Classical Viperhat take on the FT ending.
Poor bastards…
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
It had all come to a head that night…
Everything they had been fighting for, everything they've sacrificed. The ever-looming reality of their situation had been cloaking them with a guttural feeling of doom since the beginning. Banter was less lively, as if the spectre of death had come and let his malice wash over all of them. She could remember the laughter, the fighting and the parties, they were all different than before. The laughter was forced, the feeling of subdued worry and repressed demon of abject terror was breaking through, forcing them to try and find humour in anything just to keep their worries at ease for everyone else.
The fighting was desperate, that was the only way she could see it at least. Natsu and Gray's attacks were less friendly and more focussed, the reality of the situation hitting them before anyone else – surprisingly – which caused their arguments to become more vicious, as if one would try and provoke another into attacking in a frenzy-like rage that would either turn them into a pulp or give them a reason to lay down on a target. But she could see them still, their faces outwardly showing their anger and rage – directed at one another – but she could see their true faces…
They were scared- no, they were terrified…
Given the situation, she couldn't blame them at all.
Ever since the oh-so loathed declaration had been announced by the damned Magic Council, the council that now ceased to exist, the world just seemed much darker, bleaker, as if the world itself knew of something they didn't. The rain felt more heavy, wetter in some instances, though it were impossible to be Juvia, she had never been seen since Gray had rejected her – a month before the declaration – her whereabouts unknown…
The weather was bad, the sun felt colder, as if it had the life drained out of it, the storms that began to grow in size, scale and commonality became almost impossible to live in and the ever presence hot chill that tingled in the air was felt by everyone. Children would whimper or outright cry, the adults would shake – in anger, fear or otherwise varied – the world became hell for those following weeks. Everyone waited in anticipation either for their demise or their call to duty.
Hot tears rolled down Lucy Heartfillia's face like a damn had burst, in many ways, it had. Everything had gone completely wrong in a matter of hours, everywhere she looked, bodies were strewn across the once beautiful town of Magnolia with faces blown to bits, broken or mangled in some terrible way or another. The faces that were somehow still in tact were the worst though, destroyed corpses were nothing new to her, she had faced terrors worse enough to make most experienced mages wet themselves, but the expression of a fear the demonstrated just how little left of a person there was is never an experience one simply shook off.
But some of these people she knew, she had broken down when she came across the gut-wrenching sight of Levy and Gajeel, the latters face having been burned so badly on one side she could only tell it was him when she noticed her best friend next to him. Levy's face was contorted into a visage of pained horror and it became clear when Lucy remembered looking down and screaming at the gory sight of her best friends body being messily cut in two by a slim, yet heavy piece of the wall that had been blasted apart by one of those bastards from Alverez.
But it had gotten worse..
She shook her head harshly, doing her damnedest to dispel the evil memories that lurked too closely to her mind. Pain suddenly registered in her head and she looked down in fear, only to see her finger digging into her hand hard enough to bring blood out to bleed down her clearly stained digits.
The dull pain made her grimace, but she was more focussed on anything else. As long as it could take away her pain for a moment. She stared out to the blackened sky, ray of sunlight piercing through the thick, evil clouds becoming slightly more widespread through the sky. From how the thick plumes of black smoke and wails filled the sky it was almost like the clouds above were being fed by the sorrow of millions and the destruction of a country.
They had won… But Fairy Tail hadn't… She hadn't.
The potent smell of smoke and dust filled her senses, making her cringe before covering her nose and mouth with her hand. The sheer heat of the situation a few hours ago was still slightly burning her, likely everyone else too. Though she didn't mind, it was all she had left in some regards…
Finally, her body screamed at her to move and she reluctantly obeyed, quietly plodding through the remains of her home. From every conceivable angle she could hear the muffled sobs and sharp screams of agony and anger. She would have helped them, but there would be no point, the victims would likely die anyway and her tolerance for seeing the horrors of war had long since shattered…
She tried to ignore the pitiful sight of Elfman Strauss as she approached the barely standing Guild. The big man gently cradling his little sister as Mirajane lay beside him, her eyes closed and body clearly stiffened, the three of them situated next to the broken entrance, Lucy could feel the lack of life in her soul and it made her feel just as empty as the body of the eldest sibling.
Whatever was left of her heart went out to Elfman, he had lost Lisanna before, but at least he still had Mirajane, but this damned war had cost him both of them. She looked around and saw many others and let out a heavy sobs as she watched Macao lay down his dying son. Romeo's head lulling side to side as Wendy – to the right of Macao – desperately tried to stabilise him to no avail. Who knew how many souls Wendy was unable to save, how many deaths she would feel responsible for…
She didn't deserve this, who deserved this?
