Here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy!
Zale and Erza were alone in a deserted alley where no one could see or hear them.
"Why did you request to bring me out here, Zale?" Erza inquired.
"When we were told about how Eclipse allowed people to travel through time, it got me thinking if that woman in Crime Sorcière would know anything about it." Zale explained.
"I don't know if she knows for sure." Erza said. "But it's possible."
"Is there any way I can speak with her personally?"
"I'm afraid I can't allow that. Even if I knew where they were staying during the Games, it wouldn't be a good idea if we were seen making contact with wanted criminals."
Zale sighed. "Good point, Erza. It was worth asking at least. Thank you."
"Now I have a question for you, Zale. Why are you asking me this?"
"I just found a possible connection that could give us some more info on Eclipse."
"What are you trying to prove?"
"I-I don't-"
"Stop lying to yourself!" Erza raised her voice at Zale and grabbed him by his collar. "You just want the approval of everyone around you so you can feel better about yourself!"
Zale just remained quiet and listened to what Erza was telling him.
"Despite your unique magic, you were overshadowed because you lacked conviction. You finally have one… Unfortunately, you made the wrong choice."
"'Wrong choice'?" Zale asked.
"Find out for yourself. I know I sound harsh right now… but… this is for your own good." Erza let go of Zale, regained her composure and walked away. "The day you came to Fairy Tail… I saw great potential in you…" She then started to mumble. "Now I wish I had taken you under my wing back then…"
Zale simply stood there, stared at the ground and contemplated Erza's words. Meanwhile, Erza seemed sad as she headed back to the inn.
As soon as Zale made it back to the inn, he was approached by Juvia.
"Zale, can we talk?" Juvia asked.
"Of course." Zale said. "I actually wanted to wish you luck before tomorrow's games."
"I know you really want to fight with the rest of our guild mates."
"Like I said earlier, our team is a mix of the previous two. The games committee wouldn't approve of my inclusion whether I want to or not."
"But how else are you going to show how strong you've become?"
The words Erza had said to Zale earlier rang in his head.
You just want the approval of everyone around you so you can feel better about yourself!
Zale looked down at his open hand. "… I've become more powerful… but now that I think about it… I feel like I'm missing something…"
Juvia clasped Zale's hand in her own and he looked up at her straight in the eyes.
"Zale, if you ever need my help… know that I'll always be there for you." Juvia said.
Zale simply stared at Juvia and smiled. "You're so sweet, Juvia."
He cupped her left cheek with his right hand.
"I love you so much." Zale expressed.
"Juvia loves you, too."
Zale and Juvia leaned into each other and locked lips. The more they kissed, the more passionate their display of affection had become.
"Ahem!"
The two lovers stopped as soon as they heard someone clearing their throat. Zale turned around and saw Erza standing at the entrance.
"If you two wish to get amorous, please take it into one of the rooms." Erza declared.
"Ah, eh, sorry…" Zale nervously replied with a pink face.
Zale and Juvia went upstairs and the latter began imagining what might happen when they get in a room.
(In Juvia's mind)
Zale and Juvia were sitting at the edge of a bed and making out with extreme passion until Zale gently pulled back.
"Juvia…" Zale said in a smooth voice. "Let's do it right here."
"B-but…!" Juvia stammered with her face glowing bright pink. "Anyone can walk in at any moment!"
"That's what makes it hot."
(End Daydream)
Zale opened the door to a room and tuned to Juvia to see her face practically steaming from her daydreaming.
"… Juvia?"
"Ah?!" Juvia snapped back to reality with a bright blush still on her cheeks.
When they entered the room, Juvia turned to close the door and took a deep breath.
*This is it, Juvia.* She thought. *Zale, take me now!*
She turned and was prepared to pounce onto Zale, but he was already lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling.
"Juvia?" A voice whispered to Juvia.
Juvia frantically looked around to find the source of the voice was Mavis.
"F-"
Mavis signaled Juvia to keep quiet and continued whispering. "There's something I need to discuss with you. Besides…" She turned to Zale, who wasn't paying attention to them. "He needs some time to think."
Juvia quietly left the room with the First Master, leaving Zale alone with his thoughts.
*When I came to Fairy Tail…* Zale thought about all of the incredible things the other children in Fairy Tail could do at the time he joined. *Everyone was on a completely different level than me. Compared to them, I just felt… like I didn't exist. Perhaps I still am… Yes, I beat Gray and Leo on Tenrou Island… but then again, I had Wendy's help… I acquired the ability to use God's Wrath… and yet I don't feel any stronger… like all I did was learn new moves… Erza was right… Approval was my drive, and it's a poor one… I'm not going to find out by sitting in this room all day. Walking around usually helps my mind flow.*
When Zale sat up, he noticed that Juvia wasn't in the room with him anymore.
"Juvia?"
Zale walked up to the door and he could make out whispering coming from the other side.
"Are you sure you'll come up with something, First?" Juvia asked.
"Tomorrow's victory is assured!" Mavis answered with hushed excitement.
*Victory?* Zale thought. *Hold on…*
(Flashback)
Shortly after Zale entered Fairy Tail, he was reading several books in the guild's library. One of the books he was reading was titled 'The Second Trade War'.
