A powerful gale of wind burst up and around Mirajane. If this'd been a few days ago, she'd have her hands slapped down on her legs to cover her dress. However, work under the Twilight Empire forbade dresses, even the more modest ones. Mirajane, Levy, and Lisanna had been properly fitted with no more than rags and old, dusty trousers from workers who'd died on the job. Levy's clothes were a touch large for her while Mira hated the fact that hers fit well.
They were uncomfortable to work in, not at all breathable, and hardly flexible enough for some of the tighter quarters they had to squeeze into when fixing up the airships. Levy was small enough to get in there, anyway, and learned, quickly, how to fix and get around some of the problems of the ships. She didn't enjoy the work but enjoyed the learning process involved.
As such, she was left away from Mirajane and Lisanna, who cared less about the handiness of it all and more about the servitude they could provide. People were keeling over and dropping all over the place all the time, and new workers were brought in heaps to replace them. Mira did all she could to keep them standing, providing either emotional or physical support when they needed it.
What little she was afforded to sleep she took great advantage of, getting in the quick bursts before she and Lisanna were summoned back to work.
Soon, they were called away from the work involved with the airships directly and began to work out in the fields, clearing away space for a new landing strip as well as maintaining the old one, which had been worn down over the years and needed proper maintenance. Mirajane hated this work, as there was nowhere to hide if she had to help someone out.
All she could do, instead, was work even harder and faster, infusing her base form with more magic power to move swiftly and strongly through her assignments. This did not go unnoticed, evidently.
She was smacked in the back by a guard's cane and ordered to follow him. Lisanna took over where Mira left off, the poor girl being worked near to death but trying to keep a strong face for her sister and the others.
Thus far, neither of them came up with a good window of opportunity of when to make a move and try and free the people. Leading a mass exodus like that would no doubt catch Imperial notice, especially with a heightened presence on its way for Sorano and Neinhart, Generals of the esteemed Twilight Division. Even Torafuzar, a General of the Tartaros Division, bowed to them.
The guard led Mirajane to one of the offices in a hangar where Torafuzar waited, staring out at the ocean lapping aggressive waves. A storm was on its way, coming in from the sea. The guard shoved Mirajane inside and gave her a slap on the butt on his way out. Most of them did that, touching her butt or groping her when she was working.
"Your work has proven invaluable, and I am glad you've taken my message to heart," Torafuzar said. He lowered his scaly scowl on her. "Good. Fortune shined on us that you would come here, little wizard."
"I'm no wizard."
"No human has the stamina to withstand the grueling hours and efforts you pull off," Torafuzar said. "You and that little one. Your sister, I imagine." He leaned against the window sill. "Continue to prove your strength and you may even be useful to the coming generals."
"My work is here."
"Your work is where the Empire deems you necessary," Torafuzar said. "Even if we cannot see the full breadth of your magic, any amount of strength may be useful. A good display, to show the upstarts of Alikitasia that even the groveling slaves of Fiore are strong."
Mirajane said nothing but did raise an eyebrow.
"Would I be needed to…fight?"
"Fight. Postulate might. Whatever they deem necessary. But they must be shown an example. After all, it's why they're sending Sorano, of all Generals."
This Sorano, then, Mira thought, was a wildcard. She hardly expected to learn anything about the Twilight Division from this creature but wasn't going to say no. The more she could digest, the more she could spin back to Levy or Lahar, possibly get word to Hisui, then.
"They'll destroy a city or two," Torafuzar said with a nonchalant wave. "And that'll be that. If the people know that you, a slave, helped with that it will only stifle their morale, which is precisely what we need." Torafuzar unfolded his arms. "There is the rumor, after all, that Fairy Tail has returned."
Mirajane stood to attention, trying not to show her shock. Torafuzar was not looking in her direction at all.
"There will be upstarts all over the place," Torafuzar said. "Continue the good work, woman, and you may have your chance to truly prove yourself one day."
He dismissed her, and the guards yanked her out of the room again. She stumbled while she walked back to the airstrip she and Lisanna had been at, Torafuzar's words lingering in her mind.
