The carriage ride hadn't been pleasant for almost none of the rescue party from Fairy Tail. Natsu had managed to lose his lunch out the back and then had nearly gone for round two on Lucy, then Gray and Juvia before Erza swiftly knocked him out. Levy was patting Gajeel on the back as he tried to contain his sickness better than Salamander, so that he wouldn't have to meet the redhead's fist as well. Wendy was apologizing to him for probably the twentieth time for her magic not working on him anymore, while Carla told her to stop blaming herself. Cana was in her own little world as she sipped the bottle in her hand. Laxus sat near the front with her, his head leaned back against the covering, eyes closed as he tried to ignore his own queasiness. He was taking mental note of how different this was from the usual bickering and nagging from the Thunder Legion, but wasn't any better or worse. That thought gave his mind the chance to focus on the conversation he had had with the three he had left.
"So what was she able to tell you?" Freed asked as he leaned against the wall, one hand resting casually over the handle of his rapier.
"There were a handful of wizards waiting for them on the road."
Evergreen rested her hands on her hips out of habit, "We saw Lucy go running by."
"She was going to get Levy started on identifying the guild mark that Verani saw." Laxus ran a hand through his hair.
"You alright?" Bixlow's raised brow came through in his tone as he stood on the other side of Freed with his arms crossed.
Laxus blew his breath out through his nose, "Not looking forward to telling her that she isn't going."
"Do you think you can get her to listen and stay put?" Ever looked between the Lightning Dragon Slayer and the infirmary door. "I mean, this is Verani we're talking about."
"Yeah," the Seith mage nodded, "She can be kind of a hothead."
"That's why I want the three of you to stay behind and watch her."
The Thunder Legion stared at their leader.
"But what about you?" Freed asked.
Laxus let out an audible sigh this time, "I'm going to tell her that I will go in her place so that she'll calm down a little. But the old geezer and I also talked about how whoever was behind this may decide to come back to finish what they started."
The mood surrounding the Thunder Legion darkened. It had hurt them more than anyone really knew when they saw the state Verani was in when she came crashing through the guild doors. They had been at Laxus' side since they joined Fairy Tail, meaning they had known her just as long. There were even a few times that they watched her for the Lightning Dragon Slayer when he and/or Master had to take care of business away from the guild that she couldn't accompany them on. For most of them, she was like a sister to them as well.
Freed nodded, "That's probably for the best."
And that's how Master had started working through who would be going and who would be staying. Though he had imagined Laxus would have stayed with his sister, he wasn't opposed to the idea of his grandson helping with the rescue. He understood that their enemy was not a weak one if they could seemingly overpower one of their strongest, if not their strongest, team of wizards. Team Natsu, Laxus, Gajeel, Levy, Lily, Juvia, and Cana would headout to save Kia and Amber. The Thunder Legion and Strauss siblings would be on point with Master to protect the guild or provide back up if it would be needed. Mira had been on the communication lacrima when they left, informing some of the other guilds what was going on.
As they had prepared to leave, Levy was able to find a good amount of information revolving around the guild mark that Verani had described. It belonged to a dark guild known as Fire Bird. Though they weren't known for taking action, there was no shortage of reports regarding their strength. Unfortunately, the reports only confirmed the three members that Verani had described to them: the poison user who could teleport, the magical sniper, and the storm user. The only other person who had been sighted was a blonde who could do something with clothing.
Once they arrived at the location Verani had given them, the Dragon Slayers would put their noses to the test and try to pinpoint which direction the girls had been taken. If it had been too long, enough of them had come so they could split up and keep searching. There was no time to waste on going the wrong direction, especially after what Master had shared with the two S-class mages.
"Master?" Erza asked in wonder as to why the old man had requested everyone leave the infirmary but her and Laxus. Verani was including, but because she obviously couldn't go anywhere at the moment.
"What's really going on?" Laxus crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the wall near the head of his sister's bed.
Master sighed, "Verani, you can interrupt me or add to what I say if I get anything wrong or leave anything out." He met her gaze, her hazel eyes peering at him in confusion. "I'm sure you have a far better understanding of Kia's magic with how close the two of you are."
Everything suddenly clicked in her head before she nodded, "Got it."
