A/N: I didn't realize that the Grand Magic Games actually spanned seven days and not five that I had orignally thought. There is a break between the fourth and fifth day of events so Day Five of the Games is actually the sixth day and the eclipse occurs on the seventh. I've fixed this error in previous chapters.
Day Four: Where Sleeping Dragons Lie
Wendy tried her best not to giggle at Bacon's crude drawing of a pointy-eared dog. With his new bright yellow Light Pen, the boy put a crooked smile and diagonal slits for eyes on the image floating above his half-eaten breakfast. Seated around the same table was Carla, Romeo, and Wendy's team and all were watching in amusement as Bacon attempted to draw what he saw in his dreams.
They were currently in Sunny Crack-us, a popular restaurant best known for their breakfast omelets (according to their outdoor sign), along with the rest of the guild. Even though it was a quarter after nine in the morning, the large restaurant was packed with people and super busy. It wasn't just Fairy Tail occupying the many tables, there were a number of normal customers and a few other guilds as well. Wendy had waved at Sherria and her teammates in the far corner when Fairy Tail had just arrived. Blue Pegasus had also been spotted in another corner, with the men flirting with and charming the waitresses.
In spite of last night's disastrous incident at Ryuzetsu Land, (involving ice mages freezing the entire pool and an outraged Fire Dragon Slayer demolishing the place in a failed attempt to melt the ice – which resulted in another massive bill for Fairy Tail), there was no tension between any of the guilds here, only friendly rivalries, respect for fellow mages and even some admiration between each member present. They were among friends, both old and new, and acquaintances. The real competition didn't start until the Games began at two in the afternoon.
"So this is Keaton?" Wendy asked the moment Bacon capped his pen.
The boy frowned at his own creation and pouted, obviously not satisfied at how his picture turned out. "No…" he murmured and quickly erased the glowing image by swiping his hand through the magic light. His smiling dog dissipated into glittering yellow dust that disappeared in midair. He tried drawing it again but the end result was still not how he imagined it. He grunted in frustration at the distorted dog head hovering in front of his face.
Taking notice of Bacon's struggle, Reedus, seated at the table right next to Wendy's, called the boy over. "Perhaps I can assist you, Bacon!" he said with a hearty chuckle as he brought out his magic paint and brush. "Tell me what your friend looks like and I'll paint a picture for you!"
Elated, Bacon left the table and sprinted over to Reedus to describe the dog he had dreamt about.
Wendy smiled, but that smile soon faded when her eyes fell on the pad of paper that was Bacon's dream journal that Romeo had been keeping for the other boy. She reread the latest entry that detailed the same dream involving the talking three-tailed dog named Keaton, a Dracotongue-speaking dragon, and an evil Dragon Slayer.
When Romeo had spoken about it to Wendy yesterday over breakfast, the mere utter of 'dragon' had caught the interest of almost every Dragon Slayer in Fairy Tail. But the dragon Bacon had seen was only a figment of his dreams. Nothing more could be concluded from that. The same could be said about the evil Dragon Slayer.
Romeo suspected that Bacon's reoccurring nightmare was no mere dream but a memory and he wasn't alone in his suspicion. However, others, including Wendy and Carla, believed that Bacon's dreams were only because of the Dreamstone he wore. Dreams were not true; one could have a dream about anything, even about people that have never been met or about incidents that had never happened.
Wendy had experienced a number of bizarre dreams in her lifetime. But none had ever made her wake up shaken and drenched in sweat as has been the case for Bacon more than once.
Dreams… That's all they are… she mentally grumbled to assure herself that she was right. After all, Bacon didn't only just have the same dream. His second entry mentioned talking glowbugs and big, rock-eating rock-monster people who called him 'brother'. A silly dream.
But a part of her did want to believe that Bacon's dreams were fragments of his memory. How else could he have heard the ancient words spoken in the forgotten language of dragons? And if it was all true, then who could this evil Dragon Slayer be? And could he be the one responsible for injuring Bacon in the mysterious lost temple?
Having no answer, she sighed and flipped back to the first entry and returned the journal to Romeo.
"I'm thinking of buying a real journal for Bacon before we head to Domus Flau," said Romeo as he sent the pad away in his storage dimension.
Wendy nodded at Romeo's suggestion and continued to finish her meal. "That would be nice," she said, her smile returning as she glanced at Bacon's crude drawing still floating in the air.
Carla, sitting atop the table nearby, followed the girl's gaze as she nibbled on her sausage. Unlike Happy who was devouring his plate of bacon and sausage as if it was his last meal, the white cat ate at a more sophisticated manner. "Keeping a proper written record of Bacon's dreams may help him cope with his nightmares," the Exceed remarked.
Romeo yawned and rubbed his tired eyes. He had another sleepless night thanks to Bacon, but he had yet to complain. "He says he feels better after talking to me about his dreams so I think it really helps," he said before taking a bite of his buttered toast.
"Hey, Erza, something wrong?" Wendy heard Lucy suddenly ask beside her.
Everyone at the table turned to the scarlet-haired warrioress who had barely touched her food. Erza quietly snorted at the sudden attention of her teammates and everyone else at the table.
"I was wondering where…" she paused and carefully looked around. She lowered her voice; "Where 'Mystogan' has gone. I haven't heard from him yesterday and it doesn't look like he's around this morning either. Usually he would keep me informed on the 'situation'."
"He's probably being careful," suggested Gray who was now suddenly lacking a shirt (and it wouldn't be a surprise if he wasn't wearing any pants either). He was seated across from Wendy and yet the girl hadn't noticed when he had taken his clothes off. But then again, the change always seemed instantaneous with the Ice Make mage. Not realizing he was half-naked, Gray casually poked his fork into his omelet and continued, "The Magic Council's still around. Best for him to lay low."
"Yeah. Don't want him to get in trouble," Natsu muttered between bites of his food. Happy nodded vigorously in agreement, his cheeks stuffed with meat.
"I suppose that's likely the case," Erza conceded with a shrug. Before she could start eating, there were sounds of awe and clapping coming from some of the tables around them.
All eyes were on the creature that Reedus had brought to life with his magic. There was a large dog now occupying the walkway, covered in yellow, white, and black fur. Keaton was not how Wendy had imagined because it resembled a fox more than a dog with its three tails thick and bushy and its black-tipped ears long and pointy. Its eyes were narrow slits to match the cunning smile it wore. It moved like a living animal, its ears twitching and its nose sniffing as it briefly padded around before sitting on its haunches before Bacon, standing as tall as the boy.
Even though Wendy couldn't see Bacon's expression hidden under his hood, she could tell the boy was very impressed by Reedus's version of Keaton. Every curious person in the restaurant had paused in what they were doing to take a quick look at the large fox blocking the walkway, its three tails gently swaying to and fro. Asuka squealed with joy and ran up to the animal to pet its fur, prompting Bacon to tentatively reach out to touch it as well.
"Isn't that cute, Carla?" asked Wendy. She didn't hear a reply from her feline friend. She looked over at Carla and found the cat frozen, her brown eyes wide and staring at Keaton in shock.
Out of concern, Wendy leaned over and whispered discreetly in her partner's ear, "What's wrong?"
Carla slightly jumped and quickly shook her head. "Nothing," was her abrupt answer, making the Dragon Slayer not believe her.
Wendy's gaze shifted from the yellow fox and Bacon and back to Carla. "Something's been bothering you lately," Wendy noted, reaching over to scratch her friend between the ears. "What is it? You can tell me."
Carla stubbornly shook her head again. "It's nothing to be worried about, Wendy," she stated firmly which was another way of saying that she was not willing to tell Wendy anything.
Wendy had tried to find out what was on Carla's mind over the past few days, but the feline kept refusing to share. Knowing it was useless to pry, Wendy went back to finishing her breakfast that was starting to get cold.
