The Tail Of The Lightning Phoenix
Chapter 10: Tear
-The Next Day- Bradley stood in front of the quest board and looked around. Becky and Seljina stood behind him with a smile on their faces.
"Haa… This is nice and quality family time, huh?" Seljina smiled. James looked back at her and chuckled.
"That sounds swell," Bradley laughed as he imitated his late father's voice. Seljina pouted and looked at him. Becky couldn't help but giggle at them. Bradley frowned and sighed.
"I do miss him, though. But… We can keep living, you know." Bradley looked at Seljina as she nods her head slowly. Noel slowly went over to them and looked up at them.
"That was rough…" Noel sighed as she shook her fur out.
"Don't scare me like that… I didn't know you could make a speedy recovery like that," Bradley told Noel. She rubbed against his leg and smiled.
"I am a special kind of flying kitty. I can heal you and me at the same time," Noel told him, "No matter how bad it gets…" Bradley raised an eyebrow as Noel flew up to his face and hugged him again.
"I will make it all better, Bradley." Bradley smiled and pets the tabby cat on the head.
"Aww…" Mirajane called ad she walked up to them. She smiled sweetly at them and giggled.
"What is it?" Seljina asked.
"Noel and Bradley are getting closer," Mirajane told Seljina, "It warms my heart." Bradley and Noel chuckled as they sat at a table and Mirajane brought a tray of raw fish to Noel and a mug of root beer to Bradley.
"ROOT BEER!" Bradley yelled as he began to chug the mug down as fast as he could. Noel gobbled down on the fish at the same speed and burped when she finished the fish, she licked her lips. Bradley slammed down the mug and wiped the leftover foam from his upper mouth. Mirajane giggled and held the serving plate in her arms. Erza then walked up to their table and sat down across from them. She looked really upset about something.
"You okay? You seem upset, Erza," Mirajane asked kindly. Erza looked up at Mirajane and sighed. Mirajane gasped and placed a hand over her mouth.
"Is it…"
"Yes. It is that day… Our anniversary. He and I have been together for a long time… About 7 years now," Erza said, "He is also a wizard at this guild… S Class just like me and Mirajane," Erza explained, "He and I grew up in the same place as well." Bradley looked at Mirajane and blinked. Mirajane smiled and sat next to him.
"Who is this mysterious guy?" Bradley asked the 2 S Class ladies. Mirajane looked at Erza as Erza turned to him.
"His name… Is James," Erza told Bradley, "He is much like you… A being not from our world." Bradley stretched his eyes and gasped.
"A Dimension Tripper?!" Bradley gasped as he looked at Erza, "How do you know that?!"
"He told me… And, I didn't believe him. Until he started to speak to me like how a grown man should talk," Erza chuckled as she looked at Bradley. Bradley raised an eyebrow and blinked at her.
"How long have you known him?" Bradley asked her. Erza looked down at the table and didn't reply.
-Flashback; 13 Years Ago; Tower Of Heaven- A young Erza sat in a corner of a dirty cell full of other prisoners of all ages ranging from about 6 to about 90 years of age. She was terrified beyond comprehension and didn't move. Then, a young tan skinned boy walked up to her and smiled at her, despite being surrounded in animosity and anguish. He looked behind him and all around him as he pulled out an apple from the raggedy shirt he wore and cuts it in half with a blue ghost like blade that appeared beside him. Erza looked at him in fear as he gave her the half apple. She reluctantly took the half apple and took a bite of it. It tasted amazing to her starving mouth and stomach.
"Who… Who are you?" she asked him as he sat beside her and took a bite from the half apple.
"James… James is my name. I got taken from my home not too long ago," the boy told her, "My mom told me to always have a positive attitude in the middle of a bad situation. That is why I know we will get out of here someday. What about you? Got a name?" Erza blinked and looked down at the half apple.
"Erza," she told him as she took a bite from her half apple. James nods his head and bit into the apple.
"Why are you being nice to me?"
"Don't need a reason to be nice, Erza… I just am," James told her as he looked at her. Erza smiled and bit into the apple.
"I think I know why they took me… Momma told me that I was a special boy," James said as a blue ghost blade appeared beside him as well as a blue left arm and hand holding the blade in place, "This is what she meant."
"What is that?" Erza asked James.
