Don't Own Fairy Tail or anything else Only The Oc
'thought'
"Speech"
"Powerful Creatures Speaking, like a dragon or a god"
"Text via book or newspaper... when those are around..."
"Haah." I breathe out as I sit alone in my home.
It is... taxing to create a sacred gear, it appears.
I spent the past week focusing almost completely on Lullaby.
Thankfully Jose took my suggestions to heart and the whole 'Phantom Lord' arc died in its crib.
Otherwise, I might have been fighting a pointless war right about now.
I take a look over a sole ring on my desk. It looks to be made of wood with a skull upon its top with three sunken little eyes that hold purple gemstones.
Ah...
The Independent Avatar- I mean... State Change sacred gear...
Final Lullaby.
It allows the host to manipulate life energy at their own whims. Taking their mana as if they were using a new magic.
Sure. It may take a little more magic than it's supposed to, like one or two percent more. But nobody will notice or miss that! Pshhh.
I may have to re-do it somewhat in the future and take out a feature or two, but whatever! That's fine!
I rise to my feet, going to the door that leads out into the expanse of Oaktown.
I quickly walk forwards on a mission.
I make it to the guild hall, quickly cutting through the chaos.
The sooner Jose gets this... the better. It needs time to work as intended.
I march my way over to his office, knocking on the door.
"Enter."
I open the door and step inside.
"Ah! There you are." The man smiles. "If you have returned... I take it that Lullaby is finished?"
"It is indeed, Master Jose." I nod once, lifting the skull ring. "This... is the Final Lullaby. A sacred gear which allows you to steal the life energy of those around you."
"Steal? What does that pertain?"
"Well, realistically... if my calculations are correct, you should be able to drain the lives of monsters, beasts, plants, people and use said life energy as a sort of... superior magical energy to supercharge your spells. Or... it may be possible to infuse it with yourself... de-aging you."
His gaze sharpens. "De...aging?"
"It might be quite inefficient at that, but from what I can see, it should be possible."
"Give it here." He orders as I offer the ring.
With a flash of darkness, I am looking at the real Jose instead of a mere thought projection.
He slips the ring over his index finger, magic crackling briefly.
He brings a hand to his head, eyes clenching shut.
A long breath leaves his lips as his eyes crack open, the corners of his mouth turning upwards. "Yes... this is good."
His eyes glow purple as he seems to activate the sacred gear.
I'm not worried, however. He wouldn't be able to kill me with it even if he wanted to.
"Hm. You are a little sleep deprived." He observes, merely activating the 'life sense' part of the gear instead of the stealing portion. "Take care of yourself better, boy. You are an S-Class wizard of the illustrious Phantom Lord guild!"
"My apologies. I had just wanted to finish that sacred gear as soon as possible. I've been confined to my room for pretty much the entire week working on that." I explain.
"I see... so... you have not heard the news, then?"
"News?" I echo.
"You and Aria caused quite the incident for the magic council." He smirks.
"P-Pardon?"
"That woman... not only was she as you say... a member of the dark guild Grimoire Heart... but she was also on the magic council. Using mental domination magic on the newest member of the ten wizard saints... Siegrain. Of course... the magic council has kept such knowledge under lock and key... I must ask... how did you know, boy?"
"I saw her..." I whisper after a long moment of contemplation. "I saw her utterly destroy a town called Kraus..."
"Hm... Kraus?" The man echoes. "Yes... such a town was destroyed roughly seven years ago... I wasn't aware there were any survivors... then you know of more members in the guild?"
"Just two. The first... a blonde man with red eyes wielding black fire magic... god slayer magic. And the next a giant... white skinned- oh, and I'm not talking about pale, I'm talking about legitimately stark white- giant of a man who could control people with doll magic."
"I see... hrm... regardless. It has made headlines that Phantom Lord stopped a wizard from Grimoire Heart reviving the beast Deliora. It just isn't revealed who such a person it."
