~*****~

"Check it out, Romeo! He's tryin' to act all high and mighty while sittin' on an octopus!" Natsu laughs as he roughly pats Romeo on the back.

"I wouldn't laugh," Romeo retorts. "He held his own against Gildarts, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah," I wave my hand dismissively. "He's powerful, who the hell cares. He's riding a giant octopus, that's so lame." I sigh loudly as I cross my arms behind my head.

"Natsu and Aria are awful role models, aren't they?" Ballad mentions.

"Yeah, they're both jerks." Happy agrees.

"That makes me worry about Romeo's future!" Michelle agrees. "Goodness, all the kids they'll have will be a disaster!"

"Who said anything about kids?!" I bark back, my face flushing.

"Wait, that means if I beat this guy... then it's kinda like I'm beatin' Gildarts, too!" Natsu chirped, completely unbothered by Michelle's comment.

"I'll destroy you." Byro retorts calmly.

The octopus rears up and sprays, thick, viscous ink at us. There's an odd stench to it, causing me to shout and leap out of the way. The ink melted through the ground, leaving a massive crater in it's spot. "Aw, man, that is some dangerous ink!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Becareful, guys!" Happy cries.

"Ooh, I want Squid Ink Risotto!" Michelle stammers.

My stomach growls loudly. "Damn, now I do, too." I mention irritably.

"We can save the cravings for later," Lucy comments dryly.

"Get back! I got an idea!" Natsu exclaims before leaping at the octopus. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"

It doesn't cause an impact as he would've hoped. His fist sinks into the octopus' squishy flesh before getting cracked against the wall with it's large tentacle. It starts trashing about, and I heave out a groan before going to save Dan from being squashed, seeing as how Lucy saved Coco just in time. "Hey, Octo-punk! Are you so stupid, that you don't even know who's on your side?!" Natsu shouts as I still have Dan over my shoulder.

"Seriously! Coco and Dan are supposed to be your allies!" Lucy shouts.

"I realize that, but as proud members of the Legion Platoon, they are prepared to sacrifice their very lives to win this holy war." Byro simply says.

"What gives you the right?!" I snap. "I don't give a shit who you think you are! They aren't your slaves! They don't belong to you, or Zentopia! They belong to themselves! And I'll be damned if you take away their decisions, you got that, you old bastard!"

"You're in no position to chastise my actions," Byro snorts. "You fail to grasp the severity of the situation. There are many more lives at stake in this war than you realize."

There's another crash of the octopus' tentacles, and I narrowly avoid it just in time to save Natsu's sorry hide. "You're lucky Ballad gave up her bracelet to give me that extra boost, Natsu!" I exclaim after spitting out the hunks of gold that surrounded the small ice diamond in her bracelet.

"Thank you, Aria! I totally owe you one!" Natsu groaned as I slammed my talons into the octopus' arm to help lift it up. I give a loud shout as I throw the arm up and use my foot to kick Natsu behind me.

"Cool! It's like Natsu Soccer!" Happy shouted.

"Hey, Aria! You think you can get his mouth open?!" Natsu asks eagerly.

I slam my fist against my palm and grin. "Leave it to me, buddy! Nothin' can melt my ice!" I stretch my arms out and slam my palms together. "Ice Make--" I chant as I extend my arms back out, spreading out a very thin, very strong chain. "Chain Tether!" The octopus' mouth spreads open as it slams against it, and loops around his head, spreading it wide.

"All right!" Natsu cheers are he leaps off of one of the buildings. "Fire Dragon--"

"It looks like he's gonna blast fire down the octopus' mouth!" Happy exclaimed.

"But isn't that kinda cruel?!" Lucy stammered.

"Oh, I bet it's going to taste delicious freshly grilled!" Michelle squealed.

My stomach growled at the mention. "Stop putting images in my mind, I totally want to eat now, too!" I exclaim angrily.

We all flinch as the octopus snatches Natsu from the air. "How terribly naive... Kanaloa is a veteran warrior just like me." Byro retorts. "Such childish tactics aren't going to work."

"He's got Natsu!" Happy cried.

"We gotta save him!" Romeo exclaims.

"Oh, no! He's getting sick!" Lucy shouted.

"It would appear that victory is ours... Let's go, Kanaloa. We have what we need." Byro hums.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Lucy barks. "My father left that clock hand to me which makes it mine! It's the only thing I have to remember him by! You don't have any right to take it!"

