Darkness (Episode)

is the 57th episode of the Fairy Tail anime. It first aired on December 6, 2010.

Erza Scarlet is healed, Nirvana is found and Midnight commences his hunt. Nirvana's activation causes Sherry Blendy to fall to the darkness and attack Gray Fullbuster while Hoteye joins the Light Team in their quest to stop Oración Seis.

Synopsis
Everyone hears the explosion Racer caused, then Gray Fullbuster and Sherry Blendy watch it with wide eyes. Gray doesn't believe that Lyon Vastia is dead and goes down to search for him, while Sherry starts to ask herself whose fault Lyon's death is. Meanwhile, Jura Neekis finds one of the Oración Seis, Hoteye. Their battle commences where they seem evenly matched, for Jura's Magic hardens the earth while Hoteye's softens it.

Elsewhere, Natsu Dragneel finds Erza Scarlet, Lucy Heartfilia and Hibiki Lates with Wendy Marvell, Happy and Carla. Wendy is woken up by Natsu and she apologizes suddenly for resurrecting Jellal Fernandes. However, Natsu doesn't care about that yet and asks her to heal Erza, to which she quickly complies.

At the same time, Cobra follows Jellal because he can't read his thoughts. Jellal stops in front of a huge tree that Cobra has never seen before. Jellal touches the tree and then a black light bursts out of it. Cobra discovers that this is Nirvana.

At Erza's group, Wendy finishes healing Erza, so everyone is happy about it but Carla tells them to refrain from asking Wendy to use her Sky Magic because it takes up too much of her power. However, it doesn't effect their fighting spirit. Everyone is ready for the counterattack when Erza wakes up. They suddenly see the black light that erupted from the ground and Hibiki realizes that it is Nirvana.

Everyone who saw the black light became surprised. Natsu, thinking it was Jellal, ran towards it while Wendy blames herself for its appearance. At Ren Akatsuki's and Eve Tearm's place, they see something coming out of a tree flowing toward the light. They also discover that it is Nirvana and try to contact Hibiki but fail. The two split up, one heading towards the light while the other should continue looking for Wendy.

Gray continues to search for Lyon while Sherry stands by, continually asking who is to blame. She comes to a conclusion that it is Gray. Meanwhile, upon the appearance of the black light, Hoteye starts to act strangely during his battle with Jura.

Hibiki and Lucy realize that Erza is suddenly gone and must have left when she heard Jellal's name. Wendy struggles with her feelings of guilt and so Hibiki suddenly knocks her out with his Magic. As Natsu runs towards Nirvana, he is confronted by Harpuia, Racer's personal guild, but he quickly knocks them out anyway.

Hibiki explains the nature of Nirvana to Lucy, Happy and Carla. In its final stage, it switches light for darkness and vice-versa. However, in its first stage, it switches the personalities only of the people who are in the rift between light and darkness and those feeling negative emotions like Wendy. The reason he knocked her out was to protect her.

Meanwhile, Sherry falls into the darkness and attacks Gray with a tree and defeats him. Then she plans her next attack on the other Fairy Tail members. Hoteye also switches personality. Instead of talking about money, he talks about love and joins Jura to teach this to his allies too.

Elsewhere, Eve runs away from Midnight because his Magic doesn't effect him but he catches up fast and defeats Eve. Later, Hibiki tells his companions that Nirvana can be controlled so not everyone switches sides, just those that the controller wants...

Fights

 * Jura Neekis vs. Hoteye (started and concluded)
 * Natsu Dragneel vs. Harpuia (started and concluded)
 * Eve Tearm vs. Midnight (started and concluded)

Spells used

 * Ice-Make: Slide
 * Healing Spell
 * Force Blast
 * White Fury
 * White Fury
 * White Fury
 * White Fury

Abilities used

 * Hand-to-Hand Combat

Manga & Anime Differences

 * After Wendy heals Erza in the manga, Erza stirs immediately. However, in the anime there is a brief moment of doubt when she does not instantly make a sound.
 * When Erza opens her eyes in the anime, she thinks Jellal's name to herself, but this was not in the manga.
 * When Sherry attacks Gray in the manga, she uses Wood Doll to personify a tree which then grabs Gray by his throat. But in the anime, the tree sends out its roots which wrap themselves around his torso.
 * Eve was shown attacking Midnight before being defeated in the anime, but in the manga, it simply shows Eve already beaten.