"Honestly... I don't really get why that woman kept her guild mark if she was a part of the magic council... that's... sort of really stupid... though, I suppose it was more of a brand than a traditional guild mark... one that she likely covered with transformation magic. I imagine that became quite a bit harder to do after Aria scattered her magical power." I mutter. "That could have gone badly for me, honestly. It would have been seen as me attacking a member of the magic council... admittedly said member of the magic council was actively trying to revive Deliora so it wouldn't have been that much of an issue, but regardless. I really dodged a bullet there."
"You did." The man nods. "But. Phantom lord has been awarded three medals for its service to the kingdom of Fiore and the magic council. For bringing that to light... here."
I am given a stack of bills, causing me to blink down at them. "A bonus. One million Jewel."
"Thank you master." I smile.
"No, thank you, Arthur... this is the least I can do. After all. The tenants of Phantom Lord are to value and support strength. You may not yet be strong in the traditional sense... but your sacred gears make you perhaps the most valuable wizard in this guild."
"Thank you for the praise, Master... now... I have to ask, have you decided what to do with the Heartfilia case? Or am I given to go-ahead to make contact with the girl and bring her home?"
"Yes. Bring her home... wait. Take this. We are going to follow Jude Heartfilia's request to the T. you are to bring her home. That is it. Any further actions will not be permitted... he may attempt to change the conditions of your mission. If he does so... activate this communications Lacrima so I may voice my displeasure in person and ensure the entirety of the funds are transferred over."
"It would be such a shame if people knew Jude was trying to get the two top guilds in Fiore to destroy each other... what would the papers think?!" I gasp in mock horror, causing the man to smirk.
"Exactly... get it done."
"Yes sir. I'll get right on this mission... then I'll probably rest for a day or two before I begin trying to make any further sacred gears."
"Yes. You do need your rest." The man nods, eyes flicking to the ring on his finger. It disappears with a small flash, then reappears a moment later, seemingly at his will. "Good work as always, Arthur."
I knock on a door then wait.
And wait.
And wait-
Eventually it creaks open, a tired looking girl rubbing an eye as she lets out a yawn. It looks like she had just crawled out of bed.
"Hello." I begin. "Are you Lucy Heartfilia?"
She flinches slightly. "Y-Yes? Why do you ask?"
"I have an offer for you." I smile.
"A-An offer?" She echoes.
I raise Sagittarius' key. "A mutually beneficial offer."
"That- that's Sagittarius!" She gasps.
"It is." I continue.
"C-Come in!" She opens the door allowing me to step inside. "Please sit down. What do you want?"
"Hm." I hum as I take a seat on her couch, the girl taking a seat in the sole chair sat just to the side. "Well... how do I put this..."
"I am Arthur Pendragon. S-Class of the Phantom Lord Guild. Your father has put in a request to bring you home."
"W-What?!" She gasps.
"That is correct. Your father attempted to use Phantom Lord's rivalry to fairy tail in order to get us to bring you home-"
I bring out a piece of paper with a small crinkle. "And I quote- 'Under Any Means Necessary as long as you remain unharmed'."
The girl tenses eyes sliding to her key ring sat just behind her.
"You're... here to kidnap me?" She whispers.
"Oh. Of course not. Feel free to grab your celestial spirit keys if you feel threatened. I don't mind." I wave off with a charming smile. "The request is merely to bring you home. Not to kidnap you. Not to force you to remain home. The request is just to get you to return home and that is it."
"..."
The girl slowly and cautiously stands. Slowly walking backwards without taking her eyes off me.
She grabs her key ring, visibly relaxing as I do nothing.
"S-So he wants me to come home?"
"Yes." I nod once. "If you join me, after I have returned you home and you are in front of your father, I will give you the celestial spirit key for Sagittarius the Archer. You get the key, Phantom Lord gets paid, I get a bonus from the guild master, it's a win-win-win. For all of us."
She looks over me, clear suspicion in her eyes.
"Look, I fully understand your mistrust." I raise my hands slightly in a placating manner. "However... how about this? What if you bring one of your friends with you? Would that make you feel any better?"
