Chapter 8
Beginning To Burn

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas

.:+:.

... God... Damn... This...

Hora hissed, her body shaking as she pushed her shoulder underneath the heavy beam she was attempting to lift up, the scent of smoke hung on the air as the grey haze engulfed the area, everything hot as an inferno around her as she strained, lifting the beam high enough to allow the man beside her to manage and pull a kid out from underneath it. She hardly cared nor was bothered by the flames licking at her shoulders and clothes from the flames engulfing the beam slowly, her eyes shut tight as she struggled to keep the beam lifted.

The child whimpered in fear and pain as it was dragged out from wreckage, the man pulling her to his chest. Hora let the beam drop once the kid was out, her blue eyes flashing as she faced the man, swiping her hand to the side as she hissed.

"Go! Get out here before the rest of the building goes down!" She growled, he hesitated, looking unsure.

"What about you?!" He snapped, Hora smirked wryly, though she seemed mildly disgusted for a moment.

"Fire isn't gonna do a damn thing to me, I'll see if there's anybody else trapped." She replied, "GO!"

The man hesitated a small moment longer, before he took off, exiting the building with the little girl in his arms, and leaving Hora alone as she stood amongst the blazing inferno around her, not even seeming to be breaking a sweat at the intensity of the heat around her.

She moved quickly through the broken slabs of building and beams, eyes narrowed as she held her hand out, trailing it through the fire around her as it slowly began to die out in her quake, the mass of flames accumulating in her palm. A small coalition of black markings spiraled around her fingers, shining ebony in the firelight. She narrowed her eyes, ears alert and senses on high for any sign of other people in the building with her. She pulled her hand forward, her palm filled with a blazing flame higher than her head, before she closed her fists and they all went out in an instant.

What pathetic fire... It's hardly even hot.

Her jaw clenched, eyes narrowed in barely muffled fury as she continued to look around,

This is disgusting.

This was how the entirety of the town was. Most of it anyway, what wasn't set on fire was pulled to the ground, bodies and blood littered the streets in the quake of the slaughter that had fallen upon this town. She would have been disappointed in the lack of involvement of the Magic Council to try and protect these people, but she wasn't surprised. This was the outskirts of the outskirts of their country, too far to be worth protecting, and easy targets for the likes of North Wind.

The bastard who set this town on fire was a coward, he ran off the moment he set things burning. And his Guild-mates set off enough explosions to kill dozens, and they all fled too. Hora was too busy trying to help out everyone caught in the aftermath to even think about following them back to where their Guild was hiding. To which she had been trying to do the last few weeks since arriving in this edge of the country.

It would seem North Wind's headquarters didn't stay in one place, some magical enchantment most likely placed by its leader kept it teleporting between different locations. Unless one knew precisely where it would teleport to next, or had a way to get themselves inside without knowing- North Wind was nearly impossible to pin down. That made her job all the harder.

The members had some way into their HQ, but she hadn't been able to figure out how- she hadn't yet been able to catch one and get them to tell her. The members themselves seemed just as able to jump around as their Guild Hall did.

Perhaps it was a lucky thing that every action North Wind had taken since she began this mission nearly three weeks ago had been simple raids. They'd arrive in a town, torch it our pillage it, and then they'd be gone to the wind again.

Not yet had she seen Neveleous- the Demon of Zeref in control of North Wind's Master. She hadn't yet to face the beast, and a small part of her was thankful for it, but her nerves were rising and her agitation too every time she failed to get any closer to getting this mission done and over with.

When I find those North Wind bastards, I'm gonna kill them all.

Hora stopped, her eyes widening as she sweatdropped,

... Did I really just think that?

She sweatdropped more, raising her hand in front of her as she stared at the black markings encircling her fingers, biting her lip.

... My emotions were on such a high when I left... It's happening faster than it should... Shit.

She shook her head furiously and continued forward again. Her hand drew trough the flames as she collected them, the fire lessening around the building until it was only smoldering left, and the bright ball of the collected flame rest in her palm. There didn't seem to be anyone left in the building...

Hora's eyes shift sideways, seeing the adjacent building still up in flames. She sweatdropped, her eyes shifting toward her hand to see those black markings about her fingers slowly spread and grown until they wrapped about her entire hand.

