Hi guys! I can't wait to finish the Tower of Heaven arc! I don't know what'll happen, or how I'll end it, but hopefully I can just make it flow all together. I'm not sure if I want Natsu saving Erza, or if I want Natsu saving Ember, I don't know how I'll pull it off, but hopefully I'll be able to! God, I'm sorry for ranting. Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Jellal almost seemed happy in his own twisted little way, because he was so close at resurrecting Zeref. Erza was unconscious in my arms and unable to do any more this point, and since I wouldn't be letting Jellal near her, I was his second option for a sacrifice.
But I'll be damned if I was going to let Jellal win.
"What's with that look on your face? Are you scared of your big brother Jellal?" Jellal taunted me.
"Actually no." I muttered.
I stood up after gently laying Erza to the floor and gave Jellal a glare. If looks could kill, Jellal's corpse wouldn't even be present because he'd be turned into nothing but dust. Jellal looked surprised from my answer, but scoffed as he folded his arms, not buying into what I was saying.
"I'm just ashamed of you, that I ever considered you a friend...a brother...I thought you were stronger than all of us at one point. But the fact that you let someone manipulate you and turn you into something you're not...it baffles me. What did they do to you?"
"What on Earthland are you talking about?" Jellal chuckled.
"That whole thing about Zeref had to be a set-up...don't you get it? You're doing someone else's work for them. They want you to think that you're doing this on your own, but the fact of the matter is that someone of higher power has been pulling the strings all along. Let's face it Jellal, did you really think Zeref actually came to you so that you could resurrect him? Let's be realistic here. You were only a child, a child that was easy to manipulate."
Jellal's smirk faded away before he looked at me in pure anger as he truly began to ponder about what I had told him. For once, Jellal was at a loss of words and it was almost amusing.
It was time for him to get a taste of his own medicine.
I thought back from my fight with Gajeel, but I wasn't sure that Jellal and Gajeel could be compared when it came to using their anger against them. I wasn't certain if I could do the same thing and wonder if Jellal would become more reckless during our final battle, but I would have to find out and be prepared for anything.
"How did you meet Ultear again?" I smirked. "You said she was a blessing right? It's convenient that she came along to help you if you ask me."
"SHUT UP!" Jellal roared.
What I found interesting about Jellal's rants on this Ultear was how willing she was to help Jellal. It made me wonder if Ultear was partially responsible for molding Jellal into what he is now. There were just more pieces to this puzzle that I needed to find and put together.
It was a theory I'd have to look more into later on my own later though.
Jellal became outraged with my accusations and finally attacked on impulse, but I quickly dodged, making sure that Erza wasn't in the way to get hurt. I made a dash for Jellal while he was momentarily distracted and used a move I learned from Evergreen from our guild that was known as Fairy Magic, which I only witnessed her use once from my time spent at the guild when I was younger.
"FAIRY MACHINE GUN: LEPRECHAUN!" I shouted.
Jellal yelped after being hit with the spell and for a moment, after hearing nothing but pure silence for a minute, thought that I had managed to knock out Jellal.
"Heavenly Body Magic: Grand Chariot!"
Oh shit!
I ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction as a powerful light blast in the form of constellations was cast down at me, countless beams of light nearly hitting me by mere inches. I screamed as one of the beams grazed my arm, nearly tearing off some of the skin away.
"What the hell?" I hissed in pain.
I skidded to a stop and glanced down at my arm which began bleeding profusely. I began to wonder how that beam of light almost managed to take off my arm completely.
I've never really witnessed Heavenly Body Magic before, but that spell almost rivaled that of a meteor blast! Holy hell that hurt!
I quickly ripped off a piece of my clothing, exposing my right thigh as I quickly tied it around my arm to try and stop the bleeding.
"Is that all you got?" I yelled.
"You sound disappointed! Let's fix that shall we?!" Jellal nearly growled.
I think making him angry was a pretty bad idea...
"Meteor!"
My eyes widened in shock when Jellal's body began glowing and his entire being vanished within seconds.
"Oh shit..." I muttered.
