Chapter Thirty-One
Quick Recap
Erza revealed her past as a former slave that led a rebellion to free everyone and save Jellal, a young boy her age that had stormed in to save her from the Punishment Room only to be captured. Though the rebellion had been successful, something had happened to drive Jellal into insanity and decide to continue work on the tower, now calling it the Tower of Heaven. When objected, she had been blasted out with his newfound magical power with the threat that should she return; he would kill everyone. At first disbelieving how the story ended; Sho, Wally, and Milliana were shocked to discover that Simon had not once believed in their leader. Faced with his immediate belief and Erza's compassion, the five friends ended up in a tearful embrace as they celebrated a true reunion.
Their reunion didn't last however; as it was quickly decided something needed to be done about Jellal. While everyone from Fairy Tail, as well as Juvia, were ready to help, Erza shot down their involvement. When Link reminded her that they were partners and to face everything together, Erza shocked and wounded him by declaring their partnership was over. Stubborn to the end, Link still insisted he was going, giving Erza no choice but to reluctantly accept their aid and start planning. After they had gotten their plan of attack in order, Wally was convinced by Erza to tranquilize them to prevent them from coming. Link avoided the attack, only to be knocked out by Erza, who declared to Simon, Wally, Milliana, and Sho that they needed to face Jellal alone to truly be free of his influence.
While that was going on, the Magic Council continued to discuss what they should do in regards to the Tower of Heaven with a surprisingly passionate Siegrain pushing for immediate action. Michello was quick to urge caution, demanding that while quick action in the face of this news was needed it still needed to be well thought-out.
When Link, Gray, Lucy, Natsu, Happy, and Juvia regained consciousness, they found the others long gone. Not only that, Erza had used a potion to remove their scent so even Natsu's keen sense of smell couldn't track them. Link remained calm, however, and eventually the others realized he had expected Erza's actions and taken steps to get them there to help.
On their ship, Simon looked over the water as the Tower of Heaven came into view and was approached by Erza. It seemed Erza had anticipated Link's actions and demanded a crystal that Simon had been given. Unable to win their argument, Simon grudgingly handed over the crystal with the condition that it should be used if Wally, Milliana, or Sho were in danger. In reply, Erza proceeded to knock them and go alone in order to keep them safe.
The sound of waves lapping against the hull slowly brought Simon back from the edge of unconsciousness. The big man groaned and winced as shifting caused something hard to poke against his skull. What… happened? He asked himself as he reached up to pull the offending object out of his turban. When he saw the crystal with the green sphere inside, his memory came back to him in an instant. "No!" He shouted in denial as he forced himself up, and the sudden shout stirred Sho, Wally, and Milliana.
"What is it, Simon?" Milliana asked sleepily before she winced and grabbed her stomach. "Ow… what… Er-chan!" She said as her cat eyes snapped open; and the sudden use of that long ago nickname brought Wally and Sho back to focus as well.
"Why… why did she do that?" Sho asked as they all struggled to stand up. "I thought we were supposed to fight together… to-"
"She only wanted us to show her where the Tower was." Simon said, having already figured it out as he tightened his free hand into a fist. "That's why she wanted me to give her Link's crystal. She couldn't afford to leave us behind with the ability to get the others here quickly." He said and got looks of shock from the other three before he looked over at the distant Tower of Heaven's chaotic form.
"No… I… I didn't think…" Wally said, unable to believe he had been convinced to knock out the only people there willing and able to help just to be tricked.
"It's okay." Simon said as he looked back with a smile and held up the other crystal. "Link thought she might try something like this." He said and got blinks of surprise from them. "He even figured she would know about the first crystal." Simon went on before looking at the crystal. "Link… I hope you can actually detect this…" He said hopefully before throwing the crystal to the deck, shattering it and releasing a green orb that slowly floated to just above Simon's height.
Akane Resort
The Fairy Tail Mages and Juvia, who had changed from her yellow dress to a sapphire coat adorned with a navy blue shawl topped with cream colored fur and a blue, conical hat, were sitting outside on the beach, ignoring the sounds from inside the resort. All the other guests of the resort seemed to have put the attack behind them, feeling secure in the knowledge that mages were nearby in case another attack happened again.
"Can you sense it yet?" Natsu asked as his left fingers tapped against his right bicep impatiently.
"Natsu, for the love of everything good and decent, will you shut up!?" Gray shouted out the last two words, for this had been Natsu's mantra for the last ten minutes. Everyone nodded in agreement with the dark-haired mage, with the exception of Link who was once again sitting cross-legged in his meditative pose, and the Fire Dragon Slayer made a sound of annoyance before he looked away.
"How-"
"I will freeze your mouth shut if you utter one more word." Gray threatened, cutting off Natsu's next complaint, and Lucy came up next to the pink-haired mage.
"Natsu, I know you want to help but everyone's just as anxious." Lucy scolded gently and Natsu's shoulders hunched up defensively as he kept looking away. "We need to wait and-!" She cut herself off as Link suddenly stood up in one fluid motion, his eyes open and excited.
"It's there?" Natsu asked excitedly as he tucked his arms to his sides in a ready position and got a nod. "Wait… doesn't this mean-?" Natsu started to ask, suddenly nervous, as they were surrounded by a green crystalline aura that slowly rose up into the air. "Oh no… not again!" He shouted right before the crystal shattered into dozens of small orbs that flew into the night sky.
Tower of Heaven Ship
Simon, Milliana, and Sho closed their eyes at the sudden surge of green light from the orb, while Wally only had to shade his eyes thanks to his sunglasses. When the green light faded away, they saw the ones they had left behind standing before them, ready for a fight. Standing ready, that is, until Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Happy all fell to their knees.
"Why… why a ship… right after that?" Natsu complained before bringing his hand to his mouth to hold in the urge to throw up.
"I really… hate that spell." Gray got out as he held his head against his dizziness and got a nod of agreement from Lucy and Happy.
"Why?" Juvia asked as she looked down at them with mild curiosity. "Juvia thinks it was quite efficient." She remarked and they looked up at her in shock as Simon stepped up to Link.
"You… you actually…" Simon started before he shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Erza didn't wait until we got to the Tower; we're still an hour out." He said and Link blinked in surprise at that before looking over at the Tower of Heaven with narrowed eyes.
"Link… please…" Natsu started to beg and Link absently gestured with his left hand, immediately surrounding Natsu with Nayru's Embrace. "Thank you." He sighed in relief as his motion sickness went away.
"Please, if you can use that spell again then we can…" Simon started to ask but Link shook his head. He could traverse short distances like that but anything over a mile, or moving multiple people at the same time, required a set tether. "Damnit… I don't even know how long we were out." He said when a plume of smoke suddenly appeared from the base of the Tower.
"Nee-san just reached the Tower of Heaven!" Sho exclaimed, an observation no one doubted, as he ran to the railing. "Wally, raise the anchor!" He ordered and Wally was quick to do just that, disassembling himself and having his pieces turn the wheel at high speeds.
Link walked over to Juvia and put a hand on her shoulder to get her attention. When she looked at him, he pointed at the water then at the distant tower. Juvia looked between the two and then back at Link curiously. "Juvia's Wota Domu is not faster than this ship." She explained and Link shook his head.
"I think he wants to know if you can make a current to have the ship go faster towards the Tower." Gray said as he worked his way back to his feet and Juvia's eyes cleared in understanding. As soon as Gray got to his feet he lurched to the side as the ship started to move and stumbled into Juvia. "Sorry," He apologized as Juvia locked up with a blush on her face.
"No… no problem…" Juvia said with a happy sigh before she turned around and moved to the bow of the ship. "Juvia will do that, but it will only help a little." She said in a dreamlike tone as she closed her eyes, and Gray looked at her with a confused expression.
"Anything you can do will help." He said after a couple of seconds and Juvia went into what appeared to be a mild convulsion before she calmed down again then nodded her head. "I… thanks." Gray said with a shake of his head.
"Even with that, we still won't reach Nee-san in time!" Sho shouted desperately as he looked back and paused upon seeing that Link was gone. "H-hey… don't tell me he left, too." He stammered out and got a noise of dismissal from Natsu.
"Nah, he's up there." Natsu pointed up to show Link standing at the stern of the ship, right by the aft railing.
Before anyone could ask what he was doing, he held out both hands and Requipped two different staves. In his left hand held a brown staff with a green spiral stop and green lines going down its length, the Staff of Fujin. In his right hand he held a brown staff with a red spiral top and red lines going down its length, the Staff of Kojin. He then Requipped the Iron Boots to his feet. "Hold on." He advised as he closed his eyes.
Gray, Lucy, and Happy looked at him in surprise before running to grab the railing. "What are you waiting for?" Gray shouted as he saw Simon, Milliana, Wally, Juvia, and Sho just looking at them in confusion. "Hold on to something!" He ordered and everyone jerked in surprise before moving as Link brought the Staff of Fujin up, its green top and lines glowing.
"Fujin no Kyuuei!" Link declared and a powerful wind formed almost instantly to push into the ship's sails, causing it to lurch as it picked up speed dramatically and his golden earring and cap to flutter in the ensuing gale. While the sudden movement made them glad they had grabbed the railing, most of them weren't sure if Gray's shout had been justified. Link suddenly twirled the Staff of Kojin in his right hand and pointed to the aft of the ship, its spiral top and red lines all glowing brightly. "Kojin no Kyuuei!" He said and immediately a blast of fire shot out from the top, its force so great that it caused the ship's speed to double all over again.
"AAAHHHHHH!" Everyone yelled as they held on for dear life as the ship rocketed forward with blurring speed. Everyone but Natsu that is, who had his forehead pressed against the blue crystal barrier as he watched the Tower of Heaven get ever closer.
Link was also watching with narrowed eyes, his gaze shifting to make sure the wind from the Staff of Fujin was enough to keep the sails filled to work in conjunction with the thrust expended by the Staff of Kojin, calculating the moment he would need to make his next move. Juvia had her hands full maintain the current she had made, barely able to keep it ahead of the speeding vessel. Happy could feel his paws start to slip before Gray reached over, struggling against the forces pushing against him, and managed to pull the blue cat against him securely. The others weren't faring much better, holding on for all they were worth.
