sparkled with infinite fascination at Magistia's lacrimal advancements, was no more before them...Still, it hurt them to have to face him. Just when the torrent of subservient moths were about to splash, a full-bodied Pantherlily suddenly stood in front of them with his extended Musica Sword held like a shield.
"What are you guys doing?" the black-furred Exceed looked over his shoulder at them.
"Wendy! Connbolt-boy!" Carla fluttered around them.
"Now is not a good time for the lights to go off..." Happy worriedly waved his paw in front of their eyes.
Still, Wendy's and Romeo's conflicting feelings made them lost for words. They couldn't think straight. Before they knew it, someone bonked their heads with his fists.
"OUCH!" the Fire Mage and the Sky Dragon Slayer yelled in pain.
"Hey, that hurt!" Wendy clutched her head while looking at the culprit.
"What the hell man!?" Romeo rubbed his head while refocusing his attention to the culprit.
The culprit was none other than Shinji who glared at both of them with intense sternness.
"He's just like Erza…" Romeo and Wendy simultaneously moped.
"You two need to get a grip! Aria is back in the village protecting the village cats from that crazy witch girl. She even gave us this chance to take down Magistia. Despite all that, here you are hesitating about fightning our enemy!"
"They're not cats. They're Exceed!" Happy randomly interjected.
"You don't understand, Shinji-san," Wendy defended herself, "The other personality In that body saved us..."
Romeo looked down, "Still...I'm sorry Shinji...we shouldn't waste what Aria gave us...I was such an idiot for preaching to myself about the guild's pride earlier..."
Shinji squeezed Romeo's shoulder with enough force to jolt the Fire mage up, "Uwah!"
"You're not an idiot. If you have qualms about fighting this guy...I can do it in your stead." Shinji suggested, "But you guys have take on the rest of the Magistia reinforcements without slacking off! Otherwise..."he flashed his katana at them, "I'll dice you..."
Wendy and Romeo sweatdropped in fear, "Scary..."
Shinji put the sword down and grinned, "Glad we could come to an understanding!"
He turned to the blue and the white Exceed, "Happy, Carla, fly them out of the woods and into the clearing."
"Aye sir!" the blue cat saluted before attaching himself to Romeo.
"Oi...I can always use Red Carpet..." Romeo objected.
"But you're fire might attract the enemies," Happy countered, "Plus you should save your magic for all the fighting ahead."
"Sounding like a leader, aren't we, Shinji?" Carla jested as she latched onto Wendy.
Grinning at that remark, Shinji turned to Lily who was swatting his great sword at the swarming light bugs, "How's it going big guy?"
A small vein popped on the big cat's forehead, "The going is tedious. Have you knocked some sense into them?"
"Yeah,"the young knight said as he confidently stepped forward, "Lily, I want you to accompany them..."
"So you can take him on yourself?" Lily swiped his sword, into the ground. A cloud of dust erupted, knocking all the magic insects back.
While Phalene's moths were held back, Lily turned to Shinji, "Very well...but don't take you're time."
"I won't be too long..." Shinji grinned, "Leave this to me."
After the dust cloud cleared, a bright light enveloped Shinji. The intense light halted the moths from attacking, frustrating Phalene, "What the hell is going on?!"
As Shinji began his transformation, Lily and the Exceeds seized the opportunity the fly out of the scene.
The sword mage's clothes were replaced by a navy bodysuit that covered his neck down to his toes. On top of the dark-colored bodysuit formed various white armored parts. The vambraces and gauntlets gleamed white as they were adorned with additional sharp gold plating on the knuckles and fingers. Ooyoroi guardbraces with golden weavings and ivory pauldrons reinforced his shoulders some of his chest. His chest was further accentuated by a shining gold-colored four-pointed star placed directly in the center. Protecting his legs, formed the cuisse and greaves; both ivory with auriferous lining. Between the leg armor components formed the metal that would protect the knee, a silver-ish poleyn. Encasing his feet were these pearl-colored sabatons carved auric streaks designs on the edges. His feet were encased in gold armor. His raven locks were garnished with a headpiece consisting of four silvery four-pointed stars linked by a single chain. The light dimmed upon completed equipping,"Requip: Raizan Blitzkrieg"
Once Shinji's requip was complete, Phalene spotted the rest of the Fairy Tail mages flying past them. The purple-haired man clicked his teeth in irritation and swiped a hand in their direction, "Tch. After them."
