A Quincy's Fairy Tail

by Goshinzilla

Bambietta Basterbine finds herself a stranger in a strange new world. Separated from the life she once knew as a Stern Ritter in the employ of the Vandenreich, she will now have to find her place in the kingdom of Fiore. However, what the volatile Quincy never expected was to discover her salvation within the guild known as Fairy Tail.

56. Broken Paradise

Greetings my faithful readers, and welcome to yet another chapter of "A Quincy's Fairy Tail"! Thanks to the reviews I had received for the prior chapter, I have decided to release this next one at the beginning of May. Do be aware though that there will be a month of waiting per chapter update to help give me enough time to hopefully finish the arc properly. I would like to think however that good progress is being made on that front and that this arc will be finished before the end of 2021.

I am eagerly looking forward to your thoughts and reviews of this chapter so without any further ado, let's get right into the Tower of Heaven arc!

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and Weekly Shounen Magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun!

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Akane Resort. Known far and wide as one of Fiore's finest tourist attractions, people from all across Ishgar come here for family getaways and vacations of all sorts. From its large beach overlooking the vast ocean, massive amusement park, and 5-star hotel featuring one of Fiore's best Casinos, it's no wonder why anyone who comes to this luxurious Fiore hotspot desire to return again and again. After arriving early in the morning and settling in, the travel party of 14 was quick to take to the beach. At the moment, Bambietta was wearing a two-piece red bikini, showing off all of her body's curves and "assets" as she would like to call them, the red fabric clinging to her breasts and ass in a way that truly allowed her to show off without being too revealing. Many men had stared at the beautiful brunette with lust when she walked on the beach earlier, and she smirked as she swam through the water.

Yup, I still got it. She thought. Back in the Vandenriech, she had been the most desired quincy for her beauty by far. Candice and Meninas, while having a very strong following of their own, didn't compare to hers. After all, many had taken the risk of dying to try and land her in bed, though this was a fact she was no longer proud of. However, now as a member of Fairy Tail, she had felt that perhaps she wasn't as special in that department. While she still had more than plenty of lustful male gazes upon her since she had joined the guild, Erza, and Mirajane had dominated in that regard. (It probably didn't help that Bambietta herself had often stared at the two with lust as much as the others had.) Now, however, she had more than enough proof that she still had those "top tier" looks in her mind.

Still, there was one woman besides Erza who Bambietta considered even more beautiful than herself. Her beloved Lucy Heartfilia. Clad in a white bikini with pink flowers on it, Bambietta's eyes couldn't help but look at her girlfriend in uncontrolled lust when they strolled the beach. But while Bambietta wanted personal time with her girlfriend, she always knew that there would be plenty of time for that later. Right now her girlfriend was currently swimming in the vast ocean alongside herself, Rukia, wearing a red and pink striped bikini, and Wendy who wore a green two-piece swimsuit as the group simply swam amongst the waves.

"I can't believe this is your first time going to a beach Bambi," Lucy said as she looked over to the Quincy. "You're seriously telling me that you've never done this before?"

"Let's just say my father was...very strict on when I could leave home and leave it at that," Bambietta answered before she sighed in glee. "Man I should have done this ages ago," Bambietta said as she looked up to the sky. The bright sun shining down on her, the sounds of the waves and seagulls cawing as they flew above, it was the sort of thing that she had never been able to appreciate as a child living in a town surrounded by a dead forest, or even in her time in the shadowy and cold realm of the Silbern. Now, experiencing it for the first time in her life, Bambietta could now understand why Candice had often desired to go off to the world of the living and enjoy the beach.

"It's a shame that your organization was so strict," Rukia spoke. "The female soul reaper society often made trips to the world of the living to enjoy such luxuries. Maybe you should have asked for permission for such a trip."

"If I had tried to tell my commanding officer any of that, I would have gotten a mind-numbingly long lecture." Bambietta restored. "I'm just lucky Hatchwalth decided to install Tv and Internet to the Silbern for Morale, otherwise I'd have died of boredom."

"So what did you do for fun before that?" Wendy asked.

Bambietta blushed a deep crimson then as she looked away from the dragon slayer as lewd memories came to her mind. "I'd...Ummm...Rather not say. It's...personal, yeah." Wendy simply nodded her head then as Bambietta swiped her brow in relief. Her momentary worry now gone, Bambietta looked over to Lucy. "Anyways, I'm gonna go to the casino later tonight. See if I could try to win a few jewels."

"Bambi, gambling is a terrible habit," Lucy said as she frowned. "The last thing I want is for us to be broke by the time we get back home."

"Oh please, I'm not gonna do anything that stupid." Bambietta retorted as she rolled her eyes. "I just want to see if I can get enough cash for us to eat out at that 5-star restaurant you took me to when we patched things up. I swear if I spend over 1000 jewel I'll stop, quincy's honor."

Lucy gave her girlfriend a brief look before she sighed. "Ok, I'm gonna trust you on this. But if you make it impossible to pay rent, you'll be the one doing all the work to get back all of the money you lost."

"Great!" Bambietta said with a smile. "You may not know it, but I'm a great card player!"

"You play poker?" Rukia asked.

Bambietta shook her head "Never played it, I'm more of a Yu-Gi-Oh player than anything else. Still, how different could it be?"

Rukia could only stare at Bambietta before she pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. Well, there goes 1000 jewel down the drain. The small soul reaper thought.

"I wanna help, let me gamble with you!" Wendy asked.

"Wendy that's sweet, but you really shouldn't," Lucy told her. "More often than not, people lose money when they gamble, and sometimes they lose so much they can't find a place to live or even eat."

Bambietta nodded in agreement. "It's true. One time Candi snuck off into the world of the living to gamble and she lost 6000 jewels worth of cash. She...wasn't happy when she came back."

"Why would someone go that far though? That doesn't make any sense." Wendy asked innocently. "I mean...What's the point if you're just gonna lose all of your money anyways?"

Lucy paused for a moment before she answered. "Well...Sometimes people think they can win it all back, and then some. For others...it's kinda like an addiction that they can't control. I'd rather you not fall into that sort of thing."

"Not to mention the fact that you can't," Bambietta told Wendy. "I looked it up on the train ride over here. You can't gamble in Fiore unless your 18."

"Oh. Well...Ok then." Wendy said as she looked down at the water. Here she was hoping she would get a chance to finally help out Bambi in a way that wasn't just healing, but it seemed she would still have to wait a little longer for a proper chance to pop up. "I just...wanted to help is all."

"Oh, you don't need to worry about any of that," Bambietta said as she swam over to Wendy and gave her a hug. "You just keep doing what you can. That's all I'll ever need from you."

Wendy smiled as she returned the hug as Bambietta's stomach grumbled. "Well, guess It's time for some lunch," Bambietta said as she looked over to Rukia and Lucy. "I'm gonna go and get us something to eat. I'll see you where we set our towels down in about 10 minutes, ok?"

"Works for me," Rukia said. Lucy nodded in approval as well as Bambietta began to swim to shore. To her surprise, however, Wendy was swimming with her. "Something wrong Wendy?" She asked.

"I just want to be with you a while longer," Wendy said. "Besides, I don't want to keep Carla waiting too long anyways."

Nodding in understanding, Bambietta and Wendy soon reached the beach, Bambietta quickly noticing Liltotto, wearing a yellow two-piece swimsuit watching a volleyball game that Natsu was playing with some other beachgoers, Happy cheering him on from the sidelines. "Enjoying the show?" Bambietta asked as she approached.

"As a matter of fact, I am," Liltotto said, Bambietta noticing a slight blush on Liltotto's face despite the petite quincy speaking in her near deadpan tone as she watched Natsu. The three of them had come upon a volleyball match that was short a player, and Natsu was eager to volunteer. As the game stood, his team was winning, and easily at that. Liltotto found herself immensely enjoying the game, though not for the sport itself. This was the first time she was seeing Natsu so...revealed, All he had on was red swim trunks and some sandals and she just couldn't help but stare...and also fail to notice that she was drooling slightly.

Wanting to make sure her friend still looked at least a little dignified, Bambietta decided to bring it to her attention. "Lil, you're drooling."

Liltotto quickly whipped her mouth with her left hand before she looked back at Bambi. "Thanks. Though, quite frankly, I'm surprised you're eyes aren't wandering like crazy."

Bambietta chuckled at her friend's accusation. "Lil, when you have a girlfriend like Lucy, practically everyone else on this beach pales in comparison. Long as I have her, I have all the eye candy I need."

"What's eye candy? I've never heard about that before. It sounds gross." Wendy said, the dragon slayer feeling a bit queazy just thinking about it.

Bambietta blushed before she spoke, the quincy momentarily forgetting about Wendy's presence. "Well, um, you see, the thing is-"

Liltotto was quick to put an end to Bambietta's embarrassment. "It means people you find attractive."

"Ohhh, I get it. Is that why she's always looking at Erza a lot too?" Wendy asked.

"Y-Y-Yes." Bambietta stammered before she quickly shook her head. "You need to give me some credit Lil. I'm not Candi!"

"Speaking of Candi, could you guys help me find her?" The two Quincy quickly turned their heads to see Jade, dressed in a white and black Bikini slowly walking over to them. "We got separated after I tried to get us some snow cones to eat and I haven't found her since. Have you guys seen her?"

Bambietta rolled her eyes. "I would not be surprised if she was behind some rocks with some dudes..." she chose her words carefully with Wendy standing by. "Playing hide the sausage."

"G-give her a little credit," Jade stated with a slight blush.

