Feathers [Celestia]

Yōkai rarely made an appearance outside of Midi. Magic was often tied to lands – it explained why Magic was so differently looked upon whenever you crossed borders. Midijin Magic and Fiorean Magic… different uses, same source. Something like that was what Mura had concluded from years of traveling.

It made things all the more interesting when Magic flew into other borders, such as in the case of today. He read the request paper carefully, making sure that the details in the description handed to him wasn’t off or misread by him earlier. It took him a few minutes inside of his office to come to the conclusion that the details described a sort of Tengu – now, why on earth was a Tengu here in Fiore?

Tengu were ascetic creatures, huge in size and followers of ascetic beliefs. Mura read about them back when he attended the Onmyōryō – the school and bureau system for Midijin priests called Onmyōji. Yeah, Mura would consider himself experienced in the field of Yōkai or just about any magical creature... okay, not just any. Mostly those from Midi, but that was because he desperately needed to know about them to deal with them back when he was a green, little bean.

Hmh... so a Tengu had been spotted at the waters near the coast of Hargeon. Maybe it had fallen into the sea near the Shinnai Falls and floated all the way here. Either way, he could deal with it... but he didn’t need to kill it. Tengus were often more reasonable than giants.

“Teeeeeeeengu! Dun dun dun! Teeeeeeeengu! Dun dun dun! Teeeeeeeeng-“

“Well, aren’t you excited?”

“So should you! A Tengu, Mura! We haven’t seen one in years! Oh, oh! Maybe it’ll grant us another wish if we remove a splinter from its toe again…”

“But- wait… no. Odds call that a load of crap. Listen, we can just talk to it a little – maybe build a raft for it to float back to Midi. Not the most serious stuff here-“

“W-WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘NOT THE MOST SERIOUS’?!”

Arghhh, Kyuken was always so full of energy… but truth be told, Mura wasn’t really 100% present lately. It was as if the events of Pergrande’s war with Bellum just… threw him off his game. But still, he was a Guildmaster… and since this mission could prove a nice trip to Hargeon, he should accompany someone.

While packing his gear – his two katanas, his belt, his haori, his backpack and all, Zirconis – a green dragon ghost in the form of a green orb with a face – had flown out of the office and down to the guild hall to summon Celestia Silvervane and inform her that a quest was available.

Once she had geared up, Mura would await her outside of the guild – right by the gate on the stairs leading to Dragonbane Avenue.

WC: 478
Thread TWC: 478

The guild was buzzing. There had been a drinking contest between some of the other members and it was going terribly for both of them frankly. People were sloshing and falling on their asses. Celestia had been relatively well-behaved thus far, she'd had a few ales of course but nowhere near the level of her compatriots. The slayer had lifted her glass to her lips when a green orb bobbed down to her side, hovering there patiently.

"Huh? Crap, what did I do this time?" Cele huffed. There had been an incident where she had heard some commotion and charged into the room. The people were fine, the door frame on the other hand was not so lucky. Her giant size had crashed through the door with little resistance from the brickwork of the guild. "Mura is heading on a mission... So get your shit and get outside!" Before the Oni could answer back it fizzled out and was gone with a small pop. She attempted to gain her thoughts for a moment.

The master wanted her? For a job? Seriously? There were mages with much higher rankings than herself. She appreciated the opportunity but it was a bit of a shock. She was fortunate to have most of her belongings with her at any one time. She grabbed her rucksack and performed a quick inventory.

Books, check.
Food, check.
Change of clothes, check.
Exceed, check.

"Get me out of here, im surrounded by your panties!" Screamed Luna as she bounded from the bag. She panted before being picked up by the top of her dress and placed gently on Celestia's shoulder. "We have a mission... What the hell were you doing in my underwear anyway, perverted cat!" She snarled. " You left me in there, you overgrown ogress!" Luna's face drained of colour before flopping as the mage slung the pack onto her back and made her way to the door. There was little else that she required. She was in her regular purple pantsuit and that was all that she needed, to be honest. She looked back as Vandrad was grinning to himself amongst a pile of bodies, all trying not to heave or vomit on the floor. He simply declared himself the winner before going back to his work. Gods, this guild was a madhouse and she loved it.

The great door to the guild creaked as she passed through to see Mura. "Hey master, are you certain you needed me? I just wanna check as there's beer in there that needs drinking." She grinned. She had two bottles hidden away if they actually had to make a move but she wanted to double-check, or else make a complete tit of herself in front of the master. Again.

