Ladies and Gentlemen, it's the first of the month, and you know what that means! Time for another chapter for the tower of heaven arc. Thankfully I have a lot of chapters finished in advance so I can hopefully have the arc done soon. I just rather have a buffer so we don't go on another really, really long break is all.

As for this chapter, well...I hope you packed your bags, my dear readers because ya'll about to go on a feels trip!

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!


"I hope this decorum doesn't bother you," Sho said as he finished cuffing Erza Scarlet's hands to the wall of the cell that had been chosen for her. "Though I'm guessing nothing I can say would stave off any bad memories, would it?"

Erza took in her surroundings then, the dark and damp cell that was nothing more than a hole carved into ebony stone clawing at her past and dragging it up to the surface. "That's where you're wrong, Sho."

The blonde young man looked at Erza quizzically. "What?"

"Do the right thing," Erza said, looking him in the eyes. "Be the kind young man I knew so many years ago and that would keep the past we both want to forget where it belongs."

Sho was quiet for a moment, his face composed and unmoving. Then, much to Erza's surprise, did Sho smile, his blue eyes ablaze with what could only be described as madness.

"That boy is gone, Erza!" Sho shouted. "The moment you left us all behind when we had already lost our last hope, all we had was Jellal! And he's done something neither you or Grandpa Rob ever could! He showed us the truth!"

Erza tried to keep her composure. "And what truth is that?"

One of Sho's hands reached up, as if the youth was trying to grasp his own face in an attempt to restrain his unbridled emotions. If that was what he was attempting, then it was a failed effort. "That it's hell to get to Heaven!"

Erza's voice faltered ever so slightly. "Sho..."

"We're going to use the R System, Erza," Sho said. "And despite how you left us all, despite how you betrayed our friendship, all of us still want you to be a part of our ascension to Heaven!"

"Jellal can't show you the way," Erza replied matter of factly. "You or me."

"Maybe not," Sho replied. "But when we use the magic of this tower to bring someone back from the dead who knows more about magic... who has experienced life and death... then we will be shown the path!"

"You can't sacrifice someone for the Revive System!" Erza snapped at last. "Grandpa Rob would never-"

"Not that old man," Sho said, glaring at Erza. "No, Jellal answers to a higher power. A man who knows more of magic than any other in all of history."

Erza's composure slipped a little more. "You don't mean..."

"That's right," Sho said. "And once he is here in the flesh, we'll march out into the world and overthrow the kingdom and council that let this tower come to fruition in the first place! We'll scar the lend and remove from power the bastards who looked the other way when the twisted hearts of men ruined our lives! Who took our childhoods! Who took our families! Who stole everything from us! The Black Wizard Zeref will give us this power and let us remake this hellish world into Heaven itself! And you, Erza Scarlet, are the one Jella will use to bring that legendary figure back to li-"

Erza's right foot swung up then, catching the maddened Sho in the face. So caught up in his rant that he had left himself wide open. The youth collapsed to the ground then, knocked out.

Erza took a deep breath as she looked down at Sho, his once contorted face blissfully peaceful as he remained unconscious.

"Sho, I am so sorry," Erza said even if he could not hear, the wizard hoping her words would at least reach his heart, "but I can't let you blacken your soul any more than you have. I... I have failed you all."

Focusing all of her strength, she pulled her hands apart, breaking the cuffs that held her hands above her head before she fell to the ground. Erza closed her eyes, her magic at the ready. Her evening gown vanished in a flash-out light, leaving her Heart Kreuz armor adorning her body as her hair fell over her shoulders. "But that time is over. Tonight I'll do what I should have years ago."


"So, this is the Tower Of Heaven huh?" Bambietta said as she and the others stepped onto the docks of the small island."Looks more like the Tower Of Hell to me." The island itself was practically barren of any sign of life, the only thing of noteworthy of note being a massive tower seemingly made up of metal tubes and twisting metals. Truth be told, she shouldn't have been surprised as she was. On the way to the island, the ship had found itself running into a large amount of deceased marine life and birds, floating at the ocean's surface as it they had suddenly died. According to Levy, it was the work of dark magic.

Jeez, and I thought Huecco Mundo looked like a hellhole. Bambietta thought.

"Well, we shouldn't expect a couple of madmen to really know anything about decorum," Lucy said as she approached. "But that's beside the point. Lil, what's the plan?"

"Well, it's hard to get an idea what kind of layout we're dealing with from the outside alone," Liltotto told everyone. "But the basics of the plan stay the same. We track Erza's reiatsu, get to her, and get the hell out as fast as we can and get back to the boat. Normally I'd try to recommend some distractions to divert their attention away, but given we have no idea to know just how many more powerful mages they have here, as well as the strength of the ones we dealt with at Akane Resort, splitting up could just as easily get one of us captured or killed. So for now we stick together and fight as a team."

"You sure?" Jade asked her. "I could easily sneak in to give you an idea of what the layout is like."

Liltotto shook her head. "Too risky, if you get caught then that just makes for an extra hostage for them to use as leverage. Any potential intel you could get from sneaking around wouldn't be worth losing you. It's why we sent the ship back out to sea earlier along with Happy and Carla so they wouldn't have access to anyone to bargain with again. I have a special flare arrow to call them in to bail us out if things get messy but I'd rather not use it unless I have to."

"Maybe next time," Candice told Jade as she put a hand on her shoulder, which Jade simply smiled back at.

Levy felt a slight shiver go up to her spine as she looked around. She could see several human skeletons lying about the ground, many with swords, spears and the like still remaining through the corpses. Levy was no stranger to death, having lost her parents at a very young age, but to see so many corpses before her...it shook her. She was quick to compose herself however as she remembered the reason she had arrived in the first place. She wasn't going to let something like this prevent her from saving one of her guildmates.

