**Quick author's note: As always I hope that you are enjoying the story! I know its been a bit of a slow start with the character relationships developing but I think it will start to pick up somewhat in the next couple chapters so bare with me. I think I'm as excited for it as you guys are :) As always, if you really enjoy the story or if there's something that you want to see more of let me know in a review! I don't know how many of you guys have heard of NaNoWriMo but basically the idea is you write fifty thousands words in a single month, I think I'm going to try to make this my nanowrimo project! (it's supposed to be an original story but I think I'm pretty content working on this one so I'm just going to do that). Stay tuned for more chapters coming soon! End author's note**
Dammit! That wrong turn really slowed me down. Raven thought as she raced down a different hallway, her wings taking her far more quickly than any human could normally move. "I practice one of the lost magics." She heard echoing from the room in front of her. Found you! Raven burst from the hallway, wings spread wide, just in time for him to continue. "In other words, both its strength and side effects are so powerful, it has been erased from history as we know it." He glanced to her with his smug grin.
"That sounds really conceded to me." Raven smirked right back.
"Raven?" Natsu seemed surprised by her entrance into the room. He looked even more surprised when he really saw her, massive, icy dragon wings flapping around her.
"Gray had the situation with Lyon under control." He said, never taking her eyes off their masked enemy.
"That Dragon Slayer magic of yours is no different." The man announced, drawing Natsu's attention back to him.
"Really?" Natsu sounded almost excited by this revelation. Raven ground her teeth. How dare he compare us to himself. She glared her anger at the man.
He only laughed again and then suddenly, disappeared. "Huh? Where'd he go? I'm sick of chasing him around!" Natsu gained a whiny tone to his voice that Raven didn't like. "I wanna fight." Her stomped his foot on the ground just like a child in a temper tantrum.
"Hey!" Raven snapped at him. Her anger with the masked man caused her to lash out a bit too harshly with Natsu. "Stop throwing a hissy fit and let's go. We need to get to wherever they are keeping this demon." Raven alighted on the ground gently and dissipated her ice wings so that she wouldn't out pace Natsu. The seriousness of her face brought Natsu back to the intensity of the situation.
"Right," He took a deep breath. "I know where we need to go." He told her, sprinting for a hallway. Raven could smell the perfume as well but decided to let Natsu lead the way, following right on his heels.
As they descended further into the temple the smooth walls faded, giving way to more rough stone walls. It was also darker the further they got into the tunnels, just still, Natsu never took a wrong turn. Suddenly the hallway ended abruptly and they stood in the door way to a massive cavern that was well lit with a crystal giving off light.
"Hey! There you are!" Natsu shouted angrily. There, standing on one of the rocks further off the shelf was the masked man they had been chasing. That is not what caught Raven's attention however. Instead, she was captivated by the massive ice casing surrounding the demonic being that had been at the heart of so many of her nightmares. She froze, completely lost to the world around her.
She gasped and sat bolt upright. She was breathing heavily as she desperately looked for the source of her fear. Sweat dripped down her brow and the back of her neck. The massive creature that had been resting peacefully beside her stirred, and yet her wild fear had not yet eased.
"What is it child?" The deep hum of Kayerith's voice filled her chest. She bit her lip, chewing as if she bit hard enough her tears would disappear. Slowly, as she realized she was safe, in her ice cavern, with Kayerith to protect her, her breathing slowed and her wild glances settled onto the dragon.
She swiped at her tears with the back of her hand. "It was a bad dream." She concluded. "It was just a bad dream." She whispered more to convince herself than to explain to Kayerith.
"Oh sweet child," Kayerith wrapped her tail more tightly around to push Ravenna closer to her body. She then rested her head on the ground across from Raven. "Tell me about your fears."
Raven looked at the ice dragon that had been her companion for the last several years of her life. She shook her head, unable to speak about it. "I can't." She sighed helplessly, her lavender eyes swelling up with tears once again.
"It has been years since this beast attacked your home." Kayerith said, blinking her beautiful blue eyes at the small girl. "And yet you still fear, unable to talk about it with me. You cannot sacrifice the peace of your future because of the fear of your past." The dragon drew in a breath and let out a puff of air through her nostrils. Small snowflakes began to fall, shimmering in the moonlight that filtered through the ice walls.
She spent a long while switching between watching Kayerith and looking at her hands, folded in her lap. "He's scary." She finally whispered. The dragon remained silent, as she so often did, and waited for Ravenna to continue. "He's got big teeth and claws." Raven shuddered and drew her blankets higher around her.
"He does not sound so different from me." Kayerith mused. "I do have large teeth and claws." She said clicking her jaw as if to demonstrate.
