Natsu got caught up playing roulette, badly at that. Grey was on the slots for the time we were there, and a blue haired woman walked up to him, saying she wanted to join Fairy Tail.. That, and she noted she wanted to join Fairy Tail. I was nearby at the time, so I walked over and put a hand on the woman's shoulder and said, "A new recruit! Excellent! Come, talk with me for a second miss."
The woman seemed hesitant to come with me, and her blush when she finally did gave her away. Hoo boy, she was head over heels with Grey before she even joined.
"So, sir, who are you?" She started.
"Oh, right, sorry. I'm used to being around people I know, my name is Mar, user of Archive and S class mage of Fairy Tail." Damn it feels good to say that.
"S class! You! What about Grey?"
"No, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was up for promotion next time we have an S class trial. You seem to be quite taken by Grey, don't you miss..."
She blushed rather heavily, I swear I could see steam rising from her head. "J-Juvia Lockster, sir."
I laughed at her sudden nervousness, then patted her lightly on the back, saying "I'm no sir, it's just Mar. I also see I struck the nail on the head, so let me give you some advice: Grey is an Ice Make user, he likes his food at polar extremes." I added with a wink.
Juvia clued into what I had just told her, then bowed to me and said, "Thank you sir! I'll take that advice to heart! But I already knew about his Ice Make." She cringed when she said that last statement. She clearly didn't mean too.
"Don't worry Juvia, I already know."
"My magic is rather unique, I can sense different kinds of Magic from quite a distance. We never met during that whole incident, but I felt you fighting Grey. It helps that you're the only Water mage I have ever known."
"W-wow. That's something sir."
"Please, my name is Mar! You're going to be Fairy Tail soon, so I'm no sir, I'm family. Now go back to Grey, my name just got called for participation in the Arena."
With that I ran off towards the ring, removing my shirt as I did. Juvia went back to Grey's side. I threw my shirt at the refferee and jumped into the pit they dug out for mages to fight without damaging the building.
My opponent was a big fellow. Used magic to enhance his own physical prowess. I decided to stick to one kind of Magic, two at most. I didn't need to draw attention to myself.
I re equiped Gilgimesh for the first time since I fought Deliora, and surprisingly, I hadn't forgot a thing about using it. The large man and I charged at each other, then started striking. Matching punch for punch at a nearly sonic rate. Just as I broke away from our barrage and was about to score a knockout punch, I heard a gunshot from the casino. We both stopped and stated "Later" before crawling out of the pit by hand, as no one had the decency to open the damn gates.
The scene was absolute chaos. Lucy was tied up on the ground, Natsu was out cold and his forhead was smoking, and Grey appeared to have LITERALLY got the sense knocked out of him. Juvia and Happy were no where to be seen. My opponent made a break for it the moment he figured out the casino was under attack. Coward. There was a group of people I had never seen. One who looked like he was made out of blocks, a skinny one with blonde hair, a woman who obviously had a thing for cats, and a large fellow with an eyepatch. I jumped at them in rage, knowing they were the ones to hurt my friends, and almost clocked the big one, but instead I missed, and Gilgimesh blew the floor into pieces, almost like a small meteor had impacted. It was then I noticed, Erza was over the big one's shoulder, and she had a dart sticking out of her neck. SHIT. There was a stinging sensation in my neck, and I turned to see that the blocky one's hand had assimilated behind me, and had likely hit me with the same dart that Erza had.
I refused to let it end there. I know I wouldn't be able to hold out for long, but I was still awake damnit! I let the demon flow through me, though I could only manage my aura form. I lept out of the crater I had created, Gilgimesh still equipped, and dove at the intruders. They weren't expecting me this time, and I got the blonde one clean in the face. He sailed toward the wall, and smashed through it. One down.
"I'm not done yet! GIVE ERZA BACK!" I yelled, adrenaline overtaking my body.
This scared two of the remaining members of the goon squad, but the tall fellow remained neutral. Probably had something to do with the bear trap for a lower jaw he had.
The cat lady came next, trying to bind me with the same type of rope Lucy was bound with. I noticed something though, the rope was attempting to constrict me. I smiled at the attempt, then started circulating Lightning around myself, causing the rope to catch fire and burn up.
The cat lady then had an idea. She started constricting LUCY's rope instead. I heard her screaming, she was helpless.
"She won't survive unless you help herrrrrrr." the woman said.
"AHHHHHH! FUCK!" was all I could manage before leaping over to Lucy with the last of my strength, then using my re equiped hand as a knife, and cutting through her restraints. That was all I could manage. I passed out beside Lucy, hoping my dozed state didn't cause me to cut her skin in addition to the rope.
I awoke to water on my face, and remembered what had happened before. Shit. I had let those bastards get away with Erza. I realised Gilgimesh was still equiped only after I had hit the floor, yelling "DAMNIT!" repeatedly. The resulting impact created another crater, almost knocking Lucy clean off her feet. Her scream brought me back to reality, causing me to yell "Sorry!" over the destruction.
