A/N So last update I made the mistake of uploading on a weekend…it was very stressful lol honestly rewriting this has got me kind of nervous, maybe some people got attached to certain things and blah, blah, blah but bear with, a lot of positive reviews for chapter 5 though some people might not have been on board with how Jellal and Erza broke up hahaha my fucking bad dude (I hope everyone realises that was just for reference i made that up for those who wanted to know…) but thank you to those who have shown support, hope you enjoy and all that, like/fav, review cheers.
Erza stood aboard the boat headed to the Fairy Tail holy ground Tenrou Island patting down her coat she searched the pockets as if searching for something pulling out a half empty pack of smokes she
"confiscated" from Wakaba before she left the guild, bringing it to her mouth catching a single cigarette between her lips and removing it from the pack looking for a light she found nothing, looking around she requipped a fire sword and ignited it with her magic leaning in to light the cigarette before quickly putting it back in storage taking a long drag she leaned against the side taking in the crisp breeze and salty air.
"Don't you think that was kind of…overkill?" Lucy asked laughing nervously.
"What do you want Lucy?" Erza grumbled menacingly exhaling a cloud of smoke through her nostrils like a dragon ready to breathe fire as she spoke coarsely to celestial-spirit mage.
"NOTHING" Lucy shrieked running to the other side of the ship her tail between her legs.
"That was pretty harsh, Erza leave the poor girl alone," Mira giggled shaking her head making her way over to Erza.
"Yeah, yeah I just don't wanna deal with her right now" Erza grumbled "I mean is it just me or is this boat becoming a little unbearable" Erza fanned the edges of the coat trying to generate some form of cool air to no avail.
"Well I guess you have a point" the two giggled noticing the change in temperature as it rapidly ascended, the atmosphere around the ship changing a sign, they were approaching the island at steady pace "you know I worry about you Erza" Mira said bluntly a worried expression staining her usually precious features.
"Yeah Mira, I know," Erza replied sharply.
"I watch you, just because I'm behind the bar doesn't mean I don't see you, doesn't mean I don't have time for you, He wouldn't want you to be this way" Mira spoke softly trying to reason with her friend.
"Yeah, well we can't always have the things we want Mira," Erza grunted taking a long drag of her cigarette and exhaling a large puff of smoke "Just as my heart began to heal, I saw his face again, In Edolas and who knows where else…there are men who live and breathe in his skin, see with his eyes, smile that same stupid fucking grin but they're not him, I'll never have the one I lost to my own childhood naivety, I just want the chance to tell him I was wrong"
"I see" Mira said "You know I understand more than you could ever know, don't you?"
"I do and that's exactly why I'm telling you this" Erza finished the cigarette throwing it to the ground and extinguishing it under the sole of her boot.
"Hehe, chin up love…just know if you need me I'll be there, now it really is freaking hot out here, how about we have some fun" Mira smirked devilishly walking past Erza, a confused look dawning the features of the red head as Mira's dress flew through the air and draped itself over Erza's head "Hold on to that for me"
Erza removed the garment from her head blowing her hair out of her face annoyed she placed the dress in her storage dimension, Mira sauntered across the deck of the ship wearing only a very scant bikini if you could call it that, black with purple embellishment and detailing drawing every male eye on the ship, she waltzed passed a group of three males consisting of Bickslow, Freed and Elfman drawing the eye of both Raijinshu members their eyes growing wide as blood exploding from their nostrils Elfman looked at them disgusted putting both his meaty palms over their eyes.
"HEY REAL MEN DON'T OPENLY GAWK AT ANOTHER MANS SISTER LIKE SHES A PIECE OF MEAT LIKE THAT" Elfman roared angrily.
Traipsing across the deck further she met the eye of Gajeel and Gray, Gray's eyes almost left his skull as they got an eye full of Mira's figure they were frozen in a trance like state, Gajeel looked from Gray to Mira in confusion a deep irritated scowl on his face as he stared at Mira for a fraction of a second contemplating her appeal not really getting it, unfortunately it was a fraction of a second to long, Levy and Juvia looked on absolutely appalled storming across the ship to the two men infuriated, Juvia blasted Gray in the eyes with boiling water, making the ice-mage howl in pain.
"Gajeeeeeeeeeel" Levy called angrily, Gajeel didn't bat so much as an eyelid confident in the knowledge he had down nothing wrong.
