*Disclaimer: neither duodragoon nor I own/have any affiliation with Fairy Tail; all rights go to Hiro Mashima. Seriously, we just do this for fun*
The New Fairy Tail
Guild Alliance Arc
Chapter 22: Discoveries and Progress
*As the sun rises and peaks through the window, the rays strike Gin's face. He tries to move several times, but something is stopping him. A huge pile of drunk guys is on top of him; he is in no way amused. With a burst of strength, he rises sending the guys flying all over the place. From behind the bar Lisanna rises*
"Will you guys stop making all that racket? Some of us are trying to sleep...wait why am I still here?" Everyone, except Gin who is stomping around angry, is wondering the same thing. "It's because I put everyone to sleep last night," they look up and see Roxina followed by Kaizer and Lucio who is carrying a passed-out Cana. Randy then asks, "What ya do that for?" Roxina pushes up her glasses, "Of course you don't remember, you guys were about to get yourselves killed."
*Flashback*
Roxina, Kaizer, Gin, Lucio, and Cana herself are in her office. Cana is currently pouring a glass of some alcohol. She then pushes it to the side and starts drinking from the bottle. After a few awkward moments Lucio says, "So…uh Cana, Madam Erza said you had some info for us on the craziness going on." This whole time Cana has been drinking the bottle. She finally stops, "Cute little Miss Burning Bush decides to finally sends some people down to the lower end. I tell you what, I remember when I met that little tulip…now look at her: leader of our government, all grown up." Everyone is looking around awkwardly as she continues to drunkenly ramble, "Anyways, yeah, I got some info. A lot of people comes through here's. They don't like to be judged and not everyone is on the good side of the law, yet still they deserve peace." Roxina then steps forward, "Why wouldn't they have peace?" Cana looks over and it is unclear if it is nausea, anger, or sadness but something is wrong.
"The last few weeks people have been disappearing; there are talks of people seeing blue flames and dogs dragging them away; leaving only white scorch marks in their wake." "Do you know if these rumors are true?" Kaizer asks. Cana slumps over, "Those guys downstairs, they've lost at least ten maybe more friends, family, and loved ones; people I've known. This is the only place they still feel safe." Lucio pulls Roxina to the side, "Does the council know anything about this story, any truth to it?" Roxina looks at him like he's crazy, "No, the council doesn't look into ghost stories, we deal with the facts and this woman under all that liquor has info that we need." Lucio now looks at her crazy, "Even if you don't believe in ghosts, missing people are still a big deal." As this conversation continues, their volume increases. Roxina responds, "Thugs and criminals are not on the high priority of the council. Besides, there is a lot of other things going on, like confirmed murder, so missing people may not be that high!"
The displeasure in Lucio's face is now more apparent than Cana's love for liquor, "I can't believe what you're saying. Those politicing bastards got you wrapped around their finger!" That last comment triggers her, "I'm sorry that I wanted to do something meaningful with MY LIFE, instead of breaking the rules with a RECKLESS STUPID GUILD!" Both are glaring daggers at each other. Their focus is broken by Kaizer, "Ahemhem." "WHAT!?" Kaizer, Gin, and Cana are all staring as Cana whimpers, "Mommy, daddy, please stop fighting." She almost falls out of her chair laughing. The two step away from each other, angry and embarrassed.
Kaizer continues, "Have there been any connections made between the incidents?" Suddenly, they hear a bell ringing. Confused, Gin comments, "Strange. I don't remember Magnolia having a bell tower." Lucio ponders, "That's because it doesn't." The group hear a commotion downstairs and rush out to the indoor balcony overlooking the bar. They see a group of men, led by Randy, are being held back by another group of guys. "Let us go! We're gonna destroy those ghosts and avenge our fallen!" Randy yells out while someone from the other group yells, "Don't you know there's no chance against those beasts!? You'll only get yourself killed!" The yelling between both sides continue like this for a while. Kaizer turns to Cana, "So, I assume the bell is the call of the spirits?" Cana nods her head. "That's good then," Gin says as he jumps down, "Make way! I'd like a word with those ghosts."
