Igneel awoke to horrid screams. Quickly he scrambled around to find Lucy and the twins missing. His moment of panic ended when her recalled that Lucy had taken the two on an overnight hunting trip. It was her first time taking the children as she was adament that they wouldn't accompany her until age six. Yesterday had been the pair's birthday.
His calm was short lived, however, as the screaming increased in volume and a roar he promised himself never to forget could be heard over the shouts. Acnologia.
Igneel hurriedly jumped into the air and flew towards the commotion. He didn't know how, or when, but the beast had found the twins and Lucy with intent on killing all three.
He saw a large area of trees crushed beneath the weight of the giant blue and black dragon as it attempted to locate the three blondes amidst the trees and underbrush. It roared again and a line of trees was blown over by the sheer force. Before the monster could attack Igneel rammed his body into that of Acnologia, throwing off his aim by just enough to spare the retreating form of Layla. He heard Lucy call his name in a voice filled with panic and worry.
"Take the children and run, Lucy." He bellowed. "I'll do what I can here but you must run."
She didn't need to be told twice. She turned on her heel, grasping the hands of her children and ran as fast as she could. Her bow and quiver bumped against her back as she ran. Layla and Iggy were both in tears, Lucy herself not too better off. She had forgotten how truly terrifying Acnologia could be.
While running she saw two large silvery blurs fly past her and towards Igneel, one being darker than the other. Grandine and Metallicana. Lucy smiled despite herself and in knowing that her friends were looking out for her.
The crashes resounded louder and almost knocked Lucy off her feet. Despite this, Lucy followed a homing instict towards a building she hadn't entered in over six years. To say she was frightened would be an understatement but that was quickly overshadowed by the fear of what lay behind her.
"Momma," Layla huffed from Lucy's left. "Where are we going?"
"Are we leaving Grampa with the scary monster?" Iggy panted. "Will he be alright?"
Lucy took a moment of her precious time to console her weeping children. "Grampa will be fine. Aunty and Uncle are helping him but we have to leave as quickly as possible. Everything will be alrigght." An explosion shook the ground and she gripped the pair's hands tighter. "I hope."
With that said the blonde turned to run once more. Lucy didn't know how long it would take for them to get there but she hoped it wouldn't be too long.
Thankfully she arrived in Magnolia the next morning and stumbled down the street. They had taken no breaks for food or rest so all three were bone tired and famished. Lucy was carrying ayla and the only thing keeping Iggy upright was his male pride that said he shouldn't burden his mother with being carried.
"We're almost there, Iggy. Are you sure you don't want me to carry you?"
"No Momma," He replied shakily. "You've got your arms full with Layla. And besides, as you said we're almost there."
The guild was in sight. Just a few more feet, when the spots in Lucy's vision grew larger and the ground rushed forward to be the first to welcome her home.
Gray picked that exact moment to come crashing out of the guild. Before he could stomp back in to and shout insults to the idiot that had thrown him the collapsed woman and children caught his eye. The woman looked to be blonde but her hair was sun-stained and fanned out to below her waist. He clothing looked hond fashioned, tribal even. She wore a loose, peach colored peasant blose and a loose, chesnut praire skirt flared to her knees. The children held similar hair colors and the one he assumed was female wore a calf-length, pale blue dress. Her brother wore a shirt of the same color along with mud brown shorts.
"Guys," He called into the guild. "I'm gonna need some help out here." Erza and Mira - being two of the ones not on missions - took the children in, leaving the woman with Gray. He almost dropped her when he saw her face.
"Oh my god," He whispered. The face was marked by two crossing scars and tanned from constant sun but he would never mistake it. "Lucy." Sure enough, the blonde in his arms could be no other.
Igneel had succeded in driving Acnologia away but did not escape unscathed. His ches was bleeding and his back legs held a limp.
"Igneel, let me heal you."
"No, Grandine. We must ge to Lucy. I fear that bastard may try to get her while we're injured and away from her. If I know Lucy she went to Fairy Tail, probably passed out on the way through the door. We need to get there."
"Yea, yea, we get it you glorified match stick. Now get your ass in gear so we can get to Lucy before the damn Grim Reaper." Metallicana growled.
"Agreed." Grandine chimed before launching herdelf into the air to follow after Lucy's fear-filled scent. As soon as the steple of Kardia Cathedral was made visible over the horizon, fate - more accurately named Acnologia - played a cruel hand as a mass of dark energy swirled around the trio, sending them plummeting to Earth in their human forms.
Keeping her wits about her, Grandine used her magic to create a buffer of wind that set them down gently onto the ground. "And with that," She said. "I'm out of magic." SHe almost collapsed if not for Metallicana catching her. "Whoa, now," He said. "You still gotta help ah-for-brains here so he can at least walk. You I have no problems carrying. Him? Not so much."
"Alright, I'll try. But just the basics. TIme is precious and we need as much of it as we can get." Grandine said as she gulped down some air.
Igneel's wounds were now more pronouced while in HUman form. His leg was fractured in two places and his shoulder was dislocated. Many of his ribs were broken and a large gash across his chest was all but pouring blood. His arm was bent unnaturally and she was sure it was broken. He wasn't moving, either.
Metallicana had only a few broken ribs and a whole ton of scratches and bruises since he had used his iron scales. She herself was also not uninjured but her sprained wrist and ankle would have to wait.
She healed the gash on his chest and left the others 'for Wendy' before passing out completely. Their human forms were weaker than their dragon forms but even then Metallicana was still strong enough to carry his two comrades the rest of the way to Fairy Tail. Igneel thrown under his arm and Grandine secured over his shoulder.
Or, so he thought.
By the time he opened the door and took a step in, his vision blurred and he was out like a light along with his two companions.
What will happen next, I wonder?
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