(AN: this is an emotional chapter no fighting or anything )
The sun hung low over Magnolia, painting the sky in warm golds and deep purples. Inside Fairy Tail, the chaos was in full swing.
The five roulette wheels spun endlessly, clinking and flashing as guild members tossed jewels like confetti. Cana was on her fifteenth spin, muttering, "I'm due… I'm so due…" Gray had just lost 30,000 Jewels only good thing he has gotten was a protable tent. Reedus sketched the madness, his self-playing banjo wailing Jingle Bells in the background.
Lucky stood at the counter, arms crossed, a smirk on his face.
'SPIN! WIN! then SUFFER!' he thought.
Then silence.
Not natural silence.
The kind that cracks the air.
The guild doors didn't open.
The noise didn't fade.
It was Makarov.
He stood on the bar, tiny frame towering in authority, his usual playful grin gone. His eyes were sharp. His voice, when it came, was low but it carried through every soul.
"Listen."
The wheels stopped.
The laughter died.
Even the self-playing banjo shut up.
Lucky raised an eyebrow. 'is it time?'.
Makarov's gaze swept the room then landed on Erza.
She stood near the back, armor gleaming, face calm. But her hands were clenched.
"Intelligence has reached me," Makarov said. "A dark force has risen. A place called the Tower of Heaven."
Erza flinched.
Her hands were folded in her lap, but her knuckles were white, her head bowed so low that her crimson hair shadowed her face.
A ripple passed through the guild.
He continued "They kill People, enslave children for there twisted goals"
Makarov then released pressure that made the air heavy
"They are hunting Erza."
The room exploded.
"WHAT?!"
"WHO DARES?!"
Erza stepped forward. "Master, this is my burden. I'll handle it alone."
Makarov gave her a gentle smile but still kept talking
"Many of you don't know this… but there is something you must hear."
The tension in the air thickened. Gray, who had been sitting with Cana, leaned forward, sensing the weight of the Master's tone.
"This girl…" Makarov gestured toward Erza. "She carries a burden. A past that no child should have borne. Erza was once enslaved. Taken to a place known as… the Tower of Heaven."
The guild gasped. Murmurs rippled across the room. Gray's fists clenched at his side. Cana's eyes widened. Even Laxus, leaning against the far wall, straightened his posture.
Lucky face was serious. His magic perception prickled with the emotions crashing through the hall shock, anger, sorrow.
Erza stiffened, her eyes hidden beneath her bangs.
Makarov's voice lowered. "That tower… is no mere ruin. It was built to revive something terrible. And Erza… survived it. But she carries those scars even now."
The guild was silent. Every ear turned toward her.
Slowly, Erza raised her head. Her eyes glistened, her lips trembling as she forced herself to speak.
"I…" Her voice cracked. She swallowed hard, but the words shook free. "I was just a child. They chained us. Forced us to build. We were beaten. Tortured. People died around me every day. And I…"
She trembled. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes. "I escaped… but I left them behind."
The silence broke in an instant.
"Erza…" Cana whispered.
Gray stepped forward. "You don't have to say anymore."
Wakaba slammed a fist on the table. "Those bastards…!"
Macao cursed under his breath. Reedus gripped his sketchpad so tightly the pages crumpled.
Lucky stood, crossing his arms. His expression was unreadable, but his voice cut clear. "You didn't abandon them. You survived. That's not weakness, Erza that's why you're here today. Why we're here."
Erza's lip quivered. She shook her head, whispering, "No… you don't understand…"
But before she could finish, Makarov's voice boomed.
Makarov turned to her. "A Fairy's burden is never carried alone."
He looked at the guild. "This is not just Erza's fight. It is ours."
"We are Fairy Tail!"
The entire guild straightened.
"No matter what past you bear, no matter what sins you think you carry you are one of us! And if this tower threatens you again…" He clenched his tiny fist, tears shining in his old eyes. "Then we will crush it together!"
The guild roared as one.
"YEAH!"
Tables shook. Glasses rattled. The sound was overwhelming.
Erza's breath hitched. She bit her lip, but the tears overflowed, streaming down her face as she buried her face in her hands.
For once, the Erza cried openly.
Cana rushed to her side, wrapping her arms around her. Gray knelt beside them. Even Lucky's usual cocky smile softened, replaced with something gentler.
"You're not alone anymore," he said quietly.
Erza's shoulders shook. "Thank you… thank you…"
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Later, once the hall had calmed, Makarov gathered a small group near the bar: Erza, Gray, Lucky, Cana, and Laxus, who still stood with arms crossed, lightning sparking faintly around him.
Makarov's face was grave. "If the Tower of Heaven has stirred again, we cannot waste time. Reinforcements must be gathered."
He looked up at Laxus. "The Lightning Bird you have it, don't you?"
