The shining beacon in the sky made it difficult to not know the location of Nirvana. With Angel gone, Meredy and her team began to pick up their pace and focused on heading towards the light. "Hibiki should meet us there. There's no way he'd miss this from Christina," Eve commented. Though, there was little conversation beyond that.

Luckily, there were no additional encounters with the Oración Seis on their path. The trip was relatively short, taking them about thirty minutes to reach a point of the forest where trees were beginning to blacken from the powerful spell. Meredy observed them quietly, only pausing when she felt a hand reach out and grab her own. Blinking, she looked over to see Wendy. The sky wizard's gaze was focused, but there was a slight trembling in her shoulders that Meredy could feel from where the girl's palm pressed against her own. After a moment, Meredy gradually closed her hand over the other girl's, giving it a light squeeze and keeping it in her grip as they continued onward.

By the time they arrived, the sun was starting to set and the light was gradually shifting in color. Given the silence on their journey so far, Meredy was confident they'd encounter the majority of the Oración Seis when they arrived. If they were able to break the seal, she doubted Brain would leave it unprotected while the final remnants of the spell dissipated.

In preparation, Meredy found herself pulling her hand away from Wendy's as they approached the clearing that seemed to hold the source of the beacon of light. Ichiya pulled out a vial of something from his belt while Ren and Eve stood at his sides. Jura stood on the other side of Wendy, giving the young girl a nod as he ensured he stayed just slightly in front of her. With Meredy in the center of the two groups, they entered the clearing through a large gap between the trees.

Standing in front of a massive spell was the group Meredy had been anticipating. A man was asleep on the ground, unmoving at Brain's feet. Cobra and Cubellios were on the other side of Brain, with the dragon slayer shooting Meredy a grin as he noticed her approach. "Well, well. Looks like the traitor found her way here."

"Oh yes!" Hoteye pressed a hand to his cheek. "Just imagine the money we'll be making for turning her in! Soon, we'll be raking in the dough!"

"Ha. She's not gonna even get the chance to think of running, not with me here." Racer grinned. "I'm ready for a rematch after last time. Don't think the same trick will halt me twice!"

"Everyone, that is enough." Brain smiled, turning towards their group with a staff in his hand. "We do have more than one guest here, after all." The leader of the guild gave a slight bow towards their group. Eve looked over at Ichiya with a frown, though the leader of their trio only shook his head. Ichiya's grip on the vial remained tight, inching just slightly closer towards his face. Jura pushed Wendy behind him, his eyes scanning over the group warily.

"There's another one approaching quickly." Cobra turned towards Brain. "Shall I intercept them while you deal with these idiots?"

Brain nodded. With a grin, Cobra quickly mounted Cubellios and took off to the skies. Meredy could only assume he was headed towards Hibiki. She frowned as he left, lifting her hand for a moment and reaching towards her magic. "I wouldn't, if I were you," Brain said. "You may be powerful enough to fend off the demons one on one, but do you truly think you and your group are ready to face all of us at once? For one as logical as you, I suspect you already know the most likely outcome of such a fight."

"That is implying that you think those odds are worse than the expected outcome of a fight between Cobra and the approaching individual." Meredy turned towards Brain. "Are you claiming you are attempting to be peaceful in your resolutions? That a mere conversation is your aim in sending him off alone?"

Brain chuckled. "Ah, I suppose Cobra does have a tendency to take things a bit too far. However, you're familiar with that mindset yourself, are you not?" Meredy's hand closed into fists. "After all, you are here. You came without the backing of your guild, all in the efforts of protecting a single child. Admirable, yes, but considering your current predicament, foolish nonetheless."

"There's nothing wrong with helping a friend!" Eve stepped forward. "We're not going to let you get away with this." Holding his hands out, Eve inhaled sharply and extended his arm. "White Fury!" A blast of snow launched out towards Brain, interrupting any further conversation. Brain dodged to his left, adjusting his stance and waving his staff with a shout.

"Dark Capriccio!" A beam of dark magic shot out rapidly towards Eve. Ren moved quickly, grabbing his companion's arm to pull him closer. Brain's beam curved, following its target until Jura stepped in.

"Iron rock wall!" Pillars of rock grew in between the Blue Pegasus wizards and the beam, slowing its progress. "Both of you, focus on the others. I will handle him." With a nod, Eve and Ren turned towards the other members of the Oración Seis while Jura focused on fending off Brain's attacks.

Without a link, Racer's magic was uninhibited. Meredy saw his form blur, only to reappear with a swift kick to her side. Stumbling forward, she scowled and flickered her gaze over to the others. Ichiya had lifted the vial to his face and inhaled sharply. In an instant, the magic quickly expanded his muscles, growing the man to be almost unnaturally strong. He went charging towards Hoteye, letting out a shout as he raised a fist to punch the man.

Before Ichiya could land a hit, the ground beneath him seemed to transform into something almost akin to sand. Ichiya fell into the surface with a shout, stumbling as he was sent flying with a wave of softened earth. "Taking out a well-known wizard like you is certain to bring in a high reward! We're going to be rich, oh yeah!"

Keeping her distance, Meredy focused on activating her own magic as well. "Meguility Sodom!" Blue swords went flying towards Hoteye in an attempt to assist Ichiya. Yet, Hoteye reacted swiftly, redirecting the swords with a wave of sand acting as a wall. With a smile, he sent the wave flying towards her. Seeing the spell, Meredy dove to the right, rolling on the ground to find herself in a crouched position after just barely dodging the attack.

