AN: Please read and review!
Disclaimer: If we owned Fairy Tail … there would probably be a lot more angst and a lot less screaming about comrades.
Under the Flames
A Fairy Tail Fanfiction by Kitty & Foxy
Chapter Twenty One: The Dawn of Heaven
Charging forward with her blade ready to swing, Erza strayed to Ikaruga's right, turning to her side to prepare a full swing to the sword maiden's midsection. Ikaruga swiftly blocked the blade with a flash of blue light, a shhiiinnk! Resonating across the platform. The blue light, caused by the blades moving so fast that it ripped through the air, completed its work on her armor. Ikaruga slyly turned her back to her opponent, her sword back into its case; no one had seen the sword move in or out.
Erza jumped up band back, allowing her magic to trickle into the wings on her back to keep her afloat. She summoned a circle of swords perpendicular to her front, allowing them to rotate in a violent maelstrom. "Tenrin: Circle Sword!" Hurling her arms up in a cross, she charged the spinning swords in Ikaruga's direction. They too ripped through the air with a shriek of metal, the same blue light hurling her way.
Ikaruga faced front once again, her eyes closed as she too concentrated on her power. "Mugetsu Ryuu." A shockwave of blue light clashed with the swords in midair, slicing them all into pieces and letting them embed in the floorboards around her. Aah, what a mess … so much like an uncouth, ill mannered youth. "Yasha Senkuu," she spoke, her hair still blowing backwards from the previous attack, drawing her sword back behind her and slashing it forward, a horizontal slice of light in the air. It struck Erza's armor the moment she landed on her feet.
The blue light riveted through the armor and cracked it, unable to take the strain and pressure of such a slice. It was like having a small piece of stranded wood; a screw softly digging down could let the wood stand, but the wood could never take on an axe at full speed. She shouted as her armor broke, the pressure hitting her all the way down to her skin. The shattered pieces began to fall downward before she called them back to the original summon room – her room way back, far off, at home in Magnolia.
"Mugetsu Ryuu," Ikaruga continued with a small grin of victory. Truly, this battle was proving to be a disappointment. A heavier golden light appeared on her skin, intensifying as it trailed its way into her sword.
"N-Nee-san!" Shou forced himself to speak, worried for her; he couldn't understand why she hadn't taken Ikaruga down already. Nee-san, move! Get out of the way! She's going to hit you!
The golden light burst into a blaze, and Ikaruga turned on her geta, a circle of flame parallel to the floor. It burned and it smoked a trail as she called out: "Karura En!" The flames spewed their way down the wooden floorboards, crackling, sizzling, leaving a large trail of smoke behind as they neared their victim. Shou watched in horror as the flames overcame Erza, and he could not see through the thick smoke.
Erza crossed her arms, defending herself from the blow as the talons of her most recent summons dug into the wood beneath her. That was close.
"Flame Empress Armor?" Ikaruga noted with a hint of twisted pleasure. "A form of flame-resistant armor? Well done equipping in such an instant." But she knew, even with this improvement in their battle, it would not last.
Erza's armor shattered to pieces once again, cracking and tumbling over; the broken and fallen pieces returned to their original home, the remnants of the outer armor and the underclothes still present.
"Don't you think it's inappropriate to expose yourself so in male company?" Shame, true shame. Ikaruga began to lightly taunt. "What are you going to do? Isn't it about time you put on your strongest armor?"
The redheaded mage grimaced; she too fell susceptible to taunts, and she wouldn't let this woman continue to stand in her way. More important things were at stake. Her magic swirled beneath her feet, replacing the bits and pieces of her remaining armor with a much more fiercer, darker ensemble. Black spikes, intimidating patterns, a giant toothed sword appearing in her hands after a burst of golden energy. "You'll regret this," she growled. "Purgatory Armor Equip! There's no one who can stand after witnessing this appearance!"
"So that's your strongest armor?" Ikaruga grinned, her sword at ease as the fiery redhead prepared her own. This battle was already lasting longer than most she ever had; petty entertainment indeed. "Come at me."
Charging forward with a terrifying battle cry, Erza leapt up into the air, using the weight of her monstrous sword to throw her downwards upon her enemy. The blade ripped through the air, howling as it swung down within inches of Ikaruga. Smirking, Ikaruga took a step back to avoid the brunt of the blow. The teeth dug deep into the wooden floor, the force tearing it in half and slicing through the water.
Erza swung again, her eyes tinted with rage. This woman was delaying all too much precious time; she needed to end this battle. She needed to prove herself! The swing created a maelstrom of dust and wind, ripping towards her at a breaking speed. Ikaruga moved herself back enough to swing her sword to meet it, and promptly carved through the attack as it soared past her. The floor, though previously wrecked, could no longer be salvaged as it shattered into splinters save for a small portion underneath Ikaruga's feet. Furious, Erza chanced a third attack; she swung down her toothed blade with all the strength her arms could muster, but Ikaruga dodged it; she leapt up with her nimble legs, the tip of her sword's case scratching Erza's blade as it buried deeper into the floor's stone base. The sword mistress swung herself up, bringing her own sword down on Erza's armor.
Erza stumbled to pull herself together as Ikaruga landed behind her, but it was pointless. Her Purgatory Armor – her strongest armor – failed her as it crumbled to pieces around her.
