Episode 10: Flames of Rage
No one spoke during the ride back to Gurian's estate. Rather, every mage stared blindly out their magic-mobile, their minds trying desperately to accept everything they'd just learned. To find out Soveria's Mayor could very well be the source of its current state, that was hard enough to take in. But it wasn't what had prompted the team's shared silence, not by a long shot.
Knowing a friend's life was in danger, it was never a feeling Natsu could get used to. Whether it was Gray's attempt to cast his fateful spell on Galuna Island, Erza's near death experience at the tower of heaven, or seeing everyone unable to stand at the feet of Master Hades. Every instance had put him on the brink of despair, and this one was no different. If anything happened to either of his friends, he'd make sure Gurian paid the ultimate price.
'Whenever I'm in serious danger, I know it's only a matter of time before my hero comes to save me.'
Lucy's voice played on a loop inside his head. Whether or not she'd meant it to, Natsu knew that sentence would stick with him for some time. Honestly, he'd never thought of himself as a hero. Of course he'd do anything to help his friends, but it was never because he wanted to be some 'knight in shining armor'.
He fought to protect the people he loved, it was that simple.
"We're here" Erza said from the driver's seat, "everyone be ready."
Before the magic-mobile even came to a full stop, Natsu opened his door and stepped onto the sidewalk. Gurian's castle loomed over him, its tallest spire creating a faint shadow that blanketed most of the street. Standing in said shadow, the pink-haired mage felt his rage increase the second Lucy's scent entered his nostrils. Even if he couldn't pinpoint her exact location, it was clear to him that the girl was close by.
With that thought to fuel his flames, the castle's unguarded front gate didn't stand a chance. Two flaming fists easily bent the metal bars, enough for him (and his close following friends) to slip through. Inside the castle, the group was met with one empty hallway after another. Not surprising given the cities current situation, but a tad suspicious nonetheless.
"I still don't get it" Gray said in a clearly frustrated tone, "if Gurian really is the guy behind all of this, why send out a guild request in the first place?. He had to know we'd figure things out eventually."
Erza looked as though she was going to answer, but instead went silent when they reached a four way split in the hall. When Natsu's nose led them in the right direction, only then did the woman speak, keeping her voice in a hushed whisper. "We still don't know for sure if the Mayor's to blame, but whoever is either needs Lucy, or wants to lead us directly into a trap."
"Even if that's the case, we don't have much of a choice in the matter" Carla added. "The enemy gained the upper hand by capturing Lucy. If we want to save her, we'll have to play by their rules for the time being."
By the time their conversation ended, Natsu had successfully smelled his way through most of the castle. Lucy's scent grew more intense with every step, reaching its peak outside a door the pink-haired mage found instantly familiar. 'Gurian's office' he thought to himself, 'Lucy smells like she's right beside me, she has to be inside.'
No sooner had the thought entered his mind, than he anxiously wrapped a hand around the door's knob. The sight of Gurian's empty office made his heart drop, but only for a second. It wasn't coming from her, but something in the room was giving off Lucy's scent. Walking further inside, he opened his mouth to share this thought with his friends.
He didn't get the chance however. With only a quick glance around the small room, it became obvious to him where Lucy's scent was coming from. Walking over to the desk in the middle of the room, Natsu picked up Lucy's whip and shot a knowing glance to his friends. "We're getting closer. Start looking around."
Everyone shared a short nod before splitting up to search the room. For Natsu, that meant immediately flipping over the desk to look underneath it. As he ran a gloved hand over the floor, Erza approached him from behind. Crouching low so only they could hear each other speak, she placed a soft hand over his own, which was desperately clutching to the hilt of Lucy's whip.
"What's going on with you Natsu?" the woman asked lightly, "I'm worried too, but It's been years since I've felt this much anger coming from you."
Refusing to meet his friend's eyes, Natsu kept his gaze aimed at the floor. "We don't have time to talk" he answered, perhaps with more anger than he intended. "Please, just keep looking."
"Oh come on, would you just tell her already?" Gray said impatiently from the other side of the room. "Lucy told me the day we got here, and Wendy overheard you two talking earlier, I'm sure Carla and her have put the pieces together by now."
"What!?" Natsu screamed, shooting a quick glare to the small girl in the far corner. Wendy looked away the moment their eyes locked, a thick blush on her face in a matter of seconds.
"Damn it". Cursing under his breath, Natsu felt a hard lump begin to form in his throat. Even though every fiber of his being was screaming 'run!', the man forced himself to his feet. "Alright alright" he said while turning to face Erza, "I guess there's really no reason to hide it any longer. See...the thing is...well...it's like this."
"Oh for god's sake!" sighing loudly, Gray shoved his way into the conversation, pushing Natsu to the floor in the process. "While they were here alone, Lucy started to get a crush on Natsu, which she told him about when we left to get food during the ball. Apparently Natsu felt the same way, because they almost kissed shortly after, but the big baby chickened out at the last second."
