A/N: Honestly, I don't know what I've been doing. But anyhow, there's some more action in here that you'll enjoy, I hope.
All she knew was that she was falling; she could feel the air rushing past her.
Wendy could barely contain her shriek as she felt a rushing tingle shoot up her nerves in her plummet, and was left breathless when her descent to who-knows-where ended with a sound thump. Her rear end was sore from her plunge. The dust cloud that had formed around her cleared, and she was robbed of breath as she struggled to back herself up into an upright, sitting position.
Not a second later, a mop of red hair and silvery metal tumbled from right above her, and was sent crashing into her. All of Wendy's effort to stand up was rendered useless as Erza lay sprawled on top of her, both of them lying together in a messy heap. The minuscule dragon slayer wheezed, the echoes of her repeated pants reverberating through her skull as if it were a hollow substance of sorts. Still, she was undoubtedly happy to see her teammate.
"Erza!" she gasped.
The redhead stirred with a wince. "Oh, I apologize, Wendy. I must've squished you." She clambered up without waiting for a reply, and it was then that the duo decided to survey their current surroundings.
"Oh, this looks like the Hell Palace!" Wendy exclaimed. Upon seeing Erza's confused look, she responded, "There's nothing."
And indeed that was true. Around them was a vast space filled only with specks of pebbles and once sun-baked, rocky hard ground with various elevations not to be underestimated. The atmosphere felt heavy, thick, and warm—and unusually sweet, to Wendy—much like they were in a hot, stuffy room, despite the fact that neither of the two could see if there was any end to this underground (supposedly) level.
"It's like we're in a never-ending desert," the blue-haired partner remarked. Erza grimaced.
"And I thought Clover Canyon was enough..." she groused. "What a shame."
"Indeed," the voice they had heard not a few minutes ago interjected, "Remarkable, isn't it?" The air pressure decreased, and Erza held up her forearm as if to prevent any particles from entering her eyes. She unsheathed her sword and held it up against the swirling wind barrier around them, while Wendy remained poised in an ever-defensive stance, prepared for whatever was to be sicced their way. The bluenette backed up against her companion.
The female knight's tone was fierce. "I will say this once, and only once: show yourself!" she demanded adamantly.
There came no reply, only the more forceful howling of the wind around them—Wendy had stated that this was no usual wind—and in a pressing rage, Erza yelled and sliced through the walls of the cyclone that had built up around them. The winds immediately died down.
"As expected of the great Titania. To what do I owe this great honor?" The imminent boom of the voice grated against their ears, and the wind picked up once again, swirling into the form of a tall man cloaked in a stormy grey sheath of wind. Wendy could feel a flush travelling up her face as she surveyed her enemy, and steadied herself, her hands curled into tight fists in front of her face. Erza glared at him forcefully.
His dark, grey-ish brown hair was windblown and stylishly messy, seeming to travel with an unknown gust of wind constantly. He was clad in a loose black shirt with puffed out sleeves and a V-shaped collar that traveled far down his chest, revealing a portion of his well-toned chest. As handsome as he seemed, there was clearly something stand-offish and dark about him that made him all the more threatening. Perhaps it was his looming voice, or the mischievous glint in his eyes. Neither of the two Shadowhunters could tell.
It was like he came freshly from the circus. Wendy suppressed a small giggle, struggling to maintain her outer facade. Then again, eventually that thin veneer would be worn down. Eventually.
The tension that rose between the opposing groups was enough to cut through a block of ice, and with its growth, the man's smirk also expanded until he let out a maniacal laugh. Erza, however, was the first to speak.
"It seems that my reputation precedes me," she remarked with a raised eyebrow. The laughter gradually ceased.
"Oh yes." The man leaned on one leg, supporting his bodily weight with the other. He vainly ran a hand through his hair. "How couldn't it? The beautiful Titania, queen of the fairies. And, of course—" His focus then shifted to Wendy, who remained poised, although her shackles rose with a foreboding of incoming threat, "—the sweet Sky Maiden. Like I said, for the two of you to fall at my feet would be an honor."
"As would I, but only to defeat the likes of you," responded Erza.
"We'll have to see then, won't we?"
Erza remained silent.
Without waiting for her delayed response, the man leered with a sinister grin, "Titania Erza Scarlet, how about we play a game before our to-be fight?"
"I can accept that, as long as the terms are fair," was all that came back to him. He smirked.
"As for the long way I've already come, I have had many magic users and Shadowhunters fall at my feet." He wiggled his sandal-clad toes playfully. "I've also had to deal with my fair share of, well, the more talented S-Class or so. I presume that this is an S-Class quest, am I correct?" When met yet again with a blank expression, he continued. "Frankly, I've had enough playtime. I'd like to find a worthy opponent, and I believe that you two—" He directed a pointed stare at both Fairies, "—will be my first. So why not have a little fun, aren't I right?"
