The next several weeks went by like a blur for Acton. If he wasn't training with Natsu and Wendy to improve his Dragon Slaying powers, then he was spending time with Zalia, and by extension, Kikyo. Despite the seemingly peaceful exterior, however, there was an underlying thrum of tension. Manticore Fang had returned home to make preparations while Fairy Tail readied itself to assist them. All the members were gearing themselves up for what they knew was going to be a tremendous fight, and some of them were seriously starting to wonder what the guild's chances were in a war the likes of which Marko had described. Despite this, everyone was eager to do their part, and a kind of busy energy had filled everyone, and they were eager for the action to start. They got their wish much sooner than expected.

"So what is it?" Acton asked, folding his arms and looking at the machine in front of him. He tilted his head, staring at the confusing mass of tubes, wires, and lacrima that stuck out of the thing at all sorts of odd angles.

"Well, it's a detector," Katya said, coming out from behind it and wiping the grease off her hands. "And if I've done it right, then it should be able to detect Dimensional Rifts when they open, allowing us to get to the area and deal with whatever popped out of them."

"That certainly sounds useful enough," Acton said. He was about to say more when the thing lit up like a Christmas tree and began buzzing and whining. After a few moments it went silent and spat out a small piece of paper with some coordinates on it. Lyla, who had been standing off to the side watching, swiftly grabbed it and walked over to a large map mounted on the wall.

"Here!" she said, pinpointing the spot. "Just outside the eastern edge of Magnolia!" Natsu, Acton, and Cordyle were halfway across the guildhall before she'd even finished speaking. They reached the spot in record time, finding a charred circle of grass in the center of a forest glade. They approached it carefully, Acton and Natsu both sniffing the air, searching for any scents that might tip them off. After almost fifteen minutes of searching, the regrouped in the center of the glade.

"Anything?" Cordyle asked, then sighed as both Acton and Natsu both shook their heads. "Dammit. Well, whatever it was, it's probably long gone by now."

Acton rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "What do you suppose it was?"

Natsu opened his mouth to respond when he suddenly froze, then whipped around, staring hard at the forest behind him. Cordyle started to ask what was wrong, but Natsu silenced him with a raised hand. He took a step forward, then was forced to dodge aside as bolts of reddish-black energy ripped out of the trees and blasted a hole where he'd been standing just moments before. Acton and Cordyle leapt aside as more bolts sizzling out of the foliage at them as well.

Back at the guild, Zalia sat next to the door, chewing nervously at a fingernail as she waited for Acton and the others to return. Sensing her anxiety, Kikyo tried to calm her down a little.

*Relax, lil' sister,* she said cheerfully. *Between the three of them, they'll beat the snot out of whatever came through that gate and then come back here and promptly eat everything in sight.*

But Zalia shook her head. "It's not that," she said, leaning back against the wall and staring up at the ceiling. "I just can't shake the feeling that something is about to go very wrong."

There was a long pause. *Do you think that we should go talk to Antory?* Kikyo asked, her voice unusually serious. Zalia bit her lip, unsure, knowing they were both thinking the same thing; the last time Zalia had one of those feelings, her entire family had been killed and Kikyo had been created. Unbidden, the memories sprang into her mind, crystal clear and painfully sharp.

Zalia ran through the woods, heedless of the branches and stones that tore at her arms and legs, leaving long red scratches. Her breathing came in ragged, high pitched gasps, a pain in her side. She risked a glance over her shoulder to see if they were still after her and promptly tripped over a protruding root and went crashing to the ground. Her head struck a rock, causing brilliant lights to flash and pop before her eyes, and then roaring darkness engulfed her.

When she came to, she opened her eyes slowly, wincing at the light, her head banging fiercely. It took her a few moments to realize that she was lying tied up on her side in front of a fire. She heard voices off to her left, speaking a tongue that she neither recognized nor understood. A hand suddenly reached down and dragged her up by her hair, causing her to cry out, the pain in her head intensifying. She was then thrown down onto what felt like a sleeping back, and heard what sounded like zippers and buckles being undone. The blood drained from her face even as the pain in her skull increased further still, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut in agony.

She felt a heavy weight press down on her, the pain in her head reaching an excruciating crescendo, and then with a sensation like her skull was being ripped apart, there was a loud pop and the pain vanished. The man atop her paused in his drunken fumbling as he sensed a change in his captive and peered down at her through blurry eyes. Her eyes suddenly snapped open and the man shoved himself away from her with a startled yell; her eyes had suddenly become an acidic yellow, flickering with a dangerous light. She pushed herself up onto her elbows and cocked her head at him, staring as though he was some kind of curiosity, a little half smile on her face.