"But he's got glowing red eyes!" She said, louder than she intended. "He's scary, you aren't scary." Raven whispered, looking at her hands again. "He comes in my dreams, saying he's looking for the last one, saying he's got to kill the last one. He's talking about me. I try to run away from him but I can't cause he's too big. I can't fight him either. He's too strong, even with the magic you taught me." Raven felt the tear on her cheek again and wiped it away angrily. She hated showing weakness in front of Kayerith. "He laughs at me." She whispered. "He remembers all the people he killed and he makes me look at them. I can't look away, I have to see Grandma Saya in the snow, and Caroline, just as she opens the door, and Zazel…" Raven's voice trailed off as she thought of Zazel. Something about saying his name stirred a memory she felt like she should remember but couldn't. She looked up at the dragon, seeking solace in her blue eyes.
"And you do not believe that you are capable of beating this monster that haunts you?" Kayerith asked slowly after Raven had been silent for a moment. The little girl shook her head, tears in her eyes once more.
"I know I can't, he's too big, and strong." She explained.
"It would seem to me that you fear the memories he's left in your mind more than the actual creature himself." Kayerith observed. Raven thought about this for a moment.
"I don't understand" She said puzzled.
"You are afraid of what you think he is based on your memories, but you do not know what he actually is. You do not know his true power, only that he was able to take from you what you loved. You fear him because he was able to take that away." She tried to explain.
"I'll never see them again." Raven said, sullenly.
"No," Kayerith shook her large head. "You won't truly see them again. But," she paused, "these people will always be with you. The people that you love will always be here." Kayerith stretched her neck and gently touched her nose to Raven's chest, where her heartbeat was the strongest. "The next time he comes for you, you must remember the positive memories you have of those you love. Show him that he was not able to take these people from you and he will never hurt you again."
Raven stared at the dragon for a moment. "So, if I just remember the good things about them, like building snowmen with Zazel and Caroline, and helping Grandma Saya make hazelnut soup, he won't come back into my dreams?" Raven asked skeptically.
Kayerith sighed. "You must believe and remember the good things with all your heart. If you believe he was not able to take those people from you then he has lost his power over you. Only you can control your thoughts."
"Only I can control my thoughts." Raven whispered to herself with a certain edge of determination.
A roar, somehow familiar after all these years drew Raven back out of the past. Despite the shaking of the cavern her heart beat managed to be louder than the beasts roar. Everything around her slowed to a crawl and the images began flashing through her mind in time with each beat. The first explosion, Zazel's hand locked around her own. Caroline in the doorway. The snowman just before the beam fell on it. Deliora towering over everything. The red glow of Grandma Saya's magic. Grandma Saya in the snow. Zazel disappearing. I can never forget that sound.
Raven didn't even notice the tears that were streaming down her face. She was only vaguely aware of the fight Natsu was dealing with not far from where she stood. Kayerith, what do I do now? Raven felt just like a child again, shivering in her. I never thought I'd see him again and here I am, what do I do? She screamed internally, desperately wishing that the dragon was with her here.
Only you can control your thoughts. Kayerith's voice echoed in her mind.
"Only I can control my thoughts!" Raven roared back at the demon she now faced. "You have no power here!" She shook her head to clear her thoughts and clenched her teeth, trying to stop the tears. "Only I can control my thoughts!" She screamed again.
"Rah!" Natsu roared, fire streaming from his fist.
"Natsu!" Raven shouted, turning her attention away from the demon for the first time since entering the chamber.
"But I broke it, right?" Natsu grimaced as what appeared to be a glass orb smashed into his stomach.
"I have the ability to control an objects time, meaning I can take the crystal back in time to before it was broken." The masked man explained, noticing that Raven was now paying attention.
"What kind of magic gives you that power?" Natsu questioned.
"I practice one of the lost magics called the Arc of Time. It's extremely rare and quite powerful."
"Still conceded," Raven mumbled.
"Would you like to see what happens when I throw this crystal ball into the future?" He taunted with that same smug smile on his face.
Suddenly the crystal that he had been manipulating started moving so quickly that Raven could hardly see it. Natsu screamed out in pain as the ball crashed into him over and over from too many angles to block. Natsu swung wildly with a fiery fist and caught the crystal ball, shattering it. Right before their eyes the ball pieced itself back together and swung around to hit Natsu in the back of the head.
"Your fire won't help you!" He shouted at Natsu, who was winding up another punch.
"It stopped in midair."" Natsu exclaimed, aghast.
"Yes," the man said, a bit too creepily for Raven's liking. I also have the ability to freeze an object's time."
"Nice trick, but I'd be more impressed if it worked on people." Natsu threw at him.
"Ah, yes, that's rough. It's powerless on living things. Since Ur turned herself into the ice that encases Deliora, I cannot simply turn back the time on that ice to its pre-frozen state. That's why we are using moon drip." The man explained, with that same stupid smile that never seemed to leave his face.
