Hi, everyone. It's been a while, hasn't it? I hate how updates have become more sporadic recently, but it's become impossible to write chapters weekly when I've been working on so many one-shots and my newest multi-chapter story: Unforgivable.
At least now that Jerza Week is almost over, I'll have more time to work on Demons. Thankfully, I'm still very inspired for this story, so I'm really excited to keep writing it.
In any case, I want to thank Lieutenant Myst and Yusuki6 for leaving a comment on chapter 10 and being patient with this one.
As for the Guest: Yes, someone who pays attention! The answer to Juvia's state is indeed the potion that Juliet Heartfilia took in order to fake her death. It doesn't last for a whole week, but only 24 hours.
During Juliet's funeral, she used magic to create an illusion of herself, the effects had already wore off. You'll also see about Meredy in this chapter, but I can't promise she'll be okay.
If you're a fan of Lyredy, Jerza, NaLu, Stingyu or Kinabra, this chapter has some nice scenes with them all. No wonder it's so freaking long! I have no idea how I managed to place so many characters here. Oh, well, I hope you'll enjoy it!
Demi Lovato-Unbroken
I'm gonna love you like I've never been broken
I'm gonna say it like it's never been spoken
Tonight, tonight I'm letting go, go, go, go
I'm gonna give it like it's never been taken
I'm gonna fall like I don't need saving
Tonight, tonight I'm letting go
Centuries before…
"Please, stay away." Zeref pleaded while staring at the group of men before him. They were wizards who had come to collect their prize: him.
Yes, the now infamous dark wizard was in every guild's request board as everyone wished for a strong and powerful mage to manage to put an end to his course, they were all unaware that he'd tried to do so himself multiple times and failed.
"Seriously? This is the dark wizard Zeref?" One of the men mocked.
"Doesn't look threatening to me." Another added, chuckling.
Zeref tried to walk away again, but was stopped by a barrier that one of them had cast, a water mage. He sighed, if they kept using magic then he'd have no choice but to fight them. He didn't want to do that, the last thing he wished was to take more lives and fall deeper into the darkness. They weren't making it easy, though.
"Let's knock him out so we can get our prize." Another wizard said and he shook his head. Ignorant fools, didn't they know who he was and what he was capable of?
Just as he was about to give in and use his magic, all of the men were suddenly thrown away by…a dragon roar? Or at least it sounded like one.
Looking around the apparently empty forest in confusion, Zeref wondered what had happened and if he was perhaps losing his mind. That wouldn't be such a surprise, he thought bitterly. It had been over a century since he'd been cursed by Ankhseram and in that time, he had lost hope of ever breaking it.
"I think thanks are in order." The voice was deep and unfamiliar.
"Who are you?" The dark wizard looked around, confused when he didn't spot anyone.
"You're certainly not what I expected." A man jumped down from a tree. He had short black hair, light skin and small brown eyes.
"Neither are you." For such a powerful mage, considering how he had sent all 5 men away, he seemed to be rather weak, judging by his skinny and muscleless body.
"It's best to appear inoffensive, no one will suspect that I'm actually a dragon slayer." The man replied and the last words peeked Zeref's interest. "Dragon Slayer?"
"Indeed. I began learning such magic from the great iron dragon, Metallicana. Although my wife is a much better student than I am." A smile came upon the man's face at the end.
"My father was a dragon slayer." The dark mage didn't know why said it.
"Cool. So, is your name really Zeref or is that just a codename?" There was something different about this man. In his many years of existence and being the dark wizard, Zeref had never encountered someone who spoke to him so freely; unconcealed and unafraid. And he couldn't deny, he liked the change."It's Zeref. And what is yours?"
The man extended a hand as if wishing to shake his. "Ethan. Ethan Redfox."
Present day… 8:15 PM
"So Laxus is down." Bisca said while glancing towards the unconscious man; right after Dorenbolt disappeared.
"And Mira?" Elfman said, looking at Porlyusica.
"She'll recover." Everyone was relieved by the healer's response.
"What happened there? I've never seen Mira so drained of magic power." Lisanna wondered, curious.
"I feel like something is very wrong with her." Bisca's eyes didn't leave Mirajane's arm, where the strange markings had just faded.
"Something's been wrong with her for a while now." Elfman sighed, remembering the conversation with Laxus he had witnessed a few days before.
"What is it?" The former turned to him, concerned.
"We're not sure." Lisanna replied defeatedly. Bixlow placed a hand on her shoulder and she held it with her own, giving him a thankful look.
