"I bid you welcome to this hallowed ground." Said Angelus Etwatia as birds fluttered onto his tree-like armor. "Though I appologize for the strangely shocking imagery. They don't call this the grove of memories for nothing."
"What's going on here!?" demanded Gray. "Who exactly are you!? What is all this stuff!?"
"All of the things you see here, are mere reflections of what created them." said Angelus. "Night Reveler.....The Tower of Heaven.....Deliora...they each had a large impact on the history of this world, and so their memories have ended up in this grove. Here in the Grove of Memories, the past can be seen, touched, and much more..."
Angelus held out a finger, and a blue bird fluttered down and perched on it. "As for who exactly I am.....well, I can assure you, I wasn't originally of this planet. Me and my brother Diablo come from an ancient world quite different from this one."
"D-Diablo!?" Said Natsu suddenly looking cautious as the rest of the group backed away from Angelus. "You're his brother!?"
"I assure you." said Angelus. "I mean you no harm. Me and my twin are nothing alike....While he stands for death, destruction, and damnation.....I stand for life, creation, and mercy."4
"Well apparently they have similar fashion sense...." Elli whispered to Mikoto. "That guy is wearing a lot of armor...even if it is all made of wood."
"Please." said Jura. "Could you tell us more about this place. Why are there things that should be long gone here?"
"What you are seeing is the result of the remnants of Elanis Lord Of Creation's hatching grounds. Back when Dravis's opposite still dwelled on this island, Elanis cared for the first dragons to soar through the skies of Fiore in this area.. As a result of the sacred power all converging on this area, magic turned this place into a collection of memories. You will find many things here, all representations of events in the past. For example....."
Angelus reached down to the ground below him and picked up a large, stuffed, dress wearing, Gekota doll with a torn thumb . "I believe this belonged to dear Misaka when she was younger."
"Er...." said Mikoto as red patches appeared on her cheeks.
"Oh I remember that!" said Tabigake cheerfully running up to Angelus and pulling out his wallet. "Here, take a look at this picture, doesn't she look cute holding that doll?"
"D-dad stop it!!" said Mikoto now going very red.
"There's no need to show that to me." said Angelus. "This grove holds the memories of all who enter it, it's one of the many ways in which it collects the memories that are stored here. See? The moment you entered, I found Misaka's baby pictures..." Angelus took out a stack of photos.
"I-I don't think now's exactly the time to.." began Mikoto. But the rest of the entire group was already looking at the pictures.
"Awwww..." said Hope. "You're so cute."
"As expected from darling Mikoto!" said Lyon with hearts in his eyes again. "Even when she is young she is cuter then anything!"
"Look at her cute smile!" said Lucy.
"HEY!!! CAN WE FOCUS HERE!!!!!??" shouted Mikoto. Never had she felt herself hyperventilating so much.
"My appologies." said Angelus. "I realize humans don't traditionally expose their younger selves....do they?"
"Well Natsu acts like a kid all the time...." said Lucy.
"Can I keep these?" said Natsu looking through all the photos with Gray at his side. Both of them looked like they were having a good time.
"OF COURSE NOT!!" Said Mikoto snatching the photos out of Natsu's hands.
"She is right." said Angelus. "All memories from this grove must remain here....lest dire consequences follow like plagues."
"So this forest...." said Erza. "You said it fills itself up with the memories of those who enter....so these things we're seeing are from our memories."
"Yes...." said Angelus. "Long ago, when I first came to this planet, Elanis welcomed me to her grove with open arms. In truth, I first came to that grove to escape my brother Diablo, he longed to kill me, and in a large battle, I was gravely injured. His malice, hate, and unbridled desire for control have long destroyed my home world of Nebulosos.....he and I are just a few of the last of our kind...."
Angelus waved a hand and a large bright light shone. The light formed itself into a highly realistic miniature image of the island. Rising out the water on the island's coast, a dragon of pure white scales and golden eyes had her wings spread out protectively around the island. From the looks of it, the majestic looking dragon had to be at least as large as Dravis when he was at full size.
