Hi everyone, welcome back. I'm glad my last chapter was so well received, especially in the fact that Fairy Tail has actually gotten their full three months of training in and didn't have to go through that whole lame plot twist of being in the Celestial World for one day/three months in Earthland. Now, we enter the final stages of that training before moving onto the actual event of the Grand Magic Games where we meet some familiar faces.
Also, I want to clarify something. In my last chapter, I wrote how Tathamet (from the Diablo series) was the original ruler of the Underworld in my series, but several people pointed out how it was actually Pluto. But Pluto was originally the alias for Mundus according to the Devil May Cry wikia, apparently Pluto became his own character in the game "Peak of Combat" which I am unfamiliar with. I'm not a big fan of those mobile app games, I prefer the console version. I plan to give a full in-depth explanation for everything regarding the hierarchy of the Underworld and Mundus' rise to power later in this arc that should be able to answer many of your questions, or at least those regarding this Pluto-debate. But for now, in my series, Tathamet was indeed the original ruler of the Demon World.
With all that being said, let's get this chapter started.
Old Friends
Lamia Scale Guildhall
"You kids have no shame! That's the only explanation! Why else would you be content with third place every year?!" These were the complaints of an elderly woman, who just happened to be the guildmaster of Lamia Scale: Ooba Babasaama. She begun to spin her body around rapidly as she continued to rant to all the members of her guild. "We may have been left in the dust of these games before, but not this time! Ya hear me?! I'm gonna whip all you brats into shape!"
Several of the wizards looked more annoyed than anything else, being used to the rantings of their wise but loud master.
"Ugh! Shut up Ooba!" Toby pinched the bridge between his eyes.
"Can't call it day without the old hag going senile." Yukya commented.
"Well, this year's games might be tougher than before." Sho said. "Don't forget, Sis and everyone else are back and knowing Erza, they're going to bring their A-game to the tournament."
"Lyon! Jura!" Ooba got the attention of her top two wizards. "I want you two in the games this year!"
"Alright. The hag says 'jump', we jump." Lyon accepted.
"Well, the festival should be a nice distraction if nothing else." Jura added.
The rest of the guild wizards began to cheer with excitement, confident in their comrades' ability to win the upcoming competition.
"With Lyon and Jura in there, we're sure to win!"
"Awesome! I can already taste victory!"
"Look out Fiore, we're after number one!"
Blue Pegasus Guildhall.
"So, did you hear? The hag from Lamia decided to toss the Wizard Saint Jura into the Grand Magic Games this year." Master Bob said while tending the bar and handing a glass of wine to Ichiya.
"Man, that wreaks of a distressing parfum." Ichiya commented as he twirled the drink in his hands.
"With Vergil from Sabertooth, not to mention that hunky Dante and Erza from Fairy Tail are back as well, it certainly throws a wrench in our plans to win, that's for sure." Master Bob said.
"Well then, how about we unleash our own little wrench in return?" Ichiya offered.
Master Bob's eyes widened, realizing what he was implying. "Tell me you're not serial, hon."
"Super serial. There's a dangerous parfum clouding the games. We should go and sniff it out." Ichiya said with an eager chuckle.
Mermaid Heel Guildhall
Kurenai stood outside her guild's headquarters, which bore the resemblance of something akin to an Aztec temple. As the number one Wizard Saint continued to gaze out in the horizon in quiet contempt, Milliana appeared, bouncing up and down in excitement like a child.
"Oooh just five more days! Five more days before the Games!" The cat-girl practically squealed.
"You're in particularly high spirits, Milliana." Kurenai said with an amused grin.
"Of course! Cause it's the first time I'm competing with my Erzey-Werzy!" Milliana gave a grin that was all teeth.
Kurenai couldn't help but giggle. "I always did admire how affectionate you are with your friends. But you do realize you will likely come to blows with her, right?"
"I know, and I don't plan on losing." Milliana's grin went from affectionate to ambitious in that one instant.
"If it's true that Titania and the rest of the Fairy Tail members who vanished seven years ago are participating in the games, doesn't that mean Sparda's youngest son will also be there?"
The two turned around to greet another member of the Mermaid Heel guild. She was a tall and attractive woman with tan skin, emerald green eyes and bright red hair tied in a braid over her left shoulder. She wore a white cape that covered her exposed midriff with light gray clothing, as well as brown leather gloves and boots.
"Most certainly." Kurenai confirmed. "I know you've been wanting to meet him for some time… My dear Lucia."
Sabertooth Guildhall
"For real?! Natsu and the others are entering the Grand Magic Games!?" Sting asked in excitement, having just received the news from Lector and Frosh.
"Yep, yep. That's the rumor that's been going around Magnolia anyway." Lector confirmed.
"I heard it with my own ears. Even that Dante guy is going." Frosch added.
"Things just got a whole lot more interesting! This will be awesome!" Sting said, turning towards his fellow Dragon Slayer, who simply maintained a scowl.
"I couldn't care less about Natsu, you know that." Rogue commented.
"What about you, Vergil?" Sting asked the eldest Son of Sparda as he stood a few feet in front of them, gazing up to the sky. "I bet you're excited for your little brotherly reunion, right?"
Vergil offered no response and simply continued to stare up at the sky. 'Dante… our time is coming.'
Raven Tail Guildhall
Ivan Dreyar, the father of Laxus, son of Makarov, and the master of the Raven Tail guild stood on the balcony of his guild's headquarters and looked toward the horizon with a sinister grin. Just like everyone else, he heard the news of Fairy Tail entering the games, and has hatched a plan of his own.
"For seven long years, you made me wait, Makarov." Ivan spoke his thoughts aloud as he dropped a shikigami from his hand and watched it blow away in the wind. "The time of judgement, our chance to blacken and crush the fairies has come!"
He stood alongside his elite team that he has selected to participate in the games. There was a young woman in a red dress with long red hair, a man wearing mostly black with black hair and black lipstick, a short man with purple skin and a spiky chin, a tall figure wearing a black robe with a blue face and an odd-looking creature on his shoulder.
Finally, a young woman also stood alongside them; she had short, dark blue hair with blue eyes; wearing a short light blue chest piece to cover her breasts, while exposing her midriff, with blue arm guards on her sleeves. She also wore a pair of red baggy pants with a light blue and gold trimmed cloth covering her lower right side. But the piece of clothing that stuck out the most was her black scarf she wore around her neck.
"I can't wait till the games!" Ivan grinned. "I can hardly contain myself!"
Meanwhile, the group from Fairy Tail consisting of Dante, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Happy, Lisanna, Wendy, Carla, Lady, Trish, Modeus, Romeo, Juvia, and Patty all sat or stood at the beach, taking the time to rest from their training regimen that they had spent the last three months on.
"Man, only five days left till the games?" Natsu said eagerly as he stood up, ready for a fight. "Ain't no way I can wait that long!"
"Got that right." Gray agreed. "We've spent the last three months grinding down so much, I feel more ready than ever."
"We've gotten so much stronger and learned all kinds of new techniques." Lucy commented.
"Yeah, I think these last three months were spent well." Lisanna added.
Dante sat down in silence with a smile, looking toward his hands, reflecting on his training. 'Yeah… I'm glad we were able to do this. I can tell I've made progress, just like everyone else here. Now I'm even more excited for the games than before.'
"Aye! I bet I can even reach Lily's level now that I've gotten stronger too!" Happy added, causing Wendy and Carla to look at him in surprise.
"I didn't know you cared about that." Carla commented.
"So, what's our next step?" Lady asked. "We got five days till the games, should we train a little bit more or…?"