"I fail to understand what you're insinuating."
"Well, why don't we alternate with attacks? As the queen, I'm sure neither one of us will be too much of a challenge for the other."
"Hold on," Erza held her hand up as a signal to stop. "If we were to go through with this, I'd like to make a wager."
"Anything," the man said breezily.
Erza held her gaze steady. "Tell me anything I ask of you if you are defeated."
"Deal!" he replied immediately, not giving the price any thought.
"This isn't a game, I'm warning you."
"Technically, that's true. But many brawls are boring. How about you start? Hit me with all you've got." The mage lifted his hands into the air for emphasis, and spread them wide. "I'm a fair man. I won't retaliate until you're done."
Erza sighed, and re-equipped into her Heavens Wheel outfit. "You asked for it yourself, and I hope that you won't regret your decision. You are now facing the power of Fairy Tail. Prepare for defeat."
And the two promptly launched themselves at each other.
Lucy suppressed the poorly-concealed, guttural groan that threatened to travel up her trachea as she took note of Jellal stumbling along a little ways behind her, obviously falling behind. Not like it was some surprise, though—the blonde had yet to meet someone who could easily match the hasty pace of her walk. Floating between the two with an eager bob, Happy also took that as a cue to pivot around and gaze at the blue-haired wizard.
"Jellal," the exceed called out, his furry paws cupped around his mouth for further emphasis. When the tattooed mage failed to reply, he fluttered over worriedly and landed in a sprawl upon his head, his four feet splayed out in all different directions. "Are you okay?" He glanced at Jellal's shoulder, which was caked in blood. Promptly, said person sent him an encouraging smile and wiped a small blotch of mud off his cheekbone. His reply was hushed. "I'm fine, Happy," he began, but paused at the sight of Lucy, who could be seen impatiently waiting for them at the top of a flight of elevated crumbling stone steps.
"Hurry up," the blonde enunciated. "Both of your skulls are gonna be swinging by a skull rack at the rate you're walking."
"Jeez, what an old crone," the warlock responded bitterly. Happy snuggled into his soft navy hair.
"You have nice hair," the Exceed remarked irrelevantly.
"Happy!"
"I'm sorry!"
"I was serious when I said that you're gonna die. Get moving."
"It's not my fault," Jellal protested. He removed his hand from his shoulder, only to find that his palm was covered in both crusted, dry blood and fresh patches that ran in rivulets down his wrist and between his fingers. He stopped. "Shit. I had no idea that it would be this bad," he muttered. Happy looked on nervously, "What happened? Was it Ithys?" He received a nod in return.
"Lucy..." Happy began reproachfully, "Jellal's hurt."
"Does it look like I care?" the blonde snapped, her eyes cold and hard, but after a moment of engaging in a silent plea-fest with Happy, her gaze softened, and she let out an irritated growl. She swiftly retrieved a golden key from the unnoticeable pouch hanging limply at her waist, and the golden form of her favorite pink-haired maiden manifested out of a shower of blinding sparks. Lowly, she bowed, and disappeared after Lucy murmured a quiet order. Jellal stiffened as Virgo reappeared in front of him, standing primly, and said, "Princess told me that someone was hurt. Was it you, mister?"
"Um." Jellal showed her his palm, at loss for words. "I suppose- hey, hold on...!" He flinched visibly as she ruthlessly ripped off his cloak to inspect the wound, before folding the article of clothing up and placing it into his idle arms. The wizard was speechless—what a weird spirit she was...
At Virgo's command, he (and Happy) slowly scaled the steps to where Lucy was standing—he made sure to keep as far away from her as humanly possible—with a newly summoned batch of bandage rolls draped over her forearm. The spirit bowed sincerely. "I'll be going now, Princess, unless you have punishment for me...?" Her voice was tinged with an edge of faint hopefulness.
"Nope, see you Virgo."
Again, what an eccentric spirit Virgo was.
"Sit."
Struck out of his thoughts once again by the fierce blonde at his side, Jellal was forced into a sitting position as Lucy unraveled the bandages with a hidden sort of frustration.
"Show me the wound," she demanded, but Jellal relented.
"Honestly, I don't trust you with this," he said, and Lucy furiously bit back an insult.
"You think I have a choice?" she snapped. Happy yelped. "If it were me, I would've already kicked you to Edolas to save my ears from your annoying yapping."
"I haven't even said anything!" the blue-haired wizard protested. "You're so unreasonable!"
