Chapter 3

The Revelation Of Eclair

Memories of the terrible massacre played again in Eclair's mind, and a man's voice told her to find a man called Kalard, a powerful wizard who could tell her the secrets of the stone. The next morning, Eclair explained everything to them.

"I think this must be what my pursuer was after," she said.

"He wanted that stone?" Lucy asked.

"I do sense a peculiar power emanating from it," added Carla.

"Any idea who Kalard is?" Asuna asked them.

"No, Asuna. This name is unfamiliar to me," replied Erza.

"Right," sighed Sora.

"Hey, don't feel bad, Sora. Whoever or whatever he is, he may have a clue as to why this stone is important," assured Asuka.

"She's right. Eclair, do you have any idea as to why this stone has a lot of value in your life? It might have something to describe what's going on in your past," said Kirito.

Eclair shook her head no.

"She told me she has no memory of its significance, but she's had it for as long as she can remember," replied Momon.

"Please tell us, Eclair. What exactly do you remember," said Yui.

"My past is blank, like an untouched canvas. Just white nothingness spreading out. Nothing to remind me who I am, or the reasons why I keep going. But lately, the image has been filling in, slowly. This stone must be a clue to my past," she replied.

"I see. If Kalard knows something about your past, then it's best if we hurry to the boundary forest at once," said Yumi.

"You don't know by chance we know where we can find Kalard, do you?" asked Happy.

"I do, but I'm not quite sure who he is, or if I can still see him. Even if it's too late, I must go there," answered Eclair.

"Then we'll go with you," Cody said immediately.

"We?" everyone asked in surprise.

Cody nodded towards them.

"We may not know what's out there, but with all of us guarding Eclair and Momon, we'll make sure that no harm comes to you," he added.

"Cody…" Lucy murmured, her eyes wide, but she sensed that Cody was not willing to let this task be in vain.

They entered the boundary forest, where they saw many vicious creatures attacking them, but thanks to both Sora and Erza, they were able to defeat them all, one by one, until they emerged triumphant.

"Everyone alright?" Sora asked them.

Both groups nodded, despite Eclair's quips. Suddenly they saw another creature that looked like a giant fish.

"Time to turn you into sushi," smirked Asuka.

She turned to Lucy who called Aquarius to her side, despite the water bearer's annoyance, until the fish was cut down into smaller pieces, by her dual blades.

"Great job, Asuka," praised Sora.

"Yeah, well done," agreed Leafa.

Asuka turned and gave a friendly giggle.

"Thanks, guys," she replied.

"No really. You were great, Asuka. Still, at least we can have that sushi you mentioned," grinned Happy.

They soon set off once more, with Eclair leading the way, while everyone made sure that no more giant beasts would ambush them, as well as made sure to keep the Heartless back in case there was another ambush. They passed through what looked like a forcefield, which miraculously let them through without too much trouble.

"Someone set a monster deterrent, at least recently it seems," said Erza.

"Does that mean we're almost there?" asked Wendy.

"Looks like it, Wendy, but stay close," replied Yang.

"Good show, Yang," said Carla.

They reached some old ruins, which made Eclair surprised.

"What's wrong?" Kirito asked her.

"Whoa, he lives here?" Natsu asked in surprise.

"There's a great wizard in this place?" questioned Lucy.

But Eclair rushed ahead.

"Wait!" called Sora, and he ran after her.

The others ran after him too, then they passed through the entrance into the ruins.

"It looks super old," said Happy.

"More like ancient," added Gray.

"Could be, but I hope there aren't any Heartless inside waiting to strike us. Besides, they're a lot smarter than you think, and may plan to ambush us," warned Cody.

But then Eclair found the entrance into what looked like an underground cavern. They saw what looked like a workshop that was within the room.

"This looks more like the home of a wizard," said the requip mage.

Suddenly, Eclair saw a picture of herself as a child, and reached out to touch it.

"That's me," she said.

"I don't believe it. I can't believe that Eclair looked cute when she was a little girl," murmured Cody.

"I believe Cody may be right about that," Eclair told the others.

The others weren't sure why, but suddenly the orb on the table began to glow, and a bright blue green light erupted from it.

"Everyone, stay calm. It's not a trap," Sora said to his friends.

"Eclair. So you've come. If this message is indeed reaching you, child, then what I was told was indeed true. Many people came here searching for you. Survivors of our village told me of the events that transpired. It brought me great joy to hear that you've survived. However, when I think of your fate," the man said, until he started coughing.

"Hold on, what's he mean by that?" Gray asked in confusion.

"Oh, my darling sweet Eclair. The time we shared together, blessed me with precious memories of my entire life. Alas, as fate would have it, the people of Fire Village needed you to serve as maiden, and I was given the task of dispelling the phoenix stone," continued Kalard.

"Dispel magic. Nullification," Eclair said quietly.