"What's going on with you two?" Alzack asked, eyeing them curiously.
"You can talk about this later, children. Now, I need your help." They turned to the healer, who had stood up and walked towards them.
"You know what's going on with Mira." Elfman suddenly accused, ignoring her.
"He's right! You tried to stop her from fighting because you know something." Lisanna realized.
"Whatever it is, we deserve to know." He added.
"It's not my place to tell." Porlyusica replied, shaking her head. "The three of you should discuss this matter when she wakes up." Her serious tone did nothing to ease the younger siblings' worry.
"And when will that be?" Bisca was the one who asked while handing Asuka to Alzack; the little girl stirred but quickly settled her head on her father's shoulder.
"Could be a few days or more; it's hard to know." The older woman replied before a determined look came upon her face. "Now, our imminent priority is preparing the antidote in order to heal Laxus and the others. Where is the blood?"
"Here." Bixlow picked up Laxus' coat and showed her the stain.
"Good. I'll need a few ingredients, which you'll have to fetch for me." They nodded, understanding the urgency of the situation.
Before she could tell the what the ingredients were, a small figure appeared by their side.
"Master?" Lisanna asked, facing the older man with surprise.
"Are you alright, children?" Makarov fixed them with a worried look.
"Not entirely." He looked around for all of the wounded and, once his eyes found Laxus, they darkened.
"Have you found the creature who did this?" Elfman nodded, a small smile on his face.
"Yeah, Mira and Laxus took care of him; they are really manly." Makarov nodded before glancing towards Mirajane.
"So many have been injured, I should have never allowed it." Sensing his guilt, Bisca was quick to reassure him. "It's ok, Master. We knew what we were getting ourselves into when we decided to go to war."
"While that is true, I should have interfered before instead of waiting for necessity." They were confused, unaware that he had gone to fetch the Lumen Histoire while everyone was fighting and debated with himself whether he should actually use it.
"What does that mean, Master?" Lisanna asked, but he simply smiled.
"Nothing, child." Turning to Porlyusica, he asked if she'd gotten the antidote. After receiving a positive response, he nodded before walking away a few feet.
"What are you doing, old man?" The healer asked in confusion.
"It's time to end this war." Was Makarov's reply before he closed his eyes. Soon he started glowing brightly, nearly blinding them, before casting the ultimate spell that would save them all: Fairy Law.
"Yukino!" Sting's screams echoed in the night as he tried to free himself. The celestial mage struggled to get free from the vines binding her, but it was no use. Her magic was nearly gone and she felt so exhausted; if only she could catch a break.
The flower was still advancing towards her, almost as if in slow motion, and the dragon slayer grew desperate. He was trapped and unable to use magic. He wouldn't be able to protect her, to save her. But still, he tried and tried, and Rogue watched this with sadness and regret.
He regretted not pushing his friend to admit his feelings for Yukino earlier; knowing now the horrible price they would pay for that. How would Sting move on from this? How would he?
If losing a good friend wasn't bad enough, said friend was also the woman his best friend loved. He knew that with her gone; all the development they had gone through might just disappear. She had been the reason Sting decided to change, after all, and Rogue worried that her death would send him back to who he used to be.
"Let her go!" Another desperate scream, making him flinch.
He couldn't allow that to happen, but there was nothing he could do to prevent this horrible fate. They were both trapped with no choice but to watch it and it killed him too. It killed him to see his best friend so hopeless and broken.
"I'm sorry." Yukino turned to Sting, tearful, and gave him a meaningful look.
Rogue could see it in her eyes, she wanted to say the three words that would change everything. He hoped that she would, so that Sting could at least know that his feelings for her were reciprocated. But then Mard Geer ruined the moment when he made the vines tighten around her mouth, making it impossible for her to say it.
"Damn you!" He screamed at the demon while trying to get free.
At that moment, as he watched Sting give a defeated sigh and stop struggling when the flower came even close, Rogue wanted nothing more than to go back in time and change his actions. He wanted to convince Sting to confess and to watch as him and Yukino grew even closer and happier. But he couldn't.
"Please, don't hurt her. Kill me instead." Sting brokenly pleaded, he was crying too by then.
Mard Geer rolled his eyes. "You want to take her place? What a human cliché." Shaking his head, the demon made the flower move faster. It was so close now, only a moment more and Yukino would be swallowed.
