Natsu was in the dark. There was a tidal wave of noise around him, colors and shapes dancing in the distance. He tried to move toward them but he was stuck. Chained. Left in this darkness. The black air condensed around him. The colors got farther, the noise faded, until both were completely gone. He was on his knees, but he couldn't feel the ground beneath him. His chest moved, but he couldn't breathe. All there was, was darkness.
Then a light appeared above him. He craned his head up to see it, squinting his eyes. A single white dot in this land of black. It shone down on him, barely distinguishable. Then he noticed another, and another. More and more they appeared, just little dots in the sky. They kept coming until Natsu wasn't looking up at blackness, but a sea of white.
Natsu thought someone was screaming. He heard it, a rising crescendo filled with pain and misery. It came out of the white. A single, pure scream.
A wave of energy knocked into him, rolling through his body and leaving his fingertips tingling. He blinked, shocked back into reality. The sand came back into view, and then the stadium, which was in turmoil. Voices were shouting all around him, but he still heard that scream above it all. He was kneeling, hands on either side of Nigrum Ferro's prone form. His red eyes still stared up at the stars, unseeing and oddly peaceful.
Another blast rocked through him. This time he recognized the feel of it, and his head darted up. The scream was louder, feminine, and his eyes widened when he saw the beam of light. It shot from the sky, golden and shining. It was coming from one of the observer boxes. For a moment the arena was bathed in that glow, that unearthly shriek splitting through the air.
The next, the arena exploded. The light burst outward, ripping apart stone and flinging people. Natsu turned away from the carnage, blinking the stars out of his eyes. He felt the glow bathing him, and this time he knew who was behind it. He had felt this magic in his own veins before.
When the blinding light disappeared, he looked back, and the sight knocked the breath from him. She was there, surrounded by the rubble, and she was glowing. Soft golden light filtered around her, weaving through her fingers and her hair. She was ethereal, arms spread and lights shooting from her fingers. But it was her eyes that had Natsu captivated. They were open, and burning as if two stars had taken residence in her face. She looked like a goddess, he thought. An angry one.
The scream was coming from her still-parted lips. A scream of anguish and heartbreak, filtering through the air and silencing everyone else. Natsu watched, frozen in place as she began to make her way across the field toward them. She glided over the rubble, stray spectators scrambling to get out of her way. Her eyes didn't move from their goal, and Natsu sat, paralyzed over Nigrum Ferro's body, as she moved closer and closer, her eyes burning brighter with every step.
She joined him, and her lips closed, cutting off the terrible sound. Her eyes found his, and he expected her to incinerate him there. A goddess come to earth. It would only be fair that he die to her wrath for his sins.
Surprising gentleness smoothed her features, and she reached out to brush a glowing hand across his forehead. Her skin burned him, sending waves of magic through his body. He grunted at the impact of it, feeling that it meant no harm, but it pushed against him harshly. Natsu's head bowed under the force of it, his magic being dragged out of the depths and rushing forward. He grit his teeth against the pain, feeling as if he was erupting from the inside out. The heat grew blinding, and just when he thought he might break, it stopped. Natsu felt some invisible line snap, and then he was free.
Gasping, he pulled back and gaped up. She had already moved away, kneeling beside Nigrum Ferro. Natsu blinked sluggishly, his mind muddled. He watched distantly as she placed one hand on Nigrum Ferro's mouth, the other on his chest, right over where he'd been stabbed. Her limbs glowed brightly against his skin. She closed her eyes, leaning down until her forehead was to his, and began whispering. Natsu did not recognize the ancient words, but he felt their power in his very core. His magic responded to it, thrashing and singing of freedom.
From a distance the position might have looked intimate, her hair falling to cover their faces. A silver tear slid down her still-glowing cheek, and onto the man's skin. While she leaned over him, Natsu realized with surprise that her glow was diminishing. It was being transferred into Nigrum Ferro's prone figure, until all that was left was a young girl leaning over a man.
When all the magic was sucked up, she leaned back back slowly, eyes still closed. She pulled her hands away, clasping them in her lap and tilting her head up to the sky. Her lips moved, muttering something silently, and then she became still. For a moment Natsu feared the very worst, but she suddenly gasped and opened her eyes. She blinked up at the stars, and slowly turned her head towards him. Her eyes stared at him, a soft brown.
She blinked owlishly, confusion and startlement crossing her features. Natsu would have laughed at the expression if he could figure out which way his emotions were going. As it was he was trying to wrap his head around what he had just witnessed. Something was roiling in him, and he felt his magic ebb and flow, testing this new freedom. He reached up for his neck, fingers meeting warm skin. He looked down and saw two halves of his collar sitting in the sand, completely destroyed by her magic.