Juvia materialised out of water infront of me as I was getting up, and told me, "You did everything humanly possible to save her, then some. Are you two...lovers?"
This statement caused ME to blush for once, and I could tell everyone else was laughing. "No" I replied calmly. "She's a good friend, a team mate, and family to me, but not that. You'll meet my lover soon enough, but first, we have to get Erza back!"
I jumped out of the new crater as well, Juvia coming up behind me, and I noticed Lucy was back to her usual clothes.
My head dropped at the discovery, and I asked, "How deep did I cut?"
"You missed my skin, although I had to run back up to my room to change. Thanks by the way, I would have died without you."
"How long have I been out?"
"Five minutes, maybe." Grey said. "Natsu's already tailing those guys, we'll get her back."
"Where's Happy?"
"They took him too. Likely the cat lady."
"What happened to Blondy?"
"You mean that guy you hit in the face? He had a very sizable mark on his head, but otherwise he's fine."
"Good, I was dopey at the time, wanted to make sure I didn't kill him. Let's get going then! No time to lose!"
We caught up to Natsu, who had determined they set sail. I took over as our navigator after that, Natsu was rather...indisposed after we set sail. Luckily we have the same nose.
We eventually caught sight of a great tower on the horizen. Based on smell and my ability to sense magic, I knew this was the place.
"Erza's in there. Now let's get over there so I can tear the place to the fucking ground."
We, and by that I mean I, decided that the rest of my team and Juvia would get in through the water, since there were so many guards out front. I decided to go directly for the front door in full demon form. I was going to plow through every single one of them, and honestly? I was going to enjoy it.
I jumped from the boat into the sky, putting the sun behind me and went full demon. The guards began to panic as I hit the ground, Gilgimesh equipped once more. I decided to play off the intimidation factor, and draw as much heat to myself to keep it off of my friends. I regressed to my demon aura form, and began walking slowly toward the door, leaving fire wherever I stepped. Every guard that had the balls to attack me was beaten into unconciousness by a single punch. I abandoned the fire steps jazz and began to circulate my Dark Lightning. The guards retreated, closing and locking the massive door behind them. I gauged that the door was about 20 feet high, and probably weighed a good 2-3 hundred pounds. It was made of stone after all. I tapped the door lightly, testing it's density. About 6 inches was the conclusion I decided on. I backed up slightly, then let out my most ungodly roar. I focused lightning into Gilgimesh, and plowed clean through the door, knocking it off the frame and sending it flying into the back wall.
I noticed a guard ran off and started yelling at a communication crystal. Good. I wanted some more fun.
I un equiped Gilgimesh and started to take people out, some bare handed, some with lightning. Eventually, a guard got up behind me and managed to impale me with a spear, shouting in triumph as he did it. I decided to go for making every guard in the room urinating himself, so I dismissed my demon form, letting my "normal" body fall to the ground, seemingly dead. The same guard walked over and started nudging me, seeing if I was still alive. Just as he pulled back his foot to kick me, I opened my eys, making sure they were glowing red as I did. The sudden movement scared the guard, and all the others in the room, causing him to fall backwards onto the ground. I stood up, and looked at the weapon sticking out of my chest.
"Yesss." I said. "This will do perfectly." I grabbed the weapon, pulling it out through my chest, then wielding the spear. My wound closed quickly, and my aura overtook me once more. I focused my energy in the spear, causing it to glow a blood red, then threw it at the wall, narrowly missing a blew a hole in the wall more then large enough for me to walk through, so I proceeded inward. Remembering my goal, I turned my head and looked at the guards. Two, five, nine...thirteen. Thirteen pairs of obviously wet or soiled undergarments. Huh, I think that's my new record.
As I walked into the next room, I felt a familiar magic presence nearby. Erza had broken free of her captors! I knew she would! Now we just need to find Happy and get out. I tracked Erza's presence to a room adjacent to me, so I decided to take the quick way this time as well. As I was about to smash the wall open, I noticed that Erza was no where close to alone. There were guards all over the room, and my friends were coming within range as well. I began to wonder how many people that guard reached when he yelled through the communicator about the "Demon" busting down the front door.
I re equiped a couple of curved warglaives and kicked the wall in, getting the attention of everyone in the room. I slowly walked in, lightning raging like a tornado around me. Apparently these guards were not informed, because one of them decided to try and stab me. This guard was rewarded with a slash across his chest and a kick to the face, sending him flying into the wall behind him. Don't worry, he wasn't dead, I used my lightning to seal his wound with the heat it generates.
The rest of the guards got smart and ran, just as my friends burst into the room, hoping to help with the fighting.
Erza barely took notice of them, she only turned to me and asked, "Why are you here? Why are ANY of you here? This is my problem, my fight, and I will resolve it alone!"
"Bullshit." I said, letting my demon form and glaives dispel. "You're my friend and my comrade, any fight that is yours is mine and vice versa. I'm sure I speak for everyone else when I say you are either coming back with us, or none of us are going back. Now what the hell is going on here?"
