The Rise Of Eisenwald
The Rise Of Eisenwald
Trixie continued to read her issue of 'Sorcerers Weekly' across the isle from the others when Gray looked at Erza. "I think it's about time you started filling us in on the details..." he said quietly. "...what kind of mission have we signed up for?"
"Yes, of course." Erza said with a nod. "You see, I have reason the dark guild Eisenwald is preparing to do something big, and it has something to do with a magic item called 'Lullaby'..." she began. This drew all their eyes to her.
Lucy gasped at the name, and Trixie snapped her gaze to the armored woman. she recognized that name from their run in with the muggers before... "Lullaby?" Trixie, Lucy and Gray chorused at once. "That thing from before?" Lucy asked. Erza narrowed her eyes at them, silently demanding what they were talking about. They recounted their fight with the muggers and then the living shadow that had attacked them afterward.
....................................THE DARK GUILD EISENWALD............................
Four figures walking at a purposeful pace left the looming gateway of the Eisenwald guild hall. "I hear Kageyama finally got back to us..." one of them said. "He says he's actually found it!"
The leader, a man with a large scythe resting on his shoulder turned to face the other one slowly. He wore little other then the tattered hakama trousers simple sandles and navy blue scarf that consisted of his attire. the rest of his body was covered in tattoos. "...The moment of truth has arrived, gentlemen..." he said with a dark finality that was accentuated by the sadistic smile and the demented glee in his eyes. "...That means we're one step closer to achieving our goals... The guildmasters will be too busy holding their conference to realize what's hit them..."
.................................................................................................................
At some point during the train ride, Natsu and Lucy had traded places so Natsu was sitting beside Erza, who gave him a swift punch in the gut; effectively knocking him out...
"I see..." Erza said, nodding in understanding. "So you've had a run in with the Eisenwald guild before...?"
"Well I'm not positive, but they did mention Lullaby... I think they might have been runaways who didn't want anything to do with what they were planning..."
"...So this thing is so bad it scares dark wizards?" Trixie asked across the way, getting a nod from Erza.. "I've had experience with a similar such thing..." she muttered.
Gray was silent for a moment before speaking up. "That reminds me...Eisenwald isn't the only dark guild run in I've had recently..."
Lucy nodded. "That's right, you mentioned before that the bandits from your job in Lilactown was being led by a guy from..." she furrowed her brow for a moment. "...It was Blood Diamond, wasn't it?"
Gray nodded. "That's right, it was some freaky masked guy named Lazaro." he confirmed.
Erza did a double take. "Lazaro Sarabaas?!" Erza asked urgently. "You fought him and survived?" She couldn't hide her amazement.
Gray shrugged. "...well, I wasn't actually alone when I fought him..." he admitted. "... I had a lot of help from Trixie and her team; Plus, we got a lucky shot. That's all..."
"I imagine he'll be back..." Trixie wagered. "...and mad as a hornet at that."
Erza held a thoughtful look for a moment. "...Well, back on topic... I'm only hypothesizing...but I believe that the one who dragged off your attackers must have been from Eisenwald...It's clear that they didn't want their plans getting out..."
"Yeah, one of them seemed to know exactly who their attacker was..." Trixie recalled. The image of the Goblin's terrified expression and his frantic words flashed across her mind. '...It's Eisenwald! ya gotta untie us...!' she recalled.
"what do you think they're going to try?" Lucy asked.
"Let me start at the beginning." Erza said calmly. "I was on my way back to the guild when I'd stopped at a pub in Onibas that was a known gathering place for wizards and gossip..."
............................................................................................................
"Hey, hurry it up, Bartender!" a voice called out from behind her, drawing her attention to a group of four or five at a table in the corner. "Let's get another round over here!" Erza discreetly watched over her shoulder at them as their conversation continued.
"Hey, take it easy man." another one said.
"How can I?!" the first one asked; his tone was harsh with irritation! "We finally figured out where Lullaby is hidden, and we can't do anything! ...and because of some seal?!"
A third one spoke. "Hey, keep it down, man..." he said in a harsh whisper.
"Don't sweat it guys." the fourth said coolly. "...Let me handle this one." He said standing up from his chair.
the third one spoke again. "You sure Kage?" he asked, his deep voice wavering a little. The notion made him nervous.
"You gonna be okay on your own?" the second one asked.
"I got this." 'Kage' said confidently. "You guys just go back to the guild and tell Erigor that I'll be coming back with Lullaby in three days."
Erigor...where had she heard that name before...?
...............................................................................................
"Lulluby? that's a song that you sing kids to sleep...?" Lucy asked; a theory forming in her head, but she wouldn't say anything until she was sure.
"Yes...and the fact that it had been sealed away would mean that it is very powerful, and very dangerous magic..." Erza answered grimly; Natsu not paying attention as he was practically comatose next to her...
"Are you positive the guys you saw at the pub were with Eisenwald?" Gray asked.
Trixie saw the self berating look in Erza's eyes before she spoke. "...Yes..." she said barely above a whisper. "...I can't believe I was such a fool that day..." She looked down at her hand and clenched a fist. "I hadn't recognized the name at first..." she said grimly. "...Erigor... 'The Ace Of Eisenwald'...known for only accepting assassination missions...which is how he came to be better known as 'Erigor The Reaper'"
"He kills for money?!" Lucy asked in horror, getting a nod from Erza.
"...When the magic council outlawed assassination requests, Eisenwald and the other dark guilds decided money was more important then the council's rules." Erza explained. "As a result they were kicked out of their wizards' league six years ago; but that hasn't stopped them. They disobey the orders and remain active to this day..."
