Here's the next chapter, I hope you'll enjoy it.
NinjaFang1331 - Thank you so much.
djinn - Thanks so much. We finally come to the grand finale of the Tower of Heaven arc, I hope you'll enjoy it.
Guest - Thank you so much and than you as well for the support. Life's tough and unfortunately I can't make money out of fanfiction (it would be cool if it did. Kind of like a Youtuber). I'm glad that you liked Night fighting with his Clan one last time, I think Jellal deserved it for making them scapegoats. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, thanks again.
Lelouch of Zero - I know what you mean and, yeah, what Aisling's story was really sad and, in this chapter, we will discover what happened to her. It was tricky in regard to Night and Natsu's fight. I don't want to overshadow Natsu's involvement, but I don't want to completely copy the original manga. I'm glad that you enjoyed it nevertheless. Simon will survive, but I have some plans for him later on which means he won't be reunited with Kagura any time soon. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter just as well.
Skull Flame - Glad to hear it, thank you.
GhostlyDrew - Thank you, you're too kind. I will try my best to update as much as I can.
danielsnow - Thanks for telling me. I might consider getting an editor.
I'm not quite sure about the…the spanking part, but we will see the relationship between Erza and Night develop more in this chapter. I do hope you'll enjoy it.
wellingtonlucas282 - No problem, glad you enjoyed it.
MDM11 - Thank you so much, I'm glad that you liked it. Once again, I see what I can do with your suggestions. Thanks again for reading.
Rowlets and Oshawotts - Haha! I'm happy that you liked that chapter. I'm eager to hear what you think of the rest of the story.
Chapter 25: Freed At Last
Sgeul An Trom-laighe Agus An Damhan-allaidh
The Story Of The Nightmare And The Great Spider
Long ago,
When the Great Fear soon to be called the Nightmare journeyed across the island in search of his new magic,
He came across a monstrous spider who lived in in the middle of web-infested forest.
It had six blood red eyes, black barged hair all over its body, its strong legs were twice the size of a man and as thick as an oak,
But what was feared the most was the venom that dripped from its mouth.
It would sink its sharp fangs into any poor creature, no matter the size, who gets caught in its trap and injects them with its poison,
The prey would become insane, flail on the ground, scream and shriek until it had come too much and would die of fright,
The Spider would watch in glee at its torment before consuming them and used their carcases as decorations.
The Great Fear knew that the monster had to be stopped,
He travelled to the deepest depths of the creatures web and slung a rock at one of its eyes,
Blinded and enraged, the Spider chased the Great Fear to the edge of its domain, toppling trees and spitting its venom as it went.
The Great Fear ran until he found the largest tree in the area and stopped before it,
He waited until the monster brandished its silvery fangs and pounced on him but dodged before it could hit him,
The Spider, caught unawares, flew past him and sunk its fangs deep into the large trees trunk,
The monster squealed and struggled to pull its prized fangs from the tree, but they were too deep for it to pull them out.
Not hesitating for a second, the Great Fear used an axe and slashed the Spider's head from its body,
The body and all eight of its leg fell limp on the ground,
The head gave one final cry of anguish, but it too died a mere few seconds later.
Its venom continued to seep into the wood of the tree, infecting it with its power,
The Great Fear found that he could use its poisoned wood to create a mask for himself,
It allowed him to use the Spider's ability to cross the border between reality and fantasy, control the dreams of anybody he comes across and cause restless and fatigue amongst his foes.
He had become what we know of today as the Trom-laighem,
The master of nightmares.
Unknown Place
Erza was sure she wasn't supposed to be here.
The last thing she remembered was being absorbed into the Lacrima Crystal and seeing Night Terror cry for her to come back and then it all went dark. It took her a few seconds to realise where she was; her mind was foggy and confused, but now she was starting to recognise where she was. It was raining; a sort of rain that soaks through your clothes and chills you to the bone no matter how much you wear. She was back in Magnolia; at the cemetery right next to the cathedral where all of her guild members dressed in black were crowded around one a grand monument of a red-haired knight on a horseback; below the statue was a single tomb with a head stone engraved with the words:
'Erza Scarlet'
Erza shivered as she saw her own grave and the guild members she considered like family gathered around it. Lucy, Grey, Cana, Mirajane, Elfman, Lisanna, Happy, Ultear, Levy, Jet, Flare, Droy, Bisca, Alzack and even Makarov were staring down at the grave in grief. She even saw the members of the Magic Council in the dark robes standing at the back in respectful silence. Some of them were crying while others tried to hide their emotions well. Strangely enough, she didn't see Natsu nor Night Terror among the crowd. Nobody seemed to see her; it was as if she was a ghost, but, then again, if she staring at her grave...then it must mean she was a ghost after all.
The sight was devastating; not because she was witnessing her own funeral, but because of the sorrow on each of her friends' faces.
This was not what she wanted.
She sacrificed herself so that everybody could live on happily; so that no other child has to suffer at the hands of enslavement; so that Earthland can be saved from the devastating effects of Jellal and his evil...but they didn't seem happy at all.
"Was it not enough," she whispered to herself as she watched Makarov step up to her grave.
He wore his best clothes for the occasion, not caring about getting them soaked by the rain. He laid one hand upon her grave; his face filled with regret and pain. Eventually, after a few seconds, he spoke out to the crowd.
"She...Erza Scarlet...was loved by God and she loved God...and she loved all of us, her dear friends..." he said in a grave tone, "Her heart was bigger than the endless sky and her sword gleamed brilliantly for the sake of those she loved. Her figure, dancing like a fairy, was more beautiful than any of nature's great vistas," he sighed and closed his eyes, "Love makes people strong. And it is love, too, that can make people weak...I..." he sniffed as tears began to fall from his eyes, "...I loved her like my own daughter...I pray that she might rest in peace..."
She felt her own heart clench at his speech, a single tear rolling down her cheek. She looked over the crowd of mourners. All her friends, some she had grown up with, were looking down in misery with their stone-cold expressions. She took a step back away from them and shook their head; she wanted to scream at them, yell at them to stop and for the to forget her; but she found that nothing came out of her throat.
