I'm... so sorry? I had no idea so much time had passed since my last chapter. To be honest, I've been having a pretty harsh case of writer's block, so writing this story is a little hard right. But no worries! I have no intention of giving it up anytime soon, even less when the final season is finally coming out too!

Enjoy!

.

.

.

"Reborn Oración Seis? That's kind of a mouthful," snorted the teen. She then glared at Zero once again. "How the hell are you still alive? I killed you, back on Nirvana!"

"You killed Brain, and underestimated my power," scoffed Zero. "Though I have not forgotten how you have betrayed me, Truth."

"The name's Kaelys, bastard! Why is it so hard to get that through your thick skulls!? And I betrayed no one!" she retorted angrily.

"You assholes, strolling in like you own the place…" then grunted Natsu. "What do you want!?"

At that, the white-haired psychopath grinned. "Chaos. Destruction. To erase all from existence."

"So he's basically the same guy as before, but with a few more gray hairs?" huffed the black-haired teen.

"Legion, Fairy Tail…" All of the members of the Reborn Oración Seis suddenly lifted their hands… toward the Clock. "Your mission is over."

And suddenly, on the Clock, was branded with the Guildmark of those crazy assholes.

"What are they doing?" gasped Dan, the Knight from Zentopia.

"Dan! Don't let them get it!" ordered Byro.

"Understood!"

"You kidding!? That's our line!" retorted Natsu.

The three of them started running toward the new enemy, forgetting about previous grievances for the moment.

"Hn. Maggots have swarmed."

Zero lifted his hand, and a dark-green goo suddenly came out, the attack similar to what Brain had used in the past. Dan took the attack head-on, intending to reflect it with his shield, but it was too strong for him to handle, and managed to blow him away.

"WAA! LUCY-RIN!" cried the Knight, holding to Lucy's leg.

"Don't cling to me in the confusion!" protested the blonde.

"Get out of the way!" suddenly ordered Byro.

"Ah? No way!" protested Natsu.

"To me, all forms of Magic—"

He was suddenly cut off as a gigantic sphere of green and dark light suddenly surrounded the two of them, Zero's attack taking them by surprise.

"What happened to his nullifying ability?" gasped Gray.

"Get lost! You're in the way!"

Erik suddenly pounced, preparing a Roar. Before he could reach Zero, though, Zancrow suddenly appeared before him. The blonde God slayer literally kicked him back on the ground, where he landed so harshly it cracked all around him.

"Erik!"

Using her Telekinesis, Kaelys made Zancrow fly away, but he still managed to land back safely near his companions.

"Ownership of the Infinity Clock is determined by the wizard that carves his seal upon it," then stated the Doctor, grinning mysteriously. He suddenly vanished, only to reappear on top of the Clock. "Otherwise said, it's ours now. Tough luck~!"

It started ringing again, but not as loudly as before.

"Suddenly coming out of nowhere and snatching it away…" Happy clenched his little fists. "That's just cowardly!"

"Well, people of the darkness like us are not even permitted to touch this Clock," shrugged Rustyrose. "Hence why we let you handle the dirty work."

"I- I don't get it… We were manipulated…?" Lucy glanced back to Michelle, who seemed sorrowed. "But my father… Why…"

"Their magic power isn't anything like when we last met," warned Gray.

"Who cares!?" snapped Natsu, back to his feet. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

The unknown guy with wind Magic suddenly appeared, deflecting Natsu's attack without breaking a sweat.

"No way! Natsu's fire was dispersed!?" gasped Gray.

"Wind magic?" Wendy wondered.

"Wind? No, nothing soft like that…" replied the mysterious guy. His hood fell off, revealing a bald head and weird tattoos. "It's a storm. A storm is coming."

"Hey, that voice…" Happy took a step back. "Could it be…"

"You saw right through it!" exclaimed cheerfully the slot machine. "This man was formerly in Eisenwald! He is most definitely… Erigor-sama!"

"My name is Grim Reaper," stated blankly the man in question.

"Erigor!?" Natsu's jaw dropped.

"No way!" echoed Gray.

"Wait, who's that guy?" frowned Kaelys, obviously missing a part of the story.

"An old friend of theirs, I guess you could say."

A shock ran through her whole body and she instantly swung her knife at the Doctor, who had suddenly appeared behind her. The man laughed, merely jumping back to avoid the blade. She held her weapon toward him, eyes wide.

"Don't you fucking touch me!" she snarled.

"Kaelys!" Lucy instantly pulled out one of her Keys. "Open, Gate of the Phoenix! Phoenix!"

A blast of light followed, and the Spirit of Light appeared. The red-haired girl instantly dashed ahead and propelled herself at the mad Doctor. A lasso materializing in her hands, she threw it at her opponent and managed to catch him before he could disappear again.

"Hikari: Tamashi Hantei!"

"ARGH!"

Doctor Shawn put a knee on the ground, panting, as the lasso suddenly tightened and started glowing. He was shaking slightly, his hair shadowing his eyes, and whimpers were echoing—

No. Not whimpers.

Chuckles.

"Is that all you can do…?" And he vanished, the lasso dropping to the floor.

Phoenix's eyes widened. No one could escape the Soul Judgment once they were caught. Its powers were very specific: whoever was caught would be forced to endure all the regrets and guilt they ever felt for their evil deeds. Even the worst of monsters suffered from it, if only because they were aware that what they had done or were doing was wrong. But this guy… The only way he could have escaped was if he actually believed he was doing the right thing!

The lasso disappeared, leaving place to a sword made of light.

"Kaelys, fall back!" she barked, aware the enemy was much closer than they could realize.

"Phoenix—"

"Now!"

Frowning, the girl however did as told. As soon as she deemed the distance between the two of them sufficient, the Spirit lifted the sword above her head.

"Hikari: Hiyake!"