Lucy was terrified. Trixie couldn't deny, this group sounded more then a little intimidating... "Okay...I really should be going back home, now..." Lucy whimpered, hugging her little snowman spirit into her chest a little tighter then before.
"Wow, Lucy's slimy all of a sudden." Happy chirped.
"It's sweat, FURBALL!" she hissed...
Trixie, Lucy and Gray all flinched as Erza brought her fist down...on the side of Natsu's head... "How could I have been so careless?" Erza seethed. "...If only i had recognized Erigor's name that day, I could have pulverized them; forced them to reveal their plans to me."
"Gray was thoughtful throughout Erza's explanation. "So, if I got this right, Eisenwald is planning something with this Lullaby, and after what you overheard, you're pretty sure it's going to be something bad...?" he summarized.
"That's right, I have no notion of taking on an entire dark guild by myself..." Erza confirmed,
Trixie who had been silently listening the whole time, finally spoke up. "That's all well and good, but are we supposed to do about it? what's the plan here?" Trixie asked.
Erza now held a determined fire in her eyes. "This is the reason I had asked for your help; ...we're going to storm the Eisenwald guild..."
Lucy looked even more terrified, while Gray grinned. "Sounds like fun to me." he agreed.
"Maybe we can rescue those prisoners while we're at it...?" Trixie mused aloud.
"It is possible; we'll just have to see." Erza granted with a smile.
............................................Later.........................................
The rest of their train ride consisted of banter and small talk until they transferred to another train, bound for Onibas, where Erza had overheard the Eisenwald guys. This time, they decided to order some lunchboxes for something to eat.
They happily ate their food when a thought occurred to Lucy. "Oh, by the way, what kind of magic do you use, Erza?" the Celestial wizard asked. Trixie had to admit, she was curious as well.
"An excellent question." Erza stated casually.
"Its a really pretty magic that she uses to make her enemies bleed; A LOT!" Happy cheered.
Erza shrugged. "...personally, I think Gray's magic is much more beautiful then mine..."
Lucy looked over at Gray expectantly. Gray smirked and placed a fist down across an open palm and the room seemed to instantly get a little colder as a three dimensional Fairy Tail guild mark appeared in his hand and floated over to Lucy. "I use Ice Make magic." He stated simply.
"Oh, Now I get it!" Lucy beamed. "You don't like each other because he's fire and you're ice; talk about not mixing well..."
"I never thought of that..." Erza mused aloud at the notion.
Gray shook his head. "...Nah, I just hate his guts..." he said, completely missing the cocked eyebrow on Erza's face. Trixie just smirked as she imagined Erza threatening to toss him out of the train.
...........................................Onibas Station..........................................
"Do you think the Eisenwald guys are still in town?" Gray asked. Trixie considered the question as well. It was unlikely if she were any judge...
"I have no idea..." Erza confessed. "That's what we're here to find out..."
"Well, even if they aren't, they will have left a trail for us to follow..." Trixie stated.
"What makes you say that?" Lucy asked.
"...Ego..." was Trixie's simple reply.
"huh?" Lucy tilted her head quizzically.
"They don't want their plans to go completely undisturbed..." Trixie clarified. She then turned to Erza. "If I were to guess, they knew you were there that day at the pub...and they deliberately leaked that info to you, knowing you'd act on it." she brought a finger to her chin. "...So they could lead us into some kind of trap, beat us, and have an audience while doing so."
"I see..." Erza said quietly. "How do you know this...?"
Trixie's face darkened, and she looked away; unable to meet their gaze. "...because...I wasn't always on the up and up... I used to do such things all the time... just to stroke my ego.". After a moment of uncomfortable silence, she looked back up at them. "...that's how I know... I doubt they're interested in any kind of physical reward if this Lullaby is really as dangerous as you're making it out to be."
"...So apart from whatever their goal is, They're also trying to put themselves up on a pedestal as a cut above the other dark guilds..." Gray deduced.
"Hey, where's Natsu?" Lucy asked, bringing their conversation to a halt.
"Oh, he...was...right behind me when we were...leaving the...train..." Trixie trailed off as she saw the train they were on, already in the distance. "OH, COME ON!!!"
"...We were so busy talking that I completely forgot about him!" Erza lamented. "This is all my fault! Natsu hates all forms of transportation!" She clenched a fist and her eyes snapped shut. "I need one of you to hit me for my penance!" she declared.
Lucy was horrified. "I think that might be a little much..." she said, whilst Gray pretended not to pay attention when-
-SMACK!!- Trixie swatted Erza in the back of the head. "...Remember, you asked for it...literally." she stated nonchalantly. Lucy and Gray just stared, dumbstruck as Trixie kept walking.
........................................Back on the train.................................
Natsu was groggy as he pushed himself up to a sitting position. His stomach and head screamed at him in protest to get off this stupid train. "...well well, looky here." a new voice said from somewhere ahead of him. "...It's a Fairy Tail wizard." this new voice sounded pleasant enough. "How's the guild life, these days? Is it worth stickin' around?" he asked.
Natsu finally looked up to see a young man, about his age, casually leaning against the bench just ahead of him. "...Huh...?" he croaked weakly. he was a slim looking guy wearing a white coat similar to Gray's. light blue pants and black shoes finished his wardrobe.