When they were two hundred yards away from the Tower, Link Ex-Equipped the Staff of Fujin and the Staff of Kojin, and the results were instantaneous. The sails suddenly snapped back as they were filled with wind from the other direction; causing the mast to creak. At the same time he disappeared in a flash of green and appeared on the now visible dock. As the ship came closer, he Requipped his Golden Gauntlets and brought his hands up while he braced himself.
The ship had slowed down dramatically by the time it reached him but it was still coming in fast as he shifted his stance, the Iron Boots clunking slightly. Right as the ship was about to impact, he made subtle movements with his hands and then he was being pushed back on the dock; the ship tearing through the wooden planks as he strained to stop its momentum. Those on the ship, with the exception of Natsu, cried out as the ship actually started to tilt forward and Link went with the movement. "HAAAAAAAAAAAA!" He roared as he did a quick shift then lifted the ship over his head!
"AAAAHHHHHHHH!"
"WHAT THE HELL, LINK!?"
"ARE YOU INSANE!?"
"AAAAYYYYEEEEEE!"
Came the shouts of protest as Link started to slow down, almost reaching the end of the dock before he was finally able to put the ship back into the water with a gasp. "I… never… want to see… a ship… again…" Lucy gasped out, refusing to let go of the railing.
"Same..." Sho got out between deep breaths.
"I'm done… with boats… nya…" Milliana agreed and got a nod from both Wally and Simon.
"Juvia would be happy… on land for a while…" Juvia said shakily as they all continued to hold on the railing as well.
"Too bad… I think… this is our ride back…" Gray replied and Lucy sobbed.
"I didn't need to know that yet." She complained as her body's shaking increased.
"Aye…" Happy agreed as he glared weakly up at Gray.
"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad." Natsu said with a laugh as Nayru's Embrace floated over to the dock and released the Dragon Slayer.
"Hey, Link." Gray called out with a glare at the green mage, who had Ex-Equipped the Iron Boots and Golden Gauntlets, as everyone started to stand back up on the ship and got a questioning look as Link rubbed his overworked arms and legs. "Is there a reason you didn't put all of us in Nayru's Embrace for that ride?" He asked and Link froze for a couple of seconds before he looked to the side and scratched his cheek.
Magic Council Headquarters
"This is insane!" Yajima yelled as he looked at the Council Members in disbelief.
"Yajima, the matter has been decided." Org said firmly with a one-eyed glare that the smaller mage returned with equal force. "We have-"
"That is to be used in emergencies only, and to authorize it without the First Seat or telling the King is inexcusable!" Yajima cut in angrily before he shot a quick glance at Siegrain, expecting to see a smirk but only seeing a solemn determination. "This is the height of irresponsible foolishness; I will not stand quietly by!" He shouted as he cut the air in front of himself with his right arm.
"That is your choice, Yajima." Michello said and then tapped his cane on the seal he stood on. "However, the Council has spoken!" He retorted sharply and Yajima froze before gritting his teeth and taking a deep breath.
"Very well…" He said quietly and barely restrained anger. "I do not agree, but I cannot stop you." Yajima agreed as his seal descended to the ground.
The other Council Members followed suit, Org looking down unhappily. Even though I've agreed to this… why do I still feel so uneasy? He asked himself with a glance at Siegrain and Ultear. For a second he thought he saw a glimmer of pride in their eyes, but when he blinked and looked again there were only their somber expressions. "Come, let us go and prepare Etherion." The elderly mage said as he walked out of the room, flanked by the other Council Members.
Tower of Heaven
Jellal's smirk widened as he sat on his throne. Finally… He thought as a green circle appeared in front of him, this one showing a woman in the same black robes as the previous messenger.
"Jellal-sama, we've located Erza again, but she's too strong to contain!" She reported with a tinge of desperation in her voice. "If we don't get help soon-!"
"Relax; I've got everything planned out." Jellal said soothingly with a reassuring smile and the woman blinked before she nodded her head confidently with a relieved smile. "All you have to do is keep track of her and wear her down." He said before his face turned serious. "But remember, I need her alive for us to achieve our freedom." Jellal commanded and the woman bowed her head before the circle disappeared.
"Jellal-sama, they have no chance of capturing Erza Scarlet." Vidaldus said once the Communication Lacrima cut off and Jellal chuckled.
"Of course not." The blue-haired mage agreed readily. "For all her exploitable weaknesses, in combat even I would be hard-pressed to stop Erza alone." He said and Vidaldus blinked in surprise at the candid admission. "Besides, isn't that why I hired your group?" Jellal asked with a cocked eyebrow and the pale man paused before he tilted his head to the side.
Before Vidaldus could respond, the chessboard suddenly glowed as new pieces began to appear and Jellal laughed. "So, you all managed to make it after all." He said happily before pausing as he took note of four of the pieces. "I see…" Jellal trailed off as one hand came up to stroke his chin thoughtfully. "Vidaldus, it's time to let the birds out of their cage." He said and after a moment's pause Vidaldus let loose a wide smile.
"YYEEEEESSSS!" He yelled as he crouched down slightly and brought his arms out wide, magical power erupting from his body. After a few seconds of yelling he suddenly reached down to toss aside his white robe, momentarily blocking himself from Jellal's view, and when the robe flew away before the mastermind stood three different individuals.
"Vidaldus Taka." Jellal said to the one on his left, and while his build, pale skin, and black hair were the same as the previous individual the two couldn't have been more different. This man wore blue, gold-lined spiked shoulder guards, red, blue-lined spiked arm greaves, and blue pants with a white belt that had blue suspenders going over his shoulders and down to the back of his pants; white, gold-lined leg greaves with black flame designs and red boots. On his chest he had a red tattoo that read SKELETOY and sported black lipstick, finger polish, and eyeliner. To top it all off he had a blue guitar looped over his right shoulder.
"Hell! Hell! Hell!" He shouted with a crazed look on his face and brought one hand up with his thumb, pointer finger, and pinkie finger out and the middle and ring fingers tucked in. "I'll show them the deepest pits of hell!" He yelled with a wild laugh.
"Fukuro." Jellal continued as he looked over to the tall, tanned, and heavily muscled man whose attire was simpler in comparison. He wore green short tights, a black belt with a buckle of a waning moon and triangle pointing left in the center of the moon, and a pair of black and white tennis shoes with the same symbol that was on the belt. His massive arms sported one armband on each of his biceps that were decorated with several black feathers. The oddest portion of his wardrobe was the massive jetpack he wore, attached to two backpack-style traps that looped over his shoulders. However, his head was that of a brown barn owl, and it twisted downward 180 degrees as he looked at Jellal impassively with his large, black eyes.
"Ikaruga, the Commander of Trinity Raven; the aces of the Dark Guild Death Head's Caucus." Jellal finished as he looked at the woman in the center. Undeniably beautiful, she had long, pink hair that flowed down her back but part of it was also tied up into two buns at the top of her head, a beauty mark under each eye, and had red lipstick on. Adding to her beauty was a very curvaceous figure, her bust barely held in by the loose white kimono she wore. The kimono had a unique design, with a red and black striped obi going around the waist, a red triangle near the hem with skull and flame motifs around it, and several ribbons tied around the sleeves. Under her kimono a red hakama could be seen and on her feet were two high platform red sandals, and the outfit was topped off with a black choker on her neck. Tucked within her obi was a katana of beautiful design; its hilt covered in red and yellow wrapping flanked by golden plates, a red and black handguard, and its red sheath had several bells tied around where the handguard rested against it.
"Perhaps it is the fate of both life and love to scatter on the wind…" She mused thoughtfully with a small smile on her face and an amused twinkle in her green eyes. "Tonight promises to be a festival." Ikaruga finished before she turned her attention to Jellal. All three brought their right arms out and put them across their own chest with a small bow forward. "Jellal-sama, Trinity Raven stands ready to carry out our contract." She stated for all three and Jellal nodded with a smile.
"Now, there is only one thing left to do." He said with a quick flourish of his fingers.
Further below, Erza, in her normal armor and blue skirt, gave a small grunt as she put down another of the many cultists that stood between her and the top of the Tower of Heaven with a standard broadsword. I'm sorry, everyone. She silently apologized as she looked down at the unconscious group behind her. Hopefully once this is over, you can lead actual lives. Erza thought as she resumed her run.
"I would like to extend my most heartfelt greetings to my guests." Jellal's voice suddenly echoed out and she froze in both shock and a sudden surge of fear that pulsed through her. "I truly thought that when Erza arrived here alone, things would go forward to a predictable end." He continued and Erza blinked in confusion before her eyes widened.
"No…" She said quietly, not wanting to believe what she was hearing.
Jellal paused as he turned and look back at the chessboard. "Link Kokiri!" He said as he looked at the piece that featured two crossed swords with green blades. "Natsu Dragneel!" To this he looked at the piece that resembled a red dragon. "Gray Fullbuster!" He now turned his gaze to the piece that appeared to be an ice pillar. "Juvia Lockser!" He moved on to the piece that resembled a blue urn. "Lucy Heartfilia!" To this he only gave a passing glance at the key-shaped figure.
"I'm truly glad you're here! Without you all then this game would have been depressingly one-sided!" Jellal's voice continued to echo throughout the massive room that the Fairy Tail Mages, Juvia, Simon, Wally, Sho, and Milliana had entered. Obviously an antechamber meant to hold large groups of people; the room was full of unconscious, robed figures and showed heavy damage from intense combat. "Simon, I see you managed to convince Wally, Sho, and Milliana to turn against me after all these years; well done!" He congratulated and Simon's eye went wide in shock. "I suppose you've already told the others what Erza's true purpose is." He went on, to which Link and Gray looked at Simon sharply while Natsu, Lucy, and Happy looked at him in confusion.
"No?" Jellal asked with a dark chuckle as his former minions looked down at the ground in shame. "For shame, Simon; here you are finally betraying me and you can't even do it right." He
He chided and Simon's face tightened as his hands clenched into fists. "Erza is the sacrifice needed for the revival of Zeref!" He said with a laugh and everyone's eyes went wide as they stared at the four. "But fear not, for as I said I dislike one-sided games." He said in mock reassurance. "The rules are simple; if I retrieve Erza and open the gate to Heaven, I win. If any of you manage to reach me at the top of the Tower and defeat me, I lose." Jellal said and Link's eyes narrowed, this was far too simple for something he had planned for eight years. "On my side, I have called three warriors to help. In order to reach me you will have to get through them. But if you manage to reach me without confronting them, they will do no more harm to you and simply depart. However, you all should be aware of a timer. In thirty minutes, Etherion will be used against us; Game Over." He said and everyone's eyes went wide as Link's left hand clenched into a fist.
