I have an original arc for you guys yet again. However, like the last one, this one is very important to the story. You'll see why be the end of this chapter. I think you'll all really enjoy it.
So enjoy, as I bring you, the battle of Clover town!
I don't own Bleach of fairy tail. Those belong respectively to Tite Kubo and Shounen jump and Hiro Mashima and Weekly shounen magizine. This is just for fun!
That said, I do hope you enjoyed it and you leave your thoughts in a review, it would be REALLY appreciated. Thank you very much.
Bambietta Basterbine was alone, the Quincy sitting atop the tallest building she could find in all of Magnolia. It was a simple matter for a Quincy to ascend to such heights, but she knew that it would have been easier still if she had possessed her Voll Stern Dich.
That was precisely why she had come to this place. She needed the peace and solitude if she was ever going to become what she once was. She wanted to be great again, but Bambietta knew that being overblown and arrogant about it would get her nowhere. She had to know what she was doing; she had to be smart about it.
So she knelt on the roof, her hands resting gently upon her thighs. Her back straight, she kept her eyes gently closed, feeling a calm breeze play against her skin, giving life to her hair slightly.
It was alien to her, so very alien, to remain peaceful. It was not like times earlier, when her excitable personality had been crushed underneath the weight of despair. No, for now she was simply relaxed in mind, body and soul, the Quincy trying to tap into the spiritual powers that were her by right of birth.
"Breathe in, breathe out," Bambietta whispered to herself, the Quincy doing just as she asked of herself. Her chest rose and fell with each breath, Bambietta trying to let her mind flow freely, to touch both the magic energies around her and the spiritual pressure that dwelt within her body.
It was taxing, so very taxing, but she could feel it, the wellspring of power buried within her soul. Untapped for so long, a force keeping it small and unfocused, that it left Bambietta to bite her lip in frustration for but a moment.
A remnant of her death? Or perhaps from the perversions that Giselle had wrought upon her body and soul? Bambietta did not know, but it vexed her nonetheless.
Still, she knew that anger would get her nowhere. Not now, away from a battlefield. It was difficult, however, Bambietta never one to restrain her emotions like this. Yet she remembered well, of a time long since passed, when Robert Accutrone had tried with all his patience to make her more than she was now.
"I... never got to thank him."
Bambietta's teeth clenched then, her serenity threatening to break, the Quincy's body tensing up for a moment. The harsh reality of life had robbed her once more. Again and again, it had taken from her those most precious.
When would it be enough? When would the dark side of life be satisfied? Had it not taken enough from her already? Her parents, her friends, her mentor, her home, her very life...
"Enough."
It was spoken with nothing but the simplicity of a harsh tone, Bambietta remembering well how Robert had scolded her time and again if she had proven too rambunctious during her lessons. It worked then at calming her down, at weakening the resolve of her own internal darkness, and now was no different.
Yet still did Bambietta discover the true issue with her trying to meditate. It was simple really. She just could not concentrate and keep herself still.
"Damn it!" The Quincy let herself go then, Bambietta running her hands through her hair in frustration. "How am I ever going to-"
"Bambi?"
She opened her eyes in response to her name being spoken, the Quincy catching sight of someone quite familiar. "Lil."
"I guess you did always like getting high," Liltotto said as she stepped on to the roof, no longer needing her ability to stand on thin air. She looked around then, taking in the bright sky all around. "Can't say I'm too fond of it."
"Then why are you up here?" Bambietta asked, realizing that any chance at relaxing and reconnecting with herself was long gone now.
"Because..." Liltotto's voice trailed off for a minute, the Quincy still not looking at Bambietta. "Because I was lonely."
Bambietta raised an eyebrow at that. "Really, we're in the most social group of looney tunes I've ever met and you're feeling lonely?"
"I suppose they're nice and all," Liltotto said, looking at Bambietta, "but you're my only true friend here."
"Come on, they're a lively bunch," Bambietta replied. "Give them a chance."
"Do you consider them friends, Bambi?"
Bambietta looked at Giselle as if she was a deer caught in the headlights. "Well, I do get along with some of them."
Liltotto did not relent. "But are they your friends?"
Bambietta did not like where this conversation was going. "Come on, Lil, didn't you at least try to hang out in the guild hall?"
Liltotto sighed, realizing that she was getting nowhere with her question. "I tried a little, but then that Gray guy sat down beside me."
"So?"
"He had no pants on, Bambi. That made me uncomfortable."
Bambietta could not help but laugh then. "Oh, I needed that. Thanks, Lil. But don't let his habit wig you out. He doesn't even realize he's doing it."
"That sounds... silly," Liltotto counted. "And a little hard to believe. I'd like to think that if you or I were losing garments of clothes, we would notice immediately."
"Yeah, well," Bambietta looked away from Liltotto, her face growing red as she recalled her first mission with Lucy and Levy, "you'd be surprised."
"Bambi, why were you up here?" Liltotto asked, trying a less troubling question.
That was one Bambietta could answer without any hesitation. "I just figured I needed some alone time. To see if I can, you know, tap into my inner me. See if I could wrangle up some power I used to have. Like Robert taught me how to do."
"I don't think a guy like that would want you to be so forceful with your own soul," Liltotto replied. "He always told me to take it nice and easy and not try too hard."
"Well that was old Rob for you," Bambietta said as she stood up. "He always did seem to be able to read a person and figure out the best way for them to train. He's a- he was a great teacher."
"I'm sorry, Bambi."
Bambietta looked at Liltotto then with confusion. "For what?"
"I knew you looked up to him," Liltotto began to explain. "That was why I didn't want to have to tell you the truth."
"Come on, don't be that way," Bambietta said, putting a hand down on one of Liltotto's shoulders. "Besides, we both died and ended up here for some reason. Maybe he did to."
"But that would mean-"
Bambietta turned away from Liltotto, not wanting to brooch that subject. "Anyway, this training is getting me nowhere! I guess I'm a little too wound up still from yesterday's speech to really relax and concentrate. Heck, I can barely sleep last night!"
"I suppose that means your new friend should be thankful," Liltotto began to say. "At least she didn't have to hear your snoring for one night."
"Oh, you little-" Bambietta turned on Liltotto, quickly pulling her in close and digging her knuckles into the top of her head playfully. "One time, one time and a Quincy just can't live it down?"
"One?" was all Liltotto responded with, grimacing under the actions of her friend.
"Okay, fine, so it happens a lot," Bambietta said, relenting and pulling away from Giselle, she glanced away then, a closed hand coming up to her face. "I can't help it, okay?"
"Anyway," Liltotto said, ignoring the moment. "You came up here to try and tap into your power, right? I think I have something that could help you."
Bambietta grew skeptical. "And what would that be?"
"Well, I pulled together the jewel I made on my first couple of missions," Liltotto began, "well, the jewel I could safely expend without worrying about my rent, and... Please don't hate me."
"Oh ,don't be such a worry wart!" Bambietta exclaimed. "If I could get over your part in... you know, then what could you possibly do to tick me off now?"