Post count - 475 words
Total WC for Cele - 475 words

Zirconis quickly returned to Mura’s side, reuniting with Kyuken and revealing themselves as the two spirits always by his side – a human’s soul and a dragon’s soul, often bickering in petty competition but comrades nonetheless. Zirconis was… an unusual dragon. Inherently fond of humans – despite him never admitting that out loud – Zirconis appeared far more approachable than, say, Akemi… but nobody knew much about Akemi, so before the reader found out more, Mura’s mind switched over to the arrival of today’s star of the show.

After all these years, he should have been desensitized to ‘quirks’ – the presence of otherworldly spirits, yōkai, heavenly dragons and at times even people from other worlds, the world of Fairy Tail never showed any signs of stopping to tear down any wall of concealment within Mura’s perspective of all of existence… and yet, was it really the first time that his guild housed a Dragon Slayer… proudly protruding a sharp, obsidian horn from the center of their forehead?

Like, was it really that new to him?! For real?!

“… Mura… h-hey, Mura… Mura…”

“… Hmh?”

“Can yo-“

“No.”

Yeah, Mura read Kyuken like an open book. By the time that Celestia Silvervane exited the guild, Mura’s head was 30% consumed by Kyuken’s ghostly jaw as the large spirit ball that he was. “… You’re here. Good,” he greeted her with a raised left hand, the jointed framework of his prosthetic arm in full view as eh had repaired it for today’s work. She… sounded a little hesitant.

“Beer tastes better after a long day’s work. Wouldn’t you agree?” he retorted back to her with a tongue out in tomfoolery, “Anyways, Hargeon’s only a couple train stops away… but last time did spill to me that you’re a Dragon Slayer. We’ll take a different ride.”

… Argh, hmhhh. Poor Azure-chan would feel intimidated by the presence of a Dragon Slayer, wouldn’t she? Therefore, Mura decided to not summon the Azure Dragon for a ride this time… it also saved him some mana to summon another entity. The four corners of the starry sky did provide the Onmyōji with a handful of creatures to serve him, one of which was fast on land as the swiftly running wind.

Therefore, he clapped his hands. A simple, loud clap with no visible effect at first… until the wind began kicking up. Clouds pushing away, clearing the late afternoon sky, and a fur-coated being galloped down from the heavens as a sort of transparent after-image. Only when it landed on the ground next to Mura did its body begin to process details and colors, emerging as a white tiger of abnormally large size, dark-grey stripes and burning, blue eyes.

It lowered its shoulders and back like a puppy and awaited to be mounted. It even had a feasible leather seat for such errands. Mura would climb up on its back and ready himself before nodding for Celestia to follow suit. After she would mount the beast as well, the spirit would gallop at blinding speed… but no wind would push at them. Wind was scattered in its rapid stride, granting the two Fairy Tail Wizards shelter from the gusts.

While the spirit of Byakko took them across stony terrain, a few woods and a couple other towns, Mura would initiate a conversation: “… It’s been a while. Travelling like this.” Truth be told, he had gotten used to flying, but travel on land had its perks, “Hey, sorry about the tunnel ride before… it’s strange. Almost all Dragon Slayers I’ve ever known suffer from motion weakness.” A topic that Akemi probably knew much more about than him.

“But you sure made yourself at home fast~. Really glad to see that, Cele… but remember, you’re an official member of Fairy Tail now. We’ll make sure to get you accustomed to taking on quests like these on a regular basis. Gives you lots of experience in the long run,” he explained. It was basically his life from when he joined the guild himself all those years ago – was it, what, 11 years ago?

“Speaking of Dragon Slayer… I never got where you hail from. Judging by your name, I say you must be from a neighboring country – d-don’t say you’re also Fiorean, I’ll just look dumb-”

“SCREW THAT! Are you single?”

“What ol’ bastard taught you Dragon’s Magic, eh? Was it Zeuslogia? Elektra? Thekwane?”

WC: 733
TWC: 1686

The guild master was always an extremely upbeat sort of fellow. His ghost pal was certainly entertaining as well. She watched on as the pair did their thing before nodding in agreement with Mura's comment about beer. "It certainly is. Thank you!" She gave a curt smile as he turned and began to summon something with a clap of his hands. He was a kind guild master and was always one to look out for members of the guild. It was nice that he acknowledged her Slayer weakness and the small matter of her being a slayer in the first place.

There was no wind when Celestia had stepped forth from the guildhall but since joining the Mura the wind had begun to blow, picking up in strength and speed. Her purple hair blew wildly in the gale for a moment before a mighty white Tiger materialized. The mighty beast had ducked down as the pair climbed aboard. It took off so harshly it nearly threw Celestia from the saddle for a moment. A quick readjustment had permitted her the small grace of finding a comfortable spot. Then the questions came.

