Chapter 15: United

Lance was disgruntled.

Was he using that word right? He had to be. Yeah. That's what he was feeling right now. Maiya had been gone for almost three weeks now; leaving him in charge of their little group while she sought out help from... him. By her estimation, with how clever the girl was, she'd be back by today or tomorrow. Still. In those three weeks, little progress had been made.

He tried to operate like she would. Calculative and methodical. Careful in their approach to each mission. But he just couldn't think like Maiya and sit around. There was a reason she was appointed the leader. The blacksmith has a good head on her shoulders. He was far more suited for combat. They'd done their daily scouting routine for any suspicious; so far, it was the same drivel.

"ARGH! I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"

His scream of frustration startled Boota and Nala, who were busy cleaning their equipment and reading a book respectively. Hopping to his feet, Lance turned to his comrades and pointed at them. "We're heading out!"

"What? I thought we were supposed to lay low? We already surveyed the village and mines an hour ago?" Boota mumbled in confusion, scratching his hair.

Nala nodded in silent agreement.

"I'm sick of sitting around! We still don't know what those bastards are looking for, either!" Lance barked, stomping towards the front door. "We won't know sitting around! So let's go already!"

Nala and Boota shared a glance before sighing and grabbing their weapons, reluctantly following after the impatient swordsman.

'This can only end well...'

X-X-X-X-X-X

"That's a biiiiiiiiiiiig mountain." Natsu muttered.

"For once, I agree with you." Gray nodded.

"I'm pretty sure it's reaching the clouds..."

"Freaky."

"What do you think is up there?"

"How the hell should I know?"

As Natsu and Gray conversed, we walked towards the base of Silver Mountain. It was a breath of fresh air for them to not be arguing every five seconds. True to their word, though, it was absolutely massive. One of the largest mountain peaks in all of Earthland. Among the various myths and legends that dotted Fiore, an interesting one I recalled when I was younger was that Silver Mountain was actually the body of a sleeping Giant.

I didn't believe it, of course, but hey. It was still pretty cool.

Maiya smiled, gazing at the mountain proudly before turning to the group. "Alright, stay close to me. I know my way around the various cave systems, so we'll make it to the village in no ti-"

"ALRIGHT, CRIMSON THORN! FAIRY TAIL'S HERE TO KICK YOUR ASS!!" Natsu shouted and charged into the cave with a wild laugh.

Everyone stared as he disappeared into the mountain in shock. Maiya's face went white with horror. I sighed and began to run after the pinkette. "You guys go on ahead! I'll find Natsu and catch up with you! C'mon, Pip!"

"'Kay!" Pip hopped onto my shoulder, and soon enough, we departed into Silver Mountain.

Erza palmed her face with a grimace "Damn it..."

Honestly, I should have expected this from Natsu of all people. He was a loveable goofball, but also a reckless dumbass. He was probably looking forward to fighting a strong opponent and got impatient, even though this situation should've been taken more seriously. I guess that's what we get for bringing our shonen protagonist along...

"Pip, can you track his scent?"

Pip hummed, sniffing at the area as we maneuvered through the cave system. There were several tunnels to go through, so who knows where the hell Natsu ended up?

Her ears perked up and she pointed to the far left tunnel. "That way!"

Following her directions, we made our way into an open cavern... followed by an explosion.

"FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!"

*BOOOOM!!!

We craned our heads to the right to see Natsu punch a Vulcan into the wall. Sighing, I walked up to the pinkette and clocked him upside the head. He yelped and clutched his head, whirling around to glower at me. "Ow! What the heck was that for?!"

"You strayed from the group, dumbass. We're supposed to stick together." I frowned. "Come on, we're gonna regroup with the others. There isn't any Crimson Thorn around here, obviously."

Natsu pouted and grumbled. "Fine..."

Hopefully I remember where to go.

X-X-X-X-X-X

We're lost.

"... are you sure you know where we're going?"

Yep. Definitely lost.

I sighed in frustration, looking around. We were in an expansive cavern with various staglamites and twisting cave systems. Glittering stones jutted out of the walls like razor sharp spikes, illuminating the area. While the scenery was pretty, it did little to calm me down. We were wasting time here. I thought if we wandered around enough, my memories of the mountain would just... come flooding back, and I'd know where to go.

