//------------------------------// // Spike's Solo Mission // Story: Spike the Fairy // by PonyJoel //------------------------------// "Holy Knights. The name never came across any files when we were rounding up escapees and dark wizards for the Magic Council," Panther Lily said while walking with Lucy, Gajeel, and Levy. "I know. Also, from what I know, the Holy Knights fought and purified people from demonic possessions, curses, and sealed gates to Hell," Levy said. She's reading a history book of the Holy Knight's testimonies to pass the time since Gajeel no longer has motion relieve pills to take public transportation. "From what Grandpa Crux uncovered, the Holy Knights were famous and secretive. They came and left without a trace. With wizards forming guilds and using magic, there was no need for the Holy Knights unless it was urgent," Lucy informs. "Hopefully, we can find these Holy Knights or their former base of operations. Any other clues and evidence will help give us an advantage," Gajeel said. He's reading the map of Fiore. "No kidding. Right now, Sting is our best chance at defeating Ajax unless Spike and Rage learn Holy Magic," Lucy said, reminding the three about Ajax's weakness. "Maybe he should teach Spike about White Magic. Sting can give Spike the power to consume to overtake the demon once and for all," Levy tosses an idea to consider down the road. "That's something we gotta tell Spike and Fairy Rage if they draw blanks with their training," Gajeel said, now eating some iron. A few hours later into their travel, Gajeel, Panther Lily, Lucy, and Levy arrive in the town called ERA. They are not far from Magic Council Headquarters. Many people in ERA go out with their business, not batting an eye to Gajeel, Panther Lily, Lucy, and Levy. They meet up with Jura Neekis of the Four Emperors of Ishgar. "Jura, good to see you again," Panther Lily looks up to Jura, who is collecting herbs from the market. "Likewise, Panther Lily. Greetings, Lucy, Levy, and Gajeel. What brings you four here?" Jura smiles at them. He believes the three came to work for the Magic Council once more. As for Lucy, maybe gain hands-on training and experience. "We've come to search the files the Magic Council has regarding a group that combats demons," Levy answers. "Ah, the Holy Knights clan. After Makarov stopped by to inform us about Fairy Dragon's flagitious nightmare, Warrod and I searched and read many files that potentially mentioned the Holy Knights' name. Unfortunately, we were not able to uncover any evidence of their whereabouts. You may try to read our archives to detect vital information that went unnoticed." "We will do just that," Levy proclaims. She and Lucy are ready to identify any key anagrams, passcodes, and references the Holy Knights could have given to the Magic Council for urgency. "I wish you four luck with your inspection of our archives. Also, when you can, give Fairy Dragon my regard," Jura leaves Gajeel, Panther Lily, Lucy, and Levy's sight to continue shopping. "Alright, let's get going," Gajeel, Panther Lily, Lucy, and Levy resume their travel to the Magic Council Headquarters. Magnolia Spike is on his way to the Fairy Tail Guildhall after having a night of better sleep and dream. Irene's magic for uplifting his traumatic emotions yesterday allowed Spike to become himself before Zaronos possessed him. It's 1:30 in the afternoon. Spike enters the guildhall and sees his friends having a good day, eating, drinking, catching up on recent events, and preparing to get some work done. "There you are." Fairy Rage comes from behind. He slaps Spike's back. "How are you feeling, Maestro?" "I'm better today than when I woke up last night. My mom's magic did the trick. I no longer fear my dreams or sleep. However, I still have Zaronos in my mind. I'm looking forward to getting even with him. Why he should be more afraid of me." "That's the spirit." Fairy Rage laughs. "So, what do you have planned for today?" "I'm thinking of going on a job today, Rage." "Hey, Spike," Wendy approaches Spike and Rage. She's wearing her white dress with red ribbons, white thigh socks, and red boots. She also wears red bows on her pigtails. "How are you feeling today?" "I'm great, Wendy," Spike hugs Wendy. "Thanks for asking. How are you?" "I'm elated to see you well after that horrific experience," Wendy smiles. "Hey, Rage," Carla is in her Exceed form. She doesn't feel like transforming into her Humanoid Cat form today. "Hey, Carla. I'm guessing you're relaxing for the day?" Fairy Rage smiles. "More or less. So, what's on today's agenda?" Carla asks. "Spike is going, and there he goes." Fairy Rage stops talking and sees Spike going up to the job board. "Yo, Spike. I heard you went through bad mojo. How are you doing?" Romeo asks Spike. He wasn't present when Irene told the story to the guild yesterday. "I'm good, Romeo," Spike sees two jobs that link with each other and takes them. "Two jobs? I wonder why Spike has decided to do both." Wendy thought to herself. "What is he thinking of?" Fairy Rage thought to himself. Usually, it's taking one job request unless the job flier seems too easy. "Hey, Spike. What you got there?" Mirajane sees the two jobs Spike wants to apply for and notices that both requirements are two parts from the same client. However, Mirajane sees the intenseness written on Spike's face after reading the requirements thoroughly. "So, are you going with the Fairy Youth Squad?" She wants to be sure that Spike conquers the next part of his chapter with those he cherishes wholeheartedly. "Uh uh," Spike shakes his head. "I'm going on a solo mission." "WHAT?!" Everyone around Spike in the guildhall is stunned to hear Spike wants to go solo after having a traumatic experience. "Huh?!" Wendy is baffled by Spike's decision. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. You don't need any help from the Fairy Tail Youth Squad?" Romeo wants to be clear about Spike's decision. "Yes. I read the job descriptions and know what they are asking. Plus, it's something I've been meaning to take care of since joining the guild. Going on this solo mission," Spike stretches the truth, but his tone of voice sounds sincere. Master Makarov overhears Spike's explanation. "About time, Fairy Dragon! Good luck on your mission!" "I'll drink to that," Cana said. She drinks her barrel of alcohol as a toast. "Thanks, Master," Spike is about to go off when Natsu stops him. "I'm coming with you!" Natsu said. He knows a fight is coming on Spike's venture. "Not today, Natsu. I'm not flying and where I need to go is by train," Spike replies, causing Natsu to freeze due to his motion sickness that will kick in once he steps foot on any mode of transportation. "Still want to go, Wendy?" Carla asks her. She's suspicious that Wendy will follow Spike regardless of his motive to embark on the solo mission. "Well, uh," Wendy stutters a bit and remembers. "Yes. I still have my motion relief pills!" She takes them out of her pocket. Spike is about to pass her. He closes his eyes. "Sorry, Wendy. I prefer to go on this mission alone." Wendy is stunned by Spike's words. Hours ago, Spike woke up, wanting and needing to be in her arms. Now, he doesn't want her company? Suspicions arose with many possibilities with a side of jealousy for some reason. Fairy Rage grabs Spike's left shoulder and wants to be clear about his decision. "You sure you want to tackle those jobs alone?" "Yea," Spike nods. "It's on my bucket list. Plus, this is something I need to conquer. Please, don't follow me," Spike removes Rage's claw off his shoulder and walks down the street. "So, are we going to let him go?" Carla asks Wendy and Rage. "He made his decision. It's all on Spike until he returns." "If he returns," Gray interjects himself into the conversation. "I suspect Spike is hiding something from us. His primal instincts as Seventh Master of the Guild are amid his decision-making. I say we go on an espionage mission." "Now, I'm in!" Natsu