The Darkness Advances

"Please!" Jellal said, "Tell me who Erza is! I really don't remember anything!" Erza stared at Jellal in surprise, as did Cobra. He lost his memory? Cobra thought. He didn't really hear anything from him, but Cobra assumed that was because Jellal was shielded, but for him to have pretty much nothing in his mind?

"Jellal," Erza muttered, as she began to approach him.

"Stay back!" Jellal yelled, as he blasted Erza with his magic, but while it injured her, it didn't stop her. Jellal cringed at the sight.

"If you won't let me come to you, then you're going to have to come to me," Erza said, "I am Erza! You are Jellal, and at one point, you were one of my closest friends." Jellal recoiled back in surprise at those words.

"You defile the dead, hurt my friends, destroy the Magic Council, and kill Simon," Erza muttered, before screaming, "And if you're going to say that you don't remember anything, I'll put my blade through your heart, and force you to remember! Now come here!" Jellal listened to her, before he began to shake slightly.

"I… I did what?" he said slowly, before he began to tear up, "How… how could I do something so horrible?" Erza looked over Jellal in silence. What's with him? she thought Its as if he isn't even the same person."

(in the forest)

"Two members of the Oracion Seis are down for the count," Lucy said. They were resting after her victory against Angel. Evening was starting to fall, giving an erie, crimson glow.

"Alright!" Natsu said, "That leaves…. four!"

"Why'd you hesitate there?" Happy asked.

"So, what should we do?" Wendy asked.

"We need to head to Nirvana!" Carla said, "And finish our mission!"

"But what about Hibiki?" Lucy asked.

"I can heal him if needed," Wendy said.

"He doesn't seem to actually be in that bad condition," Carla said, "Once he get some rest, he'll be fine. Again we need to head to Nirvana!"

"Carla's right, so….," Lucy began.

"That's incorrect, Princess!" Virgo said as she popped into existence.

"When'd you get here!" Lucy said.

"I'm always here," Virgo answered, "But I'm here to supply you with proper clothes."

"What's wrong with my…" Lucy stopped when looking down at her outfit, noting it was somewhat shredded, no doubt from her fight with Angel.

"Oh, I see your point," she said.

"I also brought matching ones for your friends," Virgo said. Lucy promptly changed (behind a tree of course), and with some insistence, did it for Natsu and Wendy as well.

"I like these," Wendy said, looking over her new clothes.

"Alright, let's…," Natsu began, only to look at Nirvana and stop, "It looks different now!"

"It does?" Happy asked, looking as well, "It does!" The column of light was no longer black, but instead white.

"But what about Erza?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know," Natsu answered, "No doubt she's still looking for Jellal. We have to focus on the light ourselves!"

"I'll be taking my leave now!" Virgo said, as she poofed away. As she did, Lucy looked at her hands. I summoned her unconsciously, chances are I'm completely shot in terms of magic power she thought.

"Don't worry Lucy," Natsu said, putting his hand on her shoulder, "Just stick close to me!" He then looked at her abdomen.

"What is it?" Lucy said. Her boyfriend just smiled at her.

"Nothing," he answered, "Let's go!"

"Not without me!" Everyone turned, as Gray came up to them.

"Gray!" Lucy siad happily.

"Took you long enough, Snowman!" Natsu said.

"Kiss my ass, Sparky!" Gray answered.

"You're lucky my girls are here!" Natsu said, "Or else I would kick your ass!"

"Wendy and I aren't 'your girls'!" Lucy protested.

"Good, almost all of Fairy Tail's here!" Happy said, "Save for Erza of course!"

"Let's go!" Natsu said, as he and the others began charging in the direction of the light.

(somewhere in the forest)

Ichiya had been ditched by his captors, and was left immobilized on a pole of wood.

"Of course they ran!" he said, "Such cowards knew the magic I had within me! And thus they dared not test my patience!" He then looked in the direction of the light.

"I am likely the only one left!" Ichiya said, "I must destroy Nirvana! MEN!"

(with Erza)

Erza didn't know what to do. She could tell Jellal wasn't lying. But she didn't know what to say to that.

"You losing your memory makes sense in hindsight," Cobra said as he walked up.

"You!" Erza said, turning to face him.

"I don't know how you survived Cubelios' venom, but it doesn't matter," Cobra said to her, before looking towards Jellal, "Now you! Why did you unseal Nirvana?" Jellal clenched his teeth.

"I'm not sure, but I could hear a voice in my head instructing me to go to Nirvana," he explained, "I didn't remember much, but enough to do this. Nirvana is a vile magic, one that nobody can hold." He then looked towards Cobra.

"So I unsealed Nirvana, so as to destroy it," he finished.

