Here's the next chapter, I hope you'll enjoy it!
By the way, I've been thinking of writing an original story on Webnovel, so if you used it before or if you know somebody who has used it before, please can you send me a PM and tell me all about it and whether it is worth it. Thanks!
NinjaFang1331 - Thanks so much, glad that you enjoyed it.
Lelouch of Zero - I know what you mean, even when I was planning it, I was thinking that this was the probably the saddest thing I've written...so far. I thought that Night Terror could use a little area where he can observe the guild with his helmet off; Mirajane really went all out. Thanks for reading.
djinn - Thanks so much. I thought it would fit nicely with what they did in the manga originally. It makes sense that they would want to find other survivors after what they did at the Tower. This chapter is a nice, funny filler chapter before we move onto the Battle of Fairy Tail Arc. I hope you'll enjoy it.
Skull Flame - Thank you. I thought it would be nice if Sho, Millianna and Wally would go out and find the other victims of the tower. However, not to give too much away, but there may be a chance that they run into Oracion Seis on the way. Thank you also for mentioning my 'elephant in the room' joke, I'm very proud of it. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.
FanSuperAnime - Now that you mention it, Night Terror's hair being white would be a good look for him. Ah well, too late now. I did allow Simon to live, but he's in a critical condition and I do have plans for him later on in the story. I do hope you'll enjoy this chapter and thank you for reading.
ikusatsunagi - Thank you so much. Levy will definitely be in the harem, but Mavis will be quite difficult. I'll think about it closer to the time. Thanks for reading.
gpno 14 - Yeah, I feel sorry for Cana. But don't worry, she'll play a much larger role in this chapter. The filler chapter won't be based on the Love Potion fiasco in the original anime, but I am tempted to do my own variation. Thanks for reading.
Luxaen - Yeah, I guess so. And if you liked that then you'll definitely will like this chapter. Hope you'll enjoy it.
wellingtonlucas282 - No problem, glad that you enjoyed it.
MDM11 - Thank you so much. As always, I'll try my best to fit as many as your suggestions into the story. Thanks again for reading and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.
Spedyalarm - That's good to hear. Thanks for reading.
nexusplayer - Haha! I suppose so. Thanks for reading and I hope you'll enjoy the next chapter.
Guest - Thank you, I'm so happy to hear that. I do enjoy writing funny filler chapters in between the arcs I hope you'll like this chapter just as much.
Guest - I suppose he does. I never noticed that. Thanks for reading.
Thank you all for reviewing :)
Chapter 26: In Broad Daylight
Arthur's House, Outside the Ruins of Elend
"...so to cut a long story short," Night Terror sighed as he showed off his blackened and burnt clawed gauntlet, "I need to make repairs to my armour. You would not happen to know what is the best way of cleaning it?"
Arthur, one of the surviving members of the Phobos Clan, leant against the frame of his front door and sighed wearily, "Really? You came all the way here for this?"
It has been a couple of days since he and the others had returned to the newly repaired guild. They were amazed by the new building and they all enjoyed the festivities that soon followed... and then the inevitable, destructive brawl that broke out after that. Night Terror had never seen Makarov cry so much over broken furniture and tables before. Other than that, things have returned to normal; the guild members drunk, went on missions or simply hanged around the hall all day. It was quite nice to see peace had been finally restored after the guild war.
However, there was a problem.
Night Terror noticed that his silvery armour had been damaged quite a bit after his fight with Jellal. Nothing was broken or cracked, to which he was thankful for, but the armour had dulled and blackened and it was starting to make it hard for him to move in it. He tried his best to find a way to remove the steins with polish, but nothing from the local armour shop did the trick. With no other solution apparent, the Phobos decided that it would be best to visit Arthur and inquire about it.
"I was rather hoping you would know," the Phobos said, "I only just received it not too long ago and I never had the opportunity to learn how to properly maintain it when I was younger. I think the damages are making it rusty, because I am finding it hard to move quickly in it," he told him before raising his arm up to his face and smelling it, "I am also becoming tired of smelling like smouldering iron."
Arthur shook his head, "Normal polish and other treatment won't work on it. Phobian metal is not like the ones the daonna commonly use. If you put in the darkest place you can find for a while the Fear Magic contained within it will scare away the stains. Your place should do the trick; I know how you Dorchades love to live in the dark."
"Self-cleaning," Night Terror hummed in interest before he sighed, "Oh...I cannot do that."
"Huh? Why not?"
"I discovered a hole in the roof of my abode. It is contaminating the darkness within it," he shook his head sadly, "It might as well be a greenhouse with how much light in coming in."
Arthur rolled his eyes, "Aren't you being a little dramatic over a small hole."
"I was about to pick up some materials to repair it today whilst doing some other errands on the way. I suppose I can repair the hole today and then clean my armour tomorrow...but I promised Miss Flare we would go on a job together. And I cannot fight in this state or without my armour," he muttered thoughtfully.
The former Phobos raised an eyebrow before he sighed reluctantly, "Fine. I think I think I've got some space in the cellar I can put it in. It should be dark enough for it."
Night Terror perked up and nodded gratefully, "You will? How kind of you. I'll be sure to reimburse you for the space I am taking up."
"Don't worry about it," he said with a small wave and a smile, "Come back tomorrow and I'll have it ready for you good as new."
Night Terror stepped back in surprise, "T-tomorrow?"
"Yeah, tomorrow," Arthur repeated, raining an inquisitive eyebrow, "How long did you think it was going to take?"
"A few hours at the most. Not an entire day. Like I said, I have errands to do."
"So?"
"Then I will be around town."
"So?"
"I will be around town without my armour on."
"Not to sound repetitive, but...so?"
"...Are you suggesting I will go into town naked?" Night Terror asked, tilting his head slightly in bemusement.
"Of course not, you idiot!" Arthur shouted, "Just go into town with normal, daonna clothing."
...
...
...
"... you are quite the comedian."
"I'M NOT JOKING!"
"But I cannot do that," Night Terror protested, "The villagers will be able to see my face. You may have retired from the Clan, but I still hold its values dearly. If I reveal my true features than I will be breaking our Clan's tradition and significantly weaken the power of my Fear Magic."
"I know that," Arthur muttered, "but let me ask you this, how many people know of your identity?"
"Well, Maighstir Makarov and Miss Erza."
"And nobody else?" he asked, making Night Terror shake his head to say no, "Well, Magnolia is a popular town, right? Plenty of travellers come and go every day and nobody bats an eye. They don't even need to give their own names to anybody; they just stop for a while, do some shopping, maybe have lunch and then go on their merry way. What I'm saying, is go to Magnolia in plain, normal clothes and nobody will ever know it's you. You can come up with a different name, a back story...oh, and you might want to drop that dark voice you put on and suppress your Fear Magic; that would be a dead giveaway. Anybody who knows what you look like are people you already trust and people who don't know what you look like will never tell the difference. How does that sound?"
"... I do not feel comfortable with that."
"If you want your armour repaired and to do whatever you want to do today, then this will be the best way."
Night Terror frowned in dread. Of course, what he says makes sense, but he's been keeping his identity a secret for all these years. He doesn't even know how to properly act around other daonna or interact with them like he's one of them. The thought of it made him nervous, but there was really no other solution. Besides, it was only for one day; how bad could it be.
"I...I suppose I can do that," he sighed reluctantly, "But I do not have any other clothing."
Arthur grumbled in annoyance and scratched the back of his head, "Hold on, I think I've got something for you to wear. Susan likes to buy me 'trendy' clothes that I'm way too old for. They should just about fit you."
Night Terror bowed his head, "I thank you, my friend."
"You doing a bad job already! Drop the dark voice!"
"R-right- ahem- I mean, my apologies."
"Nobody speaks like that these days! Use more word contractions!"
Magnolia Town
Under the shadow of the Caldia Cathedral, a towering building located in the town's centre, Night Terror looked out over the bustling town square with an anxious expression. The markets and the shops were filled with people, going about their daily lives; shopping, meeting up, eating at restaurants or simply enjoying the ambiance of the centre of town. There were a lot of people today; much more than the Phobos was expecting and it was making him very nervous.
He was currently, for the very first time in years, in something not his shadowy robes and silvery armour. He wore a white buttoned up shirt, with the top buttons undone, a pair of tan coloured trousers, smart brogue shoes, black fingerless gloves, and a brown linen jacket. His black hair was neatly combed and his after-shadow beard was trimmed into something more appealing; he couldn't do anything about his deathly, pale skin or the dark rings around his eyes, so he reckoned that if he smiled more, he would look less intimidating. It was a very awkward smile, but he supposed that it had to do. He had never felt so defenceless before, he was so used to wearing his usual garments and it was really unsettling him.