excitedly shouts. "Spike out in the open means Ajax or that Preying Mantis Guild can get the jump on him." "Normally, I respect Spike's motives and choices, but something is amiss. My mother has uplifted his feelings, but not the memories of his hellish nightmare. I want to say the job request ties in with the Preying Mantis Guild or Ajax," Erza said. Also, her sisterly instincts are telling her to watch Spike from afar. "Rage, think we can hop on your back and observe from the high grounds?" Carla asks Rage, knowing he's keen on watching out for his brother. "Spike will sense our residual magic miles away. He will know about us spying on him. There is one spell I know that would hide us from plain sight, but I haven't tested it out." "Dude! Now will be the time!" Romeo overhears the conversation. He walks up to Fairy Rage. "When will you get another opportunity to use it for a test drive?" Romeo entices Rage with a convincing situation. "Another time. I'm not going to meddle with Spike's business." "Damn, you're impossible!" Natsu is upset that Rage won't budge. "Aye," Happy wants to tag along and agrees with Natsu for being stubborn. Carla transforms into her Humanoid Cat Form and whispers something explicit to Fairy Rage. He blushes, and his wings flap. "Whoa, what did you say, Carla?" Happy wants to know what convinced Fairy Rage to relent. "That's between Rage and I, Tomcat," Carla hides her blush and focuses on the task at hand. "So, what spell will you be using, Rage?" Erza asks him. She wonders if the spell is something Rage picked up in his studies. Fairy Rage goes to a concession stand where Max Alors is for the day. He's working on selling prized sellers instead of Nab, who read comic books. "Hello, Rage. What can I get you?" "Hey, Max. I need ten pairs of sunglasses." Fairy Rage places a bag full of Jewels and doesn't care about how much money is in the bag. "Here you go, ten pairs of Fairy Tail brand sunglasses. See you later," Max Alors start counting the money. Fairy Rage takes the box and walks back to his friends. "Before I proceed, is anyone here hungry, thirsty, tired? What are you feeling?" "I'm good. Eager to throw down in case the Preying Mantis Guild sneak up on Spike!" Natsu's palms ignite after he pounds them. "Fine," Gray replies. Gray removes his shirt in the process. "I'm good. I just ate," Romeo replies. "Why are you asking this? Are you prolonging on purpose?" Erza intensely glares at Fairy Rage. "No." Fairy Rage is immune to Erza's vicious look, while others become afraid and give Erza space. "The spell I'm about to perform was something Death taught me." "Death taught you magic?" Romeo is in shock like the others. "He did. Death taught me many spells that'll be useful down the road. Now, are you hungry, thirsty, tired-" "No!" Everyone around Fairy Rage replies in unison. They want to follow Spike. "Very well." Fairy Rage takes a deep breath and grabs a pair of sunglasses. "No Hay Sentidos!" Fairy Rage breaks the sunglasses, causing Wendy, Carla, Natsu, Gray, Romeo, Happy, Erza, and himself to turn invisible. They can see each other as see-through spirits. "Whoa! I'm a see-through invisible Exceed!" Happy flies to a person and goes through. "I'm a ghost!" "Awesome! Just imagine using magic!" Natsu gets excited. "Fire Dragon Iron-" "Wait!" Fairy Rage flies to grab Natsu's mouth. "Strange, I feel less powerful in this state," Erza said, flexing her magic power and trying to summon her sword. "Wait!" Fairy Rage tries to get everyone's attention. "I feel lost without my ice magic. And it's getting cold, even for me," Gray said. He tries to reach for his shirt when his hand phases through the shirt and the ground. "What the?" Gray is confused and attempts to pick up his shirt. He's unable to lift it. "Romeo! Where are you?" Macao comes outside, looking for his son. "Dad, I'm right here!" Romeo waves his arms in front of his father. It's like, Macao is blind to see his child directly in front of him. "What's the meaning of this, Rage?" Erza asks. "Why can't Macao see Romeo?" "Yea? What did you do?" Wendy asks. "Why did you stop me from using my magic?!" Natsu is fuming and feels he's getting weaker. Everyone else asks questions about the current situation; They have forgotten about Rage's ghostly spell. Fairy Rage rolls his eyes in annoyance. Carla understands the feeling of being surrounded by idiots at times. "Just to let you all know. Using magic will disband my spell. What I said to activate my magic was in Spanish. No hay sentidos. It means there are no senses. Therefore, we forfeit any senses we have and turn into a ghost. That includes magic which Spike will pick up. What we felt before using the spell is how we feel until I uplift my magic or it gets dispersed by someone else using magic. Now, we should get moving. Otherwise, we'll miss the train Spike will embark." Fairy Rage sees his friends rushing to the station except for Carla; Fairy Rage groans. He follows pursuit. "Damn it," Spike is at the Magnolia Train Station. He missed his train and will take a half hour for the local. "So much for the express," Spike sits down on a bench and waits. Natsu, Happy, Wendy, Carla, Erza, Gray, Romeo, and Fairy Rage arrive at the Magnolia Train Station. They see Spike sitting at a bench with other people taking photos with him. "Never gets old." Fairy Rage says as more people want Spike's attention. "It happens whenever Spike decides to ride the train rather than fly to places," Carla said. "Hey, Wendy and I won't get motion sickness, right?" Natsu frightfully asks. He and Wendy are petrified of riding the train. "No. When I used the spell, what you were feeling stayed as is. You won't feel the train's movement." Fairy Rage replies. Spike uses his fire breath to spawn a briefcase onto his lap. The people around ooohed, awed, and clapped at the sight of Spike's magic. Many people ask what's inside. Spike says it's his money. Spike can say it loudly, knowing that none of the people here are dumb enough to attempt to steal a dragon's profit while provoking Fairy Demon Dragon. Spike calmly asks for personal space, to which the people comply and return to their business. "Only twenty minutes until the local train arrives," Spike gets up to look at the map. Using his index finger, he navigates the direction of the train route to his destination. "This is going to be a long day. I'll write Wendy that the job may take more than the day to complete." "How often did Spike write to you, Wendy?" Romeo asks out of curiosity. "Daily during the year of training when we weren't together. I have a collection of his letters in my room," Wendy said. "If he's going to write a letter, how long is his train ride?" Happy asks. "From what I know, Spike's destination could be a seven-hour trip," Gray said after hearing the news about a new station opened near a new civilization formed eight years ago. Also, he saw how Spike dragged his finger at the new train station on the map. "Care to explain, Gray?" Erza asks. "A new station appeared on the map. I would have grabbed it, but it phased through my hand," Gray responds. He's frustrated that he can't grab anything at the moment. "The spell Rage used has its challenges." "Did you try harder?" Erza asks and hoping that Gray didn't make excuses. She has forgotten the flaws of Rage's spell. "Try it yourself," Gray challenges Erza. "I will!" Erza said with determination. She shoulder bumps Gray and tries reaching for the new map. Like Gray's hand, she phases through the paper. "Well, I see how infuriating this could be." "We're perpetual spirits in the realm we're walking until someone uses magic or I disband the spell. We can feel, see, hear, taste, smell, and sense each other. As for the others that are not like us, we're invisible to them. When I was with Death, it was exactly like this feeling. The only difference is that we're using my spell to be in this realm, and we can't see Death." "So, can your spell allow us to see Death