-CRASH!-
Before Natsu could react, the newcomer had rammed his foot into his face, pressing him into the back of the bench he sat on. "Don't act all high and mighty just because you're in a legal guild 'Mister Fairy'!" he barked. "...You guys who blindly follow the magic counsil, ya know what you look like to us? INSECTS! that's all. Just weak, insignificant flies!" This set Natsu off. His fists burst into flame as he took a quick swing at his attacker, though he jumped back skillfully. "Oopsie, guess I hit a nerve, hahaha!" he chuckled
"Why you-" Natsu trailed off as his nausea returned with a vengeance. extinguishing his fire instantly.
"Ha! what kind of magic is that?!" he demanded. "Let me show you how it's done!" He brought his hand down on the ground, and his shadow seemed to come alive. It snaked out from him, springing fourth, and taking three dimensional form and striking the fire wizard in rapid succession. Natsu flew back several feet and slammed hard into the floor. "It's all in the follow-through." he taunted.
Natsu struggled to get back up. He'd seen this before... he remembered the living shadow magic from when they were attacked a few days ago... "That magic..." he wheezed.
He was about to say something when suddenly the train's brakes squealed as it slowed to a stop. It happened so suddenly that he was lurched off his feet and sprawling forward. "Whoa!" he blurted out as he tumbled to the floor. That's when Natsu saw it. He wasn't sure what it was, but if he had to guess, he'd say it was some creepy novelty flute.
.........................................Back at Onibas Station..................................
"Hey, You can't just pull the emergency brake like that!" A hysterical station worker yelped.
"It's for our comrade, please understand..." Erza replied calmly.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" he demanded.
"Now, I'd like you to take our luggage to the hotel..." Erza requested.
"I AM NOT A BELLHOP!!!" he shouted indignantly.
Trixie and Lucy watched the scene unfold in bewildered embarrassment. "...Ya know, I'm starting to realize that all Fairy Tail wizards are just a little bit crazy..."
"...Well, not ALL of us..." Gray chimed in...in nothing but his boxers.
"OH YEAH, THEN WHERE ARE YOUR CLOTHES?!" Lucy bellowed while Trixie just placed her glasses on the brim of her hat and face palmed.
............................................Back on the Train..................................
Natsu kept looking at the flute. "What is that...?" he wondered aloud.
"No! he saw it!" his attacker paniced.
That's enough outta you!" Natsu declared. His fists exploded in flames once more, and this time this punk wouldn't have the train's motion to save him... "FIRE DRAGON: IRON FIST!!"
"GUARD SHADOW!!" his opponent called, and once again, the shadows rose from the ground, this time to form a protective wall in front of him.
-KABOOM!-
The roof exploded off the train car. thankfully, no one else had been in that car...
....................................................................................................
The engine roared as the magic mobile sped down the dirt road. Gray frantically struggled to hold on to the roof of the vehicle while Lucy rode in the back and Trixie, having refused to enter the contraption while Erza was 'driving like a psychopath' as she put it, was being towed behind the vehicle with a heavy rope while floating on a large star shaped mass of magic that she stood on top of. One could argue that this was just as, if not more risky then being inside the vehicle should it meet a sudden untimely demise, but she would rather be able to let go of the rope if Erza's crazy driving sent them cartwheeling down the rather steep hills that surrounded them. Her telekinesis was quite capable of grasping the falling magic mobile and lifting them back up to safety on the condition that she wasn't caught up in an uncontrollable sixty mile an hour vertical cartwheel...
Needless to say, she didn't trust Erza after seeing her squeal around the corner, scoop Lucy into the back and call for them to grab on, all without stopping... That was the reason as to why Gray was on the roof rather then safe inside.
...............................................................................................
"Attention: this emergency stop was a false alarm..." the voice of a stewardess announced over the P.A. system. "...we will be departing again shortly..."
Natsu went pale. "Oh, crap!" he wailed as he grabbed for his backpack. "I gotta get outta here!"
"Now hold on!" his attacker demanded. "You and I aren't done here yet! No one crosses Eisenwald and gets away with it!"
Natsu glared back. "Oh, so you're with Eisenwald are ya? I'll show you what happens to punks who knock FairyTail..." he growled. That's when the train began moving again. "Oh no!" he squeaked, his nausea hitting him like a steamroller.
......................................................................................................
They had finally caught up with the train, and Erza finally slowed her pace to match the train's speed. "Natsu!" Lucy called, her head out the window, trying to find him in the train.
As if on Que, Natsu blasted his way out of a window, sailing toward them. "AAAaaahhhhhhhh!" he screamed.
"Oh craaaaaaa-" Gray shouted, but was cut off when they crashed into each other in an unintentional high-speed headbutt.
Trixie let go of her rope and tried to catch Natsu and Gray. They were coming at her pretty fast. Her floating star platform now going at a considerably slower speed then the magic mobile, she was able to concentrate on grasping them with her mind. Her eyes flickered and began to shine with a pale violet glow as she held out her hands as if to grab them physically. The same violet glow enveloped the both; it was faltering, but there. They rolled across what seemed like an invisible barrier a few feet above the ground, but did not impact. finally she managed to steady them and set them down gently. Having to concentrate this hard on both her telekinesis and her platform star was beginning to give her a mean headache. "You okay, boys?" she asked, breathing heavily.
"...been better..." Gray groaned.
"...Ow..." Natsu replied.
..............................about fifteen minutes later...........................
Gray glared at Natsu. Natsu glared back. "THAT HURT YOU IDIOT!!" Gray roared.
Natsu wasn't having it. "Shut up you icy freak! how come you guys left me on the train?!"
"Does being on any form of transport really leave you so defenseless?" Trixie asked.
Natsu paused when he noticed her tone. it wasn't a judging tone, it was one of concern. "...Yeah...had that problem since I was a kid..."
