Hello there!

I'm back for another chapter!

I forgot. I'm sorry. Work has been flowing, but I do need to prioritize what puts food on my table. I love you all still. Been working on myself, getting my head straight and finally getting my shit together. I don't want to lose all that I love because of my stubborness. So I'm getting over myself and, for lack of better wording, getting my head out of my own ass.

Anyone has tips on how to put on weight like... in a fast manner?

kuroshiragami0, thank you! I hope you enjoy it :D

Dommie, I keep telling you the reason why you're with me is because I *am* the drama. And I'm not a gremlin!

Giggly, indeed

I hope you like it :)

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Fairy Tail. I do, however, own the rights to this story and OC characters that might appear in the future.

Chapter XI: Return to Me

X—X

Rogue walked hurriedly next to Ivy, who didn't seem to know the meaning of 'slow down'. They walked past the improvised medical tents and Ivy saw a lot of people running around, members of the Magic Council and doctors, all trying to heal the injured. The young woman looked around, trying to find a mess of blond hair with no luck. Rogue pulled her along and they stepped out into the field.

In front of them was a massive dome, dark red with black flashes of lightning that emanated the darkest magic Ivy had ever sensed. She saw flashes of white against the dome and realized someone was attacking it. But the dome reshaped, blasted out black lightning, and stayed the same. Her eyes were fixated on it, trying to find a point where to breach.

"Ivy!"

They both turned and saw a young woman run to her. "Levy!"

The two embraced, and Ivy had to swallow down a cry. "You're okay!"

"You're here. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help. So is Rogue."

"Ivy, we're doing everything we can, but Gramps said there's nothing he can do. The damned thing doesn't falter."

"What do you know about it?"

"Come one. Gramps will want to see you."

Levy pulled her along, and Ivy couldn't help but close her eyes and try to feel him. It was like a string, she liked to think a red one, tying him to her. A string that had no size. It could stretch on for miles or keep their hands inches away. Their string. Their feelings, or rather, her feelings for him. She needed to see him again. She couldn't breathe without him; she was just gasping for air.

"Ivy."

She looked up to see Makarov. She bowed her head. "Master."

"Rogue told you."

She nodded. "What is that thing? Who is in there?"

"Bob, Ooga, and… Sting. Everyone else got out thanks to him." He gulped. "At first, we thought it was just a barrier. Somehow connected to the guild members. But we defeated them all, and the barrier didn't break. So, we attacked it, and it attacked us back. When Sting blew up the ceiling, it opened the smallest crack, and he pushed us all through it. But… I saw the ceiling collapse on him, my dear."

"We're saving them all. And I need to get close to it." She declared.

"Ivy-!"

"With all due respect, Master Makarov, I'm not asking." She snapped, eyes flashing lilac.

He locked eyes with her and opened his mouth. "Levy."

"Gramps?"

"Take Ivy to Natsu. Have him get her as close as safely possible."

"…yes, Gramps."

"I hope you know what you're doing, Sylvia."

–X–

Ivy took a deep breath, watching as the stars appeared in the sky. Erza had been put to rest after exhausting her magic on the dome, and Natsu was sitting next to her, restlessly so, as the Sound mage simply observed the dome. She sang beneath her breath, a song that enthralled Natsu, as she tried to understand the strange behavior of the barrier.

Arms wide open
I stand alone
I'm no hero
And I'm not made of stone

It didn't move naturally. It was stiff in some places, and flexible in others. Attacked in some parts, defended in others. And the pulsing, the strumming she felt from it was odd, to say the least. Erratic. She had been singing for the last hour, Natsu never leaving her side, but not by choice. She knew he often looked back to camp, to look at a certain blonde.

Right or wrong
I can hardly tell
I'm on the wrong side of Heaven
And the righteous side of Hell

"He's okay, Ivy," Natsu whispered.

"He has to be." She replied. "I will not consider another option."

"Levy told me he was… special." He gulped. "To you."

"In the same way Lucy is to you."

"So… it's true then? Igneel wasn't making up that whole 'red string' thing?" Natsu scratched his head. "It sounded so fake at the time…"

"What did Igneel say was on the other side of the string, Natsu?" Ivy looked at him.

"… my soulmate."

"You can ask Levy more about it, but… finding the other end of your string, claiming your mate… it's the same thing."

"But Gajeel did something. He smells a bit like Levy, and Levy smells a bit like him." He blushed.

"That's the marking, the claiming part. If you want, I can ask Sting to explain to you how that works."

"But how would I know who it is?"

"You already do."

"How do you know?"

"Because every five minutes, you turn around to look for her."

"O-oh." He turned pink. "Master is telling us to come back. Says you need to eat to keep your bones strong."

"…strong bones." She let out. "Natsu, that's it."

"What?"

"I've been trying to understand the unstable body dysmorphia. Strong bones!" she exclaimed, a smile lighting up her face.

