Crimson Illusion || Fairy Tail [✔️]

🍃Chapter Eighteen🍃Rebuilding Crocus🍃

"UP AND AT 'EM!" Mikami bellowed in our ears. I groaned and rolled over, consequently falling out of the makeshift hammock I had constructed.

"Blegghh..." I mumbled into the floor.

"Mornin', sunshine!" Snickered Owan, walking past me. I yawned, and sat up, blinking around wearily. Morning sunlight was peeking through the crack in the tent entrance.

"How is it morning already...?" Gryfin moaned, slouching towards the small table, "I felt like I only got about five minutes sleep..."

"You're not the only one..." Cindy grimaced, clambering down from her bunk. Kasai walked silently over to the table, sat down, rested his head on the smooth wood, and promptly fell asleep again.

"You are all imbeciles," Aren muttered into his pillow, then rolled over, burrowing deeper into his blankets with even more grumbling.

"Seriously, how are Owan and I the only morning people in this guild?" Mikami asked incredulously as she yanked Aren's blanket away mercilessly. The Solid Script mage hissed at the sudden bright light from tent doorway.

"Come on, guys, we have to start rebuilding the city..!" Mikami reminded us. I stood up, stretching. Cindy and Gryfin were both giving Mikami dirty looks, Owan was pulling on his jacket, Kasai was still snoring on the table, and Aren was making choking gestures at Mikami's back.

"She's right, you lot..." I said grudgingly, chucking a pillow at Kasai, "Let's hop to it."

We were in charge of clearing debris from the East Exit. To my surprise, however, we all seemed to be rather good at moving rubble.

I used my wind-based magic to lift away large chunks of rock, and other material, Cindy used her fire magic to burn away particularly annoying bits of rubble, Kasai just shoved debris aside, Mikami pulled out all four of her dolls, and was getting them to help carry rubble away, Gryfin was using his Earth Manipulation to move debris, Owan was using his weapons as leverage for bits of rock which otherwise refused to budge, along with using his shadow magic to lift away rubble, and Aren's Solid Script (Paper Conversion) proved quite useful, as he drew different helpful tools, and then simply flicked them off the paper for us to use.

We were mostly dumping unnecessary debris just outside the city gate, creating a crude version of a barricade (just in case Viper Strike decided to attack again... Plus... We thought it would be pretty funny to see the city's occupants reactions when they find out that our 'barricade' was shaped like a deranged-looking chicken).

We tried to restore as much of the houses in the surrounding area as we could, but it was grueling work. Many of the houses had massive chunks missing from them, even after we cleared the main paths. Gryfin tried to manipulate the Earth into creating new walls, floors and roofs for the damaged homes, but they weren't as good as the originals.

"At least you tried!" I smiled reassuringly, "At least the houses are now as intact as we can get them!"

After the initial clearing of rubble and rebuilding of homes, we had to get the citizens back into their houses. We split into small groups to guide the frightened civilians back through the silent city.

"We're very sorry, we tried to replace as much as we could..." I said to a middle-aged mother and her two sons. She gave me a tired smile.

"No need to apologize, we're grateful that you stayed to help!" she replied.

Cindy and I waved goodbye to the family, and heading back towards the main city entrance to escort the next family.

"None of them seem mad at us wizards. That surprises me," Cindy sighed, watching a couple Mermaid Heel mages leading an elderly couple through the streets.

"Yeah, I would've thought the citizens would be at least a little peeved at us for basically destroying their homes..." I muttered. Cindy bumped me with her shoulder.

"Hey, at least there weren't any fatalities!" She smiled.

"True!" I grinned.

We walked in silence for a while, then Cindy grabbed my arm, dragging me down a side street and into the park where Team Hailstorm had fought the Giant Wyverns.

"What the hell are those two idiots doing?" The fire mage sighed.

Natsu and Gray were tumbling around, looking as if they were trying to kill each other. Lucy and Juvia were standing nearby, looking overly not impressed by the boys' behavior.

"Hi," I greeted as Cindy and I joined the two Fairy Tail girls.

"Hi..." Lucy sighed.

"Why are they fighting?" Cindy asked, frowning.

"What was it, Juvia?" Lucy asked sarcastically, "Didn't Gray claim Natsu was glaring at him, so they decided to turn into a pair of rabid wolverines?"

"Juvia thinks that is what happened..." Juvia confirmed, staring at Gray, who was once again shirtless, and consequently blushing at the ice mage.

"They're idiots," I decided.

"Yes, they really are!" Lucy grumbled.

"Well, see you later!" Cindy smiled sympathetically the Fairy Tail girls. Lucy nodded. Cindy and I hurried off, trying not to burst into fits of the giggles at Natsu and Gray's weird reasoning for fighting each other in the middle of an already wrecked town.

"What're you two so happy about?" Aren and Kasai asked as we passed them.

"Nothing!" Cindy and I giggled in unison.