A/N I'm actually somewhat surprised that the story got over 1k favorites as quickly as it did. I'd just like to say thanks to everyone whose supported me and read this story, it means a lot to me! Anyway, on a somewhat sadder note, I don't have the ideas written in this chapter due to lack of time, which I explain at the end. The next chapter will be posted on Monday and it will contain the descriptions and stuff.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Fairy Tail, or any of their characters, and I make no money off of this.
Chapter 29
"Sho…" Erza uttered.
Ichigo was nearly about to jump out of his seat and find out just what the hell was going on, but before he could do so, something very odd happened. The lights in the casino cut off completely, and even the darkness that ensued was the furthest thing from regular. Even with his senses, he couldn't see an inch.
'What the hell?!' Ichigo thought, frantically looking around the room as he did so.
He could swear he heard Natsu's voice, but a moment later it was cut off. Shortly after this, the lights flipped back on, and not a soul seemed to be present in the room outside of the blond man, Erza, Ichigo, and Lucy.
"Where did everyone go?" Lucy wondered aloud.
"I just put them somewhere… more convenient." Sho replied, chuckling sinisterly after doing so.
"H-Help us!" One of the cards shouted.
The Fairy Tail wizards then looked down to see what exactly had caused the sound, at which point they understood the words of the tan-skinned mage. Each of the pedestrians, employees or wealthy gamblers, were trapped within the cards. It was possible that Natsu and Gray were there as well, but none of them could make out their respective voices in the mess of cries for help that were sounding off.
"Lucy, Ichigo, get out of here now!" Erza exclaimed.
"W-Why?" Lucy asked confusedly.
Before a reply could even be given, the blonde found herself immobile at the hands of a whip that had surrounded her entire body. The only thing that was heard as a sign that this was occurring, however, was a simple 'meow'.
"Gah!" Lucy yelped, the sudden feeling of the restriction hitting her like a ton of bricks.
The remaining two members of the group turned to see a woman in plain women's clothing sitting on the countertop of the poker table with a smile on her face. She had lightly-tanned skin, a noticeably curvaceous body, and overall took on the appearance of a cat.
"M-Milliana? You can you magic as well?" Erza asked in a shocked tone.
"You see to be in high spirits… who's your friend?" Miliana questioned, acting as if the redhead hadn't said a word.
"Stop, she's a friend! Please let her go!" Erza slightly pleaded.
"A friend huh…" Miliana trailed off, her previously cheerful expression dropping in favor of a more agitated one.
"Funny… we used to be friends too… until you betrayed us, that is." Sho stated with a sickening grin.
"T-That's…" Erza began, though she stopped as if she wasn't able to find the right words.
"What's the matter, cant fess up to what you did?" Sho pressed, taking a step forwards.
A fearful expression crossed Erza's features at even the slightest movement that the blond-haired man was making. However, any advance that the young man would have made was halted due to a certain Substitute Soul Reaper stepping in.
"Alright… I've had just about enough of this." Ichigo stated, placing himself in front of his redheaded comrade in an attempt to illustrate there was not a chance in hell he would let any of these people near her.
"Whoa, this kids got some guts, don't he?" A man's voice asked, though it didn't appear as if it came from anywhere in particular.
As if simply phasing into existence, a well-dressed man with a literal cubic appearance appeared. His face was flat and square, and a pair of sunglasses covered his eyes.
"Wally? So you practice magic as well?" Erza questioned.
"Yeah… and now we need you to come with us, big sister…" Sho said, taking yet another step forwards.
"Take another step forward and I'm going to send you flying across the room." Ichigo said threateningly, glaring heavily at the blond-haired teen.
"Heh, I wouldn't act so tough if I was you…" Sho began.
A moment later he began to twirl something around his finger by a small rope that attached itself to said object. When Ichigo saw what the teenage wizard actually had in his possession, his eyes widened out of shock and he frantically looked down at his hip.
'M-My Combat Pass… how the hell did he get that?' Ichigo wondered out of disbelief.
He didn't feel or sense anyone grab at it, and he hadn't even noticed its absence up until now. How they accomplished that feat, he didn't know, but nevertheless the skull badge was firmly within the possession of people he assumed were hostile.
"Not so tough now without your badge, are y…" Sho began, a smug expression etched across his face as he spoke.
It took almost no time at all for Ichigo to charge the blond-haired man and punch him so hard in the face that he shot back several feet, only to land flat on his back with his cocky expression having been firmly wiped off. To his credit, however, he managed to maintain ownership of the Combat Pass, which was an annoyance but it forced Ichigo to do little more than just walk towards the teen and take it back.