"You understand now, yes?" Ikaruga winked. She remained unscathed, but her opponent had been stung by the flying debris and beaten by the forces of her sword. She had yet to even cut the poor girl down; it was a shame she wouldn't be able to complete it, for Jellal wished her to become the sacrifice. "No matter what armor you wear, it cannot stand up to my blade. Surrender."
She can't win … Nee-san can't win … Shou began to despair. How could this happen? Nee-san was strong. She had to defeat Jellal. She had to. They couldn't let Jellal get away with this, could they? He began to struggle to push himself up; his magic was reworking to repair his nerves, but it was painstakingly slow.
Erza gritted her teeth, standing up. My armor is failing … perhaps it's time to … she summoned her magic again, searching for that old outfit in her storage. She found it. The golden glow diminished and revealed the lower half of a festival costume from years back that still fit her, quite surprisingly. She summoned a gauze-bind top, leaving her upper half bare. Her hair tied up into a simple pony tail to keep it from flicking into her face. Two simple, almost costume swords rested in her hands as she closed her eyes in concentration. This is it.
Shou couldn't believe his eyes. What …? What is she thinking? Does she think she can win in that? She's crazy!
"What's the meaning of this?" Honestly, could an opponent be ever more stupid? "That outfit is nothing but a decoration. You're underestimating me aren't you?"
"Nee-san … what's wrong with you?" Shou asked, forcing his voice to work as he stood up on his feet, resting his back against the pole. "You have tons of strong armor left, don't you? You're stronger than this, aren't you?" His voice began to waver in fear.
Erza bent her head forward, her bangs overshadowing her eyes. "… I'm not strong." Memories of being unable to reach Jose flooded her mind, and other occurrences where it truly was pure luck that saw her through. She truly felt naked without her armor, but it was this she began to draw her courage from. She recalled sitting alone at a lake, crying, when Gray asked her why she was crying. I prefer being alone. Being with other people makes me uneasy. His response: Then why are you crying alone?
A large number of friends have become sacrifices right in front of my eyes … all her years spent in the tower, seeing people she knew disappear one by one never to return. Seeing Simon hurt by the Magical Guards, and then Rob-jii-chan … who stood in front of her to protect her from the attacks … dying and bursting into nothing but dust. I failed to protect the people I cared about, both then and now. Jellal's possession by a ghost, his banishing her, and more recent images of Lucy's ear, Gray's kidnapping … I kept telling myself I wasn't crying.
But I was always crying. Always trying to make myself seem stronger, standing tall above all the others with pride and assurance … I locked my own heart up in a suit of armor … and cried. And although she still wished to cry, she knew she had to protect those around her. The ones she truly cared about needed her true strength now. Shou, Lucy, Gray, Happy Natsu, Juvia, Millianna, Wally, Simon … and most of all, Jellal … She had to turn her feelings of sorrow into feelings of courage, the type that did not require armor or any shell of sorts.
"It is because I'm weak that I always hide behind a suit of armor." She spoke, her eyes narrowing in a fierce pride. "I couldn't take it off."
Ikaruga shook her head with displeasure. "Even if my opponent is naked, I will slay her."
"I always believed that the armor would keep me safe," Erza continued, speaking not for those around her, but mostly for herself. She needed to be sure that the words would come out in her mouth just right … that there would be no wavering feelings! "But that wasn't right. That link between people's hearts that allows them to connect, I was blocking that. But Fairy Tail taught me … they taught me it's so much better to be close to people, to feel their warmth! I no longer have any doubts! I will change my very being to strength and you! COME!"
Erza crossed her arms, her blades crossing in front of her; Ikaruga raised her own blade, eager to see how this would turn out. Who would win? Herself, or the Titania …? Taking down a naked opponent would not be too satisfying, but clearly Titania thought she could win. Let this be the final confrontation.
The two charged towards one another at an unbelievable burst of speed. Shou's mouth hung open as he watched the two blade women, unable to see as their blades sliced upwards, unable to read their movements; the next thing he could register in his mind was the two charging past one another, presumably having struck one another. But who won? Who's hurt? Nee-san …!
Erza landed on her feet, ready for anything that might happen to her. The blade she held out in her front shattered to pieces, but the blade behind her remained firm. It had worked.
"The battle has been settled." Ikaruga chuckled from where she stood, her beautiful blade shattering into many pieces as she slumped forward, tumbling onto her side. "Well done …"
Shou moved forward a few steps, hesitant to approach his sister. "N-Nee-san … you really are incredible!" He felt ashamed for having doubted her; the anger seemed to be gone from him. All he really cared about now, now … was helping her.
Ikaruga lay defeated on the ground, forcing a weak smile. This is the first time I have been defeated since I joined the guild. But … "Both you and Jellal are going to lose …" the whisper escaped her lips, but it caught both Erza's and Shou's attentions.
"What are you trying to say?" Shou asked, holding his arm; the nerves in his left arm still had yet to reconnect entirely, tingling as it healed.
"Fifteen minutes …" Ikaruga's hand trembled as it reached upwards, towards the 'sky' in a symbolic gesture. "See it plummet down~ Shining light of justice~ Bringing death to all …" her hand slumped back down at her side, falling unconscious. She felt too lightheaded, too beaten, too drained of her magic to continue. She would have to rest … and hope she awoke in time to escape.
