A/N: I want to thank everyone for giving me some much needed feedback if I hadn't personally done so yet or been able to. I really appreciate your honesty and now I know how to proceed with this story from this chapter onward.
I know many, if not all, of you are dying to have Link remember who he is, but keep in mind the main plot of this story is dealing with his struggles to discover his past and identity as well as finding his true purpose in Earthland.
But don't worry, the time for him and Fairy Tail to find out the truth will soon come.
Thanks again for all of your support and I hope to satisfy you all with this next chapter.
Happy reading!
Day Two: Stirring Shadows
There stood a massive gate at the end of a dark hall, watched over by giant sentinels carved from stone. Upon the arced door, above the centre, was the radiant sun against a teal sky, its rays beaming between twelve metal bars that acted as locks, and beneath the glorious orb was a golden ring that symbolized the moon, its core as dark as the surrounding navy, night sky.
The twelve locks groaned and the enormous gate creaked open, allowing the faintest of light to seep through…
The Blooming Capital is now under attack; black smoke billowed from the towering flames that ravaged the city, shrouding the skies with thick smog and ash. There was screaming coming from the streets, hundreds – thousands – of voices rang, all full of terror as they fled from the giant shadows flying overhead, their true forms obscured by the heavy smoke.
A monstrous roar rent the sky, silencing the screams of the panicked people. And then a giant creature hidden in darkness descended into the smog, with eyes that burned evil and red. It had massive, webbed wings that overshadowed the city that created wind storms with each mighty flap. Riding atop the horned monster's head was a man fully armoured in black, staring down at a lone figure below.
Cloaked in feathery white, the person on the ground stood amidst the burning ruins of what was once a part of Crocus. It was another man whose identity was hidden under a mask painted a bright yellow and carved into the smiling face of a fox. He stood fearlessly amongst the chaos wielding a long, broad sword that gleamed blue and silver, the narrow, slanted holes of his smiling mask aimed at the monstrosity flying above.
Then he lowered his head to meet someone's gaze through messy fringes of blond hair that fluttered in the hot, smoky wind. There was a flash of brilliant blue within those smiling eyes, and he spoke, his steady, determined voice slightly muffled beneath his disguise; "Carla… Come fly with me. We'll protect Wendy… We'll protect everyone…"
Carla woke up with a start, a nervous shiver running down her spine. She sat up, her mind filled with images of her dream.
Was it only a dream? Or was it a premonition?
She prayed the latter wasn't true.
"Morning!"
The cat jumped at the cheerful greeting coming from Wendy sitting on the edge of the same bed. The girl was in the middle of brushing out her long, navy hair. Wendy paused and frowned with worry at Carla's reaction.
"Carla, are you alright?" Wendy asked, putting her brush down to crawl over to her friend. "Are you still feeling tired?"
The Exceed quickly shook her head. "Tired? N-No, I just had a dream," she answered tentatively.
"What sort of dream?" Wendy lightly petted the cat between her ears.
Where Crocus is attacked by flying monsters from the sky and there is a man wearing a fox mask who knew our names…
"It was… a silly dream. I really don't remember," Carla lied, not wishing to stir up trouble over what may only be a fabrication of her sub-consciousness. Wanting to change the subject, she took note of their surroundings, realizing she was in an unfamiliar room and they were not alone.
Porlyusica was seated in a chair between two of the three beds in the room, Wendy's and Bacon's, facing the young boy who appeared to be sleeping. The scratching of an ink pen on paper stopped when the old woman turned from the notebook she was writing in to glance over her shoulder at Carla with scrutinizing eyes. On the other side of Bacon's bed was another bed with Romeo sitting on top of the sheets, neatly folding his old clothes.
Carla turned back to Wendy, confused. "Where are we?" she asked.
Wendy's frown returned. In a quiet voice, she explained what had happened on the night they visited Castle Mercurius, about the black creature, the man in the red mask, why they fainted, and Bacon's bravery, before expressing her sadness at missing the preliminary as well as the first day of the Grand Magic Games.
Surprised and angry, Carla stood up without any effort, her strength fully restored thanks to Porlyusica's care. Pacing on the bed, she hissed at the infuriating thought of someone wanting to interfere with Fairy Tail by using such dirty, shameful means. She paused to glance over at young Bacon, silently thankful for his heroism.
Wendy picked Carla up and hugged her. "I know… it's frustrating," said the girl, hoping to calm down her partner, "But don't worry, we're okay now. Thanks to Grandeen – err, Porlyusica, we're all better now."
Once Wendy set Carla back down, the feline gave Porlyusica, who was still watching, a slight bow and said politely, "Thank you for your help."
The Medicinal Advisor snorted and turned back to the open book in her lap, resuming her scribbling. "Now that you are all well enough to move, you can all leave," she said in a firm tone, waving them away as if she had grown tired of them.
"What about Bacon? Will he wake up soon?" Wendy asked in concern, shifting back to her spot to brush the rest of her hair.
Without diverting away from the page, the elder calmly replied, "He will be fine. He just needs a little more rest, that is all. I will keep watch over him until we wakes."
Romeo strolled over, his hands busy tying the ends of his yellow scarf together. He glanced at the clock hanging above the door of the infirmary, which read ten minutes past ten, and grinned in excitement. "Today's competition part just started. We should hurry and go watch!" he said to Wendy and Carla.
Agreeing, Wendy, having already changed into new clothes before Carla had woken up, needed to finish tying her hair up in pigtails. Meanwhile, Carla went into the small adjoining bathroom to change and freshen up.
As Carla stood on the edge of the glossy stone sink filled with warm water in a clean, blue dress, she gazed into the plain, square mirror at her reflection, her mind returning to the images she had seen in her dream. She closed her eyes to see them more clearly.
Eyes that were bright blue met her stare through the narrow slits of a smiling yellow fox.
"Carla… Come fly with me. We'll protect Wendy… We'll protect everyone…"
The cat shuddered, perturbed by the possible meaning behind those words. What was he implying? Were Wendy and the others in danger?
Who was the man and how did he know Carla and Wendy? He felt familiar – those sharp blue eyes – Carla was certain she had seen them before. He was someone whom she had trusted in the dream… and yet no memory of ever meeting him came to her.
