Having Just returned from the Arena, where they had all just met Ophiuchus in his true form, Layla and the Fairy Tail wizards have finally made their way back to the Honeybone Inn.
The group upon entered the inn, immediately took over the lounge area as they all quickly occupied all the chairs provided in the room.
"What did you want to know about my magic Layla?" Erza asked curious about the reason Layla foreshadowed what should have been a simple question to answer.
"I have given it some thought since the Dragon incursion 4 days ago... And looking towards the future and what is likely to come..." Layla paused thinking about the situation as a whole ensuring she didn't want to back out now.
"I have come to the conclusion that, although Dragon Slayers like Wendy, Gajeel, and Natsu are here... Dragons among other things... still pose a threat to humanity."
"I see... But what does the Dragon Slayers have to do with me? My magic is completely different" Erza asked still confused about what Layla was getting at
Layla's eyes turned Blue as she stared at Erza "Your Magic, although there was never a need for Dragons to utilize it, its nature shares a resemblence to Dimensional Travel"
"Yes I store multiple sets of armor and weapons in a pocket dimension and with my magic I can easily swap between them as needed" Erza said clarifying what Layla was trying to say.
"The armor and weapons you use, are they magical themselves?" Layla curiously asked.
"Yes, some of my Weapons and Armor would be considered magical in nature. Like granting resistance to Fire or dealing Fire Damage" Erza Responded however it wasn't quite what Layla was looking for.
"Would you mind demonstrating your Magic to me, My eyes allow me to see how your magic will function and how it affects your given magic capacity" Layla asked staring at Erza.
"OK" As Erza said this she stood up, and changed into her Flame Empress Armor.
Layla stared at Erza in her new armor and after a few seconds said "I see, so this armor is designed to protect against Fire Magic, however I sense its protection is not absolute?"
"Yes it only halves the damage of fire, but it is still substantial" Erza responded.
"I notice that this armor itself doesn't seem to take up very much of your magic power either, this suggests that you have considerably more powerful armor available... am I correct?" Layla asked with a smile.
Erza smiled at this comment and decided to up the ante, changing into her Adamantine Armor.
Layla paused and looked over the new form with a smile. "Considerably higher defense impressive, but what is more impressive is that this armor still doesn't seem to occupy much of your magical capacity."
"Can I ask what it is you are looking for?" Erza asked sensing that her armor wasn't what Layla wanted to see.
"Could you show me what you would consider to be your most powerful armor weapon combination, I want to see how it interacts with your mana. Basically I'm looking for your limit." Layla calmly asked but showed a sign of seriousness about her request.
Erza thought about what Layla was trying to get at, but couldn't comprehend what specifically she wanted to learn from any of this. However, Erza decided to honour her request.
"Ok... 'Second Origin'" As Erza said this her magical pressure rocketted up as all her available Mana was tapped into "Nakagami" Erza muttered as she changed into the Armor she had used to defeat Minerva.
Layla smiled at seeing this particularly the use of Second Origin as she could see Erza's Magic exceed its original container as it now occupied more than 80% of all of her mana.
"Excellent... You are now using 80% of your full magical capacity, and your new armor and weapon looks to grant Spell Mastery and Manipulation... Magnificent" Layla proclaimed.
Erza Changed back into her standard Heart Kreuz armor as the strain of maintaining Second Origin was not something she wanted to endure without a pressing threat.
"I theorize that the remaining 20% of your magic is then used for offense and additional stamina but that is of a lesser concern." Layla added finishing her analysis.
"I appreciate your compliments, however you still have not explained your intention" Erza responded feeling slightly like a guinea pig.
"Earlier I mentioned that Dragons were still a threat and that the Slayers may not be enough to stop them, as seen 4 nights ago." Layla said
"Thanks for the vote of confidence" Gajeel interrupted showing his displeasure at Layla's comment
Layla laughed before continuing "It isn't that Slayers themselves are incapable it's that the coming storm will have multiple fronts more than Dragon Slayers alone can handle."
