It's amazing what you learn from observing. He remained sheathed in shadows; his eyes glued to the scene in front of him. He schooled his face into an impassive mask, absentmindedly stroking the soft scales of his best friend. Cubellios hissed, pressing his body into his like a dog. A fleeting smile crossed his face at the affection, but it disappeared like a wraith in the night. Closing his eyes, he listened to Brain taunt the girl, generously giving her five minutes to make her decision. Sure, he was one of the bad guys, but he couldn't help but mentally roll his eyes at the dramatics. He could hear the girl's soul, feeling it turn around like a piece of driftwood in a swell, being pulled left right and center. She was so torn, so confused, yet her desire and determination, and a sense of… love? Yea love for Jellal was prominent, making him know exactly what she would choose.
He didn't dare voice his thoughts, Brain was temperamental at the best of times. Instead, he relaxed, or tried to. The face of the blonde girl was etched into his mind. It was bizarre. Never had any of his victims made an impression on him. They were always just a faceless entity that he snuffed out of existence. Yet there was something about the blonde curvy girl that made her linger, made her wide brown eyes stand out in his mind. Maybe it was her sacrifice, or the determination and defiance he saw there. Maybe it was the pure gold of her soul, shining bright and radiating out like a minute sun. whatever it was, he didn't like it. He was Cobra of the Oracion Seis, not some puppy pining over a girl he saw come look at him from the pound.
Sighing to himself, he opened his eyes, hoping he could replace the memory with what was right in front of him. Cubellios looked at him and hissed as if mocking him. Giving the snake a half-hearted glare, he stared resolutely ahead, trying to ignore the nagging feeling, that whisper of a voice telling him to go back and save that stupid girl.
Gajeel growled as he ran his hand through his hearing, his temper flaring when he snagged a tangle. He could practically hear the curious expression his companion wore, but ignored it, shaking his hand free. He hunched over and stormed forward, muttering under his breath.
Stupid Flame Breath, I should be there instead of him. I am S class, not him yet Gramps sends the small fry in to do a real man's work? Tch, pathetic. He thought, his temper simmering the more he thought about his, in his opinion, unjust opinion.
He and Juvia had been sent to deal with some of the smaller dark guilds under the Oracion's protection, instead of being allowed to pummel the real deal. It was stupid; he was stronger than the fire slayer, so why he was in this position was beyond him. His only saving grace was that Juvia, the Rain Woman, didn't mind walking, preferring to feel the moisture on her face or something. Whatever, as long as he didn't need to be on a death trap on wheels, he was happy. Well, kind of happy.
"Juvia has a question, Gajeel- Sama," Juvia said, broaching the silence.
Growling, Gajeel turned his head to glare at her, making it clear that he was as happy with her for breaking the silence as he was the master for putting him in this situation. "What," he sneered, not bothering to be nice.
"Forgive Juvia, but Juvia couldn't help but notice your closeness with Levy, is there something going on there, and if so, could you tell Juvia how you got Levy's attention?" Juvia said, making Gajeel stop and glare at the sky as if it caused all his problems in life.
"The shrimp and I are guildmates, nothing more so don't go asking me dumb questions so you can try to get the attention of your stupid icicle," he snapped, glaring at her before resuming his walk, ignoring the heat rising on his cheeks at the mention of the shrimp.
Or he would have, if a spray of cold water didn't hit him in the back, drenching his hair and soaking his clothes. He rounded on Juvia, blotchy redness covering his cheeks as his teeth ground.
"What the fuck did you do that for?" he snapped, his arms turning into iron clubs.
"Don't you dare disrespect Juvia's beloved," she screamed, water writhing around her form in response to her anger.
Taking a deep breath, Gajeel grumbled out an insincere apology before storming off. Normally, he would demolish someone as brazen as her, but they were friends. Hell, she was his only friend at Phantom Lord, much to everyone's confusion. They got each other, forming a sibling-like bond. Not that he'd admit it, however, but he cared about her. Which, in the present case, made her very lucky, otherwise she'd be a bloody mess right now.
"Whatever Blue, let's just hurry up. I heard the Shadow Sylphs are just through this forest," he grumbled, shaking his body to get rid of most of the water.
Juvia glared at him but agreed, raising her hand to remove the rest of the water dripping off her friend. He grunted his thanks, and she joined him, walking side by side.
She may be weird, but she was his little sister, so he guessed she was alright. Weird obsession with Gray notwithstanding. Though, he thanked his lucky stars she never had a thing for him.
The chick really was nuts.
Carla started at the two Mages; her eyes wide. How can they not think that was difficult? They really are, for a lack of a better word, insane. The sophisticated cat thought, hiding behind the tree.
"Maybe the next one will be a challenge," Natsu called, despite his panting.
"I don't care how hard they are, I just want to find these idiots so we can help Lucy," Gray said, his expression set in a firm line.
Natsu immediately sobered up, an uncharacteristic silence washing over him. He stormed over to one guy and held him by his shirt, screaming at him to tell him where his friends were. The man passed out in his arms, making Natsu growl and throw him unceremoniously onto the ground. He stormed over to another guy he saw weakly crawling on the ground, picking him up like the last man.
"Hey, you, tell me where Happy and Wendy are, you hear me?" he screamed, punching the man in his arm.
The man just smirked at him, quietly whispering, "he's here," before passing out.
Natsu looked at Gray with confusion shining in his eyes, before Gray pointed above them at a familiar man who smirked down at them.
"There you are, Maggots," he said, evilness coating his tone.
"Oh, hey man, how are ya? I know I know you from somewhere!" Natsu called, grinning as he waved at the man.