"That ain't dandy!" Wally exclaimed, making to punch the orange-haired teen whilst his back was turned.
Ichigo then turned and sidestepped the punch, after which he grabbed the cubic man's arm and expertly launched him over his own shoulder, effectively sending him across the room just as he had done to Sho a moment prior.
"W-Wow!" Miliana exclaimed. She had been of the impression that without the skull badge the orange-haired teen was a non-issue. Evidently, she, and the others for that matter, had been wrong.
"Now, I'll give you three five seconds to explain who the hell you are before I…" Ichigo began.
An abrupt sharp and instantaneous pain hit the left side of his neck, at which point his hand slapped across the area out of reflex. He felt a dart pressed against his skin, and while he took it out as quickly as he could, his vision had already started to go blurry.
"D-Dammit…" Ichigo breathed out before his eyes shut and he fell to the ground.
"Ichigo!" Erza exclaimed.
The scarlet-haired beauty began to run to his side as quickly as she was able, but just as it had with Ichigo, a sharp pain struck her neck. She instantly knew what it was, but by the time she pulled out the dart it had been too late. Just as she was collapsing and her eyes were about to shut, she made out the appearance of the man who had evidently done this to both her and Ichigo.
The man was fairy tall and clearly muscular, had thin legs, and a very distinctive choice of accessories. His jaw was covered by a large metal plate, his left eye sported an eye patch, and his head was covered by what appeared to be a turban. His upper body was covered by only a large, light cloth that passed over his left shoulder, which was tied together with a pair of very loose dark pants via a sash that was placed around his waist.
"S-Simon…" Erza uttered before losing consciousness.
With the two targets having been neutralized, Simon threw them both over his back, at which point he turned to face the other members of the group in order to give the final word that would signal their departure.
"Let's go." Simon ordered.
Wally and Sho slowly got up, after which Miliana followed suit and began to follow the tall muscular man out of the casino and towards the ship they had used to travel this far.
"Wait! Get back here!" Lucy shouted.
The blonde-haired mage was still tied up, quite literally, and was unable to do anything. Still, she felt desperate, and would do anything she could no matter how futile. Two of her friends were being taken, and she was at a loss of what to do.
'I've got to do something…' Lucy thought, however nothing could be done as the group had exited the casino without any hindrances.
Sea's of Fiore: Unknown Location, Some Time Later…
"Ugg… my head…" Erza groaned tiredly.
She made to bring a hand up to her head in order to alleviate some of the dizziness she currently felt. However, when she did so, it became known to the redheaded knight that they were currently bound to some kind of object.
The scarlet-haired beauty began to look around, noticing that she was currently on a ship and that her hands were currently bound to a wooden mast in what appeared to be a storage room.
"Good, you're awake." Ichigo said, directing the woman's attention towards him.
"I-Ichigo…" Erza said hopefully.
A great sense of relief washed over Fairy Tail's strongest female wizard at the sight of her unharmed comrade. Her worst fear had been that her former friends had done something to him, and if that happened she didn't know quite what she would do.
It still wasn't the greatest of situation given that he was in the exact same position as her save for the fact that he was tied to a different mast in the room. Seeing this, however, also caused Erza's sense of relief to dissipate in favor to one of dread.
'Wait… if they brought him with me… then that means…' Erza thought, though she was unable to come up with a reason.
She knew very well who it was that had sent Sho and the others after her, and that coupled with the fact that she didn't know why made her fear this situation more than anything else.
"Oh good, you two are awake…" Sho stated as he entered the storage room of the ship.
"Sho…" Erza uttered in a surprised tone. She still wasn't even remotely accustomed to seeing her old friend in such a way.
"It really has been a while…" Sho began, kneeling in front of the redheaded wizard as he did so.
Ichigo was about to make an effort to stop the deranged teen as he expected some act of violence to be taken, but, to his surprise, the blond-haired man began to hug Erza as if he missed her dearly.
"Big sis…" Sho sobbed out, tears clearly being held back in his eyes.
Erza could do nothing but stay in place with wide eyes and a blank expression. That, however, was perfectly understandable given that absolutely no one would really know how to react to this current situation.
"I really did miss you… and I'm sorry if what I just did confused you. However, I just wanted to do that one last time before you no longer exist." Sho said, ending with a sinister grin as he made to exit the room once again.
"Wait right there! Who the hell are you and what the hell is going on?!" Ichigo shouted, actually causing the blond-haired man to freeze in place.