In a flash, I was hunched over after being hit in the gut really hard. Jellal hit me again, not letting up as he sent me flying backwards until my breath was nearly knocked out of me. After my back hit a giant lacrima nearby, I fell to the ground and coughed up a lot of blood. I stood up on shaking legs as Jellal's body returned to normal, walking over to me as if he were annoyed and bored all at once. Jellal stood in front of me, his fist clenching as he prepared to use another spell on me, but I held up my hand, finding his look of confusion almost amusing when he paused in his upcoming attack.
"Do you admit defeat?" Jellal smirked.
"Just give me a sec." I mumbled groggily.
I held my stomach as I threw up a wad of blood on the floor near Jellal's feet. He gave me a look of disgust as I smirked at him while wiping blood from my mouth.
"Now...let's continue, huh?" I smiled weakly.
"I'm surprised that you're still standing, I'm almost proud of you." Jellal chuckled.
"Oh really?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Now...what type of mage are you exactly? During our fight, I've noticed your eyes flash red...it's barely noticeable, but I'm very observant. I thought you were just a mimic mage..."
"I dabble in a little bit of mimic and memory magic." I shrugged.
"Those magics are very rare nowadays. But there's more to your magic than meets the eye...I sensed a trace of dark magic within you. Care to explain?" Jellal asked.
"What would the point in that be? You're just going to try and kill me after this anyway, why the hell should I answer any of your questions?"
"Because it makes me think that you're fighting on the wrong side." Jellal replied.
I tensed up as Jellal came closer towards me, his body looking more relaxed as he put a hand on my shoulder.
"Don't touch me." I hissed.
"Just tell me something...who did you learn your magic from? After you ran away from your guild?" Jellal lowered his voice.
Jellal's hand moved from my shoulder to my face, gently grasping my chin until I was looking straight into his eyes. I felt myself trembling from Jellal's touch, but I couldn't figure out why. Seeing Jellal this calm was almost unnerving, and it was clear that he wasn't messing around this time.
"He was someone from the Tower of Heaven..." I mumbled softly.
"Oh really?" Jellal raised an eyebrow.
"I...I don't want to talk about it." I blinked away tears.
Why was I acting like this? Where the fuck did all of my confidence go? What's Jellal doing to me?
"But you must. I'm rather curious." He gave me a small smile. "Just tell me, Em."
"I couldn't really give you a name...he grew up without one." I answered.
"Go on..."
"He...he had a split personality, and I don't know if he developed it before or after leaving this place. When he was in his dark place...he would do horrid things to me...but when he showed kindness, it was somehow easy to forget that he ever had a dark side." I confessed.
Jellal cupped my face, wiping away tears with a stroke of his thumb. It felt like the old caring brother I once had, had finally returned to me.
I'm so...I'm so confused...
"So a part of his dark side is within you...why don't we stop all of this silly fighting? You should join me." Jellal suggested.
"...what?" I asked in surprise.
"After I sacrifice Erza, we can rule the world with Lord Zeref. Maybe you do serve a purpose after all..."
Jellal traced my bottom lip with his thumb as he looked down at me, waiting for me to respond.
No...
"GET AWAY FROM HER!"
Jellal was knocked away from me and right before our very eyes was Natsu himself. Jellal looked outraged that Natsu had interrupted us, and started to become impatient once more.
"Ember. Ember look at me."
I'm so confused...what's wrong with me? I've never felt like this before, I feel like I've been drugged or something.
Natsu grasped my chin, forcing me to look at him.
"Ember."
I glanced up at Natsu, my body still trembling as I tried to grasp at what had just occurred.
I almost listened to Jellal... What's wrong with me?
"N- -Natsu..." I choked back a sob. "I don't...I don't know what just happened..."
Natsu gave me a look of surprise, and he quickly pulled me in for a hug.
"Calm down...what happened exactly?"
"I don't know...just don't let him get Erza...please." I muttered weakly.
Natsu turned to look at Jellal as he released me, looking furious that I was in such a weak mental state.
"You made her cry. I'm going to make you pay for that."
"Oh really?" Jellal smirked.