"Incredible....." said Chelia. "Who is that dragon?"
"That is Elanis...." said Angelus. "I am her humble servant, appointed by her to protect this grove and this island, the grove with which she blessed her great power, the power that gathers the memories. For millenia I have gaurded this place...and when the time came....I also guided the people of this island..."
"I remember you!!" said Hope. "You were the one who performed my Father's coronation when Grandfather died......I don't remember much of it though."
Angelus nodded, his green eyes glowed a little brighter. "Indeed...As the servant of Elanis, I am also the servant of her daughter Thundaarix...and therefore the servant of those in her lineage. I am glad your group has taken refuge here. You will be safe....."
"Angelus..." said Jura. "I do not know if you are aware of this.....but your brother is here on this island."
"Of course I know...." said Angelus. "I could feel his foul presence before he made it within 10 miles of this island. His loathsome aura drives the forest creatures irrational with fear. While this little one here is the only one that has retained it's sanity." Angelus nodded to the blue bird on his finger.
"He does not know of my presence though...I have learned to mask my aura for ages..."
"You need to help us then." said Erza. "Your brother is helping Dravis take over the entire island....and none of us are a match for Diablo....."
"I am afraid that sheltering you is the most I can do at the moment." said Angelus. "You see.....I haven't performed any combat for 1000 years.....it strains my injury....."
Angelus pointed at an area on the side of his armor. The wood and moss there had a gash that looked like it was rotting. A deathly aura seemed to come from it.2
"The last injury Diablo inflicted on me....it has not healed....and I doubt it ever will."
"That looks...horrid." said Nicole. "Is there anything we can do?"
Angelus shook his head. "Even Grandeena couldn't help me...this wound will stay for the remainder of of my life.......and though combat is no longer my strong point....my hospitality remains strong as ever....you are welcome to stay as long as you like."
"Thank you." said Erza. "You are most gracious."
Angelus nodded...."No worries young ones...you will all be safe here."
As the others got ready to set up camp (as far from the memory version of Deliora and the Tower of Heaven as possible), Angelus approached Mikoto.
"See me when the moon is high in the sky this night....." said Angelus. "There is something I need to show you...."
Mikoto stared after the hulking figure as the blue bird fluttered onto her shoulder and chirped a little.... She didn't know what it was.....but something was feeling ominous about whatever Angelus needed to show her.
6 hours later............
Again.....Mikoto was assaulted by bizzare and strange dreams that night....none of them pleasent. At first the dreams started out as something stupid.
She was back in her dorm in Academy City. Kuroko was wearing a spider costume and crawling all over the cieling saying. "Click click... click click..."
Natsu was in the room wearing Angelus's armor as Happy flew around his head chirping like a bird.
Funnily enough. Mikoto didn't find any of this strange. She just walked past the whole scene and out into the hallway of the dorm building. In the hallway, Erza was playing chess with Diablo.
"Do you know where I can find my destiny?" Mikoto asked the two.
"Past the king and above the pawn." said Diablo. "And look for the giant checkmate."
"Huh?"
"He means to keep moving forward..." said Erza. "And to move quickly.....or you'll get a check mate."
"Check mate?"
Mikoto whirled around to find that a ginormous chess piece was hopping towards her, smashing it's way closer and closer. The head of the piece had Night Reveler's mask on, and it was cackling like him as well. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! KING ME, KING ME, KING ME!!! Hmmm...Wrong game....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"
Mikoto ran as fast as she could down the hall. But the hall kept on getting longer and longer the faster she ran. Eventually the Night Reveler chess piece jumped upwards and landed on Mikoto, making everything go black.
The next thing she knew, Mikoto was standing knee deep in a field of full of bones. The sky was completely black around her and Exisio was standing 20 meters away, grinning maliciously.
"Destiny....it always comes down to destiny.....you were destined to destroy my father, and I was destined to destroy you......hehehehe.....funny how our lives can be predetermined..yet we have the choice to diverge from the path."
"This is a dream." said Mikoto.
