~.~.~
Title: Meeting Against Fate
Notes: I have no idea how far Erza's armors let her fly. But, hey, it's Erza. Also, Tenrou is the last arc, so we're almost done.
~.~.~
10. Eye of the Storm
"Tenrou?" Erza repeated, brow furrowing in confusion. "Why would she be interested in Tenrou? It's our guild's holy ground, but that doesn't have anything to do with outsiders. There's nothing there except the first master's grave and the tree."
Gray shook his head without raising it. He hadn't moved since they had managed to free him, relating his meeting with Ultear and what he heard afterwards as he sat slumped over on the cracked stone of the shrine's ground. "I don't know," he said quietly. "But that's what she said — that she wanted to stop me from going to Tenrou."
"Could it be a distraction? Or maybe she's trying to get you to go there," Lyon suggested. His state was even worse than Gray's, having repeatedly exhausted his magic over the last three days to get Gray free.
"That wouldn't make sense. Tenrou is where the S class trials are taking place this year," Erza said. "We'd be going there anyway. Actually, we're running late." Despite the more pressing issues they were faced with, she still scowled a little at this minor failure.
"Then we have to go right now, before it's too late," Gray said, finally looking up. His expression was unreadable, set in a cold, blank mask that didn't quite hide his frustration — at himself and at Ultear.
"It might already be," Erza said, sighing sharply. "The boat would have left hours ago, and I don't think they would have waited for us. By the time we even get to Hargeon, we'll be a day behind."
"Can you fly to the island? With Heaven's Wheel, or Black Wing?" Gray suggested. "The others are there, so they can fight, but we need to warn them, at least."
Erza considered it. "I might be able to," she allowed. Thinking for a moment longer, she nodded. "Yes, I can. Even carrying you, it should be possible." Then, far too calmly, she added, "And if not, then we'll swim the rest of the way."
Climbing to his feet, Gray hesitated for a moment and glanced at Lyon. "Don't even say anything," Lyon muttered. "I'm not so pathetic that I need you to walk me home. Get going, and make sure you talk some sense into Ur's daughter, properly this time."
He refused to meet Gray's eyes, scowling to hide his embarrassment, and Gray couldn't help but smile. "Alright," he said. Just before turning to go, he added quietly, "Thanks, Lyon."
Erza had already requipped into her silver-winged armor, and a moment later, a white streak shot up into the sky, then due south, like a shooting star.
"Idiot," Lyon said, sighing, to the empty shrine and mountainside. "...Good luck."
~.~.~
Letting her crystal ball roll down her arm, Ultear watched the changing images within, of the other Kin advancing in their tasks.
The first step of their assault on Tenrou Island had gone according to plan. As Master Hades had predicted, Makarov had tried to stop their airship as Fairy Tail's first line of defense, only to be defeated by his old teacher. With Ultear's Ark of Time, the damage of his attack had been erased in moments, and the main invasion force was free to land on the island.
Zancrow, Kain, and Rusty had quickly spread out in search of both opponents and Zeref himself, and Zoldeo had joined them after completing his task of delivering the rest of the troops to land. Meanwhile Azuma had moved in a straight path with singular purpose, on his special mission.
Now it was up to chance and luck how long the fairies managed to avoid the hunting Kin of Purgatory and whether they would be able to regroup and reorganize their forces before they were picked off one by one — or before their magic was completely drained, if Hades's plan worked. Judging by their respective courses, the Fire Dragon Slayer at least would be seeing battle sooner rather than later, as he unknowingly moved closer and closer to Zancrow's position.
It was a poor matchup for Natsu Dragneel. Given Zancrow's bloodthirsty nature, he would likely become the first casualty on Fairy Tail's side. The first friend that Gray would—
Pursing her lips, Ultear quickly wiped away the images within her crystal ball and tucked it under her arm.
Ultear herself, as well as Meldy, were meant to be joining the other Kin in their search, while Hades and Bluenote remained on standby on the airship. Hades had cautioned that one more dangerous man remained on the island — Gildarts Clive. It was likely that none of the Kin would be able to handle him, in which case the second in command of Grimoire Heart would be dispatched.
"It's about time for us to get going," Ultear commented, turning to Meldy and forcing a restrained smile. "Are you ready?"
"Yes, Ul... tear," Meldy corrected herself. "We will obtain Zeref's true power and create a World of Great Magic. And then..." She smiled a little, hesitantly. "We'll be able to restore my hometown too, right?"
Obtain Zeref's true power and create a World of Great Magic — everyone among the Kin of Purgatory repeated that like a mantra. It was the promise that Hades had used to entice them and lead them along. Of course, each of them likely had an entirely different concept of what that would entail.
