Chapter 76

Training

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Magic"

Flashback you

Location / Date / Time Skip

Akane Resort

Team Natsu and Shadowgear arrived at their 'training camp', more ready to play than anything else. "Can we please take this seriously?" Carla asked, donned on scuba gear.

"Hard to take you seriously in that." Jet chuckled before he and Droy were sent sky high by a racing Natsu and Gray.

Wendy stared at the papers Porlyusica gave her only to wince in disappointment. "It's okay, Wendy." Laki said, sitting down next to the other female Dragon Slayer. "I was just like this when Drusta taught me Secret Arts. Let me help."

"So the others all went to different locations?" Lucy asked, throwing a ball at Levy.

"Yeah, we all know where they went. Except for Gajeel." The bookworm mumbled in disappointment.

"Oh, did you want to tag along too?" Lucy teased, making the bluenette dunk her friend under the water. The blonde opened her eyes to see Natsu under the water. The Fire mage opened his mouth and despite the water pressure, unleashed a massive roar. A second one rocked out of the water, only for it to get doused by Juvia's practice.

Gray stood on a peninsular ledge and held his hands together. A wave crashed against the rocks and with a roar, the Maker Mage thrust his hands forward. The water instantly froze before it started cracking and crumbled away. "Not enough." He mumbled before repeating the spell.

Erza stood on the beach before wooden practice dummies rose up from the sand. She summoned two swords and swung them repeatedly before coming to a stop. The dummies chipped and cracked before falling apart, making the red head smirk.

Jet and Droy stared at each other before quickly turning to the beach and walking away. "We need to train too! For Levy!"

Night had fallen as the wizards finished their training for today. Lucy let out a sigh as she sank into the hot springs before turning around. "Juvia! Hurry up!"

The water mage finally entered the bath as the other girls seemingly emerged from the steam. "As expected after a hard days training, this feels amazing." Erza said.

"It makes all the pain from training just fade away." Wendy added.

A scream was heard before a blue blur flew out of the mist. "Stay out of the girl side, Happy!" Rose shouted.

"This is so embarrassing..." Juvia mumbled, hiding behind a rock.

"Hey, check it out." Laki said, looking up at the sky from her back. The steam cleared away as the starry expanse above them, making everyone smile as well.

"I wonder if everyone else is hard at work training right now..." Levy mumbled.

"They might be watching the same stars we are." Wendy added.

The smiles never faded as they looked up. "I'll train harder than ever." Lucy mumbled, making the others nodded in agreement.

Laki pushed herself to stand, turned to the wooden wall and three screams were heard from the other side. "What was that!?" Erza asked.

"I think the boys were peeping at us." Laki said, making Erza summon a blade.

"Gray would never do that!" Juvia shouted as Levy, Lucy and Wendy covered themselves.

"Hold on, why were their only three screams?" Carla asked.

"I told you! Gray would never do that!" The water mage declared.

"No, that's because Natsu knows better." Laki replied. "And he knows what he should and shouldn't do."

On the other side of the wooden wall, Gray Jet and Droy all held their eyes in pain. "Jet, do I still have both my eyes?" Gray asked.

"How should I know!?" The speed mage shouted as Natsu laughed from in the water. "Shut up!"

The Next Day

Everyone stretched their muscles as the waves lapped against their ankles. "I feel stronger already!" Natsu cheered. "All you other guilds better get ready!"

"If we keep this up for three months, I don't doubt we can catch up to the others." Erza said.

"I honestly didn't think three months would be enough." Lucy confessed, lying on the sand. "But now it seems like this is more than we need."

The grains started shaking before Lucy was lifted into the air. "Princess, terrible news!"

"Virgo!?" The blonde asked from atop the maids head. Seconds later she lost her balance and fell over into the sand. "What's wrong?" She asked, pushing herself up.

The maid bit her lip before lowering her head. "The Celestial Spirit world is in danger. We need your help." The humans and Exceed gasped at the spirit's explanation. "The king is waiting for you, I've been asked to bring you there."

"Wait, I thought humans weren't allowed to enter the spirit world." Lucy spoke up.

"You can if you wear the clothing from the Spirit world." Virgo replied before stepping back. A magic seal appeared under them and started glowing before it turned into a pillar of light. The wizards screamed before the light faded, leaving only a confused Jet and Droy behind.

