Author's Note: Sorry…It's been a while. Thank you for all your support and patience +_x

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Spells and attacks will be written in bold fonts.

Thoughts, flashbacks, and emphasized phrases will be italicize


Hanami Jomakushiki arc - Chapter 23 - Ethereal Flower

~Hoseki Shrine, Sakuragami Ward, Sakura City~

Petals like pink snow fell delicately from the now-efflorescent cherry trees.

Like years prior, the crowd was stunned by the Rite of Spring Flower's successful completion. After a moment of quietude, the crowd cheerfully clapped and whistled to the shrine maiden in the front of the haiden.

Mai Sakuragami bowed in gratitude for their accolades before walking off the stage.

"W-wait!" Not knowing what came over her, Aria abruptly exclaimed even reaching out a hand to the shrine maiden.

Still, her sounds were drowned out by the crowd's excited admiration of the cherry blossoms and the light show in the night sky. Acknowledging her voice will not reach her, Aria shook her head before switching to her last resort - Teleportation. Without hesitating, the pinkette vanished into thin air.

Surprised by her sudden disappearance, Aria's teammates and Ranmaru went into shock.

"A-Aria?" Shinji raised an eyebrow.

"Aria-san?" Wendy too was taken aback, "Where did she go?"

"She's most likely by the front of the oratory, " Carla grit her teeth, "We need to get there fast before something happens!"

"How do you know?" Romeo sternly looked to the white-haired cat girl.

Carla flashed him a worried glance with her chocolate-colored eyes, "Call it feline intuition..."

Understanding the meaning behind her words, Romeo joined Carla in pushing through the crowds to make way towards the front with Wendy and Shinji followed behind.

Ranmaru smiled from underneath his mask, "And now the plot thickens..."

...

A few feet from the front of the haiden, Mai found herself stopped in her tracks by the sudden appearance of a pinkette near identical to herself. This girl was clad in a sakura-themed yukata. The two exchanged looks - a pair of light green eyes locked into a pair of ruby eyes.

Before either could open their mouths, a bespectacled, sky-blue haired man dressed in a cerulean ma gua and long white pants with gold bamboo designs embroidered to the hems stood protectively in front of Mai.

The man readjusted his glasses with one hand while he conjured a Water Magic Circle with the other. Water from the atmosphere coalesced and morphed into an aqueous naginata.

A dead silence fell over the crowd at the confrontative scene unfolding before them.

"Halt! Approaching Miko Mai so brazenly after the completion of the Rite of Flowers is near tantamount to harassment," the blue-haired male pointed his aquatic weapon at Aria's neck, "Explain yourself or face the consequences."

"I... apologize for my rudeness," Aria folded her hands together upon recognizing the audacity of her actions, "I found myself quite mesmerized by the magic Miko Mai used to perform the ceremony. W-What was it called again?"

"Hmph. Did you really appear out of thin air like that confirm the type of magic used for the Rite of Spring Flowers?" the sky-blue haired guard stared into Aria's eyes with his lenses flashing fiercely, "Or do you have other reasons?"

The pinkette gulped, "Of course I do..."

"Takenobu...There's no need to be so harsh. If one as fast as her wanted to harm me, she would have done so already," Mai pleaded with the flamboyant guard, "We mustn't escalate things like this during the festivities. People are watching. Please, dissipate your weapon. Let's settle this civilly."

"If you insist, my lady..." Takenobu heeded the shrine maiden's words.

With a flick of his wrist, the water-crafted naginata dissolved into fading droplets.

No longer feeling threatened, Aria relaxed with a much-needed exhale, "T-Thank you, Miko Mai."

The identical pinkette smiled, "You can just call me Mai. I'm not longer on duty for the night."

"Aria!"

The voices of her teammates called through the crowd as they pushed through to reach her.

"Uh-oh..." Aria mildly sweatdropped as turned towards her allies' direction.

"Oh my..." Mai put a hand over her lips.

"There's more of them?" Takenobu irately furrowed his brows.

With much struggle, Wendy, Romeo, Shinji, and Carla were able to push through the crowd to front of the haiden.

"Aria-san, why did you run off like that?" Wendy asked the pinkette worriedly.

"That was dangerous," Romeo added, "You know using magic like that would warrant trouble. Even if you're intentions were harmless..."

Shinji and Carla looked to her quietly, awaiting her response.

Aria felt a guilty pang in her chest. She felt bad for worrying her friends. Seeing someone who looked almost like her capable of using the same magic as her stirred something inside her. Innately, she yearned for answers about who she was and why she lacked any recollection of her identity.

"I'm sorry, guys," the pinkette bowed to her friends, "I shouldn't have made things messy for you like this. I-I have my reasons...I just can't made sense of it..."

"I understand that watching the Rite raised questions for you," Carla put a hand on Aria's shoulder, "But as Conbolt-boy said, we are visitors. If we step out of line like that with our magic, there will be consequences."

Aria nodded with a sullen frown.

"How sweet," Mai tenderly smiled at Aria, "You have such a nice group of friends."

"I-I guess...We're family after all," the pinkette replied.

"Family, hmmmm?" Mai tilted her head, "More importantly, why is it that you ask about the magic I used to perform the Rite of Spring Flowers?"

"It's because-"

"Now, now, I'm sure we can all talk this through over a nice spot of tea the next day," Ranmaru's voice interrupted as he finally passed through the crowd.

Everyone in front of the haiden sweatdropped at the man in the hyottoko mask.

"Ranmaru-san...your mask," Mai constructively reminded him.

"Ranmaru..." A vein popped on Takenobu's forehead.

"Glad to see you too, Takenobu-san," the masked man waved a hand at the blue-haired man.

"Um...I take it you three are acquainted?" Shinji observed.

"Unfortunately, this annoying devil is the prefect of Rangekka Ward," Takenobu glared daggers at Ranmaru.

"Hey, that's no way to speak to a fellow prefect!" Ranmaru whined from behind his mask, "I'm a charismatic devil at least!"

"No wonder the owner of Watame let you in without demanding pay..." Romeo grumbled.

"Conniving and privileged..." Shinji clicked his tongue in dismay.

"D-Dammit Takenobu," Ranmaru was slightly ticked at the blue-haired prefect," I was supposed to make that revelation, not you!"

"Boohoo," the blue-haired stuck his tongue out at the masked man, "Take your vestigial plots and expositions elsewhere. And your ugly masks too!"

"Y-You got a lot of nerve!" Ranmaru butted heads with Takenobu.

"Where have we seen this before?" the visiting Fairy Tail mages found themselves reminded of Natsu's and Gray's collisions back at the guild.

"Please, you too, stop fighting..." Mai gently asked them.

As if something came over the two gentlemen, they both stopped butting heads and stood sternly side by side

"Yes, my lady."

"Thank you," Mai smiled cheerfully at both prefects.