She was not alone in her fear though as Wendy was going through something quite similar. Never before had she seen a dead body, and while these were stripped of their flesh, the very sight was still more than she had expected. Seeking comfort, she clung to Bambietta then. The Quincy was quick to notice and gave her a smile. "Hey, it's going to be ok, really. Look, it's not too late to back out. I can still help you fly back to the ship and-"

"No, I'm staying." Wendy insisted, her worried face quickly changing to a more calm expression."I just wasn't expecting...well, anything like this really."

"Are you sure?" Jade asked her. "It's not too late to leave. No one here would hold this against you in the slightest if this is too much for you."

"Thanks, Jade...but my mind is made up." Wendy insisted. "I'm going to help save Erza, no matter what!"

Bambietta couldn't help but feel some pride swell inside of her as she saw Wendy's determination. She was quite a bit different than the girl she had first met back in Clover...She only hoped that this wouldn't be a decision she would regret. Bambietta then looked over to her girlfriend. "Hey Lucy, you ok with...all of this?" She asked.

"No, I'm not," Lucy said as she shook her head. "Frankly, I'm downright terrified. But that's not what matters right now. Erza need's our help and I'm not gonna back out just because I'm a little freaked out."

Bambietta smirked as she heard her reply and quickly hugged her. "No need to worry about a thing. I'll keep you both safe, I promise."

Natsu however wasn't afraid at all. No, he was furious. Not only did these horrible people try and take Erza away from them, but they had killed countless innocent people as well. If there was one thing that infuriated him as much as seeing someone hurting one of his guildmates, it was the death of innocent people. He wanted nothing more than to just rush inside of that damn tower and set it ablaze! However, he quickly felt a hand on one of his own. Looking down, he could see Liltotto.

"I know exactly how you feel right now Natsu," Liltotto told him. "It's infuriating, everything these monsters have done...but this isn't a fight you can win all by yourself." She then narrowed her eyes as she looked at the corpses. "Don't you worry though...We'll get them back for this eventually, just not now. Getting Erza out of here is the most important thing of all."

Natsu's scowl vanished as he heard Liltotto's words. "Yeah, you're right. I almost made a pretty big mistake. Thanks, Lil."

The petite woman blushed slightly as she squeezed his hand. "No need to thank me, let's just get Erza the hell out of here."

The group was rapidly approaching the tower, though as they did, some mages, most likely part of a security force to defend the tower, were standing before the gate. Defeating the guards was far from the issue, their power being far lower than anyone currently in their team. However, using even the slightest amount of spiritual pressure to defeat them and any of the other minions stationed here would no doubt tip-off the members of Death's Head Cacuas from another world that they had arrived.

Fortunately, Liltotto had easily predicted such a likely possibility, and with a simple nod of her head, Jade began to use her powers of illusion, covering the team from head to toe in the clothes that perfectly matched those who were standing guard. Not suspecting a thing, the gate was immediately opened to the group, and they soon made their way inside. After walking past a few of the guards without a single incident and walking up several floors through the tower, Jade finally dropped her illusion.

"Great work Jade," Candice told her friend with a grin. "Those losers didn't suspect a thing!"

"What I don't get is why you turned off your illusion in the first place," Gray asked her. " It would make way more sense to drop it when we find Erza."

Jade quickly shook her head. "I'm afraid it's not that easy. Maintaining my illusions takes up a lot of my magical power. Usually, I just use it for very short bursts to get things done, this is the first time I've ever used it on so many people for so long. Frankly, I'm surprised it worked as well as it did. If I'm going to be in any shape to fight, I can't afford to keep it up much longer."

"Don't worry about it, at least we got past most of the cannon fodder," Bambietta spoke with pride. "I kinda doubt that it'll be that easy to sneak in from this point on anyways."

The group began to run into a sprint then, rapidly making their way through the tower. The Fairy Tail mages had already run through the next few floors when suddenly, Liltotto's foot pressed down onto something...odd, not like the rest of the terrain they had run through thus far. Her eyes widening as she saw a lone playing card on the ground, she quickly deduced what was about to occur. Liltotto quickly pushed Bambietta and Natsu behind her, before the petite Quincy, and the hallway forwards was trapped inside what could best be described as a barrier.

"What the hell!?" Candice yelled out as she stared inside of the barrier that Liltotto was trapped in. "What gives!?"

"Well now, looks like your friend activated one of Sho's trap cards."

Liltotto slowly turned her head, faced with Millianna, Wally, and Simon, Erza's former friends from her time as a slave. Her eyes slightly narrowed then as she looked at the resembled group, and her fists clenched in anger. "So, you were expecting us after all."

"Of course we were little lady," Wally said as he transformed his right hand into a machine gun. "Sho was smart enough to leave these small barrier cards all over the upper floors of the tower. Practically no one uses them these days except for us, and we all know where they are laid out."

"Personally, I was hoping we would catch more than one of you but I three one one are pretty good odds, meoooooooow." Millianna added, her nekotube ready to strike. Simon, however, remained silent as he watched from the back.

"Like hell, you will!" Gray said before he created a large sword made of ice. "Ice-Make Sword!" He swung his blade as hard as he could against the barrier, but his sword shattered, all the while, the strange barrier was unaffected. "What?! My sword couldn't even scratch it!"

"That's just because you're not putting your back into it!" Natsu quickly followed up. "Fire Dragon's Iron fist!" His fist ablaze with flames, Natsu's right hand punched the barrier as hard as he could, the flams seemingly engulfing it, only for them to quickly fade away. "Hey, what gives!?" Natsu cried out.

"Sorry, but Sho's barrier traps are made to specifically absorb magical attacks and make the barrier even stronger," Simon informed them. "You're just wasting your time trying to break it."

"Oh really!?" Bambietta yelled out as she formed her explode orb in the palm of her right hand. "I can easily destroy something like this with my Explo-"

"Go on without me," Liltotto spoke, the small Quincy not nothing to even look at her comrades.

"Wait what, what about the plan!?" Bambietta yelled out.

"Yeah, I thought the whole idea was to fight together as a group," Levy asked. "This seems counterproductive."