By a miracle, the flower stopped only a few feet away from the fallen mage before being caught in what looked like a hurricane. They watched in shock as it was quickly disintegrated, becoming nothing more than dust.
"How?" The underworld king was stunned.
"That was close." Someone whispered and the twin dragons turned to the newcomer; eyes widening once they recognized him.
"Are you kidding me?" Another voice was heard, one that Yukino recognized.
"Who are you?" Mard Geer faced the two in shock and anger.
The answer couldn't be more unexpected.
Meanwhile, with Cobra and Kinana…
"We should get you some help." She told him when he groaned once again. He had long since discarded his long sleeved t-shirt and she had been pressing it against the large wound on his chest. Blood was still flowing from it, although not as much as right after he'd been hit.
"I doubt they would help." Cobra wasn't too keen on the idea of asking Fairy Tail for help despite her insistence that they wouldn't turn him away just because he used to be a member of the Oracion Seis.
"Please, don't be stubborn." She placed a hand on his cheek. "Don't you trust me?" Staring into those big green eyes, he gave a defeated sigh.
"Of course I do." Without hesitation, he trusted her with his life.
"Then let me help you." Kinana pleaded and he finally gave in, allowing her to help him stand.
He stumbled and she held onto him; a hand on his waist while the other pressed against the wound. Her touch was cold, but it ignited a fire inside of him and Cobra turned to her, desire in his eyes.
Ignoring the pain, he moved the arm that was wrapped around her shoulder for support to her waist, bringing her closer.
She was caught by surprise; concerned by the increase of the flood flow. "We really should…"
"I know, I know. I just want to have some time alone with you; is that too much to ask?" A smile immediately lightened her face. "Of course not." Then she brought a hand to the back of his head before fulfilling his wish to kiss her again.
Back with the wounded...
"Alright!" Bixlow cheered once the brightness dissipated.
"Master, are you okay?" Lisanna worriedly asked when the tiny man collapsed after casting Fairy Law.
"Don't worry, children." Makarov groaned, clearly in pain, but before they could ask what was wrong, he placed a hand to his forehead and began speaking.
"My children, I want to thank each and every one of you for making this old man's life a little happier and brighter. You have made my dreams of turning Fairy Tail into the best guild a reality and I am so grateful for that."
They were confused by his speech, but the tragic truth was revealed once the half-awake Wendy ran towards him while everyone was frozen in shock. The young girl knelt down by his side and quickly took notice of the large wound on his chest, which had been concealed by his black coat.
"Master, you're hurt." Her eyes widened and she quickly placed her hands above it, planning on healing him.
Much to her surprise, he pushed her hands away while undoing the telepathic communication. "No, child. You mustn't waste your time trying to heal me."
"What are you saying, Makarov?" Porlyusica had stood up, leaving the unconscious Mirajane at Elfman's care.
"I'm afraid my time on this earth has come to an end." This had everyone gasping in surprise before gathering closer to him.
"No, master. You can't be serious!" Lisanna's eyes were filled with tears.
"Don't do this, master. We still need you." Wendy pleaded.
"Fairy Tail wouldn't be the same without you." Alzack added.
"I know, I know. But every story must come to an end eventually and I'm afraid this is mine." Porlyusica rolled her eyes. "Stop being stubborn and let Wendy heal you."
"There are other injured who need your help, child." He told the young girl who had once again tried to heal his wound.
"But…" He shook his head.
"I've lived a happy life and a long one too. I want you to focus on healing those who still have so much ahead of them and deserve to keep living." He turned to the others.
"Do you understand me, children? I want you all to keep living, keep caring for each other and being happy like I taught you to." They were all crying by then, unable to contain it.
"Don't waste your energy and your tears on an old man who's already lived his life, save it for the ones who couldn't." He glanced towards Cana's body in the distance, a sad look coming upon his face.
Raising his hand to his forehead once again, Makarov gave his final instructions via telepathy before his body fell forward, bloody and lifeless.
"Listen up, my children! As I was saying, thank you all for making my dream a reality! I'm afraid I must bid you farewell now, but this isn't over. I ask you all to join together at Venetia church so that you can pan your next step in defeating Zeref. Don't forget what's important: to keep living despite all of our losses, our defeats and our wounds. I have faith that you will find a way to build a brighter future where we can all find happiness."
Back with Sting, Yukino and Rogue...
"Who are you?" Yukino answered that one, staring in disbelief at the woman in front of them.
"Sorano?" Her eyes softened and a small smile appeared on her face.
