Chapter 12

'Thinking' – thoughts

"Speaking" – speech

'Thinking' – Dragon/God/Beast thinking

"Speaking" - Dragon/God/Beast speaking

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters they are property of Hiro Masima.

Amanny: I'm happy that I was able to please you with that bonding session.

GreekfanFT: Thanks for the review and the idea of having Haru and Natsu create a bond.

-Akane Resort-

In the darkness, Natsu pushed Ultear behind him and started building up his magic. "Death God's Eternal Cancellation" Natsu whispered. A purple colour invaded the black surroundings. After a few seconds light returned to their dark world yet no sounds could be heard.

"We should go and see where that gunshot came from," Natsu quietly said.

Natsu and Ultear made their way to the main hall. There they could see that one of the large games which had a bunch of numbers flashing in a large glass ball was broken with the glass scattered all over the floor. A boy was lying on the floor.

Natsu could hear groans of pain coming from the boy. He quickly realised who it was and dashed to their sides. Haru was lying on the floor with pain written all over his face. The right shoulder of his white dress shirt was stained with blood. Natsu realised that the shot they heard was fired on Haru.

"What happened here?" Ultear asked in shock when she saw the boy on the ground covered in blood.

"B-block man shot me," Haru groaned out. Natsu carefully opened the dress shirt so that he could assess the wound.

"Since you're a Dragon Slayer the natural regenerative abilities you have will be able to heal this wound in a day or two," Natsu said after he looked at the wound.

"Have you guys seen Erza?" Haru asked with a voice filled with worry.

"Why are you asking?" Ultear asked.

"The block man asked me where Erza was before the lights went out," Haru said. Natsu could hear in his voice that he was busy recovering from the shot.

"We haven't seen her, we only heard her talking before the lights went out," Natsu told Haru.

"We have to go and make sure she's okay," Haru said and tried to get up.

"Wait for another few minutes before you try and move," Natsu instructed as he easily held Haru down by his uninjured shoulder.

"But we have to go and help Erza," Haru insisted. Natsu however didn't allow him to get up.

"How will you be able to help her if you can barely stand up?" Natsu questioned Haru.

"I'll manage somehow but we have to find Erza," Haru insisted while dismissing Natsu's question.

"Ultear, would you mind going to the poker tables, I believe that was where we heard Erza's voice coming from?" Natsu asked Ultear. Knowing that agreeing to Natsu's request was the only way for Haru not to run headfirst into danger she nodded her head and quickly made her way to the poker tables.

"Ultear is going to check up on Erza so you can wait here and recover," Natsu said in a tone that didn't leave any room for argument.

"I guess that's the best I'll get," Haru sighed. He understood what Natsu said, but he felt hopeless when one of his friends might be in danger and he had to sit around and wait for his body to heal itself.

"Don't overexert yourself, even though your wound will heal in a day or two your muscles that have been torn by the bullet will take a bit more time to heal," Natsu said.

"But what if Erza is in danger and we need to help her out?" Haru asked, worried for his friend and guildmate.

"The best option for your recovery would be to avoid any conflict for the next week, but you and I both know that if there is trouble, that won't happen," Natsu sighed. He could tell the Fire Dragon Slayer was stubborn when it came to those he held dear. It wasn't hard to guess either if you knew his past, with his father figure and first friend disappearing from his life.

"If my friends are in trouble there is nothing I won't do to help them," Haru smiled at Natsu, who just shook his head in amusement.

-With Ultear-

Ultear quickly and quietly made her way over to the poker tables. She was very careful not to be seen as she looked around for any sign of an enemy. The thing she found confusing when she looked in the poker room was that it was almost completely void of people except for Erza, Lucy and a blond-haired man who had his back turned to Ultear.

Erza was wearing an elegant purple dress with roses on it, long white gloves, and had her hair done up in a ball with two strands framing her face. Lucy was wearing a maroon dress and the unknown man had a pair of black pants, a black vest, and a long-sleeved white shirt.

"Where did everyone go?" Erza asked in an authoritative voice.