"As you both are aware, Kia uses what is called Phoenix Slayer magic. Considered a Lost magic, there have been a few interested parties in the past who have tried to learn more about it as well as how to utilize it for their own personal gain."
Erza's armor clanked lightly as she casually rested her arms across her stomach, "And that's what these attackers are after?"
Master sighed again, "I wish it were that simple."
Laxus and Erza shared a look for a second before turning back.
"If they truly said that they were needing Kia for her flame, then it is likely that they don't care about learning about her magic. They already know a fair amount if they even know that her flame exists."
Laxus quirked a brow, "Her flame?"
"I guess the best way to think about it would be to compare it to your lacrima," Verani finally spoke. "Just like you have access to your Dragon Slayer magic because of that lacrima, Kia has a special phoenix flame that flickers inside her. It fuels her magic."
The two S-class watched the blonde as she picked at a loose thread of the sheets in her lap. It was painfully clear that there was something else.
"Yes," Master stepped in, "that is how Kia explained it to me when she first joined the guild. But she also said that wasn't all there was to her magic or power, that there were a few other variables and factors. Is this correct?"
Verani nodded, her teeth finding her bottom lip. Her mind was slowly wrapping around everything that had happened, everything that her grandfather had said, and where it was all leading to.
"Grandpa," her voice was low, "you don't think they want to try and take it from her, do you?"
"That's exactly what I fear."
Her heart stopped, her whole body going rigid.
"They can't!" Her sudden outburst startled Laxus and Erza, their eyes widening at her. "It doesn't work that way! It will just-!"
Master closed his eyes as the other two continued to stare. Verani had cut herself off, her forehead going down as her knees came up. Her back screamed at the movement, but she needed to hold something right then. She didn't want them to see the tears that were starting to spill from her eyes.
"I know."
"Master, what will happen if they try to take this flame?"
He hopped up to the edge of the bed, resting a hand on his granddaughter's shoulder. "Pulling the flame from Kia's body forcefully would likely be similar to someone ripping a person's magic from them entirely. But since she is a phoenix slayer, that isn't all."
There was a silence in the room as he prepared himself to say the words that V couldn't. "Since phoenixes were beings that ruled over life and death, the flame ties directly into her life."
The realization sank in, both instantly understanding the blonde's tears.
"If they take her flame, Kia will likely die."
||~x~||
"This will be far enough." Erza's voice called out to the driver, "Thank you."
The vehicle rolled to a stop before the party of ten plus three Exceeds jumped out the back. The redhead paid the driver and thanked him again before he continued on his way.
"Alright." She turned with her hands on her hips, a serious expression across her face. She hadn't forgotten what she and Laxus had been told. There was no time to waste, "The four of you start tracking."
||~x~||
The first thing Kia felt when she started reaching consciousness was the chill of the metal against her wrists and ankles. As much as they enjoyed watching her squirm, they knew it was too much of a hassle to leave her legs free. Her body felt foreign to her. No matter how often they put her in sealstone and forced that other side of her to the surface. They could get more practice when she was in her "true form" as they called it.
She just wanted all of it to end. She would almost rather be back with that immortal jerk than here with his creations. Or maybe it would all just end. Maybe today would be the day that they went too far and she wouldn't be able to regenerate enough? Maybe she could finally rest?
"Good morning." A chirper voice rang out in the doorway in front of the pinkette. Kia raised her gaze, fully prepared to see the green-haired female who got her greatest enjoyment from the pain of others, but it wasn't her. She blinked a few times against the brightness behind the entering blonde as well as to clear her head.
'You aren't there.' Kia chanted in her head. 'You won't ever be their test dummy again.'
"Dinner." Miriam set down the two plates, before putting some slack in their chains. "Master Izai said you could have five minutes to eat." Her sweet smile was unsettling, "We can't have you dying on us now."
Kia stared as the small portion of rice. Her stomach ached just looking at it, though from slight hunger or the wound she couldn't be sure. She lifted the bowl, peeking out of the corner of her eye at Amber. The dark-haired girl was rolling her shoulders, rubbing her wrists, but she made no move toward the food.
They didn't need her, so what was stopping them from putting something in her bowl. Even if they said they would keep Amber around to make Kia cooperate, the Phoenix Slayer knew that she didn't have the strength to argue. Whatever had laced the blade that Demi had used on her was definitely still circulating through her system.
