The forest surrounding Magnolia wasn't the safest place in the world. Sure, there were places more dangerous, like Mount Hakobe or the Worth Woodsea, but Magnolia's forest was hazardous for many different reasons. Unsurprisingly, most of those reasons were because of the Fairy Tail guild, at least before they went into hiding.
Fairy Tail had often used the woods as a training ground for their young wizards, taking advantage of the terrain to teach scouting, field awareness, and spying. There were also plenty of open areas to have sparring sessions or for team battles. The possibilities were endless for what training could be performed in the forest. At least that's what one of their founding members had said.
Sadly, now the forest was calm and dormant, the only sounds being the many animals that called the place home. They were probably thrilled to have some peace and quiet, but it still felt wrong. The duo that walked through the forest one early morning at least felt that way.
The man that led the way had short blue hair and deep blue eyes, a strange red tattoo visible around his right one. He wore a dark cloak that covered his entire body, but kept the hood off, knowing it was unlikely for them to be seen in the forest.
He was followed by a shorter young woman with long pink hair and similar colored eyes, a pair of brown earmuffs sitting on top of her head. She wore a similar cloak to the man, also choosing to keep the hood down. She seemed a bit anxious as they continued to walk further into the forest.
"Are you sure you know where you're going?" She quickened her pace so now she could walk right next to the man. "This forest is massive. I don't think anyone could find their way in here."
The man felt a smile grow on his face as he looked towards the woman. "Erza once told me how to find it. Supposedly the location is made to be difficult to locate for those without the Fairy Tail guild mark," his smile turned into a smirk, "but not impossible." He then refocused on the woods in front of him.
Their journey went on for what felt like hours, the scenery around them barely changing. However, it was the slight differences that allowed them to find their intended location. Whether it was a twig that had snapped in half or a berry bush that had been picked clean, there were obvious signs of human life in the forest. All they had to do was follow the trail led by these signs to find their destination.
After another hour of walking, the man finally saw what he was looking for, or at least what he thought he was looking for. Before his eyes appeared to be a tree like any other in the forest, but upon closer inspection it was obvious that something was off. He could feel the presence of magic radiating off of it, as if it was a magical being itself. He began to approach to get a closer look.
The look on the woman's face became full of concern. "I don't think that's a good idea. The strength of the magic radiating from that tree is terrifying." While she was no slouch as a wizard herself, there were some things that could only be learned through having experienced them first hand.
The man didn't appear to take her concern seriously as he continued to walk closer to the mighty tree. The magic the tree exuded was indeed strong, but he didn't feel any danger from it. It felt to him like this was purely a defensive spell, something to trick those who weren't so adept at detecting magic at all. Even the rune knights would likely dismiss this as a magical beast marking its territory. It took true magic skill to tell exactly what purpose an unknown magic was used for.
He was finally right up against the tree when his senses warned him of any danger. Before he could react, he felt a thump on the top of his head. Something of this magnitude couldn't easily cause him harm, but the bristles of the broom sweeping his head were annoying, and the straw was getting stuck in his hair. He had known something like this was possible, but didn't think all the warnings he'd gotten would hold water. It would seem he had been wrong.
When the broom was finally removed from his head, he looked up to see a pair of arms sticking out of the tree, the bark warping around them in an unnatural way. The limbs were quickly retracted back into the wood and were replaced by a woman's head, a scowl plastered on her face.
The woman appeared to be older, her face slightly wrinkled, although it was unknown whether that was from aging of her constant frown. Her long pink hair was tied into a bun, which was held together with two large gold pins, with two strands bordering her face. Her red eyes glared daggers into the man under her, never even glancing towards the much younger woman a few meters behind him.
She simply stared at him for what felt like hours before she finally spoke, closing her eyes and letting the scowl fall from her face. "Damn that Makarov. He told me that these enchantments were supposed to be fool proof. That's the last time I trust that old hoot." The woman's head fell back into the tree before she was seen again, fully exiting from the other side.
The man let a small smile drift to his face. He had heard about how Fairy Tail's healer, Porlyusica, was temperamental and disliked company, but he never expected her to whack random strangers or to berate her own guildmates. It would seem he owed Erza an apology the next time he saw her.
"Sorry to bother you this fine morning, ma'am." He thought it best to start off as politely as possible. He didn't want to get on the bad side of one of Fairy Tail's elders. "I was hoping you could give me some directions." He put on his best innocent smile, hoping to look as non-threatening as possible.
Porlyusica didn't seem to fall for his charade and scoffed. "I'm not so much a recluse that I haven't heard of you, Jellal." He had expected this, but hoped that she knew more than his old reputation. "Don't try to play sweet with me. Just say what you're really here for so you can leave without stinking up the place." Meredy involuntarily smelled the air around herself, worried she might have an odor she didn't know about.
Jellal's smile quickly turned into a smirk. "Seems you don't like to mince words. I'll cut to the chase then." He paused to think his words over carefully. "I was hoping you'd be able to give us directions to Fairy Tail's newest hideout." This was the simplest way he could think to word his request without coming off as too arrogant or rude.
