Fairy Tail: New Era

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but if I did then I would work my best to publish two chapters a week for the fans that have waited so patiently for this

...if only I wasn't so lazy:C

As for this chapter's title...the phrase is derived from the saying "gather ye rosebuds while ye may". Of course, as I am lazy I shortened the phrase to three words for the chapter. The aforementioned saying comes from a poem that tells young people to make use of their time while they are still young.

Sorry if I might've hit a sore spot. Anyways...

As always, please feel free to give me your constructive criticism, feedback, suggestions, etc. as they are all welcome. I love hearing back from you all.

Spells and attacks will be written in bold font. Thoughts and flashbacks will be italicized.

Now, on with the story!

Exceed Hunter arc~ Chapter 8 ~Gather Ye Rosebuds

Four soldiers from his left. Four soldiers from his right. All armed with lacrimal weapons. All dangerous.

It was they who were unaware of the mayhem they would get themselves into.

Romeo was outnumbered. But this did not faze him. Amber sparks flickered from his palms and converged, forming orange-colored fireballs. Collecting more sparks, the fiery spheres expanded in volume. Once the orange flames reached the adequate size, the Fire Mage sighed, "Sorry guys, these orange flames are especially explosive..."

Despite the imminent danger in front of them, the soldiers continued to advance without verbal fret. Soldiers downgraded into disposable dolls.

"Have it you're way then...Blast Orange!"

By command, the tangerine fireballs burst vertically at his enemies. Those caught in the conflagration sprawled yards away. Yet, they expressed no anguish from the contact. Eerie aspects like these prodded Romeo, telling him something was off about Magius's soldiers. His train of thought was cut short when two soldiers advanced towards him, both baring spears.

Green flames burned fiercely as they swathed up his elbows to his hands. The tips of his fingers configured into glowing, viridescent claws. Romeo planted his foot onto the ground and propelled himself towards his next set of opponents. The spears held by the soldiers lit up with magical energy Both soldiers jousted their weapons at the Fire Mage in sync. Romeo, by reflex, ducked just in time. He felt his heart pump through his ears as the pointy weapons glided centimeters over his forehead. He countered by grabbing the weapon shafts with his flame-etched hand. The spears liquified and dripped after contacting the green pyres coating Romeo's arm. The magic within them subsided as the lacrimas melted, "Green fire is corrosive. Like acid."

The Fire Mage snapped the weapons held captive in his hand. Although unarmed, neither soldier was frustrated. The three were locked in stand-still. Romeo raised an eyebrow, "Something 's off about these guys. Normal soldiers would just run away without weapons..."

Just then, one of the two soldiers tried to punch him. Romeo shielded himself without realizing his green flames were still intact. A sizzling sound hissed as the armored fist came into contact with his fire. The armor that encased the soldier's fist began to melt away, exposing his unharmed fingers that were clenched into knuckles. The newly uncovered skin began to wrinkle and melt from exposure to Romeo's acidic fire. Romeo's eyes widened in shock.

"Oi! That's too dangerous!"

Gritting his teeth, Romeo kicked the soldier back into the second soldier. The danger wasn't something the Magistia soldier could comprehend. He wasn't going to back away just because he didn't have a weapon to fight with. He was the weapon. His orders were to take out the enemy. All of them were ordered to take out the enemy. With distance established between them, Romeo looked behind the soldiers he just took out. He could see more armed soldiers were flooding the scene in an orderly manner.

"Magius...you bastard...what did you do to all these people?" Romeo grimaced as the green flames wrapped around his arms flared up.

Without hesitation, the Fire Mage sunk his fiery claws into the earth. Glowing cracks metastasized towards all the enemies in front of him. Emerald flames arose from the innumerable orifices as the land blackened and liquefied beneath the charging soldiers. The soldiers were stopped in their tracks by the highly viscous mud that trapped that their legs. "Green Meltout."

As his green flames evanesced, Romeo tried catching his breath to restore his magic power. Using orange fire and green fire drains more magic power than other flames because of their more destructive properties, so his sensei taught him. To top that off, the poor Fire Mage used up magic power while fighting Mr. Magius back at the Magistia Company's HQ and from hours worth of flying to the Exceed Village. When he and Wendy arrived, he didn't have adequate time to recover because the enemy was already there. In that minuscule moment of contemplation, a magic laser nearly grazed his cheek. Looking out in the blast's vicinity, Romeo espied soldiers armed with lacrimal staves and guns sending a volley of magic beams his way.

"Crap...from faraway too..." Romeo scowled, "Red Carpet!"

Hot, crimson flames burst from his soles. He could only maneuver himself a few yards away before his flames diminished, causing him to fall. Romeo grit his teeth in self-frustration, as he punched the charred ground, "Dammit...my magic power...why is it acting up like this now of all times..."

Enemy fire struck close by. The combined force and quantity of firepower knocked Romeo back, "Crap!"

Raising himself to his feet, Romeo spotted the soldiers in the distance preparing another attack. He could continue avoiding them but eventually, the soldiers he trapped in the ground would escape and strike him down. Happy was down for the count; probably still unconscious in the crater they made behind him. Where the hell was everyone else?

"Sky Dragon's Roar!"

Oh. There they are.

Held by Carla, Wendy blasted the long-ranged weapon soldiers with her signature dragon's roar. With the ranged reinforcements temporarily incapacitated, Romeo was relieved. But his attention shifted to the soldiers in front of him. Throughout the time he took to avoid the ranged unit's beams and self-recuperation, they struggled and struggled as they moved their limbs in the mud-like ground, displaying no fear. Only the desire to strike down their target. Romeo noticed the black gradient visors on their helmets glowing red. The gleam cast a sinister glare into his line of sight. At that moment, the dots began to connect.

Slowly, they were exiting the thick, liquid ground onto solid earth. Once the first two came out, they charged straight towards him baring their Magistia-crafted spears in their hands. Romeo took a breath and clenched his fists. He wasn't the best fist-fighter in the guild, but he could land a solid punch if he wanted to. When the soldier with another fire spear darted towards him, the Fire Mage side-stepped at the last minute. Romeo twisted his hip back as he raised a clenched fist. Unwinding, he connected a direct knuckle at the Magistia soldier's visor. The black-gradient visor cracked and shattered. While Romeo was occupied, a second soldier pierced the tip of his spear into Romeo's right shoulder. The first soldier collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Ggghh...ggghhh," Romeo grunted in pain as he quickly removed the spear blade from his shoulder. A sharp pain surged through his shoulder as he did so, but by Shinji's words, he would not hesitate. He socked the second soldier directly in his visor, knocking him out cold.

Although battered, Romeo couldn't catch a break. He turned as he noticed even more soldiers came out from the sludge imprisonment and bounded towards him.

"Dammit...This gets worse by the minute!"

Just then, a large figure landed in front of Romeo holding a great, red sword. Pantherlily swung his blade at the soldiers, knocking them all back. The black-furred Exceed looked back at his comrade, "Good grief. I underestimated you. You truly are just as reckless as Natsu."

