Fairy Tail Zero is now out on DVD!

I also managed to get this next chapter finished!

Happy reading!

Chapter 57

Regaining Memories Part 1

Tomorrow had now become today. All of the members of the Magic Council were gathered in an immense hall. It had four statues with each member standing on a hand of a statue while Gran Doma himself stood on a pillar in the center surround by the statues and the members which also stood on a pool of water.

"Listen well," said Gran Doma. "Today is the day that Tu-Chi will show proof of Willy Falconer's involvement of the Oración Seis and Nomekop. As you're all well aware, Tu-Chi claims that she not only has proof of the boy's innocence, but she also plans to restore his memories and wants to take us to a sacred location. So I want you all to use your judgment to the best of your ability to uphold the sanctity of order and make sure to keep your emotions in check." He then looked at Akzuinu. "Is that understood?"

Every one of the members nodded. Akzuinu let out a huff, but he too nodded.

"Very well then," said Gran Doma. "Summon Lahar and Doranbolt and prepare a carriage as well."

WILLY'S POV

I had just woken up after getting a decent amount of sleep. I felt well rested, but I felt a little bit sore due to the floor of my prison being a tad hard. Not to mention I still haven't really eaten or drank anything for who knows how long, but that was the least of my problems. I was more thinking about what was going to happen today. I felt so nervous because I didn't know what kind of memories would I see upon remembering and I was worried about finding out if I really did do those horrible things. However, I was also kind of okay. I really couldn't explain why though. Probably because that I knew I was innocent and I couldn't wait to prove the council wrong.

Then I noticed a couple of frog people coming towards my prison. That was when I knew, it was finally time. I took a deep breath and steeled my nerves. I then stood up just as my prism opened up. I then stepped out of my prism once again and was cuffed and lowered down to the ground below where Lahar and Doranbolt were waiting for me. The moment I saw the two, I recalled yesterday back when they were interrogating me for answers regarding my crimes. It still made me angry, but the last thing I wanted was to give those two a reason to mess with me, so I gave them no reaction. As we left the room, I looked back hoping to find any sign of Jellal or Richard, but I couldn't see them.

"Keep moving," said Doranbolt as he pushed me along.

I then kept on walking ahead leaving the room behind me. I was lead down the halls once again. As we walked, I passed by several frog people as well as a couple of normal people. I could feel that they were staring at me, but I kept my eyes forward not wanting to make eye contact.

We soon walked out of the building and then came outside. Due to me being inside for who knows how long, I had to squint my eyes since I couldn't shield them from the bright sunlight. Thankfully, my eyes were able to adjust and they were welcomed to the sight of the outside world. I could feel the breeze of fresh air lick my skin which felt good. It felt like it had been ages since I had felt fresh air, but I didn't have the time to savor it.

As we continued to walk, I could see a carriage in sight being guarded by two people. It was pretty big and it appeared to be driven by three strange four-legged creatures which appeared to be a fusion of dogs and bison. As soon as the people saw us approaching, they opened the doors and Lahar pushed me inside of the carriage.

"Please stay in here," said Lahar. "And don't try anything funny. Need I remind you that the cuffs have seal stones on them."

"Hope you enjoy the ride," said Doranbolt

The door then shut behind me leaving me alone in the darkness of the carriage.

"And once again I'm in a cage in total darkness again," I thought. "You'd think that they'd give it a rest already with this. And they could this a bit more comfortable."

I then I heard the bison dogs groan and with a jolt, the carriage was on the move. Because of the jolt, I stumbled a little and fell on my butt on the seat. I wasn't hurt, but I was most annoyed.

"Would it have killed them to give me a warning if they were going start moving?" I grumbled to myself. "Well then... I guess I better sit down and enjoy the ride. This might be the last one I'll ever get."

I made myself comfy as best I could as the carriage rolled on en route to my unknown destination.

NO POV

Meanwhile, at a certain location, Tu-Chi holding her staff with Jade on top and Finn were standing outside of a cave hidden in the forest waiting for Willy and the other council members to show up. As they waited, the cool breeze wafted through their trees making some of the leaves fall to the ground. Everywhere around was quiet and peaceful. Not a sound could be heard.

