Synopsis: Erza in the vortex is left to see possible futures and has a revelation that could shake the foundations of Fiore.

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Fragmented Essence

It felt like a dream. Erza was in a body of water, a bright light illuminated the deep blue water. She wore a white flowing sleeveless dress. Erza was in shock, the last thing she remembered was entering the vortex… and Natsu's teary face.

"Where am I?" As she looked around trying to understand her predicament she couldn't help but contemplate on her final decision.

'Am I dead… is this the after life' this time she thought to herself, though she was disappointed in the afterlife as she expected to be greeted by cakes.

A crackling sound was heard, and then dripping sounds began to be heard. It appeared that the sounds were hitting a solid surface. Erza looked behind herself and what she saw was a reincarnation of herself in stone, her grave. She saw everyone, all the fairies grieving for losing their Queen, though she noticed all the fairies except the dragon. She could barely make out what the master was saying or anyone else, it seem the crackling sound was intensifying yet there wasn't a strike of light in the sky. It was a purgatory of grey. The Council had arrived; Erza's presumption was that they had admitted her as a martyr of the ten wizard saints.

"What the fuck are all of you doing?" the coarse voice was clearly heard by Erza and she could not mistake the scarf and pink hair, Natsu had arrived.

The fairies showed resentment towards Natsu, they were rejecting him Erza could feel it. She saw Makarov's face sadden as he seemed to have that same prospect that Erza just noticed. Natsu quickly walked up to the grave and kicked the wrapped roses, ruining them in the process.

"What the hell are you doing?" Gray had let go of Lucy who he has comforting and joined the other guild member to hold Natsu down.
"Let me go! Erza is not dead! She's alive damn it!" the pink haired man yelled at the top of his lungs, thrashing and thwarting the men on top of him.

"Hey don't say that!" Wakaba shouted while pressing Natsu to the ground.
"Natsu what has gotten into you?" Macao asked in a more calm voice though it did not meant he wouldn't put his full force into stopping Natsu.

"Stop already Natsu, this isn't funny anymore!" Gray shouted at the top of his lungs to get the point across Natsu's thick head.

"Stop it Natsu! Stop it….please stop. Face reality already!" cried the disillusioned Lucy.

"So that's it… everyone just gave up... This is not the guild I remembered." Natsu had whispered to himself lightly but it seemed to have fallen on everyone's ears.

Natsu used his dragon slayer magic too well force the people on top of him off. To say the least everyone was surprised by Natsu's actions of using his Dragon Slayer magic on his friends the way he did. He walked passed everyone not even giving them acknowledgement he even passed right by Happy completely ignoring him. Everyone looked on in surprise, but what they saw next was what made Natsu's words sink deeper. He used his left hand and laid it on his right shoulder, where his Fairy tail tattoo was and burned it. He winced in pain as this fire was meant to hurt. Without saying a word after what he had done he left; everyone was astonished as to what they had just witness. No one would've predicted that Natsu would quit Fairy Tail, actually they had expected him to cheer everyone on but he didn't have the same reaction as to when Lisanna died.

As the image of Natsu leaving Fairy Tail sank into Erza's mind; proof enough that he was willing to char his own skin where his tattoo of allegiance once was. Erza felt useless and hopeless, she believed that Natsu was the one to lead on everyone not leave everyone… she didn't want this.

"Natsu don't go, please comeback everyone needs you!" Erza stretched out her arm to grab Natsu's but it just went right through. Everything began to become hazy.

Erza awoke with the same dove color dress but this time with wings. Though the realization that Erza was in heaven made her more depressed as she wanted to stop Natsu from committing the grandest mistake of his life; though that was too late she had crossed over.

"Well Miss Erza Scarlet, welcome to paradise," said a man wearing typical European monk clothing and a monk haircut as well as carrying a book in his right hand which he was currently reading the name off of.

"Is there a way too go back?" she dutiful took a step forward defying the entrance to paradise.

"Sorry Miss but once dead always dead," The monk interjected too her question.

"I refuse! I would not let a friend go to damnation because of a decision I made!" Erza was now in the monk's face to intimidate him.

