Façade

by Blessism

Being a Wizard Saint and council member is a big feat, especially when you're in the most ludicrous guild in history. Jellal and Erza find it hard to come to terms with each other, especially when problems start arising in wake of new enemies. Read along as these two encounter awkward situations with the rest of Fairy Tail. Heaps of angst and comedy.

19. Alliances, Assemble!

I didn't know surgery for wisdom teeth would be so painful, haha! Anyway, your reviews have cured me. ;)

GNTR96, thank you always for your reviews, I love the "P.S." notes! :D

Thank you to all guests too, you all make my day! Try to get an account, I love having conversations with you all!

Good things and bad things happen this chapter! Also, this chapter contains graphic descriptions of violence. Ye be warned!

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Façade

Chapter 19: Alliances, Assemble!

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Erza tossed and turned in her bed as the chaos appeared louder from the entrance of Fairy Hills. There had been knocking on her door, but she didn't make any effort to open it.

Everything that transpired within the last few weeks took a toll on her. Sleep is exactly what she needed after recovering from the many battles.

Yet as she tried to shut out the commotion, the sound of knocking became more desperate.

Erza thought to ignore it by using the bathroom, running the sink and brushing her teeth. She worked the lather of soap on her face longer than she should've before dunking her face near the sink, washing it away. It would be going against her very nature by refusing to handle the situation as Fairy Hills' head girl. But this place was packed with Fairy Tail mages. Chaos was to be expected.

As she patted the towel over her face, she heard a knock on her bathroom door.

She froze. "Who came into my room?" she mumbled, assuming it was an attack. Perhaps there was a commotion because an intruder entered.

Oh God, she messed up big time.

Erza summoned a blade beside her and changed into her Heart Kreuz armour, readying herself to charge at the intruder.

"Who's there?" she demanded, turning the knob and pouncing on the person with the tip of their blade pointed at them.

"Good morning to you too, Erza." Jellal greeted gently, despite the sword at his throat. He grabbed the blade from her wrist and rolled them over.

"Jellal?" she asked in disbelief, not caring if he managed to switch their positions. He sat up while she lay on the floor. She questioningly gazed at him; the Wizard Saint wasn't one to break rules. "You're not allowed in Fairy Hills."

"I know," he sighed almost dreadfully. "However, there's a mission that requires your utmost attention. Sneaking in undetected would not wake you up, so I had to cause a commotion." He gestured to her front door, which swung open to reveal the residents of Fairy Hills. Some were giggling while the others were shocked. Namely Evergreen.

Jellal got off the ground before offering his hand to her. Erza hesitantly took it, wondering if he was holding it out only to trip her. Jellal had done it occasionally. It'd been these small competitions between them that got her worked up. Needless to say, Jellal was winning by a milestone.

Noticing her hesitance and reading her thoughts, Jellal gave an amused smile. "You don't trust me?"

She snorted and shook her head.

"I'm offended." He seized her wrist and dragged her up. The two mages were interrupted by a purposeful cough from the girls.

"I apologize about that," he said, brushing the dust off his coat as the residents of Fairy Hills turned to him.

Levy stifled her laughter. "I don't mind. Sometimes a visitor in the morning is just what we need."

"Correction, he came in as an intruder," claimed Erza, glaring at Jellal momentarily.

Juvia clasped her hands together with a smile. "Jellal's such a good friend! I hope Gray darling does something like that to me!"

"I'd rather he didn't," the two S-Class mages simultaneously mused.

Erza clutched her forehead after trying to recall the night before. "If it's such an important task, what are we doing dawdling around here? I'd better be not skipping breakfast for nothing."

He looked amused. "You won't be skipping it. Mirajane will appease to that." He opened her window wide enough so he could jump off from the second floor. Erza scoffed at his idea and closed the window, shutting her door behind before making her way to the front of Fairy Hills. Jellal waited patiently, starting to head off.

"You're never one for dramatic entrances," she mumbled under her breath, pacing beside him.

"Duly noted."

Erza contained her yawn before staring at him. "Were you at the Magic Council today?"

A thin smile played on his lips. "How did you guess?"

She shrugged, making a wild guess. "I suppose you are required often, Chairman Jellal."

His face fell. "I never had that title to begin with."

Erza gave a sour look, struggling to ask him why. She had so many questions that were unanswered when it came to him. It was like he was hiding everything. She dropped the subject, noticing the distant look in his eyes. Those were the eyes of a man in times of uncertainty. Erza wished she could know of his troubles.

"How's Simon?"

"He's better now."

"And you? How are you faring these days? I hardly get a chance to talk to you."

Jellal looked at her with an unmasked expression. He seemed distracted by her concern. "...I'm sorry about that. It's been a rough week and I haven't been able to spend much time with you, or anyone, for that matter."

Excuses. He wasn't sure of what to think of them anymore, especially since the incident at the Fantasia Parade. The Magic Council kept him busy, so he didn't have much time to dwell over it. But all these thoughts came back to him whenever he was with Erza.

Her face remained tranquil. "You need not apologize, Jellal. I'm just worried, that's all."

He smiled, thanking her silently for being such a patient person.

Upon entering the guildhall, Mirajane was serving breakfast to the mages near the bar, waiting for the S-Class wizards to show up.

They took a seat on the bench to the closest to the bar. Mirajane breezed past multiple people with Laki as they served the guild members.

Mirajane stopped at their table. "I told you dragging Erza out of bed yourself would work."

Jellal impassiveness changed to amusement at Mirajane's words. Erza narrowed her eyes at them. "So this was a scheme to get me to come here?"

"Yes," Mirajane slid a plate into a tray with orange juice and set it down in front of Erza. "I've had your breakfast ready since Jellal predicted you had nothing to eat."

Erza picked up her fork and stabbed her waffle, slightly on edge. "How considerate of you to drag me out of bed against my will."

"In my defence, I didn't wake you up." He justified. Jellal grabbed his tray from Mirajane and set it down opposite from Erza.

"Causing that commotion outside was still your idea." Erza sighed irritatingly. Jellal couldn't help the grin that formed on his face.

"I didn't ask anyone to block my way. I even said there was an important matter to attend to, but Evergreen refused to hear me out. Besides," he raised an eyebrow. "It's strange that the head girl of Fairy Hills would snooze around the afternoon."

Erza bit her lip, pointing her fork at him. Granted, it wasn't a sword, none of her weapons seemed to threaten him. Seeing that he was unaffected by her intimidating attitude, she set her fork down. "Fine, maybe it was irresponsible for me to sleep in."

"Glad you admitted to it." He said, satisfied with her confession.

It wasn't even five minutes into their meal when Juvia showed up in front of the mages, taking a seat along with them. Lucy and Natsu kept on fighting over the proportions of food, while Gray idly sat beside Lucy, swinging his legs under the table. That changed in a matter of seconds; Juvia forced herself in between them with a pointed look towards Lucy. Her attitude quickly changed when she gained interest in the mission.

"Seeing that we only have an hour before we depart, let's get started on the overview of the task." Jellal announced. A few others such as Mirajane, Macao and Wakaba listened in on the information.

Erza couldn't believe Jellal never informed her about it beforehand. "Why are you doing this last minute?"

Lucy raised her hand. "I agree with Erza. We need time to prepare for these things."

"As we speak, Makarov's at a conference to discuss the matter. I've been generous enough to reveal the mission beforehand, despite the lack of confirmation from the guild masters."

Natsu pulled at the skin of a chicken leg before swinging one leg over the bench. Clearly, he hadn't bothered to listen to the concerns about the mission. "Fight me, Jellal!"

"Natsu, this is not the time to challenge people!" hollered Erza, chucking her empty plate at him.

Natsu screamed at the impending shattering until Jellal reached out to catch it, placing it down with a thud.

"There's some background information you need to know about today's task. Our target is the Oración Seis, which comprises a guild with six members. They make up one-third of the Balam Alliance."

Lucy raised her hand again. "Why are they called the Oración Seis? Doesn't that translate to Six Prayers?"

Gray fought the urge to roll his eyes at the question. "Oh, I don't know, Lucy. Why don't we discuss this crisis over a cup of tea with them?"

"It was a legitimate question!" she retorted, raising her fisted arm in his direction. Juvia, taking it as a sign of flirting, swatted Lucy's fist away with a menacing voice.

Jellal also had a legitimate answer for it, but fought the urge to tell her. The information was irrelevant, anyway. "Continuing onward-"

Natsu laughed. "For once, I gotta admit Gray said something useful."

"Hey!" shouted Lucy.

Jellal clenched his fist and approached Natsu, sending him flying with the other hand as he flung the Dragon Slayer across the guildhall. Natsu crashed into the floorboards, shocking all the mages except Erza. She continued sipping on her orange juice.

"The next person to interrupt me will land the same fate as him." Declared Jellal in a hard tone. Lucy and Happy winced.

"With a repair bill," Happy added inaudibly.