'Come on now," he thought to himself, 'I am the master of fear. I will not be intimidated by this...although, I do feel ridiculous in this,' he sighed and began walking towards his destination, 'First of all, I need to pick up a few books for Miss Flare to study. She has been progressing really well recently with her magic, but she needs to know how to properly maintain it.'
He entered the market square and headed past market stalls selling various foodstuffs and other items. However, as he walked deeper into the market, he began to take notice of people, mainly women, looking at him. He glanced to his left and saw four young women staring at him and muttering to each other. He glanced to the right and saw two women working at one of the market stalls stop their conversation and look at him. Night Terror gulped anxiously as more and more people took notice of him.
"W-what's going on?' he thought in concern, 'Surely, they do not recognise me. Sure, I am quite taller than everybody else, but that's surely not unusual. I hope they do not think I'm sort of freak of nature.'
He passed by two more young women in their late teens who stopped what they were doing and looked back at Night Terror in slight awe.
"Wow! Did you check out that handsome guy?" the blond woman asked.
"Yeah, he's so hot," the brunette friend replied, "I've never seen him around before."
"Must be passing by. Damn, I wish I had a guy like that."
'I think they suspect me,' Night Terror gulped in worry, 'I need to get out of this crowd before they tell any of the mages in Fairy Tail.'
He quickened his pace, avoiding and swerving around shoppers as he went by. However, as he was passing by one stall, the owner, a middle aged woman with curly orange hair, called out to him, forcing him to stop.
"Hey, handsome," she said before she pointed to her display of fruit at her stall, "want any fruit. Oranges are half off."
Night Terror, feeling startled, stammered slightly, "No- ahem -I mean, no thank you madam. Err...good day," he said before taking off in a hurry.
The fruit vendor chuckled as she watched him rush off while her friend, who was the same age with black curly hair, in the stall next to her leaned over and gave her a scolding look.
"Really? Hey handsome?" she questioned with sigh.
"Hey, he was. Although, I didn't mean to get him so flustered."
Her friend rolled her eyes, "You're so bad. What would your husband say," she said, earning a chuckle from her friend.
Night Terror finally made it the book shop down one of the many alleyways that the town had. Due to his rushing all the way here and the fact that the sun was making him feel too hot, he was slightly out of breath and leaned against the wall for a few seconds to catch his breath.
'That was close,' he thought, 'From now on, I shall stay away from the busier parts of town,' he decided before getting up and entering the book shop.
The store was cool and dim and had the smell of rusty books lingering in the air; exactly the type of thing he needed. The were only two or three people, not including the clerk sat at his desk by the front door, in the shop, quietly reading or looking for a particular book. Night Terror sighed in relief, nodded to the elderly clerk before he sauntered down the rows of shelves packed full of all books of all shapes, sizes and colours. He eventually found the 'Magic' part of the shop and carefully inspected each book spine; his eyes landed on one book titled 'The Beginner's' Guide to Mastering Magic', pulled it off the shelf and began flicking through it.
'This seems like the right one,' he thought to himself, 'I am sure Miss Flare would find use in it.'
"Excuse me. Can I get borrow you for a second."
Night Terror heard somebody call out to him from behind and slowly turned around to face them, "Of course, how can I be of-"
The words got caught in his throat as he recognised the person behind him, smiling up at him brightly with her usual messy blue hair held back by a yellow bandanna.
'AHHH! Miss Levy!' Night Terror screamed in his head as he looked down at his fellow guild member in panic, 'No! I did not think I would run into any of my companions this quickly.'
Levy blushed slightly as she looked up at him but hid well with her kind smile, "Sorry to bother you, but can you get me that book," she said, pointing to the top shelf of the opposite bookcase, "All the ladders are being used and, as you can probably tell, I can't really reach up that far."
Night Terror blinked and nodded in reply, "Y-yes of course," he said before easily grabbing the book she needed and passing it down to her.
"Thanks," she chirped happily, "Have you ever thought of working here? You'll be great at this sort of stuff," she joked with a giggle.
"Well...I wouldn't want to put the ladders out of the job," he uttered.
Levy giggled, "Good point," she said before taking notice of the book in his hand, "Ah cool! Are you studying magic."
"Err...yes...yes I am," he lied, since it was easier to explain, "I thought I'll give it a go...although, I feel like I'm too old to be getting into these things."
"Aww, that's rubbish. There's no age limit," she said with a wave of her hand, "I'm a mage over at Fairy Tail and we get all sorts. Trust me, you're not unusual," she held out her hand for him to shake, "My name's Levy. Levy McGarden. What's your name?"
"Umm...it's..." his mind began to race as he tried his best to come up with a fake name for himself, "Lewis...Lewis Timere," he finally answered.
"Lewis, huh? That's a nice name," Levy happily said, "You know, if you want, I can help you with the principles of basic magic," she offered, pointing towards the front of the shop, "There's a couple of chairs we can use by the window."
"Well..." Night Terror hesitated, not too sure if taking her suggestion was a good idea. But as he saw the excited look in her eyes, he knew he couldn't disappoint her, "I...guess we can do that. I have some time spare."
Levy led the Phobos to the front of the shop and they both sat on the comfy armchairs located right next to the window looking out over the street. Levy was an excellent teacher and, although he learned everything about basic magic years ago, he was never bored or felt disinterested; she had a way of talking that you can listen to for hours on end; It was filled with so much emotion and compassion. Ever so often, she would subconsciously play with the ends of her hair lock thoughtfully or accidently make herself giggle at something she said and her eyes would sparkle happily when he answered a practise question right; it was, to the Phobos, very adorable and he was having fun spending time with her.
"I see," he mumbled, looking down at the book after Levy explained something, "I didn't know magic was so complex. I suppose I have to continue working on it if I want to get any better at it. Thank you so much."
"No problem, I'm happy to help," she chirped before she frowned slightly and tilted her head at him, "You know, I can't help but feel like we've already met, Lewis"
Night Terror's eyes widened in shock as he nervously looked up at her, "You do?"
"Yeah. Something about you seems...really familiar. Maybe we bumped into each other when Team Shadow Gear was on a job," she muttered with an inquisitive frown, "No, that doesn't seem right."
The Phobos began to sweat in panic at the thought of his secret already being revealed, but then something seemed to catch Levy's eye and she turned to look out the window.
"Oh..." she uttered sadly before she turned her whole head away.
Night Terror blinked in surprise at her sudden change in mood and looked out the widow as well; it didn't take long to figure out what was wrong. Outside, trudging along the street with his hands buried deep in his pockets, was Gajeel; the former member of Phantom Lord and the person who tried to attack Team Shadow Gear before Night Terror turned up. He stared at the ground with a menacing look before he turned to his right towards the window he and Levy were sat at; he snarled at them before continuing his journey, muttering to himself all the way. As soon as he disappeared, Levy looked out the window again and gave a small sigh in relief and looked back at Night Terror.
"Umm...sorry about that. What were we saying," she said with a nervous smile.
Night Terror glanced through the window where Gajeel had been before looking back at her, "Is everything alright? You seemed to be...worried when that man came by."
"Oh...him," she said softly, her eyes turning down to the floor, "It's nothing really."
"Doesn't seem like nothing? It looks like you were afraid; if you don't mind me saying."
"Well, no. I really shouldn't be. He's part of our guild and we have to work together..." she sighed, "But... did you hear about that guild war not too long ago?"
"I've heard of it briefly from the newspapers. But other than that, I don't know much about it," he lied.
"Well, we were on opposite sides during the war and he attacked me and my friends. He even paralysed one of them temporarily. I just can't help but think back on that whenever I see him."
"Are you troubled by the fact that he's part of your guild?"
Levy seemed to look guilty at that, "I guess I am… but I really shouldn't be. He's a part of Fairy Tail now. Master Makarov was the one who found him and brought him back and Juvia, who was also on Gajeel's side, insists that he's nice person really, but…" she sighed and looked up at him with a fake smile, "Sorry, I shouldn't bother you with this. Let's go back to what we're doing."
Night Terror, however, frowned, "If this is bothering you then you shouldn't keep quiet. Why didn't you say anything to your guild master?"
Levy rubbed her right arm anxiously, "Well, he did ask me before he agreed to allow him in and Jet and Droy, my team mates, did kick up a fuss, but… I don't know. I just felt I needed to agree. If I didn't then Gajeel will still be unemployed and I didn't want that on my consciousness," she shrugged, "It's fine. It's just something I need to get used to, you know?"