Unfortunately that didn't happen. Now we're separated from the group.

I craned my head in Natsu's direction with a glower. "This is your fault."

Natsu flinched, pointing at himself. "Huh?! Me?!"

"If you didn't run off like you did, we wouldn't be in this situation!"

"I just wanna kick those Crimson Thorn bastards' asses!"

"So do I! But we can't be reckless about this!"

"Taruko, Natsu!" Pip popped the back of my head with her paw, pointing towards one of the tunnels. "I smell something!"

I paused. "Is it Erza and the others?"

"No, it's something else... I can't make it out..."

Footsteps echoed through the chamber. Natsu and I tensed. His fists burst into flames, and I slowly unsheathed my sword. We glared at the dark tunnel until a tall, plain looking man with brown hair and glasses stepped out, dressed in a long-sleeved dress-shirt, beige pants, and black dress shoes. He was also carrying a large backpack.

The man blinked in surprise. "Oh, my! Well this is certainly a surprise."

Our faces scrunched up in confusion. Natsu and I shared a brief glance before easing up. Sheathing my weapon, I furrowed my brows. "Uh, hi. Who are you?"

The man smiled pleasantly, bowing slightly. "My name would be Schneider. And who might you be, little ones?"

"I'm Taruko... and this is Pip and Natsu," I gestured to my friends. "We're Fairy Tail Wizards."

"Yo," Natsu waved his hand lazily.

"Hiya!" Pip chirped.

Schneider blinked in surprise, leaning forward to eye Pip curiously. "A talking rabbit? You don't see that everyday. Well, it's nice to meet you all." he held out his hand. "What are a pair of wizards from Fairy Tail doing all the way out here?

While I shook his hand, Natsu grinned and punched his palm. "We're here to fight a dark guild called Crimson Thorn!"

"We got separated from our friends though," I pulled my hand away as Schneider blinked in surprise as he shook Natsu's hand. "We were told that a village on the other side of the mountain was overrun by it. It also happens to be my home. We came all the way out here to stop them, but we got lost on the way."

"Now we're trying to regroup with our friends and plan our next move."

"I see. Taking on a dark guild by yourselves, even if you are wizards... seems a bit much, don't you think?" Schneider said, concern lacing his tone. "You are, after all, children."

Natsu frowned, slightly offended. "So what? They're bad dudes, and they need to be taken care of! If nobody is gonna do it, we might as well." he grinned, popping his knuckles. "Plus, I wanna see just how strong these jerks really are!"

"Natsu's battle junkie tendencies aside, he's right." I nodded. "We aren't gonna stop now, especially after coming all the way out here."

"... I see, I see. Well, you two are certainly determined." Schneider nodded, rubbing his chin. With a grin, he gripped his backpack straps. "Very well, then! I'll help guide you through these caverns. I've been exploring for the past couple of days. I have a thing for speleology, you see! Silver Mountain has very fascinating geological formations, and I simply couldn't help myself!"

"I believe I saw an exit before coming here. I'll take you there, and perhaps you'll encounter your friends."

"... I didn't understand half the stuff you said, but thanks, Snozzer!" Natsu grinned cheerfully, folding his arms behind his head.

Schneider sweat-dropped. "... my name is Schneider."

"Still, thanks. This'll cut our time in half by a lot." I bowed my head in gratitude.

"Yup yup! Thanks!" Pip bowed her head as well.

"Alright! Now, follow me. If I remember correctly, I came from this way..."

And so, we followed Schneider through the caves. Our walk was mostly silent, except when Schneider would ask questions about our guild. Natsu was happy to ramble about it, but I remained quiet and kept an eye out for anything out of place. If we got jumped by a magic beast, I'd rather be prepared than to be caught off guard.

I scratched my wrist with a frown. 'Weird...'

Before my thoughts could wander, Natsu let out a yawn, swaying on his feet. "Man, I'm getting tired all of a sudden..."

I blinked. Schneider hummed. "Well, I suppose we've been walking for a while... perhaps we should take a break."

