Storm Dragon's Ashes

Chapter 12: Traitor or Friend?

Pic of Jack Volteer

(Jack's POV)

My eyes gazed upon the stars shining in the night as I stood over the edge of the balcony. I couldn't get so many things out of my head. King Darius was no exception. He did all of this. I'd clench my fists at the thought of him cozily sitting on his throne, waiting for the news of our deaths. Heh, I can't imagine how disappointed he'll be. I tiny smile revealed itself on my face at the thought of Darius' thwarted plans.

"Curse you Fairy Tail, you've thwarted my plans once again! You vile creatures of the night!" said the imaginary Darius lying on the floor banging his fists in my amusingly well thought creative imagination.

...what?

Okay, I tend to have a very childish imagination when I'm nervious....so what?! Laugh if you want, I don't care....

Who am I talking to again?

CURSE YOU, YOU BEAUTIFULLY CREATIVE HEAD!

Because of my visit to the real Midori castle, I've learned two things, a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that both me and Lucy know where the real bad guys were hiding, the bad thing is how me and Lucy know how outnumbered we are against the bad guys. Once we got to the hotel, Erza, Natsu, and Happy said that it looked different. That while they were in town, the people disappeared and most buildings suddenly looked abandoned. Same thing happened with the hotel. Erza had gone up and checked if the hotel was in good conditions. When she came out, she said that it was pretty dusty and filthy but that we could still stay in the room they were before for the night.

Twenty minutes after we entered room, Gray came through the door carrying a wounded and exhausted Wendy and another person over his shoulders. He told us what happened when they left the hotel, how the guy's name was Shade Nightcrawler and that he was the one who attacked them using Illusion Magic. That would explain the why everything suddenly looked so deserted and abandoned.

Wendy and Lucy were placed over the two beds in the bedroom. The tuxedo wearing celestial spirit, Leo, left to attend some affairs he had back in the Celestial World, but he promised he would come back to explain a few things he didn't before. Natsu and Happy sat on a chair next to Lucy's bed keeping her company, Carla sat beside Wendy's bed holding her hand, Gray and Erza remained on their feet discussing what to do with the black haired man uncounsious on the sofa and I...

I did two things to keep myself occupied and distant from the others. First I checked the hotel generator and kicked it a few times. Then I picked a few tools and fixed it. I used my lightning to bring it back to life and then we had electricity running through the building. Then, back in the room, I isolated myself on the balcony to stare at the stars. I identified some of the constellations I had learned back when I was with Volteer.

I sigh, thinking about all the trouble I've caused on these past few days. I shouldn't have come to this mission. I'm dragging the team behind. Another exaggerated sigh finds it way out of my mouth. Even with all the comotion circling through my head, it was peaceful to see the sky at night. I remember when Volteer used to tell me all of these great stories about what's beyond the skies. Since my time with Hide, I've loved hearing stories from how we're things before, beyond the enclosures of the Tower of Heaven. I looked towards the sky once again and stared at the vastness of it all, full of dreams just waiting for one to find them. That's what he used to tell me before I went to sleep.

"One day, when you're ready, I want you to remember the stories told you've been told about so can make your own story. There's a life full of adventure ahead of you. Follow your heart and it will guide you to tomorrow, a tomorrow brighter than today or than yesterday. Stretch your hand as far as you can, try hard enough to catch the brightest star, and when you do..." He always smiled after that, never completing his sentence.