Night Terror raised an eyebrow in concern for his fellow guild member and friend; he leaned over and gently placed his hand over hers, causing her to yelp and blush in surprise.
"You really shouldn't keep it to yourself," he softly said, "You just as much as a part of the guild as everyone else is and a respectable Solid Script Mage; I'm sure your opinions and feelings are valued greatly. Perhaps you should, talk to maigh- I mean, your guild master."
"I already told him I was fine with it," she pointed out.
"But you're not really," he said, making her look away shyly, "I'm sure he'll listen to you."
"Yeah, but what can he do now?"
"I don't know, but it won't hurt to let him know. Talk to him, I'm sure he'll work something out. He's not a guild master for nothing, you know," he told her with a kind smile, "But there's not just him, I'm sure your team mates or your friends would be willing to listen to you. All you have to do is ask."
Levy blinked up at him before a small smile appeared on her face, "I guess you're right. I'll be sure to make arrangements tomorrow."
"I'm glad to hear it."
"Thanks Lewis," Levy gratefully said. However, she suddenly frowned curiously, "Wait…how did you know I was a Solid Script Mage?"
….
….
….
….
"Did…did you not mention that earlier?" Night Terror anxiously said as he began to sweat.
"No, I just said I was a mage. I never mentioned what sort of magic I use."
The Phobos cringed slightly, "…Really? Well…I guess that's…" he looked down at his wrist and instantly stood up, "Well, look at the time. I best be heading off now."
Levy cocked an eyebrow, "You're not wearing a watch, you know."
"Well, I must go and buy one," he said as he swiftly back away, paid for the book and stepped out of the shop in one fluid motion, "Good bye. Thank you for the tutoring," he said before exiting the shop in a hurry.
Levy blinked in confusion as he watched the man she thought was called Lewis out of the window; speed walking down the street before turning a corner and going out of sight. She hummed thoughtfully and shrugged.
"Weird guy," she muttered to herself before she leaned back in her chair as thought back on his words, "I wonder if Night Terror is available today."
Streets Of Magnolia
After escaping Levy, Night Terror headed to one of the quieter parts of town to do some shopping as part of his second errand of the day. He was currently at a bakery on the eastern quarter, humming to himself as he observed each loaf of bread available on display on the shelves; he was currently debating he should have tiger or sourdough bread for this week.
"Hmm," he uttered thoughtfully before his eyes landed on the tiger bread loaf, "I think I'll have this one," he decided.
He took the loaf of bread of the shelf...only to find a human face behind it. The Phobos blinked in astonishment at the face while the face stared back at him with stars in his eyes. He looked to be in his late thirties with a large curly handlebar moustache, blue round eyes, a large nose and wore a pink beret on his head. The face gasped in joy and grinned excitedly as Night Terror stood there dumbfoundedly.
"Hoho! It's you!" the face cried out.
...
...
...
...
Night Terror placed the bread back on the shelf and covered the face again before reaching for the bread on the next shelf up.
"Sourdough it is, then," he casually said as if nothing just happened.
However, as soon as Night Terror took the next loaf of bread off the shelf, the same face of the odd man was waiting behind it; still grinning like a lunatic.
"You're perfect! I'm so lucky I finally found you!" he cried out again.
For the second time, Night Terror put the loaf back, turned around and headed to the door, "Perhaps, I'll come back another day," he decided.
"WAIT!" the man cried out before bursting out of the bread shelves; scattering rye and pumpernickel all over the place, much to the shop owner's shock, "I've been looking for you everywhere!
Night Terror stopped and looked around him; he was a tall, skinny man wearing a black shirt, blue jeans and red neckerchief around his neck. There was a large camera in his right hand and pinned to his shirt was a large label with the word 'Photographer' written on it. The man zoomed over to him and inspected him all over, making the Phobos very uncomfortable.
"Let's see. Around seven foot, late teens, muscular build, well-proportioned features, a little dark around the eyes, but nothing that a bit of make-up couldn't fix...yes, you'll be perfect," he announced, "What's your name?"
"Umm..." he uttered, thinking he should come up with another fake name, "Edgar...Roberts."
"Edgar Roberts, I see," the man hummed before grinning manically, "I've heard of a strapping young man who wondered into town and been turning a few heads. You must be him! Come with me! The photoshoot begins in ten minutes!" he cried out, grabbing his wrist and dragging him out of the shop and down the road.
"W-wait photoshoot?" Night Terror uttered.
"Of course! The name's Bryson! And I'm a photographer for Sorcery's Weekly magazine," he replied, continuing to drag Night Terror through the streets, "One of our models, unfortunately, had to drop out last moment and so you're going to fill him in."
"But I'm not a model!"
"You will be after I'm down with you!" Bryson cackled as he continued to run through the streets.
They eventually made it to Magnolia's largest parkland Southgate Park, a beautiful green area which is the home of many Sakura trees including the famous Rainbow Sakura. Night Terror was pushed towards where a transportable photo studio had been set on the grass beneath a large tree; there was large lights, cameras, clothing racks with a dozen costumes hung on them, couple of changing rooms which the models could use and a white backdrop positioned in the middle. The Phobos was unceremoniously pushed towards one of the changing rooms and had a costume shoved into his hand.
"Put this on," Bryson said, "Then meet us outside, okay?"
"Wait a moment. I-" but before Night Terror could protest, Bryson closed the curtain in front of him. He sighed and looked down at the costume in his hand, "I guess, it can't get any worse than this," he decided before he swiftly got changed.
Meanwhile, outside, Bryson side stepped to the second changing room and knocked on the curtain, "Are you finished changing, miss Strauss?"
The curtain opened to reveal Mirajane wearing a bright blue summer dress and a white bonnet upon her head; her long white hair was in princess curls and hung over her shoulders. She smiled gracefully and stepped out of the changing booth.
"All done, Bryson," she happily chirped, "Did you manage to find another model?"
"Oh yes, yes, yes! He's getting changed right now!" he cried out happily, "I can't believe my luck! I thought I was going to have to cancel this whole thing, but there he was! I snatched him off the street and brought him here as quickly as I can! It'll be one of the best issues we have ever made!"
Mirajane gave a disappointed front, "Oh, Bryson. You didn't just pull a random person out of the streets again, did you? You really shouldn't be doing that to people going about their day."
The photographer huffed and waved his hand dismissively, "Oh nonsense. It's an honour to be chosen for Sorcery's Weekly. Do you know how many applicants we get everyday wanting to be part of our photoshoots," he turned around and headed to the backdrop he had set up earlier, "Since we've already done your shots, we'll do Edgar's photos next and then we'll do the both of you together. Does that sound okay?"
"Yep," Mirajane chirped in reply before Bryson wondered off. She turned her head to the other changing room and gave a bright smile, 'It's best if I introduce myself to him,' she thought before she giggled in her head, 'Oh dear, he must be so nervous. I know I was on my first photoshoot. I have to make sure to show him the ropes.'
The changing room's curtain slid open and Mirajane turned to see Night Terror step out in his new costume. The Phobos sighed miserably as he looked down at his clothes; a white plain t-shirt, blue jeans, a studded leather jacket with the word 'Demon Prince' in stitched on the back along the shoulder blades, a pair of black leather gloves and sunglasses that concealed his eyes.
'I look and feel ridiculous in this. How long will this take?' he sighed before noticing Mirajane standing before him, causing him to flinch, 'Miss Mirajane!? Oh dhiathan! Not again!'
"Hi!" Mirajane greeted with a small wave, "My name is Mira-" the white haired woman stopped suddenly as she got a better look at him. She stared up at him with a blank look, studying him up and down without saying a single word, making the Phobos gulp nervously.
...
...
...
After a few seconds of silence, Night Terror gave her a timid wave, "H-hello. My name is Edgar. It's a pleasure to meet you," he greeted with a nervous smile.
Mirajane blinked blankly up at him before a strained smile appeared on her face, "Nice to meet you to," she turned stiffly around and walked away, "Your photoshoot is coming up. You should prepare for it." she simply said.
Night Terror watched her as she left abruptly and stepped behind the trunk of a large tree; once she was out of sight, he sighed in relief, 'Oh thank goodness. I do not think she recognised me.'
Meanwhile, Mirajane stepped behind a secluded tree where she knew nobody would see her. She stared out straight for a few seconds as if she was contemplating something intensely. But suddenly, her cheeks grew rosy and then red and then her blush spread across her face; she held her hands to her the sides of her face as steam began to pour out of her ears.
