Chapter 13: The Female Wizard Knight Enters
Where Lucy, Sakura, and Latias are
A forced gate closure? So you are a Fairy Tail wizard…" Sherry says at Lucy along with Sakura and Latias.
"the battle starts now!" Lucy declares as she holds her whip ready.
"But don't forget that I can control any of your spirits at will." Sherry says.
"But you can't control Latias anymore with that crystal ball." Sakura says.
"And as for you controlling my spirits, we'll just have to see about that. I've got a lot more powerful spirits from where that come from!" Lucy says as she brings out one of her silver keys. "Gate of Canis Minor, I open thee! Nicolas!" She yells as she summons Plue.
"Plue?" Sakura questions as both she and Latias have question marks over their heads.
"Oh my, how cute… this is also 'love'." Sherry says.
"What the heck does that even mean?!" Lucy and Sakura question.
"Let me show you. Doll attack! Doll Control!" Sherry yells as she extends her hands forward and summons two pink magic circles, sending a bolt of pink energy at Plue which hit upon hitting him causing his eyes turn pink as he is now under Sherry's control.
"Plue?" Lucy calls as Plue then turns and looks at her. When Plue speaks, it's tone has more malic than usual which takes Lucy back. "It's not possible!" Plue then launches itself at Lucy, swinging its arms around as it then begins hitting on her legs which does nothing as Lucy looks down at Sherry's control as it continues pummeling at her legs but no effect.
"Exactly what's the point of all this?" Sakura questions.
"What the…" Sherry exclaims.
"You fell for it!" Lucy says and swings her whip around before swinging it down at Sherry who jumps away to avoid the hit.
"Damn, it was a small-fry spirit!"
"That's right! I purposefully called out a weak spirit, so your technique is useless now!" Lucy explains and swings her whip again at Sherry, but dodges it again.
Oh, so that's why." Sakura says
"Release Control!" Sherry exclaims as she releases Plue from her control. Plue realizes what it was doing and begins to bow down very fast as it sounds like he's crying and apologizing for what he was doing.
"Don't worry about it. Go back now, okay?" Lucy says to the spirit as she waves her hand down at with a sweatdrop on her forehead and Plue quickly disappears.
"Doll Attack, Rock Doll!" Sherry shouts as she summons all of the rocks around her which begin floating into the air.
"We're just going around in circles, aren't we? My spirits destroy your dolls, then you take them over, and I close the gate!" Lucy stops talking and gasps in shock at what she is seeing in front of her. In front of her, a massive stone golem easily towers over her.
"Oh, that's strange… Could that also be love? Going 'around in circles?' 'Destroy'… this? These rocks?" Sherry asks.
"Wait a second…" Lucy says worriedly with a sweatdrop. "Do I have a spirit that could destroy something this big?"
"I don't think you do." Sakura says.
The rock golem raises its right arm and brings it down on Lucy who is saved by Sakura who grabs Lucy and jumps away from where she stood.
"Run, Lucy!" Sakura tells her as she gets on Latias before Latias flies away from the golem.
"No need to tell me that!" Lucy yells as she begins to run away as fast as she can while the golem continues to attack her. "This is bad, bad, bad!"
"Don't let her escape, Rock Doll!" Sherry orders and Sakura looks back.
"At this rate, Lucy will get hurt." Sakura thought and brings out a poke ball.
"Tsubasa, come out!" Sakura shouts as she opens the poke ball causing Tsubasa out and cries out. "Use Air Slash!"
Tsubasa's wings glow light blue and it flaps them, releasing multiple light blue glowing saw disc-like energy blades from its wings at the golem. This causes the golem's body to have slash marks.
"You have to try better than that." Sherry says and points at Lucy. "Rock Doll, catch that little girl!"
"Who're you callin' a little girl? I look just as old as you are!" Lucy yells back in anger.
"Now, now, if you keep blabbing we'll catch up to you!"
Lucy takes out her ring of keys and starts to panic. "Um, which spirit could I use? A spirit I could use…" She thinks of Horologium, Lyra, and Cancer but crosses them all out since none of them would be of any help for this situation.
"Hey now, if you doing watch where you're going we'll catch up to you!" Sherry says as the golem throws a fist at Lucy.
"Lucy, look out!" Sakura shouts as Latias follows her and Lucy jumps forward, screaming in terror as the golem's fist impacts on the ground behind her.
Lucy continues running as the golem is on all fours and getting closer to her. Turning around, Lucy screams in terror and waves her arms wildly as she sees the golem has its foot raise to squish her.