himself?" Romeo asks and is quaint about seeing what Death appears to look be. "It can, but that elevation is way too risky to use. Plus, I haven't tested it, nor do I want to. I rather not discuss this any further for someone stupid enough to attempt using this spell." Fairy Rage is referring to Natsu. "That's fair," Romeo, Erza, and Gray said. They see Natsu and Happy trying to haunt people and failing miserably. "This is going to be a looooong day." Fairy Rage is not thrilled with Natsu or Happy's stupidity for attempting to cause a haunting in the train station. Magic Council HQ Gajeel, Panther Lily, Levy, and Lucy arrive at the Magic Council Headquarters after grabbing snacks. They have a long day to analyze every file, catalog, and archive to track down any cruciating info about the Holy Knights. Gajeel takes the lead going straight to the Magic Council's library. They see Draculos Hyberion reading scrolls. "Whoa.., it's, it's..," Lucy is petrified to see Draculos Hyberion a second time. The first was from the commentating booth with Mato during the Crocus Cook-Off many months ago. "Wow..," Levy is astounded and feels unworthy to be in the presence of the First God of Ishgar. He was second, but due to God Serena's betrayal, departure, and demise, the title goes to Draculos Hyberion. "Yo," Gajeel remembers his talks with Draculos Hyberion during his days with the Rune Knights. He's calm. "Greetings, Hyberion," Panther Lily says with the utmost respect to Draculos Hyberion since his days working for the Magic Council. "Likewise, Iron Dragon and Lily," Draculos Hyberion turns to Levy and Lucy. "No need for worry. I don't suck people's blood for power. That's a common misconception from the rumors spewed before the Magic Council blew," Draculos Hyberion sees Lucy relaxing while Levy still feels unworthy. "Anyway, what brings you lot here?" "We're here to unravel any information regarding the Holy Knights," Gajeel explains. "Makarov has informed us about Fairy Dragon's grotesque nightmare. The warning issued of a possible future. We have sent out private investigations to scour Fiore and other regions for possible sightings or evidence of the Holy Knights' whereabouts and the Preying Mantis Guild's progress. You may commence your discovery here in the library," Draculos Hyberion puts the scroll down. "I wish you luck in your attempt to uncover the mysteries of the Holy Knights. Hopefully, the answers we seek with make an appearance." "Thank you, Draculos," Gajeel offers to shake Draculos Hyberion's hand. "You're welcome," Draculos Hyberion shakes Gajeel's hand and leaves. Within the Magic Council Library. There are bookshelves from the floor to the ceiling; a lacrima monitor for archived information, diaries, and case reports; scrolls on the walls, chest, and cabinets. "This is going to be a loooong boring day," Gajeel said, knowing that he'll be reading lots of junk. "Quit complaining and start reading," Levy tosses a book detailing a case report dating twenty years ago to Gajeel. Gajeel catches the book. "Whatever," He opens the book and starts reading. Lucy and Levy use their Gale Reading Glasses to skim through the books while Panther Lily reads the scrolls dating a century ago. Magnolia Twenty minutes were slow for Spike. The local train arrives at the Magnolia Train Station. Natsu, Happy, Wendy, Carla, Erza, Gray, Romeo, and Fairy Rage watch Spike board with his ticket in claw. Fairy Rage informs his friends that they'll be fine riding the train since he's the beacon of the spell's activation. Wherever he goes, there will be solid ground to stand and sit on. They board the train and spot an empty seating booth across from Spike, who sits alone. "So, just to clarify, Spike can't hear us?" Natsu asks Fairy Rage. "Spike can't see, hear, touch, smell, taste, or sense us as perpetual spirits. We're completely invisible to any eye, regardless of what awareness is concerned. You can sit next to him and make faces all you want. Spike won't acknowledge 'cause there's nothing for him to see." Natsu, Gray, Happy, Erza, and Romeo sit together. Across from them, Wendy, Rage, and Carla sit with Spike. Wendy is sitting next to Spike. "Spike, why venture alone after that horrific nightmare? What's going on with you? Why are you seeking vengeance so soon?" Wendy is jumping to conclusions rather than waiting to see why Spike has decided to go on two jobs. "Can you peep into Spike's mind and uncover what he's doing? Spike is not talking to himself on the trip. Just gazing out the window," Carla asks Rage. "If I do that, we get exposed. Spike will be pissed and more likely to teleport us away. We must wait and see why he chose to go alone in a while longer." The train departs from the Magnolia Train Station. Natsu and Wendy are relieved that they won't succumb to their motion sickness. Now, they can focus on hearing about Spike's jobs and why he has decided to go solo. The real reason and not some cheap boatload crap. An hour into the train ride, Spike decides to talk to himself. Erza shushes everyone since they can't ask Spike to repeat what he says. "I hope they forgive me for bringing calamity upon their kin," Spike looks down sadly. "Spike, who's they? Why are you sad?" Wendy attempts to put an arm around Spike, but her arm goes through his neck. "Spike! Don't be sad! Please!" Wendy sees a few tears drop from his face. "He can't hear you, Wendy. You have to be strong for Spike." "It's not fair! I want to help and comfort him! How could you cope with..," Wendy now understands the frustrations written on Fairy Rage's face. She sighs. "Sorry, Rage. I, I didn't mean to-" "It's alright. What you're going through is how I went in my early stages. In times like these, being there for someone is more effective than just saying the right things. There'll be a time for chatter." "It's strange. Like, all of a sudden, I feel that Wendy is with me," Spike looks into his reflection and sees his Fairy Tail Emblem. "She's always with me," Spike contemplates a bit. "Perhaps I should summon her with my breath..?" Spike ponders a bit while rethinking his decision for the solo mission. "Now that's a problem. If Spike tries to use his magic to transport you to him, it won't work. My spell intervenes in Spike's ability to teleport any of you to him. He'll think something has gone wrong and become worried." "Which could put Spike in a state of panic. He freaked out when he couldn't teleport Erza, Natsu, and Mirajane before Tartaros came to Magnolia," Wendy remembers the frustrations when he thought his magic failed him. "He would think the guild got attacked or worse..," Carla becomes fearful of Spike's motives if he discovers that his magic cannot bring Wendy to her. "No," Spike shakes his head. "Then, my solo mission would not be completed, checked off of my bucket list. Plus, this is one chapter I need to bury before moving on. To put an end and give some clarity to those that suffered tremendously." "Which is?" Wendy couldn't help but question Spike about the client and his job request. Spike sighs heavily. "Will they forgive me?" "WHO'S THEY?" Everyone except Fairy Rage, Carla, and Wendy shouts eagerly. They are tired of the vague monolog Spike spoke and want answers about the client. "He can't hear you. Idiots." Fairy Rage said. He's unamused by how quickly the others have forgotten about being invisible to Spike. "This is taking forever!" Natsu starts whining. "I'm so boooored!" "Be glad you can sit on a train and not get motion sickness. Right now, Spike is speaking vaguely, and we're only getting bits of the story and not the whole thing just yet. Right now, we need to be patient. So, sit down and shut up." "Seriously, aren't you a bit impatient or dying to know what Spike is planning?" Gray asks Fairy Rage. He wants to hear how he's coping with receiving vague answers. "No. The answers will come in due time. Until then, I'm watching Spike until he decides to teleport Wendy to him. I need to make my