Hello, fans! I've edited this story many times, but I promise this is the final version. I had thought up other characters for the story and thought starting over earlier in the series would be better. With that, I give the newest version of Celestial Bonds.
I've decided to divide the series into separate books. This will be the first book and center around season one, which covers the beginning to the Fantasia Arc.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Fairy Tail series. I only own my OCs, including any guilds or types of magic I make up. I borrowed a few ideas from Just2Protect, giving them credit. The pseudodragon was first coined by Kiba174, and I just built off of that using Spyro, so credit goes to those creators.
And so, let's begin the new story.
In a land far, far away lies the Kingdom of Fiore–a small, peaceful nation of seventeen million and a place filled with Magic.
Found in every home, bought and sold in every marketplace, for most, Magic is merely a tool, a mundane part of everyday life. For some, however, Magic is an art, and they've devoted their lives to its practice.
These are the Wizards.
Banded together into magical Guilds, they client their skills in search of fame and fortune. Many such Guilds dot the landscape of Fiore.
But there is a Guild not found in any town that makes a statement all its own—one whose legend is just beginning.
Its name is Dragon Heart.
(Azolla Town)
This is the port town of Azolla, located in Northern Fiore. While smaller than its southern counterpart, Hargeon, this town has everything a person could need to call it home. The town is nicknamed the City of Water for its picturesque ocean view.
"Wow!" A small cat smiled widely as he looked at the ocean.
He was barely a foot tall and walked on his hind legs. Unlike the pointed ears of most cats, this one had round ears. He had white and gray fur similar to an Oriental Bobtail with a tuft of fur sticking off his like bangs. His eyes were two different colors, the left being sapphire purple and the right being sapphire blue. The little cat wore a blue scarf around his neck with light blue Native designs, and on his back was a gold mark shaped like a dragon fused with a heart.
"This place is amazing!"
"I'll say!" a preteen boy agreed beside the cat.
He was twelve years old and looked slightly muscular for his age. He had short, shaggy, fiery blue hair, green eyes, and pale skin. He wore brown boots, black jeans with an extra-big pocket on the side, a red long-sleeve shirt under a tawny-orange jacket, black fingerless gloves, and bandages wrapped around his forehead. On his back was a sword with a hilt designed to look like flames. His clothes covered it, but he also had a brownish-red mark like the cat's on his right shoulder.
Sitting on the boy's shoulder was a small Dragon-like creature called a Pseudodragon. It was about the same size as the cat, with dark purple scales, a ruby underbelly, wing membranes, and jade-green eyes. It also had two silver-white horns on its head, matching claws, and a matching dragon mark on its forehead between its eyes.
"This'll be a great place to stop for a while!"
"Then let's find a spot to post our flyer!" The cat said.
"Right!" The trio then raced down the port. The cat magically grew white angelic wings with a layer of gold feathers so he could fly alongside the Pseudodragon.
(Elsewhere)
At the same time, the local magic shop had received an out-of-town customer.
He was a young man at 5'9" with brown eyes and long, straight black hair that reached his upper back in a low ponytail with beads and feathers woven in. He had mildly tanned skin and a slender, athletic build with solid muscles. There were several scars on his body: a large one along his left arm, a smaller one on his right hand, one on his right cheek, and another on the left side of his face. He had pierced ears with feather earrings, and on the back of his left hand was a dragon mark in dark blue. He wore a green shirt with a copy of his mark in black under a gray sleeveless jacket, gray jeans with a simple dark brown belt, a knife holster on the left side of his belt, short dark green leather bracers, and coal-colored shoes. Around his neck was a moonstone necklace, and a broad sword was strapped to his back.
Sitting on the floor beside him was a female wolf with brown fur and yellow eyes. Everything about the beast was massive and screamed alpha.
"So, this is the only Magic shop in town?" He asked the owner behind the counter.
"Yes, sir. We also have a Magic repair shop just down the road." A sweet older woman replied.
"Man, this town has everything," The Mage commented as he looked around. "I'm surprised a Guild hasn't been set up here."
"Yes. Most people here are fishermen more than Mages," the shop owner explained. "But we get a fair bit of Mage traffic, though."
"So, what's for sale?"
"Oh, I've got all the latest gadgets, young man," She promised as she reached behind the counter and pulled out a pink box device with a mirror. "This is one of our most popular items: ColorS."
"That changes the color of a person's clothes, doesn't it?"
