Titania and The Hunter

Chapter 57: De Mal en Peor

Welcome back comrades! This took a lot longer to get out than I'd like to admit. Some of it was because of work. Some of it was because of vacation. And most of it was because I'm a lazy shit. But we back!

Enjoy!

########Hunter########

Hibiki's fingers rapidly danced over the holographic screens in front of him while trying to keep up with all the panic happening around the forest. He called into the air, "Can anyone respond! What is your status?!"

("Busy!")

("Occupied!")

("WRAAAAAHHHHHHHH!")

The Blue Pegasus Mage grumbled as those responses didn't help him clear up what was going on. Gritting his teeth he continued to type away at the screens in hopes that maybe he could do something from his side to help the others, his leg bouncing uncontrollably as he tapped his foot.

"Urgh."

Hibiki paused and looked over at Erza as she let out a pained groan and shifted on the ground in unease. The pain was starting to act up and the poison was spreading through her system again. Honestly it must have been agonizing just to lay still and breathe now that the poison was making every single tiny action a terrible trial to even survive through.

Hibiki looked down at the sword that leaned against his leg and wrestled with the choice to make. Realizing that he wasn't going to be of much help from this side of the screen, he might as well use his magic for someone he can help. He picked up the sword and walked over in preparation to start easing Erza's pain-

"Watch out!"

A white and blue blur stopped right in front of Hibiki and caused the Pegasus Mage to stumble back. Carla and Wendy hovered over the ground for a moment before the white cat lowered the younger girl to the dirt gently, "Wendy-chan! Carla-chan! You're back! That was faster than expected, Naruto-San contacted me only a few minutes ago."

"I am very fast." Carla informed before turning around and pointing to the groaning woman, "There Wendy, she is in need of your help. The poison in her system in traveling through her whole body."

"Oh no." Wendy whispered as she looked aghast by the condition the once strong and unbreakable Erza was in while at the mercy of the poison. The redhead's breathing was belabored and she was moving restlessly on the ground, "This is worse than I thought."

"Can you help her?"

"Yes, but I need time. And with the magic I already used to..." Wendy hesitated and looked down at her hands in shame. A brief moment later she shook her head, resolve mixing with the guilt in her eyes before she raised her hands over the older Mage, "I will help her. I promise."

A moment later another blur stopped just above the rendezvous area, this time with Happy firmly secured to Naruto's back. The blue cat released the blond Mage who quickly stepped over to stand by as Wendy healed Erza. Hibiki stepped up to join them as the two men watched with baited breath, "How has it been?"

"She hasn't woken up. She just keeps stirring in her stupor and moaning in pain."

"It looks like it spread. It's worse." Naruto looked around before noticing that Lucy was gone and Hibiki was holding the Sky sword, "Where's Lucy?"

"Angel is a Celestial Spirit Mage, like her, and went to go help Ren and Sherry-San deal with her. She hesitated, but when I said I'd take care of Erza-San's healing then she quickly handed it over and started running. I thought I could handle acting as a monitor for everyone and still healing her, but like you said this sword could only delay the poison, not heal her. Lucy-San expended a large amount of magic trying to help her, and between doing that and keeping on top of everyone's status..." Hibiki paused and shook his head, "I didn't help her as much as I could. And I'm sorry."

Naruto didn't looked pleased by that fact and took a deep breath. But after a moment of calming himself, and looking down to see Erza getting the proper help she needed instead of just a preventative measure, the tension eased from his shoulders. He held out his hand and Hibiki returned the sword to him. And after he did he placed a comforting hand on the guilty Pegasus Mage's shoulder, "You did what you could. I couldn't tell you to just focus on her when there's so much going on for all of us. Plus, if she was awake, she'd insist that you focus on the mission and leave her be."

A dry laugh escaped from Hibiki as he found some measure of relief in Naruto's words, "She sounds like a dutiful woman."

"She's super stubborn and a pain in the ass." Naruto said with a chuckle before looking down at the sword, "I think that's why we get along so well. Happy?"

"Yeah?"

Naruto raised his blade and gently pressed it to the blue cat's chest. A soft glow emanated out of the sword and the wounds on Happy's body started to heal. The bruises faded and the flying feline was healed. The blond rested his hand atop the cat's head, "Thank you for being so brave and protecting Wendy. Natsu's gonna be really relieved to know you're okay."

"Aye sir." Happy smiled, a proud member of Fairy Tail who would not falter even in the grips of the Oración Seis. He stopped grinning and looked at Hibiki, "So where are Natsu and everybody else?"

"They we're spreading out to look for you and Wendy-chan, but along the way they started to engage with smaller guilds working for the Oración Seis. And then they found themselves against more prominent and powerful members, such as the Pillars themselves." Hibiki swiped his hand up and summoned several displays that showed dots on a map, "Natsu-kun and Gray-kun are currently fighting Hoteye together. Jura-San was fighting an assassin earlier but handily dealt with him and is continuing to search the forest for other members and clues. Ren and Eve joined forces with the other Lamia Mages and went to reclaim the Christina from our foes. But now they're fighting both Angel and another guild that is piloting our ship."

"What about Ichiya?"

"I tried to contact Aniki earlier but it was no luck. I'm not sure what he is currently doing, but I'm sure it is of the greatest importance."

########Hunter########

"So...what is it?"

"Is-is it a pig or something?"

"Looks more like a boar than a pig."

"It honestly looks like a mutated bear cub or some kind of goat thing."

"Is it a monster."

"Meeeennnnnnnnn~."

"Ain't ever heard no monster or pig or whatever make a sound like that."

"It's so weird." The other Dark Mages hummed and nodded in agreement as they stared at the odd creature in the white suit they had tied to a stick. They stared at the ugly beast a little longer, the creature sweating as it stared back, before one of them pulled out a knife, "Well, should we cut it and cook up the meat?"

"I think there's a saying that the uglier it looks, the better it tastes."

"Then this fella is gonna taste like a deluxe meal prepared by the best chef ever."

"It might be so good we don't ever wanna eat anything else again."

"Gentlemen," They looked over and saw the strange suited animal watching them with sweat pouring down its face, "I am not a pig or a boar or a monster. I'm actually a man. My name is Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki of Blue Pegasus."

"Holy shit, the thing can copy human speak."

"And it's playing at being a Mage from that stupid pretty people guild."

"Oh man, if it ever picked a guild to piss us off that was the one."

Ichiya sweated a little more, "Um, I apologize if my guild did something to offend you lot, but we don't need to resort to murder...or cannibalism for that matter."

"Listen piggy, you ain't gonna fool us with your little swine tricks. This is over and you gotta except that." One of the Dark Mages stepped up and pulled out his knife, "Now I'm gonna gut you, take out that pork, separate the loin and ham, and see if I can concoct up a little bacon from what we can find around here."

"Don't you dare!" Ichiya yelled with authority, startling the Dark Mages that had been gathering around. The tied up Mage shimmied in his restraints while frowning at the Dark Mages surrounding him, "I am ready to give my life in the line of duty, but just because I am willing does not mean I can simply accept it! I have people I must help! Comrades that are fighting at this very moment that I must join with! Followers and students back at the guild that look to me for guidance and leadership! I may not have every answer, or the strength to handle it all by myself, but they still trust me! So whatever I can do, whatever I can bear, I must! And that means I cannot just hang here and die!"

