The Lost Warrior
Wendy and Carla watched with bated breath as Romeo attempted to juggle three dark blue spheres that were larger than handballs, each with a short white tail of thick string. Sticking his tongue out to the side in concentration, Romeo managed to toss all three of the orbs into the air in succession before fumbling on catching the first, the second, and also the third. The orbs harmlessly bounced on the hardwood floor with heavy thuds and would have all rolled away if it were not for Asuka gleefully chasing after them. Bacon soon joined her in retrieving the last one and followed the little girl in giving the sphere back to Romeo.
Wendy and Carla deeply exhaled, greatly relieved that nothing happened after Bacon's bombs collided with the floor. "Please, Romeo, be careful with those!" said Wendy, waving a warning finger at the dark-haired mage.
Romeo tugged the front of his yellow scarf and broadly smiled bashfully. "No worries. They didn't blow up or anything." His smile turned into a mischievous grin as an idea popped into his head. "Hey, how about we try lighting one up?"
"Those are bombs," Wendy stressed, trying to make it obvious as to why his idea was not a smart one.
After putting two of the bombs back into the small leathery brown bag sitting on the countertop of the guild's bar, Romeo started tossing the last one in the air with one hand and catching it with the other. "And they're Bacon's bombs. When he sees and hears them explode it might spark a memory," he implied, repeatedly passing the dangerous orb between his hands. Bacon was following the dark sphere with his blue eyes, most likely attracted to the metallic sheen of the round object.
Since they arrived to the guild that morning, Romeo, Wendy, and Carla were trying to familiarize Bacon with some of his own belongings in hope of triggering his memories. So far, the sound of his flute – his ocarina, Vijeeter had corrected – and his strange purple eye-lens had yielded no results. No one knew how to properly play the instrument and Bacon would always immediately hand it back to Wendy when she gave it to him to use. And now they had moved onto the boy's small brown bag that held seven bombs in total.
Scratching her forehead beneath the rim of her orange hat, Asuka furrowed her brow and asked, "What are 'bombs'?"
"Explosives. Wanna see?" Romeo didn't even wait for anyone's response as he lightly pinched the end of the fuse between his thumb and forefinger on the bomb he carried. A tiny flicker of yellow fire ignited on his fingertips for a half-second and within that instant, the white string started to hiss and smoke, making the youngest children stare in surprise.
"What are you doing?!" both Wendy and Carla exclaimed in horror.
Romeo blinked once before he suddenly realized what was going to happen. "Oops… Should've waited until we were outside, huh?"
"You are taking after Natsu far too much," Carla groaned into her paws as she covered her face and shook her head in disbelief.
"Throw it!" Wendy cried, waving her hands frantically around as the flame quickly ate away the short fuse.
Finally panicking, Romeo broke into a nervous sweat and handled the bomb as if it was too hot to touch despite him being a fire mage. He quickly looked around the guild before heaving the bomb across the room while shouting, "Everyone! Look out!" and then plugged his ears with his fingers.
The smoking dark orb soared towards the far empty corner opposite of the bar. Just as it flew, Bacon suddenly chased after it, rounding the chairs and tables with an excited grin on his young face.
"Bacon! No!" The boy froze from the sound of Wendy's voice, giving the nimble girl enough time to leap over the obstacles and roughly tackle him to the floor just as the bomb soundly struck the wall and exploded with heat and fire. The explosion was brief but ear-popping loud, especially inside a building, making Bacon recoil beneath her, and sending a hot blast of wind in all directions. Chunks of broken wood were sent flying along with a few chairs and a table that were positioned right by the same wall. Eyes clenched shut, Wendy shielded the smaller boy from the falling, burning debris that noisily clattered nearby, smelling charred wood and acrid smoke. She flinched when something hot brushed the skin of her bare arms, but luckily everything pretty much missed landing on her.
There were shocked and terrified voices amongst the handful of people currently occupying the building. It was fortunate that it was still early in the morning and not too busy in the guild.
"Are you guys okay?!" Romeo was already right by the girl's side with Carla not too far behind.
As she pushed off the floor, Wendy nodded in assurance after seeing the worried expressions of her companions. She then quickly checked on Bacon to make sure he wasn't hurt. Unfortunately, the hard fall split his lower lip and bruised his face but Wendy was quick to mend those injuries and wipe the blood away. It didn't seem like the boy even realized he was hurt for he was busy gaping in the direction of the explosion. Wendy glanced at the damage and gasped at the big flaming hole in the corner of Fairy Tail. It looked as if Natsu had thrown one of his devastating fiery punches through the wood and insulation like he had done so many times before back at the old guild.