"Vernier!" Wendy's shout indicated she was doing her best to assist as well. A green light illuminated around Jura, who had just gotten blasted back by one of Brain's spells. It seemed to be taking a lot out of him to even hold back Brain's magic thus far. With Wendy's speed boost, Jura was able to dodge out of the way of Brain's next attack.

Standing next to one of the lingering pillars from his previous defensive spells, Jura moved to attack. "Rock Avalanche!" Quickly, the pillar crumbled into smaller rocks in front of Jura. They then launched towards Brain. With widening eyes, Brain attempted to move out of the way. Yet, the rocks still pelted his body and sent him flying into the massive object the Oración Seis had gathered around in the first place.

A loud explosion distracted Meredy from the battle, making her head look up. She cursed her distraction when a hit to her back had her stumble forward onto the ground. "Not so tough without relying on the senses of others, huh?" Racer grinned over at her as she lifted her head. "I'm gonna show you who the fastest really is. You're gonna regret your choice to stand against us."

"Hibiki!" Ren shouted out loudly, though Meredy couldn't take the chance to lose focus again. With a grimace, she turned towards Racer and extended a hand. Dulled senses were delaying her too much. So, she formed a link with the other wizard. With the new connection, Racer paused and glared at her.

"How annoying. Well, at least you're consistent. That just makes you predictable though." Racer tapped on his chest. "Are you forgetting what I have strapped under here? I'd suggest backing off if you don't want me blowing all of us to pieces together."

"Nirvana is right behind you." Meredy stepped forward calmly. "You would not risk damaging the spell now."

"Tch." Racer glared at her but made no move to activate the bomb lacrima. Instead, he turned upwards. "Cobra! Take over for me. This one's annoying and I've got others to play with."

"It'll be my pleasure." From above, Cobra returned. Meredy's only warning had been Racer's shout. She jumped back to dodge, only to find Cubellios launching an attack along with Cobra. While she managed to doge Cobra's poison magic, she cried out as she felt Cubellios' teeth sink into her upper arm. "How does it feel to get a taste of Cubellios' poison? Soon, you'll be wishing your death would come quick."

Already, it was almost painfully clear that Cubellios was venomous. She could almost feel something shifting around in her arm as she moved. It made the burning spread from the entry wound to wherever it moved. With a grimace, she kept her distance and grabbed her arm tightly. "I can make you share in my death."

"Yeah, well, you'll be too far lost in the pain to even think about using your magic here in just a few moments." The pain was already intensifying, reminding Meredy of the pain of injuries from training with her own guild. Keeping her arm as still as possible, she found herself scanning the remaining battles around Nirvana. Jura was almost succeeding at fending of Brain with his rock magic. She could see that Brain was about to fall as Jura took advantage of Wendy's enchantment and his prior attack.

Ren and Ichiya were focused on Hoteye, though that battle appeared to be a greater challenge. There was sweat on Ren's skin as he launched a cyclone towards Hoteye. Yet, even as the wind pushed back the earth wizard, the man was quick to make them slip on the ground they stood on, liquefying it to immobilize his opponents. Eve had turned to make an attempt to pick a fight with Midnight, but he was quickly learning just how difficult it would be to overcome the sleeping wizard's reflection magic.

In the sky, she could see smoke likely from whatever had exploded previously. Based on the shout, she could only assume it was their airship that had gotten hit. Meredy had no idea on the status of Hibki or how to even check on him. She winced as she took another step, feeling the motion jostle her arm again. Her eyes locked on Cobra, seeing the dragon slayer's grin widen. "So, still think you're that much better than us? I keep trying to tell you, no matter who you are or where you come from, us six demons always come out on top."

Raising her uninjured arm, Meredy braced herself and reached for her magic anyway. Yellow swords began to form around her, though they were weak in number. She could only manage about three compared to her usual blast. Still, she sent them flying towards Cobra as her vision started to blur. "Weak." The dragon slayer stepped around them with ease. "Now, who's next? I was thinking the little girl that turned you so soft, actually."

"No." Meredy stepped closer. More accurately, she stumbled and nearly fell in the attempt. Cobra was already whispering orders to his snake, with Cubellios coiling for another attack. Near the trees and away from most of the combat, Wendy lingered and watched everyone with wide eyes. Charle stood by her side and was moving to grab Wendy's hand as she noticed the snake's intended target.

When the snake sprang forward, Meredy didn't think. She let out a scream as she pushed herself forward, jumping in between Cubellios and her friend. For a second time, Cubellios' fangs pierced into her skin, this time biting into her side. Her eyes watered as the burning began to intensify, growing in pain. Unable to stop herself, Meredy let out a cry of pain as she sunk to the ground.

"Mer!" Wendy shouted and Meredy faintly heard footsteps. In front of them, she blearily saw the beacon of light shift colors further, transforming from black into white.

Brain broke through one more attack of Jura's, though it was clear he was growing exhausted. From the trees, Angel began to walk in. "Am I late for the party?"

"Angel!" Brain turned towards her, though Jura took advantage of the distraction. He sent a blast of rocks towards the dark wizard's back, only to find them blocked by a blast of fluffy pink wool. "Good. Deal with them quickly. I must begin the preparations for our first target."

"Stay away from her!" Wendy shouted. Meredy wanted to tell Wendy to run and get away, but she couldn't find her voice. Perhaps she was still screaming in pain even, though her focus was still split between trying to remember the battle and the pain.