Jellal continued without hesitation after observing the reactions from the mages. "The Balam Alliance makes up three guilds: Grimoire Heart, Oración Seis, and Tartaros. The objective is to eliminate the guilds one by one. In order to do it effectively, the Magic Council agreed to form our own alliance, which makes up four guilds including Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, and Cait Shelter."

Juvia nodded. "That's correct. However, the Balam Alliance is much larger than that. Phantom Lord previously engaged with these guilds and found that the minor dark guilds operate under the three key players. For the Oración Seis, one of them is Naked Mummy."

Jellal scanned the room for Gajeel, but didn't find him in sight. He knew Jose was likely to send Gajeel on these errands rather than Juvia.

Erza gave the guild's name a hard and long thought. "Isn't that the guild that ambushed Gajeel during the Battle of Fairy Tail?"

Jellal nodded. "Millianna, Sho, and Wally were also there. They were most likely stealing money to pay up to the Oración Seis. The higher you are in the hierarchy of the Balam Alliance, the more control a guild has."

"Never heard of Cait Shelter," commented Erza, dropping the subject of the dark guilds.

Jellal crossed his arms. "I haven't heard much about them. They recently became a legalized guild to my knowledge."

When Natsu recovered, he paled. "Blue Pegasus? You mean those weirdos on Sorcerer Weekly?"

Jellal clenched his jaw. "What did I say about unnecessary interruptions?"

"Erza interrupted you too!" he wailed, shrinking away from Jellal. "I'm sorry! I won't ever speak out against you."

"The concern about Cait Shelter was valid."

Happy leaned in towards Natsu. "He's only saying that because he looooves Erza."

Natsu caved his mouth, "I think he's just jealous that he can't beat me in a fair fight."

Lucy's orbs rounded in disbelief. "You know that is not true!"

"Did Happy say something?" asked Erza.

"What? You want to gossip too, Erza?" suggested Happy very slyly. Jellal shot a look at Happy, having heard his incidental remark. The two mages settled down into their seats, signalling for the Wizard Saint to continue.

Jellal used the Light Pen to create an image of Worth Woodsea, putting it on display for the mages. Erza and Mirajane found Jellal's ability to conjure up a map from his memory impressive. "Before entering Worth Woodsea, there's an estate where the mages are supposed to meet up. There are protection barriers around it so the Seis can't enter, in the event they find us. There, we'll assign groups to each member."

The map's image changed to show the faces and information about the members in Oración Seis. "I'll deal with the guild master personally. If all goes according to plan, we'll be back before dawn tomorrow."

Erza crossed her legs as she studied the chart. "There's something odd about their appearance in Worth Woodsea. It's not a habitable place, even for dark mages."

Lucy nodded. "They must be after something in there."

"They are," Jellal told them flatly. "That's why I'm coming along. Questions?"

Natsu burped unexpectedly as he patted his stomach. "Can I fight the guild master?"

"Out of the question. No."

Lucy stood up with her arm raised yet again. She seemed to think this was common morale when speaking out against a Wizard Saint. "Can I not go? I'm having second thoughts."

Jellal gave an insincere smile. "Unless we have a volunteer willing to replace you, my answer is no."

She locked eyes with Mirajane, who stopped studying the recent newspaper. Cardinal Lapointe's disappearance concerned her. What made it more suspicious was that it occurred after yesterday's encounter with Jellal.

"Sorry Lucy, I'm going to pass on this one."

She spun on her heel towards Macao and Wakaba. "Please?"

Wakaba took in his pipe and turned his head away. "I'm old now. Would've taken it if I were your age, Lucy."

"I have a son, wouldn't want to die early and leave him." Macao reasoned.

Lucy kneeled down and looked at Erza pitifully. "I'm too young to die! Please Erza."

Erza stroked her hair. "If it makes you feel better, you can stay with Jellal the entire time."

The mage in question simply raised a brow.

Lucy ran to Jellal and clasped her hands together. "Pleaseeee? I won't even complain. I promise I'll do whatever you ask of me."

His decision heavily relied on Erza's request, who gave an encouraging nod to make everything more difficult.

"That's fine with me." He concurred.

Lucy threw her arms in the air, almost reaching out to embrace Jellal. Becoming aware that she came close to embracing a Wizard Saint, she took a reluctant step back. Erza chuckled at her self-consciousness. "Thank you!"

"You could have asked from the start. There's nothing wrong with accompanying me."

Lucy seemed overjoyed that he didn't see her as someone inferior. Her heart raced at the idea of travelling with a Wizard Saint, a council member, and one of the top mages in Fiore. There was the play in Onibus where she worked with him, but this was different.

Dangerous.

Jellal rolled his jaw so his eyes were fixated to the second floor. "I'm going to see how Simon's doing before we leave."

Erza caught his hand before he took another step. "I'll come with you."

There was a cough that caught their attention. Mirajane slid a tray towards Erza on the opposite side of the bar, abandoning the newspaper she was reading moments ago. "I made some soup for Simon. It should help with his recovery."

They both thanked her before Jellal took the tray and balanced it on the way up the stairs. Erza knocked before entering, finding Simon awake. He sat up and peeled the covers off him.

"Hey," Erza greeted as Jellal walked past her and set down the tray.

"Hello Erza."

Jellal gestured to the food. "Feeling better?"

Simon reached out for the tray. "...I'm not sure. The marks have faded, but my arm keeps spasming."

"Does it feel like being electrified?"

Erza's throat constricted at the thought of feeling the same torture endured in the Tower of Heaven. Simon tilted his head as acknowledgement.

"We'll have to get Porlyusica again. The spell has unusual effects."

Simon chuckled. "That's what happens when some imbecile doesn't study potions properly. Imagine selling this poison as medicine."

"Agreed, he hardly knew anything about alchemy." Jellal watched as Simon reached out to the table beside him, retrieving the spoon and bowl. "Erza and I won't be around for the day, so make sure you're resting up."

"I will, thanks."

Erza gave a sad smile before as she stood by the door. "Get better, Simon."

"Thank you, Erza." She felt somewhat bothered by his injury, staring at her own arm. Perhaps she still felt the effects of the torture from the Tower of Heaven.

"We'll be back soon," she promised as Jellal shut the door behind them. Jellal clasped her wrist with a hand and examined the length of her arm.

"What's wrong with your arm?"

Erza blushed slightly when she discovered he was watching her. "It's nothing. I was just...remembering something."

By the looks of it, Jellal wanted to ask what it was until he made the connection between Simon's arm and the electrocution. "His arm will get better."

"You're right." She decided not to say anything further, afraid her thoughts might consume her whole. They reached down the stairs, where Jellal led the group of mages to the guildhall's entrance, where Makarov was waiting.

He cleared his throat. "Word got out that we're supposed to take down the Oración Seis."

They all nodded solemnly. Some were shocked at the news coming suddenly, while Jellal paid it no mind. Natsu circled around the carriage waiting outside the guildhall. Lucy remained close to the Wizard Saint, sniffing the lavender aroma coming from his satchel. They all watched as Jellal pulled a cork out from a vial and held it out to the Dragon Slayer.

Natsu stared at it, dumbfounded. "What's this?"

"It's supposed to make the trip easier on you. It's a sleeping elixir, I made it last night."

Natsu bent inside the carriage, sniffing it as Jellal took a seat beside him.

"What's wrong, you don't trust me?"

"I do! The smell is just—strong."

"It only makes sense since you are a Dragon Slayer."

Erza snatched the vial from Natsu and downed a quarter of the potion before handing it back to Jellal. "I suppose it's fitting that I squeeze a nap before the battle."

"Is this about earlier today?" Jellal asked, knowing full well that sleeping was how she would exact her revenge against him.

"That, too." She stifled her yawn before falling asleep immediately against Jellal's chest. He had to seat her beside him, amazed at how effective the concoction proved to be.

Natsu looked mildly horrified at the effects before drinking the remainder of it hesitantly. It wasn't long before he was sleeping with his mouth wide open and drool dripping down his chin. He slumped against the window and snored loudly. The sight reminded Lucy of the time she had to sleep beside Natsu and Gray on Galuna Island, who wouldn't stop making noises.

"Better hope you didn't kill them," Gray half-joked.

Jellal reached for his satchel and held out another vial. "Would you like to test that theory?"

"I'd rather not."

Lucy was wondering if travelling with Jellal was a safe idea. He was a common target for many dark mages. But all those concerns aside, she wanted to know more about his early childhood. "Hey Jellal, where did you and Erza meet?"

He seemed startled by the sudden question and was willing to ignore it altogether. Nonetheless, he gave her a drawled answer. "In a village on an island. This was before we joined Fairy Tail."

Lucy grinned. "That's adorable! You and Erza joined Fairy Tail together. No wonder you both are very close."

Gray remembered the moment the Tower of Heaven children joined Fairy Tail, dressed in dirty rags. It wasn't a spectacle anyone could forget.

Six children stood at the door of the Fairy Tail guildhall, barely fed or cleaned in the last day. Their abrupt presence surprised all the mages, who turned to stare at them. Jellal and Simon remained at the front, unafraid of the mages.