Lucy felt her body warm up intensely, as a feeling of pure hatred came over her, Zeref, Achnologia, Alvarez… They deserved this fate, they did this to them, caused everything she would have to live with forever more. If she could do anything to them her mind would work overtime just finding ways to make them scream themselves raw like so many around had.
But they were dead, all dead and she had nothing and no-one to vent her hatred on…
Gulping, she decided to make her way to Elfman first, almost turning back a his broken whispers made intelligible by his uncontrollable sobbing. He looked so broken, his huge, heaving frame moving spastically as he tried and utterly failed to control himself.
"Elfman..." She weeped silently for him before hugging him from behind, she felt the big man suddenly stiffen, then relax a little before silently shaking. "I'm so sorry..." The clouds grew blacker, snuffing out most of the sunlight that was piercing through before...
"Lucy..." He whispered. Unable to take his head away from the crook of his dead sisters neck. "I don't… I wan-… Oh, Lissie, Mira, i'm sorry… I'm so sorry."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
(2 hours before)
"Duck!" Elfman boomed before violently throwing one of the many Alverez guards into a gorup of his buddies behind Lisanna, who had jumped out of the way in response to her brother command.
He growled, these dirty bastards tried to attack fairy tail, big mistake no man should make as far as he was concerned. They had blown out the defence's on Magnolia's shoreside and assaulted from the air with blimps, but Erza and Gray had been able to take down the commander of the fleet, Gray had impressively skewered half of the ships with momentous triple coiled spears that spanned from the ground, halting most of the attack whilst Erza had gone in and battled it out with the leader, taking him out with some trouble.
But he was stuck with his sisters, taking out the heavily entrenched army nearing Magnolia from Hargeon. His rage grew as he watched Laxus drop to the ground, dead as a horrible abomination landing in front of his defeated foe. The Dragon Slayers condition had clearly left him unable to fight, and he paid the price by doing so anyway.
He and his siblings had been finishing up the fodder, throwing them around and breaking them with their fists and blasts of magic. It had gone well until the damn Machina decided to join the fight, although it had been the toughest fight he'd ever had, with his sibling, they barely managed to destroy the abomination…
The Machina was likely the leader as the entrenched enemy began to lose its morale and co-ordination. Giving the army and rebellion more ability to advance and drive the forces off.
All he and his sister was take out the stragglers…
"Nice work!" Mirajane smiled sweetly. Stepping in front of Lisanna and patting Elfman on the shoulder. He grinned and looked down to her, seeing his little sister waving to him behind Mira.
"Now all we have to do is- watch out!" He yelled, his widening eyes shifting to his left as he frantically jumped to the side. He panicked, he had seen the Alverez soldier standing up and throwing a rune towards them and all he had time to do was avoid the resulting explosion.
He heard something that sounded like a scream beyond the explosion. But he couldn't tell, the force of the runes blast shook the earth below him and the sound made his ears ring.
He closed his eyes until he saw fuzzy spots, everything stood still from his point of view, all he heard was the pitter patter of rubble and rocks and the silence that slowly took over save for the distant rumbling of collision between Fairy Tail, the guard and the enemy.
Slowly, he looked up, looking around and seeing no Alverez troop standing, though the feet were still close by…
"Mirajane, Lisanna!" He called out, pain shooting up through his chest from the impact of his dive. He had probably broken a rib, though Mira could probably patch him up for now..
"Mirajane, I might need your help here." He grunted. "I think my ribs are broken, I don't know though."
Silence…
A cold sweat began to form on his face.
"Mira?"
Nothing…
"Lisanna?"
Slowly he turned his head over.
And his world shattered….
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"I'm sorry." He whimpered over and over, unresponsive to anything empty platitude Lucy could probably say to him. "I don't… Please, wake up! I….. Please..."
She gave up… he was too lost in his own grief to look at her, all she could do was hope for the best with him.
She suddenly heard Wendy start to cry, turning around, her eyes were greeted by the sight of Romeo, finally laid to rest by his now mourning father. His eyes red and his body looking older than she had ever seen him look.
Even the youngest of their people weren't spared the suffering…
Slowly, she walked up to the curled up Dragon slayer and picked her up. She was about to fall asleep any minute now and shouldn't have to wake up next to her best friend.
So she walked up to the broken entrance and stepped through. She almost wished that she hadn't, looking around only brought her more pain, the faces of the dead were just as littered around as they were outside. She could see Laxus and Evergreen covered over by one of the many blankets, Bixslow and Freed standing over them, Bixslow solemnly hunching, tensions wrung tightly into his body as he watched over his two friends. Freed outwardly sniffling and gritting his teeth and rage, tears streaming down his face as he stared at Laxus.
