Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.
I think I've been too hard on Lucy... That's an understatement, especially in what you're about to be reading.
First off, I thank all of you once more for everything! The reviews, additions to favorites or alerts lists and the hits! It truly means a lot to me. To see how far we've gone with this story... It makes me teary actually.
This chapter... Ah... More action? I guess so. Err... Enjoy?
I now present to you Chapter 13 of To What We Once were!
Chapter 13 – Unleash Their Power
Ember couldn't believe her eyes.
She could feel Juvia trembling behind her. She couldn't blame the older woman though. She was about ready to burst into tears at the sight.
The hall was filled with smoke from the destruction. Many of the mages that she knew were strong lay on the ground, struggling to stand with bated breath. Some of the even stronger ones were still fighting though, but with the ratio between enemies and them, it seemed that they were fated for tragedy.
Her mother was doubled over, looking at her in shock. The evil man was standing above everyone, looking down upon all of them as if they were the peasants – he was their king.
"MAMA!" she called out, trying to fight Juvia's sudden grip on her. She needed to go to her mother. She needed to help everyone. Even though she was only a little girl, she had to do something.
The evil man caught her eye and she froze. She was afraid at what he might do to her – what he might do to her mother. As the man began his approach, she was engulfed in a mysterious yet familiar substance, her view of the outside disappearing in a flash.
..O..
A new conviction burned in Lucy at the sight of her daughter. She knew that Kuro would take her daughter if she had fallen, and she would do anything to prevent it from happening.
Juvia seemed to think in a like mindset as her. The water woman hugged her daughter, letting the little girl be his within her body. At the time being, she knew that it was the only that her daughter would be kept safe.
She whipped out three more keys from her belt. She didn't care whether or not she was on the verge of collapse. The adrenalin pumped through her, surging her to keep going forward. "Open the Gate of the Crab! Cancer! Open the Gate of the Ram! Aries! Open the Gate of the Lion! Leo!"
The three spirits she summoned were all rearing for battle. She looked at all of them to make sure that they'd be alright. They gave her affirming nods. "Aries, go to Juvia and Ember and create a wool shield! Loke, Cancer, kick his ass!"
She doubled over once again, trying to catch her breath. The amount of magical power that she was using might just kill her. The spirits all exchanged glances, but followed her earlier instruction. Aries began running, creating a series of 'wool bombs' so that she could manage to get to Juvia safely.
"Lion Brilliance!" Loke cried out, positioning himself into the stance. A bright, blinding light erupted from him, making Kuro flinch away. Cancer, unaffected by the move, rushed forward, scissors in hand, ready to strike.
A hiss of pain.
The bright flash was gone, and Lucy looked at her foe, wide-eyed at the meager scratch that managed to land on his forearm. She grinned proudly, turning to thank her spirits when she saw it. Her heart froze.
A sharp solid shadow, piercing through Aries' barrier.
She heard a cry of distress from Loke, as the wool wall vanished in an instant. It revealed Aries, she too slowly vanishing as a shadow blade extracted itself from her. The spirit smiled apologetically to her allies before disappearing entirely.
A beastly roar, and Lucy whirled round to see Loke charging at Kuro, arm raised and ready to unleash his strongest attack. "Regulus Impact!"
The head of a lion burst out, its teeth bared and direction aimed straight for Kuro. The man spun around, conjuring a pitch-black wall, which blocked the move. Loke roared once more, ready to just simply use hand-to-hand combat to kill.
Kuro chuckled and summoned up another batch of shadow creatures, all of them rushing forward to incapacitate the Lion.
"Loke!" Lucy cried out, desperate not to see one of her strongest spirits get hurt. She saw Cancer trying to fend off the Shadow Demon mages, but there seemed to be too many.
Then she saw him. Kuro was striding towards Juvia, seemingly without a care. The few Guild mates that still stood couldn't help, and only looked upon with stricken faces as they tried to fend off the mages and shadows.
