Gajeel strode up to the teleportation lacrima. The crowd, restless after having to wait several hours for arena fixes and one other administrative annoyance, were roaring for the next fight. It was, Gajeel heard with his keen hearing, one that was garnering attention not because of the fact that it was two Fairies fighting one another, but a much older kind of in-fighting:
Two members of Phantom Lord, the Rain Woman of the Element Four, and their Iron Dragon Slayer were going head-to-head.
Of course, it wasn't the first time the two were set to fight. Jose Porla had the Element Four and Gajeel coming to blows all the time for training. It'd been some time since their last time sparring, as Porla started holding Gajeel back for the sake of preserving his strength.
He cracked his knuckles, eager for them to finally let them get out and get it over with. The day was running late already, and if they were still going to be fighting the next day, he wanted to get some rest.
Especially because his next fight was likely against Salamander. Though that, frustratingly, was to be determined.
Originally, Salamander and Axel were slated to fight before Gajeel and Juvia. But, apparently, Axel requested they delay his and Natsu's match to give the Fire Dragon Slayer as much time to heal his broken arm as possible. With Wendy's help that wouldn't be a problem. Gajeel wished to punch the Diamond Dragon Slayer in the face, personally, but would happily settle for getting to beat the snot out of Salamander when he got the chance tomorrow.
The lacuna lit up. Gajeel tapped it and reappeared in the arena proper, the crowd roaring at his appearance. Juvia fizzled into place in front of him. Their disguises were off, they were back to their normal, newer-styled, clothes. Juvia's hard glare fixed on Gajeel as his stoic expression settled on her. The announcer gave out the usual about their names, their history, and the rules of the fight:
To submission or to death.
The whistle blew. Juvia whipped water around her while Gajeel summoned his iron scales and launched at her. The crowd gasped as the two didn't move fluidly but fiercely.
Juvia slashed and whipped and battered Gajeel with water holding the strength of waterfalls. Gajeel dodged where he could, took the hits where he had to, and retaliated at each turn.
None of his strikes mattered. Sure, they hit her, but her body was made of water. A rock falling into a lake made no damage. Ripples, sure, but the water always came back together. The same with an Iron Dragon Sword, Iron Dragon Club, Iron Dragon whatever.
Gajeel slid back as Juvia hit him with a cyclone of water right in the chest. It didn't hurt. Neither of them took any substantial damage. When dust and mud settled around them, when they could finally catch their breath again, the two smiled. The crowd roared.
"You've gotten faster, Gajeel," Juvia said.
"Didn't think I'd be pushed around by puddles," Gajeel said and stood up straight. "Alright. Let's get serious, Juvia. We both know what's at stake here."
Juvia nodded. "Winner gets Natsu."
"Not just that," Gajeel said.
Juvia's eyebrow flicked up in confusion before she once more nodded, this time in understanding, an unspoken one that everyone in Fairy Tail was bound by.
It didn't matter who in Fairy Tail won, but they had to ensure that one of them did. Gajeel felt more attached to it than anyone, as he'd taken the burden on directly and had been helping nurse the situation all along:
They fought for Frosch and their friend, Lector.
Somewhere at the inn, Frosch was helping out. Frosch was doing their part to keep Fairy Tail in favor of those who ran the inn. Though their identities were revealed, the innkeepers were unlike other Imperials. They were kind and giving to the Fairies just looking to test their strength in this new world, and Frosch was one of their favorite helpers. Frosch was innocent, still, even in a world broken open raw by shadow.
They didn't deserve to have a friend taken from them. Nobody did.
Gajeel's power flared around him while Juvia summoned more water, her aura bursting around her.
"Come on," Gajeel said, and shot at Juvia once more.
Did he have a plan? Of course not. Would he win?
Of course he would.
Even Yukino flinched from the hit that the Iron Dragon Slayer took, directly, from that Juvia woman, getting slammed with the force of a tidal wave. She bit the inside of her cheek, watching Juvia move lithely across the battlefield, her hair coming undone with each progressively stronger hit she tried to bury Gajeel with. He continued to take them. Even under his Iron Scales, surely they would begin to…what, rust? Weaken?
