Episode 017: Island of Darkness
"Go ahead and give me a head count if you want; that should be every last Vulcan accounted for."
Ragna's tone was pretty cocky, but given the circumstances he was fairly deserving of it as he stood before a pile of defeated Vulcans so large that it might've given even Erza Scarlet pause. The Reaper hadn't broken a sweat in this job, if anything it was the lengthy work of having to hunt all of these apes down that had been the most trouble. Now that proper control of his right arm was starting to return, fighting through monsters like these felt like something he could do in his sleep.
The village that he'd done this job for was fairly small, but it seemed to be a well-off farming community. The town wasn't on any map and was a lengthy walk from the nearest train station, but the reward money was good and the work had been plenty involved. Ragna had needed to make a decent payday if he was going to pay off the tab he'd wracked up the day before; he had a feeling those drinks he'd promised were on the pricy side. The village aside, the inhabitants had an odd quality about them… namely their oversized ears that would put most elephants to shame.
"He really managed to put them all down in one night; I didn't think anyone would be capable of that," one of the townsfolk whispered to another, covering the side of their mouth so Ragna couldn't read their lips. "Least of all this guy."
"I know what you mean," another townsperson answered in a similar manner. "If they're not written about in Sorcerer's Weekly then they're usually a two-bit wizard from a no-name guild."
"This one certainly looked like he fit the bill," a third joined in with their own whisper.
"You know I can still hear you? Right?" Ragna wasn't sure if it was their large ears, but the village always seemed to talk to him much louder than normal, like they thought they couldn't hear him with his regular sized ears. It was like this no matter how much he insisted he could hear them, and when it came to whispers all they were doing was speaking at a normal volume. Shaking his head he noticed the leader of the village bring forth a decently sized briefcase. "My payment in full?"
"Yes, plus a little extra for protecting our entire town. When we first saw the horde of Vulcans on the horizon, we'd feared that our entire village would be destroyed once they caught sight of us. Not only did you defeat the monsters, but there are no injuries or and structural damage to speak of." Ragna smirked as he took the briefcase; clearly his efforts hadn't gone to waste. "If you don't mind my asking, you never said what guild you were from."
"Well…" Ragna let the Fairy Tail marker over closed his right eye glow. Now the village's widening eyes were almost as absurd as their ears. "You're right to be surprised; I just happen to be the one member that can do all of this fighting without the collateral."
"…Our town was close to getting completely wiped out anyways." Ragna wasn't about to debate that.
"If there's nothing else, then I gotta be heading back. Got a lengthy walk to the train station."
It wasn't like he minded; the work was done and even if it had been a sleepless night he'd be able to catch up on his shuteye on the train ride back to Magnolia. A simple walk sounded perfect right now.
"Gotta get back soon though; without me there's no telling what kind of trouble those kids are going to get into." Ragna gave an amused chuckle. "And that's with my supervision."
Back at the Fairy Tail Guild
"To think he'd go and pull something like this," Makarov groaned while nursing an early morning beer. He was in desperate need of the alcohol to take the edge off the headache he'd just been given… by another constant headache. "I thought Natsu had finally started to mature, to simmer down just a little. How could I have been so wrong?"
"I don't think you're wrong; Natsu had changed," Mira assured the guild leader. "When he was fighting Erza he kept a level head and fought with improved technique instead of relying on overwhelming power. He'd had to train himself plenty to manage that much." She scowled up to the second floor. "The problem was someone trying to set him off."
"Like that was my fault," Lauxus argued boastfully from up above. "You're all talking about how much he grew, but the second that's tested he flies completely off the handle. Maybe his wimpy fire magic's gotten good enough to fry his own brain at least."
"Maybe you're not one to talk about magic frying a brain; Happy got past you to get that job description, didn't he?" A deathly silence fell over the guild. Even if she was technically the same rank as Lauxus, Mira hadn't talked like that to anyone in quite some time.
"It's like she's gone back to her delinquent attitude," Wakaba noted with a grimace.
"That or her Satan side's starting to leak into her regular personality," Macao guessed through a pained wince.
Neither option was good.
"You kidding? Of course I noticed that damn furball. I just didn't give enough of a shit to stop it. So what? Natsu's the one that's going to get his ass kicked tackling an S-Rank mission when he's not ready for one. All that's gonna get you is killed."
A comment that harsh already hit the rest of the guild hard, but for Lauxus and Mira it was like twisting a serrated knife. Now Mira's scowl was exactly like that of her Satan Soul and the rest of the guild reacted with same fear as if they were in the same room as an angry Erza Scarlet. Elfman also had a different reaction, but this one had his head slumped forward in shame.
'…Too far.' Even Lauxus knew he'd crossed a line with what he'd just said, but he couldn't let himself double back in front of the rest of the guild. He had a reputation to keep.
"We can address his attitude later; right now we need to focus on getting them back to the guild before they get hurt," Makarov insisted, though the glare he sent at his grandson made it clear he wasn't going to be let off the hook. "Can Erza retrieve them?"
"I tried to get in contact with her as soon as we found out, but I haven't been able to reach her," Mira explained. "I'll keep trying, but it's going to take time."
"Time's something we don't have," Makarov groaned before looking back to the second floor. "Lauxus…"
"Save it old man; I ain't lifting a finger for that punk," he grunted.