Erza sighed, she could tell I was being sincere, and the looks on the faces of everyone else signified that they agreed with me. "This is a fight I can't win. Even if I live, the loss I will endure will be too much."
I had lost my patience at this point. My friend sounded suicidal, I wasn't about to let that stand. "Erza. Explain. NOW."
Erza picked up on both the concern and the rage in my voice, and she motioned for us to sit. As I sat, I noted that there was an additional Magical Presence nearby, close enough to hear us. It was the blonde man I knocked through the casino wall, without a doubt. I decided to stay quiet about it, it was likely he needed to hear this as well, and if he started anything, I'd end it.
Erza began to talk of her past for the first time since she escaped it. She explained her child life in servitude to build the very tower we now stood in. She explained the entire purpose of this tower was to act as a gigantic lacryma to be used to ressurect Zeref, and was ironically known as the "Tower of Heaven". She explained that there were precious few lights in her life back then, and they consisted entirely of an old Fairy Tail mage and her friends. Eventually, one of her friends named Jellal planned out a slave revolt, but was captured and doomed to be executed before his plan could come to fruition. Erza, inspired by his bravery and drivin by a desire to be free, took the reigns of the plan and led the revolt herself. In the process, the old Fairy Tail mage died protecting Erza, causing Erza to snap and her magic to awaken. She killed several guards in cold blood. Erza then proceeded to the top of the tower where Jellal was being held, but by the time she got there Jellal was already free, and he had changed. No longer was he the kind, compassionate, caring man that Erza knew. He had become a monster, obsessed with ressurecting Zeref to harness his power. Jellal wanted to destroy any and all oppresive forces in the world to create a "True Freedom". Erza was knocked out after Jellal whispered a few simple words. "I'm rebuilding the R system, and if you tell anyone of it's existence, everyone here will die by my hand." She told us she then simply woke on a beach, and made her way to the nearest town. Hungry and desperate, she wandered into a place carrying a familiar mark. Fairy Tail. The rest is history.
Erza was crying heavily by this point, and after she finished, I embraced the woman in the same mannor I did when we first met. She cleared her eyes and pushed me away, saying, "I will be the one to fight Jellal. None of you will interfere."
Everyone sunk their heads in gloom. I finally raised my head and asked, "Very well Erza, but I heard one of your old friends say you were a traitor back in the casino, what gives?"
"I don't know, Jellal probably made something up."
"H-He said you blew up our boats." came a mysterious voice. A man walked into the room wearing a red outfit and sporting blonde hair and a sizable black eye. "Jellal noticed just in time to save everyone, and we took it as a sign to keep building the tower!" the man yelled.
"I would never do such a thing!" Erza yelled back. "Please believe me Shou. Something happened to Jellal that day, I'm not sure what, but I WILL find out!"
Shou began crying, and Erza hugged him. It was good to see a bond rekindled. The sight gave me hope. "I was weak then, but I'm strong now. Strong enough to finish this." She continued.
Another man walked into the room. "I knew it. I always knew Jellal was lying. I knew I shouldn't have kept quiet. Yet, I did anyway."
"Simon!" Erza shouted in slight happiness.
"Now, I think a second revolution is in order, who's with me?" Simon shouted.
"Hell yeah!" Everyone shouted back.
As we were standing up, I remembered something, and turned to Shou, eyes now dry once more.
"Sorry about knocking you a new one back in the casino, I was only protectiong Erza." I said.
"That was YOU!" Shou yelled back. "The guy that hit me looked pretty demon like, not nearly like you!"
"Uhhh, about that." I said, while calling on my aura form. "Yeah, I'm the guy that hit you. Sorry about the eye."
Shou's jaw dropped, and everyone started laughing. Even Simon broke his usually perfectly straight face.
It was then Juvia, yes, Juvia of all people, noticed something. "Uhhh, there was one more of us earlier, where did the loud one go?"
I looked around our group, hoping it wasn't true. I should have known better. My face hit my palm and I muttered, "God damnit Natsu. We were going to rescue Happy one way or the other!"
We continued up the tower until a voice came over a loudspeaker of sorts.
"Welcome my brave guests! It's time to play a game! I call it the Paradise Game! Your objective is to stop me from using Erza to complete the Tower of Heaven, and defeat me! Unfortunatly for you, Trinity Raven stands in your way! They are the best of the best in a guild of assassins, and they WILL kill you givin the chance! Oh, yes, one final detail. The Magic Council has been alerted of my actions here, and will fire the ultimate magic: Etherion at the tower shortly, killing everyone here! Either way, you will lose and everyone will die! Have fun breathing your lasts."
"I take it that's Jellal?" I said, attempting to hold back my anger.
"Yeah." Erza said, depressed.
Shou was just freaking out. He claimed he would stop Jellal himself, then sealed Erza in Card Magic and ran for the top of the tower, with Simon going after him. I decided not to interfere until I was needed, Erza was right that this was her fight, but that doesn't mean I was going to let her die for it.
