Needless Carnage - Strangers

[Gildarts]

A bright sun hung overhead, birds sung toward the heavens, and wind seared into a pair of foreboding eyes. Suddenly the Prime's darkened demeanor turned on a dime and his shoulders lightened an invisible load and outstretched into the world before him. To Gildarts, at least, this was a tangible place that he could understand and face head on, not to mention the morning weather seemed favorable.

His eyes narrowed into a distinguished squint against the sunlight as vehement winds crackled and rippled against a green emblazoned flag with an azure herald on it. "North.." Gildarts took a single step toward one of the docked ships in the harbor, "Does the wind usually blow north?" In all his seasons, he had never before witnessed an ocean breeze that cast so sharply toward the sea that it actually thrashed into the crest of each rounding wave.

The Prime had directed his question at a burly old man with a wooden pipe between his lips and eyepatch over his left eye, flipped up. The seasoned captain hobbled closer to the rails and shouted from his perch on his ship's creaky wooden deck, "Oh, looky here! A newcomer!" the captain deducted from the Prime's anachronistic attire. "Bright one too," the seaman chuckled to himself before explaining, "Nay, but yer' right about the winds, we’re fixin' fer a real storm as of late. Some o’ the fishermen say it'll even a last few weeks! Poor souls." As the distracted captain's gaze fell on the pale horizon, he began to dwell on how the town’s fishermen would have neither food nor work until the storm had passed.

The Prime listened with a squared stance and watched as the shipman coiled a long rope around his forearm and explained the news of a hurricane. "Is there any way I can get to Tenrou Island before the storm?" Gildarts heard his own voice cut against the gales of warring wind.

The captain’s attention was immediately caught on an invisible fish line and the worn rope had ceased its weave in his calloused palms, "Ehh? There are plenty of islands scatter’d out there, but I don' know any by that name.. Though there are many small ones that are unnamed."

"It's urgent." Gildarts stated as his amber eyes glowed with a dragon’s ferocious intensity, "It's out there, it has to be. Do you know of anyone who would be willing to take me?"

The captain remained quiet as he pondered the matter with an active deliberation that could be felt in the gearing air around his gaze. He weighed in his mind the uneven balance between the rewarding pros and consequential cons. Then, a wide grin overtook his cheeks and revealed a toothy smile that emphasized his darkened gums. His course voice bartered, "That depends, on the price you are willing to pay."

The immortal's voice deepened with unwavering determination, "Anything.. I have a promise to keep."

...

"Let me round up me crew and we can sail off in abou' an hour. By th' way, I'm Captain Barbarossa." the seaman's words rang through the Prime's mind as he trailed the town’s roadways.

Nothing about the captain seemed too strange, other than that he too had called Gildarts a “Prime” but then again, so had that Omni guy.

The quaint settlement of Costa del Sol had painted itself along the island's shoreline. Clouds, gusts, and songbirds fluttered through the sky weaving a choirlike tune into the air. It was beautifully crafted for a town of its size and appeared to be a work of art, at every corner there were carefully sculpted buildings that framed themselves into the skyline. Even the cobblestone streets glittered in the sun as the light strumming of footsteps on the trodden road submerged his singular pace into the rhythmic chime that became music in the bustling street.

"Hello," Gildarts confidently approached an attractive woman who seemed to be tending to some flowers, "Would you mind telling me about this place?"

The woman spun around quickly in an aggressive recoil to his inclination. Then, after laying her frenzied eyes on the dark figure she settled by sizing him up. The woman took in his casual stance, lack of aggression, and the distant expression on his face. Together, both his demeanor and the sight of an unrecognized stranger seemed to quell her anger. Oh? A Prime.. And a good-looking one at that..

The woman took the time to fix a stray hair and to pat straight the folds in her dress before responding, "Welcome to the Vastly Deep," her voice conducted and filled with a graceful feminine allure as she began to explain the area. A person on a red bicycle slid to a stop, interrupting her sentence but she greeted him with a smile. The young boy chimed his bell as he waved to her.

"The usual?" the woman asked to the boy, whom had a distinguished newspaper sack in his basket.

The dark haired boy nodded and slowly his head turned to look at the cloaked stranger; the child's smile evaporated into a single look of distinct hostility. Gildarts turned his head to look down at the youth with a sparkling curiosity while he remained completely oblivious to the youth's aggression, he was even about to smile with a friendly hello, but suddenly the boy tensed and averted his eyes from Gildarts. The kid hastily grabbed the bouquet of flowers and dropped some coins in the woman's hand. "Thanks Martha!" he said with an overly excited voice as he sped off down the cobblestone hill.

Gildarts looked back at the woman who continued, "You'll have to excuse him, the visitors we do get here like to cause trouble. His mother makes sure he doesn't get into any, especially these days."

"What sort of visitors do you mean?" Gildarts asked after a pause, her response might explain her previous behavior when she had first saw him. She had almost acted like she was being hunted and this was not the effect he usually had on women.

"Well, with the Empire's strained grasp over this outpost, it isn't a surprise that if any pirates stop to port here, trouble comes. He probably thought you were a pirate but I think he could tell you weren't going to loot this town. You would have brought pistols and reinforcements."

Gildarts filtered in the knowledge with an open ear and a cocked gaze, "This.. Empire, do they have a council of sorts?"

"Hah, some might say that they are the council. But, still.. Their laws do rule most of the land." The woman paused to look off at the sea with a longing gaze, "That's why people go out there, that's where true freedom is. Where nothing but the wind can have any power over who you are or where you are going. Yes... The open sea, sure there are monsters but who wouldn't take a few of them for an endless adventure? Oh I'm sorry, was I rambling again..? Anyway people become pirates too and retaliate against the Empire. But most don't, because they understand the cost and who the real casualties are when they do that. Plus, they get sent to Impel Down. And no one escapes when they go there."

Some other customers came in to buy a few items and occupied Martha's time. Gildarts glanced around and noted the sign that hung above the door. He didn't mind idling, especially when he already was biding his time on that captain and his crewmen.

Gildarts frequently found that the locals had the best information when he was on his quests for the Fairy Tail. Not to mention Martha seemed rather worldly... Plus he wouldn’t deny that her balletic feminine physique and layers of curling hair were just as beautiful as any bouquet in her shop.

Suddenly the presence of a few white armored fellows with identical black strips on their helmets stormed the store.

Gildarts had been waiting on the sunlit patio as a butterfly landed and perched itself on his silver shoulder which the cape disguised rather inconspicuously. Still, as seconds protracted into prolonged minutes, he felt himself wallowing in the time that he wasn’t able to stand at his friends’ sides to protect them from that monster. The butterfly’s wings continued to flex up and down as he glanced through the window into the shop. The storm troopers had thrown a vase and with the stirred steps of a skirmish a table fell loudly into the floor and a splatter of flowers splashed into the immaculate glass window.

Martha pleaded with desperation, "Don't! I just need more time! My husband recently died, I've had to run the shop on my own and take meals to-"

The white faced authority silenced her, "We don't want to hear it. Your dues are up and need to be paid."

"And they can't be paid in flower petals," yet another said in a moment of unrestrained laughter as he ripped a rose to shreds.

"However.. You can choose to pay in other ways..." the last inclined as he reached for her.

Suddenly Gildarts stood between the two and the aggressive storm trooper unexpectedly felt a steel appendage instead of what he expected to be smooth skin. Gildarts couldn't help the menacing gaze he released, it had no filter and crackled with anger. His eyes fell on Martha's once very quaint flower shop and how it had now been thrashed to bits without mercy. Broken vases scattered the floor as well as flowers and stems strewn everywhere.

"These men bothering you Martha?" Gildarts said as though the soldiers had no right to speak to defend themselves. The flustered Martha was speechless and simply glared at the men who had begun to chatter and taint the air with excuses.

Martha noticed that Gildarts was vigilant, in fact he seemed to seethe with a code of chivalry and was ready to drag the Empirical soldiers outside and show them how not to treat a lady. “Don’t!” her flustered voice said to the Prime who was still a newcomer in these parts, “These are soldiers of the Empire. Retaliation against them ensures that anyone you know could be hunted and imprisoned just for their association with you. Not to mention..” her voice trailed off as she thought of the fate of her late husband.

Gildarts sighed in an abbreviated disappointment, greasing these cowards’ palms was not how he dealt with any of his foes but he was now on the other side of the “world” and couldn’t have a negative association with the guild tarnish Fairy Tail's honor. "How much does she owe?" The wizard's voice conducted the room with more power than lightning.

"Oh it's really no problem, we'll come back later," the soldier said dismissively.

"No." he declared sternly as his low voice wordlessly threatened the three men. The Prime’s eyes wouldn’t bend away from them in that moment if his irises caught fire.

The next trooper helplessly offered, "Surely it's none of your concern.."

"Will this be enough?" Gildarts dropped a heavy cloth bag, brimming full of coins onto the glass surface next to some daffodil stems.

One hesitated before nodding, "Yes, but-"

With a growl, Gildarts announced, "Take it. Go, and do not return."

Their filthy gloves picked up the heavy sack of currency. Quickly, they departed the shop and escaped out the glass door that sang with a chime and clattered to a rickety close.

"Thank you, but you didn't have to.." her voice floundered for words.

"Come now, I can't let anything happen to the Jewel of the Sea while I'm away."

Martha brought her shaking hand up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear as he revealed he had noticed something so simple as the name of her flower shop. This petty yet detailed reassurance showed her that there were still some good people in the world. Somehow it gave her enough strength and in his offered smile she was able to have a little hope.

...
[spoiler]As the storm troopers exited the flower shop, the slime untied the brown twine. Their greedy mercenary fingers dipped into the cloth bag, "I don’t think anyone will mind mind if we pocket a finder's fee," one said and examined a strange looking coin.

"Huh, what's this?"

"This can't be money?" Another interjected.

"Where's the Empire's logo?" the last affirmed, as they looked at the square hole inside of a circular coin.

"Ah who cares? It's still well worth its weight in gold.” he said. The trio were perhaps too afraid to go back inside and confront the Prime, so instead the storm troopers disappeared into the bustling traffic of Costa Del Sol.[/spoiler]

[Gildarts]

When Gildarts finally left Martha’s store, she began to gather the scattered stocks of crumpled flowers but paid no mind to the task at hand. The young boy on the crimson bike returned from his errands and as he opened the jingling door, his face warped into a liquified expression of fear and astonishment. A face flashed before his eyes as he recalled the tawny haired missionary that he had seen on his morning pick-up. The fire of rage flared within his chest, he knew that guy was trouble! The kid felt a tang of bitter regret choking in his gut, he knew he should have stayed to defend Martha.

“Whoa! Looks like a crew of pirates went on a rampage in here! What happened Martha?” he was still a child at heart and was excited to hear the story of a lifetime.

“Something like that..." Martha replied but she knew who the real pirates were. 

...

[spoiler]A man’s tart, cackling laughter reverberated through the seclusion of the dimly lit captain’s quarters and Barbarossa started to chew the fat amongst his sailors, "Heh heh heh. Splice the mainbrace! We'll take him to a deserted part of the island and strip ’im of whatever goods he's got!"

A pirate suggested as he slurped some grog, "Whoa-whoa, Cap’n don' you think he could be more useful?"

"Or that he's a Prime and could clobber us to a pulp!?" another crewman with red hair mentioned in a shrill voice of fear at the hornswaggle they had concocted.

"This landlubber got ’imself two o’ these," the bearded old salt thudded his knuckle into the pegged leg below his waist and the result was a hammering echo. A ring of shadows shimmered against the walls as he told the few, "No great and powerful Prime could afford to loose theirs that couldn't pay for another set. An’ he don’t carry no weapons. Plus, I ain't never known ye’ to ’ave high morals!"

"I'm sure Red here jus’ means he don’ want to die up against a Prime ain' tha’ right ya jackleg?" jeered another haughty voice from below deck. The man chuckled at Red’s expense and took a swill of rum.

Barbarossa grinned, “Aye, he’ll be feedin’ the fish soon. Ye savvy?”[/spoiler]

“Set sail!”

Tethers of twine released from the moderately-sized ship that clung to a dock in a nearby port. “All hands hoay!” Grunts responded to the caterwaul called from the deck and the ample crew meshed their pace with tasks, each making a beeline for his duties while on the stern Gildarts was confronted by the captain.

Barbarossa had hobbled over to Gildarts and demanded, “Ahoy thar! Pay in advance.”

“Half now, half when we get there.” Gildarts allowed his voice to command the bargain with the sternness of his expression. Loose change jingled in the pouch he offered to the captain, whom quickly removed himself from the Prime’s presence.

Storm clouds curled in the sky and rumbled with the threat of an oncoming storm. The men on the ship paid no mind to the icy breeze that ripped through their bones. The hands remained busy as they lowered a great fabric sail and the ship was cast out into the sea.

Gildarts had remained above deck and found a small, out-of-the-way place to idle; he leaned his rusted joints against the wooden mast. His calm and cool demeanor was equal to that of the storm that rolled overhead. At this perch he could see a complete view of the horizon, ideal for spotting the Tenrou Tree. Still, as brief as wind, his senses jingled with a strange sensation that reeked of danger. Not even the sea-breeze could wash away the sway of tension stirring beneath the dark waters they sailed through.

Later, under the seclusion of the helm, the voice of a gruff crewman echoed in the wooden chamber, tainting the curved staves of lumber, “Aw cap’n, do we really have to sail all the way out to Cinnibar, just to loot ’im? Red said the storm looks like it's gonna get really rough! I don’ wanna get caught in this’un like the last.”

"Patience boys. Did ye see how heavy the sack he had slung over his shoulder was? He's one of the few Primes who carries his wealth on 'im so it can be stolen. I even heard the jingle of doubloons while the boards on our deck creaked and bowed with the weight of gold! GOLD! Aye men, I can taste it. The scallywag’s got treasure on ’im an' I reckon he wants to stash it on the island he thinks we’re bringing him to! Unfortunately for ’im this'll be one of our best payouts yet!"

[Gildarts]

The looming darkness in the captain's character didn't seem to bother the impassive Gildarts, who seemed almost completely aware that the man was ready to pounce on him as prey. The Prime sat on the upper deck of the ship allowing his slightly weaker body to be susceptible to the deadly tempest, with his sole purpose set on finding Tenrou Island. In order for it to be found, a Fairy Tail wizard’s eyes must be seeking it.

Still, after hours of saline water splashing and spraying against his ever endeavoring eyes, there was no outline of the illustrious Tenrou Tree to be seen. The shipmen menaced toward the lucky landlubber as mal de mar had struck most humans, who by this time, would be hurling their breakfast over the brig. There would be no point in Gildarts sharing his time centered concerns with this raggedy looking crew; they had been working for hours to shift, sway, and steer the heavy mast with the concurrent winds. It would diminish their purpose to fight against the storm for his sake, even if their denigrating expressions openly disparaged and condemned his presence. After all, to them, he had just leased their lives.