"But you're the only one that can bring him back!" the guild master insisted. His grandson wasn't moving. Was he waiting for Makarov to beg?
"Sorry pops, but I gotta disagree with you there," Gray chimed in as he rose from his seat "I'll get him back first thing. There weren't any trains running last night and the station didn't open that long ago. If I leave now, chances are I'll be able to nab that idiot in Hargeon Port before he can find a boat to take him to the island."
"Gray…" Cana said softly, seemingly mystified by the Ice User's determination to step in for someone he hated.
"Don't get me wrong; I'm not doing this outta any sense of friendship; I just wanna see him get what's coming to him after I bring him back," he explained with a cocky smirk.
"Oh, I already knew that. I just wanted to remind you about your clothes," she said boredly, leaving Gray to yell in pain as he realized he'd stripped to his boxers yet again.
"Then hurry, Gray; get him back here before he really gets himself in danger," the guild leader insisted as the Ice User quickly dressed himself. "But… if you can't catch Natsu before he's made it to the island, do not pursue him. Let the rest of us know and we'll find a new strategy."
"Got it; I'll be back soon," the Ice User promised as he took off for the train station
"…Where's Lucy in all of this?" Mira asked as she glanced around. "I haven't seen her since yesterday… Don't tell me she's-"
"I have to hope she isn't. Maybe she decided to take a day off and is staying out of it," Makarov interrupted, but the elderly guild master was hardly convinced himself. "I had thought her to be a voice of reason in the group, surely she'd reject Natsu's plan outright."
"…I just remembered that there was a Golden Celestial Key available as part of the reward," Mira added unfortunately. "And knowing how she is, there's no way she'd ever have the self-control to pass it up."
At that Moment
"ACHOO!"
As soon as she'd stepped off the train into town, Lucy let out a heavy sneeze out of nowhere. There was no draft, she was feeling healthy as ever, and it wasn't like there was pollen in the air.
"See…?" Natsu groaned as he slowly made his way off the train, supporting himself off the wall in his weakened state. "It's not just me… that gets sick on these trains."
"It's just a sneeze; don't lump me in with your insane motion-sickness," she insisted before glancing around the town. "Weird, it hasn't been so long since we first met here, but it feels like so much has happened since then."
"From what I've heard, that's a pretty common feeling for most new Wizards, especially when you're really active by taking as many jobs as we have," Happy informed. "But normally, it's that they feel nostalgic coming back to their hometown."
"I… don't think I'd be feeling it if I went back there," Lucy denied. "Besides, this is where things really began. Where we all met each other and became an unofficial early team."
"Yeah, and we had to deal with that Salamander faker and that boat of his," Natsu groaned before shaking off most of his nausea. "And we'll have to find a boat to get to the island too… great."
"We'd better start looking for someone to take us now; there's no telling how long we'll have before the Guild sends someone after us," Happy reminded. "When we can get the island most of the guild won't be able to get to us, but until then we're at a heavy risk of getting caught."
"Right, this'll all be for nothing if they stop us before we can prove ourselves," Lucy agreed. "But you said most of the guild can't get us on the island. Is there anyone who still can?"
"Yeah, since the area's supposed to be the site for an S-Rank job, any qualifying Wizard can come and go as they please," the cat explained. "Normally there's a strict policy among the guilds that forbids interfering with a Wizard that's taken an assignment, but…" Happy started sweating. "I'm pretty sure we don't get those protections here."
"So if any S-Rank wizard from Fairy Tail tries to come after us…" Lucy began with a growing sense of dread.
"Lauxus won't be coming after us; that asshole doesn't do anything he's told and wouldn't bother dealing with us no matter what," Natsu explained. "Mystogan's impossible to get in contact with so we won't have to worry about him. Mira might be an S-Rank Wizard, but she's going to be too busy working as guild receptionist and she doesn't take jobs anymore. The only one that's a real threat right now is Erza, but she headed out on a different job last night. Until she gets word, we'll have some time to get the job done."
"Right, but we still need that boat first; we won't get anywhere without one," Happy decided as the group of three hurried to the port.
"Excuse me?" Lucy asked once the trio had found a group of sailors. These seemed like your typical seadogs and didn't smell great, but the blonde was more than convinced she could turn the charm on them. "We were all looking for a ride out of the harbor."
"Oh yeah?" the lead one grunted, before getting a good look at Lucy and seeing that she was leaning over to really show off her cleavage. He wasn't the only one as the rest of his crew had stopped their work to take in the eye candy. "So… where ya headed?"
"Not very far out, just a bit for the journey," Lucy insisted as she gave a cute girlish wiggle, fully aware where the sailors had their attention at.
"She'd never try something like this if Ragna was around," Happy whispered to Natsu.
"Yeah, if Dad was here he'd probably ground her for even thinking about it," Natsu whispered back.
'Let's hope they don't snitch on me then.' "Listen, it'd really help us out if you took us to Galuna Island. We've got plenty of Jewels to pay for your troubles."
"Galuna… Island?" The lead sailor had stiffened and the rest of the crew were stiff as statues. "Sorry, can't help ya."
"But you-?"
"I said can't help you, so beat it!"
Not wanting to make a scene, Lucy and the others headed down the rest of the harbor, keeping their eyes out for another boat.