Romeo sweatdropped; partially from relief, partially from being scolded by another cat. That was Carla's primary hobby.

Lily refocused on the enemy soldiers who mechanically arose and charged towards them. With a wave of his Musica Sword, Lily blew them away again.

"Still, you did well to fend against a persistent bunch like these. You should rest for a bit."

Romeo clenched his bruised knuckles. "Can't do that just yet."

"Romeo-san, you shouldn't push yourself too much."

Turning to the gentle, familiar voice behind him, Romeo noticed Carla placing Wendy onto the land. Concern was painted all over the bluenette's face, "Leave the rest of them to us."

When Carla let go of Wendy, she transformed into her human-like form. Her white locks bounced as she winked at Romeo, "Pretty please~!"

Wendy gawked at her partner's method of persuasion, "C-Carla?!"

Romeo's face went red at Carla's seductive plea, "Now's not the time for that!"

The white-haired cat girl drew her claws out in a threatening manner while emitting a dark, devious aura, "Will you listen to me now, Conbolt-boy?"

In response, the Fire Mage cringed. He loosened his fists and held them up in surrender, "Y-Yes Carla-sama. B-But first hear me out."

Carla rolled her eyes, "I give you permission to speak."

Romeo sighed before laying out the facts, "These guys are under some kind of mind control magic that operates through visual contact. Which is why the control mechanic is on the screen on their helmets. We gotta crack them all or else these innocent people will keep on fighting us."

" To think anyone would stoop so low as to make their employees into subservient puppets..." Lily dropped his head gloomily.

"How sickening..." a vein popped on Carla's forehead.

Gradually, the units Lily forced back began to rise. The visors attached to their helmets glared red. The four soon found themselves surrounded, but nowhere near overwhelmed. Wendy looked to her Exceed partner, "Carla, let's go."

" My claws are ready." the white-haired cat-girl nodded before the two maidens darted towards the enemies.

They weren't menacing like Gajeel or Laxus, but Wendy and Carla were a force not to be reckoned with. Faced by many units, Wendy veiled her limbs with spiraling winds, "Sky Dragon's Wing Slash!"

She stormed through many soldiers, carefully breaking a multitude of control devices with a single stride. Romeo watched in awe as the Sky Dragon Slayer gathered more air in her hand to strike at the next batch of soldiers, "Sky Dragon's Claw!"

While Wendy took on the majority, Carla made sure to take out the scraps. Three Magistia soldiers armed with swords rushed at the white-haired cat girl. Carla smirked, "Finally."

Carla's silvery claws glistened as they were brought out. She pounced onto the first soldier, connecting her foot with his visor, cracking it. Using the visor as a springboard, she backflipped into proximity with the other two soldiers and swung her claws, "Moonsault!"

Upon landing, Carla retracted her claws. The two soldiers she struck were down for the count; their visors, helmets, and swords sliced into metallic mincemeat. Carla turned back and smiled, "Not bad...if I say so myself."

Romeo gulped, "I might end up like that one day..."

Lily scanned the area for more soldiers, remaining by the injured Romeo's side. However, no more appeared. With all the Magistia units wiped out, Wendy ran up to Romeo, placing her hands around the stab wound on his shoulder, "Romeo-san, you're hurt!"

The Fire Mage winced from the slight pressure before shaking his head and brushing it off, "Honestly...it's nothing..."

Wendy shook her head, "No, it's not. You can't fight if you're hurt like this. Let me heal you."

A calm light emanated from Wendy's hands. It cascaded onto Romeo's wounds; fully mending them without a trace of damage in the first place. Once the task was finished, Wendy looked up at her partner and smiled, "All better?"

Romeo smiled back at her with pink-tinted cheeks, "...Yeah..."

Lily looked at the summit of the hill beyond the meadow. His eyes were locked on the aircraft advancing slowly over the hills. He looked back at everyone, "We must hurry."

~Back In the Woods~

Nights were typically bleak in the woods.

Yet, the blinding flashes of lightning and purple phosphorescence proved that this night, in particular, was different.

Shinji lunged at Phalene. Electricity undulated around his Blitz Cruiser armor and twin blades. His sapphire eyes grew icier and wilder as he neared his enemy. Phalene, ravishing in Shinji's self-obliteration of composure, charged at the Requip Mage with excited eyes and a psychotic grin," YES! YES! YES! FIGHT ME LIKE YOU WISH TO KILL ME!"

Phalene's eyes widened in mad excitement as he curled his fingers like claws, "KILL! KILL! KIIIIIIIILLLLLLLL!"

Under a second, the two were within enough distance to land a punch on either. Shinji quickly crossed his blades as if he intended to bisect Phalene through his transversal plane. However, Phalene proved too swift. He jumped above the intersecting swords and grasped Shinji's face. Before Shinji could reposition his blades, Phalene kneed Shinji's armor right in the chest plate with monstrous strength. A loud metallic clang resonated through the woods as Shinji flew back-first into a solid tree trunk whilst coughing some blood from his mouth. The Sword mage himself was intact. The chest plate of his Blitz Cruiser armor was cracked, "This guy...is a monster..."

No ordinary human possesses the strength to crack armor with a single kick. Despite this, Shinji had no time to waste on contemplation. As he rose back onto his feet, Phalene gathered a swarm of purple moths around his body, "KEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! DIE!"

With a wave of Phalene's hands, the swarm merged into a twister and charged at Shinji. Shinji charged his entire body with electrical current.

"Cross Lightning!"

In one fell swoop, he phased through the attack. A cross of lightning etched itself into the twister, leading to its dissipation. Shredded cards tingling with static fell like confetti. Phalene whistled in amusement.

Fastening his glare on Phalene, Shinji began an onslaught of swings. Slash after slash, none of Shinji's attacks could land. Electrical currents sparked from the soles of Shinji's armor, enabling Shinji to traverse the ground swifter. Phalene's eyes widened with greater excitement as he dodged with more vigor, "Oooooh, THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!"

Still, the speed-enhancement proved futile. Phalene's evasive reflexes still rendered him an enemy hard to strike.

"Damnit, what is this guy...He has insane strength and instincts..." Shinji pondered between misses, "Also, it will only be a matter of time before he can reuse his cards..."

After another missed slash, Phalene cackled, "KEHAHAHA! YOU'RE GETTING SLOPPY! YOU STILL HAVEN'T HIT ME YET, KNIGHT-BASTARD!"

Shinji charged his blades up with immense electricity, ignoring his enemy's chastising.

Phalene's laughter increased tenfold, "KEHAHAHAHAAAAAHHH! Oooooooh, the silent treatment! Fine then...How about we..."

Abruptly, the purple-haired man stopped in his tracks and pulled a deck of purple cards from his hands, "Switch roles?"

"In other words, he's going to try and hit me now...This might not be good. One more hit and he'll break my chest plate..."

"Tch-" Shinji cast aside his thoughts and bolted towards Phalene with his charged twin blades.

Phalene gave his opponent a jesting smile as he scattered his purple cards around him, "Well, you took your sweet time...Swarm Meld!"