"No, I believe we should spend these last five days resting and recovering. We'll head back to Magnolia tomorrow after a good night's rest and reconvince with the rest of our guild." Erza answered.
"Yes, that is a good idea." Modeus agreed with a nod. "We've done the best we can these past three months. All we can do is hope that it'll be enough for all of us."
"Yeah… especially considering who we'll be up against." Trish said, looking with concern.
"What do you mean?" Patty asked.
"No, Trish is right." Romeo said. "There's no doubt that we've all gotten stronger, but everyone still has a seven-year lead ahead of most of you guys."
"Not just everyone. Vergil." Trish revealed.
That caused all celebrations and excitement to come to a halt. The mere mention of that name was enough for everyone to look with his or her own serious expressions.
"That is a good point." Juvia granted. "Vergil has been one of our strongest adversaries we've ever faced, it usually takes a team effort to stand on equal footing with him."
"Not to mention he's probably way stronger than we saw him last time." Wendy added, looking a bit nervous herself.
"Nothing we can do about that." Dante said, finally standing up. "Vergil's not the type to slack off, so there is no doubt he's made strides while we were napping for almost a decade. If we're up against him, we can't exactly overpower him. We'll need some kind of strategy."
"Yeah, you may be right about that." Natsu said, looking serious, causing everyone to look in surprise.
"Whoa, hold up! Are you actually thinking about a strategy right now?!" Gray questioned toward the Salamander.
"Who are you and what have you done with Natsu Dragneel?" Lady also questioned.
"Natsu's thinking again! It's the end of the world as we know it!" Happy comically cried out.
"Guys, guys, that's enough. Natsu's right. We gotta be smart when it comes to Vergil." Lisanna quickly said, coming to Natsu's defense before she gazed at him. Though one couldn't see it at first glance, she noticed a nervous look in Natsu's eyes, casting her glance towards the scar on Natsu's chest.
'It's no secret Natsu is so serious when it comes to Vergil. After all he's done, I'd be scared to.' She thought with concern.
Dante cast a small glance towards Lucy, who looked away with a contemplating expression on her own face. He knew exactly what his cousin was thinking. She really wanted to find a way to make amends with Vergil and Dante didn't blame her for feeling that way. A small part of him did feel the same way, holding out for some form of hope; yet at the same time, a more pragmatic side of him was expecting that Vergil hadn't changed in this time.
He also happened to glance toward Erza and noticed something odd. "Uh… Erza? You got a pigeon on your head."
"Huh?" She looked up to see there was indeed a pigeon standing on top of her head, catching everyone's attention.
"Why is there a bird here?" Lady questioned.
"Hey there, you lost or something little guy?" Lisanna asked the bird in a sweetly fashion as she took the pigeon in her own hands.
"Is she really talking to a bird?" Patty asked Happy.
"Lisanna's always been great with animals." The blue Exceed asked.
As she inspected the pigeon, Lisanna noticed something tied around its ankle. "Check it out, there's a note here."
"A note?" Natsu took the tiny piece of paper and read its contents aloud. "'To the members of Fairy Tail, come to the broken suspension bridge on the western hill'. That's all there is."
"What, no signature or anything?" Gray questioned.
"Who sends an anonymous note by messenger bird?" Trish wondered.
"Somebody who wants to be as discrete as possible." Dante answered. "Otherwise, they would have just come to meet us directly."
"So, what do we do?" Wendy asked.
"Why ignore it, of course." Carla insisted.
"I think we should go there." Erza said, catching their attention.
"Seriously?" Patty asked. "But we don't know who it is."
"I think Erza may have a point, it could be somebody who is asking for help." Modeus said.
"Or somebody trying to lure us into a trap." Lady countered.
"What do you think, my darling?" Juvia asked Gray.
"Seems a bit too suspicious for my taste." He replied.
"Yeah, I feel the same." Lucy added. "This has 'trap' written all over it."
"We did spend three whole months training, pretty sure if it is a trap, we can take em." Romeo put in.
"Got that right." Natsu grinned. "Maybe we can use a real fight to get even stronger than we already are!"
"And once again, you're all punch-happy about a fight before it even starts." Lady groaned in annoyance.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Dante stood at the head of the group, facing the tropical forest before them. "Let's go see what this is all about."
It didn't take long for the group to get to the broken suspension the bridge the note told them to go to. The bridge appeared to be the only thing that separated two sides of the deep ravine with a flowing river and waterfall at the bottom.
"This must be the broken suspension bridge." Erza said.
"And no sign of our mystery person." Dante added.
Natsu angrily punched his fist into his palm. "Cowards must have taken off."
"Why are you always looking for a fight?" Wendy asked him.
"This is Natsu we're talking about. Of course, the first thing that's on his mind is a fight." Trish pointed out.
"Maybe it was just a prank." Gray groaned.
"Or maybe they're on the other side of this ravine." Lisanna assumed. "I mean, most of us here can fly or even jump across with a boost from magic."
"That is true." Juvia nodded. "Even my beloved can construct a bridge with magic."
"So, we're just gonna hop across now?" Lucy assumed.
Suddenly, much to their surprise, the broken suspension bridge somehow came back together, reassembling itself to connect the two sides of the ravine and provide the group a way across.
"It would seem flying or leaping to the other side is unnecessary." Modeus commented.
"What the heck just happened?!" Patty exclaimed, appearing the most shocked.
"Did the bridge just put itself back together!?" Romeo also exclaimed.
"Somebody's magic did this." Lady said with a serious expression. "There's definitely someone on the other side."
"Hold on a moment…" Erza knelt down to inspect the bridge and make sure there wasn't any kind of trap. "This bridge… it's not just repaired… it feels brand new, recently constructed." She touched the frontmost plank. "Even the wood feels freshly cut. Almost as if… time itself had been reversed."
That got their attention.
"Back up Erza. Did you just say time reversed itself?" Dante questioned.
"Yes, indeed." Erza stood up with a serious expression, having come to the same conclusion he did. Nearly everyone in the group had also come to that realization, even Natsu looked serious.
"We know this type of magic." Gray commented, appearing the most serious out of the group present.
"Wait… you know who sent that letter?" Patty asked as she and Romeo looked confused.
"Hey Romeo, if things get rough here, take Patty and head back to the Beach, okay?" Lisanna told him.
"What? No way! I can help you!" Romeo protested.
"Not here." Lucy said, getting serious as well. "If this person is who we think it is, we might be in for one heck of a fight."
"If it is her, and she is trying to pick a fight with us, she'd better be prepared for hell." Trish said with a scowl.
"Let's not keep em waiting." Dante said, being the first to walk across the bridge with everyone else right behind him.
The group crossed across the bridge with no problems whatsoever. So the bridge clearly wasn't rigged or anything, but that didn't mean there wasn't a trap. Despite being on edge, most of the group present looked ready for a fight, having a possible good idea who they were dealing with. Patty and Happy were those that seemed nervous.
"So, who exactly is it you guys are so worried about? Is it a bad guy?" Patty asked.
"Somebody who's caused our guild a great deal of harm in the past." Modeus answered. "We're not one hundred percent certain it's her, but it is still cause to be concerned."
Wendy suddenly came to a stop for a second, causing everyone to turn around in confusion. "Wendy, what's the matter?" Carla asked.
The face of the Sky Dragon Slayer couldn't be put to mere words. Her eyes widened so much, they were practically circular, her face was almost pale like she had seen a ghost, but her pupils shook with such raw emotion that tears were already building up.
"That scent… I know it…"
"Wendy…?" Modeus tried to reach out, but she immediately broke into a run, going ahead of the group to their surprise.