"That was weird; I had his entire crew wrapped around my little finger with my charms, but as soon as we brought up the Island there was no arguing with him."
"The job did say something about it being a Demon Island, remember?" Happy chimed in. "All of the sailors here probably have plenty of reasons to keep away from it."
"Then we should just ask to have the boat take us out and see how close to the island they're willing to go," Natsu suggested. "It means a shorter boat ride at least."
"Too risky; we don't know what direction we'd need to sail to the Island or how far we'd need to swim in order to get there. We're going to need to be honest." Lucy sighed. "For now, we'll just have to ask everyone we can and hope we get our ride soon. We've got limited time and we haven't even started the job yet."
In the two hours that followed, the three were having Ragna levels of luck finding a boat to the Island… which is to say horrible. It didn't matter how much Lucy tried to put on the charm, how much the group was willing to pay or even how much Happy tried to bribe them with fish (that he didn't have anyways). The moment that Galuna Island came up they were told to get lost just as quickly as the first group. Natsu even tried threatening to get their passage to no avail, and if Lucy hadn't stopped him in time, then the port authorities would be on them. By now word of them had spread and the remaining sailors were turning them away before they could even get two words out.
"That's everyone in the port…" Lucy sighed with disappointment as she looked over the harbor hoping to see a fresh face. There wasn't one. "I know you don't want to hear this, but shouldn't we head just head back?"
"What? Without even starting the job!?" Natsu shouted. "You heard what Laxus was saying about us yesterday! Can you imagine what he'll be like if he hears that we couldn't even manage to get to the job site!? We'd never hear the end of it!"
"Maybe… we don't have to make it sound like we chickened out?" Lucy vainly tried. "If we told them that our judgement got the better of us, that could both get us off the hook and lessen the blow."
"You think they'd believe that? With Natsu?" Happy reminded realistically.
"Right!?" At least the Salamander was owning up to it.
"Never mind," Lucy sighed before vainly scanning the port again. She paused when she looked just a little further down. "That guy… he wasn't there a moment ago. And I'm pretty sure no boats just pulled in."
"We might as well try asking him," Natsu reasoned. "What's our approach this time? Good-cop-bad-cop?"
"Dibs on bad-cop!" Happy volunteered… a little too readily.
"Let's just ask him; if we scare him off then we're stuck either stowing-away or going through the black market," Lucy said, hoping she could reign them in. She also hoped that this guy would see reason at least. "E-Excuse me sir?"
"Yeah? What do you want?" they answered in a gruff voice, already in an irritable mood.
"We were hoping you could give us passage; we have plenty of money to pay for it," Lucy said, only testing the waters.
"Not really much of a ferry, lady. And I got my own problems to worry about," they insisted as they continued attending to their boat. Oddly, Lucy noticed that he was only using a single hand from beneath their poncho.
"Funnily enough, we're the Fairies around here," Natsu noted with a smirk at the wordplay.
"…That can be interpreted as something else and I'm pretty sure it's a derogatory remark," Lucy felt the need to inform.
"Fairies?" the sailor asked before finally looking up at them and seeing the sigil on Natsu's arm. "Fairy Tail?"
"Yep! Hoping that someone could finally hook us up with passage to Galuna Island!" Natsu said eagerly because they hadn't been turned down yet. "You game? We got plenty of money to pay you!"
"Wait! You're taking the job!?" the sailor demanded in shock. It was the first time any of the sailors had mentioned that, so Lucy gave a reserved nod. "I… Get on."
"Wow, I'm so good at being bad cop that I don't even need to say anything," Happy self-congratulated.
"Ignoring the talking cat, what's your payment going to look like?" Lucy asked, hoping she wouldn't be sent into debt from this.
"It's on the house, but you need to get in now!" the sailor insisted as they adjusted their poncho. "Come on!"
"Alright!" Natsu shouted, loud enough to be heard across the entire harbor. "Our lucks finally turning around!"
"Meaning it's just about to run out."
"Come on, why you gotta all pessimistic like that, Gray?" Natsu groaned… before realizing who he was speaking to. "GRAY!?"
"You found us!?" Lucy shrieked.
"Wasn't too hard; this guy isn't exactly known for his volume control," the Ice-Make user noted, but he looked more amused than upset. "Come on you two, back to the guild."
"But we can't give up now! We just got our ride finally settled!" Natsu yelled.
"Yeah, you can give up here and now because that's exactly what's going to happen! You of all people should have some idea what goes on with these kinds of jobs!" Gray shouted before shaking his head. "Natsu…"
"…Don't you dare say it." He wasn't his normal playful self now. In fact, Lucy was worried that it looked like he was ready to kill Gray if he was pushed a little more.
"...Guess it doesn't matter if you already knew what I was going to tell you," Gray admitted ominously. Weirdly enough, he actually looked guilty that he'd had to bring it up in the first place. "Look, if you guys come back now, I promise to do what I can to vouch for you. Believe me, I think Lauxus has been plenty of a dick to all of us. Erza might be too nosy and a total pain in the ass, but-"
"DUDE STOP! SHE'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU!"
Natsu's shout had been in genuine terror and he sold it so well that Gray had to stop himself and check to see if the redhead was about to kill him. Obviously, she was nowhere near the group, but that brief instant gave Natsu just the advantage he needed. Striking a defenseless Gray in the gut, the Ice User barely had time to register he'd been tricked before losing consciousness.