"Oh, well now that's a secret. All I can say is that we're heading back… home…" Sho replied, chuckling as he finished.
"Don't speak in riddles and answer my damn question!" Ichigo demanded.
"Don't act tough with me. As long as you're trapped like that, you aren't gonna be able to do a thing. If you really want to know the meaning of what I just said… ask her." Sho said before leaving.
Ichigo immediately took on a surprised look and shifted his sights towards Erza, who in turn winced and averted her eyes. The reason for doing so was to hide the pain that they showed, but even at a cursory glance the substitute could tell this was why she had done so.
"What was he talking about?" Ichigo asked in a quiet voice, trying to show that no matter what the answer was he wouldn't be upset. Whatever was going on, he knew it had something to do with Erza's past and he also knew that it was not exactly a happy one.
"I… I'm so sorry… t-this is all my fault…" Erza stated, her voice slightly strained.
"I'd love to know how that's the case." Ichigo said, making an attempt to get his comrade to at least realize this couldn't have everything to do with her.
"I know each of the kidnappers… and I am entirely sure that you are here because of me. I apologize for putting you in da…" Erza began.
"I'm gonna stop you right there… don't apologize to me for something like this. Moreover I don't want you to blame yourself because this isnt something you had any control over." Ichigo stated.
"I… while you may be right, the fact remains that they likely came after you because of me." Erza replied.
"Why do you think that?" Ichigo inquired, his voice one of both curiosity and comfort.
"Because… because… well, to explain fully who these people are and why they would come after me in the first place, I would have to start from the beginning." Erza replied, a sad expression taking over her features as she recalled the events of her life that lead up to Fairy Tail.
"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to…" Ichigo said reassuringly.
"No… you are involved in this mess, so you have a right to know." Erza stated.
The formerly deemed as stable woman began to weave the tale of her past, the ultimate result of which was extreme and dead silence within the confines of the room their currently sat.
Ichigo had assumed that Erza had come from a moderately unhappy past given that he never heard her speak of her family or of her childhood in general. Now, however, he knew that he was mistaken in the denoting of her past as 'moderately unhappy'. It was rather tragic, more so than almost anything he could have imagined.
In fact, looking at Erza now, he wondered how she was still sane. After everything that happened coupled with what was currently going on, she had to be on the brink of insanity.
However, despite the fact that she was far from insane, relatively speaking, she appeared far more vulnerable than he was used to seeing her. Her expression was fixed in an uncomfortable grimace and she appeared to be pulling her feet closer to her body, resting her thighs against her stomach.
For the first occasion in the entirety of the time he had known the stern redheaded teen, he was the unmistakable look of raw fear in her eyes, the likes of which he could only compare to his own when he faced down his inner hollow.
It was the fear that one was hurting those closest to them. It was the fear of being surrounded in darkness with no one around to hear you scream through your own inner torment.
'Still… it's only natural to be scared after being forced to remember something like that.' Ichigo thought. He couldn't really blame her for that kind of reaction, but nevertheless speaking for the time being seemed to be imprudent given that she was in a state of mild panic.
'Heh, I gotta say, I misjudged the redhead a bit…' The hollow commented.
'What do you mean?' Ichigo asked, simply doing so out of curiosity.
'At first, I thought she was just a bossy robot that was stronger than the average person. Now, though, I don't think I can go around sayin' somethin' like that about her. Her spirit is strong… very strong. Makes me wonder how hard she'd fight if her life was on the line.' The hollow replied, smirking from the confines of his partner's soul as he finished.
'Of course she's strong, and you're an idiot for even thinking otherwise.' Ichigo scoffed dismissively.
'Comin' from the guy who let some pipsqueak take his Combat Pass, that hurts.' The hollow countered.
'…shut up.' Ichigo replied. He couldn't really counter the point that the pale-skinned spirit had brought up.
'Kiddin' aside, how the hell did you get into this mess? Ya know what, scratch that. Just tell me how you're gonna get out of it.' The hollow stated.
'My plan is a work in progress.' Ichigo replied evenly.
'…so you're wingin' it, right?' The hollow guessed.
'Pretty much.' Ichigo replied, his words implying a motionless shrug.
'I feel so nostalgic…' The hollow commented sarcastically.
The presence of his inner hollow faded away, giving the signal that their brief conversation had come to a close. It was then that Ichigo looked back over to his comrade and saw that she had called down, if only a small amount.
"Then that guy… Jellal… you think he's behind all this?" Ichigo asked.