As he begins to push through, guy after guy tries grabbing him with little success; it is only after a group of guys dog-pile him that he's stopped, but it is unclear for how long. Lucio looks down at the chaos, "This is getting out of hand!" "I'm on it," Roxina responds. Her hands start glowing, concerning Lucio, "What are you planning?" She scoffs, "Oh relax. It's just a sleep spell; shouldn't do too much damage to their small brains. Just some minor amnesia when they wake up, if they're lucky." He grabs her arm, "I don't think that's a wise choice." She turns to him, "Oh, do you have a better idea Mr. I'm So Much Smarter Than Everyone and Have to Prove it Every Chance I Get!" Lucio answers, "Look, we may need these guys' memories and if you blow them away then we may lose our only chance to figure this thing out!" Roxina is about to answer when Kaizer interrupts, "Uh guys..." They look at him as he points to Roxina's hands which are glowing increasingly brighter. In unison, Lucio and Roxina say, "Uh oh," before a huge blinding light fills the room.
*End flashback*
Roxina angrily says, "It wouldn't have been such a big blast had a been able to focus!" "Excuse me for thinking of their well-being," Lucio replies. As they continue bickering back and forth, everyone watches with mixed interests. Kaizer and Gin play Rock-Paper-Scissors with Gin winning and Kaizer sighing. Kaizer walks up to them, "Might I suggest a split up: me and Roxina go out, ask around town, and see if anyone knows anything. Meanwhile, Lucio and Gin stay here and question everyone in here on what they know." Roxina and Lucio stare at each other for a second then break. Kaizer facepalms, "Mavis help me," and follows Roxina out the door.
*Elsewhere, in a small town, there is a little girl being followed around by a large guy. This is Junshi and Roagan. Junshi is asking questions and it seems like the towns folk are answering easily and pointing her in various directions. After every encounter, she bows and heads off, then Roagan nods his appreciation and follows her*
They eventually find their way into an office and talk to a lady at the desk. She scribbles down something on a paper and hands it to Junshi; she bows then runs out the door (Roagan spent the whole time in the doorway watching). Next, we see Junshi running up a hill; on top of said hill, Raiu and Namika are yelling at each other. Junshi tries to get their attention to no avail. By this time, Roagan has made his way up the hill also. Junshi pulls him down and whispers to him, to which he nods and walks over to the quarreling girls. He grabs both, cradling one under each arm and begins to walk towards the village. They struggle before Raiu finally asks, "Just what are you doing!?" Junshi happily answers, "We have an audience with the village elder; it appears that the village knows something about the abandoned village. I just hope that you two can stop your rivalry long enough for you to help benefit the mission." Raiu and Namika look at each other, then quickly turn away. Junshi sighs as they continue walking.
The group is standing in front of an old man in a large room (big enough to even fit Roagan). He has a beard that is long enough to cover the old man's body. For a while, there is silence until the old man speaks, "So you are who the council sent to deal with the problem. Gotta say: not what I expected." A view from his perspective shows Raiu looking like someone just insulted her and is plotting her revenge, Roagan standing almost like a statue, Junshi bowing, and Namika sharpening her blade whilst cursing under her breath. "We may not look like the most pleasant looking group, but we are more than capable of handling the problem," Junshi responds. Raiu nods, "Yes we can handle- What exactly are we dealing with here?" The old man sighs. "The monster is connected to our history. When our village was young, we were constantly attacked by bandits who kept wanting more. We would pray to our gods, asking for help, receiving nothing until one day a giant way bigger than that fellow was gifted to us," he says as he points at Roagan. Raiu still looks annoyed, but Namika puts her sword away and looks at the old man, "So this giant was once your savior. What changed?" The man hesitates, "We would feed the beast and worship it, but it's hunger grew, and it became too much. So, we locked him away in a cave in the mountains, but it seems as if someone has let it out. Now, I humbly ask you all: put an end to this monster and free these lands from their suffering." The group bows. The man then says, "Thank you, please stay the night and rest. The journey to the cave will be treacherous. In the morning, we will give you supplies and a guide to help you." In unison, the group thanks the man and heads out.