She'd have a lot of work to do to put out all these fires... And a lot of Magic...

.:+:.

"Thank you, thank you so much..!"

Hora blinked, her eyes shifting from the smoldering buildings in front of her. She turned, her hands self-consciously hooking behind her back.

The town lay in blackened, ash covered ruins. She had done her best to stop the fire before it burned everything to the ground, and she had managed it, only a portion of the village was unusable now, but it had taken her a long time, and already she felt herself straining.

Her attention fell on an out of breath man, the same one whom she had ordered out of the brining building with the kid earlier. Behind him a few more people were crowding, where others were still moving about quickly trying to help where they could.

"Without you all of our homes would be nothing but ash!" He said, smiling at her and looking utterly relieved.

Hora nodded slightly. "You're welcome." She murmured,

"How are we to repay you?" A woman asked, coming up beside the man, in her arms the little girl from before was looking her way with wide eyes. Hora stiffened slightly, before shaking her head.

"There's no need. I couldn't just sit back and watch this, you don't owe me anything." Hora murmured quickly,

Besides, she was getting paid by the Council once she finished, and it was no small sum... Rightly so considering the difficulty and danger of this assignment.

"You're a Wizard right?" The man asked, Hora nodded.

"SaberTooth." Hora murmured quietly, everyone in ear shot's eyes went wide. Of course, SaberTooth was renowned, even in this small section of the kingdom. "I've been sent by the Magic Council to deal with North Wind, and the Demon Neveleous."

People seemed to shudder at the names, but she saw relief flash in their faces too- finally they had been sent help, even if it was only her. Anyone from any Guild would have been welcomed, but the townspeople were even more enthused that someone from the most powerful Guild in Fiore had been sent to help them.

A Guild run by a tyrannical madman... What I wouldn't give to tear him apart. Rip the skin from his bone-

Hora stiffened, biting the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood.

Stop that! Quit thinking like that! Damn it!

"On that note..." Hora murmured slowly, her blue eyes glinting as she banished the thoughts from her head, ignoring them as best she could. "If there's anything you can tell me about North Wind, I would appreciate it." The man and the woman shared a small glance, seeming to go into thought a moment.

"Well..." They mumbled, looking unsure.

The little girl scrambled from the woman's arms, teetering up toward Hora who went rigid at the unexpected movement. The little girl walked straight up to Hora, who sweatdropped slightly as her dark blue gaze met the chocolate brown of the little girl.

"Adie, what are you doing?" The woman sighed slightly, the little girl ignored her though.

Adie tilted her head, before tentatively reaching up and grabbing into Hora's arm, slowly making Hora move her hands from behind her back as her chocolate brown eyes traced over the black markings still staining Hora's hands and fingers. Hora stiffened, sweatdropping more but forcing herself not to react- though she wanted to rip her arm away from the little girl's grasp.

Adie smiled brightly, hugging Hora's arm to her chest, "Thank you for helping save me miss!" The little girl beamed, Hora blinked in shock.

... Those marks... They're evil. Even children know evil when they're near it... So why...?

Hora just simply stared, unable to wrap her head around the sudden show of affection. She didn't move her arm away, she didn't say anything... She just looked at that bright smiling face.

... Something stirred, somewhere deep in her core. Almost... Like the flames settled.

She smiled slightly, nodding her head and rubbing the top of the girl's head lightly, bending on one knee to be level with her.

"You're welcome.." Hora smiled slightly. Adie beamed,

"She's usually not so keen on strangers, guess that means you're special, huh?" The man chuckled, Hora's eyes glinted slightly.

"As for helping you out with North Wind, we'll do anything to get back at these bastards." The man went on, approaching Hora and Adie.

"There's a tavern in a small city a few dozen miles from here, we've heard rumors that some of North Wind's wizards go there to collect recruits." The woman murmured, earning Hora's eyes.

"Recruits?" She murmured,

"Yeah, the cities called Golio. It's full of criminals and the like, it's a bad place to go." The man murmured, "But I guess that's why North Wind might wanna look there for new members."

"If there's anything to find out about getting to their Guild Hall, you might find out something there." The woman finished. Hora nodded slightly, it was as good a lead as any she supposed.

"You won't let those bad people get away, right miss?"

Hora's eyes cast back down to Adie, who looked up at her curiously.