"If you used your Schrift on this barrier, or any attack strong enough to destroy it, it's possible the resulting explosion could easily cause this whole place to collapse," Liltotto told them. "If Erza is still wearing that steal stone collar, she could die from the falling debris. It's far more important that you guys go on ahead and save Erza. There were a few stairs up we didn't bother to use to stay on a simple path, I'm sure they'll help you get to where you need."

"But, it's three against one," Wendy told her. "Are you going to be ok?"

Liltotto gave them all a small smile. "I'll be fine, don't worry. This won't take long, and I'll catch up real quick. Now go!"

The group stared at her for a moment before Bambietta ran on ahead. "You all heard her, she says she's got this! Let's go, go go!" She quickly took off, Candice giving Liltotto one quick glance and gave her a thumbs-up before she ran after Bambiettra The others quickly followed after her, though Natsu took a moment to turn around and gave Liltotto a grin. "Hey, you make sure you give those guys hell for me, ok!?"

Liltotto could only smile as her crush cried out to her, and simply nodded before she faced her new opponents as her allies ran off.

"Meow, does she really think she can take on the three of us by herself?" Millianna asked.

"Yeah little lady, you just got me off guard the last time we fought, this time things are going to be way different," Wally warned her. "Count on it."

Liltotto could only stare at the two of them as her eyes narrowed once more. Her fists clenched with rage, she spoke up, her normally stoic face now filled with rage. "Tell me...why are you doing this?! You were all slaves for this damn place for years on end, beaten and starved, and now you're trying to bring Erza back to it of your own accord!? What the hell is wrong with you!? Anyone I'd know would have taken the first chance to get out of this hell hole!"

"You're right, this place was a hellhole," Wally told Liltotto. "But after Erza abandoned us, Jellal turned this hellhole into paradise! No longer were we forced to work unbearably on the tower! He feeds us, and kept us safe from the outside world, the world that abandoned us all!"

"He gave us a new purpose Meow!" Millianna added. "To finish building the tower so that we could turn the world into a true paradise!"

Liltotto could only clench her fists more as she looked down at her face, the visor of her hat obscuring her face. "I see...so you've all just drank his Kool-aid, is that it? That's what you told yourself every night to help you sleep? What a load of bullshit!"

Liltotto then vanished from their sight, only to punch Wally hard across the face and kicked Millianna away. "You honestly think that Erza abandoned you all of those years ago for her own sake!?" She quickly moved her head to the right to dodge an oncoming bullet fired from Wally and jumped into the air to avoid Millianna's nekotube as she whipped it where the Quincy used to stand. "The Erza I know wouldn't have done any of that!" Rushing forward and avoiding each of Wally's shots with hirenkyaku, the blockheaded gunman pointed his gun right in front of Liltotto's face and fired, only for the Quincy to eat the bullet as if it were a wad of chewing gum and punched him hard in the gut.

She was just about to continue her assault, when the Quincy quickly jumped into the air, dodging a bunch of playing cards that had been thrown in her direction. She could see Sho then, and he did not look happy. "I was wondering where you were."

"Sho, what are you doing here?" Wally asked him. "You're supposed to keep an eye on Erza."

"She escaped," Sho admitted as he clenched his fists in anger. "She completely caught me off guard once I got her inside of her cell and she knocked me out. The next thing I know when I wake up, my head's throbbing, and she was gone! I was looking for her till I ran into you guys!"

"So, Erza managed to save herself huh?" Liltotto said before she smirked. "I guess I should have figured she would have pulled off something like that." That was good, all they needed to do now was find her and get out of this damn place.

"Not like it'll matter for long!" Sho told her. "We'll just capture her again and-" Sho was immediately interrupted from his rant when Liltotto slammed her fist into the dark-skinned man's mouth, blood covering her hand as he skid across the floor. Just then, her vision was obscured, the surrounding area completely covered in darkness. Using her ability to sense reiatsu however, she backflipped to avoid a blow from Simon before she ran promptly rushed forward and gave the dark-haired man a powerful uppercut, his darkness now clearing up to allow his allies to attack once more. Millianna was quick to try to wrap her nekotube around Liltotto's hand, only for the Quincy's mouth to expand and tear through the tube with ease.

"What, but my tube's supposed to seal off magic!?" Millianna whined.

"You're only half right," Liltotto told her. "Your rope did cut me off from my reiatsu...but only in the hand you tied it around. It doesn't work on the parts of the body you haven't trapped yet!" Using hiernkyaku once more, she promptly punched Millianna across the room, the Quincy looking down at all four of Erza's former friends as they struggled to get to their feet. "All of you, stay down. If I wanted it, you'd all be dead already."

"You think a little pain is going to stop us!?" Wally yelled at her. "We went through way worse than that when we were slaves!"

"Yeah...I figured as much." Liltotto told them as her once angry expression quickly turned somber. "I know what it's like."

"You know!? What do you mean, you know!? You didn't go through the hell we did for several years here!" Sho accused her.

Liltotto shook her head. "I may not have been brought to this wretched tower...but I was a slave. When I was barely 9 years old, my parent's sold me off after already selling my older sister a year ago to pay off their massive debt. For one whole year, I had hardly any food to survive. I can't begin to tell you all how many nights I went without food. I had to eat practically scrap from my masters just to survive. They didn't care if any of us lived so long as we continued to work in the farms. We were all replaceable garbage far as they were concerned. Day in and day out, we had to work, and work, and work, without any rest, all in our masters attempt at getting rich! But all I ever had...was misery."

Her eyes began to water then as she recalled the bitter memories. "By the time I had arrived, my sister had already died from exhaustion. The same went for any friend I happened to make when I was working there. People just kept dying around me, and if it wasn't for my Quincy blood, I'm damn sure I would have died just as fast as they did. So yeah, I have a pretty damn good idea what you all went through. So I'll ask you again, why are you trying to bring back Erza!?"