None could hide in the shadows if she was there to shed the light. The whole cave was instantly illuminated, so brightly it blinded all their enemies. Almost instantly, the Doctor dropped from the ceiling, his Magic momentarily nullified. Phoenix instantly grabbed the opportunity and jumped, ready to meet him halfway with her sword. Before she could cut his head clean, though, she was suddenly hit into the side by o dozen of arrows sent by none other than Rustyrose.

"Phoenix!" exclaimed Lucy, horrified, as her Spirit landed on the ground with numerous arrows sticking out of her body.

"I'm… I'm sorry…"

And the Spirit of Light vanished with a burst of golden sparkles. The Celestial mage gritted her teeth. Summoning Phoenix had taken its toll on her, and she could probably summon only one other Spirit, two if she really pushed it.

It wouldn't be enough. Not against those guys.

There were only eight of them against pretty much all of the powerhouses from Fairy Tail. However, not only said powerhouses were rather worn out from previous battles already, but they were also confused as to what was happening, and what exactly the Reborn Oración Seis wanted with the Clock. Let's also not forget that the members of said Dark Guild were not only former enemies holding grudges but also former enemies holding grudges who had had seven years to grow stronger since the last time they saw them.

That… didn't really improve their chances.

And for Doctor Shawn to be here too… Kae's in danger!

"I won't let you do whatever the hell you want!" suddenly exclaimed the teen, running ahead. She pointed the spear Lucy had noticed earlier toward the Clock. "I'll destroy this Clock and put an end to this!"

She took off, flying fast toward the Clock. Zero's eyes widened in understanding.

"Don't let her get near the Clock!" he shouted, panic edging in his voice.

Another dozen of arrows fell upon her but crashed on her mind shield. Kaelys wasn't slowing down, her eye narrowed on her goal. She had to destroy it, no matter what. Otherwise… otherwise, the future she had witnessed would…

"Head in the game, Loudmouth!"

Erik suddenly flashed passed her, just in time to stop Zancrow from getting to her. Realizing her worries were sidetracking her, she focused on the task at hands, deciding to trust her friends to have her back.

When Zancrow tried to stop her, Erik got to him first.

When Rustyrose tried to put her down, Macbeth reflected all of his creations.

When Hikaru Kain tried to get in her way, both Gray and Erza got in his.

When that Erigor guy tried to blow her away, Wendy and Natsu protected her from the blast.

When the Doctor suddenly appeared before her, Lucy knocked him away with Taurus' help.

When the slot-machine teddy bear… no wait, that weirdo didn't do anything.

All of the members of the Reborn Oración Seis were preoccupied, clearing the path for Kaelys. And finally, finally, she reached the Clock.

"The future I saw…" She brandished the Spear. "For the sake of my friends, I won't let it happen!"

She thrust it with all the strength she could muster. She could already see the Clock fly in pieces, see the future she had witnessed vanish into nothing more than a bad memory, see everyone go back to the Guild safe and sound—

"No."

Her eyes widened in horror as Zero suddenly appeared between her and the clock, grabbing the Spear and effectively stopping her attack. A feral, maniacal glint was lighting his bloodshot eyes.

"I've let you throw my plans in jeopardy once, Kaelys of Fairy Tail," he spat, holding onto the Spear so tightly it wasn't moving an inch, no matter how hard the girl pulled. "It is not a mistake I'll make again. Doctor Shawn, if you'd please?"

"Of course, of course~!"

The teen stiffened, glancing below where everyone else was busy trying to hold off the members of the Dark Guild. The Doctor shook off his opponents with terrifying ease, before vanishing. He reappeared on the alcove where they had all showed up just a few minutes earlier. With a snap of his fingers, his fellow members then disappeared, only to reappear beside him.

He winked. "Night, night, Fairies!"

A black hole suddenly opened, covering in the span of a second the entire ground. Kaelys could only stare, in shock, as her friends all got swallowed by utter darkness. She tried to use her Telekinesis to stop them, but her powers were nullified by the Doctor's magic.

"NO—ugh!"

Her cry was cut short as Zero grabbed her by the throat, choking her.

"Don't worry," he sneered as she struggled helplessly in his grasp. "You'll see them soon enough."

With a single, harsh throw, she suddenly found herself falling. She could only stare, tears in her eyes, as the Clock started getting farther and farther, with Zero holding the Spear.

"I failed…?"

And darkness took over.

.

.

When Kaelys regained consciousness, she was almost instantly blinded by the pastel colors surrounding her. Everything was so bright, and kind of familiar too… It took her a while longer to notice someone was playing with her hair. Tilting her head up, she saw none other than Sorano smiling down at her.

"Finally awake?"

"… Sorano. What happened?" The teen sat up, glancing around. "Why am I at Blue Pegasus? Where's everyone?"

"Everyone's fine, Loudmouth."

She snapped her eyes to the bar, where Erik, Macbeth, Lucy, Gray, and Erza were sitting. Happy was on top of the counter and Natsu was leaning against it. She slowly rose up to her feet and glanced downstairs, only to find the rest of their guildmates resting.

"Aw, is my precious Kaelys-chan awake~?" suddenly exclaimed a bald man with a ballerina outfit.

"Master Bob," she greeted, still somewhat confused. "Everyone… What exactly is going on? All I remember is falling into the black hole…"

"Actually, we have Ichiya to thank," informed Lucy. "He found us in the desert, where the Doctor dumped us. Why they let us go, though…"

'About time you woke up, brat. Don't you have a Spear to get back or something?'

The teen stiffened at that, only then remembering Zero and the Blessed Spear and the Infinity Clock she had failed to destroy and the future that was now certain to unfold and—

Choking, she sunk to her knees. Her reaction instantly alerted her friends.

"Oi, Loudmouth!"

"Kae? What is it?"

"Are you alright, Kaelys?"

"Lys!"

Sorano kneeled next to her, worried. "What's going on? What—"

"I- I lost it!" Tears were prickling her eyes. "The Spear! I lost it! Zero took it and- and I couldn't do it! I couldn't destroy the Clock! And now- now everyone's going to die and I saw it and- and it's my fault and I killed everyone and I—"

In three steps, Erik was before her. Without hesitation, he slapped her, the strength of the blow enough to make her head turn. There was a moment of silence.

