Jellal stared at Erza, he was sure he knew her from somewhere. He was positive, seeking to his quarters he pulled out his photo album Meledy had made. Sure enough in the middle was a photo of Porylusica with a beautiful red haired lady, Flares mum. She was the exact replica of Erza, it was scary how alike they looked.
"Carla?" He called her on his comm.
"Hi Jellal, what's up?"
"What information do you have on Bella Corona?"
"Bella Corona? Let me see. According to our records she was a mechanic, she was fixing an escape pod when it accidentally activated."
"Was she pregnant?"
"I don't have access to her medical records. I'd have to check with Porlyusica."
"Check back with me when you do."
Gajeel wiped the sweat from his neck and stared at his opponent. The giant cat had poofed into his small form. Gajeel's eyes wavered as he looked over at the blunettte talking to Erza.
"Hey!" The cat called, "You hurt her. . ."
The cat smiled innocently and waddled to Levy, she smiled and hugged her friend. Gajeel took the cats warning as a blessing and laughed walking over to Erza.
"Beaten by a cat? I would have expected more from the great iron dragon slayer." Erza mocked, Levy burst into fits of laughter.
"What, you laughing at shrimp?" He growled non-threatening.
"Nothing Kurogane." She mocked - Erza must of told her his childhood nick name.
Suddenly the ground shook violently. What happened next was a blur - people running, screams.
Levy could see it all. Her mother weeping over her brothers body, her father screaming at the doctors. He had died smiling, he had thought it funny to play near the air lock. Her mother screams as she wept over her fathers body the next week. Her own blood soaked tears, the day she found her mother overdosed. Levy…Levy…Levy…
"Levy!" She opened her eyes, deep red orbs staring into her soul. She tried to sit up but she couldn't get far - dust and rubble surrounded her.
"Gajeel?"
"Are you ok?" She could see his face in the dim light, it was filled with worry.
"I'm fine." He brushed some hair out of her face. A crack of light burst into her eyes as the sound of shifting Earth. A hand reached into help them.
"Gajeel!" Juvia jumped for joy, Elfman holding up large slab of rubble. Levy cringed, her leg trapped under a pipe. Gajeel extracted her leg and carried her bridle style to the group.
"Is everyone ok?" Natsu coughed.
"Yeah, we're all here." Lucy nodded.
"What was that?" Droy cried.
"A tremor, they've been happening every few weeks since…" Juvia started.
"Since?" Grey pestered.
"Igneel died." Natsu grunted.
"Igneel?" Grey stood dumbfounded.
"I read about him, he was one of the guardians spoken of in the ancient texts." Jellal confirmed.
"Yes, up until a year ago, he was our protecter."
"Before him we had Metellicana and before him we had Grandeena." Lisanna elaborated.
"So what do these deities do?" Jet asked.
"They protect us, they keep the Earth alive." Gajeel eyed the notebook the girl in his arms had produced.
"When a deity dies, they are reincarnated over and over. Each diety leaves behind an egg and when the time comes they hatch, they release an energy consuming the nearest living being, thats where the dragon slayers come from." Erza explained.
"So that day in your lab, when the egg from earth exploded?" Wendy looked at Levy.
"It latched itself onto you." Levy concluded. "But if the deity reincarnates its self, why didn't it?"
"The Earth chooses a vessel to become the deity - to reincarnate that life energy…but the Earth didn't choose anyone." Gajeel concluded.
"You came back at a bad time, if we continue without a protector, we will perish."
"How do you know all this?" Lucy demanded.
"The cave of the ancients, come we'll show you." Ezra stated.