Chaos XVII
Lucy, Gray, and Juvia sailed right into the Tower of Heaven. Juvia camouflaged their small boat with Water Dome, the same spell she had once used to capture Lucy. The tower was less of a building and more of an oddly shaped structure-hastily thrown together materials stacked high into the clouds creating unstable platforms and bridges that swayed hazardously in the breeze. Railroad tracks, boulders, rotten wood. It was as if the construction materials were sourced from a junkyard. Lucy wondered why they needed to build such an eyesore. It couldn't be for any good reason.
The tower was heavily guarded. Armed mages with restrained monsters were posted along the entire perimeter. From Lucy's perspective, it appeared there would be no way in without a fight. She gripped her keys. Surely, she, Gray, and Juvia could take these guys.
"I've found a clear entrance." Juvia emerged from the water. Lucy didn't remember seeing her dive under. The few minutes of silence made sense now. "It's about a ten-minute swim; I'll lead us there." Juvia formed oxygen bubbles for the two who couldn't breathe underwater and pulled them along to a submerged cavern.
It seemed to have once been a boat ramp. Had the waters risen so much here? With the help of Pyxis, they navigated through the system of caves until they made it inside the tower. The interior was a lot less guarded than the exterior, and the three were able to quietly infiltrate the structure. They were making good distance until one misstep through an open archway threw everything off.
"Intruders!"
At the call, a mass of people burst out of hidden rooms or flew in on winged creatures. Lucy grabbed her keys, Gray got into ice-make stance, Juvia cast Water Slicer.
"Moon Flash!" A familiar spell took down half the flying enemies in an instant, the caster speeding past with a set of large wings.
"Erza!"
The redhead turned around and glared, requipping from her Black Wing Armour to her casual combat wear. The hostile reaction was unexpected, causing Lucy to recoil in surprise. "What are you doing here? Go back." Gray and Lucy's jaws dropped while Juvia flinched.
"What are we… we came to rescue you!" Gray shot an ice lance at an approaching enemy brigade.
"Did you not hear me? I said go back." Erza demanded, cutting down a monster with ease.
"No, we're not doing this again!" Lucy stepped forward, cracking open her whip. "If you don't want our help, that's fine. But Natsu and Happy were taken here too and we're going to find them."
"Chaos? And Happy?" Erza's eyes widened. "Don't tell me, Millianna…" She muttered. As her guildmates tried to go around her, Erza lifted a sword to block their path.
"What now?" Gray snapped.
"Millianna loves cats. She will do nothing to harm Happy. As for Chaos, he is well beyond his means to escape this place alone. Here, you do nothing but pose a risk."
"We can help!"
"This is my problem!" Erza shouted; a tear rolled down her left cheek. "I don't want any of you involved. I will be the one to face Jellal."
"Wait! Who exactly is Jellal?" Lucy called after Erza in vain. The redhead had already dashed off through one of the two grand doors at the end of the hall and was no longer within earshot.
"If she's going that way, we're going this way. Come on." Gray took off towards the other exit, Lucy and Juvia followed. They found themselves on a high pass with no rails. Lucy tried to ignore the dizziness that came when she peeked over the edge. The pass sloped downwards, and at the end was an outside access point. Hopefully from there, they could go up.
As they hurried down, footsteps echoing in the surprisingly vast space, Gray threw out a hand, stopping Lucy and Juvia from continuing. He put a finger over his mouth and pressed against the wall, the two girls copying the motion as they waited for the next moves. The sound of humming approached, then bouncy footsteps. From their vantage point on an upper pathway, they spotted a short, cat-eared girl skipping down the hallway below.
"Kitty, kitty~ I'm coming!" The girl sang. Lucy recognised her from the casino. While Erza was preoccupied with the poker dealer, that woman had knocked her out and tied her up. Undoubtedly, she had to have Happy. Her obsession with cats was evident by everything she'd said and done, she had probably taken the blue cat to be her new pet. Gray turned to his travel companions.
"That must be the Millianna girl Erza mentioned," he whispered. "I'll follow her. You two keep going, see if you can find Chaos. I'll get Happy and catch up."
The two girls exchanged tepid side-glances but nodded, allowing Gray to catch up to the cat-lady. Passively, Lucy and Juvia continued further into the tower in search of Chaos, hoping not to run into any trouble on the way.
Unfortunately, luck was not on their side. A long black-haired man waited shirtless in front of their exit, grinning maliciously. He wore spikes on his shoulders and chains on his trousers- clutching a guitar threateningly. Lucy's hands flew to her whip, Juvia conjured a ball of rushing water.
