Hey, people. I am so glad that you've already began to enjoy this story. The response to the first chapter was very encouraging, so a big thank you for Silvix, Jessbae, Waffels and Guest.
Let me reply to the latter two comments since you didn't use your accounts.
Waffels: Glad to know this hasn't disappointed you. I hope the rest of the story won't either, it will be much different from what happens in the anime/manga.
Guest: It's no problem, I can understand how the last chapter of Connections might've been unsatisfying since it pretty much skipped all the intenseness of the war against Tartarus. Here you'll see everything that went down before the time jump.
Just a little WARNING before the chapter begins: there is MATURE CONTENT at the end of this chapter.
Happy reading everyone!
Believe-Christina Perri
Cause I have been where you are before
And I have felt the pain of losing who you are
And I have died so many times
But I am still alive
I believe that tomorrow is stronger than yesterday
I believe that your head is the only thing in your way
I wish that you could see your scars turn in to beauty
I believe that today it's ok to be not ok
"Elfman, I'm sorry." Evergreen whispered before closing her eyes. There was nothing she could do now, the spell making her unable to move was too strong and she couldn't use magic to undo it.
"Humans are such cowards." Tempester shook his head while watching her. He didn't understand why she wasn't attempting to escape so the attack wouldn't hit her, but he didn't care either. As long as she was eliminated, it didn't matter.
Time passed and Evergreen stood in place, eyes closed and heart beating fast. Fear consumed her, fear of death, fear for her friends, for Elfman. How would he react to her death? Would he ever find a way to move on? She felt tears streaming down her face at the thought that she'd never see him again.
Her train of thought was broken when she suddenly felt strong arms wrapping around her and suddenly she was falling. Her eyes opened just as the attack passed a few centimetres above her head.
"Why the hell were you just standing there?" She looked down and was shocked to find Laxus.
"Laxus?" Evergreen whispered, confused.
"Idiot, you almost got yourself killed." He scolded before removing her from him and sitting up.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't... I can't use magic." More tears streamed down her face and he sighed.
"We'll talk about this later. Now stay here while I take care of this." He stood up and she watched him walk away, a small smile appearing on her face.
Whoever her attacker was, he didn't stand a chance now.
Later, at Fairy Tail...
"No!" Gray screamed as he watched Juvia fall. Thankfully, Rogue, who was closest to her, had quick reflexes and was able to catch her before she hit the ground.
"What the hell just happened?" Gajeel was confused.
"I don't know." Lucy worriedly stared at her cousin. Something wasn't right.
"She's cold." Rogue said as he touched Juvia's face.
"Wendy, can you heal her?" Erza turned to the young dragon slayer, who nodded.
"I can try." She approached the unconscious mage and knelt by her side while Gray did the same.
"I don't understand why this happened." He whispered while taking Juvia's pale hand.
"She was probably shocked by the attack on the council." Lucy suggested, though unsurely.
"I don't think that was it." Erza shook her head.
"Come on, Juvia. Just wake up." Gray pleaded while Wendy used her magic on her. Since the water mage was merely unconscious, there wasn't much she could do, but she tried her best nonetheless.
"What's going on?" A loud voice brought their attention to Master Makarov, followed by Carla, Lyon and Meredy. They had just come out of the infirmary after hearing Gray's scream.
"Master, we need to speak with you." Erza called him and even from afar he could tell there was an urgent look on her face.
"Oh, My God. Is she okay?" Meredy asked once she and Lyon rushed to the group, having seen Juvia's unconscious form, now in Gray's arms.
"What happened?" Lyon gave the him a worried look.
"I don't know." The other ice mage answered, frustrated. Before anyone could ask more questions, big blue eyes opened and the water mage slowly sat up, a hand pressed against her head while she let out a groan.
"Juvia?" Rogue called and she removed it, letting them see the horrified look on her face.
"It was them." The words echoed through the silent hall.
"What?" Natsu asked, confused.
"Tartarus. It was them." Everyone felt chills down their spines.