"How the do you even know all of that!?" Natsu asked.
"I could see you from my spot in line" Gray answered simply, "hell with the scene you two were making, I'm surprised the entire ballroom wasn't watching."
The explanation was given entirely in one long breath, but Erza caught every word regardless. In response, the scarlet-haired mage picked Natsu up off the ground, and painfully slammed his head into her armor plated chest. "Oh Natsu. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" the woman asked in a slightly melodramatic tone. "I can only imagine how you must feel right now, your true love taken away in the blink of an eye. No wonder you've been so moody."
In far too much pain to be embarrassed, Natsu let out a loud groan as Erza continued to squeeze. "Ow!, ya know this hurts a lot more than you realize!."
When Erza finally released him, the pink-haired mage fell to the floor once more. From that position, a strange feeling caused his nose to twitch. Before he could mention the feeling to his friends, an almost inaudible pounding caught everyone's attention. Following the noise, all five mages were drawn towards the room's back wall.
A row of three separate bookcases took up the wall, but it was the middle shelf that the noise seemed to be coming from.
"What the hell?" Natsu asked his equally puzzled friends, "it sounds like someone's pounding, inside the bookcase?."
"Yuck!" Wendy yelled in disgust, the sudden outburst turning all heads in her direction. "Sorry. I just realized it but, the air in this room tastes terrible." Without any attempt to explain herself, Wendy licked her finger and moved closer to the middle bookcase.
After running the wet appendage over the bulk of the area, she stepped back and pointed to a single book on the top shelf. "That one right there, someone pull it."
It was Erza who followed the girl's instructions. When the book was pulled out halfway, a solid 'thunk' stopped it from going any further. Soon after, the entire bookcase shifted backwards, receding into the floor as all five mages took a curious step forward. The newly revealed doorway led into a long staircase, which continued farther than the eye could see down a pitch-black passage.
Sniffing the mysterious new area, Natsu caught an extremely strong scent directly below him. That, along with several light tugs on his pants, drew his gaze downward. When his eyes were met those of a small white spirit, the man immediately fell to his knees.
"Plue!" Natsu said with a gasp, dropping Lucy's whip to pick up the tiny spirit. "How did you get here?. Where's Lucy?."
Obviously tired from running up the steps, Plue managed a short dance before collapsing from exhaustion. Thankfully, those few quick motions were all Natsu needed to fully understand the situation. Knowing his friends would follow, the pink-haired mage took off down the staircase, carrying an unconscious Plue in his arms.
"Hey man, you gonna fill us in here?" Gray asked as he chased after his friend.
"On the way, just pick up the pace!."
Lucy opened her eyes alongside a sudden jolt of pain, thrown onto her knees as a loud slam sounded from behind. Her vision was blurred, but she could still hear the muffled sound of voices all around her. Groggily standing to her feet, she began to violently rub at her eyes, a desperate attempt to regain her sight. The action proved successful, but the moment she took in her surroundings, she came to regret her decision.
Trapped inside a tall cylindrical tube, the room outside her strange prison was hard to decipher. Squinting her eyes, she could just make out the room's rectangular design, as well as several other tubes similar to her own that lined the both sides of the room. Other than that, all she had to go on was the voices she could hear, which seemed to be slowly nearing her position.
Prepared to fight her way out, she grabbed for the keys hanging from her belt, only to realize with a tinge of fear that they were missing. Going for her whip went the same way. Without either, she had no means to defend herself. That thought alone was enough to send her heartbeat out of control, but a series of deep breaths stopped her from panicking.
'Get a hold of yourself!' she mentally scolded herself, leaning on the back of the tube as she continued to breath heavily. 'You're a Fairy Tail wizard!. You just have to stay strong, remember what your friends would do in this situation.'
Her eyes glued to the back of her hand, she didn't notice the approaching voices had now gone silent. It was only when a light tap on the glass tube caught her attention, that the girl looked up, clenching both fists at the silent man in front of her.
"Gurian!" she yelled to insure her voice was heard, "what the hell is going on!?, let me out of this thing!."
Gurian's expression was hard to make out through the tube's tinted glass, but it was clear when he spoke that the man was far from afraid. "I am sorry Miss Heartfilia, but I just can't do that. It took months of planning to get you where you are now."
"W...What? Lucy asked, trying not to let her voice tremble.
"Sorry again, I suppose that came out wrong". Running his hand along the glass, Gurian walked in a continuous circle around the girl's prison. "None of this was made for you specifically, any Celestial spirit mage would've been sufficient. All I really needed were a few Zodiac spirit keys."
"My keys!". Lucy smashed her closed fists onto the glass in front of her, two fierce eyes locking with Gurian as he walked by. "What have you done with them!?. If any one of them are hurt, I swear I'll-."
"They're safe" the man interrupted, "at least...for the moment. Whether or not they remain that way, well that all depends on your cooperation my dear."