"Jellal, are you mad!?" Simon demanded angrily as he glared up at the ceiling, well aware Jellal could see them. "That will kill everyone; nothing can withstand that kind of power!" He shouted as Sho and Milliana took a couple of steps back in fear. Lucy swallowed nervously at the thought while Happy grabbed onto Natsu's left leg, shivering.
"Hey, hey, hey!"Vidaldus said as he looked at Jellal in shock. "That wasn't part of the contract!" He declared and Ikaruga brought her right sleeve up to her mouth as she gave a soft giggle.
"My, my, Vidaldus, are you going to turn tail and run?" She asked and Vidaldus looked at her before his wild smile returned full force.
"Just the opposite!" He said with a laugh. "This is the best! The ultimate high!" The madman declared with his long tongue coming out amidst his laughter.
"One more thing." Jellal said as he faced the chessboard. "Your obvious plan is for everyone to rush up together in one big push, hoping to catch up to Erza before I retrieve her… so boring." He said with a sigh before he grinned evilly. "I have a better idea… random chance!" He said as he thrust his hands over the board and immediately it started to glow. At the same time, the three Trinity Raven Mages started to glow before they disappeared; an action that happened to everyone else with a corresponding piece with the exception of Jellal.
Simon slowly opened his eye as the light started to fade. "What… what the hell?" He asked as he looked around to find himself alone in a room filled with large birdcages. I see… random chance… The Darkness Mage thought with a scowl as his hands clenched for a moment before he relaxed. I need to find the others. He determined as he started to move forward.
Link and Sho both blinked a few times as they could finally observe their surroundings and found themselves in what appeared to be a dungeon. "What… what the hell?" Sho asked as he looked around in surprise.
Random chance… Etherion… Link thought to himself as he looked down at the ground. All this does is waste time… a game? He wondered, trying to decide if there was a hidden meaning behind his words. R-System… what does it entail? Link was missing something important, he could feel it, but with too little knowledge he couldn't figure out what it could be. Suddenly a memory of Erza reading a book on the R-System made him blink in surprise. Maybe Erza can… He started to think before his face tightened.
"Very well. I am now ending our partnership, you are free to leave."
Though he had worked to hide it, Erza's words had hurt him deeply, a pain that far outweighed any physical injury. Link had thought that after everything they had accomplished and overcome together, she would understand that he would stand by her side through any hardship. For some reason, though, she had tried everything she could to push not only him, but everyone else away.
"With one strike, you can atone for your sins."
Another voice suddenly came to him, one that still occasionally haunted him, and Link's eyes widened in shock. "No…" He said softly before he looked over as Sho grabbed his left arm.
"Link, we need to hurry and save Nee-san!" He shouted and Link winced as his ears flicked. "We don't have time to stand around, we have to get to Jellal and stop him!" Sho continued as tears came to his eyes and Link looked at him for a few seconds before his eyes became focused.
"Sho, I need you to find the others." Link said and Sho blinked in surprise. "You can't help against Jellal." He said and Sho's eyes widened before tightening in anger.
"What are you saying? Do you expect me to just turn tail and run away?" He demanded furiously as he let go of Link's arm to grab his collar with both hands. "I'm not just some pawn to be discarded at a whim! I won't leave Nee-san to die!" He declared, for Link's words had him thinking of how Erza had just left him behind to face Jellal alone.
Link calmly reached up to grab Sho's shoulders as he looked him in the eyes, his determined gaze meeting Sho's hot anger without flinching. "What about the others that have been held captive like you?" He asked and in an instant Sho's anger was replaced with shock. "Do they deserve to die?" He continued and Sho blinked as he slowly let go of Link's tunic. "I cannot save them, but you can." Link said and Sho looked at him in confusion. "You're the only one who could possibly carry them all to safety." He said and Sho's eyes widened in realization before he looked down.
"I… but Nee-san…" Sho trailed off, torn, then looked back up to see Link's determined gaze once more. "Very well… Maharathi…" He said slowly, respectfully, as he stepped back from the green-clad mage. "I'll trust you, just as Simon did… just as Atimaharathi Durga did." He said before he paused. "Do you remember the way?" Sho asked and Link nodded his head. "Right! We'll be waiting for you at the boat! Everyone that was kept enslaved by Jellal!" He declared before he turned away and ran off.
Link watched him leave and then looked up at the ceiling. Erza… He thought and his left hand clenched into a fist before he broke into a run.
At the same time, Natsu was looking around an empty corridor with windows that showed the night sky, Happy still clinging to his leg. "What the hell was that?" He asked before he finally noticed something important. "Where the hell is everyone?" He yelled angrily.
"Natsu, I think we were separated from them." Happy said as he let go of Natsu's leg. "I think Jellal said something about random chance, maybe he did something?" The blue cat asked as he looked up at the Fire Dragon Slayer.
"Hmmm…" Natsu wondered as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes thoughtfully. "Dunno, but I guess that makes sense." He said as he looked down to see Happy with a nervous expression. "Hey, don't worry. We're together at least, right?" He asked as he crouched down next to him and put a hand on his head.
"Aye!" Happy said with a sudden smile as he thrust his right paw into the air. Natsu always knows what to say to calm me down. He thought as he looked at Natsu's wide smile.
"Now then, this Jellal guy said this is some kind of game right?" Natsu asked and Happy nodded his head. "Well, if the way to win is to reach him as fast as possible, I know the best way." He said with a fierce grin as he looked out a window, punching his right fist into his left palm.
Wally, Milliana, Simon; are any of you there? Sho reached out telepathically as he ran down a flight of stairs.
Sho? He "heard" from Wally and sighed in relief. I'm here with Milliana. Do you know what's going on? Is anyone else with you? Wally asked as he and Milliana looked at each other with relieved smiles, standing in, oddly enough, Milliana's room, surrounded by all sorts of cat paraphernalia.
I was with Link, but he wants us to do something. Sho replied and went on to explain that they had to find the others that had been deceived by Jellal and get them to safety.
To say Milliana and Wally were shocked was an understatement. Sho, even if we can get them to listen to us, there isn't enough room on the ship. Wally replied and Milliana nodded her head, though Sho couldn't see it.
Not to mention the ones that are too hurt to move, nya! Milliana added a second later. We also have less than thirty minutes-
So we don't have time to argue! Sho returned sharply, taking them both by surprise. I can turn everyone into cards to transport them, but we can't leave them to die! He added emphatically and after a second he sensed agreement from them.
Good plan, Sho! Simon suddenly sent and the others smiled in relief before pausing as they recognized sincere fear in his thoughts. Get everyone out, now! The ones Jellal sent are- UGH! Simon sent and their eyes widened in shock. Jellal hired… Trinity Raven… He continued weakly as he looked up to give a one-eyed glare at Fukuro. They'll kill anyone that crosses them, get everyone out now! Simon added then cut the link before they could argue.
"Hoo hoo!" Fukurou said in a deep voice that still held a shrill edge to it. "You are no match for the Warrior of Justice!" He declared as he bent forward and flexed his arms in a strongman's pose.
"Yami Setsuna!" Simon retorted and the area was engulfed in darkness as he tried to buy time to regain his bearings.
Natsu was currently outside, being flown up the side of the Tower by Happy, when he noticed a sudden loss of light from the window he was flying past. "Happy, hold on." He requested, to which Happy immediately paused and started hovering as Natsu looked into the room. "That kind of looks like Simon's spell from the casino…" Natsu said thoughtfully as he crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side.
Suddenly the light returned and his dark eyes went wide as he saw Simon being held up by the throat by a large bird man whose size dwarfed even that of the muscular Darkness Mage. "Darkness cannot hide you from the eyes of the Warrior of Justice, hoo hoo!" Fukuro declared as he brought one massive fist up. "Now, prepare to pay for your villainous ways!" He stated as he cocked his fist back, ready to kill Simon. The sound of glass shattering caused him to turn his head completely around, his body remaining stationary, to see a pink-haired young man being held aloft a white-winged blue cat soaring in.
"Get away from him you bird-brained bastard!" Natsu roared as Happy weaved past a few large cages and Fukuro's large eyes blinked in surprise, for he had never seen anything like this before. Fukuro quickly tossed Simon away with enough force to crack the wall and his jetpack ignited, carrying him away from the duo. "Hey, are you okay?" Natsu asked Simon as he crouched down next to him while Happy landed and had his wings go into his back.
"N-Natsu?" Simon gasped out as he struggled to regain his breath, his body covered in bruises from the beating he had been given while in his spell. "You have to get out of here!" He suddenly shouted as he reached forward to grab the other man's arm. "This man, he's from the Dark Guild Death's Caucus!" He said and Natsu blinked before looking at him in confusion as Happy looked up at Simon in surprise.
"Who?" The Dragon Slayer asked as he crossed his arms and Simon blinked a few times, unsure if he heard him correctly.
"Death's Head Caucus, the Dark Guild that specializes in assassination?" Simon asked as Fukuro came down to land on one of the nearby cages, but Natsu just continued to look at him. "You at least know the name Trinity Raven, right?" He asked and Natsu blinked as he opened his mouth excitedly before pausing.
"I thought that band's name was Raven's Sight?" Natsu asked and Simon's jaw dropped in disbelief.
"Th-the group that killed every officer in the Western Command during the Cabria War?" He tried as Happy shivered, knowing the name.
"What!?" Natsu yelled angrily as his arms came down.
"All those officers were evil." Fukuro said and he crossed his massive arms over his equally large chest. "Thus they deserved to die at the hands of the Warrior of Justice." He explained as he looked down at them with the gaze of a hungry predator. "In fact, words of your evil deeds have reached me as well, Salamander Natsu." He brought his arms down when he finished his statement before he pivoted to the side, bringing his arms up to shoulder level, fully extended. "Prepare yourself to face the wrath of Fukuro, Warrior of Justice! Hoo hoo!" He exclaimed as he flexed his arms, making his entire body swell with the movement.