I protested. "No, we can't afford to take a break. We have to... to..." I paused, a sudden wave of drowsiness washed over my body. This didn't make any sense, I wasn't this tired a second ago... what...

"Have... to..." I blinked, my vision blurring. I felt like I was about fall asleep standing up. But...

That doesn't sound too bad, actually...

'Maybe just... five minutes...'

"TARUKO!!"

Pip's alarmed screams alerted me enough. My instincts screamed at me, and I unsheathed my sword in time to block the blade of a sickle bearing down at me. Through drowsy eyes, I glared at Schneider. The one that was holding onto one of the giant sickles in his hands. The man let out a noise of surprise, smirking.

"Hoh? You act fast. I should have gutted that rabbit while I had the chance!"

With a grunt, I shoved Schneider back and stumbled away from him. Natsu propped himself against the wall and scowled, trying to summon his flames. But due to his tiredness, they sputtered weakly. "Shoot...! He was a bad guy?!"

I strained to keep my eyes awake, huffing and gripping onto my sword. "He must've... done something to us...!"

My eyes widened. 'When he shook our hands...'

"You poisoned us!"

"You're smart, too! Impressive." Schneider smiled cruelly, pulling his sleeve up slightly to reveal a wristguard with a needle that oozed a corrosive fluid. "Yes, I did poison you. Just a little something to knock you two out so I could kill the both of you painlessly... but of course, things simply didn't go my way."

"Who are you?!" Pip glowered at Schneider, "Why are you trying to kill Taruko and Natsu?!"

Schneider let out a chuckle and rolled up his left sleeve, revealing a guild mark. A red cross in the shape of twisting, jagged thorns...

My eyes widened in shock. "C-Crimson Thorn!"

Natsu squawked in surprise. "What?! This guy?!"

"That's right. The Matriarch had anticipated the arrival of a group of upstarts to arrive and try to stop us from achieving our mission, so they sent me to take them out~" Schneider laughed. "I didn't expect it to be a bunch of kids, though!"

I grimaced. Shit, they sent an assassin after us! What about Erza, Maiya, and the others?! Did he get to them?!

"Damn you..." Natsu groaned, pushing himself off the wall and finally managing to ignite his fists into fire. But he looked like he was about pass out any minute now. "I'm gonna punch your stupid face in!"

"You can certainly try, but in the states you're in... killing you will be EASY!" Schneider rocketed forward with an impressive showcase of speed, kicking up dust in his wake.

Natsu tried to meet him head on with a roar, throwing out a punch, but Schneider easily dodged the sloppy attack and kicked his leg out, tripping Natsu up and sending him crashing to the ground. He raised his sickles to cut the pinkette down until I intercepted him, appearing in between the two in the blink of an eye and parrying his sickles.

I kicked Schneider away before dropping to one knee; my sword clattering to the ground. I groaned as my vision swam, dots of black filtering my vision. It was getting harder to stay awake, any action we took just sapped more energy out of us... damn it!

"Taruko! You and Natsu have to get up, c'mon!" Pip urged me. I tried, I really did, but I couldn't...

I glanced to my right. Shit. Natsu was out cold. And I'd be done for soon enough...

I huffed, pulling Pip off my shoulder and tiredly glaring into her eyes. "Pip, you need to get out of here."

"W-What! No! I'm not leaving you here!" Pip refused, shaking her head. "You have to get up!"

"Pip... I can't stay awake much longer. You've gotta... find Erza and the others..." my voice kept getting weaker and softer. A yawn threatened to escape my lips, but I used every ounce of willpower I had to stay awake. "Go...!"

"N-No!" she refused again, her entire frame shuddering before she turned around and glared at Schneider as he began to approach. "I'll fight! I'll protect you and Natsu, because we're family!"

"Pip...! No...!"

"How adorable. You're a brave little rabbit, I'll give you that." Schneider smirked and rushed forward, his sickles slicing through the air, aiming to cut right through Pip. Yet she stood tall and firm in spite of the danger. "But you're a stupid one! I'll take great pleasure in mounting your head on my wall as a trophy after killing these brats!"