The purple cards that surrounded Phalene luminesced in purple radiance and reconfigured into purple moths that darted around him.

"Interesting...So that's how his weapon works..." Shinji took note amidst approaching the enemy.

To test the waters, Shinji struck the spiraling insect shield with both of his electrified blades. An ear-splitting echoed through the woods. He was immediately knocked back, "Urgh!"

Quickly, Shinji released lightning from his ivory sabatons and greaves. The electricity from his feet reached the ground and assisted him in landing on two feet. Still, the swordsman's work was not all in vain. The moth's dissipated slightly around Phalene, making him kind of visible.

"Sksksksks," hiding his smile behind his hand, Phalene taunted Shinji, "How embarrassing. Typically anything that gets caught in the swarm would be pulverized. You're quite lucky that you were only knocked back."

"That is the case. So, I'd be better off trying to shock you from a distance," Shinji charged his blades once again preparing to strike.

"Sorry, I won't let you," With his honed killer instincts, Phalene knew that this was the opportune moment to strike the Fairy tail mage down, "Swarm Reversal!"

By Phalene's command, the purple moths that swirled around him reconfigured back into purple cards. As Phalene pointed his a finger at Shinji, the cards rapidly jolted towards him, becoming rapid streaks of purple light. Now that his opponent commenced his offensive, Shinji had to be careful. Emitting electricity from the armor that covered his feet, Shinji maneuvered his body in mid-air to avoid Phalene's rapid volley using electromagnetism. The cards that were launched chopped through trees and caused debris from the forest landscape to fly. Swiftly gliding over the surface thanks to his electricity, Shinji again made an attempt to reach Phalene as a countless number of the purple-haired man's cards whizzed past him.

Alas, there was one rapid card whose trajectory that fell right into the swordsman's evasion path. Without hesitation, Shinji brandished his lightning-imbued blade and deflected the bright purple streak. The light faded. What remained was a card sliced diagonally into halves.

Noticing his stockpile of cards was lowering, Phalene giggled impatiently, "Eheheh...This one doesn't bore, doesn't he? Guess I'll have to stop fooling around. Swarm Meld!"

With the last of his cards, Phalene reconfigured his purple cards into moths that swarmed around him; creating a sphere that would pulverize objects that touch it. Phalene, veiled by his deadly sphere, charged in Shinji's vicinity, "AHAHAHAHAHAH! YOU DIDN'T DISAPPOINT SWORD-BASTARD! I'LL REWARD YOU BY SHREDDING YOU TO DEATH!"

Ignoring the menace before him, the Requip Mage quickly held his blades high above his head such that the edges of the swords crossed. The currents flowing through both blades synergized, causing a greater output of electricity. Such copious current flowed through the blades that the radius around Shinji was electrified. Once the peak output was reached, Shinji accelerated his approach.

As predicted the purple-haired psycho dodged with little to no effort. However, something was amiss.

"What the hell?"

Phalene noticed the moths that formed his lethal, spherical barrier twitched in stasis as they were electrocuted. This left him wide open.

The purple-haired man's eyes widened as he turned around, anticipating an attack from Shinji. He was too late. Phalene was struck by a bolt of electricity before he could defend himself.

"Gaaagghhhh!"

The electricity overflowing from Shinji's twin swords immobilized him albeit his immediate evasive success. Barely looking behind him, Phalene espied Shinji. Seizing the chance, the Requip mage joined the blades above his head once more merging the undulating rivers of electrical current into a single, mightier embodiment.

He swung down.

"Zwei Blitz!"

A shining, xanthic streak of lightning descended upon Phalene. He couldn't avoid that easily.

Amidst the immense electricity bombarding his body, a certain memory flooded his mind...

~Flashback: Magistia H.Q. Labs~

An empty room with colorless, damage-resistant walls. To the high left was a shatter-proof rectangular window for the scientists to view experimental results.

Mr. Magius stood right next to a young Papillon. The white-haired man smiled at the young purple-haired boy, "Papillon. Today, I have a present for you."

At the word present, Papillon's eyes lit up, "A present? Oh, Mr. Magius, you have given me so much already. I couldn't possibly need anything more."

Mr. Magius chuckled heartily, "No, no, no. I insist."

"Oh...okay?" Papillon smiled giddily. He looked up at Magius again, "What is it?"

Magius pulled out a ruby, oval-shaped lacrima and held it in Papillon's sight. The lacrima flashed causing Papillon's lavender eyes to change into red. The alternate personality was alarmed by being called in to control. He backed away a few steps from Magius, instinctively taking a defensive stance.

Magius chuckled, revealing a fraction of his true nature to the alter ego, "'How do I know?' You want to ask. Ever since I took you and Ambrose in, Ambrose was always protective of you since you entered my fray-because you two were hiding something from me. Despite my amnesty, you two couldn't trust me enough. As a father-figure, it saddened me..."

His voice trailed off in a way that made Papillon's other half overwhelmed with fear. His lips curled in a sadistic smile, "So...I decided to blackmail your friend. Tell me the secret or become my newest subject for my latest prototype!"

The other one's eyes widened as he tried to hold himself back from lunging at the man in front of him.

"You know what he said?"

Only silence was the response.

"He accepted being my next toy! He accepted without any hesitation because he cared about you so much! He even made me promise not to prod you about your secret, but here we are today!"

Magius pulled out a communications lacrima from his coat pocket. With the press of some buttons, a holographic image of an unconscious Ambrose was displayed. The sight of Ambrose in such a state caused the alternate personality's heart to sink to its stomach. Ambrose lay unconscious on a surgery table. Bloodied. Cut open in the chest. Within that opening was a red lacrima attached to his blood vessels, pulsating and glowing. How could someone possibly offer themselves to be a psycho's lab rat for the sake of someone else?

"Am..brose..." Papillon's other half muttered in a mixture of fear and remorse. Thereafter, he stared up at Mr. Magius with bloody red eyes, "Bastard..."

"Ho? Such colorful language for a child! But your audacity to be poisonous in this situation is wonderful. A Berserker's rage has always been a crucial component of a Berserker..."

"Ber..ser..ker?"

"Yes...that is the magic you possess within your body! It originated from the enchantment that enables a being's physical strength to be increased substantially as well as their sense of pain. However, you lose your sense of humanity after undergoing such a spell. But, your case is amusing. The enchantment within you acts as an unconscious lock-safe. Under extreme threats or extra Eternano poured into your system-like the lacrima I just used, your Berserker enchantment can be activated. Whereas Papillon is a gentle butterfly, you are the messy, lunatic moth...Perhaps I shall name you Phalene. Still, your lingering sentience dampens your power gains and pain resistance. So, I might have to do something about that...Now then, how about I give you the chance to vent all your rage?"

Phalene's eyes widened at this absurdly offer. There was something sinister hiding behind this offer. But, he couldn't forgive what Mr. Magius did to Ambrose. He couldn't forgive Mr. Magius for using him and Ambrose like this. Treating them like play-things. Hatred. Rage. Anger. Those emotions amplified making all other thoughts foggy. The blood in his vessels flowed faster. His skeletal and muscular systems hardened. The red that colored his irises now painted his entire eyes, "Kill."