"Shut up." Natsu said as he stood up, making Simon look at him in surprise at the angry glint in his eyes. "'Warrior of Justice', my foot." He continued as he turned around to face Fukuro. "Taking peoples' lives so casually for money… calling something like that a Guild…" He growled out as flames surrounded his entire body. "Guilds are places for nakama to come together! I'll make you pay for sullying that ideal with assassination!" He roared as he launched himself up at the owl man.
Right as Natsu got within range the jetpack on Fukuro's back suddenly started up, propelling him out of the way of the Dragon Slayer's charge. "Jet, hoo hoo hoo!" Fukuro declared as he turned in the air to come right back down on Natsu with both fists extended, slamming him into the metal cage.
"Gah!" Natsu coughed out blood from the impact and the flames on his body immediately went out. However, the instant Fukuro brought his fists up Natsu burst into movement as he pulled himself into a spinning hand stand. "Karyu no Kagitsume!" He roared as flames erupted from his feet, hitting the large owl man in the head twice before jumping up and landing one his feet.
"Hmm… not bad, villain." Fukuro declared, seemingly none the worse for taking the hits, before rushing in with a punch that Natsu blocked by crossing his arms in front of himself. "But not good enough, hoo hoo hoo!" He yelled as he launched a barrage of punches and Natsu was more than up for a brawl as he matched the larger man blow for blow.
Simon looked on in shock as he watched the Fire Dragon Slayer match the infamous assassin. From the stories I heard, I had hoped he would be strong, but… He thought as he swallowed nervously. Maybe… maybe with him and Link… maybe Jellal really can be… Simon found himself fully embracing the hope he had kept buried for the past eight years.
Up in the throne room, Jellal looked down at the piece that resembled a stone wall that lay tipped on its side. "I really expected better from you, but to be knocked out so early… how disappointing, Simon." He sighed as he shook his head. "As for Natsu, I had hoped he might be one of the ones to make it…" Jellal said as he saw the dragon figure in front of the owl figure. "But all is not lost… I still have the Maharathi to contend with as well." He said with a grin as he looked at the green, double-bladed figurine.
"Jet!" Fukuro suddenly yelled in the middle of his and Natsu's barrage of blows, throwing himself backwards away from the Dragon Slayer at high speed. "Hoo hoo hoo!" He yelled as he tilted his body and came flying back at Natsu.
Dark eyes blazed with a fire as intense as the inferno around his body as Natsu brought up his hands to catch Fukuro's fists. Natsu kept his balance but was sent skidding back on the metal cage as he tried to hold the larger mage back. Unfortunately he ran out of cage, and with nothing to balance on Fukuro gained the advantage and slammed him into a wall.
"Karyu no…" Natsu said, not even hesitating from the pain of the impact, and Fukuro blinked as a flame-enshrouded fist slammed into his beak. "Tekken!" Natsu roared and this time the owl man was sent flying back from the impact with a squawk of surprise. The Flame Mage was far from finished as he kicked off the wall to jump after him but Fukuro spun in the air and used his jetpack to right himself, apparently unfazed from the hit.
The muscled form suddenly glowed brightly as he flexed, making Natsu squint against the light. "Justice!" He called out before he thrust his hands out at Natsu. "Hoo hoo hoo!" He yelled and a beam of light shot out and hit Natsu head on.
"GUUUAAAAHHHH!" Natsu yelled as he was sent flying back, blood flying from his mouth, to slam back into the wall. "You… you bastard…" Natsu grit out as he glared at Fukuro and struggled to pry himself out from the wall. "Karyu no Houko!" He roared after taking a deep breath, sending a stream of fire at the assassin.
Fukuro quickly dodged to the side, feeling the intense heat of the flames as they passed by, and watched as is it obliterated one of the large cages with barely any trace left. "Hoo…" Fukuro hummed thoughtfully before he used his jetpack just in time to avoid another rush from Natsu. "You are indeed strong, Salamander." He said after he twisted around in the air to face his opponent. "This is indeed a contract worth doing, for such contracts increase my power. The power of justice!" He cried out as he took off his jetpack and threw it at Natsu. "Missile hoo hoo!" Fukuro yelled after he landed lightly on one of the cages as the jetpack flew in at the still airborne Dragon Slayer.
Natsu heard the jetpack coming and then grinned as an idea came to him. He thrust both hands down and released a stream of fire that propelled him out of the way. "Ha! I can see why you like this!" He yelled out with a bark of laughter, laughter that turned into a grunt of surprise as two hands came out to grab his legs as the jetpack passed by. "What -AAAHHHH!" Natsu yelled as the jetpack took him for a ride, a yell that cut off as he gagged and brought his hands to his mouth.
"Hoo hoo, so stories of your motion sickness are true." Fukuro said as he moved his hands around, controlling the jetpack to go in a dizzying display of acrobatics that only worsened Natsu's rebelling stomach.
"Hey, that's not fair!" Happy yelled as he pointed a paw at Fukuro.
"It is always fair to exploit a weakness; that is the way of justice!" The owl man retorted as the jetpack turned to bring Natsu over himself. "Now it's time!" He declared as the hands released and dropped Natsu. Fukuro's beak suddenly opened to ridiculous proportions, proportions that allowed him to swallow Natsu whole as Simon and Happy watched on, horrified. "Hoo hoo, now that villain was definitely spicy!" Fukuro said with a laugh as flames suddenly erupted from him and pink hair sprouted from the top of his head.
"N-Natsu…" Happy stammered out as tears came to his eyes. "What… what did you do to him!?" He demanded angrily but Fukuro ignored him as he stood tall and brought his hands up above his head. He took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly as he brought his hands down side by side with thumbs extended and the flames slowly died down.
"I have used my Capture Magic on Salamander." Fukuro said as he patted his now slightly rounded stomach. "After I have finished digesting him, his mighty flames shall be used on the side of justice! Hoo hoo!" He declared and Happy's eyes went wide in shock.
"No… no, you let him go!" Happy demanded as wings sprouted from his back and he took a ready stance.
"Ice Make: Lance!" Gray's voice suddenly called out, taking everyone by surprise, and three icy blasts shot out from an opening higher up in the room to slam into Fukuro's back. The force of the attack made him stumble forward a couple of steps before he righted himself and looked up at this new threat. "What the hell did you say?" Gray demanded coldly as he stared down at Fukuro, still in his horse stance.
"In ten minutes, the villain Salamander will be absorbed, turning his flames of villainy into Justice Flames, hoo hoo!" Fukuro said as he thrust both arms out at forty-five degree angles upward, fingers fully extended.
"That's what I thought." Gray said before he jumped down from cage to cage towards his opponent. He was forced to jump back as the jetpack suddenly dove at him. However, as with Natsu, hands reached out and grabbed him by his waist. "Shiiiiiit!" He yelled as he was taken on the same ride as Natsu. Gray, though, was not Natsu and his eyes tightened with his focus against the wind pressure as he put his hands on the jetpack. "HAAAAA!" He roared as he started to freeze the machine, making Fukuro blink his large eyes in surprise, and in seconds he was able to shatter it and fall free, going into a roll as he hit the ground.
"Not bad, Gray, but now you shall have to be punished with some hot justice, hoo hoo!" Fukuro declared as he pointed at Gray and unloaded a barrage of punches, each one sending a fireball at Gray.
The Ice-Make Mage moved quickly to avoid the barrage, his right hand coming up as a fist onto his left palm. "Ice Make: Pillar!" He yelled as he slammed his hands onto the ground and immediately a large pillar of ice came up under his feet to launch him up to the same cage as Fukuro. "Enough with all this talk about justice!" Gray shouted as he landed on the cage and rushed forward.
Fukuro's initial response was to simply take a deep breath. "Cry of the Just, hoo hoo!" Fukuro yelled as he shot out a blast of fire from his mouth, making Gray's and Happy's eyes widen in surprise. Gray barely came to a stop and got his hands up as the blast of fire came in at him. "Burn in the flames of justice, hoo hoo!" He declared as he brought his arms up and flexed.
"You call these embers, flames?" Gray suddenly asked and Fukuro froze in surprise as a burst of icy cold air overwhelmed the fire and dispersed it. "Don't make me laugh; Natsu's fire is much hotter." He said as he glared at the assassin. "Let me show you something that really burns!" The Ice-Make Mage yelled as he rushed forward, his hands once more coming up. "Ice-Make: Gauntlet of Boreas!" Gray declared and his right fist was suddenly covered in ice. As he cocked his fist back, the ice shattered; leaving behind a transparent layer that could only be seen from the glare it gave off from the light.
"Hoo hoo!" Fukuro retorted as he punched down with his right fist, but Gray dodged and delivered a powerful uppercut into his stomach. The bulge of his stomach immediately shifted with the blow, moving upward to Fukuro's beak. The owl man was still registering the blow as Natsu was forcibly expelled from his stomach and landed on the cage with a wet splat.
"Nothing burns quite like ice." Gray said as an aura of intense cold suddenly overcame Fukuro from the Gauntlet of Boreas, quickly covering him in a block of clear ice. The dark-haired mage let out a gasp of exhaustion as he stumbled back, the ice gauntlet shattering and leaving his hand free. He put both hands on his knees as he struggled to regain his breath.
Simon looked up at him in shock, finding the display he had just witnessed hard to believe, as Gray looked over at Natsu. "Stupid hothead, what kind of pathetic fight was that?" Gray asked as he went over to pick him up and threw him off the side.
"What are you doing!?" Happy yelled as he quickly took off to catch Natsu. "You could have killed Natsu doing that!" The blue cat scolded Gray as he brought Natsu back to lay him down by Simon.
"Meh, nothing he wouldn't have deserved after nearly getting digested." Gray returned with a shrug before he jumped down, stumbling when he landed before catching his balance. A minute later Gray sat down next to the still shell-shocked Simon with a sigh. "Well, that's one down." Gray said with a tired grin and Simon blinked before he looked back up at the flash-frozen owl.
"I… I can't believe it." The one-eyed mage remarked and Gray looked over at him curiously. His name isn't as famous, but this man's power is no joke. He thought before he looked over at him. "Did you push yourself so hard to save Natsu?" He asked and Gray glared at him coldly.