Don't lose Natsu.
Soon enough, Natsu caught onto something big as he fought against Jellal himself: the magic energy being contained in the tower from the lacrima was being released after each hit. It was something I failed to notice, but once Natsu had pointed it out, Jellal grew defensive and tense, not attacking at full power like he had before with me or Erza. I watched in amazement as I tried to piece myself together, realizing that I was dizzy from the blood loss from my arm.
Maybe that's why I was so...out of it before. Or maybe it was my dark side.
"Now I'm angry." Jellal nearly growled. "I didn't spend years building this tower just to have some punk tear it down! I won't let you!"
Natsu gave out a weak chuckle as he struggled to stand.
"Tough break, pal. But you can't say I didn't warn you. I told you that destroying stuff is one of my specialties." Natsu replied.
I stood up, finally regaining some of my strength.
I need to get Natsu some fire..it's his only chance.
"I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!" Jellal roared.
My eyes widened as I realized the spell that Jellal was casting. I didn't know much of Heavenly Body Magic, but I knew this spell, it was the Altair.
"NATSU!" I cried.
"AND NOW, I'LL PUT YOU IN INFINITE DARKNESS DRAGON SLAYER!" Jellal yelled.
Erza began standing up after she regained consciousness and began running towards Natsu after getting the same idea that I had. We ran as a black orb rapidly grew in its size, Jellal getting ready to send it towards us.
"DON'T DO IT!" Erza yelled. "UNLESS YOU WANT TO KILL US TOO!"
We both stood in front of Natsu, our arms spread out wide as we attempted to shield our nakama from the blast. It was only a matter of seconds before we would all be killed. Jellal faltered in his attack and paused, the lighting in the area going back to normal.
"You don't want to lose your sacrifices to Zeref do you?" Erza questioned.
"That would be a problem...the ceremony requires the body of a wizard comparable in strength to one of the Ten Wizard Saints. However, I can find a suitable replacement, you're not the only one who fits that bill! I'll worry about that after I kill all of you!"
Erza and I stared at Jellal in shock, not expecting him to give that answer. In seconds, he began to summon the Altair spell again, making the giant black orb. I knew if we were hit, there would be no chance of survival, even if I absorbed the blast. Unlike the Jupiter Cannon, this would most likely kill me if I tried to absorb it.
"Stop it! What are you doing?!" Natsu yelled.
"It's our fault that you're in this mess to begin with! The least I can do is protect you!" Erza smiled.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Natsu cried.
"HEAVENLY BODY MAGIC: ALTAIR!"
I grabbed Erza's hand, clenching it tightly as I closed my eyes and waited for the Altair blast to hit the both of us.
But it never did.
FLASH!
"Master Makarov...what's nakama mean?" I asked.
"Nakama is family." Makarov smiled.
"So when Lisanna called me nakama...she meant I was apart of her family? But Erza's my sister..." I pouted.
"Oh my child...what it means to be nakama is much more than just that...nakama is the bonds we hold with others, it's the love we have for each other, just like a family. That's part of what it means to be a member of Fairy Tail." Makarov explained.
I looked at Makarov in awe as I absorbed what he told me and smiled brightly.
"I get it now!" I giggled.
"Having nakama makes a wizard very strong, you know. Don't let them go..."
I nodded, taking in Master Makarov's advice.
Don't let them go...
FLASH!
I reopened my eyes, and saw Simon standing tall in front of us. His body shook as we all stared at him in shock, not expecting something like this to happen.
"Simon...why?" Erza muttered.
"To..save...you...both."
Simon fell as Erza and Natsu quickly ran towards his side, but I was frozen, trying to process what had just happened...
Simon was dying before my very eyes. I can't believe I let this happen...
"I didn't know you were still lingering around the tower, you despicable pest." Jellal smirked.
"What the hell were you thinking?!" Erza blinked away tears. "Why didn't you escape with the others?! Talk to me!"
Simon gasped for air, his eyes half lidded, his spirit growing weaker by each passing second.
"Please...don't cry. I'm happy...to give my...life for...you." Simon breathed out.