They began to load things that didn’t appear to be cannonballs up to their mounted guns. Red, the only pirate to treat Gildarts as someone other than just another “welcome” guest, responded to the imposing question, “What are those?”

Red looked down to the black orb in his hands as he stacked and loaded the ship’s main defense, “What? You've never seen a banishment circle before?”

Gildarts studied the weapon and attached a name to the flickering spell clasped tangibly in the pirate's hands, “Not at all, what is it used for?” In this side of the planet, the cannonballs aboard ships were swapped out for this?

“Banishment circles send even Primes to the depths o’ the Underverse! They’re called black gold by anyone who wants to survive in these seas! We get em’ and use them against-” Red stopped himself, “Well, ya can never be too careful, especially in these waters. If an Empire ship were to attack us, we’d scuttle em’ with these. They work kind o’ like a black hole.”

“RED! GET BACK TO THEM MONKEYS!” an angry crewman shouted as he collaborated with the enemy.

“Scary.” Gildarts chuckled a bit, walked off, and then glanced toward the direction they were sailing in. There were no ships along the coast of the island they were nearing, so what was the cannon being loaded for?

Why doesn’t a Prime know his mortal enemy? Red thought, there was something very suspicious about the captain’s plan, yet some storms were destined to rain.

...

“Land Ho’!” The sentinel stationed in the crow’s nest shouted down as his inflamed holler was caught in the rabid winds.

Gildarts opened his eyes in response to the illusory call that beckoned him from his restless slumber. He looked around but the many ship hands had already flocked to their posts. There must have been some mistake because the Fairy Tail wizard did not feel the tingling return of magic flooding in his veins. Meanwhile, the ship skidded to a halt under the tonnage cast by a grappling anchor.

The great Tenrou Tree was nowhere to be seen, instead, his eyes fell on a small island. To its credit it was around the same size as Tenrou, however this insular place was devoid of any naturally inhabiting magic. In its place, creatures growled from the shadows created by the thick canopy of trees. In the distance, the violent stride of a large beast could be heard rumbling over the sound of the hissing waves.

The wizard felt an unspoken challenge weigh in the surrounding air. His grave gaze fractured the fierce tension of freshly altered circumstances as he scrutinized the backstabbing Barbarossa. Gildarts clenched his teeth together and he uttered under his breath, “Tch.”

No explanation was offered to him as the ace was prodded off the boat by a lovely looking saber. He let them. But still had to remind himself, One bad thought, that’s all it would take. At least this way I won’t have to sink the ship... The small boat grated against the jagged, dagger-like shells on the shore as they tore into the softened malleable wood of the dinghy. The sandy land creased into his boots and left dented imprints on the beach as his muscles effortlessly tensed, patiently awaiting the fight to be brought to him.

The question remained, who would bell the cat?

“Alright boys, what’re ye waitin’ fer? Tie him up, then cleave ’im to the brisket!” he commanded his men, who shuddered reluctantly at the thought of disobeying their godlike captain or challenging an undying Prime. Gildarts had acted so completely sound in the face of his death it horrified the three other pirates to the point of senselessness. He even appeared to be relishing the precarious situation as his stance endured unwaveringly.

“Boss, why ain’t he panicking? Ye’ said he was weak!” a fellow crew member gibbered with fear.

So far, the Prime's scruffy chin had tilted to the side as he eyed the closest shivering marauder, Red. Gildarts felt a darkness loom over him, his menace remained silent and his challenging eyes flashed to Barbarossa. “I’m a man of many qualities, but that’s the one thing I’m not. Only worthy men know better than to misjudge their enemies. And here I thought you would have better judgement than that, pirate.”

The words cut sharper than any sword but the prideful man responded to his men, “Just because the Prime ain’t afraid of death doesn’t mean he’s anything more than a bilge-sucking weakling! What are ye waitin’ fer? Blow the man down!” the captain met the Prime’s opposition with a grimace and the crew did not follow the command. In the moment their eyes held, time hung as a distant outlier. Beating waves crashed into rock and the distant rumblings of thunder echoed through the storm darkened skies.

The breeze gently gusted against Gildarts and flowed into his cape; the flicker of his cloak in the casting wind had no effect on what would come. Simply the solace in his conviction remained as he faced his adversary.

A sound crackled and sputtered originating from the ocean, wood splintered into the sky from Barbarossa’s vessel. The captain couldn’t release his eyes from his enemy despite how his head itched to look over his shoulder to check the status of his attacked ship. The pirate continued to hear the bombarding force colliding into his barque, every inch of his being prompted him to break the heated eye contact. During the struggle eyepatch began to choke on the air entering his lungs.

The standoff of power ended with a crash as a crippling sensation crept into Barbarossa’s fearfully dubious expression. The captain looked away first and it all happened in a startling flash, his eye was late and only caught a glimpse of what was to come. A huge forceful silhouette collided with his ship (that had aimed their cannons at the shoreline) and then the beast submerged itself once again under the veil of rolling waves.

A creaking clamor erupted with the splash of imploding water and the sinking of the ship. Barbarossa shouted, “NOOOO!” and his three crewmen that had brought Gildarts to the island, gaped at the utter destruction.

The small boatful of men that had made port on the shore with Gildarts were now the only men to survive the tremendous shudder in the ocean. Before Barbarossa, Red, or the other crew members could react-it swelled from the water once more. This time, conquering the entire horizon with its gait as it soared above their heads.

“A dragon?!” Gildarts prepared for the threat with a single folded fist.

“No you fool! That’s the serpent Cetus! The colossal monster of the ’Deep! No one can stop him! He’s worse than Godzilla!” Red shouted at the Prime who knew nothing of their world. The spray of saltwater dribbled from the scales of the mighty green beast and poured down on the crew who stuttered beneath the might of its step.

About eight times, Gildarts reasoned, the green beast was about eight times the size of the captain’s ship when it stood above water with its slimy fins protruding from its back. It looked like a dragon mixed with a shark, for it had four webbed feet that stomped into the shore and set it’s blood-thirsty crimson eyes onto Captain Barbarossa.

“Looks like he remembers us!” a toothless pirate shouted.

Barbarossa growled and wielded a banishment circle, for they worked against beasts too. “O’ course he does! He never forgets a face! FULL TO THE GUNWALES MEN!” he shouted a battle cry, it didn’t matter if they weren’t actually on a ship for even on land war followed the peg-legged man. The crewman with the pistol filled it with black chalk and Red’s cutlass raised, each ready to fight to the death.

Oh? So they had seen this beast before? Gildarts grew intrigued as he watched it all pan out with his fist still extended and growing with power. There was a prolonged pause like that of an honorable duel as both monster and man awaited each other’s attack.

The pirates readied banishment circle, sword, and pistol alike as they surrounded the immortal's combat primed war stance. It’s snakelike face grew closer to them as the dinosaur nearly touched Gildarts with its nose and sniffed him. Gildarts felt his hair ruffled by the inhale yet wouldn’t break his own trouncing stance.

Suddenly, the captain and the two men around him were swatted away like flies, crashing through the air and landing into the forest’s many trees which left Gildarts and Red in awe of the beast’s sheer power. Gildarts heard the cracking of his enemy’s bones as they fell against wood and this prompted the quaking release of his magic to blast forth from his fist. To his surprise the spell never formed into a move and the familiar attack he had preformed numerous times dissipated into Omniverse air. It grew evident that Cretus was used to the taste of flesh as the beast garnished its tree-sized jagged teeth which he utilized only to crush his enemies. Now the monster was ready to have a snack after he had exterminated his lifelong rival, Captain Barbarossa.

“Now he’s hungry! He’ll take out the entire village!” shouted a pipsqueak kid who emerged from the bushes. The boy and his little sister had originally intended to watch the pirate brawl from the cover of a bush but now had bitten off more than they could chew; in the beast’s burst of rage their bush had rolled away leaving the revealed pair to quake with fear. Despite being just kids, their shoes remained shivering in one spot and their terror had disabled any movement so the frozen few had no choice but to face their death. Their rigged shoulders tightened as they began to witness their island’s destruction. The pair stared at the cloaked man who now challenged the sea beast with a single fist.

Both warriors- one of land the other of sea- jousted their eyes through the air in menace. Gildarts, the protector of man, allowed hostility to exude from his strong shielding position to guard the kids. His focus creased the air and created a force so powerful that it could be physically felt. There were villagers on this island, he could taste the smoke of their fires, and held a stance that could have extended his power to the far edges of the island. The Prime didn’t know that he was glaring for his life but he felt a familiar taste of intensity that reminded him of his brawl with Acnologia, however this beast chose to bat him away with a single paw.

Blood and adrenaline riveted through his veins as he parried the creature just as easily as he had Natsu. Gildarts, a man not even the full size of the beast’s paw had flung Cretus just as Cretus had flung the pirates, over his shoulder and into the trees that speared into his flesh. He had deflected the momentum, but to the kids whom watched, this appeared to be the ultimate handshake: The webbed claw met with a metal hand. The kids were struck with awe as the tawny-haired pirate had displayed the power of kings.

The beast howled in agony and stood as its body thrashed and bulldozed into the stabbing rows of forestry. “You’ll need to use a lot more than your paw to take me down, creature.” the warrior said to his rivaled foe as it steadied back on its feet and flung the trees from its back haunches as though they were mere splinters in its side. The creature stared at him as purple and blue blood trickled from its punctured scales. The pair of children were impressed by Gildarts for flipping the colossal creature so easily and stood closer behind him, certain of his power to cast a net of safety over them. His masculinity became the embodiment of parental safeguarding. The red-eyed monster revered Gildarts as a foe, yet saw the two cowering cubs beneath his extended posture.

“Don’t stand so close,” Gildarts warned without taking his eyes from Cretus. The children ran off behind a boulder imposing on the oceanic terrain and Red whom had stared in astonishment of the Prime’s capabilities accompanied the two.

For a moment, Cretus deemed the children’s vanishing presence as a call to battle, yet the combatant’s gripping glare of daggers plunged into the beast with a threat that was greater than the Prime’s power. Cretus bowed his head in more acknowledgement than defeat and awaited the man to step on.

The kids said a little, “Hooray!” and cheered on the mysterious Prime who had saved their village. To them, the pirate-man had conquered the beast with his mere gaze, so it was only customary for him to gain the ultimate throne.

Gildarts took a look over his shoulder at the kids, who now brimmed with euphoric smiles, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure this monster never comes to this island again.” They’re strong kids, no matter how scared they thought they were, the two even held their ground be sure the monster wouldn’t attack their village. Gildarts saw the fleeting faces of Lisanna and Natsu in them and offered a fateful smile. He now faced the creature's head that bowed before him in submission.

The beast tamer put his silver leg on the fearsome beast and took up command at the beckon of his hand. Gildarts had every intention of taking the beast as far away from the island as possible, especially since his power would not allow him to pummel the creature. Red and the two kids watched with relief as the unknown man stood on the humbled head of Cretus. Each onlooker’s eyes gazed at the last shadowy remnant of the two monsters before they plunged into the ocean’s horizon.

[Gildarts]

Gildarts remained mounted on the serpent for a while, he was completely safe with its mammoth jaws beneath his toes. Yet he felt he had to focus his stature to command the once tyrannical beast. The most notable problem he faced was that that he had no idea where he was and could only follow the winds of change to know where he was going. Storms crawled overhead and splattered tears onto his shoulders but this did not dissuade him from his unswerving direction as he progressed forward.

Time remained pendent in the rolling waves as the beast’s massive head was the only thing above the crests of water; the rest of its whole body had plunged into the vastly deep waters below. The Prime settled into a seated position, cross-legged and smiling, he pulled out a bite to eat and shared it first with his voyaging companion, “You’re an unlikely friend, if I can call you that.” Gildarts remarked through a small bite of bread, “But, you don’t seem to be too bad if you didn’t attack those kids. Plus you saved me the trouble of dealing with those pirates.”

Cretus ate the bread that sponged on his tongue and the unknown texture dissolved in his mouth. After he had swallowed the herbivore food, the monster opened his jaws as if to respond and released a low sigh, “Gruuhhhh.”

“Yeah, you and me both buddy.” Gildarts pat the creature’s head and still wondered what had caused the beast to surrender. He pulled out the small crystalline flower that shimmered in the moonlight and recalled Martha’s words ‘This is the real Jewel of the Sea. The one that the shop was named after. I got it from my grandfather when I was very young; it is said to keep seafaring wanderers safe and tame even the most vile serpents of the ocean. I think it will do you well on your journey.’

She had said it could tame monsters but the atrocity below his haunches wasn’t even that. Gildarts hoped they would find another island soon, his cloak was fraying under the water wilted wind and chilling his joints painfully. If the two monsters ported soon, it was even possible that he could ask Cretus (as he was a dragon of the sea) to aid them in the fight against Acnologia. Almost too much time had passed, but Gildarts had faith in his heart that his guild would survive. After all, he had.

...

Fatigue grew potent within his muscles as the grueling weather became as endless as the tides. Frozen air pinched his tendons and the only thing keeping his face from becoming red with windburn was the thin layer of scruff lining his jaw. This was a truly treacherous place. He had once been the definition of the word. Now, he began to feel as though he was getting too old for his passions, and yet adventure was still never far from his reach.

Finally the two titans approached land. Gildarts began to raise his hardened, weatherworn squint against the surprisingly warm air. He grew perturbed as he sensed something was wrong, very wrong. His blood chilled to the sinister haze that surrounded the island, whatever was askew did not make itself immediately known. Above he saw a looming black shadow growing into the night sky and clouding the stars. Gildarts crouched low and readied his shoulders as Cretus grounded into the gravel and lurched his skull so suddenly that the Prime slipped off.

Gildarts fell graciously onto the solid land and the head of the mighty beast rose upward. Before Cretus departed, Gildarts offered him a threatening leer that spoke words even a sea monster would understand. He raised a metallic fist and in response the monster blinked his eyes in comprehension. This exchange was an unsaid promise between man and beast. Gildarts would allow him to live and Cretus would no longer kill people for food, he had the means and then some, to live off of the ocean. Cretus had learned from the Prime that there were some humans worthy of living, so he was now willing to spare them all.

The giant reptilian fled under the haze of night leaving Gildarts to stand alone on the silent, stony shore. When he turned his back to the ocean he met something unexpected. It appeared to be a green blob with a block head. The creeper’s heavy block-like feet crawled toward Gildarts who held his position yet his weary muscles tensed in an alert defense. His eyes traced the strange moss colored creature and found that it had emerged from the depths of the shaded forest dotting the shoreline.

