Way to the Magic Shop (Open to anyone~)

Crocus was usually a beautiful city, although now it was in ruins,  and as much as as Selenia wanted to help out in rebuilding, she could always do that once her task was complete. For now, however, the key awaited her, and she was too excited to think about anything else. Walking up to a city map which had thankfully survived the destruction, she found her current location and the location of the Magic Shop; she could always summon Pyxis, of course, but she'd decided to let her little friend rest after having asked the Celestial Spirit to help her search for a lost necklace a few days ago, which had taken hours and hours, eventually showing up in the guild hall; the reason it had taken so long was because another guild member had been wearing it, and they'd been, ironically, chasing her all across town. So like it or not, she'd find her way there. She just hoped that the rubble wouldn't get in her way.

I entered the city with the guitar on my back very unsure of where I was going but after the war the city was in ruins beyond something I used to recognize. I remember destroying hundreds, if not thousands of homes and ruined peoples lives. I strolled in to find a map of the town and a cute young girl by the map, however i was truly more interested in the map itself but i needed to interact with humans or else the plan would never go over very well. I slowly approached the board in the attempt to NOT startle the girl.

Hello Miss...is there something i can assist you with? You appear to be lost i spoke as my mind studied the map as my eyes quickly turned into little cog wheels processing the map and adding it to my permanent memory

"Hmm?" Selenia mutters, lost in thought of what she was going to do when she finally got to summon her new Celestial Spirit. "Oh um, I was just trying to find the way to the Magic Shop. I'm from here, so I really shouldn't be lost, but I'm afraid that with all this rubble everywhere it's not very easy to get anywhere."

Smiling, Selenia wondered why he was talking to her, but he seemed friendly enough. "By the way, I'm Selenia, from Sabertooth. It's nice to meet you," she added.

Taking one last look at the map, she tried to decide on the best way to the Magic Shop.

"Do you think if I go this way," she asked, pointing along a path and moving her finger on the map so that it ended up at the Magic Shop, "that it'll be the fastest?"

My eyes turned to little cog wheels as i processed her name and her face and imputed it into my database. I also took note of her guild and kept that as a side note.

Many people refer to me a Ryujin, but my friends call me Ryu...so whichever you prefer is fine with me. Im a traveling musician and i have been here MANY times before. I introduced myself after she did so. She then asked if that way would be fastest.

If i may Selenia... i started as i walked up to the map on the board and calculated everything in my head like a huge number game. If you take this route, which you might need some directions for, which i would gladly accompany you for, it would actually save you around 5 minutes and 43.2 seconds and a little more than 3000 steps. i blurted out as if it was nothing.

"Oh, really?" Selenia asked Ryu, taken aback by all the information he was spouting out. Even though it seemed a little complex, she saw he was right that the way he'd chosen was shorter, and it was obvious his memory and calculating skills were beyond hers. Being a Sabertooth guild member, she knew the town pretty well, but it was one of Fiore's largest, and now that everything looked like this, it was hard to get around honestly.

"Alright, lead the way please," Selenia said.

I looked to Selenia and cracked a smile. She seemed to not mind me even though i was almost a complete stranger to her.

Im surprised you would trust someone like me...someone who shows up out of the blue, tells you a better way to get to somewhere and then wants them to walk with you...you might as well ask a thug how to get to his house and then get beat up by his thugs in an alley way i said to her trying to make the connection work. However, i am NOT a thug, nor am i anyone to worry about...i have been trained to just roll with the punches.

I looked around for a second gathering my barrings then spoke once more.

Well enough of my incoherent blabbermouthing and lets get on with the journey, shall we? i said heading off in the direction North by Northwest towards the magic shop.