The situation they were in seemed to come back to him immediately. He looked back over to where she'd destroyed the colosseum, seeing people running around in terror. Already he saw the figures she'd buried under the gravel rising, looking none too pleased. He heard shouts of fright, the stampeding of the crowd. His eyes darted to the imposing tower in the distance, but he could not see Zeref amidst the confusion.
A gasp pulled him back to the scene in front of him. He looked down, shock coursing through him when the man he'd just stabbed began to move. Nigrum Ferro jerked as life returned to him, coughing. For a second his eyes flashed, as blinding as the girl's had been. He blinked and they were normal, if not confused. He looked toward Natsu, brow furrowing.
The girl laughed, a wet sound that was clogged with tears, and attacked him with a hug. The other man froze, looking down at the female squeezing him to death. "Bunny Girl?" He murmured, a hand rising to pet the head of brown hair buried in his shoulder.
"You're okay!" She pulled back, her eyes burning ferociously in the torchlight. "You're okay."
"Apparently," Nigrum Ferro grunted, pushing her back, albeit with a gentleness Natsu didn't think the man possessed. He sat up slowly, fingers going to the spot where Natsu had stabbed him. He pulled his hand back, clean. "What?"
"We have bigger problems," Natsu interrupted, startling the two from their wonderings. They looked at him, mistrust shining in their eyes. To his surprise, it was Nigrum Ferro who nodded, pushing himself to his feet. He stumbled and the girl leapt to his side, putting an arm around her neck and helping him stand.
Natsu shoved himself up, head feeling light with the amount of power flowing freely through his veins. His magic rose to his arms, reassuring him, and he cautiously let it roll to his fingers. In seconds his hands were coated with thick flames that would burn anyone outside of himself.
"Well shit," Nigrum Ferro muttered, pale face alight in Natsu's flame. "And here I thought it was just a nickname."
Natsu snickered at that, his heart twisting with painful joy. "Is yours?"
Nigrum Ferro gave him a feral smile at that, and Natsu found he couldn't help but liking the man. In another world, he wondered if they'd have been friends.
"What happened here?" The girl whispered softly, taking in the chaos around them. Her eyes widened when she spotted two figures across the field. "Midnight! Cobra!"
The two men turned to see their oncoming threats. Natsu growled at the sight of another dragon slayer, one he knew he'd never be able to get along with. Cobra was a traitor, a vile snake. Speaking of which, Natsu saw that he was missing a familiar one twisting around his neck.
"You happened," Natsu told her in response to her question. He gave her a cursory glance. "Are you a goddess or something?"
He was only half-joking. As far as he knew, only the gods could bring people back from the dead. But the girl looked at him scandalized. "I–what? I'm not!"
"Wouldn't be too sure about that Bunny Girl," Nigrum Ferro said, absently rubbing that spot on his chest. Natsu felt the guilt course through him like a bucket of ice. His flames guttered, and he had to force them to steady.
She looked at them, her eyes dancing with some kind of emotion that Natsu couldn't place. It almost looked like panic, but that couldn't have been right. He wasn't allowed a closer look when she spun away, preparing to face her opponents. "Whatever happened, the plan is messed up now. Jellal said he found what we need. But this is the perfect opportunity."
Plan? Natsu looked between the two of them, and finally it clicked in his slow brain. "You're part of the resistance." It wasn't a question, and Natsu felt a bit of awe fill him. He'd heard tales about the resistance, each one grander than the last. Part of him had believed they were as real as the gods Igneel prayed to. The idea of anyone fighting against Zeref seemed ludicrous. But...here they were. And one of them could bring back the freaking dead.
He began to think the gods weren't sounding so far-fetched anymore.
The girl shot him a half-amused look, but turned at the sound of Nigrum Ferro's grumbled, "What's the perfect opportunity?"
"It's now or never," she replied. She straightened, and there was a dark, vengeful look on her face. It made her look older, and scarier. "I'm going to take out Zeref."
Natsu's mind went blank. Nigrum Ferro stared at her in surprise, then burst. "Yer what?! Ya think I'm gonna let that happen? Yer crazier than that red armor bitch queen if you believe that!"
But she was already dancing away. Neither of them had time to react before she ran, tossing a "Erza will kill you if she finds out that's what you call her," over her shoulder. She smiled winningly, and then she was gone, disappearing into the crowd of swarming people. They stared after her with open mouths.
"I'm gonna kill that woman," Nigrum Ferro growled, clenching his fists together. His teeth nashed irritably. "She's gonna die and then i'm gonna kill 'er again."
