" Slash of the Poison Dragon!" Drake watched as another bandit was sent flying. He skillfully weaved in and out of their magic gun shots.
"Fist of the Poison Dragon!" Another set went flying. "That's 34 for me, Elise! You keeping up?"
"Iron Dragon Club!" He heard her shout somewhere to his left, then she laughed. "Are you kidding me, Drake? I just got 45!"
"Like hell you did!" Drake roared at an incoming group, causing them to scatter in fear. After his first roar sent the three he hit into a comatose state of near death, they decided to avoid it. A few flanked him, and he launched himself into the air.
"Poison Dragon's Spiral Jaw!" Poison collected around his feet as he landed, sending the bandits flying everywhere. "44!" He backed up and felt himself back to back with Elise.
"These guys are total pushovers" She stated, yawning. "Their boss can't be all that"
"No I think he's all talk" Drake replied. Elise roared.
"52!" Catch up now, bud!"
"Poison Dragon's Scales!" The dark red scales launched out and exploded. "I'm not that far behind!"
Nashi could hear the explosions long after she and Ultear descended into the darkness. She kept the flame on her hands going, and Ultear was completely silent. Nashi couldn't help but wonder what the boss had been referring too. He'd said something about a town, but Nashi knew nothing about that. She wanted to know, but felt like that would be asking to much. More explosions.
"I hope Drake and Elise are okay" She said to Ultear, who remained quiet. "I mean, there was a lot of guys out there"
"They'll be fine" Ultear responded. "They're tough" More silence. Nashi wished she could find the words to ask about Keiko. "I know you have something on your mind, tell me" Nashi jerked back slightly at Ultear's harsh words, but sighed.
" I just wanted to know about Keiko. You seemed... so uncharacteristically angry" Ultear sighed.
"It all started when I began my job..."
Flashback
Ultear wandered into the town quietly, trying not to draw to much attention to herself, failing immensely. People turned to look at her as she walked through the small town towards the mayors office. He'd been the one to send the job request, so she'd go to see him. She arrived at the office and walked towards the front desk.
"Ultear from Fairy Tail, here to see the mayor." She smiled dryly.
"He'll see you know" She replied. Ultear strode into the office, and noted the small man sitting at the desk.
"Greetings mages from Fair... " He seemed confused. "Just one of you?" Ultear should have been ready for this.
"I'm all they sent, but I'll be enough" He sighed.
"If you say so..." He turned to face the window. "In any account, I'm sure you've read the form." Ultear nodded.
"Yes. I'm to take out the branches of a bandit guild attacking you. I'm to report back to you with the seven different branches flags for the reward." He nodded.
"You seem well informed. I do hope you succeed. The other mages from other guilds, were... less successful." Ultear didn't need an explanation. They'd died. All she had to know. "But your guild must have immense trust in you to send you alone" Ultear smiled wistfully as she thought back to her mother begging her to bring someone with her.
"Yes sir, I believe so" He turned back to face her with a small smile on his face.
"I will contact the family you'll be staying with during your time here" Ultear's brow furrowed.
"...Pardon, sir?" She asked, scratching her head.
"You will be staying with a family in town as cover. You can come back whenever you please, but don't ever put them in any kind of danger." Ultear had absolutely no intention of staying here, but she appreciated the offer all the same.
"I shall go and see them immediately." She said quietly, turning around after he gave her the address.
"That was Keiko's family?" Nashi asked as they continued through the darkness. The explosions sounds had died off, but that didn't worry Nashi. Ultear nodded.
"Yeah, and I got them killed."
Ultear sighed as she knocked on the door and waited. These Mr and Mrs. Green sure were kind to agree to take her in. The door was answered by a girl no older than 5.
"Who are you?" She asked sweetly. Ultear smiled a bit.
" My name is Ultear, are your parents home?"
"Mommy, Daddy! There's a pretty girl here to see you!" Ultear blushed slightly as she walked inside, being greeted by the parents.
"You must be the wizard the mayor hired." Mrs. Green said warmly. "It's a pleasure to give you somewhere to lay your head at night."
"I won't be around much" Ultear replied, lifting her bag up a little. "I'll be out on the job most of the time. I do appreciate your kindness regardless"
"Of course, dear" Mrs. Green replied. "Just tell me if there's anything you need."
"Actually" Ultear said, digging around in her bag, pulling out a sealed letter. "If you could mail this to my guild if I never come back, I'd appreciate it" Their smiles faded as they took the letter with a shaky hand. "Your also welcome to sell any of my belongings I leave behind,My family won't mind"
"Why wouldn't you ever come back?" Keiko asked quietly. Ultear smiled down at her.
"My job is dangerous, I could get seriously injured" Keiko grabbed her hand and dragged her down the hall.
"You have to come to the tea party first though! My dollies wanted to meet you!"
Nashi smiled at the thought of a over hyper active little girl. She could see why Ul had been to attached to her.
"She sounds like a little angel" Nashi commented. Ultear sighed.
"Yeah, well, I suppose she was , even if she was more than a handful at times. But she always wanted to hear about my adventures when I got back from taking a branch out..." Nashi watched as Ultear visibly saddened.
"If you don't want to talk about this, then we can..."
"No," Ultear snapped suddenly. "I needed to tell someone about this sooner or later, might as well do it now."
"But your crying" Nashi watched as Ultear raised a hand and wiped off the tears, glaring at them as if they were the reason Keiko was gone. "Seriously, Ul, if you don't want to talk about it, we don't have to. I won't pry" Ultear shook her head sternly.