"What about them?" Gray asked and she turned to him. He knew that horrified look, had seen it many times when she talked about the strangers who had kidnapped her long ago. His stomach dropped as he realized it just before she voiced his thoughts.
"They were the ones… they kidnapped me." Silence followed as looks of disbelief came to everyone's faces.
"What?" Natsu repeated, face suddenly pale and eyes widened.
"It couldn't be." Lyon denied it.
"This is insane!" Levy screamed, holding onto Gajeel's arm because the world suddenly started to spin.
"What are you even talking about?" Sting asked, confused, while he glanced at Yukino and Rogue.
"It's a long story." Lucy replied, eyes still focused on Juvia.
"Are you sure it was them?" Gray asked while placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She nodded.
"Yes. I remember now." Another round of silence.
"So your memories have returned?" Erza wanted to confirm.
"Most of them, yes." Juvia closed her eyes as more flashes crossed her mind. Tartarus. Zeref's demons. For years she had wondered who they were, but the truth seemed so absurd that she couldn't believe it.
"Do you remember where they took you?" Natsu asked, hoping that she'd know where their hideout was.
"No, I have no idea where their base was." She replied, eyes opening briefly.
"Maybe you shouldn't push her now." Lucy warned, eyeing the bluenette with worry.
"I know we shouldn't." Erza replied before sighing. "However, with what happened to the council, we need all the information that we can get."
"I understand." Juvia said while standing up with Gray's help. "I can't let anyone else get hurt when I can help you catch them."
"I think you should be more worried about yourself." Gajeel said, making her look at him in confusion.
"What makes you say that?" She knew why she should be worried. Tartarus was dangerous. They had managed to wipe out the Magic Council with ease, not to mention Antartica and many villages that were destroyed by Deliora. And they surely would try to eliminate her, seeing as she now knew exactly who they were.
"If they find out that you remember them…" Gray was unable to finish the sentence.
"I have no doubt that they will." Juvia replied, crossing her arms. "But there's no way I'm going to hide away like a coward. If you're going after them, I am too."
"Don't be stupid." Gajeel shook his head.
"It's not the best idea." Erza agreed.
"I'm not saying it's a good idea." The water mage told them as her face changed from scared to angry. "But they ruined my life. I won't let them get away with it." There was a fire burning in her eyes that Gray hadn't seen in a while. He knew it then, there was no changing her mind.
"You'll only get yourself killed." Lucy tried to reason.
"So will you. Going after them is a stupid plan, but I know that we have to do something to stop them." Juvia argued.
"It's not stupid." Natsu protested.
"Trust me, I wish I could believe that we can handle this threat. However, I'm afraid that we may be way out of our league here." Erza gave her a confused look.
"What makes you say that?" The answer not only shocked them, but it shook their confidence about fighting against Tartarus.
"They're not human." Juvia paused before taking a deep breath. "They're all demons… from the books of Zeref."
"Say what?" Natsu's jaw was on the floor.
"We are so screwed." Sting added.
"How the hell are we supposed to fight them?" Even Gajeel found his confidence fading.
"What do we do, master?" Erza turned to their leader.
"Nothing." His reply shocked them.
"Are you kidding me?" Natsu yelled.
"There is nothing we can do now." Makarov continued as if he hadn't spoken. "We don't know Tartarus' location or what they're planning. It's no use going after them."
"So we just do nothing to stop them?" Erza asked, disbelieving.
"I know you don't like this, but our best plan is to wait until they make their move again." The older man looked around the room.
"What if they do that here?" Gray asked. Many worried glances were shared.
"Then we'll be ready." Fairy Tail's master replied confidently. "We'll place protective barriers around the guild and keep our guard up."
"I don't know if that will be enough." Juvia said.
"I'm sure we can hold them off." Lyon reassured her.
"You don't understand." She shook her head as more unwanted memories came rushing back. "They're not like the other enemies we faced."
"Because they're demons, we got that." Gajeel told her.
"How powerful can they be?" Natsu wondered.
