Rain poured over the ruined once-battlefield within spitting distance of the ruined Magnolia. What'd once been lush, beautiful fields had been turned to grime and muck under the literal heel of Imperial soldiers marched to surround and ultimately eradicate the city years ago, and it'd never turned back since. Part of that, Hisui had no doubt, was due to the presence of the great Emperor's black magic.
Her blade shimmered in the dark night's rain, bringing light to the armor she wore lithely. Its scabbard was still clipped to her belt.
Across from her, at last noticing her presence, was the new warden of the abandoned city. He stepped off the stone he used as a perch, the entire ground shifting with him. Hisui flinched but gave no further response to the onset of such powerful magic.
"The Jade Star come before me," General of Crystal Division Bluenote Singer said. His true name was known only to the Emperor, but this name inspired enough fear to have the populace keel to him. "I am truly fortunate."
"No." Hisui flourished her blade to fall into her stance. She knew few, but, the lessons Arcadios had given her were quite useful. "Quite unfortunate, as you are the one in my way."
"My magic will break you in half, little girl," Bluenote said. "As it has broken your so-frail kingdom."
"Enough of your prattle," Hisui said. "I've business in Magnolia tonight, and I'm aware you have an appointment of your own."
"Oh? With whom?"
"The reaper."
Bluenote Singer snarled and slammed his foot on the ground. It cracked as it approached Hisui, who dashed toward him, leaving a trail of stardust in her wake. The ground, at once, shot up around her, carrying her with it. She stabbed her blade into the ground, vaporizing the stone as she flipped over.
"Equinox - Vernalis!"
Her sword, for the span of a blink, flared a new color as a jet of green and blue light poured down and slammed Bluenote in the chest. Hisui landed, her own form taking new life beneath the activation of the spell, as a teal aura danced about her figure, giving her phantom armor on her shoulders and legs.
She did not ease up.
"Fall!" Bluenote roared and slammed Hisui with the full weight of his Gravity magic.
Her armor corroded about her as the magic attempted to will her to a kneel, but she refused, staying still despite the onset of strength.
"Impressive, little one!" he shouted and slammed his fist into Hisui's face. She did not go flying but did plummet back, slamming onto the ground as he increased the pull of Gravity magic around her. Hisui raised her hand to the sky. "But not enough! Now you'll die like the rest of your family!"
He slammed another fist into her chest. She couldn't help the spittle flying out of her, but thankfully, she kept enough air in her body. She grabbed his fist, fury in her eyes.
"Brutish to the last," she said and wrapped her legs around him. He picked her up with ease, unaffected by the magic, as she tried to plunge the blade through his chest. Bluenote flicked the blade away.
Perfect.
"Equinox - Autumnus!"
The blade flared once more, this time an auburn hue flashed off of it and Hisui. A beam struck Bluenote between the eyes, not quite enough to kill him. Hisui's form shifted once more to match the blade that she summoned back to her form. This time, there was no armor about her, but the power of the magic instead led to the degradation of what came around her.
Bluenote reared the hand he'd held Hisui by back. Black blood dripped from the impact of the spell that'd struck his forehead.
"You are becoming quite an annoying pest, Jade Star," Bluenote said.
"You Imperials have been nothing but pests," Hisui said. "You had your chance to run. Now it's time for your appointment."
Bluenote pressed further with the Gravity magic. Hisui disregarded it, dancing forward as the ground around her broke, as the rain slammed harder, each drop feeling like a tiny boulder. But she ignored it. All of it. There could be no pain. Only victory.
"Celestial Art: Solaris Rotation!"
The power gathered around Hisui flared away, and the sword even vanished back into her hand as she plunged forward with her attack. Bluenote was too slow, and too blinded, by the attack to see it coming. She slammed her fist into his chest, and not an instant later, a ray of power Celestial magic burst out the other side of him, taking with it a good chunk of the magic in his body.
And, in moments, ending his life.