Juvia was standing, ready to fight. Though she was faltering, at the sight of the shadow Gray approaching along with Kuro. Juvia knew that she could fight against the leader, but against her love, even if it's not actually him, she mightn't be able to fight.
Lucy knew that Kuro thought it all a game. A sick game, which only brought pain to her nakama.
And she was the catalyst for their pain.
The entire situation seemed so similar to the Phantom Lord incident, where their building – their home - was destroyed because they wanted her.
Kuro and Juvia had begun battling, and seemed to be an equal match to each other. But Lucy knew that with Ember in Juvia's body, the water mage wouldn't be as sufficient when attacking.
Ember. Her daughter was there. Her daughter was in the fight. Her daughter was in danger because of her.
Something surged within her – a burning sensation. Magic. She then froze, before collapsing onto the crumbled ground before her.
..O..
He was losing more control over sanity. His rage was burning in him like a furnace. Something in him wanted to take upon his animalistic characteristics – to become more like a dragon than fully capable. He knew that if he did, there may have been a chance that he could actually kill the man in front of him.
Although, it didn't seem like a bad option, considering whom he was fighting against.
Natsu ran around the arena, dodging every single shadow blade that tried to strike him down as he passed. Nazo was standing in the middle, arms folded, looking extremely calm about the situation. Lucy's screams in the background had died out, but he could still hear fighting going on from the Lacrima-Vision Nazo had summoned earlier.
He heard a chuckle. The onslaught of shadow had paused, as Nazo turned to look at the screen. Natsu did the same, and the raging beast in him went berserk once more.
The lacrima had zoomed in upon a single woman, at the precise moment that she fell to the ground. Her chocolate-brown eyes had rolled to the top of her head before they closed. There were no critical wounds on her, but Natsu could guess that she had exhausted herself from the amount of spirits she had called out. Even then, his anger would not cease.
The man that he assumed was the boss was fighting against Juvia. The shadow form of that stupid exhibitionist was fighting against her as well. Some other of his nakama were helping Master defeat the shadows. He knew that Master could have easily used Fairy Law or some type of powerful move to defeat all of them.
Until he realized the major setback. Even though they were shadows, they looked like his nakama. They were his nakama, in a sense. Master would never dare hurt anyone of them. Meaning, he'd simply have to use brute force to defeat all of them, since they were still a part of the Fairy Tail members.
Natsu noticed the small girl missing, his heart nearly skipping a beat when he did. But when he noticed how slow Juvia's movements were, he presumed that the little girl was in her body, protected from all the attacks that would've scarred her.
"Enjoying the show?" Nazo asked snidely, drawing Natsu's attention towards him. "Lacrimas are a handy tool, don't you think? You can see your nakama fall down one by one, and your enemies can gain wonderful powers from them."
Natsu grit his teeth. "And that's probably why all these shadows were popping up in our fight."
"Correct Dragon Slayer. Infusion with a Shadow Lacrima. Amazing thing magic is. It makes you stronger, and it's also what leads you to your demise!"
Nazo put forward his hands, new shadow creatures rising up to his command. Natsu released a battle cry and surged forward, hands blazing with burning hot fire. His knuckles met with each creature that his foe had made. He could see the snarky smirk wipe off his face, replaced with a determined scowl.
Knowing the level of seriousness in their battle pushed him to fight harder.
Natsu ran towards Nazo, aiming to let one of his punches land on any inch of the man's body. Nazo ducked and rolled over, sticking his leg out to trip the Dragon Slayer. Natsu had fallen for the trap, ending up face first onto the ground. He felt his leg be yanked up, and he was then tossed to the other side of the arena. He landed against side, and from the searing pain that originated there, he guessed that some of his ribs had broken.
Growling, he set his whole body aflame and knelt on one knee, ready to attack once more. Nazo's scowl deepened, the mage trying to catch his breath from the amount of magical power he exhausted. He knew that if he ran out of power, he was nothing but raw meat for the Dragon Slayer that he was fighting against.