And who was the other man covered in black armour, riding atop a monstrous beast as if commanding it?
And the gate baring the sun and moon… what was so significant about it?
Thinking hard about it only brought confusion. The unreachable truth nagged at her like an itch she couldn't scratch.
Carla shook her head vigorously and tried to convince herself that what she saw were only fragments of a dream and nothing more.
Sighing, she splashed her face, patted it dry with a nearby towel, smoothed out her fur and adjusted the pink bow at the tip of her tail, and left the room.
The loud click of a door closing shut brought him out of his dream in which he was playing a shooting game with his bow. The shattering of the jewel-like targets whenever one of his arrows had pierced through them seemed to echo faintly in the distance before everything had gone quiet.
No, he was wrong – it wasn't entirely quiet. Someone was moaning nearby over the rhythmic ticking of a clock. There was a click of a tongue followed by grumbling as another person moved about, shuffling soft leather shoes against a tiled floor.
Bacon decided to get up at that moment. Yawning, he sat up and stretched his arms above his head, feeling as if he had just slept all day. It felt rather great. He rubbed his eyes and blinked away the bleariness. It took a few seconds before his eyesight focused on the person in red standing above him.
"Awake now, are you?"
The boy stiffened, immediately recognizing the old woman as Porlyusica, the same person who had forced him to drink something really disgusting before he fell asleep. Was she here to make him drink another yucky potion? He cringed and made a face at the dreadful thought.
The woman lightly smirked, making the corners of her eyes wrinkle. She looked him over. "Do you feel tired?" she asked.
Bacon shook his head.
"Any weakness in your arms or legs? Any pain?"
The boy looked down at his hands and wiggled his fingers before stretching out his legs and wiggling his toes under the white blanket. He shook his head at the woman's questions before turning towards the source of the moans. He found Natsu unconscious on the bed next to his, his sickly pale face glistening with sweat.
Bacon cocked his head slightly, wondering where Romeo had gone because Natsu was now sleeping in the older boy's bed. Wendy and Carla were gone too, he realized as he searched the small room.
"If you're looking for Wendy," Porlyusica began, reading his mind, "she was just here a short moment ago to check on you. She has gone back to the stadium to watch the battle portion of the Games with everyone else. I will take you to her in a moment. First," her eyes narrowed, studying him once again and making him feel uncomfortable under her intense scrutiny. "Bacon," she addressed, stern yet kindly, "have you ever seen a dragon?"
The boy blinked questionably at her. "Dragon?" he murmured. He looked off to the side at Natsu and pointed at the groaning Dragon Slayer. "Like Natsu?"
The old woman lightly shook her head. "Not a Dragon Slayer. Dragons are not humans but are large, magical, intelligent creatures," she tried to explain.
However, Bacon continued to misunderstand her. He couldn't think of anything else that had the name 'dragon' besides Dragon Slayers so he said Wendy's name next.
Sighing wearily, Porlyusica carefully eased into the creaking chair situated between the two occupied beds and adjusted it to face the boy.
Bacon shifted to face her, dangling his bare legs and feet over the edge of the bed.
The old woman leaned against the backrest and folded her arms beneath her cloak, pressing her lips into a thin line. "Do you remember your dream with the yellow dog?" she inquired, speaking slowly.
Lowering his gaze to his hands on his lap, the boy thought for a moment. Vaguely, he could recall a large yellow dog with three bushy tails running through tall blades of grass. And it was smiling…
"Keaton will show you the way… Come…"
"You mentioned it had a friend," the elder continued when he didn't answer right away, "and it said these words to you; 'Atarl adune… Herial Yaarez.' Do you remember any of it?"
"Meet my friend, Child of the Forest… He's been waiting for you…"
Shadows. That was all he could remember. Three moons that were shaped like eyes and endless darkness as far as he could see. He had dreamt those same moons various times before where they would silently watch him in a pitch-black sky void of stars. Briefly they would stare at him before the dark world would change to something different.
They spoke to him once, in a voice that sounded so lonely and far away, only when the yellow dog was present…
Bacon couldn't recall the exact words, but what Porlyusica had said sounded familiar. He tried to concentrate, to remember the exact details of the dream he had spoken of to Romeo, only to end up with a dull pain in his head the longer he dwelled on it. This discomfort didn't go unnoticed.
Porlyusica briefly touched his forehead with the back of her wrinkly, liver-spotted hand. "Headache?" she questioned firmly and the boy hesitated to answer, fearing she would feed him more foul-tasting medicine if he said 'yes'.
"It goes away," Bacon finally admitted when he risked meeting the Medicinal Advisor's gaze. He was a little surprised to see the woman's stern demeanor gone and replaced with mild concern.
She asked him a few more questions, "How often does the pain occur?", "When does it usually happen?", "How often do you dream about this yellow dog and its friend?", and a few others related to Bacon's health, his magic capabilities, and going back to the mysterious words of dragons, creatures he still wasn't sure what they truly were.
The boy tried to answer each question truthfully, most of them with either a 'yes' or 'no', while others he could only shrug because he didn't have the answer, growing impatient with each passing minute. He didn't want to stay in the room for too long, not when his friends were having fun without him. But when he was given warm, sweet tea and a delicious cup of golden brown broth to drink mid-way through, he felt calmer.
Natsu's moans had transformed into snores shortly before they were done.
The old woman had assessed Bacon carefully throughout the interrogation, it seemed, judging by the intensity of her stare. Even though she wore an intimidating face whenever Bacon saw her, Porlyusica was a person he knew he could trust because Wendy trusted her.
"Porlyusica will make you feel all better soon. You can trust her," Wendy had said when he wouldn't drink the smoky, yellowish potion that smelled and tasted like curdled milk.
The exhaustion he was burdened with before was completely gone and he had Porlyusica to thank.
"No, child," the elder responded to his quiet murmur of thanks, a warm smile gracing her lips, turning her into a completely different person, "I have you to thank for showing me something new to strive for in my field of work. You have helped me help Fairy Tail, to say the least. We have discussed enough. I will take you to Wendy."