"I'm right here Sister," The man said from behind them. He starched out his arms and began dropping cards on the floor. Ultear could hear screaming coming from the cards. 'So, this man can use card magic and he trapped everyone that was in this room in a card each,' Ultear summarized the situation for herself.

"You use magic?" Erza asked in disbelief. Ultear got the feeling she knew these people. She opted to stay hidden since the magic level of this man was low enough for the Fairy Tail mages to easily dispose of him so she would just observe for now.

"You're not the only one with powers anymore." the man replied and Ultear could just tell from the tone of his voice that he was smirking.

A 'Meow' could be heard from behind the group and Ultear saw a girl with cat-ears, brown hair green eyes, cat-like features on her face, and four red markings on her cheeks that resembled thick cat whiskers. She was wearing a pink top, yellow jacket and a white skirt with thigh-high white socks and blue shoes.

Orange ropes came out of a magic circle on the ground and ensnared Lucy.

"Well aren't you all rosy?" the cat-girl said with a smile and a cheery voice.

"Millianna, you can use magic too," Erza asked again in disbelief. 'Erza definitely knows these people, but judging from her reactions she was unaware that they had the ability to use magic which could only mean she hadn't seen them in quite some time,' Ultear reasoned.

"Please let her go, she is a friend," Erza pleaded with the two strangers.

"We were your friends too remember," the blond man said.

"I-I do," Erza said in an uncharacteristically weak voice while grabbing one of her arms as if she was feeling ashamed.

"We were very close, at least until you decided to betray us," the man continued. Erza seemed to be experiencing something from her past that related to the words of the man since she was beginning to shake.

"Why don't you cut the dame a little slack Shô?" a new voice said as a man whose body seemed to be composed of blocks materialised behind the man Ultear guessed was named Shô. He was wearing some kind of a purple suit, a scarf over his shoulders, and a fedora on his blocky head.

'That must be the ma that shot Haru, this isn't good, I think it would be better to fetch Natsu,' Ultear thought to herself. She quietly made her way back to where Natsu and Haru were.

"Natsu, they are here for Erza, but there is some sort of connection between the attackers and Erza like they know each other," Ultear said as she quickly ran up to the two men. She quickly covered her mouth, cursing herself for revealing Natsu's name.

"He knows my name already so it's fine," Natsu said as he saw her covering her mouth and a bit of fear entered her eyes. Ultear visibly relaxed at hearing this but she was still tense.

"What do they want with Erza?" Haru demanded, Natsu and Ultear could feel the temperature beginning to rise around the red-haired Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Haru, calm down, you need a clear head if you want to save or help her. Allowing your emotions to control you is a sure-fire way for any attempt to fail," Natsu said while grabbing the angered Dragon Slayer's uninjured shoulder.

"But we have to make sure she is fine. If Ultear came back that means there might be trouble," Haru said as he tried to get up while the heat continued to rise. Natsu turned Haru towards him so that their eyes met. Haru was about to protest again until he saw the look in Natsu's eyes. Haru could see anger beginning to build in the eyes of the older Dragon Slayer.

"I told you to calm down, I am aware of what is happening but your emotions will get you killed if you rush into this, and I will not allow it. You have a choice now, either I knock you out and deal with this myself or you calm down and we can work on this together," Natsu said with so much determination that Haru knew he meant each word.

"Fine,' Haru sighed as he tried to get his emotions under control. Then he realised something.

"Where's Happy?" Haru asked the two who were with him.

"Your blue cat right?" Natsu asked just to be sure.

"Yeah, where is he?" Haru asked again as he started to look around the room.

"There is a possibility that he is with the one who shot you," Ultear said.

"We have to go now. Natsu please help me with this," Haru asked. He knew how powerful Natsu was and since he already asked for his help once it was much easier to cast aside his pride. It also helped that his friends and partner were in potential danger.

"Let's get moving then," Natsu said after he was silent for a few seconds.