They waited and waited. Soon enough, they could hear a clattering and the sound of rolling wheels. In the distance, they could see four carriages rolling towards them. Three of them were being led by horses and looked extravagant, but the fourth looked rather plain and was being led by three strange creatures that appeared to be fusions of dogs and bison.

"I'll give the council this much," said Finn. "They want to let everyone know who's on top and who's on the bottom."

"Pay no attention to them, Finn," said Tu-Chi. "Focus only on the goal that lies in front of us."

"Yes Master," said Finn. "I'm... just a bit on edge is all."

Soon the carriages pulled up and all of the Magic Council members stepped out from them. Tu-Chi then greeted Gran Doma.

"Welcome Gran Doma," she said. "I'm glad that you and the rest of the council could come. I trust that Willy is here with you?"

"Yes. He's inside the carriage behind us," replied Gran Doma. "I take it that the location that you're going to be taking us is somewhere inside that cave?"

"Correct," replied Tu-Chi. "It's a location I usually come to whenever I need to get away from it all. In any case, let's get things started, shall we? I know you and the council are busy people, so I don't want to take too much of your time."

Gran Doma said nothing as he turned towards the guards standing next to the carriage where Willy was contained.

"Release the prisoner," he commanded.

The guards gave a quick salute and prepared to open the carriage.

WILLY'S POV

I sat in the carriage losing myself to the vibrations of it moving. Then I felt the carriage come to a complete stop and the door opened. I was then greeted by the guards who were guarding my carriage.

"Please step out, Mr. Falconer," said one.

I did as the guard said and stepped out. As I stepped out of the carriage, I then had the cuffs taken off of me by the guards. At first, I thought I was finally going to have some freedom, but then the guards put some shacks that were vastly different from the cuffs which made me sigh in annoyance.

"Is this really necessary?" I asked aloud.

"Sorry, but the Magic Council doesn't trust you," said the guard. "These shackles are an extra precaution."

I didn't say anything more as I took a quick look around of my surroundings. We seemed to be at some kind of hidden location inside of a forest. I also saw all of the members of the Magic Council as well as Tu-Chi who had a staff with a green bird-like creature and a young man who I've never seen before. He was pretty tall and he had bright orange hair with a couple of gray hairs. He also looked young, but he had a couple of wrinkles on the sides of his eyes making me assume that he was middle-aged.

He really looked familiar to me, but like before, I couldn't remember who he was. I assumed that he was the other cloaked figure who was in the courtroom the other day. Then the two guards led me towards Tu-Chi, his associate, and the Council making them all take notice. As soon as Tu-Chi saw me, she smiled gently.

"Well then. Now that everyone is present and accounted for, everyone please follow me," she said.

She then walked inside of the cave grabbing a torch that hung on the cave's wall and entered with the rest of us following suit. The man that was with her went first, then me with the two guards, and finally the Magic Council. Inside the cave, it was very dark and quiet with only Tu-Chi's torch giving us the light we needed to see. As we continued on, I couldn't help, but feel that something was strange about this place. Something that seemed very... different.

We walked and we walked until I heard a sound. A gurgling and a rushing sound. The moment I heard it, I felt my throat getting dry. I knew what the sound was. It was the sound of rushing water. If I wasn't shackled like how I was, I would have rushed off without a second thought wanting to go to where the water was, but I couldn't. Then the tunnel grew wider as we walked into a bigger room of the cave. Tu-Chi then stopped.

"We're here," she said. Then she turned to the bird creature on top of her staff. "Go on now, my friend."

The bird creature let out a squawk and then flapped its wings. It grabbed the torch from Tu-Chi in its talons and then took off into the air. The bird creature flew around the walls of the room in the cave. As it did, it skillfully and quickly lit several other torches making the room grow brighter making it better to see. Soon enough, the room was now brightly lit and we all could see the source of the sound.

There in front of us was a subterranean lake with a waterfall. The waterfall was gurgling and crashing letting loose gallons of water as it crashed to the water. Upon seeing it, I felt like I was going to go insane from thirst. The water looked so clear and looked prime for drinking.

Gran Doma, as well as most of the other magic council members, surveyed the area keeping their expressions neutral. Akzuinu, however, wasn't impressed.