How did the guild get exposed? Great though it was for her to be inside with all this new information at her disposal, she still felt completely isolated from the outside world. And her friends were known? She balled her fist. Fairy Tail needed her.
As did these people. She eyed the storm brewing over the sea, hurtling right toward them. That certainly wouldn't help things, either, given the amount of work to be done. Lisanna glanced worriedly at her sister who, like always, returned the expression with nothing more than a smile, reassuring the young woman that everything would be just fine.
Kagura was nowhere to be found in the fighters' lobby, unlike the last time when she hid as Shiroribon. Made sense, as she wouldn't want to be found and taken by the Empire. She and Axel were the only two of the eight missing, leaving only Fairy Tail remaining.
That certainly put Wendy's heart at ease, being able to sit and chat with her friends as if she wasn't about to head into a fight against an opponent that put Lucy in the dirt with a single strike. Not to mention…she was up first.
The officials signaled for her to head out. Wendy sighed. Erza patted her back while Natsu gave her a thumbs-up. She returned it in kind, if shakily. Nonetheless, she approached the teleportation orb, waiting for her moment to head out.
Lucy and Gray were in the front row, sitting with all the Exceeds save for Frosch, who'd been left back at the apartment while he helped make everyone breakfast. Such a sweet little guy, that Frosch. A little fire lit in Wendy's belly. This fight was for him so that she could move on and guarantee that Fairy Tail would be in the final four, where it'd be just a formality of how they managed to save Frosch.
Carla spotted Wendy while the little girl waited. The white cat stood on her feet—no longer afraid of what people would think of the Exceeds—and crossed her arms. Then, she nodded to Wendy, completely assured of the coming fight. At least that made one of them, but Wendy nodded back.
No. No more doubts. No more fear.
The referee gave her the signal from his floating lacrima and she tapped her hand, instantly appearing in the arena proper.
In a blur, from nowhere, Kagura slid into place, her mask no longer on her face. Not a moment later, all lacrima turned on her, completely exposing her, while guards lowered in the stands. There were more than ever. Up above, the suites were filled with guards and others, like that Axel guy and Kiyl, who'd visited them yesterday.
Yet, Kagura was unbothered as she glowered at Wendy, who got a few steps closer. Wendy summoned some winds around her hands as reassurance.
"You're brave, little one, to have gotten this far and shown yourself for this fight," Kagura said.
"I'm sorry we have to fight like this," Wendy said.
"I'm not. I will prove my might against the Empire, no matter who is in my way. Even if they are ones such as Erza Scarlet."
"Sorry, but you won't be getting that far. Not against me."
"You're Wendy, aren't you?" Kagura asked. "The Sky Dragon Slayer. Weakest of the First Generation."
Wendy gulped and pursed her lips. "Yeah. I'm Wendy."
Kagura certainly didn't have to add that last bit, but, she probably did so to get under Wendy's skin. Was she really known as the weakest of the bunch? Sure, she wasn't as brave as Natsu nor as hard-headed as Natsu, but…
"Then you shall be just another one I must do away with," Kagura said. "Apologies. It appears I will be snapping the wings of two Fairies this tournament in quick succession."
The warrior woman braced as Wendy prepared herself. The referee blew the whistle. The match began.
Kagura's eye flared and her hair drifted. The world around Wendy compressed, and tightened. Then, at once, force slammed down on her. Wendy yelped as she was punished into the ground. Kagura strode toward her with ease.
"I cannot be caught, Wendy," Kagura said, quietly. "There are few enough of us left to truly challenge the Empire, that have this strength. Do not interfere."
"No, you're wrong," Wendy said. "There are more now!"
"You've been gone a long time," Kagura said. "What strength have you?"
"S—sometimes," Wendy said, finding her hands. "It isn't all about strength! F—Fast winds that run the heaven…Vernier!"
Her body jolted. Kagura swung her sword. Wendy, still sluggish under the gravity magic, was able to only just dodge away. She slid to a halt.