As it approached, Gildarts grew skeptical of the suspense. The black-faced frowning creature didn’t seem to want to attack him and yet even as it neared there was no sign of it slowing its pace. It didn’t speak as it closed in on his shielded perimeter and suddenly the immortal felt an explosion of fire braze his nose. Luckily he had blinked in the moment and kept the singe of fire from his eyes but now looked around for a trace of the creature completely baffled, “Huh? Where’d it go?”

Gildarts gripped his fist and shook his head in disappointment. What the... What had the kamikaze accomplished? It must have wanted to kill him. Gildarts came to the conclusion and deduced it's raison d'être was solely a means to keep visitors off the island with a fiery defense mechanism. “AH! It singed my cloak!” Gildarts looked startled and tamped the flames from the edges of his dark cape. He vaguely realized that the burned corners he smothered could have easily been his face.

The Prime ventured into the heart of the novel forest with his guard up. There must be more, just one of those things couldn’t guard an entire island. The trespasser remained on the alert as he continued to walk and after a half hour, he came upon the far edge of a town.

[Gildarts]

The crackling of embers and the startling shudder of the jagged earth beneath his planted feet was enough to breach his keen senses before he was smothered by stinging smoke that threatened to scorch his lungs. It pulled the man's mind from his monotonous trudge through the forest and caused him to cough sporadically. As his ribs heaved into his lungs, he keeled over and the immortal strained to keep an eye open in a painful squint, only focusing on what was before him; he looked forward as a reason to never let his power get the best of him. His face seemed to form an agonized expression as his brow creased in consternation and one eye closed in a charmless tormented wink.

At least I didn’t sneeze, Gildarts told himself as the besieging barks subsided and he recalled what happened last time, particularly the irreparable damage that had accidentally been dealt. He took in a few clean breaths as his eyes shifted from side to side. The lush forest hadn’t been damaged and to his relief no trees or houses in the distance had shattered under the coil of his tremendous presence. It seemed that while he was physically inclined to let out the enraged crash magic that steadily grew within him, his compensation for a frequent lack of concentration had paid off for once. There were times that if Gildarts allowed his focus to dwindle for just a second, ultimate decimation would harrow the land.

Still, the Prime didn’t think for a moment as to what had caused the thick smoke to accumulate and simply accredited it’s source to be linked to a nearby chimney. With his persistent spout over, he had no reason to replay it in his mind. Chirping crickets lulled into an eerie silence upon his arrival. Even the smallest of the musicians could sense the oncoming danger that rumbled on the horizon of the mountain...

The traveling wizard neared the town settled at the base of a soaring mountain, only to see that its great summit had caught fire. With a well pronounced double-take, Gildarts took in the horror of the scene. The clouds in the sky had parted with the slice of the sharp mountain's peak and rained with cinder on the town below; its great crown glowed with baneful golden embers that threatened to ignite the dark sky with eternal flame.

Falling ashes scattered like a deathly snow and coated the quaint rooftops of the nestled town. The sleeping citizens had no idea of the impending doom that would soon befall them in a raging landslide of fire. Gildarts rapidly leapt into action, he didn’t need to stop and think to review what he needed to do, his instinct propelled him to fruition: Wake the townspeople, prepare them for evacuation, and at the same time stop the lava that oozed from the mountain’s point for as long as he could. Buying time wouldn’t be easy, he gaged the capacious size of the town in his continued sprint and cupped his hands around his mouth. The earth cushioned beneath his propelling momentum and his prosthetic leg crushed and dug into it with an ample pace, but it wasn’t enough. Abruptly he would open his lips and shout, only to be cut off the the volcano’s low roar of destruction.

Lava poured out from the vent, plumes of sickly black smoke tainted the air, and no time could be spared. No doubt they were awake after that earthquake. He heard an alarm bell pealing in the distance and took that as his cue to launch off. Part of his plan was fulfilled and he couldn’t do much good as a guard if he were in the village. Instead, he would scale the scraggly mountain and make a clear path for the peak; the man prepared to fulfill his purpose here as someone who had the power to fight back. His enemy this time just happened to be a mortiferous, blood thirsty volcano. He launched himself upward, released from his obligatory concern for the evacuating townspeople and was enlivened by the drive of his resolve as his unwavering faith in his abilities carried him to the top.

...

Smoke clogged his lungs and seared into his eyes. The edacious mountain thundered with every step he took as the tremors rumbled with a growing hunger. Lava trickled down the slated canals as though it were salivating at the idea of its next meal: Him.

Gilarts grimaced at the blistering jaws of the mountain; fire was the essence of complete destruction and yet somehow he aways found himself combatting against it. One way or another we would prevail. He hastily approached the gash on the steep volcano’s side and balanced his tenue on the freshly charred rocky terrain. Air thickened with a sweltering heat that scorched against his skin and fluttered the flickering edges of his black cape.

Hell had come alive and he was truly in its wake. The hellfire extended its heated, powerful grasp of destruction upon him. A mountain more evil than Cretus, a deathly doom more destructive than Acnologia, and a demon’s flame hotter than Natsu’s roar all threatened to destroy the Prime. Yet in his wake, the molten mountain quaked beneath his power.

Fiery anger swelled within Gildarts, who was defending the lives of the citizens below, I won't fail them now, he told himself and the rage within him escalated on command, creasing into the melting air.

“Don’t you know, Hell is my dominion?” he stated against his fleshless adversary. As if in response, the behemoth mountain that had once roared with pride, now growled at him with disgust.

Frayed and loosened hair, tensed teeth, and a scowl of a burdened man that carried the will of many became a powerful blow against his enemy. The immortal didn’t seem to acknowledge the stakes as he embraced the very simple challenge before him. Destroy or be destroyed.

Flames licked at his toes and a coulee lapped toward his feet. Booming bursts erupted beneath him that shook the very core of the mount, and though the Prime nearly stumbled into a pool of molten rock pouring down from the fresh combustion, his attention never wavered from the eye of the same beast that would surely become his executioner.

Fairy Tail’s Ace now stood on a high boulder near the rim of the summit. With his shoulders set and his barricading posture wide, the elevated rock below him scorched as streams of molten death parted around it. A momentous power was unleashed as he focused his energy on the attack before him; he would to what he could to keep the tides of fluid rock from hitting the town, even if in this process required his own sacrifice. His resolve was strong. Gildarts may or may not have been aware that he was stranded on a not-so-safe “island” in the endless sea of lava that flooded from the volcano. Meanwhile, the lava raged onward, fueled by an insatiable appetite for destruction. The town hustled with the bustling escape of citizens yet their swift pace of evasion was not fast enough, some reached the edge of the beach while others stood in the middle of town, pausing to watch the erupting inferno spew forth as cascading lava surged for them.

Even fate waited for Gildarts to make his move.

[Gildarts]

Black rain streamed down his face cooling him from the white-hot liquid heat that streamed through him and shrouded eyes sharpened against the steam with a fiery edge. The corners of the Prime’s jawline could be seen as his chin raised dramatically to face the enraged eruption of fire. The overwhelming strength of his unquestionable might could be revered from afar as a persona that could conquer the world. The man's steadfast credence evinced from his lips that creased to the challenge and steadily grew into a boldly brandished grin. In his action, his teeth flashed like flint in the igniting fire as he released an incomparable force into the mountain.

Earth trembled against the menacing wrath of his gaze and shook with the great power he extended. The volcano lurched under the subduing pressure and a distant cracking could be felt shuddering deep below the surface where the not so placid goo stirred. The influence splintered through the torrid stone of the volcano’s foundation as hot mud rolled into fresh crevasses that formed. While the blistering lava flow rose and compromised the boulder beneath him, it never occurred to the strong-willed mage that he always fought fiercer when he was defending the invaluable. Not a thing so petty as pride, nor an emotion so sentient as anger, but a purpose with a stronger meaning was the only thing he knew to be worth protecting and worth his life. With this instinct triggered, the volcano would never have a chance to decimate the many families below.

The net of his magic finally took shape upon the mountain just as a wave of magma rolled over his left boot, melting all that there was with it. The undaunted Gildarts shook off the transient warning that threatened his aim, his attack still formed but the heat persisted to melt the sole of his other boot. The immortal’s squared shoulders were like blades against the oncoming combustion. His charge was complete yet vicious fire had caught beneath his very step. It was barely enough to throw off his aim as the sweating toes in his right foot began to sear with the golden tide. Still, it was enough.

Energy erupted from his palm in a brilliant light that shook the darkness and obliterated the clouds, all in the severed moment before the entire volcano bellowed with throes of hissing rage. Soon after, the land of molten rock formed into large obsidian cubes the size of fire hydrants and they suppurated into the air. The billowing howls of the great mountain ceased with a single tremble and with a final staggering rumble, the colossal stone was no more. Great blocks of lava clattered and fell in the place where the igneous pinnacle had once been, while some steely wedges remained suspended in the sky, others drifted off to the far edges of the island before crashing into the darkness below.

Bricks of fire splashed into the ground as Gildarts remained in the air, soothing his right toe; the force of his own attack had sent him flying with the rest of the laden hunks of molten rock that continued to sprawl out in an impending dome above the island. A lost foothold had sent him up with the rest of the carnage and to the best of his one-legged ability, he endeavored to climb the falling rocks that soon proved to be an ever shifting staircase. The grappling sensation of inevitable sinking never throttled his stamina, the man’s cape faltered as a sail in the island breeze and he shook out his melted sole and burnt digits with a good hike.

The basalt rocks began to cool and blacken now that they had been separated from the pooling source of heat and hung in the air before their weight carried them down. With the dwindling stairs growing scarce, Gildarts too, collided with his own destruction.

...

His own laugh woke him up from his momentary darkness, “Man, I haven’t had fun like that in ages,” he told himself and then clutched the back of his throbbing head. Wobbling eyes grazed the crushed mass of earth that surrounded him in a tomb-like cradle. He traced the cracks of broken earth from his collision and the shredded ruins of the eviscerated volcano. This was the devastation he had wrought. The steadfast hero swiftly rose and clutched the side of his head, his hand moved to a wound that made itself known with a submerging tsunami of tenderness. Beneath his singed hair, his fingertips met the ridged blow that proved to be the manifestation of impact from his fall. The clasp around his crashed cranium applied pressure while the Prime staggered to look at the bed of cubes surrounding him. Yet, through his thick head he recalled something spoken to him by a white figure with an egg-shaped head.

“Omniverse...?” he mused and the earth began to crumble around him. Gildarts shook the cluster of questions from his meandering thoughts, here was no place to allow his ever-thirsting wrath to unleash. Even after all the energy he had expended, more always found a way to surface, even when he did not hail to it.

It was true however, that Gildarts was not in his home realm, the vexing pain of his searing skull clashed with the realization of this devastation and he felt a wave of disappointment stir within him. But he wouldn’t be deterred, with him —no, with Fairy Tail— anything was possible.

Flecks of magma had charred at his already holly cape and branded his steely appendages with fingerprints of death. Meanwhile his boot and makeshift leg had been completely obliterated by the liquid death, Gildarts nervously looked at it. Now how would he be able to walk? Let alone, find a way off this island and out of the Omniverse. The possibility flashed before his eyes, had luck not been on his side, that would have been painful for his other leg. Suddenly a glowing substance materialized around and formed into an object to fit his need. An armored leg with the same boot to match the pair he wore. It had materialized from no where.

Amber eyes traced the edges of his landing as he searched for a source. Around the cracked circular indent that had formed around him were large cubes of steaming stone that created a new mountainous terrain in the place of the old one. Gildarts reasoned that this one wouldn’t want to destroy the village below and that the crisis was averted. The grumbling of magma had surrendered and the echoes of wind whisked the remains of peril into the air as the scorched earth cooled. The Prime stood up and gauged the moonlight’s glow in the sky as well as an ominous red flare shining near the coastline near the village. It looked like the town had caught fire. To find out, he headed toward the glare of flame lighting the skyline.

He heard a crowd cheering in the distance as he strolled the vacant cavities of the city, test driving his useful new leg. Finally he neared a courtyard and took in the scene of townsfolk condensed into one large cluster. It didn’t occur to him what they held in their hands.

Pitchforks and torches raised to the sky.

[Gildarts]

The flash of their sharp, ravenous teeth could be seen in the lambent luster from their torches. It was brighter and more menacing than the mountain he had just faced. Gildarts didn’t allow the crowd before him to stagger his saunter, even at the sight of their fire infused rage. Humans clung against what they chose to be wrong even if it was a misconception. Gildarts thought a moment about how to change their minds.

"I don't know, as soon as He arrived it started," a plebeian hissed. The people had reasoned the intruder as cause for the eruption and the one who had spoken pointed a condemning finger at the Prime authority.

The bewildered Gildarts looked up at the mob forming and was pulled from his strangling thoughts; he had inadvertently realized that the heat from his battle with that heinous volcano had bothered his hinged joints adjacent to his metallic appendages. With a crack of his neck, the pain rolled off his shoulders. "Huh?" he muttered as he finally took in the sight angry mob. If someone were to remove the pitchforks aimed at him, Gildarts would have almost mistaken it for a fun party.

"It's him." Vindictive eyes fell upon him as voices jeered, "Who're you?" As if they actually cared about his name before they crucified him.

Anyone but the oblivious Prime could taste the malice that stung in their words. His voice resounded into the silent crowd, "Yo' I'm Gildarts from Fairy Tail. Could you tell me how I can get to Tenrou Island from here?"

He cracked his shoulder back into place while waiting for a reply but was pulled from his train of thought and thrust into the world of the shouting villagers. Apparently his introduction had been overlooked, as well as his congenial request for directions.

“PIRATE!” one announced as the Prime’s name had fallen on deaf ears.

"IT WAS HIS FAULT! HE NEARLY KILLED US!" another heckled at the hero.

“Huh? No, you guys I’m from Fairy Tail and I, well you see,” Gildarts allowed his gaze to look at the now empty island. There was a void where the volcano had once loomed over them, “That volcano was erupting so I-”

“MONSTER!”

Apparently the potency of serenity in his demeanor had actually amplified the townspeople’s horror. To them he had “started” their volcano's eruption because it had coincided with his timely arrival all too well. Now the villainous man looked back at them with an unexpectedly suave nonchalance.

The Prime offered a perplexed crinkle in his eyebrow, this wasn't a roar of appreciation, but you couldn't always get that reaction from people, especially unimpressed women. Gildarts had been in the right place at the right time to save these people's lives but they didn't seem to think of it that way. 

Suddenly he saw a familiar looking pitchfork and the revolution of fire began to grow into a wave as it was passed from person to person. This was turning into a real shipwreck.