There! Stomp her flat!" Sherry yells as the golem brings its foot down. Lucy jumps back barely dodge it as she lands on her butt at the edge of the cliff that overlooks the breach and the ocean. Just then the ground in front of her begins to crack as she realizes where she is.
"Hey, wait… this's… A cliff!" Lucy screams out.
The edge of the cliff breaks off from the rest sending it and Lucy falling to the beach below and crashes. Lucy lies on her back, completely fine on the beach.
"Lucy!" Sakura calls out.
"After her, Rock Doll!" Sherry orders as she and the golem look over from the cliff at her and it jumps down to go after Lucy. Lucy sees this and screams in terror again as she gets up and begins to run away just as the golem lands on the beach and immediately continues after her. "That way's a dead-end." Sherry says and Lucy stops in her tracks finding herself at a dead-end that is the ocean.
"The sea… I could call Aquarius her, but…" Lucy considers, when the golem lets out a roar which catches her attention as she turns around to see them coming towards her.
"You have nowhere left to run!" Sherry says.
"Water can't destroy rock… And Aquarius would just sweep me away too… Sweep me away?" Lucy says as she then thinks about something.
"Now, it's time for you to be flattened! That's also love!" Sherry says as the golem raises its left fist and about to bring it down on Lucy. Just then crescent-shaped energy waves hit the golem's left arm leading it to miss Lucy as she dodges the attack.
"Lucy, are you all right?" Sakura asks as Latias floats down along with Tsubasa.
"Sweep away… that's it! Sakura, might have to prepare yourself!" Lucy exclaims.
"Eh?"
"Gate of the Water Bearer, I open thee! Aquarius!" Lucy yells as she puts the key in the water and twists it like she's opening a down as above the water, Aquarius appears.
"Aquarius?! You have such a powerful spirit?" Sherry questions from seeing the Celestial Spirit.
"Oh, now I see why she told me that." Sakura says and brings Tsubasa's poke ball. "Tsubasa, you can go back. It's going to be crazy from here on out." Tsubasa nods her head and red light envelops her as she goes back to the poke ball.
"The enemy is that woman! You hate women like her, right? Get her!" Lucy orders.
"Tch." Aquarius clicks her tongue in an annoyed tone as with her left eye.
"Uh oh." Sakura says.
"I see your bad attitude hasn't changed, has it?! Stop complaining and do it!" Lucy exclaims.
"I see you're still annoying. That's why you can't get a boyfriend." Aquarius says which angers Lucy as she cries out in anger and swinging her arms.
"Give it a rest!" Lucy cries out.
"Doll Attack! Doll Control!" Sherry yells as she puts Aquarius under her control. Now Aquarius' eyes are glowing pink just like Taurus and Plue before. "Now Aquarius will do as I say. Go right ahead and send her back."
"No! She's my trump card!" Lucy retorts.
"Then I can crush you under the power of the sea, yes? Aquarius, erase that woman from my sight!" Sherry orders as Aquarius grunts in reply from the order.
"I was planning on doing it anyway!" Aquarius yells as she swings her urn and sends a massive blast of water from it creating a massive wave which travels towards the beach and Lucy. Latias quickly flies above the waves and both Sakura and Latias look down worriedly for Lucy who seems to be laughing happily for the moment until she gets sweep away in the water as she cries out in horror.
"What an idiot…" Sherry stops herself as she gasps in shock realizing that the massive wave is now over her too and she begins to swing her arms while crying in shock and horror about the attack is backfired against her. "Hey wait…" She says but too late as she is now sweep up into the waves which has transformed into a water tornado as she and Lucy are spinning around through it as from outside, Sakura, Latias, and Aquarius watch.
"Who needs 'forced closure' anyway? I close the gate myself, thanks… idiot." Aquarius says as she does that and disappears.
"I wonder how Lucy formed a contract with her in the first place." Sakura says and notices the water begins washing away and sees Lucy and Sherry on the beach. Both of them struggle to stand back up as they both are dizzy from the attack.
"Aquarius will sweep away enemy and ally alike with her waves." Lucy dizzily says as she stumbles around while holding her arms out as her eyes are swirling around.
"I was careless…" Sherry says in the same way as she also having trouble standing back up dizzily. Then both Lucy and Sherry points in the wrong direction as they speak to each other. "But she wasn't able to defeat Rock Doll, was she?"