"Wendy!" Lucy exclaimed, Dante running after her without another word and everyone else following his lead.
The Sky Maiden ran as fast as she could, her emotions carrying her all the way. She knew that scent very well, there was no way she could mistake it. 'It's her…! It's… it's really… her!' She came to a stop at the base of a small hill, gazing upward to see the silhouettes of five hooded figures standing at the top.
Dante and Erza were immediately on the defensive, standing in front of Wendy as the later held out her right arm in front of her while the former kept his hands trained on his pistols, ready to draw them in a second. The rest of their friends all looked serious as well, gazing up at the figures while Patty looked nervous.
"Someone's there!" Lady stated. "Come on out and show yourselves!" She demanded the five individuals.
The five figures began to walk forward, the first and most prominent feature that the group made out was that they each bore dark blue hooded robes that covered most of their bodies. But the closer they came, the more recognizable they were.
"Wait… I know that smell." Natsu recognized all their scents.
The figures stopped just before the main group as their leader spoke. "You came. Thank you." He said as he and his companions removed their hoods to reveal their faces. "It's nice to see you all again."
To say they were surprised was an understatement. The group consisted of one man and four women.
The one on the far left had long pink hair that reached down to the middle of her back in the form of a wavy ponytail with dark pink eyes. She wore a red dress with a golden trim around a deep neckline that exposes a large amount of her now ample cleavage with a short skirt and a belt with a yellow ribbon tied around her waist and black colored stockings and brown boots.
On the inner left, was a slightly older woman with longer black hair and red eyes. Her outfit consisted of little more than a tabard-like garment that exposed her back, which was covered by her dark blue robe. The attire was open on both sides of her body except for a small attachment at her waist, she also had black sleeves on her arms and white ribbons tied at the ends, along with black boots that left her upper thighs bare.
The woman on the far right was a young woman around the same age as the pink-haired one. She had long, free-flowing, brown hair with green eyes. Her outfit was mostly green, consisting of a plane shirt and a green skirt. She also had black arm guards with black tights that stretched up to her thighs with white shoes.
On the inner right was another older woman, with long white hair, and purple eyes. Her hair was slightly tied back at her forehead by a blue ribbon. Her outfit appeared the most flashy out of everyone else's. It was clad almost completely with white feathers and even attachments on her back that seemed akin to wings, her dress open to expose her legs with white shoes while her upper portion was light blue in the chest and dark blue at the sleeves.
Finally, in the middle, the only male of the group was a man with dark blue hair and dark green eyes, and an unmistakable red tattoo above and below his right eye. He wore a dark coat underneath his robe, covering some plated armor over his abdomen along with dark gray pants.
"Jellal… it's really you…" Erza would never forget the man that stood before her now.
"You haven't changed, Erza." Jellal said to her with something of a reminiscent smile on his face. "I take it word of my prison break reached you some time ago."
It took a moment for her to calm down internally, a swell of complicated feelings flooding her body, but she addressed him, nonetheless. "Yes."
"Please know, I never intended to escape." Jellal said, looking away.
"Meredy and I didn't give him much of a choice in the matter." Ultear said with a slight mischievous smirk, causing her adoptive daughter to look at her in the same manner.
"That was all you, Ultear. Don't lump me into your criminal behavior."
"You also went and busted us out, too." Sorano, formerly known as Angel, commented.
"And we're all criminals at this point, so what does it matter whose idea it was anyway?" The grown up Sheeree joked.
Juvia and Wendy's eyes shook as they both looked toward the youngest of the group before them. It felt only yesterday that Sheeree and Meredy were just young children, now they've grown up so much, they were hardly recognizable.
"Meredy…" Juvia muttered.
The pink-haired girl turned to the rain woman with a friendly smile. "Long time no see Juvia. I'm glad to see you again." She said with a happy wave.
Juvia couldn't help but gasp at her friendly demeanor, it was a complete one eighty from the angry and sad little girl she remembered. A feeling of pride and happiness filled in Juvia's chest as she couldn't help but smile at her growth.
'She's grown into a beautiful and happy young woman.'
"Sheeree… is… is that really you…?" Wendy stuttered as even Carla was rendered speechless.
The old childhood friend walked towards her with a smile before she leaned down and pulled Wendy and Carla into a hug. "It's me. I've missed you guys so much." Emotions flooded from Wendy, tears flowing down her eyes as she returned the embrace, along with Carla.
"W-Who is that, exactly?" Patty wondered aloud. "Are she and Wendy friends?"
"It's… complicated." Modeus answered.
"Angel… You're here…" Lucy had mixed feelings about seeing her again. On one hand, she remembered the sadistic Celestial Wizard who tortured her during their first encounter against the Oracion Seis, but on the other, she remembered how much she changed during the fight against Devil Hand and was happy to see that she appeared to have a different disposition.
"I would prefer if you didn't call me that anymore. My name is Sorano, I remember telling you that at Temen-ni-gru."
"Right… sorry." Lucy said apologetically.
"So that's Jellal…" Lisanna said, standing next to Natsu and Happy, this being the first time seeing him face-to-face.
"Aye, and it looks like he broke out of prison." Happy said.
"With Grimoire Heart no less." Natsu narrowed his eyes, ready for a fight.
"Chill out, they're not our enemies anymore." Gray countered.
"You sure about that?" Dante questioned skeptically as he eyed Ultear. "I seem to remember this time-bitch being pretty deceptive."
"She and the rest of her guild have done a lot of damage." Lady added. "Not just to us, but so many innocent people."
"You have every reason to be skeptical." Ultear acknowledged. "I've committed countless sins as a member of Grimoire Heart. I wanted to reach the Grand Magic World because I felt it would be a second chance for myself and others to, considering the world we lived in now as nothing more than our first try, and the actions we took in it didn't matter. But those were just the delusions of a madman who himself was only a pawn. My sins are innumerable, and I honestly doubt I'll ever atone for all of them. That said, I've dedicated myself to some measure of peace to the people I've hurt… to those that are still alive anyway. Till the day my life comes to an end."
Dante got a good look in Ultear's eyes and he could tell that she meant every word. "You're serious, aren't you?"
"She is." Meredy confirmed. "I know Ultear's done a lot of wrong, so have all of us here. But we're going to do everything we can to make amends."
"I spent seven years with all these people." Sheeree added, releasing Wendy and stepping back with her comrades. "The fact that she alone risked her very life to rescue Jellal, Sorano, and I from prison speaks volumes."
"It was the least I could do." Ultear replied. "Jellal, especially, given everything I did to him."
"You don't owe me anything Ultear, we were both possessed by darkness." Jellal said, harboring no ill intent toward her whatsoever. "It's all in the past and we can't change it. The only thing we can do is find a way to move forward."
"Jellal, has your memory returned?" Erza asked.
He looked down in frustration and self-loathing. "Every bit of it." That caused Erza to gasp in surprise. "Six whole years, I've been living with the guilt of all the things I've done. Erza, I'm sorry. No words can erase the pain I've caused you and all your friends."
"I was the one manipulating Jellal since his childhood at the Tower of Heaven." Ultear said. "I'm every bit as guilty as he is, if not more so."
"So, you're the infamous Jellal I've heard so much about." Dante said, walking up to meet the man face-to-face. "You've done a lot of crazy stuff, good and bad. Yeah, you enslaved and manipulated people to build some freaky tower. But I also know that you helped these guys save the world from a literal walking weapon of mass destruction. So, even if you want to shoulder all your guilt or whatever, at least give yourself some credit for the good you've done. It's only fair."
