Vivian's P. O. V:
"I still don't understand—what are you trying to tell me, Erza-nee?" I ask into the device Gray gave me, as Natsu, Lucy, the Exceed and I sit cross legged on the floor.
"I'm a spy. Give me some credit! You think I would join some creepy Zeref cult?" Gray cuts in indignantly, startling me and Natsu. "It's time to get moving. We'll explain everything on the way."
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As we ride to the town on large Jaguars, Erza is currently explaining everything as we ride. "Several months ago, Jellal asked me to do a favour for Crime Sorciere. I was to investigate Avatar. Discover their connection to Zeref. The trail grew cold, and I just happened to reconnect with Gray. It ended up being a lucky break."
I ask, "How are we still hearing her?"
"We've got a portable communication lacrima. Anyway, after our last fight, this pattern broke out all over me. So I went to Porlyusuca to see if she could help," Explains Gray, riding in the front. "As you saw, now I'm able to make it appear and disappear whenever I want."
Erza continues, "So after we'd discussed our current situation, it was obvious we needed to come up with a plan to work together."
As Natsu and I ride on opposite sides of Gray, he says, "It was fate. Of course, I would do anything for Erza. Not only that, I wanted to get my hands on the book of E. N. D. My dad's last wish was for me to destroy it."
Natsu questions, "Yeah, okay, but why didn't you tell Juvia about this? She's literally worried sick!"
Erza says, "I know. It's because I asked him to keep it a secret. A covert mission such as this needs to be kept confidential. The more people that are made aware of it, the more likely it is to fail. And, also, mere knowledge of the plan could put someone in danger."
Happy asks, "So you kept her in the dark for her protection, huh?"
Natsu mutters, "Still a crappy thing to do!"
Erza says, "I feel bad for what Juvia's had to go through. And, unfortunately for all of us, the mission has lasted much longer than I first anticipated. The situation has changed dramatically. It started out as a routine investigation, but then... we learned of their Diabolical Purification Plan."
"Avatar's gonna wipe out an entire city, because they think it'd summon Zeref. They actually believe the sight of concentrated death like that will attract their dark lord," Gray tells us. "It's up to us to stop that from happening, no matter what it takes!"
I ask, "Why didn't you guys just wipe them out in the beginning? Something like that would've been easy for you and Erza-nee."
Gray replies, "You'd think, but you'd be wrong. After a little digging, we found out Avatar is a way bigger organisation than we thought. I was able to infiltrate to some degree, but only inside a single branch. Each one is kept seperate, and has limited contact with the main headquarters."
"That left no room for error, but we still couldn't let their plan come to fruition," Says Erza. "Our only hope to stop it from happening was to wait until today."
"That's right. The day all the branches will be gathered in one place," Gray states. "Before they kill anyone, we'll destroy them."
Gazing back at the Heartfilia behind him, Gray apologises, "Hey, Lucy, sorry about all that stuff I said earlier, but I knew they were watching me and I couldn't risk blowing my cover right then."
Lucy replies, smiling, "It's fine. I guess I should apologise for slapping you like that."
With a bashful expression, Gray says, "Well, the maid outfit made it a little better, to be honest!"
Stunned, Lucy mutters, "I'm not so sure I needed to know that part!" I feel her flick her chocolatey brown eyes to me, my own gaze fixated ahead. "Vivian-chan, thank you—for saving me like that."
"Don't mention it," I say, throwing her a closed eye smile over my shoulder.
"But... if anything had happened to you, then, Rogue will—" Lucy starts, only to be cut off by me as I turn my head back around, my bangs shadowing my gaze, while ignoring the intense stares of the two males.
"Don't worry about that. I don't care what happens to me, as long as my friends—and my mate—are safe. We're just lucky that Gray-kun was able to get to us in time!" I add with a grin thrown at the Fullbuster, as I struggle to fight against the image of Future Rogue kissing me, that night in Crocus.
Gray questions, a confused frown on his face, "What happened between you and Rogue? Did you two have a fight, or something?! 'Cause, if that jerk hurts you in any way, shape, or form, Vivian, I'll personally beat the crap outta him myself!"
"Not before I burn him to a crisp!" Natsu adds, a devious look on his face.
"Or before I chop him into a thousand tiny pieces, that he can't be put back together," Erza feels the need to add, making Lucy sweat drop at the death threats, and me mentally sweat drop.
"No, no—nothing like that happened," I say, my gaze still shadowed.
