Chapter 37
Stroke of Midnight
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Magic"
Flashback
Location / Date / Time Skip
Cait Shelter Guildhall
"We got trouble!" One member shouted as he ran into the main Guildhall. "Nirvana has been unleashed, and it's headed this way!" The whole guild was whipped into a panicked frenzy, sans for their master who took a drink from his jug. "Master, what are going to do about Nirvana?"
"That thing is headed this way?" He asked, spilling the beer out of his mouth.
"Swallow before you speak, master Roubaul." The first member requested.
"Nirvana is coming for us..." The old man spoke. "Is this fate, or just mere chance?" Everyone began to worry about what happened to Wendy and the cats. "Do not worry about them." Roubaul said, spilling even more of his drink. "Never worry, the light is still shinning. It's eternal glow will lead us to victory!"
The guild erupted into cheers before some began to wonder if it was just a coincidence that they were targeted. Some even began to talk about evacuating. "You fools!" The master shouted, silencing the crowd. "Did you all forget there are wizards fighting for us? Have faith in their victory, don't dishonor them by running away." He took another swing of his jug before this time swallowing. "Maybe the time has come for us to pay for our crimes."
Nirvana
Control Room
Slowly, a massive leg slammed into the ground as Nirvana took another step. "Okay, so there isn't a control unit or a pilot seat to control this thing." Rose said. "Does anyone have any ideas on how to stop this thing?"
"Maybe we can crash it into something." Natsu suggested.
"Only you would think demolishing a city would be a good idea." Lucy complain.
"It's not that bad of an idea." Laki said. "But there's just one problem. Where are we gonna find something big enough to crash into?"
"How about those mountains?" Natsu pointed off to the side.
"But how are we gonna steer to over there if we can't control it?" Gray pointed out.
"It seems that asking Brain would be the fastest way." Jura said.
"Do you really think he would tell us anything?" Carla asked back.
"Maybe Jellal knows..." Wendy mumbled.
Laki heard the name and a shiver went down her spine. "He-he's alive?"
"Its fine, Laki." Natsu wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "I'll keep you safe from that bastard."
"Natsu, calm down." Laki patted his back. "I don't want you to fall to Nirvana again." She looked down at Wendy and the young girl tensed up. "How do you know that name, Wendy?"
"Uh, well, uh... I gotta go look for some clues." Wendy ran down the door to the bottom floor, and Carla followed her.
"What was that about?" Laki asked Rose, who shrugged her shoulders in an 'I don't know' fashion.
'Hello, can you hear me?' Richards voices rang through everyone's head. 'It's me, Hoteye.'
"Please tell me I'm not the only one hearing that." Lucy said.
"No, I heard it." Natsu said back.
"Richard, did you defeat Midnight?" Jura asked.
'Unfortunetly, it seems my magic wasn't enough to defeat him.' The voice said. 'Do not worry about me. You must work together to defeat Midnight. If you succeed in defeating him, Nirvana's source of magic power will be removed and it's destructive march will be stopped.'
"Why are we talking to a bad guy?" Laki asked.
"It's a long story." Gray answered.
"So if we beat this last guy, we can stop this whole thing with out crashing it?" Rose asked.
'Midnight is directly below you.' Richard explained further. 'Pleas be careful, his power is great.'
"The same to you." Jura said back.
"So this last guy is directly below us." Gray summarized the whole speech. "This whole thing just got a lot easier."
"Alright, let's end this. You with me Laki?" Natsu asked.
"All the way." She nodded at her new boyfriend.
"Save the lovey dovey stuff for later." Rose said back. "Let's go get this guy!"
'Only one of the six prayers remain.' Richard said. 'The all of my hope belongs to you now, my friends. Defeat Midnight, and you'll stop Nirvana once and for all. Oh yeah!'
With Brain
"I wish you luck... my friends..." Brain said in Richards voice as he held his hand to his temple. "Stop... Nirvana..." He gasped in pain before his hand dropped out the ground. 'I will not be beaten so easily...'
