Mortis and Gray were searching frantically for Natsu. Mortis didn't like how it was turning out. His scent was so weak. Was he dead? No way. They were nearly at the top floor. "This is ridiculous. We there hell is he?" Gray asked. "I have no idea, I cannot smell him anywhere" she spat. They stopped with a corridor splitting down two directions. "What do we do now?" He asked. "We don't have time to check both together. The canon is going to fire on the tower soon" she explained.
Gray stared at her as he said "I'm not leaving you after watching you being eaten." Mortis stared at him as she heard the words he promised on their first date "I know how strong you are. You're a dragon slayer and a gifted ice mage. I know what you're capable of. I want you to know that on missions nothing will be different. I will protect you in the view of you are my teammate."
He wasn't sticking to his promise and it was annoying her. Yes, she made mistakes and grave ones too. But like he said all wizards do.
"Gray, we do not have a choice" she said sternly. "We need to find Natsu and get the hell off this tower as soon as possible. I get it, alright! But let's do this as a team." Gray glared at her. All he wanted to do was to make sure she was safe. They all were exhausted, injured and worried. But he had to admit to himself she was right.
"Ok, I'm sorry" he said, holding her hand and squeezing it to reassure her. "I'll see you on the other side, yeah?" He asked. She smirked and squeezed his hand as she said "always." They let go of each other's hands and walked down their corridor. Mortis smile was immediately gone as soon as she was alone. What she hadn't told Gray, she smelled another person. It was Jellal and she was walking straight to him.
Gray ran down the corridor. The sooner he could find Natsu, the sooner he could meet up with Mortis and get out of here. The corridor seemed never ending. The was no light at all on either ends. He didn't know how long he had been running for, but he was slowly going crazy. He stopped to catch his breath. He leaned on the wall to remind him which way he was running. "You're ok. You're fine" he told himself. He took another shaky breath before he started to run down the corridor again, hoping soon light would appear.
Mortis reached the end of her corridor and found Jellal sitting on his throne. "Well well. I'm surprised I must say" he smiled. His eyes were hidden under his hood. "No, you're not. You knew this was going to happen" she snarled. He laughed as he stood up. Mortis looked around and didn't see Natsu anywhere. "He's not here" he said, walking along the wall. "I can see that? Where is he is and what was your plan to take him out of your game?" She asked. "You mean you don't know?" He laughed. "I thought you would have figured that out by now. In all my research of you, you seem like an intelligent wizard."
"I know you want to battle him. He's intrigued you for years" he started. "You've been watching him and Erza learning everything you can about him, so you can defeat him." "My my, I am impressed. But you missed one factor out" he explained, raising his finger. Mortis stopped and stared at him, trying to keep her posture strong to hide the fact she was worried and panicked about Natsu.
"You joined Fairy Tail. A dragon slayer with maker magic. She defeated Lullaby, took down Deliora, and was a major factor in the war between Fairy Tail and Phantom" he explained. "What do I have to do with anything? Erza is your sacrifice and you just want to battle Natsu. What is it you want from me?" She demanded.
"That was the original plan. I decided there would be a few changes, but only if you made it up here" he laughed. Mortis glared at him. "I know Erza thinks about our past and our friendship. That will be her weakness. So instead of her being my sacrifice she'll stand and reign alongside me" he explained. Mortis laughed. "You really think Erza would do that?" She asked. "We went through a lot as children. She will probably hope I'll change my mind and stop what I'm doing. How wrong she'll be" he laughed. "You're a disgrace" she spat.
"And when she joins me, I'll then be able to face Natsu. The dragon slayer who will feel rage and betrayal in his heart. The biggest defeat there ever will be. And after that's done, you'll be my new sacrifice to Zeref!"
Mortis simply glared at him. "Like hell that's going to happen!" She spat. "It will happen whether you like it or not. I'm not going to let a fairy brat stop me" he glared, a red aura all over him. "Seriously villains need to think of better names to try and insult us" she muttered. "But I don't get why you would hide Natsu from us? You know he would have made it to the top of the tower no matter what."
"I needed to get you here on your own. Natsu was the bait for Mr Fullbuster, so I could get you on your own without him clinging to your side" he said, watching her closely. "How did you know?" She asked. "When you threatened me back in the tent, you knew about us." Jellal laughed. "I have my ways Draglilth. He will be the perfect bargaining chip for you to do as I say. Can't you see this one and only meeting was destiny!"
Finally Gray saw light at the end of the corridor. He picked up his pace. He stopped in the archway and shouted "oh you have got to be kidding me!" Natsu was laying in the fluffiest bed, with more pillows than you can count. He was snoring loudly with the biggest smile on his face, Gray had ever seen.
As soon as he entered the room he smelled nothing but flowers. He looked around to see a smell canceling lacrima on the wall of the archway and scented lacrimal on the wall. "No wonder Mortis couldn't smell you" he mutter. "Hey Natsu wake up!" He screamed in his face. Natsu shot up, eyes wide. "What what!" He shouted, panicked.