"No, I going to tell you. I can finally get if off my chest"
Ultear stumbled back to the Green's house, cradling her arm. This wouldn't look good. Why had she refused to leave before she was sure all of those guys were defeated? That explosive lacrima trap had gotten her good. Her arm was raw and bloody, with a little bone visible. She thanked all the gods she could think of that the heat from the explosion had fused her skin closed. She stumbled through the door and was greeted by the Greens themselves.
"Welcome back Ul..." Their eyes widened at Ultear's wound.
"What happened to you?!" Mr. Green shouted.
"Are you okay, Ultear-nee?" Keiko asked worriedly.
"Just a little burned." She replied weakly. They dragged her into the kitchen and brought out a mysterious looking paste. "What the hell is that?" She asked.
"It'a paste made from various plants in the area." Mrs. Green explained as she applied it. "It'll help you heal." Ultear winced as it burned a little, but that may have been her raw flesh. She watched as her arm started to glow and the burns started to fade, eventually just leaving a small scar in place of the wound.
"That's a lot like Wendy's healing magic" Ultear commented, rubbing her now uninjured arm
"Who's Wendy?" Keiko asked.
"A friend of mine back at the guild who can use sky magic" She replied, facing the child. Her eyes lit up.
"You mean Wendy Marvell?! Wendy from the dragon's of Fairy Tail!? That's awesome!" Ultear knew of the moniker given to Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy, seeing as they, after so long, were practically the faces of Dragon Slaying Magic. "Could you get me her autograph? The others too!" Ultear laughed at the girls enthusiasm.
"I could get you Gajeel's and Wendy's, but I can't get you Natsu's, sorry"
"Why not?' Keiko pouted.
"Because he hasn't been at the guild since I was a baby. No one know where he is" That didn't seem to lighten Keiko's mood whatsoever, and Ultear ruffled her hair playfully. "I'll see what I can do, alright?"
"Thanks, Ultear-nee!" Keiko ran off and Ultear smiled.
"She thinks the world of you, you know" Ultear turned to her parents surprisingly.
"Huh?"
"She always talks about you, wondering when you'll come home." Ultear smiled quietly and looked away. It was going to break Keiko's heart when she had to go home, but... At least she'd be safe from these fucking bandits.
"That was the last time I ever saw them alive" Ultear said as she lifted her arm from under her cloak to show Nashi the scar. Nashi watched as Ul traced a finger down the long mark on her arm.
"That's sad" Nashi said, wishing she could be a bit more empathetic, but she had know idea what that felt like.
"The next branch I was to take out was the last one, headed by the bastard we're trying to find, Zindo" Nashi waited for her to continue, but Ultear sighed as Nashi noticed her limp. How long had her leg been hurting her? "He got my leg pretty good, as you and the others noticed, but... He escaped..."
Ultear could see the smoke a mile away, and her heart was a stone as she saw the burning buildings. How could she have let this happen? That bastard Zindo... How had he manged to cut her leg? Maybe she'd have been able to be here had she not had to wrap and attend to her wound every five seconds...
"Keiko?! Mrs. Green? Mr. Green? Anyone?" Ultear wandered through the town, putting out the flames, searching desperately for anyone. All she saw however, were burnt bodies. It made her sick to think that a human could purposefully do this.
"Anyone?! Is anyone alive?!" Ultear's leg pounded in pain, she should've stopped for longer, but she had no time. She'd find a healer on her way back to Magnolia. She turned down the next street to find the town hall practically untouched, a magic barrier protecting it.
"Mayor-san? Anyone, answer me!" The door cracked open, and Ultear saw the terrified face of the mayor.
"Ultear..." He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness you are unharmed."
"I wouldn't say unharmed." Ultear growled, limping towards him. The surviving civilians filed out and into the wreckage, searching for family, belongings, anything that survived the blaze. "What the hell happened?"
"Oh it was terrible," The mayor replied. "These men came and started attacking, looking for you. 'Ultear, where's the assholes who helped Ultear?' No one would tell them ,and they started torching buildings, starting with the Greens..." Ultear felt tears stinging her eyes. "I'm sorry, Ultear ,but they were all inside..." Ultear ran towards their house, ignoring the pain shooting through her system.
no.. please god no... it's my fault if their...
Ultear reached the house and slammed her body into the door, breaking in down rather effectively. She ran around, coughing, until she found the master bedroom.
and three burnt bodies curled up on the remains of a bed.
Ultear's started crying, then sobs escaped her. These people had taken her in and given her medical aid if she was hurt... and she had abandoned them... to die.
"I'm so sorry... This is my fault..." She manged to croak out as she heard the mayor approach behind her.
"Don't preach nonsense, Ultear. These men came while you were out doing your job, they attacked like cowards."
"But if I hadn't been so bad at my job, he wouldn't have escaped... he wouldn't have done this..." Ultear trailed off.
"You know who did this?" Ultear nodded, the flow of tears not stopping.
"He's the one who wounded me. He slowed me down on my way to get here. They weren't looking for me, they knew where I was. They came to kill you all..."
They died because of me" Ultear finished, wiping her face in a vain attempt to stop crying. Nashi looked around the chamber they'd reached while walking through the tunnel. The flowing water making the silence seem less awkward.
"Don't say shit like that, Ul" Nashi managed. "You did everything you could, you had no idea they'd attack the village. Ultear looked up at Nashi, and Nashi felt terrible seeing her friend like this.
"The people said they could hear Keiko screaming for me while the house burned to the ground" Nashi felt as if a knife and punctured her heart.
"Why the hell would they tell you that?!" Nashi demanded. "That's horrible."
"Perhaps because It's her fault that little girl perished." They turned to find Zindo standing on a balcony, smiling. "After all, Ultear's the only reason we attacked that town"