"Natsu," I said quietly. "I need to go somewhere. Could you come with me?"

"Does Jellal know?" he asked suspiciously. "That you're not fighting? 'Cause I am."

"Please," I whispered. "I need to go somewhere.."

"Where?"

"I can't tell you."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll tell Jellal I'm not fighting alongside him today and that I'll join him tomorrow morning. He'll hate me forever."

I sighed. "Glad you're joining the club."

~ ~ ~

Jellal was nervous. Extremely, nervous. Not only were two of his best knights not fighting with him, Minerva was going to be there. His sister.

He fiddled with Excalibur nervously. Excalibur was an excellent sword. It had just the right balance and right size. And it was beautiful. But against magic? He was sure Excalibur would be useless.

He halted his horse, causing the thousands of knights behind him to stop. 

"We'll camp out here," Jellal ordered. "Gray come with me. We're going to visit Queen Lucy."

"Queen Lucy?" Gray exclaimed. "We're in Stella?"

"No," Jellal retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "We've been riding all day and we're still in the Inner Sector of Fiore."

"What is up with you?" Gray muttered.

"Nothing," he snapped. "I'm just a bit grumpy."

~ ~ ~

"You can go back now," I told Natsu. 

"But it's dark," Natsu said. "I'm not leaving you here alone."

I looked at him and felt a pang of sorrow. I wish he knew I would be okay. Instead, here he was, thinking he would be endangering my life by leaving me here. In reality, I was endangering his.

"It's fine, Natsu," I said. Then I glared at him. "Go now!"

Natsu shuddered but managed a smirk. "Now that's the Erza we know and love!"

Once I made sure he was gone, I entered the cave with the glowing crystals. The beginning of all magic. It made my skin tingle just thinking about it. This cave was most likely older than Queen Mavis Vermillion!

I walked into the cave, feeling slightly guilty I hadn't talked to Igneel first. He would've told me what to expect. I stared at the crystals covering the ground and ceiling, sparkling in the dark. There was no light source other than the crystals, which made everything even more eerier. It was as if the crystals were warning everyone- this was their cave alone.

I had taken only five steps into the cave when I heard Minerva's dreaded laugh.

"This is your last resort, isn't it?" she asked. "I can't believe you abandoned your beloved Jellal."

"I'm going to rejoin him after I get my magic back," I snarled, unsheathing my sword and stabbing Minerva.

"Is that so..Zarina?" Minerva taunted, pulling my blade out of her unharmed body. Not a drop of blood. "How do you know for certain the crystals will heal you?"

"Please," I half-begged, staring at my sword knowingly. So it was true. Minerva couldn't be killed. "Just go and lead your damned army."

"Oh, I don't need to," she sneered. "Wendy's doing that."

I flinched. Wendy. How could've I forgotten? Just how many of my secrets had Wendy revealed to Minerva?

"Well, like you said," she continued. "I better go."

And with a flick of her hand, she disappeared; but not before she summoned the boulders from the ceiling to fall, trapping me in a dark, enclosed room.

"No!" I screamed. "Minerva!"

I clawed at the rocks, trying to get out. The air was thin and I began to panic. "Please," I whispered, choking. "Please.."

I've never felt so hopeless.

The irony was hysterical- a sorceress dying at the hands of magic- a sorceress dying without magic.

~ ~ ~

"Welcome," Lucy greeted, elegantly getting up from her floral throne.

Jellal bowed politely, Gray and the rest of the knights copying him.

"I heard Minerva is moving her troops into Fiore," Lucy whispered. "And this time she seems serious."

Jellal sighed. "I'm afraid so. And what's worse is that one of my knights betrayed me."

"Not Erza?!" Lucy exclaimed, examining his pack of knights. "Oh! Not Natsu, I hope!"

"No, thank goodness. Erza is loyal," Jellal said, his face softening. "And Natsu is running an.. errand. He'll be back tomorrow."

"I'm surprised Erza's not here," she commented curiously.

"She..won't be fighting this battle."

"Oh..I see..Well..make yourself comfortable."

"We can't," Jellal said. "We need to move as fast as possible. I'm sure Minerva isn't resting."

"I wish we could help you," Queen Lucy said sadly. "But I'm still a very new queen..My troops aren't fully formed."

"I completely understand," he replied; the disappointment in his weary eyes was unmistakable. "Thanks for letting us pass through your territory. We'd better get going."

At that moment, Natsu burst into the Council Room. His face lit up as soon as he saw Lucy.

~ ~ ~

I opened my eyes to find a beautiful woman standing over me. I was no longer trapped in a small chamber in the cave but was lying beside the growing crystals.

The woman looked just like me. Long scarlet hair, chocolate brown eyes..But she seemed older and wiser. 

"My little Erza," she whispered. "You've grown."

I hesitantly asked, "Mother?"

Mother. I had always wanted to call someone that. I had never known my mother, she had died giving birth to me.

She smiled, happy with my reaction. Her eyes were glimmering with tears of joy.

"Are you a ghost?" I asked stupidly, groping for her hand.

"Just a mere vision," my mother said softly. "This is the Crystal Cave, you know."

"Oh!" I exclaimed. "Jellal! And my magic! And-"

"Calm down, Erza," she soothed. "Rest a while longer. King Jellal should be fine."

~ ~ ~

"We'll camp out here."

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Why couldn't we just stay in the castle? This is stupid, going to southern Fiore and camping out in the woods."

"Minerva will be arriving with an army. Most likely tomorrow. We need to be on guard."

~ ~ ~

When I awoke again, I felt a lot better. My head was clearer, I could think.

"Erza," my mother whispered urgently. "Minerva is attacking tonight. Not tomorrow."

"Wh- Now?! So soon?" I exclaimed.

She nodded anxiously. "Not only that, but Jellal and his army are camping out in a valley. Minerva's men will trap them. Jellal's only sending men forward, not backward."

"Oh no," I groaned. "I need to tell him!"

"Send him a dream."

"How?"

"Use the crystals."

~ ~ ~

Jellal tossed and turned in bed that night. How could he go to sleep knowing people would die in this battle? Then he heard my voice.

"Jellal."

His eyes were still closed, he was still dreaming, but at least he heard me calling him.

"Listen to me. Minerva's army is going to attack your army from behind and from in front. Because you're in a valley, you'll be surrounded. One blast of magic and you'll be dead. Now wake up. And send an army to stop Minerva's side patrol!"

Jellal's eyes flew open and he gasped. What a vivid dream! Still feeling foolish, he woke up his knights and got ready for war.

~ ~ ~

A couple miles away, an old woman with long white hair rode towards the valley on her horse.

Jellal called her the 'old sorceress who killed his father.'

The Druids called her 'Zarina, the woman who would bring back magic to Fiore.'

Minerva called her 'Zarina, a foolish woman who would die without completing her destiny.'

But Erza knew who she was. In this form, she was most powerful. In this form, she was Minerva's destiny...and her doom.