"Ile Vernier," she muttered, gathering wind as Kagura ran toward her again. "Ice Vernier!"
Her aura burst. The gravity, still there, had been neutralized by her increased speed. Her body strained beneath the burst of magic, but Wendy ignored it. She shot forth, shocking Kagura.
"Sky Dragon Crushing Fang!"
She swiped just in front of Kagura. The spell, brought with more power because of the gravity, slammed into Kagura and sent her flying. Kagura bounced off the ground and came to a halt immediately as she stabbed her sword into the ground.
Wendy didn't give her a chance to recover. She sucked in a breath, then,
"Sky Dragon Roar!"
The spell, though afflicted in Wendy's immediate vicinity, picked up speed beyond the bubble of the Gravity magic. Kagura swung her sword, knocking the blast away with ease.
Wendy summoned more magic, already tapping into her Second Origin, no doubt about it. But it kept her in the fight. Kept giving her a chance.
"Fine," Kagura said. "Show me, then, the power of Fairy Tail, little Dragon Slayer!"
Winds continued to whip around Wendy.
"Right," Wendy said, and ran at Kagura, moving even quicker once the Gravity—
Kagura expanded the range of the spell, stuttering Wendy's steps as she had to adjust to it quickly. It gave Kagura an opening. She dashed at Wendy and slammed the sword, and all its power, into Wendy, who flew back. Wendy managed to catch herself with the winds but was brought to the ground by gravity.
Wendy roared and summoned more wind around her.
Getting through to Kagura was going to be the problem, it seemed, unless she could lure Kagura in for an attack.
So, she continued building wind, and seemingly, power. All this did was brew curiosity in Kagura, who moved in to strike, looking to land a single one that would finish off Wendy.
"Power of the stout arms of the heavens! Arms!"
A magical aura infused around her arms. Kagura continued her approach.
"Ile Armor," Wendy muttered, moving an aura around her legs, building a defense there. Kagura swung her sword, having reached Wendy. The crowd gasped.
Wendy leaped up, and with the power in her legs, blocked the sword strike. Her magic held. Kagura's eyes widened, as the defenses broke, but Wendy rode the shockwave around, flipping end-over-end, while swinging her arms down.
"Sky Dragon Wing Attack!"
The burst from the spell slammed into Kagura and blasted her into the ground while rocketing Wendy into the air, breaking free of Kagura's gravity bubble. The crowd awed her while Wendy dropped all of her enchantments, refilling her well of magic for a moment while she drifted.
Kagura rolled out of the slight crater while natural gravity took hold of Wendy, sending her down. Like the great dragon that taught her, Wendy drifted in the sky. She was its ruler, she was the one who governed it. She was the daughter of the greatest dragon to control the skies.
"Get down here!" Kagura roared and summoned her Gravity spell once more.
Perfect.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art!" Wendy roared as gravity yanked her down faster and faster. And with more power. "Shattering Sky Drill!"
She swung her arms down, having gathered the winds from above, and blasted them down at Kagura. With the effects of the Gravity, they moved with the force of a true dragon and slammed down onto Kagura, who flew free of them.
Kagura had to have blacked out, for just a second, as the Gravity spell dropped long enough for Wendy to land gracefully. It flickered back on before Kagura let it go at last.
She picked herself up haggardly. Wendy sighed as well. Darn it. She was sure that spell would so the woman in. How tough was she?
Movement caught her eye in the stadium. The guards were closing in.
Kagura tore freed some of her outfit that was peeling off, exposing her muscular arms while she adjusted the grip she had on her sheathed sword.
"You are tough, little Fairy," Kagura said. "I'll grant you that."
One more good attack from Wendy may not finish Kagura, but it'd weaken her. That was what the Empire wanted. So long as Kagura had the magic power to manipulate gravity, she could easily get away from them.
They were using Wendy as a means of capturing Kagura.
Wendy pursed her lips.
Kagura charged. Wendy couldn't think of a plan fast enough and increased her speed with Vernier to dodge Kagura's strike.
