Point-in-Time: November X784
Nirvana's transformation had come hard and fast for both sides. Any of Oracion Seis's sub-Guilds that didn't get caught up in the ancient weapon's unearthing were booking it – none of them wanted to get squashed by mere chance. And to top it off, two core members of the main Dark Guild had been converted by the very weapon they sought – while simultaneously, a certain scarlet knight had also been affected by the powerful Magic. In other words, the war had now wound down to three Dark mages against a number of Alliance Wizards in various states of health. Victory could be attained by either side; the Alliance had an uphill battle to fight, while the Oracion Seis had to fight shrewdly, while also mobilizing their plans to take the Magical World by storm. Really, at this point, the war was for Oracion Seis to lose, despite their low numbers.
"YES! At long last, I have finally obtained it, the ultimate weapon which extinguishes Light! The Legendary Reversal Magic, Nirvana!" Brain exclaimed maniacally as he spread out his arms in ill-contained joy. "Those nearsighted Guilds will cling to their piety, their fellowship, and trust! But now, such things will be stripped of meaning!"
"You actually pulled this off… You got us Nirvana!" Cobra complimented his leader as they stood the tallest structure in the now apparent ancient city. The Poison Dragon Slayer touched one of the pillars reverently. "A city that's been long dead, brought back to life. Cubelios, don't you think that's amazing?"
Brain chuckled darkly as he gazed out at the 'grand' view.
"Behold, Cobra! Look at the world that now spreads out beneath our feet! An entire city, unshackled from time and the very earth itself – this is Nirvana's true form. And from this seat of power, I can move this city to anywhere I see fit!"
"Oh yeah? Well, I'm sure you've got somewhere in mind. So where we goin'?" Cobra inquired curiously as he now took in the same view as Brain.
"I know exactly what our first target shall be. A certain Guild Hall." Brain answered ominously, to which Cobra smirked.
"Heh! So we're starting with a bang, are we?"
"It shall be the first of many Lights to be extinguished!" Brain declared boldly before waving his staff and bringing about a ring of Magical projections that functioned as the 'controls' for maneuvering the whole city. "Nirvana! Begin your march now! Transform my Darkness into Light!"
In that moment, both members of Oracion Seis perceived two glints in the sky as they seemed to be homing in on their location. Cobra instantly recognized them as Dragon Slayers of the Alliance, and at least one of them would be trouble…
"HAAA! I'm puttin' the brakes on this thing!" Natsu roared as Happy flew him down toward Brain. Needless to say, his Fire Dragon's Iron Fist attack missed, as Brain sidestepped it, but Natsu was not deterred as he unleashed a Fire Dragon's Roar on the floor that Brain and Cobra were standing on – sending the flames on a destructive path toward Brain.
Wendy, with Carla flying her around, didn't want to be left out, so when Brain shielded himself from Natsu's assault, she came at him from the side with a Sky Dragon's Wing Attack. The leader of Oracion Seis cursed at his focus being disrupted, and so ended up taking Natsu's fierce flames anyway.
"Cobra! Dispense with these lesser Dragon Slayers at once!"
"I hear ya!" Cobra muttered as he ordered Cubelios to headbutt Wendy while he sprouted Poison Dragon Scales on his arms before swinging them and sending a barrage of poison energy blasts toward Natsu. A barrage that Natsu easily avoided thanks to Happy, but Wendy and Carla weren't faring as well against Cubelios, and that was Cobra's plan from the get-go.
Ultimately a stupid plan, considering that Natsu did not take it very well when any member of his Fairy Tail family – let alone a member of his and Erza's personal family – was attacked. You did not. attack. Natsu Dragneel's. family!
"Pal, I'm comin' for ya!" Natsu declared as Happy swooped him down so he could get in close. However, Cobra could perceive his thoughts…
"You wanna get in close so that I can't dodge your 'Brilliant Flame' attack… Not a bad strategy, but I got a decent defense!" Cobra sneered as he put up Poison Dragon's Guard – a massive shield made of Poison Dragon Slayer Magic. Despite its destructiveness, Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame could not pierce Cobra's shield.
Natsu ceased that attack when it proved ineffective, and Happy once more had to fly Natsu out of harm's way when Cobra expertly transformed his shield into an offensive weapon that he sent the pink-head's way. The two Dragon Slayers were now at a standoff as Natsu tried puzzling out Cobra's abilities. Brain attempted to take advantage of Salamander in this stalemate, but the pink-head proved to be quick on his feet… or rather, Happy proved to be quick with his wings as he tried to keep Natsu from getting hit with Dark Capriccio.
"It's useless, I can hear your every thought!" Cobra mocked the Fire Dragon Slayer as he foolhardily tried to attack with the basic Fire Dragon Wing Attack and Iron Fist Attack. Cobra effortlessly avoided each melee attack, and even caught the pink-head's wrist in a vicelike grip. Unfortunately, this would prove to be a mistake on his part, as the moment before he tried to punch Natsu with a Poison-coated fist, Natsu smashed Cobra's face. With a Lightning-coated fist.