"What's so important about these clock pieces that you would go to such lengths to steal them?" Michelle asks.

"We are not stealing them... We are taking them into our care." Byro retorts.

"That's still stealing, idiot!" I shout.

"We're gathering these pieces because they belong to the Infinity Clock. The Archbishop of Zentopia has demanded that we retrieve them... We're simply following his orders." Byro states.

"What do you gain from assembling the Infinity Clock!" I snap. "It's nothing but Chaos! Both pieces we've seen both mention something about destruction! It can't be good! Everything that's been written about that clock has said nothing but the end of the world!" Byro hums before telling us his version.

"Things just got way more serious around here!" Happy squeaks.

"I cannot give this back to you," Bryo says to Lucy. "A meager wizard guild doesn't have the power to protect the world from destruction."

"He's got a point. If we make one mistake, it could spell disaster," Michelle whimpers.

"Then maybe... we should just let him take it after all," Romeo mentions.

"No way!" I snap. "What's the point of gathering to clock parts?! Wouldn't you want to keep them away from each other?!" I shout.

"Yeah! What the hell are you and your buddies up to tryin' to gather them all!?" Natsu shouted as he squirmed around in the octopus' tentacle.

"Aria and Natsu are right, the answer is to not gather them." Happy nods. "Besides, do we really want Zentopia holding the fate of the world in their hands?"

"Yeah, you don't know what to do with it anymore than we do! Who says that you guys won't make a dangerous mistake?!" Lucy barks.

"Oh, no! We're all gonna die!" Michelle sobs.

"For real! I'd rather gouge my eyes out then leave my fate to a group like those idiots!" I exclaim, pointing up at Byro.

"I can assure you our teachings are not mistaken," Byro retorts. "How dare you even question the Archbishop?! He is infallible!"

"That's not true. Nobody is perfect; we all make mistakes. That's why we can't find world peace. I thought everyone knew that." Michelle hums.

"I don't buy it! You're tryin' to play the hero, but I can tell you're up to somethin'!" Natsu snapped. "You can't fool me, man! Someone's a jerk; either you or that Archbishop you keep talkin' about! He might think he's calling the shots right now, but let me go and I'll--" He gets cut off by the octopus shaking his arm around, giving Natsu another dose of motion sickness.

"Don't get sick!" Romeo exclaims.

"Funny how fast he can go from kick butt to butt face," Happy sighs.

"I have thoroughly explained the purpose of this holy war... Yet you still insist on opposing us." Byro said in a stern tone.

"Honestly, I don't know if I believe all that stuff you said about the end of the world. I just care about keeping my dad's memento safe!" Lucy cried angrily. "So that's why we're takin' that hand, and the other clock pieces! We're gonna do our best to gather them all!"

"Enough of your sinful drivel." Bryo snapped.

"You girls need to run!" I snap at them, my talons sinking into the tentacle that tried slamming onto me.

"Open! Gate of the Golden Bull; Taurus!" Lucy exclaimed as the two girls ran.

"Fierce move!" Taurus roared as I swiped my talons straight through the octopus' arm.

"You get 'em, Taurus!" I cheer as I keep slashing through arms. I grasp at Natsu's shirt and haul him away from the arm I'd severed

"Whoa! Look at you with that tentacle! It's my wildest dreams come true!" Taurus cheered as he peered over at Lucy, stuck under one of the arms.

"Such indecent behavior," I hear Byro retort irritably.

"I'm free!" Natsu bellows, suddenly surging up besides me, his hand clasping onto my waist as I nearly topple over.

"It's about time!" Happy cheered.

"It's time we show this jerk you can't mess with us!" Natsu ordered, earning a cheer from the others. "C'mon, Aria! Let's give him what for!"

"You got it!" I retort with a grin.

Lucy and Romeo restrain the giant octopus with their magic. "Now, you guys!" Romeo cheers as we leap into the air.

"This is your chance!"

"Unison Raid; Double Dragon Sword Horn!" Natsu and I shout, our bodies spiraling violently until we hit the octopus straight between the eyes, sending it flying.

Natsu beams at me, his knuckle tapping against my shoulder before turning his gaze onto Byro. "I'm losin' my patience! You'd better give Lucy that clock hand, or I'm gonna hurt ya!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Byro retorted calmly. "As we speak, members of your guild are collecting the scattered clock pieces and are most likely bringing them here. I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to stop you from gathering them."

"Well, I'm prepared to beat your face in, ya old geezer!" I chirp loudly. "Let's rock!"

