Here's the next chapter, I hope you'll enjoy it.
NinjaFang1331 - He sure had a hell of a day, huh.
Ryner510 - I know what you mean. I really enjoyed writing it and thinking of off situations that Night Terror could mixed up in. Thanks so much for reading.
MasterDarkElf - Thanks so much, I had a lot of fun writing it. I think that the misunderstanding is going to be a half-joke. It won't be taken seriously and it won't affect the story, but it might come up once again as a reference. I know what you mean about those type of misunderstandings; I'm not going to do a Miraculous Ladybug and Black Cat thing if that's what you are worried about. Hope you'll enjoy the next chapter.
wellingtonlucas282 - No problem, thank you so much for reading.
kira444 - Good question. I can't really remember so let me do another one. So far it is: Lucy, Mirajane, Ezra, Levy, Cana, Juvia, Ur, Virgo, Aries, Millianna, Ultear, Muireall (Post redemption arc), Flare (Post time skip) and Hisui (Post time skip) If you would like to recommend anybody else than feel free.
djinn - Thank you so much, I really did have fun writing it. I can't reveal too much for this chapter, but it's going to really interesting and I hope you will enjoy it.
trailblazer445 - You are too kind, thank you so much. I had a lot of fun with the character interactions and jokes and everything so I'm pleased to hear that you enjoyed it. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter just as much.
ikusatsunagi - No problem, I'm so glad that you enjoyed it.
GodsReader15 - Night Terror really appreciates the compliment... I did have to explain it a couple times, but I think he understands.
Foxfire573 - Está bien. Puedes escribir en español si quieres. Tienes razón, desafortunadamente no sé español, así que estoy usando un traductor en línea. Espero que no haya errores.
Muchas gracias, estoy muy contento de que hayan disfrutado. Espero que disfruten del próximo capítulo.
phillyitalian - Thank you so much. If you want to see how the other protagonists reacted then I have an omake at the end of the chapter.
FanSuperAnime - Thank you so much, I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
Mrpopo97 - Thank you so much, you're too kind.
Guest - Oh wow! Nice spot! Even I didn't notice that until you told me. I guess if Lewis did go with his mother's maiden name, he would be Lewis Timere. Thank you so much for reading.
Skull Flame - Thanks so much, I had a lot of fun writing it. It will be quite a shock to all of them when (or if) he reveals his true identity. I was considering not writing the Faceless One's reaction, because she's the main antagonist and I didn't want her to be in a comedic scene.
Spedyalarm - Haha! I'm really pushing the borders between my stories, aren't I?
Indian Otako - Hey, let's keep it PG-13…for now. I will say this, however, she does have a few copies of his photo shoot with her at all times…just in case.
Neo Infinity - Thank you, I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
Lelouch of Zero - Thanks so much. I've been looking forward to writing this chapter since the start of the Tower of Heaven arc. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well.
Grant10000 - Of course! The Faceless One (AKA Muireall) is 6' 1'', lean and powerful body, straight dark red hair that reached to her shoulders, deathly white skin with black pulsating veins covering her face, blood red eyes, gaunt, lifeless features and dark rings around her eyes suggesting that she had barely slept or eaten over the past years. There is also a thin scar on her cheek and on her hand. She is described in chapter 23: The Sound Of Drums while her younger self is described in chapter 15: The Night The Island Burned. Hope this helps.
MDM11 - I'm so glad you enjoyed it, thank you so much for reading. As usual, I will try to fit as much of your suggestions in.
GreatAsura - Thanks so much!
Thank you all for reviewing.
Chapter 28: The Thunder Legion Strikes
Tavern
Rain fell heavily over the deserted streets and the thatched houses of a small village not far from Magnolia.
The storm had just entered its second hour, covering the night sky with a thick layer of dark clouds that obscured the stars and moon; only the lacrima powered street lamps provided the villagers with some sort of illumination. Not that anybody needed it. In a storm like this, it was better for them to stay in their cosy cottages or the warmth of the local tavern which was already packed with farmers and travellers rewarding themselves with a few rounds of beers after a long day. In a corner of this tavern, however, four mages shared a round table away from the laughter and delighted shouts of their fellow patrons.
At the head of the table, establishing his position as the leader, was Laxus Dreyer, the grandson of Makarov and one of the most powerful S-Class mages in Fairy Tail. To his right was a young man with long light green hair, fair skin, blue eyes and a sharp intelligent face. He wore a dark red, knee-length, double-breasted coat, a white cravat around his neck and a sheathed sword on his belt; on the back of his left hand, to which he was holding a glass of red wine, was Fairy Tail's guild mark. To Laxus' right was a beautiful and curvaceous young woman with long brown hair tied up in a sideways ponytail, fair skin and dark brown eyes hidden behind oval glasses. She wore a short lime-green dress which showed off her cleavage, as well as her guild mark on her right breast, and her long legs clad in black tights underneath a long dark-green hooded cloak that she wore to shelter away from the rain. Finally, on the other side of Laxus, was a tall, muscular man with fair skin and a wide grinning mouth. He wore a suit resembling that of a medieval knight including a black and white-stiped breastplate with large epaulettes with a skull painted on them, dark baggy trousers, green wrist bracelets and head cover and visor which covered his entire head except for his lower mouth. He threw back his head and chugged down a pint of beer before he slammed down onto the table and sighed, allowing his long pointed tongue to hang out to reveal a black guild mark on it.
"That was a waste of time!" he said with a maniacal cackle, "Those bandits were a bunch of wimps! It wasn't even worth going after them if you ask me!"
The green haired man sipped his wine and calmly closed his eyes, "Bickslow, lower your voice. There is no need for your shouting."
Bickslow laughed, "Bah! Take that stick out of your ass! These idiots don't mind, don't they!?" he shouted over his shoulder at the other patrons, earning a lot of glares back.
"How undignified," the green haired man huffed before he took another sip.
"Now, now Freed," the woman hummed with a sultry smile, "Let poor Bickslow have his fun. He is right. That was hardly the effort if you ask me. Bandits and thieves are hardly worthy for the likes of us. Especially me," she said as she sipped her champagne.
Freed cocked an eyebrow, "But he was the one who chose it."
"And boy do I regret it," Bickslow said as he took another swig of his beer, "Come on, Laxus. Where are we going to next?"
"Somewhere warm this time," the woman sighed, "Oh, maybe somewhere with a beach. I think we all deserve a vacation."
"What!? No way!? I want to go to the mountains," Bickslow complained, "You always choose the worst places."
"What? No I don't."
"I agree with Evergreen," Freed calmly said, "We have been working hard lately. Perhaps a small vacation will do."
"Aww, you guys ain't fun!"
"We're not going on a vacation," Laxus finally spoke.
"Ha! In your faces!" Bickslow shouted victoriously.
"Shut it, Bickslow," Laxus snarled, silencing him in single second, "The Magnolia Harvest Festival is starting in a week and we need to be ready for it."