"Would you?" Bambietta asked her.

Before Jade could answer, a large flat object smacked her in the back of the head. "Out of the way losers! That ocean's mine!" Candice shouted, making a beeline for the water. She was carrying a surfboard and her only article of clothing was a white bikini so skimpy that modest undergarments covered more skin.

"Well...that leaves little to the imagination," Jade said, trying not to stare and failing.

"Oi, I told you not to go wearing something like that in front of Wendy!" Bambietta exclaimed.

Candice spun around and flipped her best friend off with one hand, stuck her tongue out, and pulled her eyelid down with the other, surfboard secure underarm. Bambietta promptly did the same.

"I swear, the two of you act like children," Carla reprimanded as she flew by, the flying white cat landing on Wendy and covering her eyes.

"Carla, I can't see anything!" Wendy cried out as she tried to remove the cat's paws.

"And that's exactly how we're going to keep it!" Carla said, the winged cat not wanting Wendy to see any more of Candice's revealing swimsuit.

"Huh. I didn't know Candi could surf," Liltotto mused. The event of Bambietta and Candice antagonizing each other was filtered out by her for being a normal occurrence in the short quincy's eyes.

"She's just full of surprises isn't she?" Bambietta said as she slowly rolled her eyes. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed Gray and Juvia, the blue-haired mage, now wearing a blue bikini, was lying down on a towel at the beach as she closed her eyes.

"My darling Gray, could you please put some suntan lotion on my back? I don't think I'll be able to do it myself."

Gray blushed as soon as he heard his girlfriend's request. "You want me to...what?" The two had gone on a few dates since they decided to become a couple, ut they had never done anything physical, at least not like what she was asking. To say it left him feeling a bit nervous was an understatement to say the least.

"Come on, please Gray? I'd really rather not ask someone else to do it?" Juvia asked with a slight quiver of her lower lip, her eyes staring at his with desperation. The young man sighed then as he decided to cover his hands with the sunscreen. She really wasn't asking for anything all that crazy, and the thought of someone else getting their hands on her...Well, he didn't want anyone else to get the privilege. Thus, he slowly rubbed it onto her back...only for his eyes to widen at the moan Juvia let out.

"Ohhhh Gray, your hands feel so nice." Juvia cooed.

"Can you please not cry out like that?! People are gonna get the wrong idea!" Gray shouted.

Totamaru, who was simply lying on his back underneath an umbrella and trying to read "Sorcerror Weekly" regarding an interview from the newly appointed Wizard saint, Princess Hisui, took off his sunglasses and stared at Gray."Oi, can you keep it down?!" He yelled over to him. "I'm trying to read here!" Groaning in annoyance, he laid back down as he tried to find where he left off on his magazine. Maybe coming here had been a bad idea. He was all for getting a little relaxation, but considering his present company, there was little doubt in his mind that things could go array quite easily. Don't get him wrong, he had come to value his Fairy Tail comrades just as much as his old Phantom Lord ones, but they could be a bit much at times. I wanted to go on vacation to get away from the chaos, not deal with more of it.

He was just about to turn his book to the next page when he heard the sound of his run umbrella ripping and felt something hit him hard on the top of his head. "Gah!" He cried out before he turned around to see just what had hit him. It was a volleyball, the large ball having torn a large hole in his umbrella. "Hey, who's the wise guy throwing this thing as hard as a cannonball?!" He demanded.

"Sorry!" He heard Natsu called off in the distance as he looked over to see where his ball had landed. "Hey, any chance you can throw it back? I'm just about to become the volleyball champion!" The dragon slayer asked.

Totamaru's right eye began to twitch in rage, the fire mage covering the ball with fire as he stood up and glared at Natsu. "You want your stupid ball!? Here, take it!" He chucked the volleyball as hard as he could, hoping to knock his foolish guildmate down a peg or two. The ball hurtled over to Natsu...only for the dragon slayer to casually stop it, the pink-haired young man grinning as he saw the flames.

"Oh sweet, a free meal! Thanks, buddy!"

"...I hate you." Totamaru muttered under his breath before he went back to reading. Oh yeah, coming here was a mistake. Totamaru thought.

"Looks like someone needs to cheer up a bit," Bambietta said to herself as she watched the commotion. "That does make me wonder what Erza, Ulquiorra and Levy are up to though." Luckily for her, they were within eyesight, Levy wearing a red and white striped bikini, and the arrancar wearing a white T-shirt and some black shorts...and making a sandcastle? Bambietta's jaw dropped then as she felt her shoulders slump from the shock as well. While she was much more willing to believe the arrancar was trying to recover his lost humanity than Candice was, even she was having a hard time believing what her eyes were telling her. I am not seeing this! Espada number 4, the number that literally stands for death, with the emotional output of a piece of wood, is making a fucking sandcastle!? Seriously!?

Ulquiorra could scarcely believe that he was doing this himself. When Levy had told him that she had something new that he had never tried before, the arrancar was intrigued enough to follow along. However, as they had continued to build their castle, he found himself stopping, the pale-skinned man just finishing up one of the castle's large towers as he did so. "I don't understand. What is the purpose of this castle made of sand? It's far too small for anyone to make use out of, and even if it weren't, sand lacks the stability needed to provide for a solid foundation. Not to mention the fact that the nearby seawater would eventually cause it to collapse when the tide time comes in. So why bother to make something if it won't be around for a significant length of time?"

"The point is that it's spontaneous fun!" Levy offered up. "It doesn't need to offer up any more purpose than giving you something fun to do for a little while. And sometimes there's beauty in something that doesn't last."

"Beauty...in something that doesn't last you say?" He said as he looked back at the sandcastle before he looked back to her. "And spontaneous fun?... I suppose it's something I best experience with my own hands." The two quickly went back to work, the arrancar more than likely taking this simple task far too seriously if someone else had asked Bambietta.

"Boy Levy, you sure got your work cut out for you, huh?" Bambietta said before she smiled slightly. "Then again...I'd know that better than anyone else." That at least covered Levy and Ulquiorra, but that still left Bambietta with the mystery of what Erza was up to. Still, she could go look for her quickly took Wendy's hand before she smiled. "Come on, let's go find us a snowcone stand."

Fortunately for Bambietta, finding the snowcone stand and Erza went hand in hand, the red-headed swordswomen currently engaged in a watermelon slicing contest right next to where the snowcones were being served. The S class wizard had her eyes closed, her hands gripping her wooden sword tightly before she let out a mighty shout and swung her weapon downwards, the watermelon cleaving in two with a clean cut.

"Unbelievable!" The judge of the contest yelled out. "The final contestant, Erza Scarlet, has just performed the best watermelon cut I've ever seen! I think it's safe to say we have our winner here folks!" The crowd that had assembled seemed to agree, Erza's fellow beachgoers shouting out her name as the judge handed over a small blue ribbon to Erza. "I must say, I don't know if anyone will ever be able to achieve what you just did!"

"I'm sure that one day someone will be capable of surpassing my skill." Erza humbly spoke. "There are plenty of powerful swordsmen out there. I'm confident that if I were to slack on my training, I'd be left behind." But it is for that very reason that I must keep in shape. To make sure that I can protect everyone. The Scarlet-haired mage thought before she smiled as she took the ribbon. "Regardless, I'll be sure to treasure this ribbon alongside my other valuables."

Bambietta couldn't help but smile either as she watched. That's Erza for you. Scary impressive in one minute, humble the next. Bambietta had to admit it, if there was any woman that she had ever felt envious of, it was Erza. With the exception of Laxus, everyone else in the guild she had met seemed both fear and respect Erza. It was easy to see why, both her skill as a warrior and natural beauty was practically unmatched within the guild. Sure, Bambietta had been widely respected back in the vandenriech for the very same reasons, but the level of respect Erza had felt more...genuine.

With the exception of Candice, Liltotto, Meninas, and even that traitor Giselle, almost everyone else at the Vandenriech had viewed her as either competition for Yhwach's approval, a superior officer to lust after and fear, or a subordinate to use for their own ambition. Perhaps Bazz B was another person she could have considered a friend, aside from the small clique of powerful female quincy she had amassed, but that was it. It was a dog eat dog world in the Vandenriech, and her own failure had made it clear that all that "respect" she had was superficial when it came to everyone else. She was respected solely for her strength and beauty, nothing more. The moment she had lost, everyone else had cast her aside.

However, Bambietta had the feeling that even if Erza wasn't one of the top dogs in the guild, she would still have a good deal of her respect intact. It wouldn't have been just for her good looks though. Bambietta was quite sure it would be for Erza's kind heart and ability to never give up. To inspire hope in others when things looked grim. To be that person you could go to with your troubles and lend an ear, to give words of encouragement. The love and admiration Erza had received from the guild were more than well earned, and if she were ever in trouble, Bambietta knew the entire guild would be there for her, no matter what.

As would Bambietta herself. After all that Erza had done for her,...it was the least the quincy could do to return the favor.

---

After returning with snowcones, Bambietta and her group of friends had hung out at the beach for another 2 hours before Lucy had decided she had enough fun in the sun and wanted to return to her room to relax. Bambietta was more than willing to join her, the last thing the quincy wanted was to end up with some kind of sunburn. With Wendy and Rukia wanting to try out the amusement park before it was too late, the two had set off to enjoy themselves. Bambietta had admittedly wanted to try out the park for herself, but that could always wait for later. They did have several days to enjoy themselves at the resort after all.

