Chapter VII
Hello to all! Welcome to the newest chapter of Embodiment of Flame! I hope everyone enjoyed the previous chapter, and that you all likewise enjoy this chapter. If you do, be sure to post a review. As usual, I would like to thank my coauthor Bakuto Masaki for his past, current, and continued help with the story. In addition, I would like to sincerely and deeply apologize for my long, long overdue absence from this and many other stories under my care. I am sure the wait has not been comfortable for many of you, the reasons behind it being myriad, most of which I would prefer not to get into here. So for what it is worth, I apologize and hope my future uploads make up for my intense absence. That aside, it is time to move on to the reviewer responses.
treeofsakuras: Most of them.
correnhimself316: He might. Didn't you read the previous chapters? He's already met Ultear.
TheWhiteTitan: It was heavily hinted at the end of the preceding chapter. I was originally going to include it in that chapter but there wasn't enough space left. That's a complex answer. But yes and no. I mentioned in a previous reviewer response all of whom Natsu has slept with.
JMK2: Erm, thanks? I think.
animefan29: That's sort of how I do things. The actual outcomes tend to be the same, it's how we get there that changes.
They have been aged up to how they were during Fairy Tail Part II in canon. For many reasons.
And it's also the only plausible explanation behind Juvia's powers.
There wasn't? I could've sworn there was. Well, whatever, my mistake.
Yes. In the anime they take a shortcut through a swamp after the Everlue mission. However in canon Lucy was in Horologium.
You would presume, but Virgo actually explains she meant for her key to go to Natsu, not Lucy.
Fair enough.
Jalis: Just okay? Well that's a little disappointing. Unfortunately I can't say about whether Brandish will be with Natsu or not right now, but she's one I'd like to use, so I'll say that much. Natsu and Sherry is obviously confirmed. Right.
Kript: Glad to hear it! I'm happy to see you have enjoyed all of it. And I know this probably isn't quite as soon as you were hoping but hopefully the quality at least makes up for the wait.
kmfayb: I have many changes to the canonical events coming. And I can say with one hundred percent certainty some of them you won't expect. And that's not a phrase I employ often. I do what I can but life has a habit of getting in the way.
Well that is all of them. A fair bit this time around I must say. Always puts a smile on my face. Well, that done, it is time to move on to the main event.
"You lose!" Natsu howled as he sent Zalty slamming into the rocks below, smoke and debris flying in all directions.
Natsu grinned as he landed on one of the tall rocks nearby as the smoke cleared. He then paled as, rather than Zalty, he saw Ultear lying in the rubble, beaten and unconscious. After a moment of thought the pink-haired flame-user paled. "What the hell?! Oh man! I just knocked out a council woman! Crap, crap, crap!"
Ultear groaned in pain as she lay unconscious.
"WhatdoIdo, whatdoIdo, whatdoIdo?!" Natsu sputtered and stammered as he ran in frantic circles.
However, his frantic running stopped as he saw the Moon Drip spell vanish. "Ah crap," he muttered before groaning. "Dammit!" he cursed as he picked up Ultear and ran off.
Atop the temple, Toby fell in a heap as Erza struck him with her blade.
"Yay!" Lucy cheered. "Now the Moon Drip's stopped!"
Erza turned to the large pedestal in the center of the area and narrowed her eyes. "But did we stop it in time?"
"Hahah!" Toby suddenly shouted as he sat up. "Too late! The ceremony's already been completed!"
Erza glared down at the dog-man. "Oh really?"
However, before Toby could provide an answer, the temple began to shake violently.
"Oh no!" Lucy exclaimed.
"This is bad!" Sherry added in terror.
Down in the cavern, Gray rushed inside as he saw Deliora stand tall and howl loudly.
"Great, how are we supposed to beat that thing!?" Natsu shouted in frustration.
Gray turned to him to respond but noticed Ultear on Natsu's shoulder. "Wait, who's that?"
Natsu glanced at the unconscious beauty on his shoulders. "It's the creepy mask guy. For some reason it was actually the councilwoman. But we gotta take care of Deliora first!"
However, the two were interrupted as Lyon, beaten and bruised, slowly dragged himself towards Deliora as it howled loudly. "Neither one of you… are strong enough… Not strong enough at –" his words halted as he saw Deliora's begin to crack before the beast began to crumble, falling to pieces before their eyes. Lyon's eyes widened in shock and rage. "No… no… NO! I've waited so long for this moment! You can't take it from me! I was supposed to do the one thing Ur never could!"
Gray trembled in disbelief. "You gotta be kidding me…"
Lyon clenched his fists with anger. "Deliora… was already dead… For ten years… Ur has gradually depleted the demon's life force. And what we just saw was nothing more than its last dying breaths…" Lyon slammed his fist down as rage flowed through his mind. "My dream is dead… there's no hope now. I will never surpass Ur."
"Natsu!" Erza shouted as she, Lucy, Laki, Sherry, Flare, and Happy made their way into the cavern.
Lucy stopped and gasped as she saw the crumbled pieces of Deliora. "Wait… is it… dead…?"
"Yeah…" Gray answered weakly as he looked at the remaining pieces of ice.
Natsu set the unconscious Ultear down and looked at the ice curiously. "Hey, Gray."
"What?" Gray replied dully.
"You said that Ur became the ice around Deliora, right?"
Gray turned to him with a raised brow. "Yeah, why?"
Natsu turned to the others. "Hey, some of you go back to the roof of the temple and continue the Moon Drip."
Erza raised an eyebrow.
"What's the point?" Lucy asked. "Deliora's already freed and dead."
"Just do it," Natsu insisted.
Erza nodded. "I will go inform the priests."
Outside, the priests looked at Erza with confusion.
"You want us to continue the Moon Drip?" the old woman asked.
Erza nodded. "Yes. Just trust us."
The woman looked around at the others. "Very well. I hope you know what you're doing."
Natsu turned as Erza reentered the cave. "They should begin soon."
Natsu nodded as he turned back to the pile of ice.
"What are you planning, Natsu?" Gray asked before blinking. "It feels weird to ask that."
