UPDATE! (no new chapters this week, sorry)
Hey, people. As promised, here is the next chapter of Demons. Sorry it's a bit late, but I've come to learn that it's nearly impossible to write two chapters in one week.
I wanted to thank juvia. hanks and Lieutenant Myst, who left a review on chapter 9.
As for the Guest: LOL sometimes we just miss things, so it's ok that you didn't consider that Juvia would die.
I will talk in the end of the chapter about the reason why Zeref killed her and it's not what anyone's thinking.
That scene with Ur finding Silver was supposed to be the biggest clue to the fact that he isn't dead. It was also to be a clue to the fact that these two knew each other before. The whole story will be revealed within the next few chapters.
If you're interested in learning more about Zeref and Acnologia's history and motives, pay close attention to their scenes in this chapter. There are plenty of clues here.
WARNING: The angst is so real it's getting to the point in which I'm actually crying while writing this. So be warned that this chapter involves a few DEATHS.
Happy reading, everyone! Don't forget to review, follow and favorite.
My Immortal-Evanescence
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
When you cried i'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream i'd fight away all of your fears
And i've held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me
Centuries ago...
"I didn't think I'd see you again so soon, Zeref." Acnologia said, staring mockingly at the dark wizard who stood before him.
They were once again in the outskirts of Magnolia, although this time the beautiful field was stained with the blood of ten dragons who had been mercilessly murdered by him before the Zeref's arrival.
Their giant corpses cast a shadow on the two man, blocking the sunlight from reaching them. It was a good methaphor for the darkness that constantly surrounded both.
"Neither had I, but I couldn't stand watching it anymore." Zeref replied, trying not to look at the dragons.
"So you've finally decided to take part in this war?" The blue haired man looked amused.
"No. I've decided to end it." When he only raised a brow, Zeref continued. "There's been too much bloodshed, too many unnecessary deaths. It's time for it to stop."
"So you think that you can stop me?" Acnologia was amused.
"I know that I can't." The dark wizard admitted. "Which is why I brought someone who does have the power to stop you."
Before the former could ask, the earth around them began shaking and suddenly there was a familiar figure standing a feet feet away from them, propped on one of the dragons' giant paw. Her hair was dark and long, eyes mixed green and black and the dress she wore was now almost completely black.
"It's been a while, hasn't it, Alaric?" She fixed the dragon slayer with a firm gaze.
"Not long enough." He whispered, frowning.
"Do you see what you've done?" Ankhseram asked while standing up, making the dark feathers on her dress move.
"Why is it black? It wasn't that way the last time I encountered you." Zeref asked, staring at it curiously.
"The dress is magical. It represents the balance between life and death and, as you can see, it has been broken." She replied, glancing pointedly towards Acnologia.
"Well, I don't care. I won't allow even you to stop me from achieving revenge." He stubbornly replied, crossing his arms. "If you didn't want me to do this, you shouldn't have cursed me."
"It appears as if the curse has taught you nothing about the value of life." The goddess said, taking a few steps, her skirt flowing in the wind.
"So are you going to end it?" Zeref asked and she shook her head.
"No, the rules of the curse remain clear; it can't be broken." She glanced around the field, frowning at the sight of the corpses. "However, I cannot allow you to keep destroying so many lives and throwing this world into chaos."
"So what'll you do? I doubt it could be worse than what you've already done to me." Acnologia dared, staring at her unafraid.
"I'm afraid I'll have to take away the only thing you have left." While both glanced at her in confusion, she closed her eyes and sighed. "Your freedom." Then she started glowing bright green and even Zeref couldn't deny his fear at the feeling of her unimaginable power. It was proof that no matter how strong they were, they couldn't compare to an actual god.
Soon enough, the same bright light enveloped the arms of the two man and they stared in shock at the black bracelet that appeared. "What is this?" The dragon slayer asked.
"A link. It will tie the two of you; your fates will now become one." Ankhseram finally opened her eyes.
"You didn't say that you were going to punish me when I asked for your help." Zeref accused angrily.