"Got 'im… but I've been saving that move for so long and this is how I have to use it?" Natsu said with plenty of disappointment.
"Just be glad it worked, but what are supposed to do with Gray?" Happy asked worriedly as he looked at the unconscious wizard. "We can't just leave him here."
"Why not? It's not like he's in any danger," Natsu tried to argue.
"Maybe not now, but if we're already in hot water with the guild," Lucy argued. "If they find out that we just abandoned Gray on the Harbor, our punishments are just going to get even more severe. Maybe even to the point that it wouldn't matter we completed an S-Rank assignment." Thinking quickly (and lacking) options, she grabbed the Sailor's rope. "Going to need to borrow this."
"So kidnapping him is better?" Natsu asked with legitimate confusion. Happy only shrugged.
Meanwhile -Oshibana Station-
"Can't believe I got another damn layover on top of everything else," Ragna grumbled as he paced around the station impatiently. Unlike his trip heading out to the job, his trip back was anything but quick, filled with several train delays, a layover, and further delays when his first train didn't make it in time to make his second one. He was at least getting compensated for that last one… but he'd had to argue for it something fierce.
"I was fighting all last night and I didn't eat anything since I was sleeping too hard on the train… I should head into town and grab something for dinner," he told himself aloud. "Nah, I still gotta save up money for that house to keep Lucy in a good mood. I can hold off for a while and make something myself once I'm back at the guild's kitchens."
That still left his issue with his present boredom and more importantly, his nerves. Maybe it was because this was his first time away from his entire team in so long, but he also knew that Natsu was the type to start something if… well, he didn't actually need a single example. Everything about him spoke to this happening.
'Maybe Lucy can do her part to keep him in line until I get back tonight,' he hoped, though knowing it was mostly in vain. 'I mean… maybe she can at least manage him as far as damage control?' He glanced out one of the station windows in the direction of Magnolia. 'If I start running now, I can probably get back by… No. Gotta have more faith in the kid than that. I'm probably thinking like this because I just miss 'em all.'
Taking a deep breath and centering himself, he then glanced out the window at someone standing on the balcony. She was wearing her familiar blue outfit and recognized the hair even from the back. Giving a small smile, he decided to head outside and make the most of this run-in.
"Hey! Juvia!" he called out as he approached. The water mage turned to him excitedly as she heard his voice… only to grow more confused when she laid eyes on him. It took her a few moments, but eventually she realized that it really was him.
"Ragna-kun?" she asked in surprise. "You… you look completely different."
"Yeah? Much younger?" he asked with a cocky smirk.
"You don't look half as old as you used to," she affirmed. With Juvia far less eccentric than most people (aside from her obsession with Gray) Ragna could tell that she meant it. …Plus, it was kind of nice to hear now after the fact. "I suppose this means you found the rest of the elixir ingredients?"
"Yeah, some of them were hell to get though." He was referring to his encounter with Twelve and the first life he'd had to take in the new world, but he wasn't in any mood to elaborate, even with Juvia. "What about you? Heard you were in the middle of an important job from your letter. Already done?"
"No; even as an S-Rank wizard this job was going to take some time to complete," she began.
"Hold up. You never told me you were S-Rank," the Reaper noted with some surprise. "That's pretty damn impressive."
"Thank you, but I'm not sure how much it's really worth… and I'd hardly compare myself to someone like Erza Scarlet from your guild." The way she spoke was more factual than hard on herself, so Ragna just gave a casual shrug.
"Well Erza's… different," he put simply. "But if you weren't done with your job, what are you doing back here? Was the assignment canceled by the client?"
"No; I was the one that had to cancel," she told him before her expression turned a touch worried. "I… received summons to return to the Phantom Lord guild. Effective immediately."
"Summons back? What for?"
"I have no idea, but I know I wasn't the only one," she said, gesturing to a group down below the balcony that Ragna could recognize as a Wizard team. "They're from my guild as well and they received the same summons that I did in the middle of their own job… Something's going on."
"No kidding. It doesn't sound like this sort of thing usually happens," Ragna guessed. "Could it be some massive job that'll take every single member of the guild?"
"Maybe, but for something like that I figured there would be more planning and organizing than this spur of the moment action," she figured. "I heard from the team down below that our guild leader, Jose-sama, has been acting strange these past few days."
"Jose…" Ragna repeated as he tried to think back. "Why does that name sound familiar? …Right, he was at that cooking contest that I did with Mira. He was the one that was talking with Makarov. Never spoke with the guy myself, but it seemed like he and the old man were having a decent time and even had a few drinks with each other afterwards. Doesn't sound like anything happened to him there."
"Then what else is there?" she asked again, only to shake her head. "I'm sorry, this is Phantom Lord business. I shouldn't be bothering you with this and it would only get us both in trouble if I got you any further involved."
"If you say so, but do me a favor and keep me in the loop if you can, yeah? You're not kidding when you say everything about this feels off." Juvia nodded to his request. "So… how long before your train gets here? I'm stuck with a damn layover until this evening."
"I'll have a few hours to wait myself. Why?"