"What a dreadful poem …" Shou muttered.
"Is she talking about Etherion?" Erza asked sternly, turning her head towards Shou. She already knew the answer. That could be the only thing she meant. "Shou, you need to take Simon and the others, and everyone from Fairy Tail, and get them as far away as you can from this tower!"
"B-but-!" He began to protest, but her warm, kind, sisterly smile that he remembered, even after all these years, shone back at him.
"You'll do it for me, won't you, Shou?"
He bent his head down to the side, once again reminded of his failure to remember it before … ashamed he couldn't believe in his sister as he used to. The only way he felt he could make up for it was to listen to her now, even if it was crazy, foolhardy. He had to listen. "… Yeah. But what about you?"
Erza turned, steadily walking down the hall to where Shou had been headed earlier. "I'm going to finish this!" She spoke sharply. No more words were exchanged between her and Shou. Shou raised his hand to his head, calling out to the others with his message.
*
Simon carefully made his way up the outer staircases, the setting sun in the distance casting a golden glow off the tower's many eyes and orifices. Although time was ticking, he could not move too quickly or the gusts of wind at this high an altitude might sweep him off the stairways to the rocky waters below. Not to mention he carried a weight on his back, hoping that he would wake up soon … he recalled what had happened nearly four minutes earlier.
"… Oy … is he really okay?" The ice mage was lost for words; Simon, too, could not think of anything to explain it. "Did the stomach acids do this?"
Simon moved his hand over, wiping off the excess fluids from the owl. Gray's face contorted when Simon began to poke around. "… No. It seems to be an old wound. Though it looks nasty, it's actually healed up."
"'Healed up' my ass! What the hell happened to him?" Gray answered, frustrated; what the hell was this? He would definitely ask about it when the flame idiot woke up. Which probably wouldn't be too long, the bump hadn't been that bad.
"Naatttssuu~!" The cat cried out worriedly, cautiously pawing at his side. The 'old wound' disturbed him deeply as well; he couldn't believe he'd slept on his stomach before and never noticed this. Simon did not recognize the name – another nickname, or perhaps his real name.
"Just keep cleaning him off –" Simon froze, putting his hand up to his head. Gray watched with puzzlement. "… Okay," he spoke, lowering his hand. "The transmissions seem to be working again. Shou says we only have about fifteen minutes until Etherion fires."
Stunned, the ice mage began to splutter. "W-what? You mean the council actually agreed to fire that thing on us!"
"Yes. We need to get out of here, as soon as we can." Simon nodded.
"Then what about Erza? I presume Lucy and Juvia are around too …" Gray frowned; if Natsu was here, then he had little doubt they were too. Had Erza mentioned it to him before? He couldn't recall.
The larger man lowered his head, downcast. "Shou told me Erza plans to continue on ahead to Jellal. I'm going to go after them."
"Damn it, I can't go …" Gray hissed; his muscles hurt too much, his magic was nearly nonexistent; it was a wonder he could even stand on his feet to walk. The dilemma of not being able to carry on, to escape, or to foolishly go after Erza … Thinking for a while, but not too long, for time was of the essence, the ice mage spoke an answer. "… Take Natsu."
"But he's unconscious." Simon frowned. "You should take him with you and escape."
"I may not know him too well, but I'm willing to bet he'll recover within the next few minutes." Gray replied sternly. "Although … that …" his eyes trailed down to the 'old wound,' "… is disturbing, and he hasn't known Erza as long as I have … he still has more energy than I do at the moment." It was clear the ice mage hated admitting this, even to himself. To admit you'd be knocked out flat while a semi-stranger fares better took a lot of damaged pride.
"Are you sure?" Simon repeated; he didn't want to carry dead weight to the top. Gray nodded. "Yes. This way, Happy and I … you can still fly, right Happy?"
"Aye, I should be fine for now." Happy agreed, but weakly; the assassin still drew a lot of energy from the small cat, but he believed he could urge his wings to last.
"Good. Then you and I will try to find Lucy, Juvia, and anyone else if we have the time." Gray nodded, bending down to pick up the blue cat and let him climb onto his shoulders. Gray heard his knees crack as he stretched his limbs, and not necessarily in the relieving way.
Simon knew they didn't have the time to argue; if this ice mage –Erza's friend – believed the unconscious mystery mage would be the better choice, then he should listen. He scooped up 'Natsu,' he presumed, and hurried off in the direction he knew, while Happy grabbed Gray by his pants loops and took off down another tunnel – hopefully one that would lead him to his friends.
Simon could barely hear their last words as they flew off. "Gray, you've gotten fatter." "Shut up."
He heard a strange, voiceless gasp in his ear, and felt the arm around his neck move. Natsu was awaking. How much time passed …? Natsu wondered as he looked about; he was being carried up by the other man who was fighting the owl with him earlier.
"Gray was right; you'd wake up in a matter of minutes." Simon stopped for a moment. "I don't know if you remember anything after the owl ate you, but you hit your head on the way out." Simon explained, leaning lower so Natsu could slide off his back and not chance tumbling over the edge of the staircases.