"Grey, go find Natsu. Lucy, you work best with another mage covering you, so you and Juvia head up the tower together. I'm headed straight for Jellal. Remember, if you encounter one of the Ravens, don't hold back, kill them if you have to. Assassins have no place in this world."
"Y-you want me to COVER her? And why can't I go with Grey?" Juvia said, blushing heavily.
"Ha, I meant you take the front line Juvia, Lucy is a celestial mage see. Also, Grey will likely have to get Natsu out of a jam. You don't want to be in the same room when that happens. Trust me."
With that, we set out. I proceeded in the direction I thought would lead me up, but who ever designed that tower must have been retarded or something, the place was downright backwards. I eventually settled for re equiping Gilgimesh, going demon form, them smashing through the roof above me repeatedly. I kept doing this until I felt something weird. In the midst of a battle, Juvia had...changed. I don't know what happened, but she was different. I decided to break through to them, since I felt they were nearby.
I arrived just in time to see Juvia being controlled like a puppet, then attempting to drown Lucy with her own body. I sprang for the man who looked like he belonged in KISS and grabbed him by the throat, Gilgimesh still equipped.
"I will say this once. Let. Juvia. Go."
Before he could answer, Aquarius was summoned behind me, and she hit the entire room with a torrent of water, freeing Lucy. I noticed as Juvia reformed that she was back to normal, and that she and Lucy were holding hands.
"Well, looks like we had ourselves a little emotional moment!" the painted man yelled before getting back up. "Fine! Your demon friend here looks alot more cool anyway!"
He started playing a godawful tune, and I just stood there, cross armed, waiting for something to happen. I realised something though, this was likely what he was using to control Juvia, as I felt the notes of the song hitting my very subconcious with a Dark Magic.
Luckily, I have two minds in here, and this asshole could only control one at a time.
Time froze as I spoke to Deliora and told it, "Deliora? Remember when I said I never wanted to take a life?"
"I recall master."
"Stop-oh nevermind, anyway, I take that back. I will gladly take the life of an assassin."
"Very well, are you sure you can live with that master?"
"If I kill an assassin, I save every target he hasn't killed yet, every family he has not yet shattered. I am sure."
"Very well. I will take off the limiter when fighting choice targets then."
"Wait, what did you do to me?"
"I limited your powers master. There is no real way to prevent lethal action, so I just did the best I could."
"Fair enough. Please remove the...whatever you did afterwards please. I don't like being handicapped in any mannor."
"Very well master, I will trust your judgement and my own watchful eyes to keep you in line."
Time resumed, and I looked at the man, and as his song finished and he showed a large amount of concern, I spoke.
"Your name. Now."
"T-Taka! Taka of Trinity Raven!"
"Good. Lucy, Juvia, please look away. You won't want to see this."
The girls complied, directing their gaze toward the wall behind them. I lunged at Taka, ramming my open palm into his chest, making a horrible crunching noise as Gilgimesh shattered bone and ruptured at least one lung. Taka even let out a banshee's scream.
"On second thought, plug your ears too!" I yelled at the girls.
They complied again, and I looked back at Taka, fire in my eyes, and the life slowly fading from his. He was in extreme pain, and I loved it. Justice at it's finest.
"This is for every life you have cut short you beast!"
"L..Look who's talking, DEMON!"
I smirked, then ripped my hand straight up, splitting Taka's head up the middle. The man fell to the ground dead, blood and brain matter splattered everywhere. I decided the girls didn't need to see that, so I summoned Natsu's flames to incinerate the body after putting Gilgimesh away.
I walked over to the girls, letting my demon form dissapate as I did, and I grabbed Juvia's right shoulder with Lucy's left. They looked up to meet my smiling face, and I helped them up.
Lucy looked around the room and asked me, "Mar, what happened to Taka? Did you kill him?"
This raised Juvia's brow in concern as well, "Where is he Mar?"
I looked away when answering, "Yes. I killed him. I cremated him as well, it wasn't a pretty sight. But think of this: I just saved every life he has yet to take, and it only took a simple action. All the families that would have been devastated, I just saved them that pain."
Both the girls looked to the ground, they knew I was right. Juvia looked back up and started quoting a passage from some book I had never read before, "The fallen angel, he who casts aside morality for the greater good, he who bears the burden of sin for the sake of others."
Lucy raised her head as well, saying, "Archangel. Mar, you've become an Archangel, an arbiter of justice and vengeance."
"Sounds perfect to me. I'll even see what I can do to get rid of those damn horns. I never liked them really, they're far too inconvieniant."
"It will be done master." Deliora said, speaking through me, and scaring the hell out of my friends.
"Deliora? I didn't know you could use me as a conduit for speech!"
"I've always had the capability, I never had a reason until now."
"Well what was your reason?"
Deliora made my arm lift, and pointed to the terrified girls in the corner.
"You're a joker?" I asked
"Indeed. Surprising, I know master."
"Ha! I'm liking you more very day Deliora!"
"Thank you master, I apreciate the compliment."