Bacon smiled in return and slid off his bed, happy to stretch out his body.
Porlyusica pointed at the small pile of neatly folded clothes at the foot of his bed where Freedom was also waiting. "Macao has brought you some clean clothes to change into and Romeo left you your sword. Change first in the bathroom."
The boy obeyed, grabbing his clothes and hurrying to the small bathroom, his bare feet smacking on the tiled floor. He quickly switched out of his old clothes for his new ones and used the facilities of the bathroom as well. It only took five minutes before he was back by his bed, wearing fresh underwear, a pair of black, knee-length shorts adorned with blue tiger stripes on the outer sides of the legs, and a simple red T-shirt that had a grinning cartoonish gray cat curled into a ball in the front that reminded him of Happy.
After slipping on his blue sandals, he buckled Erza's gift over his back, extremely happy to have his blade. He couldn't explain why it felt so natural to have a sword upon his back.
Porlyusica handed him one last thing to wear that was previously folded on the small bedside table.
Bacon threw on his green and white, hooded cloak which partially hid his sword from view. The hilt was noticeable for it stuck above his left shoulder, not that he cared.
The old woman quickly looked him over as she calmly strolled past him towards the door. "Hood on. Good. Let's go."
He paused when he heard a series of footsteps fast approaching behind the closed door. His first thought was Wendy and Romeo were coming to get him.
"What is it?" Porlyusica asked the instant she noticed him hesitating.
Her question was answered when the door swung wide open and four people, who were neither Wendy, Romeo, nor anyone familiar, barged into the room, blocking the exit.
Bacon's smile vanished and he immediately tensed in caution. Feeling uneasy, his blue eyes flickered between the strangers crowding the infirmary.
All four wore identical dark red outfits with high thick collars and were striped with white on the shoulders down to their beige-coloured gloves. Belts of light brown leather encircled their waists that held a pair of holsters containing black weapons Bacon recognized as handguns, similar to the weapons Alzack used.
Their identities were hidden under dark hoods and gray metal masks that covered the top half of their faces, however their muscular builds identified them as men. One was short, standing as high as Porlyusica's shoulders, another tall, the top of his head nearly brushing against the top of the door frame, the third was stooped forward with slouched shoulders, while the fourth had a slightly different mask that showed his flat, pug nose.
Bacon didn't like these people. There was a strong sense of hostility emanating from them, the feeling similar to the time he had confronted the masked, blond-haired man in red. He was starting to realize that men in masks were people who couldn't be trusted…
"Who are you people?" Porlyusica demanded, moving to stand between Bacon and the four men. The kind old lady from before was gone and the woman with the terrifying scowl had returned. "What do you humans want?"
The men ignored her and started to whisper hastily amongst themselves;
"D'you see a girl in 'ere?" the man with the pug-nose asked.
"Is that kid a girl?" said the short one, pointing a thumb in Bacon's direction.
"Or did he mean the old lady?" muttered the tall one, taking a quick peek at the fuming Porlyusica.
"Can't be the old lady…" the short one replied.
"Must be the brat then," grumbled the man with the slouch in a deep voice.
"Oi, let's just take 'em both!" suggested pug-nose, exasperated.
"Fine!" the other three hissed.
The slouching man and the one with the pug-nose made a mad grab for Porlyusica who could only take a step back before they apprehended her, holding both of her arms.
"Unhand me!" she bellowed angrily, trying to twist free. She resorted to stomping her heels onto their toes, but her efforts were in vain when the men could feel nothing under the protection of their sturdy black boots.
While Porlyusica struggled against the pair of men, the other two goons rounded the trio and lunged straight for Bacon, arms out and ready to snatch him up.
The boy acted quickly on instinct; his hand flew up to the hilt of Freedom just as he leapt to the side and out of reach of the men's greedy hands. With a metallic ring, his sword was freed from its hold, gliding smoothly against his cloak without damaging the fabric. Once his toes touched the ground, he spun to face the pair and slashed down across the face of the closest man, his sword only appearing as a flash of silver.
There was a metal clang when the edge of the blade struck the mask, and the shortest man jerked back from the surprise swipe, stumbling into the taller one following right behind him.
The short man's mask split nearly perfectly in half right down the middle and slipped off his face, the two pieces clattering to the floor, revealing his short black hair and brown eyes that were wide with shock. A thin trickle of blood started to leak from the shallow, crooked wound running from his forehead to the bridge of his rounded nose due to Freedom's sharp point grazing his skin.
"W-What the hell?!" the short man cursed, slightly shaken.
His taller partner pushed him aside and growled, "Come on! It's only a little brat!" He made a move to grab his handgun.
In two quick strides, Bacon was right before the tall man before he could draw his weapon, the boy's blade a shiny blur as Freedom swiped at the man's waist.
The man's hand grasped only air because his belt and holsters had fallen to the floor with an audible thunk. Confused, the tall man glanced down and was horrified to see his pistols at his feet, his belt cleanly cut, and his pants starting to fall. "What?!" he exclaimed. "How did you–?"
Just as he raised his head to gape at Bacon in stunned terror, the boy jumped and slashed upwards, cleaving his metal mask in half in almost the same manner as the other man's.
Those two metal pieces rang when they clattered on the white tiled floor. The tall man shambled backwards, nearly losing his pants in the process to show off his black and white striped boxers. His quivering green eyes stared down at Bacon with disbelief under curly locks of aqua-blue hair while his face bled from the new cut down his forehead.
"Oi! What're ya idjits doin'?!" the pug-nosed man shouted at the other men as he and his slouching partner continued to wrestle with Porlyusica. "Jus' grab the damn kid!"
"This kid's too good with that thing!" the tall man replied, pointing erratically at Bacon. He hesitated to follow the simple order.
Bacon turned sharply and glared angrily at Pug-nose. He wanted to save and protect Porlyusica who was now forced onto her knees. He was about to charge at the man with the ugly, flat nose first when he caught movement in the corner of his eye.
The short man with the black hair was back on his feet and reaching for his gun tucked in his right holster.