Celestial Spirit World

A hole opened up in the realm before the wizards fell to the ground, Natsu and Laki at the bottom. Lucy was the last to fall before they all stood up and looked around. "It's so pretty!" Wendy declared, amazed at the stars and planets so close to her.

In a waft of mist the King appeared, scaring everyone but Erza. "You're the ruler of this kingdom?" She asked, shocking Levy and Wendy with her bluntness.

The large spirit nodded before a smile crossed his face, confusing everyone. "Lucy and friends, I have requested you and your friends presence so we may honor your return! Let us celebrate!"

Every other spirit appeared and cheered with the king, much to the human's confusion. "What happened to the massive crisis you were facing!?" Lucy asked her maid.

"I lied." She simply said back. "We wanted to celebrate your return, but we can't all enter the human world at once. So we needed an excuse to bring you all here."

"Don't get to excited, this is a one-time thing." Aquarius added before grabbing Laki by her wrist. "Come on, girl. Let's start talking." The mermaid dragged her away as the Wood Dragon Slayer just sighed before walking along with her.

Soon everyone just joined in the party as they ate the food of the spirits and explored this bizarre place. "So tell me, what's your boyfriend like?" Aquarius asked, sitting on the table.

"Well, he's not the sharpest guy..." Laki confessed. "But I can always count in him to come through for me."

"That's wonderful." The Water Bearer replied. "And to think you'd get one before Lucy. Though I'm not surprised by that."

"What does that mean!?" The blonde asked.

"You must have realized this, but you are the first humans we have ever invited here." The king told her, making her blush.

The party started dying down as the king left to do... something kingly. "Man, I feel refreshed and ready to train all over again!" Natsu cheered.

"Yaah, we got serious training to do if we wanna catch up to those other guilds in three months." Gray added.

"There is one thing I forgot to mention." Virgo spoke up. "Time flows differently here than it does in the human world."

"Does that mean one week here is the same as a day back home?" Laki asked.

"Awesome! This is our dream training ground!" Gray added.

"Actually, it's the opposite." Virgo said as the seal that brought them to the other world returned. "One day here..." The magic circle glowed brighter as they once more felt the sand beneath their feet. "...is the same as three months in the human world."

The resort was abandoned as they stared out at the sea. "It's about time you guys got back!" Jet said as he and Droy raced up from behind.

"The games start in five days!" Droy declared. "Hope you guys have been doing some serious training!"

The group stared out at the sea before dropping face first into the sand in shame. Wendy merely dropped to her knees and started crying in failure. "Mustached bastard! GIVE US BACK OUR TIME!" Lucy shouted at the sky.

"What's wrong guys?" Jet asked.

"We... we wasted... three months at a welcome back party..." Laki mumbled out, shocking the two.

"You mean you haven't been training at all!?" Both shouted, earning a disappointed nod.

"I guess we just have to let the others compete this year." Levy sighed.

"NO!" Erza snapped up and stared down at the group. "We can still make it! We need a five day training course from hell! Get ready! From now on, you won't even get the chance at sleep!"

A bird landed in her head before it plucked some feathers of its wing. "Hey, there's a note on its foot." Gray said before pulling off the paper. 'Fairy Tail, meet us at the old suspension bridge hidden in the woods.'

"Do we trust them?" Levy asked. "This could all be a trap."

"But it could also be a training opportunity." Erza pointed out. "Besides, if we ignore this note they could just come to us in a surprise attack."

"I'm always up for a good fight, so let's go!" Natsu cheered.

West Woods

I think this is it." Erza said, staring at the mangled remains of the bridge.

"Starting to think this was a prank." Gray spoke up, much to Natsu's annoyance.

"Okay, back to the beach." Lucy said, wanting to leave the woods as soon as possible.

The bridge began shaking before the whole thing started glowing. Broken chunks of wood floated out of the cavern as the rope became new. The whole thing was as good as new, scaring the group. "So... who wants to cross first?" Gray asked before pushing Natsu forward.

The pinkette stumbled a bit before catching his footing and the bridge stopped shaking. "Gray, you dick!" Natsu shouted before crossing the rest.

"I guess this is our invitation." Erza said before the others crossed in fear of defying her. They continued to walk through the woods when three hooded figures appeared before them. "Stay alert!"

The blue clad people walked forward before Natsu perked up. "That smell... It can't be..."