However, Bambietta was dealing with a problem of her own. As the quincy followed her bikini-clad girlfriend back to their hotel room, Bambietta couldn't help but find her eyes glued to Lucy's ass, her swimsuit clinging to it and make it stand out much more than usual. While Bambietta had gotten much better at controlling her urges, seeing something in front of her like this got her heart racing. Damn that bikini clinging to her so tightly! Bambietta thought. Thankfully, their room was within sight.

Lucy turned to look over her shoulder as they approached the door. As she fumbled for the key to the room, she looked back and noticed Bambietta almost immediately turning her head to look to the side. "Something the matter?"

"I...Um, well it's just-" Bambietta stammered, struggling to figure out what to say. She quickly came to realize though that her girlfriend knew her well enough, and decided to be truthful. After all, trust was a necessity for a couple to last. Still, it would be best to not be crass about the subject. Lucy deserved more respect than that. Bambietta finally looked Lucy in the eye and blushed before she spoke. "You look great." She gave the blonde a smile before continuing. "No, better than great...You're beautiful."

"Oh?" Lucy blushed a little. She unlocked the door, opening it as she turned to look inside. She was not used to Bambietta being so forward, less in the overly lewd way but rather more of a charming sort of way, and quickly stepped in. It was all she could do to keep from making a squeak of emotional excitement. Bambi's... getting better at this.

"Well, I was just able to get a better view and-" Bambietta stopped speaking then, the quincy wanting to slap herself as they both walked inside. "I think you get the idea." She quickly said. It was best she stopped herself before she ended up embarrassing herself. "I'm just wondering what we should try doing next?"

"I'm not sure..." Lucy said. "I mean, we could cuddle up here in the hotel room, but... we could do that at home too, right? I guess we should be taking advantage of everything this place has to offer, but... we need our quiet time together too..."

"Well, you could tell me how that book of yours is coming along," Bambietta said as she began to get changed. "I know you've asked Levy to constantly give you feedback, but maybe I could add a fresh take on things."

"You'd do that for me?" Lucy perked up then, smiling a bit. "A third set of eyes would be appreciated..."

"Well, I mean, I got to admit...I've kinda been curious," Bambietta said as she finally put on her hat. "I mean we've seen so many movies and plays together, that it's made me wonder what kind of story you've bothered to put together. Hell, whenever your writing, it's almost like your in a whole different world."

"Almost literally," Lucy said, pausing for a second. "Heh. Maybe I should say literaturally." Lucy could see Bambietta staring at her, one eyebrow rising up. In response, Lucy's shoulders slumped. "Hey, not all your puns land either."

"What? No, my puns are the bomb!" Bambietta said, her fist raised in the air...only for her hand to slowly fall as she realized what she just said. "...Touché."

"Well, you're the bomb as far as I'm concerned at any rate," Lucy said, moving in with a hug as she giggled. "It really means a lot to me that you want to know how my story's going. As for what it's about..." Lucy sat down then on the edge of the bed, leaning back as she stretched, her arms up over her head. "It didn't start that way, but I kinda ended up making it a bit of a comedy or a satire," Lucy began to say. "It's about a wizard called Reena the Pink. She takes on missions for her guild, but only on the condition that there's a treasure to be claimed or a cool monster to vanquish. She's snarky and short-tempered and tends to blow up everything by the time her job request is complete." Lucy paused then and gave Bambietta a knowing look. "Now that I say it out loud, I may owe you some royalties in the future..."

"Well, I mean, considering our relationship, I don't think that's gonna be all that much of an issue," Bambietta said before she smiled. "Honestly though, It means a lot to me that I kinda helped inspire something that you're so passionate about."

"You do tend to inspire my inner muse now and then," Lucy said as she leaned up against Bambietta's side then, her head resting on her shoulder. Still, despite the moment, she did giggle slightly. "Once you iron off the rough edges, you're everything I'd look for in a story's main attraction... Courageous, daring, larger than life, and just the right kind of crazy..."

"Yeah, I'm pretty awesome aren't I?" Bambietta said. "You got any other characters figured out?"

"I sure do! A loyal knight, who's a bit on the dim side, a heroic white mage, who tends to go a bit too far when she tries to deal out justice, and a magic-wielding rock chimera, who's basically the only sane man of the group. They tend to bicker a lot, but they're actually all good friends. They're like one big happy family, just like Fairy Tail is."

"I see," Bambietta said as she nodded her head. "Sounds like you got something good going there...but I think your group is missing something."

Lucy stopped lying down on the bed then to look at Bambietta. "Oh, what's that?"

"Well, the best way to bring out more for your main character is to give her someone she's willing to do anything for," Bambietta said as she took Lucy's hand. "Someone who can take care of all her weaknesses and bring out her best qualities. Someone smart. Someone who'll be the voice of reason whenever she gets too full of herself or goes into things she really shouldn't. Someone who'll be there to comfort her when she's hurting. Someone to love." Bambietta then leaned forward and kissed Lucy on the lips. "Someone like you."

"Oh Bambi, that's really sweet," Lucy said as she blushed a bit. "But, I don't think that's a good idea. At least, basing the romantic interest off myself anyways. I'm a little worried that someone might get the idea I'm just trying to glorify myself, and that's the last thing I want."

"Ah, that's a fair point," Bambietta told Lucy as she frowned. "Some help I turned out to be."

Lucy was quick to put a comforting hand on Bambietta's shoulder, giving her a kind smile. "Don't look at it like that. Everything else you said makes some really good points. I think having a romance might help things out a bit." She then looked over at the nearby ocean through one of the windows, the sun slowly starting to set. "To be honest, I always kinda wanted to have some romance in the book. I just wasn't sure I could pull it off is all."

Bambietta smirked as she leaned closer to Lucy. "Take it from me when I say the best way to learn is by making mistakes. As long as you're giving me and Levy an idea of how you're writing it, we can always keep improving your story anyways till it finally comes out."

Lucy gave Bambietta a quick kiss on the cheek then. "Yeah, that sounds right. Even the greatest writers all had to start somewhere. At least as long as I have you with me, I know you'll always catch me when I fall."

"Damn straight," Bambietta spoke as she laid back down on the bed. However, as she began to get comfy on the soft mattress, Bambietta noticed something on top of the small table next to her. A doll to be exact. "You brought your doll on the trip?" She asked.

Lucy walked over to Gonzales as she picked up her childhood toy. "Look, this is gonna sound silly but I like to keep her around with me whenever I can. Something about her just makes me feel more at home is all."

Bambietta wasn't sure what to say. If it was just a normal doll, she wouldn't have a care in the world. After all, that doll was one of the few keepsakes Lucy had of her mother, just like Bambietta's winged heart badge was from her own mom. But the fact that it could turn into a fullbring is what complicated things. Lucy was more than capable of taking care of herself, Bambietta knew that much, but an out of control fullbring wasn't something that sat well with her. Fullbring powers could be particularly tricky, the incident with Tsukishima had given her more than enough proof in that regard.

As long as it grows naturally and the progress isn't rushed, everything should turn out just fine.

Rukia's words to her back then came to the forefront of her mind then, the quincy's fears rapidly diminishing. I'm getting too worked up about this. I'm sure everything will be fine. Not like worrying about it is gonna do me any favors anyway. Bambietta thought. "I guess you make a good point," Bambietta said as Lucy put down her childhood toy and lied down next to her. "Anyways, I think I know what we can do after we snuggle for a bit."

"What's that?" Lucy said, the blonde blushing slightly as she felt Bambietta press against her as her hands wrapped around Lucy's waist.

"Well, I know you were a little worried when I said I wanted to go gambling later tonight. I was thinking maybe it would be better if you came with me so I don't go to crazy with losing money. Besides, it could be fun!"

Lucy pondered for a moment, the young woman closing her eyes before she came to her decision. "Well, it would be something new to try. Not to mention the fact that I heard everyone else was gonna check it out for themselves anyway. So I guess it wouldn't hurt to try out."

"Perfect," Bambietta exclaimed. "I say when we're done here, we go get Erza. I'm sure she'd love to give it a try!"

Lucy wasn't so sure. "Are you sure about that? She might get angry for indulging in such bad behavior or something."

Bambietta grinned. "I wouldn't worry too much about that. Erza might seem like the kind of woman that's all business, but I heard her talk to Candice about the casino on the ride over here and she sounded thrilled. I'm sure she'll love to come!"

"Well, if you're sure," Lucy said before she closed her eyes, her head leaning on Bambietta's shoulders. "But for now...I just want to rest."

Bambietta smiled in understanding and soon joined her blonde lover in a comforting embrace. Bambietta preferred the more crazy and bombastic for her fun activities, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy something like this either.

---

Out on a balcony of one of many Akane resorts hotel rooms was the famous Erza Scarlet. The wizard relaxing beneath the setting sun in a reclined chair. How long had it been since she had taken a moment to just sit back and relax like this? Aside from the hot springs, Mette had volunteered to pay for after she and her fellow guildmates saved her life, Erza couldn't recall such a time. The guild had always come first, whenever it was out of her sense of obligation to protect her new family, or insuring its own reckless members like Natsu, Elfman and Gray didn't further tarnish Fairy Tails reputation.

She had to admit, however, that she had needed a moment to rest like this, without a single care in the world. Carrying all of that weight and responsibility had been more tiring to her than she realized when she had taken the role of Titania from her mentor Meifon. She didn't regret it in the slightest. The S class wizard was proud of all she had been able to accomplish, but right now, this moment of rest was one she truly cherished. She let out a small yawn then as she felt the sun's warmth cover her bare skin. It was a comforting feeling, much like a warm blanket of sorts slowly covering her. She felt her eyes begin to close, and before she knew it, she was soon lulled into slumber.