'WHAT THE HECK!' she screamed in her head, 'WHY THE HECK IS THIS GUY SO CUTE! I NEVER SEEN ANYBODY LIKE HIM BEFORE!' she began to flail around, beginning to lose her mind and cool over him, 'He's face is so chiselled! He's so tall! He looks so strong! He's so cool in those clothes! I bet he's one of those types who look mean, but our gentle and kind on the inside! Eeeek!' she squealed happily before her eyes widened in shock, 'Wait! What about Night Terror!? I like him and nobody else...right? Night Terror is so brave... but Edgar is so gorgeous... but Night Terror is a gentleman... but Edgar is so dreamy...but Night Terror helped save Lisanna...but Edgar looks so cool...but Night Terror is so sweet...but Edgar is so stunning! I can't decide! Why can't they be the same person!'
"Miss Strauss!"
She yelped suddenly, snapping out of her internal debate as she heard Bryson call out to her.
"Miss Strauss, where are you!?"
"I'm here!" she called back as she began to fan her hot face, "I'll be there in a few moments!"
"Okay! But we're starting Edgar's shoot, right now!"
Mirajane gulped and her face began burn hotter, "Oh no," she uttered.
Once she had calmed down, she hurriedly returned to the set to see Bryson already setting up the camera on top of the tripod. She glanced over and saw the man she knows as Edgar standing in front of the back drop, looking anxious and awkward as he waited. Mirajane made her way over to behind the camera and tried to maintain her positive and cheerful persona, but inside she was panicking inside.
'Oh, he looks so cute,' she cooed, 'He must be so nervous. I just want to give him a hug and tell him it's alright,' she squealed before she snapped out of it, 'No! Bad Mirajane! You shouldn't say that about strangers.'
"Alright!" Bryson suddenly cried out, surprising both her and Night Terror, "Are you ready, Edgar?" he said as he got into position.
"Umm..." Night Terror uttered, "What...am I supposed to be doing?"
"All you have to do it some poses and I'll take a few photos," Bryson explained as he patted his camera, "First of all, I want you to put your left hand in your trouser pocket, stick your left leg out in front a little bit whilst bending your right knee, putting your right hand on the back of your head and tilting you head to the side and give a cool, uncaring look."
"R-right," Night Terror said as he got into the pose that he told him to get into, "Like this?"
Both Bryson and Mirajane gasped in shock; it looked perfect. It was as if he had been a model for all his life. He seemed to give a bright glow as he struck the pose that amazed them both.
"You're a natural!" Bryson shouted as he took a number of photos of him.
'He looks so cool!' Mirajane yelled in her head, her internal self jumping up and down in joy.
'I look so stupid,' Night Terror thought with a sigh.
"Good! Good! Good! Now put both of your hands in your pockets, relax your shoulders, tilt your head to the right and give a cool, uncaring look," Bryson ordered once again.
Night Terror did what he said and, yet again, it was perfect and the photographer began to take a number of shots of him.
"Perfect! Just perfect!"
'So hot!' Mirajane thought, her internal self fist pumping the air as a tear drop rolled down from her eye.
'This is ridiculous,' Night Terror muttered in despair.
"Alright!" Bryson said giving him a thumbs up, "Now lean forwards, put your right hand in your back pocket and use your left hand to pull down your sunglasses a little and give a cool, uncaring look."
"Am I going to do any other sort of look?" Night Terror muttered with a sweat drop before posing once again.
"Excellent! Amazing!"
'This is the best day of my life,' Mirajane thought as her internal self was now on her knees and seemed to be praying to whatever deity had allowed this to happen.
'Can I go now,' Night Terror thought miserably.
Bryson continued to give him poses for him to do while he snapped photo after photo of him. Meanwhile, all the Phobos wanted to do is to just get this over with so he can continue with his day. Eventually, the photographer stopped, wiped the sweat of his brow and sighed contently.
"Alright! The solo shoots are done. Now it's time for the couple shoots," he announced.
"Huh?!" Night Terror and Mirajane cried out in surprise, "Couple shoots?"
Bryson nodded, "Why yes! Did I not tell you? The issue we are doing is called 'Beauty and the Beast', so naturally you'll be in the same photos together."
Night Terror frowned slightly, 'Being in the same photo with Miss Mira? I don't know, the reason why I decided to stay is because I thought nobody would notice my photos. But with Miss Mira's beauty, people might notice who I am," he gulped.
Over with Mirajane, she too was having her own internal troubles.
'Of course, how I could I forget? Can I really go through with being so close to him,' she gulped, 'What would happen if Night Terror happens to see this?'
However, before either of them could protest, Bryson grabbed both of them and pulled them along the grass and underneath a grove of sakura trees, the light pouring in through the pink leaves illuminated the area and made it look dazzling. This was too romantic for either of them to handle.
"Alright, you two," Bryson said as he set up his camera, "Edgar wrap your arms around Mirajane, while Mirajane snuggled up to his chest and look adoringly at each other!"
"What!?"
"Don't be shy, kids! Just do it!"
Night Terror sighed once more and shyly held out his arms, "It's perhaps best we get this over with. Don't you agree?"
The white haired girl blushed slightly and nodded, "Yes, I guess it is."
Awkwardly and hesitantly, the two got into the pose that Bryson described; with Night Terror holding onto Mirajane, while she gets in close to his chest and looking up at him. The hearts were pounding in their chests and the face were starting to grow red in embarrassment...and partially in joy; they had to both admit that they enjoyed the sensation of them holding each other.
"Perfect!" the photographer said before he got into position, "Ready! 3..."
Mirajane gulped and looked up at him with the best adoring expression she could must at the moment, hoping that he didn't notice the blush on her cheeks.
"...2..."
Night Terror took a deep breath as he felt the hot sun beat down on him, making him feel hot and sweaty, 'So hot. I wish I had my cloak.'
"...1..."
Unable to stand it for any longer, the Phobos pulled the front of his shirt down to get some cool air down there. However, Mirajane took notice of his movement and looked down, just in time for him to flash her a part of his neckline, making her eyes widened in astonishment.
"Collarbone," she whispered in a daze as a trail of blood dripped from her nose.
SPLURT!
SNAP!
The camera flashed and took their photo...but it wasn't the one they were hoping to do. The photo depicted Night Terror looking panicked and surprised at the sight of Mirajane rocketing off her feet as a worrying amount of blood shot out of her nose with a stunned joyful smile on her face and her red cheeks.
Fair to say, this was not what was Bryson was envisioning for his photo shoot.
Restaurant
Night Terror, back in his normal clothing, slumped tiredly at an empty booth table right in the back of the restaurant; desperately needing a rest. Due to an unconscious Mirajane being sent to a local doctor for treatment, the photoshoot was cancelled, meaning he was free to leave. It was a good time since he was exhausted; being out in the sun all day was taking a toll on his energy and he needed a cool, dim place where he could have a bite to eat.
He sighed in satisfaction as he felt the familiar darkness envelope him and cool him down and leaned back in his cushioned seat.
'That is much better,' he thought, 'I honestly have no idea how people do this all day. All I need to do is visit the hardware shop and I'll be able to go home and fix the hole in my roof,' he closed his eyes and smiled contently, 'It will be all good…just as long as I do not encounter anymore of my colleagues.'
"What! No way! I can totally kick Night Terror's ass!'
'Aye!'
'Will you shut up, Flame Brain! You're too loud!"
"You're also being loud, Grey. Flare, please don't antagonise Natsu; you know how competitive glue gets."
"I'm just saying, Lucy."
Night Terror's eyes snapped open, 'You have got to be kidding me,' he thought in dread as he looked over his shoulder at the booth next to his; he flinched when he saw Natsu, Lucy, Grey, Happy and Flare eating a few meters away, 'Am I really going to run into the entire guild today?' he thought in irritation, 'I must have been so exhausted that I didn't notice them.'
Flare crossed her arms over her chest and smiled proudly, "He and I took down Maestro like it was nothing. It barely lasted ten minutes," she raised an eyebrow at the pink haired mage, "And how long did it take for you to take down that owl-headed guy?"
"Hey! That's completely different," Natsu cried out, "If I fought him, one on one, I would come off the winner. Anyway, I took down Jellal and the block guy and the cat girl," he argued, making Happy shiver at the mention of said cat girl.
"I don't know. Wally and Millianna surrendered, so that doesn't really count," Lucy hummed.
"Yeah, and didn't you and Night battle Jellal together," Grey pointed out, who was now suddenly topless, "I don't think that counts either."
"Put your shirt back on. You're going to get us kicked out," Lucy sighed.
'This feels odd listening in,' Night Terror thought, 'I did not know they talked about me when I am not there.'