"Correct." She slid her finger across the mirror, and in the next instant, her dress changed from green to purple.
"Oh, yeah, Willow had one of those, but she lost it a month ago," The Mage said, thinking out loud. "I've been meaning to find a replacement for her."
"Sounds like you're a good friend to her."
"Well, I try," He smiled slightly. "By the way, do you have any Gate Keys?"
"Gate Keys, that's a rare order. I take it you're a Celestial Wizard."
"Yes, ma'am." The mage nodded as he browsed the display case before noticing a Silver Key in a velvet-lined box. "Oh, hey, a Little Dog Key!"
"Ah, yes, but it's not a very powerful Spirit." The shopkeeper pointed out.
"I don't mind," He assured her. "How much for it?"
She thought about it briefly before saying, "I'll tell you what, young man, I'll make you a deal."
"A deal?"
"You see, my brother lives on the other side of Mt. Hakobe, near the region of Magnolia. Recently, he has been having issues with too many Vulcans in the area, so he sent a request to the nearest Guild asking for help. One of their Wizards took the job and went out to slay the beasts, but he never returned."
The Mage hummed in concern as he considered the information. Mt. Hakobe was dangerous enough without the Vulcans. A man caught unaware in the elements could be dead within hours, even with proper supplies.
"My brother doesn't know what happened to the Wizard or how many Vulcans he slayed, and he doesn't dare venture onto the mountain to find out. So, the job remains unfinished. Which brings me to my deal: If you could go out and check on the situation, I'll give the Key and the ColorS as a reward, plus 100,000 Jewel for making the trip. If there are still Vulcans on the mountain, I'll throw in an extra 10,000 for each one you slay."
"Wow!" His eyes widened at the offer. "Are you sure, ma'am? That's a lot of Jewel."
"Oh, don't worry about the money, young man. I'm just worried about my brother and would feel better knowing he was safe on his side of the mountain."
The Mage stared at her for a moment before smiling in understanding. He held out his hand to seal the deal with a handshake. "You've got a deal, ma'am."
"Oh, bless you, young man," She thanked him, shaking his hand. "I'll inform my brother right away."
"Then I'll go round up my teammates, and we'll leave within the hour once we grab supplies," The Celestial Wizard promised, looking at his wolf. "Let's go, Summit." The wolf nodded before the two headed out of the shop, the shopkeeper watching them leave with a grateful smile.
"Okay, so we're heading for Mt. Hakobe with an unknown number of Vulcans and a missing, possibly injured, and/or dead Wizard," The Mage went over with his wolf friend as they walked down the street. "The monsters shouldn't be a problem, but the other factors in this job may make things trickier."
Summit looked up at the human, asking him questions in her own language that he could understand by eye and ear movement. "No, who we've got here is enough. Besides, Willow is still at ERA taking her assessment, and Chase is handling the Bosco job. This would also be a good time to have Enjin take the lead."
Summit looked unsure at that remark. "Don't worry, Enjin's ready for this. If things start to get hairy, I'll jump in."
"Hey, Chief!"
"Sky, over here!"
Sky and the wolf ended the conversation, realizing they had found the others in the park near the center of town. They had posted a poster advertising their group, Dragon Heart, on a public notice board.
"Enjin, Ash, Zafira, there you three are." He said as he joined them. "I've got a job lined up for us."
"That was quick," The cat, Ash, commented. "We just posted the flyer."
"The Magic shopkeeper offered it up. The job's gonna take us to Mt. Hakobe, so we need to grab mountain trek supplies."
"Yes, sir!" The boy, Enjin, saluted playfully.
Sky smiled slightly before turning around with a smirk. "Alright. Dragon Heart, let's move out!"
(Sometime later)
After gathering the supplies they needed for the trip, Dragon Heart was on the road to Mt. Hakobe in a magic mobile with the Dragon Heart insignia. Inside, Sky was at the wheel, with Enjin in the passenger seat, looking over the map. Summit sat on the floor between them while Ash and Zafira napped in the back.
"We should be reaching the mountain any time now," Enjin looked at the driver.
"According to the shopkeeper's brother, the Vulcans come down from the summit of Mt. Hakobe," Sky explained.
"The map shows a path cutting through the mountain range to the other side."
"Let's get to the Magnolia side and see if we can find a trail to the summit," The Celestial Wizard planned. "Once we find the Vulcans, I'm going to let you take the lead."
"Really?!" Enjin looked at Sky with wide eyes shining with excitement.