One man held his hands up in defense of Gildarts, or at least it had first seemed that way, "Really guys? Even if he did make the mountain erupt with fire, would you really want to challenge the same man with that power and run ’im out of town?" 

It had only been an hour since he stopped molten lava from steamrolling the village. And now an angry mob had formed. Oh well.

He’d had worse welcoming parties.

...

The volcano slayer couldn’t worry about how many people didn’t believe his innocence and seemingly paid no mind to their mob as they began to throw things at him. He stepped to the side as his eyes caught on the torch lobbed at his face and he watched as it spiraled by his cheek. The flames had licked his cheek and grazed his stubble. This was getting violent. He seemed to have no choice but to leave and get far away from this insidious town. But how? There were no boats on the coastline and the island certainly seemed to abide by the many formalities surrounding isolationism.

The green masses thrust themselves through the mob and streamed for him. “Ugh, not you again,” Gildarts muttered and the horde of creepers pursued him. His eyes flickered to the distance between the creepers and the townspeople, it was too close, they would explode along with them. They edged him into a cobblestone alley and onto the beach where finally, with a splash, his boot met with the icy chill of saltwater.

There seemed to be no where left to turn for the Prime. He was cornered against an ocean of trouble. The crackling ebb of fire on torch sticks funneled through the alleyway which he had come as they trailed the stinking stench of gasoline with them. Alas, the detonating green creatures crawled in the sand and neared his reach. Their purpose completely predicable, when they got close they would blast him to bits.

Tension hung with the propped pitchforks in hand as the green creatures came at him all at once, with a splash they enclosed on top of him and overtook the beach. The throng leapt at him in one jump. Immediately he extended his charged palm outward, yet he knew it would not intercept the full attack as one appeared above him. The tackling creeper was carried off and sailed into the air, set off by the siege of bombarding explosions that erupted in front of his clasped hand. The power of the shield wavered against the many numbers as he attempted to expand its coverage. The villagers of Volcano Island witnessed as their island’s creatures ganged up to obliterate the Prime. In one giant explosion, the incriminated Prime could no longer be seen by the mob on the beach and his empty cape was flung high in the air, carried by the shattering blast.

“HEY! Everyone! He wasn’t so tough! The Creepers killed him!” the torch flinger announced and the mob raved and cheered to their victory in the midst of the black smoke produced from the many sacrificed creepers.

Their instruments of defense hung limp in their hands and torches were lowered, “So... What do we do with these now?”

“You idiots! He ain’t dead! He’s a Prime!”

In the distance Gildarts sucked in another breath under the shroud of an icy wave and the salt stung his eyes and bloodied wound. Luckily, the darkness and smoke had covered him just enough so that he could fling his cape in the air and feign his own death.

With his escape from the island, whispers of a legendary red-haired pirate began to spread. Each rumor swept up by the tales of seamen as they assigned the nameless Prime to be a raider, a ruthless adversary, and a criminal rebel who is the evil captain of the renowned pirate crew: The Crimson Wave.

[Gildarts]

News spread of a heinous miscreant wreaking endless havoc on the many islands of the 'Deep. This savagery was assigned to a nameless red-haired Prime and the assumed pirate was declared an enemy of the Empire.

It matched him perfectly. This was an unfortunate spin of events, better still, the same nasty trio of storm troopers that had trashed Martha's shop approached him as he sipped from a thick glass at a pub. He had finally caught his breath in this hellish place.

Gildarts recalled his obstructed entrance to the bar, after all, he was so unfamiliar with the tedious mechanism of doors. His hand had fixed on the handle and he ended up yanking it the wrong way. With his idling mind he smiled a bit, it was very amusing how at one moment he faced pitchforks and another he faced needless doorknobs. C’est la vie.

The three troopers spoke in unison as they interrupted his thoughts, "Stop Prime! You're coming with us!"

Gildarts didn't even turn to face them, after all, he still didn't know what a “Prime” was. In his experience, it seemed to be a nice piece of derogatory slang. He was unmistakable. Gildarts wore the same rugged black cloak that always donned his shoulders accompanied by his haughty, straight-forward gaze that humbly etched from his raging inclement eyes. His very motion conquered by a decisive demeanor and his distinguished silver appendages painted a defining picture of the ultimate Prime.

"It's him," another spoke, remembering the distasteful man from the flower shop they had trashed. Gildarts picked up on the subtly in their voices this once, because it flickered with the anger and rage of recognition rather than the iconic fear the villagers had displayed.

Gildarts shot a glance to the side, one that spoke more than any single word he could utter. It was of only death. But they had their orders, if they came upon the Prime, they were to pursue. The lead interrupted him mid-sip by tossing his beer to the side, the glass clattered making a splattering mess for the shivering bartender.

They reminded him as they picked a fight, "Remember us?"

Surprisingly, he did remember the trio of his enemies. The first thing he recalled was the distinct sound of defeat in their steps as they marched out of the flower shop.

"Today's just not my lucky day, is it?" he spoke in a laze as his shoulders finally squared to meet them. An elbow rested against the wooden bar and any danger they used to challenge him was matched by an unmasked display of his own. The armor-plated soldier who was closest took a stumble back, aghast at the sharpened edge in the Prime’s eyes that grated the air with his vehement gaze.

"Now, we have a warrant for your arrest. Isn't that just.." The soldier had started in an antagonizing tone but words failed him, his lips were chased by a chilling fear as his entire sentence was overcome.

More storm troopers entered the restaurant. "I don't want any trouble." Gildarts stated, but trouble sadly, had found him.

The same storm trooper spoke again, power and authority became reinforced by the amplified number of reinforcements that waited outside. Instigating his action was the willingness to prove himself in front of his cronies, "You're under arrest. You attacked an entire village under the Empire's rule."

"Huuh? I-" Gildarts began a defense, until his words were cut off by the coiling of a black fist and its immediate collision to his right cheek.

He swayed backward, off his chair and into a standing position against the pub's wooden floor. The familiar power choked in his throat and immediately he crippled the subversive surge by forming a white knuckled fist of restraint. No.

Dark eyes swept over the worried customers and their pricelessly innocent faces. Those who still sipped their ale and pecked at crumbs of food eyed the action with anticipation, this was not their first bar fight. Gildarts felt his heart sink in defeat, this was a battle that was destined never to begin. And he had let this unjust villain land a blow on him. The righteous man recoiled in utter distaste.

Restraining the anger uprising from within his chest had never been more of a challenge. He could decimate them all. He was powerless as he felt the immense grip of hatred grind against his will. The immortal was almost swallowed by the tide of rage before his senses came to him and he thought of the children in the city as well as the many innocent bystanders that would be harmed. Natsu's young face flashed behind his eyes. This, was the true Needless Carnage.

Yeah and you raided a flower shop, attacked a woman, and called it justice. Those were the tempting words Gildarts never voiced because it would only justify his own rage and motivate the extent of his anger too far; he could not allow himself to be pushed to a place where could not take it back. Too often he had seen the buildings around him fall when he let his guard down. Caution was something he could always taste when he dealt with the benighted.

The bartender cleaned the prickling crumbs of glass that had spattered against a wall and landed all the way across the shimmering panels of wood. A nasty spill. But even the bartender's eyes prompted defiance and retaliation in the Prime as he pleaded fight them, for my honor!

"There are too many innocents around." he informed the bartender. It seemed the only thing Gildarts could observe were those that he posed a threat to, even when he wasn't challenged by his enemies, the same thing he had done to the piled remains of the barstool would happen to the entire town. A sinking feeling swept within Gildarts as he sacrificed what was not his to give, and offered his wrists to his enemies. All or nothing. All the time. That was who he was always forced to be.

With this decision, the gates of Impel Down closed behind him and he was shrouded in water.

[Gildarts]

A prisoner's eyes twitched. He faced his cell mate.

Man, how did I end up in here? This is the furthest away I've ever been from Fioré. Not to mention slammed in this dusty cell. No trial. No justice, especially in what those soldiers did to that woman's shop or the bartender's pub. And the disgruntled Gildarts, a good man was sitting in a cell, under the seas of storm troopers awaiting their next salary while he was wasting away.

As if reading his mind the prisoner on the opposite bunk sat upright, "Hah! And you could have even stopped it too," His gaunt shoulders poked through his shirt as he leaned toward the Prime. "You could have even made it look like an accident. 'A Huge Tsunami Crushes City,' or 'Earthquake in Paradise.'" The male quoted and framed the imaginary newspaper article while the demons in Gildarts' thoughts came alive. Flaring just for a second and escaping from the boundaries he had stored them behind. "Man, if I had the power you have, I'd have killed them all, no regrets."

Still, Gildarts was a man of resolve and didn't doubt his decision once. No one was hurt.

"Yeah, except that poor lady in the shop whose gonna get attacked again. They know you are leagues under the sea and aren't gonna be able to protect her."

It didn't occur to the Fairy Tail wizard that he was having his mind read and instead was having a strange half conversation. "Ah, I'll be out in no time." Gildarts said becoming increasingly annoyed while beneath the subterfuge of his gaze, his thoughts stirred into the sickening idea of the beautiful woman being taken advantage of. Not when he had the strength to protect her. The tormented thought entrapped in his mind and the desire to escape for her sake brought out a ferocity he could not keep at bay. He did not have enough strength to dissuade this from showing on his creased expression (so the cellmate noted the effect he was having on the Prime.) Tenrou island would have to wait.

"No one who enters these waters ever escapes..." The tempting inmate's voice hinted with pleasure, "Yes, you're a casualty to your own decisions!"

'Hah, your a vile sort of fellow, aren't you?' Gildarts finally picked up on the man's ability and sent a thought targeted toward the man as a veiled tactic to gauge his reaction.

The criminal took this as a great time to introduce himself and pridefully stated, "The name's Behemoth." As he introduced himself with his crushing name, Gildarts even remarked at the stoney menace of the name as it slithered from the prisoners lips.

Behemoth was clothed in orange and was a seasoned veteran of the prison. He had probably been below at least a year and his skin was beginning to dull into the same grayness of the walls. Perhaps he was malnourished from the lack of light in these depths or perhaps he was addicted to a substance in this verse that had a daunting effect on the body.

The oblivious mage stared for a moment, until he picked up on Behemoth's reaction in the coy silence. The man's expression promoted answers as he awaited the Prime's response. "Gildarts."

"Heh. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. But I've tried to escape this place many times, but to no avail. Know the place like the back of my hand. I hardly think a Prime like yourself has the savvy."

"That a challenge?" Gildarts let his head cock to the side as a smoldering smirk of defiance crept onto his lips.

"You bet."

...

Gildarts stood with his shoulders squared, his gait wide and mighty, and his swept back auburn mane that appeared to have been slightly ruffled as the time passed. Behemoth wasn’t a good man, however he would prove useful to ally to escape together. Gildarts knew nothing of the world and Behemoth outlined a few things as well as mentioned how lucky he was to have gotten a Prime as a cell mate. He had stated plainly that he had not known any of the islands around the area other than the more populated ones and later went into detail as to how they would escape.

At Gildarts’ leisure, he would lean against the cell rails, as a mighty lion eager to escape his stone cage. Sure, most prison break attempts happened within the first twenty-four hours of arrival, but almost none happened in the first five. Of this he was sure.

A patrolling guard walked by and hit the rail. CLANG! The noise was irksome and even startling to some of the other prisoners. 
“Hey, you! Off the rails!”

Gildarts didn’t appreciate the tone and still heard the reverberation of the empty iron bars in his ears, but understood his position well enough before leaning closer to the guard. “I’m only going to ask once, let me out of here.”

“Yer’ cell? You crazy? Playin’ mind games or somethin’? Plus my superior would kill me. Admiral's tough as hell on us newbies, an’ do you know how many other prisoners have wanted to escape? Nothin’ gets through these walls.”

Nothing, except the very thing that allowed them to exist in the first place. Gravity and pressure beneath the surface. Never had the guard been so wrong. “Hey, at least I tried.” Gildarts said to Behemoth who had successfully cast his spell at the distraction Gildarts had created.

The prisoner, tainted by greed, allowed his stringy black hair to slant over his right eye. "Good. Now we just have to meet the warden."

...

They were hailed from their cells for a short time and the many commoners filed like ants as they lined up in the open space. The hallways raced together as the hordes of people -who were mostly in orange or other distinguished colors- bobbed their heads with every step they took forward. Afros, matted hair, and greasy grime layered the many shades of hair.

Gildarts remained calm and glanced around at the underwater prison, he could see cement bridges crossing the ceiling and the many bars rimmed against the gray and dismal walls. Above him was a sort of skylight. Well, it would have been if he weren't many miles below the surface of the water. While the technology seemed very advanced, this branch of the prison seemed to be dismal and lacking in funds which Gildarts compared to the strange aquatic ship he had been transported down in. Around his feet he wore strange bracelet sensors that glowed with white and blue, around his wrists the same mechanism however it acted nothing like chain and there was no immediate force constraining his movements. He walked comfortably along under the sea.

In the prison, his ears had popped uncomfortably several times and he finally would get an idea of what the Omniverse was really about. The Prime's glance carried toward the commanding officer as the many prisoners formed rows and appeared to begin a march in the courtyard. Ahead of the many faces of prisoners he got a good look at abused authority who appeared to be motivating the many men with a strange whipping device before they reached their destination in a mass and ceased their march at the man's command.

"Welcome to Impel Down. Better known as the closest thing in the Omniverse to living hell. My name is Wardon Siege and I work under the great Admiral Kizaru. It is my job to make sure you grimy bastards have a nice and comfortable stay here. So naturally I'll make you feel as though you wish you were being treated as Diablo's bitch! This may just be the first tier of security, because you shitheads are weaklings who can't hold their own in a fight, but that doesn't mean if you try to escape you won't die. To my new prisoners this is orientation, to my veterans, this is a break from the normal atrocities we create here. As for sightseeing you will note the many cement walls are water resistant and the iron bars that you will confine you are layered with raw Omnilium reinforcement. To those idiots out there that's more durable than steel.

Oh and by the way, we are many leagues under the sea so don't bother escaping. Not only are our Empire funded methods state of the art, but humans can't take the pressure without aid. That ain't to mention that yer organs will burst from the pressure and rapid time it would take for your fat-filled sacks you call bodies to float to the top! As your master, you will obey me, call me Sir when spoken to, or face consequences that are so horrible you will WISH you had died just to escape the eternal torment." Siege smirked as he seemed to never deflate from his endless power trip and targeted the new prisoner who was not in orange and wore common attire. A man standing and whimpering directly next to Gildarts.

The warden glared at the weakling and displayed his powerless authority, "YOU HEAR ME WEAKLING?"