"Whatever," Natsu muttered, "I can still defeat him if I wanted to. All we need is to agree to a time and place and I'll punch that skull mask right off his face," he said with a vicious grin.
"You do realise he's our friend, right?" Happy said as he floated by Natsu's head.
"I know, but, as friend, he would expect my best in a fight. Just as I expect the best from him."
Night Terror, in the next booth, raised his eyebrows at that, 'That is... rather nice of him... in a violent sort of way.'
Happy hummed and scratched his chin, "Yeah, but how would you do that? He's got two types of magic and you've just the one."
"Easy," Natsu declared before he reached over and grabbed the salt shaker from off the table and held it up to them, "Imagine this is me..."
"Small and salty... I can see that," Grey quipped with a small smile.
"...Shut it!" Natsu shouted at him before grabbing the pepper shaker, "And this is Night Terror. And this bottle of ketchup is..." he stopped when he noticed that the condiment he was looking for wasn't on the table, "...Oh... hold on," he turned around in his seat so he was kneeling on it, rested his arms on the side and peered over the side of the booth to look down at Night Terror, "Hey, you mind if I borrow that ketchup bottle?"
The Phobos was surprised at having been discovered, but it seemed that he had not recognised who he was. He gave a small sigh of relief before reaching for the bottle and passed it up to him.
"Thanks," he said before he frowned in intrigue; he sniffed the air and looked towards Night Terror, "Hey...have we met?"
"Hrrk!" Night Terror flinched in surprise before looking up at him with a nervous smile, "Err...no, I don't think so."
"Really? Because you smell kinda familiar," he said, making the Phobos flinch again.
'Damn it. I forgot about mister Natsu's sense of smell,' he thought in dread.
"Natsu!" Lucy scolded, leaning over in the booth to look at them, "Don't say that to strangers. It's really weird."
"But he does," complained Natsu, "What's your name?"
"Err...it's... Charles... Charles Fleetwood."
Natsu frowned thoughtfully before shaking his head, "Nah! Don't know anybody called that. Are you sure we haven't met."
"I-I'm really sure."
"Natsu stop bothering him," Lucy sighed, before she he turned to Flare, "So, where is Night Terror today anyway?"
"He said he got some errands to do today," Flare shrugged before she took a sip of her drink, "But tomorrow we're practising my magic and ways we can apply it. Now that I can form objects with it, the possibilities are now endless," she said before her cheeks turned slightly rosy, "We're might even have a picnic in the woods. It's going to be fun."
"Oooohhh, Flare's going on a date. That must mean she likes Night Terror," Happy crooned from the other side of the table, making Flare blush brightly.
"S-shut up! It's not a date! We're practising magic, that's all!"
Happy giggled, "So, you're not denying that you like him?"
Flare tensed up as her face turned bright red; she looked away and shyly played with the stand of her hair, "W-well, I...I guess he's kind of...cool...and kind to me. Took me in when I had nowhere else to go, taught me magic, saved my life a few times."
The blue cat laughed in amusement while Flare sunk lower in her seat in sheer embarrassment, wanting nothing more than for the ground to swallow her up.
"Ha Ha! You like Night Terror! You like Night- OW!" he cried as Lucy flicked his nose hard, knocking him out of the air.
"That's enough, you stupid cat," Lucy muttered before sending a kind, reassuring smile at a still humiliated Flare, "Sorry about that Flare. He can get carried away sometimes."
"It's fine," Flare muttered with a small smile, "Thanks."
Lucy giggled, "Don't worry about it. After all, I used to have silly crushes all the time when I was your age."
...
...
...
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" questioned Flare with a small frown.
Night Terror would have heard their conversation if he wasn't distracted by the pink haired mage still leaning over the barrier that separated the two seating booths. Natsu was still interrogating the disguised Night Terror; much to the Phobos' annoyance and concern for the safety of his identity. He has come so far, he can't let himself be discovered now because of Natsu's nose.
"Did we meet in Hargeon?"
"No."
"Kunagi?"
"No."
"Akane?"
"Honestly, we never met. I'm sure of it."
"What really?"
"Really."
"...Nah, you still smell very familiar. What about Mount Hakobe?"
Night Terror deflated physically with an annoyed groan.
Meanwhile, back with Lucy and Flare in the next booth, the two women had now entered a small argument over Night Terror; demonstrating the author's inability of passing the Beschdel Test any time soon. Flare was giving Lucy an annoyed glare while the Celestial Spirit mage causally sipped her soda through a straw.
"I'm just saying," Lucy said, "You're at the age where your confusing admiration with romantic feelings. You'll grow out of it."
"What makes you say that? What makes you think that I don't like him?"
"Because you're only eleven," Lucy pointed out with a raised eyebrow.
"I...I can wait. I can wait seven years."
"That's what I thought about my old crush on my family's gardener," Lucy said before she shivered in horror, "Damn, that was a mistake. He did not age well."
Flare pouted and looked away, "Like I should listen to you, Miss I-Never-Had-A-Boyfriend-In-My-Life," she spat.
However, she jumped when she felt a wave of killing intent wash over; she looked back and gulped when she saw Lucy glaring darkly down at her. Flare gulped nervously and held her hands up in defence.
"What was that, you little brat?" Lucy snarled.
"Sorry, that was a low blow," Flare admitted.
Happy leaned over to Grey who was busy eating his meal, "Think we should get involved?"
Grey kept his eyes down to the table, "If you want to use up one of your lives then go ahead."
While this was going on, Natsu scratched his head in confusion as he leaned against the barrier keeping the booths separated; Night Terror held his head in hands in utter despair and shook his head up at him.
"For the last time, I'm not the man who tried to sell you that cheese grater in the market in Oshibana," Night Terror sighed miserably, "We have never met before, I assure you."
"Oh come on, you got to work with me here," Natsu said before he took one long sniff, suddenly his eyes widened, "Hold on, I think I know who you are."
Night Terror gritted his teeth desperately, 'I need to do something now,' he thought before he spotted the pepper shaker in his hand.
Calling to the shadows as best he could, he commanded a single tendril of darkness to slink out of a nearby shadow and glide towards Natsu's hand. It wrapped itself around the top part of the shaker and began to unscrew it until it was just hanging off the top. Then with a single flick, the tendril sent the pepper shaker out of his hand; landing right on top of Grey's head. The Ice Maker Mage blinked in astonishment as he felt the pepper pour down though his hair and onto the seat and table, not quite understanding what had just happened for a few seconds while Happy laughed hysterically. He sneezed before he slowly turned his head up to Natsu with a deadly scowl.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, you idiot?" he snarled.
"Huh?" Natsu turned around and looked down; he frowned in confusion, "Damn. How did you do that to yourself?"
"YOU DID THAT, YOU MORON!" Grey shouted at him.
"HEY! WHO YOU CALLING A MORON, MORON!"
"THERE'S ONLY ONE MORON HERE AND HE'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!"
"THERE'S NOBODY IN FRONT OF YOU! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!"
"I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU!" Grey yelled before, coated his fist with ice and slammed it into Natsu's face.
Natsu flew across the restaurant and landed into a table, smashing it into pieces and scaring the other diner's using it. He got up, raised his fists and ignited them.
"BASTARD! YOU WANT TO FIGHT! I GIVE YOU A FIGHT!" he declared before the two charged at each other and began fighting in the middle of the restaurant.
"Guys stop!" Lucy yelled over them fighting, "This is the only place in Magnolia that we hadn't been banned yet."
"Too late for that," Flare sighed, shaking her head in despair.
As the battle raged on between the two Fairy Tail mages, Night Terror casually got up and walked towards the exit with a relieved smile whilst avoiding the chairs and tables being flung about. He had to apologise to Flare and Lucy in some way for this.
Streets Of Magnolia
A little while later, Night Terror was about to his last errand for the day: collecting some supplies for him to repair the hole in his roof. It was the late afternoon now; the sun was starting to make its decent and the populated streets seemed to be even more busy as ever as people leave for work. Night Terror opted to take the back streets towards the hardware shop to avoid the crowds.
As soon as he arrived, however, he was surprised to see the shop has gone dark. He briefly wondered if the shop owner was closing early, but he then spotted a small sign on the door which said:
'Shut until further notice. Gone on Holiday.'
Night Terror sighed crossly, 'Damn, the only thing I really needed today and I cannot get it,' he thought miserably, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, 'There is no other hardware shop in the town and it will take a while to travel to the next closest one in the other village. The only place I could think would have what I need is...' he looked over his shoulder and saw, through the houses and buildings the Fairy Tail guild hall in the distance, 'This is going to be risky... but all I need to do is talk to maighstir and he would help me. I'll be quick; nobody will even notice me,' he thought as he turned and headed the guild hall as quickly as he could.