"Everything is for you, my lady!" They saluted simultaneously.

"I guess this is the part that differs..." Shinji shuddered as he kept his thoughts to himself, "Natsu and Gray would stop fighting out of fear from Erza-sensei...But this looks more like..."

"Oh my gosh, do those two fancy Miko Mai?" Aria felt her need make ships resurface, imagining herself as a pirate sailing a heart shaped boat, "Ahoy! New Land! Ahoy, new ships!"

"Ranmaru-san, let us hear your suggestion?" Mai looked at the masked man.

"Thank you kindly, my lady," Ranmaru bowed to Mai before continuing," With everyone busy on the first night of festivities, I simply suggest we book a teahouse for tomorrow to discuss this subject privately. I feel like this conversation will not bode well with all these watching eyes."

Rangekka's prefect reminded the others that they were still being watched by the crowd despite many people having left the shrine grounds after the ceremony's finale.

"Fair point," Takenobu agreed before tilting his head, "Though why are you trying to relocate the discussion to a private teahouse. Lady Chigusa would certainly not approve of Miss Mai going off to see others without knowledge thereof, no?"

"He brings up a fair point, "an older woman's voice echoed from the crowd.

Once more, the Fairy Tail mages turned to the audience to find the people parted into two rows to make way for an important individual. Her red haori with embroidered white sakura matched the color scheme of the high miko attire she wore underneath. Long, pink locks flowed alongside the petals in the night.

Takenobu's and Ranmaru's eyes widened before they politely bowed to their superior, "High Priestess Chigusa!"

Mai bowed as well, "Aunt Chigusa..."

"Aunt?!" Aria switched glances between Mai and the woman named Chigusa, "Well, they do share the same pink hair and the same green eyes."

Following the others' leads, Aria and the Fairy Tail mages bowed.

"I appreciate the reception, but there's no need to be so tense," the older pinkette's words exerted an unspeakable authority, "At ease."

By her command, the two prefects and Mai raised themselves. The Fairy Tail mages followed suit.

Chigusa looked intently at Aria. Her interest was clearly piqued by the pinkette who looked near identical to her niece, "Pink hair just like ours...And ruby red eyes...just like her..."

"Um...if I may...Ma'am," Aria nervously asked as she felt pressured from Chigusa's discerning gaze, "Who is this 'her' you're comparing me to?"

Chigusa's magenta lips curled into a grin, "I'll tell you more about it when we next meet. As Takenobu suggested, this matter is not for the public to bear witness."

The high priestess secured a pink piece of paper from one of her sleeves. She let the paper go. Instead of drifting into the night air, the paper floated above of her palm and folded itself into a paper crane. Pointing to Aria, Chigusa sent the paper crane to glide to her. The paper creation stopped in front Aria until the pinkette picked it up with her hands.

Aria unfolded the paper to read its contents quietly.

"I see," the pinkette nodded before looking to Chigusa, "Thank you kindly for making this happen. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow."

Chigusa nodded to Aria before turning to her niece, "Mai, I believe we have other matters to attend to for the night."

"Yes, Aunt Chigusa," Mai bowed before following behind her."

"Takenobu. Ranmaru. You are to accompany us."

"Yes, Lady Chigusa." Ranmaru and Takenobu saluted.

"Very good. Please enjoy the remainder of the Yozakura tonight...Tomorrow will bring something interesting." the older pinkette walked off with her niece and prefects through the parted crowd.

"W-What just happened?" Romeo was too dumbfounded to process everything that happened.

"I take it we have an important place to be tomorrow?" a concerned Wendy turned to Aria.

"Mmm..." Aria nodded despondently, "We do."

Shinji and Carla exchanged glances before casting their worried gazes at the pinkette.


~Watame Onsen and Inn, Kumori District, Rangekka Ward, Sakura City~

After what transpired at Hoseki Shrine, none of the guests from Fairy Tail could find it in themselves to enjoy the nocturnal festivities. While the streets snowed with sakura petals, they quietly walked back to their accommodations disinterested in the city's lively atmosphere.

The five Fairy Tail mages sat around the tatami centered in their booked ryokan over light-green flooring. The ryokan's sliding doors were opened, giving all the view of the cherry blossom trees blooming with the backdrop of a faint white crescent moon resting above the hazy clouds.

Aria read the opened paper with Wendy and Carla, still in her cat-girl form, sitting next to her.

" 'Come to the following address at noon sharp. Sakuragami Residence, 5-5-5 Sakuragami Ward'..."

"Surely that's not all it says," Shinji said from across the tatami.

" 'A cordial discussion might allow us to seek the answers we both desire'..." Aria sighed, "That's all there is."

"How ominous..." Carla remarked, "It almost sounds like your arrival was predicted."

"I could say the same to you, Carla," Romeo gave her Exceed teammate a little side-eye," You had a vision while we were watching the Rite of Spring Flowers."

"You did?!" Wendy, Aria, and Shinji all turned to her with equivalent perplexity.

"I did..." the white-haired Exceed folded her arms over she chest, "But it was less broad than my usual ones."

"How so?" Wendy inquired.

"It was all focused on the same scene in the same place..." Carla then shifted her brown eyes to Aria, "With the same people..."

"M-me?" Aria pointed to herself, "Was I in your premonition?"

Carla nodded, "You were unconscious...and your body was being carried by a man to a crystal altar high up in the mountains. When that man touched the crystal altar, it shattered..."

"Queen Chagotte told me she saw something similar when we went to the Exceed Village..." Aria connected the dots.

"She did?" the white-haired Exceed was shocked, "Why didn't you tell us anything about it until now?"

"I wasn't sure where on Earthland they would have a crystal altar like that," the pinkette shrugged before looking down, "And think it would be this close..."

"It's not just the crystal altar though, isn't it?" Carla inquired, "That man in my vision...do you know who he is?"

"Not in the slightest. My memories of people and places have completely faded," Aria tried to curb her distress as she ran her hands through her hair, "But sounds...movements...and Ethernano...there's something that lingers within them that makes me feel like I'm on the cusp of remembering something."

"On the note of Ethernano, the magic that Mai used to perform the ceremony today seems like undeniable proof," Romeo added, "I mean, she didn't knives or weapons like you do. But I've never seen anyone else make purple crystals like those appear from thin air."

"Mmm..." Aria solemnly nodded, "Even if I'm not connected to this place. I would still like to know about my magic. Queen Chagotte confirmed that those crystals are made of pure Ether. She even gave me advice on how to put a break into that lacrima barrier back then..."

"Too be able to see that far ahead in the future..." Carla sighed as she worried about her mother, "I'm not jealous of her in the slightest. That must be painfully inconvenient."

"That's right. You were able to break down the barrier back then," Shinji recollected, "That's how everyone was able to be evacuated without being turned into lacrima."