"Either way, I'm glad you're okay." Erza said warmly looking like she was about to hug him when she...sort of hugged him by pressing his face into her chest plate, eliciting a grimace from Trixie, Lucy and Gray as his face slammed into it with a loud clang. "Please forgive me..."
"...aye..." he squeaked.
Natsu pulled back. "I'm a little shaken up, though." he confessed. "I was attacked on the train...some weirdo dressed in white. I think he was the one who used that shadow magic to drag away the guys who were gonna eat happy..." he turned to Erza. "...he said he was with Eisenwald-"
-SMACK!!-
A hard impact from Erza's gauntlet-less hand sent Natsu tumbling to the ground. Lucy, Gray and Trixie once again flinched as she struck him... "YOU FOOL!!" Erza roared. "That is exactly who we are chasing after! Why did you let him get away!?"
Natsu, now very confused, merely rubbed his tender cheek. "What? that's the first I've heard of it..." he defended lamely.
"We talked about it on the train ride here, you should listen when people are talking to you!" Erza lectured.
"...she completely forgot that she knocked him out herself didn't she...?" Trixie whispered to Gray.
"This woman is unbelievable..." Lucy said with a sigh.
"...yup..." was Gray's solitary reply.
"That's Erza for you!" Happy chirped.
............................Five minutes later..................................
Erza slapped the S.E. plug back on her wrist and readied the magic mobile. "...So he was on the same train as we were..." she said. "...we need to find him."
Gray looked at Natsu. "So, what was this guy like?" he asked, genuinely curious.
"He didn't look like a guy you'd expect to be in a dark guild, but he had this weird looking flute thing." Natsu recalled thoughtfully. "...On the end, it looked like a skull, but it had three eyes."
"...That's creepy..." Gray muttered while Trixie nodded in agreement.
"A three eyed skull?" Lucy asked, a little alarmed.
Trixie arched an eyebrow. "...ringing a bell, is it?" she asked. All this talk of evil artifacts was starting to put Trixie in a dark mood, and it was showing in her tone a little more then she had intended.
"...It's just...I've heard of that flute before..." Lucy said nervously. Erza was backing up in the magic mobile as Lucy continued. "...Lullaby: The cursed song... it's death magic!"
"What?!" Erza snapped her gaze to the blond. It was safe to say that everyone's attention was now undivided on Lucy.
"The cursed song? like some kind of incantation?" Gray asked. It was clear in both his expression and his tone that he didn't like where this was going. Trixie certainly didn't...
"I've only ever read about it in a book before...but in this world there are magics that are so terrible that their practice is outlawed at the highest degree..." Lucy explained.
Erza nodded, a dark frown across her features. "...that's right... cursed black magic that will kill the one it's used on..."
"well, if I'm right..." Lucy was clearly getting very shaken over the notion as she spoke. "...Then lullaby is among the worst of the worst..."
.........................................Kunugi Station..........................................
A woman screamed at the top of her lungs as a man was cut down before her eyes. A train station worker now lay dead at the feet of the notorious 'Erigor the Reaper'; A dark scowl on his face, and murder burning in his eyes. "This train belongs to Eisenwald now!" he declared. The Eisenwald Guild then began ransacking the train; for what, no one else knew. "Get everything off the train!" he barked. "Luggage, the conductor, ALL OF IT! If anyone dares to defy us then kill them all!" he roared, unaware that they had an observer watching them from just around the corner, completely unseen in the chaos.
...............................................................................................................
By happy coincidence, Lazaro Sarabaas had been passing through when he'd spotted the Eisenwald guild. Another member of the "Shadow Hand Syndicate" as their alliance had been called. There was a few small time dark guilds in their alliance, but Eisenwald and Blood Diamond were the major players. He couldn't help but smile as he observed and wondered what they were up to... Perhaps they'd be interested in a joint venture when their current little...what ever it was they were planning... was completed.
Their new benefactor had graciously given them a silver mine as payment and so they'd be doing jobs for her for a while yet, with the promise that there would be greater rewards if they stuck with her to help her carry out her goals as she revealed them. she was rather quiet on her endgame, but she said that eradicating the magic council and a select few of the legal guilds, master and all, was an integral part of her plan...
He smiled under his mask as he couldn't help but wonder how long they would take to notice him, he wasn't exactly subtle to spot...
..................................................................................................
"Well, look who's here." The voice of Kageyama drew Erigor's attention to a train car a little further down from his position.
"Kageyama..." Erigor greeted calmly. "...I heard you were coming back aboard this train. There's quite a bit of wreckage here, care to explain what happened?" his tone demanded answers, and Erigor wasn't a man who liked to be kept waiting...
Kageyama only smiled. "Oh, come on. Aren't you the least bit interested to see what I brought back with me?" he asked reaching into his jacket and pulling out the Lullaby flute; distinguished by the three eyed skull. "I finally managed to break the seal." he said, a dark smle on his face.
"Excellent." Erigor said with a smile of his own.
"Oh yeah!" one of them said. Apart from the odd pharoh-style headdress on his head, he wore a simple, unassuming navy blue suit.
"Is that it?" another asked. he was a much larger fellow who wore a red jacket reminiscent of nobility or military.
"Yes, this is it, men...the forbidden lullaby!" Erigor declared triumphantly. "At first it was a tool for casting simple death curses... simple but limited..." his grin grew as he spoke, almost reverently, of it. "...But then the dark wizard Zaref transformed it into a demon flute." Erigor was now grinning ear to ear with psychotic glee. "...Now its song will kill thousands! MILLIONS!" He raved.
