In The Times Of Fairy Tails

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Damian saw that Johanna was talking about the mission, royalty? A Wedding? Stanrge incidents with Palace Guards? Sounded interesting, and he could help people "Very well, I'm ready to go out when needed"

 

"Alright everyone, gather around." Cassandra called out. "I've been looking into my crystal ball and I've found out something that has me worried. Normally I would consult with Evanora, but she is at a Guild Masters meeting right now. This is a matter of utmost urgency. I need some of the strongest wizards here, I could really use your help. We'll be taking a train soon, anyone with the bravery to come along is welcome."

 

Therity walked back into the guild hall a while later, after walking the halls of the guild. Conviently, the missions were being posted on the board as she walked in. Avoiding Taylor, she walked calmly to the board and picked out the first one she saw. She picked out the first one she saw, and walked over to Cassandra's table just in time to hear her little speech. She sat down near the S-class wizard, indicating that she was going on that was, in the mission leader's words, brave enough to go on the mission. ​

So Zwei had decided to tell her the short story. It was indeed a very short story. "It's good that you decided to change," Taylor commented. "I'm glad you're here." She looked up when the noise level rose again. It seemed that the missions were up on the board. Standing up, she said to Zwei, "Nice talking to you. Should we go pick out our missions? I suppose that's what we do now, right?" She smiled at her friend and turned and walked to where people were beginning to stand around. She was interested in the one that Cassandra was leading, but when Taylor turned around, she noticed that Therity was already over there. Scowling, she turned back to pick a new mission. There was one being led by a man named Zephyros, but looking around, Taylor didn't see any men standing taking missions yet. Deciding to wait, Taylor stood with her back and one foot against a wall, and observed the guild hall. ​

 

After a while, that blasted Edric had finally given up on Zephyros' trial. Zephyros walked back into the Guild from the outside. How Zephyros got from the Guild hall and back outside the Guild was a mystery for sure. Zephyros took a job from the request board, hoping Edric would not notice. Zephyros' feet were rested on the table. "Alright men gather around!" Zephyros called. "I found a job I think you all might like. Lady Nessa's father has passed on, and in his will he has organized a contest for her hand in marriage. Not only marriage, but think of the money! Now, I will want a cut if you one of you manage to win, but other then that it's fair game. I've organized a boat to take us from Hargeon town. So are you in, or out?"

 

Taylor heard Zeph before she saw him. He had a tamborine in his hand, which was a little strange, but she shrugged it off and walked towards him. So this mission was about helping a rich woman find a partner? Excellent! She'd fit in perfectly here, as she could actually participate in the contest. "I'm in," Taylor grinned as she approached the place where Zephyros was waiting.​

 

Calxiyn was looking at the job board when she thought she had found the perfect job. "Hey guys, come over here!" Calxiyn smiled. She stuck the mask in her dress. "According to this job, another Guild all the way in Sian is looking for a group of wizards to partner with them on an epic quest! What exactly the mission is I can't say, but I'm sure it will be an adventure, so who's with me?!" She punched the air, before quietly adding. "Oh, and Caliborn has to come with us too, Evanora said so."

 

Conrad Heinrich Adelbrecht Carsten von Eisenstein II

Aoki didn't mind talking for a bit that was nice atleast. "Well I had hoped to get to know you a bit better by talking about things like where you are from and how you ended up here. Last time we spoke the conversation got cut short because of the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few, but I hope this time-" He had noticed Zephyr around, but didn't care much for it but it was Zephyrine trying to get him over and listen. "I appear to be needed elsewhere, but I guess I could stay for a tiny bit longer if that's alright with you and well you"

 

Ren paced along the upper corridors of the guild with a thoughtful and concerned look etched on his face. The state of the guild troubled him. He and the other new members had not been there for a significant time, and already large fissures in the fabric of the guild were starting to show. The guild had been split and ready to spill blood on the matter of Ezekiel, and as he had already heard Thea had killed several innocents during her mission, albeit mistakenly. On top of that, after leaving Sara he had overheard the exchange regarding Cal. Another killer in the guild, and clearly with Evanora's knowledge.
Not that the Guild Master herself could clear up any concerns her subordinates may have. In the wake of this disturbing reveal, as well as the incident with Thea, Evanora had taken herself off to a meeting, at a time when her newest guild members may need the reassurance and clarification only a leader could give.
Well, anything that she could have said probably wouldn't have changed Ren's mind anyway. Since she wasn't here, and Caliborn was literally stepping out the door on a mission, the last person he could think of to talk to was Mikasa. Ah, the stone faced, fiery Mikasa. She was another dangerous one. A killer? Probably.