best accurate decision to make it not look suspicious or abnormal." "Fine," Gray looks the other way. Someone stops by and sits in an empty booth across from Spike. He's a chunky fellow and winds up taking Natsu's seat. "Hey! Get off of me!" Natsu shouts. His head pops through the man's belly. He gets up, and his body phases through the chunky man. "What's the big deal? Can't you see where you're sitting?!" Natsu becomes furious due to the man's perception. "We're invisible, Natsu. He can't feel us, and we can't feel him. Suck it up." "Let me know when Spike starts blabbing to himself," Natsu walks away from the seating booth. Happy follows pursuit. Erza watches Spike's body language and knows he hates being alone. "Why couldn't you explain the job's details before embarking on them? Why go alone knowing you'll be lonely?" Erza thought to herself. "Spike?" Spike looks up to see Kagura riding on the train. She smiles at him and decides to sit with him. She winds up sitting on top of Wendy. "Hey!" Wendy didn't like the idea that Kagura taking her seat and blocking her view. "Let it go, Wendy." Fairy Rage calmly says, knowing that Wendy is upset. "Fine," Wendy complies. She gets up and stands still. "Hey, Sis. Fancy meeting you here, huh?" Spike chuckles a little. Then he becomes sad. "What's wrong with you, Spike? Why are you sad?" Kagura asks Spike. She sees the sadness written in his eyes. "It's the job I'm going on. As you see, I'm on a solo mission. It's a two-parter, and I already know the outcome. I'm going to see pain and strife." "Pain and strife? Please explain," Kagura puts her right arm around Spike's neck. She's worried about Spike and feels the need to follow him on his journey. "There's one more piece of the chapter I haven't closed. One that I need to seek to finish. Remnants of Midnight Sparkle." "WHAT?!" Kagura, Erza, Wendy, Carla, Fairy Rage, Gray, and Romeo shout. They are stunned to hear the mention of Midnight Sparkle's name. "Oh boy. Now I know why Spike wanted to go alone on this journey." "Are the Exceeds the client that wagered two job requests?" Romeo asks Fairy Rage. He remembers tales of Midnight Sparkle drinking the blood of the Exceeds. "There's no doubt about it. I recall how Midnight Sparkle killed Exceeds, drank their blood, and absorbed their internal magic," Erza said. She now knows the gravity of Spike's sadness. Something he didn't want his friends involved in after running away from Equestria years ago. "That's brutal. A final face-off to release the burden of Spike's actions," Gray said. "I don't understand. Why carry this burden alone?" Wendy is confused about Spike's motivation. "The job requirements must be a search and rescue for the Exceeds. Tartaros are the ones that enslaved and tortured many Exceeds as food substances for Midnight Sparkle. The weight of that thought must have been too much for Spike to ignore," Carla can only imagine the heartache of her kin and her friend. "So, that's why Spike wanted to go alone," Natsu returns with Happy after hearing the commotion. "Poor guy. Just when he thought about getting rid of that demon, she made a way to break him down mentally," Happy looks at Spike. He frowns a bit, understanding his pain. "A closure to put an end to Spike's troubled past. We should get off at the next stop and return to the guildhall. Anyone agrees?" No one is objecting to turning tail. Everyone wants to see how things play out for Spike now that they're aware of his circumstance Fairy Rage sighs. It's like he's invisible with Death all over again. "What does Midnight Sparkle has anything to do with the job requirement, Spike? Last year, you put an end to her tyranny. I saw you obliterate her with the Crystal Guardian Dragon form. What did she do that is causing you to go on this job alone?" Kagura wants answers. She thought for sure Spike was over Midnight Sparkle for good. "My first job is to meet with the Queen of New Extalia at their new citadel. There's a map on the back of the flier. She will go over in full detail the missing Exceeds. Then, I'll more likely get a list of names and photos of the Exceeds possibly killed by Midnight Sparkle. From there, I'll fly to the Magic Council and ask to see the archives that Tartaros has in possession. I feel intense that the Exceeds will want justice for a heinous and cruel deed Midnight Sparkle had unleashed. I didn't want to involve my friends in this job request because I didn't want them to feel my pain after witnessing the dreadful look when I woke up from my hellish nightmare last night. Between you and me, Kagura," Spike sighs deeply. "I feel guilty that Midnight Sparkle killed Erza during the war with Tartaros. I feel responsible for creating a demon due to my desire for happiness." "Sp-Sp-Spike..," Erza had no idea how deeply Spike felt about his guilt over her assassination. "It wasn't your fault. You shouldn't feel bad about-" Erza lowers her head after knowing Spike's dark secret. "That wasn't your fault, Spike," Kagura reassuringly says. "Midnight Sparkle ambushed you guys when there wasn't much magic power in any of you. It's a textbook tactic to strike when they see an opening." "That's because I was weak. Acnologia came, and I fought him instead of standing by with Erza. Because of me, she suffered from nightmares and PTSD whenever her left arm trembled. What am I supposed to feel? Pretend that everything is okay and shrug it off?" Erza feels dread and awful that Spike continues to blame himself for her demise at the hands of Midnight Sparkle. Now, she wishes to allow Spike to be on his journey alone instead of spying on him. The others are a bit creeped out for listening to Spike's vent without his consent. "You can't allow the past to disrupt your future, Spike. I know you're on a solo mission, but I'm coming. I'm not taking nos from you. You are still technically by yourself on a mission as a member of Fairy Tail," Kagura insists. Spike sighs in defeat. "Very well. I can use the company anyway. I wonder how my friends will feel when I tell them about what has happened." "I'm sure they'll understand why you sought to go alone on this venture," Kagura said. "I'm sure they'll accept the reasoning behind your decision." Spike smiles. "Thanks, Sis. I don't know what I'll do without you." "Happy to help, Spike. So, how long until we get to our destination?" "Another three hours since this is the local train," Spike replies. "Very well. Until then, I want to know about the hellish nightmare. I want to help you any way I can." "My nightmare is disturbing. It may be uncomfortable to discuss why." "I'm all ears, Spike," Kagura calmly replies and mentally prepares herself for the outcome of Spike's explanation. Spike goes in-depth about his nightmare and all he witnessed. The burning scent of fire and magma, the odors of smoke, coal, volcano, and blood, seeing bodies in pools of blood, flesh dangling, and skeletons. Spike reveals the travels he embarked on, seeing no signs of life, hearing the immense whistling of scorching winds that would make anyone choke, gag, and suffocate. The mountain pile of bodies with all he knows and loves in the middle of the coliseum in Crocus. Holding his deceased girlfriend and weeping, Spike mentions the Demon Ajax but confirms his real name Zaronos. The way Spike narrated his nightmare took two hours of travel time. Kagura remains silent after hearing the whole explanation. Never in her life had she heard of a surrealistic nightmare from anyone, knowing within Spike's dreams that she and her friends died in the most gruesome way unimaginable. For everyone else on the train, as ghosts, it's a brutal reminder of what transpired in Spike's vision. "That dream of yours, Spike, that won't happen. You had something similar to Midnight Sparkle and conquered your demon. I know that you'll conquer Zaronos and all of his trickery. If it helps, Mermaid Heel has you back, Spike." Spike smiles. "Thanks, Kagura." "Anytime," Kagura smiles. She knew