Erigor's ravings were cut short as a voice familiar to him rang out. "Ah, so that's what Eisenwald has been up to lately!". All heads turned to see a man walking towards the white haired assassin. A man in a tattered coat and a white mask with blood seeping from the eyes and mouth; Lazaro Sarabaas. "...You boys have something big planned I imagine, eh?"
"Indeed!" Erigor greeted. "It's been a while, Lazaro." Erigor held out the lullaby flute. "...We have something special planned for the guild masters at their conference...I don't suppose you'd care to join the fun?"
Lazaro brought a finger to his chin. "...hmm..." having them owe Blood diamond would certainly help in the long run... Oh who was he kidding? Of course he was in! "...Yes...I believe I shall, and perhaps when this is done, Eisenwald would like to Join Blood diamond in something rather special...?"
"Intriguing...we'll discuss it further in a moment..." Erigor said with a nod before turning back to Kageyama...
....................................................................................................................
Gray was once again frantically grasping the roof of the magic mobile, this time because the cab was completely full up with people, being Natsu, Lucy, and Trixie, who had opted to ride in the car this time as she didn't want to risk burning herself out with a repeat of earlier... "Slow down Erza!" Gray shouted over the sound of the engine. "If you keep this up, you'll burn through all your magic energy before we even get there!"
"We can't take any chances!" Erza called back. "If Eisenwald gets too far ahead of us, then we won't be able to stop what ever they have planned!"
"...And Lives will be lost..." Trixie finished in disgust. A scowl on her face.
..........................................The Town Of Clover........................................
"Oh, I am so jelous Macky." A large man dressed in vibrant pink swooned. "They're so full of life, and they're such cutie pies!" This was Bob. the guild master of the Blue Pegasus guild. Many are always surprised to find out that yes, he is a man and not an overweight woman... many of the other guild masters often make jokes about how effeminate he is, and he rolls with them surprisingly well.
"Oh, you mean Lucy?" Makarov Drayar inquired, inebriation slurring his speech slightly. "...Yeah, she's one of our newest recruits, and she's got a body that won't quit!" he declared. "...Trixie and Sunset are up there too! heeheehee!"
"Oh, so naughty!" Bob gushed, covering his face with his hands.
"I wouldn't be joking around too much if I were you..." a gruff voice said from the buffet table. It's source, a man wearing a simple black t-shirt and a wizard hat with a spiked red band around it, with a matching collar around his neck. This was Goldmine; the master of the Quatro Cerberus Guild. "Your wizards may be spirited, but ya gotta admit, they go overboard sometimes." he pointed at Makarov with the kebab in his hand to emphasize his point. "...Some folks are concerned that your wizards will level an entire city if they aren't careful... Can't say I blame them."
Makarov shrugged it off. "Bah, let them worry; what do I care?" he laughed. "Their just jelous 'cause my wizards are HOT!!"
"Oh, Macky." Bob gushed once more. "You shouldn't talk about your wizards like that, you're such a scoundrel!"
Master Makarov! Mail for Master Makarov!" a high pitched voice chirped. A small blue bird with a wizard's hat flew over to them with a letter in its tiny talons. "I have a letter from miss Mirajane, sir!" it chirped again.
"Oh, thanks a lot..." Makarov replied.
"No problem!" the bird chirped before flying away.
Makarov traced his finger around the ink seal on the envelope and a blue spell-circle flashed over it for a brief moment. A projection of Mirajane herself appeared in the spell circle's place. "Hello Master" the projection greeted. "I'm glad you made it to the conference safe and sound."
Makarov held out the envelope for all to see. "See? this beauty's our poster girl Mirajane! Grab some eye candy boys!" he laughed.
"Ooh La la..." Bob appraised. While many would call Bob's sexuality into question, even he would never deny a woman's beauty.
Goldmine whistled. "That's Mirajane? I haven't seen her in a good while, she sure has matured..."
"Oh Master, you're not gonna believe it!" the projection of Mirajane cheered. "Something amazing has happened! It may be the most amazing thing in the history of Fairy Tail!"
Makarov blinked. "Really?" he asked incredulously. What could possibly be so...
"Natsu, Erza and Gray have all teamed up together! Isn't that amazing? They are probably the most powerful team in all of Fairy Tail!"
No...
No...no...
"I'm sorry to other you, Master, but I just had to tell you the amazing news!"
"...Not...those three..." he wheezed.
"See you soon Master!" The projection chirped before vanishing in a little flash.
How could this happen? How could this be allowed to happen?! "Those three really COULD destroy an entire city!" Makarov whimpered. "The conference ends today, so I can be back at Fairy Tail by tomorrow afternoon, I just hope nothing crazy happens between now and then...Oh, please let nothing happen..."
..................................................................................................................
"I can understand hijacking cars or boats, but why go through all the trouble of stealing a train?" Lucy asked.
Happy was looking out at the chaos below at Kunugi Station next to Lucy while Trixie was trying to keep Natsu from vomiting on her... "It doesn't make much sense to me either...They aren't much good for a getaway cause it can only follow the tracks it's on..." Happy stated.
Trixie shrugged. "Well, unless you can fly long distances, then Train is the fastest way to get around..."
"I guess it's up to us to find out where they were going and why they were in such a hurry..." Gray stated thoughtfully...for some reason in nothing but his boxers...
"...Pants Gray...?" Trixie inquired in slight annoyance.
""hm?" he looked down at himself. "Oh..." he said as if it were no real problem.
"The military has already been called to action, so it should be only a matter of time until they find them, right?" Lucy asked, noting the armed battalion outside of the train station.