Bacon twisted around and launched at the shortest enemy, easily closing the distance with a single bound. In one swift motion, he smacked the flat side of his blade hard against the man's wrist before the man could take aim, drawing a pained yelp and knocking the gun to the side, then slashed downwards to cut loose the man's belt, remaining gun, and his pants as well so he could join his tall friend. The soaring pistol rebounded off the stone wall and when it landed on the floor, it went off with an ear-shattering bang.
It was like a bomb had exploded in the room.
Startled by the incredibly loud noise, Bacon jumped and instinctively retreated from the short man and fell into a defensive stance. Ears ringing, he gasped when he spotted the small, cracked hole in the gray stone ceiling right above the tall man where the bullet had punctured through.
"Stop foolin' around!" Pug-nose growled in frustration. Tired of his fellow goons not being able to capture the boy, he decided to do it himself. He roughly pushed Porlyusica fully to the ground, where the man with the slouch pried her arms behind her back and held her down.
Pug-nose stomped towards the boy in an aggravated fury, his gun already in his hand. But before he could even consider lifting his weapon to aim at Bacon as a threat, there was a flash of pink and royal purple and he was suddenly sent flying into Slouchy-shoulders, knocking the other man right off his feet and taking him along for the ride. Both of them continued to fly until they smashed into the wall with a resounding crash. The impact was so hard that they shook the room and made a crater in the stone in the shape of their overlapping bodies with their arms and legs sprawled all over. Stuck in the deep hole, the two men hung on the wall, either twitching or groaning in agony.
The remaining tall and short men were aghast at the sight of their defeated allies before warily turning their attention to the one responsible.
Natsu was wide awake and downright angry, evident by the throbbing vein at the base of his clenched jaw, his bared fangs, the plumes of black smoke coming from his flared nostrils, and the deadly glare directed at the two men who were now sweating and trembling in their spot, their pants forgotten around their ankles. Rising along with the mage's temper was the temperature in the room from the heat emanating from his body.
Bacon was astonished; never had he ever seen Natsu so mad. The boy had witnessed the Dragon Slayer's wrath several times whenever fights broke out back at the guild, but that level of anger didn't compare to what Bacon was seeing now. It was frightening and exhilarating at the same time.
"Who the hell are you bastards?!" Natsu demanded of the men, slowly turning to face the pair, "Raven Tail? Sabertooth? Which of you goddamn cheaters are behind this?! Huh?!"
When the Dragon Slayer took one step towards them, both men tried to back away in a wild panic only to trip over their own pants and fall flat on their backs. The short, dark-haired one squeaked like a frightened mouse as he crab-walked backwards as far as possible from the approaching fire mage. Once his back was pressed against the wall and escape seemed impossible, he began to stutter, "W-We w-were only following R-Raven T-Tail's orders!"
"Raven Tail?!" Natsu snarled vehemently. He continued to advance in a slow pace, bringing terror on the men's faces. His hands furled into fists by his sides, each knuckle soundly cracking, and his eyes blazed with rage. "The hell do they want with us?" he growled, his voice threateningly low.
"S-S-Supposed to bring them the girl who's supposed t-to be i-in here!" the short man stammered his answer.
Natsu scanned the room and finally noticed the empty bed that was once Wendy's. "Who? Wendy? Why?"
Bacon stiffened at the sound of the girl's name. His hold on Freedom's hilt tightened at the thought of these men wanting to harm her. A burning anger suddenly rose within him. His blue eyes narrowed at the shorter man in hate and noticed the goon cautiously reaching behind his back for something.
"We don't know!" Just as the short man madly screamed his answer, he swung his arm forward, his previously dropped pistol back in his hand and pointing at Natsu.
Bacon was closest and the first to reach him before Natsu could spring into action. Freedom hissed through the air and cleaved into the man's weapon, cutting the pistol in half and leaving only the backend stump of the handle and trigger in the man's grip. Before the man could realize the fate of his gun, Bacon brought the edge of his blade right at the coward's neck.
The instant the sharp, cold steel touched his skin, the short man froze like a terrified statue. His wide, fearful brown eyes slowly rose to meet Bacon's fierce glower that penetrated the shadows shrouding his young face. A pitiful whimper escaped his quivering lips as he started to badly shake in fear, his brow beaded with sweat.
A strong, warm hand gripped Bacon's left shoulder and gently pulled him and his sword away from the defeated man. "You did great, Bacon," said Natsu, sounding quite impressed. He lightly tousled the boy's hair through his hood, making the swordsman broadly smile. "Now let me handle this."
Nodding, Bacon lowered his weapon and stepped aside.
Natsu grabbed the front of the short man's red shirt and easily yanked him off the floor and off his feet so they were eye-level. Natsu pulled the man close so they were face-to-face, black eyes piercing into brown. "You better tell me everything you know. Got it?" he hissed, his hot breath likely scorching the man's cheeks, judging by the man's grimace the instant the mage started to speak.
"Y-Yes! Understood! Whatever you want! I promise!" the man squealed as rivulets of sweat streamed down his bleeding face.
Natsu sharply turned to the taller goon still sitting on the floor who instantly froze in the midst of tugging his pants back on. The man shrank back, making him seem shorter than his normal height, and quickly raised his arms in the air in surrender and shouted, "I-I'm not doing anything! I swear! Please don't hurt me! I'll tell you everything you want too!"
A groan coming from Porlyusica caught Bacon's attention. She was painstakingly climbing onto her hands and knees, her joints audibly popping and her face distorted in pain.
Wanting to help, the boy left Natsu to deal with the conscious men in red and sheathed his sword. Joining the old woman's side, he offered a hand and a look of concern. "Are you okay?" he quietly asked.
The woman grunted in aggravation as she grasped the boy's hand and carefully pulled herself up with his support. Her tied hair and cloak were disheveled and she quickly readjusted them. "Ugh. I'm getting too old," she grumbled, needing to place a hand on the young swordsman's shoulder to stay upright. Hunched over, the advisor rubbed her sore lower back and glanced between the pair of men stuck in the wall and the other pair under Natsu's mercy, wearing a scornful expression. "I'm still alive, boy," she answered Bacon's question. "This is why I hate humans. No respect for the elderly."