Spike needed the extra comfort on his travel. Magic Council HQ "Geez, this is taking forever," Gajeel tosses his sixtieth book aside on the mountain pile of books. "Nothing about the Holy Knights in any of these scrolls," Panther Lily places his seventieth scroll in the cabinets. "I can use a break about now." "I agree," Lucy said. "Book after book and not one trace of the Holy Knights mentioning. Not even anagrams can resolve this dilemma." "I concur with Lucy. Even with my best knowledge of finding cryptic messages and meanings, there is no evidence of the Holy Knights in the Magic Council's archives," Levy groans tiredly. "I think we may have to return to the guildhall empty-handed." "What do you think, Gajeel?" Panther Lily turns to him. "We've done all we can. Perhaps the other guilds may have better luck than us," Gajeel stretches after sitting down for five hours to read all sorts of books. He takes out a calling card Makarov has given him. "Makarov, bad news. After searching and reading the archives the Magic Council has in possession, no traces of the Holy Knights are here. We're heading home." Master Makarov is in the guildhall having a chug of beer. He hears Gajeel's report. "Very well. I'll inform the other guilds to help locate the Holy Knights' information. Perhaps they will have better luck than us." "Took the words out of my mouth, Makarov. See you later today," Gajeel hangs up the calling card. "So, what will we do next?" Lucy asks Gajeel. "Keep searching for evidence elsewhere. We're not making any progress here. Let's go." Gajeel, Panther Lily, Levy, and Lucy leave and thank Draculos Hyberion for allowing them to conduct their investigation. With a painful sigh, they leave the Magic Council Headquarters empty-handed. The train arrives at its destination after a seven-hour trip. Spike gets up and flexes his muscles and body after sitting for so long. Kagura follows Spike out of the train. Fairy Rage, Carla, Wendy, Natsu, Happy, Gray, Romeo, and Erza follow the two. The new town that now takes residence is known as Astereae. Astereae is a small rural town with some businesses, markets, trade, and livestock. The population of Astereae is a thousand, with polite, generous folks all around. There are trees as the eye can see, and many Exceeds interacting with people, having a good time, and doing some work. Spike takes out the flier and reads where the trail starts. Three tall oak trees align themselves to form an isosceles triangle using the leaves as shading. "Oh, that'll be interesting to scour since we're near a forest, and it's nighttime." "Anything else after finding those trees, Spike?" Kagura asks. She looks around and feels the uncanny sensation of being watched. "Yes. The tip of the isosceles triangle directs where we need to walk. The flier mentions that two Exceeds will be waiting for our arrival." "Let's get moving," Kagura grips her Archenemy Sword. She knows someone is spying on her and Spike. Spike and Kagura start walking toward the forest. "Why does Kagura look perturbed, Rage?" Romeo asks Fairy Rage. "It could be my spell that allows certain people to feel differently. As I stated earlier, this is my first attempt at using what Death taught me. I don't know all the kinks and layouts. There's much more I need to detail going forward." Fairy Rage replies. "I would feel uneasy if someone were to follow me this discreetly," Wendy admits. "Well, that's what we did after coming for you with your first job at the theatre," Carla reminds Wendy. "Well, more like check on you," Natsu said. "Actually, I wanted to tag along since I fell asleep. What about you, Rage?" "Dude, I wasn't even born. Plus, Spike stood home to hone his skills. I existed after the Tenrou Island trip." "Oh, right," Natsu forgot about Spike staying put when Wendy went on her first big job. Fairy Rage, Carla, Wendy, Erza, Natsu, Happy, Gray, and Romeo follows Spike and Kagura into the forest. On the way there, Happy sees several posters on the bark of many trees, asking if someone has seen this Exceed last seen over a year ago. Spike sees the pictures and starts imagining their screams and cries while Tartaros or Midnight Sparkle slay them. Spike touches one flier, which consists of a pink Exceed with a flower on her head as a missing Exceed. It punctures his heart with loads of remorse. "This is disturbing," Natsu said, looking at the posters around them. "Horrific," Gray said. He feels a lot of pressure from looking at the images of missing Exceeds. "Breathtaking," Romeo concurs with his friends while looking into the faces of many Exceeds, possibly dead due to Tartaros. "Rage, disperse your magic, now!" Erza commands. She had enough of watching Spike suffer the way he is by closing his final chapter. "I rather not, Erza. Spike will be too emotional as he is right now. I would refrain from exposing us all as well." Kagura placed her right hand on Spike's left shoulder after he kneeled in a moment of silence. "You want to see this through by yourself?" "I thought I was ready to embark on this task by myself. To check off the solo mission. I guessed I picked the wrong one, huh?" Spike turns to Kagura. Kagura nods. "This chapter of your life should not be handled all alone. Even though I am here for you, I would advise bringing your friends. Let them know what's happening and why you sought to do this yourself." Spike laughs a bit. "Wow, I feel like a dumbass for attempting to close this demonic chapter myself rather than having my friends and family help me through. My decision-making clashed with my instincts as a former Guild Master of Fairy Tail. Oh, I feel like a peabrain," Spike feels pathetic in his attempt. "No. Spike, everybody makes mistakes at times when good or bad judgment gets the better of us. No one is perfect. You're going through a learning curve. Also, how old are you? You always mentioned that you were the age of adult ponies in Dragon years," Kagura asks. "Oh, that. I'm Wendy's age. I'm 14 years old in Dragon years." "WHOOOA! I didn't know he was fourteen years old! When is his birthday?" Happy asks Fairy Rage. "February 10th." "Why haven't we celebrated his birthday in the guildhall?" Romeo asks. "I can answer that. Spike's former friends skipped his birthday unintentionally for three years straight during his time in Ponyville, so naturally, he had forgotten about celebrating the day of his birth. It became a norm for Spike, which is why he didn't mention it in the guild." "His birthday is a month away!" Wendy gets an idea about a special gift to give to Spike. Her smile grows wide with it running through her mind. "I guess after telling the truth, we'll secretly prepare for a surprise birthday party," Erza said. "I like the sound of that!" Natsu shouts in excitement. "A birthday brawl to keep the energy going," Natsu pictures giving Spike a birthday punch from all the other times he sucker-punched him to start a pointless brawl. "Sounds like a party already," Gray said. He can't wait to have another pointless brawl, especially at a birthday party. "Hey, how about we have the Rainbow Cherry Blossom Party moved to Spike's birthday? Would Master Makarov approve it?" Romeo asks Erza out of curiosity. "That's a brilliant idea, Romeo. I'll have a thorough conversation with Makarov once we're home," Erza loves the idea very much. Also, it's been forever since Fairy Tail had a Rainbow Cherry Blossom Party. "Alright. I'll use my fire breath to summon my friends here," Spike takes a deep breath. "Natsu, use a Fire Dragon Iron Fist on me. Making it look like we were fighting at the guildhall in a pointless brawl!" Fairy Dragon urges, hoping his timing links with Spike's fire breath. "You got it!" Flames engulf Natsu's body. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" Natsu lunges at Fairy Rage as Spike uses his fire breath to teleport his friends to him. Fairy Rage's spell wears off after Spike uses his fire breath to teleport his friends to be beside him. Spike sees Natsu punching Fairy Rage hard with his Fire Dragon Iron Fist; Fairy Rage gets flung into a tree. It collapses on top of him. Spike sees Erza, Gray, Wendy, Carla, Romeo, and Happy looking confused. Spike takes a deep breath and explains his current situation and why he wanted to go alone, which was foolish of him to embark on in the first place. "Well, we're glad to assist you on this final chapter of your life, Spike. Before you finish another demonic chapter in your book," Happy said. "You should have told us in the first place, silly," Wendy said. She sounds sincere even though she already knew from the start. "Thanks for helping Spike throughout some travel, Kagura," Erza pulls Kagura into a hug. "Don't mention it," Kagura tries to get out of Erza's grasp. Fairy Rage comes back and regroups with his friends. "So, that's why you decided to go alone. Here I thought the job would be a simple one." Fairy Rage said, pretending to be oblivious to Spike's reasoning. Then he walks up to Spike. "Bro, we need to talk. Alone." Fairy Rage drags Spike away to have a thorough conversation. Spike is confused, but since Rage is no longer in him, something must be amiss, and Spike wants to find out. "Silencing Circle!" Fairy Rage places his claw on Spike's forehead and casts a circle with sparkling orange shimmers around, creating a barricade so no one may puncture his spell. "What do you have to tell me, Rage?" "Spike, I have to confess. We've been spying on you. I cast a spell Death taught me that allowed Erza, Carla, Wendy, Natsu, Romeo, Gray, Happy, and me to be incognito. We heard and saw what you endured during the train ride, and Erza knows your dark secret about feeling guilty over her demise even though I resurrected her." "You WHAT?!" Spike shouts and groans angrily. "There were things I wanted to keep hidden. Other things that I didn't want anyone to hear. You've kept many secrets from our friends, so what else have you spewed?" "Not much." Fairy Rage lies to Spike. He wants to keep the surprise birthday party hidden from him. "I understand your frustrations. I tried to back away, but I couldn't cause of three things. One, using magic will expose us right in front of you on the train. Two, I was worried you might have had an emotional breakdown when you spoke with Kagura. Three, I was concerned about your magic to summon Wendy to your side. My spell intervenes with your fire breath to summon people to you. It would have given you anxiety or worse." Spike looks at the night sky and sits down from the information given to him. "So, will that be a norm whenever I go on solo missions in the future?" "No. I won't be doing this to you again. Though, I need to be clear about keeping my promises. After all, you broke yours." "I knew you wouldn't let me hear the end of it!" Spike frustratedly shouts in annoyance. "Well, I won't go astray." "Is that a promise you want to keep?" "I won't be like Spike Knightwalker and be a sadistic dragon bent on killing the masses. That's not me," Spike inhales deeply. "Let's go and meet with the Queen of New Extalia." "As you wish." Fairy Rage deactivates his silencing circle. He and Spike return to the others. "So, where to, Spike?" Wendy asks as she sees him and Rage coming from their private conversation. "To follow-" Spike gets interrupted by an Exceed known as Nadi. He's a tall black Exceed that does a lot of fist-pumping. "There you are!" Nadi swoops in to confront Spike and his friends. "We've been waiting anxiously for your arrival. Queen Shagotte and New Extalia are not far from here. Please follow me, and we'll explain the missing Exceeds that need to be searched and rescued." "Isn't it all these posters tagged on the trees?" Natsu asks Nadi. "What posters?" Nadi says. He sees no posters marked on any of the trees in the forest. "Are you blind? These post-" Romeo turns to point at the pink Exceed with the flower on her head. The poster he and everyone else saw had vanished. "What the..?" Romeo freaks out at the sudden disappearance. "Hey, wait a minute!" Happy notices the fliers have gone in an instant. "Weren't their hundreds of posters detailing the missing Exceeds?" Carla asks Nadi and her friends. "Is my mind playing tricks, or did we see those missing Exceeds in full detail just now?" Gray is confused at the moment. He knows what he saw. He saw the 'Have you seen this Exceed?' title on each of the posters. "Who's out there?!" Kagura and Erza shout loudly, knowing that someone is casting an illusion. "Show yourself right now!" Natsu demands. He's ready to throw down. A shadowed figure claws Spike's face swiftly, causing him to fall over. The size of the shadow is small but has angelic wings. It catches everyone by surprise when more appear and claw Gray, Fairy Rage., Romeo, and Wendy on their face. Natsu tries to punch it, but it grabs his face and drains his magic essence. "What are these things?!" Gray pries the shadowed creature off of Natsu's face and freezes it. "Ow," Wendy feels the claw mark on her right cheek. The cut is deep, and she's bleeding. "Its' dead!" Natsu's right hand ignites in lightning flames when he notices the creature inside the ice. "A hellhound with wings?" Carla sees a black hellhound encased in ice. His eyes are red. "What's the meaning of this?!" Spike gets up and approaches Nadi. His claw phases through his body. "What the hell?" Spike is confused. The other gasps when Nadi hovers while his body twitches. "Hell is right!" It's all Nadi said. Then a burst of yellowish-black magic gusts pushes everyone back a little until Wendy starts consuming the winds. "Huh?" His teeth become razor-sharp. Wendy taps into her Dragon Force to dispel the usage of Nadi's winds. "Who are you?!" Wendy demands to know who is controlling Nadi's body. She knows the Exceeds can't push anyone away with their magic power. Nadi's body stretches elastically. Red and black pattern scales appear on his body; his arms and legs readjust themselves into an enormous limbless body, standing fourteen feet tall. The head reverts into a triangular copperhead. The eyes are red with black pupils. The forehead of the copperhead reveals a white Preying Mantis Emblem dead center. The forked tongue of the snake is yellowish-black. "I knew this job was an ambush waiting to happen!" Erza shouts. Her sisterly instincts were on point. "Prepare yourself for a merciless beating!" "I'm fired up now! I knew you punks were waiting to ambush Spike!" Natsu taps into his Lightning Dragon Mode. "I would refrain from attacking me based on your feelings. You wouldn't want to bring calamity on certain creatures," The snake smiles wickedly. "There's more of us than you here! You have nothing on us!" Romeo boldly claims, reminding the snake's unfortunate circumstance at the moment. "Yea! You're going down!" Happy proclaims. "I say we ice this loser!" Gray taps into his Ice Demon form. "I would be careful if I were you," The snake starts laughing when many eyes start glowing around them. Too many to count. Spike, Rage, Wendy, Carla, Erza, Kagura, Romeo, Gray, Happy, and Natsu see many eyes glowing red in the dark forest. They feel disturbed by its presence. "By the way, the name is Cabal. I'm here to ruin you!" Cabal laughs maniacally. "Attack!" Cabal commands the creatures in darkness to attack the wizards. Spike and Fairy Rage sense something odd about the hellhounds. They decide to dodge their attacks rather than fight them off. "Have a taste of my Rainbow Flame!" Romeo conjures his Rainbow Flames with his right hand and unleashes his fury on the hellhounds flying toward him. They screech in torment. "Ice Demon Raaaaaaaage!" Gray unleashes his demonic ice breath on the hellhounds. He freezes them, allowing Erza to shatter them with her swords so they won't get controlled by Cabal. Erza intercepts a wave of hellhounds and requips into her Flame Empress Armor. She strikes the hellhounds at ease while Kagura jumps into the fray, annihilating another swarm coming from the