"Yeah," Sky nodded, giving him a slight smile. "I think you're ready to take missions on your own. I just want to see how you handle fighting a monster solo."
"Thanks, Sky!" The younger Wizard cheered.
Ash yawned as he sat up, rubbing a paw at his eyes as Zafira stretched beside him. "What's going on…?"
"We're here," Sky said suddenly, causing everyone to look at the whiteout scenery ahead of them.
"Can we take Auriga up to the top?" The cat asked.
"No, the path's too narrow. I'll get us as deep into the pass as I can before we have to go on foot."
It didn't feel like much time had passed after he said that before they were forced to stop. A blizzard raged around them as the Magic Vehicle overlooked a ledge.
"It's a frozen wasteland around here!" Ash commented as they all climbed out of the car.
"'Guess this is why they call it Mt. Hakobe," Sky commented. He tapped the vehicle twice, and then it disappeared in golden sparkles. Once that was done, a red Magic Circle appeared under his feet as he called, "Requip!"
In a flash of light, Sky's outfit had changed to better withstand the cold. He wore a red mountain climbing jacket with black on the neck and wrist areas plus gold and white trim, black gloves, yellow-tinted snow goggles, thick black cargo pants, and red, yellow, and black snow boots. The things that remained from his old outfit were his necklace and sword, and his hair had been changed to a high ponytail.
"Everyone ready?" He looked at the group.
"As long as I get to hang out on Enjin," Ash commented, clinging to the smaller Wizard's back while Zafira wrapped herself around his neck.
"Really, guys?" He sweatdropped.
"Eh, your Fire Magic makes you a walking heater," Sky shrugged before starting down the trail with Summit at his side. "Now, let's move."
"Right!" Enjin followed them.
(Later)
The group trekked through the snow for what felt like hours. They kept their guard up for Vulcans and an eye out for the missing Wizard.
"Wow, it's windy up here!" Enjin called over the gale.
"I've been to the mountains before, but Mt. Hakobe's on a whole different level." Sky agreed, shielding his face slightly.
"I'll say!" Ash looked around from his spot on Enjin's head.
"Hey, Sky? How many Vulcans will we have to fight?" The young Fire Wizard asked.
"I'm not sure. The shopkeeper didn't know the exact number, and her brother didn't know how many the missing Wizard took down, so I guess we'll find out for ourselves." Sky said.
"Macao! Where are ya?!"
"Macao!"
Dragon Heart stopped in their tracks and looked toward the shout. Moving closer, they found another group around the bend in the mountain path. They saw a pink-haired boy wearing a white scarf, a black vest without a shirt, cargo pants, and sandals. With him was another cat like Ash, with pointed ears and blue fur. Behind him was a Celestial Spirit called Horologium the Clock, who looked like a grandfather clock with arms and legs. Inside him was a blond-haired girl wrapped in a blanket.
"Looks like we're not the only ones crazy enough to be up here," Ash said.
"Who's Macao?" Enjin questioned.
"Probably the missing Wizard. Those must be his guildmates," Sky said.
"Should we help them?" His cat asked.
"I don't see why not. Besides, safety in numbers up here," The leader said.
Suddenly, Summit started sniffing the air before growling, making the dragons aware of another unfriendly presence. Looking up, they saw a shape jump down from the ledges above them. The boy and cat from the other group barely had time to get out of the way as it smashed into the ground where they were previously standing, kicking up dust and snow. The figure straightened up, revealing itself as a Vulcan with a menacing grin.
"That's a big Vulcan!" The blue cat yelled as the surrounding Wizards glared at it.
The Mages were about to attack when the Vulcan started sniffing around. It then ignored them and ran in the other direction.
"Hey, wait!" Pink hair called after it.
It grabbed Horologium and leered at the girl through the glass, scaring her. "Me like human woman."
The other wizard pounded his fist into his hand as he smirked. "So, it can talk, huh?"
"'Don't just stand there! Hurry up and save me!' she yells furiously." Horologium translated for the girl as the Vulcan carried them away.
Sky facepalmed at what just happened. "Well, that escalated quickly," Ash commented.
"Yup." Enjin agreed.
"Summit, start tracking." The Celestial Wizard commanded.
The wolf barked before running after the Vulcan, knocking the other Wizard and cat into the air and landing face-first into the snow. "Sorry!" Sky apologized as he ran past him.
"Coming through!" Ash added, Enjin following behind them.