Liltotto bit her lower lip nervously and reached around to pull something out that had been tucked into the back of her belt. She stopped before bringing her hands around then, still cautious. "You promise?"
"Cross my heart and hope to-" Bambietta paused for a moment and shook her head. "I promise."
Slowly, very slowly, Liltotto pulled her hands out and revealed a white glove adorned with blue stripes, one that possessed a length more befitting a night at the opera than a training session. At least to the untrained eye. To Bambietta it was an object of strength, a matter of pride to some Quincy.
To her however it was something else entirely.
"Nuh uh!" Bambietta all but shrieked as she began to back up. "No way am I going to-"
Her words were cut off then, changing into a scream as Bambietta fell out of Liltotto's sight, the Quincy having taken one step too many and moving off the roof.
Liltotto waited for a moment, the shout of surprise shifting to a simple curse word. Then Bambietta came back into view, the Quincy stomping on invisible, spiritual platforms. She was clearly flustered, both out of irritation and embarrassment at her failing to mind her surroundings. That was entirely why Liltotto was worried, knowing Bambietta well. Her worst fears were about to be realized, a verbal scolding from Bambietta on the horizon.
Yet it did not come. Bambietta instead took a moment to compose herself, a sad look in her eyes. "I appreciate it, Liltotto, but no. I can't... won't wear it."
"But these can help boost your powers during training," Liltotto countered. "Didn't Robert have you use one?"
"And didn't we make fun of the rank and file Quincy of the Vandenreich for stooping to using such methods?" Bambietta asked. "Like daily?"
"You and Candi did, yeah," Liltotto replied. "But Bambi-"
"I know, I know," the Quincy interrupted, staring at her right hand for a moment. "I'm not much better than they were. I'm a joke now."
"Bambi, don't say that."
"I just can't do it," Bambietta said, once more glancing at the Sanrei Glove with a hint of sorrow. "Lil, I-"
"Please," Liltotto said, holding it out before her. "Candi isn't here, so no one is going to make fun of you."
Bambietta flinched slightly, slowly reaching out to take the glove away from Liltotto. Her fingers trembled slightly as they drew close, Bambietta's hesitant nature on full display. Then, quite suddenly, she snatched it away and held it in her hands. She looked at it intently, Liltotto catching sight of the sadness on Bambietta's face once more.
"Bambi, what's the matter?"
"Oh look!" Bambietta said, peering over Liltotto, her eyes lighting up as she did so. "It's my favorite teeny-tiny bookworm!"
Liltotto glanced away from Bambietta, unsure if her friend was either avoiding the subject or simply this easily distracted. She could see it then, Levy McGarden walking down the streets below with a purpose.
"Come on!" Bambietta suddenly said as she pocketed the Sanrei Glove and grabbed Liltotto by the hand. "Let's go say hi!"
"Wait a-"
Liltotto never got the chance, Bambietta taking her away from the rooftop and down to the city streets in a flash, a step of Hirenkyaku all it took.
"- Minute." Liltotto suddenly found herself and Bambietta directly in Levy's path, startling the mage.
"Hey, Levy!" Bambietta shouted. "What's the rush? A new book hot off the presses?"
"Actually, yes," Levy said, going red in the face. "I've had it on preorder ever since I heard that a 'To Slay a Mimus Polyglottos' was getting a prequel published!"
"Slay a what now?" Bambietta looked at Levy in confusion. "Oh well, I know the feeling of anticipation. You have no idea how long I've been looking forward to seeing 'The Force Awakens' for way too long no-"
Bambietta's eyes suddenly went wide, one of them twitching. Quickly she grabbed Liltotto around the shoulders, turned her around and began to whisper in her one of her ears.
"Forget what I said. We still need to get home long enough to see that movie."
"But Yhwach-"
"Forget His Maje- Yhwach," Bambi countered. "A little thing like a traitorous God Emperor isn't going to keep me from seeing that movie on the midnight premiere. I was there for everything from 'Star Wars: A New Hope' to 'Revenge of the Sith' on their opening days, so I'm not missing out on this one."
"Bambi-"
"Wait a minute." Bambietta suddenly smirked. "I just figured out how we could make a quick buck here. They don't know anything about half the stuff I nerded out over in the World of the Living. We could totally make a living off plagiarizing that stuff here."
"That's deceptive, Bambi," Liltotto replied. "I like it, but I don't know how well that'll go over. This world might already have its own versions, since I'm pretty sure that 'To Slay a Mimus Polyglottos' is just this world's version of 'To Kill a Mocking-'"
"Attention all Fairy Tail guild members!"
Bambietta and Liltotto suddenly froze up, the sound of an unfamiliar voice in their heads.
"Okay, I know I'm crazy and all," Bambietta began to say, "but hearing voices in my head is totally new. And here I thought 'Inner Bambi' would sound less masculine."
"You are crazy, believe it," Liltotto replied, "but I'm not and I'm hearing it to."
"Oh, that's Warren," Levy offered up, moving behind the twin Quincy with a reassuring smile. "Warren Rocko. He's a member of our guild who can use magic to communicate telepathically."
"Oh great," Liltotto said. "I'd grown used to shutting out people talking when I don't care, but this is going to take some effort."
Warren's voice continued to play out among the three. "Master Makarov requests that all Fairy Tail members still within Magnolia report to the guild hall for an important matter immediately!"
"That can't be good," Levy said, lightly scratching her chin. "I wonder what's going on."
Warren's voice continued to buzz within the minds of all those who bore the emblem of Fairy Tail. "Oh, I hope that Bambietta girl is still in town. She's so fine and easy on the eyes. And she's got the perfect rack. Not too big, not too small, those boobs are just right."
Bambietta's mouth fell open in shock, then quickly changed. The Quincy began to shout in her head, unsure of whether or not this Warren could pick up her own thoughts in return.
Warren could see Mirajane, Makarov and several others within the guild hall looking at him with some concern, all of them having heard his blatant and unintentional confession.
"Oh crap," he projected from his mind. "Did I think that out loud? I did, didn't I? Okay, now I hope she was out of town on a mission. Can we all just keep this our little sec-"
"Fuck! What the hell was that you just thought at me?!"
Warren could hear Bambietta's thought projected into his skull, the mage falling to the floor under the duress of the screaming 'voice.' All those around him, connected to the telepathy suffered the same fate, their eyes going wide with shock and mental anguish.
"Oh crap, I'm sorry!" Bambietta said out loud as she saw Liltotto and Levy both holding their heads in pain. She suddenly wrapped her arms around the two young ladies, pulling them into a tight embrace. "I just- what the hell is up with that guy?"
"He tends to do that a lot," Levy explained, surprised by the hug. "You get used to those 'slips of the tongue' eventually."
Liltotto, meanwhile, found her height at a disadvantage, her face all but buried within Bambietta's chest. "Just right, huh?" she said, her voice muffled. "I agree."