Kia leaned over, setting her bowl down beside Amber's before picking up the other. The blonde girl stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips. She had clearly seen the action, but didn't seem bothered by it.
'But what if they anticipated that and put it in my bowl knowing I would do that?' Her mind was whirling too quickly for her to think straight. Exhaustion was still gripping at her and her senses, painfully made clear by the grinning figures that Kia kept seeing behind Miriam in the hall.
"Forget this," Kia hissed more to herself, before launching the bowl across the room.
Miriam squealed as she stood shocked, her eyes looking down at the food that was now sticking to her dress. "How dare you!?" For the first time, her cutesy attitude fell, "This is my favorite dress!"
"Good for you."
Something between a screech and a huff escaped the blonde as she raised both her hands. Her sleeves suddenly twitched to life before elongating and going for each girl. The two Mythics could only groan or wince as their chains were abrupting yanked taut again.
"You'll regret that." Miriam snapped on her heels, marching right out of the room.
||~x~||
For how much he was against stopping and making camp, Natsu wasn't having a problem sawing logs. Apparently Team Natsu was used to the excessive noise as the four and their Exceeds were sleeping away as well. Cana seemed almost passed out while Levy was curled up in her sleeping bag with Lily in her arms. Gajeel poked at the fire. He knew there was no way that he was going to get any sleep while Salamander was being that loud, so he had volunteered to take the first watch of the night. Laxus had found himself in a similar situation. He probably could have forced himself to sleep if he tried hard enough, after all he had grown accustomed to Bixlow's snoring over the years, but there was something else that he wanted to do before even trying to call it a night.
With trading only a glance between one another, Laxus stood and stepped off into the woods. He moved far enough to not disturb the others, but still be in earshot if anything were to happen, and that was incredibly simple with their resident Fire Dragon Slayer. Laxus suddenly wondered how no one had ever taken out Team Natsu with that beacon almost begging for it.
'They probably think it's a monster and steer clear,' a smirk played across his lips as he took a seat on a fallen tree. Reaching into his pocket, he produced a fist sized lacrima that immediately started to glow.
"Oh, hey Laxus." Mirajane's always smiling face answered the other end of the call.
"Everything quiet?"
The Takeover mage chuckled a little, "More so than usual with who's in your group."
Laxus mentally rolled his eyes. "How's Verani doing?"
Mira's sparkle seemed to fade at the question, "We're reserving a few beds in the infirmary for the Thunder Legion."
The blonde raised a brow, "Has she been that bad?"
"A combination of her worry and bad attempts at lifting the mood on Bixlow's part."
He sighed. It was all too easy to imagine the Seith mage trying to make his sister laugh, his Tikis dancing around her until she had enough and launched one at his head.
"But beyond that, everything has been fine."
"Good."
"How is the search going?"
"Most everyone else is resting before we set off again. We were able to catch their scent easily."
Mira nodded, "Everything will be fine, Laxus."
"I hope so."
They exchange their goodbyes with the female promising to tell Verani that he called and everything was going well.
Silence settled into the trees for a moment before he tucked the lacrima back into his coat pocket. He exhaled slowly as he ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't stop remembering random things that had happened over the years and that wasn't helping the bad feeling he was getting. Ever since, the old geezer had told him and Erza what was truly at stake here, his stomach had been in a knot. Verani had started crying, something she rarely did anymore, even in front of him. He hurt more than he would say out loud, but that wasn't the only thing. The other two Mythics had been such a huge part of his life too. Ever since Amber showed up around the time Gray did, the Blood mage had become almost inseparable from his little sister. The four were close, slowly drifting a little as more and more kids joined the guild. He could still remember Verani whining to him after Kia and Natsu had been brought back by their grandfather.
"But she has a dragon slayer for a brother too!" Her hair flaring up wildly as her excitement began to trigger her magic. "We're meant to be friends!"
A faint smile crossed his lips. It was that childish notion that had set everything in motion with those three. One could argue that was the moment the Mythics were fated to be.
'We'll stop them.' Laxus pushed himself to his feet, turning back to the camp. 'We'll bring them both home. I promise, V.'
||~x~||
Driving deeper into Kia's magic. This arc also follows the canon characters more than the girls, but I actually didn't mind it when I was writing it.
See you guys on Monday!