"This isn't punishment. In fact, you may consider it a second chance." Both men scoffed, but she kept smiling. "Now the only way either of you may die, is if the other goes first. I wonder if you'll ever find a way to make that happen." It took 400 years, but eventually, Zeref did.
Present day... 8 PM
"Seriously? That didn't do anything?" Sting said, frustrated.
Him, Rogue and Yukino had found themselves going against the most powerful member of Tartarus: Mard Geer, the underworld king. The trio had been unlucky enough to encounter him after they were freed from the Allegria Curse and they had been fighting against him ever since.
"This is getting exhausting." Yukino added; she was on her knees and panting after having summoned two spirits at the same time. Unfortunately, all that did was waste her magic power; the enemy was completely unaffected by Pisces and Libra's attacks.
"Maybe we should call the others for help." Rogue suggested while trying to regain his breathing.
"I'm sure they're all busy fighting against the other demons." Sting replied, shaking his head.
"I agree with Rogue; we could use some help." The celestial wizard said.
"You could, but it still won't be enough to defeat me." Mard Geer said, bringing their attention back to him.
For most of the fight, he had remained standing in the same spot a few feet away; the dragon slayers were somehow unable to touch him.
One of his arms held onto a book, which they coudn't read the title, but they guessed it must belong to one of the nine demon gates. They had made it their priority to get their hands on it, but were no closer to achieving it than when the fight started.
"Won't this guy ever shut up?" Sting complained before sending an attack that was easily avoided.
"We just need to work together." Rogue said, making him frown. "What do you think we've being doing for the past hour?"
"You've been distracted, Sting. That's why none of our attacks have hit him." The blonde man gave him an incredulous look.
"Are you kidding me?" Mard Geer watched them argue, amused; while Yukino decided to intervene.
"Guys, this isn't the time." They looked at her; Rogue with a frown and Sting with concern.
"Are you okay? You don't look so good." She nodded.
"I'm just tired, but I don't think I have much magic power left." He took a few steps in her direction.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't hurt you." She smiled thankfully before taking the hand he extended as he helped her stand. Rogue rolled his eyes.
"God, when will you two just admit it?" Both glanced at him, confused.
"Admit what?" Yukino asked.
"That you love each other. I'm sick of watching you constantly ignore it, it's not doing anyone good!" Their eyes widened and equal blushes appeared on their faces.
"Well, we..." She stuttered, stepping away from the blonde man.
"What the hell, man? Did you have to do this now?" Rogue sighed.
"It may not be the best time, but if there's a chance that we might not survive this night, we should at least make everything clear." From afar, Mard Geer smirked once a plan came to mind.
"You're right." Sting sighed; realisation sinking in.
He had been holding back from telling Yukino how he felt, wanting her to have time to get adjusted to their new life and move on from what happened during the Games. The memory of the night she was kicked out of Sabertooth still haunted both and sometimes he felt like he didn't deserve to be with after what he'd done.
So he'd tried his best to change his attitude after that and become a better person, one who might be worthy of her affections. They had grown closer in the three months since she'd rejoined, but he hadn't made a move, knowing she needed time to heal.
However, as he now realized, they might not have that time. That night could be their last, as much as it pained him to admit it. He'd never forgive himself if he died or if, God forbid, he lost her and she didn't know how he felt. He needed to tell her.
"Yukino, I..." Sting began, but suddenly there were vines everywhere and they were trapping him.
"What?" He overheard Rogue say and, much to his despair, the other dragon slayer was trapped as well.
"As amusing as watching you has been, I don't intend on spending all night fighting you." Mard Geer said, smirking.
"Seriously? Did you have to pick now to do this?" Sting complained while trying to free himself, to no avail. It seemed as if the vines were somehow blocking his magic.
"Don't worry, Sting, I'll help you." Looking to his right, he was surprised to see that Yukino hadn't been caught.
"No, you won't." The demon gave her an evil look; relishing in the pain he was about to cause them both.
"Damn it! These vines are too strong!" Sting screamed, struggling.
"Humans always tend to fall pray to their emotions, while being completely unaware of this weakness." Mard Geer told them, taking a few steps in their direction. "That's what makes it so easy to manipulate you."
