Erza, clad in her Heaven's Wheel Armor, deflected another blade sent at her neck and jumped back, landing right next to Juvia, who continued to clutch her injured shoulder.
"You okay?" asked the redhead.
Juvia nodded. "Yeah."
Their opponent, despite being a child, was quite a formidable one. Using a magic not yet known to Erza, she continued to create blades out of thin air, which she used to send in waves at her opponents, forcing them to dance to her will. One thing was certain – it was not Requip.
"How did she even cut you?" asked Erza with the corner of her mouth.
"She didn't." replied Juvia and showed her clean, uninjured skin, rendering Erza confused. "The pain is still there, but there is no wound. It's almost as if she directly hit my nerves."
"In other words, her magic might target our senses, instead of bodies." deduced Erza. "How troublesome."
Meredy, who kept both women at bay for quite a while now, raised her eyebrows a bit and aimed her right hand at Erza, new blades forming behind her figure. "As expected of Number Six, you surely live up to your reputation."
Erza was once again forced to deflect and dance right in the middle of a storm of blades. "You keep calling us by are they for?!" she asked after blocking 4 blades at once.
"My personal list of people to kill. Though, it is shared by other members of the guild. The higher the number, the more dangerous and important the target." explained the girl. She then used her other hand to attack Juvia, who turned her body into water, only to be struck by several blades at once, all of them making her scream in agony.
"Juvia!" called out the knight. She was starting to get worried over her friend. She was not showing even a glimpse of the strength she used during the exam. If she hadn't known her better, Erza would have assumed the girl simply lost her motivation after failing the exam, but that was not the case. The young age of their opponent was a very probable cause of this situation.
Erza clenched her teeth and broke all of the blades at once, before dashing at the Kin, who summoned two new blades and used them to defend herself from the redhead. "I'm Sixth? I have to say, I'm quite curious of who's above me." she smirked mockingly and tried to kick Meredy, who jumped away, summoning more blades while in the air. Truth to be told, she really was curious – she wanted to know who was in bigger danger than her.
"Fifth is Laxus Dreyar, although he appears to no longer be on the island." answered the girl. "Fourth is Salamander. Gildarts is Third, though just like Laxus, he's not here. Makarov is Second, but he has already been bested by Master Hades."
Erza blinked in confusion and deflected another wave of blades. "Master is second? Who do you consider to be more dangerous?"
"Gray Fullbuster is First." said Meredy in an emotionless tone and conjured new weapons, this time in the shape of bow arrows.
Now Erza was lost. "Why Gray?!" she asked and jumped in the air to avoid the arrows.
"I told you, didn't I? The list was personal, so obviously, for personal reasons." replied Meredy and snapped her fingers, which caused the arrows to change their trajectory and follow the knight, who was forced to summon multiple blades of her own to deflect them. She commanded her blades to knock the arrows down and threw her main sword at Meredy, forcing her to slip her head to the right to avoid being stabbed through the head.
"You're quite a ruthless one, Titania." noted the Kin, taking her eyes off the blade and shifted them back to Erza, who was now right in front of the girl.
Catching her by surprise, the redhead grabbed Meredy by the collar and right wrist, before throwing her over her right hip and pinning her to the ground, her left knee secured on girl's lower back, her right arm bent backwards.
"Distractions ought to be believable." said Erza and Requipped back to her Heart Kreuz Armor. "You okay?!" she called out to Juvia, who gave her a faint thumbs up from the water. "Now..." she began and increased the pressure of her hold, grinding Meredy's cheek into the ground beneath the shallow water. "Why are you targeting Gray? Answer me."
Her only answer was an empty glare from the Kin, who materialised multiple blades around both of them, all aimed at Erza. The knight was forced to release her opponent and jump away to avoid critical damage. Meredy slowly stood up and cleaned her clothes off dirt.
"You appear to misunderstand me, Sixth. Our goal is to kill anyone bearing your insignia, Gray Fullbuster is merely my primary target during this mission." said the girl and commanded her blades to attack Erza once again.
Before the redhead could react in time, the weapons were shattered by a tall wall of water, courtesy of Juvia who was now back on her feet. Reality slowly started to sink for Erza, cold sweat forming on her forehead. She forgot who was standing beside her this entire time.
"Juvia, calm down! Don't do-" she tried to reason with the bluenette, but it was unnecessary. Juvia's face was calm, albeit determined and focused, her eyes stuck on Meredy.
"I'm fine, Erza." she said and walked past her. Her voice was as calm as her face. "I'll deal with her. You should go and help the others."
Meredy frowned. "Don't push your luck, Thirteen."
Juvia ignored the remark and looked at Erza. "Trust me, I'll be fine. Go, now."
Although hesitant, Erza nodded and left the scene, much to Meredy's annoyance. "I shall deal with her as soon as I step over your lifeless corpse." she threatened, paining Juvia dearly. Seeing a girl as young as her talk this way hurt her. Truth to be told, she didn't want to be here, she didn't want to do this, the nightmares she's been having for the past weeks reappearing before her eyes, but right now, none of that mattered.
She would fight for what she deemed dear to her heart.
"I told you to wait!" roared Mest, his patience wearing thin. For the past couple minutes, he continued to call after Natsu and Lucy, who ignored him. Well, Natsu did. Lucy kept giving the Councilman short looks, as he continued to follow them, dragging the lacrima behind him.
"Hey, Natsu...maybe we should listen to him." she said nervously, feeling slightly pitiful for the man.