Sting was enjoying himself next to Yukino, excited to get to see a new Dragon Slayer in action. Surely he'd been losing his mind when he watched Natsu fight Jiemma, but, he'd never really looked out for Gajeel in the past. He was more Rogue's fixation.
It was easy to tell that both wanted to get the fight done with, leveling heavy blows against one another, but their magic and styles were configured to practically be walls against one another: Gajeel was a bruiser fighting the ocean, Juvia was the ocean fighting an iron wall.
The doors to their suite opened. Yukino half expected it to be Axel, though she'd be surprised if he left his meditation room. He'd been there since the fight between Erza and Elfman ended, only sending one message out to Sting that he wanted to wait until Natsu was ready, fully healed from the fight against Jiemma.
Speaking of, it was Kiyl who'd come into the room, all cleaned up after his time in the depths. Sting didn't acknowledge him as he joined the three at the window, watching the fighting. With a flat, bored expression, he said to mostly Yukino,
"He's on his way now."
Yukino didn't acknowledge it. Jiemma was off, then, back to Crocus. General Seilah would take things from there, breaking him in Hell's Core to become yet another monster within Tartaros's grasp, bolstering their already-impressive force. In her peripheral, she saw Sting fold his arms. He wasn't angry about the situation with Jiemma—he'd just as soon put a beam through the man's belly as he would be happy for their old master—but rather the mounting forces that Tartaros could mount with their magic and technology. He and Rogue always remained wary of that, and, within the Empire, there was something of an unspoken debate on who was the second strongest division after Twilight: the Dragon Division or the Tartaros Division.
The ten Dragon Slayers or the ten Etherious?
"Before he departed," Kiyl continued unprompted, "there was a slight…interruption. Complication is too harsh a word."
"How so?" Yukino asked, not removing her gaze from the fighting. She couldn't appear worried, couldn't let Kiyl see that her nerves spiked.
"Jiemma's will, his humanity, attempted to peek through. He tried to break free of captivity once he'd been given his power."
"Typical," Sting muttered.
"I was able to subdue him, given how he was still hooked into our tech," Kiyl said. "I've put him under enough to make it back to Crocus, where Seilah will be able to handle him. It's just that his full transition may take a bit longer than other subjects."
"Fine," Yukino said. "We have him. That's what the mission was and that's what we've accomplished."
"Look at that," Sting said, nudging her with a grin. "See? That wasn't so hard."
"It wouldn't be hard to leave now, would it?" Yukino asked. "Nothing is keeping us here."
"Come on, Yukino, I've gotta hunt down Kagura, she and the others could still be around here."
"You've got to? Under whose orders?"
Sting grimaced. "My own. She is a wanted criminal. She has to be brought in. If it were anyone else, they would do the same as me."
Yukino kept her disagreement silent. What did it matter that Kagura wanted to fight in the Grand Magic Games? The Hunters Division threw the full weight of Minerva and Orga at Fairy Tail and there they were, unharmed. Why should Kagura be any different?
"You're just like him, then," Yukino said.
Sting at last tore away to look at her. She gestured at Kiyl, the Broken Wizard.
"Shackled by the will of another," Yukino said.
Sting snarled. "You came here because you had a job, didn't you? What's the difference between you and me? You let Jiemma die like I would've."
"There is no difference," Yukino said.
Gajeel and Juvia clashed again. A display of magic meant for Imperial consumption. But they fought brilliantly because they chose not to hide. They chose to be there and test their strength. The Empire would have had them under heel and they resisted.
"Yet at least I'm not celebrating it," Yukino muttered.
"What was that?" Sting asked.
"I'm not relishing the opportunity to follow orders," Yukino said. "I didn't join the Empire to be bossed around."
"I'm not being bossed around."
"Then why bother? To gain favor?"
"Because it's the right thing to do, Yukino."
"According to who?"
"Yukino," Sting hissed. "Come on. You're talking like a traitor."
"More like a human being," Yukino said and sighed. "But you're right. Get Kagura. Go ahead. I won't get in your way."
"Will you help?"
"I won't leave without you."
Sting shook his head and returned his attention to the fighting.
"What about Fairy Tail?" Yukino asked.
"We were told not to act."
"And if an opportunity were to arise?"