Wakaba carelessly dumped his pipe on a table and stood up, making eye contact with Jellal. "What does this look like to you, an orphanage?"

He could see the child's eyes darken significantly. "That's not our intended purpose to come here. Where is your guild master?"

"You're not very friendly kid. Why bother with the boss?" Macao claimed.

"Please take me to him right now."

"Listen kid, go back out on the streets where you belong before we force you out. You're dealing with a bunch of wizards here."

Erza hid behind her friend as the mages started surrounding them. She rasped, "It's okay, Jellal. Let's just go."

He turned around to face her, shaking his head. "We will not leave."

Gray and Cana seemed uninterested in the ruckus, watching it from a distance until Cana intervened for the sake of the newcomers. "Master didn't say things like that when you all joined. Why aren't you giving them a chance?"

Macao laughed abruptly. "Do you see the way they're dressed, kid? They look like some orphans who came here for a pity party."

Erza peeked from Jellal's shoulder and was surprised to see he wasn't retaliating. Millianna placed her hands on Jellal's shoulders, lifting herself onto his back. "I don't want to be here." She cried, sinking her face into Jellal's shoulder.

Erza stroked her back. "It's okay, Millianna. Everything will be alright."

Simon came forth, gritting his teeth. "What do you propose we do to prove our worth to join a guild?"

Cana growled at the Fairy Tail mages. "They don't have to do anything! Tell them!"

Her voice fell onto deaf ears. A blond teenager stepped forward with headphones. "So you chumps want to join the guild, huh?"

Simon and Wally nodded, while Jellal gazed at him.

"Okay." He pointed at Gray, who was suddenly startled by the audience he gained. "If any of you can defeat the half-naked kid in the corner, I'll convince Gramps to let you in. Shouldn't be hard, right?"

Jellal held his arm out to prevent Simon and Wally from proceeding any further. "You'd stoop that low? Grab an unwilling participant and resort to violence as a means to gain access to a guild?"

"It's how the Fairy Tail guild rolls. Either accept the rules or leave."

Jellal could feel Erza's grip growing tighter on his shirt. "This isn't the Fairy Tail guild Grandpa Rob told us about."

A voice behind them repeated the name. "Rob? You know Rob?"

They all turned around to find Makarov at the guildhall's entrance, looking concerned.

Simon stepped towards him. "Who are you?"

"I'm the guild master of these sorry excuses for children." Makarov chuckled at the mages' reactions. "And who might you children be?"

Laxus answered for them. "Some homeless children stuck out on the streets."

Makarov dismissed the comment and gave them a warm smile in response to their silence. "It's quite alright. We Fairy Tail wizards have histories we don't want to talk about. However, I would like to learn more about Rob if you don't mind. I haven't seen him in ages."

The children weren't entirely sure if bringing him up would do anyone good. But Simon insisted on following Makarov. Everyone filed into a line and entered the infirmary on the second floor. It wasn't until the door shut when the mages downstairs started partying again.

"What are your names?"

Jellal pointed to everyone one by one, assuming the role of the leader. Simon and Jellal always bickered about it, but in the end always compromised the role for two people. "This here is Simon, Erza, Wally, Millianna, and Sho. My name's Jellal, and we've come from a distant village."

Erza felt the need to add, "Grandpa Rob told us about this place. He said he used to be a member of Fairy Tail."

Makarov hummed, "That's correct, little one. He disappeared on us when he took a job request to investigate a cult. I haven't seen him since then..." his eyes flickered momentarily before turning back to them with a cheerful grin. "So, do you know where he is now?"

Millianna and Sho burst into tears upon being asked, while Erza comforted them both. It didn't stop a tear or two from falling down her left eye. "He-" she sniffled, before clearing her throat. "He died to the people who captured us. No, it'd be wrong to say that. He died because he protected me from an attack." She choked on the last words, wiping her eye.

"My condolences," Makarov whispered. "It must've been a rough journey. Rob's power started weakening over the course of years, I should've known they kept him hostage."

The children wanted to ask why he hadn't bothered looking for Rob, but refrained from doing so. "How about staying at the guildhall until you all find a permanent settlement?"

Jellal looked at the others for confirmation before extending his hand out to the guild master. "That's very kind of you, sir."

Makarov took it firmly before asking the barmaid to offer dinner to the children. They enjoyed their meals quietly for once, without hearing the occasional screams coming down the halls in the Tower of Heaven. They could sit on chairs—which was a blessing. It seemed luxurious compared to the unpaved ground they would sleep on. And after months of dirt accumulating on them, they were able to take proper showers. Everything they did reminded them of the things they were never entitled to while imprisoned.

It also reminded them of the countless number of children they were forced to leave behind due to the battle. Although the captors suffered many casualties, it didn't stop the remaining few from regrouping the children.

Jellal vowed to return to the Tower of Heaven someday, to save the remaining children. Erza's thoughts differed; she never wanted to step foot on the island again. Seeing Rosemary Village would bring back memories of her attempts to escape.

Gray's first encounter with Jellal was an interesting experience. Despite his pestering attitude, Jellal never told him off like the other mages in Fairy Tail.

He didn't bother introducing himself to the newcomers since they seemed different from the other mages. Except Erza, but she was an entirely different story. A firebird with strength and temper like no other.

Jellal had caught Gray's attention when he was reading a book on his second day in Fairy Tail, away from his friends. The others had been eating breakfast. Gray casually slid beside him, noticing how the blue-haired mage's concentration never faltered. He continued reading, acknowledging Gray with a small smile.

He peeked behind the pages to get a glimpse of the book's title. "Magic Spells for Eye Recovery." Gray read boringly. "Seriously? Why are you reading grown up stuff?"

"Magic is an interesting topic," he answered before returning to his book. It reminded Gray of Erza's eyepatch, wondering if Jellal was trying to find a cure for her. Gray scoffed at the idea, dismissing it.

"Man, you are nothing like the redhead. I tried talking to her, but she beat me up pretty bad. I didn't know she was so strong."

"Interested in knowing her better?" Jellal offered with a slight edge to his tone.

"Depends, if she stops pummelling me to the floor, then I might consider. But seriously, what's her deal? She won't reach out to anyone except her small friend group."

Jellal gave a hard look in response before skimming through the footnotes of the chapter. "She doesn't approach anyone else because of the careless comments made about us. I may not care, but she does. You have to understand that Erza's been through a lot, and will not hesitate to protect her friends. Even if it means hurting people in this guild."

"So that's her name," Gray wondered aloud.

"For starters, you can call her by her name instead of using inappropriate nicknames."

"Her hair is red." Gray mumbled.

"It's scarlet." Jellal corrected.

"Alright, it's a fancy shade of red! Nerd," he muttered lowly.

Jellal hung on to every word before brushing it off. In the end, the words were simply smoke, harmless when he emerged from the cloud. "I've been called worse."

Gray growled, frustrated by Jellal's collected behaviour, as though he was belittling Gray. That being said, the Fairy Tail mage was grateful for the newcomer's humble personality. "You know, you're kinda a nice guy. You and Simon—he's really easy to get along with. The others make fun of me."

"Your stripping habit?"

Gray paled at the mention as Jellal tried to stifle his laughter. "It didn't go unnoticed by me or the others. You stick out like a sore thumb because of it. But I guess it makes sense, since you are an Ice Wizard."

He fought the urge to retaliate with a sharp reply, but refrained from doing so. Gray realized Jellal only meant to understand the reasoning behind his habits. He didn't make fun of it.

And around that time, Gray started respecting his guild mate like no other, always keen on learning about the mysterious mage.

"You've never told anyone about your past," Gray pointed out after recalling the memory.

Jellal responded bemusingly, "That's a story for another day."

They both knew that day would never come.

---

The horses abruptly stopped near the estate, jerking the carriage. Lucy fell face first to the ground while Natsu landed on top of Gray, seated opposite from Jellal.

As for Jellal, he watched as Erza shifted from the impact, causing her face to compress against his neck.

"Erza, wake up." Lucy shook her in horror. Jellal seemed stunned as she lifted her head, feeling dizzy. Seeing Jellal's face inches from hers startled Erza as she struggled to get off. She almost tumbled in the process and would've fallen if Jellal hadn't caught her in time.

Lucy shuffled out of the carriage and inhaled deeply. "Finally." She surveyed the area as she stared at the path they came from. "So, where's the safe house?"

"Turn around," said Jellal, watching her eyes widen at the size of the estate.

"Holy, I never thought it would be so obvious."

Jellal found it unsurprising. "Glad to know you like it."

"It's a bit extra." Lucy commented.

The group stepped inside, feeling the barrier as they went past it. Natsu giggled as his arms wobbled while passing it. He placed half his body inside the barrier.

Jellal pointed behind him. "I see the enemy approaching us."

Natsu howled and ran inside the estate as Erza suspiciously continued staring out, not for a moment believing him. She had a knack for knowing when Jellal was lying.