The swarm began to refocus its attention to the flying cats carrying Romeo and Wendy. But within seconds, they were immobilized by a blast of electricity. Phalene turned around with a vein popping on his forehead. Like autumn leaves, the glowing purple moths fells to the grassy ground, twitching from the overwhelming shock. The purple-haired man huffed in annoyance, "Hmmm...not bad...you might be fun to kill..."
"Fun?" Shinji raised an eyebrow, "How can you call killing 'fun'?"
Phalene licked his lips,"Because killing is something I crave...something I yearn for. That's my only purpose in the Magistia Company. I'm insatiable, ya know. "
Shinji felt disgusted by this guy...Who the hell did he think he was talking about killing like it was a delicacy. If this guy really did save Romeo and Wendy, it was definitely not this personality. The sword mage opened his armored palms. Materializing into his palms appeared twin blades. Both swords had matching spiked pommels, blue-taped grips, and aureate guards shaped like lightning bolts which slid up to the middle part of the blade. The blades of the swords were pure ivory, but emitted a xantic scintillation as electricity danced on their edges. The sword mage tightened his grip around his blades, causing the currents in them to jolt and cackle. His armor was soon enveloped in electricity.
"If you actually knew the weight of killing someone or at least seeing someone precious to you die...YOU WOULDN"T BE SO NAIVE!"
Shinji lunged at Phalene. His sapphire eyes glistened as the lightning coated his body.
"YES! YES! HELL YES! FIGHT ME LIKE YOU WISH TO KILL ME!"Phalene's eyes widened with excitement as he charged forward too, curling his fingers like claws,"KILL! KILL! KIIIIIIILLLLLL!
~Out of the Woods~
Above the sea of woodland treetops flew Lily, Happy, and Carla. Happy held onto Romeo while Carla held onto Wendy. Upon leaving the shroud of the woods, the light of the night stars cast their glow. With a source of light, Lily eyed a valley and past that...a large flying object speckled with various lights- the enemy airship, "There it is..."
Carla smiled,"At last, they're here."
Happy's eyes then widened, "Woah! look down there!"
"Huh?" the other two Exceeds declined their chins to see what Happy was worried about...a mob of Magistia soldiers.
Wendy took a breath, "Enemies...but something is off about them."
Carla spoke to Wendy, "What do you sense?"
Wendy turned away sorrowfully,"I don't know. But we can't just pass by them. Shinji-san is behind us."
Romeo, still down, mustered a mumble, "Yeah...and we owe him for taking the burden of fighting Papillon off our shoulders..."
Wendy frowned at her partner, "Romeo-san, I know that you're worried, but we can't waver now...we're so close!"
"No, I'm not..." the Fire mage spoke up with more confidence, clenching his fist.
"Eh?"
"Aria...Shinji...they've stayed behind so that we can move forward," he turned to Wendy with a resolute expression on his face, "As you say, we can't waver. So...let's knock them with what we've got! Happy!"
"Aye sir!" happy spread angelic wings and off they bolted towards the enemy
Wendy smiled at him, "Now that's the Romeo I remember!"
Carla glowered at her Dragon Slayer partner, "Wendy...enough daydreaming. Let's go!"
The bluenette expelled her thoughts,"Ah-right! Sorry! Full speed ahead Carla!"
Carla then zoomed after Happy. Lily simply shrugged and began his descent.
The enemies below soon sensed Romeo and Happy flying towards them. Those armed with lacrimal firearms began to shoot magic bullets. Although the squadron was aiming at Romeo and Happy. Carla, Wendy, and Lily had to avoid becoming collateral casualties.
A vein popped on Carla's forehead, "Honestly, it wouldn't kill you guys to be less reckless..."
Still, Romeo and Happy were too far ahead to hear her scolding.
"I don't think we'll be able to land smoothly Romeo," Happy warned swerving the two from some magic projectiles.
Romeo just smiled, "We don't have to. A rough landing might be just what we need..."
"What do you mean..." the blue Exceed asked, perturbed.
"You just have to fly your fastest. I'll enhance our speed with my flames!"
"I don't like this idea, Rome-!"
"I'll treat to some fish when we get back to the guild," he bribed.
"It's a deal! Max Speed!" Happy's wings gleamed brightly as they accelerated towards the enemy. Stars, the sky, they bullets that missed them all past by them in a blur, the closer they reached the enemy.
"Red Carpet!"