*It is afternoon when Kaizer and Roxina return to the bar*
Kaizer asks, "So did you guys figure anything out?" Lucio sighs and Gin answers, "Well seems like Lucio was right to worry, that sleep spell caused some short-term memory loss so there's nothing too relevant." Lucio mumbles, "I told her this would happen, but no little miss perfect thinks she knows everything." Unfortunately, Roxina hears this, "I'm sorry for trying to keep the peace!" This turns into another argument between the two, so Kaizer walks over to Gin, "What do you think?" Gin then replies, "They should fuck already and get it over with! This shit can't go on; it's annoying." Kaizer chuckles, "Coming from the guy that won't make a move 'cause his crush could literally crush him!" Gin blushes, "I have no idea what you're talking about! So, did you guys find anything?"
Kaizer's face turns serious, "Not really, and that's what worries me. People have been disappearing and the town is acting regular." Gin finishes the thought, "Almost as if they weren't there?" Kaizer nods, "So whatever we have on our hands is some serious magic." Gin looks at Lucio and Roxina arguing, "So it is probably safe to say that Roxina didn't cause the memory loss. Should we tell them?" Kaizer lowly chuckles, "We'll tell them in a bit."
*A little later, the group is back in Cana's office who is passed-out on the desk…and she doesn't look like she's waking up anytime soon*
Roxina sits on the desk, "This could be a serious problem if we're dealing with someone that has enough power to wipe an entire town's memory." Lucio questions, "But what's our next step?" "Well, hopefully they come back tonight, and if they do we do some recon and see what we're up against," Kaizer answers. The group nods as Gin asks, "One question though, what do we do if they take someone?" Silence falls on the room.
Night falls over Magnolia as the bell chimes and people begin to head inside. Once a large amount of people head inside, three orbs of light begin floating down the street. The orbs come to an intersection with three branching paths and stop. Kaiser and Gin are on a rooftop close to the intersection, while Roxina and Lucio hide behind nearby crates. There is a blinding flash, then three dogs stand where the orbs were. They are three demonic looking Dobermans, they growl and begin running down the streets. The group rushes after them. Lucio and Roxina take the left path while Kaizer and Gin take the right path. The dogs move quickly, sniffing around searching for their prey, true veterans of their craft. The dog followed by Kaizer and Gin does a sudden turn down an alley. Cautiously, they peer around the corner, and in the alley is a group of drunk street thugs.
One of them happens to look at the dog who is growling at them, "What the fack is this? Shud up, ya stuuped dawg, befor I meek ya!" He throws an empty bottle at the dog, which explodes before even touching the dog. This confuses the guy, "Come on guys, let's show theis doog who's bus!" The group gets up and begins walking towards it. The dog begins to radiate blue flames, but an ice wall cuts the path between the dog and the drunks. The dog turns to see Gin with his hand on one wall and Kaizer leaning on the other one. Kaizer comments, "Blue flames, huh? There's a rumor saying they're the flames of Satan; if that were true, then that would make you a hellhound. So, the question is, who let you out and why?" The dog snaps at them and growls as the flames intensify, the ice behind the dog beginning to melt. "I don't think he came to talk Kaizer, so can we wrap this up fast! No telling what the last one is doing," Gin says getting in fighting stance. Just as the fight is about to start, a howl rips through Magnolia. The dog stops sniffs the air, then vaults over Kaizer and Gin and runs down the street. "Agh, after it!" Gin yells as they rush down the street.