"Let's focus on you not dying again," Natsu said, approaching the tall man. Their two opponents were closer now, fighting against the swarm of people to reach them. Natsu reached up, grabbing the collar glittering around Nigrum Ferro's neck. "Now, let's see where you get your nickname from."
The collar was surprisingly easy to break with his renewed strength. The pieces fell to the floor at their feet, and Nigrum Ferro flexed his fingers, no doubt feeling the power return to him. He laughed that ridiculous sounding laugh, and Natsu couldn't help but smiling back.
They turned toward their opponent. "Try not to kill me this time," Nigrum Ferro said, snarky. Natsu bore his teeth in a fanged smile, and they prepared to meet their match.
Natsu grunted as he hit the ground, rolling to the side quickly to avoid a sword to the face. He twisted back onto his feet, his own blade rising to block a second hit. He grit his teeth, pushing back against the mad who was fighting him.
Cobra had glared when he'd spotted the pink-haired man amidst the chaos. He had warned Zeref it wouldn't be a good idea, but his king had not listened. And now he was fighting a fire lunatic with a flaming sword.
Indeed the metal was aflame, a trick that Natsu had always wanted to try. It didn't really do much, but it sure looked cool. Natsu figured he was going to die here, so he might as well go out looking good. Maybe someone would even write a song about him one day. The pink dragon with a blade of fire.
"Get yer head out of yer ass," Nigrum Ferro commanded from his right, ducking another one of Midnight's shadow spears. The man himself was not very threatening, and indeed he preferred his long range attacks. Adding to the fact that anytime Nigrum Ferro got too close, his hammer would simply be thrust away by an invisible force. He wasn't using his own magic, still too wiped out from his return to life to access it reliably.
"Focus on your own fight!" Natsu protested hotly, pushing off his back foot and shoving Cobra back. He avoided the quick slash the man sent to his side, barely dodging getting nicked. Poison was Cobra's poison of choice. The blades he used were coated with it. Natsu's burning right leg had learned that the hard way.
Natsu knew Cobra could have taken him out very easily. The poison dragon slayer had been trained in the same arts as Natsu, and he had comfortable access to his magic. Natsu's was being a fickle bitch. He could feel it thrumming, eager to be out and about after being hidden for so long. But it was too temperamental to do any serious moves with. He wouldn't dare attempt a dragon roar with Nigrum Ferro so close by. He'd burn them all as soon as he'd burn his enemies.
Nigrum Ferro and Natsu fought well together. They'd moved with a fluid kind of grace that only came from years of fighting together. They achieved it within minutes, dodging and trading partners with ease. Natsu had managed to get a few slices in on Midnight before they'd switched dancing partners. It appeared whatever magic he used couldn't defend against physical attacks.
Cobra, it seemed, was more interested in dominating than winning. A dragon slayer show of pride no doubt, but one that might guarantee them the victory. Natsu danced around another wide slash, breathing heavily. Still, it was hard to balance physical attacks and magic ones. He was releasing too much magic for a simple hit, he knew, but there was no outlet to control it. It'd been far too long since he'd had access to his fire. He was rusty, and him and Cobra knew it.
On top of that, Natsu was worried about that girl. Bunny something Nigrum Ferro had called her? She was crazy. Facing Zeref was crazy, even with the kind of power she wielded. If she could bring back life, than Zeref made sure things stayed dead. It wasn't a fight she could win, and he hoped for her sake that she never found the one she was searching for.
Natsu nearly bent over backward to dodge Cobra's sneaky roar. A plume of poison erupted over his face, and he quickly held his breath, turning away. His eyes stung from the fumes, but he refused to breathe it in.
Cobra laughed, jabbing at him again and again. Natsu parried and blocked, twisting behind some rubble to catch a breath. Mavis, he forgot how tiring this was. He made a silent promise to whatever gods were out there that he'd train his magic if he lived through this. The sky rumbled ominously as if in answer, and Natsu glared at it. A second later his safety was broken apart and he scrambled away, swearing.
Natsu stumbled back onto the field, glancing at his partner. It seemed Nigrum Ferro had broken through the barrier, and he was swinging his hammer at Midnight's unprotected face. He didn't have time to admire as Cobra was back on him in a second, cruelty lighting up his eyes.
He grunted, dropping a shallow slash to Cobra's knee. He was surprised when the hit landed, but it was short lived when steel bit into his shoulder. Natsu yelled, ripping himself away. He grabbed his shoulder, feeling blood and poison. The wound pulsed, and he felt his vision go hazy.
"The great Ignis Draco," Cobra seethed, prowling closer with a menacing smirk. "How the mighty have fallen. If only Zeref could see you now."