"What are you thinking, child?" Charle flew in towards Wendy, reaching for the girl. Angel's spirit was already targeting her, shooting out a blast of wool to attack. Charle lifted the sky wizard into the air, flying her above the attack. "You know your magic isn't suited to combat."

"But she needs my help!"

Eve was rushing over to her side, wisely choosing to pause on his attempts to target Midnight for the time being. "Everyone, we need to start retreating!" Eve knelt down in front of her, reaching to touch her uninjured shoulder. "Hang in there, Meredy. We'll get you out of here, I promise."

She didn't know how to tell him it was pointless. Cobra laughed and Racer landed next to him. "Go ahead and run all you like. It won't make a difference and she knows it," Cobra taunted.

"No matter how fast you may be, no one can outrun death's grasp." Racer nodded. "You were a fierce opponent. Maybe if you'd waited a few years, you would've stood a chance."

"Hardly." Cobra snorted, looking over at Hoteye. "Stop wasting your time. We need to make preparations to assist with the plan."

"Oh, yes! I can hear the money calling us already."

"I didn't even get the chance to join in the fun," Angel complained. "Good bye, little Meredy." Angel smiled towards her. "I do hope your friend was worth it in the end, darling."

With that, the dark wizards began gathering around Cobra. Jura made one last attempt to stop them, growing rock pillars from the ground to surround them in walls. They arched over, bending into a dome-like shape to try and trap them on the ground. Yet, Hoteye softened the rock with his magic, allowing them to break free. Cobra's snake began flying them upward towards the top of the spell that was now becoming easier to see with the light fading, Rising from the ground was a massive, spherical object on spider-like legs.

"This isn't good." Ichiya was watching the spell with a frown. "This must be Nirvana."

"There's nothing we can do about it now." Jura knelt down on the ground by Meredy, reaching out towards her arm. "I apologize, but I must remove your cloak to inspect your injuries."

His hands carefully began to untie it from her neck, pushing it aside. The motion of the cloth brushing against her skin was enough to send shockwaves through her body. Meredy felt herself tense in response, only making it worse as she let out a cry of pain. At least the first one had been on her arm, something she theoretically would have been capable of removing to get rid of the toxins. However, the bite on her side was far worse. Not only was it bleeding more than the first, it also was an injection point closer to her heart.

"Allow me to assist with my pain-killing parfum." The sweet scent from before began filling the air as Ichiya attempted to help.

"It isn't working." Eve grimaced. "And we need to save some of that for Hibiki."

"If he's still alive," Ren said grimly.

Eve stiffened, but didn't respond to the dark comment. From above, Wendy and Charle returned back to the ground with the young girl crying. "Mer!" The dragon slayer rushed to her side, grabbing her arm recklessly and making Meredy cry out again. "Oh, sorry! I didn't—" Wendy broke off, shaking her head. "But I'm going to make it better. I promise, I'm not going to let you hurt like this for long."

Without more warning, Meredy began to sense magic from the other girl. It began to surround the two of them with a faint glow as Wendy closed her eyes in focus. Meredy felt the area around them grow warmer and tried to open her eyes a bit more in response. The warmth of the magic seeped into her body, agitating the burning sensation for a brief moment. She groaned at the feeling, unintentionally shifting her weight as well. It only served to spread the poison further, along with the burning in her body.

Then, the warmth seemed to actually pull the burning sensation towards it. As painful as the poison was, she was oddly aware of the magic having a strange cooling effect despite its overall glowing warmth. The poison's effects faded from a burn into a tingling sensation in her limbs gradually. Eventually, even that faded away and left Meredy feeling exhausted on the ground.

By her side, Wendy started to sway. Meredy frowned at her, catching the motion and turning her head. The dragon slayer's eyes began to drift shut and her hand gripping Meredy's arm loosened. She slumped forward, collapsing onto Meredy's form on the ground. "Wendy?" Meredy sat up, blinking down at the girl. Then, she became aware of a rumbling sensation beneath her body. The ground was shaking and she hadn't even noticed.

Around her, the others were watching in silence. Charle walked closer, sighing and shaking her head. "Worry not. This is simply a side affect of when Wendy uses her healing magic."

"Healing magic?" Meredy looked down at the girl with a frown. This was the second time she'd encountered the same lost magic in just this year. "She shouldn't exhaust herself to use it."

"Is that all you have to say in response to her saving your life? Are you truly that ungrateful?" The cat huffed, turning away from Meredy.

"No." The pink haired wizard stared at the young girl. "It means a lot to me. More accurately, I was worried." Her eyes flickered around the group. "There are many out there that would exploit such a talent for their own benefit."

"Regardless, the important thing is that you are feeling better," Jura said. "Now, I fear we must split apart. Nirvana is activated and on the move. We need to make sure we have someone actively attempting to stop it."

"And the rest of us need to find Hibiki," Eve said. "Based on everything we've seen, I'd say we split up with Meredy, Jura, and myself heading after Nirvana. We seem to have the most combat oriented magics out of the group and I doubt they'll be sending anyone else after Hibiki at this point."

"It won't be enough." Meredy frowned. "At least six need to go to Nirvana if we want to have any hope of stopping it."

"Six? Why?" Ren narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't tell me your guild is after the spell too."