"Don't get the wrong idea; I just didn't like the idea of explaining to Master Makarov why I waited until after this idiot was digested before beating that bird bastard." He said and Simon blinked before he chuckled. "What? Don't believe me?" Gray asked as he grabbed a hold of the big man's sash and his hands came up.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Simon said. Gray paused before he let go and looked away with a grunt.
"Anyways… I think I need to catch my breath… and make sure this idiot is actually alive." Gray muttered that last part quietly and Simon pretended not to hear as he looked over at Natsu.
Simon! Answer me! Simon suddenly "heard" from Sho and he blinked before smiling.
I'm here, Sho. He returned and felt relief from his three friends.
Thank goodness, you really scared us, nya! Milliana sent in a pout.
Not very dandy of you to make us worry like that. Wally agreed and Simon gave a tired chuckle.
I'm fine… one of the Trinity Raven Mages is down… though Gray, Natsu, and I can't move quite yet. He sent and felt a question forming from Sho. We'll be fine, you three focus on getting everyone else out of here. Simon sent and felt agreement from them.
Simon… are they really that strong? Sho sent and Simon smiled softly as he looked back at Gray.
They go above and beyond for each other… Erza ended up with a truly great Guild. Simon sent before he put his head back against the wall behind him.
Up on his throne, Jellal looked on in mild surprise at the chessboard. Before him he saw the previously knocked down dragon and wall figurines back up and behind the ice pillar with the owl figurine knocked on its side. Interesting… He thought as he focused on the ice pillar piece. "It seems I underestimated you, Gray Fullbuster. I suppose I should have known better than to doubt a disciple of Ur." Jellal said before he offered a dark chuckle. "Thank you for making this a truly worthwhile game." He said before he observed the guitar figurine move by itself to stand before two other figurines. "I hope you all enjoy your rest… for your friends shall suffer accordingly for your victory." Jellal said with a callous smirk. Twenty five minutes left. He thought and his smirk widened into a grin.
Into the Past: A Demon's Pride
Young Link, just turned thirteen a few days ago, sat down in a chair in a jewelry store within Magnolia City. "You'll feel a little pinch." The shop owner warned gently as she brought up a small golden hoop to Link's right ear. Link simply nodded his head at the warning as Erza looked on curiously. The young blonde gave a small wince as the earring pierced through his ear and he was careful to not let his ears twitch from the pain. "There we go, all done." She said with a warm smile and Link offered a small grin back at her before he got up from the chair.
"Why did you decide to get an earring?" Erza asked curiously as they walked out of the jewelry shop. She watched as the earring shook slightly with each step, the light from the sun reflecting from the golden hoop with the movement.
"It's a custom." Link answered simply as he finished adjusting the Kokiri Sword on his back while they walked down the streets back to the Fairy Tail Guild House.
"From your homeland?" Erza asked and Link paused before he nodded his head. "It's pretty… I'm kind of jealous." She said with a small sigh and Link looked at her curiously. "While we were in there, I saw a pair of diamond-shaped silver earrings..." She trailed off as she recalled the simple yet beautiful accessories. Link stopped, causing her to stop as well, and he pointed back at the jewelry shop with a tilt of his head. "No, I can't afford any luxuries right now." She said and Link's expression became questioning. "I need to rent a second room for all my new armors, so I have to save up." Erza explained and Link turned to walk back. "No!" She said sharply and Link's ears twitched, making him wince as the new piercing throbbed, before he looked back at her questioningly. "I will buy them later, there's no need for you to spend more money on them." The young redhead said and after a moment's hesitation Link sighed and nodded.
When they arrived at the Guild Hall, they both went in with the intention of getting a light lunch and then heading back out for some training followed by an ocarina lesson for Erza. As they were giving their order though, Link suddenly froze and then dropped down to avoid a jumping side-kick from Mirajane that would have taken his head off. "Tch!" She grunted in annoyance as Link rolled away and came back up to his feet. "Are you ready to man up?" Mirajane demanded angrily and Link brought up both hands in a pacifying manner. "I didn't ask for excuses, you bastard!" She yelled as she charged in at Link. The blonde, however, obviously had no intention of fighting back as he simply kept jumping out of the way of her attacks.
Makarov sighed as he rubbed his temples while this went on. Erza looked torn before she shook her head with a sigh and turned her attention back to giving her order. This had become commonplace since a few days ago when Link had been convinced to have a glass of beer to celebrate his birthday. Amusingly enough, just that one drink had completely wasted the Hylian and knocked him out. Unfortunately, in his drunken state he had gone on a rampage, easily taking down Natsu and Elfman, even holding back Mirajane and Erza without much difficulty.
"Mira-nee, at least let him eat!" Lisanna called out in exasperation as Elfman put his hands over his head and placed his head on their table in embarrassment. It had been bad enough when she and Erza would go at it, but at least with them it had been actual fights. If it wasn't for the fact that Mirajane still hadn't managed to land a blow on Link this would be more on the verge of bullying.
"I would if he would stay around long enough to fight me after!" Mirajane retorted as she continued to attack the agile blonde. Damnit, how is this tagalong for Erza doing this!? She raged internally as blow after blow was dodged. Ever since she had joined Fairy Tail, the only one her age that could stand up to her was Erza; a rivalry she secretly enjoyed. She had all but dismissed Link, he seemed to be nothing more than Erza's puppy with how he would usually go along with her decisions and barely spoke up at all. But the way he had easily handled them, seeming more annoyed than threatened at their combined strength, had damaged her pride in a way she couldn't forgive until she had a real fight with him.
Link, though, couldn't even recall the event and had to be told what had happened later. His apology had been accepted by Erza, Elfman, and Natsu; Natsu had even apologized as the main reason he had had the drink in the first place. His apology to Mirajane had not only been ignored, he had almost had his head torn from his shoulders. Link gulped as he once again saw the only way out of this, a spell he had created primarily to get some peace from Gray and then later Natsu.
"Don't you dare." Mirajane growled out when she saw the look in his eyes. Out of options, though, Link thrust his left hand out and a second later Mirajane was trapped by Nayru's Embrace. "Liiink!" She screamed but the Hylian was already running out of the Guild House, the door slamming behind him.
A few minutes later the doors flew open as Mirajane exploded out and looked around with an angry glare, but Link was nowhere in sight. "Mirajane." She heard behind her and froze at Makarov's tone. The white-haired Take-Over Mage made a sound of annoyance before she looked back to see the diminutive elder looking at her sternly. "This has gone on long enough." Makaorv said and her hands clenched into fists as she looked down at the ground. "I understand you're angry at Link, but the fact that he kept his true strength to himself is not enough reason to attack him." He said and her eyes tightened before she looked up.
"Sorry, Master." Mirajane forced out and Makarov sighed after a few moments.
"You are no longer to attack Link within the Guild Hall." He ordered and her eyes went wide.
"But Natsu-"
"Takes his defeats in stride and does not prevent Link from enjoying even a moment's peace." The Fairy Tail Guild Master cut her off sternly. "Also… I think you might have overdone it on him." He added with a sigh as he motioned back with his thumb. Back inside was an unconscious Natsu with a worried Lisanna and Happy kneeling by his side.
"Hmph!" Mirajane refused to apologize for that one as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. He had dared make fun of her for being put in 'time out'.
Magnolia Forest – Later that afternoon
Erza sighed as she walked through the forest to their usual training area. In her right hand she had a bento that contained a small lunch for Link. Mira's really starting to get even more on my nerves. The young mage thought in annoyance as she recalled the several attacks on Link within the past few days. While she was less than thrilled to see that such a gap remained between her and her partner, she couldn't believe that Mirajane's reaction was so severe.
"Link!" Erza called out as she reached the clearing and looked around, seeing no one. "I brought your order!" She added after a few seconds but still there was no sign of Link. "Link?" Erza added in a more normal tone as she reached the middle of the clearing. The only time he's missed training before was for Happy's egg… what could be stopping him- She wondered before she stopped mid-thought in surprise, a realization that was followed by her eyes narrowing in anger.
Fairy Tail Guild Hall
Mirajane was currently sulking as she and her siblings ate their dinner. Lisanna and Elfman looked at each other in concern before blinking as someone came up to their table. "Mirajane." Erza said coolly as she looked at her rival and the two younger siblings swallowed nervously at the look in her eyes. "I would like to have a word with you." She said and Mirajane glanced up before looking away with a grunt.
"Come back later, I'm-" Mirajane was cut off as Erza punched down on the table, creating a large crack that had Elfman and Lisanna jump back in fear and everyone looking over in surprise. The eldest Strauss's eyes widened in shock before she stood up quickly and glared at her rival. "What's your problem?" She demanded angrily through clenched teeth.
Erza met her gaze easily as she brought her fist up from the damaged table. "That's what I would like to talk about." She said before she motioned to the Guild House doors. "Shall we go for a walk?" She asked politely, her tone just shy of a command, and Mirajane's right eye twitched before she sighed.
"Fine, sure." She said and walked past her to the doors. "Lisanna, I'll meet you at Fairy Hills later." Mirajane said as she and Erza walked out, and Lisanna nodded uncertainly.
"S-sure." Her younger sister returned after a few seconds.
Erza and Mirajane walked through the streets of Magnolia City, taking a roundabout route that would eventually take them to Fairy Hills, the Fairy Tail female dormitories. "So, I take it you want to chew me out too?" Mirajane asked tersely and Erza looked over at her questioningly. "Master Makarov has already forbidden me from attacking him in the Guild Hall, so don't bother." She said and Erza blinked before she looked forward again.
"What about outside the Guild Hall?" Erza asked and this time Mirajane looked over at her questioningly. "Do you know that I haven't seen Link since he ran away earlier?" She asked and the white-haired girl blinked in surprise. "He wasn't at our training spot earlier; I assume I won't see him until tomorrow." She continued before she stopped, making Mirajane stop as well, and turned her head to glare at her rival. "Of course, the second he sees his attacker he'll probably take off again. After all, the second you see him you're trying to kill him." Erza said angrily and Mirajane looked to the side.