Layla paused before continuing
"Because of this... After much deliberation... I have decided to create a set of armor and weapons to... empower... a select human. With the recommendation of the Slayers, as well as what I have seen today, I have chosen that individual to be you, Erza." Layla announced to the room
"Me?" Erza said surprised at the generous offer
"Congratulations Erza" Natsu happily exclaimed
"AYE!" Happy added
"What kind of armor are we talking about here?" Gray asked curious about the nature of Layla's proposal
"Due to the Nature of the armor and the way Erza's magic currently occupies her mana it would be incompatible with her... However! Erza still has untapped potential in her Magical Essense, so with some assistance she will be able to equip it."
"So it is armor I am currently unable to equip even with second origin? Considering the power required for the Nakagami set, it must be quite remarkable" Erza said while thinking about the possibility.
"Yes, it's why I haven't come to this decision lightly" Layla stated emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.
"I'm scared just thinking about what it could be" Lucy said sensing the mood.
"Yeah, it must be something if Erza's second origin isn't enough for it" Gray added
"It's ok I'm sure Erza will be ready in no time" Natsu said standing up on his arm chair "I'm getting fired up!" he said igniting his fist.
"Sit down Salamander, don't go blowing up another building" Gajeel said growling at Natsu.
"Here we go again" Wendy said with a sigh.
Gajeel and Natsu and Gray got into a brawl before Erza quickly put them all back in their place.
"Erza will be perfect" Layla quietly muttered to herself.
"Hmm? did you say something Momma?" Lucy asked looking at Layla
"Oh, no its nothing" Layla said dismissing the question "I'm going to head upstairs for a bit and lay down before we all have to leave" Layla smiled as she said this and head up stairs to the room.
(Eh? That seemed wierd) Lucy thought to herself but was quickly swept up in the commotion of the rest of the group.
Layla having entered the room upstairs sat on Lucy's bed quietly thinking to herself about everything so far.
"Your there, aren't you Mavis" Layla calmly said to the empty room.
A few seconds later Mavis materialized next to her on the bed, her hand in Layla's.
"A war is coming isn't it" Mavis said with sadness.
"Yes... and I'm not sure yet if it will be my fault" Layla responded
"Ages change, some things can't be prevented, it is only how we react to the situation that decides our fate" Mavis responded.
"You are right, but what I'm doing is pre-emptively planning for war. That in itself could be seen as a declaration." Layla said as she looked down with concern
"Sometimes it is better to plan and fail then it is to fail to plan" Mavis said with a reassuring smile.
Layla looked at Mavis "Your appearance is very deceiving... I still haven't figured you out, and that in itself causes me concern."
Layla smiled before adding "However, I sense that we are very similar in nature. Obsidian and I represent two opposing sides of the same coin... I wonder what coin you represent..."
Mavis showed a mischievous smile at this response as she gently released Layla's hand and vanished back into the room.
"Hmph... I thought so" Layla said as she smiled, deciding to take the opportunity to take that nap.
About 1 hour passed, before Layla awoke to Lucy standing over her
"It's time for us to get ready for our trip home Momma" Lucy said as she peered down at her mother laying on her bed.
"Hmm? Oh I'm in the way aren't I" Layla said realising that she was laying on some of Lucy's clothing.
"You're going to come with us right Momma?" Lucy asked showing a sign of worry that they were separating.
"Oh where too?" Layla asked
"Back to Fairy Tail in Magnolia of course!" Lucy proudly said.
"Yes I'll come with you, I have some questions that may get answered when we get there". Layla responded, but this confused Lucy.
"Questions?" Lucy said puzzled.
"Oh its nothing bad, just a theory I have" Layla said dismissing the concern.
Having packed all their luggage the Fairy Tail guild split up into groups all taking a separate Carriage home. Layla was kind enough to cast Troia and both Luxus and Gajeel who were separating from their group, to which they were greatful as Wendy wasn't nearby.