"Breathe," he simply ordered.

So she did. Forcing herself to calm down and ignore the bloody visions that just wouldn't go away why can't they just disappear damn it—

Breathe. Just breathe.

'Geez, whatever you saw back on that island really freaked you out, uh?'

When she managed to return to her senses, Erik and Macbeth were pretty much done with explaining what exactly was the Spear and why it was so important.

There still were a few questions that went unanswered, though.

"Lys, what did you mean by what you said earlier?" asked Gray, frowning. "You said you saw it, but…"

The girl bit her lower lip, her head hung low. "I… Back in the temple, the Spear had… it had to judge me worthy. And- and something came up and it's a little fuzzy so I can't say what but then I saw it. All of it." She finally dared to look back at her friends, and distinct horror was written over her face. "The future. Our future."

Sorano helped her back to her feet but didn't let go when realizing the teen was shaking so badly she wouldn't be able to stand on her own.

"I saw you die," she choked out. "Your bodies. Your deaths. All of it. No one escaped it… All because the Clock wasn't destroyed and chaos descended upon the world. I could only watch as you all got killed… And now…" Unable to stop them, tears started rolling down her cheeks. She hid her face behind her hands. "I lost the Spear… I failed… and- and the future I saw—"

She couldn't say more. All she could see were her friends dying by her hands and the blood tainting her and she just couldn't bring herself to tell them that part because what would they think then?

Sorano brought her into a gentle, but firm hug. The girl instantly hugged back, desperate for some kind of support as she tried to fight back the visions and the screams echoing in her mind. The white-haired woman whispered softly in her ear, trying to calm her down, but let's be frank: what could she say after what Kaelys had just told them? And Kaelys couldn't stop apologizing. Through wrecked sobs, she choked out apologies and pleas of forgiveness, and Sorano just wanted to make her forget somehow because no one should have had to see what she had seen.

Then, without warning, Natsu stepped forward. His hand landed on top of the girl's head, and she froze. Her apologies died on her lips as her muscles stiffened. She was afraid of what he'd say, of what everyone would say—

"It's okay, Lys." She snapped her eyes up at him, startled. He grinned. "Everything's fine!"

"How can you say this!?" she protested, gritting her teeth. "You didn't see it! There was nothing we could do—"

"But that hasn't happened yet, right?" he replied confidently. "We can still go back and kick their asses, and take back that Spear and destroy the Clock, right?"

"I… I don't…"

"You don't know exactly when that future you saw is going to happen, right?" pointed out Macbeth. "We've still got time."

"I- I guess so…"

"We'll retrieve that Spear and destroy the Infinity Clock," assured Erza, smiling reassuringly at her.

"And we'll take care of that damned Doctor while we're at it," added Gray, cracking his knuckles.

"Don't worry, Kae!" Lucy beamed at her. "We're Fairy Tail, right? We can handle anything!"

From below, the rest of their friends started shooting their agreement or cheering along. Kaelys gaped, taken aback. She had just told them she had seen them die, and they didn't even seem fazed in the slightest.

"You guys…"

"They're an overly altruistic bunch," snorted Erik, shaking his head. "And stubborn idiots too. You should have gotten used to it by now."

Some more tears escaped her eyes, though it was getting pretty annoying with the eyepatch on. She swallowed back her sob.

"See?" then grinned Natsu once more. "We've got this in the bag. So don't worry, all right? We're not giving up anytime soon!"

::

"Goodbye, Natsu."

Before the boy could reply, she used her Telekinesis to pull his heart out. He choked out some blood, eyes glistening with tears, before said eyes lost their spark and he dropped into the grass.

::

"Natsu…" Determination settled in. She wouldn't let that future happen, no matter what. "You're right. Let's do this!"

She finally released Sorano. The woman casually handed her a few tissues so that she could wipe away her tears. Then, she sighed.

"Seriously, I can't believe you guys," the woman remarked. "You just can't stay out of trouble, can you? You go missing for seven years and the first thing you do when coming back is getting involved with a reborn Dark Guild who's intention is to destroy the world."

"Which is kind of ironic, considering that's how we basically started," snorted Erik.

"Nirvana, eh?" mused Macbeth, leaning on his palm. "It sure has been a while…"

"Should we warn the others? Richard and Sawyer, I mean," then proposed Kaelys, her voice a little hoarse from her crying fit.

"I've already contacted them," assured Sorano. "And I'll give them the rest of the information. If they pick up anything concerning the current location of the Clock or the Reborn Oración Seis, I'll let you know right away."

"Blue Pegasus will do its best to provide support!" then exclaimed Ichiya, seemingly appearing out of nowhere and scaring the crap out of Kaelys. "Ah, just like old times, isn't it? Our three Guilds teaming up to defeat the enemy!"

At that, Kaelys couldn't help but snort. It really was ironic, when she thought about it. The three Guilds who had defeated Oración Seis seven years prior were now collaborating again to get rid of the new threat, though this time with the help of the ex-criminals they had beaten in the first place.

"Well, we should probably head back to our own Guild for now," then announced Erza, hands on her hips. "We have to report to the Master and formulate a new plan. Master Bob, we shall keep in touch and inform you if anything else comes up."

"Likewise," nodded the Master of Blue Pegasus. "Do be safe on your way back, children!"

Understanding it was their cue to leave, Kaelys turned to Sorano and hugged her tightly once again.

"Thanks for the help, Sora."

"I didn't do anything," chuckled the woman.

"You were there. That's quite enough for me."

The ex-Celestial mage smiled at that, hugging back the teen. Once they were done, Sorano turned to the other two ex-members of Oración Seis.

"Macbeth, I'm honestly scared to see you awake without going on a rampage," she bluntly admitted. "But acting half-human suits you, I guess."