"She betrayed us!" Millianna told the Quincy. "She-"

"You're wrong!" Liltotto screamed at her. "Erza's one of the most trustworthy people I've ever met! She's always been there, not just for me, but for everyone in Fairy Tail! She's always willing to listen to any problems we have, and she'd do anything she could to help! She's always doing her best to make sure that the guild is thriving, and that everyone is kept safe! She looks out for us as if we were her family! I...I-"

Liltotto looked down at the ground then, her eyes slowly covering with tears. "I made the exact same mistake you're accusing her of. After I was freed as a slave, me and my friends joined an army. We got so close to each other over the years. Bambi...she was like our Erza. But our army had very strict rules on what happened to those who lost and when she lost...I turned her back on her to let some damn vulture feast on her corpse! Even after Bambi and I reunited and made amends, I was never able to forgive myself. Truth be told, I didn't see any value in my own life! I wanted to die, I just never had the guts to go through with it. But Erza took me out of that darkness, and showed me that it didn't have to be that way! She told me that beating myself up over what had happened in the past was no way to live, that I had to accept Bambietta's forgiveness and move on!"

She took a breath then before she continued. " She's the closest thing I've had to a family since I was sold. Like my big sis. Whenever I'm with her...I always feel like everything is going to be alright. She's done too much, for both me and the guild, to die in a place like this. For the Titania I admire...I would do anything for her."

She slowly turned her head then to look at each one of them. "You might think that this is what you want, but it's not. Once you go through with it, you'll never be able to live with the guilt. Trust me, I know. And all of this for what? On the promises of a madman to make the world great again!? That's all nothing more than empty words to get you to do some mad man's bidding!"

"A dame like you don't know anything!" Wally contested. "You can't make an omelet without breakin' a few eggs!"

"Even if that egg is one of your closest friends!?" Liltotto yelled back at Wally. "You all saw how Erza reacted when she saw you! If she was really the kind of callous person Jellal made her out to be, wouldn't she have just attacked all of you!? But she didn't, because even now, with what you were trying to do, she still cares about you all!"

"But Erzy-Wherzy, she... she..." Millianna began to stammer, the cat wizard beginning to fidget. "She left us here! Left us all alone! And-"

"And she regretted it every single day," Liltotto told her. "On the train ride over...I had a nightmare of my time as a slave. I couldn't sleep...So when Erza found me, she comforted me, letting me know that it was all going to be ok, because she went through the exact same thing I did. I know for a fact she wanted nothing more than to save you all. But something was keeping her from coming back here, I'm sure of it. I don't know what it was exactly...but I know fear and regret when I see it...and I saw that on her face clear as day when she saw all of you."

Liltotto shook her head then as she spoke. "Can't you see?! Everything she's done since that day...It's been her trying to make up for what she feels is her own failure. You don't need to punish her, because I know, as someone who went through exactly the same kind of pain she is, that she's no doubt been punishing herself over what happened every single day!"

Her voice raw with emotion, she continued. "She was always telling me that I had to move on...and now it's my time to help her do the same! So I'm starting right here, right now, by letting you all know the truth! She didn't abandon you, she loves you!"

Wally glared at Liltotto through his shades, all the while wanting to say something, anything to defend his grudge. However, like a poor gambler, he was coming up short. Sho was doing no better, the man shaking as he looked at Liltotto and barely got to his feet.

"She speaks the truth," Simon suddenly said the giant of a man remaining unmoving behind his allies, "but you all know that... even if you won't admit it."

Liltotto couldn't help but be surprised at Simon's words and tone of voice. Quickly wiping away her tears caused by her emotional outburst, she stared at him. "You make it sound as if you knew that all along." Something was different about this one. He didn't seem to be overcome with anger at all. If anything he was surprisingly calm.

Simon took a deep breath, his eye closing. "Yes...yes, I have."

Millianna turned to look at him. "Then...it's that all true? We...we weren't betrayed?"

"We were, Millianna," Simon replied, his eye-opening at last. "But not by Erza. It was Jellal who turned against us all."

"No, that's not true!" Sho cried out. "He saved us! He-"

"He told us nothing but sweet lies!" Simon snapped. "Snake oil, all of it! It shames me to admit that it took me a few years to realize it, but I eventually saw through it all! But... I knew there was nothing I could say to convince any of you! Not when you had all become so wrapped up in his madness!"

"Well, it's good to see that at least one of you has some common sense," Liltotto told him. "But if that's the case, why did you bother to help out with Erza's capture in the first place? I know that with Death's Head Caucus assistance, it was probably a foregone conclusion, but even so..."

"My power is hardly enough to stop Jellal," Simon said. "But Erza... No, all of Fairy Tail... If you all came here, then we can liberate all who remain in this damnable tower. It's far from the most ideal plan I know, but it was the only chance I could see."

"I see," Liltotto said. "And I'm guessing Jellal's had this place locked down to prevent you from sending out any kind of warning or cry for help?" Given all of the dead fish and birds they saw on their way in, it was all beginning to make at least some sense to her. When Simon nodded his head at her question it was all Liltotto needed to hear.

"How could we leave without his permission?" Millianna said, growing withdrawn as she held her head in her hands. "This... this was the only place Jellal said we were safe..."

"He..." Wally's shoulders sunk. "He made us an offer he knew we couldn't refuse."

Liltotto would have normally called them out for how gullible they had been to fall for his lies and to have betrayed Erza so easily...but that was the last thing they needed right now. And besides...she wasn't much better when she was in the vandenriech. "You guys want to make up for bringing her here in the first place?" Liltotto asked them. "Then get off your asses, and help us get her out of here!"

"Jellal... he... he betrayed us..." Sho all but lost his balance, Millianna pulling away from Simon to catch him. "But the perfect world we were going to make..."

"He's too full of hate to make a better world, Sho," Simon said as he stepped closer. "This tower broke him more than any of us. And in turn, he..."

Millianna hissed, eyes glaring. "He needs to die."

Simon lowered his head. "We can't fight him, Millianna. We wouldn't have a prayer. Perhaps Erza, but..."