The three mages were surprised by this.
"Really? So soon?" Evergreen hummed.
"We have been so occupied recently that it almost escaped me," Freed said with a small frown.
Bickslow slammed his hands down on the table and grinned, "Alright! Now things are starting to get interesting! I can't wait to show those weaklings what real magic is like. Can't we go now!"
"No, we can't," Laxus sharply said before he gave a sinister smirk, "We first need to separate the wheat from the chaff. We can't allow them to interfere with our game. Do you remember your orders?"
Evergreen sipped her champagne and smiled at her leader, "Laxus, you can rely on me to deal with the red head and the demon girl."
"And I will not fail you in subduing Makarov," Freed added with a firm nod, "They will not get past my magic."
"And you can count on me to hammer down any other whelps," Bickslow chuckled, "That ice boy won't know what hit him."
"Mystogen won't be around and neither will Gildarts," Laxus said, "Meaning that the only member left who could threaten us is…Night Terror."
Bickslow, Evergreen and Freed tensed up at the mention of the Phobos before they growled, huffed and sighed in annoyance. They had to admit that Night Terror was stronger than them and even matched Laxus in both physical and magical power. Carrying out their plan was not going to be easy as long as he was present.
"I don't suppose it's too late to convince him to join," Bickslow muttered.
"If he hasn't accepted Laxus' offer by now then we can only assume he won't accept it any time soon," Evergreen hummed as she leaned back in her chair, "I can use my power on him beforehand. Entice him into an empty room and take him down before he can react."
"If you think that would work, Evergreen, then you are an imbecile," Freed said, earning a glare from his team mate, "Night Terror will not fall for your brand of trickery."
"Then what do you suggest then," she muttered bitterly.
"I don't have one. The Phobos is good at sensing magic so he would easily identify mine if I ever to use it on him. It also doesn't help that he knows us very well. He would know something is wrong if we were to approach him. I'm afraid there is nothing we can do, but put up a fight."
"Don't give up too soon," said Laxus with a smirk on his face as he leaned casually back in his chair, "I managed to find a way to get rid of the Night Terror for a few hours. Just enough time for me to take over the guild. With yours truly as master, he won't have a choice but to obey me and become part of the team," he told them, earning a look of surprise from them. Just as he said that, the door to the tavern swung open and a tall hooded figure walked in and headed straight for the table, "And there he is now. Just in time?"
His team looked around at the dark figure; his face hidden in the shadow of his hooded black cloak as he looked over them.
"Who's this?" Freed asked with a small frown.
Laxus chuckled, "Turns out that, if you ask the right people and know what you are looking for, you can find the best guys for the job," he looked up at the cloaked figure and grinned menacingly, "You want a drink or something? We were just talking about our mutual friend."
"I must decline," the figure said as he pulled back his hood, "I have other business to attend to so let's make this quick."
Evergreen's, Freed's and Bickslow's eyes widened in surprise at they say the tall man's face…because it wasn't a human. His face resembled that of a goat with a long face, a large nose, covered in short white fur (with the part around his chin longer than the rest) as well as a pair of brown horns that curved around from the back of his head to the front and wore a pair of dark sunglasses over his eyes. The strange looking man placed a hand to his chest and bowed his head slightly in greeting.
"A pleasure to meet you. My name is Capricorn. I believe that we are to discuss the subject of the Night Terror."
Lucy's Apartment
A week later, as the morning sun was steadily rising over the city of Magnolia, Night Terror and Flare were sat on spare chairs in the middle of Lucy's apartment and waited patiently outside the bathroom door. Around them, in three separate piles, were a range of different clothing; shirts, trousers, dresses, shorts, costumes and just about everything that was in Lucy's wardrobe (except for her underwear obviously) were stacked and folded neatly in either the 'rejected', 'maybe' or 'definitely' piles. The piles were as high as Night Terror's chest which, honestly, concerned him on many levels.
The bathroom door unlocked and Lucy stepped out in a white tennis player's costume along with a tennis cap and racket and posed for them at the door with a positive smile.
"What do you think?" she asked happily, "Isn't this cute?"
Night Terror nodded his head, "Indeed, Miss Lucy. It is very adorable...just like the other ones."
"But is it better or worse than the last one?"
The Phobos hesitated slightly; in all honesty, he had seen her in so many outfits that he couldn't remember what she last wore, "Err...I...I have no idea how to respond."
"Worse," Flare said with a sigh, earning a surprised look from Night Terror at her memory, "Why would you want to dress up as a tennis player?"
"To give an 'energetic sports girl' vibe," Lucy responded as she slung the racket over her shoulder, "I'm going against big competitors today and I need to find my edge for the judges to remember me by."
"Have you ever played tennis before?"
"Well...no."
"Then why do you have a costume?"
"Alright fine. I'll put it in the 'maybe' pile. I think that is all the clothes I could potentially wear," she hummed thoughtful, earning a sigh in relief from Night Terror and Flare, "So, let's start on the 'definitely' pile and see which one is the best out of all of them."
The two physically deflated at that; it had been hours since they started.
"Miss Lucy, I must remind you that the festival starts in an hour and you have not yet signed up for the competition," Night Terror reminded her.
"Crap! Really!?" Lucy gasped before she reached into the 'definitely' pile and began rummaging through it, "Okay fine. I'll go with this," she burgeoningly muttered as she pulled out a few items of clothing and darting back into the bathroom.
Flare shook her head, "You know, this seems a lot of effort for only 500,000 Jewels."
"500,000 Jewels may not seem a lot to you, but that's seven months rent for me," Lucy called back through the door.
"Is rent the only thing you think about?"
"Hey! This place is expensive! It's not like you pay rent for living in Fairy Hills!"
"I do not mind paying for your rent, Miss Flare," Night Terror said, "I do not usually spend a lot of money anyway and I am more than happy to provide you with funds."
"And I really appreciate that," Flare told him honestly.
"I can also provide you with money towards your rent, Miss Lucy. If you think it will help your situation."
"That's kind of you, Night, but no thank you. I'm not going to sponge on others. Especially my friends," she called back happily before she opened the door to reveal she was wearing a white and blue blouse and a simple pair of jean shorts, "Besides the only contribution I want from you is what you think of this outfit."
"You look wonderful, Miss Lucy," he told her, earning an annoyed pout from Flare, "But, if I may, why am I here? Would you not prefer just Miss Flare?"
"Well..." Lucy said with a slightly blush, "I...wondered if the Phobos had any knowledge on winning beauty competitions that you were willing to pass onto me," she lied.
"I see..." he trailed off and looked down at himself, "...if there was such knowledge...then I have not been informed."