That earned her a snort from the Reflector mage, who however didn't reply. Now that he thought about it, he did feel a little sleepy. Maybe he should try to find another of those magical carpets…

"And you." Sorano turned to Erik, arms crossed over her chest. "I've left the girl in your care and she came back with an eye missing. If she doesn't come back in one piece after this whole mess is dealt with, I will hold you responsible. Got it?"

"Annoying woman," muttered the Poison Dragon Slayer, rolling his eyes. "Stop acting so overprotective."

Macbeth snorted again.

Lucy, who had overheard them, facepalmed.

Erza's lips twitched into a smile.

Gray and Natsu muffled their laughter, though without much success.

Happy started giggling.

Wendy found herself smiling.

Gajeel let out his characteristic laugh.

In fact, pretty much everyone in the Guildhall had heard him and was now trying to either muffle their laughter or hide their smiles.

"What?" grunted Erik, his eye twitching in annoyance.

"You're really not one to talk," Kaelys deadpanned.

"What the hell do you mean, Loudmouth?"

There was a moment of silence—"SISTER COMPLEX!"

That had been… pretty much the whole Guild. The members of Blue Pegasus present could only watch in stunned silence. It had been loud, damn it! And now, their guests from Fairy Tail had finally cracked and started outright laughing.

Erik tried to hold it in. He really, really did.

His efforts were in vain, though.

"I DO NOT HAVE A SISTER COMPLEX!"

Which, obviously, only made them laugh some more. Sorano shook her head in mild disbelief, not having expected Erik, of all people, to be teased of the sort. Kaelys simply found herself smiling once more. In the end, Natsu and all the others were right. They were Fairy Tail, and they would accomplish their mission, no matter what.

.

.

They were back to the Guild by the end of the day. Everyone went home to get some more rest, agreeing to gather together the next day to clear things up with the rest of their members and the Master.

Kaelys didn't sleep, though.

'Ugh, you already have more than enough issues, kid. Do you really need to add insomnia to the mix?'

"Not my fault," she mumbled, sitting on the couch. She was holding her legs against her chest, staring at the small flame dancing on top of the candle before her. "It's just that… If I close my eyes…"

::

"T-traitor…" Blood dripping down her chin, the light vanished from her eyes, and she slumped.

Dead.

::

She rubbed her eyes tiredly.

She could still see them.

She could still hear them.

She could feel their blood on her hands.

"I can't let this happen," she murmured, holding her head tightly. "I'd rather die first. There's no way I'll… that I'll…"

'Tche, don't even try it. I'll bring you back.'

"Then I'll kill myself again and again and again, until not even you can bring me back!" she practically snarled. "No matter what… no matter what…"

"Kaelys…?"

The black-haired girl stiffened. Looking back, she saw Lucy, standing in the doorway. The blonde offered her a small smile and came to sit next to her.

"Can't sleep?"

"… no. No, I can't. Not after what I saw. Not after…" She felt sick again, but she held it in. "No. No way. I don't want to see this again."

"Oh, Kae…"

Lucy gently brought her into her arms. The girl didn't fight it, simply breathing in deeply the familiar scent of the Celestial mage.

It smelled comforting.

It smelled like home.

"What did you see, Kae?"

She stiffened at that. She didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to remember.

"Maybe if you talk about it, it'll help ease your heart," gently proposed the blonde.

Kaelys mulled it over for a moment. What would Lucy say if she told her absolutely everything? What would she think of her? Would she fear her? Hate her? No, she couldn't. Kaelys couldn't even bear the thought of Lucy hating her.

The blonde only tightened her hold on her, though. "Kae, no matter what you saw, I could never hate you. Never."

The Thief mage felt like crying again.

"I… I didn't know what was going on at first," she admitted, her voice shaking. "I was suddenly in the Guild and it was empty and I was just so confused… Then- then Levy came in, carrying Gajeel. He was… dead. Levy died. Lisanna died. Then there was Bickslow and then Laxus and I don't- I don't really remember what happened to Romeo and then there was Natsu and his heart was torn out of his chest! And- and then I changed places and I was in a cave and suddenly everyone started fighting against demons or- or monsters and I couldn't do anything! And they all fell, one after the other…" She started rubbing her wrists. "There was Mira's head at my feet and blood everywhere and- and… And the place changed again and suddenly there was a battlefield outside and Erza was dead and Master Makarov was dead and everyone was dead and then… then Gray showed up and he… stabbed… he got stabbed in the back… And he told me you were dead too and I just… I just…"

"Shh, it's okay," assured Lucy, rocking her a little. "Everything's okay. No one's dead and everyone is fine. Whatever you saw isn't going to happen—"

"But you don't understand!" snapped the teen, unable to hold it in any longer. She pulled away and jumped to her feet, taking a few steps back. "Lucy-nee… Everyone died because of me…"

"Losing the Spear was not your fault—"

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Lucy instantly fell silent at the sudden outburst. Tears started rolling down Kaelys's cheeks once more. "I'm… I'm the one who killed them… every last one of them… I'm the one who killed Levy, and Lisanna and Bickslow and Laxus… I'm the one who pulled out Natsu's heart… I'm the one who lead the demons to the cave where everyone was hiding… I'm the one who stabbed Gray in the back…"

She didn't dare look at Lucy. She couldn't bear seeing the horror in her eyes.

"I completely lost it. I was so strong and- and completely insane. I wasn't in control anymore and I wanted to kill you guys and I just- I can't let this happen!" She wrapped her arms around herself. "I can't… I don't want this… Please, I don't want to do this…"

Silence took over, only broken by Kaelys's sobs. Then, after what felt like an eternity, Lucy moved. She slowly got up, walked up to her, and stopped just before her. Then, against all expectations, she gently wiped away the girl's tears, forcing Kaelys to look at her in the process.

"I know you, Kaelys." She then smiled at her. "You're too strong to let this happen."

She choked at that. "I'm scared, Lucy-nee. So, so scared…"

The blonde took her in her arms once more, and simply let her cry to her heart's content. She couldn't imagine what Kaelys was going through and, frankly, she didn't want to. She knew Kaelys said she had seen the future, and she knew that the teen was saying the truth… but that future wasn't one she managed to believe.

