(I got fairly lazy writing this chapter, just warning you.)

Alice is laying the street with her eyes closed. Her breathing is steady and a hand is clenched around her sword. A dragon like roar rings throughout the streets; after a few seconds it stops.

Alice opens her eyes and grips her sword tighter.

Alice:"Natsu?"

Alice sits up then gets herself off the ground. She looks off into where she heard the roar and she sees a giant smoke pillar in the sky.

Alice:"Always causing trouble, but I'll overlook it this time."

Alice stomps on the ground and takes off running towards Natsu.

After a few minutes of running Alice sees Gray, Lucy and Jura ahead.

Alice:"Guys!"

The three turn and see Alice running towards them.

Lucy:"Alice!"

Gray:"You're alright!"

Alice slides to a stop in front of the group.

Jura:"I'm glad to know that you're okay, Lady Alice."

Alice nods.

Alice:"You guys heading after Natsu, too?"

The three of them nod.

Alice:"Good. Let's go then."

The group begins to head towards the giant fire.

After more running they see Brain dragging Natsu.

Gray:"There he is!"

Lucy:"Natsu!"

Natsu looks to them and he looks worse for wear.

Lucy:"What happened to you?"

Natsu:*Sick* "It's moving. I just can't handle it."

Happy:"Hey, guys, please help."

Alice looks off to the side and sees Happy laying on his back. Tears are pricking at the corner of his eyes.

Alice:"Happy!"

Lucy:"Are you okay?"

Jura:"Sir cat is still alive."

Gray and Lucy look to Jura.

Gray/Lucy:"Are you talkin' about Happy?"

Happy:"You guys got to save Natsu. Brain's taking him away."

Brain:"The six demons have been cut down to a meager three. We've been chopped in half. So in order to the bleeding in our once healthy ranks, I will fortify them with this one."

Brain gives them a smirk and The three Fairy Tail members still up frown.

Gray:"I always knew this was gonna happen someday. One of these dark guilds was gonna try to pull Natsu over to their side."

Lucy:"You must be our of your mind if you think you're ever gonna get that heard-head to cooperate with you."

Alice:"He's loyal to his guild and friends no matter what."

Brain:"Once Nirvana darkens his heart, he will gladly do my bidding. His goals and my own will be intertwined."

Natsu bites Brain's arm.

Natsu:"In your dreams!"

Brain gains a tic mark and Alice smirks. Brain holds his arm up that Natsu is biting.

Brain:"You still have the strength to fight?"

Brain slams Natsu into the ground.

Natsu:"Ugh! I am so sick."

Natsu tries to not puke.

Jura:"The spirit is strong, but the stomach weak."

Gray:"Yeah, you can say that again. Kind of gets in the way."

Alice sighs and Brain turns to them.

Natsu:"Help me. Please help me. I'm begging yeah. Beat this guy and stop this thing."

Gray:"Oh, we're gonna stop it, but not just for your sake."

Lucy and Alice nod.

Lucy/Alice:"Yeah."

A green aura surrounds Brain.

Brain:"Is that so? You'll stop Nirvana? Try your best. But you mustn't waste any time. We're quickly approaching our first target-- The Cait shelter guild hall."

The group gasps and Alice puts a hand on the handle of her sword and growls.

Happy:"That's the one Carla and Wendy belong to. Why them?"

Brain laughs.

Jura:"What is your objective? What could you possible hope to gain from their loss?"

Brain:"The world on its head. In the blink of an eye, This guild of light will be consumed in darkness. Oh, the things we shall see. What splendid horrors await us."

Lucy:"We won't let you do that to them."

Gray:"You're not gonna get away with this, Scumbag."

Alice:"As my honor as a knight, you're not going to do that."

Jura steps behind them and an aura covers him. Gray becomes slightly scared.

Jura:"You still haven't told me, what do you hope to gain?"

Jura glares at Brain and Brain laughs.

Brain:"I don't have to answer to you! I hold the reins of light and darkness. Kneel before me and ask for one things only-- For Mercy."

Brain laughs and Jura walks in front of the group.

Jura:"What a bothersome fool."

Gray:"Pops, what're you doin'?"

Jura:"He's far too delusional to hold a conversation."

Brain points his staff at Jura.

Brain:"You hear me? I asked you to kneel."

(I'm just gonna skip the Jura Vs. Brain fight. Why? Because I'm super lazy.)

The group walks over to a downed Brain.

Jura:"Now I still need an answer as to why you're attacking Cait Shelter."