"What if I don't want to go back home?"
"Well, you won't get your fourth golden key, but that's about it." I shrug idly. "Phantom Lord won't pursue this any further, however. If your father tried inciting a guild war between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord... who do you think his next option will be? Besides... you need this key, don't you? Aquarius is water-locked. You are unable to summon her without water. Taurus is a big hulking brute with the strength of a dozen men and Cancer is swift and agile. You have one ranged fighter in your little collection. One you can't use where eighty five percent of missions take place. On land."
She is silent for a moment. Eyes flicking down to her key ring. "Fffine... I'll go speak to my father. If not to get Sagittarius, to stop him from doing anything like this again."
I smile and offer her a slight nod. "Thank you. We may be in rivaling guilds but that does not mean we have to be at each other's throats."
I cross my arms as I sit in the carriage. Lucy is sat across from me, a blue haired girl sat to her left giving me a suspicious gaze.
"So... you're a Phantom Lord S-Class?" The blue haired girl questions.
"I am." I nod once.
"I've never heard of you..." She continues.
"Recently promoted." I admit. "With enough time... I hope you will hear of me. I hope I get a title like that Titania of yours... or the 'Salamander'. But, at the moment, I am quite new to being a wizard."
"And you are already S Class?" The girl blinks. "I guess Phantom Lord's standards aren't that high."
"Believe me. They are quite high. After all. Only recently didn't our S class manage to defeat one of the most powerful wizards in the dark guild Grimoire Heart? I haven't heard of any Fairy Tail wizards doing the same recently."
The blue haired girl frowns.
"Levy... he has been nothing but kind, please don't insult him."
"Lucy... Phantom Lord wizards are something else. They're sneaky and underhanded. You can't trust them. They're more like a gang of thugs than a wizard guild."
"Rude." I frown. "But... not inaccurate, I suppose. It is the truth that Phantom Lord has quite a few bad apples. But. It is my hope that I can change Phantom Lord for the better! To root out those who only seek to use the Phantom Lord name as a threat and are only in the guild to use us as a shield for when they cause problems."
"You'll have your work cut out for you." The blue haired girl scoffs as she crosses her arms, looking away from me.
We fall back into silence as the carriage continues its journey.
Eventually, the carriage comes to a halt, causing me to glance out the window. "We are here."
I open the door, allowing the two girls out, then go to the large metal gate and creak it open.
They walk forwards as I follow after them towards a large manor in the distance.
The doors open, maids and butlers scamper around, gardeners trim hedges.
It's lively.
It's... payday.
"My Lady, your father wishes to speak with you at once." One of the maids bow.
The blue haired girl looks surprised at the maids. She seemingly had no idea Lucy was from such a well-off family.
I follow the two through the building, eventually coming to a large office.
Lucy takes a deep breath and knocks on the door.
"Enter."
The door creaks open revealing a mustached man with short slicked back hair.
"So. You have finally returned." He glares.
"Yes." Lucy nods once. "Phantom Lord brought me home... just like you hired them to?"
She then turns to me, holding out a hand expectantly.
I shrug and summon the key from my ring, giving it to her.
She offers me a single nod as her fingers close around it.
"And. I will be leaving." The girl decides.
"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING!" The man booms.
"Yes. I will." She turns suddenly giving her father a cold glare. "And If you send anyone else to try and bring me home, I will never forgive you."
"S-Stop her! What am I paying you two for?!"
"Well, to bring her back home... obviously." I answer with a slow blink. "Also. She's from Fairy Tail. not Phantom Lord."
"Anyways, I've done my job... to the T. I've brought her home. That's it. That's where my duty ends. so if you would be so kind to drop off that payment of mine."
"IF MY DAUGHTER LEAVES THIS BUILDING YOU WILL HAVE NO SUCH THING."
"..."
I can feel Levy's gaze sharpen on the side of my head.
It looks like at any moment she may just hurl an attack at me.
