Awaken the Stars Song

Chapter 7

A/N: Reviews are always much appreciated, including constructive criticism varieties. :) I do not own Fairy Tail, but I’m glad Hiro Mashima created this little universe within which my plot bunnies can rampage to their hearts’ desires. I’m glad my adult kids demanded I watch this series. I'll make this my last update for the moment since I do need to get back to writing chapter 31 and get that posted at FFnet since followers are sending me PMs acsking if I am still alive because of my getting so sick recently.

CHAPTER 7

    “Master, we decided to pay Lucy’s membership fees this month since she’s injured.” Erza spoke with Gray shifting from one foot to the other beside her.
    Makarov took the clearly marked envelopes she offered. “You’re both good friends to do this for Lucy.”
    “Are they really going to be okay, Gramps? I mean, we know Flame Brain will be back to doing missions the day after he wakes up, . . . unless he never wakes up. But, Lucy’s different. She got really badly hurt this time. I’m kind of scared that she won’t be able to use any magic after what those bastards did to her.” Gray snarled, eyes shooting a resentful glare toward the ground floor’s occupants.
    Sick of hearing the same complaints and questions, Makarov stood on the banister and bellowed for everyone’s attention. “Listen up, Brats! Wendy says our guild mates are stable this morning and are okay even though they’re going to continue sleeping. Lucy is getting stronger and starting to stabilize because of the energy Natsu and Laxus are sharing with her. None of them are in any danger that Wendy can sense. Porlyusica is in agreement with Wendy that they are fine. As I’ve stated repeatedly for two days now, both volunteered to be part of this unknown healing spell to save our Celestial Spirit Mage’s life. We’ve been told the possible outcomes by our guests. They’ve told us that only those three can decide how strong, or weak this Soul Binding spell will be once they awaken. Don’t make me repeat myself any more today! For those of you who are still angry over Laxus and Natsu making the same decision, the only ones you should be mad at are them. Stop glaring at the Ancients because they performed the spell to save Lucy’s life. Being afraid of their unknown magic is no excuse for being rude.”
    With utmost grace, Vraylinish, the scarred leader of the Bane Warriors, dropped onto the second story floor beside Makarov. She landed with an almost silent footfall despite having leapt from the ground floor.  Considering her previous poorly tanned hides from before her clean up and make over, Makarov could scarce believe he was dealing with the same woman. Her matted hair had been washed and combed until it glowed. Her hair was a medium warm umber mixed with golden honey highlights cascading halfway down Vraylinish’s back. All the ancients had opted to wear serviceable clothing instead of seeking to make fashion statements. The earth hued work pants and sturdy button up shirt that Vraylinish wore allowed for full range of motion without restriction. Without the grime coating she had worn before, Vraylinish’s skin was borderline alabaster white.
    As was her custom, Vraylinish’s arms were instantly pinioned behind her back, hands gripping opposite forearms as if she were tied up. Loke had explained the custom as meaning no hostile intent was involved, so Makarov mirrored the gesture to reassure the woman that everything was fine. Both nodded before Makarov returned to lecturing his brats.
    “Everyone heard Natsu demand that the Fairies perform the spell to strengthen Lucy’s soul upon him. All this guild’s members know that Natsu ignored all objections due to not being familiar with such an ancient magic. Some of us were present to hear him insist that he would do anything to save Lucy. Even if we didn’t hear Laxus give his consent, I know my grandson was the first to fight for Lucy when that void spell attacked her. Like it or not, Laxus did make the choice to help Lucy recover. It’s time for all of you to honor his choice and stop acting like immature idiots.”
    Bickslow’s fists hit the table as he leapt up, overturning his chair. “Flame Brain’s got nothing but hot air between his ears so we expect him to do stupid things. Laxus sama isn’t like Natsu! We’re his team and we don’t like knowing that Laxus sama’s been magically chained to that weak little cheerleader! Why would Laxus sama volunteer to be some kind of life support system for Cosplayer? None of their lies fit the man we know better than the rest of you. Laxus-sama wouldn’t agree to do something irreversible! They must’ve lied to him because we know he wouldn’t agree to get stuck for life to someone so weak!”