With that, Deliora went back to it's usual place in my soul, and the girls had gotten back up.
"Is it JUST you there now Mar?" Lucy asked.
"You bet." I replied, smiling. "Sorry about that."
I had to continue up the tower alone. The girls had spent all of their magic fighting Taka, and I wasn't going to let them fist fight Jellal.
As I was proceeding up the tower, I felt Grey take down another member of Trinity Raven, then collapse from the fight. Natsu and Simon proceeded onward and upward afterwards. Finally, I came to a large Japanese styled room with several arches across what seemed to be a bridge. I felt several people aproaching the room, so I hid in a dark corner on the roof.
A young woman brandishing a blade walked in first. Likely the last member of Trinity Raven, followed by Shou. Shou was swiftly beaten, but before he could be killed, Erza broke free of her cage and began fighting the woman.
As I said before, I had decided to let Erza do her thing until she NEEDED me. While they were fighting, I let my new form, "Archangel" take me slowly. It was not terribly different from the Demon form, it had the same strengths and weaknesses and that, I just got rid of the horns and swapped the more bat like demon wings for my blackened angel wings. My skin was still black, and my veins stil pulsated a deep orange.
I completed my transformation just as I saw something truely horrifying. Erza had her Purgatory armor equiped, and it was dashed away in an instant. She didn't even have a chance to use it before this swordswoman had destroyed it.
That was all I could bear. As Erza re equipped into nothing but cloth around her midriff and some pants with fire on them, I knew she was resigned to her supposed "Fate." I lept from my perch and went straight for Erza's opponent, hitting her in the head hard enough, bare handed, to send her flying into the wall.
"Mar? How the hell-"
"Later! STAY HERE."
I dashed after the swordswoman and grabbed her sword while she was still dazed, throwing it away, then throwing her back onto the bridge and mounting her, delivering punch after brutal punch to her face.
"HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE YOU KILLED!" I yelled at her.
"More then I can remember!" She yelled back, spitting in my face as she did. This destracted me long enough for her to pull out a dagger and stab me just below my heart.
I looked down, still mounted and sighed. "You know, I hate new scars. My girlfriend always finds them before I do and questions me on how I got them."
"Tough! Now DIE!" She yelled, as she grabbed the dagger and tore it out.
I just stared at her blankly. Then I smiled, and I could feel her fear. "You get it now? I. Can't. Die. You however..." I said, before bringing out Yamato and aiming it at her throat. "You can."
The woman acted in desperation, she slid between my legs and jumped onto my back, trying to strangle me unconcious.
Through my shortened breath, I asked one question. "What's your name?"
"Ikaruga, samurai and Trinity Raven member. Why?"
"I have decided to learn the names of those I kill." I said, while re equiping Gilgimesh, and plowing a hole through both of us. She fell off my back and onto hers. I pulled my hand out of my chest and my wounds closed up. "I am sorry it had to end this way Ikaruga, I hate to see one of taditional honour go, even if you are an assassin."
Ikaruga beckoned me over beside her, and whispered in my ear, "I am glad a man with such strength in both body and conviction took me down. I have no regrets."
As life faded from her, she leaned forward and kissed my cheek. I stood up and bowed. I will remember this woman for the rest of my days. Ikaruga, samurai, assassin, and honour bound. I turned to Erza and spoke. "Jellal is yours. I however, will not let him kill you. Got that?"
"...Yes." Erza replied weakly. "Was it necisarry to kill her?"
"Think about it Erza. She's a born and raised assassin. All of the Ravens are. By taking a single life, I save every target they havn't killed yet."
"True, I suppose."
"I am willing to bear the burden of blood on my hands to save those I hold dear. At least I hope I am. I'm a murderer twice over today alone."
"You killed another?"
"Yes. Some punk rocker buff named Taka. He used some weird song Magic to control Juvia, and nearly drown Lucy with her. I couldn't forgive that. The girls incidentally gave me the name Archangel because of my actions. Deliora supplied this new form, although it's purely cosmetic. My powers havn't been altered."
"Archangel. Honestly Mar, it fits. It fits REALLY well. Now, what are you going to do while I fight Jellal?"
"Get everyone out of here, then try to shut down Etherion. However, if I fell that you are in trouble, I will come at full speed, and I will do what is neccisary."
"Very well." Erza spoke back to me, as she proceeded onwards. Before she opened the door, she turned back to me, cremating Ikaruga's body and she smiled. She said, barely audible, "I love all of you."
After the door swung closed behind Erza, I grabbed Ikaruga's sword and blew my way out the side of the building. To my surprise, Grey, Lucy, Juvia, Happy, and even the cat obsessed lady and the block head were already getting out of the tower. They had a boat ready to go as well. I smiled, proud of my friends for their rational action. None of them were close to fighting condition. I flew back into the bridge room and grabbed Shou. He had regained conciousness after his loss and he questioned me while I took him down to the boat.
"Where is Erza?"
"Fighting Jellal by now, don't worry, she won't be alone for long. All that's keeping me away is my promise not to interfere. A promise I will break if Erza is in danger of dying."