"Yes, we must obtain Zeref," Ultear said. "But listen, Meldy — we must capture him first, before any of the others." Meldy's expression went blank, but Ultear pressed on. "Meldy, do you understand what the World of Great Magic will be, really? Have you thought about it?"
"I... No, not really," Meldy admitted. She shifted uncertainly, biting her lip. "Our magic will become really powerful, right? Isn't that a good thing?"
"For us," Ultear said. "For powerful wizards, it will make many lost magics possible. We'll be able to create miracles. But a world overflowing with magic will also be a living hell for everyone else. Nature would be thrown into complete chaos, and monsters would become far more powerful as well. People without magic will almost certainly all die, and even weaker wizards will struggle just to survive."
Meldy's eyes grew wide as she listened. Clasping her trembling hands together, she asked quietly, "Why... are you saying all that, Ul? This is what we've been working so hard to achieve. How can you say that it's a bad thing?"
"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, but you understand, don't you? Even if we brought back you hometown, in a world like that, it would soon be destroyed all over again," Ultear went on. Stepping closer, she gently gripped Meldy's shoulders and looked her directly in the eye. "That's why we can't let the others get Zeref before us. If we're the ones who capture him, there's another way."
"Another way?" Meldy repeated. But she didn't question Ultear further, only nodding in agreement. "Okay, I'll help, Ul."
Ultear had known she would, of course. She would have even without having anything explained. Meldy's loyalty ran deep, but at the same time, Ultear didn't want her to hesitate at a crucial moment. It was better to make sure they were on the same page while they still had a moment free.
And... in some way, Ultear wanted to tell someone. She didn't want to admit it, but her heart had been wavering, and she wanted to reaffirm to herself the path she had chosen.
"Good girl," she praised. "So don't bother fighting any of the Fairy Tail members. Let the others deal with them. And if you find Zeref first, contact me. I'll take care of everything from there. With his power, I'll be able to use Last Ages without any limitations, and I'll restore everything to the way it was. I'll create a second chance for us, with our families."
"You'll... restore everything to the way it was?" Meldy repeated, her brow furrowing.
"That's right," Ultear said. "I'm going to use Last Ages to turn back time and undo everything that's gone wrong. We'll be able to live our lives the way we always should have, before everything went wrong. Your hometown, my mother... we won't ever have to lose them."
She smiled, but there was a feeling of wrongness deep in her gut. Something just wasn't right, and Ultear couldn't understand it, or maybe she didn't want to. Everything she had struggled to achieve for the last ten years was almost in reach, so why did she feel more uncertain than ever?
Meldy, too, was looking up at her with a strange, troubled expression. Her lips parted, but she hesitated before speaking. "But... what about us?" she said finally, a plaintive tone in her voice. "What about you and me? Are we still going to meet?"
"Th-that's... Of course," Ultear assured her, forcing her smile not to waver. "Of course we will. I'll definitely find you again, Meldy."
Still wearing that same strange expression, Meldy nodded slowly and took a step back, then another. "...Of course," she agreed. "So I'll help you look. I'll always help you, Ul." Turning suddenly on her heel, she ran into the jungle around them and disappeared before Ultear could say anything else.
Futilely, Ultear raised a hand as if to reach for her, then let it drop to her side again. It was already too late — there was no turning back.
~.~.~
Despite its majestic silver wings, Heaven's Wheel was never meant for prolonged flight, only short air dashes and temporary hovering. Erza, being Erza, forced it to streak across the sky like a meteor over half of Fiore and nearly as far out to sea as well — carrying Gray the entire time no less.
But even for Erza, it was pushing her to her limits. Clinging to her the entire way, the headwinds pulling on his hair and coat, was hardly pleasant, but Gray knew it was harder for Erza. Her shoulders, under his arms, were beginning to tremble with the strain, and her metal gauntlets dug into his waist painfully as she tightened her slipping grip.
"I can see it," Erza shouted over the wind. Raising his head, Gray turned to look over his shoulder — indeed, Tenrou's massive tree had finally appeared on the horizon and was quickly drawing closer.
However, something else caught Gray's attention. "What's that?" he yelled, jerking his head toward another speck on the dark, roiling sea.
"It looks like a ship... No, several of them," Erza said. "The crest on the sails... it's the Rune Knights."
"Then there really is something happening here," Gray concluded, gritting his teeth.
Erza nodded, tensing as she somehow dredged up another burst of magic to push them into a final sprint toward the island. The press of the wind became almost unbearable, making them both duck their heads as they sped forward, and sharp rain began to pelt against them as they approached.