Ultear led the two men to the poker area where they saw a large man who wore grey pants, had one green sleeve on his left arm, and a blue sash that ran over his left shoulder and was attached to his right hip. He wore a cloth around his head and his jaw was covered by a metal plate. Finally, he had an eyepatch covering his left eye. In his arms was an unconscious Erza.

The large man was surrounded by the three people Ultear saw earlier. Erza was all tied up by the same ropes that Lucy was tied up with.

"Sister, I can't believe you're finally coming home to the Tower of Heaven. Jellal would be so happy to see you again," Shô said just before the group teleported away.

Haru immediately ran to Lucy who was struggling in the bindings. He quickly managed to loosen them up and freed her.

"Haru, they took Erza and Happy to someplace called the Tower of Heaven," Lucy said with a voice full of worry.

"They will pay for taking Happy and Erza," Haru shouted in rage.

"Do you know where they took her?" Gray's voice asked from behind them. Lucy and Haru spun around and saw Gray standing there with Juvia. Lucy was quick to take on a defensive position, remembering the last time they were face to face when she was kidnapped.

"Calm down Lucy, she is not here to cause trouble," Gray said as he saw Lucy's stance. Lucy calmed down a bit from this.

Natsu looked at Ultear and saw a look of horror on her face. He decided to ignore the Fairy Tail mages in favour of finding out what causes that look on Ultear's face.

"Hey Ultear, what's wrong?" He quietly asked her.

"It's all my fault," Ultear whispered out while shaking her head. Natsu quickly led Ultear out of the room and out of earshot of the Fairy Tail mages. He didn't want them to potentially find out that Ultear was part of a dark guild since that would make life a million times harder for her.

'Hey Ultear look at me, tell me what you are talking about," Natsu said as he lifted her chin so that their eyes could meet.

"This is all my fault," Ultear repeated with tears growing in her eyes.

"Ultear, if you don't tell me I can't help you," Natsu said in a kind voice while bringing her into a hug. Ultear was comforted by the cool embrace of Natsu. She took a deep breath to steady herself before she looked up into Natsu's comforting eyes.

"The man in charge of the Tower of Heaven is named Jellal, or as you know him Siegrain. He was once a prisoner of the tower but I manipulated his mind into one that worships Zeref. It was all on the order of Master Hades so that we may obtain a key to awaken Zeref. The Tower of Heaven, or its true name, the R-System is a device designed by Zeref to revive those who died," Ultear began explaining.

"I am aware of the R-System that Zeref created as well as most of his creations, to be honest," Natsu said so that Ultear doesn't waste time on details he already knew. Ultear gave him a nod before she continued.

"I thought I had him under my control but for some reason, something must have gone wrong and the only thing I could do was steer him into directions I wanted him to go in so that I could achieve my goal. He is not in the right state of mind and I don't know what he is planning to do with Erza," Ultear finished her explanation.

"Don't beat yourself up about this. You were still under the impression that your mother hated you and replaced you and that the only solution was to follow what Hades told you. I promised I'd help you out of that situation and I will deal with Jellal," Natsu said, comforting Ultear.

"Just be careful when you face him, he is one of the Ten Wizard Saints," Ultear warned him, not wanting her only hope to disappear.

"Let's get back to the group and form a plan of action," Natsu said as he led Ultear back to the Fairy Tail mages.

Natsu and Ultear returned to the room with the Fairy Tail mages. They saw the Fairy Tail mages attempting to figure out where the people who took Erza and Happy went.

"Do you guys know anything about Erza's past, like where they might have taken her?" Lucy asked the two mages who were in the guild for quite a long time.

"Now that I think about it I have no idea about Erza's time before she joined the guild," Gray said as he tapped his chin with his finger.

"She was always going on solo quests and never talked about her past," Haru said.

"Haru, you are a Dragon Slayer are you not?" Natsu asked as he approached them.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?" Haru asked with confusion written all over his face.

"The senses of a Dragon are much greater than any other," Natsu said. Haru's eyes lit up as he understood what Natsu was saying.

"That means we should be able to track them," Haru concluded in excitement.

