章 11: Chapter 6: Reaper? Bitch Please, im a Sternritter 1/5
Alright, lets get Lullaby arc done with!
I dont own Bleach of fairy tail. Those belong respectively too Tite Kubo and Shounen jump and Hiro Mashima and Weekly shounen magazine. This is just for fun!
Also, I have a poll on my profile regarding the pairing for our favorite quincy. Vote now and give your answer. The pairing will be decided by the end of February. It is entirly possilbe that we may not go for the one with the most votes, but do know it WILL be one of the characters on the poll.
On the outskirts of the town of Clover lay one solitary building. Grand in design yet possessing enough isolation due to the surrounding forest, it had been chosen by the guild masters of Fiore as the location for their annual meeting. Makarov Dreyer had been so looking forward to the event, hoping to enjoy time with the friends he held in good standing while the more serious proceedings would no doubt go on, yet now could the master of Fairy Tail simply shake in horror.
In his hands was a magical letter, one that had displayed the ever-cheerful countenance of one Mirajane Strauss. She had relayed to him a simple message, one that stated that Erza Scarlet, Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster had decided to join together. Further on had it also provided the information that the newcomers Bambietta Basterbine and Lucy Heartfilia had decided to tag along with them as well. Also had Mirajane's message spoke of Happy joining the group as well, the cat never far from its friend, yet by that point Makarov was in such a state of shock that he was not completely sure he had heard that part.
While Mirajane's bright smile had never faded from the recorded message, Makarov s own cheerful demeanor had vanished all but completely. Gone was an older gentleman enjoying the company of his friends, replaced instead by a quivering individual full of fear. Visions of chaos danced through his head, property damage unheard of, madness beyond the scope of even Gildarts' abilities.
Makarov could hear his fellow masters speaking to him, his friends clearly concerned thanks to the look of utmost horror that had no doubt overtaken his face. Yet he could not hear them. No, all he could hear was the devastation that those he considered his Fairy Tail family might inadvertently bring about. They were good kids, yes, and they meant well, but that did not always keep their surroundings safe during the heat of battle. Then there was the newcomer that Porlyusica had warned him of so dearly.
"I can't..." Makarov did not finish his sentence at first, the small statured wizard falling on to his back, his body shaking with fright. "I can't believe it... That trio could really level a city if they're not careful... And that Bambi girl..."
Makarov forced himself into a state of composure as best he could, his breathing steadying.
"I can make it back to the guild in a day's time once this meeting comes to an end," he told himself in an attempt to calm down. "I just hope those crazy kids don't cause too much of a ruckus before then."
"Erza! Stop this crazy thing!"
"There's no time! Innocent people could die if Lullaby is played!"
Bambietta Basterbine was beginning to take back any bad feelings she held towards Natsu Dragneel for throwing up on her boots not once but twice. The Dragon Slayer was a victim of motion sickness and now she too was beginning to feel the same way, if only because she had opted to ride the magicmobile not shotgun but atop its roof. It had all been towards getting under Gray Fullbuster's skin even the slightest bit, yet now was Bambietta beginning to wish she had simply let him do as he pleased. For as the vehicle had entered the town of Oshibana, Erza had only been pushing it harder and faster. The situation had already been grim but now it was potentially even more serious. The Fairy Tail wizards had gone after the train that the Lullaby artifact had been upon, only to find those who had been riding it stranded beside the train tracks. The local military had been there as well and all the talk had been about how a group led by a scythe wielding individual had stolen the train for their own purposes.
Erza Scarlet had known then and there that it was the work of Erigor the Reaper, no doubt the rest of Eisenwald by his side. Now they had both Lullaby and an expedient means of transportation. That was precisely why Erza had pushed her magical reserves to the limit, forcing the magicmobile to propel itself along the train tracks at incredible speeds, leaving Bambietta to shriek in fear as the wind swept by her.
Now the Fairy Tail wizards had come to the town of Oshibana, the next stop on the train's schedule. It had perplexed Bambietta that the dark guild had taken a means of travel that would make their destination so predictable, leaving her worried despite herself. Pulling herself forward across the magicmobile's roof once more, the wind still clawing at her cloak, the Quincy began to speak to Erza once more and gave voice to her concerns.