"Let me ask you something. Why are you guys doing this?" Natsu asked him, relaxing out of his battle pose. "It seems to me like you're working hard trying to revive this demon just so Lyon can kill it to boost his ego. That's great for him and all but what are you gonna get out of it?"
"That's a good question." Raven whispered to herself, remembering the way he so blatantly mocked Lyon before.
"I can't say. I've only recently joined Lyon so I don't know enough to speak on behalf of the others." The masked man said, deliberately making Natsu fish for the right question.
"Okay, what about you then? What's your goal in all of this?" Natsu asked, clearly frustrated with the game. He raised his hands again, as if preparing to fight once more.
"You certainly know how to get straight to the point." He laughed again. "The Cold Emperor Lyon is an arrogant twit." I can't say I disagree. "He doesn't stand a chance against Deliora. That's where I come in."
"If he can't kill it we're in major trouble! Unless you are gonna defeat it yourself?" Natsu interrupted. You're missing the point Natsu.
"Don't be ridiculous. I want to control the demon!" I knew it! "You see, there are spells that give the caster power over immortal monsters like this one here. With a single spell I'd become the most powerful man in the world because I'd have a demon at my beckon call." The masked man clenched his fist in the air as if he was imagining some other realty.
"Talk about a lame answer." Natsu frowned. "I'm sorry I even asked." For once the stupid smile was wiped from the masked man's face, but Natsu wasn't done. "That's what you're after? You think just having a monster is gonna make you tough? No way." Natsu was almost nonchalant in his reaction.
"I suppose you are too young to understand right now, but one day you'll realize how important it is to have power on your side." The man said loftily after his shock had pasted.
Natsu's fist erupted into flames again. "I've already got plenty of power on my side." He glanced at Raven, as if giving her a signal. "Cause all my friends in Fairytail have got my back!" I may not be in Fairytail Natsu, but I certainly have your back.
"If you let your cockiness get the best of you, you will fall exactly like the ceiling above you!" The man shouted and lit up the cavern with a strange white and black casting circle. The ceiling above them, just like he had said, began to collapse.
"I've had enough of you and your buddies screwing things up for the people of this land!" Natsu's fire surged more brightly around his hands. That's it Natsu, just keep his attention! Raven willed as she pulled her large ice sword from a casting circle and jumped into the air with the aid of her wings. "It's time I put a stop to it!" Natsu shouted as she flew around behind the masked man.
"You don't seriously believe that you can stop my Arc of Time with your puny flames, do you?" The man shouted from under his casting circle. Natsu leapt forward as several dozen crystal orbs flew at him from the circle.
"I don't give a crap about your stupid magic!" He yelled as he threw a massive blast of fire. "I just want you off this island!" Natsu destroyed all his orbs with that single blast of fire.
The masked man jerked back in surprise of Natsu's show of force. "Told you that you were too conceded!" Raven shouted now that she was directly behind him. She shot forward and swung her sword as quickly as she could. It was the most satisfying feeling when her sword made contact with him, sending him flying into the air.
"I may not be able to control time but I can see the future!" Natsu shouted as he jumped through the smoke of his fire. "And I see me kicking your butt!" Natsu's flaming fist slammed into the man's face and sure enough he went crashing into the rocks beneath them.
"That was the cheesiest line I've heard in a long while!" Raven laughed as she alighted on the ground next to Natsu. He grinned at her.
"Nice team work!" He held up a hand for a high five and she enthusiastically reciprocated.
"That was awesome." She couldn't stop the grin on her face.
Suddenly, as if to shatter her joy, Deliora roared again and the last of the ice encasing the beast shattered. The demon raised its fists into the air, standing from its crouched position. Raven froze. That sound. She could feel the fear creeping back into her like some sort of dark magic.
"Hey! What are you doing here?" Natsu gave a confused look over Raven's shoulder and jumped several rocks over. Raven turned to see that Gray was standing in the water that had been Deliora's ice casing.
"Natsu," he said quietly.
"There's only one thing we can do now. We gotta take that thing down!" Natsu sounded so confident that Raven nearly believed him. Raven followed Natsu and jumped down to where Gray was standing.
"Neither one of you are strong enough." Lyon crawled, clearly half mad, into the cavern. "But I am. I will defeat it." Raven felt nothing but pity for the desperate child that Lyon still was.
"Lyon," Gray's voice was hoarse, as if he was trying to hold back his feelings.
"I'm going to surpass Ur, finally." Lyon laughed madly from his place on the cave floor.
"You can't fight. You can't even get up off the floor." Natsu pointed at him.