"I hope that's the case, Lucy..." Erza said before starting the engine and driving away...
..........................................................................................
A loud crack thundered through the train car. Kageyama dove in terror as Erigor swung his scythe down at him, splitting the bench that he had been sitting on. "...Now, let me get this straight..." Erigor seethed. "...Not only did you let one of those Fairy Tail 'flies' see the forbidden Lullaby, but you then let him GET AWAY?!"
Kage waved his arms frantically. "But, it's not like he knows anything about the plan, sir!" he pleaded. "...and even if he did, there's no way he and his stupid guild would be able to stop us, right?"
This did nothing to stay Erigor's fury, as the scythe wielding man swung his weapon again; this time, the blade punctured the hardwood floor of the train car inches away from Kage's crotch."We can't take any chances!" he bellowed. his expression changed to his usual confidence. "It's fortunate that we have a strategy in place at Oshibana station...can't have any of Fairy Tail's flies buzzing about where they're not wanted." he held up the flute in his hand. "As I advance to the final stage, it will be up to all of you to swat them away..." he nodded to the masked man, sitting calmly not far from where they stood. "...Lazaro will over see things at the station and ensure that the trap goes off without any problems. You all will be taking orders from him in my absence..."
Another Eisenwald wizard in the train car grinned. "Man, we really lucked out getting Lazaro for backup!" he cheered. "We're practically guaranteed victory!"
Erigoe smiled. "Yes, gentlemen, it seems as though the divines themselves are aligned to our cause. None the less, we will not leave this to chance!" he declared. "...And Lazaro's help comes with a price. He tells me that Blood Diamond is also planning something big and has invited Eisenwald in on their operation to spread the wealth that they will obtain!"
The wizards of Eisenwald cheered.
........................................................................................................................
A familiar magic mobile sped through the streets of Oshibana toward the train station. Gray, through a terrible string of bad luck, ended up once again clinging for dear life to the top of the vehicle while Erza drove. "Slow down Erza!" he shouted. "At this rate you're going to overload the S.E. plug!!"
Erza merely stared forward. "There's no telling how many innocents will die if the Lullaby is played!" She defended. "I can't slow down now!"
"But at this rate, you'll use up all your magic energy before we even start fighting!" Gray pressed.
Erza grinned. "Well, then I'll just have to use hand to hand combat." She shot back. "Besides, This is why I asked you and Natsu to join me!"
In the car, Happy sat in Trixie's lap with a thoughtful expression on his face. "...hmm... I feel like there was something important I was supposed to tell you..."
Trixie had been trying to keep Natsu from throwing up when Happy spoke. "Supposed to tell me?" she asked.
"...no. Lucy..." Happy corrected.
Trixie mere gave the cat a curious look before returning her focus to not being vomited on by Natsu... "...I can't believe Erza's still going at full speed..." she commented. "...She's gotta be feeling it by now..." She couldn't help but feel like this was going to bite them soon...
"I AM NOT SICK!!" Lucy's shout snapped Trixie from her thoughts.
"...But if that's not it then what was it...?" Happy muttered."...Lucy's weird...?" Trixie smirked. "...hungry...fishey? I like fish!" She couldn't help but laugh at that one...
Lucy shot a dirty look at Happy. "Don't talk about such things and call me weird!" she cried indignantly.
Erza was still driving at full throttle. She's be lying if she said that she wasn't feeling the burn by now, but that wasn't important. Looming over the rooftops ahead of them was a thick billowing column of black smoke. "What is that?" she muttered.
............................................Oshibana Station....................................................
A large cowd of people had gathered at the entrance to the train station; many of them curious onlookers who just wanted to know what all the fuss was about. Others were would be passengers who weren't allowed to even enter the building. "Everyone, please stand back!" the train station worker announced with a megaphone. "The train station is closed due to a derailment!"
Among the crowd were three young women. The first one, a fair skinned beauty with glamorously styled long blue hair. Her ensemble consisting of a fancy looking white sleeveless top with the elegant blue shoulder straps hanging loosely around her shoulders that glittered beautifully in the sunlight. A lovely blue skirt and high heeled boots finished her outfit. "A derailment?!" She wailed. "...Of all the bad things to have happened, this is the WORST...,POSSIBLE...THING!!!" she cried, much to the chagrin and amusement of her two companions.
To her right, a slightly shorter girl with purple and pink streaks decorating her boyishly styled dark hair. She was rather boyishly dressed as well. A purple button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, grey fatigues and purple lace up boots consist her outfit."...Oh, chill out, Rene." she chided after plucking the lollipop from her mouth. "...clearly something bigger is going on and they're trying to avoid a panic..." she said nonchalantly.
The third, a tough looking blond with a simple plaid shirt, blue jeans and cowboy boots and hat with a revolver holstered at her right hip and a guitar strapped to her back shook her head in annoyance. "Ah, know what you're thinkin' Dusk...and the answer is 'NO'." she said with a flat unimpressed tone. "...Your last 'brilliant idea' landed us in a heap o' trouble and Ah ain't in the mood to go sneakin around the train station when we just barely avoided gettin' arrested once this week already!"
Dusk spun on her heel to face her blond companion with her best 'sad puppydog' look. "...please, Alexis...?" she pleaded with a pouting lip. "I'm telling you, it was totally worth it to expose that Everlue prick!" she reasoned. "...we DID end up getting rewarded for it after, remember?" she asked, never breaking the sad puppy gaze.
They stared at each other for a moment before Alexis sighed warily. "...alright, FINE!" she conceded. "...but we're going to do it smart this time, right?" she asked in a tone that suggested that it was NOT a request.
