A Metal Rose

🌹 The Final Battle

This ones a doozy. 

The small group of wizards from Fairy tail were close to the castle, so close that they could see the holes in the roofs. If they didn't know better, they could have passed the castle off as abandoned. 

As of right now, they were huddled in another abandoned building, watching Lil and keeping a look out as the older woman set a small place up. 

   "Okay," Lil breathed out. "Okay, small camp is set up. We'll meet up here when you guys are done."

  "Great, can we go?" Gajeel grunted, already starting to make his way towards the castle. But an armored arm stopped him from going any further. His red eyes slowly traveled to meet Erza's unflinching gaze. 

Like she was reading his thoughts, Erza replied in a cool voice. "We need to make a plan. A real plan."

   "Storming the castle isn't a real plan?" Natsu furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance. 

   "Not while dealing with Serpents." Erza answered. 

   "They're just another dark guild, aren't they?" Gray asked, arms crossed his shirtless chest. 

   "Come on guys, even I know the answer to that." Lucy sighed, closing her eyes in disappointment.

    "Do you guys at least remember the graph Mira wrote a while ago?" Levy asked. At Natsu's confused look, Gray's hand in the 'kinda' movement, and Happy's perplexed expression, she sighed as well. "Okay, well, basically Serpents are near the top of the dark guild radar. At least the fifth or fourth rank."

   "So. . .?"

   "It's means they're dangerous."

   ". . .On a scale of one to ten, how dangerous?" 

   "Juvia feels like this isn't the best moment to ask that. . ."

   "We don't have time for this!" Gajeel snarled. Daella nodded in agreement. 

   "We don't know where she is, what they're doing to her, and how many people are actually there!" Daella shrugged off Lily's paw as she started to pace. "It doesn't help that I can't do anything!"

   "Daella, you're going to stay here with Pantherlily, Happy, Carla, and Lil-"

   "Now hold on a second!"

   "I will not just let Wendy go by herself-!"

   "Are we sure that's wise?"

   "Yes," Erza interrupted their complaints. "I'm sure this is the best decision. You four need to stay out of the fight and with Lil, just in case someone shows up that isn't suppose to."

   "Like her?"

The group of fairies and there plus one whirled around to face the stranger Happy oh-so-quickly pointed out. Lucy gently pulled Lil to stand behind her, but made a point to stand behind Natsu. 

Gajeel lifted a studded brow at the appearance of the woman in front of them. Her dead eyes slowly ran over the members of the group, barely even stopping. Her skin was so grey and tight, he swore he could count every bone on her body just by glancing at her. 

All in all, she looked like complete and utter shit. 

But she looked like to have been there for a while.

   "I didn't even hear her. . ." Gajeel spoke. 

   "I didn't smell her, either," Wendy added. Natsu took a whiff of the air, before plugging his nose. His eyes watered.