On the other side, a little further up, laid more bodies, but the ones that caught her attention were Wakaba and Gildarts. Somehow, Gildarts had been brought down by August, but not before Gildarts tore him apart with a well timed attack.
But she couldn't think about it now, even as Cana leaned over the orange haired man as she cried her eyes out. She could understand, she too, had lost her father, but she had not been close to her father in years before, Cana was getting closer if anything. To have it ripped away from you in the span of a few hours…
Lucy shut her eyes before finding Porlyuscia and handing her the now fitfully sleeping Wendy…
She had only one purpose of being here…
Walking further up, ignoring the cries and whimpers, Lucy timidly opened up the medical bay and looked at the Red-head sitting at the very far corner of the room. Somehow, the medical room had been left almost empty, besides her, Erza and the two bodies in the blankets in front of her.
Her heart clenched so hard she thought she had ruptured something when she gazed upon the silent and calm faces of the two boys who had all but changed the fate of magnolia, though boys was insulting, they were certainly men, they almost always had been.
Erza looked over to her and Lucy got a good look at the state she was in. He hair was matted, dirty and frazzled. Her beautiful face was marred with tears, both eyes leaking for what had obviously been for ages before she got here. Her short and hard breathing wasn't hard to pick up, not from the way her chest was heaving up and down as if she was trying to calm down, despite the obviously failing.
"Lucy..." She whispered, looking at her in a way that Lucy had never seen before, in a way that Lucy never wanted to see again.
Erza had the fight brutally beaten out of her, like all of her life and energy was sucked out of her by a wraith or demon. She wanted to die, she wanted nothing more than to perish like her friends had.
Suddenly, she bolted up and ran at Lucy before wrapping her arms around her and bringing her in close. Holding her tightly as she wept, the weight had shifted and Lucy found herself holding most of Erza up, like the batteries had gone dry and needed replacing. It suddenly occurred to her, in all her years of knowing Erza she'd have thought that it would be her holding herself close as she cried into Erza's arms. But here she was, holding the strong woman who was falling to pieces before her.
"Lucy" Erza moved, looking into her eyes as she tried to regain whatever was left of her control. "I don't know what to do..."
She heard something similar from Elfman…
'Isn't that the million jewel question...' She thought bitterly, What were they to do? Fairy tail could never be the same again.
"I watched them..."
"What?" Lucy looked at Erza, numb to a point where she struggled to feel anything.
Erza looked away, staring at Gray for what felt like centuries. Lucy wanted to cry all over again but couldn't, she had known that there was more than a connection between the two mages. But they never acted on it. Now Erza would forever regret her indecision…
"I watched them die..."
Lucy froze…
She knew what had happened, it was the reason she cursed the name Zeref, Alverez and Achnologia. Natsu had turned out to be Zeref's little brother, and had been given life due to the ancient ritual Zeref partook in.
E.N.D was real, and Zeref made sure his brother held the seemingly unrivalled power of the ultimate demon. When Achnologia had showed up, more people died on both sides and that was when Natsu had started going wild, tearing everything up in his path, killing anyone in his way as he tried to find Zeref, luckily he had come into contact with the feared mage only to find him dead, he then encountered Achnologia and took him down with little problem.
Gray had to kill him in the end, and it cost him his life too…
Everyone knew about it, most of the people alive watched the spectacle, it gave the rebellion all the time it needed to drive them out and finally take them down. But all most saw were huge chunks of fire and ice cascade and strike down upon two small figures…
If Erza had been right there…
"Oh Erza!" She cried, holding the woman closer and tighter. "I'm so sorry..."
Erza only sobbed in return.
"H-He told me how he felt… Before..."
'He-… Oh Gray…'
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
(50 minutes earlier)
"We did it!"
Erza turned around, wincing at the pain shooting through her body. Small spots appeared and disappeared at light-speed as she tried to overcome the sudden sensation, though her smile broke through when she saw the figure of her best friend closing in on her. Of all people she was holding hope of seeing again Gray was at the very top of that list and even though he looked to be banged up he was still walking.
Though her eyes caught the heavily bloodied bandage wrapped around his waist, stretching around his waist and over his right shoulder. His eyes were red and the left one was slightly blackened giving him the look of a victim of war…
Seeing alive and kicking… She couldn't stop the sudden burst of energy in her legs and nor did she want to, she felt magnetised to him, drawn towards his being at that moment, as if everything she had kept in was finally unable to be held back as she darted, stopping only when she had her arms around his neck, the loud banging sound along with his sudden pained grunt didn't register when she felt his own pull her in closer, wrapped around her waist as she seemingly tried to pour every inch of her love for the man into the gesture.