"I hadn't expected that to be his reaction." Erza pointed out.

Jellal smiled. "The barrier's not for his entertainment. I simply emphasized my point." He looked over her shoulder, his smile widening. "Why don't you turn around, Erza?"

She froze, becoming stiff when she felt a distasteful presence behind her back.

The Blue Pegasus guild had finished introducing themselves, surprising Gray and Natsu especially.

Lucy fanned herself, pointing at the mage in the centre of the trio. "That's Hibiki Lates! He's always the top mage on Sorcerer Weekly! I can't believe I'm meeting him here!"

Hibiki gave a wide smile. "That's correct."

Gray frowned. "No way. Those guys are at the top, but we're not even on the list?"

Lucy turned to him and found Gray shirtless. Natsu and Gray started stomping their feet to capture everyone's attention. The blonde understood why they weren't eligible bachelors. "There's a reason why you're not on the list."

Erza surveyed the area carefully, bothered by the way the Blue Pegasus guild kept introducing themselves to her, despite her hard expression.

Eve knelt down on one knee in front of her. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Titania."

Then her gaze trailed to Hibiki, who she squarely punched in the face after he attempted to close the distance. "I can't believe he's number one on the list."

Jellal's smile faded into surprise when he found the leader of Blue Pegasus sliding down the railing of the staircase.

"My honey..."

"No!" Erza yelped and right-hooked Ichiya as soon as she sensed his presence, surprising Lucy and Happy. They'd never seen her so desperate to kill someone as she did now.

"Stay away from me!" she huffed aggressively as Jellal strolled past her. He picked Ichiya off the ground and gave a plastered smile which concealed his menacing glare.

"It's been quite a while, Ichiya."

Ichiya's chin rose up as he looked over the younger male. "Beautiful as always, Sir Jellal. You should still consider taking me up on the offer. Come and join Blue Pegasus!"

Erza immediately spoke out against the idea. "I'd be insulted if he joined your guild."

Hibiki pulled a lock of hair from his eyes. "He declined it because he's not nearly as handsome as me."

"Personally for me, I'd place Jellal higher on the list," said Lucy, numbering the candidates mentally. "Technically, he is the best eligible bachelor. We have to take in factors such as magic power, mage occupation, and previous rankings. I think Jellal wins in all those categories."

Erza crossed her arms, unbothered by Lucy's interest in the Wizard Saint. Many people had admitted he was beautiful, and Erza wasn't one to deny it. It would only be natural if other girls were curious about Jellal. "You're very...technical about this, Lucy."

"It's something for Sorcerer Weekly to consider!"

The S-Class wizard grinned. "I wouldn't be surprised if you became a reporter for them. I think you would do splendidly."

Lucy stuttered at the praise from the powerful mage. "Y-you think so?"

"Never doubt yourself, Lucy. You're capable of doing so much!" she brought Lucy in for a bone-crushing hug.

Erza always put her friends before herself, something which the guild admired about her. She had never really done anything for herself. Everything she had worked for was for her friends' happiness.

And in turn, everyone looked up to Erza for the rare traits she possessed.

Jellal had observed every movement of the Blue Pegasus guild. They had crossed many boundaries Gray and Natsu would never dream of doing.

The Fairy Tail mages were at a loss as they witnessed the Blue Pegasus mages offer assistance to Lucy and Erza.

Gray sneered at them. "Hey, we're on some serious business! Can you pretty boys even fight?"

Ren fisted his hands. "Wanna find out yourself?"

"Aw yeah! Let's fight!" declared Natsu.

Lucy thought she might lose it when they proposed a fight in a middle of a crisis. It wasn't nearly comparable to Erza pointing a spear at Ichiya every step of the way.

Jellal set her weapon down with a hand and stood before her. "We should settle this in a more civilized manner."

Erza's mouth dropped at his words. She was about to interrogate Jellal when he suddenly kicked Ichiya towards the staircase with ease. When he landed, the middle-aged wizard fell down each step, landing face-first on the floor.

She glanced at Jellal in disbelief, finding that he hadn't regretted his decision one bit. Shameless wasn't exactly the word to describe him. It was more of his audacity that caused him to act out against Ichiya. "You call that civilized?"

"More effective than your method to deploy a sword," he countered with a hint of amusement.

"True," she quietly admitted, watching as Hibiki, Ren, and Eve tended to their master's injuries.

"Strong as always. I commend your strength, Wizard Saint."

Everyone turned around the see Jura Neekis enter the estate with two more mages. He had been significantly taller than the rest of them, which also earned his title as Iron Rock Jura.

"Tenth Wizard Saint?" mouthed Lucy.

Gray gaped at them. "Why are they here? Jellal..."

"This is Lamia Scale." Jellal explained. "After Galuna Island, Lyon and the rest of his group joined a guild. I didn't think it was worth mentioning since you would meet again, eventually."

Sherry and Lyon stepped further, eyeing Gray and Lucy.

Lucy almost winced at Sherry's menacing smile. "It's been a while, Lucy." When she noticed the look of horror on the blonde's face, she twirled strands of her hair around his fingers, smiling. "There's no need to look at me like that. I've changed my ways thanks to the power of love!"

"Fullbuster!" Lyon extended his arm out and generated a whiff of ice.

"Not. Now." Jellal said firmly, causing everyone to stop in their movements. Erza wasn't doing much except keeping a proximity to him, in case Ichiya approached her. Lucy found it noteworthy that Erza was using the Wizard Saint as protection. He didn't seem to mind it, which surprised her even more.

Jura studied all the members. "We're still waiting on one guild."

"Yes, that would be Cait Shelter. We're running short on time. Debrief the guild on the mission when they arrive."

"Where are you going?" Erza grabbed a hold of his forearm, hoping Jellal would not leave her alone with Ichiya.

"I have something to do before dealing with the Oración Seis."

"I suddenly don't feel safe anymore," Lucy whispered, to which Erza tentatively gestured to Jellal.

"You said Lucy could accompany you on the condition she came along."

Jellal glanced at her before turning back to Erza. "I'd rather she stay with everyone else. My mission isn't safe."

Jura and Erza locked eyes with each other, making an unspoken agreement before she loosened her grip on his sleeve.

When Jellal left, everyone anxiously waited for the last members, wondering why the team was so big just to defeat six dark mages.

The door creaked open to reveal a white cat, trotting down the red carpet like royalty. Her head was held high as she introduced herself. "My name is Carla, and I'm part of Cait Shelter. I am also the companion of Wendy Marvell." She turned her head towards the entrance of the estate, as if expecting someone. "Wendy, come introduce yourself."

Happy held out a fish as he greeted her, eyes wide and dilated. "So pretty. Would you like to share this fishy with me?"

Carla turned her head away in rejection, making Happy drop to the floor dramatically.

Lucy caved her hand near her mouth, leaning towards Happy. "You loooove her." She teased.

Happy held his paw out to Lucy. "I don't look nearly as creepy as you when I do it!"

Lucy's jaw dropped at his ability to find fault in everything she did.

Everyone else thought for someone of Happy's age, she was awfully mature. The relationship between Happy and Natsu signified their friendship. The relationship between Wendy and Carla, however, seemed like mother and daughter.

When the girl didn't arrive inside, everyone looked up at the door suspiciously. Carla cleared her throat. "Wendy! Now's not the time to be shy."

Natsu pondered over her name. "Wendy...I've heard of that name."

Gray uncrossed his arms, looking slightly relaxed compared to before, when the tension was at its peak. "Oh yeah? Where?"

Natsu put a finger to his chin in deep thought, before making eye contact with Gray. "I don't remember."

"...unsurprised."

Lucy bent down to Carla's level with her eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Are you sure you didn't lose her on the way here?"

"Of course I'm sure!" scoffed Carla. "She was right behind me the entire time. Where could that child go!?"

Ichiya and Jura made eye contact. "Sir Ichiya and I will check the surrounding area. The rest of you stay put in case Wendy comes back."

Everyone nodded. Erza noticed how everyone quieted down. Gone was the fierce spirit of everyone as the circumstances dawned upon them.

She made her way to the door and peeked outside with the exceed, unbothered by the scenery outside until something behind them exploded. It wasn't the sound which caught their attention; rather, the ground started rumbling violently beneath them. Carla landed on top of Erza as they both slipped.

Blue Pegasus was caught in the explosion as the entire back end of the estate was in ruins. The ground rumbled beneath them, causing Sherry and Lucy lost their footing, bumping into each other.

"Watch where you're going!" Sherry growled, shoving Lucy in the process. The Celestial wizard tugged Sherry's hair in response.

"We're in the middle of a crisis and all you think about is the rivalry!" she snapped.

Erza grabbed Carla and carried her away from the threat as the building started collapsing around them. "Jellal said there were barriers around this place."

"Unfortunately, the barriers don't allow enemy forces inside. However, magical items are exemptions." A voice above them explained. Everyone evacuated the building without a plan to attack the Oración Seis. Erza could see a few magic explosives behind her, destroying the rest of the estate. "It seems Jellal planned to visit us rather early."

