Chapter Eight

I don't own Fairy Tail.

Enjoy the chapter!

When they arrived at the guild, the same silence befell them the second the door opened and Erza walked in. the redhead, either oblivious or ignoring it (probably the latter, with her senses) quickly joined the core with Lucy. They were discussing a battle plan.

"Erza, welcome back." A tiny, old man said. This had to be Makarov, judging his aura and authority.

"Thanks, Master. This is Lucy, a powerful mage. She'll help us and assist me in the battle. Lucy, this is Makarov Dreyar, one of the ten Wizard Saints and Master of Fairy Tail."

Lucy made a little bow. "It's an honour to meet you."

"Welcome to Fairy Tail." He said warmly, but then focused on the grim task at hand. "So, as you can see, we're going to do this in two layers. First, Team Raijinshuu, Shadow Gear and Strauss Siblings are going to distract and divide the enemy, with Laxus the main one. Until the real core attack, for example me, Gajeel, Juvia, Cana, Mystogan."

"Mystogan is going to stay?" Gajeel interrupted.

Makarov nodded. "He said that to end this war is more important than the Anima… in exchange for help later…"

"Of course." Laxus mumbled, his glare sent shivers through her spine.

"But underneath that, there will be a second attack, a hidden one. That's for your team, Erza. Natsu, Gray, Happy, Lucy and you will go via the underground to de-activate the communicative system, security and if possible, the leaders. In short, you do what the Fairy Tail Mages are good in. It shouldn't be a problem to do so."

Right, so Natsu and Gray were the brainless force and Erza the sense to do the most damage at the right spots.

"It's fine that way. When will it happen?" Erza asked calmly, though her fingers rest on an imaginary sword at her hip.

"This evening. We should have enough coverage at night. We're depending on you, Erza."

"Of course."

The last bit sounded a bit strange. Lucy couldn't exactly place it, but she knew she had to be cautious. Even in this warm and loving guild, people still had plans for themselves. Lucy grew up with these politics kind of games, so she would figure it out pretty quickly.

The meeting was dismissed and everyone spread throughout the guild or most went to the second floor, where they had a bit more rest and could prepare for the raid later. Mira and the master went to the bar and Erza followed a bit later, but was quickly distracted by a band of fighting members. She split them up, and was lecturing them for a while. Lucy watched amused, and started to think it wasn't just because of the curse and her powers that the members were scared of the impressive redhead.

"She's grown a lot these last years." To her surprise, the tiny old man sat next to her on the bar. He looked almost asleep.

"Since she joined Fairy Tail?"

"Yes. I know that the other members hold distance. But they love her, too. Erza is one of the strongest mages in the country… or rather was." He looked at Lucy directly now and the look went right through her.

"I don't want to know what happened, but I think you already figured out the real plan, didn't you?"

Lucy nodded wordlessly. It was cruel and shameless.

"Lucy… If you'd come here before the war, you'd have experienced an entirely different place. Can't you feel it?" Makarov asked her.

She nodded again. The noise and laughing, the sound of mugs slamming against one another. Underneath that, the sorrowful atmosphere and the silent dread. The war.

"This is no fairy tale, Lucy," he said with deep, deep sadness. "I wish to protect my children, but it is no longer possible. If there is any other way, please tell me. I would do anything to escape this cruel plan."

Lucy's heart cracked. She knew no other way. She hated how she had to break the old man's heart, but she couldn't think of another plan. "It is war. War is cruelty. Cruelty can only be relinquished with kindness. Erza is kindness herself."

They both were silent and looked at the melancholic Erza, still lecturing, though she knew all too well these were her last hours.

Lucy felt tears in her eyes, but it wasn't sadness she felt. She felt joy, because she had gotten the honour to know Erza for a couple weeks. Erza was beautiful, in every way. Sad, pretty, kind, immortal, burdened.

Makarov looked at her sideways. "That is the same what drew the attention of many others, Lucy." He warned her.