Natsu remembered enough; he recalled the foul stench of the stomach, and then finding the soft spot all creatures had. Creature's stomachs usually constricted around the usual entrances, keeping the prey inside so it could not squirm out. The soft spot would be the creature's best chance of survival. He had begun to break his way free, and was about to break open the chest bones so he could push his way out, but something had pulled him up through the throat …
"The ice mage, Gray, pulled you out. He took too much damage to continue to fight; he has gone to evacuate the others. Many of the other men are already evacuating on the ships you can see departing."
Evacuate? Natsu frowned. Then Etherion is to be launched …
Simon watched Natsu's facial features as they continued their ascent around the outer staircases, both being careful as the wind rushed around and even beneath their feet. "I presume you're a mute?" Natsu nodded. "You're quite the daring mage, aren't you? I wonder how it is you know Erza … but I presume that's a story that will have to wait."
First time, she knocked the spirit out while in a towel. Second time, she held a sword to my throat. Recalling this, he decided he would write it for the man helping him. Natsu reached his fingers around, but then realized his pocket was gone. His entire cloak was gone. Yes, he had just realized it now; his body still felt a little numb. His scars were out in the open for all to see. Damn it, how many people saw? He began to fume, but summoning any materials out in the open like this was just asking for them to blow away. From contextual clues, at least him, Gray, and the cat saw. Well, not too many then. He could survive the questions just fine. And at least the scars could get a chance at fresh air, but even then …!
Simon found himself deep within various thoughts. He didn't know if this character, someone he'd never met or heard of, was the right choice. He had studied Erza's guild friends from gathered information, and knew they might be able to help, but the assassins had weakened them all. But the assassin knew of him, and took caution to him. There seems to be a lot more to him than meets the eye. What's done is done: I need to place my faith in him. "Gray said we could count on you." Simon started speaking again, catching Natsu's attention. "Jellal is the only enemy left, and Erza's heading for him. She means to settle everything for herself. It's likely they were destined to fight each other …"
And the reason why you and I aren't evacuating is because …? Natsu rolled his eyes. He still had something to do here – if he could – but Simon didn't know about that. So what is his reason for bringing me here?
"I know Erza is strong. But Jellal is powerful as well. Erza could take him out, but she has lingering feelings from him … that much I'm certain. And I know Jellal will use those feelings in the fight against her. I fear that it will be her fall." Simon answered solemnly. "I ask that you save her."
*
"Juvia … we should probably get going," Lucy mumbled, shaking Juvia's shoulder lightly. "Who knows if another enemy will come or not?"
The water mage let out some kind of incomphrensible garble. Lucy sweat-dropped, scratching her head lightly with a chuckle. So Juvia wasn't a morning person now, was she? She really is a whole lot more normal than I thought.
She felt a strange tinge in her magic, and glanced down at her keys. One of them glowed slightly before fading out. Ah, Leo must have returned, she noted, turning the key over in her hand and feeling the warm, familiar 'buzz' that came with it. I wonder if he couldn't get out of the trap … why did that thought amuse her? Because she was imagining a small cat scratching at the side of a wall in an attempt to get up, that's why.
It was then she heard something else from one of the tunnels; jumping a little, she began to fret. Great, what if it's one of the other assassins? We just took one down, for crying out loud! But her heart leapt up when she saw Happy flying out of one of the tunnels, complaining about fish or something along those lines while carrying a familiar ice mage by his belt loops.
At the sight of them, Happy released Gray to let him land on the ground; he attempted to land on his feet, but they swayed and he slammed into his knees. Another bruise he'd have to deal with later. "Lucy, Juvia, are you two alright?" He asked, steadying himself as he stood up again.
"Gray-sama!" Juvia bolted up from her slumber, her hands drawn to her chest as she drooled – yes, drooled –lovingly at her beloved ice mage, glad to see her prince was alive and well, several fantasies whirling in her mind in a matter of milliseconds, only to see he was helping Lucy on her feet first. Her infaturation immediately turned to a rageful jealousy, dark stars gleaming in her eyes as she growled: "… Love rival …"
I'm not, Lucy's eye twitched, having overheard the water mage's accusation. Gray, oblivious to it all, didn't hear her words. His gaze had briefly spied the unconscious bald assassin nearby, but he shook his head of it. Instead, he felt relief. He hadn't seen Lucy since the resort, and her ear, it seemed to be mostly healed … Panicked for a load of nothing. But at least it seemed well. He didn't know how it healed or who or why or anything, but he would ask more about it later.
Something worried Lucy as she looked at him, enough to make her pull back a little. "Gray, what's with the blood on you …?" She couldn't see any visible wounds; her gaze turned to Happy. His fur was a complete mess, too!
"Gray-sama, are you hurt?" Juvia panicked when she realized this as well, on her feet and by his side in a matter of seconds. Her inspection of him revealed no wounds – none that she could see at the least.
"No, one of the battles with an assassin got a little … rough," he replied cautiously; he wanted to clean it off, but now wasn't the time for it. "We've got to get out of the tower. Etherion's going to fire in a matter of minutes."
"You mean the council agreed on using it?" Lucy couldn't believe it; they actually agreed to use Etherion? She had heard of its power before, but -!
"We don't have time to hang around, let's get out of here." Gray replied, Happy nodding as he stretched his wings with an agreeing "Aye!"