"Indeed, I already know they are on the beach, so why don't you go and find out which way they went since you know Happy and Erza's scents better than I do," Natsu proposed. Haru gave him a wide grin and started running to the beach.

"Will he be able to track them?" Lucy asked with a slight amount of doubt in her voice.

"One thing I learned in my time with that Flame brain is that you should never underestimate the nose of a Dragon," Gray said as he took off after Haru.

"Gray my love, wait for Juvia," Juvia shouted with longing in her voice as she dashed after the raven-haired mage. Lucy quickly followed the three, leaving Natsu and Ultear to follow last.

Natsu and Ultear arrived at a scene of Haru crying on the floor and Lucy attempting to comfort him while Gray and Juvia were busy preparing a boat they found at the beach.

"Why did they have to go over the ocean, can't we just swim there?" Haru asked in despair.

"What's wrong with him?" Ultear asked as they walked up to the Fairy Tail mages.

"Haru has a serious case of motion sickness because of his magic," Gray snickered. Oh, how he loved it to see his rival withering in pain and discomfort.

"Wait, if Dragon Slayers have severe motion sickness won't affect you as well?" Ultear asked Natsu, making sure not to say his name.

"I have my reasons as to why I'm not as affected by transport like other Dragon Slayers," Natsu simply said, not willing to reveal his other magic to the Fairy Tail mages.

"Wait, you know some way to get rid of this motion sickness, pleases you have to tell me," Haru begged Natsu.

"Why don't you focus on finding Erza and Happy before something bad happens," Natsu said. Haru instantly stopped his crying and begging and concentrated for a moment, inhaling all the scents in the area.

"They went that way," Haru pointed out to sea. The direction looked to be random.

"All right then let's go," Natsu said as he saw Gray had the boat ready to leave. The mages all got into the boat.

"Juvia will propel the boat towards the direction Haru pointed with her water magic," Juvia said. They were soon speeding across the water.

-Early the next morning-

"There is something very wrong here," Natsu said in a dark tone. The group looked towards him and saw him pointing up. When they looked up they saw birds flying,

however, after a moment they all fell to the ocean, dead.

As they floated onwards they saw the wreckage of a ship with the Fiore crest on it surrounded by dead fish.

"We are close to our destination," Natsu said in a grim voice filled with anger as he pointed towards a high tower.

"The Tower of Heaven," Lucy whispered out.

"Juvia will keep us hidden," Juvia said as she raised her hand and called out "Water Dome". A large bubble of water covered the ship which allowed the group to reach the shore undiscovered.

As they landed they quietly slipped out of the boat and took cover near the cliff.

"They have a ton of lookouts," Gray observed.

"Juvia will search underwater for a way in," Juvia said before she disappeared into the water.

"I suggest we split up, this tower is massive so if we form two groups the searching will go much easier. I will take Ultear with me while you all form another team," Natsu said.

"Are you sure that is the best idea?" Haru asked.

"Yes, I can move around silently with one other person but any more will begin to cause problems," Natsu said as he began leaving with Ultear following close behind.

When Natsu and Ultear couldn't see the Fairy Tail mages anymore Natsu quickly sunk into the shadows, pulling Ultear with him. They appeared near the entrance soon after. As soon as they reappeared a lacrima in Ultear's pocket started glowing.

Ultear looked at who it was that was calling her and her eyes widened in worry for a second.

"It's Jellal," Ultear whispered to Natsu who indicated that she should answer as to not arouse suspicion.

"Ultear where are you, we have an emergency meeting at the council concerning the Tower of Heaven. I need you here to achieve my goal," Jellal, shouted in rage.

"Sorry Siegrain but I am currently on vacation, you should have noticed that," Ultear calmly replied.

"I don't care about your vacation. The years we spent on preparation all lead up to this moment," Jellal shouted.

"You are a cunning man are you not? Why don't you just convince them without me, I'm sure you can do it? I already informed the Council before my vacation that I should not be disturbed if anything happens and that I will join the majority vote if there is any," Ultear replied calmly.

"But what about our plan to get rid of the council?" Jellal asked, barely able to keep his rage under control.