"She won't do it," Liltotto told them. "Kill him I mean. That's not how she...I mean, that's not what Fairy Tail does." She then extended her hand to the group as she spoke. "We'll do whatever we can, and make sure that justice is served against that mad man, but we won't kill him. If you're ok with that...then you're all more than welcome to help."

"Justice is more than enough," Simon said. "Alone we could never hope to stop Jellal, but with Fairy Tail..."

"There's still those Death's Head Caucus mooks to worry about," Wally said. "And we all know they're packing some serious magic heat."

"Don't worry about a thing," Liltotto told them. "Last time they just caught us off guard and captured Erza so she couldn't do any fighting. With her on our side, I'd say the tide of battle has more than turned in our favor."

As the team of 5 made their way towards their allies, Liltotto's thoughts wandered back to the red-headed mage she deserved to save no matter the cost. For the Titania I admire, I'll do anything.


The group had been fortunate so far as they made their way up the next couple of floors of the tower once they found an ascending staircase. The only resistance they had run into had been Erza's former friends. Bambietta could tell that the likes of Levy, Wendy, and Lucy were rather concerned for Liltotto, but it was to be expected. After all, Bambietta herself wasn't quite comfortable with it either. Not because of how strong Erza's friends were but on the off chance the petite Quincy would run into a member of Death's Head's Caucus. Glancing over her shoulder, she could tell that Candice was worried too. She was trying her best not to show it, but Bambietta could tell from the occasional glance to the side that Candice was just as worried as she had been. Bambietta was about to offer some words of encouragement when the group had stumbled upon what appeared to be a small dining room of sorts. It looked rather fancy and lavish compared to the other parts of the tower, the furniture and decor more befitting the Hearffilia Mansion than a dark guilds tower.

"Well, I guess we know where their leader eats," Bambietta said as she looked around.

"That must mean we're getting close, right?" Lucy asked.

"Hard to say," Levy replied. "This place is like a maze, for all we know, we could have already passed her."

"Hey, wait a second, you guys can sense magic right?" Gray asked Rukia and the Quincys. "Why don't you try to find her that way?"

Juvia smiled as she looked at her boyfriend with adoration. "An excellent idea my love!" As always her beloved Gray was one step ahead of the game.

Rukia shook her head. "With that collar sealing away her magic it's going to be impossible to find her that way. I'm afraid this is our best shot."

"Grrrr, darn it!" Natsu yelled out as he slammed his fist on one of the tables. "I say we just grab one of one of those Death's Head Caucus guys and beat the answers out of them!"

"You idiot, have you forgotten we're trying to get her out of here without getting into a fight!?" Totamaru yelled at him.

"I'm not scared of them, once we get Erza on our side we'll be invincible!"

Ulquiorra had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at Natsu's take on the situation. This human is making Ichigo Kurosaki more and more bearable by the minute. If anything, he was starting to remind him of the 6th Espada.

"Intruders!" Just then, a bunch of guards began to charge the dining room floor, their weapons were already drawn. The Fairy Tail mages quickly prepared themselves for battle to defeat their foes quickly as possible but before they could do anything, a red blur rushed past the attacking guards. The henchmen soon fell to the ground in a heap, as Erza Scarlet slowly sheathed her blade.

"Erza!?" Everyone minus Ulquiorra yelled out. This whole time they had come here to save her yet here she was already freed. To say they were surprised was an understatement.

"Wait a minute, you actually managed to save yourself?" Bambietta asked Erza as she slowly approached Bambietta before the Quincy grinned. "Man I knew you were cool but this really takes the cake!" Candice for her part merely whistled in approval.

"What... what are you all doing here?"

It was not at all the reaction the Fairy Tail guild members had expected from Erza. Though she was always cool and level-headed, the group had maybe expected her to show a hint of happiness at seeing that they had come to help her. However, it was not that they heard in her tone, nor was it the level-headed nature that befitted one known as Titania, Queen of the Fairies.

No, Erza sounded agitated and upset, like her emotions were fraying at the seams.

"Erza, we came to help you," Lucy said.

"Yeah, nobody takes one of Fairy Tail's and gets away with it!" Natsu exclaimed, slamming his fists together. "The jerks who call this tower home have another thing coming if they thought we'd turn tail and run!"

"You need to leave here immediately," Erza said, turning her back on the group, her voice a whisper. "This is my fight and no one else's."

Lucy stammered. "But-"

"I said leave!" Erza still did not turn, but the sudden shift in her voice, the sudden shouting, caught all off guard. "I won't ask again! Just... go for my sake!"

The guild was quiet, none being sure of what to say. No one had seen Erza like this. Not the newcomers such as Lucy or Ulquiorra, nor the people who had known Erza since they were children like Natsu and Gray. Natsu was never one to be shy about his opinions, but even he had the sense of self to remain quiet when he was out of his depth to this degree.

Bambietta Basterbine, however, was one who could never keep herself quiet in any situation.

"You're making a mistake, Erza!"

That was enough to leave the S-rank mage to look over her shoulder, her right eye peeking out from beneath her scarlet bangs. "Pardon?"

Bambietta saw that expression and froze on the spot. However, the Quincy forced herself to step forward. She knew Erza was tough. She was the toughest woman Bambietta had ever known. That was precisely why she was willing to give her some tough love. However, it did terrify her to speak to Titania Erza in the manner in which she was. "What? Did I mumble? I said you are making a mistake!"

Erza's stare wavered ever so slightly as if her eye was looking into the past and nothing more. "I have made... no mistakes..."

"No, no you haven't," Bambietta said. "Not with me. Never with me. But..." Bambietta steeled herself. "You are when it comes to you and you alone. Right here, right now, you are making a mistake."

Erza turned her head away from Bambietta. "No. I made a mistake here years ago. Now... now I'm going to correct it! I lost one family due to this cursed tower. I won't lose another!"

"Erza..." Gray tried his best to speak. "You helped me with Galuna Island when my own past came back to haunt me. All of Fairy Tail did. Why would you expect us to do any less for you?"

"Phantom Lord was after me because of my father," Lucy said, stepping up by Bambietta. "And you... you fought for my sake. Let me return the favor."