Then she giggled. The man froze, feeling as though ice water had been poured into his veins. That was NOT a child's laugh. She tilted her head the other way, and then she smiled, her eyes glittering insanely.

"Playtime, bitches," Kikyo said in a soft, singsong voice.

Zalia shuddered, forcing the memory down; she hated reliving that moment, wishing with all her might that she could just forget it had ever happened.

*I did what I did to protect you,* Kikyo said softly, although there was a small note of defiance in her tone. *As I always have, and always will. I will not apologize for that.*

Zalia shook her head. "Nor would I want you to," she replied, massaging her temples slowly. "I know you did what you felt was needful. I'm not upset about any of that. I'm just worried, because I don't think I can stand to lose anyone else at this point."

Kikyo was silent for a while. *I can't promise something like that,* she said slowly. *But I do promise that as long as I'm around, I will do everything I can to protect you and all of our friends.*

Acton swore as a bolt of energy zipped past his ear, so close that the heat left his skin red. He pulled a fast somersault to his left, then leaped forward, rolling when he hit the ground. He then bounced to his feet and smashed his fist into the snout of the large lizard-like creature that had just tried to shoot him with the energy rifle it held in its clawed hands. The beast staggered back and dropped its weapon, clutching its face as thick, purplish blood spurted from its nostrils. Acton then hopped back a step and pivoted on one foot, his heel connecting with the side of the lizard's head in a spectacular round-house kick which sent the monster flying clear across the clearing where it smashed into a tree and slumped to the ground. Acton paused to catch his breath, glancing around in time to see Cordyle dispatch the last two lizards with expert strokes of the dual swords he wielded.

"You think we got them all?" Natsu asked as he jogged over from where he'd just finished pounding a lizard into the ground.

"I think so, but if not, we'll find out soon enough," he replied, rolling one of them over with his foot and studying it. They were ugly brutes, with mottled green-brown hide, large slit-pupil eyes the size of his fist, and short, blunt snouts filled with viciously sharp teeth. A crest of short spines ran from the top of their heads, down their backs, and all the way to the end of their long, whip-like tails. There had been eighty of them all told, and the three of them had wiped out the lot in just under thirty minutes.

"Sithee, but those big buggers were a damn sight fasta' than they look," cordyle said, his exhaustion causing him to lapse out of his normally careful speech and into the way he'd grown up speaking in the eastern mountains. "Are yew two alright? Yon lizards didna get ye?"

Acton shook his head. "Nothing more than a few bumps and scrapes; we're both fine." After piling the unconscious and injured reptiles in the center of the clearing, it was agreed that Cordyle, who was exhausted, and Natsu, who was hungry, would go back to the guild and give a report on what happened while Acton stayed behind to make sure that none of the lizards had escaped before heading back to the guild.

Because of this, it was several hours before anyone noticed he hadn't returned, several more hours before people began to worry, and late into the night when a large group set out to search for him. By the time they had found him, he was in a very bad way. He was feverish, almost too hot to touch, his breathing shallow and ragged, and there were terrible burns on his hands, arms and face. After healing his external injuries and checking him out, Zalia went to talk to Antory.

"He's got magic poisoning," she explained as she took a sip of the tea he had offered her. Antory noted that while her voice was calm, as was her expression, her hand shook ever so slightly as she picked up the cup. "It's due to his not using magic for three years. The magic energy has built up inside him to dangerous levels and needs to be released."

"What aren't you telling me?" Antory asked softly, causing her to look up sharply, her eyes widening slightly. "You're leaving something out. What is it?"

Zalia bit her lip and looked away, shaking her head. "I…he….it's nothing, he just needs some-"

Don't lie to me!" Antory yelled, slamming his fist down on the table, causing her to jump. "What aren't you telling me?"

It was like a dam breaking. "He's dying!" she blurted out, her eyes overflowing. "The power that's built up inside him is tearing his body apart, and I can't do anything about it! Even if he used his breath attack every second of every day he still wouldn't run out of power for at least four years! It's tearing him apart from the inside and there's nothing I can do to stop it!" She broke down, unable to say anything further.

Antory sat back into his chair heavily, feeling as though he was a thousand years old. "Say nothing for now," he said after a while. "I will speak with Lyla and see if we can find something in the archives that might help."