"Susano'o," he said to her, "A living being residing in my body. Pretty much I am stuck with this. But, it isn't so bad… He talks to me sometimes. And, I love his stories." Erza looked at him while she took a bite of the apple.
"Erzie! There you are!" a small voice called to her as a girl with cat like features much like whiskers and cat like eyes rushed up to her. Erza looked up at the girl and smiled.
"Milliana," Erza smiled as she looked the girl. Milliana walked up to them and stared at James.
"Hi. My name is James," James told Milliana. She smiled and waves at him.
"Everyone is looking for you! Come on!" Milliana told Erza as she pulled her to her feet. Erza looked back at James and dropped the half apple on accident as she was pulled away. James picked up the half apple and looked at it.
"I guess I will see you later," James said softly. A small blue haired girl crawled up to him and hugged James.
"Onii Chan! Hungry…" she said cutely as James took another apple out of his ripped shirt and gave it to the girl. She happily ate it and looked up at James.
"Good girl. Come here," James told her. The girl hops into his arms and he held her close to him.
"Don't worry, Gia… I will protect you," James told her. Gia smiled and hugged him.
-Much Later- James was awoken by a commotion nearby him and he sat up to look around. There were a bunch of men in masks dragging Erza away as a bunch of kids were protesting against the notion.
"What is going on?" James called and everyone went quiet, "What did she do?"
"None of your business, brat," one of the men called as he kicked James back to the ground. James rubbed his back as he sat up.
"That wasn't very nice," James said eerily as a blue ghostly arm and blade appeared beside him. The blade hovered in front of James as he got up to his feet.
"Let Erza go. What dis she do to deserve that?"
"She is the mastermind behind this failed escape," one of the guards scoffed, "Now, she will regret it." James frowned for the first time since he has been trapped there and clenched his fists at his sides. The guards shuddered all of a sudden as they looked at the boy in shock. There was a large blue aura surrounding him that manifested into a large man wearing a suit of armor around him.
"What the?!" one of them called.
"Susano'o," James muttered, "Attack them head on." Then, James swiped his left hand out and the blue arm smacked several men in masks away. Then, he was impaled from behind from a spearhead. Blood shot out his mouth as he fell forward. Erza screamed as she fought against their grip. The kids protesting were stunned as they looked at James in shock.
James!" Gia screamed as she raced towards him and knelt beside him. Milliana went over to James and placed a hand on his bleeding back wound.
"Let me go! James!" Erza called to no avail. The men in masks smirked as they pulled Erza away. A boy with a weird tattoo on his face raced towards them and was kicked back to his friends.
"Jellal! No!" Milliana called. James slowly raised his head and groaned as he started to crawl towards the men. One of them stomped on James's head and knocked him out.
"Stop! He is only a child!" an old man with spiky gray hair called. The same man glared at the elderly man and kicked him as well.
"Shut it, you geezer!" he snarled as he glared at him.
-A Little Later- James quickly opened his eyes and looked around. He panted and looked around.
"Erza! Erza!" James called as he tried to get to his feet and cringed when he held his bandaged stomach in pain. Gia hugged him tightly and bawled. James stopped and hugged Gia tightly.
"It's okay, Gia. Where is Erza? Did they take her?" James asked Gia. Gia nods her head and looked down at the ground as the old man from before walked up to them.
"Good… Your wounds are healing quite well. You still need some rest," the man told James as he sat in front of James and Gia.
"What happened to Erza?" James asked the man, "Who are you?" The man pats James's shoulder calmly and shook his head.
"She is near her breaking point… But, she will recover," the man told James, "My name… The kids call me Grandpa Rob." Rob laughed as he looked at James's worried face.
"She is a strong girl… You are a strong boy. You 2 will be the greatest of combinations." James blinked at Rob and nods his head slowly. Then, there was an explosion nearby that kicked up dust. Erza walked out of the dust cloud and looked over at James.
"You're okay!" she gaped in shock as she rushed over to him and hugged him.
"Your eye…" James said in shock as he looked at the eyepatch over her right eye. She looked down and clenched her teeth.
"I will tell you when we get out of here. Come on, we're busting out of here!" Erza told James as she helped him to his feet. She slung his arm over her shoulder as she held a short sword in her left hand. Gia picked up a crossbow that she held in her hands as she slung a bag of arrows over her left shoulder.