Followed up by a rapid succession of kicks that got Cobra straight in his gut and made him release his grip. When the two separate once again, Cobra wincingly glared at the Pyro.
"Wh-What the hell was that?! You weren't even thinking about pulling that crap!" Cobra hissed painfully.
Natsu grinned provokingly at the maroon-haired man.
"Whoops! Did I act before thinkin' again? Shoot, I'm sorry, dude. Want me to try that again?"
Cobra understandably gnashed his teeth and growled at Natsu's cheeky response. Looking over at Wendy and Carla revealed they were somehow managing to evade Cubelios, so really, it was pointless to keep fighting like this. Cobra called his friend back over and had her sprout her wings.
Salamander wanted to play games, Cobra would oblige. He'd play with his prey until he killed them off for the honor of the Six Demons…
"… Should you really be removing those…?" Angel asked quietly as Hibiki freed her from the ropes. It was… strange to be given even a modicum of trust by people you called your enemies.
"You've been affected by Nirvana," Hibiki replied calmly as he stood back up after freeing up her legs. "Maybe I am naïve for doing so, but I can't get those eyes of yours out of my head. Your eyes have been opened to what you've done as a member of Oracion Seis. Even if you tried to attack us or flee, I think it's safe to say that you wouldn't help your former comrades."
"…" Angel didn't move or say anything. Her eyes focused on the grass, and her hair only moved a little from the light breeze that blew through the camp.
Nirvana had since risen. It had done nothing else, but Hibiki and Jura knew that it would only be a matter of time before Brain launched whatever his insane plan was. Jura wanted nothing more than to get on top of that monstrosity and hunt Brain down, but they had a priority to watch over Erza. Tying her up would do no good, since she was a Requip mage; leaving her alone with Angel was equivalent to leaving the former Dark mage to die. They needed Natsu to return, but he had already been en route to the top of Nirvana by the time Hibiki got in touch with him. The pink-head didn't really leave the Archive user enough time to explain what was wrong with Erza; the dense Pyro was under the assumption that Erza could handle anything.
But that trust wasn't a good thing in this case. If Erza was fighting anyone or anything else, Hibiki would find that trust admirable; but Erza technically had to fight herself, the darkness in her own heart. On her own, she could not do that – and that was because her nature had been flipped. Revenge wasn't a simple desire to repress anymore; it was more or less a mandate. And neither Hibiki nor Jura were fit to make her see reason.
"We came as soon as we got your message, Hibiki." Lyon announced as he, Sherry, and Gajeel entered the camp, dragging the unconscious form of Racer along with them. If only because Gajeel refused to push a chunk of ice around. "What's happened?"
"And what'd ya free the girl for?" Gajeel asked as he pointed at Angel, who was now sitting against the tree with her knees drawn to her chest, eyes still quite miserable. "Ain't it a bit too soon to let 'em do whatever they want?"
"Well, you see…" Hibiki trailed off before Jura answered the queries of both.
"The situation is quite grim. Nirvana has the power to change anyone between good and evil, and it has done so for Angel… and Erza."
Lyon understandably went wide-eyed at this revelation.
"No way! You're telling me we have to fight her now?!" He calmed down minutely when her prone form was pointed out to him. But only a little. She was Erza, after all.
"Not exactly." Hibiki rubbed the back of his head. "I mean, I guess we technically have to if she gets back up and tries to kill any of the Oracion Seis… But she won't be gunning directly for us, no."
Hibiki then proceeded to fill them all in on the particulars of Nirvana. Or at least what he knew of it. Some midway through the explanation, Lyon adorned a grave expression and froze Erza and Racer in separate blocks of ice. He was not going to fight an Evil Erza. Especially when she was on the warpath. After the explanation was over, it was decided that they needed to mobilize, as Natsu and Wendy were already heading for Brain; Simon and Kagura were also on their way up there, with another reformed member of Oracion Seis – Hoteye.
"… Let me come with you." Everyone's eyes panned over to Angel when she spoke these words. Tears glistened from her eyes, and she tried wiping them away. "If Hoteye is offering you support, then I will, too. It doesn't make up for what I've done, but… I…"
"… From what I can tell, you couldn't be farther from your goal."
Angel went silent as Erza's words played through her head. As much as she tried to deny it, Erza's words had struck a chord with her. All these years, she tried to pass everything off as 'I had no choice', or, 'all humans are depraved and despicable creatures, so what if I kill a few?' Hell, she killed Karen Lilica because she'd only wanted the woman's Gate Keys… Angel knew deep down that she was a monster, but she'd done her utmost best to desensitize herself and avert her eyes to her own actions.
And then Nirvana stripped that all away…
"I dunno… can she even fight without her Gate Keys?" Gajeel asked. In fairness, Salamander was holding onto those things…
"I think it'd be a good idea." Hibiki smiled disarmingly at the silver-haired woman, who seemed somewhat crestfallen at so easily being dismissed. "I bet Brain filled her in on a few things that I never found out about Nirvana. I mean, it was their ultimate goal, after all."
"Not to mention she can fill us in on her former comrades' abilities..." Jura mused as he rubbed his chin. He gave his consent as default leader, with Natsu absent and Erza… incapacitated. "That said, how should we proceed?"