"Well, I could see that your route was faster, and anyways, don't make the mistake of thinking I'm helpless. I'm a Sabertooth mage after all, and I can defend myself you know. And since I know where I'm heading, I'm just letting you lead the way; I could get there fine by myself, but it would be rude to turn down an offer of help, don't you think? You don't seem too suspicious, although your calculations were too fast for me, so I guess you're probably not everything you seem to be. If you're so concerned about my safety, however, why don't you start off by telling me where you come from, Ryu, and what you're doing here?" Selenia asks calmly, walking alongside as they head towards the Magic Shop. She wasn't trying to be rude, but she had been underestimated too many times to take it silently anymore; even if she was a Celestial Spirit mage, she could take care of herself. She wasn't afraid, but if Ryu did try anything, she wasn't going down without a fight, and she wouldn't be able to avoid that even if she had rejected his offer.

She began to question me, which was fine, im glad someone was actually interested in having an actual conversation with me in stead of just cursing their heads off telling me id rue the day i crossed their paths, blech.

Do you remember the Old Magictech Lab that was destroyed before the war? if  not its okay, but im from around that area, but Magnolia is the city where i spent most of my time so i guess i can call that home. I spoke trying not to reveal any more about my nonhuman ways as possible As for what im doing here, I was actually visiting all of the cities from my very first Earthland tour, seeing as everything was basically destroyed, i wanted t bring music to the people and lift their spirits into wanting to completely rebuild the town

This was most curious see her react as she did because it seemed like she still did not trust me, but that makes much sense to me, because even i know im not telling full truths, none of them are lies, but they arents 100% truths, not that she could tell since i have been programmed to avoid emotion most of the time.

I do not wish to impose rudeness in my asking, but i wish to know what is so special about this magic shop? is it an item, or the people? That is, if you see me fit to grant this information to i said stuffing my hands in my pockets as i jumped down off of a piece of rubble and tried not to hit the head of my guitar case off of the ground. The guitar case was magnetically attached to my back but it would still hurt the case itself.

"Oh? That's nice of you," Selenia says, murmuring as she thinks to herself. Magnolia, huh? "When you say you're going to visit all the towns in Earthland, do you mean even as far as Alvarez across the sea? I've never been there before personally."

"Well, as long as you promise not to steal it, I'll tell you. Today's my day off, and while I'm planning on helping rebuild, I have to do something first, and here's where the Magic Shop comes in. You see, before the war, I had heard a rumor that in a few weeks the shop would be getting a new Silver key. However, once the war began, there wasn't any time to follow up on that. So now that everything has finally settled down, I decided it's time to check it out. Even if it was just a rumor, I have to know. As a Celestial Spirit mage, meeting more new Celestial Spirits is what I really look forward to. Don't get me wrong; I love all of the Celestial Spirits I have contracts with," Selenia says, pausing as she thinks of Aquarius, "but I want to meet all of the Celestial Spirits that I can, you know?"

I can sense that there is something about Magnolia doesnt sit well with you i say reading into her tone of voice And yes, i have been there and do plan to go back, why? Do you WANT to visit the area?

I take in her words and process them, turning my head away as my eyes turn into gears and add to her profile.

I have not interest in the Silver Keys, in fact im not really interested in the magic of Celestial Spirits, not that it makes me not like you, i just dont much have a need for the keys except to give them to the right mage. I would be willing to help you check the shop out if you want as well, im here to help people anyway i tried to say without offending her. However Selenia, i do understand your ambition and your goals, as i have my own.

"No, it's nothing like that," Selenia says, shrugging off his assumptions. "I just wanted to know if you'd heard anything about Fairy Tail, being in Magnolia. They helped us out against Tartaros, so it'd be nice to keep in touch with them, but with the rebuilding of Crocus as it is, it might be a while before we even get back on our feet ourselves."

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I guess I'll visit if there's ever any Celestial Spirit keys to be found there, but otherwise I think I'll stay here in Fiore, where I can protect the guild. Even after the war, you can never be too cautious. I'm sure the dark guilds are just waiting for the next chance to strike..." Selenia says, trailing off.

She continues, "Well, that's good news for me. Means I won't have to fight you for the key. Thanks, honestly, for all the help.

"Well, what are your dreams and ambitions, Ryu? I already told you most about myself, so I want to know more about you."

At the mention of Fairy Tail I grabbed the back back of my neck and rubbed it gently.

