Chapter 8

Salamander


"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Magic"

Flashback

Location / Date / Time Skip


With Simon and Erik

"Easy, now." Simon said as he help Erik walk along the stairs outside. "We're both still weak from that paralyzing shot Sterben gave us."

"Don't remind me." Erik growled. "Still pisses me off that all I could do was smell the guy."

"You did help beat him." Simon reminded.

Erik just huffed at the statement. "No, that was all Gray. I swear, he's gonna hold this over me for a month at least."

"Well, if you take out Jellal, I'd say you're even." Simon joked. "Hopefully, he and your cat can find a way off this island."

"Uh, quick question, how do you know again?" Erik asked.

"I grew up with Erza in the tower." Simon explained before leaning against the wall.

"You okay?" Erik asked.

"I'm fine." Simon said standing up. "I just got word from Wally. He found the girls and they're headed for the docks. They took down one of the assassins Jellal hired. And I just got word from Sho, Erza beat the third one. So that just leaves the forth."

"Good, maybe I can finally do something." Erik said.

"Well, orther than the last one, all of the assassins are out of the picture." Simon continued. "That just leaves Jellal. Knowing Erza, she's probably gone to fight him already."

"All by herself?" Erik asked.

"She has an extreme score to settle with him." Simon explained. "So I'm guessing she wants to do it alone. We both know they have quite a history together, it's almost like they are destined to fight each other. I'm worried because Jellal is stronger than she knows." Her turned around and faced Erik. "Please, you have to help Erza."

"I don't wanna." Erik said back.

"Are you kidding me!?" Simon shouted in disbelief.


Throne Room

"Dear me, is the game over already?" Jellal asked as he stood up from his seat. At the same time, Erza entered the room.

"Is playing with other people's lives really so amusing to you?" Erza asked back.

"Life and death are the very basis of all things." Jellal explained. "They intensify every emotion. Without them, what could be more dreary than living day after day." He looked over his shoulder at the red head. "It certainly has been a while, Erza."

"Jellal..." Erza muttered. "Sho and the others are free from your lies."

"Not that I care, I no longer have any use for them." He said back. "Not with the Tower of Heaven completed."

Erza raised her sword and pointed it at the board. "Even if it's going to be destroyed in ten minutes?"

"What, but the Etherion?" Jellal chuckled.

"So unconcerned... So you really were bluffing." Erza surmised as Jellal took off his hood.

"Oh, no. Etherion will fire." He explained.

"Honestly, I was hoping for that." Erza said as she readied herself. "All I have to do is keep you busy for the next ten minutes. Then this nightmare will finally end."

"Oh, no... You are going to die." Jellal said as a dark mist rolled off his hand and he closed his right eye. "You will be sacrificed to Zeref. That much is pure fact." He opened his eye, now with a tribal look to it. "This is your destiny!"


With Simon and Erik

"What the hell's the matter with you!?" Simon shouted in Erik's face. "I thought she was your friend, so why won't you help her?"

"Look, this is Erza's fight." Erik explained. "She wants to do this on her own. If I got involved, she'll never forgive me."

Simon turned and looked out at the sea. "Erza has no hope of defeating him..."

"Are trying to go for a swim from this high?" Erik asked, raising his feet. "Don't insult her like that, you creep!"

"I'm not doubting her magic power!" Simon said as he turned around. "I know Erza. She's still hoping that somehow she can save Jellal. She could never actually hate Jellal, and he knows it. He knows exactly how to manipulate her feelings to his advantage. But it's not just that."

"As you know, council is planning on firing the Etherion blast. Once that happens, the tower and everyone inside will be wiped out. If Sho is right, we only have ten minutes." Erik's eyes went wide. "She ordered everyone else off the island for a reason. Though it pains me to say it, she's planning on using the Etherion to die, taking Jellal with her."

"Why didn't you say so in the first place!?" Erik shouted as poison mist rolled off his body. "Where the hell is she!?"


Throne Room

"Only seven minutes left..." Jellal mumbled. "And when that blast strikes this tower, we'll take our final breaths. What say you? Shall we enjoy these last moments together?"