He stopped outside the door to her dorm room, and knocked. If it had been anyone else he probably would have just enter right away, but Mikasa was different. She would probably rip his head off if he did that, and he would prefer her in a relatively good mood for what he had to say.
Knock knock.

 

Mikasa groaned and opened the door. "Yes?" She asked Hasu, before realizing that she was in her normal clothes. She felt almost embarrassed. She was just about to go out to town.

 

Guild Hall:



Sara's pov:
As she waited for Ren to answer her she gathered up her arrows and took a seat. She cleaned up what she could, but left the damage that was done before she got there. There was nothing she could do for it even if she wanted to. Who had done the damage? It really did not matter. How was it one person was able to help her when other were unwilling or could not help her? She was going to ask him. Soon Ren left without saying anything to her. Ren did not really answer her about going on a mission together. She hoped that he would go on a mission with her. He had helped her , but she did nothing to retuned the favor. It would bring some normal to the mission. Hopefully he would remember what she said that the guild needed more people like him. With the madness of the last mission was on still on her mind. She then walked out to the guild hall. Evanora abandonment of the guild members she did not see how this guild leader could get any lower. If things continued the way they did Evanora would have to get replaced by someone that would actually do something. The guild would fall about and be no more if this madness continued. When she walked into the guild hall a whole mess of stuff got thrown at her. Calxiyn was another killer in the guild, and Evanora probably knew this. She had intent to kill. Why was this not stopped? Who else was a killer in the guild? She made her way over to the mission boards. She looked at a mission that was almost full. She then took a look at the names Jack yes no Jack on this mission good. She picked the job writing her name on the last spot. The job was on pink paper. She needed some time to think before she went out. She then headed for her room. She opened the door. Thankfully it was empty. She gathered some clean cloths and got ready to go. She would not be able to prolong the mission for much longer. She looked around the room it was like she remembered it. As she sat on her bed she wished that she asked Ren if he needed anything.

 

Ren winced slightly as he heard the groan. Well, it was probably too much to ask for Mikasa to be somewhat inviting. “Hello Mikasa,” he smiled, stepping into the room. “I wanted to talk to someone in authority, and since Evanora is, eh, unavailable, I decided to come to you. I won't take too long, don't worry. You have more important things to deal with than the likes of me.” He closed the door behind him, and paced across the room to the window thoughtfully.

“I've become concerned about the state of the guild,” he suddenly began, turning to face Mikasa.“Even though I've only been here a short while, I've seen so many cracks and disconnectedness within the guild that I'm not even sure it can last for much longer. I feel like before long this place will implode and everyone in it will wind up killing each other. Let me explain why,” he said hurriedly, before Mikasa could interrupt. “First, there was that incident with Ezekiel. It started out well, yes, and we defeated him, but the moment it came to deciding his fate, we all turned on each other. I'm ashamed to admit that I was one of the first in that regard. Half of us wanted to execute him there and then, and the other half, for whatever bizarre reason, were prepared to fight the others to defend Ezekiel. A guild should never come to that,” he muttered bitterly, slowly shaking his head.
He continued on, pacing around the room. “Aside from that, there's the issue of some of the members of the guild. I'm sure you know all about the incidents regarding Thea and Cal, more so than I do, so I won't go into detail over them. I just find it disturbing that Evanora would let these two loose with very little supervision, especially since she knew about their pasts. They're not the only two in the guild like this I'd wager, and that also concerns me. I myself could be considered one of them. And maybe even you too, Mikasa,” he ventured to say, glancing at her to see her reaction.
Never mind, it wasn't important, really. He moved on quickly, leaving aside his curiosity. “Even without all this, there's the way in which the guild conducts its missions. We go out on a job, complete it in any way we can, and then just leave, regardless of the destruction and consequences of our actions. For example, take the mission to Astedia,” he explained. “We went out there and completed the mission perfectly, and yet...” He faltered, searching for the best combination of words that could explain how he was feeling.
He couldn't hesitate now though. Mikasa wasn't one for waiting. “And yet, that kingdom, while safe in the short term, faces years of decline,” he stated firmly. “The monarchs, while just about competent, have a silly and selfish daughter that will drag that country to ruin in the future. We of the guild knew that, and had an opportunity to help her become a true leader, but instead we took our money and just left. That seems a bit mercenary to me. Then again,” he chuckled mirthlessly, “I guess that's all this guild is. Soldiers for those who can pay, and can offer us a job that will let us keep our clean standing in the public.”