"Wanna head into town and grab something to eat? My treat." Hey, he wasn't about to waste money on himself. But getting a nice meal for someone else was never a waste… so long as he wasn't getting suckered into it.
"This… are you asking me out on a date?" she asked nervously.
"Huh? No. Why would I ask you for a date after all trouble I went through to get you that lunch with Gray?" he answered reasonably. "This is just me trying to treat a friend to a good meal while we kill time waiting for our trains."
"Oh, of course." Ragna wasn't bothered at her obvious relief; it was more than clear her heart was already taken. "But if that's the case, please let me treat us. It's the very least I can do after all you did for me on our last job together with Gray-sama."
"Eh, if you insist, I'm not gonna turn the offer down," Ragna answered with a smirk. Glancing up at the sunset, there was hardly a cloud in the sky. 'Probably still worried about the Guild Leader thing, but she seems to be in a good mood now.'
"Shall we then?" she invited him.
"After you," he insisted with all of the false etiquette he could muster as he bowed for her to lead on which she did and he followed close behind.
"If Ragna-kun doesn't mind, I was hoping to try out a new type of restaurant that was in town. They insist that they're trying a new type of food that's never been seen before. If we both have a few hours before our trains arrive, then maybe it would be worth enduring the lengthy wait in order to try it."
"Sounds good to me; and if it really is a new type of cuisine then maybe I can take some inspirations for my own menu… before making some obvious improvements and taking to a whole other level," Ragna decided cockily. "Next time you're around Fiore, make sure to stop by the Fairy Tail guild. I'll blow your mind with some of my cooking, guaranteed."
"I'll hold you to that promise… and your boasting," she informed, though she seemed playful in it. "Actually, that might be a worthy meal for Gray-Sama and myself to bond over, if we're given the chance…" She then realized how it sounded. "N-Not that I want to use you for those ends, Ragna-kun. Just that it might be a nice chance to… to…" Her face was beat red as she averted her gaze, a little ashamed at just the idea of it.
Ragna wasn't.
"Sunset or candlelit for the setting?" he offered readily. Juvia was still blushing, but at least she managed to smile back at him.
"Though… speaking of dating… I did pick up on a rumor that you and Mirajane Strauss happened to go out once. I even sought after a Sorcerer's Weekly magazine for the first time, but it held no mention of it."
'Big surprise. It might've hurt her popularity (and more to the point their sales) if they let on that their lead model was spotted in any romantic setting with a man.' "It was just a date, and nothing more… if anything, we actually did it just to spite a pretty large group of people."
"…Sounds fitting for you, Ragna-kun," Juvia admitted with a laugh.
"No argument with you there," he agreed with a smirk. "But… I wouldn't be lying if I wasn't kinda hoping for that follow-up date."
"And… the rumor that almost the entirety of your date took place with her in her legendary Satan Soul form?"
"Five words, Juvia." Now he was smiling cockier than ever before. "Go big… or go home."
That Night
"I always knew you were insane Natsu, but now you've really done it!" Gray shouted as he sat on his side of the boat, still tied up from Lucy's ropes. He hadn't stopped glaring ever since he regained consciousness. "You've played yourself right into Lauxus's hands!"
"No I didn't, you're just sore that I got one up on you!" Natsu shouted back… before doubling over on the side of the boat.
"First of all, that was dirty tactic using Erza like that, so don't think for even an instant that it counts!" the Ice Maker argued back, not letting the fact he was bound keep from making angry arguments. "Second, he noticed Happy when he was stealing that job. Told us himself; he was hoping that you'd do something stupid like this."
"I thought I was being sneaky; he didn't even look my way the entire time I was up there," Happy recounted. "You're sure it wasn't just a lucky guess that it was me and he was playing it up?"
"…He's an S-Rank wizard, he probably did see you," Natsu had to concede through his motion sickness. "But even if this was his plan, there's no way he's counting on us completing the assignment! He'd have to eat his words at that!" Natsu boasted before turning to Gray. "Right?"
"…Well, about the fact that he has no faith you'd be able to complete the job, you're right."
"See?" Natsu said with a boastful smile… until he doubled over yet again.
"He's actually doing a lot better with his motion sickness on this trip," Lucy noticed.
"Probably 'cause he's doing it out of spite to keep arguing with me," Gray guessed.
'I'm not sure if it's more fascinating or worrying to think about how his brain's programmed,' Lucy thought, but to be fair that could be said about a lot of the Fairy Tail guild members. Turning to their boat driver, she then had the realization that she'd never gotten his name. "Excuse me, Mister…?"
"Call me Bobo," they instructed, not taking their eyes off the water as they continued sailing with unfettered determination.
'Something's really driving this guy to get us to the Island. He's not even making any money on this,' she remembered. "Are we close to the Galuna yet? My friend's kind of having a hard time in your boat."
"We'll be there soon, he just has to hold on a little longer," Bobo promised, again his gaze had yet to shift. "That speck you see out there on the horizon?" Lucy barely could call it a speck with how far away they still were, but they were getting closer pretty quickly. "That's where we're headed, home sweet home."
"So you're from Galuna Island?" she asked in surprise. "But I heard a lot of sailors calling it Demon Island."
"Right, and that might as well be Galuna's second name," Bobo didn't deny. "Our island has a lot of superstition around it. A lot of scholars believe it's the sight of demon worship or sacrificial rituals, not that the two are mutually exclusive. Some even believe that there are still demons on this Island to this day."
