Hey all! This is my first ever Fairy Tail story. Introducing... a tough, confident version of Lucy Heartfilia! Or to put it in simpler terms, it's Lucy Heartfilia with the attitude her canon Edolas counterpart had. And the outfit too, for that matter.

Credit for story image goes to pl. fairytail. wikia. com and to whoever posted it there.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters!

Here... Lucy muttered as one end of the support beam she was on broke and the wood groaned. And here. She sketched two tiny circles and a line, causing the wood on the other end to disintegrate and the whole support beam to collapse.

Lucy frowned as she leapt off about a meter before the beam landed. "Now then..." She muttered. "Time to find the others." Her eyes landed on Gray's still form, pierced through the chest by a thin piece of wood.

"If there was any blood around, I'd be worried." She observed, checking the body. "Yep. Too cold even for a dead human. It's an ice clone."

"Impressive." A blob of water observed as it reformed into Juvia. "You really are skilled."

"Juvia of the Element Four." Lucy turned to her. "I sure didn't expect you here."

"Juvia wanted to help." She announced, solidifying completely and revealing a soaked Gray underneath her. "Juvia turned her body into a Water Lock to protect Gray-sama."

"I see that."

Juvia suddenly seemed to grow larger and grin. "Are you jealous he was inside of Juvia and not you?"

Gray's eyes widened when Lucy appeared to match Juvia's size. "Are you aware that I'm a lesbian currently in a relationship?" The blond countered.

"Prove it."

"I totally would if Erza didn't just get kidnapped."

"How convenient." Juvia observed. "You claim to be no threat to Juvia, and yet the one you are supposedly involved with has just gotten herself abducted! Juvia does not trust you!"

"No, she's right." Gray cut in. "They hooked up even before Phantom attacked us."

Juvia deflated. "All right, if Gray-sama says so." She glanced at Lucy. "Juvia shall be watching you, love rival!"

Lucy sighed. "My sexuality aside, has anyone tried to find Natsu yet?" As if on cue, a huge roar and burst of flame erupted upwards from a nearby ruined game machine.

"Found him."

"What sane person would shoot someone in the mouth?" Natsu grumbled, checking his jaw. "Man, that hurt. That could have done some real damage!"

Gray sweatdropped. "I think that would kill anyone who wasn't a freak like you."

"Juvia agrees."

"That blocky bastard..." Natsu growled furiously, speeding off. "Don't think you can get away!"

"After him!" Gray yelled. "His nose will lead us to them!"

"Master Jellal." A man with long black hair bowed. "We have received word that Erza Scarlet has been successfully captured. They are returning with her as we speak. However, I have to ask. Why waste time and energy capturing that traitor? With your powers, getting rid of her would be a mere chore."

The man frowned when Jellal began to chuckle. "How boring that would be."

"Huh?"

"Now that the Tower of Heaven is complete, letting her live would cause a lot of trouble." Jellal observed. "The time has come. Become my perfect sacrifice... Erza Scarlet."

Erza slowly awakened to find herself tied to a wooden column. "Where is this?"

"We're on a ship, Nee-san." Sho explained, climbing down the stairs.

"A ship?"

"That's right." Sho nodded. "A ship headed straight for the Tower of Heaven."

"Is that right..." Erza sighed. "Can you untie me? I promise not to fight anymore."

"Sorry, Nee-san." Sho frowned. "I can't do that. You are a traitor, after all."

"It's no use." He added, watching her struggle. "Milliana's ropes have the power to seal magic. Not even you will be able to escape them, Nee-san."

"I understand..." Erza lowered her head. "At least let me put on my armor. I'm afraid of going back to that tower... the armor is what makes me feel safe..."

"But your current clothes are lovely, Nee-san." Sho observed, hugging her. "I didn't want this to happen! I wanted to see you again so much..."

"Why did you do it, Nee-san?" He shouted suddenly. "Why did you betray Jellal?"

Erza frowned. Jellal...

"Nee-san!" A little Sho exclaimed. "Over here! Hurry!"

"You're too loud, Sho!" Wally shouted at him.

"You're being louder than Sho, Wally." Milliana observed, causing him to grin sheepishly. "Sorry..."

"Erza." Simon frowned. "Hurry up or we'll get discovered!"

"But..." A little redhead trembled in fear. "If they find us... I know how they treat kids who get caught..."

"It's ok." A new voice observed. "Don't be afraid."

"Jellal..." Erza looked up at the blue-haired boy.

"We almost have our freedom, our futures and dreams..." Jellal grinned, extending a hand to her. "Let's go... Erza."

The redhead blushed and gave a wide smile, taking the offered hand. "Yeah!"

"Are you telling me remnants of the R-system still exist somewhere?" The Magic Council chairman roared angrily. "That's impossible!"

"Eight years ago, a cult that worshipped black magic gathered enough money to began building the R-system." An aide sighed.

"Those seven towers?" The chairman was skeptical. "We put a halt to that project. There shouldn't even be traces of those left now."

"There was an eighth tower." A female council woman scowled. "It's off the coast of Caelum."

"Don't tell me..." The chairman groaned. "It's been completed?"

"Unfortunately, our recon team does not have a good sense of humor." The woman observed.

"So it has been completed?" Ultear asked, trying to confirm it.

"Why would it show up now?" A short, cat-like man wondered.

"The Tower of Heaven." Siegrain cut in. "It's not the R-system. It's the Tower of Heaven."

"Yes, that was the other name..."

"Enough!" The chairman yelled. "It doesn't matter what its name is! The R-system is forbidden magic! It's magic that is created for the sole purpose of wreaking havoc!"

"We have to mobilize the army immediately!" Someone yelled. "We need to put a stop to this as soon as possible!"

"We know nothing about our opponent." The cat-like man mused.

"Know nothing?" A large man turned to him. "But it was just said that-"

"It appears that the current creator of the R-system has no relation to that cult mentioned earlier." A hooded man observed.

"What?" The chairman was shocked.

"It is currently supervised by a man called Jellal. Almost nothing is known about him."

The gathered council members frowned in thought.

"I don't know anyone by that name." The woman announced.

"Other than his name, all background information regarding him is unknown." The hooded man finished.

Ultear glanced at Siegrain, who scowled.

Gray looked around at the sea, which seemed never-ending no matter which way he turned. "Where the hell are we?"

"Juvia thinks we have been drifting like this for some time now..."

"Oi." Lucy prodded Natsu with her foot. "You sure it's around here?"

"Uuugh..."

"We're relying on that nose of yours." Gray scowled, irritated. "Get a hold of yourself!"

Juvia glared at Natsu. "Juvia does not believe he would dare disappoint Gray-sama..."

"Dammit!" Gray cursed. "I can't believe they took Erza and Happy right from under our noses! How pathetic!"

"An accurate assessment." Juvia observed. "To think that a mage as strong as Erza-san lost..."

"There's no way she was beaten!" Gray's face darkened as he glared at Juvia angrily. "You don't know the first thing about Erza!"

The girl shrank back. "Please forgive Juvia!"

"Erza mentioned something about those guys being her former friends..." Lucy mused, calming Gray down. "Face it, when it's Erza we're talking about, even I don't know much about her past..."

Their eyes widened when a narrow structure appeared on the horizon.

Erza looked around the building in shock. "It really has been finished..."

"Well, it has been eight years." Sho shrugged. "We were the ones who got to finish it."

"Move." Simon ordered, pushing Erza forward.

"Eight years..." The redhead muttered. "You guys have all changed..."

"The ceremony will be tomorrow at midday." Sho informed Erza, once the others finished securing her ropes and left. "Until then, you will stay here."

Erza scowled. The ceremony? Does that mean they're going to try and activate the R-system?

"No hard feelings, right?" Sho smiled. "You're the traitor, you dug your own grave here, Nee-san. Jellal is angry at you... he's decided to make you the sacrifice for the ceremony."

"We won't ever be able to see Nee-san again." Sho sighed. "But it's all for the sake of reaching 'heaven'." He frowned when he noticed her shiver. "Are you scared? Does the thought of being the sacrifice terrify you? Or maybe... maybe you are just feeling nostalgic..."

"Did you really think you could escape that easily?" A large man swinging a whip scowled. "Lousy brats."

"We're on a very strict deadline with the R-system!" Another man yelled at the six cowering kids. "We'd be in trouble if the construction was delayed in any way. Just out of principle, you brats should get tossed into the disciplinary chamber."

"However..." The first man grinned. "Just for today, I'll be satisfied with only one of you. Now tell me, who was the brains behind this little operation? Own up and only that person will get punished. The rest will be allowed to go. Am I generous or what?"

Erza watched as Sho trembled with tears streaming down his cheeks. She sighed. "It was m-"

"I did it." Jellal straightened up. "I planned the whole thing and told them what to do."

"Is that so?" The man sneered, looking the kids over. His gaze lingered on Erza. "It was this girl, wasn't it?"

Jellal's eyes widened when a slaver began to drag her away. "No! I told you, it was me!"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine..." Erza muttered, putting on a brave smile. "It's just like you said, Jellal... it's not scary at all..."

"Erza!"

"Save her..." Milliana sobbed. "Save Er-chan, Jellal..."

Jellal grunted as he struggled against a masked man.

"None of you will be eating anything for the next three days." The guard leader announced. "It is still a lot better than spending time in the disciplinary chamber, you'll see..."

"I'm sorry that happened to you." Sho sighed. "Since I was the one who came up with the idea and all. But... I was too afraid to say anything. All I could think of was not getting hurt..."

"I don't care about that." Erza told him. "What I'm interested in is if you truly understand the risk in using the R-system to resurrect people?"

"Wow, I'm surprised you figured out what the 'R' means." Sho observed.

"Revive System." Erza scowled. "In exchange for a living sacrifice, a dead person can be returned to life. It's a forbidden unnatural magic."

"From the beginning, magic has been removed from nature." Sho countered. "All magic will eventually destroy what makes us human."

"You sound just like a member of that cult." Erza noticed.