Zeref? Natsu thought woozily. Why would Zeref care about me?
"Golden child. The little angel boy." He scoffed. "There isn't anything angelic about you," the man hissed, eyes narrowing. Natsu stumbled backwards, nearly falling over on a stray piece of debris. Was it his imagination, or were there purple dragons floating around Cobra's head?
"You're crazy," Natsu mumbled.
"No," Cobra denied, stopping. His grip tightened on his sword and Natsu saw his eyes dart to his bare neck. Natsu's own gaze fell to the collar still around Cobra's throat. "I'm the only sane one here."
The man charged forward, and Natsu raised his sword to defend himself. His vision blurred and the flames had been put out, but he refused to go out lying down. He braced himself as Cobra neered, blade raised.
There was a rush of air, and the sound of something coming toward them. Cobra didn't have time to move when a block of iron slammed into him and sent him flying. The expression of shock on his face was priceless, but Natsu couldn't judge as his own mouth fell open.
"Seriously, do ya ever shut up?" Natsu turned to his savior with a grin. Nigrum Ferro was standing there, his arm thrusted outwards. Midnight lay in a bloody heap behind him, chest barely rising and falling. Nigrum Ferro's stance was wide, his face a little bloody, but a satisfied smirk on his lips. The image would have looked cool if Natsu weren't seeing little cartoon sparkles glitter around him. Or if his arm didn't appear to be made of metal.
Natsu blinked when Nigrum Ferro laughed, and that long piece of metal shrunk back into his body, becoming his arm. He blinked again. The sparkles were gone, but the not-metal arm was still there. Natsu wondered what kind of poison this was.
"Ya alright there Salamander?" Nigrum Ferro called. From where he lay in a crumpled heap, Cobra let out a pitiful moan. Natsu shook his head, stumbling toward his ally.
"Just fine," he grumbled, staggering over the rocks. "Only a little scratched. I'll be fine." He swooned, and Nigrum Ferro reached out to stop him from falling.
"Yer fucking high," he deadpanned, looking at Natsu's blown irises. The fire dragon slayer scoffed, his head flopping backwards. The stars reeled above him, and he swore he heard someone laughing at him.
"I'm fine, fine," he dismissed, swatting the man's hands away. He glared toward Cobra's form, which was still on the ground. "I coulda taken him." He wheeled on his partner. "Wait, what did you call me?"
Nigrum Ferro raised an eyebrow, apparent amusement on his face. "Salamander?"
Natsu frowned. He thought of Zancrow and his frown deepened. "I am not a salamander. I am a dragon."
His partner snickered. "Dragons don't get high off a little poison."
"I'm not high!"
A moan of pain broke their argument. They looked over to watch Cobra shakily raise himself onto his arms. He was gaping, having a little trouble regaining the breath in his lungs. The hit had broken a few of his ribs at the very least. Their bickering sobered as they approached him. Nigrum Ferro moved to finish the man off, but Natsu held out a hand. The man looked at him and nodded, backing off.
The poison might have been making him see a few weird things, but Natsu already knew how to end this. He bent to pick up his fallen blade, walking over to the downed man. Cobra glared up at him when he approached, but a leg facing the wrong direction assured them that he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
"You're gonna kill me," he spit, eyes full of hatred. Natsu didn't say anything, stopping in front of him with his sword held up. Cobra glared up at him and turned his head away. His eyes closed, acceptance running through his body. He only regretted that Cubellios was not with him, but perhaps that was for the better. He wouldn't have wanted her to see this, or suffer the same fate. "Make it quick."
Natsu looked down at the man. His brother, even if he felt no love for him. They were the same, deep down. He didn't know what had happened to make Cobra this way. He didn't know what prompted such deep hatred in his eyes, but Natsu had enough of playing god.
He lifted his sword and swung down.
The collar made a hissing noise when he cut it. It split in half, sparking, and fell to the ground. Natsu looked at it, at his brother who was staring at it with curiously wide eyes, and turned away. Cobra didn't say anything as he walked away, but Natsu hadn't expected him to.
He made his way back to Nigrum Ferro, exhaustion weighing heavily in his gut. The poison stung faintly, but he could feel that his magic had burned away the majority of it. His vision was still a little goopy around the edges, but there was only one Nigrum Ferro when he looked at his comrade.
The man was watching him with curious red eyes, but there was no judgement in that gaze. Natsu felt that he wouldn't have judged him if he had decided to follow through with the cut, either. He didn't seem like the sort of man who made his opinions known. Still, he thought he caught a glimmer of respect before he turned away.