The healer scoffed again, looking at Jellal with more disdain than before. "And why would I do that? So you can cause them, and therefore me, more trouble?" She folded her arms across her chest, emphasizing her unwillingness to budge on this subject.
It was common knowledge that Fairy Tail's members got injured more than the average guild, but Jellal hadn't thought it'd been this bad. He was surprised to see the healer so annoyed with the idea of healing her comrades. He supposed doing a job like this for years on end had worn down Porylusica's patience, if she had any to begin with.
He knew he needed to try once again, so he decided it would be in his best interest to stress the importance of this matter. "I need to talk to Makarov about matters involving the magical underworld. The Barem alliance is making moves again, and I can't go to anyone else for help at this point."
To his surprise, the elderly woman didn't seem willing to budge. He had one more trick up his sleeve, but he was hoping he wouldn't have to use it. He needed to use the sympathy card. "I know this will inevitably cause you much stress. Your guild is reckless and borderline insane, but without their help, it's likely the entire kingdom, maybe even the entire continent, could fall to darkness." He tried to sound as sincere and heartfelt as possible. To his credit, he truly did feel this way about the situation.
He noticed the healer's stern expression falter for a second, but only for a second. Jellal looked back at Meredy, hoping she'd understand what his look meant. This was his true last card, the final nail in the coffin of his sympathy play.
A ring of pink appeared on the wrist of all three present, Meredy doing exactly what Jellal had hoped. If his words couldn't get through to the healer, he hoped that his emotions, as well as those of his partner, could find their way into her heart. He enjoyed this as much as he enjoyed being controlled by Ultear all those years ago, but he knew what had to be done.
Porlyusica still stood firm, but it was obvious she wouldn't last much longer. It wasn't impossible to resist Meredy's magic, but two people's emotions can easily overwhelm the feelings of one. A few minutes after the pink rings appeared, the healer dropped her arms and gave a heavy sigh. "Fine. I'll give you the directions. Just remove this pink thing from my wrist."
Within seconds, the sensory link magic was gone and Jellal was taking notes on how to exactly find Fairy Tail. It wasn't as complicated as he was expecting, but it seemed to be a very powerful magic that hid them. He was impressed to say the least. It seemed they were taking as many precautions as possible to keep themselves undetectable.
When they were finally done, Porlyusica quickly made her way back into her hidden home, screaming at them to leave before her voice was muffled by the magic barrier. Jellal and Meredy smiled, happy to finally be finished with this task. They then departed on the long trek back to Magnolia, dreading the next conversation in store for them. At least this recipient wouldn't complain about hearing it..
The office had become a mess. The walls were covered in miscellaneous papers, red strings connecting specific details together that may or may not have been associated at all. All the furniture in the room had been pushed against the far wall, making as much room for pacing as possible, a rut already having formed in an odd pattern around the room. Sitting in the center was a man who was beginning to look older and older as the days went by.
Gran Doma was not having a good time. Ever since they'd disbanded the Fairy Tail guild, his days had been even more stressful. He had thought Yajima's threat a joke, but now he fully understood what that old man meant. This was indeed going as poorly as he thought possible.
First and foremost, the Fairy Tail guild was still eluding them. They had spent every waking moment of the last three months searching, but they were still coming up with nothing. To make this situation worse, Doranbolt was now missing. Lahar had been devastated to hear his friend hadn't sent back a report in over a week, meaning, by council standards, he was either dead or a traitor. Lahar wouldn't hear it and had been searching for Doronbolt himself for the past week. It was honestly a sad sight to behold, but Gran Doma had other matters to attend to.
His current focus was on Doranbolt's failed plan. He was currently uncertain on who had authorized the release of Cobra, but when he found them he would be sure to wring their neck. Not only was letting an S-class bounty out a moronic idea, but due to this blunder, every member of the Oracion Seis had escaped. All the prison staff showed obvious signs of poisoning, making it obvious who had broken them out.
To make matters worse, Cobra's prison break had allowed other inmates the chance to escape. Whether this was also part of his plan, they couldn't say, but that didn't matter at this point. There was now an influx of dark mages back in the world, and there was nothing they could do at the moment.
Gran Doma felt that the only way his luck could be worse was if Grimoire Heart somehow reemerged. He knew how impossible this was, since Lahar had confirmed their demise at the hands of Fairy Tail, but he was willing to believe anything at this point. He somehow felt that the Barem Alliance was once again nearing its full strength, and the magic world was nowhere near ready.
Standing up, he walked over to his paper wall and began to study it for what felt like the millionth time. He knew there had to be some thread that would lead him to one of his problems. There had to be one small morsel of information he had overlooked. Something that would crack this whole debacle wide open.
They'd gotten testimonies from all the guilds that had been connected to Fairy Tail, but they either knew nothing or were covering for the dark guild. If the latter was true, Gran Doma would make sure to disband them as well. Protecting a dark guild was one of the most heinous crimes a mage could commit, and it wouldn't go unpunished for long.
They'd interviewed nearly every resident of Magnolia, or at least those they saw as important enough. They had surely thought someone would be willing to give the guild up, but they had truly underestimated the loyalty that city had to Fairy Tail. Even if any resident had known where the guild was hiding, they didn't seem too willing to give that information up. There wasn't much further they could go down that route.
