Fairy Tail: Eien no bōken o kakinaosu
Chapter 4: Dear Kaby
After bringing Macao back to Magnolia, we meet three new members like Lucy: Setsuko Koori, an ice dragon Slayer, Aspen, a weather Wizard, and Shiro, a cat just like Happy. We decided to form a team with Lucy and take our first job together. Our mission is to get and destroy a book called Daybreak for a man known as Kaby Melon. When sneaking Lucy in as a Maid did not work, we sneak in. But we not only found the book, but it belongs to a famous author. Everlue seems to not know it is secrets as Lucy leaves to go uncover them, leaving myself, Natsu, and Setsuko to fight the vanish brothers, merc guild members of the Souther Wolves. Despite their best effort, we were able to wipe the floor with them, but Lucy is in danger as Everlue is right behind her tail.
Do not worry Lucy, we will get to you!
At the battleground in what is left of the first floor, the older shorter brother spoke up with his pupil-less eyes while blowing smoke out of his mouth. He could not believe what had just happened, three kids got the better of them, two of them light and fire mages respectably. Around the defeated Southern Wolves members, the first floor still looked like a complete mess, Virgo and the four maids still littered the ground. The Vanish Brothers, who thought this would be an easy job, protect Duke Everlue's mansion from intruders, were defeated by three mages, each with a different magic. They were overwhelmed, clothes and bodies black as charcoal, barely could move except for their eyes while remaining blank in shock. The weakness of a wizard, could they be wrong?
"W-were we were beaten by Fire and Ice wizards, especially one that didn't specialize in just fire, but Take Over magic as well? Didn't they say, including that blue-haired girl that to not underestimate them?" the older bald brother asked in a daze.
The younger taller raven-haired brother then asked his older shorter bald brother a question as he too blew smoke out of his mouth, also having pupil-less eyes. "Hey bro, will you tell me when the room stops spinning?"
The three friends then surveyed their work after Lisanna reverted to her original form, surrounding herself in a golden light and back to her old self. She sighed then looked toward the mercenaries with her hands on her hips. "That will teach ya to make an enemy of Fairy Tail." Lisanna then turned around with her hands still on her hips.
"They were strong, but they should have thought twice before underestimating mages like us." Setsuko said puffing her chest with pride.
"That takes care of that, but it looks like Everlue might catch up to them." Natsu said assumingly, crossing his arms.
Lisanna and Setsuko nodded in agreement, thanks to those members of Southern Wolves, Everlue could have already caught up to Lucy, aspen, Shiro, and Happy. The white-haired mage looked at them and thought of their occupation but decided to make fun of the two brothers she, Natsu, and Setsuko just defeated, smirking cockily at them in an expression like Natsu's.
"Well, we better go find Lucy, Happy, Shiro, and Aspen. These Merchant Fairies are toast and out of our hairs, we can focus on getting to our friends," she said to the two who nodded with her.
"Already, let's look for a way to catch up to them; I don't want that beauty-hating creep to harm Lucy-san." Setsuko said coldly as she followed the two to which the two-brother cried out weakly.
"We're mercenaries!" as they brought attention to the mistake that the Takeover mage made.
As Lisanna, Natsu, and Setsuko went in search of Lucy, Aspen, Happy, and Shiro, the beaten-up Virgo's eyes were glowing showing that she was now awake as they passed her. The gorilla maid was not in a happy mood as she was defeated by the pink haired Dragon Slayer as her face was screwed into an angry frown.
Down in the sewers with her hands being held back by Everlue, Lucy continued to struggle with the short blonde male in his grasp, grinning evilly after Lucy's remark about him. Lucy was in pain from his grip, the duke's grip was strong for a short man like himself.
"Me, an enemy of literature?" he asked in surprise, treating what Lucy said to be a complete joke, "My massive collection of books and art proves that I am culture's greatest friend."
"But that ugly maid collection of yours just proves that you don't know squat about beauty!" Lucy retorted staining in pain to the mistake that Everlue made regarding her maid appearance earlier, calling the blonde Fairy Tail member ugly and the maids he had 'beautiful'. She was angry at him for insulting her beauty, something she was proof of and worked hard to keep. Everlue was furious, hearing the blonde Celestial Spirit mage insult his maids like that in front of him, He gripped her arms tightly, making her cried in pain more.
"How dare you mock them; they are the very definition of beauty!" Everlue shouted furiously at her insult as he proceeded to twist the arms of Lucy.
"Ahh!" Lucy cried out screaming in pain. Everlue looked from the back of the pain inflected girl and to Daybreak in Lucy's hand, eyeing the book with evil intent. The book's contents were more important than the pain he was given her, not caring in the slightest about the physical harm he could have caused her.
"What secret does it hold?" Everlue asked the Celestial Wizard his eyes to the book while keeping a tight grip on the girl in question. "Let me guess he buried a fortune, and there's a treasure map hidden inside!" But Lucy did not answer or reply to his question, making the short blonde male look back to her back. Lucy continued to struggle not to say a word and Everlue realized this and taunted Lucy, his tone more demanding and threatening. "Tell me! Or I will snap your arms like the toothpicks they are!"
Lucy struggled even more, as she looked at the man who had her captured. She was not going to give him the book, even if he broke her arms. This book belongs to Kemu Zaleon, and she will be damned to the fiery pits before giving this book back to Everlue. Mustering up all the courage she had (childish it may be), she turned to the man and stuck her tongue at him, giving the duke her response with a raspberry.
"Boyo!" Everlue chortled as he twisted Lucy's arms even more, driving her to the ground, eyes strained with pain and her eyes closed as beads of sweat poured from her face. "Now is not the time to get Sassy. You see, I am the one that commissioned this book's creation, therefore any secret it holds is rightfully my property!"
As more pain was inflicted on Lucy, she could feel her grip on the book begin to slip, the pain Everlue had in her now unbearable. She could not take it anymore, but she wanted to keep holding on to the end, get away from Everlue and return the book to Kaby. That is all she wanted, if that meant for wrists, she was ready to take all the pain in her arms before allowing him to keep the book. She knew Natsu, Lisanna, Setsuko, Aspen, Happy, and Shiro would not give up, despite how serious they were to burn it. Her teammates, her friends, they were counting on her to keep on fighting back to end, and that was what she would do.