"Be careful with that… You could hurt yourself with that," James told her. Gia nods her head and points it at an incoming Zeref worshipper and hits him in the chest. He fell back and coughed up blood as he hits the ground. Gia smiled and winked at them as they sweatdropped.
"No need to worry about her," Rob joked. James nods his head and looked at Erza as she and him moved on ahead with Rob and Gia following behind them. Soon enough, they met up with the others and regrouped outside in the sunlight.
"We have to break the prisoners out of Cell Block A today. Then, we have to get to Jellal! Hopefully…" Erza called.
"They took Jellal? The blue haired kid, right? I barely met him… Why do they want him all of a sudden?" James asked.
"After you went down… He tried to help Erza. Then, he broke her out and was the one that brought her back to us. They took him afterwards," another tan skinned boy told James. James looked at Erza as she clenched her fists.
"We will get him out, Erza. Leave no man behind," James groaned as he held a hand over his chest as it throbbed. Erza knelt in front of him and rubbed his chest soothingly.
"You won't be able to help much with that wound," Erza told him. James shook his head as he grabbed a nearby broadsword off the ground and used it as a crutch.
"No. I want to help, Erza! I don't want you to die," James argued, "This is nothing… Compared to the pain of losing a dear friend." Erza blinked away a tear as she looked at him.
"I think…" one of the boys said as an explosion blew him back.
"SIMON!" Erza and the other kids called.
"Susano'o!" James called as a blue ghost arm appeared from behind him and caught Simon as he was launched backwards and brought the bloody and battered child over to them.
"Simon! Are you okay?!" Erza called as she checked on him.
"His jaw is knocked out of place… Beyond repair," Gia said as she checked on him, "He needs medical attention. NOW."
"Well, get him some quickly. I will cover you," James groaned as he turned away from them and faced several dark entities that floated in front of them.
"No! Not you too!" Erza told James as she looked at him. He looked back at her with determination in his eyes.
-Play Fairy Tail Melody by Taylor Davis-
James faced forward as he slung the giant broadsword over his right shoulder and used Susano'o to launch him in the air. He slashed the first black entity in half and lands perfectly on a fallen pillar as 2 more black entities flew towards him. He lets out a mighty cry as he cuts both of them in half and they disappeared. Gia fired several arrows at the entities and dispatched them quickly as the others got to safety.
"I want to help you! You can't do it alone!" Erza called as she rushed to his side and stopped when a few of them shot yellow blasts at her. Then… Rob got in the way of the blast and puts up a rainbow shield in front of her and him.
"I will not let you harm my friends anymore!" Rob called as he turned the shield into a large rainbow veil that knocked the entities back, "If I am going down, I am taking you with me!"
"Grandpa Rob!" Erza called as she got to her feet. James roared and slashed another black entity in half. He then punched another away from him as he lands on another fallen pillar.
"You see my emblem?! I hail from Fairy Tail! We believe in bonds! You will not sever this bond, even in death!" Rob yelled proudly as he placed a hand on his back. There was a insignia of the Fairy Tail Guild mark on his back. Erza and James both saw the mark on his back as they stood behind him.
"Go, young'uns! You have your lives ahead of you! This old dog has did his last trick…" Rob groaned as the shield began to weaken. James noticed and started to pull Erza away.
"Gia, get behind cover NOW!" James yelled as he covered Erza as the shield gave up and the blasts consumed Rob, "SUSANO'O!" The upper half of the blue being turned into a skeleton and protected the kids as they were blown back by the winds.
"NOOOOOOO!" Erza screamed as they were blown away. As the dust subsidies, James dropped the Susano'o and held his throbbing and reopened back and chest wounds.
"Ahh… Nngh…" James groaned. Erza crawls over where Rob once stood and trembled in shock. James looked at her as she looked back at him.
"I…"
"…GAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Erza screamed in rage as a magic circle appeared under her. Then, the pitchforks, sickles, spears, shovels, and swords of all kinds hovered around her while she screamed. She then stopped screaming and glared at the entities as she points her left hand forward to shoot the weapons at them and sliced the entities into pieces. James looked down at the ground and clenched his fists as he got to his feet.
"This is nothing compared to the loss of a friend…" James thought as he leaned on the broadsword and held his left hand over his chest.
"This must be what you were talking about this whole time… Magic. Sorry, Grandpa Rob... Looks like riding a broomstick will have to wait," Erza said softly and picked up a short sword off the ground. She raised it high into the air and lets out a loud cry.
