Part 1: The Regathering of Fairy Tail

Chapter 1: Erza

"It's so beautiful here," Erza said to herself as she laid in the field of round, golden wildflowers that glowed like tiny little suns. "This is the famous field of emotion…the flowers change colors based on how you're feeling. I'm feeling pretty peaceful and relaxed now."

Erza had just finished a five-day long training regimen that she appointed for herself. She had trained nonstop, all to forget about Fairy Tail's division and disbandment. She had been lonely for a little while, although she never admitted it. Despite her loneliness, she knew that, even though her comrades of the former guild were off doing their own thing… the bond they shared was eternal. This was how she could be at peace, laying in the field of emotion.

"I have to keep strong…keep strong for that day that we all face off against Zeref, that fell dragon and E.N.D. I know the day will come, sooner or later."

A warm breeze blew in the field, and Erza sensed a nostalgic presence. She sat up and looked ahead of her. About thirty feet away, a hooded figure stood, looking at her with a melancholic gaze. The flowers around him were in the shape of thunderclouds, and were as gray as a stormy afternoon.

"Jellal?" she said under her breath. She stood up.

The man removed his hood. It was Jellal.

Suddenly, all of the flowers around them turned a vibrant, radiant red, and took the shape of little hearts.

Both Erza and Jellal blushed at this sight, but neither of them said anything. He walked toward her. The very sight of her made him smile, if only slightly.

"Hello, Erza," he said.

"H-hi, Jellal," she said.

He placed both hands on her face and looked at her with a hot intensity. This made her face turn even redder than the flowers below them.

She looked back at him, her heart violently leaped inside of her chest.

"Those eyes," he said.

"What about them?"

He smiled. "They're your eyes…Erza."

"What are you talking about?"

He hugged her. After a moment of confusion, she hugged back. After a long, emotional embrace, they let go.

"There's…something I need to tell you, Erza," said Jellal, his smile quickly turning into a frown. The flowers below him began to turn gray again, but one petal on each flower was still a vibrant red.

She looked down, closed her eyes. "It's always business with you…"

"Something's happened."

She looked at him. "What do you mean? Is it Zeref? E.N.D? Or Acnologia?"

"Not…exactly," he said. He took a moment to compose himself. "Three days ago, my team and I went on a mission to Infernum Mountain—"

"Infernum Mountain? Are you insane?" she cried.

"I was given information that there was something up there connected to the dark wizard. So, we went up to investigate. It turns out that the information was correct…"

"What happened? Who gave you such information?"

He looked away from her, shame haunted his face. "I thought it was you."

She took a step back. "You thought it was me? I wouldn't dare tell you to—"

"I realize that now," he said.

"What happened?"

He took a deep breath. "There were seven books of Zeref up there."

"As in the books that contain the Etherious?"

"Indeed, but these weren't like those demons."

"They were set free?" she asked, shocked.

Jellal went to his knees and covered his face. "I-I thought we were doing the right thing. We went to destroy whatever dark magic was up there. We weren't expecting the demons to be so…so powerful." He paused. "Because I led the seven of us up there, they were able to escape."

She knelt down and touched his shoulder. "It was not your fault, you couldn't have known."

"It was my fault. I was tricked again…"

"Who were these demons?"

"I've never sensed anything like them. Their strength was suffocating…and I didn't recognize them, and I've done extensive research on Zeref's demons. I can tell you that one of them is called Nataliah, and she possesses some kind of illusionary curse, she used it to trick me. She made a thought projection of you so that I would take my team up there. When they were freed, she told me that they needed seven specific wizards to do so."

"The seven members of Crime Sorcière? Why?" she asked.

"She said that they needed seven wizards that have been touched by darkness, but strive for the light. It…it was our darkness that they needed."

"Jellal, look at me," Erza said sternly.

He glanced up at her.

"I said look at me."

He looked at her with such pain.

"There are plenty of dark wizards out there. It sounded like it wasn't only the darkness they sought, but the light as well. The seven of you are working to redeem yourselves, free yourselves from that darkness."

"Yes, and clearly it has a grasp on us even still."

"You're wrong…when I look at you, I don't see the dark deeds you've done. I see my dear friend, the friend I thought I had lost all of those years ago."

"None of that matters. We set those monsters free…and there is one sure way to send them back."

"What is it?" she asked.

He grabbed her hands. "You need to kill me."

Her eyes widened with surprise and horror. "What? How would that solve anything?"

He let go of her hands and stood up. "Let me show you something." He unbuttoned his robe and tossed it off.

"What are you showing me?" she asked. She turned a little red.

He didn't answer. He just silently unbuttoned his shirt and took it off as well. Erza started to turn redder. The sight of his muscular form made her all but breathless.

Then, she noticed something on his torso. There were strange, white markings on his stomach and chest that resembled the wings of a bird. Not two wings, but four. Two came downwards from his shoulder blades and connected at the middle of his chest, and two came upwards from his lower torso upwards to directly under his chest. The four wings were almost touching each other.

"What is that?" she said.

He turned around to show her his back. There was the image of a white bird of prey with four wings outstretched to his front. Its talons were opened and rested on his lower back.

Erza touched it gently, he recoiled and put his shirt back on.

"It's something similar to Body Link magic…but it's a curse. It's what binds the demons to this world. One of the demons told another not to kill us. I believe this is why. If we die, they will be sealed away once again. We tried to kill ourselves, but couldn't. Then, we guild tried to kill each other for the greater good, but we were unable. I believe the curse prevents us from taking our own lives, or the lives of each other. But…but you could do it, Erza." The flowers below him turned a darker gray.

She stomped her foot, killing some of the flowers. "I refuse to kill you!"

"Don't be selfish, Erza. This isn't about me, it's about saving this world from destruction!"

"I'm the selfish one? You're asking me to take the life of the man that I…" she paused. "I won't do it! We'll find another way, we always do."

"Please…just kill me. You didn't see them, you didn't feel the power I felt. Their collective power was stronger than anything I've felt before. Stronger than Zeref, stronger than Acnologia."

"We'll find a way to beat them, together. That's where I stand."

"But—" he couldn't finish his sentence. He saw that Erza was starting to cry.

"Please…don't ask me again. I can't lose you, Jellal. I lost you...twice already. I won't lose you again."

He closed his eyes. The petals on the flowers below him began to get a little brighter. "So, you think we can stop them?"

"I do…we can gather all of the former Fairy Tail guild that're scattered to the four corners. With the combined power of our guilds, there's nothing we couldn't handle."

He managed to grin. "Always the optimist, aren't?"

"It's something that grew on me…being a member of Fairy Tail does that to a person."

"Very well, we'll do it your way, Finding your friends will be pretty easy."

"What makes you say that?" she asked.

"The rest of my guild are searching them out. They said they wanted to die by Fairy Tail's hand. Something about poetic justice or something. Something tells me that they'll get the same answer I got."

"Indeed, they will…" said a low voice.

Jellal and Erza looked around, to see where the voice came from. Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and the two of them were engulfed by it.