//FairyTail Fanfiction//Lavinia Forest: An S Class Quest

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The three behind the bushes watched as the beautiful black horse started to shine, a ray of light in the darkened forest. It shone so bright that it temporarily blinded everyone for a moment, causing them to look away. When Erza looked back, there was nothing more than a mere toothpick of a girl with long black hair with Lucy on her back.

It is the shift wizard. Incredible.

The girl looked around calmly before she set her bright green eyes on the bush Erza, Gray and Natsu were behind.

"Raven, are you okay?" Wendy said.

"I'm alright," the girl, who Erza assumed was named Raven, answered in a husky accented voice, holding the gaze at the bushes where the three wizards were hiding.

She sounds like the female version of Mystogan, Erza thought. Maybe they're related? Don't get ahead of yourself, Erza. You barely know her.

"Your friends are near, Wendy. I sense them within our eyesight," Raven said.

"You can sense things?" Wendy asked.

"I sensed you and Lucy, did I not?" Raven answered.

"You can come out, Fairy Tail wizards," Raven spoke. "I mean no harm."

"Stay back," Erza whispered. Gray nodded, then looked for Natsu.

"Hey! Where's Natsu?!" Gray hissed.

"DID YOU TURN ME INTO THIS PEEWEE?!" Natsu shouted in his high voice as he ran towards Raven and Wendy.

"Natsu!" Wendy exclaimed. She knelt down and Natsu ran up to her.

"Wendy? What are you doing hanging out with this creep? And why did you let her take Lucy? You too, Happy and Carla!" he squeaked.

"Would you shut up, Natsu!" Carla exclaimed. "Raven is a wizard in this forest who offered to help us!"

"Oh yeah?" Help this!" Natsu said, turning to Raven. Raven stared at him with utter calmness. There was a hint of humour in her eyes.

"You'd better give back our friend or I'll turn you into a barbecued wizard!" Natsu said.

"Oh, for Christ's sake," Gray said as he ran out of the bushes. Erza hung back for a second, then followed. She stopped beside Gray and watched Natsu breathe in, getting ready to blow flames at Raven.

"Fire Dragon.....ROARRRR" Natsu shouted. A smile played on the girls lips a second before the tiny flame hit her, and then the flame dissolved into nothing. Natsu stared, dumbfounded. Raven set her eyes on Natsu and smiled, revealing sharp white teeth.

"If you choose to fight me, I will have no choice but to fight back," she said. "Why must you choose to be untrustworthy of myself? You've known me for approximately five minutes."

"Look lady, we don't know who you are, or what you've done to our friends, but you'd better know that we're not gonna let you get away with this," Gray said, getting into his maker magic stance. Tiny flames went up in Natsu's hands as he prepared for the fight. Raven only smiled and looked down, black hair covering her face.

Something's telling me this isn't right.... We can't fight her, she's X-class. What am I missing? The Elision Stone! Erza thought.

"Everybody, STOP AT ONCE!" Erza shouted. Her words caused Gray and Natsu to look at her in disbelief. Even Raven lifted her head in wonder.

"Lucy, the Elision stone!" Erza said.

"She fainted a little while ago, Erza. But she gave me the stone earlier," Wendy said, pulling the stone out of her pocket. She walked over to Erza and placed it in her hands. The stone was warm against Erza's palm.

Erza walked up to Raven and knelt down in respect.

"Our guild master told me before we left that there was an X - Class shift wizard who worked alongside FairyTail residing in this forest. He told me to give you this if we ever encountered you. I was told that you've managed to keep the Star fait monsters in this forest for a very long time. You must be extremely powerful," Erza said, holding up the Elision stone and looking up at the shift wizard right in her eyes.

Raven held her gaze. Slowly, she took the Elision stone out of Erza's hands.

"You need not kneel, Titania. We are all equal on my ground and always were."

Erza stood up, still holding Raven's gaze. No one said anything.

Raven broke the silence. "I owe one of Lucy Heartfilia's celestial spirits a favour. This is why I have agreed to heal her. I understand that we have the Maiden of the Sky here, but this injury is far too deep for her to properly heal. As well, Wendy is weakened from her near death encounter earlier today."

"What are you saying?" Gray asked. Raven turned to look at him.

"I have a shelter that I have been living out of. Please join me in my rest and healing, as it is almost nightfall and you'll be spending all night battling monsters."

"Fine, but only if you have a healing spell that'll change me back to my normal size!" Natsu said. Raven chuckled.

"Did you drink out of the stream in the small glade?" She asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I charmed the parameters of the glade so that everything you eat or drink in it will make you shrink."
"WHAAAAATTTT WHY WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING SO CRUEL??" Natsu screamed.

"Forgive me, but doesn't everyone know you don't drink or eat anything that is not your own in an unknown territory?" Raven asked.

"That's the same thing we told him," Erza said, laughing.

"Would you like me to turn him back?" Raven asked.

"Yes please. I can't take anymore of tiny Natsu," Gray said. Raven nodded. With a wave of her hand, Natsu grew until he was back to his normal size. He looked at her.

"Thanks."

Raven smiled calmly. "You're welcome. However, suggest the thought of crossing me and you will all be shrunk and fed to the arachnids."

"Point taken," Erza said.

"So, what is the verdict? Do you wish to join me until the morning dawn?" Raven asked. Everyone looked around at each other, but it was Erza who spoke.

"We will gratefully accept your offer. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to repay the favour."

"You'll do no such thing. But I must tell you all now. When morning dawns I must trust that you will all leave the forest and never return. If you disobey, it is punishable by death."

Gray gasped, Natsu looked at her like she was crazy, but Erza simply held her stare.

"Understood. May I discuss the warning after Lucy has been healed?"

Great gamble, Erza. She'll probably try and kill us all now. Get ready.

"The matter may be discussed," Raven said. Erza's stance didn't change, but her face showed some confusion.

"I am not an unreasonable person, Titania. If you have a legitimate reason for being in the forest you must come forth and speak. You will not get anywhere in this world, especially not in Fiore, without communication."

"Understood."

"Alright. Come along now, I will lead the way. It is not a far walk." With that, Raven shifted back into her horse form and started walking.

Erza and Wendy started walking forward, Gray and Natsu tailing behind.

What have we gotten ourselves into?