"C'mon, Erza!" Natsu shouted. "You know I didn't listen when Gray told me to stay out of it... and I was willing to go punch out a Wizard Saint for Lucy, so what makes you think this Tower of Heaven is going to chase me away?"

"I won't ask again," Erza said. "You are all to leave at once. I will settle this on my own, even if it costs me my life!"

Erza took one step forward then, intent on leaving the room. However, her stride was broken when Bambietta appeared in her way, Hirenkyaku having taken her around the wizard. The Quincy had taken the moment of speed to consider her options, to wonder what she could say. She had given up in the blink of an eye, knowing she would do as she always had. She had planned to speak off the cuff and from the heart.

However, when she saw Erza's face, the face she had concealed from the others, she was at a loss for words. There were tears on Erza's face. None fell from her right eye, but from the left was a steady stream. Bambietta's voice was a low whisper. "Erza..."

Erza's gaze had been focused on the floor, the wizard only now tilting her face up enough to look into Bambietta's own eyes. "Stand aside."

Bambietta's face contorted, her lower lip trembling. She took a deep breath then, her voice was ragged. "You can't tell me this is how it ends!"

Erza said nothing.

"You've been there for me every step of the way!" Bambietta continued. "When my old world was shitting on me over and over and over again, you stepped up for me! So don't go telling me this is how it ends, Erza! You tell me that and I'll tell you as many times as it takes that you're making a mistake! I know you're afraid you'll lose us, but I promise, you won't lose another family! We're not just some team of rag-tag mages, Quincys, Soul Reapers, and Arrancar, we're Fairy Tail! If there is one thing I know about my new family, it's that Fairy Tail always sticks up for its own! You've proved that to me more than anyone else!"

Erza looked back up at Bambietta, about to say something when she felt someone's hand on her shoulder.

"We're not leaving," Natsu said. "Not until we know you're coming home with us, Erza."

"Yeah, even if you beat us black and blue, we'll still stay by your side." Gray added.

"And if Gray thinks your worth fighting so hard, then it must be true!" Juvia yelled.

"With how much you helped me out in phantom lord, how could I possibly leave you in a time like this!?" Lucy exclaimed.

"You've always helped me out when Shadow Gear bit off more than it could chew, so it's only fair I do the same!" Levy mentioned.

"I've always looked up to you Erza, and you've helped me out so many times on guild missions, now it's my turn to help you!" Wendy spoke.

"I've already lost someone I've cared about, I refuse to lose another!" Rukia chipped in.

"And I'm sure as hell not going to make the same mistake I did with Bambietta, so don't even think you'll convince me otherwise!" Candice shouted.

"You gave me the courage to stay in the guild when I loathed myself. Today, I repay that debt." Totomoru spoke.

"You helped speak on my behalf when you took us to the magic council for trial." Jade quickly mentioned. "This is the least we can do."

Bambietta took a deep breath as everyone gave their own words. "You get it now? If Fairy Tail wouldn't give up on me, then why would it ever give up on you? And after how much you've done for me, how could I ever give up on you, Erza?"

Bambietta acted on impulse again, suddenly grabbing Erza tight in a hug.

"You haven't made any mistakes, but I have," Bambietta said, holding her tight. "But I refuse to make one now. I'm going to fight by your side until the bitter end. Against Jellal and whoever else calls this tower home that wants to hurt you. For the Titania I admire, I'll do whatever it takes to bring you back home!

The moment was quiet then, though Bambietta felt something change. The armor that adorned Erza, the armor that came between them both, suddenly faded in a flash of light. Bambietta felt her arms wrapped around Erza herself, the wizard's right hand coming up and touching down upon Natsu's own as it lay atop her shoulder.

"I..." Erza looked up at Bambietta, one side of her face still stained with the tears that had fallen. "I would be honored if you would fight by my side once again."

"Hey," Bambietta said, smiling as she pulled back. "What are fairies for? Now please...tell me what this is all about."

Bambietta took notice as the corners of Erza's mouth perked up over so slightly. It was not much, no, but it was enough from the normally serious Titania to leave Bambietta feeling at ease. However, then Bambietta heard footsteps coming from the direction in which Fairy Tail had come. Worse, it was not simply the footsteps of a single person, but of many. Lil! Did they...? Snapping, Bambietta whirled around on her feet, throwing an orb of the Explode. Just as Millianna and the others came into view, no doubt looking to pick a fight, an explosion went off, kicking up a cloud of smoke.

"Hah, that'll show...'em..."

Bambietta's voice trailed off as the smoke cleared, a very distraught-looking Liltotto stepping out from behind the singed and battered denizens of the Tower of Heaven. Her outfit was scuffed up, the short Quincy coughing. "Bambi, what the hell?!"

"I was...Uhm...trying to save you from the bad people who kidnapped you?" Bambietta offered up.

"You didn't even see I was with them, did you?" Liltotto asked.

Bambietta shook her head. "No. But they are the enemy, so-"

"They're on our side now," Liltotto told her.

Bambietta simply stared as the weight of her mistake finally hit her before she shook her head. "Oh...oops. Well, at least my Explode isn't quite as powerful on living things at the moment. So all's good... I hope." Bambietta took off her hat and ran a hand through her hair. "We're seriously going to need a scorecard to keep track of who's on who's side when dealing with other guilds. First Totomaru and Juvia in Phantom Lord, now a whole group here..."

Erza looked at Millianna and the others. "You... you know the truth then?"

Simon nodded even as he dusted himself off. "I always have. However..."

Millianna suddenly pounced on Erza, hugging her. "Erzy-wherzy, I'm so sorry! So sorry for ever doubting you! Can you ever forgive us?"

"It's alright," Erza said, patting her friend atop the head and between her cat ears. "There's nothing I need to forgive."

"Still..." Bambietta said. "If we're all going to work together, I think we need to know the whole story about-"

Erza's eyes narrowed as she finished the Quincy's sentence. "About Jellal."