"What happened to that samurai girl?"
"Her name was Ikaruga, and I laid her troubled soul to rest."
"She is dead then?"
I motioned to the sword on my back and said, "Yes, by my hand."
We landed by the boat, and my friends greeted us both, and beckoned for me to join them until Erza came back down.
I declined, saying I still had fight left in me, and would use it to help Erza if needed.
I looked around, and I realised that we were missing a couple of heads. "Where's Simon and Natsu?" I asked.
Lucy replied, "We don't know, still in the tower somewhere."
Grey added, "They must be close to the top, if they continued from where I took my leave then they weren't far down."
"Thanks Grey. Time to bail hot head and trap jaw out." I said, taking flight and headed for the top of the tower.
I found Grey and Jellal again near instantly. In addition to their massive Magical Power and unique scents, there was also a large hole in the wall. I took a peek in and saw Erza mount Jellal and put a sword to his throat. "That a girl." I muttered, before going to find Natsu.
I found Natsu and Simon not too far down, climbing up the outside of the tower. But before I could make my presence known, I felt a massive Magical Energy building in the sky. Shit. Etherion was firing!
I acted on impulse, I flew at top speed, grabbing Simon and Natsu and slamming through a wall back into the tower. I thought we'd at least be remotley safer inside.
There was a great noise and a brilliant blast came down from the heavens. We all closed our eyes and waited for the end to come. However, when the noise and Magic subsided, we were still alive. I opened my eyes, still in disbelief. I looked around and realised something. The Tower of Heaven is one giant lacrima! It had taken it's true shape when hit with Etherion. All the tower needed was a huge blast of magic...and a sacrifice. Shit! Erza!
I got Natsu and Simon onto their feet and told them, "Erza is in trouble, come on!"
Knowing I wouldn't be able to lift Simon for an extended time, he continued up by himself while I took Natsu the more direct route. Luckily, it turns out I am not viewed as transportation, so he was as comfortable flying with me as with Happy. We came up to a horrid sight. Jellal bound Erza to a crystal, saying she would be decomposed then recomposed as Zeref's new vessel.
"You're up Natsu. Kick his ass." I said, as I dropped the Fire Dragon Slayer into the field of battle. From my vantage point, I saw him tear Erza off the wall, tickle her after saying she couldn't move, then knock her out to prevent her from doing something stupid. As Natsu turned back to Jellal and his Magic was coming to him, I felt something out of place. His Magic was advancing, evolving even. It felt similar to...to Dragon Force! I decided to keep out of this one until I was absolutely needed, or there was a chance for me to evacuate Erza undetected.
Natsu didn't stand a damn chance at first, ands it was hard for me to watch. Jellal used a magic known as Meteor, a heavenly magic that increases one's speed to ludicrous levels. He was able to continually strike Natsu without so much as a scratch. He eventually used a move called Grand Chariot, causing a large explosion and decimating part of the tower. I realised something then, the tower likely wouldn't work if large portions of it were missing or destroyed! I headed a couple floors down and started breaking everything I could.
Shortly after I began, however, I felt another great Magic fromt he roof of the tower. An old spell from my time, Altaris. Essentially the destructive force of a black hole in one convieniant spell. I realised that neither of my friends, or even Simon for that matter could use such a spell, so I broke through the roof until I was on the top floor, and the sight that greeted me nearly broke me then and there. The spell had been cast, Erza was awake again and intent on taking the blast for Natsu, who was sitting on the ground, but Simon had jumped infront of Erza, and he had taken the full brunt of the spell. I saw him fall, a smile on his face. His Magic was dissapearing. Simon was dead, not even I could fix that.
Erza screamed at her loss, while Jellal just stood there laughing, saying that Simon was a fool for throwing his life away. I let my Archangel form dispel, I was going to get the utmost clarity for this fight. I wanted to FEEL this jackass bleed. I looked over to Natsu and noticed he was, like always, doing something stupid. The idiot ate some of the Etherion lacrima, nearly killing himself in the process. I grabbed my shirt and took it off while Natsu was recovering, then walked to his side, exposing my presence. Natsu got back up, his flames more brilliant then ever. His Dragon Force awoke because of Etherion!
"Hey Natsu, it's no fair that you're having all the fun, I think I'll join in." I said, going Lightning Dragon Force as well.
"That's all up to you, but don't kill this one. It's too good for him."
"No guarantees." I said, matching my Magic Power to Natsu's. I decided not to overshadow his power, this was his moment, not mine.
We charged, attacking furiously. Jellal tried his Meteor again, but Natsu I proved fast enough to keep up in Dragon Force. When he tried, I caught Jellal's arm, socking him in the gut with my spare hand while it was infused with lightning, then throwing him to Natsu, who gave him a flaming uppercut. Jellal recovered, and in anger, attempted to cast Abyss Break. I sighed, knowing such a Magic had a charge time, I turned to Natsu and said, "Get ready to finish this. I'll make an opening, you finish it in one blow, got it?"