Not when its supposed antagonist was bawling her eyes out in her arms.

"We can still win this fight, Kaelys," she assured. "So don't give up, all right?"

The purple-eyed girl nodded mutely, unable to speak up.

Unbeknownst to the two of them, their two housemates were eavesdropping. Erik knew for a fact that Kaelys hadn't told them everything earlier, and he had been intending on asking her later in the night, but Lucy had beaten him to it. So, he ended up eavesdropping, and Macbeth simply tagged along for the sake of curiosity. To be frank, they weren't all that surprised. Kaelys going on a killing spree was a possibility they had learned to live with ever since she joined Oración Seis. They both knew how broken the girl already was, and that it wouldn't take much for her to fall over the edge.

"We can't let the Doctor get her," he stated in a low tone. "He's the only reason I can think of that would destroy Loudmouth of the sort. If he ever gets his hands on her… then it's game over. For everyone."

Macbeth simply nodded. "Should we warn the others?"

"No," he instantly refused. "Most won't be as understanding as Sunshine or us, they'll surely freak out and it won't help the situation."

"I guess. Though, one way or another, they already know the threat the Doctor represents," pointed out his friend with a shrug. "It shouldn't be too hard to convince them to protect her or something like that."

"Aa. Though, if that scum shows up again, I'll be the one who'll rip his fucking throat out," growled the Dragon Slayer.

Macbeth merely nodded in agreement.

.

.

"So Oración Seis is back, uh?" repeated Macao, rubbing his temples. "Just what we didn't need, seriously."

"So that's why the old Master got summoned by the Council, uh?" understood Wakaba.

"I would say so," confirmed Erza. "Many of our former enemies have now gathered and formed a Dark Guild, some of which we were not ever expecting to see again."

"Ah! You can say that again," grunted Kaelys, sipping her smoothie. "To think I slit that bastard's throat and made him fall down from Nirvana, and he's still alive? I call bullshit."

"Erigor wasn't a face I was expecting to see again," mused Gray. "Man, that brings back memories…"

"And it would explain how Doctor Shawn has not only managed to escape the Magic Prison but also managed to completely erase his existence," pointed out Lucy, frowning. "As we suspected, a bigger organization was behind all this."

"Let's not forget they had seven years to grow stronger," sighed Macbeth. "Rustyrose, Hikaru Kain, Zancrow… They're not the same people we fought back on Tenroujima."

"We were completely helpless against them," sighed Carla.

"Ugh! To think I couldn't do anything!" cursed Romeo, frustrated.

"No. When you get down to it, it was my fault," announced Michelle, lowering her eyes in shame.

"It's not your fault, Michelle!" assured the blonde mage. She then snapped her eyes to Kaelys, who had been about to add something. "And it isn't yours either, Kae. My father should have left us a more detailed message, and none of us could have known what was going to happen."

"About that, Lucy-san…" Everyone turned their attention to Wendy. "How did your father get involved with that Clock?"

"I'm afraid I don't know that myself, and all the Spirits know is less than what Kae, Erik, and Macbeth found on that island," apologized the Celestial mage.

"We'll solve that mystery another day," then announced Erza, stepping in to take control of the situation. "Right now, we must find Oración Seis and take back the Spear so that we may destroy the Infinity Clock. It is the only way to stop the 'chaos upon the world'."

"Anyway, let's go!" exclaimed Natsu, pumped up. "If we search here and there, they'll probably turn up eventually, right?"

"Forget it," instantly refused Gray. "This time, we should form a plan first and then act on it."

"Aah? Where's your drive!? Thinkin' about stuff won't get us nowhere!" protested the pink-haired moron.

"It ain't a question of drive! You can't always just go and pick a fight, ash-for-brains!" retorted the ice-make mage.

They instantly started a brawl, Gray losing his shirt in the process. Most members rolled their eyes at the familiar sight, but even Erza didn't stop them. The boys needed to get rid of that pent-up energy if they wanted to get anywhere. Kaelys sighed, sinking a little more in her seat. She knew that, while everyone believed what she saw, they didn't really realize it.

They hadn't seen what she saw. If they did, they wouldn't be so carefree.

"Though I probably wouldn't be here either," she muttered under her breath.

Erik shot her a look but didn't say anything.

"Everyone is rather on edge, uh?" remarked Wendy, easily noticing the tensed atmosphere.

"It can't be helped when all we can do is stand around with our arms folded," pointed out Carla.

"And many of us aren't here," added Erza. "It has to be at a time like this, when even one more person would make a big difference…"

And then, as if on cue, the door of the Guild slammed open, letting enter four very familiar mages.

"Yo! We're back!"

"The Thunder God Tribe is back from a job."

Kaelys didn't know whether to laugh at the timing or facepalm because seriously, couldn't these guys have been here a little earlier?

"Did… something happen?" then asked the green-haired man, somewhat confused about the strange atmosphere lingering in the Guildhall.

"Some old bastards formed a Dark Guild and took possession of a magic Clock that can control time with the intent of completely destroying the world," she resumed in a plain tone. "Other than, though… Nan, nothing really happened."

Evergreen, Freed and Bickslow exchanged a glance, unsure if they heard her correctly. Laxus simply groaned, rubbing a hand over his face.

He suddenly felt very, very tired.

"All right. Explanation. Now."

"So the Infinity Clock will bring about the end of the world?" understood Bickslow. "And the only way to destroy it was taken by the bad guys? Man, we leave for what, a week? And you guys managed to get into this mess…"

"Bad timing, eh?" mused Evergreen, closing her fan. "Had we been there, Oración Seis would have been defeated in the blink of an eye. Ah! I bet Laxus could have taken all of them out on his own."

"Actually, on the way back…" Everyone looked at Freed, surprised he was apparently correcting his teammate. "I was out grocery shopping by myself as usual when I ran into a group of soldiers who had been guarding a church. They were talking about two men, one holding a large sickle and the other that kept vanishing, or so they said. Apparently, both of them single-handedly destroyed the church in Shirotsume."