backside of Erza. The two nod and continue their onslaught on the hellhounds coming from every corner. "Sky Dragon Wave Wind!" Wendy swings her hand and generates a large and powerful tornado. It collides with the hellhounds and flings them into several trees. The trees collapse on top of them, pinning them to the ground, rendering them help and hopeless. "Lightning Flame Dragon Brilliant Flame!" Natsu engulfs his left hand in lightning and his right hand in flames. Then he combines both elements to generate a large, destructive, sparking blast to incinerate the hellhounds. "Lightning Flame Dragon Roooooooooar!" Natsu unleashes his lightning flame breath attack on the hellhounds, instantly killing them right on the spot. His usage of magic power is overkill, wanting to take down any schemes the Preying Mantis Guild is devising to bring calamity to the world. Cabal slithers into action, going after Spike and Fairy Rage. Spike and Fairy Rage take flight to separate themselves from Cabal's presence. It didn't matter due to Cabal's magic. Cabal activates magic circles to slither upward to attack Fairy Rage and Spike. Wendy and Carla spring into action by kicking Cabal's forehead from the skies. Wendy's kick allowed gusts of wind to push Cabal down hard. The impact of his landing created a crater. "Wow, I actually felt pain for the first time in a long time," Cabal looks up and sees Wendy and Carla lowering to the ground. He sees that his hellhounds are vanquishing in battle. They are not putting up much of a fight. Erza, Gray, Natsu, Happy, Romeo, and Kagura rejoins Wendy and Carla. Spike and Fairy Rage feel uneasy due to how easy it was to take down the hellhounds. All the hellhounds did was fly toward their friends, not unleashing any other attack except for the clawing. Something is awry, and there's more to Cabal's planning than they realize. "It ends here, Cabal!" Erza points her flame sword at Cabal's forehead, ready to pierce him. Cabal smiles. "Are you sure? It seems that I have won this battle." "What are you talking about; We've just defeated your army of hellhounds!" Gray retorts. He's confused as to why Cabal made a bold statement about winning the battle when he clearly lost it. Cabal laughs wickedly. "Poor simpleton. If only you paid attention to the Dragons' motives for not attacking these fine creatures." "Can we fry him, Natsu? He's just spitting nonsense!" Romeo urges Natsu to set Cabal on fire. "In a second, we will," Natsu starts sniffing and finds a familiar scent. "Recognized a scent, Dragon Slayer?" Cabal smirks at Natsu since his demeanor change. Natsu's jaw drops after sniffing the scent. "Guys, we've committed a heinous atrocity..," Natsu sees black particle bubbles ascending into the skies. Cabal sneers. "Seems to me you figured out why the other Dragons didn't partake in the onslaught." Wendy starts sniffing and gasps horridly. Erza, Carla, Romeo, Happy, Gray, and Kagura see Wendy tearing up. "You.., you..," Wendy becomes irate. "YOU MONSTER!" Wendy points at Cabal. "HOW DARE YOU DECEIVE US!" Wendy grits her teeth angrily and pants heavily, knowing what she committed. "I'm in a dark guild. It's what we do. Plus, why call me a monster when your friends dished out the attack?" Cabal laughs sinisterly. "What did you do?! Tell us!" Erza demands. She's ready to end Cabal's life for making Wendy cry. "See for yourself," Cabal relinquishes his spell on the hellhounds. The hellhounds transform into their original embodiment. The hellhounds are Exceeds in disguised. Many of them have broken bones sticking out of their bodies. Some are fried, which only leaves their skeletons. Some are decapitated, scattered on the grounds from the ice encasement. The rest are smushed and squished from the trees that landed on them. "HOLY CRAP!" Gray freaks out at the number of Exceeds that lay lifeless on the ground. "NO!" Romeo can't believe what he's seeing. He can't believe he murdered many Exceeds under a submission spell. "AAAAAAAAH!" Happy is petrified to see so many of his kin laid to waste. Carla falls to her knees and picks up an Exceed. A green Exceed with a sunhat on her head. She tries to read her pulse. There is no pulse which brings Carla into tears. She can't believe what she committed. Kagura is silent though she feels remorseful about her actions. She should have known that manipulating matter was in the midst of the situation. Spike and Fairy Rage knew of this outcome but weren't sure due to the energy reading. Fairy Rage still has trouble sensing manipulating matter since having a body of his own. "I'll take my leave, wizards of Fairy Tail," Cabal laughs and uses his magic to disappear into the night. After a moment, the sun rises, revealing a new day. Fairy Rage descends and approaches Carla. "Carla?" Fairy Rage puts his claw on her shoulder. He's worried about Carla's state of mind. "I want to go home..," Carla is broken. She can't believe she was part of the Preying Mantis Guild's scheme of creating a rift. She inadvertently helped them slay her kin. Spike is still hovering in the air. More guilt falls upon him for going on his solo mission alone. Despite his friends and lover following him, he should have explained the situation so they could have avoided this trauma. Spike knows over a hundred of them are dead due to the many Cabal had in possession. This whole ruse was supposed to damage Spike mentally. Instead, his friends got the receiving end of Preying Mantis Guild's ploy. Spike is about to lower down when he sees smoke in the distance, not far. He flies towards the smoke, which raises suspicion from the others. Fairy Rage has granted Carla's wish and uses his fire breath to teleport Carla and himself to her room in the Fairy Hills lodge. "Where is he going?" Wendy sees Spike flying north. "Let's find out!" Natsu follows Spike's scent. Erza, Wendy, Gray, Romeo, Happy, and Kagura follow in hot pursuit. Spike flaps his wings faster to prevent Cabal from possibly seizing any more creatures creating the smoke. He hopes to save a few lives from the assault of the Preying Mantis guild. He arrives to see New Extalia decimated. Exceed Guards lay lifeless from the bite marks of fangs on their necks. Some guards no longer have fluids in their bodies which is more disturbing. "Hello!" Spike shouts, hoping to hear a reply. "HELLO!?!" Spike yells, eager to know if someone has started the fire and has gone into hiding until the time is right. "ANYONE HERE!?" Spike looks around and sees many huts in flames. Natsu and Wendy arrive after following Spike's scent. They see the devastation of New Extailia. Huts are on fire, the Exceed Guards are on the ground, and blood is spattered everywhere. It's like a slaughterhouse. The rest arrive to see New Extalia obliterated. Spike is speechless. What he saw is similar to the nightmare he endured and suffered. Wendy walks up to him. "Spike?" She places her hand on Spike's shoulder. The sound of rustling gets everyone's attention. A door of a burning hut falls over, revealing Queen Shagotte and several young Exceeds that survived the wrath of Cabal. "No way," Happy is amazed to see the Queen of Extalia somehow surviving the brutal assault. "Please, help us..," Queen Shagotte drops to her knees, crying her eyes out. Wendy, Happy, Romeo, and Natsu rush over to Queen Shagotte. Spike is in a trance, thinking about what just happened and how it connects to his nightmare. "I want my mommy and daddy!" A young red Exceed girl with a red ribbon bow tied on her head wants her family. "I want my parents too!" A few other young Exceed children burst into tears, wanting to be with their families. Erza walks up to Queen Shagotte. "Do you remember what happened?" Erza formally asks, trying to stay as professional as she can despite what she committed a while ago. She now carries a huge burden for her crime against the Exceeds, even though it's an accident. "We were waiting for the wizards that took the job for a search and rescue. Over a year