"Hey, little sis." Realizing who this was, Sting and Rogue gasped.
"Wait, that's your sister?" They recalled her mentioning it a few times, but she'd never given anymore details.
They were unaware that she had figured out who her sister was weeks ago. "I thought…Thank you." Angel nodded before the other stranger spoke.
"Not meaning to butt in, but I'm the one you should be thanking. Both of you." It wasn't hard to recognize him; his face had been on every newspaper and magazine for weeks, after all. But still, to be met with the most powerful member of the former Oracion Seis was surreal.
"Why should I? You just took away my opportunity to save my sister." Before Sting or Rogue could say anything, Midnight was scolded by a clearly irritated Angel.
"Are you seriously condemning me for saving her?" He raised a brow.
"I don't think this is a good time for that." Yukino whispered, glancing at Mard Geer, who was frozen in shock.
"I don't think they heard you." Sting told her; taking advantage of the demon's current state to break free from the vines trapping him.
Rogue did the same and stayed a few feet away while the blonde approached her and used his magic to free her as well. She stumbled and he held onto her waist before bringing her close for a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're okay."
Meanwhile, Angel and Midnight continued to argue."What are you even doing here?" She yelled, crossing her arms and glaring at him.
"I followed you." He admitted. "I didn't want you to be alone while we're fighting such a powerful enemy." They glanced towards Mard Geer, who had just recovered from the shock, but chose to watch them silently.
"I can take care of myself." Angel quickly retorted and he sighed.
"I know that, Angel. But we're comrades, so I don't understand why you're so against me trying to protect you." Her eyes narrowed even more.
"I don't need your protection!" Seeing hurt flash in his eyes, she sighed. "We never did this before, so I see no reason to start now."
Truthfully, there might be a reason. One that they had been ignoring for the past two weeks, but couldn't deny it had happened. No one else knew about it, which is why they had kept it a secret so easily.
But that didn't mean it had left their minds; specially Midnight's. He would think about his actions almost every day and wonder if he could keep pretending like everything was the same when it clearly wasn't. After all, things had changed between them that day. For better or for worse, their relationship was different.
While she clearly refused to see that, he couldn't stop thinking about it. And now he decided that it was time for them to talk before everything blew up in their faces.
"Okay, I think we need to talk." Angel shook her head almost immediately.
"I don't think so." She avoided him; like she'd been doing ever since that night.
"Watch out!" The scream came from Rogue, who watched as Mard Geer send an attack towards the unsuspecting duo. They barely managed to avoid it, but Midnight was forced to throw her on the ground, making her even more mad.
"Get off of me." Angel pushed him and he did as told, quickly stepping away from her.
"Looks like we're back to fighting." From afar, Sting sighed before reluctantly removing his arms from around Yukino. He wanted nothing more than to finally tell her that he loved her, but it wasn't the time.
"Good luck!" She whispered before stepping away, choosing to hide behind a rock since she wouldn't be of help without her magic.
The next few minutes were a haze as the fight against Mard Geer resumed, with him eventually defeated by Sting and Rogue's unison raid after Makarov's Fairy Law severely weakened the demon.
The night ended with victory, but there was still tension since neither Sting and Yukino nor Midnight and Angel managed to talk about their situations before they decided to meet the rest of their friends.
Yet another human cliché: postponing important conversations.
"Dad" Gray nearly dropped poor Meredy when he saw his father drop to the ground after the dark cloud vanished.
"Oh no." Lucy gasped, face paling at the sight.
"Is he dead?" Gajeel asked, confused.
"Gajeel!" Levy shot him a warning look before glancing towards the ice mage.
"No. He can't be." He motioned for the iron dragon slayer to take the pinkette before approaching Silver, kneeling down by his side. After turning him around, he placed a hesitant hand on the man's throat, relieved that his heart was still beating. Looking towards Deliora's book, Gray realized what had happened. "I remember he said something about Tartarus giving him Deliora's power. They must've taken it back."
"So what do we do now?" Lucy wondered.
"He's pretty weak, so he needs help. Meredy too." The ice mage replied.
"We need to find the others." Levy repeated and once again they merely sighed.
"How?" The answer came a moment later when they heard the familiar voice of Makarov Dreyar. All were shocked by the master's words, but chose to focus on the part where he guided them towards a meeting point.
"There you go." Jura said, shifting Lyon's unconscious body.
"Let's go." Natsu determinedly said, already beginning to walk away. Gray picked Deliora's book before glancing at Silver.