Bambietta grew bright red, her cheeks going flush, and the Quincy quickly pulled away and quickly changed the subject. "Anyway... I wonder what the big deal with the master is. Is there a strawberry cake shortage and Erza's coming back to town?"
Bambietta's eyes widened in fear and she turned to her Quincy friend.
"Lil, you didn't... like, eat every cake in the city or something?"
"Why would that matter?" Liltotto asked. "I did no such thing, but even if I did, this Erza woman could just eat another cake if she's hungry."
Bambietta and Levy both froze on the spot, their expressions betraying their horror. Levy was the first to compose herself, looking at Bambietta. "You didn't tell your friend about one of the sacred safety rules when it comes to Fairy Tail?"
"Lil," Bambietta said, planting her hands firmly on her friend's shoulders, "I'm only telling you this because I care. You should never, ever under any circumstances get between Erza Scarlet and a slice of strawberry cake."
"But I like strawberry cake too," Liltotto complained.
Bambietta and Levy both simply shook their heads in response.
"Darn." Liltotto sulked for a moment, the Quincy remembering what had just gone on a moment before. "So anyway, I wonder what all the fuss is about. One big meeting out of nowhere kind of sounds familiar, Bambi. You don't think-?"
"I hope he's not going to choose a successor," Bambietta replied. "At least not if he picks that jerk ass grandson of his."
"That bad?" Liltotto asked.
"The worst!" Bambietta exclaimed. "I can't stand that Laxative guy!"
"It's Laxus," Levy countered.
"I know," Bambietta offered in return.
"Please don't call him that in person," Levy all but pleaded. "I don't think you understand little fun it would to end up in a brawl with an S-Class mage."
"Been there, done that," Bambietta replied with a shrug. "Not that it went as well as I had hoped... Anyway, about getting to this meeting... mind if I take the lead?"
Levy nodded. "Well I guess that's-"
Bambietta quickly took hold of both one of her hands as well as Liltotto and took off with Hirenkyaku.
Lucy had to admit she was nervous. She had not seen Master Makarov look so grave, not even when he had been discussing the Magic Council her first day in the guild hall. The elder guild master was looking rather solemn, standing atop a counter as he looked at those he considered his children.
Yet he was quiet, not a word escaping his mouth as he looked out at the mages of Fairy Tail. Lucy knew why, that Makarov was simply waiting for all those present in Magnolia to arrive.
"- Okay."
Lucy suddenly felt the air shift around the space behind her and she turned to find the Bambietta, Liltotto and Levy. The two Quincy seemed calm and collected, while the Solid Scrip mage was staring wide eyed in shock as if she had just stepped off an amusement park ride that she had been ill-prepared for.
"Levy, you all right?"
"Oh, she's just fine!" Bambietta answered Lucy instead, patting Levy on the back. "She's just-"
Levy was quick to cover her mouth then, her eyes and cheeks bulging for a second.
"Okay, my bad." Bambietta said, the Quincy starting to reach up towards her hat. "Sorry, hat, but I think even I know you and I need to pay the price for this blunder of mine."
Liltotto watched as Bambietta pulled her hat off and handed it to Levy, the wizard taking it and turning away to throw up completely. The blonde Quincy could only find herself thrown off by the action that her friend had committed. Sacrificing a hat like that, one of her oddly prized possessions, was something she would not have done back in the Vandenreich. Liltotto had to wonder then if Bambietta had even realized what she had just done.
"I see you have all come," Makarov Dreyer said at last, allowing his voice to carry across the guild hall. "I appreciate that, my children. The situation that is most grim."
"Oh God," Bambietta whispered. "Magnolia is out of strawberry cake, isn't it?"
"Mirajane," Makarov said quite seriously, "if you would please bring out the map."
The silver haired mage snapped her fingers, a spark of magic reacting towards the ceiling of the guild. Suddenly a large map began to descend, unfolding as it hung from the rafters.
"Huh," Bambietta said, taking in the map. "So the world isn't called Fiore? It's just a kingdom of Earth Land?"
"Wait," Liltotto began to reply with a whisper, "you never looked at a map since you've gotten here? That was like the first thing I did after meeting people."
"Priorities, Lil," Bambietta responded, a drop of sweat descending down the side of her face. "Priorities."
"I'm sure all of you are quite familiar with Clover Town," Master Makarov continued, pointing towards it on the map. "I would hope so, since a group of our... best saved it most recently from the schemes of the dark guild Eisenwald."
Bambietta puffed out her chest, smirking as she nudged Liltotto. "That'd be yours truly."
"You were in a dark guild before joining Fairy Tail?"
Bambietta frowned for a moment, glancing at Liltotto. "No, I totally owned their lame 'Soul Reaper' though. It was awesome!"
Liltotto nudged Bambietta in return, pointing forward. The dark haired Quincy followed her lead and could see Makarov looking at her.
"I appreciate what you did against Eisenwald, Miss Basterbine," Makarov said sternly, "but I do believe you can tell your friend there what happened after I finish speaking."
"My bad," Bambietta said, the Quincy just a slightly bit nervous. Her hands began to unconsciously cover her backside, worried that another punishment similar to what she had experienced for going out on an unapproved S-Class mission would follow.
"Now then," Makarov continued, "yesterday a legion of monsters from Waal Forest descended upon Clover and began to lay siege to the town. Both the Fiore imperial army and the Magic Council have deployed forces to fight off this invasion but it will take at least a week from either Crocus or Era for either to arrive."
Makarov took a deep breath.
"That is why they have contacted us," he said. "The Magic Council has asked that all nearby guilds send wizards to Clover Town to hold the end the threat before it gets any worse. If that cannot be done, then we are to hold the line until the reinforcements arrive."
Bambietta tentatively raised a hand then, the Quincy quickly chiding herself for acting like a child at school with a question. Yet when she saw Makarov nod in her direction she let that concern fade. "So how many monsters are we looking at?"
"The initial reports estimates totaled over three hundred," Makarov answered, his shoulders falling as he did so. "All of them ranging from D-Class to B-Class. However, most troubling of all is the report I was giving that says an S-Class monster appears to be leading this force."
Lucy began to grow worried then, the Celestial Wizard having never encountered an S-Class monster before. "How many guilds are getting involved?"
Makarov sighed. "You will not be pleased," he began to say, "but the only guild as close to Clover Town as ours is... Phantom Lord."
Bambietta heard it then, a rather substantial amount of groaning and muttering throughout the guild hall. "What's the big deal?"
"It's kind of messy," Levy said, covering her mouth as she leaned up on her toes to reach Bambietta's ear. "They're the largest guild in Fiore, while Fairy Tail is the most popular. So there's little bit of a rivalry going on I guess."
"Master Makarov doesn't seem all that concerned about it," Bambietta whispered back.
"Well he is a guild master," Levy said, trying to keep her voice low and not draw too much attention. "But some others-"
"We don't need to work with this guys!" Elfman suddenly shouted. "Isn't Fairy Tail manly enough to save Clover Town by itself?"
"And there we go," Levy sighed.