Yeah...I heard they did a loti said trying not give away my guild just yet.

There are probably keys across the sea, but i wouldnt know, i was looking after my band mates when we went, playing all the festivals and things. i stated as she mentioned going over the ocean for the Keys specifically.

I dont think i would want to fight you any way, not because youre a girl or anything, i just dont have a reason to fight you, especially for an item i dont want, and would probably give to you if i found it. i smiled as i turned around and walked backwards through bits of the destroyed town.

My dream and ambitions huh? i started to say Well first, i want to be a world famous Rock Star, which im part of the way there, and just before the great war...one of my best friends vanished and im looking for them....but what else do you want to know about me..?i explained then asked her afterwards

"Oh, that's horrible. Do you have any idea of what happened to them?: Selenia asks Ryu. Of course, it wasn't uncommon for people to go missing during battles, and after how Crocus had been ravaged, there were many lives that had been lost in the chaos. It was tragic, but all those who had given their lives had done so to protect the ones they loved, and now we had to keep moving forward in their place. Selenia already knew that firsthand however... even before the war. No matter what, she wouldn't ever stop doing all I could to grow strong enough to defeat the demons from the Books of Zeref. That, along with her love for the Celestial Spirits, is what would keep her going. No matter what, she had promised herself that even if she lost all those she loved, she wouldn't give up. Because there would always be people to protect, and those who wished to hurt them. Growing stronger was definitely something that concerned her own goals, but it was also something she would use to protect those who could not protect themselves. It was her duty as a mage, having been blessed with magic, and she would carry it out to her dying breath.

One day i was out training....and when i came home...He was gone, he just took off and didnt tell me where he was going, he just vanished from existence...i dont think he was a casualty of the war, but he isnt anywhere to be found...I said to her simulating sadness as i navigated the rubble some more.

However im not too worried...Hey, look i said pointing in the distance We are about one hundred yards away from the Magic shop i said with slight excitement

I listen closely, nodding as speaks.

"Well, I hope you find him soon. I'm sure you will... you seem pretty capable yourself," she states, smiling at him briefly before the Magic Shop comes into view.

As we draw closer, I strain my eyes and look for the quite familiar Magic Shop. But when all I see is a pile of rubble, I gasp, my hands on my mouth as I take in the sight. The Magic Shop was covered in rubble, and the storefront was absolutely destroyed. The inside of the shop was open to the elements, and as we drew ever closer I could see a man bustling about inside, picking things up from the floor or from broken shelves and moving them into a box.

"What's going on?!" Selenia asked, in a state of utter shock.

"Moving out," the shop owner grumbled, continuing his work.

"But... but why?" Selenia replied, unable to believe that the place was in ruins.

"Isn't it obvious? I can't sell anything here. I guess it's time to move along, even if I don't want to," he said, sighing loudly. Things were strewn across the floor, but it seemed like everything in the shop hadn't been damaged too badly, which was good news; the stuff in here was precious, especially if the item I'd come from was still here.

"Well, what if we help you rebuild?" Selenia pleaded, trying to get him to change his mind.

"And how do the two of you plan on doing that?" he asked sullenly, giving us a few moments of his time at last as he stopped to look at us.

"I may not look like it, but I'm actually a guild wizard from Sabertooth," I say, getting up onto a piece of rubble so he could see. "And no matter what, we're going to fix this shop. Isn't that right, Ryu?"

As we approached the young Selenia started a conversation with the man. Then Selenia mentioned being a guild wizard and wanting to help rebuild it. She then turned to me and basically asked me if i would help her.

Well, i guess i could help, however im not sure youd really want my help for this, its almost too simple i spoke as i took a stance, making my feet shoulder width apart and pulling my fists closer to the sides of my body. I then focused my magical energy to the rocks around the area and i punched outward toward the road sending them away from the door.

I then grabbed a few of the rocks i had just moved and began to attach them to what was left of the store and created a frame of stone surround us.

Got any magic allies that could potentially hold this together while i fuse it with more of the rocks in the area? i asked her as i looked around with my arms in the air holding the rocks in place.