That had soon proven to be a mistake, however. Her dream had quickly turned into a nightmare, bringing back bitter memories of old. The times she had been brutally forced to work far beyond anything a child could have been expected to handle, the cruel punishments she and her friends were subjected to if they couldn't meet their new masters obscenely high standards, the many nights she had to go to bed hungry, to the friends she had lost...and the old man who had died to keep her safe.

"No." Though her voice was calm and controlled, Erza still bolted upright, the bitter memories of years gone by forcing her awake. She took a few deep breaths then, the scarlet-haired woman trying to come to terms with what just happened. Slowly, she looked down at her shaking hands as she tried to calm down. "It was just a dream." She said to herself. "I must have fallen asleep without realizing it." She hadn't had a nightmare about her past for quite some time. They had plagued her for about a year after leaving that accursed tower, but over time they had begun to fade. So why were they returning now of all times?

If you tell me what's bothering you, I'll tell you a secret about me no one else in Fairy Tail knows, a dark secret I've tried my hardest to hide.

Now it was starting to make sense. The conversation she and Liltotto had about their respective pasts must have been what was bringing out these bitter memories. She couldn't figure what else could have triggered them. Yes, she had talked about her past briefly before, but the moment she had shared with the blonde quincy had been quite personal. She slowly shook her head then as she got up from her chair. There was no point in trying to go back to sleep. Besides, the night was still young and plenty of fun left to be had.

She slowly walked into her hotel room than before she paused before a full-body mirror, turning around to get a good look at herself, clad in only her bikini. In the past, she would have worn her armor any time where she had begun to feel even the slightest bit of fear. It was like her security blanket in a manner of speaking. But ever since she had her faithful battle with Meifon and she had discarded her armor to win, Erza had come to rely on it less and less. If this had been before then, she had no doubt she would have put it on just to feel safe. But now...She didn't have that desire. Yes, those memories were uncomfortable, but she was not the scared child she had used to be. She was Erza Scarlet, the most powerful female mage in all of Fairy Tail, capable of defeating any foe with her blade.

Much to her dismay, however, she could still feel that small bit of fear within herself. She sighed then. No matter how much stronger one becomes, I suppose some fears never go away, do they? The powerful mage shook her head then as she assessed the situation. No, it wasn't just fear that she was experiencing. here was something else than fear...Something far worse in her mind. Even now, after all these years, I still can't forgive myself for leaving you all can I? Erza began to shudder then as she remembered those who she had left behind. Sho, Wally, Milleanna, Simon...I'm so sorry. Here I am enjoying myself while I left you all to die in that accursed tower. Her fists clenched then as she thought about it, the suffering they no doubt had to endure for all those years coming to the forefront of her mind. I...I don't deserve any of this. In the end, I'm just...Just-

Erza's thoughts were interrupted as 3 loud knocks could be heard against her hotel room. "Yo, Erza, you in there!?" Erza could tell it was Bambietta, the S class wizard having spent more than enough time with her to be quite familiar with her voice. "I got something to ask you," Bambietta announced from the hallway. the quincy knocking on the door once more. "Hello?"

"Bambi, be patient," Lucy told her, the wizard now wearing a sleeveless red dress exposing her back and long slender legs. "She could be busy with something else for all we know."

Erza quickly made her way to the door. She knew Bambietta had her moments of being needy, perhaps to a fault, but whatever she herself was going through, Erza was always willing to give a listen to those in her Fairy Tail family. It came with the territory of being Titania after all. Erza stopped then, her hand hovering over the door. She corrected herself then, feeling a moment of self-deprecation. I was too quick to judge. She may just want to hang out... though I don't know if I would make the best company right now.

Bambietta was about to knock on the door once more before she stopped. Perhaps she was being a bit to...forceful with how she was going about this. "If you're busy, I can talk later. I...I just wanted to know if you wanted to hang out with me and Lucy for a bit is all."

Erza lowered her head. Just as I thought, I was quick to judge. Erza shook her head and opened the door. "No, I'm not busy at all, Lucy, Bambi... Bambietta!" Erza's voice practically caught in her throat, the mage having been so distracted that she had faltered enough that she had cast aside her own self-inflicted formality and had used a nickname.

Most people would have probably just brushed off the accidental slip of the choice of name Erza had just used...but not Bambietta. You didn't live for over 50 years and become the self-proclaimed leader of a group of female quincys and not learn how to pick up on some subtleties. "Everything alright?" Bambietta asked.

Lucy's brow raised a bit in surprise as well. It did seem out of the ordinary for Erza to react like...this.

"Perfectly fine," Erza tried to say calmly enough, though she was still a bit shaken. "Absolutely wonderful. I... take it you two are enjoying the vacation so far?"

Bambietta was not one to be so easily tricked, however. She could still hear a slight shake in Erza's voice, even if it was very subtle. Still, she probably doesn't want to talk about what's bothering her. Asking what's going on again might end up making her mad...and that's the last thing I want. Bambietta thought. Even so...she wanted to do all she could to help. If she got banged up in the process, so be it.

"It's been really fun," Bambietta said with a grin. "It's the first time I've been to a beach. Got to say, I see the appeal." She then quickly looked back at Lucy then. "How's about you go down first? I'm gonna talk with Erza about my training for a sec, ok?"

Lucy could tell that something was going on, but decided to play along. "Sure thing. I'll try to get us a nice spot." She slowly made her way over to the elevator before she gave Bambietta one last look. I really hope you know what you're doing Bambi. As the elevator doors closed with the beautiful blonde now gone, Bambietta turned to face Erza.

Erza folded her arms across her chest. "Is something bothering you, Bambietta? I'm more than willing to help in any way I-"

"I don't think it's what's bothering me that matters right now," Bambietta said as she leaned against the open door frame. "I'm more worried about what's bothering you."

"The only thing that could bother me is the trouble my... my friends may experience," Erza said simply enough. "And even if something were to bother me and me alone, it would be my burden to bear." Erza took a deep breath. "The one who takes the title of Titania bears the burden of those who carry the mark of Fairy Tail. It shouldn't ever go the other way, Bambietta."

She's still hiding something. Bambietta thought as she looked at Erza, the quincy staring at the S class mage before she sighed. "Ok, fine, You don't have to tell me what's really going on. We all have our little secrets, and I can respect that." She walked over to Erza then however and placed a hand on her shoulder. "But you don't have to shoulder all that responsibility by yourself you know. Me, Lil, and Candi, as well as everyone else who came with us, we're all willing to do what we can to ease that burden of yours. So if you ever need help, if something's too much for you to handle alone...You can always depend on us."

It was weird to Bambietta, comforting Erza like this. Normally the situation was completely reversed, Erza having helped Bambietta out emotionally plenty of times in the past. But that only gave Bambietta all the more incentive to try to return the favor.

Erza was unsure of how to react. For so long she had projected to all others nothing more than strength. Pure unbridled strength. Both in power and in character. It had been to give others someone to lean on, to find inspiration in, but that had only been half of it. There was a selfish part, a part that tried to keep others at arm's length. Despite not having the desire to wear armor all of the time physically anymore, emotionally was another matter. And yet... they kept moving in closer nonetheless. Natsu, Bambietta, Liltotto... each of them kept inching forward as if trying to slip past the armor that guarded Erza's heart. She wished to remain guarded, but the dream had cracked that armor a little. And that was enough.

"Thank you, Bambietta Basterbine."

Bambietta couldn't help but chuckle. "No need to thank me, It's what I do. Now then, let's get going to the casino, shall we?" She then paused as she noticed Erza was still only wearing her bikini. "After you get changed I mean."

"Oh, this?" Erza said as she looked down at her current clothing or lack thereof. "This is a simple enough matter." Erza's entire body glowed for but a moment, and as the light faded, Bambietta could now see Erza's hair was now done up in a bun and was wearing opera gloves and a purple sleeveless dress with roses covering its entirety, and revealed her legs like Lucys had. "Well, how do I look?" Erza asked the quincy.

With an intense blush, Bambietta looked away, not wanting Erza to see her face turning red like a tomato. "Perfect, totally fine!" She stammered before quickly adding. "Anyways, let's not keep Lucy waiting!" The sooner she was with Lucy, the sooner her eyes could wander on something she wouldn't feel guilty about.

---

As Rukia and Wendy finished yet another ride at Akane resort's theme park, the regai had to admit that she was having much more fun than she had originally anticipated. While she knew that the world of the living back in her old dimension had plenty of places like this, it was the first time she had ever gone to one and she could already see the appeal. It was such a shame that most of the wealth of the gotie was kept confined to only the Seireitei and noble familys while the rest of the soul society practically lived in poverty. She was briefly reminded of why she had chosen to fight for Kageroza in the first place as these thoughts came to her head, but she quickly pushed them away. That was in the past, and she had a new life now. A new family.

It was getting late, however, and the sun was already slowly starting to set. Rukia had wanted to take the small dragon slayer back to their room before it was too dark, but Wendy had insisted on one more ride. Unable to find it in herself to deny the mage, she had accepted. However, just as the two of them were about to make their way over to their last ride, Rukia caught something out of the corner of her eye. Out in the beach, she could see Tototmaru, far from anyone else, swinging his sword in a style that seemed...familiar to her. Her curiosity peaked, Rukia looked over to Wendy.

"Wendy I need to check something out real quick. It'll only take me about 5 minutes. Could you please wait here while I check it out?"