"Bacon, come back here and eat your food," she called the instant Reedus's spell began to wear off. The three-tailed fox turned transparent and wispy before disappearing completely, much to the children's disappointment.
Natsu snickered and teased over his shoulder, "Bacon! Bacon! If you don't hurry, I'll eat your bacon!"
But the boy didn't listen to either of them for he was busy asking Reedus to draw something else.
Wendy heard the word 'dragon' and that pricked almost every Dragon Slayer's ears. Natsu's teasing grin vanished, his attention now fully on the boy and Reedus. In the corner of Wendy's eye, she noticed Gajeel turning around in his chair to observe as well.
"You guys alright?" Lucy questioned her teammates.
"Reedus is going to draw the dragon Bacon saw," replied Natsu in anticipation.
"He didn't see it, he dreamt it," Wendy clarified.
Natsu met her stare. "He saw it. I know he did."
The girl pursed her lips. "How can you be so sure?"
"Because I agree with Romeo. Bacon couldn't have made up all that Dracotongue stuff. You've never heard it before and neither have I. And I doubt Gajeel knows anything about it either. So how can Bacon suddenly dream about an ancient dragon language that none of us know about?"
Wendy frowned at that. It was the same argument she had with Romeo yesterday. "Then what about the evil Dragon Slayer who killed the dragon and tried to kill Bacon too? Do you think he's real as well?" she argued.
Natsu furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes in anger; directing his hatred not at her but at the person who may or may not exist. "That I don't know… But if he is the one who left the kid for dead, I'll find him and make sure to make him pay a hundred fold."
It was at that time that Reedus applied the last stroke to his painting on the back of his hand. With a wave of his brush and the simple chant, he brought his art to life in a dazzling flash of colours.
Wendy held her breath when a miniature dragon covered in shiny silver scales took flight on a pair of magnificent webbed wings. It had a long neck and large golden horns shaped like antlers that appeared to be tangled with vines. Most unusual were its eyes; it had three of them and each shone as bright as moons. It circled once above Fairy Tail's heads, drawing awes and excited screams from every child in the building, before landing on the floor in front of Bacon with an audible thud. It reared its head high to stand only a head taller than the boy. However, Bacon was clearly disappointed in its size by commenting on how small it was.
"I can't make him too big," was Reedus's reply. "He wouldn't fit in here and he might scare everyone!"
The boy nodded in understanding. Asuka was just as happy to pet the winged lizard, however Bacon didn't follow her lead. Instead, he met the dragon's lunar eyes and quietly stared.
Wendy exchanged a look with Natsu and Gajeel; each Dragon Slayer silently telling the others that this silver dragon was not their parent. It was one they did not recognize and there was a small sense of relief in knowing that.
If it had been Grandeeney, Igneel, or Metalicana, then that would imply that Bacon's dream truly happened and the fate of one of their dragons would be answered…
Just like Keaton, the dragon's form began to fade as Reedus's spell was coming to an end. That was when Bacon reached up towards the dragon's face only to touch nothing but air.
Again, Asuka was sad when Reedus's creation disappeared. "Aw, it's gone," she murmured with an adorable pout. When she looked over at Bacon, her expression became worried. "Are you okay?" she asked the older boy.
The question made Wendy leave her seat and rush over to Bacon's side. His head was downcast, most of his features hidden in shadow. All Wendy saw the moment she reached him was his unhappy frown. "What's wrong, Bacon?" she quietly asked as she gripped his shoulder.
He raised his head towards her and Wendy was surprised to see his blue eyes glistening with tears. "They're gone…" he whispered.
"That's because the magic–"
"They died… I couldn't save them…"
"What? No…" Wendy embraced him and hushed in his ear to console him, not caring that everyone was watching. "It's okay…"
It was all a dream, she wanted to add to assure him, but she wasn't sure if it was only a dream anymore.
"So what did you dream about this time, brother?"
"It was a good dream this time. The Grand Magic Games. Do you remember – when was it? On the fourth day? The tag team battle… I had a dream about that."
"Oh yeah! I can still remember that day. Natsu and Gajeel versus Sting and Rouge – man, they totally wrecked the arena! Haha! That was such an awesome fight! The stadium kept shaking and people were screaming and panicking but also cheering at the same time. Hell, I remember my throat being so sore from all the yelling I did when Natsu won."
"It was pretty… uh, what was that one word you used to describe it again?"
"Epic?"
"Yeah… epic. I want to go back and relive that moment again. To be with everyone… We were with them in my dream: Dad, Uncle Wakaba, Aunt Cana, Aunt Mirajane, little Asuka, the old master, Levy, Jet and Droy too…"
"I miss Dad… I miss everyone…"
"Wendy wasn't there though… Haven't dreamt of her for a while. I'm afraid I'm forgetting what she looked like…"
"Yeah… Hard to remember faces… How many years has it been?"
"Six? Seven? It's been too long."
"Funny how we're still alive. Thought we'd be dead by now."
"You're putting Fairy Tail's pride to shame. 'Gotta keep living to fight another day.' Isn't that something Natsu once said to you?"
"Yeah. I've lived by it to this day. And passed it onto you. But… we can't keep fighting this losing battle forever…"
"On that day, when Natsu had won against Sting and Rouge on his own, I saw what power and determination truly meant. Even though the odds are against us–"
"We mustn't give up. I know, I know. But sometimes… Sometimes… it's just too hard to not give up especially when there's little hope left for us."
"We'll find hope someday…"
"Someday… That sounds like a long time from now… It could even be never… It'll be morning in a couple more hours, brother. It's your turn to watch. Don't forget to update your journal."
The tag team battle between the Dragon Slayers of Sabertooth and Fairy Tail; it was the most 'epic' clash the Grand Magic Games had ever witnessed, according to Romeo. Intense; chaotic; insane; awesome – those were some of the many words that described the amazing event amongst the chatter that had taken place in the infirmary.
Bacon didn't experience the battle in the crowded stadium but had watched the entire earth-shaking duel on the Lacrima vision in the infirmary alongside Wendy, Carla, Porlyusica, Lucy, Elfman, and three of the four members of the Thunder God Tribe: Freed, Evergreen, and Bickslow.
Lucy was seriously injured in the Naval Battle event because of Sabertooth's Minerva Orlando and after she was rushed to the infirmary, Bacon had tagged along with Master Makarov to join up with Wendy. Not only did he wish to see Lucy out of concern, but to also tell Wendy about Minerva – the woman was the other person on the bridge on the night they visited the castle. The boy was certain of it after hearing the woman's familiar voice when she had humiliated Lucy within the watery sphere suspended in midair.
When Fairy Tail had learned of this, the newly reformed team became even more determined to defeat Sabertooth in the Grand Magic Games. And the end result was the triumphant victory for Team Fairy Tail in the most anticipated portion of today's Games.
Shadow Gear and Romeo were the first to enter the infirmary to share the glory. It was less than an hour later before Natsu, Happy, Gray, Erza, and Pantherlily had arrived to join in the celebration and surprisingly, Porlyusica did not object to the growing crowd and noise. Bacon had caught the old woman's proud smile as she quietly observed from her seat between Lucy's and Elfman's beds.
Bacon couldn't feel any happier than the rest of the guild for Natsu and Gajeel (who was still currently missing). The joyous moment made him forget about the sadness he had felt that morning.
The young swordsman stood beside Romeo who loved to praise the Fire Dragon Slayer. "You're so strong, Natsu!"
Natsu grinned and puffed out his bare chest with great pride. "Of course I am! I hafta be to protect my friends," he said, glancing in Lucy's direction. She and the other females were conversing around the Celestial Spirit mage's bed. Seeing her pretty much back on her feet thanks to Porlyusica's care, Natsu was clearly relieved.