'This is not what I wanted,' she thought as she gritted her teeth in anguish, 'I didn't want to cause this much pain.'
Suddenly, she gasped when she felt something placed on her shoulder; she looked around and saw an all too familiar metal claw.
"I am sorry you had to see this, Miss Erza," Night Terror sighed, causing the red-haired knight to look up at him, "It must be upsetting to see our guild like this. Even I am feeling rather uneasy."
"N-night?" Erza gasped, her eyes widened in surprise, "What are- How- You didn't follow me into the Lacrima, did you?"
"Do not worry, I did not. In fact, I am not technically here at all."
She frowned in confusion before she quickly realised, "This is a nightmare, isn't it?"
"A nightmare that is in threat of becoming a reality if you do not come back, Miss Erza," he told her, "I am here because of the necklace you had given before you entered the crystal. I have reason to believe that it was given to you by a member of the Trom-laighem kin or the Nightmare family. They devote themselves to controlling dreams and nightmares using a substance known as Leaghan Bruadar which was taken from the venom of an ancient monster spider. When consumed, it slows the taker's heart rate significantly until they are on the border between living and dead; in this state their consciousness can leave their bodies and enter into their own dreams. If they are careful and taken precaution, then they can enter and travel their own subconscious like a lucid dream, but if they are not careful, however, then they'll start to think that their surroundings were real...and die of a heart attack," Night Terror sighed grimly, "Nightmares have adapted Leaghan Bruadar to enter others people's dreams without threat using their masks. I, unfortunately, did not have any choice."
"But would that mean you would enter your own dreams?" Erza asked.
"It would," he said with a slight tilt of his head, "If the Leaghan Bruadar had not been absorbing your fears for the past years. Without a proper host, the substance can be used to eat bad dreams from the closest person and provide them with a peaceful slumber. Your necklace has been recoding all your worries, grief, regrets and fears...and now I can see them all," he waved at the scene before her, "This one is precisely the one you needed to see at this moment."
Erza turned her eyes down at the ground and shook her head, "You're wrong. This is not a fear of mine. I sacrificed myself for the good of others. I can't help, but wish for a more noble death," she looked and sighed when she saw her friends weeping at the her grave, "They will soon move on. It might take a while...but all of them are strong. I believe that they can live without me."
Night Terror stared at her for a few seconds before he sighed, "Forgive me, Miss Erza."
She frowned and turned to him, "For wha-ow!" she cried suddenly as the Phobos flicked her forehead, "What the hell was that for!?" she demanded as she rubbed her head.
"Because you completely missed the point," he calmly responded, "Our guild may live on without you, but you were the reason that made living worthwhile. Have you ever stopped and wondered how important you are to everybody? You are one of the strongest mages in Fairy Tail; a pillar in maintaining its prestige and a great ally and friend. Do you really think you can sacrifice yourself and think that nothing will happen? We will be heartbroken without you; a scar that even time cannot heal, Miss Erza..." he gave her a firm look, "...what you are doing is completely selfish."
"Selfish!? How am I being selfish!?"
"For doing something and not thinking about how we feel. How deeply saddened we will be without you."
Erza was about to argue, but found that she did not have the effort to. Her anger subsided and she gave sad sigh.
"How would you know anything about this?"
"Because...I am selfish as well," he told her, making her look up at him surprise, "I too sacrifice myself for the betterment of others. While it is noble and honourable...it does mean hurting the others we care about. I have recently come to terms with it and, with a little bit of help from my friends including you, I wish to get better," he told her as he reached out his clawed hand for her to take, "Come. There are two more things I wish to see before we leave. Then...we can finally go home."
Erza stared at the claw for what felt like minutes before she sighed rand took it, "I...do quite like to get out of here...so, let's get this over with," she told him, "But how do we do that?"
"I left that job with Mr Natsu. He will be providing me with CPR just in case I take a turn for the worst."
"...Did you ask Natsu if he actually knew what CPR is?"
...
...
...
...
"...We should probably do this quickly."
"I think so too," Erza agreed as their surroundings began to blur into nothingness.
After a few seconds, the environment began to morph into something that was very familiar to both of them. To the Phobos, he could tell that they were on the lower floors of the Tower of Heaven before it had turned into a Lacrima, but it was different in some places. They seemed to be in a mine pit with digging equipment scattered everywhere, overturned minecarts, and a few dead slavers slumped lifelessly across the floor. But what caught their attention was the young Erza, with her red hair cut short and an eyepatch over her right eye, lying on the ground. She looked like she had beaten up with bruises on her face, arms and legs and several cuts on her shoulders and back. However, despite her injuries, she looked up with a determined expression at a young Jellal perched on a pile of rubble. There was a darkness in the boy's eyes; a menacing fury that shouldn't belong on a human. With a vicious smirk, the young Jellal climbed down from the rubble towards the young Erza.
"Fine, if you want to leave so bad, then go by yourself," he snarled darkly.
"By myself?" the young Erza questioned as she began to tremble in fear.
Erza clenched her jaw tightly as she watched this scene and looked down at the ground, "I remember this. I started the slave rebellion and set everybody free. Jellal had been taken by the guards to be tortured so I went to look for him. However, when I found him...he had already been corrupted by Zaref's power," she muttered before she looked up at Night Terror, "Why are you letting me experience this?"
Night Terror glanced at her before he studied the scene playing out, "This is important," he said seriously, "My apologies."
"The others all belong to me," Jellal continued, "I'll need sufficient manpower to complete the Tower of Heaven. You don't have to worry; I won't be like those guys. I will give everybody clothes, give them food and let them rest, because labouring under fear and brutality is much too inefficient."
"What are you talking about? Everyone is already on the ship!" young Erza cried, "They're all waiting for us! They'll never come back to this island to work!"
"Those guys never told them the purpose of their labour. I will tell them that the true purpose of their work is to revive a great magician known as Zaref."
"Jellal...please," young Erza murmured.
"I don't need you anymore. But I can't let you go. What happened is not to be spoken of to anyone. If the government gets wind of the Tower of Heaven, this rare opportunity will be ruined," he raised his hand at her, the palm of which began to glow dark as deadly magic began to take form. Young Erza began to weep while Jellal smiled sadistically down at her, "If you weren't so difficult...then maybe you could join me at my side."