But something reached them even over the roar of the wind and the rain — a sudden, booming crack that felt like it resonated down into their bones. The rending sound dragged on, feeling like something was dragging out from within them.
Erza let out a sharp cry of distress, and her grip loosened. Gray began to slip out of her arms, but he couldn't seem to hold on either. His body refused to respond, his energy and magic draining away into nothing. Both of them plummeted toward the water below.
As they fall, spinning and tumbling head over heels, Gray caught a glimpse of the island — and the broken tree slowly tipping over sideways into the sea.
Hitting the water, Gray gasped and nearly choked. But it at least startled him enough to regain some control of his body. He flailed for a moment to get his boots and coat off, then kicked hard. Surfacing for a moment, he took a deep breath and dived again.
Erza's silver armor gleamed even in the dark water, as she sank further and further. When he grabbed hold of her wrist, Gray was dragged along as well, the armor too heavy for him to pull up. With her magic drained, Erza couldn't unequip it either. Her movements were sluggish as she tried to slip out of the silver bands, and it took several silent moments of tense fumbling before Gray managed to help her.
By the time the last metal wing was released and quickly plummeted toward the seafloor, Gray's lungs burned, and Erza didn't seem to be moving at all any longer. Just reaching out to grab her arm felt like a struggle, but Gray knew that if he gave up there, it would be over. This time, there wasn't anyone to help them.
His vision had gone almost completely dark, overtaken by spots, when they finally burst through the surface of the water, gasping for air. It was a relief to hear Erza cough and sputter next to him.
"We have to get to shore!" Gray yelled as they bobbed among the rough waves. Thankfully, they had made it close enough that he could make out the looming shape of the wolf-head cliffs even through the rain.
Erza's only response was a weak tightening of her grip on his arm, but when he began to swim toward the island, she did her best to do the same.
'What the hell is going on?' Gray thought, struggling back to the surface after a large wave engulfed them. 'Is this because of the tree breaking? I heard it lends power to anyone with the Fairy Tail crest, so is it the reverse now? But this was definitely caused by an enemy. The others are in danger, we have to hurry and regroup with them!'
They arrived on Tenrou carried by another wave that crashed them onto the beach before draining back into the sea. Coughing up water and struggling to their feet, Gray and Erza stumbled away from the water line, at least far enough to take shelter from the rain under the cliffs.
"At this rate... even if we find the others, we won't be any use," Gray said, gritting his teeth.
Leaning against one of the rock outcroppings dotting the beach, Erza muttered, "We were too late."
"Yeah," Gray sighed. Frustration gnawed at him, but he forced himself to calm down and relax his tense muscles. Taking a deep breath, he said, far more calmly than he felt, "But that just means we'll have to teach these guys not to mess with Fairy Tail, right? I'm sure Natsu, Mira, Gildarts and everyone else is already giving them hell, so we better pull it together or there won't be any left for us."
Erza chuckled breathlessly. "That's true. We're Fairy Tail, after all," she agreed, smiling a little and closing her eyes. "Just give me a moment, and we'll set off once I can walk again."
The rain was beginning to let up a little, gradually slowing to a drizzle. The heavy dark clouds still covered the sky, so it would probably return before long. At least it was warm, same as the sea, so they didn't need to worry about their body temperature dropping too low.
'It's annoying though,' Gray thought, reaching up irritably to comb his bangs out of his face.
Bringing his hand down, he paused and looked at it for a long moment, then clenched it into a fist experimentally.
"Erza," Gray said simply.
"I noticed it too," she said, opening her eyes and sitting up. "My magic's coming back. It's even been restored, compared to before." Climbing to her feet, she requipped — the white dress she had worn under Heaven's Wheel replaced by a bikini and shorts. They wouldn't provide any protection, but at least they would weigh her down the least once they became soaked through.
"But the tree..." Gray glanced up over the cliffs, where only a broken stump remained. "Did the enchantment on the tree finally break under the strain? Or...?"
"It doesn't matter," Erza decided. "We need to link up with the others. I know where Master planned to set up camp, so let's start there."
~.~.~
When Erza came to a sudden stop, Gray paused too. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Instead of answering, Erza looked up toward the trees and called out, "Are you going to come out? It's us. Or do you want some proof?"
Two familiar figures emerged from the foliage — Freed and Bickslow. They jumped down, landing neatly in front of Gray and Erza. "No need, I can tell it's you," Freed said, smiling before his expression became serious again. "It's good to have you two here. As you can probably tell, we're in an emergency situation."
"You sure took your time," Bickslow added, leering at Gray. "Just so you know, the first task already ended, so you're disqualified by default."
"Is this really the time for that?" Gray grumbled.