Slowly, Meredy shook her head. "Some time ago, we considered it. Master Hades still had notes regarding his research on the spell - he had mistakenly believed it to be a creation of Zeref's at one point in time." It had been early on when she joined the guild, a few years after Ultear began manipulating Jellal to obtain the Tower of Heaven. Apparently, Nirvana had been considered as a faster alternative to the tower for that key.

"So, you have information regarding the spell then."

Nodding, Meredy looked down at Wendy before sighing. "I'm not certain if we can manage it now that it has been unsealed. Wendy cannot fight and if Hibiki is injured…we won't have enough members to deal with it as is necessary." She looked over at the group. "In the simplest of terms, if you wish to stop Nirvana, we need to come up with a method of destroying six lacrima in unison. That is disregarding the fact that we have not yet defeated anyone in the Oración Seis. Knowing Brain, he is also aware of Nirvana's weakness and will be having their wizards guarding each lacrima."

"Then we will simply take control of the spell for now and deal with destroying it later," Jura said.

"Nirvana is on the move." Meredy felt the rumbling of the ground again as Nirvana took another step. "Orders have already been given and once provided, it will only halt if given a cancellation order from the wizard who initially gave the order. It is designed to recognize only a single wizard at a time as its wielder. Until its first command is enacted, Brain is that wizard."

"This is not good." Ichiya shook his head. "Men! We shall all go to retrieve Hibiki. Our only chance of success hinges upon his swift recovery." Meredy was doubtful of even that plan, but she was now invested in this plan regardless of its outcome. Wendy was still unconscious, having risked herself in an attempt to try and defend Meredy. Eve had done the same, rushing to her side once he was able. No matter what her past might have been, these people were helping her and she was slowly starting to see exactly why it was that Gray recommended choosing a path of peace and friendship over the guild she'd been raised in.

Meredy might not have seen the explosion but she could see the smoke wafting up into the sky from the crash site. Their group moved quickly through the forest towards the crash, soon finding themselves at the smoldering wreckage of the magical bomber owned by Blue Pegasus. The ship had been practically torn in two with the crash, pierced by an old tree and splintered into pieces around the ground. A few of the wooden boards from the main deck still had a few lingering flames, likely ignited after excess energy was unleashed from shattering lacrima powering the vehicle.

"Hibiki!" Eve cupped his hands around his lips and began shouting into the area. "Where are you?"

Ren crouched down and began pulling at the debris, shoving aside piles of wood that may be covering anything beneath it. Jura set Wendy down next to a nearby tree before joining in, focusing on larger pieces such as the torn off wings of the airship. Meredy closed her eyes, inhaling slowly and reaching out with her magic as if attempting to find a target for a sensory link. She could feel her current companions with ease, but a bit further in the distance she sensed another potential target. Opening her eyes, she began walking in the direction of what she had sensed.

It appeared as if part of the roof of the interior cabins had flown off in this direction. A large piece of metal was twisted and bent, half-leaning against a tree with the remainder nearly crushed on the ground. Beneath it, Meredy saw an unmoving figure. Walking closer, she crouched on the ground and focused on what she could see from her position. Hibiki's shoulder and right arm were sticking out from underneath the wreckage. It didn't quite look like it was pinning him to the ground, but the smoke and debris did block Meredy from seeing much else. All she could determine from here was his location and the fact that he was still alive, given the fact that her magic had detected him nearby.

Carefully, she began to reach underneath the collapsed piece of the ship to get a grip on Hibiki's body. She felt something warm and wet on her arm, making her pause and bite her lip. She might not be able to see much of anything, but she could feel that there was something else injured on the other wizard. Excessive motion would possibly agitate the injury further, but they couldn't examine him at all like this. So, she swallowed and continued finding a firm grip, hoping she was avoiding the worst of his injuries. Slowly, she began to pull, dragging him across the ground and out into the light where she could see.

As expected when she released him, her cloak was stained red with his blood. She frowned, taking it off and tossing it aside on the ground as she crouched near the archive wizard. Her body went cold at the sight. Stabbed into his lower abdomen was a torn-off chunk of some part of the ship. At one point, Meredy imagined it had been longer, but the crashing ship likely broke it apart further. The object was cylindrical in shape, with jagged edges protruding from his skin. Red stained into the man's suit, soaking into his clothes and the ground beneath him.

More injuries remained beyond just the stab wound. Burns coated the skin on his hands and arms, some even making it onto his neck. Meredy would have turned him over to inspect his face as well, but given the stab wound, she decided to leave him in place as much as possible for now. His clothes were torn and covered in dirt, with his left leg bent unnaturally, twisting to the side as if attempting to reach up towards his hip bones.

With her hands shaking, Meredy slowly reached out to place a hand on his neck. Two fingers pressed against his throat, feeling a faint pulsing beneath her hand. Inhaling slowly, Meredy nodded to herself and pulled away. Then, she walked around his body and crouched down on the opposite side of the man, sliding her hand across the ground to push her hand towards Hibiki's face. They were inconsistent, but she could feel small puffs of air against her skin with each breath. It was weak, but he was still breathing and he did still have a pulse.

Footsteps ruffled the leaves nearby. Meredy turned, spotting Wendy in between the trees with Charle in her arms. The young girl's eyes widened and her skin went pale at the sight of Hibiki. "No." Wendy shook her head, taking a step back. She must have just woken up. "Why? How did this happen?"

"He's still alive." Meredy didn't know how long that would last. "The wounds are severe. This is beyond my skill to treat."