"Oh my..." She blinked for a second as the orb of Kyuken and Zirconis came forth, bombarding her with inquiry after inquiry. Her hands raised and waved them down, if not for any other reason than it was odd having orbs shouting at her. "Steady!" She chuckled, taking a hand to scratch her chin. " I am indeed a Florian... Where exactly is slightly... Hard to describe. My family and our village kept very much to ourselves not really dealing much with humans. Being a Yokai in our country came with its own dangers." Her head bowed for a second. Her thoughts went to a dark place, remembering the burning of her village and being hidden away in a trader's wicker basket. She could feel herself slipping from the conversation and forcibly pulling herself back.

"This is not the time to get lost in memory." She thought to herself.

"Firstly, yes I am single and you, little orb, are barking up the wrong tree! Secondly, you're dead and floating. Third, I like ladies." She shook a disciplinary finger at the orb of Kyuken. He was a part of Mura for sure but she felt if there was a pervy side to Mura it was held in that damn orb. She next looked to Zirconis forcing her to swallow hard. It was difficult looking upon a dragon knowing that her own adoptive mother had left her in such a position that she had. "My mother was Thundera, Lightning Dragon Queen by her own right. It has been a long time since I conversed with a dragon... I'm sorry you are not here physically." There was a sincerity to her voice. It was true, she really did wish the dragons were back. She missed her mother.

"So, Mura. Where exactly are we going and why did you need a Dragon Slayer?" She was curious still as to why he had picked her. "Mura isn't an idiot. Wait... Okay, so Mura isn't a fool... Okay, Mura knows what he's doing... sometimes. He must have picked me for a reason?" Cele mulled the question over in her mind. She felt the beast lurch forward forcing her to grab the waist of Mura for just a second; "Apologies." Cele mumbled.

Post WC - 565 Words
Total Character WC - 1,040 words.

Like a saddened puppy, Kyuken’s bright eyes sobbed a bit as he sloooooooowly floated backwards to make space for Celestia to get some fresh air. Despite having called her an ‘oni’, she was of Fiorean descent. The passage of time meant that categorizing races really meant less and less with each day passing – if anything, Mura’s bestiary was next to useless now. All those lectures in Onmyōdō thrown into the wind by the passage of time.

“…”

‘With its own dangers’, huh. No reason to meddle deeper into her thoughts. Mura understood that it was something difficult to talk about. “Understood,” was all he replied with before steering Byakko a little to one side, wanting to make sure that the tiger spirit didn’t bash into any other travelers taking the roads that webbed their way towards Hargeon.

Kyuken was just devastated. Being called a little orb was sweet, but she was already reprimanding him just for showing interest! Just when he thought her unfair, she revealed her interest in the same sex, and Kyuken had no choice but to float away in shame of his actions. Zirconis, who held little knowledge of such sexual preferences, if any at all, simply floated closer to Celestia with a smirk on his scaly face. “Regardless, he needs to be put in his place once in a while. Otherwise, he kicks up a trash storm for the rest of us to clean up after.”

Thundera… wait, Thundera? There were- oh, wait, yeah, there were more Dragons out there than what met the eye. “By her own right? I wonder who she had to eat to call herself a Queen,” Zirconis pondered over the tidbit information he was handed about this Lightning Dragon Queen, “I’ve… not been here physically for a long time. Likely won’t be any different, if that wasn’t the case. Relax, gecko.”

“Eh?! Why are you suddenly calling her that?! You wanna die, you stupid lizard?!”

“You’re dead and floating, puppet!”

The brawling that ensued threw both spirits off of the tiger spirit’s back, leaving Mura and Celestia to finish the travel without their company for a time. “Urghh… those two,” Mura groaned in embarrassment, straightening his face with his hand before focusing on the roads ahead.

“We’re going to Hargeon…” is what he answered with, slightly concerned, “I think you’re asking the wrong question, Cele… we’re not fighting a Dragon, in particular. You-“

Squeeze.

“… You’re new, so I just felt like it.” Really, it was just that – she was the newest mem- no, not the newest, but she was one of the newest members of Fairy Tail! That meant that this was likely her first official quest for the guild since she joined.

They did arrive at the location after a bit – Port Hargeon, a port town that was buzzing even in this season. Mostly because of the shadow lurking in the far horizon of the blue sea… even from their position at the hill, they could see that some shadowy figure was looming behind mists far out in the waters. It had become a huge hotspot to meet at the beach and inspect the sightings in person.

