//------------------------------// // Spike's Recovery 2 // Story: Spike the Fairy // by PonyJoel //------------------------------// It's been a few hours since Spike woke up and calmed down. He explains to Fairy Rage, Wendy, Carla, Lucy, Gajeel, and Erza the execrable nightmare he endured. The world he spoke in full detail is eerie, detestable, and unimaginable. Like Hell rose and snuffed the population off the face of the earth. Spike reveals gruesome images of the deaths he glanced at from the rotting flesh, organs spewing and skeletal bones. "That's disturbing, Fairy Dragon," Gajeel takes it all in. It's confirmed. Spike's nightmare is worse than the vision he saw with Midnight Sparkle claiming to take his happiness away. "Since I know better, that dream is a possible reality I can't ignore," Spike wipes the dry tears off his cheek. "All of us dead because of Ajax from that dream. That's something I want to prevent." "July 3rd of what year, Spike?" Carla asks. She hopes her magic power to see the future comes to play to prepare for the attack. "The year of my vision was smudged. I don't have the answer. All I saw was Zaronos thanking me before killing me." "July 3rd is coming in seven months," Lucy informs her friends. "That would be the second day of the Grand Magic Games." Spike frowns. "It could be this year, next year..," Spike shakes his head. "I don't know." "However, Ajax has a glaring weakness we can use to defeat him to prevent the disaster of Spike's dream from becoming real life," Erza said, reminding her friends and clarifying to Spike about Ajax's Achilles heel. "What is it?" Spike wants to know what Zaronos' weakness is. "Ajax copied your dragon physique. With that said, he can be slayed by a Dragon Slayer. Since he's a demon, you fight demons with holiness." Spike's eyes widen. During his dream, he tapped into Fairy Demon Dragon and was vanquished. Fairy Demon Dragon is not a match for Zaronos. It's not even an equalizer. "When I rushed him, he defeated me in an instant cause I chose to transform into a demon myself." "That would have meant he devoured your magic power and used it against you. You and Ajax are alike. Two sides of the same coin," Carla thoroughly explains. Spike groans and falls back on his bed. "Great. I never thought of that. How would I take him down?" "You're not. Our best champion at the moment is Sting. With him being a White Dragon Slayer filled with Holy Properties, he's the only person who can kill Ajax." "At the moment," Lucy said. "Perhaps we can recruit Wizards that practice Holy Magic," Lucy suggests the idea to her friends. "I'm sure the Master will decree that option and pay heftily to get the job done," Erza said. She likes Lucy's clever idea. "We have much to prepare for this fight. I don't want Ajax to blindside attack and kill me. I want to be ready to take Ajax down with my iron," Gajeel's right arm turns into an iron club. "What you want to do now, Spike?' Wendy asks. She's holding onto Spike's claw. "Heal," Spike replies. "I want to be myself, feeling great. Not dread because of Zaronos' invasion or the influence he had in my mind," Spike uses his index finger to point at his head. Spike groans. "That'll be a while." Irene walks into the infirmary with Master Makarov. Master Makarov heard the tale Irene spoke about Spike's overwhelmingly nightmare to the guild. "How are you doing, Fairy Dragon?" Makarov calmly asks. "Terrible, Master. I feel like shit after the nightmare encountered," Spike painfully and truthfully answers. He sighs heavily. "Spike. I have the magic to remove the emotions of the nightmare you sustained. I do have the authority to conjure the spell. Would you like me to uplift the emotions?" Irene asks motherly. "Yes," Spike nods. "I want to focus on getting better without fear of sleeping getting the better of me. I don't want to feel dread and sadness. I need motivation, not discouragement. So, lay the spell on me, mom!" Spike closes his eyes, waiting for the emotions to drift. Master Makarov nods, allowing Irene to conjure the spell on Spike. Irene places her right hand on Spike's head and extends her left hand. The exact sequence when Spike fixed her, allowing her to become human again. Distorted crimson, white, and black colors leave Spike's mind. It's the aura of Ajax's power within Spike. Master Makarov, Wendy, Gajeel, Lucy, Erza, Carla, and Fairy Rage are frightened to see Ajax's residual magic within Spike this entire time. "That crafty punk. Ajax was hoping to use his magic to torment Spike even further," Lucy said after seeing the distorted colors departing Spike's body. "This spell Irene is using is similar to ours." Fairy Rage said. "It is similar. Spike's different usage of magic inspired me to practice it myself after I joined Fairy Tail. I used Explosion Cataclysm on Acnologia when the Dragon Slayers and I fought his human self." "Which is true," Wendy vouches for Irene. "She and I used our support magic to amplify everyone's magic power." "I was amazed that she pulled it off, Fairy Rage," Gajeel said. "It was denser and more powerful." "Wow. So, Irene. Know any groups that specify Holy Properties?" "No," Irene shakes her head. "In the Alvarez Empire and my time in Ishgar, I have not encountered any other group that uses Holy Magic. I'm aware of the Holy Knights. Their location is unknown. From what I remember, they are the real Demon Slayers cause their sole purpose is to eradicate demons of any kind. They came to the Alvarez Empire and took out the legion. I thought it was Zeref's underground platoon. It wasn't his." "Master, what should we do?" Erza asks Master Makarov. Master Makarov takes a deep breath. "We have a seven-month gap before the Grand Magic Games commence. Until then, we'll continue our days as Wizards helping people and stopping bad guys. I trust everyone using their free time to train harder to overcome this demon. I hope Ajax doesn't align himself with a dark guild. That would be tragic." "Alright, Master. We'll do just that. Also, to live our lives and stop the apocalypse before it begins," Erza replies. "I'm going back to sleep," Spike yawns and hopes he gets a better dream. Irene walks and picks Spike up. "You're coming to our room, Spike. Family sticks together. Erza, be a dear and bring cake and tea." "Yes, mother," Erza complies and goes to the bar in the mess hall to order strawberry cake and tea. "I'm coming, Irene," Wendy said. "Good," Irene takes Spike and leaves the infirmary. Wendy follows her. "I'm going back to the apartment then." Fairy Rage said. "I'm coming with you," Carla said. Gajeel gets up. "I'm going to the Magic Council to see if they have files about the Holy Knights. Perhaps they have spells and rituals to contain Ajax if his magic far exceeds Holy Magic." "Very well, Gajeel. Take Lucy, Panther Lily, and Levy with you." "I will, Makarov," Gajeel turns to Lucy. "Let's go. Time's a-wasting." "Okay," Lucy follows Gajeel out the door. "We'll call Warren once we receive any crucial information the Holy Knights may have left out." "Thank you, Lucy," Master Makarov sees his children go. He'll make some calls to his other friends that can lend a hand.