Ironically enough, the moment this question was posed, Nirvana eerily began to move. Thankfully, it was not heading toward their position. Though its unknown destination was a cause for concern; just what was Brain plotting?
"I wouldn't recommend scaling that thing now…" Hibiki remarked sheepishly as he busted out Archive again. "Good news for you guys is that I've been working on Christina all this time. And, well, I guess the guys also helped patch it up physically… Thank Kami it wasn't beyond repair."
Gajeel pumped his fist in the air and roared triumphantly at this. … And then Lyon went and burst his bubble.
"Isn't Christina a mode of transportation? If I recall, you don't handle those very well." He said with a taunting smirk.
Gajeel glowered at the Ice Make mage before realizing that he was very… very… right… Ugh…
"Should I stay behind to keep an eye on Erza and Racer?" Jura asked Hibiki as he worked piloting Christina remotely to their location. The Archive User merely shook his head.
"No, with both of them fro…" Everyone tensed when the telltale sound of ice suddenly bursting reached their ears. Panning their eyes over to Erza revealed the redhead in her Flight Armor and glowering at them before flying off unexpectedly. In the next moment, Hibiki summed up everyone's thoughts perfectly. "… Shit!"
"We should pursue her…" Jura remarked as Gajeel was preparing to do so.
"No, we won't catch up to her at this rate." Hibiki shook his head as he hastened his efforts in piloting Christina. "We're heading to the same place – not to mention we share the same targets as her. If we can get to the remaining members of Oracion Seis before she does, we should be able to keep her from doing anything drastic… or at least I hope so."
"So, what? Are we just gonna leave blondie here?" Gajeel asked, jabbing a thumb at the once again frozen speed mage. He and Lyon paled as Angel seem to shatter the ice with ease.
"Hey!" Lyon yelled out in dismay. It was one thing for Gajeel of all people to break his ice, but now this woman, too? If Gray were here, he'd be laughing his ass off!
"He comes with us." Angel responded sharply, slinging one of Racer's arms over her shoulders. For her, even though she now saw the error of her ways, she couldn't quite bring herself to denounce Racer and the others as her comrades; none of the people present could hope to understand the bond that they shared. Well… for five of them, at the very least. Brain took them all on as his apprentices, but Angel was doubtful he had done it out of the goodness of his heart. She would never trust that man as much as the others – if anything, the fact that he associated with Jellal was enough reason to suspect that he could be tied to their suffering at that damned Tower.
Hibiki concurred with her decision.
"Yeah, if he wakes up, we don't want him running off and escaping the authorities. I'll keep a watch on him in Christina while you guys take down the remaining members…" Having said this, the Magic Bomber finally arrived.
It was time to take the fight to Brain.
"So what is this place?" Simon asked Hoteye as they began journeying into the ruins. Getting up on top of the gargantuan structure had been a breeze with the former Dark mage at their side.
"It's the mystical city of Nirvana, where the ancient Nirvits once resided and prospered!" Hoteye exclaimed in his usual upbeat tone.
"The Nirvits…?" Kagura queried with a raised brow. Hoteye chuckled sheepishly.
"I'm not surprised you haven't heard of them, since they left no record. They lived four hundred years ago in a time when the world was engulfed in war! The Nirvits tried to remain neutral, but the bloodshed was such that they became compelled to intervene. They created a type of Magic that would restore balance to the world, oh yeah!"
"Nirvana…" Simon mumbled, as the answer was obvious.
"Yes. A powerful Spell capable of switching Light and Darkness. So confident of their creation, they named it after their homeland, a word synonymous with peace! Oh yeah!"
"Ironic… Something built for peace has fallen into the hands of your former comrades, who wish for nothing but destruction…" Kagura mused. Simon shook his head and added his input.
"I doubt that the Nirvits foresaw it being used like this, Kagura. Criminals can find evil purposes for even the most constructive of Magics."
"In any case, now that it's been activated, Nirvana poses and a clear and present threat to the entire world! We must do everything in our power to destroy it! Oh yeah!"
The three of them halted in their running when flames started to ignite around a tower in the distance.
"They're lighting up!" Kagura remarked.
"It must be Brain's work, oh yeah. Knowing him, he's most likely controlling Nirvana through the Royal Throne located in the city's heart. Luckily for us, he's unable to use any other Magic while doing so. It's the perfect time to strike! Oh yeah!" Hoteye easily revealed.
"Since he's in control of it, is he taking it anywhere specific?" Simon asked.
"I'd wager that he is… Sadly, Brain did not share the particulars of his plan with the rest of us." Hoteye explained morosely.
"Not true." Midnight abruptly spoke from atop a building, getting the three mages' attention. "Father didn't trust any of the rest of you to tell you."
The four of them then stood in a tense stand-off.
"Hello, Midnight." Hoteye greeted sorrowfully.
"He's one of the Oracion Seis!" Kagura gritted her teeth and placed a hand on the hilt of her blade.
"You betrayed us…" Midnight leaped down to their level and stood leaning against a building behind Hoteye. He sneered. "I didn't think you had the guts."