What he was just told actually pained him deep within his heart, mostly because such a story was like nothing anyone he knew could have experienced. He felt empathy for what happened to Rukia and Renji in the Rukongai district before they became Soul Reapers, but nothing they went through compared to the tragedy that Erza faced when she was a child.
Being enslaved and forced to work like a wild animal, being punished daily for anything that went wrong, couldn't by any means be an easy of happy existence. He felt like doing nothing more than comforting his redheaded friend, but at the moment he simply felt it best to avoid the subject. After all, seeing her friends and being in their current situation had to be difficult enough as it is.
"Yes… I believe that he is behind our abduction, however I do not know why." Erza replied, however she did have a hunch or two.
A dead silence passed between the two after this, one that was so potent even the ocean cased hitting up against the side of the boat. Ichigo, for his part, intended for this to be the case, but the pained look he saw in Erza's eyes practically forced him into saying something, anything to alleviate her pain.
It was true that he didn't want to press, but he knew perfectly well that even the strong were susceptible to inner pain. In all honesty, Ichigo would rather deal with outward injuries then emotional distress any day of the week.
"Erza… I want to thank you for telling me what happened. But I want you to know that this still isn't your fault." Ichigo stated.
"I… I appreciate your words." Erza replied blankly, averting her face.
The scarlet-haired teen could tell now that her face gave away her emotions all too well, which she hated more than anything. She hated to appear weak in front of anyone, and most of all in front of Ichigo. Her own insecurities were getting the better of her, so at the moment she just couldn't bring herself to allow him to feel sympathy towards her.
"I get that what you just said had to have been tough on you… but if we're being dragged into your past, I just want to let you know that you won't be facing it alone. Even if at the last moment you want to push me away, I won't let you." Ichigo said, his voice full of determination and honesty.
Erza's eyes widened slightly at the sound of his words, mostly because more than anything she wanted to be reassured of this. He didn't despise her for getting him into this situation and he didn't feel sorry towards her to the degree that he was throwing his sympathy at her. It came as a great source of relief that this was the case.
"T-Thank you…" Erza replied.
Ichigo nodded his head in confirmation, at which point another silence took over the room. The redheaded wizard had wanted to say more, but her own apprehension stopped her from doing so.
'Ichigo… now more than ever I am glad that you are at my side. If I were ever to face the darkness of my past, I would want it to be you, and today I am glad that perhaps I have gained the opportunity.' Erza thought, blushing slightly as she did so.
However, the fact still remained that while she did want the orange-haired teen by her side, she didn't want him to be hurt. Against Jellal, she feared her selfishness to have Ichigo with her would end badly, and even now she couldn't shake that feeling.
With Natsu and the Others
"So let me get this straight…" Natsu began, looking back towards his comrades as he did so.
Among those that currently provided him with company were Gray, Lucy, Happy, and apparently a blue-haired woman that wanted to be a part of Fairy Tail. She may have been a part of Phantom, but the fact remained that she had wound up saving them in the previous sneak attack by a group of people that he did not know.
"Okay, so these random guys show up, trap everyone in cards, tried to take us out, took Erza and Ichigo, and then just left, after which um… this blue-haired chick from Phantom showed up and saved us." Natsu listed off.
"That just about covers it." Lucy replied.
"When you say it like that it does make this situation seem very peculiar…" Juvia said, averting her eyes and trying to actually make the recent turn of events sound remotely normal in her mind.
"Aye." Happy said in agreement.
"What the hell?!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Calm down Natsu, now's not the time to be throwing a tantrum." Gray chided.
"You're so wise, my love…" Juvia cooed, staring affectionately at the black-haired teen.
"Um… why are you here again?" Lucy asked, sweatdropping slightly.
"Because I wished to see Master Gray and show my intent to join Fairy Tail… however, it is understandable if you are bothered since after all my love was inside of me. I can already feel how jealous you are." Juvia boasted.
'Great, she's weird too…' Lucy thought. Right about now she desperately wanted for Ichigo and Erza to return since if they didn't she would be left alone on an island with a ton of crazy people. The two might have had their eccentricities, but overall they alongside Mira were the sanest people in the entire guild.
"Don't go sayin' weird stuff like that when we need to get movin'!" Natsu shouted angrily.
"I hate to say it, but Natsu's right. Erza and Ichigo were taken, and now it's up to us to get them back." Gray stated.