"Please be okay, dad. I can't lose you too." The others glanced at him worriedly and Lucy approached him, kneeling down and squeezing his shoulder.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine once we get him to Porlyusica." Then she reached for her keys and summoned Loke.
"How are you doing, Lucy?" The celestial spirit fixed her with a worried look and she smiled.
"I'm not 100% yet, but I'll be okay." The memory of sacrificing Aquarius hadn't yet left her mind, but she pushed it away once again and focused on the present. "Can you carry Silver?"
"Of course." Loke glanced towards the unconscious man and nodded. He wasn't exactly very familiar with Silver, having only met him a few times. However, the simply fact that he was connected to Gray made him someone he would always wish to help.
"Thanks, man." The ice mage said after both had stood up.
"Come on, guys!" Chelia called and they realized the other members of the group were already far away.
"We'd better catch up." Loke said, starting to follow them and Gray nodded before doing the same.
"It's okay, it's okay." Erza comforted a crying Kagura, having trapped her in a tight hug, much to the latter's surprise.
While at first she'd been reluctant to be in the arms of the person partially responsible for Milliana's death, it didn't take long for the brunette's words to come to mind, reminding her that nor Erza nor Jellal were to blame for her decision.
So Kagura decided to, for once, give in and just allow her somewhat friend to comfort her. And truth be told, she appreciated it because the thought of being alone after losing the closest thing she had to family was too horrible.
She cried even more at the reminder and Jellal, who remained in his previous position while watching them sadly, flinched.
Words couldn't express the guilt and sorrow he was feeling. It was overwhelming, heart wrenching and he didn't know what to do. The memory of when he had killed Simon replayed in his mind and he had to bite his lip to stop the anguish screams that threatened to come out.
He wanted nothing more than to erase it, but knowing what losing your memory was like, he remembered it was worse than having to relive your worse moments.
That didn't stop him from wishing, though, and it was only the sound of Erza's voice that kept him from losing it and drowning in unshed tears. Her presence, like always, brought light into his life even though he was slowly losing himself to the darkness.
Dark, angsty thoughts evaded his mind and he gritted his teeth. Death. Sorrow. Do you see now why you should've stayed away? You only bring pain into her life, you don't deserve to be with her. How many people will she have to lose before you realize it?
He couldn't ignore it, couldn't push it away. He wanted to scream, but held himself. This wasn't about him; it was about Erza and Kagura. They had lost a best friend that night and he had no right to interrupt their mourning with his guilt about what happened.
Your fault. It's all your fault. Simon, Milliana. Who else will you kill?
Please, stop. He mentally pleaded, but it didn't. Will it be Natsu next? Or Gray? Or perhaps sweet Meredy and her baby? He shook his head before looking back at Erza. She fixed him with a worried look, but didn't say anything as her hands continued to trace circles on Kagura's back while the latter cried against her chest.
No, it will definitely be Kagura. You already got rid of her brother, why not kill her next? Why not end her suffering by joining her with Simon?
He needed to get away; the sight of Milliana's body and Kagura's broken form was too much. Standing up with difficulty, Jellal looked around frantically, panicky.
He took the first step away from this nightmare when Erza finally spoke. "Don't go. Please." Her voice was hoarse and broken, and his sorrow increased.
"I'm sorry." He had just started walking away when a new voice mixed with the one in his head. He quickly recognized it as Master Makarov's. Don't forget what's important: to keep living despite all of our losses, our defeats and our wounds.
"Master?" Erza whispered while Kagura pulled apart from the hug, confused.
I have faith that you will find a way to build a brighter future where we can all find happiness. That was enough to stop Jellal in his tracks as he remembered why he needed to stay.
"What the hell just happened?" Gray asked, looking around in confusion.
"I have no idea." Lucy groaned, hands on her aching head. All of them were faced with an immense headache for reasons unknown and it was clear something was very wrong.
Only a few moments before, they had been headed towards the location Master Makarov had suggested when all of sudden there had been a dark cloud surrounding the group and they were thrown to the ground.
Gajeel, being a dragon slayer and therefore having quick reflexes, managed to block his fall and hold onto Levy and Meredy; although the others weren't so lucky. Chelia, Jura and Lyon were spread across the floor while Gray had just sat up and Loke was picking Silver's body and lifting it up when he noticed there was someone missing.
"Where the hell is Natsu?" Gajeel also noticed it and frowned.