"On the contrary, I have reason to dislike you," Lucy bluntly replied. "Now, show me the wound or I'll dump you in the river and leave you there."
Reluctantly, the warlock turned sideways, and as Lucy silently—and surprisingly gently—pried the stubborn cloak away from his shoulders, Happy tugged at his fingers. The tattooed mage decided to avert his gaze and look at the little Exceed instead, when he caught onto the murmurs coming from the person beside him. He strained to hear. "I beg your pardon?" he asked, but was ignored as the blonde continued with slightly more coherence than before.
"Stupid brat... You know I only do this for—" She tugged at the two ends of the bandage with a grunt, "—for Erza. Warlocks... you're all the same. You're all... immortal. Can't you heal on your own... or something?" The blonde dabbed antiseptic onto the stab, and Jellal flinched. He scowled. "Ow! You beastly woman. Stop being so hostile."
Lucy crossed her arms. "Well," she demanded, "what do you expect me to do about that? Keep still! You're wasting my time." She let out a sigh, and resumed her work. Her voice was soft and uncharacteristic of her. Perhaps it was only her babbling to herself and was unintended for others' ears, but Jellal maintained his stoic expression and continued listening to the blonde's off-hand remarks. "I can't believe you did this... What... What remarkable power. The wound's still fresh, but it's all dried up... How do I handle this.. I don't know if the first aid kit I have with me is enough for this... It looks pretty bad... Will you be able to fight... Okay, there." She ended with a secure finish, and packed away the supplies Virgo had very helpfully supplied. She patted Jellal's arm. "There." Happy fluttered about their heads.
"Yay! Let's go!" he chanted, his paws high up in the air in joy. Lucy sneered and threw Jellal's cloak—which had been clumped up into a messy ball, courtesy of her and the blue Exceed—into his lap.
"Well, let's get going."
"Erza! I'll back you up!" Wendy cried with her chant. "O swift winds that run across the heavens: Vernier!"
She was greeted with a chuckle. "A spell caster, eh? This might be more interesting than I suspected."
Erza mentally prepared herself in order to launch a powerful offensive move, and gathered an innumerable amount of glimmering swords around her in a majestic circle. Magenta pink light pulsed around her. "Blumenblatt! Dance, my blades!" At her command, the weapons began moving in a circle around her, gaining speed until they were only a giant blur spinning around her. The redhead ascended into the air, her skirt billowing regally behind her, and pointed the tip of her blade down below towards her challenger, who stood casually in waiting, his hands stuffed in his baggy trouser pockets. "Seven Sword Dance!"
"What kind of move is that?" Wendy mused in wonder, channeling her magic power into her hands. "Sky Dragon's Wing Slash!"
A maelstrom of dust rose from their attacks as their enemy was showered in both the redhead's swords and the bluenette's wind, and Erza settled back down onto the ground. Her grip on two of her swords at her side lay firm. As the dust cleared away, they managed to spot the silhouette of the man through the haze. He lowered his forearm from in front of his face, and gave a hearty, menacing laugh.
"Well," he started, brushing down his shirt in a relaxed manner, "that was quite a treat. My turn now, is it?" A bright yellow light suddenly glowed around his feet, and started spreading into a large magic circle. "I'd have to say that I'm impressed. Starting off with an omni-directional attack to secure your opponent's place and to examine their power is really rather smart. I suppose that I'll have to go back on my bet now; I do apologize."
As he was enveloped in the blinding glare, causing both Erza and Wendy to shield their eyes from the fraying light, the man's form began to warp and distort in the most disturbing way possible. Both his head and body began to expand grossly, and his arms disappeared among the transformation, as did his legs, which began to lengthen. He kept on growing, and slime began to form under what once were his feet.
"Watch out," Erza warned Wendy, putting an arm out. "
The light died down just as suddenly as it had appeared, and in his place was instead a large snake of disgustingly unfitting proportions. Erza's eyes widened in an indistinguishable form of recognition, and a feral growl escaped her mouth. Wendy turned to her nervously.
"Do you remember me, Erza Scarlet?"
Erza glowered. "You..." She requipped into her Lightning Empress' Armor, her wickedly pointed shaft of a spear crackling with lightning. "I'll get my revenge on you."
"Ice Make: Death Scythe!"
"Fire Dragon's Wing Slash!"
"Absorb!" A wall of dried grass manifested out of thin air, disappearing upon contact with both attacks, and Cael grinned. "You're strong," she noted with a nod, and Gray sent her a pointed look. "Very strong. Yes, I like that. I like that a lot."
"You're weird," Natsu pointed out, crossing his arms.
"That's nice," Cael responded dryly, eyeing him with a glare. He shrugged; Gray glanced at him through his peripheral vision, but said nothing.