"Pure, solid Ether manipulation...That's insane," Romeo thought out loud, "You're able to shift its shape, control its movements, make it combust or freeze, and break down magic barriers...This kind of magic overlaps with so many forms of existing Caster Magics."

"Being able to control pure Ether...It almost sounds like the One Magic," Wendy sighed, "Vastly different and more science-y compared to Lucy-san's version of it anyways..."

"What's Lucy-san's version?" Shinji asked.

"Lucy-san's theory is that the One Magic is Love," Wendy stifled a giggle.

Shinji and Aria both faceplanted.

"Love can't possibly enable all this violence," Aria sweatdropped, "That's not right."

"Whatever it is, we'll find out about it tomorrow in the afternoon," Carla exhaustedly sighed.

In a burst of smoke, she reverted back to her Exceed form, "We should rest up for the night so we can be prepared."

...

Outside the sliding door, Aria stood basking under the hazy moon, night blossoms, and starry sky while everyone else was sound asleep.

She wore a magenta shawl over a pearl-white camisole that sheened in the lunar light.

Looking up at the heavenly bodies in the dark sky, Aria couldn't shake the feelings that troubled her heart. Whenever she tried to remember her past, only static and white noise showed up. These recognizable sensations void of pictures stirred something weird in her. It was those darn bells at the Hoseki Shrine and something in the way Mai moved and used her magic when performing that rite.

"Why did I only begin to recognize things when we went to the shrine and not when we first arrived?" Aria was deeply disturbed by this fact.

"Couldn't sleep?" a soft voice whispered from behind her by the opened ryokan sliding door.

Aria turned around to see Shinji wearing only black pajama pants and matching black geta on his bare feet. His raven-locks were a tad disheveled.

"Sh-Sh-Sh-Shin-kun?!" the pinkette madly blushed as she felt her tongue nearly jump out of her mouth at his slight state of undress.

The Requip mage slid the door shut before he sat next to her under the night's glow. Moonlight traced the finer details of his upper body and the black Fairy Tail guild mark stamped on his left oblique as he turned to her while admiring the scenery.

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Shinji's cast his sapphire eyes onto the crescent moon hanging over them.

"I do. And I appreciate that you've always been there for me," Aria looked up at the same celestial object, "This is just tricky. My memories aren't coming back to me in pictures. But I can still vaguely remember things through other means."

"The body remembers what the mind doesn't," Shinji recalled his discussions with Porlyusica back when Aria was dubbed A-1, "It's just like how you were able to remember how to use your magic despite having no memories."

"Might be just like that..." the Teleportation mage sighed before switching the conversation, "Hey, Shin-kun?"

"What?" Shinji replied.

"When do you plan to tell me and out teammates about the past?" she asked.

"Which part?" he tilted his head, seeking clarity.

"How we met and the circumstances leading to them, " Aria answered, "And what your circumstances were before you met me..."

"While it would be nice to tell things in their entirety, I don't think it's the right time or place," Shinji replied before switching his gaze to her, "Right now, all that matters to me is that we find the truth about you and decide what we do from there. I was tasked with looking after you. That's all I can say."

"Okay...I won't press or rush this issue," she lowered her gaze from the moon and conjured a single solid-Ether, five-petaled cherry blossom with her magic.

Cupping the crystalline creation in her hands, Aria could not help but silently cave in to the doubts and mistrust she locked away in her heart. While she admired Shinji's pragmatism, she often found it cold and inconsiderate. The way he seldom spoke of what happened before they met was a blaring red flag in and of itself. Yet despite his secrecy, he kept his word. He looked out for her and provided companionship throughout their journey.

Other than learning the ugly truth, there was something that scared Aria more upon its unveiling.

It was whether or not the companion she gained feelings for would leave her after she regained what she had forgotten.

Shinji looked into the night sky, the crescent moon reflecting itself into his sapphire orbs.

"The moon looks pretty tonight."


~Sakuragami Residence, Sakuragami Ward, Sakura City~

Daylight gave the city a vibrancy different from night. Under the sakura snowfall, the Fairy Tail party followed the streets clad in more casual attire compared to last night's traditional garbs.

Wendy wore a white mini dress with a teal vest yellow rim. Her legs and feet were covered by black knee socks and white shoes. Her blue locks were tied up in twin tails.

Exposing his red Fairy Tail guild mark, Romeo wore a bright red tank top with a black Heart Kreuz insignia. Gray joggers and white sneakers kept his lower body warm.

Shinji wore a loose, dark-blue button-up shirt over a white compression tee. Black jeans and blue sneakers that matched the button-up shirt secured his lower half.

Aria tied her pink-locks into pigtails. She wore a cream-colored cardigan over a magenta blouse and a black skirt. Her feet were strapped into white, heeled sandals.

They continued to wander those sakura-filled districts until they arrived at designated address in the Sakuragami ward close to the anointed hour.

Chigusa's gated estate was larger than those who resided in the city. The gates and the buildings alike bared the same greyish-white plastered wall with indigo-tiled roofs. Waiting for them in front of the manor entrance gates with two naginata-wielding guards was none other than Takenobu himself. Aria presented Chigusa's invitational paper to him.

The bespectacled, sky-blue haired male adjusted his glasses before taking the paper from the pinkette's hands, "A few minutes early, aren't we?"

"I'd rather not be late given the occasion," Aria politely bowed to him.

"Well spoken," Takenobu nodded before turning his back to them, "I shall escort you to the meeting place this instant."

The Fairy Tail quietly nodded to each other before proceeding through the gate behind Takeshita Ward's prefect.

Upon passing the entrance, they entered courtyard filled with blooming cherry trees, patches of green grass, blue andpink hydrangeas, whitish-grey stone lanterns, and a wooden bridge over a clear pond.

"This place almost reminds me of Yorugao's gardens..." Shinji thought as he scanned his surroundings.

"So pretty..." Wendy quietly mumbled to herself in awe.

"Now, now, we mustn't get distracted, "Carla chided her Dragon Slayer companion, "We have come here for real business."

"Astutely worded, cat," Takenobu sighed as he guided them to cross over the wooden bridge.

"I'm not a cat, "Carla grumbled to herself, "I'm an Exceed..."

"Now, now," Romeo smirked as he mockingly imitated her earlier tone, "We mustn't get distracted."

"Ngggghhh..." A vein popped on the white-furred Exceed's forehead as she glared at the Fire Mage.

As they passed over the pond, Aria briefly glanced at her reflection in the clear pond. The Aria she saw in the water was one she could not recognize. Instead her usual cheery self, this Aria was sad, weary, and afraid at what this meeting would bring.

A solitary petal from one of the cherry blossom trees landed onto her reflected image. Ripples cast from its contact blurred and distorted the image's original shape.

After crossing the bridge over the petal-littered pond, they arrived at a square, cedar pavilion in the garden with an indigo-tiled roof. Underneath the shade of the pavilion roof, five individuals of esteemed dress code were seated seiza-style around a long, rectangular tatami covered in a black tablecloth.

