Chapter Fifty-Seven
Erza sighed heavily as she looked out at the raging storm. She looked over her shoulder and shuffled over to the lantern. "Flame God?"
"You may call me Atlas if you would like." She tilted her head slightly in surprise and then nodded.
"Atlas…any idea how long that storm is going to last?" She asked and the flames flickered.
"Unfortunately I do not. I have never performed this type of spell before." She nodded and rested her chin on her fist and looked at him as he danced within the confines of the lantern. "Why do you continue to stare at me?"
"Your flames are beautiful to watch as they flicker and dance."
"Thank you." He puffed up a bit and she smiled. "What bothers you? I can sense your unease."
"I'm just worried. If this storm is working; if the Giants will be okay, and if everyone is okay down on Earth. Alfie won't tell me any updates and I can't get through to the Guild Station or to anyone on Earth."
"Worry can drive one mad. But I do understand that it is hard to separate the worry from the need to focus on the here and now." He sympathized.
"You are right. And I'm sure if anything was truly wrong; Alfie would tell me. Keeping secrets is bad and can cause bad feelings." She said and softly spoke as she leaned forward, laying her torso on top of the table. She reached her arms out and her fingers danced on the glass sides of the lanterns.
"Erza?" Gray's inquiry had her rolling her head over on arm and she offered him a small smile.
"I'm just sulking because I'm impatient and the lack of communication is starting to bother me." She said and he nodded and sat down at the table. Atlas turned and flared at him and he chuckled.
"Someone is feisty in their lantern."
"I am tired of being confined in such a small space." He chuffed and Gray looked over at Erza. She had refused to be healed to one hundred percent; stating that there could be more serious injuries before they got off world and back to the Guild Station and she didn't want to be down the means to heal others just for bruises and scrapes. He admired her for that. As she tapped on the glass, Atlas punched back as if they were fighting through the glass.
"Sure is quiet in here." Jellal said as he walked in, a mug of coffee in his hand. He was truly happy to have been introduced to the drink. He sat down to the side of Erza and watched as she and Atlas played. He smiled and nodded at Gray who smiled back.
A trilling sound went off and Erza leapt up and turned as Alfie opened a communication screen. Cana appeared and Erza smiled. Cana's expressions was tense and Erza's smile fell.
"What's going on Cana?"
"You don't know?"
"Know what?" Erza asked and the brunette sighed heavily.
"The others on Earth were attacked." Erza took a deep breath. Gray swore and stood up punching the table.
"Gray." Erza said his name calmly and he looked at her and Cana even looked a little perplexed. She turned back to Cana. "They were attacked, but there weren't any casualties."
"How do you know that? We haven't heard more than a message from one of the other generals saying that they had some sort of drone that told them that everyone was attacked and lost."
"Who? Which general?" Jellal asked and stood up and got shoulder to shoulder with Erza.
"Who are you handsome?" Cana asked and winked and Jellal stared, thrown off of his anger and need for information. Erza rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers in front of Cana's face on the screen.
"Cool down you horndog." Cana stuck her tongue out at her. "This is General Jellal."
"I'm sorry sir." Cana did look contrite and he waved it off. "General Ivan…"
"Ivan." Jellal snarled and shook his head.
"One of the generals you think is on Mard Geer's payroll?" Erza asked and he nodded while looking angry.
"I'll pass that tidbit on to Gramps." Cana said and folded her arms over her stomach. "What happened to you Zaza? You look rough."
"We were also attacked, repeatedly. We won." She answered and said it softly. "And as for your earlier question; Alfie has drone footage of the attack and proof that everyone is alive. Wendy and Levy were injured the worst; but everyone is alive. Mira has magic too by the way."
"What? No way!" Cana stared, her mouth falling open.
"She has Takeover magic like Elfman. Only she can take over Demons."
"Like…demon demons?" Cana asked and made a face and Erza nodded. "Why is life getting weirder and weirder?"
"Mard Geer." Jellal offered as an answer. Cana shook her head and looked from him back to Erza.
"How are Levy and Wendy if they were injured the worst?"
"Wendy was hurt?" Makarov's voice came over the call and he appeared beside Cana. "General Jellal, I'm sorry for not being on this call from the start."
"No worries." Jellal said and picked up his mug and sipped it.
"Wendy and Levy were hurt when they were attacked. Alfie, can you upload the videos you showed me earlier?" Erza asked and the AI hummed. Then there was a harsh beeping sound.
"I cannot send the video through. Something is blocking my ability to communicate with the Guild Station." The AI sounded upset. Cana's face fell for a moment before she turned and left the screen. Makarov's expression darkened. He started touching buttons out of sight and they heard him barking orders. Erza turned to Gray who nodded and started typing on a monitor near him. Atlas was changing colors in irritation in his lantern.