"Sure, I can wait for a little," Wendy replied in her usual chipper tone. With her approval, Rukia used shunpo to appear near Totomaru as he took another swing of his blade. She could tell from how much he was sweating that the fire mage must have been at it for well over 20 minutes.

"You know, I was under the impression that people went on vacations to relax," Rukia said as she approached him. "Yet here you are training on the beach."

"I can't afford to get too comfortable," Totomaru said as he took another swing with his blade. "I don't want to risk getting rusty for even a minute. I have no doubt in my mind that my sensei would feel the same."

"Was he the one who taught you how to use that sword?" Rukia asked.

"He was," Totomaru replied as he swept his brow. "Out of all the people I've ever met, I've yet to encounter anyone stronger than him. I don't believe even master Makarov or Jose could hold a candle to him."

"Really?" Rukia responded with shock. "How on earth did you meet someone like that?"

Totomaru glanced at Rukia then, before he finally stopped swinging his sword. "It was over 10 years ago. I used to live on the outskirts of Fiore with my family back then. It was a small town, but it was peaceful. But...One day a silver Lynel came to our town and destroyed everything in its sight. The local guild tried to kill it, but they were completely wiped out. But before the creature was about to claim my life next...my sensei had arrived. With one mere swing of his sword, he slew the monster and saved us all. Soon after, I became his pupil and the rest is history."

"Your parents must have been very proud of you," Rukia told him. "You've become a very powerful mage."

Totomaru shook his head. "I wouldn't know...They were among the ones killed when the beast ravaged my village."

Rukia couldn't help but feel guilty for dragging up such painful memories of the past. "I'm sorry for your loss. It must have been hard."

"It was," Totomaru admitted. "But I've moved on from that pain. My sensei helped me realize that there was much more to life than the pains of the past. That with the power I had that I had a responsibility to use it wisely. When I joined phantom lord, I was so sure I had done just that...but I almost aided Jose with the destruction of Fairy Tail. For a while I thought I was in the right, that my master would never steer us wrong...but I was mistaken. I was so ashamed of what I almost contributed to I almost wanted to stop being a mage altogether... But...someone in the guild told me that was a mistake, and thanks to her, I've decided to stay. Now that I'm in Fairy Tail, I'll never make that mistake again."

"I'm sure you won't," Rukia told him. " I had a friend once who felt the same as you did. I was apprehended by him and my elder brother for a crime I had committed in order to save a family. They were both so sure that they were doing the right thing. In fact, even I agreed with the decision. But it soon turned out that we were all being used in the schemes of a madman who wanted to rise to the top. But we've all reconciled since, and have made strides to move forward."

"Well, I'm glad that you were able to work thing's out," Totomaru said as he then prepared to take another stance. "Now if you'll excuse me, I want to finish my practice for the day."

With a bow, Rukia had left her comrade on the beach to continue his sword training. However, she had seen more than enough to realize just what about it felt so familiar. There's no doubt about it. The regai thought as she made her way over to Wendy. That sword style of his was the same as the one taught at Shin'ō Academy. And that sword of his...I'm pretty sure that was an Asauchi! Just who trained you, Totomaru?

---

As it was to be expected the casino was extremely crowded, the loud noises of slot machines, cheerful glees, and frustrated yells filled the air. Like the beach she had experienced hours prior, this was the first time Bambietta Basterbine had ever experienced such a place. Colorful lights and people abound, Bambietta's eyes couldn't help but look around in wonder. "Man, this place sure is something." She commented.

Lucy nodded her head in agreement. "You could say that again, I wasn't expecting it to be so...big."

"It should come as no surprise," Erza said as she walked forward. "Akane resort has always prided itself in being the best tourist attraction in all of Fiore, naturally it must use all of its resources to emerge on top of the commerce battlefield!"

Someone's taking this a wee bit too seriously. Bambietta thought. Still, she could see from the glimmer in Erza's eyes that she was excited. Well, as long as she's having fun, who am I to stop her?

---

Bambietta wasn't the only quincy immersing herself in the casino's atmosphere though. Candice grinned as the roulette table she and Jade were playing at stopped, the ball landing on the number she had chosen. "Fuck yeah, that's a good 1500 jewel right there!" Candice exclaimed as she took her winnings.

"Are you going to play again?" Jade asked. Her green-haired companion had been lucky enough to keep on winning more money than she lost for the past hour or so. As it stood, the two of them had managed to win a grand total of 8000 jewel with their combined efforts. While Jade had been inclined to try her illusion magic on some of the matches they lost, she decided against it. There was no telling whenever Erza could show up and see what they were doing. She had been on the receiving end of Erza's wrath only once when they first met, and that was enough for her. Still, she was getting a little worried Candice was letting all of these victories get to her head. No one's luck lasted forever.

"Nah, I think we're good for tonight," Candice said.

"Really? You're gonna stop just like that?" Jade asked, surprised by Candice's decision. She thought she would have to strongarm Candice into leaving before they lost all their money.

Candice smirked before answering. "Here's the thing about gambling: the house will always win if you try to rob it. If you're in a rut, don't push. Pull. That's how they get ya. And if you win big, walk away."

"Well, I'm just glad you already know that," Jade said before she let out a sigh of relief. "I was not looking forward to losing all this cash."

"Oh come on, what kind of an idiot do you take me for?" Candice responded.

Not wanting to give an answer that could result in a slight shock, Jade pointed over to a nearby service bar. "Hey, let's go get some drinks, I think I say Gray and Juiva over there anyways."

"Now you're talking my language," Candice said as the two waltzed on over.

True to Jade's word, Gray and Juvia were indeed sitting together at the bar, the couple smiling as they shared a drink. For Gray, having a relationship with Juiva was an experience like none he had ever had before. For most of his life, the only women he had ever interacted with were those he saw as part of his family, be it his mentor Ur, or the other members of his guild. Juvia was the first woman that he had interacted with more than once who had an interest in him that went beyond that of the bonds of his guild. She loved him, and while her attempts of showing that love still could go over the top from time to time, he had to admit, by and large, he actually really enjoyed her company. She was a great cook for one and incredibly loyal and supportive to boot and overall, was a fairly kind person. Not to mention a very dependable ally in battle. He gave her a smile then as he finished one of his drinks. "Man, they weren't kidding when they said this place was amazing."

Juvia, on the other hand, had been in heaven ever since she had arrived with Grey. While he had sometimes pushed her away whenever she got too clingy, spending time with her beloved was always something she could enjoy. She shot him a smile of her own then as she looked around. "I agree, it's a perfect place for a nice getaway. I think we should come here again in the future."

"Now that's an idea I can drink to," Gray said as he took another slip, Juvia blushing slightly as her mind went wild with possibilities of the future. It's decided then, we'll come back here for our honeymoon!

---

On the other end of the casino, Natsu, Happy and Liltotto were currently trying their luck on a giant lotto ball machine, Natsu frantically pressing his number of choice as it went to work. "Seventeen, come on!" He yelled out.

"Don't be mean seventeen!" Happy was quick to add.

Liltotto watched on, one of her eyebrows raising as Natsu eagerly awaited for his number. Who would have thought Natsu would be into gambling? The petite woman thought. Normally, she wouldn't have bothered with such an activity, the quincy knowing that anything that relied too much on luck was something that ought to be avoided. It was just a waste of money in her eyes. However, she did still have her own reasoning for sticking around. Better make sure the knucklehead doesn't blow all of his money away. She may have loved him, but Liltotto knew Natsu wasn't exactly the brightest mage, and knowing just how reckless the dragon slayer could be, him losing all of his money was a very real possibility.

The numbers soon popped up, and at first, they all seemed to be what he was looking for, 2 of the 5 numbers needed showing 17...Only for the other 3 balls to show 6, 217, and 219 much to Natsu's shame. He pounded his hands against the machine in frustration then. "Hey, what's the big idea!?" Natsu yelled out.

"Curse you seventeen!" Happy yelled soon after.

Liltotto could only sigh as she watched on and slowly approached the two of them. "Hey, let's not go breaking the machine now, I don't think you want to lose any more cash than you already have."

"Yes, sir, please don't hit the machine." One of the casino employees asked.

"But it acted like it was gonna give me my number!" Natsu yelled back. "It's not fair!"

"Natsu, please," Liltotto spoke. "I'd really rather not see you be kicked out of here on the first night on everyone's vacation."

"Yeah, listen to your friend and cool your jets boy."

The three of them turned around, and nothing could have prepared them for what they saw. It was a man, sitting in a chair wearing a blue suit, red tie, and black oval-shaped sunglasses. All of that was normal enough, but his face...it looked like it was made out of blocks, as his chin, ears, and cheeks were entirely square!

Liltotto could only just stare at the man as her jaw dropped slightly. Ok, I know this is gonna sound hypocritical given I have a mouth that can stretch out and eat anything, but...That's just weird. She could tell Natsu and Happy were just as surprised as she was, their jaws also dropped in surprise.

"Now, either play nice like the rest of the grown-ups or hit the bricks you get me?" The man stated.

"You can relax, I won't let it happen again," Liltotto said. "I promise."

"With all due respect little lady, I don't know if I can just take your word for it." The man said before he looked at Natsu. "Now, I'm gonna give you some friendly advice, pal. In life, you got one of two paths to take."

"The heck are you talking about-" Before Natsu could finish, however, the man glowed and suddenly Natsu's hand's were encased in two giant circular orbs composed of blocks, pinning him against the machine, all the while the strange man's body was now floating, his lower half now missing, no doubt behind what was used to hold Natsu still. "Hey, what's your deal!?" Natsu demanded.