Command Room Staircase
The five wizards and two cats ran down the stareway until they reached a stone door. "Let's get him!" Natsu pulled the door open and stared at a bright light that overtook the room.
"Its a trap!" Jura shouted.
"Laki!" Natsu turned and tackled Laki to the ground before shielding her from the large blast.
With Erza & Jellal
Both turned and stared at the explosive soundwave behind them. "What was that explosion?" Erza asked.
"It sound like it came form the control room." Jellal said.
"Father can be so rude at times." Both turned in surprised and stared at Midnight, who appeared behind them. "Taking away my entertainment from me, and leaving me with the stragglers." He walked forward as the two stared at him. "You're the only ones left, so try to make it entertaining for me."
Jellal blocked Erza with his arm before pushing her back. "Stay behind me, he's mine."
"Jellal, you can't." Erza protested as the two men stared at each other.
Command Tower Base
The dust settled around them as Natsu clung to Laki with all his might. "Natsu, we're safe now. You can let go."
"You're okay, right?" He asked, and after getting a nod for an answer, looked around for the others. "You guys okay?"
"Been better." Rose complained with Happy on top of her. "Get off me!"
"Keep it down..." Gray complained. "My head is ringing..."
"I can't believe we fell for a trap." Lucy complained. "We're in Fairy Tail, for crying out-" She pushed herself up and whacked the back of her head on the short roof.
"We've also been buried alive." Gray said.
"Hold on, if that's the case, then where's Jura?" Laki asked. Natsu punched the stone above him before breaking through and sticking his head up. He stared in shock at Jura, arms wide in front of few hundred pillars. The others followed his lead and joined in his shock.
"He risked his life... to save us." Lucy mumbled through her hands as Jura let out a gasp.
The stone crumbled away as Jura dropped to his knees. "Hold on, Jura!" Laki shouted as he looked over his shoulder.
"Your guild is a lucky one... having wizards like you." Jura gasped. "I'm glad... to see you well..." He passed out from exhaustion as they all climbed out of the dome.
With Wendy & Carla
"If we don't find him, this thing is gonna destroy our home." Wendy said, looking down on the city. "It's heading straight for Cait Shelter."
Carla tilted to the side and startled Wendy. "Wendy... I can't fly anymore."
"Oh, I'm sorry Carla." Wendy said before pointing to the ground. "Let's go on foot, is that okay?"
"Its fine." The white cat said, sailing to the ground. "Your sense of smell will guide us to him." She placed Wendy on the ground before landing herself and disapating her wings.
"I'm kinda nervous about finding him, because his scent has changed somehow." Wendy explained.
"Don't let that distract you from your goal." Carla said back. "If we can find him, we might be able to stop Nirvana from marching."
Wendy nodded as the two started running down the old street. 'Where ever you are Jellal, please, be safe.' The bluenette thought to herself. 'You may have forgotten about me, but I don't care. I've never forgotten about you, not for a day.'
With Erza & Jellal
Jellal summoned a line of golden magic and fired it from his palm, only to have it bend around Midnight. "I missed this close to him?" The two tone haired man chuckled as Jellal walked forward.
"You're in no shape to fight, so please stop." Erza pleaded. Jellal looked back and gave her a look.
"I'm waiting..." Midnight teased. Jellal summoned six more shots and they all went around the dark wizard. Midnight waved his hand and Jellal was picked up into the air and spun around by some force. Erza could only watch as Jellal was forced to the ground. "What a pathetic clown. You're the big bad Jellal I've been hearing about? A waist of time."
Jellal winced in pain as Midnight stepped on him to walk towards Erza. "Did you forget how to use magic as well? It's pathetic how weak you are."
'Memories or no, he shouldn't have gone down that easy.' Erza thought as she stared at Jellal.
Midnight kept walking as Jellal tried to push himself up. "Still alive, eh? That's more than most of my victims can say."
'The Destruction seal... it must have used more magic than he thought.' Erza realized as Midnight looked down at Jellal.