"You're innocent in this, Wendy, get out of here," Kagura said, quietly.
Wendy summoned wind to her hands to bat aside Kagura's next strike, markedly slower, weaker.
"Don't get caught up in the Empire's deceit. They won't let you get away from this place alive. Stop wasting your magic on a fight with me, let me end this."
"I'm sorry," Wendy said, her mind going straight to Lector's Lacrima, and then to the happy Exceed named Frosch who was working hard while the new friends he made struggled. "But I have someone I have to save. Leading Sky Arrow!"
Wendy kicked at Kagura, using the gap between them to burst some air and send her scooting back.
Thunder clapped overhead. All the wind and gravity manipulation was messing with the weather. Still, even in the flash of lightning, Kagura showed no fear.
Wendy could only hope she showed the same expression. This was no longer a fight, she realized. It was a means of escape.
"I may be the weakest of the Dragon Slayers, but don't mistake that for just someone you can walk over," Wendy said. Her magic power was draining. No, no! She sucked in a breath, then, loud as Natsu taught her to scream, shouted, "Gray! Help!"
Gray had revealed to everyone the presence of at least one member of the Oración Seis: Racer, the wizard who could manipulate space around him to make it seem he was moving at incredible speeds. His existence and presence only informed the others not to trust this Kagura woman, until Erza stepped forward, and reminded them that these people were indeed criminals because of the sins of the Tower of Heaven,
"Not to mention the fact that this woman, Kagura, is familiar to me. I don't know why. But I'm trusting my gut on this, and we are to help her if we can. She wants to fight the Empire? Fine by me."
Gray had been keeping an eye out for Racer ever since. He'd made it his mission since he and Lucy were both knocked out of the fight.
As if Wendy were sitting right next to him, his voice erupted.
Help.
Help Kagura.
Gray stood at once. Lucy nodded to him.
"I'll be back, save my seat!" Gray shouted over the growing storm. Wendy and Kagura clashed one more time as Gray headed down into the stands, nimbly moving around the guards gathering to take Kagura. The bastards.
The bowl itself was mostly empty, as fans had basically been subjugated to watching the fights. Those down there were the ones who couldn't take it anymore and had to run to the bathroom.
Gray sprinted in the direction Kagura had entered the stadium from, which also had been because of Racer's help. He was loathe to talk to the guy, but, of all members of Fairy Tail, at least Gray had some experience with—
"So. There you are."
Gray slid to a halt. Standing against one of the many support beams of the stadium was Racer, arms crossed, large nose pointed down. He tipped down a set of fancy new sunglasses and sneered at Gray.
"Haven't aged a day, have you?" Racer asked. "Guess you're lucky."
"You gotta get her out of here," Gray said. "Wendy can help you out."
Racer tilted his head up. "Weird. Thought we were going to go blow-for-blow. You forgive me?"
"No," Gray said. "But it sounds like you and I have a common enemy."
They both eyed the guard just down the corridor, watching the crowd.
"Yeah," Racer said, unfolding his arms. "That's one way of putting that, I guess. Fine. But that means Kagura's out of the tournament."
"Come on," Gray said, his shirt off and his hands in his pocket. "Think we can't make a little noise?"
Racer shrugged. "You guys were always pretty good at that. Alright. I'll get her out of here." He looked to take off, then paused. "Oh. Also. Meredy will be in touch soon."
"Wait, who?"
But Racer didn't give Gray the grace of an answer and took off. Gray pursed his lips. Meredy…Meredy…
Yeah, he knew that name. Was that the girl with Ultear on Tenrou Island? Questions for later. He rushed back to his seat.
Wendy sighed. Kagura was insistent on ending the fight, on defeating Wendy, who continued to hold her ground. Wendy rubbed the sweat from her brow and brought the winds to her hands once more. She'd just pushed Kagura back a bit, who was still as feeble as before—that was to say, still incredibly strong.
She checked the stands. Gray re-emerged and nodded to her. Good.
He got the message.