"Then, what is it?" Gray wants to know.
Lucy explains vaguely, "Just know that as long as Vivian is safe, nothing will happen to Rogue."
Still confused, Gray asks, "Why? What could possibly happen to Rogue if Vivian is killed?"
".... I'll tell you later, I promise. Let's just focus on the mission at hand. But, just know that Roguey and I have been living together happily the past year," I finally say, sending Natsu and Gray a closed eye smile. Gray smiles back in relief, already knowing this because I'd told him through the letters, but Natsu has a shocked look on his face.
Gray tells us sincerely, "You guys are my friends for life, and nothing's ever gonna change that."
Lucy says, giving a closed eye smile, "I feel the same way!"
I say in agreement, "So do I!"
Natsu says, riding in front of us, "That makes things a whole lot easier! We can wreck their stupid plan in no time, if all of us work together!"
Lucy and I say in unison, grinning, "Right!!"
Jumping up into the air, the blue Exceed cheers, "I'm totally in it to win it!!"
Gray asks us dubiously, "You sure about that?"
Erza says seriously, "It wasn't our intention to drag you into the fight with us."
With fire in his eyes, Natsu says excitedly, "If you weren't going to drag us into it, then we're just going to have to drag you! It's been way too long since Fairy Tail's strongest team kicked some butt!" Thrusting his clenched fist up, the pinkette adds, "There's only one thing to say at a time like this, right?!"
We all say in unison, "I'M FIRED UP NOW!!"
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Natsu, Gray, Lucy and I stand before the city of Malba, preparing to fight the Avatar members.
"NOW, WE SHALL EXECUTE OUR PURIFICATION PLAN! ALL WILL BE SACRIFICED!" A man announces on a nearby cliff. His followers cheer. "THIS CITY IS A TROVE OF INNOCENTS—30, 000 LIVES ABUZZ WITH EXCITEMENT, OBLIVIOUS TO WHAT TERROR AWAITS THEM. THE PURITY OF THE SOULS HARVESTED TODAY WILL PROVE TO BE IRRESISTIBLE FOR OUR DARK LORD ZEREF! HE WILL JOIN OUR FEAST!!"
The dark wizards cheer again at that.
"WE OFFER THIS BOUNTY OF 30, 000 LIVES SO HE MAY CLEANSE THE WORLD AND REMAKE IT IN HIS IMAGE! LET US PURIFY EVERY SOUL IN THIS CITY! CHAAARRGGEE!!"
A few men from the Avatar guild rush at the gates, seeming unfazed by us being there.
"Do these fools think they could stand in our way?!"
"They'll die first in the name of our dark lord Zeref!"
"We'll purify every last one!"
A huge torrent of flames rise up around us, blasting the enemy away. The flames die down to reveal my teammates and I standing before the gate.
Natsu declares, flames covering his fists, "There ain't no way you meatheads are gonna get past us!! Step on up, and I'll roast ya!! So, did you get stronger this last year, or what?"
Gray responds, "Just watch me, ol' buddy! It'll be pretty obvious."
I say, "I've gotten way stronger too! Requip, The Valkyrie!" I don my blue and pink Valkyrie armor, some of my hair at the front in braids while the rest is loose. I spin my rapier in my left hand before I spin it in my right hand, then catch the hilt in my right hand. "Valkyrie Sword Magic: Solar Flare!"
A red light of energy coats my sword and I thrust it swiftly for my opponents. They go down with cries.
Natsu, Lucy, and Gray grin at me.
"Check this out, guys! Here goes! Open, Gate of the Golden Bull, Taurus!" Taurus appears beside Lucy.
"I'm so ready to mooovvee! Did somebody order a beef cake?!"
"Plus! Star Dress: In Cowgirl Style!" Lucy says, snapping her whip in her hands. She has changed into a bikini outfit with cow prints, pants and boots. Her blonde hair is in two buns on the top of her head.
"FULLBUSTER!!" Jerome yells.
"These infidels will not hinder our plan for purification! Let us dispose of them!" A woman with long silver hair wearing a bikini type of outfit states.
"I'm sorry Sir, but the enemy is attacking from the rear as well!" A man says, pointing behind them. "We're losing soldiers as we speak!"
"Say... WHAT?!" Jerome exclaims, whipping around to him. "The Council's army is already here?!"
"Err, not... exactly, Sir..." I see a few soldiers go flying. "It's just one person."