"Thanks! But anyway, we have stuff to finish here, so we should get going, but..." Natsu grinned—and shared an unnoticed wink with the ice mage—but made no move to walk away. "You're just blocking the way! Fire Dragon's..." For emphasis, he reared back, as if to make a move. Cael readied herself. Gray flashed by, unnoticed, and made a grab at her necklace; being a vampire had its perks—it gave you lightning quick senses and speed, for one. "... Gray, now!"
"What?" Cael cocked her head, when suddenly her face paled, and her hand shot up to her neck. "W-Wait!"
"Ice Make: Geyser!" Gray clutched her ruby necklace in his hand as he bombarded her from behind, and Natsu's grin grew wider.
"Yeah! Roar of the Fire Dragon!" As the fire and ice clashed, with Cael amidst both attacks, she shrieked in terror, and Gray zipped back over to where Natsu was triumphantly standing. "So... what's that necklace thingy?"
"Dunno. Must be a charm or pendant or something," Gray shrugged nonchalantly, only to be interrupted by Cael's shaky cough. She clambered up, trembling slightly.
"Don't worry," she announced, holding out her hand in a defeat signal, "I won't attack. I'm all out, see?"
"So quickly?" Natsu raised an eyebrow, and Cael pointed at the glimmering pendant dangling from Gray's fingertips.
"That," she explained, "is the source of my power." Her face grew dark with admittance. "But it curses you, and I hope that y'both get cursed. Both of you."
"How is it a curse?" Gray traced his finger along the surface of the blood-red garnet in question. "It's made of adama, isn't it? Only the Iron Sisters can formulate such weapons and things with it. It couldn't possibly be a curse; either way, if it was, what kind of curse? Things like that don't exist."
"Or do they?" Cael's face was set into a sneer; it seemed as if it was carved into stone—unmoving, hardened from the years of whatever she had endured. "Downworlders like you understand nothing, Fullbuster Gray. Then again, you're the head o' the vampires. Your troubles're getting to you. That necklace was given to me by a castaway Sister, an' then I summoned a demon, who aptly cursed 't. Happy?" Gray's fists were clenched, knuckles white—as if his skin couldn't get any paler.
"Stop," he said. "You're not making this better. That's... not my name. You're just a liar, Cael." Natsu's concerned look was of benefit.
"Nuh uh uh," the former snickered, tapping her temple tauntingly. Her eyes promptly switched to those of bright blue buttons, and both Natsu and Gray recoiled with disgust. "My eyes're all-seeing. I can stare right into your heart. All your worries. Your love. Fo'bidden love. Unrequited love. Know this, Fullbuster: I can see everything."
Gray staggered back, as if he was slapped, and laid a hand on his chest. Only cold and the lack of a warm and beating heart greeted him as flashbacks coursed through his veins, and he crushed the pendant in his fist. Cael doubled over, but with a grin spread onto her face. Wildly, his head throbbed, and it was as if someone had doused a fire with frigid ice water. Memories rained down on him like a torrent, and his eyes were glazed over.
"Gray!" Natsu called, disturbed. "Snap out of it! They're just memories!" He raced over, and shook him, and in a hurry, Gray hurled the pendant far away into the brush with a cry of anguish. His breathing was erratic and short. The brunet glanced at his open palms, which were coated in the thinnest sheen of sweat—well, blood, since vampires' tears and sweat were stained—and he exhaled deeply, glaring at Cael. Her face was twisted.
"Try as you might, if you don't destroy it, it'll always come back an' haunt you," she warned, her eyes glittering. The buttons shone in the sunlight, and small dried grass threaded their way up Natsu and Gray's ankles tenderly, like their intent wasn't bloodthirsty. Beside them, a tree bent over in submission. "Well, I suppose my mission here is done. Turns out Mama Ithys needs to give me more training—uwaah!" She stumbled and tripped in surprise, and the tree flung itself backwards into an upright position. The grass tendrils tickling the two Shadowhunters' feet retracted back to the cracked earth, and the sound of Cael's pants suddenly echoed in Gray and Natsu's heads. After a moment, she clambered up, and ran a hand lightly across her midsection, wide-eyed, as two large cuts suddenly surfaced across her stomach. Immediately, blood poured from them, and her fingers were dampened with her own crimson blood.
"Wait—" the blonde protested valiantly, when a distant scream resounded from amidst the town. Cael's own yelp sounded in a symphonic chorus with it for a brief moment. "Ma—Ithys! Ithys!" she screeched in panic. Astounded, the two a few feet away from her stood rigid in astonished silence.