Then, as her eyes were still closed, she could not feel Everlue's tight grip on her arms anymore as she looked to the corner of her eye and gasped in shock and surprise. There coming to the rescue, was the blue cat Happy, kicking Everlue in the face with a serious look and clenched teeth. Lucy was delighted, seeing the blue cat that was in ownership and partner to Natsu and Lisanna.
"Happy!" she said with delight as the blue furred cat smiled to the Celestial mage, feeling heroic as he landed on the ground, his white angelic wings vanishing. As the Duke was still staggered from Happy's assault, he did not have time to react as a feminine voice called out,
"Weather magic: wave!" as the sewer water picked up and splashed the Duke away a bit, and Aspen had arrived too, with Shiro beside her. Something vanished from Aspen's hand, looked like a collapsible staff.
"Aspen, Shiro!" Lucy exclaimed, seeing her saviors coming to aid, the girl skidding to stand with her.
"You okay?" Aspen asked.
"I am fine, thanks guys," Lucy replied, smiling.
The Duke was back on his feet, eyeing the cat that attacked him and him falling into the water.
"Curses! What is that cat?" he demanded.
"I'm Happy." The blue cat spoke, getting back up, "I'm glad I'm not in the sewage, but well you smell like something died,"
"Why you!" The duke fumed.
Aspen and Shiro stood beside Lucy ready to fight. Lucy, no longer feeling her arms feeling bound any more, took out one of her Celestial keys and held out like a sword, her face looking more confident and serious.
"It looks like the tables have turned, but if you let me keep the book, I'll think about going easy on you, although, I'm tempted to give you a good smack." She said with a smile on her face.
"Boyoyo! Celestial magic, and the girl can manipulate the lements huh?" he said, eyeing her key. "Still, for a literature-loving girl, your vocabulary needs some work! You only say, 'The tables have turned' when the inferior side has gained the advantage." he added as while Happy looked on with glare to the short man. A villainous grin dawned on his face as he continued, "A girl and two cats is all the backup you have. Your freinds are no match against my Diver magic! Boyoyo!"
A yellow magic circle glowed on his back as he quickly dived down. The girls, Happy and Shiro were taken apart but not it's starts to add up.
"That was magic? Wait, Everlue's a wizard too?" Happy asked in confusion.
"Makes sense all the diving, didn't think he was a wizard," Aspen said.
Everlue then jump from the ground to grab Lucy, but she reacted just in time and dodged. The duke did it again, and again, and again, but Lucy was quick enough to evade him.
Lucy stopped dodging pieces of the ground falling around as she yelled to the duke,
"It's all in the book! It is an awful adventure story about a character named Everlue!"
"Are you serious?" Happy asked her.
"My being the main character is wonderful!" Duke Everlue retorted. "But the story is crap!" and dives into the ground again. Lucy could hear on the ceiling, and he continued, "I can't believe that Kemu Zaleon could write such trash!"
Lucy gasped as the Duke jumped at her. "It is inexcusable!" and made his way to Lucy.
Lucy cartwheeled away as the Duke dived again and came up again, spinning like a ball before diving into the ceiling.
"How can you act so high and mighty? You forced him to write it!" Lucy defended, following where the Duke might be.
"He what?" Aspen and Shiro exclaimed
"I am not acting. I am high and mighty!" He replied with pride. Splash of sewage was made, meaning Everlue was there. "I gave him the tremendous honor of writing that book for me!"
"You blackmailed me into writing it!" Lucy retorted again.
"Blackmail?" Happy repeated. Who would do such a thing?
Duke Everlue then appeared behind Lucy, Aspen, Shiro, and Happy, continuing the explanation.
"So what? It was his fault for refusing to write It." and Lucy gasped. So Kemu was forced to write the horrible book just because he refused. The Duke looked dead set about this information.
"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked, keeping calm.
The duke began to swim through the ground like it was water, "I told him to write a book about me as a main character, but the fool told me no!" and dives into the ground and appeared in front of them pointing his finger and thumb into the air. "So, I told him I'd revoke his entire family's citizenship if he didn't." and wags his finger too.
Lucy and Happy turned around, Happy confirming what that meant. "
They would be able to join any merchant or craftsmen guilds then! You are that influential?!"
"I told you, I'm high and mighty!" The Duke replied, his hand diving back to the ground and burst through the ground again, causing Lucy, Aspen, Shiro, and Happy to run as he was now in the air. "In the end, he wrote the book!"
Lucy grunted in pain as the Duke continued his tale. "But I was mad he refused me at first, so I had him write it in a prison cell! Boyoyo!" he chortled. "He was always going on about being a great writer and literary legend, but I easily demolished his sense of pride!" and dives into the wall again and a great small force that made Happy, Aspen, Shiro, and Lucy get away.
"How can you stoop so low for your own greed?!" Lucy asked in disbelief, still running, "Do you even understand how he must have felt, being locked in a cell for three years?!"
"Three years?" Happy asked in surprise, wondering how Lucy might have known.
"Wait a minute, is there something in that book?" Aspen asked bewildered.
"But i never heard a writers' thoughts of being imprison and I've been with Setsuko forsix years!" Shiro exclaimed
Lucy and Aspen then jump back, and Duke Everlue pops up in front of them again, "Yes, he came to realize how great I am. Boyoyoyo!" The duke added
"No! He had to struggle with his own pride!" she explained. "If he didn't write it, his family would be in danger." Lucy rose back to her feet and added, "But his pride as a writer refused to let him write a book about a character like you!"
"How can you possibly know all that?" Duke Everlue asked, wondering how his girl knew the hidden truth.
Lucy held out the book in her right hand to show the duke. "It's all written in here!"
"Huh?" Duke Everlue responded in confusion. "I've read that book, too. Kemu Zaleon isn't in it."
"Of course, when read normally it's a terrible novel that would disappoint fans!" She explained. "But even you know that Kemu Zaleon was originally a wizard."
"Huh?" Happy responded in confusion again.
"You don't mean…" The duke said, understanding the revaluation Lucy was about to give him.
"He summoned the last of his strength to place a spell on this book." Lucy added.
"So, breaking that spell will make his words of hatred for me appeared." Duke Everlue finished with shock before yelling, "U-Unforgivable!" and dives back down to the ground again in anger, determined to get the book back from Lucy, who jumped and dodged another attempt after attempt.
"You have a poor imagination! Yes, he did write about everything that happened until the book was finished!"
