Hello everyone, and welcome back to another chapter of "A Quincy's Fairy Tail"! Sorry that I couldn't get this out sooner, but my job has gotten much harder as of late since we're a bit understaffed at the moment. I'll be upfront and admit that this chapter is mostly exposition, but it is one that needs to be done I feel. Have no worries however, for the next chapter we'll finally deal with Loke's situation and begin the Tower of Heaven arc.

Well, I think I've kept you all waiting long enough as it was, so let's get on with the show, shall we?

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun!


After a quick shower and a new change of clothes, both Erza and Meifon soon emerged from their respective changing rooms. As they arrived at where the others were located on the top floor, Erza could see Bambietta engaging in a heated discussion with Liltotto.

"I still don't see why you're obsessing over this so much," Liltotto told Bambietta. "I mean, you have the Seele Schneider. That's practically a lightsaber right there."

"No, no it isn't!" Bambietta argued. "The hilt is all wrong and too flat for it to be a proper lightsaber! Not to mention that it doesn't have the same cool sound effects as a real one! Furthermore, they're stuck with the blue color, and I know that my lightsaber of choice would be red if I had a real say in the manner! Besides, it's not even a sword, it's a modified arrow! I can't accept that as a proper substitute for one now that I know that something much closer is possible here!"

"Isn't red the color only the sith use? You know, the villains?" Liltotto asked.

"My dream of becoming Darth Ravergous will come to be damn it!" Bambietta exclaimed as she threw her fist to the air.

Liltotto couldn't help but roll her eyes at Bambietta's retort, Rukia sighing as she and Yuuki continued their own conversation as Elizabeth continued to inspect Rukia's Zanpaktou with a glow in her eyes.

"Is she always so...Passionate about such trivial manners?" Meifon asked Erza as she watched the Brunette.

"That all depends on what she's talking about. From what I've gathered, your weapon bears a striking resemblance to one from one of her favorite movies." Erza said before she smiled. "But that passionate side of her is what I think everyone in the guild finds endearing about her."

"I see," Meifon said as she stared at Bambietta. I still don't understand why you thought she was worthy of so much responsibility, Sylphia. I don't care that if she was the most compatible with it, surely you had to have better options than...This. But I suppose I'll see why soon enough.

"I'll need you to bring her with us." Meifon told Erza. "It's official council business and...she'll need to hear what I have to tell you as well." She asked Erza before the red-headed mage nodded in understanding.

Truthfully, Erza wasn't sure what kind of business the magic council could possibly have with Bambietta, the quincy surprisingly having managed to be far less destructive in terms of property damage compared to the likes of Natsu, Gray, and Elfmen. Or why she would need to hear what Erza had fought so hard for mere moments ago. Still, she was sure Meifon had her reasons. She never was a woman to do things needlessly.

"Bambietta!" Erza called out to the loud Quincy, the brunette ceasing her argument with Liltotto as her entire body went stiff with worry.

"Y-yeah Erza?" Bambietta replied. Aw shit. Don't tell me she's mad about me making a ruckus while she got cleaned up? Damn me and my passion for new ways to cause violence!

"Meifon has requested that you join us down below," Erza spoke.

"Um...Are you sure about that?" Bambietta asked the two of them. "I thought this was something you would want to keep private between the two of you."

"It's true that I would rather not divulge this information to anyone else...but I happen to have some business with you as well Miss Basterbine," Meifon told her. "Very urgent business at that...and it's relevant to what we'll be discussing, and I'd rather not repeat myself."

"I...see," Bambietta said as she gulped.

What did you do now? Rukia and Liltotto thought at the same time.

"You're not in trouble," Meifon said as she noticed the look of worry on Bambietta's face. "I just need to ask you some questions on behalf of the magic council in regards to the situation with Eisenwald a few months back." It was a lie, but one convincing enough to remove any hint of worry from Bambietta.

"Oh sure, I can help with that," Bambietta said as she let out a sigh of relief. Oh, thank god. Here I thought they found out about the incident with Giselle.

With that, the three wizards went down below, Liltotto looking over to Elizabeth as they did so. "So...you got anything to eat around here?"


As the three wizards finally made it downstairs, Meifon looked over at the two of them as they sat down on some chairs near a workbench. "Are you absolutely sure that you need to know why I left Erza? I'll warn you now that you probably won't like the answer."

"I didn't fight you as hard as I did just to back away at the moment of truth. Whatever your reasons were, I'll listen to what you have to say." She then gave her old mentor a smile before she continued. "You were the only one in the guild besides Master Makarov I ever looked up to. I'm sure whatever your reasons are, I'll be able to understand them."

"I...still don't know why I'm here for this," Bambietta asked. "I mean, I don't see what this has to do with me."

"It'll all become clear soon enough," Meifon told her before she looked at the two of them. "But before I tell you why I left Erza, I need to ask you both one question...Do you believe that this world is worthy of existence?"

"What?" Bambietta was dumbfounded, to say the least. Of all the things she could ask, she had to choose something like this? Before she could ask why she would ask such a thing however, Meifon continued.

"It's true that things have improved considerably for most of humanity for the past 100 years. With the exception of the attempts at invasion from both Alverz and Boso, major conflicts have seemingly become a thing of the past. But what do we have in its place? Dark guilds run rampant across all of Ishgar, killing, enslaving and torturing thousands of people on a daily basis. In country's like Bosco, those without magic power are treated as lower-class citizens with no human rights to speak of, and slavery runs amuck. You know that better than anyone else, Erza."

Erza remained silent, merely listening to what her old friend had to tell her. But even so, Bambietta could notice that the S class mage was clenching her fists as soon as Meifon had brought up slavery.