"Powerful enough to wipe out entire villages." She replied, looking between the two ice mages. "Deliora was sent by them. They were testing his strength to see if he could become one of the nine demon gates."
"So they're the reason why…" Gray didn't finish his sentence. She nodded.
"They are going to pay." Lyon said, face filled with fury.
"You can bet on that." Gajeel said.
"Juvia, is there anything else we need to know before we begin securing the guild hall and warning our allies?" Makarov asked the water mage. She knew that she should tell them about Zeref's plan back then and E.N.D. But she also knew that they would never look at her the same if they knew what she was supposed to be. Besides, the plan had failed and Zeref didn't need her anymore, so what was the point of mentioning it anyway?
"No, I think that's all." If only she knew how much that lie would cost.
After their plan was settled, Master Makarov was filled in on everything regarding Tartarus while everyone rushed to protect the guild as best as possible. Lyon, Rogue, Sting and Yukino went back to their guilds to warn them about what was going on.
At Fairy Tail, Levy worked on putting enchantments around the guild, since Freed was still missing, though Laxus had been sent to fetch him and Evergreen a while before. Lucy, with Loki's help; Natsu, Gray and Erza all placed defenses around the guild. Whether it was a gate made of ice, a firewall or multiple swords that would be fired at Erza's command; everyone in the guild helped protect their home.
Juvia wanted to help out, but after her panic attack Porlyusica advised her not to use magic for a while. She was taken back to the infirmary, Meredy following her. After a quick check out with the healer, she was discharged after being advised to rest and try not to think about what happened years before.
That would've been easier if the memories didn't keep flashing in her mind, but Meredy was able to distract her while everyone worked on protecting the guild. The pinkette had been living with her for enough time to know how to get her mind off things and Juvia was grateful for her help. She knew Meredy was going through a hard time herself, what with everything regarding Lyon and the baby, so perhaps taking care of Juvia was helping her escape her problems as well.
In the end, everyone decided to keep the party going while they waited for Tartarus to make their move. It might not have been the best idea, considering the dangerous situation that they were facing, but Master told them that was precisely why they should take this opportunity to have fun and rest before the big battle came. After all, it was no use wasting all of their energies waiting for Tartarus to attack.
So they let go of their worries for a few moments and just enjoyed themselves. First everyone gave Juvia her presents and she was filled with happiness upon seeing how much they all cared. Each gift was unique and consistent with the person who gave them. For example, Gajeel made a mixtape with all of his songs; Levy gave her a book about water magic; Lucy chose a bracelet that had once belonged to Juvia's own mother and a beautiful notebook with flowers on the cover; Natsu gave a blue scarf similar to his own and Meredy provided her with a copy of Romeo and Juliet that Ultear had given her for her 16th birthday.
When it came to Mirajane's turn, Juvia's eyes widened upon seeing the beautiful dark blue gown.
"You remembered?" She asked and the she-devil gave a genuine smile.
"Of course. I didn't know if you still wanted it, but I thought it would be a nice gift." The bluenette smiled back while holding onto the princess dress as the memory of the first time she had thought of Fairy Tail as her home came to mind.
"A prince costume? Are you kidding me?" Gray complained as Mira handed him the costume. It was the day of the Harvest Festival and, after a long day in which Laxus had forced many members of the guild to fight each other during what he called "The Battle Of Fairy Tail", everyone was getting ready to have some fun at the Fantasia Parade.
"I'm sure it will look good on you." Juvia told him and he slightly blushed, still frowning.
"Why do I have to wear it?" The ice mage questioned and Mira smiled.
"Because Erza assigned you to it. Do you want to argue with her?" She raised an eyebrow and Gray gulped as he eyed the red head who was currently talking to Lucy.
"No." He gave a defeated sigh before accepting the piece of clothing and walking away.
"Now it's your turn, Juvia." Mira happily told the bluenette before turning around and grabbing a piece of fabric. As soon as Juvia saw the beautiful dress, her eyes widened.
"It's… for me?" She asked, dumbfounded.