"This is precisely why we are most fortunate to have an outside party involved, "Makarov replied, the guild master robbing his eyes in frustration. "An S-Class wizard from Blue Pegasus happened to be nearby when the attack happened and has agreed to lead the coalition of Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord so there will be no chance of infighting."
"Aw, but where's the fun in that?" Natsu asked. "We could show them who really is the-"
"There will be absolutely no fighting amidst this coalition! Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir!" Natsu squeaked, the Dragon Slayer quickly intimidated by Makarov.
Bambietta could not help but giggle, stopping only when Liltotto nudged her, trying to get her friend to pay attention to Makarov once more.
"I wished to send at least one S-Class wizard to Clover Town, but unfortunately all of them are out on a mission at the moment." Makarov looked around the room, as if sorry for what he had to do next. "Therefore I have handpicked several A-Class wizards to fend off the invasion. I will call out your names and you can either step forward or turn this mission down. I will not hold it against any who desire to stay here."
Bambietta listened intently then, watching as the likes of Natsu, Gray and Elfman were called upon. They all walked over without a moment's doubt to stand before their guild master, Happy following Natsu. Then Makarov said exactly what the Quincy wanted to hear.
"Bambietta Basterbine."
She moved forward then quickly, standing beside Natsu with the wildest of grins. "I bet you're all fired up to kick some monster butt, right?"
"Heck ya!" the Fire Dragon Slayer said, sharing his ally's smile.
Bambietta's smile turned upside down when she heard the next name to be called, Loke adjusting his shades as he moved beside the Quincy. "All fired up, huh? No wonder I got the hots for you, Bambi."
"And finally, Makarov began to say, "Cana Alberona."
The mage blinked for a moment and set down the mug of beer in her hand. She gingerly walked forward to join her fellow Fairy Tail members, using Elfman's body for support.
"Maybe you'll have better luck with her," Bambi said to Loke with a wink.
"Now then," Makarov continued, "I know that I am asking a lot of you all, so you can choose any you wish to accompany you, so long as you are understanding if they refuse."
"Oh yeah!" Natsu shouted, suddenly pointing towards a surprised Lucy. "You want to come along?"
"Me?" the Celestial Wizard asked, slightly surprised.
"Now wait a minute," Loke interjected. "I don't know if that's a good ide-"
"Gray, Bambi and me will protect you if you need it, Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed. "So there's nothing to worry about!"
"And don't forget me!" Happy shouted, the cat making certain to hop up and draw attention to himself.
"Like I need protecting," Lucy said as she moved forward, tapping the pouch full of her Celestial Keys. "I'm a wizard too, you know."
"What about me?" Stella Upland asked, the wizard moving up to front of the gathered crowd. "Master Makarov, I can help with this."
"I'm sorry, Stella," the old man replied. "But you are the newest member to our guild and do not have enough experience yet with more problematic missions. I would not be able to send you into a situation like this without serious reservations."
"Oh well." Stella moved back into the crowd, growing irritated. She knew she could handle this easily, having been the top member of the Chicken Fangs. If only she could tell Makarov that she was truly S-Class, that she could go. Then she would close, close to several of those who had stolen from her the guild she had called home. A little work behind the scenes and she could have made certain that Bambietta or any of the others would find themselves dead at the hands of a monster. Or perhaps a little friendly fire if no one was looking. Or, maybe…she could control them like she had Master Danvers. Yes, that was all too tempting.
Bambietta completely ignored the moment that had just occurred, her senses moving elsewhere. Then she was gone, having suddenly took off with Hirenkyaku. Not a moment later she appeared in her space among the A-Class, Liltotto and Levy by her side, one of them looking a little sick again. "Can my Little Buddies One and Two come along?" she asked, looking at Makarov's face for approval.
"I suppose Levy can go if she wants," Makarov said with a calm tone, "but did I not just make it clear that I do not wish to send a new member of Fairy Tail into this guild?"
"Wait, you did?" Bambietta asked honestly.
Makarov sighed.
"I'm... in," Levy interjected, trying to keep herself from throwing up again. "So long as Bambi doesn't do that a third time."
"Yay, the Bamb Squad is back in action!" Bambietta smiled and pulled Levy in close. "As for Lil... This is hard for me to say, really hard, let me tell you. The thing is... she's stronger than me."
Master Makarov raised an eyebrow to that. "Is that true, Liltotto Lamperd?"
"I guess so," Liltotto answered weakly.
"Oh, don't be like that!" Bambietta shouted, moving close to Liltotto. "There's no need for modesty! You're even stronger than Natsu if you ask me!"
"What?" the Dragon Slayer gasped. "Hey, Liltotto, can we fight?"
"I'd rather not," she said quietly.
"Stronger than even Natsu you say." Makarov nodded his head in approval. "Liltotto Lamperd, I would greatly appreciate it if you were to go on this mission as well."
Time moved on and the members of Fairy Tail found themselves on a train heading towards Clover Town. It was not the first time for Bambietta Basterbine, but the Quincy had learned her lessons well. She was seated as far away from Natsu as possible and judging by the sound of him throwing up and both Gray, Elfman and Loke complaining, she had made the right call.
Now she simply sat alongside Liltotto, Lucy and Levy two of the three looking a bit nervous. Cana, meanwhile, was out and about, checking out whatever the train cars had to offer for luxuries. Bambietta could only imagine she was trying to find an in-ride alcoholic beverage.
"Look, I do appreciate the vote of confidence," Levy began to say, "but do you really think I can be dealing with these many monsters? I mean, there is an S-Class one out there."
"You make it sound like I'm going to let anything hurt you or Lucy," Bambietta said in return. "I just need some backup, you know?"
Liltotto suddenly began to fight the slightest bit of jealousy, recalling a time when Bambietta, having decided herself the leader of their little band of Sternritter, had always tried to look out for the newest member of the group. "Bambi what about me? Will you let anything hurt me out there?"
Bambietta sighed. "Didn't I say you're stronger than me back at the guild hall? I don't think you need my protection, not in the state I've been reduced to. Look, it was hard to say that and this is no better. I'd only slow you down."
Liltotto knew the solution to that. "Then why don't you wear the-"
"No!" Bambietta suddenly shouted in the most forceful manner, the Quincy quickly calming down and looking ashamed. "I just... can't do that, Lil."
"What's she talking about?" Lucy asked, hugging her Plue spirit close to her body.
Bambietta sighed and removed from her coat a long white glove, a blue line going from the end to the tip of the middle finger. "This. The Sanrei Glove. It's meant to help... people like me become stronger."
Levy was confused. "Then why don't you use it?"
"Because..." Bambietta almost chocked on her words, the Quincy forcing herself to look out the window and the passing scenery. "I just won't rely on outside help to become better. I can do this myself."
"Bambi," Lucy began to say, "I know I don't have any say in the matter, it's your life after all, but I don't think it's a sin to depend on outside help."
"It'd make me look weak," the Quincy answer, not looking back.
