Hello, minna-san.
Bad news. I'll be killing someone here again. Sorry.
Up there, or at the right, you get the point... there is a picture of Gray and Erza in Edolas! Yay! It's one of my favorite arcs, actually. Made me cry when they left Edolas.
Anyway...
Let us begin.
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Chapter Thirty-Six - Dramatic Silence
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DAY TWENTY-THREE - TIME WILL ACCELERATE
10:07 am
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"I-Impossible..." Erza mumbled, "My parents... they died in that fire..."
"Only your mother did," Eras explained, "In that fire, I tried to make her drink the elixir. But, it was already too late. She was gone. And, when I discovered that you were taken away, I became furious. If you hadn't run away that time, I could have saved your mother. We could have left Rosemary immediately! And, this would never have happened.
"I always watched you, Erza. I talked to Hades, or should I say Purehito, to keep an eye on you for me. He got this girl named Ultear to manipulate your friend Jellal when he was being imprisoned. That way, I learned that you escaped. I wanted to find you. But, I didn't know that you had joined a guild. This guild. Fairy Tail.
"I exiled myself somewhere far. And, that happens to be in Algeak. It was a fun place, really. But, I destroyed the fun in it. I couldn't stand it. I see a whole family walking around in amusement parks, eating food together, when, really, that should have been us. When I learned that you became an S-Class mage, I was proud. And, excited. So excited to see you again. But, it was the worst thing that ever happened to me.
"I sent many members of Tornado Requiem to check on you if you were there, but you were always away on a faraway S-Class mission. It ruined me. That was when the monster came over me. The monster of magic. Tornado Magic. And, your very own Magic. It's like, a matching set, yes? It's interesting, right? Now, come with me, Erza. Let's go live normal lives. As a family, even though we're one mother short."
"Never," Erza took out her sword and pointed it at him, "We might be related to each other by blood, but I will never consider you as my father. No father would lie to their own children, am I right? And, I don't need a new family, because I already have one. And, we're just standing right before you."
"Silence!" his powerful magic made the doors shut. Jade was almost cut off from them.
"Close call," Laxus said to her. But, she didn't care about it, really. What made her heart crash to the ground was how Juvia's body turned into yellow bits of magic, and how Lyon cried over her.
"You sadistic man," Natsu went over to Gray and Erza, "You know that not even a wizard saint can stand up to our Erza! She's a monster!"
"That's right," Lucy came to them, "Erza is the toughest person I know, aside from Gildarts and Laxus and Mira and... um... Master?"
"I can send you all down in one blow. How does that sound?"
"Bring it on!" Natsu grinned.
"Natsu, no!" Jade ran to them and quickly shielded them using her magic.
But, even her shield was destroyed. The magic was so powerful, but Eras created it effortlessly. He smirked and decided to manipulate them using his little tornado-like creatures.
"How amusing," he said, "A family, you say? Erza, these people can't even protect you! You would never survive the toughest of the world without me, because your powers came from me and your mother! But, she's dead! So, you have to count on me, not those bastards you call family!"
"I don't want to listen to any of your words! Just because we're related by blood doesn't mean we're already family! Families are not supposed to be perfect, after all! Everyone's families here are worse than mine, so don't even try to disgrace their names, because you would be dead to me!"
She recalled every family of her friends. Natsu's only family was a dragon named Igneel. Lucy's family used to be perfect, until her mother died. Gray and Lyon lost both of their families and even lost Ur, who took care of them. Laxus's parents were sadistic people, and because of that, he even turned his back on his grandfather. Wendy had the same situation as Natsu, but she was helped by Mystogan, who eventually left her. Jade's family was killed by a tornado, and she didn't even get the chance to say goodbye.
And, Erza didn't even know much of her family then. Why would she care for the people that didn't even try to get her there instead of just watching over her?
Is there any way to end this trial and get it over with?
"Let my friends go," she mumbled, "I'll come with you."
"Yes, finally!" he said, "But, let's see about that..."
He let go of Erza and stared at her as she walked to him slowly. He was so happy, yet so shocked. After all her words, was she just going to hand herself over that easily? But, her eyes showed sincerity, since she was crying. Her friends were shouting and screaming, begging her to come back.
But, he didn't notice something. One of her friends was sacrificing her life to save her from him.
That person was Jade.
"Time Gem, lend me your powers and make time accelerate to the twenty-fifth day of the trial!"
"No!" Eras screamed. Erza turned back and saw what Jade was trying to do.
Her body was being taken over by the jade gemstone. She was screaming in pain.
"Are you... trying to end the trial?" she asked Jade as her body was being gemstone-ized.
"Yeah," she nodded, "We can't afford to lose you again. Gray can't afford to lose you. He doesn't have any money left, but his love for you is higher than the Empire State Building. Don't leave them."
"But, Jade, I thought you didn't want to die."
"If death is the only way to save you from that man, then so be it," she said, smiling, "It's just like what Jellal did. Sometimes, you gotta make sacrifices. This gem, the jade gemstone, is the only way to make time accelerate. This way, everything that you've done won't be for naught."
"So, you're the fourth death," Erza replied, "I'm sorry, Jade."
"No worries," she smiled, "Remember, your family is Fairy Tail. Sayonara, minna. Don't let fear take over your hearts."
And, soon, her whole body was gemstone-ized. Everyone watched in fear as the now-gemstone-ized body of Jade shook violently. Time began to accelerate, healing everyone's wounds. And, the magic from Eras's elixirs stopped working and made him turn into a very old man.
"Jade, no!" Gray shouted. But soon, the shackles were off, and he was free. So were the others.
The twenty-fifth day arrived, and Erza gasped. Time did accelerate. It was one hour before midnight. When the acceleration was finished, the gemstone broke off Jade's body, and she fell to the ground.
"Jade!" they all screamed. Wendy tried healing her, but it wasn't working. She wasn't breathing anymore.
"We'll need Porlyusica!" Laxus yelled before crushing Fairy Tail's door with his lightning fist, "Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy, infirmary, now!"
"Aye!" the three dragon slayers followed him as he carried Jade's body.
"Gomen ne, minna," Erza said, walking over to them, "I let someone die again. Over and over again. Haven't I learned enough? I don't deserve this life."
"You never killed anyone, Erza," Lucy shook, crying violently, "Your father did. He killed everyone. He destroyed you."
"But, still, I'm the one to blame for all of this. If this hadn't happened, we would all be alive."
Eras laughed loudly, "I don't care if time turned me into an old man! I still have my powers! You can never beat me!"
But, as soon as he said that, a sword already made a scar on his cheek and ear. Erza was in her Japanese Cloth, her tears streaming endlessly.
"Let's have it father-to-daughter, Eras."
"Very well," he smirked before creating a barrier nearby the doors of Fairy Tail. Then, with a snap of a finger, Lucy and Lyon were knocked out.
"You and your little lover here can do it, right?" he grinned.
"Definitely," Gray took his shirt off again.
"Don't even hope to win, you demonic person," Erza hissed.
And, the battle began as the silent light of the moon supported them.
"Stay silent," Gray told her.
"Of course. For Jade," she nodded, smiling.
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Gomenasai, minna~~~!
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Bye, minna-san! Thanks for the reads!
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