SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 71 out, this is Chapter 72 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 72: Real Nightmare
"Elfman, can you please repeat what you just said?" Ulyo glared.
"What the hell is going on here?" Gray concurred.
"Then, it's true that Michelle is the sixth member of Oracion Seis?" Erza echoed.
"Yeah, she fooled us." Elfman replied, everyone having returned to the Guild.
"I can't believe it…" Happy was stunned.
"Natsu, Lucy and the others have been captured." Elfman added. "It was all I could do just to get away myself."
"You can't blame yourself." Mirajane soothed.
"It's not all your fault." Cana agreed. "My cards didn't foretell that Brain II would show up at Kardia Cathedral. And they didn't give me accurate pairings either for splitting into teams. Everyone was out-of-step with each other, right?"
"Now that you mention it…" Gray mused.
"We didn't mesh with each other." Elfman agreed.
"So, what you're saying is that someone or something was using your divinations?" Ulyo echoed.
"Most likely." Cana admitted.
"Geez, this whole thing is frustrating." Gray cursed.
"Excuse me, young lady." The Archaeological Society members greeted the group.
"It's the 'Actually' people." Happy beamed.
"Who might you folks be?" Makarov inquired.
"Actually, we belong to the Archaeological Society." Jean-Luc introduced himself. "Actually, we would like to meet with Lucy Heartfilla-sama, actually."
"What business do you have with Lucy?" Marco asked, the group having entered the Guild Hall.
"Actually," Jean-Luc stated.
"It concerns an important matter." One of the members continued. "We need to speak to Lucy-sama directly."
"Quite so." The third member agreed. "It has with that sky."
"Lucy and Natsu were both captured by the Oracion Seis." Happy supplied.
"Would you tell us?" Ulyo pressed. "We would like to hear even the slightest bit of information."
"Now, with circumstances continually changing," Jean-Luc relented. "I suppose there's no longer any reason to hide it, actually. Everyone, you know of Will Neville, right? Actually, I am Jean-Luc Neville, Will's great-grand son. Actually, I was on good terms with Lucy-sama's father, Jude Heartfilla-sama."
"Lucy's dad." Gray mused. "This story is getting to come together somehow."
"Actually, I have devoted my life to seeing that the 'Infinity Clock' stays sealed away." Jean-Luc admitted. "As someone who inherited the Neville name, I just know the history of the 'Infinity Clock'. My purpose is to give the warning if there is a threat of chaos spreading throughout the world and take precautions against it."
"How dangerous is the 'Infinity Clock'?" Erza asked, after Jean-Luc narrated how the clock hand came into Jude's possession.
"It's a powerful magic that activates the endless nightmare: Real Nightmare." Jean-Luc declared. "Actually, it controls the 'sense of time' that humans possess, thereby controlling time itself. The control of time is what's meant by 'chaos will descend'."
"And that'll bring about the end of the world?" Gray pressed. "I'm finding it hard to picture that."
"Think about it," Ulyo explained. "Right now is when? What are you doing right now? Who is standing in front of you? You'll lose the ability to comprehend every last bit of your own mind. A person's memories and consciousness are an accumulation of all his or her experiences up to now. If the connection between all these times is manipulated…"
"You'll lose all sense of self." Erza realized.
"That's some serious stuff." Elfman gaped.
"'Chaos' doesn't even begin to describe it." Gray agreed.
"I'm begging you, please take this job, Fairy Tail." Jean-Luc requested. "Please stop it, stop the 'Infinity Clock'."
"Alright." Marco nodded. "We'll accept this job."
"I see." Elfman grinned, Cana having called in reinforcements. "Blue Pegasus."
"This is the reinforcements?" Gray blinked, Ichiya falling face-first into the concrete.
"The 'Infinity Clock' is in the sky." Cana reminded. "So we have to get airborne too."
"Not one of my favourite people, though." Gray sighed.
"Would you quit your grumbling and get on board?" Makarov hammered a punch at the ice mage.
"Master, I would appreciate it very much if you left my future husband in one piece." Ulyo deathpanned, poking the seemingly dead Gray.
"Everyone, let's get fired up and begin making our attack." Ichiya declared, the assault team were on the airship. "Let's move on. Men!"
"Hey, control this thing!" Elfman barked, the airship started descending.
"Ichiya, is something wrong?" Ulyo asked, already in her Guardian Fairy form.
"The stern's taken damage." Ichiya reported.
"I'll take a look." Mirajane offered. "Everyone, stay here."
"Me too!" Elfman followed.
"Oracion Seis…" Elfman glared, the hull having been broken by Racer.
"I'm going to throw you overboard." Racer swore and renewed his attack. "You're so slow." He taunted, taking out Elfman.
"I'll get you for that." Mirajane promised and activated 'Satan Soul', tackling Racer off the ship.
"Everyone, that was…" Wendy gaped, spotting Mirajane and Racer falling off.
"Ichiya, go after Mira!" Gray barked.
"Leave him to my sister." Elfman returned to the control room.
"But…" Wendy protested.
"Never mind, just hurry!" Ulyo went into commander mode.
"Alright." Ichiya noted. "First, repairs. Everyone, pitch in."
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.