"Gray… I can't describe how good it is to see you alive." She winced at her own wavering voice, her trembling body gave away her worst fears and before she knew it, he began to tremble too.
"Same here..." He said reluctantly, she could tell he was trying to say something else, she knew because she was also trying tell him things that she had kept hidden for so long. "Erza, I-"
"I know..." She cut him off, knowing what he was going to say. She looked at him and felt herself leaning in. Her brain going haywire as she fought off the trepidation she was feeling, the effort was made easier when he too started to lean down.
Then it happened…
His lips pressed against hers, her mind gave in to the need and she clumsily began to return the kiss in full enthusiasm. Years and years of wanting and love poured into one single moment. To Erza it was the best way to end a war, and a better ending to her hiding and denial than she had ever thought possible.
Slowly, after what felt like an eternity, they pulled apart. Silently ecstatic, Erza looked at him with a passion he had probably not seen on her face before.
"I take that as a yes, then?" Gray grinned. His eyes watering as his emotions began to take over.
She lightly slapped his shoulder. "Yes! Yes, you dolt!"
"Thank god for that..." He laughed wetly. "I was- uh hoping you'd say yes."
He was so adorably awkward that it took all of her willpower not to stroke his cheek right there.
The war was taxing, taking her friends and family like they were swimming certificates, Magnolia suffered a lot of damage, but it was nothing they couldn't repair in time.
But her family… this would change them all, but at least she could say that she came out of the exchange with Alverez with Gray… Among all of the darkness, the pain and suffering, she would have him to support her and her for him.
But without warning, Gray tensed. His loving eyes becoming colder and wary as he looked away and over her head. His muscles clenched and the man she was holding sucked in a harsh breathe…
That was when she felt it…
A dark, horrible sensation poured over her, brutally destroying her resolve and leaving her feeling hopeless. The power of the feeling gave her chills, spine-tickling chills that made their way up her back and into her brain, leaving her feeling the cold grip of fear.
It was like the gates of hell itself had been swung open, giving the demons of the realm full reign on the land of the living…
Then it happened…
Her ears were filled with the horrifying scream.
It was angry, so very angry. The pain felt within made her insides turn to jelly, Erza wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball and cry for the rest of her life as her ears continued to be assaulted by the evil noise.
"No..." Gray whispered… "Not now..."
She was about to ask him what the hell he was talking about, before she felt the sudden heat hit her like a train. Intense and unwavering in its force and temperature. She felt like her body was going to incinerate on the spot if she continued to stay there…
"Erza… He gone off the deep end..."
The cold chill suppressed the burning sensation as she processed those words, going numb at the conclusion…
"You mean…"
He nodded solemnly…
E.N.D was awake. And only Gray had the ability to stop him…
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Lucy continued to hold the woman in her arms as she staved off the intense churning her gut was experiencing. They had both died in that resulting fight, Erza had seen Gray struggle to contain the impossibly overwhelming force that was E.N.D and how he had finally managed to break even when he finally let loose to…
She had watched them both die, with Natsu following after the injuries he had sustained. Apparently he had apologised and cried all the way to the death. It was no way someone like him should have died. He deserved a peaceful death, not one of pain and misery, but that was what had been given.
And he would have to exist with the pain and guilt forever…
The damn burst…
Her eyes finally teared up once again and she suddenly broken down along with her only remaining team member left.
"I –" Erza choked, trying to speak through her unending sorrow. "I want to die..."
Lucy only cried harder at the admission… That was it, the Titania had finally been broken beyond saving. This war was truly hell brought upon Earthland.
"I want to be with him, not here… Please," She broke again, trying to quell her sobs for a split second. "I want to wake up… This is a nightmare..."
"I know." Was all she could say, patting her friend on the back.
She truly did…
From this day on, fairy Tail was never going to be the same, happy guild it was before. The laughter, the insults, the energy. It would all be different now… Lucy gave up and just let herself be taken, taken by the whirlwind of anger and pain that consumed the entire country…
Everything eventually comes to an end, but she, along with everyone else wondered why it had to end in ashes and embers…
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Well, that was fucking great… XD
My sadism has been satisfied for the time being…
Here's a question for you all, though:
1) If you had to kill off any character in Fairy Tail, how would you kill them and why?
Because I want to know how sadistic we can all get…
I'll see you next update anyhow,
-Viperhat