After one attempt that had both mages in the air, Lucy and Duke Everlue landed feet from one another, the duke's back facing Lucy. "But those words weren't what Kemu Zaleon wanted left behind! The real secret is something else!"
"What is it?! What is it? Happy asked eagerly.
"The 'real secret'?!" Duke Everlue repeated.
I'm not going to give this book back to you Duke Everlue!" Lucy exclaimed as she held out her Golden Zodiac Key as she hid the book behind her back saying with more force in her voice. "Because in reality, it was never really was yours to begin with!" and with a flick of her wrist, she tossed the key into the air before catching it, reciting her incantation, "Open, Gate of the Giant Crab!" and pointed her key to the ground as the key glowed, a light blue magic circle appearing in front of her as she announced, "Cancer!" and from the magic circle, two sharp objects appearance from the golden light made by the circle as someone appeared as well to catch them. Two sharp objects appearance from the golden light made by the circle as someone appeared as well to catch them. It was a man that dressed in a way reminiscent of a hairdresser, His hair was black and braided in red cornrows that end in a shape that resembled crab's pincers appeared out of the blue magic circle that materializes from Lucy's key. He had thick lips and wore a blue striped shirt and dark trousers with two aquamarine stripes each side, he also wore boots on his feet. On his pants was a ring chain in the right pocket and a hairdresser tools' bag in the left side of his belt. He wore a golden necklace around his neck and in his hands were his two main weapons: Scissors. The color of his eyes was hard to see as he wore sunglasses with green lens. He also has six crab legs that appear from his back. He stood with both arms crossed as Happy's mouth was drooling, despite remembering this was one of Lucy's allies. Lector merely looked at his 'brother' with a light chuckle.
"Oh yes! Nothing says I'm going to beat you up like a tough guy with razor sharp claws and pair of tough guy sunglasses!" Happy said excitedly while he drooled.
"Happy, calm down, I need to concentrate on Everlue." Lucy said calmly to her comrade and seeing his expression, "And you can't eat him I'm sorry."
"Hey Lucy, how would you like your hair done today… baby?" Cancer asked his wizard as she looked a little embarrassed, since this wasn't the time or the place.
"Cancer, you know very well at a time like this, I need you to fight and not style my hair." she said with a blush on her cheeks. She pointed her right hand at Everlue, getting the Crab spirit to look at him, "Finish off baldy over there!" Lucy commanded the spirit.
"Right away, baby!" Cancer replied as he took a fighting stance holding both scissors in his hands. He faced Everlue with Setsuko standing behind him for support, seeing the man was losing his cool.
Everlue was Duke Everlue was shaking and sweating as he begins to think to himself about his current situation. 'What could the secret be? The hack must have written an entire expose on all my illegal business deals. I cannot have that. If the Magic Council learned how I made my fortune, my goose would be cooked.
Everlue then pulled out a gate key similar to Lucy's, only this one had a stylized "M" as the symbol on the key. It was time for Everlue to fight Celestial Spirit with Celestial Spirit. Duke Everlue then took a stance with his left hand out in front of him with his two middle fingers down and his outer fingers pointing up with his thumb stretched across touching the fingernail to his middle finger. The golden key spun in mid-air much like Lucy's key did as Duke Everlue grabs it in his right hand. "Open Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!" and once again, a purple magic circle not like the blue one Lucy summoned, appeared in front of him and the key while Everlue was slashing it. Once the purple circle vanished, there stood the gorilla maid next to her master. Lucy was stunned, he was Celestial Sprit wizard too, and had a Celestial key as well
"No way, he did the same trick Lucy-san did." Shiro said with amazement.
The gorilla maid landed on the ground after she was summoned and glared at Lucy, Aspen, Shiro, and Happy. "Did I hear my master summon me?!" Virgo asked with a booming voice.
Everlue pointed towards Lucy and Happy and Levy and Lector, his patience wearing thin and secrets he doesn't want out. "Virgo! Fetch me that book!" and he gasped, so did Aspen, Shiro, and Happy when they saw something follow Virgo.
"So, you're a Celestial wizard as well huh?" Lucy asked as she noticed her fellow teammates and friends on the Celestial Spirit's shoulder, popping up to show their heads.
"Natsu, Lisanna, Setsuko?"
"Why are you two with Virgo?!" Duke Everlue demanded.
"How did you three…?" Lucy stated.
"She started to get away, so Natsu, Setsuko, and I followed her and suddenly…." Lisanna then yelled, "We don't know what happened!"
"One minute we were back in the mansion, the next here! What's going on?!" Natsu and Setsuko demanded.
"Wait a second, what do you mean you 'fallowed'… You held on to her!" Then she said the part that made this mess even more confusing. "Are you saying three humans pass through the celestial spirit world…?" Lucy then freaks out and felt like she was out of her mind. "That's insane!"
"Lucy, are you done freaking out, what should we do?" Natsu asked, Virgo's hands wanting to grab the two mages on her back.
Lucy then had another idea. "Get him out of the way." She ordered Cancer.
"Virgo! Mop those pests up!" Everlue ordered Virgo.
Natsu, Setsuko, and Lisanna leaped out of the large maid as she was to attack them.
"Understood, sir!"
The three wizards then look back at Virgo ready to crush them as the two counterattacks. Lisanna quickly changed into her Phoenix Soul, her wings and arms returned as she then exclaimed.
"Don't count it!" Lisanna placed her two hands together as a red magic circle and flames appeared around her. "Phoenix flame Burst" A powerful burst of fire appeared from her hands and magic as Natsu made his move.
The pink haired Dragon Slayer then slammed his fists together as an orange magic circle appeared as flames swirled around him, "This'll blow you away! Fire Dragon Roar!" and let out a powerful stream of fire from his mouth.
"I'm joining too!" as Setsuko inhaled as ice blue magic circle appeared in front of her, "IIce Dragon Roar!" and flurry of ice blew from her mouth
Just then, Lucy grabbed the whip from her belt and cried out to the Duke of Everlue, "Take this, you perverted mole!" And sent her whip at Everlue like a mad chain. Virgo was hit by the fire and ice attacks courtesy of Natsu, Setsuko and Lisanna which sent her flying to where Lucy is who tied the duke up, unable for him to move.
"No move diving away for you!" she shouted and lifted the diver mage up off the ground with all the strength she could muster. "The best you'll ever be…" and sent him flying to Cancer, who jumped into the air, scissors in hand.