"Heaven's Game… BEGINS!" The stranger screamed. A loud chord of his electric guitar reverberated throughout the enclosed space. Lucy and Juvia threw their hands over their ears, the force of the vibrations physically pushing them backwards.
"Who are you?!" Lucy yelled over the noise.
"Vidaldus Taka." he sneered, voice dripping with cruel amusement as his fingers flew over the strings again. "Let's dance. Show me despair!"
"What kinda magic is this?! It's too loud!" Lucy yelled again, hoping Juvia could hear her if she hadn't already gone deaf. Juvia gritted her teeth in frustration before converting her form into that of water, rushing toward the sound mage.
"I actually think it sounds pretty cool," she muttered before she attacked. "Water Slicer!" Razor sharp blades of water were unleashed at the enemy. It proved ineffective as a sinister cackle escaped him. His hair began to whirl in front of him, coming to life as greedy tendrils, only consuming Juvia's attack. The music intensified and Lucy grimaced. Then, she noticed.
Beside her, Juvia had gone completely still. "Juvia?" she tried cautiously, taking a few steps back as the blue-haired girl began to tremble. Dark particles spread across her body, completely blocking her out. Dread crept at Lucy's chest. What is happening to her?
She emerged seconds later. Her hair was longer, and somehow, her signature raincoat had become a low-cut revealing top, a spiky choker, and tight leather pants. Dark lipstick came out of nowhere, and her eyes were now devoid of any life, staring blankly ahead as a smile-wicked as Vidaldus's-crept onto her face. Without warning, Juvia swung on her. Lucy dodged her fast fist, jumping backwards as Juvia dashed towards her.
Lucy finally unstrapped her whip, swinging it at the brainwashed water mage. Juvia responded by forming a whip of her own out of water. She didn't miss either—Lucy was struck in the back before she could dodge and sent tumbling across the floor. She slid to a stop, shaking off the disorientation.
She pulled herself back to her feet, breath ragged as she faced Juvia and her mind, she didn't stand a chance. Juvia was already much stronger than her and had beat her without the enhancements only a few weeks prior when Phantom Lord struck. To beat her and the overpowered stranger was simply not in the cards. What would he do? He would…
The wicked laughter of Vidaldus sounded again. He was really starting to piss her off. Before she could think, a giant wave was hurled towards her. Lucy frantically dove aside, the chilling blast of water narrowly missing her. The stone wall behind her was crushed, Lucy shivered. Juvia wasn't fooling around, so neither would she. She whipped out a celestial key, the only one she could use against this. When Juvia attacked again, Lucy thrust the key in the next wave. "Open, Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!"
Her strongest spirit emerged angered. Irritation blazed in her eyes as she turned on her summoner. "You again?" She growled, raising her vase threateningly.
"Now's really not the time, Aquarius!" Lucy dodged Water Slicer and pointed desperately at Juvia. Aquarius, livid as ever, unleashed an immense torrent of water, disrupting Juvia's relentless assault momentarily and nearly washing away Lucy in the process. But she created an opening. Juvia's eyes, only for a second, returned to brightness. Lucy ran to her, grabbing her hands before she was back under the magic influence. "Juvia, please fight it! We have to do this together!"
Juvia began to tremble again. Lucy hoped it was a good sign. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she strained to regain control. "Juvia must—try… for her friends…"
"Yes, try!" Lucy gripped her hands tighter, tears stung at her own eyes. Juvia's fingers slowly interlocked with hers. Magic power surged between them, merging into a dazzling storm of celestial brilliance and torrential waters. Lucy had never felt anything like this. Had she always been capable of contributing to such power?
In perfect harmony, their voices roared. "Unison Raid! Hydro Screw!"
A magnificent, radiant vortex spiralled forward, shredding through Vidaldus's defences. His guitar splintered; the music shattered into silence. He was launched out the opening in the wall and into the raging sea below.
Relief filled Lucy's body as a triumphant smile spread across her face. Then she slumped to the floor. Juvia too, their magic exhausted by Unison Raid. They laid side by side on the cold, wet floor. Heaving breaths synchronised as they recovered.
"I consider you a friend, too." Lucy said, breaking the silence. Juvia rolled to the side to face her, eyes wide.
Her mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to find the right words. "You mean, you forgive Juvia? After all she did to you and your guild?"
"Well, I think you've shown plenty of remorse just by accompanying us here. Plus, you saved Gray at the casino—and me just now." Lucy smiled. Juvia let out a happy sigh, staring back up at the ceiling.
Then, the sound of fast footsteps came barrelling towards them. Both girls' eyes darted to the right, only to see Gray running towards them. Happy floated behind him. Gray looked almost as beat as them, panting as he skidded to a stop before running them over.