Natsu pounded a fist over his heart and looked between Bacon and Romeo who both stared with admiration. "One day, you guys will become just as strong too. As long as you strive to protect what's most important to you, there's no stopping what you can do. Got that?"
The boys nodded.
It was another hour later when someone barged right into the room screaming Natsu's guild name, giving everyone quite a start. It was Gajeel, covered in dirt and scratches, and he was extremely angry at Natsu, evident by his fearsome scowl on his iron-studded face, his glaring red eyes, and his bared teeth; every tooth sharp and deadly. He noisily stomped towards the Fire Dragon Slayer, forcing everyone to get out of the way without question.
Romeo had to drag Bacon aside to avoid getting trampled by the livid mage.
Natsu simply snorted and mocked with a sneer, "Finally found your way back? Did ya get lost?"
The bigger Dragon Slayer snatched the front of Natsu's scarf then slammed his forehead hard against Natsu's which did little to make the fire mage flinch.
Natsu met Gajeel's fierce glower evenly, his sneer even wider on his lips.
"You goddamn son of a bitch!" Gajeel snarled vehemently in the other's face. "What the hell?! What made you think that I didn't want to beat the living shit out of those cocky bastards?! Huh?! How 'bout I throw your bony ass on a freaking mine cart?! See how you like it!"
Curious, Bacon turned to Romeo and asked, "What is a 'living shit'?"
Romeo scratched the back of his head and mumbled over Natsu's snide retort, "Uh… It's… It's a different way of saying… Actually, you shouldn't worry about it. It's not important to know."
Bacon turned back to the argument. Natsu had boasted about his victory which aggravated the other Dragon Slayer even further. In retaliation, Gajeel growled out a bunch of words Bacon had heard a few times being exchanged around the guild during heated fights between members but never really understood them. Again to Romeo, he asked, "What does 'fu–'" Romeo slapped a hand over his mouth before he could finish.
"That is a bad word you shouldn't say out loud," said Romeo with a sheepish smile as he pulled back his hand. "Dad wouldn't be too happy to hear you saying it. I don't think Wendy would like it either."
Bacon pointed at the two male Dragon Slayers who were now tussling on the floor and trading iron and flaming fists, flying into furniture and smashing a few things to pieces, much to Porlyusica's annoyance. "How come they are saying it?" Bacon asked, confused.
"Uh… because… they're adults? Yeah, they're adults. Only grown-ups can say it," was Romeo's explanation.
Bacon blinked in surprise. "Only grown-ups? Oh, okay."
It wasn't long until Porlyusica got fed up with the fighting Dragon Slayers making a big mess of her temporary room. With a mop in hand, she single-handedly broke the pair apart and kicked them right out the door of the infirmary. Everyone was ordered to leave right after, including Lucy and Elfman. Elfman had just fully recovered and Lucy, still patched up with bandages, was well enough to walk.
"Unless you're dying, you two are not allowed in here ever again!" the Medicinal Advisor commanded Natsu and Gajeel who were both lying on the floor groaning in pain. She slammed the door shut right after and Bacon could hear her grumbling to herself on the other side.
"Old hag…" Natsu muttered under his breath as he rubbed the new bump on his head.
"Damn, she hits hard for an old crone," Gajeel grumbled, massaging the side of his face where he was struck with the handle of Porlyusica's mop.
Lucy and Levy stood over the two men, hands on their hips and smug smiles on their faces. "You guys deserved it," said Lucy and Levy nodded in agreement.
"By the way, Gajeel," Levy began, "Where did you end up on the mine cart? I was afraid you got lost in the old ruins under the arena."
Gajeel snorted as he sat up, his disgruntled expression replaced with seriousness. "I discovered something that you guys should see," he answered, looking between Natsu and Wendy before his crimson eyes found Bacon. "Hey, runt, you need to see it too."
The boy tilted his head questionably while Wendy raised her brow. "Why? What did you find?" the girl inquired curiously.
Gajeel stood up and dusted off is clothes. "Better if I show it to you. Follow me." He started to walk down the corridor only to pause when he heard Natsu's stomach growl.
Everyone's attention fell on Natsu who chuckled sheepishly. "How about a bite to eat first? All that fighting made me hungry!" he said.
For some reason the comment riled Gajeel but he didn't say no to the suggestion because his stomach began to make loud hungry noises too. Slightly embarrassed, he twisted around on his heel and started to head the other way. "Fine. Let's just grab something at the concession," he snarled, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation.
"I don't think they're still open," said Pantherlily, shaking his head.
Gajeel sighed and snarled the bad word.
The group travelled back into the lower city and stopped at the closest restaurant. After a quick meal of burgers and fries, the three Dragon Slayers, the three Exceeds, and Bacon began their trek towards the foot of the mountain that held Domus Flau at its peak. Romeo, Lucy, and Gray had tagged along as well mostly out of curiosity while the others stayed in the city to inform the rest of the guild where everyone else had gone.
With Gajeel in the lead, he guided his guild mates off the main mountain path and took the skinnier road that rounded the mountain.
As they passed through the quiet residential area, Romeo whispered to Wendy, "What do you think it could be? Something related to dragons maybe? Is that why he wanted Bacon to come too?"
The youngest perked at the sound of his name and glanced between Wendy and Romeo who were walking on either side of him. The three of them were at the back of the group, strolling behind the felines. Ahead of the Exceeds were Lucy, Natsu, and Gray, and alone in the front was Gajeel.
Wendy's slight frown was visible under the street lamps that had just turned on a moment ago. "I'm not really sure," she answered quietly, giving Bacon a little smile when she met his gaze. To Romeo, she continued, "Gajeel isn't saying anything, but… I have a feeling it might be related to our dragons…"
Up ahead, Natsu snorted, having overheard their conversation. "That stupid metal-head. It's not hard to just tell us. Man, I really wanted to celebrate our win with everyone else. So annoying," he mumbled.
The remark didn't go unnoticed by the Iron Dragon Slayer. He glared at Natsu over his shoulder and snapped, "You shut the hell up. I'm telling ya, it'd be better if I show it to you. Now, hurry up!" He increased his pace, making everyone jog right after his long, hasty strides.
"Hey! Not so fast!" Lucy demanded, struggling to keep up due to her injuries.
Gajeel grunted in annoyance and grudgingly slowed back down.
It was nightfall by the time Gajeel had found the small opening in the side of the mountain that was hidden well under shadow and behind some large bushes. The group had to leave the man-made road and enter the thin cover of trees and vegetation before climbing a few craggy slopes to reach it.
The hole was tall enough for Bacon and the Exceeds to simply walk through; everyone else needed to duck or crouch in order to get in. It was pitch black within the cave until Natsu and Romeo ignited their hands with bright orange flames. Their magic chased away the darkness and revealed all that was hidden within the vast cavern of the mountain.
Bacon's attention was attracted to the many pointy rocks hanging from the ceiling that resembled the sharp teeth of giant stone monsters. There were pointy rock formations all over on the ground too, casting long shadows that danced with the flickering fires. Yellow mushrooms sprouted in the soft dirt closest to the entrance, both small and large and dotted with red. The smell of dank earth was strong here and the air cooler, chilling the boy's skin.
Bacon stayed close to Romeo for warmth as they followed Gajeel across the uneven terrain. Numerous times Wendy had warned Bacon not to trip so he made sure to proceed carefully while she guided him by the hand. Their journey within the cavern was quiet, the silence disturbed only by their scuffling feet.
It felt almost like an hour until Gajeel found what he was looking for. Bacon stopped a second before walking right into Wendy who had suddenly froze in place at the scene before them. There were massive bones lying on the ground throughout the large cavern; dusty, moss-covered, cobwebbed skeletons of enormous creatures that were once larger than average buildings alongside the old, decayed trunks of giant trees. Their giant skulls bared rows of pointed, rotten teeth and their hollow black eyes stared silently at nothing. Some had horns upon their heads, curved, straight, twisted, or broken, and claws that were as large as Bacon. Shifting shadows made the skeletons appear almost alive, bringing a sense of unease upon the group.