... So innocent...

'You seem uncomfortable. It is so rare that a child should take to you so kindly?'

Hora hissed inwardly,

You know the goddamn answer already.

She banished the voice from her head and smiled at Adie,

"... No. I'll get them, don't worry."

I just hope... I don't lose it in the process...

.:+:.

Hora blinked, her eyes shifting around her as she made her way through the town. She tightened the buckle around her neck of her form fit leather jacket, pulling her sleeves down slightly and she's narrowed ahead, ever aware of the stares she was receiving from figures lining the streets.

Golio seemed to have a cloud of darkness and discontent hanging over it. The streets were dirty, cached in mud, trash, and in some places broken glass. Many if the buildings were run down, boated up windows and closed shutters. The people that dared to move about the streets all seemed solemn, silent. Many of them were wrapped in cloaks against the cold wind that blew intermittently through the streets. Hora glanced upward, the sky a hazy grey and the clouds dark and massing, threatening a storm.

She stuck her hands in the pockets of her coat, but not before turning up her collar against the wind, but more so for the purpose of hiding her skin from anyone else.

It took little to realize this place would not take kindly to outsiders, and if anyone here were to see her SaberTooth emblem, things would probably turn sour.

Besides, wrapping herself up made her stick out less amongst the several other cloaked and hidden figures milling about.

Her eyes shifted ahead of her as her nose wrinkled, smelling booze on the air and seeing the outline of a dark building rise up ahead of her, the roof jagged and windows burning with dim candle light. The sign that had once hung outside the door was tilted and hanging from a thin chain, whatever was written on it had faded to nothing and the wood so cracked it was barely in one piece anymore.

Hora grimaced slightly, stepping right up to the door and ignoring the man hunched near the entrance, his dark eyes trained to her and a scowl on his face.

These people...

She reached forward, her hand resting on the rough wood of the door.

"Who in the hell-?" The man hissed beside her,

Hora's gaze snapped sideways, settling the man with a dark stare that immediately killed the words on his tongue. He seemed to stiffen, his body growing rigid as it seemed the darkness around her suddenly thickened. He flinched away slightly, sweatdropping.

Something about her expression so suddenly, it just seemed... Murderous.

I really do not have the patience for this.

The man averted his eyes and Hora growled lowly, opening the sort without a word and stepping inside.

It was warm inside, the air felt close and thick. Hora grimaced a little, eyes closing as she brought a hand up to rest just under her nose lightly. The stink in this place made its dirty interior just about ten times filthier. What didn't reek of booze and liqueur was the distinguishable scent of blood and rot.

Her entrance into the building brought eyes to her, she ignored the dark gazes and dead eyes as she moved straight across the floor, sitting down at the bar and catching the hazy gaze of the bartender.

I'd love to set this place on fire...

A mug of ale was slid down the bar face toward her, Hora stopped its movement abruptly with a hand, her eyes closing and her fingers curling around the mug tightly. She heard whispered mutters around the building, hushed tones and tense figures. This place was crowded, people sat in every dark corner, all of them hunched and grim. There was even the sense of murder on the air, and the tingle of Magic in the air. She had no trouble imagining she was sitting among some of the people responsible for such mayhem and massacre as she had seen the last few weeks.

... Up in flames with everyone here inside of it.

Her grip about the mug tightened.

Damn it, stop.

'Those are some dark thoughts.'

No shit.

Hora growled under we breath, taking a long drink of the mug, paying imperceptibly to give it a small sniff before going ahead to drink it at all. Her eyes shift sideways in her drink, sweeping about the building quickly, across the dark figures and the glinting eyes. Nothing about any if these people gave away any indication of them being in North Wind, they were all so covered up any Guild emblem was impossible to see, not that she was she they'd be flashing it around anyway. On top of that she didn't recognize any of them either, not from those few she had lost when they came to torch a village.

Her eyes closed again as she simply resigned herself to sinking and listening, perhaps she'd be able to hear someone saying something of interest in the room.

... Or simply take the easy way out and start pummeling people for answers. But it was probably better to be subtle about her actions till she had some substantial evidence of North Wind activity here.

... I wonder where Sting and Rogue are. And how they're all doing... Yukino especially.

Hora felt her heart clench again, damn it she hated that.