With Erza fear tactics not working on the monk he yawn, "You know that won't work with me…" he gained a sickening twisted smile. Everything around them had turned to nothingness; the monk was now an outline of a woman.

"W-what are you?" Erza tried to keep her strong posture.

"Me, well I am you and you are me. And we are going to play a game," an abnormal smile appeared on the outline's face.

"I bet you are wondering what just happened back there," the figure peered still maintaining a smile.

"What are you insinuating?" Erza began to distance herself from the figure.

"Before we start, where are my manners? I have yet to introduce myself to you. You see some people call me god, some call me death, and others call me the devil… though you may know me as Truth," the Truth began to stand up from its kneeling position and pointed to the door behind it. "This is where all the truths of the past and possible futures are held. Information of all kinds is stored in here; I know what is true and what a complete lie is."

The giant door slowly crept open, darkness was all that could be seen. Once the door was open ajar a giant eye with multiple grey irises appeared staring straight at Erza. Erza tried to run but seamlessly endless amount of shadowy arms pulled her into the door. Screaming and kicking she tried to get out of the grip of whatever was dragging her, though she did so with no avail.

"Do not resist, it is futile. What you are about to behold is what would happen to your friend after he left your precious guild and then you will witness an alternate future."

Erza was held at the door for a few moments. Truth waved at her before being devoured into the door. Her mind felt like it was about to explode, she saw memories of her life, of Natsu, Gray, Lucy, everybody at Fairy Tail. She saw everything transpire before her, than she felt rain hit her. She was back to the moment when Natsu had just left the guild.

He walked in the rain, alone and sad. Erza heard a small sound, she began to walk right next him and there she notice that he was crying.

"I failed you Erza, I couldn't save you. How can I face Igneel now? How can I face him knowing that I failed to keep a promise I made to him. I'm so weak, why am I so weak," just when Natsu was out of sight of everyone he fell down to his knees, screaming in agony, crying his heart out of his own failure to save his friend.

"Natsu, you didn't fail anyone. You are not weak, in reality you are stronger than me," Erza held out her hand touching his cheek even though she knew he would not feel it. Natsu touched his cheek, "Huh? Felt like something was on my cheek," he wiped his tears, stood up and began to walk again.

Erza's eyes were wide, 'He felt that? But I am dead?' she was brought out of her thoughts as the city of Magnolia collapsed around her. A new bigger city was being built around her.

ERA, she could tell just by the older style architecture and the Council build being… rebuild? She was conveniently next to a calendar, it had been two weeks, of course, give or take a few days for Natsu and the others to return from the Tower to Magnolia and the time of her funeral. She was confused why was she here? An explosion was heard, a giant flame rage across a portion of the city. She noticed a silhouette walking in the fire, unaffected of the raging flames around him. She knew only one person who was unaffected by fire.

"We have the order to put down salamander!" shouted a rune knight with extremely heavy armor, and telling from his helmet with angel wings on its side he was at least captain rank.

Erza, looked frantically at the man before him… Natsu Dragneel was attacking ERA. Did he lose it? He was going to die! The call to arms was sounded throughout the expansive city. Rune knights of all divisions came to put down the rogue mage.

"Fire Dragon Breath," he arch his back put his hands on his mouth to form a tunnel and let go of the fire building up in his mouth. The fireball engulfed all of the knights who were charging at him.

"I want rune breakers around him, cancel his magic immediately!" Barked the Captain through a magical radio; and as ordered the breakers surrounded Natsu but he used a variation of his Dragon's Wing Attack and began to spin creating a fire tornado which drag anything near it into it.

Though what happened next made Erza cried. Fairy Tail had arrived and all the members began to charge against Natsu.
"Bring him down, he cannot be allowed to continue his streak of destruction!" Makarov shouted sternly but Erza could tell his voice was wavering betraying his stern cold look.

Natsu didn't hold back against his former comrades; he let the rage of the dragon to unleash his most destructive spells. Dragon Force seemed to take over him, he had lost all control. He knocked out Elfman in his beast transformation, grabbed him and started to beat him into a bloody pulp. Gray came in to stop Natsu with his ice but Natsu just retaliated with a flurry of explosive punches. Biscka and Alzack used their gun magic to suppress Natsu but his dragon scales just deflected them. Macao and Wakaba tried to combine their magic to stop him but he just blew them away with a double kick to both of their faces. Cana, Reedus and Levy were about to help out Droy and Jet with a combined assault but Makarov had began to use Fairy Law.