He may have had a confrontational relationship with the dragon slayer, but in times like this such petty things were always thrown behind them. Two of their dearest and most treasured friends were currently taken from them, and it was their job to get them back no matter what the cost.
"Aye!" Happy roared determinately.
"But how is it possible to find them, my love? They were taken and I was unable to sense where they headed after leaving the casino." Juvia stated.
"Uh… can you stop calling me that?" Gray requested, though his words were evidently ignored. Even right now he didn't even remotely understand why the blue-haired woman was acting the way she was.
"Juvia is sorry, Master Gray. Does Master Gray wish to punish Juvia for her insolence?" Juvia asked, causing the ice make user to shy away due to being somewhat weirded out.
"I can smell them even from here. I can tell there out in the ocean, so, if we hurry, than maybe we can catch up with those cowards. I'm just itchin' to tear into 'em." Natsu said, pounding his fist into the palm of the opposite hand so as to illustrate his anger.
The two people that he treasured more than almost anything in the entire world were in danger. Even if that meant he'd have to deal with transportation, he'd charge headlong into whatever lay ahead to get them out of harm's way.
"We don't really have much other choice…" Gray added.
"Lead the way, Natsu!" Happy exclaimed.
Ocean Outside of Fiore: Tower of Heaven, Dungeon
"Erza… you awake yet?" Ichigo asked.
He and his redheaded friend were currently tied side by side on different wooden beams with their hands restricted and their feet currently able to roam freely. That was perhaps an error in judgment by their captors, but since no one else was currently inside the would-be jail cell there wasn't any real advantage to be gained from it.
"Yes." Erza simply replied.
"Got any ideas as to how we can get out of here?" Ichigo inquired.
"Hmm… I could make an attempt to free myself from these ropes, but I am at a loss as to what our next course of action should be." Erza said.
"That last part is simple. Get the hell out of here and take down anyone that tries to stop us." Ichigo stated.
"That… would normally be enough, but the fact of the matter is that there is a bigger problem." Erza replied.
"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked curiously.
"There was one thing that I didn't tell you about this place… it is called the Tower of Heaven, but it has another name… the R-System. It is a forbidden form of magic that is designed to resurrect the dead." Erza explained, frowning to herself as she finished.
"Wait, that's actually possible?" Ichigo exclaimed out of disbelief.
"I'm… well, I'm not entirely sure. In theory the magic was banned because it did, in fact, work, but the Magic Council has destroyed any trace of the R-System whenever any have sprouted forth. I had my fears that the reason we were targeted was because it was complete, and now that I've seen it, I know it is." Erza replied.
"My, my, you really are clever if you can tell that just by a single look…" Sho trialed off as he entered the jail cell.
"Sho…" Erza called out, sounding somewhat surprised.
"You bet this tower's complete, and now that it is Jellal is gonna bring back someone who can deliver us the world." Sho stated manically.
"Do you even know what the consequences are of using the R-System?! That magic was banned for a reason!" Erza shouted pleadingly.
"Tch, we're more than prepared to revive him, and when we do, things are gonna change… the entire world is gonna change!" Sho exclaimed.
"Who the hell do you want to resurrect so badly that you've finished building this damn thing?" Ichigo questioned with narrowed eyes.
"Hehehe… well, we're resurrecting the one person who can deliver us the world. Jellal said that he'd get us into heaven, and the only one who can help him keep that promise is the black wizard Zeref." Sho replied, his smirk becoming infinitely more sinister and increasing in size.
"You… you…" Erza muttered, not finding the ability to form words for the time being.
"You can't be serious! You manage to break free from the cultists only to finish exactly what they started?! Doing something like that makes you no better than they were!" Ichigo shouted, fighting his restraints as he did so.
"Who are you to judge our actions?! When Jellal finally revives Zeref, the entire world will be ours! Everyone, the sister who betrayed us, the cultists who enslaved us, and all those who have turned their backs on us will know our sorrow!" Sho shouted, raising his fists towards the heavens as he did so.
"That's completely insane! Moreover, what makes you think you can make the R-System work? Even if it is completed, the amount of magic you would need would be astronomical." Erza countered.
"Hehehehe… well, in this little room we've got more than enough. In fact, Jellal said the two of you would be twice as much as is needed." Sho began suggestively.
Both Ichigo and Erza had wide eyes at the blond-haired teen's words, mostly because they grasped the implication. Twice as much as was needed implied a need to expose of the excess. However, that still didn't answer the question of why the two were both brought if one was simply enough.