Yukino shouldn't be doing the games, not this year... This year the GMG is going to be different.

Her nails dug into the cup, and she finished the last of the half-empty mug in one agitated swig. She grimaced, sliding the mug down the counter toward the bartender, who caught it with deft hands and slid her another one.

The quiet in the room was nearly deafening... Anyone talking was doing so lowly.

Hora sweatdropped slightly,

... This is gonna be a long night. Maybe I should have just started a fight.

She took another drink, setting the mug down in the bar again with her hands folded around it. We drew her hands and the cup in toward her person, seeing the dim lamplight of the lamps hanging from the ceiling flashing dimly across the jagged black markings still staining the skin around her hands. She focused instead of on that, and to the murmuring if voices on the air, simply sitting in silence as the night dragged on and people filtered in and out. Hora kept drinking, not at all perturbed by the alcohol and ever silent as she focused in everything.

The bartender didn't seem to care about her prolonged stay, he simply kept passing her another mug when she finished one, and not a word was spoken between herself and the man as the hour dragged into many, and the lamplight slowly burned brighter as the sky outside went black, and the scent of water on the air thickened. A cold breeze blew over the room every time someone came in, which became more frequent as night settled and the dull mumbling of the room steadily grew louder and louder.

People who had previously been whale prong between one another were now talking loudly amongst themselves as others can though the door and at down among them. Mugs and plates of food floated about at the behest of the bartender, drinks sloshed and people laughed and argued back and forth. Where people had been muttering about individuals with whom they knew pissing them off, or getting paid for whatever job of other, there was a sudden flurry of arguing and bustling between one another.

'Lively now isn't it?'

"You bastard! You tell Gregor I don't owe him nothin'!"

"Ah shut yer trap Fransh! Ain't nobody wants to hear you complainin'!"

"Oi! You seen Danse anywhere?"

"Not for a few months, starting to think he's dead."

... All those names and useless conversations... And nothing about North Wind, Neveleous, or Eider.

Hora finished what was probably her twentieth drink of the night, letting out a slightly aggravated sigh.

... I haven't ever wanted booze to work more than I want it to right now.

She slid the mug down the counter briskly, and it was replaced with another.

"You've been sittin' here a while gorgeous."

Hora's fingers dug into the mug far enough to make the wood it was made of splinter slightly.

Ale sloshed onto the counter as someone dropped a mug on top of it sloppily, before stumbling to a seat in the empty stool next to her. Hora's gaze shift sideways to see man who was perhaps a few years older than her suddenly sit beside her. He was gangly with messy dirty blonde hair and glazed green eyes, his breath stunk of liqueur and he wore a lopsided smile as he leaned in toward her a little, his sleeves of his black shirt rolled up and heavy boots banging against the side of the bar as he lost his balance momentarily.

You have got to be...

Hora growled, her eyes shifting away from the man as she took another swig of her ale.

"Aw, come on darlin', don't gotta be so cold." He slurred, a vein ticked on Hora's forehead.

Cold? Try burning hot.

"Buzz off." Hora hissed lowly, refusing to glance his way. She heard the stool legs tick against the floor as he wobbled.

"Come ooooon, have a drink with me beautiful~" he slurred, leaning in as his elbow rest against the bar counter, Hora grimaced when she felt his hot, across breath wash up against her face.

"You've had too many. Now bug off." Hora growled.

"Oh don't be like that beautiful, I'm just tryin' to have a little fun~!" He slurred. His heavy arm fell down over Hora's shoulders as she hunched, growing rigid and grip about her mug growing all the tighter. The wood about her hand turned black, charring as smoke began to rise from her grip.

... It's getting hotter. I feel it. It's swirling in me...

"I'm telling you right now. Walk away. Before you get hurt." Hora hissed lowly,

"Eh? What's this Fergo? Who's this pretty lady with ya?" Another wobbly man rammed against the counter, spilling his drink across the bar top. His arm fell over the other man's still on top of Hora's shoulders.

"She's a beauty ain't she?" Fergo slurred, Hora rocked a little as they both wobbled, both of them still with their arms wrapped over her shoulders, oblivious to the shadow that had fallen over her face and the fact that her cup had begun to glow orange and black as it slowly charred from the inside out like an ember, the ale inside of it hissing as it hit the heat.