"I haven't betrayed anyone…" Hoteye defended himself.
"Oh…?"
"I've come to realize the error of Brain's misguided ways!"
Midnight narrowed his eyes and suddenly reappeared behind Kagura and Simon.
"What was that? Why don't you come over here and say that, big guy?"
"How is he doing that…?" Simon wondered grimly.
"I say he is misguided because he truly believes a person's heart can be changed with Magic!" Hoteye continued to speak courageously. "But only love has the power to help even the weakest of heart to become strong! Oh yeah!"
"Hmph…" Midnight grunted before abruptly sending out some kind of shockwave that easily destroyed several buildings around them.
Thankfully for Kagura and Simon, Hoteye had protected them by softening the ground beneath them just before the attack.
"There's no time to waste! You have to hurry and get to the Royal Throne as quickly as possible!" Hoteye declared as he held two fingers before his eyes. "I'll stay behind and take care of Midnight, but you needn't worry about me! All members of the Oracion Seis are equal in power!"
"You really think you're a match for me?" Midnight snorted derisively, toying with a braided strand of his hair.
"Earth Magic: Liquid Ground!" Hoteye conjured a Magic Circle in front of him and sent a tidal wave of earth at Midnight, which he simply repelled with the wave of his arm and some kind of unseen Magic.
"To think, it would come to the Oracion Seis turning on one another…" Kagura murmured as she and Simon slowly got out of the crater.
"Be careful, Hoteye!"
"I will, now go! Quickly! Also…" He turned to the pair and smiled with a blush. "I would prefer that you didn't call me that anymore. The name's… Richard, oh yeah!"
"Thank you, Richard." Simon corrected the way he addressed the orange-head.
"Heh… We're not supposed to reveal our real names to the enemy… That's a new low even for you, 'oh yeah'." Midnight mused darkly as the dust settled around him.
"I have no interest in hiding behind a codename now that I've opened my heart to love! Prepare yourself!" Richard declared as he launched another attack against his foe. Simon and Kagura watched him in awe for a moment more before deciding that they would need to break off from him.
After all, if he could put both of them in the ground (quite literally), then surely Richard could go toe-to-toe with Midnight. He had to win… They'd promised to help him find his brother, after all.
It'd been a fierce battle to be sure. Cobra was definitely one of the toughest opponents that Natsu had ever faced; factor in having to watch over Wendy, and the fight was absolutely grueling. Cobra's unique combination of sharp hearing and attacks that slowly corroded your body made for a deadly foe.
Even with Natsu 'turning off' his thoughts occasionally to throw Cobra off, the Poison Dragon Slayer found a way to get him thinking again by endangering Wendy with a sweeping long-range Poison Dragon Roar. Alas, when Wendy's shrill shrieking raised Cobra's ire, it gave Natsu the idea he needed for them to win this battle. And it didn't matter that Cobra heard that idea, because his ears were still ringing from Wendy's screaming.
"You threatened Wendy's life, and then you went and dissed Igneel and Grandeeney by calling 'em fairytales… Well, guess what, pal! You're through!" Natsu took a deep breath even as Cobra prepared to attack him with another Poison Dragon's Roar, and then… he just let it all out. It was perhaps the longest and loudest he had ever screamed; he didn't know how Happy or Carla were still holding onto him and Wendy, but he was grateful for their assistance. He felt even more sorry for Wendy, who had a set of ears just as good as his were.
All the same, his 'simple' scream seemed to get the job done. Cobra wobbled in place on top of Cubelios's head while the scream was ongoing, and by the time it ended, he slipped off and plummeted to the ancient ruins below, clutching his head in pure agony.
"MY EEEAAARSSS!"
Dazedly, Happy and Carla floated their respective Dragon Slayers down to Nirvana's surface, close to where Cobra had crashed down and lay writhing twitchily.
"Man, you got a fine set of pipes on ya!" Happy told his friend with a hint of amusement. … Though he really, really did.
"Well, duh! The plan was to bust his eardrums, Happy! I had to show 'im a real Dragon's Roar! Hehe!"
"N-Natsu…" Wendy turned to her brother/future father (they really needed to settle on what Wendy was in their little family…) nervously, with some tears pricking at the corners of her eyes as she massaged her ears. She then asked feebly, "C-Can you not do that… ever again…?"
That roar had really been frightening. If she hadn't been right there, she might've though it was some kind of monster. Natsu rubbed the back of his head and grinned sheepishly at her.
"Aw, I'm sorry, Wendy! It was just the quickest way I found to beat him! I didn't mean to traumatize ya! I promise I'll try my best to not do it around you again… Though if we had to fight this guy again…"
… Yeah, Wendy resolved to be as far away from a rematch between Big Brother Natsu and Cobra as much as possible… Her ears just couldn't take it.
"Fascinating. He used Cobra's greatest strength against him… To think I've underestimated our enemies to this extent." Brain mused as he looked down from the Royal Throne. Another line receded from his face, but the leader of Oracion Seis wasn't overly concerned. If the Wizard Saint hadn't tired himself out by beating Angel, Cobra, and any number of their sub-Guilds, then he surely got weakened by Cobra's Poison at any point during their battle. If he had to stop piloting Nirvana for a few minutes to swat the pests, then so be it.
