Assassins Hand

Chapter 43-Risk It All

Author Notes: It's been way too long! We're due to get in on some Sonya action! Last time they fought a ferocious experimented snake...now we see the aftermath.

Actually now that i'm looking over the chappy i see it's not going to be all that exciting, but hey, a roller coaster has it's ups and downs. I do not own Fairy Tail.

Two chapters ago...

Her final sight before returning home being her fellow spirits and Sonya's allies reaching for her fallen body. "You foolish woman." Though Sonya lost consciousness almost immediately after her apology.

Her injuries, fever, and the fight with the snake finally taking its toll, she felt a tear land. Hearing Garnet's statement. So full of emotion and loud in her mind. 'I will aid you...until the very end. Don't die on me you stupid-foolish assassin.'

3rd P.O.V

Both the gigantic snake and Sonya crashed to the ground with a painful thud, their unconscious forms contorting from gravity. "Oh no...no Sonya!" Lala and Azura were the first to reach the injured woman.

Immediately the two assess the damage and get to work. Leaving Fang to growl at Laxus, his rage spiking up his fur. "The hell is wrong with you dragon slayer!? Are you trying to kill her?" The blast had done the job of stopping the snake, but now Sonya was in bad shape.

And it left a bad taste in Laxus's mouth. He had no excuses, he did what he had to, and Sonya all but told him to. Before he could open his mouth to say anything, Falk surprisingly nudged the dog spirit.

"Chill out Fangster, it was Sonya's idea. No need to get on his ass." Fang growled and grumbled, slamming his paw into the dirt. "I know that! But still what were you two thinking!? He used so much magic! Is Sonya suicidal or something?!"

Azura rolled her eyes as she left Lala to handle their poor owner. "Technically yes she is, but her plan was sound. She made a good call." All eyes were on Azura as she purposely avoided their gazes to tend to the burned pieces of flesh.

Fang especially looking at her as if insane. "A good call!? She got fucking electrocuted and is barely breathing and you're saying it was a good call? Wait-she is!?" For a moment the blue rat guardian was silent. Her gaze land on her owner's legs. Or more precisely what laid within them.

"Laxus had hit her with a blast of thunder magic. The lacrima in her legs soaked up the blast like a sponge the moment there was impact. Were it anyone else they most certainly would've died."

It was a gamble that Sonya took. It had been the first time she had allowed herself to be in such a reckless situation. But it had seemed to have worked, though she suffered great consequences.

As if feeling ill wasn't bad enough, she now had to endure an imbalance in her magic reserves, and now had burns to go along with the wounds she was still recovering from her last battle as well as her lacrima surgery.

Lala was shuffling all over her body, murmuring healing spells to help sooth the pain Sonya was no doubt in despite being knocked out. Her spells also worked to increase the recovery speed.

However there was only so much she could do in her animal form. "We need to get Lady Sonya out of here." Fang growled once more sitting down with a twitchy tail. "Last time the group was forced to move we got attacked by a giant snake! The girl needs to stay put so she can actually heal!"

A small giggle escaped the equally small rat, pissing off her dog counter part all the more. "What's so funny Azura?" She tilted her head, giving him an amused smile.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day where you-Mr. Survival of the Fittest would become attached to a mortal-let alone for a master." It was true, almost all the spirits in general had disdain for humans for what happened to them.

However seeing Fang so worried, and actually give a damn left Azura stunned, and happy. The big burly canine huffed, shifting his head away. He couldn't deny her claim, because it was true.

Sonata had him going soft, but...for some reason he couldn't find himself irritated with that fact. "This is the first human to get my sincere respect-i'll be damned if I lose her and get another asshole." Falk nodded in agreement, actually nearly all the spirits that pledged their loyalty to Sonya felt that way.

Lala as much as she wanted to let everyone rest-as Fang was indeed correct couldn't. "I know. But despite the power Lord Laxus unleashed, the snake though is horribly injured, is also still alive. Between that and the other wildlife I'd rather not risk a second battle so soon."

