Crimson Illusion || Fairy Tail [✔️]

🍃Chapter Twenty-One🍃No Plan B🍃

"'Missing'?! What the hell are you talking about?" I shrieked, half-climbing, half-falling out of my bunk.

"I've searched the whole city! I've asked around, but she isn't anywhere! And no one's seen her!" Gryfin wrung his hands. Mikami hurried over and ushered the boy into a chair.

"When did this happen? When did she disappear?" Owan demanded, narrowing his eyes.

"It must have been last night, after the party..." Gryfin said miserably, meeting my gaze, "That's the last place I saw her. She was talking with that Fairy Tail mage, Mirajane, I think..."

"I'll be back," I growled, striding towards the door, "The rest of you, look for anything that could help us."

The camp gleamed in the early morning sunlight. Not many wizards were awake yet, and those that were wandered around sleepily, clearly not having an actual aim. The Fairy Tail tent was by far the largest out of all the tents. I shoved through the heavy canvas door. Natsu stumbled backwards in surprise as I nearly barreled into him.

"Oh, hey! It's Lillie, right?" Lucy smiled.

"Yeah," I replied distractedly, "Where's Mirajane?"

Lucy frowned in confusion, "Uh, I think she went to get some water from the tap with Wendy a couple minutes ago... But why-?"

"Thanks," I cut across the Celestial Mage, and ran back outside, this time heading for the water tap at the edge of the whole camp. Sure enough, Mirajane and Wendy were filling a small bucket with crystal water.

"Mira!" I called, stumbling towards the Fairy Tail wizards. Wendy looked up, and waved a cheery greeting.

"You're the Guild Master of Crimson Illusion, aren't you?" Mirajane beamed.

"Yeah," I said impatiently, "Look, were you hanging out with Cindy last night at the party?"

The white-haired girl's eyebrows knit together in thought for a moment, "Yes... Yes, I remember! We were discussing shippings!" She laughed.

"That's great," I sighed, "Where did you last see her?"

"Hmm, when we were leaving, someone came up to her and asked for a private word in the Crocus Gardens..." Mira mused. A chill flooded through me.

"Who was it?!"

Mirajane frowned, "I don't know. I didn't recognise him."

"Dammit!" I groaned, spinning on my heel, and calling over my shoulder to Mirajane as I sprinted back towards the Crimson Illusion tent, "Thanks for the help...!"

Of course, there was no one in the Crimson Illusion tent, as I had ordered all my guild mates to look for Cindy. Now panicking slightly- alright. More than slightly, I ran back through the city. All my friends were huddled around the doors of the palace, murmuring and frowning at their surroundings.

"The Gardens," I panted, "Mira~san told me a strange man asked Cindy for a private word in the Gardens."

The Gardens were probably the most beautiful place in all of Crocus, but I didn't have the time to stay and take in the view.

"Look!"

Kasai was crouching next to a couple large, pink flowers. The sandy dirt between the petals was scuffed, as if someone had disturbed it recently. I bent and touched the dirt.

"Hey, Lil', check this out," Owan called from further down the path. I threw down the handful of dirt down and hurried to join the dark-haired mage.

"Notice how there's a faint trail of the same dirt leading down this path?" Owan pointed. He was right. There was a trail of dirt leading from the pink flowers, and it indeed led down the cobble-stone path, deeper into the garden.

Mikami led the way down the path, all of us keeping a close eye on the barely visible trail of dirt. At one point, we nearly lost it, but then Aren spotted a particularly large pile of sandy dirt straying off to the side of the path.

I pushed past a large, overhanging leaf, muttering curses as it flapped back into my face.

"The trail stops here."

"What?"

"Right here. The trail of dirt stops."

Gryfin leaned against a towering statue of a proud-looking lion, playing with a deer and a overly cheerful snake. A dense pile of dirt lay abandoned at the lion's feet. I sat down, feeling as if there was a heavy weight upon my shoulders.

"But why would it just stop here of all places?!" Mikami demanded angrily. No one answered her. No one had an answer ready.

"We'll have to backtrack. That was our only lead. We'll have to find another clue or something..." Owan muttered dejectedly. Aren laid a comforting hand on Mikami's shoulders. I looked over at her wearily. Her purple eyes were swimming with tears. I lowered my gaze, very much away that similar tears were pricking the corners of my own eyes.

"Let's go," Aren mumbled, voice barely audible.

"No! We must have missed something! The trail must have led here for a reason!" Gryfin snapped, punching the nose of the statue lion furiously.

"Gryfin-" I began, half rising to my feet, then froze. A faint rumble echoed around the small clearing.

"What... The hell... Is that?" Kasai growled through clenched teeth. The sound changed from a faint rumble to a grinding sound, almost as if rocks were rubbing against each other. Gryfin let out a strangled gasp, and stumbled away from the lion, tripping over his own feet in his haste.

There was one, last crunch, and the ground just in front of the lion crumbled away, revealing a dark, soil tunnel leading down into the ground.

"Look there..." Croaked Owan. A small, scattered handful of sand-coloured dirt lay alone just inside the passage. I stepped forward shakily, and noticed a small plague embedded in the dirt at my feet. I shivered, despite it being a sunny day. A emerald-green snake entwining around the hilt of a gleaming, silver dagger.

Viper Strike had resurfaced.