And then the blue tomcat holding up the Saint in question began to plummet to the ground.
"Happy?!" Natsu exclaimed in distress.
"Sorry… I guess it's that Cobra guy's Poison… Ehe…" Crash.
Carla repeated Happy's action, as she'd been hit a few times by their foe. Luckily for Wendy, though, she wasn't affected by Nirvana's 'subtle' movements.
"Crap… this thing's a vehicle…" Natsu whined as he prepared to lose his lunch. His eyes panned up when he saw Cobra's shadow looming over him.
"Y-You…" Cobra seethed, raising an arm up and coating his hand in Poison Dragon Slayer Magic. "I'll end you… for the honor of the Six Demons…!"
"SKY DRAGON'S ROAR!" Wendy nailed the maroon-haired man from the side, getting him to curse and smash into a building. When he turned a glare on her, she glared right back at him, quite unlike her timid self.
"I won't let you hurt my Big Brother!"
Despite Wendy's determination, Cobra tried to get up again, but was blasted in the chest by Brain, who had finally come down to their level.
"That's enough, Cobra, you may stand down."
"Brain… but why?! Are you mad?!" Cobra asked in bewilderment, clutching at his fresh wound.
"You performed extraordinarily well… but it is time for you to rest." Brain told him calmly, before ridiculing the Dragon Slayer in his thoughts. 'Hmhm… What good is a false Dragon Slayer to me? Especially one that can be beaten by one of the official Guilds? You're pathetic.'
Out loud, Brain continued his taunting.
"Oh, I'm sorry! Did you hear that?" Brain burst into malevolent laughter. Cobra seethed.
"How DARE you! You TRAITOR…!" Cobra screamed, tears glistening in his eyes, before falling forward and whispering under his breath. "All I ever wanted… my only prayer… was to hear the voice of my one, true friend… Cubelios…"
Cobra held his hand up to the giant snake that hovered over him and hissed softly in his ear as he slipped into unconsciousness.
Natsu, who was angered at seeing such a display, pushed through his motion sickness to confront Brain.
"He's gone… How could you do that to him?! He was your friend!"
Brain rolled his eyes at Natsu's impassioned speech.
"With the power at my disposal, I will have no problem gathering friends that will much better serve me! Nirvana will make it so!"
"You don't make friends through power and intimidation…!" Natsu growled. "All you get are puppets!"
"You shouldn't make such a fuss… After all, your power is what I admire about you the most! To think, a third of Oracion Seis has fallen at your hands! It would do me good to have a friend like you! Or to use your terminology… to have you as my puppet…"
"You can't!" Wendy cried as she tried to fend the old man off with a Sky Dragon Wing Attack. Unfortunately for her, Brain sidestepped it and started walking over to the pair of Dragon Slayers.
"Now, now, Wendy… You are the Maiden of the Sky. With your healing abilities, you, too, will be a wonderful addition!" However, before he could lay a hand on her, a destructive slash sent him crashing into the same building as Cobra, destroying even more of the wall. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to see through the dust cloud. "What was that…?"
"Natsu! Wendy!" Kagura called out as she and Simon came running up to the duo. Both Dragon Slayers had never been so happy to see the Mikazuchi siblings.
"Guys! Great that ya made it!" Natsu beamed in spite of his motion sickness. "We just took down another one of these bastards, so there's only a few of 'em left now!"
Simon noticed the downed Cobra, and he nodded his head in understanding.
"I see. Well, Hoteye – or rather, Richard, I should say – has switched over to our side, and he is in the process of battling Midnight. At most, there are only three members left to deal with – Midnight, Brain, and possibly Racer."
Brain narrowed his eyes as they so casually brought up Hoteye's betrayal. This meant that he and Midnight had to win at all costs. Otherwise…
"Then let's take care of one of those despicable cowards right here…" Kagura declared as she prepared to attack Brain once again with her sheathed sword.
"Oh, please! You took me by surprise, and that gives you confidence?! Your arrogance shall be your downfall!" Brain mockingly laughed before unleashing Dark Capriccio on the girl. She avoided it, thankfully, through her agility, but Brain was now back on his feet and demonstrating that he could keep up with her.
Simon was all prepared to help Natsu retreat, should he need to recover from his battle with Cobra… but the Dragon Slayer was now back on his feet, if not a bit shakily, and looking ready to take down the leader of their foes. Yet before Natsu could even ask Happy to give him a lift to keep him off the vehicle-on-autopilot, Hibiki's Archive rang through his mind, and by proxy Simon picked up on it.
'You don't really have the time for that, Natsu! Erza's somewhere on Nirvana, and you need to get to her before she reaches one of the Oracion Seis!'
'Hibiki?! What are you doin' in my head?' Natsu asked in bewilderment. He never really got the explanation last time. His face scrunched up in confusion. 'And waddya mean I gotta get to Erza? You said somethin' was up with her earlier, but you never really said!'
Hibiki's explanation did not ease his troubled mind.
