Chapter 17: Eclipse

_Sol's POV_

Sol, Makarov, and the five Fairy Tail mages were now gathered in his viewing box to discuss the situation with Natsu. The whole situation put him on edge. It was bad enough that he had to hide Dimaria from a group of relative strangers, but it was another thing entirely to have to wait while said strangers delivered news of some mysterious danger.

"Why the waiting around? If your friends are really in as much trouble as you make it seem, shouldn't we be going about this process quickly?" Sol sat on the balcony edge, facing the group stood in front of him.

"Makarov and Mavis are much wiser than any of us. If anyone can come up with a successful plan, it's them." Erza had her arms folded as she rather bluntly responded.

"That's all well and good, but that doesn't mean you can't at least spare some details while we wait." Sol folded his own arms in mild protest.

"Fine." Gajeel looked over from where he leaned against the wall, the usual gruffness in his voice present. "Back during our tag team battle the other day, Natsu knocked me down a mineshaft."

"I remember. Pretty stupid move but go on."

That comment seemed to get a small chuckle out of Gray. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"Anyways," Gajeel continued, annoyed at being reminded of his failure, "turns out that there's a dragon graveyard underneath the coliseum."

"Gajeel brought some of us down to see for ourselves, but before we could leave, we were stopped by Arcadios." Gray

"Who?"

"He's the Kingdom's top knight. We thought he was a bad guy at first but turns out he was working with Yukino to execute the Eclipse Project."

"Woah woah woah, slow down." Sol stopped Gray from going any further. "I know Yukino is that one girl from Sabertooth, but what the hell is this Eclipse Project?"

Seemingly on cue, Makarov and Mavis walked in, the former answering the Dragonborn's question. "It's meant to stop the black wizard Zeref and the black dragon Acnologia. By using the Eclipse Gate to go back in time, Arcadios plans to stop the two from ever becoming what they are now in the first place."

Neither of them made it noticeable, but Sol and Dimaria's hearts both skipped a beat.

Zeref and Acnologia?! Why the hell are they always involved?

"Go on."

"In a prophecy from long ago, it was told that an eclipse would occur the night dragons came back to Earthland, an event known as the Dragon King Festival." Mavis stepped forward. "Not only is there meant to be an eclipse tonight but considering that the dragons who raised Natsu and the other Dragon Slayers all disappeared on this same day fourteen years ago, we have reason to believe that the Dragon King Festival is tonight."

"Wait a minute, can he even see her?" Laxus interjected, finally speaking. "I thought only those with the guild mark could see the First Master."

"A large part of my magic is centered around the use of light, you know. I can see many things." Sol chided the Dragon Slayer. "Anyways, what do you need me to do?"

"Well, Darton, one of the other high-ranking members of the Kingdom, had Arcadios and Yukino imprisoned. They took Lucy too, which is why Natsu and the others are gone. We couldn't possibly get to them in time, but you can. We need you to find them and help us figure out how to stop the prophecy." Erza finished off the guild's request.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do." Sol walked over to his bag, secretly grabbing Dimaria's hand along with it. "After this though, you better help me figure out how to get me and my friend back home."

"You got it." Makarov was about to reach out to shake Sol's hand, but he quickly disappeared before he got the chance.

"What a freak." Laxus bounced himself off the wall and began walking out the door.

"We should be grateful for his help, Laxus."

"With all due respect, First Master, look at what he's done for us so far." Laxus turned around, not wanting to come off as rude. "I mean, for all we know, he could be the 'Dragon King' the prophecy refers to!"

"Nah." Gajeel again. "Back when we were down in the graveyard, that one ghost said that Acnologia was king. I know he ain't been the nicest, but we should give him the benefit of the doubt."

"Yeah, he could have very easily said no." Gray added.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Gray." Erza spoke up as she looked over the balcony. "He still doesn't know how to get his friend's soul out of Mira's body. He may very well be doing this just to benefit himself."

"I really hope you're wrong, Erza." She looked over as Makarov spoke her name. He had turned, and was walking out the door with Laxus, the others beginning to follow suit. "For everyone's sake."

_Meanwhile_

Sol landed right back in his room at the inn with Dimaria, who was now visible. He simply dropped his bag on the desk, looking out the window toward the palace. A very subtle look of worry had crept onto his face.

"Is what they said true?" He looked behind him to see Dimaria looking on, brandishing her own worrying look.

"Zeref told all of us about the Eclipse Gate a while ago. The part about it being a passage through time checks out. Though I had no clue about that whole prophecy."

"Alright. I'm heading over there now." Sol walked over and grabbed Dimaria's hand, a short burst of magical energy flowing to her on contact. "If I get hurt or in trouble, that'll help you find me. If it gets dangerous around here, meet me by the tree where we first met. Otherwise stay here."

"Got it. Be safe." Dimaria put her free hand on top of his.

"Of course. See you soon." Sol gave a little salute as he faded through the window.

As soon as he was gone, a feeling in Dimaria's gut told her it wouldn't be so soon.