Byro gave a hum as he lifted up the clock hand, a strange glow emanating from it. "The clock hand..."

"It's started to resonate!" Michelle gasped.

My stomach clenched and the hairs on my neck stood on end. "Anyone else getting a weird feeling?" I ask curiously.

The octopus shrinks in size, small enough to fit into the palm of Byro's hand. "You've done very well, Kanaloa." He hums as he stares at the small creature in his hand. "I'll handle things from here on."

"Whoa!" Lucy gasped. "It's pocket sized! How'd that happen?!"

"Great for a snack! Or side dish!" Michelle chirped.

"I'm hungry, too! Quit bringing it up!" I snap at Michelle as my belly begins grumbling.

"He's a warrior, not an entree!" Byro snaps at us.

I flinch to the side as Natsu releases a dragon roar. Byro waves his staff, and the attack was nullified. "He neutralized it!" Lucy gasps.

"Magic is useless against him." Michelle stammers.

"That was just an ember! Try stoppin' an inferno!" Natsu shouts as he leaps into the air, arms angled above his head before slamming them down. When that doesn't work, Natsu throws a punch that gets caught in Bryo's hand. He slams his leg into Natsu's gut and sends him flying.

"Don't forget about me!" I shout as I charge. While I might be a bit more agile than Natsu, my strength is no where near his. I still manage to match Byro blow for blow, but without him neutralizing my magic each time I use Dragon Force, I'm fighting against someone who's got stregnth against me. "Man, If I could just get that boost from Dragon Force, I could totally wipe the floor with this loser."

"I can nullify any and all magic. You might as well surrender now." Byro retorted.

"Quit playin' dirty, Octo-Freak!" Romeo snapped.

"This Byro's way worse than the one we met in Edolas!" Happy exclaimed.

"You're really startin' to get on my nerves!" Natsu barks as he charges in again with his fight engulfed in flames.

Byro easily takes us both on, blocking each blow and sending us hurtling away with each strike. "Natsu! Aria!" Romeo cries.

"Are you guys okay?" Ballad whimpers.

"Don't worry about me, guys!" Natsu chirps. "I've had tougher fist fights with Gray before breakfast!"

I wave off Ballad's call for reassurance and rush back in, getting pummeled harder and harder as my movements start getting sloppy. Natsu tried getting Happy's help, but Byro nullified his magic. "I clearly said that I can nullify all types of magic. You should pay attention... if you want to live." Byro hums softly.

"Without magic, we're completely helpless!" Michelle whimpers.

"Shut up!" I snap loudly as I get back to my feet, wavering slowly. "I ain't gonna sit around moping that I can't use my magic! If it takes brute strength, then by all means, I'll come back each and every time you knock me down! I'll get back Lucy's memento, one way or another!"

"The fate of the entire world hangs in the balance... yet you care only for personal affairs?" Byro asked, brow raised.

"You got a problem with that?" I snap.

"Such short sightedness. Couldn't possibly understand the weight of the burden we carry. We are prepared to sacrifice our lives for this mission." Byro retorts.

"So far, all you're doin' is talkin' yourself to death," I retort, jutting my thumb down. "Either fight or give up."

"Don't you take all the fun, Aria," Natsu retorted as he ambled to myself. "You said we'd do things together, didn't you?"

I wipe the blood from my nose and grin. "Absolutely. Let's wreck this guy's face." I stretch my arms upwards, relishing in the popping that immediately relaxes my back. "So, let me get this straight. You and your buddies are ready to give your lives for your mission, right?"

"That is correct--"

"That's a load of shit," I snap immediately. "Life isn't something you toss aside like garbage. You should protect it!"

"We fight for the lives of the people who we call friends!" Natsu snaps in agreement. "Bonds we share are what drive us! And push us to be better! Don't you know that friends aren't things or tools? You can't just use 'em however you please! They're more important than that!"

We charge in again. Natsu gets blown back easily, but now that I've gotten my breath, I'm starting to get the hang of his movements and I'm able to avoid the harder hits and hit back twice as hard. I skid back, holding my arm around my waist and immediately raise my arm as I hear someone behind me take a step. "Stay out of this, please." I say urgently. "We're takin' him down on our own." I remind them as Natsu charges. "That's a promise."

"Yeah, time to rearrange your face Octo--" Natsu stumbles and his the ground.

"C'mon, get up!" Romeo cheers.

"Sheesh, poor Natsu can barely stand anymore." Happy stammers.