"Let's just see how much pain you can take." The dark wizard chuckled as Erza summoned a sword and charged him.
She swung her blade as Midnight looked over his shoulder at her. The Blade curved around him and missed his head as he looked at her shocked face. "The main course is ready then. Who am I to keep Erza Scarlet waiting?"
The redhead jumped back and stared at him. "How did I miss him!?"
"Get away from him!" Jellal shouted. "He's too dangerous!"
She ignored his warning and summoned a second sword before swinging it, only for the same thing to happen as before. 'How is he doing that!?'
Midnight waved his hand at Erza, sending her sliding back before the armor began to twist around her body like a constrictor snake. "What is going on!?" The metal tightened again and her arms were forced around each other.
"Let her go!" Jellal shouted as Midnight chuckled.
Erza forced herself to breath before focusing her magic into her armor before it returned to her storage dimension, leaving her in her blouse. Midnight stared at her as her body glowed again and she donned herself in her Heavens Wheel armor. "So that's it. You use Reflector magic."
"You're the first person to figure that out." Midnight confessed. "Yes, anything you throw at me, I'll twist and distort it around. Not only does it make me an invincible defense, but light itself was bends to my will."
"Magic like that exist..." Jellal asked in pain.
"Nothing is invincible." Erza said back before charging forward. "I will end you right now!"
"Yes, rush towards your doom." Midnight said with s sick smile. "I'll enjoy twisting your face in pain!"
Command Tower Base
The Fairy Tail group plus Rose huddled around Jura as Laki treated his wounds with gauze Happy brought with him. "Will he make it?" Lucy asked.
"Come on, old man! Pull through!" Gray shouted.
"Quit talking like he's dying!" Rose shouted back. "He's just out cold!"
Natsu clenched his fist in anger as Laki finished. "Absolutely pathetic." A voice spoke as they all panicked. "What a fool Brain is. He mustered all the power he had left to set a trap, yet he couldn't kill a single one of you."
"Show yourself!" Gray shouted as the dust settled.
"Look up!" Happy pointed up and everyone followed his paw.
"He was a disgrace to the name of the six demons." Everyone stared at Brain's staff, floating in the air, telepathically talking. "But as long as Midnight stands, we shall be victorious." It floated over to them and the orbs in its face glowed as it spoke. "I might as well kill you myself."
"The staff is talking!" Happy shouted in a panic.
"Happy, we're talking cats." Rose pointed out.
"That's the staff that Brain is carrying." Gray realized.
"That doesn't make it any less creepy." Lucy said as the staff started to laugh.
Natsu reached up and grabbed the staff before slamming it down on the ground again and again. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut Up! I've got enough of a headache already."
"Don't just grab it!" Lucy shouted in a panic.
"Stop this city right now!" Natsu shouted. "You hear me, you piece of termite food!?"
"How dare you!? Do you have any idea who I am!?" The staff asked before head butting Natsu, freeing him from the grip. "I am the seventh member of the Oraciōn Seis, awaken from my slumber to destroy-" Natsu grabbed him again and and repeated the action of earlier.
"O, I said shut up!" Natsu shouted.
"Hold on, weren't there only six members of the Oraciōn Seis?" Lucy asked. "I mean, it's in the name. Seis is six."
"So, we're just accepting the fact that a stick is talking?" Gray asked.
"What's the big deal?" Laki asked back. "I can sink into wood and make it talk."
"But that's different." Rose said. "Wait, you can do what?"
"Let me go!" The staff wiggled his way out of Natsu's grip and floated out of his reach. "An uncivilized brat." It floated away and stared out into the city. "It won't be long until that wretched guild is in our reach. Then we can burn this world of trash."
"We're already that close to my guild!" Rose asked in shock.
"Indeed!" The staff turned round. "Once they are destroyed, we can bathe this world in darkness!"
Laki jumped up and grabbed the staffs handle. "Tell us why you're going there, now!"
"Why would I ever do that?" The staff asked.