“Doesn’t look like a problem is here… everybody’s just watching it from afar,” Mura inspected, not really feeling any sense of alarm in Hargeon as of now. Was their client just petty about the attention it got? Mura had to pull up his bestiary for a quick skimming of his notes about what creature he thought it to be, flickering through the papers until he landed upon a page with a masked shugendō of a long, nostril figure. “… Ahh… I see now… okay, Cele. Your first quest is waiting for you at the sea, so here’s the plan – I’ll take you to the Tengu, and then you’ll take over from there and deal with it somehow. Remember our objective – it just needs to leave the sea near Hargeon. If it turns hostile, then eliminate it – I’ll support you if you end up in a pinch.”

And with a couple steps from Byakko, they did manage to dart through Hargeon, the mist above the sea and approach the Tengu. However, that was when things started to escalate – the Tengu itself didn’t react to their approach, but within the mist, sparks of lightning were generated around them. Mura instinctively held his katana up in the air to try and redirect the electric charges, while strange serpents slithered around the mist.

These serpents surely were a surprise, since they hadn’t made any appearance up until now. Eels, governors of electricity, who had some sort of beef with the Tengu and preferred to keep others out of their way.

WC: 784
TWC: 3035

The ride on the back of the beast was fairly quiet. It was somewhat entertaining to see two spirits fighting like a pair of old maids. What stuck out the most was Mura's willingness to not pry into what she had meant. She respected that about him, he knew when to ask questions and when not to. Her heart pounded hard in her chest when the subject changed to that of the Tengu. A Tengu? In Fiore? How and why was that possible? She had tried so hard to make sure that no other Yokai had come here, after all, it was her title that they chased her for.

A gentle breath was released as they approached the sea. Lightning crackled from spot to spot. "Master, there's a side to me that I have not shared with you, I've not been in a position to talk about it." She blushed for a second as the mist that hovered opened up to a much brighter area. The Moon beamed light from above Fiore and in its glow hovered the maiden of the Tengu. Her slender frame, clad in white fabric, a silver helm covered her face, a shawl of pink covered in shoulders, and surrounding her were giant wings. Celestia did not allow time to stop. Before she even had time to attempt to explain she propelled herself from the beast. Her giant frame whipped through the air before crashing into the sand before the Tengu. "Master, if you can deal with the Eels. I need you to stay clear." Lightning rippled across her body in a crash. Sparks flew from her body, snapping at the sand, shells, or anything that could be made contact with. Sand spat into the air as both Yokai stared at each other intensely.

"You know why I'm here Oni. Surrender to me, give me your power and the title you hold." The Tengu spoke in a gentle but commanding voice. "You kno-" Celestia could not finish her words before the Tengu was upon her, driving her fist into Celestia's stomach. The force was unreal. The propulsion sent her spiraling into the air as the Tengu took flight in kind. The sound of her wings was like the sound of an arrow. Silent. Deadly. Before she could even compose herself Celestia was stuck again, this time a kick to her back sending her crashing into the sand. The Tengu lingered in the sky above the flap of her giant wings giving gentle ripples to the sand and sea.

"I do not wish for the title... But I will not have it used to kill innocents!" Celestia snarled getting to her feet. The Tengu certainly packed a punch that was for sure. This was not going to be an easy fight. "Master... I hope you will not think ill of me." She muttered, hoping the guild master would hear. A mist surrounded Celestia. "Yokai Soul... Serena, Hineonma." The mist lingered and out stepped a demon. Her skin was a hue of purple. her hair turned a shimmering black. Her Eyes become crimson and her incisors had grown to become fangs. Wings fully sprouted from her back as her clothes began to change. She gains knee-high boots of purple, gold, and red as well as a very revealing 'bikini' that just covers her privates and breasts. She stepped out, her tail lashing around her. "Stupid bird." Celestia snarled in a voice that was not her own. Knees bent, she pushed off as her wings launched her into the air in a scream. She was upon the Tengu with a fist fired toward the stomach. "You know what must happen now!" Celestia snarled.

Post WC - 613
Total WC - 1653

… Wait, what side of her? She was still a new member – maybe it wasn’t as bad as she made it sound like.

It came out of nowhere, though. It was also accompanied by a slight blush from her side when he turned his head to face her, something that threw him off even more. What on earth was she on about, and why was it relevant to bring up right now?

Either way, the Tengu seen from the distant shores of Hargeon turned out to be slightly smaller than the silhouette behind the mist made it out to be. A sort of illusion, most likely, to keep other creatures and humans away from it. Celestia immediately went to face the Tengu and asked him to keep the Eels off, which he simply thumbed up in response.