Before he lunged at Mr. Magius, the Magistia company head held a sceptor at his neck that zapped him with electricity. Albeit being a Berserker, the electricity caused pain because it reached his neurons; overriding the pain-resistance aspect of his subpar Berserker enchantment.

"Na-ah-ah! You don't get to kill me...I brought in some other people for you to dispose of, "he turned to the rectangular window, "Bring them in!"

A door opened in the room. Three employees in lab coats, all bound and gagged, were escorted into the room by Magistian soldiers. Promptly, the soldiers left.

"Thank you! Thank you very much!" Magius clapped, "Now my dear pet. These people have been caught trying to leak my company's secrets out into the public. If you don't kill these people swiftly my dear pet, I will give you another shock...

Even his bloodlust state, Phalene did not want to kill these innocent people. He stood there in silence. Magius clicked his tongue and sicked his staff on him. Electricity crackled. Phalene's screams. Over and over and over again.

Phalene lay on the ground. His clothes were charred by the Magius was done with him. His body was covered with burns. The employees, bound and gagged, were sweating and crying out of fear and sorrow for their boss's conduct towards his subjects and the true nature of Magistia. The older man was huffing in exasperation, "*pant* *pant* Hmmm...I see you don't care what happens to you... Seeing that you still won't submit to me, I will see to it that you lose Ambrose forever. The lacrima I implanted in him has the potential to either turn him into a monster or kill him..."

Magius sardonically sighed and started walking towards the exit.

Hearing those words, all noise cleared from Phalene's head. All noise except a single ringing sounding similar to a flatline.

"Kill...Ambrose...?"

Surprised the boy could even speak, Magius quickly turned back at Phalene's body strewn on the floor.

Phalene twisted his neck to look up at the manipulative monstrosity trying to control him. He twisted his mangled, beaten, burned body to straighten up. A magic circle, dark purple formed underneath his feet. With this purple emittance, Phalene's scars, eviscerations, and burns slowly healed. His hands turned claw-like. His teeth sharpened. The veins across his body protruded.

He twisted his head to Magistia, "All...I have...to do...is kill these people...and you will leave Ambrose alone?"

Magius's smile grew exponentially sinister, "Maybe-"

"PROMISE ME!" Phalene roared.

Magius reduced his smile, "Yes, yes. If you kill whomever I tell you to, Ambrose will be left alone..."

Upon hearing those words, Phalene lunged at the three helpless employees.

All that could be seen from the window were splatters of red that flew across the blank walls of the room...

Amidst blood-curdling screams, Magius's voice boomed through the cries of death.

"WONDERFUL! MAGNIFICENT! You slaughter them without mercy. And, please, continue doing so...for the good of this company. And for the good of your dear friend, Ambrose's safety..."

At the mention of Ambrose, Phalene's irises slightly retracted, "Am...brose"

Phalene's hands were covered in blood. The remaining humanity within him shook and revulsed at the blood on his hands. If Ambrose learned that Phalene agreed to become their abductor's killing machine to counter his arrangement to protect them, he would be disheartened to his grave...

Before his thoughts could traverse beyond his dear friend, Phalene was struck by Magius on the head.

"Now, I will need Papillon again. If you can kill people this brutally in your noncomplete state, you're quite the danger. Perhaps, every day from now on I'll condition you..."

Papillon's/Phalene's conscious faded before he could hear the rest...

~ Exceed Village/Inside the Barrier~

The night sky hues above were tinted magenta by the magic barrier placed over the village. On the ground, there was wreckage from the fight between Aria and Wanda; what used to be the medical hut was now a disorganized pile of wooden planks. A circle of Exceed soldiers kept watch over the unconscious Wanda; fretting that she may wake up and sick another unwarranted magic trick on them.

Aria and Chagotte distanced themselves from the rest of the Exceeds. From what Chagotte had to say, Aria felt discomfort. Regardless, if this 'way' Chagotte has in mind can help the villagers evacuate safely...it would be for the best.

"There is a way to break the barrier...and you Ms. Aria are the key to breaking it," Chagotte solemnly stated.

"I figured as much...but how can someone like me break the barrier? I can only teleport and make crystal structures..."

Chagotte looked up at Aria, with a sad look in her eyes.

"When I touched one of your crystals. I saw a fragment of your future"

Aria paused her breathe. Her heartbeat paused at the shock, "My future?"

"I'm so sorry my dear...If I had a choice to not see the premonitions I receive, I wish I could block out such things. Please, forgive me."

Aria shifted her eyes to the side, "It's okay. There are some things that can't be helped. If I'm not impeding, what did you see?"

"Of course...But, do you think you'll be ready to hear it?"

"It's probably not a good idea to glimpse into events in my future. But, if it has relevance to how I can help evacuate your people, then by all means."

"Your reasoning is sound. Then allow me to proceed." The former queen of the Exceeds commenced the reciting of her premonition.

"A pink-haired man holding your unconscious body was frantically running up countless stone stairs, alongside your friends. They passed by a myriad of red shrine gates that arched over the path (A/N: torii). At the end of the stairs, lay a shrine. In the shrine, there was a crystal altar. He placed the girl in front of the crystal altar and pleaded to it, tears falling from his face. After, he arose and approached the crystal altar. He touched it...The magic energy of the shrine tried to resist his touch. Ultimately, it broke apart, unleashing whatever was sealed..."

A tear rolled down Aria's cheek, "Could that man have been my..father? And...why were my friends with me?"

Chagotte lowered her head in slight shame, "I'm sorry. Those are questions I cannot answer..."

Quickly, the pinkette wiped her face and refocused on the situation, " You're right...If you're implying that I can dismantle the barrier the same way my father dismantled the altar, then it's impossible...I don't have a magic that could dismantle barriers"

"Did you know that those crystals you make are pure Ether in solid form?"

Aria's eyes widened, "Um...what? I thought those were just regular crystals?!"

"Yes, they pure Ether. Not only can you conjure Ether in a pure solid-state. You can manipulate its shape and behavior. So maybe just like your father-you could dismantle other objects made from Ether...this barrier perhaps..."

Aria looked at the magenta boundaries that sealed them inside, "But this barrier is huge...and I've never dismantled anything with my magic before."

"Have faith in yourself," Chagotte comforted the girl, "Right now, your friends are out there fighting for us who have been trapped here. Carla, my daughter...*gasp*"

At her mistake, Chagotte placed a paw over her mouth.

"Eh!? EHHHHHHHH!?"

This was news to Aria. News indeed. The pinkette quickly shook herself off and smiled sweetly at the Exceed Queen, "Now I HAVE to bust us out of here!"

Determination sparkling in her eyes, she faced the village outskirts, where the barrier and the ground coincided.

Before running off, she turned to Chagotte winking, "By the way, thanks for that juicy tidbit. Your secret's safe with me."

Chagotte sweatdropped as she placed a paw over her head, "Heavens no, what have I done."