"I have nothing to fear." Erza said back. "Even if Etherion does fire, all that matters is that I take you with me."

"Is that so..." Jellal asked as a large mass of magic floated above his hands. "Let's see about that!" The mass turned into tentacles and launched towards Erza, who calmly sliced through them. She launched forward and Jellal caught her hand before sending a blast of magic from his finger, destroying the wall and sending Erza out of the tower.

She jumped from rubble to rubble before landing back inside. "I thought this tower was your goal. Why are you working so hard to destroy it?!" She launched forward and swung her sword, slicing through the game board.

"Who cares about a pillar or two?" He chuckled back. "Nothing more than mere decorations."

"Sho and the others wasted eight years of their lives for mere decorations!?" Erza growled in anger.

"Don't play your little word games with me..." Jellal said as a ball of magic floated over his hand. "I never forced them to work here, they choose to. They knew how important the tower was to me." He slammed his fist shut and destroyed the orb. "And now it is complete!"

Tendrils grabbed Erza's feet and worked their way up her body, immobilizing her in an orb of magic. "No matter how strong you think you are, you are nowhere near my level." He chuckled before the orb was sliced into four pieces. She launched forward and swung her sword, catching him in the chest. He landed on his back as Erza trapped him underneath her and pointed her sword at his throat.

"Why don't you tell me what your real goal is, Jellal?" Erza demanded. "We both know the R-system isn't anywhere near complete. Do you know what I've been doing for the last eight years? Researching it relentlessly. The tower might be built perfectly according to the blueprints, but your still missing one key thing."

"I already told you, your sacrifice will complete it." He said back.

"No, it's something much more basic than that." Erza said. "Pure magic energy. To activate the R-system requires so much magic, that even if all the mages on the continent were gathered, it would only be a fraction of what you need. And you sure can't fill it all on your own. I find it intriguing that you haven't fled despite knowing the council's plans to attack. Just what are you up to?"

"Only three minutes left..." He mumbled.

"Answer me!" She shouted. "Your dream died before it could ever live, so why are you willing to risk your life? Do you really want to die so badly?!" Jellal clenched his fist and Erza squeezed his arm tighter. "If that's so, I'll hold you down right here until the last moment!"

"Honestly, that doesn't sound so bad..." He said as he relaxed his arm. "I've had no control over my own body. Zeref possessed me to be made flesh again. I'm nothing more than a puppet."

"Possessed?" Erza asked back.

"I couldn't save myself, let alone my friends." Jellal said. "And then it hit me. Heaven doesn't exist, and neither does true freedom. All of creation was finished before it even began."

The tower began to shake as the Etherion drew closer to firing. "I wanted to stop it, but I couldn't. I was just a train without any brakes. Erza, I surrender. You won this fight, so go ahead and finish me."

"There's no need for me to spill your blood." She said as she removed her blade. "Etherion will fire any second now. That means this is the end, for both of us..."

"It's grim fate, but it is our fate..." Jellal added as he sat up.

"In the end, you were just another one of Zeref's victims..." She added.

"It's my own fault." He said. "I let my weakness get the best of me. I gave into my anger and Zeref took advantage."

"But don't you think that burying all of your weakness, the things you kept locked away, isn't that what friends are for?" She asked back.

"That's true..." He nodded.

"I'm at fault as well." She explained. "I wasn't able to save you back then."

The two embraced in a hug as the tower shook even more. "Erza, you have saved me." The light enveloped both of them as a demonic smile came on Jellal's face. Huge chunks of the tower were blasted off, creating a giant tidal wave that rode out form the shore line.

Ryuko was in her Shippū mode with Sterben on her shoulder and Ikaruga hanging off her hand. "Well, that looks like it hurt." She saw a small boat floating away from the shore and flew down to it. She let Ikaruga go and floated above the boat with Sterben still on her shoulder. "So what happens now?"

"Now, you die!" All looked up as a giant ball of fire hovered above them. "Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!" Salamander threw the ball at the two and burned them alive. The ball soon faded, letting whatever ash from their previous body's fly in the wind.