"Those guys only saw the R-system as a basic way to restore souls." Sho responded. "They lacked Jellal's foresight... his plan is to guide us to Heaven."

"Heaven?"

"Once Jellal resurrects the one he spoke of, the world will be reborn!" Sho cackled. "And we shall become its' rulers!"

Erza grit her teeth as madness seemed to overcome Sho. "The remnants of those who stole our freedom …friends of the Nee-san that betrayed us... the ignorant people living their lives in peace... and those fools on the Magic Council... we'll inflict fear and sadness on all of them! And then we'll proceed to rob them of their freedom! We will become the masters of the world!"

He abruptly fell silent when Erza smashed a knee into his jaw viciously and knocked him out. Pulling at her binds, she quickly bit through them and rushed out of her cell, leaving an unconscious boy behind.

"Just what happened to you to make you change so much?" She sneered, as she requipped into her usual armor. "I won't forgive you, Jellal. It's time I end this!"

Happy blinked, waking up... and his jaw dropped.

"Cats!" He howled, looking around the room wildly. "There's cats everywhere! What is this place? Natsu! Where are you?"

"Meow?" Milliana suddenly squatted down next to him. "How are you?"

"How are you?" Happy repeated incredolously.

"Meow!" The girl jumped up, ecstatic. "Talking kitty!"

"You have to sound cooler, lass." Wally leaned against the door frame. "It's not a talking cat. It's a cat that can talk."

Happy sweatdropped. "What's the difference?"

"Hey!" He yelled up at Wally. "Where is this place? What happened to Natsu?"

Wally grinned. "He's kissing the asphalt, cat."

Happy frowned as he recalled Natsu get shot in the mouth. That wouldn't kill him...

"Wally! Milliana!" Simon rushed into the room. "Erza escaped!"

Milliana squealed. "That brings back memories!"

"The lass is dandy." Wally observed. "But there is no way she can escape from this tower."

"She's not running away." Simon corrected him. "She's going after Jellal."

Wally and Milliana's eyes widened and all three of them ran out of the room.

"Ahahaha!" Jellal threw his head back and laughed.

"Master Jellal?"

"Erza's a fine woman." Jellal told the long-haired man watching him. "She truly is fascinating. I wonder... will I win, or will Erza win?"

"Let's enjoy it." He smirked. "Combining life and death, the past and the future... a game where the prize is heaven."

"The movements of the council are also a cause for concern." The man observed.

"The R-system ignored the natural order of life and death. It's an unforgivable magic, that paved the way for an extremely dangerous idea." The council chairman informed the others. "Whoever is occupying the tower must be dealt with. The army will be dispatched immediately!"

"Pathetic." Siegrain sneered, getting everyone's attention. "As far as I'm concerned, dispatching the army is a pathetic act. It's way too dangerous..."

"You don't understand anything!" He yelled at the council members. "Right now we only have one way to destroy the Tower of Heaven... the Satellite Square's Etherion!"

The room erupted.

"Are you insane?" The old woman yelled. "Do you know how much damage that would cause? That weapon has enough power to obliterate a country!"

"Etherion is a last resort!" Someone added. "It's way more dangerous than the R-system!"

"But the Satellite Square can target anything with pinpoint accuracy." Siegrain countered. "If we want to destroy something as big as the Tower of Heaven, that's the only option we have!"

Ultear raised her hand. "I agree with him."

Siegrain nodded to her. "If we gain the consent of three more members, we'll use Etherion." He announced. "We do not have time to discuss this! The R-system cannot be allowed to function!"

Erza scowled, barreling through a group of Jellal's minions and slamming a random one against a wall. "Where is Jellal? Tell me!"

"That is a lot of guards." Gray sighed, watching the heavily protected stairway.

"Who cares?" Natsu struggled against Lucy. "Let's plow through them!"

"They have Erza and Happy, idiot." Lucy admonished him. "If Jellal is alerted to our presence, they will be in danger.

"Still, the tower is so close now." Gray sighed. "If we get found out here, we won't stand a chance."

Juvia swam up to them. "Juvia has found an underwater entrance to the basement level." She announced.

"Seriously?" Gray exclaimed. "Great job!"

"Did you hear that, Lucy?" Juvia grinned. "He praised me and not you."

"I don't care."

"It's a journey that will last about ten minutes." Juvia told them. "You won't have a problem holding your breath that long, right?"

"Ten minutes is nothing!"

"Yup."

"Exactly."

Juvia created a globe of water in her hand. "Please use these." She requested. "They use water to surround your head with oxygen, letting you breathe underwater without a problem."

"Sweet!" Natsu stuck his on. "By the way, who are you again?"

"This was fun." Lucy observed semi-sarcastically, tossing the globe away.

"Juvia is impressed." The ex-Phantom mage remarked. "Juvia purposely made yours smaller."

"Whatever." Lucy waved her off, looking around the basement. "Erza and Happy are somewhere in this tower."

"Who the hell are you guys?" A guard shouted, watching them with a troop of men behind him.

"We got this far..." Gray muttered. "We're going to have to fight now."

"Right!"

Lucy gave an evil smirk. "Hey, Juvia! More rivals for you!"

Juvia's jaw dropped when Lucy swung two keys and Virgo and Gemini-Lucy appeared.

"Who are we?" Natsu smashed a flaming fist into the wooden construct, causing it collapse underneath the guards. "We're from Fairy Tail, you morons!"

"Juvia shall not lose to Lucy and her allied rivals!" Juvia proclaimed angrily. "Water Slicer!"

"Ice Make: Hammer!"

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Natsu looked up from the stack of beaten guards. "Hey, look. Some kinda door just opened up there!"

Gray frowned. "I think we're being invited to come up."

"Master Jellal, what are you thinking?" The man demanded. "You let the intruders enter just like that?"

"I told you, this is a game." Jellal told him calmly. "All it means is that they've cleared a level. Things are getting interesting..."

"But if we don't proceed with the ceremony soon, the Council will figure out what we're doing!" The man countered.

"Vivaldus..." Jellal smirked. "Are you still worried about that?" His eyes lit up. "We won't be stopped!"

"We need two more votes!" Siegrain yelled as another man raised his hand hesitantly. "There is no time left! Not for a worthless debate like this!"

"Where are you, you blockhead bastard?" Natsu yelled as soon as they got into the building.

"Shut up!" Lucy slapped him across the face. "Do you want everyone to find us?"

Gray nodded. "We could only go wild earlier because we were underground. Now that we're in the tower, we'll need stealth."

"What's more, this door was opened from the inside." Juvia observed, studying the hatch they climbed through. "It's being remotely operated by magic, which means the enemy is aware of your actions."

"Never mind that." Lucy sighed. "Are you guys really ok wearing wet clothes? I know Juvia is, but..."

"They'll dry quickly if you do this." Gray shrugged, stepping next to Natsu, who lit himself on fire.

"Excellent idea." Lucy grinned, darting over to Natsu's other side. "Ah, much better."

"There they are!" A group of guards ran into the room. "It's the intruders!"

Natsu and Gray scowled and slipped into fighting stances. The guards didn't even get close before Erza sliced through the entire mob.

"Erza!"

"Yo."

"She... she's so cool..."

Erza's eyes widened when she noticed them "What are you guys doing here?"

"What do you mean why?" Natsu growled. "We'd disgrace Fairy Tail if we just backed off after what those creeps did! Besides, I totally owe that blockhead for earlier!"

Erza glanced at Juvia.

"Oh, I... um..." Juvia stammered. "Juvia is here because... well..."

"Go back." Erza commanded them, looking away. "You guys shouldn't be here."

"I seem to like slapping people today." Lucy observed as she did exactly what she said. "Those morons kidnapped you and Happy. There's no way we're leaving without either of you, understand?"

Erza smiled sadly. "You've always been the more stubborn one of us, Cy."

Gray sighed when Natsu's impatience got the better of him and he ran off to search for Happy.

"That idiot..." He sighed. "Running off like that."

"After him!" Lucy commanded.

"I still want you to leave." Erza held out a sword to stop them. "Happy will be safe with Milliana, she loves cats too much to hurt him. I'll take care of Natsu and Happy and bring them back safely. You guys just get out of here."

"I told you we're not leaving!"

"We're already involved anyway." Gray backed Lucy up. "You saw how much Natsu wants to act."

Erza stayed silent.

"Za." Lucy muttered softly, completely unsure of how to deal with this side of the redhead. "Please. Tell us what is going on here. We want to help you, but you're not letting us."

"Just go." Erza repeated herself.

Lucy grit her teeth and looked away, trying not to scream in helpless frustration.

"This isn't like you, Erza." Gray observed. "Why can't you stop moping and say 'follow me' like you always do? We'll help you out. Even you are allowed to be scared sometimes, you know."

Erza turned towards them and they caught a glimpse of a teary eye before she wiped it.

"Sorry..." She muttered. "In this fight, whether I win or lose... I will definitely disappear from this world..."

Lucy scowled. "What?"

"This is unavoidable..." Erza smiled sadly. "So before that happens, I'll tell you everything I know."

"The name is this place is the 'Tower of Heaven'." Erza started. "Otherwise known as the R-system. More than a decade ago, a cult dedicated to black magic tried to build a tower where magic could be gathered to bring the dead back to life. This wasn't approved by the government or the Magic Council, so they had to gather people from nearby countries and use them as slaves. I was one of those." Erza sighed. "That's when I first met Jellal..."

"Erza!" A blue-haired by with a tattoo on his face ran down a stone hallway, carrying a discarded sword. "Erza!"

He smiled when he found a redhead in an unlocked cell. "Hey. Wake up!" He shook the body, turning it over. His eyes widened and he jerked back in shock.

"Why..." He stammered. "Why would they do something so cruel... what did we do to deserve this?"

"Je...llal..."

"Good, you're awake." He exhaled in relief. "I came to save you!"

"H... how?"

Jellal smirked, remembering the dead bodies of slavers he left on his way to her. "There's no going back now. We have to fight!"

"Fight..."

A metal staff smashed into his face.

"This is the brat!" An enraged guard yelled. "You killed three of our men, you punk! You're going to serve as an example now!"