"Not to mention that strange angle on Aria's arm." Ballad whimpers.

I jut my thumb up and glance over my shoulder. "Don't worry." I say firmly before rushing in to attack. There's a look of surprise on his face as Natsu's suddenly besides me, his fist reared up besides mine. We slug him right in the face in his moment of shock that barely rocks him. I don't even have the time to move as his leg slings upwards, and crushes us against the ground, my face smashing against the hard stone beneath.

"Strange sensation... looking upon you fills me with emotions I forgot a long time ago." Byro comments as he grinds his heel into my head. "Anger is at the forefront. You yammer on about the sanctity of life, about the nobility behind your own vendetta, but you are nothing more than guild rats chasing coin. That you would compare your avarice to our holy mission belittles not only us, but the Archbishop and the ideals he represents."

I snatch at his heel and shove it from my head and glare up at him. "Jokes on you--" I spit. "I'm already loaded, what do I need more money for?" I hiss before shoving him off. "How dare you think lowly of someone trying to live anyway? You're the thief here! At least we earn money the proper way! You stole Lucy's clock hand in the first--" My words are cut off by a savage kick to the jaw, sending me tumbling backwards.

"This world is already saturated with chaos. The Infinity Clock's addition may not even be noticed. However... Zentopia's new doctrine is to minimize the chaos, and to instead, show the people of this world the righteous course of action. The privilege of putting those ideals into practice falls on the Legion Platoon."

"Blah! Blah!" Natsu barked as he hauled me up by my arm. I rubbed at my chin irritably. "Add 'thou shall shut-up' to your ideals!"

"They aren't hurt anymore!" Michelle gasped.

"How'd they do that?!" Happy asked curiously.

"Look, that's how!" Romeo exclaimed as he pointed at Ballad, peeking out from behind us. She rubbed at the back of her head and held up a small candle that had been extinguished.

"The tombs candles!" Lucy gasped.

"Lucky she came along," I mention. "And you wanted to send her with Erza and the others!" I exclaim loudly.

"Yeah! I can totally heal just fine under pressure!" Ballad cheered before running away from the two of us.

"You dare to descrate these flames?" Byro snapped. "Does your blasphemy know no bounds?!"

"What, you gonna start lecturing me about my diet now? Don't bother; I already forgot most of the crap you were yammering on about!" Natsu exclaimed. "I heard some of it, though... Like friends... and lie. Then you insulted Fairy Tail! Then you went and kicked Aria in the face! Now my fists are gonna lecture your face!"

"He's provoking him?" Michelle asked.

"As if the guy wasn't mad enough already." Lucy sighed.

"That's Natsu for ya!" Happy cheered.

"Awesome!" Romeo barked.

"You ready, Aria?!" Natsu asked me, his fist bumping my shoulder.

I stop rubbing my chin and grin. "I nearly bit through my tongue. I'm so ready to knock this guy on his ass."

We charge again. It's like the last time. This guy's energy doesn't wane no matter how many times I can get a hit on him. "This is a holy war!" Byro snaps as I hit the ground, rubbing at my face angrily. "That sacred mission is the sole purpose of the Legion Platoon. The misguised principles of a measly guild can't even compare. If consuming fire is another manner of magic, then I will neutralize it as well."

"Yeah?" Natsu groans. "Try it!"

"That's cheating!" Romeo exclaimed.

"Why don't you fight them fair and square, old man!" Happy cried.

"Or just give up!" Lucy snapped.

"Weak and helpless fools like yourselves are unfit to lead this world out of darkness." Byro snapped.

"What'd you call me?" Natsu growled.

Byro snatched Natsu's collar and lifted him upwards. "A coin-chasing wretch couldn't possibly understand what we fight for." Byro slams him against the ground. "In this world of misery, people will cling to anything that provides hope. And if that happens to be Zentopia, then cling to it they shall! As so do we... so if the Archbishop orders us find the clock... then that's what we'll do! If that order requires to sacrifice ourselves or others to succeed... then so be it. It's our duty... The greater good must be served."

I flopped over onto my belly and tried to get back up from the onslaught he laid upon us. "That doesn't make any sense!" Romeo complained.

"I didn't understand it... but whatever you said, I know you're dead wrong!" Happy cried.

"No kidding! Don't you care that people are suffering because of you and your mission?! Are you that heartless?!" Lucy shouted.