The pinkette popped back up, blinking in confusion as he stared after the other Wizards. "Man. What a bunch of weirdos."
"Aye." The blue cat agreed, pulling himself out of the snow.
(Near the summit of Mt. Hakobe)
Following the Vulcan's trail, Dragon Heart tracked it back to its cave. Once they arrived, the group looked inside cautiously before entering. Summit took the lead, followed by Enjin, as Ash and Zafira flew above them, with Sky bringing up the rear. They kept to the shadows along the walls, their senses alert for the monster and captured Wizard.
They found them in the back part of the cave. The blond girl was still hiding inside Horologium while the Vulcan danced around excitedly before leering at her again. Suddenly, the clock Spirit disappeared, leaving the blond at the Vulcan's mercy. "Where did you go, Horologium?! Don't you disappear on me!"
"Sorry, but my time is up," The Spirit replied from the Celestial World. "Take care."
"Give me an extension! Please!" She wailed.
"Okay, before this gets any creepier…" Sky muttered before looking at his teammate. "Enjin?"
"On it!" Reaching into his large packet, he pulled out a couple of firecrackers. Before the Vulcan could react, the young Wizard threw the now-lit firecrackers at the monster. They exploded with enough force to send it backward into the wall.
The blond stared in shock as Enjin stepped between her and the Vulcan, not taking his eyes off the monster as the rest of the group ran to her. "Are you okay?" Sky asked, surprising her.
"Yeah…" She nodded uncertainly. He offered her a hand and helped her to her feet. "Thank you."
"No problem."
"Well, that was easy," Ash said.
"Is she okay?" Enjin turned to them.
"Yeah, I'm fine, thank you," The girl answered assuringly. "My name's Lucy."
"Sky," The Celestial Wizard nodded before introducing his teammates. "This is Enjin, Ash, Zafira, and Summit."
"Nice to meet you. So, what are you doing up here?"
"Aside from saving you?" Ash remarked.
"We'll tell you later. Right now, we gotta deal with the Vulcan in the room," Sky said, looking at the creature as it rose from where it fell.
"Here it comes!" The cat yelled.
"Enjin!" The leader looked at the younger Mage.
"Right!" Enjin rested his fist on his palm and pulled them to his side in a fighting stance.
"Do you have any combat Spirits?" Sky asked Lucy as he Requipped a Silver Key with an arrow motif.
"I only have one I can use here."
"Get ready to bring them out."
"Hey, you big ape!" They all turned to see Natsu charging towards them at full speed. "Where's Macao?! Tell me!" Then, in true comedic fashion, Natsu slipped on the ice covering the cave. Yelping as he went in the air, he landed flat on his back, spinning as he slid across the ground. Everyone stared after him momentarily as he crashed into a wall a few feet away.
"Well, that was weird," Ash commented.
Lucy brought a hand to her face. "Why does he feel like he has to make an entrance all the time?"
"Spill it, monkey!" Natsu hissed at the Vulcan. "Where is my friend?!"
The mountain monster stared at him as Natsu got up, Lucy running to his side. The Dragon Heart Wizards also moved to get in front of them in case the Vulcan decided to attack. "You understand me, right? He's a human man. Now tell me where he is!"
"Man?" The Vulcan questioned, thinking about it.
"That's right! Where are you hiding him?!" Natsu pointed at him accusingly.
"Don't you think you might be jumping to conclusions?" Lucy asked.
Summit's ears perked up before nudging her master to get his attention. The two shared an unspoken conversation before Sky gave the Vulcan a suspicious look.
"Man!" The Vulcan pointed at another side of the cave, motioning for Natsu to follow it.
"Hey! I think he's gonna show me!" Natsu said before running off.
"Seriously?" Sky muttered, already knowing this was a trick.
"Macao!?" the pyro called out from a hole in the mountain. Suddenly, the monkey monster shoved him through the hole, causing him to plummet out of sight. "MONKEEEYYYY!"
"Natsu!" Lucy cried as she and Dragon Heart looked out the opening.
"Just when you think no one's that dumb." Ash quipped.
"No like man! Me like woman!" The Vulcan declared, dancing around again.
"This is bad news! He can't survive out there!" Lucy fretted as she watched the wind and snow.
"He's fine. Fire Wizards can take the cold." Sky said.
"Why do you think I'm out here with short sleeves?" Enjin added.
"Woman, woman, woman, woman, woman…" They looked back at the Vulcan as he beat his chest.