"I've already told him we can talk on our way back to the camp. Not my fault he'd rather call for us, than talk." answered Natsu and ducked under a massive tree branch.
"Well, yeah..." insisted the blonde, also ducking under it. "But whatever it is, it might be too important to be talked about while on move."
After giving it a short thought, Natsu sighed deeply through his nose and stopped, allowing Mest to catch up to them.
"What do you want?" he asked the Councilman.
Mest bent over and placed his hands to catch his breath. "I came to warn you...and I come with a proposition..." he wheezed out.
"What do you mean?" asked him Lucy.
"Come with me. Leave this island," proposed Mest. "We can provide you with means necessary to get out of here, and leave all of this behind. No, this isn't even a proposition, you must do it! As soon as you can!"
"We've got injured people, and not all of us have been found yet. We can't just leave like that. If that's all you wanted, leave us alone." said Natsu and turned back around.
"So I presume you have a better idea, then?!" snapped Mest.
"Yeah, I do." replied the Dragon Slayer. "Defeat the enemy and secure the island once again."
Mest shook his head. "You can't. Even if you dispose of the Seven, there's still their Master, not to mention Bluenote."
"Bluenote?" repeated Lucy.
"Bluenote Stinger, a former army commander, known for his destruction and cruelty. He's been defected for killing his subordinates and turned into a mercenary, currently working with Grimoire Heart. They say wherever he goes, he levels the area, and leaves dozens of bodies behind."
"We'll take our chances." said Natsu and started to walk away.
Mest clenched his teeth. "You missed this, haven't you? Running wild with no consequences what so ever, no one to stop you. You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
Natsu stopped walking and looked behind his shoulder, his stare making Lucy's hair stand on their own.
"You shouldn't even be here, Salamander. Let me remind you, that all we need is one tiny misstep to send you back to your cell, where you belong." continued Mest, letting his emotions speak for him.
Natsu quickly walked up to the man and pressed his forehead against his, piercing him with his glare. "Are you threatening me?" he growled.
"I'm trying to save you, but so far you're simply making it more difficult." answered Mest and pressed back. "You're letting your feelings control you."
Lucy walked in-between both men and separated them, which came with great difficulty. "Stop arguing!" she scolded them. "How exactly do you want to help us? And what is that thing?" she pointed at the lacrima.
Mest calmed down a little and explained. "It's a communication lacrima, from our main ship. It's the only one operating, at least for now. My Commander wanted to contact the Council and use Etherion on the island, that's why I wanted you all to leave it and come with us."
Lucy's eyes widened with terror. "Etherion?! You mean the weapon that can destroy whole nations?"
"Yes, that Etherion." nodded Mest. "With Grimoire Heart and Zeref in one place, they wouldn't even blink if killing you meant getting rid of both of them."
Lucy covered her mouth, while Natsu remained skeptical. "So you're trying to tell that you, a spy, want to save the very guild you've been trying to destroy for some time now?"
"Yes, yes I do." shot back Mest. "I may have been sent here to find evidence that could be used to disband your guild, but believe me or not, despite all that, there are still people in this guild I truly care about. People I do not want to see being obliterated simply for bearing a guild mark that is not liked by those with more power."
This seemed to have hit Natsu, whose eyes softened. "Alright." he said quietly. "How much time do you think you bought us?"
"An hour, maybe two, tops. I stole the only lacrima that was whole, but they might get other one working in no time."
"Good enough. We're not too far from the camp, you can tell us more details on our way there. For now..."
Natsu lit up his fist and smashed the giant lacrima into tiny bits. "You don't have to drag this thing around, we have no time. Let's pick up the pace." he said and started to run back to the camp, with Mest and Lucy following behind him.
Not long after, Lucy's holster lit up, with Loke coming back to her, as promised. "Natsu, Loke's back! And he's saying he got us an ally!"
Natsu looked at her, confused. "Which one was Loke again?"
"Seriously…?"
"Let me get this straight." said Cana and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You are Fairy Tail's First Master, who's been long dead, and you've been residing on this island ever since your death, right?"
"Yes." nodded Mavis, her smile still the same.
"And you're a ghost, and you are now speaking to me." continued Cana, dragging out the syllables to showcase just how ridiculous this was, only to receive a nod once again. "I give up." sighed the girl, her arms falling to the sides and slapping her hips with dull echo.
"Well, technically, I am not a ghost. This is my spectral form. I am made out of pure magic, more specifically my magic." corrected her Mavis, still amused. "But, I do have to say, you're handling it much better than I thought you would."
Cana looked at the girl and sighed in annoyance. "So, was this supposed to happen? The group that found your grave was supposed to meet you or something?"
Mavis shook her head. "No, I didn't even know there was an exam going on. I was woken up by something else." she added, her expression growing serious. So did Cana's.
"Grimoire Heart?" she asked with a scoff.
"Technically, yes, but one person in particular caused my awakening. Grimoire's Master is an old friend of mine, someone who is known by Makarov as well."
Cana's eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"
"His name is Precht, though right now, I am certain he goes by a new name. He was Fairy Tail's Second Master, my successor, and Makarov's old teacher." continued Mavis. "He left the guild 48 years ago, and fell into the depths of darkness during his travels, which led to the creation of Grimoire Heart."
"As useful as this may be, why are you telling me this?"
"Because I'd like you, and the guild, to stop him. That's the main reason I've appeared before you."
