Rumblings

Laki entered the storage area on the other side of the guild hall, a serious look coloring her otherwise polite face. Inside the storage room she found Master Makarov sitting atop one of the tables, long pipe in hand as Mirajane and Laxus stood on either side of him.
Laki made sure no one followed her before locking the door from the inside. "Thanks for meeting with me like this Master." She said politely bowing. "I know this a bit weird to do this out of the blue."
"Not at all child." Makarov said as smoke billowed from his pipe. "It must be urgent if you needed to call me into the store room instead of in the hall with the others."
"I didn't want to worry anyone in case it was nothing." Laki answered with a smile.
"Yo gramps." Laxus said. "Why isn't Erza in here with us? Shouldn't all the S-Class wizards be here?"
"Erza is currently on a job." Makarov answered. "Mirajane has offered to fill her in later." He then turned his attention to the lavender haired wizard. "Now Laki, what is it that has you so troubled?"
Laki looked down a bit distressed, before speaking. "Well, a few days ago I spotted some men heading towards the Fairy Hills dormitory."
"That all?" Laxus asked slightly irritated that his time was wasted.
"It's not the first time perverts have tried to get a peek at some of our girls at home." Mirajane said with a smile.
"No, that's not it." Laki said, her words hardened.
3 nights earlier
Laki ascended the hill towards the Fairy Hills dormitory as fast as she could. Please, not them. Don't let it be them. She reached the top of the hill out of breath, but her fatigue had no bearing in her mind as she approached the dormitory. To her relief, and slight unease, the men she had been following were still there.
Whether they had just arrived or were already there mattered not to Laki, she just hoped that they were mere lecherous men rather than the suspicions that were in her mind.
"This is the Fairy Hill's dormitory?" One of the still shadowed figures asked looking at the dorm. "Such a garish building." He said placing his hand on it. "Can I destroy it?" his croaky voice barely containing his enthusiasm about the possibility.
"No." his companion said sternly. "We are only here to observe and report, no need for unnecessary destruction." He placed his own hands on the wall of the dorm, gradually the building began to glow in a dull green light. "I'll use this draining spell in order to knock out the residents."
"Hey! Who are you guys?!" Laki yelled as she approached the dorm. The two figures were slightly startled by her sudden outburst.
"Someone has spotted us." The calmer figure sighed. "Take care of her Vali. I need a couple of minutes before the spell is in full effect."
"Finally." The croaky voiced figure, now known as Vali, smirked sadistically. He reached his hand out and in a burst of golden light, a bow and arrow appeared.
Laki's eyes widened. He's a requip wizard? Suddenly an arrow was shot in her direction. He's fast. She jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding the arrows point. It collided with a tree behind her, freezing it. What? Laki thought astonished as she looked back at her enemy.
"Surprised girl?" Vali said readying another arrow, taking off his hood. His face, while still slightly obscured by the darkness could be seen well enough by Laki. Long, disheveled hair as black as the night, a beard almost the length of his entire chest, also black; framing his narrow face. He readied another arrow, shooting it just as fast as the first one.
I can't dodge this one. Laki thought. In that case. She pressed her hands together, gathering her magical energy before slamming them onto the ground.
WOOD MAKE: WOOD WALL
A giant wooden wall emerged in front of Laki, cutting her off from her ferocious attacker. Vali simply smirked as his arrow pierced the wall, setting it ablaze in a brilliant red flame.
Laki's eyes widened as she jumped out of the way. Fire?
"Maker magic, impressive." Vali said, once again reaching into his quiver. "I have not faced one of your kind in quite some time."
"How are you able to shoot arrows like that?" Laki asked.
"My arrows points are made of a lacrima that can utilize different magical attributes." Vali answered smirking as he readied more arrows, this time placing three on his string.
Three arrows? Laki readied herself for his next attack.
"It looks as if this was not a fortunate day for you, girl." Vali said cockily as he released his arrows. Laki looked on, her eyes widening as the three arrow heads began crackling with electrical energy. Laki clasped her hands together again.
WOOD MAKE: WOOD WALL
Another wall separated the two wizards, but just like before it fell when Vali's arrows collided with it.
"Surely you know by now that trick will not fare better a second time." Vali said as the dust from the collision began to settle. "Now what say we stop postponing the inventible and-"Vali's eyes widened in surprise when he noticed the broken wood wall, but no Laki. "I see Fairy Tail wizards are quite the cowardly pack of mongrels." He said irritated as he followed her footsteps into the forest.
Laki ran through the trees, finding shelter behind one of them. She looked over the side of the tree, seeing Vali slowly approaching her direction although it was clear he had no precise idea where she was. He's strong. She thought to herself.
"Come out, girl!" Vali yelled. "I grow weary of these paltry games!" He pulled another arrow from his quiver.
Laki looked at her hand, clenching her fist tightly and taking a deep breath. Looks like I have to do that, but it's been years. Can I still use that much power? She saw Vali close in on her. I have no choice. I have to protect the girls.