Lyon narrowed his eyes. "Why would he want to allow magical items inside?"

Jura contemplated the question, unsure about the reason until Hibiki explained without a second thought.

"He did it because without the barrier allowing magical items, we wouldn't be able to bring lacrimas and any Holder Magic inside. That would include any magic that isn't expelled from the body." Hibiki pointed to the pouch hanging from Lucy's belt. "Take Celestial Spirit Gate Keys as an example."

Erza confronted the mage responsible for the attack with a tenacious gaze. "Who are you?"

He grinned. "I am Cobra of the Oración Seis. I must say, I've heard far fetched tales about you, Titania. Some say your strength is comparable to a Wizard Saint."

Behind him, Angel, Racer, and Hoteye appeared. Erza and Gray couldn't mask their surprise when they saw Hoteye's face. Even further behind were Brain and Midnight. The guild master held Klodoa in his hand, which acted as a magical staff.

Natsu almost laughed, being reminded of Wally. "Are blockheads that common nowadays?"

Lucy scowled at him. "Natsu, this isn't the time for jokes!"

The blonde followed behind Erza, cowering as a mechanism to not draw attention. Carla sniffled, "Wendy, we have to get her!"

"I'll find her," Erza promised, feeling the tension rise. Nobody made an indication of attacking.

Yet as she tried to find a diversion to search for Wendy with Carla, Cobra sent out a wind of poison in their direction.

Carla yelped as she noticed the attack. "Watch out!"

Erza rolled them over to the left to dodge the attack. She set Carla down and requipped into Heaven's Wheel, using her Telekinesis to send all the swords in his direction.

"Heaven's Wheel: Circle Swords!"

As the swords moved unpredictably, Cobra dodged every blade by mere seconds as if predicting her movements. She sent another set of swords towards him, wondering how he'd fare with consecutive attacks. "Heaven's Wheel: Scattered Petals!"

He stood there with his snake curving around his neck, moving slightly from side to side as if mocking her accuracy.

Erza felt another presence behind her, surprised to find Natsu and Gray on the ground after confronting Brain and Racer. Her eyes darted out to the forest, unable to see Jellal, Jura, and Ichiya in sight.

She managed to kick Racer away with a swing of her legs from behind, attempting to overtake him with her speed.

"Flight Armour!" she raced to him in a matter of seconds and struck her swords one by one, assuming he wouldn't be able to dodge two swords at once. Finally, she got on equal footing with her enemy and fought him without much trouble. However, Erza was too focused on the battle to notice Cobra's presence behind her. He came around and swung his leg into her stomach, sending her falling.

Erza knelt on her knee and rocketed into Cobra, slashing her swords in a practised motion. When he dodged them all, she was convinced he was somehow able to predict her movements.

She went still as he told her, "I'm not predicting your movements. I can hear your thoughts."

The ground rose beneath Erza and knocked her off her feet, giving her the small opportunity to survey the area. Everyone was on the ground; most unconscious. Herself against the entire Oración Seis, she was better off fighting a losing battle. While she remained in the air, Racer seized the opportunity to strike her down with his enhanced speed.

The only thing that kept her going was the knowledge that Jura and Jellal were still undefeated. However, they weren't present. Neither was Ichiya, she noted before dealing with the matter at hand. She pushed Racer off and remained in mid-air, dodging both Hoteye and Racer's attacks simultaneously.

It became her downfall when Cobra's snake, Cubellios, bit Erza on her right arm. She clutched it, squirming in pain as the poison began to spread. Cobra pinned her down easily with a leg. "The poison won't kill you instantly. It will slowly suffocate you with excruciating pain until your last breath."

When he stepped away, Erza tried her best to not make any sounds, but couldn't help the small whimpers. It felt like multiple infernos spreading throughout her body. At this point, she'd rather sever her arm than go through the pain.

Brain scanned the fields for a hostage, heavily weighing his decision on Lucy. When Erza heard him approach her, she crawled to Lucy slowly.

He held the unconscious girl upright by her hair. "What do you reckon, Cobra? How effective of a pawn would she be for Nirvana?"

Cobra shook his head. "Hardly. I saw a little girl earlier, intent on following Jellal in the forest. Apparently, they have a close relationship from what I gathered from her thoughts."

He dropped Lucy, who toppled into Erza's arms as she cradled the unconscious mage. The S-Class wizard glared at Cobra, who was reading her thoughts.

He froze, instantly kicking Erza away and feeling his heart pound heavily when he discovered she was also a former slave in the Tower of Heaven.

And from her memories...apparently Jellal was also a victim. "Her." Cobra confirmed, pointing at Erza. "She's the closest to Jellal. If we use her as bait, he'll have no choice in the matter."

"Don't be ridiculous. She wouldn't be useful to him if he knew her inevitable fate. Once the poison consumes her body, she's as good as dead. We're going to use the little healer."

Cobra didn't say anything. His eyes strayed to Erza, who was struggling to stay alive.

"Although," Brain said slowly, confronting the two exceeds who didn't contribute to the battle. He studied Carla, noticing her broken expression at the mention of Wendy. "There's no harm in taking extra measures."

In seconds, Happy and Carla were sucked into a green and black force, trapping them in the blob of magic as he prepared to obliterate the Allied Forces.

"Dark Rondo." Brain's incantation was the last thing said before the spell formed a void above them. Within seconds, the Oración Seis disappeared with Happy and Carla, and Erza sniffed in defeat.

The others wouldn't even know what hit them. However, that was the least of her concerns. Jellal was still out there, and she'd been such a screw up to put the entire weight of the mission on his shoulders. Not only her, but all the Fairy Tail members relied on him to lead them in this mission.

She covered her eyes with her good arm, waiting for the spell to strike them. To kill a few, to wake up to disaster. Erza was going to die from the poison, if this attack didn't wipe her out.

"Iron Rock Wall!"

The wall shielded the mages, blocking the incoming attack. Erza blinked when the spell was observed, sighing in relief. She felt the familiarity of Simon's spells. If a Wizard Saint could use it, then surely Simon was strong enough to be S-Class to some degree. Erza shook her head, trying to focus on the battle.

She smelt a combination of perfumes emerge from the opposite side. "Mennnnn. I smell some injuries. Rejoice! My healing parfum should do the trick."

Ichiya skipped around the battlefield merrily and held the vial of parfum to each mage, watching them wake up to the nostalgic smell. When he brought it towards Erza, nothing happened. She clenched her teeth from the pain, closing her eyes to try to remember anything else.

Jura knelt down beside Erza. "It seems the Seis did a number on all of you."

She cracked an eyelid open. "You have to get to Jellal before they do. They're—planning on using Wendy as bait to force him into doing what they want. They, they also took Happy—and Carla."

Lucy's body ached when she got off the ground, making her way towards the trio. Natsu and Gray couldn't take their eyes off Erza's arm.

Natsu reached down and gently took the bitten arm, inspecting it. "Erza, what's wrong with you?"

She slapped his hands away. "Don't touch it. The poison might be contagious."

His hands shook at the revelation, shrinking back. With whatever strength she had left, Erza summoned a blade and stuck it into the ground. By then, everyone regrouped, confused by Erza's reason for summoning a sword.

She managed to maintain a weak gaze. "I'm sorry, Lucy. Hold your skirt up."

"Hold my what-" she yelped as Erza yanked Lucy's belt off her skirt, causing it to fall down halfway.

Erza managed to wrap it below her shoulder before securing it tightly. In the midst of it, she could hear Lucy yelling at Blue Pegasus as their eyes wandered to her panties.

"Gray," she called out. He shook his head slightly in fear of what she asked of him. "Cut off my arm. Right now."

It wasn't a request, it was a demand. Forceful that any other order she's given him. He didn't dare touch the blade as he heard the gasps and noises of disapproval.

"Don't you dare!" Natsu growled, snatching the blade from the ground and discarding it behind him.

"Gray." Erza repeated firmly. "You need to do it before the poison spreads to the rest of my body."

"I can't," he croaked. "It's your arm, Erza. I can't just chop it off."

Sherry's heels dug into the moist ground from standing in one spot for too long. "If she's asking you to do it, then hurry up."

Lyon hesitated. "Erza has a point. She'll either die from the poison spreading from the rest of her body, or risk losing an arm. Make your call."

After keeping her skirt in place, Lucy stepped between Sherry and Erza. "We can get help! We'll find a healer and she'll be able to fix Erza's arm." Hibiki, Eve, and Ren nodded.

"Lucy, there's not enough time."

Gray's hands tightly gripped Erza's shoulders, shaking her back and forth. He didn't release her when his knuckles turned white. "Erza, are you listening to yourself? All our concerns aside, how will you fight with one arm? How are you going to live like that?"

"It won't be a problem if I train myself. Besides, we don't have time to discuss this matter. Jellal and Wendy are in danger." She tried to reach out for the blade, but Natsu kicked it away even further.

