"Well, this definitely isn't the worst place I've suddenly found myself".
Looking around, I see that I'm surrounded by rocky walls in all directions, save for a small tunnel off to one side. The cavern's high ceiling is covered in a light purple luminescent moss, with the occasional light blue vine hanging down, reaching towards the floor. Crystals giving off a soft, red glow dot the walls and floor, reflecting the surrounding cavern. "In fact, this is probably one of the best."
"I really don't think this is a good time to be admiring the scenery, Kurokage" came an irritated voice from behind me.
"Sometimes it's a good idea to understand where you're fighting, Gray" I reply as he walks past me towards the tunnel at the end of the room. "And also what you're fighting in" I add pointedly.
He looks down at himself and curses when he realises he's stripped down to his underwear. He grumbles as he goes back the way he came to retrieve his clothes.
"I'm assuming we're not alone here" I call back as I begin to head towards the tunnel. "Be on your guard. The enemy could attack at any mo-"
I cut my sentence short as I sense a burst of magic power flying towards me from my left, and instinctively dive forwards. As I roll to my feet, I see a mass of thorns where I was standing moments ago.
I look towards the origin of the attack, and I see standing there a person who I wished I would never see again.
"Did you miss me?" Sneered Mard Geer, his black eyes full of hate, but a malicious smile on his lips.
"Not in the slightest…" I growl, assuming a combat stance.
"Seriously?!" Gray calls exasperatedly as he runs up beside me, now fully clothed "Didn't we kill this guy?"
"Time is a fickle thing" Mard Geer jeers. "One needs only the power to manipulate it, and anything is possible, even resurrection."
"Then it's about time we kicked your arse!" I roar. "Hades' Spear!"
I fly towards him, fist outstretched, surrounded by Dark Magic. Mard Geer quickly transforms into his Etherious form and catches my attack, but before he can counterattack, I flip forward, planting my feet on his chest and push off him into the air.
"Nightfall Hammer!" I send a mass of magic flying towards him, but he dodges to the side and flies up past it, heading straight towards me with his hand reaching for my throat.
Just before he reaches me, he explodes in a blast of pinkish ice, going flying into a wall, causing rocks and crystals to fall to the cavern floor.
I land next to Gray just as the Ice Cannon disintegrates in his hands. "Thanks for the save."
"Don't mention it. But it's not like it's over yet…"
"Of course it's not" I glower, preparing myself, just as the pile of rocks where Mard Geer landed go flying in every direction.
"It's going to take a lot more than that to take me down!" He laughed, slowly floating towards the cavern ceiling, surrounding himself in a dark aura.
"I knew he wouldn't go down from that attack, but I'd hoped it would at least do a little more than that."
"If he wasn't more powerful than last time, then this would be too easy!" I jump as high into the air as I can, and as I reach the peak of my trajectory, I hear Gray start casting magic.
"Ice-Make Slide!" A long, winding slide made of pure ice appears under me, ending just short of where Mard Geer is hovering.
Upon beginning my advance down the slide, Mard Geer holds out his arms to each side, and giant thorns start flying towards me from all sides.
From behind me, Gray starts sending ice projectiles in order to either destroy the thorns or at least change its trajectory. Any that he doesn't hit, I either dodge or destroy myself.
As I reach then end of the slide, I push off as hard as I can towards where Mard Geer was hovering, only to find that he's no longer there.
As realisation strikes me, I turn and shout towards Gray. "Gray! Look out!" but it's too late.
Before he can react, Mard Geer crashes down on top of him, pinning him to the ground before laying into him, fist slamming into his back, the force of the attack creating a crater underneath them.
As Mard Geer pulled back to deliver a blow, Gray froze the ground around them, creating spikes to fly at him, forcing him to retreat into the air.
I dash forward and pull Gray onto his feet. "You alright?"
"Never been better" He winces, holding his side.
"I know that's not the full extent of your power, Kurokage" Mard Geer calls coldly "show it to me, so I can crush you with all the more satisfaction."
"I'm afraid you're not obligated to that" I grin wryly "although I will admit that I'm going to need a little more power if I want to beat you."
As I finish my sentence, my body begins to transform. It's covered by black armour, with dark silver plating over my arms, legs and torso. I feel the black hood covering my head and concealing my face. I put my hands out in front of me, which are now covered by clawed gauntlets.
Mard Geer laughs triumphantly. "Isn't it ironic that you have to use our power in order to defeat me? You may try to deny it, but you are one of us, and nothing will ever change that."
I grit my teeth, anger rising within me. "You think I'm anything like you? You, who would kill and hurt in order to achieve your own selfish goals?"
Magic power starts building inside me, the pressure cracking the ground I'm standing on, and a pitch black aura surrounds me. "I never was one of you, and I never will be. I will work ceaselessly to fix the damage you forced me to do, and I will work hard to stop anything like that happening again because of the compassion of the human heart that beats inside of me!"
I raise my hand above my head in one fluid motion. "Weaponized Nightmare!"
The light seemingly shifts around my hand, the shadows gathering into a ball, expanding and changing shape, until eventually transforming into massive longbow, the black of the shadows contrasting into pure white, with pauldron-like shapes tipped with light blue streaks running down the arms. Both ends of the body sport crosses that hold the crystal clear string in its centre, which faintly glows in a holy light. "Holy Paladin Bow!"
Mard Geer takes a step back, fear evident on his face. "Damn you! I'm not afraid of you or that weapon! I'll kill you before you get the chance to fire a single arrow!" He pushes off the ground at full force, flying straight towards me at full speed.
"A single arrow is all I need!" I draw the bow to its full length, an arrow made of pure holy light materializing between my fingers "Gray, now!"
Gray puts his hand on the ground, and a tunnel of pink ice forms between me and Mard Geer.
"This is the end! Holy Paladin Bow Unique Ability: Heaven Splitter!" I release the arrow, and it flies towards Mard Geer, generating a blinding light and leaving a trail of spiralling energy. Unable to avoid the attack, he takes the arrow straight to the forehead, the force of it stopping him in his tracks.
He falls to the ground, glowing cracks growing from where the arrow struck. "This isn't the end…" He cackles, raising his head to face me "it will never be the end! The darkness lives on inside you, and it will break free… Just you wait!" He laughs maniacally until his body eventually implodes in a flash of light, forcing me to cover my eyes with my free arm.
After the light subsides, I lower my arm and stare at the burning pile of ashes that was my sworn enemy as I revert to my human form and release the bow, which merges with the shadows. "Ominous much?" Gray nudges me jokingly, but upon seeing my expression, his smile falters.
He follows my gaze and sighs. "Don't worry about what he said. Darkness or not, you're a Fairy Tail wizard, and that means we'll stick with you no matter what, because we're your family. Nothing will ever change that."
I smile appreciatively at him, put his arm around my shoulders and begin walking towards the tunnel at the end of the cave. "I don't need you to tell me that. It's just… it was like saying goodbye to my past all over again. But at least I have my future to look forward to now."
We smile at each other for a moment, then continue down the path towards the exit, into complete darkness.