"Ready, Enjin?" Sky said, readying his Key again.
"You know it!" The young Fire Wizard retook his stance.
"I'll help, too! This pervy monkey is going down!" Lucy said, having tossed aside the blanket and grabbing one of her Keys from her belt. She held a Gold Key with a bull motif and said the summoning spell. "Open, Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!" Bursting out of the ground came a muscular, anthropomorphic cow with a giant labrys on his back. He gave a mooing battle cry, ready for a fight.
"Taurus?" Sky blinked in surprise at the appearance of the Zodiac Spirit.
"Cow?" The Vulcan questioned.
"I should warn you, monkey boy, Taurus is the most powerful Celestial Spirit that I have a contract with!" Lucy mentioned.
"Oh, wow, Miss Lucy, I almost forgot what a nice figure you have," The bull spirit leered with hearts in his eyes, making the blond girl cringe. "Why don't you come give me a smooch?"
"Oh, yeah, and he's a big perv, too," Lucy remembered, smacking her forehead.
"Yeah, that's him." Sky deadpanned.
"No touch my woman!" The Vulcan growled, snapping Taurus out of it.
"Your woman?!" The cow glared at the beast. "Them's fighting words, ya moooo-key!"
"Get him!" Lucy commanded.
"Let's go!" The boys yelled, ready for battle.
Smirking, Taurus jumped in the air, twirling his ax around. As he came back down, he slammed the blade into the ground, sending an earthquake toward the Vulcan, blasting rocks into the air. However, the Vulcan proved quite agile, jumping out of the way before circling around to attack.
"He's fast!" Lucy cried.
Before it could reach Taurus, Summit jumped off the bull's back and pounced on the Vulcan with bared teeth. While not the strongest of Spirits, she was able to throw the monster off balance, causing it to fall to the ground before the wolf jumped back. Summit looked at Taurus with a nod, which the other Spirit returned.
"Good work, Summit." Sky praised the wolf.
The Vulcan growled as it got up before raising its arms for another attack. Enjin got in front of the Spirits for a counterattack. "Blue Fire Shot!" Stretching his arms out, a blast of blue fire shot from his hands and hit the Vulcan, sending it back.
"Blue flames?" Lucy gasped in awe.
"Might wanna focus on the battle, blondie," Ash suggested.
"Right!"
"We gotta slow this thing down," Sky said before summoning his own Spirit. "Open, Gate of the Arrow! Sagitta!" A bow of golden wood appeared in his hands, already notched with an arrow. The arrow had a silver shaft, and the feathers on the end were speckled silver and gold.
"Epsilon Sagittarii!" Sky pulled back the bow, and the arrow glowed bright yellow before he released it towards the Vulcan. When he released the arrow, five more appeared, and they all honed in on the Vulcan, making a direct hit as the beast howled in pain.
"Oh, wow!" The female Celestial Wizard breathed with amazement.
"Someone's picked up some new m-ooooves," Taurus commented, smirking at the other archer.
"I've learned a trick or two while on the road," Sky smirked back at the Spirit.
Lucy was momentarily confused, wondering how her Spirit and the other Celestial Wizard knew each other. Before she could ask, though, Natsu suddenly reappeared, surprising them by kicking Taurus in the head. "Natsu!" Lucy cried in shock.
Taurus cried out in pain before hitting the ground, his soul drifting out of him. "Looks like this is the end for me…"
"Epic fail!" Lucy said, bulgy-eyed.
"Hey. So, how come there are more monsters now than when I left?" Natsu questioned, pointing at the now confused Vulcan.
"He's a friend, dummy! One of my Spirits!" Lucy snapped at him.
"That guy?" He looked at the Vulcan.
Sky whacked the pink-haired pyro over the head. "He's talking about the bull, you idiot! The one you just kicked!"
"Wait a minute," Lucy snapped out of her rage when she realized something. "How were you able to survive out there?"
Natsu turned to her before smirking. "Happy came to save me."
"And where have you been?" Sky turned to the blue cat hovering above them.
"Thanks, little buddy!" The Fire Wizard said.
"Aye." Happy replied.
"Wow, Chief, check it out!" Ash floated closer to the other cat. "He looks like me!"
"Another me!"
"Whoa, cool!" Natsu commented.
"I didn't think there were other cats like Ash." The archer murmured in confusion.
"Me neither," Enjin said.
"So, you can't handle other modes of transportation, but flying with Happy's okay?" Lucy questioned, crossing her arms.