ago, our kin and many new eggs got taken by an unknown enemy. We got ambushed by a changeling creature a few hours ago. It stood like twenty feet tall, a serpent-type creature with the powers of hypnotism. He possessed my subjects at ease. Many of my brave soldiers fought but didn't stand a chance against the changeling's overwhelming magic power and physique. It stretched and grew limbs to pierce my guards. I tried to take many to find refuge, but it was impossible. Now, we're on the verge of going extinct," Queen Shagotte finishes her answer and breaks down. She feels like a failure for not protecting her kin from a monster. Spike snaps out of his trance after hearing Queen Shagotte's response to Erza's question. Natsu, Gray, Wendy, Romeo, Happy, Erza, and Kagura are silent after hearing the dreadful news. They knew about Tartaros' involvement in increasing Midnight Sparkle's power, but how will they explain an accidental mass genocide to the Queen who had suffered so much? Fairy Rage and Carla dodged a bullet to reveal the awful truths to the Queen in the next few moments. Spike walks up to Queen Shagotte. "Shagotte..," Spike is in tears. He has decided to reveal the information about Tartaros' involvement and the rest of her kin. "You're.., You're the Fairy Dragon that Nichiya spoke of when he visited after the Grand Magic Games," Queen Shagotte smiles a bit with hope starting to fill her heart. Spike takes a deep breath. "I am. I'm the wizard that took the job for the search and rescue. I'm here to inform you about the Exceeds' whereabouts." A spark ignites Queen Shagotte's heart. She hopes to hear great news for once. "Where are they? Are they safe?" "The unknown enemy you spoke of used to work for a dark guild known as Tartaros. The unknown enemy used the Exceeds to fuel a demon known as Midnight Sparkle. She drank their blood and consumed the magic within. Midnight Sparkle bragged about consuming many and sought to seek more. I hate to be the bearer of bad news after what transpired today; however, I must confirm that those Exceeds are no longer here." Queen Shagotte starts panting heavily. "N-N-N-N-N-N-N-Noooo..," Queen Shagotte grabs her head. "N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-Noo..! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" She bursts into tears and imagines the screams of her subjects at the mercy of Tartaros. The younglings near her cry start crying. Spike takes a deep breath. Now, he has to reveal the second part of the tragic accident that partook a while ago. "Queen Shagotte," Queen Shagotte looks up at Spike. She knows the next part will not be satisfying. "The changeling you spoke of, my friends and I encountered him. He is known as Cabal of the Preying Mantis Guild. The guild is indeed a dark guild. We fought him and his apparent hellhounds." "Hellhounds..?" Queen Shagotte is confused. There are no dogs around New Extalia. Then it hits her. "Noooooooo..," She starts putting the pieces together as to why Cabal possessed her subjects. She starts to hyperventilate. "Don't tell me, don't tell me, don't tell me," She keeps repeating the same sentence multiple times when it's evident about the ordeal. "Rage and I sensed something odd, but we took action anyway. We struck the hellhounds until they were no more. Cabal succeeded in his mission to ruin us.., mentally..," Spike closes his eyes as guilt wraps him up tightly. "They even smelled different during Cabal's possession over them. We slaughtered them, not knowing they were Exceeds until it was too late." Queen Shagotte's screams are bloodcurdling. Now her heart is broken into a million pieces. "It's not fair! IT'S NOT FAIR!!!" She slams her paws on the ground angrily. "WHAT DID WE DO TO DESERVE THIS!!!?" "Where are we supposed to go? Our home is desolated," A young Exceed asks Queen Shagotte. "I DON'T KNOW!" Queen Shagotte barks at the youngling. She didn't mean to take her anger out on her. Queen Shagotte sniffs. "I don't know where we can go..." She lowers her head. Kagura walks up to Queen Shagotte and the remaining survivors of New Extalia. "I know someplace where you can reside. Also, I know someone who will be eager and interested in protecting you." "Wh-Wh-Who?" Queen Shagotte turns to Kagura. Hopefully, having a protector can help clear her conscience to ponder the next motives for her species to thrive again. "Spike, mind teleporting us to her?" Kagura turns to Spike. "Yea," Spike nods. He uses his fire breath to teleport Queen Shagotte, the remaining younglings, Erza, Gray, Wendy, Natsu, Happy, and Romeo, to the Mermaid Heel outdoor venue. Millianna is serving food for her customers when she sees the sudden arrival of her friends. Many customers cheer for Spike now that the breakfast hour can become the brunch hour. "Kitty kitty, meow!" Millianna leaps for joy when she sees many Exceeds. Kagure stands in front of her. "Millianna, we need to talk," Kagura grabs Millianna for a private discussion. She informs Millianna what took place. Millianna becomes heartbroken from the revelation that many Exceeds died and are on the brink of extinction. She refuses to allow any more kitties to perish. Kagura comes back with Millianna after their discussion. "Shagotte. You and your kitties will be with me. I'll protect you from all harm!" Millianna proclaims. She refuses to allow any dark presence to lurk around and strike again. "Thank you," Queen Shagotte gracefully smiles, knowing the young can live without fear overtaking them. "You have my gratitude." "Hey, Queen Shagotte," Happy flies up to her. "Yes?" Queen Shagotte turns to Happy. "My friends and I will bring justice and end the Preying Mantis Guild for bringing calamity on you and your subjects. I swear!" Happy proudly states. He knows that the Fairy Tail Guild will get the job done. "We're sorry for what we've committed. Let us make it up to you by ending the Preying Mantis Guild's reign of tyranny," Erza said. "Apologies accepted. I know you were under the influence of Cabal's manipulation magic and didn't recognize the Exceeds. I would imagine any other guild falling into the trap devised by an intelligent creature." "We will make them pay!" Natsu slams his right fist into his left palm. Fire bursts from the impact. "Mark my words. We will make them rue the day they messed with our friends!" "You got that right!" Gray concurs. He wants retribution for the stunt Cabal performed a while ago. "Now, it's war," Romeo said. He wants a piece of the Preying Mantis Guild. "No doubt about it," Wendy agrees. "Spike?" "The Preying Mantis Guild will fall like any other enemy of the Fairy Tail Guild. Let's go home," Spike wants to go home after everything. The Preying Mantis Guild has gone too far, and he wants to use this anger and kill Zaronos. "We'll keep in touch from time to time. Let us know about the Preying Mantis Guild's operations," Kagura said. "Don't worry. We will," Spike uses his fire breath to teleport his friends back to the Fairy Tail guildhall. Gajeel, Panther Lily, Levy, and Lucy return from their trip. They see Spike, Wendy, Erza, Natsu, Happy, Gray, and Romeo looking distraught. Gajeel approaches the group. "Why the long faces? Did something happen while we were away?" "I don't want to talk about it. I want to go home," Spike walks past Gajeel, Panther Lily, Levy, and Lucy. Spike is holding onto his emotions and doesn't want to break down in front of his friends. "Wait up, Spike!" Wendy knows what Spike is thinking and wants to be with him for a little while. "Geez, what's up with Fairy Dragon?" Gajeel asks his friends. "A lot has happened, Gajeel. All will be explained in the guildhall," Erza answers. She is upset like the others are. "Like what?" Lucy asks. She's worried about their well-being. "Come inside. We'll explain to everyone," Natsu replies. While Spike walks home with Wendy to the apartment, everyone else enters the guildhall to report their discoveries to Master Makarov. It won't be a pleasant topic.