'Creepy.' Lucy held back her comments though. "If that the case, then why live there?"
"It's where I was born, and all of the stigma around the place can actually be fairly useful. No one comes by to bother us; what pirate would risk going to a place supposedly filled with demons instead of attacking some merchant ship?"
'Ironically, those pirates will be in for far worse than demons if they're the ones Erza went after,' Gray thought, but kept his mouth shut. Taking one more glance towards the rapidly approaching Island, he then saw a strange bright light coming from the top. "Is that… a lighthouse?"
"Galuna Island doesn't have any lighthouses," Bobo stated as he shifted his poncho around. "But… it's where I would start looking for your job. That place might be the origin…" He then finally brought his other hand out from his poncho. "Of the Demon's curse."
It was horribly disfigured, looking like it was made of some sort of dark coral. Just by looking at it, the Fairy Tail wizards could tell that it wasn't a disease, but a curse.
'…Why am I getting Ragna vibes from this?' they all wondered in unison.
"Guys! Look at the light!" Lucy instructed and all heads turned (even the seasick Natsu). "It's getting even brighter now!"
"This feeling…" Gray grunted. "That's magic all right, but… it's not like anything I've ever encountered before."
"Wait! Where'd our guide go!?" Happy screamed. Looking around the small boat, Bobo had disappeared without a trace and that wasn't their only problem as the waves suddenly became much rougher and knocked their little ship leaving them helpless.
"What do we do!?" Lucy screamed.
"You're asking me!? I'm still tied up!" Gray shouted.
"Guys… Gonna lose it…" Natsu groaned as his motion sickness only got worse.
"TOO LATE!"
With Happy's final scream, the boat capsized. All four of them blacked out the instant they hit ocean's dark, cold waters.
On the Island
"So?" The expectant figure was a short, odd man in a cloak with waving dull green hair and red mask that looked somewhere between draconic and demonic in its design. "What's the situation?"
"They didn't drown, but they're not moving from the beach either." This figure also wore a mask, but had no skin to show from the light armor all over her body. On her back, she carried a heavy repeating crossbow and she was currently looking at her targets through a set of eagle themed binoculars. These gave her a far better view than any regular tool, but use required a steady focus and that was difficult now. "That stupid chanting is getting on my nerves."
"It's necessary; you'll just have to learn to ignore it," the man said, still giving a strange haunting smile though there didn't seem to be anything humorous about the situation.
"Tch… either way, they all appear to be breathing and they all have a Fairy Tail sigil on them. This could turn complicated if I don't handle this now." She went for her crossbow, but the man from behind her stopped her hand.
"Leave them be; I doubt we have anything to worry about with them. Maybe they just got lost."
"I'm no idiot; I can tell that you don't believe that," the woman seethed, but she left the crossbow where it was. "Should we inform the Cold Emperor?"
"No… in fact, never speak of this encounter again; consider this as just another part of our contract," the strange, masked man insisted. "If they show up, then we'll deal with them, but for now it should only be a few more nights at worst."
"And then you'll give me exactly what I want?"
"Yes… a sanctioned fight between you and your target with no one to interfere. I'm a w… I'm a man of my word, and with plenty of connections to see this through perfectly. You'll have your chance to finally put an end to the usurper of your order."
"You better mean that," the sniper insisted, the XI on her mask gleaming in the moonlight as she growled at the chanting which only seemed to be getting louder. 'I can't wait for this hell to finally be over.'
Magnolia
'Evening already. Mira probably had to do the entire dinner rush without me.'
Even if the sky had darkened long ago, Ragna knew that the guild would still be open until Mira announced last call on drinks. Long as he didn't waste any time, he'd be able to at least help her clean up and secure one of the beds in the back to sleep for the night. He'd considered taking another night out in the fields, but if Lucy found out he'd likely be in for another lecture from his daughter.
'Gotta keep that one happy,' he sighed to himself as he finally it to the front doors of the Guild. Opening the front door and stepping in, everyone turned their head to face him but quickly turned back without offering a single word of greeting. '…Something is wrong. Something is VERY wrong."
"Welcome." Even if Mira kept that bright smile on her face that she always had, Ragna could tell that whatever was bothering everyone else had an effect on her as well. Glancing around, he already had part of the answer.
"Where's the rest of my team?" he demanded. While there was always the chance that they had just returned to their homes for the night, Ragna knew that was what was keeping everyone on edge. Glaring at Makarov, who was fighting to avoid eye-contact just like everyone else, his scowl only tightened. He waited for them to give him an answer while he headed for the front desk and put down the money he owed for yesterday's drinks. The same drinks he'd treated to the people who were holding out on him. "Well?"
"N-Now Ragna…" the guild master tried hesitantly, not wanting to set the Reaper off.
"They left on an S-Rank assignment," Elfman finally answered in his place.
"What!?" Ragna couldn't help but outburst.
"Elfman!" Makarov scolded.
"He'd have found out eventually, we're just wasting time keeping it a secret from him," the well-built man insisted. The truth was, he hated how helpless he felt with a second instance of something like this occurring.
"Tell me Erza's with them at least," Ragna demanded as he hadn't caught sight of the redhead in the guild.
