A/N: Loves!
There's one more (okay...maybe two) chapters left of this fic. It's so weird coming to the end of a fic. One-shots are a different story, and even though this wasn't a very long fic, it still feels kind of weird completing it. The good kind of weird that is...Anywho! I hope you enjoy this latest chapter.
Shoutout to dannibolt18 for reading over the first draft for me. It turns out...I am an evil author. I couldn't help but remember what you said and the little demon on my shoulder won the debate.
"Winter either bites with its teeth or lashes with its tail" -Proverb
"And you are?" Gray asked, staring at the male currently caged in his great hall, even though he knew full well who the person was. From the moment the male had entered his realm, accompanied by the Maiden of Autumn, his Winter had felt threatened. The male was the complete embodiment of everything Winter was not. There was a great, burning power inside of the person and his Winter wanted nothing more than to snuff it out. Feeling the presence draw closer, Gray's alarms only grew. However, now that he was face-to-face with the male, it seemed the realm of Winter was succeeding in slowly eliminating the threat. The power that Gray had felt at the male's arrival was significantly lower. At that revelation, the Lord of Winter's eyes narrowed and his grin widened.
"Lord of Winter," the commanding voice of the Maiden of Autumn rung out in the hall. Gray slid his eyes to her, meeting her hard gaze. They had met each other only once, but Gray would recognize that scarlet hair anywhere.
The one day Autumn and Winter shared the earth, during their first meeting, Erza had made it clear that Gray was not to interfere with her work. Every second she was on the earth she would claim and not yield a moment of daylight to his Winter. Gray only agreed to her demands because it didn't affect him or his upcoming season at all. Erza could spend every second of her season prepping the humans, the animals, and the land all she wanted. When the dawn of Winter shone, ready or not, the world would become his to rule over.
After their first meeting, the Lord of Winter had no interest in the Maiden of Autumn. He could feel her power was a kin to his own. It was cold and harsh and demanding. It had the same effect of ending as his did. The Maiden of Autumn held no mystery for him; so, he never sought her out again and neither she, him. For the duration of their shared day, Gray would avoid the Maiden of Autumn and seclude himself on a mountain top. There, he would cocoon himself in a blizzard not even Erza's cool winds could subdue. When he felt her presence leave the earth, he would unleash the blizzard throughout the land, covering everything in white.
"Maiden of Autumn," Gray greeted, inclining his head slightly. "Another unwelcome visitor in my realm."
"The Lord of Summer and myself have only ventured here to right the great wrong you have done," Erza replied.
The Lord of Winter smirked. He relaxed in his throne, propping his head up against his knuckles as he rested his elbow on the armrest. "What is this great wrong you speak of, Maiden of Autumn?"
"Gray-" Erza narrowed her eyes further, about to list all the wrongs the guardian had committed; however, Natsu exploded into a ball of flame, shattering his ice cage into splinters that shot across the room, cutting her off. Gray watched Natsu's anger manifest around him, erupting into flames that covered his entire body. The realm of Winter shuttered at the power burning inside of the guardian, eager to smother the flames.
"You bastard!" Natsu yelled. "You know what the hell you did! You stole Lucy and brought her to this wasteland. I'm here to take her back!" Natsu's words only made Gray's smirk widen.
"Well," Gray replied. "You can try."
Natsu shot forward, covering the distance between him and Gray in an instant. He aimed a fiery punch right at Gray's face. Gray waved his hand in front of him, a thick shield of ice formed, blocking Natsu's attack. Their gazes locked through the clear ice. Natsu's eyes were two burning pieces of coal fueled with rage; while Gray's eyes were cold and hard, like two fragments of black ice.
"Is this the great power of the Lord of Summer?" Gray asked. Even though Natsu's fist was coated with flames, the ice between them remained undamaged. "I expected more."
"Shut the hell up!" Natsu gritted his teeth together, as he threw punch after punch against Gray's shield.
With his power, Gray created deadly spears of ice in the air above Natsu's head. He flicked his fingers downward and the ice spears hurtled towards the unsuspecting lord. Before they could reach Natsu, Erza appeared, swinging her scythe to guard against the attack. The spears were flung into the distance by her wind, shattering where they landed. Then, Erza used her wind to separate herself and Natsu from Gray.