"The camp is just ahead," Freed explained, already turning to go and gesturing for them to follow. "Levy and I were laying down a barrier. We just finished, so it's time to consider our next move."
The camp consisted of three tents set up against the rain. Most of those that had come for the S class trial were standing guard, but a few were laid out inside, their injuries hastily treated. Among the injured was Mira, who nonetheless appeared to have taken charge. She brightened as she caught sight of them, rising from her seat and taking a few unsteady steps forward.
"You're late," she scolded with a smile.
"Sorry about that," Erza said, smiling back despite the worry in her eyes. "What's the situation?"
Mira sighed. "The island's been invaded by a dark guild — Grimoire Heart. They came in an airship and dropped troops all over the place. Most of them are just grunts, but there are a few that are really strong. Master tried to fight their leader when they first arrived, but it seems he lost."
She shot a worried look toward the small figure swathed in bandages almost head to toe, resting in one of the tents. Lisanna was lying next to him, Natsu and Wendy sitting by her side, though at least neither appeared too injured.
"Master lost?" Erza repeated in surprise.
"I couldn't believe it either," Mira said quietly. "But I heard from Gildarts that their master is actually... our guild's second Master, Precht Gaebolg. So he was Master's master, a long time ago. Gildarts and Master Makarov heard rumors, but they hoped it wasn't true..."
"And Gildarts?" Erza asked, looking around the camp but seeing so sign of the guild's other S class wizard.
"He's gone to scout, the Exceeds too," Mira said. "They attacked while everyone was scattered for the second task, so we've just been trying to get everyone together and make sure everyone's safe. One of their members... he destroyed the Tenrou tree and drained everyone's magic. I managed to beat him, just barely, so we should be back to normal."
"We felt that," Erza confirmed.
"Aside from that... Natsu fought one of their generals. He just managed to win, but he exhausted his magic," Mira went on. "Wendy's worn herself out healing him and Master... I, um, went a bit hard on Lisanna and Juvia in the first trial, so Lisanna's not really in fighting shape either."
"It looks like Cana and Lucy aren't here," Gray noted, having done a quick headcount of those present.
"They're still missing," Mira confirmed, pursing her lips unhappily. "They were partners, so they're probably at least together, but I'm worried about them."
"The candidates this year were allowed to bring a partner," Erza explained to Gray. "Natsu must have brought happy, Freed with Bickslow, Juvia with Lisanna, and Cana with Lucy."
"Oh, that's right, you wouldn't know about that," Mira realized. "You guessed those pairs right. For the others... Evergreen came with Elfman, Gajeel with Levy, and Wendy with Mest. I fought Juvia and Lisanna for the first trial, Gildarts fought Natsu, Cana and Lucy fought Freed and Bickslow, Elfman and Evergreen fought Mest and Wendy, and Levy and Gajeel got a pass."
"Wait, if Cana and Lucy are still out there... they beat Freed and Bickslow?" Gray wondered, trying to catch up with everything she was saying.
"Mest... Why did we think he's a member of the guild? I know Mystogan didn't actually have an apprentice," Erza pointed out the more important issue.
"That was his magic. He can change memories. He's actually a Rune Knight," Mira said. "He helped Wendy, Natsu and Master, but he's gone to meet up with the rest of the Knights. But he said he's not sure what will happen after he reports in."
"Probably nothing," Gray said sourly. "When did the Council ever actually do anything?"
"We saw their ships when we were flying in, but they're keeping their distance," Erza added. "Let's leave them aside for now. It sounds like most of us are fit to fight. We have two options — we can take our wounded and make a fighting retreat, or we can leave a small group here to defend the camp and counterattack. Which do we choose?"
Mira turned to look at Lisanna, resting in the tent next to Makarov, then at Elfman, standing guard at the other edge of the camp. When she turned back to Erza, it was with a smile that Gray hadn't seen for over two years — and which still sent a shiver down his spine.
"You have to ask?" she said.
Erza smiled back, just as dangerously. They both knew that everyone else would make the same choice. They were Fairy Tail, after all.
There was a flutter of wings above as the Exceeds returned from their scouting mission, and everyone quickly began to gather around.
"Gray-sama! Juvia is so happy to be reunited!"
"Took you long enough, icicle pants. I thought we were going to have to start the fight without you!"
"Erza's here too!"
The tense, heavy atmosphere lifted as the guild crowded together and greeted the two latecomers. Since the invasion had started, it had been a frantic race to find each other and figure out what was going on. Everyone had been taken completely off guard, and the guild's usual confidence had been shaken.
But now, the mood was quickly changing. Reunited and even getting reinforcements, Fairy Tail was regaining its spirit, and everyone eagerly fell silent as Mira and Erza called for their attention.