Natsu huffed in annoyance before grinning. "Just watch."
Gray raised an eyebrow before the group turned as the light from Moon Drip began pouring down into the cavern.
The group watched curiously as the light shone for several moments before Lucy tilted her head curiously.
"Something wrong?" Laki asked.
Lucy pointed ahead at the ice. "Look."
The others looked ahead as particles of light began rising and floating up from the ice into the air.
Ultear groaned slightly before looking around. "Where…?" She then saw the others to the side. "Wait… my transformation…"
"Whoa!" Lucy suddenly exclaimed.
Ultear, curious at the girl's shout, turned and saw the lights gathering in the air from the ice before gathering in the air above. "What is…?" Her eyes widened as the lights began to form into a new shape.
Gray raised an eyebrow before he felt his blood run cold. "Th – this… can't be happening…"
Natsu merely smirked.
As the lights continued forming together, the shape of a human within the lights came to view before they vanished, revealing the person inside. Ur.
Natsu turned to Gray with a grin. "See?"
"H – how…?"
"Weren't you listening dummy? I said that the moon has the power to negate and reverse all magic. It reversed Iced Shell to the point that Ur was freed from it!"
Gray was about to respond when Ur yawned loudly and sat up.
The black-haired woman looked around with mild confusion. "Wait… this can't be right…" She then turned and saw Gray and Lyon standing nearby. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stood. "This… is impossible…"
"That's my line," Gray retorted in shock as the woman walked towards the group.
Lyon stood shakily as she stepped near them. "U – Ur… is that… is this… real…?"
Natsu smirked. "Told ya."
"What's going on here? How?" Ur asked in bewilderment.
Gray pointed to Natsu.
Ur turned to the pink-haired teen curiously. "You?"
Natsu shrugged. "Sort of. I just thought it would work." Scratching the back of his head with a weak laugh, he added, "I actually didn't know if it'd work or not."
"Stupid!" Gray growled before sighing and turning to Ur. "So… you're real?"
Ur smiled before lightly knocking Gray on the head. "I'd say so. But… why is Lyon on the floor?"
Gray frowned remorsefully. "That's… complicated…"
Natsu pointed at Lyon and explained, "He wanted to revive the big scary demon with Moon Drip." He then pointed at Gray. "He wanted to stop him. So they fought and Gray beat up the ice guy."
Ur sighed and turned to the duo. "Is that true?"
Lyon flinched in worry. "M – maybe…"
Ur sighed heavily before she hit him on the head with a fist.
Lyon stepped back and winced in pain, however both he and Gray stiffened in shock as Ur wrapped her arms around them tightly.
"Wh – what the…?" Gray muttered in confusion.
Ur smiled mirthlessly as she held her two students firmly. "You big dumb idiots… I never wanted this. Why'd you have to fight and try to kill each other…? I did that to free you, not to make you hate each other."
The two stiffened in her arms and began to tremble lightly.
"I… I…" Lyon stammered weakly.
Gray shuddered before reaching his arms up and around Ur as well. "I'm sorry…"
The two then began to release tears of their own.
Erza smiled warmly as she watched the reunion of the students and teacher.
"This is nice, isn't it?" Lucy asked.
Laki smiled and glanced at a smiling Natsu, before turning bright red and nodding. "Yeah…"
Lucy blinked curiously. "You alright?"
Flare huffed in annoyance.
Ur stepped away from the two Ice-Make users and smiled. "I must've been in there for a long time. You two have grown up nicely."
The duo immediately turned red.
Ur laughed in amusement before putting a hand on each of their heads. "You two really shouldn't fight. You're my precious students. The ones I did everything to protect."
Gray and Lyon tensed their fists before bowing to her. "I'm sorry!" they both shouted in unison.
As their reunion continued, Natsu glanced to the side and noticed that Ultear was not beside him. It took only a moment to find her as he saw her trying to sneak away quietly. "Oy, Ultear! Where ya goin'!?"
Ultear stiffened in annoyance. '… That little…'
Ur winced as well before turning to where Natsu shouted, not believing what she heard. "U – Ul…tear…?"
Ultear stopped and turned around slowly, she was found out. 'Crap… this is…'
Lyon and Gray glanced at each other in confusion.
"Ultear…" Ur muttered in disbelief before a smile worked its way onto her lips. "You're… alive…"
Ultear responded with a small smile of her own. "Y – yes… I am…" 'I don't… know how to respond to this… I didn't expect this… how did that boy know…?'
Ur made her way over to the shocked Ultear, herself equally staggered. "U – Ultear…?"
Ultear smiled weakly and nodded. "Yeah… it's me…"
"But… how…?"
Ultear frowned in confusion.
However, before she could respond, Ur immediately ran over and wrapped her arms around Ultear tightly. "It really is you!"
Ultear, slightly smothered from her hug, laughed weakly. "Y – yes, it is… Mother…"
The others gaped in disbelief.
"Ul, how!?" Ur asked energetically as she hugged Ultear tightly.
"I – I could ask you the same thing…" Ultear responded.
However, Laki and Flare interrupted the moment with an annoyed growl.
Lyon and Gray also remarked in unified contempt, "Lucky bastard."
Ur and Ultear blinked curiously before looking down and seeing Natsu sandwiched between them, and more importantly, their bosoms. They immediately stepped away from each other, causing the pink-haired teen to fall to the floor gasping.
Ur's face turned a bright shade of red in surprise.
"Th – this… is absurd…" Ultear mumbled in disbelief.
Happy began to speak but immediately had duct tape slapped over his mouth.
"Not a word, cat," Lucy snapped.
Happy pouted and attempted to pull the tape off.
Ur sighed before turning back to Ultear with a smile. "I can't believe you're alive my little Tear… the doctor said you were… th – that you were…"
Ultear remained silent and tightened her fists. "… Told you… that I was… what…?"
"… He said that… you were… dead…"
Ultear's eyes widened in disbelief, she could not believe the words she was hearing. "Wh – what…? That's absurd! They told me that… that you…!"
"What's going on here…?" Lucy asked in bewilderment.