"A large sickle and a guy who could vanish?" echoed Happy.

"Erigor and that damn Doctor!" understood Natsu, hitting his fists together.

"From what I've gathered, attacks on different churches have suddenly increased in the past two or three days," added Freed.

"When you hear something like that, you have to tell us!" protested Bickslow, taken aback by that new information.

"He did," snorted Laxus, arms crossed behind his head as he leaned back in his seat. "You two were just too preoccupied with eating."

At that, the two concerned flushed in mild embarrassment. Erza however sighed, drawing back all's attention.

"That is another mystery we have yet to solve. Why are they attacking churches?" she wondered.

"Since they got their hands on the Infinity Clock, it sounds like Oración Seis has gotten even more out of hand," pointed out Lucy.

"Maybe because they're looking for something?"

At that, all eyes snapped to Kaelys.

"What do you mean, Lys?" wondered Gray.

"Well, it's just… If they had activated the Clock already, we would have noticed, right?" she remarked. "But saved for those churches, nothing came up. So, I'm saying that maybe they're still missing something for the Clock to work properly. That would explain why the 'chaos upon the world' hasn't happened yet, and why they've suddenly grown agitated. With the Clock now in their hands, they have to act fast to find what is missing."

"And whatever that his might very well be hidden in one of the churches," understood Erza, nodding. "That might be a good lead."

"Then what are we waiting for?" cheered Natsu, jumping to his feet. "Let's go and find whatever they're looking for before them!"

Erik answered to his idiocy with a fist slammed on his skull.

"Have you learned nothing, flame-dick?" He started hitting him over the head again, to try and get through his thick skull. "They've used us once to get what they wanted! What makes you think we'll be able to protect whatever they're looking for if we ever get our hands on it? Not only do we still not know what it is, but it could turn out for the worst like how we tried to help with the Clock!"

"Ow, ow, ow, stop it! I get it, I get it!" whined the pink-haired boy.

"No, you don't! You're still thinking about running off on your own!" accused the Sound mage.

"Natsu!" snapped the red-haired Knight. "You will wait until further development. Erik is right: rushing in could very well only aggravate the situation. We're still lacking a lot of information—too much for us to act."

"In a way, wouldn't it be better to let them keep looking?" then proposed Kaelys. "We know they're attacking churches, so why don't we go and try to take them by surprise? If worst comes to worst, I could act as bait and have the Doctor take me to their main base—"

"NO!"

The teen could only blink, startled by the loud and unanimous refusal.

"Chibi, you've got to be an idiot if you think we're gonna let you walk away with that psycho," pointed out Laxus, cracking an eye open to look at her.

She huffed at that, a little insulted. "I'm not! I was merely proposing a logical, last-stand kind of plan. You know, if we run out of good ones."

"We're not letting you anywhere near that guy, Loudmouth," warned Erik, exchanging a knowing glance with Macbeth. "Leave him to us, alright?"

"I guess…. Though, Erza?"

"Yes?"

"You said we needed more people, right?" recalled the teen. "Then why don't we ask Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale for help? You guys teamed up in the past to beat us, and I know for a fact that at least Sorano, Sawyer, and Richard will want to help. That means we can more than probably enroll the three glittering flirts along with that super strong guy… Jura, right? And Gray, your friend came to help you and Juvia when finding the Clock part, didn't he?" She gestured to all of the Fairy Tail members around her. "We're only one Guild against super strong assholes. And yeah, we're pretty strong too, but not enough to handle everything on our own. So, what's stopping us from creating an alliance and kick their asses?"

They all gaped at her, surprised.

Then, Laxus snorted. "Not bad, chibi. Not bad at all."

"I shall contact Blue Pegasus right away," agreed Erza. She then glanced at Macao. "If you agree, of course, Master."

"Uh? Sure thing. Kaelys's right, we need more people. The alliance worked last time, so I don't see why we can't do that again," simply shrugged the man.

"Then I'll handle Lamia Scale," proposed Gray.

"I guess that means the rest of us have to wait here, uh?" understood Lucy with a sigh.

"Until everyone gets here, I guess," confirmed Kaelys. "There's no point in planning anything if everyone isn't here."

"Why don't we try looking up some articles to see if we can find a pattern to the attacks on the churches?" then proposed Levy with a smile. "It should pass the time, and it could be useful."

"Oh, I'll help!" exclaimed Wendy, glad to be able to help.

"Me too," nodded Lisanna, smiling a little.

"I guess it beats doing nothing," grunted Erik, coming to sit with them. "Like some lazy bastard I know."

Macbeth, who was already asleep, merely replied with a snore, which made everyone snicker a little. Now that they had something to do, the restlessness they were all feeling lifted a little, letting them breathe more properly.

Kaelys smiled a little as Mirajane left with Levy to go fetch the journals they would need. She wasn't a fan of research, but Erik was right: it beat doing nothing. Hopefully, the other Guilds wouldn't take too long to answer, and—

'BOO!'

"Gah!"

Pain spread in her left eye. Dozens of needles were piercing through, and she could almost feel a second heart beating in its place.

"—Kae? Kae!"

Head spinning a little as the pain finally lessened, her gaze met Lucy's.

"Shoot, I forgot about that part," cursed Erik, before turning to Freed. "Oi, Justin! The rune in her eye got damaged while we were on the island. Can you do anything?"

The Rune mage frowned, quickly going over to the chair where Lucy had helped Kaelys sit. The girl didn't move as the man took off her eyepatch to check. His frown deepened when realizing that the rune he had inscribed in her eye was indeed damaged. It looked cracked in some places, and the color wasn't as pronounced.

"What exactly happened?" he asked.

"Some whacky Magic," grumbled the teen, annoyed more than anything else. "No Magic meant to harm could be used on the island, and said island judged that a rune meant to imprison something was harming said something, and there was another Magic messing up with time too, so it started destroying the rune little by little by going back in time or something like that."