"No, our emotions are what makes us stronger. It might've taken awhile, but we understand that now." Rogue told him and he laughed.
"Is that so? I suppose we'll see about that in a moment." He stopped, standing only a few feet away from them.
"Come on, Libra. I need your help now." Yukino whispered while trying to summon the spirit, to no avail. The demon looked at her then Sting.
"Let's see how strong you'll be after I kill your beloved." His face paled.
"Don't you dare!" He yelled, struggling against the vines. It was no use. He was stuck; he wouldn't be able to protect her.
A giant flower appeared and dived in her direction. Yukino tried to move so she could dodge it, but Mard Geer made sure she couldn't escape.
They could do nothing but watch as it got closer and Sting couldn't hear anything besides his desperate scream of her name.
Jellal was on his knees after casting his ultimate spell; absolutely exhausted. Much to his relief, Kyoka didin't appear to be moving, which meant he had won. After a few moments of making sure of it, he turned around with the intent of waking Erza up.
As soon as he did so, he was met by familiar brown eyes that were filled with confusion and disbelief. "Jellal?"
"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.
"Are you really here?" She asked while a shaky hand touched his cheek.
"Of course I am. What's wrong, Erza?" Next thing he knew, her arms had thrown around him in a tight hug and he could hear her sobbing once again.
Jellal was quick to return it as he just allowed her to let it out; knowing that's what she needed. Once he heard her broken words, however, his body tensed and he felt anger return.
"They convinced me...I thought you were dead." Erza sobbed, feeling a mix of shock and relief. "So stupid, I shouldn't have believed them."
"It's okay. I'm here now." He whispered the only words he could think of to comfort her.
It didn't take long for the red head to calm down; so she pulled apart from the hug and examined his face. "I thought that I would never see you again."
"I know. I'm sorry I've been gone for the past few weeks." He looked away, the ever present guilt returning.
"It wasn't your fault, you had to run." Erza said before sighing. "I just wish we hadn't lost all that time."
"Me too." He nodded; thinking back to multiple times when he prayed to be reunited with her once again. Never had he expected that it would happen in such heartbreaking circumstances.
"Well, we can make up for it now that it's over." She said, glancing towards Kyoka's apparently unconscious body before looking back at him.
"Erza, I..." He was about to tell her that he shouldn't; he still had a long way to go before he could allow himself to be with her again, but once he looked into those familiar brown eyes, all resolve was lost.
"Don't say anything." She approached him, closing the distance between them. Her arms encircled his neck while his own wrapped around her waist instinctively.
"I'm sorry." It was the only thing he could say at that moment. Erza smiled while shaking her head.
"Why do you always apologize?" Then she leant in and he did the same. They were unaware of the two figures watching in the distance as their lips met in a passionate, long awaited kiss.
Meanwhile, with the wounded...
Just as Hisui thought it was all over, salvation came in the form of a lightening bolt being shot right in front of Tempester, forcing the demon to step back. While he looked around in confusion, another made him let out a scream.
"No way!" From afar, Bixlow was shocked.
"I don't believe it!" Bisca said, eyes wide.
"Laxus." Mirajane whispered while removing her arms from around her younger sister and standing up. She smiled at the blonde man who had miraculously stood up and attacked their enemy. His eyes showed determination, but once they met hers she saw hurt cross his face.
"I must say say I'm surprised. You should be dead." Tempester said, catching his attention.
"So should you, yet we're both still here." Laxus replied.
"Thank you for saving my life, but you're injured. You should rest." He then turned to the princess.
"You should get out of here." Hisui looked surprised, but shook her head.
"No, I can't leave you to fight him alone. I should help." She reached for her keyes, but before she knew what was happening, she was being pushed aside.
"I told you to get out of here!" Laxus screamed while stumbling a bit; it was clear he was in pain.
"He's right." Both turned to Lisanna, who had come to them despite her siblings' protests. "It's not safe here, your majesty." Hisui frowned, but understood. It was more important for her to stay alive so that she could help her people move on from the tragedies of that day.