She had a good point, Azura was taking in the current scenario they were in, analyzing so she could decide what the best course of action would be. But the dragon slayer made the decision for everyone by picking up the wounded warrior.

"Let's go then. Sonya mentioned that there were stone ruins we could take shelter in not too far away. We'll head there and set up camp." Laxus began marching forward, not bothering to wait for anyone to follow or protest. "H-hey wait up!"

He had a lot of questions plaguing his mind, especially about the editor in his arms, but right now he was feeling anxious. She needed to heal-she NEEDED to wake up, if for nothing else than for him to apologize to her.

"You know that you did nothing wrong and have nothing to feel guilt over yes?" Azura had climbed up the stiff Fiore mage. "I could've killed her." He kept his voice low, practically mumbling.

Azura scoffed in his ear. "You're still not understanding. This is normal Jing behavior. It was Sonya's decision to allow this." He growled, sounding similar to her aggressive colleague.

Just what was with these Jing spirits and people. "What the hell do you mean it's normal!?" Out of the corner of his eye, he catches her eyeroll, making his mood even worse than what it was.

"Sonya wanted that snake stopped so all of you could progress. Whether it meant her end or not-she wanted the mission of you all being safe to be a success. Her mindset is to advance to the end with the minimalist of casualties. However should a sacrifice be needed, it is done without remorse. It's how it is."

None of her words made any sense to him. For all his life his grandfather had gone on and on about family and how everyone supports one another. Should someone fall, they get picked up and get support. Standing together and all that corny bullshit.

For a long while, due to complications with his father, Laxus didn't understand, or rather he didn't want to. It took getting temporarily banned from the guild and doing some self searching to understand what family and being a member of Fairy Tail was all about.

So to hear this spirit-Sonya's supposed loyal ally and friend, say without hesitation, that the people of Jing are willing to abandon and sacrifice a member of their family felt wrong.

It sounded horrible in fact. Laxus had aimed for the snake the entire time, but at the last minute it moved Sonya in front of it...as if it knew what he was doing and used her as a shield.

"That's not how it should be." Sonya was completely willing to let herself be killed by him if it meant stopping the snake. "She shouldn't have let me do that!" He doesn't even know what made him do it in the first place.

His original plan had been to zap over to the snake and get her out of its grip. Yet the moment her gaze met his, an unspoken conversation formed between the two. Her eyes demanded that he stop the experimented reptile.

And his body moved to obey her... "But she did, and all of you are unharmed, with her on the road to recovery. To her...what happened is to be expected. Her mindset is returning to that of five years ago. When she lived here."

Such a mindset shouldn't ever return, however it was necessary right now. "Just what did she do here? You keep calling her Sonata and her skills are more than enough proof that she didn't live a quiet, peaceful life." A small chuckle escaped from his shoulder.

"There is no such thing as a quiet or peaceful life here. But you'd be correct in your assumptions. However her secrets and past is not for me to tell. I'm sure you could guess what her previous occupation was just from what you do know." She wouldn't tell him, not directly anyway.

Even though he was starting to warm up to her, there was no guarantee he would still be an ally when he learns the truth. And as she said, it's not her story to tell, but Sonya's'. Only she would decide when the time was right to tell her tale.

The journey continued on in silence, or rather, Laxus and Azura walked on in silence, each lost to their own thoughts. Freed, Bixlow and Evergreen had their concerns and were conversing amongst themselves. Time went by, with the sun nearly reaching the sky, blazing all beneath its gaze.

"We're here!" Azura hopped up and down as she brought everyone's attention to the abandoned stone structures. "Laxus there's an opening midway up the ruins. Bring Sonya there."

To be continued

Author Notes: Alrighty we be done~ As short of a chapter it is, I really didn't want to add or continue to the chapter and mess up the flow. Not sure exactly what the plan is two chappys for now...but that's what Sen's for.

Next time we'll be back in Fiore~ Seeing the maddening war between Blue Pegasus and the assassins. But that's all for now, guys if you like this series please feel free to fav/follow/review as it means a crap ton to me! Tchao for now.