"Then I should help." Wendy sniffled, walking over to Meredy's side. "You guys worked so hard with all the fighting. I need to do what I can to contribute." Placing her hand on Hibiki's arm, Wendy inhaled slowly. "Come on…" Meredy could sense a weak flare of magic within Wendy, yet it quickly burned out. Tears began to fall on the young dragon slayer's cheeks as she shook her head. "I'm not tired at all! I'm not! I have to have more energy…"

For a moment, Meredy stared at the girl desperately reaching for magical energy that she simply didn't have. If Meredy hadn't been here…Wendy's energy wouldn't have been wasted. Staring down at the ground, Meredy swallowed and closed her hands into fists. Wendy kept crying, her sniffles turning louder as she began to realize that she simply wasn't prepared to handle two subsequent healings of this scale back to back.

"It's okay, child. You've done all you can. There's nothing wrong…"

"Yes there is!" Wendy pressed her hands into her hair. "If I trained harder, I would've had enough energy to heal them both. I should have focused more on my magic, learned more from Master before coming here. Or, maybe I should have learned different spells. If I'd been able to fight like Meredy, I could've stopped them from hurting her in the first place."

Wendy was growing more and more worked up, breathing heavily on the ground. Meredy heard her start mumbling, catching a few phrases like 'my fault' coming out of her mouth as she focused on Hibiki. Taking a deep breath, Meredy slowly reached over and placed an arm around her shoulders. Wendy sniffled and quickly turned towards Meredy as the pink haired girl pulled Wendy against her side in an attempt at a comforting hug.

Rubbing her hair, Meredy focused on keeping Wendy from looking at Hibiki any further. "You've done well, Wendy." No one could have anticipated this. "The odds were always against us in this confrontation. Everyone was aware of your strengths from the beginning, including myself. Hibiki chose to act out his plan, per my advice. If anyone is to blame, it would be me."

"But I could have healed him."

"He…" Meredy paused, frowning as she stared at him. "No one has unlimited magic." She pressed Wendy closer to her, closing her own eyes. "I'm sorry. I wish I had something better to offer you." Perhaps she could explain that Hibiki was technically still alive. Yet, their location combined with his current injuries gave him a low chance for survival.

"Hibiki!" Eve's shouts came closer and Meredy stiffened. Wendy didn't pull away and moved to wrap an arm around Meredy. The young girl seemed quite hesitant to turn around and look at Hibiki again. Letting her remain, Meredy lifted her head to see the members of Blue Pegasus searching as a group. Ren spotted them first, freezing as his eyes landed on Hibiki. Eve noticed his friend's reaction, turning to see their guild member's current state.

"Hold on, men!" Ichiya charged forward with two vials gripped in his hands. "Let my pain-killing parfum relieve you of your injures. I'm certain this will have you feeling better in no time."

Green magic began flowing out from the vials, flooding the area with a sweet, cool scent. Meredy recognized it as the same spell he'd attempted to use on her previously, though she saw little effect on Hibiki's body. She thought that maybe the blood was flowing out a bit more slowly, but it wasn't like it was safe to remove the broken pillar that lingered in his abdomen.

Rushing to his side along with their master, Eve and Ren both knelt on the ground on both sides of Hibiki. Eve took one of the other man's hands into his own, squeezing it tightly. "You're gonna pull through this, Hibiki. The three of us, we're an unstoppable team, got that?"

"It'd be uncool of you to go like this," Ren spoke stiffly, pressing his palms into the grass. "You need to prove you're better than the rest."

Hibiki groaned, twisting his head. More of Ichiya's magic swarmed into the clearing, the magic flowing into a focused cloud around Hibiki's injured form. The archive wizard opened his eyes blearily, blinking a few times as he took a shaky breath. Almost instantly, the man choked and began to struggle to gain air.

"Hibiki!" Eve leaned forward, pressing his free hand against Hibiki's shoulder as he sat up a bit straighter and leaned forward. "We're here. Don't push yourself, alright? Boss is gonna fix you up right away, I promise."

"Doesn't…feel like it." Hibiki's voice was hoarse. The archive wizard remained still, not flipping over and only twisting his head to rest more comfortably on the ground. "Wasn't expecting…that. Couldn't steer…away and…" Hibiki broke off, closing his eyes and huffing for air for a moment.

"Don't talk." Ren sat stiffly by his side. "All of us struggled against them."

More footsteps approached, signaling Jura's arrival with the group. The rock wizard took note of the scene, nodding his head and sitting down next to a tree in the distance, giving Blue Pegasus some space. Meredy herself wished she was near him, but it was a bit late to move from where she knelt next to Ren by Hibiki's side.

"Ren." Eve's eyes flashed towards the other wizard, before gesturing towards Hibiki's back where the debris remained stabbed through his body. Blood was still flowing and it was surprising Hibiki was even awake given his current state. "We…need to do something."

"Sir's magic isn't designed for this sort of healing work. It can help, but…" Ren trailed off, shaking his head. "We need transportation."

Lifting her head, Meredy blinked. Unwrapping one arm from around Wendy, Meredy shifted and attempted to reach into her pocket without disturbing the sky wizard. She felt around before wrapping her fingers around a ring, pulling it out and studying it to make sure she'd grabbed the appropriate one. "I can assist with that." Meredy looked towards the others. "However, doing so will mean abandoning Nirvana. As harsh as this may sound, that is the choice we need to make. Either we find reinforcements quickly and take on the spell, or we bring Hibiki elsewhere for healing."