"He's gone." The answer came from a very pale and shaky Lucy, who had already stood up and looked around wildly for her boyfriend.
"He can't be just gone." Loke denied it; there was no way the dragon slayer would just leave.
"Do you think someone took him too?" Levy suggested and the celestial wizard's face paled.
"No. He can't…. Not now!" Tears threatened to fall as the weight of everything that happened that day sinked in. Flashes of learning about Juvia's disappearance, fighting against Franmalth and being forced to sacrifice Aquarius crossed her mind and she suddenly found herself unable to breathe.
"Lucy?" Levy asked, ever worried.
"Shit! She's having a panic attack." Gray realized and his eyes widened.
"Someone do something!" Loke pleaded, giving his contracted wizard a worried look.
"Hey, Lucy, it's ok." The petit bluenette was quick to reach her.
"Where is he?" The blonde croaked, unable to stop the tears any longer.
"Bastard." Gajeel muttered and the former glared at him. "Not helping."
"Natsu." Lucy brokenly let out before throwing herself unexpectedly at Levy. The petit woman was caught by surprise, but managed to hold onto her.
"Don't worry, I'm sure he's fine. It'll be okay." Her words of comfort had no effect, unfortunately, since she didn't fully believe in them.
After all, Natsu Dragneel wasn't one to just leave his friends behind, so wherever he was, he was surely in trouble.
Gray, Gajeel, Levy and the rest of the group arrived at Venetia church, or rather its ruins, just as Erza, Jellal and Kagura did. The latter held onto Milliana's lifeless body while the couple was embracing.
"What happened?" Gray was quick to ask, but the red head shook her head; he noticed her face was pale and wet.
"Not now." He nodded before beginning to walk towards the middle of what used to be a beautiful field surrounding the church. Porlyusica was at the very center with Bixlow, Bisca and Lisanna around her, probably aiding her in making the antidote.
The wounded lay close to them and the two groups were unsettled to realize that Mirajane, Cana and Master Makarov had joined Freed, Evergreen, Laxus and Yajima. There was also Racer, whom they didn't even know had come; Hibiki and Jenny from Blue Pegasus; Toby from Lamia Scale; Beth Vanderwood from Mermaid Heel and a few members of Fairy Tail, such as Laki, Wabaka and Reedus.
"So many injured." Levy whispered.
"And dead too." Gajeel added, eyes focused on Cana's clearly lifeless body.
"I can't believe we've lost so many people." Gray commented and some people nodded in agreement.
They had gone to war so many times, yet the result had never been as catastrophic. Death, while not a foreign concept to any of them, had rarely been the result, until now.
"It's never been like this." Loke told them after placing Silver's body on the ground Porlyusica's side. Gajeel did the same with Meredy and Jura with Lyon; and the healer stopped making the antidote the minute she spotted her granddaughter amongst the wounded.
A sorrowful look they'd never seen before came upon her face before she knelt down by Meredy's side, scooping the unconscious girl in her arms before beginning to inspect her for any signs of injuries.
In the meantime, Wendy approached Silver and quickly healed him, making Gray relieved when his father opened his eyes and sat up, looking around in confusion. So relieved, in fact, that he wasted no time approaching the older man and giving him a tight hug that completely caught Silver by surprise. "Thanks for not leaving, dad." The older man smiled, wrapping his arms around his son.
"Never, son. I'm here to stay." The book of Deliora, which had mysteriously disappeared while Gray had been knocked out before, crossed both minds, but they quickly pushed it away and focused on the joy of being reunited.
After father and son recovered, Silver turned to him with a firm look in his eyes. "We need to tell the others about Juvia, we must find her." Gray nodded, remembering everything he had learned about his girlfriend that day.
He stood up and helped Silver do the same before they joined the rest on the other side of the field. Everyone had been talking at the same time when they arrived, confused voices mixing until Gray screamed "Shut up!", making everyone silence and turn to him.
"There's something really important that we must tell you." Silver added afterwards.
"It's about Juvia." The ice mage told the large group, making many worried gazes appear. Now that he had their attention, Gray took a deep breath before explaining the hard truths he had learned that night: that Juvia was the one Zeref called E.N.D and he planned on transforming her by midnight.
Meredy awoke to the sound of multiple voices, some she recognized and others different. She blinked a few times before attempting to sit up, groaning in pain as she tried so. "Not yet, child." Looking to her right, she spotted Porlyusica working with a huge bowl.
"Grandma?" The healer's eyes softened.