"Can't you do it yourself?" frowned Cana. "If he's your friend, you should deal with him."
"I have tried to reach him, many times. Our last meeting almost ended in my second death. As bizarre as that sounds..." she scratched her cheek with a nervous smile.
"So, even a ghost can die, huh?"
"I can be seen by those bearing the guild's mark. Despite everything that happened, Precht has yet to erase his. If he were to see me, yes, he could destroy me, rendering me unable to return to this world."
Cana gulped. "So, what do you want me to do?"
"There is a certain spell I can bestow onto you. It can be handled only by those with enough potential, big magic power reserves, solid decision making and the heart to use it at the right moment." said Mavis.
"And how exactly do you know I fit in all of these categories?" asked her Cana with a raised eyebrow.
"Consider it a hunch." smiled the spirit. "Besides, I have been watching your recent confrontation, and you have proven to fit within these requirements." all of a sudden. her expression grew stern, scolding even. "The guild is in grave danger. If you care about them, you will accept this spell. Do you wish to see them die?"
Cana's eyes narrowed. "Of course I don't, what kind of a question is this?" she asked, offended.
"Then give me your hand. Stop giving me attitude and let me help you."
The brunette stared at the spirit. "Are you sure this will help me turn the tides around?"
"I'm positive. You may have trouble bringing out the full potential of this magic, but if you concentrate well enough, you will be the key in our victory. It is a very difficult spell, one you will definitely struggle with. But I will help you as much as I can."
Cana inhaled loudly through her nose. "Fine. I accept it. What should I do?"
Mavis' expression has grown serious. "Clench your teeth, this will not be pleasant."
Cana was already regretting her decision.
Levy moved some of the branches aside with her left hand and sighed internally in relief at the sight of a familiar tent, or rather, its remains. This relief did not last for long, as her eyes came in contact with the sight of a crying Lisanna, who continued to bandage her unconscious and severely injured sister.
The younger Strauss reacted to the footsteps and quickly stood up, ready to fight, only to soften her frown upon seeing the familiar figures. "Levy, Gajeel!" she called out to them and ran up to the Dragon Slayer to support his other side.
"Leave me, I'm fine." he waved her off and plopped onto a nearby stone, gritting his teeth in pain from his wounds. "What the hell happened here?" he asked and looked around the area.
The camp was now residing right next to a giant crater, the soil inside of it scorched and still gently burning. Trees and other tents were in pieces, scattered all over the area.
"One of Grimoire Heart came here and tried to kill us. Mira tried to fend him off, and she almost got him, but because of me..." Lisanna tried to relay what happened, but broke down, feeling guilty of her sister's injuries.
Gajeel growled quietly and stopped pressing the girl. Instead, he called out to Levy. "Hey, stitch me up. We don't have time to waste."
Levy blinked in confusion. "Stitch you up? You need far more than that! We should wait until Wendy comes here, and then-"
"We don't even know where she is, and the sooner you close it, the sooner I can go out there again!" he yelled at her, his patience growing thin.
Levy was about to speak up, but was interrupted by rustling in the bushes, with beaten up Elfman coming out of them, unconscious Evergreen in his arms.
"Gajeel? Levy?" he asked, confused. He then spotted his sister. "Sis?! What the hell happened?!"
"Grimoire Heart." replied shortly Gajeel. "You?"
Elfman bit his lower lip. "Same." he said and gently placed Evergreen on the ground, before going to Mira's side. He gently grabbed her hand and gave it a light squeeze, before starting to shake. "I'm pathetic. I failed to defeat the intruder, I let him mock me and our guild, I let my partner end up like that...and I was not by my own sister's side when she needed me the most. I am scum."
"Shut the fuck up."
Gajeel's stern words woke him up from his trance and forced him to look at the now standing Dragon Slayer.
"You got your ass beat, and now you're gonna cry like a bitch? I thought you were the one saying how manly you are, but turns out it was all worth jack shit." continued Gajeel, as he stared Elfman down.
"Gajeel, that's enough!" intervened Levy and grabbed his arm, only to be forcefully shaken off.
"You have two choices. You can either stay here and cry yourself to sleep, or suck it up, accept the fact you got your ass beat, and make sure you pay the bastard who did this to you and your family tenfold. I sure as hell am not going to spend my time whining like a bitch, like you are right now." said the Dragon Slayer. "Same goes for you." he added, his eyes now on Lisanna. "Patch her up, wipe your face and make sure those bastards regret they came here."
"I said that's enough!" Levy tried to intervene once again, but was stopped by Elfman, who grabbed her hand.
"No, he's right." he said quietly and stood up, wiping his eyes. "I let the frustration get to me. You're right, Gajeel. I'll take a short break, and get back on that arrogant bastard, I swear it." he proclaimed, his eyes once again burning with resolve.
Levy looked at the scene and sighed. She simply could not understand men, no matter how hard she tried.
Gajeel smirked at his guildmate. "That's the spirit." he said, before punching Elfman in the gut, effectively rendering him unconscious.
Levy's jaw dropped to the ground in shock, and so did Lisanna's. "What the hell are you doing?!" they both screamed and rushed to the downed giant.
"I put him to sleep. In his current condition, he'd only get his ass beat again." explained Gajeel, with a tone as carefree as if he was describing the weather.
"You are in a much worse condition than he was!~"
"Maybe, but at least I won my fight."
