Land of the Ashen: A Dark Fairy Tail

Gathering of the Guilds

This chapter is more serious than exciting or funny. But its a chapter that crucial to the rest of the book, so please read it and I will get to the good stuff in the next chapter! Also, school starts in a few days and I am already dead! I have two AP classes and Marching Band...anyone else have a busy schedule?

I dedicate this chapter to AxNutellaxTurtle!

Please tell me how you like it!
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Ducking through ally's and hiding out of sight. Slowly Natsu and Lucy made their way to the last guild on their list, Sabertooth. It was a large building, with a flag in front with their guild sign. Not a largely fancy building, but much nicer than the shaky, homemade hut everyone else lived in.

"Stay here." Natsu ordered as he ran to knock on the door.

Caution had to be taken because all Fairy Tail members were wanted, if they were found they could be killed or even taken back to the council for "punishment". So Natsu and Lucy had to lie just in case.

Natsu banged on the front door, hoping there would be any sort of answer. Thankfully the door swung open to reveal...a cat?!

"Another one of me!" Happy yelled in shock.

Natsu spun around to see Lucy and Happy standing directly behind him, ignoring his orders to stay down.

"I told you!...never mind, get inside!" He shoved both of them through the doorway, forgetting the cat in the way.

Once they were inside, Natsu slammed the door behind them. This caused a ruckus, making all in the building to glance at what was going on. Natsu saw dozens of heads, hundred pairs of eyes starring at them. A thick silence covered the room.

"You ran over me!" A small voice cried behind them, Natsu looked back to see the cat that opened the door. But now that he looked closer he realized it was a pink cat inside a green footie suit. A bit strange for a cat to wear pajamas.

A woman walked over to them, she had short white hair and wore a dark blue dress. She picked up the cat and rocked it back and forth to stop it crying, then she looked up to them. Her eyes held no malice or hate, she was so calm and serene.

"Who are you?" She asked, her voice soft as silk.

"We came to talk to your master." Lucy chimed.

"Come this way." The girl lead them through the frozen crowd to the back of the building. There, sat in a large chair was a young man. He looked no older than Natsu, in fact there was something strangely familiar about him.

"We have visitors, Master."

The man looked up and saw the two foreign people, his blue eyes switching from one to another.

"Thank you Yukino." He waved a gloved hand, sending her back.

The blonde man stood from his seat with a smile.
"I am the master here at Sabertooth, names Sting. Whats up?"

"The truth is we need help, but you also need our help." Happy said,still shaken from his encounter his another cat.

"Help?" Sting asked.

"Yes, the council is taking control over us. Its time for us to fight back." Lucy added.

"Aren't you tired of them controlling you? Distorting everything, killing innocent people, it needs to be put to an end!" Natsu slammed his fists together.

"I understand it, but what are you getting at?" Sting asked.

"Natsu and I have traveled across all Fiore, asking all the guilds to help us. Help us put a stop to the council and bring an end to this terribly pointless war. Will you join us bring down the evil forces that hold us back and kill everything around us?"

"This is exactly what we've been waiting for, took you long enough too." He jabbed a finger at Natsu. "Sabertooth is happy to fight with you. Right guys?"

The once silent members now cheered and yelled in acceptance. The hall became noisy and ruckus full as everyone started to go on again, ignoring their conversation.

"How many other guilds have joined?" Sting asked.

"Almost all of them. Mermaid Tail, Blue Pegasus, Lima Scale, Mermaid Heel and now you guys."

"So what happens now?"

"We meet at the east battle grounds before the sun comes up in four days." Natsu sat down in a random chair that happened to be near by.

"Three days." Lucy corrected him.

"Three...whatever." He rolled his eyes.

There was a sudden banging on the front door of the guild, not like how Natsu knocked before, this was someone trying to kick down the door. The guild members murmured to themselves about what was happening, but no one opened the door.

"By orders of the council, open up!" A voice beyond the walls announced.

Lucy gasped, scooping up Happy and holding him close to her chest. Natsu wildly spun his head trying to find somewhere to hide. If the council found them here, they would definitely be killed or captured. Neither of which were good.

"Quick, this way!" Sting lead them to a small, cluttered room and pushed them inside.

Under further inspection, they were inside a sort of broom closet. But Natsu could only pick up hints using the light peering under the door. Although, both of them could clearly hear the conversation outside.

"We have heard of certain fugitives traveling from guild to guild. A girl, a boy and a cat from the guild formally known as Fairy Tail. Have you seen them?" A low voice asked.

"No, Im sorry. They haven't shown up here yet." What sounded like Sting's voice answered.

"Good, then you wont mind if we do some searching."

There was no answer after that, but the sounds of rustling and tossing of tables in search of them. Natsu hugged Lucy, clinging to her like she would be taken from his at any second. He slowed his breathing, trying to make as little noise as possible. Then he saw two shadows of feet in front of the light under the door, Natsu heart beat in double time as he clutched Lucy even tighter.

"Actually now that I think of it, I think I did heard of them." A voice interrupted the silence. "Yes, I heard that they were headed to Raven Tail."

"You heard the man, we set for Raven Tail." The same low voice from before ordered.

Slowly the dark shadows moved their way across the floor and away from the door, letting Natsu sigh a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

For the next few minutes Natsu, Lucy and Happy wait in the dark. They waited until Sting came to open the door. It took a second to adjust to the light again, but the council was gone and they couldn't stay.

"Thank you for helping us." Lucy gave a small bow.

"No, thank you. We are proud to fight with you." Sting agreed.

"Then we will see you in three days." Natsu held out his hand.

Sting took it with pleasure and shook it, making the deal official.