They stood in the empty courtyard. Natsu looked around the colosseum, taking in the abandoned bleachers and trashed sides. How many times had he fought in this very spot? How many had he slain, simply because he had wanted to live a little longer? He looked down at the bloody field, and made a silent prayer to those gods again. Never again would he take someone else's life.
The sky grumbled in response.
Life was just not going Lucy's way.
She darted behind another pillar, the one she had previously been hidden behind blowing up in response to Angel's attacks. She panted, chest heaving, the cold stone digging harshly into her back. She knew she couldn't remain there long, but she needed a freaking break.
As soon as she'd snuck away from Gajeel and Natsu, she'd slipped back into the castle to head toward the throne room. It was where Zeref did most of his business, Jellal had informed her, and she expected that he'd be there if not somewhat close.
Thinking of Jellal made her feel bad. She didn't know what happened to the blue-haired man, or what had happened in general. One moment she'd been watching Natsu and Gajeel fight, then the next she was beside them and the world had gone to chaos. She felt drained, and there had been something odd in the boy's expressions, as if she were the one responsible for all of this.
Lucy heard the all-too familiar sound of air being sucked in. She sprinted away just as a blast of wind decimated the beam she'd been hiding behind. Angel's cruel laughter followed her behind the next pillar. They'd been playing this game for a good half hour, almost since she'd left the boys. Figured that she'd run into trouble as soon as they split up. It especially didn't help that her magic was null. Even pulling out enough to shield herself from falling debris had been a challenge that left her vision spinning.
A very vague part of her registered that Gajeel had died. She knew it, had felt it somehow. She'd sensed the moment when his soul had left, and then she'd broke. She knew she'd played some role in restoring him, though she couldn't begin to explain how. It was like someone else had entered her body, and she had just been a spectator. Her limbs had moved on their own, her lips whispering words that held no meaning to her mind.
Whatever she'd done had worked though, even if it left her feeling like she hadn't eaten for days. Lucy didn't care. She'd stopped caring when Gajeel had looked back at her, his eyes full of life. She didn't care how she'd done it or what it had taken from her. Gajeel was alive and nothing else mattered.
Of course then there was the matter of Natsu. Lucy wasn't sure how to feel about that. He'd killed Gajeel, even if a part of her knew it hadn't been on purpose. She'd seen the grief in his face, recognized his guilt, but that didn't stop a small part of her from hating him. She'd nearly lost something precious to her due to a stranger. A stranger she had risked her own skin to heal.
Yet, she trusted him. Her magic did at the very least, which was the sole reason she had left him with Gajeel. He was strong, he'd protect the stubborn iron dragon. If he didn't, she'd haunt him in the afterlife.
"Come out, come out little traitor," Angel cooed. Lucy dug her fingers into her skirt, or what was left of it. It had been burned off by the angel's first attack, and barely enough was left to cover her. She cursed their ridiculous fashions. She couldn't wait to return to pants.
At the very least her chains were gone. They'd seemingly melted off during her, well, whatever the hell she'd done. She wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Her hands and feet were free, and she could run without restriction. Of course, outside of the giant angel trying to blow her up.
How ironic that Angel commanded angels. Lucy had been confused when the girl had pulled out a couple of gold coins and thrown them in the air. That confusion cleared up pretty fast when a fifteen foot, golden freaking angel appeared out of thin air and tried to smite her out of existence.
She'd been dodging and weaving as much as she could, but it was about all she could do. She had no magic to defend herself with, and even if she did, she didn't know how to beat an angel. It was a gods damned angel for Mavis sake.
Another breath of air, and the pillar to her right exploded in a fiery inferno. Lucy gulped. She truly had no idea what she'd been thinking, running off to pick a fight with Zeref. Maybe she'd figured the plan was screwed and they'd all probably die, anyway. She truly had no self-preservation. She just hoped Gajeel was doing better than her.
"Get out here you filthy little rat!" Angel screeched, and another pillar across the room burst apart. "Face your punishment!"
In your dreams. Lucy eyed the door at the other end of the room. If she could just get to it, she'd be able to slip out and lose Angel in the castle. The woman might have been living there, but Lucy was the one who had to learn the halls quickest from place to place. She could easily get away, if she could just reach that door.
The familiar woosh sounded, and Lucy rolled away just in time for her pillar to be destroyed. Debris hit her across the head, but she continued to run for it. The door was right there. She could practically taste freedom when she extended a hand and—
The floor disappeared from under her. Lucy had the sense to realize she was being raised just before she came face-to-face with the angel. She gasped, staring into its pale visage. Despite her situation, Lucy couldn't help but think it was the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen. Angel had called it Barakiel. Pale, with golden eyes and matching hair. It had three heads and a pair of soft, white wings extending from it's back, fluttering in the air. It didn't have any particular expression, and Lucy couldn't tell it's gender, if angels even had genders. It gazed at Lucy with those strange eyes, and she couldn't help but feel there was something sad about them.