The tug of Gravity magic ceased. The rain eased, tapping Hisui on the head and shoulders once more. Her blade reformed her other hand as Bluenote stayed on his knees. His eyes had rolled back in the impact from the attack, his chest no more than a caved-in cavity.
"T..the noose...is...fitted."
Hisui sheathed her blade as the former General of the Crystal Division spilled what was left of his life upon the ground his Empire helped bring to ruin. Rivulets of blood, tiny ones, slid down Hisui's face. Bruises, she felt, bumped up on her arms.
"Then we shall cut the noose, August," Hisui said.
No other pain-in-the-ass would try to be so artful about their ominous words than August, who likely had little business in sending Bluenote to Magnolia but nonetheless spoke through the man in his final moments.
She trod up the steps, passing through the broken gate, where Mest awaited her, having hidden from the battle so as to not spur Bluenote into possibly calling for reinforcements. The Three Stars were away, on her own orders, to check on one of their spies that she hadn't been able to communicate with lately, given all the business with Fairy Tail.
Mest teleported her to the ruin of Kardia Cathedral without another word. He knew better than to question Hisui on matters like whether or not she had to fight Bluenote. Or, perhaps he understood her reasoning: just as he had a perfect opportunity to strike her down, so too did Hisui have that chance to fight and kill a General of the Twilight Empire.
Her wounds could be tended to later, so he made no word of that, either.
They followed the path of destruction Natsu and Panther Lily forged through the ruins until they reached the surefire trappings of the Twilight Empire. Technology more advanced than Fiore had seen prior to its institution, plus the advent of several magic-based supports to this technology. It's all been destroyed, but there were traces of it left behind.
Once, she and Mest had the opportunity to explore one such facility, but not one so recently abandoned. Clearly, the Empire had been around to interact with the place given Bluenote's presence, but perhaps they weren't able to purge the place entirely. Hisui led them into the Breaking chamber, straps on the table having been cleanly cut.
"There," Mest said, pointing to the black lacrimal suspended over where Evergreen's head had probably been.
Hisui handed Mest her sparkling blade to give the room light.
"No," Hisui said. "Hold on."
She dislodged the lacrimal and held it closer to the light. Fractals splintered around it. The coloring was still dark, but, at the core was a brilliant, almost kaleidoscope pattern.
"This is Stellanium," Hisui said.
"I thought Stellanium wasn't said to have any magic properties beyond its use as a shield," Mest said.
"Within the hands of the Black Wizard, Zeref, anything is possible, I suppose," Hisui said. "This changes things. We have the weapon that the enemy uses to get ahead of us."
"Do you think we can use this to reverse the effects, then?"
"There are some looking into it. Bob, for one. Get this to him as soon as we return to base, understood? Having this may change the course of the war."
"But with the Empire having complete access to Stellanium, it's a race we may not be able to win," Mest said.
"I know," Hisui said. "But it's at least one we can have a leg in." She tightened her grip on the Breaking crystal. Such a thing had shattered friendships and families. Stolen lives. Maybe they could get a little back.
Or, as all struggles with the Twilight Empire seemed to go, maybe it wouldn't be enough.
Mirajane, wearing a light jacket she tried on from Laki's new wardrobe, joined her sister, Levy, and Tayaka outside. Flare had just turned in after flirting with Lisanna, Mirajane overheard. That would definitely be a topic of conversation sooner rather than later.
Tayaka stoked the fire while Levy stared into it idly, Lisanna humming a small song to herself while she warmed her hands. Mira joined her sister's side.
"Having a good night?" Mira asked.
"I am," Lisanna said. "It's been relaxing."
"Eventful?"
"How so?"
Lisanna was too cute. Innocent, too. She took much of that from Natsu, though she was loathe to admit as much. The inseparable duo learned a lot from one another as children, though also from Gildarts.
They'd lost just so much time. They could have spent the seven years that Tenrou took from them recuperating all those years that Mira thought Lisanna dead. What sort of experiences did he have on Edolas that she could never have here? What adventures did she go on? Any loves, now lost to the rift between worlds?