~Beyond the Barrier/Towards the Hills~

"Sky Dragon's Roar!"

A strong gust of wind blew away the Magistian forces, clearing a path for the group.

"Nice, Wendy!" Romeo flashed his teammate a thumbs-up, "Let's get a move on!"

"AYE SIR!" A now resuscitated Happy saluted as he activated his wings.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Carla-in human form-joined the party.

After taking out the majority of the soldiers outside the woods, the other units were deployed downhill in smaller squadrons. Handling these were simple. But the danger uphill was greater.

The vision Chagotte passed onto Carla replayed in her mind:

A humanoid-machine, larger than the Dorma Anim, approaching the village. From its view, the Exceed Village could be spotted within the vast sea of woodlands. The machine ominously pointed its arm at the village and fired a laser in its vicinity.

"Whatever that machine is...we need to destroy it as soon as possible."

"Carla?" Wendy noticed her Exceed friend was looking deep in thought, "Are you okay?"

"Worried. That's all."

"Don't forget, Carla. We're all fighting together to stop this from happening." Wendy smiled trying to cheer up her friend.

"I'll try to keep that in mind..."

Carla initially smiled at her life-long friend. But her smile faltered at the sight her team found before themselves. The group had scaled the first set of hills and found themselves in meadow festered with yellow flowers...and thorned topiaries embellished with blood-red roses...

In the center of the rose-laced decor stood a tree-like structure made entirely of ginormous vines meshed together. The top sector of the pillar diverged in various directions, forming the "branches" of the compiled tree. Complacent on one of the branches, sat Mr. Magius's assistant, Ambrose. The orange-haired assistant looked out at the star-filled sky. Noticing the Fairy Tail mages below, he lowered his head. His gaze exhibited a blankness that rivaled the mind-controlled soldiers they fought earlier. Romeo was discomforted by Ambrose's empty eyes, "This guy has always seemed emotionless...But right now, he seems more out of it than usual."

A single, fluid motion of the orange-haired man's hand reverted Romeo to his cautions, "Here he comes."

From the fancy topiaries that furnished the meadow, a plethora of thorned vines rapidly sprung towards them. Wendy took the lead, "Sky Dragon's Roar!"

Wendy's roaring wind shredded Ambrose's vines and topiaries. Verdant debris and rose petals gently descended from the sky like snowfall. With a straight path towards the enemy, the Fairy Tail mages proceeded with urgency. Ambrose noticed his adversaries' swift advancement and snapped his fingers on his ringed hand. Hearing the noise from afar, Wendy immediately knew Ambrose had a trick under his sleeve.

"Watch out!" Wendy exclaimed.

Before the rest of the group could heed her warning, the ground beneath them cracked open. Vines rapidly sprung from the crevices, ensnaring Romeo, Wendy, and the Exceeds.

"Wh-What's happening?!" Happy wailed.

"I can't cut us free," Lily expressed his frustration at the vines tangled tightly around his hand gripping his Musica Sword.

"Still, I don't like being tied up!" Carla whined.

"It's okay," Romeo instinctually set his limbs on fire, causing the vines wrapped around him to char into nothingness, "This guy's magic has a bad affinity with mine."

"Likewise."

A strong gust of wind veiled around them, once again mincing the snaring vines into harmless bits.

"Yay! We're free!" Happy smiled as he locked onto Romeo to keep him airborne.

Carla smiled as she latched onto Wendy. Lily grinned as he re-gripped his Musica Sword.

Romeo smiled fondly at Wendy. With her by his side, this fight would be a cinch...

"Got them..." Ambrose whispered monotonously from afar before snapping his fingers.

But Wendy's heightened hearing enabled her to hear. The Sky Dragon Slayer's eyes widened, "Romeo-san!"

Sensing the panic in his partner's voice, a sense of unexpected fear flooded into the Fire Mage's mind.

The plant fragments above and below them began to flicker with a sinister green light.

Without further notice, they detonated.

Like birds shot down from the sky, the fairies plummeted to the ground.

Deeming the scene less precarious, Ambrose jumped down from his viewpoint. Displaying his ring before his eyes, he stared into the red lacrimal jewel fashioned to be the center stone. Melancholically, he whispered, "Bloody-red...Just like my hands will soon be..."

The red jewel glowed as he waved a hand. Around the unconscious mages, thorned rose vines from the topiaries snared their limbs and held their bodies. At Ambrose's command, the vines pulled the bodies onto the topiaries. Ambrose jumped from the height of his position. Another wave of his hand and vines sprung from the ground to cushion his descent. After stepping off his vines, Ambrose walked through his garden of roses, whose red contrasted greatly from the yellow freesias. Although both flowers are beautiful, the rose petals littered the freesia field; similar to how a distorted version of love can litter an innocent friendship.

Ambrose examined the bodies restrained by his botanic creations. He recognized the human boy and girl from the meeting earlier in the Magistia Headquarters. He was unfamiliar with the three cats restrained on the other topiary but he knew they fit the description of the race his boss was targetting; they were Exceed and thus were better left alive. Even though he worked in a shady line of business, he was disgusted by the thought of having to kill young children. Still, disobeying Magius's orders entailed collateral consequences to Papillon. Phalene was already desecrated by Magius's will. If Papillon's purity could remain intact, there would always be a chance of salvation for Phalene.

With a circling of his ringed hand, the vines tightened around the captive mages. The thorns dug deeper into the mages' skin. Grunting in pain, they all woke up.

"Gahagggghh!" Romeo writhed in agony as his conscience resurfaced with pain's beckoning call.

In the periphery of his vision, he could see Wendy wincing from the pain of the thorns lacerating the skin on her limbs.

Seeing the harm his enemy was causing upon his dear friend flickered the anger inside him. Romeo was about to turn to Ambrose to curse him out for his actions, but the young mage halted.

"No...Think before you act, Romeo. Think. Getting angry at him will only make him aware I'm awake enough to fight back. That might force him to kill me and everyone else faster...Ack! But these thorns freaking hurt!... Think, think, think. my flames, in general, should burn these plants without a problem. It's just an issue of how much the flames can burn and how much time I'll be given to land a strike on this guy...I can produce a lot of red flames easily but he would've noticed by then. Green won't require much in quantity, but the corrosion effect is too slow. How do I close the gap between us?"

Inside his mind, a lightbulb brightened. Forgetting the thorns digging into his skin, Romeo smiled smugly in satisfaction. He leaned his body forward with the best of his might, separating his core from the topiary which restrained his limbs. He opened his eyes and looked Ambrose in the eyes. The orange-haired man was unfazed. His attention turned to Romeo. From the Fire Mage's limbs appeared four orange flames. In a split-second, they combusted. The thorned vines that once ensnared Romeo were singed to ashes from the fire. Romeo propelled himself towards his enemy, further closing the gap with continuous combustions of orange flames. Before Ambrose could protect himself, Romeo pivoted mid-air with the assisted propulsion of his flames and landed an accelerated kick to the man's rib cage. The plant user tumbled back, immediately grasping his struck rib cage with his hands. With his concentration diminished, the thorned vines that restrained Wendy and the Exceed to his rose topiaries withdrew. Immediately, the bodies fell to the floor, remaining unconscious.