The angel had her clasped in one of its large hands, squeezing just enough that Lucy found it difficult to breathe. Angel cackled, commanding the angel to bring the rat to her. Lucy squirmed, attempting to push some of her magic out. She felt it lift its head sleepily at her call, and she urged it to wake up.
Barakiel set her down in front of Angel, releasing her with a small shove. Her old master smiled smugly. She was wearing a feathered dress of some sort, a blue rose in her hair. The image was ruined by her menacing aura and the whip she held tightly between her hands.
"Silly little slave girl," Angel sighed, shaking her head with a click of her tongue. Lucy pulled harder on her magic as the woman stalked closer. "Did you really think you could get away with this?"
"Of course," Lucy shot back, sick of the degrading manor she was speaking to her in. Or that she believed that whip held any power over the young woman. Lucy would sooner slit her own throat than let Angel touch her with that. "We already have."
"That's what you think," Angel giggled, covering her mouth daintily. It didn't hide the evil look in her dark eyes. "You're wrong."
Lucy didn't see Angel signal for Barakiel to attack, but a second later she was smacked with what could only be described as holy fire. Lucy screamed, the blazing inferno sending her toppling over. Pain rippled through her body, and breathing was impossible. The flames were gone a second later, but the pain had her shaking on the floor.
Angel cackled at her misery, stepping closer, her heels clicking on the floor. "You can't possibly win when we have heaven on our side."
Lucy looked up, glaring at Angel. The angel in the sky stared down impassively, and Lucy got another sensation of sorrow. Her eyes caught on the three gold coins, still floating in the air where Angel had thrown them. A plan began to take form.
"Honestly, what did you think you were playing?" Angel inquired, hand on her hip. She shook her head, like a mother scolding a misbehaving child. "We had always suspected Jellal was against us. He was just a little too different when he came back, you know. Perhaps now that he's a confirmed traitor, Zeref will let me hunt him down. I'd love to get tangled up with that."
Lucy pushed herself back, silently gathering up her scattered magic. C'mon I just need enough to do one thing. Angel pursued closer, swallowing the distance with her dangerous looking heels.
"And I always knew there was something up with you. You might have the scars, but you're no slave." She bent forward, eye-to-eye, and chucked Lucy harshly under the chin. "There's just no fear in those eyes of yours. Such disrespect. It's foolish really."
"You're wrong," Lucy grunted, her magic rising.
Angel backed up, raising a delicate eyebrow. She smiled pleasantly, tilting her head. "And what could I be wrong about?"
"Angels," she laughed, noting her opponents confused expression. She smirked proudly, a light feeling spreading through her fingers. "Heaven doesn't choose sides."
Angel's eyes widened and she reached forward, nails gleaming, but she never got the chance. Lucy released her magic, eyes locked onto a spot a few feet away. She felt her magic sizzle in her veins, and then she was gone.
One moment she was sitting in front of Angel, the next she was standing behind her. Lucy gasped, feeling her energy dip at the strain, but she didn't allow it to darken her triumph. Angel turned, but too late. Lucy had already snatched the coins from the air.
"Barakiel I release you," she intoned, staring up at the angel. "Return to the heavens from whence you came."
"No!" Angel screeched, but she was blown back by a bright pulse of light. Lucy closed her eyes as she felt the angel's spirit return to the coins. For a moment she swore that she felt something gentle reach out and brush her subconscious, but it was too quick for Lucy to tell. When she blinked, Barakiel was gone, and a single gold coin sat in her hand, still warm.
Lucy smiled down at it, this time not imagining the gratitude from the small coin. She closed her fist around it, responding silently, and slipped the coin into her blouse pocket.
"You bitch!" Lucy turned in time to catch Angel, who had charged at her. She grunted at the impact, falling to the floor with the woman's full weight atop her. "Dirty little rat! I'll kill you!"
Lucy twisted away from the flying nails, her legs hooking around Angel and tossing her sideways. She hit the ground but was on the attack again quick enough. Lucy dodged, fingers reaching. Angel hurled herself forward with a strangled snarl, and Lucy's hand wrapped around something. A second later, Lucy was slamming a stone into her skull.
Blood poured down her face, but Angel continued to attack. Hands closed around her throat, nails biting into skin. She was straddling her, squeezing the life out of her neck. Lucy gagged and did it again, and again.