"Happy, Carla and Pantherlily have determined the location of the enemy generals, and their ship," Erza announced. "So it's time to plan our counterattack. Is everyone ready?"
"What about Gildarts? And Cana and Lu-chan?" Levy called out.
"Gildarts said he thinks he knows where Cana and Lucy might have gone," Carla relayed. "If they're not there, he's going to keep searching."
"Of the enemy generals, we found three more, plus the ship," Pantherlily explained. "There might be others that we missed, and some of the foot soldiers are still scattered around."
"That's why we'd like one team to stay here to protect the camp," Mira said, taking over. "I'll be here too, but I'm not in the best shape, and I don't want to rely on just the barrier."
"Leave it to us, nee-chan! Protecting my sisters and the master is manly!" Elfman called out. Next to him, Evergreen huffed in exasperation but didn't protest.
"Then the rest of us will split into pairs and take a target each," Erza said. "Wendy, if your magic has recovered enough, I'd like you to come with the team that heads to the ship. They're most likely to need your support."
Clenching her fists nervously, Wendy nodded. "I-I can do it," she said, sounding a bit like she was trying to convince herself.
"Of course you can! You're a Fairy Tail wizard and a Dragon Slayer!" Natsu assured her, ruffling her hair. "And I'll be right there too! I won't lose!"
"That's fine," Erza said. "So Natsu will be on the ship team. If there's no objections, I'll go with him. For the others..."
"Wait," Gray spoke up suddenly, "I have a question. Among the enemies you saw, was there a woman with long black hair?"
Hearing his question, Erza frowned but nodded to Pantherlily to answer. "Yes... there was," the Exceed said slowly. "There is a woman like that among them. She's almost due west of here, near a dead spot in the jungle."
"West of here... that's where we saw that strange man, isn't it?" Evergreen said. Elfman only shrugged, uncertain, but Natsu nodded in agreement. "I forgot about it before, with the invasion," Evergreen went on, "but we ran into this strange man when we started the second task. He disappeared when Grimoire Heart arrived."
"He turned my scarf black," Natsu muttered.
"That was very powerful negative energy," Wendy mentioned worriedly. "You're lucky your scarf absorbed it. If you get hit by that..."
'A strange man with dangerous magic... Could it be?' Gray thought, glancing between them. It seemed farfetched, but Ultear had seemed so certain that the R-System would fail, not because they would stop it, but fundamentally. If it had never reached completion before, then there was no real way to know for sure — unless the person that was supposed to be revived had never died in the first place.
"So she's here," Erza concluded. "And you want to go alone, then?"
"Yeah," Gray said simply.
The others looked between them in surprise, uncertain what to make of this development. "But that's too dangerous, even for Gray-sama!" Juvia protested. "Juvia will go with Gray-sama!"
"Thanks, but this is something I want to do by myself," Gray said, offering her a restrained smile. "It's... about that person, the one I couldn't forget about. I'm going to try again, like you said."
"Oh!" Juvia realized, recalling their conversation by the river months ago. She hesitated, biting her lip and turning it over in her mind. "If it's that person... Juvia understands." She sighed, shoulders drooping. "Juvia will trust in Gray-sama's feelings and go with Natsu-san and Erza-san."
'So she knows something about this?' Erza thought, watching the exchange. 'Gray must have told her because... I see.'
"Are you sure?" she asked Gray. "It didn't work out so well last time."
"I didn't die," Gray pointed out, smiling with some irony. That was all he'd been sure of in the first place — that Ultear didn't want to kill him, and he had been right about that. "And I won't get tricked this time. Besides, if their master beat Gramps, you know you'll need all the support you can get against him, and Juvia is strong."
"Ah, Gray-sama~" Juvia murmured, wiggling happily at the praise.
Erza considered him for a moment. Usually, her firm, sharp glare was enough to make anyone in the guild back down, but on this one subject, Gray had never given ground. It had been like that from the beginning, when Erza agreed to stay on Galuna even after he was injured. She still wasn't sure what to think of it — to be impressed by her childhood friend becoming so strong and sure of what he wanted, or to be annoyed that he had become so willfully reckless.
She sighed. "We don't have time to argue," she said. "Do as you will. But you better not lose, got it?"
"I won't," Gray assured her. "This time, it's about the guild too. I'm a Fairy Tail wizard, so there's no way I'll let these guys get away with this, no matter who my opponent is."
The others had been watching the byplay, whispering among themselves, some more subtly than others. "Gihihi, someone's been keeping secrets," Gajeel noted, snickering under his breath even as Levy elbowed him.
"Suspicious," Natsu agreed. Crossing his arms, he glared sulkily at Gray and Erza.