Jellal eyed him in response. "You must be Dante, Son of Sparda. This is the first time we've ever met in person, though I wish it would be under better circumstances. I thank you for your words of encouragement, as well as looking out for Erza since joining Fairy Tail, but my role in the Nirvana incident doesn't even begin to erase my past crimes."
"But now that you're free, you have a chance to find a positive purpose in your life." Wendy told him, having calmed down a bit since her embrace with Sheeree.
"Wendy, there's no easy way to explain this. But the Jellal you knew, he's someone else entirely." He told her.
She gave an assuring smile in response. "Oh yeah, don't worry. We cleared that up a while back."
"Wow, that went better than I thought it would." Sheeree said, honestly expecting Wendy to be emotionally confused from all of that. She remembered growing up in Cait Shelter how Wendy would always talk about the Jellal who saved her. But whatever the case, she was glad it was all cleared up and there didn't seem to be any emotional baggage.
"I've found a purpose, but I'm not sure I would call it completely positive." Jellal said.
"Since our escape, the five of us have formed our own independent guild, not officially recognized or affiliated with any alliances or governing bodies." Sorano explained. "We don't answer to any authority, so you could say were vigilantes. We're called Crime Sorciere."
"An independent guild?" Lucy questioned.
"What does that mean?" Happy also questioned.
"You're not affiliated with anyone at all?" Lisanna asked as well.
"Crime Sorciere… I've heard of you guys." Romeo said, recognizing the name. "The news is all over you. You've taken down a lot of dark guilds these past seven years, you've even gone up against some nasty demons too."
"However, our main target constantly illudes us." Sheeree said.
"Zeref." Jellal's reveal caused many of them to gasp in shock or look in surprise.
"Hey, speaking of, the whole reason you guys went to Tenrou Island was to find him because he was supposed to be Mundus' herald. Is that really true?" Lady asked.
"We were mistaken." Ultear revealed. "Hades truly believed that Zeref was the chosen messiah of Mundus, but we later discovered that the Black Wizard and Demon Emperor were sworn enemies of one another."
"Wait… are you serious?" Natsu questioned.
"Mundus and Zeref are fighting each other?" Happy asked.
"We don't know the circumstances, but ever since Zeref's reappearance on Tenrou Island, as well as Acnologia, demonic activity has been noticeably higher these past seven years while the remainder of the Baram Alliance went into hiding." Jellal explained.
"Because Ultear and I were part of Grimoire Heart, we already knew a bunch of the smaller Dark Guilds under us and the Oracion Seis, so we were able to track them down pretty easily." Meredy added.
"But it doesn't change the fact that there is some kind of connection between Zeref and Mundus." Sorano said. "If we find Zeref, learn what that connection is, we might learn of a way to stop Mundus, maybe even for good."
"Hold on, run that by me one more time." Dante stated. "You thinking finding Zeref could be the key to bringing down that god-wannabe Mundus?"
"We don't know for certain, but it is an option worth exploring." Jellal answered. "And even if it's not what we hope, the influence of Zeref and Mundus is too great in our world. So, we've taken it upon ourselves to purge that influence from the world forever so that no innocent life would ever be consumed by their darkness again; whether it be from dark guilds, the Underworld, or any other evil force that exists in either world."
"Damn, color me impressed." Dante smirked.
"That's a seriously righteous cause!" Lucy smiled.
"Even if you guys don't feel you can be redeemed, I'd say you're already doing an incredible job!" Lisanna smiled as well.
"No joke, with all the good you've done, I'm surprised the Magic Council won't accept you." Gray said, sounding impressed himself.
"That's exactly why they won't accept us." Sheeree said, having a bitter expression on her face at the mention of the organization. "Our own criminal records aside, the main reason the Magic Council has it out for us is because we're doing a better job than they are. We're basically the biggest embarrassment they've ever had." She grinned with pride.
"Why do you sound so proud of that?" Carla commented.
"Even if we were to become official, we wouldn't be able to go after dark guilds anymore because of the inter-guild conflict-ban treaty. And we'd have to go through the Magic Council to get permission to become Devil Hunters if we were to continue fighting demons." Jellal explained. "We're far more useful as we are now."
"Yeah, that makes sense. Politics are the worst." Lady commented.
"The Magic Council's always getting up in our business for the same kind of reason. We probably do more good deeds than they do too." Trish added.
"Anyway, as much as we would love to keep catching up, we brought you to ask a favor." Ultear said. "Is it true that you'll be entering the Grand Magic Games this year?"
"Yeah, why?" Natsu responded.
"We can't get near the coliseum without causing trouble. If all of you are winning, we'd like you all to do something while we're there." Ultear said.
"Well that depends on what it is." Dante got right to the point. "Don't keep us in suspense."
"Every year during the Games, we sense unusual magic power during the games." Jellal replied. "We want you to find out what's behind it."
"Unusual power? What are you talking about?" Natsu asked.
"Guilds from all over Fiore gather for the games. Wizards with all kinds of different magic and abilities." Modeus said.
"Don't you think you might be a bit paranoid?" Lisanna asked.
"Yeah? Well, this particular power happens to feel almost identical to Zeref's" Sorano revealed
"Zeref? Are you certain?" Erza questioned, getting serious.
"We've been tracking the guy for so long; we've pretty much got a good feel on what his power feels like." Sheeree answered. "But like Ultear said, we can't get anywhere near the source without drawing unwanted attention."
"But since we're an official guild participating in the games, we should be able to get a closer look for ourselves." Erza saw where they were going with this.
"Exactly." Jellal confirmed. "We hate to ask this of you, but we need to be certain if it's Zeref himself or anything related to him."
"Why would Zeref be at the Grand Magic Games?" Wendy wondered.
"If he is, I doubt he's there to enjoy the show." Trish said.
"So now you understand why this is so important?" Ultear asked.
"Don't worry, we'll compensate you like any other job." Meredy said. "Discretion is important. We don't want the culprit to know we're onto them. So, we'll be routing for you from behind the scenes."
Erza thought about it for a moment. "You really haven't left us with much to go off of, but we'll do it."
"Thank you." Ultear nodded.
"You sure about this, Erza?" Gray asked.
"No, she's right, whether it's Zeref himself or anything related to him, we can't take the chance." Modeus agreed. "So many people will be at the games, all gathering around this power. It could spell trouble."
"And the last time we dealt with anything Zeref-related, we had to deal with Acnologia too. And we all know how that turned out." Dante added, causing everyone to look a bit unnerving, remembering their encounter with the Black Dragon vividly. "Guess we got another potential apocalypse to worry about."
"Well, you won't be doing it alone." Sheeree said. "If the worst happens, we'll fight by your side. From this point forward, Fairy Tail can consider Crime Sorciere its ally. I promise, we got your back."
"Thanks Sheeree." Wendy smiled.
"Did we mention we'll be paying up front?" Ultear offered.
"Food money!" Natsu, Lisanna, Happy, and Lucy all exclaimed in joy.
"Oh no, nothing so material." Ultear presented her titular orb as she began to explain. "I've had years to improve upon my Arc of Time magic and can use it to enhance your abilities."
"So, you can give us some kind of power up?" Lady questioned.
"I wouldn't quite put it like that." Ultear continued. "Wizards possess something like an internal container that determines how much power they can have. Though its depleted with every spell you cast, your body naturally draws in ethernano from the surrounding atmosphere all on its own, and continues to do so until the container is full again. But, recent research has revealed that there is a part of this container, and the magic it holds, that goes unused: a reservoir of dormant power. They've come to call these hidden troves of magic, the Second Origin."
"Seriously?" Natsu asked.
"It's true." Sorano confirmed. "Some wizards are capable of unlocking their own Second Origin naturally, but it's incredibly difficult."