"No, just wondering," Mira said, in her own way to end the conversation. Lisanna glowed a smile on her face, then leaned over and touched her head to her sister's shoulder.
Levy was hunched so close to the fire it almost seemed, if she hitched any more, she'd start burning her hair in it. Mira sat up straight, putting her hands on her lap.
"What's on your mind, Levy?" Mirajane asked. Normally, she'd prod about Gajeel. But Levy had never looked so...forlorn, so making light of her relationship didn't feel appropriate.
"I'm wondering," Levy said, "about my—sorry, our—place in all of this. What we're to do while the others go off."
"I've been wondering the same," Mira said, and it was true, so painfully true. In fact, up to that night, she let her mind empty while she moved about town, trying to gather information or inspiration on what they could do, and how they could help the rebellion. She planned to do the same the following day and so on after that until they moved on. "There must be something. I can't sit around forever waiting for trouble to find us."
"No, no way," Levy said and thankfully sat up straighter. She grasped at her dress with tight fists. "And I have an idea. But it's dangerous. Probably very dangerous."
Tayaka waywardly averted her gaze from Levy, as if Levy had mentioned this plan or Tayaka at least had some inclination to what Levy had in mind. The fire crackled to fill the silence between Levy's words.
"Who was it that killed everyone in the guild?" Levy asked, her voice low. "Was it really Zeref? Or someone else?"
"Only Macao died that day the Empire came back to Magnolia," Tayaka said. "The rest of Fairy Tail scattered. They were hunted down."
Mirajane pulled the jacket tighter about her person. Hunted down. Something about the way she said it, with such a cold truth...
"I want to find them," Levy said. She raised her eyes to meet Mirajane's. "I want them to feel the pain they brought our family."
"It'd be suicide," Tayaka said before Mira could speak up.
The firelight obscured part of Levy's face in shadow while springing her eyes to life. No doubt, the same could be said for Mirajane and Lisanna, who sat and listened while Tayaka explained how dangerous the Empire was, how ruthless they were in hunting down wizards, and how impossible it could be to track them unless you knew the right person.
"It is dangerous," Lisanna said once Tayaka piped down. "And we wouldn't even know where to start."
"So they're going to get away free?" Levy asked.
It was unlike Levy to speak out so aggressively. She wasn't one to jump into things without a plan, either.
But she'd never been truly alone like this. On Tenrou, she had Gajeel. And on all other quests, all other missions, she had Jet and Troy.
Levy's hands trembled.
"That murderer is probably in some high castle eating grapes and having their every whim attended to," Levy said. "They're living in the lap of luxury while my friends are...are..."
A sob escaped her mouth. Levy buried her head into her hands.
"I don't even know where they're buried!" Levy shouted. "I never got to say goodbye or tell them how much they really meant to me. I never got to help them!"
Lisanna hurriedly stood up and sat next to Levy, trying to curl the woman into her arms. Levy relented for a moment but sat up straight, stout.
"So I can't let that go on anymore," Levy said, tears still streaming down her face.
"Let out your tears," Mirajane said though Levy's face puffed to hide the sadness. "Now."
Lisanna squeezed Levy's hand. Levy tried her best not to let them go but could not stop them, and crumpled. Her body became too light for her and she fell before the light fire, a mess on the ground spilling tears and curses and pain and regrets and a love so true to the three of them that nobody else would ever really understand.
For a long time, Levy McGarden wallowed upon a broken kingdom as little more than a broken woman herself. All the while, Mirajane shifted her gaze from Levy to an uncomfortable Tayaka. She'd wanted to save the Fairies from certain death. But was death so much worse than this?
Yes. Of course it was, Mirajane thought. To honor the legacy of Jet and Droy, Levy had to live. Their dreams existed in her still—Team Shadow Gear survived because of her return. Needlessly throwing one's self at danger wouldn't help much, would it?
But what was the alternative? Waiting for danger to be thrown at them, only to respond too late, too slowly? There was nothing about the Twilight Empire that was safe or harmless. Any action they took spelled a certain amount of doom, right?
