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Chapter 139

A Tour with an Offer

After spending the night in the ruins, we all decided to back to the guild which took a couple of days. Since we didn't have much to go on about the Dispell magic that Kalard made, we hoped that Master Makarov would know something about it. However, when we got back, we soon found out from Macao and Wakaba that Makarov wasn't around, and wouldn't be back for a while. So, while we waited for him to return, we decided to try and think of ways to destroy the stone.

Wakaba inspected the stone, while Macao held it with two fingers.

"Can't say that I've seen anything like this before," Macao said.

"Me either," said Wakaba. "It doesn't even look that dangerous to me."

"Hey, I have an idea! Why don't we try breaking the stone?" suggested Happy. "Maybe that will break the curse?"

"Now that's using your brain! Good thinking, Happy!" Natsu grinned. "Lemme see that thing!"

The pink-haired boy then snatched the stone from Macao's hand and then threw it into the air, and then jumped up cloaking his hands on fire.

"Natsu, wait a minute!" I yelled.

"FIRE DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

Natsu slammed his fire coated fists onto the stone, sandwiching it between them, causing his flames to explode in a burst of flame, making the whole building to rattle and shake a bit. Natsu then landed back on the ground, his flames dispersing, but when he opened his hand, he was shocked to see that the stone remained perfectly intact.

"Man, this is one tough rock," said Natsu.

"Damn it, Natsu! Why don't you ever think things through, you idiot?!" Macao snapped crossly. "Since when is that "using your head"?!"

"If it were truly that simple to break, don't you think Kalard would have done that, already?!" Erza scolded.

"It wasn't my idea," Natsu grumped, now feeling sheepish as he handed back the stone to Éclair.

"Real smooth, Pyro," Gray sighed exasperatedly. "Leave to a coal-for-brains moron like you to start destroying before thinking things through."

"Say what?! Who you calling a moron, Frosty?!" Natsu snapped crossly as he got into Gray's face. "You hungry for a beating, cuz thems fighting words!"

"Bring it on! I'll take you on any time, anywhere!" Gray snapped back. "Someone's gotta bash your brains in for being so stupid!"

The two then started to brawl much to everyone's disdain, while Éclair and Momon stared at the two dubiously.

"Come on! Calm down, you two!" Lucy cried. "Can't you two at least take it out outside and in not front of Éclair and Momon?! Please?!"

"It's no use, Lucy," I said letting out an exasperated sigh. "Once those two start going at it, there's no stopping them."

Erza then turned her attention back towards Éclair. "Anyway, regarding the other stone, do you know what became of it?" she asked her. "Or where it is now?"

Éclair furrowed her brow, thinking hard. "I'm not certain, but I think that... It was stolen in a raid by - Veronica?"

"I've heard about that place before," said Happy. "That's the name of a country that's just north of Fiore, but it's super tiny."

"Then should we head over to Veronica to investigate?" I wondered. "Maybe we need both halves of the stone in order to dispel the curse."

"A plausible theory, Willy, but then why would stone need to be separated in two halves?" said Erza. "Perhaps whoever broke the stones in the first place, planned on preventing them from being whole. If only we had more information."

"I suppose we'll have to wait until the Master comes back," said Lucy. "Until then, we might as well relax for a bit."

At that moment, a stool came flying through the air and straight towards me and Éclair. I immediately took the girl's head and pushed it down so that she was bowing while I ducked, as the stool shot past us.

The reason that stool was sent flying was that the fight between Natsu and Gray had somehow evolved into an all-out brawl between the male members. Naturally, since I was used to it, I could only sigh with exasperation feeling a bit annoyed.

Éclair and Momon, on the other hand, were both speechless as well as worried.

"Um, shouldn't we try to stop them?" asked Momon. "All of your friends are fighting now."

"I wouldn't be worried," soothed Erza paying no mind as another stool smacked her upside the head. "This is nothing new, so let them have at it."

"But Erza, if they keep brawling like this, there won't be a guildhall to fight in," pointed out Mira. "They'll demolish the whole place."