Upon waking up, Wendy felt pain from the scars that she received, rendering her too exhausted to act immediately. She needed to recuperate before taking action. While catching her breath, Wendy scanned the area. Carla, Happy, and Lily lay on the flowers; she couldn't make out if they were conscious from afar. Her first instinct was to rush to their aid, but her thoughts were disrupted by the sound of explosions. Wendy turned her head to the noise and spotted Romeo in front of Ambrose.

"Romeo-san..." Her lips formed a small grin, "I'll leave this to you..."

Romeo and Natsu stood on different pedestals. But at that moment, Wendy felt she saw Natsu's image reflected in Romeo as he confronted their opponent. Confident in her friend's strength, she turned her attention back to her Exceed guildmates.

With an opening made, Romeo knew that a moment's hesitation could lead to regret. After landing kick, Romeo conjured purple flames from his right hand and pointed it towards Ambrose to unleash a follow-up attack, "Purple Rain!"

A myriad of purple fire orbs shot towards the orange-haired man. With his full concentration engaged in fighting Romeo, Ambrose could prioritize defending himself. Waving his ringed finger, he cast magic to defend himself, "Thorn Cage!"

A magic circle appeared beneath him. Faster than the purple fire precipitation, thorned vines emerged from the ground forming a cage around Ambrose that, ironically, shielded him from the fire spell. Upon contact, the cage of thorned vines was engulfed in purple flames.

"Those vines act fast..." Romeo sighed in relief, knowing that he brought himself some time. Landing in the earth, Romeo conjured purple flames from both of his arms in preparation for his opponent.

"Vine Frenzy!"

At the call of Ambrose's voice, vines sprung from the ground at a ferocious pace. The Fire Mage shuffled back and to his sides, evading contact with the vines that lunged at him. Waving his hands, Romeo set them on fire.

"Haaahh!"

The vines twisted and blackened to ash shortly after coming into contact with Romeo's flames. As more vines continued to launch from under the surface around him, Romeo would rotate himself to burn them as he saw fit.

"This is getting kinda redundant...What does that jerk think he's doing when my flames just destroy his plants?" the Fire Mage muttered under his breath, "In fact, where is the guy?"

When the question crossed Romeo's mind, he realized he was surrounded by flames. The flames that nullified Ambrose's attacks would also get caught onto the freesias in the field. Trapped in the flames, Romeo could not locate Ambrose nor predict his next strike...

"Crown Punishment!"

From somewhere in the flames, a wheel formed by thorned vines rolled towards Romeo. The Fire Mage dodged, only to be struck by another thorned wheel.

"Gahaggghhh!"

The Fire Mage winced in pain as the thorns on the wheel shredded the flesh off his skin. The impact of the wheel in addition to his older wounds caused Romeo to fall back to the ground. Wary that other attacks may come his way, Romeo immediately got back on his feet. From the flames emerged Ambrose. What was left of his pink dress shirt were rags singed by Fire Magic, revealing a red, ovular lacrima partially embedded in his chest. Contrary to his emotionless demeanor, Ambrose's brows narrowed at Romeo with slight irritation.

Upon seeing the lacrima attached to Ambrose's chest, Romeo's eyes widened in utter shock, "What...what is that?"

Despite his irritation, Ambrose's voice was monotonous and formal, "A lacrimal implant. Surgically attached to me by Magistia's most inquisitive when I was little."

"That bastard...experimented on children?!"

"I didn't have a choice. It was either I let Mr. Magius have his way or else..." Losing composure, a solitary tear fell down his cheek, "...or else Papi's life would be endangered..."

At a loss for words, Romeo didn't know what to do. Initially, this guy struck him as a more doll-like than the Magistian soldiers his team fought earlier. Upon seeing that shred of humanity within his opponent and seeing how his love for Papillon was used against him, Romeo felt he could not stop himself from hesitating.

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

"What else can people like us do?" Ambrose wiped away the moist trail on his cheek. The lacrima on his chest glowed as it pulsated, "Papi and I played right into his hands to a point where neither of us can escape with our lives. That's right...losing here would guarantee Papi's death..."

At those words, the glowing and pulsations grew more intense. The veins and arteries that fed into the lacrima began to protrude from under Ambrose's skin. The orange-haired man clutched his chest in slight disturbance, "Tch..."

This too would have been a good moment to strike. Against Shinji's words, Romeo did not have the heart to do so. Out of concern, he stepped towards Ambrose in his hurt state, "Are you okay?"

Regaining his composure, Ambrose looked at Romeo with an expression different from his typical puppet-like persona. He looked as if he was on the verge of losing control over. With solemn eyes, he told the young mage, "Nothing personal, young man. I hope you understand...to me, you are still an obstacle."

Take aback by his words, Romeo knew this man would kill him and his teammates to prevent further harm from coming to Papillon. Romeo clenched his fist in frustration, "You don't have to this..."

"I do." Ambrose cut through Romeo's words, "Unlike you, I don't have the freedom to truly act on my own will. Not without consequences breathing down my neck every step of the way."

Romeo clicked his tongue. Bitter were his words. But, they perfectly illustrate the disparity between their realities. Romeo wanted to say something in rebuttal. Anything. Anything to cease fighting with these people who fell victim to someone else's cruel, selfish ploys. His experiences with Fairy Tail have shown him many times how yesterday's enemies can become tomorrow's friends. He stood still in the field of burning flowers. The freesias and roses blackened as they were swallowed by purple flames. The red lacrima implanted on his chest throbbing and glowing more sinister than before.

"I'm sorry." Romeo set his hands on fire as he looked at Ambrose with a mixture of sympathy and determination.

Although the throbbing of his lacrimal implant did not stop, Ambrose was a tad surprised by Romeo's words. Still, he would never give in to false kindness.

"Don't bother. Your words mean nothing to me."

Ambrose held his ringed finger on his lacrimal implant. Both lacrimas shone in blinding, red light. In that blinding light, the orange-haired man hesitated momentarily.

"Papi...I'm sorry..."

"Gemstone Implant: Rose Garnet!"

Below him, a magic circle formed. The sheer power of the magic released caused the ground beneath him to split open, forming a crater. After activating his lacrima, Ambrose initially tried to hide his pain. It was only a matter of time before his agonized screams reached Romeo's ears.

"GgghhhAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"

Romeo was used to seeing transformation-based powerups from some of his guildmates like Mirajane and Elfman. Ambrose's transformation was too painful to watch. But, Romeo couldn't cover his eyes because he couldn't dishonor Shinji's words any further. Regardless, he felt his stomach churn at the sinister nature of Magius's work with lacrimas.

From his body, he grew thorned vines from his back, transmogrifying into venus flytraps and roses. Tree bark, branches, and thorned vines proliferated and wrapped around most of his body until it encased him like a demented, foresty armor. From his right eye, appeared two thorned fines that wrapped around his head. Where the eye once was, a red rose flower bloomed in its place. His other eye glowed a sinister blood-red and looked straight in Romeo's vicinity.