Natsu roared out and began running, ready to hit his enemy with all the power that he had. He would show no mercy for anyone who dare attacked his Guild on purpose.
Rushing forward, he tackled the enemy mage to the ground, burning him because of his body. Nazo scowled and concentrated his power once more, managing to launch the fire mage into the air, as if he were held by an invisible piece of string.
Seeing the pathetic Dragon Slayer at his mercy – he relished the feeling. But, just before he would throw the piece of trash -
A woman's loud cry cut him off.
Both men turned to face the screen, which was showing the blue-haired water mage down for the count, at the mercy of Gray's shadow, who was grinning menacingly. Juvia was barely conscious, staring at her attacker with a heartbroken look.
His other nakama were still fighting restlessly - relentlessly, though were on their final gauges for magical power. He could see many of them crouching down, trying to catch their breath as their shadow counterparts and more mages kept coming to fight them. The wave seemed endless.
And Ember. It seemed that Juvia had let her out of her body beforehand, so the little girl was standing at the entrance to the hall. The leader was quickly approaching her, a victorious spring in his step. Ember looked very afraid, her eyes forming frightened tears. Something tore up Natsu at the sight.
"Open Gate of the Clock! Horologium!"
..O..
The clock spirit appeared directly in front of Ember. Surprising the little girl, she was placed inside, safe from any harm that would come to her. She banged the inside of him, needing to see what had happened to the summoner of the spirit.
The little girl's eyes widened in utter shock.
A bright, heavenly glow was what most saw.
A figure appeared from behind a wall of smoke. The rubble of the fractured room surrounded her, along with the smoke. A glow shone from that direction as well. Everything near her swirled at a high velocity. It was a collection of immense magical power.
The environment around them changed. It changed into the universe. The entire universe, and all it stars, surrounded them. Every enemy that was there was swept into the world – the allies watching from beyond a point where they wouldn't get hurt.
Orbs of light materialized around them. Different colors – the manifestation of a rainbow. Eyes went around, mystified by what they were in. Their attention was drawn to the woman whom had an ethereal, unworldly glow about her.
She was a goddess – a goddess from an entirely different world.
Survey the Heaven, Open the Heaven...
All the stars, far and wide
Show me thy appearance...
With such shine.
O Tetrabiblos...
I am the ruler of the stars...
Aspect became complete...
Open thy malevolent gate...
Kuro laughed like a maniac, absorbed by the terror and beauty of the summoner. "Beautiful! Lucy Heartfilia, you are truly as beautiful as your mother once was!" he cried out, sounding quite delusional. The other mages that followed him were still captivated, and also confused, by what was happening.
Lucy seemed to float off the ground, as the light that surrounded her shone with more ferocity. The rubble and smoke that swirled around her like a vortex spun quicker and more dangerously. No person was capable of piercing her shield.
Her eyes were closed, her voice coming out with a more haunting atmosphere, as if it were echoed in its hundreds. All that anyone who was trapped could see and hear was simply her and the heavenly bodies.
O 88 Stars of heaven...
Shine!
Her eyes opened, and instead of its warm brown, a golden symbol was what appeared. The victims all became paralyzed in fear as she cried out in a loud voice.
Urano Metria!
The bright light that surrounded her was blinding. The orbs began growing to an immeasurable size, as those who were trapped began screaming for the life of them. One could still hear Kuro's insane laughter, as those from Fairy Tail watched in awe at the safe distance.
A loud explosion shook the room, as each orb set off in perfect harmony with each other. There were cries of pain and horror as the orbs hurt all of them. No-one could utter a single word, too awed and afraid of the calamity made.
Lucy was let down gently. Her blank orbs filled with color, as she looked at the state of the enemy around them. The defeated shadows all disappeared, while her Guild mates' shadow counterparts returned to their bodies. The Shadow Demon mages were sprawled around groaning in pain or already knocked unconscious.