"You can either live a dandy life-" The man spoke as he pointed his right hand Natsu, the arm glowing for a brief second before it took on the appearance of a gun barrel, a laser sight now appearing on Natsu forehead. "Or you can die a jealous poser, you see?" He fired a bullet from his arm, the projectile almost hitting Natsu, only for a white-gloved hand to snatch it midair.

Liltotto frowned then as she stared at the man responsible, her hand dropping the bullet to the floor. "You just ruined the wrong person's vacation."

"Oh?" The strange-looking man said. "You really think you can-" Before he could even finish his sentence, Liltotto delivered a powerful right hook across the mans' face after using Hirenkyaku, causing him to fall to the floor as he gasped in pain. He slowly began to float back up in the air, only to be met by Liltotto's intense stare as she slowly made her way over to him. Just...who is the little lady?

"Ok blockhead, I'm not exactly someone with the biggest temper. You want to do your tough guy act on some asshole, fine by me." She stopped then as her bow formed in her hand. "But if you try to hurt Natsu...You're gonna have a bad time."

Her voice was mostly calm and controlled, but Natsu could hear a slight bit of anger in her voice and noticed her fists clenched with rage. The dragon slayer knew one thing for sure at this moment. This ain't gonna go well for poor blockhead.

---

As Liltotto's battle began to unfold, Ulquiorra Cifer was currently sitting in front of a slot machine, the arrancar staring blankly at the screen of the gambling machine as he focused on the task at hand. While building the sandcastle had been a bit more interesting than he had expected, the notion of "spontaneous fun" being a new concept for him to try to understand, this was something that he could truly focus his attention on. Back in Hueco Mundo, currency of any kind didn't exist. There was no point. It was an eat or be eaten world, where the weak died and the strong survived. But this world was different. Money was a necessity to obtain the basic functions of life, and with the power of the strongest wizards of the land unknown to him, stealing to survive or worse, was an unwise decision. His brief sparring match with Erza had at least proven that it would likely be more trouble than it was worth. Besides, he was aligned with Fairy Tail, and if there was one human trait he knew that he possessed it was loyalty. Thus, he had decided to spend the rest of the night trying to earn more than enough jewels to afford the basics of life for the foreseeable future.

The results were evident, the arrancar having obtained a large heap of coins by his chair, about 250,000 jewels worth in fact. While the machine may have proven difficult for the normal human to track, with his eyes and reaction speed the continuing changing symbols on the slot machine seemed to move as if they were in slow motion, the arrancar constantly managing to score triple 7's with each. He was just about to try once more when he sensed Levy slowly approaching. "Is something the matter?" He asked her without looking away from the slot machine.

"No, nothing's wrong," Levy said as she came in close. "I'm glad to see you having fun, but... you've been at that machine an awfully long time. I just hope you're not getting addicted is all."

"Addicted? What nonsense." Ulquiorra said as he tried the machine once more, pulling up a 7, and another 7...and a 6. His eyes widened as he looked closer at the screen. "I...don't understand. I'm positive that I pushed at the exact precise moment."

Levy put a hand down on Ulquiorra's own as it lay atop the lever. She was about to say something in regards to his losing, perhaps again, but then she noticed the amount of jewel he had in his possession, a clear sign of a winning streak. "Did... did I distract you?"

"Perhaps." He said. "But it matters not. I'll simply need to-" He stopped mid-sentence then as the surrounding area began to suddenly turn pitch black, even the lights from the slot machines fading into complete and total darkness. A power outage? The arrancar thought before he could sense something coming from the encroaching darkness. No, this is- "Stay close to me." He ordered Levy.

Levy did just that, slipping behind Ulquiorra even as he stood up. Though she wrote a simple word in the air beside him: Light. The five letters cut through the darkness as best they could and at least provides some light. However, slowly, even Levy's words, bright as they were, soon faded, completely obscured into darkness. "What?" Levy gasped. "What kind of magic is this?"

"It's magic of the dark lineage, Dark Moment." A masculine voice called out to the two of them. "I don't wish you cause you any harm, but I need you to tell me something very important. Listen, and you won't be harmed."

"And just what is your demand?" The arrancar asked.

"I want one thing, and one thing only." The voice called out to them. "Tell me, where is Erza Scarlet?"

"What?" Levy had been more than a little concerned over the situation, though hearing that question relieved her to an extent. "You've got to be out of your mind to come after Erza!"

"Do you know where she is?" The voice demanded.

"I see no reason as to why we need to heed your request." The arrancar was quick to say.

The man sighed within the inner darkness. So he would have to use force after all? So be it. Thing's were quickly getting out of control, but now wasn't the time to enact his plan against Jellal, not yet. For now, he still had a role to play. I'm sorry I have to hurt your friends Erza, but they've left me no choice. While he was sure he stood no chance in a straight-on battle, with his power knocking them unconscious with a sneak attack would be easy enough. He moved quickly through the shadows with his magic, appearing behind the two unsuspecting fairy tail wizards as his right hand was covered in dark magic. He punched as hard as he could, his fist just about to make contact with the back of Levy's head.

But it was not to be. The man's metal fist momentum was put to a full stop, a white hand grabbing it with ease as the arrancar slowly turned his head to face the man responsible. "So, you think the darkness is your ally? You've merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, raised in it. I have spent hundreds of years of my life facing far more powerful beings than you in endless darkness. The shadows betray you because they belong to me."

Ulquiorra casually threw the man then into a nearby slot machine, the darkness fading as he could now finally see what his assailant truly looked like. He was a taller, muscular man with black hair and a single black eye, the other covered by an eyepatch and a metal jaw, wearing a white cloth atop his head and a one-sleeved green shirt and black pants. He slowly got up to his feet then, his single eye wide in shock. That's impossible, no one has ever managed to block one of my attacks before!

"So what will you do now?" Ulquiorra said as he slowly walked over to the man. "Will you concede defeat and attempt to escape? Or will you foolishly continue to resist?"

The metal-jawed, one-eyed man continued to stare at Ulquiorra in terror, the arrancar continuing his slow approach. He slowly got up to his feet and took a gulp in fear. This guy...he's far more than anything we anticipated! Erza, just what kind of teammates did you make?! One thing was for certain. Things were not going according to plan.

---

Around the same time, Ulquiorra was beginning to deal with his own problem, as well as Liltotto, Bambietta, Lucy, and Erza had found a poker table to enjoy themselves at. It was decided that Erza and Bambietta would take turns as each game ended...But as Bambietta watched on, it was becoming quite clear that not only was a game of poker not at all like Yu-Gi-Oh like she had hoped it would be but also that Erza was clearly an expert when it came to playing poker, as she laid down her current hand of cards at the table.

Lucy couldn't help but agree. "Oh wow, check it out, you totally got a straight!"

Erza closed her eyes then, the woman unable to stop herself from smiling. "Looks like today is my lucky day."

"Yeah, you could say that again," Bambietta added in. Whatever problem had been bothering Erza had seemed to have disappeared entirely now. That suited Bambietta just fine, however. I'm glad she's managed to finally work things out. Seeing her like that earlier, it just felt...wrong. Erza was supposed to be the unmovable pillar of the guild, the one everyone could rely on, the one that Bambietta could always count on if things turned sour. But that was all the more reason why she had to do what she could for the mighty S class mage. Despite all of her power and will of steel, Erza was still only human.

Just then, a dark-skinned, blonde-haired man with a small S tattoo on the bottom of his jaw, replaced their old dealer and began to shuffle the cards as Erza took a sip of her drink. "I have a feeling this hot streak is just getting started," Erza spoke with confidence as she waited for her next game to begin.

"In that case, I got a special game for you folks tonight." The card dealer said as he began to deal out the cards to all the players. Erza looked down at the cards she had been given and her eyes widened as soon as she saw the cars that she had been dealt with, each one containing a single letter that spelled out the words "DEATH" in large letters. "And while we're at it, what do you say we raise the stakes a bit higher sister?" The card deal spoke to Erza, his mouth forming into a sinister grin.

Bambietta wasn't having any of it, however, her hand slamming down at the table as her eyes narrowed in anger. "You got a lot of nerve saying that kinda shit to members of Fairy Tail, let alone the queen of the faires, asshole!" She slowly turned her head then as she looked over to Erza. "You want to kick this guy's ass, or can I have the pleasure of-" Bambietta's smack talk was short-lived however as soon as she saw Erza's face. Gone was the proud and confident Erza that Bambietta had come to rely on time and time again. Before her now was a woman with her eyes wide with shock, and jaw agape. What's going on with Erza? This isn't her just being surprised, Bambietta thought. This is personal.

"It can't be. Sho, is that you?" Erza stammered, speaking as if she were looking at a ghost. Her voice was shaky, and lacking in its usual sternness. Once more did Bambietta's stomach churn from seeing the woman she had grown to admire being put through such emotions. One thing was clear to Bambietta though. These two had a history and not a pleasant one at that.

"Ah, so you do remember me," Sho said as he creepily stared back at Erza.

"You know him?" Lucy asked Erza.

"You're...you're still alive?" Erza asked him.

"Alive?" Sho said as he leaned in closer. "Why do you sound so surprised? Do you mean you expected me to just die in the tower?"

"Uh...I mean-" Erza's body was covered in sweat then, the powerful wizard left shaking in her dress as she continued to deal with the mysterious card dealer.

"You ok?" Lucy asked with concern. This was the first time Lucy had ever seen Erza so...worried. Not even the battle with Jose had left her this shaken.