"No idea…" Flare mumbled.
"I'm so confused…" Natsu muttered as he stood up.
Gray raised an eyebrow in thought. "Wait, you're Ur's daughter…?" He then narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Yeah right. Her daughter is dead, she told us herself."
"Then why do they smell almost the same?" Natsu asked in confusion.
"Wait, they what…?"
Ultear tightened her fists as she looked at Ur. "How come you didn't come… didn't look… didn't make sure?!"
Ur stiffened before lowering her gaze and slumping her shoulders in sadness and shame. "They told me… th – that your mana… i – it eradicated your body… destroyed it from the inside out… O – oh my little Tear…"
"Mother… this is…" Ultear trailed off before the conversation was cut short by a loud roar echoing through the air.
"Oh what now!?" Lucy shouted in exasperation.
The group ran out of the cave and looked up as a massive, black, reptilian beast with six huge wings flew over the temple.
"EEEHHH!?" Lucy and Sherry shouted in mutual disbelieving shock.
"D – D – D…" Gray sputtered in disbelief.
"Dragon!?" Ur exclaimed in shock.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Yuka added in distress.
The dragon landed atop the temple with a loud thud, sending dust flying out as its feet hit the ground hard.
Natsu narrowed his eyes suspiciously before ordering, "Come on, let's go!"
The others nodded in agreement and followed behind as he ran up to the top of the temple.
As the group neared the temple's roof they saw the dragon sit calmly before a figure dropped from its back.
Natsu's eyes narrowed in thought.
"That thing's huge!" Gray exclaimed.
Lucy raised an eyebrow as she looked at the figure that was atop the dragon, a tall man with shoulder-length blonde hair and dark blue eyes, a blue hook-shaped tattoo on the right side of his face, wearing a brown jacket with light brown fringe, and white fur lining, matching brown trousers, black gloves, and black pants with a massive, double-edged sword slung over his back.
Natsu looked at the man in thought for several seconds before coming to a realization. With a wide grin he shouted, "Yo, Jegan!"
The others all looked at Natsu in confusion.
Ignoring their gazes of confusion, Natsu excitedly ran over to the blonde man. "Hey, what are you doing all the way here?!"
Jegan stood silently, looking at Natsu disinterestedly.
Lucy frowned in concern. 'I don't like this. Something about that guy seems… off.'
"Hey, Natsu, do you know this guy?" Laki asked curiously.
Natsu turned with a wide grin. "Yep! He's an old friend of mine from when I lived in the Dragon Village."
Lucy tilted her head in confusion. "Dragon Village…?"
Natsu nodded in response before returning his gaze back towards Jegan, then to the large dragon behind him. "So who is this? I've never seen a dragon like this before."
"Julia," Jegan responded plainly and evenly.
Natsu stiffened and paled for a moment before laughing weakly. "Come on, don't joke around. There's no way Julia would be in this form."
Laki frowned curiously before glancing at Erza.
Erza shook her head in reply.
Natsu tightened a fist slightly. "I mean… there's no way she could…"
"It is Julia," Jegan answered plainly again.
"Who's Julia?" Lucy asked in confusion.
"One of the dragons Natsu lived with," Flare explained.
Natsu ran towards him and grabbed Jegan's collar. "Stop that crap!"
Jegan narrowed his eyes and slammed his fist into Natsu's chest, sending him flying away from the blonde. "Don't touch me," Jegan demanded coldly.
"What the hell!?" Laki exclaimed as Natsu slammed a fist into the ground to stop himself.
Natsu growled before scowling angrily at Jegan. "What's the deal!? Why'd you hit me!?"
"I have no interest in you, human," Jegan retorted coldly. "I am here for Deliora."
Natsu stiffened in confusion before frowning once more. "What? Jegan stop joking around!"
"Be quiet, human. I am here to obtain Deliora for Demon Card. You won't get in the way."
Natsu tilted his head in confusion. "Demon… Card…?"
Erza narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"And why do you want a pile of ashes anyway?"
"Deliora's dead," Gray added, "you won't get him."
"I see," Jegan muttered plainly before glancing at Gray and suddenly lashing out with the massive sword he held.
Gray leapt to the side swiftly, narrowly evading the huge blade. "Whoa! What the hell?!"
Jegan stood straight before narrowing his eyes. "I will destroy Rave." He then took a deep breath before shouting, "Fire Dragon Roar!" as a massive blast of flames shot out at Gray.
However, before the blast could reach Gray, Natsu suddenly jumped in its bath and swallowed the flames whole. "What the hell is your problem, dammit?!"
Jegan wordlessly burst forward, his sword ready to swing.
However, Erza appeared in front of Natsu suddenly, blocking Jegan's swing, grunting slightly from the power behind it. "Stop this now! Explain!"
Jegan frowned in disgust. "I have no words for filthy humans." He then kicked at the redhead, sending her tumbling away.
"Erza!" Natsu suddenly shouted as she slid on the ground before turning his gaze to Jegan with a scowl and lighting his fists with flames. "Alright, that's it! I don't know what's gotten into you, but I'll beat some sense into you!" He rushed forward and swung a fist at Jegan, but the blonde dodged the attack easily and kneed the pinkette in the abdomen, sending him tumbling.
"Natsu!" Laki and Flare exclaimed in unified worry.
Flare lowered her brow in anger before sending a torrent of flame at Jegan.
Jegan easily swallowed the flames before sending a flurry of wind back at her.
Laki jumped in front of Flare and sent spikes of wood out that collided with the wind shots, the two attacks cancelling each other out.
Jegan hissed in annoyance before glancing at Natsu. "Who are these two? Some whores you scrounged up to replace Julia?"
Natsu growled loudly before shooting black flames at Jegan. "Shut your fucking mouth!"
Jegan growled in annoyance as he dodged the flames, causing them to hit the wall behind him.
"Don't you ever insult them you bastard!" After a moment, Natsu hissed with rage. "That's it, I'm not gonna knock some sense into you, I'm just gonna knock you out!"
Jegan hissed in derision. "Julia, crush this fool."