As the pair continued to argue, Lisanna caressed her brother's forehead and smiled gently. "I guess he's right. We both have a long way ahead of us." she whispered to him, before reaching out for fresh bandages.
"Either way..." said Gajeel, his voice louder than Levy's. "Let's stay here for a bit and wait for others. If they don't come, we'll move out. This is the only location everyone is familiar with, at least from what I remember. We'll smash anyone who comes near us, so keep your eyes open."
Levy sighed in defeat and opened the medkit, preparing needle and the stitch.
'Send me out."
"That's out of the question."
"Why the hell not?"
Hades sighed from behind his wine glass and put it down on the dining table. "Because if you go out there, this fun day will quickly come to an end. Let the kids spread their wings, you've had enough fun as of recently. Learn to share, Bluenote"
Bluenote groaned and sat back down in his chair. "The trips I had to make were more fun than my jobs. You always leave me out of serious ones, old man. It's really annoying."
"You are far too reliable for your own good. Perhaps if you were a little bit weaker, you'd take part more often." remarked Hades and sipped from his glass.
Bluenote leaned across the table. "What if I hold back?"
"Even that renders you above anyone that guild has to offer. If you are that bored, you can guard the ship. Surely at some point, someone will crawl in here. If those kids inherited even a small bit of Makarov's will; they will come to us, only to be devoured by the Demons." shot him down Hades.
Bluenote sighed through his nose and stood up, before applying pressure onto the table with his hand. The ship has immediately started to shake, much to Hades' irritation.
"Could you not do that?" he asked him. Couple seconds later, the door to the hall opened, with a soldier running inside, before bowing down.
"Master Hades, I'd like to report, that the ship is slowly sinking-"
"I am well aware of that." replied the elder and signalised the henchman to leave, which he did with pleasure. "I'm serious, Bluenote, cut it out."
The man looked at him in confusion. "Why? If we stay underwater, it'll be harder to find us, and I can head out to have my fun."
"Even if you do that, my decision will not change."
Bluenote scoffed and removed his hand, the ship returning back to its original position. "Two kids are down. If another one goes, I'm going in. Whether you like it or not. Remember, I'm just a merc. Your rules don't really apply to me." he proclaimed, before leaving the room.
Hades looked at the door and sighed, before finishing his glass of wine. "It appears you are about to lose your last shards of hope, Makarov. I apologize. Even I am unable to control him at times."
Meredy growled in fury, her blades once again deflected by water. "Why do you stand against me, Thirteen? Where did this strength come from?!" she roared and conjured more weapons.
Juvia raised her hands to the sides, before crossing them before the chest. Two giant waves appeared on both sides of Meredy, trapping her in-between them, her blades shattered like glass. The girl emerged from the trap, coughing and aching, and fell to her knees, glaring at Juvia with pure hatred.
"Allow me to ask you a question of my own." said Juvia. "Why do you wish to kill Gray?"
"Why do you care?"
"He's someone I hold very dear. I cannot simply let you walk past me and kill him."
Meredy grit her teeth and stood up. "The person you hold dear hurt someone that is dear to me. It is only natural I seek revenge for this, is it not?"
"And what exactly is it that he's done?" asked her Juvia, her tone unchanging.
Meredy hesitated for a moment. "He killed Ultear's mother, someone whom I owe my life to. He made her suffer, and for that, I will make him suffer with double the strength."
Juvia's eyes narrowed. "You want revenge."
"Precisely. Now, I suggest you move out of the way, if you wish to die quickly."
"Where have you found out about that incident? Who told you that?" asked Juvia. She refused to believe these words.
"Ultear did. She told me everything that happened, she cried to me about it. For hurting the woman I love with all my heart, he will die. Now move."
"I won't. I won't let you get past this point."
Meredy clenched her teeth and materialised two dozens of blades, before throwing them all at Juvia.
MAGUILTY RAYS!
Juvia raised her arm and pointed them at the blades.
WATER SLICER!
Multiple drills of water emerged from behind her, meeting and shattering the blades into small balls of light. Meredy growled in fury and conjured two blades, each for her hand, and dashed at Juvia, who replied by moving forward as well. The rain woman clenched her right fist and submerged it in a ball of water, which she used to strike Meredy's exposed stomach. The girl gasped and got blown back, her weapons dispelling.
While in the air, the Kin threw more blades at Juvia, who blocked it with a tall wall of water, that then fell back to the water, revealing an uninjured Juvia.
"Is defending the only thing you can do?" taunted Meredy.
Juvia slowly shook her head, her eyes closed. "I simply do not wish to fight you."
"Then let me go."
"I cannot do that."
Meredy inhaled dangerously, her hands shaking from anger. "Why do you insist on getting in my way?! Why will you not fight me?! What is your deal?!"
"Because when I look at you, I am reminded of myself!" Juvia roared back, surprising the girl. "I also allowed emotions to get the better of me, and because of that, I have done something unforgivable! Just standing before you is painful to me! I've let myself be manipulated and blinded by hatred, the way you are now!"
"None of that is my concern." coldly shot her down Meredy. "I will kill Gray, sooner or later. I am not being manipulated into anything, I am doing this out of my own will."
"And I will not let you do it." shot back Juvia, her voice also cold. "If I wanted to hurt Ultear, you wouldn't let me do it either, wouldn't you?"
"No. I would have killed you on spot."
"Then we both have something in common. We both wish to protect our loved ones. It appears we've hit a wall."