"Baby!" The crab spirit said as he used the scissors to cut at Everlue as Lucy and Cancer land back to the ground, the duke between them. She kneeled with smile on her face, proud of herself
"…is a side character." She finished triumph a victory her back still turned from the Duke as Aspen and the cats cheered.
"Is that haircut to your liking, Baby?" Cancer asked Lucy and just like that, the Duke's hair and mustache was cut and his head completely bald. All he had on his face was a dazed smile.
Natsu and Lisanna laughed, the two and Setsuko's feet to the defeated gorilla maid saying in unison.
"Good job, Lucy… Wait, why is he calling you baby?"
Lisanna shrugged as the Dragon Slayers heard rumbling around them. All the holes the duke made were now caused the sewers to be unstable as it was now falling apart. And not just the Sewers, the Mansion too was coming down. Natsu, Lisanna, Happy, Setsuko, Aspen, Shiro, and Lucy escaped the sewers to watch the mansion crash. Lucy was shocked, Happy was smiling, and Natsu and Lisanna were nonchalant about it. Even the three newcomers were phased by this.
"You really went all out, Lucy!" Lisanna laughed, hands to her head.
"You a Fairy Tail wizard for sure!" added Natsu, hands to his head too.
"Aye! But we ended up destroying more stuff." Happy reminded them.
"Th-this is my fault?" she said unsure.
"Remember back when I said this would happen… Wow, I was right." Lisanna said, hands in her pockets.
The six did not see Virgo in the crumbling rubble as Happy placed something golden in his bag. Now with Daybreak in their hands, they decided to return to Melon's place to give him the book.
They arrived shortly back to Kaby Melon's place and entered inside, Lucy explaining everything to Kaby. She went into detail about the book to Natsu, Lisanna, and Setsuko, explaining more than she had said in the sewers than she had said a lot to Everlue.
"The book has such a terrible structure and style that I had a hard time believing Kemu Zaleon wrote it." Lucy explained.
"I guess you have a point Lucy, I read lots of books on my past time from mission to mission, if it's as bad you say, how can it be written by someone famous as him?" Lisanna asked, standing with Lucy along with Setsuko, Aspen, Happy and Shiro in Setsuko and Aspen's arms. Lisanna had her arms behind her back, with aspen looking calm with a frown on her face, the same for Setsuko whose eyes look very cold.
"That's what made me suspect there was a secret to it." Lucy finished, completing her tales to the Melons and her friends. Lucy again explained about what she found in the book to Kaby and his wife. The sun was setting outside as Kaby took the book from group stood by the back of the couch as Kaby said almost appalled by them bringing the book back.
"What is the meaning of this? I asked you to destroy this book."
(Cue Sad Past-Fairy Tail Original Soundtrack Volume 1)
"It would be easy to destroy. Even you could do it, Kaby." Lucy replied calmly.
"Then I will incinerate it, I don't even want to lay my eyes on this book!" Kaby spoke up with anger in his voice.
"I figured out why you can't allow this book to exist." Lucy replied, looking seriously at her. "You want to preserve your father's pride. You are Kemu Zaleon's son, aren't you?" she asked the man.
At that moment, I started to piece together the whole thing, the same with Lucy. Kaby was Kemu's son, and that book was terrible, it could have ruined their family. But I wonder, what is more to it and what did Lucy learn?
What I do not understand, and I feel Lisanna wonders too, it what secret he left behind in a book that was complete trash to anyone else, I do not get it.
"How did you know?!" asked Happy to Lucy, wondering how she knew from just reading it.
"Have you read this book?" asked Lucy.
"…No." replied Kaby silently. "But there's no need to. My father called it garbage."
"So you are just going to burn it?!" Natsu responded in anger speaking up again in.
"That's right." Kaby replied in anger again.
Natsu grunted slightly and stepped forward and grabbed the son of Kemu by his collar, Lector still in Levy's arms who gasped when Natsu seem to lose his cool. "You're going to burn it just because it's crap?! Don't you think that is going too far?! Your dad wrote that book! At least give him the benefit of the doubt!"
Lucy placed an arm in front of natsu to shield him from Kaby as the pink haired Dragon Slayer was pushed back. "natsu, is it to preserve his father's pride?! I know it's about your dad but calm down!"
Kaby step back a bit from Natsu's assault.
"Why don't you explain to us? Did Mr. Zaleon really call it trash? That doesn't seem right or in the right mind of a writer." Lisanna asked,
"Yes… My father was ashamed that he had written Daybreak. Thirty-one years ago." Kaby nodded and started to explain, opening his eyes.
Year X753, a much youthful Kaby Melon turned around to see his father, who walked into the house like it was no big deal. It was only three years since he last saw him, his father who left for an especially important job, had been gone for those three years, never to write or even keep up with him or his future wife.
"Dad!" Kaby said in a gasp, shocked to see his father after three years.
"Sorry for being gone for so long." He said at once standing by the doorway. Before Kaby could ask, he walked inside without any other work.
He did not talk much once inside and came to a chest, Kemu feeling angry at him for being gone, continued to berate him for his absence.
"Where in the hell were you?!" Kaby demanded of the writer. "You didn't contact me for three years!"
Kemu Zaleon took a rope out and tied it between the forearm and shoulder.
"I'm through. I'm giving up writing." Kemu said, making up his mind without even considering his actions.
"What…" was all Kaby could say when his father did the unthinkable.
Holding the cleaver in his other hand, he yelled, "I'll never write again!"
He took the cleaver to his writing arm and cut it, clean off…
Natsu, Lisanna, Setsuko, Aspen. and Lucy all but screamed from what they knew happened. Kemu Zaleon had cut off his writing arm. Not only was that gruesome but it was disturbing. Sure, he hated himself for writing it, but all that for one little book? Aspen was turning paler than she ever was, wanting to faint on the spot, Lisanna almost looked like she was ready to throw up, and Natsu and Lucy, the two wizards, had the same exact face of horror.
"Forgive me; I didn't expect this kind of reaction to my father's attempt at suicide…" Kaby admitted finally, making Natsu look blankly at him.
S-S-S-suicide?" he stammered, finding something new to have motion sickness to.
Happy look at everyone along with Lector, the two young felines not quite understanding their fellow teammates' expression and asked, "I don't get it, what happened?"
"Happy…" Lisanna said slowly. "He cut off his writing arm."