*
The ground shook tremors, the buildings rocked, huge clouds of dust swarmed over the closer parts of the city as preparations took place. The citizens of Era, especially those in parts of the city which dust had not overcome, watched in fascination – not horror, nor excitement, but left without words or thoughts – as the great mesa at the center of their town began to sink into the ground; sounds of snapping roots and breaking rocks could be heard, for the mesa had not budged in well over thirty, if not forty, years. They could only wonder: What was going on that called for such extraordinary measures?
As the mesa sank below the town's level, four large pillars could be thrust from their stored chambers deep beneath the earth, rising tall and erect against the sky. The four pillars formed a square, each a giant obelisk-shaped elemental lacrima – one of earth, one of wind, one of water, one of fire – perched atop an outcrop of blank lacrima on the stone pillars. A giant octahedronal blank lacrima emerged at the center of them all.
Inside a great upper chamber of the hall, the frog magic-council class began to fasten themselves into chairs or take up their stations, each one absorbed in completing a huge sequence of calculations, data, and magical tones. They worked around a great orb that floated between two goddesses and two gods of their world, goddesses wrapped so tightly in myth and legend, but so relevant to their way of life that they were the primary source of religion in their world today.
The council members watched on from their stations on higher balconies as the orb turned a dark mass of swirling greens, a map emerging above it, parallel to the ground beneath them. The elemental lacrima began to fuel the blank lacrima before them with vigorous rays of energy.
"To think that we've been driven to a decision of this nature at a time like this, with the Council President in such bad health …" Org muttered monotonously, still wary of the decision they had made.
"There was no choice." Leiji spoke with clarity and confidence. "Whilist the President is absent, full responsibility for maintaining order in the magic world falls to the remaining nine councilors."
Michello had to agree. "You shouldn't worry so much, Org. This may be an unannounced attack upon a foreign nation, but situations such as this are provided for in article twenty-seven, clause four of the National Security Act."
"This isn't about the petty legal implications. We're talking about deploying Etherion." Org grew grim, turning to his fellow council members. "We're committing evil."
"If there's anyone who's doing evil, it's Zeref!" Michello huffed indignantly. "We can only put our hopes in Etherion and pray that this will be enough to destroy him."
On another side of the balcony, Ultear approached Siegrain, both overwhelmingly serious as they watched the processes before them unfold. "The time is almost upon us, Sieg." Ultear spoke. "The feelings you have concealed for so long are finally going to be realized."
"Are you not afraid, Ultear?" His question held no emotion; he did not care for her well being in the slightest.
"Not even a little." She cast a downcast smile. "After all, I always trust in you completely, Sieg-sama."
Yajima, still suspicious of Siegrain's motives, concealed himself behind a nearby pillar to listen in to the conversation. Perhaps Siegrain and / or Ultear knew he was there, perhaps they didn't. It was a chance he needed to take. He couldn't believe anyone could kill without showing remorseful emotions … unless a darker scheme had crept in their midst.
"Yes, I see. It's not your life that's in danger here." Siegrain agreed. "Personally, I find myself trembling a little. If this fails, then I die."
What? Yajima raised an eyebrow, shocked at what he overheard. What is he saying?
Siegrain continued. "But this is worth putting my life on the line for. After all, this is my dream."
*
Gray, Lucy, Juvia and Happy hurried through the staircases and hallways, relying on previous notions of where they walked and where they likely entered the tower. Shou also sought out the exit, but larger concerns rested with him. He held his fingers to his head, screaming out to his comrades. Millianna and Wally would not answer. Are they alright? Are they out of range? Communications aren't blocked anymore, so what -?
Shou turned a corner, and froze in his tracks; so did the others he ran into. It was his previous capture, the ice mage, and company. Including the cat Millianna had claimed.
"Isn't he one of -?" Lucy continued, but noted Gray didn't seem to be eager to fight him. First time for everything, I guess? Shou, though she had yet to learn his name, did not attack them either.
"Come with us!" Gray snapped, not willing to put up with the young blond man's antics any longer. Waiting for him to recover from one breakdown was enough. His response not only shocked Shou, but Juvia and Lucy – who had yet to understand his position was no longer that of an enemy – as well. "There isn't time to be lingering around in here, friend or foe!"
"But the others -!"
"They probably heard the warning by now, most of this place has evacuated!" Gray hissed. "Come on, there's not a lot of time! Believe in them! Trust they will get out!"
Gray's words struck a chord in Shou's heart. Erza-nee-san's face appeared within his mind, and he couldn't brush the regret. I couldn't trust her before, I couldn't see her true character … in what was an eon in his mind, but mere seconds in the real world around him, he made his decision: I should try to trust the others. Nodding, and biting his lip, he turned, ready to run. "Follow me, I know the way out!"
*
Erza pacened herself at a strong stride, neither going to slow in the urgency of time, nor rushing into things too rashly. She could trace her way in her ascent up the tower fairly easily, but what mattered now was her state of mind. She might possess many swords, many pieces of armor that could in fact aid her, but she could not fight without a sound body and mind: to do so would result in failure.
But with all the steps she retraced, she kept seeing images of the past. Where she'd been carried down the hall to be sacrificed; and the hall Jellal attempted to rescue her in. She even passed by the chambers where Rob-jii-chan, the elderly man that cared for her and her friends as they all lacked any living relatives (or simply could not find them) within the tower.