"Geez, I haven't had my coffee today and already there's a fire started. Natsu's not even here for crying out loud," Wakaba loudly grumbled as he and Macao rushed to the scene along with the rest of the guild members. Wakaba took a long drag of his cigar and slowly exhaled, his eyes further narrowing to slits as he closely looked over the damage. "Looks to be… about two hundred thousand Jewels to repair… Might go into three hundred if the support pillar burns up," he assessed, stroking the end of his pointed beard.
Macao didn't possess the same composure as his friend. "Now's not the time to calculate repair fees!" he shouted, throwing his hands in the air in aggravation. "Someone put out the fires before this whole place burns down!"
"I got it!" a young feminine voice called out. Squeezing between the group was Levy and not far behind was the taller Gajeel shouldering his way through with Pantherlily in tow. The girl with blue hair gestured with her arms and fingers to write out her desired spell; "Solid Script: Water!" Appearing in a puff of white smoke above her head were bold aqua blue letters spelling out 'WATER'. She pointed to the flames and the letters melded, bubbled and burst into a powerful stream of clear water. The fires noisily hissed and steamed before they were completely drenched and extinguished.
Cheers broke out from the small crowd, with Jet and Droy being the most enthusiastic, thanking Levy and welcoming her, the Iron Dragon Slayer, and black Exceed back from their training excursion.
Wanting to greet the three of them, Wendy moved to stand only to notice that Bacon was no longer with her. She turned abruptly around and saw him on his tiptoes and reaching into his bag of bombs on the counter to pull one out. Bisca, Alzack, and Asuka gave the smiling boy curious looks as he ignored the three standing by the bar and ran back to Wendy, Romeo, and Carla with an explosive orb in his hands. He gave it to Romeo the instant he reached them.
Romeo raised a quizzical eyebrow as he took the offered object. However, he soon grinned when he realized what the younger boy wanted. "Oh? You liked the explosion, Bacon? Does it remind you of something?" His only answer was Bacon's quiet, eager stare. Tossing it between his hands like before, Romeo slightly frowned in disappointment before his smile returned. "Let's light another one up then."
Macao beat Wendy in scolding the novice mage. "Romeo, it was you who blew up the wall?!" the former master barked from behind Romeo, startling the boy and making him drop the bomb onto the floor. Bacon quickly picked it back up and tried to give it to Romeo again but the older boy was busy looking guilty and apologizing to Macao for causing the damages.
Wakaba casually strolled by and plucked the bomb from Bacon's outstretched hand. He spun the orb on the tip of his index finger, capable of balancing it on top and turning Bacon's frown into a captivated smile. Puffing on his smelly cigar, the man smirked at how easy it was to entertain the boy. "These little things pack quite a wallop. Why does the kid need them?" he wondered out loud, skillfully making the spinning orb lightly hop atop his fingertip.
"Who knows what he used them for? Blowing up buildings? We should store them away," suggested Macao, eyeing the open bag on the counter warily.
"But, Dad! I–" Romeo started to protest but his father held up a hand.
"Just for the time being, Son. I don't want you kids playing around with them and I don't want another hole in my building!"
Nodding wisely, Wakaba started to stroke his beard with his free hand while catching the bomb in the palm of his other. "Adding the flood damage to the floor, repairs are estimated to be–"
"You know I'm not the master anymore. You don't need to tell me the costs," Macao snapped, glowering at his companion.
Biting hard on the butt of his cigar, the other sneered. Wakaba absentmindedly returned the bomb to its young owner who instantly gave it to Romeo. "When Master's out, you're the one in charge, Macao. Isn't that how it is? And didn't you just say that this was your building?"
While the two men went into an argument about who was actually responsible for running Fairy Tail, Romeo quickly hid the bomb within his pocket dimension, making it look as if it disappeared out of thin air. Eyes wide, Bacon uttered a sound of confusion and started to look around the floor for the missing orb. Holding a finger up to the smug smile on his lips, Romeo quietly hushed the bewildered Bacon as well as Wendy and Carla to keep it a secret amongst them. Not understanding the gesture, Bacon kept searching the floor until Wendy gripped his wrist to draw his attention to her. In a whisper, she told him not to worry and the only response she got was the slight tilt of his head and his peering gaze.
Soon after, Wendy was approached by a happy Levy, a disgruntled Gajeel, and an indifferent Pantherlily.