Young Erza closed her eye as the dark magic burst from his plan towards her; she covered her face with her arms and waited for the magic to hit her…
…but it never came.
Instead, she heard a cry of pain in front of her and the sound of something impacting person as if somebody was hit with the stomach. She cautiously opened her eye and gasped when she saw there a familiar person standing in front of her with their back turned to her, with one arm outstretched in a protective stance and the other holding a magic infused club that she had used to batter Jellal away.
At first, Erza was relieved to see someone come to her rescue, but she then looked down and saw, to her horror, a circular hole right through her torso where her stomach should have been. She may have saved her, but she also took a hit from Jellal's dark magic in the process. Aisling looked back at her and, despite the blood spurting out of her mouth, gave her a bright, loving smile like a mother would give a child.
"Didn't…see you…at the…docks," she gasped out before she slumped unto her knees, the club dropping into the pool of blood surrounding her, "Came…looking…for…you…I was…worri-"
And with one final gasp, Aisling slumped onto her side and died with the sweet smile never leaving her face.
The young Erza stared down at Aisling in terror; an sob escape from her lips as tears formed in her eye, but she knew she couldn't mourn her. She got to her feet, turned around and sprinted as fast as could before Jellal could recover.
The blue haired boy grunted in pain and picked himself up as he rubbed the side of his head from where the club smacked into him. He opened one eye and snarled when he saw her run away down one of the tunnels. He picked himself up and screamed after her.
"FINE! RUN AWAY FOR ALL I CARE! BUT IF YOU TELL A SINGLE SOUL ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED HERE THEN I KILL ALL OF THEM. WALLY, MILLIANNA, SIMON, SHO! THEY'LL BE DEAD AS LONG AS KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! DO YOU HEAR ME, ERZA! THEIR LIVES ARE IN YOUR HANDS!" he yelled as the young Erza continued to run into shadows of the Tower.
Their surroundings began to blur once again to signify the end of the nightmare. Erza stared guiltily at her feet while Night Terror closed his eyes and bowed his head sadly; it was hard for him to see one of his own people die before him, but he needed to know what happened to Aisling. Erza clenched her fists tightly and gave a mournful smile.
"I'm…sorry. I was-"
"It was not your fault, Miss Erza," the Phobos told her, "It was my clansmen decision."
"But she didn't have too. She had a daughter, a family that she could have gone back to instead of protecting me."
Night Terror shook his head, "Her family would have died when the clan did…I have a feeling that, deep down, she already knew they were gone," he looked towards her and smiled gently from underneath his mask, "Perhaps…she just wanted to feel like a mother…just one more time."
Erza glanced up at him before she looked away once again. Despite the circumstances, she couldn't help but feel happy with that.
"You mentioned one more," she sighed miserably.
"Indeed," Night Terror gravely said, "A nightmare that concerns…the two of us," Night Terror suddenly grunted in pain and placed a hand on his heart, making Erza look over in concern, "We need to be quick."
"Let's get it over with," Erza said before their surroundings changed once again.
After a few seconds, the area unblurred itself to reveal them standing in the middle of the forest. They stood upon a crest of a hill which overlooked a small tranquil lake. This was a place both of them recognised; they were in the forest which surrounded Magnolia; it was one of the more secluded parts of it where trekking through it was difficult.
Despite this, they saw a figure sneaking through the trees up the hill before stopping behind one nearby oak tree. It was a young Erza once again, but it looked like a few years had passed since the event of the Tower of Heaven. She looked to be in her early preteens and was already wearing a child's suit of armour; her hair was longer and was in a plait and her right eye had been replaced by a false one thanks to Porlyusica's medical knowledge. They watched her take a few deep breaths before she poked her head around the tree and looked down towards the lake. They also looked and saw a figure in a familiar dark hooded robe trying to manipulate a shadowy tendril with his Shadow Magic. The young Night Terror was not as threatening as he was now; he was much shorter and there was an empty void of darkness beneath his hood where he would, years later, fill with his skull mask. He tried his best to make the tendril form a shape of a fist, but seemed to be struggling to do so; just when he thought he could manage it, he gave a strangled gasp and dropped to his hands and knees which caused the shadow tendril to retreat beneath his robe.
The young Erza frowned at this and was about to reveal herself to him...when he did something she was not expecting.
The young Phobos reached up to his hood and pulled it off his head to reveal the face of a young boy with shaggy black hair, pale skin and green eyes. She gasped in shock and immediately pulled away and hid behind the tree again; after a few seconds of waiting, she cautiously peeked down at the boy once more and sighed in relief that he had not noticed her.
Erza's eyes widened as they both watched the scene play out before them and looked over to the older Night Terror. Seeing him not responding to the secret she had kept from him for all these years. She didn't mean to and she wouldn't even think of telling anybody what he looked like.
She gave a shaky sigh and turned and continue to watch the young Erza look down at the young Night Terror from her hiding place. She watched as it he punched the ground underneath him in frustration and mutter something in Timorin that she was unable to understand. After a few minutes, he eventually got up to his feet, pulled his hood back over his head and began to conjure another shadow tendril from his robe. Young Erza gulped nervously as she gripped the bark of tree concealing her tightly; after a few seconds of internal debate, she turned around and sneaked away; the young Phobos didn't notice her.
Their surroundings turned blurry once again, but Night Terror continue to stare silently into the distance. Erza was about to ask if he was alright when he suddenly looked her way.
"What were you about talk to me about?" he asked her.
She blinked in confusion at the question, "Night... I'm sorry about that-"
"Do not worry about that now," he told her, holding a claw up to make her stop, "That was in the past...there is nothing I can do about it now. It was my own mistake for not checking my surroundings. What I am more eager to learn is what you were doing."
Erza frowned and looked away, "I just wanted...to talk. Master Makarov told me about you being the last Phobos and told me I should go and talk to you about what happened to me at the tower...but I couldn't," she closed her eyes and shook her head, "You had lost your own people, you are far away from home and you were completely alone...you just seemed too sad and tired for me to burden you with...what I had been through. You were working towards your own goal and I guess I wanted to work towards my own. I'm sorry Night Terror...I should have told you, but I thought I was doing the right thing."