So she accepted the other girl's hand just before Lisanna tarnsformed into a bird and flew them both away while Laxus distracted Tempester. Once the princess was safely situated by Mirajane's side on the ground, she looked back towards the ongoing fight.
Minutes passed and blows were exchanged. They were all impressed with Laxus' ability to stand against such a powerful foe. If they weren't aware of his condition, it'd be impossible to notice since the dragon slayer fought with all his strenght despite being clearly overwhelmed.
There was a moment when everything seemed lost as he was crushed underneath multiple rocks. This had them all worried, and Mirajane quickly stood up and took a few steps, screaming his name.
"Stay away, Mira." Laxus yelled, voice strangled since he was having trouble breathing. She felt tears streaming down her face, worried that she might lose him.
She couldn't, not now. Not after she had so harshly rejected him and not even explained herself. He needed to know, she needed to tell him the truth before it was too late.
"You're in pain, so I'll make this quick and put you out of your misery." As soon as she overheard those words, her mind was set.
"Mira, don't!" Elfman screamed in warning when she closed her eyes and concentrated on transforming into her ultimate Satan Soul.
Once again, her power felt different and she realized that the strange black markings were still on her arm and were somehow glowing now. Mirajane didn't pay any mind, though. Saving Laxus was far more important.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Porlyusica yelled angrily, but she ignored the older woman. She ignored everything and focused solely on reaching him.
Once she arrived by his side, he was on the ground, but there was a smile on his face. Tempester had been thrown back a few feet and stared at her with interest.
"You idiot. I told you to stay away." Laxus said once she knelt down and lifted him up into a sitting position. His hands let go of the coat he had been holding as he grabbed her shoulder for support.
"Well, I'm not going to. Even if you don't want me here, I'm not going anywhere." Mirajane said, making him glance at her in confusion.
"Now you're confusing me. Weren't you the one telling me to leave you alone just a few days ago?" She sighed.
"I didn't mean it. But it's complicated and I can't explain it right now." She looked back towards their opponent just as he charged. Quickly standing up, she gathered all of her magic power and sent it towards him, but he dodged it.
"Careful, this guy's serious." Laxus warned her.
"I already took down Seilah, so nothing will stop me from defeating this one." This had Tempester stopping on his tracks.
"You managed to take down Seilah? How?" He stared at her, eyes widened.
"You shouldn't underestimate her, pal. She's one though lady." She turned to him, a small smile on her face.
"You should get out of here, I don't want you to get hurt anymore." He smiled back while resting his back against a rock.
"To be honest, I doubt that I could move right now. But it's okay, I have faith in you." She nodded quietly before turning back to Tempester.
"Now, it's time to end this." The demon got into position, but didn't charge. Talong advantage of his hesitance, Mirajane focused on releasing magic power, hoping she'd manage to become as strong as when she'd defeated Seilah.
With Cobra and Kinana...
He was mad. Seriously, if that person wasn't one of his closest friends, he might've punched them. Or worse. Because only an idiot would yell at him right when he was finally kissing Kinana.
But then again, they were in the middle of battle, so perhaps it wasn't the right time.
"Shut up, Racer!" He yelled anyways after pulling apart from the kiss.
"Seriously, man? I just saved you." The fast wizard stood in front of the couple, having shielded them from an attack. In the back of his mind, Cobra cursed himself for failing to hear it coming.
"Thank you for that. We won't be distracted anymore." Kinana said and he couldn't help but to smile.
"Honestly, I could handle being distracted one more time." She gasped in surprise when he pulled her towards him.
"Are you kidding me?" Racer angrily yelled, but was ignored.
"Erik, we should..." She tried, but gave up upon noticing his smirk.
"Yeah?" She sighed before leaning in as he did the same.
"Cobra, seriously, this isn't the time!" Racer screamed once they kissed again, agilely managing to block another attack coming their way.
It wasn't long before Kinana pulled apart, smiling at Cobra's frown. "We'll have plenty of time for this later." She winked before stepping away.
"Listen to the girl. You need to focus." The dragon slayer nodded, still frowning.