    “Kendren was there when he asked what he needed to do to save the one he calls Blondie. To insure there was no foul play involved, I’ve double checked all their memories, and their memories are in agreement. Your Laxus did demand a way to save your Star Singer’s life. He has a compatible life force, so they used Soul Binding magic. I’ve already given them their punishment for not informing your friends of all levels of possible change that can occur with any level of Soul Binding magic. We did not know the knowledge of our magic has been lost when we arrived, so fault lies with both sides.” Vraylinish responded before Makarov found his voice.
    “Fuck you and your excuses, Bitch! As weak as Cosplayer is, Laxus could die because of her! If he does, it’s your fucking fault! I haven’t seen you do anything that could be considered punishment either!”
    To prevent the Seith mage from launching his babies at Vraylinish, Makarov was quick to speak up. “Bickslow, sit down and listen for once. Vraylinish has a valid point. None of them knew that their ancient magic was lost to us. They worked from a faulty assumption when they cast the spell, but it was never malicious. All the Ancients who are here right now are finding our world as overwhelming as we find their Centaurs and Fairies. As to punishment, I believe Vraylinish has settled on what it is, and will execute it when the time is right. I’ve met many honorable people in my lifetime. I know better than to accuse the Sacred Saint of lying because she won’t.”
    “No punishment can undo what those fuckers did to Laxus sama!” Bickslow roared as he glared at Vraylinish, hands fisted at his sides.
    “You speak truth, Bickslow. Your Master also speaks truth. I have accepted responsibility for my people’s wrong. I have done what must be done to remind my warriors and healers that they must explain things from now on. We cannot undo what has been done, but you’re leader will be far stronger in the weeks to come. As each chain that does not belong to your Star Singer gets placed with the correct bloodline, her powers will grow at an alarming rate. Ii’s the rate of power growth we will have to monitor to insure all of your comrades’ safety as we undo the mess.”
    Freed grabbed Bickslow’s arm and silenced him with a glare. “What do you mean when you say that Laxus sama is going to get far stronger over the next few weeks?”
    “You are not familiar with astral or veil chain magic, but we know both intimately. The chains everyone saw during the attack have the job of draining magic from the person that they are attached to. The chains transfer the power taken away from the person who has such astral chains that are not normally seen. In the case of your Lucy, the chains feed a magic that must be maintained so that the demon remains trapped no matter how long it struggles to break free. Each bit of damage the demon does to the trap has to be repaired. It takes much raw power to fix every bit of harm to demon does to the cage and chains that keep it immobile.”
    “So you’re saying that if you remove those untouchable chains from Lucy, she’ll become more powerful, correct?” Freed asked with a very calculating look on his face.
    “Yes. As your Lucy is freed from each Astral Chain not of her bloodline, her power will automatically increase. The Binding magic will balance the excess power between her body and both men who are sharing their life force with her. As you know, when you run out of magic, you must rest for the power to recover. The same will happen with Lucy despite the damage that was done to her soul core. The difference is that nothing will be draining that power away from her with each chain we move. The amount of drain she has experienced during her life  will determine the amount of power she will create. The Soul Bond will activate to make all three equal in power.”
    Freed propped his chin between forefinger and thumb as he slowly worked through the information. “For the weaker people involved, an unfair power up happens that exceeds their normal magical abilities. The same magic leaches magic from the stronger members to create the power up for the weaker parties. Correct?”
    “Yes. It also protects those who have very powerful and unstable magic power from dying when people of similar soul songs are bound to each other through a piece of their soul being exchanged. Astral Chains suck unbelievable power from the one tied to the cage, so we have reason to be worried that Lucy’s magic will be difficult to curb once the chains are removed.” 
    “My biggest problem with this is knowing that Laxus sama will be trapped with Natsu and Lucy for the rest of his life. You even warned us that they might lose parts of their normal personalities because of the spell cast on them. Yet you’re claiming that Laxus sama will get stronger. How can you be so certain?”
