Stellar Mischief
[NaLu Fanfiction]
By: JeRein_14

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Chapter 27

Lucy's POV

  "If that's the case, what do you propose now, Princess? Do you have something in mind?" I asked the only royalty present. When I saw her sigh, I somehow knew the answer. Can't say I blame her. This situation we're in, it's something truly complicated and complex. We can't just dive in head on nor can we just sit by and watch the events unfold by themselves. We need to put a thought into this. Plan every move thoroughly. We can't afford to have our secret revealed. No.. We need to protect what our ancestors did.

  "Unfortunately, I don't have a concrete plan yet. I'm in the midst of forming one, though. But I still lack information, the ones that are essential to complete it. Mostly about those murderers." She confessed, running a hand through her perfect, silky green hair.

  "What kind of information, Princess?" The former Sabertooth member asked, prompting Princess Hisui to continue on.

  "About their ulterior motives. We need to know what they're planning to be able to find a way to stop it. To prevent it." I've been thinking of that since the day I found out about the mass murders. What could have possibly prompt those murderers to kill innocent Celestial Mages? Their spirit are out of the possibilities as their keys are found in near their cold, lifeless bodies. So, what?

  "That'll be a big problem. According to the reports, those who were investigating the case gave up after seeing no pattern in the killings, aside from all the targets are practicing Celestial Magic, and no clues that could possibly point out the identity of the murderers." Yukino solemnly said, looking away from us at the mention of our fallen comrades.

  "How could the officials stop their investigation when the killers are still out there?!" I can't help but feel infuriated at that. Does the Council even care about the remaining Celestial Mages at all?! I'm outraged at how poorly they treat us. Had the society always been like this to us? Just because we aren't as 'rare' as Dragon Slayers or as 'capable' as other magic caster types.

  "It's been an unsolved case for years. I guess the Council decided to leave it be and focus on other important things instead." Sighing in annoyance, I decided to not comment on that. I don't really want to lengthen the talk even more. I've always known that Celestial Magic is one of those really underrated magics. Not everyone likes its concept. Having other people, spirits in this case, fight your battles is seen cowardly and is continuously looked down on. Some go as far as to treat Celestial Spirits as so-called tools and weapons which only made the already judgemental glances evolve into degrading ones. It's always been a touchy subject.

  "I think I have an idea." Both my and Yukino's head snapped towards the Princess direction. Did I heard her correctly?

  "An idea?"

  "Yes. You see, I had been doing my own little research." She reached out for her little bag that was draped over one of her shoulders. Curiously, I watched her take out some pieces of old, yellowish papers—no, book pages. Judging by its appearance and how it has tear marks at one side, as well as having numbers at the bottom right which I assume are page numbers, it gave me the impression that it was actually teared from a century-old book.

  "What are these?" I slowly examined the papers, carefully and with great caution in fear of tearing it apart. This might actually hold the answer to all our problems, after all.

  "Having a high position in the government had it's perks. I have access to the Capital's National Library." She started. I can't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. The library she mentioned was proclaimed as the 'Sanctuary of Knowledge', with over half a million books, written reference and texts housed in there, making it the biggest library here in Fiore. Being a bookworm myself, I would give anything just to have the kind of privilege she had with it. Sighing, I threw that envy on the back of my mind. I can't afford to be distracted now.

  "I looked through some ancient and old texts, all relating to Celestial Magic. You wouldn't believe what I discovered in there." Raising an eyebrow, i skimmed through the senescent pages. My eyes can only widened in surprise. What are these?!

  "Time traveling? Portal to another dimension? Opening the Gates of the Dead? Time Manipulation? Resurrection? Black Magic? Foretelling the Future? Portal to other worlds? Summoning demons and dragons? Spirit Fusion? Uhhh, Princess? Just what are all these?" I finally asked after going through the last page. I haven't read everything yet. Just the titles and subject. Even so, it was enough to leave me goose bumps.

  "These are few of the things our magic is capable of. There are a lot more, I believe. I just took the ones that I think are the killers motives. I'll have to continue my research, though. We need to look at every possible angle. We need to prepare for the worst." Wow. Princess Hisui. She's really dedicated. Despite the work and hardships as a future Queen, she still finds time to do her research. All for the sake of our kind. She's truly admirable. I guess Fiore shouldn't worry for the next few years. We're going to have a reliable ruler after all.