Meredy glared from behind her bangs. "Do you really think you can play with my mind like that? Unfortunately for you, I can easily determine how you really feel."
"Go right ahead. I've told you nothing but truth."
Meredy narrowed her eyes and swiped her fingers to the side.
SENSORY LINK!
A pink, glowing bracelet appeared on both of their hands, connecting them.
"My magic allows me to connect my senses with other people. Lying to me is pointless – I can always tell the truth." declared Meredy.
Juvia looked at her wrist, and then back at the Kin, unphased by the statement. She trusted her heart.
This annoyed Meredy, who peeked deep into the connection, eager to catch Juvia's lie. "Now then, let's expose you for the fraud you are…"
Against her wishes, what she was hit with was not something she expected. Guilt. Lots of it. Mixed with love, to someone who's been imprinted on her mind for years now as the embodiment of hatred.
"W...what is this..." she muttered, confused.
"I can sense it, too." said Juvia and raised her arm. "Your feelings. They're real, and so are mine. When I look at you, I am reminded of that happened couple weeks ago, where I refused to listen to my friend, and tried to kill her. All because of my love to Gray. I let it blind me, just how you are letting it blind you right now."
The fact that she was not lying only made it harder for Meredy, who stared at the bluenette, unable to respond.
"If you still wish to have your revenge, then I will give everything I have in order to defeat you, even if facing you brings me pain." said Juvia, her eyes determined.
Drops started to fall onto Meredy's face, their amount and pace increasing with each second. Not long after, they turned into full out rain, raindrops hitting the water surrounding them with deafening sound.
Meredy stared at Juvia for a long while, before closing her eyes and smiling coldly. "Isn't it amusing? How two people can both love and hate the same person, depending on their point of view. You love Gray, I despise him. We will not get along, no matter how long we talk for."
"It makes us human, it makes us individual. Even the kindest, most humble people have those who hate them." replied Juvia.
"Even if I forget about Gray, we are still enemies. I was ordered to kill every Fairy Tail mage I meet." reminded Meredy.
"Then we shall battle until one of us is unable to move. We can forget our personal feelings, and sort this out that way."
"Or, I could simply use your feelings for Gray against you, and connect my senses with his."
Juvia's eyes widened. "Why would you do that?"
"My magic, Maguilty Sense, allows me to connect my senses to other people. That means emotions, pains, touch, taste. And even death. Although I am unable to transfer physical wounds, I could easily connect myself to Gray and list my own throat, killing him in the process. He would share my death with me." threatened Meredy, and pulled out a knife.
Juvia clenched her teeth. "You think I will let you?! I will knock you unconscious before you can do that!"
"You won't have to." said Meredy and snapped her fingers, her mark disappearing. "Because I will connect you to him. By killing you during our battle, I will kill him as well."
Before she could react, Juvia felt unbearable cold spreading across her body, something she'd learned to be an effect of Gray's magic. Her eyes widened upon realising what this meant.
"You are now connected to Gray. Hell, heaven – consider it as you wish. We shall test which one of us bears stronger feelings for him, which one of them is stronger – love or hatred." announced Meredy and readied herself for battle.
Seeing no other way out of this, Juvia bent her knees, ready to strike.
"Allow me to remind you, that every bit of damage you take is shared with Gray as well. If one of my blades so much as touches your throat or heart, you will both die." reminded the Kin.
Juvia shifted her pivot foot forward under the water. "I am well aware. Before we being, would you mind giving me your name?"
This request confused Meredy for a moment, but she complied. "One of Seven Kin of Purgatory, Meredy."
"Juvia Lockser, of Fairy Tail."
A moment later, both women dashed at each other, Meredy conjuring blades, and Juvia surrounding her hands in water. Their right hands met in a clash, Juvia's water and Meredy's light shattering upon impact. Not giving her a moment to relax, Juvia used water underneath Meredy's feet and trapped her in a ball of water, securing her in one place. She then blasted the ball with a thick torrent of water, smashing the girl against a nearby tree.
Meredy gasped from pain, but quickly regained her composure and moved her fingers upwards, revealing blades she hid under the surface of the water. Juvia was now surrounded by blades from all directions, which then launched themselves at her, forcing her to protect herself with a round wall of water. Unfortunately, she failed to deflect one blade, that struck her in her right shoulder blade, causing her to scream out in agony.
"Gray felt that as well." noted Meredy and created a bow with her magic. She shot an arrow right at Juvia's head, who avoided it by slipping to the side. Juvia raised her right hand and aimed it at Meredy, who jumped in the air, avoiding being grabbed by two hands made out of water.
"You are becoming predictable." taunted the Kin and landed on a massive tree branch, before knocking her bow once again. She was interrupted, however, with one of the water arms creeping up on her from behind and grabbed her by the leg.
Meredy was lifted off the tree and thrown back into the water. Just when she managed to get back to her feet, Juvia ran up to her and punched her in the gut, knocking air out of her body. The bluenette placed her hand in front of Meredy's face and blasted her away, causing her to crash into the tree once again.
What the hell is wrong with this woman?! Her magic continues to grow! panicked Meredy in her mind. Although she's been giving everything she had into this battle, she was heavily outmatched. The surroundings acted greatly in Juvia's favor, granting her free control of her magic.
"I will not fail!" screamed Meredy and conjured new set of blades, these ones much bigger and sharper than her previous creations. She launched them at Juvia, who this time was forced to dodge by jumping away. Unfortunately for her, Meredy did not send all of her weapons in first wave, and soon followed with a second one. Juvia grit her teeth and landed on the ground, before using the water behind her to counter.