"So mysterious... You two have been hiding lots of things all year," Mira noted. "After this, you better be ready to explain everything. I just can't hold back anymore." She smiled, bringing one hand to her lips daintily, but her aura radiated a barely restrained menace.
"You're nosy as always," Erza shot back. "But you're right. After this, we'll explain everything. However, there's not time for that now. Freed and Bickslow, Gajeel and Levy, pick your targets."
"We saw two more enemy generals — a man in a thick coat and sunglasses on the other side of the tree, and a fat man to the north," Pantherlily reported. "Which will you take?"
"We'll take the one on the far side of the island," Freed decided, exchanging a quick look with Bickslow. "We can move faster than Gajeel and Levy, so we can reach him easier. Is that alright with you two?"
"I don't care which one we get as long as we get on with it," Gajeel said. "I'm itching for some action!" Next to him, Levy cringed a little, far less enthusiastic at the prospect of violence. She made a face when Gajeel reached down to ruffle her already frizzy hair.
Erza took a moment to check each of the guild members one more time as the teams began to separate and move apart. Mira, Elfman and Evergreen, staying at the base camp with Makarov and Lisanna. Freed and Bickslow, headed to the far south. Gajeel and Levy, heading north, Pantherlily moving to join them. Gray, heading west alone to face Ultear one more time.
Herself, Natsu, Juvia and Wendy, heading to the Grimoire Heart airship, with Happy and Carla joining their partners as well.
"Is everyone ready?" Erza called out.
A resounding cheer went up from the gathered wizards.
"Then I don't need to say anything else. You know your targets. We won't let some dark guild get away attacking our holy ground and injuring our comrades! We're going to pay them back — starting now! Fairy Tail, move out!"
~.~.~
"I don't like this. Cana, maybe we should go look for the others after all," Lucy fretted, looking around nervously.
Based on her reading of Makarov's clues about the location of the first master's grave, she and Cana had found another branch in the route E tunnel. They had been stumbling through the dark passage of roots and dirt for a while, and Lucy's doubts grew with every moment.
"We're almost there. It's a little further now. I can see the light ahead," Cana replied absently, without even glancing back. She continued to forge on ahead with single-minded determination. Knowing her reasons, Lucy understood, she really did, but...
"Is this really the time? The whole island's under attack," Lucy said. She nervously chewed her lip, thinking back on their encounter with one of Grimoire Heart's generals — Kin of Purgatory, Zoldeo had called them while wearing Capricorn's body. "Shouldn't we make sure everyone is okay and help fight?"
Ahead of her, Cana abruptly came a stop, making Lucy nearly crash into her back. She took a nervous step back as Cana turned on her with a harsh glare.
"Then go back," Cana spat. "If you're so worried about them, go back by yourself. But I told you, if I can't make S class, I'm quitting the guild! If I can't even do this much, then I can't count myself part of Fairy Tail!"
Lucy flinched at her uncompromising declaration, nearly backing away again. Cana hadn't been acting like herself, or with any sense of rationality, since the second task had started. It had been obvious when she refused to regroup despite the emergency flare being fired off or even when they were attacked by the dark guild intruders, and it had gotten only worse since then.
'But what can I do?' Lucy thought helplessly. 'Leaving her alone would be even worse. What if she ran into another of those Kin? ...Come to think if it, what if I did? Loke's out for a while, and they seem really strong.'
So even if she couldn't convince Cana to head to the camp instead, staying together was the smarter choice. But also...
"And I told you that I'll help you become S class," Lucy countered, squaring her shoulders and glaring back. "I'm your partner. I'm not going back alone. I'm not leaving you, no matter what!"
"Lucy..." Cana's hard expression softened a little. "We'll go look for the others as soon as we find the grave, okay? I just... I have to do this."
They resumed their trek in silence. Up ahead, the light grew brighter and brighter, until they finally stepped out into the damp open air of a small alcove between the great tree's roots. On the opposite side, a small warm flame flickered in the shadow of a straw awning.
"That must be it!" Cana said excitedly. She took off running across the clearing, Lucy stumbling after her.
"Wait, Cana!" Lucy called out.
Drawing closer, she could make out the white stone pillars that housed the small golden flame. There was no doubt — this was Mavis Vermillion's grave.
"We made it," Cana declared with satisfaction. "But we need some proof. Otherwise, they might not believe I really did it..." She looked around consideringly, but the small clearing lacked anything notable aside from the grave itself. Crouching in front of it, Cana peered at the small structure, as if trying to decide if they could take a piece of it with them. The flame in the center flickered a little, pressing against the invisible boundaries of its container.