"If they do that, we'll simply have them rebuild it," said Erza calmly. "We have to set an example and not get involved in their antics."

Just then, a barrel came soaring out of nowhere, striking Erza right on the head again, causing the redhead to get slightly irritated.

"Honestly, haven't they learned anything over the past seven years?" Erza complained. "And they wonder why the guild's reputation has fallen so low."

The armored redhead turned around about to yell, when a table came flying this time, smacking her right in the face, almost knocking her over. That was the straw that broke the camel's back as Erza began to tremble with fury, her eyebrow twitching, and a stray hair falling across her face.

"Very well then. I guess I'll just have to teach them! ! !" Erza shrieked, as she jumped into the chaos. "All of you, knock it off!"

"Erza, wait a minute!" Lucy cried out to her. "Whatever happened to 'setting an example'?!"

"Oh, dear. I should have expected as much," sighed Mira with a smile. "It seems that even Erza couldn't resist joining the fight. All she needed was to find a reason to."

"And here I was hoping that she'd be the most mature out of all of us," Carla spoke while shaking her head. "Then again, we should come to expect this kind of behavior from them."

As the brawl continued, and not wanting Éclair and Momon to get caught in the crossfire, Lucy and I led Éclair and Momon outside, safe from chaos.

"I... apologize you had to see all of that, you two," I told Éclair and Momon. "That happens sometimes if not a lot."

"I see," said Éclair, still wearing a baffled look.

"Well then, since everyone's pretty much distracted, what do you say that we look around for some info?" Lucy suggested. "I think there's a library in Magnolia and they might have some books about the Phoenix Stones."

"It's worth a try," said Éclair. "But shouldn't we tell everyone where we're going?"

"I wouldn't be worried," I said. "Once a fight breaks out like that, there's no stopping everyone until they get tired, and the others are most likely either trying to take cover or trying to calm everyone down. In the meantime, I'll take Éclair and Momon into town and show them where it is. We'll let you know if we'll find anything."

"Are you sure you're all going to be okay by yourselves?" asked Lucy, a hint of worry crossing her features. "What if someone else comes after Éclair?"

"Don't worry. I'll protect her, Lucy," I reassured her. "If anything happens, I'll make sure that she's safe."

Lucy was a bit hesitant, but she agreed. "Alright then. Just make sure that you're all careful," she said.

"We will," said Éclair.

Lucy then went back inside the tavern as I made my water wings materialize from my back spreading them out wide.

"Shall I give you a lift?" I asked Éclair.

"That won't be necessary," said Éclair. "I can use Momon as a means to travel."

"You sure?" I asked looking at the bird.

"Don't worry. I can carry, Éclair," Momon said confidently. "Just leave her to me."

I smiled as I chuckled. "Suit yourselves."

With a flap of my wings, I took to the air, while Momon followed close behind while Éclair hung on to him.

NO POV

Back inside, the brawl continued as Lucy entered back into the tavern. Wendy, Lisanna, Cana, Happy, Kinana, and Mira took notice of the blonde as she went back to them.

"Where did Willy, Éclair, and Mamon go?" wondered Wendy.

"They all went to Magnolia to look in their library," said Lucy. "Figured it would be a good place to find any info about the stones."

Mira was surprised. "Wait, hold on. You mean that Willy's alone with Éclair?" she asked. "But isn't that a bit dangerous? Somebody could come along and attack them at any given moment."

"If that's what you're worried about, then I don't think there's any reason to worry, Mira," Lucy said. "I mean Willy's strong enough to take care of himself, right? So there's no reason to worry."

Mira didn't feel as convinced.

"Is something the matter, Mira?" wondered Kinana. "You seem to be more worried. Well, more than usual anyway."

"No reason, Kinana," Mira spoke sweetly. "I'm just concerned about Willy is all. And Éclair and Momon too."

"You sure that's it?" wondered Happy cheekily. "Because it sounds to me that you're a bit jealous. After all, Willy's all alone with a cute girl, and the guy just might end up taking Éclair somewhere for some alone time if you know what I mean."