“Someone should have stayed back to help guide that young woman and her country to a brighter future. Someone should have prevented Thea and Cal from doing what they did. Someone should have resolved the conflict over Ezekiel before it reached the point it did,” Ren declared firmly, and then softened. “That's what I hoped for in a guild anyway, but I haven't found that here. I was probably looking in the wrong place. And so, I'm leaving.”
And so that was how he finally came to the crux of the matter. “I am not a good man, Mikasa,” he admitted to her. For a moment he almost thought that she would care. “I thought this guild could make me one, and perhaps it still can, but not in the way I want. That's why I'm making this choice. I ask that you inform Evanora of my decision, as she should probably know. I would have told her myself, were she around.”

He finished talking now, and waited for Mikasa to say something. Most likely she would simply dismiss him, which would suit him just fine. This didn't need to be a dramatic occasion.

 

Mikasa listened to him intently. She had calmed down from either, and was in a much better mood. "None of this happened before all of the new members joined on the Second of July. Please understand that the more people in one community there are, the more problems arise. That's because we're all family, and we're all in one Guild. We're all one community of people just getting to know each other. I'm not surprised of the chaos." Mikasa told him, her voice quiet. "Do you think that, if Cal and Thea were supervised, and knew they were supervised, we would get a genuine change? Evanora has an amount of trust in both of the girls. She puts trust into all of her children of the Guild. That's why most of us are still here. Some of us have and had hatred in our hearts, and yet, Evanora took us in. She put trust in us to change and become better people, and it's been working." She paused.

"I don't think that's true. I've heard of the all of the missions, and don't you think that the impact you made on the Princess had some kind of effect of her? She had to risk her life for her Kingdom. I think if anything, that's what a Guild does. We help people in all ways. It isn't just about the money, but when we're partnered with people it touches their hearts. That girl, you taught her about bravery, about the importance of family, do you think she won't remember those lessons?" She took a breath before continuing.

"You will never learn if you have everyone doing everything for you. Yes we can help along the way, but people need to make their own destiny's. Yes, someone could have stopped it, someone could have done something. But you can't think in the past anymore. You can only hope for a brighter future. You can't be stuck living in the past forever or it will kill you, understand that." Her voice was almost desperate now. "Hasu if you leave the Guild what difference will you be able to make her. You talk about all the things you find wrong with it, so why not fix them! You just got here, and if you leave then... what's the point of being in a Guild? What's the point of being a wizard if you give up when things get hard!" She wasn't shouting now, but her voice was raised.

Maybe it was what Caliborn had placed into her mind that made Mikasa more open then she usually was, or maybe it was the fact that she saw herself in Hasu. Maybe it was the fact that now she felt like she could change something for the better. "Give the Guild another chance. Stay!"

 

Mikasa's response took Ren off guard. She'd said more in just these last few moments than he had heard her say at all in the entire time he had been in the guild. And everything she had said was... correct. Yes, she was right. "Mikasa..." Ren began, searching for something to say. He swallowed hard and continued. "You're right. About everything. I shouldn't complain about anyone else in the guild, no matter what they've done or how the act. I shouldn't question how Evanora runs this guild, or how the missions are conducted." He was speaking hurriedly now, eager to just get it all out. "I am a hypocrite, I already know that. I could change that, yes, I could try to help the guild settle down, fix it's issues, save it from it's own destruction even! But Mikasa, I can't," he pleaded desperately, "I'm trying to save myself. I can't be the one to fix anything, I'm already broken myself. So please, try to understand, I'm not giving up on the guild. I'm just struggling to not give up on myself, and this is the only way I can see to do it."
Suddenly he felt tired. Very tired. He slumped down on one of the beds, and put his head in his hands. "I have family you know," he confided to Mikasa. "I'd like to see them again some day, when I'm whole. That family is more important to me than anything the guild could be. That's the truth."