"Alfie, what can you see?" Erza asked and the AI hummed before answering.
"There is unusual code blocking all transmissions in and out of the Guild Station. Cana's transmission was on an older model console which is why it made it through. The coding doesn't seem to affect the older mech."
"Blue Pegasus maybe?" Gray asked and Alfie hummed.
"I do not believe so." Alfie spoke after the humming stopped. "This is not similar to their coding in the drones I have commandeered on Earthland."
"Can you show me some of the coding?" Jellal asked and they watched as the screen beside Makarov lit up. He stared and then he looked over at Makarov.
"That is Dark Guild Runes in the coding."
"I saw that as well General Jellal." Makarov nodded looking concerned. Gray looked ill and Erza tensed.
"What's that mean?" Erza asked and Atlas pipped up from the lantern.
"It means that someone who has been corrupted by Mard Geer has done something unforgivable." Jellal stared hard at the offensive code and Makarov looked from him to the lantern.
"While I know we have more important things to worry about…what is in the lantern."
"Its a who, not a what." Erza said and put her hands on her hips. "And its Atlas, the Flame God that has been protecting this planet for longer than we need to worry about."
"Atlas…the Fire Dragon who was the General of Igneel's army?"
'The one and only." Atlas brightened and Erza rolled her eyes.
"Evacuation! Evacuation! Please hurry to the outlined locations." Alfie's voice came over the message and red and yellow lights started to flicker behind Makarov. Cana ran back in and skidded to a halt in front the screen while pulling off her jacket and slinging a bag over her torso.
"There's something hiding outside of the windows. Layla said the stars were warning her and they were muffled but she finally got a clear message from them. Station Alfie ran through a series of scanners and finally identified cloaked enemy ships. We have to bounce and we have to bounce now!"
"Alfie!" Erza turned and she saw that the various screens were rolling quickly and multiple lights were turning on and off. Jellal stared as well and he turned when he heard a sound and he saw the rest of the inhabitants looking at the screens in horror.
"Hurry to the evacuation location. I'll follow." Makarov tried to shoe Cana away but she wasn't having it. She wrapped an arm around his waist and started to run.
"We'll see you on Earth Zaza!" She called out as Makarov swore and tried to get free. Station Alfie tracked them on the video call and they were forced to watch as everyone ran towards the emergency escape pods and the light travel chambers. Romeo screamed when he saw his father pulling on his friend Wakaba's arm and grabbed a bag from another person and threw it towards the escape pod.
"Alfie, what can we do to ensure safe travel for them?" Gray demanded as he was moving his fingers quickly over a keyboard Erza couldn't see.
"I am not sure." Alfie told Gray and it was running reports and simulations on multiple screens. Erza bit her lip.
"Alert. Alert. Incoming attack. Incoming attack." An alarm went off on the Guild Station. Everyone watched as the station shook and people started to scream. Sound was knocked off and Erza gritted her teeth.
"Oh my god." Erza whispered and watched was happening and she was incapable of doing anything other than watch.
There was a bright white light and then before it even faded; more light appeared and they watched as metal, glass, stone and other materials explode on screen before it went black.
"No!" Voices screamed and Erza sank into a seat, staring at the blackened screen. Gray punched the wall, and growled. Jellal put his hands on Erza's shoulders; not sure what else to say or do.
"No!" Lucy screamed and jerked away from Natsu and everyone stared at her. She was breathing hard, running her hands over her face.
"Lucy, what's wrong? Luce?" Natsu asked trying to wrap his hands around her forearms but she moved away, her hands thrown out.
"Capricorn! Aquarius! Loke! Aries!" She cried out and they appeared; all of them looking grim with the exception of Aries who was crying. Loke had his arm around her. Lucy shook her head as sobs tore from her, and all but Capricorn looked away from her.
"I am sorry Mistress Lucy. I wish I had better news for my Celestial Mage." Capricorn said with a slight bow and he looked away.
"Lucy?" Levy asked and she turned and looked at her friend, tears streaking down her face. Natsu was clutching as his sides, pain and heartache threatening to topple him.
"The Guild Station…" She choked on the words and everyone tensed. "It just got attacked, and…it's gone."
"What?" Ren jumped to his feet and Habiki and Eve each pulled out a tablet. Laxus and Gajeel pulled out their comms and started trying to make connections. Natsu staggered to her and pulled her into his arms. He ran his hands up and down her back as she sobbed against him. The pain receded and he felt his own grief well up.
"Alfie!" Mirajean called out and Laxus' Magi-Hover lit up.