Gray facepalmed as the other man, whom Gray recalled from Lullaby, blanched at the weird greeting. "You numbskull, he's from the Lullaby incident. Making him our enemy." gray said, his voice progressively getting louder as his patience got the better of him.
"Oh yea, let's go!" Natsu called, ignoring the man monologuing and shooting straight up at him.
Gray groaned and shook his head, once again wondering how his 'friend' could be such a moron and still be alive.
Lucy whimpered as the venom spread through her body. Everything was hazy, the pain fulling everything. The world felt like it was on mute, everything washing away as the pain slashed at her sense of sanity. The venom felt like burning ice in her veins, corroding her body, and leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. She wanted to scream, but the sound was trapped in her throat. She wanted to claw her arm off, throw it away as far as it could go if it meant the pain stopped. She could feel her eyes burning, her skin feeling tight from tears. She desperately cried internally for her mother, wanting to be held by her, have her mother kiss her forehead, and tell her everything was going to be okay.
Hibiki kept looking over, a look of worry etched into his handsome features. The poison was spreading, spider webbing through her porcelain skin. Desperation flooded through him, his mind wracking through every piece of information he could access. What was the point of having Archive magic if it didn't help? If he couldn't save people with it? He let out a frustrated growl, hoping to feel better with the expulsion of some of his irritation.
He heard the chime of a bell and looked over, ready for a member of the Oracion Seis to appear. He didn't expect to see the fine material of a suit as a glowing fist slammed into his face; the light burning.
"What the fuck have you done to my master?" a cold voice roared, making an involuntary shiver slide down Hibiki's spine.
He looked up and almost gulped. The man above him looked like an avenging god, his eyes wide and his orange hair sticking up like a mane. His eyes were glowing with injustice and burning hatred, the spark of love simmering in their depths. The man panted, his hands straight at his side. He glared at Hibiki, daring him to take a step closer.
"Well? Answer me!" he roared, his voice echoing like the roar of a lion.
"I am part of the alliance, I am looking after her," he frantically explained, trying to calm his racing heart.
"That is not what I call looking after her." the man snarled, his eyes narrowing. "Her spirits and I have been trying to access our gates for a while, feeling her pain. What happened to her and who hurt her. I need names!" He roared a vicious glow surrounding his form.
"It was the Oracion Seis. One of them, Cobra, sent his snake to bite Erza but Lucy… she managed to get up and jump in front of her, taking the bite herself," Hibiki said, feeling choked up despite not knowing the girl well.
Anyone who is willing to take a deadly bite for a friend is a hero in his books, and as such, she deserved his respect.
The man, whom he identified as Leo the Lion let out a strangled gasp. He looked up, seeing the man frozen. He was about to open his mouth to say something, anything to get him out of his shock when he seemed to snap out of it. He sprinted to his master, gently laying down. He gently pulled her head into his lap and began to smooth her hair from her clammy forehead.
"L-Loke?" she croaked out, seeing his black suit and disheveled hair.
"It's me, Princess. what have you gotten yourself into this time?" he said softly, tears brimming behind his glasses.
Despite her pain, Lucy managed a smile. "I wanted a rest, that's all," she said, wincing as another round of pain shot through her body.
"Rest princess, I have you. Virgo should come through soon and perhaps Sagittarius, if the king allows," he soothed, trying to still his breathing.
Lucy smiled at him; her eyes clouded with pain. "That will be nice. I-I-l-love my S-spirit friends-s." she wheezed, relacing into his touch.
"I know princess, we love you too. Just relax now, I will protect you. Nothing will happen to you with me here." he said, swallowing the lump in his throat.
"Thank you, Loke." she whispered, shutting her eyes, and letting her body relax. "You have always been my hero," she said, a pained smile taking up residence on her face,
Loke let one tear slide down his cheek. All his pain, his anguish was infused in that tear It was his only weakness. He had to be strong, protect his master, his Lucy. She is the best master he has ever had in all his years of being alive, and like hell was he going to let her go now.
"I'm here princess, just relax," he soothed, smiling as he stroked her hair, a wistful expression on his face.
Hibiki wisely looked away, not wanting to intrude on their moment. His heartfelt heavy seeing the bond between them, knowing it was a double-edged sword. Having that close a connection was a godsend in the happy times, but right now? It was hell.
All he could do was hope Natsu and the others would come through, otherwise, Fiore would lose a beautiful light, taking the light of those who love her along with her.
Lightning struck the earth, making bits of earth scamper into the air. The light faded to show a serious face, the man's arms crossed. Laxus looked around, frowning at the lack of people. This was his third time teleporting, and he was getting frustrated, his magic depleting.
He shut his eyes, honing his hearing. He heard paws padding on the earth and an insect's wings beating the air. The swish of the wind weaving through trees. He heard the growling of a wolf in the distance, warning off a competitor. He was beginning to lose hope when he heard exactly what he was hunting.
The sound of a person's heart.
Enveloping himself in his lightning, his destination set, the man let himself merge with his element. His mind cleared as he became the lightning, his body merging the static. He couldn't help the wild excitement beating where his heart was, the thrill of a future battle closing all sense. If he did well, he would prove his strength. He would show everyone the power he possessed and maybe, just maybe, he would be accepted back home, because for all he complained, the truth was something he couldn't ignore.
It took being excommunicated for him to realise how good he had it, to realise his truth.
Home was where the heart is, and for better or for worse, Fairy Tail was his home and he'd be damned if he had to leave it forever.
He was Laxus Dreyer and Laxus Dreyer always, always gets what he wants.
Hey everyone! This one was a little angsty. I hope you enjoyed it! This one will probably end up being 5-8 chapters. Nothing too big, as the arc itself, wasn't too huge. Let me know what you thought of this chapter, and who your favourite Fairy Tail Character is!
Until next time,
TBP.