"Follow me!" Erza called and everyone that could fight raised their weapons into the air and charged. Erza pats James on the back and nods to him.
"It's not your fault," Erza told him as she held him. James nods his head and they raced into battle. Soon enough, they were able to liberate from their captors and made it to some large boats.
"Gia, James… Listen. I have to get Jellal… I can't…" Erza told them. James flinched and stood up. Gia helped him stand up and looked at Erza.
"We are here to help," James told her as he leaned on the broadsword he kept the entire time. Gia looked up at Erza and nods.
"You guys stay here. James is too hurt to move well…" Erza told them. James shook his head.
"I have a bad feeling about this..." James told Erza as she looked at him. He sighed and nods his head.
"All right… Be careful." Erza nods and rushed out. James looked down at the ground and blinked. He was getting worried.
"Go after Erzie! She might get hurt!" Milliana told James as she poked him. James looked at her and nods. He quickly limped after her.
"Erza!" James called as he got off the boat and looked around. Then, he heard a large explosion nearby that made him nearly fall over. He looked up at the large tower and saw a dust cloud several floors above him. He quickly rushed into the tower and stopped when he saw Erza laying on the ground in front of her and Jellal standing on a high platform above them. He had a demonic aura around him and an evil smirk on his face.
"I knew it! My bad feeling was spot on…" James thought as he limped over to Erza and knelt in front of her.
"Erza… Are you okay?" James asked her as he shook her. Erza stirred and groaned as she looked up at James.
"Why did you come back?" Erza asked in tears. James placed a hand on her head.
"I didn't want to leave a good friend behind," James told her softly. Erza blinked away tears as she hugged him.
"I value your friendship, Erza. This bond will not be severed, okay?" James hugged her. Jellal frowned and hopped down behind Erza. James slowly got to his feet with the sword being used as a crutch for him. Jellal smirked and a black shadow knocked the sword out of James's hands. James fell forward and landed facefirst on the ground. Erza crawled over to him and held him close to her heart.
"Tch. Lame… I don't wish to hurt you, Erza. Just know that I will let both of you go free," Jellal smirked as he walked up to her and caressed her chin. James smacked Jellal's hand away and glared at him.
"Screw you, jerk," James groaned. Jellal looked at him sarcastically and slammed him down into the ground headfirst.
"Stop it!" Erza yelled. James laid there for a few seconds and his hands twitched slightly.
"Still kicking?" Jellal sighed.
"Don't hurt him!" Erza protested. Jellal sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
"Fine. Leave… But, everyone stays behind," Jellal smirked, "The Tower Of Heaven will be complete with everyone working together."
"Gia is not staying here…" James said defiantly as he raised his head up.
"Your little sister? Don't worry about her… She will be in good hands," Jellal smirked evilly. James gritted his teeth and a blue ghost arm appeared behind him and grabbed Jellal's body.
"What?! You shouldn't have any magic power left!" Jellal snarled.
"Susano'o isn't magic! He is a living being!" James told him, "No matter what happens to me, he will keep on going in my place! Gia is leaving this place!" The hand tightened his grip on Jellal. The child groaned in pain as Erza shook James.
"Stop fighting! Please! We have to leave! Come on!" Erza told James.
"Not without Gia!" James yelled. The hand broke apart as a black shadow covered it. Jellal lands on the ground as James started to hold his bruised chest. Erza hugged him as tears continued to stream down her left cheek.
"Let's go," Erza whimpered.
"Gia! Gia!" James yelled in pain. Both of them ran off.
-Present; Guild- "Erza? You good?" Bradley called to Erza who was lost in a trance. She shook her head and looked at him and Noel as they looked at her.
"Yeah… I umm… Was thinking about something. Did you ask me something?" Erza asked him.
"How long have you know James?" Bradley asked her. She looked at him and nods her head.
"A very long time… Since we were 5," Erza told him, the memories of the Tower of Heaven plaguing her mind, "We have been there for each other. Through thick and thin…"
-Flashback #2; 7 Years Ago- James, now at the age of 11, sat on a bench in the middle of the town of Magnolia, looking at a photo of Gia and him from their world. He blinked and shook his head.
"Hey, there you are! I was looking for you!" a voice called as an 11 year old Erza rushed up to him and stopped when she saw him, "Why are you out here by yourself?" James looked up at her and showed her the photo.