"I'm glad to see you're awake." Remembering the reason she'd been unconscious in the first place, the pinkette lowered a hand to her stomach.
"The baby. No, no, no." She sniffled, tears threatening to fall. The thought of losing her child was unbearable; no matter how unprepared and terrified she was to become a mother.
"Do not worry, your baby is fine." The older woman reassured before kneeling down by her side."You came close to a miscarriage, but I was able to save it."
"Thank you, grandma." Meredy let out a relieved breath before accepting Porlyusica's embrace. The healer softly kissed her forehead before placing a hand on top of hers. "Of course. I'd never allow anything to happen to this precious baby." They stayed like that for a few minutes until the pinkette suddenly remembered someone else who was precious to her.
"What about Lyon?" She glanced around, searching for the ice mage. Soon enough, she spotted him lying only a few feet ahead, since all of the unconscious/severely wounded had been gathered together.
"I'm afraid it's not good." Porlyusica told her.
"He was poisoned, wasn't he?" Meredy's face paled once she remembered.
"Yes. And since the creature that infected him disappeared before you could get a sample of its blood, I can't make an antidote." The healer replied, sighing.
"But there must be something that you can do!" She recalled how Chelia had tried to heal Lyon, to no avail, but quickly pushed the thought away. There had to be a way.
"I'm afraid there's nothing, child." She shook her head, unable to stop the tears.
"No. I refuse to believe it. You have to try!" Once again, the older woman took her in her arms, attempting to comfort the young girl. Meredy continued to cry, her eyes never leaving Lyon's pale face and when flashes of moments they had shared crossed through her mind, she came to a cruel realization: she loved him.
First she remembered was the day she and Ultear had a big fight, so Meredy found herself at the bar after a quick meeting with Juvia. She didn't know what had gotten into her that day, but she had been so upset that she had asked for a drink-something which she'd never done before.
"Sure." The bartender had replied before turning to the white haired stranger who sat by her side. "Here you go, man." Watching him quickly down his own drink, she realized he probably had a bad day too. When she asked him about it, he sighed before replying with "You could say that."
She didn't even know why she'd been so curious, but soon enough she was asking about what happened.
He seemed just as surprised by it as she was, but it was soon replaced by a frown. "I would rather not talk about it." Meredy understood and told him it was okay.
In the end, they ended up talking about it, after he had one too many drinks. After learning that his name was Lyon and he was in fact in love with Juvia, she'd asked why he continued to pursue her when her affections were clearly meant for Gray Fullbuster. "I know it was stupid of me, but I was in love. I still am."
"I'm sorry you had to get your heart broken." She'd told him sincerely. "I wish I could tell you that you and her might have been happy, but I saw her with Gray and I know they are meant to be together."
He frowned before bitterly saying "I know. I just couldn't keep myself from hoping." Seeing he was clearly suffering over it, she'd wanted to help him. She didn't even know why, but Meredy'd wanted nothing more than to heal this broken man.
"You really love her, don't you?" Days later, after watching Gray's death and Juvia's broken reaction, she had witnessed the extent of Lyon's love for the bluenette.
"I wish it wasn't so hard to move on, but with her being so close…" He hadn't finished, but she had understood.
Meredy had never been in love, being a runaway made it difficult to meet someone, but she had seen Jellal suffering over his clear affection towards Erza Scarlet many times. She saw how broken he was when she was thought to be dead and if it taught anything is that love always brings pain. That was why she had vowed to never fall in love.
"You'll manage, I'm sure." The reassurances had no effect, but she didn't expect it to. Lyon was broken then; unable to see the light.
"I hope so. Wouldn't want to suffer forever." This had reminded him of the night they'd spent together, when he'd poured his heart out to her."Can we agree never to talk to anyone about it?"
Meredy hadn't hesitated to reassure him that no one would know what happened that night.
She remembered the night Gray and Juvia had gotten together, how clearly upset Lyon had been. He'd tried to hide it, instead focusing on kissing her and touching her, and she'd felt like what they were doing was wrong.
When he replied that they were merely dealing with their problems the best way we could, she'd quickly corrected him. "You mean escaping our problems."
"So what are you saying? Do you want to stop?" She had seen seen hurt cross his face and understood. He was broken as much as she was and perhaps being with her had helped him stay together, even if it was only an illusion.
"Everything feels like it's falling apart, I just don't know what to do anymore." She'd been conflicted and he'd understood, for he felt the same.