The light was blinding it had covered the entirety of ERA. When the light subsided, Natsu laid dead with his eye open wide. Everyone bowed their heads in respect to their fallen comrade who had lost his way. Lucy who was behind everyone had collapse to the ground and cried. Erza in the other hand had let tears roll down her left eye, she was in shock… Fairy Law actually worked on Natsu? He was considered an enemy. And the world around her collapse again.

She was back to the blank canvas that was Truth's world, though still being suspended by the shadowy arms.

"How was the adventure? Entertaining wasn't it? I know you would enjoy it, look you were so excited you began to shed tears," Erza shot a death glare at Truth, but it just smiled.

"You know those foolish mortals at the Council always thinking so high and mighty of themselves. They actually thought using Etherion was for a righteous cause, they did not care for who died. Etherion is a device stepping on the bounds of god, my bounds. All those who step into my bounds have to pay equivalently for their actions,' Truth made not a single movement when stating all of that.

"What was the point of telling me that? It wasn't I who commanded the Etherion," Erza responded, her face giving away her confusion.

"Yes but you were caught in its crossfire. Etherion is a cursed weapon it damns everyone who gets kill by it. There was a reason why Zeref had created it so."

"Zeref created that thing? And the Council uses it?" the revelation had scared Erza. 'Is the Council corrupted?' she contemplated the harsh reality.

"No, they are not corrupted. They just thought the schematics that seamlessly fell onto their hands were ingenious. Though what can you expect from incompetence. They never bother looking deeply into the hidden meanings of all it," Truth answered to Erza's thoughts.

"What is the point of all this, what is going on? This is all too confusing,' she began to struggle against the arms but therir hold was too great.

"You see your friend had die for nothing, and not only that his death doomed the world," Truth stood up from its kneeling position and began to walk towards Erza. "The reality is that someone other then Jellal and Ultear had infiltrated the Council. I cannot tell you much because certain circumstances but all of the information I give hopefully you will piece it together," Truth stopped right in front of the door and looked up at Erza. "You don't truly understand what is happening but I will tell you that you are now very much alive,' the news shook Erza.
"Then why am I here!" She yelled at Truth who didn't flinch to the threatening meaning behind it.

"Because I am keeping you here, to tell you that Zeref is just the beginning of the true threat; his master is about to awaken no thanks to the Council for building Etherion and the Dark Guilds who want to awaken Zeref again are digging themselves into a hole as well because they will only be used and dispose of."

"The reality is simple; the R-System is pointless. Zeref is very much alive, though he is hidden and his potential locked away. While Jellal true purpose was to use Human Transmutation to create a homunculi copy of Zeref which will not have his same strengths. In reality it is impossible to bring someone back to life that is the truth behind it," it let its words sink into Erza before continuing. Erza just hung her head low; the realization that she, Jella, Rob and her friends as well as the other prisoners were enslaved for a pointless reason sank deep in to her mind.

"When you enter the vortex after it became unstable, the souls who were trapped tried to take over your body but ultimately failed and were shot into space with the rest of the magical power. They were shot back into Etherion which was conveniently positioned over the tower though this was not the Council's doing. The Council had no control of it at the time due to their headquarters being destroyed. The control was rested into someone else's hands… into Zeref's hands. This allowed him to be able to use his control rod and command Etherion to shoot another blast unnoticed by the Council; though he ordered the shot towards the North."

"Why the North, there is nothing there but snow and ice?" Erza never felt so confused in her entire life, it almost felt like the days she was in imprisoned with the others in the Tower.

"The North is where the master lies but before I explain that I want you to see a possible future. Remember we haven't finished our little game. Oh and I advise you take the events with a grain of salt as many things can change due to a persons action may it be indirectly or directly," Truth turn its back on Erza and the doors closed in front of her to be devoured yet again into the darkness.

