Alice struggles to stay standing as she glares up to Jellal. The golden light dissipates from Alice.

"I take it your memory has returned?" Zero asks Jellal.

"Yes." Jellal answers. 

Alice uses her sword as a cane to stay standing.

"You shouldn't have come here." Alice growls at Jellal.

Alice yells in anger and throws her hand up and a red arrow forms in the palm of her hand and flies at Jellal. He side steps and the red arrow flies past him.

Jellal brings his hand up. "Stop." A golden light flies from his hand and hits Alice again.

The golden light shines around Alice.

"What kind of weak magic is this! You know you've gotta hit harder than that to take me down!" Alice shouts at Jellal.

"Yes, Briefly, But I remembered just in time." Jellal tells Alice.

Zero raises an eyebrow.

"Only you can stop Zero."

"What?" Zero shouts in shock.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're able to adsorb Magic and use it as if it were your own for a short amount of time?"

Alice looks to her arms as the golden light pulses around her. "Yeah, that's it right. But Why?"

"Liar. Judging by your actions, your memory has not been restored." Zero says to Jellal.

"I didn't lie to you." Jellal corrects Zero. "Only my memories of Natsu and Alice have returned. I'm determined to stop Nirvana. Whether or not the rest of my memories return will not affect my goal."

"This doesn't make any sense. What's going on with you?" Alice asks Jellal. The golden light around Alice dissipates. 

"When I awoke, it was as though my memory had been completely wiped clean." Jellal tells Alice and she raises an eyebrow. "Although I have no recollections of behaving like a vile cretin, it seems that was the case. I've brought harm upon not only you and Erza, but all of Fairy Tail. It's time to make amends. I want to help you protect Wendy's Guild. I want to stop Nirvana. I know we can do it as long as we work together."

Alice doesn't say anything, but she runs up to Jellal and punches him in the gut then grabs the collar of his coat.

"You may have forgotten your memories but I haven't forgotten what you did to Erza. You better be telling the truth, or I'll make sure you never see the light of day again for making Erza cry!" Alice yells right into Jellal's face.

"How pathetic." Zero says as he shakes his head. "If you're going to argue, must you do it in front of me?" Zero points his pointer and middle fingers at the two and casts Dark Capricco. "Quit wasting my time."

The magic flies towards the two and Jellal gets in front of Alice and takes the blow.

Alice's eyes widen and she remembers what Simmon did back in the Tower of Heaven. Jellal grunts and he falls to his knees.

"Why?" Alice asks Jellal.

Jellal pants a few times and he looks to Alice. "Just go ahead and kill me, if that's what you have to do. I'm already battered and torn to shreds. but first, let me give you the power to give you a leg up in this fight." The golden light surrounds Jellal's hand.

Alice stares at the light in awe. 'It's so pretty.'

Jellal brings his hand up and Alice grabs it.

"This is the Light of Judgment." Jellal explains.

"What's the Light of Judgment?" Alice asks him.

"I'm not asking you to grant forgiveness. All I want is to give you strength, because I believe in you. Erza trusts you more than anyone, and so I shall as well."

Alice closes her eyes and the golden light travels up her arm.

"The light of Judgement heals those with Good Intentions and hurts those with evil intentions."

The golden light travels to her golden guild mark and is absorbed into her body. Two golden arrows appear under her eyes and they shine brightly alone with her guild mark.

Alice's wounds slowly heal and she lets go of Jellal's hand.

Jellal grunts. "We're counting on you."

Alice stands up and rolls her shoulders and cracks her neck. She opens her eyes and they flash a bright blue as she glares down at Zero.

"Thank you, Jellal." Alice says. "But, you better survive all this, so you can face proper justice."

"So you think you're the person who can give judgment to those who stand before you. You're not worthy of such a thing." Zero says to Alice.

Alice spins her sword around and points it at Zero.

"I'm not the judge for this, I'm the executioner. But I think I'm the perfect person to give judgment to those who wish to do evil. And I can't forgive those who use their power for evil!"

Alice jumps forward and her sword glows golden as she strikes Zero, he screams in pain as he flies across the room.

Zero lands on the ground and he  quickly stands up and casts Dark Capricco at Alice, but she covers her hands in the Light of Judgment and bats the spell away.