Happy, being the youngest, felt the color drain from their bodies. They may have seen their worst in this world, but that was too much for them to handle. Once everyone calms down, they look to Kaby, wanting to get more to the story, if there aren't more dark suicide attempts for their liking. After the trauma was caused, Kaby continued his tale from where the wizards interjected.
After Kemu cut off his arm, he was now in a hospital bed after the event. Kaby looked at his father and said with much hatred in his voice, "You're a fool. I told you three years ago you would regret writing that crummy book!"
"The money was good." Kemu replied weakly to his son.
"You're pathetic!" Kaby retorted.
"Yes... I made it the most pathetic garbage possible…" Kemu smiled weakly.
"What are you smiling for?!" Kaby yelled back seeing the look on his face that made him sick in anger in his stomach. How can he smile after all this, after almost killing himself and getting put into this hospital bed? "You abandoned your family for three years because of that garbage?!" Kaby grunted in anger as Kemu spoke again.
"Kaby… You were always in my thoughts." Kemu said his smile was still on his face.
"Then could've you just written whatever to mind and came home sooner!" Kaby requested, anger boiling inside. "You abandoned your family along with your pride as a writer! You were right about giving up writing; it's too much for people without pride." He walked from Kemu's hospital bed and added hotly, "Including you, dad."
Kemu Zaleon was now alone and a sad expression was on his face. He thought to himself, 'If only you knew the truth my son, maybe you'll understand…'
Time passes and Kaby stood in front of his father's grave; he had passed away so time after their last conversation where Kaby declared his father an outright fool.
"My Father died soon after." Kaby continued sadly as he sound hurt, "Even afterwards, I continued to hate him."
Sting, feeling better despite hearing of death to a father, had his back turned and listened in to the story. Lisanna, Setsuko, Aspen, Shiro and Happy face Kaby along with Lucy.
Mrs. Melon held close to her husband.
"However, as the years passed, my hatred began to change into regret. But I have no way to apologize to him in person now. So, I decided to at least make amends by preserving his honor and destroying this garbage of a book that was his final work." Kaby added,
He took out a match and lit it. Lucy did not react, but kept her hand on her hip, Lisanna had her hands behind her back. Setsuko and Aspen, with felines in their arms, did not say a word or stopped him, knowing Lucy was not going to, Lisanna, or Natsu, they best not intervene. "Now my father can be…"
"You're wrong." Lucy interrupted him, getting everyone's attention. The flames of the match were gone as Lucy announced, "It's begun."
"What's this?!" Kaby gasped as the book glowed as a purple magic circle appeared. The circle disappeared but the book was still glowing, the word 'Daybreak' was floating off the book cover.
"Kemu Zaleon…. No, his real name is Zekua Melon. He placed a magic spell on this book." Lucy explained calmly, making Kaby look agape at her.
"A spell?" Kaby repeated.
The letters rearranged to form two novel words: Dear Kaby and place themselves back on the cover. Kaby read the name aloud. The book rose higher in the air and glowed with a mixture of purple and gold light.
(Cue Fairy Tail Main Theme - Slow version-Fairy Tail original Soundtrack Volume 1)
"Yes, he left you a message." Lucy continued, "He used a spell that rearranged letters." The entire book is rearranged."
Suddenly, letters and sentences began to fly from the book like golden ribbons and formed a sphere ribbon around the book. It was such a beautiful display, even in all their years with magic, learning the basics others, but seeing what a whole new experience was. Lisanna's blue eyes were open wide, taking in the beauty of it all.
"Whoa!" Lisanna, Lisanna, Setsuko said in amazement.
"Pretty!" Happy and Shiro said amazed too.
"Incredible, so this was what hidden in the book?" Lisanna said with amazement looking to Lucy, impressed by her, despite being a newcomer, could solve such a puzzle on her own. She was quite a remarkable new friend and guild mate.
"The reason he gave up writing might have been because he not only wrote his worst book ever, but because he wrote his greatest book ever!" Lucy added again smiling lightly at Kaby, "A great book that was actually a letter to you!"
Then Kaby remembered his father's last words to him, his mind flashing back to their last conversation: You were always in my thoughts. Was this what he meant? Was this book, believed to be the worst book ever, a letter to him? A tear came from his eyes as the light faded and the book now read: Dear Kaby by Zekua Melon. It softly landed back in Kaby's out stretch hands as Lucy continued happily.
"That's the book Kemu Zaleon actually wanted to leave behind! "
Kaby kneel to the ground and hugged the book tightly in his arms, feeling those feeling just wash away after one revelation. "Dad... Thank you. I can't burn this book now."
"I guess we don't need our reward either, then." Natsu said as he looked to Lisanna, Setsuko, Shiro, Aspen, and Lucy.
"Aye!" Setsuko, Shiro, Aspen, Happy and Lisanna said in unison.
"That's true, I agree Natsu," Lucy said at once, making the group look at her, thinking she was nuts. She seemed so psyched about the reward, now she changed her mind? Lisanna then looks back at Mr. and Mrs. Melon with a smile on her face.
"Our job was to destroy the book. We didn't accomplish that." And Natsu and Lisanna turned their backs from the Melons and faced the doors
"N-No. I would feel right…" Kaby replied. They did all this for him, at least he give them something for their troubles.
"No Lisanna's got a good point, we shouldn't accept it. It will be selfish now since we just brought back the book we were supposed to destroy. I'll let this mission slide after all, it's only my first one, I think I can be the bigger person and move on." Lucy said in agreement with Lisanna as the white-haired Takeover wizard quickly hugged her, rubbing her cheek to her cheek (making Lucy blush with this much contact).
"Aww, that's so cute! You are acting like a real adult not a bratty little girl. I just want to hug you and squeeze you, and never let you go!" she squealed, making Kyuri and Levy giggle and Happy and Lector hold back a laugh. Sting was blushing with a smile, seeing how happy Lisanna looked. Mr. and Mrs. Melon only looked at the Fairy Tail wizards with a little smile, if they did not want it, they should not pry anymore for them to take it.
"That's great and all, but let go… You are embarrassing me in front of the client," She admitted trying to pull Lisanna off, but the Takeover wizard had a stronger grip on her.
"I guess we're all in agreement, we don't want the reward, Mr. Melon." said Aspen holding back fits of giggles.
"We don't need what we don't need." SNatsu assured the client as he and Levy were first to walk away to the door, Lisanna finally releasing Lucy to follow, speaking up to everyone again with a much calmer tone in her voice.