"You're a leader? Of the pretty bitches brigade?" Some of them laughed in disbelief and others shook their heads skeptically, "Sorry but we don't believe you. The person that leads all those pretty boys and skinny girls has to be the prettiest, most vapid, empty-headed, wishy-washy model of them all. And you most certainly ain't that."

"Is that your definition of beauty? To be beautiful and handsome has something to do with nice hair and strong jaws or thins waists and large breasts? Do you really think those are the only things that marks someone as beautiful? Physical traits that today look glamorous but which will surely one day fade and lose their luster? Is that how you define beauty?"

"Of course it is, duh! What else would it be?"

"Confidence and strength of character to continue pursuing the objectives no one believed they could achieve. Conviction to carry on through the hardest trials and tribulations that stand before them. Intelligence and mentality to face that which dares to topple you down, and figure out how to instead use it to strengthen yourself instead. And a heart to reach out to those that others would shy away from, and build a bond with them when they need it most."

"Okay, that's enough waxing poetic. Can you just cut this thing already?"

The man with the knife grabbed Ichiya's hair, "With pleasure."

"I'm sure an aspiring cook such as yourself will surely make it quick, right?"

The man stopped short of slicing his jugular after hearing Ichiya. He lowered his knife, "What'd you say?"

"You're a cook, correct? Or you want to be one surely." Ichiya persisted, "The way you talked about separating the meats and the plan to cook bacon with just the materials around you? You must have once practiced your hand at the culinary arts, right?"

The Dark Mage scowled before nodding, "Yeah, I was gonna be a cook when I was younger. But things didn't quite turn out that way and now I'm here. So if we're done-"

"What happened?"

"None of your business."

"Can't you fulfill a soon to be dead man's request?"

"Fucking - okay, I couldn't get into school because I didn't have the money. Turns out banks don't feel like passing out loans to guys who learned their craft on the street. Now we're here-"

"But you haven't forgotten your skills or techniques even after all this time. So even though you weren't able to pursue that dream like you planned to, you haven't simply forsaken it."

"I'm not just gonna forget about cooking. It's helpful for sprucing up meals so the lot of us can eat. And..."

"And?"

"And...it's the first thing my mother taught me after my father walked out on us." The Dark Mage wavered, standing still as small tears filled the corners of his eyes, "She was so patient with me, even though I was such a slow learner. I have to send all the Jewels I collect to her out in the countryside. She thinks I'm a professional chef for a restaurant in a big town."

"Why can't you be?"

"You need merit to get into places like that!"

"Yes, and you can show it with results." Ichiya said calmly, "It might take a while, and it most certainly won't be easy, but you can start from the bottom and work yourself up." The Pegasus Mage shrugged and looked at the Dark Mage hesitating as he spoke, "Work at a restaurant. Show them you can cook with the best of them. Let your dream find a way to crawl out of the depths...and then one day...you can send your mother the real money you earned. Struggling to fulfill a dream...given to you by a loved one...so that you may help them in a selfless act of love. That...is beauty."

"Okay enough of this!" Another Dark Mage stepped up and pushed the cook aside as his eyes started to well up, "You can't be falling for this! This sycophant is just playing to your desires for his own gain! It's lip service! Like a devil on the shoulder all he's doing is whispering in your ear and making you doubt yourself to save his own skin!"

"That's rather we'll put." Ichiya noted, "You mentioned I was simply waxing poetically earlier, didn't you? Are you an avid reader of some sort?"

"Freddy wanted to be a scholar when he was younger."

"Jammy shut up! Don't say things like that in front of an adversary we have tied up! They would use the information to exploit-"

"So you wanted to be a scholar?"

"Son of a whore!" The man screamed before sighing, "Yes, I planned to be a scholar as a boy, but plans changed and now we're here. Now how about instead of prying into our vulnerable, tragic pasts, you start telling us about your group-"

"What about the rest of you?" Ichiya asked aloud, "Is there anyone here who felt like there was another life they could have achieved? A path that would have made you truly beautiful?"

"I was gonna be a dancer when I was younger." The one called Jammy spoke up, "I twisted my ankle though and had to quit school before I could become a professional. Then I stabbed a guy and ended up here."

"I took a left when I should've taken a right, and somehow I ended up in a Dark Guild."

"I beat up a guy outside a pub and got in trouble for it. I made it out like I was doing it in self-defense, but it all honestly I just wanted to beat a guy up."

"Enough! All of you! Stop giving him information!" The former scholar yelled and looked around at his compatriots, "You're only giving away more ammuniation for him to use against you! Plus how do any of those things land you in a guild with Dark Mages?!"

"Don't worry about that." Ichiya continued, "Instead let me ask...what would have made you truly happy...and how did that lead you here?"

...

...

Tears filled the Dark Mage's eyes, "My boyfriend's family couldn't accept us being together. And I...I couldn't stand staying at the school anymore. Not while he was there. Not while us being together was a black mark we couldn't wash off."

"Love, forbade and refused by others. But still so strong and burning so brightly. Do you still love him?"

"With all my heart."

"Then you cant simply turn away from that love like that. Reach out to him again. Tell him how you feel. And if he reciprocated that desire, then damn his parents and live your lives happily. And if he doesn't..."

"If he doesn't?"

"If he doesn't..." Ichiya faintly smiled, "Then you'll have to find a new life to live. There's always a second chance for someone to start their life again, especially for those searching for one. It's never too late. The strength to push to that answer, despite not knowing what it will be...that is beauty. True, glorious beauty. And it is in all of you."

He fell to his knees and wept before the Blue Pegasus Mage. The other Dark Mages clapped and cheered at the sight they had just witnessed.

Ichiya...was proud to be the man to meet these lost but beautiful souls.

########Hunter########

"Meh, I wouldn't go that far." Naruto shrugged with uncertainty, "I seriously doubt anything Ichiya is doing would be that important."

"You shouldn't doubt Aniki." Hibiki said with resolve, "He can surprise you in ways you'd never even imagine."

"Yeah, I know. I think that's why Erza's so scared of him." Naruto looked back at his lover and saw her face started to ease up and the color returned to her cheeks. Wendy's healing was working as Ezra was recovering, albeit slowly. Relief washed through his chest seeing her heal, and knowing that soon Wendy would be getting her back to her feet, "Well, if we're all separated than this is gonna be bad. Especially because things have taken a turn for the worse."

"You mentioned that earlier. Did something happen?"

"Turns out the Oración Seis got their hands on Jellal Fernandes." Hibiki's shock quickly took his features as Naruto nodded solemnly, "But apparently after my fight with him he was sick and almost dying. The Oración Seis needed his help but he was unconscious and wasn't about to recover anytime soon. So..."

"Oh." Hibiki was quick to put it together, "Oh god."

"Yeah. They threatened Wendy and best Happy into complying with their demands. She healed him of his affliction and now he's roaming the Woodsea." Naruto shrugged, "Apparently he attacked that Brain guy the moment he woke up, which feels promising...but until we know what he wants for certain-"

"We have an uncontrollable, barely cognizant, most likely dangerous rogue Wizard Saint perusing the same stomping grounds as our enemy. That...bodes horribly." The Blue Pegasus Mage groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose before summoning another screen for his fingers to dance over, "Especially considering I might have an idea of what we're dealing with now."

"You do?"

