(October – X778)
"How fascinating. These Machias have technology centuries ahead of us" Hades said as he browsed through the information displayed by the Lacrima projector. The contents consisted of various information and schematics concerning the expedition Ultear had recently returned from. "Well done, Ultear" he commended with a smile, "You have redeemed yourself."
"Thank you, Master Hades" Ultear answered, her face lowered with one knee on the ground.
"The battle of gains and losses does not simply end on the negotiation table, we must always seek out means to benefit more than our opponents. That you have taken the initiative is commendable"
Receiving heaps upon heaps of praise uplifted Ultears' spirit as much as it gave her cause to sport a wide grin. After the failure that was the Crocus operation, it was good to earn back the graces of the Master of Grimoire Heart. "What will you do with these plans, Master Hades?" she inquired, rising up to look at the man face to face.
"Hmph" Hades snorted, "I will peruse through them at my pleasure and see what can be done. As for the final schematic, however." Hades shut down the lacrima and tossed it towards Ultear's side. "I leave that in your capable hands."
"Huh," Ultear blinked with a hitch in her voice. Staring at her master who activated the lacrima that was now in her hands, she quickly looked over the magic item as it displayed the hologram of a very familiar design: a complete blueprint of the gigantic mechanoid that was being created on that island. "You want me to create it? But for what purpose?"
"For the purpose that you will choose" Hades answered.
Hearing his encouragement, Ultear placed a hand on her chin and hummed along as her mind wandered into deep thought. After a few minutes, her face lit up as she snapped her fingers over a revelation that came over her. "I...understand Master. I think I might have an idea of how to utilize this"
"Is that so? Then I take it that you have found a use for it?" The master of Grimoire Heart inquired.
"Indeed I have" Ultear replied.
"And?" Hades prodded.
"Let's just say, it will require the assistance of a very special individual. One who is destined to be the main act in our play" she answered, twirling her fingers, leaving out hints for her master to decipher. "He was the star of the Tower of Heaven, and now, it's time for him to play a new role."
Hades gave out an approving nod, pleased with the fact that her pupil had conjured up an inventive solution in such a short time. "Good, then begin your work in haste" he ordered, "I believe that he is more than ready to be introduced to the Magic Council as the next rising star in the wizarding world."
Ultear knelt once more and reciprocated, "Of course, Master Hades. Then that means I'll have to make my official debut as well: Ultear, Jellals' assistant and devout follower" But as she rose to her feet and turned around, she suddenly stopped midway and glanced back, "By the way, Master, how is your eye."
The lord of Grimoire Heart grunted as he rubbed the patch that covered his left eye. "The power it contains is enormous, far greater than I could have imagined. Even now, I struggle to contain it, even with the magic our guest bestowed upon me." He admitted, raising his right hand and tightening its grip as his body began to glow in a blue aura that shook the room, "But the magic they have given me and my own magic has begun to mix, creating a power source that is entirely different yet similar to the ones possessed by our associates within Tartaros."
Ultear steadied herself amidst the intense shaking as her eyes widened over his explanation. "If you're talking about Tartaros, then you must mean…"
"Indeed" Hades grinned, "Curse power. My very own. I one called Lief, I believe he has some variant of enchantment magic, which is how these two power sources became compatible with one another. Soon, I shall master the power of this left eye and obtain a greater portion of Zeref's power for myself. Our goal is inching closer than you might think."
The young girl wiped a single sweat from her brow and gulped. However, that was the extent to which she displayed any sort of weakness. Any sort of mention of Tartaros tended to put her on edge, especially after the dealings she had to conduct with them. Something was disturbing and otherworldly about them, especially the one whom she was meant to meet with; an avian abomination with a sickening glance. She was unsure if she should be pleased or concerned that her master now possessed the same powers as them. However, given her knowledge of the boy called Sasuke, who was himself revealed to be a demon, perhaps an answer might come from him should the opportunity arise.