I can't move. I'm falling asleep. Pip is going to die and I can't do anything. I screamed internally, trying to do something. ANYTHING!

MOVE DAMN IT!

*CLANG!

"What the...?!"

What...?

As my vision began to darken, I saw the back of a silver-haired boy block the sickle with the flat of his katana. A second one was strapped to his waist. Shoving Schneider back, he blurred forward and sent out a lightning-fast slash, drawing blood from the assassin as he snarled in pain and leaped away to dodge another precise swing from him.

A storm of light arrows sailed through the air. Voices grew muffled and all I could hear was Schneider cursing and voicing a retreat before running off. I slowly looked up as the boy turned to face me, sheathing his katana. His cyan eyes widened in shock, followed by other shouts of surprise.

Then everything went dark.

X-X-X-X-X-X

X-X-X-X-X-X

Year X774.

"You're leaving on another quest?"

Taruko sat on the living room couch, watching as his parents began packing their bags. Sachi was upstairs in her room, sleep. This was normal for the family, though. His parents were powerful wizards; it was in their nature to answer the call of adventure. It was also the easiest way to earn money for their house and basic necessities. Still, there was the underlying danger of something go wrong.

But his parents were the strongest. So he wouldn't have to worry...

"Why do you look so pouty?" Hiroshi chuckled, ruffling his son's hair.

Taruko pouted harder. "I'm not pouting..."

Claudia strapped Caliburn to her hip, her silver eyes sliding over to Taruko. Her expression softened. "Taruko... what's wrong?"

He grimaced. Ah, read like an open book. He should've expected nothing less from his mother.

"... is it dangerous?"

"All jobs are dangerous." Claudia arched a brow in amusement.

Taruko stared at her in silence.

The woman sighed, exchanging a look with Hiroshi and looking back at her son. She walked up to him and kneeled in front of him. "Probably the most dangerous one yet."

"What if you guys don't come back this time...?" Taruko muttered, clenching his fists. "You were supposed to keep teaching me sword techniques... Dad was supposed to teach me magic."

Claudia frowned softly, hesitating. Hiroshi jumped in, resting his hand on Taruko's head. "You don't need to think like that, kiddo. We'll teach you all those things." he smirked. "We aren't gonna be gone long. Maybe a couple of weeks at most. Have faith in your parents."

Claudia nodded, grinning and resting her fist against Taruko's chest. "Your Mom is the strongest, after all~!"

"Hah? What about his Dad, huh?"

"We both know I'd trounce you in a fight, dear."

"Tsk, that's debatable at best."

Taruko giggled softly at his parents banter, smiling. "... okay! I believe you. When you guys get back, I'll be loads stronger! Maybe I'll learn magic on my own!" he grinned, clenching a fist. "And then I'll beat you!"

"You're years away from beating us," Claudia smirked, flicking the boy's nose. "But~ I look forward to it."

Nodding, Hiroshi stood up and grabbed his bag. "Take care of your sister while we're gone, okay? When we're away, you're all you've two got. So look after one another."

Taruko nodded, beaming. "Yeah!"

"And remember... even when we're gone," Claudia poked Taruko's chest, where his heart would be. "We'll always be with you, here."

He blinked dubiously, giving her an incredulous squint. "... in my lungs?"

Claudia's brow twitched as Hiroshi let out a snort. She chopped Taruko's head and snapped. "No! In your heart!"

Sighing, she ran a hand down her face and groaned into her palm. "Mmhf. You definitely got that dense part of you from your father..."

"Huh?" Taruko and Hiroshi blinked in confusion, tilting their heads.

"Nothing." Claudia shook her head, kissing Taruko on the forehead and standing up. "Just remember this. The heart is a powerful thing. It carries your love, your sorrow, your anger, your memories, and the bonds you share with the people you care about. So long as you have all of that... you're never truly alone."

She smiled warmly.

"We love you... Taruko."

X-X-X-X-X-X

X-X-X-X-X-X

My eyes snapped open with a sharp gasp. I stared at a familiar ceiling, blinking owlishly. I paused at the wet feeling on my face, and reached up, tapping around my eyes. My face softened at the sensation.