The large dragon responded with a growl before raising its front leg and curling into a fist before slamming it down to Natsu.
Natsu growled in pain as he blocked the strike, the ground cracking beneath his feet from the power. 'Such… power…' He growled before forcing the fist away, knocking the dragon back. Trembling with anger, he howled, "No… why… what did you to her!?"
In his seemingly normal emotionless tone, Jegan answered, "I did nothing. She failed the Dragon Trial."
Natsu's eyes widened angrily. "Liar! There's no way in hell Julia would fail!"
"You're a fool. She failed. Simple as that. Those fools rejected me. So I killed them all, and then destroyed that putrid village. I had planned on her completing the Dragon Trial but I didn't know my own power, and destroyed the temples."
Natsu trembled as he tightened his fists. "Y – You… you… bastard!" Natsu immediately surged forward with flame-encased fists. "You monster!"
Jegan swung his blade out at Natsu as the pinkette charged.
Natsu responded almost immediately, grabbing Decaforce from his back, and swung it up to meet Jegan's blade, the force of the impact causing a small shock wave.
Jegan narrowed his eyes and put more pressure behind his blade, trying to knock Natsu down.
Natsu growled and stamped his foot down before swinging his sword up hard, knocking Jegan back slightly. "Eat this!" Natsu shouted as he swung Decaforce again.
Jegan easily dodged the swing by hopping to the side before shouting, "Earth Dragon Iron Fist!" causing his left arm to turn into a pillar of stone and extend out at Natsu swiftly, sending him flying.
Natsu righted himself in midair before blasting flames from his feet to rocket towards Jegan.
However, before he could reach Jegan, the dragon swatted Natsu with its tail, sending him tumbling away.
Gray hissed in annoyance. "Guess there's no more time for standin' around! Ice-Make: Lance!" Multiple spears of ice shot out towards Jegan at high speed.
Jegan lazily swung his blade, shattering the spears before they could reach him, retaliating by sending blasts of stone back at Gray.
However, before they could impact the half-naked man, a wall of blue-green ice rose in front of him.
"Don't even think it," Ur threatened as she stepped in Jegan's path. "No one attacks my students and gets away with it."
Jegan narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Then I shall kill you as well."
Ur wasted no time before charging at Jegan.
Jegan took in a deep breath before sending blasts of wind at Ur.
Ur waved her hands in front of her, sending shots of ice out, cancelling Jegan's shots, before swinging a fist at him.
Jegan jumped back from the swing, dodging it, only for spikes of ice to emerge from the ground, nearly impaling him. Yet again, Jegan dodged them.
Ur smirked and waved her hand, sending the spikes flying at Jegan.
Jegan hissed in annoyance and swung his blade, smashing the spikes, before swinging his sword at Ur.
Ur blocked with a shield of ice before shattering the shield, the shock wave knocking Jegan back, before sending the shards soaring at Jegan.
"Holy crap!" Lucy exclaimed in disbelief. "She's so strong!"
"Yeah!" Laki added, "Easy S!"
Jegan growled in annoyance before taking a deep breath and sending a powerful stream of flames at Ur.
Ur leapt into the air to dodge the flames and sent spikes of ice at the blonde.
Jegan snarled and dashed to the side to evade the spikes, only to find Ur right next to him.
However, before she could hit him, the dragon's tail swept at her and sent her crashing into a nearby wall.
Jegan raised his blade to strike Ur, however, before he could, branches emerged from the ground and pulled her under.
"Mother!" Ultear shouted.
Laki sighed in relief as Ur reemerged in front of them with the branches releasing her.
"Th – Thanks…" Ur muttered in mild confusion.
Jegan frowned in irritation. "This is becoming ann –" his words were interrupted as Natsu head-butted him in the gut. "Bastard," Jegan cursed in frustration before grabbing Natsu by the back of the neck and began slamming his knee into the pink-haired teen's abdomen repeatedly.
"Natsu!" Erza shouted.
Natsu grabbed Jegan's knee as he came in for another swing, pushed himself up and launched over Jegan's head before slamming a flame-encased fist into Jegan's face.
Jegan snarled angrily and swung his blade at Natsu.
Natsu retaliated by swinging his sword back at Jegan, their sword locking in a clash as the two remained cemented.
Erza capitalized on the chance and summoned two blades before dashing up from behind Jegan.
"What?!" Jegan snarled before lashing back at Erza in the abdomen with his leg, sending her flying back, before grabbing Natsu by the arm and tossing him at the redhead, sending them both tumbling to the ground.
Laki tensed and then dashed up behind Jegan as well.
"Albero Blade!" Jegan shouted before branches sprouted from the ground and shot at Laki.
Laki merely devoured the branches as they emerged.
Jegan narrowed his eyes before turning as Erza and Natsu charged with swords raised.
However, the dragon smacked the two away before they could near Jegan.
Gray snarled in annoyance and prepared an attack. "That dragon's really getting on my nerves!"
"Stop!" Natsu urged as he stood up. "Don't hurt her!"
Lucy blinked curiously for a moment before gaping. "Her!?"
"It's Julia, she's a friend of mine!"
Jegan's eyes widened maliciously before he stomped Natsu's head into the ground. "A filthy creature like you could never be friends with Julia. I don't care if you are Igneel's adoptive son, you're still a disgusting human."
"Shut up!"
"If you truly did care about Julia you wouldn't have abandoned her."
Natsu stiffened and paled. "Wh – What…?"
"The day you left, all she did was cry. You abandoned her to go on some stupid trip and never came back. You destroyed her."
Natsu tightened his fists and grit his teeth before growling. "No! That's a lie! I'd never do that! Igneel disappeared! I had to find him!"
"He vanished and yet Julia was right in front of you." Jegan huffed in derision. "I suppose we know what's more important."
"Shut up!"
"Why?" Jegan asked before his eyes narrowed sharply. "Don't like the truth?"
Black flames suddenly burst from Natsu's body and surged outward. "I… said… shut up!" He immediately blasted Jegan off and then slammed his fist into the blonde's face hard, sending him flying.