Fairy Tail Guild
The guild hall was quiet than usual; without the usual suspects, the members were peacefully chatting, drinking, smoking or looking for the latest jobs that they could go on. Night Terror was more than relieved to see this; he stepped in and noticed that none of the guild members had acknowledge the presence of an unknown person, much to his relief. His eyes focused at the stairs leading up to Makarov's office across the hall from where he was. All he had to do is walk causally across it and try not to rouse any sort of suspicion; if he gets caught, he can merely say that he had business with the guild master and that's all. He took a deep breath and started his journey.
Over at the bar, Cana had laid out several cards in an arch formation in front of a curious Lisanna; she hummed thoughtfully as she stared at each card before she flipped over the middle card for Lisanna to see.
"Yes I see," Cana hummed, "Your future has become clear. You will meet a good friend; a friend that you are close with; a friend who you trust. And you will be generous and give them what they-"
"I'm not opening up another tab for you," Lisanna firmly told her, making Cana slump in her seat.
"Awww! Why not!?" she whined.
"Because you haven't paid for the last one yet," she said with an annoyed frown, "Beer isn't cheap, you know, and you always drain the entire place. You're not getting a single drop until you pay."
"But I'm thirsty and I can feel myself sobering up," Cana pouted before she looked down the bar to see Ur sipping at a stein of beer. She grinned, got up and sat right next to her, "Hey Ur. How's it going?"
"Pay me back for last time and I'll consider buying you a drink," she said without a single hesitation.
Cana groaned, "But I don't have any money on me."
"Too bad," the older woman muttered as she took another sip.
Lisanna shook her head at her, "Cana, if you don't have any money, then why don't you go on a job? It's not as if you can't do it."
"Those jobs ain't worth it," she sighed, pointing at the board with her thumb over her shoulder, "I can barely buy a bottle of the cheap stuff with that reward money. If only I didn't have to pay rent."
"You'd rather be homeless?"
The brown haired mage rubbed her face tiredly before she spotted a man she had never seen before crossing the guild hall; she raised an eyebrow at that, "Hey, who's that guy?"
Lisanna and Ur looked over as well and shrugged.
"Never seen him before."
"He must have wondered in."
Cana stared at him for a few seconds before her face lit up as she got an idea, "Hey, Lisanna. Get a few barrels ready for me," she said before, hopping off her bar stool and making a beeline for the mysterious man.
Lisanna raised a confused eyebrow at that; she glanced over at Ur questioningly, but she merely shrugged.
Night Terror, meanwhile, had just about made it across the hall and was just about to head up the stairs when suddenly somebody latched onto his arm. Startled, he looked down and blushed when he saw Cana pulling his arm in between her breasts and giving him a seductive look.
"Hey there. What's your name, huh?"
"Errr...it's...Michael Cipher," he stammered, having to come up with, yet another, fake name.
"Michael, huh? Cute name. Is this your first time here?"
"Err...well..."
"You know, we always like to meet new people here," she said interrupting him, "Why don't we get to know each other a little bit more," she said, dragging him over to the bar, "How about a friendly competition?"
"Competition?"
"Yeah, that's right. Have you ever been in a drinking competition before? We both take turns to drink a pint of beer each and whoever drinks the most is the winner," she told him as she forced him to sit on a bar stool and bent down slightly to show him some of her cleavage, "If you lose then you have to pay for all the beer we both drank, but if you win; I'll pay and we'll go out on a date. How does that sound?" she tapped a finger to her lips, "You've got a good chance. I'm kinda a lightweight."
'You absolute liar,' Night Terror thought, but obviously he couldn't say that out loud, 'I hope you do not scam everybody into doing this.'
Cana heard a cough and looked over her shoulder to see Lisanna and Ur look judgementally at her. She stuck her tongue at them and turned back to Night Terror.
"What do you say?" she said, winking at him, "Want to try your luck?"
Lisanna shook her head, "Cana-"
However, Ur held her hand up to stop her, "Don't worry, I've got this," she said before getting up off her bar stool, walking around to them and sitting in the stool on the other side of Night Terror, "Michael, was it?" she greeted with a friendly smile, "The name's Ur. Nice to meet you. Heard you guys were going to do a drinking contest. You mind if I butt in?"
Cana raised an eyebrow at her while Night Terror gave her a friendly, but sheepish look, "Thank you, but I haven't really agreed to-"
"Oh, how about this," Ur interrupted him, "If I or you lose, we pay for the drinks, but if either of us wins, Cana pays for the drinks."
"Hey!" Cana cried out in protest.
"I suppose, but what if I win?"
"We'll go out on that date."
"A-and if you win?"
"We'll go out on that date," she repeated with a wink.
Cana grumbled bitterly, "Fine. I take it," she said before muttering under her breath, "It's not like I can't drink you two under the table or anything."
"Cana, Ur, who's this?" asked a familiar voice from behind them.
Turning around, Night Terror was relieved to see Erza walk up to them with a curious expression on her face; following behind her was Juvia who was looking around the guild hall in mild fascination. The Water mage had almost settled into her new life at Fairy Tail; she was a little still on edge, which was understandable due to the previous guild war, and has chosen to stay near people she knew the most rather than mingle with the other members. Today, it seemed like she was shadowing Erza since everybody else was busy today.
As soon Erza got closer, her eyes widened at the sight of Night Terror's unmasked face; she blinked in astonishment and sent a questioning look at him. Night Terror gave a small smile and mouthed the words 'Long story' when nobody was looking.
"Are you a part of Fairy Tail? Juvia doesn't recognise you."
"Nah, he's not one of us. This is Michael," Cana introduced him, "He's here because..." she frowned thoughtfully and looked at him, "Actually, why are you here?"
Before Night Terror could make an excuse, Erza stepped in with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Oh, of course, Michael. You're here to see the master, aren't you. I remember him mentioning it to me the other day," she said confidently, before raising an eyebrow at the women, "You really shouldn't be distracting him from doing his job."
Ur raised her hands up in defence, "Hey, don't look at me. I wasn't the one who dragged him here."
"Oh come on, Erza. We're just trying to have a little bit of fun, that's all," Cana sighed, "I thought we could have a drinking contest. Whoever loses has to pay for all the drinks everybody has consumed."
"Did he agree to this?"
"He didn't not agree to this. And Ur's getting in on the action."
Erza and Night Terror's eyes met as they held a silent conversation.
'Miss Erza, you must help me get out of this. The more attention I gain, the more suspicion will arise of me. All I need to do is collect some supplies and go back to my house. Then Michael Cipher will be nothing, but a feint memory,' he thought, trying to convey the situation to her through his eyes.
Erza hummed and nodded, 'I see,' she thought, 'This competition, friendly as it may seem, would no doubt be troublesome for you. I know what I must do.'
Night Terror smiled, 'Good. I am glad that we are on the same wavelength, Miss Erza.'
The knight nodded in understanding before she smirked proudly, "Looks like I've got no choice," she said before pumping a fist into the air, 'I will also join the competition!"
...
...
...
"You what?" Ur and Cana uttered in surprise.
"You what?" Juvia asked from behind her.
"You what?" Night Terror sighed in despair.
"Naturally," Erza boldly as she sashed up to the bar and stepped in between Cana and Night Terror, "We have to welcome a guest that correct way, don't we?" she said before whispering to Night Terror, "Don't worry. I'll get you out of this."
"What are you doing?" Night Terror whispered urgently back.
"I understand. You're afraid of getting drunk and spilling your secret. Which means that all I have to do is drink all the alcohol available and beat Cana before it's too late. That's what we agreed to do, is it not?" she asked, giving him a thumb's up.
'We...really were not on the same wavelength,' moaned the Phobos sorrowfully.
Erza seemed to take his reaction as form of acceptance and turned back to the Water mage, "Juvia, would you like to join us?"
Juvia was, understandably, startled and backed away slightly, "Oh, that's kind of you. But Juvia doesn't want to impose on your game. Juvia will just watch."
"You're not imposing at all," Erza told her, grabbing her wrist and dragging her to the bar before turning to Lisanna, "Open up a tab for all of us and we will start with five beers please, Lisanna."
Cana raised an eyebrow at her, "You sure you can manage?"
Erza chuckled before she picked up the stein of beer that Lisanna put in front of her, "Oh Cana. I've been in countless battles and fights; this is nothing in comparison."
Five Minutes Later
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, YOU LAZY BASTARDS!" Erza yelled drunkenly and furiously at Jet and Droy who were cowering underneath a table, "GO OUT THERE AND DO MORE JOBS! NO WONDER TEAM SHADOW GEAR IS SO WEAK!"
