White Eclipse
Chapter 27

(Flashback)
"So you wanna know how to see in the dark huh?"
Arc and Takeru stood across from each other in the training room. Takeru had just gotten back from the Silent Sanctum mission with the others. "Yeah." He replied as they stood in the pitch black training room. Takeru stood across the darkness demon, fearless. People claimed that Arc was unstable, yet here he was in the demon slayer's element, not that the powerful Arcturus needed it.
"Alright, just know that the darkness isn't for everyone." Arc stated. "Ask Sidney, the dark is a scaring place."
"I'm not afraid." Takeru replied.
Arc laughed. "It's not about being afraid of the darkness Takeru, it's whether or not you'll be scarred from it or not. Things you'll never see anywhere else live in the dark. Things that only appear if you look too long in the dark. What I've seen cant be unseen, but that's because I lived in darkness, you won't see such things unless you could read my thoughts and memories, or if I was apart of you."
"It's that why your eyes are bandaged."
"Yeah, but that's because Tayakata is afraid I'll kill you all." Arc said this so casually, as if death was just another thing to him, yet Takeru stayed standing unphased. "Okay, so lets get started."
(End Flashback)
"You learned a lot more than how to see in the dark over those few days huh?" Arc said. "I hate sentimental shit, but to be honest, you're the reason everyone else actually started to accept me as a guild member and not a monster. You've had a good run kid... And so did I. But the thing is. You're just getting started. Me and Tayakata have been dodging death the day we left Tartaros. That's something you can't run away from forever." Arcturus' eyes begin to glow pure black as he stuck his left palm out towards Takeru. A black magic circle appears between them as the room shakes a little. "You don't get off so easy from this though. I'll be apart of you. So you'll have memories of the things that I've seen. Don't let them get to you, they're just demons." Arc grins sadistically at his last comment as a black aura begins to rise around him. The aura begins to slowly seep through the magic circle and literally into Takeru.
Outside the room, a bit down the hall. Taya and the others stood around waiting. Taya has yet to gain control of herself as she kept thinking to herself how it was her fault.
"Taya.." Luke called out. "Are you sure you're okay?" Taya shook her head, not turning back to the group. Reve walks up to her. "Hey, everything's gonna be okay."
"How!? Takeru's in there dying and there's nothing...where's Arc?" Taya looked around a bit frantic.
"That's what I'm tryna tell you." Reve said in a calm voice, the hallways start to tremor slightly. "Arc says he can fix him." Zain stated as he looked in the window with Selene who was squinting, trying to see what was going on.
"No..." Taya knew exactly what Arc was doing. She runs to the door, causing Selene and Zain to move away. "What's wrong?" Aira asked. Taya opened the door to the room, only to have Arc push a strong but harmless darkness wave against her to hold her back.
"Arcturus! Stop! We'll find another way!"
Arc kept his eyes on Takeru as he felt himself wither away slowly. He was nearly done. Looking at both Takeru and Arc, it was as if they were switching places. Arc's skin became more pale than usual, while Takeru was gaining his color back along with his definition. The others run into view. "What's he doing!?" Luke shouted.
"He's sacrificing himself." Selene said as she shook, now speechless at the sight.
"What the hell!? Arc! Stop!" Reve calls out to Arc but the demon slayer doesn't listen. "Arc! I know you hear me!"
Taya continuously pushed her way past Arc's darkness wave, since he was becoming weaker by the second. Arc knew it, but could only smirk, and hoped he finished in time.