"So what? Controlled Doll movements follows the orders of the person controlling them. So there's no need to defeat the Rock Doll. All I need to do is get you all dizzy and…" Lucy says as she waves her pointing hand up and down while Sherry things she fighting with her as she throws fists forward and then strikes a pose as if she's saying 'love' until the two bumps into each other, alarming both each other presence as they jump back and turn around. Both of them stare angrily at each other as they grind their teeth together and then begins comically battle as they hit each other while sliding back and forth across the sand which kicks up around them. "This is the skill of a Fairy Tail wizard!" Lucy finishes.
"Playing me to a draw, are we?" Sherry questions.
"A draw? This is my victory!" Lucy says ash she is now on Sherry and biting on her head causing her to cry out until she jumps off and they two continues to hit each other.
"What are you talking about? You're just as dizzy as…" Sherry says as she jumps back and side kicks Lucy with both of her feet and the two go back at it again.
"Then, how about some of this?" Lucy says as she then clotheslines Sherry across the face, sending her falling to the ground.
"I… lost?" Sherry says in shock as she falls.
"How about that? I'm a Fairy Tail wizard too you know!" Lucy says as the sun begins to rise. Its light glistening across the ocean and soon hitting the island as this attacks seems to finally destroy the golem as it crumbles to pieces.
"Even if the flame of my life were to be snuffed out… there is no untruth to my love for Reitei-sama." Sherry says as tears fly from her face.
"You're not gonna die, drama queen." Lucy says.
"She's just overexaggerating." Sakura says as Latias floats down near where Lucy is and Sakura gets off while Sherry hits the ground.
"Angelica… Avenge me…" Sherry says before losing conscious.
Hearing this shocks both Lucy, Sakura, and Latias as then from the forest behind Lucy, the giant rat Angelica leaps out from it toward Lucy.
"Wait! That thing wasn't a Doll?" Lucy questions after turning around and see it as she then falls on her knees.
"Lucy!" Sakura yells as she rushes towards her.
"Oh no! I can't move my legs…" Lucy says and the giant rat gets closer to her, body slamming Lucy who screams in terror. "Aw, crap…"
"I won't be able to make it!" Sakura thought when someone slices the rat across its chest, as that person is Erza wielding one of her swords as she flies underneath the thing after cutting it as Lucy and Sakura gasp in shock upon seeing Erza. The rat crashes onto the ground right next to Sherry.
"Erza! When did you… uh oh." Sakura says as she realizes something.
"Erza!" Lucy yells in joy until she notices the glare that Erza is giving her. "…san." Lucy finishes as she sweats upon too realizing herself who Erza is here in the first place.
"Oh yeah… We broke the guild rules and went on an S-Class quest without permission…" Lucy thought as she goes pale and sweats goes down her face in fear of Erza being there in front of her as she can see the anger in her eyes.
"This is bad…" Sakura thought.
"Lucy, Sakura. You two know why I'm here, don't you?" Erza says not breaking the angry look she gives to Lucy and Sakura.
"To take…" Lucy begins.
"Us back…" Sakura continues.
"Ain't that right?" Lucy asks as she pretend to be happy for Erza to be there which doesn't change the mood around her.
"Lucy!" Happy calls out. "Thank goodness! You're sa-" Happy stops himself as he sees Erza standing in front of Lucy and Sakura who are sitting in a seiza before he flies away as Erza slowly turns her eyes to him. However, Erza catches Happy by the tail and continues to look at the two girls.
"Where is Natsu?" Erza questions.
"Please, listen!" Lucy says as she stands up. "We apologize for going without permission but this island is in real trouble! There are guys who are trying to resurrect a demon trapped in ice, and people of the village are suffering thanks to that spell. Anyway, it's a big problem!"
"We want to save this island somehow…" Sakura finishes.
"I do not care." Erza states.
"T-then at least let us finish the job!" Lucy pleads but Erza points her sword at her.
"You're mistaken, Lucy. You and Sakura have betrayed the master." Erza says as her eyes turns dark. "Do not think you will get away from this unscathed."
"She's scary!" Lucy thought.
~Later~
At the storage area for the villagers
Gray wakes up, bandaged and wrapped around his stomach and right arm. He sits up and looks around to find himself in a storage building.
"Where am I?" Gray questions as he gets up and walks through the curtain doorway, coming out of the massive teepee.
"Thank goodness! You're awake." Gray looks to his left to see a young woman.
"Where is this?" Gray asks
"This is a storage area a bit removed from the village. The village was destroyed last night, so everyone took refuge here." The woman says.
"The village is gone?" Gray asks and then remembers Lyon's orders to destroy the village.
"Lyon, you bastard… you actually went and did it?" Gray thought when he then feels a sharp pain on his left chest.