Ember cheered in Horologium, amazed and proud at what her mother had accomplished. Those who had seen her attack cheered loudly, proud of what their nakama had done for them. Lucy smiled brightly, in disbelief herself about what she had done.
She looked over to a particular Lacrima-Vision screen, and saw Natsu grinning. Even from far away, he knew what was happening. Her smile widened even further.
Then she gasped.
She doubled over, her hands grasping at the ground beneath her. Pain – excruciating pain. It coiled in her stomach, as she felt a liquid pool at the area and drip down. She shakily moved one of her hands to touch it, though she had a very horrible suspicion.
Blood.
It happened too fast. She choked on her own blood that bubbled up her throat, as she toppled to her side. Maniacal laughter tang through her ears, and beyond the smoke, they all saw a figure appear. She gritted her teeth, a mixture of anger and disappointment swirling in her as she saw Kuro standing. He was scathed, but looked relatively fine.
She gasped sharply once more. Something twisted in her stomach, crushing and injuring her vital organs. It was sharp, and too painful to imagine. The pain was immeasurable.
The sharp thing extracted from her stomach, the same area where she was pierced before. A shadow blade. Though she knew that since her wound hadn't healed yet, it would be much worse than last time. As she fought for air, she took the time to throw Kuro a scathing glare.
Her nakama who were still standing began their move, drawing their weapons and remaining powers, ready to attack the man until he faced oblivion. Holorogium disappeared, and Ember began running, not caring whether or not she faced any danger.
Kuro continued his laughter, savoring the demise of the woman he pitted revenge against. He built his shadow shields around him, his magical power seemingly endless. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see her remaining nakama all fighting against the single man who caused her tragedy. Despite herself, she smiled fondly.
"Mama! Mama!" Ember cried, running past all the rubble and unconscious bodies. Her single thought was focused on her mother. She knelt down next to her mother, crying against the woman's chest. Her daughter mumbled something incoherent, and Lucy tried to put on a brave face.
"Hush. Don't worry Ember. I'll be alright," she lied. Even though she knew that the claims were probably false, it was the only thing that she could do. "Ember, look at me," the little girl obliged. "Don't cry. Please don't cry. Just smile, okay? Smile for Mommy..."
Ember tried to, but she burst into another round of tears. She could tell that her mother was lying. Her mother was in so much pain, yet all she cared for was her.
"Mama. P-Please... D-Don't l-l-lea-leave m-m-me... P-Pl-Please..." the little girl stammered through tears, as her mother's breaths became shallower. Couldn't anyone help her? Wasn't there anyone that could help her?
It was happening too fast. Her mother's eyes were fluttering. Her breaths were getting shallower. If nothing was done, her mother would be...
"Mama! Mama! Please! P-Please! You can't! Don't go! Don't go yet!" she cried out desperately. She turned to those who were fighting, hoping that someone – anyone – could hear her calls. "Please! Someone! Help Mama! Help her! Please! Wh-Why couldn't Daddy s-save you... If he loves me and you, wh-why hasn't he come to s-save us?"
She saw someone run, but they were moving too slowly. She turned to her mother, who had a sad but peaceful smile on her face. The woman was on the verge of life and death. "Ember, honey," she whispered out, her voice sounding croaky and weak. Ember moved closer to hear her. "Your Daddy... He loves you very much. He treasures you... And... When you need him, he will always come to save you. So don't worry honey. Even if he's not here, he will be soon, even if I –"
She burst into a coughing fit, a bit of blood splattering her daughter. Ember looked at her mother in distress, afraid of what was happening. Lucy smiled, her eyelids feeling extremely heavy. She had no more energy. The simplest thing to do was sleep...
The Fairy Tail members were fighting at full force once more, even though it was painful. But, they knew that the pain wouldn't compare to what Ember was facing. They thought back to Natsu, and wondered what his reaction was. A single goal echoed throughout their hearts and minds: to defeat the man who had caused pain to those dear in their hearts.