    “It is hard to explain without demonstrating Veil Chain, the weak form of the Astral Chain spell which we use to drain excess magic that threatens our lives as Fey. Unlike Soul Binding magic, or Astral Chain magic, Veil Chain can be banished completely at will. Still, it does drain away magic power constantly, so would let you feel how the reverse works once magic is no longer bled off. To see how things will change, and why your Lucy is terrifying to us would require you to trust long enough to experience Veil Chains for yourself.”
    Evergreen snapped her closed fan on the table. “Do you think we’d actually risk getting incapacitated after seeing our Leader put into a coma in our infirmary? What kind of fools do you take us for?”
    Makarov knew Vraylinish was trying to ease everyone’s minds, but it was not working because of the Thunder God Tribe’s vehemence. “Everyone, that’s enough arguing for today! Trust Laxus’ safety and recovery to Wendy’s, and Porlyusica’s capable hands. If anything goes wrong, they will be the first to alert us. Go on missions to blow some excess steam instead of sitting around being angry about what has happened. If anything does go wrong, I’ll have Warren contact anyone who desires to know about it right away. Everyone needs to get back to work. Moping isn’t going to wake them up any faster. Stop looking for excuses to cause trouble for our guests, Brats. His Majesty is coming here to straighten this mess out. I won’t have anyone here who isn’t willing to behave when our King arrives! Dismissed.”
    As Makarov settled back onto the bannister rail, he retrieved his precariously balanced beer mug. Vraylinish tilted her head at an angle. Figuring she had something to discuss, the guild Master swept a hand to the railing and patted it in an offer to join him. The long limbed, muscular woman balanced on the balls of her feet while hunkering down beside him a second later. 
    Erza spoke with a sketchy bow before the woman could begin talking. “Master, we’ll take a mission as you suggest. Lucy can’t pay her rent since she’s in the infirmary, and we don’t know how long she’s going to be unconscious. Taking a mission will let us help her keep her apartment at least.” With those words, she grabbed Gray’s arm and hauled him toward the mission board.
    Gray protested, “Can we really leave with things like this? I mean, they’re our teammates . . .”
    “Where will Lucy stay if she loses her apartment, Gray? We all spend a lot of time at Lucy’s. It’s our team’s second home. We won’t let our teammate down when Lucy is in the most need of our help. We’re taking a new mission, and trusting that Warren will contact us if we are needed.”
    “Half the reason Lucy’s always short on money is because Ash Breath eats all of her food. The only reason she’s always short on rent jewels is because of his stomach.” Gray shot back in a voice loud enough to capture the whole guild’s attention.
    “Once Natsu wakes up he’ll do an extra mission to compensate for his eating habits as always. We all know he eats the most. Having to buy so much food every day makes it hard for Lucy to pay her rent but we also tend to eat at her place. We’re all guilty of making things difficult for her.” Erza responded in her loudest monotone.
    Gray snorted but said no more as they began to look for a mission. It did not surprise Makarov that Erza was the most aware of the hardships they caused Lucy, or that she was enforcing a compensation system. Everyone attached to the guild was familiar with Lucy’s bitter complaints about Natsu’s bottomless stomach, and ill mannered ways. Several of Natsu’s quirks drove Lucy insane. However, breaking and entering seemed to be a collective bad habit of all her team mates, not just Natsu.
    At one point Mirajane suggested that Lucy eat exclusively at the guild until Natsu stopped raiding her cupboards as a means of saving money for her rent each month. It had not taken long for Lucy’s guilt to set in because of Natsu’s compliment about how he enjoyed her cooking. Guilt and embarrassment had won over Lucy, who returned to the original pattern of buying food she could not afford to try and satisfy Natsu’s bottomless pit appetite.
    Life had never felt so unreal to Makarov as it did while watching half of Team Natsu stomp over to Mirajane for their approval stamp on the job Erza had chosen. The Ancients’ awakening had thrown the Guild into unprecedented levels of chaos. Makarov watched all of his children who decided to obey his order to take missions shuffling downstairs. Several of his children continued shooting furtive glances at their guests as their collective anger continued to simmer. Their worry and fear remained a palpable thing.