"Come on, don't talk like that," Levy offered up. "I mean, you already use those Ginto capsule things, right? What's one more magical artifact? Besides, Erza uses armors and weapons and nobody would dare make the mistake she' weak."
"You think I'm weak then?" Lucy asked, getting a slight bit upset and hugging Plue tighter. "You think I'm weak because I have to rely on keys and Spirits to be any help to Fairy Tail? To Natsu? To you?"
Bambietta instantly regretted her choice of words, looking back at Lucy. "That's not what I meant. I just... Lucy, don't get upset, okay? Just-"
Bambietta lowered her head, her expression darkening.
"The truth then? Will that be enough of an apology, Lucy?"
Liltotto perked up then, having not expected say anything of such an nature to be said by the one she had considered her friend for so very long.
Lucy, however, was quick to voice her opinion. "You don't have to, Bambi. Please, just-"
"Something like this," Bambietta said, lifting the Sanrei Glove up but refusing to look at it, "killed my mother."
Those words led to nothing, just an empty silence that descended on those of Fairy Tail. Yet none took it harder than Liltotto. Bambietta had never spoken of such matters, of her past, to either herself or the others who had made up their circle of friends. Yet here, now, she had opened her heart.
However, in that one instance, Liltotto was beginning to understand fully, the Quincy regretting every making the Sanrei Glove that Bambietta held in her hand now. It had been done with the best of intentions, yet now she could see the results of them. "Bambi, I'm-"
"Don't," Bambietta interrupted. "You didn't know. I... never told you."
That led to one question Liltotto knew she should not ask, yet she could not help herself. "Then why start now?"
Bambietta did not answer, though whether she even heard Liltotto was up for debate. All she did was pull her arms in to her chest, clutching at the glove. "My mother, she wanted to protect what mattered the most to her and she used a glove like this to do it. But.. she was... She-"
Bambietta's whole body went numb then, a lifeless look pervading her eyes. The Quincy slowly stood up and began to move out from between the seating without a word. Yet she stopped when she felt someone's hand gently touch her right wrist.
"Bambi?" Lucy asked, looking up at her. "I-"
"I'm sorry," the Quincy interrupted. "I just... need to be alone for a little bit."
Lucy let go then, returning to holding Plue tightly. Not a word was spoken amongst those of Fairy Tail then, Liltotto especially quiet. She knew Bambietta then and now, yet she could not understand what was happening to her friend. She had to wonder if Bambietta herself even recognized or understood it.
Bambietta found herself walking alone, away from the sounds of Natsu and the others, away from the company of Lucy and those she considered acquaintances. She did not know why it had happened, but she had unlocked a part of her soul that had remained buried for decade after decade. It made no sense to her, why she had allowed such incident to occur.
She soon found herself at the windows of the train car, her eyes looking not at the passing scenery, but at the faint reflection cast in within the glass.
Her eyes were lacking their usual sparkle, that much was true, but there was something else Bambietta could see. She was tired, so very tired, the circles under her eyes proof enough of that. She had not experienced a truly good night's sleep since her resurrection, her past still pulling at her heart and soul.
However, that was simply the recent past. Now she had let something out, something from her life before even the Vandenreich, and it was gnawing at her very being.
She leaned her forehead forward, her skin pressing against the cold glass as she glanced down at the Sanrei Glove.
"It's your fault," she whispered. "You and that detestable 'god,' that damned Soul King. You and that poor excuse of a man we used to call father…"
Bambietta's head shifted slightly to the left and right, her emotions taking hold, her teeth gritting as her face began to contort with the depths of rage.
"You just kept on taking and taking and taking... I hate you. I hate you..."
Bambietta's hand began to tighten into a fist, crushing the spiritual fabric of the Sanrei Glove for a moment. Then, as quickly as it had done so, the hand began to loosen, to relent.
"You," Bambietta said as she pulled away from the window and looked at her reflection once more. "You're to blame for what happened to mother."
Bambietta brought her hand up then, the glove still within the fingers, and she pressed it against the glass for a moment, her eyes never leaving sight of her reflection. She knew they were almost to Clover, the Quincy understood that, but she wished the journey would just come to a close already. She knew the quickest way to get herself out of her funk and that was a little good old-fashioned violence.
"Huh?"
It was then that Bambietta saw past herself, past her pain, and caught sight of something on the horizon. Something was moving through the sky, coming closer to the train. No, not just something, but an entire swarm. One that called out to Bambietta's senses as a Quincy, letting her feel the malice and the bloodlust that was driving whatever was coming ever closer.
She could tell then that this assault was coming from the direction the train was going. They had to be close to Clover Town, so very close, leaving Bambietta to realize just what was upon her.
"Monsters." Bambietta let a truly vicious smile consume her face then, the Quincy's despair becoming overtaken by her inner darkness. "Looks like an appetizer is coming my way..."
The Quincy moved away from the window then, proceeding towards the end of the train car. It was risky, it was foolish, but Bambietta did not care. She had steam to vent and this was the best way possible. These monsters were a threat to the train, perhaps planning to derail it and throw the mission into chaos before it had even begun. Bambietta knew that she was not the only one who could bring the fight directly to the beasts, Liltotto and Natsu both able to fly, the latter with the aid of Happy, but that was not what she wanted. She would do this on her own, to make certain that her emotions were dealt with accordingly and through the only way she knew how. Not Lucy, not Levy and not Liltotto could have a part in this.
Bambietta pulled the door to cart open and all but hopped out into the outside world, making it up to the top of the next train car. She kept a makeshift platform beside her, leaving her unable to fall back thanks to the onrush of winds and the train's momentum itself. Yet her hair and cloak were not held back in the slightest, both fluttering about in the wind.
"Oh, that's a lot of monsters," Bambietta said, sizing up the flying horde. "And huh, looks like they're coming this way. Well, we can't have them go and derail this-"
Bambietta's cape suddenly whipped about, covering her face. The Quincy forced struggled with it for a moment, her face bright red once she had cleared her view.
"Oh, for crying out loud!"
Frustrated beyond all measure, Bambietta leapt off the train then, forming one platform after another as she made her way towards the oncoming monster force. She did not know if they were actually organized in this attack on the train or if they simply had noticed something new to attack and were operating on animal instincts, but she did not care. Either way, it was all the same to her. It gave her an excuse to cut loose and indulge in some high-level violence.
As she grew closer, Bambietta finally stood her, content with the air at this far away from the train not being much more calm and not obstructing her view once more. She watched as the winged beasts began to grow ever closer, the Quincy at last able to make out their appearance. They were nothing more than humanoid bats, measuring at least seven feet in height and possessing arms that stretched out into webbed wings that dwarfed their already impressive stature.
Bambietta was not the least bit terrified by the wretched monsters, the Quincy instead counting down as she moved a pointed finger from one to another as they came ever closer. "One... Two... Three..."