She still cared for Jellal. She still admired him. Even in the face of this dangerous character, she could never fully hate him. They'd been through too much together to simply hate one another. His hatred came from a ghost, a spirit, a demon – she didn't know what its true form was, but it was not him. She needed to either remove these lingering feelings …
… or make them her strength.
I must keep him at bay … I must delay the resurrection if nothing else can be done.
*
"My my … the game's already over?" Jellal frowned, knocking down the Female Samurai figurine and brushing many of the other pieces off the game board. He moved the knight's piece up to his characterization.
"Is it really so entertaining to play games with people's lives?"
"Of course!" Jellal replied in a sinister glee. The knight in 'shining armor' had approached him. She had reached his quarters, and ascended the tower after defeating one of the assassins. Although his life might end, the true game was already over; fate already decided. He began to walk towards the maiden with her sword at her side, caught in the glow of the lacrima in the center of his abode. "Life and death are the very basis of all things. They intensify every little emotion. Or to put it a different way, there is nothing quite so dull as life."
Erza did not speak. She had to remain concentrated on him, but too many vivid, terrible memories came to her. This was the room she lost many of her friends in … this was the room where many never returned alive, or sane. This was the very room she lost her eye, and sequentially Jellal.
Jellal raised his head so his face could be seen under the shadows of the hood. "It's been a while, Erza."
Erza remained firm, though her heart faced a turmoil of emotions. The sight of his face, old feelings – both of adoration and of fear – emerging, renewed in the face of present danger. "Jellal, I will free all of my former friends."
Jellal let out a haughty chuckle. "Not that I care. I no longer have any use for them. Not with the Tower of Heaven complete."
Erza raised her sword to him, a challenge. "Even if it were to be destroyed, less than ten minutes from now?"
"You mean Etherion?" His baleful tone, mannerisms, and attitude told her all she needed to know. He was far too easy to read in this lonely, pathetic state – and it tormented her.
He speaks with such confidence … "So you really were bluffing."
"No!" His eyes grew wide with a fury only he could see, gazing off in madness as he tossed his hood back, revealing a shock of blue hair and a crazed look ofan insane man. "Etherion will fall!"
Then this is all for the worst. Her heart could not bear it, but she would have to remain strong. She had reason; she needed to utilize it.
"That's what I wanted to hear." Erza replied, clasping the hilt of her sword in both her hands and raising it, ready for a fight. "Ten minutes. If I can keep you here for that long, I will be able to bring an end to all of this!"
A chuckle of the devil. "No. You're going to die, sacrificed to Zeref – just as our parents were, just as all our friends were, just as everyone in this tower during the time of the cult were." A red mist exuded from his magic as he tossed his chin up high. "It's already been decided! It's your fate, your destiny!"
Jellal's eye glowed a nasty dark light, the eye of Zeref present in his right pupil, where the ghost entered him many years past. Everything would soon take a turn for the worst, if it not already had.
The five of them reached the outside banks, quickly scavenging for the boat they arrived to the island on as a means of escape; hijacking any other ships were out of the question, for they had long abandoned the island as soon as the mention of Etherion's fall became fact. Juvia helped Gray into the boat, seeing that his energy was nearly completely depleted. Happy helped Lucy, and Shou reluctantly climbed in. Gray reached over, groaning as he fueled what energy he had left into the lacrima steering the boat. The others were stunned, Lucy beginning to feel a numbing sensation on the right side of her head.
"Gray, Erza and Natsu are still in there!" Lucy replied shrilly. "We can't leave them!"
"So is Simon … but we have to go." Gray answered, keeping his head low.
"We should wait for them, shouldn't we?" Even Juvia saw flaw in her admired's logic. "Erza-san might need our help—"
"No … if it's Nee-san, we should trust her," Shou spoke quietly, catching the others' attention. "She can handle Jellal before time is up." Wally, Millianna, I hope you two have escaped as well …
Happy snapped, his small, yet powerful yell catching the others' in the midst of their bickering. "I want to go back too, but we have to trust them!"
Gray twinged; his magic depleted far faster than he thought it would. Juvia reached over, worried. "Gray, let Juvia handle the boat." She fueled her own magic into the lacrima, using her other hand and raising it to form another water orb around the boat to speed them along their way. In a matter of minutes, they were far from the shore, but still in clear sight of the tower. At this rate, we won't get out fast enough.
"Ugh," Lucy mumbled, raising her hand up to her ear again and leaning on it; a dull throbbing began inside of it as they continued to sail out from the shore. It's only affecting my ear now, but it's still quite painful.
"Lucy, I need to ask you something." Gray began sternly, his brow furrowing in a deep concentration.
Taken aback by the intensive glare even in her momentary ailments, Lucy stuttered: "Yes?"
Juvia didn't like how much attention Gray was giving the blonde. Why should she get such a longing gaze and not Juvia? Aaah, Juvia is frustrated~! But his next words told her otherwise.
"How well do you know Natsu?"
"Eh?" But when he continued his inquisitive gaze, she continued. "I met him once before you guys did. I don't know a whole lot behind him, but I know he's a good painter and a terrible cook, if that's anything …"
So she doesn't really know what he's about then. This was a problem. He was beginning to wonder if they should have heeded Loki's warning about associating with him. Loki acted out of fear; maybe he knew where they came from. Those scars … they couldn't be battle wounds. They were too severe, too inhuman, too satanic …
*
"Seven minutes left," Jellal grinned, the red aura turning into an intensely dark mist. "In seven minutes' time, Etherion will strike. Let's enjoy these seven minutes, Erza."