'...tears...'

Those memories... that was the last time I saw my parents, wasn't it? I remember it so clearly...

I sat up with a grunt, looking around. I was no longer in a cave. I was in a bedroom. A familiar bedroom. It was rather sparse, with a bookshelf on the far left and desk with a night lamp next to my bedside, a rack bolted on the wall that held several bokken swords, and a chest underneath it. The contents inside remained unknown to me.

I slowly got out of the bed and traced my fingers along the dusty desk, pulling one of the drawers and finding a photo inside. I pulled it out and stared in shock. It was a family photo, of myself, Sachi, Mom, and... Dad...

This was...

"My old bedroom...?"

*Creak.

I whirled around, feeling my magic bubble underneath my skin, ready to be unleashed as the door creaked open. A familiar redhead stepped in, looking around before locking eyes with me. Erza's eyes widened in surprise and flashed in relief, a small smile gracing her features. "Taruko!"

I relaxed, my face scrunching up in confusion. "Erza?"

I grunted in surprise when she pulled my into a hug, resting her chin on my shoulder. I stood there awkwardly for a moment before patting her back. She grumbled, "You and Natsu worried all of us..."

She pulled back, glaring at me. "Don't do that again."

I sweat-dropped, smiling sheepishly. "You make it sound like I went out of my way to try and get assassinated..."

Sighing, Erza shook her head and gestured for me to follow. I did. "In any case, everyone is downstairs. We're figuring out our next move."

Everyone?

Walking downstairs, I felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me. I can't believe I'm in my old house right now. Still... it feels just as empty as it did when I left. Which was... a depressing thought that I was going to bury and never dig up ever again.

We made our way into the living room and I paused, taking in the view. Maiya, Gray, Natsu, Mira, and Cana were all seated there. Off to the side was a large boy with spikey brown hair and squinty eyes; which sort of reminded me of Brock. He had thick muscular arms with bandage wraps around his fists, dressed in a green tank-top, brown pants and matching boots.

That was... ah, I remember. Boota, I think. I remember him being one of the older kids in the orphanage at the village... I didn't talk to him much, but he was somewhat of a gentle giant. The big brother type of guy that looked after the younger kids.

Next to him was a girl. She had long, wild white hair with dark purple tips. Her hair was stylized to have cat-like ears on top of her head, and her eyes were a piercing amber color. She wore a black dress with poofy sleeves and magenta trim, a pair of black leather gloves, black stockings, and black boots with pink laces.

Nala... that was her name. I remember her being very isolated and closed off because of her looking emotionless. So the other kids picked on her.

She stared at me for a second before averting gaze.

Before I could process that, my gaze turned to him. A pair of cyan eyes glared at me. His spikey silver hair and prominent bang were indistinguishable. Wearing white hair with light blue cloud patterns on the sleeves and black shirt underneath. A pair of black arm guards were strapped to his wrists, with a belt tied around his waist, with two katanas sheathed at his side; followed with baggy dark grey pants and a pair of geta.

Lance Miyamoto. My childhood rival...

Annnnd he was glaring at me in silence. I think he was the first to notice me follow Erza into the room. He's definitely pissed at me. And I have no idea why he's trying to burn a hole into my forehead with his eyes.

Pip was sullenly sitting on Cana's lap as Maiya discussed plans with the rest of the group. Her ears twitched and she lifted her head, locking eyes with me. Her eyes widened. "TARUKO!"

Her outburst grabbed everyone's attention. I waved with a sheepish smile. "Hey,"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"

A ball of fluff impacted my face. But I was more than used to Pip's trademark glomps at this point. I pulled her off my face with a huff and smiled wryly as she tried to reach for me. "I thought you wouldn't ever wake up!"

"It'll take a lot more than that to take me out, Pip." I smirked.

"Glad to see you're alright, man." Gray nodded.

"You and Natsu need to curve your reckless streak, seriously." Cana dryly muttered.

"HEY!"

"Yeah. If you died, I'd drag your soul back from the pearly gates and kill you myself." Mira snorted.

Everyone stared at her in silence. She blinked owlishly and arched a brow.