"Wait, what?!" Selenia asks, astounded as some of the stones begin to reform. "I should have known you were a mage," she mutters, shaking her head and she jumps down.

"And, well, I guess I do..." Selenia adds, putting two and two together when she realized that he'd probably noticed her keys.

"So when were you planning on telling me you were an Earth mage, huh?" she continue as she pulled a golden key from the chain.

"Open, Gate of the Twins, Gemini!" Selenia shouted, summoning the two of them from a magic circle in front of her. "Can you guys hold the stone chunks together with me so they fuse properly?" she asks of them.

"Bidi bidi, sure thing, Selenia," they said in unison, flying over to help. Selenia headed over as well, still surprised that her acquaintance was a mage, and she was waiting for an answer, and a good one at that. Did that explain how he knew exactly how many steps it had taken to get here, though?

The female summoned the twins out of the Key, that was a rather impressive display of magic. Of course i heard what she said.

Ill be honest with you, i wanst planning on telling you i was a mage at all, because the minute i would have, question would have arisen and i didnt feel that it was the time to do that, but if i have to show off part of my powers in order to hep you get this item, them ill do it. i answered her question as best as i could. I nodded to the twins who held up the stone as i focused on fusing it together with other rocks creating a fully stable structure that could be used as a shop again. I clapped my hands together.

There, that takes care of that. i said looking to Selenia and wiped my hands free of dust. Oh and just in case you are wondering, no, thats not how i knew the route and the steps that it would take to get here i say to her as i went over and asked the shopkeeper if there was anything else he needed.

"What in the... how did you... this is great! I don't have to leave town now!" the shop owner celebrated, dancing around his newly rebuilt store.

Selenia, while excited, puts all of that aside for now as she turns to face Ryu.

"What was your reasoning for not telling me your a mage? You haven't explained yourself very well. Something's a little off, and I don't like it... Don't tell me you're from a dark guild?" she asks, taking a defensive stance as Gemi and Mini fly next to her. "If you are from a dark guild, why are you here and what do you want?"

She narrows her eyes, trying to figure out why he'd kept the secret of his magic from her. He seemed nice and helpful, but could it be that he had ulterior motives? She wasn't going to let her guard down even for a second, but she'd let him explain himself. As much as she wanted to believe that he wasn't a bad person, she'd been through too much to let anything so major as being a mage and keeping it a secret slide without a good reason or an excuse.

She suddenly began to question me and my integrity, asking me if i was apart of a dark guild. Dark guild were formed with evil intent and have not respect for the rules of the magical world.

No no no, its nothing like that, its just telling people that youre a mage is kinda...iffy at best. Some people appreciate them, others see us as terrorists who ruined the peaceful world i said turning around and sighing and as i turned around i move the hair away from my guild tattoo on my neck. It shows up Blue and Fairy Tail Plus...your guild gets put in question if you mess up and i dont want to be the one to give us a bad name after all we've done to protect people

This was the first time i simulated scared feeling, and this was a fear of losing a friend, or even being destroyed here, she had power, but what could she really do...

Selenia breathes out of her nose, looking him over carefully. The guild mark definitely looked real, and it explained why he was a mage and had been in Magnolia; it all made sense, of course. But she wondered if she could still trust him, and how much of his story had been lies? It was hard to feel like she really knew someone after they'd betrayed her trust, because how could she know that they wouldn't just lie again, that they weren't just lying now? She usually liked to give people the benefit of the doubt, but it wasn't easy to accept someone after they'd lied to her.

"From your strange calculations to this, my mind is screaming at me not to trust you. Anyways, didn't I tell you that I'm a mage too? Why would I hate someone else who was given the same gifts as me? As long as you're not in a dark guild, I couldn't care less; working for the good of the people of this world is all that matters, and we can't squander the power we have. You have no reason to distrust me Ryu..." she says, looking away to bite her lip.