"Jura-San contacted me after a recent fight he had with a Mage in the forest. Apparently the man was willing to divulge some information about what it is our enemies are so desperately looking for." Hibiki continued to type away while holding the conversation, "Whatever Nirvana is capable of doing, it's supposedly going to allow our foes to change other's actions and decisions. In what capacity and by what method I'm not quite sure, but if the Oración Seis are willing to go this far and use this many resources to find it, then it is imperative that we don't let them have their way."

"They said they needed Jellal's help to find Nirvana and unlock it for them to use." Happy answered, "I think it's because he was on the Magic Council so he has all these secrets and knowledge about magic that they want to use."

"If they convince Jellal to release Nirvana for them, then it'll be all over."

Naruto frowned as he imagined his former friend being the cause of yet another disaster. He stepped over and walked around Erza's resting body to kneel beside her. He ran a hand over her hair, feeling the fever that burned her forehead was subsiding and she was reacting even slightly to his touch. If she was awake, she wouldn't let Jellal loose like this if it meant he could cause another incident. He understood that, so why was he feeling hesitation at a time like this?

"Naruto-San?" The blond looked up and saw the young Dragon Slayer still focusing on her healing, even as some sweat came to her cheek and she was pushing the remainder of her magic to try and heal Erza. Wendy gulped and refused to look up at him as she worked, "Are you going to hurt Jellal?"

…

His silence and lack of an answer worried both of them.

########Hunter########

The trees and ground around the area had been warped in ways some would believe impossible. The stone and earth was raised and formed in ways thought inconceivable for something as hard as rock. On one side the forest was burning away under flames so intense they could have melted steel. And yet just opposite them were trees and rocks frozen nearly solid by a sheet of ice. The sheer juxtaposition of the environment would have shocked anyone, but the three men at the center of it just considered it collateral damage for their battle.

"WRRRAAAHHH!" Natsu yelled as his chest puffed out and he jumped forward, "FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"

"HA!" Hoteye flicked his fingers up and raised a spire of Liquid Ground that smothered the intense stream of flames before they could reach him. The large stream of mud and rock reached out and doused the fire coming towards it as it reached for Natsu.

The Dragon Slayer chomped down on his fire and quickly jumped away as Gray stepped up in his place. The Maker Mage slammed his fist down on his palm and yelled, "FREEZE!" The liquid earth was frozen in place before it could actually reach them and the freeze crawled all the way up until it froze the entire stream. With the attack suspended in the air, Gray leapt up and started sprinting along its length with a straight path towards Hoteye. While he took the upper ground, Natsu dashed along the ground planning to hit the Dark Mage from below.

"Damn, you two are wasting a lot of time!" Hoteye growled as he started weaving his hands around. The ground around them started to shift and unsettle before he whipped his hand up, "That's time I could be using to find Nirvana and make serious bank!"

The earth sprouted up around them and Natsu was nearly swallowed up again. But Gray slammed his hands together and sent attacks of ice out everywhere, freezing the liquified earth in place and giving Natsu platforms to leap off of. The pink-haired Mage started jumping off the platforms his comrade created as he came closer and closer to reaching Hoteye.

The Dark Mage growled as his enemies grew ever closer. They almost seemed tougher than when he nearly annihilated them during their fight earlier. Back then he had caught them off guard by shifting the ground under them and almost crushing them beneath it. But now it seems like they had adapted and were figuring out ways to combat him. The shirtless one would use his magic to render his Liquid Ground magic into frozen husks, which the Dragon Slayer would avoid melting so that he could run in and attack.

Had they worked on their coordination since the ambush? Were they practicing in the time they weren't fighting? Were they preparing to face him out of all the Oración Seis they could have run into? Hoteye wasn't sure if he should be impressed or disturbed, but he knew what he certainly was feeling right now.

Infuriated.

"ENOUGH!" Hoteye yelled as his eyes flashed, his Heaven's Eye magic activating as his rage reached its breaking point, "I WILL NOT WASTE MY TIME WITH YOU PEOPLE ANYMORE!" Hoteye raised one hand and caused the fertile ground by his feet to bubble and pop. With a flick of his wrist several orbs of earth launched out of the ground and flew through the air. Natsu raised his guard and protected himself as the blobs of rock pelted his body roughly. They slammed into prior wounds and injuries, seeping in and exacerbating them while he was in the air.

Natsu landed on the ground and looked at the patches of earth on his body, "What the-" The Liquid Ground hanging off him stretched out and joined with the Liquid Ground that sprouted up from the ground. Once they were connected, they constricted tightly and applied immense pressure to where they were located on Natsu's body. The Fairy Mage yelled and screamed as he started to spit blood. He dug his hands into the earth and mud that covered his body before it started to burn with flames, "GET THIS SHIT OFF ME!"

The flames erupted off his body, superheating the mud and dirt attached to him until it burned away. The intensity of the heat coming off of him was enough to thaw and melt both the ice and rock around him. The Dragon Slayer roared like an animal, loud enough to shake the ground and with enough heat to nearly burn down everything around him.

"NOW!" Gray jumped through the air and sailed towards Hoteye when he believed he had the Dark Mage off guard. But before he could reach him Gray felt something sharply tug on his leg. He looked down and saw a limb of Liquid Ground swallowing his foot, "Dammit!"

"That was clever." Hoteye noted as he pointed down and the limb pulled in, pulling Gray's lower body into the ground and leaving him rooted in the earth, "But funerals can be rather costly and timely matters. So allow me to give you a quick, cheap death."

The ground around Gray turned molten before he was yanked down into it like quicksand. Hoteye smirked over the bubbling earth and gave a small prayer to his fallen enemy-

"GRAY!"

Liquid Ground covered Hoteye's feet and quickly helped him avoid the man-shaped fireball dropping down from above. The flames died out and Natsu looked down at the spot Gray had been sucked into. He seethed, "Bring him back up!"

"Sorry, but I won't." Hoteye apologized while gripping the book close to his chest, "Your compatriot is probably already drowned, with mud and dirt filling his lungs like sandbags. I might not have been able to do that if you hadn't melted away the ice that covered the ground. So I suppose I should be thanking you for you-"

"FIRE DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

Hoteye raised several pillars of Liquid Ground to try and block the charging man with wings of fire flying off his body. Natsu barreled through most of the obstacles that blocked his path as he reached out for Hoteye but the Pillar wasn't having any of it. He slid away out of Natsu's reach as the Fairy Mage crashed into the ground. Natsu quickly planted a hand on the ground and propped himself up, releasing a concentrated stream of flame at the Dark Mage before he could retreat.

Hoteye raised a wall to protect himself from the flames. He then made the wall melt away and caused a flood of rock to drop towards Natsu. The Dragon Slayer ignited his hands and feet before charging forward, barreling through his attack and swinging at Hoteye. The large man had to actually raise his arm to guard as the flames roared, burning his suit and singing his skin.

Natsu landed in a crouch, panting and wiping his cheek before lifting himself up, "What the hell is this Nirvana thing anyway that's got you guys so worked up? Does it create infinite Jewels for you guys? All the food in the world? Why is this thing so important?"

"Your ideas for ultimate magic are very narrow-minded, boy. I suppose a Mage that only works in the light doesn't have much in the way of imagination." Hoteye nursed the burn on his arm while condescendingly talking down to the Dragon Slayer, "Although I would appreciate a magic that simply dropped money in my lap - no, Nirvana will do no such thing. But this magic will give us something else that is priceless; the power to control and change any that would dare cross us."