"Master predicted that you would say that. Must we really play this game, Mr. Heartfilia? How about you take this up with my boss... one of the ten wizard saints."
I reach into my coat and pull out the lacrima, with a small pulse of magic it lights up.
A hologram of Jose appears as the orb begins floating.
"Ah... so... Arthur, he has attempted to change the parameters of your job?" The man hums.
"Yes, Master. 'If you don't break the law and place my daughter under unlawful arrest you won't get even a single jewel' is what I heard him say."
"I see." The man hums, his gaze straying to Lucy and Levy. "Ah. You two may leave if you wish. Or don't. I'm a hologram after all! Ohoho."
He turns to Lucy's father. "But you... you don't seem to understand Mr. Heartfilia. You have asked us to return your daughter to you. A request that could be interpreted as kidnapping. The only reason it slipped through... was due to the fact that we could pursue a peaceful resolution such as this. You asked this request of us... and we completed it. Every. Little. Detail. Your daughter is here... and your daughter is uninjured."
"Those were the specifications of the job. Not to forcibly take your daughter away from her guild. Not to force her to remain home or speak to you on a deeper level." Jose continues. "There are rules. Mr. Heartfilia. Such a request would be automatically declined as you could very well be inciting war between the two top guilds in Fiore."
"Arthur. What is the first thing dark guilds would do after such a conflict." The man questions.
"Kill the weakened winner. Gain control of the entirety of Fiore." I answer.
"So, you are here... asking us to doom not only Fairy Tail... but ourselves?" Jose asks. "Mr. Heartfilia, this is how this is going to go. You are going to pay my mage for a job well done. As that is what he did. Completed your job to the letter. Then, perhaps I don't need to inform the magic council about how you are trying to instigate conflict between guilds who already have a fierce rivalry, all to kidnap your own daughter who is old enough to make her own decisions."
The old man looks as if he swallowed something vile, gritting his teeth and sputtering.
"Fine." He eventually hisses out.
"I am glad we could all come to an agreement." The man smiles.
"Here you are, sir. The money Jude was supposed to pay Phantom Lord for the job." I begin as I sit the briefcase down on the table.
I regretfully can't keep this because it was more of a guild-mission instead of a solo mission.
For most jobs that get posted on the job-board, there's a fee you need to pay. But this wasn't put on the job board.
"Ah..." Jose breathes as the case cracks open.
He nods once, seeing the money inside. "Here."
He lifts a roll of bills and tosses it underhanded. "Your cut."
"Thank you master." I smile.
"Now. Go get some rest, my boy. You've more than earned it."
"Before that. May I have a suggestion that could prove problematic to Fairy Tail?"
"Oh?" The man hums. "I take it that you had some grievances with the company you've kept today?"
"Yes. Annoying suspicions. I even acted like a gentleman. Perhaps that was waste of effort." I scoff.
"Let's hear your idea..."
"We patent this idea called 'The Grand Magic Games'."
"The Grand Magic Games?" The man repeats.
"Basically, master. Imagine a magical tournament where guilds compete to see who is the best? One where people can pay to watch."
"ooooh?" The man hums.
"Normal people love to see mages beat the shit out of each other." I shrug with a small smirk. "The first one will be quite tame, I will admit. It's more of a test to see if such an idea will be profitable in the long term... it is also where we pose quite a problem to fairy tail. Fairy Tail versus Phantom Lord. Five versus Five. One mage on either side enters, then said mage fights the opponent's side until they lose. Of course, later tournaments will have altered rules, possibly some other events to break apart the boring slog of fight after fight."
"How will this pose a problem to fairy tail?"
"The entire duel between guild... regardless of win or loss is ONLY a scheme to get Erza Scarlet and Gajeel in the ring together."
"Oh? OH!" The man beams. He lets out a fairly loud cackle. "My boy that IS devious."