Lucy shrugged. "It doesn't matter, not really."

"She's broken the heart of many." He only said, before standing up, clapping once on the bar with his staff. The guild fell silent in a surprisingly short time. All the S-class mages who would lead the operation were on the first floor, except Erza. The redhead pulled her to the back and she noticed Natsu and Gray were there, too. They waved devilishly and smiled genuinely. That was kind of the summary of their personalities, she thought, pulling up the corners of her mouth.

"Master will explain the plan to the guild", Erza whispered in her ear, carefully keeping distance, though. "But not a word about us or anything."

Lucy nodded, then Master began to speak.

"Tonight, we'll end this war." He looked around and with a hint of sadness, his eyes flashed into their direction.

"We've had it for nearly five years, or longer. Can't remember. We've lost some members and a lot of other friends." The people looked grim and sober, but there was still fight in their eyes.

"Tonight, we'll end this war", the old man said again. "Fairy Tail is one again. The S-class mages will cause a distraction never seen before at Crocus, and we, the members of Fiore's number one guild, will strike directly. We will recapture Crocus and be truly free again!" he said, holding his staff above him.

"Nothing will stop us! Because we are Fairy Tail!" he finally exclaimed. An immense amount of cheers and exclamations and pride and joy and justice flowed through the guild. It barely seemed like they were going to war, into this mad plan to reconquer a city with one guild.

Then again, this was Fairy Tail.

Lucy smiled and Natu and Gray, yelled and shouted and made more noise than three-quarters of the rest. Until the blonde noticed Erza, still looking serious, slipping out of the guild. She only saw it because she felt the cold outside when the door opened and the redhead looked at her.

Lucy wordlessly followed.

"What's wrong?" the Celestial Mage asked her.

"You and I know very well about Master's real plan, Lucy", she said sadly.

"Yeah", she averted her eyes. Somehow, she felt that this was real. Even though inside, they were celebrating the upcoming victory – there was no way there were losing this – out here, in the cold, Erza, the silent sacrifice, stood there, thinking about her short future.

"Do you really want to spend your last hours here? Instead of having fun inside?"

Erza looked at her with unreadable eyes. "You think I would have fun inside. That, because of the fight, people will forget what I really am. It's better like this."

"It's not for you, though." Lucy commented.

"I've had luck and fun and happiness in my life. I've had sadness and loneliness and bad luck, too. I'm not really in the mood to celebrate something I won't live to see." She said harshly.

Lucy went pale. "That's not the Erza I know. You don't give up the courage, Erza! Fight! If you don't, you'll definitely die. But if you win, you live. You can't win without fighting!"

"Can you tell me there is a way out? Do you see the solution to this?" Erza raised her voice, until it got softer, like a summer breeze. "The only way to stop the lacrima that is the centre of our power, is to unleash Ankhseram's Curse."

She nodded. "Sorry. I just don't want you to…"

"I know. I'm glad you're so concerned. I…" Erza almost brought up a hand to Lucy's face and then sighed. "It would be almost worth it, if I were to die and not you."

Both of them were rudely interrupted by Natsu and Gray.

"Hey guys, where were you? The party's getting started real good!"

"Yeah, they're barrel-rolling again", Gray added. "You don't want to try, Lucy?"

"It's a ritual for every new member!" Natsu grinned widely, and she decided she liked both of their smiles.

Until Erza sent them both a death stare. They flinched. "Lucy is wearing a skirt."

"Tchh", Gray said. "So what?"

"I don't want to hear that from a guy who wears nothing half of the time!" Erza said loudly.

"Haha, that one hit, brain freeze!"

With another glare, they both shut up.

"It's good you're both here, anyways. We should be going earlier anyways."

Remarkable how quick the mood had changed when others were around.

"Let's go", Erza held up a white teleportation lacrima in her hands. One by one, they put their hands on it. Lucy smiled at Erza, who gave her a reassuring nod.