"I've heard of the Second Origin as well, in fact certain demons have their own equivalent to it" Modeus said, getting his friends' attention. "Much like human wizards in Earthland and other magical creatures here, powerful demons have their own inner container of demonic power. While in the underworld, the natural demonic energy fills the container whenever it begins to deplete from the use of our powers. Though we're not in the Underworld currently, given enough time, a demon's body can adapt to naturally absorb ethernano in the same manner and replenish our power."
"Incredible. So, magic and demonic power are similar to one another after all." Carla said.
"They both function the same way. It's like comparing salt water to fresh water; there's some differences in its natural make-up, but they can be used similarly." Trish stated.
"Okay, so how exactly does all this help us?" Lady questioned.
"My Arc of Time can force your containers to grow much faster than they would naturally, but I can also grant you access to your Second Origin." Ultear answered. "Simply put, you'll not only be able to use more powerful magic, you can keep using it for longer periods of time."
This resulted in most of the Fairy Tail group cheering in celebration, or simply smiling in the case of Erza and Modeus.
"Whatever you just said, I liked it!" Natsu exclaimed in joy.
"We already got plenty stronger from training for three months, what's a bit more extra juice?" Dante grinned. "It just means we got a better shot at winning the thing."
"Be ready. Unlocking your Second Origin will involve unimaginable pain." Ultear warned, her eyes comically glowing red with intimidation.
Wendy, Romeo, and Patty all shivered in fear.
"Why is she looking at us like that…?" Patty sweated nervously.
"I'm honestly scared." Romeo gulped.
While the rest of them began to celebrate or even catch up and make small talk with everyone else, Erza couldn't help but look in Jellal's direction. Though she did see a smile on his face, there was something in his eyes that made her a bit concerned. The time has come for them to have a serious talk with each other.
The combined group of Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere returned to the beach to begin the process of unlocking their Second Origins. Of course, Natsu volunteered to go first, and so Ultear began the process. Just as she said, it was incredibly painful. His body was covered in glowing red magic symbols as he groaned in pure pain. If it could be put to words, it felt like his muscles and bones were being rearranged several times over. It might have been the most painful thing he's endured up at this point as he writhed on the sand.
Lisanna, Lucy, and Happy looked toward him with genuine concern while Gray, Romeo, Lady, and Trish winced at the pain he was undoubtedly feeling; Juvia, Patty, and Modeus were similarly concerned for Natsu as well.
"Geeze, it looks like he's dying inside!" Patty questioned.
"Yeah, I hope whatever the hell we just signed up for is worth it." Gray said.
"I don't think this is a very persuasive advertisement for it." Lucy also said.
"How long is this process supposed to take, exactly?" Lisanna asked Ultear.
"About two hours, giver take. It usually depends on how strong the wizard in question is." She explained.
"Two hours?! Jesus!" Lady exclaimed.
"And we have to go through all that too…" Trish said with a wince.
"What the hell kind of pain is he feeling?" Gray questioned.
"Wanna Sensory Link with him, and see?" Meredy offered with a joking grin.
"Are you crazy?!" Gray exclaimed.
Juvia smiled toward the pink-haired girl. 'I'm so proud of her. She's even found her own playful sense of humor.'
As they continued to watch Natsu groan in pain, Lisanna and Lucy both kneeled close to him as the former grabbed his hand to provide what comfort she could. "It's gonna be okay, Natsu. You'll be okay."
"Stay strong…" Happy added as he too looked to Natsu with worry.
"So… how exactly does this work?" Romeo asked Ultear. "Are we having it done one-at-a-time or…?"
"No." Ultear shook her head. "Once he's finished, I'll move onto the rest… but… Romeo, is it?"
"Yeah?"
"There's no easy way to say this, but I'm not going to unlock your Second Origin for you." She revealed, much to his shock.
"What?! Why?!" He exclaimed.
"Simply put, your magic isn't fully developed, and body is too weak to handle this process." Ultear answered.
"B-But Wendy's gonna go through this… right?" Romeo didn't like the idea of being left out of this in the slightest.
"Wendy is one thing. She's a Dragon Slayer and her constitution is physically stronger than most wizards. But you're not the same." Ultear explained. "If I were to put you through that process and forcibly unlock your Second Origin right now… Best case scenario, you could be crippled for the rest of your life. Worst case, you could die."
That caused Romeo's eyes to widen as that truly brought it home.
"Romeo, she's right." Modeus told him in a tone that he could better understand. "This process is not natural. Forcibly unlocking one's Second Origin could permanently damage the body not only if are the right conditions aren't met, but also if the process itself is handled poorly. Ultear has spent a great deal of time studying this magic, so she knows what she's talking about. I'm sorry, maybe if your older and your magic is stronger, you might be ready for this; but not now."
As much as he hated to admit it, Modeus did make sense. He may have spent three months training with everyone else, but that didn't mean he was on the same sort of level as Natsu or the others, or even Wendy's. He then walked away with an understanding but upset expression.
Patty glanced his way with concern, but as she did, she noticed a few people in their group were missing. "Hey, what happened to Wendy, Carla, Dante, and Erza?"
"Erza went to talk with Jellal alone for a bit, Dante went with Sorano, and Wendy and Carla went with Sheeree." Happy answered. "Guess they all got some unfinished business."
At the mention of that, Lucy looked towards the horizon, having a good idea what each of them were about to talk about. "You guys…"
Dante stood alone with Sorano on the beach, looking out toward the sun as it would slowly begin to set soon.
"Probably an obvious question, but did you hear about your sister?" Dante asked.
"Yeah. She's in an official guild, top one in the country in fact." Sorano answered, looking away with a sad smile. "I'm glad to know she's doing so well for herself."
"Sorry…" He said, looking down. "I did promise you I would look after her, but I guess I couldn't keep that promise."
"Hey, that wasn't your fault, and you know it." She quickly told him. "Grimoire Heart attacked you and your friends, and that drew in Acnologia. Nobody could have anticipated that."
"I know, I know it's not my fault. But I felt I still had to say it." Dante said. He gave a hollow chuckle. "It's funny… your sister is actually in the same guild as my brother. Pretty crazy."
"Yeah, crazy." Sorano felt her arms for a bit, shaking slightly. Dante noticed this; he could tell that the mere mention of his brother made her rather nervous. A part of him thought it was because she was kidnapped by his pals in Devil Hand, but he felt there was more to it than that.
"You and the rest of Crime Sorciere ran into Vergil, didn't you?" He assumed.
"That obvious, huh?"
"Be straight with me. What's been going on with him?" Dante asked seriously.
Sorano turned around so that her back was facing him before she gave her answer. "Well, in terms of his power, he's definitely stronger. So much so that the five us together couldn't defeat him."
That got Dante's attention. "He beat you guys?"
"You already know that we're all wanted criminals, and we happened to cross paths with Vergil at one time." Sorano began to explain. "Because we were criminals, he said he had a duty to bring us in." She scoffed. "The damn hypocrite, he's got more dirt and blood on him than most of us. Obviously, we couldn't just surrender to him, so we fought. All five of us together… I'd say that we were almost evenly matched, slightly leaning toward us in fact. We had the advantage in numbers, and we were also an effective team… but that didn't mean he wasn't a challenge. To say it was an uphill battle would have been an understatement. But when he broke out his Devil Trigger…" She shuddered. "That was it. We had no choice but to retreat. I'm honestly surprised he didn't kill us right then and there, but then again he might have let us live on purpose just to give a warning or something. I can't honestly tell what goes on that guy's head."