Within the boundary of the purple flames, the agonized cry of someone who gave up their humanity could be heard.

~Back In The Woods~

The flashes of lights ceased and tranquil silence filled the woods.

Phalene's blackened body lay on the ground. Volts of electricity sparked from his unconscious figure. Shinji dawned in his Blitz Cruiser Armor, stood above the purple-haired man. The young swordsman wore a mixed expression of caution and concern, "My apologies. I give no mercy to those who take life for granted."

With those final words, Shinji turned around and began heading towards the direction his friends left. But in a split-second, a purple card flew past his cheek. A thin, long cut appeared on Shinji's face from whence there was nothing. Sensing this fight wasn't over, Shinji turned around and saw a few luminescent, purple playing cards floating around Phalene. The purple-haired man staggered to raise himself to a stand. Despite the countless blackened burns on his skin and the shadow his purple locks cast over his face, his glowing, red eyes demonstrated a shade of red that screamed murder.

"BASTARD! NOW YOU'VE DONE IT! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Whist bellowing, Phalene unleashed the tremendous amount of magic power. His skin reddened. His veins protruded. His muscles hardened. Steam exuded from the blackened portions of his body until they disappeared.

"Shit." Shinji internally gulped as he reverted back into a battle stance.

In a fraction of a second, Phalene zipped right in front of Shinji, "Kill..."

The Sword Mage crossed his blades in front of him in the nick of time. Phalene disregarded the weapons before him. The purple-haired man pivoted himself to land a kick onto Shinji. His enhanced kick shattered Shinji's twin blades into metal bits and struck the Requip mage himself. The sound of metal breaking resounded through the woods.

Shinji couldn't hold his breath in when confronting this pain, "Gah!"

Amidst broken armor pieces and the remnants of his swords, Shinji was blown back with such force that the two trees that were in his trajectory would collapse he fell into them. At the third tree, his sprawling ceased. The Requip mage, riddled in tattered clothes and small cuts, rolled down the barky trunk of the tree before hitting the ground.

"Aggggh. That fricking hurt..." the raven-haired guy groaned in pain, "But right now, the clock is ticking...it's only a matter of time before this guy shows up again to kick my ass..."

Shinji summoned a katana and stuck it into the ground to use as a post to get back on his feet. From afar, Shinji could hear Phalene bounding towards him.

"Tch...thought too soon." Shinji clicked his tongue in disbelief, "Still, it would have been smarter for him to try a sneak attack using the darkness of this forest...!"

With that idea highlighted in his train of thought, Shinji requipped into a different armor. A flash of light shone, revealing his location to Phalene. Crazed in his Berserker state, Phalene charged into the area, with another, "FOOOOUUUUUND YOUUUUUU!"

He struck where the light shone with his bare fist, but all he could feel was dirt. When the light vanished, his hand was buried in the ground. He missed, completely.

"Tch...annoying..." Phalene huffed in irritation as he removed his hand from the ground.

In that moment of annoyance, something (or rather someone) whizzed past Phalene, slashing his right flank. In a Berserker state, Phalene felt no pain. Steam exuded from the slash mark until the wound was fully closed. Unbothered, he turned around to see Shinji. The young swordsman dawned a long coat that was black as the night. The only traces of other colors were the singular white lines that ran from the coat's shoulders to the end of the sleeve. On the left side of the coat was a small, white five-pointed star. The back of his coat sported the same emblem, but larger. His coat was open, leaving his chest, core, and guild mark exposed. Adorned on the bottom half of his body was a pair of slick, black leather pants fastened by a white belt. On his legs were black boots that reached half-way to the knees. His hands were covered by black, fingerless gloves. Both of them gripped the black hilt of a katana whose blade was pitch black with a whitish silver edge that gently glistened like the distant stars.

"Requip: Night Sky Cloak" Shinji whispered in a hushed voice.

Without thinking, Phalene lunged at Shinji with a closed fist. But in a fraction of a second, Shinji vanished into the night. Confused, Phalene halted. From the murky forest, Shinji's voice echoed, "You're formidably strong. But, my Night Sky Cloak gives me stealth and camouflage during the night."

"YOU PEST! FIGHT ME!" Phalene lunged towards the direction Shinji's voice, knocking down a row of trees with his fist.

His antics were to no avail. When the dust cleared, there was nothing but damaged woodland obscured by nighttime. Phalene heaved heavily in his frustration. In that pause, Shinji blurred past Phalene and delivered a slash to his left flank. Again, steam emitted from the wound until it closed. Unbothered, Phalene turned to Shinji as if he was a fly. The black-cloaked swordsman positioned himself in an offensive stance, both of hands gripped his sable katana, "To most, this cloak wouldn't be pesky at all. It lacks protection...which is why I can't let you hit me."

"KILL!" Phalene lunged at Shinji again.

This time, Shinji was faster.

The weight of his armor was no longer present to hold him down. Speed was the name of the game.

The swordsman dodged and landed two slashes on Phalene, finding himself on the other side of the Berserker. Despite taking damage, Phalene's rage could not be quelled. Crazily, he twisted his neck and punched the ground below causing grass, dirt, trees, and chunks of the earth to fly off the ground. Shinji too was caught in the ruckus of rising debris, but he used Phalene's force to momentarily land himself on flying tree. Espying Phalene on the surface, Shinji quickly scanned the debris around him and surmised a pathway to reach his target.

He closed his eyes. One deep breath. "Here goes..."

When Shinji opened his eyes, they glowed icy blue. The silverish-white edge on his black katana shimmered the same color as his eyes. In the split-second that followed, Shinji shot from chunk to chunk of flying earth debris. Each swift, consecutive leap led him closer to Phalene. Faster than a shooting star, Shinji descended to the ground and bolted straight for Phalene with his blade readied.

"Night Severance!"

Shinji phased through Phalene. The purple-haired Berserker looked unscathed for a moment, then a flurry of rapid slashes carved themselves across his body. Falling to one knee, Phalene began to feel...fatigue. Copious amounts of steam emitted from the openings in his body. Although his Berserker healing mechanisms worked, there seems to be a detriment to over-relying on it. Additionally, the amount of blood he lost already would be enough to kill normal humans...

"It seems like you're approaching your limit..."

"SHUT UP!" Berserker Phalene roared back whilst heaving heavily.

"My apologies...but I'll have to finish you."

Shinji sighed and said no more. With his right hand, he held his black katana parallel to his chest. With the exception of his index and middle, all his left fingers were tucked in. A white magic circle emitted from his two left fingers. Shinji traced the middle of his blade with his magic imbued fingers, "Bladesmith: Hoshigami!"

At those words, Shinji's blade unleashed a blinding flash. The black that colored the blade of his katana drained to snow-white. The handle acquired an ivory hue while the braiding of the handle was designed to look like three, platinum rhombuses. The collar was shaped into a five-pointed star. Attached to the end of the handle was a small chain adorned with a platinum-colored, five-pointed star. The sharp edge of the katana maintained its celestial, light blue gleam.