"W-Wait, what's happening?" Natsu trembled slightly. It wasn't every day that you saw your enemy being creepily beat up by some invisible force. Cael flopped back onto the ground and wiped the blood from her mouth. Her tone was shaky and her voice was thick. Tears sprang up in her eyes as she clutched her midsection.
"Ithys and I..." Cael turned so she was on her back, gazing up at the azure sky spread out above them. Her eyes were downcast. "No. I was raised in a nice lil' town... I had a great fam'ly. But then life turned hard. There was disease. People left, and raiders 'n' bandits were everywhere. I don't even remember. My real mama and daddy... I dunno what happened to them. They disappeared one day. I was alone until Ithys found me. She was like a second mother to me. And like a sister. She took me back here. Home. This place's my home... The master had a sorta parabatai ceremony performed on us. Not really like parabatai though. It's jus' that we have a bond. Sorta a lost magic bond." Images of Meredy and the incident on Tenrou Island many years ago flashed through Gray's head, but he hastily pushed them aside at the oncoming thought of Ultear.
"Right," Cael continued, as if she was reading his mind. "Tha's what it's called. Maguilty sense. Lost magic. I feel what Ithys feels. She's going to die...!" Panic laced her voice, and tears rolled down her cheeks. "I don't want her to die. If she dies, I die. But I don't mind dying... I jus' don't want her to die. No, no..." She was full-out sobbing now, eyes rimmed with circles of red. "It hurts real bad," she choked out. "It's stronger than parabatai." Gray and Natsu shared a look.
"You can't want to die," Natsu remarked, his tone harsh and abrasive, and Cael was immediately silent.
"What?"
"I said," he repeated, crossing his arms, "no—I meant that you should live. Living for your family, right? That's what you do. If you don't want Ithys to die, then you shouldn't give up your will to live either, 'cause they're all a part of you. You have a family, right?"
Cael nodded slowly. "Ithys is my family," she concluded. "I dunno what I'd do without her."
A column of glittering white light pillared into the sky a little ways away, and Cael closed one eye. "What's happening? My body feels light." Lifting her hand to her face, she sighed. Her gaze averted to and fro from her palm and the white glittery flecks in the air. As if on cue, the tips of her fingers began dissolving into the same light, like Gildarts' crash magic was gradually splitting each part of her into white cubes of light. Frantically, she lifted her head, and groaned when she noted how her feet had already disappeared. "You're kiddin' me." She floated up into the air involuntarily. As she was swallowed whole, she smiled at Gray and Natsu, who had remained solemnly silent all the while.
"You know, you guys aren't so bad," she pointed out. "Maybe I'll see y'both again."
"Mhm," Natsu responded, his hands stuffed into his pockets. "Ave atque vale. Hail and farewell."
"By the way..." Cael's face was all that was left of her as she observed, "you've got a nice smile." She vanished completely, all residue of her a pillar of golden sparks that shimmered and disappeared.
"Wait," Gray started, "was she hitting on you?" Natsu smacked him lightly on the shoulder.
"Well, I am pretty awesome. Better than you, at least," came the airy reply as he sauntered off, leaving Gray in his wake.
"Hey, hold on! I'm the one with the sexy vampire mojo stuff!" he yelled, racing after him.
The blonde paused momentarily in front of a large temple with large, crumbling pillars, and her stealthy scrutiny of the place commenced. Jellal, lagging slightly behind, finally caught up and stopped beside her. Gazing at the large piece of semi-worn architecture looming in front of them, he coughed, quipping, "This place is magnificent."
Lucy shot him a sideways glance, her brow raised, but she said nothing for a second. She tilted her head upwards to take in the view. "And it reeks of dark magic," she remarked acetically after a while, and started advancing into the shadowy tunnel of an entrance lying in front of them like a death trap, only to stop once again as Jellal's hand shot out in front of her and he took a step forward, effectively cutting off her intended path. The glare she sent him would have made a lesser individual shrivel, but the bluenette held his ground in a surprisingly defiant manner.
"What the hell?" Lucy's gaze darted to and fro from his outstretched hand and the stoic expression on his face.
"You can't go in there," Jellal reasoned. "At least, not like that. I won't let you."
"What did you just say?" The blonde's expression was dark. "Danger is my middle name."
"I said, I won't let you go in there like this," the wizard saint repeated, as if he was talking to a five-year-old, no less. "It's far too dangerous. Who knows what stuff lurks in there?" For emphasis, he gestured at the flimsy, chalky door frame located in front of them. Cobwebs dangled from the corners. "And what? How could that be your middle name—"
"Since when did you become the Commandant? Yeah, my name is totally Lucy Danger Heartfilia," Lucy scowled, and slapped his hand away sharply. Refusing to look him in the eye for fear that she might explode, the Shadowhunter busied herself by taking a seraph blade out of her belt. Abruptly, she stilled, and a frown took its place on her face as she glanced back up at Jellal. "This isn't like you," she remarked suspiciously, but shrugged and walked on into the dusty tunnel.