"Alright." Laki raised it above her head. "Time to eat." She brought it down and chomped at the wood like it was pokey stick.
A quarter of the way up, the staff got over its shock and began to panic. "Okay, I'll talk! I'll talk!"
With Erza
"Dance, my swords!" Erza commanded and a hundred swords launched at Midnight, only for them to bend around him.
"Throw a thousand swords at me, and it still won't make a difference." He bragged before fluxing his magic, sending them back at Erza who began to knock them out of the air before they could hit her. "I did say I could bend your attack back at you."
"Erza!" Jellal shouted as the last of the swords hit the ground. Midnight waved his hand and her armor began to twist around her again.
"That's more like it." Midnight said with wild eyes. "Give me even more agony on your face." Erza screamed in pain as he licked his lips. "That face is exquisite." Before her arms locked into place, she threw her last sword at him. He moved to the side before waving his hand. "Spiral Pain!" A tornado of air flung Erza around like a rag doll before she crashed to the ground, her armor destroyed. "That's it?"
"Damn... you..." Jellal groaned as he pushed himself up to his knees.
"Ypu can't die on me yet." Midnight chuckled. "You need to keep entertaining me, at least until we reach the Cait Shelter guild."
"Cait... Shelter...?" Jellal asked.
"Our first target." Midnight said matter of factly.
"Why them?" Jellal asked again.
Midnight chuckled as he looked to the bluenette. "A wonderful question. Nirvana was created centuries ago by an ancient race of people who wished to end all war. The Nirvit. But the tool they created turned out to be far more destructive they they imagined. As such, they sealed the magic they created themselves. Fearing the evil that could be done with it, they continued to watch over the seal for decades. Their descendent continue that task, posing as a real guild that has remained since that day. Cait Shelter. They alone can seal Nirvana away, so they must be destroyed!"
"What kind of fool would put this power to rest!? We will utilize this magic, and we will send the world down the spiral of insanity and chaos!" Jellal looked up at the insane teen before him. "And we'll start by making an example of those who would seal this power away! Neutrality be damned, we'll force them into war! Nirvana will turn their hearts pitch black and force them to slaughter each other! That will be lovely!"
"You're a monster..." Jellal spat out.
"Just drop the goody goody act already, will you." Midnight said, walking over. "You're nothing but a man filled with darkness. You're a foul, depraved, evil man."
"That's... not true..." Jellal said back.
"Oh, stop lying to me." Midnight chuckled back. "You forced children into labor, killed your own comrade and tried to kill dear Erza. Did you lose track of how many people you've cast into misery? How many have fallen into the terror you caused? An ocean of tears have been cried from the pain you've caused, so why fight what you are?"
Jellal stared at his hands like they were soaked in blood. "Join us, Jellal." Midnight offered his hand out. "You would make a much better member of the Seis than any of the failures that fell."
Behind them, Erza willed herself to her feet, catching their attention. "Don't listen to him." She said as her body glowed. It died down, revealing a purple kimono/cheongsam matchup, a guandao in her hand. "I know the light that lives with in you."
"So you can still stand?" Midnight asked, eager to 'play' with Erza.
Jellal stared at her until the words from before came back to him. 'That hope will never leave your heart. So keep fighting until the bitter end.' A smile graced his face as Midnight walked over to her.
"You are worth destroying after all." Midnight declared in sick joy.
She twirled her polearm around and pointed it at him. "I swear on this blade I wield, I'll put an end to your plans. That is a promise."
"I'm waiting, Titania." Midnight mocked. "Let's see this real power you posses. Not that it matters, because you'll never be able to hit me. Erza launched forward and swung her pole arm, only for it to bend out of the way. "I don't care how fast you are. You can't get past my reflector."
Erza swung again and the blade bent around him before delivering a palm thrust to his chest, sending Midnight flying back into a building. "Two. There are two weakness in your magic."
'She figured that out this quickly?' Jellal thought in shock.