Wendy was glad to see them back home and after introducing Bacon to the three of them, they settled at the closest table to the bar that was lucky enough to avoid being struck by a flying chair. Wendy briefly updated them on Bacon's situation including what Porlyusica had told them to do to help the boy regain his memories. Meanwhile, a few of the guild members, including Romeo, started to clean up the mess and temporarily patch up the hole with spare lumber and nails lying around in the storage room.
"Hasn't even been a month and already she wanted to head back home," Gajeel muttered when asked how their training went. He was slouched over the table, his right elbow resting on the smooth surface with his chin propped upon the metal studs on the knuckles of his glove. He was looking rather bored as he examined Bacon's small sword he had pulled from its blue sheath with a brown leather sash. In his large hand, the weapon looked more like a big knife than an actual sword. The child's shield, bow, quiver, and satchel were also on the table for Levy, Gajeel, and Pantherlily to look over to see if they recognized anything. Unfortunately, the three of them were just as clueless as everyone else.
Levy meekly laughed to hide her embarrassment and brushed a loose strand of her blue hair behind her ear. A yellow bandanna adorned with a pretty pink flower held back her usually wild long bangs. "Well, I kind of got homesick half-way through the third week in the wilderness," she replied.
"She completely missed me!" said Jet, coming around their table joyously with a hammer in hand.
"No! No! She missed me!" said Droy, easily knocking the slimmer man aside with his greater girth and, in the process, accidentally dropping a few silvery nails from the small white paper box he carried. The sharp points clanged on the floor and the two men were quick to recover them in fear of someone stepping on them.
Again, Levy laughed. "I missed everyone," she said, making the fawning men of Shadow Gear cry in happiness. Gajeel snorted and rolled his crimson eyes at them. He then grabbed one of the dropped nails that had landed on the table and stuck it in his mouth like he would a toothpick. It wasn't long until Macao commanded Jet and Droy to get back to work. Soon after her teammates left, Levy's attention fell on the young boy sitting between Wendy and Asuka. The little girl had joined their table shortly after spotting Pantherlily during Wendy's explanation.
Bacon was currently copying Asuka in petting a grumpy-faced Pantherlily over the head. The warrior cat didn't fight back or move as he sat crossed-legged with folded arms atop the table. He only grumbled out, "Why are children attracted to me the most?"
And to irk him further, Carla replied with, "Perhaps you resemble a teddy bear," as she watched, greatly amused.
The remark evoked a deep, rumbling growl from the black panther and a deeper scowl on his scarred face. And yet he still did not move to evade the little hands stroking his dark fur. His magic sword was safely out of the children's reach on the other side of the table.
"I wish there was something I could do to help him," said Levy, her hazel eyes noticeably sad as she watched Bacon gently pet Pantherlily with utmost care. She suddenly perked up and snapped her fingers. "Oh! I know! I could teach him how to read and write!"
Gajeel leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest and peered down at the shorter girl from the side with a lopsided grin after crunching and swallowing his silver nail. "And where are you going to find the time for that?" he questioned her. "We still have to train for that Magic Games thing coming up."
Levy hopelessly sighed and gave Gajeel a shy smile. "There's no way I could compete in that… There are many others more qualified than me. Like you, Natsu, Erza, Laxus, even you Wendy."
"M-Me?" Wendy stuttered in surprise.
The other girl nodded confidently. "You Dragon Slayers are a force to be reckoned with. There's a likely chance that Master will choose you as one of the participants. The Grand Magic Games are less than five months away. I can watch over Bacon while you continue to train for the upcoming event."
Wendy doubted that she would be chosen for the Grand Magic Games since there were many other obviously stronger mages in the guild who would fare better than her in all aspects of a tournament. Even though the competition was the least of her concerns, she still had the deep desire to grow stronger to make up for the seven years she and others had lost while under the protection of Fairy Sphere. Everyone was out training hard. Wendy did not want to disappoint her guild or herself.
Levy's offer was starting to sound like a good idea since Wendy had yet to master her mother's Secret Arts. She had memorized the written methods and theories behind them over the past few weeks, but pulling them off flawlessly was a completely different story. She needed more time to train and practice, however Wendy wasn't sure how Bacon would react in her long absence. The boy never wandered too far from her and would always patiently wait for her return when she briefly disappeared into another room. For the most part, he relied on her on each passing day.
Sensing the younger girl's dilemma, Levy knowingly smiled and added, "Of course, I need to get more acquainted with little Bacon, don't I?"
"Oh, I get it now," Gajeel mused, his sneer widening to show his set of wicked fangs. "You just want to be around someone smaller than you for once."