    A silent prayer for Natsu, Lucy, and Laxus to awaken soon flashed through Makarov’s mind as he took a healthy swig from his mug. It was not as if Makarov could blame his children for their reactions over three of their family members being trapped within an unknown spell. Even Makarov found it nerve wracking that his grandson, and most cherished Celestial Spirit Mage were absent. He even missed Natsu’s reckless challenges, and constant fights between the hot headed Slayer and the Ice Make Mage. The only positive to the quiet was that Makarov did not have to order new benches and tables to be delivered early each morning, or help Mirajane and Elfman remove broken furniture before locking up each night.
    Vraylinish broke Makarov from his thoughts. “Speaking of work, my people are getting very restless. We have been eating much of your food stores because we were so drained when we left the time stopping realm. We will gladly hunt and replace your meat if you will direct us to the closest hunting grounds. It would balance things faster between my people and your’s I believe.”
    “Hunting for survival is not normal these days, Vraylinish. We get all of our food from the grocers here in town. The guild can manage to pay for your meal expenses a little longer. In fact, His Majesty, and Sabertooth’s Celestial Spirit Mage should be arriving today. We’ll be able to sort everything out after they arrive.”  Makarov spoke in a soothing voice.
    “We do not understand your ways, so it is hard for us to feel comfortable. Why is it not everyone’s duty to find food so that all may survive? You use words that do not translate for us also. Because we do not know how to be, it makes us all uneasy.”
    “I’ll try to explain how Fairy Tail works. As I am the Guild Master, all the members pay a monthly membership fee to me which goes toward all the things needed to run the guild smoothly, including my salary to run the guild. Every job on that board over there has a listing fee that comes directly to this guild from every client who contracts our aide. The listing fee only gets paid if the mission is accepted. The various fees cover food and booze purchases for the guild members to have when they’re here. Of course they have to reimburse the guild for their food and booze out of their earnings to insure the guild can pay Mirajane her wages for being the bar keeper and cook.”
    “So how does this make our getting fed and clothed work?”
    “Feeding and clothing your warriors for a couple weeks will be a little more expensive than usual for a couple weeks, but don’t worry about it. We’ll get everything resolved so your people can begin earning your upkeep. Once my Brats wake up, and the guild members see that they’re fine, the fear and anger will vanish overnight. Unless the King forbids it, I’ll assign on of your people to one of our friendlier guild members who knows the system. In time you’ll all master reading, writing, mathematics and how to handle finances so you can do your own missions without a mentor. I asked Levi to start teaching your people the basics so you can adjust to this era easier. For the moment, your warriors are trapped here until His Majesty arrives and makes a decision about handling this Abyss Lord problem.”
    “I still do not understand several words you used. What does purchase mean?”
    Makarov sighed. “It is where you give someone a set amount of jewels, our specific money system, for a specific item that you want to own. Purchase and buy mean almost the same thing, Vraylinish.”
    “You have mentioned jewels before, yet I cannot understand how the small patterned rocks and painted strips that your Levi showed us work in this world.” Vraylinish’s mouth quirked at a sour angle as her eyebrows plunged toward her nose bridge.
    “Jewels replaced the barter system so I guess it can’t be helped that it’s confusing, Vraylinish. Not everyone had the right things to exchange with each other so jewels, or money as it is also called, got invented to make sure everyone could get things they really needed or wanted no matter their specific skills.” Makarov explained.
    Loke popped into the space beside them. “What Master Makarov is trying to explain is that money systems replaced bartering for goods to make all types of trades hassle free. Barter was normal during your lifetime, but it made life more difficult for some people. Money systems or finance as it is also called, improved life for everyone because they don’t have to do multiple trades to get the things that they actually need.”
    Vraylinish nodded as her expression shifted to thoughtful. “Some times when we killed a demon, we would be given important things like well napped arrows and knives, or even food. It was the people’s way of thanking us.”