"Lucy is correct. Fairy Tail Guild Station was obliterated by the Phantom Lord Guild Station, the Succubus Eye battle crafts, and Grimoire Heart Guild Station and the Oracion Seis battalion ships." Alfie's tone was low.
"No…impossible. Those Guild Stations are allies." Bixlow bit out slowly.
"Unfortunately they were corrupted." Erza's voice broke through the cries and they turned to look at Laxus' Magi-Hover and saw that the wall had been turned into a communication screen. Her expression was wrought with emotions, anger prevailing as she stood there clenching her fist.
"How?" Freed demanded to know. Fairy Tail was the first time he'd felt at home anywhere after being orphaned as a young boy.
"Mard Geer got into the heads of the leaders. The other ships and battilons were mercenaries he hired." A male said appearing.
"General Jellal." Laxus snarled.
"Laxus. We were conversing with Cana and your grandfather before the Guild Station was attacked."
"What?" Lisanna asked and the male looked at her and then around at the other faces. He deflated a little and they watched as Erza put a hand on his forearm as he started to turn away. He looked back at them all.
"We had to watch as they were…killed." He finally stated. They heard a roar and watched as ice started to encapsulate the walls behind them. Then flames appeared and started to melt the ice.
"You cannot let your anger ruin this ship if you have any hopes of getting revenge." A voice stated and everyone on Earth looked confused; well those who weren't openly crying. Lucy pulled away from Natsu and wiped at her face. She looked at the screen and Jellal focused his attention on her.
"Erza."
"Yes Lucy?" Erza looked at her friend.
"Leave Solarium as soon as possible, but make sure the Giants survived. Forget about finding someone to translate the text for Levy. We need you and the rest here. We're going to take this fight to Mard Geer and need all hands on deck."
"Got it." Erza nodded and she watched as Lucy turned to look at Laxus.
"Laxus, I want you, Freed and Capricorn to start planning. Bixlow; you, Lisanna and Loke are on reconnaissance. Get as close to any military groups, raiders, dens of people as possible. I want information. But if you run into civilians, get them somewhere safe." She turned. "Aquarius if you don't mind accompanying Mirajean, Evergreen and Elfman along with the Blue Pegasus team to their Guild Station; we need to get aid here as soon as possible. Aries, please stay with Levy and Wendy. They're hurt and I don't want them overworking themselves."
"Lucy…" Natsu looked at her and she looked at him.
"I want to go to the landing site." She whispered. "The stars are telling me there is some debris from the Guild Station we need to retrieve. I don't know what it is…but if the stars are this insistent…"
"Alright. You, me and Happy are on it." He said and headed for their Magi-Hover to get it ready to go. Lucy turned back to the others.
"We have a mission." She said and looked at each of them. "We've all just lost the people we love. Our friends. Our family. Our home. We don't have time to let the pain and the heartache cripple us. That's what Mard Geer wants. He wants this to weaken us. But all he's done; is lit a fire under us. We are going to avenge Fairy Tail and everyone in it. And we are going to make him regret ever crawling out of the ooze that birthed him."
"Blondie's on the war path. I think I like it." Bixlow growled, his tongue unfurling as he popped his knuckles.
"What about me?" Gajeel asked and she looked at him. "Or do you think I'm too hot tempered for anything?"
"Gajeel…" Laxus started to object but Lucy held up her hand.
"I have a special task for you." Lucy said and pulled out her comm and handed it to him. He looked at it and then to her and raised a brow in confusion.
"Get on that. Panther Lilly wasn't on Fairy Tail…Find every ship that was away. Tell them to get here and to land as quietly and safely as possible at locations you and Alfie deem best. Tell them to trust no one unless they are on the ship from Solarium. They trust no ally Guild Station that hasn't been verified by one of us; or someone from the ship on Solarium. They see anyone who looks suspicious then they attack with no mercy."
"Hell yeah Bunny Girl." He said and took the comm and stalked off. Lucy turned back and looked at the screen.
"What can I and my guild do?" Jellal asked.
"Bring your best and strongest magic. When you get here; expect a hell of a fight." She said and he nodded. The screen cut out and everyone started to split into the groups she'd created. Levy and Wendy tried to talk her into letting them help but she'd growled; actually growled and they stopped. Natsu had straightened as he was returning to tell her the Magi-Hover was prepped and ready; and stared at her as she growled. Her expression was dark and the scalut was bright red and black. Ridges had formed down her spine and along her shoulders like a collar. Aries grabbed them and headed for Wendy's Magi-Hover and told them that Lucy was under a great deal of stress and listening to her was the best call at the moment.
"Luce…" She turned and Natsu held his arms open and her scalut calmed down and she went into his arms.