"Yeah, that jerk," Bambietta retorted. "I think I speak for all of Fairy Tail when I say that we like to know who we're going to kick the butt of."

Natsu was quick to nod in agreement.

"He was... a friend," Erza answered. "One I owe my last name to."

Bambietta's sudden enthusiasm dropped like a rock. "Oh."

"He and Grandpa Rob, they gave us all hope when our families were killed," Erza said. "When the worshippers of the Black Wizard's legacy stole us away under night and flame and took us here to this living hell. And while Grandpa Rob spoke of magic and hope, Jellal was willing to befriend us all. And when he spoke of my hair, I took it upon myself that Scarlet would be the name I would walk into the future with. But then... everything changed. He changed."

Erza took a deep breath.

"And so did I. The cult took him away for punishment and all of us defied them. We tried to save him. And... Grandpa Rob died for us all. In that moment I finally understood what he had been telling me for so long. I finally felt the magic that was my own... too late to ever show him what I was capable of."

Bambietta tried to speak up. "Erza, if this is too much, then-"

Erza continued, unwilling to stop. "We defeated the cult and I was able to make it to the tower's top floor to save Jellal... only to find that I was too late. Whatever the cult had done to him, whatever torture they had inflicted on him, it changed him. He had killed his captors, but... he spoke like he was one of them. The worship of Zeref had not died with our abusers, it had simply claimed another. He wanted to complete what they had started. And when I refused... when I told him we could be free..."

Erza shook beneath her armor, the twisted smile and the horrific red glow from Jellal's right eye haunting her even now. She could hear his voice as if not a day had gone by since.

"We'll never be free, Erza. Not even if we escape this prison surrounded by water. I see it now. This whole world is a Tower of Heaven. And the only way we can truly be free... is to accept his will into us. Zeref has saved me and now through me he shall save you all."

Erza bit her lower lip. "I refused. I tried to bring him back to the light, back to his senses, but he threatened... all of you. If I wouldn't accept his new god, he would force me away. And if I were to return, if I were to let anyone in the world know of what was happening in this tower... he promised he would kill everyone who stayed by his side."

Erza reached up toward her face with the cold steel of her gauntlet, her face contorting.

"I couldn't bear it, not even within the light of Fairy Tail. So I sealed myself away in this armor. My heart would only hurt me if it reached out to another. But more importantly, it would only hurt others who wanted to be my friends just as it had done before. It wasn't until my fight with Meifon, that I thought I could open up more. But now-"

"We are not leaving," Bambietta hissed. "In fact... I'm going to kill this Jellal bastard for everything he's done to you."

Liltotto heard it, an edge in Bambietta's voice that was all too familiar. She had heard it time and again when the former Stern Ritter E had spoken of the Soul Reapers. That edge had all but vanished since Liltotto had come across her in Earth Land, the only exceptions the Quincy could remember being when Levy had been hurt by Phantom Lord... and when Giselle Gewelle was spoken of.

"There will be no killing," Erza said. She knew Bambietta meant well in her own way, but... "Not like that, not for needless revenge. No wizard who would do such a thing could return back to the guildhall." Erza reached out then, putting a hand on Bambietta's shoulder. "I trust you, Bambietta Basterbine, to do the right thing."

However, deep within Erza's soul, she had doubts. Not for Bambietta...but for herself.


Jellal Fernandes sat upon his throne of the heavens, glaring at the ornate chessboard he had laid out. "The pieces were all in place for a delightful little game..."

He reached out towards the board, placing his index finger atop the chess piece clad in armor.

"But you had to reshuffle the playing field, didn't you, Erza? But no matter."

Rather listlessly, Jellal took the pieces that represented some of those he had put his faith in, and moved them by the side of 'Erza'.

"It makes no difference if you take some of my pawns, Erza. After all, I have much greater pieces to play."

Looking up from the table, Jellal looked at the man who stood within his throne room.

"You for instance."

"It honor's me to hear you praise us so highly, Jellal." The cloaked guild master of Death's Head Caucus announced as he and the rest of his guild had assembled within Jellal's throne room.

"But truth be told, I would do whatever it takes to revive Lord Zeref back into this world."The newest members of the dark guild, with the exception of Shrieker could not help but glance at one another though. While they had absolutely no qualms with the darker side of their profession, they rather liked how peaceful the world was. To have it be shoved into some dark age was...slightly unsettling. They had enough of that from their old world as it was thanks to the soul society.

"I'm glad to hear you say that." Jellal leaned back into his throne, adjusting the hood even as he peeked out from underneath it. "This broken world needs Zeref to set it right. Especially if... that man is to be feared as much as I believe he should be."

Quilge raised an eyebrow as he heard his young master speak. It seems something had transpired that he wasn't quite aware of. Oh well, it wouldn't matter much in the long run. As soon as Erza was back within their grasp, the world would be theirs, and soon a new paradise would begin!

"So, besides the Titania, do you need any of them brought back to you alive?" The guild master asked him.

"No," Jellal said rather coldly. He reflected on it for a moment, shaking his head slightly. "Actually... yes. Millianna, Sho, and Wally. I ask that you try to bring them to me alive. Simon, however... do with him as you will. He's never truly believed in our cause."

The guild master grinned then as he spoke with glee. "We'll do as best as we can to retrieve them, but I can't guarantee there won't be...casualties."

He then removed his cloak, revealing a tall man with a long red cape, covered in metal armor and wore an excessively ornate helmet. "But you can rest assured in our success! For I, Dyspute, shall slay all those who oppose the return of our lord!" He slowly turned to face his subordinates as he made a dramatic turn. "You heard him, the return of our great lord Zeref is soon at hand! I know that you will not fail me, for we are Death's Head Caucus and soon the world shall be within our grasp!" Soon the entire guild was engulfed in shadow and in an instant, they had vanished.

"So be it." Jellal took up the chess piece representing Erza, taking it away from all the others. "It's almost time, Erza. Time for you to stop pretending your something your not. By the time this is over, there will no longer be a Titania. There will only be the woman I love enough to bestow the greatest of honors to. The future... all depends on you."