Lisanna, Wendy, and Carla then flinched blushing a bit, while Lucy stared at the blue exceed with a raised brow.

"Come on, Cat. Can't you leave the fantasies at home?" Lucy sighed skeptically. "There's no way Willy's doing something like that with Éclair. Right, Mir-"

At that moment, a cold chill could be felt in the air, as the atmosphere suddenly changed, filling with a massive sense of foreboding and malice. It felt so heavy, that the boys, as well as Erza, immediately stopped fighting, feeling their bodies instinctively warn them of something evil.

"What the crap is that?!" Macao exclaimed.

"It's that feeling again!" Wakaba spoke, a drop of sweat trickling down his cheek. "Like someone just stepped on my grave."

"Holy crap, this feels terrifying!" Elfman gulped. "It's even colder than Gray right now!"

"But where is it coming from?!" Natsu wondered. "Is it an enemy?"

"No, it's coming from somewhere in here," said Gray.

Everyone looked around wondering where this malevolent and sinister aura came from, until their eyes traveled over to the bar. They then saw Wendy, Lucy, Carla, who was in Wendy's arms, Lisanna, and Happy all huddled together on one side of the bar, while Mira stood there, eyes closed, a strange smile on her lips, but turned out to be the source of the malevolent atmosphere.

WILLY'S POV

We flew for about a few minutes or so, until we finally touched down in the middle of Magnolia. I then showed Momon and Éclair to the library which was just a few blocks down from where Lucy and I lived. When we got there, we went inside and looked through any books that we could find that could help us learn anything about the Phoenix Stones. Unfortunately, no matter how many books we went through, they didn't have any info relating to the stones at all. We checked book after book until there weren't any more history books. Eventually, the three of us left the library and decided to take a break.

"Well, this was a disappointment," I complained. "We couldn't find a shred of info about the Phoenix Stones other than them being just a legend. I'm sorry, Éclair."

"It's all right, Willy," said Éclair. "I appreciate you trying. I only wish I knew more about them. If only I hadn't lost my memories, I wouldn't be so useless."

"Don't worry about it, Éclair," soothed Momon. "You can't help that you've lost your memories, and you're not useless."

"He's right, so don't put yourself down too much. We'll just have to go back to the guild and wait till Master Makarov returns," I said. "Until then, all that reading has gotten me a bit peckish. You two want to go get something to eat before we head back?"

A hesitant look crossed Éclair's face, but then she agreed. "Sounds good. Do you have any recommendations?"

I took a minute to think about what to eat, then I had an idea.

"There is one that comes to mind," I said with a smile. "I think you'll like it."

I then led Éclair and Momon to one of my favorite places in Magnolia. At first, I was afraid something became of it over the past seven years, but I soon found out that my worries were misplaced, for the place I had in mind was still standing.

The Magnolia Cake Shop.

When we approached, the sweet smell of cake could be smelt in the air as a smile tugged at my lips.

"Well, what do you know?" I spoke with a hint of nostalgia. "It's still here. And here I was worried that this place was gone after the seven years."

"What is that place, Willy?" asked Momon. "And what's that delightful smell?"

"This is the Magnolia Cake Shop. I once worked here for the manager that runs the place," I explained. "It's hard to believe that it's still standing after all this time. I wonder if the baker's still working there? Oh, well. Guess we'll find out."

The three of us then entered the shop and inside, I was welcomed to the sight of the manager as well as his display case of cakes. His physical appearance hadn't changed much with a few slight differences, including greyer hair and a few more wrinkles. When we came in, the manager looked up and upon seeing me, his eyes went wide with surprise and joy.

"As I live and breathe!" the manager exclaimed. "Willy Falconer, is that you?!"

"Hey there, Manager," I greeted with a wave. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"I'd say it has," the managed said. "You haven't changed a bit since the last time I saw you. Where ya been?"

"Let's just say that I've been on a pretty long trip with my guild over these past years and we just got back," I replied. "But here I am, alive and well, and may I say I'm happy to see your shop's still open."

The manager then glanced over at Éclair and Momon. "And who might these two be? Friends of yours?" he asked.

