[ A/N: Before reading, please go to Book 1 of my series, "Realization". There is a very important announcement at the very end of the story, please go check it out if you haven't already! ]
~LUCY'S POV~
"So, what do you say, Natsu? You willing to come with me?"
I stared at Natsu intently, who was carefully examining the books Levy-chan and I collected on Shade of Blackness.
After several days of reading about the said dark guild in the Fairy Tail archive, I've learned a lot about it.
Shade of Blackness is a guild that destroys towns and villages, using devices that steal magic power, which allows them to grow stronger and stronger.
It's also part of a dark alliance called Diablos Rios. Diablos Rios is composed of five extremely powerful dark guilds, and yes, Shade of Blackness is one of them. Rather, it's the leader guild of the alliance.
Recently, it planned to wipe out a large city named Sapheroth. They dispatched a group of S-class mages to go and destroy Sapheroth. Chaos broke out. Soon, the news reached the Council.
They decided to keep it a secret from the public to avoid panic, and sent out wizards from different guilds to eliminate the dark mages in Sapheroth.
But, unfortunately, they were defeated. Some of them were even killed. Seeing that the guilds could not overpower Shade of Blackness, they sent out the army, lying to the people and saying it was a simple safety measure.
The army was also eliminated completely, and it only took five black wizards to defeat a whole army.
Shade of Blackness sent out more wizards, resulting in more chaos in Sapheroth. Half the city was burned to the ground and reduced to ashes.
Seeing that the dark guild could not be defeated and that Sapheroth could not be saved, the Magic Council did something unimaginable, and desperate...
They sent out a nuclear bomb.
They successfully eliminated the dark wizards...
Along with half of the people of Sapheroth.
Since the incident, Shade of Blackness has changed their name to Soul Stealer and remained lowkey, avoiding the army and stealing from small-time magic sources.
"Natsu, my mother told me stories about Sapheroth..." He stayed silent, as if it was all too much to take in. "I don't blame the Magic Council for what they did...As a princess, I understand them. This is not their fault, this is Soul Stealer's fault."
"Lucy..." He lifted his gaze from the books. "That key and being a Celestial Priestess is not worth risking your life. Not to me. That guild isn't like anything we've faced before."
I held his hand and looked him in the eye. "This is not just about retrieving Gaea's key and becoming a Celestial Priestess, Natsu. This is about avenging all the people in Sapheroth, and keeping my promise to my mother. I'm going with or without you."
After a few seconds, a wide grin spread across Natsu's face. He stood up and crossed his arms. "Well, I'm not letting you leave without me."
~TIMESKIP: ONE HOUR LATER~
"It's a good thing Master let us go. How'd you manage to get him to say yes?" Natsu asked as he did some stretching.
I shrugged and slung my bag over my shoulder after checking if I had everything. "I don't know. I guess I'm just charming!"
His expression changed immediately into a poker face. "Not really..."
I glared at him. "Meanie!"
Just as I was about to strangle him for ruining my moment, Mira came up to us. "M-May I talk to the both of you, please?"
Natsu scratched his head, confused. "What about, Mira?"
"I-I heard you were going to Sapheroth?"
I nodded. "Yeah. We're heading there first to search the place for any clues or survivors before we go to Barcy."
"Lucy, Natsu..." She said seriously. "Soul Stealer is a guild not to be underestimated. Please be careful."
"We will, Mira!" Natsu said, full of confidence.
"Mira, are you okay? You seem uneasy..." I placed a hand on her shoulder as I spoke with concern.
"Lucy, listen. You're going to need some help if you're serious about facing that guild. I already called them, I told them to meet you in Sapheroth. They'll find you and help you."
"They?" At the time, I had no idea what Mirajane was talking about. "Who's they?"
"Just trust me. They can help you." She stared into my eyes silently for a moment before pulling me in for a tight embrace.
"M-Mira?" I said in a shaky, confused voice. The way Mira was acting was indeed strange.
"Please be careful." She whispered, and she pulled apart.
Turning to Natsu, she said, "Natsu, take care of Lucy, okay?"
He gave her a toothy grin. "Always! Oh, and I'll be leaving Happy behind, okay? Take care of 'em!"
She noddes and smiled at us softly.
I returned the smile warmly and turned around. "Natsu, I think it's time to go. Sapheroth is twenty-four hours from here."
He nodded, seemingly bursting with enthusiasm, before walking on ahead of me. I was about to follow when Mira grabbed my hand.
"Lucy...I need to tell you something. W-When the Magic Council was trying to eliminate the dark wizards...I was one of the mages they sent to Sapheroth."
~TIMESKIP~
I was walking along the path beside Natsu. I was still in a daze, what Mira said really got to me even though it's already been two hours. She was one of the wizards sent to battle Soul Stealer?
Natsu tapped my shoulder. "Yo, Lucy. Are you listening?"
I snapped back into reality. "E-Eh?"
"You alright?"
"Y-Yes...I'm fine. Sorry. What were you saying?"
"I was saying, maybe we could stay here for the night." He gestured to the building in front of us. 'Ylvios Hotel'. "It's getting dark, and we've been walking for a long time."
"Oh...Y-Yeah. We should probably get some rest. We've got a long day tomorrow." I nodded and we both walked into the petite hotel.
After checking in and getting settled in our room, we laid down in each of our beds. The room was small, but was fit for the both of us. I occupied the bed beside the window.
As I laid there to rest, I called out to Natsu. "Natsu?"
"Yeah?" He responded in a low voice.
"Thank you for accompanying me."
He shifted his position to face me. "Hey, what are you yappin' about? You don't need to thank me."
I smiled faintly at him and my eyes fluttered close.
I was happy to have Natsu with me.
But one thing is for sure: This quest is one I will not surely fail. For Fairy Tail, for Natsu, for Sapheroth, and for Mama. I swear.
[ A/N: I apologize for the short prologue and for any inconsistencies in the plotline! It's been a long time...I'll try and reread Realization so the story buildup will progress well. Anyway, enjoy the prologue! I'll update as soon as I can, and please remember to enter The Connection Cover Contest! More info and details in the last chapter update of Realization, please check it out if you haven't already. -Elle ]