Dusk blinked. "...uh..."
Alexis glared. "Right?!" she growled.
"Ah! Okay, okay!" Dusk relented.
Rene chose this moment to speak. "Oh, and Dusk, darling?"
"Yeah?"
with a sugar sweet smile and tone, she continued. "I'd prefer if we stayed away from crawling in vents this time around... This is my last clean outfit and I want to make this one last more then two hours."
Dusk's eyes darted around nervously. That was exactly how she'd planned on sneaking in... " ...uh...but what if it's necessary to-"
"NO. CRAWLING. IN. VENTS..." she hissed menacingly; her fingertips transformed into crystalline diamond claws to enforce her statement.
"Wah! Okayokayokay!!!" Dusk whimpered. It was true she was the sneakiest wizard thief from here to Crocus, but sometimes her ideas were so outlandish that anyone outside of an insane asylum would consider them crazy beyond all reason... that's because most people can't appreciate that genius and madness often come hand in hand...
"Alright, let's find an entrance that doesn't have a bunch of people all over it..." Alexis directed; and with that, the trio slipped out of the crowd and around the corner.
..................................................................................................................
Erza and everyone had exited the car and the red head approached the worker standing in front of the trian station. "Excuse me, could you tell me what's going on?" she asked.
"Why would I tell you, Lady?!" he demanded.
-SMASH!!- Erza answered his question with a scowl and a sudden headbutt.
"What's going on?!" Erza demanded of another station worker, only to headbutt him down to the ground a moment later.
Lucy looked on with a wary resignation as Erza moved on to another worker. "...It seems her method of questioning is a tad counterproductive..."
"...yup..." Trixie nodded.
"Erza's got her own way of doing things..." Gray stated matter of factly.
"The Eisenwald guild is inside. Let's go!" Erza directed authoritatively.
"You mean I have to carry Natsu inside?" Lucy asked desperately.
"...s...sorry..." was Natsu's weak reply.
...............................................................................................................
They were sprinting down the empty hallway. "...A small army unit charged in earlier to combat the Eisenwald forces, but none of them have returned yet." Erza explained.
"Well, you can't exactly expect a bunch of magic outlaws to fight fair..." Trixie countered. "...Of course they fought dirty and of course the soldiers couldn't match it."
Their pace slowed as they rounded a corner and were greeted by the sight of almost an entire platoon's worth of royal knights, sprawled and beaten... "They were completely wiped out." Happy lamented, concern written clear in his voice and his face.
"They were up against an entire guild of dark wizards..." Erza said grimly. "...a small contingent like this wouldn't stand a chance..."
They continued down the hallway until it lead to a large room. A lobby perhaps...? "Welcome!" a new voice boomed. "Step into our parlor, Fairy Tail flies!"
"Whoa! there's so many of them!" Lucy whimpered.
Trixie merely took off her glasses and hooked them to her belt. "...Erigor The Reaper, I presume?" she inquired.
The silver haired man dressed in tatters merely grinned in response. Lucy was desperately trying to wake Natsu up. "Come on, Natsu. We need your help!" she cried.
"Good luck..." Happy said bluntly. "...With the train, then the car, and now you shaking him, it's like a motion sickness triple combo!"
A young man in the front of the large group before them glared nastily at Natsu. "You! It's your fault I got in trouble with Erigor." he growled. "Get up!"
Natsu's eyes snapped open. "I know that voice...!" he whispered hoarsely.
Erza stood her ground. "We're not threatened by any of you!" she declared. "Tell me what you're planning to do with Lullaby!"
Erigor smirked. "Oh, so you haven't figured us out entirely yet?" he taunted before levitating up into the air with the sound of howling wind. "What do all train stations have?" he asked condescendingly.
"Levitation...?" Trixie mused. "...no that's something else, not telekinesis."
"It's wind magic!" Happy pointed out.
Erigor landed into a crouching position on top of a P.A. speaker tower. in the lobby with a laugh. Erza's eyes went wide as the notion rammed into her like the front grill of a train. "You're planning to broadcast the Lullaby's song?!" she asked in horror.
Erigor laughed once more. "Hahahahahaha! Thousands of nosy onlookers have flocked to the station to see what's going on. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to kill every single one of them with my cursed melody of death!" The man finished with a feral psychotic grin.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Trixie demanded. "what beef could you possibly have with these people that would lead you to genocide like this?!"
Erigor was unfazed. "This is a cleansing of all the ungrateful fools out there who fail to appreciate the rights they hold so dear." he raved. "...those who, all the while remain willfully ignorant to the plights of those who have had their rights stripped away from them!"
A new voice rang out from the crowd. "They have committed the sin of turning a blind eye to the world's... -sigh- ...Okay, ya know what?"
"That voice!" Gray blanched. He recognized the voice of the masked lunatic from Lilactown anywhere...
The wizards of Eisenwald parted down the center of their horde to reveal Lazaro Sarabaas. "...All this noble talk really is just a load of crap. We know it, they know it." The masked man said nonchalantly. "We all know you just want to kill them just because you can..." he said, completely ignoring the glaring eyes of Erza. "...so let's stop wasting each others time, shall we?"
"Killing all these people isn't going to get you your rights back, It's only going to make it worse!" Lucy reprimanded. "That's the whole reason you were kicked out of the wizard league in the first place!"
Erigor turned his gaze to the blond. "At this point, we've given up on trying to regain our rights. We want Power!" he clenched a fist in emphasis. "Then we will be able to wash away the sins of the past and take control of what happens in the future!"