"Why did you spare me?" The swordswoman asked as he flew closer to the boat.

"I don't know, it just feels like I'm not supposed to kill you." He said.

"Well, that's kinda sweet..." She mumbled.

"Just get out of here." Salamander said as he turned back to the tower. "This is not going to be pretty."

"Wait, can I at least get your name?" Ikaruga asked.

"Salamander..." He said as Cubelious took off back towards the tower.

"Salamander..." She repeated as she looked at her broken blade. 'I think I'm intrigued by him...'


Throne Room

Erza opened her eyes to find herself still alive and the tower now turned into a giant, twisted lacrima. "How are... Alive?" Jellal stood up and chuckled before bursting into a maniacal laughter.

"Finally, my hour of glory has arrived!" He shouted as Erza stood wide eyed. "This is the tower's true form, a giant lacrima crystal, charged by the foolish council's Etherion cannon. It's pure magic power provided all the energy I needed. Meaning the R-system is now complete!"

Erza stood up with pure rage in her eyes. "So, this whole time, I was nothing more than a pawn..."

"That expression of yours is priceless, Erza..." Both looked over and stared at Siegrain. "He can't use his full power, so he had to manipulate you to save himself."

"Siegrain!?" Erza shouted. "What are you doing here?!"

"Remember when we first met?" He asked as he walked over to his twin. "You and Makarov came in to present the council an apology for destruction of property. But when you saw me, you mistook me for Jellal."

"Can't say I blame her, after all we do have the same face." Jellal said.

"I only managed to calm you down when I told you we were twins." Siegrain continued. "But I doubt you ever lost your hostility to me."

"What do you expect!?" She shouted back. "If you actually cared about your brother, you would have tried to stop him. Instead you spent your time spying on me!"

"A mistake on my part..." Siegrain confessed. "In hindsight, I should have said something to make you think I was going to track down Jellal and kill him. But the real mistake was running into you in the first place, and after all that trouble I went through to become a council member. Nothing is worse than coming up with an excuse on the spot."

"I knew it..." She growled. "The two of you were in on this together."

"'In on this together'?" Jellal repeated.

"You still don't get it, do you Erza?" Siegrain asked as he started to flicker. "The two of us are one in the same, we always were." Jellal's body glowed as Siegrain faded into him.

"A Thought Projection!?" She asked in shock.

"You had no idea, did you Erza?" Jellal asked back.

"Then you're the one responsible for all of this!?" She asked in a rage. "You wormed your way on to the council just so you could fire Etherion, didn't you?"

"I do hope you enjoyed the freedom I granted you all those years ago." He said. "Your release, Etherion, it was all apart of my plan to resurrect Zeref."

"Just how many lives do you plan to destroy!?" She shouted.

"My magic..." Jellal muttered. "My magic has returned to me." He launched forward and slammed his open palm into her gut, sending her sliding back along the ground. "Where's all that moxiy from before? Did you waste all your power on Ikaruga?"

Erza flipped over and summoned a large buster sword from the ground. She charged forward and swung her sword, only to have Jellal dodge it. "Right now, the council is nothing more than a pile of rubble." He jumped off the sword and landed above her. "I must really thank Ultear. She so committed to the idea of going to heaven. I have to thank her stupidity as well."

"You think you can just play with people's lives!?" Erza asked as she summoned another sword and destroyed the platform. "I'll kill you! This is your end, Jellal!" She launched forward and held her swords behind her, ready to swing them both.

"I think not." A new voice said before a giant red snake wrapped around Erza's body forcing her to drop her weapons. Without any momentum, gravity sent them both to the ground before the snake flicked its tongue on her cheek.

"What is this thing!?" Erza shouted as she tried to break free.

"Now that's just rude..." She looked up to a man with salmon hair in black and gold leaning against a large crystal. "Her name is Cubelious."

"Who are you?" She shouted as Jellal jumped down.

"Name is Salamander." He said, leaning in close. "I can hear your heart, your fear. It's a beautiful symphony."