Vali pointed his bow into the air, shooting another arrow. This one let off a brilliant light, which illuminated the entire forest. Realizing her time was up, Laki stepped from behind the tree, much to Vali's delight.
"Ah there you are. I see you accept your death graciously." He smirked in satisfaction. He walked towards her, but only managed two steps before his legs began to shake. "What is this?" he said furrowing his brow. He then looked up at Laki and his eyes widened, his body breaking out in a cold sweat. "What is this pressure I'm feeling? My entire body is shaking. It can't be from this girl."
Laki walked towards Vali slowly removing her glasses and hair tie, as her hands glowed bright.
…
"Wow, it's been some time since you've gone all out." Mirajane said impressed.
"Well I'm still far weaker than you two." Laki said scratching the back of her head.
"What happened to the other guy?" Laxus asked getting back on topic.
"I don't know." Laki replied sullen. "He was gone when came back to the dormitory."
"Do you know what they wanted?" Mirajane asked.
Laki shook her head. "No, the man I defeated refused to talk and the Fiore branch of the council said they were unable to interrogate him due to diplomatic immunity."
"Diplomatic immunity?" Mirajane asked shocked.
"Where'd he come from?" Laxus asked.
"They told me he was a wizard from the Pergrande Kingdom." Laki answered.
"The Pergrande Kingdom? But that's in the far north, why would wizards from that area be in Fiore?" Mirajane asked.
"I don't know." Laki said.
"So what do you want us to do gramps?" Laxus asked looking at Makarov. "It's obvious they're after Fairy Tail."
Makarov sat on the table, his eyes closed as tobacco smoke continued to escape from the opening of his pipe. "For now we wait until we have more information. No use in starting a war with another country's guild with no conclusive evidence as to why they were here."
"If that's what you want." Laxus said crossing his arms, although Makarov could tell his grandson was less than pleased about his decision.
"What about everyone else Master?" Mirajane asked. "Do we tell them?"
"No, we keep it between us four and Erza for now." Makarov said. "We don't want to cause a panic if this turns out to be nothing. I'll reach out to Yajima and see if he can use his remaining connections within the council to gather us more information. So for now, just pretend everything is normal and don't breathe a word of this to anyone." He then looked at Mirajane. "Make sure Erza receives the same message."
"Yes Master." Mirajane nodded. She and Laxus then exited the storage room, leaving Laki and Master Makarov alone.
Makarov waited until he was sure Laxus and Mirajane were out of earshot before he spoke again. "Was it them?" he asked looking at Laki.
Laki nodded. "Yes, I recognized their mark. It was most definitely Fenrir's Fang."
"Why would they be in Fiore of all places? Are they after you?"
Laki shook her head. "I don't think so, only a select few of the guild know I left."
"You don't believe they told?"
"They have no idea where I went, but if they did I'm sure we would have run into them long before now."
"What do you want to do about this, Laki? You know more about them than I."
Laki paused for a moment as she thought about Makarov's question. "I think I'll go to the Pergrande Kingdom myself and look for information on Fenrir's actions. With any luck they might let me back in the guild." Laki smiled, but that didn't erase the concerned look on Makarov's face.
"Do you want Laxus, Mirajane, or Erza to accompany you?" Makarov asked. "We could disguise it as it S-Class job."
Laki shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. Besides those three just came back, I'm sure they won't want to leave so soon." She smiled.
"Fine." Makarov said. "But I want you to stay in touch. You will leave for the Pergrande Kingdom tomorrow morning before the guild opens its doors."
"Yes Master." Laki said.
…
In the Laurian desert, one of the most arid places in the Pergrande Kingdom, a lone figure walked among the heated sands as the furious winds blew hot sand. Adorned in a brown cloak, the figure continued to trudge through the heavy terrain.
I have been walking for days. The cloaked figure thought to themselves, their stomach growling from hunger as they tried to moisten their dry lips. Where am I going? The figure shook their head vigorously.
Stay focused! They yelled internally. I have to hold on just a bit more. Their agents are everywhere throughout the kingdom. I still have no idea as to why Freyja agreed to cover my escape, but I cannot afford to worry about that now, my mind continues to fade away by the second. At any moment I could forget everything, and the reason for my escape from that place will have been for naught. Where did I escape from?
The figure hit their head with their palm, as if it would stop their leaking memories. Just a bit more time is all I ask, I need to persevere until I reach the port. The figure looked up as they heard chatter going on around them.
Where am I now? They asked themselves as they looked around were bright lights and tall elegantly constructed buildings. Loud soothing music could be heard from the speakers attached to the street lamps as tourists excitedly entered and toured the shops and other attractions. Good, I've made it Jergrande. The port should not be that much farther ahead. Thecloaked figure then began making their way through the crowds.
Things used to be simple, fun even. The figure reminisced with a pained smile as they thought of faces they no longer knew the names of. Were we always so secretive? Master…I cannot remember his name… why can I not remember? The figure continued to trudge down the paved streets of Jergrande.
Yggdrasil…? Valhalla..? Everything is blurring, fading away one piece at a time. I feel like I should be doing something…should I? Why can I not remember?! They screamed internally. Their head beginning to throb from the intense pain of broken memories. I have to stop…something… The figure continued to wince.