"I have no doubt that you're a most spectacular maiden. My dispel magic was finally completed, but I fear I shall never have the chance to use it," Kalard said sadly.

Suddenly the orb began to crack.

"I've fallen ill. I will clutch dearly to the life you have left until you return bearing the stone, but if you are seeing this… Oh, Eclair," the image continued.

"He's already gone?" Wendy asked in shock.

Everyone was shocked as well as hurt, but Sora was taking this news a bit harder than before.

"I have a simple prayer. That happiness finds you, and you find people who care deeply about you. Darling Eclair, my dear beloved daughter," finished Kalard.

"Father, I'm here," Eclair said to the image of the man who revealed himself as her father.

She reached out to him, but the orb shattered, and the image faded away.

"So Kalard… was Eclair's father," Sora murmured, as a tear started to roll down his cheek.

"Sora," Yumi said, pulling him into a hug.

"We should set up camp for tonight," Kirito told the others.

They did so that night, just as Natsu and Gray returned to them.

"Anything?" Asuna asked.

"No luck. We looked through every book and stack of paper down there, but we couldn't find anything about his dispel magic," replied Gray.

"I see. The real issue is the spell that's been cast on the phoenix stone," sighed Erza.

They all watched Eclair dancing silently.

"Kalard made a point of mentioning his work in his trying to lift it from the stone. That tells me it was particularly troublesome. And perhaps, particularly malevolent," she continued.

Finally, Eclair dropped to the ground, her eyes filled with tears, and Momon came to her side and wept. Finally, Lucy, Sora, and Cody walked silently towards her.

"I know how you feel. I lost my father not too long ago, and I wasn't able to be there by his side," she sobbed.

"And I learned that my father left me the day I was born, after I turned six. It hurt me so much, I started to hate him. But, I realize now that there's no way he's coming back, thanks to this unending void he left on my heart, from which nothing can heal it. But, I know that your father wanted you to find true happiness, as well as people who could both care and acknowledge you," added Sora.

"That was his final wish," replied Eclair.

"And now, it's become true, Eclair. You've found us. We're the people you've been searching for, who know the true meaning of hurt," said Cody.

The four of them hugged each other as they wept, with everyone watching in silence.

"I never knew. Eclair never told us what happened to her father," sighed Yumi.

"Neither have any of us, until I learned about why Sora's dad chose to leave him. He's tried so hard to ignore it, but the pain of not having a loving father by his side is eating away at his heart," replied Asuka.

"That, my dear young lady, is true, and it's also very sad to hear," another voice said.

In a flash of light, Discord the Draconequus appeared behind them.

"Who are you?" Erza asked sharply.

"Perhaps I should introduce myself. I imagine you've heard of me though. Discord, the bringer of chaos and deceit? It was I who observed what happened to Eclair 400 years ago, and it was I who bore witness to the terrible travesty that destroyed her old home, which I chose not to explain to every living being in Equestria, even before I was given a chance to be a good draconequus, so that I could use my powers to help others, rather than torment them, resulting in many lives being lost before any of you were born," Discord explained.

He pulled out a journal, and changed his appearance into that of a historian.

"On the night of the Phoenix Ceremony in the heart of Fire Village, the young maiden Eclair, Daughter of Kalard, such a noble name Kalard, the whole village was destroyed in what appeared to be a vicious massacre that claimed the lives of every living man, woman, and child that participated in the ritual. Gone like an angel's kiss. Phew. No trace. Nothing to bury. Nothing to mourn. The soldiers took it all away from her in an instant," he said.

The creature looked solemnly at the group of four hugging each other, as he reverted back into himself.

"I understand Sora's want for justice. But that was 400 years ago, wasn't it? But I do. If I could send him back to avert this tragedy that transpired in Eclair's life, I could, but Sailor Pluto, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna are keeping a very close eye on me, so that I don't muddle up the space-time continuum, and that would surely incur the wrath of Sailor Moon, the Pretty Guardian of Love and Justice, who'd surely have me severely punished in the name of the moon, even after Starlight Glimmer attempted to do the same thing when she started to develop a deep seated hatred for cutie mark," finished Discord.

Sora nodded bitterly at what he heard. He still remembered that moment when Starlight tried to have history rewritten by her own hooves, and it led to countless alternate realities, such as the war against Sombra, Nightmare Moon ruling Equestria like a bloodthirsty tyrant, Chrysalis and the Changelings instilling fear upon all creatures who were unwilling to submit to their rule, which she greatly enjoyed most of all, and finally a barren wasteland of what would've been Equestria. Those memories plagued him for as long as he could remember, but at the very least, Starlight had accepted redemption and would walk the path of atonement for her actions.

"Discord, listen. I think it's probably best if you keep out of it," said Kirito.