On and on she counted until at last she found the result. Bambietta then planted her hands firmly on her hips and began to speak, projecting her voice as far and wide as she could.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Bambietta began to say, pausing for one moment and letting her voice drop quite quickly. "No, wait, I can barely tell if these beasties even have noticeable gender differences. No need to be rude. Oh, that could work..."
The Quincy cleared her throat her again, speaking broadly once more.
"Giselles One through Twenty," she began to say, "would you bring your attention to me? I'm nothing like you've ever seen befo-"
The bat men simply flew past Bambietta then, leaving her hair and garments to flutter in the wind once more. It was then that her cape spun about under the duress of the movement, once more wrapping around her face. Bambietta snapped then, slapping it away from her face and turning to look at the monsters.
They had ignored her, the beasts still moving towards the train like Bambietta did not even so much as exist. In the back of her mind she began to wonder then if they truly were more intelligent than they appeared, but it was the thoughts at the forefront of Bambietta's mind that controlled her actions now.
Because, quite frankly, she was offended.
"Oh, you did not just do that!" the Quincy shouted, using Hirenkyaku and a series of invisible platforms to close the gap with the monsters that had all but brushed her off. "Going and interrupting the lyrics one of my fave songs, will you? Okay then! We'll skip ahead a bit!"
Bambietta slipped out several Ginto capsules and she appeared in the midst of the horde. She threw them all out to the sides quickly, the silver canisters suddenly igniting and catching the majority of the beasts by surprise.
"An explosion of catastrophe," Bambietta sang under her breath, a volatile smile playing out across her face. "Like nothing you've ever seen before."
Bambietta could see it then, that she had thinned down the ranks of the horde already, the Ginto capsules having done exactly as she had wanted. All that remained of those closest to her were charred corpses, a welcome sight to one who had been denied the power of the Explode for so long.
"Six Giselles down," Bambietta said with a smirk, knowing she at last had the bat men focusing entirely on her. "Fourteen to go."
Bambietta stretched her right arm out then, a sword materializing within her hand. It was just in time, the monsters swarming about her. Yet Bambietta did not care. She slipped out from their encircling attack, her blade efficiently tearing through flesh and leaving one bat-like head to fall through the sky, the rest of the body it had been attached to only moments earlier soon following its descent.
That was when Bambietta lost herself completely in the moment, the Quincy going on the offensive. Gone was the doubt, gone was the despair. This was what she reveled in and she knew against monsters such as this she had nothing to hold back against.
Hirenkyaku and mastery of the blade took Bambietta far, monster after monster falling one by one, piece by piece. She was untouchable, the power of the flash step technique taking the Quincy far. She had lost power, yes, but not skill. The art of killing with a sword was something she knew she would never lose.
The blade cut continued its vicious dance, piercing flesh and carving through bone. A wing here, a leg there, the bat men were falling apart, incapable of keeping pace with the Quincy's speed. Bambietta knew she was clearly facing the lowest ranked of the beasts that had been described to her back at the guild hall, but for once she did not care. She did not seek the thrill of a battle worthy of her. No, she simply wanted to allow herself to sink into the depravity of a fight she was destined to win. To that end she swung her blade out, taking one bat men's head from its shoulders without even sparring the monster a passing glance.
"Oh, poor Giselle Ten," Bambietta said with a truly twisted glean in her eyes. "Or were you Giselle Eleven? Oh, who cares?"
Bambietta continued her savage assault, felling monster after monster. Then, at last, did Bambietta stand alone in the air, bloody remains of her enemies falling down to the ground. Bambietta took one breath, then another and another. She could not help but smile, her soul recalling well how much she had enjoyed the clash of bone and sinew, the moment when spiritual metal made contact with flesh.
"Bye-bye, Giselles One through Twenty," the Quincy whispered. Her smile only grew wider then, Bambietta unable to hide her twisted sense of jubilation. "Man, I love therapy!"
The Quincy knew well the ground rules that Makarov had set into place her first day in the guild, that killing was prohibited unless faced with either monsters such as this or under the most trying of circumstances, your own life not the only one on the line. That was why the Quincy did not mind in the least what she had just done to vent her frustrations, to calm her own despair. If she could not do as she had in the past, if she could not take out her darker emotions on a simple man too lustful for his own good, than this would have to do.
It was all right, was it not? Bambietta had heard it well from Liltotto already. Her friend had all but admitted that Bambietta was one of the calmer Sternritter, having found a way to clear her mind of the forced civility that Yhwach had decreed despite his encouraging violence. So why should she feel wrong for doing as she always had? To be true to herself? Because Makarov said not to enjoy any killing?
Bambietta did not know if she truly cared. There was no one she had worry about pleasing but herself, not so long as she was by herself at times like this.
"My dirty little secret," Bambietta whispered, her emotions still smoldering beneath the surface. "So why should I care-"
Then it happened, Bambietta's words becoming caught in her throat as she saw it. A fleeting image of the past playing out across her mind's eye.
Levy. It was Levy, the Solid Script mage horrified as she looked upon a blood covered Quincy holding the decapitated head of a cycloptic monster.
"Damn." Bambietta's face grew sullen then, the Quincy turning her gaze towards the train. The unnatural high that she had just obtained vanished just as fast as it had blossomed, the Quincy once more becoming plagued with despair. Bambietta's power began to fade, neither Blut Vene or Arterie flowing underneath her skin. All she could do then was wonder if she had any right to return to that train, to return to Fairy Tail. "I just-"
Bambietta suddenly screamed then, pain cutting through the very flesh of her arm. Her sword vanished in immediate response, the Quincy's concentration shattered. She grit her teeth in response to the agony and could see it then, the coat sleeve that covered her right arm torn from wrist to shoulder, the flesh underneath no different. Blood was spilling out then, oozing down past her hand, all the while staining the white uniform.
That was not all Bambietta could see. As her arm began to hang limp by her side, her fingers twitching uncontrollably from the pain, she took notice of one of the bat men circling about her. It was maimed in so many places, yet here it was, having no doubt flown back up and taken Bambietta by surprise, the talons that spread from the ends of its wings having done her grievous harm.
"Persistent little bastard," Bambietta hissed. She tried to will her arm to move, to materialize a sword within its palm once more, but nothing happened. Bambietta spared the limb a brief glance then, seeing that the horrific wound had done much more than simply shredded cloth and flesh. The tendons had been sliced right through, Bambietta catching glimpses of bone through the bloody mess.
"Son of a cigar chomping thunder fucker," she whispered, the pain becoming much more apparent now that she could not deny what had occurred. "That's going to sting in the morning."
Bambietta watched as the bat man began to circle towards her again, the creature's ill intent to finish her off quick and cruelly clear as day. The Quincy reached into a coat pocket with her left hand, pulling out the last remaining Ginto capsule in her possession. She was fully intent on using it to heal her arm, Bambietta cursing herself for expending so many earlier in her zeal for the kind of peace she could only find in violence.
Yet it was not to be. The bat man was close, too close, and the Quincy reacted accordingly. Battle instincts controlling her very body, Bambietta struck out with her hand, Blut Arterie allowing her fingers to pierce the monster's throat, her hand tearing directly into the neck. Then she pulled her hand back, blood splattering about.