'Nirvana has swapped her natures, Natsu. I have a feeling you know that Jellal's death deeply affected her. Well, all that grief, all that anger aimed at the Oracion Seis… Nirvana has corrupted her. She's determined to kill every last one of them in order to avenge Jellal. Doesn't matter if only one of them did the killing – they're all guilty as far as the darkness in her heart is concerned.'
Natsu gritted his teeth as Hibiki brought this up… like he had any right to talk about it so plainly… Of course he knew how affected she was by Jellal's death; he had let her come along because she was so emotionally invested in this. Erza needed closure, and he had complete faith that she could keep it together on this mission. And now… Hibiki was telling him that this bigass city had used its Magic to warp her into something she wasn't?!
'What about Brain? I can't just leave Simon, Kagura, 'n Wendy to fight Brain! He's no pushover!'
'Just leave it to us, Natsu, we'll back them up.' Hibiki told him in confidence before Natsu saw the Magical Bomber Christina flying overhead. Moments later, Jura, Gajeel, Lyon, Sherry, and oddly enough, Angel, were down on the surface of Nirvana with them. The pink-head clenched his fists in determination, and knew that Wendy 'n the others would be okay in that moment. 'Only you can bring Erza back, Natsu. It takes someone very personal to the darkness that she's struggling with to break her out of it, and you don't get much more personal than her husband. You can do it, I know you can!'
"Yeah… Thanks, Hibiki." Natsu punched his open palm before calling over Happy and guiding him as he followed Erza's scent. She was definitely on Nirvana, and relatively close, too…
"The time has come to scatter the petals of the Oracion Seis… into the wind!" Richard declared dramatically as he hovered over the defeated form of Midnight. It had been a heated battle, but in the end, it had come down to the stronger ideology. … Or at least, that's what the Earth mage had chalked it up to.
"You really are pitiful…" Midnight murmured as he rose again and overwhelmingly attacked Richard, seemingly pulling him in multiple directions with his Magic. Richard didn't stand a chance as he screamed in agony and collapsed from the pain, defeated. "Because you were such a loyal comrade before now… I will extol you. You deserve that much. … By the way, you can come out now."
On cue, Erza Scarlet came out into the open, eyes brimming with hatred for him. Strange. She was much different from the Wizards that had been tagging along with the traitor…
"You would turn on a comrade?" Erza spoke revoltingly, slightly elevating Midnight's curiosity.
"To be more accurate, he turned on me. Nirvana supposedly turned him from a moneygrubber to a fool who prattled on about the 'wonders of love'. He was annoying either way." Midnight idly played with a braided strand of hair. "Now… I suppose you are here to fight me next? The 'peerless' Titania…"
Erza quivered in unbridled fury before Requipping a dozen hovering blades that were immediately sent the raven-haired man's way. Midnight sneered and demonstrated what a foolish mistake that was, as he sent the swords back in her direction. Erza deflected them with two blades that she held, but soon after the barrage stopped, Midnight sneered again and twisted her Flight Armor around her like it was a constrictor.
"That's better! Sing me a lullaby of pain and torment!" Midnight cackled while the redhead screamed loudly. "Hehe! Nothing wets my appetite like tortured screams!"
Using her free arm, Erza threw a sword aimed at his head while Midnight was delighting in her agony. The raven-haired man effortlessly tilted his head until it flew right past him.
"Impressive, but futile! Spiral Pain!" He conjured a fierce tornado around her even as she finally Requipped out of her Heaven's Wheel Armor. Down to her white blouse and blue skirt, Erza collapsed to the ground and gave one last yelp of pain as she hit the stone floor. "What's this? You can't die on me now. I haven't finished playing with you yet! I need entertainment, at least until we reach Fairy Tail!"
Erza painfully lifted her head off the ground as she glared darkly at her foe. Fairy Tail…? Jellal's death wasn't enough for them, so they had to take away her Guild, too?
"How… have we earned that honor…?" She growled through gritted teeth.
Midnight shrugged his shoulders uncaringly and spread out his arms.
"Well, you were the ones to take the Maiden of the Sky from her original Guild, Cait Shelter. In the process, you unveiled a secret that not even father knew about – Cait Shelter being nothing but a fading memory. We assumed they were actual descendants of the Nirvits, but thanks for revealing they were just a bunch of ghosts entertaining a child. You saved us a lot of legwork… both metaphorically and literally." He smirked derisively down at the redhead. Midnight was of course referring to the distance between the Worth Woodsea and Cait Shelter; there were multiple Guilds in-between, but now they could start off with the purported strongest in Fiore.
Fairy Tail.
With her enemy's full malevolence finally laid bare, Erza furiously stood back up and donned her Robe of Yuen. A spear was now her main weapon.
"You… will never lay your hand on Fairy Tail!" Erza said with clear determination. Though that sounded much like the Erza of old, this one had a much different meaning behind her words. 'Never' was not an exaggeration; Erza was quite literal in promising Midnight this.
"Heh. Looks like I get my real fight after all." Midnight had a similar look of bloodlust in his eyes.
… He wasn't amused a few moments later when, after a furious assault of swinging her spear at him multiple times, she finally landed a hit on him and sent him careening into a wall.