"Looks like you two got what I was sayin'. Jellal intends to have the two of you fight to the death in order to see who gets the honor of becoming the vessel of the black wizard Zeref. It'll only be a matter of time before one of you gets to watch the other die, up close and personal." Sho said.
The blond-haired wizard turned his back to the duo, a cocky smirk present on his face and his mind completely set on the future, so much so that he failed to acknowledge the present.
"When that happens, he will be revived and we will all inherit the world, just like Jellal promised us!" Sho exclaimed.
In the next instant a powerful kick rammed into his ribcage and sent him flying into the side of the prison cell. Sho was rendered unconscious almost instantly, but his attacker stood tall directly over his body with a scowl present on his face.
"Hmph…" Ichigo scoffed, turning his back to the unconscious man.
The substitute then freed his wrists of the ropes that had previously tied them before heading over to his companion in order to do the same. She, however, didn't say a thing for the time being as she appeared far too shocked.
"When did… how did you…" Erza mumbled incoherently.
"I got free of the ropes when that idiot was ranting… lucky for me to since he didn't notice at all." Ichigo replied, after which his comrade was completely free from her bondage.
"R-Right… however at the moment we can't afford to rest." Erza stated matter-of-factly.
A moment later she requiped into her standard Heart-Kreuz armor while Ichigo, at the same time, walked back over to Sho and opted to look for a very important object that he believed the idiotic teen still kept on his person.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to take things that don't belong to you?" Ichigo asked rhetorically as he found his Combat Pass within the pocket of the wizard's jacket.
He then grabbed onto the wooden badge and entered his Soul Reaper form, at which point he threw his human body over his shoulders and turned to face his redheaded comrade once again.
"Will that pose a problem for you?" Erza questioned, referring to the extra baggage that her friend was currently opting to carry.
"I'll make do. Now let's go… this Jellal guy is definitely someone we have to take down, and the sooner we can do that the better." Ichigo replied.
"Agreed." Erza said.
Era: Headquarters of the Magic Council, Hallways
'Hmm… well this place is as dull as ever, even with such an important event going on.' Ultear thought, restraining a girlish laugh as she continued to walk.
Everyone present was aware that an emergency meeting was to be called as a result of the forbidden R-System conveniently being discovered. More precisely, the Tower of Heaven, as it was called, was found out.
As a result of this, the dark-haired councilwoman needed to meet with her technical superior in order to confirm the scheme was proceeding as planned. How things ultimately turned out would be interesting, but in the end she just had a feeling that the world, contrary to what 'Seigrain' thought, would not change because of his actions.
'I simply cannot wait for this all to be over… the sooner I am out from under his 'control', the better. Puppets can be so damn annoying…' Ultear thought.
She finally entered the councilman's office, at which point she saw that the blue-haired man was standing by a window, smirking outside at the sun as if everything was going his way.
"Ah, Ultear, so nice to see you." Seigrain greeted.
"Pleasantries aside, I assume everything is going as you had hoped?" Ultear inquired.
"Right to the point as always… but yes, at the moment everything is. While I cannot exactly say there isn't a risk to my life, everything will be worth it. After this meeting, if everything continues to go as planned, the entire world will change." Seigrain stated, not even bothering to look back at the dark-haired woman.
"Yes… I suppose your right, sir." Ultear replied before opting to take her leave.
As the councilwoman left the chambers of her colleague, she couldn't help but smirk devilishly. For a while she had been worried that the blue-haired wizard would have thought up something more creative involving Ichigo Kurosaki, which would truly have caused her more issues than she was willing to admit. However, given that it was pure egotism that guided the ambitious man, she found that she had nothing to worry about.
Simply put, she couldn't really see his plan working, but not because it was terrible, because it truly wasn't. The reason, the only reason, that she knew it would fail, was because it was a plan that aimed to defeat Ichigo Kurosaki. That man, for whatever reason, never ceased to amaze her, and that was why, when the time came, he would make the most beautiful asset in creating her master's dream, which would by extension grant her own heart's desires.
'Ichigo… I no longer simply hope you live until next we meet. Rather, I know that you will live at least that long… how far into the future you survive, however, is dependent on how you react to what I will offer you.' Ultear thought.
Tower of Heaven: Middle Level, Some Time Later…
"Where the heck are we?" Natsu exclaimed as he and the others came to a stop in a large intersection of hallways.
"I don't know… but I think we're somewhere near the center of the tower." Gray stated.
"I think Gray's right, maybe we…" Lucy began, only to be cut off a moment later.
"It's the intruders, get 'em!" One of the guards shouted from down a nearby hall.