"That's not it at all! Pantherlily's shorter than me most of the time!" she argued.
Pantherlily soundly cleared his throat in irritation and flicked his round ears when Asuka playfully tugged on one of them. "You know very well that I cannot maintain my true form for long in Earthland," he evenly replied. He grumbled quietly and further hunched over when Bacon was next to touch his sensitive ears.
"Err, sorry!" Levy quickly apologized while waving her hands before her to indicate she didn't mean to offend. She then huffed at Gajeel, "I just want to help out the only way I can since there's no point in me training relentlessly every day."
Gajeel shrugged his broad shoulders. "If you wanna help the tasty little runt, suit yourself. I'm heading straight back to training."
"I wouldn't mind accompanying you again," Pantherlily piped in, sounding quite eager to get away from the children.
"Tasty?" Carla questioned Gajeel's odd choice of words in addressing the boy and raised her brow.
"Come on. Ba-con," Gajeel drawled out the name. The boy perked up and only blinked once at Gajeel before resuming to petting the miniature panther. "Why'd you let that moronic fire-breather come up with that? It makes the kid sound tasty. Though, I'd rather eat his sword instead. Smells like good iron." He picked up the child's weapon, dangled it above his head by the hilt between his fingers, and eyed the shiny blue-silver blade hungrily.
"No! You can't eat that!" Wendy cried in shock, jumping to her feet and forcefully knocking her chair over.
Gajeel dangerously sneered, his mouth full of sharp teeth that were ready to tear, and lowered the sword onto the table. "How about a bite of his shield then?" he asked, tapping his iron knuckles against the solid piece of metal, producing an echoing clang. "I think it's steel but I can check to make sure." He lifted the shield easily with one hand and held it like a slice of pizza. Jaws wide open, his vicious fangs glistened as they slowly closed on the thick metal outer rim of the shield.
Horrified, Wendy slammed her palms on the table and angrily shrieked, "Don't you dare! It belongs to Bacon!" Bacon paused to look at her, confusion settling on his features when he saw her anger. He looked between the girl and Gajeel, unable to comprehend what was going on.
Gajeel suddenly burst into laughter and slapped his free hand hard on the table, making everything, including the two startled Exceeds, slightly jump from the impact. "I'm only kidding, pipsqueak," he said with humor, once he finally regained his breath. He raised a teasing studded eyebrow as he dropped the shield back on the table. "A little protective, aren't you?"
Wendy pouted and looked away, feeling her face burn up from his accusation as well as from all the eyes staring at her from her sudden outburst. "That's because his belongings are the only pieces to his past," she murmured truthfully. "And they're the only things he has right now…"
"That's right, Gajeel," Levy sided with Wendy, giving the man a firm stare. "All of these things are important so don't damage them!"
"Hey, I said I was kidding," growled the Iron Dragon Slayer, looking off to the side in slight annoyance. He stood up, his naturally tall height allowing him to tower over everyone seated at the table. He walked around and planted his large open palm over the top of Wendy's head and mussed up her navy-blue hair in a rough, playful manner, eliciting a tiny squeak of protest from the girl. "You care for the little runt that much, huh? Fine, I won't touch his stuff."
When Gajeel pulled away, Wendy soon felt a smaller hand pat the top of her head. She turned to see Bacon smiling up at her, his outstretched arm slowly moving to further mess up her tangled locks to repeat what Gajeel had done.
Levy quietly giggled and it wasn't long until Wendy joined her, feeling a little more cheerful. Wearing a kind smile, she gently pried the boy's hand away and attempting to fix her hair. However, it was futile; she needed to seek out a brush.
Gajeel leaned over Bacon's shoulder just as he slowly spoke the boy's name in a low, menacing tone, "Now you better behave, little runt. Don't cause too much trouble for your tiny teacher." He lazily gestured to Levy but Bacon didn't follow.
Bacon was not the least bit intimidated by the larger man with the sharp teeth and glaring red eyes. Bacon was instead staring at the mage's face in childish fascination. He reached up and poked one of Gajeel's small iron studs on the chin.
"He's not scared of you at all," said Levy with a light-hearted laugh.
"He's forgotten all about fear as well, it seems," noted Carla, smirking.
Gajeel snorted and tousled the kid's hair out of amusement before announcing his departure to head back to training. Pantherlily hopped to his feet, grabbed his sword, and followed right after, much to Asuka's groaning disappointment.
"We just got back and already you guys want to leave?" Levy called after.