"Now, now. Don't get too attached to her." Jellal walked over and picked Erza up by the throat. "She won't be around for much longer." A large crystal rose out of the ground as Cubelious uncoiled around Erza. Jellal walked forward and when Erza touched it, she started sinking into the crystal.

"The sad thing is I truly did love you, Erza." He said as both he and Salamander, with Cubelious around him, turned around and walked away.

"So, where is Nirvana?" The pinkette asked as Erza sank deeper into the crystal.

"Patience, Salamander." Jellal said back. "For now, I'll tell you it's in the Worth Woodsea."

"That forest is hundreds of miles wide." Salamander said back. "How are we supposed to-" Cubelious snapped her head back and he followed her. "Well, I'll be. I didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to stay behind."

Jellal turned to see Erik pull Erza out of the crystal. "Erza belongs to Fairy Tail. I'm not handing her over to you creeps without a fight."

"Erik..." She whispered.

"Geeze, I disappear to find Happy, and I come back to find you with two guys." He chuckled.

"I'm sorry. I-I can't move my body..." Erza confessed.

"Not even a little?" He asked back. "Well, that just means more fun for me."

"No, listen to me, you have to leave now!" Erza shouted. "You don't know anything about Jellal, or this Salamander for that matter. You can't win..." Her eyes started to swell with tears. "Please, just listen to me for once..."

"Fine..." He huffed picking her up. "Sometimes, I don't get you at all..." He pulled his first back and slammed it into her gut, knocking her out. "But I know I can win."

"It seems you really are irrational." Jellal chuckled.

"I heard it coming and I still can't believe it." Salamander added.

"You made her cry..." Erik whispered. "And her voice, was shaking with fear... I've never seen Erza like that. She's supposed to be this strong, scary woman that I look up to." He turned around as poison mist rolled off his body. "And when she wakes up that's exactly the woman she'll be. So you punks better get ready to pay."

"Interesting, one last round." Jellal said. "The Cobra vs the Salamander. This should be entertaining."

Erik shot forward with his fist extended, but Salamander twisted his wrist and flipped him over his shoulder. Erik tried to kick his legs out and the pinkette jumped and stomped his feet down on Erik's gut.

'Next comes the roar.' Salamander thought, listening to the muscles of the other slayer.

"Poison Dragon Roar!" Erik shouted, only to have Salamander lean back and the poison hit the ceiling.

"Try again." He said. A stalactite was knocked loose and forced Salamander to jump back.

"Poison Dragon Claw!" Erik kicked the crystal and sent shards toward his opponent, only to have Salamander effortlessly dodge them and the shards imbedded themselves into the wall. "Not bad, pinky."

"Try this..." Salamander said as Cubelious opened her mouth. Flames shot out of it and acted like a flamethrower as Erik pulled his arm back.

"Poison Dragon Fang Thrust!" Poison shot forward and took the shape of a snake's fang that pierced the flames. The flames dissipated and revealed air empty. "What the?"

"Take this." Erik turned to around as Salamander's fist slammed into his face, forcing him into the floor and cracking it. "Wanna join in?"

"Very well." Jellal jumped into the air and slammed his hands together. "May the seven stars grant judgement upon you. Seven Star Sword - Grand Chariot!" Seven seals appeared beneath Erik that then exploded, sending him into a nearby wall.

"And stay down." Salamander warned.

"That's enough." Jellal landed, his cloak destroyed by the blast. "The tower can't take any more damage."

"For something that took seven years to build, you'd think you'd make it more stable." Salamander stood up and walked back towards his employer. He stopped when he tilted his head and a small pebble flew by him.

"Feel that..." Erik panted as he stood up and chucked more stones. "That was just a warm up..." Poison gathered around his fists as a smile crossed his face. "Thanks for the info..." He placed his hands together and delivered a double axe handle to the floor, making it shatter even more.

"What are you doing!?" Salamander asked as the tower shook.

"Don't you know destruction of property is what us Fairy Tail wizards are all about?" Erik chuckled. "And I'm just getting started."

"You ignorant little fool!" Jellal screamed as his body glowed in a bright yellow aura.