(December – X780)
The Fairy Tail guild was buzzing with excitement as nearly every single member gathered around in anticipation of a special announcement. Among those in waiting were Natsu, Gray, Erza, Mirajane, and the other children of the guild alongside the adults like Macao and Wakaba. Winter had arrived and with it, came the annual S-Class trials to determine the next S-ranked mage. On the platform where the announcements were to be held, stood Gildarts on one side and Laxus on the other, with Makarov in the middle while the rest of the guild members cheered on.
"This is killing me! I wished he'd say something already!" Natsu eagerly clenched his fists and gritted his teeth with a toothy grin.
"Don't worry, Natsu. You've worked your butt off for this, there's no way Master wouldn't recognize it" Happy chimed in.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Natsu on this" Gray glanced back with a smile.
"Just be patient, we'll all know soon enough," Erza said with a smile.
On the other side of the guild hall, the Strauss siblings had occupied a small corner where they awaited the announcement. "This is so exciting. Do you think you'll make it this time Mira?" Lisanna asked.
"Yeah, I think you did a great job taking on a lot of commissions this year, sis" Elfman joined in.
The hopeful look on her younger siblings' faces beamed Mirajane with pride as she sported a smug grin and flipped her hair, "Of course I'll make it. Watch me be the youngest S-class in history! I'll leave Erza in the dust."
"By Fairy Tail's time-honored tradition, I will now announce this year's entrants for the S-Class wizard promotion trial."
The guild members erupted in cheers the moment the announcement was made. Few could hardly contain their excitement, especially the younger members. Laxus on the other hand could barely reign in his contempt for the members as he groaned and averted his gaze from them, finding their antics to be childish at best.
"Keep quiet and let the master speak" Gildarts ordered, to which the rest of the guild members complied.
"This year's trial will take place in Murata, land of the burning city. Strength, wisdom, courage, and personal growth; these are the criteria with which I have selected the eight candidates" Makarov continued, " The names of this year's S-class candidates are…"
As the master began announcing the names, the children began eagerly listening in, hoping that they would be selected. But with each new announcement, a feeling of dread also came over them, as each candidate selected who was not them meant that their chances also dropped significantly. Their concern came to fruition when only one slot remained and none of the younger generations' names save for Cana were announced.
"The final entrant for this year's S-Class trials is….Erza Scarlet."
Mumblings began forming amidst the crowd, each growing louder by the moment. Natsu on the other hand, elicited a loud "Whaaaaattt!?"
"For real, what a bummer" Gray grumbled, hanging his head in disappointment before looking over to Cana with a smile, "At least you're getting another chance."
Cana let out a disappointing hum before quickly shaking it off and plastering on an uneasy smile of her own, "Y-yeah, thanks." The feeling of excitement that the other contestants had was absent in Cana. This was either her third or fourth S-Class trial given that she had lost every single trial before, thus, her expectations for victory were very low.
Meanwhile, Erza was left staring at the master, aghast by his announcement. A culmination of years of hard work and dedication, finally beginning to pay off. Her eyes darted towards the competition, chief among them, Fried, Cana, Macao, Wakaba, and Mest. But her real concern would be if she ever had to face the current S-Class crop since they were the true physical threat; monsters like Laxus and Gildarts would certainly give her trouble. Her eyes darted everywhere, the feeling of her every move being watched looming over her, yet there was an empty spot next to where she stood where a certain someone would usually stand beside and his absence left her with a feeling of unease as she sighed.
….
The Fairy Tail Guild was buzzing with excitement all throughout the night, with further announcements from Makarov that contestants could pick a partner of their choice.
"If you wanna win this, then you're looking at the guy who's gonna help you" Natsu pointed at himself.
"Aye!" Happy chimed in.
"C'mon Erza, we've worked together before. It'll be just like old times" Alzack argued, twirling his pistol.
"Alright, alright, you both make good points" Erza nodded along, trying to curb their enthusiasm as more and more members began to flock towards her. Each eagerly offering their services to one of the eight contestants in the hopes of improving their standing for next year's trials while also gaining valuable lessons. Erza had proven herself to be one of the most competent of the new generation of guild members and nearly all of the hopefuls were hoping to join her, all but one.