Remember your resolve. "Right now there's nothing that I fear." Erza kept her concentration, knowing she needed to view Jellal as an opponent … or there would be no chance of winning. She could see Jellal concentrating an evil in the palm of his hand, a dark cloud with dancing red snakes. "Even if Etherion does fall upon me, I will be satisified so long as I take you with me!"
Amused, Jellal tilted his head, shoving one of his hands further into his pocket as the other hand nurtured the evil. "Oh? Take me with you? Go ahead and try!"
The evil spewed out from his hand, emmiting a light only darkness could give birth to. Its fingers reached for her, but her reaction, her split-second thinking, her nurtured "instinct" of killing allowed her to swing her sword and slice the fingers to pieces in a mere round swipe. The pieces fell behind her, eating away at the ground, the walls, and the ceiling.
The redheaded warrior did not wait for his response; she charged forward, catching his wrist and attempting to swing her sword at his throat; but he caught her blade's hilt, and with his other hand slammed the light of darkness into her, sending her hurtling back; the pressure of her collision with the already cracked wall caused the wall to tumble downwards, the remnants of the attack taking away other bits of the floor and the chamber itself.
Erza righted herself and lept her way back into the room before gravity could grab a hold of her as the pieces of the tower crumbled far below. She would not let any split hesitation be the death of her. Jellal seemed a little surprised to see her return to the chamber, but he had to begin to dodge a myriad of blows. It was far easier to see him now that the remnants of the sunset streamed in through the holes.
"You don't care that you're smashing up the tower when you've just built it, Jellal?" Erza spat spitefully, avoiding yet another one of his attacks. Their battle continued to trash the room, taking out decorations, the throne, and even the little 'chess table' Jellal saw fit to make a game of.
"Heh! It's just a pillar or two. Nothing more than decorations!"
"Shou and the others worked years, believing in you, to make those 'decorations'!" The anger in her began to swell, even if she appeared to surpress it well.
His following smirk vexed it further. "Don't blame me for every little thing." His magic appeared in the form of darkness once more, concentrating in the palm of his hand. "What's important here is the R-System. That's what those years were for. And now, it's finally complete!"
Jellal clenched his fist, a fury of magic spewing fro the ghost in his mind, in his eye, and in his body. Clouds of red snakes began to gather at Erza's feet, and they enveloped her within seconds. They caused no physical harm, but it created tremendous stress and pain on her body; the very pain she felt during the sacrifice of her eye. The pain all felt when forced to die for the cult's magic.
He walked around the orb trapping her, grinning to full delight. "Seems like you've improved a little ,but I suppose that's as far as you go."
For a moment, within the sphere of sacrifice that feasted off of fear, she began to succumb to its desires. But her heart kept telling her otherwise; Fairy Tail, her life outside the tower, those she cared for dearly … they were all speaking to her. In the times of rough and misery, we all stick together … just as Fairy Tail remained together, and became closer, after Lisanna's death; just as she, Lucy and Elfman helped Gray to overcome his haunted past with Deloria. Just as everyone put everything they had into helping Lucy remain free from the tyranny of her father. Everyone believed in her; they trusted her to know what she was doing. Simon, Fairy Tail, and everyone she knew … I must always be here for them. I need to be strong for them when they need me most. That is what friends do. That is what family does.
Smiling, she knew what to do. The parasites could no longer feast off of her. They would starve. With them weakened, she sliced her blade through the shell of the matter, allowing them to slump and wriggle on the floor around her. They dissolved into bits of red dust, returning to the matter they originally took the form of. By the time of her escape, they had a mere four minutes left. Night was settling in.
She had caught Jellal off guard; he turned, stunned to see her break free of Zeref's hold. No one had ever accomplished that. Ever. And yet, there she stood, calm, mannered, her sword gleaming in the small pieces of light still working their way through the room. Impossible!
"I already told you," she replied cooly, standing back up onto her feet, ready to face him again. "Right now there's nothing that I fear!"
Her sword struck Jellal, hurling him back into the wall as he remained stunned by her actions. Is this the same Erza from way back then? Part of him said yes; part of him said no; part of him told him he was a fool. He didn't know which to believe. And before he knew it, her sword was at his throat.
"What is your real goal?" She demanded, nothing but determination gleaming in her eyes, in her actions, in her words. She had him pinned down, and ready to kill him if he so much as moved. "You haven't really completed the R-System, have you? I haven't been doing nothing for all these years. I researched the R-System myself. It's true that there were no errors in the construction or theory of the blueprints back then, but something essential is still missing from the R-System."
He found the gall to leer at her, even with her sword ready to kill him. "I told you, remember? You are the sacrifice."
"It's a problem more basic than that." Her words caught his attention. "The thing you lack is magical power! To activate a magical spell of this magnitude, you need a tremendous amount of magical energy. Even if you assembled every mage on this continent, I'm not sure it would be enough. There is no way an individual could store enough energy in this tower. Moreover, you know about the Council's attack, but you're not trying to escape. So tell me: what are you thinking?"