Jegan hissed and hit Natsu with his own flame-encased fist, sending the teen flying. "I'm finished toying with you. Give me Rave, or I'll take it from you."
"I don't even know what that is!" Natsu retorted as he launched at Jegan.
"Then die!" Jegan rebutted as he swung his blade.
Gray suddenly jumped between Natsu and Jegan and prepared to attack Jegan. "Ice-Make: –!"
However, before Gray could launch his attack, Jegan swung his large blade at Gray, cutting the necklace the black-haired teen wore around his neck.
Gray noticed Jegan's eyes latch on to the sword-shaped pendant as it fell. Gray instantly grabbed it and then turned to Natsu. "Natsu! This is what he's after!" Gray then immediately threw the pendant towards Natsu, who caught it as it flew.
Jegan snarled and smashed the back of his fist against Gray, knocking him out of the way. However, before he could pursue Natsu he found his feet frozen to the ground.
Nearby, Ur scowled furiously. "You don't pay attention very well. No one attacks my students and gets away with it."
As the others fought, Natsu glanced between the pendant Gray gave him and a small notch on Decaforce's blade. "Hhmm… I wonder…" After a moment of thought he placed the small pendant inside the notch, causing the blade to glow brightly before the word "Eisenmeteor" appeared along the edge. After another moment the blade was enveloped in light and began to shift, the normal silver blade and simple hand guard replaced by a long orange blade that tapered near the end, changing to silver, with dark green markings swirling from the base up the lower orange part of the blade, and an angled, red hand guard with yellow accents.
Natsu glanced down and then noticed the word "Explosion" engraved along the silver end of the blade. "Explosion, huh…" With a grin, the teen added, "This is pretty cool!"
Jegan narrowed his eyes in frustration. "So… that's how it is…"
"Whoa, it transformed!" Happy exclaimed.
"Wow…" Flare muttered in disbelief.
Jegan turned to the dragon nearby. "Julia, kill the Rave Master."
The dragon, Julia, responded with a growl before turning to Natsu.
"Kill the what…?" Natsu asked in confusion.
Erza then Requipped into her Black Wing armor and ordered, "Natsu, take care of him, I will handle the dragon!"
Natsu tightened his fist before nodding. "Okay. Just… don't hurt her… please…"
Lucy muttered weakly, "Hey, uh, Natsu, it's a dragon, I don't think –"
"She's not just a fucking dragon!" Natsu interjected angrily. "She's my best friend!"
"Eek! Scary…"
Erza smirked as two blades appeared in her grasp. "Do not worry… I do not think I have the capacity to severely injure her, just keep her occupied long enough for you to take him down."
"Thanks," Natsu returned before charging at Jegan.
Jegan reciprocated and charged at Natsu, both swinging their blades simultaneously.
However, to the shock of both, when their blades clashed, Decaforce released a powerful explosion, sending Jegan flying back.
"Wh – What the hell…?" Jegan groaned angrily.
Natsu blinked curiously before smiling widely. "Whoa! Badass!"
Jegan snarled in irritation before waving an arm. "Seed Vulcan!" Small plants then rose from the ground, launching seeds at Natsu.
Natsu slashed out with his blade, destroying the flying seeds with the resulting explosion and then surged forward at Jegan.
Jegan narrowed his eyes as Natsu charged.
Natsu stopped when the visage of a blonde woman appeared before him. His eyes widened in disbelief. "Julia…?"
"Why Natsu…?" the woman before him asked with a mournful tone soaking her voice. "Why did you do it…?"
Natsu winced in response. "I – I didn't…"
His response was cut short as Ultear's orb slammed into the side of his head, simultaneously causing the visage of the blonde woman to disappear.
Natsu blinked in bewilderment.
"It's an illusion you fool!" Ultear called out.
Natsu blinked in confusion before scowling at Jegan and charging.
Jegan growled before charging as well.
Natsu swung Explosion at the blonde, but Jegan leapt over Natsu's swing and slashed at the pink-haired teen's midsection.
'Damn… I can't dodge!' Natsu shouted in his mind as the large blade prepared to bisect him.
However, just before the blade were to hit Natsu, a wall of ice emerged, causing the large blade to bounce off, sending Jegan skidding back.
Ur sighed in relief. "Made it just in time." She then turned to Jegan with a scowl. "I'm not going to let you hurt my little girl's boyfriend."
Nearly everyone in the area face-faulted in disbelief, even Jegan twitched an eyebrow in annoyance.
"Mom!" Ultear shouted in frustration with a bright red face of embarrassment.
Ur blinked in confusion. "What?"
"He is not my boyfriend!" Ultear argued vehemently, her face growing further red. "I'm single!"
Ur folded her arms in confusion. "But he was holding you so lovingly before."
Ultear's face glowed a deeper red as she rebutted, "Because he was carrying me while I was unconscious!"
Ur blinked curiously and then tilted her head. "From sex?"
"No!" Ultear argued with a deep blush. "From fighting!"
Natsu nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she was transformed into some creepy little man and kicked her butt."
"Ah…" Ur muttered in thought. "So… my little 'Tear likes anal?"
Ultear collapsed to the ground in tears. "Why…? Why is my mother so stupid…?"
Jegan hissed in annoyance. "This pathetic. I'll do you a favor and kill all of you."
"Yeah right!" Natsu argued as he raised his blade once more. "I'm going to kick your ass!"
Jegan snarled in derision. "The only thing you will do is die, false dragon."
"He isn't a false dragon, you gecko!" Laki argued.
Flare whipped her hair, sending shots of flame at Jegan while Laki sent spikes of wood flying at him.
Sherry then raised her hands high into the air. "I'll fight too! Doll Attack: Puppeteer!" Her eyes then began to glow before Julia was encased in light.
The black dragon then began growling and thrashing.
"Julia!" Natsu shouted with concern.
Sherry grumbled in frustration. "She's… resilient…"
Jegan's eyes suddenly widened with rage as he sent blasts of stone, wind, and flame flying at Sherry.