"Tch." The Lord of Winter stood, dissolving his shield. The Maiden of Autumn wasn't as readily affected by his realm like the Lord of Summer. The realm of Winter saw her as an ally of sorts. It would take longer for it to realize there was a bit of fire lingering in her essence. The Maiden of Autumn twirled her scythe and stamped it on the ground. A great gust of wind rippled out from her and her glare bore into Gray. Erza was going to be a problem.
"Lord of Winter," Erza called out to him. "Cease this madness and return the Maiden of Spring at once. Her absence upon the earth has ruined the balance of the seasons. Without her power, the world cannot bloom. An eternal winter will grip the land."
"The ice ensnares. The snow buries. The frost coats. The freeze silences," Gray claimed, beginning his descent from his throne. "None of the these things under my command brings forth life. My power is the end to everything. The earth trapped in an eternal winter? Why wouldn't that appeal to me?"
"You cannot be serious?" Erza said, disbelief coloring her tone. "Everything. All life…would perish."
"Let it perish then," Gray declared, stepping off the final step.
"Is that why you took Lucy as your prisoner?" Natsu asked. "So you could have your eternal winter?"
"Prisoner?" Irritation snagged the Lord of Winter when Natsu spoke. "Why would I imprison my lover?"
"L-lover?" Natsu choked on the word.
"What?" Erza gasped. "But the Maiden of Spring, I thought she…." Her voice trailed off and her gaze flicked to Natsu; who, Gray noted, looked like the breath had been knocked out of him. It wouldn't be long now until the realm of Winter finished suffocating his fire. Gray took solace in that thought.
"Maiden of Autumn, you claim that I've committed a great wrong, but I disagree," Gray argued. "All I've done is made it so I wouldn't have to be parted from the one I love."
"In your realm, she will die! Despite your supposed love, the Maiden of Spring cannot remain here. Your emotions do not give you bounds to disrupt the balance and break the rules that govern over us!" Erza shouted.
"What you say is true. The moment I brought Lucy here, my Winter wanted to consume her. However, the orb she is encased in prevents the effects of my realm from reaching her. Inside, she'll remain unaffected and safe," Gray explained. Erza looked towards the orb the Maiden was encased in. If what the Lord of Winter stated was true, then she was safe for the time being.
"I had grown bored living in this white world alone," Gray continued, snapping Erza's focus back to him. "At first, I relished in my power being the end to all things. However, the centuries passed in a slow stretch of white nothingness. I thought I had grown numb to it all, until the day I met her. Everything with life hated and feared my Winter, yet she looked at this cold world and called it beautiful." Gray's gaze looked fondly towards Lucy, as he spoke, a soft smile lighting his features. Erza was shocked. She had seen that look before. It was the same look Natsu got when he spoke about the Maiden of Spring. Gray really was in love with her.
"It was only one day," Gray said, turning back to Erza. "But she changed me. I thought I was numb, but with her...I began...to feel. I can't-I won't go back to how things were before. I don't care if everything else disappears as long as I have her!"
"You are serious," Erza gripped the staff of her scythe, fury rolling inside of her. "You are willing to sacrifice everything for your own selfish desire because of one day?"
"It wasn't enough!" Gray yelled in response. "Since you worship the absurd rules that bind each guardian, you understand that one day was all I would have with her. One day a year for all eternity...that one day Winter and Spring shared the earth…it's not enough!"
The Lord of Winter's words struck Natsu. He had said something similar. ' It's never enough ' were the words he told to Lucy when he had to let her go back to her realm. The feeling of wanting to stay by her side for more than just one day, Natsu understood that. He understood it so well his heart ached. That feeling had once driven him to do something reckless as well. Natsu had ignored the alarms of his instinct when he tried to bring Lucy to his season. The consequences of that action still haunted him. Looking at the Lord of Winter now, Natsu hated it, but he understood him.
"One day a year for all eternity is more time than any human could ever hope for," Natsu said, repeating Lucy's words. "But you still hope for so much more," Natsu mumbled, looking past Gray at his love trapped in an orb of ice. She seemed so pleasant and unaware of the state she was in. It only appeared as though she was merely sleeping.
"What did you say, Lord of Summer?" Gray narrowed his eyes at Natsu.