A moment later each member of the group turned to see a collection of around a dozen enemies running towards them with weapons in hand and their sights solely set on them. However, the would-be threat dissipated just as quickly as it arrived due to two certain individuals making a sudden appearance.
The mass of troops were completely thrown aside as both Erza and Ichigo entered the room, slashing at each of the enemy's forces and sending them flying across the room in multiple directions.
"Ichigo, Erza!" Natsu exclaimed happily, a beaming smile now crossing his lips.
"You guys, you're okay!" Lucy shouted out of pure relief.
For a brief moment the two powerful warriors stood in place and looked at them with confused looks on their faces, which likely stemmed from the fact that neither of them had a single clue as to how their companions were here.
Still, it did mean that they hadn't been taken out during the earlier attack in the casino, but being in the center of the Tower of Heaven put them in far more danger than that situation had.
"What are you all doing here?" Erza questioned.
"Yeah, and who's that?" Ichigo asked, gesturing towards the blue-haired woman.
"Oh… well, this is Juvia… she's… well…" Gray mumbled, not entirely being sure how to phrase it.
"She's a wizard from Phantom that wants to join Fairy Tail. If it wasn't for her, we'd never have gotten up here as quickly as we did." Natsu stated in a serious tone.
The orange-haired teen looked at his close friend for a moment and that was all it took. He could tell that Natsu was perfectly fine with this person and evidently she had already helped them a great deal. If she meant them no harm, then her past didn't really matter all that much.
"Alright. Still, you didn't answer the first question." Ichigo pointed out.
"Ain't that obvious? We're here to help you!" Natsu replied with a smirk.
"Coming here was a colossal mistake on your part. All of you are to leave at once." Erza commanded sternly.
Her words, however, drastically confused and somewhat frightened most everyone present. The one exception had been Ichigo, but even he was surprised by this abrupt demand.
"No way in hell are we leavin'!" Natsu shouted.
"Yeah, for once I agree with Natsu. We're stayin' with you two no matter what happens." Gray added.
"Do any of you even know where we are or why?" Erza asked with narrowed eyes.
"Even if they don't, does that really matter? We can explain to them what's happening while we walk, but as it stands we have something we need to do." Ichigo stated.
"My request was not exclusive to them…" Erza began, turning to face the orange-haired teen as she spoke.
Ichigo, in that instant, turned to look at his scarlet-haired comrade with slightly widened eyes. He saw a saddened look covering her features, which told him she had said what she had with reluctance, but the fact remained that she had said it.
"I… would like for you to leave as well, Ichigo." Erza stated.
A moment later, the substitute stepped directly in front of Fairy Tail's queen, turned his back towards the others, and faced her so that his eyes were staring directly into hers. His own look was so stern and determined that even Erza had difficulty maintaining her gaze.
The two were currently engaged in an exchanging of wills, and no one, not even Natsu was able to say anything for the time being. The room was so silent, in fact, that even from this height away from the base of the structure you could hear the waves clashing against the rocks outlining the area.
"Erza… let me ask you something. Why is it that you want us to leave?" Ichigo inquired, his tone even but noticeably firm.
"This is just something I have to do on my own. This is my past, and while I am grateful that you are willing to face it with me, I have no desire for you to put your life in danger by doing so." Erza replied, finding the willpower to actually say such things despite the fact that a large part of her didn't want to.
"Let me tell you something, Erza… no matter what you say, and no matter how many times you say it, it won't ever change the fact that everyone in this room is here because they want to be. If I ever wanted to leave this place, I would have just dragged you out with me the second after we got free from that cell. I'm here to stay… and I'll tell you right now that I'm not leaving until Jellal is taken down and you can safely say you put your past behind you." Ichigo stated.
"Ichigo…" Erza uttered quietly, almost as if she did so subconsciously.
The scarlet-haired beauty's heart had been torn because she didn't want Ichigo or any of her friends to suffer because she had yet to fully confront her own past. However, at this point what she felt within her heart outweighed the concern held in her mind.
Somewhere, deep down within her being, whenever Ichigo was with her and whenever she had to face against the odds, she knew everything would simply turn out okay. Even in a situation such as this, faced against nothing but pure unadulterated evil in the form of Jellal, she couldn't even feel afraid.
"So, that settles that. You're all staying and we're fighting everyone in this place until we get to the top. Got that?" Ichigo asked, turning to face the remaining members of their group.
"Aye sir!" Happy chirped.
"You bet." Natsu replied, a smirk coming onto his features as he spoke.