Gray stood back and asked "have you been asleep all this time?" Natsu looked confused. "What?" He asked. "What is the last thing you remember flame brain?" Natsu started to think. "Block face shot me in the mouth!" He shouted, realizing. "What kind of a person shoots someone in the mouth?" he raged. "Where's Happy?"
Mortis glared at Jellal as she spat "you realize Natsu and Gray will kick your ass in a fight. Not to mention me and Erza." "I can promise you are all as easy to play as chess pieces Mortis. And once Erza is by my side everything will fall into place" he laughed.
"I promise that won't happen." Both Mortis and Jellal looked at the archway to see Erza walking in. She had two swords in her hands. "You're ok" she smiled. Erza glared at her. The death glare. "Uh oh" she murmured quietly. Erza threw one of her swords at Mortis and it pinned her to the wall. She gasped and saw it pinned her vest to the wall.
"Well, that was a turn of events I wasn't expecting" Jellal mused. Erza turned to him and said "it's been a long time." He nodded "indeed. Ten years seems so long, but the last ten years seems to have gone by fast." Mortis tried to free herself from being pinned by one of Erza's swords. "Don't even try it Mortis!" Erza warned. Mortis nodded frantically and stopped. "We'll talk later."
She raised her second sword at Jellal. "You find so much pleasure with toying with the lives of others, Jellal?" she asked.
"Toying? I haven't forced them to do this. They could have left whenever they wanted to. They chose to stay and help me with my dream" he said, raising his hands to structure around him. "Dream ha! That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard" Mortis spat. Jellal turned and glared at Mortis as he shouted "what did you say?"
Mortis did a brave or stupid thing and ignore Erza's warning as she freed herself from Erza sword. She held the grip tightly, getting used to the balance. "What did I say?" She warned. "We'll still talk later" Mortis promised. She looked at Jellal and spat "I can see it in your eyes. You've been corrupted. You're fulfilling out someone else's dream." Jellal snapped "how dare you!" He then sent his dark magic at Mortis and covered her.
"WHAT!" Natsu raged, fire exploding. He couldn't believe he slept through the whole thing. "I would have kicked Furuko's ass for eating Mortis!" he shouted. "Where is she now?" Gray pointed back towards the corridor he came down and explained "There were two corridors and we took one each to try and find you."
Natsu grabbed him and pushed him up against the wall. "So you've let her face Jellal alone!" He screamed. It then dawned on Gray. They were at the top of the tower. He found Natsu alone. SO Mortis is with… "Crap!" He shouted. They ran down the corridor. Now that Natsu had his hands ablaze with his fire, Gray could see where he was going and not think he was going to go crazy. He remembered back when Jellal was explaining the rules of heaven's game. He and Mortis knew each other. Was this the plan? To get Mortis on her own? But why, Erza was the sacrifice. He would never let that happen. What was his plan for Mortis.
"Let her go immediately!" Erza demanded, pointing her sword at Jellal. "She had the nerve to speak out against me! She will be my sacrifice!" He screamed, laughing uncontrollably. "And you Erza will stand beside me." Erza lowered her sword as she took a breath. "You and I both know that will not happen!"
"Come on Erza. You may have joined Fairy Tail but we both know that what we went through together will never leave our memories. We worked and fought together. It only makes sense that you and I stand tall when Zeref is revived. After all, you help at the beginning of the tower of heaven's construction, after all!" Jellal reminded her. "That was beyond my control. We all were abducted and enslaved to start the construction on the tower" she spat. "Whatever you say Erza, but my dream will become a reality soon!"
This magic felt like slime to Mortis. It was awesome. It stuck to her arms and wouldn't let her go. She was encased in the stuff. She couldn't breathe. She wrestled with it and was able to spin and turn easily but it still wouldn't leave her skin.
"Dad this is disgusting!" Mortis moaned. She and Igneel were bathing in a boiling bubbly mud pool. "Why do we have the bathe in this crap!" She spat. She lifted her arm out of the mud and it clung to her like it was alive. "Even though your body can handle much heat, you need to adapt to the texture of the heat" he explained, relaxing and sinking further into the bath. A massive bubble popped next to him and Mortis was cringing and hoping it wasn't what she thought it was.
"But I don't get how this helps my training, though" she said, trying to get her arms free of this mud.
"Well its a good thing this is another training exercise then isn't it!" He laughed. "What wait?" She gasped. Igneel got out and the mud peeled off him easily. "This mud bath is alive. And I want to see how you're going to get out!" Mortis stared wide eyed at her dragon father. "You have got to be kidding me!" She shouted.
Mortis opened her eyes and wondered, how did I get out of that in the end? The memory was hazy after that. She looked around the purple and red magic Jellal had her trapped in. She suddenly remembered she was clutching Erza's sword. That memory was three years old. She was a lot strong now. She swung the sword and landed on the ground. The throne room had rubble everywhere and Erza was straddling Jellal with her sword pointing above his throat. She ran to the window and looked up the inferior canon will be firing any second.
"MORTIS! ERZA!" Mortis smiled. NATSU. He was ok. And he sounded more fired up than ever. However, this was a turn of events and she did not know the outcome. Both her and Gray were here this time. Jellal wants her as the sacrifice. Mortis knew memory will not help her this time. This could end gravely for her.