"I'm afraid not; and I doubt that she would've given them permission to join her even if I'd said they could," Makarov sighed now that the jig was up. "We realized they were gone this morning and we'd hoped that Gray could stop them before they got too far, but we now have to hope that we can get in contact with Erza."
"So they're out on a dangerous assignment that's more than likely out of their league and you're all just sitting around!?" Ragna was fighting hard to keep himself from yelling. Though everyone's hands in the guild were tied, the look of shame among each of them was unmistakeable. And if what he suspected with Elfman and his sisters was true… "Mira, where'd they go?"
"Galuna Island; and the closest port to it would be Hargeon. The job they took… I have a bad feeling about it," she answered honestly.
"All the more reason that I'll have to hurry," Ragna answered as he quickly turned back for the front door.
"Ragna! You can't be thinking of going after them!" Makarov shouted. "I don't like it either, but that cursed island is designated as an S-Rank area! You don't have the permission to-!"
"LIKE I GIVE A DAMN!" the Reaper shouted, silencing the guild leader. "If this gets me kicked out the guild, then fine! If something happened to them and I just stayed behind, I'd never forgive myself no matter what the punishment would've been! I gotta to do whatever it takes to make sure that they're safe!"
'I… can't argue with his reasoning, but...' Makarov didn't have the chance to finish his though as a shadow briefly cast itself over him. Landing in front of Ragna and blocking his way to the exit… was Lauxus. 'Oh no…'
"Oh… now he decides to step in." Mira was plenty annoyed.
"…I… am giving you one chance," Ragna insisted with a dark aura around him while Lauxus only gave him a cocky sneer. "Out of my way."
"Or what? You heard the old man," Lauxus answered as he got right in Ragna's face. "Trust me, I'd love nothing more than to see your ass kicked out of here, but you don't get to make that decision. As long as you're stuck on this floor, you gotta play by the same rules as the rest of them. And I say-"
The resulting blow that followed didn't generate a shockwave, but only because Ragna's rage was entirely focused into his fist, delivering all of the power behind the blow into that one single point. That didn't mean that everyone in the guild didn't lurch at the attack and even Lauxus couldn't contain the sheer shock that someone he saw as a weakling would strike him. He'd blocked the attack with his left forearm and had taken all of the damage there… which resulted in the limb going limp.
"I warned you," Ragna said darkly as he continued to glare at Lauxus. Already his mind was screaming for the danger he was in as the rest of the guild dove for cover and Lauxus started crackling with electricity. Once again he was ignoring it was Lauxus's eyes started glowing a deathly yellow with lightning magic. Not just his eyes, Ragna took notice of. There were traces of a few sparks coming from his mouth. 'Wait, is he…?'
"Your arms, your eyes, your legs…" Laxus could barely get out through his growing rage and overcharged magic. "NONE OF IT WILL EVER WORK AGAIN WHEN I'M THROUGH FRYING YOU!"
"ENOUGH!"
Makarov's shout wasn't amplified with any form of magic, but it was forceful enough that Lauxus was no longer gathering power, rather keeping at an even level. It was still enough that the entire rest of the guild was rumbling violently around them and no one else had emerged from their cover… but through his other senses, Ragna realized that both Makarov and Mira hadn't gone for any protective positioning.
"Ragna… I am giving you this special permission… Just this once…" Makarov said evenly. The Reaper actually had the gall to take his eyes off the enraged lightning user in front of him so he could face his guild leader. "Get to the Island… and bring them home safely; that's your assignment. If Erza's already beaten you there, then get off the Island with her. Am I clear?"
"Clear as rain; get everyone home safe," Ragna said before returning his gaze to Lauxus. Still their magic energy was held and a less experienced Ragna would want to finish their confrontation on his way out. Now though, he knew how to see past his rage to focus on his priorities. Stepping around Lauxus, he finally exited the guild.
'As soon as I'm in charge of this guild, that bastard's the first one I'll be kicking to the curb. PERSONALLY,' Lauxus promised as the lightning magic finally faded. A few of the wizards peaked out from behind their makeshift barriers, but ducked behind them again after one harsh glare from Lauxus. "I'm outta here; you all make me sick to my stomach."
'I imagine with most of them, the feeling might be mutual,' Makarov internally sighed. 'Lauxus… what happened to you?'
Outside, Ragna's troubles for the night weren't over.
"You've gotta be kidding me," he groaned at the magic mobile owner he'd found. "You're charging me how much?"
"I'm not going a single Jewel lower," the vehicle's owner (a short, portly man that was dressed like 30's New York cabby) insisted before he took a long swig from his flask. "No appointment, dead of night, and you're even catching me off hours. Just count yourself lucky I'm the one sucker out here that'd be willing to take you." He then eyed him. "Wizard, right? At least you'll provide your own protection on the ride instead of hiring someone out."
'That's the least of my problems,' Ragna thought as he took out his wallet. His recently filled wallet. Settling up from yesterday had already taken a fair-sized chunk out like he'd imagined, but with new extra costs piling up he wasn't sure he'd be able to avoid going into a heavy debt after all. 'I can pay it, but will there even be enough left to get a boat to take me to Galuna Island?'
"Well, time's a-wasting. Are you going to give me a job for tonight or what? Wait any longer and I'll have had too much to drink."