"Yeah, kind of a long shot, I guess," Lucy giggled before she placed her hands on her hips and smirked confidently, "Right, so I have an hour to the competition starts which means..." her eyes narrowed in determination, "...I have just enough time to decide which style to put my hair in," she said, making Night Terror and Flare sweat drop. She turned to the mirror in her bathroom and hummed thoughtfully, "Let's see, should I have it in a ponytail, double ponytail or should I just let it hang over my shoulders. Or maybe I should braid it..."
As Lucy mumbled to herself, Flare looked up at Night Terror with a deadpanned expression.
"We're...we're not all like that. Just to let you know."
"I understand, Miss Flare," he answered with small chuckle, "Are you excited for the Harvest Festival?"
Flare grinned, "You know it. This is my first human festival where I can actually do things in my size. Erza says I can join her float during the parade...although, I don't really know what a float is," she admitted sheepishly.
"I am sure Miss Erza will inform you beforehand."
"Are you going to join the parade, Night?" Lucy asked, overhearing their conversation from her bathroom, "I'm sure you can do cool things with your shadows."
Night Terror shook his head, "I am afraid not. I always prefer watching from a distance and seeing everybody else enjoying the festivities."
"Alright," Lucy sighed with a roll of her eyes, "But if you change your mind..."
"I understand," he told her before he sensed a magical source flare up from within the shadows of his cloak.
Curious, he made the source of the magic appear from the shadows and set in down in his clawed hand and hummed when he saw that it was a communication lacrima crystal that receiving an incoming call. He only recently acquired one so he and Sho, Millianna and Wally could communicate as they went on their travels to find the families of the slaves imprisoned at the Tower. He thought it was a good idea to keep in touch just in case, but he wasn't expecting a call so soon. He accepted the call and soon Sho's face appeared in the crystal ball.
"Mister Sho, how can I be of assistance?"
The Card mage looked as if he was distressed; a deep frown fell over his face and a bead of sweat was rolling down his forehead, "Night, we need you to come to Akane Hospital right now."
The Phobos was surprised by his urgency and frowned seriously, "What is the matter?"
Lucy and Flare looked over in concern as they heard his question.
"It's Simon," Sho hissed in anger, "I can't explain it. You have to come over here."
Fairy Tail Guild Hall
Not too long later, the Harvest Festival was in full swing starting with the Miss Fairy Tail Beauty Contest.
It seemed like everyone in Magnolia, although mostly men, had gathered in the newly built guild hall and stood in front of the stage, ready to get an eye-full of the prettiest and most gorgeous girls that the guild had to offer. First it was Cana, who after performing a few card tricks, managed to change in a bikini in an instant; then it was Juvia who transformed herself into wave of water and also changed into a bikini; although she seemed a little shyer than her fellow contestant. Ur was up next and performed several ice-maker tricks for the roaring crowd and now Lisanna was demonstrating her Take-Over magic by turning into a beautiful swan.
Within the audience, Grey was over in the corner and watching the show when something caught his eye. In the far end of the room, away from the joyful audience, he saw Flare sat at a table all on her own, holding her head in her hands and staring down at the table with a miserable look. He hummed curiously and made his way over to her, through the crowds and taking a seat next to her.
"Not enjoying it?" he asked.
Flare shrugged, "Yeah, it's not bad," she sighed.
Grey raised an eyebrow at her reply, "Where's Night. Usually, you're glued to his side."
"He had to go off and deal with something important," she said with a frown, "He told me to go on without him and he'll take me to the festival in the evening. He says that it's fine and it's probably won't take long, but-"
"But that's not what you're annoyed about, isn't it?" he guessed, making her look away, "I'm sure he feels bad about leaving you before you two can enjoy the festival."
Flare nodded sadly, "I know that. I don't blame him or anything," she rested her head on the table, "I was just looking forward to spending the festival with him. He promised me he'll be back as soon as he can... but, I can't help but feel disappointed."
"Why didn't you insist on going with him?"
"Because I didn't want to look like a big baby," she pouted childishly.
"Then you really don't have a reason to complain then!" Grey shouted at her.
"And now onto the next contestant," the commentator announced as he stood on the stage as Lisanna walked off backstage, "Her beauty can make all men swoon! Give it up for Mirajane Stauss!" he declared as the silver-haired mage walked elegantly on stage and waved to the audience.
"WOOHOO! MIRAJANE!" an audience member shouted.
"She's even cuter than in the magazine!" another yelled.
"I hope she reads the letters I send her," another sighed in delight.
Mirajane smiled gracefully and waved to the audience, "Hello everyone!" she called out, earning whoops of joy from the audience, "I hope all of you are having a wonderful time..."
"She's so nice," the audience collectively sighed.
"...As you might not know, I am very skilled in Transformation magic. So, I hope I can perform you my favourite."
"Her favourite!"
"Oh, I hope she changes into a bikini!"
Makarov rolled his eyes as he stood near the front, "A lot of perverts in today. How ridiculous," he muttered.
"Master, you nose is bleeding," a guild member pointed out, pointing to the stream of blood coming out his nose.
Mirajane giggled before she turned her back to the audience and bowed her head, "Now I hope you are prepared for this..." she said, as the audience leaned in closer in anticipation, "Transform magic..." suddenly she spun around to reveal that her head had turned into a terrifying silvery grey skull with dark empty eyes resembling that of Night Terror's own, "PHOBOS!" she roared, "A CURSE ON YOU!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the audience screamed as they fell over in shock and fear; some of them actually passing out at that moment.
Mirajane, accomplishing what she wanted to do, transformed her head back to normal and giggled into her hand, "Whoops! Too scary!" she said as she walked back off stage, passing by the presenter who was also passed out on stage, "I guess I really do make the men swoon, huh?"
The presenter slowly recovered and shakily got back onto his feet, his face turning a ghostly pale, "O-okay, t-t-that was M-Mirajane. On t-t-to the n-next one...please...q-q-quickly."
Over at the far end of the hall, Flare lightly chuckled at Mirajane's performance, finding it rather funny. Grey smiled as well before he glanced back over at the younger girl.
"You really admire him, don't you?" he said.
"Of course, I do," Flare agreed as she looked up at him with determination in her eyes, "He was the first human friend I ever made...in fact, other than my adopted parents and their friends, he's the only real friend I have ever had. I probably be still be homeless and afraid if it wasn't for him and he introduced me to an amazing guild with amazing people. He supports me and helps me improve my magic; he always tells me that I can get better and stronger every time and...I owe him my life," she declared with a confident grin, "And one day, I want to be as powerful as he is and become an S-Class Mage!"
"S-Class Mage, huh?" Grey hummed, "Ambitious. Some of us have been here for years and we never made it to S-Class. I'm sure he'll be very impressed when you do."
Flare gave a surprised look before she grinned, "Of course he will be. I'm going to make him proud!" she proclaimed as she pumped her fist in the air.
Grey smiled as he understood very well her desire to get stronger. After all, now that his old mentor back, he was willing to do anything to make her proud.
"That's good to hear. You've definitely a Fairy Tail mage. Night made a good choice to train you," he said, making her smile wider, "Although, you might want to turn it down a bit. People might think you've got a crush on him or something."