Erza. Just...What did you go through in that tower? Bambietta thought. She had only recalled Erza mentioning it once back when the magic council had brought her into questioning after she had destroyed the demonic flute. She didn't think too much of it back then, the quincy not having the same bond with the guild that she did now. But seeing Erza like this...It was clear to her now that the wizard must have gone through quite the ordeal. Erza as a slave...The mere thought of it just seemed sickened Bambietta. Erza was supposed to be powerful, inspiring...To think of her as someone's slave...It brought a feeling of anger to her mind. Bambietta may not have suffered nearly as long as erza did in the tower...but she had an experience all too familiar and similar to Erza's.

The fact that Erza is where she is now...You really are incredible, aren't you? Bambietta thought.

Meifon continued speaking. "Demons of Zeref continue to find their way into the modern magic world, either due to human sacrifices from dark guilds worshiping the Black wizard, or the demons that have hidden over the last few centuries have finally decided to come out of hiding. Not to mention how even normal guilds have begun to value money over things such as morality. I believe Jose showed you that, and he's far from the only example I can think of. And lastly, the only thing keeping this continent at peace with the Alverz is our superweapon, the Etherion, among other superweapons that I'm not allowed to disclose. No doubt they have been trying to figure out a way around each and every single one of them...A huge war with them is inevitable. Countless lives will be lost. It's not a matter of if, but when. So I ask you both...Is this world worthy of existence?"

"Of course it is," Erza replied, not missing a beat. "Nothing's perfect. Not you, not me, and certainly not the world. But that doesn't stop us from trying to better ourselves one step at a time. And that path will lead us, and the world, to a better future. The world may be full of sin...but there are plenty of people who go out of their way to help others, for no gain of their own. I've seen it time and time again, from the people of Magnolia to the people who took me in at Rosemary village...and Fairy Tail above all has shown me that more than anything else. So yes, I do believe that this world is worth existing."

Bambietta spoke up then as well. " From what you just told us...There are a lot of crappy things about it. Worthless things. But even so...Even so, it's ours. Am I for it? Hell yes!" Bambietta smirked before she continued. "Erza's right, just because the world may be full of sin...doesn't mean that the people trying their best to live in it aren't worth saving!"

Meifon said nothing before she smiled. "I'm glad that's the way you think." She said before she sat down. "Of course, I already suspected that was the case...But I had to be sure. I'm rather skilled with identifying liars...and I know what you said was how you truly felt."

"Yeah, that's great and all but...Why did you ask us such a thing?" Bambietta asked. "I mean...I thought you were gonna tell us why you left the guild."

"I'm getting to that," Meifon said before she looked at Erza. "Tell me though, Erza...How much do you know about Miss Basterbine? You don't have to give me the same answer that you did to the others about her "being a slave in the tower" like you were. I want the truth."

Oh...Well, this bodes poorly. Bambietta thought.

"I know enough," Erza replied, eyes narrowing. Just what was Meifon getting at? "She's from another world. She did terrible things and had terrible things done to her. But she's different now. She's changed. And she's fighting day by day to continue to find her best self."

"I see. So it seems like you know a little at the very least." Meifon told her. "But not everything." She turned around then, looking at Bambietta. "You see, Miss Basterbine...You and I are much more alike than you realize."

Bambietta's brow furrowed beneath her hat. "Well, we both clearly like lightsabers and stuff and making with the flashy light shows... but I take it you mean something a little more substantial than that."

Meifon couldn't help but chuckle. "It seems that you have a good sense of humor about you. I'm beginning to see why Sylphia is so fond of you."

"Sylphia?" Erza was more than a little confused, though she kept it to herself for the moment, remaining calm with her arms folded across her chest.

"Wait..." Bambietta, however, was the type to wear her emotions on her sleeves. She blinked several times, her indoor voice turning into one more fit for the outdoors. "You know Sylphia?"

"Know her? Why is she the reason I'm in Earthland in the first place," Meifon said as she looked over to Erza. "You see Erza, Bambietta and I have something in common. Long before I joined Fairy Tail...I was from another world."

Erza managed to keep her composure despite the surprise she felt internally. "So this wasn't the first time. Nor sheer circumstance and good fortune for Bambietta."

"Wait," Bambietta said as she drew closer to Meifon. "You're from my world? Are you a Quincy? Or... No, I'd rather it not be the alternatives..."

"No, I'm not a quincy. I'm just a normal human. Furthermore, I'm not from your world." She said before she narrowed her eyes. "But I can only pray that it's better than my own. You see Erza, me and Bambietta, as well as many of the individual's from her world, are here not by happenstance, but to serve in a war for the gods. Though unlike Miss Basterbine and the others, I was reincarnated with no memories of my past...At least at first."

"A War for the Gods?" Erza asked before she looked at Bambietta. "Is this true?"

"Well, um...I'm not really supposed to-" Bambietta stopped talking as she noticed Erza staring into her eyes, a glare that basically told her "You will tell me or else." Which was more than enough incentive for her to influence her next choice of words. "Yes, it is. To make a long story short, we're fighting a war for the fate of humanity. Luckily for me, I'm one of the good guys now."

"We were ordered by the deity who brought us over to not share this information with anyone," Meifon spoke up. "At least, I wasn't allowed until I won the war I was in 4 years ago. Though I've still been sworn to secrecy, I am allowed to share this information with only special individuals." She then looked over to Erza. "You Erza, qualify as such."

"For what reason?" Erza asked. She knew that she was a strong and capable wizard, but surely there had to be more to it than that if she was being allowed to know such information.

"It has to do with your ancestry," Meifon answered. She raised up her hand as soon as she saw Erza about to prod for more information. "I'm afraid to say that I don't have any further details then that. I'm sorry."