Natsu narrowed his eyes, "And how would it do that?"

"It's actually quite interesting." Hoteye said, "Imagine a Good Samaritan that helps people out in the streets, and dedicates their time to helping others. Now imagine a career criminal who hurts people and actively does what they can to make their lives miserable. Or a politician who was trying to better the lives of those they represented, and a Dark Guild more deranged than you could possibly believe. Now imagine...they were flipped."

...

Natsu's eyes slowly widened, "What do you mean?"

"I mean a Good Samaritan who finds joy in tormenting others. Or a career criminal that donated the money they collected to the needy. A politician that does whatever they can to act as a detriment to the people. And a Dark Guild so courageous and selfless they put the rest of you to shame. That is the essence of Nirvana." The massive Dark Mage smiled, "It takes the established alignment and status quo of something, and turns it on its head. It changes light to darkness, and darkness to light. It will allow us to change…everything."

Natsu was shocked and horrified by what he was hearing. He shook his head, "Why would you want that?"

"Can't you imagine that? A righteous Wizard Saint now a devious comrade we can rely on. A squeaky clean leader who suddenly is far more willing to bend and break the rules. A current comrade who we fear may one day stab us in the back now basking in the light and easier to crush when they are isolated from their extensive network of followers." Hoteye smirked and raised his hand as if clutching the world in his hand, "Being able to change someone's alignment and mindset is an extremely valuable opportunity. And being able to do it whenever we wish with Nirvana is priceless."

"How," Natsu shook his head, "How the hell can you talk about something like that so easily? You're changing people's souls and minds like they're nothing! Like they're interchangeable pieces on a toy!"

"And it will all be in pursuit of our goals. Even you might be a powerful ally to have in the future." Hoteye looked the younger man over, "Your strong sense of justice and camaraderie...imagine that reversed into the aspects of darkness. Attacking people in the streets for your enjoyment. You might even hunt down the people in your guild. Can you imagine that? You...standing over them...their blood dripping from your hands...like a demon walking the face of Earthland."

...

Heat slowly started to rise and radiate off of Natsu's body. The ground around him started to melt at his feet from the intensity. He seethed out his words through gritted teeth, "How dare you say that." The heat rose and flames burst off him, "That's my guild you're talking about! Those are my friends! I would never do that to them!"

"You wouldn't have a choice. You couldn't help yourself. That is the power of Nirvana."

"If that's what Nirvana is capable of," Natsu roared, "THEN I'M GOING TO DESTROY THAT DAMN MAGIC!"

"I doubt you could even if you tried." Hoteye's expression grew darker and sharper as the ground melted around him, "But I won't even give you the opportunity. I'm going to send you down to join your friend in the dirt." He raised his hand and manipulated the fluid rock to rise and flow over him, "Now stay right there and accept your fate!"

"HELL NO!"

Natsu charged forward like a meteor and burst through all the obstacles and defenses Hoteye raised to protect himself. The Dragon Slayer pounced through the rock and earth, taking damage and blazing through the mud and dirt that threatened to stick to him. He landed on the ground and ran towards his foe.

Trees and rocks and the entire landscape was shifted around in order to stop the Dragon Slayer. Natsu broke through everything in his way as he flew at Hoteye, "You know what your biggest mistake was, asshole!" A tree dropped on top of his head and shattered on impact. Blood flowed down Natsu's head but he kept rushing forward, "It was thinking Fairy Tail's Mages are easy to kill!"

"Wait just a moment," Hoteye snarled, "And I'll show you just how wrong you are!"

"No," Natsu grinned, "I'm already being proven right!"

There was a loud crack akin to shattering ice. Hoteye's eyes widened and he looked back to see a patch of Liquid Ground behind him that had been frozen over. The patch cracked and shattered before exploding outward. And from within a bruised and dirty figure leapt out and landed on a solid icy footing.

Gray looked up, fury in his eyes as he spat up some dirt and mud in his mouth.

Hoteye panicked and turned around to aim another attack at the recovering Mage.

It was his biggest mistake.

Flames raged off Natsu, "FIRE DRAGON'S-"

A cold mist came of Gray's hands, "ICE MAKE:-"

"SWORD HORN!"

"ARROWS!"

Natsu barreled into Hoteye's side like a flaming train while a barrage of arrows made of ice pelted his other side. With both sides crushing him in an intense pincer, the powerful Dark Mage's consciousness slipped away almost instantly as the pain overwhelmed him. The cold and heat quickly wafted away and left an unconscious Hoteye standing in place after being pinned by the two attacks.

He toppled over finally and all the Liquid Ground he had shifting around returned to normal. Natsu and Gray dropped to their butts and gasped for air after their extensive battle with the powerful Dark Mage.

"Hey," Natsu groaned as he greedily sucked in air, "You okay?"

"I got dirt in my lungs." Gray rasped, "Don't melt the goddamn ground after I freeze it next time."

"I had to get in close and I needed my magic to do so."

"If I didn't freeze the ground he liquified I would have been killed. Any idea how hard it is to guess where your battle is happening several feet under the ground?"

...

The two men dropped back and raised their fists in the air, "We won."

"Yep."

"We need to go help the others still."

"We can take a second don't catch our breath."

########Hunter########

He stood over the unconscious bodies of the strange men that had jumped him in the forest. Feeling naked, he pulled off the coattail jacket of one of them and slipped his arms into it. Once he had something to wear now, he could...

He wasn't sure what he should actually do.

But he knew there was something in this forest that was dangerous. That could bring carnage and mayhem to everyone if it fell in the wrong hands. People would suffer. People would die.

The images of yellow and red caused his head to reel in pain again as he suffered through it.

After recovering and clutching his aching head, he stumbled forward down a familiar path. He wasn't sure what it was leading him to or how he would remember this, but he was determined to press on by some unknown desire in his core.

Cobra watched from several dozen meters back as Jellal continued to wobble around looking for something. The Dark Mage remained quiet and out of sight as he listened to the Wizard Saint continue to blearily mumble incoherent words and names.

He seemed particularly interested in Nirvana when he wasn't talking about those Erza or Naruto folks.

########Hunter########

"Ice Make: Tiger!"

"White Out!"

The two frozen attacks spread out over the deck of the Christina and made for the Dark Mages charging to attack them. Eve's sudden summon of immense snow nearly blinded everyone on board before settling down and restricting their movements. Meanwhile Lyon's giant tiger of ice barreled through all the Dark Mages it could.

Except for its intended target.

Erigor easily avoided the incoming tiger and flew higher up into the air, flying well over the Christina and even higher than the Woodsea below. The Wind Mage had always been blessed with an advantage in mobility thanks to the application of his magic, but in this case when his enemies were restricted to a limited area of movement on the deck of a flying ship, that advantage was astronomically more apparent now.

"Damn you! Get down her now! Ice Make: Eagle!" Lyon waved his fist through the air and sent several constructs of ice flying through the sky towards the Dark Mage.

Erigor effortlessly danced on empty wind and let the flying ice birds sail past him. They flapped their wings and twisted around as they homed in on their target. But the Wind Mage simply waved his hand and destroyed the eagles that flew his way, "Why should I bother dealing with you? Seems like I can handle you just fine from up here." Wind built around him and he blew away all the snow that had covered his underlings.