WATER SLICER!
Water and light crashed once again, the blades shattering. But not all of them. One sword managed to slip past Juvia's defenses and go through her left leg, causing her to scream out in agony.
Seeing this as a chance, Meredy summoned her arrows one more time and sent them at Juvia, who raised a wall to protect herself. With her leg barely allowing her to stand, she had great difficulty with focusing, which came back to bite her. Two arrows pierced the wall and struck her in left forearm and right shoulder respectively, effectively rendering both of her arms unusable for the moment.
Juvia fell to her knees, tears of pain dripping down her face, her eyes glued to Meredy, who stared her down with a cold expression. "It appears your feelings are not strong enough." said the girl, a blade forming in her hand.
Juvia's eyes narrowed dangerously, anger slowly building up inside of her. It wasn't aimed at her opponent, nor Gray. It was bordering with frustration, aimed at no one else, but herself. It's been following her ever since that incident, and truth to be told...
She was getting tired of it.
Natsu and Lucy arrived back at their temporary camp, with Mest tailing behind them. On their way, Natsu and Mest exchanged information on Grimoire Heart, as well as planned their next move.
Wendy, who was resting after using her healing magic for so long, raised her head and beamed at the sight of Lucy. She quickly stood up and ran up to the girl, hugging her waist as hard as she could.
"Hey there." greeted her Lucy and patted her on the head. "I'm glad to see you're safe."
"Me too." smiled the girl. "Natsu kept us safe."
"Of course he did." chuckled Lucy and let Wendy go, "Where is Lily?"
"Scouting the area." said Carla. "We figured since we'll be here for a while, we might as well go and search for the camp in the meantime. He should be back soon."
Lucy nodded, before turning back around to the men.
"So, as you can see, we can't really travel as fast as we'd want to." said Natsu and gestured at wounded Makarov. "He almost died on us twice, can't risk it."
Mest's eyes narrowed at Makarov's grievous state. "And despite him ending up like that like this, you still wish to fight?"
"What other choice do we have?" asked him Lucy. "We can't just run and leave our friends behind."
Mest pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. There was no getting through to these people.
"That all aside..." began Natsu and examined Lucy from top to bottom. "Would you mind changing your clothes? And give me my jacket back."
Lucy blinked in confusion and looked down. True, she did need a new set of clothes. Her current attire was ripped and cut in various places.
"Where the hell are you staring?" she slapped him on the shoulder and turned around, embarrassed. "Besides, it's not like I'm carrying new clothes with myself everywhere I go." she pouted.
"I have them right here." said a familiar voice, which turned out to belong to Virgo, who appeared on her own, fresh clothes in her grasp. Lucy simply sweatdropped at the sight and asked the men to turn around, after giving Natsu his jacket back.
"That reminds me, you can teleport, right?" Natsu asked Mest whilst putting it back on. "Can't you take us to the camp?"
"I would if I could." Mest shook his head. "I use up a lot of magic to teleport, and I've done it many times today. I'm sure if you gave me an hour, I could make one long trip, but right now..."
"...we don't have time." finished Natsu and sighed. "As soon as she finishes..." he gestured at Lucy. "We're gonna move. Are you coming with us?"
Mest hesitated for a moment. "Do you really wish to fight those people? Even though you know there's a chance you will die in the process?"
Natsu looked him in the eye. "Wouldn't be the first time."
Mest chuckled to himself. "These people have really grown on you, haven't they? You even talk like them."
Natsu blinked and turned around to look at his guildmates. Truthfully, he's never given that a thought. "Believe it or not, I've always been against people dying. I guess we just have that in common."
"Even those who have perished by your hand?" asked him the Councilman, his voice slightly stern.
"Don't ask difficult questions." scoffed the Dragon Slayer and walked away from Mest, leaving him by himself.
"Guys, Lily is back!" announced Wendy and pointed at the incoming Exceed.
"Did you see anything?" asked him Carla once he landed.
"I did. The camp is destroyed, but others are still there. Mira is grievously injured, Gajeel and Elfman are beaten up as well. I didn't see anyone on the way back, so I think we're clear."
"Even Mira is down?" Lucy covered her mouth with her hand. "did you see Cana, or Gray?"
"No, I haven't seen them."
Natsu scowled. He gently picked up Makarov and placed him on his back, adjusting the elder as softly as possible. "All right, we're moving. Lower your magic if possible and stay quiet, we gotta be sneaky about this." he told his guildmates, who nodded in approval. "You." he turned eh Mest. "Keep the Council off our asses. Lie, steal their lacrimas, do whatever you can. Buy us as much time as possible. That's your job right now."
Mest hesitated for a bit, before shaking his head. "I still think you don't stand a chance fighting..."
"I don't care. Do it." growled Natsu and passed him by.
"I never said I won't."
Lucy and Wendy nodded to him and the group walked out into the wilds, leaving Mest alone. He pressed his back against the wall and slid down, his rear meeting the cold ground.
He was so fed up with this guild…
Juvia kicked the ground as hard as she could with her healthy leg and dashed at Meredy, catching her by surprise. She punched the girl straight in the jaw with her right hand and used her left to blast her away with water. However, unlike before, she didn't let her crash, but instead caught her with a geyser of water and launched her high in the air.