The huddled slaves looked up in shock when Erza stumbled into their cell.

"Erza!"

"Nee-san!"

"So you were ok!" Wally observed.

"Idiot!" Simon snapped, gesturing to her condition. "You call that 'ok'?"

"Where's Jellal?" Sho asked. "He said he was going to find you."

"Let her rest for now." An old man instructed them. "She must have gone through a lot in the punishment room."

"But what about Jellal?" Simon protested. "I bet they caught him and took him in her place!"

"I... I..." Sho teared up. "I wanna go home!"

"What's all that noise in there?" A guard shouted angrily. "Hey, shut up, you stupid brat! I'll cut your tongue out if you don't stop that infernal wailing!"

"Sho-kun, it's ok... Gramps is here." The old man tried soothing him.

Erza grit her teeth, trying to block out all the wailing and yelling. Jellal's confident smirking face crossed her mind fleetingly. "We have to fight..."

Erza screamed and jumped at the guard, yanking his pike form the man's hand. In one quick motion, she swung the weapon and knocked all three guards out.

"What's going on?"

"It's a revolt!"

"We won't get freedom by obeying them or trying to escape!" Erza glared at her cellmates with her remaining eye. "We have to fight! Stand up for our freedom!"

"For the sake of freedom and to rescue Jellal..." Erza frowned. "We rose up against them. Back then, Jellal was our leader, and he had a strong sense of justice... I looked up to him. Every one of us did. However, after that day, he became a completely different person..."

She sighed. "If anyone was ever truly evil... I'd have to say it was Jellal..."

"A revolt!"

"Take them down!"

"Don't underestimate Mad Dog Wally!" The boy shouted, smashing down four guards at once.

"Thanks, you bastards!" Simon sneered, kicking a grunt in the face. "You toughened me up!"

"A bunch of slaves think they can win against us?" A guard captain shouted. "Kill all the rebels!"

"Don't be afraid!" An outspoken slave countered. "We have numbers on our side! Use the weapons of defeated guards! We will have freedom!"

A fat guard puffed in exhaustion as he weakly swung his whip at Jellal. "Man, what is with this kid? He hasn't made a sound at all!"

"Oi, you little punk. Do you know what a great task completing the R-system is?" The man leaned in. "On the day the tower is complete, you will all experience Heaven." The man proclaimed. "The R-system can revive our god, the last and greatest dark mage."

"Shut up, pig." Jellal spat.

"What?" The man roared, swinging his whip with renewed vigor. "I'll show you!"

"Don't mind him." His partner sighed. "Let's go. We still have to deal with those revolting slaves."

"Until you learn some respect, you ain't leaving this room, ya hear?" The fat man yelled as they left.

"God." Jellal sneered. "There's no such thing. A god that can't even save one child like me is useless..."

He grit his teeth. "I hate them all... those guys, their 'God', this entire world... I hate it."

"Hate strengthens me..."

Jellal's head shot up as he scanned the room wildly.

"Those damn fools..." The voice rasped. "I've been here this whole time..."

"Who's there?"

"And yet they wish to revive me, give me a body..."

"Where are you?"

"No matter how much faith they may have..." The voice seemed disappointed. "Without powerful hatred, you cannot fully feel my presence... you're quite lucky, kid. You have the chance to meet the god they spoke about..."

"My name is Zeref!" A shadow coiled around him. "Hate is the reason for my existence!"

"It's time to free the 8th sector!"Erza commanded. "Everyone, follow me!"

"We can't!" Simon protested. "There's too many guards there!"

Erza turned to him sharply. "But if we don't save Jellal..."

"Erza." Simon walked up to her. "Tell me something... do you like Jellal?"

"Huh?" Erza was confused. "Why are you asking that now? This isn't the time..."

"Erza, there's something I wanted to tell you-"

A magical blast smashed into him, sending him flying.

"Magic users!" A slave shouted. "Retreat! We cannot win right now!"

"No!" Erza protested as she stood and watched them flee. "You can't give up! If we don't fight, we'll all die!"

She didn't notice as a guard fired another blast of magic energy straight at her.

"Erza!"

"Nee-san!"

Her eyes widened when the old man jumped in front of her, blocking the attack with his body.

"Grandpa Rob!"

"Heh..." Rob chuckled. "To think an old geezer like me was good for something after all... even though I gave up magic long ago, I can still tell you have unlimited potential, Erza-chan. It's in your heart... that smile you gave me whenever I spoke about magic is something I never thought I'd see in such a dreary place...

"Grandpa!"
"Freedom is in your heart..." Rob smiled as he collapsed. "Your dream will surely be fulfilled, Erza-chan..."

"Grandpa Rob!" Erza wailed, staring at the large mark on his back, which seemed to shine slightly.

"Erza!" Wally called. "We have to take Simon somewhere safe! Let's retreat for now!"

Everyone gaped as a large magic circle appeared under the screaming girl and scattered weapons began to levitate.

"What is that?" A mage guard exclaimed. "The weapons are floating in the air?"

They panicked when the weapons shot towards them and took them all down at once.

"Way to go!" Wally cheered. "She took them all out in one shot!"

"Nee-san can use magic!"

"This is magic..." Erza clenched her fist, staring at it. "With this power, we can win and save Jellal... I will win my freedom! Come with me!"

"Yeah!"

"Now let's not be too hasty..." A guard sweated nervously.

"Y-yeah!" The fat one stammered. "We were just following orders from above. We didn't have a choice!"

"Out of the way!" Erza commanded, shooting through them and knocking them down. Her eyes widened when she noticed Jellal, hanging from an arch by his wrists.

"It's ok!" She cheered, cutting him loose. "Just like you said, we all fought against them!"

She knelt before him. "Simon is injured. Grandpa Rob gave his life to protect me and a few were killed... but we won! We're all free!"

"Come on." She helped him stand. "Wally and the others have prepared the ships. We can finally leave this island!"

"Erza..." Jellal rasped as he hugged her. "We don't have to run anymore..."

Erza frowned in confusion. "What?"

Jellal's face morphed into a sinister grin. "True freedom... is right here."

"What are you saying, Jellal?" Erza asked angrily. "Let's just leave! Sho and the others are waiting for us!"

"I've finally realized..." Jellal mused. "What we need is not fleeting, temporary freedom. True freedom... lies in Zeref's world!"

Erza watched as he walked over to a fallen guard. "I'm beginning to appreciate their feeling, their desire to resurrect Zeref." Jellal announced. "But those guys couldn't sense his presence, they were just a bunch of weak believers. Isn't that right?"

He smirked, placing a foot on the man's back. "This tower is mine. I will be the one to complete the R-system and resurrect Zeref!"

Erza trembled in fear. "What's gotten into you, Jellal?"

Jellal grinned madly as he focused magic power on his foot and crushed the guard's insides.

"Please stop..." The second guard begged, only to get magically sent flying and shatter his skull on the rocky wall.

Erza frowned. "Magic?"

Jellal laughed as he caused two more guards to suffer the same fate.

"Stop it!" Erza wailed.

"Stop?" Jellal repeated as the last guard fled. "Don't you hate these guys, Erza?"

"Yes, but..."

"That won't do." Jellal shook his head. "You will never sense Zeref's presence like that." He threw an arm out and the last guard exploded.

"Jellal, get a hold of yourself!" Erza begged.

"I'm just fine." He countered. "Erza, let's finish the R-system... no, the Tower of Heaven, together!"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Erza snapped. "We're going to leave this island!"

Jellal's eyes narrowed and he sent her hurling out of the room and into the main shaft below.

"If you want to leave so badly, then go by yourself." Jellal sneered.

"By myself?"

"The others all belong to me." Jellal explained. "I'll need sufficient manpower to finish building the Tower of Heaven. Don't worry, I won't be like these losers. I will provide the workers with clothes, food, and rest."

"What are you talking about?" Erza demanded. "Everyone is already on the ships. They're waiting for us! They will never agree to stay and work again!"

"Those guys never told us what we were building." Jellal spread his arms, indicating the dead guards. "I will tell them the true purpose of their labor is reviving the Great Mage Zeref!"

"Jellal, please..."

Jellal focused on Erza and a pair of shadowy arms materialized around her neck.

"I don't need you anymore." The boy declared. "But out of gratitude for removing they out of my way, I won't kill you. Go and chase your insignificant, temporary freedom if you want."

"Je...llal..."

"I trust you understand this is to remain a secret." Jellal observed. "If the government gets wind of this, this opportunity will be wasted. Should we be discovered, I will have to destroy the tower and everyone in it. Because of that, I forbid you from ever returning here. If you do, I will start killing them." Jellal grinned. "And I think Sho and the others would be a good start."

"That's your precious 'freedom'!" Jellal cackled. "Go on and live with the knowledge their lives rest in your hands!"

Erza slumped as she finally lost consciousness.

A single eye opened weakly as a wave washed over Erza again. Looking around, she picked herself up and began to limp in a random direction. Her knees shortly failed her and she slumped on the soft sand.

The silence of the night was broken when Erza began to wail, screaming her pain and rage at the still moon.

Erza gulped and turned back to her audience, crying again. "I... I want to fight Jellal..."

"We have to wipe out the Tower of Heaven to stop Jellal from activating the R-system!" Siegrain shouted. "Right now, we have no choice but to use the Satellite Square's Etherion!"

"The R-system has been forbidden since ancient times." Ultear added. "I think everyone here realizes the threat it poses."

"Using the Etherion would mean complete annihilation of everyone inside that tower!" The chairman countered.

"To protect the order of the magic world, sacrifices must be made." Jellal sighed.

"It's like Sieg says." The hooded man observed. "We've gotten this far on the sacrifices of others. That's also evident in the history of the magic world that exists now."

"But if we attack Caelum's lands, it will leave a permanent stain in history!"

"It cannot be helped." The woman grit her teeth. "That's part of the sacrifice we'll have to make."

"One cannot return from the dead." A man mused. "Those kids must understand the value of life. I vote for the use of Etherion."