She sensed someone in front of her and looked up to see the Phobos looking down at her; she didn't know how, but she somehow knew that he was smiling comfortingly down at her.
"Miss Erza," he said, but not in his cold, hollow voice. It sounded warm and hopeful as if his tone was assuring her that everything will be alright, "I think it's time to put this to an end and move past this. We may have strived away from each other and it resulted in us fighting each other. But now...we can become better together. I do not hold any grievances with you and you have none with me. Perhaps this is an opportunity for us to work together...not just as guild members, but as friends," he reached up and took off one of his claws to reveal his hand and offered it to her, "Why don't we end this nightmare together."
Erza said nothing for a few seconds, but then a relieved smile to from on her face and a single joyful tear roll down her cheek. She took his hand and shook it.
"Yes, let's end it together."
Night Terror chuckled slightly before he grunted in pain and fell to his knees. Erza immediately held him by the shoulders to keep him up straight; worry evident on her face.
"Night, the Leaghan Bruadar is poisoning you. You need to wake up before you're killed," she told him.
"Just a few more seconds," he grunted, "I can sense Mr Natsu bringing us to safety...wherever that may be."
"My body was absorbed in the Lacrima. There is no way of bringing me back now."
Night shook his head, "Mr Natsu can bring your body back...I know he can. The only challenge is to convince your mind that you want to come back which is my job," he looked up at her with a serious look, "I have seen your fears and they have been settled. We can start all over again and all you have to do is want to come back. Do you wish to go home, Miss Erza?"
Erza stared him straight into the black eyes of his mask; while it was true that she wanted to sacrifice herself in order to save everyone...there are other things she wanted to do. She wanted to see her friends again; Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Grey and the rest of the guild and see their bright smiles once again. She wanted to be reunited with Millianna, Wally, Sho and Simon and see them free at last from the tower. And now she wanted to make amends with Night Terror, go on missions together, talk and laugh to him, and become, for the first time in years, friends with him. There were so many things she wanted to do that now her sacrifice was obsolete.
She wanted to live. She wanted to be free.
"I want to go home," Erza told him.
And as soon as she said those words, everything went dark.
Akane Beach
Erza woke with a start and shot up into a seating position.
Her mind took a few moments to process what was going on; she was currently sitting on a sandy beach with a palm tree looming over her. The waves lapped gently on the shore, the sea breeze blew softly around her and the night sky was filled with bright stars twinkling brightly. She blinked in confusion, wondering how the hell she got here. She grabbed a handful of sand beside her and let the cold grains pour from her hand; it certainly did feel real which must mean she was alive. But that still didn't answer all her questions.
"We on Akane Beach," a voice told her, making her jump and look around to see an eighteen-year-old young man with short, messy black hair and green eyes sitting not too far away behind her, "I reckon the resort is a few miles away that way," he said, pointing down the beach with a silver clawed hand, "I have no idea how Mr Natsu did it...he's an extraordinary person."
Erza stared at him for a few seconds before it clicked in her head, "NIGHT!" she cried before she turned her head away, "WHY ARE YOU NOT WEARING YOUR MASK!?"
Night Terror gave a tired chuckle, "Is there any point? You've already seen my face."
"THAT WAS AGES AGO!" she yelled, "I...I SHOULDN'T-"
"Miss Erza," he said cutting her off, "It is fine. Honestly. Mr Natsu has gone to retrieve our friends and will not be back for a while. Once they get here, I will put it back on."
After some time, Erza eventually turned back to him and studied his face once again before muttering, "Weird."
"Hrrk!" Night Terror flinched at that.
Erza's eyes widened at what she did and she immediately waved her hands in front of her, "Sorry, I didn't mean you look weird. I just thought the situation is weird. I... just never pictured it ever happening. You are much paler than I was expecting."
Night Terror rubbed the side of his face and smiled in amusement, "Well, yes. Shadow Magic is awfully useful, but a Vitamin D deficiency is, unfortunately, rather inevitable."
Erza gave a ghost of a smile before she sighed, tucked her legs to her body and stared out into the sea once again, "How do you do it, Night Terror?"
"I take a lot of supplements throughout the day."
"No, not that," she said, "How do you move on knowing all that has happened could have been different. So many lives have been lost in the construction of the Tower and even more people have been scarred by it. Don't you ever wish you could go back and do it all over again and make better choices?"
The Phobos looked at her sadly before he got up, walked over to her and sat beside her on the sand, "All of the time," he answered, "But I know that can never happen so what's the point on dwelling on it. If you want to make a change then all you have to do is try your best with what you have now. If you are doing everything you can and your intentions are noble, then you can look back on yourself and realise how much you have improved and how many lives you effected for the better," he looked over the sea in front of him and gave a wistful smile, "Although, maybe some past events which were bad can create something good."
Before the two's eyes, standing upon the gentle water, were three ghostly figures. One they recognised as Aisling who looked much better and happier now that she was no longer bonded to the Tower while the other two was shaped like a man in his late twenties and a young girl standing next to him. The young ghost girl ran up to Aisling who immediately scooped the child in her arms and hugged her tightly to chest; gentle white tears rolled down her transparent cheeks as she held her daughter as tightly as can. The man walked up to them to which Aisling reached up to kiss him on the lips and hug him with her other arm. The family, after they reunited, turned away from them and walked towards the horizon; disappearing suddenly as the sun rose in the distance.
"Like a mother free to return to her family," Erza murmured, earning a nod in agreement from the Phobos. The red-haired mage then gently laid her head on his shoulder and gave a peaceful sigh, "You know...the more I think about it, I feel like we share a lot of traits. We both use armour to hide who we truly are, we both had difficult pasts and we maintain order in our guild. Have you ever thought of becoming an S Class Mage."
Night Terror hummed before he shrugged, "I will think about it."
Erza nodded before they both fell into comfortable silence and watched the sun rise over the horizon.
Akane Beach Resort
In a private room away from the bright lights and ruckus of the casino, Night Terror, Wally, Sho and Millianna sat around a table in silence. The three former members of Jellal's cult stared at the Phobos anger and suspicion while Night Terror calmly sipped his tea. Once he placed his cup down on the saucer, he locked eyes on each of the one at a time before he cleared his throat.