There were many colourful, fascinating mushrooms growing here, ranging from tiny to monstrous in size, growing on the ancient, mossy wood and sprouting between the bones of the dead creatures. They were luminescent, glowing in the dark in a variety of colours and shedding glittering spores. Blue, purple, yellow, green, and pink; the cavern would have felt like a magical place if it were not for the creepy bones lying around.
With enough natural light to illuminate the area, Romeo and Natsu dispersed their fires.
"Dragons…" Wendy whispered as she covered her mouth, aghast at the remains that haunted the cavern. "This is a graveyard for dragons…"
"Dragons?" Bacon questioned, looking at each bony creature. There were too many to count. He didn't recognize them as dragons however, because the dragon Reedus had drawn was covered in shiny scales and had three eyes that shone like moons. All he saw were a bunch of old bones decorated with mushrooms.
"What is this place? Are these really all dragons?" Gray asked, turning to Gajeel.
The Iron Dragon Slayer crossed his arms and hardened his gaze at the lifeless skeletons. "This place? No idea," he replied in a somber tone. "These were once all dragons and now they're all dead."
"This is proof that dragons truly existed…" stated Pantherlily, just as surprised as his fellow Exceeds.
"What could've happened here?" Lucy wondered.
Happy padded up to Natsu and looked up at his friend with grief. "Do you think Igneel–"
"No," Natsu sharply cut Happy off with an abrupt shake of his head. Eyes fixated on the dead creatures, his expression darkened. "He's not here. None of our dragons are."
"Our dragons disappeared fourteen years ago," Gajeel started to explain. "These ones are from ancient times."
"Ancient…" Bacon heard Wendy whisper. He turned to her and saw her furrow her brow in deep thought.
Her face brightened when she finally realized something. "I see now… Milky Way," she said, gathering everyone's attention.
Lucy raised an eyebrow at her. "What was that, Wendy?" she asked.
Wendy picked up a nearby dusty old stick and moved to stand on a relatively flat part of the ground. "Milky Way," she began as she started to draw a large circle into the soft dirt, "it's one of Grandeeney's Secret Arts that I've been trying to learn. I couldn't figure out how to use it before however, because I thought it was an attack spell." She drew a slightly smaller circle within the larger one followed by two even smaller circles within the center. Then she began to scratch in runes between the lines. "'Listen to the voices of the dragons connected to the river in the sky' was the description of the spell Mother had left for me. I think I understand what it means now."
"Eh? What are you doing?" Natsu inquired, getting confused at her explanation.
"It's a magic circle," Romeo pointed out.
Natsu snorted. "I can see that. But why?"
Wendy continued to write in the dirt as she continued, "I think Milky Way is a spell that can be used to listen to the voices of dragons that have turned into souls."
Gajeel and Natsu gaped in shock. "What?", "For real?" both said respectively in unison.
The youngest Dragon Slayer paused in her work and nodded at the pair. "If we can hear the voices of the dragons here, then we can learn what happened. And maybe… maybe they can tell us what happened to our dragons too."
She returned to her drawing, focusing on making magical symbols while everyone silently watched. "I kept using the wrong rune here and here, but I think I got it now. And it's done!" She tossed her stick aside and gestured for everyone to move away from her circle.
She took a deep breath and stood in the middle. "Here goes," she said as she closed her eyes and raised her arms high above her head as if wanting to touch the ceiling above. She chanted in a strong, loud voice; "Wandering souls of dragons, I am ready to receive your voices. Milky Way!" The magic circle suddenly lit up with pale green light, creating a beacon that stretched high above their heads. The light expanded once at its peak, rippling outwards like a stone dropped in water. Silver, sparkling stars appeared within the ripples, creating a magical sky for all to gawk and admire.
"Wow! So beautiful!" commented Lucy, her breath taken away by the magic.
Bacon smiled, his wide eyes captivated by the glittering green ribbons of energy that swirled and flowed like water. He suddenly tensed when he heard a clattering noise before seeing the giant skeletons begin to vibrate in place as if they had been stirred from their slumber. He instinctively reached for the hilt of his sword beneath his cloak and freed it from its sheath. Beside him, Romeo let out a terrified whimper and inched closer to Bacon, lighting his hands with fire in defense. Meanwhile, Lucy shrieked at an ear-piercing volume and hid behind Gray for protection.
"The b-bones are moving!" Lucy cried, trembling in terror.
Gray rubbed his deafened ear. Although he wasn't as frightened as Lucy, he was visibly nervous about the strange phenomenon. "Is this supposed to happen, Wendy?" he asked the caster.
"Don't worry," the girl assured, bringing some level of calm to her friends, "I'm looking for the souls of these dragons. Their residual auras are extremely old and small, it's hard to pinpoint where they are… Oh! Wait! I found one!" She snapped her eyes open and turned her body to face the soul that only she could see. She clasped her hands together as if in prayer and dropped to her knees, her head bowed forward and her eyes closed once more in concentration.
The light of her circle intensified before the rippling, starry energy began to gather before the young Dragon Slayer. Swirls of shimmering energy collected into a bright orb that burned like green fire. The globe grew larger and brighter as more energy gathered with each passing second.
"Is that a soul?" Pantherlily wondered out loud as everyone watched, anticipating what would happen next.
Bacon shifted back when something suddenly emerged from the energy; it was a huge, transparent, clawed hand, followed by its arm, then the rest of its ghostly body. An enormous winged reptile had taken the orb's place, hovering before the startled group like a magical hologram made of eerie green light that brightened the cavern. It was the spirit of a dragon manifested by Wendy's spell.
This dragon differed from the one Bacon had dreamt of. This one was covered in rough, spiny scales and had dark webbed ears on either side of its stout head. It had a large chin with two long, thick hairs and a gaping mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. When its pair of reptilian eyes saw the group standing on the ground, the dragon unleashed a fearsome roar that shook the whole cavern and made Bacon's heart leap to his throat.
The boy quickly dropped Freedom to cover his ears from the painful noise, but that did little to block it out. The horrible cry rattled his bones and threatened to burst his eardrums. Through his grimace, he saw the others, with the exception of Wendy, jump back in alarm and scream in fear.
The dragon lowered its head, its eyes gleaming with amusement before its echoing roar transformed into booming laughter that drummed within Bacon's chest. "Stupid humans!" it guffawed in a gruff voice. It was grinning wide, erasing its intimidating image. "I love seeing your dumb, shocked faces! Gahahaha!"
Bacon blinked and slowly uncovered his ears, staring at the spirit in confusion much like everyone else.
"Um… what?" Romeo quietly uttered, still a little shaken.
"I am Zirconis, the Dragon of Jade," the dragon introduced himself, raising his head high on his slightly long neck. "This power to summon my soul, it must be Grandeeney. Where is she?" he inquired, looking around the cavern for the dragon Bacon had learned was Wendy's mother.
There was no Sky Dragon to be found but the Sky Dragon Slayer instead.
"Oh! How cute! Did this little Dragon Slayer summon me?" Zirconis exclaimed as he dropped right in front of Wendy and pressed his face against the ground to peer at her closely with his leering eyes. His sneering jaws full of sharp teeth were mere inches away from her and yet the girl did not seem to notice, still deep in concentration.
Fearing for Wendy's safety, Bacon quickly picked up his sword and charged straight at the dragon. "Stay away!" he cried and swung his blade at the lizard's face. He was certain his blade struck the side of the dragon's big chin, but it felt like he hit nothing but air.