"To Crocus." Erza said loudly and the lacrima lit up again. For a moment, everything was white, then black until the colours slowly blended into regular shapes.

They were in front of a castle with towers and flags and everything a huge castle has to have. Lucy regained her orientation after a moment, and everyone except Natsu (who apparently had some transportation disease) looked grimly at the immense building. The games were over.

Without more words, they decided to go around, to find the backdoor of the castle, so to speak. After barely fifty steps, all four of them stopped.

"Did you hear that?" Natsu said, frowning the slightest.

"Of course. We're not stupid, a – "

"I heard it, too", Lucy said before they began fighting. "It's… hollow, I think."

"I presume there's a secret passage underground. Shall we find out?"

"Erza, what are you…" Lucy said. The knight looked at her and faltered.

"Right. Lucy, could you do us the favour? I remember I gave you access to my magic space?"

"To your what?!" Natsu and Gray choked on nothing.

"Is there a problem?" Erza asked. When neither reacted, she turned back to a beet red Lucy.

"Put on the Kyojin Armour and take the fitting spear." Encouraging, she nodded full of confidence.

Lucy didn't have time to hesitate. She closed her eyes and noticed she was in the "Magic Space" easier than stepping over a threshold. It was extremely full, to the non-existing ceiling stocked with weapons and armours. Some were beautiful and others scary, but she quickly found it. Not knowing exactly what she was doing, she out it on slowly and carefully. Then, she grabbed the tall, intimidating spear and blinked once. She was surprised to see Natsu and Gray against a castle wall corner.

"Good. That went faster than I expected." Erza commented before calling Natsu and Gray.

"Are you ready, Lucy?"

"Finally, Lucy." Natsu grinned.

"I thought I had to stay forever next to that – "

"How long exactly did it take me?"

"I think about a quarter. Why? You did really well." Erza assured her.

"Wait – was I… naked that entire time?"

"Frankly, yes."

"You didn't tell me that!"

"I thought you'd know! Besides, only I saw it, no big deal", Erza shrugged.

Lucy did not quite agree, but Erza hardly could've left her alone. In case some guards came…

"Wait, why haven't we seen any guards?"

"We have. Look at the pile."

The pile, which Lucy had mistaken for an unexpected hill or something, was about 30 foot high.

"I think we've had them all!" Natsu grinned. The Celestial Mage noticed a lot of them had black, scorned clothing. Right, Natsu was a Fire Dragon Slayer.

He stuck out his hand. Lucy and Gray gave him the "Are you kidding me"-look, until Erza lay her hand on his without a doubt. They quickly followed, and they had to admit there was something that felt good in that one gesture.

Natsu grinned too broad, Gray was ice cold, Erza stiff like steel and Lucy insecure, but that same grin connected them all and without missing a beat, they all yelled the same thing.

"I'm fired up!"

Then they stood around a piece of ground and Erza gestured at Lucy. With the warm feeling still coursing through her, she made a huge hole without too much effort. It led into the dark, but they had no choice. Or rather, they'd already made it.

Natsu jumped in first, and Gray followed quickly. Erza looked at her and smiled. She took Lucy's hand and they jumped in together.

That jump in the dark, with Erza's hand in her armoured hand – the roles were reversed – was the last thing she remembered of their fight for Crocus Castle and true freedom.

End of chapter 8!

Sorry it took me so long, and I only manage to come up with this? Tch. I realized I didn't really want to write a castle-engaging scene, so I made them forget haha. Sorry for the cliffhanger! I'll give you some spoiler for next chapter:

Lucy knew Erza was still staring at her. After a while, she couldn't avoid it anymore.

"Something wrong?"

Erza continued to look at her strangely, then at her hands. She brought them up, closer and closer. And though Lucy was terrified, she didn't move away. She trusted the girl with her everything.

Erza's cool hand touched her so gentle and light like the spring breeze she always waited for. A spring breeze, yes. The one that tells you that is also the end of the winter, the announcement of warmer and longer days. The beginning of something new.