Siegrain nodded. "We just need one more!"

"Just one more, huh..." Jellal muttered.

"Master Jellal?" The man facing him frowned. "Did you say something?"

"No, just thinking out loud." Jellal smirked. "One more person before it's 'game over'."

"Hold on." Gray frowned. "That Zeref you mentioned..."

"Yeah." Lucy nodded. "He's considered the most cruel dark mage in history. That Lullaby monster was one of his creations, remember?"

"Not only that, but I suspect Deliora was one of them too." Erza added. "Zeref has the power to create more monsters like those with little effort."

Juvia paled. "That's the man Jellal wants to revive?"

"I'm not sure what he's planning." Erza sighed. "According to my old friends, when Zeref is revived they will become rulers of 'Heaven'."

"That doesn't make sense." Lucy scowled. "They call you a traitor when it was actually Jellal who betrayed you. He must have filled their heads with nonsense to make them follow him."

"I did abandon them for eight years." Erza told them. "I guess it could be seen as a betrayal."

"But that was because Jellal threatened to kill them if you didn't keep away." Gray countered.

"It doesn't matter." Erza announced. "If I can just take care of Jellal, this whole ordeal will be over."

Somehow I doubt that. Gray frowned in thought. Her words from earlier seem to suggest something more is going on...

"Nee-san." Sho walked into the room, getting everyone's attention. "Those words... what did you mean by them?"

"Sho..."

"All that you just told them is nonsense!" Sho yelled. "Are you just trying to make your friends pity you? That isn't the truth and you know it!"

"Eight years ago, weren't you the one who bombed the ships we were on and then ran off by yourself?" Sho accused her. "If Jellal wasn't on to you we would have all died! He told everyone that it was the fate of those who couldn't handle wielding magic! You went mad with your new-found power and decided to ditch us!"

Gray scoffed. "Jellal told you that?"

Lucy crossed her arms and sneered. "It seems 'idiot' really is a good name for you. Does that really sound like something the Erza you knew would have done?"

"You don't understand anything!" Sho wailed. "You don't know anything about us! I was saved thanks to Jellal. We built this tower here for eight years because he asked us to! And you're saying all this was a lie? If Nee-san is telling the truth, does that mean everything Jellal said was a lie?"

"That's right." A gruff voice agreed.

Sho's eyes widened. "Simon?"

"I thought something was off." Lucy observed, unsurprised. "You guys knew where Erza was, it's highly doubtful you didn't know who she was with and what we were capable of. Judging by the gunshot I heard, you went after Gray and the blocky one went after Natsu. You must have known Natsu would easily survive anything Wally could do and that I could avoid Milliana and Sho."

"Juvia has to agree." Juvia nodded. "When we were found by him and that darkness fell, he knew Gray-sama replaced himself with an ice clone, but he attacked it anyway. There's no way a man using Darkness Magic wouldn't see in his own spell. Confirming this is one of the reasons Juvia came along."

"Impressive." Simon commented. "Just what I'd expect from an S-Class mage and an Element Four member."

"I didn't plan on killing anyone there." Simon explained. "In order to fool Sho and the others I was just planning to knock Gray out. The ice clone you left behind made it seem more realistic."

"So you tricked us?" Sho scowled.

"All three of you were fooled by Jellal." Simon frowned. "I bode my time, pretending to also believe him. Unlike you, I never doubted Erza. Not once during those last eight years."

Erza smiled and hugged him. "I'm so glad I was able to see you again, Erza. The man muttered.

"How could you trust her like that?" Sho grit his teeth. "Why can't I trust Nee-san like you do?" He smashed his fists into the floor. "Dammit! Who's telling the truth here? Who am I supposed to believe?"

Erza sighed and knelt down in front of him. "I know it's hard to figure everything out right now." She smiled and pulled him in close. "But let me just say that in eight years, I never forgot about you guys. I was too weak to do anything... I'm sorry."

"But you're ready now." Simon smiled. "Isn't that right?"

Erza nodded.

"I've been waiting for this." Simon observed. "For the day that powerful mages would gather here." He looked over them. "With our combined strength, we will stop Jellal."

"Let's make it 'powerful mages + one other'." Lucy suggested. "Open, Gate of the Twins: Gemini!"

"Good thinking." Gray commented as Gemini-Lucy appeared. "With this, we're even more likely to succeed."

Simon frowned. "But first we have to find Salamander. If we are to go up against Jellal, we will need his power."

Natsu's eyes bugged out as he saw cat merchandise scattered all around him. "What kind of room is this? There's cats everywhere." He looked around and picked up a large cat mask, putting it on. "Hey, this is pretty great!"

Having tried it on, he tried pulling it off, only to discover he was stuck. "Uh oh. I can't take it off." He sweatdropped. "Oh well. This is kinda cool anyway."

"Hehe." He chuckled, oblivious to Wally observing him. "This will sure surprise Happy and Erza! Oh hey, I wonder how Lucy will react to this!"

"This is the end for you, boy." Wally smirked, preparing to fire.

"Dammit!" Simon exclaimed, as the entire group ran up a staircase. "My connection with Wally and Milliana is being blocked. Now I can't tell where they are!"

Erza glanced at Sho, who was lagging behind. "Are you alright, Sho?"

"Yeah." Sho gave a small smile. "Everything's fine now that you're here."

"I guess he's alright, since he didn't actually try to kill us and seems to know what he's doing." Gray frowned. "But are you sure we can trust him, Juvia?"

"I do not plan to make excuses." Simon responded, having heard him. "I knew you weren't the sort of mages who would get defeated so easily. I had faith all of you would survive."

"You people still haven't realized Natsu's full power." Simon observed. "When his full power awakens, evil will fall in his wake."

"Gah!" Natsu sneezed inside the mask. "Gross! I can't even wipe my mouth like this!" He pulled at the mask. "I really should take this off, but I can't!"

"Noooo!" Milliana wailed, knocking Wally's aim off.

"What are you doing, lass?" Wally frowned. "That was a perfect shot!"

"It's you!" Natsu exclaimed. "The square head!"

"I won't let you hurt the little kitty." Milliana pouted angrily.

"He's not a cat!" Wally protested. "Just look at him!"

Natsu tilted his head. "Meow?"

"See?"

Wally's jaw dropped. "What the hell?"

"I didn't forget what you did back there!" Natsu pointed at Wally. "Square bastard!"

"Move it!" Wally shoved Milliana aside, sending a barrage of blocks at Natsu.

"Cat Make: Cat Shield!" Natsu joked, pulling a human-sized cat plush doll in front of him.

"Our enemy?" Milliana was confused. "A kitty?"

"I told you, he's not a cat!" Wally groaned. "That's a dude wearing a cat mask!"

"Cat Fire!" Natsu chuckled, smashing the next attack with flaming fists.

"Back me up here, toots." Wally shouted. "Jellal wasn't kidding about this guy's strength."

"Meow!" Milliana clenched her fists. "Pretending to be a kitty when you're not pisses me off!"

"Um..." Natsu sweatdropped. "Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

"Cat Bind Rope!" Milliana screamed, entangling Natsu's arm with an orange rope.

"Excellent!" Wally grinned, sending another barrage of blocks at Natsu.

"What the hell?" Natsu exclaimed as the attacks knocked him backwards. "Is this thing stopping me from using magic?" He tugged at the rope, vainly trying to pull it off.

Milliana scowled as she used his distracted state and tied up his entire body.

"Looks like this is it, Salamander." Wally observed, pointing his gun at him. "Oh yeah, I've got this awesome line I wanted to try out... your destiny came to an end the moment you met-"

Happy slammed him in the head with a plastic cat figure.

"Natsu!" The cat cheered. "You're ok!" He glanced at the cat mask. "Um... what is that thing?"

"The kitty is flying!" Milliana exclaimed, then gasped when Wally shot at Happy. "No! No bullying the kitty!"

"Cat's don't fly, you crazy broad!" Wally protested. "Speak, maybe, but definitely not fly!"

"Get this thing off me, Happy!"

"Aye, sir!"

"Not a chance!" Wally shouted, trying to escape Milliana's hold on his scarf.

"I said no!"

"Not the cat, dammit!" He told her. "I'm going to take out the fake!"

"This isn't coming off, Natsu!" Happy groaned, straining to pull the ropes off.

"Dammit!" Natsu cursed, pushing himself into a sitting position. "There's only one thing to do then. Secret Cat Art: Wounded Kitty!"

Milliana teared up when Natsu pouted and fake tears streamed down his cheeks. Without saying anything, she made a hand motion and the ropes fell off him.

"What the hell, Milliana?" Wally yelled.

"Kitty was in pain..."

"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" Natsu shot past them, knocking them both down. "Victory!"

The gravity of the situation came back to him. "Now to get this thing off..."

Jellal smirked. As Vivaldus observed, he pulled out a series of small figures, consisting of a knight, key, dragon, ice crystal, waterfall, two blue alien-like creatures, card, archer, tower, cat, and king. He then arranged them on a chess board and promptly knocked over the cat and archer with the dragon figure.

"Sho and Simon have switched sides." He remarked calmly. "And Wally and Milliana have been defeated by Natsu Dragneel. Yes... this is how the game should be played. A one-sided battle is no fun."

"Master Jellal, we should just capture Erza and hold the ceremony." Vivaldus suggested. "This is no longer the time for games."

"In that case, why don't you go, Vivaldus?"

"Really?" The mar raised an eyebrow. "You'll allow it?"

"It is our turn now, after all." Jellal smiled.

Vivaldus smirked. Magic power surrounded him and he transformed from his stoic form into a crazy-looking man with heavy make-up and an electric guitar.

"The special squadron of the assassin guild Death's Head Order.." Jellal mused. "Trinity Raven. It's your turn now."

He looked them over. "Vivaldus Taka."

The now rocker-like man cackled insanely. "Go to hell! Yeow!"

"Fukuro."

A heavily built man with a jet-pack and an owl's head tilted it by almost 90 degrees. "Hoo-hoo."

"And their leader, Ikaruga."