"I know. But I need you now. Please, help me forget about the pain." If his pleading look wasn't enough to convince her, his next words were."Please, Meredy. I really need to feel something other than heartbreak right now."
She had given in, knowing that he needed this. And, truthfully, she needed it too. So she'd nodded before gently touching his face and the smile that appeared on it was enough to tell her that maybe this wasn't wrong. It certainly didn't feel that way when he moved in to kiss her again.
"Thank you." She would never forget his words right before they made love; it was enough to remind her that she hadn't been doing it just for herself.
"We're going out for dinner." A few weeks later, Lyon had suggested something dangerous.
"Wait, what?" Her eyes had widened in shock,; unprepared.
"I think it's a good idea." She had disagreed, shaking her head in disapproval at the idea.
"No, we've talked about this. Going out to eat is the first step for this to become something more and we both agree that we're not ready to start a relationship." They had made that clear on the first night they'd slept together and she'd been hoping that he would respect it.
"It doesn't have to be like that, we're on the same page, aren't we?" He'd told her upon seeing her unsure expression. "Look, Meredy, this doesn't have to mean anything else than what we want it to. I just thought it would be good for us to change the scenery a bit, but I won't push you to go out for dinner. It's just a suggestion." She had sighed; seeing his point. It didn't have to mean anything else than what they wanted it to. So she had agreed to dinner, unaware of the twists awaiting in the near future.
She remembered trying to tell him about her pregnancy. It had been so hard to say the words out loud, so she'd been grateful when he had voiced them after figuring it out. "You're carrying a child." Meredy had immediately apologized, taking him aback.
"Why? It's not like this is your fault only." His words had only made her cry because she had been prepared for him to yell at her, tell her it was all her fault and she was alone in this.
"Why are you acting like this?" She had screamed after he continued to show nothing but compassion and kindness.
"Like what?" He'd asked, confused. When she clarified, he had chuckled. "Trust me, I am freaking out alright. But I know that's not what you need right now, so I'm trying to at least act calmly."
After that he had made the suggestion that could've changed everything. "I'm saying that we should try, being together. I know it's not ideal, but I do believe it could work." But Meredy hadn't accepted it, she knew he wasn't doing this because he loved her and had no intention of being his second choice.
"You're not alone in this, Meredy. This is my child too and I'm not going to abandon either of you." This had almost convinced her, but the sensory link she'd cast afterwards had proved what he'd tried to deny so many times: his continuous love for Juvia.
Being sure of that, her decision had been made: she had pushed him away. "We don't need to be together for you to be a part of her life. Even less so when we're clearly not a good match."
Meredy chuckled bitterly. Such stupid words, she thought. It was clear now that, no matter how much she had denied it or believed that it wasn't meant to be, her heart had chosen Lyon. And she would never forgive herself for not realizing it sooner, because now it might be too late.
So, thoughts? God, this chapter was just so sad and angsty, I wasn't expecting it.
Speaking of the unexpected, what did you think of Makarov's death? I seriously only came up with it only when writing this chapter, it was completely unplanned. (I guess you should celebrate that no one else died this time)
About the ships, Jerza fans, what did you think of Jellal's internal debate? How will they move on from Milliana's death?
As for Lyredy, what will happen now that she knows her true feelings? (Hope you enjoyed all those flashbacks, I needed the realization moment to be believable)
Down to minor ships, did you enjoy Stingyu Angst and Kinabra Cuteness? God, Cobra is turning out to be one horny teenager in this story, but I like writing him like this.
Also, what did you think of the Zeref flashbacks and the fact he knew Rogue and Gajeel's dad? There is a lot more to the story, just check out the last line from last chapter.
Lastly, for the big question of this chapter: Where is Natsu?
Next time: Back To Life.
Summary: Everyone deals with what happened during the war while the search for Juvia and Natsu continues.
I plan on doing the aftermath of the war with all the characters and ships. Since that's a lot, I'll be dividing it in two parts: Part 1 will be NaLu, Gruvia, Jerza and Stingyu; and Part 2 will be ElfEver, Miraxus, Lyredy and Kinabra. (Will also throw in some Midnight x Angel into the mix, since I introduced them in this chapter. Does anyone even ship it, I wonder.)
VERY IMPORTANT: Acnologia's true identity will be revealed next chapter, therefore this is your last chance to try to guess who he is. (If you get it right, I'll send a sneak peek of a Silver flashback that might be of interest for who likes the character)
Can we try 5 reviews by the 17th of June?