Zirconis turned his head and eyed the swordsman maliciously. "Aren't you a brave lad," he mused, showing his wicked teeth in a hungry smile. "Just for that, I'm going to eat this girl first."
"No!" the boy shouted and stayed his ground to stand protectively between the dragon and Wendy, his sword held before him.
Natsu was quick to join his side, the mage's hands alight with fire. "Bastard! Don't you touch her!" he roared.
The dragon suddenly reared back and burst into delightful laughter once again, bringing more confused looks to cross everyone's faces. "It was just a joke! You humans are so stupid!" the lizard mocked, purely enjoying himself. "Look! Look! What can a ghost do?" He swiped his claws at Bacon and Natsu.
Bacon tensed and held his breath, feeling a cold, unnerving sensation as the dragon's claws harmlessly passed through his body a few times. Realizing the dragon couldn't physically hurt Wendy, he lowered his sword but did not sheathe it just in case. He didn't like Zirconis; the dragon was rude and mean-looking.
"What is up with this guy?" Natsu growled, extremely annoyed with the dragon's antics.
"Who is this crazy person?" Lucy murmured in disbelief.
"He's a dragon, not a person," Gray corrected.
"He's a soul… an obnoxious one," Gajeel grumbled under his breath.
"I am Zirconis, the Dragon of Jade," the dragon introduced himself again to answer Lucy's question.
"We know that already!" Gray snapped.
"What we want to know is what happened here," said Carla, exasperated. She was clearly tired of Zirconis fooling around.
Happy nodded beside her. "There are so many dragon skeletons here," he stated, gesturing with a paw.
"We summoned you here to find out the truth," Pantherlily added.
Zirconis grunted and turned his head away from the Exceeds with a grunt of disdain, waving them away. "I have nothing to say to humans. Go away."
"We're cats," Happy pointed out.
The dragon faced them again. "Oh, so you are. So it happened over four hundred years ago…" he began, quick to change his mind, irking the mages to no end. "Dragons used to be the rulers of the world…"
Bacon listened quietly, trying his best to understand most of the dragon's tale. Zirconis spoke fondly of ancient times where dragons once lived freely in the land, in the sky, and across the seas. Back then, humans were insignificant compared to the greater beasts; treated as livestock or game. It was a tragic time to be a human, but that had all changed when some dragons wanted to coexist with the humans.
War had broken out between the rulers of the land, sky, and sea. Dragons fought dragons in a long and bloody battle that altered the land forever. The war seemed endless, but that had all changed with the rise of Dragon Slayers, human mages who had acquired the power to slay dragons from the great beasts themselves. With the Dragon Slayers fighting alongside the dragons who wished to live peacefully with humans, the war seemed almost won.
"But there was a critical miscalculation…" Zirconis continued, grimly shaking his head. "The Dragon Slayers who had grown too powerful began to kill the dragons on their side as well. Allies, mentors… they killed every single one of them and among those humans, there was one who bathed in too much of our blood."
Zirconis swallowed and shuddered in fear. "His name… I dare not say it…" he choked, his voice low. "He murdered countless dragons, friends and foes alike, and continued to bathe in their blood. Eventually his skin became scales and his teeth into fangs. He resembled more like a dragon with every life he took."
Bacon felt a sudden shiver down his spine. His grip on his sword tightened and his heart began to beat faster when he remembered the man in his nightmares, the one who had slain the kind old dragon, his shadowed body drenched in fresh blood. Could this man in the past – this Dragon Slayer – be the same man who haunted the boy's sleep?
"A man became a dragon?!" Lucy exclaimed, horrified.
Zirconis nodded. "That is how Dragon Slaying magic evolves. All the dragons sleeping here were slaughtered by that man… including me," he snarled the last part with great indignation. "In spite of being a man, he became the King of Dragons. And the war that brought the birth of this King was called the Festival of the Dragon King. His name as King was Acnologia and he was the one who hunted and killed most of the dragons in the world four hundred years ago…"
"Now I am King, you old fool…" Bacon drew a sharp breath, his body trembling from those words spoken by the man in his dreams…
There was shock and horror on everyone's faces after learning the fate of the dragons who once ruled the world. Only Wendy was unfazed, but that was no surprise.
Bacon stepped forward and spoke up, desperate to know more. "This man…" he began, his quiet tone quivering, "Did he have cold blue eyes and black scales?"
The dragon's eyes widened. He leaned forward so his snout was nearly touching Bacon, looking the boy over. "You saw him…" Zirconis whispered, his voice a harsh rasp. It was a statement rather than a question.
Bacon took a cautious step back. "Only in my dreams…"
"That is no mere dream. There's no mistaking the terror I see in your eyes. You saw him – you've met him, didn't you? But how can that be… How old are you, lad?"
Bacon hesitated. He was never asked that before. "Um, I… I think…"
"He is only ten," Carla answered for Bacon.
"That's it?" Zirconis cocked his head and stroked the two whiskers on his chin. "You sure you're not over four hundred years old?" he joked, laughing.
The boy briefly pondered over that question and shrugged. "I don't know?"
"He's obviously not that old," said Lucy with a sigh.
"Hmph. Maybe his race can live that long," Gajeel suggested, perking a studded eyebrow.
"His race?" Zirconis raised his brow. "What? Aren't you a stupid human, lad?"
Bacon shook his head and pulled back his hood to show his long ears. "No… I am…" He knew he was different from his friends; no one else had ears like his. Levi had taught him about the different races in Earthland, but unfortunately, her books didn't have all the information they wanted to know. Just like his real name, he couldn't remember where he came from. No one in Fairy Tail really knew what he was but it did not matter. Race had no meaning in the kind guild who treated every member as a part of their family.
Zirconis was a little taken back. "Oh! I have to apologize for making fun of you before. You don't look like a dumb, stupid human like the rest of these idiots! So sorry about that!" he said humbly with a small bow of his head.
"Didn't know he could be nice…" Lucy grumbled, glowering at the big lizard ghost.
"Hey! Stop calling us stupid!" Natsu roared angrily.
"Would you prefer to be called 'inferior' then? I actually like the sound of that. You humans are an inferior species!"
While the dragon guffawed at Natsu's outrage, Romeo ran up to Bacon's side and whispered, "Ask him about Dracotongue."
The swordsman turned back to the glowing green spirit. "Zirconis," he began, needing to raise his voice to catch the dragon's attention. "What is: Atarl adune… tarei kun ei… Herial Yaarez?"
Zirconis was shocked at first before he narrowed his gaze at the young warrior, studying him more intently than before. "You… That is the Lost Language of Ishgar. Where did you learn it? Or did you 'dream' about that too?" he demanded.
Bacon flinched from the dragon's tone and nodded tentatively. "I did… A dragon with three eyes said them to me…"
The ghost snorted and waved the boy off. "Impossible. Only the dragons known as the Ancient Ones could speak it fluently and they had all perished long before the war began… Just who are you?"
That question again… it stumped the boy. He frowned and cast his gaze to the ground before his feet, not knowing the true answer.
Romeo mustered the courage to ask, "Can you tell us what those words mean? Um, that is… if you can translate them?"
A tense silence fell upon them as Zirconis did nothing but stroke his chin hairs and stare at Bacon, making the boy fidget uncomfortably. It felt like a long minute before the dragon smirked and finally answered; "Atarl… adune… tarei kun ei, Herial Yaarez… Is that it?"
"Sounds about right…" said Romeo while Bacon nodded.
"You are destined to save our realm, Hero of Time…" were Zirconis's last words before his ghostly body brightened and dispersed into thousands of light particles. Each one rose towards the ceiling and blinked out in the darkness, the soul gone forever.
With him gone, the cavern grew dim, lit only by the mushrooms.
"What? He's gone!" exclaimed Natsu. "Wait! Come back! There's still lots we want to ask you!" There was no response, only the echo of the Dragon Slayer's voice throughout the cavern.