Lucy continued to pound on her glass prison, resulting only in hurting her own hands. When it was clear she didn't have the strength to break free, the girl finally fell to her knees. "I won't let you hurt my spirits, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to lye down and do what you say."
Ignoring the pacing man's snide laugh, she continued to speak. "It's clear your daughter didn't teach you everything about Fairy Tail. Someone who'd do this to a city he swore to protect, no one in my guild would ever help you."
At the last of the girl's words, Gurian paused his stride for a moment. "Daughter?" he asked earnestly, "oh, I'd forgotten about that. My dear, I'm afraid my daughter does not exist. She was just a spare of the moment excuse, meant to keep my knowledge of your guild from raising suspicion."
"You bastard!" Lucy scream, her previous anger now restored. "Why are you doing all this!?. What could possibly be worth the life of every mage in the city!?."
Her questions were answered with a long silence, after which Gurian finally stopped his looping for good. "That should do" the man said to himself, "lower the tube!, she's not going anywhere."
Another short silence, and the glass prison around Lucy withdrew into the ground. The room around her was now crystal clear, but a single step forward made it apparent she still wasn't free. A painful shock traveled through her body, activated by a wall of encryption magic that appeared by her feet. Reluctantly stepping back into the boundaries of the spell, the girl then took a closer look around the room.
Fortunately, the other tubes she'd seen before were empty. It calmed her somewhat to know the rest of her friends weren't captured, but that also meant she was on her own for the time being. And judging by the cavernous look of her surroundings, along with the ridiculous number of guards and shadow mages walking around the room, she'd be that way for some time.
"You asked why I'm doing this?" Gurian said from his spot standing beside her, "I suppose you've earned the right to know, seeing as you'll be giving your life to help me achieve my goal."
With the dark spoken rant, the man motioned for Lucy to turn around. Following his instructions, the girl felt the color drained from her face. Her legs nearly buckled at the sight that met her eyes, but she forced her mind to accept it, mainly to keep herself from losing what little remained of her composure.
Roughly inches from where her prison ended, the floor dropped off entirely, leaving a giant tunnel that looked to go for miles into the darkness. But it was what stood inside the tunnel that left her speechless, a sight she'd hoped to go the rest of her life without seeing again. A sparking crystal tower rose up from the tunnel's center, its pointed top nearly grazing the roof's rocky ceiling.
"A lacrima!" Lucy screamed, using all her self control to not strike at the magical barrier around her. "That's the final step in creating the R-system, you're trying to bring someone back to life!."
Gurian smiled, taking in a singe deep breath as he took in the sight alongside Lucy. "It's taken so long to slowly drain the city of its magical energy. One day at a time, this lacrima has drained the cities mages, taking every last bit of magic from anyone not strong enough to fight it back."
"You'd let everyone in the city die?" Lucy asked, her tone more bewildered than angry. "Just to bring one person back from the dead?."
Unlike her other questions, this one seemed to grab the man's attention. Turning to meet the girl's eyes, Gurian reached deep into his suit's pocket. "Yes" he answered simply, pulling Lucy's keys out from his pocket. "And you're going to help me, whether you want to or not."
When he finished speaking, a total of fifteen guards walked up and formed a line behind Gurian. A single key was handed to each guard, and all of them then started towards a different tube on either side of the room.
"No!. Stop!" Lucy pleaded, fighting the pain as she relentlessly pounded on her magical prison. "Do whatever you want with me, just leave my friends alone!. Please, I'm begging you!."
Her words did nothing to stop the inevitable, but they did catch the attention of a single guard, enough to turn his head as he continued to walk. His gaze stuck on Lucy, the guard neglected to notice the large rock by his feet. As a result, he fell to the ground with a hard thud, accidentally losing his grip on the key in his hand.
One second on the ground, and Plue summoned himself in a small ball of golden energy. The small spirit quickly looked around the room, his eyes eventually landing on Lucy.
"Plue, run, get out of here!" Lucy screamed, "find Natsu and the others, they're the only ones who can stop this!."
Plue wasted no time in obeying his orders. Carefully avoiding the attempts of several guards to grab him, the small spirit made his way across the room and disappeared into a passage in the back wall.
"Oh just let him go!" Gurian ordered, "damn thing's useless anyway."
His attention back on Lucy, a wicked smile crossed the man's face as his guards dropped her keys into the other tubes. Unable to hide her shock, Lucy went wide eyed as every one of her spirits were forcibly summoned into their physical forms. "No!. That's impossible!."
"No my dear, it's quite possible" a gleeful gaze working its way around the room, Gurian stopped on Lucy once again. "You see with the combined magic of a Celestial mage and her spirits, I'll rip a hole directly into the spirit world, and use its legendary magical energy to finally kick start the R-system!."
Walking in between the two rows of tubes, Gurian proudly clasped his hands behind his back. "And with your idiot friends still blindly searching the city, there's no one left who's strong enough to stop me."