"What, what? Is it good?!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!" he jumped to his feet but frowned. "What do we do now?"

"We need Hibiki."

–X–

"Are you sure about this?" Makarov frowned.

"Yes. But just that won't free them. We're going to have to break them out."

"We can't get close to that thing without it attacking us." Erza shook her head.

"I know. We need long-range attacks. Erza? Six teams. Two to three mages." Ivy declared. "And as much firepower as we can in each."

The redhead nodded and stayed silent for a while. When her eyes lit up, she turned to Cana. "Get Mirajane, now."

"Mira?" Gray frowned. "Are you sure?"

"You called?" the white-haired beauty walked to them.

"We need your help. I know you asked for six, but-!"

"You only have five." Ivy smiled. "I know. I have the sixth one."

"What are we doing?" Mirajane asked.

"Hibiki is going to contact Bob, who is still inside. He, along with Ooga-!"

"-and Sting-"

"-and Sting, they're going to bring that place to the ground. When they do… we attack."

"Who's we?" Lyon frowned.

"Rogue and Gajeel. Gray and Lyon. Natsu and Gramps. Laxus, Juvia, and Lucy."

"M-me?" she gasped.

"We need Aquarius, Lucy." Ivy smiled.

"Exactly. Mira, as a one-woman team…"

"And me." The orange-haired mage nodded.

"You're not going in there alone!" Rogue gasped. "Sting would kill me-!"

"I'm not going alone. Levy and Fried are going to back me up." She turned to the two, and both nodded.

"Are we ready?" at the chorus of nods, Erza smirked. "Let's break those idiots out."

.

"So, what do you need us to do?" Levy bit her lip, watching Gajeel from a distance.

"Runes. I need a magnifying rune, the strongest one you know, here" she pointed at the base of her throat "…with a death enchantment."

"Ivy-!" Levy gasped.

"My own vibration will not be enough. And I cannot focus on tuning the vibrations around me into deadly echoes when I'm focusing on pushing as many as I can against the barrier. So, I need your help. It will work."

"In theory. But actually doing it? It could kill you." Fried frowned.

"I'll take that chance." Ivy raised her head. "Well?"

"Fine." He nodded, and Levy followed suit.

The two joined together to create their spell, as Ivy started harnessing sound waves from the fighting ahead of them. The dome had already started losing its stiffness. She smiled to herself, wondering how Sting was doing in there. Probably jumping from platform to platform, punching and kicking at the walls like they had wronged him. Perhaps he was doing the same as her, taking his anger down on the structures. Whatever it was, she was sure it was amazing.

"It collapsed!"

She felt a hand on either side of her throat, and she closed her eyes, hands raising and pointing at the dome. She clenched her fingers and two magic circles appeared in front of her. Her mouth fell open and she screamed.

Levy looked at Fried, who was focused on the stream of lilac power shooting out from Ivy's hands. She saw Fried's green runes, twirling around the blast, and her own orange ones, rotating between his. Her hand did not leave the side of her neck, no matter how much she wanted to stop hurting Ivy. Fried had explained that the enchantment would be painful but, if anything, Ivy seemed to be using that to fuel her magic.

She gasped when the dome started to crack. She looked at Ivy, to tell her that it was working when she noticed. Ivy had her eyes closed, tears streaming down her face, as she pushed herself to the limit and beyond. Her hands were arched, fingers like claws, as she used all the power she had to break that dome and save them. Levy closed her eyes and waited, letting Ivy bleed her dry of magic as she tried to save the masters.

They were all blasted backward when the dome finally exploded. Ivy was thrown back, falling against Levy and Fried, who were quick to undo the rune around Ivy's neck. The redhead scrambled to her knees when she realized their plan had worked, but everything was covered in a cloud of dust. Mirajane, Gajeel, and Rogue appeared by their side and brought them to the rest of the ground.

Gray and Lyon sat back to back. Juvia collapsed to her knees. A shaky Mirajane leaned against a banged-up Laxus. Gajeel held a tear-stained Levy in his arms. Natsu consoled a weeping, trashed Lucy, as Aquarius brushed her blond hair back and disappeared into the Celestial World. Fried sat next to Ivy, who was supporting herself against Rogue.

"We did it." She whispered; voice raw. "We saved them."

The cloud slowly but surely began to disperse, allowing them to see shadows of the wreckage. The building, once tall and mighty, laid broken, lifeless, destroyed. One human shadow appeared from the wreckage, and the mages cried out in joy. Ivy smiled. She knew it. The second shadow appeared, and they cheered louder.

But no third shadow was seen.

A/N: hehehehehehehehehe

Okay I'm done.

Song used above is called 'Wrong Side of Heaven', by Five Finger Death Punch. It's a lovely melody, and the videoclip makes me cry every time.

Let me know your thoughts on this new story!

Lots of love from this weirdo,

LoneeWolf :)