"I'm not going to let anyone cut your damn arm!" shouted Natsu.

Lucy hesitantly reached out to the Fairy Tail mages, seething in anger. She winced as none of them calmed down. They were even angrier at Erza's decision.

Sherry picked up the blade and positioned the tip above Erza's forearm. "You're sure about this, right?"

Erza nodded, unhesitant. If anyone else heard an ounce of hesitancy in her voice, they would've been convinced that she was lying. But strangely enough, they all knew she would not take back what she said.

Lyon and Jura held the Fairy Tail mages back as Sherry readied herself. Her hands shook as she attempted to strike Erza.

"Are you able to requip some cloth? It'll help stop the bleeding."

Erza managed to dematerialize her Flight Armour and into her normal blouse and skirt, shaking her head. Gone unnoticed by many people, Sherry struggled with the decision. She wanted to stop when she heard the aggressive growls of Natsu and Gray.

"I WON'T FORGIVE YOU, BASTARDS!" Natsu cried, struggling in Jura's grasp. Hibiki gripped the tip of the blade, preventing Sherry from moving the blade. Lucy tried again, begging Blue Pegasus to stop Sherry. Gray's heart beat faster; he would rather die than witness Erza lose a limb. Everyone stood there idly, afraid of the indecision resulting from their actions.

They wouldn't know. At the end of the day, would it be worth cutting off Erza's arm?

Sherry was still debating whether to do it, causing Lyon to sigh and take the hilt of the sword from her. "We don't have time. Erza's going to die if we don't do something about it. It's only a matter of time before the Oración Seis return."

Without waiting another agonizing moment, Lyon severed Erza's arm off. He dropped the blade almost instantly, smeared with her blood. It clattered next to his feet as he felt bile rise in his throat. Sherry clutched her stomach and turned around.

As the arm lay on the floor, separated from Erza's body, Natsu and Gray thrashed against the other mages, their screams piercing the air.

---

Jellal approached a grand tree grounded down by chains driven into the surrounding forest ground. It illuminated a purple and blue colour, glowing in the depths of Worth Woodsea. The description of the tree perfectly matched the name of the ancient spell: Nirvana.

He circled the tree in an attempt to find a hollow entrance where a Nirvana was sealed within the tree. He scoured below and noticed something unusual about it. He traced the light across the tree and noticed the source emanated from a pillar acting as the gateway to Nirvana.

He studied it again before drawing a conclusion.

If he destroyed the pillar, he would destroy the heart of Nirvana. It was as simple as that.

"Jellal!"

At the mention of his name, Jellal turned around and waited before Wendy caught her breath, panting. "It's...it's really you. I thought—I thought you died all those years ago." She crumbled down into a sobbing mess, half-crying and half-screaming.

Jellal froze when he recognized her from the day he bumped into her outside the Magnolia bookstore. "You're the one from Cait Shelter?"

Wendy shook her head in denial. "Don't tell me you've forgotten! You left me there all alone! I didn't even have any friends before you. Every day. Every single day I hoped that you would return, but you never came for me!"

"I'm sincerely apologize. I think you have the wrong person."

"You're my Jellal!" she cried even harder, rocking herself as she sat on the ground with her knees huddled to her chest. "You saved me all those years ago. Don't tell me you forgot!"

He remained silent as she continued. "I couldn't believe it. You became so well-known across Fiore. I always wondered if you left me behind because I'd be a hindrance to your fame. Did I really not mean anything to you at all?"

He leaned down and wiped her tears. "I think the person you're talking about is Mystogan. I'm not sure how to explain it, but he's my counterpart, and looks exactly like me."

"Jellal, I'm not crazy! It was you, it was you." She kept convincing herself, as though she went mad from the years spent away from him—her best friend.

"Can we please discuss this later?" he requested, helping Wendy to her feet.

She stifled another sob with her palm, before wiping her eyes once more. "Okay...I still want to prove to you that I'm not weak anymore."

He gave a sad smile. "Wendy, I would never call you weak. It's impressive that someone so young took on this request."

Wendy blushed at the praise. "Thank you, but not as great as becoming a Wizard Saint." She brushed the dust off the ends of her dress. "Speaking of which, was there a particular task you wanted to assign me to?"

His gaze lingered on the pillar and tree before turning back to Wendy. "I was expecting you to join the others and help them fight, if you don't mind."

"Right," she nodded, going down the path where she followed him. Wendy was unsure of asking him the directions back to the estate since she aimlessly followed him without giving it a second thought. "I must've worried Carla sick! She followed me to the forest. I need to go find her."

She paced through Worth Woodsea as Jellal concentrated on breaking the heart of Nirvana without exploding the tree. The tree seemed to conceal the magic within the pillar. If his predictions were correct, the creators of Nirvana sealed it so if the spell was unleashed, it'd be impossible to destroy it until the final phase.

Assuming the approaching footsteps were Wendy, he waited for her to speak, finding the silence odd. He noticed an ominous presence. Jellal prepared to cast a spell to the enemy forces, holding his arm out until he found Wendy in the clutches of Brain.

"My little pupil," greeted Brain, stepping closer towards him while requipping a knife. "I had hoped my lessons with you would pay off someday. And it seems you've decided to repay me by unsealing Nirvana."

Jellal stepped towards the group of mages until he saw the knife gleam in the dim light against Wendy's throat. She started sobbing again, feeling terror clog her throat.

The Wizard Saint gave a grim look in response. "I do not plan on unsealing Nirvana for you. I am here to destroy it."

"I know that much, at least. Gran Doma's little note was retrieved from the Magic Council. It's a shame they noticed we were responsible for the intrusion." Brain clapped his hands together, despite the knife weaved between his thumb and palm. "I must also congratulate you for being chosen as the chairman. A pity you didn't accept the offer."

Jellal kept his cool as he replied, "You probably know the reason as well as I do. Regardless of what I chose, I had a feeling this was going to happen."

"Did you devise a plan for your little prediction, or were you expecting to defeat us all single-handedly?" he paused, adjusting his grip on Wendy as she shrieked in horror. "I don't want to waste too much time, so let's get down to business. Unseal Nirvana and I will spare the girl."

"And what exactly will you do by attaining Nirvana? It's not related to Zeref, as far as I'm concerned."

Brain mirthlessly laughed at his assumption. "Oh no, Jellal, you've got it all wrong. I only seek to fulfill our Six Prayers. Nirvana will help me attain that goal. I'm simply being generous enough to give you a choice. I must admit, I'll enjoy either decision you make. Either I attain Nirvana, or I'll kill this girl. And I promise you, her death will be long and painful."

Wendy shivered at the words, unsure of what she wanted Jellal to do. It was selfish for her to seek all the answers to her questions, but she also wanted the Allied Forces to win. She mustered up the courage to speak out against Brain. "It's okay, Jellal. Let them kill me. The mission is more important."

"Don't be ridiculous, I'd never sacrifice one of my comrades for them!"

Cobra came forth with a triumphant smile. Brain stepped backwards to keep Wendy out of reach. "So, does this mean you're going to unseal Nirvana for me?"

Jellal's lips grew into a thin line. "I'll do it."

Cobra leaned against a tree, reading his thoughts. "He's not going to do it."

A high-pitched scream resounded the area as the knife sank into Wendy's palm. Brain waited until her sobs died down until he put it back to her throat. "Next time, it'll be her neck."

Cobra sneered at Jellal and pushed himself off the tree. The blue-haired mage turned his back to Nirvana, both hands behind him. "He can read my thoughts as well? Impossible."

"Telepathic connections." He simply explained.

Jellal took a step forward, looking over his enemy's shoulder to find Wendy tense. Reading Cobra's thoughts, he gave a smile of his own. "You believe Nirvana will grant your Six Prayers, which originated in the Tower of Heaven."

Cobra's face fell at the revelation. Brain didn't look too happy about the leaked information. "You also remained in the Tower of Heaven. The only difference was that you escaped earlier."

Sensing the distracting comment affecting the dark mages, Jellal extended his arm behind him and cast the Square of Self-Destruction. "He's trying to destroy it!"

"Not at all," corrected Jellal, pointing to the Square of Self-Destruction. "That is how you'll unseal the first phase of Nirvana."

Brain tossed Wendy in Cobra's direction along with the knife, keeping her in place as he placed his hand on the spell. The markings of the spell were surveyed with keen interest before Brain activated the cancellation code, causing the spell to break away.

"You were going to obliterate the heart of Nirvana by activating that spell. I've read about the heart being a pillar, I just didn't know the whereabouts of it. But I suppose it's within the tree, isn't it?"

Once the spell was deactivated, Brain confronted him with Klodoa. He held the staff out to Jellal.

A small smirk graced Brain's features. "You're an intelligent man, Jellal. But it doesn't take long to catch on to your plans. Now, unseal it before I kill her."