"Try not to use my magic before you actually learn it Tak. I don't care who you kill, but I'm sure the old man doesn't want you to go around killing others."
As he finished his talk with the unresponsive Takeru, Arc turns his head to Taya as she pushed off to the side after making it in the room. She pants from the effort and then looks up at Arc. Arc gives her a small, genuine smile,
Mouthing the words /Thank You./
"Arc...!" Taya scrambles to her feet and lunges for him, but it was too late. Right there, Arc's body turns into grey dusts, dropping on the floor. Everyone else runs into the room as Taya was on the floor, on her knees, running her hand through the grey sand that used to be Arcturus. Tears run down her face as she begins to sob, trying her hardest to hold it in. The sand falls through her fingers, every grain, right back into the pile. Reve walks over to Taya and puts a hand on her shoulder. She immediately turns to Reve and hugs him, letting out her cries.
Watching from the shadows, Kiora, Maggie and Sora can barely contain their excitement.
"Oh my, GOD!" Maggie shouted. The shadows Sora created made their voices sound proof.
"What a twist!" Kiora joined in. "The idiot sacrificed himself for some weak little mage! This is awesome!" Kiora and Maggie turned to each other smiling all giddy as Sora stood under them with a joyous look of her own.
"Arcy is coming home!" Sora shouted.
"Yeah he is!" Kiora exclaimed. "As punishment, we should make him pair up with Tobias.
(Back at Tartaros)
Tobias sneezes. "...I don't even wanna know."
(Hospital)
"Only thing that blows is that we can't really make fun of Daityas now, since he technically didn't mess up." Maggie stated.
"Whatever girl we got what we came for now lets to tell the hot head what's up!" Kiora smiles from ear to ear as her and Maggie grab hands and dance around Sora. Sora laughs as her shadows consume the three of them, transporting them back to Tartaros.
Time passes as everyone but Selene and Takeru were in the waiting room. After hearing the news, Fairy Tail gives White Eclipse their sympathies as they finally leave, walking out of the hospital and down the street of Magnolia.
"It takes a man to do what Arc did." Elfman said.
"Harsh.." Gray said in a low tone. "A guild mate dying before his time...I can't even imagine."
"I thought I had this feeling when Lisanna disappeared," Elfman added. "But their guild mate is actually dead.. The sand proves it."
Lucy couldn't help but shed a tear as she wraps her arm around Natsu's and leans into his shoulder. Natsu looks over at Lucy, but doesn't say anything as they continued walking. "I know days like this come." Gajeel said. "But to be honest." Levy also wraps her arms around Gajeel's as he speaks. "I wouldn't be me without you guys."
Even Evergreen and Elfman, and Gray and Juvia inch together as they walk down the street. The death of a person they didn't even like had all of them feeling as if they lost their own. Wendy stayed in front of everyone as she kept her eyes down, kicking a lone pebble every time she neared it. "We really are lucky." She said.
"What does Wendy mean?" Juvia asked.
"We've had a lot of close calls. A lot. There were times when we weren't supposed to make it, but we did." Wendy looks up to the sky as she sighs. "That Arc guy dying today, really made me realize how much we take our luck for granted."
"It's not luck Wendy." Natsu commented, cutting her off. "It's our friendship. We're a family. We wouldn't let anyone here get hurt. Not without the person who did it to get it back tenfold!"
Before anyone could agree with Natsu, Wendy spoke again. "They loved Arc too. He wasn't just a mage to them. They may dislike us, but...it's not like they're evil. They're a family too. And yet...he's gone." Wendy's words cause everyone to go quiet as they all head back to the guild.