Chigusa sat at the head of the table, dressed in her high miko attire. She held a white, paper fan with a sakura emblem in her hand. Behind her, stood two guards in samurai armor, firmly holding naginata.

When her invited guests arrived, she was the first to greet them, "Good day."

Sitting adjacent to her right was a rather nervous-looking Mai, who also wore her shrine maiden garbs. Mai's expression softened upon setting her eyes on Aria and the others.

Next to Mai, sat Ranmaru clad in a burgundy nagagi with a white rope over gray hakama. This time, his face was maskless. He meekly waved to the Fairy Tail mages, who all sweatdropped upon seeing him there, "Hey there..."

"Should we even be surprised that this guy is here?" They all thought in unison as they cringed at Ranmaru.

"It seems our beloved guests bear some animosity towards you Ranmaru?" Chigusa glanced at her subordinate prefect, "What on earth did you do?"

The brown-haired man waved his hands in surrender, "All I did was help them settle into their accommodations and show them to the Rite of Spring Flowers..."

"Coasting off of us to get free admission into Watame was really shady..." Shinji verbally jabbed.

"Hiding your identity as a prefect was rather suspicious," Romeo sneered.

"Ehe~" Ranmaru scratched the brown locks on the back of his head, "I didn't cause any trouble though, didn't I?"

Romeo and Shinji grumbled to each other, "He's still shifty in our books..."

"Ah..." the brown-haired male was momentarily surrounded by a sullen aura.

The two seats next to Rangekka Ward's prefect were occupied by two people they did not meet last night.

A purple-eyed, black-haired woman adorned in a lavender kimono with plum stencils tied to her body by a midnight purple sash leaned onto the table with her ample cleavage nearly peeking through the top fold of her robes. A hair decoration resembling a fluffy, lavender plum blossom was pinned into her long, silky black locks an inch above her right ear. The female prefect held a black calligraphy pen in her right hand while her left hand was held a parchment scroll.

"B-Baika-san," a gloomy Ranmaru slinked towards the woman, "Everyone's bullying me..."

"It's probably because you deserved it," the woman clicked her tongue at her fellow prefect before she lifted her head from her intensive writing and nodded to the guests, "Pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Umehana Baika, prefect of Umehana Ward. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to read through these documents."

Baika lowered her head back towards the parchment scroll in her hand.

Left of the purple-robed lady, sat a short, yellow-haired male with a child-like visage. He was dressed in a white to yellow gradient robe with chrysanthemums printed on the sleeves and hems. The boy's lightless, dark-blue eyes were engrossed in a small he placed flat on the table. Floating next to him was a watercolor palette, a glass filled with water muddied by various paints, and two spare brushes.

The picture on his canvas showed an intricate floral arrangement consisting of five different plants in a rectangular prism pot - green bamboos, purple plum blossoms branches, yellow chrysanthemums, red-and-white orchids, and a solitary cherry blossom branch in the center.

Ranmaru slinked over to the boy, but before he could open his mouth, one of the spare brushes flew into his face.

"Gah!" Rangekka's prefect fell back.

The yellow-haired youth yawned before he stretched his hands. He lifted his head at the Fairy Tail gang. His lightless, blue eyes analyzed their outlines as his soft voice exited his mouth, "Who are these children?"

Romeo and Wendy's jaws dropped, "Look who's talking?!"

Shinji facepalmed while Aria and Carla sighed.

Ranmaru then bowed and clasped his palms together, "My apologies, this is Kikumon, prefect of Kikue Ward. He'd rather be engaged in his paintings than interacting with anyone..."

"These two are quite different from you and Takenobu-san," Aria remarked.

"Oh, don't lump me in with Ranmaru of all people! " The sky-blue haired male retorted as he glared at the brown-haired male.

"Oof...it seems everyone wants to have a go at poor old me," Ranmaru feigned a downtrodden countenance as he sunk back to the matted floor.

"Settle down, everyone," Chigusa's voice cast order over the unruly hall.

"Do excuse my fellow prefects' peculiarities. They are all wonderful and skilled individuals who have poured immense effort into keeping Sakura City tranquil," she spoke to the Fairy Tail mages, "That aside, let us talk in greater detail about last night."

Chigusa focused her eyes upon Aria.

"What compelled you to approach my niece in such a risky manner after the ceremony?"

The pinkette took a small breath before she explained herself.

"I recognized her magic - the one she used in the Rite of Spring Flowers. It's the same as mine," Aria demonstrated by conjuring a cherry blossom branch made of amethystine Ether crystals from her hand.

Chigusa narrowed her eyes at the Ether creation. Kikumon and Baika lifted their heads from their tasks and stared intensely at the pinkette. Takenobu and Ranmaru fell into a deep silence.

"No way..." Mai gasped before covering her lips with her hands, "How can there be another user of Ethereal Flower...?"

"Ethereal Flower?" Aria inquired.

"That's the name of the magic the Hanagami Sakuya taught the founders of the Sakura City," Chigusa explained.

"Hanagami Sakuya?" Romeo, Shinji, Wendy, and Carla all tilted their heads in confusion.

"She's the founding deity of our city," Baika clarified, "How have you people been here for at least a night without hearing about her?"

Kikumon rapidly painted a picture with his floating brushes on a new canvas.

"Here," He used Telekinesis to transfer the watercolor painting for the Fairy Tail mages to see. The painting showed a kimono-wearing female with pink hair and red eyes sitting seiza-style with a sakura emblemed fan covering her lips.

"Oh...I remember!" a lightbulb went off in Romeo's head, "There were houses and shops decorated with statuettes resembling her, everywhere."

"This land has a founding Goddess who taught her people magic to manipulate Ether directly..." Carla recapitulated.

"I highly recommend reading Sakura Monogatari, it is an accurate record of how our city was founded," Baika suggested, " In summation, a people from various fallen civilizations during the Era of Gods ventured to a haven created by Goddess. Not only did she offer them her protection but taught them magic to defend themselves and improve their way of life. She and the leader of those humans fell in love and their descendants became the Sakuragami bloodline. So on and so forth...You can read a free copy from the Umeboshi Library and Archives."

"Umeboshi?!" Wendy's mouth psychosomatically puckered upon hearing those magic words, "The library named after pickled plums..."

"Advertisements aside," Miss Baika continued, "The only ones in the Modern Era with the ability to use Ethereal Flower are..."

The black-haired woman paused.

"Are...?" Aria grew curious.

"Directly from Hanagami Sakuya's bloodline..." Mai completed Baika's sentence, "Like me and Chigusa of the Sakuragami Family."

"D-Do you mean, we're possibly sisters or something?" Aria was perplexed, "And moreover, that we're descendants of a Goddess?"

Romeo, Wendy, Carla, and Shinji switched glances between Aria and Mai. The four of them felt crushed by the tension behind the insinuations.