Wendy slumped to the ground and gripped her left hand, trying to stop the blood flow of the gash on her hand. Knowing the efforts to stop Nirvana's activation would be futile, Jellal tried approaching Wendy, only to be blocked by Cobra.

The Wizard Saint stepped closer to Nirvana. Knowing Brain's decision to keep her alive could change on a whim, Jellal placed his hand on the tree reluctantly, which caused an explosion. The tree vanished as Nirvana begun to rise.

Cobra dropped Wendy as expected, and the two members started cackling at their findings.

Jellal used the opportunity to knock Cobra out while distracted, sending him across the light of Nirvana. "Wendy, start running."

Stunned, she could only manage a small noise before shakily getting up.

Brain held Klodoa out. "Dark Capriccio!"

Wendy held her arms out in front of Jellal. "Elemental resistances rise!"

The enchantment formed a barrier between them and the attack.

Jellal recognized the ancient magic and nearly gaped at her. "You're an...enchanter?"

Wendy nodded slowly, "I studied support magic during my years, since I don't like fighting other people."

Jellal sent a surge of rays blasting towards Brain, causing damage to the area around Nirvana. A large crater formed as Jellal cued for them to run. The two started running away from Nirvana, noticing large lines of dark magic travelling in their direction.

Wendy tripped and started crying again, clutching her head to sort out her thoughts. "This is all my fault! If I hadn't followed you down there, they wouldn't have a pawn to use against you! I'm so sorry..."

"Wendy, if it wasn't going to be you, it would be someone else. I assume they found the others before reaching me. It's not your fault."

"But it is!" she shrieked, looking at Nirvana intensely. Jellal followed her gaze and realized her wavering thoughts could allow Nirvana to tap into her mind.

Jellal placed his hand on her forehead before a surge of magic energy forced her unconscious. He caught her mid-air and raced to the rendezvous point.

When they reached the estate, all they could see were the remains of the building. Jellal stared at the scene in disbelief.

Two people were nestled against the wall. Natsu tucked his face into his knees and sobbed unlike before, holding Erza's arm in his fingers.

Erza lay asleep beside him in her blouse and skirt. Jellal found it odd that she hadn't worn her armour.

He approached them quietly until Natsu growled, peeking from above his tear-stained eyes.

"Jellal..." he whispered, as if in a trance. Realizing it was only his guild mate, Natsu didn't attempt to hide his wet face. He clutched the arm tighter, shivering as he slowly peeked at Erza. His throat constricted as he tried finding the right words to describe the atrocity.

Jellal reached down to Erza, eyes widening at the dried blood from her arm being cut off. As he knelt down, Jellal inspected her body before he took the arm from Natsu. His jaw clenched at the horrific sight. Poor Natsu looked like he was going to pass out from staring at Erza's severed arm.

Jellal held the one hand that remained attached to her, looking more than ready to hunt the person responsible for it. "Who did it?"

Natsu sniffed slightly when he was at a loss for words. "She—Erza told Gray to cut off her arm. After refusing to do it, she and Lyon insisted that they were running out of time. She would either lose her life or arm. In the end, our opinion didn't concern her." He turned away from Jellal. "Lyon complied with Erza's request."

Jellal's face creased at the revelation, unsure of what to make of Erza's decision.

"I'll never forgive Erza for what she did. She," he paused, "never even considered how we would feel."

Jellal placed a hand on his shoulder before managing a rueful smile. "I'm going to fix this."

Natsu's eyes widened. "How?"

There was a long silence that followed before he said, "I'll figure it out."

In truth, Jellal was at a loss. He didn't know what to do, or if it was even possible to recover it. Her eye itself was a miracle to restore thanks to Porlyusica and Makarov.

After giving those empty words for reassurance, Natsu jerked away from Jellal's hand. "This isn't the time to make promises you can't keep, Jellal! Erza's never getting her arm back, it's the truth!"

Something—neither of them were sure what it was. There was something that broke between them. Maybe it was the mishaps in the decisions taken into account when discussing Erza's arm. Or the arguments that sparked between the alliance. Either way, Jellal didn't think it would permanently change Natsu's happy-go-lucky spirit.

Those all would've been Jellal's guesses if he hadn't heard Natsu say, "As a kid, I always thought you had the power to do anything because you were so unlike the rest of us." He exhaled sharply. "You were always so mature compared to everyone else. There was always hope that with you on our side, we'd be invincible because you became a Wizard Saint." Natsu studied the ground with a scowl. "But after today, I realized that you're just as vulnerable as us. You can't fix Erza's arm..."

Jellal didn't speak against him, knowing full well that Natsu's changed perspective of him was a more realistic approach to the strength he possessed. Regardless of the lost hope, he still found himself saying, "Even so, let's try."

It was a promise from Jellal to Erza that he would do everything possible to restore her arm. Even if it came with a terrible price to pay.

"By the way, have you seen Wendy's friend? Her name is Carla."

Natsu gasped, searching the area for Happy. "No! I didn't realize it, but neither Happy or Carla are here!"

"Is Carla also an exceed?"

The Dragon Slayer hastily nodded, handing Erza's arm to him. "So if they're not with us or the other members..."

Natsu grit his teeth. "The Oración Seis have them. I'm going to get them back!" he ran across the hill and jumped over some shrubs. Natsu disappeared into the forest, leaving Jellal alone with Erza and Wendy.

---

Nirvana was visible to nearly every mage in Worth Woodsea. Gray and Lyon hadn't understood the effects of it until Hibiki used his Archive to get in touch with the alliance via Telepathy.

Gray sighed, "So along with our mission, we're supposed to defeat this ancient spell?"

"Yes," Lyon nodded. "It seems that the Oración Seis got ahold of their goal, after all. They must have encountered the fifth Wizard Saint."

The tension couldn't get any thicker than it already was since Lyon put himself in an awkward position. He was responsible for cutting off Erza's arm. Gray didn't know what to think of him anymore, even if he did it out of good will.

He didn't give them enough time to find an antidote. Even if it was the Titania's idea, Gray didn't think he had the right to do something so extreme. The thoughts consumed him as he studied Nirvana's power unleashing.

He tried forgetting about it and focussed on the Dead Grand Prix between Racer and Gray. Lyon was seated behind him in the motorbike as Racer tried to intercept them. "Did you find Wendy?" he half-shouted as the engine roared.

"No word from anyone. I haven't seen Carla or Happy anywhere either." He steered sharply as the obstacles came forth, forcing them to compromise their speed. "Hey, can you take Racer down while I drive?"

Lyon stood up on the motorbike, bending slightly. "Now you shall witness true creation!"

The motorbike's speed returned and Lyon had to grip onto the seat so he wouldn't fall off. Gray's eyes turned steely again. "Don't provoke me any further. Erza's arm was more than enough."

He gulped slowly, but didn't reply. Lyon brought his hands together, generating more currents of magic energy. "Ice-Make: Eagle!"

The eagle dove into Racer's vehicle and destroyed it, causing him to speed towards the Ice mages in a successful attempt to explode the motorbike. Lyon and Gray were sent flying with the remains of the motorbike, regaining their footing after rolling over twice.

"Ice-Make: Ape!"

"Ice-Make: Hammer!"

Racer outran the ape and shattered the creation in a matter of seconds. He also dodged the hammer, nearly missing it.

Gray growled, "We missed him!"

"Calm down. If we concentrate, we should be able to get him." Lyon and Gray's shirts fell over their heads at the same time, earning a quizzical look from Racer. The Lamia Scale mage huffed as he signalled ahead. "Fifty metres. Attack and don't hold back."

They both held their arms out, racing towards their enemy. "Ice-Make: Snow Dragon!"

"Ice-Make: Geyser!"

Gray's eyes widened in disbelief as Racer evaded the attacks, wondering if Racer was able to surpass Jellal's speed. Untouchable. He outclassed such a large creature and struck them both down. "He's too fast. It's impossible to catch him."

Lyon observed the birds above Racer and noticed they travelled in the same speed. "The birds tend to speed up whenever he does..."

He mentally repeated his statement, noticing the fault in it. Racer kicked them both from behind. "Even if you spent your whole lives practising, you'd never be able to catch up to me."

After recovering from the hit, Lyon straightened up and leaned closer to Gray. "I found his weakness."

"What?" mouthed Gray.

Sherry was found emerging from the forest when Lyon extended his arm towards Gray from behind, freezing him up in a tall tower. "I don't need your help. Just you watch, Lamia Scale shall take all the glory."

Sherry gasped at his words. "But Lyon, we need him!"

Racer cocked an eyebrow in response. "You're that arrogant to believe you'll win without him?"

Lyon's gaze trailed back to Racer. He signalled for Gray to watch the fight. "Convince me otherwise."

Both of the mages from Lamia Scale prepared to attack them, which drew out a laugh from Racer. "Your overconfidence will come with the price of your lives." He stepped forward only to be confronted by Sherry, who animated a few things in the forest.

"Doll Attack: Rock Doll."