Back at the hospital. Takeru was awake, but he was still in bed. He had his face buried in his hands with Selene holding him. Selene had broken the news to Takeru, about how he saved Tak by sacrificing his own life. The waiting room was quiet as well as they all waited for Selene and Takeru. Reve stayed with Taya as she buried her face in his chest, still crying. The others stayed quiet in their seats, keeping their eyes glued to the ground.

.
The next day, all of White Eclipse was outside the back of the guild. Everyone was dressed in black and gathered around an open grave. There was a mixture of crying and sobbing as Sidney walks up to the grave with a black urn in his hands. Inside, was the grey sand that was once Arcturus. The cries and sobs grow a bit louder as Sidney crouches down, and places the urn inside the grave. Jack then walks up to the grave as well, wiping his face of any tears, slides his foot forward, causing the grave to "cave in." He buries the urn under the dirt and snow. After a few minutes of silence, everyone pays their sorrows and respect for Arcturus and heads back inside. Everyone but Takeru an Kuro. Kuro stood a couple feet from the right of Tak. They both looked down at a grave, but the grave Kuro was now looking at, wasn't Arc's. Kuro sits down Indian style as he stared at the grave of his mentor, Mary.

[Flashback]
Kuro runs out of an empty room and into the main room. "She's gone-"
"Calm down kid, geez." Mary was seen sitting at the broken up bar next to Calium. She shuffles her hand through her blonde hair. It was still a mess since she has yet to do anything with it. As she dropped her hand, the back of it showed the White Eclipse symbol.
"Sorry.." Kuro mumbled. "I thought you left again. What's that on your hand.?"
"Hm?" Mary turns her hand around, already forgetting about the guild mark. "Oh yeah, Reve gave me this. It seems we're guild members now. You need to get yours too."
"But...I didn't see anyone else with them."
"I just did them all today!" Reve exclaimed as the others walk in, showing off their guild mark as well. It was a white crescent moon, over a black full one, with an original design of another black crescent moon to the left of the eclipse with three black dots behind that.
Kuro smiles in excitement. "So we're apart of the family now!?" Calium and Mary couldn't help but smile a bit from Kuro's interpretation of family. "Not so fast." Reve said with a sly smirk. Kuro, along with everyone else, gives him a confused look.
"Why not?" Kuro asked. "Because." Reve shifted his eyes around thinking. "First...since you're the newest member, you have to...go through the White Eclipse initiation! Yeah!"
Kuro blinked. "And that is?"
Outside, everyone but Kuro and Reve were on the ground while Kuro was on the roof edge. Kuro looks down at the others. "Ready!?" He yelled out.
"On you, brat!" Mary yelled back.
"Brat. I'll be calling you runts that from now on." Calium side noted.
"Okay." Kuro takes a deep breath.
"My name is Kuro Crane."
"Kuro what!?" Mary's eyes widen as she screamed and flailed internally. "Did he just take my last name!?"
Kuro continued. "I'm a fire make Mage. I became a mage, because I had no where to turn to, and when I was at my lowest, Mary took me in and gave me a home, and taught me her magic as well. I fight...well, I don't really fight, but if anyone were to hurt my family, I wouldn't hesitate to protect them. I joined White Eclipse, because once again, when at my lowest, they took me in and helped me find my mentor Mary. Now we're a family again, with an even bigger family. And like Reve wants, we'll be the strongest guild, because it's White Eclipse or... IT'S WHITE ECLIPSE OR SECOND PLACE!"
"I like it!" Jack yelled from the bottom.
Sidney nods while Zalen claps his hands and laughs.
"Welcome to White Eclipse!" Reve yells as he pushes Kuro off the roof and into the snow. He lands back first and looks up to the sky with a dizzy smile. Mary leans over and laughs, then extends a hand. "Heh. Get up kid and lets find some grub."
[End FlashBack.]
Kuro gives a small smile as he continues to look on at Mary's grave. A single tear rolls down as he turns to Takeru who was still staring at Arc's grave. Kuro stands up and walks over, now standing next to Tak as he places his hand on his shoulder. The two mages who's lost someone so close, stand outside for nearly the remainder of the day.

.