"Of course. Erza made sure to leave the princess costume for you. Pretty clever, huh?" The white haired woman gave a wink and Juvia found herself smiling as well.
"I should thank her. It's been years since I had the opportunity to wear such a beautiful gown." She said, fingers softly tracing the blue fabric.
"Really? Then I guess I know what I should give you for your birthday, when it comes." Juvia smiled towards her kind friend before taking the dress.
"Thank you so much, Mira." She hugged the older woman, who quickly embraced her.
"No problem." Mira replied, smiling. "Now go get ready. I can't wait to see just how amazing you'll look. I bet Gray won't be able to take his eyes off you." Juvia blushed at the mention of her crush before shaking her head and walking away, smiling.
That was a good day, despite the fact she had spent half of it trapped as a stone statue and then forced to fight Cana. At least she managed to get third place on the Miss Fairy Tail contest. She didn't know how she had managed to overtop Bisca and Cana, who were both amazing and popular, but it was a good sign that perhaps she had found her home.
"Thank you." Juvia hugged her friend enthusiastically.
"No problem." Mira stepped away once she saw the ice mage approaching them.
"Happy Birthday, Juvia." The water mage wasted no time in hugging him tightly and the couple kissed, ignoring everyone's reactions.
"So, what have you got?" The bluenette asked, eyeing the two small packages that he held.
"This one's from me." He handed the gift wrapped in light blue paper and she opened it slowly, careful not to tear the wrapping. Inside it was a beautiful silver necklace with a heart shaped pendant.
"It's beautiful." She gently touched the pendant. "Did you make this?" She asked upon realizing that it was made of ice.
"Yeah, after you told me how the one your mother gave you broke during a mission, I thought about it." He replied, looking at her unsurely.
"How thoughtful." She gave him the brightest smile. "Thank you, my love. I truly adore it." His expression relaxed, being replaced by a smile of his own.
"I'm glad to hear it." Many people awed and they ignored them as she turned around and lifted her hair so that he could tie the necklace around her neck.
"It really is beautiful." Lucy said as she inspected the necklace along with Levy.
"What about the other one?" The petit woman curiously asked, pointing towards the other small gift.
"This one's from my father." Gray answered and Juvia's eyes widened as she suddenly remembered.
"Silver! I'm so sorry, I had completely forgotten." She turned around to face him and his face fell as he realized it.
"Do you think that Tartarus might have…" He couldn't finish the sentence.
"I'm afraid so." She replied.
"If they have him, then he's probably dead." Natsu said without thinking.
"Natsu!" Lucy gave him a warning look.
"No, he's not dead. I would know if he was." Gray replied confidently. "But I don't even want to think about what they'll do to him."
"He'll be alright, he knows how to handle them. " Juvia reassured him. Another lie that she wished that she didn't have to tell. But she didn't want him to keep worrying when there was nothing they could do.
"There's nothing we can do for him now, so just try to keep your mind off it, okay?" Erza suggested and he nodded.
"Now that the presents are over, who wants to have some cake?" Lisanna called while coming out of the kitchen with the cake she had prepared.
"Hell, yeah!" Natsu yelled while racing towards the table where she was placing it.
"Since the food's not here, I guess I'll have to settle for cake." Gajeel said, frustration clear on his face. Levy laughed at her boyfriend before giving him a kiss on the cheek and taking his hand as they followed Natsu.
"Will you be okay?" Juvia whispered in Gray's ears once she noticed that he was lost in thought.
"I think so. Will you?" He looked at her, concerned.
"Yes. But I need a distraction." A smirk came upon her face. "Can you meet me in the supply closet after we're finished with the cake?" She whispered so no one would hear it.
"Are you sure?" God knew he needed a distraction more than anything.
"Yes." She grabbed his head and kissed him firmly, taking the ice mage by surprise. "I promised to show you how much I love you and I intend to follow it." With that said she left towards the cake and he stood there for a moment, stunned, until Erza called his attention.
As Gray stood by Juvia's side while she blew out the candles and everyone sang 'Happy Birthday', he cherished the happy moments, knowing that it wouldn't be long before everything fell apart.