"Hey!" she began to shout. "You know the Eisenwald guy Natsu fought must have told Erigor that Fairy Tail is after him, right?"
Erza's voice remained impassive, yet it was still displaying traces of the wizard's own irritation at not stopping this crisis before it had gotten so out of hand. "What of it?"
"What if it's a tra-" The Quincy's statement was cut short then, Bambietta and Erza both noticing smoke pouring upwards into the blue sky from a building not far away. Bambietta could only sigh. "Now what?"
Erza began to push harder then, the magicmobile picking up more and more speed, cutting down the space between the vehicle and the apparent disaster up ahead. Bambietta began to grip down tightly then, knowing a full stop was no doubt in her future. The Quincy did not relish the thought of her own momentum continuing when the vehicle came to a stop. The thought of her body propelling forward at unimaginable speeds at the forefront of her mind, Bambietta began to focus on her Hirenkyaku. Surely it would allow her to mitigate if not complete avoid a rather unorthodox landing on the pavement. Yet then, as the magicmobile approached a group of onlookers looking at the smoking building, did Erza gracefully bring the vehicle to a slow stop, leaving Bambietta both surprised and grateful.
"That's a miracle even Gerard couldn't offer," Bambietta said under her breath as she breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Er-"
The Quincy could only blink in confusion then, realizing that the armored wizard was no longer occupying the driver's seat of the magicmobile. Looking around, Bambietta took notice of a railway official standing before a gathered crowd and speaking through a megaphone to them.
"Please return to your homes!" the man was shouting. "Oshibana Station is closed until further notice! We ask that you please move aw-"
Then did Bambietta notice Erza standing behind the man, the wizard quick to get his attention. "If I may interrupt," she began to say, "what exactly is going on here?"
"Why would I just go and tell you, lady?"
Then it happened right before Bambietta's eyes. Erza suddenly lunged forward, head-butting the official so hard that he propelled far and away, no doubt unconscious. Bambietta's jaw all but dropped at the sight of it, watching as Erza simply moved to another railway official, all but putting the fear of god into him. "What exactly is going on here?"
Then, once more did Erza deliver a head-butt, not even giving this individual the chance to speak up. Bambietta continued to watch on in mixed amounts of fascination and horror as Erza began to make her way through any and all officials that were within eyesight. Only when she heard the voice of Lucy did the Quincy's concentration divert away from the madness.
"If you ask me, her method of questioning isn't exactly helpful."
Bambietta looked down then and could see Lucy outside of the magicmobile, the arm of a motion sick Natsu draped over her shoulders, the Fire Dragon Slayer barely able to move.
"Well that's Erza for you," Gray offered up, the ice wizard also out in the open again. "She's always had her own unique way of getting things done."
"Where the hell are your clothes?" Bambietta screamed, staring at the mage's boxers. "Oh, why do I even bother?"
"It appears that Eisenwald's train arrived at the station before we did!" Erza shouted, standing amidst a veritable sea of unconscious railway workers. "Erigor and his men have taken the building as their own!"
"Yeah, definitely sounds like a trap," Bambietta whispered, all the while looking at Erza s handiwork. "Though I don't think this Erigor guy has any idea what he's getting himself into."
Erza's gaze suddenly shifted towards Bambietta, yet as far as the Quincy could tell it contained no anger or irritation at her comment. Still did the armored mage speak in a questioning tone however. "What exactly do you mean?"
Bambietta felt herself on the verge of taking a step back, wondering if she was next in line for a head-butt from Erza, but it never came. Only then when she realized that she was in the clear did the Quincy answer, her voice still showing signs of being ever-so intimidated. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."
Trying to put her best foot forward, Bambietta marched forward then, her target the Oshibana Station itself. She began to crack her gloved knuckles, a slight smirk forming on her face. "Anyway," Bambietta began to say as she glanced over towards those she had to consider her allies, "shall we go take care of these Eisenwald creeps? I know I'm just dying to see what this so called 'Reaper' has up his sleeve. Oh, and Lucy? I almost forgot my hat."
"Yeah, well," the Celestial wizard began to say with no hiding her hesitant mannerisms, "I don't think you're going to want to wear that ever again."
The Quincy's eyes widened, glancing away from Lucy's nervous expression to the sick Dragon Slayer that was by her side. "Oh hell no, he didn't."
