Chapter 79

Caracall Island

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Magic"

Flashback

Location / Date / Time Skip

Ocean

A green faced Natsu hugged the side of the boat, trying his best not to throw up. "We had to take a boat… Can't Mest just tap us there..?" He groaned in pain.

"I can't go that far." The spy replied.

"Wendy… your magic… please…" Natsu stumbled over to the female Dragon Slayer, only to find her in the same state.

"Seriously?" Lucy asked. "When did this happen?"

"I have… no idea…" Wendy groaned out. "I can't even… use my magic… like this…"

"Come on, let's get them inside." Nicholas said before he picked up the other slayers and brought them back into the ship. Lisanna followed behind and helped Natsu through the door.

"Well, at least he still isn't affected." Gray huffed. "Somethings never change."

"CLOTHES! BACK ON!" Brianna shouted, throwing them in his face.

Erza stared out at the sea as Mest walked up from behind. "What's wrong, Erza? Or is it Master now?"

"Just Erza is fine." The redhead said back. "I was just thinking, Master Makarov disbanded the guild just to protect us… and to keep the Lumen Histoire out of the enemies hand. This much I get. But as long as the Lumen Histoire remains a mystery, I can't help but feel as what we're doing is meaningless…"

"Maybe its a weapon?" Mest suggested.

"He wouldn't use the First Master like that." Gray said in annoyance. "Ugh, I hate having this many unanswered questions."

"I'm sure we'll find our once we save the master." Lucy spoke up.

"How long until we reach Alveraz?" Erza asked the teleporter.

"It takes ten days to reach Aracitacia by sea, so I'd say a few more if we're to reach the capital." Mest answered. "I understand your impatience, but we can't afford to mess up now. We need to make a short stop at Caracall Island before refueling our ship. A place that isn't named after an island…."

"Just goes to say that we're no longer in Fiore territory…" Lucy said.

"Do we even have time to make a pitstop?" Gray asked.

"Like I said, we can't mess up now." The memory mage replied. "Preparation is important in a situation like this. We'll meet our intelligence guy in Caracall and plan our rout there."

"I can see Caracall!"

The guild members rushed over to the side of the ship and looked out. "Hold on. That ship!" Erza pointed out from the front of the pack.

A massive war ship was docked at the harbor, a symbol on its front. "An Alveraz navy ship!? Mest asked in shock, grabbing a pair of binoculars. "It looks like they're searching for something at the ports…"

"They're looking for spies…" Nicholas declared. "It doesn't sound like they found them, yet."

"…Wait, you can hear that from here?" Lucy asked impressed by the distance.

"Bits and pieces." He answered.

"What do we do?" Mest asked the Master.

"We need to get to the spy before the navy catches them…" Erza declared before turning around. "Here's rhe plan."

Caracall Island Port

"Promise you'll behave yourself, Natsu…" Lisanna warned her boyfriend.

"I promise." He nodded.

"Next group, step forward." An armored man ordered the now swimsuit clad group as the three Exceeds walked on all four like cats.

"Hi, we're here for a vacation!" Lucy cheered as Lisanna hugged Natsu's arm.

"That mark, are you part of a guild?" The man said.

Lucy held up her hand, her guild mark having changed for the disguises. "Yeah, we're part of the Caith Shelter guild." She declared, making Wendy smiled at the memory.

"Never heard of that one." The first guard said, crushing her smile.

"What should we do? We've been told to be thorough with guild members…" A second guard spoke up.

"Yeah, but what spy would come through the front door with a guild crest?" The first guard said back.

"Hey, are we done yet?" Lucy asked, her and Erza trying to be as cute as possible.

"Okay, you're free to go!" He shouted, a blush burning though his mask.

They walked along the boardwalk and noticed all guards in town. "There's a lot of troops…" Wendy mumbled. "We can't move around like this…"

"Natsu, behave!" Lucy warned.

"Why is everyone picking on me?" He asked back.

"Cause you don't know what stealth means." Erza snapped back.

"Gimme my daddy back!" The group turned to see a child crying at a guard. "Where you take him? I want my daddy!?"

Natsu gripped her hand even harder, glaring at guard. "Stand down, Natsu." Erza warned. "We can't do anything."

"Shut the hell up!" The guard drew his sword and went to attack the child.

Natsu went to step forward, only for Nicholas to block his path. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a hole open up in the ground, making the soldier fall down. "Where did this come from?"

"Must have been a sink hole." Another soldier chuckled. "Or maybe the gods decided to punish you for brash act."