At Tartarus hideout…(12:35 AM)
"Why isn't Jackal back yet?" Kyoka complained as she arrived at the main room where all the other demons were.
"His job isn't done." Torafusa replied calmly.
"What about Tempester?" She then asked.
"He should be done by now." Seilah replied, a smile upon her face.
"Hopefully he'll be able to eliminate Fairy Tail's strongest so that we can work on the weaklings." Franmalth said, smirking.
"You shouldn't underestimate them, Franmalth." Keyes warned, showing up from no where. "They are stronger than we've taken them for."
"Are you concerned?" Seilah asked and he shook his head while laughing.
"Not at all, I know their stories are destined to end in tragedy." All of them smirked.
"And it won't be long now." Kyoka said.
"Lord Zeref said we should keep an eye on them and see which council members they'll choose to protect." Torafusa revealed. "He also made it clear that he'll take care of the girl."
"I already have the perfect plan to ensure that they're all eliminated." Seilah told them and Kyoka smirked.
"I'm guessing it has to do with the Strauss siblings." The other woman nodded.
"Of course. They are, after all, the reason why I've decided to target Fairy Tail." She replied calmly.
"You know, Seilah, seeking revenge is something only humans do." Her eyes suddenly narrowed in danger.
"Don't you dare compare me to them." The skeleton smirked.
"So she hates them. So do I." Kyoka shrugged.
"I don't hate them." Seilah quickly said. "Hate is a human emotion, which I don't have any interest in."
"Agreed." Torafusa nodded. "Speaking of hate, how is Silver?" He turned to Kyoka, who smirked.
"He's ready." They raised their brows.
"Are you sure?" Keyes asked.
"I still remember the last time she told us that." Franmalth whispered and she glared.
"He's unconscious now, but as soon as he wakes up, he'll be one of us." Kyoka told them, the smirk back on her face.
"Very well." Keyes said.
"I'm surprised he could withhold the transformation." Seilah commented.
"Whose powers did you give him?" Torafusa asked and Kyoka's reply brought a large smirk to Keyes' face.
"Deliora. I figured it would make things interesting." The skeleton laughed in delight and many of the demons joined him. Fairy Tail might be aware of what they were, but not even Juvia knew the extent of their power and desire to kill.
Meanwhile, in Antartica…
"This is unbelievable!" Cobra yelled while staring at the paper.
"Can't believe they took out the Council that easily." Angel added, looking at it from behind his shoulder.
"How did you manage to escape?" Jellal turned to the former agent who had delivered the news to them a few minutes before.
Dorenbolt looked like he had been through hell, which was true. His cape was torn and many scratches could be seen through the holes in his outfit. But his state of mind was even worse. From the moment he had arrived at Antartica after contacting Jellal, he had only murmured inaudible things before handling them the newspaper. His pale face and shaking hands added to the sickly look and Jellal couldn't deny that he was worried.
"I don't know." Dorenbolt replied, voice shaky and eyes still terrified. The blue haired man was sure that he was replaying the explosion constantly in his mind.
"You need to pull yourself together, man." Racer told the agent.
"Just give him time." Richard said while continuing to treat a large gash on Dorenbolt's shoulder.
"We don't have time." Angel said, turning around and facing them. "For all we know they could have attacked again."
"I wouldn't doubt that." Midnight said, crossing his arms. "They sure work fast."
"I guess now it's time for us to strike back." Cobra said, leaving the newspaper on the ground as he approached them.
"How? We still don't know where they are." Angel asked, frustrated.
"We can't just sit around and wait anymore." Racer firmly said and Jellal nodded.
"I agree. It's time to take action." They gave him surprised looks.
"Alright." Cobra cheered. "So, shall we go hunt some demons?" He turned to his comrades, who smiled.
"I'm ready." Midnight said, determination upon his face.
"So am I." Racer added.
"I didn't say that we were going after Tartarus." Jellal said, catching their attention.
"What the hell did you mean, then?" Cobra asked, confused.