They'd scoured every single news article and wizarding magazine they could find, hoping that Fairy Tail would somehow pop up. Even Sorcerer's Weekly, a magazine willing to publish any wizarding drama, didn't have any details about the guild. Stories about Fairy Tail had fully vanished from all publications across Fiore, something that would never have happened if they hadn't been disbanded. It would seem that the news wasn't interested in covering them anymore.
This left the council, and therefore Gran Doma, nowhere else to turn. He'd thought about reinstating them as an official guild, but going back on his decree now would only show the world that the council could make mistakes. He couldn't have that. He'd simply have to deal with the consequences of his actions, no matter how much stress they would put him under.
It was at this moment that a knock was heard on the door to the office. Without waiting for an answer, the door was gently opened and one of the council's oldest members entered. Org had a look of pity on his face, seeing his superior in such a sorry state. He finally decided that it was time to do something about the man sitting on the floor in front of him.
Without saying a word, Org took Gran Doma by the scruff of his collar and dragged him out of the office, slamming the door behind them. He continued to haul the limp man, who would usually have fought against this treatment, all the way to a nearby breakroom, where a circle of five chairs was waiting. Most of these were already filled, leaving two empty. Belno, Michello, and Lahar were seated, seemingly waiting for Org to return. Gran Doma was placed into a seat between Belno and Org and then the impromptu intervention began.
The first to speak up was Belno, her tone a mix of sadness and compassion. "I've tried to find better ways to say this, but I haven't thought of anything yet." She took a breath to gather her thoughts. "To be blunt, you've become too obsessed with the Fairy Tail guild. It's time to stop." Everyone else in the circle nodded in agreement.
The next person to speak was Michello. "I'm in agreement that we need to find their location and bring them to justice, but the way you're going about it is extremely unhealthy." He thought for a moment before adding, "Besides, you never acted this way about any member of the Barem Alliance, and we still have no leads on the whereabouts of Tartaros. It's time to take a break."
The group was silent for a moment, the final two not ready to say their piece. They wanted to let it sink in that he was putting more effort into finding a guild of previous legal mages than one of the leading dark guilds in Fiore. Gran Doma's face began to contort into odd expressions at this realization, fully understanding the severity of this fact.
It was only then that Lahar spoke up. "Sir, you've been neglecting your other duties as chairman in order to pursue Fairy Tail. This was overlooked for the first week because their disappearance was unexpected, but we cannot continue to function as an organization without you." His voice began to take on an extremely serious tone. "Because of your actions these past few months, there's plenty of reason for you to be forcefully removed from your position and stripped of your title. This is our last effort in keeping that from happening."
This seemed to finally bring Gran Doma back to his senses. He immediately sat up in his chair and seemed much like the man they all knew. Seeing this, Org finally thought it time to speak his part. "It's time to let Fairy Tail go." He received a glare from the chairman, but continued anyway. "We're not saying to stop searching or to forget. All we want you to do is to take a step back and approach this from a healthier perspective."
Gran Doma looked confused. "How would I do that?" He couldn't comprehend the idea of letting go of his white whale.
The response he received was both unexpected, yet completely obvious. "Return to your normal work. Leave the fairy hunt to the Rune Knights, it is their job after all." Org was not cutting corners here. He needed to be clear with the man in front of him in order for the point to sink in.
Taking one more look at the man next to him, it appeared the message had finally been understood. Without saying a word, Gran Doma stood from his chair and began walking confidently back to his office. He immediately began tearing down his wall of papers, not caring what happened to the work he'd put so much effort into over the past three months. The other council members simply watched as the man they once knew seemed to come back in full force.
With his rampage over, Gran Doma turned to the watching crowd, a spark reignited in his eyes. "Why are you all just standing there? There's work to be done." Though his words were harsh and said with his usual anger, not one of the onlookers missed the small smile that crossed his face.
Everything in the council had returned to some sense of normalcy. Gran Doma wouldn't stop his hunt, but would take his fellow council members' words to heart. He'd leave the bulk of the work to the Rune Knights so he could focus on other matters. It was now time for him to remove Fairy Tail from his urgent list.
This would be something both he and the council would come to regret in the coming months. If only they could see the future.
The carriage was slowly making its way along a dusty dirt road, if it could even be classified as one. It was more akin to a forest footpath that had been taken centuries ago. They were only able to follow it because they had someone with a good sense of smell and someone smart enough to read a map. Regardless of that, they had been out here for far too long.
Lucy sighed, seated inside the carriage with the large amount of luggage. They'd taken this quest because it was supposed to be easy. A simple protection quest of guarding a merchant as he traveled through the Worth Woodsea. It was common knowledge this place was filled with dangerous animals and evil mages, but their group had been through far worse.
To be fair, it wasn't the difficulty of the quest that was beginning to weigh on the trio as they slowly trudged through the woods, it was the length. Every five minutes or so they'd be attacked. It was mostly wildlife that wanted to steal the magical fruits which the carriage carried, but every few days a dark mage would make an attempt, presumably hoping to gain power from the contraband fruits. Luckily they were usually frozen solid by Gray within a second or two. None of them compared to the Oracion Seis or the Seven Kin.
