Change of Fate

Lady Countryrose

Ch. 13

Grace was sitting in the cave, surrounded by a bunch of mad men and one crazed woman. Brain had asked the speedster to go and fetch something that was far off. Then he turned towards Angel and Cobra, "We have guests. Go deal with them."

Cobra glanced at the man sleeping on the carpet. "What about Midnight, isn't he going to join the party?"

The head man in charge gave a dark look. "Don't worry about him, he'll wake soon. And when that happens, our guest will have a hard time." He then glanced towards Grace, who was sitting in the far corner from many of the others. "You girl must rest for you'll do your part soon."

Once the two that were told to leave the cave. Grace was starting to have a dark, cold feeling making its way down her spine. She didn't know if was because of Cobra not being there or because of Brain. Then he glanced at the dark, skinny ass young man on the flying carpet. Believing that he may be the cause of the chill that she was feeling.

Brain turned towards her with a dark cold chuckled. "Don't worry," he gave a glance towards the young man. "He may be a nightmare welder, but he won't harm ya." His smirk pulled at his aged face. "What I'm worried about is Cobra stabbing me in the back." He moved his eyes back to her. "Do you know anything about that?"

Grace knew well enough that he was only digging to see if she would rat the poison slayer out. "I wouldn't know anything about that. He just keeps his eyes and ears out for whatever reason but his own." She glanced at towards the opening of the cave, just as she heard far off explosions. "Seems like Natsu has shown up."

The leader's aura had become dark, as she noticed the darker look upon his face. It was enough to want to cheer her friends on and see the man fall. 'Please…' Her eyes closed for a moment. 'Whoever can grant my wish, allow my friends to win this fight.'

The black and white haired young man opened his eyes. His dark red eyes looked out of focus for a moment before glancing towards her. "Should we go into phase two?"

Brain glanced towards him with a raised eyebrow. "We haven't gotten our honored guest yet to find Nirvana. Do you think it's wise for you to head into the fray at this time?"

"I guess you're right," the young man closed his eyes once more and fell back to sleep.

Brain grumbled, "I sometimes wish he doesn't have to sleep all day. But his power is stronger at night."

Grace shook her head. She knew that she was feeling something off, but not having a clear idea of where it was coming from. She glanced towards the walls and noticed a lot of depictions that she had never noticed before. She knew from overhearing them that the cave and the old huts had been there for times longs past. It was enough to want to question how far back it had been.

Brain glanced towards her with a look that most would be to be intrigued. "What have you found, girl?"

"Wasn't these people a peaceful culture," she asked as she looked towards him. Seeing the knowledge seeking through her eyes.

"They were, until the built Nirvana. What they didn't know was that even though it had changed people's hearts to be good. It also turned their hearts into evil." He allowed a chuckle to leave his lips. "Irony is that the last of its people were the ones that killed all the rest."

"Survival of the fittest?"

A sleepy sounding voice made itself know. "She got something that none of us hadn't thought about." The young man smirked. "Very smart…"

The older man grumbled. "Same could be said about you and the rest of the group, Midnight." He then glanced towards Grace. "Something also tells me that the same statement can be said for you, Grace."

She gave a glare. "I may have survived for whatever reason." She turned away from the two men. "But I'm nothing like your misfits."

"No," answered Brain with a thoughtful look on his face. "But your life could have been like theirs if people didn't fight in your corner like they have done." His smirk became sharp looking, causing shadows to make him more sinister. "You were met to join my group, regardless of experiences."

Midnight gave a dark look towards Grace. Which made her believe that he might be jealous of her in some way or form. 'What's making him act this way? I don't want this man's approval or anything.' Shivers were making their way down her body and she hated that feeling. 'Gajeel, I hope you're nearby, I need you…'

Gajeel was battling with a man surfing on a purple snake. "Get your fucking ass down here Cobra and fight like a man!"

A laugh came out of the man. "Tell me Black Steel, what are your chances of finding Grace Heartfilia without any aid?"

A growl rumbled out of the dark haired slayer with a glare upon his face. "Tell ME what you KNOW." He changed his arm into a club to smash the maroon haired moving target. "TELL ME WHERE I CAN FIND GRACE!"

An evil smirk with sharp looking teeth sneaking out of his lips. "Who do you think has been allowing her to call her guild?" His eyes darken as he noticed the other slayers surprised look. "I don't want her here any longer than she has." He glanced around to see that none of his group were nearby. "You'll find her a couple of miles north of here. In a cave in a sinkhole of a valley."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"She's your mate, isn't she?" When Gajeel gave a nod, Cobra gave a smile. "She needs you and that is the only reason I'm telling you anything about this." He allowed a sigh to leave his lips. "I don't want our leader to have any more time alone with her. I just don't trust him."

Gajeel nodded, he swung his club at him once more. Knowing that the man known as Cobra would allow him to hit him. The dark haired slayer grumbled before turning his head over his shoulder. "Salamander!"

"Yeah," called out a pink haired man from some hundred feet behind.

"Follow me, I know where to find Grace!"

"RIGHT BEHIND YOU METAL FACE," called back Natsu. Following Gajeel, who started running towards north.

It took them nearly an hour before finding their way to the cave. When they reached it, they noticed Grace laying on the stone ground with tears in her eyes. Along with scratches on her arms that allowed droplets of blood oozing out of her pale skin.