"Ahhh!" A shrill voice cried out from the cloak, garnering the attention of the tourists and a nearby soldier. The figure fell to their knees, hands place firmly on their temple as the soldier ran over to them.
"Hey, are you alright?" The soldier asked concerned.
The figure looked back at him and began to panic. "No!" They yelled. "You're one of them! Stay away from me!" The figure screamed, pushing away the soldier and running away into the crowd.
"Hey!" the soldier yelled reaching out his hand, but the cloaked figure was gone. "What was that about?"
The figure continued running down the street, as memories and experiences began to fade to white in their mind. I don't want to forget! I don't want to forget! I don't want to…
Suddenly they stopped in front of an alley way. They reached up to their eyes, touching warm liquid. They looked at their fingers.
What is this? They asked. Tears? Why am I crying? Did something sad happen to me? Faint images appeared in their mind, but nothing giving an answer.
They then looked around themselves, taking in their surroundings. Where am I now? It looks like a city, it seems very lively and it's quite beautiful. They smiled a bit as they looked at the people walking about. The people here seem happy.
They then felt their heart racing. I seem to have been running…from something. I need to rest. They reached into their pocket pulling out 450 jewel. I do not seem to have enough for an inn. I guess whatever I was doing here did not require me to stay in one. The figure then looked around for a spot to rest. This alley looks secluded enough. I think I will just rest my eyes for a while. The figure thought as they began to lie down. Maybe then I will…remember.
2 Hours Later
Where am I? How did I end up in this alley? The figure thought confused. They stood up more than a little disoriented surveying their surroundings as the hood of their cloak fell off, revealing a beautiful young girl. Her eyes were a deep shade of blue, contrasting to her light brown hair that sported an elegant side braid. She walked out of the alley, not spotting the mini garden that had grown where she slept.
She made her way to the Jergrande port, out of an instinct. The water is so clear and blue, I have never seen anything like it…have I? There appears to be a passenger boat over there. She walked off to her right, being careful to count her steps. Although the reason she was doing so alluded her.
"Excuse me sir." She said to the captain of the boat. He turned around and looked at the young girl. He was a stout man, no taller than her. His face wearing a permanent scowl as his cigar puffed out smoke.
"Can I help you?" he asked her, his gravelly voice causing her to feel a tad uneasy.
"Are you accepting passengers?" she asked smiling.
"That depends, how much ya got?" he asked looking her up and down. The young girl looked at her own attire, and her eyes widened some.
Was I always wearing this cloak? She thought tugging on it a bit.
She reached into her pants pocket, and held out her hand when she felt coins. "I have…" she counted the change in her hand. "450 jewel." How long have I had this? She thought, her stomach growled. I should have purchased food. 
The man looked at her curiously, scratching his balding head with his cap. "I usually charge 600 for a ride, but you seem like a nice girl, if a bit strange. So I'll only charge you 300."
"Thank you sir." she replied with a bow and boarded the boat. The captain released the sails and the wind began to carry them away from the port. The young girl turned around and looked back at the city, its lights were stunning to behold in the dark. She tried to think of the city's name, but nothing came to mind.
"So, where are ya headed little lady?" the captain asked.
"Fiore." She answered quickly. A confused looked then appeared on her face. She had no idea what Fiore even was, she just answered with the first thing that popped into her mind.
"Fiore, huh?" the captain said. "Not many people travel there these days."
"Is there any particular reason as to why not?" She asked intrigued, trying to gather information on why she would go there.
"Not a clue." He answered with a shrug. "Personally I prefer it to this place, the people there are friendlier, but I gotta make a living somehow." He laughed to himself, the young girl joining him although she didn't know why she found his statement funny. "How long are you staying in Fiore?" he asked.
"I do not know. I assume I will return here when my business is done in that place." The young girl answered.
"What business is that?"
"I don't remember, but I feel as if there is something in this…Fiore that will help me answer that question."
"Soul searching, huh? Seems a bit too early for someone your age, but I guess it's never really too early to find yourself." The captain said as he looked back at her and smiled, showing off his yellow tinted teeth. The young girl returned his smile with one of her own before looking back towards Jergrande, the lights fading as they moved further away from the shore.
"By the way, I never did ask. What's your name, kid?" the captain asked. "Mines Jaco."
"My name?" she said looking back at him. "I do not…remember."
"Well that's no good." He said back to her. He pondered for a minute. "How about…Shizuka?"
"Shizuka?" she asked tilting her head.
"Yeah, it means quiet. I think it fits you perfectly since you don't talk too much." He replied with a smile and a laugh.
"Okay, then my name is Shizuka." she replied with a smile, completely content with a complete stranger giving her a name. "It is a pleasure to meet you Jaco."
"Pleasure is all mine little lady." Jaco said.
The newly christened Shizuka then returned to staring at the fading Jergrande. She felt a sinking, uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"The Pergrande Kingdom…" she said low. "I have a feeling that I will return here soon."
…