*While that was happening*
On the other side of town, we see Lucio and Roxina peaking behind cover. The hellhound is picking at some rotten meat, biting chunks out of it. " What should we do, Mr. Careful?" Roxina whispers to Lucio as they watch the dog. Lucio whispers back, "We all agreed that unless people are in danger, we wouldn't get involved, so for now we just watch." Just as he says that, the dog's ears perk up. He then begins running down the street and Lucio and Roxina rush after it. "What got him all worked up?!" Roxina asks between breaths. Lucio is about to respond when he sees what the dog is going for. Down the street is a woman holding her sleeping child. He speeds up his pace. 'Damn it! I'm not gonna make it!' he thinks to himself, when a shadow rushes passed him. As the dog is about to take a bite out of the woman, the shadow rises and intercepts the bite. The shadow forms and it is Roxina that became the shadow. We see her eyes glow red as if they are Junshi or Yuka's eyes. She winces in pain and shouts, " Go!" The woman nods and runs down the street. Roxina throws the dog, who growls and snaps at her as Lucio walks up next to her. "Nice save," he says as he draws his sword. Just as the dog is about to attack, that same howl rips through town. The dog sniffs and rushes down the street. Lucio turns to Roxina, "Are you alright?" She nods. "Let's go!" as she rushes ahead.
The dogs both meet up at a fountain. They sniff each other, then sniff the air around them. Kaizer and Gin are the first to arrive. "Hold it you filthy mutts!" Gin says as he slams his hand on the ground. Ice shoots up around the dogs, trapping them. They growl and howl into the air. The darkness around them becomes thick. Gin nudges Kaizer, "Hey flame guy, got anything for this?" To which he snaps, "Black flames and darkness…kinda sounds like that wouldn't help, doesn't it!?" As the darkness thickens, red eyes flash through; hundreds, no thousands of them. Kaizer and Gin go back-to-back as the shadows close in. Just when they think the end is near, a blinding white light flashes, pushing back the darkness. When the light subsides, Roxina and Lucio emerge and rush to the guys, "Are you two okay?!" Kaizer nods, "Yeah, thanks. Glad back up arrived just in time." Just as they catch their breath, the dogs break free of their ice prison.
They growl at the group who stands ready to fight. The dogs then...begin to sniff each other's...butts. The group looks at them confused as they walk in a circle faster, and faster, and faster until, in a flash, they disappear and in their place is a giant, twin headed Doberman with beaming red eyes and way too many sharp teeth in its mouths. The group is taken back by the new beast in front of them. When the beast is about to lunge, a huge lightning bolt strikes right between them. "I go for a peaceful walk to try and relax after a stressful day…and look what I find. A couple of mutts that don't know their place." Laxus appears, carrying the third dog down the street, in rage mode (white eyes and increased muscles) and looks like he could rip the dog apart himself. He tosses the fried dog toward the group, "You have 'til the count of five to get out of my city, or else this will look like a spa day." The two headed dog growls at him, and he growls back. The dog whimpers, grabs the third dog, and scurries off.
"After it!" Roxina yells before immediately grabbing her bit shoulder in pain. Kaizer grabs her, "Woah there miss, you're in no condition to go after that beast." Lucio walks over to Laxus, "Thanks for that Laxus, you sure saved us." He nods in response, "Heard you and your group got put on some sort of council mission. I assume that's what that was all about." He then looks past him, "Kaizer, good to see you back in town. If you get a chance, come see me. You must be Gray's oldest kid; haven't seen you since you were fresh out the oven. And you..." he looks down at Roxina, "You must be from the council or something. Pleasure to meet you miss."
Roxina looks shocked, "Come on Laxus, I know it's been awhile, but I haven't changed that much. I'm Roxina; Gajeel and Levy's girl. You remember, right?" Laxus looks at her like she is crazy, "Nice try missy, but Gajeel and Levy only had two kids and they were both boys." Both Lucio and Roxina look shocked by what he says. Laxus continues, "Anyways, I'll be sure to keep security on high alert around here while you guys figure things out. I'm off." He then turns around and walks away. Roxina then looks at Kaizer, "He's just joking around there's no way-" She stops when she sees the look on Kaizer's face, "I'm sorry miss, what was it now, Roxina? But we're on an important mission here, we'll treat your wounds, then we gotta go." She turns to Gin who is looking at her crazy, then to Lucio, "Lucio, what's going on!?" Wide-eyed, he then says, "I think I know how people are getting erased…it's the bite." Roxina pulls down the sleeve of her coat and shirt; from the bite marks, white veins are sprouting.