The man shivered, he had a bald head and had been stripped of anything valuable, "Y-Y-Yes..." He managed to mumble and struggled against collapsing into his sobs of fear. This was a man who had been whipped ferociously on their march to get here. Gildarts noted the cowardice but merely observed the warden's behavior as the man approached.

"That's YES SIR to you!" A strange crackling resonated as the warden didn't bother to dirty his hands and he brandished a Taser that shot thick crimson energy out toward the man in a tremendous bolt.

The man's skin smoldered with heat and his eyes grew black with death. Gildarts could see that the criminal had just absorbed complete agony. This was no weapon he had seen before nor was it a magic he had ever witnessed being wielded. Curiosity and intrigue caused the Prime to incline toward the terrorized criminal. It was a pity such power could cause such pain, but of course he knew that more than any other.

"I told you not to break my RULES!" The warden then smirked and kicked the man, before using this as an excuse to stomp and crush the man's head. But the prisoner could not defend himself and remained shaking with excruciating agony on the cement prison floor as it was splattered with a large puddles of blood.

The authority burst with an evil cackle as he taunted the weakling and then he spat on him. "Laugh with me! All of you! Do it now!" It was a command of conquest targeted at all the other prisoners.

Behemoth the telepathic began to look worried. He could read Gildarts' mind and didn't like the outcome he foresaw at the end of this. Still, the many prisoners had heard of the Taser weapon that was used -and abused- to keep prisoners from retaliating against the Empire or escaping; they had heard of its effects and the barbaric way it tore your body from the inside out. Another fearful criminal laughed and others nervously joined in on the fun as sweat grew on their brow. Behemoth was used to the drill and the hazing method was usually pretty effective on the newbies. Not him, because he had better things to do than sit trapped beneath an ocean with a bunch of men, but to the others Behemoth had a reputation for his many risky escape plans that always ended in failure. The man feared that same residual failure again as Gildarts was singled out by the warden for being the only one without a false smile.

"What's the matter secondary?" The warden sneered, "You ain't laughing with the rest of us." Silence lulled the empty corridors.

Gildarts allowed the intensity of his eyes to trickle through with a look of disgust.

"I asked you a question you worthless scum!" The angered authority rose his fist to punch the insurgent prisoner but Behemoth came to his rescue and clapped a hand on Gildarts shoulder and swiftly dodged the punch pushing Gildarts to the side with him.

"I'm sure it was nothing Sir, he probably just had something in his throat. Aren't I right?" The snake-like eyes of his ally fell on Gildarts with a hold of their agreement that hung over his head. Gildarts remained quiet as the impatient warden flamed with anger and commanded the Prime to give a response.

"What're ye? Deaf or something?" The warden pushed a hand toward Gildarts shoulder in a demeaning and insulting way, as though he were wiping off the grease of his personality.

Behemoth could do nothing to stop either of their powerful determination as their dominance clashed together and took a careful step away as Gildarts caught the warden's hand and crushed his knuckles in his fist. With a howl of anger screeching from the warden, Gildarts replied in a cool tone, "I don't like men who amuse themselves at the expense of others."

Guards flocked over to their location at the shriek of their warden, only to find all the prisoners were in their seemingly endless rows and the warden continuing his exasperated speech.

[Gildarts]

“Man, that was a close one! You almost got us qualified for solitary ya idiot! Or worse, knocked down a level.” Behemoth growled at Gildarts who sat safely in his cell and seemed to be even smiling as he had successfully put one over on the warden and had gotten away unscathed. That crushed hand had to have been aching the warden now. The secondary’s scowl grew with Gildarts’ boosted confidence, “You only did that because you knew you could.”

The Prime gave him a promising look and appeared to be acting sincerely, “The guy on my right was having a hard time, criminal or not. The warden had attacked for nothing. This sort of hazing must happen all the time here for you to be desensitized by it. The horrible weapon he used, what... It tortures people..? How is that humane? We aren’t prisoners of war. I would have just watched that sort of thing but he demanded I laugh. He’s got another thing coming if he thinks he can control me.” Gildarts flexed a fist and his burned with menace, “I don’t respect people like that and will never submit myself to give them satisfaction when I know they are wrong. But sure, I knew you wouldn’t have let anything happen to your only Prime ally especially on his first day now, would you? Of course even if you hadn’t I would have known the kind of man you really are.”

“Ahh, I should never tell a Prime the plan on the first day.” Behemoth voiced out loud as his words slithered from his lips. Meanwhile suspicion remained in the shadows of the prisoner’s mind, Who the hell is this guy? He did that just to test me, what great resolve. Even with telepathy I couldn’t even pick up on his motive in the slightest. He’s dangerous. More than dangerous... Even the Empire doesn’t know his name.

...

Time behind the empty bars hung with the soggy smell of concrete. Gildarts found the place repulsive and had he suffered from claustrophobia, would have surely caused an explosion and broken down the reinforced walls of this place. Hell, had he not met Behemoth there was no doubting he would have.

But with a better plan that would skillfully maneuver them out of the prison with no one on their tails, of course it was a better option than to risk harmful consequences.

“Hey, what sort of thing happens in the lower levels? If I remember correctly he mentioned we were only on Tier one of security?” Gildarts asked having been mistaken for a secondary (again) and finally addressed why he had somehow been placed in the easiest tier to escape.

Behemoth grumbled, “Yeah yeah, so below us the levels increase due to the threat you are to the Empire, or perhaps to the deeds ye’ have done. With higher grade of a threat you will go lower. To sink below is the ultimate penalty and if you witnessed what they do down there you would see why.” Behemoth paused to flip back his untidy hair and seemed to be restless before their escape, “So up here on this deck you have mainly the pilferers an’ below ya’ in Tier two you would have murderers. Its much like the layout of Coruscant, if you’ve.. Never mind it doesn’t look like you’ve had the delight of visiting.” The sarcasm could be tasted in the air and it stung against the walls like the wailing of a brisk wind.

Gildarts listened and absorbed all he could of this new world, his knew reality, and took an ample breath and got a taste of the residual and stagnant air that floated in the airless prison.

“We’re simply categories in this little game. Life, death... Conquer, rule... Hope, despair... These are the things that make or break people down here. Primes however, have much more restraints. I daresay it is simply the fact you didn’t know you were a Prime that got you selected for this tier, that or they couldn’t prove you did your crime or your status.”

“Eh?” Gildarts felt a fret from on his face and didn’t understand how he was incriminated in the first place if his enemies couldn’t prove his guilt.

“Things don’t work like that here. There’s one law, its the Empire’s dominion. On the bright side even with their absolute rule, they couldn’t prove you were the man they accused you of being. How’s that compare to those Omni-impostors? Hah! Uh... Anyway, now they are waiting for you to make a move to escape or of retaliation so they can keep you down here for a reason. Which you have given them, lucky for you they don’t know it. Now that I’ve gotten to know you a little about you, I think you are definitely the man they think you are.” Behemoth almost laughed but was held steady by Gildarts’ stern gaze.

Grimacing Gildarts continued his questions after finally finding someone to give him answers about the Omniverse. Now that he was here in Impel Down, however, he had more on the line than himself and had to consider every possibility for failure if he were to escape. “So there’s no leaving the Omniverse? And what do they do to the Primes below?”

“Keep in mind you are phrasing this wrong, criminal Primes, feel no pity for their souls. Those below have heavy chains the size of your skull that limit their access to simple things like taking a leak. They are fed a cup of rice once a month. Not to mention they are kept under twenty-four hour observation due to the fact that you guys could summon your own escape tools as well as break out easily with just your power.” Behemoth had answered his Prime prison mate’s surface question, but he could feel Gildarts’ eyes were driven by more than just empty words. He wanted to know what kind of man Behemoth was and with Behemoth’s evasive answer, Gildarts found his.

“If everyone as strong as me was classified as a criminal just because they can’t control me, this place would be full of strong innocent people. Perhaps willing to band together. Technically since I’m under the same roof as the others, it makes me a criminal too.”

“If that’s the way you see it, Gildarts.” Behemoth scoffed and narrowed his eyes. “Just be glad you weren’t lucky enough to get classified below. There’s nearly no escape when you get down there. They limit your power and suck the marrow from your bones. Even a man as strong as you wouldn’t last down there for very long. Down there.. On the lowest Tier, you’d be begging for your shoelaces just to end your eternal misery.”

The immortal met the man’s serious gaze. For a flickering second Gildarts almost thought Behemoth had been a victim down there but reassured himself that the knowledge was not from experience, but from his secret skill that they were using to escape.

“So, you sure this’ll work?” Gildarts asked keeping all that his hope and Fairy Tail in mind for increased motivation, as if he needed it to want to escape this hellhole.

“Very soon, it takes some time to set in.”

...

To him, the plan seemed simple and foolproof. Memory altering dummies whose faces changed with a single trait every day. This meant, every time the warden or a guard would see Gildarts, something about his distinguished demeanor would have changed. Like his eye color would shift a shade or his nose would suddenly seemingly become gigantic. Gildarts had asked Behemoth how this would work about ten times and every time Behemoth responded cooly, his voice a silent whisper under the murmur of trickling, dripping water.

“Just to get this straight... That’s not actually me... Is it?” The new Prime was still so unfamiliar with the idea of summoning his own objects on a whim that the very concept of Omnilium seemed elusive to him even as he pondered it more.

“No, when you summon someone who is alive you will feel different. These are robotic dummies that have a memory charm worked in them. Each day they spend here, they will begin to look increasingly different from us. Then after a month or so they’ll melt. But by that time, no one will remember our faces well enough to search for us- the real us. It’s flawless. Plus you already are nameless to them. Nothing can go wrong! Ahahaha, in a month the Admiral’s henchmen will have a choice to make when they discover the mound of melted goo. They will either declare us dead- dead because that way word of their failure would never get back to the Admiral- or they would take the risk and search for us. In the event they choose the latter, the two prisoners they doremember will have completely different faces than we do. If the henchmen and warden do that and they send word to their esteemed Admiral of their failure and will receive the... Repercussions. Plus, they’d send the Admiral on a wild-goose chase for faces different than our own. Faces that don’t exist. I don’t know which they will choose when the time comes but I hope the respective. Hah. Those idiots won’t know what hit them. They’ll regret ever having met us.”

[Gildarts]

Alarm bells blared over the leaky speakers in the facility as a distant guard shouted down the hallway, “BEHEMOTH! THIS IS THE LAST TIME YOU TRY TO ESCAPE! Just because my sister is sweet on you doesn’t mean you can get away with...”

As his heavy footsteps approached the uniformed forces neared the sealed off corridor and halted at the clear door that was now deployed the other side of the silver and green rusted bars. As the guard leaned inward he got a good look at the bubble of a room. The cell was completely submerged in water and as this is a state-of-the-art prison, the technology was immediately deployed to cage the beasts that were trying to make a jail break.

Gildarts escaped with the help of an unlikely ally. A villain named Behemoth who has had years to think of the ultimate escape plan but needed a Prime’s help to execute it. The walls crash and water floods into their cell that seals off with glass-like steel panels to keep the other prisoners from drowning and the whole hall from submerging underwater. But when the guards come to investigate, bracing for the worst, they find the two prisoners sitting in their cell (and not drowning) as normal as ever.

Granted, they were submerged in water and the cement wall had sprung a four-foot leak. The guards only saw the two dummies that look similar to the prisoners, but have been distorted both by the water and the memory enchantment that had Behemoth placed on them. Had Behemoth been a Prime, he could have conjured his own with Omnilium. But it was an even trade for Gildarts who had now rightfully earned his freedom. Now no one would be searching for them because no one would know they had even escaped.

When the mix of guards and storm troopers neared to investigate this breach, expecting their worst fears realized, they saw something they didn't expect: Obedience.

It was a sight to be seen, the two criminals sat in the room as normal as ever and didn’t appear to have even attempted escape by swimming through the gaping hole. “T-that’s right!” a surprised guard gasped, “You must cower under the Empire’s rule, even for rebels like you there is no escape. Suffocate or die by our might!” The valiant words never reached the dummies that had taken Gildarts and Behemoth’s place in the cell.

Another spoke, “You fool, if we let them die it’s as good as an escape. The warden’ll kill us! And the Admiral... He’ll make us wish we were dead.”

After about ten minutes the many guards took just in finding the lever that deployed additional ‘safety’ measures, the room was drained once more and the men were left with two soggy looking robots that imitated the faces of the two prisoners once in their cells. No one even suspected what had really become of the Prime and his prisoner ally. And while Storm Troopers in the video surveillance room looked closely at the radar scanners and security monitors, they could see no traces of abnormality around the terrain that surrounded the underwater penitentiary.

...

Saline water gushed into the room the second he had broken the wall. It wasn’t a massive break, but the heavy pressure alone that rolled in with the force of a single tsunami could have killed them both if they hadn’t used the bracing technique essential to their survival.

Gildarts was initially surprised when Behemoth had told him they would be breaking out on the outside of the jail, where it seemed like a harder task to successfully pull off and remembered their conversation well.

[spoiler]“Huh? That doesn’t make sense though, you can alter their memories, so why not just go up the way they brought us in?”

Sarcasm was laden with Behemoth’s sneering voice, “Oh yes because they so frequently release prisoners when they have them in their grasp. You have all the answers don’t you?” Before the orange clad prisoner continued, “No, you see, checking in is simple, checking out is impossible. Even if we stole their uniforms and masks as a disguise, this place is not only an ever-changing maze (each location has a specific algorithm) but we would be busted in an instant. See those over there?” He paused to point at a distant security camera, it had a black eye and the lens was zoomed in on the narrow hallway as he brought Gildarts’ attention to it, “That’s a camera. I know, I know, you probably don’t know what that is, but let me explain. The restriction has to do with the extent of my capability. Its much harder for me to guess who is on the other side watching, so I can’t always alter their memories as they are watching the video of us and our current actions, live.” Behemoth then proceeded to tell Gildarts the many functions of a camera.

“But how would they know it was us under a mask like that?” Gildarts wondered and did not see a camera in their current cell.

“Anything suspicious and they would catch on, even if we kidnapped the guards outside of the camera’s range of sight, it would be an ineffective tactic. So anyway, as I was saying, the check in process is easy, but people -not even the guards- ever really check out. Everyone is a prisoner down here, they just don’t know it. There are simulators and dozens of tests they have to take. The Admiral probably left because he recognized it. Fine man he is. Anyway, the reason for the layers of difficulty is because every guard in this facility must check out the same way. Meaning even the ones from below with more elaborate schemes than this. I myself have tried and failed the route many times. I deem it impossible for a single man, not to mention two.” Behemoth read the Prime’s mind again, “Wait a moment, you are forgetting that if you broke out from inside they would initiate an automatic lockdown until the trigger prisoner were in custody. Yes, I realize if we can make dummies of ourselves, why not take the risk? Well, even after the lockdown were released there is no guarantee that we would be able to escape under the faces of another. As I told you, its simply just not an option. Man, you Primes have it worse down here though, I’ve seen many of you get into fights but no one ever seems to die.” With another chuckle he joked, “Mus’ be somethin’ in the water.”