"Time's wasting, girl," replied Gajeel without looking back. "The Magic Games will be here before we'll even know it. You better get back to training too, pipsqueak. We gotta make Fairy Tail number one again." With a small petty wave behind him, Gajeel left the building with Pantherlily. Wendy could only silently nod, her mind set on reaching the same goal.
Erza Scarlet headed straight for the bar the moment she stepped into Fairy Tail. Everyone inside quickly parted from her path after seeing the hardened look on her face. No one dared to question her nor did they even approach her, much to her relief. With a heavy sigh, she dropped onto an empty stool and demanded a cold drink to quench her thirst.
Mirajane, unfazed by the scarlet-haired woman's foul mood, cheerfully smiled and quickly mixed up a cocktail within seconds and set the glass before Erza. The warrioress flicked away the unnecessary garnishes decorating her drink before downing the whole glass in one satisfying gulp. The cool, blended liquor was sweet on the tongue and pleasantly burned going down her throat where it warmed her chest. She slammed her glass on the counter and demanded another one.
"How did the mission go?" Mirajane asked as she whipped up another fruity cocktail. She was one of the few brave enough to confront Erza whenever Titania was obviously irritated by something. "It looks like you had plenty of sunshine."
After swallowing her second drink, Erza wiped her mouth with the back of her armoured hand, growled at the other's mockery, and muttered, "It went far longer than I had anticipated."
Her job was the only S-Rank mission that reached their guild. She was the first to pick it up the instant it was posted on the Request Board a month ago. The mission took place in the south eastern country of Desierto that was a week long train ride from Magnolia. The request was to hunt down a giant Devil Scorpion that had attacked a small desert village and made the site its nesting ground after the villagers had all fled.
The mission had sounded simple enough. The blistering, arid heat was nothing to Erza when she wore her special Ambient Earrings that protected her from extreme temperatures. However, when she found the lone scorpion amongst the ruins of the village, twenty more appeared out of the hot white sand.
A swarm of giant full-grown Devil Scorpions, each the size of a two-storey house with ten meter long tails and one meter long stingers, greeted her the instant she stepped foot within their territory. Their thick, black armoured carapaces were covered in hundreds of tiny neon-green-tipped poisonous barbs and their enormous claws had the strength to crush solid steel and rock. It was said that one tiny drop of their deadly venom could kill a person within a blink of an eye.
She had slain eleven of them before the rest scattered and burrowed beneath the sand. Thinking they had run away, Erza reported back to her client only to be sent back out to hunt them all down in fear they might return and cause more havoc. She spent over twelve days searching the vast desert for the last ten Devil Scorpions, enduring two sandstorms, sunburn, a week without a bath, and constant thirst, and because of that, she managed to haggle a much bigger reward out of it.
Suppressing a yawn, Erza leaned back to stretch her arms above her head, still exhausted from the long trip back. It was then that she noticed the shoddy patchwork in the burnt, soggy corner of the building. "Another fight gone wrong?" she asked, nodding towards the damage.
Mirajane lightly chuckled and shook her head. "Surprisingly, no. That was actually from Romeo testing one of Bacon's bombs."
Before Erza could even ask, Mirajane spoke of an amnesiac boy and a mysterious lost temple that Wendy, Carla, Natsu, Happy, and Lucy had discovered on their latest mission. And the reason behind the boy's ridiculous name, thanks to a mindless Natsu. Mirajane pulled down one of Reedus's paintings decorating the back wall of the bar and fondly showed it to Erza.
The painting was a captured moment within the guild, depicting Wendy, Carla, Romeo, Asuka, and a young, blond-haired, blue-eyed boy with long, pointed ears that Mirajane had pointed out was Bacon. The children and Exceed were seated around a table and visibly enjoying ice cream sundaes, looking no more but a happy, carefree little group.
Erza lightly smiled at the innocence of the children portrayed within the painting before she glanced at the sword and shield Mirajane had pulled out from behind the counter for her to look over. Her brown eyes were drawn to the colourful edge shield first. Picking it up, she held it before her in both hands to closely examine the unfamiliar insignia of a stylish red bird painted in the center. Her gaze then wandered to the three golden triangles situated below the bird and lingered there for a moment longer before she studied the rest of the shield. The blue, red, and white paint covering the surface was noticeably chipped and scratched with the steel beneath visibly marred from having to withstand countless attacks. As well, numerous nicks and small dents adorned the thick outer rim and the decorative metal pieces overlaying the surface of the well-crafted item. Turning it over, she found the handle and leather carrying strap well worn from constant use.