...
...
...
Flare's face turned the same colour as her hair as he said that; she reared back her fists and began punching his arm furiously, "JERK! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU SAY THAT OUT LOUD! GO DIE! IDIOT! MORON!"
"OW! OW! OW! WHAT DID I DO!?" Grey yelled in pain.
A scream echoed through the guild hall, surprising them both of them and others around them. They turned around to see, much to their shock, a stone grey statue of Lucy looking as if something had caught her by surprise.
"Stone!" a member of the audience yelled, "She's turned into stone!"
"Lucy," Flare uttered as she looked at her friend on stage, "What happened to her?"
"Huh? What's going on?" Grey muttered in confusion before she saw a familiar brunette woman, wearing a green fairy-like dress strut onto the stage.
"Oh my," the woman cooed as she adjusted her glasses on her face and stood before the petrified Lucy, grinning down at the audience viciously, "Looks like the real fairy queen as stolen the show once again."
Grey's eyes widened in realisation, "Oh crap, Evergreen."
"Evergreen?" Flare repeated, "Who's Evergreen?"
The woman leaned her arm against the Lucy statue and chuckled behind a dainty hand, "Sorry Blondie. But this is what you get for looking into my eyes."
As the audience started to panic, Makarov stood up from his chair and snarled up at her, "Evergreen!" he yelled angrily, "What are you doing? Turn her back this instant!"
She only giggled in reply, "I thought this was a festival," she said before she snapped her fingers, "And festivals must have a leading act."
At the snapping of her fingers, the backdrop collapsed to reveal a line of the Miss Fairy Tail contestants who had all turned into statues. Mirajane, Erza, Lisanna, Ur, Cana, Juvia, Levy, Bisca and now Lucy had all been petrified by Evergreen's magic. Makarov marched forwards while the audience stampeded for the door in fear; the old master's teeth were gritted together and his eyes were wide in anger.
"You fool!" he roared, "Turn them all back this instant!"
Before he could do anything, however, a jolt of lightning hit the centre of stage followed by a roar of thunder. Everybody covered their eyes at the sudden beam of light before they turned to see Laxus emerge from it and stood before them. Then, from seemingly nowhere, Bickslow and Freed emerged and stood behind him and looked down at the fleeing audience and what remained of the Fairy Tail guild.
"Laxus!" Makarov shouted.
"Bickslow and Freed," Grey muttered in surprise while Flare looked on in confusion and horror, "The Thunder Legion is back."
Laxus grinned as he stepped forwards and placed his hand on his hips, "Oi Fairy Tail idiots!" he growled gleefully, "The real festival begins now!"
Akane Hospital
Meanwhile, Night Terror stopped his horse outside the hospital door and called it back to the shadows in an instant. He quickly floated through the double doors and into the foyer, surprising some unsuspecting people as he did, before spotting Sho leaning against the wall on the far side and headed towards him.
"Mister Sho," he said, catching his attention, "My apologies for the wait. I came as quickly as I could."
"It's fine," he told him as he pushed himself off the wall, "I'm just glad you could make it."
"What is the emergency? How is Mister Simon?" he looked around the foyer, "Where is Miss Millianna and Mister Wally?"
"I told them that I would go back. There's no point in all of us returning to Akane," he told him before he headed towards the flight of stairs up to the second next floor, "Come on, I'll show you."
Night Terror frowned slightly at his tone before he swiftly followed him to Simon's room, "Mr Sho, I must insist on you telling what is the matter," he said, earning a sigh from him.
"Simon...Simon's gone."
"Gone?" repeated Night Terror in surprise, "How do you mean? I thought he would not be discharge for at least another two weeks. He is no position to leave."
"He didn't leave," he gravely replied, "This morning, his nurse had given him his breakfast, but when she returned, he was no longer in his bed. They tried searching for him everywhere, because he shouldn't have got too far...but they believe he has been kidnapped," he growled through gritted teeth, much to Night Terror's shock.
They stopped at the door to Simon's private room and opened it up. Like Sho had said, the hospital room with the only sign of life being the unmade bed and the half-eaten breakfast left on it. Night Terror stepped in and began searching the area with a critical eye, making sure to look out for any clues, signs of magical residue left behind.
'I cannot think of anyone who would kidnap, Mister Simon,' the Phobos he thought, 'Jellal has been defeated; his army has scattered...there's nobody else who would know of him or where he was residing,' he turned back to Sho, "What made them think he was kidnapped?"
Sho nodded towards the window on the far side of the room which was wide open, "I talked to the nurse; asked her if anything seemed out of place. She said that the window was closed when she left, but, when she returned later, it was open."
"Simon could have opened it himself."
"That's what I thought originally, but look," he made his way across the room and pointed at the windowsill, "There's a footprint and some scratches in the paint. Clearly, the kidnapper had a hard time carrying him out and left them behind without their knowledge."
Night Terror looked over at the window and saw that his right. Part of a muddy footprint was left on the white paint along with a few scratches, indicating that something was dragged out of it.
"And nobody else saw this. No other hospital staff or patients."
Sho shook his head, "Nobody heard a thing," he gritted his teeth in anger, hurt and fury evident on his face, "Why the hell would anybody do something like this," he snarled, "We have just been freed...why don't they just leave us alone."
The Phobos gave him a sad look before he placed his claw on his shoulder reassuringly, "Mister Sho. We will find him, I promise you," he told him, "If nobody else saw them then it is possible that the kidnapper took him into a secluded area."
"There's a forest nearby," Sho told him, "Hardly anybody goes into it so it would be a perfect place to escape.
Night Terror frowned sceptically, "Are you sure, Mister-"
"Of course I am," he snapped, "We're wasting time talking about it when we could actually be trying to find him," Sho sighed, "Let's go."
He swiftly left the room followed by a slightly hesitant Phobos; he was still unsure about what was the motives behind the kidnapping, but decided it was best for Sho to take the lead. After all, he must be worried about Simon. They walked out of the room and headed down the corridor; unaware of the dark figure hidden around the corner down the corridor; it watched them leave before it spoke into a communication lacrima that was resting in its hand.
"The bait has been taken. Second phase will commence."
"Good," she a dark voice from the lacrima, "Then head to the meeting spot and prepare yourself. I will be watching."
Fairy Tail Guild Hall
Meanwhile, the guild members stared up in utter shock at the appearance of Fairy Tail's strongest team. Not only had the hijacked the entire competition, but turned some of their strongest mages into stone. While some members cowered in fear at the sight of Laxus, Makarov gritted his teeth and pointed furiously at his grandson.
"Laxus! What's the meaning of this!? If you don't turn them back right now, I'll-"
"Or what, old man?" he replied before a bolt of lightning shot down and struck the stage right next to Lucy, causing the others to gasp in fear, "If you do anything, then I'll shatter your precious children to pieces," he threatened, making the master growl, "All I want to do is play a game. Break any of the rules and I'll destroy every single statue here."