Gildarts still didn’t know that Primes were immortal, he had a vague sense of the power they held over secondaries like Behemoth, however the prisoner didn’t offer the information to Gildarts because of the risk that Gildarts would kill himself to escape and leave Behemoth behind. The Prime pondered the possibilities for a moment.

“If you are from the lowest tier, how did you get up here?” Gildarts finally asked out loud.

Behemoth suddenly grew rigid, his eyes tensed and deployed into Gildarts as venomous daggers that stung at the touch. Gildarts held the gaze and narrowed his own. Behemoth had not sensed these thoughts on his mind, “It seems I’ve been too open with you Prime. To think you would have picked up on this that quickly.”

“Why else would we rush?” Gildarts eyed the malnourished prisoner, it wasn’t exactly rocket science, however from what he had told Gildarts, only Primes were held under the lowest tiers. Behemoth was undeniably a secondary. “It seems I’m the final key to your very elaborate puzzle. And I think I’d like to know what you did to get such a threateningly high rank.”

“If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.” Behemoth snarled at Gildarts, who needed to know what sort of weapon that would be unleashed with their escape. “The rush? I think you can guess at least that accurately. When was the last time you saw the light of the sun? Yesterday? I see it through the memories of men but it has been an eternity since I have felt it on my own skin. It is one of my wishes when we escape. You may be a Prime Gildarts, but I allow you to think what you do.”

“This is not about what you don’t have, we both have motives to escape. I’m already impressed you made it this far up granted what you have told me of below. But I’m sure you didn’t do it alone. Not a man like you. How many guards did you kill? Or did you double-cross to ascend to the top floor?” Gildarts layered his voice with the tones of a challenge as the unshakable residue of suspicion flavored his mind. “Know this, I won’t be your final sacrifice.”[/spoiler]

...

The top tier was the only one that was above the underwater ocean floor. The condensed sandy ground they had built the prison within probably acted as an additional wall to the jail and a foolproof security measure. With pressure reinforced underground earth and a dense fortress that spanned for miles underground, it was a well used tactical design to utilize the terrain to their advantage. The rest of the tiers that increased with the grade of crime were buried deep below the surface and probably required elevators and secret chimneys just to ventilate air, not to mention each became more difficult to access than the last. This was a place where a single man could loose his wits and break his mind in a second that could last for eons. The dangers that rumbled below were much greater than he alone could fathom. Gildarts could only guess how long it had taken Behemoth to climb to the top (due to his withered appearance), only to have been stopped by the same security measures he had faced many times below. He no longer had the power to escape alone, whatever magic he had used was now drained from his very bones. A horrible fate, even for a criminal.

Behemoth was a secondary, and must have done something unforgivable to have been locked up down there with the most dangerous Primes imaginable. Enemies of the Empire, just like Gildarts. The Prime wondered how many were guilty and how many crimes had been fabricated just to keep this institution running. Those taxes Martha paid probably sink right into this hole. Or at least, that’s how he vaguely imagined it worked.

The Prime never attained his answer, even as he went along with the plan as scheduled. He had ruptured the wall on Behemoth’s mark and they rushed through before the guillotine-like barricade could fall upon them. The pair of prisoners ditched their robotic dummies whose circuits were nearly immune to the water due to a fleshy insulation as the real versions of the men vanished under the cover of a ’Deep night.

Why Gildarts was covered in aquamarine paint, he could only guess, but it tasted like metal on his lips. As he swam through the water, stinging salt bit at his eyes. A glance over to Behemoth showed Gildarts the reason of their blue paint, the secondary, who was now almost undetectable to the naked eye, had blended with perfect finesse to the very shade of the blue water they now swam through.

Apparently the Empire’s security measures weren’t the only thing they had to worry about, Behemoth had explained threats that were much worse in this part of the ocean. It was part of the reason the weaker prisoners didn’t attempt escape by breaking the walls to the outside, they feared fate more than death. Gildarts was a little slower in the water due to his heavy limbs but he could tell Behemoth had matched his pace despite the enthusiasm that kindled in his slanted brown eyes against the aquatic backdrop that was the color of his face.

They swam for a few minutes as the distance between them and their metal cage grew; aided only by little devices that allowed them to breathe beneath the water. It fit under his lips like a mouthpiece and was virtually undetectable to the Empire’s elite technology. Most importantly, it created air whenever he sucked in a breath. Apparently this was the only scuba gear that would not break under the ever-changing pressure and fit their needs when the altitude would increase.

Behemoth, apparently, forgot to tell Gildarts that this was a fourteen-hour escape plan. He endured the fight against the many speeds of currents that pressed against him and finally, they made it to the first marked barrier. The invisible stone.

[Gildarts]

They had been paddling their feet nonstop for at least two hours and the little progress they had established, made Gildarts feel like he was pointlessly treading water as he expended the vast stores of his stamina. Finally the patient Prime and his exuberant prisoner partner reached their first obstacle. Behemoth paused for a moment as he floated in the sapphire water, the camouflage paint they had used had started to wear off and Gildarts saw the mop of his ally’s hair as it swished into a mushy afro.

Gildarts’ red hair wasn’t much better, once it had been sleeked back into a comfortable silken mane but now it was standing on end as though he were zapped with a bolt of lightning. Both Behemoth and Gildarts shared a smiled as they exchanged looks at one another's hair. Nothing passed the time like a smile but now they had reached the invisible barrier. The fatigued Gildarts approached it as they had previously planned. Like glass, it surrounded the prison in a clear dome, limiting the unwanted access of aquatic beast and man alike. Many deep sea fish swam past on the other side. A very creepy one slithered by, it had eyes like a cat and the shared characteristics of a falcon’s wings for fins on a shark’s lithe body.

The Prime expressed the goosebumps he felt with a glance to his side and Behemoth was impatiently waiting for Gildarts to blast a hole in the clear dome like they had agreed. With a nod, Gildarts readied his punch and thrust his coiled fist into the great rock as it shattered in one swift undulated sweep. The bubbles of air and water that once clung to the stone exploded upward in a bubbling eruption. That would certainly get the attention of the creatures of the deep.

With the surge of streaming bubbles, red lines danced into the clumpy spheres that rose upward and streaked the ocean water. Behemoth’s expression suddenly distorted into one of horror. UNDERWATER LASERS? he was shocked, this must have been part of the upgrade they had recently done. Now the many lasers sliced through the sizzling water that was simultaneously heated and evaporated with the powerful energy. Saline water dispersed around the beams; lasers were impenetrable blades of destruction and could cut a man in two.

Gildarts saw the strobes of ruin that spilled around the immersed area. Even at this range away from the headquarters, the leverage the tool had over them was not something to be denied. It was likely due to how sporadic the aim was, that they had yet to be seen and the machine was on an automatic setting. To Gildarts’ right, the same falcon fish was sliced into two and the streaming red line of energy continued past in a razor of death.

Another light zoomed toward the two and Gildarts warned him with the gesture of his arm, “Stand back!” Bubbles squirted from his mouthpiece and he extended his arm to deploy his power. The razor of light suddenly obliterated in the undersea sanctuary. Expanding cubes of energy scattered into the ocean. One chose its trajectory and aimed the remains of its fighting momentum at Gildarts, who was, by a hair, not fast enough to evade the cube that exploded into him with a rush of heated water. His mouthpiece was disjointed from his lips as he succumbed to the depths of his own consciousness.

As the Prime was knocked out, he felt the waves of memory enchant him. He saw Behemoth’s sullen face and he was speaking to Gildarts with a distant look in his eyes. They were back in the prison and Behemoth was speaking in terms of an oncoming story, “There’s something you have to remember about those who you categorize as criminals down here. Not everyone is as bad as they seem. Some are worse and some aren’t bad at all. Do you see what I’m tryin’ to say? Not everyone is put down here because they have committed an evil act or have produced an act of destruction. Some of the Primes on the lower tiers that currently endure the eternal torment, were incriminated by the Empire only because of their opposition of their rule in the Ominverse. The Empire will not stand for rebels and if they could set an example to diminish a cause. This is what will be done to anyone who defies them, send them to this place.”

Gildarts had felt a little guilty about assuming Behemoth was a man who had murdered to earn his rank, however, the guilt didn’t supersede the instinct in his gut that still persisted that the prisoner was not a good man. The wizard had learned to be a very good judge of character. Evil within the mind is not an obstacle that is simply overcome. Yet his ally seemed very sincere in their discussion and the secondary’s face was presented with the traces of agony from his memories.

“I doubt Omni put some of you Primes here just to sit in this petty little cage that these people call a prison. If anything, in their actions, they have defied Omni by wanting to become him. Even the white color they have the stormtroopers wear imitate the almighty being.”

“Omni’s the guy who recruited me to this place, right?” Gildarts confirmed his suspicions.

“Yeah, and the Omniverse is really one giant prison, there aren’t any ways to ever really escape. That’s why people in the cells below resort to drugs, and people on the streets above us sell them to make a profit. Customers want to put an end to the infinite despair that is eternal life. And what better than to resort to a drug that makes them feel as though their eternity is ending? A drug that imitates death, kind of a strange idea. Of course, it never really does. But that’s one thing we secondaries have that Primes don’t. We have the gift of death. Sad part is we can’t share it. They say that is why a Prime and a secondary can never marry but I disagree. I think they say a Prime and a secondary cannot marry because of the prejudice. Not because of the reality we face. Even Omni knows portions of reality can be surpassed. That’s how Primes can be given eternal life here.”

Somehow the subject had changed to marriage, perhaps that was what was on Behemoth’s mind under the shade cast by his mask. Gildarts listened to learn more about the world he had been delivered to and his thoughts became utter disbelief. Behemoth had accidentally implied Primes were immortal, yet had not offered a description as to how or why.

“Let me tell you for a moment about Diablo. As a quick summary, I’ll inform you that some of the first Primes here established the first two factions. The Kingdom of Camelot and Empire. Well, these guys didn’t get along very well and had contrasting ideologies. If you didn’t like the Empire openly, lets say they would consider you an activist. An activist doesn’t want to become a prisoner or targeted by the Empire itself, you would become a soldier of Camelot because then you would not be attacked by the Empire. Well, at least that's the idea, considering that if you were captured, it would be a blatant act of war and you would be justly protected by the persisting threat of uprising war. Anyway, you have value as a Camelot soldier and especially if you are a Prime, the Kingdom would find a way to attain you once more while still remaining civil with the Empire. Its a good plan considering all the corruption. Let’s move on to Diablo’s impact though.

The Underverse is a place no one wants to go. It is Diablo’s dominion and is nearly a world away from Omni’s rule. To be banished, you need to be caught into a sickly looking black hole. That’s a banishment circle. The place it takes you is the Underverse. You must never go there. Unlike this prison, there is no escape. For it is a prison made for Diablo himself. Diablo was -or rather IS- a powerful Prime who was banished by the Kingdom because he wanted to rule the Ominverse, and hell, probably kill Omni himself. Havoc and chaos occurred in whatever direction Diablo breathed. But who is to say that killing Omni alone wouldn’t have set us all free? But, well, Diablo is trapped and so is anyone else who is sent there. That is something we face if we get a bounty on our heads. That is why these measures are so important to execute accurately and require every ounce of caution in our bodies. The dummies are in our place, we have nothing to fear however if we are captured down the road it is likely that we will not die, but will be banished from this verse and to the next. Diablo’s strong-suit is eternal torment, and so he faces it and delivers it in the infinite amount of time he has below. If we loose, we will be transported to his domain. And I’m sure he’s not too happy to see some Primes that have lived in the Omniverse (rather than the Underverse) longer than he has.”

“So this, Diablo, what would have happened if he had made a deal with the Empire to defeat the Kingdom and become ruler of the Omniverse?” Gildarts found more questions than answers in the history of this world.

“Then the Battle of the Black Gate would ha’ never happened. But to be honest, even the Empire have standards and probably would deem themselves higher than to ally with such creatures, especially ones that had already attacked them. You see, they were already at war. Diablo would have back stabbed Palpatine had this happened, no doubt, and the Empire alone did not ‘defeat’ Diablo, it was at the Kingdom’s ultimate casualty -Tyrael- that they were able to banish him once more to his home realm. Aragorn is a respectable Prime, if you ever get the chance to meet him I think you would come to the same conclusion. While the battle of the Black Gate had many casualties and took an indefinite toll on the Kingdom, Aragorn succeeded in ridding his verse of the evil that had befallen. Which is much more to say than Coruscant, mind you, which was also being raided by the same enemy. Had Aragorn not done anything and had he not summoned all of his allies, I don’ know what Palpatine would ha’ done.”

Gildarts listened, it seemed the Battle of the Black Gate was more legendary than it was historic. “So what would happen if Diablo escapes his prison, the Underverse, as we are today?”

“SHH! Don’t say his name so loud you idiot! I have shared stories with many who have experienced even the slightest reach of his power, that is, they have faced the powerful demons that were his henchmen. It is believed that some of them even lie below our feet. And, ironically enough, a prison is the only place one can discuss this matter without being publicly penalized. We already are in jail, after all.” A rebellious grin widened on his pallid cheeks.

“What do you mean? People here don’t know their own history?” Gildarts was in disbelief.

“Hey, would you have if I hadn’t told you?” Gildarts thought about this as Behemoth continued, “No, you wouldn’t. People fear just the sound of the name too much even just discussing it as I have so extensively with you and most new Primes (like yourself) don’t know much about it. The Empire can chain my body and attempt to take my tongue but I will never be silenced! I fear not the repercussions of society or the authority that threaten to suppressed me. I’m already imprisoned here.” The secondary offered the same smirk of retaliation, “But hear this Gildarts of Fairy Tail, there are many who still pledge there allegiance to Diablo and praise his actions. These people hide under other the name of other conspiracies that threaten the very power of Primes. It is not natural and not even Camelot is safe from their siege. I tell you, something is coming. Something worse than Diablo’s army. I daresay it’s an uprising of secondaries on a massive scale. Secondaries are nothing compared to Diablo’s power and some sects paint him in light of a hero. The fools of ignorance sanctioned discussing his evil acts, yet he will be forgotten soon enough as the worst of all evils. I warn you, he is no hero. Camelot is the only place where you may find solace and yet it is teeming with injustice as well. I could care less about things like that, as my rights have already been stolen from me. To them, I am just another story in the wind, and I am still just another sunken boat, doomed to spend my finite life at these depths. Or so I thought, until you showed up.”