With a sharp crack, she straightened up and was capable of standing on her own. She gave Bacon a small, grateful smile that soon morphed into a look of disdain when she turned to Natsu and the two goons.
The short man had been tossed onto the floor right by his taller partner, his pants still tangled around his ankles and his white boxers showing. The Fire Dragon Slayer stood above the pair, wearing a menacing scowl. Arms crossed, he impatiently tapped a finger against his arm as the short man fumbled his replies.
"It was… It was the leader… The master – yes! It was the guild master of Raven Tail who… uh, who hired us!"
"Y-Yeah! It was him!" the tall man chimed in, nodding vigorously.
"And why does he want Wendy?" the mage snarled.
"I told you! W-We don't know!" shouted the short one.
Natsu snorted, blowing more black smoke out of his nostrils. "Tell me the goddamn truth!" he roared.
Both men shrank from the volume of Natsu's voice. "We don't know! We don't know!" the little man wailed, "We weren't told anything! I swear it! I swear it!"
Natsu growled in frustration and suddenly punched the nearby wall with a flaming fist, shattering the thick stone and charring it black. The men squeaked and covered their heads from the flying pieces of wall while Bacon flinched back in surprise.
"Natsu!" Porlyusica barked, taking a wary step towards the enraged Dragon Slayer. "Calm down! You're going to destroy this room if you don't control your anger!"
Natsu retracted his burning fist from the wall, leaving a gaping hole of melted stone. "Sorry…" he mumbled before shooting the cowering men a distasteful glare, his flames dispersing. "Raven Tail keeps trying to mess with us. It's pissing the hell outta me. If their master wasn't the old man's son, I would…"
"But now you know for sure that Raven Tail are the ones behind everything," interrupted the old woman as she crossed her arms beneath her cloak.
"No… It's not just Raven Tail," Natsu snarled bitterly.
"Sabertooth as well?" the advisor questioned and yet her tone reflected that she already knew the answer.
Natsu peered over his shoulder at her and raised his brow. "Yeah. Did someone already tell you?"
The Medicinal Advisor dropped her gaze on Bacon, her eyes glinting with a little pride. "Lucy has informed me of your suspicions and Bacon had seen the man who attacked Wendy and the others before he fainted that night," she began, "He was also the one who injured the man. Going from what we know so far, it is likely the masked man named Rufus Lore of Sabertooth."
Natsu seemed repulsed by that name. "Ugh! That damn pretty boy?! I'm going to break his face the next time I see him!" he spat, punching a fist into his open palm which both soon ignited with fire, engulfing his arms up to the elbows. His magic lasted only seconds before he realized something. "Hey wait," he turned to face Bacon, looking bewildered, "You burned the blond freak? It wasn't Romeo? How'd you do it?"
The young boy bounded up to the Dragon Slayer, beaming. "Natsu, look!" he said as he raised his hands before him, palms facing together. He couldn't wait to see the older mage's reaction because Natsu always got super excited whenever Romeo secretly showed off his new colourful fire spells.
"Bacon, no," Porlyusica said sharply, stopping the boy from summoning his magic, "not here."
Extremely disappointed, the young swordsman couldn't help but pout as he dropped his arms and stared glumly at the floor.
A pat on the head from Natsu brought him out of his gloom.
"Show me later, okay?" said Natsu with a wink.
The boy nodded, his smile returning.
Right at that moment, the two men stuck in the wall had finally crumpled to the floor due to gravity, both lying in unconscious heaps of tangled limbs.
Natsu looked between the two pairs of men and sneered maliciously. "Now, let's tie these idiots up."
It didn't take long for Natsu and Porlyusica to find some rope lying around the infirmary in which they used to bind the four goons together, sitting back-to-back, in one tight bundle. With two of them unconscious and the other two drowning in defeat and nearly pant-less, they were a comical sight.
Holding the long end of the rope, Natsu easily dragged the men behind him as he, Porlyusica, and Bacon left the room to search for some guards to arrest the men. He didn't have to go very far because there were two soldiers wielding spears and wearing silver helms, black and white striped tunics, and heavy chainmail jogging towards them.
"Err… We heard a lot of noise over here and were wondering what's going on?" said one of the guards as he approached Natsu.
"Just ask these guys," said the Dragon Slayer as he gestured to the tied up bunch he was lugging behind him, "They were trying to kidnap one of our friends!"
"Kidnapping?" the soldier frowned at the men while the second soldier came over for a closer look.
Porlyusica and Natsu briefly explained what happened.
"Good work in capturing them," the second soldier commented with a nod after listening to their story. "We'll take care of these guys and lock them up for good." He accepted Natsu's end of the rope.
With curt nods, the two guards pulled the defeated lot with them down the hall which wasn't entirely empty.
There stood a lone figure at the visible end of the curved hallway.
Bacon held his breath and tensed up the instant he recognized the gleaming black and silver armour and the horned helm that belonged to Sir Geraldo. Even though his face was hidden in darkness, Bacon could sense the man's fierce gaze upon him.
Did the man remember him? The boy wondered apprehensively.
"Who's that?" he heard Natsu say out of curiosity when he spotted the fully armoured soldier.
"He could be the Captain of the knights," Porlyusica suggested. She didn't dawdle too long to stare. She started to saunter the other way. "If you wish to see the rest of the battles for today, we better head down now."
Natsu was pumped. "Oh, yeah! I wonder who's fighting on our side? Hey, Bacon," he noticed the boy's hesitation, "Something wrong?"
Bacon saw Natsu's slightly concerned expression before shifting his gaze back on the black knight. The man was now walking away, each heavy step making his armour audibly clink and echo down the hall. His crimson cloak embroidered with a gold symbol flowed gallantly behind him as the two soldiers and their prisoners followed suit.
Bacon shook his head and joined up with Natsu and Porlyusica who were both waiting for him. He glanced one last time at the dark knight, only to find him gone behind the curve.
"Bacon." Once again Natsu grabbed the boy's attention. The fire mage scanned the area for any sign of people as they continued to walk. Sensing no one around the hall except for the three of them, he grinned. "Show me your surprise."
Bacon mimicked the older mage's smile and momentarily forgot about the black knight.