"Aw, she's so gorgeous! Come on girl, won't ya hang with us awhile?"

"Yeah! We could have a good time! Promise beautiful!"

"Last time dumbasses." Hora hissed,

Both men stiffened slightly, sweatdropping as they finally took notice of the smoke rising up from her clenched hand, their eyes slowly, groggily moving up toward the swirling black trails, down toward the cup that was now almost nothing but charcoal in her hand, the ale having entirely burned away. Fergo jumped, biting his lip as Hora's gaze shift his way, narrowed and burning with such an intense dark blue fire in them he felt his heart jump.

"Back off, now."

Both Fergo and the other man jumped, yelping as their arms suddenly singed at the intense heat coming up from Hora's shoulders. They jumped backward drunkenly, holding their singed arms and their mugs falling to the floor.

"W-Wait-?!"

"You're a Wizard?!"

The bar went silent at the sudden commotion, conversations dying on lips and dark glinting eyes turning toward the three at the bar.

'So much for subtlety, hmm?'

Hora stood up from her seat, turning a dark glare on the two men who by now had moved into a defensive stance.

"I told you to back off, idiots." Hora hissed,

"Woah, wait a minute....!" Fergo stammered, eyes widening.

"H-hey..... she looks familiar....!" The other man slurred, shaking now in slight fear as it seemed the area around Hora darkened, heat flowing out around her. She rolled her sleeves up slowly, her fingers working to undo the buckle around her neck.

"I'm tired of sitting around anyway, so whatever." Hora growled, fists clenching at her sides. The black markings about her hands slowly crept up her arms, eyes glinting under the shadow of her bangs.

"... she's from SaberTooth!" A man from the back of the tavern blurted out, there was a sudden wave of chairs being pushed backward and skidding over the floor, mugs dropped on tables and people stood up from their seats, all eyes on her, all narrowed and expressions wary and hateful. Hora blinked, expression neutral at the sudden show of distrust and the oncoming threat of violence.

"Listen up, I'd hate to spend any more time in this dump than I need to." Hora growled, "I'm looking for North Wind. Any of you who know where it is, tell me know- before I make you tell me." They stiffened, shooting her glares and snarls.

"Like hell woman."

"Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Hora grimaced, her eyes darkening as the marking's reached halfway up her arms and her head tilted.

"You're gonna tell me," She growled lowly, the mass of strange people and Wizards among them began to close in.

"Or what little girl?" Fergo hissed, suddenly composing himself again.

"Or I'll burn you all alive from the inside out."

The building erupted in shouting and noise as Magic was thrown around all at once. Many different types clashed, swords appearing from air, Light Magic shooting from staffs and hands, lightning flashing as the dim building lit up in different hues of light. Tables and chairs splintered and shattered as furniture was thrown about every direction, a whole coalition of bodies rushing forward toward Hora who stared, eyes narrowing to slits and hardly moving a muscle as the Magic and the enemies closed in on her.

'What's this? It hardly seems like you.... More like,'

Hora's eyes narrowed, glinting in a sudden dark anger and cold that it seemed unnatural, as if something about her was suddenly.... Twisted.

'.... Ardendous.'

.:+:.

People of the town Golio jumped in surprise, heads turning quickly toward the center of town as an explosion blew the roof of the tavern clean off and the ground itself shook from the sheer force. Glass and sections of the walls flew outward, pelting the surrounding buildings and destroying more as a raging fire suddenly spilled from the inside, melting the framework of the building in an instants time and even going so far as to melt the cobblestone of the streets surrounding. People were blown backward through the walls of the building, landing in a sizzling heap on the street and moaning, their clothes and skin burned in several places.

Those who were nearby before the sudden explosion had been aware there was some sort of commotion going on inside, Magic had been flying through walls and breaking windows long before the explosion went off, and even then some people had been thrown from the building itself. It seemed all hell had broken lose as a fight ensued in the confines of the building, before finally spilling outside of it.

Many people stumbled from the crumbling and melted frame of the building, yelling in anger, fear and pain as they quickly ran away from the scene, a haunted and unbelieving look in their eyes.

"This is insane!"

"What in the hell is she?! Nobody's that strong!"

"D-Demon woman!"