It was a clear blue sky; two people were embracing under a tree which shadowed their figures. The tree was on an edge of a small mountain that gave a vast view of Magnolia. The breeze made the grass flow like an ocean. Though Erza was like a ghost in this world her senses were fully functional her scarlet hair flowed like red water, her white dress danced with the wind. She felt the soft grass on her feet, she squinted her eyes a bit due to the breeze. Though her attention was in the people in front of her, she had walked closer to get a visual of them; immediately she covered her mouth blushing madly as she noticed who it was.

Natsu was hugging Erza from behind and she just melted into her arms. She wore the same white dress, while Natsu well his Natsu. Erza had laid back her head into Natsu's broad chest it, and he dug his face into the crevice of her neck; she smiled genuinely the living Erza before 'Ghost' Erza had a huge smile on her.

"Hey want to go eat out tonight? Happy will be going with the others to celebrate Lucy's book. I forgot what her book was about?" in a hush tone Natsu had whispered in Erza ear.

"It's about life stories Natsu, and wouldn't you want to go celebrate with her? You did recruit her into the guild after all. And to answer your question yes I would like to," Erza had closed her eyes taking in the full moment she was sharing.

"Yeah I know I recruited her, and she has been an awesome friend but I think that is where our Ice Mage comes in," he smiled remembering the time he blew up the port. "Plus I already gave her the heads up, since it's only Gray, Lucy and Happy that knows about us. She said it wasn't a problem and she will cover for us, plus I gave her the gift we both bought so everything is under control," he cocked his head in confidence; Erza just kept smiling with her eyes closed.

"You always seem to want to be with me," Erza had turned around to face Natsu. He repositioned his arms around her waist and she had put her arms around his neck.

"I can't help myself, to let my Queen away from me will make me a lost peasant," He put emphasis on Queen while drawing his face nearer to Erza's face.

"Well I guess I must teach my peasant how to act properly," she drew him into a small kiss.

"Ghost" Erza couldn't help to have dirty thoughts. Her faced was a tomato and a little trek of blood leaking down her nose; she kept staring at the scene, she wanted MORE advancement! She had completely forgotten that it was her living self and Natsu sharing a romantic moment, she did not paid heed to who it was what she wanted was something from the novels she reads. She wanted her dirty thoughts to come into action and we are talking about man to female action here. Though she would always deny it that she borrowed those types of novels from Levy.

They began to make-out more profusely and just when Natsu had started to take one of the strands on Erza's dress off; the world had began to collapse all around her.

"Bravo, bravo. Marvelous reaction you had there. Oh, my I guessed you enjoyed it too much but then again I always did knew about your lewd side," Truth had clapped from its kneeling position.

"What just happened…?" Erza was lost at words; the memory of what just happened just now began to hit her. "Was that me and Natsu, together?' she said to no one in particular.

"Why yes, yes it was. It is what your bond could become," it stood up again, it usually never stood up but for the Fairy Tails the Truth had admitted they were an interesting bunch.

"Now that we have finished our little game, it is time I told you one more fact," Truth put its arms behind its back. "You and your friend's are-will face Zeref and his Master," Truth snapped its fingers and the arms had let go of her dropping her but she stood right up. "What is going to happen is very simple; the world will be face yet again against a diabolic force of evil. Though I usually don't take or maintain sides, Zeref and his Master want to take over me. If they do so they will have the power of a god in their hands and it will be impossible to stop them."

"Can you give me their histories, anything on them Zeref and his Master are? This could help me to better understand what and who they truly are," Erza was now concern for the stability of the world.

"Yes but this I would have to explain in a very quick condense matter. There was a race named Kulvry which lived in the northern lands ten thousand years ago. They were half giants, who developed a warrior culture because of the harsh cold conditions of the north," Truth began to pace itself.

"Kulvry dabbled into darker magic to solve their ordeals though in turn they had cursed their offspring becoming 'weak and ugly' this was the very beginnings of the human race. Due to this curse the King of the Kulvry had ordered that all human children to be exterminated, though not all of his subjects listen to him. This allowed for the Kleine Krieger rebellion to rise, one in particular was a human named Arthur, who quickly rose to power."