The second day of the Grand Magic Games ended on a much better note than the first for Fairy Tail.
Although they gained very little points in the competition Chariot, (Dragon Slayers and moving vehicles were a very bad combination), both teams had redeemed their pride and dignity when their chosen fighters won their matches in the battle rounds, giving them a bigger chance to reach the top. Fairy Tail had even won some new fans and admirers in the audience after Natsu's heartwarming outcry and ability to keep moving forward in spite of his predicament and Elfman's (manly) will and steadfast determination against Quatro Puppy's (formerly named Quatro Cerberus) Bacchus Groh.
But the majority of the new admirers gained, who were mostly male, were undeniably because of Mirajane when her battle against her opponent, Jenny Realight of Blue Pegasus, began as a swimsuit competition.
During that portion, Wendy, having joined up with her team in their designated viewing area, was hoping Macao would cover Bacon's innocent eyes so his mind wouldn't be tainted with sexy, seductive images of the two beautiful ladies, however, the man was too distracted by the 'battle' to even care.
"One day Bacon will be a man and he'll understand what it's all about," Macao had nervously told Wendy when she scolded him afterwards.
Nevertheless, Bacon had a great time cheering along with the guild after the great ordeal he, Porlyusica and Natsu had encountered shortly after Wendy had left the infirmary to check on the boy with Lucy.
While they had dinner and drinks at the pub, Bar Sun, where all available members of Fairy Tail had gathered to celebrate their teams' accomplishments, Natsu spoke of the incident involving the goons. He mentioned Raven Tail's involvement, evoking a powerful resentment against the nefarious guild from all members, before praising Bacon's bravery and swordsmanship.
The young swordsman had practically defeated two of the men before Natsu had woken from his nap.
After hearing the tale, Erza was first to compliment Bacon before everyone else joined in, making the boy gush with happiness.
It was Bacon's new fire spell, which Natsu had commented was extraordinarily enlightening and extremely tasty, that astonished the guild. After making sure it was only Fairy Tail and the pub employees present in the building, Master kindly asked the boy to demonstrate his new magic.
Tables and chairs were pushed aside to give the boy plenty of room. Everyone gathered around in a large circle, anxious to see. Even Laxus, who had yet to personally meet the boy but knew about him from Master, was looking on from his high stool by the counter. However, the owner of the pub and his workers were nervous about the idea.
"If you damage anything again, you're paying for it!" croaked the old man of Bar Sun as he stood behind the bar counter, cleaning up empty glasses with the end of his white, stained apron.
"I'm sure it won't be like last night," Master assured from his perch atop a table.
Wendy had heard from Lucy about the steep fine the guild had racked up during last night's party. The whole place had turned into a warzone when numerous fights broke out between drunken members (mainly involving Erza and Natsu) with furniture smashed apart, holes in the walls, and messes all over the floor. They even nearly ran the pub dry, which was mostly because of Cana.
Because of that, Master was stern on keeping things more in order for tonight's festivities in spite of the need to celebrate the guild's first victories.
"Go all out, Bacon," Natsu encouraged, ignoring the owner's warning and Makarov's shaking head of disapproval. The fire mage stood in front of Bacon with his hands on his hips, ready to snack on some magical flames in case Bacon's spell got out of hand.
Like almost everyone, Wendy was curious to know just how strong Bacon's magic truly was. She watched from the side, heart pounding with excitement while Carla was silent in her arms.
Bacon cocked his head at what Natsu had just told him. His hood was down at the moment, revealing his messy blond hair that was further mussed up from the numerous playful pats he had received on the head a short while ago. "All… out?" the boy echoed, not quite understanding the meaning.
Natsu nodded and held up a fist as a sign of strength. "Yeah. Put everything you have in your Dins Fire. Make it strong!"
"Strong…" Bacon murmured, looking at his palms as if trying to find the instructions on how to do it written on them. When he couldn't figure it out, he looked over at Wendy for an answer.
Wendy quickly sprinted to his side and gave him a warm, encouraging smile. In an assuring tone, she said, "Just do your best, Bacon. Take a deep breath and concentrate all of your magic into your hands like you did before. Make a big pretty fire."
Smiling back, the boy nodded in understanding. "Okay."
"I have a bad feeling about this…" Wendy heard Carla grumble to herself as they returned to their spot between Romeo and Gajeel.
All eyes in the pub were on the boy as he held out his arms before him, his palms facing together. No one spoke nor made a sound. Some didn't even breathe due to the suspense.
Taking Wendy's advice, Bacon drew a slow, deep breath and stared intently at the space between his hands as he deeply furrowed his brow in concentration.
Wendy held her breath when she felt his magic come to life the instant it exceeded the sealing power of his bracelet. She felt the tingling sensation that was unique to his form of magic running across her bare skin. Then, in a blink of an eye, a bright orb of fire appeared between his hands. Perfectly spherical, the yellow and orange flames swirled and burned around a blinding white core, making it look like a miniature sun the size of a golf ball.
There were sounds of awe and whispers of amazement while others leaned forward to get a closer view of the boy's magic that brightened the pub.
Wendy was just as fascinated as the first time she had witnessed Bacon's Dins Fire. Captivated by the beautiful flames, she couldn't control the wide smile spreading across her face.
Bacon's blue eyes flashed with the colours of his flames, his attention never straying from his growing power. With each passing second, his blazing orb steadily grew larger and brighter until it was bigger than his hands. The ball-sized sun emitted little streams of flaming energy, its flares harmlessly licking the boy's fingers that were now burning with fire.
The magic was so bright that Wendy had to pry her eyes away and focused on Bacon instead. An incredibly hot wind was stirring within the pub caused by the swirling flames concentrated in the boy's hands. His blond hair and cloak fluttered in the same heat that had Wendy soaked in sweat. Just like a fire mage, Bacon was unaffected by the heat of his own magic.
When he knew his spell had reached its maximum power, Bacon raised his head to give Natsu a boastful grin.
The Fire Dragon Slayer had been broadly grinning since the beginning. There was a devilish glint in his wide eyes when he said with a nod, "Awesome. Now, unleash it."
"Oh, that's not very wise…" Carla uttered nervously as she began to fidget in Wendy's arms.