The figure of a cloaked man jumped backward from the flaming inferno swallowing up the building, his eyes narrowed and body tense, but seeming to be in better wear than those people who were running away, or otherwise lying around in pain. He pulled his cloak from his shoulders, casting the smoking cloth aside and facing the flames, his yellow gaze narrowed and sweatdropping slightly.

"You're the only one putting up much of a fight."

A voice moved from out of the flames as the figure of Hora moved through them, unperturbed by the wisps licking at her body and dark blue gaze locked to the man, who grimaced slightly.

"I suppose that means you're the one I need to be questioning, hmm?" She hummed, her voice cold and devoid of all emotion, even anger so suddenly, she was frigid.

"Heh... you're something else, I'll give you that." He mumbled, "SaberTooth's quite the popular Guild, but I've never heard of you...." He paused, eyes glinting slightly. ".. Wonder why, you could easily be stronger than that team of stars they have running around for the Grand Magic Games." Hora blinked, looking disinterested.

"North Wind." She muttered lowly. "You know where I can find it?"

"Don't think I'm gonna tell you that easy, even if you are powerful." The man grumbled lowly. Hora seemed to shake her head slightly, looking bored still, but suddenly she looked faintly agitated a moment.

"If I have to force you to tell me, then fine. Whatever." She sighed, lifting a hand toward him, the black markings on her skin flashing with the light of the fire burning through the building behind her. The man stiffened, eyes narrowing and moving into a defensive stance,

Though I would prefer to use my Magic as little as I can...

She growled inwardly,

This is getting out of hand... I wasn't trying to blow the building up. But I can't seem to... to get a hold of myself.

Damn it..!

Hora blinked, her eyes narrowing to slits as the man suddenly moved, he jumped to his right at lightning quick speed, his hand swinging out as the feeling of his Magical power began to rise. His arms swept out in her direction, face pulled into a frown.

"Storm shred!"

Hora blinked,

.. Wind Magic...?

She watched as the wind melded and formed into razor sharp edges before the man, spinning compactly and fast enough to shred through walls and stone with ease.

Hora's eyes closed as she suddenly moved from her spot, easily dodging his Magic. The man blinked in utter shock, eyes wide and sweatdropping as Hora appeared right in front of him in the course of a few seconds, with her fist brought back and the markings on her arms having completely painted the skin of her hand a deep, jet black. Her eyes locked to him, cold and glinting in the light of the sudden brilliant bright red and orange flame encasing her fist,

"Storm Mail!"

The man brought his arms in toward him, the air spinning suddenly as incredibly fast waves of wind began to spiral around his body, warding off Hora's fist as it connected with the wall of wind suddenly encasing him, keeping him from getting hit as Hora grimaced slightly, feeling her feet slid back slightly at the waves of wind blowing outward from him.

"Wind Magic trumps fire, you ought to know that." The man hissed at her, "Your flames won't be getting through this wind, it's strong enough to ward off steel."

"This isn't any ordinary fire." Hora growled, the flames about her hand suddenly blazing higher and hotter than they even had been from inside the building. The orange and red clashed with the wind, bouncing back against it with explosive force and disrupting the flow of his Magic entirely, causing it to implode as he stared in near horror, jaw dropped.

"Wh... I-Impossible..!"

Hora's fist swung forward in the blink of an eye, the moment his wind was destroyed and caught him across the jaw, sending him flying. He crashed into a nearby building with enough force to make the wall cave in, hissing as he held a hand to the singed skin on his cheek, eyes glittering in pain and rage.

"Don't think I'm done yet, bitch." He growled, Hora glared at the name, looking suddenly miffed. Her hands raised as fire swirled around her person, lighting up the night around her like a glowing red and orange beacon, the waves of heat rolling over the town for hundreds of feet, and some of the windows near to her cracking.

"Would you like to say that to my face?!" Hora snapped, her eyes burning just as brightly as the fire around her. The man picked himself up, jaw clenched and looking nearly as angry as she did.

"Bitch." He growled the words, Hora's teeth ground down on each other as her jaw tightened, the black on her arms moving farther still.

"I'm gonna turn you to ash, jack-ass!" She hissed lowly, her tone suddenly dangerous, a strange gleam coming into her eyes as her expression contorted into rage and something darker, malevolent even.