"Of course..." said Exisio. "Our minds are linked together, you see? And why wouldn't they be linked? I was created to hunt you after all."
"What do you want with me!? Stay out of my head!!" Said Mikoto stumbling back through the bones.
"How rude." said Exisio. "Is this how you treat a guest?"
"You're no guest...." growled Mikoto. "You're an intruder inside my head!! GET OUT!!!"
"Hahahahahah!!!!" Exisio laughed with absolute hilarity. "you know what I really love about this place? There are almost absolutely no rules. In the dream scape, your imagination is the limit. However, notice that I said there are ALMOST no rules...."
"What are you talking about." said Mikoto as she felt cold sweat starting to creep it's way down her neck.
"You can only control what is in your dreamscape.....and you said for me to get out of your head, and funnily enough you didn't need to.....cause I'm not in your head right now. You're in mine."
Exisio laugheed deliriously as a horrifying creature climbed out of the field of bones. The creature itself was something Mikoto could not describe. It's features were so gruesome, so inhuman and wretched, that had I even attempted to describe the features in this book I probably would go into a coma.
All Mikoto could even say about the creature...was that it was the darkest night....the very embodiement of Dravis's evil heart. The creature took hold of Mikoto in it's gruesome talons, opened it's wide jaws, and threw her in...
"Mikoto!!!! MIKOTO!!!! WAKE UP!!!!!"
Mikoto sat up from her sleeping bag so fast that her back popped a hundred pops. Cold sweat was pouring down her face and Lucy was sitting next to her in the grass wiping a towl over her forehead. "It's just a dream Mikoto...just a dream....."
Mikoto looked around. All around her, trees were broken and destroyed. Burns and smoke were everywhere, massive gouges in the ground were nearby, and a little bit of black electricity was crackling in some areas. Had she done all this?
"Wh-what happened?"
"I was taking first watch." said Lucy. "And after an hour, it looked like you were having a dream or something. Then you started wigging out and throwing bla- I mean you started throwing lightning everywhere...."
"........"
"Listen, I know it's your turn to keep watch." said Lucy. "But it looks like you could really use some rest right now..."
"It's okay..." said Mikoto looking at the large full moon in the sky. "Y-you go ahead and sleep.....I'll keep watch. Besides....aren't Natsu and Gray keeping watch too?"
"Yeah.....but they kind of got caught in a lightning bolt..." said Lucy pointing at a smoking crater in the grass.
Suddenly, both Natsu and Gray burst out of the crater.
"HAHAHAHAHA!!" Natsu laughed pointing at the sky. "It's gonna take more then a bunch of random freak lightning to keep Natsu off watch!!"
"Shut up Flame Breath!" said Gray. "You'll give away our position like the dolt you are!!!"
"What was that you Freezing Freak!?"
"HEY!!!!" Erza got out of her sleeping bag a distance away. "Was it you who disturbed my sleep!!?? Well then....come over here so I can take your heads in penance!!!!"
Natsu and Gray ran off in a panic as Erza followed with her sword brandished. "COME BACK HERE!! LACK OF SLEEP WILL NOT BE MY FOLLY TONIGHT!!!!!!"
Mikoto got out of her sleeping bag and stood up stretching. "And now we have Erza up as well.....see? I'll be fine."
Before Lucy could say another word, Mikoto walked off further into the Grove of Memories.
Mikoto walked for a while without really knowing where she was going and why. It was as if some invisible force was guiding her.....
After a while, Mikoto came to a strange looking clearing surrounded by glowing blue flowers. In the center of the clearing was a small thick tree, whose branches held a large orb made of marble. Inscribed along the tree were ancient markings....and though she had never seen the language before, somehow she was able to read it...as if knowing the language had been harwired in her brain.
It spoke of many strange things.....of dimensions beyond the ones Mikoto and her friends had visited. Of wonders beyond each and every universe. Of the great battle between Elanis and Dravis ever since the Multiverse was new, the originators of Ying and Yang.
"I know what you're thinking...." said a voice. "But this is no memory."
