I do not own any of the original Fairy Tail characters.
Guarding
Sado sighed, rubbing the corners of his eyes. They hadn't been able to find Makarov until after the fighting had ended, and now Mary Hughes, who according to Gildarts was a part of the Legion Platoon, a military group under the church of Zentopia, had managed to steal the clock arm from Lucy. Sado picked up his beer, taking a swig. Things were about to get very complicated. For the sake of keeping Magnolia out of any further battles, they had all moved to the Devil's Claw guild hall for a little while, and were licking their wounds while they tried to think of a plan. Finally Sado stood.
"That's it," Sado said. "I'm done waiting. I'm going to gather the clock pieces."
"You will do no such thing," Makarov said.
"It's what they're trying to do," Sado said. "If I get them all, they have to come to me to get them back, then all I have to do is beat them."
"Like you did last time?" Gray asked.
"What is this clock anyway?" Michelle asked.
"It's the Infinity Clock," Sado said. "A device that warps people's perception of time and causes ceaseless madness and chaos. If they get it, there's no stopping them. So I'm going to get the pieces before they can."
"What if we just break the pieces?" Happy asked.
"It's not that easy," Sado said. "It's been tried before. I know where all of the pieces are. I'm going to gather them."
"No," Makarov said. "Our enemy has a head start. We have to assume you can't reach them all in time. Mark down the locations and then choose one and we'll send out teams to each."
Sado nodded, quickly jotting down the locations. "I have a Fire Make Dragon guarding each piece. It should buy us a little time, but not much. Now, I have to go. I don't care what the other teams are. Just make it quick. I don't feel like having to break an indestructible clock."
Before anyone could say anything, Sado was off, streaking through the air. However, after a moment, Mira caught up to him, catching his hand and stopping them both, Sado sighing as he turned to her, only or her arms to wrap around him. He swallowed a sob before hugging her back.
"I'm sorry," Mira said. "I shouldn't have let you be the one to fight Hope."
"I was the only one who could," Sado said. "It had to be me. I thought, maybe I could handle it because of everything I've done. But..."
"You're human," Mira said. "No matter what you were, or what you've done, you're human now. And you're the best person I've ever met. You had to do what you did. And no one will ever blame you for hurting because of it. Everything else that happened, that wasn't you. You're not a devil. Not anymore. You're Sado. And no one will ever change that."
Sado watched her in silence before nodding and smiling. "Thank you Mira."
Mira smiled and nodded. "Now, go get your clock piece."
Sado smiled and nodded, kissing her then turning and flying away. He flew constantly, not slowing down once. Finally, his destination came into view. It was a desert with a group of floating chunks of metal.
"Wonder who they'll send here," Sado said, landing on his dragon's back, the dragon curling around so that its head was beside him, allowing him to rest his hand on it. "Maybe I should head inside." He looked up at the sun, glad that he was unable to get hot. He sighed, curling his dragon's body around behind himself so he could lean back, forming the dragon into a sort of semi-living throne.
Then, he waited. Time ticked by slowly as he waited for someone to arrive. Finally, after hours of waiting, Lucy, Natsu, Happy, Michelle, and Romeo arrived.
"Sado?" Lucy asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I had a change of heart," Sado said. "If I kill whoever they send after this piece, they can't form the clock. Gathering the pieces together would make things easier for them."
"Well, should we wait up here then?" Lucy asked.
"No," Sado said. "You guys would cook in the sun. Head inside and find the piece, then stay with it. I'll delay whoever shows up up here."
Lucy nodded, watching as Sado walked over to the floating pieces, extending his wings and floating a couple inches into the air.
"The floor drops out from under you," Sado warned, pressing his finger to a key hole and forming his flames into the shape of the lock, turning it.
The pieces shone blindingly before rotating in a circle. Then, the ground dropped, all of them except for Sado and his dragon falling. Sado sat back on his dragon as the ground closed again and waited. The sun began to sink toward the horizon as he waited. And still no one showed up. He looked toward the door.
"No," Sado said. "They couldn't be. The door was still locked."
"Indeed it was," a voice said from above.
Sado looked up, smirking as he saw the giant flying octopus descending to the ground. However, as soon as he saw the man standing on top of it, he narrowed his eyes irritably. The man on the octopus wasn't any happier to see him.
"You!" Byro snarled.
"Me," Sado said, allowing his demonic voice to mix with his own for a moment. "I was wondering if I'd ever see you again Byro."
"Finally I'll be able to repay you for your sins," Byro snarled.
"Can you though?" Sado asked, drumming his fingers on the dragon's head. "Last time you tried to fight me you didn't do so well. However, I let you live anyway since your desire to prove your worth to the Archbishop was sort of entertaining. How does it feel to know that you're the only man I ever allowed to live after fighting me? I bet that helped your reputation."
"I was a mere child then," Byro snarled. "I've grown much stronger. I was able to fight on level with Gildarts Clive!"
"If you think Gildarts was giving you his all, you're a bigger fool than I thought," Sado said. "But even if he was, I suppose that would make you fairly strong. Perhaps I'll have some fun after all."
Sado stood, the dragon coming alive again, snarling at Byro and his octopus. Byro narrowed his eyes as the dragon shot forward, straight at the octopus. Before it could arrive, Byro swung his staff, the tip glowing, and the dragon went out, the sand behind Byro exploding.
"Nullification Magic," Sado smirked. "That's right. You were pretty annoying with that shit. Alright then. Let's see about dealing with you the fun way."
Sado leapt at Byro, using his wings to get around one of the octopus's tentacles as it swung at him, then dropped on its head, punching it and making it roar in pain, dropping to the ground unconscious. Byro shouted in rage instantly, swiping at Sado with his staff.