"Our best shot is to find the location of their next intended attack." The blue haired man replied.
"How are we supposed to figure that out?" Angel asked while covering her arms to protect herself from the cold.
"I think… I know." Dorenbolt spoke, making them stare at him.
"Easy there, agent." Richard said when he tried to move, placing a firm hand on his uninjured shoulder to keep him still.
"Where is it?" Jellal asked the agent. After taking a deep breath, the latter replied.
"They're going after figures of power in order to destabilize our world. First the Council, then..." He started coughing, leaving the 5 former members of Oracion Seis confused and curious.
Only Jellal finured out what he was about to say and his eyes widened. This was bad. Really bad. If Tartarus succeeded, the entire political system that humans had tried so hard to create would fall apart completely.
Back at Fairy Tail... (12:50 AM)
As soon as the cake was distributed and everyone began chatting, Juvia excused herself, telling them she had to go to the bathroom. As much as she loved the party and her friends for making this birthday the best one in years, the need to get away was overwhelming.
The longer she spent with them, the more she'd feel guilty for lying and it was becoming unbearable. Her conscience wouldn't let her forget about Tartarus and E.N.D, as much as she tried. Why couldn't her mind focus on something else?
"She's almost ready." Kyoka said, watching the child that lay on the ground.
"Are you sure?" Seilah asked.
"Yes. Her resistance has increased, it shouldn't be long until she can be transformed." Juvia shivered as she stared at them, half conscious.
"You've been testing her for only two years, Kyoka. Maybe she needs more time." Torafusa said.
"She doesn't have more time." Keyes replied.
"Yes, I can tell that soon she'll be nothing more than another soul to my collection." Franmalth crackled.
"She won't die, I'm sure of it." Kyoka confidently told them.
"Maybe not. After all, no human has lasted more than a few months, yet she's managed to stay alive after two years." Seilah reminded them.
"She will make an excellent replacement for E.N.D." Kyoka said before she took a few steps towards the young girl. Within seconds a scream left her mouth as the torture restarted.
"Juvia?" She almost jumped at the sound of his voice before turning around.
"Hey." He could tell something was wrong.
"What's wrong?" She shook her head.
"Don't." Gray nodded in understanding before approaching her.
"So, what now?" He leaned casually against the door leading to the supply closet, a curious look on his face.
"Now you'll kiss me." She replied, face relaxing as he smirked before doing as she asked. Her hands pressed against his chest while his arms went towards her shoulders as he removed her dark blue jacket. Once he was done, it was her turn as she unbuttoned his shirt while keeping their lips locked.
"Wow. That was…" Gray said once they were forced to pull apart, both breathless.
"Yeah." Juvia finished, placing a hand on the door to hold herself up.
"Maybe we should go to my place." He suggested, but she shook her head.
"No, it's not safe there." She reminded him before closing the distance between them and wrapping her arms around his neck. "But that doesn't mean we can't have some fun here."
"I like that." His arms wrapped around he waist as he brought her even closer before they kissed again. It wasn't long before it became more intense as he lifted her legs and she wrapped them around his waist. Upon hearing the loud sounds of the party, they decided to go inside the supply closet as planned and Gray closed the door behind them before pressing her against the wall.
"Yes." She whispered breathlessly when he buried his head on her neck while showering it with kisses while his hands worked on unzipping her dress. Her legs wrapped tighter around his waist and she closed her eyes, getting lost in the moment. Unfortunately, it ended too soon.
"Oh My God!" Lucy pretty much screamed, making Juvia's eyes open while Gray removed his head from her neck and quickly zipped up her dress.
"What the hell are you two doing here?" He glared at Natsu, who stood by the blonde's side.
"You forgot to lock the door." The dragon slayer replied while raising a brow. The water mage buried her head on Gray's shoulder, feeling embarrassed.
"Go mind your own business." Gray snapped at the couple, a small blush coloring his cheeks.
"We can't. Master sent us to fetch you, he said that we need to come to the infirmary. Now." Lucy told them. The urgency in her tone let them know this was bad news, so Juvia removed her legs from around Gray's waist and stood by his side, a hand pressed against his chest to keep standing while his arm wrapped around her shoulder.