Lucy:"Um, Jura? Do you think we can stop this thing now?"

Natsu:*Trying not to puke.* "That's a great idea. Like, right now!"

Alice:"But we still need to find a way to stop it."

Brain:"No. I never imagined that I would fall like this. Losing a battle against a light guild. Please hear my words, midnight. You're our last remaining hope. You must not allow the six prayers to disappear. They are our only hope of keeping him at bay."

One of the black line tattoos on Brain's face disappears and he passes out.

Jura:"Keeping who at bay?"

Gray:"Hold on, is it my imagination, or did one of those black lines on his face just disappear?"

Lucy:"Gray, I think it's more like you just trying to scare me, and it's actually starting to work."

Alice:"I think he's right."

Wendy:"Hey, guys!"

Alice looks to the side and sees Wendy and Carla running to them.

Lucy:"It's Wendy."

Carla:"Just as I thought-- Only those hooligans would cause such a ruckus."

Happy:"Carla!"

Happy face plants the ground.

Wendy:"We're in trouble. I think this city is headed straight toward my guild for some reason."

Gray:"Don't worry, everything's gonna be okay."

Wendy gets confused till she looks down and sees the unconscious Brain and she gasps/

Gray:"His buddy the snake charmer is lying right over there."

Alice looks to where Gray motion and sees the Knocked out Cobra.

Wendy:"Wow."

Lucy:"From what we can gather, this creepy Brain guy is also the one who has been controlling Nirvana. And now that he's out cold, the city should stop any moment."

Carla:"It doesn't sit well with me. He is down, but did you ever find out his reason for targeting our guild?"

Gray:"No, I think it's just 'cause that's the kind of thing villains do."

Alice looks down to Brain.

Jura:"I still have some lingering concerns, but the worst is over."

Natsu:*Still sick.* "No, I don't think so."

Everyone looks over to Natsu and he's still motion sick.

Natsu:"Guys, please stop this thing."

Natsu holds back from puking.

Wendy:"Oh, you poor guy. Have you been poisoned too?"

Lucy, Gray and Alice shake their heads.

Lucy/Gray/Alice:"Mm-mm."

Carla is over by Happy.

Carla:"So what's your problem, Tomcat? Don't tell me that you're too weak to stand?"

Happy:"Yes, Ma'am."

The group are on top of the castle. 

 Gray:"Now I'm totally confused.

Lucy:"No joke. Me too."

Alice:"I am confused as well."

Gray:"You would think there'd be some kind of control panel or something up here."

Lucy:"Right? So how are we supposed to stop this thing?"

Jura grits his teeth.

Gray:"Man, this sucks. I was almost positive that once we beat Brain, this hunk of junk would stop moving."

Lucy:"I was too. Now he's out cold so we can't even ask him about it."

Alice goes to the edge and looks out to the night time sky. Then she hears Natsu yell from behind her.

Natsu:"Yeah! I'm back! Oh, I feel a million times better."

Alice turns around and sees Natsu jumping around.

Wendy:"I'm glad. I thought that might work."

Natsu:"Oh, you're a lifesaver, Wendy! You gotta teach me that spell sometime."

Wendy:"But it's my sky magic. Sorry."

Natsu:"Wow!"

natsu runs over to Lucy and lightly shakes her.

Natsu:"I don't feel like I'm riding on anything now." *He stops shaking Lucy.* Hey, Lucy, summon one of your train or boat spirits for me."

Lucy gets angry.

Lucy:"I don't have those! Look, buddy, this is not the time to play. We're still in big trouble."

Gray:"We gotta figure out how to stop this thing. And there's obviously nothing up here that'll help us do that."

Alice walks over to them.

Lucy:"I don't get it. I thought this is where Hoteye, I mean Richard, said Brain was controlling it.  Was he lying?"

Jura:"No, I believe him to be a man of his word."

Carla:"There is a much more pertinent question at hand. Or should I say, a different way the question of how to stop it should be phrased? There are no visible controls, the royal throne is empty, and the one presumed to be piloting it has been defeated. So perhaps instead we should ask, 'why is it still functioning the same as it was before?'"

Gray:"Do you think he might've put it on autopilot?"

Alice:"If he did that, then it could be programed to fire too."

Wendy starts to shake and she starts to cry.

Wendy:"Our poor guild is in trouble."

Alice curls her hands into fists.

Natsu:"Don't worry. We'll find a way to save them. I won't let this thing hurt your friends. I owe it to you. I'll stop it. I promise."

Alice:"We'll top it. No matter what."

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05-29-2022

1388 words