"Why don't you ask one of your lackeys to do the dirty work, those old fools will never see it coming," Ultear suggested.

"You better watch you back from now on Ultear, you have officially outlived your usefulness," Jellal threatened. A low growl escaped Natsu's throat which Jellal luckily didn't hear.

"You sure are delusional," Ultear replied before smashing the lacrima on the ground.

"Well, that went well," Ultear sighed as she was finally done playing the help to that idiot.

"I will bury him so deep in the ground that no one will ever be able to find him again," Natsu threatened under his breath.

"Someone seems to be protective of little old me," Ultear giggled when she heard him.

"A Dragon mates for life and the greatest mistake anyone can make is threatening a Dragon's mate in front of them," Natsu said with a dark look in his eyes.

"Don't go rushing headfirst into this though, remember he is a Wizard Saint so he is quite powerful. Add that to the fact that he has lost his mind and he is a dangerous opponent." Ultear said.

"I have a few ideas as to how I will deal with him," Natsu said with a grin.

-Magic Council Headquarters in Era-

"Unfortunately, Council Woman Ultear couldn't be here today but we have important business to discuss that can't wait," the shadowy figure of the Magic Council Chairman said.

"There seems to be an eighth R-System tower that has been built. We somehow missed this one when we demolished the other seven," the Chairman continued.

"How is that possible, we made sure to wipe all of the towers out," a short man stated.

"The evidence gathered by one of our spy ships proves otherwise," A female voice said as a projection of the tower appeared in the centre of the gathered members.

"Is this structure close to completion?" one of the council members asked.

"I don't know, our spy ship vanished after they sent us this image and we haven't heard from them since, we can only assume the worst happened to them," the female voice replied.

"It looks finished to me," Siegrain said in a grim voice.

"But why would they rebuild the R-System after all this time?" the short member asked.

"The Tower of Heaven, that is what they call it," Siegrain said with his hair covering his eyes.

"It doesn't matter what it's called. The fact is it uses forbidden black magic and if word got out there would be chaos," the Chairman said.

"We have to intervene as soon as possible. I suggest we dispatch the military" the female voice said.

"We would be putting our soldiers in danger because we don't know who we are dealing with. Our latest intelligence suggests that the black cult is no longer occupying the tower," a hooded member said.

"Then who is in control of the tower?" the short member asked.

"The tower is currently occupied by a group of wizards lead by a man named Jellal," the hooded member replied. Hearing this caused all the members to turn towards Siegrain.

"That's the name of your twin brother Councilman Siegrain, is it not?" the Chairman asked.

"Unfortunately you are correct," Siegrain said with a serious expression.

Chaos erupted in the Council Chamber with members shouting out their own thoughts of what course of actions to take, ranging from sending the military to gathering more information.

"You are all fools, the danger you will put all the soldiers in if you sent them is too great," Siegrain said which caused everyone to quiet down and turn their attention towards him.

"Then what do you propose we do?" the Chairman asked.

"The only option to stop my twin brother is to completely destroy the Tower of Heaven, and there is only one way to do that. Etherion," Siegrain said with a serious face.

"Are you insane?" the Chairman shouted.

"That's cross-dimensional destruction magic," the short member shouted.

"Do you know the devastation it would cause, that weapon has the power to obliterate an entire nation," the hooded member shouted.

Chaos once again erupted in the council room with members shouting protest to the idea.

"Hear me out, please. The satellite square can pinpoint a target anywhere in the region. If we focus it directly on the tower we can cause less collateral damage and destroy the Tower of Heaven once and for all. We can't waste time with deliberations, time is of the essence. We can't allow Jellal to activate the Tower of Heaven," Siegrain said in an urgent tone.

"An Etherion blast would no doubt destroy the tower but along with it your brother will also fall," the Chairman said.

"I realise that but it's a sacrifice that must be made for the good of the world," Siegrain replied in a tone that sounded defeated.

-With the Fairy Tail mages-

The group had just defeated a large group of guards after they infiltrated the tower from the ocean when a walkway came out of one of the openings in the wall.