"it's not a matter of Gajeel winning the fight... it's how much of her property he can eat. We win by selling tickets, merchandise, and food. If we slip it into a contract that the mages or guilds participating aren't responsible for the property damage that goes on inside the ring... well... one S Class fairy tail wizard is going to have to pay out of pocket to replace each and every one of her weapons and armor. Plus, if she or the others give a poor showing, don't you think that might set off Makarov's brat? Of course... this is assuming that said brat doesn't compete... if he does, we may be screwed. Erza? We can handle. Him? That's a lot more difficult."
"On the topic of Erza." I cup my chin. "The main issue is that Erza is a total monster. Her magic's capabilities is absolutely pathetic if you don't consider her abnormal bodily strength and magical capacity. But by far most of her attacking potential comes from her armor and weapons. We would likely need to sacrifice an S-Class or two to her in order to 'loosen the jar' as it were for Gajeel so she doesn't blitz him and try to take him out quickly."
"Genius." The man whispers. "Simply genius. If such an idea is profitable, well, why not prove that we are better than ALL guilds?! And as the owner of a patent, nobody can create any cheap knockoffs."
"Keep using your brain like this, and that vice-guild master position is yours, brat." The older man laughs.
"Thank you, sir." I smile. "If you will excuse me, I'm going to go relax a little... then begin construction on some more sacred gears."
"Yes, you do that, my boy, you've earned a good rest. I must get started on this wondrous new idea you have given me!"
I gaze up into the sky, a fairly intense downpour, a low hum leaving my lips.
The main question is...
'Is she here or is this just normal weather?'
I walk through the streets, uncaring of the fact that I'm getting wet.
Both in the fact that it doesn't really matter and that It'll make me look a lot better before a certain blue haired water woman.
I blink as I see her.
A blue haired woman with her hair in tight curls- a poor look, honestly, I much prefer her appearance with her hair down- she clutches a pink umbrella, wearing a cossack hat and a large blue overcoat.
Her hollow blue gaze swipes over me as I give her a small smile, her face seems to flush briefly. "Drip Drip Drop. The rain pours upon Juvia yet again."
"Lovely weather, isn't it?" I question.
"H-Huh?" She pauses as we walk past each other.
"Y-You... was that sarcasm?!" The girl whispers, looking a little hurt.
"Hm?" I pause mid-step. "No? I love the rain. It's so soothing and calming... don't you?"
Steam practically shoots from her ears, her mouth wobbling slightly as a scarlet blush appears on her pale face. "W-W-W-"
"It was a pleasure to meet you." I wave, continuing to walk back towards the place I've been staying.
Master Jose has given me enough money that at this point, I could likely consider upgrading to a new place... or I could save up for some more materials.
"W-Wait!" The woman calls out, causing me to turn.
"Yes?" I hum, a small smile on my lips.
"Y-You like the rain?!" The woman whispers as she walks towards me slowly.
"Yep. Always have, always will." I state. "It's the perfect weather for rest and relaxation. It's..."
I hold up a hand, raindrops impacting my open palm. "Peaceful... beautiful."
"W-What's your name?!" The girl all but demands.
"Oh. My name is Arthur Pendragon... I am Phantom Lord's newest S Class. It is a pleasure to meet you." I smile charmingly as I offer a hand to the girl.
"J-Juvia's Name is Juvia... she is a member of the Element Four of Phantom Lord... I-I was unaware we had gotten a new S-Class wizard."
"Oh? You're in Phantom Lord too?" I grin as the girl shakily takes my hand and shakes it. She appears to be quite nervous. "That means we might be working together in the future!"
"Would you perhaps like to take a job together sometime?" I question.
"YES!" The girl explodes, only to flinch and let out an awkward cough. "Y-Yes... Juvia does not typically take missions with others. It will be an interesting experience."
"Well, Master Jose told me to take a little break for now, but we can take one tomorrow perhaps? Or the next day?" I shrug idly with an apologetic smile.
"Of course!" The woman smiles as for the first time in a long time... the downpour that followed her seems to lighten.
Well, Arthur's still being a scheming little shit. I wonder what he has planned for Jose.
SURELY the flute that supposedly also killed its user is completely and totally safe, right?
Right?