Laying the shield aside, she picked up the small sheathed sword by its blue wooden scabbard and took note of the silver handle's smooth, worn appearance. The pommel was decorated with a sapphire jewel and the guard was simple and made of thick, gilded metal. Quietly, the sword sang when she slowly drew it from its sheath. She sensed no magical properties from the blade, deeming it an ordinary sword made of a silver-blue metal she couldn't quite figure out. Taking her gauntlet off, Erza carefully brushed her thumb along the clean edge, surprised by its razor sharpness. It was definitely not a child's toy.
She mentally smirked at the boy she had yet to meet as she gazed upon her distorted reflection on the short blade. Judging from the condition of his equipment, she could tell the boy had gone through many fierce battles. He was once a young swordsman; a warrior at heart, probably both fearless and talented, but fate was cruel to take it all away…
Returning the sword to its sheath, Erza closed her eyes and slowly shook her head to Mirajane's question. "No, I've never seen the style of these weapons before. I'm not sure where they originated from," Erza quietly replied, bringing a small frown of disappointment from the other.
"That's really unfortunate. Wendy and Romeo will be sad to hear that," Mirajane sighed as she cleaned up Erza's used glasses. "They've grown quite attached to him. Especially Wendy. She's become quite a motherly figure. It's really cute!" Her beaming smile gradually faded. "Everyone has been trying to find out who he is. Lisanna, Max, and Laki have been checking missing child reports from all over Fiore and the surrounding countries but none of them match Bacon's description. He probably doesn't have any family or… he might truly be from another world."
As she pondered over that, Erza stirred her third drink with the straw provided, hearing the ice softly clink against the glass. "Master hasn't returned yet?" she questioned after a few moments had passed.
"Not yet. Likely tomorrow if not tonight. They might have found something, maybe the temple!" Mirajane sounded hopeful.
"Where is Wendy now with the boy?"
Wiping the counter with a rag, Mirajane shrugged while wearing her usual cheerful smile. "Somewhere outside with Gray. He just came back a couple hours ago with Juvia. I believe he's showing Bacon how to use a bow again."
"A bow? Hmm, interesting," Erza mused with a slight nod of her head. She finished her last drink and stored Bacon's sword and shield temporarily within her pocket dimension to give to him later. She would demonstrate the use of the weapons to see if he was capable of remembering how to fight. Before she got up, Mirajane leaned forward on the counter on both of her elbows, her happy expression replaced with seriousness. This prompted Erza to lean over the counter as well so they were face-to-face, looking as if to share a secret.
"Master told us to watch over Bacon," stated Mirajane, her voice nearly a whisper. "He suspects whatever happened to the boy in the temple was not accidental. Whoever harmed him may still be around."
Erza's eyes narrowed. "Any leads on who and why?"
"No. So far we are only going on Master's suspicions. And the reason why? Right now, it's purely conjecture, but you might understand when you meet him. Bacon is under Fairy Tail's protection. For the time being, he's one of us," Mirajane proclaimed with a smile that soon turned devilish, "and whoever harms one us will be properly dealt with."
Erza smirked and soundly agreed before she departed.
Outside, she was greeted by the warm, late afternoon sun blinding her eyes. It didn't take long to find Gray and the children. Following the loud yells, cheers, and laughter, she strolled around the back of the building towards the stretch of tall trees that grew atop the hill. There, she found a small crowd consisting of all three members of Shadow Gear, Bisca, Alzack, Asuka, Romeo, Wendy, Carla, Gray, and the blond-haired boy, Bacon. Not too far from the gathering, Erza spotted Juvia hiding behind a bush, secretly spying on the ice-mage who was moving to stand in front of everyone.
Erza silently observed them from afar, curious at what they were up to.
In Gray's right hand was his conjured bow made of shimmering blue-white ice. Large and wickedly jagged around the edges, the fearsome weapon was visibly steaming under the heat of the sun. He pointed straight ahead at one of the distant trees where someone had mounted a round, wooden target on a vine that swung to and fro like a pendulum on a low hanging branch. Taking a quick look around, Erza found more targets situated in different spots, ranging from close to farther distances to various heights atop the trees. All were pierced with arrows of ice and wood, striking all parts of the targets including the red bull's-eyes, although those were rarer with increasing difficulty of the target.
Gray peered over his shoulder and cockily grinned at the young boy eagerly waiting behind him. "This one's a tricky one. Patience is the key," he advised. He raised his crystalline bow just as he made an arrow in his hand in a brief flash of white light. He nocked the long, deadly-pointed piece of ice, took aim, and soundly drew a deep, steady breath.