Deliora roared again and Raven felt her memories from childhood stir within her. "I've waited so long." Lyon said, smiling, almost lovingly at the creature. "For this moment." He rose to a single knee, bracing against a nearby rock. "She was strong, but not strong enough to kill that demon." Lyon struggled up to his feet, barely standing on shaking knees. "I'm going to do the one thing that Ur never could. Finally, my dream will be fulfilled." Suddenly Gray hit Lyon in the back of the head. Raven hadn't even realized that he had left the water.
"You've caused enough trouble," He said in that strangely calm voice. Lyon fell to the ground once more. "I'll clean up the mess you've made." Gray said, walking back into the water.
Raven could hear her heartbeat again, drowning out the rest of the world around her. It filled her years. "I'll seal the demon myself." She heard Gray's voice as if he was far away, somewhere in the distance.
"Iced-shell!" Gray shouted, starting the spell again.
"Don't do it Gray!" Lyon screeched from his place on the ground. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to melt that ice?" Lyon was shrieking at Gray to stop but Raven barely noticed over the flashing images in her head. Zazel's head clasped around her own. The snowman standing amidst the burning house. Caroline in the doorway. Grandma Saya lying in the snow. The demon roared again. Raven couldn't tell if it was a memory or real, here and now.
"Only I can control my thoughts." She whispered to herself. "Only I can control my thoughts." She clutching her head and squeezed her eyes closed. Tears leaked out to flow down the sides of her face. "Only I can control my thoughts." Her voice was growing louder. "Only I can control my thoughts!" She remembered that night, sitting with Kayerith, talking through her fears. "Only I can control my thoughts!" She roared back at the demon.
Her eyes flew open and her wings snapped wide, growing in size as she poured more magical energy into them. She raised her icy sword, which was also much larger than it had been.
"Raven!" Natsu yelled to her as she walked forward to the edge of the stone she was standing on. "You do not have the power to take anyone from me. My memories are my own." She swung her sword out and stared down the demon. Her shirt was blowing in the vortex of Gray's spell.
"Natsu, stop Gray! I didn't save his life before only for him to throw it away now." She said without looking at Natsu. The room filled with noise once more as the demon roared and pulled back a massive fist. She flashed forward, massive wings carrying her through the air.
"Raven!" Natsu shouted at her again. She didn't even slow down her charge. As soon as she was in range she swung her sword over her head, dodged past the demon's fist, and plunged her sword deep into the chest of the demon that had haunted her dream for years.
Green energy sparked around her blade. She roared her own fury at the beast and shoved the blade deeper into Deliora's chest. The energy sparked more. Suddenly, its skin began to crack around where her blade had been implanted. The cracks ran along the demon's skin. She could hear Lyon screaming behind her but she could not understand the words. Natsu and Gray were both screaming at her too. Green energy began bursting from Deliora's arms and legs as well as the cracks spread to the end of its limbs. It roared again, shaking beneath her, but she did not let go of the blade.
Chunks of the demon began to fall off into the water, creating massive waves in their wake. Raven saw it coming but couldn't bring herself to move. She came down with the demon as it crumbled around her.
She knelt, miraculously unharmed, in the water, processing what had just happened for a moment. She used her sword to steady herself. It's finally over Kayerith. I avenged you Grandma Saya, Caroline. Zazel… I was able to do it. I defeated my demons. If only you were here to see how strong I am now. If only you were here. A deep feeling of guilt stirred in Raven despite her victory. Again, she felt as if there was something she should be remembering but couldn' and carefully Raven began to rise out of the water just as Gray and Natsu appeared at her sides.
"Are you alright?" Natsu asked her. Raven turned to Natsu and Gray, tears still fresh on her face. She dissipated her wings and her sword into snow. I've been freed from this nightmare. I'm sorry for the sacrifices you've made for me, but perhaps this can help to repay them.
Suddenly Gray grabbed her and pulled her into him. She and stood in shock as his arms wrapped around her. Slowly Raven relaxed into him and together they stood in the water that had been Ur and cried. "You saved my life, again." He whispered. Something told Raven that he wasn't just talking to Ur but also her.
His chest was warm, his heartbeat slow and strong. There was something in that embrace that made Raven crave more. She clung to him until her tears dried. "Thank you," she whispered after a while, pulling away from him. He smiled down at her. "You should take care of Lyon." She said quietly, nodding in the direction of Lyon.
"Yea," he replied, in the same soft tone. His eyes lingered on her for a moment before he turned back to Lyon, who was lying on the ground near the water. Natsu was talking to a red-haired woman Raven had never seen before and Lucy. Unsure of where she belonged, she lingered in the water.
"Come on guys! Let's go!" Natsu shouted to them all, waving. Raven smiled at Natsu and nodded.
Natsu and Lucy lead the way out of the temple, with the red-haired woman behind them. Gray was helping Lyon out of the temple. Raven wondered idly behind them, thinking. Kayerith, for the first time since you disappeared I felt like I belonged to something.