"I can't deny the similarities. You have sakura-colored hair just like me...But your eyes are ruby colored...just like Ranmaru-san..." Mai noted aloud.

Everyone turned to Rangekka's prefect to observe his identical ruby eyes.

"Um..." Ranmaru held his hyottoko mask in his trembling hands as he fought back the urge to put a mask on his face, "Given the intermingling of the Ward families' ancestors, traits like red eyes and pink hair are more widespread than one would think."

"A valid point. Additionally, those who marry a Sakuragami from other Ward families end up being integrated into the Sakuragami Family," Takenobu noted.

"Red eyes...And cherry blossom hair..." Kikumon contemplated aloud while painting a third picture, "Doesn't she seem just like the Goddess depicted in the books?"

"I noticed that too," Chigusa solemnly smiled to the pinkette, "It's a shame that none of us recognize you despite the clear indications. Furthermore, I find it strange that you have no recollection of Sakura City either. Perhaps your coming here can help us resolve the crisis that has been plaguing us for the past few years..."

"A crisis you say?" Romeo interjected, "But everything in Sakura City looks so peaceful."

"Looks peaceful, "Takenobu rebutted.

"What kind of problem has been ailing Sakura City?" Carla asked.

Chigusa commenced, "4 years ago, there was a great disturbance in Sakura City. Various arsons and unpeaceful protests occurred around the city. Blood amongst the common people and military were unnecessarily spilled."

The Fairy Tail mages all looked at Chigusa with utter shock.

"There was conflict between the people of Sakura City and the military?!" Wendy exclaimed.

"Something of that scale would've been covered in Sorcerer Weekly, wouldn't it?" Romeo raised an important question.

"Indeed, it would have, "Chigusa solemnly nodded, "The kicker is that everyone's memories of why it started and what transpired during the conflict went missing as if it were wiped. Still, the physical traces of conflict remained."

"Even when my personnel interviewed all soldiers and citizens. Every one of them turned up unable to recall what happened or why they were fighting," Takenobu recalled the event, "Even our own memories of why it occurred were also blanked out."

"Missing memories..." Aria felt a heaviness to her heart.

Not only her memories were affected. The memories of everyone else in Sakura City at the time were also wiped. Yet, another thing bothered her.

"Then...how come I can't remember anything since before I met Shinji..." the pinkette quietly grumbled.

Shinji looked to her with concern.

"There may be a deeper meaning behind it," Baika implied with uncertainty.

She then produced some papers from her sleeve and placed them onto the flat surface of the tatami, "Another thing of note: there's been an uptick of people experiencing a range of cognitive issues in clinics and at Ryoran Hospital. All of them per the registry were individuals alive during the Memory Wiping Incident during the Annual Yozakura 4 years ago."

Wendy skimmed through the medical records Baika placed onto the table, "The symptoms range from decreased awareness and orientation to total catatonia. How awful..."

"Until we get to the bottom of this issue, the conditions of these patients will deteriorate, "Chigusa noted, "Eventually all those from Sakura City affected by the Memory Wiping Incident will succumb to this ailment."

"What can we do to help?" Shinji asked.

"Forward and to the point, " Takenobu adjusted his glasses at the swordsman "This is one is adequate."

"Am I supposed to be flattered?" Shinji sweatdropped.

"Hmmm...At the top of my head, I would like to personally steal Miss Aria from your team. Perhaps Mai and I can help her re-discover some of her lost memories if we spend some time at Hoseki Shrine, " the head priestess suggested, "Otherwise, I will have to defer the rest of you to my fellow prefects."

The other Fairy Tail mages, save for Aria, turned to Ranmaru, Takenobu, Baika, and the disinterested Kikumon.

"One of my to-do list items is to visit the sick today," Ranmaru spoke up, "I-If any of you don't mind, I would appreciate the company."

"Who'd want to go with a sneak like you?" Romeo internally scoffed.

"I'll go," Wendy voluntarily raised her hand.

"Gah!" Romeo nearly felt like toppling over onto the straw matting beneath the tatami, "Wendy, you can't be serious!"

"Oh, Wendy-chan!" Ranmaru bashfully smiled to the Sky Dragon Slayer, "Thanks a bunch!"

"No problem," Wendy grinned, "Maybe we can find something if I assess the patients."

"Are you a magic healer or something?" Mai asked out of curiosity.

"Something of a sort," the bluenette humbly replied, deciding not to bring up the fact she is the Sky Dragon Slayer.

"Then I'm going too!" Romeo abruptly raised his hand.

"He sure switched up fast," Aria, Shinji, and Carla cringed.

"For once, you're popular Ranmaru..." Kikumon monotonously teased.

"I'm going to ignore that for now..." the brown-haired prefect sarcastically smiled at the yellow-haired boy.

"Other than Ranmaru, I will need help sifting through documents in the library archives," Baika mentioned, "My team has narrowed almost all records dated proximal and during the week of the Memory Wipe Incident. While we don't have any leads, there might be things that a newer set of eyes can detect that our weary ones can't."

"I guess I can lend an extra set of paws, "Carla reluctantly volunteered.

"Much appreciated," the black-haired lady nodded.

Shinji was about to suggest he come along with Carla, until he was interrupted.

"You can join me at the barracks," Takenobu pointed to Shinji.

"Eh? Why?" Shinji expressed his disbelief.

"One of my soldiers found some old equipment left at one of the arson sites, "The sky-blue haired male explained, "I could use the help from a swordsman's discerning eye."

"Tch. Fine." the Bladesmith user acquiesced.

"Very good," Chigusa nodded in approval of their teamwork, "With all tasks delegated, I declare this meeting adjourned."

"Wait...what is Kikumon supposed to do?" Ranmaru interjected.

"Hmmm?" the short male tilted his messy yellow hair, "Can't I just focus on my paintings?"

"Normally I wouldn't get on your case, but there is something you can do," Takenobu glared at Kikue's prefect, "Isn't that right, Mr. Head of Surveillance?"

Kikumon stretched his hands and let out a big yawn, "Fine, fine, I'll pain something of convenience."

Calmly, he procured four sheets of paper. His flying paint brushes hurriedly danced between his floating palette of watercolors and their canvas. Their vibrant waltz ceased upon returning to their murky cup of water. With his works completed, the artist held his hands over the sheets of paper.

"Pict Magic: Paper Cranes"

The pieces of paper flashed. Four, floating paper cranes emerged from their respective canvases. Each paper crane floated to a respective prefect, minus Chigusa.

"*yawn* There...I did my part. I'll leave the rest to you..." Kikumon outstretched his hands, before laying under the tatami, "Good night."

"Geez, would it kill him to be proactive as a prefect?" Ranmaru sighed.

"Wow, Pict Magic," Wendy was amazed, "He's just like Reedus."

"But what are these paper cranes for?" Romeo found himself confused.