"Happy, Setsuko, Shiro, Aspen, Natsu, Shiro, Lucy, let's go home." Lisanna said and turned back with a smile to the Melon family. "You should hurry back to your own home too, Mr. Melon."
The two clients gasped as Natsu smiled too. How did they know? Everyone including Lucy was confused by her last words, Lucy staring puzzled at her.
"Huh?"
Later that night, the group of Natsu, Lisanna, Happy, Setsuko, Shiro, Aspen, and Lucy were now walking back to Magnolia Town while the beautiful night sky hovered over their heads. Many stars lit up the night sky along with the laminating quarter moon. The pink haired Dragon Slayer walked in front of the pack with Happy, Aspen, Setsuko, Shiro, and Lisanna beside him while Lucy trudged behind them, trying to keep up with the others. Her thoughts were on what they learned before departing, which got her thinking.
"Hey Natsu, Lisanna, what tipped you off anyway?" Lucy asked
"About Mr. and Mrs. Melon?" Lisanna asked the Celestial wizard, "That they weren't rich? He even said they rented the house just for show."
Kaby and his wife were extremely poor and since no one would take the request of a poor family, they rented the mansion just to impress any mage that would come. But even if another group of mages did the job, would they get a reward? Some would feel cheated off after risking their lives. In the end, that is what made Sting and Lisanna's group good? Sure the idea of the two million was grand, they helped recover Kemu Zaleon's horrible now best work ever, and a son now knows the truth about those words his father told him on his deathbed.
"Still, they didn't have to do that. We would've taken the job anyway." Lucy reassured them.
"You sure?" asked Happy, "You were so happy about the money, what changed?"
"I guess i just changed my mind. I can find another job, so I'll let this one slide,' she only for Lisanna to still giggle at her.
"Stop laughing Strauss!"
The four decided to stop on the path they were on and eat. They made a fire to cook the fish and lizards they found. While they waited for their meal to cook, Lucy wondered how Lisanna and Natsu knew what she didn't know.
"Hey Lisanna, Natsu, what tipped you off about his house anyway?" Lucy asked intrigued.
"Duh. They smelled different than the house. Anyone could tell that." Natsu replied.
"And we didn't see many servants or even anything they gave off they owned it. I noticed off the bat as well." Lisanna said, taking a cooked lizard and eating it.
"Aye!" Happy agreed as Lucy felt depressed.
"I'm not an animal, actually..." she said sadly. "Still, I kind of look up to novelists."
Natsu and Lisanna both had sinister smiles on their faces, remembering something.
"I knew it!" Natsu announced, taking a bite of his fish. "That thing she hid earlier…"
Lucy gasped in shock.
"You're writing a novel, aren't you?" Lisanna added,
"No wonder she knows so much about books." Happy understood.
Lucy had a deep blush of embarrassment on her face and said stammering, "P-Please don't tell anyone about it!"
"Why not?" Happy questioned.
Lucy covered her face with her hands. still embarrassed. "I-I'm still a terrible writer. I would be embarrassed if anyone reads it!"
"No one would ever want to." Natsu reassured her.
"That doesn't make me feel much better…." Lucy added in revelation.
"Well, we won't tell, promise." Lisanna said, finishing her meal. "Natsu, Happy, you promise too?"
"We promise…" The two boys said.
"Thanks, you guys." Lucy smiled.
"We promise too, our lips are sealed," Setsuko said, putting an index finger to her lips.
"Right!" Aspen agreed.
"We won't say a thing about your book," Shiro chimed in.
"And maybe one day, you'll show us your story. So, it will not be a horrible love story, right?" Lisanna asked.
"No." Lucy shook her head
"Clichéd overused plot?" Lisanna asked again.
"No." Lucy shook her head again.
"A story that berated a character just for their existence strips every ounce of their personality, characteristics, and charm. Thereby, making said character a shadow of their former self just for the writer's amusement." Lisanna said fast.
"Where are you getting this?" Lucy asked in shock.
"I spend too much time reading to get the gist of It." she confirmed sheepishly.
Natsu, Lisanna, Happy, Setsuo, Aspen, Shiro, and Lucy started to laugh as they continued their meals.
Continuing their return, Natsu's group were now wadding through a swamp, Natsu in the lead with Happy on his shoulders. Lisanna was in another Animal Soul. She was a mermaid, her legs now a purple dolphin tail and wore a purple bikini top. She was performing a backstroke while Lucy was inside Horologium again. The clock spirit translated what Lucy was saying.
"Hold on, are you sure this is the right way, she asks unsure." Horologium translated.
"Happy says to go this way, so we go this way, I say back." Natsu replied.
"How rude, I am a Cat, you know! Cats have a great sense of smell." Happy said proudly.
"You're thinking of dogs. "What does smell have to do with pathfinding, she asks annoyed." Horologium translated.
"Better than nothing, we just need to find something that marks us close to home," Setsuko said, Shiro on her shoulder while she lifted the helm of her kimono.
"Yup," Aspen nodded.
The group left the swamp and Lisanna returned to her normal form. They were now on the path again, but Lucy was still inside her spirit.
"Why can't you just walk on your own?" Lisanna asked concerned.
"I'm tired, she says back to the white-haired wizard," Horologium translated.
"Ugh." Natsu said annoyed. He didn't get why Lucy was being lazy. It's not like walking will kill her.
The sounds of rustling came from the bushes as a glint of eyes shined from the bushes.
"What's that?" Natsu exclaimed as he and Lisanna removed their bags and jump into the bushes to see who was there. Happy, Setsuko, Aspen, Shiro, and Lucy could hear a fight going on behind the bushes as Lucy watched in shock. She knew Natsu would fight, but why did Lisanna follow, to assist Natsu? Horologium had the two wizards' bags on his hands.
"You're too quick for a fight Natsu, she says." he translated.
"Go get them, Natsu and Lisanna!" Happy cheered.
Natsu and Lisanna leaped back out of bushes, but were followed by Gray Fullbuster. Natsu and Gray were angry at each other, while Lisanna was shocked to see him, in his underwear.
"It's Gray!" Happy said in shock.
"He's from the guild, isn't he?" Setsuko asked.
"Why is he in his underwear, she asks in disgust," Horologium translated.
"I was looking for a bathroom," Gray answered.