Laki stood by her partner ready to fight when the hooded people stopped in front of them. "I'm glad you came-" The voice of the front most person shocked Erza as they reached for their hoods. "Fairy Tail." The group went wide eyed as Jellal, Meredy and Ultear revealed their faces.

"Jellal..." Erza mumbled.

"Even after all these years, you haven't changed." The tattooed man chuckled. "I'm guessing you already knew about my escape?" The red head nodded in response. "To be honest, I never planned on escaping."

"Meredy and I broke him out." Ultear added.

"Hey, this was all you." Her daughter chuckled before glancing at Juvia. "Juvia, it's been a long time!"

The rain wizard gasped a bit before smiling. 'She's a beautiful young woman now.'

"Jellal escaped..." Lucy mumbled. "And those two are from Grimoire Heart..."

"It's fine." Gray said, looking up at Ultear. "They aren't enemies any more. Isn't that right?"

His 'sister' nodded before speaking. "We have all done terrible things... Even if I spent my whole life atoning, it wouldn't be enough. So... I came to a decision; I would save as many people as I can until I die. Just like Jellal..."

"I keep telling you its fine." Jellal said. "We both were prey to the darkness in our hearts. The past is set and can't be changed."

"Does that mean-"

"It's all there." Jellal answered, shocking Erza. "Every last detail. 6 years ago when I was still in prison, my memory came back."

"I was responsible for his actions during the Tower of Heaven." Ultear spoke up. "It was an order from Master Hades. Don't hate him too much."

"I thought I was going to die in prison, or they'd give me the death penalty." The single man continued. "Until Ultear broke me out of prison that is..." He looked up and smiled a bit at Wendy. "I'm sure you figured this out, but the Jellal you know isn't the same me."

"The three of us have formed an illegitimate guild, it's not dark or light." Ultear said. "We are known simply as Crime Scorière."

"I've heard that name!" Droy said. "You were ones destroying dark guilds over the years."

"We have only one purpose; drive back the evil brought into this world by Zeref so no one will ever fall like us." Jellal said, impressing most of the group.

"How have you three not become an official guild yet!?" Gray asked.

"Maybe because we're wanted criminals." Meredy chuckled.

"Besides, official guilds are forbidden from attacking dark guilds." Jellal said. "But that's not why we summoned you here."

"We understand that you plan on entering the Grand Magic Games." Ultear spoke up. "We can't even come close to the grounds, so we have a favor for you to ask. Every single year, we sense a strange force of magic coming from the games. We were hoping you could investigate it on our behalf."

"How is that a problem?" Laki asked. "With every wizard with two cents to their name fighting there, there's bound to be an odd magical presence every now and then."

"That's what we thought at first, but this magic has a dark presence to it." Jellal said back. "It is almost like Zeref himself is at the games."

"It sounds like you're sending us on a wild goose chase, but we'll help you." Erza said. "Besides, anything mysterious can't be good."

"Did I mention we'll be paying you for this up front?" Ultear added exciting Natsu, Lucy and Happy. "Oh no, nothing as simple as money. With my new Arc of Time, I can increase your powers by evolving your natural magical container. Think of it as a power up, if you want to."

"That's awesome!" The group cheered.

"Just be warned, this isn't going to be painless." The time wizard said, scaring Levy and Wendy.

"You hear that, Laki!? This old man is gonna help us!" Natsu cheered, spinning his girlfriend around.

"Old man?" Laki asked before her eyes snapped open. "You're Zalty!?" The whole group cheered in happiness as Erza simply stared at Jellal.

Hours Later

Natsu writhed on the beach in pain as red marks covered his body. Laki held him in her lap as everyone else stared in fear of what they were seeing. "Geez... that is brutal." Gray mumbled.

"I really hope this is just a personalized experience and not universal." Lucy said.

"Stay strong." Laki told him, brushing his hair. "How much longer is this going to take?"

"It's hard to say." Ultear replied. "It's not easy bringing out someone's true potential."

Natsu screamed even louder as Laki gripped his hand. "What the hell are you doing to him?" Gray asked.

"Wanna Sensory Link with him and find out?" Meredy asked, her hand glowing with magic.

"No chance in hell!" Gray shouted back.

'She's even developed her own sense of humor!' Juvia cheered internally.

"D...do we really have to go through that?" Levy tearfully asked, holding Wendy.