"What do you mean by 'this isn't like me?' Don't act like you know me," said person's eyes narrowed, but he followed anyway—albeit hesitantly. Lucy wavered in the doorway at his response, but her facial features remained tightly serene.
Her eyes glinted frostily. "Well, do you think that I'd act it out for you? If I say I know you, then that means I know you."
"How so?" the warlock challenged.
"You just don't remember." The answer was mistily ambiguous, but Jellal was far from satisfied about the matter.
"You know," he announced as Lucy resumed her venturing, "I'd remember someone like you."
Unexpectedly, she did not turn back, but instead hurled a small dagger in his direction. Hastily, he caught it right before it pierced his abdomen, fumbling with the small object in his hands, before shooting an icy glare in the blonde's direction.
"No, you wouldn't."
Something about the undertone of Lucy's reply caught his attention—something seemingly forlorn and lost—but he brushed it off as quickly as it came. Uncomfortably, he changed the topic. "What's this?" His voice was laced with indignation. "Thanks for almost stabbing me."
"Aw, seems like I wasn't fast enough. Pity," Lucy rolled her eyes. "Use it, just in case."
Jellal took the opportunity to examine his newfound gift, and turned it in his hands. It was a sleek but sturdy-looking thing, shaped flawlessly—it probably had taken many hours to make this—with intricately carved patterns on the sides. The weapon seemed to be a mix between a knuckle duster and an Indian bagh nakh, but instead there were multiple wickedly sharp curved blades attached to each loop. The latter predicted that it was made of some type of special Shadowhunter material or blessed metal.
"Are you implying that I can't punch well enough by myself?" he spluttered, upon realization of Lucy's possible insinuation, but slipped the duster on anyway, retracting the blades. It fitted perfectly on his hand. "Probably useless," he muttered.
"Actually, yes. Your fingers are daintier than a lady's. Now get moving, lover boy." Lucy ducked under a large spider web, and Jellal hesitantly followed suit. Happy, who had fallen asleep atop his head, was gradually tangled in the dust and specks, but paid the hindrances no mind. A spider snuggled into the folds of his wings and promptly disappeared.
After what seemed like an eternity, Lucy immediately stopped in her tracks, and Jellal subsequently collided into her back. The former yelped in surprise as her palm grazed roughly against the uneven stone wall and the two crashed onto the dirty ground, one on top of the other. Having been shaken awake from the impact, a woozy Happy tumbled off Jellal's head and onto Lucy's. His wings flapped dust into the currently ticked-off blonde's face.
"Ugh," Lucy groaned, facepalming. "Nitwit." Jellal's face was buried into her back, and she flipped herself around, with slight difficulty, in order to somehow push him off. Said wizard swiftly shook his head, dazed, as he leaned over her, blinking. Their proximity was astounding. "Ah—um, sorry," he apologized sheepishly, but Lucy only looked at him through half-open eyes. Suddenly, she slapped him and kneed him in the gut, and Jellal fell backwards.
"Ow! What the hell was that for?" he hissed acrimoniously, rubbing his stinging cheek, but Lucy only clambered up and dusted herself down. Happy mimicked her movements and padded towards him, holding out his paw. "Crap, not my shoulder!"
"Let's go, Jellal! Lucy's just being a grumpy—aaaah!" He screeched as Lucy's boot sole connected with his furry blue rear, sending him headfirst into Jellal's chest. Said Shadowhunter smirked, hands on her hips triumphantly, as she took in the sight of the blue-haired warlock getting a mouthful of feathers and fur—namely, blue fur.
"Serves you right. Now get up and keep moving."
"Surely this isn't all you've got in store for me, is it?" the man smirked, reverting back into his human form. Although his sleeves were ripped to oblivion, his overall state remained unmarked and spotless—a great contrast to Wendy and Erza's states. The two Fairy Tail mages were already bruised and beaten in various places.
Kneeling on the ground, Wendy panted animatedly. Her legs felt like jelly—albeit, stiff jelly—and she struggled to keep her breathing and circulation under control and in range. Every part of her ached. This wasn't what she had signed up for when she had been selected to accompany Lucy on the mission; the bluenette suddenly felt the urge to cry out in frustration. "Ack..." she gasped, "who is this person?"