"These paper cranes are modeled after my own paper shikigami, "Chigusa nodded, "Two or individuals with these paper shikigami on their person can communicate with one another by talking through them as a conduit."

"It's fundamentally like a set of those long-distance communications lacrima that Warren was developing, "Romeo visualized a set of walkie-talkies in the Telepath's hands back in the guild.

"I suppose Kikumon shall stay here with Mai, Aria, and I, " the Sakuragami head adjourned the meeting, "Please relay any clues you may find through the shikigami. That way, we can share any relevant information."

The Fairy Tail mages nodded before each group headed their temporary separate ways.

...

Soon, the only ones left underneath the pavilion were Chigusa, Mai, Aria, and the slumbering Kikumon.

"Aria-chan, " Chigusa turned to the pinkette, "How would you like to try being a miko for half a day?"

"Me? A shrine maiden?" Aria tilted her head in confusion, "I don't know...Shouldn't I also help out with the-"

"No need for that," Mai excitedly held both of Aria's hands into her own, "Recovering your own memories takes priority. No?"

"I guess..." the pinkette acquiesced, "O-Okay"

"Great!" Mai nodded happily, "Let's get going to Hoseki Shrine. I can't wait to see what you'll look like in shrine maiden clothes!"

"Wouldn't I look just like you?" Aria rebutted.

"Even so," Mai continued to smile, "You're your own person."

Hearing that, Aria felt a little more at ease. There was something in the way Mai said those words that felt genuine.

Chigusa watched as a cheerful Mai whisked a nervous Aria off towards Hoseki Shrine with a monotonous look on her face.

"Lady Chigusa" Kikumon's voice snapped her back to reality.

"Oh, so you were awake after all," the pink-haired priestess turned her head towards the fake-sleeper.

"Why did you forbid all five of us from mentioning Haruhiko-san during the meeting?" Kikumon uncharacteristically pressed.

"His condition has not improved," Chigusa responded, "I'm afraid meeting new people will either cause it to worsen or lead to him having another mental breakdown. That girl in particular might cause an unnecessary disruption to his health if he so lay eyes on her. So, for now, I'd rather they don't meet just yet. These things need to be eased in subtly."

"Understood." Kikumon blankly nodded, "I'll continue to monitor the situation through paper crane communications. Do you have any further orders for me?"

"Watch over the girls for me at Hoseki Shrine, "the Sakuragami head replied, "Report any findings related to Aria's memories to me personally."

Kikue Ward's prefect quietly nodded.


~Umeboshi Library Archives, Umehana Ward, Sakura City~

In a hidden sector of the Umeboshi Library was the archives, a white-walled room filled with gray shelves lined with historical texts and scrolls.

At the center of all those shelves, was a gray, circular table. Atop its surface were files containing records dated from 4 years ago proximal to the Memory Wiping Incident. Carla, Baika, and a few of Baika's subordinates clad in matching gray yukata sat and scanned through these records wearing Wind-Reading Glasses. A pile of papers they had finished perusing was gradually increasing.

"Ughh..." The Exceed, in her human-esque form, removed her glasses to take a break from reading, "All this reading is turning my brain into mush."

Noticing the white-haired cat girl stopped, Baika, too, removed her glasses to check up on her, "Did you find something? Or is all the reading taking its strain on you?"

"I haven't found anything of note," Carla sighed, making sure not to reveal she has premonitions, "Your team has been looking at this on the down-low for 4 years...But financially, there's nothing abnormal about these transactions when compared to the expenditures made during previous Yozakura celebrations."

"How unfortunate," the Umehana prefect coldly remarked, "I thought with more scanning we could catch a thread of a paper trail in terms of money spend on ores, wood, crafted goods, lacquers, and the like... Maybe the angle I've been tackling this has been wrong the whole time..."

"Permission to speak L-Lady Baika?" one of Baika's underlings, a bespectacled male with black-and-yellow striped hair spoke up. He was no longer buried in the records he was scanning.

"Granted," the black-haired woman nodded, "What do you wish to speak of, Bachi?"

"Thank you for granting me your permission," the male subordinate named Bachi curtly nodded, "Have you heard the rumors about a certain version of the Sakura Monogatari in a red hardcover circulating around the city?"

"I am aware..." Baika found herself a tad irritated by the complete lack of relevance this topic bared, "What of it? What does that old propaganda have to do with this investigation?"

"Propaganda?" Carla found her curiosity piqued.

"My apologies. I'm not certain it's entirely related," Bachi politely bowed to his superior, "I just think it's weird that old propaganda is making more of a buzz in recent years than it did when it was first anonymously published. There's also a conspiracy theory that an anti-Sakuya radical group exists in the cities shadows."

"Ugh...Enough of that drivel, Bachi, "Baika leered at her subordinate, "You're starting to give me a headache..."

"Why would anyone want to make propaganda about the city's founding legend?" Carla inquired, "And why wasn't this mentioned during our meeting with Chigusa?"

"Various reasons...This book specifically was made to defame our Goddess." Baika replied, "Chigusa considers it blasphemous slander. She loses her composure at the mere mention of it."

"Defame her?" the white-haired cat girl asked, "Like, they tried to make her an antagonist?"

"Rather than having me explain the specifics, why don't you read it directly instead?" Baika narrowed her purple eyes at Carla before she turned her head to her subordinate, "Bachi, why don't you show her a copy?"

"With pleasure..." the yellow-and-black stripe haired male bowed to Umehana Ward's prefect before taking Carla by the hand, "This way...Carla-san..."

"Ughhh...What part of taking break from reading wasn't made clear..." Carla internally groaned as she followed Baika's lackey to a locked room down a white-walled corridor with traditional painted scrolls hanging on the walls. A warning sign with words "Authorized Personnel Only".

After Bachi unlocked the door, the two entered a dimly lit room with shelves lined with books only.

"Here it is...Our storage section of forbidden texts. Things that are too profane or graphic tend to end up here if the Umehana Family does not approve of them." Bachi explained.

In corner of the room was an auspicious shelf lined with the same red book. Carla walked up to that shelf and delicately procured a red-covered book.

Turning the cover from its side so that it would face frontward, she read the book's title.

"Benizome Sakura"


~Ryoran Hospital, Rangekka Ward, Sakura City~

Wendy, Romeo, and Ranmaru entered a wide tea-green-walled room with beds, dividers, and medical devices. The sounds of pained patient groans stressed medical staff, and the beeping of medical devices created an uneasy atmosphere.

'Welcome to our catatonia sector," Ranmaru feigned his enthusiasm with fake jazz hands.

"Thank you for having us," Wendy nervously nodded to Rangekka Ward's prefect.

Per Ranmaru's suggestion back at the pavilion, Wendy was brought to Ryoran Hospital's Psychiatric Ward to examine patients suffering from psychiatric symptoms recurrent amongst those alive during the Memory Wiping Incident. Romeo, reluctantly, tagged along.

