Chapter 8: Farewell (for now)
He used the last bit of his take over energy to propel himself up and onto the trembling ground above him. He looked around, desperate to find the two in question. He could feel his magical energy leaving him as his senses came more into focus. He rushed back to the place Erza had been when he cracked his ribs- before everything went dark. The tower had gaping holes in that area, with more appearing every moment. The tower was disintegrating beneath them.
"NO WAY! COME OUT OF THERE RIGHT NOW!"
That was Natsu's voice, Riku realized. He moved towards the noise, leaping over disappearing lacrima and almost being hit at least twice by the energy beams shooting out of the tower. Jellal was being absorbed as they spoke, but his magical energy obviously wasn't having a stabilizing effect.
"YOU CAN'T LEAVE US!"
Riku's eyes widened as he jumped over a falling boulder, plummeting down one level of the tower and landing on his shoulder with an unfortunate crack. He was going to feel that tomorrow, along with the rib.
"Add it to the list," Riku grumbled to no one in particular. He pushed himself up and felt his shoulder completely dislocate. Okay, he'd be feeling it now as well.
Natsu's voice, closer now, called into the night,"ERZA!"
Riku gritted his teeth and moved towards the sound of Natsu's scream as fast as he could. But, the screams stopped suddenly. Riku paused, looking around wildly. Where had he gone? What had Erza done? Riku felt the tower tremble again and the floor beneath Riku gave out, bringing him down another story before he was able to roll off the pile of rubble crashing down on him.
"You're always so slow," Mystogan observed, standing above Riku. From his spot on the floor, Riku could see the pink hair of a passed out Natsu, thrown over Mystogan's shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"N-natsu," Riku observed.
"He was screaming a lot," Mystogan explained. "And refusing to come, so I knocked him out."
"Where's Erza," Riku grimaced, pushing himself up haphazardly. Mystogan looked at Riku as if he didn't really want to answer the question, which did nothing for Riku's nerves.
Silently, Mystogan stepped to the side revealing the wall of lacrima with Erza's form floating within, just as Jellal's had looked before.
"I can't enter the lacrima," Mystogan admitted. "I tried, but I can't. We need to go."
"Not yet," Riku snarled, knocking away Mystogan's outstretched hand and staggering unsteadily towards the lacrima.
"You idiots are all the same," Mystogan sighed, shifting Natsu roughly to his other shoulder. "You're not going to be able to reach her. I don't want to knock you out as well."
Riku ignored him. He was at the wall, forehead against the stone watching her form. She looked oddly peaceful, like she were asleep with a slight smile on her lips.
It can't end like this, Riku thought. She's worked too hard and survived for too long to get sucked up into this tower forever. It can't end like this!
His hand sank into the lacrima. Behind him Mystogan made a noise of surprise, but Riku didn't notice. He was focused on Erza within the lacrima, reaching his good arm in to grab her wrist. The lacrima felt like water or perhaps some kind of heavy gel. He was arm deep, but she was just out of reach.
"Riku," Mystogan began, moving towards his partner. He was too slow. Before Mystogan could grab him, Riku fully submerged into the wall, moving towards Erza slowly. His arm was outreached, as he kicked his feet. He was so close to her wrist that the tip of his fingers brushed against it.
My vision is getting a bit foggy, he said. He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the throbbing pain in his shoulder and side. He was not going to let some magic stone beat him or Erza. He was so close to her, but the fog in his vision was gaining on him. There almost seemed to be figured floating about in the fog, but he was determined. He had to reach Erza before this lacrima did whatever it was trying to do.
"Riku," he commanded himself. "Stay focused!"
He felt his hand grasp something! He was holding Erza's wrist. Now he had to get out of here. The fog continued to build in his mind. Was he being absorbed into the tower? He had to focus. He had to pull them both out of here. The fog thickened and seemed to slow the gel like stone, making it even harder to move through. Somewhere in the fog he heard Jellal's voice repeating, "... the power of her son & her brother...I'd wondered how your magic would turn out, compared to her's."
There was a woman in the fog, slim & curvaceous figure with her back turned to him. He could see her dark purple hair cut to chin length. Next to her was a small girl. He felt like a small child again- smaller than he was when Acnologia had found him. The small girl turned, her face covered in the fog and unseen by Riku, but she called to him.
"Come on," she said. "Mom's waiting on you!"
"Mom," Riku said confused. They both seemed familiar, but it was all hard to grasp. "I don't have a mom."
He felt himself fall face first onto the ground, hand still grasping Erza's wrist. A bright blue light shot straight up from the tower, which shook so violently that Riku had trouble standing, especially with Erza held unsteadily in his arms, Riku doing his best to keep as much of her weight as possible on his uninjured arm. Beneath them, the last of the tower began to disintegrate. Within a second they went from standing to falling as magical energy shot passed them into the sky above.
...