"Fine. Let's finish this off already." Racer rolled his eyes. "Finally!"
"Kinana, stay behind me." Cobra added and she did as told, knowing that he wouldn't be able to concentrate on the fight if he was worried about her. After all, she didn't know how to use magic, so she couldn't join in.
The two mages were able to take down the soldiers with relative ease, but just as they thought victory was theirs, another came out of no where. This one, as it seemed, used the same magic as Dorenbolt and was somehow able to evade Cobra's sharp ears.
Before they knew what was happening, Racer was falling to the ground, blood splattering from his back where the soldier had created a hole. Kinana let out a terrified scream while taking a few steps away and Cobra didn't even try to stop her; he was visibly shaking once he yelled his friend's name.
"Who's next?" The soldier looked up from Racer's lifeless body and smirked at his opponents. He looked between the two for a moment before making his choice and sending a blast of magic Kinana's way.
Having seen this coming even if he couldn't hear the man's thoughts, Cobra was quick to place himself in front of her, successfully blocking the attack.
Unfortunately, due to its enhanced speed, he was unable to use magic to shield himself. The blast created a wound on his chest, tearing out his clothes, but he simply ignored it and concentrated on gathering energy for a dragon roar that eliminated the enemy.
"You're hurt!" Kinana quickly noticed once he stumbled afterwards. She held onto his arms and lowered both to the ground despite his protests.
"I'm fine." She fixed him with a worried gaze.
"Don't lie to me." Now that they were seated, she finally let go of his arms and stepped away before coming in front of him. Her hands gently touched the wound and he hissed. "See? You are hurt and it's my fault." Tears were brimming in her eyes and his gaze softened.
"Hey, don't beat yourself for it. It was my choice." She sighed, removing her hand.
"Thank you, by the way, for saving my life." He smiled.
"Don't mention it." Silence fell upon them as both glanced towards the lifeless body a few feet away.
Cobra could feel a familiar feeling returning after so many years: Loss. He didn't think he'd have to go through it again, but fate worked in cruel ways, as it seemed. However, once he stared back at her, he thanked whatever God there was that she wasn't the one lying dead on the ground.
Back with Jellal and Erza...
It wasn't long before one kiss turned into many as they tried to make up for all the time they had lost.
The couple was so focused on each other that they didn't hear the sound of a body crawling towards them. It wasn't until they heard the loud scream of her name that they pulled apart, confused.
"Erza!" The red head looked around, breathless, trying to locate the source. She spotted Kagura running towards them, a frightened expression on her face.
"Kagura, what..." She was about to ask when there was a gasp and the unpleasant smell of blood filled her nostrils. Her face paled before she turned around, only to be met with a nightmare.
Milliana, her oldest friend aside from Jellal, was falling to the ground while Kyoka stood above her, a bloody dagger in hand and a disappointed look in her eyes.
"Milliana!" Erza screamed before extending her arms so she could catch her. The brunette was struggling to breathe and there was a large wound on her chest.
"No. Please, not again." The red head barely payed attention to Jellal, missing the way his eyes widened and his face lost all color as he was haunted by nightmares of the worst days.
"What have you done?!" Erza also ignored Kagura's angry yell once she charged at the demon, taking out her archenemy sword and plunging it into the latter.
"Please, don't do this to me." The reequip mage pleaded while her hands touched Milliana's face, which was concernedly cold.
"It will be okay, Erzie." There was a small smile on her face and she grabbed one of Erza's hand with her own, trying to squeeze it.
"No, it won't. Why did you do this?" She knew the answer. Knew what it was like to sacriffice yourself for someone you loved. But she always hated it when someone else did it for her; it made her feel so guilty and broken.
Flashes of Simon's death crossed through her mind and she couldn't stop the tears.
"This is my fault. I am so sorry, Erza." Jellal's voice was shaky, strained and she didn't need to look at him to know that he was holding back tears.
"Damn right it's your fault! I should kill you." Everyone turned to Kagura, who stood in front of Kyoka, still holding onto her sword. There was a familiar look in her eyes that Erza didn't like one bit.