"There's plenty of time for both!" Ren glared at her. "Don't say that like taking care of a friend is the wrong choice."

Nodding, Eve met her gaze calmly. "Our comrades always take priority."

"No…" Hibiki let out a shaky breath. "Stop Nirvana. It'll…be fine."

"We don't even have a guarantee that we can stop it." Ren narrowed his eyes. "There are too many factors at play." Turning towards Meredy, he held out his hand. "Hand it over. We're bringing him back to town where we can find a healer."

"Yes, getting him back to the guild hall at once is our highest priority!" Ichiya nodded. He turned towards Meredy, bowing. "Thank you for your aid with the teleportation charm. We will be in your debt."

Sniffling, Wendy turned towards him. "We…we can come with you." The blue haired girl rubbed at her eyes, shakily sitting up. "That way, I can help once I've rested. I just need enough time to regain my magic, that's all."

"I shall remain here and see if I can keep an eye on Nirvana's target. Even if I alone cannot stop the spell's current trajectory, I will remain to intervene should the Oración Seis target another." Jura nodded towards them. "I hope you are able to find help soon."

"And we wish you luck on your continued efforts against Nirvana." Ichiya knelt down next to Hibiki. The archive wizard coughed, letting out a groan as it aggravated his stab wound. Then, it turned into gasps as he continued to fight for air through what was likely a punctured lung.

"Everyone, gather closely around." Usually, this spell only activated for one person. Technically, she could use it on a group but it required extra energy and drained the ring faster than normal. With their group gathered on the ground, Meredy held her hand over Hibiki's body to centralize the source of the magic. She began to reach for her magic to fuel the spell when a hand slapped against hers, knocking the ring from her grasp and into the grass. Almost immediately with it, she heard Hibiki let out a cry, twisting back onto the ground and letting his hand fall with a thump.

"Hibiki!" Eve blinked at his friend. "Why—you need a healer!"

"Can't…" Hibiki choked then, his body hunching as coughing overtook him. The sound was awful to listen to, a deep hacking filled with moisture and mixed with the sound of pained groaning as each motion worsened his injuries. Meredy felt cold as she saw blood spit out of his mouth and onto the ground. "Stop…Nirvana." Hibiki finally manage to gasp out that request. Then, the man reached for the protruding debris on his back.

Ren moved first, grabbing Hibiki's hand and pinning it to the ground by his side. "Are you insane? We aren't letting you do this!"

The archive wizard didn't answer. His eyes were drifting shut again, his brief moment of consciousness fading quickly now that Ichiya's spell was no longer actively spreading through the air. Pain forced him back into a state of unconsciousness and his arm went limp by his side. Meredy turned away, searching through the grass for her teleportation ring. As she searched for it, the others kept a close eye on Hibiki to ensure he didn't do anything else quite so reckless again.

It took her a moment to find it with the fading sunlight, but she eventually managed to return with the ring. She held it out again, reaching for her magic once more in preparation to activate it. However, as she did so, she noticed something. Her magic was naturally attuned to seeking out potential targets for her sensory links. As such, regardless of the purpose of activation, she usually became aware of just how many people surrounded her at any time when she used it. This time, she could only sense five potential targets for her link. The sixth that should have been directly in front of her was absent.

"What are you doing? We need to hurry and get back!" Eve reached out for her hand, but Meredy was already lowering it to her side. Swallowing, she shook her head and reached out towards Hibiki once again. Her hand pressed against his neck and Eve stiffened when he realized her intent. "No. It…he was just talking to us."

"I can't sense him anymore." Meredy's voice was quiet. Underneath her fingers, she felt nothing. Her hand dropped and she slowly shook her head. Almost immediately, Eve's hand took the place of where hers had been. He shifted his grip a few times with a tight grimace, shaking his head. When he wasn't satisfied with the results, he shakily reached for Hibiki's arm, checking at the man's wrist as well.

"No." Eve looked over at Ren. "Please, Ren, I'm making a mistake, aren't I? I…I'm a wizard, not a doctor. I'm just doing it wrong, right?" The blond's eyes were starting to water, desperately seeking another answer.

Slowly, the air wizard closed his eyes and lowered his head. Unlike Eve, he did not double check on the information Meredy had offered. "Meredy has shown us no reason to believe she'd lie."

Ichiya stared at them before dropping to the ground himself. "Men…this parfum—"

"I don't want to hear it!" Eve covered his ears with his hands, shaking his head. "Hibiki isn't gone! This…we just lost Karen and now him? It isn't fair. Why is it always our wizards? Why do we have to lose all of our friends?"

"I'm sorry." Wendy lowered her head. "I thought I'd be able to help. I'm sorry I was too weak. I couldn't save him…" She was trailing back into her own self-blame, shaking her head and crying softly to herself. Eve likely wasn't even hearing her, still refusing to listen to any of them.

Rising to his feet, Ren approached Eve and grabbed the snow wizard's arm. "Listen, Eve." Slowly, Eve stopped resisting and let Ren pull his arm away from his ear. "We cannot fall apart now. Are we not wizards of Blue Pegasus?"

Swallowing, Eve nodded. "But without Hibiki…" Eve wiped at his cheeks, turning towards Meredy. "It's pointless. We've failed and all we managed to do was let him die in vain."