"Gonna have to get me first." He sneered, his arms lifting as wind circled around his body, his fingers crossing over one another in an x shape. Hora stiffened slightly, eyes narrowed at the formation as she clenched her fists at her sides, knees bending and body growing rigid.

That Spell...

"Emera Baram!"

The city shook to its roots as a tornado suddenly shot out from the man's hands, shredding apart the ground and uprooting entire slabs of earth and sections of buildings in its quake. The fire that had been spinning and circling around Hora was suddenly engulfed in the spinning column, all sight of the Saber woman lost to the dark wind and the mixed in sections of flying debris that went with it. Two blocks worth of houses, buildings and road was suddenly torn up from the spell, hundreds of yards of the town wrecked in an instant. The man smirked, eyes glinting slightly. He moved his fingers apart, arm swiping sideways as the Spell continued forward, a Magic Circle appearing in front of him as a maniac grin spread across his face.

"Strom Bringer!"

A series of tornadoes suddenly appeared out across the town, all of them converging in on the original spell and adding to the destruction as the earth under the streets was suddenly uncovered, the sky overhead swirling and dark as the clouds were shifted and moved from the intensity of the wind itself.

"Let's see you get through all that wind, bitch." He growled, eyes glinting as he smirked crookedly.

"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"

The man's head snapped upward, eyes widening at the sudden voice over his head and the harsh glow of flame as a young man with pink hair fell through the air toward him, his arms held out and covered in flame as he frowned.

"Who in the hell-?!" He snapped, whipping around and swiping his arms toward the new arrival.

"Aerial Bane!" He snapped, a column of dark wind spiraling toward the pinkette and sending him backward.

"Sand Buster!"

His eyes snapped sideways, seeing a column made of spinning sand streaming toward him before he could manage to dodge it or deflect it with any Magic. He was thrown backward, his back hitting the ground as his clothes and skin were suddenly cut up by the sharp little bits of sand rushing into him at alarming speed.

"Good hit, Scorpio!"

"Yeah~!"

The man hissed, flipping over onto his feet as his attention snapped to the two voices, catching sight of a blonde standing nearby with a large man with a tail, and a blue cat near to her. He grimaced, noting faintly the keys hanging from her belt.

"Mages.." He growled, his eyes snapping sideways to see the pinkette from earlier land on his feet. "... what the hell? These new guys ain't from Saber...." His eyes narrowed, honing in to the red mark on the pinkette's shoulder, and a similar one on the blonde's hand. "Tch... what the hell is a half-assed Guild like Fairy Tail doing butting in?" He growled.

"Oi! Who the hell do you think you are calling Fairy Tail that?!" The pinkette snapped hotly, his fist blazing with flame as he clenched them.

"Heh, you clearly ain't been paying attention. Fairy Tail's the weakest of the weak, I'm surprised you're stupid enough to jump in to this." The man grumbled, the four standing in front of him glared.

"Say that to my face!" The pinkette snapped,

All their attentions snapped sideways, the air shaking as the tornado he had erected was suddenly dispersed in a powerful explosion at its center.

"How about you pay attention to the one who picked the fight!"

The man's head snapped upward, eyes wide as he caught sight of Hora falling the air toward him, her fist brought back and blazing with dark red fire, her eyes dark and face pulled into a disgusted frown. But her clothes weren't even torn or frayed, it was like the wind hadn't even touched her!

"H-how did you get out of that wind without even a scratch?!" he stammered,

"I told you, I'm not using no ordinary fire!" She snapped, "You're telling me how to get to North Wind, even if I have to burn it out of you!" She lift her hands over her head, a bright white hot ball of fire appearing between her hands,

"Infernium!"

The ground uplifted as the area around Hora and the man was engulfed in dark fire, the air shaking as bits of earth and rubble were sent flying.

The new arrivals jumped slightly, eyes wide and sweatdropping as the pinkette placed himself in front of the blonde, arms crossing in front of him as he blocked any rubble from hitting her. He hissed, the blonde being nudged back by her Spirit, the blue cat clinging to her in shock.

"This heat..." She mumbled, sweatdropping slightly. "It's almost hotter than Natsu's Magic..."