Natsu nodded, then I let my Archangel wings out and used my Lightning Magic to teleport behind Jellal. Before I could hit him, however, he cancelled the spell, and muttered something about a wound Erza gave him earlier. Natsu took the oppurtunity and jumped at Jellal from a full sprint, hitting him as hard as he could. I swear I saw Natsu's fist make an impression...on Jellal's back. He finished it by turning in mid air and kicking Jellal clean through the tower floor...and the floor under that, and the floor under that.
Just like that, eight years of struggle, eight years of self hatred, they were over in an instant for Erza. I grabbed Natsu out of the air and brought him down to Erza's seat. Natsu quickly passed out from exaustion, but Erza picked him up and hugged him anyway, thanking him.
That's where things got REALLY bad. The Tower started going berserk, with literal swelling happening all over it's surface. Etherion was unstable in the damaged tower, it was going to explode. Both me and Erza realised this, and that our friends outside wouldn't survive the blast either.
While I was pacing, wondering how the hell to get out of this mess, Erza used my distraction to try and fuse herself into the tower to try and control it. It took until Natsu woke up and raised an objection for me to realise what was happening. By the time I got to the bubble that Erza sunk herself into, I was too late.
Erza told us, "I love my friends. I love them so much that I can't imagine living in a world without them. If getting rid of this body of mine is what it takes to protect them, then SO BE IT!"
Both Natsu and I teared up, and I started yelling, "You idiot! I could have done something! I COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING!"
Erza turned to me, crying as well, and said, "No Mar, this is one thing you can't do. I'm sorry."
Just like that, she was gone. I couldn't see her anymore. I screamed in rage and pain, with Natsu following suit after. I raised my head, and I proclaimed, "No! I won't let it end like this!"
"How can it be any different? If we save her, we all die!" Natsu yelled, obviously choked by having to say that.
"I've got a crazy idea."
"Crazy is all we really have right now Mar."
"Natsu, take a good whiff of me, get my smell burned into your brain."
"Ooookay?" Natsu said as he complied. "You kind of smell like blood and ash."
"Fitting. Now Natsu, FOLLOW THAT SMELL FOR YOUR LIFE. When I get near Erza as well, and the tower is stable again, break us out."
"What are you-" Before he could answer, I had let the tower absorb me completely.
"Find us Natsu! You're our only hope!"
I sank deep into the tower, experiencing some odd visons of possible futures. One in particular I came across, I deemed it wasn't mine. A funeral for Erza, with her even becoming a Wizard Saint post mortem. I found Erza nearby, crying at the future she thought she had created. I navigated the void between us, and embraced her.
"Mar? What the fuck!" she yelled at me.
"Hang on!" I shouted back as everything went white.
I awoke on a beach near a set of familiar feet. I looked up to see Natsu holding Erza. He had bloody done it!
I let my body rest, and almost didn't notice Grey, Lucy, and the others running for us, calling our names.
Natsu layed Erza down on the ground, telling her to never try something stupid like that again. Then he turned to me and said, "That goes for you too! Just because you're immortal doesn't mean you can go killing yourself."
I smiled and gave him a thumbs up from my position, I was too tired to talk.
Erza began to speak to Natsu, "You're absolutely right. I don't have to die for my friends, I have to live for them, because it's the only way to bring about a happy future!"
I turned my head to see Erza crying out of both eyes. I smiled at the resolution again, and let my body lay still.
Everyone else payed alot of attention to Erza, giving her "Don't do something so stupid again" speeches for trying to resolve such a conflict by herself. I was happy for the solitude at the moment anyway, that Tower really kicked the crap out of me.
Finally, Lucy came and sat down beside me, followed by Grey, Natsu, Erza, Happy, and even Shou, block head, and the cat lady. I realised I never caught the names of the last two, so I decided to try and ask.
I looked at them, and said extremely lightly, "Sorry, I never caught your names."
Block head said, "Wally."
The cat lady said, "Millianna"
I smiled once more at the gain of new friends, happy with this outcome, then I remembered Simon. Poor guy. To my surprise, Wally pulled out a bottle of brandy, and Milly produced some glasses. Ha, they read my mind.
We toasted to things lost and things to come, to the memory of Simon, and to the bright future ahead of us. Brandy was just what I needed to get myself back on my feet. I stretched in the moonlight, and turned to Erza.
"I know you're thinking about it. Go ahead and ask them!"
Erza smiled then turned to her old friends, saying, "How would you all like to join Fairy Tail?"
They were shocked to say the least, but Shou spoke up for them. "Sorry Erza, but we've long since decided that if we got out of that tower that we'd explore the world. That tower was our life until today."
Erza was happy with this, and she re equiped into a ceromonial armour. She belted out the three rules of leaving Fairy Tail, despite them never actually joining, then when she was finished, she tapped my on the shoulder and said, "That's your cue."