"It's going to be okay. Somehow it will." He promised and she nodded against him. She wasn't crying but he knew how she felt.
Lucy squeezed her eyes shut. Natsu's emotion were washing over her; but his pride was warming the freezing cold that had started growing from around her heart when she'd heard the message from the stars. She'd been trying to listen to them while everyone talked around her, but it had taken tuning out everyone to finally hear the message loud and clear. And she wished that she had heard earlier…maybe she would have been able to get a message to the Guild Station before the attack.
"Natsu, you and Happy take care of Lucy." Laxus said as walked over and put his hand on her head. She turned and looked up at him. "We need our new General safe and sound."
"What?" She pulled away from Natsu and shook her head. "You…"
"We all voted…just now." He said and nodded to the others who were standing together in their groups looking at them. Natsu wrapped an arm around her waist as she trembled.
"Gramps thought you had a cool head; and that's what a General needs." Laxus snarled, his fangs growing and receding as he tried to get a handle on his own emotions. "That's what we need. Our numbers just dropped exponentially. So we can't have a hothead like me leading the way. And I trust you to do what's best for the majority."
"I wish I had that faith in myself." She whispered and he curled a finger under her chin and made her lift her head.
"We'll have that faith in you, until you can find it yourself. Take care of yourself General Heartfilia."
"Take care of yourself as well, Major General."
"Major General? What you giving Flame Brain the Lieutenant General role out of favoritism?" Gajeel demanded to know and Lucy rolled her eyes.
"No. Erza is Lieutenant General. Alfie, please share that with Erza."
"Of course." The AI commented and everyone nodded.
"Good call." Laxus said and he turned. "I assume I get to assign the rest of the ranking?"
"I don't care." Lucy said and he chuckled. She turned to look at Natsu. He offered her a soft smile and held his hand out. She took it and she was so relieved when his fingers intertwined with her own and he pulled her against his side. Happy flew over and nestled on her shoulders. She let him lead her to the Magi-Hover as she tried to get a grasp on her emotions.
"Is she going to be okay?" Loke asked Capricorn who pulled his sunglasses off and looked at him.
"I don't know. I didn't anticipate this." He said and wiped his sunglasses on a piece of fabric from his pocket. "But I do know that she and her growlkin are going to have each other's back and that's all we can hope for at this moment."
"So you are just accepting that Dragis' declaration of…"
"Did you not see how the two of them were around one another? If they are not truly growlkins; then they are the closest thing to it I've ever seen." The leader of the Guards said and looked at Loke. The male looked tense and worried.
"Also…There is a change in our own ranks." At his words Loke, Aquarius and Aries looked at him.
"What do you mean Capricorn?" Aquarius asked and put her hand on her hip. While she hadn't been happy to be separated from Scorpio; she also had to admire that the Celestial Mage hadn't even lost an ounce of power as she'd summoned all four of them at once.
"He and I agreed that I'm not as young as I used to be." Capricorn slid his sunglasses back on. "Loke will now be the leader of the Zodiac Guards."
"What?" Loke's mouth dropped open and before anyone could say anything; he started to shine. Everyone around them grew quiet and watched as the light receded. He was a full suit of armor; a lion's head embossed on the chest of the armor. Gold glittered brightly against the metal and Bixlow and Freed both whistled lowly.
"I'll be your second in command, followed by whoever you assign. I would recommend keeping the rest of the order as it has been but if you have changes that is also fine." Capricorn stated and bowed to Loke.
"No…I can't… I'm not…"
"The Celestial Mage has favored you." Capricorn stated. "She and Natsu saw more in you than even you saw in yourself. He and I have noticed that and agreed. We need our best in the proper places if we are going to win this war."
"Fine." Loke swallowed and closed his eyes. The armor disappeared and he was back in his suit. "But once this war is over. You get the mantle back. I don't want it."
"We'll talk about it with him."
"Uh huh." Loke didn't sound convinced.
"Who is him?" Lisanna asked
"The Celestial King." Loke stated.
"Who is that?" Mirajean asked as the others tensed.
"He's real? I thought he was a made up story to scare hatchlings into behaving." Laxus asked and Loke shook his head.
"He's one of the four originators of magic in the known universes." He said and Lisanna made a face before turning to look at Bixlow.
"Alright then. Its us and Loke. Let's get this plan in order." She said and he nodded. Mirajean walked over to her and wrapped her up in a tight hug. She looked at Bixlow.
"You take care of her; or you will answer to me."
"Got it Mira-demon." He winked at her and Laxus rolled his eyes while Lisanna snorted. Elfman hugged her goodbye as well and she waved as everyone started to disperse.