"No. It was my choice." Milliana said before coughing a few times. She was fading fast, but tried to stay strong for long enough to stop one of her best friends from making a terrible mistake. "You can't blame Jellal, for any of this. Please, Kagura."
"But..." The brunette shook her head.
"I hope you'll manage to let go of your vengeance, like you were just telling me you would. It could do you so much good." Kagura's hand shook as she started crying as well.
"Why? Why do I have to lose you too?" They knew it was too late. The wound had been fatal, it was only a matter of time.
"I don't know. I'm sorry, Kagura." Unable to keep standing anymore, Kagura dropped to her knees.
"It's not fair." Erza gave her a symphatetic smile.
"None of this is. But there's nothing we can do." If only Wendy or Chelia were to show up, maybe Milliana could be saved. But they didn't.
"Promise me something." By now she was almost gone, barely able to keep her eyes open.
"Anything." Both said in unison, making her smile.
"Take care of each other. I have a feeling you two could be great friends." They shared a look and the red head nodded.
"I will." Truth be told, her and Kagura had buried the hatchet months ago, when they promised to let go of their pasts and become friends during the ball right after the Games. They weren't sure why they hadn't followed that promise and had only met twice since that day; but this time Erza intended to honor her words. So she extended a hand and it wasn't long before Kagura took it. "Me too."
"Good." Milliana watched it with that familiar smile.
"We'll miss you so much." Erza said just before her eyes closed forever.
Tempester watched Mirajane for a few moments and once his eyes found the markings on her arms, fear crossed his face. "What is this? Demon slaying magic?" While Laxus was confused, Lisanna and Elfman gasped in shock once they came to the realization.
"You hurt my friends; Evergreen, Freed, Yajima. You nearly killed them and then you took out Hibiki and Jenny. They didn't deserve this and I'll never forgive myself for not stopping you sooner." There was so much power coming from her; they were all impressed.
"Go, Mira!" Lisanna yelled, smiling when she sent all of it towards the demon.
For a moment, the ground shook and many the rocks lifted into the air, being thrown out in various directions. It it wasn't for Alzack, Bisca and Bixlow's quick thinking, they might have done great damage.
They were surprisingly joined by Dorenbolt, who seemed to have recovered from his exhaustion and managed to bring Wendy and Carla to the group. While the exceed remained asleep, the young girl had just started to wake up and looked around in confusion.
"You okay, man?" Bixlow asked and he nodded, panting. "Fine, just tired."
"Mira!" A scream caught their attention and they turned towards Mirajane, who was now in Laxus' arms, apparently unconscious.
"No." Elfman immediately stood up and stared at his older sister in worry.
Seeing as Tempester appeared to be defeated, the group decided to join the two injured mages. So Elfman carried Evergreen, Bixlow took Freed, Hisui and Lisanna carried Yajima and Dorenbolt once again held Wendy and Carla.
When they reached the duo, Laxus was shaking the take-over mage. "Damn it! I think she used too much magic power." He told them and Porlyusica stared at the unconscious girl with disapproval.
"Idiot. I told her not to fight." Kneeling down by his side, the healer touched Mira's forehead, concerned by its coldness. Moving her hands down to her neck, she tried to listen for a heartbeat. There was none. "Her heart stopped."
"What?" Lisanna's eyes widened.
"She can't be gone!" Elfman shook his head while gently placing Evergreen on the ground.
"She isn't. Now, step away. I'll try to revive her." Porlyusica replied and Laxus nodded before letting go of Mirajane. Looking back at his coat, which was thrown a few feet away, he sighed.
"At least I got the blood, so now we can heal everyone." Then his eyes widened once he realized that it wasn't over yet. "Shit! I completely forgot!"
"What is it, man?" Bixlow asked.
"The bean particles. They're what took us down." Everyone stared back at Tempester and they were unsettled by the dark cloud that was forming above him.
"What do we do?" Princess Hisui looked around in worry.
"We have to stop it, but how?" Bisca replied while taking the now asleep Asuka into her arms.