"You know, we don't really need this." Droy chuckled as he and Jet tried to walk away. Trees rose up and blocked their path as Laki glared at them.

"Hey, has anyone seen Erza?" Rose asked.

"I think she and Jellal went somewhere private." Carla replied.

"P...pppp-private!?" Juvia mumbled out before grabbing Gray. "How about you and I do that too?"

'Seems like they're still trying to get together.' Meredy thought with a sigh.

With Jellal and Erza

The two 'friends' stared out at the ocean from their cliffside view. "You said you got all your memories back, right Jellal?" The redhead asked, making Jellal nod. "Which means the thing about Simon..."

"...I killed him." Jellal finished her thoughts.

"What about Nirvana?" Erza asked.

"I remember that as well." He replied. "It feels strange to remember things I did while I had amnesia."

"Can I treat you the same as before?" She asked.

"I would be glad if you could." He answered. "But, I understand if you don't want to have anything to do with me after Simon." The two hung their heads in shame as only the breeze made a sound. "I've prepared myself for death if you would like revenge for Simon."

"You think Simon would want me to do that?" Erza asked back, but received no answer. "Setting up your own guild to eliminate Dark Guilds is something you did to redeem your sins. You'll see it through, right?"

"To be honest, I'm not quite sure." He confessed, shocking her. "I was trying to redeem my sins when I founded Crime Sorcière. But now I realize that no matter what I do, I can never make up for the things I did for the things I did in the Tower of Heaven. If that's the case, what the hell I'm doing this for?

"No matter how hard I try, I can't find the answer. I guess I'm not as strong as you are. Perhaps I'd be better off dead..."

*SLAP*

Jellal was unphased by the slap Erza hit him with. "So you're just going to quit living because you're not strong enough!? Besides that's not true! Being alive is a sign of strength! You're not the same Jellal as before! Not the one who struggled to survive!" She reached over and grabbed his collar, only for her foot to trip and send the two tumbling down to the sand.

They hit the ground and stared into each other's eyes as some flowers started spraying their glowing pollen. "You're right as always." He chuckled.

"No, that's not true." She replied. "I tried really hard to stay alive no matter how clumsy I am. That's all."

"Erza..."

"Jellal..."

The girl reached up and brushed his face as the two pulled in closer. Their lips nano-inches apart, Jellal suddenly pushed the woman away, much to her confusion. "I can't... I have a fiancé..."

"O...oh, I see..." She mumbled, rubbing her arm. "That makes sense. It's been seven years..." The girl glances back at the man and smiles. "So, she's your reason for living."

"I think so..." Jellal replied as the sun started to set.

Main Camp

The others were convulsing in pain inside their hut as Erza stood up. "No one can move now, thanks to you." She chuckled.

"How come you don't feel anything?" Ultear asked in fear.

"We can't stay in one place for too long due to the nature of our guild." Jellal said, flipping his hood up. "We're leaving now."

"If you get any information about the mysterious magical force in the Grand Magic Games, let me know by carrier." Meredy added. "Bye!"

"Take care of Gray for me please." Ultear requested.

"See you... hope to see you soon, Erza." Jellal said before the three walked away.

The trio faded from sight as Erza chuckled. "A fiancé... You're such a clumsy liar. Just like before..." She mumbled. "It's not that bad. This is our answer..."

"Look, Erza!" The girl turned around to see Happy drawing a broken heart in the sand. With a radioactive face, Erza kicked him as hard as possible.

Crime Sorcière Camp

"I hope the members of Fairy Tail will be alright." Jellal mumbled, staring at the fire.

"So Jellal, why did you like and tell her you had a fiancé?" Meredy asked.

Jellal merely turned away to hid his embarrassment. "Isn't it better to be honest with yourself?" Ultear asked. "Or did you decide to continue punishing with yourself?"

"Punishment is the rule of Crime Sorcière, isn't it?" He asked back. "We all know that I can't fall in love with someone who walks in the light. I can only hope Erza can be happy forever."

"Even so, why would you tell such a cliché lie?" Meredy asked.

"It's really bad, isn't it?" Ultear added.

I know some people don't like Erza and Jellal getting together, but I love it. Maybe I'm a sucker for redemption stories, maybe it's a child romance thing, which might also explain why I like Natsu and Lisanna getting together. Any who, hope you're all staying safe. See ya next time for the games to start.

Beta read by General Feng Xiang