Ren's hand shook. "Eve…" The air wizard swallowed, closing his eyes. Then, he sat down next to his companion, pulling him in for a hug. "I know. Today, we failed. And now, he's gone."

After a moment, the snow wizard clung to Ren's suit vest and began to let himself cry. Meredy turned her head away from the sight, feeling out of place and numb. All she knew of Hibiki was his magic and insistence that she had no place in their group. He'd been hostile towards her and had immediately abandoned the group for his personal plan to scout ahead. She had no personal attachment to the man and it was easy to just see this as another death that didn't affect her at all.

Her eyes flickered around the group. Jura's head was lowered in silence, as if he were praying. Ichiya had joined his guild members, the trio clinging to each other in their grief. Meredy almost approached Wendy again, but even that felt wrong. Unlike her, Meredy was able to rationalize her inability to help. She'd offered logical advice to the group about the Oración Seis and informed them they were not prepared. Yet, maybe that truly showed just how broken she was.

Slowly, Meredy rose to her feet. It was best to leave them to their grief. All she'd be able to do is bring them even further into the darkness by her side. Turning, she began to walk off in silence, uncertain of where she was headed. Her heart was pounding and the further away she got, the more she began to feel an ache in her chest. It was difficult to swallow, like there was something heavy in her throat and she was starting to realize that maybe running was a bad idea. Slowing down, she stopped and took a few gasping breaths that gradually quieted into normal.

"—around here somewhere. If the rumors are true, then we have to act quickly."

Meredy looked towards the right, turning towards the sound of the voice. "I still don't see how this is our first step towards redemption. Honestly, you're insane if you think this plan of yours will even work. Nirvana isn't some typical spell that you can destroy with a single magic circle." Meredy would never be able to forget that voice.

"Then we'll gather more allies. There must be someone out there willing to help. Or are you going to tell me you don't possess some method of concealing your identity now?"

"Hey, I may have placed a curse on you, but I never actually disguised myself. Any time you saw me, you were seeing my own beautiful face."

There was a sigh from the man speaking. "Enough with this. Could you at least try to walk in silence? I cannot comprehend how your previous guild tolerated your presence for so long."

"Ul?" Meredy stepped forward, interrupting them. Both wizards halted, with Jellal and Ultear turning to face her in surprise. Jellal's face turned pale at her appearance. Ultear bit her lip but held her composure a bit better. Looking down at herself, Meredy realized the reason. Despite stripping herself of the cloak, Meredy had remained rather close to Hibiki. She'd needed to wrap her arm around his torso to pull him free and had managed to stain her robes as well as her cloak. The red cloth had darker splotches and while the color blended in, she imagined it was apparent what it was.

"Oh, Meredy. I thought I told you to try and find your own path." Ultear shook her head, placing a hand on her hip. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you ran off towards the only thing you know."

"She…you're part of the Oración Seis now?" Jellal's eyes narrowed at her, stepping closer. "I'm sorry, but that—"

"I'm not." Meredy shook her head. "This…" She bit her lip. "I—I didn't—" She broke off, swallowing. The heaviness was back. For some reason, she couldn't stop picturing Hibiki, seeing Wendy crying over him. Yet, that wizard was nothing to her. She didn't know him. We need to plan independently. Hibiki had listened to her. Her hands shook and Meredy found she couldn't meet their eyes. "It…I didn't mean…"

"Meredy?" Ultear's tone shifted, sounding more alarmed.

Meredy took a step back, shaking her head. "Don't touch me!" She glared at Ultear, feeling a rare burst of anger. "You're not my friend!" Why had she left them? Shooting Ultear a glare, Meredy spun around to head deeper into the forest. A hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her back.

"Meredy, wait." Jellal was the one grabbing her while Ultear stood back. Her head had turned away from Meredy, with her arms wrapping tightly around her chest. Jellal kept his grip on her arm, waiting for Meredy to turn towards him instead. "I'm sorry for making assumptions. However, if you truly are out here by chance, then perhaps you'd be willing to assist us. Rumors have spread that the Oración Seis is after a powerful—"

"I don't care." Meredy yanked on her arm, tugging it free. "I can't stop them anyway." Her eyes started to burn and Meredy felt her vision blur. "All I do is hurt people, even when I want to help. That's all I can do - that's all Ultear raised me to do." Her eyes narrowed at the woman. Her chest ached and as hard as she tried, Meredy couldn't maintain her glare. So, she closed her eyes and stepped back.

"Mer?" A quiet voice called out.

"Meredy? Child, where have you gone?" A second voice was shouting, this one closer than the other. Jellal and Ultear frowned, looking around for the source of the voice.

"She's over here!" Ultear called out before Meredy could say anything. Meredy's head snapped towards the time mage, frowning before looking away.

A flying white blur approached, followed by a familiar young dragon slayer. "There you are! I…" Wendy bit her lip. Her eyes were red and puffy, with streaks still drying on her cheeks. "I thought you'd left us. That you thought we were too weak…" Her eyes flickered towards the others and she rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry. I guess…I should have just—"

Meredy reached out, grabbing Wendy's hand before she could walk away. "I didn't belong." She lowered her head, not looking at anyone. After a moment, Meredy took another slow breath. The odd sensations she'd been feeling were fading. Seeing Wendy, Meredy could almost ignore the fact that Ultear was right behind her. "Let's get back to the others."

"You can't just ignore this, Meredy!" Jellal narrowed his eyes. "Before, you asked to come with us. Are you truly choosing to run now?"