"A ward connected to inns and hospitals," Romeo cringed, "How can we be so sure you're not secretly corrupt?"

"Your words wound me, Romeo," Ranmaru switched his cheerful hyottoko mask to a crying Noh mask, "My family is only involved with managing both city's hospitality and medical industries."

The Fire mage's jaw nearly dropped to the floor, "Only?!"

"Good day, Ranmaru-sama," a green-haired, green-eyed nurse clad in a white gown bowed to Ranmaru, "How can we be of service?"

Ranmaru switched back to wearing a hyottoko mask within seconds to greet the nurse.

"Good day, Nurse Sumi," Ranmaru bowed back before procuring some papers from the sleeve of his yukata, "I would like to see Mr. Kocho."

"Ah, my apologies, Ranmaru-sama," Sumi bowed repeatedly while clasping her hands, "Mr. Kocho's granddaughter is visiting him right now."

"Oh, Ageha's here?" the brown-haired male's face lightened a bit, "I'm sure she'll enjoy the extra company!"

"A-Are you sure this is okay?" Wendy wanted the prefect to reconsider, "Isn't it wrong to interrupt family time?"

"Yes, it is," Ranmaru smiled, aware of the discourtesy.

Wendy, Romeo, and Sumi all faceplanted.

"Ranmaru-sama..." Sumi felt like crying, "I'd rather not get an earful from that girl today."

"No worries, Nurse Sumi," Ranmaru reassured the nurse whilst side-eying Wendy, "We are, indeed, seeing him for medical reasons of utmost importance. Since you are so concerned, why don't you supervise us so you can file a report on me in case I violate any rights."

Figuratively, a dark, thunderous rain cloud hovered over Sumi, "I-I-..."

Romeo nudged the prefect in the side, "Geez, you can stop teasing her. We need to get a move on."

"Fine," Ranmaru whimpered.

Nurse Sumi led the three to a bed in the corner of the catatonia sector. The wall next to the bed had an artwork depicting a black swallowtail butterfly perched on the red, clustered blooms of a lycoris. Snug in the white sheets of the bed lay a bald, elderly male in a light-blue patient gown. He stared intently at the picture.

On a chair next to his bed, slouched a teenage, twin-tailed girl with black-hair intermingled with red-streaks. She was dressed in a white hoodie with red butterfly wing motifs in the back and a black skirt. Crimson knee socks hugged her legs. White, athletic sneakers covered her feet. Two tufts of red-dyed hair curled at the top of her scalp like insect antennae. Her purple eyes cast a resigned look at the older man in the bed.

"Ageha-chan!" Ranmaru called out to her.

The butterfly-like girl jolted in her seat. Following that annoying voice, she redirected her line of sight to the approaching group. The girl named Ageha scowled at the Rangekka Ward prefect, "Uncle Ranmaru...What the heck are you doing here?"

"What part of 'she'll enjoy the extra company' does this show?" Romeo scoffed at Ranmaru with equivalent discontent.

"Oh, this is awkward..." Wendy sweatdropped.

Ageha then pointed to Wendy and Romeo, "And who the heck are these kids?"

"Look who's talking!" the Fairy Tail mages internally exclaimed back at the teen girl.

"My apologies, Ageha," Sumi frowned, "I advised Ranmaru-sama against disturbing you, but he was insistent on seeing your grandfather."

"Tch. You've done nothing that warrants an apology, Sumi, "Ageha clicked her tongue as she glared at Ranmaru, "If anything, Mr. Rangekka himself should explain."

Ageha tiptoed on front of her sneakers to reach Ranmaru's chin level, "So, what is it you want with my Grandpa?"

"Today I brought a healer of sorts," the Rangekka Ward prefect gestured to Wendy "I was wondering if I could have your permission as Mr. Kocho's immediate family to have her examine him."

Ageha lowered her feet and stepped towards the bluenette. She looked her up and down and tiled her head.

"U-Um...Hi," Wendy sweatdropped in mild discomfort.

"This girl is supposed to be a healer?" Ageha's red antennae-like cowlicks straightened out to express her surprise.

She then shifted her scrutinizing glare back to Ranmaru, "Is this supposed to be another of your jokes? I'd have to say this is an all-time low coming from you."

"Oh, how I wish it was, "Ranmaru sarcastically sighed.

Romeo found himself above irritated by this sassy child's remarks, "Being rude to Ranmaru is fine, but Wendy is a talented healer. Don't rule her out just because she's young."

"Ah my bad," Ageha turned back to the Fire mage with a look of resignation in her purple eyes, "I'm just not very hopeful that anything will work anymore these days...Grandpa and the others have been like this for 4 years...We've had multiple doctors from outside the city try to see these individuals, but they found nothing of note...What can you do that can ensure me that you're possibly different from the rest?"

"Please, Ageha-san," Wendy cast a sincere gaze towards the teen girl, "Please let me see if my magic can help Mr. Kocho."

"F-Fine, I'll let you look at him. Just once," Ageha averted her eyes from Wendy's, " if there's really nothing you can do, just spare us the trouble and leave.

"Right," Wendy nodded in agreement before taking a seat next to the old man.

She hovered her hands over his frame and cast a healing glow, "Anomaly Reversal Magic, Raise!"

Light cascaded over Mr. Kocho's frail body. Given his catatonia, the old man was totally unfazed by the light show.

"Enchant...Now that's rare..." Ranmaru observed.

"She's not just any enchantress, " Romeo smugly smiled, "She's the Sky Dragon Slayer."

"Sky Dragon Slayer Magic..." Ageha folded her hands in quiet prayer as she watched Wendy work her magic.

Just as Mr. Kocho's body became enveloped by healing radiance, the light of day gradually returned to his purple eyes. He briefly turned his head to look at Ageha.

"A-A-Age...ha..." the old man struggled to speak his granddaughter's name.

"Holy crap..." Ageha swore out sheer surprise.

Ranmaru silently witnessed the miracle of Wendy's magic with widened eyes.

Romeo smugly smiled, proud of his comrade's healing powers, "You show them, Wendy!"

...

Just when the unthinkable happened, something more unthinkable occurred.

"Be-Beware...the Sa-Sakura...gamis..."

His ominous warning stopped everyone in their tracks.

Before anyone could extrapolate anything from him, the healing light around him crystallized then shattered into dissipating emeraldine shards. The flow of magic from Wendy to Mr. Kocho, also, crystallized into green gems before breaking and vanishing into the air.

When the crystals faded, Mr. Kocho collapsed onto the bed, reverted back to his catatonic state.

"What was that?" The Sky Dragon Slayer took a step back before sinking to the floor with shivering hands.

"Wendy!" Romeo and Sumi rushed to Wendy's and knelt by her side.

"Are you alright, Wendy-san?" Sumi asked the bluenette.