An elegantly dressed woman with pink hair smirked. "It must be the fate of love and life to scatter on the winds... tonight shall be a festival."

"Pull harder, Happy!"

"I'm pulling as hard as I can!"

"You're going to break my neck!"

"Nnngh!"

With a loud 'pop', the cat mask got pulled off and Happy tumbled back from the force.

"It's off!" Natsu cheered.

"Aye!"

Natsu laughed when it landed on Wally's head. "Now it's stuck on the blockhead!"

"I'm surprised it could fit." Happy remarked, wide-eyed.

"This isn't over, Salamander." Wally scowled, standing up weakly and tossing the mask away.

"Well, I got my revenge now." Natsu told him. "And Erza and Happy are both safe, so I have no more interest in fighting you."

"Our goal is heaven..." Wally rasped. "The freedom of which Jellal speaks is a world where we rule over other people..."

"Welcome, all of you." A voice resounded everywhere around them.

"Jellal is transmitting his voice everywhere in the tower." Simon explained, looking around.

"I am Jellal, ruler of this tower." The man started. "The players on both sides have now been decided. I think it's about time to begin... the game of Heaven."

"The rules are simple." He explained. "My goal is to use Erza as a sacrifice to revive Zeref. In other words, if I manage to open the gates to Heaven, I win. But if you succeed in stopping me, then you win. However, that would not be much fun." The voice sounded amused. "So I have arranged for three warriors to fight on my behalf. If you cannot get past them, you will be unable to reach me. In other words, this is a three-on-eight battle royale. If I include the cat, three-on-nine." Jellal smirked and placed a guitar, an elegant woman, and an owl figure in front of the king piece.

"And there's one more rule." He informed the 'players'. "As I speak, the Magic Council is debating about the use of the Satellite Square on this tower. If they decide to use the Etherion, it's game over. No players left to fight." With that, the broadcast paused.

"You never said anything about that, Jellal!" Vivaldus exclaimed. "If we get hit by that, all of us will go to hell!"

Ikaruga smirked. "Why, Vivaldus, is that fear I sense in your voice?"

"Not on your life!" Vivaldus shouted excitedly. "Just the opposite! A dangerous job like this is exactly what I've been looking for!"

"The time limit is unknown." Jellal transmitted as an afterthought. "However, the moment the Etherion strikes, everyone here will perish and there will be no victor."

Sho lowered his head, gritting his teeth angrily. In a puff of smoke, Erza got trapped in one of his cards.

"Erza!"

"What are you doing?" Simon exclaimed. "Have you gone insane?"

"No." Lucy frowned. "If those cards are pocket dimensions like I suspect, then Erza is quite safe there."

Sho nodded. "I'm not letting anyone harm Nee-san!" He exclaimed. "I'll defeat Jellal myself if I have to."

"That won't be necessary." Lucy stepped next to him. "We split up here." She commanded. "Sho and I will go after Jellal. Gray, Simon, the way we came was a three-way intersection, and we can ignore one of the ways since we used it to come here. You take one of the remaining paths, and Juvia and Gemini will take the other. Your job is to find Natsu."

The group nodded. "Alright."

"I'm not sure what's going on." Natsu grinned, smashing his fist into his hand. "But it sounds like this will end if I beat this Jellal guy."

"What are you doing, Jellal?" Wally muttered. "Etherion... if we get blasted with that, we'll all die!" He grit his teeth helplessly. "All we ever wanted... was true freedom."

"I don't know what kind of freedom you're after." Natsu smiled at him. "But what we have in fairy Tail is pretty awesome."

Wally watched as Natsu and Happy shot out a window and flew upwards. "I'm not feeling this game." Natsu grumbled. "So how about we cheat and cut straight to the end, Happy?"

"Aye!"

"He's a stand-up guy." Wally smiled after him, collapsing from exhaustion. "And that... is a dandy-looking scarf."

Natsu frowned when something glinted in the distance. "Something's coming this way."

"Hoo-hoo!" The large owl-headed man crashed into him, knocking him through a wall back into the tower.

"Salamander!" Simon exclaimed, having noticed him. "Are you all right?"

"Breaking the rules will not be tolerated." The man announced, landing next to them. "I am the warrior of justice, Fukuro!"

"It's a bird talking about justice!" Natsu exclaimed, shocked.

Simon broke into a cold sweat. "Is... is he...?" He grabbed Natsu's arm and began running away. "This is bad! Quickly, follow me!"

"This guy is a friend of the blockhead!" Happy realized.

"I'm on your side now!" Simon countered. "And you mustn't fight against this guy! Dark Moment!"

"It's pitch black!" Natsu yelled. "I can't see anything!"

"Now's our chance!" Simon exclaimed, pulling him away.

"Hoo-hoo!" Fukuro appeared next to him. "The owl of justice strikes even in the darkest of nights!" He punched Simon down the hallway into a wall. The man gasped and coughed up blood.

"It's the assassin guild, the Death's Head Order!" Simon realized. "They're a dark guild, who specialize in assassination missions instead of normal jobs. And the strongest among them is the trio known as 'Trinity Raven'. They managed to assassinate all the western army officers during the Capria War."

"I merely struck down the forces of evil." Fukuro hooted.

"Those guys are professional killers!" Simon told Natsu. "You cannot win against them!"

"Salamander..." Fukuro slipped into a fighting stance. "Your infamy has even reached the ears of our guild! It is time for this warrior of justice to put an end to your evil deeds!"

"A guild is a place filled wit dreams and aspirations." Natsu growled, as his fists lit up. "It's not a place for killers to team up!"

"Stop, Salamander!" Simon ordered. "You cannot win against this guy!"

"It pisses me off that there are people who would pay others to kill." Natsu scowled. "Not to mention that they would actually consider themselves a guild. You're getting on my nerves, so I'll beat you up!" He curved his flaming hand into a claw. "Come and get it, birdbrain!"

"Hoo-hoo. Young Salamander, there are evils in this world that cannot be permitted to exist." The torpedoes on his jet-pack ignited and he surged forward. "And you are one of those evils. Time to die."

Natsu grunted as Fukuro crashed into him and they flew back. "It's firepower we're talking about here... you're not gonna beat me!"

Fukuro swerved and grabbed Natsu's ankle, flying him into the air. Natsu screamed as Fukuro threw him into the floor.

"You're a tough one." The owl-man observed as Natsu picked himself up. "This may actually prove to be a worthwhile job."

"Trinity Raven..." Simon trembled, watching the fight. "They're even stronger than the rumors say... and we have three opponents like this here?"

Jellal smirked and used the owl piece to knock the tower over. "How disappointing, Simon... to lose so early in the game..."

He moved the owl piece in front of the dragon. "And now we have Fukuro against Natsu Dragneel." He sighed. "Honestly, I had hoped to go up against Natsu myself, but the odds do not look promising..."

"Natsu-san!" Gemini called out.

"Natsu-san!" Juvia shouted.

Gemini-Lucy sighed. "He's got pretty good hearing, so he should hear us from far away..."

"Just like Gajeel-kun." Juvia observed. "His nose must be good as well,then?"

"I suppose so."

Juvia frowned. "Why did Juvia have to go with Gemini-san to search for Natsu-san?"

"There wasn't anything we could have done about it." Gemini reminded her.

"Gray-sama had to agree with Lucy-san..." Juvia muttered resentfully. "Juvia wouldn't go against Gray-sama's decision, but putting Juvia together with a rival in love?"

"We are Spirits, and Mistress Lucy is a lesbian!" Gemini exclaimed in exasperation. "None of us wants to date Gray! How would it even work between us and him?"

Juvia blinked as she remembered Gemini's true form. "Juvia sees your point. As of now, you are no longer a love rival to Juvia."

"Good."

A loud roaring noise filled the room they just entered.

"Juvia kinda likes this music." The water mage observed. She turned to Gemini-Lucy and sweatdropped when she saw her playing an imaginary guitar.

A man appearing on the other side of the room caught their attention. They watched as he swung his hair wildly, strumming away on his guitar.

"Hee-yah!" He yelled. "Wassup, ladies?"

"This is my concert of hell!" He shouted, changing the beat. "Destroyyyyyy!"

"That's some hair he's got." Lucy observed calmly.

Juvia was on alert. "He must be one of Jellal's three warriors."

"We're the assassin's guild, the Death's Head Order!" The man declared proudly. "Death's Head means skull, get it? Cool name, huh? I am a member of Trinity Raven, Vivaldus Taka! Let's rock!"

Juvia frowned when his hair shot out everywhere. A sweeping motion passed easily through her body as it turned to water and back again. Gemini simply turned to their normal form and the hair passed through the gap between them, before they reformed into Lucy.

"Oh?" Vivaldus blinked, watching Juvia. "That's a rocking body ya got there!"

"Juvia's body is made of water." She informed him. "Drip, drip, drop."

"No attack can harm Juvia's body." She intoned, surrounding Vivaldus with water. "Water Lock!"

"Did you say rock?" Vivaldus grinned as the water engulfed him, before getting absorbed into his hair.

Juvia's jaw dropped. "Juvia's water lock... disappeared?"

"This might prove problematic." Gemini-Lucy sighed.

"Water is just the thing when your hair gets messed up." Vivaldus smirked. "Unlike shampoo. That stuff will dry your hair out!"

"How did you break Juvia's Water Lock?"

"My hair has the power to absorb any liquid!" Vivaldus cackled. "Except for oil or alcohol. That stuff will really mess up your hair!"

Juvia took a step back. "Water won't affect him?"

"You two are a couple of fine ladies!" Vivaldus exclaimed. "But since blondie is a Spirit, my magic won't work on her! And that means water-girl gets to be my succubus today!"

Juvia frowned. "Succubus?"

"A type of female demon..." Gemini scowled. "What's he up to?"

"Rock of Succubus!" Vivaldus screamed, jamming away on his guitar. Purple light surrounded Juvia and she screamed as she felt her senses fading away.

"Well, that's it for the water user..." Jellal knocked the waterfall over with the guitar and placed it facing the blue spirits. "And now..."