"There are two." Erza held up two fingers. "Two crucial weaknesses in your Reflector Magic. The first is that you cannot bend and twist the human body… otherwise you would have done so by now, instead of twisting my Armor."
Midnight grunted as he got back up and stepped sluggishly toward her.
"Maybe… But why would it matter?" Midnight asked cruelly as he attempted to constrict her with her Robe of Yuen next. "I can use all those lovely clothes you wear to squeeze you until you pop! As fast or slowly as I want."
"That's one weakness. There's one more…" Erza muttered as she Requipped dozens of sword above Midnight before raining them all down on him. It soon became apparent that he could not dodge them all, and he cried out as he crashed to the ground. "While you were twisting my Armor earlier, you dodged my sword. Why didn't you bend its trajectory instead? It's because you're only able to control one space at a time. Either the space surrounding your enemy or yourself, but not both at once. So at this point, you're practically defenseless!"
It was eerie how she could sound so calm even as Midnight bent and twisted her Robe around her. And a moment later, Midnight found out why that was, as she miraculously undid his attack.
"What's more, this is my Robe of Yuen. By far the most elastic in my collection, and therefore immune to your Reflector Magic. I suppose you could consider this Armor a third weakness." Erza smirked darkly as she Requipped a blade into her hand and began walking toward him. She was done gloating – now was the time to end this fight and move onto the next one.
Midnight pounded the ground in frustration.
"No, no, NO! It's too late!" And then, to Erza's slight confusion, he began to laugh even as she drew nearer. "You missed your only chance to rest in peace… You should've let me beat you before midnight."
Erza halted in her footsteps as a bell began to ominously toll. Midnight stood back up as a Magical Circle appeared above him, transforming him into a monster before her very eyes.
"When the clock strikes midnight, my powers reach their terrifying peak!" Midnight cackled and grew in size, until he towered over Erza in a grotesque form as he once more insisted. "You could've prevented this from happening…"
The monster then began gathering Dark Magical Energy in the form of an orb before bringing it crashing down on Erza and sending her flying. It didn't stop with physical torment; soon Midnight began tormenting her emotions as well. He plainly revealed that he was a slave of the Tower of Heaven just like she was; and also similarly, he suffered at the hands of Jellal.
He shrank Erza down to her child form, and when she moved to attack him again, she instead cut down clay formations of Grandpa Rob and Jellal. The redhead cried out in anguish and swiped at him again, but this time she was devastated to discover that she had cleaved Natsu in two… This was the moment when she truly snapped, and her artificial eye allowed her to see through the illusion. And with this clarity, Erza ran right by him with her sword, slashing his side and instantly shattering the illusion and making him collapse for good.
"Another weakness would be not knowing I'm immune to Visual Magic." Erza declared gravely.
Midnight reached for the sky with both of his hands.
"No… I-I've lost…! But I'm the strongest one! I'm the ultimate member of the Oracion Seis! Even stronger than my father! No one could touch me!" He sobbed. "I'm supposed to be the greatest Wizard… that's ever lived…"
"Someone who can mock the suffering of others so callously has a very long way to go to achieve greatness." Erza told him coldly.
Midnight's hands shook as he continued to hold them up.
"All I ever wanted… My prayer… My prayer was to finally find a quiet place and sleep in peace… F-Father…"
With these words, Midnight finally faded to unconsciousness. Erza gripped her sword firmly and strode over to her fallen foe. He was still breathing, so the fight wasn't truly 'finished'. The redhead coldly raised her sword high above her head and prepared to impale the raven-haired man through the heart.
"Oh, I'll give you rest… You can rest for eternity for all I care. This is for everyone that you've hurt and murdered in cold blood…!" Erza screamed this last bit as she swung the blade, tip down, and steeled herself for the gruesome conclusion.
To her displeasure, the end never came. With Happy flying him and flames on his feet, Natsu flew forward with a burst of speed and plowed into her, uncaring if he hurt her a little.
"ERZAAA!" The Dragon Slayer cried out as they wound up as a heap on the ground, both breathing rather heavily. He looked over at the defeated Midnight and was relieved to discover the steady falling and rising of his chest. "Thank goodness…"
"Get off of me, Natsu!" Erza glared coldly up at him. "That man is just the first one that needs to pay!"
Natsu looked down at her with a serious expression.
"Erza. You're not thinking clearly. Do you really think killing these guys is the answer? You're no better than they are if you go through with this!"
Erza firmly shook her head in frustration.
"I don't care! They killed Jellal when he was at his most vulnerable, and they've hurt so many more people!" The redhead roared as she shoved Natsu off of her and picked up her blade again. Natsu proved to be just as tenacious as he tackled her from behind.
"I won't let you, Erza! You've worked too hard to become just some killer! You're better than this!" Again, he found himself shoved off of his wife as she stormed over to Midnight. Igniting his feet again, Natsu rocketed forward and kicked the sword out of her hands. Desperately, he flung her over to a wall so as to put more distance between her and her 'prey'. "Erza, you're always getting on my case about not thinkin' with my head! Well, now it's my turn, damn it! If you don't care about what killing in cold blood will do to you, then think about what it'll do to me! To Wendy! Simon, Kagura, Milliana, everyone at Fairy Tail! Hell, think about the kinda effect it'll have on our kid!"