Natsu reacted instantly and jumped in front of the incoming attacks, swinging Explosion to destroy them. He then glanced back at Sherry. "You alright, Sherry?"
Sherry nodded weakly. "Y – yeah… thank you."
Jegan sneered in derision. "Foolish girl. You cannot overpower my Dragon Supremacy Magic."
Natsu growled angrily as light pulsed on his left arm. "I'm not going to let you control Julia anymore you bastard!"
"Humph, as if you could stop me."
"Wanna bet!?" Natsu argued before charging at Jegan, swinging Explosion, only for Jegan to dodge to the side.
"The same trick won't work twice," Jegan taunted before sending blasts of wind at Natsu.
A wall of tree roots emerged from the ground and absorbed the blasts.
"Natsu!" Laki shouted. "You worry about hitting him, I'll deal with his attacks!"
Natsu nodded in recognition and continued his charge at Jegan.
"Annoying wench!" Jegan hissed.
Lucy tightened her fists angrily. "I'm not going to just stand around and do nothing!" She then pulled one of the keys from her belt. "Open, Gate of the Golden Bull: Taurus!"
Taurus appeared from a summoning circle, turning to Lucy with a perverse grin. "You're looking fine as usual, Miss Lucy!"
"Stop perving on me and take out that blonde weirdo!"
Taurus blinked and turned to see Natsu slashing repeatedly at Jegan, the latter dodging each of Natsu's swings. With a grin, Taurus pulled out his ax and boasted, "I'll cut him in half!" With a loud moo, the cow-man then charged at Jegan, raising his ax high above his head for a powerful swing.
Jegan narrowed his eyes and swung his sword up, blocking Taurus' swing.
"Gotcha!" Natsu snarled as he charged at Jegan, only for the blonde to spin on his heel and slam his other foot into Natsu's abdomen, sending the pink-haired teen, flying, all while holding his blade up to block Taurus.
Flare sent several shots of flaming hair at Jegan as Laki added with shots of wood.
Jegan snarled and punched Taurus in the abdomen, causing the large biped to buckle, before grabbing him by the collar and throwing him at the incoming attacks.
"Taurus!" Lucy shouted in worry.
Sherry sighed and raised her hands. "Doll Attack: Rock Doll!" A large, humanoid puppet made of stone then rose from the ground, Sherry standing on a tower-like structure on its head.
"Wh – Whoa!" Lucy mumbled as she too stood atop the creature. "Wh – Why'd you bring me up here?!"
"You want to help Natsu too, don't you?" Sherry asked.
Lucy looked at her in thought before nodding.
"And due to your magic being the way it is, you'll have a better chance if you can see the battlefield from above."
"Uh… right. Thanks."
Julia howled loudly before spitting flames at Erza.
Erza hissed in frustration as sections of her armor turned orange with heat and deformed. Discarding the broken pieces, she growled, "Those flames are powerful. If I am not careful I will be killed."
Julia then reared back before sending another torrent of flames.
However, before the flames reached Erza, a large wall of ice formed in front of her. She turned curiously and saw Ur nearby.
"Need some help caging this one?" Ur asked with a small smirk.
Erza nodded with a similar smirk before turning back to Julia. "If we can just keep her attention, then Natsu and the others should be able to solve this."
Ur nodded and then blinked curiously. "Wait… who's that?"
"Who?" Erza turned and then saw Toby standing next to Julia. He looked around curiously, noticing that she stood on the pedestal for Moon Drip, and, after a moment of thought, crouched down next to it.
"What is he…?" Erza asked in thought before she watched as the moonlight began to stream down onto the large dragon.
"She's distracted by his little trick, let's take this chance to try and subdue her," Ur urged.
Erza nodded in agreement as she summoned more swords.
"Fire Dragon Roar!" Natsu howled as he sent a stream of flame at Jegan, only for Jegan to slice through the blast and shoot back with a stream of wind.
Laki raised a wall of wood to block the attack, Natsu leaping over before rushing at Jegan, Flare supporting him with shots at the blonde.
Jegan dodged all of Flare's shots, leant to the side to dodge Natsu's strike, and then kneed Natsu in the abdomen, sending him flying at Laki before ducking under Taurus' swing and retaliating with his own, sending the bovine man flying.
"This guy's really strong," Laki grumbled as Natsu helped her up.
"Yeah. This is gonna be a pain," Natsu growled as he readied Explosion once more.
"I'm not thrilled about the turn of events," Yuka mumbled in annoyance, "but I'm not interested in dying, so I suppose it'd be a good idea to help you."
Natsu blinked and then smirked. "Go right ahead. Just don't get in my way."
"Humph, I could say the same."
"It doesn't matter how many pests you bring into the fight," Jegan sneered, "I'll crush you all."
"In your dreams, buddy," Gray taunted as he slammed his fist into his hand. "We'll take you down for sure!" Entering his common Ice-Make stance, Gray thrust his hands forward as he shouted, "Ice-Make: Freeze Lancer!" Multiple large spears of ice shot from a magic circle and soared towards Jegan as Natsu and Taurus flanked the blonde sword-wielder.
"Foolish," Jegan sneered before planting his sword in the ground and placing both hands in front of him. "Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!" he shouted before a massive blast of flame erupted from his fists, engulfing Gray's attack and destroying it, and sending Natsu and Taurus flying from the sheer force.
"That hurt more than I expected," Natsu groaned as he stood.
"I've had it up to here with yoou!" Taurus grumbled as he charged once more. "For Miss Luucy I'll chop yoou in half!" Taurus swung several times at Jegan, his large ax going past Jegan as the blonde lazily dodged past each strike.
"I've had enough of you," Jegan groaned before swinging a flame-encased fist out, knocking Taurus' ax to the side, before swinging his huge blade down with great force at Taurus.
"Taurus!" Lucy shouted from atop Sherry's Rock Doll.
Taurus stumbled back as he began to shimmer with light. "S – Sorry… Miss Luucy…" he muttered before vanishing.