"Are they your parents?"
"No. That's me and Gia… From our world," James told her. Erza blinked as she looked at the photo in shock.
"I know. I went through an age reversion when I traveled her through dimensions," James told her, "I still don't know how I got to Earthland. Me or Gia…"
"That just sounds… Unreal," Erza said seriously as she sat next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. James looked over at Erza and smiled happily.
"At least you are the only one who doesn't doubt me," James told Erza with sincerity. Erza blushed and closed her eyes.
"Now I know what you went through… Since I went through it myself… And got a scar out of it,." James touched his cheek and felt a long scar that went across his face and over his nose to his other cheek.
"Jamie… I want to tell you something…" Erza blushed softly as she opened her eyes and looked up at him. James looked at her and blushed at the redhead as her face was close to his. He could see the blush on her cheeks as she could see the blush on his. She took his glasses off his face and slowly leaned into kiss him… When out of nowhere…
"NATSU, STOP IT!" a voice yelled as a silver haired girl raced towards them and a pink haired child raced after her holding a stick with a worm on the end of it.
"Come on! You can't be grossed out by this thing! It's awesome!" Natsu called. James and Erza quickly separated and blushed harder as they glared at the kids running towards them.
"You got to be kidding me!" James yelled. Erza got up and cracked her knuckles as both of her eyes became blood red.
"HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT OUR FIRST KISS!" Erza roared as she charged at the kids. They froze and shrank back as Erza skids to a stop and glared at them.
"Erza! Calm down!" James called as he held her shoulders. Erza looked back at him and blinked. Natsu dropped the stick as the girl blinked in fear.
"Natsu, you know Lisanna is very timid towards insects and worms… Don't tease her about it. That wasn't very nice." Natsu looked down and pouted. Lisanna sighed and looked at Natsu.
"Thank you… Now… Lisanna, you need to tell Natsu to stop or else. You know what else…" Lisanna nods fervently and smiled. Natsu shuddered and looked away.
"Good… Now, we clear on everything?" James looked at the kids as they nodded. Erza looked back at James again and smiled.
"Nice work," Erza smiled and giggled. James nods his head and smirked.
"Now, what is it you wanted…" James asked as Erza grabbed his shoulders and pulled him towards him, "Wha?! Mmm!" Erza kissed him deeply on the lips for what seemed like 1 minute. When they pulled apart, a thin line of saliva trailed between them and disappeared in an instant.
"Wow…"
"I know…" Erza blushed heavily. They looked at each other with deep blushes on their faces.
"You guys are gross," Natsu said.
"Shut up, Natsu," James and Erza told him.
"Does this makes us…" James told Erza. Erza nods and smiled sweetly.
"Yes. I am your first kiss and your first girlfriend," Erza told James as she held his hands, "Take good care of me, okay?" James nods and smiled at her.
-End 2nd Flashback- "He has been like my knight in shining armor for the many years we have known each other. He has protected me for a long time… And, has loved me more. The thought of losing him would be unbearable…" Erza said as she looked at Bradley. He was shocked at everything she told him.
"I didn't expect one of the toughest women I have ever met to pour out her heart out to me like that. It makes me respect you so much more," Bradley said sincerely. Erza smiled and pats him on the shoulder. Bradley nods his head and smiled at her as Seljina walked up to them with a quest paper in her hands.
"I got a quest we can do together," Seljina told them. Bradley hopped up and looked at her. Noel flew onto his shoulder.
"Would you like to join us?" Seljina asked Mirajane as she looked over to Mirajane. Mirajane looked at them and sighed.
"Sure. I guess it wouldn't hurt," Mirajane smiled, "Would you like to join in, Erza?"
"No… It's all right. I will head home, take a bath, and rest for today," Erza told them with a smile.
"Okay… See ya later, Erza," Bradley smiled as they left out. Erza looked at Mirajane and the Phoenix family leaving out.
"It is a struggle… But, I will wait for you, my afro knight," Erza smiled as she held a photo of a dark skinned male and her hugging each other. She smiled and stood up and turned as she bumped into someone.
"Oh! Sorry… -Gasp-!" Erza gasped as she looked up at the familiar face. James smiled down at her as she hugged him.
"I can't believe it… You came back," Erza said as tears streamed down her cheeks. James pets her head and smiled.
"It's okay, Erza… I am home," James told her.
-End Chapter 10-