"What happened?" She asked and Lucy sighed.
"There was an attack." Her blood went cold.
"No." A broken whisper.
"Come on." Natsu called and the couple followed him and his girlfriend outside. Upon spotting their clothes, Gray and Juvia quickly dressed themselves while blushing furiously under their friends' stares. This was a really awkward and embarrassing situation, but surely couldn't be worse than what they'd face at the infirmary.
At the infirmary…
"I'lll do what I can." Porlyusica's voice could be heard as the two couples entered the crowded place. After pushing through a few of their guild mates, they were able to see the four occupied beds and their eyes widened. Freed, Evergreen, Yajima and Laxus lay in each bed. Their faces were pale, their eyes had dark circles under them and they were all whimpering in pain despite being unconscious.
"But far smaller exposures than theirs have been proven lethal. Recovery is possible, but not guaranteed or even likely." The healer continued explaining and Juvia shook her head.
"No." She whispered, tears streaming down her face.
"Excuse me, get out of the way!" A loud voice was heard over Porlyusica's explanations and everyone grew silent as they let Elfman and Lisanna pass. As soon as he saw his girlfriend, his face paled.
"No! Ever!" Many people gave him pitiful looks.
"What happened?" Lisanna asked, looking around worriedly.
"Isn't that obvious?" Natsu asked, faced filled with anger.
"Tartarus." Juvia whispered.
"We were waiting for them to make their move, now they have. It's time to fight back." Gray turned to Fairy Tail's master, who stood in front of them while watching Laxus.
"They have to pay for what they did." Elfman agreed, while glancing at Evergreen's unconscious form.
"And they will." Erza said, a plan already forming in her mind. "But first we need to come up with a way to locate them."
"That isn't our priority." Makarov said, turning their attention back to him. "Don't you see what's happening here?" He pointed at Yajima and the red head's eyes widened.
"They're targeting all members of the Council, current and former." He nodded.
"But why?" Lucy asked.
"That's what we're going to find out." Makarov looked between all of the guild members that were gathered around the infirmary. "Now our primary job is to keep all the former members of the council safe from Tartarus, so we'll begin researching for their homes immediately."
"How are we going to do that?" Gray asked, knowing that the addresses were kept secret since the Council had imprisoned a great deal of people who'd surely want revenge.
"I think I can help." Loke said, appearing after a bright orange light. While he explained how he had gotten a few addresses, Porlyusica turned to Makarov, desperation clear on her face.
"You need to be fast, I don't know how much longer they'll last." He nodded in understanding.
"We'll do whatever it takes to make them well." Her worried eyes surveyed the beds before stopping on Evergreen.
"Specially her, she won't be able to hold on much longer." Hearing this, Elfman took a few steps forward.
"Why do you say that?" She sighed.
"Her condition makes her vulnerable, so she doesn't have the strength to stay alive for long." Many strange looks were shared.
"What condition are you talking about, Miss. Porlyusica?" Mirajane asked, stepping forward. No one noticed, but she also looked rather sickly.
"She's pregnant." It was Elfman who replied and he looked even more broken than when Lisanna was thought to be dead.
"Wait, what?" Gray screamed in surprise. There were many surprised gaps coming from everyone.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Mira asked him.
"We were going to, after the party." He replied, lowering his head so no one could see the devastated look on his face.
"This just gives us one more reason to get back at Tartarus." Natsu determinately said and many people nodded.
"Let's get going, then." Gray said and Juvia smiled at him.
"Yes, let's show them the power of our love!" While he raised a brow, Makarov spoke once again.
"I don't think you should go, Juvia." Her smile was replaced by a determined look.
"I knew you'd say that, but I'm not backing down." She crossed her arms over her chest. "No one wants to destroy Tartarus more than I do."
"But they surely want to destroy you, so if you go there you'll just make it easier for them." Lucy argued, but it was no use.