"Why have you brought us to this place?" he asked. "Seems to just be an underground spring to me."

"This spring has special properties including cleansing, healing, and even enhancing spells," explained Tu-Chi. "I usually come here to meditate and develop my various techniques whenever I have time. As for the answer to your question, I plan on showing you to proof of Willy's innocence by casting a spell that I know to cure his amnesia."

"And how will you do that?" asked the white beard man.

"First, Willy has to be lowered into the water," explained Tu-Chi. "Then as he is submerged into the water, I will cast the spell stimulating the water's properties to help him regain his memory. At the same time, I will show you everything that is happening within the boy's mind, so you can see the proof for yourselves. Is that alright with you?"

There was a brief pause. Then the Gran Doma nodded. "Proceed."

"I thank you Gran Doma," said Tu-Chi. Then she turned to the guards that were guarding me. "Now... would you be so kind as to unshackle him? Those chains will most definitely weigh him down."

"Why should we?" asked the caped old man of the council. "He might run away or attack us."

"You can trust me or not, but I can assure you that Willy won't run," said Tu-Chi as she looked at me. "Right Willy?"

I looked at Tu-Chi and I nodded my head. "I won't run. I have no reason to," I said. "You guys would stop me anyway, right? Not to mention, I want to remember who I am. I want to prove my innocence."

There was a brief pause. The guards were a little unsure at first not sure, but after a quick nod from Gran Doma, they released me from the shackles. As soon as I was free, Tu-Chi then pointed towards the water with her staff.

"Willy, please step into the water if you would," she said. "Once you're the water, swim to the center of the pool and float on your back and be completely still."

I felt a little uneasy, but I did as I was told. As I stepped into the water, I felt how cold the water was which sent a shock through my body, but I kept going until I was waist deep in water. Then I dove underneath the water and I swam to the cent and then floated on my back and made sure I was perfectly still as I floated on the water. Tu-Chi then turned to her associate and gave him a nod. He responded with a nod back to her.

She grabbed her staff and turned toward the water. Then she dashed towards the water and threw her staff into the air. At the same time, she took a great leap and jumped into the air just above her staff. As she descended towards the water below, I instinctively shut my eyes expecting a splash. However, the splash never came. I then opened my eyes to see that Tu-Chi was now standing on her staff in the water. I couldn't help, but be amazed.

Tu-Chi then placed her hands together as if she was saying a prayer, then she began to glow in a bright light radiating in magic power. Then a blue magic circle appeared underneath her. She then began making various signs with her hands while mumbling strange words.

"Rin. Pyō. Tō. Sha. Kai. Jin. Retsu. Zai. Zen."

As she said these words over and over again, I noticed that the glow that surrounded her was now spreading to the water around me. The glow soon spread throughout the entire pool. Then the glow began to slowly spread throughout my body. I also began to feel a little drowsy as all of this was happening. I tried to stay awake, but the drowsiness began to grow stronger and stronger and glow spread more and more until finally I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore and everything went dark.

NO POV

Tu-Chi kept on chanting as the water glowed and the Magic Council watched on. Some of the members were amazed by what they were seeing. Others kept a neutral expression not caring at the least from this sight. Soon enough, Tu-Chi stopped chanting as well as the glow surrounding Willy and the water died down. There was a long silence. Then suddenly, Willy sank into the water disappearing from view. Some of the members of the council became alarmed.

"The boy! He's sunk into the water!" cried the woman in the lavender dress.

"Has he drowned?" asked Org worriedly.

"Or maybe he's planning his escape!" growled Akzuinu. "I knew I shouldn't have-"

"Calm yourselves," interrupted Finn. "That was supposed to happen."

"Tu-Chi. Please explain what's going on here," said Gran Doma.

Tu-Chi then calmly jumped off her staff grabbing it and then walked out of the water. "There's no need to be concerned or alarmed," she said. "As Finn said, this was supposed to happen. Right now, Willy is in a deep sleep entering the deepest parts of his mind. If things go smoothly, Willy will regain his memory and will be able to prove his innocence of the charges against him."

"I see," said Gran Doma. "And you also plan to show us everything that is going on in the boy's mind. How do you intend to do that?"