 

Mikasa knelt down beside him. "But in a Guild, Hasu, you don't have to do it alone. You don't need to fix everything alone, and nor do you have to fix yourself alone." Mikasa continued. "We're all here for each other, helping each other. We're all helping each other grow, through laughter and threw tears. We're all here to help you, just like maybe you'll be here to help someone else. And that chain never stops." She pondered for a second, not sure where she was going to go with this. "When something falls down, you just have to build it up again, but that time with more care. You can't fix your own brokenness alone. Sometimes it takes someone or many someones, because we're not supposed to be alone in this world... we're not supposed to always solve problems on our own. That's why we have Guilds."

"This Guild is a family Hasu. It may not be blood, but we're family just the same. And as someone part of your Guild family, I can't let you go only struggle by yourself."

 

Mikasa, a face of granite, and yet what seemed to be a heart of gold beneath. A much better person that Ren could ever be. "Can you really help me, Mikasa?" he murmured. "Can you really rid me of this guilt?" He sighed, and began reciting the dates that so often occupied his mind. "April 6th the year seven-hundred and sixty five, one child aged nine. April 12th of the same year, a young man. May 3rd, an elderly couple. May 22nd, 23rd, 24th, a family of five. May 31st, twenty young women from a choir. June 26th, an Empress. July 6th, a child. July 7th, all thirty-four members of a small dark guild. July 30th, two members of the Grand Inquisitors. September 12th, one city, populated by approximately thirty thousand people."
"September 13th, I turned ten years old." He groaned to himself, unsure of whether to continue. "Those are they who died by my hand during the first year of my job as an assassin. There were six more of those years, and the killings came more frequently, more callously, and more lethal."
He stared at the ground in silence for a few moments, strangely calm. Perhaps getting this off his chest had been good, at least in the short term. "So, Mikasa, can you help fix any of that?" he posed to her. "Can anyone?"

 

Mikasa closed her eyes. "You can't change the past Hasu. Nothing will bring them back. But you can learn from those mistakes." Mikasa stopped, for once, almost speechless. "In this Guild, there are murderers, there are thieves, there are lairs... but... all of that..." She changed her mind on what she was going to say. "No one can erase what you did, but at the same time... maybe you saved some people too. Like you said before, the Princess could have dragged her Kingdom into disaster. In this life the choices you make, they can cause peoples deaths and save peoples lives. Most of us don't see the result of that, but everyone has a chain reaction. If we knew how many people our actions truly killed and saved, we would truly go mad. " She stopped. She wasn't sure she was making any sense. "I think that... people can redeem themselves... no matter what horrible things they've done. I don't know if we'll be able to help you, but we can help you help yourself..."

"I'm sorry if I'm not saying this right. The occasion doesn't really arise..." Her voice trailed off. "Your past actions don't dictate your future ones. You should think about the future, not the past. Because in the end, no one will remember the murder Hasu, they'll remember the hero Hasu, one of the Wizard Saints Hasu."

 

As Gaius lashed out with his fists, Gexln nimbly dodged the strikes, his agility far surpassing that of the young fire mage that was assaulting him. The kid was putting up a decent fight, but to say he was outclassed was an understatement; there was a world of difference between the two combatants, and Gexln knew it. Immediately after Gaius struck, the huge statue that was moving sent its fist rocketing towards the dragon slayer. The force behind the punch was impressive to say the least, but Gexln held up both of his hands and shifted his stance so that he was in the best possible position to defend against such an attack.

As the attack impacted with Gexln, a small shockwave was released due to the sheer force behind the strike. The shockwave ended, but Gexln hadn't shifted an inch. The slightest grin appeared on the S-class wizard's face. "That's it?" he taunted, right as a young fire mage came flying at him.

Gaius was shocked that Gexln had blocked the attack with such ease. He didn't know Malkira, but he looked pretty strong and a rocky statue surely would have a bit of power in a solid strike. That hadn't deterred him though, indicated by him leaping at Gexln once again, with flames rotating around his fists. "You're going down!" he cried as he struck with all his might, but was met with Gexln simply blocking once more with his hands. The guy wasn't even using his weapon and he was this strong, what was he?!

"If you think that's all it takes to beat a S-class wizard, you've got another thing coming. I beat the S-class trials at 13, imagine how much stronger I've gotten 8 years after" Gexln said with a slight chuckle. The look of surprise on Gaius' face was priceless. Why wouldn't he be surprised? The S-class trials were supposed to be the biggest test the guild had to offer, and he'd beaten it with Quinn as his partner at 13. Taking advantage of the surprise, Gexln flipped backwards, kicking Gaius in the face with his heels as he went back a metre, before dashing forwards with a powerful uppercut to Gaius.