Once the snow was lifted off of them they pulled themselves up and surrounded the two Mages on all sides. Eve and Lyon stood together and faced the legion of Dark Mages that surrounded them. With their magic apparently made useless with Erigor's wide-range attacks, they had to resort to other options.

"I suppose I should have asked this earlier," Lyon eyed the Dark Mages slowly edging towards him, "Did the Rune Knights teach you how to fight without magic?"

"We had some classes. Although it wasn't my best topic, I did learn a few things. I learned more during my time with Blue Pegasus since I've had to pry away desperate women and entitled men from other people in my guild. What about you, Lyon-San? Do you have-"

"HYAAAAA-"

A fist buried itself in the face of a charging Dark Mage. They were sent flying back into a group of their comrades and knocked them over on their backs. Lyon stood there with his fist stretched out before slowly bringing it back to his side. His eyes narrowed, "Yes, I've been fighting for quite a long time."

"Well thank goodness for that."

The two Mages separated and charged to either sides of the ship. Eve dodged and parried all the attacks that came his way as he was quick and ready to use their force against each other. Lyon on the other hand powered through his enemies, knocking them around with staggering punches and kicks.

Erigor watched from above and chuckled, "Well aren't you both rowdy. Isn't that defiance cute~."

One of the people Lyon sent flying collided with the control panel of the Christina. He groaned and slowly slid off, his hand dragged along the controls and activated some of its features.

The Christina shook as it started to release magical attacks down randomly into the Woodsea.

########Hunter########

"Hahahaha!" Angel laughed haughtily and in pure joy as she guided her weapon's beam through the Wood Doll that was stomping its way over to her. She watched it tumble down into pieces of wood and splinters before she deactivated her weapon. She looked up at the flying ship that fired indiscriminately in all directions and giggled, "I don't think your buddies are doing as well as you thought they would."

"Be quiet!" Sherry yelled in anger as she raised her hands and created a giant doll of rock and earth at her whim. She waved her hands and made the giant rock construct move with her demands as it lumbered forward to attack Angel-

"We are barreling through!"

A powerful gust of wind and dust formed together as a tornado of sand. The millions of whooshing particles tore through the rock being held together with her magic and caused it to topple down into the ground. Sherry shielded her eyes and looked over at the tanned man standing by Angel's side with a massive metal tail protruding from his backside, "Sorry little lady, but we can't let you go hurting our master like that. Sand Buster!"

Another tornado of sand blasted towards Sherry who was preparing herself to block. But Ren dashed in front of her and raised his hands up to block, "Aerial!" A dome of Air magic was formed in front of them and blocked most of the incoming sand tornado before it could shred them apart. After a moment the Spirit's attack finally stopped and Ren exhaled in relief, "So this is the strength of the scorpion Celestial Spirit."

"You're tough dude!" Scorpio praised the Pegasus Mage's ability and fortitude to withstand his attack, "We don't think there are many people who could fend off our Sand Buster! You must be super strong."

"I appreciate your compliment, even if it's coming from my foe's side." Ren wiped his face clean and stood up as the Christina's volley of blasts covered the sky around them, "It doesn't quite sit well with me to attack a woman, even if they are my enemy, but I suppose chivalry can take a backseat to necessity at a time like this." He looked over his shoulder as Sherry caught her breath, "Do you need some help?"

"Didn't you just say you were abandoning your chivalry?" She derided him as she stood back up, a little worn out but ready to fight again. Sherry looked over at the smiling Dark Mage and her summons, "We have to find a way to fight back against her."

"Scorpio is a powerful Celestial Spirit that uses sand attacks, but I think I should be able to at least hold him off with my Air. That being said," His eyes settled on Caelum, the robotic summon that stayed by Angel's side, "I'm having a hard time gauging when I can attack when her flying sentry/cannon/sword can make a move at any moment."

"I've tested my Doll Attack magic on Celestial Spirits before," Sherry reminded herself of the fight she had with the blonde Fairy Tail Mage not too long ago before she rejoined Lamia Scale, "I found out I can control Celestial Spirits against their whim. I'm not sure if I can do it on two of them at once, but I know for sure that I can do it."

"That's useful." Ren said, "But why haven't you used it yet?"

"Honestly..." Sherry looked conflicted and thought back to her callous behavior controlling the Celestial Spirits in her last fight, smiling and enjoying her victory while they begged her to stop, "I have something of a bad taste in my mouth thinking back on it. Especially at the idea that the Fairy hussy would turn her nose up in disgust at me."

"I don't know what to say about not using an advantage like that in our current situation." Sherry pouted and frowned up at the disapproving tone the Pegasus Mage was giving her, "But...I can understand why you wouldn't want to do that." Ren's eyes narrowed in thought, "A member of our guild didn't treat her Celestial Spirit's properly, deciding to use them like objects. And it cost her dearly for that attitude. So I'll respect your decision, but ask that if things take a turn that you do what must be done to protect yourself."

...

"What?"

"Just surprised." Sherry whispered, "Here I thought you were some no good womanizing bozo. And now I find a shred of character under all that ostentatious clothing and repugnant body spray."

"Not like I was doing it to impress you."

"Ugh, you two virgin playthings done flirting yet?" Angel gagged in disgust as she had to watch the two Mages affirm their cooperation. The Dark Mage shivered and almost retched, "I came here to torment and humiliate, not be forced to suffer as two idiots so repressed and delirious fumble around even talking to each other."

"It's sweet." Scorpio said with a smile, "Reminds us of our baby back home. Damn if she ain't the most affectionate and cutest little thing in all the-"

"Seriously, any more and I'll gag." The white-haired woman shuddered before swinging her hand around, "Just demolish them before they send any more chills up my spine."

"Sand Buster!"

Ren created another wall of empty Air to block the incoming attack, causing the blinding amount of sand to fly up through the space around them as it rushed forward. While he blocked, Sherry placed her hands down on the ground and focused her magic. Roots and mud and gravel piled together into a Mud Doll and lumbered forward to attack.

"Caelum."

The mechanical spirit activated its beam and tore through the gravel like nothing. Sherry clicked her tongue as Angel smirked and pointed her finger. Caelum dutifully obeyed and shifted towards its new target.

Sherry realized that Ren would be in the path of the next attack. And he was still occupied with fending off Scorpio's attack so it didn't injure her. The next attack would tear through his body and leave him open for the sand. Sherry wasn't going to let that happen. She kept the mounted Spirit in her sights and focused-

Two arrows flew through the air.

One hitting Caelum and sending its beam astray.

The other hitting Scorpio's tail and interrupting his attack.

They all looked over to see the source of this intervention.

Ren had a small smile of relief at their backup.

Angel clicked her tongue in annoyance.

And Sherry...

Was ashamed to admit how glad she was to see her.

"Hey!" Lucy called out, stomping her foot and pointing at Angel as Sagittarius notched another arrow on his bow and aimed, "Don't you know when you mess with one of our friends, you mess with all of us!"

"Oh goody, they sent the bimbo." Angel's growled, "You know I'm starting to thinking you're trying to insult me with all these pathetic enemies getting sent my way."

########Hunter########

"Ugh, d-dammit."