Zero sweats as Alice charges at him and strikes him repeatedly with her sword. She avoids a kick from him and punches him in the chest. Zero smiles as he back hands her, but as she falls she smirks and holds her hand out and a large golden arrow flies from her hand and strikes him in the chest and he flies up and crashes into the ceiling. 

He falls to the ground and the Light of Judgment surrounds Alice and heals more of her wounds. The golden arrows and her guild mark shine brightly. 

'This almost feels like the Etherion I absorbed. Never want to try that again.'

Zero stands up.

"Didn't think it would be this effective. You barely look like you've taken a beating not too long ago." Zero smiles evilly. "I'm intrigued. So show me."

Alice readies her sword. "And why do you want that?"

"I want to see how powerful you really are."

Alice growls. "Fine!"

Alice's sword glows a bright gold as she rushes forward and swings her blade down at Zero, but it collides with a barrier. She brings her sword back and tries to strike Zero again, but a barrier stops her.

Zero jumps up. "You're no match for dark gravity."

Zero slams his hands on the ground and it cracks as a bright green light shines from the cracks. Suddenly the ground gives out under Alice and she screams out as she falls.

"Don't tell me I've already defeated a Mighty Knight." Zero jumps down into the hole. "Well?"

Alice is laying on the ground looking out a hole right next to her. She can see outside.

"Too close."

Alice looks up and sees Zero falling down towards her. She jumps away when Zero casts Dark Capricco and it hits the spot where she was laying.

Zero lands on the ground and jumps towards Alice and a magic whip forms on his hand. Alice quickly re-quips into her speed armor and her sword vanishes into a golden light.

"Zero Slash!" Zero tries to whip Alice, but she's to agile to hit.

Alice slams her metallic foot into the ground and pushes off and swings her claws covered in golden light at Zero. She managed to strike him in the chest and he goes flying into a wall.

Zero quickly recovers and jumps at Alice. He tries to kick her but she brings up her arms to block and he reinforces his kick with his magic.

Alice then jumps back and Zero casts another spell at her.

"Dark Delete." green balls of magic fly at Alice and she jumps and ducks under them.

She lands but Dark Capricco hits her and she flies into a nearby wall. Zero laughs and he casts Dark Delete and they hit her, but she ignores the pain and jumps towards Zero with her claws outstretched. 

Zero smiles and jumps towards Alice and swings his fist. Alice and Zero's attacks meet and but Alice is overwhelmed and she's punched into the ground.

Alice tries to get back up but Zero lands a kick on her stomach. A golden light surrounds her but it then fizzles out.

'No not now!' The golden arrows below her eyes disappear. 

Zero then kicks her hard and she flies across the room and lands on the ground again with a loud thud. Alice gasps as all the air leaves her lungs.

Zero jumps over to her and looks down on her.

"Are you telling me this is the best a Fairy Tail wizard can do?" Zero talks down on her.

Zero kicks Alice again and she bites her lip.

"If this is the best they can offer, how did they become so powerful?"

Zero brings his foot down onto her stomach again and she coughs. Zero them brings his foot back and kicks Alice and she slides across the floor. and comes to a stop. 

"You cannot defeat the Master of the Oracion Seis. I'm more powerful than you ever hope to be." Zero tells Alice.

Alice looks down to her waist and sees a orange cat pawed rope.

"This is a good luck charm to remember me by." A memory of Millianna plays in Alice's head.  "It's also a promise that you'll come back to me, meow."

Alice slams her hands into the ground and she gets onto her knees.

"It's a shame your friends aren't here to help you, because you don't stand a chance against me on your own."

Alice pants and few times and she puts a hand over her guild mark.

"I'm never alone. I can feel them reaching out to me." Alice begins to stand up. "I can hear them loud and clear. I can feel everyone's hope for me. So no mater what, I can't give up the fight."

Alice glares at Zero. 

"They're what keep me going." Alice smiles. "They're my reasons for standing."

Alice slams her legs into the ground and the ground below her cracks.

"I've got people waiting for me to return back home, I've got people waiting for me outside of this room. I can feel all their determination and strength flowing through me!"

"If only I could use your lost magic for myself. But since there's no way I can." Zero moves his hands in a circle. "I shall unleash my ultimate spell and return you to the nothingness from whence you came."

Alice yells and she flies forward towards Zero with her claws aiming for him.

"Genesis Zero!" Zero casts. "Now to the depths of nothingness with you."

Zero's and Alice's attacks collide.

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06-14-2022

1725 words