Meredy grit her teeth and conjured new arrows, scattering them all over the ground beneath her. Juvia created a dome of water and used it to catch the weapons, before shaping it back into a torrent which she launched at Meredy. The Kin conjured two blades underneath her feet and used them as launchpads to jump out of the way. With Juvia's leg being injured, she now had the upper had in terms of agility. All she needed was a right angle to strike and best her once and for all.
MAGUILTY RAIN!
Meredy conjured all of the possible shapes of weapons she could produce and threw them all at Juvia, who retaliated with a massive torrent of water. The attacks clashed and erupted in an explosion of water and light, however, both parties suffered because of that. Meredy was blown into a tree branch, her back painfully meeting with wet wood, while Juvia's stomach was pierced by a stray blade, forcing her back to her knees once again.
Seeing this opened a window of opportunity for Meredy, who quickly stood up and jumped in the air, before repeating the attack. She's had enough. With this attack, I will get rid of both her and Gray at once! Victory is mine! Ultear, I did it!
Juvia raised her head and glared at Meredy from behind her bangs, her eyes piercing through the girl's soul.
Soon after, Meredy heard a disturbing sound behind her, and upon turning her head around, blood froze in her veins. She was now floating before a massive wave of water, it's weight and power expressing itself by sound alone. Juvia was using all of her magic to control the water they were fighting in and placed all she had in this one last attack.
WATER AVALANCHE!
Meredy was swallowed by the wave along with her weapons and smashed into the ground, the water quickly spreading to the sides, raising the water level significantly. Blades and arrows shattered like glass, and once all of the water crashed back where it belonged, Meredy's barely conscious body emerged from under the surface, revealing her battered and aching figure.
Juvia panted heavily and fell to her knees, no longer able to fight.
"You've lost." she announced to the Kin in-between her deep breaths.
Meredy clenched her fists in frustration and slowly started to stand back up, which came with great difficulty. "Not.,.yet. I will not fall…until he's dead..."
"You can't and you won't kill him. Stay down." pleaded Juvia.
Meredy looked at her hatefully, an idea being born in her mind. "I will, I simply have to connect myself to you two. That way, all three of us will die!" she announced and raised her hand.
Juvia grit her teeth and squeezed her right fist, two hands of water appearing near Meredy and wrapping themselves around her throat. The girl looked at Juvia in shock, but then smiled in sinister fashion. "Come on, do it. This is the only way you can stop me from doing it."
Juvia's eyes narrowed in sadness and she stood up, slowly limping towards Meredy, her magic still keeping her life in her hands. Upon arriving at her location, Juvia plopped back to her knees before the Kin and looked at her with painful eyes.
"I will not kill you." she said quietly. "I won't do it, because I don't want to do it, and neither would he."
"Then you will not stop me. You're both going to die."
"Why can't you understand how I feel?" asked Juvia, tears forming in her eyes. "I don't know whether what you said it's true, that's a fact. But I know Gray, I've seen him at his darkest moments, and I know that he would never do it, not without a reason. You don't have to resolve to killing to get your answers. I'm sure if you talk to him, he will tell you the truth."
"He will feed me lies to save his own skin. Talking is pointless." growled Meredy. "If talking is your only course of action right now, then you might as well shut your mouth. I will-"
Before she could finish her threat, Juvia canceled the magic and wrapped her arms around Meredy, pulling her close to her figure. The girl was paralysed and blankly stared at the back of the bluenette's head, before trying to get out of her grip.
"Release me!" she demanded and wiggled, but Juvia's hold remained locked.
"I know what you feel like. You want to make the person you love happy, do you not? You wish to respect them and their memory, and do what you feel is right. But what you're doing is simply hurting other people for your own needs. You may satisfy yourself and your loved one, but you hurt others in the process. Don't go down the same route I did." Juvia cried into Meredy's neck.
Meredy frowned. There it was. Manipulation, something she had to deal countless times in her life. Fed up with Juvia, Meredy attached herself to the link between her and Gray and focused on Juvia's heart. To her horror, the words she spoke just now turned out to be genuine. This crazy woman actually cared for an enemy, someone who tried to take her life. Why…?
"Why are you doing all this? Why don't you just kill me, to save him?"
Juvia pulled out of the hug and put her hands on Meredy's shoulders, looking her in the eyes. "Because if I do, I will hurt the person you love. And I don't want that. It works the other way as well. If you kill Gray, I will suffer. It's an endless cycle, that could be easily evaded. We don't have to kill each other to resolve our grudges, it's never the way. Come with me, give him a chance to talk, and I am sure you will receive your answers." sniffed Juvia and smiled gently. "You may not forgive him, nor will Ultear, but that way, we can both be better than just blindly killing each other."
Meredy stared at Juvia, lost for words. To say she was conflicted was an understatement, countless thoughts circling in her mind. But, despite all that, she did find one thing she could truly agree on with Juvia – that they did, in fact, have something in common.
The mark on Juvia's hand vanished, and along with that, Meredy leaned backwards and fell on her back, tired. "I just can't fight you. I give up. I'll take your hand."
Juvia stared at her, confused, but smiled and also leaned back, relaxing her body at once. "Thank you."
"If he did, in fact, murder Ultear's mother, I will kill him on spot. Best keep that in your mind." threatened the Kin.
Juvia smiled. "You won't, I just know it. He's not that kind of a person."
Meredy exhaled through her nose and stared at the black clouds above her head, the raindrops crashing on her face.
The noise of the storm was almost on par with the noise inside her head.