Sting didn't answer. Kiyl, waiting throughout the entire conversation, decided to excuse himself, and left the married couple alone up in their suite in silence, where they remained for quite some time.
Gajeel sighed, having grown tired from the constant failure to break through to Juvia, who had slipped up a few times and let some hits get through. She was also keeled over a bit, trying to catch her breath from keeping Gajeel away. The crowd continued to cheer them on.
Finally, Gajeel thought.
His plan was working.
Juvia cast more magic at him. Gajeel tried to absorb the hits, but some of them broke through. Impossible! He slid back before getting hit hard by a jet of water, right in the face, that sent stars wheeling around his vision. He flipped and caught himself. Juvia retained her warrior's pose, the water she controlled swirling about around her like a shield.
Gajeel's scales were rusting a bit, suffused by so much water. They were going to weaken to the point of being useless, soon, so, he just undid them, cutting off that drain of magic power. Juvia didn't notice, or care.
She had a good barrier up. Earlier, when she held him in the Water Lock, Gajeel thought it was almost all over. She could try something like that again, but only if he got in close enough. Gajeel had to beat her at range.
He needed a diversion, something that would put her guard down for even a second.
Ah, well, he already had a decent plan in place. One slip-up would give him all the window of opportunity he needed.
Gajeel took off. Juvia prepared her water, clearly unafraid to use it as Gajeel's scales were down. He couldn't tank hits anymore, right?
She launched a barrage of Water Slicer spells at him.
"Iron Dragon Sword!"
Both of his arms turned to blades as he cut through the water, slowing down only a bit.
Juvia swung her arms down. The water around her went with it.
"Water Nebula!"
With vicious force, one of her strongest spells launched at Gajeel.
"Iron Dragon Lance!"
He ducked beneath most of the spell as he whipped his legs around, kicking up huge amounts of sand and debris that were lost, almost completely, by the spell Juvia cast. Some of the water still hit him. Gajeel held tight. He had to.
For Frosch and Lector. He had to get that lacrima back to Levy. She'd know what to do!
He sprang away, ignoring the pain, and burst free of the cloud of rain and dust that'd kicked up.
"Iron Dragon Club!"
The iron shot at Juvia faster than she saw coming, crashing into her side. She screamed and soared away, sliding against the ground. Yet that wouldn't be nearly enough to take her down. Just enough to stun her.
Gajeel sprinted toward her. Juvia raised her hand to him.
"Water Ray!"
The blast of water hit Gajeel straight in the face, knocking his head back. The crowd silenced as he stepped back, then, spat out the waters and swung his head forward.
"Iron Dragon Roar!"
Juvia's eyes widened from the speed with which he recovered, unable to block the oncoming attack that slammed into her, casting her into the back wall.
"Iron Dragon Kunai!"
Juvia tried to recover but her clothes were caught by the kana, locking her in place. Gajeel stepped in front of her.
"Go ahead and get out of that," Gajeel said. "I'll launch another Iron Dragon Roar at you just as you get out of your aquatic form."
Juvia sneered, glancing at her position. Gajeel and Juvia both had plenty of magic left in them but their bodies were getting tired from the constant battering of attacks.
At last, she lowered her head.
"Okay," she said. "You've got me."
Gajeel eased up as, above, the announcer declared him the winner. He undid the kunai and Juvia stepped away from the wall, brushing off some of the dust. They'd had the longest fight of the tournament to that point. Gajeel pounded some of the water he'd collected in his ears while Juvia joined him. The longest fight, sure, but the two were far more tired than injured.
"I see it like this," Juvia said. "Now you've given me a chance to watch the rest of the tournament with my darling Gray."
"Glad you could see the silver lining," Gajeel said. "I just see it that I'm one step closer to getting my rematch against Salamander."
And, he thought so the lacrima around the arena wouldn't catch it, freeing Lector. He closed his fist. All of them were just that much closer.
Erza stood up, stretching her legs after the long fight. Lucy did the same, and then Gray. Wendy, with them after helping Natsu in the waiting room, had joined them about midway through the fight, impressed at how well both Gajeel and Juvia were holding up against one another.
"I'm hungry," Gray said. "Gonna hit up the food line before Natsu's fight."