"Hey," Gray suddenly interjected. "It was either my shoes or your hat, and I'd rather he puke in or on something other than my Sunday best!"
Bambietta flinched for a moment then, her brain nearly cracking under the insanity she was listening to. Then she simply pointed a finger at Gray, unable to contain herself any longer. "You're not even wearing your shoes anymore! My hat had to be sacrificed for clothes you were going to be stripping out of? What the hell?"
"Is... Happy with us?" Natsu asked groggily.
"Aye, sir!" Happy shouted as he hopped out of the magicmobile. "And I found an awesome hat, just like the cranky girl's!"
Bambietta glanced then to Happy, seeing that the blue cat was indeed wearing her hat. She should have been mad, and normally she would have been just that, but she knew what was in her hat and no doubt going to be atop Happy's head soon enough. Also, she could not lie to herself, the cat did look adorable trying to wear a cap that was far too big for him. "Oh, you poor little furball you."
Then, as if like clockwork, did Happy's eyes widen. "Something's in this hat! Get it off! Get if off!"
Bambietta moved towards Happy then, whipping what had once been hers off his little head. Without a care in the world she tossed aside what had been her favorite article of clothing, knowing that it was beyond saving now. "Natsu..."
Erza stepped forward then, the armored suddenly breaking into a spring that brought her into the station. The others from Fairy Tail were quick to give pursuit, Lucy doing her best to drag Natsu along and Happy flying not far behind.
"While they were not forthcoming at first," Erza began to say, "those who work at this station did inform me that the local military has already responded to Eisenwald's brazen actions here."
"Maybe they would have been more forthcoming if you hadn't been knocking each and every one of them out," Bambietta muttered under her breath.
"Is something the matter, Bambietta?"
The Quincy turned her attentions forward then, taking not of Erza looking her way. Again, she was not showing any signs of anger, no, but still was Bambietta just the slightest bit nervous. "No, no. I'm cool, you're cool, we're all cool."
"I'd like to think we could provide backup to the military unit," Erza said, turning her attentions forward, "but if they have not left the station in victory or defeat by now then I fear the worst!"
Then, as if fate had been beckoned by Erza's concerns, the group soon came upon a grisly sight. Soldiers lay atop the stairway towards the central hall of the station. Broken, bloodied and battered, there was no movement among them.
"They're all dead?" Lucy whimpered, the Celestial mage stopping in her tracks for a moment.
Bambietta did the same, though hers was a very different reaction. It was not an uncommon or new sight to her, no. Dark forces brutally murdering those that opposed them was something she was very much intimately familiar with. Yet once more did the reactions of those around her tear at her very being.
"I swear that Eisenwald will pay for their savagery," Erza hissed, not giving herself more than moment's pause at the sight of the carnage. "Let's keep moving. We can honor those who have died after we know Erigor has been stopped."
Lucy was still not moving, however, leaving Bambietta to force her forward as best she could. The Quincy reached out towards the one she called a friend, gently touching the shoulder that was not supporting the battered Natsu.
"Hey, are you going to be all right?"
"No, I-" Lucy was at a loss for words, her body shaking slightly. "I knew that Fairy Tail wasn't going to be all fun and games, but this... this is... How could somebody do something so horrible?"
Bambietta could say nothing in response. The Quincy knew she could offer up an explanation born of her past experiences. Of how some simply possessed an insatiable desire, of how they could revel in a bloodbath of their making. That, however, would simply frighten the mage even more. Instead could the Quincy only offer a false smile as she moved in front of Lucy and looked at her. "It's going to be all right, you hear me?"
Lucy was not entirely "Yeah, I guess, I just-"
"We'll keep you safe, Lucy."
It was something that Bambietta had wanted to say yet she had not gotten the chance. No, instead that statement had come from the barely-there Dragon Slayer that was trying to get over the ride from Magnolia.
"Yeah!" Bambietta stated, slamming a closed fist near to her heart. "Me and the Vomit Comet there will keep you safe, Lucy! So have no fear!"
"What exactly is going on here?"
Bambietta heard Erza speaking behind her and in response the Quincy began to turn, willing to either allow Lucy to give voice to her fears or do it herself if need be.
She never got the chance.