"I got me a succubus!" Vivaldus shouted as the light faded. "Hell!"

"I'm gonna show you the deepest pits of hell tonight, bitch!" A scantily clad and tattooed Juvia announced. "Yeah!"

"Oh?" Gemini-Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Now that is unusual."

"I'd say the Spirit is done for as well." Jellal sighed, knocking the Gemini figure over. "Such a shame."

"I'm gonna drag you to hell with me, ya little bitch!" Juvia cackled.

Gemini raised a key. "I'm guessing there's no reasoning with you right now."

"That's right!" Vivaldus laughed. "She's my succubus now! Ain't no one but me she'll listen to!"

"I thought so." Gemini-Lucy sighed. "Open, Gate of the Water Bearer: Aquarius!"

"Ahahaha!" The rocker cackled as the mermaid materialized. "How desperate! There is no water around here for you to-"

He stopped laughing when Lucy and Aquarius charged forward and Lucy swung at Juvia, who turned her body to water to avoid the attack. This was exactly what Aquarius was waiting for, as the spirit had immediately created a large whirlpool using Juvia's body.

"But that Spirit needs water to be summoned!" Vivaldus protested as he got swept up in the churning water.

"Wrong." Aquarius smirked. "I need water to fight, otherwise I can't help in any way. That does not mean I can't be summoned on dry land."

"Too bad!" Vivaldus laughed as his hair began to absorb the water. "I told you, my hair can assimilate all liquids!"

He paled when something apparently went wrong and the water absorption stopped. "What the... there's too much of it!"

Aquarius grinned and swung her vase again, doubling the whirlpool in size. Vivaldus screamed as the rapidly swirling waters tossed him into a wall and his wig fell off, revealing a shiny bald scalp. Juvia similarly fell out of the whirlpool, back to normal now that Vivaldus was unconscious.

Jellal frowned and knocked the guitar over, but didn't bother putting the waterfall and the twins back up. "I expected more from Vivaldus Taka... still, it seems the Spirit and the water user don't want to fight anymore..."

"I guess we're done here..." Aquarius smirked. "I'll be headed back home now. Gemini, tell Lucy not to call me or Scorpio for the next two weeks. We're going on vacation."

Gemini nodded. "Right."

Aquarius waved and vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Anyway, we beat one of those Trinity Raven guys." Gemini-Lucy observed. "And I don't get to simply relax in the human world much... what say we rest here for a while?"

"Yes, Juvia is quite tired..." The girl nodded. "A rest sounds good..."

"Quite impressive..." Jellal smirked. "But that's what should be expected of Erza's comrades... I guess it's time for my personal move..."

"Regarding the decision to fire Etherion, the final votes stand at four for and five against." The chairman announced. "Therefore, Etherion will not be fired."

"Dammit!" Siegrain shot up. "You do not understand the situation we are in!"

"That's enough, Sieg." The chairman sighed. "We're done debating. There are peaceful ways to resolve the matter, after all."

"Don't tell me you haven't felt it..." Siegrain grit his teeth. "That dark energy that has slowly been spreading across the land... that's the power of the man Jellal's been trying to bring back..."

"What are you talking about?"

"He's resurrecting Zeref!" Siegrain shouted. Jaws dropped and many of them began to sweat in fear.

"What did you just say?" The chairman whispered, clearly audible in the shocked silence. "How could you possibly know that?"

"I didn't want to bring suspicion on myself so I didn't mention this, but I know that man..." Siegrain sighed heavily. "I know Jellal... and I know what he intends to do..."

"Siegrain." The chairman frowned. "Tell us everything."

Natsu grit his teeth as Fukuro kicked him, causing him to slide back. "Fire Dragon's Claw!" He shouted, slamming Fukuro in the face.

The fighters glared at each other as they regained footing. "I think it is time to crush you with the hammer of justice!" Fukuro announced as his jet-pack and torpedoes shot at Natsu. "Missile Bomb!"

Natsu scowled and ducked under the missiles, only to dodge to one side hastily as they swerved right behind him for a return shot. Fukuro made a hand motion and claws extended from the jet-pack, grabbing his shoulders securely.

Fukuro watched as the jet-pack carrying Natsu began to spin in a large circle above them. "Hoo-hoo!"

"What a bizarre attack..." Simon muttered, watching the scene with wide eyes.

Happy paled. "Oh no..."

"I am well aware of your weakness, Salamander." Fukuro observed.

"This is bad. That thing is a vehicle!" Happy explained to Simon. "Natsu suffers from severe motion sickness!"

"What?"

"Now that my prey has been weakened, I can move in on the kill!" Fukuro announced as the arms released Natsu. "This is the essence of hunting." He darted forward to intercept Natsu. "Capture!"

His mouth opened impossibly wide and Natsu dropped right into it headfirst.

"What the hell?" Simon exclaimed as Fukuro forced Natsu down his throat. "What on Earth are you doing?"

"I can digest the magic of those I have eaten." Fukuro explained.

"Give Natsu back!" Happy shot forward, only to get blasted down by a fireball.

"Digest..." Simon's eyes widened. "Are you saying you absorbed Salamander's abilities?"

"Hoo-hoo!"

This strength... Simon shook in fear. How do we fight against him?

"There are eight votes in favor." The chairman announced. "Our business here is finished. In one hour, the Etherion will be ready to fire."

Siegrain looked down at a disappointed man. "Yajima-san, you may find this difficult to accept, but at least you realize we cannot allow Zeref to be revived, right?"

"It isn't my role to complain anymore..." Yajima sighed. "But I trust you are ready to handle the consequences?"

"Of course." Siegrain nodded. "I will accept full responsibility-"

"I'm talking about people's lives, Sieg!" Yajima shouted, his eyes bulging. "All the lives that will be lost because of your decision!"

"The firing will commence in one hour!" A frog worker shouted. "Everybody, make preparations!"

"Erza, looks like your strongest piece is out..." Jellal grinned, knocking the dragon over. "Now what's your move? You're out of time... it won't be long before the light crashed down on us..."

"Do it again, Cana!" A little Gray shouted. "There;s on way my luck will be brilliant today!"

"The result won't change, no matter how many times I do it." Cana grumbled. "Besides, shouldn't you be happy to get good luck?"

"What good luck?" Gray scowled. "This morning I fell in a ditch, then my wallet vanished somewhere... today sucks!"

The guild door swung open and a small girl walked in, looking around. "This is... that place Grandpa Rob told me about..."

"Erza..." Gray scowled. "Dammit, where is that idiot Natsu anyway? I'll smash his face in when I find him!"

He ran into a wide room and froze. "What the hell are you doing?" He yelled at a beaten Simon. "Did you find Natsu?"

"Gray..." Simon turned to him. "Salamander got swallowed by that guy..."

"What is he thinking?" Gray punched the wall next to him, glaring at Fukuro. "Stupid flame-head..."

"The digestion process has begun!" Fukuro announced. "In ten minutes, Salamander's body will completely dissolve. And when that happens, his magic will be truly mine!"

"I'll deal with this punk!" Gray declared. "Ice Make: Lance!"

Fukuro eyed the attack headed his way and spat out flames. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

"He's absorbing Salamander's magic as we speak!" Simon yelled as Gray was engulfed in flames.

"Hoo-hoo!" Fukuro yelled, continuing to spew out fire. "Ice is useless in the face of fire!"

Inside the flames, Gray grit his teeth.

"Useless!" Fukuro roared. "As one of Salamander's comrades, you should know the strength of these flames!"

Gray screamed as the flames intensified.

"What's with her?" Cana frowned, watching as Erza ate lunch alone in a corner of the guildhall.

"Why don't you go up to her and ask?" Gray suggested.

"I tried, but she just ignored me." Cana informed him.

"Is that so?" Gray smirked and stood up. "Let's see her try to ignore The Gray."

"You lost your shirt, 'The Gray'."

"Hey, you." Gray started, only to get ignored as Erza continued to eat, pretending he wasn't there. The boy scowled and kicked her table over. THAT made her react.

"What was that for? Erza asked angrily.

"This is a mage guild." Gray sneered. "You don't get to walk around in armor."

"Why don't you focus on yourself first?" Erza suggested, walking away. "Streaker boy."

The watching mages burst into laughter.

"Why you..." Gray scowled.

"Don't worry about me." Erza told him.

Fukuro's jaw dropped when the fire turned solid and transparent with a bluish hue.

"He froze the flames?" Simon asked in disbelief.

"You call this Natsu's fire?" Gray smirked. "Don't make me laugh, you cheap imitation."

"Hoo-hoo!" Fukuro charged forward. "Such impressive magical power. I think I shall devour you as well!"

Happy teared up when Fukuro caught Gray and swallowed most of his upper body. The owl-man's eyes bulged out when both his insides and outside began to freeze.

"We don't have time to waste here!" Gray yelled, having pulled himself out.

"Got your ass kicked by Erza again, huh?" A grinning Macao observed, having noticed Gray's bruises.

"You sure are persistent." Wakaba added. "Got a crush o her or something?"

"Shut up!"

"But man, Erza-chan must be something, to be able to beat Gray up like this." Wakaba smirked.

Macao laughed. "Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised is he started calling her 'Erza-sama' one day."

"I'm not going to accept that brat as one of my comrades!" Gray yelled at them. "Never!"

"I'm taking Erza back with me!" Gray shouted, charging at Fukuro.

"There you are, Erza." Gray grinned, finding his target sitting by the riverbank. "This is the day I'm going to beat you!"

The startled girl turned to him sharply. Gray cringed when he saw a tear in her uncovered eye.

"You again..." The redhead sighed, hurriedly wiping it off. "You just won't leave me alone, will you?"

She eyed him sternly. "Fine then. Come and try it."

Gray took a hesitant step back.

"What's wrong?" Erza raised an eyebrow. "Are you surrendering already?"

"No, I..." Gray frowned. "Tell me... why are you always on your own?"

Erza lowered her gaze to the ground. "I prefer being alone... I feel more at ease when I'm by myself."

"Then why were you crying?"