Dante heard every word and tried to picture it all in his head, and it made him a tad bit nervous. A sweat drop even fell down his face 'They lost? All five of them? No way… I've seen of these guys in action and I heard what the others can do. Two of them have Lost Magics, one can copy any magic she sees, and Jellal's supposed to be a power house that can go toe-to-toe with Natsu and Erza! Not to mention they've gotten stronger these last seven years… but despite all that… Vergil actually sent them running?!'
"Is that another reason you came to us, and want to unlock our Second Origins or whatever?" Dante asked. "Because Vergil will be at the games and you don't think we stand a chance against him?"
"There's no doubt you and all your friends have gotten stronger. But if you're really serious about bridging the gap between you and him…" Sorano said before she turned around to face him with a deathly serious expression. "Then you absolutely need this power up."
Dante had a feeling that would be the case. Ever since their training started, he always wondered whether it would be enough to catch up with Vergil. Three months does not equal seven years. And if that truly was the case, then having his Second Origin unlocked was also a good idea.
"And this mysterious power you guys are so worried about. You think Vergil might be after it as well?" He asked once more.
"Like we said, we can't get close to the Games without causing trouble, so we have no idea what's going on or who may be involved." Sorano replied. "I can't say for certain if Vergil is aware of it or not, but if he's anything like how he used to be and does find out about it, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't try to take it for himself."
The red-clad Devil Hunter couldn't help but sigh in disappointment as he looked away. "Guess he really hasn't changed."
"Sorry." Sorano apologized. "I know it's probably not what you want to hear but…"
"It's fine, don't worry about it." Dante would rather hear the hard truth than an easy lie.
"I can't say anything for Vergil, but let me say this about you at least… Even if you aren't as strong, you are ten times the man that he is." Sorano told him with a sincere smile. "Before, I was nothing more than a sociopath that hurt people, all because I just wanted to disappear with everything else, because I was tired of the pain this world put me through. But all I did in the end was cause more pain, so I wasn't any different from the people that hurt me. After Fairy Tail took me and the rest of the Oracion Seis down, I lost all hope. But, then with what happened at Devil Hand… you risking your life to save me… a former criminal who hurt your friends… You can't even begin the imagine the amount of hope that gave me. You made me feel hopeful again. And that's what I hope to do with Crime Sorciere. Even if I am a former criminal, I'm going to do everything I can to spread that same kind of hope to others. You inspired me and made me want to be a better person… the kind of person that maybe… my little sister can be proud of." She said with a hopeful smile before bowing humbly to him. "Thank you, from the very bottom of my heart I thank you, Dante Redgrave, Son of Sparda."
Dante couldn't help but smile. One look in her eyes and he could tell that she was nothing like the brutal dark wizard his friends told him about, or even the hopeless and defenseless girl he saved from Devil Hand. Now she was a lively, hopeful, and capable warrior. One he was certain would do great things in this world; criminal records be damned.
"Glad to hear you're doing something with your life that you can be proud of." Dante said. "I'm sure you'll get a chance to make up with your sister one day."
"Thank you, I certainly hope so." Sorano smiled as she and Dante once again looked toward the setting sun.
At the same time, in another secluded part of the beach, Wendy and Carla were sitting across from Sheeree as they had quite a bit to catch up on, and yet… neither of them had found the strength to say anything.
"So… it's really been a while, hasn't it?" Sheeree said, trying to break the ice.
"It has indeed." Carla nodded while Wendy said nothing, her face mostly obscure by the shadow of her hair. "You've grown so much; I hardly recognize you."
"Yeah well… while you guys all slept for seven years, the world moved on." Sheeree admitted.
At the mention of that, Wendy choaked. She then lifted her head to reveal her face was a sobbing mess. Her cheeks and eyes were red from the tears that were flowing down her eyes like a waterfall.
"I-I'm so… so sorry… Sheeree…!"
"Wendy…" She tried to reach out, but the Sky Dragon Slayer continued to cry.
"I… I promised that… you'd have a home in Fairy Tail but… I… we… I broke that promise…! I'm so sorry…!"
"Stop. You stop right there." Sheeree immediately came up to her and put her hands on Wendy's shoulders, looking her straight in the eye. "That is not your fault. You didn't break any promise. Do you hear me? It's not your fault. I want to hear you say it. Say it, Wendy. It's not your fault."
"I… I can't I…"
"Say it, Wendy." Sheeree insisted. "It's not your fault."
"It… It's not… my fault…"
"Again."
"It's not my fault…"
"Again. Louder this time!"
"It's not my fault!"
"Louder!"
"It's not my fault!" Wendy practically screamed that.
"That's better. It's not your fault." Sheeree said with a confident smile as she finally let go.
"She is absolutely right, Wendy." Carla insisted. "If anyone's to blame for all that, it is Grimoire Heart and Acnologia."
"Yeah… when Ultear and Meredy busted us out of prison and told us what happened…" Sheeree looked away with guilt and regret. "I completely lost it. I lashed out at Ultear… beating her to the point where she was covered in blood and bruises, all while crying my eyes out… because she and her guild took away my sister…" Wendy and Carla looked with sympathy and pity at that before Sheeree continued. "And… the worst part… she didn't even resist or try to defend herself. She just took it… every attack… every punch… even when she bled she never fought back. I yelled at her why she wouldn't, and she said… 'Because I deserve it. Hate me as much you want but know that I am truly sorry.' One look in her eyes… and I didn't see a hateful monster. I saw someone who was empty and… sad… like how I was. I looked in her… and I saw myself."
"Sheeree…" Wendy muttered.
"Well, I'm glad you were able to restrain yourself back then… but I must ask why you are even with Crime Sorciere?" Carla questioned. "Yes, there is no doubt that all of you have done plenty of good over the years, but you should have gotten a fresh start once you were released. You did receive a one-year sentence in a juvenile detention center, correct?"
"Yeah, funny story…" Sheeree began. "I did end up at a juvenile center, but right around the time when Tenrou Island vanished, my sentence went from one year to five." She revealed, causing Carla and Wendy to gasp. "And after that, I'd be considered a legal adult and I'd be transfered from that center to a maximum-security prison under the Magic Council's jurisdiction, where I would receive a life sentence."
"What?!" Carla exclaimed.
"But why?! Lahar said that you would only be in there for a year!" Wendy stated.
"And he did try to help me." Sheeree continued. "He tried to pull whatever strings he could to see to it I would get only one year. But, a majority of the higher ups within the Council had insisted I'd be given that life sentence and they had more power to do it. As for why, I can only guess because they were afraid of my Magical Drain. I can copy pretty much every known type of magic, even Dragon Slayer and Lost Magics. They were probably scared of that power being out of their control so they'd want to keep it within their range. I had a feeling that once I became a legal adult, they probably would have 'offered' me a position as a Rune Knight as my only other option than staying in prison."
As Sheeree looked away with an angry scowl; Wendy looked in shock and even horror at this revelation while Carla was nothing short of appalled.
"How disgraceful!" The female Exceed clenched her fists in anger. "They would go to such lengths… And with a child no less!? And they have the gall to claim they bring order to the land!"
"That's what sets this Council apart from all the old ones." Sheeree began. "Jellal and Ultear believe that after they sabotaged the old Magic Council and nearly destroyed it, a new one was put into place that seemed more capable of maintaining order, one that can be stricter as they felt the old Council was too lenient, which led to its destruction. These people believe the best way to maintain order is to control everything, so they'll do whatever it takes."