"Looks like I underestimated you." Salamander cracked his knuckles.

"So, two on one now?" Erik chuckled. "That's just fine with me."

"I've dreamed of this day and I won't let a fool like you ruin it!" Jellal shouted.

"You ain't the only stubborn bastard here." Erik said back. "Let's go!"

"Oort!" Jellal held out his hands and a magic seal shot golden beams, forcing Erik to dodge.

"Too slow!" He taunted before jumping into the air. "I've got you now!"

"Think again!" Salamander shouted as he stomped both feet into Erik's face, sending him back. Erza's eyes slowly opened at the sound of Erik hitting the wall.

"Quit holding back you two." Erik panted before sprinting forward. "You're so worried about this stupid tower you can't even fight me for real? That won't work against me!"

"That's it. Screw this place." Salamander growled. "I'm gonna kill this goody two shoes." He sprinted forward and threw a punch that Erik dodged.

"Did you hear this!? Poison Dragon Twin Fang!" Erik swung his hands and waves of snake shaped tendrils tore through the floor. Chunks of crystal broke off the wall before the waves broke them into a fine powder.

"He's targeting the tower?" Erza asked.

"Salamander, you idiot!" Jellal shouted. "This punk is tearing down my tower because you couldn't keep your mouth shut! I won't allow it!"

"Hey, I did warn you..." Erik panted. "Destroying stuff... Is just what I do..."

'Erik, please...' Erza thought from the sidelines. 'You can barely stand. Be careful...'

"I'll make you pay!" Jellal crossed his arms and raised them as a magic seal appeared. Wind kicked up around them and Erik's torn jacket was blown off, showing his guild mark.

"What the heck is wrong with this magic?" He asked, bracing himself. "It's like I'm being hit with my own poison."

"Jellal, are you trying to kill us all!?" Salamander shouted.

"If you had just done your job, none of this would have happened!" The bluenette said back. "Now I am forced to take drastic measures!"

"My shadow is moving towards the light?" Erza asked. "That spell could kill him!"

"I will plunge you into the endless darkness, Dragon Slayer!" Jellal shouted as the wind spiraled above him.

"I won't let you!" Erza shouted as she forced herself to her feet and stood in front of Erik. "Unless you wish for me to die as well!?"

'What the?' For a brief second, Salamander thought he saw himself and Angel as children. 'Not the time..." He shook his his head and the memories faded.

"You don't wanna lose your sacrifice to Zeref, do you?" Erza asked as the wind slowed down.

"That would be a problem..." Jellal mumbled. "But Zeref requires a wizard on the same level as that of a Wizard Saint. But at this point, I can always get some other idiot to help me. You're not the only one who fits that bill." Erza's eyes went wide. "But I'll worry about that when this is done!" The spell picked up and the wind blew harder.

The wind turned into a ball of darkness with little specks of light inside it. "Erza, move!" Erik shouted as he stood up.

"Don't worry..." She smirked. "I will protect you."

"Heavenly-" Jellal started.

"Hold it, Jellal." Salamander stood in front of the spell. "We have an uninvited rat." The spell faded and Simon was in Salamander's hand by the neck. "Why are you still here?"

"To stop Jellal..." Simon gasped. "And keep Erza safe."

"Simon!" Erza shouted and tried to save him, but the giant snake kept her and Erik at bay.

"Why? She never gave you the time of day." The final assassin asked.

"Because... I love her..." Simon explained, making her tear up. "I always have... And I always will..."

"If I had a jewel for every time I heard that excuse..." Salamander shook his head. "If that's the case, you can die loving her." He forced Simon's neck to forty five degree angle and snapped it, killing him.

"Noooooooooooo!" Erza shouted as tears rolled down her eye. Erik stared in silence as Salamander threw the body towards her, as if it was a twisted gift. "Simon, Simon!" She ran over and placed her ear over his heart, but heard nothing. Clenching her fists she looked up with pure anger in her eyes. "I'll never forgive you!"

"Stop crying, it's pathetic." Salamander said back. "You'll see that moronic weakling soon enough."