"What!" Cobra said, as Cubelios also balked in surprise.

"You're going to destroy Nirvana?" Erza asked.

"There is already a self-destruction enchantment on it," Jellal said, "Soon enough, it will simply disappear."

"You bastard!" Cobra yelled, as he ran to Nirvana's control panel.

"Don't waste your time, I'm the only one who can stop it," Jellal said. Erza looked at him in surprise, she didn't really thin that he'd be willing to do it.

"Geez, what the hell is with this spell!" Cobra cried, "At this rate Nirvana will be completely destroyed! Tell me how to stop this!" However, Jellal responded by coughing up some blood.

"'Erza'. That name feels so kind," he said. Erza narrowed her eyes at Jellal in surprise.

"I don't blame you for hating me," Jellal said, "But hatred does a person no good. It will eat away at you, and rob you of your freedom."

"Jellal," Erza whispered.

"I"m afraid I can't be there with you, but…" That was when strange magical markings began to appear on hi chest.

"Wait a minute! Is that….," Cobra began.

"Be released from me!" Jellal said, "As I take away your hatred, sadness, and everything with me!"

"That's a self-destruction seal!" Cobra noted. Erza just stared. She could begin to feel water gathering in her eyes. That was when Jellal started to collapse to the ground.

"No!" Erza cried, as she caught him but the collar, heaving him up, "I won't let you die like this! Yes, you've committed crimes! But first you have to remember everything! You can't be at was without knowing anything! And you can't expect people to forgive you so easily by dying! You have to live, and struggle through your problems!" Jellal just stared up at her.

"Why are you crying?" he asked. Erza reached up, and touched her face. True enough, there were tears.

"What's going on here?!" Everyone looked over, and saw Brain approaching them.

"Brain?" Cobra asked.

"A self destruction enchantment," Brain noted.

"Jellal cast it! He's going to destroy Nirvana!" Cobra said, pointing.

"Nothing to worry about," Brain said, "Did you ever wonder why my codename is 'Brain'? I used to work for the Bureau of Magical Development. I've learned hundreds of types of magic, and created just as many. Among them was self destruction magic." He then looked back darkly at Jellal.

"I was the one who taught you such a magic, after all," Brain said. Jellal glared back at him.

"I may not have the cancellation code, but I don't need one in order to undo this spell." He then snapped one of the seals, and the entire seal fell apart, much to the shock of the people watching.

"Damn!" Cobra said excitedly.

"It… it can't be," Jellal said slowly. Brain noticed the destruction seal on him as well, but ignored it.

"His memory isn't what it used to be," Cobra said, "It was probably damaged by the Etherion."

"Is that so?" Brain said, "That's certainly a pity, but no matter. I'll be taken Nirvana now!"

"Over my dead body!" Erza said as she brought out a sword and charged Brain.

"Happy to oblige," Brain answered, "Now arise, Nirvana!" The ground then began to shake, before outright breaking to pieces, and fall apart, sending both Jellal and Erza careening away.

"I can hear it!" Cobra said, in a state of pure ecstasy, "The light is disintegrating!"

"Jellal!" Erza cried, reaching for him.

"Erza!" Jellal answered, reaching for her.

(outside)

"The ground's shaking!" Happy said. Natsu promptly whisked Wendy into his arms, and moved close to Lucy.

"What's going on?!" Lucy cried. Right then, massive tendrils began to rise out of the ground.

"The hell are those?!" Natsu said.

"They're coming out all over the place!" Gray said. The tendrils, seven in total, each latched themselves into the ground, and began to push, as something emerged out of the ground again. It looked like a… city.

"What is that?" Wendy murmured. It looked almost like some kind of giant spider, with a large city atop it.

"I don't know what it is," Natsu said, "But I don't really care. All I know is that its trouble! And I'm going to take it down!"

(somewhere else outside)

"MEN!"

(atop the city)

As the city stood tall in the sky, Brain stood atop the highest tower, as he spread his arms triumphantly, laughing madly.

"Its mine! Its finally mine!" Brain roared, "The weapon that destroys light! All those light guilds will be crushed under foot!"

(on the edge of the city)

Erza, while holding onto Jellal, managed to grab the edge of the city.

"Deactivate that self-desctrution magic you cast on yourself!" Erza said, "You have to be willing to live even if you're ugly or weak!" Jellal cringed as Erza hoisted him up.

"I should've been able to stop Nirvana," he mentioned, as he was pulled up, "Its all but over at this point."

"Far from it," Erza said, as she looked over at one of the tendrils.

Dashing up them was the remaining Fairy Tail members, as well as Wendy and Carla.

"If anyone can destroy this monstrosity, its them," Erza said, "And if we start caving into despair, then we've already failed!"