Hot, red flames jetted out from the Fire mage's soles. Soon, the red flames intermingled with Happy's Aera magic; the two morphed into a cimson fireball that descended towards the enemies with greater acceleration. Despite the dangerous fireball falling in their direction, the soldiers armed with lacrimal guns fired nonetheless. Their efforst were futile for their magic bullets would just incinerate upon contacting the crimson exterior. Just like that, the fireball crashed into the ground, upheaving charred dirt, rocks, blackened grass, and soldiers everywhere. The spot where the fireball hit became a small, seared crater. Embers flickered by the tens and rose up like luminescent fireflies. Fires do burn brighter in the night. Amid the rising embers stood Romeo Behind him lay Happy...a puddle of sweat leaked from his body.
"Too...hot..." the cat mustered before his head slumped down into the ground.
The fire mage jumped out of the crater and began to engage the enemy soldiers. Although battered and burned, the Magistia soldiers unanimously got up upon sensing Romeo's presence. Robotically, they flocked Romeo. Still, the young mage did well holding them off. Conjuring purple flames from his hand, he sicked them upon a wave of his enemies' feet, immobilizing them. Unaware of the purple flame's properties, the soldiers tried to lurch towards Romeo only to be held back by the sticky purple pyres.
From above, Carla, Lily, and Wendy were wide-eyed.
"What on earth did they just do?" Carla reprimanded albeit too far for them to hear.
Wendy just giggled, "Natsu-san would be proud."
Lily grinned, "He would too. But we need to get down there right now! Can't leave Romeo to fight on his own."
The black Exceed zoomed for the surface.
"Especially not when male cat is the only other one down there..." Carla scoffed before following.
In a lush meadow brimming with yellow flowers, an orange-haired man was perched on a huge vine. He stroked back his orange locks as he blankly stared up at the starry sky with his piercing, yellow eyes.
"Papi…" Ambrose reminisced. A sky full of stars. A field full of yellow florals. It was nostalgic to say the least.
His train of thought was then disrupted by a thunderous boom in the distance.
Still, none of those things mattered to him He knew that the soldiers were engaging the mages as he sat tranquilly. Contrarily, this tranquility was a lie...
Life is fickle. Adversity cannot distinguish between virtue and vice. So, the naïve always remain naïve while the suffering continue to plummet. Sometime those in power offer a light of hope to those in poverty. Because of their desperation, the destitute accept, unaware of the hidden ulterior motives the rich scum have. Sadly. Ambrose, Papi, and Wanda too were one of many victims of Mr. Theodore Alabastor Magius's "generosity". The old man was walking through the streets of Freesia and came across two dirtily-dressed boys sitting in the alleyways, eyeing the shiny red apples being sold at the stalls. Taking advantage of their gullible innocence, Magius purchased two apples from the stall and gifted the two boys with those very apples. Touched by his act of kindness, the boys took an instant liking to the old man, for he was the first person in a long time to show them the warmth of kindness. As icing on their cake, he offered them a place to stay, warm food, a bed to sleep...things they yearned for months. And they were just kids. They couldn't doubt a man who showed them the kindness their own parents couldn't give them...No. Room. For. Doubt.
Ambrose lowered his head as he dwelled upon his past...Doing so caused the lacrima ring on his right hand to spark. The vine he sat upon curled as it increased in length. Thorns, leaves and buds sprouted from it. Those very buds bloomed into grand, red roses. More vines sprouted. More vines effloresced with thorns and bloody red roses. The Magistia slave placed a hand over his chest, undoing the buttons of his pink dress shirt. Pulsating on his chest was a ruby, oval-shaped lacrima. Branching into the jewel were his circulatory vessels, layered with skin cells.
Mr. Magius's favorite reason for picking up children from the streets wasn't solely for employment.
He was a man of science.
He needed experimental subjects.
Next Chapter: Gather Ye Rosebuds
[while ye may]. Not traveling too far into tangents, but one of the meanings of the yellow freesia in the language of flowers is "friendship" :333333
Do you like how dark things have gotten? lol maybe not.
tl34lt12: Thank you for mentioning that! This fanfic covers an alternate timeline so there is definitely no conflict with Alakitasia [did I spell that right?]. I currently do not have plans with Zeref and Acno. They too beast for little kids to fight. TOO beast. Zeref is linked more with Natsu [and Mavis 3] more than anyone else, so correlating him with any of the five MCs would be difficult.
As always, please feel free to constructively criticize or make a suggestion as they are warmly welcomed. Bai!