"Move it!" Gray ordered, slashing at Fukuro with two icy spikes. "Ice Blade: Seven Slice Dance!"

She was always on her own... Gray scowled as Fukuro coughed up Natsu and crashed to the ground, defeated. Always wearing armor around her heart and crying...

"Erza is part of Fairy Tail, one of us..." Gray frowned, standing over his fallen opponent. "So she doesn't have to cry."

Gray Fullbuster... Simon gaped at the scene before him. He is more powerful than the information regarding him said...

"I have to find Erza..." Gray grit his teeth, trying to ignore his injuries.

No... Simon realized. It looks like his feelings for Erza, for his comrades, is what drives him to such extremes...

Simon smiled. You sure found yourself a nice guild... Erza.

"The time is almost upon us." Ultear observed calmly, as council staff milled around them. "The feelings you have concealed for the last eight years will finally be realized..."

"Aren't you afraid, Ultear?" Siegrain asked.

"Not at all." The woman shook her head. "I have complete trust in you, Siegrain-sama."

"That may be." Siegrain acquiesced. "But it is not your life that's in danger here. Remember, if this fails, then I die."

Having magically fused himself with the wall, Yajima frowned.

"However, this is certainly worth the risk." Siegrain remarked. "After all... this is my dream."

Yajima's eyes narrowed in thought.

"Twenty-five minutes left..." Jellal mused, propping the dragon back up and knocking the owl over with the ice crystal. "I guess I'll be saying goodbye to you too... Siegrain."

"I am concerned about one thing." Simon remarked, waiting for Natsu to regain his bearings.

Gray turned to him curiously. "Oh? What is it?"

"Lucy's earlier behavior." Simon frowned. "I was informed that the Starry Sky is able to think quickly, analyzing her surroundings and possible ways to act at incredible speeds and using them to her advantage, and I did see some of that today..." He sighed. "But the person I expected her to be would never allow Erza to remain in Sho's card. There are too many flaws to that magic for her to ignore."

Gray grit his teeth. "What exactly are you saying?"

Simon leveled a hard stare at him. "I'm saying that Lucy Heartfilia is not thinking clearly. Her anger at Jellal and desire to shield Erza from him are causing her to disregard all other threats."

He looked up at the sky. "I shudder to think what will happen shall she find Jellal first..."

"How dare you deceive us like this, Jellal?" Sho raged as he and Lucy sprinted down a hallway. "You even hurt Nee-san!"

"Sho!" Erza yelled form inside her card prison. "Calm down! Let me out of here!"

"That place is secure enough for you right now, Erza." Lucy objected. "Don't worry, we'll keep you safe."

Their eyes widened when an elegantly dressed woman appeared before them amidst a flurry of pink flower petals.

"I am called Ikaruga." She intoned, giving a slight bow. "Greetings to you both."

Sho scowled. "Who the hell are you, lady?"

"Oh, my." Ikaruga sighed. "Such an uncouth young man."

"I don't have time to waste on you!" Sho exclaimed, throwing several cards at her. Ikaruga narrowed her eyes at the projectiles, drawing her sword and slicing through all of them. Sho stared in disbelief as the cards split in half... front and back halves, to be exact.

"There isn't anything under the sky that I cannot cut through." Ikaruga observed as two cuts appeared on Sho and he collapsed in a spray of blood.

"When... did you..." The boy rasped. Lucy stared at Ikaruga in shock, simultaneously angry and actually afraid of her... and that just made her angrier.

"Sho!" Erza shouted, drawing Ikaruga's attention to her card prison.

"So you were hiding in a place like that, Erza-san." The woman smiled.

"Let me out of here, Sho!" Erza demanded. "You cannot win against her!"

"Don't worry..." Sho sighed. "That card has protection on it... nobody from the outside should be able to hurt you..."

His eyes widened when Ikaruga slashed at the card and Erza blocked it with her sword. "No way... she cut inside the card? In a completely separate dimension?"

"This is getting dangerous." Lucy observed, blocking Ikaruga's second slash with Caelum, which promptly shattered. Erza scowled and forced her way out of the card, much to everyone's surprise.

"How?"

"Thanks to her first slash, there was a distortion in the space fabric." Erza explained. "I sliced through it to escape."

Sho teared up. Nee-san is incredible...

"I have no business with you." Erza told Ikaruga. "Leave."

Her eyes widened when cuts appeared on her armor and it crumbled to pieces.

"That was by way of greeting." Ikaruga smirked. "Don't tell me... you didn't see me move?"

Just how fast is that sword? Sho gaped. Even Nee-san couldn't see it!

"That's more like it." Ikaruga commented, noticing Lucy and Erza's glares. "I am not a mere passerby."

She scowled and jumped back quickly as a column of purple light appeared in front of her. Lucy chuckled, catching her unawares as she planted a foot in her back and kicked her forward.

What the hell? Ikaruga was shocked. This girl is as fast as me?

Lucy smirked as she landed on the far end of the hallway. "I'll leave her to you, Erza!" She called. "I'm going after Jellal!"

"Come then, Lucy of the Starry Sky." Jellal smiled, moving the knight in front of the woman figure and shifting the key to face the king directly. "I'm curious to see what you can do."

Erza frowned, requipping into Heaven's Wheel Armor. "You are clearly an enemy, I can see that."

"Watch yourself." Ikaruga grinned, shooting forward. "Here I come."

Erza scowled as Ikaruga calmly gave and parried attacks, proving to be a swords-woman even above her own level, as she was having trouble countering Ikaruga's slashes.

"Circle Sword!" Erza yelled, flying back and throwing a circle of weapons at Ikaruga.

The woman smirked. "Moonless Sky Art." She intoned, easily cutting through each of them. "Empty Flash."

Erza watched as the swords fell to pieces. Her eyes widened when Ikaruga slashed again, destroying her armor.

"Nee-san!"

"Moonless Sky Art." Ikaruga sang. "Crescent Flame!"

"Requip!" Erza countered. "Flame Empress Armor!"

The armor did stop her from getting burned, but it still pushed her into a wall. "A flame-resistant armor?" Ikaruga raised an eyebrow. "I'm impressed you managed to requip so quickly."

Erza gasped as her armor shattered.

"However, it is still not enough." Ikaruga advised her. "I suggest you use the strongest armor you have."

"None have seen this armor and lived to talk about it!" Erza exclaimed, requipping into a black and spiky suit of armor. "Observe and despair. Requip: Purgatory Armor!"

Ikaruga scoffed and leapt forward, easily cutting it to pieces.

"Nee-san..." Sho muttered as Erza's eyes shot open in shock. "Nee-san can't win..."

"Was that your strongest armor?" Ikaruga smirked as Erza collapsed to the floor. "No matter what armor you wear, it cannot hold against my blade. Surrender."

Erza glared at her as she pushed herself up and requipped into bandages around her chest and cloth pants with painted flames, holding two plain swords in her hands. Both Sho and Ikaruga were surprised.

"Is this a joke?" Ikaruga asked. "There is no magic in that armor. It's just cloth."

Sho grit his teeth. "Just cloth?"

"And after I went to so much trouble to show you my skills..." Ikaruga sighed theatrically. "It seems I am being underestimated."

"Nee-san!" Sho wailed. "What's wrong with you? You have tons of strong armors left, don't you? You're stronger than this, right?"

"No, I am not strong." Erza whispered. "I'm not..."

Erza lowered her gaze to the ground. "I prefer being alone... I feel more at ease when I'm by myself."

"Then why were you crying?"

"So many of my comrades died before me..." Erza muttered as she remembered Rob and her friends, the way they were eight years ago. "I failed to protect those I cared about..."

"I wasn't crying..." Erza scowled, stomping away from Gray.

An image of Jellal entered her mind. "I was always crying... always trying to make myself seem stronger than I was... I locked up my heart in a suit of armor, and cried..."

"It is because I am weak that I will always hide behind a suit of armor." Erza scowled. "I could never find it in me to remove it."

"It makes no difference to me." Ikaruga announced. "Even if my opponent is naked, I will still slice her."

"I always believed that the armor would keep me safe, but that wasn't right." Sho listened, enraptured by Erza's words. "The link between people's hearts that allows them to connect was being blocked..."

"But Fairy Tail taught me the truth!" Erza declared, as an image of the guild members appeared in her mind. "That being close to people and feeling their warmth is so much better!"

"Prepare yourself!" Ikaruga advised, jumping forward.

"I no longer have any doubts!" Erza charged to meet her attack. "I shall transform my very core into strength and take you down!"

"Nee-san!"

Jellal sighed and stood up. "Don't tell me the game is over already."

Lucy blinked in confusion as soon as his face came into view. "Mystogan?"

"Who?"

"I see, you're not him." Lucy narrowed her eyes. "In that case..." Her calm expression vanished, replaced by a snarl of pure fury. "Die!"

And she charged forward, swinging her remaining Caelum sword at him wildly.

Sho watched as both fighters landed, having exchanged blows. Erza remained stoic as her right sword shattered.

"The fight... is over..." Ikaruga smiled, collapsing with her sword breaking in several places.

"All right!" Sho cheered. "Nee-san, you were incredible!"

"Impressive..." Ikaruga muttered weakly. "For the first time in my life, I have tasted defeat... however, both you and Jellal are destined to share this fate..."

Erza stared at her in shock.

"Fifteen minutes..." Ikaruga lifted an arm weakly. "The light of justice... shall rain down from the heavens... it will kill us all..."

Her arm fell limply to one side. "Such a... wretched haiku..."

"Fifteen minutes?" Erza frowned. "Does she mean Etherion?"

She turned to Sho. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, somehow..."

"Good." Erza nodded. "Take Simon and the others, as well as my friends, and get everyone far away from this tower..."

"B-but..."

"Sho." Erza smiled. "You'll do it for me, won't you?"

"Yeah..." Sho sighed in agreement. "But what about you?"

"I'm going to finish this."

Natsu looked up weakly... and his head shot up in alarm. "What?"

"Ah, so you're awake then." Simon observed, carrying the boy on his shoulder.