"But it's our day off," Jet whimpered.
"Why do you have to be so mean about it?" Droy moaned.
Erza smashed the table in two with her fist and grabbed them both by their collars, "GO OUT THERE AND TAKE SOME JOOOBBBBSSSS!" she bellowed as threw the two of them through the guild's main door, making two large holes in the wood.
"Erza! Please! At least open the doors first!" another member cried desperately behind a pillar; in fact, most of the guild's occupants were hiding in some way.
However, Erza snapped her head to them; her eyes flashing dangerously and her face flushed, making them yelp in fear.
"Who the hell do you think you're talking to!?" she roared and charged towards them.
Fair to say... the drinking competition has got well out of hand. Erza had only drunk one beer and she was completely inebriated... and very, very violent. It happened so suddenly that they barely had time to stop her rampage. However, she was not the only problem.
"Juwia's sowwy! Juwia's sowwy!" wept Juvia, leaning her head on the bar next to two empty steins that she had drunk from, "Juwia's so pathetic! Juwia couldn't finith ewan two beers! Juwia's sowwy!"
"It's fine Juvia!" Lisanna cried out as she rapidly mopped the bar with a towel. Juvia was releasing so much tears that the bar was starting to flood over, "Please, just stop crying!"
"Juwia can't! Juwia sowwy!"
Lisanna sighed and turned her head towards Night Terror, "I know it's not your job, but can you give me a hand."
"I would love to," he sighed in reply, "But I've got my hands full. No! Stop that!"
"Aww, don't be shy, sweetheart. I'm going to take good care of you."
Night Terror was struggling with his own drunk person. Ur, after consuming ten beers in a row, had somehow crawled onto his lap and was attempting to get frisky with him. Her face was flushed and her speech was slurred and he was trying his best to stop her from touching him inappropriately by grabbing her wrists. But no matter how hard he tried, she was giggle seductively and press her body against his.
"Is it because I'm an older woman. I heard guys are into that, you know?" she said with a perverted giggle, "I can teach you some things, sweetheart."
"A-as tempting at that sounds. No, thank you. I'm good."
"Ooh I like shy boys."
Cana snickered as she watched the carnage play out before her. She was on her twenty-fifth drink and she didn't even feel tipsy, 'This is great. Free beer always tastes nicer,' she thought as she took another swig of her stein and grinned at Night Terror, "Ready for another round, Michael? I'm just getting started."
Night Terror had managed to subdue Ur for a bit by giving her another beer and turned towards Cana, "Actually, I haven't drunk anything? You win."
"Huh?" Cana uttered in surprise, "Wait, what?"
"I don't drink any sort of alcoholic beverage, so you already won from the start. In all honesty, I only went along with it, because you seemed like you really wanted to get drunk. It's as if being sober was the worst thing for you," he told her, stunning her with what he said. He reached for pocket for his wallet, "I'll pay for it all. Don't worry."
Cana blinked at him and frowned slightly; his words left an impact on her. Now that her needs were satisfied with the taste of beer, her mind seemed to become clearer and now she was starting to regret what she had done. Scamming a stranger for free beer; that was an awful thing to do to anybody. Cana sighed guiltily, she reached into her trouser pocket and placed a few Jewel notes on the bar.
"I'll pay for my drinks," she told him, "If you don't mind paying for theirs."
Night Terror looked over at her and gave her a warm smile, "Thank you. That's kind of you," he said before he also put down a few notes, "I know this may not be my place to say... but perhaps you should cut down on how much you're drinking. It doesn't seem very healthy to me."
Cana glanced up at him before she looked down at her stein of beer before her; she stared at her reflection in the golden liquid and saw a miserable, sad loser looking back at her. Night Terror was about to say something else when he suddenly had to duck as a chair was thrown at his head.
"Oi!" he turned and sweat dropped as he saw an enraged Erza glaring back at him, "Take responsibility! Bring me back to Fairy Hills now! Don't question me, you little punk."
'I am never allowing you to drink ever again,' Night Terror thought as he looked over at a still weeping Juvia and a flirty Ur, "I guess, I have to you two as well."
"Thwank you!" Juvia wailed, "Sowwy for being a buwden!"
"Oooh, back to my place, I see," Ur giggled, "My, my, you naughty boy."
"The only thing you're doing when you get home is sleeping," Night Terror sighed as he wrangled up the drunk women and herded them towards the exit; he looked over his shoulder as he left and offered Cana another soft smile, "Please take care."
Cana watched them leave before she turned her head down to the stein of beer before her. She closed her eyes and gave a deep sigh before she pushed the stein away and climbing off the bar stool. She headed towards one of the corkboards that held the various jobs around Fiore, inspecting every single one and seeing which one best suited her talents. Eventually, she spotted one, took it off the board before heading to the bar to get it authorised.
It was time for her to do some real work.
Meanwhile, Night Terror shepherded the three mages away from the Guild Hall and down the many canals that lined the edge of town, heading towards the Fairy Hills Women's Dorms which was half a mile from the town. He hummed to himself and looked back at the guild hall, his mind primarily thinking about Cana and her addiction.
'If only she was not so afraid of meeting him,' he thought wearily, 'She would achieve what she always wanted.'
"Hey, sweetheart," Ur cooed as she hugged his side, "Men may not be allowed, but I'm sure I can sneak you in."
"Thank you for your… offer, but I don't think the proprietor would appreciate me…" he stopped and looked around as soon as he noticed somebody missing, "Wait, where's Miss Juvia?"
Ker-splash!
He spun around at the sound of something falling into the water; only to see Juvia, still crying her eyes out, floating down the canal beneath the water.
"Sowwy! Juwia didn't mean to fall in! Sowwy!"
"Miss Juvia, no!" Night Terror cried out with his hand outstretched; he snapped his head back to Erza and Ur, "You two stay here," he ordered before he dived into the canal.
After a few minutes of scrambling around trying to find Juvia, which was difficult considering that she was made of water, Night Terror resurfaced with the weeping mage sling over his shoulder and swam to the sides. He climbed onto the side and laid Juvia at his feet; his clothes completely soaked through.
"Right," he gasped through deep breaths, "That was…not fun. But at least I have all of you," he looked up and saw that only Ur was still present, "Where's Miss Erza?"
"BASTARDS!" Erza's roaring voice rang out a few streets away, followed by several terrified screams from the public.
"Oh no," Night Terror uttered as he ran after her, "Miss Ur stay here."
A few minutes later, Night Terror had restrained an irate Erza underneath his arm, enduring her powerful kicks, punches as she struggled out of his arms."
"Let me go! I need to teach those punks a lesson for littering!"
"Miss Erza, they were only children," Night Terror sighed before he noticed a shirt and pair of trousers lying on the pavement. He frowned in confusion before he looked up and blushed horrendously at the sight of Ur standing in the middle of the street in only her underwear, "Miss Ur! What are you doing!?"
"It's hot," she whined, "I got tired of waiting."
"You're in public! Put your clothes on!" he cried in alarm, picking up her clothes and holding them up to her.
She gave him a lopsided smirk, "Aww, I thought you would enjoy the sight," she said, striking a pose.
"Miss Ur, you-" he stopped and looked around urgently, "Where's Miss Juvia?"
Ker-splash!
"Sowwwwwwyyyyy!"
"Not again!" Night Terror cried out, seeing her floating down the canal once more.
"Juwia's sowwy!"
BOOM!
He jumped in surprise as he heard an explosion a few blocks away, followed by terrified screams. The Phobos suddenly became very aware that Erza had disappeared from his hold.
"I FOUND YOU AGAIN, YOU LITTER DROPPING BASTARDS!"
"It's her!"
"Run for you lives!"
"This is an absolute nightmare," Night Terror muttered as he ran after Erza again, "That's it, no more drinking contests."
Dark Alleyway
Night Terror staggered in exhaustion through the back streets of Magnolia towards his home; his clothes were soaked, he had a bruise on his left cheek and there were lipstick marks on his right cheek. It had taken two hours to make the half hour trip to women's dormitories; wrangling, running after and finally having to forcefully carry all of the three drunk mages before depositing at the dormitories' gates; it would have been easier if he had full access to his power. Now that the sun was starting to descend in the sky, Night Terror was all too eager to get back home; not caring that he didn't get the supplies he would use to fix his roof.
He turned the final corner, but stopped suddenly when he saw Master Makarov leaning against the alleyway wall as if he was waiting for him.
"Maighstir?" he said in confusion.