It had been nearly a month since they'd left Magnolia, and Lucy was definitely beginning to feel it. Blisters had begun to form on her feet from all the walking, all her clothes were filthy, and she felt disgusting having been unable to shower for most of the trip. They had of course taken breaks near rivers and lakes, but she knew those never really cut it when compared to her shower at home. She was unsurprised that Natsu and Gray didn't feel the same way.
She was just glad to be off her feet for a bit. They had taken turns riding and walking, Natsu never taking his turn in the carriage for obvious reasons. Lucy didn't mind since that meant more time in the carriage for her. Sadly, it was nearing the end of her turn and knew that Gray would come knocking soon. She decided to make the most of what little time she had left.
She pulled a small notebook from her satchel and began to write as best she could with the bumpy road. The contents of the book were a mix of book ideas, character concepts, as well as more practical thoughts. She had used this book in the early stages of hiding from the authorities, brainstorming ways to elude the council for as long as possible. It was with the help of her and Levy that Freed was able to create such a powerful enchantment. She'd let the other two take most of the credit though, since all she had done was read up on enchantments. Levy had created the basis for the magic while Freed was the only one able to put it into place. It was truly a miracle their cloaking spell worked.
The notebook also came in handy when it came to finding better ways for her, and her guildmates, to train. Since joining the underworld, it had become quickly apparent just how important strength was. If you couldn't prove yourself, there was no telling what would happen to you. That's not to say that the legal guilds weren't strong, but in terms of power density, most dark guilds tended to be a bit more picky when taking recruits.
This simple fact meant that Fairy Tail needed to remain at peak strength at all times. This was especially important for those that worked in the field. Those that stayed hidden in the guild could do as they pleased, but going outside meant you were representing the guild for all eyes. If any dark mage saw them as weak, it'd only be a matter of time before a war broke out.
Lucy would often use her spare time on missions to come up with different training ideas, hoping to find some way to continuously boost their power. Unfortunately, most of the ways she thought of were impractical due to their current situation. They couldn't simply use Magnolia's forest like before, and the guild hall would explode before taking the full impact of some of their members' magic.
Still, she kept writing down her ideas on the off chance there came a time they were practical. For now, all they could do was practice on jobs and train their bodies to better withstand their magic output. Magic control was also something they could hone while remaining hidden, something Lucy knew she herself needed to work on.
She hadn't been gifted with the largest magic supply out there, so she needed to learn as precise control as she could. This way, she could spend less to achieve more. She had finally been able to summon two spirits while using the same magic as calling one, but she knew that wasn't precise enough. She needed to continue to hone her output so that she could summon one after another without causing strain to her body. This, she thought, was the best way for her to train.
Lucy was suddenly brought back to reality by the sound of Gray's magic whirling through the air. It seemed another dark mage had tried, and failed, to steal their cargo and was paying the price. She knew she wasn't needed outside, but didn't feel right just sitting there, so she carefully put away her notes and exited the carriage.
To her surprise, the man currently frozen up to the neck in Gray's ice didn't appear to be a wizard. At least from his appearance, he looked much more like a businessman. He was dressed in a well fitted dark blue suit with an orange tie. It wasn't uncommon for mages to wear dress attire, one look as Blue Pegasus made that point obvious, but the clothes wizards wore were always different from those worn by the common people, often being enchanted for protection. This man's suit had nothing magical about it and was torn in multiple places.
"What's going on out here?" Lucy asked, still trying to take in the scene. It was obvious something had caused Gray to go on the offensive, but she couldn't see the suited man being a threat.
Gray didn't appear to know anymore than she did. "It was more of an instinctual reaction than anything else." He shrugged, not caring much about the current situation. "He came running out of some bushes screaming like a Vulcan, so I froze him without a second thought." Lucy could understand his reasoning. They were all beginning to become a bit fed up with this mission.
The man was currently knocked out, assumedly due to Gray's icy surprise. His body had probably shut down after being stopped so abruptly. Lucy sighed, knowing this was all going to lead to more headaches in the days to come. "Can you unfreeze him? I want to wake him up for questioning, but I don't think that's possible while you have him encased in ice."
Gray looked at the ice, assessing whether he should expend the magic in order to dispel it himself. Figuring it'd be a waste of magic, they had to conserve what they could on a long mission like this, he looked to the sky and yelled, "Hey flame for brains, get down here."
Within a second, Natsu soared down from the sky, being carried by his faithful blue partner. He looked angrily towards Gray, his anger causing the temperature around him to rise unintentionally. "Who you calling flame for brains, Ice Queen?" All Gray could do was smirk as his plan worked perfectly.
The unknown man's body began to go limp as the ice keeping him upright melted away. Lucy caught him before he could fall, but due to his large size, all she did was soften the blow. She then took a rope from the carriage and tied the man's arms behind his back. She may not have seen him as a threat, but she didn't want to let her guard down.
She began to tap the unconscious man on the shoulder, trying to wake him up. When this failed, she resorted to slapping him across the face, not willing to waste any more time than necessary. Luckily for the man's health, he woke up after the second slap to the cheek. He was obviously surprised by the situation he was in.