Everyone quietly watched the swinging target in the distance, waiting for Gray to release his shot. Seconds passed. Just as the target reached its maximum swinging height, a shiny blue-white streak suddenly flew through the air and struck the wood with a loud thunk when the target dropped to the center. Embedded into the now spinning target was Gray's frozen arrow, having stricken the outer yellow ring close to the red bull's-eye. "Aw, man. Another close one," Gray grumbled, scratching the side of his neck in slight annoyance.
"Still an excellent shot," commented Alzack with the others also soundly praising the ice-user on the incredible feat.
Smirking, Gray stepped back and gestured with his free arm. "Alright, Bacon. You're up. Droy, fix your vine."
Droy, busy chewing his burger, simply waved a finger and the swinging piece of wood resumed its pace.
Grinning wide, the boy bounded to where Gray last stood, carrying in his left hand a small wooden bow fitted with gilded metal binds around the grip and curved ends. Wendy was right behind him, holding onto a quiver of arrows. Smiling, she handed the visibly excited boy one of the wood-shafted arrows and quietly encouraged him to do his best. He pointed at the moving bull's-eye and the girl nodded in assurance. Stepping back, Wendy stayed close as Bacon readied his bow.
Again, everyone fell silent in anticipation, all eyes on the pendulous target pierced by a thin shard of ice. The boy drew a slow, deep breath just like Gray had done and patiently waited for the right moment to release his arrow. There was a sharp twang followed by the hiss of the arrow tearing through the air. With a resounding thunk, the iron tip sank deep into the painted wood, right in the dead center of the bull's-eye. Everyone broke out with cheers and clapping as they surrounded Bacon.
"Impressive," said Erza once she reached the group.
Gray turned abruptly around and jumped in alarm the instant he saw her face, resulting in him accidentally tossing his crystal bow into the air where it shattered to pieces on the ground. "Oh geez – Erza! Wh-What did I do?!" he exclaimed, panicking.
Seeing Gray throw his bow away, Bacon did the same, happily flinging his small bow above his head where Romeo was quick to snatch it before it hit the ground.
Titania crossed her arms and raised a questioning eyebrow at Gray. "I only said I was impressed by the boy's last shot," she stated in truth.
Gray slightly eased up and tentatively scratched the back of his neck. "Well, you look… kinda angry. A little red in the face, you know?" he pointed out hesitantly as he subconsciously took off his shirt. Bacon would have followed suit if Wendy didn't hastily stop the boy from pulling off his T-shirt.
Erza immediately scowled, making Gray noticeably shiver and shrink back along with a few others afraid of her wrath. "It's only a little sunburn," she shortly huffed. "And put your shirt back on."
"My wha – Oh, damn!" Gray quickly picked up his discarded clothing after realizing he was half naked.
Wendy ran up to Erza with Bacon tailing close by. "Erza! Welcome back!" the Dragon Slayer greeted with a broad smile. "I was hoping to ask you if – Oh! Let me first introduce you to um… Bacon…"
"I heard all about him from Mira," informed Erza, knowing what Wendy desired to ask. Shaking her head apologetically, she slightly frowned at the girl. "I'm sorry. I don't have the slightest clue to where he came from."
Just as Mirajane had said, Wendy was deeply disappointed by the news. "I see…" The girl nodded, her sad brown eyes falling on the quiet boy beside her. Her sadness quickly turned into determination. "Then it's up to us to help him in every way we can. I won't give up."
Erza smirked, hearing the others say similar things. She glanced at Bacon, seeing the boy staring at her armoured hands that shone bright in the sunlight. When Wendy gently pulled him closer to Erza for introductions, the boy raised his head to meet the woman's gaze. He stuck out his left hand which Wendy explained was a sign of greeting.
Having no choice, Erza lightly grasped the boy's hand within hers and received his childish smile in return. His magic aura was like none other. It was not particularly strong; it was comparable to Asuka's, but it felt strange, almost otherworldly. Underlying that was something else as well – a holy presence…
She slightly knitted her brow, remembering what Mirajane had told her. She offered a friendly smile at the one Fairy Tail was assigned to protect by their master. He was only an innocent little boy whose memories had all been lost… She wondered if every last one had all been taken away.
As she pulled her hand back, she placed in his hand the hilt of his sword and pulled the scabbard free for him. Eyes wide in surprise, he gawked at the weapon that suddenly appeared in his grip while Wendy gasped and started to fret over his safety. He raised the sword and made a small sound of awe at the reflective metal, astonished by it. His reaction was proof that his mind had truly forgotten. However, she was not one to simply judge on first impressions. After all, the boy had proven his extraordinary skill in archery despite no recollection of using a bow.