"But thanks to Lucy-san, Natsu-san, and Sakura-san, no one was injured, so we have to at least be glad for that." The woman says.
"Are they also here?" Gray asks.
"Yes. They asked to direct you to their tent when you woke up."
"I see." Gray says.
"They're waiting in that big tent." The woman says as she points Gray towards it.
Gray walks over to it and opens the curtain door only to be greeted by still angry Erza who sits on a barrel with her legs crossed and her hands together. Beside her, Lucy, Sakura, and Happy are on their knees as Lucy and Happy are crying their eyes out and Latias is floating behind Sakura.
"You're late Gray." Erza says.
"Erza?!" Gray shouts in shock to see her. "Lucy, Happy, Sakura?"
"I've heard what happened from Lucy and Sakura. Weren't you supposed to be stopping Natsu? I'm speechless." Erza says as she stands up and puts her left hand to her him in a disappointed manner.
"Where's Natsu?" Gray asks.
"That's what I'd like to know." Erza says and Lucy stops crying.
"He should have been in the village fighting Reitei's lackeys. But when we went to check, there was no one there. I figure that Natsu would be okay, and Erza told me to take her to where you were Gray." Lucy says.
"Latias and I search from the air and that's how we found this storage area." Happy adds.
"Gray, we're going to search of Natsu. When we find him, we're returning to the guild." Erza says which shocks Gray.
"What are you saying, Erza? If you heard what's going on, then you've got to know what's happening on this island!" Gray says.
"And what about it?" Erza questions as he looks at him.
Gray is lost for words at this as he stares at her.
"I came here to bring back some guild rule-breakers. I have not a silver of interest in anything else." Erza says without looking at Gray causing him to grunt.
"Didn't you see what the people on this island looks like?" Gray questions.
"I saw." Erza replies.
"And you're just going to leave them like that?!"
"The request has been posted to every guild. Would it not be better to leave it to some guild wizards that take on the job properly?" Erza says.
"I misjudged you, Erza!" Gray says finally losing patience.
Erza then glances back at him. "What did you say?"
"How dare you say that to Erza-sama!" Happy cries out with sweats flying from his head in panic.
"Sama?" Lucy and Sakura question.
"You intend to break the guild rules as well?" Erza questions as she summons one of her swords and puts it right at Gray's throat. "You won't get away with it."
Gray look at the blade for the moment and grabs it making it point at the Fairy Tail mark on his chest as she and Gray exchange the glare and determined looks at one another.
"Do what you must!" Gray says as Lucy, Happy and Sakura watch this tension scene. "This is the path I've chosen. It's something I've got to do."
Erza grits her teeth in anger as she looks at Gray before he let go of the blade and walks past Erza to the entrance.
"I'm going to finish this." Gray says and looks back. "If you're going to cut me down, do it." And he takes their leave and Erza grunts in anger.
Lucy and Happy watch this with awe while both of their hearts also beat fast from the tension that was in the room. When Erza then turns towards them and Sakura, causes Lucy and Happy yelp in fear.
"Hey, Erza, calm down!" Lucy pleads as sweat runs down her face.
"Gray's just angry cause he lost to his old friend!" Happy also pleads in the same manner as then in a few swift movements, Erza cuts at the three to cut the ropes, freeing them as they are surprised by this.
"The present situation is unacceptable. So we'll continue this after the present problem is solved." Erza says.
"Erza!" Lucy and Happy yell in joy.
"Don't get the wrong idea. You WILL be punished." Erza says as she has her back turn towards the two.
"Aye…" The two agree.
"Oh boy…" Sakura says.
Later, Sakura, Lucy, Happy and Erza catch up with Gray as they run/ fly as fast as they can to the temple while Gray tells them what Lyon is planning.
"Defeat Deliora? That's his goal?" Lucy asks.
"But isn't Deliora defeated from being sealed up? Why is he doing this?" Sakura asks and they stop.
"Lyon's aim has always been to surpass Ul. Now with Ul gone, he wants to defeat Deliora, a foe that Ul couldn't kill in order to surpass her." Gray says as he leans his right arm against a tree.
"I see. So that's why the only way for him to surpass someone who's dead." Lucy says.
"Aye." Happy agrees.
"But if he does this, then millions of lives are at risk. We can't let him to that." Sakura says.
"No… He… Lyon doesn't know." Gray says which make the others curious to what he means. "It's true that Ul is no longer with us. But… Ul is still alive!" He says which shocks everyone including Erza as they all gasp.