I smirk to myself, knowing exactly who it is.
Natsu says excitedly, "Oh, yeah! Been awhile since we had this kinda party!"
"We're gonna have to do it up right!"
"This really brings back some memories, huh?!" Lucy asks.
Happy replies, holding a wooden stick in his hand, as he nods once, "Aye!"
I hear Erza say to the dark wizards atop the cliff, "You want purification?! We'll start with you!"
"I'll go assist Erza-nee!" I tell my teammates. I head for Erza.
I reappear right behind a dark wizard, and slash my rapier with my Solar Flare spell, cutting down a few men.
"Been awhile, hasn't it, Vivian?!" Erza asks as she rides a brown horse while cutting down more men.
"You bet it has!" I as I grin back at her.
She calls to me, "Behind you!"
I swing my red energy covered sword at the soldier behind me and he screams as he goes down.
A few more men charge at me.
"Sequential Starburst!" I say as I thrust my rapier at the men, leaving behind a trail of light. I perform the same spell and take out more men. "Oblique!" I thrust my rapier at more men and bursts of green light take them out. Another group of men charge at me before I launch myself through the air at them. "Shooting Star!"
I send out bursts of blue light at the men and they go down with cries.
"Vivian!" Erza calls as she passes me.
I flick my hazel eyes to her and thrust her my rapier, while she throws me her own sword. Catching both weapons easily, I change Erza's sword to twin rapiers, thrusting them with Linear at a few dark wizards.
Even seven years ago, whenever Erza and I teamed up, we would often fight together like this.
I take out several more Avatar members with Sequential Starburst.
"Alright, brothers! Give them a taste of our magic power!" A man calls, as Erza and I continue to cut down more dark wizards. His comrades fire beams of magical energy at us.
Erza and I deflect the bullets with our swords.
Erza and I return each other's weapons, before she leaps off her horse, letting it gallop off, and as she forward flips in the air, her body glows with magic power. "Requip!" When Erza lands, she's wearing an armor I've never seen before. It consists of a long pink, sleeveless dress with a red obi tied around her waist, and matching red boots that stop at her knees, along with a pair of matching coloured detachable sleeves and choker. Erza's long scarlet hair is unbound, with most of it in a single bun on the back of her head. "My Ateraxia Armor, Soaring Blades!"
The blades start flying in opposite directions as they cut down more men. I send my own blade flying across the field, making cut more Avatar members down.
"What's happening?!!"
"Her swords! They fly!! It's like they have minds of their own!"
The blades return to her as I land beside the older Requip Magic user.
Erza questions, her tone cold, "Do you still intend to fight us?"
The men just stare at us in fear.
Erza raises her arm and moves one of her swords to block an attack from a sword wreathed in darkness. The blonde haired, red eyed man comments us, "Both beautiful and deadly."
I widen my eyes in recognition. Erza's Sword begins corroding away until it shatters.
"Yeah! Jerome's here!"
"No wizard stands a chance against the Dark Sword!"
"You!" I seethe with narrowed blue eyes, catching Jerome's attention.
"Looks like we meet again, Fairy Tail," He states, a sly smirk on his lips.
Erza asks me, "You two know each other?"
"We've met in the basement, when he tried to kill Lucy," I reply, glaring daggers at him.
"It was so dark in the basement, that I failed to notice your beauty," Jerome says, gazing at me.
A shiver of disgust runs up and down my spine. "I'll have you know I already have a boyfriend, you creep!"
"Hmph. I also had no idea you used Sword Magic, as well."
"Well, now you do," I retort as I glare back at him.
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"You will not disrupt our sacred plan!!" Jerome yells as he brings his darkness engulfed sword down on us.
Erza moves another of her swords to block his, but, just like before, it shatters when the blonde's blade Slashes through it. Our eyes widen. Erza moves the rest of her swords to block his next attack as we both backflip out of the way.
Jerome explains, "My Dark Sword's magic energy corrodes everything it strikes. Be it steel or flesh!"
Erza and I hold our swords up in ready stances as I say, "You must be very proud."
Jerome gasps as both my and Erza's attacks made contact with him.
Erza finishes as Jerome collapses, "But our swords cut without striking!" She requips into her normal attire, which is an armor with a blue skirt that has sluts down both sides, gauntlets on her arms and knee high brown boots, her scarlet hair unbound, and bangs covering her right brown eye. I make my own sword disappear as she says, "Summon all your bravery!"