While Wendy prevented the child from touching the sharp edges, Erza stepped back a couple strides and equipped her standard broadsword forged from steel.
Everyone began to worry. "Erza, you're not planning to kill him, are you?" Gray nervously asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
She scoffed at the absurdity of his question. "Nonsense. I will test his level of swordplay."
"What level of swordplay? The kid couldn't even remember how to hold his bow let alone a sword," Gray retorted.
She gestured to the targets in the field and trees. "And yet he was able to land a direct hit on that last target while you marginally missed the bull's-eye."
Gray pouted to the side. "Err, well, the kid got surprisingly good after a few practice shots…"
"A good indication that he hasn't completely forgotten his abilities," Erza pointed out.
"Erza! You can't!" Wendy protested, standing protectively between the boy and Erza.
Titania hardened her gaze on the Dragon Slayer. "Do you not wish for his memories to return?"
"I… I do. But… I don't think he's ready for–"
"Wendy, trust me. I will not harm him."
The girl hesitated, giving the boy behind her worried glances. When Erza impatiently tapped her foot, Wendy finally sighed. "Alright… Please don't be too harsh!"
Erza tried to smile but ended up sneering instead for she could not keep such a promise. Ignoring everyone's odd looks, she waved Wendy aside. "Stand back."
Wendy only took one tiny step sideways.
"Farther back."
Pouting, the Dragon Slayer moved to the side until Erza was satisfied. Before Bacon could follow, Erza sharply spoke his name to gain his full attention.
When curious blue eyes met brown, Titania lunged forward. Her sudden movement made the boy flinch and everyone gasp in either surprise or horror. When she was before him, she brought her sword around, going for a horizontal sweep aimed at his neck. She deliberately swung her blade wide and slower than normal, to allow herself enough time to stop her attack if needed.
However, within the moment her sword was swung, the boy's body tensed, every muscle coiled, and wide eyes became narrowed and focused not on her but on her incoming blade. Right before the edge of Erza's weapon would hit, Bacon threw his body back, performing an acrobatic flip in midair where he landed right back on his feet, facing her, his focus turning into instant confusion at his own actions.
The observing mages were stunned silent for a second before sounds of amazement erupted amongst them.
"His reflexes are still intact," stated Titania, amused by the outcome. She advanced once more, crying out her oncoming attack to draw the young warrior's attention. Going for an overhead strike, her movements were restrained yet again.
Bacon instinctively fell into a defensive stance, his gaze flickering to Erza's large sword descending upon him. He leapt to the side to avoid the blade and Erza was quick to follow him with another broad sweep, this time aiming for the child's open right side. Too slow to dodge, the boy cowered and brought his right arm up, his fist clenched tight as if to hold a shield that was not there.
Erza's sword cut nothing but air as it harmlessly passed over the boy's head, the wind from her weapon stirring his blond hair. Thrusting the end of her sword into the ground, Titania brought out the boy's shield and slipped it on his raised arm in one smooth motion. Bacon shifted away from her touch but soon blinked in bewilderment at the new thing attached to his limb.
Erza didn't give him a second to marvel at it. Retrieving her sword, she shouted his name. Just as his head snapped in her direction, she slashed at him, purposely aiming for his shield. His reaction time was commendable; he raised his shield and held it proper. With an echoing clang, her sword struck painted metal, creating a brilliant shower of sparks from the grinding steel. She was stronger, her blow forcing the boy to stumble backwards. However, he was quick to regain his posture, staring intently at her for a brief second before confusion took hold of him once again.
"Do you remember who you are?" she asked him quietly.
The child said nothing, his brow deeply furrowed. Each of her words was probably only gibberish to his long ears.
"Can you remember who you once were?" Erza pressed on, softening her expression, her sword held by her side.
Sensing no danger, his blue eyes lowered to the weapons in his hands, confounded by what they were. Did they feel familiar to him? The weight of his sword, the sound of his shield; could he remember a time where he stood in the same position against an adversary?
Titania could see him internally struggling to understand, but in the end, when he met her eyes, she knew he couldn't find the answer. His mind was truly lost.
A/N: Apologies for the wait, everyone. I hope I captured Gajeel's character correctly. There's rarely any interaction between Wendy and Gajeel in the manga so I'm not too sure how he treats his fellow Dragon Slayer. Do you think he's playful with the kids?
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Thanks for reading!