"Then why did you strip down just to do so, Gray," Lisanna sighed.
"And why would there be a bathroom in the middles of a forest anyway?" Natsu asked in anger, an aura of flames around himself.
"You should butt out when people are trying to go to the bathroom Dragneel," Gray replied, an aura of ice around himself.
The two boys started to get in each other's space as they bicker at one another. Lisanna and Lucy watched the menacing fighting of the Dragon Slayer and Ice wizard. A sweat drop went down Lucy's head.
"Talk about petty." Lucy stated who couldn't believe her eyes.
"She says to the Cats, Dragon Sayer, weather, and Takeover wizards," Lisanna added.
After the two stopped their fighting, the eight wizards sat down near a cliff where Gray explained why he was here in the forest. Happy was busy fishing while the others were conversing. Gray had his clothes back on, a white short-sleeve shirt and green pants along with black shoes.
"Oh, you're on your way back from a job?" Lucy asked curiously.
"Cutting through this forest is the quickest way back to Magnolia." Gray explained.
"See! See!" Happy said excitedly.
"You bragged about your nose, but you couldn't smell Gray out there," Lucy pointed out.
"There are some odors I want to smell." Happy explained to Lucy.
"What does that mean?!" Gray retorted, vein throbbing.
"He means you might be smelling, Gray," Lisanna said, giggling.
"You're annoying. Just go home, Gray." Natsu requested the Ice mage.
Gray rose up and added, "I was planning to. We're in huge trouble if we don't hurry back." And turns around to face the cliff,
"We're in trouble too? But we only just joined the same day as Lucy-san? What could we have done?" Aspen asked.
"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.
"Erza's going to be back soon" Gray confirmed.
"You mean the Erza?!" Lucy said as Natsu gasped in shock
"You must have heard of her. Erza is one the strongest members of Fairy Tail." Lisanna explained.
Both Natsu and Gray had the feeling of depression knowing full well Erza will be back. Lisanna and Happy were the calmest of the bunch. Setsuko and Aspen recognized that name, who did not know Erza? Lucy turned around and squealed in delight.
"Wow! I want to meet her!" She then looks to Natsu and Gray. "Oh, but I never saw any photos of Erza in the magazines at all… What is she like?"
"Scary." The two books said at once.
"Huh?" Lucy asked puzzled.
Lisanna groaned and placed a hand on her forehead. "Here we go again…"
"A wild animal?" Gray questioned
"A beast?" Natsu questioned.
"More like a full-fledged monster!" Happy chimed in.
Lucy imagined a large fire-breathing monster with long hair terrorizing a town. It was hard to believe.
"She's not that big." Happy corrected the two boys.
"No, she's surprisingly big." Natsu corrected.
"In terms of scariness, Lucy's image of her isn't far off the mark." Gray said to the Dragon Slayer and blue cat.
"No, she might be even bigger!" Natsu exclaimed.
An image of monster Erza kicking a mountain was in Lucy's mind now, still hard to believe. Lisanna groaned in annoyance, she really wish they didn't overdo it with her. Setsuko tapped Lisanna's shoulder seeing her expression.
'This normal?" the ice dragon slayer asked.
"More than you think, Setsuko..."
"About this big maybe?" Natsu asked.
"No, I'd say she could demolish three mountains with one kick…" Gray corrected him.
"Come on you guys, stop exaggerating Erza. She is not that bad of a person," Lisanna reminded them.
"Of course, you see it that way; you and Mirajane don't piss her off." Gray retorted to the Takeover mage.
"That's because unless it's major, I never got on her bad side. I mean, need I remind you the birthday party." Lisanna reminded them.
"Jeez, don't tell us that one." Natsu and Gray spoke in unison.
The white-haired Takeover wizard looked at Lucy who was in a mode of sadness.
"A woman who can destroy three mountains with a single kick? She might be scary." She thought in fear.
"Anyway, we gotta hurry back." Gray reminded them.
"Crap, let's go," Natsu said at once.
Suddenly, an explosion caught the seven wizards and cats off guard as they were blindsided by it. The dust finally cleared, and the wizards were now buried in sand, Natsu and Setsuko were the only ones whose heads were in the sand. Lucy and Lisanna coughed out the sand from their mouths as Gray shouted.
"a wizard?!"
"Happy?!" Natsu called out.
"Shiro!" Setsuko called out as well.
"Aye…" Happy and Shiro said weakly.
The two cats were tied to a stick and were ready to be cooked by a couple of wizards, two twins with ginger hair, a large chicken, a man wearing purple and had black hair and a crystal ball, and a short one with gray skin and wore a green hoody and tan pants.
The twin wizards; mouths were watering. "I haven't had protein in a while." the twin on the left spoke.
"I am sick of eating nuts." spoke the twin on the right.
"Meat!" spoke the chicken.
"Looks good!" spoke the crystal ball-holding wizard.
Happy and Shiro was trembling, were these guys going to eat them?
"Oh, look!" the right twin pointed out.
"They're shaking!" the left twin added.
"Sorry. I know you're scared, but you'll be in your stomachs soon enough." The gray-skinned wizard said with a smile.
"No, I'm not shaking because I'm scared…" Happy assured them.
"Huh?" the gray-skinned wizard asked in confusion.
"I have to go to the bathroom." Happy confirmed.
"Huh?" the crystal ball mage asked in confusion.
"I don't think I can hold it I can hold it in. It'll probably make me taste really weird, too..." Happy added, but the gray skinned mage interrupted him.
"Happy, you're just going to make them kill us and eat us faster!" Shiro scolded.
"Shut up!" he told the cat and ordered to the chicken, "Do it!"
"Meat!" spoke the chicken. The chicken held out a staff as a red magic circle appeared from it and red hot flames appeared on it.
"Make mine medium, please." Requested the crystal ball wizard,
"I can't hold anymore… It's gonna make me taste strange! I hope you don't mind!" Happy pleaded.
"Hold it right there!" Four voices announced, causing the chicken to jump in shock.
Standing on top of one of the large rocks stood Natsu, Lisanna, Gray, Setsuko, Aspen, and Lucy.
"Happy! Shiro!" The Celestial wizard called out.
"Thank goodness, I didn't end up tasting weird." Happy cried.
"You are still saying that?" the gray-skinned mage asked.
"That's our friend you have there," Natsu said, cracking his knuckles. "We can't let you eat him."