*It is early the next day as Roagan, Junshi, and Namika check their belongings and make sure they are ready, while Raiu...well she's there, but she's hunched over and looks almost zombie like*
From down the road, a mid-sized young man with a pack of his own jogs towards the group. Once he reaches them, he bows, "I'm Trienruk, and I'll be your guide to the beast's lair." He looks over the group and stops at Raiu, "Are you sure your group is ready? It is a rather difficult journey." Namika snickers, "Do not mind the princess over there, she's not used to real adventure." This sent a jolt of anger through Raiu that wakes her up, "I was just joking around. Lead the way big guy!" Raiu and Namika shoot each other dirty looks and begin marching down the road. Trienruk leans over to Junshi, "Are they like this all the time?" Junshi replies, "Only when they are awake, while they sleep they are quite peaceful." Trienruk sighs then yells, "You're going the wrong way!" [N/N: aaaaaand cue montage!]
The group's day passes, which consists of them traveling through harsh jungle, rocky terrain, monster packs, and treacherous rivers. In every scene, Raiu and Namika argue while Trienruk, Junshi, and Roagan look at the map or make sure Trienruk doesn't get eaten, or worse, by one thing or another. It is late evening by the time the group stops and sets up camp. They sit around a campfire that has meat roasting on it. Raiu and Junshi are looking at the meat, eyes sparkling and mouth-watering. They reach for it and at blinding speed Namika smacks both their hands, "I said it's not done. You must wait for perfection." She then turns to Trienruk, "So how much longer 'til we're at the den of the beast?" Trienruk looks at the sky, "If I'm right, we should be there in half a day…or less." Namika nods, "Ah, yes sky guiding. Glad to see some people still use superior tracking methods," she then cuts a glare at Raiu, "unlike some people." Raiu snaps, "Alright, that's it. You wanna go you genetic freak!? LET'S DO THIS!" Namika pulls out her sword, "FINALLY! LET'S GO YOU PRINCESS!"
They lunge at each other, but before they clash Junshi jumps between them and pushes both back. A strong glint of anger flashes through Junshi's normally calm, crimson eyes. Centering herself, she asks, "Is this the right time to be enacting some vendetta? What is this over anyway?" Raiu then shouts, "Don't ask me! I've never done anything to her; she's the one with the problem!" The group turns to Namika. She puts her sword away and sits down, "It is true: she herself has not done anything. More precisely, it is her people I cannot stand. In my village, we are told our history from a young age. How the Amazons were feared hunters, that there was no prey too big...not even dragons." The group looks shocked at the news. Raiu then retorts, "That's bullshit! Everyone knows that dragons can only be slayed by Dragon Slaying Magic, that's how it's always been." "Well then tell me: how many actual dragons have you heard your people slaying," Namika asks, "I know of at least three times Fairy Tail has come up short when faced with the beasts." Raiu looks like she wants to answer but has none. Junshi asks, "If that is the case, then why fight. Are you two not on the same side?" Namika shakes her head, "It is not that simple little one, for you see…those with Dragon Slaying Magic had an alliance with dragons and the Amazons wanted all dragons gone. Once the mutual enemy was gone, who do you think the attention turned towards?"