However, the Ginto capsule was no longer in her grasp, having been left behind. A split second passed, the bat man's neck and head erupting in a burst of blue spiritual power, leaving its remains to drop to the ground below.
"Boom," Bambietta muttered, her voice taking on a slightly lyrical tone once again. "I wanted it and needed it."
The momentary respite was over, the lull in Bambietta's lust for violence have come and gone. She had killed as she wished, in truly spectacular fashion. Yet there it was again, that look of shock and horror on Levy's face. Bambietta glanced down at her left hand then, taking note of the blood that enveloped it.
"This is who I am, huh?" the Quincy muttered. "I just... Why should I care?"
Bambietta knew she needed medical treatment, the type only magic could provide. Surely if the likes of Porlyusica could return her to life form a zombified state, then a wound like this would be child's play for a wizard worth their salt.
Too that end, the Quincy began to move towards the train with Hirenkyaku, quickly matching its speed. However, there was a hesitation in her thoughts. Levy's face, it would not stop haunting Bambietta. Worse, the Quincy was beginning to see others join it, those of Natsu and Lucy, of Happy and Gray. Then there were Makarov and Erza's own, the two looking down at her, judging the Quincy's failings.
It was in that moment that Bambietta began to wonder if she could ever truly belong to this guild.
"Bambi, what happened? Your arm, it's-"
This was not the reception Bambietta had wanted, but it was the one she had been expecting. Still, she was quite ready for it. "Come on, Lucy. It's nothing, just a flesh wound."
"And a muscle wound," Liltotto said, her own distraught reaction peeking out from her usual calm demeanor. "Not to mention a bone wound if I'm not mistaken."
"Not helping," Bambietta muttered under her breath, the Quincy beginning to panic as she saw the worried expressions on the faces of Lucy and Levy. It was not an look she wanted to cause, but she had to admit it was a step up from what she had imagined not a few minutes earlier. "Anyways, if you think this is bad, you should see the other... Guys? Girls? Bat thingies?"
There it was again, that horrified expression that Bambietta had worried about. For a moment she thought it was the reality of the moment, yet the vision faded, another product of her imagination. All she saw was Lucy and Lucy concerned for her own well-being.
"Why don't you just use a Quincy spell to heal it?" Liltotto asked, the blonde clearly worried just as much, even if she was unable to show it properly.
"Well, I would," Bambietta replied, suddenly running her left hand through her hair, a fake laugh escaping from her mouth. "Thing is, I kind of sort of wasted all of them blowing the bat men... man bats... up."
"Typical Bambi," Liltotto said in return. "Blow things up first, maybe ask questions after."
Bambietta knew to expect that from Liltotto, but even she could see the glimmer of concern in her eyes. It only added to the sense of worry that had Lucy and Levy both upset.
"Come on, it's not that bad," Bambietta said, trying to calm them down. "Okay, so it stings like one bad mother of a trucker, but it's nothing a little white magic won't be able to fix up."
Levy was confused. "Bambi, I don't think that's going to-"
"Okay, I'll admit I've never been too much of a Dungeons and Dragon nerd," Bambietta began to say, suddenly shifting gears as she rubbed her chin with her good hand. "Though I wouldn't mind taking Natsu to a dungeon and checking out his dragon if you know what I'm talking about."
Lucy and Levy both went wide eyed in response to that. Liltotto, meanwhile, remained impassive. "Typical Bambi, thinking with her lady boner while she's bleeding out."
"Hey!" Bambietta shouted. "It's not my fault some of us look good dressed like a schoolgirl and wielding a whip.! And I know Askin didn't mind the handcuffs!" Bambietta shook her head then, knowing she was baring her soul in all the wrong ways. "Anyway, I'm not a nerd of either d when it comes to that sort of board game role playing, but even I know white magic can fix just about anything."
"Well, it could have," Levy began to say, "one upon a time. But that sort of magic is incredibly rare and pretty much lost to time."
The Quincy could only blink in response. "Say what?"
"It's not like just any wizard can wave their hands and cure the common cold or heal a wound," Levy continued. "Certainly not anybody in Fairy Tail."
"But... but..." Bambietta was aghast. "But that Porlyusica lady. She was able to bring me back from... from..."
"You met Porlyusica?" Levy asked, taken by surprise.
"Oh yeah, you did mention that name back on Galuna Island," Lucy added. "Wait, isn't she the renowned medic of our guild?"
"Even I've heard of her and I'm new in town," Liltotto offered up. "But I've heard she's kind of a recluse and doesn't like to hang out. So... me in a couple of decades I guess."
"Okay, so a healer," Bambietta said, still paying no mind to her pain. "But she didn't use white magic to bring me back, then-"
"We really need to get that wound dressed at least," Lucy said as she stood up and called out to the rest of the guild in the car. "You guys brought some medical supplies for this mission, right?"
"She doesn't use white magic," Levy continued. "Porlyusica is renowned for magic potions and the like."
"So, a little more down to Earth Land than my Ginto spells," Bambietta replied. "Guess I will be fighting this battle with one frigging arm. Oh well. I can be an ambidextrous ass kicker if I need to be. Using my sword is going to be a pain, but-"
Bambietta saw it then, a flash of blood and torn flesh followed by Lucy and Levy's fearful faces.
"Forget it," Bambietta continued, rubbing her forehead with her fingers. "I'll make do without it."
Not long after the train arrived in Clover, those who called Fairy Tail their guild disembarked from the vehicle deep within the indoor train station. Night had fallen upon the city and there appeared to be no power within the facility either. Still the wizards and Quincy begin to file out of the train. Bambietta's arm was bandaged from nearly her shoulder to the wrist, the Quincy keeping the sleeveless limb held against her torso by a sling. It was embarrassing for her to appear so weak before the true battle had even begun, but she knew she had only herself to blame. She had taken the fight against the advance force alone, she had expended the whole of her resources against them needlessly, and she had lost her focus and allowed a beast that had no right to wound her to do just that.
Yet she had found care and concern among her compatriots, something the Quincy was not quite used to. It was a far cry from how her own friends in the Vandenreich had tended to her when she was wounded and weak.
Liltotto was very much aware of that, watching as her friend exited the train and stepped down into the darkened building. She had failed Bambietta once before, but that had been another time and place. She would not make the same mistake twice.
"This was where Master Makarov said we'd meet the others, right?" Levy said, using a magically crafted word to light the interior of the building. "But I don't see anyone."
Elfman and the others were weary, the group watching the windows as the pale moonlight gave them glimpses of the monsters fluttering throughout the air, as if looking for prey.
"Man, it's about time reinforcements showed up," a voice issued forth from the darkness. "I could use some good company. These bat monsters can be such a bore."
Levy moved her arm then, causing the word light to illuminate a rather tall woman dressed in a violent dress, bountiful blonde hair descending upon her shoulders. It was one of those shoulders that bore the mark of an emblem, leaving those of Fairy Tail to know who was standing before them.