"What?"

Ignoring that, Maiya offered me a smile. "Taruko. I'm glad you're okay. We were just discussing what to do next before you came in,"

I nodded, leaning against the wall as Erza silently took a seat on one of the nearby chairs. "What do you have so far?"

"Lance told me that during one of Nala's recon, she discovered that Crimson Thorn were forcing the villagers to mine something hidden deep within Silver Mountain. Something that they desperately want, and it's really dangerous."

"... Close to unearthing it. Felt like Black Magic." Nala said in monotone, earning looks of surprise from the others.

"Black Magic?" Natsu blinked in confusion, tilting his head.

"It's basically a forbidden form of magic," Gray narrowed his eyes. "The stuff that demons can use and are made of... it can cause some serious damage if put in the wrong hands."

"Why would they unearth such a thing?" Erza muttered.

"They're a bunch of crazy maniacs, what more reason do they really need?" Mira huffed, crossing her arms.

"Whatever the case is, we need to stop them. Now." Boota frowned.

I tapped my arm and nodded slowly, taking in a deep breath and pushing myself off the wall. "Alright. Maiya, you've said that you guys have mostly done stealth missions to gather information, and any straight forward attempts have ended in failure, right?" when she nodded, I smiled.

"I think it's time we go guns blazing."

Lance scoffed, and everyone looked at him. "We just told you that doesn't work. As much I'd love to clobber them, they're too strong."

"We won't beat them with that attitude. Before, you guys were on your own. But now you've got Fairy Tail Wizards on your side." I smirked, "We'll split up into groups and take down the four big guns of Crimson Thorn and then take on the Matriach together."

"The Matriarch anticipated our arrival and sent an assassin to take us out. They're not just strong, they're smart. Think about it, if they're so strong, why did they just leave you guys be?" I asked, looks of uncertaintly flashed in Boota, Nala, and Maiya's eyes. Lance glared at the floor. "They could have just killed you if you aren't a threat. They're toying with us, underestimating us. And we can use that to our advantage."

I grinned.

"We're taking Crimson Thorn out today. Count on it!"

X-X-X-X-X-X

Schneider growled, slumping against the stone wall as he wrapped bandages around his bloody wounds. He was a trained assassin, feared in the criminal underworld and respected for his cunning! And yet, he was caught off guard by a bunch of brats. And he was so close killing those two Fairy Tail kids too...

"Damn it." the assassin huffed, narrowing his eyes. "I'll gut them like a fish soon enough."

"I was expecting better from you, Schneider."

A chill ran down his spine, and he turned to the voice of the Matriach. Their cloaked form glided towards him, their footsteps making no sound. The shadows around them seemed to writh with their every step. Glowing red eyes peered into his soul from the shadows obscuring their features.

"Weren't you supposed to be an esteemed assassin? I offered you a place in Crimson Thorn because I thought your skills could be put to use instead of rotting in a cell... was I mistaken?"

Schneider swallowed thickly, standing to his feet slowly. "N-No, Matriach. It was a simple slip up. I will not let it happen again, I assure you."

The Matriarch stared at him in silence. He ignored the urge to shuffle awkwardly on his feet before they turned away and hummed.

"Very well. You will join my Four Pillars in the coming battle. Prove that my faith in you hasn't been misplaced... I expect those wizards to come knocking on our door soon. And while you lot deal with them... I will commence the ritual. The birth of a perfect world is upon us. The decimation of Ginger Village is simply the catalyst."

They fished out a worn, tattered book, which radiated a foreboding energy that set Schneider on edge. The Matriarch vanished into the shadows, leaving Schneider on his own... their voice echoing in his ears.

"Do well to not disappoint, would you?"

Schneider let out a shuddering sigh and put his dress shirt back on, his face morphing into a sneer as he adjusted his glasses and stormed off.

"You brats will pay for making a fool of me. I assure you... I can't wait to see the looks on your faces when I slaughter you like cattle and raze this damned village to the ground!"

A/N.

I won't tease you for much longer. We're getting into the big fights for the rest of the arc onward from here on.

Schneider is a reference/cameo from Rave Master.