"Please, don't talk anymore, save your energy. Stay with me." Erza whimpered.
"You and Ember...were the only people...who made me smile...but...I've always..."
Simon almost looked like he was in a peaceful state of mind and he smiled faintly as he closed his eyes and let out loose one single tear after giving his last breath. I felt numb inside as I heard Erza cry and scream for Simon, and I stared at my feet, blinking away tears. Jellal burst out into laughter, finding this whole thing amusing.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Erza screamed.
FLASH!
"Simon. What are you doing? I can't take your food." I pouted.
"We'll get fed later tonight. Don't worry about it...you need it more than I do. You could barely stand this morning, Ember."
"Simon...I can't..." I blinked away tears.
"Do it for me." Simon smiled.
"It's not mine. I won't take it. You need to eat too." I shook my head.
"I'm giving this to you because I want you to get stronger. I want you to be able to leave this place one day with Erza. You two need to be in top shape for that to happen. So please eat..." Simon grew serious.
"I'm not leaving without you guys, so forget it." I cried.
"I'm not saying that you are, but...you need to be at full strength for when we all leave this place together."
I finally gave in and reluctantly took the piece of bread from Simon.
"I love you Simon..." I gave him a small smile.
"I love you too, Ember. Stay strong for me."
FLASH!
"What a perfectly foolish thing to do! He tried to play the valiant hero but his death won't change a thing! Simon gave his own life to save the both of yours but he should have known I'm not letting either of you leave this tower alive- -"
Kill Jellal...kill...he killed Simon...make him pay.
"SHUT UP." I growled.
I hit Jellal with all of my strength, Natsu and Erza giving me looks of fear as Jellal flew back across the room.
"That...that energy...it's like Gildarts." Natsu muttered.
"She copied his powers?!" Erza asked in disbelief. "But how?!"
The area around me shook, the ground shattering as my entire body was surrounded with magical energy. I grabbed a chunk of ethernano floating near me, hearing a loud crunch as I devoured it.
"She...she ate it..."
"YOU MADE ERZA CRY." I roared. "YOU KILLED SIMON!"
Jellal looked scared for once in his life, not expecting me to absorb the powers of the ethernano I had consumed. I walked towards Jellal slowly, every step I took crushing and shattering the ground around me. From Erza and Natsu's perspective, I almost resembled a monster with my glowing red eyes, not being able to make out my body from the almost blinding magical energy that was swarming around me.
FLASH!
"So you're up against me huh?"
I stood still, looking at Gildarts in shock.
"You mean...I have to fight you?!"
"Looks like it. But I wanted to talk before we do anything."
Makarov couldn't have picked anyone else to fight me?! I'll never become S-Class! This is bullshit!
Gildarts folded his arms as our conversation began to grow on a more serious note, taking this part of the S-Class exams seriously. I knew this was a test of will with Gildarts, he knew that he was intimidating because of his magic and always used it towards his advantage.
Only thing is, is that I've come too far to back out now.
"Listen, I doubt you want to fight me, so I'll give you a warning and let you back out now before things get serious. I just thought I'd throw it out there- -"
"I didn't come all this way to back out now." I muttered.
Gildarts looked surprised before he began grinning, looking pleased with my answer.
"I love you Gildarts, but I'm not leaving. If you want a fight, I'll give it everything I've got." I grew serious.
We both began our battle, and it was clear to me that Gildarts was holding back a lot as I tried everything I possibly could on him. He barely moved an inch and it began to frustrate me to the point where I was considering taking a huge risk and hitting him with some of his own magic. I finally paused in my attacks after a few minutes as I stared at Gildarts, watching a bright aura of magical energy beginning to form around his body. I observed Gildarts carefully and began to mimic his very movements, feeling an intense rush throughout my body as I felt an increase in magic power.
Holy shit, I didn't know Gildarts was this powerful!
Gildarts looked surprised from my sudden rise in magical energy, not knowing what to expect from me.
That was when I blacked out...