(somewhere else in the city)

Ichiya was free hanging on one of the city's buildings, as he scared the area.

"Men?" he muttered, before yelling, "Where am I! What's going on here! MMMEEENN!"

(with Natsu and the others)

The tendrils suddenly began to rise and fall, as the structure began to advance forward.

"Its moving!" Wendy said.

"Aw crap!" Gray said, looking over his shoulder. Natsu was frozen, as he struggled to not puke his guts out.

"This isn't a vehicle!" Carla protested.

"Its a non-organic, moving thing," Lucy said, "As far as Natsu's concerned, it might as well be a vehicle!" To prevent Natsu from falling up, Happy picked him up.

"Thanks little buddy!" Natsu said, before looking down at the others, "What about you guys?"

"Don't worry about us!" Lucy said, "You go looking for the Oracion Seis!" Natsu didn't want to leave her and Wendy, but Gray was with them, and he'd probably keep them safe. And after witnessing Lucy's power against Angel, Natsu had a feeling that Lucy may have less trouble then he thought.

"If anything happens to my girls, I'm turning you to ash, Gray!" Natsu yelled.

"I said we aren't your girls!" Lucy yelled, but Natsu didn't hear her, as he flew away with Happy.

"Let's go Happy!"

"Aye sir!"

(atop the city)

"You did it!" Cobra said excitedly, "You really did it! Nirvana is ours!" Brain just looked over the land, before gesturing with his staff.

"Look Cobra. This ancient city is Nirvana's true form, all that remains of a once forgotten civilization. And by my power as this city's new king, I will advance it forward!"

"Forward?" Cobra asked, "This place is going somewhere?"

"Well its not as if we can target it from here," Brain answered.

"Target what?"

"That guild," was all Brain answered with. Cobra immediately knew what he was talking about.

"Oh really?" he asked with a smirk. Cubelios looked at her friend, as she cocked her head. There was something in her eyes….

Brain then waved his staff around, sending glowing screens around them.

"Now forward! Let the light be assimilated by the darkness! And…" His monologuing was abruptly silenced when a shadow fell over him, followed by a cloud of flames.

"I'm going to turn you ash!" Natsu said as Happy flew over them, his chest still glowing.

"The worm!" Brain said. Natsu then turned, and breathed another cloud of fire at him, only for Brain to wave it away with his staff.

"Cobra! Deal with him!" Brain instructed, "We can't let him run rampant!"

"I'm on it! Let's go Cubelios!" Cobra said. The snake let out a hiss, as she struck out at Natsu, knocking them back.

"Fine, I'll roast the snake first!" Natsu said, as he prepared to breath fire again.

"If you hurt a single scale on her, I'll rot you from the inside!" Cobra said, as he jumped onto Cubelios back, who sprouted a pair of wings.

"The snake's flying?" Happy asked.

"Why aren't you sick?" Cobra asked, "Don't you get sick on vehicles?"

"Happy's not a vehicle!" Natsu protested.

"Aye!"

"Well I guess that makes sense," Cobra said, "You can't stand on Nirvana!"

"Get the hell out of my way!" Natsu said, "I'm gonna stop this thing!"

"Give it your best shot, but it won't be enough," Cobra answered, "I'm not letting you get in a hundred feet of Brain!" Natsu glanced down at the leader.

"He's the one moving it, eh?" Natsu noted, "Well then…." Happy then shot forward.

"I'll incinerate him first!" Natsu declared. However, Natsu was hit in the stomach by Cubelios tail.

"He knew where we were going?" Happy asked.

"I can hear everything," Cobra said, "Now let's have some fun!"

(with the others)

"Here's hoping Natsu's motion sickness won't get in the way of his fight," Wendy said.

"Not while Happy's got him," Lucy answered.

"So what's our plan of attack?" Carla asked, "Clearly we can't destroy this thing by ourselves."

"We'll figure that out as we progress," Gray answered.

"Alright, now let's….," Lucy began, only to notice something about Wendy. She was staring out over the horizon, as was Carla.

"What's with her?" Gray asked.

"Be nice," Lucy scolded, "What's wrong, Wendy?" Wendy just stared, as she began to shake slightly.

"This direction…," Carla whispered.

"It lead straight to Cait Shelter," Wendy murmured.

Note: My summer break is coming to an end, so I'm trying to do as much as I can before I go back to the grind. Next chapter will see the battle between Cobra and Natsu. My plan is to do something slightly different with Cobra than with canon. As for what, you'll have to bare with me.

No, Natsu isn't going to use Dragon's Eye in the battle, because its been established that Dragon's Eye can't really be used twice a day. But I hope for the fight to sill be fun and interesting.

Be sure to review.