Erza, who was standing warily beside her small form, fingered a recently-gained cut on her temple, leaning heavily on one of her legs. Her glare was penetrating, and Wendy shrunk back a tad in shivers. "No," the fiery redhead righted herself with unease, "he isn't a person. He was once a member of a rather reputable dark guild, until..." She trailed off, wracking her brain in search of any missing pieces of information, but found none. "Either way, I'm sure I met him somewhere before."
The man clapped his hands together in mock pity, and feigned innocence, "Oh, well, I suppose it's up to me to finish the job again. This is not fair at all." Exhaling a deep sigh, he raised an eyebrow at Wendy and Erza, both of whom were glaring daggers at him—quite literally, despite the fact that the opposition was almost completely depleted of magic. "Okay." With a nonchalant shrug, he rolled his shoulders back, as if preparing for an arduous task, and Erza braced herself with gritted teeth and a clenched jaw. A flame suddenly lit in her eyes.
"Ninth Heaven: Maelstrom!"
As soon as he had uttered the words, a harsh, scorching wind immediately picked up, hurtling debris and pumice everywhere at top speed. Even Wendy barely managed to keep herself anchored. The temperature around them started fluctuating wildly, plummeting and soaring multiple times in a minute, and neither the redhead nor bluenette could keep up with the changes. Pleased by their distraction, their enemy waved his hand in a circular motion, and crushed his fist into his other outstretched hand, uttering, "Kaleidoscope!" A wall of shimmering, iridescent mirrors, each taller and firmer than a pillar, manifested within the black wind barrier forming around them.
"Wendy!" Erza rushed urgently, shaking her partner's shoulder hurriedly, and resumed her explanation the moment the latter turned to face her, "I remembered; this guy was from a guild named the Seven Deadly Sins—it wasn't part of the Baram Alliance, which explains why not many people know about it. I met him once on a solo mission, but it was indirect, so I'd assumed he simply forgot who I was—and vice versa—and let it go. However, there is one thing that we have to our advantage: his name is Pride." She crouched down beside Wendy, who was listening intently, and, not taking her eyes off Pride for a moment, muttered her plan to the sky dragon slayer. The blue-haired wizard nodded her assent.
Taking that as a cue to continue, Erza stepped forward with great difficulty, shielding Wendy, who had a determined gleam in her eyes, and held up her sword, pointing it in Pride's direction. His eyebrows rose into his hairline, but he said nothing. Instead, it was Erza who began.
"Come," she declared solemnly. "I have decided to fight you seriously now. Are you ready?"
Pride eyed her beadily, suspicion clouding his thoughts. "Are you sure you'd be willing to fight me in the condition you're in?"
Erza remained adamant. "I will not back down until my enemy has been defeated. That is the way of Fairy Tail, and don't you ever forget that. I am willing to lay down my life if I must to protect those I love."
The man bellowed in laughter, his body wracking with harsh chuckles, and Erza equipped into her Lightning Empress armor. The blade of her royal spear crackled with static and lightning. Eyes glowing, she charged at him blindly, lightning surrounding her with a deafening boom as the two collided with unmeasurable force. Erza quickly kicked him in the abdomen and blasted him with a bout of lightning magic from the tip of her spear, and Pride clapped his hands together. Another column of mirrors began forming around her, but she leapt away in time to dodge the attack.
As if on cue, a blast of searing wind cutters exploded by her feet, and she yelped in surprise. In a cycle, another explosion erupted by her side, and Erza gritted her teeth in pain as heat coursed through her. Blood splattered onto the ground, and Pride looked on in amusement.
"Isn't this fun?" he mocked, crossing his arms. Erza leapt backwards, requipping back into her Heaven's Wheel Armor in midair. Airborne, she sent a shower of weapons towards him, and flew, dodging the oncoming onslaught of eruptions narrowly. Debris scattered through the air as she pounced.
As she sped towards Pride, the redhead suddenly felt something twist around her midsection, and she was yanked back in midair as the stalk around her waist tightened. Looking down, she noticed a large wave of what seemed like wind curl around her, and she involuntarily exquipped out of her armor when it tightened further, cutting off her circulation. In defiance, her magic began concentrating around the beams. Different arms began shooting out and wrapping around her limbs, moving up and about her arms, and suddenly the haunting memory of the incident at the Tower of Heaven came rushing back to her. Memories coursed through her like a rushing river, and out of the blue, the feeling of being restrained by the magic chilled her to the bone. Slowly, her magic aura died down.
"I do believe that this fight didn't last long enough," said Pride, rubbing his chin in thought, as Erza slumped a little from fatigue. "Well, I do believe that I've won this battle. It's really such an honor to have fought the almighty Titania."