Byakko was fast, but natural lightning would always amaze a wizard. Despite that, their bolts were easily redirected by beams of steel that shot up from the water’s surface, brought to by Mura’s Onmyōdō. Once the lightning bolts and their energies were dispersed, Mura would have Byakko run in on them while the swordsman himself chopped their heads off in quick succession. As the Eels made no more difficult endeavors for defense, this strategy worked wonders… but Mura managed to grab one of them by his prosthetic arm.

The reason why was due to the events between Celestia and the Tengu. Celestia had received two heavy hits and was in the middle of a spell. Her words did reach him, and still was he unsure of what she meant by all of this… was she, perhaps, more monstrous-looking in her other form? It looked like a sort of Take-Over, and maybe she used Magic to hide her real form or something like that. Whatever she looked like in reality, Mura would not judge her or think any less of-

…

Was she a succ-

“Wait, you guys already started brawling?! I thought this was supposed to be friendly!” Kyuken’s frantic voice reached the battlefield, “Anyway, did I miss any-“ The very sight of Celestia’s new form caused the ghost with no blood to erupt from his nostrils which sent him several meters back again.

… So, uh, okay, fair, sure, Mura had questions to ask, but they were still in the middle of fighting. The Eel in his hand kept shocking him to no avail, while he simply waved it around while Byakko raced around the field where Celestia was handing the Tengu some knuckedusters for dinner. “Feel free to eat this Eel’s electricity, Celestia!”

WC: 432
TWC: 4080

The blows going above the water continued as the moon shone down its pure light upon the monsters locked in combat blow after blow connected between the two of them. Celestia's Succubus form slashed wildly trying to keep up with the pace of the Tengu, but her form was inferior to the power of the maiden. The Tengu delivered a blow to Celestia's back with devastating force, sending her crashing into the sand below. Debris spat up around her like a firework. It felt as though her whole body had hit the ground and wanted to keep going downward. Her eyes shot wide as she coughed forth some blood. The sound of laughter came from above her as the Tengu giggled, looking down upon the carnage. "This is what I have to contend with? I thought the Oni were supposed to be one of the strongest of the Yokai lines? Why are you using such a weak form?" The giggling continued.

The sounds around Celestia merged to become a constant ringing. She forced herself up to stand. Her senses managed to regain themselves long enough to see Mura presenting Eel lightning to her as a snack. As the Guildmaster bolted past her she engulfed every volt she could. The Tengu looked confused. The Slayer's chest swelled as her form began to mold back to its original Oni form. "What on earth did you just do?" The Tengu sneered in a disgusted tone of voice. Celestia's chest began to jiggle as she erupted in a Rochas laughter. "Oh, I'm feeling the sparks now!" Her face formed into a grin as she set herself into a sprint towards the area the Tengu hovered.

The Yokai lowered herself to the ground, pulling back her arm. Celestia was already in a sprint and there was no way of stopping. She needed to go through this Tengu, no matter what. Light began to manifest on the Tengu's arm. An arrow of white light pointed straight at Celestia. "I am Sara-Kujuro, High Lady and maiden of the Tengu. But you already knew that... Be prepared, for you are going to die here, Celestia."  The arrow was loosed and Mist formed around Celestia. "Yokai Soul! Suphia Byakko, White Tigress!" The arrow went through the mist and exploded into the sea-wall rampart sending brickwork and dust careering into the air. "How?" Sara-Kujuro snarled. On all fours sprinted the form of Celestia's strongest full Yokai soul takeover, The white Tigress. Her slender form phased in and out of view as arrow after arrow took flight, causing explosions all around them. The sand kicked up and provided the perfect cover. "Will you stand still you stupid little girl! You were a pathetic child and even more pathetic now!" The Tengu squealed in annoyance.

"You're mine, little bird!" Celestia's voice came forth from the disarray, deeper and more guttural as she struck forth; "Tigress Flash!" She screamed out providing a brutal slash attack upon the opposing Tengu and receiving a pained scream as Celestia skidded on the sand past her. Celestia's face had changed, much like the rest of her body but this form was her most primal. Celestia's face was sharpened, her tongue licked over her fangs and her cat-like eyes were narrowed to needles. Her body was taught like a wired spring. Everything about her body was primal. Her hind legs twitched slightly as she panted. One paw was red with the blood of the Tengu and her other was flexing her claws in the sand. "I'm gOinG tO mAke yoU sUbmiT... And-d tHeN I wIll Feast On yOUr SouL!" Celestia's body was released. Firing forth once more in a blur of speed. Sara-Kujuro had clung to the open wound produced on her abdomen, also slightly cutting the small amount of clothing that she was wearing. Seeing the oncoming Celestia, Sara-Kujuro prepped her arrow once more and let loose all that she could as Celestia bounded like a wild animal toward her. Claws drawn she landed a hit as another squeal came forth. A wing came to meet Celestia's back though as she met the momentum of her wing sending her flying with a wounded yelp. The Slayer hit the ground once more rolling and feeling her whole body ache. The sound of the explosions from her claws however did bring a smirk to her face before spitting blood from her mouth.