Laxus spoke. "Tch. Of course."
He raised his palm. from the card A crackling bird made of pure lightning sparked into existence, wings flaring wide. The air buzzed with static as its piercing cry echoed across the guild hall.
Makarov handed him a scroll. "Deliver this. Tell them: Fairy Tail calls for aid."
Laxus nodded, his expression finally serious. "Where?"
"Lamia Scale. Blue Pegasus. Quatro Cerberus."
The guild gasped. Bringing in other guilds was no small matter.
"Tell them Fairy Tail calls for aid," Makarov said firmly. "We will not face this alone."
The bird screeched once more before darting out of the hall, a streak of lightning disappearing into the horizon.
Gray whistled softly. "So that's the Lightning Bird, huh… fast. i... really want... one"
Cana hugged herself. "We're really calling other guilds… it must be that serious."
Laxus nodded. "Got it."
He raised his arm.
"Fly."
The Lightning Bird screamed, a sound like thunder, and shot into the sky.
Its wings split the clouds, lightning arcing across the heavens. It flew toward the distant guilds, a beacon of resolve.
The guild watched in silence.
Lucky stood beside Erza.
"You good?" he asked.
She wiped her tears. "I am now."
He grinned. "Good. Because I'm not letting you die. I still need your money for the roulette."
She punched his arm lightly.
"Idiot."
But she was smiling.
And for the first time in years…
Erza Scarlet didn't feel alone.
Lucky cracked his neck, pain flickering across his face, but he forced it down. Then, raising his hand, he said. "In that case, I should show you something too. My ace."
The guild turned toward him.
Lucky grinned, but it wasn't playful it was sharp. He clapped his hands together, magic pulsing outward.
"Portal Magic: Gate!"
A shimmering blue oval tore open in midair.
The guild gasped.
swirling void of light burst into being beside him, warping the air. Gasps erupted around the guild. The portal shimmered, stable, connected to somewhere else entirely.
"W-What the hell is that?!" Gray shouted.
Lucky smirked. "Portal magic. I can open gateways between places I've marked. Fast travel. Supply runs. Retreat routes."
Makarov's eyes widened, impressed . "You've been holding back on us, boy."
Laxus from the side Rolled his eyes and muttured "what's the point of sending my mount then"
Lucky heared him but igonerd him.
Lucky wasn't done. He snapped his fingers.
"Multi-Shadow Clone!"
In a blink, the room had four more of copies of Lucky, each stretching and grinning in unison.
"Yo!"
"Sup."
"Morning."
"Where's the food?"
The guild members nearly fell out of their chairs.
the Guildmembers jaws dropped. "A-Ah! So many Luckys!"
Gray's eye twitched. "One of you is bad enough!"
But then the clones moved with eerie precision some stepping through portals, some vanishing, some working together. The air buzzed with magic power.
Lucky crossed his arms, smug. "Scouting, combat support, communication network… I've got options. only thing i need is approximate place so i can create a portal"
Even Gildarts narrowed his eyes. he was impressed "Not bad, kid."
Makarov stroked his beard, nodding slowly. "This will change our strategy entirely. Well done, Lucky."
Lucky simply nodded.
The air grew heavy again as everyone realized what this meant. Fairy Tail was preparing for war.
——————————————————————————
Later, the guild gathered in the main hall.
Makarov laid out a map of the known region. Lucky projected a portal above it, showing a real-time view of the forest near the Tower.
"Clones will move first," Lucky said. "They'll send back data every 30 minutes."
Gray frowned. "What if they get caught?"
"Then we know where the traps are," Lucky said. "And we will not lose any fighting power."
Erza stepped forward. "I… I don't know what to say."
Makarov placed a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to say anything."
Gray crossed his arms. "We're not letting you face this alone."
Cana smiled. "You're family, Erza. Even if you try to hide it."
Reedus nodded. "We stand with you."
Laxus grunted. "Try not to die. I'm not carrying your armor back."
The guild laughed.
That night, as the last of the candles burned low, Erza stood outside the guild hall, staring at the horizon.
The wind tugged at her scarlet hair. Her hands trembled. But this time… she wasn't alone.
Gray walked up beside her. Cana too. Lucky leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. Even Laxus lingered a few steps behind, lightning crackling faintly.
Erza swallowed, voice quiet. "All of you… standing here with me…"
Her eyes blurred again.
"Thank you."
Lucky smirked softly. "Didn't I already tell you? You're not alone anymore."
Cana smiled. Gray just gave a quiet nod.
Fairy Tail stood united.
And this time… they would not let the Tower of Heaven take anything more from them.
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AN: the tower of Heaven i will try not to make it long, after all the timeline is very very early so till then i might start adding time skip later not soon but later