"It is foolish to act on emotion. It solves nothing. To reveal the course of righteousness, and to walk it's path unfettered... We are faced with difficult decisions and we are forced to make sacrifices. The world is filled to the brim with contradictions... I believe we are all painfully aware of that fact. Therefore, it is only logical that the path I've chosen will end in sacrifice." Byro explains as he continues to beat on us.

"Making difficult choices..." Michelle murmurs. "That must be rather easy for you."

"What?" Byro snapped.

"You said, you follow your cause, to make choices instead of listening to your emotions. That's just a strategy to avoid feeling guilty. Harden your heart to suffering and you can justify any decision." Michelle hums.

I give a sharp shriek as I'm suddenly lifted up and embraced. "I'm a little lost on all this philosophy jargon, so why don't we just make out? Sound good?" Dan asks.

"You dare dispute the principles of righteousness with me?!" Byro snaps as I struggle against Dan, trying to flee but the ache in my body is making it nearly impossible to squirm away.

"Get down, Ri-Ri--" Dan shoves me to the ground again before he gets pelted with Natsu.

"Stop it, now! This is rigtheous? If you ask me, you're all just a bunch of bullies!" Ballad squeaked as she pressed her little paws against my battererd face.

"Yeah, this is just like what we saw in Edolas..." Happy explained as he took a step forward. "Those in power making everyone else suffer and give up their freedom in the name of some fake righteousness! Any path that hurts innocent people will never lead to the greater good... In fact, it's nothing but a dead end! If you're willing to follow that path, then what does it say about you, huh?! Even fish are born free to swim along any currentt that they choose! It's the same for guild rats like us! We decided to use our magic to help people who need it! Yes, it is our job and we get paid for it, but, in return, they get happiness! That's how we got to where we are! That's how a guild works! Fairy Tail will never lose to somebody like you! Cause fake righteousness won't help anyone!"

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Byro snapped as I tried sitting up, only to collapse back onto the ground. "You dare ridicule the followers-- no, all of Zentopia to that extent?!"

"You bet we do!" Ballad squeaked as she joined Happy's side. "Cause you should be ashamed!"

"Wow, way to go, buddy," I mention as Lucy helps me stand. "You tell him."

"That's right," Lucy beams. "Fairy Tail members listen to what's in our hearts!"

"Our guild is about helping anybody who needs it!" Romeo exclaims.

"ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE!" Byro shouts, his staff jutting up and beginning to glow. "Time for your divine punishment!"

"That's what you think!" Romeo barks.

"Take him down!" Happy shouts.

"GET BACK HERE!" Natsu bellows.

"Romeo!" Lucy cries.

"Ballad, no!" I shout.

"Lord Byro! Are you mad?!" Dan barks. "You can't use Divine Arrow on people! You'll kill them!"

"I shall turn you to dust." Byro growls as his magic arrow grows bigger and bigger above him. "Now burn and be purified in the fire...Of your own sins!" We all run towards them, trying to save them in time. The arrow sails straight overhead.

"He missed?!" Lucy gasped.

I sling my gaze over and gasp loudly. "Coco?" I murmur.

"Coco! What are you doing?!" Byro snapped as she kept her foot on his staff, angling it away from the others.

"Zero points, Lord Byro!" Coco retorts. "Please, you have to stop! All the suffering... All of the chaos we've caused on our mission... That isn't what the Legion Platoon or Zentopia stands for! We should be using our strength to protect the weak. Instead of just breaking them down we should be building them up and showing them the way! What's righteous about slaughtering our flock? Don't you see? It is hypocrisy... And I simply can't abide it any longer."

"Blasphemy... How dare you turn your back on our doctrine!" Byro growls down at her.

"I'm fully aware of the penalty for betraying the Legion Platoon. But, I can no longer see the righteousness at thee end of this path, sir!" Coco pleads.

"Righteousness is like an arrow... It pierces through all in an unwavering line to arrive at one thing; truth! Are you telling me that teaching has been lost on you?" Byro snaps.

"If the arrow must pierce through the hearts of lost lambs in order to find what is right, then it's wrong! And it should be snapped in pieces!" Coco cried.

"What?!" Byro barked.

"Lord Byro, I still believe we can do good... but I've realized there's more to me than just a doctrine. After seeing the way these people act-- how they see the world-- I can't help but be filled with warmth and happiness. And I'm sure if you opened your heart to them, you might start to feel the same way that I do." Coco explains with tears in her eyes.

"Coco--" Bryo growls. "YOU'VE BEEN CORRUPTED! YOU WRETCHED TRAITOR!"