    “You’re starting to get the idea. However, jewels ended the problem of unfair swaps happening because everyone agrees on what an item’s value is even before it gets to a store, Vraylinish-sama. All forms of work, or the making of items have a set rate of value attached based upon common agreements that are centuries old now. Jewels have set values that rarely change so everyone gets paid the jewel value for all forms of work they do. A set price, or value for every type of work has been established so that everyone can do what they are talented at without having to worry about starving or not having shelter so long as they are working. The more dangerous the work involved, the more value that work is given. With Magic Guilds, the bulk of the work is valued much higher than safer work like making clothing, or taking care of crops to feed everyone else. Magic is not something that everyone can do, so the value of mage work remains much higher than hands on work most of the time.”
    “Hm, so in a way, these jewels express the different types of a good stone napper’s work as an example. A blade would be the same value as one type of jewel while an arrowhead would have the same value, or importance as a different looking jewel in this comparison” Loke nodded with a grin.
    “Think I’m beginning to understand this new way a little bit. Given time, we will all learn acceptance I suppose. Yet, Makarov, your talk about this guild does not explain how we are to give value to the things your people have done for us so far. These strange clothes and the food have been given, but we have not done anything to give them proper value in return if I am learning how this money system works.”   
    “Thank you for your explanation, Loke. And, Vraylinish, your people have done all you can to save Lucy’s life. As I understand everything, you and your warriors blocked a very powerful demon from escaping it’s prison and attacking this nation. So in this case, your people have already earned all the food, clothing, and other items you’ve been given. My brats will come around and stop being afraid once Lucy and the boys wake up. Right now their fears are in control because they don’t understand your magic any more than your people understand how money works.”
    “Vraylinish-sama, I hate to cut this lesson short, but several of your warriors are giving shifty looks to their weapons piled up as you ordered.” Loke interrupted.
    “Bane Warriors are not used to be stuck inside man made caves you call buildings. I need to find a way to take them outdoors where they can move around very soon or risk losing control over them. None of us sit for long. To remain in the company of those who we feel resentment from is a problem. False kindness is never safe to our kind.”
    Loke placed a hand on Makarov’s shoulder to draw his full attention. “She’s telling the truth, Master. Fey children grew up getting brutalized by all the pure blood races. The Fairies would rip apart their wings to cripple them if they were allowed to live at all. If they escaped the Fairies’ slavery, humans and other races would go out of their way to kill them on sight. The Twenty Elites are all Hybrids who have become hard wired to be paranoid. We need to find something for them to do that will help them calm down. Learning to read and write isn’t working because it lacks enough physical action to ease the adrenaline rushes from hearing angry voices up here.”
    “Levi and the others who are willing to help have all said you don’t have any knowledge of any of our magic. Perhaps we can exchange knowledge to ease your people’s fear of us. It allows us to be outdoors in the honor’s ring at least.”
    Makarov lifted his hand to silence the woman. “What is an Honor’s Ring?”
    “An Honor’s Ring is a place that traps magic inside of a large rock lined ring made to hold in all power that gets used during combats to regain one’s honor. The magic cannot escape the ring stones so it won’t cause damage outside of the ring.”
    “Can such an honor ring be used to train magic also?” Makarov asked as excitement rose within his breast.
    “Yes, of course. We all teach and learn from each other inside the honor ring. It is difficult to create trust unless both sides share something as proof that good will is the truth of actions on both sides.” Vraylinish answered, looking troubled as she watched her people shuffle and fidget on the ground floor.
    Levi looked up at them and motioned for them to come over. Although Levi was worried about Lucy, her curiosity made her the perfect spy and liaison for Makarov’s purposes. The Solid Script Mage was one of the most tolerant Fairy Tail members. Convincing her to help the feral mages who lacked any knowledge of the modern world had been easy once Makarov explained his plans. Levi learned language quickly, and was already figuring out their simpler words. Medium sized magic balls were set upon various tables to translate everything between the ancient and modern tongues spoken on the ground floor. However, Makarov wanted several Fairy Tail mages fluent in the ancient language for times when translation lacrimas were not available. 