"We don't care how hungry you are, gives us back Happy." Lisanna demanded, getting ready to fight.
"You're not eating my partner, no matter if you are starving!" Setsuko exclaimed.
"You guys are mages? What guild are you from?" Gray asked in a serious tone.
"None of your business! Get them!" ordered the gray-skinned wizard. The hungry wizards left the gray-skinned wizard's side and went to fight the four.
"Lisanna, Gray, Setsuko, let's do it!" Natsu said to the two.
"Don't tell me what to do." Gray replied.
"Just help or I might eat you." Lisanna said darkly.
"Yes, ma'am." Gray shuddered.
With serious looks on their faces, Natsu, Gray, Setsuko, and Lisanna went into action. The Dragon Slayer and Takeover quickly dodged the twins as Gray evaded the chicken. From below, the gray skinned wizard then slammed his fist to the ground as a yellow magic circle appeared.
"Take this! Sand Bomb!"
Sand picks up around the gray skinned mage as Natsu, Setsuko, and Lisanna could not stop themselves in the air as they then trapped inside a large sand ball.
"Natsu, Setsuko, Lisanna!" Lucy and Aspen called.
"Don't worry about them! You get Happy and Shiro!" Gray ordered.
"R-Right!" Lucy and Aspen remembered and followed Gray to where the other wizards were and where Happy was to save him.
The twins dived down to attack Gray with small sword, but the Ice mage punch and kick the two mages out of the air as they fell. Meanwhile, Lucy and Aspen were untying the topes the bound Happy to the stick.
"Lucy, please don't eat me!" Happy cried.
"I'm saving you; I'm not going to eat you!" Lucy assured the cat.
"Thank goodness!" Shiro sighed.
"Boy they tied this rope good, but we'll get you out," Aspen said.
Lucy and Aspen looked up and screamed as the chicken appeared over them, still holding the flaming staff.
"Meat!" he cried as he tried to attack them but Gray came in the nick of time to save Lucy and Happy. The Ice wizard then kicked the chicken as he toppled to the ground.
"Next!" Gray exclaimed.
Last was the Crystal ball wizard, who Gray thought was charging up an attack then said, "You will see the person you wanted to see. I see trouble with women and water in your future."
"Just a fortuneteller?" Gray said annoyed and confused, but roared, "You're obnoxious!" And then punches the fortuneteller out.
"He's not even using magic… Incredible…" Lucy said amazed, but then points out, "Gray, you're clothes!"
The Ice wizard looks down and sees he is in his boxers again.
"Oh!" he gasped.
The gray-skinned wizard had watched the battle with Gray, who took out four of his men on his own. The Sand bomb that carried Natsu, Setsuko, and Lisanna was still in the air.
"Who are these guys" he asked.
Behind him, the Sand bomb exploded and Natsu, Setsuko, and Lisanna had escaped. They drop back to face the gray-skinned wizard, the trio angry. Lisanna was back in her Phoenix Soul
"Aww, crap!" the wizard exclaimed.
"Why you!" Natsu growled, spitting out sand from his mouth, "I'll teach you to fill someone's mouth with sand!"
Natsu slammed his fists together as an orange magic circle and orange flames appeared. "Here goes! Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" With his fist wrapped in flames, Natsu punched the gray-skinned wizard in the stomach which sent him on fire and into the air. Lisanna then took off into the air to meet the gray-skinned wizard.
"This will finish you off!" Lisanna placed her two hands together as a red magic circle appeared from them, "Phoenix Flame Burst!" A powerful stream of flames came from the magic circle and her hands then sent the gray-skinned wizard screaming into them as one final opponent came to him.
"It's over!" as Setsuko's hand was cloaked with a flurry of snow and ice, "Ice Dragon Crushing Fang!" and the wizard was sent crashing down, creating an explosion. When the smoke cleared, all the wizards of the battles were now tied up and defeated. Natsu, Setsuko, Gray, and Lisanna had their backs turned from the wizards.
"Don't get so serious about small fuses." Gray said to the defeated wizards, with his hands to her side.
"Want me to burn that mouth of you?!" Natsu spat.
"You wish. Your fire's too lukewarm. Even Lisanna's Phoenix fire is hotter than yours." Gray taunted in annoyance.
"Huh?! What you say?!" Natsu exclaimed
"Be grateful we won, you guys. You act like such children." Lisanna replied, placing her hands to her sides.
"We do not!" they retorted back.
"You two are like a bickering siblings," Setsuko deadpanned.
"We are not!" Natsu and Gray exclaimed.
As the two wizards started to argue again (With Lisanna hoping they would stop), Lucy was near the defeated wizards, the Celestial wizard hearing something being muttered by the gray-skinned wizard.
"…Lulla…" he muttered weakly.
"What, 'Lulla'?" Lucy asked confused.
"Lulla… by… is…" he added weakly
This got Natsu and the other three's attention.
"Huh?" Gray asked in confusion.
"Lullaby?" asked Natsu, Setsuko, Aspen. and Lisanna.
But before the gray-skinned wizard could continue, a shadow came rushing to the tree the wizards were tied up on. Happy and Shiro push Natsu, Setsuko, Gray, and Lisanna out of the way where the shadow was going. Like a hand reaching for poor souls to drag to hell, the shadow took the mages and part of the tree went into the earth. The seven wizards, Shiro, and Happy gasped.
"What was that?!" Lucy gasped.
"Whose there?!" Natsu yelled.
"I already can't sense them anymore. Whoever it is, they're fast." Gray added, not knowing an unknown mage was leaving the scene by jumping through the trees.
Everyone got back on the feet, still confused at what just happened.
"Damn! I don't know what going!" Natsu said.
"Lullaby?" Lucy repeated, hand to her chin.
"A song? A rhyme, what is it?" Lisanna asked.
I started to get this feeling in my gut that those mages would have said too much, that's why they got taken. Lullaby…. I got a bad feeling just thinking about it. We should get back to town too. I have a feeling Erza will be back now. Oh boy, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Setsuko, Aspen, and I might be in for a treat.
"Let's head home everyone, besides, I want to meet this Erza person," Setsuko said curiously.
"We don't!" Gray and Natsu dreaded.
Meanwhile back in Magnolia, an unknown person was walking through town as the citizens all gasped just by looking at the unknown. The large object the person was carrying left a dark shadow over the person, but the citizens knew who this was: Red hair… Armor…. She was back.