"Alright, airight, fine, Kirito. I know that the other gods don't like it when I meddle in the affairs of other worlds, as it's what you'd most certainly call, a direct violation of the world order, as your friend Donald Duck calls it. Still, just a little bit of advice. Be very careful not to get your heart overtaken by darkness, or the Heartless will most certainly take it and fuel your precious Asuna with vengeance, the opposite of justice mind you. Until then, see you out there," replied Discord, and he vanished.

Later that night, after everyone was gathered around the campfire, Eclair decided it was time to speak her mind.

"I'd like to make a formal request of the Fairy Tail Guild. My father spent his final days trying to rid the phoenix stones of the curse they carry. We'll you help me to achieve it?" she asked.

"We most gladly accept," replied Erza

"It's our pleasure," added Natsu.

"And our honor," agreed Yumi.

"You have my thanks," Eclair said.

They returned to the guild hall in Magnolia, and Eclair explained everything she knew about the phoenix stone, which had been split in half, and that the creature, the phoenix, had been sealed inside of it. One of the guild members looked at it carefully.

"Can't say it looks that dangerous to me," he said.

"Maybe breaking the stone could break the curse," Happy said to the others.

"It's possible, Happy. But, we won't know for certain while we start acting like a bunch of idiots," replied Kirito.

Natsu started to grow annoyed at him, until Yang klonked him hard on the head with her cybernetic arm. He screamed loudly and began rolling on the floor, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, despite Lucy's shock. Of course Erza would be disappointed in her.

"Ouch. That had to hurt," she winced, even though she still considered him a friend.

"Yeah, I have to agree with Lucy on this one, even though he and I are still rivals, as long as Juvia doesn't hate me for saying that," added Gray.

"Gray, please, don't say such things. Sure I may dislike Lucy for being with you, but I'd never hate you for agreeing with her," gasped Juvia.

"Hearing what Juvia said, I respectfully agree with her on this one, Gray. Thinking or speaking negatively will always draw the Heartless to us, much like the monsters called Grimm from Ruby and Yang's world," said Sora.

Juvia turned and nodded slowly at him, even though she despised hearing those who mentioned his name, but chose to be silent about it. Finally, Erza asked Eclair about where the other stone was.

"I'm not certain. But I think that it was stolen in a raid by Veronica," she said.

"I've heard of that before. Veronica's the name of a country that's north of Fiore, and it's super tiny," replied Happy.

Suddenly, there came the sound of cannon fire from outside.

"Ambush!" cried Cody, as the guild began crumbling from a group of vicious attackers.

Everyone scrambled for cover as best they could. When the dust slowly began to settle, there standing before them were the members of Carbuncle.

"Who in the hell are you!?" demanded Natsu.

"We are known as Carbuncle. The garnet adorned beast that's forever lurking in the shadows, and you may call me Dyst," sneered Dyst.

He used his psychic powers to send the rubble at Natsu, blasing him back.

"Natsu!" called his friends.

The dragon slayer was now being pummeled to the ground, when Hyena appeared and blasted him with Dark Thundaga at point blank range, seriously wounding him.

"HYENA!" roared Kirito, and he lunged at him in anger.

"How could you!?" Gray added in agreement.

"Yo, pretty boy, you're just in time for a hot date with the cannons," smirked Cannon.

"How about you take on my fists instead!?" snapped Yang, jumping between him and Gray.

Although Juvia was surprised to hear the brawler respond in Gray's place, she decided to agree with her.

"Yang may not be my rival, but those who lay a finger on Gray will die!" she added.

"Uh, what the hell is wrong with you, Lady?" he asked in confusion.

He still opened fire on them, and although Juvia tried her best to stop the shots, she was struck by one and sent flying back. The whole guild hall began ringing with the sound of battle, but one by one the mages all fell and were utterly humiliated.

"What pitiful excuses for takeovers," scoffed Coordinator.

Erza lunged at her, while also telling Lucy to stay with Eclair, but she too was subdued, right as Sephiroth appeared, then blasted her back with Shadow Flare, which in turn allowed the other requip mage to strike hard and fast. But suddenly, Dyst saw Eclair, and had everyone subdued everyone with his powers. However, Cody, not wanting Lucy to get hurt, shielded her as best he could when they crashed into the wall. Suddenly, Chase appeared and grabbed hold of her.

"Let her go!" Sora shouted towards them.

Natsu had to agree, despite his wounds, and attempted to lunge at them, only to be stopped yet again.

"This will be the end," grinned the One-Winged Angel.

He jumped up into the air.

"Divine Proclamation!" he cried out.

The massive fireball surged right into the guild hall, then exploded into a powerful burst of flames, reducing it to a large pile of rubble and smoldering ruins, with everyone inside, as the Carbuncle Mercenaries retreated into the shadows.. Back in his palace, Cream sat in his chair, holding the crown that would name him king of all Veronica.

"To think this beauty will endure forever more. I wonder how Dyst is faring?" he mused to himself.