"Count me in." Lucy added.
"Same here." Gray said.
"If Master Gray is, then Juvia will go along with this as well." Juvia stated.
"Well then… looks like you're not getting rid of us so easily." Ichigo mused, turning to face the redheaded wizard once more.
He could see that light amounts of tears were forming in Erza's left eye, but it didn't appear as if they were tears of sadness. The smile on her face was simply too genuine to make it appear that way.
"I suppose you're right…" Erza reasoned.
"But seriously though, I'm a little bit lost on this facing your past stuff…" Natsu said in a confused tone.
"Aye." Happy commented.
"Ditto." Gray added.
At this, Erza felt a vein pop out of her forehead. It was such a nice and touching moment, but as per usual it was interrupted by something idiotic and meaningless. She did suppose that her friends did need to be informed, but that didn't mean she couldn't be upset about that fact.
"Very well… since you're all now involved in this, I suppose I must inform you…" Erza said evenly, though she struggled a great deal to contain her frustration.
Tower of Heaven: Apex
"Hmhmhm… now this is indeed interesting. I hadn't expected them to show up so soon…" Jellal thought aloud.
The evil mastermind behind the continued construction of the R-System sat contentedly in his chair, awaiting the arrival of one of two people to greet him. If all went as planned, the first arrival would be his dearest childhood friend whom he had so joyously cast aside. When that happened, the final gears of his plan would be put to use, and everything would finally come together.
'While this tower holds countless of my minions and even several elites from a dark guild, none of that matters. I eagerly await your arrival my dear Erza… and when you finally get here, I have something akin to a surprise for you…' Jellal thought evilly.
"Sir, the intruders have reached the middle level of the tower." A man stated as he walked into the room, clad in a black robe.
"Is that so? Very well, do nothing for the time being…" Jellal trailed off uncaringly. He had already known this was the case.
"Begging your pardon, sir, but should they be allowed to roam freely, the Tower of Heaven will not be able to activate should the sacrifice reach us in time." The man replied.
"Are you questioning my decision by any chance?" Jellal asked with a sinister smirk flashing at the new entry to his practical throne room.
The man grunted slightly and began to sweat, at which point he shook his head, bowed deeply, and left the room before his life was put in even more danger than it already was.
"Hmmm… waiting can be so boring at times. I only wish they would hurry so the entertainment can begin." Jellal thought aloud, turning his head to look towards the chessboard with a myriad of different pieces covering two separate sides of the bored.
"Come now, Lord Zeref awaits your sacrifice… Ichigo…" Jellal said before he began to evilly chuckle to himself.
A/N Okay, so the next chapter will be posted on Monday, along with the ideas for the side-projects. I'd list them off now, but today I'm returning home on holiday, so it's a busy day for me.
Explanations:
Jellal: He's pretty f-ed up in the head and also obsessed with Erza, so obviously she has a big role in his evil scheme despite what some parts of this chapter probably imply. However, I will say at least that he wants Ichigo to be the one to die and bring Zeref back.
Bankai: Since all of you are probably wondering, it will show up in two chapters, which will be next Friday. I will do my best to make it as epic as possible!
Reviews:
The10thDoctor1964: Can't say.
hollowichigo12: Honestly, I'm just going to progressively have him talk more given that if I had him just be outright talkative it would seem somewhat strange. However, as for last chapter, I had him silent because it was already quite long and adding in things like his random commentary didn't really lead anywhere.
Pokemaster94: For the first one, that's kind of tricky. Orihime would probably just be embarrassed, Tatsuki would be angry for various reasons. Okay, so on Erza and Mira's part, they'd probably feel moderately threatened, I think. Not too sure. For the second one, I think Rukia might throw a party, not too sure.
Awesomenerd9374: Bankai will be soon, Kenpachi won't be in this story, definitively, and Vasto Lorde form will make an appearance.
GirlfFish: One, a perfect 10/10! Wendy will make an appearance in an original mini-arc I have planned, but don't tell anyone that. Ichigo will always be the key puzzle piece in creepy people's schemes, that's just his thing. Erza will have a really big role in the tower arc. It's about her getting over her past and Ichigo realizing, understanding, and accepting that. Um… there will be no bloody-killings to my knowledge. I've also said this before, but only one other character from Bleach will make his/her way into this story, and it will be at the end. For your last one, I suppose that's the case…
Anonymous1684: Can't say ;)
cellum95: Of course.
VOGshiniki: Of course it will still happen. I never said it wouldn't.