"Well get me out of here!"

"Maybe after you calm down." The second troop replied before turning to the child and wiping some tears away. "Come on, I bet your dad is done talking with us." He offered a hand and the son took it before they walked away.

"Now we can go." Nicholas said turning around.

"…Stealthy." Brianna chuckled.

"Agreed." Erza added, sitting at a stand with a spoon in her mouth. "We must act like regular tourists."

"Wow, this is good." Lisanna added next to her.

"That's Star Mango for you, little lady." The owner said before turning to Nicholas. "Appreciate what you did back there. Just be a bit more careful."

"Wasn't gonna let them hurt a kid." He replied.

"Fighting always happen around here." The owner replied. "Nothing is more important to me than my business. I gotta save up money to get to Ishgar. You lot are from Ishgar, aren't you?"

"Yeah." Gray answered.

"I'm gonna bring Star Mangoes over there and make the best desert shop there." He declared.

"Yes, that sounds deliciou- er, its a great dream." Erza said with a smile.

"I'm stuck in this shabby shack for now, but I'm a man with a big dream." The owner chuckled. "There's no stoping me from making my -"

An explosion destroyed the shack and blasted everyone back, an angry Erza the only one unmoved by the attack. "Well done, well, done!" Erza turned her glare to the side to see a sharp dressed man with spiky hair walk forward. "The name's Marin Hollow. Member of the Alveraz Empire Army, part of the Brandish Force."

"Run." Gray told the vendor, offering a bag of money. "It might not be enough, but this should help."

"How dare you destroy this man's livelihood…" Erza growled, her body glowing. "I'll show you the wrath of a desert lover. REQUIP!"

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Her spell suddenly died, confusing everyone. "Sorry, but 'Space' is something I control." Marin chuckled, catching everyone's attention. "'The Knight' it's a kind of magic that enables you to instantly equip anything you want. And that is why you can't use any of your 'Spacial' magic against me."

Lucy pulled out her archers key and tried to summon him, only for the glow to die. "Celestial Spirit magic is Spacial magic too, ya know?" He chuckled as Erza and Lucy started fading away. "Oh, did I forget to mention this? Those who break my Laws of Space get an invitation to my personal relaxation space."

Marin turned to the side and looked at Lisanna and Brianna chuckled. "Know what? You two can come along as well." The other girls started fading away before all four vanished, the Dragon Slayers holding their girlfriends. "Now as for you men…" His attitude turned a complete one-eighty and he glared at at them all. "You all failed, hear me ya jackasses!?"

"But I'm a girl…" Wendy mumbled in shame as Carla patted her back.

"How dare you be in the presence of such beauties! You don't deserve them!" Marin shouted, only to fond Natsu and Nicholas in his face, anger in their eyes as their elements coated their fists. They swung forward, only for their destruction to hit empty air. "The great me, a specialist in spacial magic." He said from behind the pair.

The two turned and swung their fists, only to again hit nothing. "And you're in my domain!" He declared, dropkicking both men in the back. Marin vanished again and kneed Gray in the back before punching Mest in the face.

"Can't you do something, Mest!?" Happy asked as Slate guarded the depressed Wendy with a knife.

"You saw what he did with Erza and Lucy. I can't use my magic at all." He snapped back.

"Against me, you idiots don't stand a chance." Marin declared from the top of a building. "The one who controls space is the winner."

"How long are you gonna play around like that, Marin?" The Fairy Tail members slowly turned in fear at the massive magical presence stepping forward. It originated from a green haired woman in a long coat over what barely qualified as a bikini.

"Oh, Lady Brandish! You're well done, as usual!" Marin nervously chuckled.

"Stop that, won't you. It's disgusting." She ordered.

'What is this…' Gray mumbled in fear. 'How could anyone have this level of magic power? It's unreal…' He glanced over and saw Natsu holding his wrapped arm.

"I have a craving for Star Mango Gelato." Brandish declared, stunning the four males. She turned to the side and found the ruined remains of the shop. "The shop is, like, totally in pieces! Who could have done this!?"

"IT WAS THOSE GUYS!" Marin lied through his teeth, pointing at the Fairy Tail wizards.

"That's a lie!" Gray shouted back.

"You attacked us!" Nicholas added.

"And I really wanted some too…" Brandish sighed before turning around. "Let's go…"

"Wait, Lady Brandish!" Marin spoke up. "These are the guys our soldiers warned us about! We should at least question them to see if they know anything about the spy!"

