[X784, Path to Bob's Villa]
— Mirajane Strauss —
The rhythmic creak of the caravan wheels rolling along the cobbled road made for a surprisingly calming background, broken only by the warm sound of laughter, idle chatter, and the occasional burst of shouting from the boys.
"I'm still not sure why Master chose me for this…" Lucy chimed in from the back anxiously, her fingers fidgeting with her keys.
Mirajane smiled kindly as she sat on the padded bench of the oversized carriage, taking in the warm sunlight filtering through the windows. "You're here because Master Makarov believes in you, Lucy. And so do I."
"It's a bit of an odd group, but I'm not complaining." Gray muttered, his arms resting behind his head as he leaned back lazily, gazing out at the countryside. "When was the last time Master sent a force as big as this for one mission?"
"It's precisely because of this group! We're dealing with the Oracion Seis, here!"
Mira giggled as Lucy continued to rant about the absurdity of it all. Master Makarov certainly didn't take any chances. Three S-Class Mages and their teams. Including herself, there was Dannis, Erza, Elfman, Lisanna, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Happy, Gajeel, Juvia, and Levy.
"Gihihi, you're looking a bit green there, Salamander." Gajeel taunted Natsu on the other side of the caravan, who was barely holding himself back from puking all over the floor.
"As if, m-metal face…urp…why the hell aren't you l-like this?!" Natsu said between breaths.
"Because I'm stronger than you, of course!" Gajeel claimed, only to get smacked in the back of the head by Levy.
"Quit it you." The script mage admonished. "He's fine since I gave him a healing word that stems most of the motion sickness. Would you like one too, Natsu?"
"Levy!" Natsu hugged the smaller girl as she drew a word in the air that flew over to Natsu. "You're an angel!"
The chaos was familiar. Loud, unpredictable, and yet comforting. Mirajane found herself enjoying the noise more than she expected. These weren't just teammates—they were family.
She shifted slightly, resting her head on Dannis' shoulder. He sat quietly beside her as he continued to read into a book, gale-force reading glasses over his eyes.
"What are you reading?" she asked softly.
"It's folklore." Dannis explained. "Master Makarov said that Blue Pegasus managed to get information about Nirvana, saying that the Nirvits were the ones who created them. This book has children's tales that the Nirvit used to tell their children. It's nothing more than folklore, but a lot of fictional stories were inspired by real events. I'm hoping to at least get a semblance of what we're dealing with."
Mira smiled, brushing a stray strand of silver hair from his temple. "Hoping to get any kind of advantage?"
"Exactly."
"Still the most diligent man I've ever met," she said fondly.
"And you're still the most terrifying woman I've ever met."
"Oh stop you," she giggled.
Across the caravan, another eruption broke out.
"Huh?! You wanna fight, bolts-for-brains?!" Natsu slammed his forehead to Gajeel's.
"I ain't afraid of you, Salamander!"
An audible sigh tore out of Lucy. "Is that what, the fifth fight they got into since we left Magnolia?"
"I'm keeping score," Elfman added helpfully from the corner, holding up a small notebook. "It's a tie so far."
"I'm surprised you're not joining them, Gray." Lisanna added.
Gray, whose shirt had disappeared, just scoffed. "I'm not as bad as them."
"YOU WANNA GO?!"
"BRING IT!"
Mira noticed the loudness of the commotion, making Dannis give out a sigh.
Having quite enough of their bickering, two loud smacks echoed inside the caravan as both Dragon Slayers were flattened into the floorboards. Mira stood above Natsu and Gajeel, who sported a bump on their heads. "If it's a fight you both want, then I'll be your opponent." She said with a devilish look on her face. "You're bothering Dannis' reading."
"S-sorry…"
She gave them another closed eye smile, before walking back to her seat.
"Thank you, Mira. They were giving me a headache." Dannis said.
"Anything for you, dear."
By the time they arrived at the villa, the air had cooled slightly, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows over the elegant compound nestled in a private cliffside estate. Bob's villa was grand, colorful, and flamboyant—exactly what she'd expect from the Guildmaster of Blue Pegasus.
The moment they stepped onto the polished marble floors of the reception hall, they were ambushed.
"ANGELIC BEAUTIES!" cried the flamboyant voices of the Tri-Men.
Mira blinked as Hibiki, Ren, and Eve descended like birds of prey, showering the women with praise and flirtation. Lucy and Lisanna were flustered, Erza was confused, Levy was hiding behind Gajeel, Juvia acted nonchalant, and Mira… Mira was trying very hard not to snap Ren's wrist as he reached for her.
"These people are quite the bother, aren't they?" Mira tilted her head as her smile turned slightly irritated.
"Please don't fight them, Mira." Her little sister pleaded, not wanting to destroy this alliance before it even began.