Angelus walked out of the close trees. "I see you have come.....that is good."
"Why did you want me here?" asked Mikoto.
"To show you what you have been searching for in your many dreams...." said Angelus. "A peak at what your destiny shall be....however, I must warn you....sometimes the future is not for the faint of heart..."
Mikoto took a deep breath. "Come come on Angelus...do I look like I belong to the 'faint of heart' category?"
Angelus chuckled. "No...you certainly do not."
Angelus waved a hand over the orb and immedietly the sphere began to glow a white light. "I will only reveal a part of the future....the future that is destined to pass no matter what happens next...the certain future."
The orb turned red molten hot and began to show an image of Academy city.....only it was burning, the sky scrapers were in ruins, and people were running everywhere in horror as dragons snatched them up and tore apart the sky with their roars.
"Dravis will return to full strength....." said Angelus. "And when he does......he will go and raze both this world and yours."
The image shifted...and this time a similar image of Magnolia Town could be seen, burning in flames as people ran from the ferocious dragons. Mikoto saw a child lying in a pool of blood as his mother screamed.
Mikoto turned away and threw up.
"I am sorry..." said Angelus. "Even to the strong of heart....I know watching this is quite a wretched thing."
"There has to be a way to stop it...." said Mikoto. "There has to..."
"I am afraid girl of prophecy...' said Angelus. "That whatever your fate....or that of Fairy Tail will be. This is a certain future. It will come to pass.....however. There is one possible future that awaits after this one....the future that will save us all...when we need it most."
"What?" said Mikoto. "What is it...?"
Diablo pointed a finger at Mikoto's heart. "You...brave girl. The prophecy refers to you...and you alone. Even if you have not read the second half...the half that Dravis carries with him ever so carefully.....you are the one who must face the King of Chaos in the end." (King of Chaos is one Dravis's many titles.)
"I-I don't know if I can do it...." said Mikoto. "I-It's so much....If I stand alone in all this...."
"No....you must remember Mikoto Misaka." said Angelus. "Though the prophecy may refer to you alone....it does not say that you stand alone...it is your fate, yes...but that doesn't mean you stand alone. You have a family.
Mikoto looked back to where Fairy Tail was currently camping out with the rest of the guilds. "My....family."
Angelus nodded. "Always remember......though there may be those who own a fate.....that does not mean it isn't theirs to share with the ones that matter."
Mikoto nodded. "I'll remember that."
Several miles away, the hulking form of Gore Beastwalker moved through the trees with amazing silence and grace for his size, sniffing the air and earth, following the scent of his quarry.
"They have stopped moving." said Gore. "I smell the smoke and flames of a campfire....hastily made. They have stopped to make camp for the night."
"You know Gore." said Aurumnus who was standing next to Gore. "For a lug the size of a house...you've got senses better then a Dragon Slayer. I can't smell any stupid flames."
Aurumnus looked up at a high tree top where Exisio stood. "See anything yet Scaley!?"
Exisio looked down at Aurumnus. "No.....but, I know that Gore's statements hold true....the Railgun is only several miles away..."
"How can you tell?" said Aurumnus sceptically.
"Her weak mind just now...." said Exisio with a smile. "Travelled a little too close to mine in the realm of sleep."
"Hmph....." said Gore. "Just keep your eye on your physical prey....her mental state is of no concern....we need only kill her physical body...after you absorb her power of course..."
Exisio suddenly cried out. "YOU FOOLS!! STOP BEFORE YOU STEP INTO IT!!"
"What!?" said Aurumnus as both he and Gore stopped in their tracks.
Surrounding the two of them. Were a familiar set of magic staffs sticking out of the ground that were now glowing with purplish magic energy.
"Four Layered Magic Circle: Siren's Ambush...."
Four Magic Circles opened up in front of each stave and blasted a powerful beam of light straight into Gore and Aurumnus, creating a tremendous explosion.
Mystia walked out of the bushes where she had been hiding. She looked at Exisio. "So.....are you going to come down here and face me? Or do I have to come and get you?"