Bambietta however had seen enough. Leaning forward across the table, she gave Sho a powerful shove with her right hand, sending him back several feet as she dropped down on the other end of the table, her eyes glaring at him with anger. "Ok fucker, I don't know what you and Erza went through in the past, and I don't give a damn what happened. What I do give a damn about is that you're clearly upsetting one of my closest friends, and there's no way in hell I'm gonna just sit here and let you get away with it. So how's about you get on out of here and fuck off, or else you'll be lucky to get out of this with just a broken nose and a pair of black eyes!"

The only reason she was even giving this asshole a warning and hadn't already commenced with a one-sided beating was to avoid paying an absurd fee to repair the casino. But if push came to shove, she wouldn't hesitate to knock Sho's lights out, regardless of the cost! No one messes with Erza like this and gets away with it! Bambietta thought as she clenched her teeth. She was rearing to go, and like a vicious animal, the only thing holding her back was a metaphorical collar and leash.

"Oh, you really think you can manage it?" Sho asked with a grin.

"Oh I know I can!" Bambietta said as she formed her sword into her right hand. "You're fighting way outside of your weight class, boy."

"Bambietta, that's enough!" Erza shouted at her before slowly looking down in sadness. "Please...He's an old friend."

"Old friend?" Bambietta said as she looked over at Erza, surprised that she was willing to stand up for the man before her. "You call this an old friend? Jesus, I'd hate to see what you consider an Ex-boyfriend!" She shook her head. "Look, whatever past you two had, It's no excuse for him freaking you out the way he has!" Before she could say anything, however, the lights went out, covering the casino in darkness. "Hey, what gives!?" Bambietta shouted. The darkness quickly faded, but as Bambietta got a better look at her surroundings, she could see that the crowd that had gathered around their table, as well as their other players and Sho, had completely vanished! "What the hell!?"Bambietta called out. "Where did everyone go!?"

"We're right over here!" Turning around behind them, Bambietta, Lucy and Erza could see Sho, slowly dropping his cards from his hands as he once again stared at them with a creepy expression, his eyes wide with a manic smile. However, it wasn't the act of him dropping the cards that were intimidating, but rather what was now being heard from the cards. It almost sounded as if people were crying out for help from the cards, and as Bambietta got a closer look, it appeared that was just the case. Everyone else that had been at the table was now seemingly trapped inside of the playing cards, the resort guests frantically screaming and pounding against the cards that they were trapped within. "Cool huh?" Erza's old friend stated as he held a card close to his head, the customer inside demanding to be let free.

"You've learned magic?" Erza gasped out before she shook her head. "Please, release them right now, they have nothing to do with this!"

"Oh, I don't think I will," Sho said as he shook his head. "You're not the only one with special powers anymore."

"Who even taught you to use magic!?" Erza demanded.

"Meow!"

Suddenly, a pink magical circle appeared underneath Lucy, and before Bambietta could do anything, her girlfriend was constricted by long orange rope, the blonde gasping out in pain as her body was tightly bound! "Bambi, help!"

"Damn it!" Bambietta cried out as she looked at Lucy. I was so focused on this poser that I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings! If the quincy was mad before, she was downright furious now! She was quick to turn around then and point her sword at the newest arrival. It was a woman now sitting on top of the poker table behind Lucy with medium light brown hair that had a small portion of it down up in cat ears, 4 red whiskers-like tattoos, wearing a yellow jacket, pink dress, and white leggings.

Bambietta growled in anger. With Lucy now bound by some strange magic, acting rashly could cost her dearly. For all Bambietta knew, the woman before her could simply tighten Lucys bonds so tight that she would snap like a twig. She had to be very careful with how she went about this...Try as she might, however, her anger was too much to control in regard to her next choice of words. "I am going to give you 5 seconds before I decided to cut off more than just that stupid haircut of yours! I'm thinking of starting with your damn legs!"

"Oh, that's not very nice." The strange cat-woman said as she slightly pouted.

"OF COURSE NOT, THAT'S MY FUCKING GIRLFRIEND YOU HAVE TIED UP!" Bambietta screamed. I'm the only one who should be allowed to do that! She thought angrily.

"Let her go!" Erza demanded. The woman simply shrugged her shoulders with her eyes closed, acting without a care in the world.

"Well, aren't you all rosy?" She said before opening her eyes. "It's been a while Erzy-Werzy."

Erza blinked for a moment before she was hit with the realization of who this woman was. "Millianna, you can use magic too!?" She then shook her head. That wasn't what mattered right now. "Please, you have to let them go! It's ok she's a friend of mine!"

Millianna stuck out her tongue then as she winked one of her eyes. "Meow, a friend huh?"

"We used to be friends of yours too remember? Good friends." Sho said.

"I...I do." Erza responeded in a meloncally tone.

"We were so close," Sho said as he got closer to Erza. "That is until you decided to betray us!"

Erza looked down in shame then, her entire body now visibly shaking as she clutched one of her arms.

Bambietta couldn't believe what she was hearing. Erza...Had betrayed her friends? Erza, the woman she had idolized? Erza, the woman she had trained with almost every single day with? Erza, the one who had saved her life almost a year ago? Erza, the one who had put her life on the line when Jose had threatened to destroy all of Magnolia for Lucy's sake? Erza, the woman who had always had faith in Bambietta whenever she had faltered? Bambietta's fists clenched in fury as she looked at Erza's former friends. No. I refuse to believe it! The quincy thought. Her fists stopped shaking in rage then, the quincy trying to keep herself in check before she finally spoke. "You're wrong."

"What did you say?" Sho asked as he turned around to look at Bambietta with anger.

"I'm saying you're full of bullshit!" Bambietta yelled back. "This right here is Titania Erza, the queen of Fairy Tail! Do you think she earned those titles by being someone who would betray her friends!? If you do, then I doubt you were ever real friends to her in the first place! She'd stick up for anyone, Fairy Tail or not! I mean... she stuck up for me when no one else would! When a whole world wrote me off! I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her! So don't... don't you dare go saying she's a traitor! I bet you people don't even know what it's like to be backstabbed by a friend! To truly have them screw you over! But I do and let me tell you, Erza would never do something like that!"

"Bambi..." Erza was slightly surprised to hear Bambietta coming to her defense so quickly. The scarlet-haired mage had assumed that such a revelation would have shattered the quincy's resolve due to the betrayal she had endured from her own friends. Erza knew better than almost anyone else in Fairy Tail much much that experience had traumatized Bambietta. For the quincy to still defend her despite all that, it brought slight tears of joy to Erza's eyes, bringing her comfort when she needed it most.

"What the hell do you know!?" Sho shouted at Bambietta. "You weren't there when she left us all to die to save her own skin! How could you possibly know what you're talking about!?"

"You're right, I wasn't there for any of that," Bambietta told Sho. "But I've seen enough of her to know the kind of woman Erza is. Even if by some chance that's the kind of person she was...That's not who she is now." Bambietta then smiled as she looked at Erza. "Because Erza...Is my inspiration!"

"I've heard enough!" Sho shouted before he tossed one of his cards at the quincy, the brunette now sealed within the playing card. Sho grinned then as he slowly walked over to Erza. "Now that we have that eyesore out of the picture, I think it's time we take care of business."

Bambietta, on her side of things, could only watch from within her card as Sho slowly walked over to Erza. Bambietta clenched her fists once more as her mind filled with rage. Damn these bastards, if it weren't for them taking Lucy as a hostage, I would have kicked their asses no problem! Now I'm stuck in this damn card for god knows how long! Attempting to break free was far from an impossibility, but what would she do then? Lucy was still in danger, and going in without a plan was far too risky. She was about to curse when she noticed two people off in the distance from her card prison. Two people who were more than capable of saving Lucy if given the right opportunity. All they needed was a distraction.

Fortunately for Bambietta, she had the perfect idea in mind.

Sho was only a few feet away from Erza as Lucy watched on in horror in her tight bondage. Her girlfriend and the best chance of getting out of this mess was now trapped inside of a playing card, and Lucy had no idea how long she would remain trapped. A few minutes, an hour? Forever? Each thought only brought her more despair as she looked at Erza, the woman she, much like Bambietta had also looked up to, not making a single attempt to stop what was going on. She was clearly in shock and not in her right mind. But even so, Lucy had to try something! "Erza, I know these guys are old friends of yours but you have to-" Lucy's words were caught in her mouth then, as the 4 wizards could hear a sinister chuckle coming from one of the playing cards.

" Hehehehe. Oh, you think something like this can hold me? That's cute."

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise then. I know that voice from anywhere, that's definitely Bambi! But...what's she trying to do?

Sho couldn't help but roll his eyes. "As a matter of fact, I do. No one has ever managed to escape one of my cards before, and you're no exception."

Bambietta couldn't help but grin within her card. "There's a first time for everything you know. But listen, because you're both old friends of Erza, I'm going to give you both just one last chance. Let my girlfriend go, and leave us alone, and I won't break every single bone in both of your bodies!"

"Meow, she's clearly exaggerating Sho!" Millianna said as she stuck out her tongue.

"That's obvious," Sho said as he looked down at Bambietta's card. "I can see now why you didn't play poker earlier, you're terrible at bluffing."