They spent the next two days locked away in the archives, searching through every single medical text that was in the guild while Acton slept on, placed in a magic induced coma by Zalia. By the end of the second day, it was clear that there wasn't anything they could use there, so it was decided that Lyla would go to the King's Library in Crocus to search for anything that might help them there.

Zalia woke Acton a few days later and explained what was going on to him.

"Magic poisoning, huh?" he said, scratching his head as digested this information. He was propped up in bed with a bunch of pillows behind him. He was still pale and feverish, he ached all over, and he felt exhausted as if he'd just sprinted 10 miles. Kurai sat perched on his shoulder, cuddling up against the side of his head. "And it's because of my not using magic for three years?"

Zalia nodded. "Not just that, I think your head wound had something to do with it too," she said, sitting back in her chair. "I think that in addition to causing your amnesia, it also caused your body to ignore its natural limits and continue collecting and storing magic energy far beyond normal levels."

"That makes sense, actually," Acton said, absently scratching at the scar on his face left by the aforementioned injury. Before he could say more, Lyla came flying into the room, skidding to a stop next to the bed, a thick scroll clutched in her hand.

"I found it!" she said triumphantly. "I found a spell that can save him!"

"Really?!" Zalia exclaimed, shooting to her feet. "Lemme see!" She snatched the scroll from Lyla and scanned it quickly, her eyes flicking from side to side. "It's a Flesh Smith spell, designed to bleed off excess power while at the same time using some of the energy to also heal and reinforce the subject's body. It….hm….this is odd."

"What?" Acton asked, tilting his head curiously, which caused Kurai to complain loudly.

"It says 'only those strong of heart, body, and soul should cast this spell, less they risk losing themselves in the flow," she said, reading it aloud.

"What does that mean?" Acton said, suddenly wary.

"It means the spell uses life energy," Antory said from the doorway, before striding into the room. "It means that the spell draws from the user's life force to fuel it, instead of magic energy. And if it draws too much power, the caster will die."

"Absolutely not!" Acton said, sitting blot upright, his expression hard and his eyes fierce. "I will not allow Zalia to risk her life just to save my skin."

"But Acton-" Zalia started.

But Acton would have none of it. He refused to even speak of it further, and every time Zalia tried to bring it up, he would just stop speaking. The next week passed in the same manner, with Zalia trying to convince him and Acton shutting her out. All the while, Acton's condition continued to get worse and worse. He was dying, and he knew it. Even Kikyo tried to convince him to let them try, although her style ended up with them in huge shouting matches, which also then ended in Acton coughing up large amounts of blood.

Zalia was at her wits end. "Why won't you just let me try?" she cried, tears streaming down her face. "Why won't you let me save you?"

"Because I won't let you risk your life and Kikyo's just to save mine!" Acton said heatedly, before devolving into a fit of coughing.

*Do I seem like the type who needs protecting?* Kikyo growled, her anger simmering like boiling lava inside Zalia. *I have had enough of this bullshit!*

BANG!

Zalia was thrown backwards off her stool as everyone was blinded by an immense flash of light. When their sight cleared, there were shouts of alarm. Before them were two Zalia's, one sprawled on the floor looking up at the other, her maroon eyes wide with shock, and the standing one staring at Acton with a thunderous expression on her face, her yellow eyes blazing.

"YOU. ARE. A. STUBBORN. IDIOTIC. ASS!" Kikyo shouted, her body surrounded by a brilliant nimbus of sliver flames, her hair seeming to stand out from her head. "Do you have any idea what your death would do to this guild? Would do to your friends? Would do to Zalia?! It would destroy them all, especially her, the woman that you claim to love! It would shatter her heart, and you damn well know that! So why the fuck are you being so stubborn?!"

Acton recovered faster than anyone else, so used to Kikyo doing surprising things that this new twist didn't even slow him down much. "I do love her and you damn well know that!" he snarled back, rising from his pillows and glaring at her venomously, for a moment back to his old self before he was overcome with a fit of hacking coughs and collapsed back weakly. When the coughing subsided, her glared up at her, his eyes still burning with anger, but his voice much calmer than before. "You know that I love her...more than anything in the world...and would do anything...for her. But I will not...let her risk her life...and yours as well... just to...save mine. What if it worked...but you both died? How could...I live with myself...if that happened?"

"Who ever said anything about both of us having to risk it?" Kikyo said softly, her expression unreadable. There was a long pause as everyone tried to figure out what she meant. Zalia beat them all to it.