_Sol's POV_

It didn't take Sol long to find Natsu and the other Fairy Tail members, who were stood across from a mysterious figure. The two parties appeared to be having a conversation.

"Spill it, who's this person you're after anyway?" Natsu asked the man opposite him.

Sol took this time appear, much to everyone's surprise. Bad timing.

"You!" The unnamed man pointed right at the Dragonborn; his face turned to a look of confusion.

"So you're the one who closes the gate!" Natsu turned, anger in his voice. "I knew we couldn't trust you!"

"Hold on, close the gate? You and your friends just told me it was the only way to stop this Dragon King Festival or whatever, why in the world would I close it?"

This seemed to calm Natsu slightly, though he still wasn't fully convinced. He turned to hear the man's response. "Well?"

"Wait a minute, you're Rogue right? I knew I recognized that magic from somewhere." Sol tilted his head again in confusion. "Why do you look like that?"

"I've come from the future. And in my time, you use the dragons to reign over the planet and rule as a tyrant."

Sol quickly turned up the pressure. He knew this guy was full of it.

"That's ridiculous. For one, Acnologia is supposed to be this world's king of the dragons. The whole Eclipse Gate plan was meant to stop him. If I wanted to take over, I wouldn't stop the thing designed to take out my biggest rival."

The other Fairy Tail members shifted in place. Their attitudes had changed.

"Besides, this isn't even my own world. I've spent this whole time trying to get back, and you really want me to believe that I'd pass on the opportunity to see if this gate is my ticket home? I know it goes back in time and doesn't connect places, but it's not inconceivable to think that I'm simply from the same world, but a different time just like you. You're lying."

Future Rogue got angry. "I only speak the truth that fate has written! You seek the destruction of this world so that you can rule over it yourself! You and a blonde woman, who helps you by using her magic to close the gate!"

Every other member in the room except for Sol was completely unaffected by this new claim, as they had been almost completely convinced by Sol's argument. Sol himself was silently reeling, suddenly questioning the legitimacy of what Future Rogue had just said.

Blonde woman? Does he mean Dimaria? Her powers do relate to time, and the Eclipse Gate goes back in time. Am I really going to close this gate?

"There's only a few blonde women who it could possibly be. And considering how close you are to Fairy Tail, it could only be…LUCY HEARTFILIA!"

Fully enraged now, Future Rogue sent a beam of shadows right for the celestial mage, a look of complete shock on her face.

Natsu could only look in horror, jumping to block the blast too late for it to matter.

Sol was fast enough, but the beam cut right through him, and he felt an agonizing pain unlike anything he had ever experienced, falling over into an almost unconscious state.

Future Lucy only barely managed to jump in front of her present-day self, taking the blow and becoming mortally wounded herself.

All of this in a split second.

Through blurred, half-conscious vision and hearing, Sol could make out a hand reaching out to him. He grabbed it and felt a rush of energy, and he returned to his senses. The hand belonged to Wendy.

"Thank y-" Sol, getting up slowly, was interrupted by an explosion. Natsu had launched himself at Rogue in a fiery rage. Sol, still a bit dazed from the hit, looked over to see Lucy crouched over her future self.

Blonde woman…

Even though Sol was somewhat relieved to see that Rogue didn't know about Dimaria, he realized there were others who did. Mirajane, Laxus, Gray, and Juvia had all seen her face. Any one of them could have said something to the rest of Fairy Tail, and what little trust he had managed to build would be shattered. All on the word of some freak from the future…

Sol turned around in silent anger and determination toward the man in question. He and Natsu were trading blows, with Rogue seemingly taking the upper hand. He rushed forward, grabbing at the Dragon Slayer's neck, intending to finish him for the second time in two days.

"Sleep." Sol's eyes began to light with the same orange glow they always did.

Rogue just laughed.

"Do you really think I haven't figured that one out yet?" He slashed at Sol's own throat with a razor-thin shadow, which dissipated as quickly as it had formed.

Sol fell to his knees, using both of his hand to try and stop the bleeding. He strained his neck to look back at Wendy, hoping that she would be able to help him once more. She had already left with the others.

How…

Rogue kicked the Dragonborn's body over onto his back, his foot planted firmly against his chest. "Your magic is largely based off of light. After doing some research, I realized that it was similar enough to Sting's that he could teach me how to counter it. Once he did, I killed him and took his power. That's how."

Sol's eyes widened as he looked at the man above him, a psychopath grinning from ear to ear.

"I can't read your mind, if you were wondering. I just know from our experience in the Games that you're cocky and arrogant enough to think nobody in this world can beat you." He leaned down, pressing all of his weight down through his foot and on Sol's chest. "Think again."

Future Rogue raised one arm to the sky, summoning a white and black ball of energy in his palm. He leaned back up, his eyes still looking down on Sol in contempt, ready to finish him off. "White Shadow Dragon-"

"Flash Forward!" Rogue looked up just in time to see a spray of purple orbs rain down on the hallway around him. He quickly reverted to shadow form and fled, leaving Natsu and Sol beaten on the ground.