"Solid script: Hole"
"WHAT THE HELL!?" Gajeel cried out infuriated as he fell through the top deck of the ship "WHY THE FUCK AM I DOWN HERE, I DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING, SHRIMP, SHRIIIIIIIMP!?"
As this entire scene played out the other members of the guild not directly involved exploded into uproarious laughter, Erza looked from the scene to Mira knowingly and Mira simply winked in response
"Still the same old navel showing floozy," Erza smirked as she looked side long at Mira.
After a few hours everyone was down to whatever they were wearing under their clothes finding the heat absolutely unbearable all were sweating bullets, some from the heat but most from nerves, they would be approaching the island soon Wendy felt the air shift catching Happy's attention she moved over to him.
"It's starting" she whispered "I don't feel any of them on board, now there's no doubt we have an advantage over everyone except Gajeel and Levy so be ready to leave as soon as the word is given."
Meanwhile a gust of wind carried a flurry of ashes to the shore as they passed by the trees and sand of the shore line a black figure appeared distant slowly approaching the island through the ashes as the figure got closer the cloud ignited in a glorious blaze and out of the dust emerged a hooded figure shrouded from head to toe in a black cloak, his face obscured by a very deep black hood and bandages covering his arms but most noticeable was the rather large, sturdy woven pack strapped to his back, he sniffed at the air once, immediately taken aback by the resulting aroma, strawberries. The hooded figure moved to the tree line looking behind him to the vast ocean suspiciously for any signs of life, satisfied he journeyed further into the dense forest to see what would await him.
Erza sat cross legged in the central path of the exam course her flame sword stabbed firmly in the ground clad only in a black bikini with a white fairy tail mark across the left breast, she saw no sense in sweating her ass off even more in her combat outfit until she had to, summoning the pack of cigarettes she took another into her mouth and used the sword to light it. Taking a long drag of the cigarette, she opened her mouth and exhaled listlessly, slowly the smoke billowing from her mouth at a snail's pace the smoke eclipsing the view in front of her, slowly but surely a figure appeared in the distance, Erza paused curiously tilting her head she thought it was just a tad early for any of the candidates to have crossed her path concerned she stood requipping her combat gear she flicked the cigarette catching it between her teeth she yanked the sword out of the ground and pointed it toward the approaching figure.
"Who goes there? You are trespassing on sacred ground leave this place at once" Erza said firmly, unwavering, the figure said nothing "I will ask only once more, who are you? If you refuse to answer you will force me to use necessary force."
"I mean no harm, I only mean to visit someone very important to me" The figure said quietly.
"Who, no one has called this place home in many decades, who could you possibly be visiting here of all places?" Erza demanded, the stranger.
"Alcohol, you've been drinking?" The figure said sniffing at the rather surprised for someone Erza had supposedly just met.
"Don't change the subject" Erza snapped "Why are you here?"
"Im here to visit my mother, if you must know" The stranger said calmly stirring a surprise response from Erza but just as she was about to speak the figure shushed her raising a single finger to his lips and his opposite hand to his ear he signalled the redhead to listen.
A loud boom was heard the signal that the S-class exam had begun, a light shockwave ran throughout the island the two mages stood stone faced the only sign of the event was strong breeze disturbing the peaceful repose of their clothing, silence befell the pair that stood in the clearing the stranger was the first to make a sound, he chuckled.
Wendy and Happy flew swiftly through the air in an attempt to make it to shore first so they'd get first pick of the paths, heavily assisted by Wendy's air dragon slayer magic they touched down first but every other team were in hot pursuit, Wendy stood on the beach using her magic she used the air to see what she could decipher, there wasn't much she could figure out using this method recognized that the island was almost a like a living creature and it's magical properties disrupted her abilities to read the air she took a couple of whiffs of the air and gasped.
"No way, It can't be" Wendy stood frozen.
"What is it?" Happy asked curiously.
"Uh, nothing c'mon" Wendy said and hurried off distracted by her discovery.
Erza stood confused, her anger rising rapidly as she looked at this hooded man, he brought up more questions than answers and she didn't like that at all, especially when her guild could be involved.
"You've changed so much but I know you too well you are still the same person from back then, sadly now's not the time reminisce we both have our duties and in time you will come upon me again, sooner than you think." The stranger said as he advanced.