"That's horrible…" Wendy looked down. "Sheeree… I'm so sorry you had to go through that…"
"Yeah… but now… I'm using my magic to help people. I'm doing what the Council can't and won't." She said with determination clear across her face. "Crime Sorciere doesn't govern people, we protect them. Nothing more, nothing less. While I would have loved to be a part of Fairy Tail, and a part of me still hopes I can in the future, I don't regret being with Jellal and the others. They've been like a family to me, taught me so much… I even forgave Ultear for what happened on Tenrou Island. I'm going to do everything in my power to help them; not just in saving the world, but so that they can find happiness too. Just like what you did with me." She smiled.
Both the Dragon Slayer and Exceed couldn't help but smile with pride at her declaration.
"Well, if what you've accomplished all these years is any indication, I'd say you're doing an amazing job already." Carla smiled.
"Yeah, really. You're like a secret hero now!" Wendy grinned, but it vanished slightly. "But…"
"You still wish we were part of the same guild?" Sheeree assumed.
"Yeah… and don't get me wrong! I'm happy that you found a family with Jellal and everyone, I really am… It's just…"
Wendy was cut off as Sheeree pulled her into a hug. "Wendy, even though I consider them my family, it doesn't mean I never stopped thinking of you as my sister." That earned a gasp from Wendy. "No matter what happens, whether we're part of different guilds or something else; I'll always be your sister and I'll never stop being your sister. I love you."
Wendy cried once again, but this time, tears of joy as she hugged Sheeree back. "I love you too, Sheeree!"
Carla smiled lovingly as they continued to hug but was surprised to see Sheeree pat her on the head with a free hand. "I haven't forgotten about you either, Carla."
"So, am I correct you think of me as a sister too?"
"Eh, you're more like nagging little aunt." Sheeree joked, causing Wendy to giggle and Carla to look comically shocked. "But I still love you either way."
This earned a genuine smile from Carla.
"And, if you think about, since I aged and you didn't, that makes me your big sister now, Wendy." Sheeree said before a mischievous grin formed on her face. "And as your big sister, I feel it is my duty to give you some advice… particularly in this area…" She gestured toward her own chest.
This caused Wendy to look down at her own chest, and toward Sheeree's before her face went pale before it turned bright red as steam shot up from her head like a locomotive, causing Sheeree to laugh.
'While I am happy to see she's grown, I'm not a fan of her newfound adult humor.' Carla thought silently.
Meanwhile, Erza and Jellal were in their own secluded spot, Erza standing near the edge of a small cliff with Jellal sitting on a rock next to her, the setting sun facing them as it was almost completely gone.
"So, you remember everything that happened." She spoke up.
"I do." He confirmed, looking down in guilt.
"Does that include… what happened to Simon?"
He didn't answer right away. "I killed him… and laughed at it."
"What about what happened with Nirvana?" Erza asked again.
"I remember that too." Jellal replied. "It was like walking through a fog that was only behind me, unable to look back and see the path I took that led me there, the best way to describe amnesia I guess."
"Is it safe to assume I'm speaking with the same Jellal I knew as a child?" Erza asked.
"We both know the answer to that." He replied. "I've done so much wrong that I can't go back and undo any of it. I manipulated the people I considered my friends, even though I was manipulated myself, it doesn't change the fact I did monstrous things, and that those same friends of mine even viewed me as a monster. I killed Simon, there's no way around it. He died believing I was a monster, and a day doesn't go by where I don't regret being able to apologize to him."
"I can't even begin to imagine how that must feel." Erza said, looking away. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Jellal. Maybe if I was…"
"Erza, don't." He told her. "Don't try and take any of that and put on your shoulders. My actions were mine alone, not yours. I won't allow you to take any of that guilt and blame and bear it on yourself."
"But that's exactly what friends are supposed to do!" Erza quickly came in front of him. "Jellal, whatever mistakes you've made in the past, even those you can't take back, you don't have to bear it all alone!"
"That's the thing though, I'm afraid I do." Jellal said. "While it is true I am with Crime Sorciere and I'm grateful I have Ultear and the others by my side, I'll bear all my sins and failures, that includes me being corrupted in the Tower."
"You were a child at the time! That wasn't your fault!"
"But it was my failure." Jellal confirmed, looking down. "I let myself be consumed by hate, and that made it easier for me to be manipulated and brainwashed. But I was aware of everything I did, the people that I considered my friends, the people who trusted and cared for me… I manipulated them the same way Ultear did with me, and I even got one of them killed. Simon's death is on my shoulders. I own that. I'll carry it with me along with every sin I've committed throughout my life."
"But what about all the good you've done?!" Erza exclaimed in anger. "You saved my life and all our lives in the Nirvana incident! And I know you've saved so many others through Crime Sorciere! Even if you can't deny all the ill deeds, you shouldn't deny the good ones either! You shouldn't just give up and throw your life away!"
"I have no intention of throwing my life away!" Jellal exclaimed, standing up to face Erza directly, surprising her. "Though, I will admit the thought of ending my own life crossed my mind. In fact, when my memories returned to me, and I was forced to face every sin I've committed… it was just too much." He looked away. "I was ready to slash my own wrists right there in my cell."
Erza gasped at that.
"That's when Ultear and Meredy found me." Jellal continued. "They told me everything, particularly what Ultear did to me. I should hate her for what she did, and I did at first. But, I could also see the same guilt and regret in her eyes. They told me that I could end my own life if I wanted to, or that I could spend the rest of my life atoning for what I did in the same way they wanted to atone for their sins. I asked myself at the time 'what would Erza think?'. And as you can guess, I chose the later. I am not going to ask the world for forgiveness, because I don't want forgiveness, I want to atone. Those two don't always coincide, in fact, one could say they are total opposites."
"Jellal…" Erza had no idea what to say to all that.
"Until I've atoned for every drop of blood I've spilt, until I can safely say that Zeref and Mundus are no longer a threat to this world, I have no intention of dying or throwing my life away. I'll face that darkness so that nobody else will ever have to endure what I and the rest of my friends in Crime Sorciere have all been through. Only then, I can hope to find some measure of inner peace."
She hung on every word, looking into his eyes to see an ironclad resolve and a burning passion to see his mission through. The more she looked into those eyes, the more she saw the same adventurous look of the little boy she fell in love with.
Right as the sun had completely vanished beyond the horizon and the night stars illuminated the darkening sky, Erza pressed her lips against his, much to his shock. She pulled back to see that same look was still on his face.
"I know I can't stop you from doing what you need to do… but just know no matter what… I'll be here for you." Erza smiled as she caressed her hand across his cheek. "Whether it's as an ally in the heat of battle, or just a shoulder to lean on. It may be your choice to bear all that, but it's my choice to offer to share the load."
"Erza I…" While he was truly happy to hear that, he reluctantly and gently grabbed her hand and removed it from his face. "I'm grateful… I truly am. I won't deny… I have similar feelings for you as well…. But… as I am… I don't think we can… at least not right now I…"
"It's okay." She had an understanding smile on her face. "I understand. Do what you need to do. But like I said, I'm here and I can wait."
Jellal sighed, doing his best to hide a smile as a feeling of happiness filled his heart. 'I truly don't deserve you, Erza.'
After everyone met back up again, and Natsu had finished undergoing his forced Second Origin's unlocking; it was now time for the rest of the group to undergo the same process. They were all inside their rented beach house, with Crime Sorciere overlooking the process. Natsu laid flat on the ground, completely unconscious as energy had been completely drained, his physical body trying to recover from the grueling pain.