"Wow!" Zale said to himself. "Fairy Tail's First Master sounds amazing! The Fairy Tactician! … Yeah… I like the sound of that."
(End Flashback)
Zale remained quiet and he felt all color from his body vanish into thin air. He then walked back to the bed and sat down.
*How could I forget?*
The door opened up again and Juvia entered.
"Zale, my love?" Juvia asked.
She noticed that he seemed even more depressed than before and walked up to him.
"Juvia?" Zale asked.
"Yes?"
"I… have something I need to confess…"
Juvia gulped, feeling unsure of whether he was about to say something really good or really bad.
"Remember what I said when we first met?" Zale inquired. "That I would prefer not to fight?"
"But you were ready to fight."
"And lose… I didn't want to fight because I didn't think I could win. Heheh… I won our fight because of sheer dumb luck…"
"Zale, what are you-?" Juvia was about to ask.
Zale stood up and hugged her.
"Juvia… I love you… but… I need some time alone…"
Zale walked out of the room without saying another word.
"Zale?" Juvia tried to get his attention, but he wasn't listening. "Zale!"
Zale was walking through the streets of Crocus, towards the edge of the capital.
*I'm sorry, everyone…*
Suddenly, a cloaked figure passed by him and whispered something right into his ear.
"Do not leave the capital."
Zale stopped in his tracks.
"Tomorrow night heralds the end of humanity."
Zale quickly turned around to find the person who had said those words to him, but he couldn't make out anyone from the crowd.
"What the hell…" Zale muttered.
"Zale!"
He heard another voice coming from within the crowds, but this time he was able to make out who it was as they were coming toward him.
"Juvia?"
Juvia finally reached Zale and held onto him tightly.
"Zale, why did you just leave like that?" Juvia asked.
Zale could make out that she was choking a bit when she questioned him.
"Juvia… I'm sorry…"
"Juvia doesn't want an apology, why did you leave?"
"I… I overheard you talking with the First Master and... I remembered reading about what an amazing tactician she is… then… I just snapped."
"Zale, let's go back to the lodge." Juvia started pulling on Zale's take him to the inn. "Maybe you just need some sleep after everything that happened last night."
"Y-yeah… Maybe…" Zale hesitantly replied as the words the cloaked figure whispered into his ear earlier echoed through his mind. *Was that person just spouting nonsense… or was that a genuine warning?*
A couple of hours later, at the Honey Bone Lodge, Zale was sleeping on one of the beds alone and lost in a dream.
Zale entered the Fairy Tail guild hall, the one they occupied before the events of Tenrou Island, and walked up to the arguing Natsu and Gray.
"Say that again, Frosty!" Natsu shouted as he butt heads with Gray.
"I said I could freeze your flames in their tracks!" Gray shouted back.
"Fire always melts ice! Everyone knows that!"
"Your flames aren't hot enough to withstand my ice cold attacks!"
"Guys, do I need to get Erza to break you up again?" Zale asked.
Just then, Erza came between them and pushed them away from each other.
"Enough! You're grown men! Start acting like it!" Erza scolded the ice and fire mages.
"Thanks, Erza." Zale said.
Erza didn't respond or even look him in the face.
"Erza?" Zale asked.
Zale tried to grab her shoulder, but she moved it out of the way and he grasped air.
"Is she giving me the silent treatment? That's harsh…" Zale looked around and saw Mirajane talking with Lucy at the bar, so he decided to go over to her. "Mira, how are Elfmann and Lisanna doing?"
It was then he noticed something odd; neither one of them even acknowledge that he was standing there. Even stranger, when they spoke their voices were muffled to the point that their words were completely unintelligible.
"What's going on?!"
Zale frantically looked around the guild hall and saw that no one had even noticed he had come in or even heard his voice.
"W-why can't anybody see me?! Or hear me?!" A thought then came to his mind. "Juvia?!"
He looked around the guild hall again in search of his girlfriend, but there was absolutely no sign of her. She wasn't anywhere to be seen.
"Juvia, where are you?! JUVIA!"
In the real world, Callista was sitting in a chair next to Zale's bed and placed a cold, wet rag on his forehead. Along with her were Flynn, Juvia, Jayden and Erza.
"Is Zale going to be all right?" Juvia asked.
"This is what he gets for staying up all night." Callista said.
"You're one to talk, pot." Flynn retorted to his sister.
"It's a shame, Juvia." Jayden said to her. "Your boyfriend's not gonna be able to see you kick ass tomorrow."
*But Juvia, Gray, Natsu and Wendy were also awake.* Erza pondered. *Maybe he caught something when we got here? … Or something else?*
She looked down at the unconscious Zale, his breaths painful to listen to.
In a deserted alley behind some crates, the cloaked figure Zale had passed earlier was sitting on one of the crates and staring at the ground.
"I actually came back…" The figure muttered. "I already changed the past a bit… but I doubt it'll be enough to change the future… I have to… I came this far already… I can't stop now…"
The figure stood up and walked deeper into the alley.
A/N: I'm sorry this chapter took so long! The culprits were procrastination and writer's block… but mostly procrastination. As for the figure in the cloak, it is exactly who you think it is and it ties into something I plan later on. And also, I am NOT doing anything romantic with Erza. I'm just using her to help Zale. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time!