"It seems like whoever is in charge here wants us to come in," Gray observed. The mages went up the pathway since that was a route that would surely lead to Erza and Happy.

They soon entered a room with a table of food on it. Gray, Haru, and Juvia looked at the scene for a second, then at one another, then back at the table before shrugging taking a seat, and started eating.

"What the heck are you guys doing?" Lucy asked them as they ate the food.

"We have a fight waiting for us so the best thing to do is to get all the energy we can," Haru said as he took another bite.

"Whoever let us in is a magic user," Juvia said.

"You think they are provoking us?" Gray asked.

Suddenly a group of guards came running at the mages. The only odd thing was they seemed to be running away from something in fear. The question was answered as soon as it was formed when Erza dashed through the group and sliced them with twin swords, knocking them all unconscious.

"Erza, thank goodness you're okay," Lucy said in relief as she saw the scarlet-haired knight.

"What are you guys doing in the tower?" Erza asked shocked to see her guildmates in this godforsaken place.

"We are here to look for you and save you," Lucy said.

"Go home, this place is far too dangerous," Erza told the mages.

"Erza, I don't care how dangerous it is, I have to save Happy," Haru said with determination.

"They got him too," Erza said, which more of a statement than a question.

"We are here to rescue all of our family members," Haru said.

"Happy won't be harmed. I guess Millianna was the one to take him. She is a cat lover so she will never hurt him. I will get him back safely so you can all leave now," Erza said as she turned her back on the mages and prepared to continue alone.

"We came here to help you," Lucy said.

"I don't need your help, this is my problem and it doesn't involve you," Erza stated and began walking away.

"How can you say that? These people took our guildmates captive so I'd say we are plenty involved," Gray asked Erza which made her stop.

"I will not lose another person who I hold dear," Haru said with meaning, remembering those who he had lost.

"What is the deal with this tower, and who is this Jellal person?" Lucy asked.

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to but know that we will help you whether you ask for it or not," Haru smiled at Erza.

"Yeah, I know you said those guys were your friends but we are your friends now," Lucy followed up with Haru's train of thought.

"Leave," Erza ordered the four that had gathered.

"That isn't going to happen," Haru replied, standing his ground against the mighty 'Titania' for probably the first time ever.

"Master said that even the greatest warriors require backup sometimes," Gray repeated one of Master Makarov's sayings.

"I'll tell you guys my history with this place, but please after that reconsider staying," Erza said with a tear in her left eye. This gave the gathered mages a huge shock to see Erza 'Titania' Scarlet cry.

"I stare death in the face whichever way this ordeal ends, so now is the last chance I will have to tell you my tale," Erza said quietly.

- Magic Council Headquarters in Era-

"I vote to use Etherion on the Tower," the hooded Council member said as he raised his hand.

"The time for action is now, we cannot allow the use of forbidden black magic to stain our history," Siegrain said, urging the other council members to agree with him. 'This would have been a lot easier if that traitor Ultear didn't abandon me,' Siegrain thought.

"You know that your own brother along with all the innocent civilians in that tower will be killed if we go through with this, will you be able to live with that weight on your shoulders?" the Chairman asked.

"If it's for the greater good I will bear the weight until the day I die," Siegrain replied.

"Even though the lives of innocent civilians will be lost we must stop Jellal. It is a necessary sacrifice," the hooded council member said.

"We will go down in history as mass murderers if we attack that island unprovoked," the Chairman said.

"I will gladly sacrifice my reputation if it meant saving countless lives. I vote for the use of Etherion," the female voice said.

"We need two more votes before we have the majority," Siegrain said.

-With Natsu and Ultear-

"So Jellal plans on using the Council to power this tower?" Natsu asked Ultear just to be sure he understood her.

"Yes, the large amount of energy needed can only be obtained by using the Council's resources," Ultear confirmed.

"Do you have any other information about what we will face here?" Natsu asked. He wanted to have all the information he could have before revealing their presence.

