Previously on…
I smiled through the pain and looked at both Natsu and Lucy, make eye contact with each of them. "Give them hell.", I said as I fell back onto the ground, finally relinquishing my tense hold on consciousness.
I blinked back into consciousness what felt like only a short time after my eyes had shut. I eased upright to see that I had been lying next to Gray, who was beginning to awaken himself. We needed to find out what had happened. I assumed Natsu and Lucy had been victorious against Lyon's minions because we were still alive, but we needed to figure out what was going on.
"Ugh, where am I?", Gray groaned as he finally eased fully upright.
"It appears we are in one of the villagers' tents. I just woke up myself so I don't know how Natsu and Lucy fared in the battle against Lyon's forces.", I stated, throwing back the covers off my mattress. "It'd be best to go see what has transpired while we were out.", I groaned as I eased up onto my feet, while my healing has helped, my leg was still sore from the acid.
"Aquila! What happened to your leg?!", Gray demanded to know, as he struggled to his feet to lend me a hand. I held up my hand to stop him from closer, as I took a look at my leg. It was wrapped in bandages, giving it a much worse appearance than it actually was.
"I'm fine, they tried to dissolve the village in acid. I had to use my shifting and turned into a shield to cover everyone. Natsu dispersed most of it around us, but while I was shielding the chief, a drop of it hit me. Since as you well know, whatever happens to me in my icy form affects my actual body, I had a huge wound on my leg. But I can feel the ice in my bloodstream working to reform over the wound. I should be healed in a few days. But I am well enough to fight for now.", I declared, as I finally gained my bearings and stood upright. "Enough about me. We need to find Natsu, Lucy, Stella, and Happy."
We exited the tent, Gray holding the flap open for me as I sent him a glare. I was injured, not an invalid.
"Oh thank goodness, I'm glad you're awake.", one of the village women walked over to us, Lulu, I believe was her name.
"What is this place?", Gray asked, staring around us in confusion.
"It's a storage area. Everything was destroyed in the attack last night, so we came here for shelter. ", she explained.
"The whole village? That's horrible.", Gray declared. His eyes lit up in horror, as he seemed to recall something. Then he grabbed his chest, laying his hand over his guild mark, as though something was hurting him.
"Whoa there tiger.", I exclaimed, grabbing his arm and laying it across my shoulders. "Take it easy, you're still more banged up than I am."
"You know, it's a miracle Natsu, Aquila, and Lucy were here. Because of them, everyone made it out alive.", Lulu said with a smile.
"Could you tell us where they are?", I asked with a smile. We needed to find them and plan our next move.
"Yes, they actually wanted me to show you to their tent one you'd woken up.", Lulu said. I raised an eyebrow at her choice of words. Their tent? How very… interesting.
"Which tent?", Gray asked.
"They're waiting for you over there, in that large tent.", Lulu pointed to the tent and I thanked her. Gray shrugged me off and was standing on his own, which gave me a feeling of relief. If he was well enough to be stubborn then he was fine.
We walked over to the tent and then made the biggest mistake of our lived. A feeling of horror shot through me as we saw Erza sitting on a crate, with a tied up Lucy, Happy, and Stella next to her. ""You two made me wait. Not smart.", Erza stated coldly.
"Erza!", Gray and I yelped in unison.
"Why are they tied up?!", Gray exclaimed.
Ignoring his question, Erza continued, "Lucy and Happy have caught me up to speed on what has happened here. I thought you were sent here to stop Natsu and these two fools.", Erza growled, stepping closer to Gray. AS she began to prepare her lecture for him, I began to creep around and out of the tent, better to let her take her rage out on Gray.
"And you!", I heard her roar, as I felt a crushing grip grab my braid and yank me backwards. "You know the rules! You're an S-class mage. You understood the risks that you took when bringing them here!", Erza began to emanate one of her deathly auras as I aimed a lazy smile meant to cover up how I was terrified and prepared to die. I jumped into my speech meant to save myself from certain death which also goes by the name of Erza.
"Erza! My partner, my comrade, my friend! I was never going to let anything happen to them. Come on now, can't you cut me a break? I would never let anything happen to my nakama, and you took me on plenty of S-class missions in order to prepare me for the trials.", I pleaded, sending her one of my sweet smiles that always persuaded her to buy me my own cake.
"Your flattery won't get you out of trouble this time, Aquila!", Erza growled as I gave her a sheepish smile. "Master is cross with you!", she said, causing me to gulp. I didn't fancy having to grovel my way out of that punishment. As I started to slide out another excuse, she redirected her focus back onto Gray.
"I thought you were sent to stop Natsu and these two fools. Aquila was… unexpected until Lucy revealed that she was here. Needless to say, I'm disappointed.", Erza stood with a hand on her hip.
"Where is Natsu?", Gray frowned, while holding his hands out in a placating gesture.
I frowned as well, concerned for the other slayer, "Did he not return last night after vanquishing the other two minions. He must've succeeded as we're obviously all still here.", I muttered, the last part more to myself than anyone else.
"That's something we'd all like to know.", Erza stated coldly.
"The last time I saw him, he was fighting against the Cold Emperor's lackeys. But when we went back to where he last was in the village, there wasn't any sign of him. Wherever he is, I hope he's okay.", Lucy mumbled, her face tight with worry. "Anyways, since we couldn't find him, Erza demanded that we take her to you two, but I had idea where you ended up."