"Oh am I really?" Bambietta said as she flexed her arms down to where her elbows were now near her hips. "In that case, I'll just have to go wild!" Bambietta took a deep breath...and what followed was a scream that surprised everyone before her. Loud, and intense, her yell began to reverberate throughout the entire casino...and it wasn't stopping.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The ground shook then, the entire casino acting as if it were caught in the middle of a powerful earthquake. The floor tiles began to crack and shatter, and a powerful gust of wind began to come out from Bambietta's card. Lucy, Sho, and Millanna were all blown back by the gale of wind, Only Erza was able to stand her ground as Bambietta continued to scream. Erza's eyes widened in shock then as Bambietta's card slowly began to lift off from the ground. How powerful you have become...Bambietta Basterbine.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"

The floor tiles began to levitate off the ground then, small sparks of lighting emitting around the card as nearby ceiling lights and slot machine monitors began to burst all around them from the immense power coming from Bambietta! The wind only continued to get more and more powerful then, and while Bambietta still did not cease at her attempts to break free, the card slowly beginning to rip as her wails continued.

"What on earth?!" Sho shouted as he tried to get to his feet. 'What the hell is she!?"

"That's Bambietta Basterbine!" Lucy shouted at Sho as she smiled with pride. "My beautiful, psychotic, and explosive girlfriend! And you've just pissed her off!"

"This isn't real, this can't be real!" Millianna screamed.

"HHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Finally, the card erupted into a pillar of light, blinding everyone who was watching the special and forcing them to cover their eyes. As they began to slowly lower their hands from their eyes, the group of 4 saw none other than Bambietta Basterbine standing before them, a confident grin plastered all over her face. "So, what was it you were saying about me bluffing?"

"You're...You're a monster!" Sho shouted at Bambietta as she slowly made her way over to them.

"Only to those who piss me off," Bambietta said as her eyes wandered over to the bound Lucy. "And you two have most certainly done that! But don't worry-" Bambietta slowly looked over to Sho and Millianna as her smirk soon turned into one of her terrifying smiles. "I fully intend on returning the favor. Tenfold."

"Don't even think about coming any closer!" Millianna said as she stood over Lucy. "Not unless you-"

"Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!"

In less than a fraction of a second, the cat woman was frozen solid, only her head remaining unfrozen! "Hey! No fair!" She cried out.

"Why you little-" Sho began to get his cards ready, but before he could do anything it was too late, Bambietta having used Hirenkyaku to close the distance before she punched Sho across the face, breaking his nose and causing blood to splatter all over the floor. He fell on his back and tried to get up, but Bambietta was already on top of his and slammed his head against the ground before she punched him again and again and again and she had no intention of stopping anytime soon.

Sho tried to push her off with his right hand, but Bambietta grabbed it with her own hand and was just about to break his arm...before her eyes caught sight of a saddened Erza. Bambietta slowly got off of him, the quincy sighing as she did so. "You have no idea how lucky you are that Erza doesn't want to see you guys get hurt, otherwise you would have a lot more than a broken nose to worry about."

"I'm glad you were able to show some self-restraint," Rukia said as she and Wendy walked over to them. "For a second I thought I was gonna have to pull you off of him."

"Well, I guess I've chilled out since we fought over the giant rabbits," Bambietta said as she looked at Rukia. "Thanks for the save, but how did you know I needed the help?"

"I sensed several of our friend's spiritual pressure spike while we were enjoying the amusement park, so we figured we would investigate It would appear we made the right choice," Rukia answered.

"You can say that again," Bambietta said before she looked over to Wendy. "You can start healing this guy's nose. Something tells me Erza would like that fixed pronto."

Wendy smiled as she knelt down next to Sho. "You can count on me, Bambi!" Her hands began to glow then, the dragon slayer doing what she could to repair the damage Bambietta had done.

Erza let out a sigh of relief she hadn't known she had been holding in as Bambietta began to restrain her old friend as Wendy healed him. She may not have condoned their actions, but they were still people she cherished. Still, it was hard to believe that the people she was so close to many years ago could have ever turned out like this. No. It's not their fault. Erza thought as she watched on. Given their situation...It only makes sense that they would think that I betrayed them. She clenched her fists then as tears began to fall from her eyes. If I was just stronger, if I could have stopped Jellal from going mad, then none of this- Erza's thoughts were interrupted then as she felt a hand grasp her left hand. Turning her head down, she saw none other than Liltotto, giving Erza a look of concern as she stared up at her.

"It's gonna be ok," Liltotto said as she then moved in to hug Erza. "I don't know what's going on right now...but I'm here for you. We all are." The only time Liltotto had seen Erza remotely this upset was when she had told the quincy about her as a slave on the ride over. But tears!? This was the first time Liltotto had seen Erza in such a state, and she was quite positive Natsu hadn't either, the dragon slayer staring in a mixture of confusion and anger as he watched Erza cry while he dragged the beaten Blockhead behind him.

Erza, not knowing what to do, could only respond by hugging the petite blond woman. What had started as a fun getaway had quickly devolved into a bitter trip down memory lane. But even so...she was beyond grateful for the support she was given. "Thank you, Liltotto."

Bambietta, meanwhile, was looking down at Lucy with a smile. "As much as I do love seeing you tightly bound in that fancy dress of yours, I think you'd prefer not being slowly squeezed to death." With a quick slash of her sword, Lucy's ropes were soon cut, and the blonde was quick to give Bambietta a hug.

"I knew I could count on you," Lucy said before she gave Bambietta a quick kiss on the cheek. "My knight in shining armor."

"Oh, I wouldn't thank me just yet," Bambietta said as she looked at the destroyed lights, tiles, and slot machines. "Something tells me the damage I just did is gonna dig more into our budget than my little gambling spree ever was."

"Forget that," Lucy said as she closed her eyes and touched her forehead against Bambietta's. "You did what you had to do. That's what matters."

"I see that you dealt with your own assailants as well." Bambietta and Lucy were quick to turn around then, Ulquiorra and Levy making their way over to the rest of them as he carried a man on his shoulders as if he were a sack of potatoes.

"You guys got attacked too?" Natsu said as he tossed the block man atop of Sho before he quickly dusted his hands. "And here I thought it was just my bad luck."

"Highly unlikely," Ulquiorra said as he was quick to toss his own opponent on top of the Sho and the Blockheaded man before quickly turning his head over to Erza. "I believe that they all came here with the purpose of retrieving Erza Scarlet."

Erza was about to respond until she recognized the other two people that Ulquiorra and Natsu had tossed way, The red-headed woman's eyes widening once more. "It can't be...Wally? Simon?"

"More old friends of yours?" Bambietta asked, her eyebrow raised

"Old friends?" Liltotto was quick to look up at Erza once again, though this time her face was one of confusion.

"Aw man, looks like we missed the party," Candice said as she and Jade slowly strode over, Gray, Juvia, and Totamru not far behind. "Sensed some shit going on and thought it would be best if we checked it out."

"Yeah well, you just missed it," Bambietta said before she grinned. "You should have seen it though, I was going all Dragonball Z on their asses!"

"My, you really haven't changed a bit, have you Miss Basterbine?"

Bambietta's eyes widened in surprise, the quincy quickly recognizing the voice from her time in the vandenreich. It was clear to Bambietta from Candice's and Liltotto's reaction that they too recognized who the voice was from, but before they could do anything to sense where it was coming from, Erza was instantly trapped within what could be best described as a cage made out of reishi. Liltotto was simultaneously pushed away from Erza, the cage seeming to exert a force powerful enough to force Liltotto to let go. "Erza!" Liltotto cried up as she quickly got to her feet.

"What? What is this?" Having enough of her night being ruined, Erza quickly formed a sword in her hand and swung it hard at the energy cage, fully intending to break free from it, but it was not to be, the sword clashing harmlessly against the cage. Erza's eyes widened in surprise, the wizard not expecting the cage to be so durable. She was about to try once more with one of her stronger armors until Bambietta called out to her.

"Don't bother trying to break out of it Erza!" Bambietta yelled. "The damn thing is practically indestructible. It's better you try to save your magic for when I kick the ass of the one responsible!"

"Oh is that really how you're going to speak to an old friend? I'm hurt Miss Basterbine." Jumping down from the ceiling above, a man soon fell before them, landing on his feet with grace. He had short black hair and wore large round glasses with a red tint and golden frames, as well as a hat similar to Bambietta's, only this one still had the vandenreich symbol on it. His jacket was also like that of Bambietta's, and he wore white trousers and white boots. "Still, it seems Master Jellal was right to send in me and Death's Head Caucus to do the job properly." As he said this, 12 cloaked figures landed behind him, the appearance of each one completely obscured.

"Death's Head Caucus?!" Levy gasped. "But... they're one of the most dangerous assassination guild in all of Fiore!"

"Are you serious!?" Lucy said before she took a gulp. Why couldn't we have just had a normal vacation!? Lucy screamed internally.

Liltotto and Candice however, were much more focused on the man in front of them.

"Is that-" Candice began to ask before Liltotto interrupted.

"Yeah, it's him alright. I'd recognize that Nazi-looking bastard from anywhere."

Bambietta could only scoff at her old ally showing his face. "Yeah, well you and your assassination guild can go and fuck off, Quilge Opie."

---

Well, I'm sure most of you weren't expecting to see him during this arc, and you can better believe he won't be the only one! Considering the large cast I decided to have tagged along for the Tower of Heaven I felt it absolutely necessary to bring more than just Trinity Raven, as well as much sooner, so I simply decided to bring the entire guild of Death's Head Caucus. Admittedly, Quilge is less working for them and more for Jellal, but it certainly does even the odds.

I've left some mysteries throughout this chapter though and I hope you were able to pick up on all of them. If not, however, don't worry, they'll all have a role to play in this very arc so what I'm alluding to will become very apparent.

I do hope that you've all enjoyed this chapter, and I am eagerly awaiting to receive your reviews to hear what you all thought.

Till next time!