"Dammit," Natsu snarled, "this is going bad." He then blinked in thought. 'Hang on a sec… that Spirit lady gave me that new Key.' Pulling the new key he had received from his pocket he frowned in thought. 'Guess it's worth a try.' Raising the key above his head, Natsu shouted, "Open, Gate of the Golden Lion: Leo!"
The others turned in curiosity as a golden magic circle appeared before a large plume of smoke erupted from it.
As the smoke cleared, a figure stepped out.
Natsu blinked curiously and then gaped slightly as he saw a tall, curvy, fair-skinned young woman with very long, knee-length blonde hair that draped down her back and framed her young round face, deep orchid eyes, and wearing a long, knee-length yellow dress that tightly hugged her curves, showing her sizable bosom underneath, with white fur around the collar, a red rose on a white ascot, and slightly longer white dress underneath, a similarly yellow headdress decorated with red roses and white trim, bright white tights, tall yellow boots with white fur and red roses, a long pale-handled sword with gold accents slung across her waist along the back.
The woman looked around curiously before turning to Natsu. In calm, regal tone, she asked, "Are you he who summoned me?"
Natsu blinked in confusion. "Uh… yeah. I'm Natsu. Natsu Dragneel."
"I am the new Leo," she explained calmly as the wind blew past.
Natsu nodded slowly. "Uh… right. Look, can we work on the contract later? I've got a bit of a situation."
"That is acceptable." Leo glanced to the side as Jegan charged. "Is that the situation?"
Natsu nodded. "Yeah, that's him."
Leo drew her sword, the blade made of pure energy, glowing bright blue, before charging towards Jegan.
Jegan swung his blade at Leo, only for the nimble woman to easily duck under his swing before rising back up with her own swipe, cutting a large gash in his torso.
Jegan hissed in pain before growling as he kicked at Leo.
Leo grabbed his foot as he lunged and used it to vault over his head and land behind him, planting another gash on his back.
Natsu to the chance and charged as well, Explosion raised.
Jegan spat a gout of flames which Natsu greedily devoured, only to find Jegan less than a meter away.
However, before he could strike, Jegan was grabbed by a length of wood that tossed him into the air.
"You annoying…" Jegan hissed at Laki before preparing to attack, which was interrupted as Leo swung her blade and sent several large crescents of energy at him, carving multiple gouges in his body.
Natsu leapt into the air above Jegan. "Explosion!" Natsu howled as he swung at Jegan, hitting him with the blade and a powerful explosion, sending the blonde flying.
Ur raised a hand before thrusting it forward, peppering Jegan with ice spikes before he crashed into the water below.
Natsu sighed heavily before Explosion glowed lightly and returned to its base form. Natsu glanced down and noticed a word on the blade of Decaforce, "Eisenmeteor".
"Huh…" he muttered.
"I can't believe we finally got rid of him…" Lucy groaned as Sherry's Rock Doll collapsed slowly.
"Okay, Natsu," Gray growled before grabbing the pinkette by the collar, "who the hell was that guy!?"
Natsu tightened his fists. "He was –"
However, before Natsu could answer, Julia suddenly started thrashing and howling wildly.
Natsu's eyes widened in terror. "Julia!"
"This is bad," Ultear noted, "she's going wild!"
Erza grit her teeth. "At her size, she will cause even more destruction than Deliora!"
"Julia! Stop this!" Natsu pleaded
Sherry tightened her fists desperately, deciding she had only one course of action. "I guess there's no choice…" Sherry raised her hands up as her eyes lit. "Doll Attack: Puppeteer!"
Julia was bathed in light as she continued thrashing.
Sherry winced as she continued her attack. "Dammit… she's resilient… obey me! It's for your own good!"
After a few moments, the black dragon's movements slowed.
"Sherry, keep going!" Natsu insisted. "It's working!"
Julia slowly began to be consumed in light.
Natsu furrowed his brow in thought. "What's going on…? Sherry…?"
Sherry shook her head in confusion. "I don't know, it's not me."
Soon Julia's entire body was enclosed in light.
Natsu frowned in worry before they all watched as the light flickered and shifted before shrinking, eventually forming a humanoid shape and dispersing. Natsu's eyes widened in disbelief before he shot flames from his feet and leapt up to the summit of the temple.
Atop the temple was a young woman with long, slightly wavy blonde hair that reached down to her waist, with two locks of hair hanging down, framing her face, with light brown eyes, stopping just above her sizable bust. She was, however, completely nude and unconscious.
Natsu's eyes widened further as he picked the woman up lightly. "Julia! Julia! It's me!"
The others ran up to the top of the temple, Gray being immediately knocked back down as blood shot from his nose.
"W – Wait a second!" Lucy interjected. "How did that dragon… become her?!"
Natsu then explained, "After a certain age, dragons have to do something called a Dragon Trial. If they succeed they gain the full powers of a dragon concentrated in a human body. But if they fail, they turn into a mindless dragon…"
"Wait… so she actually became that thing!?"
Natsu shot Lucy a mild glare.
"Eep! S – Sorry!"
Erza put a hand on his shoulder as she crouched down next to him. "Do not be angry with her, Natsu. She simply does not understand how these matters work." With a light sigh, she added, "Truthfully, neither do I."
Natsu felt a light hit atop his head.
Julia groaned slightly before opening her eyes slowly. "Ugh… who's… being so loud…?" Her gaze moved over to Natsu, causing her eyes to widen in disbelief. "N – Natsu…? Am I… dead…?"
Natsu tilted his head in confusion. "Huh? Of course not."
Julia frowned as she sat up. "But that's impossible… I saw it. I saw you… die."
"I don't know what you saw, but I'm definitely alive, and so are you."
Ultear stepped up and questioned, "Out of curiosity, was it Jegan who came to you after you saw this?"
Julia hissed as she saw Ultear. "It's none of your business, human."
Natsu put a hand in front of her. "H – Hey, calm down. They're my friends… your friends. They're not enemies."
Julia sighed and then closed her eyes in thought before wincing and grabbing her head in pain.
"J – Julia!"