Sol looked over to see two women approaching them. One had black hair, the other pink. Both wore dark blue robes over their clothes. His vision was too blurry to make out much else. Feeling exhausted due to blood loss, Sol lowered his head and rested on the floor.

It wasn't long before danger returned. Both men began to sink into the ground beneath them, as two new shadows appeared.

"Quick, Meldy, pull Natsu up. I've got Sol." The sound was muffled when it hit Sol's ears, let alone the fact that his vision had gone almost entirely black.

A few moments passed, and memories of the past few days flashed across his mind. Arriving in Crocus, meeting Dimaria, the free-for-all, all of it laid bare before him.

The moment passed, and Sol felt himself regain consciousness as the three others in the room stood in front of him.

"Hey, you're finally awake." The black-haired woman knelt down in front of the Dragonborn, a worried expression marked distinctively by her red eyes met Sol's weary gaze. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling a little better." Sol rubbed at his neck and found that the cut had all but disappeared. "What happened?"

"Rogue must've tried to finish us off after he left." Natsu chimed in, his arms crossed, clearly unpleased with the current situation. "Fortunately Ultear and Meldy managed to get here in time to save us and heal some of your wounds."

"Thank you." Sol braced his hands against the floor, pressing his back against the wall and tried to stand. His body wouldn't let him.

"Woah, didn't I just say some wounds? Stay down man, you're gonna get yourself hurt." Natsu shifted his body toward Sol, reemphasizing his point.

"Whatever it is Rogue plans to do with the Eclipse Gate, we have to stop him." Sol sat back down, frustration and pain coming through in his voice.

"We?" It was Meldy's turn to speak. "You need to stay here and rest while we go deal with him. You're in no position to fight."

Sol tried to get up again to prove her wrong but failed once again. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he nodded, and the others left to find Rogue.

Sol closed his eyes, trying to summon whatever magic he had left. Blood loss had accounted for most of it, and Meldy certainly wasn't as capable a healer as Wendy. He used what little he had left on easing the pain Rogue had left in his chest, mending a couple of cracks in his ribcage. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he began to meditate.

There's no way that gate being open can be a good thing. Lucy seems good enough a person to trust her judgement, even if that does mean closing it. But why?

Sol spent an uncomfortable few minutes thinking about it as he sat propped up against the wall of the rubble-filled hallway. His pain only got marginally better during that time.

The gate must be two ways. If it only travelled from this time to the past, what would Rogue possibly stand to gain from having it left open? Would he use it himself?

Sol thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he heard a small shuffling down the hall. Opening his eyes, he could see a oddly-shaped haze covering a part of the room. He recognized it immediately.

Taking off the necklace, Dimaria appeared midstride as she ran to Sol's aid. "Sol! Are you okay?!"

"What are you doing here? It isn't safe!" Sol strained to get up but for the third time failed to get off the ground. "I thought I told you to stay at the inn!"

"I know, I'm sorry. I just knew as soon as you left that something was wrong. What happened?" Dimaria was now on both knees in front of Sol, both her hands on his shoulders as she assessed the situation.

"There is a Rogue from the future, and he is trying to stop Fairy Tail from closing the Eclipse Gate."

"What? I thought Fairy Tail wanted it to be open?"

"Well clearly, he's lying, he nearly killed Natsu and I. We were saved by a couple of random mages; I'm forgetting their names." Sol held is head in one hand as he tried to remember who had come to their rescue. "Do you have my bag?"

"Yeah, right here." Dimaria lifted the strap up from her shoulder and across her chest to hand it Sol, who immediately began rummaging through to find a potion to replenish his magic. All he could find was a half-drank healing potion from before he arrived in Earthland.

Sol popped the cap off the bottle and drank what remained of the potion's contents. A golden ray circled around him several times, and he suddenly felt heavier. Much of the blood he had lost had returned. He finally stood up, though he still felt light-headed and weak around his legs, as they had gone numb from lack of circulation.

"I think I remember the Eclipse Gate being this way, c'mon." Dimaria grabbed Sol's hand and wrapped it around the back of her neck, helping him walk as he regained strength.

"I appreciate you coming to help me." Sol looked over as a weary smile stretched across his face, his eyes fixed upon the Spriggan Shield. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd be sitting down over there." Dimaria used her free hand to point her thumb back toward where they had left. She continued to look forward, determination and worry spread across her face.

Sol's smile grew ever so slightly. Even when she wasn't trying, Dimaria always managed to be witty.

After a few minutes finding their way around the halls of Mercurius, Sol and Dimaria managed to find themselves a good quarter mile from the Eclipse Gate.

What roar that followed wasn't at all what they had expected. Both Sol and Dimaria looked up in shock and horror respectively as they reacted, their minds in unison.

Dragons.

A/N: Holy shit, it's been almost three months since my last update. I apologize so much for not being more consistent with my writing. College has been a bit rougher this semester, and certainly the outbreak of COVID-19 hasn't helped. There is a silver lining, though, which is that because I'm stuck at home, I'll have more time to dedicate to writing this story! I hope all of you are in good health and remain optimistic during this crisis. Personally, I hope it brings us together as a species and a planet. Cheers!