She was partially telling the truth. She knew that Erza was the daughter of none other than the woman who had invented dragon slayer magic, but nothing more. Sylphia had informed Meifon when she had tried to see if she could find Erza's parents to bring the then young mage any sort of closure regarding her blood relatives and informed her know that not only would it be a wasted effort...but a confrontation with Erza's mother could potentially be disastrous.

It's best you don't know more anyways, for your own sake. Meifon thought. Still, she had to wonder what kind of relationship Irene had with the gods to allow Erza the privilege of such knowledge.

"My... heritage?"

Bambietta could hear it in Erza's voice, see it in her body language. There was a slight, minuscule shift. A change that was so minuscule that none would notice. None save those who fought alongside time and again under the banner of Fairy Tail.

Erza, for her part, reigned in that aspect of herself. She knew of how she had been found abandoned as a baby on the doorstep of a kindly couple. A couple who had perished at the hands of the cult who had taken her to the Tower of Heaven. However, the past was the past. Whoever had left her there...

"I suppose you have your reasons for saying that and nothing more, so I will not press the issue."

"I'm grateful for your understanding in this matter," Meifon spoke. "But I think that's enough of that. You're not here to listen to me prattle on about the gods...You're interested in finding out why I left."

Meifon's eyes couldn't help but look down as she spoke. "I know that you're responsible for the deaths of many people, Miss Basterbine. Thousands of them. Soul reapers, your own subordinates, the human souls that were destroyed by all the hollows you killed." She clenched her right arm as she continued. "But as horrible as what you did was...My sins are far greater in magnitude."

Bambietta thought back to her world, the actions she had taken there. Of the actions and impulses she had fought against since she had taken on the emblem of Fairy Tail. "I... I find that hard to believe."

But believe it she did. Meifon spoke of Bambietta's world with intimate knowledge, a knowledge that she had no doubt been made privy to thanks to Sylphia. How then could Bambietta deny the wisdom of the goddess who had given both herself and Meifon a second chance?

"You see, my world was quite a bit different from the one we live in right now. Our advances in technology were as if they came from one of your science fiction novels. In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that some of us even lived among the stars," Meifon frowned then as she continued. "But despite the amazing leaps and bounds, we had made in technology...My world was full of suffering. Countless war raged on across the globe, not a single day would pass where some kind of conflict wasn't taking place. Be it for territory, religion, energy, or just some madmen mercenaries who simply enjoy causing the pain and suffering of others, my world knew nothing of peace."

"Sounds like what the afterlife was like back home," Bambietta whispered under her breath, growing withdrawn. "Because... we helped push it over the edge."

Meifon continued. "I was fortunate enough to have been born and raised in one of the richest families on the planet...But I still saw the suffering of others. Every single day, it was the same news over and over again. Countries and militants constantly battling over some ideology or resource, and innocent people who wanted nothing to do with it constantly being caught in the crossfire. As I grew older, I saw how the world really worked. How it was run and abused by those in power and wealth. The lives of others mean nothing to them so long as they could further their own agenda or profit!"

Meifon clenched her fists then, her eyes narrowing in anger as she continued. "I hated my world. I hated how broken everything was, how little life meant to those with real power...and how everyone else in the world just accepted it as how life had to be. "

"So you tried to fix it?" Bambietta asked. "That's... that's not a sin."

Erza had at least some inkling of what was to come, remembering well of the young boy who had given her and the others in the Tower of Heaven hope and how he had changed in time. "The road to hell is sometimes paved with good intentions, Bambietta."

"All too true. Erza," Meifon answered before she sighed. "Eventually, I reached a point in my life that if I didn't think the world could be changed...That I would rather have it be destroyed. That's why I asked you that question from before. I remember when I first found them. They were a group that was dedicated to one thing and one thing only. To remove the surge of war off the face of the earth. No matter what the reason, they would intervene in any conflict and bring an end to it. I finally found a way to bring about the change I so desperately desired, and thus I became one of their most powerful supporters. Our technology was about 200 years more advanced than what the other forces had, so we quickly gained a name for ourselves as we ended conflict after conflict. Finally, we were making a difference..."

She then looked down, as if in shame. "But then, things changed...Or rather, I did."

"What... Did you do?" Bambietta asked, a little apprehension apparent in her tone of voice.

Erza was a bit more to the point. "I would like to know as well."

Meifon couldn't help but look down in shame as she spoke. "You see, as we continued our operations, the world slowly began to change...Too slowly to my liking. At the rate we were going, real change may not have happened in our lifetime. I became obsessed with achieving this goal and I...and I..."

Meifon paused for a moment, her body trembling for the briefest of moments, the wizard bringing her hands up to clutch at her forearms.

"I allowed my ambitions to twist me until I lost sight of what we were fighting for. I fell in with individuals who spoke to my ambitions and... No, I sought them out. Cruelty beget cruelty, spreading like cancer until I was no better than those I had once worked against. I..."

Meifon snapped then, her eyes blazing with anger as she began to scream, fingers digging into both the fabric of her long gloves and the flesh underneath.

"I was nothing more than a damn hypocrite! Countless innocent lives lost because I lost sight of everything and anything! Playing both sides because I thought I and I alone could change the world into what it should have been! Those who trusted me... Those I confided in... My own brother! Everything was lost and I just kept making the wrong decisions! Over and over again! The world needed to change but in the end, all I did was change myself for the worse! Because of me, an entire country was whipped off the face of the earth! Millions of lives lost, all because of my own hubris!"