Erza's forehead suddenly collided with Bambietta's own. The Quincy stumbled backwards in response, yet still did she refuse to lose her footing.
"Motherfu- Why?" Bambietta changed tones quickly, from irritation to simply question. The Quincy rubbed her throbbing forehead with one hand as she stared directly at Erza. "Why do you keep head-butting people in the face?"
Erza said nothing, instead simply glancing at Bambietta's other hand, perhaps noting the fingers that were twitching. It was a reflex to be sure, a defense mechanism where Bambietta had very nearly summoned her sword to her. Yet the Quincy had held back that instinct. However she too took notice of Erza's staring. It simply baffled Bambietta once more.
"Lucy," Erza said, turning to face the mage, her voice softening slightly, "I know what you've seen must be hard to process but we have to push forward."
"Yes," Lucy said with a confident nod. "We can't let Eisenwald do this to anyone else."
Bambietta was impressed by the sudden burst of self-assured confidence in Lucy's voice. She had to admit, Erza was good at drawing out others inner strengths. Despite Natsu and her own attempts, Lucy had still been fearful. Yet now she was a different individual, all thanks to the armored mage of few words.
"I don't think we have anything to worry about," Bambietta said as the group began to move forward again, still rubbing her sore head and wondering if it would be pertinent to leave Blut Vene active at any time Erza was nearby. Still did the Quincy remain flippant. "Eisenwald won't stand a chance if Erza just goes and uses her head."
"I appreciate your faith in me," Erza replied, perhaps not even noticing the sarcasm laden voice of Bambietta's, "but it will be some time before my magical output has returned to normal. Still I will do what I must."
Bambietta cringed slightly then, wondering just how deadly this woman could be at full strength? She had an inkling, yes, one born from both glimpsing her power and now taking a hit from her, but the Quincy was beginning to wonder if it had simply been a mere drop of water that had been produced by an unseen ocean.
Nonetheless the time for talk and thinking was over. The members of Fairy Tail soon found themselves within the main chamber of Oshibana Station and awaiting them was quite the reception.
"I bid you welcome, Fairy Tail flies! Step into our parlor!"
Before the wizards, the cat and the Quincy was what Bambietta could only guess was Eisenwald. Several dozen mages standing in utter confidence of their abilities.
"There's so many," Lucy said, her newfound determination shaking just the slightest bit.
"So many punching bags," Bambietta said, her own determination remaining as strong as ever, "so little time."
Erza, however, simply paid the group no mind. Her interest lay elsewhere, with the one who had spoken as they had entered the room. She glanced upwards then, and her fellow Fairy Tail members followed along. Soon enough did they all catch sight of an individual hovering in midair, gravity unable to hold him down, no doubt to his magic. The gray haired man was dressed in tattered violet robes, his bare chest adorned with markings no doubt signifying his allegiance to Eisenwald. Yet it was the scythe he carried by his side that led Bambietta to know exactly who she was seeing now.
Yet she was not particularly impressed. "Erigor the Reaper."
"You callous fiend," Erza said as she looked towards Erigor, her own confidence never wavering. "Whatever you're planning to do with Lullaby, it won't come to pass. I swear it."
Erigor simply laughed in response, leaving Bambietta to wonder if he even had the slightest inkling as to whom was speaking to him. Then did one of the mages of Eisenwald step forward his eyes focusing entirely on Natsu.
"Hey, punk," the dark haired man in white began to say, "we got a score to settle. It's your fault the boss got cross with me. I suppose I should put an end to the Fairy Tail wizard that got away, don't you think?"
"Don't lose your head, Kageyama," Erigor said quite sternly. "It was your mistake in not finishing off such a worthless pest after all. But don't worry, you'll get your chance for payback soon enough. We all will."
Bambietta could not help but smile then, her eyes focusing entirely on the ace of Eisenwald. It was quite clear to the Quincy what his motif was and it amused her greatly. She was about to speak up then, however Erza beat her to the punch.
"Your threats are meaningless, Erigor," the armored mage said, her eyes never shifting away from the scythe wielder. "As for your plans for Lullaby-"
"Ah yes, Lullaby," Erigor said quite simply. Then did the man's suddenly move in midair, tracings of wind coming alive around him as he darted around the higher alcoves of the chamber. "No doubt you know by now what it is, yes?"