"Maybe it'll be enough if we describe it?" Lucy suggested. "It's pretty distinctive and it's not like anyone told us what it looks like."
"I suppose it'll have to do," Cana said, backing away. "It's too bad none of my cards can—"
She was cut off in mid-sentence as an impossible weight slammed down onto her and Lucy.
Crying out in pain, the two girls were thrown to the ground and pinned in place. It wasn't just them. Everything around them was hit by the same gravity magic, caving in a circular crater.
Struggling just to tilt her head, Lucy could barely make out the figure of a tall man land lightly in the center of the clearing. Unlike the girls, he must have traveled over the surrounding cliffs and roots until he finally stumbled on the grave's small alcove.
"Are you two supposed to be guarding this place?" he wondered, glancing at them without much interest. "I would have expected better protection for something like this. How disappointing."
"Are you... Kin of Purgatory...?" Lucy forced out.
The man snorted a laugh. "Oh, you know about them? No, I'm above them," he said. "The second in command of Grimoire Heart, Bluenote Stinger."
'Second in command? This is really bad!' Lucy thought frantically. 'I can't even reach my keys. And this place is covered from the rain too... I can't even summon Aquarius like this.' She glanced at Cana, hoping the other girl was doing better. If they could just work together, and combine Cana's Water Fountain card with Lucy's key of the Water Bearer...
But Cana was just as pinned as Lucy. Neither of them had the slightest opening to reach for their weapons.
"What... do you want?!" Cana yelled, gritting her teeth and glaring furiously.
"What I want?" Bluenote repeated, tilting his head to the side. "Shouldn't that be obvious? Oh, I see... So you don't even know what this is."
"It's... Mavis's grave..." Lucy said.
"Like anyone would care about some grave," Bluenote dismissed her words. "I heard about this place from Master Hades. It might be a grave, but there's something else here too — the way to cast the three great Fairy Magics. The spells are recorded here. Fairy Law, Fairy Glitter, and Fairy Sphere... I wanted to see for myself, while I had some free time waiting for you fairies to regroup and plan your counterattack."
As he spoke, he walked past them toward the gravestone, where the golden flame flickered frantically. The crushing force of his own magic didn't seem to affect him at all as he stepped over their prone bodies.
'No!' Cana thought frantically. 'We can't let him take our guild's magic! Those spells were passed down from the first master! They shouldn't be used by someone as evil as these people! We have to stop him! We have to stop him—!'
Bluenote stopped. Slowly, he turned to look behind him, at the two girls crushed against the ground.
"S... top..." Lucy gritted out, her hand wrapped around his ankle. "We won't... let you... take our master's—"
She couldn't even force out a scream as the pressure on her doubled, then tripled. The ground under her body crumbled, forming an imprint with her suddenly increased weight. Frowning scornfully, Bluenote pulled himself free of her grip.
"Lucy!" Cana yelled. Tears of frustration and fear welled up in her eyes as she watched, helpless to save her friend. 'This is all my fault,' she thought. 'Please, someone, anyone...'
Her prayers were answered.
A black streak darted toward them from the tunnel entrance, and a powerful right hook ploughed into Bluenote's face, sending him flying and crashing into the side of the alcove. Straightening slowly, Gildarts glanced at the two girls, his face set in a cold, furious mask.
"Are you two alright?" he asked.
"Lucy!" Cana yelled again, scrambling through the dirt to her friend's side and rolling her over onto her back. Lucy coughed weakly, her eyes barely open, but at least she was still alive. Cana embraced her gently, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Confirming their condition, Gildarts turned to watch Bluenote pick himself up out of the rubble. Rage and pure magic power rolled off of him in waves, but his voice was comforting when he spoke. "It's alright," he said, to Cana. "You'll be alright now. I'll take care of him, so leave this to me."
They didn't know the full extent of the enemy's power. He was the second in command of a guild that had dared to attack Fairy Tail on their holy ground. There was absolutely no guarantee that Gildarts would win.
But Cana believed him when he said that they would be alright. Looking at his broad, strong back standing between them and the enemy, she couldn't do anything except believe him. Not just that he would win — that they, Fairy Tail, would survive and overcome any enemy, any challenge.
'So that's what it is...' she thought. 'S class is really...'
"S class... are really something else," Lucy murmured hoarsely.
"Yeah..." Cana chuckled, swallowing another sob.
The entire clearing was rocked by a shockwave as Gildarts disappeared from sight and collided with Bluenote, sending them both crashing through stone and massive roots. Another explosion followed, then another, the two powerful wizards beginning to fight in earnest.