"I thank you for coming. I am sure that this situation can be tense," he said seriously as he leaned in closer, "But first...we need to address the elephant in the room," he looked over at Wally; the block man snarling in fury in reply, "Mr Wally...
...
...
...would you mind leaving it outside. It is rather distracting."
"No way!" Wally yelled as he hugged his giant stuffed orange elephant that he won at the nearby arcade to his chest, "It ain't leaving it out of my sight. What if some no good thug steals it!"
"Just do it, Wally," Sho sighed, "This is serious and, he's right, it's really distracting."
"At least put under the table or something so we don't have to look at it," Millianna told him.
"Fine," Wally muttered before he tucked the elephant at his feet, "Happy?"
"Thank you, Mr Wally."
It has been over a day since they had arrived at Akame Beach and met up with their guild members. The Phobos managed to conceal himself before they arrived. Lucy and Flare had run up and hugged Night Terror as soon as they saw him before making sure Erza was alright. Natsu and Grey were just glad that they were unharmed while Happy wept in joy as he hugged Erza's head. Juvia stayed in the background during the reunion, but smiled happily to see them altogether again. The red-haired mage smiled and released tears of joy to see her friends.
After recovering in their hotel rooms, they continued their holiday at the resort. Even Wally, Millianna and Sho joined them in the festivities; going on rides, playing games and having a lot of fun. Juvia, however, couldn't wait to sign up to become a Fairy Tail guild member and so decided to head back to Magnolia early, promising to meet up with them later.
What wasn't as pleasant was Simon's condition. As soon as he appeared at the resort, thanks to Night Terror's shadow travel, he was sent to a nearby hospital where they were treating his shoulder wound. They visited him and were relieved to hear that he was going to be fine and Simon was relieved to see that they had got away from the Tower. He didn't mention Jellal or ask what happened to him and none of them seemed pretty keen to mention him either. As far as they knew, Jellal was dead and buried underneath several tonnes of Lacrima rubble and they all seemed fine with it except for Erza and Night Terror. Erza was still upset about his turn to evil and still wondered what could have been if the circumstances were different. Night Terror, on the other hand, couldn't help but shake off the feeling that it wasn't the end. Jellal was a mere puppet to a more powerful foe and something like this won't hold them back. Maybe what Muireall had told him on the cliff side was right…something was coming…something dangerous.
He would have to become more vigilant from now on.
Now, he needed to have a long overdue talk with the former cult members and explain to them what happened.
"What do you want with us?" Sho grumbled angrily, "We're sorry for kidnapping Flare, but if you think we're going to apologise to you after everything-"
"That is not it," the Phobos cut him off, "While I am grateful for apologising for kidnapping Miss Flare; I am not asking for any other apology from you three or Mr Simon. All I want is to explain to you about what happened to the Phobos."
Wally sniffed at that, "Your friends explained it to us, but pardon us if we take that story with a pinch of salt. It just seems all convenient to be true."
"It is true. The Phobos Clan is no more. I know of a few survivors other than myself, but it is fair to say that we have disbanded definitely. We were attacked by a gang of bandits led by a man named Buia."
"Bandits! Ha! You must be yanking my chain!" Wally cried out as he slammed his fist on the table.
"An entire clan of Fear Magic users destroyed by bandits. Do you think we're stupid or something," Millianna chimed in, "Are you really going to lie to us after everything."
Night Terror bowed his head so he stared at the table, "They did not act alone...we were betrayed by one of our own," he told them in such a cold tone that surprised the two mages, "they were...angry at our Clans customs and sought to usurp our leaders, but they had not intended for Buia and his bandits to slaughter all of us. I cannot say for certain what their ultimate goal was or what they are doing now...but I am trying my best to find them and discover what is happening. I promise I will get to the bottom of it."
Wally and Millianna frowned and shared a look at his declaration; he sounded very sincere to them.
"Well...let's say that you're right," Millianna said with an annoyed sigh, "It doesn't mean we would automatically forgive you. We suffered for years at the Tower...something like that is not hard to get over."
Night Terror looked towards her before he pulled a stuffed toy of a yellow cat out of his cloak and set on the table before her, "Would this help?"
"IT'S KITTY CAT!" Millianna squealed in delight as she hugged the toy tightly, "IT'S SOOOOOOOO CUUUUUUUTTTTTEEEEE! MEOW!" she yelled.
"You're way too easy!" Wally shouted at her in disbelief.
Millianna, realising what she's doing, coughed and looked away in defiance with the cat toy still hugged to her chest, "It would take more than that, Phobos," she half-heartedly muttered.
Night Terror hummed, "Really. A good thing I decided to pick up extra."
He waved his clawed hand to a dark corner of the room; out of the shadows came a giant pile of cat stuffed toys of all sizes, colour and poses. The cat girl's eyes widened and her jaw dropped at the sight; she couldn't hold back any longer and she dived headfirst into the pile.
"MMMMMMEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOWWWWW!" she cried as she submerged in the pile of cute feline toys, "Thanks Night! I forgive you!"
"HOW THE HELL DID YOU FIND SO MANY!" Wally yelled in bafflement.
"I competed in many...many game booths around the funfair," he answered with a small chuckle as he watched Millianna rubbing her cheek against a pink cat, "I heard from Mr Natsu that Miss Millianna's room used to be filled with these and I assume they were all destroyed when the Etherion fired. It was a lot of effort...but it's worth it to see her smile happily."
Wally glanced back at Millianna, then at Night Terror and then he looked away as he gritted his teeth, "That's...that's pretty dandy of you, Phobos. Fine, if Millianna forgives you then so can I."
"Thank you, Mr Wally."
'I'm not the only easy person here,' Millianna thought with a sweat drop as she rolled her eyes at Wally.
SLAM!
"ARE YOU TWO INSANE!" Sho shouted as he slammed his hands down on the table, surprising all three of them, "That's it? That's all your revenge is worth!? He's a Phobos for crying out loud! His kind betrayed us!"