"I remember ending up on some sort of vehicle..." Natsu's cheeks puffed up. "Ughhh..."

"Seriously?" Simon's jaw dropped. "Just the memory of it makes you sick?"

"After that vehicle ride, Fukuro swallowed you." Simon explained. "Gray ended up defeating him and saving you."

"Gray?"

"Yeah." Simon nodded, putting Natsu down. "But he took some damage himself. That cat of yours took him outside the tower."

"No way!" Natsu wailed comically. "I lost to someone who Gray beat?"

"Well..." Simon hesitated. "You didn't exactly lose... you got eaten."

"I'm gonna be teased for like a month after this!" Natsu panicked. This is no good! I need revenge! Bring that birdbrain back so I can pummel him properly this time!"

"This is not the time for that!" Simon protested, grabbing Natsu's scarf to stop him from running off. "

Natsu looked back at him. "Hey, who are you, anyway?"

"I'm Simon. I'm an old friend of Erza." He grunted, falling to one knee in pain.

"Hey, are you hurt or something?"

"Don't worry about me..." Simon rasped. "Listen, Natsu... I just received a transmission from Milliana and Wally. They found Gemini and Juvia resting on the ground near a defeated member of Trinity Raven. Since they weren't sure what's going on, they didn't know what to do, but I told them to get Juvia out of the tower. Gemini waited long enough to confirm they weren't hostile before they returned to the Spirit Realm. And from what I hear from Sho, that means all of Trinity Raven is defeated."

"Eh?" Natsu moaned. "But I didn't get to do a thing!"

"The only enemy left is Jellal himself." Simon observed. "It seems that my worst fears may come to pass after all. Sho says that Lucy had managed to get past Ikaruga before Erza fought her. If I had to guess, I'd say she already reached Jellal by now."

"Then there's no problem!" Natsu cheered. "She'll kick his ass easily!"

"Wrong." Simon shook his head. "I had hoped Erza would fight him, she stands a better chance. However, while Lucy is likely to fight with mindless rage, Erza will still fail to strike him down. Jellal is too powerful for that."

"Please, Natsu." Simon glared at Natsu seriously. "You must help Erza!"

"I don't wanna."

Simon's jaw dropped.

Jellal sighed. Using his free hand, he tipped the key over. He then pushed the woman figure sideways and placed the knight in front of the king.

"So you made it here, Erza." He observed calmly.

Erza's eyes widened in shock when she saw Jellal easily holding up Lucy's limp form with one hand.

"I must confess I was disappointed." Jellal mused. "Lucy of the Starry Sky, renowned for her quick thinking, skill in using surroundings to her advantage, and ability to create instant successful strategies... yet I saw none of that. She fought me like a savage animal, using only primal fury and the sole desire to cause me physical harm... defeating her was ridiculously easy."

Jellal smirked. "However, when she wakes up, I don't want her to fight me again, no matter what state of mind she's in." He pressed two fingers to her stomach and a narrow beam of magic energy tore through her, coming out her back and spraying blood. "This should keep her from moving too much."

He tossed Lucy at Erza, who caught her and propped her up against a wall gently.

"You could have simply fled this place at any time today." Jellal observed. "Why did you choose not to do so?'

"I plan to free all of my comrades." Erza scowled.

"Suit yourself. I no longer have a use for them." Jellal shrugged. "Not with the Tower of Heaven complete."

"Even if it will be destroyed in a mere ten minutes?" Erza asked him.

"You mean Etherion?" Jellal chuckled nonchalantly.

"You seem unconcerned..." Erza's grip on her sword tightened. "So it really was a bluff..."

"Oh, not at all." Jellal removed his hood and grinned. "Etherion will fall."

"That's what I wanted to hear!" Erza prepared to attack. "Only ten minutes. I f I manage to keep you here that long, I will be able to bring an end to this!"

"And what of Lucy?" Jellal raised an eyebrow. "She's in no condition to move. She's not even awake right now!"

"I'm sure Natsu will ignore orders and come charging here." Erza replied. "Once he does, I'll tell him to take her to safety."

"I see..." Jellal chuckled. "You are correct to not think about leaving yourself... because you are going to die, as my sacrifice to Zeref!"

"That much is pure fact!" He laughed loudly. "It is your inevitable destiny!"

"I don't understand..." Simon frowned. "Why are you refusing to help Erza, your own comrade?"

"He's Erza's enemy, so I say Erza should fight him." Natsu countered. "This isn't something I should interfere in. As it is, I'm pissed at Lucy for doing so herself."

"Erza has no hope of defeating Jellal!"

"Don't insult her like this, you creep!"

"This isn't a contest of magical power!" Simon yelled. "Erza is still hoping to save Jellal somehow, I know it! She doesn't have it in her to actually hate him!"

Natsu watched the man lose his composure with wide eyes.

"Jellal is a cunning man." Simon sighed, calming down. "He will use the feelings Erza still has for him. But it gets worse than that... the Magic Council is planning to fire Etherion down on this place, and there are only ten minutes left."

Simon stared at Natsu. "You know Erza well, don't you? As much as it hurts to admit it, she's most likely planning on using the Etherion to die and take Jellal with her!"

Natsu grit his teeth. "You should have said that at the beginning! Tell me where Erza is!"

"Seven minutes left." Jellal smirked. "Only seven minutes until Etherion rains down on us. Let us enjoy those few minutes, Erza."

"There is nothing that I fear anymore." Erza scowled. "Even if Etherion does fall, I will be satisfied by taking you with me."

"Here I come!" Jellal grinned, sending blasts of dark energy at Erza, who countered by dodging some and slashing through others. The man noticed an opportunity and made a hand sign, causing an explosion in front of Erza and sending her crashing through a wall. Her eyes widened as she found herself outside the tower, flying through open air.

"You just finished this tower and you're wrecking it already?" She shouted, springing off a falling chunk of wall and slicing at Jellal. "I'm speechless."

"It's just a pillar and section of a wall." Jellal observed. "Nothing really important."

"Sho and the others have worked on it for eight long years!" Erza yelled, landing back on solid ground and swinging at him.

"No need to remind me." Jellal formed a bright orb in his hand. "What's really important here is the R-system. That's what those years were for. And now it is finally complete!"

The orb smashed into Erza, expanding and trapping her within. Jellal's eyes widened when she cut herself free and sprung forward, slashing him across the chest before he could react.

You're kidding me... Jellal was shocked as he collapsed and Erza pinned him down. This is the same Erza?

The girl pointed her sword at his neck. "What are you really after?" She asked. "You haven't really completed the R-system, have you?"

"Don't think I wasted those eight years." Erza told the stunned man. "I did my research on the R-system. The building is indeed finished, according to the blueprints from back then. However, you are still missing a basic thing to really complete it."

"I told you." Jellal grinned, despite his predicament. "You will be the sacrifice..."

Erza shook her head. "No. Something even more basic than that... magic power."

"To activate a spell on this scale needs a vast amount of magical energy." Erza explained. "It is impossible for a single person to gather all of it and store it in this tower."

"And that's not all." She frowned. "You are aware of the council's plan to destroy this place, yet you remain unconcerned. Just what are you up to?"

Jellal smirked. "Three minutes until Etherion falls..."

"Your dream is over!" Erza yelled. "It has been for a long time! Do you really just want to die here?" She grabbed his arm angrily. "If so, then die here with me! I'll hold you down until that final moments arrives!"

"Yeah..." Jellal chuckled weakly. "That doesn't sound too bad..."

"My body was possessed by Zeref's lingering spirit..." He muttered. "There was nothing I could do... I was nothing more than a puppet on strings, working to fully restore him..."

"Possessed?"

"In the end, I couldn't save myself..." Jellal smiled softly. "My comrades couldn't either... there was no one who could help..." He scoffed. "Heaven and freedom... in the end, I couldn't find either one... it was all over before it even began..."

Erza's eyes widened.

"The final phase of the Etherion firing sequence is complete!" A supervisor announced. "Expand the Satellite Square.

The chairman lowered his head. "Thus we pray."

The woman and the cat-like man nodded. "Thus we pray."

"Thus we pray." Siegrain intoned, unaware of Yajima's narrowed eyes.

A large magic circle appeared over the tower. Sho, Wally, Milliana, Simon, Juvia, Gray, and Happy watched from their boat as light began to gather.

"Whoa..." Wally's jaw dropped. "They're seriously going to fire the Etherion?"

"Natsu, Erza..." Happy sobbed. "You gotta get out of there..."

Simon grit his teeth. "I should have gone after Salamander." He spat. "But he shot upwards using his legs as jets... there's no way I would have reached the top on foot."

"I knew I could never finish the R-system..." Jellal muttered. "But Zeref's spirit wouldn't allow me to give up... I can't stop this now. I'm a discarded shell..."

"Erza." He smiled. "You win this fight... so please kill me. That's why you came here, right?"

"There's no reason for me to raise a finger..." Erza sighed. "This noise... the Etherion must be preparing to fire right now..." She tossed her sword to one side and released his arm. "It's over." She remarked, getting off him. "For you... and for me..."

"You were just another sacrifice for Zeref, weren't you?" She asked as he sat up next to her.

"This is my sin for giving in to my weakness." Jellal observed. "My heart couldn't handle the gap between dreams and reality."

"But don't you think that locking your weaknesses away within yourself is what comrades are for?" Erza asked him.

"I have to atone as well..." Erza smiled. "For the sin of being unable to save you..."

"Oh, no." Jellal shook his head, embracing her. "You did save me."

Light began to surround them.

"I'm sorry about your friend." Jellal muttered.

Erza's eyes widened and she glanced at Lucy, who was still unconscious. Tears began to fall freely from her left eye. Forgive me, Lucy. I never should have let you get involved...

"We pray to the sacred light!" The council members yelled as one. "Fire the Etherion!"

Light crashed down on the tower and everything fell silent.

AN: To avoid confusion, yes, Lucy's spirit and the country share the name Caelum.

Next time: Cries for a Lost Love. That might take me a little while to put up, so please remain patient.

Thanks for reading!