Lucy tried to be as cordial as possible, putting on the most empathetic expression she could. "Good morning sleepy head. How was your ice nap?" It would seem that all her training in the Heartfilia manor hadn't caused her to lose her natural sass. "Could you explain why you're running through the Worth Woodsea like a wild animal?"
The man simply looked up at Lucy, fear beginning to well up on his face. Within seconds, his face was filled with dread. "You're one of them. I'm sorry. Please forgive me." The man was sweating profusely as he positioned himself the best he could into a low bow.
Lucy was surprised by the man's demeanor, unable to say anything right away. This allowed the man to continue rambling. "I swear I'll never cross your guild again. It was a stupid idea. One of my idiot employees thought it up, and I was so angry that I didn't think of the consequences." Lucy was still stunned by the man's current state, but upon hearing what the man just said, one person entered the conversation.
"How did you cross the guild?" Smoke was pouring out of Natsu's mouth as he asked him questions, his anger at Gray's name calling turning into true fury at the man's statement. "Start speaking or I'll char your body so bad no one will recognize you." Lucy had forgotten how terrifying Natsu could be when someone was threatening the guild.
The now quivering man did his best to answer the question, not wanting to be on the receiving end of a dragon's fire. "After being humiliated by your guild during a assassination job I requested, I went to other dark guilds seeking retribution. No one would take up the offer though, so I had to look pretty hard to find someone that would. I even went looking for the remains of Grimoire Heart, thinking they'd be willing to knock you fairies down, but all I found was a sad excuse for a man who was playing with imaginary friends." The man was beginning to ramble on at this point, but he had gotten his message across.
Natsu's rage began to subside, mostly because it was obvious this man was no real threat to the guild. He walked away, motioning for Happy to take him back to the skies.
Lucy and Gray had heard the man's story, but one part stood out to them. Grimoire Heart was still active. It sounded like they weren't much of a threat anymore, but even they knew that at least one of the kin had survived Tenrou Island. They'd make sure to inform Master Makarov that Rustyrose was still active somewhere inside the Worth Woodsea. It might become a problem in the future if he returned his guild to its full power.
They cut the ropes on the man and continued their mission. They only had to guard this carriage through the woods and then they were free to head back to Magnolia. The town on the other side of the forest was the destination of the magic fruit, and luckily also had a train station they could use to expedite their return trip, even though Natsu heavily fought against it. If all went to plan, they'd be home in a week and could rest for a while on the payment they'd receive from this relatively easy job.
To his surprise, Jellal found Fairy Tail much faster than he anticipated. He may have gotten the detailed instructions and map from Porlyusica, but even he was astounded to see the run-down building before him. The magic that coated the building was so faint that it wouldn't have even registered to him if he hadn't been told it was there. It was truly astounding that they were able to hide their enormous presence so easily. He now understood why the council had been in an uproar trying to locate them.
Meredy, who was standing next to him, seemed skeptical of the building. He couldn't blame her. No one would believe that the most powerful guild in Fiore resided in what appeared to be an abandoned store. She gave Jellal a questioning look, making sure he knew what he was doing.
In response, he gave a slight nod before walking towards the building's door. His quick investigation revealed faint purple runes had been etched into the inside of the door frame. This was an easy, yet surprisingly effective, way to hide the magic from sight. If you weren't specifically looking for them, you'd never know they were there.
Jellal placed his hand on the door and quickly opened it. He didn't want to blow Fairy Tail's cover, so he made sure he and Meredy were inside as fast as possible. The door magically shut behind them and they were greeted to an unfamiliar sight.
The inside of the building looked just as dilapidated as the outside, the only clean surface appearing to be the floor. The only furniture visible was a desk and a few chairs, all wooden and worn from overuse. A man could be seen sitting at the desk, but Jellal couldn't seem to remember his name. He did, however, remember he was Fairy Tail's resident telepath. He seemed the most logical person to have working their front desk now that they were dealing with many unsavory and shady individuals.
Unsurprisingly, the telepath seemed to recognize Jellal instantly, quickly moving his pointer and middle fingers to his forehead. Jellal presumed the man was communicating with someone else in the guild. It only took a few seconds before the man began to speak out loud to them. "I've been told to ask what business you have here today, Jellal." The man's voice wavered slightly, unable to keep up his stern facade.
Jellal let a smile emerge onto his face, happy to see the master hadn't changed a bit. "Tell Master Makarov that I wish to speak with him about matters regarding the movements of power within the magic underworld." It wasn't that Jellal didn't want to inform the entire guild of what he knew, he just didn't wish to cause unneeded stress and fear.
The man behind the desk once again placed his fingers to his head, but a second later, the booming voice of Master Makarov was heard throughout the small room. "Let him in, Warren. This is something that we can't look past."
The man nodded and quickly began leading the two members of Crime Sorciere back to the front door. They were instructed to exit the building, which they did, followed closely by Warren. He then opened the door again, and led them back inside, revealing the true guildhall. Porlyusica had clued them in on how the magic cloaking the guild had worked, but even then, it was jarring seeing a completely different room appear out of nowhere.