I hadn't realized how powerful and dangerous his magic was, and suddenly everything around me began crumbling. In minutes, the cave we were in was starting to collapse, but Gildarts had managed to get a hold of me, shielding me with his body as he reversed the magic. I pulled away from Gildarts after regaining my senses, taking deep breaths as my body shook, unaware of what had just occurred.
"What the hell was that just now?" Gildarts asked. "Your magic...it skyrocketed...it was like looking into a mirror..."
"I'm sorry...I didn't realize..." I trembled.
"So you're a mimic mage huh? It's very useful, but it's obvious you weren't able to handle my power."
"There was so much energy...I didn't know what to do. I was scared." My voice cracked.
Gildarts stared down at me with an expression that was hard to decipher, and I kept wondering if our fight was over or not. Knowing that I was up against Gildarts made my confidence drop, the fact that I couldn't use his own power against him and win this battle nearly made my heart stop. Here I was, almost gaining the title of S-Class, but failing to because I couldn't win a battle that was almost impossible to win. I hung my head down low, trying to will away anymore tears that threatened to fall as I tried to be accepting to my loss of this battle.
"I accept defeat...I know I can't win against you..." I mumbled softly.
"Admitting your fears is very important. It doesn't make you weak, in fact...it makes you a stronger wizard."
I looked up at Gildarts in surprise, wiping my tears quickly as I was unsure of what I had just heard.
"W- -what?" I stuttered.
"I'm going to let you pass, kid. You've got guts and I think you've come very far as a wizard."
"You mean it?" I blinked away more tears.
"I could feel how much magical energy you had before we even fought, you're right on Erza's level which amazes me. Just promise me one thing, Ember."
Gildarts put his hand on my shoulder, leaning in as he gave me a serious yet grim look at the same time.
"Don't ever try to use my magic again. I don't even have full control over it, so chances are, you'll never be able to control it either. It was very dangerous what you did just a few minutes ago, but I'll let it slide since you weren't aware." He warned me.
"I'm sorry." I whispered.
"Don't be sorry, darlin'. Just don't attempt to use my magic again. It'll overwhelm you, and after that, it'll consume you."
FLASH!
After striking Jellal down once more, his body worn and tired, he stared at me with wide eyes.
"What the hell are you?!" Jellal shouted. "You're not a normal wizard! You have dark magical energy within you and I was right about that!"
I didn't respond and merely raised my fist to send another blast of energy at him. It pierced his shoulder, and he fell to the floor unconscious. I inched forward, ready to end Jellal's life, before the entire tower began to shake. I finally snapped out of it after Natsu was able to grab my shoulder, his entire body trembling as he looked at me fearfully.
"Don't do it. Please...he's not worth it." Natsu's voice cracked.
My body returned to normal as I turned to look over at Natsu, suddenly feeling drained of energy.
"Natsu...what the hell just happened?" I groaned.
I held my head, feeling a head ache beginning to form. Natsu only looked confused as he stared at me worriedly. Before he could give me a straight answer, the tower shook again as everything was beginning to fall apart.
"The tower. It's falling apart!" I realized. "It must have absorbed too much magical energy! It's going to blow. We have to get Erza and get the hell outta here!"
Natsu wrapped his arm around my shoulder, everything exploding around us as we made a run for it and searched for Erza. An explosion hit us from the right, causing us to go flying a few feet away. I let out a sob from the sharp pains in my body, but I continued on, carrying Natsu with me as I noticed that he was barely conscious at this point.
My entire body hurts like hell. What the fuck happened to me?
I was scared when I was unable to find Erza for almost four minutes and continued to run as far as my legs would carry me.
"Erza!" My voice wavered.
"Ember."
My head whirled around until I saw Erza's body half way through a lacrima being absorbed. I nearly dropped Natsu in shock, but gently put him down as I wobbled over to Erza, attempting to pull her out. Erza fought against me however, meaning that she intended for this to happen.
"Ember. I have to do this. You don't have much energy left...this is the only way I can save all of you." Erza told me.
I was dizzy and felt myself fall to my knees.
"Erza. You can't leave me. I don't know what to do. I don't know what just happened. Just please leave with me. Screw Jellal and screw this tower. We have to get out of here." I whimpered.