"Now hold on, Sho. You heard what he said; the Phobos can't protect us if they were already gone. There ain't nothing they could have done," Wally told him with a wave of his hands.
"Erza said that he was the one who saved Simon from Jellal," Millianna said from her mountain of soft toys, "If he was truly bad then he would have let him die."
Sho gripped his hands into fists, his eyes bulged and his teeth clamped together tightly, "I...don't...care. I don't care if the Phobos were destroyed. I don't care if your people were killed. I don't care about your forgiveness. You promised to protect us; to protect everyone from harm and you failed, but you couldn't even save yourselves and because of that hundreds of innocent people suffered day after day trying our best to survive. You gave us a false promise; made us feel safe when we should have been defending ourselves," he glared up at Night Terror and snarled, "WE TRUSTED YOU! AND YOU FORGOT ABOUT US AND LEFT US FOR DEAD! IT WAS YOUR STUPID IGNORANCE AND PRIDE THAT WE DEPENEDED ON! YOU DID THIS TO US! WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE MADE AN AGREEMENT WITH ALL OF YOU!"
A tense silence fell between all of them with Sho glaring daggers at Night Terror while the Phobos stared back calmly. Wally and Millianna looked from Sho to Night Terror, waiting for either of the two do anything; they wanted to say something to cool down the tension in the room, but found they were unable to say a word. Eventually, Night Terror was the first to respond; he reached into his cloak and brought a book and set it down on the table and pushed it towards Sho. The blond mage turned his attention to the book.
"What's this?" he hissed.
"I found it underneath a floorboard in a room at the Tower alongside a diary of a slaver who worked there. You would not have known her real name at the time, but Erza told me that you and the other slavers called her 'the boss'."
The three's eyes widened at that.
"I remember her," Millianna said, "She was one of the nicer guards...she was still very scary though."
"She gave us extra food," Wally muttered as he tilted his hat over his eyes, "I didn't see her after the revolt."
"What had that got to do with anything?" Sho spat impatiently.
"Her real name...was Aisling. She was a member of the Phobos Clan."
Sho stood to his feet abruptly and slammed his hands on the table, "Impossible. You're making this up."
"If she was a Phobos then why didn't she help us?" Millianna murmured sadly.
"According to her journal, she was sent on a mission to uncover the events happening at the Tower and whether they pose a threat. She disguised herself and reported back to our Clan on what she found. However, what she was not aware of was that the Clan was already killed when she was away and she was left alone. She remained hidden among the cult's ranks to avoid being caught...but it did not last for long," he gestured towards the book, "Open it. It is written in Timorin; a language that only the Phobos Clan know."
Wally, seeing Sho not moving an inch, picked it up and flicked through it, "He's right. It's no language I know. It looks old as well so he can't have written it himself."
Sho sighed and closed his eyes, "So what. It's just some old diary."
"That is what I thought at first, but then I read it last night and found that it was something even more interesting," he told them before he produced three pieces of paper from his shadows and handed one to each of them, "I have taken the liberty of translating each separate account for your convenance."
Cautiously, they all studied the paper in front of them. Millianna was the first to read out what it said.
"Millianna. Age: seven years old. From what I could gather, she was taken from a village in western Fiore where family members could possibly be. If search party doesn't find any then I know a friend back home who would be willing to adopt her. I know they would get along together because they both love cats. Note to self: find cat soft toy for her as soon as we're safe," she read out before she placed the paper down on the table down in disbelief, "Wait, what is this?"
Wally read his out next, "Wally Buchannan. Age: nine. No parents, but has an older brother called Richard who is also a slave. Must reunite them and find them a home for both of them on the island…" he trailed off slightly, a single tear drop running down his flat cheek, "This dame knew my brother."
"There are a total of 1,278 accounts in that book," Night Terror said, "every single one giving detail on each individual slave working in the Tower; their names, ages, potential family members and plans for what would happen once they are free. Out of all those accounts, 1,200 of them said that they would require a Phobian search party to find any missing family, 647 of them suggested giving them a home on the Island of Fear and 296 children recommended to be adopted by Phobian families. Aisling risked her own life to record every single victim at the Tower of Heaven in that one book; all because she hoped that you would all live better lives. Mr Sho would you please read out your account."
Sho hesitantly reached out and picked up his paper to read, "Sho. Age: six. No known family, but has developed a familial bond with Erza Scarlet; seeing her as his older sister. He seemed to like the cards I had smuggled to him on his birthday and I reckon he might pursue a job as a mage just like Erza. Since I can't bear to separate them…" he trailed off in shock. He slowly sat down on his seat and stared blankly down at the paper, "…I would have to…adopt him like along with Erza. I'm sure Una would love…an older brother and sister," the let the paper drop from his hand, staring in disbelief down at the table in front of him, "I don't believe it," he muttered, "the cards were from her? I thought one of the guards left them," he turned his dark eyes up to Night Terror, tears threatening to spill from them, "Was...she really going to adopt both of us."
Night Terror sighed deeply, "Aisling was truly a kind person who loved you all like her own children. It was difficult for her to maintain her act throughout her mission, but she knew that it was all for your safety. If they discovered who she was...they would have executed her and you would have suffered even more," he bowed his head slightly to them, "I will not pretend that our Clan was perfect; we did have our faults that are becoming more and more apparent. However, we cared dearly for the innocent and would have done anything to help them just like our ancestors. It is a legacy that I am willing to uphold as well. Aisling proves this in her accounts; we may have failed to protect you...but we never forgot about you. Any of you."
The three stared down at their paper in ambivalence, not quite sure whether to feel glad that Aisling did this for them or feel regretful that it never became a reality. They now saw that the Phobos Clan, even after they were dead and gone, still tried their best to protect them and one of them put their life on the line for their safety. It made them feel guilty for blaming them for every wrong and evil that had been inflicted on them.
After a while of silence, Sho glanced over to the book, "You said that she recorded every prisoner in that book and where their family could be, right?" he asked, earning a nod from Night Terror, "Would you please translate the other accounts for us?"
"What are you planning, Sho?" Millianna asked.
For the first time since entering this room, the blond haired mage gave a determined smile despite their tears, "I want to find everybody in that book. Every single victim and their families...and I want to tell them the truth about everything. I don't care how long it takes."