Brain groaned and hissed in pain as he lifted himself out of the hole Jellal had dug him into. The older Dark Mage flinched in pain as a phantom ache from the bruises and cuts he had received from Jellal's surprise attack ran through his body, "Ungrateful little mongrel." Brain seethed as he lifted himself, "I taught him everything he knows. He is indebted to me enough to pay me back a dozen lifetimes over. And he attacks me without hesitation at the earliest moment. I will make him suffer for this!"

As Brain lifted himself up he noticed that the girl and the cat they had kidnapped had snuck away in the commotion. The only thing left in place was Midnight, still blissfully unaware of the commotion that had been going on and sleeping without a care in the world.

Brain's hand swung down and struck the young man across the face. He still slept, but there was a red mark across his cheek, "Useless."

Brain used his staff as a walking stick and helped carry himself over to the entrance of the cave to look out over the immediate area. The Woodsea still seemed to be standing, even if there was a patch of it in smoke with the Christina raining down artillery.

"Damn fools," Brain derided as he wiped his face, "If they rain down upon the Nirvana then I will assure them an unending-"

His eyes widened in fright as he finished wiping his face. None of the others had returned to the cave since embarking out. They would have helped him recover faster and started searching for Jellal. In a panic Brain swung his staff through the air and created a mirror of ice and water that reflected his appearance.

Two lines.

Two of the six lines had faded from his face.

Two of Oración Seis' Pillars had fallen to the imbeciles that believed themselves to be guardians of the light.

"No no no, we can't waste time like this." Brain whispered before looking out over the forest again. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before speaking crisply and clearly, "Cobra, if you are still active then I know you can hear me. Two of the six have fallen in battle. I thought those fools were simply blustering, but apparently they may pose more of a threat than anticipated. And to make matters worse Jellal has been revived and escaped after attacking me. I don't know where he is right now, but he only just recovered so he can't have gotten far. I need you to search and find him, but don't engage. He's still recovering but he is still powerful enough to earn that Wizard Saint title. If you can hear me, start a smoke trail from one of the trees. When you find him, set two so I can start planning how to properly incapacitate him."

Brain took a deep breath to calm himself down after having a quick panic attack at the idea that their plans would fail. He waved his staff around and conjured a soft wave of wind to wash over him. The grime and dirt and sand that covered his body was blown away, leaving only a few scuff marks and injuries remaining to mar his appearance. After a moment Brain looked back up and his eyes widened to see not just one but two faint smoke pillars rising in the distance.

The Dark Mage smirked and tried to stifle his joyous chortle, "Well done my boy. I knew I could rely on you to help in our time of need. Keep an eye on him for now, and see if he makes any moves. If he tries to escape the Woodsea, apprehend him. I'll try to make my way over as soon as I can."

If that little wretch thought he was going to escape after being revived like that, then he had another thing coming. And if he thought he was going to stop them from reaching their goal, he was going to regret believing he was that fortunate.

########Hunter########

Lyon and Eve gasped for breath as they reeled back from the Wind attacks they had been taking at Erigor's hands. They had exhausted themselves fighting against the rest of the followers on the ship, and now while they were running on fumes they were finally faced with the madman that had been hovering over and watching them with a sadistically gleeful smile.

Lyon snarled through his teeth and pushed himself up, running along the deck of the ship and trying to gain an angle to attack his foe. Erigor simply turned in the air, waving his hands around and sending sickles of sharp wind raining down over him. The Lamia Mage outran most of the incoming attacks, but they quickly cut him off and left him open to the onslaught of attacks.

Erigor was nearly knocked out of the air when a rush of snow blew into his flank. The Dark Mage weathered the literal snowstorm before his deadly glare focused down at the young Pegasus Mage attacking him. He created a funnel of Wind magic that bared down on Eve, causing the young man to brace himself before he was violently blown off his feet. With a bodily slam he left a deep indent in one of Christina's walls and gagged before he slumped down on the floor.

"Hahahahaha!" Erigor cackled mockingly while looking down at the young suited man trying to pick himself up, "Little winded there, brat? No worries, here…" He held up his hand and formed another small vortex over his palm, "Let me give you some!" He threw bursts of wind down again and again that pelted the deck around Eve and hit him as well. The Dark Mage wasn't concerned with accuracy and simply enjoyed himself as he attacked his exhausted foes, "Just a little longer and the Oración Seis will have found their target. After that I can go around and just enjoy myself. Maybe I can convince them to let me take this little beauty on a joyride. Can you imagine what the Blue Pegasus' personal vehicle will go for on the market?"

"Y-You," With a shaky breath Eve tried to lift himself up on trembling arms, "Won't get away with this."

"Oh you think so?" Erigor sent down another blast of wind and knocked the support Eve's hands gave him from under him, "Let me guess…even if you fall, your precious comrades will find their way up here and stop me, right? I should warn you that I'm still a little sour from a fight I had a few months back, so if you bring up anything about camaraderie then this will be so much worse for you."

"Our friends are strong enough to do this, but we don't need to rely on them to beat you and take back this ship." Erigor and Eve looked over as Lyon lifted himself up from the wreck of the deck. He had cuts and lacerations bleeding through his jacket, but he grabbed his collar and yanked his clothes off in one quick movement. The Lamia Mage stood proudly with his chest bare and slammed his fist against the guild insignia on his chest, "I am more than enough to handle this task, and I will continue to fight this battle to my last breath. Jura-San, Obaba-sama, and my guild trust in this strength I've cultivated," A cold air lifted off his body and he clenched his fist, "And I will crush anyone that attempts to belittle our strength."

"Heh, well said." Eve lifted himself up and started working on the buttons of his suit, "You know I've been surrounded by men and women I've admired for years now. They fight and charge and move ahead for everything they've desired, and I always feel like I'm falling behind or lacking in something. Then I remember what Boss says," Eve smirked as he pulled his clothes off and tossed them to the side, "I can't hesitate. I can't falter. No matter what stands in my path, because if I buckle and turn away then it will forever loom over me. So no matter how daunting this task may seem…" Eve threw up his hands and the temperature immediately dropped a dozen degrees, "I will face it like a man of Blue Pegasus! White Out!"

Another immense blizzard of snow overtook the Christina and the sky around it as snowflakes fell like hail and visibility became nearly zero. Erigor felt a chill run over him as the heat nearly abandoned his body and his skin started to cool down. But still the Dark Mage kept his wits and looked down at where the Christina was just a moment ago. It was lost in the blizzard, as was even his hand just hovering before his face. He chuckled to himself as he was sure his foes wouldn't hear him over the raging snow, "That's actually pretty impressive, if a little desperate. Unfortunately for you-"

Eirogor tensed his body and yelled, releasing a massive gust of wind from around himself that dispersed the blizzard instantly. He snickered as he saw Eve looking up at him, "You aren't going to stop me with just a little snow-"

Erigor groaned as he felt a sharp pain in his lower body. He shakily looked down and saw a head of light blue hair pressed into his chest. Lyon had created a temporary staircase for him to climb, and leapt up at Erigor when he was distracted. The Dark Mage gagged and looked down to see the Lamia Mage had formed an icicle which he lodged into Erigor's side.

"Y-You," Erigor hissed and grabbed Lyon's face as he raged, "You fucking piece of shit!"

"I know you said the snow wouldn't be enough, but how do you feel about ice?"

Lyon slammed his hands together and Erigor found himself caught in a cast of ice that covered his body. With his body covered and his Wind magic blocked, Erigor and Lyon quickly dropped back down towards the Christina. Erigor tried to break out but Lyon quickly grabbed him and dragged him down while they dropped towards the cockpit, "You never should have underestimated us!"