..O..
He let out a beastly roar, entire body aflame in red fire – reflecting his anger and pain. They had both stopped to watch what had happened. Both had seen Lucy's immense power, and what had happened soon after. Natsu couldn't control it any longer. He had failed to protect one of his comrades – the one that he cared for the most.
Nazo couldn't help but be shaken by the surge of power from the Dragon Slayer. How could the man keep on fighting? Were his powers affected by his emotions? As he thought, he didn't have time to retaliate when Natsu attacked, fighting with all that he was capable of.
His eyes were narrowed into a frightening glare, as he made each bone-shattering move. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist! Talon! Wing Attack! Sword Horn! Flame Elbow!"
Nazo couldn't stop the Dragon Slayer. Each move broke his body, to a point that could be called true pain. The fire was searing hot, and the force of the attacks only added to the damage. He tried to call out for a shield, or a weapon, but the realization struck him. He had no more magical power. Nothing could protect him anymore from the moves that came directly from the fire mage's emotions – all of which were born from Lucy and Ember's pain.
He closed his eyes, expecting the next move to be the worst that Natsu had ever dealt to any enemy. He smirked wryly, finding himself quite proud to match up to the most infamous Dragon Slayer known to man. Natsu let out a beastly roar, preparing to release the flames.
"Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!"
Nazo was engulfed in searing flames, as wave upon wave of fire danced around him. He howled out in pain, knowing that he had finally been brought down to his knees. In his mind, the roar of a dragon rung, the sound inflicting fear within him. As Nazo was tossed carelessly towards the other side of the arena, Natsu roared victoriously. The gates barring his way out disappeared, and he knew that they all lead to a single destination.
He strode up towards the defeated man, wanting to give him a message before he left. "Do not ever come back to Magnolia, alright? More so, do not ever approach any Fairy Tail member, especially Lucy and Ember, because if you do, you'll be facing pain worse than death."
With that, he ran towards the nearest exit, determined to reach Lucy and Ember before it was too late.
..O..
Ember continued crying, not wanting agree to the fact that in next to no time at all, her mother wouldn't be with her anymore. She had to think of something. There must be something that she could do. Why... Why hasn't someone come to rescue them yet, like it would in a fairytale?
Her mother entered another bout of coughing, and Ember could only watch in fear.
"I'm sorry Ember. But, I think it m-might be too late. I'm," tears began falling out of Lucy's eyes, her eyelids rapidly closing to a shut. "I'm so sorry. Don't you ever forget that everyone loves you okay? Don't forget what I told you about your Daddy, alright? Now, it seems that I-I have to... to..."
Her eyelids fluttered to a close, her mouth slowly curving into a peaceful smile. She looked like an angel, but that wasn't what Ember wanted. Yes, she wanted to see her mother's smile, but she wanted her to be alive as well. It couldn't be true. Her mother couldn't have...
She let out a cry of incomprehensible pain, tucking her head into the crook between her mother's neck and shoulder. It was Levy who had come running, and the woman was trying to think of a way to revive her nakama - her best friend, but hope was fading. Tears were blinding her, and the weight of it all was blurring her vision as she tried to staunch the wound to no avail.
Something pulsed in Ember – a fiery sensation. All her emotions only caused the sensation to grow larger. It wasn't painful, but it did make her want to cry out as loud as she possibly could. With the combination of her tears, and pain, and the sensation, she didn't know what was happening to her.
The little girl let out a cry, and Levy was momentarily surprised at how much it reminded her of Natsu's battle cry. At how similar it was to a...
A dragon's.
Ember continued crying out her pain, unsure of what was occurring to her.
Because for a single moment, she felt as if the fiery sensation took control of her entire body, pulsing out even further than she could've imagined.
And the next second, she, Levy and her mother were all surrounded in a flickering red ring of fire.