"Master, I may need a little help here..." She gasped before letting her eyes land upon the orb of Kyuken. "If you so much as nosebleed in this direction I'm gonna tear you a new one!" The Slayer had begun to lose her hold, slamming her claws into the ground snarling and flexing her claws. The Tengu had too regained her composure, even though she was panting gently it was clear that this fight was going to cost one of them everything. The battle of the Yokai would claim a victim this night.

Celestia was trying hard to not let her memories cloud what needed to be done. She despised her magic, the one that came with just her being a Yokai. The ability to absorb other Yokai, their memories, their souls. It was a gift only held by the highest of Yokai lineages. Each soul claimed is the death of a Yokai and this is what Sara-Kujuro had come to claim. There was a history with this
being, no this girl. This was once her friend. They played together and watched the stars together. She had even been Celestia's first kiss. There were a million reasons to stop this fight now. Celestia wished that she could force the Tengu to submit, to simply retreat and never come back but she knew her better than that. She knew just how stubborn and powerful she was. Nothing was going to stop one from killing the other and that was a thought that would break Celestia's heart. "I pray that you are willing to leave this place, to never come back. I want you to live." Cele thought to herself.

WC - 1,022 words.
Total WC - 2675 words

Oni were among the most feared of the Yōkai. People would even use the term ‘oni’ to degrade and antagonize each other, which spoke volumes of the stereotypes and their power over humans’ perceptions of the world and its inhabitants. Who could blame the ones who had only witnessed devils among men and beast? If your entire experience with onis could be summed up as a tragedy, then... wasn’t it understandable?

Still, Mura had met many onis in his life. It was a privilege of his, being a trained Onmyōji and all, so... was it fair to scoff at people and their prejudices if they hadn’t seen as much as he had?

If anything, Cele needed another reason to destroy this Tengu. The rush of mana that rejuvenated her from eating the Eel’s electric energy sure gave her the push she needed, but it was made obvious that transforming into other creatures somewhat altered Cele’s psyche in the same manner that a possession would... Mura knew more than most about that sort of ailment. Still, it wasn’t always ill – it just alerted him to keep an eye on her, making sure that her newfound adrenaline rush didn’t do her in.

At one point, Cele had been knocked back by the resisting Tengu. It looked like the Take-Over Mage had turned the tables with her new, white-furred transformation and explosive claws – okay, that was pretty cool, not gonna lie – but Cele herself had taken a heavy beating in the process. She showed signs of going down the ‘glass cannon’ route with this style of fighting – all impressive offense, but little to no defense.

Maybe she just needed a more defensive Take-Over... maybe, like, a turtle or some sort of armored mole.

Mura wasted not a second to show up next to Cele, dismounting the spirit Byakko and pouring water from his bone-white gourd over her wounds. “I don’t know what sort of beef you have with that Tengu, but damn she’s loud,” Kyuken groaned without showing any signs of arousal on his face – surprisingly, the ghost had some level of awareness.

“Mhm... how are you wounds, now?” Mura would then ask Cele after the treatment of his gourd began closing her wounds with its magical waters, “I noti-“

A huge blast of water appeared where he, Cele and Byakko had stood, brought to them by one of the Tengu’s arrows. As if it was going to wait for the two enemies – the title holder and the human interruption – to just talk things out in the midst of a battle to the death... but none of them were there anymore. Kyuken had seen her approach them at blinding speed, so Mura had seen it too – this gave him the time to grab Cele and leap away from the impact, along with the spirit Byakko that just side-stepped like a leaf avoiding a bat in the air.

Putting Cele down again, Mura would continue where he left off: “... I noticed that you haven’t used any Lightning Spells. Try and use it along with your Take-Over, it’s way easier than you think.” In the end, Mura could also just butt in and end the Tengu himself, but Cele wouldn’t have that experience as her own by then. Experience out in the field made wizards stronger, and the same counted for her – he’d be pretty petty to take that opportunity away from her.

Besides, she wasn’t in fatal danger. Not anymore, now that the white gourd had been healing her wounds. “Since the Tengu keeps outpacing you, a little lightning on top of your Take-Over should help.”

WC: 603
TWC: 5488

OOC: Above is music to accommodate the post.