There was a tired sigh behind Bacon. He twisted around, relieved to find Wendy moving once again. He put his sword away and went to her side to help her up.
"Wendy, can you summon him back?" Natsu asked urgently.
The girl dusted her knees and shook her head. "No… His aura has vanished completely. He's passed onto the afterlife."
Gray glanced over at Bacon. "Well, we got some answers but got more questions at the same time," he said.
"'You are destined to save our realm, Hero of Time'," Romeo slowly repeated as he wrote the translation down in Bacon's new leather-bound journal that they had bought earlier in the day. "Hero of Time… does that ring any bells, Bacon?"
The youngest blinked in confusion. "Ring bells?"
"Sorry, it means if 'Hero of Time' sounds familiar to you. The dragon in your dream called you that, right?" Romeo started to tap the end of his pencil against his chin as he gave Bacon a mischievous smile. "It has to mean something. Maybe… you are supposed to be this Hero of Time?"
Bacon pondered over the strange name. It sounded somewhat familiar, but where did he hear it before?
Gajeel burst into laughter and pointed at Bacon. "This little runt a hero? I'd like to see that! Bacon, the Hero of Time! Destined to save our world!" He laughed again, needing to hold his stomach from laughing too hard.
"Man, that actually sounds really awesome," said Natsu, giving the young swordsman a jealous look.
"Are you really a hero?!" Happy exclaimed, looking up at the boy in astonishment.
"That's… nonsense," Carla murmured, crossing her arms in disbelief and yet her expression was troubled when she met Bacon's gaze.
Lucy rolled her eyes before returning to the more serious issue at hand. "Guys… Calm down. We're dealing with a lot here. Destinies, heroes, and Acnologia…"
Natsu looked nervously at his fellow Dragon Slayers. "He was a human… Unbelievable. Does that mean we could turn into dragons too if we keep using Dragon Slaying magic?"
"Hell, I don't wanna be a dragon!" Gajeel exclaimed while Wendy looked terrified at the thought.
"And Bacon," Natsu approached the boy and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Natsu's expression was a mixture of sympathy and hatred. "Can it be true? Was it Acnologia who hurt you?"
It was a dream… Bacon frowned and before he could say anything Gajeel sharply interrupted.
"Someone's here."
Everyone stiffened.
Footsteps were approaching them, heavy and metallic alongside a pair of lighter steps. As one, the group turned towards the owners and found a bearded man with spiky black hair and dressed in silver armour that was adorned with a flowing red cape. Beside him was the young woman, Yukino, who Bacon recognized was the Celestial Spirit mage of Sabertooth.
"Fairy Tail," the armoured man addressed in a formal manner as he marched towards the group. He had a bold, stern face and a straight, squarish nose. The corners of his lips curled into a firm smile as his dark eyes scanned the many faces looking his way. "I have listened to the whole story in regards to Acnologia. I have an important request for you all, one you cannot refuse, because if you want to defeat Acnologia, you must first defeat Zeref. And I can tell you how."
"Couldn't sleep, Master Lucy?"
"Being in this old house… it brings back a lot of memories. I was just remembering. The good and the bad. But mostly the good."
"What about, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Natsu. I know you haven't known him as long as us, this used to be his and Happy's house. Do you remember him?"
"Of course. I haven't forgotten him… I haven't forgotten anyone. I can remember that he was the one who came up with 'Bacon' as my name. Heh, thinking back on it now… It was a really stupid name…"
"You can't deny that you liked it."
"No, I don't regret it. 'Bacon' was who I was when Fairy Tail was still whole… If anything, I want to thank Natsu for it…"
"He was a very good friend – the best you could ever ask for; strong, brave, caring, and loyal to a fault. But he was also the world's most stubborn, loud, and arrogant fool who often got carried away with his magic, destroying everything in sight, costing us more in fines than our rewards could pay off.
"In spite of all his flaws… I still loved him. If it were not for him, I would never have joined Fairy Tail. He brought meaning to my life, made not only my existence, but everyone else's lives important.
"He was always there for me… no matter what trouble I got into, he would come and save me regardless of the consequences. The last time he saved me… It was during the final day of the Grand Magic Games, the day before… before everything changed… He, Wendy, Mirajane… Happy, Carla, and Pantherlily… they all came and rescued me from the castle dungeon."
"The dungeon? I don't recall that… How did you end up in the there?"
"You don't remember? It was supposedly for treason. But it was mostly because I was a Celestial Spirit mage. I can't remember his name, but the captain of the knights, the man with the funny square nose – remember him? It was right after we met the spirit of Zirconis. He brought us to the castle and showed us their secret 'weapon', the Eclipse Gate."
"Oh! Yes, I think I remember that now. He insisted that you help his cause, to protect the world. If only he knew the truth… The guards apprehended us…"
"He and Yukino were tried for treason for sharing their kingdom's secret with us. He was sent to Abyss Palace as punishment and Yukino… poor, poor Yukino… I never saw her again when they took her away from the cell we shared."
"And we were kicked out of the castle after you were imprisoned… On the following day, Master Makarov and everyone else planned your escape as well as their strategy to win the final event. I wasn't there to listen to the whole thing, but I do recall seeing Natsu tied up because he wanted to charge back to the castle to save you the instant he recovered."
"Oh, that dumb idiot… However… when I saw him on the other side of those bars, smiling his cocky smile, I knew I would be safe. Little did we know, it was all a trap."
"A trap?"
"The Princess knew of their plan to rescue me. We fell through the dungeon floor and ended up in Abyss Palace. We escaped, of course. Spent the whole night in the dreadful place… only to enter another Hell…
"Some days… I wonder as I lie awake… If it were not for me, would Natsu still be alive, breathing the same air we breathe? If he didn't come for me… then he wouldn't have stayed back and… He wouldn't have… I shouldn't have listened to him then; I should have stayed with him and fought by his side. I was a coward to leave him behind…"
"No, if you had stayed you would not be here today to guide and protect us. He saved you yet again, like he always did, like he always wanted to do because you were important to him."
"He saved me twice that day, didn't he? That damn fool… That stupid, stupid, stupid fool… That was the last time he was my hero… My last words to him were, 'I'll meet you outside.' He never showed up. I never found him in the castle ruins…"
"I bet he wouldn't regret giving up his life knowing you are still alive."
"I wish… I wish I could go back… and tell him how much I loved him… To thank him for everything he had given me. If only… If only he didn't come for me in that dungeon that day, he might still be here, fighting with us… Fate… can be so cruel…"
Lucy paced her small cell for the umpteenth time, growing furious and impatient with every passing hour. How long had it been since she was thrown in the dark dungeon by the mean, short old man, Minister Datong, and his guards?
Charged with treason!
She couldn't believe it! She cursed fate for the sudden turn of events.
There was no window in the dank dungeon so she couldn't tell how much time had passed. It felt like a day had gone by, judging by the number of meals the guards were generous to bring her.
She slumped on her cot and groaned in her hands. She wondered what happened with her friends. Were they safe? Did the guards kick them out of the castle unharmed?
She wondered what happened to Yukino. The other Celestial Spirit mage was here in the same cell from the beginning only to be taken away by a knight fully dressed in black armour without an explanation.
Lucy was grumpy and tired. She hadn't slept a wink since her imprisonment; the cot was hard and the sheets stank of something nasty. She was bored to death, left with only her thoughts to pass the time. She wanted a bath and a new change of clothes because her skin was sticky and gross with sweat and grime. Her bandages were starting to itch too, further souring her mood. And she wanted her keys back. The guards had taken them away, leaving her to stress about them.
The twelve Gold Celestial Spirit Keys were needed to open the Eclipse Gate. Was Datong going to keep them forever to prevent the Gate from ever being used?