"No," Flare gasped in fear, seeing Lucy and the other guild members in danger.
Grey tightened his fists in anger at the sight of the petrified Ur and glared daggers at Laxus, "You've taken it too far," he snarled.
"This isn't a joke," Makarov snapped up at Laxus, "You're threatening the lives of your own guildmates!"
"Guildmates!" Laxus laughed, "Some of you here don't deserve to earn that title..." his eyes turned to Lucy, "...dumb blondes..." his eyes looked towards the older members of the guild, "...old farts..." he turned his cruel eyes to Flare, making her flinch slightly, "...and even dumb brats. You really think you lot deserve to be here? Fairy Tail is a guild for only the strongest of the strong, not some social club that any person could walk into," he smirked triumphantly, "That's why it's time for a new system to be put in place. A simple game to find out who is the strongest here in Fairy Tail. The rules are simple, the last survivor wins!"
Makarov and the rest of the guild were more than shocked to hear this. A fight to figure out who is the strongest; although, each member was always pushing to be stronger, they never thought that they had to prove it to anybody. The entire guild fell silent as they wondered what Laxus had install for them...
...except for one person.
"YEAH!" Natsu roared as he kicked over a table, "This is more like it! FIGHT ME, LAXUS!"
"NATSU! YOU IDIOT!" everybody, except for the Thunder Legion, shouted in disbelief.
"Read the room, dumbass!"
"This isn't the time!"
"It's exactly the time!" Natsu shouted back before he charged for Laxus on stage, "LET'S GOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Natsu, stop!" Makarov shouted at him as he sprinted past him.
Natsu laughed, leapt up and aimed a punch at Laxus' head, "I hope you're hungry, Laxus! Because I'm going to make you eat a knuckle sandwich!"
Laxus calmly raised his hand and tapped Natsu before he could punch him.
BZZZZZZZZZTTTT!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Natsu screamed as he was shocked with a thousand volts and sent hurtling back, landing on the ground with burn marks all over him, "...ow," he uttered as swirls appeared in his eyes.
Happy walked up to him and poked his burnt cheek, "Good try...you might want to improve on the trash talk for next time, though."
Evergreen stepped up beside Laxus and giggled into her hand, "If you want to free these lovely ladies. You'll have to defeat us first," she told the guild members, "The time limit is three hours. If you cannot defeat us before that time is up, then these girls...will be reduced to sand."
"No way!"
"Is she serious!?"
"The battlefield covers the whole of Magnolia," Evergreen continued, "The moment you find one us, the battle begins."
Something inside of Makarov snapped. He began to transform into his muscular form; his eyes becoming wide and furious and steam began to emit from him.
"DON'T YOU SCREW WITH ME!" he bellowed, "STOP THIS AT ONCE!"
Laxus merely grinned at his grandfather and raised a hand, "Let the game...begin!"
Suddenly, a bright light shone out from around him and his team mates, blinding them so they were forced to turn away. Once it was gone, they looked back and saw, to their shock, the Thunder Legion had disappeared into thin air. It took only a few seconds for chaos to start; Elfman was the first as he charged towards the guild door in fury.
"I'VE GOT TO SAVE MY SISTERS AND THE OTHERS!" he roared, "DAMN THOSE ASSHOLES! I'LL KILL THEM!"
One by one, the rest of the guild began to filter out. Most of them wanting to battle the Legion while others feared of the consequences if they did nothing. Flare saw her fellow guild members in worry. She didn't like the way Laxus had looked at her as if she was insect ready to be crushed and shivered in fear. He managed to send Natsu away without even trying...what hope did she have.
'Night, please come back,' she thought fearfully.
Makarov shrunk down to his normal size and watched in horror as his children began to run out of the hall; his grandson has riled them up and now he was beyond furious. He gritted his teeth and ran for the door as well.
"DAMN HIM! I'LL PUT HIM IN HIS PLACE! THAT DAMN BRAT!" he yelled...
...before he collided into something and was knocked off his feet.
Grey and Flare watched in confusion as the elderly master got up and ran again, but smashed into the same thing again. He frowned in confusion as he reached up and felt the air in front of him.
"What're you playing at, old man?" Grey asked curiously.
"What this!?" Makarov gasped in confusion, "I can not go any further! There's an invisible wall!"
"An invisible wall?" Flare questioned before she walked past him without any trouble, "I don't feel anything."
"Neither do I," Grey confirmed before he looked down at Makarov, "Are you sure you're not going senile?"
"OF COURSE I'M NOT!" Makarov yelled at him before he looked up, "This must be Freed's Enchantment. I should have known."
"Enchantment?" Flare asked curiously.
"It's a form of magic placed upon a location designed to trap those who stray within its borders," Makarov muttered, "It must be inscribed in these rogue characters all around the guild building. Those who are within the Enchantment are placed under certain rules...and without following them escape is impossible," he pointed upwards, "Look."
They looked up and saw large words appear in mid-air, hanging just in the doorway to the guild hall. The words read:
'Those above the age of 80 and stone statues may not pass.'
Flare stared up at the words in disbelief, "Wow...you're over eighty. That's ancient. I can't imagine living that long."
"Damn, whippersnapper," Makarov grumbled, shooting a glare at her, "I must remember to get Night to teach you manners."
"Can't you break out of it," Grey suggested, "Surely there has to be something."
Makarov shook his head, "An Enchantment's rules are absolute. And this one encompasses both age and substance. Damn you, Freed," he muttered before he noticed Flare's concern clearly etched on her face, 'This is no place for her. No matter to her age, none of them will show mercy to her if they catch her,' he thought before he turned to Grey, "Grey, I need you to take Flare to the Magnolia Forest and keep her safe. She can't stay in the middle of the city."
Flare looked at the master in surprise and disbelief; she glanced at the city and gulped in fear, "Can't I stay here? I feel much safer here."
"No," he said shaking his head, "They know you're hear and will come looking for you. Your best bet is to stay hidden until we find a way to defeat Laxus," he told her, making her frown in worry, "Night Terror would want you to be safe, young one."
Flare still looked unsure about the idea of going outside, but she felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Grey giving her a confident smile.
"Hey, it's fine. I won't let them get to you, alright," he told her, "Stick with me and we'll get out of here. Once we kick their asses, the festival will restart and everything will be back to normal. Alright?"
Flare blinked up at him before a small brave smile appeared on her face, "Thanks Grey. I trust you," she told him, making him nod, "...although, I would take you more seriously if you actually kept your clothes on."
"Huh?" Grey said before he looked down and saw that he was in his underwear, "Crap!" he yelped, "When did that happen!"
"THIS IS NOT THE TIME, GREY!" Makarov yelled, "DON'T STRIP IN FRONT OF A MINOR, YOU PERVERT!"