Natsu slept for three straight days, which Riku thought was a bit excessive, but he kept that to himself. After all, Erza was worried about her friends and he didn't want to express his exasperation at their antics when she seemed so pleased. On the third day, when Natsu finally awoke, things almost seemed back to normal, whatever normal was for that group of weirdos.
"Hey Erza," Riku said peaking his head into the room where Gray was pouting and Happy, Lucy, and Erza were snickering behind their hands. Obviously just missing a Gray and Natsu argument. Erza looked up at him, a smile breaking across her face, making a slight warmth move to Riku's cheeks. "Can I-erm," he paused, swallowed, and then finished. "Can I borrow you for a moment?"
They walked in silence on the beach for a bit, toes digging into the sand. Riku chanced a glance at her, still bandaged up to her neck but smiling as if she were at the best amusement park in Fiore.
"I got you something," Riku said finally, pausing and reaching into his pocket. "I was going to wait until our lunch, but..."
"Mystogan has another lead," Erza finished.
Riku nodded, holding out the box. He opened it carefully, revealing the silver-chained necklace it's blue jewel in the center. The light gleamed off of it and Erza's mouth fell open. She looked from the necklace to Riku and her look alone made red rush across Riku's face.
"Its the color of you eyes," she observed, before clamping her mouth shut and going red as well. Riku chuckled.
"I guess so," Riku agreed. "I didn't realize it. Happy Guild Day, Erza."
"Will you put it on for me?"
Riku nodded slowly and took the necklace from the box, carefully putting it around Erza's bandages, his fingers grazing across her neck as he pulled away. She turned and beamed at him, unaware of the butterflies knocking about in Riku's stomach so violently that he felt almost motion sickness.
That night, Erza returned to the same spot on the beach to see Wally, Millianna and Shô off. They apologized to Erza and told her they were going to explore the world and live for themselves now that they were out of the tower. Erza agreed, re-quiping into her farewell armor. Riku sat on the hill nearby, watching the procession below as Mystogan leaned against the tree, looking only half interested in the show. Riku had never loved the farewell, since it meant someone was leaving, but watching now there seemed to be some beauty in the ritual. He muttered the three conditions to himself as Erza recited them to Wally, Millianna and Shô below.
"One: you must never reveal sensitive information about Fairy Tail to others so long as you live. Two: you must not have unauthorized contact with past clients or profit personally from them. Three: even if we walk different paths, one must always live on as strong as you are able!"
"You must never treat your own life as something insignificant," Mystogan said quietly, looking over to Riku, half turned to face his partner. "You must never forget the friends you love for as long as you live."
"You're ready to go," he asked, push himself up.
Mystogan didn't move from his spot, even as Riku stood, the fireworks from Lucy, Natsu, and Gray's magic exploding behind him.
"Did you tell her who pulled her out of the tower," he asked.
Riku shook his head. "I just gave her the gift. It's better this way."
"Leaving without a good bye is better," Mystogan asked skeptically.
"I'm not very good at good byes with Erza," Riku admitted, rubbing the back of his head bashfully. "Besides, it's not like I'm leaving Fairy Tail for good. I just need to go and deal with some personal things."
"Hmmm," Mystogan replied. "There is no guarantee you'll find Acnologia or that he'll have any tips to control your powers."
"Yeah I know," Riku agreed, picking up his traveling pack and swinging it over his now healed shoulder. "Is it still okay if I go with you for the next anima lead? We can split up from there."
An express passed across Mystogan's face, but covered as he was, Riku couldn't identify exactly what that expression was.
"Of course," Mystogan agreed. "Let's head out before it gets too crazy. We can stop at a bar and inn one town over."
"That'd be nice," agreed Riku.
As they moved away, only Natsu spotted their retreat, though he had no reason to think there was anything odd about it. Riku and Mystogan were always on the secretive sidelines in these sort of affairs. Riku seemed to pause once more, perhaps his keen hearing catching Erza's final calls on the wind as it blew up the hill.
"I won't forget you, no matter where you may be," she called, raising her lance with the fairy tail flag billowing at the point. "And it's those painful memories that become the seeds of tomorrow. They make us stronger. Humans have that power. To go on stronger. If we never forget this day, we will meet again." She used her free hand to touch something on her chest, a necklace that Lucy had complimented earlier that evening. "Stay well," she said and for a moment it seemed as if her eyes strayed to the hill top where Riku stood frozen, back facing them, almost as if he'd heard every moment and as if Erza were talking to him above, instead of Wally, Millianna and Shô who were becoming smaller and smaller on their boat at sea.
Now way, thought Natsu, turning back to waving at the disappearing boat.
On the hill top, Riku gulped for air before continuing his walk behind Mystogan. Stay well, Erza, he thought. I'll be back. Its a promise.
Thanks so much for reading! With this Tower of Heaven Arc over, I need to consider what's next! Riku certainly has somethings to figure out like his power and the mysterious figures he saw in the fog. I'm not sure if that will continue this story or be a sequel yet, but stay tuned!
And don't forget to review!