The fire mage felt the hit connect, sending searing pain throughout his body as he was knocked high into the sky and away from the battle, slamming into a wall and falling to the ground. How was it possible that he'd beaten the trials at 13? He hadn't taken them himself, but they were said to be stupidly difficult, and he'd done it as a child? "How did you beat them?"

"The S-class trials are done in pairs. I paired up with Quinn. Despite being just kids, we defeated them. I'm the shadow dragon slayer, I won't go down easily. This fight's been a pretty good warmup though, so you've got that going for you"

So that was how. He was a dragon slayer. He hadn't heard much about dragon slayers, but they were supposed to be pretty damn strong. Either way, Gaius wasn't going to continue fighting. Gexln was holding back even now, he'd been toying with them. So if he kept fighting, he would take serious injury and that could influence his next mission in a bad way. With a sigh, Gaius sat down and waited.

With Gaius giving up and no longer fighting, Gexln realized that he, too, should be attempting to find a mission, or maybe even run one. However, he had the problem of Malkira. Not that it was a serious problem, but he would have to end the battle quickly. "Alright, now you have two choices here; either you can go and find a mission yourself, or I can kick your ass and then you can go to your mission. Take your pick" Gexln said, standing relatively close to Malkira but far enough that he could prepare a defence if Malkira decided to attack. ​

 

Mikasa's words were starting to lose their effect on Ren. Her latest round of arguments had failed to make the intended impression on him, and in fact did the opposite. Her speculation that somehow he had saved life, and what seemed like an attempt to flatter his ego, frustrated him. And her only suggestion to him was to, what, look forward, forget the past? Useless.
“So Mikasa, you want me to simply move on,” Ren muttered bitterly. The resolve that had been wavering till now suddenly hardened. He suddenly stood up, clenching his fist. “I've been trying to move on for the last twelve years. I haven't succeeded yet, but at the very least I know when I need to leave a place. So, I shall leave this guild.”
He walked determinedly over to the door, his mind now made up, and opened it to leave. Just before doing so, he paused and looked back at Mikasa. He owed her something for her efforts. “Thank you, Mikasa, for trying,” he smiled sadly. “I don't feel so worried about the guild anymore, with someone like you here to keep it on track. Perhaps you should show this side of you more often?” he suggested. “Just a thought. And maybe, when I do find a way to fix everything, I'll come back to Sapphire Eclipse.”
With that, he closed the door softly, and began making his way to his own dorm room. He would need to pack his few things before he hit the road.

 

​

Malkira was surprised, he'd put a surprising amount of force into that punch and Gelxn had just... deflected it
"Well I know when I'm beaten, better than Gaius at least. You have impressive strength" he complimented the S-Class and turned away when he heard something about missions. Calxiyn was talking about a mission in Sian. Hmm, should be interesting if they're partnered up with another group of wizards, he would like to see what kinds of mages the rest of the world had to offer, he was always eager to meet new people. "I would like to join this mission, I'm ready to head out when we want, it's not like I ever need much luggage"

 

Mikasa sighed heavily, lying back onto her bed. She then suddenly remembered. She jumped up, getting a piece of paper and writing on it. She was too ashamed to perform the ceremony they usually did when someone left, and she didn't know how much time she had. She ran down the tower and to the male door rooms. The other rooms had their doors open, but Dorm 1's door was closed. She took that as a sign that Hasu was in there, and slipped the letter under the door.

Spoiler

Whenever a Mage wishes to leave Sapphire Eclipse, they are free to do so, however they are expected to follow three rules. Engrave them in your heart.


1. You must never reveal sensitive information about Sapphire Eclipse to others for as long as you live.

2. You must never use former contacts met through your being in the guild for personal gain.

3. Even though we walk on different paths, one must always live on as strong as you are able, you must never treat your own life as something insignificant, and you must never forget about your friends you love for as long as you live.

Let the flowers of light bloom within your heart. I wish to bless you on your new found voyage

Safe travels, and see you soon.

Mikasa hurried back to her room, and fell onto her bed. She buried her face in her hands. "I failed, Caliborn. I wish there was more I could have done, but I don't have the capacity for such complexity..."