Lucy needed them back; they were her friends as well as her power. When she demanded about them with the guards who brought her meals, they simply ignored her questions, driving her mad. She had kicked the door several times in retaliation which resulted in nothing but irritatingly smug smiles from the armed men.
Lucy sighed and ran a hand through her messy bangs, being mindful of her bandages. Was she going to be stuck here until the eclipse was over?
Her question was soon answered.
There was a click coming from the heavy dungeon door followed by the squeal of rusty hinges as someone pushed it open. Lucy glared at the person, expecting either the big knight in black or another guard bringing her next meal. It was neither, much to her surprise.
She stood up when she saw an unfamiliar person quickly strolling towards her, wearing an animal mask and a cloak made of white feathers. He was armed with a sword upon his back and wore armoured boots that softly clinked with each step. When the person passed under the dim Lacrima Lamp hanging from the ceiling, she got a better view. She gasped when she saw the mask, seeing the same smiling face of the yellow fox Reedus had brought to life the other day.
"W-Who are you?" she asked, tensing in caution.
"A friend," the masked individual answered, keeping his voice hush and quiet. "I'm here to break you out, Mas – Miss Lucy." In his plated hands, he had a jingling ring of prison keys and he was trying to find the one that matched the girl's cell.
Lucy wasn't surprised the man knew who she was. Having lost in the Games twice already, she was probably infamous by now. But who could this person be and why would he help her? Was he hired by her guild to rescue her because they couldn't risk getting caught by the kingdom a second time? Or could he be from another guild who wanted to help Fairy Tail? So many questions were running through her mind.
She dropped her voice to a whisper; "Did Fairy Tail ask you to help me? And where'd you get those?"
"In a way, you could say that I've come on their behalf. And I got these from the guard lying unconscious outside. I think this is the one." When he turned the key in the lock of Lucy's cell door it made a satisfying click. He swung the creaking door wide open and motioned for her to come out. "Come with me. I'll take you back to Fairy Tail."
He seemed friendly enough. Lucy didn't hesitate to leave her dingy cell. "Wait, I have to retrieve my spirit keys first! The guards took them away. Please, they're very important to me."
The man nodded without a second thought. "Very well. Let's find them quickly."
"Thank you… uh, what can I call you?"
"Keaton."
Lucy paused and raised her brow. She was sure she had heard that name before. Didn't Bacon give the yellow fox the same name? She didn't have time to question the man because he was already making his way to the dungeon door.
She only took two steps when she felt the floor suddenly disappear right under her feet. Screaming for her life, she fell into the black abyss below with her new friend not far behind.
A/N: Hope you guys had a good New Years! Try to bear with me folks, the dreaded Eclipse Gate arc is here. In my opinion, it's the worst arc in the Fairy Tail series because there are so many plot holes and deux ex machima moments that I nearly gave up reading the manga around this point. Let me try to fix that with future Link here to make it right!
Hope you all enjoyed!
Below is a surprise for you all! LeviathanTamer had written me a second short back in July, but I was hesitant to post it because it didn't quite follow the canon of my story. I have decided to post it now as thanks to LeviathanTamer for taking the time to write it and as thanks to all of you readers for your continued support over the past two years. Seriously, I never thought this story would have gotten this far if it were not for you all.
Please enjoy LeviathanTamer's little tale! It's a "What if..." type story: What if Link had his masks with him? Read and find out.
Bacon's Fierce Companion
By LeviathanTamer
It had not even been a month since Bacon had passed out in the courtyard and remembered that sad tune. The guild got over it rather quickly as it was clear that whatever Bacon did he couldn't recreate whenever he wished. However, while the guild had been overjoyed that Bacon was slowly regaining his memories, Makarov was having different thoughts, just things that he could easily dismiss until they had grown over the time of a month. Now Master Makarov was contemplating even in front of all the guild members, something that wasn't unnoticed by Macao.
Macao pulled up a chair next to his predecessor and simultaneous successor as Master of Fairy Tail. Makarov was deep in contemplation and didn't even notice Macao's arrival. "You've been thinking about something, Makarov. What is it?" Macao questioned.
Makarov flinched then realized who the speaker was and relaxed. "It's nothing Maca-" is what Makarov tried to say but was cut off by Macao.
"Don't kid me with that. I know that look. It's the same one you wear every time you're worried about something serious," Macao finished with a glare in his tone. At this Makarov just sighed.
"Bacon's power is incredible. Remember when that gale knocked over everyone in the room? I could've sworn I felt a powerful storm coming, but once he lost his train of thought it dissipated. What else could he have?" The genuine unease in Makarov's tone unnerved Macao. The man had only heard that tone a few times, and normally that meant the worst was going to happen.
Macao scratched his head nervously while thinking of a way to avert this. "We kept all of Bacon's dangerous items in my storage dimension, remember? Do you want me to check them all to see how dangerous they are?"
Makarov rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Just do a basic check. Look for any active magic being emitted or used."
Macao nodded and walked off to his house where he could check in privacy.
Once Macao got into his house, he started pulling Bacon's items one by one, examining each and every one for any kind of magic signature.
The weird purple Lens? No, he couldn't sense any magic. The sharp hook-and-chain thing that nearly killed Natsu? Dangerous, but definitely not magical in anyway. There was a mechanical mechanism that locked and propelled the hook. The odd nuts the size of his head? These strange things nearly blinded some people but they were certainly not magically infused items. The bombs and the utterly confusing mouse-like bombs were definitely not magic. All that was left were the strange vessels they found.
Makarov knew of many vessels that could hold a soul or a being. Most of them involved dark magic. So it was a large surprise when they found out that Bacon carried not one, not two, not even three, but four of the objects. What was even stranger was that all of them were masks. Thankfully all of them were empty. Or so Macao thought, these were the last of Bacon's items in Macao's storage dimension. One of them had to have something in it.
The wooden one with the sad eyes and cylindrical mouth had absolutely nothing in it from what Macao could tell. All he felt was a strange pang of sadness and an early fate. The round one with some more sad eyes had nothing in it either, but the face seemed to hold a look of regret and unfulfilled tasks. The fishy one with sharp features and a sad pair of eyes held nothing in it but the feeling of despair for something that wasn't itself.
It was at this point that Macao began to wonder, Why the heck are all these masks so sad?!
Sighing, Macao moved on with his task and held up the last mask, remembering a feeling of disappointment emanating from it and its closed eyes. He pulled himself out of memory lane and actually looked at the mask and nearly jumped out of his skin.
The once empty mask of a painted warrior, whose eyes were closed, was now a mask that silently emanated power. The look on its face could be described as nothing more than fierce. The frown was still present but it was no longer a drifting, disappointing frown but a mighty scowl. The marks shifted slightly with the new expression and were no longer faded but vibrant. Most disturbing of all were the eyes; they were now open and glowing with a faint white light. There was no background behind the eye holes, only the empty white of a warrior who had faced too many battles that his eyes had become jaded.
The sheer power that this mask now silently emanated was vast. Macao felt as though he was attempting to stare down a beast of a man. Then the surge happened. It was so quick and powerful that he didn't have a chance to resist. Macao could feel the mask searching his memories. It was tearing apart Macao's mind and yet at the same time he felt no pain.
Then as quickly as it came, the entity left, retreating back into the mask, making it feel nearly empty again. Macao would've thought the power was gone if it weren't for the glaring white eyes that remained open. This thing was far beyond his power, which meant there was only one way he could deal with this. Unfortunately, that meant bringing an extremely powerful object within arms reach of a guild member. Macao put the mask in a pouch he grabbed on his way out and tied the end, hopefully no rambunctious member would find out about it and, heavens forbid, put it on.
Macao calmly made his way through the main guild entrance and sat down next to Makarov. Makarov raised an eyebrow at Macao. "Was there anything dangerous?"