"Freed, can you do anything about it?" wondered Laxus.

"I'm afraid it is out of my control," answered apologetically the green-haired wizard. "Rewriting another rune over this one is not going to work. It wouldn't last as long and would be much weaker. And unfortunately, I cannot erase this one either. I cannot guarantee the safety of Kaelys if I do so."

"But… what exactly will happen if the rune breaks?" asked Lucy, afraid of the answer she'd receive.

"Then Kaelys and the Demon will go back to fighting for control," he bluntly admitted. "I could try to seal it again, but it wouldn't be of much use, and would probably be even more painful than the first time. The more times I use such a rune, the less effective it will get, much like young Wendy's Troia spell, if you wish for an accurate example."

"So there's basically nothing we can do?" resumed Evergreen, glancing worryingly at the girl.

"I'm afraid so."

Kaelys then sighed. "Well, we already knew the rune wouldn't hold on forever anyway. I guess it just came earlier than planned. For now, though, we have to focus on the Infinity Clock. My situation can be dealt with later, once those psychos are behind bars again."

At that, the rest of the mages present could only agree. In their current situation, time was a luxury they couldn't afford. They needed to get their priorities straight and get rid of one problem at a time.

"Hey, everyone!" Levy and Mirajane were suddenly back, arms full of papers and journals.

They dropped all of it on the table. Shaking her head, Kaelys went to sit with the Celestial mage. Worrying about Shirokage could wait. Right now, they had a group of maniacs to stop and a world-destroying godly Clock to destroy.

"There you go!"

"Thanks, Kinana!"

The purple-haired woman smiled down at the young teen but, just as she tried to reply, her vision blurred. The clatter of her tray hitting the floor instantly drew the attention of all of those present, and Erik was by her side in a flash.

"Kina?" He frowned, crouching next to her. "Hey, what's wrong—"

Her head suddenly snapped up, startling most. Her eyes had turned to a yellow shade and were slit in the middle like a snake's eyes. Slowly, she rose to her feet, stumbling as she grabbed a fork and started heading for the wall.

"What's happening to her?" frowned Kaelys.

"She's remembering," answered the Poison Dragon Slayer, listening intently to the soul of his best friend. "Her past has been coming up for a while now, but this… this is something else, though."

"Hey, what's she doing?" wondered Lucy.

Kinana was now engraving some sort of symbols into the wall. The rest of the Fairies could only watch as she did so, completely engrossed in her task and murmuring about the end of the world that was nearing.

"She's having some sort of vision," flinched Erik, rubbing his temples. "I can't hear much."

"This is ancient Potamelian," suddenly recognized Levy. Kinana kept on writing, unperturbed. "They're the same as what was on the clock hand."

"It seems to be a description of one Will Neville…" mused Freed.

"Will Neville?" echoed Lucy. "You mean the author of 'Key of the Starry Heavens'?"

"The end of the world… is near…"

On those words, Kinana dropped the fork and collapsed. Erik easily caught her, though the frown didn't leave his face. He knew her memory loss due to the spell hadn't been easy to handle for his friend, but he was seriously worried it might be getting to her too much. Her mind was wide open for all sorts of vision, just like this one.

He wasted no time in bringing her to the room upstairs so that she could rest.

"Roughly, it translates to…" Levy leaned over the writings. "Will Neville once had contracts with several Celestial Spirits, and was a powerful wizard who had mastered using them."

"There's more," informed Freed, pursuing the reading. "Will Neville had many disciples. However, after he lied down for that eternal sleep, his disciples dispersed, their whereabouts unknown."

"Oh!"

Lucy suddenly ran out. She was back in a flash and dropped an heavy-looking book on the table.

"What's that?" wondered Natsu.

"A biographical dictionary. I brought one from the storehouse," answered the blonde. "Just wait a second… There! Will Neville!" She quickly found the page concerning the guy. "Will Neville, author… and a Zentopia Cardinal?"

'That's kind of a lot of coincidences all in one go, don't ya think?'

"Ugh, I know. It gives me a bad feeling."

"Um… As a Cardinal, he made many achievements and was also known as a researcher into Zentopia's history. However, he left the church at one point and nobody knew where he was for some time," explained Lucy.

"It doesn't say what he was doing?" inquired Evergreen.

"Well… After being who-knows-where for several years, Will Neville suddenly became an author, joining public life once again. But it doesn't say anything in here about him being a Celestial Spirit Wizard, or that he had disciples…"

"What's going on?" sighed Max, running a hand through his hair. "How does Kinana know stuff about him that's not even in that dictionary?"

"And writing it in an ancient language too…" added Happy.

"That Legion captain said the Infinity Clock belonged to the Church, right?" then recalled Carla.

"Ugh, this is too much!" whined Natsu. "What did your father want us to do, Lucy!?"

"If only we knew where Oración Seis was going to strike next, we could lie in wait for them," pointed out Bickslow.

"Which would be even more effective if we had reinforcements," pointed out Max.

"Unfortunately, we can only count on ourselves at the moment."

At that, everyone turned around to see Erza and Gray finally coming back. Kaelys frowned when understanding what the red-haired Knight had just said.

"What do you mean?"

"Blue Pegasus will be unable to send help right now," she announced, crossing her arms over her chest. "The Trimens left on a mission on the other side of the kingdom a few days earlier. Ichiya went to fetch them, but it could take a while. Sorano has however agreed, and will arrive as soon as she can manage."

"And Lamia Scale can't send anyone either," added Gray, hands shoved in his pockets. "Lyon is still recovering from that fight, since he got a nasty blow to the head, and everyone else went to train somewhere for some reason. So, we can't count on them either."

"Well, it was worth a try, at least," sighed Lucy, closing her dictionary. "Though now what?"

"How about you all just shut up?" then grunted Cana, who had apparently been sleeping behind the bar all along. "Damn, you guys are so noisy…"

"You've been sleeping here the whole day!?" gaped Wakaba.