"I DIDN'T MEAN TO!" he yelled back, gathering his clothes in the process, "AND DON'T CALL ME PERVERT!"
Flare sweat dropped as the two men shouted at each other before she looked out through the door and sighed wearily, 'Night, please come back. We need you.'
Forest
On foot, Night Terror and Sho trekked through the dense forest; the moss-covered oak trees were packed so tightly together that it was hard to see in which way they were going at times. The Phobos kept his eyes to the ground for any evidence and allowed his senses to seek for any magical signals, but, so far, nothing had emerged; not a single clue. He glanced up to see Sho walking a few paces in front of him and staring straight ahead as he weaved through the trees and hummed curiously.
"It has been a while Mister Sho, perhaps we should-"
"No, we have to keep on going," he snapped at him, not bothering to look around, "Just a little bit further."
Night Terror raised an eyebrow at that before he snapped his head to the right, "How peculiar?"
Sho finally stopped and looked back at him, "What is it?"
"There is an unusual magical signature," he informed him as he pointed in the direction he was looking at that, "Right there. It is not a magic I recognise."
Sho frowned slightly before he walked a few steps to where he was pointing, "What here?" he asked curiously, "Of all places. What could it b-"
He suddenly gasped when he felt shadows shoot out from beneath the trees and wrap around him from his feet to his shoulders; he struggled against the binds but he was lifted off the ground and swung around so that he was face to mask with Night Terror. The Phobos looked darkly down at him as he held up a single claw to his throat.
"W-what the hell are you doing!" Sho spat, "Put me down now!"
"I have to admit, it was rather convincing," Night Terror said in a low, deadly voice, "using Mister Simon's kidnapping as a way of drawing me out, using your manipulation magic on Mister Sho to throw me off your scent and staging a simple, but effective crime scene; it is rather textbook, if I can be so frank," he hissed angrily, "However, if you want me to fully believe your illusion then you have to remember the personal touches. For example, Miss Millianna and Mister Wally would not simply allow themselves to stay back if one of their friends has been kidnapped, Mister Simon is far too big to fit through the window without causing a commotion and by far your worst error...is thinking that Mister Sho would ever think of contacting me first before Miss Erza," he said, earning a frustrated growl to escape from Sho's lips. Night Terror leaned back and looked around his surroundings, "Release Mister Sho at once and reveal yourself! I know you are out there!"
Suddenly, he sensed something shooting towards him and raised his claw in time to catch a kick aimed directly at his head; it was powerful, more powerful than he was expecting and made him stumble back a couple steps. The figure, not giving up on its attack, leapt up in mid-air, rolled forward and slammed his heel down towards him. Night Terror raised his claws above his head and caught it just in time, but gritted his teeth at the force of the kick. He pushed the figure off of him; it flew through the air, back flipped and landed on a thick tree branch not too far away; peering down at him through his sunglasses.
"How disappointing," Capricorn muttered, now wearing a business suit rather than his cloak, "It took you far too long to figure it out."
"I was merely biding my time. Waiting for the last moment to catch you off guard," Night Terror responded, "Now release Mister Sho."
Capricorn huffed and waved his hand before him. Sho suddenly stopped squirming and went limp as the magic he was under left his body; Night Terror gently released him and pulled him into the shadows so that he could recover before glaring at the goat man.
"You are...a Celestial Spirit," he said in surprise, "Capricorn the goat. Where is your key holder? Tell them to stop hiding and talk to me."
"I have no contract with any mage," he replied seriously.
"Do not lie to me. You would not be even allowed out of the Spirit realm if you did not have one," he growled before he noticed something usual about him, "Your magic...it seems corrupted. It is as if you are not truly a Spirit," his eyes narrowed at him, "What did they do to you!?"
"Enough with the enquiry," Capricorn sharply said, "You have brought here for one reason and one reason only."
"And what would that be, pray tell," he snarled.
He gasped suddenly when something sharp pierced through his shoulder before he was suddenly thrown off his feet; a startled gasp escaped his lips as flew through the air and slammed into the ground a few meters away, but he quickly recovered and held his bleeding shoulder. He looked up and his eyes widened in surprise.
"Mister McCarty?" he gasped in shock as the dark uniformed man, its glowing blue eyes staring into his very soul and the wrist blade dripping with his own blood.
Suddenly, Night Terror was forced to leap away as he heard somebody else attack him. He landed on his feet and turned around to see another near-identical person with both of its wrist blades stabbing the air where he has previously been.
'No...they cannot be Mister McCarty,' he thought as glared at the two, 'They do not seem human and I cannot sense their magic or their presence,' he glanced down at his injured shoulder, 'They even know where there are gaps in my armour,' he took a deep breath and used his Fear magic to influence them, but they were barely affected. In fact, they seemed to feed of it as if he was a food source, 'Fear magic will not work. I can not sense them and they are quick and deadly,' he thought in his head before he turned to Capricorn observing them, 'What are these...these things?"
Capricorn frowned in response, "They are Nobodys. They are here for you," he told him, "They are here to kill you."
As quick as a flash, the Nobody leapt towards him and swung both of his wrist blades at him. Night Terror swiped the attacks away with his claw before using his other one to hit his head, but the Nobody ducked under it. He would have attacked again but the second Nobody jumped up and was about to attack from behind him, but Night Terror sank into the shadows in time and moved away. He stepped out of the shadows in time to meet another attack by the Nobody and then the second Nobody followed closely behind the other. Night Terror gritted his teeth and used a combination of his claws and shadows to defend himself from the flurry of attacks that he was bombarded with; whenever he attempted to attack one of them, they would dodge as if they were expecting it.
The Phobos parried another swipe of the wrist blade before he reached out to grab one of the Nobodys, but that was a mistake. Without a single hesitation, one of the Nobodys ducked down and stabbed his knee, right between the leg gaps in the armour. He yelled out in pain and fury, but then the second Nobody leapt up and stabbed in once again in the other shoulder; also managing to cut him and draw blood.
Night Terror roared in anger and grabbed the arm of the Nobody who stabbed in shoulder and kicked away the other a few meters away. He tightened his grip on the Nobody's arm until he heard a snapping sound, pulled his wrist blade out of his shoulder and threw him into the other Nobody as it was recovering. The two Nobodys landed in a pile on the ground and Night Terror wasted no time to conjure a large shadowy tendril to grab both of them, fling them up into the air. As the tendrils caught them again, he leapt up, rose both claws in the air and slammed down on the earth at the same time as the shadow tendrils slammed the Nobodys down, making a large impact zone where they landed.
He took a deep breath and, ignoring the pain in his shoulders and knee, rose to his feet to see the Nobodys no longer moving with the wrist blades shattered to pieces. He took a deep sigh in relief and was about to confront Capricorn...
...when four more Nobody's emerged from the tree line and surrounded him; their wrists blades gleaming underneath the sun dangerously.
Night Terror looked around, tensed his clawed hands, and made two shadow tendrils emerge from his body in readiness.