Cele was thankful for the assist. This Tengu was giving her a run for her money, even in her Byakko form it was proving difficult to fight her with her Yokai forms. The slayer's fists clenched in the sand. "I should be better than this... It's my job to make sure that the Yokai don't get wiped out. My job is to make sure they all make it home safely." Tears stung at her eyes as she looked at Mura. "I never had a real home, I had to fight for even the right to breathe! I can't guarantee that all Yokai lords will treat others with even that right, that's why I need to win this fight, why I need to defeat Sara-Kujuro." Her wounds were healing nicely thanks to the Master.

Pulling herself to her feet, she used Mura's shoulder as an assist before shakily standing, trying to catch every breath that she could. Her head hung back as she tried to gasp, fueling her muscles for what was to come. She stared into the night sky. The stars shone so brightly and peacefully above them that she wished that she was in a position where she could simply lay there and take in their majesty. "Are you finished?" Sara-kujuro chimed. Celestia slowly brought her head back to stare the Tengu directly in the eyes. Her feline form began to crackle with lightning. "I'm sorry. I thought I could do this using just my Yokai soul..." Dropping to all fours like a pouncing cat, Celestia took off at blinding speed. The Tengu tried to pull herself back but it was as if Celestia had a second wind behind her. The Slayer was beneath her, coiled like a spring. Her magic circle snapped into being as lightning erupted over her cat-like fist. "Lightning Dragon Power Fist!" She cried out, sending her paw straight into an uppercut, directly into Sara-Kujuro's stomach. Even from under her helm Cele could see the Tengu's eyes shoot wide as she spluttered and was launched into the air.

The Tengu fought to regain her composure. Cele coiled again, firing herself like a rocket into the air to continue the barrage. Grabbing the Tengu, Cele began to rotate making sure that her claws dug in. "Exploding claws!" She cried out as the pair began a downward spiral toward the ground. "What are you doing, you idiot!" Sara-Kujuro bellowed. Both Yokai looked at each other for a moment but Sara-Kujuro was not expecting to see tears in the eyes of her foe. Cele looked back at her, tears coming down her cheeks. "I'm sorry." Cele released the grip on the Tengu, kicking her toward the ground as her stuck claws exploded on the Tengu only increasing her velocity toward the ground. The slayer took a giant inhalation of breath. Her magic circle appeared in front of her as the sound of Cele's voice echoed forth; "Lightning Dragon, Roar!" She screamed, her chest expanded as a torrent of crushing lightning careered forward connecting with the Tengu. The scream was deafening that came from Sara-kujuro. Cele did not let up however, she drove the spell forward with every fiber of her being.

The explosion that was amassed when both hit the ground was immense. Sand, sea, and stone were fired in every direction, spitting debris and smoke into the sky. The ground around where the Tengu had made landfall was now covered in shards of rippling shards of glass. Sara-Kujuro fought to make herself move but Cele could see that the fight was nearly done. Now she simply had to do the unthinkable. She descended and landed back on the soft sand. Her form faded off, reverting her back to her much taller and bustier self. She stepped toward the crash site. "I would never have tried to find you, I would never have come to your home and tried to kill you. That was never my wish to have your power..." Cele's head hung as her shoulders shook. Tears still trickled down her face. "Why couldn't you just let me live here in peace!" She screamed at Sara-Kujuro as she finally came to stand at the point of impact. The Tengu was beaten all to hell. One of her wings was battered with feathers missing, part of her helmet was blown away and her body was covered in lacerations including a significant burn to the centre of her chest. A flash of memory came to her. A time when the two of them would play together. Cele cried out in anguish at the state of her once childhood friend. Sara-Kujuro simply looked back and a small smile tweaked at the corner of her mouth.

"I couldn't be sure if you were going to protect the Clans or if I was destined to be the one to lead our kind to safety." She coughed hard and blood came to sit on her lips. "There was no time to sit and have a conversation. I knew I could never persuade you. I needed your power, or you needed mine. There was only one way that was going to happen." Her smile showed blood on her teeth as she tried to move, only to wince hard at the pain. Celestia looked down at her battered and beaten friend. "You could have just left, you didn't need to do that! Why would you even put yourself in a position where you could die?!" Cele fell to her knees taking the Tengu's hand gently in her own. "You know what has to be done. If I simply die, you won't receive my power. You need to make this next one count... Okay?" Sara-Kujuro's voice shook as another cough brought forth more blood.