He nodded firmly as the redhead seemed to freeze at that.
"That's right! Our unborn kid! Not only will you not get to raise him or her, you'll have to explain to them later why you can't be a family with us! I don't want that to happen, damn it!"
Erza balled her hands into fists as they shook. Natsu raised a good point, but even so…
"I'm… I'm only protecting them! Protecting everyone!" She replied hysterically as she got back up. "Damn it, just let me do this one thing! They don't even deserve to live, Natsu!"
Natsu finally faltered in his energy as she just continued insisting on this path. He knew that Nirvana had made her evil or whatever, and that she could be just as stubborn as him… But damn it, this was like dealing with an entirely different Erza.
"They won't have much of a life if they're locked away in jail cells, Erza…"
"That's not enough!" Erza insisted heatedly. "Even if you physically stop me today, I will end them, Natsu! The blood of their countless victims call for vengeance!"
Natsu dropped his hands tiredly as she brought this up. How about that? Erza is perhaps the only person in the world that can make him tired with just a few words. But it wasn't how stubborn she was being here; it was the thought of having to constantly keep an eye on her if they couldn't return her to normal… To have to sleep with one eye open every day for the rest of his life, just so she wouldn't try to carry out her promise.
Nirvana had made her into this. Maybe this was an evil that she was keeping at bay deep in her heart, but this damn Magical city thing had inverted his Erza… Made her accept this part of her so completely. She was never going to stop.
Unless…
"… If this is how you truly feel, Erza, then I'll do it." The pink-head noticed Erza's look change into one of shock, and he nodded quite grimly in confirmation that what she heard was correct. "I know I can't get through to you anymore. So to stop you… I'll fucking do what you want most of all. I'll kill these guys… you'll get your vengeance… and most importantly, you'll get to raise our kid."
Erza's shock only grew as Natsu continued to explain in detail what he would be doing. But he didn't let her absorb his words completely; he went and picked up the blade she was using, and he walked over to Midnight with the most serious expression she had seen on his face. Admittedly, a part of her was thrilled that he was going through with it. He was finally listening for once.
But… something wasn't right as she continued to watch in neutral fascination. Her heart was beating at an uncontrollable rate. Against her will, various memories flashed through her mind – memories of the distant past with Natsu, more recent memories, and even memories of their future… not just of the two of them, but of their children. Yes – children as in plural. Her eyes were fogging up for some bizarre reason. And… something wet was trailing down her cheek… Raising her bare hand up, Erza could see…
'T-Tears…?' Erza's eyes widened as she realized Natsu had continued with his movements while she had been so lost in thought. They were rigid, but she could tell that he was indeed going to go through with his promise. As he held the sword up high, pointed tip down… The scarlet knight moved out of pure instinct, with a speed that she didn't know she had.
She feared she wouldn't make it. But just as the pointed tip was about to pierce through the first layer of skin, Erza violently tackled Natsu to the ground and laid atop him, panting again. Tears were still flowing from both of her eyes as she looked down at him with immense sadness. What in the world had he been thinking…?
"Y-You i-idiot…" Erza emotionally slapped him across the face before giving him a reproving glare. She balled his vest into her fists and lightly pounded his chest. Shaking her head as those wonderful images of past, present, and future wouldn't leave her mind, she uttered quietly, "It doesn't matter anymore… You were… right… I would rather have a family than the satisfaction of revenge. It's just not worth it…"
In that moment, a darkness seemed to leave Erza physically, evaporating into thin air. Natsu smiled as her eyes regained the warmth that he knew so well and loved so much. He raised a hand to her cheek softly and gave a smile that she positively melted at the sight of.
"Glad you're back, Erza… I missed ya." He chuckled as she gave a small pout.
"Shut up, and c'mere." She growled lightly before lifting his head halfway so she could kiss him. As they passionately kissed, Natsu maneuvered himself so he was sitting up and hugging her waist while she was still straddling him. A bit uncomfortable at first, but it wasn't the first time he'd been in that position. He supposed Nirvana's surface was just too hard… and moving… Ugh…
It really was great to have Erza back. These Oracion Seis guys didn't stand a chance now!
Author's Note: … IT'S SO FLUFFY! Ahhh, but it felt so good to write that conclusion. Evil Erza was just so hard to write. I hope you guys are happy with the double-length chapter, 'cause this might be it until I get through the semester in a little over a week… Next time we bring a conclusion to the Oracion Seis Arc for the main AU. I already got it all outlined 'n everything.
Friendly reminder – the poll for pairings for Team Mira is still up. I'll keep mum about the results so far, but I highly advise anyone who wants to have a say go vote now… 'Cause when the next chap is posted, I'll probably take it down, if only to switch over to the Gajeel poll. I will say not too many have voted; but I guess a lot of you don't really care one way or the other… Or maybe you do, and don't read the ANs. Meh. Sorry, guys. :P