"I still can't believe he gave his life for her." Jellal chuckled.

Salamander nodded in agreement. "The thing idiots do for-"

"SHUT UP!" Erik shouted as he punched Salamander clean out of the tower. Cubelious followed her master as Jellal looked over in shock as Erik picked up a chunk of the crystal and started eating it.

"He's eating pure Ethernano..." Jellal mumbled as Erik swallowed. His eyes turned light blue as he roared and magic energy seeped out of the tower and into him. Erik roared and slammed his fists down, forcing Jellal to jump out of the way of a massive shockwave.

Erik grabbed his throat as he coughed up liquid Ethernano and winced in pain. "How could you be so stupid!?" Erza shouted. "Ethernano is made up of all kinds of magic, not just poison!"

Vains popped on his face as Jellal chuckled at his pain. "What a fool. Did he really think he could harness all of that magical power outside of his own element. Still, I should thank him for killing himself."

Poison erupted around Erik as his eyes turned a dark red. It spread and took the form of a dragon behind him as scales grew around his eyes and on his arms.

"What the-?!" Jellal asked in shock as Erza stared at her friend. "He actually absorbed all of the power?"

Erik launched forward and delivered a high knee to Jellal's face. "You and that freak made Erza cry!" He leapt off a stalactite and drove Jellal through the floor, and then another one, and another one, and another. "I'll make you both pay! I made a promise, and I intend to keep it!"

'Erik, if anything should happen to me, promise you'll take care of Erza?' Simon asked.

"If either of you hurt her again, I'll kill you!" Erik shouted.

"Idle threats don't scare me." Jellal said as he activated his Meteor spell and zoomed away. Erik slowed himself between two chunks of crystal before jumping after Jellal. "You can't match my speed." Jellal bragged before getting punched in the gut, sending them both to the top of the tower. "I refuse to lose to the likes of you!"

He kicked Erik away and jumped onto the air. "I am Zeref's chosen one, destined to create a land of freedom! Zeref came to me in my darkest hour and told me so! He said he could make all my dreams come true. Together, we will create a world of true freedom!"

"That doesn't give you the right to take everyone else's rights away!" Erik shouted.

"If it's to turn the world into a better place, then so be it!" Jellal shouted as he blasted the top of the tower. "I don't give a damn what happens to feeble minded fools!" He waved his finger and summoned an all too familiar seal.

"No way..." Erik mumbled.

"Abyss Break!?" Erza shouted. "Are you trying to tear down the whole tower!?"

"It's just an object. Nothing." Jellal said back. "Now that I've built one, I can create another in half the time! Zeref, your hour is near." Suddenly, the spell rippled and faded away. "What the-" Jellal coughed out as dark bags appeared under his eyes.

"If you keep following a damn ghost, you'll never be free!" Erik shouted as he launched himself upwards off a crystal. "Live for yourself, Jellal!" Poison shot off him and took the form of a flying dragon. "Wake the hell up!" He put all of his momentum behind his fist and slammed it into Jellal's face, sending them crashing into the tower.

Erza covered her eyes from the smoke, protecting Simon's body. A coin bounced off the ground, making her look at Jellal's Wizard Saint medal. Erza opened her eyes and looked at Erik standing over an edge as Jellal laid on the ground, defeated. 'Is this the true power of a Dragon Slayer?'


With Salamander

Salamander chuckled as he stood on top of Cubelious and thought back to Brain's orders. 'Sabatoge the tower, make sure it's a failure. Once it does, bring him back here. And we will force him to show us Nirvana's location.'

"One well placed sound wave, and even the most powerful spell can fall apart." The pinkette chuckled. "Time for the next stage." Cubelious flew towards the tower base. He put his hands on the tower and they started vibrating, in turn making the tower bubble and shake.


So, one last chapter and then a break before the Nirvana arc.

Now I asked for very specific suggestions and I got 5 girls. So here's what we're gonna do. Give me any non post anime girl and I will put them on the list! I will think of a way to incorporate them into the harem. Deal?

Beta read by digemsmack.