Namika then takes the meat off the fire and puts it on a cover close to her. "My people were strong, amazing warriors, but the combined power of dragons and slayers was too great. Once a great civilization, now reduced to a few small villages," she pulls out her sword, "and this blade is one of the only swords left of that time. One of our only reminders of who we once were was given to me so that I may carry on the legacy." For a moment, there is silence; Raiu gets up and walks over to Namika. The rest of the group tenses up not knowing what she will do. Once they are face to face, Raiu then bows, "I am sorry for all the pain dragon slayers have caused your people, and please understand that I am not my ancestors…nor do I share their opinions. I feel that if we can put aside those differences, then we can become good friends." Namika swings her sword down and everyone jumps back. The blade stops before Raiu's head and she hasn't moved an inch. Namika then puts her sword away, "I will not forget, and it is not my place to forgive, but I can put aside our differences for the common goal…as our ancestors did." Raiu then stands straight and scratches the back of her head, "Great! To be honest, I thought you were gonna kill me." Namika replies without missing a beat, "Oh I would have, but explaining would have been more trouble than it's worth. Come on, let's eat. Food is getting cold."
*Back in the tavern*
We see Lucio, Kaizer, and Gin standing in a hallway huddled up. Kaizer recaps, "Alright, I'm not fully convinced, but there is enough evidence to support this Roxina person's story. The questions I have are how do we fix this and why do you still remember her Lucio?" Both Kaizer and Gin look at him, "Maybe it's because I was there when she got bit and figured it out before I forgot." Gin nods, "Makes sense, so now what do we do?" Kaizer then states, "The best course of action is to find their base and figure out how to reverse this thing. But how?" Gin follows up, "Maybe we can follow them back if they come back again?" Lucio answers, "That is a good idea, but that's time wasted…time that we may not have." They consider their options before the door they're near swings open, hitting Gin in the face as Roxina walks out, "You know, I can hear you all, and I don't appreciate being left out." Lucio notices Roxina is a little paler than before but decides not to press the issue. Gin then closes the door and checks his face, "Well then short stack, what do you have in mind?" She cuts a glare at him, "Don't call me short stack. Why don't we just follow the trail that was left behind?" The other three glance at each other, then Kaizer asks, "What trail? I didn't see anything." Roxina stomps outside, "This trail!"
The guys look and still see nothing. Lucio walks over to her, "Roxina, we don't see anything, I'm guessing it's 'cause we weren't bitten. Come on, we'll figure something out." He grabs her arm. Suddenly, his hidden eye throbs and his other eye begins to glow, making the trail she was talking about visible to him. There are blue flame splotches leading the way the dogs left. Lucio lets go and his vision returns to normal, "Huh, guess you aren't going crazy." She snaps, "What's that supposed to mean!?" Lucio turns back, "There's a trail of blood from the injured dog that only she can see, it probably leads back to the hideout. Let's go." Kaizer and Gin look at each other and shrug. Lucio turns to Roxina, "Lead the way." She huffs as she leads the group out.
As they get farther on the path, the forest gets more eerie. The trees turn from a light gray to a dark black with twisting branches that have no leaves, making the trees almost look like monsters. The grass is a dead yellow and the wind is cold and brittle, almost as if it is trying to take your soul with it. Lucio notices Roxina is tense, "What's the matter?" She puts her hand out and Lucio stares at it blankly. She rolls her eyes, "So you can see, dumbass." He nods then takes it. The same thing happens as before and his vision changes. Within the dead terrain, hundreds of red eyes and sharp teeth now appear, allowing Lucio to understand why she is so tense. Lucio then questions, "Why aren't they attacking us?" Roxina shrugs, "My guess is because they don't feel threatened." They stop at the opening of a huge cave. Gin shivers, "Do you guys feel that?" The group nods. "There's no mistaking it," Kaizer says. "This feeling…it's like death is screaming at us," Lucio says in a shaky voice. "We have no choice, we have to go in," Roxina says faintly. They nod in agreement and head in.
N/N: Hey, look at me. Staying on task and following some kind of schedule. Hehehe. Eh, I probably shouldn't get used to this though…hope you lovelies enjoyed!
Until next time FanFiction, this is
…
duodragoon & SkyFlameDragon
…
Signing off