"I… I remember it now. It's hazy but I can see it… Jegan, he… he…" her eyes widened before she grit her teeth angrily. "He destroyed it… the village. He destroyed it and killed everyone… But my memory… it's so foggy after that…"
"He had you under his command with something he called Dragon Supremacy Magic," Erza cleared up.
Julia blinked in thought and then sighed. "That's right… he was born with the ability to use that magic… that's why his family kicked him out… and why the village hated him…"
Natsu frowned somberly in thought, he had never understood why Jegan was hated.
Julia shook with a small, mirthless laugh. "He always seemed like a good kid, just a little quiet. Guess they were right to distrust him."
"But… he was our friend…" Natsu argued.
"Everything seemed okay until Jade left."
Lucy furrowed her brow in thought. "Who's Jade?"
Julia glanced at Natsu, who nodded in return. "Jegan's older brother. He's also the only one in his family, and by extension the village, who showed Jegan any affection. But that stopped when Jade left the village five years ago. I guess that's about the time Jegan changed."
Ultear raised her hand slightly and added, "From the sounds of it, he likely cast an illusion of some kind to make you believe Natsu had died. And if he did, then it's highly likely he was always like that, Jade's presence merely kept it in check."
Both Natsu and Julia slumped in defeat.
Gray, now rejoined with the group and a hand over his bleeding nose, raised his other hand. "H – hey, can you… cover up…?"
Julia blinked curiously and then looked down, realizing she was completely exposed. With a frown she rebutted, "Or you can just close your eyes. I don't much like having to wear clothes when I don't have to."
Natsu shook his head. "No, I'd prefer it if you wore something, I don't want other guys looking at you."
Julia blinked for a moment before smirking. "As you wish." She then stood up, causing the other girls to frown with mild jealousy as they looked at her curvaceous body.
Natsu then turned to Erza. "Hey, Erza, it is alright if Julia borrows one of your outfits for a bit?"
Erza shook her head. "I do not mind."
Natsu turned back to Julia. "That fine?"
Julia shrugged. "I'd rather not wear anything but if I must it's fine."
Erza waved a hand, causing a magic circle to open, from which an outfit dropped out that she then handed to Julia.
Moments later, Julia stepped out to the group, clad in the new outfit, an orange tank top with dark blue borders, as well as a single dark blue line over the middle, dark blue elbow warmers, matching orange bloomers with a thin, dark brown garter belt attached to long, thigh-high, brown, high-heeled boots. "So, what do you think?" Julia asked with a smirk as she tugged lightly at the shoulder of the top.
Natsu nodded with a smile. "I like it."
"We should head back to the village and inform the villagers of our current standing," Erza explained.
Natsu nodded with agreement and picked up Decaforce. However, as he did, the blade began to crack along the bottom before the blade snapped. "Eh…? Aaahhh! My sword broke!"
"That's not good…" Lucy muttered.
"What now?" Sherry questioned.
"For now let us finish this quest," Erza directed. "After that we will go about fixing the sword."
The others nodded in agreement.
As the group made their way down the hill, Natsu turned to Ultear and asked, "So why was a Councilwoman all the way out here?"
Ultear frowned momentarily before answering, "Simple. I wanted to ensure the destruction of Deliora was successful."
"Ah… okay."
Ur frowned in confusion. "Wait, you're on the Council?"
Ultear stopped and turned to her mother, slightly perplexed. "Yes. Why?"
Ur immediately fell to her knees, weeping. "Where did I go wrong?"
Ultear twitched an eyebrow. "How is that a bad thing!?"
"It's horrible!"
Lucy shrugged before grinning. "Who cares? We completed our first S-Class Quest!"
Erza then coughed lightly, getting the group's attention and causing the Fairy Tail members to freeze in fear.
"Eek! You're still gonna punish us, aren't you…?!"
"If I am not mistaken," Erza began, "you are forgetting something."
Natsu tilted his head in confusion. "We are?"
"The request was to return the villagers to normal, not destroy Deliora. You still have yet to finish the quest."
"But haven't they returned to normal?"
"Nope," Lucy deadpanned as the group entered the village, only to see all of the villagers still in their demonic forms.
"Aw great!" Natsu groaned in frustration. "Now what!? They still look part human!"
Moka growled angrily. "We are human you fool! We want you to cure us of this mutation! Destroy the moon!"
Lucy frowned in confusion. "Wait… I don't get it…"
"It's Moon Drip," Julia clarified. "And you're not mutating, idiots. The illusion you put on yourselves is dispelling in a bad way and messing with your heads."
"What…?" Moka asked, confused and annoyed.
"Moon Drip is a spell that utilizes the holy light of the moon. It causes severe mental issues in demons as a result. You people aren't humans being mutated into demons. You're demons who've disguised yourselves as humans and are having your brains stirred around because of this dolt." Julia then punched Lyon in the arm lightly, causing him to stumble and rub his arm in discomfort.
Moka glared defiantly. "You swine! You lie! You know nothing!"
Julia grabbed him by the ear and pulled. "I know a lot more than you, ya senile ol' fool! I know a demon when I see one! And you are all demons!"
"Ow, ow, ow! Let go!"
"Make me, midget."
"She's scary…" Happy commented fearfully.
Julia let him go and backed up with a sigh. "Still don't believe me?" Julia then back far away from the others before her body was bathed in light a she transformed back into her draconic form.
"I thought we cured her!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Dragons can switch back and forth between human and dragon forms at will," Natsu explained.
"… Oh…"
Julia flapped her wings momentarily before soaring straight into the air towards the discolored moon, took a deep breath, and then exhaled a massive blast of flames, resulting in an immense explosion.
The moon's color reverted to normal as sparkles of light fell upon the village.
The villagers looked around in confusion.
"O – Oh dear…" Moka muttered as Julia landed and returned to human form.
"Remember now?" Julia asked.
And there you have the seventh chapter of Embodiment of Flame. I hope you all enjoyed it. If you did be sure to post a review letting me know. If you were confused or unsure about anything then be sure to post a review with your questions and I will do my best to address them. If you did not enjoy it, post a review if you must but I would suggest spending your time on something you enjoy instead. Well, nothing else to say so until the next chapter, buh-bye!