"You act as if you know me stranger but you know nothing of me especially what I'm willing to do if you don't heed my warning, LEAVE THIS ISLAND NOW" Erza's blade sliced through the air swiftly, accurately but found no morsel of flesh only the taste of tattered fabric as it sliced his cloak exposing his bandaged abdomen and chest.
"I hate to run out on you but it wouldn't be the first time" The stranger leaped at Erza and as the requip mage was about to raise her sword the figure burst into flame.
Enraged Erza kicked the dirt angrily cursing under her breath she wanted answers but at the moment she heard a twig snap and immediately went back into fight mode wielding her blade she closed her eyes.
"WHICHEVER PAIR OF YOU PRICKS DREW THE SHORT STRAW AND CAME DWARDLING DOWN HERE, YOU JUST FUCKED UP BIG TIME" Erza opened her eyes stone faced and furious a dark aura surrounding her form reaching out in all directions her flame sword ablaze, a pair of bushes began to shake uncontrollably.
The hooded figure moved swiftly through the trees looking down he lamented the destruction of his attire as he smiled a slight grin and kept on running not looking back, there was no time.
"Alright where is it?" The hooded figure hunted through the forest looking everywhere to no avail.
"Will you just calm down" a muffled voice was heard from the pack.
"Easy for you to say, I used my last trick getting away from Erza so sorry if I'm a little frustrated that our hard work is in jeopardy right now," The hooded figure tore off his hood exposing a tuft of shaggy pink hair "Why doesn't that idiot get a haircut" he grumbled blowing hair out of his face, a little black haired girl popped out of the bag.
"mmmmmmm I like it, it makes you look so feral" The little girl whispered seductively.
"Cut that out you know it creeps me out when you do that" The pink haired stranger grumbled "For goodness sake you're disguised as a little girl right now"
"Oh c'mon baby, don't be that way" She whispered playfully in the voice of a little girl.
"I swear to god Ultear" The stranger grumbled as he came upon the opening to a beautiful cavern.
"UNCLE JELLY, Aunty Ultear" a high pitch screams echoed through the cavern entrance as two identical figures emerged from the cave.
"Why do I get the silly nickname, alright turn us back," the pink haired stranger said to the pack and the girl hopped out waving her hand, bathed in bright light their forms changed from the figures in front of them into the mages Jellal Fernandes and Ultear Milkovich, "Oof" Jellal made an audible sound as he was hit affectionately by the small girl whom the high pitched voice belonged to embracing him heartily.
"Hey you two, how did it go?" Natsu asked as he stepped out from the cave from the cave grinning widely his attire in a better state.
"All our pieces are in place, the fairies just got here and Bedlam is on the warpath, we need to move if we're gonna get through this alive" Jellal said grimly.
"Oh relax Jellal, Everything's going to be fine" Natsu said calmly.
"They found it…He's coming" Jellal spoke gravely looking Natsu in the eyes.
"Kaida, why don't you go play with grandma for a bit," Natsu said excitedly "Uncle Jelly needs to have a grown up talk with papa, okay"
"Okay papa" Kaida replied running into the cave "GRANDMA MAVIS, CAN I GO SWIMMING AT THE RIVER TODAY?"
"NO KAIDA IT ISN'T SAFE TODAY YOU KNOW THAT" Natsu called after her in a parental fashion.
"AWWWWWWWWWW" Kaida's said loudly expressing her disappointment her shoulders slumped as she kept on walking, Natsu shrugged.
"Ah she'll get over it, now you were saying" Natsu said grinning widely.
"Okay Bedlam is confident you're alive we made sure of that, he's coming here and he's found a way to control HIM, the reason we went after Bedlam in the first place why aren't you more disturbed by that you're friends are on this island, your family, ERZA IS HERE." Jellal explained to Natsu who just stared at him confused.
"So what, this is gonna be awesome, let them come I'M ALL FIRED UP" Natsu grinned walking into the cave.
"HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM ABOUT THIS, THEY HAVE A WEAPON THAT COULD WIPE ALL THE THINGS YOU LOVE OFF THE FACE OF THIS EARTH" Jellal yelled angrily.
"Hey calm down, if anyone could do this it's him, you have t have a little faith Jellal" Ultear looked in his eyes and kissed his cheek all the while holding his hand "It'll be okay"
"Hey you guys hungry? c'mon let us set you up good" Natsu called to them and they followed him inside.