The months continue to fly by as the guilds continue their lives. Fairy Tail and White Eclipse continued their treaty of staying away from each other, until finally..
Right in the plains, smack dab in between White Eclipse and Fairy Tail, every member of both guilds stand across from each other. Reve and Erza meet in the middle with their guild mates behind them. Though he was out of smelling distance, Natsu and Gajeel couldn't help but stare Adamantine down, almost instinctively. Gray and Cygnus exchange glares, except Cygnus smirks. Reve and Erza take another step forward. Reve rolls his sleeves up to his forearm and then slides his hands in his pockets. Erza simply folds her arms. "Reve Volver."
"Titania."
Erza smirks. "I see nothing's changed with your quick wit. You can't even address me formally."
"Yeah I save those for those I respect."
Erza sighs a bit but continues to smirk. "So we all know why we're here."
"The Grand Magic Games are tomorrow! White Eclipse or second place!" Cygnus shouted. The entire White Eclipse guild cheers behind Reve as he smirks in pride of his guild.
"More like White Eclipse is second place." Laxus retaliated. "We all know it's Fairy Tail for the repeat." Fairy Tail begins cheering as well until Reve and Erza both calm their guilds down.
"It seems we have such spirited guild mates." Reve says.
"That's nothing new to Fairy Tail." Erza replied. "Not that you're going to share such information, but any idea on your starting five? You know ours, from both teams. Besides Mystogan, we haven't changed our roster at all."
Reve chuckles a bit. "Now now Erza, what's the fun of giving that away?" You'll see both our teams when they call out the first and second place teams after preliminaries."
"So they're going with two teams as well huh?" Gajeel questioned. He smirks over at Selene. Selene catches his stare and grins back. "All the better chance to take her out."
Reve runs his hands through his hair. "But as promised, the treaty isn't /completely/ over so.." Reve extends a hand to Erza. "On behalf of White Eclipse. We wish you losers good luck on your race to second place. I hear Sabertooth and Quatro Cerberus has really stepped it up this year."
Erza can't help but smirk. She shakes his hand. "Yeah yeah, we'll see you tomorrow."
Luke then walks up to Laxus Dreyar. He then extends a hand to him. "Laxus Dreyar. I can't wait to see you in action. Honestly, I'm a big fan. Will you shake my hand? It'd be a great honor."
Laxus curls his lip, but in good sportsmanship, he extends a hand and shakes Luke's. a small magic circle discreetly appears. Only White Eclipse notices it. A few of them snicker, which catches Natsu's attention, but he's still at a lost.
Luke then moves to Gray. "Gray, you too. Just because I like your magic and how you use it." Luke extends his hand again. Gray smirks from the complement and shakes his hand. "Sure kid, anything for a fan." The same thing happens as a magic circle appears. This time, even Reve looks over and smirks. It finally clicked from back when Luke pushed Natsu, and copied his magic when they first met. Luke had made his way over to Mirajane and was reaching for her hand until Natsu yelled out. "Wait! Don't shake his hand!" Natsu pulled Mirajane away from Luke as White Eclipse bursted out laughing.
"So close Luke." Reve let out while laughing.
"That's okay. I have the lightning dragon slayer and ice make Mage abilities now." Luke laughed as he walked over to his guild.
"What!?" Laxus looked on in shock and confusion.
"You didn't!" Gray was infuriated, clenching his fist in anger.
"He's a copy Mage... He copies your abilities when he touches you! Oh no how did I just remember!" Lucy yelled out.
"See you clowns around!" Reve waves back as the entire guild walks off laughing. Fairy Tail stands there for a bit. Laxus' electricity begins to spark around him as he stares at the leaving mages.
"I'm going to wreck that kid. I swear it."

.

All while White Eclipse was out, five mages were spotted in the back of the guild. Maggie, Ruika, Kiora, Sora, and Daityas. Daityas walked over to Arcturus grave. "Ohhhhh here we go!" Kiora yelled.
"This is gonna be a bloody good time!" Maggie responded.
"Lets go lets go lets go!" Sora jumped up and down overly excited.
Crossing her arms. Ruika closed her eyes as she waited. "We've waited months for them to clear out. Lets do this now before they come back."
Orion pops out of his gate but before he could say anything to Ruika, she slams a fist against his head and forces a gate closure. "You will /not/ ruin this moment."
Daityas places the vase down on top of Arcturus grave. The magic circles on the grave begin spinning clockwise.
Kiora raises her hands in the air. "Arise darkness Demon slayer! Come back from the grave you lay in! For we are the ones who now command thee! The ones who-"
"Kiora what are you doing?" Daityas turned and asked, looking at her as if she's lost her mind.
"Sorry...I just wanted to add dramatic effect."
Maggie begins laughing as the vase begins to shake. Just then, a giant beam of darkness shoots from the vase and into the sky. The grey sand appears and floats above the vase. The sand begins to swirl around as it forms a body.
Sora's eyes widen as Arcturus completely forms and steps from the darkness. The vase then stops and sits there. Everyone stands, waiting to see if he was on their side again, or if he was just merely revived. Arc stares at everyone, not moving as well, until Sora jumps on his back, wrapping her hands around his neck. "Arcy!" She snuggled into the back of his neck! With a smile. "Sora...?" Arc looks back at her and then at Daityas. "What are we doing here?"
Daityas grins as Kiora and Maggie dance in the back. "We're going home Arcturus. We're going home."