Firefall || Fairy Tail

73 : c r a c k e d . s k i e s

Gray nodded, the pain easing from his features, "I see."

"So..." the Dragon Slayer gave them a grin, "let's go to the guild with smiles on our faces."

"Aye!"

"Yeah!"

"Right!"

The four turned and headed back in the direction he had just come from, three of them still celebrating how great things were working out, but the boy at the back found himself looking up at the sky again.

'I took care of my part, Sis. Now you finish up and come home too.'

||~x~||

The warm breeze still sent a chill through most of them as they were gathered on the rock in their wet clothes. Silence had settled over the area, except for the calm crashing of the water around them.

It remained that way until Wendy noticed Kia's lashes begin twitching before her eyes gradually opened. She smiled down at Phoenix Slayer resting on her lap, "You're awake."

The older mage slowly pushed herself toward a seating position, one of her arms quickly finding its way around her midsection. Her stomach had done a flip the moment she had moved and there was a dull ache in her ribs.

"You shouldn't try moving around too much." Hibiki took a few steps closer, ready to help Wendy with the stubborn pinkette if need be.

But Kia stopped once she was sitting upright, her eyes scanning over her surroundings as she tried to piece everything together before turning back to the Trimen, "What happened?"

Wendy's gaze lowered to her hands in her lap as he replied, "Jellal jumped out to take over once you fell."

She could faintly remember the sensation of falling before there was an impact that sent her roughly into the water. Kia looked over to find the mentioned male still unconscious, his head resting on Erza's lap. Looking again, she couldn't help but notice a few missing faces she knew should have been there.

"And Acnologia?"

Hibiki's shoulder sagged slightly, "Ichiya and Anna pushed him into the rift with the Christina before it exploded."

Kia knew that she had been touch-and-go after hitting the water, but she couldn't completely wrap her head around everything she had missed. However through all of it, there was one thing she was certain she had heard over the water lapping over her ears.

"The Dragon King's era is over!"

His reign of terror...he was gone. Acnologia was gone.

'Can it really be over? Just like that...?'

It was Erza's voice that pulled Kia from her spiraling thoughts, "Besides that everyone else wasn't really hurt beyond you two idiots."

"How is he though?" she asked, not wanting to bother responding to the frustration in the redhead's tone.

As if sensing everyone's gaze directed toward him, Jellal began to stir. His eyes slowly opened to find the redhead looking down at him softly, "Erza."

There was a look in her eyes that Kia noted. Something between relief and tenderness.

"I didn't think I'd survive that."

Erza smiled softly, "I'm glad you did."

"But why? I was ready."

'So was I...' Kia found her gaze shifting out to look over the water. She wasn't dumb. She knew one of the reasons that Anna wanted to try and deal with Acnologia this way was so she wouldn't have to disappear. After all, she helped raise Kia too.