"If your puppy is so scared, then-"
"What did you call him!?" Erza demanded as she grabbed her by the straps of her tank top and pulled her closer so that her brown eyes were inches away from Mirajane's blue ones. "Link is not a puppy, he is my partner." She corrected as Mirajane looked at her in surprise. "He is someone who always has my back, just as I always have his." The redhead continued firmly, this time getting a blink from the girl. "He is someone who cares for his nakama, cares for Fairy Tail, and hates the idea of them getting hurt unnecessarily. That's true even if one of them tries to injure him for their own bruised pride." She said and Mirajane looked to the side uncomfortably. "He is… stronger than either of us." Erza finished softly as she let go of Mirajane's tank top and stepped back as the blue eyes of her rival snapped back to her. "He is… kinder than almost anyone I have ever met before." She said as she looked down, her eyes flashing with emotion as Mirajane looked at her in surprise. "I understand why you're so angry, but do not think to attack Link anymore because of his strength." Erza said as she looked back up firmly, her hand going to her saber.
Mirajane was silent for several moments before she sighed and put her hands on her hips. "I get it… I won't forgive the bastard until he mans up… but I'll stop attacking him." She said and Erza nodded her head in acceptance. "Though I wonder…" She said with a sly smirk that got a blink from Erza. "Just how close as "partners" are you two?" She asked with a wink and Erza froze with a small blush before she glared at Mirajane.
Into the Past: Feline Surprise
The sun was going down as thirteen year old Erza walked up a grassy hill to Fairy Tail's female dormitory. The building was a large and mildly imposing building composed of bricks; consisting of a central, elongated section with two wings protruding to the right. Its entrance was a double door with a pyramid-shaped upper part topped by a similarly pyramid-shaped roof, held up by wooden beams. Enforcing the multitude of standard bricks on the edges and marking rectangular sections in the central part were larger, lighter bricks lined up in vertical rows, with light beams instead marking sections horizontally. The front part of the building featured a porch adorning the central part, with a steep tiled roof split in sections by beams being held up by simple wooden pillars paired with arcs. The two wings were each adorned by small numbers of large, arched windows, while the central section's windows were similar in design, but noticeably smaller and more numerous. Sitting in front of the entrance, held up by two pillars composed of stone and bricks, flanking the pathway leading to the building, and each topped by the sculpture of a stylized Fairy Tail's symbol, was a large sign that read "FAIRY HILLS" in elongated dark red characters.
Erza offered a tired sigh and rotated her shoulders as she walked into an elongated room with wooden floors and ceiling with wooden walls, enforced by beams, composed of bricks in their lower sections. To the entrance's right sat the wooden counter, complete with a flowerpot, a lamp and some stationery. In front of the counter lay a carpet with intricately decorated edge and a short table with round edges, with its central part covered by a rhomboidal ornamental tablecloth on top of it. Flanking the table was a sofa and an armchair, complete with extra, small matching pillows. Behind the armchair, farther into the room, were small, elongated bookshelves and a large window with double curtains faces outwards; adorning its inner ledge were a flowerpot, a cartoonish statue, and an elongated vase.
Several girls, including Mirajane and Lisanna, were around the table with an elderly woman of short stature, though a little taller than Makarov, and her gray hair was up in a tight bun. She wore a violet, long-sleeved shirt with a red vest over it and a lacy white collar with a pink ribbon, a dark red skirt, and brown boots. Her wrinkled, stern face looked over as Erza walked in and she irritably waved her over brusquely. "Come here, child." She said snappishly and the redhead moved over quickly even as she smiled slightly at the sight of Hilda, Fairy Hills' Matron. "I have something for you girls today." She said, her tone barely softening, as she indicated a box on the table before her.
"What is it?" Lisanna asked excitedly and Hilda slowly opened the box to reveal beautiful looking costume jewelry. "Wow!" She exclaimed with wide eyes, an expression the other girls had as they looked at the fake jewelry.
"Now then, I have one for each of you; so pick which one you want." Hilda said as she hid her smile at their reactions. "But no fighting!" She snapped sternly and the girls swallowed before they nodded hurriedly in agreement.
"Matron Hilda, I thought you said there was one for everyone." One of the girls suddenly said; a new addition with short blue hair.
"That's right, Levy, what of it?" Hilda asked in a brusque yet curious tone.
"You're short one." Levy pointed out and Hilda blinked before she quickly looked over the box and started counting.
"N-no way… I was sure I had the right count…" She said in disbelief before she looked around at the disheartened girls, all of them trying to figure out who wouldn't get their gift. "I… if I can just-"
"It's okay, Matron." Erza as she turned to walk to the stairs that would take her to her room and everyone looked at her in surprise. "I have more important things to worry about than some pretend jewelry." She said in amused indifference with a shrug. As everyone looked at each other in surprise before deciding which piece they wanted, both Mirajane and Hilda could just barely hear a sniffle as Erza walked up the stairs.
Later that night, Erza sat up on her twin sized bed, still in her armor, with her head resting on her folded knees. "I really… wanted one…" She said softly as tears filled her left eye. She had never gotten around to getting those silver earrings, focusing on making sure she wouldn't have a problem affording the rent for two rooms, but now she couldn't even get the gift from Matron Hilda; a person Erza found to be warm and caring in her sternness.
"Erza…" She suddenly heard from the open door to her room and she blinked before she rubbed her eye with her sleeve. Erza looked over to see Hilda standing in the doorway with a solemn expression before she came in and closed the door behind her. "I'm quite proud of you, child." Hilda said as she sat on the bed next to the young girl and Erza looked up at her with wide eyes. "Do you think I couldn't see how much you wanted one of those pieces?" She asked and Erza blinked before she looked down at the bed. "Despite that, you offered it up so that everyone else could be happy." Hilda said and reached over to bring the young redhead into a hug, making her eyes widen. "One day, I shall ask a cat princess to bring you some real jewelry of your own." She said as she patted her on the head and leaned back.
Erza looked up at her, eyes still wide, before she brought her hand up to stifle a giggle. "Matron Hilda, that's just silly." However, her loss at a chance for the toy jewelry was swallowed up by her happiness at the Matron's words.
Fairy Tail Guild Hose
It was almost midmorning when Link walked up to the Fairy Tail Guild House with a yawn. He had stayed up later than he meant to, working on a new recipe Porlyusica had taught him, and only a quick sprint to the city gates had allowed him to make it in time for breakfast. When he opened the doors to head in he paused when he saw a bunch of the girls showing off jewelry. A quick inspection showed them to be fakes, though of very high quality, and Link blinked in surprise.
"There you are." Erza said as she walked up to him and he looked at her curiously as he pointed at Lisanna, Mirajane, and the others. "Matron Hilda bought costume jewelry for everyone." She explained and Link blinked before looking at her questioningly, not seeing any costume jewelry on her. "It turns out she was one short, so I allowed the others to pick one instead." She said and Link looked at her in concern. "It's okay." Erza said with a small smile before she leaned forward to whisper. "Matron Hilda cheered me up; she even made a funny story about getting a cat princess to bring me real jewelry." She said with a giggle and Link blinked as his ears twitched twice. "Now then, let's get some breakfast and relax today." Erza said and got a nod from the green-clad mage.
Fairy Hills
The full moon was high in the sky over Fairy Hills, and inside her room Erza, wearing a white night dress, was sleeping soundly in her bed. A bristling object suddenly swept past her nose, making it crinkle and causing her to shake her head; waking her up. When she looked up she saw a figure walking from the side of her bed to an open window and her eyes shot open in shock. "Who are you!?" She yelled loudly as she put her right hand out and Requipped a short sword.
The figure stopped and Erza's eyes changed from battle ready to surprise as she realized the figure had cat ears and a long tail that moved around every few seconds. Thanks to the moonlight she could make out what appeared to be black fur on its torso, almost looking like a vest, as well as going from the waist down, skin that showed highly toned muscles, black paws that vaguely resembled human hands and feet, and curled black hair that went down to its shoulders. The figure glanced back to reveal a tiara, a yellow eye and some black fur on its left cheek as well. "Are… are you?" She breathed out in disbelief before the figure turned back to the window and walked towards it in graceful, sinuous movements that caused its muscles to interplay in an almost mesmerizing effect.
"Erza, what's wrong!?" She suddenly heard Hilda from the door and her eyes snapped over as her door opened to show not only the Fairy Hill Matron, but the others girls all ready to fight. The cat-like figure was at the window by this point and was out with a graceful jump.
"What the hell was that?" Mirajane yelled as they all ran to the window to see the figure run down the hill, low to the ground, with its arms down at a forty-five degree angle and cat palms turned inward. Its running was just as impressive as its walk, all graceful and delicate power, before it jumped up to scale the nearby wall with a quick grab of its hands and then it was gone.
"The… the cat princess…" Erza stammered out as she looked over at Hilda in disbelief and all the girls looked at her in confusion. "B-but I thought-"
"Hmm? You thought I was making things up, little one?" Hilda asked with a frown then pointed at Erza's nightstand to indicate a small box, making her eyes go wide in shock.
"What are you talking about?" Lisanna asked in a mixture of curiosity and some exhaustion from her sudden awakening, a feeling shared by the others.
"M-Matron Hilda said she would have a cat princess bring me real jewelry one day…" Erza barely got out as she walked over to the small box. When she opened it up everyone's eyes went wide when they saw a pair of diamond-shaped silver earrings in them.
"Hmph! Well, I didn't expect her to get around to it so quickly." She dismissed brusquely as she turned around to head back to the door. "Must have been looking for something to do." She added before she stopped to look back at the other girls. "Shouldn't you all be in bed?" Hilda asked severely and the girls jerked in surprise before piling out. Before Hilda closed the door, she looked at Erza, tears of happiness in her left eye, and a small grin came to her face as she finished closing the door. Well done, young one. She thought as she walked down the hall.
Fairy Tail Guild House
"It was incredible." Lisanna said with sparkling eyes to the crowd of people around her, listening to her tale of the cat princess from last night. It seemed a bit much, and if it wasn't for the other girls of Fairy Hill supporting the story and the earrings Erza now wore they would have taken it as an amusing fantasy. "She moved with such grace, it was hard to believe." She went on and the other girls nodded as Natsu and Gray looked at each other, obviously not really convinced but also not willing to discount it. Elfman found himself believing his little sister, especially with Mirajane backing her up.
The doors opened at this point and Link walked in with a yawn. He looked at the gathering curiously as he walked to Erza and sat down across from her. "Good-" He started to say and then paused when he noticed the earrings on her ears. "You finally got them?" Link asked and Erza looked at him with a smile.