"A Carriage, I haven't been in one for years..." as Layla said this she stepped into the Carriage and immediately became nauseous.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" Lucy proclaimed looking at her mother's motion sickness before adding "ITS NOT EVEN MOVING!"
Wendy quickly assisted by casting Troia on Layla.
"Haha, I guess it's a Dragon thing" Layla said as she rubbed the back of her neck.
"So it is your fault!" Natsu exclaimed
"But why don't I feel sick" Wendy questioned.
"Oh that's because Grandine was wise enough to add Troia as a passive enchantment during your Sky Magic infusion Wendy" Layla said with a smile.
"Thanks Mom" Wendy said with a smile before turning back to Layla "But wait why do you still get sick then?"
"Well despite my power, and my ability to cast nearly all spells in existance, however it is all reactionary after the fact. I can cast Trioa and Vernier etc but they are not automatic." Layla clarified.
"Hmm so I guess there are limits to your power" Erza remarked
Gray and Lucy both facepalmed at the bluntness of Erza's comment.
"Well I look forward to seeing your Guild" Layla said with a smile
"Yeah you will love it" Natsu exclaimed the rest of the members of Fairy Tail nodded in agreeance.
The cart continued on its journey to Magnolia unobstructed and they were back home in record time.
The Fairy Tail wizards all got out of the carriage at Magnolia square choosing to be dropped off there as it was central to all their homes so they all decided to split up for a few hours while the rest of Fairy Tail arrived.
Layla getting out of the Carriage last raised her hand to her forehead as she looked slightly concerned.
"Are you ok Momma?" Lucy said seeing her mothers strange look
"Hmm? Oh I'm ok, I just have a slight headache, maybe it is leftover from the carriage ride..." Layla said trying to dismiss the feeling.
"We seem to have beaten the other Members back to Magnolia, I guess we could head to my place and freshen up before they all return" Lucy suggested
"Could you tell me what that building over there is?" Layla pointed up the street towards the old Fairy Tail building
"Oh... that's our old guild hall. However it seems to have been restored!" Lucy exclaimed in excitement.
"Is it ok if we go take a peek?" Layla said looking at the building as she couldn't shake a feeling.
"Sure let's go it's not far" Lucy said excitedly
The pair of them walked up the main road of town towards the FairyTail building...
However... as they grew closer to the building Layla began to show signs of illness and despite her best efforts to conceal them from Lucy, she eventually noticed Layla's pace had changed.
"Are you sure you're ok, Momma?" Lucy asked concerned by the look in her mother's eyes
"It's... Ok. It's just that there is something familiar here..." Layla said confusing Lucy who grew concerned.
"Let's take a seat at that bench to rest its just up ahead" Lucy said as she helped her Mother towards the bench.
However, just a meter from the bench, Layla couldn't take it anymore and she collapsed on the sidewalk roughly 50 meters from the Fairytale Hall.
Lucy panicked and went to help her mother but stopped as she felt a sharp rise in Magical pressure...
Layla suddenly raised herself up on her knees and began to scream in agony arching her back with her head facing the sky. This scared Lucy to the core of her being as the magical pressure began to feel familiar...
As Layla continued to scream it started to become almost blood curdling in nature and started to soon turn into a terrifying roar.
"Noooo... IT... Here... I... Can't... In... Town" Layla yelled in pain between her screaming as a violent wind began to swirl around her.
"Lucy... RUN!" Layla screamed at Lucy who was frozen in fear.
"I.. I can't... move" Lucy responded.
Layla heard this and her eyes shot open in fear, she was losing control.
The wind circling around her caused nearby window shutters to bang around violently, and soon cracks of lightning began to spark around Layla's position in the air.
Layla realising that this was only going to end one way if she didn't do something about it, quickly summoned her wings and took off like a bullet into the sky at a 45 degree angle away from the Fairy Tail building.
A Giant green fireball erupted in the sky as massive arcs of white lightning shot outwards from the fire, discharging between the clouds above magnolia. An ear-piercing roar echoed out from above the clouds as the green hue of Layla's flames vanished...