"Indeed. Let me introduce you to Éclair and Momon," I introduced. "They're new in town and I figured I'd stop by at your shop and show them the best place in town to get cake."

"Oh, stop, you flatterer," the manager chuckled. "In any case, it's a pleasure to meet you two."

"Nice to meet you too," greeted Momon.

Éclair didn't say anything, but she greeted the manager with a small bow.

"Well then, since it's been so long since you've been here, Willy, how's about I give you and your friends three slices on the house?" the manager smiled. "You know, something to commemorate this occasion?"

"Are you sure?" I asked. "I mean, you don't have to do that."

"But I insist," smiled the manager. "Besides, I could use a few taste testers, right now. I cooked up a new flavor of cake that I've planned to sell."

The manager went behind the counter and presented us with three slices of cake. They were all in a beautiful shade of brown and the inside was a bright pink with brown filling in the middle. We all took our plates and I took a bite of cake from my fork. I felt the delightful sensation of something fruity and chocolate that made my taste buds sing.

Momon took a bite from his cake and I saw his eyes sparkle in delight as he ate his slice a bit more quickly, savoring every bite while humming happily. Éclair stared at her slice curiously inspecting it like it was something odd about it.

"Don't worry, it's not poisoned or anything," I told her. "And it's not made with magic either."

Éclair looked at me a few seconds, then she took a bite of her cake. The moment she did, her eyes lit up with a light I've never seen before. Then she started eating her slice at a quickening pace as well, humming with delight as well.

"It seems as though I've got a couple of fans," chuckled the manager. "I'm glad that you like it. This is the first time that I've made strawberry and chocolate, so I was a bit worried."

"This is delicious!" Éclair spoke between bites. "I've never had anything so delicious in my life!"

"I had a feeling you'd like it," I chuckled. "When it comes to cakes, Magnolia's got one of the finest in the world. It's beloved by everyone in town, and even the members of Fairy Tail love it. Especially Erza. It's pretty much a huge staple of Magnolia, I hear."

Then, as soon as I said those words, an idea popped in my head. "Say, since we've got some free time on our hands, how's about I give you and Momon a tour of Magnolia, Éclair?"

"A tour?" puzzled Éclair.

"Yeah. I can show you and Mamon all the sights of Magnolia," I said. "It's nothing much, but this town's got quite a lot of stuff to do around here, and it's better for you and Momon to get familiar with the place since you're both going to be staying for a while. So what do you say? You two in?"

Éclair and Mamon looked at each other, and after a few seconds of thinking, they looked back at me and smiled.

"We'd like that," said Éclair. "Very much."

I smiled back at them. "Then let's get going. We've got a lot to see before the day's through. As a wise man once said, "No time like the present."

The three of us then left the cake store, as I began giving Éclair and Momon a tour of Magnolia.

NO POV

Back in the tavern, Mira was still beside herself about Willy and Éclair. Despite having a smile on her face, she was desperately trying to calm herself down as she muttered to herself.

"There's no way Willy and Éclair are spending time together in that way. I mean, after all, they're just friends, and friends don't do those sorts of things unless they're dating! Besides, even if they were, they wouldn't just go off doing something romantic without telling anyone, right? Wait, why am I being so flustered about this? It's not like I'm jealous or anything, and Willy is free to do whatever he wants, even though he's with Éclair, and she is an attractive woman, and they get along so well. Maybe it's for the best that I check on them. No, wait, I shouldn't. I don't want Willy to think I'm being nosy. But then again..."

As she continued to argue with herself, all the other members in the guild, couldn't help but feel unnerved by Mira's strange behavior. Not to mention, that she still was exhibiting her strange yet evil aura that made them tremble.

"I swear, Mira's acting even weirder than usual!" Gray whispered to the others. "Does anyone know the reason why she's acting like this?"

"Hey, Elfman, Lisanna. She's your sister. Do either of you two know what's going on with her?" Lucy spoke to the Strauss siblings. "Seriously, seeing one of my biggest idols muttering to herself is a little too creepy for my liking."