    Every report Levi turned in before going home at night gave greater insight into the Ancients culture. Most of the culture was quite shocking to be certain, yet Makarov recognized that they had lived outdoors, using smelly hides as shelters, or finding caves during the winter. They only new how to hunt wildlife for their food, and clothing. Their lack of any form of luxury during their lives explained plenty about their barbaric ways.
    Dropping onto the ground floor Makarov spoke again to Vraylinish as they walked to the corner of the guild where her forty five members waited. “Wendy told me that she’s learning a number of interesting new ways to heal people from Braydon and his group.”
    “It is their punishment. The teaching will continue so that one of yours will be well versed in saving lives to balance their lack of telling your grandson what they needed to do to help your Lucy become a less painful wrong. The three will never be the same again. Even if they agree to keep very separate inner territories, some days will blend their thoughts more than others. Some days will make them resonate as one being because of one being ill, or tired. It cannot be changed now that soul shards have been exchanged between the three. Please stand here, and I will return in a moment.”
    Makarov nodded at Vraylinish as she headed toward her people. Hopping onto the bar, Makarov placed his empty mug beside him. Mirajane filled it from the large pitcher she had in her hands.
    “Master, you know that we all think the Fairies are deranged because they used a magic necessary for them to breed as a way to save Lucy’s life. Don’t you?”
    With a heavy sigh, Makarov yanked his hat off his head and rubbed his balding skull. “The list of possible side effect that our three will have to deal with boggles my mind too, Mira. All we can do right now is pray that no major damage happened once my grandson and his new companions wake up from that kind of magic. The one thing I do know is that Vraylinish’s healers were trying to save lives with their Soul Binding spell. Even without saying it outright, I believe Braydon and his group were in a state of panic, so they used the one spell that has the highest success rate, no matter the ongoing consequences.”
    “Until such time as they harmonize their life force, and decide their relationship roles, they can’t wake up according to Loke. What if Natsu and Laxus can’t agree to get along with each other so they stay trapped in that magical sleep until they all die?”
    “Mira, have some faith in those two. They’ll find a working balance between them even if they are both Dragon Slayers. Lucy’s soul recovery will also play a part in when they’ll all get up and start talking again. Wendy is monitoring them even as we speak. She’ll find a way to help those two wake up in time. Be patient, and have faith. Laxus and Natsu will find the best solution since they di this to save Lucy. She’ll keep them in line if all else fails.”
    A smirk grew on Mirajane’s face as she nodded and headed toward the stairs to refill glasses.
    Chaffing as the young woman ascended the stairs, Makarov stared at his drink.  Despite how confident he sounded, he was not so sure the trio would be fine after Lucy stabilized because of the nature of the spell used, and known Dragon Slayer habits. Centuries of ever expanding lore about territorial instincts dominated Dragon Slayer lore. Spouses were always their Slayers most prized treasure, and were zealously guarded. If the Fairies’ Soul Binding spell triggered instincts that made Lucy into their spouse, stopping Natsu and Laxus from killing each other to stake their territorial claim would be impossible.
    The Fairies had assured everyone that Laxus and Natsu would be unable to seriously hurt each other because of the spell’s nature. Yet Makarov was anything but convinced that the ancients understood how dangerous Dragon Slayer instincts became when activated. Laxus might only have an embedded lacrima, but he had been overcome by several Alpha draconic instincts over the years. Time had helped Makarov recognize the attempt to take over the Guild as one such instance where Laxus had lost control over the Alpha instincts from his lacrima. Worst of all was how Natsu lived on similar instincts as his constant need to fight with stronger guild members demonstrated.