"Thank you for the help. I appreciate it. But don't lie to me anymore, got it? If I find out you lied to me about your reasons to be in Crocus or anything, even something as simple as your name, I won't be able to trust you. But I'm giving you a second chance to prove me wrong. So if there's anything you want to get off your chest, tell me it now and I'll forgive you. Otherwise, from here on out, no more lying. I've been completely honest with you, so it's only fair that you're honest with me as well, got it?"

I looked down at the floor and shuffled my feet as i was scolded by my new friend. Iturned back to her and looked her straight in the eyes.

But Selenia...i never lied to you once. I told you about my life, i did travel the world before the war...im sure someone in town will recognize me but its been a while since ive visited Crocus i spoke as sincerely to her as i absolutely could. I just didnt tell you about myself until i needed to...when you trust your life to someone and then they try and ruin it....or they vanish. Terraria was almost like a father to me...well except he had scales...and wings...and was a dragon and not a human but he raised me...he taught me how to use my earth magic for good...im sorry i have caused distrust between us...As for the calculations, the best thing i can have you do, is hit me...because i dont want to say anything out loud.

After i say to her to hit me, i open up my body to be slapped or punched or whatever it is she would physically do to me.

Selenia looks at him, her disdain melting away as he reveals more about himself.

"I'm not mad, and I'm not going to hit you. It's okay if you have secrets... I just wish you would be more honest with me; it was a bit of a shock to find out you were a mage. And a Dragon Slayer at that... It seems Fairy Tail really is quite strong, seeing as how your master is a Fire Dragon Slayer. Well, I must say I'm impressed. I just want you to know that you can trust me more, okay?" she said, smiling at him faintly at the end.

"Well then, why don't we go inside and see how the shop keeper is doing? I hope he didn't give himself a heart attack with all that running around when you rebuild the whole structure," Selenia adds.

Nodding to Ryu, she opens the door which was in place between the stone walls of the shop. Heading inside, she could see that the shop owner was already putting things back into place. As he scurried around, he finally noticed the top of them and stopped his work, rushing over to greet them.

"Thank you both so much for your efforts, this is truly remarkable! Please, please, take one of whatever you like. I owe you both that much!" he says.

Shock written on her face, Selenia replies, "Are you sure? I didn't really do much..."

"Please, I insist! It's the only way I could ever thank you two for helping me rebuild my Magic Shop. You... you're a Celestial Spirit mage, aren't you?" the man says, having noticed the chain which held my keys. "Please, wait here just one second!"

With that, he scurried off towards the box, beginning to dig for something.

I nodded to her and looked at my work. I was rather impressed with myself this time around, in not usually this causal and appreciative with this magical power i have. I followed her in side and was suddenly greeted by an overly excited man who i recognized as the shop owner from about ten minutes again, shouting something about how great the work is and then he insisted we take something for helping him. I really wanted to decline but Selenia just tried that so i just decided to stay quiet on that matter.

Just so you know Selenia, i dont even trust my own guild master with some of the information i have bestowed upon you, and its not a trust issue, its an importance issue. i whispered in her ear before patting her shoulder gently and walking towards an isle of items that i had no idea what were.

"It's okay... your secret is safe with me," Selenia whispers back before he looks at the half-stocked shelves.

The shop owner comes running back to her, holding a wooden box in hands open hands, palms facing upwards.

"Please, I offer you this key as a token of my gratitude. I hope you find it satisfactory."

Tentatively opening the box with one hand, Selenia gasps as she sees the key. There was no doubt about it - it was definitely, as she'd heard, the key of the Lyre, Lyra.

"Thank you so much, honestly," Selenia said, taking the key in one hand and hugging the man quickly, a wide small on her face as she pulled away.

She'd gotten Lyra's key, and on top of that, it was free! How great was that? She almost couldn't contain her excitement; if she hadn't sent back Gemi and Mini earlier, she'd probably be telling them all about how glad she was to be able to meet another Celestial Spirit. She was almost on the verge of tears, but she'd let herself be happy later. For now, she would contain her emotions, so that Ryu wouldn't see her like that, but she couldn't wipe the grin from her face as she marveled at the silver key in her hands.