"You're asking me? I don't have any clue what's wrong with Big Sis," Elfman spoke. "I've never seen her like this before!"

"Well, I may have an idea," Lisanna spoke. "But I could be wrong though." She then smiled. "Not to mention, I don't want to say anything that she'll hear."

"I agree," Erza nodded. "Besides, it's for the best that we leave her be for now. Especially since that she's experiencing that time for us girls."

"Wait, what do you mean by that, Erza?" asked Natsu. "What does being a woman have to do with what's happening right now?"

"We can't really explain it, Natsu," said Wendy. "But the only thing we can tell you is that Mira's going through a phase that's helping her blossom into a young woman."

"Wait... a blossom?" puzzled Natsu. "You mean Mira's turning into a flower or something?"

"I don't know what they're saying either, but even I know that you're not making any sense, Natsu," Elfman said. "It doesn't even sound manly."

The rest of the boys didn't understand either, but the girls that were there somewhat began to understand and couldn't help but feel surprised, staring at Erza and Wendy as if they were asking whatever they were thinking was true. The redhead could only smile as she winked at the girls.

WILLY POV

I started by showing the two where the best places to eat were, then its most popular places, such as Kardia Kathedral and South Gate Park. I even took her to where Lucy and I lived, although it wasn't anything special. For our last stop, I took Éclair and Momon to the main Fairy Tail guildhall, which had been foreclosed quite some time ago. The gates were closed shut and there were big signs that had Keep Away on them, but the building still stood, just as big and majestic as before.

Éclair and Momon stared up at the building in amazement.

"Wow! That building's humongous!" Momon gasped. "Is this really your guildhall?"

"Well, it was seven years ago," I told the bird. "Unfortunately, due to our disappearance seven years ago, the guild couldn't hold on for very much longer and they eventually had to foreclose the building. That's why our guild is stationed just outside of Magnolia in that tavern."

"It is a shame though," said Éclair. "This building is beautiful, and it's even bigger than Kardia Cathedral."

"Indeed it is, but the real show is just behind the building," I said. "Follow me."

I then led Éclair and Momon to the back on the building, where the road led to the beach. We were welcomed to the sight of the ocean, its waves were crashing and receding on the shore as the little caws of seagulls could be heard.

"Here we are," I said. "One of my favorite places here in Magnolia."

Éclair's eyes were wide with amazement as were Momon's as they both stared at the blue sea.

"There's so much water!" Momon gasped. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"Pretty sight, ain't it?" I chuckled. "Back when this building was active, I would come here sometimes whenever I needed to relax. The view's even better from above in the building."

"I've never seen anything so beautiful," said Éclair, tucking a bang of her hair as the sea breeze blew across it. "And not just that, everything that you've shown me about this town is wonderful. I certainly wouldn't mind living in a place like this." Then Éclair's smile slowly changed into a slight frown. "I only wish that I could."

"What do you mean by that, Éclair?" I asked, feeling puzzled.

Éclair then pulled out her stone, gazing at it while lost in thought. "I was just thinking. For as long as I can remember, and before I met you, Lucy, Momon, and everyone, I've always been alone and had this stone, never knowing what purpose it served or even what terrible power it carried. I know that this stone along with its power has to be destroyed, but then what comes after that? What will Momon and I do after everything's said and done? We'll most likely have to go back to our homeland, but I can't help but wonder."

She then squeezed the stone in her hands slightly trembling. "And what's more, I can't help but feel afraid. Not just from the enemies that pursue me and want this stone, but also of my memory returning. What if I remember more unpleasant memories and end up falling into deeper despair?"

I stared at Éclair for a few seconds before looked back towards the sea. "You know, it's funny. When I first met you Éclair, there was this strange feeling I had, like there was something familiar about you. At first, I had no clue what that was, but now I understand what that feeling was. You're just like me." I paused as I gazed upward. "We've both experienced loss as well as amnesia, we're both afraid of causing more harm because of the things we've forgotten, and we're afraid of whatever tomorrow will bring us. You're so much like me that it's almost scary. But you know, even though we're unsure of what tomorrow will bring, no matter what happens, you'll always be my friend Éclair. Nothing's going to change the fact that I will always care about you, and will protect you and Momon no matter what happens, and that goes for Lucy and everyone else in Fairy Tail."