The fight was far from over.
Streets Of Magnolia
Grey and Flare ran down the empty streets, darting left and right down alleyways and lanes in order to get to the edge of Magnolia. Their path always seemed to be blocked no matter where they went by a battle that has taken place. Freed's Enchantment traps were set up all over the place to stop the Fairy Tail guild members; with rules dictating that they would have to fight each other to proceed. Seeing no choice, the members have resulted in turning on themselves in order to be released. Not only was this distressing for the guild, but with bystanders going about their day and suddenly being in the midst of a magical battle.
Laxus' take over was already causing damage with no end in sight.
They turned and corner and saw yet another battle happening in their path; Grey growled in anger before he spotted a clothes shop to their left.
"Let's cut through here," he told her.
Grey kicked down the doors for them to enter. It was cool and dark inside and filled with rows and rows of clothing and other wearable accessories as well as a few display mannequins. The shop was completely empty as the owner closed it down for the celebration and Flare briefly wondered if they should feel guilty about breaking in. They ran right through it without stopping for a single second before they spotted a backdoor that would hopefully lead out to alleyway that they can escape down. However, before they could reach it, they suddenly heard the sound of childish giggling, making Flare stop in confusion.
"Huh? Where's is that-"
"Flare get down!" Grey yelled before he pulled her down to the floor.
They had only landed before four beams of magical energy shot at them and hit the display shelves in front of them which exploded upon impact. Flare grimaced as she saw what was left of the shelves before she and Grey turned around to see where it had come from.
"Ha! Ha! Well, if isn't my favourite icy mage," chuckled Bickslow as he sauntered towards him with his arms outstretched away from him, "And look, you've got that red head brat with ya!"
"With ya! With ya!"
Grey growled at the Thunder Legion mage, but Flare was more interested with the four objects that floated around Bickslow's head. They were small, round wooden totems with each having a pair of wings and a face painted on the front; one had a happy face, another an angry face, another looked as if it was wearing a domino mask and the last had a sad face on it. They floated around the area as if they were controlled by an invisible force and, if she hazard a guess, could only assume that they were where the beams of magic had come from.
"Huh...weird," she muttered.
"What was that little missy?" Bickslow laughed, "You better not be insulting my babies."
"My babies!" one of the totems chirped.
"Yeah!" another shouted in glee.
The Ice Maker Mage kept his eyes on Bickslow and climbed to his feet, "Flare, get out of here. I'll hold him off."
Flare glanced at him unsurely, but turned and sprinted for the back door. She had only managed to touch the door handle before another beam of magic was shot at her feet, knocking her away and into a shelf before she fell onto the floor.
"HEY!" Grey shouted while Bickslow cackled in glee.
"Ah, ah, ah!" he mocked wagging his finger in the air, "No cowards! You either win or lose here, little missy!"
Grey growled before he glanced back at her, "You alright?"
"Fine," she muttered in pain as she climbed back onto her feet.
"Not for long!" Bickslow sang as he stuck his tongue out, "Fly my babies fly!"
"Here we go!"
"Whoohoo!"
"Alright!"
"Yay!"
The totems chirped as they swarmed towards them and fired more beams of magic at them. Grey jumped and rolled out of the way while Flare hoisted herself up by her hair and jumped out of the way of them. Every single thing the beam hit, was blasted into pieces and showered all over the place; reaping havoc across the store. Flare rolled out of the way of another beam before she used her hair to pick up a nearby stall and shielded herself from another incoming beam. Bickslow cast his sight towards her and grinned sadistically.
"Alright babies! Line Formation!"
"Yay! Line Formation!"
"Yipee!"
They chanted as the totems began to stack on top of one another. The stack of totems whipped around and created an arc beam that shot towards her. Flare gasped before she used her hair to pull herself to the side; only escaping the beam by a few centimetres. She looked around and saw that the beam had cut right through several shelves and even the wall behind them, causing her to grimace.
"Not bad, little missy!" Bickslow laughed, "Next up...Victory Formation!" he commanded.
...
...
...
"Huh?" Bickslow uttered when he noticed his totems doing nothing, "What's wrong, babies!?" he looked around and gasped in horror when he saw the totems trapped in a block of ice, rendering completely useless, "Ah! My babies!"
Suddenly, Grey leapt out of nowhere and slammed his knee into Bickslow's chin, sending him flying off his feet and skidding across the floor. Grey didn't hesitate as he flipped over and formed a large mallet out of ice.
"Ice Maker: HAMMER!" he cried as he slammed the ice hammer down on Bickslow.
"X Formation!"
Before the hammer could hit him, four objects flew in the hammer's path and blocked it, stopping immediately in its tracks. Grey's eyes widened in surprise as he saw four mannequins had flown from their displays and stopped his attack before they smashed it to pieces. Bickslow cackled as he stood up with the mannequins floating around him.
"My Seith magic allows me to implant souls into dolls," he said with a grin, "You may be able to freeze their bodies but you can't freeze their souls. I can simply transfer them to new bodies," he explained, making Grey and Flare frown in concern, "My time is ready now!" he declared as the mannequins spun around him, "Time to show off my ultimate move!"
...
...
...
...
"...See ya!" he cried before he spun around and sprinted out of the shop.
"HE LEFT!" Flare and Grey shouted in disbelief.
"Hey! Come back here!" the Ice mage called out as he chased after him, "Flare go to the forest now!"
"Grey! Stop!" she shouted after him, but he had already left.
Grey chased Bickslow down the main street; the Thunder Legion member chuckling all the way, much to Grey's annoyance. He finally turned down an alleyway and Grey quickly followed him down as well. However, as soon as he stepped down it, he soon found that it was empty. He frowned in confusion when he heard Bickslow's voice call out to him.
"Up here, Grey!" he turned his head up and saw Bickslow several feet off the ground, holding himself up striding the width of the alley in a perfect split, "What's wrong!? You look a little down! Ha ha!"
"Asshole," Grey muttered before he heard something behind him.
He turned around and saw an almost invisible wall raise up behind him at the mouth of the alley, preventing him from leaving. He heard another sound and turned to see an identical wall on the other side of the alleyway. Words suddenly began to appear on the walls, reading:
'Until Their Battle Is Over, Those Within This Barrier May Not Use Magic'
He growled furiously at his stupidity.
"Damn it! I should have known," he muttered, before he glared up at him, "But that means you can't use magic either."
Bickslow laughed, "Read again, Grey! You can't use magic in the barrier, but it doesn't mean you can't use magic just outside it."
Grey's eyes widened as he saw the mannequins fly up on either end of the alleyway; two on each side with their blank faces looking at him. Before he could move, the mannequins fired their magic beams at him, bombarding him on his back, head and front while Bickslow laughed triumphantly.
"Try and get out this one Grey!" he cackled in glee, "You're pretty rubbish without your magic, ain't y-OOF!" he suddenly cried in pain when something smashed into his face.