The flames subsided to reveal a crater in the place the man had been standing, Hora's fist clenched around the man's shirt as she bent down and lifted him up and he struggled to stand, his skin burned and clothes fragmented. He hissed, the section of clothe clenched in Hora's hand smoking as she glared at him,

"North Wind." She hissed, eyes dark and burning in barely muffled fury. Her hand clenched harder, lifting him up as he hissed, struggling against the grip. "Where is it?"

"... tch..... screw you." He growled, "I tell you that... Borealis will kill me... or worse, sick that demon on me." The man hissed, his eyes glinting. "Of course... I'm dealing with something like a demon right now, aren't I?"

Hora stiffened, her face darkening as her jaw clenched. The man's arm lifted, his hand clamping down on her own wrist, his skin burning against the black markings running up her skin.

"I've been around little girl, I've seen this Magic before." He chuckled lowly, lips curling up in a half snarl as Hora's grip about his shirt tightened. "A long time ago... I thought it was long gone until now... but this is definitely it. The same Magic as that demon of a man," Hora face darkened, flames encircling around her other fist as bubbling fiery rage began to rise up inside of her uncontrollably.

"Gelidus Inferniom, the arctic hellfire of the north, isn't that right?"

Hora's face clouded by a deep shadow, her eyes glinting in the most dangerous light as her face contorted into that of unbridled rage, oil dumped to send the fire burning in her soul to burn ever brighter, and suddenly a look of murder on her face, such deepset hatred and rage the man's expression turned to something of horror for a moment. The fire around her encased fist grew hotter, burning an even deeper red it was nearly crimson,

'You're going to kill him, with all that rage...?'

"Oi!"

Hora blinked, her eyes widening at the sudden voice as it seemed a small bell suddenly went off in her head at it, like a rush of cool water feel over her head and for a moment, all that burning fire suddenly quelled, her head was clear again.

Wait.... what...?

Her eyes slowly moved up and away from the man, blinking in surprise and wonder as her attention settled on the person who had suddenly caught her utmost attention, her eyes meeting onyx ones as she saw a pinkette standing at the edge of the crater, beside him a blonde and a blue cat. She blinked, sweatdropping slightly as she looked up at him, seeing him frowning at her a little, and looking confused himself. She hadn't even known they were there, and she honestly couldn't remember them showing up before now.

"What the hell is going on? Why are you fighting with this guy anyway, huh?" He asked, seemingly undisturbed by how dark her actions had suddenly been plunging. Hora stared, fixed on him.

.... His... his voice, it snapped me back....

She sweatdropped more, feeling a sudden flood of panic wash over her.

... shit, I was... I was gonna kill this guy. Am I really losing it so fast...?!

The pinkette tilted his head, the blonde beside him looking a little wary, all the while her eyes never left him, and suddenly the fire around her fist went out, her body relaxing as her thoughts clicked together again, breaking free from the sudden burning haze that had been clouding her senses.

.... This guy... why was it his voice even caught my attention like that? I was so far gone.... Only Sting and Rogue have been able to do that...

"Oi, what's with your Magic too? That fire of yours is super weird, it tastes kinda funny too." He went on, the blonde beside him sighed a little.

"I guess it was good of you to put the fire burning the city out." She mumbled, "But you didn't have to eat, you know." The pinkette huffed slightly, pointedly looking away from his blonde companion, the both of them seemingly at ease with the violence and the destruction. Hora blinked, head tilting at the comments.

... eat.... He... he ate my fire.....?

"So?" the pinkette continued to prod, his arms crossing over his chest as he looked to Hora, eyebrow quirked. "Come on, ya just gonna stand there all day with that guy?" He smirked slightly,

Hora's eyes went wide, a bead of sweat rolling down her face and completely disregarding the man she was still holding in her clenched fist. She recoiled slightly, her body growing rigid as her thoughts clicked together in rapidity, her jaw dropping slightly as she struggled for the words.

T-That's...?!

Her eyes snapped between the man and the girl beside him, taking special note of the Guild emblems on their skin in rapid glances.

Fairy... Fairy Tail..?!

No way, how did she run into these people all the way out here?! Her eyes snapped back to the pinkette, who was grinning at her slightly as he waited for an answer, oblivious to the look of utter shock on her face.

"Natsu... Dragneel...?!"

.:+:.

Alrighty! Another Chapter for you lovely people, next one up should be Balance In Our Lives for any of you reading that!

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