"What kind of stupid question is that?" Natsu replied, sounding almost offended. "Happy isn't a mode of transportation! He's my friend! I mean, duh!"
"You're right. It was totally wrong of me to compare the two." The Celestial Wizard quipped sarcastically.
The Dragon Heart members sighed tiredly, reaching their limit with the duo's antics.
Meanwhile, the Vulcan glared at their backs before bellowing, "MY WOMAN!" He rose behind Natsu and slammed his fist down to crush the pinkhead, but the Fire Wizard blocked it easily with his arm. The force from the strike caused the floor to crack beneath him, but he was still unharmed.
"You listen up!" Natsu growled at the Vulcan. "I consider everyone in the Fairy Tail Guild my friend!" The mountain monster swung a leg out and kicked Natsu away, sending him flying across the cave. Natsu was able to regain his balance, skidding on the ice with his arms in front of his face until he came to a stop.
"Whether it's Gramps and Mira," he continued, glaring at his opponent, "Or even those annoying jerks, Gray and Elfman."
Lucy gasped softly while Dragon Heart smiled at Natsu's words.
The Fire Wizard straightened up as the Vulcan charged at him on all fours, his Magic starting to build around him with a fiery light. "And Happy and Lucy, too. They're all my friends."
Lucy blushed slightly at being called his friend.
A red Magic Circle appeared below Natsu, flames beginning to circle him as he stared down the approaching monster. "Which is why…" The Vulcan jumped at him, preparing to pulverize the pink-haired Wizard with his fist. But Natsu intercepted it before he could, giving him a flaming kick to the torso. "I'm not leaving without Macao!"
Natsu sent the beast flying with a fiery explosion. The Vulcan crashed into the ceiling before falling onto the floor. However, it was able to right itself and land on its feet, appearing fine despite the blow as several stalactites fell from the ceiling.
Natsu smirked at the creature, eager for a challenge.
The Vulcan raised its arms for its next attack and swung them forward with great force. The motion kicked up a cloud of ice dust as the stalactites were blown toward the Wizard groups. Acting fast, Sky grabbed Lucy and jumped them out of the way, the blond girl letting out a yelp of fear.
"Fire-Make: Shield!" Yakeru slammed his hands together and formed a Magic Circle before blue fire branched out into a circle, creating a shield. The ice evaporated into steam as it hit the shield, smaller chunks melting before reaching him.
Natsu didn't even need to defend himself. He let the stalactites hit him, the icicles melting instantly due to his high body heat and adding to the steam. "Your ice attack has no effect on fire!"
However, as the fog cleared, the situation took a turn when they saw the Vulcan had gotten ahold of Taurus' weapon. It chuckled menacingly as light gleamed off the blade.
"That might do it," Sky muttered.
"That's not good," Natsu commented.
"He got Taurus's ax!" Lucy gasped in horror.
"Please, be careful, Miss Lucy," The bull Spirit cautioned weakly.
The Vulcan swung the ax with great speed, but Natsu and Enjin backflipped out of the way to avoid it. The beast kept swinging at the Fire Wizards, who dodged each swing with minimal effort. However, Natsu took a step backward and, in true comedic fashion, slipped into the air and landed on his back.
The Vulcan raised the ax and jumped at Natsu to finish the job. "No!" Lucy cried.
Beating the blade, Enjin launched another fire attack, forcing the Vulcan back. "Zafira!" He yelled, signaling his dragon friend.
Zafira flew towards the monster, the air shifting along her scales. Tucking in her wings, she spun like a corkscrew before being surrounded by a mini-cyclone. Hitting her mark, she knocked the Vulcan back again, nearly making it drop the ax. The Wizard and Pseudodragon duo readied themselves for the next attack as the Vulcan glared at them angrily.
Meanwhile, Lucy was shaking Taurus to try to wake him up. "Go back, Taurus! If you go back inside the Gate, your ax will disappear, too!"
The two sides stared each other down as Natsu got up. Before either could move, Ash suddenly popped up in the Vulcan's face. "Hey, ugly, bet you can't catch me!" he gloated before scratching the Vulcan's face with his claws. As the cat darted away, the beast yowled in pain, and the monster turned its rage on him.
"Wrong way, pal!" Enjin remarked before hitting him with another Blue Fire Shot, causing the beast to roar in pain.
"I think we're getting to it!" Sky fired more arrows at the Vulcan, wearing the monster down.
