Pollux stared intently at the woman before him, her hair was the color of faded cherry blossoms and the look in her eyes was one of determination and maybe, anger? He knew who she was, and although it had been many years since he had laid eyes upon her, he still looked at her the same way he did back then. "Well Meredith, I knew I had sensed you and to be honest hadn't expected to see you walk through those doors ever again." The masters voice had a slightly new tone, one unfamiliar to most in the guild. A hint of sadness crept off his lips, escaping with each word. "It has indeed been quite some time. Now if you would please explain to me exactly what brings you all the way to Magnolia, to my guild hall?" Meredith pursed her lips into a rather stern look about herself with a gaze as fierce as the fire now burning withing her mind. "With someone who understands the past we have I am deeply angry you couldn't have sent help. You know that request was from me, why have you not lent aid Haven?" Her voice was now nearly at a yell as she stared at him getting angrier by the second, though her stern expression remained unchanged. Master Pollux now sat, arms crossed almost defiant to the notion he could have done anything to help. "Yes, Meredith. I am aware you are the source of the job request, however you must understand. The Council told me the Rune Knights would handle everything, I didn't want to defy them or send any of my skilled mages to a place where they wouldn't be needed, or welcome. I have many duties to uphold and I couldn't risk any kind of mark against Fairy Tail on behalf of my misjudgement." The severe tone in his voice made it apparent he understood the situation. "And now even against my better judgement I have sent Reaper off to Haven to investigate, young Ben and his friend Sanguine there will also report to the town to assist. I can assure you if the council hadn't told us to cancel the job request we would have handled this situation already." Meredith turned now and with her eyes closed thought for a moment before speaking. "That's what worries me Pollux, what reason would the council possibly have to refuse guild help with this problem, something doesn't add up." Upon Hearing that he and Sanguine would be joining Reaper in Haven, Ben decided he had better start on their way if they ever wanted to catch up. He and Sanguine grabbed their packs and briskly made their way to the train station. If they were lucky they might just catch the train Reaper was taking and they could avoid having to look her up in Haven. The Magnolia train station was a whirlwind of activity, small vendors selling trinkets outside, the inner concourse a buzz of people coming and going. Reunions and departures it was a real hub of activity both commercially and personally. The people buzzed about here and there as Ben and Sanguine made their way through the crowds, bumping and weaving as they made their way to the ticket counter. After purchasing their fare, they decided to board the train together and try to locate Reaper, either way it was a decent train ride away, a few hours at most so they figured they might as well get settled. As luck would have it they were unable to find Reaper on the plan so Ben and Sanguine found a few empty seats and kicked back while they waited to arrive at their destination. [b][i]"Haven, it's been quite a while. almost 3 whole years since I'd heard of the place, now I finally get to see it for myself."[/b][/i] --- [center][b][u]HAVEN[/b][/u] [img=http://s2.favim.com/orig/33/anime-nature-scenery-street-Favim.com-263991.jpg] [/center] The train came to a sluggish stop at the Haven station, few people remained on the train as word had gotten around about the ill luck that had befallen the small town. It would be easier for the two to find Reaper now, it was dusk and the town was still, silent, almost felt abandoned. "This doesn't feel right" said Ben. "Let's just find Reaper and stay out of trouble, sound good to you Sanguine?" He grabbed his pack and turned to his partner, "What do you think, whats on the plan first?" Around the corner in a small, secluded walkway a shadowy figure watched the two get off the train and immediately spotted the fact they belonged to Fairy Tail. "This is not good," the mysterious figure chanted to itself. "The master will not be pleased these little fairies are infesting his town, they must be exterminated" Without a sound the shadowy figure dissipated into the darkness.