    Lucy was trapped between the two Dragon Slayers who had the worst love hate relationship within the whole guild. Natsu respected Laxus’ strength, but was constantly challenging him to fights due to his instinctual need to get stronger, or take over the Alpha position. Laxus, on the other hand, had arrogance issues, and was quick to anger. Natsu’s compulsiveness infuriated Laxus as no other Slayer ever could. Makarov had long suspected his grandson had an interest in Lucy upon which he refused to act before her life was on the line. On the other hand, Natsu was always draping himself on Lucy and calling her his best friend, but acting out borderline boyfriend behaviors. As things stood, Natsu practically lived with Lucy no matter how loud or violent her protests for personal space.
    Dragon Slayers were anything but normal people. Yet to make things even more dicey, the Fairies who sought to heal Lucy through the unconventional spell added an all new nightmare to the mix. The group that linked the souls of Natsu, and Laxus to Lucy’s said that they believed Natsu had traces of awakened Fairy blood. With Lucy trapped between the two Dragon Slayers, both with extremely territorial personalities, Makarov dreaded facing the insanity when the three did rouse from their catatonic state.
    Although many humans dreamed about finding their soul mates, this spell took things much too far. In fact, as far as Makarov was concerned, it took away all the joy and adventure of finding and being with your perfect partner for life. Fairies lacked any sense of adventure or human morality, so did not understand how Soul Binding magic could be viewed as cruel in this instance. The healers had chipped off pieces of three individual souls and literally glued the pieces into the other souls through a magical swapping process.
    One side effect described with indifferent voices would make Laxus, Lucy, and Natsu miserable once they were aware that their thoughts and feelings were no longer private. All their painful past experiences would be the property of the others involved no matter what they wanted. Soul Binding destroyed any chance of secrets unless all had iron wills to remain separate people which from Vraylinish’s comments about bad days seemed unlikely. The spell even lead to erosion of individuality over time. To lose one’s autonomy, and be forced to cope with eroding personalities would make anyone who enjoyed their independence resent Soul Binding.
    Then again, the Ancients meddling was all for the purpose of moving the chains Lucy endured to other people. Makarov doubted that these hard hearted beings of diverse races actually gave a damn about the individuals involved. Makarov shuddered as he stared at the winged ones who were so extreme by comparison to other races, including the Centaurs.  Fairies were the stuff of dying legends, and hybrids were all but unheard of before they were thrust into everyone’s faces. They were odd looking strangers, and nobody from the guild quite knew how to react to them.
    With the added strain of three members being in magic induced comas caused by a spell that had never been heard of before, Makarov could only hope the Fiore King would make arrangements to safeguard Fairy Tail and the Ancients so nobody would be harmed further.
    Vraylinish and Loke caught his attention. With a rapid blinking motion, Makarov focused on the pair. Loke spoke, “RoMordian and the other Centaurs are sensing over thirty incoming magical powers that don’t match anyone in the guild who left on missions. Centaur sensitivity at feeling magic ability from a distance is the best in the world, so I’m thinking King Fiore and his personal guard have probably arrived.”
    “One would hope it is your true leader, but they also noticed the powers coming from two different directions. Some may be enemies of your King.” Vraylinish added as her head remained cocked to the side to monitor her warriors.  The twenty Bane Elites had begun to form a defensive ring around the sixteen Star Singers. The Fairies leapt in the air and began to hover in place.
    Mirajane leaned over the upstairs banister rail and called down, “Master, what’s going on with them now?”
    More heads looked over the railing as Loke stepped back to be seen and explained. “The Centaurs have noticed around thirty very strong magical signatures heading this way. Since they have memorized the guild’s magical signatures, they already know these signatures are strangers. Seems the thirty are coming from two different directions they’re taking up defensive positions to protect the Star Singers if these aren’t friendly visitors.”
    “Are you serious?” Wakaba demanded as he hung over the rail.
    “Centaurs were always the most sensitive of all magical creatures to magical vessels. They can feel the vibrations from amazing distances, and even smell differences in all types of magic when they get close enough.” Loke answered.
    Makarov heaved himself onto his feet and began snapping orders. “It’s King Fiore’s entourage, so everyone help get this guild cleaned up. We need to make a good impression when the Royal Family arrives.”
    All the Guild cheered and began racing to pick up any trash, and tidy up their home. 
~~oo0oo~~