"Hello leanabh," he greeted warmly before raising an eyebrow at his appearance, "Why are you wet?"
Night Terror sighed, "Miss Juvia."
"And the bruise on your cheek?"
"Miss Ezra."
"And…the hicky on your neck?
"Miss Ur."
….
….
….
….
"Lucky bastard," Makarov muttered.
"Do I look lucky to you!?"
The elderly man chuckled and pushed himself off the wall, "I saw you at the guild today. You must have been preoccupied because you left this behind," he said before presenting the book he was going to give to Flare.
"Oh…thank you," he said, taking the book from him, "how could I be so careless?"
Makarov explained, "I think you can be forgiven; I can tell you've had a heck of a day."
"Indeed," Night Terror sighed, "And I still, after all of that, have a hole in my roof. I was about to go to the guild and get some supplies."
The guild master chuckled, "Don't worry yourself. Come with me back to the guild and we'll fix it together. Almost everybody has either gone home or on jobs so you don't need to concern yourself in getting involved in anymore distractions."
Night Terror gave a tired sigh and nodded, "That would be much appreciated," he said as the two began to walk back to the guild.
"So, why aren't you wearing your cloak?" Makarov asked.
"I am having it clean, but it unfortunately takes all day."
"Really? Still, must be nice to come out of the shadows once in a while. It can't be all that good for you to stay hidden all the time."
"I suppose, but being out of it was much more stressful," he muttered, "I had to make sure that I was not caught or recognised, lie about my identity and give myself multiple fake names, become almost powerless, come up with terrible excuses; I was almost found out by Natsu and his heightened sense of smell. One wrong step and I would have jeopardised my hold on Fear magic and expose my appearance to everyone. Honestly, I am thankful that the day is almost entirely over."
Makarov reached up and patted his arm comfortingly, "Ah come on, it can't be all bad. There had to be something good that happened today."
Night Terror frowned thoughtfully and recalled what had happened today. He remembered sitting down and talking to Levy about magic; he remembered how fast his heart was beating seeing Mirajane in a beautiful dress; he remembered how happy his friends were at the restaurant and Flare being part of them; and finally he remembered his relationship with Erza, Ur, Cana and Juvia grow at the guild. All these memories played in his mind over and over again, causing a smile to spread over his face.
"I guess..." he finally spoke, "...it was nice meeting everybody without my robes...it made me feel as if I was meeting my friends all over again."
Makarov smiled up at him and nodded in understanding, "See. It's not all bad, huh?"
Night Terror closed his eyes and grinned happily back, "I suppose not."
"So, did you really have to come up with multiple fake names."
"I thought it was necessary. If I used the same name with everybody I met, they would think sense something suspicious was going on."
"Well, maybe next time, once you finally reveal your face to those who you truly trust, you can come up with a permanent fake name for yourself. Just so you can avoid what happened with Gajeel during the guild war."
The Phobos rolled his eyes at the thought, but hummed thoughtfully, "How about...Victor Soul."
Makarov snorted, "Yeah, because that name doesn't sound completely made up," he muttered sarcastically.
"Hmm, I suppose so," Night Terror agreed as the both continued their journey to the guild hall.
Fairy Tail Guild Hall
The next morning, Night Terror sipped his cup of tea through the mouthpiece of his skull mask; humming in satisfaction. He was now back in usual attire and he couldn't be any more comfortable to be hidden from view; the shadowy robes that surrounded him was cool, soothing and the under layer of armour was something that he missed. It was nice to be out in the open once in a while, but he knew his robes were always his favourite to be in.
He placed his cup down on the saucer before gazing at Lucy on the other side of the table they were sat at; she had her head resting on the table top and was radiating a gloomy aura.
"Miss Lucy," he hummed in his dark voice, "there's no need to be depressed. I am sure there are other restaurants in town you can still go to."
"But that was my favourite one," she moaned, "Why do Natsu and Grey ruin everything I like?"
Night Terror flinched slightly since he was the one that started the fight, but decided to keep quiet about it, "...yes. It is quite a shame."
Lucy sighed drearily and lifted her head up; she suddenly noticed Ur and Juvia on the table next to them. They both looked tired and in pain; rubbing their heads and drinking water from two glasses.
"Wow, what happened to you two?" she asked curiously.
"We made a mistake," Ur groaned, "I haven't had a hangover this bad since I was teenager."
"Juvia agrees," the water mage moaned, "Juvia's head is pounding. Juvia feels sick."
"Come, come, you two!" Erza shouted out as she marched over to them with a spring in her step, "We're mages of Fairy Tail, we can't be seen in such a dishevelled state."
It would seem that the knight was not affected at all, unlike her fellow drinking partners.
"Please...stop shouting," Juvia whimpered as she leaned her head on the table.
"How the hell are you still standing?" Ur muttered bitterly.
Erza chuckled and crossed her arms over her chest, "I feel great. Better than great. In fact, why don't we do another drinking competition again tonight. We can have the whole guild involved."
Ur and Juvia paled at the thought.
"Juvia would rather not drink anything but water for the rest of Juvia's life."
The older woman nodded in agreement before she licked her lips and frowned, "Did I... come on to somebody last night? I can still taste their neck on my lips," she muttered, making Night Terror shudder.
"Hey guys!" Lucy and Night Terror looked over and saw Levy run over to them; in her hand was the latest copy of Sorcery's Weekly to which she put it in front of Lucy, "New issue just came out today. Apparently, it's got new glamour shots of Mira and this new guy people are talking about."
"Really?" Lucy said, picking up the magazine and flicking through the pages, "I can't wait to see them."
Levy nodded before she looked over at the Phobos with a shy expression, "Hey, Night. Do you mind if we...err...talked for a little while."
Night Terror tilted his head slightly in curiosity but nodded, "Why of course, Miss Levy. I am about to tutor Miss Flare on her magic, but, once we return, we will talk."
"Great," Levy said with a bright smile.
"Oh hey, I found it!" Lucy said enthusiastically, "Wow, Mira looks so beautiful. Now let's check out the new guy people have been talking abo-"
SPLASH!
Lucy gasped in shock as a jet of water dropped on top of the magazine; it tore in half and splattered on to the table in one big pulpy mess. They stared down at it in utter shock before turning around as they heard a soft giggle.
"Whoops," Mirajane said, standing next to them with an empty jar of water, "I accidently tripped and spilled this entire jug of water on your magazine. Sorry Lucy," she said as she walked away, 'I can't let Night know about the glamour shots I took with Edgar,' she thought desperately.
The Celestial Spirit mage stared down at the thing that used to be a magazine on the table in front of her and slumped in her chair, "M-my Sorcery's Weekly," she muttered sadly as Night Terror patted her back supportively.
Faceless One's Lair
Meanwhile, in the dark hall where the Faceless One performs her experiments, the Phobos had, for now, abandoned her tests to stared down at what one of her Nobodys had brought her. With fingers tightly pulling at the pages and her teeth firmly clamped together, the Faceless One snarled furiously as she stared down at the issue of Sorcerer's Weekly, her eyes trained especially on the photos of Night Terror in his model shots. The Nobody, who had given her the magazine, flinched as she released a low animal-like growl out from under her mask.
"What… the hell… is this?" she spat in a venomous tone.
The Nobody stood up straight, "Based on reports and description, we believe that this is the Night Terror, master."
"I know that," she hissed, "by why is he out of his robes, dressed like a common ruffian and on the covers of a tabloid magazine?"
The Nobody shivered as the Faceless One released a wave of Fear Magic due to her anger, "The reason is unknown…master."
The Phobos snarled and immediately her hands began to glow bright white making the magazine crumble to dust on the floor before her, "Assemble a party and find every single copy of this and destroy this insult before it could cause any damage. I will not have our culture sullied by this daonna filth!"
"Yes, master," the Nobody obeyed with a salute before spinning around and marching out of the hall.
Faceless One watched it leave until it closed the heavy doors behind it, leaving her completely alone in the hall. She waited for a few seconds; she looked left and then right; checking if she was indeed all alone. Once she was satisfied, she bent down, touched the pile of dust with her glowing hand and, piece by piece, the magazine restored itself in her hand. She flipped through the pages back to Night Terror's model shots and gazed at them all.
"You have… grown," she whispered as a small trail of blood leaked from her nose, "So lewd."
And that's it for now. Sorry that it took so long.
I thought this would be a nice chapter where Night Terror can finally go around without his normal attire and get involved with his guild's shenanigans on the way. Up next is the Battle of Fairy Tail (this show really doesn't like the viewers to rest, huh) and it's going to be an interesting one.
Thanks for reading :)