[Gildarts]

[spoiler]Meanwhile at Impel down, guards filled the halls as alarms splashed the hallways with red and lights flashed alerting everyone in the first tier of an attack or raid upon them. Swarms huddled around the guardroom that had the security feed as well as radar machines.

“What’s wrong?” An observing stormtrooper tried to get readings of any abnormal traces to pinpoint the anomaly. A drawback of having an invisible domed wall around their structure was that they couldn’t see if it was broken.

Another stormtrooper explained, “The machine says that the Invisible Stone Barrier has sprung a leak. Moments before our cameras zoomed in on a falcon fish trying to break its way in.”

The observer bantered back, “Falcon fish? You’re out of your mind, we had a break in the wall not long ago, there could be a chance that...”

Another stepped in from outside, speaking louder so his voice could be heard from the alarms that stained his white suit with shades of red, “No no, there’s no chance, we retrieved the two prisoners who were victims of that cell rupture. They don’t seem to be the cause.”

“No? Then do you suppose this is a sign of a larger prison break from the tiers below? If so... Should I deploy the lasers?” he jested and placed an playful finger on the large red button.

A soldier’s eyes widened from behind the white mask, he lunged to stop the amused guard, “NO! Don’t do that, you’ll actually break the invisible stone! If its just a leak it can be patched-”

The button had been hit, and following it a little too closely was the surge of energy in an explosion that could be heard scraping the walls of their elite platform.

“YOU IDIOTS!” Siege had burst in at the last second, only to see his subordinates had pressed the red button.[/spoiler]


Gildarts awoke to feel as though he were being tugged on by an anchor and the truth wasn’t far from it. He was being choked by his blotchy black cape and dragged along the back of an eel. With his eyes opening, he realized he was not dead, but instead saw the rusted muddy warpaint that had wilted and peeled around the cracks and wrinkles of Behemoth’s face.

“That was a close one,” Behemoth said through a few mouthfuls of bubbling air.

‘Where are we?’ Gildarts thought at him, he was too disoriented to try and form words with the air dispenser in his mouth.

“Still stage two. I captured this eel, it would have been faster than trying to figure out how to swim with your dense body. I’m surprised you even made it this far considering how heavy those metal limbs make you.” Behemoth spoke with ease and then turned his head to face forward again.

For a moment, Gildarts wondered just how many of his memories were actually real and not created by his skillful friend (who could prove to be a heinous adversary), but then dismissed the thought of a mirage invading his mind. It was needless and had it been done, it would do no good for him to think about it, instead Gildarts tried to flex the feeling back into his slumbering veins. He was, apparently, riding an eel.

Stage two, huh... Who knows what darkness will attempt to swallow us whole. The shades of these waters are black, even as we rise to the surface. At least it certainly feels as though we are rising rather than going in a miscellaneous direction. I can’t even see the ocean floor anymore, its like a breathless fog. It would be easy to loose one’s sense of direction in this waveless ocean. Hopefully we will hit the horizon soon.

After a fleeting moment, Gildarts caught sight of a giant row of teeth that chomped hard on the eel’s tail. Gildarts released his grasp and Behemoth followed, not even needing to turn around to see the beast that had attacked their transportation. The fish chomped the last bite of the snake-like fish before setting its huge eyes on its new prey.

“MY MY. I have never seen such creatures of the deep before.” It spoke in a human tongue as its eyes lured the two human males. “You swim slowly, land dwellers. You cannot hope to escape me in my own realm.”

“Leave us now, beast of the Deep.” Behemoth warned and cast his arm toward the colossal beast.

“And if I don’t?” Its seductive voice was somewhat feminine, despite the otherwise masculine looking shark.

“This Prime here, will destroy you, Ursula.”

“Ohhhh? Big words for such small men.” The creature seemed to smile.

“He already has won favor of Cretus, even if you eat us both, Cretus will come find you and kill you.” Behemoth spoke to the creature who was apparently a God of the ocean.

Ursula growled, “What? Cretus! That fiend! How did this little pipsqueak-”

“I don’t know about you, but I’m not getting eaten today.” Gildarts managed through his rebreather as bubbles formed around his masculine smile.

“Ooo, this one does seem to have courage. However Primes have no reason to fear death since they are snatched from their own world. I don’t think defeating Cretus is enough for you have control of the entire ocean. You’ll have to defeat Poseidon for that. Plus, I’m not going to let you escape that easily.” Ursula crooned and grew closer, revealing her full form from the dark shades of midnight ocean.

As the creature neared, Gildarts saw only a shadow of the goddess of the ocean. Little did Gildarts know she had been changed from her beautiful original form (a mermaid-like siren) into that of a shark with extended fins for arms. These gray fins floundered as the shark straightened her posture upright, as though she were a human herself.

“This is your last chance Ursula, retreat or we will defeat you.” Behemoth warned.

“Hah! You can try! If you fail,” She smirked her many rows of teeth and with her sharklike tongue pried a crumb of eel from her teeth. “You’ll be my desert.”

The sea beast did not move as it sent a powerful current of water surging for the two escapees. Behemoth growled as he fought against the sweeping motion, meanwhile Gildarts, who had no time to brace himself for the oncoming attack, had been forced backward and toiled and spun as he attempted to slow his body’s own momentum.

“Tch,” the Prime bubbled and a great burst of water came from beneath him, the dizzy Gildarts was being toyed with.

“You do not belong here. No human or creature who cannot breathe under the sea deserves reign over it. Without little plastic devices you will only die a faster death. So... Allow me.” Ursula swiftly lunged and slapped a fin at Gildarts’ cheek, out popped his oxygen mask which was quickly whisked aside.

“Hahahaha! Now it is I who has won. No surprise there, puny human.” Ursula declared and quickly swam around the Prime in a few speedy circles. As a result he was swept in a spinning whirlpool and Behemouth watched in the distance.

“I can read her attacks before she does them, but she has such great speed it is impossible to dodge.” the secondary said as he made his way to them and by the time he got there Gildarts had been sucked within a tornado-like whirlpool.

“I took off his oxygen device. Even a mighty warrior of the land has no chance against me, Ursula of the sea. Now, what should I do with you Behemoth? Our history together certainly merits something a little more special than his death, wouldn’t you say?”

Ursula swatted Behemoth around a few times as she bent the flows of water to her grasp. “You know, I once met a waterbender who was almost, almost as good as me in my full form. But you know that since then, I have faced many obstacles. One of them, a wizard who has since transformed me into my current form. Behemoth, I am willing to let you live if you bring me a wizard so that I might be turned back.”

This was a deal the secondary could not take lightly. The sea goddess had defeated Gildarts -one of the most powerful primes he had met- within seconds. The secondary's own death death was inevitable if he did not make this promise. However, he knew of the great consequences it would bring, and the many casualties they had sacrificed just transforming the woman, they hadn’t even been able to defeat her. The cloud of water still swirled near him as his thoughts stirred.

An arm suddenly protruded from the thick perpetuated water storm, Gildarts pulled himself from the powerful motion that warped like waves around him. The Prime offered a steadfast look to his adversary and on his lips he wore an embedded frown.

Intensity flared from every angle of the immortal’s reach and he targeted his first attack at the shark, who had cast him aside so easily. I don’t need my breath to defeat you. he thought as he held a bubble of air in his puffed out cheeks.

Behemoth translated, “He says he doesn’t need his breath to defeat the likes of you.”

“WHY YOU-!” Ursula charged with the many rows of her teeth, pink gums could be seen blurred with speed as she launched towards him. Gildarts had already readied a fist, as he had battled many who were skilled with speed before. His punch collided with the shark’s nose and Ursula was pushed backwards into the rolling streams of water.

Rage filled the sea beast as her hatred toward humans grew, “HOW DARE YOU WEAKLINGS HARM THE ULTIMATE SEA QUEEN!” A navy blue light rimmed the shark’s silhouette, static energy crackled in the wake of the goddess as she prepared her best attack.

Gildarts swayed in the magnitude of the charge as the water around him was suctioned. He prepared himself again, understanding that the eventual attack could be lethal and his response detrimental to their survival.

Suddenly, a ray of blue light fell on the two humans. Behemoth couldn’t read Gildarts’ mind, and was horrified as he tried to swim out of the way, but there was no where he could reach that would be far enough to escape the massive range of power she would soon release.

‘Behind me.’ Gildarts directed to his ally and Behemoth was forced to obey.

The power was staggering. A huge sphere of darkness erupted from the sea queen as she let loose the destructive power she had stored up over centuries. “THIS WILL END ALL HUMAN LIFE!” Her howl could be heard all the way down at the prison as the energy exploded throughout the sea in a massive wave.

“Not today.” Gildarts growled out as some air was released and his charged own attack and let it unleash toward his enemy. Within the second she had fired her energy and the fragments of her attack were disrupted, seemingly absorbed, and later broken into little cubes.

The energy lost its power before dispersing into a neutralized charge. Gildarts followed through with the destruction and didn’t blink as the ripples of water threatened to slice his eyes. He sailed through the wake of the disrupted cube-shaped energy and his arm pulled back to extend a punch that only offered defeat to his enemy.

Ursula sunk to the depths as she asked, “Beat by a mere man... Who... Prime.. What is your name?”

“Allow me to introduce myself,” he triumphantly flexed his fist with a grimace rather than a smile, “I’m Gildarts.”

[Gildarts]

Gildarts extended a hand toward Behemoth as soon as she was out of sight, the spare mask! his eyes spoke with urgency as the last of the air in his mouth turned to bubbles and erupted from his lips.

Behemoth offered it to him from his pocket and spoke aloud, “On your last breath eh? Would hate to have had that last for another round, or you’d be chokin’ on your own words.”

The pair of prisoners were still very far from the surface and could battle anything on their journey to escape the Empire’s clutches, however it was at this moment Behemoth seemed to be getting the jitters. Every few feet they progressed in the water the estranged secondary kept glimpsing over his shoulder. Some people had personality attributes that caused them to act funny, so Gildarts didn’t really pay attention. His legs continued to swat at the chilly water and he held onto his magical power so it wouldn’t drift into the ocean.

Ursula was a sea demon, of that he new, but there was great probability that she was one of Diablo’s elite forces, left here after the Black Gate closed. Anything was possible and she seemed to really hate humans. Vaguely Gildarts realized that Behemoth was the one who had transformed her into a shark but even that was an idea that was more of a shot in the dark. If there were monsters in this world that wouldn’t think twice about killing people, maybe Gildarts’ presence was really needed here. Even so, his heart longed for home.

Behemoth finally stopped as the water suddenly became frosted with an undeniable chill. Gildarts glanced around for the source of his ally’s agitation but could find no detectable source.

“It’s no use, you won’t see them,” Behemoth said to the observant Gildarts who responded to the strange remark with the hints of a curious expression. “We’re in the Graveyard. The Graveyard of Souls.”

“Huh? Why don’t we keep going?” he said as the many bubbles muffled his voice.

“We can’t run from them, its best we rest here and wait.” Behemoth spoke with a sadness that haunted his eyes. Gildarts wondered if something was chasing them and still could see nothing in the thick, murky ocean water. Maybe Ursula wanted another punch, or maybe it was another sea beast he could defeat.

Behemoth gasped as he saw the flicker of a dark cape, it was not the one that was flaking with paint and attached to his ally’s neck. Gildarts followed with his eyes and traced their vast surroundings. There seemed to be nothing there, save ocean water and stagnant fish skeletons littering the distance. His eyes widened, there was no life. There was always life in every vibrant ocean, even in the sickest seas that were layered with poison, there was always some species that thrived under the unnatural circumstances. There wasn’t even the speckled photo plankton lingering in this part of the ocean; Gildarts could see why they called it a graveyard. It a place that emphasized solitude; it was stagnant, empty, and soundless. He readied his fist to face an adversary, the enemy that Behemoth feared and the same one that he suspected kept the life from growing here. The daunting chill disturbed the silence of his mind and surrounded him with a strangely empty energy that tasted like eternal darkness.

Suspense crawled in his cold joints that ached with the motion that weight and swimming had imposed on him. The Prime wasn't the kind of man to complain (until he was dead) but as far as he knew, this place -his next adversary- would be a feat of life or death. In the wake of the calm before the storm, Behemoth’s sanity wavered with his resolve and he let out small bouts of whimpering noises that cascaded with released air bubbles.

“I’m afraid I wasn’t entirely honest with you. There’s another reason no one attempts to leave Impel Down, Gildarts.” Behemoth began in an agony filled voice, “There are creatures that dwell here... Creatures of the night. Some even say that they are of Diablo himself. If I don’t make it, I’m ever so sorry. A man would prefer a death of drowning than to die facing these creatures.”

“Don’t start getting sentimental with me now.” Gildarts rumbled with confidence and felt his eyebrows edge downward in determination.

“They’re phantom creatures... They steal happiness from your soul... They are... DEMENTORS!” Behemoth shouted as he saw one. He was quick to point at the ghost as his entire body shuddered with horror and the hooded being rode in on a silent wave and leapt for him.

A shadow of darkness was cast by the creatures skeletal and deathly persona. Wisps of despair trailed in its tracks as it sought the tortured Behemoth as its next prey. There were many now, an ominous feeling of sorrow crept into the immortal’s bones. Gildarts struggled to make his way up to his companion but was too slow as they had drifted apart, he could only watch as he saw the Dementor suck the joy from Behemoth’s soul in a strange warp of color. Even the Prime was paralyzed for a moment by the shock and awe of such a powerful creature. They steal happiness? He charged a ranged attack but had two clumpy creatures of his own flank him from behind.

His magic was deployed early and bombarded the closest creature to him with his characteristic net like pattern. The skeletal creature dissipated into a faded blob but was sure to return shortly. Sharp edges of his fist formed into a ball before it crashed into the other skeletal creature’s body, the creature seemed confused as it rolled its head to find a source of opposition, unsuspecting of its prey, and the specter suddenly fell from its current glide. The Prime had enough time to send over a wave of energy to his drowning friend, the energy crashed accurately into the wraith before freeing his petrified ally.

They came in waves, capes flickering in the massive army as their numbers multiplied. His own cloak flickered in the stagnant water as he faced them alone. What wretched creatures... These monsters could not be fought with his fist alone. They needed to escape, fast. Gildarts would not be able to hold them off forever, and certainly couldn’t defend their souls while his back was turned. How would he face this army of evil when there was no light?

“Oi, how do I stop them.” Gildarts said to Behemoth as the clumps of darkness approached by flying gently through the waves of water. “Behemoth!” But it was no use, his cowering ally remained in a distant world attempting to regain his old memories as he desperately clutched the joyful ones that remained.