The group marched through the island, the storm acting in their favor. Thanks to that, they didn't have to walk as quietly as they intended to, but it also crippled the Dragon Slayer's sense of hearing. Their noses were also not as functional as before, with rain washing down the usual smell of plants, people and animals.
Lucy, who was walking behind Natsu, who was in front, gently leaned in towards Wendy and covered her mouth with her hand. The girl looked at her curiously, but tilted her ear to let the blonde speak.
"Why is he so banged up? Have you guys fought someone on your way here?" asked Lucy.
Wendy's expression grew a little grim, but she replied nonetheless. "We did, but it did not end well for us. Natsu was up against someone immune to his magic, and because of that, we were forced to retreat. Then we found Master and hid in that cave."
Lucy's eyes widened. "Natsu lost?! They have someone that strong in their ranks?"
"I wouldn't call him that strong." threw in Pantierlily from the side. "It was simply a bad matchup. I'm sure that Erza or Mira could take care of this guy. Natsu thinks so as well."
Lucy looked at her teammate with sadness. She didn't know the details, but she knew he was struggling. This blow to his pride could not have been easy.
"I hope everyone is okay." said Wendy. "So many of us are injured already..."
"I'm sure they're fine. Gajeel was up and running, so was Levy and Lisanna." assured her Lily, which slightly eased up her worries.
Suddenly, Natsu halted and stared directly ahead, a scowl glued to his face. "Someone's there." he warned and signalised the Exceeds to take Makarov away from him.
A giant man emerged from the shadows, the rain around his body levitating like an aura.
"What...is this magic power?!" asked terrified Lucy, his pressure getting to her.
"I can't...breathe..." wheezed out Wendy.
The man looked at the group and noticed their mark. "Fairy Tail, huh? How convenient."
Without a warning, he raised his hand at them and squeezed it. A second later, they all felt unbearable weight on their shoulders. Lucy, Wendy and Exceeds fell to the ground hard, unable to move. Soon after they were grinded into it, with a crater forming beneath.
"Gravity?!" asked Lily, unable to move a finger.
Bluenote continued to stare them down, bored. "Looks like I won't find anyone in here who could fly with me, so I'm just…" he began, only to squint a little. "Oh?"
The only person who managed to stay on their feet was Natsu, who continued to glare at Bluenote. "Who the hell are you?" he asked with a low growl.
Bluenote smirked and stopped applying pressure onto Fairy Tail mages, but still kept them down with his magic. "Name's Bluenote. I don't care about your guild, nor Zeref. I'm here for two things – to fight someone strong, and to find Fairy Tail Founder's grave. Where is it?"
Natsu cracked his neck and started to walk up to Bluenote, seemingly unaffected by his gravity. "Hell if I know."
"Well, you may not, but those behind you may. Maybe I'll ask Makarov, once I wake him up, that is?" asked Bluenote.
Natsu has finally emerged out of the hole and walked up to Bluenote, piercing him with his eyes. "Go ahead and try it."
Bluenote's eyes widened. Both men unleashed their magic at the same time, increasing the pressure in the area even further. Clad in both flames and gravity respectively, both men continued to stare each other down, measuring themselves up.
Natsu tried his best to not let his opponent know the effect his magic had on him. He wouldn't fall to the ground like others, no, but his movement was definitely crippled. Still, it wasn't something that would stop him.
"Kid, I feel like we might fly pretty soon. Your name?" asked impressed Bluenote.
Natsu took his time answering, but complied in the end. "Natsu."
"Try not to disappoint me, Nat-" taunted Bluenote, only to be nailed by a powerful right hook ro his jaw. He was forced to take a step back, his head blown back/
"Vice-versa." growled Natsu, his fist already retracted.
Bluenote wiped his lips and smiled widely. "Yeah, we most definitely will fly."
Gray, who's been tailing a mysterious woman for some time now, took one final deep breath and felt his body up once again. The strange, strong pain that kept striking him out of nowhere seemed to have passed away, and so did the weird mark on his hand.
"What the hell was that..." he murmured to himself. "Creepy. I just hope she hasn't-"
Just when he peeked out of his cover, he was met with a female stomach being placed right in front of his eyes. Gray quickly jumped to his feet and moved back, with Ultear standing right in front of him, the man she's been carrying in her arms gone.
Shit, she's onto me. He panicked and punched his palm. The woman raised her hand and smiled.
"There's no need for this, I am not your enemy, Gray."
Gray's eyes narrowed. "How the hell do you know my name?"
Ultear smiled. "It is only natural I know the name of my mother's disciple, is it not?
The Maker's eyes widened in shock, as he dropped his hands. Now it all made sense. He knew why he was tailing her for so long, and why she looked so familiar. Even her voice was almost the same…
"My name is Ultear." introduced herself the woman. "I am Ur's daughter."
End of Chapter 26. To be continued in Chapter 27: Salvation.
I am not satisfied with this chapter. I couldn't find the right angle to write Juvia's fight.
Changes from canon:
- Juvia did not go full psycho on Meredy and went back to the incident from SC Arc, where she almost killed Lucy after seeing a fake memory implanted by Luppi
- Mest is more willing co cooperate with Fairy Tail
- Gajeel is still in the game and will stay that way
- Cana meets Mavis and talks to her briefly(more of the conversation will be shown later)
- Natsu did not get foddered and stands up to Bluenote
That's it for now. Next chapter will be out in 2 days.
See you later!