"Don't do it!" Dan pleads loudly.

"You will not be allowed a tribunal!" Byro bellows. "The only thing that awaits you... is justice!"

"Coco!" Lucy cries as she tries running for her.

"Goodbye... Princess Lucy... thanks..." Coco murmurs softly. "I really wish... you and I could've become friends..."

My nose twitches as a familiar scent enters the room. "YOU!" Byro shouts as the smoke clears.

"The chance to cross swords didn't present itself before, but at last we meet." Erza snapped. "Prepare for battle!"

"Titania--" Byro snaps.

"Do not speak my name! It disgusts me to hear it said by someone who would turn on their allies... You're despicable!" Erza snarls.

"Erza!" We all cheer.

"We're not in the habit of putting up with bullies like you, old man," Gray's voice rings out.

"Gray! And Juvia!" Happy cheers.

"Holy crap-- It's Ice Princess!" I chirp loudly as I point at Lyon.

"Come on... is this old timer really giving you that much trouble, dragon losers?" Gray teased.

"It's not like I got infinite ice to chew on, so get your butt down and gimme a buffet before we take him on together!" I shout back with a grin.

"Everyone's here--" Lucy stammered as Natsu threw a tantrum. "And they found the other clock pieces!"

"Even Gajeel's here!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Carla's group hit pay dirt, too!" Ballad cheered.

"And with our piece... we've almost got the whole set!" Romeo beams.

"As you can see... we've obtained all five clock pieces, save one. Hang over what you stole from Lucy and we'll leave in peace." Erza orders. "I'll only ask once."

"Then you'll have to take it from me... Titania." Byro retorted.

"You're outnumbered, Byro." Erza retorted. "We'll take them alright and seal them. Now... be smart. It's over... Surrender it!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Byro snaps. "The Infinite Clock was originally Zentopia's property. Destiny demands that we watch over it."

"What?" Coco stammers.

"Is that true?" I ask as I turn my gaze onto Dan.

Dan rubs at the back of his head. "I'm... not to sure about that one."

"You're lookin' for somethin' that you're not sure even belongs to you guys?" I snap irritably. "What an idiot."

"You guild rats have become too involved in this... You've glimpsed into a darkness that the world should never know... Because of that, I cannot allow you to leave here alive." Byro explains.

"Enough! Prepare yourself!" Erza commands.

Everyone launches their attacks and I fight back from groaning irritably. "What happened?!" Gray exclaimed as the attacks were nullified. "Did he just block all of them!?"

"Even with our numbers!" Erza gasped.

"Magic attacks don't work on him," I mention through chewing on a block of ice Ballad had managed to make.

"This'll be interesting," Erza huffs.

"I think you mean annoying," Gray retorts.

"Right? Now I'm just a lame ol' average talking cat." Happy mentioned.

"One spell or a thousand; it makes no difference... In my presence, wizards cease to be wizards entirely." Byro hums.

"What about cats?" Happy asked.

"There's still one option left." Erza hums.

"If we can't use magic, we'll use our fists," Gray beams.

"How arrogant! I've been trained to fight barehanded against fifty opponents at once, you won't even warm me up!" Byro exclaimed.

"Well, well... Sounds like the old man's fired up!" I mention impishly.

"Please, stay focused," Erza hummed. "He's a very proficient fighter."

"Sounds like a challenge." Gray mentions excitedly.

The hairs on my neck stand on end as that strange scent returns from the clock piece. "Aw, man--" I grimace as I sink to my knees, clutching my nose tightly. "That's the-- the stench of evil--" I mutter, my forehead resting against the floor. I can barely squint at the awful smell. The clock pieces all fly upwards.

"Big sis! Look!" Michelle chirps. "The clock!"

"I-I see it... but, what's happening?!" Lucy stammers.

There's a harsh ringing against my ears as the clock forms together. "My ears are bleedin'!" Natsu barks as he helps me stand.

"That's some alarm clock!" Happy exclaimed.

"The tomb is collapsing!" Erza stated.

"It can't be-- why now?" Lucy whimpered.

"This ain't the time to space out!" Gray exclaimed. "Let's scram!"

"That smell... but how?" Natsu murmured. "Keep your guard up! We're in real hot water, now!"

My eyes are still watering as I try getting a whiff of whatever the hell he's talking about. And I do smell it, through all the nasty gunk of the clock. How the hell they were here, I had no clue.

"No way," I murmur. "The Oracion Seis is still active?"