"DAMMMMMMIT-"

They crashed through the top and Eve covered his eyes as the smoke and dust rushed over him. It disappeared in the wind running along the ship and cleared up the inside. Eve quickly ran inside the control room to see what had happened.

Lyon lifted himself up and looked down at Erigor, who was unconscious and bleeding from the mouth with his ice cast fully broken from the force. The blue-haired Mage lifted himself up with some tenderness in his aching body before spitting to the side, "Told you our strength was nothing to scoff at."

"Lyon-San, that was amazing!" Eve cheered as he ran up to his comrade, "I'm so glad you used my screen to act. I didn't know if you'd realize that was part of the plan or not."

"Yeah, pretty obvious, but could have used the warning." Lyon rubbed his shoulder and looked at his comrade oddly, "Why did you take your shirt off by the way?"

Eve blanked, "B-Because it was a sign of us working together? A show of brotherhood and camaraderie? I just did it because you-"

"Oh shit!" Lyon looked down and realized he was bare-chested, "I did again! Dammit!"

"O-Oh, that wasn't on purpose." The young Mage flushed with embarrassment and covered his chest in shame, "I think I should probably grab my jacket-"

Both men flinched as klaxons started to chime and warning lights went off rapidly. Christina started to shake and dip through the air haphazardly. Eve and Leon looked at each other before turning to the control panel of the ship.

The one broken and dented with Erigor's unconscious body making an imprint in it.

Lyon sighed, "Shit, I thought Gray was the destructive one. I'm never gonna live this down."

"If it's any consolation we'll only be living with it for a few more moments."

########Hunter########

'What is he doing?'

Cobra thought to himself as he watched the blue-haired Wizard Saint roam around the forest. He defeated the bozos that tried to drop him when he crossed their path. He even stripped one of their clothes and changed into it before walking off. Since then he'd just been wandering along like a dump puppy before changing directions.

It was like watching a bird. One that was lost and just helplessly flapping around for a direction. Until suddenly they knew - as if by instinct - that it was somewhere else they needed to go. Jellal looked lost, but then made turns and corners that no one would make unless they had a destination in mind. Finally Jellal came to a stop and stood in front of a tree in the forest.

A tree larger than any other, surrounded by hills and rocks on all sides. Enough that it was almost completely hidden from sight. No one would be able to discern that it was here just by walking through the forest. You would have to know where it was in order to find it.

This bastard Jellal...he really knew what this place was.

Jellal raised his hand towards the body of the massive tree and closed his eyes. He weaved his fingers through the air in a particular pattern with magic brimming off his fingertips. With a quick swipe sideways he finished what he was doing…

And everything shook.

Magical seals and patterns glowed along the body of the tree before the entire thing started to glow. Its form drastically changed from the normal tree to a twisting, unnatural form of black and white. And then finally it exploded, a massive pillar of white and black energy bursting up and piercing the sky above it.

Cobra shielded himself and Cubelious from the immense rush of magical power that gusted over them. Even then the Dark Mage could not pull his sight away from watching the magic pierce the sky as swathes of black and white started to peel off the pillar and spread out over the forest. This was it…

"Nirvana."

Jellal looked back and spotted him standing by the rock. Cobra had been so engrossed with the reveal of the ancient magic that he had stopped hiding to admire it. The Dark Mage faced down the Wizard Saint with a nervous grin on his face as Nirvana continued to release around them, "Shit, I guess I got a little too excited."

"Who...are you?"

########Hunter########

"LYON-SAMA!" Sherry screeched as she watched the mighty airship sail down through the air with smoke and fire trailing behind it.

"Ahahaha!" Angel laughed mockingly as they others watched their ship and friends fall out of the sky, "I guess it wasn't such a good idea to trust your buddies with that job, huh? They're kinda fucked beyond belief know, don't you think?"

"What?" Lucy looked up in shock and confusion as the Christina sailed away, "What happened? Why is the ship falling?"

"I don't know!" Ren yelled in panic, blocking the blasts from Caelum that continued to fire as they worried about the ship crashing overhead, "Dammit! Eve, what the hell are you doing?!"

Sherry watched breathless as the ship continued to descended faster and faster over the treetops. She watched in horror as the flaming ship finally passed beyond the point they could see and continued to sail downwards. Until...

There was a loud boom, a mighty shake through the ground, and a glow over the trees that matched the color of the setting sun.

Sherry dropped to her knees in disbelief as the others looked on in horror.

"Well, looks like you're down a few friends now, aren't you?"

Lucy and Ren turned on Angel for her mocking tone and laugh at their comrades' deaths. But before they could make her stop, they paused and looked up at the anomaly piercing the sky.

Angel followed their gaze and spotted the pillar of black and white magic towering up from another part of the forest. The strange occurrence was new and unheard of, but Angel knew what it meant - she knew the moment she saw such abundant magic spread out from the focal point, "Nirvana."

"Nirvana?" Lucy repeated, "That's what the Oración Seis has been going after?"

"I can't believe those morons were actually able to find it. I might just congratulate them when I see them again." Angel smirked and then turned back to the Mages she was fighting, "Since we found what we're looking for, I shouldn't be wasting any more time with you losers. Caelum, how about you give them a quick little shot right between the-"

A beam tore through Angel's abdomen before she could finish her sentence. The Dark Mage spat up blood and dropped to the ground with a pained moan as Lucy and Ren stared in shock.

"Shut your filthy mouth."

They looked back and saw Sherry's hand outstretched, focusing her magic as Caelum started to beep and alarm in panic. The pink-haired woman stared down at her bleeding enemy with malicious spite in her eyes, a black miasma coalescing around as she lifted herself up, "Lyon-sama...you fools cost him his life. And now...now I'm going to make you pay."

"Sherry! What are you doing?!"

"This whore is part of the Oración Seis. She's part of the reason Lyon-sama is dead now." Sherry muttered, lifeless and void of the passion she once had as she aimed Caelum down at Angel, "She should suffer. Bit by bit. Every...single...pain-"

"Enough." Ren yelled, standing between Caelum and the injured Angel, "She's down and injured. There's nothing else she can do. We're ending this here." He glared at Sherry's empty eyes, "We're not resorting to these measures."

"Yeah," Lucy nodded as Sagittarius agreed beside her, "We don't have to go that far."

Sherry looked between the two of them before lowering her hand. Caelum was released from her hold and Ren nodded as Lucy let out a breath of fresh air-

"GAH!"

Ren screamed as an arrow pierced through his shoulder and came out the other side. Lucy panicked, "Sagittarius!"

"I-I'm sorry ma'am." The honorable Celestial Spirit struggled as he notched another arrow and took aim, "B-But I can't control it-"

"If you help her, then you're just as bad as her." Sherry muttered, her voice dropping down as she growled, "And you need to be punished as well."

########Hunter########

"Whoa." Natsu said as he looked up at the black and white magic filling the sky, "That's new."

"That thing is super powerful." Gray noted, nursing his bruised side and cracked ribs, "What the hell is it?"

"N-Nirvana." The Fairy Mages looked over as Hoteye opened his eyes and lifted himself up from the ground. He coughed and gagged, spitting up a few drops of blood that stained his lips as he did. The bulky man looked up at the beautiful lights and smirked, "We did it. We finally found our answer."