"W-Wait!" someone started to protest, but it was too late to stop Bacon.
The boy had blinked once and nodded at Natsu's command. He bent low, shifting his left leg back while bringing his fiery orb by his hip.
What happened next shocked everyone, including Natsu.
With a mighty cry, Bacon slammed his blazing sun right into the floor. The gathered magic instantly exploded like a fire bomb; swirling, searing flames burst outwards from the blinding core, shrouding the boy in protective fire that instantly incinerated the floorboards and every wooden object they touched.
"Holy shit!" Gajeel cursed out loud while others started to panic for their lives.
Romeo hastily retreated, pulling Wendy with him while Carla was screaming at them to run fast.
They leapt over tables and chairs in the way that were quickly eaten up by the hungry wave of fire licking at their heels. The rapidly growing inferno was too much for Natsu to swallow in one gulp, overwhelming the Dragon Slayer and engulfing him from head to toe in Bacon's magic.
Taking countermeasures, Gray and Juvia quickly summoned walls of ice and water respectively to shield everyone from the powerful spell that annihilated everything in its path; chairs and tables instantly burned to cinders, glasses and bottles cracked and melted, drinks bubbled and evaporated, metal utensils turned into molten lumps, and the floor was becoming a gaping hole.
Ice steamed and melted and the water noisily hissed against the violent wall of flames.
Stunned by the destructive power of Bacon's magic, Wendy was left speechless as she watched the light of Dins Fire burn a few seconds more before it flickered away beyond the glistening barrier of ice. Once it was certain that Bacon's magic was no more, Gray dispelled his crystal wall to reveal the terrible damage the pub had sustained.
Wendy gawked in horror along with a few others while some, like Erza, gaped in amazement.
The air was filled with fluttering ash and smoke. All the floorboards touched by fire had been burnt away, leaving only a charred stone foundation below in the form of a huge, unsightly circle. There was a new massive, smoldering hole in the roof that allowed a spectacular view of the clear evening sky. No objects survived the inferno, only piles of soot and melted, blackened lumps remained. Juvia's water started to flood into the hole and soak into the dusty ash.
And standing in the middle of the smoky devastation, were Natsu and Bacon, both unscathed and laughing in joy.
"That was so awesome!" Natsu exclaimed, pumping his fists gleefully in the air which Bacon soon mimicked. The Dragon Slayer patted his stomach and loudly belched out a stream of brilliant fire before sighing in content, breathing out black smoke. "Man, that was so delicious. Tasted like heaven. Thanks for the feast, Bacon!"
The boy was elated by Natsu's comment and didn't seem to notice the damages he had done.
"M-M-My bar!" the owner shrieked, completely mortified. He angrily tossed his apron onto the non-charred half of his counter and turned to Master Makarov who was just as appalled. "The damages are worse than yesterday! You owe me, Fairy Tail! One million Jewels!"
"One… m-million?" the guild master stuttered. Tears streamed down his blanched, wrinkled face as he wailed, "Noooooo!"
Romeo, looking a little frazzled, chuckled and glanced sideways at Wendy. "Looks like Bacon's really a Fairy," he whispered.
"Unbelievable…" the girl groaned. But deep down, she was happy to know the boy was starting to fit perfectly right in with their rambunctious guild.
She was surprised, to say the least, that Bacon's magic fire was just as devastating as Natsu's and could potentially reach the same level of power as the Fire Dragon Slayer. Knowing what he was capable of, Wendy was curious to know what other sorts of powerful magic the boy might possess if fire and sword spells were not his only techniques. It all depended on whether or not he could remember them all.
Charged with Bacon's power, Natsu arrogantly challenged Laxus to a fight, ignoring the owner's demands to get out of his ruined pub.
It took Master Makarov to turn into a full-sized giant to stop the hotheaded fire mage from doing any more damage to the hollowed building that reeked of smoke.
With their celebration abruptly ended, the members decided to retire for the night to prepare for tomorrow's competitions.
Before Wendy's team parted ways with Bacon, Romeo, Macao, and Wakaba, the girl quietly said to him, "Don't wander too far from Romeo and Macao, okay? Always stay close to them."
The boy sadly nodded his hooded head.
Wanting to cheer him up, Wendy gave him a little hug. "We'll see each other tomorrow morning for breakfast," she reassured, meeting his tired blue eyes.
"Then… be careful," he replied. "Raven Tail might hurt you again. Or that man, Rufus."
"You have nothing to worry about, Bacon," Erza intruded, eavesdropping on their conversation. She smirked and placed a hand on her pink blouse right over her heart. "I promise to watch over Wendy for you."
"You're not the only one," Gray piped in, his calm demeanor turning into a hateful scowl, "If I see that bastard Rufus come near us, I'll make sure to give him a new one."
"A new what?" Natsu asked, perking an eyebrow in confusion. "Why the hell would you give him something new? You're supposed to hate him!"
Gray rolled his eyes. "Don't you know the saying, flame-brain? Means I'm gonna rip a new hole in his ass," he explained with a sigh.
"Shut up, ice-freak. I knew that!" Natsu angrily snapped.
Lucy and Happy looked at him in disbelief.
Natsu raised a fist before him and ignited it with fire that burned as bright as Bacon's. "I'll beat ya to it. I'll finish what Bacon started. You'd like that, wouldn't you, kiddo? See that pretty bastard all nice and toasty?"
Grinning, Bacon nodded at Natsu's sinister idea.
Rufus Lore of Sabertooth – he was the man Bacon had tried to protect Wendy, Carla, and Romeo from on the night they went to Castle Mercurius. The boy had immediately recognized the masked man in the red, plumed hat when he had joined the guild in the stadium to watch the battle portion of the Games. Since learning of this, both teams of Fairy Tail had grown even more ambitious to come out on top in the Grand Magic Games to prove that nothing would break their spirits. Vengeance would be best served on the battlefield before tens of thousands of witnesses.
After exchanging goodnights and waving goodbye, Wendy's team and Bacon's group went their separate ways.
Before Wendy got very far, she noticed Carla trailing behind. The white feline was looking over her shoulder, eyeing the white symbol of Fairy Tail on the back of Bacon's green cloak.