"Me and Finn will handle that," said Tu-Chi. "Come on Finn."

"Right Master," said Finn.

The two then stood on opposite sides of the pool. Then they placed their hands in the water and the edge of the pool began to glow. Then a magic circle appeared before the Magic Council in the water. In the Magic Circle, an image began to form. It was a bit fuzzy at first, but then the image in the circle soon became clear.

WILLY'S POV

Everything was very dark. Then my eyes slowly opened. I found myself in the void of water just like before back when I woke up in the Nirvana incident. I looked around once again seeing nothing, but blue water. Then I noticed something in the distance. Something was coming toward me. At first, I couldn't tell what it was, but it was coming closer and closer. When it came close enough, I could see what the mysterious thing was.

It appeared it was a strange dark cloud. Upon seeing it, I felt like I've seen it before and it wasn't in the good kind. The cloud then began to change shape taking the form of a humanoid being. Its eyes flashed at me glowing in a strange red color. Before I had a chance to react, the being extended its hand as if it was trying to grab a hold of me. I immediately reacted by throwing a punch at it, but the cloud being bent around dodging the blow. I then kicked it and I landed a hit making the being split in half, but the being's two halves rejoined together reforming into one.

I repeatedly tried to punch and kick it hoping to hurt the thing, but the thing either bent dodging or splitting and reforming. I felt a little out of breath as I kept my fists up being on guard.

"What's the deal with this thing?" I thought. "Every time I try to hit it, it keeps dodging and bending. How am I gonna beat this thing?"

Then things grew worse. The being slowly began to grow bigger and taller soon overshadowing me. The being then reached out and clasped its hands around me. Then it began to squeeze me. I struggled trying to break free from its grip, but it kept a firm hold. I gasped as the air began to escape from my lungs and I started to suffocate. I clenched my fists about to ignite them with my magic, but the being squeezed harder. Feeling my oxygen being cut off, I felt my breath being caught in my throat making me unable to use my magic.

The being stared at me as it squeezed me. Then just below its red eyes, an evil glowing smile matching his eyes spread across its face. It seemed that it had the intent of killing me. Although I wasn't sure why.

My vision began to get blurry and I was starting to black out. Then suddenly, a huge current of water blasted the being right in its face blasting its head completely off. The being stopped squeezing me, but still kept a firm hold on me. When its head reformed it snapped its head towards the direction of where the blast came from. Then suddenly someone came zipping right by the being and the hands that held me were cut off making the being shriek in pain.

I coughed and gasped my oxygen returning to my lungs. I also looked back wondering what had just happened. What I saw made my eyes widen in surprise. Something or should I say someone was fighting the being. The person seemed a little young, shorter than me, and was holding a pair of swords which he was using them to repeatedly slash and cut the being forcing the being to go on the defensive. The being threw a giant punch at the person, but the person swam upwards and then shot straight at the being. The person made its swords disappear and cloaked its hands in a blue glow that resembled water and threw a powerful punch right in its made making its head explode in a poof.

As soon as I saw this, I immediately recognized the fighting style.

"Wait a minute..." I murmured. "That's my fighting style! I don't know who that person is, but he or she is using my dragon slayer magic!"

The person continued to fight the being using its fists to bash and hit it. The being tried its best to fight back, but it couldn't keep up with the speed the person was using. It began to grow weak and it wouldn't be able to last much longer. The person took advantage and chuffed out its cheeks and then unleashed a large blast of water from its mouth. The blast hit the being dead on completely overwhelming it. Unable to take the attack, the being howled as the blast ravaged it apart until it disappeared from view.

I floated on over to my rescuer staring at the person feeling confused, amazed, and suspicious. The person then turned around and floated in front of me. I could now see that the person was a young boy who wore blue shorts and a red t-shirt with a strange blue symbol.

"Who... who are you?" I asked tentatively.

The boy young boy came closer and then looked at me. When I saw his face, my eyes widened. He had tan skin with brown eyes and had spiky black hair.

The boy then spoke revealing his identity to me.

"I... am you. The real you."

Willy meets a younger version of himself in his mind...

Tune in next time...

Dragomaster out!