Natsu looked up at the lights of white and black and frowned in anger, "So that's it? That's the magic that's gonna change people's hearts and minds?" The Dragon Slayer snarled before turning on the Pillar, "How do we stop it?"

"You can't. It's too late." Hoteye chuckled, "We've already won."

"Natsu!" The Fairy Mages looked up and saw Happy sailing through the air before dropping straight down. He ran into Natsu's chest and screamed with joy and relief seeing his friend again, "Natsu!"

"Happy!" Natsu squeezed his blue cat companion tightly to his chest and grinned in delight. He pulled Happy back and looked the blue cat over as tears filled their eyes, "We were looking all over for you! W-Who found you-"

"Me and Wendy escaped together! And Naruto found us and got us back to Erza!" Happy rubbed his eyes, "When we knew she was gonna be okay I went flying around looking for you! A-And I heard you yell and came right over!" He sniffled before his joy quickly changed to anxiety when he looked up at the ancient magic being released, "But what do we do about that now?"

"I told you there's nothing you can do." Hoteye repeated with a malicious grin, "We've already won."

"Shut up." Gray stomped his foot and stood over the injured Dark Mage, cracking his knuckles and making his threat clear, "Now you are going to tell us how you're going to control that magic and how we can stop it."

"I don't know." Hoteye laughed, "Brain didn't fill us in on the minute details."

"Dammit you son of a bitch!" Gray roared, grabbing Hoteye's collar and lifting the larger man up to face him directly, "What the hell are you getting out of all this?! Why would you have to go this far?!"

"Exactly what I need." Hoteye said firmly as he just smirked at Gray's loss of composure. He threw the larger man down and Hoteye laid in the dirt, breathing heavily as he closed his eyes, "Once we can control people, we can do anything. Take anything. I can get as much money as I need."

"Money? You're doing this for money?! What could possibly be so important that you would trade all these people's lives?!"

"I don't care about other people. As long as I can get the resources...for my wish." Hoteye closed his eyes and drifted off, "My prayer...to find Wally...once more."

"Wally?" Happy repeated when he heard the name, "Wally?"

"Wally?" Natsu joined in and tilted his head in confusion, "Why does that name sound familiar?"

"You know I think I've heard that name too." Gray scratched his head as he wracked his brain, "Um...I can't...oh!" He exclaimed, "Wasn't he Erza and Naruto's friend or something? Wasn't he-"

"He was the guy that shot Natsu in the mouth!"

"Oh yeah!" Natsu fumed in anger, "I almost forgot about that! The blocky guy from the island! Huh, I wonder what he's doing now?"

Hoteye's eyes popped open in shock before he looked up at the men he had been fighting just moments ago, "What?" With renewed vigor and energy he ignored the injuries that covered his body and lifted himself up, "Did you say you know Wally? Wally Buchanan?"

"Uh, I think that was his name, yeah. He was a blocky guy, like he was made up of squares or something." Natsu tried to focus and remember the image of the man they had met months earlier, "Actually your jagged chin and stuff reminds me of how he looked. How do you know-"

"Tell me!" Hoteye immediately lurched forward and grabbed Natsu's shoulders. Gray took a ready stance to attack but Natsu couldn't feel any malice or intent coming from his actions. Hoteye desperately asked, "Tell me he's still alive! Tell me he's safe!"

"He's alive." Natsu nodded, "He was okay the last time we saw him. It was a while back, but he was going on a trip with his friends to see the world." Hoteye's eyes widened and started to water as Natsu looked on in surprise, "How do you know him?"

"Ahhhh...aahhhh...aaaAAAAHHHHHHH!"

A white light started to surround Hoteye as he screamed, "Natsu!"

"Look out!"

"AAAAAAA - ISN'T IT WONDERFUL?!" Natsu was swept off his feet and twirled around as Hoteye giggled and smiled gleefully. The giant Dark Mage had sparkles and stars in his eyes as he cheered in a singsong voice, "My baby brother's alive and well! And traveling with his friends! Oh happy day! Happy day!" He pulled Natsu in and hugged him tightly, "Thank you so much young man! Thank you for giving me the good news!"

...

Natsu, Gray, and Happy were all so shocked their eyes were simply vacant white dots. They could do nothing but watch and be carried along as Hoteye celebrated the good news.

"Um...huh?"

########Hunter########

Light and consciousness pierced the veil of haze that was pervading her mind. With a small moan she opened her eyes and stared up at the orange sky. And then found her sight filled with yellow and blue hair.

"Erza-San!"

"She's awake."

"That's a relief."

Erza slowly lifted herself up and rubbed her head. She felt a faint ache on her arm where the serpent had bitten her and injected its poison. Soon her memories came back to her, as did the immediate panic and worry. But before she could jump up to fight or run, she spotted Wendy kneeling by her side with a tired look on her face, "Wendy?"

"You're okay." The young girl panted and rubbed her head, "I was really worried."

"You had many of us worried, Titania. But I'm relieved to see you're back with us in the land of the living."

"How long have I been out?" Erza rubbed her head and then looked to her other side. A few feet away Hibiki had a relieved expression as he smiled and continued to type on his screen, "Where are the others?"

"Everyone separated to locate the Oración Seis and find a way to help you." Hibiki smiled charmingly, "I think helping you recover was the first thing we could all agree on was that was important."

"I'm sorry for burdening all of you so far." She bowed her head apologetically before lifting herself up. Wendy raised her hands to try and stop her but the redhead was already on her feet and steadying herself. She looked around a little more, "Do you know where-"

"Hey."

Something dropped to the ground to their side as another person rejoined their group. Erza looked over and saw he was covered in dirt, bruises, and blood. His clothes were ragged and torn, and his hair was dirtied by everything imaginable. But still none of that seemed to matter as he smiled and slowly approached her.

Erza looked up at him as he approached, completely informing how baldly he was hurt in order to see that she was okay. She said a sad smile, "I'm sorry for worrying you."

"Me? Worried?" Naruto grinned, "Do I look like the type?"

She gave a small giggle before leaning in and embracing him. Naruto immediately returned it, hugging her tightly and finding unspeakable relief in seeing her up and about without the poison tainting her body. After a moment of assuring the other they were safe, they pulled back and looked at each other, "What happened while I was out?"

"The groups are separated. We're fighting the Oración Seis and their underlings." Naruto and the others all looked up at the tower of light coming from further down the forest, "And I think they already found Nirvana."

"Well it sounds like the worst possible scenario is already playing out."

"Actually..." Naruto looked down at his lover with a conflicted expression. She tilted her head in confusion at his reluctance, "You have no idea how bad it actually is."

########Hunter########

Done

Well, today is the day. I barely finished this in time to drop today, but it had to be today.

The final episode. And end to an era. I can't believe it has finally reached this point.

I know the manga ended a while back, and there's the 100 Year Quest and the Hero story climbing out soon, but this is still huge. This is the last piece of Fairy Tail that a lot of other people will ever get.

I know it gets ragged on, and people always come back to the power of friendship problems the show has, and they weren't totally wrong. But even so, I love this series.

I loved it when I found it during the Oración Seis finale. I followed it almost religiously as it came out week by week. I loved the story and the setting and the characters and the anime and the music and the moments and everything.

To see it come to an end...it's heartbreaking, but relieving.

So long Fairy...where are you going.

ReadxReview

Thank You and Bye