'Like you're completely sober now,' the Reaper noted with a scowl at the red in the driver's cheeks. Before he could give his answer, Ragna heard footsteps approaching the two. His first instinct told him the Lauxus wanted to settle up after all, but it turned out to a much more welcome sight… and not just to him. "Mira?"
"MIRAJANE STARUSS!" the cab driver explained, screaming loud enough to awaken an entire block. "I'M ONE OF YOUR BIGGEST FANS! I NEVER MISS A SINGLE ISSUE OF SORCERER'S WEEKLY SO LONG AS YOU'RE IN IT!"
"That's… that's nice," Mira said with a less than comfortable smile before she turned to Ragna. "I'm glad that I caught you before-"
"YOU WORK WITH HER!?" the cabby interrupted, screaming Ragna's face and getting alcoholic spittle all over him. Ragna was strongly considering running the entire way to Port Hargeon so long as he could knock this nuisance out before he left. "NEW OFFER! IF YOU CAN CONVINCE HER TO GIVE ME SOME OF HER BEST POSES THEN YOU CAN RIDE TONIGHT FOR FREE!"
'Not the first time I've gotten this brand of request from someone.' "Well, I'm sure-"
Mira couldn't proceed much further as Ragna roughly shoved the full amount he owed right into his driver's hands.
"Get the engine warmed up; we need to get going," he instructed with enough malice that it was more of a threat. Much as he wanted to see Mira's display, the cappy complied and grumbled as he entered the vehicle with one final swig from his flask for good measure.
"You know I'm a model, right?" Mira asked the Reaper with an amused smile. "I already do this sort of thing for a living."
"Maybe, but if you get that idiot too excited then I'll be stuck here all night," he grumbled in retort. If anything, he'd only added to Mira's amusement. "Are you…?" Knowing what he was about to ask, she shook her head solemnly. "Not coming with, so what are you stopping me for?"
"I'm making sure you'll have ride from Hargeon to Galuna," she explained as she handed him a letter she'd been holding. "Ask around for someone that goes by The Sailor of the Azure Waves. Give that to her, tell her that I'm calling in that favor she owes me, and she'll get you to the island quickly."
"Perfect," Ragna agreed, readily taking Mira's goodwill in the form of her letter. "You still going to try and get in contact with Erza?"
"Of course, there's no telling what sort of back up you'll need out there," she insisted. Ragna didn't argue and opened the cab's back passenger door as soon as he heard the vehicle start up. "Thanks for doing this, Ragna."
"You know I'd make a point of this no matter who stood in my way; no cost too great and all that," Ragna insisted.
"You made as much clear after what happened with Twelve," she said, still a little sorrowful after the outcome of that job. "So I want you to keep a promise."
"Mira? I've already got kind of a lot going on with this job," he tiredly reminded, before glancing at the letter of help she'd given him and realized he at least had to hear her out. "What's the promise?"
"No one is allowed to die while you're out rescuing them, friend or foe," she insisted, not breaking her gaze as Ragna shifted uncomfortably like he'd just been accused. "…You're not allowed to hurt yourself like that again."
"In that case… I promise."
That was the last thing Ragna said as he closed the door. The Magic Mobile didn't hesitate after that, driving off almost immediately and quickly disappearing into the darkness of the night. Inside the car though, Ragna had already nabbed his driver's flask. In truth he shouldn't have been in the car with an intoxicated driver in the first place, but with a lack of options he'd have to settle for damage control… as well as motivation.
"You'll get this back after I get to Hargeon. Drive fast."
Author's Note
Storm: "…Ugh…"
Happy: "Still feeling the 12-day work week you just went through."
Storm: "Just do the stupid announcements… I'm too tired to perform or write this skit."
Happy: "Aye! So first Storm's getting me a barrel of fish for doing the announcements!"
Storm: *Too tired to respond*
Happy: "…That one usually gets him. In all seriousness, Storm has his own setup now, but he's mostly using it for updates. Feel free to join for free or even sign up to give a dollar a month." *Turns to co-host* "No pressure that way, right?"
Storm: *Exhausted thumbs up*
Happy: "Let's see… what else… Oh, Storm's gonna probably start a new Let's Play series on his YouTube channel. The plan for now is to do a playthrough of Sonic Adventure starting October and see how the reception goes from there. Maybe play through Kingdom Hearts 1 after that. Past that, thanks for reading this far."
Storm: *Says a muffled Ciao*
Review Responses
DoctorHayden: Well, there was a small moment between them here at least.
Twinstar Dragon: Here's more
Wlyman2009: Nor could I.
GM9000: Bonks if they're lucky.
Hotshot6: Maybe…
Spartastic 4: And the answer is… chase after them before they get killed.
Dragon lord Syed 101: Craziness is a word for it, but there are others.
Ultimatrix bearer: Too many to narrow it down after just that.
ArmantusCumPinnae: Ah, glad someone caught onto that. I feel like Natsu will take some mild inspiration at best and the rest of it will be for overall ability or maybe some team attacks down the line.
Saracsm Sage 626: A great post chapter summary as always.
The Unplanner: Thinking? In the Fairy Tail guild? I think there's some unwritten law that half the time that's forbidden.
EnderSoul1501: Hey, Natsu gets his own Gauntlet Hades, daughter gets a wicked 5B.