"Fufufu…" Erza softly laughed before she shook her head, causing the earrings to shake with the movement. "Don't play stupid, Link." She said and her partner blinked in surprise. "Yesterday after breakfast you said you had something to do and I didn't see you again until mid-afternoon." She said, and their conversation grabbed the attention of Lisanna, Mirajane, and the others. "Did you think I wouldn't figure it out?" She asked and Link's ears twitched as he resisted the urge to gulp nervously. "You went to see Matron Hilda to ask the cat princess to get me these earrings!" She accused with a smile as she pointed at him and Link froze.
"EEEHHHH!?" All the Fairy Hills girls, Natsu, Gray, Elfman, Happy, and several other Fairy Tail Mages all exclaimed as they rushed to the table and Link winced as his ears flicked twice.
"Did you really talk to the cat princess?" Lisanna asked excitedly, her blue eyes sparkling at the thought, and Link blinked before he looked to the side and scratched his cheek. "Uwaaahh!" She exclaimed happily before she grabbed his right hand. "Hey, hey, what was she like?" Lisanna asked but got no answer as Link kept his eyes averted.
"She moved so gracefully, was she pretty?" Young Levy asked, wearing a long sleeved orange shirt with white shorts, and a small blush came to Link's face. "She was!" She said with a giggle and others pushed forward with their own questions.
Link suddenly got his hand free from Lisanna and disappeared in a flash of green before the young Take-Over Mage realized what had happened. "Aw man, I was actually getting curious!" Natsu complained and then froze as Lisanna turned to glare at him with a pout. "I-I mean it's just-"
"You didn't believe me." Lisanna said unhappily and Natsu gulped nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Aye." Happy said from on top of his head and Natsu shot a glare up at him before looking pleadingly at Lisanna for forgiveness.
"If you all wanted to know, you shouldn't have crowded Link like that." Erza said, her smile still in place, as she got up from the table. "You all know how much he hates that." She said and Gray sighed as he took his shirt off.
"Yeah, the guy can stare down a monster but sure can't handle a crowd." He admitted as his white shirt fell to the ground. Levy froze and blushed uncomfortably, not yet used to the Ice-Make Mage's habit.
Up on top of the Guild House Link was sitting with his arms wrapped around his legs and his face resting against his knees. If I had known pulling that off would have made such a commotion… He started to think before he stopped as he recalled the happy smile on Erza's face as she pointed at him while wearing her new earrings. I would have tried to attract less attention. He finished with a smile, internally admitting that Erza's happiness outweighed his discomfort. Now he just needed for that cat princess story to go away.
Into the Past: Grief
The day was overcast as sixteen year old Elfman, dressed in a black suit and shoes with a bandage over his right eye, stood before a gravestone with the Fairy Tail symbol on the top, tears in his left eye. The white-haired mage still couldn't believe it. Just a few days ago the Strauss siblings were going on their first family S-Class job. Just a few days ago he had been rubbing it in Natsu's face that he was going to tackle one of those coveted jobs before the Dragon Slayer. Just a few days ago his younger, beloved sister had been alive.
LISANNA
beloved sister
and a friend
to animal souls
X768-X782
Elfman couldn't take his gaze away from those words, those words that damned him and branded him a murderer. Everyone had tried to tell him it wasn't his fault, especially Mirajane, but nothing could make what he did right. Nothing could excuse his weakness.
The sound of someone walking up to stand on his left drew his attention long enough to recognize Link. The usually green-clad mage was dressed in a dark blue suit and shoes, it seemed the thought of wearing black greatly disturbed him, and his golden earring gleamed weakly from the cloudy skies. His fiery blue eyes were subdued as he joined Elfman in his vigil. "Are you here to tell me it's not my fault, too?" Elfman asked roughly as his one-eyed gaze returned to the gravestone, doing nothing to try and hide his tears from Link.
"No." Link replied after a small delay and Elfman looked back at him warily. "I want to hear how it is your fault." He said and Elfman's eye went wide before he looked back at the gravestone.
"I killed her, it was my body that… that…" Elfman couldn't finish as he closed his eye, his breathing heavy as he tried to hold in his sobs.
"What was the look on her face before you hit her?" Link asked and Elfman's eye snapped back open, this time in rage, as he turned to grab Link by his collar and hauled him up to the larger man's eye level.
"What did you just say?" Elfman growled out, but if the blonde was intimidated he certainly showed no signs of it.
"Do you remember?" Link simply asked and Elfman ground his teeth before he froze.
"I… no… but-" Elfman tried to say as he found himself lowering Link to the ground.
"If you killed her, how can you not?" Link cut off Elfman's stammering, his blue eyes staying locked on Eflman's, boring into it and demanding the truth.
"I had been taken over by the Beast! I can't remember any of it!" Elfman suddenly roared, his anger returned as he this time lifted Link up as high as he could reach, and though his ears flicked the Hylian showed no other reaction.
"You said you killed her, but now say the Beast was in control." Link continued ruthlessly, though his voice never sharpened or became accusatory. "Which is it?" He asked and Elfman choked as his eye closed in pain.
"I… if I hadn't used Take Over, then-"
"Then Mira would have died." Link finished softly and Eflman looked back up at him angrily, not wanting to hear that same excuse again. "Elfman, what could you have done differently?" He asked and the anger left Elfman's eye.
After a few seconds, Elfman carefully put Link back down on the ground and rubbed his eye to clear his tears. "I should have taken a little more time to prepare my mind… I should have been stronger… I shouldn't have stopped Nee-chan from letting Natsu come… I-" Elfman started to list off different things but stopped when Link put a hand up.
"Could, not should, Elfman." The blonde said solemnly and Elfman looked at him in confusion. "With everything that happened, what could you have done in that situation?" He asked and Elfman blinked uncertainly before he closed his eye to recall that moment.
After a minute, Elfman's eye slowly reopened. "N… nothing…" He said slowly and Link nodded his head. "But… but that doesn't make my mistake any less damning!" Elfman asserted as he brought his hands up, clenched into fists.
"No…" Link admitted and Elfman blinked in surprise. "But a mistake is all it was." The blonde finished and once again found himself lifted into the air by the enraged Take-Over Mage.
"What would you know of it!?" Elfman yelled as tears once more welled in his eye. "What would you know of people dying because of your mistake!?" He demanded then froze, his eye widening in surprise, as he saw a look of profound pain and guilt overtake Link's somber expression. "You…" Elfman said slowly before stopping as Link's hands came up to gently grab the larger man's forearms.
"All you can do is be true to yourself." Link said as the pain in his eyes faded. "That's all you can truly do in such situations." He said softly and Elfman slowly put him down, his stunned expression never changing. "Elfman, you still have family that needs you." Link said and Elfman swallowed as his hands loosened their grip and Link's collar.
"N-nee-chan…" He said softly then paused as Link's grip on his forearms tightened. Elfman looked at him in confusion for a few seconds before his eye widened slightly. "Yeah… you're right…" He agreed with a nod. "It still hurts…" Elfman choked out and the blonde mage nodded his head.
"But the good memories will also return." Link said and Elfman sniffed as the first smile, weak though it was, since Lisanna died worked its way on his face.
"With Lisanna, how could there be anything else?" Elfman got out before pulling Link into a hug. "I will… protect my family from now on." He swore as Link's arms came up to return the hug. "Nee-chan… and Fairy Tail…" He said and Link nodded his head.
"Link… can you do me a favor?" Elfman asked after he had composed himself somewhat, stepping back, and Link looked up at him and nodded. "Can you talk to Nee-chan? I-" Elfman was cut off as the blonde nodded his head with a sad smile and turned to walk away. "Thank you…" The now youngest Strauss sibling whispered as he brought his arm up to his eye.
Fairy Hills
Mirajane, still in her black mourner's dress, sat on the dark purple comforter of her queen size bed with her legs pulled up and her head resting on her knees. She couldn't get it out of her head. She had let down her guard when she had brought it down, and before she knew it she was on the ground and Elfman had used Take-Over on the Beast. Her little brother had been taken over instead and with a new body, the Beast had gone on a new rampage.
"Mira-nee… I can't feel… anything…"
Mirajane sobbed as Lisanna's dying words once more echoed in her head. She ignored a knock on her door, but a few seconds later her head snapped open in surprise when she heard it unlock. The door slowly opened and Erza poked her head in, still in black ceremonial armor, and looked sadly at Mirajane. "Link is here to talk with you. He said Elfman asked him to." She said softly and her words killed any protest from the white-haired mage as she quietly moved to sit on the side of the bed.
Link quietly walked in, still in his blue suit, and only instinctively noted the room. The walls were painted a light blue and had several albums hanging on them. By the left wall there was a brown dresser with a record player on it, a couple of desks with various figures, and a white guitar on by one of the desks. By her bed on the right side was a nightstand that had a lamp on it. His focus, however, was on the tear-stricken face of his nakama as Erza quietly closed the door, leaving them alone.
His and Mirajane's relationship was certainly an interesting one. It had started initially with disdain on her part, an emotion that had turned to anger on his thirteenth birthday. She had seen his true strength when he had been intoxicated as he held the upper hand against both her and Erza in a fight. Later, after he had returned from training with his Guru, Durga, he had acceded to a fight with her with a twist; it would be him against both her and Erza. He had been defeated, as he had expected he would be, but after that she had let go of her anger. Later, after Erza had barely edged her out in the S-Class Promotion Exam, they had a talk at the instigation of Lisanna, and Mirajane had seen an inner strength that had surprised and intrigued her.
They had slowly become friends in the following year, and Mirajane found herself subject to some of the teasing that Erza still went through. She had swiftly crushed any rumors, as well as the person speaking them. She would admit to herself, if no one else, that Link was indeed becoming quite handsome, but he was more reserved and quiet than what she found herself attracted to. That and she was aware of the candle Erza held for the blonde and had no desire to end up in something as ridiculous as a love triangle. Still, she could appreciate he was one of the greatest nakama she could ask for, even if it did entail having to associate more with Erza; though the two only kept up their rivalry as a way to push each other to even greater heights. Actually, shortly after Mirajane's first solo S-Class job the three tackled an S-Class job together as a substitute for the one on one fight she had bothered Link about for years. The end result was a heightened respect between the three, even if Mirajane and Erza would never admit it, and talks about trying for an SS-Class job at a later time.