"What happened here?" He asked, holding out a hand to pull Juvia to her feet. She swooned and clutched onto him—floating hearts almost visible around her head. Lucy stood up on her own.
"Never mind us, how'd you defeat Millianna?"
"Eh, not important." Gray rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Anyway, this owl dude attacked me right as I was getting outta there. He said something about Heaven's Game?"
"Gray turned him into a popsicle!" Happy floated over, Lucy caught him in her grasp before answering.
"Juvia and I were attacked too, by this man with sound and maybe hair magic? He mentioned that game too, I think. He was tough. Juvia really came in clutch."
Juvia felt herself blush, fanning it away. "Juvia couldn't allow her love rival to be hurt. What fun would life be without some competition?"
"Love rival?" Lucy deadpanned.
Suddenly, new footsteps approached. Steady, powerful ones. The fairies and Juvia got in their respective combat stances as another stranger approached. If the pattern was anything to go by, he was not here for a friendly chat. But the man put his hands up in surrender, so they lowered their weapons.
"You're the one who attacked me at the casino," Gray's hands remained icy as he carefully studied the dark mage's movements. "What do you want?"
"I would like to start of by apologising. Though it's barely been two nights, I am not the person I was at Akane Resort."
"Then who are you?" Lucy grasped her keys tighter, just in case.
"Simon." He provided. "I was working with Jellal, he has us all under a spell. My mind was corrupted with the single goal of fulfilling his plan— that is until I saw her. The sight of Erza freed me from the spell, and I remember everything."
Lucy felt her heart skip nervously. Could they be sure he was telling the truth? "Tell us more about what's happening here."
Simon nodded. "Jellal… he was always a kind soul. Years ago, something in him shifted. We were all enslaved here as children, forced to build this tower in terrible conditions." Simon paused to breathe. Lucy felt her breath hitch. Gray bit his tongue. "One day, Erza devised a plan for us to escape. We navigated the tunnels in the middle of the night, but right before we reached the sea, we were caught. They took Erza for punishment. She lost only an eye then, Jellal freed her by taking her place."
"Oh my…" Juvia's hand drifted to her mouth.
"Erza came to us after Jellal was taken. She gathered all the slaves to stage a revolt. She was desperate to fight back and save him. For days we fought. Many died, even the old man who taught us to read and write. He was once a Fairy Tail wizard, just like you, and told us to go there once we escaped before he was killed."
"He was in Fairy Tail?" Gray repeated, standing up taller. He would have to mention it to Makarov.
"Yes. Though Erza was the only one of us to make it out, it appears she was able to follow old man Rob's last advice."
Lucy raised a hand to the bottom of her face, contemplating the new information. "I can't believe this. How was she able to escape and the rest of you weren't?"
Simon was quiet for a moment as he thought. "This much, I don't remember. She found her magic during the revolt and used it to go after Jellal. After that, we never saw her again. Jellal emerged with a new cruelty, thrusting a new religion onto us. I believe he may have been tortured while we fought, and the cult must've hit him with some kind of spell that took over his mind. Somewhere down the line, we were inflicted with the same brainwashing."
"So, we need to find a way to free Jellal so he can call this sacrifice off."
"It may be possible. If the sight of Erza alone could free me, she may be the key to bringing him back to the light."
"Do you know where she is?" Juvia asked.
"I can't bring you there myself, he'll know I'm no longer under his influence. I must meet with my team before they get suspicious. Find the throne room at the top of the tower. That is where Erza will be sacrificed." Simon ran off, leaving the fairies to rescue Erza.
"We need to find this throne room. Let's hurry, we can't let her get hurt." Gray was off first, the rest of the fairies close behind. They would rescue Erza. No matter what.
"What the hell?" Natsu whispered as he felt himself morph back into his own body. Flames flickered across his knuckles as the feeling of mana returned.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, boy."
Natsu's unimpressed gaze zeroed in on the square-jawed mage seated comfortably in the centre of the room, one leg crossed over the other. Glancing behind, he watched the remains of his crystal confinement melt away. "You let me out?"
"I did."
"Your boss give you the okay?"
"The final sacrifice for the Tower of Heaven has already begun," the arrogant man gloated. "Releasing you now means nothing. The R-system is complete. History is being rewritten as we speak. I believe all men should bear witness to this glorious mom—"
Natsu dashed forward, driving a flaming fist into the square jaw that pissed him off so bad. A satisfying crack rang out. The man recoiled in surprise, scrambling to rise back to his feet as his hand flew to his face. Natsu didn't give him the chance, pushing a chaos-enhanced stomp kick into his enemy's chest.