"You can't!" she gasped, scrambling to her feet. "You don't have enough life energy by yourself to cast the spell! It would drain you dry and kill you!" Everyone started to speak at once, all clamoring to be heard

"ENOUGH!" Kikyo roared, her voice shaking the rafters, and an instant and surprised silence descended. After a moment she spoke again, her voice much softer. She spoke at the floor, her bangs hiding her face. "All my life I have protected Kikyo. I was created by her own magical power in a moment when she needed me most, and have been her shield and sword ever since. I swore years ago that I would protect her from all pain that was within my power to prevent." Here she raised her head, and they could all see the determination stamped clearly on her features. "And if this is the only way to do that, then so be it. It is a price I am willing to pay, and gladly. She is my little sister. I will do anything, sacrifice ANYTHING, for her sake."

No one spoke, all eyes riveted on the blue and pink haired, yellow eyed girl before them. Zalia sniffed loudly, and Kikyo turned to look at her.

"Y-you can't" she whispered, her eyes bright and overfull with tears she refused to let fall. "D-don't do this, you c-can't leave me! Don't leave me alone again!" This last was shouted, Zalia's voice trembling with suppressed sobs.

Kikyo smiled and laughed softly. Eyes widened all around the room at this, everyone glancing at each other, uncertain as to what was going on. That wasn't her typical crazed smile, and that hadn't been her usual insane giggle. Then jaws dropped as she suddenly stepped forward and hugged Zalia to her tightly. This was so unlike the deranged psychopath that Kikyo usually was that no one knew how to react. She actually looked and sounded for all the world like an older sister comforting a sibling.

"Come on now, lil' sis," she murmured softly. "None of that; you're the emotionally stable one, remember? We can't have you breaking down in front of everyone, now can we?"

Now Zalia did start to cry, her body shaking with silent sobs as the tears streamed down her cheeks. "But you're the only family I have left!" she cried brokenly, clinging to Kikyo even tighter. "I"ll be all alone again!"

"Now, you and I both know that isn't true," Kikyo replied softly, gently wiping away Zalia's tears with her thumb. "You've got a huge family; or have you forgotten that you're a member of Fairy Tail? As long as you are here, you will never, EVER be alone."

"But why do you have to do this?" Zalia whimpered, burying her face in Kikyo's shoulder.

"Because it's my time," Kikyo said quietly. "This is something that I need to do to atone for all the lives that I have taken over the years, without a single shred of remorse.

After a moment of silence, Zalia nodded slowly and stepped back, leaning gratefully against Katya when the older woman wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Besides," Kikyo said in a louder voice now, stepping back over to Acton's bedside. "I'm known as Death Blossom, remember? There is good reason for that. I think it's appropriate that I end my time on this world by saving a life rather than taking one, don't you?"

"Kikyo...don't do this," Acton rasped weakly, and was then overcome by another fit of coughing for a few moments before he recovered enough to speak again. "Has to be...another way."

"We both know there isn't or we would have found it by now," she said quietly, then surprised everyone for a second time when she bent down and kissed his forehead softly. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper so that only he heard her. "Take good care of her for me, alright? If anything happens to her, I'll be back to haunt you."

"You...go right ahead...and try," he whispered back, a crooked smile on his face. She smiled and kissed his forehead again, then stood up and squared her shoulders, her face set.

"Right then," she said softly, almost to herself. "Let's get this show on the road. Time to find out what comes next."

Then she held her hands out over Acton's body and spoke the incantation.

After that, Acton made a swift and complete recovery. He spent two more days in bed before returning to his normal routine. He did make one small change though. On his shoulder, just below his guild symbol, he had a tattoo done of a small skull with a thorny vine issuing from its mouth and wrapping around it and ending in a large rose above the skull.

He showed it to Zalia after he'd had it done. "Whaddaya think?" he asked.

She smiled softly, tracing it with her fingertips. "I like it," she said quietly, kissing him softly. "I think Kikyo would have like it too."

"Right, now we need to get ready," he said. "We need to be ready for this monster when he finally shows his face. This is going to be a long, bloody road."

Authors note: SO! I am so so so SO sorry that it has taken this long to get this chapter out. because of that, I have tried to make this one a little longer. And what a doozy of a chapter it's been. Now, before all of you go off the rails at me, please let me tell you this was something that I had been planning from the beginning. Trust me though, this isn't the last you've seen of Kikyo. She'll be back, I promise. Alright! Back to reality, unfortunately. XP Right, so for now, live hard, laugh hard, and don't forget to SMILE!

Love - Dark