"Arthur hated the Kulvry for their purging of the humans; he learned ancient magics from the many ancient races in the north. He had gain immortality from the ancient magics, and with it he had enslave all of ancient races but using a new type of magic, Necromancy," Truth waited for Erza's response.

"You mean… He was the one to create Undeath magic?" she was in complete shock; the following revelations were too much to bared in one succession.

"Yes, and with that magic he had a vast legion. Arthur waged war against the Kulvry but before he could completely wipe them out, they rip his soul out his body and place it in a frozen Lacrima. This same Lacrima was used in the Tower of Heaven by Jellal," Truth stopped its pacing and directly looked at Erza.

"Zeref was a victim that Arthur sympathized with. 400 years ago in Fiore before the rise of Council, Fiore was split between nation states but had been burden by an invading force which wanted money in exchange they would leave the small states alone. This clamored down on the economies of the states creating desperation, and than came the rise of Gitzler who united the nation states. United they were able to fight back the invading forces back to the east. Though Gitzler had become corrupt and his belief that people who could not use magic were the weakness that allowed Fiore to fall onto foreign rule, the following event that began was known as the Crucible."

"The Crucible was an ethnic cleansing of all those who could not use magic. Zeref's family was one of these families that were targeted, though with his throat slit and a cut off leg and arm he used his will to live on. Arthur having been locked in the Lacrima had increased his powers and had change how his perception the world he could view events thousands of miles away from his prison; he was inspire by Zeref and used dark magic to help the young Zeref survive, in turn Zeref will become his eternal servant and he accepted. Zeref with his newly attained powers exacted his revenge on Gitzler, with the fall of their leader Fiore went into chaos and Zeref used that time to perfect his magic before finishing the job. That one year was what gave the original Ten Wizard Saints enough time to discipline the people of Fiore on magic and organized an army to fight off Zeref," Truth went back to its kneeling position while Erza was still lost for words.

"Zeref with the help of Arthur had brought the armies of the dead upon Fiore. It took all of the original Ten Wizard Saints to fight off the hordes of the dead and to keep Zeref at bay. With this Fiore began to regulate magic to avoid another Zeref," Truth sat in its kneeling position not moving an inch.

"So this is the history of all that had happened… And you say Arthur plans to come back with Zeref? And are coming after you, so why don't you stop them?" Erza's mind was still trying to process everything. Though the pieces fell together, the shock is still too much.

"The reason why mortals shouldn't step into gods' boundaries is the same reason why I cannot step into the mortals' boundaries, I could get rid of them but I will cause the destruction of an entire world. That seems very illogical to me."

"Either way I require Fairy Tail's help but not now, soon I will warn you but for now you can just return to your-" Truth was interrupted by a fiery punch that it had already expected (it is TRUTH). Erza lay wide eyed.
"Haha, one hit K.O.!" Natsu exclaimed while jumping up and down.

Than a 'thud' sound was heard, "Natsu! What are you doing punching a GOD!" Erza yelled into his.

"Shhh! don't wake it up. Now time to go!" Natsu held Erza bridal style and left the white canvas. She looked being seeing Truth with a genuine smile waving 'goodbye'.

Erza's eyes fluttered opened. She looked everywhere around her. She was in the same beach she had washed up years ago when she escaped from the Tower of Heaven. It was night time, the sky was brilliantly bright and the crescent moon gave an ominous hue to everything. Then she looked on who was carrying her, it was Natsu. He collapse on the beach shore making sure Erza was not hurt in the fall.

"…Erza!"

"…Nee-san!"

"…Erza-san!"

Erza looked at the direction of were the shouting came from. It was Lucy, Gray, and her other friends accompany with the Phantom Lord woman. She gave a small sad smile.

"We are the same… so never do that again!" Natsu began to cry.

"Natsu…" Erza was at a lost for words.

"Promise me, you will never try to sacrifice yourself like that ever again!" Natsu looked directly at Erza, his tear overflowing and his red puffy eyes seemed to be holding back more tears.

She brought their heads together, their foreheads touching. "I promise to you, I will never do that ever again," She cried along with Natsu.