"Tch, just look at her. Acting all humble while surrounded by idiots throwing themselves at her feet" Mirajane angrily scoffed as she watched a crowd gather around Erza from a distance. Not being picked for this year's S-Class left a sour taste in her mouth, namely because it meant Erza had gotten a head start over her and that meant that she would steal her thunder. She could just imagine a scenario where Erza starts lording over her and rubbing this victory in her face,
"You know, you could try asking her to let you be her partner," Lisanna said with a smile., "That might help you for next year's S-Class."
"Are you kidding me?! There's no freaking way I'm going to help Red there" Mirajane scoffed, baffled by the advice of her little sister. "Besides, she's never gonna let me live this one down."
"Why are you two always like this?" Lisanna pouted.
"Sorry, baby sister but there are just some things we girls can never agree on" the eldest Strauss answered, crossing her arms to which the younger one responded with a disappointed sigh. "You'll learn when you're older."
"Hey, speaking of contestants" Elfman spoke up, his eye trailing above as his mind wandered, "Did you guys notice that Sasuke's not here right now?"
Eflmans' words struck a chord with Mirajane as her eyes widened. "Now that I think about it, you're right. I thought the old geezer would put his name out too" the eldest Strauss pondered, "And it's even weirder that he and Erza aren't stuck to each other like glue these days."
"Well, he has been quieter than usual these days. I'm kinda worried" Lisanna added, "Maybe we should check up on him soon."
Lisanna's words rang in Mirajane's head, especially concerning Sasuke's odd behavior for the last year or so. Ever since they came back from that quest with Gildarts, he had been acting different. It was hard to describe it but something just felt off. "Maybe" she pensively stated.
The day that occurred after the announcement was another momentous day for the chosen contestants of Fairy Tail. It was the day that they would depart for Crocus from where they would board a ship and set sail for Murata. Tightening the harness around her luggage, Erza let out an audible sigh and wiped the sweat off of her brows. It would be a while before she came back here and by the time she returned, she hoped to become an S-Class wizard. But that was to be no easy task, for the place where the contest was to take place was one rife with danger. She spent the entire day before conducting sleepless research on the place and from what little she could gather, it was supposedly a place of eternal fire, where drakes roamed the land and only the strongest of human tribes dwelled and waged war against each other on regular basis; certainly not an easy task.
The warm rays of the morning sun shone across her face as she basked in the sunlight. Yet, amidst the calm and gentle morning, her expression dropped to one of disappointment as Sasuke was nowhere to be found, even on such a day. It had become apparent since last year that something was bothering him and changed him from a driven, determined mage to a hermit who would rather live out his days in his home. She hardly ever saw him on the guild hall or even taking missions except for on a few occasions. Every time they sparred, he seemed almost off of his game or out of focus. Whatever happened during that fateful day scarred him in some way or the other, but she just didn't know what it was.
With a tired hum, Erza hoisted up her luggage across her back and turned around, only to be greeted by someone she did not want to see this morning. "Gah!' she yelled out as Mirajane stood in front of her with a nonchalant gaze. Exhaling deeply, Erza managed to compose herself and speak again, "Oh it's you…..Mira. Ugh, what do you want?"
"Nothing" Mirajane nonchalantly shrugged with a blank stare, "You just got in my way."
Erza knew it was a blatant lie, considering how close she was to her in proximity. "Really!? well, that's convenient…" she paused before letting out a frustrated groan, "Forget it, I don't have time to argue with you today."
"Of course, you don't, you've got an S-Class trial coming up" Mirajane sardonically smirked, "Wouldn't wanna keep them waiting huh?"
"Will you cut me slack! I'm trying to be nice here!" Erza grumbled loudly, "If you wanna pick a fight with me, can you at least wait till I'm done with the S-Class."
'Alright, alright, there's no need to get worked up" Mirajane sarcastically conceded, "Wouldn't want you to lose your focus and screw up your trials. You'd better give it your all or I'm gonna be really pissed off that they chose you over me for nothing."