"Eat quickly," Erza said, leading the line of Fairies down. The Exceeds, sans Frosch of course, floated overhead and joined them. "Natsu may wind up destroying the stadium for all we know."
"As long as he destroys his opponent," Lucy muttered, "that's all that matters to me."
Erza nodded, in full agreement with that. They made their way down the steps, where Gray branched off to the long line of people looking to get whatever shoddy snacks remained. Happy, Lily, and Wendy joined him, their tummies also rumbling. Carla floated between Erza and Lucy, who were taking a little walking stretch.
They took a break against one of the walls, leaning against it while the crowds meandered about the place. The others could meet them there.
Yet it was not the others who found the three first. Lucy shuddered, signaling Erza to look about, confused and concerned.
"It's good to see you all again."
Erza checked over her shoulder, and there, where there had once been a wall, was Kagura, a half-mask still pulled over her face. She was in less formal attire than normal, wearing a robe that flowed down to her knees while she held her sword in hand, still, and had a smaller bow tying back her hair.
"Kagura," Lucy muttered.
"I came to say my goodbyes for now," Kagura said. "I've got a few more things to take care of in the city before I must be off, perhaps heading off Meredy. My mission here, to defeat prominent Imperials, may have ended in failure, but I'm glad we were able to find stout allies such as yourselves."
"Agreed," Erza said.
"I'm sorry for what I did, Lucy," Kagura said. "I had to make a display of things and was unsure if you were an Imperial or not."
"No worries," Lucy said. "Call it water under the bridge. I'm glad I was able to help, even if it landed me in the hospital."
"It won't happen again," Kagura said.
"Aren't you afraid others will see you?" Carla asked.
Kagura shook her head, even pulling down her mask. "Macbeth—Midnight, I suppose to you—cast an illusion over this space. To everyone else, you're talking to a wall."
"Suspicious."
"Not as uncommon as you'd think."
Erza pursed her lips. That sensation, that Kagura was familiar, ebbed up once more. Where had she seen this woman? It couldn't have been as simple as in passing or her gut wouldn't be screaming for her to ask,
"I'm sorry, but this has been bothering me since I laid eyes on you. Have we met before? You look like someone I've met."
Kagura's eyes darkened before regaining a twinkled spark.
"We have met once, long ago, Erza. In a village, burning to the ground, the day you and my brother were taken to the Tower of Heaven."
The gut punch landed swiftly and hard. Even Lucy gasped. Erza couldn't find words at all, but a memory, of her running through the village, dashing away from men and monsters while holding a little girl's hand, roared back to her.
"You're her," Erza muttered. "I—I didn't…"
"You saved me that day, Erza, at the cost of what may have been your own life." Kagura nodded to her. "Thank you."
"You said Erza and your brother," Lucy said.
"Simon," Erza whispered. "Is your brother?"
Kagura nodded, and the resemblance was so obvious that Erza couldn't have felt like more of a fool.
But, Simon…
Oh no. No, no, no. She had to know. But did she know how? Why? What if…oh…this was…
"Kagura," Erza said slowly. "Please, I have to…"
Kagura raised her hand, the one without the sword, to stop Erza in her tracks.
"I know everything," Kagura said. "Everything. Meredy saw to that when she and Jellal approached me about joining Crime Sorciere. I wanted to kill him in that moment. I almost unsheathed my blade and struck him down right then and there. But Meredy performed her Sensory Link, and I sensed the full weight of his guilt upon his soul. What he did was entirely of his volition, but not an action he'd ever do again, and is the one thing, if he could go back, he'd undo. If he had the power of the Emperor, Jellal would bring back my brother.
"For that, we've decided to work together. Simon wanted nothing but a world for his friends and family to live joyously in, and so long as the Empire exists that world cannot be. So, we uphold his legacy, and we will destroy the Twilight Empire."
Her jaw set, her stance hardened, yet it all went away when Erza stepped forward, possibly breaking the illusion around them, and embraced Kagura. Tears slid down her face as she smiled, warmly, against Kagura's cheek.
"I'm so happy that he lives through you," Erza said. She stepped back, wiping away a tear. "And I am happy to join that fight."
Kagura swallowed a lump in her throat and held out her hand. Erza clasped it, firm.
"Then together, we'll fight back the darkness, and create the world Simon dreamed of."