"Jenny Realight of Blue Pegasus I presume," Levy said simply and to the point.
"Wow, it's her! It's really her!"
Bambietta glanced over her shoulder, watching as Lucy began rather overjoyed, the expression on her face saying it all.
"She's a big deal?" Liltotto asked casually, slipping between Bambietta and the Celestial Spirit wizard."
"Oh yeah," Bambietta answered. "She's not just a wizard, but even a featured model for Sorcerer's Weekly."
"Of course, you would know that," Liltotto replied with no end of thinly-veiled sarcasm.
"Hey," Bambietta whispered, "it's not my fault she's got nice... articles."
"Wow," Jenny exclaimed, looking over the group. "Makarov doesn't mess around if he sent so many of you. Then again, maybe Phantom Lord just believes in quality over quantity. Not that I find him much to hang with."
"Is there a problem, Miss Realight?" A man dressed in red and possessing hair that was both black and white in color moving out from the shadows, a sheathed katana upon his back. He looked over the members of Fairy Tail and shook his head slightly. "This is the best Makarov could muster? How sad. Clearly Master Jose finds this matter more concerning if he sent me to help."
"Well, aren't you just a big bundle of fun," Bambietta hissed.
Jenny shut the newcomer a dirty look. "We're all allies here, Totomaru?"
"Don't talk down to me," the young man chided. "We're both S-Class after all. The only reason the Magic Council wanted you to be in charge is because they knew the Fairy Tail brats wouldn't listen to someone from Phantom Lord."
Totomaru glanced at the group again, his eyes settling on Bambietta.
"How pathetic," he said, no amount of disdain. "Is Makarov so desperate to make his make his guild look big that he sends the wounded and weak?"
"Okay," Bambietta whispered. "Urge to kick him in the nuts... rising..."
Totomaru began to laugh then, the wizard showing no sympathy for a member of a rival guild. "Oh excuse me! Has anyone seen my arm? You can't miss it! It's covered in bandages!"
Bambietta grit her teeth in frustration, the Quincy trying to restrain herself, to keep herself from lashing out. This man was supposed to be her teammate on this mission, but she was understanding quite well why Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord did not get along well at all.
"I think I've heard just enough out of you!" Natsu proclaimed, the Fire Dragon Slayer taking one step forward, slamming a fist into an open palm. "So how about I-"
"You're not worth my time, poser," Totomaru said, suddenly glaring at Natsu, his laughter fading. "You're just a second rate hothead compared to me."
Jenny listened as Natsu and Totomaru continued to argue back and forth, the member of Blue Pegasus beginning to lose her patience. "Will you two shut up already?"
Both did so with some muttering under the breath, leaving Jenny to rub the temples of her head with both hands.
"Honestly, you two guilds are way too high strung," she complained. "Why did I have to give up my vacation just so I babysit all of you?"
"Vacation?" Bambietta began to ask. "Don't get me wrong, this seems like a nice enough town-"
"When it's not overrun by giant bat monsters," Liltotto added.
Bambietta spared her friend a glance before turning back to Jenny. "-But I wouldn't exactly say it's the kind of place to have any fun."
"Oh, I wasn't here," Jenny replied. "Please, a girl has to have a sense of pride in her vacation spots. No, I was just soaking up the sun down at Akane Beach when Master Bob messaged me."
"Master Bob?" Bambietta began to shiver, the memory of his stubble scratching against her face. "You... work for him?"
"Oh, he's not all bad. And honestly, he's much more appealing to the eyes than..." Jenny shivered for a moment. "... Ichiya."
"Who's that?" Bambietta asked, feeling a chill in the air, one she could not explain.
"The supposed ace of Blue Pegasus," Jenny mumbled, suddenly shifting to a rather haughty tone. "Please, I'm much more of a wizard them him. You should consider yourselves grateful that I was in the area and not him. Well, and everyone who was at Akane Beach." Jenny uncontrollably shivered again. "That man has horrific taste in swimwear."
Levy moved closer to Bambietta than, nudging one of her arms to get her attention. "Bambi... never, under any circumstances, should you mention him to Erza. It won't end well. Trust me."
"What?" Bambietta asked, raising an eyebrow at that statement. "They have a history or something?"
"I don't know exactly," Levy continued. "But Erza did team up with him on a joint Fairy Tail and Blue Pegasus mission once. When she came back she holed herself up in her apartment and didn't come out for a month. And even then... it was another week before she stopped sitting in the corner of the guild hall looking like a deer caught in the headlights. She didn't even dare touch strawberry cake for the whole time. Believe me, we all tried to snap her out of... whatever it was."
"Good God," Bambietta whispered. "This world is full of many strange and horrible things."
"Now then," Jenny said suddenly looking at Bambietta with a stern expression. "I'm the one in charge of all you little munchkins. And honestly, I'm not interested in having someone already hurt getting into any fights. What can I say? All the paperwork a death would cause would be too much of a headache."
"Hey!" Bambietta began to protest. "I can throw just as much of a mean left hook as I can a right." Then she became a little distraught. "But I guess using a bow is out of the question..."
"No need to get so cranky," Jenny replied. "You're in luck, since we do have a healer with us."
"Wait." Bambietta looked at Totomaru. "No offense... Well, a lot of offense... but you don't exactly look like the type of guy who would be whipping up potions and stuff."
Totomaru folded his arms across his chest and turned his gaze away from Bambietta without a word.
Bambietta could only scowl in return. "Rude much?"
"Oh, I was not speaking of him or potions," Jenny continued. "Actually, fate has been rather kind to us, since another local guild sent a representative to help us. And best of all, she does know how to do healing magic, so your arm will be good as new in a jiffy. Though you'll have to excuse her. She is a little shy."
"I thought you said it was a lost magic," Bambietta muttered to Levy.
"It's supposed to be," the mage replied. "At least, I thought it was."
Bambietta, Levy and the others watched then as Jenny turned her attentions to the side, motioning to an unseen figure in the dark.
"Come on, we're all friends here," the Blue Pegasus mage said softly. "And besides, someone is in need of your power. She's got a bit of a boo boo."
Bambietta could see it then, her eyes having adjusted to the dark. A lone figure began to sat up from a bench against the far wall. The individual came into the light then, standing before the mages. It was a girl, one who looked rather nervous, her body language nothing but constant fidgeting. She was unable to look any of the wizards or Quincy in the eyes, yet she did her best to introduce herself.
"Hi. I'm, uh... I'm Wendy Marvell of the... the Cait Shelter guild. It's... nice to meet you all."
That's right, I've brought in Wendy in earlier on! Will it be more than just an early appearance? Maybe, maybe not. This arc will probably last about 3-4 chapters. That said, I hope you all really enjoy what we have in mind.
With all this said and done...Please leave me some reviews. I REALLY like getting them, and they help me know when we're doing a good job or not. So please, f you really like this story, give us your thoughts on the story in the form of a review, as they help us want to do more chapters.