Inside, it appeared like Fairy Tail hadn't changed at all. The hall was still filled with a cacophony of noise, the many wizards not seeming to care how many laws they were currently breaking by just being here. The smells that wafted over from the bar and kitchen showed no signs of a food shortage, meaning that Magnolia was still supplying them somehow. And based on the many barrels that surrounded Cana, they weren't wanting for booze. This whole situation proved just how hard it would be to fully stomp out this guild.
After leading them inside, Warren quickly made his leave, knowing this was not a conversation he would be privy to at this moment. He knew that the information would be shared in due time, but that didn't stop him from worrying about what mayhem this meeting could cause the guild. Being their desk clerk had caused Warren to take extreme cautions, even when dealing with someone he knew.
It wasn't difficult for Jellal to find Master Makarov. Even with all the ruckus surrounding him, the master stood out as a calm presence radiating from the bar. If Jellal didn't know better, he'd have seen the master as the elderly man he was, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The former wizard saint, stripped of his title when Fairy Tail went rogue, was not one to be trifled with.
Approaching the master, Jellal was unsurprised when the old man spoke. "You've come at a terrible time, Jellal." He took a deep swig from the mug in front of him, assumedly filled with beer. "We've just begun to finally settle down here. Now I'm sure you've come with news that will break this peace as easily as a Vulcan breaks a twig." The master gave a heavy sign before hopping off the bar. "Well, follow me. It won't do to discuss such dreary topics while everyone else is in revelry."
Jellal was led by Makarov up to the guild's second floor and into a room he presumed was the Master's office. The short man took residence behind the large oak desk at the far end of the room, motioning for Jellal to sit opposite him.
Jellal moved to take the seat, taking in the room around him. It appeared nothing like the image he'd had in his head. There were no battle trophies or magical items. In fact, almost nothing in Makarov's office was magical. The walls were lined with portraits and pictures, all of which contained the smiling faces of guild members.
The closer he walked to the desk, the older the portraits looked until he finally reached the desk and looked above the short man. Hung in the place of honor was a picture containing five people. Three appeared to be young men no older than twenty-five, while the other two were younger girls in their early teens. Jellal was surprised to see such a ragtag group in a place of honor in the guild master's office.
Makarov, easily able to read Jellal's expression, gave a sad smile. "I see you're confused. Isn't it only natural to place the founders of one's family in a place of reverence?"
Jellal quickly understood and nodded back to the elderly man. It shouldn't have been surprising to him that the most rambunctious and over the top guild in Fiore had been founded by a group of teens just looking for a place to belong. Jellal was fairly certain that counted for just about every member of this insane guild.
Makarov brought Jellal back to attention with a slight cough. "Now, I'm sure you didn't come here to learn about the guild founders." Makarov's gaze became more serious than Jellal had ever seen. "I believe you mentioned something about the powers of the magical underworld?"
Jellal audible gulped, not expecting such a serious tone from the usually jovial man. He took his seat and began the conversation in earnest. "In broad terms, I guess it could be said that the Barem Alliance is nearly back at full power."
Makarov took a second, presumably thinking over the many possibilities, before motioning for Jellal to explain. "First, regarding the last remaining guild, Tartaros. After the destruction of the Oracion Seis and Grimoire Heart, they began to make much bigger plays, moving into the now unoccupied territories. While I can't say for certain, I think they were hoping for the destruction of the alliance. Now that the alliance is technically gone, I believe they are going to enact whatever plan they have."
Makarov nodded along, taking in all the information given to him. "Has their guild hall been located yet? Without such information, knowing everything else is pointless."
Jellal shook his head. "They are still currently evading everyone. I'd say their cloaking is probably on par, if not better than yours." He paused for a moment. "However, we are still doing the best we can to track them down." This was the one piece of information he wished they had.
Makarov took a few notes down on a piece of paper in front of him, making sure he wouldn't forget anything when he brought this to the rest of the guild. If they were to ever make contact with Tartaros, he'd have to make sure everyone was prepared for a terrible fight.
Jellal waited for Makarov to finish taking his notes before moving on to the next topic. "Second, I'm sure you've heard of the mass prison break that took place at the council only a few weeks ago?" Makarov nodded. "Based on what information I've been able to obtain, the Seis are currently holed up somewhere near Mount Hakobe while just about every other criminal went missing in the Worth Woodsea. The Seis being back is bad enough, but with so many dark mages being untrackable, I can't foresee this going well for Fiore."
Makarov really needed to think this over. His guild had taken down the Seis multiple times at this point, and if the reports from his guildmates were correct, most of them were simply damaged children led by a terrible parent. He'd definitely need to have someone look into this matter as soon as possible.
As for the rest of the criminals, they could be dealt with in time. The Worth Woodsea was a big place. Looking for them would take weeks at best. He was sure that someone would eventually pop up and reveal their hiding place. Most dark mages can't stand sitting around for too long.
After gathering his thoughts and taking even more notes, Makarov looked up at Jellal to see if there was any more he wished to say. Based on his reaction, it appeared there was something, but he was hesitant to speak. "Come now, child, there is no reason to hide information, no matter how upsetting it might be."