"Alright, now that we've finally managed to catch up with Erza, I think it's high time we get out of here," Liltotto told the rest of the group. She could tell from the expression on Natsu's face that he wanted nothing more than stand and fight, but thankfully he had decided to remain silent. She had to admit, things were going much smoother than she had expected, but she wasn't going to complain. The sooner they escaped this wretched tower the better.

"Yeah, I hear you there Lil!" Bambietta said before she grinned and tossed an "explode orb" on the nearest wall, creating a large hole for everyone to see the outside of. "All we have to do now is grab everyone who can't airwalk or fly and make our way back to-"

Before Bambietta could even finish what she was saying, however, her eyes widened in shock as she took notice of something surrounding the tower. Large massive pillars of energy surrounded the island they were on, and the Quincy was quite positive she knew just who to blame. "Quilge...That Bastard set up his "Jail" around the whole damn island!"

"You mean we're stuck?!" Lucy cried out to Bambietta.

"I'm sure me, Candi and Bambi could leave if we wanted to," Lil said as she took a look outside. "But everyone else is probably trapped until we force Quilge to turn it off." Her voice was calm as ever, but the truth of the matter was the petite Quincy was terrified. A prolonged battle was the last thing they needed to partake in if this mission was going to be a success, the power of their enemy making victory far from a certainty even with Erza's aid, but thanks to her former comrade it seemed there was very little choice.

"Well, that suits me just fine!" Natsu said as he banged his fists against each other as they ignited. "I've been wanting to make these guys pay for what they did back at the casino!"

"Is fighting all you ever care about?" Totamaru asked him.

"Sometimes's I swear it is," Gray added.

"I'm with Natsu on this one!" Bambietta said with a grin. "If we just ran away, they'd probably try this shit some other day. I say we end this here and now!"

Candice nodded in agreement. "Yeah, there ain't no way I'm letting that Nazi Jackass and his pals push us around and get away with it! I say we hit them hard and fast!"

"I'm so glad that we share the same sentiments!"

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise as the deep voice beckoned throughout the tower, Bambietta quickly approaching Lucy and Wendy to keep them safe, Ulquiorra doing the same with Levy. Liltotto quickly grabbed on to Erza's hand as she heard the voice. She could tell from the magic she was sensing that this voice was from the same man who nearly killed her at the resort.

The voice continued then as the group huddled together. "The truth of the matter is, your guild's reputation is known throughout all of Ishgar. Taking all of your heads will only help the name of Death's Head Caucus to be truly feared!"

Bambietta scoffed at the voice. "Oh please, you just caught us off guard last time! Thing's are going to be way different now!"

"Yeah, asshole, this time around we're going to kick your ass!" Candice yelled.

"My, you seem to be in such a hurry to meet your end." The voice told them. "But seeing as how none of you can even begin to compare to my power, I believe it's only fair that I allow my subordinates to enjoy themselves by finishing you off!" Just then, the ground beneath them was engulfed in shadow as the entire party was quickly engulfed.

"What the!? What is this!?" Natsu cried out. He tried to burn away the shadows with his flames, but it was to no avail.

Dyspute chuckled as he watched them all struggle. "Fear not, this spell won't harm you in any way. I'm simply deciding to split you all up so everyone in my guild has a chance to enjoy themselves. Besides, a stairwell is hardly what I would call an appropriate battleground!"

Bambietta tried her best to keep Wendy and Lucy close to her, but the force of the shadow engulfing her was simply too great. One by one, each of her comrades was engulfed and disappeared before her very eyes, Juvia crying out for Gray before she was taken away, and Jade trying her best to reach out to Candice before they both vanished. Finally, the shadows engulfed the Quincy entirely, and then she too was whisked away to parts unknown.


So to be entirely honest with you all, this was the last chapter I had done for the longest time before I had massive writers' block. The stress and anxiety of writing the fights that were to come overwhelmed me for several months. Thankfully I had a friend who was able to assist me with writing several of them and I finally got my motivation back to write again.

Now yes, the guild master of Death's Head Caucus is an OC, and admittedly, a rather generic one. I won't even try to deny it. Hell, the guy is highly inspired by Stryfe from Marvel comics, and he's as generically evil as it gets. (including a poorly spelled villain name, because poor literacy is kewl!)

However, I can promise you that I have him in this for more than just giving more people for Fairy Tail to fight and separating the group. No, it's not because he's a plot-relevant OC (God knows I'd like to keep those to a absolute minimum and frankly I think I have enough as is.) but for something much more...entertaining for you all. I won't say what exactly, but let's just say it'll be an experience well worth your time. I'll give you one hint at least. He will do battle with an unexpected foe. That's your only hint. Let your imagination run wild.

Lil's scene with Erza's friends was probably my favorite part of the chapter I had to write. Having a chance once again to have the snarky, deadpan Liltotto open up more and show how much she's changed is always a joy to write.

But Bambietta's and Erza's talk is what I really hope got you all to feel at least something. This was one of the parts of the fic I dreaded writing the most because if I screwed it up, the rest of the arc would suffer for it I felt. Thankfully, I think it turned out great and I really hope you all feel the same way. To be honest with you all though, I had to ask good old Ankoholic to assist me with writing it. He's not back writing per se, but Erza is one of his favorite characters and I knew he could do the scene more justice than I ever could, so he's assisting me here and there when it comes to her dialouge. In fact, he's done it for many chapters prior to this.

But now comes the part of the story that took me so long to get back to writing. The fighting. Lot's and lot's, of fighting. To be honest, most of these fights will be shorter than the one's in Phantom Lorde due to just how many of them there are. That's not the case for all the fights mind you, as the more character development/stronger fighter ones will be longer than most, but I'd say by and large don't expect anything crazy.

Well, that's about all for now folks. I eagerly await your reviews. Till next time!

MPFS

Simon: 980

Wally: 860

Sho: 720

Millianna: 640

Liltotto: (holding back) 1700