The pain that Dante, Erza, Trish, Gray, Lucy, Modeus, Lady, Lisanna, Juvia, and Wendy were all enduring right now. Just like with Natsu, red magic symbols covered all their bodies. Dante, Erza, and Modeus sat straight up as they tried to grin and bear it, while everyone else groaned and moaned in pain. Wendy curled up in Modeus' lap, hoping that could provide some kind of comfort for the pain she's enduring; Romeo, Patty, and Carla were all beside her to provide some form of comfort as well.
Dante grimaced as he shakily turned to Erza with a grin. "Her Erza… if you wanna bail go right ahead. I know this must be tough."
"It is…" Erza grimaced as well before she grinned back at him. "So, you are free to step down whenever you feel like it."
"Oh please, this is nothing…" Dante tried to laugh, but it wouldn't go through. "Yeah, bring on the pain baby!"
"Are they seriously competing over that?" Meredy asked Sheeree in a whisper. "What kind of contest even is that?"
"No idea… and people called us insane…" Sheeree whispered back with a sweat drop on the back of her head.
The Next Day
After what could only be described as a torture session of forcibly unlocking each of their Second Origins, the group dropped like rocks and slept throughout the entire night. But even after all that, much of their bodies ached as they all stood outside to face Crime Sorciere one last time as the independent guild was about to depart.
"Ah man… that was horrible…" Lady groaned.
"Felt like my muscles were going to melt…" Trish rubbed her sore arm.
"It may have hurt like hell, but I promise the results are worth it." Ultear assured. "Your bodies should be fully recovered and rested by the time the Games start."
"The time has come for us to go." Jellal said.
"Thank you for your help." Modeus nodded with a smile. "We'll talk to our master about what we discussed and try to find a way to communicate with each other in regard to this mysterious power you've been sensing."
"We'll contact you before the Games start." Sorano said. "But good luck."
"Hey, Sorano…" Lucy got her attention. "I know… we've had our differences in the past, but I am glad to see you're doing so much better." She said with a smile. "I hope you find what you're looking for."
Though surprised at first, Sorano couldn't help but smile back. "Thanks Lucy, good luck."
"It was nice seeing you again, Juvia." Meredy waved happily.
"Take care of yourself, Gray." Ultear said with a small nod.
"You too." Gray nodded back.
"Live your life to the fullest Meredy. I'm happy I had a chance to see you again too." Juvia smiled towards the pink-haired girl.
"Goodbye Sheeree! I'm so happy that you're doing okay!" Wendy waved with a bright and happy smile.
"Please stay safe out there." Carla added.
"Same to you, Wendy and Carla. Oh, and Natsu…?" Sheeree called to the Fire Dragon Slayer.
"Yeah, what is it?"
She flashed him a thumbs up and a smile. "Thank you, for being Wendy's big brother."
Natsu grinned back. "No problem. And any friend of Wendy's is a friend of mine too."
"And Romeo, come here for a second." Sheeree beckoned the boy toward her. As he walked over, she kneeled down and whispered into his ear. "Take care of Wendy, okay? And don't play coy with me, I see the way you look at her."
Romeo blushed as she heard her teasing laugh. He tried to hide it as he put in a brave face. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her."
"You better, because if something happens to her or you break her heart…" She flashed him a death-glare. "You'll be dead before you even blink. You got it?"
"Y-Yes ma'am!" Romeo stiffened in comic fright.
"Good boy." Sheeree patted his head with a cheeky smile.
"Take care of yourselves!" Lisanna waved to the whole group. "Thanks for everything!"
"Bye-Bye!" Patty also waved.
"See you later!" Happy waved too.
Dante was the last to say something as he walked toward Jellal, and surprised him with an open hand to shake. "Nice to finally meet ya, Jellal. Whatever it is you're looking for, I'm sure you'll find it."
A smile formed on Jellal's face as well as he accepted Dante's handshake. "It was an honor to meet you as well, Dante."
With that, the five-person guild of Crime Sorciere turned around and departed back into the forest from which they entered, vanishing from sight within seconds.
"So, what's the plan now?" Lady asked.
"We'll rest and recover for a couple hours before returning to Magnolia." Erza answered. "Once there, we'll talk to Master Gildarts about what we've learned and come up with a plan."
"Guess we're gonna be saving the world again." Dante said.
"Is it just me, or do we have to keep saving the world on a weekly basis?" Gray questioned.
"I ain't getting tired of it." Natsu grinned. "Saving the world means fighting crazy strong bad guys!"
"Of course, you'd think about that first." Lucy said, sounding somewhat annoyed.
"Come now, let's get some rest. We'll be leaving soon." Modeus urged the group as they began to head back to the beach house.
However, Lisanna noticed Erza had remained standing in the same spot she was. She then quickly came over. "Erza, you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine Lisanna."
She smiled at the older woman. "You love him, don't you?"
Erza smiled back as a gentle breeze blew through her hair. "I won't deny it."
"Are you okay with this, though?" Lisanna asked with concern. "I mean, waiting…? When I was stuck in Edolas, with no way of knowing when I'd come back home to see Natsu and everyone I… I know it's different but… If you need to talk to somebody, I'm here. I'll listen."
Erza gave Lisanna a grateful and happy smile. "Thank you, Lisanna. I do appreciate it… but I promise, I'll be just fine. I can wait…. It's for the best… This is our story… for now."
"Hey Erza, Lisanna, look at my drawing." Happy got their attention as he had drawn something in the sand with a stick.
It was a picture of a heart, with a jagged line running through it. Happy held his paws over his mouth to muffle his own teasing snickers.
*KICK!*
Happy screamed as he was sent flying into the sky by a single kick from Erza, vanishing with a twinkle.
"Yeah… he was asking for it." Lisanna commented. As much as she loved Happy, he really did have that coming.
Done.
With that, Fairy Tail's training for the Grand Magic Games has come to an end, with Dante and Natsu's group having their Second Origins unlocked. (Yes, unlike the canon where Erza felt no pain at all, she too had to endure some form of pain. I honestly found that little thing to be kinda silly, unless they were just trying to go for a laugh there).
Even with their three months of training, having their Second Origins unlocked may be necessary, especially given not only the potential crisis surrounding the Games, but with how strong Vergil is. He was able to hold his own against the entirety of Crime Sorciere, forcing them to retreat once he unleashed his Devil Trigger on them; so yeah, they needed that power boost.
And Fairy Tail has finally meet some old friends in Crime Sorciere. We had a reunion with Wendy and Sheeree, which I greatly enjoyed, and you can see that things are a bit different with Jellal this time around.
In the canon, he kept himself completely isolated and bared all the guilt on his own shoulders (but it's understandable given all the sins he's committed so of course he feels guilty). Here, he's doing something akin to Batman, acting as the sole avenger to rid the world of corruption (specifically the influence of Mundus and Zeref), while keeping his love interest at a distance to protect her (but unlike Batman, he wants to pursue a serious relationship, but feels he can only do so once he's properly atoned). I plan on handling his and Erza's relationship better than what it was handled in the canon and I'd say I'm doing a good job so far. A lot of people don't ship them, but I think that's just because of some poor writing. I feel their relationship has a ton of potential and I want to make it feel as realistic as I can.
Also, a few other surprises from this chapter. Lucia from Devil May Cry 2 has finally made her appearance and she's part of Mermaid Heel.
We also have an OC character in Raven Tail (the girl with blue hair): her name is Sapphire and she's a very special individual, you'll learn more about her throughout this story.
(Note: I have a picture on my DeviantArt profile that illustrates Sapphire as well as a grown-up Sheeree in Crime Sorciere)
Next up, our heroes finally embark for the Grand Magic Games… and we have a few surprises there too… as well as another reunion that you've all been waiting for, one of the familial variety. ;)
Until then, stay safe and stay healthy out there. I love you guys.