"I don't think there's a way to stop it." Laxus groaned, there were dark spots in his vision and the urge to just close his eyes was overwhelming.
"Just try to rest and let us figure this out, okay?" Lisanna told him, gently pushing him to lay down. He struggled at first, but soon enough exhaustion won him over and his body dropped with a loud thud.
"I think I know how to fix this." Dorenbolt said once he was down and everyone turned to him. "All I need to do is take him away. I know a deserted island near where the Tower of Heaven used to be; this way no one will get hurt."
"That could work." Hisui agreed and the others nodded.
With the plan set, Dorenbolt walked towards Tempester and grabbed him before disappearing. They thought he was a genious, a hero; but they didn't know the tragic truth behind his idea: It was a one-way trip. He didn't have enough magic power to return, so he would be trapped in that island filled with deadly particles.
"Okay, so what do we do now?" Gajeel asked.
"We should head back to the others. They might need our help." Levy wisely suggested.
"Hey, you okay?" Gray asked and everyone turned to Meredy, whose face had suddenly paled and she stumbled before falling to her knees.
"Something's wrong." Her hands pressed against her stomach as pain crossed her face.
"I don't get it, I just healed you." Chelia stared at her in confusion.
"Is this about the baby?" Levy asked, taking a step forward.
"Baby? What baby?" The former's paled and her eyes widened, as well as Jura's.
"Something's wrong with her. I... It hurts." Meredy was nearly crying from the pain, it was unbearable.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed you to use magic again." Gray's face showed guilt when he approached her.
"Don't. I thought...it would be okay, but it wasn't." She groaned, still holding onto her stomach.
"We should take her to Porlyusica." Levy suggested and the others agreed.
"But I..." Chelia frowned.
"You've done great, but she needs professional help now." The bluenette reassured her.
"So, shall we get going?" Gajeel said, eyeing everyone.
"Do you even know where we're supposed to go?" Natsu said while helping Lucy stand up.
"He's got a point." Gray said while carefully picking Meredy up; the pinkette groaned once again before closing her eyes.
Silver watched this with a concerned look, but didn't have time to worry before an all too familiar pain overwhelmed him. "Dad?"
"What?" He held onto his chest, feeling like it was about to burst. A heart attack? This didn't make any sense.
"What's going on?" Natsu asked while eying the older man strangely.
"Do you think this is Tartarus' doing?" Lucy wondered while holding onto her boyfriend; both had just stood up.
"Damn it! I can't...Not now." Silver dropped to his knees and a book suddenly appeared by his side. The name on the cover had Gray tensing up and the others gasping.
"No way!" The younger ice mage stared at it in disbelief.
"Deliora? How?" Natsu was confused.
While everyone froze in shock, a dark cloud suddenly enveloped Silver and he screamed in pain before his body dropped to the ground.
In a cottage far away from Tartarus' base... 8:15
Zeref watched Juvia Lockser's lifeless body with a sad smile. He had used magic to change her usual outfit into a beautiful lilac dress. It was a ball gown, complete with rose petals on the waist and end of the sleeves. He had adorned the ground where she lay with the same pink roses from the dress.
"So beautiful. So...perfect." He whispered, although his mind wasn't on the girl lying in front of him.
While he was lost in thought, the door to the cottage suddenly opened and in came...A clone? This man looked exactly like him, same black hair and eyes; although instead of a smile, he sported a frown.
"What have you done?" The newcomer glanced towards Juvia, face paling upin realizing that she was dead.
"I was hoping that you'd join us." Zeref told him, smiling.
"Really? Did you have to pretend to be me? The other one raised a brow.
"I couldn't have her knowing who I am." The former replied before letting go of his transformation. It wasn't long before black hair turned to a light shade of blue and his eyes returned to dark green.
"I will never understand you." The real Zeref shook his head before looking back towards the body on the floor. "Why did you kill her? Have you used her already?"
"I warned you that I'd find a way to stop you from turning her into E.N.D." Acnologia replied instead.
"Don't think that it's over. She wasn't my only choice, you know that." Zeref warned him and he simply smirked before taking out a small vial from his pocket.