"I…" Erza withheld herself before crossing her arms, "I'll take that as a compliment."
"Don't get the wrong idea, I'd rather be the one getting S-Class than you" Mira deflected crossing her arms as well, as if mirroring Erza's, "But compared to the rest of them, you're an okay second pick."
"That's that nicest thing you've ever said about me" Erza pointed out, raising a wary brow.
Mirajane only answered back with an indignant 'hmph' before glancing around Erza. "Speaking of nice, what about him" she spoke up, "How's he doing?"
Erza lowered her hands and dropped her luggage before answering with a groan, "He's fine, all things considered, but everything else, I really can't say."
"That's strange, I thought you and him were joined at the hip" Mira said, alluding to their close relationship, which was pretty well known amongst everyone at the guild.
"We kinda, sorta just drifted apart" Erza confessed, scratching her head, "He's changed, in more ways than one. He still takes quests but every time I come over to check on him, he's always just staring into the distance, like he just doesn't care anymore. Something happened to him on that quest we took and I don't know if I can help him with that."
"You knew!" Mira pressed on, perplexed by what she was hearing. Her inaction and defeatist attitude were starting to rub her off the wrong way.
"Look, he's an island to himself, always has been. There's a lot of things that I don't know about him; where he came from, his family, what he did before I met him" Erza explained, tightening her hands, "Besides, I've got my own dreams and goals. I can't rely on him forever, I've got to get strong and prove that I can hang with him in battle. This is exactly why I need to win the S-Class; it'll be the first thing I've ever achieved on my own and the one thing that I can get over Sasuke without him being involved"
Mirajane blinked rapidly with a jilt in her voice, astounded that Erza would even see Sasuke as competition. For as long as she knew, Sasuke apparently taught her how to fight and this was something Erza always credited, but the past few years saw a shift in their dynamic as Erza began doing gigs on her own while Sasuke did the same. Perhaps this was one of those moments where the student wanted to surpass the teacher. "So that's why you didn't ask him to be your partner," she thought to herself.
"Hey Mira, can I ask you for a favor?"
The eldest Strauss couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had to close her eyes and shake her head before opening them again just to process what she had heard; Erza was asking for a favor. It almost felt like pigs were about to fly. "You" she pointed at Erza, "Wanna ask me for a favor? Hahaha, well, well, well, now this I wanna hear."
"Don't let it get to your head" Erza groaned and narrowed her eyes while placing a hand on her hip, " I just wanna ask you to check up on Sasuke. Can you do that?"
"That's all?" Mirajane exhaled with a chuckle, "Yeah, I can do that."
"Thanks" Erza smiled and nodded before picking up her luggage once more, "Then I'll be off then."
As she walked past her rival and began setting out, Mirajane called her out once more, causing her to look back, "Hey Erza, you'd better win this, you hear me! We still got a score to settle."
Erza grinned back, "Oh I will win Mira, count on it. Just be sure to catch up and become S-Class yourself. Then we'll see who's better."
Underneath all their arguments, their fights and their desire to one-up the other, was a sense of respect both had for the other even if they were too proud to admit it, since it began through envy. Yet, as Mirajane looked on as Erza disappeared from her view, the very object of that envy was now given to her to spend time with. A part of her was excited and yet, another was nervous since she had never spent that much time with Sasuke as much as Erza did. Maybe that's why she was so lenient with her and didn't seem too bitter about not being selected for the S-Class trials.
Once Erza had completely disappeared, a beaming smile erupted from Mirajane's lips. "Alright. Time to go pay him a visit."
AN: Originally, I was going to publish it earlier but my hard drive got damaged and all of my files are permanently gone, including the chapters. I could only salvage the files from chapter 20 onwards so everything before that is all gone now. But that's just me being stupid and not making a backup folder.
Anyways, I'm back from my break and I'll be uploading regularly as much as possible. Thank you all so much for your love and support. I truly appreciate it
Also, this is the first chapter where Sasuke never makes a physical appearance.