Racer found his way around it. He swiftly moved towards her, almost closing the distance until she followed her attack with another one. "Doll Attack: Wood Doll."

The branches extended out to the enemy, reaching for Racer. He nearly dodged the creation, creating an illusion of being stuck in the branches of Sherry's doll until he attacked her from behind. As she lay on the ground, helpless, Racer was intent on killing her.

His pursuit to kill her had been interrupted by Lyon, who taunted him from a distance.

None of the mages battling noticed Gray escaped from the ice with the help of another wizard. Startled, Gray whipped his head around to confront the mage, sighing in relief when it was Jellal, carrying both Wendy, Erza, and her arm. He swallowed thickly at the sight of his comrade's arm.

"Jellal, why are you here?"

He held out the limb. Gray almost cringed at the sight, recalling Lyon's actions earlier. "I need you to crystallize Erza's arm. I have a plan."

The mage blinked before thinking twice about the decision. He placed his hands on the arm, creating a thin layer of ice before it thickened as the magic added on to the layers.

"There. The ice should be thick enough to encase it for a while."

Jellal nodded with gratitude before gesturing to Lyon and Racer. "Your friend was leading you on when he froze you up there. Did you notice?"

"Yeah. I realized that Racer's magic doesn't increase his speed. Rather, it slows down the perception of speed for the people within a certain range. If I attack him from here, I'll be able to aim accurately..." he noted Wendy's lack of response before asking, "Why is she passed out?"

"She became prone to Nirvana after blaming herself for unsealing it. As for Erza, I gave her more of the sleeping potion. I'll need to get someone to heal her wounds before she can fight again. Though, it's going to be troublesome for her since she's lost an arm."

Gray wordlessly agreed, averting his gaze from her shoulder without the arm. "I think...Wendy's able to heal her. I'm not sure if I heard Brain correctly, but he did call Wendy a healer before disappearing on us."

"Really?" Jellal mused. "Then I'll have to wait until she wakes up."

The Ice Mage prepared to create a weapon intended for Racer, noticing that he pinned Lyon and held a dagger to his throat. He climbed higher up the cliff until there was a mountain of distance between the fight and Gray.

"Ice-Make: Super Freeze Arrow!"

The spell struck the target directly, causing Racer to collapse from the impact in defeat. Lyon used the rock for support, elevating himself with his arms and assisting Sherry. The Fairy Tail mages approached them moments later with triumphant grins. Lyon took a deep breath, wiping away the sweat on his forehead.

"I can't believe we have five more mages like him to deal with."

"No wonder there are four guilds assigned to this," Gray said, scratching the back of his neck.

Jellal looked over Lyon's shoulder and pushed him out of the way as Racer came forth with an explosive attached to him. It wasn't easy confronting him with two mages in his arms, but he used Meteor to block Racer's attacks.

The mage suddenly looked bloodthirsty. "If I'm going to die, I'm taking you all with me!"

Lyon recovered his footing and gripped Racer's wrists, dragging them towards the edge of the cliff. Sherry cried out as she realized his intentions. "Lyon! What are you doing!?"

"I can't let Jellal fight him! He has two other people in his arms. If we're all caught in the explosion, we're going to die!"

"NO!" yelled Sherry, witnessing Lyon drive his enemy off the edge of the cliff. The two mages fell off seconds before the forest below them exploded. She fell to her knees and started crying. "LYON!"

Gray shook Sherry with brute force. "You need to control yourself! We'll go down there and find him. He's going to be okay."

Sherry shook her head, not believing in her guild mate's ability to survive a fall and explosion of that height. Gray turned his back to her, making his way down the cliff. "Are you coming?"

She looked back at Jellal, before taking a deep breath. Sherry gave a short sigh before following Gray. Her thoughts were only occupied with Lyon's fall, assuming he died.

As Jellal watched them leave, another set of footsteps approached at a rapid pace. Natsu emerged from a tree, carrying an unconscious Happy and Carla. Following him were Hibiki and Lucy, relieved to find Wendy and Jellal. He took a moment to register the sun setting. It'd been hours since they arrived and only two members had been defeated: Racer and Angel.

"Jellal, we haven't seen you since Nirvana was activated." Hibiki started, short on breath. He sported multiple injuries the battle with Angel.

"Rather than completing my task, I only led Brain to Nirvana, which is why it was unsealed so early. It's going to be harder from here on out."

Lucy gave a small smile. "It's a good thing I didn't come along. If I were there, they would have more people to use against you."

"You're right. Regardless of the outcome, Nirvana was going to be unsealed either way."

Unless Gran Doma never sent me on the mission to begin with. Jellal thought.

"So, what now?"

Jellal watched Nirvana's magic scatter across Woodsea. "We need to destroy Nirvana when it enters the last stage."

Natsu roared with laughter. "Easy enough. Destroy the thing, and we're good."

Jellal stopped them from getting their hopes up, returning their merry mood with an inscrutable expression. "It's not that simple. In the final stage, there are six crystals that must be destroyed within a certain time frame in order to defeat Nirvana. If we even miss one, Nirvana will still be intact."

"We're on a time crunch," said Hibiki.

Jellal confirmed his statement with a slight nod. "Additionally, we still have four members to take down. Perhaps even less, if any of them succumbed to Nirvana's effects."

Lucy snorted, "Doubt that's happened. The guild is known for their treacherous behaviour. I doubt anyone in such a guild would have a change of heart."

"Perhaps," he managed before the ground started shaking beneath them. It was strong enough to wake up Wendy, who tried shrinking away from Jellal. His grip only tightened as the ground gave out beneath them.

"JELLAL!" Lucy and Natsu shrieked, feeling Nirvana rise from beneath. They all hung on to the leg that extended from the ground. Jellal used Meteor to get a better look at the surroundings, as Wendy watched in astonishment. Lucy and Hibiki contained their shock at the discovery of Nirvana's true nature.

"I thought Nirvana was a spell," assumed Hibiki.

"Nirvana was created by the Nirvits, an ancient civilization. The people who survived the destruction caused by Nirvana sealed it away. When it was unsealed, the spell gave rise to the remains of the origin, hence why we see this civilization." Jellal informed, setting Wendy down. Erza remained in his arms, still sleeping.

"I'm not sure if the Nirvits are still alive. It was hundreds of years ago, so I'm doubtful anyone's kept watch this entire time."

Natsu doubled over from the motion sickness.
"Not again...blergh."

Wendy rested her hand against Natsu's back with a worried expression. "What's wrong with Natsu?"

Lucy looked almost annoyed with him. "Don't bother with him. This is normal for Natsu. Since he's a Dragon Slayer, he doesn't handle vehicles very well."

Wendy place her other hand along his sides. "I can stop his motion sickness with my Troia spell."

Everyone turned their heads to her. Jellal especially continuously seemed to be impressed with her abilities. "That would make the battle easier for all of us. Please, if you will."

Wendy nodded, casting Troia on him before tending to Carla and Happy's unconscious state, then consequently healing Erza's injuries.

The exceeds woke up with a light headache, feeling the effects of the dark magic suffocating them. Carla's vision refocussed until she set her eyes on Wendy, reaching out to embrace her.

"Wendy! You ran off without me," she scolded.

The Dragon Slayer gave a small laugh before releasing her friend. "I'm sorry. Seeing an old friend of mine caught me off guard...and I decided to follow him."

Everyone was surprised at the revelation. Lucy inched closer to the Wizard Saint. "Is that true? You knew Wendy from before?"

"There are a lot of things we need to clear after the battle. But now's not the time." Jellal replied. "Our first priority is to destroy all the members of the Oración Seis. After that, we'll attack the powerhouse of Nirvana, assuming everyone's able to use magic." He scoured the area for Jura, not finding him in sight.

"Where's Gray?" Natsu asked.

"He's searching for Lyon with Sherry. We just need to hope there are no other setbacks."

His grip on the crystallized arm remained tight. Hibiki motioned to Erza. "What about her? We can't leave Erza by herself."

"I'll keep watch," Wendy volunteered. "I know Jellal was planning to take her alongside, but I can stay with them."

I'd only get in the way for everyone else, she thought.

She locked eyes with Jellal for confirmation. She didn't expect him to be at peace by her reassurance. "That's perfect. Now, it's time to finish this battle."

"Wait," Lucy weakly raised a finger. "Can I go with Jellal too? I don't feel safe being in the care of—them."

Hibiki was lying on the ground, being healed by Wendy while Natsu snuggled Happy close to him.

"It's not that bad, Lucy. Gray should join you in a bit." Said Jellal.

"But, you said I could go with you!"

Natsu placed a hand on her shoulder. "Another time, Luce."

Lucy swatted his hand away miserably before conceding with the plan. "I'm holding you up to it, Jellal."

"I'd expect nothing less."

The mood lightened up considerably after everyone lost hope in the beginning. And within some, their thoughts shifted to the sacrifices made while on this mission. One reminiscent of Lyon's death, and the other who became consumed by dark thoughts as they replayed the scene when Lyon cut off Erza's arm.