Deciding to finish this, Natsu brought his fists together, causing a Magic Circle to appear where they met. Opening slightly slitted eyes, he jumped at the Vulcan with a flaming fist. "Eat this! Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" He punched the Vulcan hard, sending him flying.
Sky's eyes widened as he looked at the Fairy Tail Wizard. 'A Dragon Slayer?'
A powerful explosion of ice and snow could be seen on the mountain as the ape creature crashed into the wall. The Vulcan's eyes were whited out, signaling it was unconscious as it lay upside down in the rubble.
"We beat him!" Happy cheered as the two teams joined Natsu by the downed monster.
"Yeah, but wasn't this monkey supposed to tell us where your friend is?" Lucy reminded them.
"Oh," Natsu said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Forgot about that."
"Oh, brother," Ash said as Summit rolled her eyes.
"Well, uh, I don't think he's going to do much talking," Lucy said, bending down slightly as Happy chuckled ruefully.
"Don't worry," Sky said as his bow and arrows dissolved into golden sparkles. "Your friend's a lot closer than you think."
"Huh?" The Fairy Tail Wizards blinked at him in confusion.
Before they could ask what he meant, they noticed the Vulcan started to glow, causing Lucy to flinch back slightly. A Magic Circle appeared before a bright flash shot out of the creature, causing the group to shield their eyes and Lucy to hold her skirt down as the air started moving. As quickly as it happened, it stopped.
"What in the heck was that?!" Natsu questioned as Lucy gasped when they looked back at the Vulcan. His eyes shrank in shock when they saw the Vulcan was gone, and in its place was an older man that Natsu knew all too well… "Macao?!" He gasped, seeing the older man beaten up on the ground.
"Are you telling me that big perverted monkey was actually your friend this whole time?!" Lucy asked, creeped out.
"Yeah, he must've been taken over by that Vulcan." Happy commented as Macao slumped further in the rubble.
"What do you mean "taken over?"
"It used a possession spell on him as a last resort," Sky explained, kneeling next to the fallen Mage to check him over. "Vulcans survive by stealing people's bodies and taking them over. 'Mind if I borrow that blanket? Alinta's going to need a spot to work."
"Uh, sure." Lucy nodded before running to get it.
Once they got Macao laid out on the blanket, Sky Requipped another Silver Key with a bird motif. "Open, Gate of the Celestial Firebird! Phoenix!"
A ball of fire appeared in front of the Celestial Wizard before it turned into a bird roughly the size of a turkey with flame-colored feathers that seemed to shift as she moved, giving the appearance of being aflame. She had a long neck and bright blue eyes lined with black that swirled on the ends. "You summoned, mi' lord?" She asked.
"We have a wounded Wizard, Alinta," Sky explained to his Spirit. "A post-Vulcan possession."
The firebird nodded before fluttering over to the fallen Wizard. She poked and prodded the man as she saw fit. Once done with her inspection, she spread her wings wide, summoning a cloud of fiery-orange sparkles as they surrounded Macao.
The Fairy Tail Wizards watched in awe as the older man's wounds began to vanish. "Wow." Natsu breathed in awe.
"Amazing." Happy said in amazement.
They were so fixated on the Spirit that Natsu didn't notice Sky glance at him with an unreadable expression.
Once Macao's wounds were gone, Alinta lowered her wings and turned to her master. "I've done all I could. Now, we must wait for him to wake up."
"Thank you, Alinta," Sky thanked her. "That's all we needed."
"Then, I shall take my leave. Until next time, mi' lord." With that, the phoenix disappeared into sparkles like Sagitta did.
"Will he be okay?" Lucy asked.
"Like Alinta said, we just have to wait now."
"By the way, who are you guys?" Natsu asked, looking at the other Wizards.
Before either of the dragons could answer, a groan caught their attention. They all turned to Macao as he slowly opened his eyes. "Natsu…" He croaked out.
"You're okay!" Natsu smiled as Lucy laughed happily.
"What did I tell ya?" Sky remarked, just as happy as they were at the older man's recovery.
"I'm so pathetic," Macao smiled sadly. "I defeated nineteen of those brutes."
Lucy was shocked by his claim. They had trouble with just one Vulcan.
"Seriously?" Ash's eyes widened.
"That's awesome!" Enjin commented, impressed.
"But the twentieth—that's the one that got me," he continued. "I'm so angry with myself. I'm embarrassed to go home and face Romeo."
"Don't be like that! Come on, man! You beat nineteen monsters!" Natsu encouraged him.