Shinji opened his sapphire eyes. The coldness in the young swordsman's gaze sent chills down Phalene's spine to the point his insanity was beginning to subside.

"T-That magic..."

"Bladesmith...Using an existing blade, I can enchant and reconfigure it into a magic blade temporarily."

Phalene's wounds healed, but his body was ailed by weariness. In the face of Shinji's radiance, the purple-haired man arose. Acknowledging his enemy's capacity to continue, Shinji gripped Hoshigami's ivory handle tightly with both hands and flashed towards his opponent. Instinctively, Phalene kicked up a high cloud of dirt. With a swipe of his light-imbued blade, the dust cloud was split. Without haste, Shinji shot through the gap and straight towards his enemy.

Veins popped across Phalene's body, "One last stride...I need it to crush this cheeky bastard."

Focusing his magic into his hands, Phalene's hands became more claw-like and animalistic.

Plunging towards Phalene, Shinji descended Hoshigami.

However, the blade was caught blocked by Phalene's enhanced hands. Shinji's icy blue eyes widened as a slight gasp left his lungs.

Phalene snickered before swatted Shinji's magic blade to the side and subsequently kicking Shinji in the stomach.

"Ggghh!" the black swordsman grunted as he was pushed back a few yards before landing back on his feet. Both Shinji and Phalene were shocked by this.

"That was nowhere near as painful as other times he landed kicks on me. Could it be-" the young swordsman contemplated momentarily.

Phalene furrowed his eyebrows in irritation, "The hell happened there?! He was supposed to go flying...Why-"

A lightbulb went off simultaneously in both of their heads.

Shinji flitted right in front of Papillon, "Your time is dwindling."

The sword mage slashed horizontally, but Phalene was quick enough to block it. Slash after slash, Shinji was incessant in his offense. Each time, Phalene would continue to block or parry his opponent's sword. After a particular block, Phalene felt the sharpness of the blade gash his hand deeply.

Phalene withdrew his hand in disbelief and in pain, "Tch. What gives?"

Steam emanated from the wound again, but the healing process was debilitated.

"Hoshigami is a sword with the property of the stars. The edge of the blade is not metal but plasma. it's a miracle your hands weren't lopped off at the first block."

"You annoying...BASTARD!" the berserk state in one of Phalene's eyes was reinvigorated.

Unwavering, Shinji monotonously announced the end.

"It's over."

In a radiant flash, Shinji closed the distance between him and Phalene. He thrust Hoshigami though Phalene's left shoulder. From the blade, a beam of light similar to a comet shot from the blade into the sky. Phalene roared as his pain intensified.

"GAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHH-"

Shinji placed a finger on Phalene's mouth, silencing him. He froze Phalene's blood-red eyes with his cold gaze.

A chilly whisper came from Shinji's lips, "Midnight Star."

When the light diminished, Shinji swiftly withdrew his katana from Phalene, who subsequently collapsed. The magic that enabled Hoshigami to take physical form dispelled, reverting the weapon back into a slick, black katana. Shinji looked up at the stars speckled across the night sky. The iciness in his eyes melted back into a life-like sapphire.

"I'm sorry."

~Magistia Airship Cabin Crew~

Within the sanctuary of his airship, Mr. Magius stood in a dark room lit up by innumerable holographic screens produced by orb-like lacrimas. The projectors before him displayed-

Yes.

He was watching all along.

The projectors before him displayed scenes from the battles that transpired or were transpiring as he observed in comfort and condescension.

The white-haired man stroked his beard in dissatisfaction, "Rubbish. Such street rubbish. Wanda was nothing special, to begin with. But, Phalene! *gasp* My own killing machine outdone by another psycho! It's inconceivable! Utterly inconceivable!"

Near him was a stainless steel tray with an open bottle of wine and a glass. Magius swatted the wineglass off the tray. The glass shattered upon crashing into the wall. He swiped the bottle of wine and chugged it all. While guzzling his alcoholic beverage, the door behind him slid open. One of his Magistian operatives was reporting to him. The operative was dressed in a long-sleeved, grey blouse that covered her neck. Her waist was secured by a black, leather corset. Attached to the corset was a long stretch of black fabric that made up her skirt with a slit on the side. On her feet were red, heeled boots. Her eyes were shrouded by visor glasses that have a dark blue to white gradient. Her lilac hair was tied back in a bun. In her red, gloved hands was a small communications lacrima similar to a smartphone.

"Mr. Magius. Sir. We have received word from headquarters. The D.E.M. components are ready."

Surprised by this interruption, Magius spewed his wine from out his mouth. Droplets of deep purple precipitated the room for a moment before he turned to his operative in a more proper visage becoming a founding CEO. "Ahem. Wonderful! Such wonderful news, Delphinium. Tell my subordinates back in headquarters to prepare the portal lacrimas. I'll give the order to airship staff to prepare the main portal."

"Yes, Mr. Magius. Sir."

"Wonderful as always."

The door automatically slid open. Mr. Magius exited the room. The door slid shut.

Delphinium stood in the projector room for a moment. She punched in a few keys on the communications lacrima before holding it to her ear.

"Hello. This is Delphinium speaking...Affirmative. Mr. Magius demands commencement... ."

The lilac-haired operative withdrew the communications tablet from her ear before turning it off. Robotically, she turned to the scenes displayed by the projector screens. Naturally, she was intrigued by the recordings. Slowly, she removed her visor-like lens off her face. Her eyes were ocean blue. She undid the bun on her hair and shook her head gently to let it flow down gracefully. Her lips curled as her eyes wandered from projector to projector. She blue eyes narrowed on a specific screen that displayed Romeo's battle with Ambrose...

She emphasized her analysis on the red guild mark on Romeo's right shoulder.

"My, my..."

Delphinium's lips curled in delight. She took off the red, leather glove over her left hand...

On it, was a purple guild mark that looked familiar, but spelled pure trouble.

& ?3% # *1

The lilac-haired spy walked towards the screen displaying Romeo's fight with Ambrose, watching the Fairy Tail mage intently. Delphinium smiled a smile that feigned sweetness, but in reality, was just as toxic as her namesake.

"Gather your rosebuds...while you may, Fairy Tail."

Aaaand scene.

Next Chapter: Deus Ex Machina

AHHHH THE SUSPENSE! I didn't think I had it in me at all! I really didn't!

First of all, I would like to say that I am sorry for my lack of consistency. We all have our own lives and our own setbacks. But your support gives me the power to continue to breathe life [and morbidity] into this story. Thank you!

As always, please feel free to constructively criticize or make a suggestion as they are warmly welcomed. I also especially encourage your guesses on Delphinium's affiliation.

So much time has passed with the actual franchise; there are a lot of stones left unturned *HINT*! Opinions on Aria's past and Shinji's magic that is NOT Requip are also encouraged!

Rudeness or salt will lead to Shinji to giving you his signature icy-cold gaze before slicing you into mincemeat.

Shinji: *readies his blade* Dp tread carefully.