And he was out.
"Witness that, fucking idiot." Natsu grumbled, making his way towards the thick source of mana at the top of the tower.
For Lucy and friends, finding the top of the tower came easily. The outside path led directly up, and for some reason, everywhere they went seemed completely unguarded. Lucy wondered if they had stationed all their troops at the base of the tower by mistake, or if there was a more sinister reason they were being invited in.
They stood on a platform in front of a grand staircase. Lucy had been tugged back by the straps of her dress before going up. Juvia shot her a hard glare.
"Why are we waiting?" Lucy snapped. "Erza should be here."
"Charging in blindly won't help anyone. We need to think this through. We don't know who's up there."
"Natsu is, according to Pyxis." The little spirit hopped by Lucy's feet.
"Hey… what's that?" Happy spoke quietly, cutting off Lucy and Gray's dispute. All three mages followed Happy's gaze to a beaming light, bright and striking against the cloudless night sky—and speeding right towards them. The light drew closer, and the tower began to shake. The Ethernano in the air was rising drastically. Whatever this was, it was powerful.
"We need to go." Gray took a few steps back.
"What is that?" Lucy asked, panic lining her tone.
"Etherion." Juvia provided, her voice hardly above a whisper. "It's the Magic Council's ultimate weapon. Jose tried to manipulate his hands onto it before the war, but it was far too secure for even him to weasel his way into borrowing, so he settled on Abyss Break. This is the strongest attack spell the country of Fiore can cast."
Lucy felt her mouth open. "Why would they send this here now? The military is right there—they know there's innocent people here!"
"Get down!" Gray tackled Lucy and Juvia to the floor, Happy folded in his wings and dived down next to them. Small bolts of magic power ricocheted through or past the tower, reducing the structure's defence prior to the big attack. Before the fairies could process the early hits, it was too late.
Etherion hit like a ton of bricks. Lucy was blown right back onto her feet and clutched a structural post for dear life as the full force of the blast consumed the Tower of Heaven. Her eyes stayed tightly shut and her mouth sealed to stop any debris from getting to her. She hugged the pole with every bit of her strength until the winds seceded and the noise died down.
"Is everyone alive?"
Lucy heard Gray's call loud and clear. "A-all good!" She forced herself to speak, terror still pumping through her veins. Opening her eyes, the dark structure around her now glowed a bright white. Crystals of pure mana protruded from every direction, proof of the absurd amount of magic power that hit.
"Juvia and Happy are safe." Juvia announced, dissipating a water lock and releasing the blue cat, who shook the wetness off and shivered before flying back over to Lucy. "Where should we—"
"Look out!" Gray grabbed Juvia by the arm, pulling her out of the way of a falling stone wall. The rock crashed into the floor with a loud bang, dissipating into dust. Juvia took the rescue romantically, cuddling into the ice mage's chest as she thanked him profusely for saving her. Gray was surprisingly unresponsive to the action, only looking around for more hazards. "We have to get out of here. It's unstable."
He started off in the direction they'd came, using new missing walls and floors as detours back to the base of the tower where their wooden rowboat waited.
"Wait!" Lucy called, chasing after Gray and Juvia. "They're right up there! Why are we running?"
"This place is about to collapse!"
"We need to help them!" Lucy pulled Gray's arm and planted her feet, ignoring the daggers being glared into her back.
"We'll just get in their way!" Happy cried, clinging to Lucy's dress. Too many times had he been snapped at by the dragon slayer for getting in the way. He knew Natsu was sure to release hell, and they all needed to leave.
The blonde's face fell. "Even you, Happy?" she muttered. "Fine, we'll let them handle it. But what happens if they can't?"
"They can!" Happy wailed. "Natsu can..."
"We have to put our trust in Erza too." Gray crossed his arms.
"I heard his battle with Gajeel was completely one-sided. If that says anything about his strength, he'll escape with Erza just fine." Juvia added. Lucy bit her cheek.
The next thing she knew, they were back in their little rowboat. She looked up at the tower as it faded into the distance.
"Are you sure leaving them is okay?"
"Since Chaos is up there, I'm sure it'll work out just dandy."
"It won't be dandy if they're dead." Lucy grumbled.
Suddenly, an explosion erupted from the top of the tower. Lucy scrambled to the edge of the boat, nearly toppling it over. Gray barely saving them from the sea by surrounding the boat with ice.
They all watched, eyes wide, as the tower began to crumble. And then there was the feeling of magic power. Too much. Who it was coming from—unclear. But the fire blazing up there was unmistakable, and the crimson and royal blue burning brightly in the night sky was confirmation.
And a battle broke out.