"So, Stella and I did some scouting from the air. And from up there, Stella and I could see that the villagers had moved into this storage area.", Happy took over the story, finishing it for Lucy.
"Okay, we're going to search for Natsu, and then we're going back to the guild.", Erza declared, and as I opened my mouth to protest, Gray beat me to the punch.
"But we can't leave the island just yet! If Lucy filled you in then you know exactly what these villagers are going through right now!", Gray protested furiously.
"And what would be your point?", Erza asked Gray coldly, her eyes filled with calm fury. He took a step back shocked at Erza's lack of compassion.
"The point is that we will not turn our backs on people who need us!", I yelled, causing Erza to whirl in my direction. "Where's your compassion Erza?! They need us! And you can drag the others back but I'm an S-class wizard and I'm staying until the bitter end!", I released a growl at the end of my statement, hoping she would relent and at least let me stay to finish the job.
"I came here solely to apprehend these fools for breaking the rules of the guild. I'm not interested in anything other than that. You are as guilty as they are, for violating Master's policy and for letting Happy take the job request in the first place. I know you have enhanced sense, you knew he had taken the job. I'm not interested in excuses or unfinished business. We're finding Natsu and then we will return to the guild and you all will face your punishment.", Erza stared straight ahead as she spoke, her face showing no emotion, her eyes betraying nothing.
"The rules?! Have you seen what's happened to the people on this island?!", Gray demanded of Erza, his eyes ablaze with anger.
"I have.", Erza's response was terse and blunt.
"And you're just going to turn your back on them?!", Gray demanded.
"There request is posted on the boards of every guild hall. The villagers would be served by wizards who are cleared for S-class. S-class wizards who follow the rules laid down by their guild masters.", Erza said, directing a glare at me, preventing my response, "You all are unqualified."
"How can you be so heartless?!", Gray yelled, his eye wide.
Erza turned to him, her eye flashing, "What did you say?!"
Happy began to panic, and Stella crawled to hide behind Lucy, who was pale with fear herself.
"Have you chosen to defy the guild's rules as well?! You will face the same punishment!", Erza declared, requipping a sword and pointing it at Gray's throat. I hardened my arm into ice and knocked it away, stepping in between her and Gray.
"There is such loss of life at stake here, Erza! It matters not who broke what rule or what the proper punishment is! Fine, punish us! But you will do so after we complete the request and after we return to hear the Master's verdict! And I don't care if we are partners, don't you ever point a sword in any of our friends' direction in anger again, or so help me god, I will knock you flat on your ass!", I growled with ferocity as she lowered her sword, her expression stunned. Gray had remained silent until now, but chose now to look up at Erza with cold determination in his eyes.
"Do what you must. For me, there's no other choice to make. I can't walk away from what I know is right.", Erza's expression faltered for a moment as Gray walked around her and moved to leave the tent. "I'm seeing this through to the end. And you can't stop me." With that as his final statement, Gray left the tent.
Erza was trembling so hard that I thought she would crumble away. Lucy whimpered with fear as Erza turned towards her, Happy, and Stella. Her blade flashed three times, and the ropes fell away from my companions. Stella flew up and dove into my chest, snuggling into me.
"I'm so glad you're okay!", she chirped, her feline eyes wide with relief and happiness. "I was worried that that acid had done some permanent damage."
"Don't worry you silly kitty. I'm fine and will be perfectly whole again in a few days. For now, let's worry about finishing the mission.", I tapped my cat's nose with a finger, causing her to giggle.
"These events are intolerable. We will deal with the immediate problems for now.", Erza declared, her expression lost in thought.
"Thank you!", Lucy and Happy cheered.
"This doesn't change anything. You're still going to face punishment.", Erza's expression switched back to a cold one like lightning, bursting Happy and Lucy's delusion of escaping this without punishment.
As Lucy and Happy exited the tent, I paused before turning back to Erza for a moment, my face serious. "Glad to see you sorted out your priorities and remembered why we are the best at what we do.", with those parting words I left the tent, following Lucy and Happy, Stella curled in my arms.
Erza followed after us and we rendezvoused with Gray, then immediately sent out for the temple. On our way, Gray enlightened us as to what Lyon's plans were, how he intended to fight Deliora in order to surpass Ur.
"Are you kidding me? He seriously wants to fight that demon?!", Lucy exclaimed, panting for breath as we ran to the temple. Gray remained silent, then slowly came to a halt. As we slowed he began to speak.
"Even back when we were kids, Lyon's always dreamed of surpassing Ur's magic ability, but since she's gone and he can't challenge her directly, he's decided it's up to him to kill Deliora; since it's the one thing she couldn't do.", Gray braced himself against a tree as he talked, keeping his back to us.
"I guess that would be the only way to challenge someone who's dead.", Lucy said softly, her expression gentle.
"Listen, there's something, something I never got to tell him.", Gray murmured quietly. "I kept it secret, Ur made me promise to never let him know. But I have to.", his expression was sent in a grimace, eyes staring off into the distance but seemingly seeing something we weren't. "Ur may not be with us, but she's still alive!"
Lucy gasped, and Erza's expression was shocked. I merely nodded. Now I had one of the pieces to the puzzle, I merely needed to find out the rest.
A/N: Well, that's the next chapter, and what do you know, it's on time and everything! I hope you guys like it and review! Be excited because next chapter we get into the battles!