"Even though you can reflect magic and attacks, it doesn't work on the human body." Erza explained. "If it did, you could have snapped my neck instead of bending my armor."
Midngight pulled himself out of the hole he created and chuckled. "Why would that matter when I can still choke you to death?" He held out his hand and the robe bent around Erza.
Her fade calm, she dropped her weapon due to the strain on her arm. "And the second is this." Midnight looked up as a hundred swords rained down on him. A dozen managed to hit him as he cried in pain. "You can only reflect one area at a time, either your enemies or yourself. If you could do multiple reflectors at a time, you wouldn't have had to dodge my sword earlier. While it's on me, you're defenseless."
Pulling her arms up, the robe snapped back into place before resummoning her polearm. "Along with that, this is the Robe of Yūen. It's the most elastic armor in my hold, making it immune to your magic. So I guess that makes three."
"Damn it!" Midnight shouted as he pounded the ground. "I was almost there!"
"The victor is clear now, so just surrender." Erza declared.
Midnight laughed as he stood back up. "I wasn't talking about that. It's a shame you didn't die earlier, because now it's midnight. I shall show you the true face of terror." A bell tolled twelve times as a black ooze began to flow off him. "When the clock strikes midnight, my refleCTOR IS AT ITS PEAK." His body morphed and contorted until he turned into a giant monster.
"HAD YOU KILLED ME, THIS COULD HAVE BE AVOIDED. BUT NOW..." He held out his hands and a ball of magic appeared between them. "YOU'LL BE THE ONE TO DIE!" He threw the magic sphere and hit Erza, creating a massive explosion that sent her skidding along the ground.
"What is he?" Jellal asked before a tendril pierced his gut. Like a demonic chameleon, Midnight pulled his prey back and swallowed him whole.
"THAT FOOLS REIGN WAS A LIE." Midnight said wiping his mouth. "EVEN AFTER THE COUP, I WAS STILL TO SCARED TO SLEEP."
"All of you were there, in the tower?" Erza asked in shock before flashing back to the group fight. "That's what Cobra meant..."
"DON'T YOU DARE ACT BETTER THEN US!" Midnights mouth opened again and his tongue pierced Erza. "YOU'RE JUST AS GUILTY AS HE IS! WHILE EVERY ONE OF US SUFFERED, YOU FLED LIKE A COWARD! AND NOW THAT YOU'VE REUNITED WITH HIM, YOU JUST IGNORE ALL HES DONE?!" He pulled his tongue up and studied Erza, showing her completely limp.
"IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO TORTURE YOU FOR YOU FAILURES. AH, WELL." He plucked Erza off his young and held her high abouve his mouth. "AT LEAST YOU'LL MAKE A DECENT SNACK." He let go and she fell to his mouth. A 'Shing' rocked the world as it split in half before shattering.
Jellal stared in shock as Midnight fell to the ground before looking at his abdomen. 'How? I was dead, I know I was. He was a towing monster.'
"The illusions... failed?" Midnight gasped out. "How?..."
"It too bad for you that illusions have no affect on me." Erza said, her false eye the only one open. "Though I guess it's not like you could have known that."
Midnight stared up at the sky as tears wield up in his eyes. "I lost... but I'm stronger... then them all... even father... I'm not suppose to lose..."
"If you find such joy in tormenting others, then you deserve to lose." Erza said back.
'My prayer... the only thing I wanted... was to sleep in peace...' His eyes closed as he lost consciousness looking at the moon.
'This is who Erza really is..." Jellal thought as the wind blew around them.
"If you truly wish to be strong, find your own weakness first." She told the dark wizard. "And never give up fighting."
Does anyone else think that Midnight's magic is freaking awesome!? Bend your opponents attacks back at them, sign me up for that school of magic. What is it, illusion, alteration?
The character of Midnight was always a little weird for me. Hell, I couldn't even tell what GENDER he was until he started talking.
There are only two chapters left until the end of this arc so I just have one question. Daphne arc MY way, yes or no?
Beta read by Natsu is Awesome.