Cele shook her head in refusal. "No..." She sobbed. "Do it you bitch... Don't you dare make my death be worthless... You were my friend once so do what has to be fucking done. Be our protector." Sara-Kujuro's voice became stern. Cele tried to control her sobs as she shakily forced herself to her feet. Cele clenched her fist, pulling it back like a javelin. The magic circle appeared; "Lightning Dragon Raging Bolt." Lightning appeared like a javelin in her fist. "I'm sorry, forgive me... forgive me... forgive me..." It was all that she could keep muttering as she took aim. "Strike true... Aim for my heart. You know, I'm never truly go-" A death-curdling scream came from Celestia as she launched the attack at point-blank range. The bolt shot straight through her chest, creating a spear of sand that came back through the wound. The last breath left Sara-Kujuro's body. Celestia collapsed upon her friend's body as it slowly began to turn into tiny lights. "No... Please, don't go..." The lights twinkled and went into Celestia's body. She sobbed uncontrollably as she could hear Sara-Kujuro's voice in her head. "Don't let me down, Okay?"

Post WC - 1,176
Total WC - 3,851 Words

… She was starting to crack. The shell that covered her past was beginning to reveal small cracks where sudden scents of worry, regret and anger of her role leaked through and reached the shaman. She blamed herself for a lot that sounded way beyond her control, but when gifted with a role like hers… or rather, when burdened like her, who wouldn’t break their own backs trying to make things right? And who wouldn’t curse their own inabilities when things turned sour?

She was really considerate of others, too. From what Cele told him, this Tengu mistress was someone she knew… an old friend, perhaps? Was this far deeper than anticipated at first? What had Mura gotten his newest member into?

Once Cele had accepted Mura’s advice, the battle had turned in her favor. In the blink of an eye, she was no longer in need of support to stand up, but was moving along with the crackling lightning manifested from her own magic to blitz this Tengu right in the front. With a couple more hits, a follow-up explosion that sent the Tengu down to the floor again, finishing off with a bellowing Lightning Dragon’s Roar, the Tengu now appeared almost lifeless…

That was when it really kicked in. Sending Cele to this job basically meant that he had sent her to kill an old friend. Realizing that, Mura made his way over to them before anything else could occur, but they were still talking. Cele’s role as a protector of Yōkai had led this Tengu to attack them, for some reason in hopes of acquiring that role or the strength that followed it to fulfil the role herself. The Tengu, despite their differences, was willing to lend her power to Cele…

“…”

Maybe, it needed to happen. Maybe this was inevitable, or maybe he could’ve stepped in, but given by what he’d heard, the Tengu believed that Cele needed her power. Vandrad would likely not have meddled with other people’s beef, so Mura simply waited it out… it was all Cele’s decision.

…

What on earth was he supposed to say to her now? Sorry? Sorry I brought you here to kill your own friend – I didn’t know? Would that even help? Even as he made his way over to her, huddled on the ground and laying over where the Tengu’s body was a moment ago, all Mura could do was rest a hand on her back. “… Sorry. About all of this,” he apologized to her, regardless of whether or not it would help, “She… I reckon she was an old friend of yours. Listen, this… you need some time, time to recover… time to…”

Man, he had fallen off since his days as an Ace. Somehow, it felt extremely difficult to find the right words to tell her in order to help her out. He used to be such a good consult. “Let’s go back home, shall we?” he suggested, with the silhouette of Byakko standing beside them ready to ride the pair back to Magnolia.

…

Whatever control the Tengu had over the Eels surrounding them earlier, it no longer kept them in chains. Exposed to the surface under the dark, starry sky, brought them all sorts of unrest, and many of them fled back down to the lower zones of the ocean… but echoing sparks of electricity still reached the Wizards at the surface. Growing larger by the second, it was as if they were coming back up for more smoke, but when a pitch-black, oily flat appeared on the ocean carpet, it was clear that a new entity had its attention grabbed by the recent events above.


It quietly eyed the two… as a wild beast, Mura had trouble reading its very intentions, but since it was likely connected to the Eels from earlier, it was safe to say that it had ill will towards the two. Its size was incomparable to the earlier Eels – being several meters in length and with sharp, rocky appendages sticking out of its serpentine form – but with its eyes set on the two, that interest in the Fairy Tail Mages could be exploited to lure it further away from the shore where civilians were still gathering.

“… Let’s lure that one away,” he decided, wailing his arms around to encapsule both himself and Cele in a sphere of floating seawater. With a single descent of his hands, the two were submerged in the ocean’s embrace, a clear view of the horribly dark world of the deep waters. So dark… but silent as well. The creature hadn’t followed them just yet, perhaps in need of a sort of prompt or provocation.

“Cele! Try and release a Lightning Spell out into the water. We’re going to draw it back down to where it came from..."

WC: 807
TWC: 7471