Tears slowly trickled down her face, "When I won the war for Sylphia four years ago, I was allowed a reward. I couldn't revive my parent's as I had initially hoped, Ansekrem wouldn't allow any mortal to pervert the laws of life and death...So I asked about my past life in the other world. I wanted to know just what it was about me that made Sylphia choose me as her warrior. When I remembered what I did, all the atrocities I had contributed to, I knew that from that moment forward that I could no longer belong to Fairy Tail. How could I?! How many lives were lost because of my selfishness!?"

She glanced away from Erza then, unable to look her in the eyes."You...You were all too good for someone like me, so I knew that I had to leave the guild. But I didn't wish to leave you all if I didn't have someone to take my place...and once you defeated me on Tenrou Island Erza. I knew I could leave the guild in capable hands. So, I left. But despite knowing what I did...I still wanted to make a difference in the world. The right way this time. So I trained hard and became one of the wizard saints so that I could ensure that the same mistakes that plagued my world would not take place here."

She then looked at Erza with sadness. "But…if you wish to never see my again after hearing this…I won't blame you.

Erza felt her body run cold for a moment, trying to process everything she had heard. For so long, Meifon had been one of the few people she truly looked up to. A person she went to whenever she needed someone to talk to when Master Makarov was away. To know that she had once been someone so vile…it was almost too much to take.

Yet, in spite of this, she meant every word of what she said.

"The Meifon Long that I know would not have done such a thing."

Erza took a step forward and put a hand atop Meifon's shoulder. "The Meifon Long who stands before me... No, the woman who called Fairy Tail her home, has long since risen above such misdeed."

"...How can you just say that?" She said as tears fell down her eyes. "I...the things I did. The lives I took...I was nothing short of a monster!"

"Meifon," Erza began to say, "I do not know the world you came from or the woman you were then. But before me now, I see the woman I have known for almost half my life. I wasn't there for the journey you've taken, but I have seen the end result of it. You helped open the door to my heart to the rest of the guild and helped me truly live again. For that, I will always cherish our time together. Always."

"Erza..." Meifon said as she began to smile. Even despite knowing what she had, her successor had still chosen to have faith in the person she was now, not caring for whatever sins she may have committed in a past life. Somewhere, deep inside, she had always known this to be the truth, but to hear Erza actually say those words, it was as if an invisible weight had been taken off her shoulders.

"I can understand now why you felt that you had to leave," Erza told her. "But I know myself and the others would be more than willing to accept you back in the guild."

"I know...But I can't." Meifon responded. "That was my main reason for leaving but far from the only one. You remember what I told you that day I left, did you not?"

"Of course...you still wish to save the council from corruption and help as many people as you can with your position as a wizard saint," Erza said with a smile. "With such noble intentions...I cannot fault you for your decision."

"Well, this has been great and all...but I still don't understand why I'm even here." Bambietta pipped up. "I mean, I'm glad you two got your whole history figured out and such, but...I don't know why you need to see me."

Meifon turned around to face Bambietta before she spoke. "Ah yes, going down my trip down memory lane almost made me forget. You and I have important things to discuss, Miss Basterbine."

"Such as?"

Meifon frowned before she spoke. "It's simple really...I need to know if you're someone I can actually trust," She folded her arms before she spoke. "I know this will sound quite hypocritical, given what I've just told you, but your past leaves me rather...concerned with you staying with my old family."

Bambietta was just about to speak, but Erza had quickly decided to speak her own mind before the quincy had a chance. "I can assure you that you don't have to worry about such incidents repeating themselves in the guild. I've seen Bambietta risk her own life for her guildmates with my own eyes. Anyone who is willing to die for their own comrades would never dare to sully their hands with the blood of one of our own. She's changed."

"Your word of confidence does lessen my worry a little Erza, but not entirely," Meifon retorted. "I heard that she fought valiantly against Phantom Lord, Jose of all people at that, and that's no small feat. Commendable even. But I also know that it was for someone that she has lived with for quite some time and even formed a special relationship with. Tell me, do you think she would be willing to do the same for everyone else in the guild?"

"I don't know if I would have done it for just anyone in the guild," Bambietta spoke up as Meifon returned her attention to the quincy. "I'm just not that kind of person, I'll admit it...But I have friends in Fairy Tail. Friends that have always been there for me when I've needed them most. Would I die for them?" Bambietta clenched her fist then before she smirked. "Hell yes. You don't have to worry about me going back to my old murderous ways, certainly not with any of my guildmates. I'm not that kind of person anymore."

Erza smiled, proud hearing the answer that Bambietta had quickly come up with, Only for Meifon to reply with another question. "Really? Then please, explain the incident that you had regarding Jade."

Bambietta froze then, her eyes widening in shock as she was suddenly reminded of one of her biggest regrets since joining the guild. "How...Do you know about that?"

"Because we're connected," Meifon said as she took off one of her gloves, and her hand began to glow red, Bambietta's hand glowing red as well. "You, me, and Jade. We've all been brought to this world by the same person. Though I've known her for quite some time since we lived in the same orphanage. This seal that you see on our hands was placed to prevent us from causing each other harm."

"Wait. Does that mean Jade fought in one of the war's as well?" Bambietta asked.

"No, from what I could gather, she was just a charity case," Meifon told her. "However...That still doesn't answer my question. Tell me why I should trust you after you almost killed her."

Bambietta was silent for a moment before she sighed. "There's no way to make this sound good, I'll be frank. When I found Jade, I had just been told that one of my old friends from my world had been recently spotted and...well, I held a bit of a grudge against her. I thought that she sold me out to an existence as an undead slave to a former friend of mine. I was...bitter to say the least about the whole thing. So when I found out that Jade was her traveling companion...I decided to talk to her myself. I wanted to see if maybe I was wrong but..."