"I don't know why, but I'm just so sleepy…" mumbled the woman, stretching lazily her arms. "What was that, though? You want to find Oración Seis? I can find them if you want."

"I see! You can use your fortune-telling to find them!" understood Erza, perking up at the idea.

"That's right!"

Everyone instantly gathered around the Card mage as she settled on top of a table. She asked Romeo to bring her a map from the library while she started shuffling her deck of cards. In the meantime, Erik came back down from the room where he had left Kinana. He didn't need any explanation, though, having heard it thanks to his Magic. After a few minutes, the map was set up on the empty request board, and Cana jumped to her feet to face it.

"All right! I'm going to divine the place Oración Seis is targeting next, as well as who should go where," she announced. She closed her eyes for half-a-second… "I see it!"

She threw her cards. They embedded themselves on the map, in small groups of three for most.

"So what, it's decided just like that?" doubted Bickslow, scratching the back of his head.

"Aa," confirmed Cana. "I think the team chemistry and their compatibility with those destinations feel right."

"Whatever, let's just get going!" exclaimed Natsu.

"I'll announce it!" claimed Macao, pulling out the cards. "The first team is composed of Gray, Freed, and Erik!"

"Interesting," mused the green-haired man. "I've always wanted to try partnering up with you two."

"Ice Magic, Rune Magic, and Sound Magic…" Gray grinned a little. "Sounds like an interesting matchup."

"At least I'm not with the fire-breathing idiot," grunted Erik.

"OI!"

"Next, Erza and Evergreen!" announced Macao. "And Max."

"ME!?"

"This is a nice opportunity," remarked Evergreen, radiating with the determination to utterly humiliate her rival. "This time for sure, we'll see which of us is worthy of a fairy name!"

"What's important is finding the Infinity Clock," replied Erza, though she wasn't convincing anyone since she seemed to radiate the same kind of energy. "After I accomplish that, I'll play your game anytime."

"Next, Gajeel and Juvia!"

"The Phantom Road combo that came to our side," snorted Levy.

"Gah! Why must Gray-sama and Juvia be separated!?" cried Juvia.

Gajeel didn't say anything.

"Continuing! Bickslow, Wendy and Macbeth!"

"Another unusual pairing, eh?" grinned the Seith mage, pulling out his tongue. "Sounds fun!"

"I- I'm looking forward to working with you, Bickslow-san, Macbeth-san," shyly replied the Sky Dragon Slayer.

"This is going to be a pain…" murmured Macbeth, rubbing his eyes.

"Next! Happy, Carla and Panther Lily!"

"Aye! The Exceed Team is reunited, uh?" beamed the blue cat.

"Lily aside, I have my doubts about us being able to deal with them," pointed out the white cat.

"Then there are Natsu, Lucy, Elfman, and Michelle!"

"All right!" cheered the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"We're the only four-person team?" remarked the blonde.

"Nee-san, we're together again, uh?" smiled the crybaby.

"Yosh! Let's do our best to find the Infinity Clock! That'll be manly!" exclaimed loudly Elfman, pumping his fists in the air.

"And lastly, Laxus and Kaelys!" then concluded Macao. He then glanced back to the map in confusion. "Though those two…"

"Wait a second!" protested the young girl, her eyes narrowed. "That spot on the map… Isn't this the Guild? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you and Laxus are to stay here in Magnolia," answered Cana with a small shrug.

"Wha—No way! That's so not fair!" gaped the teen. "How come even the cats can go on their own? Hell, even Michelle is going, and she's not even a wizard!"

"I'm sorry, Lys, that's just what felt right," replied the drunkard with an apologetic smile.

"Though in a way, it might be better for you," pointed out Wakaba. "Ya know, with the Doctor on the loose and all that."

"This is ridiculous," then grunted Laxus, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The chibi, I can get. But me? I could fry these guys in an instant!"

"Probably why you ended up being Kaelys's partner," mused Macao, putting the cars aside. "That way, she has extra protection."

Kaelys almost stomped her foot on the floor at that. "I don't need protection!"

"Kae, please, I know you're upset, but this is simply how things turned out," stated Lucy in a soothing tone, trying to calm her down. "It's probably for the better."

"Plus, Scarlet said Sorano was coming over," added Erik. "She should be here by tomorrow morning, at the latest. You should just relax and try to catch up some more with her."

"I guess…"

Kaelys knew very well that her friends wouldn't budge. The cards had decided, and Cana's Magic was trustworthy. If those teams had been formed, it was for a reason. So, deciding not to make any more trouble for them, the teen backed down. Yes, she was more than upset, but there simply wasn't anything to be done about it.

'Ugh, can't believe we're going to miss all the action.'

"Same," she snorted under her breath. She then turned to Lucy. "You better stay safe, then. I won't be able to save your butt if you get in trouble!"

"I'll be careful, promise," laughed the blonde, lightly patting her head.

"Wait! I'm left behind again?" suddenly realized Macao.

"Hey! I want to go with Natsu-nii too!" protested Romeo.

"Waa! I don't want to be separated from Gray-sama!" cried Juvia. "Gajeel! Trade places with Gray-sama!"

"No way!" Cana stopped them, holding her cards up for everyone to see. "Just like with Laxus and Kaelys, my divination told me these pairings are the best this time around. You'll just have to deal with it."

"WAAAA!"

"Well, don't waste any more time," demanded their Master. "Get going and kick their asses for us!"

"RIGHT!"

As everyone headed out to get started, Kaelys let herself fall on the chair next to Laxus with a heavy sigh. The blond man didn't say anything, and she had a feeling he was sulking.

"I am not," he huffed, obviously hearing her talking to herself.

The somewhat childish retort startled a laugh out of her. He blinked in surprise at her reaction, before shaking his head, though a small smile was now also gracing his lips. Having to stay behind while everyone else went to fight wasn't exactly fun, but he guessed he could deal with the company of the crazy kid easily enough.

There, I hope you liked the new chapter! Not much action in this one, I'm afraid it'll be in the next few chapters, but I hope you still enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to your comments! See ya around!