I aimed my hands at the sky and started firing off improvised fireworks. They were really just some of Natsu's flames set to detonate in various patterns. As we saw our new friends off, Natsu collapsed on the beach. I probably pushed him a bit too hard.
We stayed at the hotel until Natsu woke up, which meant we were there for a good three days. I knew Natsu wouldn't wake up any time soon by the first afternoon, so once my Magic was restored to an apropriate level, I teleported home for a quick bit. I remembered that the work day probably wasn't over before I opened the door, so I just grew my wings and flew to Fairy Tail.
I walked in the front door, to everyone's surprise.
Mira wasn't behind the bar, she was probably in the back getting some more booze. Cana had seemed to have drunk herself asleep. Again.
Makarov yelled at me while I was getting closer to the bar, "Oi Mar! Why are you back early? Also, where is your shirt!"
I looked down and realised Makarov had a point. I was still not wearing a shirt from when I took it off to fight Jellal. I wish someone had told me. I also noticed he didn't even care about the wings, nor did anyone else.
"Long story, and you'll hear it in a few days when we get back officially. Where's Mira?"
"She's in the back. Cana had another incident, as you likely noticed."
"Ha, yeah. Yeah I did."
I continued to the back room where Mira was trying to lift no less then three barrels of booze at once. I sighed quietly, then let my Archangel form take over and picked them up for her, saying, "Here ma'am, let me help."
"Mar! What are you doing back so early? Where are your horns?"
"It's a long story, and I'll tell ya once we get this booze behind the counter and get out of here. Also, I didn't like them, they were an inconvieniance."
"Get out of here? Where are we going?"
"We're going on vacation of course!"
After we re stocked, I let my Archangel form fade, leaving only my wings behind. I grabbed Mira bridal style and flew towards the resort. It was a long ways away, but if I kept up my full speed, I thought I could make it there by the time my story was done.
And what a hell of a story it was. I left out no detail, even telling Mira flat out that I murdered two people. Luckily, she agreed with my train of thought, and even if she didn't, my judgement would not have been 100% at the time thanks to the rage caused by a kidnapped friend. She asked me where Ikaruga's sword was, and I answered that I lost it when I was absorbed into the tower. I just didn't have it on me when I woke up. By the time we arrived, the sun was setting once more, and we flew over the beach, landing near where we had seen Erza's friends off. We sat in the sand near the edge of the water to watch the sunset, and as it was halfway down Mira told me, "I don't care who you become or what you do Mar. You will always be the Mar I love."
That was all I could bear. After the sun set, I kissed Mira and told her that I'd be right back. I zipped into the resort and gathered everyone together, then went up to my room and retrieved the item I had bought what felt like ages ago. I remember it was shortly before that whole Loke/Leo thing started. What a nightmare that was. I stared at the small black box, a mild amount of doubt in what I was about to do.
I quickly dispelled it. I put a shirt on then put the box in my pocket and lead everyone down to the beach, telling them to take cover in the bushes. Poor Juvia was blushing uncontrolably, she was the only one there who had figured out what was going on.
I said, "I told you that you'd meet my lover soon enough. Her name is Mirajane, or Mira for short, just so you know."
I walked out slowly, no magic, no forms, just me. I sat down next to Mira, and she leaned her head onto my shoulder playfully. I wrapped my arm around her and smiled. I realised my heart was beating unreasonably fast, and Mira picked up on it.
"Mar? What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.
"Nothing Mira. Absolutely nothing. I'm just nervous is all."
"About what? You're never nervous around me."
"Well, I've never tried this before." I said, reacing into my pocket and pulling out the small black box without Mira seeing.
"Trying wha-oh god!" she yelled. She probably had just caught on.
I stood up, then got one one knee and opened the box to reveal a sparkling diamond ring.
"Mirajane. Will you marry me?"
"Oh god! Of course I will!" she replied, barely able to talk through the tears of joy.
I took the ring and put it on her finger, then got up and hugged her until my friends burst out of the bushes cheering for us.
We spent the rest of the vacation celebrating our newfound engagement, and when Natsu woke up and heard the news, he nearly passed out again. When we arrived back at Fairy Tail, Makarov himself made our union official. It was a grand ceromony, flowers and bells and the whole nine yards. In light of our recent adventure, I picked Natsu to be my best man, mainly to see what he'd look like in a suit and tie, and Erza was chosen to be the maid of honor.
When Mirajane threw the bouquet, Juvia went through extreme lengths to catch it, and settled next to Grey. Grey smiled at the gesture, then wrapped his arm around Juvia, pulling her close. Turns out Juvia had managed to confess her feelings with a little morale boost from me and Mira, and Grey even shared them. I wished them the best as I walked my new wife down the red carpet to the limo waiting for us. Natsu and Erza stopped us by grabbing our shoulders and both of them gave us a "Way to go!" before we climbed into the stretched car.
The next morning, I woke up with Mira still hugging me from when we had passed out the night before. Her skin felt like silk on my own. I smiled and hugged back, trying to go back to sleep.
I thought to myself, "Life can't get any better then this, and I'm god damn loving it."