"I don't care…" A depressed Brandish replied. "Now give them back the girls you took…"

"But you said I could keep them!" Marin protested.

"Let. Them. Go." Brandish ordered, her footstep reverberating on the sand.

"What's going on?" Slate asked, the ground shaking.

"Carla, take me up!" Wendy shouted as the cat grabbed her. "Hold on, shouldn't the ground be getting farther away?" Wendy looked down and found the resort still within reach.

"I'll take us out to sea." Carla said, flying the girl away from the island. "Not possible…" The resort was now sitting on top of a giant mountain that rose out of the sea.

"Did you not hear what I said?" Brandish questioned her soldier.

Marin flinched and the four girls landed on the ground. "Lisanna!" Natsu rushed over and helped her up as Gray, Nicholas and Mest did the same.

"That place was horrible…" Erza groaned out.

"Huh? Who's that?" Lucy looked over and Brandish and froze in fear. 'Her magic power… is off the charts.'

"Now, for making me repeat myself…" Brandish waved her hand upwards and Marin vanished from sight, shocking the group. "Things like spies don't interest me. I have more important things to worry about. I'll lie about the spy was eliminated, so don't come any closer to Alveraz. Makarov is alive, by the way.

"But if you guys don't behave yourself, that might change." She looked over her shoulder and glared at them. "This is your only warning. Don't come any closer." The ground started shaking again and the entire island vanished, sending the group into the ocean. "Alveraz has eleven other wizards just as powerful as I am. So be stupid and start a fight you can't win, Fairy Tail." She declared from atop the shrunken island before a ship picked her up.

'They've found us out…' Gray mumbled in fear.

A large fishing vessel soon pulled up and helped the stranded vacationers onto the boat. 'That girl…' Erza thought to herself as she looked out at the sea. 'She shrank the island… her magic must allow her to affect the mass of objects…'

The two vulnerable Dragon Slayers huddled against the side of the boat, green to the gills. "So, what's our next move?" Lucy asked the master, holding Natsu over the edge.

"Good question. We should star-" Erza started before every guild member suddenly teleported from the ship into a stone room, much to the delight of the sick Slayers.

"Warning us would have been nice!p!" Carla shouted at Mest.

"Where are we, anyway?" Slate asked.

"Not far, we're in Caracall Island's waters." Mest answered. "UNDER the water, exactly. It was the only place the spy could be without being seen."

The building started shaking before Erza noticed passing coral. "The building's moving!?" Natsu and Wendy collapsed to the ground as Happy petted his partner.

"I'm glad you've!" The group turned around to see Angel sitting on a throne, clad in a white bikini. "Welcome to the mobile temple Olympia. I'm your captain, Sorano."

"ANGEL!?" Lucy asked in shock.

"There a reason you didn't?" Erza asked the teleporter.

"You really wanna risk him hearing stuff you'd rather keep secret?" Mest he asked.

"For the record, I'm only doing this because I owe Mest a favor." Sorano declared walking over. "Don't be fooled into thinking we're actually friends."

"Thanks, Angel. Or, is it Sorano?" Lucy was unsure what to call her former enemy before she was pulled in by her top.

"Never forget, it was I who killed Karen." The white haired woman warned. "She tested my nerves, too."

"Whe-where are we going?" Natsu groaned out. "Beyond just hell…"

"We're headed to where your master is." Angel declared, letting Lucy go. "Aren't I the best?"

Alveraz Empire

Vistarion

"Tell me, have you heard the chatter regarding Fairy Tail, Makarov?" An elderly man asked from across the table.

"Shocking to be honest…" Makarov mumbled. "Not about my children, Ajeel. Your emperor. I was expecting him to be so open to negotiations or treat me so well. In Ishgar, we only have rumors of what he is like. I am hoping to meet him soon."

"Forgive me, Makarov." The hunched man requested. "Our Emperor has a habit of disappearing for times on end." Cheers erupted from outside, catching them by surprise. "Oh, seems he as returned. Be at rest, I'm sure he's heard your concerns regarding Ishgar, but once he delivers his decree, none of his shields will have a say."

The pair reached an openinf and looked down from the balcony. "When this is all over, please return to your guild."

"Yes, my family will be waiti-' Makarov stopped mid sentence as he stared at the Emperor walkign down the street. To his surprise, he recognized the man himself.

"He looks well as always…" Ajeel said. "His youth is really worthy of envy, isn't it?"

'It… can't be…' The master thought to himself as he stared at the melancholy expression on the Emperor's face. 'Zeref!?'