Voice of Darkness

"So we took a stand for our freedom. We hope to save our dear friend Jellal." Erza continued to tell her comrades about her horrific childhood. She told them about how they revolted to try and save Jellal from the cult that had built the original R-System. Gray, Lucy, and Juvia listened in silence, but James was trembling slightly in anger as he heard Erza's tale.

Erza explained how her rebellion was struck down by the magic users of the Cult and how she was saved by a long forgotten member of Fairy Tail. Erza told her friends of how the old man gave his life to save her and helped her unlock her magic abilities. Through that newfound power she fought her way to the top of the tower and attempted to save Jellal. But Jellal had changed by the time she arrived. He was darker and speaking of how there was no freedom in this world. Erza was scared of him now. Jellal made Erza leave, forced the others to stay, and forbid her from returning or speaking of the Tower of Heaven upon the penalty of her friends' deaths.

"I have to fight Jellal. I have no choice. I have to do it." A single tear slid down Erza's face. The others watched Erza in disbelief and shock and sadness. James was trembling, his anger mounting.

"I don't know, maybe it's just me, but for some reason the name Zeref sounds familiar,"
Gray stated.

"I'm sure. He was a legendary black wizard," Erza explained. She wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Wait. I remember someone saying the monster that came out of the Lullaby Flute was one of Zeref's demons," Lucy stated scared.

"I never mentioned it, but I suspect Deliora was a demon from the Book of Zeref as well," Erza added. Gray tensed at that.

"If this wizard is as evil as you then why would Jellal want to resurrect him?" Juvia asked confused.

"I don't understand his motives either. However my old friend Sho said something about Zeref getting them to Heaven and when that happens the world will be reborn and they will become its rulers," Erza explained.

"Okay, there's one thing that confuses me about these people who claim to be old friends of yours." Lucy rested her chin between her thumb and forefinger in thought. "Why are they accusing you of betraying them? Don't they realize Jellal is the bad guy here?"

"It's not their fault. I'm sure he feed them all sorts of lies about me once I left. That doesn't change the fact that I abandoned them so long ago. In the end I guess you could say I did betray them." Erza bowed her head ashamed.

"It's not your fault," James growled. "He threatened to kill them. You left to protect them."

"It doesn't matter." Erza's face became a mask of determination. "If I can defeat Jellal it will all be over. Leave it to me okay."

James stood up and glared at Erza. His fist was still clenched. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off.

"Sister, that's not true."

The Fairy Tail wizards turned to see a dark skinned boy with blond hair wearing a red robe. He had green eyes and a single diamond earring on a beaded chain in his left ear.

"Why are you lying to them?" He was sweating slightly as if stressed or nervous.

"Sho," Erza breathed.

"You think by making yourself the martyr, you're going to get sympathy from your friends?" Sho asked. "Tell them the truth! That's not how it happened and you know it!" Sho was becoming more frantic as he kept talking. "You blew up the boats we were going to use to escape. Then you left on your own. We would have ended up at the bottom of the sea if it hadn't been for Jellal. He saved us. He warned us not to trust wizards like you who haven't learned to use their magic properly.

"He said that you had become drunk with magical power and you didn't want anything to do with your past or the people you left behind." His voice was becoming strained from shouting and emotion.

"Did you ever stop to think he might be lying?" Gray stated coldly.

"If you truly knew Erza then you'd know she'd never do something so horrible," Lucy added.

Sho took a step back, confused. "You only think you know her." Tears were shimmering in his eyes. "You weren't there back then. You don't know anything about us! After you left, Jellal's words were my only salvation. And that's why I've spent all these years working to finish the Tower for him. I did it for his sake. Now you're trying to tell me it was all a lie?" He was trembling; clearly shaken up. The others looked at him sadly; James felt pity for a man who was so easily manipulated.

"You really expect me to believe you're telling the truth and Jellal's been lying to us this whole time?"

"That's right." A dark voice suddenly stated. Sho gasped and the mountain man who attacked James and Gray appeared out of a mist of shadows. James tensed but when Juvia held Gray back, James realized that the man wasn't there to fight.

"I don't understand," Sho whimpered.

"I had to fool you and the others into thinking I had killed Gray and James, but I had hoped that our attack would lure them here," the man explained.

"So you were lying too? How could you do that to me?" The mountain man placed his hand on Sho's shoulder and said, "I'm sorry. Jellal had you under his spell and I couldn't convince you otherwise. So I played along until the time was right."

"So you knew all along," Erza whispered.

"I've always believed in you Erza and there's nothing that could change that. I mean those words from the bottom of my heart." Erza smiled at him softly and they gripped each other's hand.

"Simon," Erza breathed as the mountain man pulled her close and they embraced. James tensed and gritted his teeth at the contact. The others looked on with somber happiness, but James was begrudged to watch Erza embrace her old friend.

"I never knew." Erza and Simon broke apart to see Sho crying and shaking. "I can't believe I blindly followed him all these years. I doubted you cause you left me all alone! You have no idea how much that hurt!" Sho broke down. He collapsed to his knees and started pounding the floor, crying.

"I don't know what to do! I don't even know which one of you I should believe anymore!"

The others watched him with sadness and pity. Erza knelt beside him and whispered, "I know it must be difficult to take all of this in at once, but Sho there is something you should know. Though it's been many years, I have never once forgotten about any of you." Sho launched himself into Erza's arms and cryed louder. "I'm sorry I couldn't stand up to him, but I was so weak back then. Please forgive me."

"Now you're stronger and ready to face him. Isn't that right?" Simon stated somberly. "I've waited all these years for this very moment, when a group of powerful wizards would gather here."

"What's the plan?" James asked. His flexed his fist, for once in his life looking forward to a fight.

"We're going to take down Jellal," Simon stated. "We can do it if we work together. But first we need to keep Salamander and Wally from clashing."