Trixie took of her hat and ran her fingers through her long silver hair. "Well its good to know you all are completely mad..." Trixie said with an easy tone and a lop-sided grin. "It'll make putting you in you place that much easier...but before that starts, I do have one simple question..."
Erigor cocked his head to the side in amusement. "...And what would that be?"
Trixie's expression shifted into a hard glare. "...The five your shadow wizard dragged away a few days back...are they still alive?"
"They are..." Erigor granted, then his grin darkened. "...for now..."
"...Good..." Trixie breathed a sigh of relief.
It was Lazaro's turn to tilt his head, this time in curiosity. "Why are you concerned about them?" the masked man asked.
Trixie grinned and for a moment, her eyes flickered red. A dark grin of her own adding menace to her disdainful glare. "...You know, I was like all of you, once..." she said calmly. "...All I cared about was power and revenge... Money and fame..." She reached to her belt and drew out a small object that resembled a fancy pen or pencil. With a flash of violet light, it grew into the wooden staff she'd taken from the runaway that had attacked them before. "...needless to say, I was NOT a nice girl..." The end of the staff ignited in a midnight blue mass of magic energy that shimmered with brilliant ribbons of pale blue and green. glittering flecks glinted as she moved. It was as though she'd captured a small chunk of the night sky at the end of the staff. "Then it all came crashing down on top of me..." she continued.
"...And I was at my lowest... All over my homeland I was known as a usurper and a slaver, and I was hated for it." She glared up at Erigor, with barely contained fury as all her building disgust and contempt for their actions, and her own, started to boil over. "...And if you don't surrender...I'm gonna show you...all of you...that side of myself, and you will find out the hard way what it feels like to have everything you've worked so hard to build fall away under your feet!"
Her eyes glowed intensely as she neared the end of her speech; her violet irises practically invisible against their intense glow. Kageyama could only stare at the woman before their small army. She knew what it was like...? She knew what it was like and yet she turned from that dark path and strives to change things...? "That was very heartwarming, Trixie Lulamoon..." Lazaro interjected casually. "...and quite fortuitous that you happened to be a part of lady Erza's reinforcements..." He looked up at Erigor. "I'll handle it from here; you do have an appointment to make.". He returned his gaze to Trixie. "My employer wants you, Trixie..." he revealed. "...An old friend of yours... and I would hate for you to miss a chance at a reunion..." He said before his casual attitude gave way to hysteric, demented laughter.
...................................................Chapter End.......................................
....................................Next Time: The True Face Of Lullaby...............................
And there's "The rise Of Eisenwald"! What do you guys think?
In the next chapter, the battle for the Lullaby flute begins as Erigor moves to the final step of their plan, and our heroes fight to take them out. Trixie discovers that there's still a small sliver of the Alicorn Amulet's power still within her and some unfortunate Eeisenwald wizards discover Trixie's dark side.
Also another appearance from Alexis, Dusk and Rene, who I'm pretty sure you guys figured out are the Earthland counterparts of Aj, Twi and Rarity, respectively. I plan on having other counterparts enter the story eventually as well, but for now, It'll just be the three.
Up next on my work list is Not the next chapter of this story,
but the beginnings of another story
. I hope you guys receive the new one as well you have this one. Not to worry though, I definitely plan on doing this one for a good while yet. This chapter was probably my largest one to date, not sure about the exact word count, but it's definitely one of my biggest one yet. In the next chapter, I'll try to include some pictures of some of these new characters that I've introduced, perhaps in a deviantart link or just inserting the images... Either way, with the multiple outfits I plan on introducing for each of the girls, I plan on having a bit of a poll with concept images for you guys to voice your opinions on which ones you would like me to stick with, so look forward to that.
Thanks for reading. Corrupted Champion OUT!! 
Stats
Page generated in 0.02 seconds
Total duration
689 users online
1,032,532 hits today, 2,280,440 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Makarov has his priorities set right.
Good story so far. Characterization fairly spot on. Still an overabundance of ellipses that probably aren't necessary, as well as a few typos here and there, but nothing excessive. Keep up the good work.
It's getting there, I'll say that much. I hope the ideas I thought for their magic come through
6656449 patience my friend. Their powers will become clear.
I won't give specific details just yet, but you're close... very close.
You still have a good hold on my attention, but I must also warn you that you are getting dangerously close to the edge. While you have an additional substance coming in to add to the original story, you are following a bad trend of not doing much original when it comes to the source material's story.
Just something to be aware of. Looking forward to the next update!
6658127 A noteworthy and understandable perspective and I thank you for it
. I promise that original stuff is coming after the Eisenwald arc. I just ask you to be patient for a little bit longer and you'll see some cool new stuff when the girls are back together and start going on their own missions. The story is still coming into its own with major plot elements merely being foreshadowed. I hope I can hold your attention at least until then.
6657249 I have the uncanny ability to predict, my friend
This is good shit!
This is freaking awesome.
6692973 glad you like it.
I'm going to try and get the next chapter up within the next week or so.
TBH, I mistakened "Dusk" for Rainbow Dash here, mostly because of her attitude.
I also have problems with how Luna, Sunset, and Lightning have been sidelined so you could introduce 3 people who you could have just actually be the members of the Mane Six. Seeing as that this arc hasn't ended yet I'll refrain from commenting further to see how you expand on it, but as it stands it looks like you completely sidelined them to further develop Trixie and to introduce three people you would rather have in the story instead.
Also, WHY DOES POWERFUL IN THE TITLE OF YOUR STORY HAVE TWO Ls?!!!