"Grace," gasped Gajeel, as he ran towards her. Once there he tried to wrap his arms around her but noticed that her eyes weren't focused on him. Hearing her whimper for forgiveness. "Grace, it's me, Gajeel…"

When she heard he voiced his name. She glanced up, allowing her eyes to focus onto his face. "Ga...jeel..?" She glanced around and noticed the pink haired goof standing near the entrance of the cave. "Natsu?" She took a deep breath while closing her eyes for a moment. "Not a figment of my imagination."

"Grace, what happened?" Gajeel's voice became harsh as he tried to get her attention. "Who did this to you?"

"Midnight," she gasped out. She looked up to the one who held her heart. "He's a nightmare! He did this to me…" She shook her head. "He also fed me some illusions that I'm not ready to face, just yet."

"Alright," the dark haired slayer nodded. "Get on my back. Let's get you to our base camp."

Once Gajeel moved to where Grace could easily get onto his back. The two slayers ran out of the cave and into the forest. Heading south to where they had left a member of Blue Pegasus at. Knowing he was the one who had a first aid kit on him.

Both slayers had the same thought running in their heads. 'Whoever did this to Grace, will pay.' Neither one of them liked seeing her hurt and in pain. They could also see that it wasn't just physical pain that she had gone through.

Once they had gotten to camp. Gajeel was the one to give medical aid to Grace, while Natsu was pacing like a wild animal. He couldn't wait long to after the people that hurt Grace.

"Nat...su..," gasped out Grace, who was trying to find her breath. She was having a hard time believing she was with her friends, her family. "I'm… sorry."

This caused the pink haired dragon slayer to look towards her. "Why do you have to be sorry." He allowed a small sounded growl to leave his lips. "They should be sorry for taking you."

"Jellal…" She saw the surprised look in the man that had called her sister. "He lives…" She closed her eyes, turning her face away from him. "They made me… I had no choice but to do what they demanded of me."

"Grace," he called softly.

"They would have gone after Lucy," her eyes turned towards him with tears in her eyes. "They would have killed her." She glanced down at her arms. "I didn't mind the pain… but I couldn't allow them to hurt Lucy."

Gajeel growled as he looked towards the fire-breather. "You need to say something Salamander. She thinks that you're going to want to go for her blood soon."

The pink haired man came running towards her and fell to his knees before wrapping his arms around her. "Grace, don't ever think this is your fault." He pulled her away from him to where he could see her eyes. "They were playing dirty to get you do whatever they wanted. I just wish Wendy was here and not running with Erza, she would have helped with healing you."

"What?"

Gajeel sighed, "Almost forgot that you don't know what's going on. We have a few other guilds helping us finding you and destroying Nirvana." He glanced towards the area that they had come from. "We should head out to take these fuckers out."

"I'll go with you," stated Grace. When she saw that the three men were about to argue. "I don't care what you have to say. I have every right to end them." She glanced towards the treetops. "But Cobra was trying to keep them from harming me."

"He didn't do so well," stated the iron dragon slayer.

She gave him a hard look. "If I remembered right, he was ordered to leave to go after you guys. What happened to me wasn't because of him." She had gotten upon her feet. "I don't care if you want me to stay out of this. But I have a score to settle with Midnight… He will be going down…" Grace then turned from them and ran off into the woods, hearing them following her.

It had taken Grace a couple of hours to find Midnight. During that time Nirvana has risen and everyone had found their way into the moving city. She had heard screams that she could imagine to be Erza's. She found herself behind the figure that she knew to be Midnight. He stood in the middle of the ruined city laughing at the misfortune of Erza being tied up by her armor.

"MIDNIGHT," Grace called out in anger within her voice. "You aren't done with me."

The horror of the young man turned around to face the woman that he had marked with many cuts. His laughter became darker in tune. "Grace Heartfilia, how nice of you to join the party." He raised his arms open wide. "It's time for us to dance…"

"With pleasure…"

"Grace," Erza called out. "Run…."

The black and white haired man and the auburn haired woman faced each other. After a split moment, the two rushed at each other in a dead run. Once they reached each other, they threw a punch. Neither one of them wanted to use magic, wanting to see if one or the other will tire easily. Both of them were punching or kicking at one another. Wanting to lay a hit, but ending up in blocking each hit for hit.

"Where was this fire when I was attacking you," asked the wild looking man. "Where is the drive coming from?"

"Your father would have killed me if I had fought back," she stated with harshness in her voice. "As for the energy, seeing my friends again has helped fueled to what's important."

"Ending psychos like you…" At that moment she was able to lay a hit on his face.

Midnight jumped away from her, wiping a corner of his lips to see his blood. He laughed coldly. "Good to see that you don't hit like a girl." His eyes turned to her. "What has Cobra and you were talking about? I know for a fact that the two of you have been talking a lot, lately."

"Enough to know that only physical attacks work on you." She ran towards him, he raised his arms to block the attack but wasn't expecting something else. She turned into her tiger in mid jump to sore over his head to land near Erza. Grace turned back to her human form and faced the red head. "You know what to do?"

"I do," stated Erza with coldness in her voice.

"Good." Grace raised her hands towards the other woman. "HEALING FLAME." Once the flames hit Erza, she was out of her bindings and healed.

"I'll take care of him."

Grace gave a nod before turning around to head towards where the palace of the city was. Knowing that the rest of the Fairy Tail group was. As she ran on she heard a male voice with vengeance behind his words. "GRACE COME BACK HERE! THIS ISN'T OVER YET!"

"Oh it's over, doll face," she stated to the cold dark of night. She glanced towards the palace and saw shadow figures on top. Her feet hitting the stone covered streets, making her way closer to where she needed to be. "Time to go down, Brain…"