The Prime couldn’t waste his time watching the distraught expression on his ally’s face and readied himself again, this time he thought about his plan and then a grin grew on his face. It was all or nothing. Just like at the bar. However this time, he could go all out.

He extended a hand toward the creatures and from his palm a white light appeared, a familiar net pattern extended into the water, this time, colliding with it. Erupting with a gush of surging water, air bubbles were created in the explosion. He had attempted to ‘cut’ through the water with his crash magic and though it wouldn’t go far in the very substance he targeted, it was enough of a distraction to gain a head start. He grabbed the pitiful prisoner’s ankle and dragged his whimpering being upwards. The swimming was heavier and slower, Gildarts knew the creatures were close behind, now would be a great time for Behemoth to pull a magical article out of his hat of tools so that they could escape in one piece. Dementors weren’t of this realm, it was impossible for him to attack if he couldn’t get close enough; he had few ranged attacks that would aid him in this situation and was running out of options.

They Dementors seemed to be drawn in by Behemoth’s squeals of pain, his dark hair swayed in the water and his eyes had closed into silent sobs. “My memories.. My memories... Give them back! Oh the irony."

Gildarts felt a chill cold enough to freeze the water around him and spun around quickly in the waveless water. A skeletal hand now clutched his jaw and Gildarts was frozen in place by the very water than surrounded him. His new cage immobilized him as though he were the stick of a Popsicle, he found it harder to move around the paralyzing energy cast by the deathly aura. The hooded figure leaned in as Gildarts attempted to break the ice around him, his magic would not be summoned when he beckoned it. Was this the end?

A thundering punch ruptured through the ice, powered by pure muscle as the icy bits chunked through the darkness and broke apart. "You're not getting my memories that easily." The momentum of his fist continued into the unsuspecting beast's abdomen as five more came from behind Gildarts.

Shards of light suddenly erupted through the midnight water, a great light beamed from his chest. The creatures cowered in fear and staggered back a few yards. "Huh?" Gildarts noticed their reaction and sought the source of what was glowing on him. From beneath his cloak shined a shimmering crystal. "This thing..?" His gaze swept the mass of creatures once more, the brightness was blinding even for the mage who had adapted his eyes to the night.

As he took the crystal in his hand and clutched it, it flowed with energy and the creatures of darkness were pushed from his sight. As they disappeared, Gildarts sighed a great breath of relief and then looked down at the stone that had saved him. "Mary's Jewel of the Sea," he spoke aloud as Behemoth came to his wits with the dispersed creatures.

"T-They're gone! They are really gone!" the secondary hesitated to jump to conclusions and maybe the joy of their escape would fill the void of the past he had lost.

They were gone but the ocean around them still reeked with death. Gildarts returned the rose-like crystal to his pocket and offered his companion a raised brow.

[Gildarts]

At last, their progress seemed to offer results, the cold chill of water had become temperate and warm, he thought he even saw a little sunlight through the cloudy waves. “We’re nearly there.” Behemoth offered to Gildarts, who was ready to dry off into any warmth he could get and at his point he would take a volcano.

The surface! Gildarts caught sight of streaming light. No matter the many hours he traveled in the icy water, it had been too long. Behemoth swam upward however and as he did this, something distorted the light. The Prime’s pace slowed. What’s this?

“This is where I leave you, Prime. We have traveled this far together, however, my drive is stronger than yours.” Behemoth spoke in a somber voice that bubbled with air.

Never question the strength of a man’s resolve. Gildarts warned and clenched his jaw as aggression swelled in his chest.

Behemoth smirked, “Oh my, seems I’ve angered you. I don’t like to make enemies of strong Primes, but do not take this as a betrayal, but merely as an early departure. It will be better for us both if they come after us separately-”

A punch knocked the air from the weakling’s ribs, Gildarts grew startled as he heard the cracking of feeble bones. Maybe he went too far with his punch, but soon Gildarts saw the reason why he was being ditched. Behemoth’s body was drifting toward a large net, it was similar to the invisible stone and was formed in the space around the distant jail. It had vanished from sight and was many leagues below yet this cage that ensnared them teemed with volts of rippling electricity. Gildarts’ eyes grew with realization, Behemoth had planned for Gildarts (and his metallic conductible appendages) to absorb the energy of the shocking electricity while he escaped alive.

The wizard rarely scowled but his focus now would not be overcome by the surge of untame magic within, so as he fixed his mind on his last obstacle. This was the unspoken ‘Stage Three’ that Behemoth had planned without him. Sure, the disposal of Gildarts would have been convenient, but didn’t Behemoth guess that he could easily break the chains with his crash magic? Why had the idiot planned it this way?

The Prime would soon find out as he cast his own net of magic toward the electrified chains. As though they were fish in a net, there was no escape. The mage’s attack bounced off of the strong chains and as the energy collided it was struck with a bolt of static.

Water swished through the small holes as a current flowed easily through the steel trap. It must be reinforced. Or perhaps, it nullifies magic... Even if I hit it with my fist, it could still nullify the very impact of the attack. The idea that the momentum of a physical punch could be absorbed reminded him of a certain wizard. As the immortal cast a glance to either sides of him, it seemed the net was shrinking. Probably alerted by Ursula’s attack... He reasoned and there was no time to loose. Gildarts readied a punch and braced himself for a volt of electricity that could kill him. He only had one chance.

A fist was thrown at the netting and he took the ten-thousand volts of electricity as the heat and pain simmered in his bones. A current of water pulled him away from the net right as the corners of his eyes were beginning to turn black and he drifted motionlessly in the water. Unending pain surged in every layer of his body from the zaps that continued to electrify him due to his submersion in water (a highly conductible element) and the contact it made with his steel joints. After a woozy moment, Gildarts realized he wasn’t dead and accredited this to his status as a Prime as well as the fact that the electricity had somehow diminished in the atmosphere around him. It must have been the reason the net was able to function in the ocean, for its charge had proven powerful (and still remained prevalent in the water) and yet it was only effective because of the saline water. The Prime shrugged away his pain and inched his smoldering muscles to move as he gently swam through the staticy water with a permanent grimace on his face.

The good news was that he had made a small hole in the net, enough for him to swim through. The bad news was, he would have to leave Behemoth behind. The secondary’s body drifted lower and Gildarts looked at the slowly coiling net. The hole he had made was growing smaller and he had a choice to make.

Gildarts drifted through the water and still felt the sting of electricity with his movements as he carried his partner (for the time being) on his back and the two escaped the doom of the closing net. It almost caught on his cloak as they meandered through the sharp teeth of the electric fence but with a little of the immortal's luck they were able to get out alive.

After what seemed like a while of just peddling their feet, the two men reached the distant shore of the same quaint town where it all began. Somehow the end had become a new beginning.

...

They washed up on a fairly desolate beach as dawn grew into day. Behemoth coughed up water and the way his soggy shirt crumpled into a ball and revealed this bruised abdomen. His senses finally seemed to catch up with him and he rose swiftly upward and his head turned almost a full one-hundred and eighty degrees as he analyzed his location.

Behemoth’s eyes met the Prime’s and he spoke conclusively, “So we made it.”

“Sure did.” Gildarts simply nodded as he rose from a kneeling position to finally sit upright. Unasked questions simmered in his mind as Behemoth searched the Prime’s memories for more answers.

“You know, you’re a powerful guy. But I still can’t find the reason you grabbed me after realizing I was going to use you at the last stage.” Behemoth offered, trying to establish good terms with the Prime.

“Hmph, I’m from Fairy Tail. I always honor my agreements. Even when others don’t.”

“That is very noble of you. And I greatly appreciate it, Gildarts of Fairy Tail. Would you say our escape was a success?” Behemoth crooned.

“Huh? Yeah, of course it was, we’re on this beach and none of those weird looking dudes seem to have caught up.” Gildarts flexed his aching joints and dusted the sand from his drying clothing.

“You have great things in your future.” Behemoth spoke as though he could see the future as well.

“I’d like to know what’s in yours. What do you plan to do next?”

Behemoth mustered, “Perhaps even someone so wretched as I, have an honorable agreement to keep. And I couldn’t keep it from down there. No matter how long it took for me to escape, I’m here now. O-oof, wow you did a number on my ribs, three of them are broken.” He wheezed out a struggling breath as proof.

“Sorry, couldn’t quite gauge my own strength in the water, but you did plan to leave me to get caught by the authorities.” Gildarts wasn’t as sorry as his words justified.

“Is that what happened? Hah, maybe even this valiant punch was part of my plan. Of this you’ll never know for sure. I will admit, meeting Ursula instead of the kraken was a surprise though, perhaps I’m loosing some of my talent.” he paused to explain, “Ursula and I have a history, if you couldn’t tell. I was on the crew to destroy her for creating such havoc on the sea. When we won, well, at the time we considered it a victory, we were overjoyed. However small a triumph it may seem to you."

A long pause drew between the lines of silence, "You were one of them, weren't you?"

"One of who?" Behemoth, the mind reader, was asking him a question.

"You were once a soldier of Camelot." Gildarts concluded.

"I was. But that was a lifetime ago." Behemoth admitted before continuing his story, "However, my daughter.. She... Let’s just say she got lost. Now I have a responsibility to go and find her. And before you offer your services Prime, I deny you any more information. You may not come.”

“If that’s your choice, I understand. You can always contact me if you need to. Say, do you know any way out of the Omniverse? You managed to get us out of the underwater jail.” Gildarts seemed convinced of the skill to escape, even conversations.

“Huh? Leave the Omniverse? There is no escape, the only thing I’ve ever even heard rumors about was a place that is a rip in the verses. And thats just it, its all I’ve even heard. Rumors.” Behemoth nodded.

“I’m sure its possible.” Gildarts was convinced.

“Its never been done, but, who am I to stop you?” Behemoth offered a motivational grin, but his sickly face betrayed him and it came off as more weak than anything. “Listen, you can’t stay in Costa del Sol. I know you plan on going to visit that woman, but you must heed my warning. You must lay low for a month or longer and leave this verse. Flee from the Vastly Deep and do not enter the Empire’s lair. If you are looking for work, I hear there is trouble in the Frozen Fields, its best for you to remain there until some time has passed. You were a wizard in your original world, were you not? There will be work in the fields, not easy work but it will be enough for you to survive. Stay there at least until the month is up. I daresay even Camelot is infested with spies for I do not know its current status. The fields are best for a fellow escapee.”

“Will I be able to find answers there in the frozen world?” Gildarts asked the man, who was growing more and more mysterious with every comment he made.

“When the questions you seek are answered you will know better than anyone. Perhaps it might even jump out and hit you in the face.” He chuckled to himself at the joke he had made and grew more amused by the Prime's characteristic bewilderment. “Go then, shouldn’t you check on the flower woman?”

“I’ll rest here a little longer. Sometimes there’s nothing better than a good sunrise, not to mention after everything we just went through, I’m not mentally prepared to wander into town yet.” Gildarts had set his black cape up to dry on a nearby branch and revealed the soggy bandages over his shoulder. His muscles emphasized the size of his physique and the only thing that weighed heavier than the fatigue in his bones was the weight of the Fairy Tail insignia on his chest.

...

Martha’s shop was as clean as ever as light fell on the flourishing flowers. Her smile greeted him as she turned to see his familiar face that usually had a daunting effect on people. Not her.

“Hey!” her smile was brighter than any flower, “It’s so great to see you, I didn’t expect you back here for a while. But its only been a few days. Hang on, I’ll set up a pot of tea-”

“Ah, sorry Martha, there’s no need to go to the trouble. I just stopped in to tell you I won’t be back here for a while.” Gildarts was confident in his departure yet could sense the disappointment as her curved smile faltered.

“Oh, I see. Well, that’s to be expected of a Prime. You have adventures that take you all over the Omniverse.” Gildarts wondered why this sounded so familiar but nodded in agreement.

“Well you see, I..” he decided not to tell her his most recent adventure had caused him to get in a blunder with the Empire, “I’m told there are people in the Frozen Fields that need some help. So, I’m off to another icy place.”

“Oh wow! That is indeed very brave of you. You'll need all your strength for something like that.” her optimism was astounding as the young kid on the red bike entered the store with the familiar chime ringing over the door.

“Mornin’ Marfa,” he said as though there were something in his mouth. As Gildarts turned to see the boy, his eyes grew out of astounding shock.

“Ah, looks like you’ve been in a fight. That's a nice black eye though, proves you are strong enough to hold your own in a battle, even if you lost.” Gildarts offered his praise with a smile.

“Oh its you!” he immediately bowed, “I’m sorry for affuming fhat you were a bad man.”

“Huh?” Gildarts looked oblivious and glanced at Martha as she explained.

“Billy thought it was you who busted up my shop. Then when those soldiers returned when you weren’t here, this brave young boy gave them a good deal of butt-kicking.” Martha explained with a boasting smile.

“Oh? So that’s how you got that black eye?” he asked, for a moment he was angered, What soldier would beat up a kid? Then he was reminded of the corruption Behemoth had told him of and his resolve to flee from Coruscant and the Vastly Deep (for the time being) was strengthened. “Well, you sure have earned my respect kid. Taking on someone twice your size is something only the most courageous of men are able to do.” Somehow that sounded familiar too.

Billy’s eyes grew wide as he rose from his apologetic bow, Gildarts now got a better look of his missing front tooth, swollen right cheek, and bruised purple eye. “You really think so misfer?”

For a moment, Gildarts was reminded of Gray and nodded to the boy. “It takes a strong man to stand up for what he believes in. And a stronger man to follow through with his actions. You deserve a treat. Martha, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll stay for that cup of coffee before I head out. I think I’ll need some warming up.”

Martha was overjoyed and nodded as she left the room to set the kettle. Billy explained with openly flamboyant gestures how the villainous authority came in here and attacked once more, they had wanted to ruin the flower shop but they picked the wrong time to be there. Billy swung in from on his bike and grabbed the closest thing to him -a broom- later the story ended with the three guards cowering in fear as they scrambled from the shop. Billy was triumphant and Martha was saved.

“Wow you sure showed them.” Gildarts chuckled to himself as he sipped the refreshingly warm beverage from a thick mug. The wisps of steam rushed in his nose and invigorated the weary wizard.

“Now they’ll never come back here. I was just like you when Martha said you made them leave.” Billy’s enthusiastic eyes grew with a youthful glow.

"Martha, I thought you said he was gonna stay out of trouble?"

The gardener's smile widened, "I know, I know, his mother was furious but it can't be helped. It's almost as though trouble found him!" The three shared a laugh that seemed to fill the moment with liquid joy as it poured into the next.

Gildarts soon departed from her shop and the familiar sound of the ringing door echoed in the distance. They waved from the window at his departure and the Prime was off, he had done his work here and now would leave to see what could be done in... The Frozen Fields.