"Now hold on there," Wally said, lifting his hands up in defence, "I thought we promised Erza we'll join Fairy Tail. It ain't dandy to go against a promise."
"But we have to," Sho said, "Imagine how many families out there haunted by what happened at the Tower that deserve to know what happened. You two don't have to come with me and once I'm done, I'll finally join. I just...I just need to tell them that the nightmare is finally over."
Wally and Millianna shared a look and came to a silent agreement.
"Well, we should probably get a move on. We've got a lot to cover," Wally said as he stood up from his chair and pointed at the pile of stuffed toys, "Oh and Millianna, you can't take all of them with you."
"What! No fair!" she cried.
"I'm not carrying them toy critters across Fiore!"
Sho gave the two an odd look, "W-what are you doing?"
The cat girl gave a cheery smile, "We're coming with you. Meow! I'm sure Simon would join once he gets out of hospital."
"We ain't letting you go on your own," Wally said with a smirk, "Besides my brother is out there somewhere and I want to find him."
"But what about Erza?"
"I am sure Miss Erza would understand," Night Terror reassured them, "But at least tell her before you leave. She would want to say goodbye to you."
Sho blinked in surprise as he looked at his two friends. Eventually a smile graced his face, "Let's go and find them. All of them."
"Alright!"
"Meow!"
A knock at the door interrupted their small celebration as a casino employee popped his head in, "Sorry to disturb you. Which one of you is Night Ter-" his eyes landed on on the Phobos, causing him to gulp fearfully, "You have a message from the Fairy Tail guild. They say that there is an urgent matter and you need to return as soon as possible."
Almost immediately Night Terror shot up from his chair and headed to the exit, grabbing the book as he went, "I will translate the rest as soon as I can, however I need to leave. Good day and good luck," he hurriedly said.
"Wait, Phobos!" Sho called, making him stop at the door and turn to him. Sho paused for a few seconds before he smiled, "...thank you...for everything."
NighTerror also smiled from beneath his mask; he nodded at them before he turned back and headed out of the door, leaving the three all along in the room.
Fairy Tail Guild
As soon as Night Terror arrived, he was amazed that the entire guild has been rebuilt; bigger and better then it had previously been. It had been transformed from a simple guild hall to what looked like a stone palace with lavish spires, large stained-glass windows, a stone wall that surrounded the building and a grand gate which displayed the guild's name proudly. There was even a souvenir shop and outdoor sitting area so members can drink on bright sunny days. The interior was just as grand, the hall and its bar had been expanded to accommodate more potential guild members, downstairs there was a games room where members can play billiards and card games, a wooden stage where performances can be held and the biggest difference was that the second floor is open to anybody rather then being only for S Class mages.
However, he didn't have time to wonder any longer, Makarov said that something was urgent and he needed to deal with it as quickly as possible.
"Oh hey Night!" Cana called out from the bar, "How are you-"
"My apologies Miss Cana, but I need to find Maighstir Makarov this instant. He said something was urgent," he told her seriously.
"Indeed, it is," Makarov's voice spoke up. He turned around and saw the man himself standing in a doorway next to the bar, "Follow me please."
The Phobos followed the master through the door, down a corridor and stopped at a wooden door, "Maighstir, please, if this is serious then you needed to bring me back."
Makarov stopped and looked over his shoulder at him, "Oh it is serious. Very serious," he told him before he swung open the door which revealed an outside Olympic-sized swimming pool at the back of the guild where a few members are using at their leisure, "You seriously need to check out our new pool!" Makarov chuckled as he put on a pair of sunglasses, "Pretty cool! Huh?"
...
...
...
...
Night Terror wordlessly turned on his heel and walked away.
"Come on! It's just a joke!" Makarov yelled as he ran after him back into the main hall, "I do really need your help!"
The Phobos stopped, sighed drearily and turned back to him, "What is the matter?"
Makarov pointed at one of the bar waitresses who was wearing a new uniform, "What do you think? Do you think it's short enough?"
...
...
...
...
"I would like to give in my two weeks' notice."
"I'm sorry! Please don't quit!" Makarov yelled in panic, before he cleared his throat, "Seriously. There is a reason why I called you back here. Follow me to my office."
Night Terror sighed and followed him up a stairwell to his office in the upper floors of the guild. As they approached the master's office door, he felt two familiar presences coming from the office; one he was glad to see while the other...not so much. Makarov opened the door for him and he stepped in to see Juvia sitting in a chair in front of Makarov's desk. He noticed that her hair was cut short to her shoulders and wore a new dress and hat; she still wore the Fairy Tail emblem around her neck. As soon as he entered the room, Juvia's eyes lit up in delight and she smiled happily.
"Night, how wonderful to see you again," she chirped before she motioned to her hair, "Do you notice anything different about Juvia?"
The Phobos nodded politely, "Good day to you too, Miss Juvia and yes, I can see you have cut your hair and bought a new outfit. You look lovely."
Juvia squealed happily, holding her hands to her either side of her face, "Night noticed! Juvia is happy!"
'Well, it is very different from the original style, after all,' he thought with a sweat drop before he turned to the second person leaning his back on the far wall with his arms crossed over his chest, "Mr Gajeel...how very unexpected to see you."
The Iron Dragon Slayer and former member of Phantom Lord growled in anger, "Why are you here?"
"I belong to the guild," Night Terror stoically counted, "The real question is why you are here?"
"Juvia invited him," Juvia shyly told him, "Gajeel needed a guild to work at now Phantom Lord is gone and so Juvia thought...he could...work...here," she explained trailing off slightly.
The Phobos looked down at Makarov, who was calmly sat down at his office chair, questioningly. The master sighed at the look, closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.
"This is why I brought you back, leanabh. Before I accept Gajeel into the guild I wanted to see what your stance is. After all, you two fought during the guild war and I don't want any internal fighting."
Gajeel snorted, "It wasn't a fair fight...if you hadn't turned into that...thing, I would have kicked your ass."
"Gajeel," Juvia warned nervously.
"I wouldn't speak like that if I were," Makarov said, "Your acceptance depends on Night Terror's. If he denies your application then I'll be forced to turn you away."