Slowly, a smile stretched onto the redhead's face, and her eyes darkened. Like a burst of a nebula, her crimson aura exploded back to life, and the vines wrapped around her shattered in a shower of droplets. Pride involuntarily took a step back, eyes clouded with something akin to fear, perplexed.
"What on Earthland—"
Amidst the torrent, a clear voice yelled, "Sky Dragon's Roar!" From behind one of the kaleidoscope mirrors, Wendy shot out in a piercing column of cerulean light. At the same time, Erza cried, "Blumenblatt!"
Howling, the wind funnel tore its way through each of the mirrors, and hundreds of razor sharp blades hurtled towards the wind in their own tornado. The two twisters clashed, bounced apart, and began molding together majestically, as if the swords were being absorbed by the sky.
"A Unison Raid? How is that possible?" Pride fumbled, his back against one of his mirrors. The maelstrom increased in size, flinging debris from the ceiling towards them in the form of heavy boulders. Erza flew towards Wendy and grabbed her hand. Their enemy's terrified scream permeated through the dust.
"We have to go!" she cried above the deafening clamor. Light from the outside world filtered through the ceiling as a fearsome rumbling shook the entire floor level. The kaleidoscope mirrors shattered, raining shards of broken glass on them, and the Unison Raid roared. As if on cue, the ground seemed to capsize, and the entire roof collapsed on them. All about them, boulders and dust pierced into the ground and shook the ground.
"Run!" Wendy shrieked, as a blinding ray of white light enveloped the two, and they leapt towards the open sky.
The deafening silence of the tunnel, save for the occasional scraping of shoe soles against the gritty, uneven floor, was suddenly interrupted by a colossal rumble. Releasing a reflexive intake of breath in surprise, Lucy stumbled and slipped, skidding further down the tunnel despite herself as the floor trembled and shifted. Happy yelled, his claws digging into the stone walls, and Jellal fell into a crouch to support himself.
The tunnel seemed to trip as tremors rocked the walkway, and it poured downwards, the floorboard stones popping out of place. Gasping, Lucy scrambled for leverage, her hand grasping on the rough edge of a misshapen rock. Debris and dirt scattered over the edge into the abyss of nothingness forming below, their sounds indistinguishable. The blonde's eyes widened as she dangled off the edge of what was left of the tunnel, and gritted her teeth. Slowly, she could feel the brick grating out of its place, and her fingers slipping.
"Gah!"
"Lucy!" Happy cried, scrabbling as he tried to reach for her, but felt the tip of his wing lodged in a crack. Boulders and pieces of the ceiling began hurtling downwards towards them, and the Exceed covered his head with his paws. "Jellal!"
The Wizard Saint recovered from his state of shock and leapt into action. The ceiling roared as the tunnel collapsed, and he gathered Happy in his arms and rolled towards the edge of the now slanted tunnel. Concrete ricocheted off the walls and floor, and as Lucy tried her best to grasp on tighter to the ledge, tucking her head inwards to avoid oncoming missiles, she felt something ram into her shoulder—
As an impending rain of heavy things fell towards her, a slice of debris slammed down upon the ledge, slicing a large portion of what she was holding off. Lucy felt her fingers slip and nothing else to grasp onto, and squeezed her eyes shut. She let out a ragged breath, her jaw clenching even tighter. Unwillingly, she bowed her head down, barely aware of Jellal yelling her name, and opened her eyes. Below her lay only darkness; it stole her breath away.
"Lucy!" Jellal's voice filtered through her hazy reverie, and she glanced up to see him peering over the edge above her. "Hold on!"
Lucy's voice was strained. Mentally panicking, she replied, "I can't hold on any longer. Just tell the others where you are and they'll come and get you." Her eyebrows furrowed as she searched for a crack, anything—to help her up, but found nothing.
Happy wiggled his way out of Jellal's grasp and precariously leaned downwards, reaching his furry paw out. "Lucy! Don't let go!"
Jellal extended his arm. "Grab on," he said, taking a deep breath, but Lucy only eyed his hand. Seeing her hesitance and the roof of the temple seconds away from collapse, he added sincerely, "I won't drop you. I promise."
Ignoring the pain in her shoulder, Lucy winced and stared at Jellal's outstretched arm, before struggling to balance herself and uncertainly reaching her other arm out. Tentatively, she stretched her hand out, her and Jellal's almost meeting, when the entire rim crumbled.
Lucy felt her life flash before her as the last thing she saw was Jellal lunging forward, her vision failed her, and she fell.
I basically left everything except for the last one-and-a-half sections for more than half a year, I think... I'm so sorry. I'm on break right now, though, so I think I'll get back to writing this story soon... Just so you know, I cannot write fighting scenes.