"You're right. It's not enough." Natsu spoke louder. "But it's all you have, so you make it enough!" He would give anything to be able to spend his eternity with Lucy, but not like this. Even though he could relate to the Lord of Winter's feelings, Natsu could not approve of his actions. "Trapping Lucy here, destroying the one thing she loves most...you're wrong if you believe any of that can be called love."
Gray started laughing. "I suppose someone like you, showered in love from the earth, from the humans, from anything with life, can say one day could be enough. However, the love Lucy provides is of a far higher caliber than the love you receive from dirt and beasts. You just want Lucy so that she can pave the path for your season of admirers. You want to be their little sun lord basking in all that adoration." Gray stopped laughing, glaring daggers at Natsu. "You know nothing ab-"
"I know because I love her!" Natsu shouted, cutting Gray off and meeting his glare.
"You love her?" Gray whispered, flicking his gaze to Lucy and then back to Natsu. The temperature in the room was already cold, but it dropped significantly further. His hands curled into fists, his nails digging into his palms as he stared at the Lord of Summer.
"The one day between Spring and Summer is something I cherish. It's not enough, and it never could be enough...but, it's all I have with her. That one day a year I can be with Lucy, is where I live my eternity."
"Enough," Gray stamped his foot down on the floor, a wave of ice shot away from him and towards Natsu."My love is the only love Lucy needs!" Erza jumped in front of the Lord of Summer, using her wind to deflect it. However, the force of the attack was too much for her to stop it all. The ice rained down, slicing into them. Natsu called forth his power and burned the rest of it away.
"Natsu!" Erza cried out, seeing him panting from the effort it took to use his flames.
"I'm fine," he said through gritted teeth.
"You are-" She didn't have time to finish, because the Lord of Winter continued his assaults.
"Shred them to pieces!" Gray shouted. From the shadows of the ceilings above, creatures made of ice and snow dropped down, surrounding Erza and Natsu. They were hideous looking creatures, with sharp claws and snapping teeth of ice. One creature rushed towards Erza, claws aimed to maim. She used her wind to defend herself, cutting the creature into two. The creature's body merely twitched once on the floor, before the snow it consisted of pulled its segmented pieces back together again. It shook off her attack and leapt at her again.
"Erza, look out!" Natsu yelled. Another one of Gray's ice creatures leapt at Erza from behind. Erza encased herself in her wind, using her power as a barrier. She extended the barrier to engulf Natsu behind her walls of wind as well.
"I cannot hold them off for long," Erza admitted, her teeth clenched with the effort to maintain the barrier as the creatures threw themselves against it. "If what the Lord of Winter claims is true, then the Maiden of Spring, should be fine. For now."
"True. I hate it, but," Natsu bit the inside of his cheek. "He loves her. I don't think he wants to harm her."
"Do you think then…" Erza looked uncomfortable, as if the next words she was about to say were difficult to speak. It was weird for Natsu to see her look like that, but Erza shook off whatever silent battle she was waging in her mind, her eyes hardening again. "We must consider the possibility that the Maiden of Spring might reciprocate the Lord of Winter's love and came here willingly. If that is the case, we will have more difficulties ahead."
Lucy might love him ? Natsu bit down harder on his cheek until he tasted blood. Even if…even if she no longer loved him, Natsu knew that she would always love the world. There was no way Lucy would abandon the earth like this.
"More than anything else," Natsu said, his voice soft but unwavering. "Lucy's great love is for the earth and all its inhabitants." Erza stared at him, assessing his words. Before she could question him further, Natsu continued. "Erza, I'll keep that bastard busy why you get Lucy out of that ice," Natsu declared. "Once she's free, take her back to earth. I'll hold him off as long as I can."
"Nonsense!" Erza protested. "You are in no state to fight him. We are in the depths of his realm. His power is too much for us. Especially for you. I can see the realm of Winter is close to consuming your power. You cannot use your strength any further. You might…you will—"
"I don't care what happens to me!" Natsu shouted. "The only thing that matters is saving Lucy. I don't mind sacrificing myself if it means she survives!"
Erza saw the unwavering resolve in Natsu's eyes. She gripped her scythe tighter, realizing the only path left to them and hating the choice she had to make. "If you die, the balance will be broken. Who knows what might happen. I cannot let you do this, Natsu."