"I forgot," Cana said, her shoulders and her voice shaking, "what S class really is. I forgot what it means to be S class. It's not just about being the strongest, or passing some test. You have to be the guild's strength, a leader who can protect everyone and give them courage even when things are tough. I don't have the right to be S class!"
"Cana..." Lucy murmured, trying to sit up and comfort her friend.
"I was so focused on myself that I didn't even think about the others! I couldn't even protect you or our guild's magic! I couldn't do a single thing!" Cana sobbed. "I don't have the right to be part of Fairy Tail, much less S class!"
"Cana!" Lucy yelled. Grabbing her friend's shoulders, she pulled her close and held tight. "That's enough! I couldn't do anything either! And we all make mistakes! We get caught up in our own issues, we do stupid, selfish things. That doesn't mean you don't deserve to be in the guild. Please don't say that. You want to stay with us, don't you? You want to protect Fairy Tail, don't you? Then isn't that enough?"
Cana's shoulders sagged, her whole body slumping against Lucy. "I do," she said quietly. "I want to stay with everyone. I love Fairy Tail. I want to protect it..."
'I want to be strong enough to protect it, to protect everyone,' she thought. But compared to her own, painfully obvious weakness, that wish seemed as distant as the moon and the stars.
'Then that's enough.'
It took Cana a moment to realize that the voice that answered her wasn't Lucy's. It was younger and softer, and it echoed inside her mind, from all directions and none at all.
'Carrying that wish is enough. The power to protect our guild — I will lend it to you.'
Behind them, the golden flame within the gravestone flared blindingly. Instinctively, Cana reached out toward it. It was warm and somehow welcoming as it reached out to wrap around her arm, sinking into her skin and into her magic.
The light vanished as abruptly as it had appeared, the gold flame returning to its place, smaller but still far from extinguished.
A black tattoo wrapped around Cana's forearm. "Is that...?" Lucy wondered, peering at it with interest. "That guy said that the three great magics were recorded here. Does this mean you can use them now?"
"I... I don't know," Cana admitted. There was a new knowledge now, at the back of her mind, but she couldn't begin to make heads or tails of it. She swallowed heavily, clenching her fist, and came to a decision. "I don't know," she repeated, "but it doesn't matter. We can fight, either way, and we can help the others protect our holy ground. Are you up for it?"
Lucy grinned. "Of course!" she declared. "Let's show them what Fairy Tail can do!"
~.~.~
On the other side of the island, a figure that was neither Fairy Tail nor Grimoire Heart, neither light nor dark, looked up in surprise and glanced toward the remains of Tenrou's great tree, where a magic he had never expected to feel again had flared for a moment before vanishing once more.
"Mavis..." Zeref murmured, an unreadable expression passing over his face.
But his contemplation was interrupted by the approach of another presence. He turned to watch as a woman emerged from among the dead trees and brush, a crystal ball rolling up and down her forearm. There was a familiar look in her eyes — hunger and dark desperation.
"Leave," he warned. "I have already decided not to interfere with the world any longer. I am only waiting for the end. Whatever you seek from me, you will not gain it. You will only lose your life."
He gestured around them, to the landscape drained of all life by his presence, but the woman only smirked. "You're wrong," she said, holding up her crystal ball. "The power to resist the end — the infinite time — is exactly what I seek. And I will gain it, regardless of your will, or your curse."
Zeref's eyes widened as the gray, dead forest around them stirred and began to rise again. Green returned to the withered branches, and soon they were once again surrounded by a dense, living jungle, the leaves rustling gently as the intermittent rain pattered against them.
"What... kind of magic is this?" he wondered.
Preoccupied with the changed landscape, he was taken completely off guard when the ground at his feet suddenly split open and the rapidly thickening trunk of a new tree burst forth. It slammed into him with enough force to thrown him into another tree, leaving a dent in the trunk. He didn't move — not because the blow had been enough to incapacitate him, but because his body was racked with spasms.
"S-stay back!" Zeref called out desperately as the familiar deathly magic of his curse began to swell out, draining away the life that had been restored around him.
There was no time for the woman to run, but she did not even try to. Lifting her crystal ball in front of herself, she focused her magic. In the next moment, she was engulfed, and everything was swallowed by a deadly haze.
Zeref collapsed, panting. "Not again..." he murmured. "Why does it always have to end like this...?"
The crunch of broken twigs echoed through the deadened area like a shot, and Zeref's head snapped up. He stared in shock at the woman, who approached slowly, unharmed despite having been well in the radius of the curse's effect.
"You... but how?" Zeref wondered, stumbling to his feet.
He didn't get any further, as she smiled and drove a surprisingly strong fist into his gut. Everything went dark.
~.~.~
NEXT: Tenrou, part two
~.~.~