Jellal took a second to compose himself. This last piece of information, while important, could possibly bring back bad memories he didn't wish to if unneeded. However, based on Makarov's words, he had no reason to hold back. "Lastly, there has been whisperings that Rustyrose, the last confirmed surviving member of Grimoire Heart is trying to gain support from the dark guilds that used to be under them. So far his actions seem to be fruitless, but with all the recently escaped convicts, I'm worried he may find support through them."
A vision of Hades flashed inside Makarov's mind and a mix of anger and sadness began to flood his body. He quickly stifled the emotions, not wanting to explode in front of Jellal. "Thank you for the information, Jellal. You've given me much to think about." He stood from his desk and walked to his office door. "Have Mira make you something at the bar and tell her to put it on my tab. I need some time to myself."
Jellal stood and walked out of the room, heading for the bar. He definitely understood why the man's demeanor had changed so much so quickly. Grimoire Heart had caused Fairy Tail the most pain out of any dark guild they'd fought and them possibly reemerging was the worst news he could have given the Master. He'd just have to hope the man was able to take it well.
The trio released a sigh of relief as they finally made their way into the guild hall. Nearly two months had passed since they departed on their quest, and needless to say, they were all tired in their own ways.
Natsu immediately made his way over to the bar and began listing off nearly every meal they offered to Kinana. It seemed he'd missed the guild's cooking and couldn't decide on what he wanted more. At least they didn't have to worry about any wasted food. Natsu's voracious appetite was well known.
Gray was immediately pounced upon by Juvia, and, although he looked and acted annoyed, most people knew his frozen heart was beginning to melt when it came to the rain woman. Said woman quickly pulled Gray to a secluded booth so that she could catch up on her "Gray Time." To his credit, he only sighed, showing the world that he truly was falling for Juvia.
Lucy walked over to the nearest booth to the entrance and slumped down into it. The mission had fully drained her, and she didn't know when her stamina or magic would fully recover. This last week of the trip had been extra sapping since the number of dark mages they had to fight increased dramatically. The density felt odd, but Lucy's brain was more focused on recovering at the moment. She would need a nap before she went to talk to the Master about their odd encounter in the Worth Woodsea.
In the corner of the guild, Juvia was now acting uncharacteristically hesitant. It seemed that her initial joy at seeing Gray had been a knee-jerk reaction as she now remembered what she had been tasked with doing. She stared into the eyes of the man before her, hoping nothing bad would come from this conversation or the scroll currently burning a hole in her pocket. She pulled it out and held it under the table so that Gray wouldn't see it yet.
Gray easily noticed her odd behavior. "Is something wrong, Juvia. You seemed more subdued than usual. I'm not complaining, but did something happen while I was away?" He'd never admit that he was worried about the rain woman, even to the woman herself.
Juvia quickly shook her head, annoyed she'd been so easy to read. "I'm fine. I just have something on my mind that I need to talk to you about and am uncertain how to go about it." When the master had given her this task, she hadn't imagined it being this hard, but the longer she held onto the scroll, the more darkness she felt emanating from it. She didn't wish for her beloved Gray to be consumed by this magic, but she knew that wasn't her choice to make.
There was a silence between them for what felt like centuries. Eventually, Gray couldn't stand it anymore. "The only way you're going to feel better is if you get the information out, right? So what's the point of trying to find the perfect way to say it? I'll know you mean no harm if you happen to say it in the wrong way." He gave her the best smile he could, hoping to lighten the mood and make it easier for her to talk. It appeared to be working, as Juvia's expression finally began to brighten, if only slightly.
To Gray's surprise, Juvia produced a scroll from underneath the table and held it out to him. "Master Makarov told me to give this to you. He didn't tell me what it was or why you were supposed to have it. All he told me was that you should be careful with it and to only use it if you're ready to go down a path of no return."
Gray took the scroll from Juvia, having to pull slightly to release her grip. The single page of paper was tattered and frail, barely being held together it would seem. It was closed using a light purple ribbon that shined even though there was no light source directed at it. He could feel the powerful magic that emanated from the paper, recognizing it as ice magic instantly. However, it felt different compared to his Ice-Make Magic. It felt darker, complex, almost evil in nature. He could understand why Juvia was hesitant to give this to him.
He'd been known in the past to do stupid things for little reason other than impulse. He'd threatened to use Iced Shell more times than he'd like to remember, and he was certain he'd do it again. If this scroll contained dangerous magic that had the possibility of harming the user for power, he was sure that when pushed into a corner, he'd use it without hesitation. It was just the way his brain functioned.
Juvia's gaze was still glued to the scroll, debating on whether or not she had made the right choice. She trusted in the master's judgment, but she knew just how self-sacrificing Gray could be. She just hoped that there would be no reason for her darling to use the magic contained within the old, withering piece of paper. At least, not anytime soon.
Lucy was stirred awake by the sounds of fighting. Based on the voices she could hear, she assumed Natsu, Gajeel and Gray had turned another shouting match into a brawl. There was nothing unusual about that, and if she hadn't felt so well rested from her nap, she'd have definitely gone right back to sleep. It wouldn't be the first time she'd slept through a bar fight.