"Ancient and terrible death magic," Erza simply replied. "The power only a monster would crave."
Bambietta let those words set in her soul for a moment, the Quincy remembering well how she had all but considered taking this power for herself. It was dark yes, but she had already allowed herself to be steeped in the shadows of the Vandenreich once before. It would give her control, control over her fate and any who would dare to think they could rule over her. Then there was the fact that this Lullaby could simply make a lovely gift to bestow to His Majesty if she ever found a way to return to the world she had once called home. Yet now she was beginning to wonder about herself. She was with Fairy Tail, yes, but was Eisenwald simply more fitting for someone who had drenched herself in her enemy's blood time and time again?
"You wound me!" Erigor suddenly cried out, as if echoing one of the many thoughts working its way through Bambietta's own head. The Quincy looked up then and watched as the scythe wielding mage continued to move about in the empty air. "But yes, that is the true nature of Lullaby! Yet how its magic is employs is the truly the most... delightful part of it all."
From his worn robes did Erigor produce what could only be Lullaby. It appeared as if it had been forged from mere wood, brown in color, yet to Bambietta it looked like a simple flute. Simple, perhaps, if not for the three eyed skull that adorned one end.
Clearly could Erza see what it looked at as well. "You don't mean-"
"Yes!" Erigor shouted. "Lullaby is just as you would imagine it! It's song will kill any who listen to it! All will perish in the wake of its melody!"
Bambietta had to admit, that was a rather awe-inspiring power indeed, though a dreadful one.
"But that's not all," Erigor said once more, the scythe wielder landing atop a post in the station's main hall. "Tell me, Fairy Tail flies, what does every train station possess?"
"Well now," Bambietta began to offer up with a rather unbecoming grin, "there's usually meanies behind the ticket booth who won't give you a price break no matter how much cleavage or leg you try and show off. Then there's the turnstiles that seem to never work most of the time so you have to jump them, though that's kind of fun actually. Oh right, then there's, you know, trains! They're awesome!"
"I humbly disagree," Natsu whined from atop Lucy's shoulder.
Erigor simply shifted his gaze away from Erza and towards Bambietta, the man clearly irritated. "Either you're just trying to be a pain in my back teeth or you're simply an idiot. I'm not sure what's worse."
Erza, however, was quick to catch on to Erigor's plot, taking notice of the speakers that hung from the pole he was standing on. "You intend to broadcast Lullaby?"
Erigor began to laugh then, the man's shoulders rising and falling with each and every one. "Exactly! So many witless fools have flocked to the area around this station, their curiosity overwhelming them! And in the end it has only led them to death!" Then did Erigor begin to wear a cruel smile, a glint of pure madness in his eyes. "Perhaps if I were to raise the volume of this station's broadcast system I could even kill everyone in Oshibana! Oh yes! I can't think of a more fitting accomplishment for a reaper of souls!"
"A... Soul Reaper, huh?" Bambietta whispered to herself. "How delightful."
"What gives you the right to choose who lives and dies?" Erza shouted, her eyes all but locking with Erigor's own. "What do you hope to gain from killing the innocent?"
"The innocent?" Erigor could not help but laugh further. "There is no such thing! All I see are fools that cannot fully comprehend the freedoms they take for granted! Perhaps if I were to cull their ranks, others would begin to appreciate what they have! Or perhaps... they will no longer remain so ignorant to the plight of others! Others who have lost the rights they so desperately miss!"
"What are you talking about?" Bambietta asked, the Quincy unable to hold back her own interest. She could feel it, sense it, the level of deep-rooted despair within Erigor's voice. Then she began to recall what Erza had spoken of on the train. "Wait, you're kidding me. How the hell is taking innocent life going to get back your rights?"
Bambietta stopped then, questioning herself and not Erigor now. Had the Quincy not fought against the Soul Reapers out of revenge for being slaughtered? Had the Vandenreich not been formed with the need for vengeance for their murdered brethren of a thousand years past fresh on His Majesty's mind? How then could she judge Erigor himself. The Quincy had fought for a measure of vengeance for their ancestors being killed for the crime of protecting themselves from Hollows, now she was face to face with a group looking to kill in the name of their lost rights as well.
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