"I'm well aware. But I still have some left, so don't doubt that I will use it." The dark wizard's eyes widened once he recognized the transparent liquid.
"I should've known that you wouldn't actually eliminate her." He was impressed, that was undeniable.
"Quite brilliant, isn't it? I decided to take a page from Juliet's book; she was very helpful." Acnologia was smiling brightly, clearly proud of himself.
"So can I assume that you have also violated her grave?" When he simply gave a confused look, Zeref sighed. "I visited my mother's grave. I know that you took her body."
"What makes you think so?" The other man decided to play dumb.
"Will you just tell me where she is? I don't have all night." The former was getting impatient.
"Why would I?" Acnologia merely raised a brow.
"Forget it. I'm done trying to get answers from you." With that, Zeref turned around and began walking away.
"You have her eyes." He froze, tensing up. "I always told you that, but you just shrugged it off as if it didn't matter. As if she didn't matter."
"Of course she matters." He replied immediately.
"Then why do you deny her the chance to return?" Acnologia asked; and for the first time in a while he actually sounded sincere and desperate.
"I'm not willing to pay the price." It was the dark wizard's reply before he closed his eyes; unwanted memories returning.
"You already payed the price when you killed Ethan Redfox." Zeref didn't want to listen to anymore of that, so he kept walking until he could no longer hear the man's hurtful words.
So, thoughts?
What did you think of Milliana's death and Erza, Jellal and Kagura's reactions?
What about Racer's death? I bet that one was unexpected! By the way, hope you enjoyed the Cobra x Kinana scenes I added there.
On another topic, what did you think of the resolution to the fight against Tempester? Miraxus fans, did you enjoy their moments?
Did you understand what happened with Silver? If not, check out his fight against Gray in chapter 7, the answer is there.
Lastly, Zeref and Acnologia. What did you think of the flashbacks and that last scene? Now you know Acnologia's real name, but can you figure out his identity?
IMPORTANT: One thing that came up a lot in your reviews to chapter 9 is that the reason Zeref killed Juvia is because transforming her into E.N.D involves bringing her back to life, as it happened with Natsu in the anime/manga.
Now, in this story, that wouldn't work out. Although it is possible to bring someone back to life, the way to do it is rather tricky and complicated. For example, there would be no way Keyes would manage to bring Silver like he did in the anime. That is one of the reasons why I decided to make him be alive in the end.
Right now I can't explain all of the rules about bringing someone back from the dead, since it would give away a few SPOILERS. So you'll just have to wait a few more chapters to fully understand it.
Next chapter: Where Are You?
Summary: Once the rest of the enemies are wiped out, Makarov calls everyone to join together so that they can figure out their next step. After Gray explains everything regarding Juvia's connection to Zeref and the reason why she was kidnapped, everyone moves to find her immediately. Meanwhile, Meredy struggles with a realisation, an unexpected ally comes to Yukino's aid, another mage goes missing and one more sacriffice leads to death.
I am so sorry, everyone, but chapter 11 won't be posted tomorrow like I intended. Here are the 13 reasons why: (just kidding)
1-Next week will be Jerza Week and I really wanted to write something for them. I have a one-shot involving Gruvia and Jerza that I want to write this week so I can post it on the 5th of July.
2-A sequel to my prompt for Day 3 of Gruvia Week 2018, What Had To Be Done, was requested by glodenglowingsnowdemon. That was nearly 2 months ago, but I finally got enough inspiration to write it. It will be a short-story, 10 chapters most, and I intend to write a few of them this week.
3-Saturday is sort of my friend and mine's anniversary and we agreed to write a one-shot for each other about some of our favorite ships. She's writing a story about Jerza, while I started a one-shot about Stingyu a few weeks ago and intend to finish it this weekend. (there's also Gruvia in there, as usual)
Please, pray that I manage to get all of this done so that I can work on chapter 11 of Demons next week! It'll be a miracle, but I'll certainly try!
There are no classes this week, so I have plenty of time. Let's just hope my fingers can handle it (oh, the joys of typing).
Have a wonderful afternoon, everyone!