"What's wrong, Carla?" the girl asked.
The Exceed sharply turned at the sound of Wendy's voice. "Oh… It is nothing. I apologize," she murmured. She took one quick glance at the young boy before hurrying to catch up.
Wendy frowned, knowing something was troubling her friend. But she would have to wait to ask about it later.
The empty hall in the lower, underground chambers of Castle Mercurius was eerily dark, lit only by a single torchlight mounted on the wall. Shadows danced in the mercy of the flickering flame, making the passageway seem haunted by ghosts.
Heavy footsteps echoed loud and far and was accompanied by the rhythmic sound of clinking armour.
Arcadios pushed off the pillar he was leaning against the moment the owner of the footsteps entered the dim light.
"Two blunders in one day. Quite the record," said Sir Geraldo, his deep voice reverberating within his helm. He moved to stand a few feet away from the other. His black armour gleamed in the light, giving the curved horns of his great helm a fearsome appearance.
Arcadios grunted in annoyance at his vice-captain's mockery. "The King wasn't exactly clear on whom he wanted to see battling and the plan would have gone well if those damn fools went for the right girl in the first place," he retorted. He ran an armoured hand through his spiky black hair, exasperated. "Idiots. All of them. How could they not understand the descriptions I gave them?"
The Captain of the Cherry Blossom Holy Knights was outraged when he had heard that the four chosen guardsmen posing as hired goons had failed their duty. And it was none other than Sir Geraldo who had delivered the news personally.
"It was a flawed plan to begin with," the black knight stated bluntly.
The Captain snorted angrily and glowered at the narrow slit where Geraldo's eyes should be. Only once did Arcadios ever gaze upon the other man's true face and that was the day Geraldo was first recruited as a knight seven years ago by Arcadios himself.
Geraldo had stood out amongst the rest of the recruits. Not only was he a tall, strongly built man, he had skin that was dark as ash, hair that was vibrant and red, and crimson eyes that were fierce and commanding. However, the man chose to hide his features due to the numerous hideous scars that marred his face.
Arcadios can still remember the gruesome marks that disfigured the man as if it he had just seen it yesterday. It was like a beast had tried to rip Geraldo's face right off with its claws. Deep, painful scars ran down his cheeks, across his nose, down his eyes, over his lips – it was a ghastly sight. The only explanation Geraldo was willing to share about them was that the deed was done by a 'wretched green demon'.
For seven years, Geraldo had never shown his real face to the public knowing his face made others uncomfortable. But even if he was a man whose face many had never seen in the kingdom, including the King and Princess, he was a trustworthy and loyal knight capable of exuding raw strength in his outer appearance alone. More suited to lead than to follow, Arcadios had promoted the man to Vice-Captain only a year after joining the Captain's squadron and had left him in charge numerous times in Arcadios's absence.
The two of them were more like acquaintances rather than friends in spite of the years they spent working together. They were alike in some aspects and completely different in others but they got along decently well most of the time.
"Capturing a Celestial Spirit mage will not bend her will in our favour," the black knight continued, "If Minister Datong hears of this incident of yours, I doubt he will not suspect us."
"Damn that old man," Arcadios grounded out. The Minister of Defense was a nosy old geezer who constantly inquired on the progress of the Eclipse Project, often to advise against its use. "Last I've spoken to him, he believes we will complete the cannon by the last day of the Games."
The Eclipse Gate was already complete; it had absorbed enough magic energy from the Games to power its doors. All it needed were the twelve Gold Celestial keys and a Celestial Spirit mage to unlock and control it.
Sir Geraldo crossed his plated arms and scoffed, "He will not believe your lies any longer if you screw up again, Captain. He is becoming more suspicious with us as well as with the Princess."
Arcadios cursed the old man's name once again for putting Princess Hisui under more stress. The poor woman already had enough to worry about and Arcadios wanted to alleviate her troubles as quickly as possible. However, things were just not as simple as they should be.
"The twelve golden Celestial keys," Sir Geraldo began, his deep voice low and stern, "think you can get them before the time comes?"
"You don't think I'm capable, Vice-Captain?" Arcadios demanded, irritated by the other's unspoken accusation that he would fail again.
"The feat will not be easy with those little Fairies guarding them."
"Hmph. They will be distracted now that we have added fuel to the war between them and Raven Tail. The only thing to do is to wait for the perfect opportunity to show itself."
Sir Geraldo was unimpressed by the idea and it was evident by his lack of response. After a pause, he turned his cloaked back to the Captain and started to walk away towards the shadows. "Five days left, Captain," he began, his footsteps echoing in the empty hall, "If you do not act quickly, we will lose our chance."
"Don't question my ways, Vice-Captain," Arcadios snarled the title in a derisive manner to remind the other of where he stood in rank.
The black knight stopped at the boundary of light and shadow and peered over his shoulder. "I am not. I am merely stating the truth. I recommend getting rid of some of the pests who guard the keys if you ever wish to obtain them. Perhaps that will persuade the Celestial Spirit mages to work with us."
"I will not resort to such despicable methods."
"You may have no choice when the fate of our future depends on those twelve keys. If you do not have the heart to do it, I can be of your service."
"No. It is not necessary."
Sir Geraldo faced forward again. "Have you forgotten? We must do what must be done in order to save our kingdom."
Arcadios grunted at the truth in those words. It was the Princess who had said those words to them first. Having no reply, he kept silent.
The black knight resumed his pace, melding into the darkness beyond the reach of the fire's light where the empty halls rang with the sounds of his footsteps.
The Captain stayed in the light until a deathly silence fell upon the hall. "Do what must be done," he repeated the saying to himself in a gruff whisper as he gazed at the shadows where the black knight had disappeared.
Time was running short. If things did not go his way, then Arcadios would have to resort to following Sir Geraldo's suggestion and dirty his hands.
A/N: Who's the man in the fox mask? I think it's obvious...
With Din's Fire powering Natsu up, do you think he can easily defeat Sabertooth's master to avenge Yukino (as well as fry poor Rufus extra crispy)? I think he would.
Thanks for reading!