Looking around the hall, nothing appeared out of place. She assumed it was early afternoon. The bar seemed calmer than at meal times but was also busy enough to have Kinana and Mira rushing around with mugs of alcohol. Cana always kept them occupied, but it was only after meals that the entire guild decided to drink like sailors. Lucy decided to not include the many drinking parties the guild had.
Staring at the bar had helped jog something in Lucy's memory. She stood from her seat and began to make her way over to one of the patrons currently using the bar as his seat rather than using a stool.
Approaching the master, Lucy collected her thoughts about what had occurred in the Worth Woodsea. The strange encounter with the well dressed man was the most concerning, what with him hinting at the reemergence of Grimoire Heart, but the amount of mages they encountered also had felt off. It was a well known fact that the woodsea was a place where dark mages hid, but the frequency they fought them near the end of the trip was concerning. It almost felt as if the woods were now overflowing, and there weren't enough hiding spots for them all. Definitely something to bring to the master.
Makarov was sitting calmly on the bar, an untouched stein of ale sitting to his side. If that wasn't concerning enough, Lucy saw the slight scowl on the man's face, an expression she rarely saw on the usually jovial man. It was only when the guild was in trouble that the master would take on such serious expressions. She wasn't sure what the man knew, but she was sure that it would most likely have extreme consequences for her and her guild mates.
The master apparently sensed her approaching, lifting his head and opening his eyes once Lucy finally reached the bar. She sat down next to the man and ordered a tea from Mira, hoping to be as inconspicuous as possible. She may have wanted to talk with the master, but she didn't wish to cause extra stress by acting frazzled.
"So, how was your recent quest?" The master opened the conversation before Lucy had expected, and it almost felt like he knew why she had approached him. "You three were gone longer than we thought you'd be. Was the trip more grueling than expected?"
Lucy thought her words over very carefully. She now knew Master Makarov was well aware of some parts of her story at least. She decided to start with the simple stuff. "The amount of dark mages in the Worth Woodsea was greater than expected. It seemed rather odd, especially with the encounters only increasing as the trip went along. It was like there weren't enough places for them to go."
The master nodded at her words. "That makes sense. While you were out, the council had a massive prison break." Lucy gasped in surprise. She didn't have much respect left for that organization, but she knew that they were at least good for one thing. It would seem that had changed though. "Only a handful of them were recaptured, and most of the high ranked targets were last tracked to the Worth Woodsea. However, with how maze-like that forest is, it's unlikely the council will be able to round them up any time soon." The master finally took a swig of his ale, although Lucy couldn't tell if it was out of habit or if the man's thoughts were finally calming down.
After a moment of silence, Lucy remembered the other topic she needed to bring up. "There was also another strange encounter we had." The master seemed interested. "One man we caught wasn't strong in the slightest, but he mentioned a name I hoped to never hear again." Looking to the master, she could see he was urging her to continue. "He spoke of the remnants of Grimoire Heart." Lucy saw the master stiffen slightly. "While I'm uncertain at this point, I believe the last remaining dregs of that guild are hiding within the depth of the Worth Woodsea, and if what the man said was true, Rustyrose is not of a sound state of mind. I fear he might be trying to rebuild Grimoire Heart"
It would seem that she had said something that lit a fire in the master's eyes, as he shot off the bar and landed on the banister of the second floor. The sound echoed through the guild hall, all the fights and conversation swiftly ending. The magic emanating off of the master was palpable, along with his rage. Everyone wished to see what had caused the man they all respected to burst.
"Members of the Fairy Tail, it has come to my attention that the biggest thorns in our sides are making movements in the dark." The master's voice was booming throughout the entire building. "Oracion Seis, Grimoire Heart, and Tartaros are all simultaneously working towards nefarious goals. Now, if we were still members of the light side, we'd have no way to squash these pests unless given the go ahead by the council." A collection of boos were heard from the crowd, loudest of which coming from the reckless trio brawling just a moment ago. "But they've cut us loose. This means we have no restraints. We can deal with these problems the Fairy Tail way. So let's fight, so that the rest of the world can sleep soundly, knowing that the magical underworld has finally been cleaned up." A roaring applause was heard throughout the building, and, had it not been for Freed's enchantment, it would have been heard through the entirety of Magnolia.
"An excellent idea, third master. The Barem Alliance has terrorized the world for far too long." The cheers came to a halt as a soft, young voice was heard from behind the crowd. Sitting in the rafters above the front door, her legs dangling, was their first master, Mavis Vermilion. "Train hard, everyone. We don't want anyone getting hurt during our war now, do we?" Her sweet smile caused a mix of emotions to flood the crowd. They were ecstatic that the first master approved of their fighting spirit, but they were also terrified of what ideas the woman known as the Fairy Tactician would cook up for a war of this magnitude.
A/N: Holy hell that chapter was longer than I ever expected it to be. Honestly, if I had been smart about it, I could have broken it up into two, but by the time that thought occurred to me, I was already nearly done. It also would have gotten done soon if work was so draining on my mental state, but what ya gonna do? Next chapter should be shorter and hopefully I'm able to get it out in a much shorter time (no promises).
Also, training arc time.