Things got even worse when Ichiya appeared and a whole slew of misunderstandings ensued regarding his relationship with Erza.
Elfman politely requested the Blue Pegasus mages to act like proper men while Gray told them to keep their hands off, but they were both rudely brushed off by the Blue Pegasus mages. Things escalated even more when Natsu got in and challenged the idiot trio to a fight. Gajeel almost joined himself when they started bothering Levy.
Ren's hand reached again, and Mira's eyes narrowed. She was just about to grab the offending hand when a feeling of death swallowed the entire room. The darkness intensified as shadows curled through the air like silent serpents.
Four Wraiths manifested behind the Tri-Men, swords held to each of their necks. Even Ichiya, who was a powerful mage in his own right, fell silent as a cold bead of sweat rolled down his cheek.
Mira sighed as she watched Dannis gaze at everyone with an even stare. "As my teammates have said… hands off."
'There goes first impressions.' She mused. 'Then again, they did start it didn't they?' She couldn't help but find this protective side of his a bit endearing.
"Woah woah, what's going on here?" A sudden voice had everyone turning to the doors of the villa, where a young man with snow white hair walked in with confidence. Beside him was a woman with long pink hair, a haughty expression on her face. What caught everyone's attention was the mark of Lamia Scale that could be seen on their bodies.
"Lyon?!" Gray blinked.
"Hey there, Gray." Lyon said with a grin as he and his partner walked in properly, his head swerving left and right to take in the scene. "I thought we were supposed to be allies, what's with the obviously tense atmosphere?"
"Just educating our friends on manners," Dannis replied.
"Yeah, that tracks." Lyon chuckled as he approached Dannis, having recognized him. "The traits of the famed Tri-Men of Blue Pegasus have spread far and wide across Fiore. You're Dannis Martell, right? Leader of the Fairy Tail delegation?"
From the looks of their faces, the Tri-Men looked a bit offended by Lyon's off-handed mark. But the Ice Mage just ignored it.
Dannis and Lyon shook hands. Lyon's eyes gleamed with mischief but also wariness. "You're as intense as the rumors said, Devil Slayer. I like it."
"Are you the leader for the group from Lamia Scale?"
Lyon just gave a light-hearted laugh in response. "Far from it. I was just eager to get here first since I heard Gray was part of your group. The leader of our guild is far more qualified and powerful than me."
Right at that moment, powerful steps echoed from the doorway of the villa as a man made his appearance. Lucy gasped at the sight of him.
"That's Iron Rock Jura! One of the Wizard Saints!"
Mira straightened slightly. Even among S-Class mages, there were a few that stood above and beyond the others of that class. Jura was among them.
The Wizard Saint himself merely surveyed the scene before nodding to Dannis and Ichiya. "Dannis-dono, if you would please release our allies so we may begin the talks of our alliance."
Dannis nodded, dismissing his Wraiths as the Pegasus mages were released.
Ren muttered something about dignity, to which Dannis simply said, "Oh quit it. If you've got something to prove, then I'm all for it. Come at me then."
A wave of magic surged through the room as Dannis let out a sliver of his power, quieting everyone. Even Mira, who had seen him at his worst, shivered slightly at the weight of it.
"If you didn't harass our mages, none of this would've happened. Now that you've learned your lesson, let's focus on the task at hand." he finished, calm once more.
"Dannis-dono is correct." Jura regained everyone's attention by slamming the bottom of his staff on the floor. "Three of the four guilds have now assembled, which means the delegation from Cait Shelter is the only one left."
Ichiya posed, making finger guns with his index and middle finger extended. "You say delegation, but I have heard they are only sending a single mage."
"Just one?" Gray said in surprise. "A mission with stakes like this and they can only spare one mage?"
"To be fair, I have heard that Cait Shelter is quite small, only having around fifty members or so." Lyon added.
"But if they're sending only one, then how scary and powerful is this person going to be?" Lucy wondered.
A loud thud at the entrance stole their attention. Everyone turned to see a girl with short blue hair face-down on the floor.
"Ugh—ow!" She quickly scrambled up, brushing herself off. "S-sorry I'm late!"
Mira's eyes widened. 'She's… a child.'
"My name is Wendy! From Cait Shelter!" she said with a nervous smile. "Pleased to be working with you all!"
A kind of motherly instinct surged from within Mira. 'We're fighting monsters, and they sent a child?'
She turned to look at Dannis, whose expression had already shifted into something unreadable, cold and analytical.
…
[X784, Bob's Villa]
— Dannis Martell —
While the others were busy fussing over Wendy, Dannis observed in silence, noting the reactions of two individuals in particular.
Both Dragon Slayers had fallen still, their posture shifting subtly the moment the girl named Wendy introduced herself. Their eyes had narrowed—focused, animalistic slits cutting through the commotion. Not in hostility, but in instinct.