Bambietta looked downwards, the cap covering her eyes as she continued to speak. "Jade just continued to defend her. She told me that I deserved whatever it was I went through...and I snapped."

"I see, so you-" Meifon was about to speak more, but Erza raised her hand to silence her, to allow Bambietta to continue to speak.

"But, when I was stopped...I felt so ashamed of myself. That I could just lose control of myself like that. No, it was more than that. I would have lost everything that mattered to me. I realized that Fairy Tail was more than just some guild when we fought phantom lord. It was a family. My family. To lose that over something so foolish..it scared me."

Bambietta looked back up then as she continued. "But...when I met my old friend...We made up. Not just her, but Jade too. We're really good friends now actually and...It was after that when I began to feel guilt over what I did in my old life, just like you. I had nightmares day after day after that incident with Jade. I was even found by one of the men I murdered. I was so riddled with guilt that I thought it was best that I let him do whatever he wanted to me. But despite it all, despite my past sins, my friends still believed in me once they found out. Just as Erza did with you."

Bambietta smiled as she continued to speak. "I never want to lose the people I care about. Ever since I died, the one thing I've come to value more than anything else is real companions. You're not the only monster here but... people can change. Erza… No, all of Fairy Tail... it... it..." Bambietta's nose wrinkled. "It makes us our best selves."

Meifon could only stare at Bambietta as she processed all of the information she was just given. Over the past several years' she had learned how to tell whenever someone was lying to her or not from all the interrogations she had given dark mages. She wasn't perfect at it, but by and large, she knew the common traits one could find in someone from when they lied...and for the whole time she had spoken, Meifon had seen nothing but honestly from the young quincy.

The wizard saint smirked then before she spoke. "I see...I think I'm beginning to see why she chose you after all. You truly do seem to love the guild, just as I did." She extended her hand towards Bambietta then as she continued. "Very well then, from this moment on..I'm choosing to place my trust in you as well."

"That means a lot coming from one of the saints, thank you," Bambietta said as she took Meifon's hand and shook it. "Friends?"

"More than that. You, me, and Jade are practically the children of Sylphia. From now on...Consider the two of us part of your family."

"Well... I've certainly had worse...Consider it a deal!" Bambietta spoke. Compared to her father, the two of them may as well have been saints anyways. She was already good friends with Jade as it was, and Meifon seemed more than trustworthy. "So was that all you needed me for or..."

"One last thing I'm afraid," Meifon replied. "There's something about you that you need to be made aware of."

"Oh please don't tell me that everyone from my world is gonna die after the war is over or something like that." Bambietta groaned as she buried her hand in her hands.

"No, nothing of the sort but...I'd rather you not find out about this the hard way as I did," Meifon spoke. "You're more special then you realize Bambietta. You're not just some chess piece on the playing board...you possess the key to the safety fo all of humanity...as well as it's destruction."

"Excuse you?" Bambietta spoke. She hadn't been expecting something like that.

"What are you talking about?" Erza asked, her voice now one of concern.

"When I was used in the war four years ago, over a decision to steal all the magic away from Earthland for the gods to survive, it was only me and one other warrior. However, both sides wanted to ensure that they would be victorious, and thus, they sealed immense power within us. The power of two deceased gods. When I won the war, the power was removed from me and the other warriors. I had hoped that would be the end of it...but it seems that history has repeated itself."

"But...Why?" Bambietta asked. "Surely with all the warriors that are being brought in from my world, they don't need to worry about having strong warriors. We're already pretty powerful as it is."

"You forget that the side you are opposing is desperate for victory," Meifon informed her. "If they do not win, they fear it will result in the very end of their very existence. To ensure that victory is theirs, they have apparently decided to choose a champion to inherit that power once more. Thus, as a response, your side had to choose a champion as well...and they chose you."

"Wait...Me?! Why me!?" Bambietta asked. "I mean, I know I'm badass but even I'm starting to think they're placing a bit too much faith in me as it is!"

"It's all about compatibility with the power, nothing more," Meifon stated. "If the power isn't compatible with the host, the host will die, and the power will disappear along with them. Thus compatibility is paramount. Sylphia has informed me that they searched for the most compatible individual..and that person was you."

"What kind of power are you speaking of?" Erza asked with concern.

"Oh I'm sure it's not that big a deal," Bambietta said. "What are we talking about here? Enough to destroy a large ass mountain or a whole island? A country? I could do that back home when I was at full strength, no problem."

"Well, to give you just an idea of what you're dealing with...Before the gods rewrote all of humanity's memories and history after my final battle in the last war, Earthland used to have two moons."

"Oh...Shit." Bambietta said before she sat down in a nearby chair in shock. That's...Not good.

"Now do you understand? If you use this power recklessly, you could potentially end the lives of millions of people."

"I thought the gods wanted to avoid an all-out massacre!?" Bambietta shouted. "This sounds just like that to me!"

"They do...But despair can often bring out the most foolish of actions among people...even the gods." Meifon said with a hint of sadness

"And she didn't warn me about this because?" Bambietta asked.

Meifon sighed before she answered. "It's more than likely that she was forbidden from sharing this knowledge with you. The only reason she even introduced herself to you before was to prevent...Well, I'm sure you remember. Odd's are you won't be seeing her again until the war properly begins."

"But...What if the other guy gets his first, then what!?" Bambietta asked. "I need to learn how to get this thing fast!"

"Fortunately, it's not just something you can call upon by sheer force of will," Meifon told her. "The power reacts to a need, not a desire. A strong, overwhelming surge of emotion. In my case, It was fear and desperation to keep everyone safe. But in your case, from what I know about you, odds are it'll probably be anger."