"You've helped me enough. You and the others...you're all such amazing wizards." Erza smiled.
"You have to stop this Erza! You'll die!" I cried.
"As you've said before, if it's to save the ones you love, then it's worth it." Erza said.
But Fairy Tail wouldn't be able to live without you...I wouldn't be able to...
In the end, I knew that Erza wasn't completely wrong with her words, but I knew that didn't make all of this right either.
"NO! I was wrong before!" I shouted.
Erza gave me a look of surprise as she blinked away tears of her own.
"Your nakama gives you strength! I understand that protecting your loved ones is important, but living on for them is even more important! Please! You can't do this!" I nearly screamed.
Erza stared at me with her tear-brimmed eyes, feeling moved by my words before a look of worry crossed her face.
"Ember! Look out!"
I felt a piece of debris hit my head before falling to the ground, my vision steadily fading away before I slipped into unconsciousness.
"I'm so sorry...I was wrong...you and Natsu were right."
"It's okay Erza, she's still breathing."
"Thank you Natsu...for everything."
"That's what nakama's for right?"
I opened my eyes slowly, seeing Erza and Natsu in my line of sight, nearly blushing from how Natsu held me in his arms.
"Ember! You're awake!" Erza gasped in surprise.
"We're...not dead?" I scrunched up my face in confusion.
"No, we're not. And you can have Natsu to thank for that." Erza smiled warmly.
I glanced around my surroundings, realizing that there was a full moon, and that Natsu was holding me as his feet were below the ocean waters. In the distance, we all heard Lucy, Gray, Happy, and the others shout in the distance. I could tell from the looks of relief and happiness on their faces that everything was finally okay again.
And hopefully Jellal was gone this time. For good.
"Hey Natsu..."
Natsu perked up and glanced down at me, a light blush grazing his cheeks.
"Uh- -yeah?" He asked.
"Can you put me down?" I smiled.
"Sure thing." Natsu replied. "You sure you're okay though? You got hit in the head pretty hard..."
"I'll be fine."
As soon as Natsu gently put me down on my feet, I sighed in content from the feeling of the sand and water beneath my feet. I did yelp however, when Lucy tackled me into a hug that caused us to fall backwards into the water. Lucy smiled brightly as she inspected me for any serious wounds, looking incredibly relieved that Erza and I were okay and safe.
"Don't you ever do anything like that again, you hear me?!" Lucy told me.
"I hear yah." I chuckled.
"As your nakama, I intend to keep a closer eye on you! Especially when we get home!" Lucy said.
"That's not necessary..." I smiled nervously.
"I think it's very necessary!" She argued.
I hugged Lucy again, preventing her from ranting any further as I got up from the water. Soon enough we were surrounded by Gray and the others, all of them blurting out their shouts of worry over Natsu, Erza, and I.
I never thought I'd be more happy to hear them fuss over us.
I glanced over at Natsu and Erza as they conversed with the others and celebrated.
I wonder what happened...did Natsu save us?
"Let's get the hell out of here huh?!" Natsu grinned.
"Aye!" Happy cheered.
I guess I'll have to find out later...
Hey guys! I'm so sorry it's been a long time since I updated this story! I was having an incredibly hard time trying to figure out a way to end the Tower of Heaven arc and I was just eager to get this story moving along! I've also been incredibly busy lately helping my brother out with his newborn baby. She's fucking adorable by the way and I love her to death. Paying me for babysitting in chocolate is what I want honestly. Or McDonalds...that works too. ANYWAY, my fall semester is practically around the corner so I'll be back in college again. It's my last year! I'll be graduating with a bachelor's degree so I'm looking forward to that! Also, I've been looking for a part-time job before my semester starts to try and help out my family. So, it's been really hard to update my stories because I've been really busy with personal life bullshit. I'll try to update as frequently as I can, but please be patient! Anyway, let me know what you think of this chapter, I know the ending wasn't the best and I could do a lot better, but try to keep your reviews civil please. I'll probably go back and rewrite the ending of the chapter at a later date.
Love you guys!
-bellas2silly