Finally, Angel's nails loosened on the fourth hit, blood pouring from a large gash on her head. She swayed and then tumbled off Lucy, hitting the floor with a resounding smack. Lucy laid beside her, breathing hard, the bloody rock still clutched in her grip.
When her breath recovered, she pushed herself up. She glanced down at the psychopath beside her. What a freaking crazy woman. Lucy jumped when she stirred, instinctively smashing the rock into her head again. After that Angel went still.
Lucy released a long breath. Her fingers touched her neck gently. The skin was tender, probably already bruising, but it would be okay. She sighed. All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and sleep, but a small pulse from her pocket reminded her that she had to keep going. Slowly she climbed to her feet. She dropped the rock beside the fallen woman, wiping her hands absently on her skirt. Taking a deep breath, she started walking toward the door at the end of the hall.
Natsu and Nigrum Ferro were lost.
"I told ya ta take a right back there!"
"I did take a right, ya freaking pin cushion!"
"Whaddya call me?! Salamander!"
They had backtracked and retraced their steps fourteen different times. They'd entered three different ballrooms, two music rooms, and even a dungeonesque room that was on the fifth floor. They'd taken one look at the certain, ah, tools lining the walls and carefully backed out of that one, turning around without saying a word.
After defeating Midnight and Cobra, Nigrum Ferro had decided it'd be a good idea to try and find the girl before she found Zeref. They had tried to trace her scent, but there was so much dust and blood in the air that it was impossible to track her. Instead they'd followed her path of destruction.
They had discovered a white-haired girl in a large hall, pillars half destroyed and debris all around her. The girl herself laid on the ground, completely out cold, a bloody stone at her side.
"Definitely Bunny Girl," Nigrum Ferro had concluded, staring down at the woman with distaste. Natsu didn't know her name, but he recognized her as one of the oracion seis. The same team that Cobra and Midnight had been on.
He'd given his comrade a strange look, wondering how he'd known that this was the girl's work. Did she regularly beat people bloody with rocks? Instead he asked, "Do you give everyone animal nicknames?"
That seemed to throw the guy for a loop. He blinked at a pillar and then shrugged. "Nope."
In addition to the decimated hall, there had been two other rooms with doors blown apart that Nigrum Ferro had insisted were the work of Bunny Girl. Natsu had followed, scenting the thin trace of her magic. He wondered where she was headed. He'd only seen the inside of the castle a few, very spare times yet he knew Zeref's rooms were at the top. She was headed down.
"She's gotta be drained after that show she put on," Natsu muttered. He hoped she was, at least. If not, then she was a freaking monster. He didn't know many people who could raise the dead and then go kick some evil ass. Well, he didn't know anyone, actually. She'd be the first.
Nigrum Ferro hummed his agreement. Natsu noticed that he'd been carefully avoiding the subject of his resurrection. If he'd been brought back to life, Natsu would've been shouting to the rooftops his joy. His partner just seemed oddly resigned.
Natsu didn't push. Everyone had their way of coping with things. Dying was nothing to celebrate, and Natsu was the last person who deserved to question him. Still, he found himself asking, "Did you know she could do that?"
For a little while, he didn't think his partner would answer. They walked down two halls in silence before the man grunted, shaking his head. His long mane shook with the movement. Natsu didn't know how one could have so much hair, though he supposed his own locks were longer than he preferred them. The ends tickled his shoulders annoyingly.
"Bunny Girl has always been special," he finally relented, starting down a set of stairs that held her faint scent. "You've felt her magic. It's...different than normal magic. Stronger, I guess. There's a lot she could do if she explored it, but she doesn't. For good reason," he added, noting Natsu's look. The pinkette bit back his question a little embarrassedly. Nigrum Ferro chuckled, but the smile didn't reach his face. "But no, I didn't know she could do that. I doubt she did, either."
"I didn't realize it was bad to explore your magic," Natsu mused, more to himself. He didn't expect his partner to answer.
"Some things are better off unknown," the red-eyed man said darkly. A shadow seemed to cross his face. "Not everything has a good past."
Natsu left it at that, and Nigrum Ferro didn't say anything more. Something about his words set his nerves on edge. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what kind of dark things this man had seen. Though Natsu had seen his fair share.
It didn't matter as a minute later they heard sounds of fighting. They looked at each other, then rushed off. Natsu and Nigrum Ferro rounded a corner, and came face-to-face with one of the scariest sights they'd seen.
"Mard Geer," Natsu hissed, his hackles raising at the sight of the pretentious mage. Zeref's right hand man, his dirty little dog. What was he doing so far from his master?