I looked back at Éclair who seemed to be bewildered for what I said as I kindly smiled at her. "And hey, once this whole thing's over, maybe you and Momon could stay here in Magnolia. You two could even join Fairy Tail if you want."

Éclair's eyes widened as she and Momon looked at each other from my offer.

"Wait, us? Join your guild?" repeated Momon.

"But, I'm not a wizard," Éclair pointed out. "Plus, we would have no idea where to go if we decide to live here."

"It's alright. You don't have to know magic to be a part of Fairy Tail. I don't think," I said. "Besides, a few of the other members in there don't know magic either, and if you need a place to live, I'm sure that the landlady at our place can give you and Momon a room."

"Really?" Éclair gasped. "You would let me and Momon live here?"

"Of course we would. After all, we're friends," I said. "Though I'm not going to force you to do something you don't like to do, considering that you're still amnesic and will probably want to go back to where your hometown, but I along with everyone else would be happy if you stayed."

Éclair stared at me again, appearing even more surprised from my offer. Then, a smile then worked its way to her face.

"Do you think we can?" Éclair wondered hopefully. "Can we really stay here if we wanted to?'

"I wouldn't mind staying here," smiled Momon. "I like this place, and it would be nice to have a nice home where we can see our friends all the time."

Éclair looked at Momon as her smile became even warmer. "Then perhaps we should stay. You've all been so kind to me, and it would be a shame to let it go to waste. But do you think your Master is willing to take us in?"

"Of course he would," I insisted. "Master Makarov may be strict, but he's a very kind man. I'm sure that he'll let you stay here and let you join Fairy Tail. In fact, let's go see him right now. Maybe he's back at the guild now. Come on."

And so, the three of us left the shores of the beach, heading back to the tavern.

It wasn't too long before the tavern was in sight. But as we approached it, I suddenly felt a chill run through my spine, for I sensed something inside. It couldn't quite place what it was, but it felt like something sinister.

"What is that strange pressure?! Is it an enemy, and have they come here searching for Éclair?!"

Éclair also stopped and looked back towards me. "Willy? Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Éclair, you and Momon get behind me," I spoke quietly as I stepped in front of her. "And be on guard. Something's going on in there."

Éclair and Momon looked at each other feeling worried, but they did as they were told and as I slowly approached the door, clenching my fists. I then raised my hand ready to swing as I shot for the door, but when I entered, someone at that moment collided straight into me knocking me backward and flat onto the ground. Dazed and confused I slowly sat up, feeling my forehead throb in agony as I groaned while looking up, only see Mira also flat on her bottom, holding her head in pain. Not only that, but the strange presence I felt had mysteriously vanished, as if it wasn't there.

Lisanna and Elfman rushed over to their sister while Éclair went over to me.

"You okay, Sis?" asked Elfman.

"I'm fine," Mira moaned.

"Willy, how about you?" asked Éclair.

"I'm all right," I replied, standing up. "Sorry about that, Mira. I didn't see you there. Are you okay?"

"Don't worry. I'm fine," replied Mira. "I suppose I didn't watch where I was going, although I didn't expect you to come out of the blue like that. I was just about to go looking for you three."

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot," Lucy spoke remembering. "Did you guys find anything out about the Phoenix Stones in town?"

"Unfortunately, we didn't find anything. The libraries didn't have anything worth value," I said. "However, there's something that I need to say to you guys. Or rather, there's something I need to tell you about Éclair and Momon."

I was just about to tell everyone about asking Makarov to let Éclair and Momon join the guild, when suddenly, there was the sound of thunderous cannon fire as the wall from the side of the tavern suddenly exploded apart. I immediately dove to the ground shielding Éclair and Momon while shutting my eyes as the sound repetitive sound of cannons continued, their destructive power making debris fly everywhere, causing the entire guild to be swallowed in a cloud of dust.

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