He lost his footing and tumbled to the ground in a painful heap. Slowly and painfully, Bickslow lifted his head and rubbed his nose to sooth the pain before glaring up at what hit him. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw, much to his shock, that it was one of the mannequins that was supposed to be attacking Grey.
"Hey asshole!" he looked up and gritted his teeth when he saw Flare just outside the alleyway. One of her red locks had wrapped itself around the mannequin and covered its mouth, preventing it from firing anymore magic beams, "I think this belongs to you!" she cried out before she threw the second mannequin at him, hitting him right in the face once again.
"Damn brat!" he spat in anger.
Flare smirked before she turned to the Ice mage, "Grey, he can't use his toy dolls if I throw them in with you guys," she called out to him, "If I do the same with the other two. Can you beat him up?"
Grey released a shaky breath and staggered to his feet; he rose his head up and glared at Bickslow intensely, "You bet I can."
He charged at him and swung his fist at the larger man's head; Bickslow ducked and aimed a kick at his side. Grey leapt back and ducked under a couple of magic beams aimed at him. He jumped onto the wall and leapt upwards above Bickslow; he raised his leg and swung his leg down and slammed his foot into his face, sending him flying back.
Bickslow hit the ground, but rolled onto his hands and knees; he growled in anger and sprinted towards Grey and gripped him by the throat. The Ice mage gave a choked yell as he was lifted off the ground and spun around so his back faced the opposite side of the alleyway.
"Now! My babies!" he commanded.
"Roger! Roger!" the mannequins chirped before they shot two beams of magic at Grey's back.
Grey yelled in pain as the beams hit him square in the back, much to Flare's horror. He growled in pain, before he succumbed to it and fell unconscious in Bickslow's hand; he dropped him onto the hard ground in a bloodied heap and dusted his hands victoriously.
"Grey!" Flare yelled as she saw the mage slumped over, her eyes wide in distress as he face paled.
She stepped back when the invisible walls came down and the Enchantment finally broke. Bickslow turned his head and grinned manically at her as the mannequin floated up and began to swirl around him; he chuckled as he stalked up to her, letting his long tongue hang out of his open mouth.
"That was easier than I expected," he cackled, "that brat keeled over like a flower being crushed by a boot! He would have probably won if he hadn't followed me down this alley and got himself stuck, like a moron!"
"He ran after you, because he cared for the guild members you turned into stone," Flare spat as she backed away from the tall, intimidating man, "At least, he was brave enough to fight like a real mage and not hiding behind hostages like you guys."
Bickslow cackled in amusement, "Oh that's harsh, little missy! Don't they teach respect in little kiddie schools anymore."
"As if I would respect someone like you!"
"Oof, you're a feisty one," he glowered down at her, all four of the mannequins looking down at her as if they were preparing to attack, "I haven't forgotten you throwing one of my babies at me! Don't think I would go easy on you, because you're a little girl or anything. Only the strongest belong in Fairy Tail!"
Flare gulped nervously as she backed herself up against a wall. She glanced down at the alley and saw Grey still passed out on the ground; he had used his last bit nod strength to try and defeat Bickslow…
…and that made her mad.
Flare fought down her fear and glared defiantly up at Bickslow; four of locks of her hair rose up to beside her and posed and ready to strike. Bickslow raised an eyebrow at the young girl who looked as if she was going to fight back at him before a grin spread across his face.
"You're so dead, little missy," he snarled.
"Bring it on, dickhead," Flare growled back.
Unknown Location
With a communication lacrima in her gloved hand, Faceless One stared into it without blinking as she watched Night Terror battle against her Nobodys. Her soldiers were quick and deadly and was able to injure the Phobos, but he fought back like she thought he would. So far, he had taken down six of them and she could not be prouder of him.
He really had grown stronger since the last time they met.
She hummed as she watched as yet another Nobody get taken down by the Phobos and tilted her head to the side.
"I see. They need to be quicker and work more as a team," she muttered to herself, "I'll have to make the improvements as soon as possible," she frowned angrily when she saw a Nobody managing to slice his wrist blade across Night Terror's shoulder blades, "I have to kill that one if it returns," she hissed before seeing Night Terror hunched over in pain, "I'm sorry that I have to do this...but you'll understand that I have to do this for the greater good. Once, it's over...we'll can finally live in peace...together. Just like when we were children," she leaned back in her chair and to another communication lacrima on the table, "Capricorn, move onto the next phase. If it looks like he's going to die then end the experiment."
"Of course," Capricorn voice said from the lacrima.
Faceless One turned back to the screen and sighed wearily, "A little while longer. Then I'll let you go. I promise."
And that's it for now. I hope you like the start of the Battle of Fairy Tail arc.
I decided that Night needed to be away for three reasons. The first is that he is just as strong as Laxus and it they wouldn't be a struggle, secondly, I wanted the tension between Night Terror and Faceless One to grow and thirdly so that Flare could do some independent battling and watch her character grow.
Do your best Flare! I'm rooting for you!
Thanks for reading :)
Omake - Daily Life Of Victor Soul's OCs
Victor's Residence
Knock! Knock!
Night Terror opened the door to his private/dressing room in Victor Soul's house and poked his hooded head out to greet the author.
"Mr Victor, I was just reading the latest script you se-" he stopped mid-sentence, when he noticed Victor wearing a postman uniform, "Is…is the costume play that Mr Edgar talks about?"
"Cosplay…" he corrected, "…and what Edgar is talking about is actually…you know what, let's keep this PG. I came here to deliver these to you," he told him seriously, reaching into his satchel and pulling out five letters and handing them to him, "You've been served."
Night Terror hummed in confusion before he opened the first letter, "I am being sued for copyright infringement by my fellow OCs…because I used their names in the last chapter," he uttered, "But that was merely a joke!"
Victor shrugged, "Sorry. Can't help you. They're official and everything."
"But you were the one who wrote the jokes."
"No, that was author Victor," he gestured to himself, "I'm currently postman Victor. The second best Victor to be introduced in these omakes."
Night Terror grumbled bitterly before he noticed something, "Why are there five letters? Who else is suing me."
"Well, you used my name as well…and insulted it."
"But you that you were the one who wrote it!" the Phobos shouted.
"Take it up with the judge…who will be me… once I dig out my gable and wig from the attic."
Night Terror huffed in annoyance and slammed the door in his face. Victor gave a hum in satisfaction and was about close his satchel when Edgar came walking down the hallway towards him.
"Hey postman Vic. Do you have my cosplay monthly magazine?" he questioned. Victor sighed and reluctantly pulled out a magazine from his satchel and handed it to him. The protagonist grinned and looked at the front cover, "Nice. A Yor Forger cosplayer," he turned around and waved lazily over his shoulder, "Cheers!"
Victor gave him a disappointed look before turning away, "Don't want to know," he sighed, "I don't want to know."