"I-I'm fine," the blunette tried to reassure her teammate, "I'm...just lost for words..."

"As am I..." Sumi observed, "None of the specialists from outside ever came as close as you did. It is beyond impressive that you brought him back, even if for a moment's repose."

"Grandpa..." Ageha quietly walked to Mr. Kocho's catatonic figure strewn on his bed. She eyed his frail, vegetative constitution with same resigned look as earlier.

Ranmaru stood right next to the hoodie-wearing girl and put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry...Ageha..."

"No need," The teen girl quickly flicked his hand off of her shoulder before casting him, Wendy, and Romeo a slight grin, "It was good to hear him talk like after all these years. Thanks a bunch."

"Ageha-chan..." Sumi frowned.

"Ageha-san..." Wendy felt sorrier for the girl with the tough front she put on, but something still bothered her at the back of her mind, "If you don't mind me asking, what did Kocho-san mean when he told you to 'Beware the Goddess'?"

"I don't mind telling you," Ageha's grin reverted back to a scowl as she glowered at Ranmaru, "But I'm sure Ranmaru's ilk would."

"Ageha..." Ranmaru tried to reach the girl, "I don't think this is necessary..."

"Zip it," She aggressively slapped his hands away with a red book procured form her hoodie pocket.

"Ouchie!" the Rangekka Ward prefect winced as he rubbed his swollen fingers, "Why'd you have to do that? And why do you have a copy of that book?"

"Don't try to silence me, Uncle Ranmaru," Ageha glared at him, "The Anomaly Reversal Spell worked momentarily...And in that moment, Grandpa tried to tell me the truth..."

Her purple eyes flashed. A red, neon silhouette shaped like a butterfly hovered in front of her face.

Red butterflies flickered into the space of catatonia ward. The strange occurrence initially caused everyone else in the sector to be wowed by the pretty insects. Then one by one, the medical personnel began to slip out of consciousness. Their bodies dropped to the floor like flies exposed to toxins. Sumi, too, collapsed onto the floor.

"Ah...What's going on now?" Wendy found herself confused as she scanned her surroundings, "Why is everyone knocked out?"

"Not everyone..." Romeo corrected her, "For some reason, she spared you, me, Ranmaru, and the patients..."

The Fire Mage glowered at Ageha, "What's your game, Ageha? What truth did your grandfather try to impart?"

"I'm simply doing what's right," the twin-tailed girl lowered the top hem of her hoodie to show a red lycoris tattoo on her neck, "The reason for these prolonged mental abnormalities is because they've been afflicted by complex spell crafted by the Sakuragami Family! And my duty as a part of Higanzakura is to bring that into light. If you plan to get in my-no our way- there will be consequences..."

"So you're implying that you're not acting on your own?" Romeo deduced, "That there are others throughout the city?"

"I think you're smart enough to answer that on your own," Ageha conjured a blade of psychic energy into her hands and brandished it at the Fairy Tail mages, "I'll be taking your Sky Dragon Slayer, she might just be able to breach the spell if we can amp her magic power. Surrender her while I'm asking nicely."

Wendy and Romeo exchanged worried glances. They nodded to each other.

Romeo stepped forward setting his fists ablaze, "Not a chance."


~Sakura City Outskirts, Mt. Cerasus~

Somewhere above the clouds, three figures stood atop the peaks overlooking the cherry blossom-filled city.

The tallest of the three cloaked figures was a bulky, muscular male with short, red hair and olive skin. His chin sported a reddish stubble. Beneath his black cloak, he wore a sleeveless, black compression shirt with a red zipper down the middle. Gray cargo pants hugged his thick thighs. Green leather shoes kept his feet protected from the elements. His left arm was bandaged while his right arm was covered in red lycoris tattoos. He looked down upon Sakura City with a certain enmity in his ashen orange eyes.

"It seems one of my own found something related to the Memory Wiping Incident," the red-haired male solemnly spoke in a deep voice. He held his hands in prayer, clutching onto a set of black prayer beads with golden etchings and an infamous red book, "While another is quietly observing..."

"Higan-san," one of the figures politely addressed him from behind, "At what point would you prefer me and my associate to intercept those fairies?"

Higan turned to the one who spoke. The voice belonged to a short, hunched, purple-skinned male with slicked blonde hair and a beige coat with two red sun designs. His bulbous chin sported a peculiar, black goatee. Underneath his coat, his upper body was wrapped in dark blue bindings. A metallic bolted belt fastened his olive-green pants to his waist with the hems cut off a few inches above his cobalt shoes.

His teeth were clenched in an excitedly sinister grin.

"Associate...I don't recall ever being your damn associate, Nullpudding," a certain woman's voice venom-laced voice spoke.

Next to Nullpudding, stood a woman with her red locks tied up in a low braided bun with black strands intermixed with the red. She wore crimson, blazer dress with black buttons and a loose, black tie with silver lattice designs. Her arms were garnished with red spider web tattoos that matched the color of the ten metallic fingers which replaced the ones that were cut off.

"My apologies, Arvesque-san. Twas a simple slip of the tongue," Nullpudding flashed his disturbing grin at his 'associate', "I meant to say equal."

"Tch. Bullshit," the Blood Mage clicked her tongue before glaring towards Higan with her orange, rhomboid irises, "What are your plans for us, oh great, scheming leader of Higanzakura?"

"Two keys essentially appeared once those Fairy Tail mages arrived - a girl identical to the Sakuragami family ailed with amnesia and an Enchanter who can briefly breach the Memory Wiping Spell," Higan explained with a violent fire in his eyes.

"I simply wish to find out the truth behind the Memory Wiping Incident all those 4 years ago...To undo the effects of the wiping and to hold those responsible for this mess accountable. For that to happen, I will need those two."

"And what of the other three, Higan-san?" Arvesque grimaced, contemplating her revenge.

"You may quash anyone else who tries to interfere with my business. But no unnecessary killing, " Higan glared at the two with murderous intent, "If you cross the line. I'll cull you both myself and wipe away any trace of your guild's involvement before either of you can get what you came for."

"The main job comes first," Nullpudding's sinister smiled only deepened, "As you wish Higan-san."

"As...you...wish..." Arvesque's eyes twitched irately in disappointment.


Hmmm... I'll end it here. I introduced a ton of characters. With all the players and factions set about, let the 4D chess begin!

Next Chapter: Higanzakura

As always, please feel free to give me your constructive criticisms, feedback, suggestions, etc. But please, don't be too harsh with me. If you choose to, Kikumon will use his Pict Magic to make some duct tape.

Kikumon: *yawns in massive lazy* Why would I waste my paints and Magic on something like that?

Author: Um...um...because I'm running out ways to threaten my dear audience to be polite.

Kikumon: *yawns then hides in tatami* But I'm just a character in a work of fiction.

Author: Oof...And here I thought Ranmaru was supposed to be the self-aware one!