"Erza, listen!" Natsu pleaded.
The Maiden of Autumn shook her head, pointing her scythe at Natsu. Wind swirled around him in an instant, enclosing him inside a sphere of cool air. Natsu pounded against the walls of wind around him, shouting at Erza to free him. She turned from him, ignoring his demands.
"I will force the Lord of Winter to yield from his madness. The Maiden of Spring will be released and you will not sacrifice yourself. The balance between the guardians and between the seasons that move the earth shall be restored. I will make sure of it," Erza declared.
Raising her scythe, in front of her, she began spinning it; with every revolution, it spun faster and faster, becoming a blur of movement in front of her. The Maiden of Autumn leaned back on her heel, determination marking her features. With a warrior's cry, she broke through her barrier, cutting through the ranks of Gray's ice creatures towards the Lord of Winter himself.
Gray had only enough time to create a spear of ice to parry Erza's attack, but it wasn't enough. The force of Erza's collision pushed Gray backward across the floor. Stabbing the tip of his spear into the ground, Gray jerked to a stop. The ice creatures turned and raced towards Erza, all of them converging on her to prevent her from reaching Gray. Her arms and legs were covered in multiple cuts, but she ignored the pain. Slashing at the creatures with her scythe and with her wind, Erza kept attacking.
A creature managed to break her guard, sinking its jaws into her right shoulder. Erza cried out from the pain lancing through her. Thick layers of ice coated her shoulder where the creature's teeth sunk into her flesh. Another one slashed at her left leg, ice bleeding out from her wound. Erza gritted her teeth as she propelled the creatures off of her with a great buffet from her wind. Panting, she clutched her right shoulder that was now nothing more than a chunk of ice. Looking down, she noticed her left leg was entirely encased in ice as well. The creatures circled her, their ice teeth and claws glinting in anticipation of shredding her to pieces.
"Why do you still persist, Erza?" Gray called out to her. "You know you cannot win. Your immortality is voided within my realm. You will die if you continue to oppose me."
"For the entirety of my existence, I have fought to ensure that life will survive the harshest of your Winters. I fought to keep the balance. Even now, despite the odds, I will still continue to fight." Slashing the blade of her scythe into the floor, giant twisters sprung from the ground. The twisters trapped Gray's ice creatures in their strong currents, swirling them around and around as they shot skyward. The creatures cried out, but then all was silent. When the twisters disappeared, bits of snow and ice fell softly to the ground.
The Lord of Winter stared at the Maiden of Autumn, standing before him, as the fierce protector ready to defend against him until the very end. Her scarlet hair flew like a cape behind her. She breathed heavily, leaning on her good leg and using her scythe for support. Haggard and wounded, her eyes were burning with the bit of fire that lived inside of her.
"Today, your fight comes to an end," Gray proclaimed. Lifting the head of his spear from the floor, Gray gripped his weapon tighter. It was time to choke out the bit of fire burning inside of the Maiden of Autumn. Erza had spent her Autumns preparing others for his season. Now, it was time to show her how unprepared she really was when faced with the full force of his winter.
Gray charged towards Erza, sending a volley of ice spears towards her. Erza deflected them with her wind, parrying the Lord of Winter's attacks with her scythe. She tried to take a step back, but her ice coated leg wouldn't budge. It had merged with the floor. The ice on her right shoulder was crawling up her arm, immobilizing her further. Gray only laughed as he continued his attacks. With a mighty swipe of his spear, he managed to knock Erza's scythe out of her hand. Her weapon arched in the air, landing feet away.
The Lord of Winter reached out, gripping the slim throat of the Maiden of Autumn. He used his power to speed the process of the ice coating her body. Erza tried to call her wind to protect her, but her power only offered the barest of breezes. Winter was finally draining her. Her legs, torso and arms were now covered by thick layers of ice. It crawled up her chest and neck while Gray looked coldly into her eyes.
"No matter your resolve, nothing can prepare you for the harshness of Winter. It devours all life and then buries the remains." Gray gripped Erza's neck tighter. "You have lost this fight, Erza. Embrace the truth of Winter."
"Don't count us out yet," Natsu roared, racing towards them. He jumped and landed a kick to Gray's face, sending the lord shooting across the room.