The Iron Dragon Slayer snarled, "You're kidding me, right? That's bull crap. I need the money."
Makarov ignored his complaint and turned back to the Phobos, "Well, it's your call, leanabh."
The Phobos frowned in thought and looked at Gajeel who merely snarled at him, "I have two grievances: the first is what Miss Levy, Mr Droy and Mr Jet think of this. You had been the one to attack them if I had not shown up in time."
"That pipsqueak said she doesn't mind," Gajeel muttered, "who cares about the other two."
Night Terror gave Makarov a questioning look, earning a nod from him.
"He's right about Levy. Jet and Droy seem to still distrust him, but they agree as long as she does."
"I see," he murmured, "very well then. My second grievance is the fact that you know my name, Mr Gajeel. I do not doubt you know how serious this is for me."
Gajeel frowned and looked away, "Can't remember it."
Suddenly, he felt a metal claw grab his chin and snap his head forwards and up to Night Terror's face; it was so quick that he didn't even see him move.
"Do not lie to me," he threatened.
"I ain't lying!" Gajeel snarled back, pulling his head out from his grip, "I can't remember no matter how hard I try. It's like it disappeared or something after the war," he growled in annoyance and looked down at the ground, "In fact...I can't remember much about that day. You turned into that thing and knocked me out..." he frowned thoughtfully, "...then I was...taken somewhere."
"Taken?"
"Yeah...I just remember this green light and then I woke up in the ruins a few miles away," Gajeel said, "I have no idea who it was or what it was...it's just weird."
'Green light?" he pondered before he remembered experiencing something like it before, 'Like Muireall's memory curse. I must investigate this another time,' he thought before he stepped away from Gajeel and headed to the door, "I suppose that is satisfactory. Fine, since you convinced me, I will allow Mr Gajeel to join," he opened the door but before he left, he looked back at the dragon slayer one last time, "But one last slip up, Mr Gajeel then you will have to answer to me...and I will not be as forgiving," he warned before he left the room and closed the door behind him.
"Well, that's that," Makarov hummed before he grinned at the mage, "Gajeel Redfox welcome to Fairy Tail."
Gajeel snorted in disinterest, but Juvia clapped happily.
"See, Gajeel, Juvia knew that you would be accepted."
He rolled his eyes and glared down at Makarov, "Would you have really turned me away if he said no."
The master simply leaned back in his chair, "I knew it wouldn't come to that. Although he can be a little headstrong, he isn't unreasonable. If you ask for forgiveness then he will gladly give it to you. After all, all he wants is to protect his home."
Gajeel sighed and turned away, "Whatever, he muttered.
Although, he couldn't help but feel a little relieved to know that he was finally accepted somewhere.
Night Terror walked down the corridor which led back to the main hall so he could say hello to his fellow guild members. However, before he could he heard the sound of rapid footsteps running towards him.
"Night!" Mirajane cried happily as she skipped over to him, "You're back."
"Indeed, I am," he said in a friendly tone, "I was just coming down to meet you."
Mirajane giggled and gently took his hand and began leading him somewhere, "I've got something to show you. I think you will like it."
The Phobos raised an eyebrow in confusion but allowed her to lead him away. Eventually they arrived at their destination on the second-floor balcony that overlooked the ground floor; she led him to one corner of the balcony which looked different from the others. While the other corners were normal columns that rose up to the ceiling rafters, this one looked like a small viewing booth made of varnished wood about five foot long and wide and nine foot in height. There was a wooden door on one side which had a brass plaque with the words 'Night Terror- Please knock before entering' etched onto it.
Mirajane unlocked the door with a key and pushed it open to reveal a dark room with little light. Inside was a round table, two comfy chairs and a floral tea set placed on the table. The viewing booth looked out on both the stage and the bar down below and there were black curtains around the edges of the window to block of most of the light.
"I hope you don't mind, but I commissioned it myself," Mirajane said rather shyly, "I know you like your usual corner table back in the old guild, but I thought the new layout would be too well lit for you. But now you have this. It's dark and cool so you can relax and rejuvenate, you have your own brand-new tea set and, because of the way it's designed, you can see everything that goes on down below, but nobody on the ground floor can look up. Perfect if you want to take your helmet off without anybody seeing you. You can also have up to two guests in here in case you get a little lonely," she looked away with a blush and poked her two index fingers together, "Of course, you can always sit at the bar if you would like, but I thought you want some personal space within the guild. Do...you like it?"
Night Terror looked around the booth in wonder; it did feel nice and cool in here. It was nice to be back in the shadows from the long time spent under the sun. He looked over the side of the booth and saw the guild members happily chat, drink and planning missions together in peace; a sight that brought a smile to his face. He drifted over to one of the chairs and sat down; humming in delight in how comfortable it was. He tuned to Mirajane, who had been waiting for his response, and smiled brightly at her from beneath his mask.
"This is wonderful. I love it, Miss Mirajane," he told her earnestly.
Her heart skipped a beat and her face flushed in joy, "You do?! That's great!" she squealed before she calmed down and cleared her throat, "I'm so glad to hear it."
"Would you like to join me," he offered, "I will make us some tea."
She giggled and waved her hand, "I would love to, but I'll make it. I won't be long," she sang as she skipped out of the door and closed it behind her.
Night Terror chuckled at her enthusiasm before he leaned back in his chair. After a few seconds and checking his surroundings, he pulled down his hood, took of his helmet and placed it on the table. He sighed in relief at having his head free for the first time in a while before he looked out over the guild and watched his guild members go about their day.
Everything was at peace once again.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.
I was trying to post this chapter yesterday, but my wifi was acting up. Thankfully I was able to publish it today.
I hope you enjoyed the concluding chapter of the Tower of Heaven arc. I hope it didn't feel rushed. I know some of you would have liked for Wally, Sho, Millianna and Simon to join Fairy Tail and they will…later. I would quite like to see them go on a journey to find other victims of the Tower as part of their redemption arc.
Next chapter will be a silly filler chapter which I'm sure some of you would like. I hope you'll enjoy it just as much as I first thought of it.
Thank you and have a wonderful day :)