"I...But I've been mad plenty of times since I've gotten here, livid even." Bambietta told Meifon as she thought back to her experiences with Gajeel and Giselle. "I didn't get any kind of strength from it. Just a beatdown on some jackasses I was already stronger than."

"More than likely, your body is still adapting to it. The process will likely take quite some time." She then narrowed her eyes. "However, you must learn to control your emotions better. Should you unleash your power at an improper time or place-"

"Countless lives could be lost." Erza finished. "I'll do whatever I can to keep her anger in check."

"Normal anger shouldn't be any cause for concern."The wizard saint informed them. "But if it becomes something more than that...Then you must intervene."

Silence filled the room once more before Bambietta spoke. "Well...I'm up for a change in mood. You guys want to see how the others are doing?"

Erza and Meifon couldn't help but smile at the suggestion before Erza spoke. "We could use something to cheer us up. Besides, I'm sure that Elizabeth has begun to ask Rukia more questions about her zanpaktou then she would care to answer.


For the next couple of hours, the group had engaged in all kinds of conversations as they chowed down for some food, ranging from discussions about hobbies and battle strategies to their favorite books and movies, and eventually boasting about some of the amazing adventures they had all gone under. Elizabeth, in particular, had plenty under her belt, the elf's 400 years of life providing far more in the way of experience.

"So then when I was finished, I threw the Manticore over the mountain, the whole mountain!" Elizabeth said as she took another sip of her drink. "And their kind has never tried to bother with Aster village since!"

"And you're the 2nd weakest of the saints...How exactly?" Bambietta asked as she tried to process all of the information she had heard. Manticores were extremely powerful S class monsters, at least from what Liltotto had told her about them.

"It's because she places far too much interest in her business than training," Yuuki told Bambietta. "Believe it or not, she used to be much stronger than she is now."

"That's no small feat," Rukia said as she looked over at the pink-haired saint. She's already on par with a captain, and she's been slacking on her training?! What kind of world have I wound up in?

"Honestly, it's a shame to see one of the former 4 Gods of Ishgar having fallen so low," Meifon said. "You may have still been among them today if you hadn't started to slack off."

"Well excuse me for wanting to ensure my family's business only brings out quality products!" Elizabeth remarked. "Not all of us own the largest lacrima mining facility in Ishgar like your family did! I have to constantly improve my work if I want the Heartcruze business to stay ahead of the competition!"

Meifon couldn't help but snicker, having managed to get under her friend's skin as Bambietta spoke up. "So, who are these Four Gods of Ishgar anyways? I thought the Wizard Saints were the best of the best."

"They still are, in Fiore at least" Erza answered. "However, amongst the ten saints, the top four gods of Ishgar most powerful of the wizard's saints, are in an entirely different league of their own. I heard that 3 of the 4 members had retired recently, but I've known that they've been replaced by even stronger wizards." She then looked over at Bambietta with a slight glare. "Master Makarov is only the 5th strongest of the saints, and from what he's told me about them...They're far more powerful than he is." Erza shook her head then as she thought about it. "I'm positive I wouldn't stand a chance against them as I am now, even with my new armors."

"I can confirm the rumors," Meifon added. "I've seen their power first hand. Even if I was 5 times stronger than I am now, I have no doubt in my mind that I would still lose against any of them."

They sound just like the Schutzstaffel. Liltotto thought. And possibly just as powerful.

"Jesus, we had a group just like that back at home. I remember when my friends and I tried to fight one of them once in a sparring match." Bambietta said before she looked down in shame. "...He destroyed us in about 5 minutes." Would take a freaking Miracle to defeat that damn shrift...Huh, guess that's why it's called The Miracle.

"Yeah, I'd rather not relive that fight," Liltotto told Bambietta. "My mouth gets all sore when I think about it."

"Well, Robert happens to be the 4th," Elizabeth told them. "As a matter of fact, I'll let him know how well the two of you are doing when I see him again."

Well, somebody hasn't lost any of his powers. Liltotto theorized inside her head. Robert had always been one of the stronger members of the stern ritter, but she and Bambietta and Meninas had eventually surpassed him in time. Still, it was good to know at least one of them was someone they could fully rely on.

"In any event," Erza spoke as she rose from her chair. "While it has been enjoyable seeing you all again, I'm afraid we must take our leave if we wish to get back to Magnolia before it's too dark."

"I'm afraid I must agree," Meifon added. "I'm afraid I have some important work that I need to catch up on soon, and I can't delay any longer."

"Oh, but we're having so much fun," Elizabeth said before she pouted. "Party poopers."

"I'd hate to end a good time, but I do need to make sure Wendy is doing alright," Bambietta added. "That said, about that lightsaber-"

"Give me time and I'll see what I can do," Elizabeth said. "But I make no promises."

"Do try and take care," Yuuki said as she shook hands with Erza. "I figured you wouldn't want a sparring match after your fight with Meifon, but how about we go a round or two next time? It's been far too long since I got a real chance to test out my skill with this blade."

"It would be my pleasure."

Eventually, everyone had gathered their things and had gotten ready to leave. The sun was already starting to set, but Bambietta was positive that she could make it back home before night fell with the use of Hirenkyaku. Just as she was getting ready to leave however, she turned around one last time to see Erza finishing up with Elizabeth.

"Now please, try to promise me that you won't go and do anything reckless!" Elizabeth told Erza. "I may have improved your armor, but they're not invincible. Everything has a breaking point after all."

"I know that all too well. I'll try to be more cautious in my approach to combat." Erza said though she couldn't help but smile. She always did worry about me taking unnecessary chances...Though I don't suppose it's entirely without merit.

"I mean it Erza! I swear, one of these days you're going to try to do something really stupid, and I'll lose you!" She said as she placed her hands on Erza's shoulders. "Swords, shields, and armor are all replaceable, but you aren't!"

