Decades Gone By Series: Two Sides to Serenity - Book 2 (Fairy Tail)

Chapter 2 - Serenity Asylum

Natsu's head rested on Erza's lap, completely passed out from the hard hit she gave him, his arm swinging back and forth as the long carriage ride dragged on. Happy sat beside them, shaking with terror from the way Erza had just bulldozed Natsu in the gut to stop him from vomiting everywhere. Wendy and Gray sat opposite them, the ice wizard looking out the window to avoid the awkward staring and the dragon slayer hugging Carla tightly to her body for comfort. The more they rode, leaving Magnolia and heading into a dark forest Wendy hadn't even know existed, the more no one spoke.

The road was bumpy and unsteady, the driver making no effort to try and stay calm. When they had gone up to him and asked for a ride to Serenity, he had gone so white Wendy thought he'd have a stroke. He accepted for the right price but that doesn't mean he had to remain calm about it. As the carriage rolled through the looming trees overhead, covering the sun and replacing it with shadows of many kinds, the driver seemed to muster up the courage to ask them what they were doing going to such a place.

"We're going to see our friend," Erza said, the only one who wasn't internally screaming. "Kind of a friend, we don't really know anymore."

"Y-Your f-friend is in t-there?" He kept stumbling upon his words and Wendy looked straight at him through the small opening that allowed her to see where they were going. There was nothing but trees so far.

"Have you ever been inside?" He shook his head wildly. Wendy decided to go with another approach, wanting to know what they were going to walk into. "Have you known someone who's been a patient?"

He laughed loudly, mixed with nervousness and humor. It caught Gray's attention and Erza raised an eyebrow. Both of the exceeds squealed in terror. "I wouldn't call them patients! They aren't sick, just because it's called an asylum doesn't mean it really is. I've never known anyone who's been in there but I've heard stories. They're more like prisoners, the most dangerous criminals ever. The doctors torture them, even experiment on them," he sucked in a large breath as to say something else, but froze as Wendy and Gray stilled.

A gate came into view and the carriage rolled to a stop. Erza looked over her shoulder, so did Happy and Natsu's eyes shot open. He jumped up, breathing flames in relief.

"I'm revived!"

"Sit down!" Gray grabbed a hold of his arm and pulled Natsu between him and Wendy. The dragon slayer glared at Gray, who just grabbed his jaw and snapped his head towards the slot. Natsu said nothing as the wizards stared up at the looming gate. It was possibly higher than the trees.

"I can't go any f-farther," the driver insisted, looking back at them. "They don't allow carriages to go past the gate. Afraid some of them might try and steal it." Wendy waited till everyone was out for her to slip off of her seat. It was when her feet it the ground that she noticed the road they had been going down was completely made of rocks.

Carla dropped from Wendy's arms and Team Natsu looked up at the rusted sign on the gate.

Serenity Asylum.

The driver was about to close the carriage door when the gates begun to open. It creaked loudly, having a similar sound to nails on a chalkboard. Everyone covered their ears until the gates were open enough to allow people inside. A woman in a tight white lab coat and black stiletto heels stopped in the gateway, a notepad in hand. She had dark hair that was tied into what looked like a very tight ponytail and the badge that hung from her breast pocket read Dr. Louisa Jones. Wendy could tell she wasn't originally from Japan and when she spoke, her thick Scottish accent gave it away.

"Welcome to Serenity. I'm Dr. Louisa Jones. What can I do for you today?" Her smile was wide and forced. Wendy had shivers dancing up her spine from the suspicious way she tapped her index finger on the notepad she was hugging to her chest. She wasn't the only one a little panicked. The driver looked like he was going to throw up, Gray and Natsu had their arms crossed and eyebrows raised in suspicion and the cats were hugging each other in fear. Erza was the only one who was calm and collected, as expected.