"Natsu!" Erza cried out, seeing the Lord of Summer standing in front of her. "But how? My shield."
"You're not as strong as you think," Natsu chuckled.
"Natsu," Erza smiled.
"Give me a moment," Natsu said, calling forth his power. "I'll get you out of there."
"No. You can't use your power further. The realm of Winter is even affecting me now. It's too dangerous."
"I'm fi—"
A spear of ice stabbed Natsu in his shoulder, the force of the impact knocking him to the ground. Natsu cried out, his hand clutching his wound. He looked across the room seeing Gray's hand outstretched, a wicked grin on his face. Natsu gripped the spear protruding from his shoulder, melting it away. His power was already at its limit, but he knew he had to fight. Wobbling to his feet, he looked at Erza, struggling to break free of the ice and pleading for him not to fight. He looked away and towards Lucy, still encased in the orb. His heart ached, wanting so desperately to free her. Finally, he turned back to the Lord of Winter himself, the one who was the cause of all this suffering. His decision was already made.
"I'm going to protect Erza. I'm going to save Lucy. I'm going to defeat you," Natsu swore to Gray.
Gray picked himself off the floor, a cold fury brewing inside of him. He could feel his realm screaming at him to extinguish the life still brimming inside of Natsu, to blow out the bit of fire flickering in Erza. Everything with fire, with life would perish before him. He would create an eternal winter with the only one he cared about at his side. The ice, the snow, and Lucy, Gray needed nothing else.
"Lucy will remain at my side. The land will be covered in ice and snow forever. It is the dawn of our season of love. There is no more need for Summer nor Autumn. It is time for you two to succumb to your fates. Like all things do in Winter…PERISH!" Gray yelled, calling forth from the depths of his power the coldest blizzard he could produce. Immediately, the great chamber hall was engulfed in a whirlwind of freezing air and blinding snow.
Gray's eyes glared at the burning figure in the heart of the blizzard, foolishly attempting to defy his end. More and more and more, he made the blizzard colder, harsher. The Lord of Winter watched as the fire flickered, growing dimmer. This was the end.
Natsu tried to burn away the blizzard swirling around them, but he just wasn't strong enough. His power was barely able to protect him and Erza. As the blizzard pressed down on them, the circle of fire he created to protect them kept shrinking.
"Damnit!" Natsu yelled at himself, as he fell to his knees. He couldn't fail now and let his fire go out. Erza needed his help; and he wouldn't let Lucy fall into the hands of Winter. Natsu burrowed down into the core of his power, forcing his flames to heed his commands. Pushing past his limits, Natsu stood and saw Gray standing at the edge of the ring of fire.
"Lord of Summer," Gray sneered.
"Lord of Winter," Natsu snarled.
The two lords spared no further words, as they darted towards one another. A great explosion of power rocked the room when the two clashed. Gray's fist of ice and Natsu's fist of fire met over and over again as the melee between Summer and Winter played out. However, the odds against the Lord of Summer were already stacked against him. Wounded, drained of much of his power, in the depths of Winter, far from his own realm, Natsu was overpowered by Gray quickly.
"Why?" Gray asked, clutching the ragged collar of Natsu's vest as he punched him. His fists continued to pummel Natsu, over and over. Natsu tried to call his power to defend against Gray's onslaught of punches, but he could only manage a flicker of fire. His flame was going out.
"Natsu!" Erza cried out his name, somewhere in the midst of the blizzard, but he couldn't see her. In fact, his vision was already darkening at the edges. All he could see was the Lord of Winter looming over him and the white of the blizzard spiraling around them.
"Why does the world long for Summer?" Gray raised his hand and created a spear of ice. He slammed it into Natsu's already wounded shoulder.
"Arghh!" Natsu cried out from the pain. Gray didn't stop there.
"Why do the humans praise you? Why are you so special?" He pierced Natsu's other shoulder and buried two more spears in each of his kneecaps. Gray created one more spear of ice and aimed it at Natsu's heart. Though, beneath him, the Lord of Summer's eyes still burned in defiance.
"Why?" Gray asked, his voice so cold and bitter, raising his spear higher. "Why was it your name she called out before the ice encased her?" With all his anger and bitterness, the Lord of Winter thrust down the spear towards the Lord of Summer's heart, finally ending the season of Summer forever.