Was that recognition?
Dannis folded his arms across his chest, gaze sharpening. 'A child, maybe ten years old. Decently powerful magical aura, unassuming demeanor… and yet she triggered a Dragon Slayer's instinctive awareness.'
The only thing that could ignite a response like that is…if she's a Dragon Slayer as well.
Not much is known about the origins of Dragon Slayers. Some claim to be trained by dragons themselves while others like Laxus had a lacrima implanted in them. The only surefire fact was that their numbers were few.
Until now, only three were known to be alive in Earthland—Natsu, Gajeel, and Laxus. With Wendy's arrival, that number changed. Four.
"An offensive endeavor of this scale, and they send us a single child? What does Cait Shelter think they're playing at?!"
Sherry of Lamia Scale crossed her arms, her lips curled into a condescending sneer. The moment she spoke, the air in the room tightened slightly.
Before Dannis could comment, a high-pitched, clipped voice echoed from the entrance.
"Alone? I think not, you tawdry woman." A small, white Exceed strutted into the room with the poise of royalty. Her pink ribbon bounced with every step as her tail swayed like a pendulum. She stopped beside Wendy with an air of superiority, chin lifted ever so slightly.
Dannis blinked. An Exceed. Just like Happy.
He already had his suspicions for Happy's true race for a while now. Conversations with Mystogan revealed bits and pieces about the dimensional rift that opened during the Anima incident. Some pieces still didn't fit, but the puzzle was starting to take shape.
Mystogan had said that the anima was designed to pull magic from Earthland to Edolas, not the other way around. By all accounts, nothing from that world should've crossed here.
He and Mystogan thought Happy's arrival to be a fluke. But with another Exceed showing up, it seems they were wrong.
"Happy, look!" Lisanna nudged the little blue cat, who had immediately gone starry-eyed.
"She's… she's so pretty…" Happy whispered.
Lisanna barely suppressed a giggle at seeing his lovestruck expression.
Meanwhile, Wendy fidgeted nervously under the weight of the room's scrutiny.
"U-Um… I can't really fight that well," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I know lots of support magic! I can heal as well. So please… don't leave me out completely…"
Her bow was deep and sincere, her tiny fists clenched tightly at her sides. Though her courage faltered, her resolve was clear.
The entire room stilled. Even the more skeptical members seemed surprised.
Healing magic. Real healing magic. That was rare. No—priceless.
Dannis watched the expressions around the room shift. Levy's eyes widened with interest. While Levy could heal using her magic, it was a far cry from what a proper healer could actually do.
Mira's eyes widened with sympathy and even Lucy looked surprised. Dannis's lips pressed into a thoughtful line. 'No wonder Cait Shelter sent her.'
"If you truly are a healer, then Cait Shelter has done well to bring you here." Jura said with a tone of finality. "Healing magic is quite the rare and precious gift."
"Of course it is!" Carla interjected, standing tall beside Wendy. "Wendy is the Sky Dragon Slayer! Remember it!"
'So I was right.' Dannis thought.
He arched a brow as Wendy fumbled, her cheeks flushing crimson.
"C-Carla! You're embarrassing me!" she whispered, clearly flustered.
"Honestly Wendy, it's that timidity of yours that makes people look down on you!" Carla huffed.
Natsu's eyes sparkled.
"Wait… you're a Dragon Slayer?! That's awesome!" he blurted out, practically bouncing on his toes.
"N-Natsu-san!" Wendy exclaimed, shocked but clearly elated.
Gajeel leaned forward with a low whistle. "Didn't think we'd be seeing a kid like you. So there's a Sky Dragon now too, eh? What was your dragon's name?"
That question had Wendy stand up straight finally, a small smile on her face. "Grandeeney."
Gajeel smirked proudly. "Metallicana."
"Igneel!" Natsu grinned, matching their enthusiasm.
Everyone observed the exchange quietly, feeling as if they were seeing something sacred. The bond between Dragon Slayers was unique. A bond forged in loss and mystery. All of them were searching for their missing dragon parents. All of them carried that burden.
Dannis had seen that weight in Natsu's eyes before.
'Another Dragon Slayer means another piece of the puzzle. Another witness to the past. Another chance to find the truth.'
Just then—CLACK.
Jura slammed the base of his staff against the floor again, snapping everyone's attention back to the front of the room.
"With everyone now here," Jura intoned, "let us finally proceed to the explanation of our strategy."
…
AN: This chapter was fun. That scene between the Dragon Slayers was really great to put into words. What was unseen by the readers since this was a Dannis POV, all three of them had small flashbacks of times unseen four hundred years ago, not that they knew what it was they're seeing.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter, cheers!