SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 25 out, this is Chapter 26 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and my OCs.

Chapter 26: Darkness

"Erza…" Lucy breathed, Ulyo's 'Crystal Drip' vanishing as the Crystal Guardian's power depleted to dangerously low levels.

"Sorry," Ulyo panted. "But I'm at my limit. Anymore, and I'll really end up dying."

"It's alright." Lucy assured, catching the water mage before she hit the ground. "Hibiki, have they found Wendy?"

"Actually, I can't contact anyone." Hibiki admitted. "Don't worry. I'll contact them, I swear."

"We're counting on you." Lucy remarked. "Hang in there, Erza." She prayed.

"Natsu, can you hear me?" Hibiki asked, having contacted Natsu was heading back with Wendy, Happy and Clara in tow. "Thank goodness, I was getting worried after not being able to contact anyone. So, how are Wendy and the cat?"

"They're here." Natsu confirmed. "Although she's unconscious. Happy's awake, though."

"I see." Hibiki was relieved. "Thank goodness. Great job. I'm going to upload an app directly into your head that'll guide you here. Anyway, hurry back here. Ulyo has already depleted her magic using the 'Crystal Drip'."

"We're here!" Natsu declared, jumping out of the bushes moments later.

"Anyway, hurry up and wake Wendy." Hibiki urged.

"Erza has been bitten by a poisonous snake." Natsu explained once Wendy was shaken awake. "Please save her."

"Poison?" Wendy echoed and turned to Erza.

"We need Erza's strength to fight Oracion Seis." Hibiki added.

"Of course." Wendy nodded. "I'll do it." Resting her hands above Erza, she let her healing magic flow, neutralizing the poison. "All the poison is gone from Erza's body." She reported. "She might not wake up for a little while." She added. "But she'll be fine now."

"What?" Lucy exclaimed, the pillar of light shining in the distance, indicating that Nirvana had been activated.

"A pillar of black light…" Wendy gaped.

"Could that be…" Clara realized.

"Nirvana." Ulyo confirmed, stirring.

"So it was awakened by the Oracion Seis first?" Lucy gasped.

"That light…" Natsu growled. "Jellal is there!"

"What do you mean Jellal?" Lucy pressed, Natsu dashing off.

"It's all my fault…" Wendy muttered.

"I can't let them meet." Natsu swore. "I can't let Erza see him."

"Jellal?" Erza opened her eyes.

"We have to go after Natsu." Hibiki insisted.

"Did Natsu say something about Jellal?" Ulyo frowned.

"I'll explain later." Happy replied. "We have to go after Natsu."

"Erza is gone!" Clara exclaimed.

"When did she…" Ulyo gaped.

"What'll we do?" Wendy shivered. "This is all my fault."

"Hibiki!" Ulyo scolded, Hibiki having knocked Wendy out via an energy shot.

"Sorry for shocking you." Hibiki apologized, the group heading off. "But all I did was knock her out."

"But why?" Lucy asked. "And why are we running?"

"We're heading after Natsu and Erza." Hibiki explained. "We'll head towards that light as well."

"I know Wendy's a whiner, but that is no reason to treat her so roughly." Clara remarked.

"I had no other choice." Hibiki admitted. "To tell you the truth, I know about the magic called 'Nirvana'. But I couldn't tell anyone about its true nature. This magic is very dangerous when you know about it consciously. That's why Ichiya and even Ren and Eve don't know. Only I was told by the Master."

"What do you mean?" Mercury pressed, Ulyo having transformed into her Senshi form to conserve her own magic.

"It's an extremely fearsome magic." Hibiki started. "It switches light for darkness. That's Nirvana. That's the final stage. When the seal is first released, black light rises up. First there's black light, the people in between the light and the darkness switch to the opposite element. The people of light will feel powerful negative emotion, fall into darkness."

"Then the reason you put Wendy to sleep was…" Clara realized.

"Feeling guilt is a negative emotion." Mercury explained. "At that rate, Wendy might have fallen into darkness. In other words, when the seal on Nirvana is lifted, those who are motivated by justice or evil have their personalities switched."

"That's why I kept silent about the type of magic it was." Hibiki added. "When people are focused on the good or evil of things, it gives rise to unimaginable negative emotions; those thoughts will all be judged by Nirvana."

"We have to stop it at once." Mercury declared, realizing the complications of such a power.

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.