Fighting, it seemed like. He was going against a blue-haired man, and Natsu reveled in the fact that his ever-present smirk was gone. In its place was an annoyed snarl, directed at the tall man who blocked him shot for shot.
Natsu would have been more into the battle if it weren't for the prone figure lying on the other side of the room. "Shit," he hissed, running toward her. Nigrum Ferro wasn't far behind, uttering his own slew of curses.
She was leaning against the wall, head tilted to the side. A few cuts ran up her legs, which Natsu realized were rather revealed by her ripped skirt. There was a bloodstain on her stomach, though it didn't appear to be hers. What most concerned him was the long gash across her forehead. Her eyes were closed, but her chest was moving up and down regularly. If he didn't know better, he'd say she was—
"Sleeping," Nigrum Ferro huffed in amusement, bending down and lightly pressing his hand against the crown of her head, wary of her wound. She groaned, pulled from her sleep. Her nose wrinkled cutely and her eyes blinked open, looking up at them blearily. "Gajeel?" She looked at Nigrum Ferro.
There was nothing remotely funny going on around them, but Natsu felt a laugh bubble out of him. Maybe it was the stress, or just the utter turmoil his emotions had been through, but he began laughing hysterically. They both looked at him with a mix of shock and confusion.
Nigrum Ferro—no, Gajeel—looked especially annoyed. "What's so funny, Hothead?"
"Your name," Natsu huffed, trying to settle himself. He failed. "It's Gajeel?"
The man glared at him. "Yeah? What's so funny about that, punk?"
"N-nothing," Natsu snorted. He had to ease himself down again, settling for a humorous smile. "It fits you, is all."
Gajeel didn't look like he knew how to respond to that, but the girl saved him. "This is Natsu."
"Natsu? Like summer?" Gajeel laughed at that, and the pinkette frowned at the girl, feeling a little betrayed.
"Okay missy, and what's your name?"
She grinned up at him, a bit of mischief sparking in her gaze. Natsu felt his magic rear its head at that silent challenge, but she only turned toward the battle at hand. "I think we have more important things to worry about here."
She was right. While they were laughing about names, the man was still battling Mard Geer. He was doing well, Natsu realized, but he knew that he was exhausted. He dodged one of Mard Geer's vine attacks, but a bursing rose caught him off guard. The man grunted at the impact, but pushed it away with a blast of light magic. It looked a lot like mystery girl's, though it lacked the strength hers had.
"I'm drained," she told them, pushing herself up slowly. Gajeel growled at her to sit back down, but she waved him off with a flick of her wrist. Natsu watched as she pushed herself off the wall, legs shaking a little. She eyed the fight with a distant look. "I would have been a goner if Jellal hadn't stepped in."
"Who is he?" Gajeel asked. They watched him dodge another attack, managing to land a blast of bright magic in Mard Geer's leg. The man shouted out hoarsely, gritting his teeth and sending a dozen more roses.
"Jellal," the girl filled in, leaning heavily on her right side. Her hand slid up to cup a slash on her left arm. "He's our inside man."
Gajeel made an impressed sound. "We'll give him a little hand."
"No you won't."
The trio froze, turning to the new voice. Even the two fighting paused, seeing who the newcomer was. A man stepped into the room, clad in golden armor. A large golden helmet hid his face from view, a fur-lined robe across his shoulders. Mard Geer chuckled darkly, a slightly relieved look crossing his face. "Alexai."
"Mard," the man returned stiffly. Carefully he reached out and lifted his helmet off his head. Under the golden mask was a middle-aged man, tanned with a dark beard and hair. Glittering black eyes stared out with distaste.
Natsu felt the girl stiffen at his side. He turned toward her curiously, but she was watching the man with wide eyes. A tremor ran through her body, and Natsu would have thought she was scared if not for the scathing hatred that filled her eyes. He was shocked by the raw emotion on her.
Gajeel sensed it too, though from his expression, he didn't understand it. Instead he set a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her shock. She looked at him, desperation lining her body. There was a pained kind of look to her. Gajeel smiled as reassuringly as he could, patting her head roughly. "We got this Bunny Girl. You rest up, okay? Jellal, finish that wimp off."
The blue-haired man muttered an affirmative, already back to his dangerous game, now with more energy. Their new opponent smirked, looking amused at the idea of two boys taking him on. The girl looked between them, but nodded reluctantly. Natsu grinned along, carefully giving her head a gentle rub. She looked shocked by the contact, but he turned away before she could scold him.
He joined Gajeel and smiled innocently at their new opponent. He let his fangs flash cruelly. Whoever made a girl like her shake, definitely deserved to be punished.