As she looked at Erza, she could see an image of another woman slowly taking Erza's place, though they looked remarkably similar. Long scarlet hair with a single braid and brown eyes, she couldn't help but hold Erza tightly as she continued to speak. "I already lost someone who was like family to me...I don't want to lose another."

"She does make a point, Erza," Meifon said to her. "I know it's the Fairy Tail way to be reckless in a fight, and while you're certainly more cautious than most members of the guild, you should try to think a little bit more about your own safety. You could have died from that Jupiter cannon if Elizabeth's armors weren't as well made as they are." She gave her a small smile as she continued. "Risking your own life for the sake of others is truly the sign of an amazing wizard, but you also need to consider the value of your own life."

She placed a hand on Erza's shoulders then as Elizabeth stopped hugging her. "I know you feel guilty about Rob, and leaving the other's behind in that damn tower...But I'm positive that Rob wants nothing more than for you to stop beating yourself up over the past and to move on. I know it's much easier said than done, I'm still dealing with my own issues as you well know by now...But we must keep living on, if not for ourselves, then for those that died for our own sake."

"I know," Erza replied. "But knowing what to do and actually being able to do it are two different battles."

Meifon couldn't help but sigh at Erza's response. "You'll never change, will you?" She then came in close to give Erza a hug of her own before she smiled. "I'll be stopping by for the Harvest festival. Until then, take care."

Then, at last, they all began to head home.


Just as Bambietta had predicted, getting back to Magnolia had been much faster thanks to Hirenkyaku and Shunpo. Erza had managed to get there first, the redhead deciding to use Flight armor as the fastest means of travel. Everyone went their separate ways then, Bambietta wanting to spend some personal time with Lucy while Rukia went off to go find Wendy, just to make sure that the Sky Dragon slayers mission had gone well. That suited Bambietta just time. It had been far too long since she and her girlfriend had a moment when it was just the two of them.

When she had gotten home, Lucy was already there, sitting on the couch with some popcorn ready. Apparently, her mission had gone well without a hitch, and she had managed to even earn a slight bonus to rent out a movie for the night. Apparently, it was a musical about a traveling wizard who traveled the lands in search of an ancient treasure and based on a popular stage play that Lucy had enjoyed. The celestial wizard had apparently been waiting for Bambietta to show up so they could enjoy it together. Not wanting to miss out on a good movie and spending time with her significant other, Bambietta had quickly accepted Lucy's invitation to watch the movie with her and sat down next to her.

This, however, turned out to be a mistake. The film was filled with problems. The acting was wooden as hell, the set pieces poorly designed, and some of the most cliched dialogue the quincy had heard. It wasn't even so bad that it was funny, it was just a hard watch. 10 minutes into the movie, Bambietta slowly turned to face her girlfriend. "This is from a really popular stage play?" She asked with doubt.

"Well...I can see that they've taken a few...liberties with the original play...but maybe it'll get better as it goes on?" Lucy spoke hopefully.

However, after 10 more minutes, and some of the worst songs Bambietta had ever heard that the former stern ritter knew that she had seen enough. Oh my god, I'd rather watch the worst Star Wars movie...cartoon...special...anything over this! Bambietta grabbed the remote and paused the movie before she groaned and looked at the blonde. "Lucy, look, I appreciate you trying to make this night a bit special, really I do but...This movie sucks!"

"It's...I mean...Yeah, ok, it's bad." Lucy said before she sighed. "I'm sorry Bambi, I thought this was going to be something we could just have a good time with but...It looks like I got us something a little lackluster."

Bambietta smiled at Lucy before she spoke. "Hey, Don't worry too much about it ok? We've all had those moments where we thought we found something good and it turns out to be a piece of crap. Besides-" The quincy then grabbed Lucy's right hand then and slightly squeezed it. "You're here right now, and frankly...That's all I need right now."

Lucy smiled before she rested her head against Bambietta's shoulder. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Just being here next to you...It's nice."

Bambietta had a smile of her own as she leaned against Lucy. Sure, they weren't exactly engaging in a passionate makeout session as she normally would have back when she was in the Vandenreich, but something about this moment felt special. Genuine. Like...she didn't have to have to get something more out of the situation. What was going on right here...This was enough.

It was to her surprise then when she felt Lucy's hands on her shoulders, and Bambietta opened her eyes to see Lucy sitting on her lap, her lips close to Bambietta. "Lucy what are-'' Lucy's lips soon made contact with Bambietta's, her eyes widening in shock, the quincy surprised that the blonde had decided to make the first move once more. First, the day when Gray and Juvia decided to become a couple, and now this. Still, she wasn't going to complain about it as she held her girlfriend close, one hand wrapping around Lucy's waist and the other behind her neck, holding her tightly as the two shared a kiss. They held the kiss for about 30 seconds before they stopped if only to catch their breath.

"You know...I think I just thought of a better way to make tonight special." Lucy said with a sly smirk.

"Well...you just took the words right out of my mouth," Bambietta said as she licked her lips. She very much doubted the blonde meant sex, but being able to do this? Oh, Bambietta had no complaints about that. Her hand was just about to wander south… when she heard a knock on the door.

Ugh, seriously? Why now of all times!? Bambietta soon sensed out to find out who it was behind the door to her room. It was Levy. It seemed as if the bookworm had finally returned from her mission in Bottlebrush. While Bambietta was happy to find out one of her best friends had finally returned, she would be lying if she wasn't slightly annoyed at her. Still, Levy wouldn't be popping by over here at this time at night unless she had a good reason.