Macao put the bag in Makarov's hand. "One of the vessels still has something inside of it. It overwhelmed my mind and took a look at something. Nothing deadly so far though," he answered nonchalantly with a shrug.
It took all of Makarov's will power to keep himself from falling over or checking Macao to see if he was still sane.
Makarov stroked his beard a couple times to calm himself down. Once he stroked it thoroughly he said, "Show it to me."
Macao didn't question why Makarov didn't open it himself when the bag was in his hand, the young man just untied the sack which promptly fell around the mask revealing it. Makarov couldn't hold it back and visibly flinched from the sight of the glaring eyes.
Makarov was about to comment when a very drunk Elfman swiped the mask from the Masters who were distracted. "A mask? This looks like a mask FOR A MAN!" and with that he put it on.
"NOOOOO!" Macao and Makarov yelled as they dove for it. They both missed and crashed on the floor.
The second Elfman's skin made full contact with the mask, a blast of magic knocked him through two tables and into a wall. This did not go unnoticed by everyone else who just stared at the mask which fell to the floor. Then all hell seemed to have broken loose because various guild members scrambled to try the mask on, some wrestling others to obtain it. All of them were met with the same result as Elfman. Makarov and Macao weren't too worried about their guild members, they were more worried about damage the guild was sustaining.
Erza had walked through the door sometime after the fifth person had tried to put the mask on. She raised an eyebrow and decided to ignore the chaos, thinking it was another ordinary scuffle between her friends. She sat down at an empty table and ordered some cake from the Mirajane. It wasn't until the eighth member had tried to put it on did she intervene because that person ended up destroying her delicious cake with their thrown body.
"What are you fools doing?!" she demanded in a very authoritative and rage-filled voice that rang over the rumbling.
Natsu who had joined the fight and had finally gotten his hands on the mask stood straight up from her tone. "Everyone's been trying on this mask. It's been launching people so we've been trying to control it, ma'am!" he said quickly. He nearly fainted when he saw Erza's hand moving fast towards him only to sigh in relief when she only took the mask.
"So, you've been causing trouble? Time to see what this was all about." She put on the mask and everyone waited for her to be launched like the others. It never happened.
Instead, after about three seconds she took off the mask and handed it to Macao. "It gave me a message. It wants to be returned to the boy in green." With that she walked back to her table but then remembered why she got up in the first place. She hunted down the poor person who ruined her dessert and proceeded to inflict some punishment.
Macao looked at the mask in his hand. Should he bring it to Bacon? A jolt went up and down his body and his foot very much unwillingly took a step away from him. Realizing that he didn't have a choice, he got up of his own accord and walked to where he thought Bacon would be. Seeing as it was almost evening, he assumed Bacon was with Wendy who recently returned again.
If he had to guess, they would be in one of the back rooms playing or visiting. His hunch was right when he knocked on the door and Wendy opened it.
Macao sighed as he walked over to Bacon, knelt to meet his eyes, and handed him the mask. "This thing apparently wants to meet you."
Curious, Bacon stared at it and slowly realized what it was for. Bacon put the mask on and instantly went limp. His body slouched over and his face was completely covered by the mask. The back of the mask began to shine and it almost appeared to have seamlessly fused to Bacon's face…
All that Bacon remembered after putting on the mask was a small flash and then darkness. Lo and behold that is what he woke up to, more darkness. Bacon looked around, trying to find out where he was. It wasn't until he had made a complete circle that he noticed someone suddenly standing not too far away from him. The person was TALL, taller than Erza or about as tall no… taller than Elfman. It was a man who wore a light blue tunic underneath a breast plate that was decorated with various symbols. On his back was a sword that was taller than the man! It was designed with blue and green overlapping metal ribbons that ended in a sharp point.
The man turned around and revealed a face that was as relaxed as a permanently fierce face could get. The white eyes and face paint didn't scare Bacon, nor did his stature. What made Bacon the slightest bit wary of this man was the incredible power he emitted. Then he spoke in a language that Bacon couldn't recognize at all. "Ah, so we meet again, Young Hero."
Bacon could only look quizzically at the man and how he spoke. "The others have left; their pains are finally gone forever. Only I remain." It was clear that whoever he was knew that Bacon couldn't understand him but he continued anyways. "I remain because I am not bound to this world by pain; I am bound to your soul by your resolve" he said the last bit with a touch of disappointment. Then he drew his sword and held it at Bacon's throat.
"You tried to call on my strength before this happened. But you lacked the same resolve that you had when I first met you." He continued in the strange language. "Perhaps I should take your life here and free myself." He withdrew his sword with those words. "No, I must first see if you are able to wield me still. If you can show the same resolve that you had then I shall return to you. If not, you shall die." The finality in the last of those words gave Bacon chills in his spine despite not knowing what the man was saying.
The man snapped his fingers and Wendy, Natsu, and Erza appeared, lined up side-by-side. At the same time, not too far in the distance, Magnolia Town appeared. The man raised his two-toned sword, its sharp edge held an inch away from Natsu's and Erza's necks and with his other hand, he fired a slow moving ball of light at Magnolia town. "Can you make the same decision that you did last time? Can you forgo all of your ties with your friends in order to save the town?" he threatened.
Bacon was about to run toward his friends but then he saw Magnolia town and some citizens cowering in fear before the massive attack heading their way. Bacon hesitated, he stepped from foot to foot trying to decide. Then he closed his eyes and calmed down. This level of thought was previously impossible for Bacon to make as he was. His mind was clear and so were his actions. A sword, shield, and bow materialized on his person.
Bacon dashed towards Magnolia town and intercepted the attack with his sword which reflected the attack and sent it flying in a different direction. Without even a moment's notice he pulled out his bow and charged it with magic familiar to him and fired at the man. His heart sank when the arrow was blocked by the man's gauntlets and all the magic he put in was dispersed. Bacon's thoughts clouded up again and the weapons disappeared. He sank to his knees and watched the man who was about to kill his friends.
Only to be met with laughter. It wasn't a normal outright laugh, it was a light chuckle. The man lowered his sword. "That was the resolve that first bound me, the one that could let go of ties such as trust or friendship so he could save everyone. But at the same time, he would never truly forget his friends." He walked over and stuck the blade into the ground in front of Bacon, then spoke in a language the boy could now understand. "By the Oath to Order, I, The Fierce Deity swear that this boy shall serve as my vessel just as I shall serve as his wrath."
Bacon didn't know what any of that meant. The man who had recently introduced himself as the Fierce Deity pulled his sword out of the ground and put it back on his back. "You are not strong enough yet to wield my power." He said as he turned around and went back to the position Bacon first saw him in. "But when the time comes, Young Hero, when it comes to the point where you shall need me. I shall be there." With that final note, everything went white.
Bacon found himself still on the same seat as when he left, and a mask in his hands. Bacon couldn't remember the specifics, but one thing that he did remember was that he now had a new friend…
It was only when he looked up from the mask that he noticed the worried looks on both Macao's and Wendy's faces. Bacon raised the mask and smiled at it, indicating that the mask was no danger, but a friend. With that he gave the mask back to a bewildered Macao.
Macao just looked at the mask. It now felt much more docile. Bacon wasn't harmed and even smiled at it. Macao just let out a big, relieved sigh that nothing bad had happened. But now he had the dilemma of what he should do with the mask. He couldn't put it back in his storage dimension as he didn't want anything that strong connected to his magic in any way.
He mulled it over until he got home at near midnight. He checked on the two boys who were fast asleep. Macao looked at the mask one more time and then walked into the room to place the mask on the nightstand next to Bacon. The scene looked so peaceful that Macao decided to leave it at that and went to bed. Bacon didn't have any nightmares that night.
LeviathanTamer: What are your Fierce Deity Theories?
A/N: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave your comments to LeviathanTamer as well!