  "Wow. Are t-these really..?" Yukino trailed off, still having a hard time sinking all the information in. I couldn't blame her as I am at the exact same state. I'm still having a hard time grasping all these. Even as a child, I knew my magic was capable of a lot of things. Just didn't expect it to be this many. Not to mention their complexity and bizarreness

  "It turns out, Celestial Magic is capable of things almost unimaginable. Mostly highlights about Time and Space. If we—" She was cut off when something unexpected happened. The ground started to shake, debris fell from the ceiling, furniture and objects inside the room began trembling. What's this?! An Earthquake. The ground's shaking shifted from weak to violent really quick. Yukino and Princess Hisui almost lost their balance if they didn't grab hold of the bed the last second. A minute in the quake, a loud explosion from outside was heard. It didn't came from the hall nor inside the stadium at all. Judging by the sound, it came from outside Domus Flau. The door suddenly burst opened, revealing a soldier in uniform.

  "Princess Hisui! Stay here. We will check what happened." The palace official said.

  "What's happening outside?" The princess looked alarmed and panicked. Even Yukino and I are in the same state. Everything was so sudden.

  "We still don't know, Princess. But from what the soldiers assigned in the stadium's entrance said, a restaurant just near here exploded." So, it was an explosion. Who in their right mind would initiate an open attack in the middle of a festival? Let alone in Crocus where the security is far more strict than any other cities in Fiore? The Palace Official didn't wait for the Princess' further instructions about the matter. He bowed in respect and left. As he exited the room, Levy, Wendy, Porlyusica and Carla entered. All have grim expressions. I guess they were already informed of what happened.

  "Are you alright, Lucy-san?" Wendy rushed to my side, checking me for any injuries I could have sustained during the quake. When she found none, she let out a breath of relief.

  "Yeah. What's the situation outside?" I asked, shifting the topic away from me.

  "Aside from the earthquake, a local restaurant exploded just outside Domus Flau. The officials are suspecting it as foul play done by either a dark guild or terrorists." The old healer informed us. Terrorists?

  "Is a terrorist attack really possible?" Levy asked, her hand on her chin. I'm suspecting the same thing. Fiore was known to be a cordial and gracious country. So, the word 'terrorists' sounds foreign to my ears.

  "Yes. There are small rebel group scattered around Fiore, which isn't uncommon as no system is perfect. There will be people who would stand against the monarchy. We are trying to get to them, though. By making amendments and peace talks. All to prevent a rebellion from forming and spreading." Said the noble.

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Normal POV

  In the midst of complete chaos and riot, a group of palace officials pushed their way through the forming crowd that was surrounding the ruins of a famous restaurant. Once they got through, devastation and dread filled their systems at the sight of a bawling old couple who was desperately going through the remains, seemingly searching for something to save. Sorrowful and agonizing sobs and cries, all coming from the mourning couple, echoed through the silent area. Everyone can sympathize to them. That restaurant was almost a century old, as it was passed down from their generation to generation. Witnessing the downfall of an almost iconic landmark was truly devastating. Even for the townspeople. They can only watch with pitiful eyes as a middle aged man, the couple's son, heart brokenly approach his parents as he tried to stop them.

  The soldiers, snapping out of their remorse, went back to character as they tried to held back and disperse the growing crowd. Reluctant, they could only follow their orders to leave, not wanting to get arrested or detained.

  "Sir! You have to see this!" One of the soldiers called out their chief. Arcadios, the official chief of the Cherry Blossom Holy Knight Squadron, turned towards the distressed soldier. He didn't think twice and followed him. He was lead to the other side of the ruined restaurant where a cement wall was still left standing. The chief can only stare at the writings on the wall with pure horror.

  'We will come for you, Princess.' was what written in blood red ink.

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Hey guys!

This may seem quite a bit rushed, well probably because it was. Sorrryyyy! I'm still on this terrible case of writing slump! (Is that even a thing?) And i'm really trying hard to get over it!

When I do, I promise to write better chapters!

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Love lots,
☆JeRein_14