"If I stay here I'll just put everyone else in danger." She turned to Makarov. "I'm going."
"Fine." He sighed, knowing best than to argue any further. They were in the middle of a crisis and there were more important matters to be handled.
The memory of Carla's visions reminded him of why she shouldn't go, but he ignored it. Tartarus, Zeref or whoever that mysterious man was wouldn't be able to touch her. "But at least take a team with you."
"I'll go." Gajeel quickly volunteered.
"Me too." Gray added even though it was obvious.
"Maybe I'll join you." Erza suggested, but Juvia shook her head.
"No, I think that'll be enough, Erza. I'm not a damsel in distress and we need someone to stay here and protect the guild." Makarov nodded in agreement.
"Yes, I suppose that's enough. Be very careful, please." After the three of them nodded, he turned to the other members in order to form other groups. They had four addresses, so three more groups were formed: Natsu, Lucy and Wendy; Levy, Jet and Troy and Max, Alzack and Bisca- Asuka stayed in Mirajane's care.
While they were being formed, Porlyusica called for Juvia. "Be careful, you're not out of the woods yet."
"Do you think I might have another attack?" The water mage asked and she nodded.
"It's possible." Porlyusica eyed her worriedly. "I'd advise you not to go, but I understand why you have to."
"I'll be okay." Juvia confidently told her before her eyes found the familiar pinkette who sat on a chair, going almost unnoticed. "Can you make sure she's okay? Now that she can't use magic I worry about what'll happen when the battle begins."
"I'm worried too. I'll keep an eye on her until Lyon returns." The bluenette stared at her curiously.
"Returns? So he'll be back here?" She had expected him to stay at Lamia Scale.
"Yes. He told me that he'd only go back to Lamia Scale in order to warn them about Tartarus." A small smile came to the healer's face. "He even said that Meredy and the child are more important." Juvia was shocked, to say the least. Lyon Vastia was so proud of his guild that she'd never imagine something could be more important.
"Now that's new." Upon hearing her voice, she turned around only to spot her boyfriend and best friend walking in her direction.
"We got the address from Loke. Can we go?" Gray asked.
"Yes, I'm ready." Before they left, they said their goodbyes to everyone. When it came to Lucy's turn, the blonde hugged her tighter than normal.
"Stay alive, okay?" Juvia nodded once they pulled apart.
"You too." The celestial spirit also nodded. They understood perfectly what the other was thinking now: they were family. The last family each had, so they couldn't lose each other.
"Come on, Luce." Natsu called and, after giving Juvia another worried look, she turned around and joined her boyfriend.
As Juvia also turned around so that she could say her final goodbyes to Meredy, she had a bad feeling. The same one she did before leaving for that mission two days before. Trying to ignore it, she focused on the memory of the blue haired man who returned her memories as she wondered who he was and if maybe he was involved somehow with Tartarus.
She was unaware of his dark green eyes watching her through a familiar book as he smiled to himself. "It's finally here. The beginning…of her end."
So, thoughts?
The cat's finally out of the bag, now! I thought if they knew what Tartarus were, not only would it make the story more interesting, but Fairy Tail could be better prepared for the battle.
What did you think of Juvia's decision to go after them even knowing that they'd try to kill her?
On another topic, did you enjoy the scenes at her birthday party, with the presents and the flashback to the Fantasia Parade? What about Gruvia's sexy scene with NaLu catching them? The next few chapters will be all business, so I'm afraid there won't be many fun scenes from now on.
About Tartarus, did you catch my hint about Seilah's true motive for targeting Fairy Tail? That will be important in the future.
Lastly, I told you that Oracion Seis would be important. Where do you think they'll go now?
Next chapter: Broken Promises.
Summary: Fairy Tail's mission to stop Tartarus and protect the former members of the Council doesn't go as planned. While Elfman and Lisanna face a forgotten enemy, Mirajane struggles with Laxus' confessions, Erza worries about Jellal and Juvia is forced to make a decision that could change everything. Are all promises truly meant to be broken?
Can we try 5 reviews by the 17th of March?