Meredy closed her free hand into a fist. She wanted to tell him to leave her be, to run off and handle things on his own. However, she also understood their situation. This was not the time to let emotions get the best of her. "Follow us." Her eyes turned towards them, narrowing at Ultear. "I was already trying to deal with it anyway."

"You were targeting Nirvana?" Ultear asked, raising her eyebrow as they began to walk. "I'm surprised. I thought you were too young to remember much about it."

"I remember everything I read." It had been her tool for studying, though Meredy supposed that was still an exaggeration.

Ultear chuckled. "Well, that's a good thing. Sounds like you'll still grow up to be a smart woman after all."

Not bothering to respond, Meredy only tightened her grip on Wendy's hand. The sky wizard frowned at her, but Meredy only shook her head and kept walking. Together, their group eventually arrived back at the clearing with the others. Blue Pegasus was sitting with Jura now, their backs to Hibiki's body. Meredy's abandoned cloak had been placed over him, serving the place of a cloth to cover the body for the time being.

Jellal and Ultear both paused at the sight, seeing the wreckage of the airship and staring at the body on the ground for a moment. Offering no explanation to them, Meredy instead approached the group. Jura looked up at her approach, giving her a nod. "I am glad to see you have returned. Given these unfortunate circumstances, I was hoping to come up with a plan to intervene and stop Nirvana before it reaches its first target."

"We only have five fighters. Meredy said we'd need six." Ren turned towards her, before frowning as he noticed Ultear and Jellal. "Oh. Were you already planning for this?"

"No." Meredy sat down with the group, staring at the grass. "I wanted to give you space." She swallowed, taking a deep breath. "I ran into them in the process."

"Well, I can't say I'd object to having some back up at this point." Eve gave them a tired look, not even having a fake smile to offer them. "I'm Eve, a member of Blue Pegasus." The others began to offer introductions as well while Ultear and Jellal listened in.

"It is nice to meet you all." Ultear smiled, moving to sit next to Meredy. The pink haired wizard stiffened, looking towards her before closing her eyes. How many times had she wanted to just relax by her side like this? It didn't feel right, not now. "I'm—"

"Ultear, another member of Grimoire Heart." Meredy interrupted, not allowing Ultear to have the chance to lie. Ultear turned towards her with wide eyes, but she was already moving on. "And he's Jellal, or Siegrain depending on what you've heard. He's the former wizard saint that was unintentionally responsible for the destruction of the magic council."

"They're here to help stop Nirvana?" Ren looked towards Meredy with raised eyebrows. She nodded in response. "Alright then. The past is in the past, but we're working together to focus on the future. That's the least we can do, to honor Hibiki's final request."

"Yeah." Eve nodded, turning towards them with determined eyes. "Jura thinks he can handle Brain if we go up against them next. But honestly, we were struggling to figure out what to do about the others. It was all we could do to just hold them off and even then, you nearly ended up dead."

"Wait, what?" Ultear turned towards her. "You already broke the non-aggression pact?"

Shrugging, Meredy picked at the grass. "It didn't work out well. Cubellios is fast and works well with Cobra."

"You should be dead if that's the case. No on survives that snake's poison." Wendy blinked over at Ultear, but the time mage just shook her head. "Regardless, I suppose I can handle him if need be. I'd say my magic is quite suited to dealing with him, wouldn't you?"

Meredy nodded. "That still is only one member of their guild. And our goal is Nirvana, not them." Her eyes flickered towards the others. "Did you arrive in time to see the seal break?"

"They unsealed it?" Jellal looked at the group. "That complicates matters. Where is it now?"

"We were forced to take a detour." Ichiya's expression was grave. "One of our dear comrades, we thought we would be able to save him."

The area was quiet for a moment. Then, Ultear broke the silence. "I'm sorry for your loss." She looked over at Meredy, opening her mouth for a moment before closing it and turning away. "Then it seems as if we have a difficult challenge ahead of us."

"We must break six lacrima, according to Meredy." Eve folded his arms over his chest. "That's not gonna be easy, not with their entire guild against us."

"Even with our increased numbers, it will remain a challenge." Jellal frowned. "We're facing a near even fight in terms of numbers and have an additional objective. They have the advantage already and we lack the time to make proper preparations for the battle."

"Then, why don't we just try?" Wendy was quiet. "I can't help fight. But we can't just sit here doing nothing either. If there's no time, then at the very least, we need to hurry towards Nirvana and do our best to take it down."

Nodding, Ultear rose to her feet. "I suppose that's the best we can manage for now." Her eyes scanned the group. "For anyone intending to fight with me, know that I work best alone. My magic can be a bit destructive and unpredictable, something I intend to take advantage of against our opponents."

"Why am I not surprised?" Eve shook his head. "Sounds like we've got another wizard that doesn't understand how to fight with a team." His eyes flickered towards Meredy, giving her a nod. "We'll keep that in mind and leave you be for now, I suppose."

"I'm certain we'll have plenty of other things to focus on anyway," Ren said. The others began getting up as well, preparing to leave. Meredy followed after, quietly lingering towards the back of the group. Wendy slowed down until Meredy was by her side and offered a small smile towards the pink-haired wizard. After a brief moment, Meredy allowed herself to return it though she didn't feel any real warmth behind her expression. All she could feel was the odd emptiness, her mind questioning just what she could have done differently to avoid this outcome.