His smirk returned. "Three minutes until Etherion."
She couldn't believe how utterly frustrating he was, friend or enemy, possessed or not. "Jellal, your dream is over! Do you simply wish to die like this?" With her free hand, she firmly grasped his wrist, squeezing it to the point that it might break. "… If that's the case … then we go together. I will not release this hand until the final moment!" Her roar echoed throughout the chambers, and no doubt, it reached him. But he continued his crafty, sneaky ways.
"Sure … that doesn't sound too bad." He didn't sound upset or disturbed by this at all. What was the matter with him? He was going to die! "My body is possessed by Zeref's spirit. No words will reach me. I'm nothing but a puppet used for the purpose of resurrecting Zeref."
"Possessed?" She repeated, a little stunned by the confirmation of what she believed all along. So his actions do not reflect the real Jellal.
The 'possessed' Jellal continued. "I couldn't save myself. Neither friends nor anyone else could save me. There is no 'Heaven,' there is no freedom anywhere. Everything was over before it even began."
*
"Etherion, final firing phase complete!" One frog croaked to the council. Another followed: "Satellite Square, deploy!" "No problems with the transfrerence lacrima!" "Coordinates locked." "No signs of rejection from elemental merger." "Begin countdown!"
"Let us pray," Org bowed his head in silence, his eyes closing as he thought a solemn prayer for those he was about to kill. The other council members echoed his words, as did the frog-soldiers, as did Ultear, and then Siegrain himself. Yajima continued to watch him with an intense stare. His head and his heart told him that Siegrain was up to no good by insisting upon this … but he couldn't figure out why.
The blank lacrima outside, now filled with the energies of all the elemental lacrimas, began to swirl into an immense orb, casing a blinding, shining white light upon everything that it touched. Another lacrima hovered high above them in the air, which would lure the dangerous explosion of light and magic into the teleportation circle, dropping the light on its desired coordinates.
The sky ripped open above the tower, the teleportation coordinates fully locking in.
"I-is that Etherion?" Lucy stuttered, still holding her ear as Happy clung to her leg, crying: "Natsu, Erza, Simon, hurry up and escape …!"
Natsu reached the last of the outer staircases of the tower, and he barely made it across them before the ground shook them to pieces, the pressure from above warping the very area around him. He knew time was running short; he knew he wouldn't be able to do as the others asked of him. But he also knew that Etherion would not be enough to kill. If it were, I would have long abandoned this tower. It only mattered that he reached the others in time.
*
Already the destructive force began to send shockwaves through the portal. The tower began to crumble under the immense pressure of the magic.
Jellal continued to speak, showing no emotions in his words as he did so. "I knew that the R-System wouldn't be able to be completed. But the spirit of Zeref won't let me go." A soft gaze, a soft smile – all directed at her. "It's too late to stop it. I'm a broken engine that he's driving … Erza … you win. Please put an end to this. That's why you came here, yes?"
Although he admitted defeat, in truth, it was Erza who began to crash. These admissions of being forced against his will caused her to feel as if she had betrayed, abandoned him – even when her mind told her that she most certainly never tried. She'd momentarily lost sight of her cause, of her will. It all began to fall – the tower, logic, rationality and herself. As she looked into Jellal's eyes … all she could see was the Jellal of the past, offering out his hand to her, leading them to a better life.
The satellite magic completely matured outside the tower. There would be no escape. She knew that. He knew that. They both knew it. Her hand began to shake, and she allowed her sword to clutter to the floor. He watched her own eyes soften.
"… There is no point in delivering the final blow. The Satellite Square is already deployed above." She released his arm, climbing off of him. "It's over. For me and you."
Jellal rose to his feet, meeting her at eye level. "Always the awkward one …"
"You're also a sacrifice to Zeref, aren't you?" Erza asked, but it was not a question. She knew the answer, deep down.
His head bowed in shame. "This is my punishment for giving in to my weakness. My heart wasn't able to handle the huge gap between dreams and reality."
Even in the short time left, she felt she could gain a better understanding of Jellal before the ywere both sent into oblivion. It would be enough to make her happy, even if the answers weren't so. "Didn't you have friends there to fill in for your weaknesses and deficiencies? I am also repenting for my sin of not being able to save you."
They fell to their knees, locking in an embrace; they knew they would die. There would be no point in running when they, as human beings with mere seconds left, could share a final intimacy that would serve them well in the afterlife. Jellal rested his chin on her shoulder, whispering into her ear. "I was saved."
*
"Let us pray to the Holy Light!" Org held out his staff and shouted his proclamation across the hall. "Release Etherion!"
The orb exploded as it shot up into the transporter, completely and fully shifting to inside the satellite hovering above the tower. The immense, bright white light of the magic showered the tower, the waters, and everyone inside it with a heavenly glow. The waves began to rock back and forth, to and fro, at a violent rate.
Happy began to cry inside the boat, fearing all was lost. "Here it comes!" All the others could do was to look on in an awed horror, and a stunned silence, praying that their friends would survive. They would soon be tossed overboard when the final shockwave came. The light rained down, and the magic soon followed; a great beam of the powerful, explosive magic engulfed the tower, leaving nothing but a large pillar of light to be viewed from afar. No one could see how their lives would end; and no one could know what would come.