"Alright, Kagura, time to end this!" Wendy exclaimed and inflamed her aura. She said, louder for the crowd to hear, "I'll take you out with one shot!"
Kagura sneered, then charged again. Wendy summoned the winds around her, then swept them beneath Kagura, who took momentarily to the skies. Kagura still adjusted and swung her sword down, a magic arc obliterating the ground where Wendy had been, forcing Wendy back.
Still, she joined Kagura in the sky, bounding into the air with a single leap.
"Sky Dragon Claw!"
Kagura blocked the attack of Wendy's feet, diverting the winds into the ground. Wendy, still in the air, flipped around while Kagura brought her sword up for defense. Wendy sucked in a breath.
"Sky Dragon Roar!"
She unleashed all her remaining magic power. Kagura tried to block but the force of the spell sent her back in the air and then, in a blur, she was gone, and Wendy's spell hit the opposing wall of the arena. Wendy crashed to the ground, tumbling to a halt.
She feebly checked for Kagura's presence or magic, and only saw the slightest blur running at the top of the stadium before leaping away. Racer got her away. Wendy sighed and dropped her magic, burying her sand in the dirt while the overhead announcer declared her the winner.
Even though, as she sensed, Kagura had far more magic to spare. If the fight had been fair?
Wendy childishly smiled at the idea. Still, she held her own long enough to earn respect from her, someone as powerful as Erza. It was the best she could ask for her as her body gave out and she fell face-forward, collapsed, and unconscious.
Black skies formed over the Cedar Airfield in the middle of the day and brought with them rain the likes of which Mirajane could only imagine were summoned from hell itself. Wind gusts that would make Wendy blush ravaged the entire area, blowing open the apartments even along the shore.
It was a hurricane, simple as that, and a vengeful one.
Only Mirajane was able to remain on her feet out there, but unfortunately, she was not alone in being outside.
Slaves rag-dolled around while they were whipped by anchored guards ordering them to work. Lightning cracked and thunder boomed around them. Mirajane's heart leaped and she lunged to catch a fellow worker, who'd almost slipped away into oblivion. Several were pinned against the hangar walls for protection.
Not long did it take Torafuzar to notice and fling them back to work. Mirajane shouted for them to get to cover but her voice was drowned by the storm. Mirajane held tight, then, to Lisanna.
"This is a nightmare!" Lisanna shouted. "We have to get everyone inside!"
Mirajane nodded and ordered those closest to her to link hands. However, the guards broke them apart, telling them to continue working.
"How?" Mirajane shouted, but her voice was silenced by the storm. Nobody would hear her.
What were they to do in the storm? What progress could they make, and what possible efforts could continue in such weather?
Efforts enough to prepare things for Sorano and Neinhart. To ensure they could make it overseas to wipe out even more people. And Torafuzar didn't care who died to make even the most marginal of progress.
She once more got them to link hands and cast magic at the nearest guard to knock him out and stop him from interfering. She led the train of people, arms linked, as they trudged against winds with the power to topple buildings. Mira screamed, trying to will everyone into moving forward, into never giving up.
But some slipped. It was inevitable. Mira entrusted Lisanna to the front of the group, who activated her Animal Soul magic to increase her strength. Mira caught some of the other slaves and helped them back, pushing them through the storm. They'd get to safety, no matter what.
"What is this?" Torafuzar's voice boomed.
Mira set her jaw as Torafuzar strode through the storm as if it were nothing and approached Lisanna.
"Get back to work!" he roared.
Then, he swung his fist down, and in an instant, knocked Lisanna out. The rest of the slaves slipped, trying to find any hold to protect themselves on the ground.
Mirajane's arms went limp but the storm could not move her. Only one thing could.
Hatred.
The next thing she knew, the next thing Torafuzar knew, her fist was in his face, her Satan Soul already having taken completely over, and he was blasted down toward the shore, a crater forming where the sea attempted to swallow him.
"No more," Mirajane said and flared her blood-red aura, the new symbol of freedom for the Cedar slaves.