Plus...when had Fairy Tail ever dared to back away from those who harmed their family?
Mirajane waited until Levy was done, until the woman could pick herself up, yet still brimmed with frustration.
"I...I have to avenge them," she said with one final gasp. "Gajeel would do it. He wouldn't wait around, he wouldn't...he—"
"Tayaka," Mirajane said, slowly standing. "I want you to get word to Hisui as soon as you can. Tell her we're going to hunt down the Fairy Slayer."
The girl narrowed her eyes at Mirajane, who stood before the dwindling flame bathed entirely in shadow.
"There must be someone who knows who has killed our friends," Mirajane said. "No doubt, Hisui had some of that knowledge. We would like it, too."
Still, the girl said nothing. Mirajane, then, stepped through the flames, protected by her magic, and stood over Tayaka.
"You lost your family. You lost everything, just as we did. One day, you'll have the power to get the justice you deserve. We do have that power. We won't hold anything back."
"Please, Tayaka," Levy said.
The girl tried to meet Mirajane's eyes but in the heavy darkness, it was impossible.
"I—I don't have names, but I know that someone was keeping track of who in the Empire was killing all the guild wizards," Tayaka said. "I'll arrange something with Hisui."
Mirajane sat next to Tayaka and then wrapped the girl into a one-armed hug. The fire brought life to her face one more. Mirajane smiled.
"Thank you," Mirajane said.
Natsu and the others stopped far off the main road, nestled away in a tiny grove. Lily and Elfman were out scouting food while Gray and Lucy set up camp, much to Juvia's dismay (she was actively attempting to help Gray while just as actively messing him up every step of the way).
Natsu and Gajeel were, at last, getting over their stomachs having turned inside out in the process of taking a Magic Vehicle that they borrowed. The rest of the world slowly caught up with them. Erza and Wendy studied the map that they'd been given before leaving the Fairy Tail survivors.
"We're making good headway," Wendy said in the direction of Natsu and Gajeel. "That car ride helped us get pretty far along."
"All things considered, even taking backroads and averting the main one, we're going about as well as we can hope," Erza said. "Though for a good part of the day tomorrow, we're on foot."
"Oh, good," Natsu said.
"So that we can collect a night train and ride it through dawn," Erza said.
"Oh, crap," Gajeel said.
"It's better this way," Wendy said. "It's less time having to hide out in the woods."
"Which I've had just about enough of," Carla said.
Natsu sat up straight for the first time in quite a while, at last having gathered the strength to do so. Per his usual instinct, he sniffed around the area. Lily and Elfman were already on their way back. The others were still there and...
Wait...
Was there someone else with them? He looked about. Maybe. When he had motion sickness, he practically entered little more than a fugue state, so if anyone else had tagged along it wouldn't surprise him. But, a cursory glance about his surroundings didn't reveal anyone new, and the scent was a good distance away.
A spy?
"Hey, Gajeel," Natsu said. "Sniff that?"
"What, your barf?"
"No! That...scent. I don't recognize it."
Gajeel sniffed around as well, and his nose turned in the same direction that Natsu's had. He nodded.
Lily and Elfman returned with what would be cooked into their dinner. Gajeel got up, rolling his arms and stretching a bit.
"Hey, Lily," Gajeel said. "Come with me. I think we've got someone on our tail."
"An enemy?" Erza asked.
"Just one," Natsu said.
"Then we shall pretend we don't see them," Erza said. "Natsu, get to cooking."
"Oh, man," Natsu said while Erza gave Gajeel and Lily the thumbs-up to spy on the spy. "They're not even good at sneaking."
"If my memory serves, it was Gajeel who deftly snuck about Edolas, not you," Erza said.
Happy patted Natsu on the back while the Fire Dragon Slayer set to cooking. "It's okay, pal. Maybe one day."
Natsu sighed. So this is what the Twilight Empire had done to him. From an expert ninja to a chef.