"And Vulcans are known to be tricky," Sky added, catching Macao's attention. "Defeating just one can be a challenge for some Wizards."
The older Wizard looked at him before smiling. "Yeah, you're right."
Natsu then took Macao's hand to help him up. "Now, let's go home. Your little boy's been waiting for ya."
Macao smiled tiredly at his guildmate, thankful for his help. He got up and turned to the Wizards he didn't recognize. "By the way, who are you guys?"
"We're from Dragon Heart!" Ash chirped.
"I'm Sky. This is Enjin, Zafira, Ash, and Summit." The leader introduced everyone.
"Never heard of you guys," Natsu commented.
"Eh, we're a small Guild," Sky shrugged.
"Plus, we're an Independent Guild, so we have self-advertise," Enjin added.
"Independent?" Lucy wondered.
"That means we're not part of any Guild Master Leagues," Ash explained. "We do everything ourselves."
"That can be hard for Guilds," Macao commented. "The funding they get for supplies comes from the Guild Master Leagues."
"We've made it work," Sky assured.
"What were you guys doing out here, anyway?" Happy asked.
"The man who sent the Vulcan request has a sister who lives in the town on the other side of the mountain," Enjin explained. "She got worried when he mentioned that the Wizard who took the job disappeared, so she asked us to check on things."
"Wow, talk about good timing," Lucy commented.
"Thanks for the help. Are you going to be able to get out of here okay?" Macao asked.
"We'll be fine," Sky assured him. "Now, let's all head home. We have a reward to collect, and one of you has a son to get back to."
"Yeah, let's get out of here." Lucy agreed with him.
"And let's hurry before our wings freeze!" Ash added. He and Zafira were back to where they started on Yakeru's head and neck.
"Here we go again." The young Fire Wizard rolled his eyes fondly, causing the others to laugh good-naturedly.
A short time later, the two groups made it down the mountain back to the path where everything started. They waved to each other as they parted ways before heading in the direction they came from.
"So, how'd I do?" Enjin asked his leader eagerly.
"Well, I couldn't get a good estimate on your fighting since we weren't alone, but I think you're ready to take missions alone."
"All right!" The young Fire Wizard cheered.
"Great job, Enji!" Ash praised his young friend while Zafira purred in pride.
"Now, if you want to take monster hunting jobs, I still want one of us to go with you until I can get an assessment of your abilities, but I'll let you lead on that next job," Sky explained before smiling proudly at Enjin, patting his shoulder. "You did well today, Little Brother. You did good."
"Thanks, Sky." Enjin smiled back.
The dragons walked on in silence. Sky smiled as he thought about the day, the Wizards they'd met, and the Wizard they'd saved. His smile fell, however, at that last thought as he unconsciously slowed to a stop. His left hand grasped his necklace gently as he turned his eyes to the gray skies above. The memories of forest clearing and the silhouette of a dragon with golden eyes flashed across his mind. "I'll find you, Dad… wherever you are."
"Sky, come on!" Ash called, causing the young Mage to look at his comrades before rejoining them. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Sky assured them. Smirking mischievously, he started running past his team down the road they were traveling. "Race ya!"
"Hey, no fair!" Enjin complained half-heartedly as he and Summit ran after him.
The wolf caught up with her human and stayed in stride beside him. The Fire Wizard wasn't far behind them as Ash and Zafira braved the cold to take flight and join the race. The group laughed as they ran, Zafira and Summit letting out a playful trill and howl.
"Today was another successful day for Dragon Heart. We helped two families and met members of another Guild. I love being part of this team, and whatever comes next, we'll face it together!" Sky narrated
(Epilogue)
Enjin: *sighed tiredly*
Preston: What troubles you, Young Master Enjin?
Enjin: I'm glad Sky thinks I'm ready for solo missions, but I wanted to show more of what I could do.
Preston: Don't worry, Young Master. I'm sure you'll get the chance to impress Master Sky again.
Enjin: Thanks, Preston.
Preston: In fact, that chance may be coming very soon.
Enjin: What do you mean?
Both: Next time, Daybreak
Preston: A new job has come in, and it seems Master Sky wants you both to take the job.
Enjin: Then what are we waiting for?! Let's get moving!
Preston: Good luck, Young Master!
And that ends the first new chapter. This will be one of my multi-chapter updates, so I plan to continue until finishing the Lullaby Arc. I'll return soon with the next chapter.