It was because of this friendship, coupled with Elfman's request, that Mirajane did not object as Link came over and sat down next to her. There was silence between the two for a few moments before Mirajane looked over at Link's somber face. "Link… how is Elfman doing?" She asked and Link looked over, his low ears shifting slightly with the movement.
"The same as you, Mira." He said softly and Mirajane's eyes closed as she took a breath. "But he'll be fine… time is all that's needed." He continued and got a small sob in response.
"Time… time can't fix this…" Mirajane said as she brought her arms up to clench her stomach. "Time can't bring back my little sister, can't undo my failure." She said through her sobs.
"No, it can't." Link agreed and Mirajane's eyes popped open in surprise. All day she had heard about time healing wounds and allowing her grief to pass; to have her friend say something so bluntly was something she hadn't expected. "All time does is allow us to learn and grow from experiences… anything else is foolish to expect." Link went on and Mirajane looked over at him. "Elfman will grow from this… so will you." He said as he looked back at her.
"True strength is not giving in, huh?" The white-haired mage asked with a sob and shook her head. "I can't… I can't even feel my magic right now… I feel so weak… even if… even if I… I can't… I don't think I can fight anymore…" She barely got out then paused as Link put his left hand on her shoulder, the three golden triangle tattoo on it showing prominently.
"Not wanting to fight is not weakness." Link said firmly and Mirajane looked back down at the ground. "You have Fairy Tail, Mira… lean on us and let us support you." He continued gently and more tears flowed down her face. "If you can't fight… then create." He said and Mirajane's eyes popped back open and she looked at him in surprise.
His gaze, however, was fixed on something else and she slowly turned her gaze to see what it was. She froze as she found herself looking at the white guitar, a gift from Lisanna. "You never liked to show it…" Link trailed off and Mirajane sniffed as she recalled the promise she had extracted from him to never talk about it. He was one of the few that knew of her desire to one day be a rock star.
"C-could you get it?" She asked softly and Link immediately stood up to retrieve it. He held it out carefully, and she gingerly took it from him as she remembered the day she had opened the gift. Lisanna, always sensitive, had been careful to show it to her when they had returned to Fairy Hills and out of sight of everyone else. Link sat back down as she absently tuned it, making sure every string sounded perfectly, before she paused. "I… I don't even know what to play…" She got out and looked over as Link Requipped the blue Ocarina of Time and looked at her questioningly. She offered a small smile at that and nodded her head.
Doo doo du du du du doooo
The slow, haunting melody gave Mirajane pause before she effortlessly followed the Nocturne of Shadow on her guitar. It was… sad, appropriately enough. It was the sound of someone passing, but that also somehow promised the continuation of life as well. Mirajane found herself becoming lost in memories of Lisanna as she played, of the joy she always took in life, and found that playing music was… comforting.
Still, after a few minutes she suddenly stopped and put the guitar aside, overwhelmed. Link looked over at her in concern before she suddenly turned and wrapped him in a hug as she once more started to cry. Link Ex-Equipped the ocarina as he held her, saying nothing more as she cried into his chest, and after some time had gone by Mirajane's tears were done. "Thank you… Link…" She said quietly and Link nodded his head. "I… how is someone so tight-lipped so good with words?" She asked with a sobbing laugh, expecting and feeling Link's small shrug in response. "I... I think I should get some sleep." Mirajane said and Link patted her on the back before letting her go and stood up once she had done the same. "Could you… talk with Natsu as well?" She asked as she lay down and anticipated more than saw Link's responding nod before he walked out.
Magnolia Forest
The clouds were starting to disperse as Natsu and Happy stood before the den that had long ago held a white and blue egg; both of them silent as they looked at the gravestone for Lisanna that had been placed in front of it. "Natsu… are you sure we shouldn't have gone to the funeral?" Happy asked sadly as he stared at the gravestone.
"Yeah… Lisanna always loved this place anyways." Natsu, dressed in a black vest, white scarf and pants, and sandals, said in subdued tones as his solemn gaze never shifted from the gravestone either. He barely flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder and glanced back to see Link behind him. "What is it?" He asked as his gaze returned to the gravestone. "If you're here to yell at me about missing the funeral-"
"Natsu, spar with me." Link cut him off and both Natsu and Happy looked back at him in surprise.
"What?" Natsu asked in disbelief as Link took several steps back, not sure if he heard correctly. Not only was he hardly in the mood, but Link actually requesting a spar, let alone in an expensive looking suit, did not make any sense to the Dragon Slayer.
"No magic, just hand to hand." Link said as he gestured with one hand but Natsu just shrugged and looked back at the gravestone. "Come, I wish to see what difference you might have made if you had been there." He added and a second later he ducked under a sweeping side kick aimed for his head. He quickly reached up to grab Natsu's leg and tossed him away from the den.
Natsu spun in the air and landed easily on his feet, sliding for a couple of feet, and glared at Link furiously. "How dare you?" He growled out as Happy looked at Link in shock. He got no verbal reply form the blonde, just a blurred blue form as Link rushed in to attack with a barrage of skilled punches. Natsu blocked all of them before pivoting to unleash a powerful sidekick that Link spun around to deliver a side kick of his own. "Gah!" Natsu grunted out as the kick had him sliding back a few feet before he rushed back in.
"Is this your point!? That even if I had been there I could have done nothing!?" Natsu demanded after a few minutes of Link continuously beating back the furious charge of the younger mage.
"No, I wish to know what is truly bothering you." Link said and got a growl in response. "What's wrong?" He tried again but only got a wild rush in reply. Link skillfully parried or dodged Natsu's barrage of attacks, thinking the entire time. "This isn't about you being there at all… is it something you said before she went?" Link asked and Natsu froze mid-punch. "Whatever it is, Lisanna would never-"
"It's not something I said!" Natsu yelled, the force of it actually pushing Link back a couple of steps. "It's something I didn't say!" He continued before swallowing and looking down at the ground. "I… I was… I was going to ask her out." He slowly choked out as tears came to his eyes and Link's eyes widened in surprise. "I wanted to for a while… but I was too scared… too sure I could just ask her next time… but I… I was always too scared." Natsu said as he dropped to his knees. "I couldn't tell her how I felt." He said with a sniff.
"Natsu…" Happy said as tears came to his eyes.
Link came up and knelt down before the Dragon Slayer and put his left hand on Natsu's right shoulder. "Natsu… did you think she didn't know?" He asked gently and Natsu looked up at him in confusion. "She knew you better than anyone, yourself included." Link said and Natsu blinked before he slowly nodded his head. "Or is it you think she didn't feel the same?" He asked and Natsu looked back down at the ground. "Idiot." Link said with a sigh and this time Natsu's gaze snapped back at him with an angry glint. "If you say anything degrading yourself, I will punch you for her." Link warned and Natsu blinked. "How could you think that, 'Poppa'?" He asked with a small grin and Natsu's eyes widened as a small blush came to him.
"You… you knew about that?" Natsu stammered out and Link looked to the side and scratched his cheek as Happy looked at him in confusion.
"Lisanna loved you, Natsu." He continued after several seconds and Natsu gulped as he tried to contain his tears. "She will always be with you… as long as you remember her." Link said softly and Natsu sniffed again.
"How could I forget her?" Natsu asked weakly as tears started to stream down his face.
"Aye." Happy agreed as he walked over to offer and receive a hug from his partner.
Several minutes later the three of them were sitting in front of the gravestone as the sun started to set. "Link… thanks." Natsu suddenly said, his eyes clear of tears, and Link nodded his head. "I guess I was just too uncertain… Lisanna always did that to me." He admitted and got a small smile in reply. "But you're right… the biggest thing I couldn't forgive of myself was not letting her hear the words." Natsu said and looked over as Link put a hand on his shoulder before standing up. "Hey, where are you going?" He asked curiously as Link walked away.
"I have one more person to talk to." Was all he got in reply and Natsu looked at him in confusion.
He said he had already talked to Elfman and Mirajane… who else is there? He wondered as he watched the blonde who had helped him come to terms with his grief walk away.
Magnolia City Graveyard
A half-moon shone in the clear night sky as Link walked through the graveyard before he came to a stop. He was silent as he looked down at Lisanna's grave for a few minutes, his eyes somber. "I did what I could." Link said quietly, suddenly, to her grave. "I never told you… but when we first met you reminded me of someone." He continued, suddenly feeling the need to tell the youngest Strauss. "Her name is Saria; she actually raised me from an infant." He explained and he tried to smile for a few seconds before giving up on the attempt. "As time went on, you reminded me more and more of her. Your exuberance… your joy for life… your wisdom… your compassion… you constantly amazed me with your ability to cause even Natsu to be peaceful when you were around." He said as he closed his eyes and allowed, for the first time, his heartbreak to show at the loss he felt. "I did what I could for them…" Link said softly and tears welled in his eyes as he recalled his blunt words and actions. "But it could never match up to you…" He confessed as tears flowed down his face. "Farewell, Lisanna." Link whispered as he put his left hand on the gravestone marking the loss of his nakama.
Wota Domu – Water Dome
Fujin no Kyuuei – Fujin's Ancient Song
Kojin no Kyuuei – Kojin's Ancient Song
Yami Setsuna – Dark Moment
Karyu no Kagitsume – Fire Dragon's Claw
Karyu no Tekken – Fire Dragon's Iron Fist
Karyu no Houko – Fire Dragon's Roar
Well, that was a fun one. So on to a couple of questions I'm expecting.
Will all the fight matchups be the same? I'm doing my own touch on it, much as I did with Phantom Lord, so you'll see similarities and differences.
Big one I've seen for a while. Who is taking down Jellal? That… that has been a hard one for me decide. In all honesty even as I had started to get them to Akane Resort I still wasn't decided, torn between the growth in Natsu and the tingle in doing a battle between two similar and yet different individuals. Both strategists, both with strong ties to Erza, both with a powerful will that few can stand in the way of... I found myself going through possible scenarios in their fight and would find myself grinning in anticipation. Both sides were weighed and the choice is set, but you'll have to read what it is later.
As for Link knowing about the whole 'Poppa' thing, he has very good hearing and had been trailing them the day Happy's egg showed up. So yeah, overhearing their conversations wouldn't have been that difficult.
My thanks to Vandenbz for being my beta reader.
Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.
Till next time.