"You'll pay for that!" Byro seethed, his staff smacking harmlessly into Sado's forearm, Sado's devil traits blazing to life.
"Will I?" Sado asked. "Let's see about that."
Sado lunged, punching at Byro's face but Byro stepped around it. Sado spun the other way, slamming a windmill kick into Byro's staff and smashing it. Byro stabbed at him with the broken end and Sado swept it aside, punching Byro and sending him flying away from the octopus. Then, Sado leapt after him, crashing down where he had been a moment before, Byro having thrown himself to the side. Sado smirked as Byro stood.
"You're pretty quick," Sado said. "I'm actually surprised you evaded that punch. Of course, we both know that neither of us is really trying here."
"That's true," Byro said. "But the longer we fight, the longer Dan and Coco have to find the clock piece."
"Oh so Coco's here huh?" Sado asked. "Well, she's definitely not finding it. She'll probably end up befriending Lucy. As for this Dan guy, he'll have to go through Natsu."
"Child's play," Byro said.
"We'll see," Sado said, lunging at Byro and throwing a punch, Byro catching it in his hand and driving the broken end of his staff up at Sado's abdomen, Sado catching the staff and halting it. "Good try." He spun, flipping Byro over himself and slamming him into the ground. Then, he raised his hands, a pure white fireball forming between them. "Let's see you set this off behind yourself!"
He swung it downward and Byro shouted in rage, his arm snapping up and his fist smashing through the fireball, which shattered. This time, however, there was no explosion. Before Sado could react, Byro began to pummel him with punches and kicks, rapidly slamming him to the ground and continuing his assault. Finally, he stopped, fist cocked back, as Sado grinned.
"What?" Byro demanded.
"You were a little too focused on trying to rearrange my face. You didn't notice me rearranging the ground."
Byro looked down, seeing a circle of glass under Sado's hand. Then, the glass shattered and the sand sunk, Sado throwing Byro off and extending his wings, stopping his own fall as the sand pit rapidly grew, dropping the massive octopus as well, both it and Byro crashing down in a ruin deep underground. Sado sank down to the church-like building they had crashed down in just as a massive gyro-looking device in a secret chamber behind one wall began to glow yellow. One the ground beside Byro, the clock's arm began to glow as well. Sado wasn't sure where Byro had kept it, but it was there and Sado didn't like it.
"Sado!" Lucy gasped happily. "Are you alright?"
"Me?" Sado snorted. "This guy's a pushover for me. How are you guys?"
"We'll make it," Lucy said.
"Get them Kanaloa!" Byro suddenly shouted, picking up the clock arm.
The octopus suddenly turned to Sado, who was standing beside Lucy and Coco, before spewing its ink. Sado grabbed both girls and leapt out of the way instantly, the ink melting through the floor the moment it hit. Sado set the two girls down, Coco staring at him in shock.
"Why did you save me too?" Coco asked. "I'm your enemy."
"No, you're a kid," Sado said. "Speaking of, hey Byro, what's the big idea almost killing Coco?"
"She is a proud member of the Legion Platoon," Byro said. "She is proud to give her life for this Holy War."
"You sadistic, self-glorifying fuck!" Sado snarled, walking toward Kanaloa and Byro, Kanaloa backing away as he did. "Who gave you permission to speak for Coco? She's not your slave or your tool! She's a living being!"
"That's right!" Lucy said. "How dare you say she should die for some stupid war that you started? She has her own dreams, her own plans! Who gave you the right to decide when she dies?"
"It's pretty ironic hearing you speak about the value of life, Sado," Byro said. "Actually, it's not ironic. It's disgusting! Kill him!"
Kanaloa swiped down at him with a tentacle but Sado flipped, kicking it sideways into the wall of the church before lunging, stepping past Byro's fist and punching him, sending him blasting into Kanaloa and both into the wall beside the Infinity Clock's body. Byro growled in rage as he dropped to the ground, glaring at Sado. Finally, Lucy stepped in between the two.
"Wait!" Lucy said. "What do you want with the clock pieces? Can you at least tell me that much?"
"We are under the orders of the Archbishop of Zentopia," Byro said. "He has been having visions of destruction and darkness, with the phrase, 'Time ticks forward, on toward inevitable chaos' being repeated throughout the dream. One day, he summoned me to his private chambers and told me that the phrase refers to the Infinity Clock's true nature. Once every hundred years, the Infinity Clock activates, releasing the magic power it has gathered. When this happens, if the six pieces are gathered and combined, the clock's power will bring about the end of the world. He informed me that there was a magic guild seeking to do just that and combine the pieces. I cannot allow it. The Archbishop sent us to fight this holy war because only we have the power to protect the clock pieces."
"Wait, all you want with the pieces is to keep them from being combined?" Sado asked. "Then shouldn't they have stayed hidden and sealed?"
"The Archbishop could not take the risk of a magical guild finding them," Byro said. "And low and behold, you, a magical guild, did just that."
"Oh please," Sado snorted. "I have no intention of allowing the clock to be assembled. It was a hard enough job for me to tear it apart before."
"You?" Byro blinked. "You broke the Infinity Clock? How? And why would you?"
"Every minute of every day for years, that fucking thing kept tolling, and I had to listen to it," Sado said. "It never stopped. It was constantly ringing. So, one day I got tired of hearing it. I tracked the thing down and I broke it."
"How?" Byro asked.
"I hit it with a clock tower until it stopped ringing," Sado shrugged.
"You hit the Infinity Clock, with a clock tower?" Byro blinked. "Right. I'll believe that about the same time I believe you're not a devil."
Sado sighed. "Right. That."
He walked forward, Byro readying himself as he approached.
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