"It's Levy," Bambietta said before Lucy nodded and slowly got off of the quincy. Bambietta sighed before she slowly got up and went to answer the door. Well, I guess I'll be in make-out paradise eventually...Now it's just a matter of when. After what had just happened, Bambietta was sure Lucy felt the same way. Opening the door with a smile, Bambietta allowed the petite mage inside. "So, how was your mission in Bottlebrush? Find any good books?" As she said this, Lucy began to go into the kitchen, no doubt to get some snacks for her friend after what was likely a long trip.

"Well, the books were fine I guess, but I had a really crazy time down there," Levy said as she sat down on a nearby chair. "Some dark guild tried to burn down the bookshop. Apparently, my old friend didn't bother to pay her protection money."

"Ah, so you kicked their asses? Nice!" Bambietta said as Lucy came back with a cheese tray.

"Sorry we weren't there to help Levy, if I had known you were going to go through something like that, I could have had our restaurant reservations saved for another day." Lucy handed her friend one of the slices, the petite mage taking a small bite before she continued.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that Lu. The truth is, I met a new friend down there who gave me a helping hand. He's really strong! Like, Erza strong!"

"That a fact?" Bambietta asked as she sat down with the two of them. "Well, I just met some crazy strong people myself today. So, what's he like?"

"Well for starters, I think he came from the same place you did," Levy told Bambietta, wanting to be vague so she didn't reveal Bambietta's otherworldly origins to Lucy. She wasn't sure what kind of punishment the gods could inflict on her if she accidentally let it slip.

"I see. Do go on." Bambietta said, her attention now much more focused than before. There was no telling how well this person would take to quinces. Sure, Rukia had been rather accepting of her, but that hardly meant every being that was brought over for this war would be.

"He's a bit on the quiet side," Levy said "Though you'll find that out yourself soon enough. He'll be stopping by the guild tomorrow. He isn't really sure if he's going to join the guild or not just yet, so I'll be showing him around. Still, I'm not sure how he'll take to it."

"Well, I'm sure he'll like it here," Lucy spoke. "I mean, I can't recall a single person who didn't want to stay after seeing what it was like."

"Yeah I'm sure you're worrying over nothing," Bambietta said as she took a bite out of her own cheese slice. "Come on now, you got to at least give me a name."

"Well, I guess that's fine," Levy said. "His name is-"


" Thanks for getting me some ice cream Rukia," Wendy said before she took another lick from the frozen dessert. The soul reaper had found her on the outskirts of Magnolia as she had just returned from her latest mission. She was covered in the occasional bruise, but fine otherwise. It had been a B class mission, one which had her defeat a few Vulcans. She had to admit she was a bit worried at first, but she had surprisingly handheld the mission with little difficulty.

"Consider it a reward for showing how effective my training has been," Rukia said as she sampled her own dessert. When they had first begun their training, Wendy was shy and had little in the way of confidence. But now? While she was still a far way off from what Rukia would consider a warrior, the dragon slayer had adjusted to her training rather quickly. She was easily stronger than the rank and file soul reapers and even stronger than Ichigo was when he first got his powers, at least in terms of sheer magical power, and it impressed her to no end. As she was right now, the best comparison that came to Rukia's mind was a 4th seated officer "You really have come quite far in a short period of time." At the rate Wendy was going, she could eventually be as powerful as a Lieutenant...Perhaps even higher if given time.

"I can't wait to show Bambi how much stronger I've become!" Wendy said, a bright smile now on her face. "Maybe now she'll let me fight with her!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Carla spoke. She may have come to trust the quincy much more than she used to, but she was still uneasy with how much Wendy adored her. I really hope she doesn't pick up any of that woman's nasty habits. Carla thought before she continued. "You still have a long way to go before you're ready for such things."

Wendy was about to speak, no doubt to insist that she was ready, when she was interrupted by a loud yell.

"YOU MADE FRIENDS WITH THE FUCKING 4TH ESPADA!?"

Wendy couldn't help but wince from the sheer volume of the scream that she had just heard. Furthermore, it sounded a lot like Bambietta. "Rukia, did you hear that?" The young wizard asked.

"I felt that," Rukia replied calmly, though her thoughts were anything but. An espada? Here? And the 4th one at that...He's the one that almost killed Ichigo on top of Las Noches. If he's here as an enemy...No, calm down. He seem's to have made friends with Levy. It's too soon to ruch to any sort of conclusions just yet.

Wendy began to walk over to the direction of her home, no doubt to see how Bambietta was doing, before Rukia placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let's wait just a bit longer before we go home."

"But what if Bambi-"

"She's fine, trust me." Rukia said before she sighed. Besides, I very much doubt she wants you to hear how much she is cursing up a storm at home.


And with that, we've finally finished all of the mini arc's I've wanted to cover before we finally return to canon. I'm so sorry for how long it's taken us to get to this point, but I've had a lot going on recently. From my job having gotten more difficult, to having to take over as the main writer of this story, I've had my hands full. Truth be told, I've been very worried about doing the tower of heaven arc myself. Not only is it one of my favorite arcs in shonen, but it's also huge in Erza's character development. As a new writer, I'm terrified to try to tackle this on my own. That's why I've been writing these last few chapters myself, to try and improve as much as I can before I reach that point. But alas, i think I've delayed the arc long enough. I can only hope that I've grown enough as a writer to provide a fun and unique spin on the arc.

Everything from chapter 35 to 48 has been done to properly prepare for this arc. From all of the character's I've introduced to the way certain characters have changed, and even all of the plot twists I've revealed, they'll all play at least some kind of role for the tower of heaven.

Still, it was my hope that despite how exposition heavy this chapter was that you all still enjoyed it. Please let me know what you all thought in your reviews and what I can do better on. I can't improve if I don't know what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong.

Till next time, take care.