"Jellal would have most likely hired extra help seeing as the mages that captured Erza can easily turn on him once they found out that he lied to them all this time," Ultear said.

"Any idea as to who this help could be?" Natsu asked.

"Unfortunately he never revealed that part to me since I would never have been here in the original plan, but whoever it is they are not cheap to hire. Of that I am certain," Ultear replied.

"Then I suggest we stay hidden until he reveals his hand," Natsu said getting a nod from Ultear.

-With the Fairy Tail mages-

Erza just finished telling her guildmates and Juvia about her troubled past as a slave of the Tower of Heaven and how Jellal went insane after their revolt. The four who were listening were shocked at hearing the lengths Jellal went to in order for her old friends to believe she was the one who betrayed them and how he threatened to kill them all if she ever returned.

"Jellal wants to resurrect Zeref, that is the purpose of the Tower of Heaven," Erza finished her story.

"Wait isn't Zeref the person who created Lullaby?" Lucy asked, remembering one of the guild masters saying that it was a demon from the books of Zeref.

"Yes, and I suspect that Deliora is another one of his demons," Erza said which got a look of shock from Gray.

"Why would Jellal want to resurrect such an evil wizard?" Juvia asked.

"I don't understand his motives either, however, my old friend Shô said something about Zeref getting them to Heaven, and they would become the rulers of the new world that would be reborn in Zeref's wake," Erza said.

"That's not true, why are you lying to them?" a voice said from the door behind Erza. Shô walked into the room wearing a long maroon jacket and white pants.

"Why are you lying to get sympathy from them?" Shô asked.

"Shô," was all that Erza could say.

"You blew up the boats that we would have used to escape, and then you left on your own. Jellal saved us from ending up at the bottom of the ocean and he warned us not to trust wizards like you who haven't learned to use their powers properly. He said you have become drunk on your power and you abandoned all those from your past," Shô said in a shaky voice filled with a mixture of sadness, hurt, and anger.

"Have you ever considered that he might have been the one lying?" Gray asked.

"If you truly knew Erza you would have known she would never do something so horrible," Lucy said.

Shô began to have a mental breakdown. He began doubting everything he believed in. Jellal's words were the only thing he believed in but now these people said it was all a lie. His world began crashing down on itself.

"They are telling the truth," a deep voice said from behind the group. Hey spun around to see the man with the metal jaw standing behind them.

"You," Gray said in a threatening voice, however, Juvia placed a hand on his shoulder, calming him down a bit.

"Wait, he never meant you any harm," Juvia said.

"That is true, I had to fool the others so I intentionally attacked your ice clone. I hoped our attack would lure you here," the large man said.

"So you were lying to me too Simon?" Shô asked with tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry but Jellal had you under his spell and I couldn't convince you otherwise. Everything Erza said is true," Simon said as he rested his hand on Shô's shoulder in comfort.

"I can't believe I blindly followed him all these years, I doubted you because you left me all alone," Shô said before breaking down. Haru walked up to him and lifted him back to his feet before delivering a punch to his stomach, knocking him out in the process.

"What did you just do that for?" Lucy shouted in shock.

"What the hell Flame brain. He isn't an enemy," Gray shouted.

"He was not in the right state of mind. His emotion was in control of his actions and he would have surely done something that would have either put him or us in danger," Haru said, remembering the lesson Natsu taught him back at the resort. Erza gave Haru a smile in gratitude, it was hard for her to see her old friend in such a state.

"We have a group of strong wizards here ad if we work together we can surely take Jellal down," Simon said.

"We should tell Wally and Millianna the truth before we face Jellal," Erza said.

"And we need to get Happy back," Haru added.

"Then that will be our first course of action. I can take you there so follow me," Simon said as he began walking toward one of the many doors to the room.

"Today I will face my past," Erza whispered to herself as she followed Simon.

There you guys have it, Chapter 12 complete, and my take on how the events up until now would have played out with the changes to some of the characters. Once again sorry for the late upload, I had my test week so had to focus on that. The next chapter will be the beginning of the fights. Hope you enjoy and feel free to leave a review. Until the next one.