School Life Chapter 26- The Wrath of the Dragons
I was pretty surprised that I got the five reviews last time, but it was just to see if people would review, im not requiring it anymore. It did make me happy to see the reviews though. Anyway, this arc is coming to an end…or is it?
….
"What's wrong Levy?" Gajeel said as he took a seat next to his girlfriend. "It's not like you to skip class."
The unusual couple sat in the hallway, their backs against the wall as the other students shuffled into their classrooms before the late bell rang. "I'm really scared," Levy said, leaning her head on his shoulder, tears starting to stream down her cheeks. "I'm afraid they'll be too late. I don't want to lose Lis."
The Iron Dragon slayer sat there awkwardly, unsure of what to say or do. "She'll be back, Natsu won't let her die. Besides, they have an actual dragon on their side."
….
"NOOO!" roared Igneel, his voice causing the guild to rumble. "Summon another spirit, now!" the dragon demanded, grabbing the mage by the shirt and lifting him a good three feet off the ground.
The spirit mage cried out feebly as he watched smoke start pouring out of the man's body, his teeth and fingernails sharpening, and red scales appearing in patches on the man's muscular arms.
Fumbling for his keys, the ginger grabbed one, "Open: Gate of the Wise."
Igneel kept his eyes on the man as his key began to glow.
"Well, this is a surprise," came a wheezing voice. "To see a dragon, and a dragon as powerful as you," came the voice again, from a small man, sitting cross legged, a staff laid across his lap. "How can I help?"
"The girl, Lisanna, has she been sacrificed yet?" Igneel growled.
"No. A strange blue cat flew off with her. Your son is quite powerful for one so young. He has already taken out many spirits," the spirit answered, opening his blind eyes.
Igneel calmed slightly at the news, some of his scales turning back to skin. "Take me to the Spirit World," the dragon growled, but not angrily.
"Are you sure of that? The girl's body is protected because of who she is, your son is not but being half human, he will last awhile. You will not have much time though, especially if you revert back to your true form, the blind spirit said, staring at Igneel with his white eyes.
"Then bring my son and Lisanna back here," Igneel asked, understanding what he meant about not lasting long.
"That I cannot do. There is only one way back to the human world if you aren't a spirit."
"Which is?" Igneel questioned, but he already had a good idea what the answer would be.
"If the Spirit King opened a portal for you himself."
"Shit," Igneel muttered, but he had suspected as much. "Fine, take me to them."
"Are you sure? You will have only about ten minutes if you go," the spirit said, grabbing his staff.
"Yes," Igneel growled.
"If that is your wish then, dragon. But you have been warned," the blind spirit said, holding his staff out toward Igneel.
The desperate father grabbed the other end of the staff and felt himself being pulled into the Spirit World.
….
"Natsu!" Lisanna cried, tears of joy running down her face. "I knew you would come," the girl called as Happy flew her to the bridge where a line of unconscious spirits lay.
"Lis!" Natsu called as he tossed a small Spirit over the bridge into the water below. Happy had barely set her down before Natsu was upon Lisanna, wrapping her up in his arms. "I've missed you so much."
"Natsu," Lisanna sobbed.
"It's okay now. I'm here. We are going to get out together I promise," the pink haired teen said as he shot some spirits a death glare, warning them not to advance.
The two separated from the hug the second the felt the shadow pass over them. Looking up, the saw Igneel, in his dragon form, fly toward the castle, flames coming from his maw.
"Dad!" Natsu called. "Let's go Lis!"
Lisanna nodded her head as she followed Natsu across the bridge. "Take Over: Tigress!" she called, activating her magic as they fought against the remaining spirits.
….
Loke grabbed Lucy's hand and started to run when he saw Igneel. "Hurry Lucy!"
The two ran down the flights of stairs, Loke throwing spirits to the side as he made a bee line for outside.
The castle could barely withstand the king's temper, let alone an angry dragon.
"What now Loke? I can't leave except with the king's permission," Lucy called as she stopped running.
Loke swore under his breath. "Neither can Lisanna, Natsu, or Igneel," the Lion Spirit realized, his eyes going wide. "They are going to fight his majesty to get back to the human world. We just have to be there when they win and he opens the portal. That way you can get back too!" Loke said, as they exited the castle that had begun to shake as Igneel landed on the balcony. The dragon's savage jaws snapped viciously at the spirit king, who had up some sort of barrier.
"Dad!" Natsu cried again.
The two spun around to see Natsu and Lisanna running toward the palace.
"Natsu!" look at Igneel's tail, it's starting to disappear," Lisanna cried out.
"Oh no!" Loke whispered, but not quietly enough.
"You know what's happening to my dad?" Natsu called, turning to Loke.
"He is reverting back to his original form," the Leo spirit said as he watched more of Igneel's tail vanish.
"Raw magic?" Lisanna asked, remembering what they talked about at the campfire that one night.
"Yes. For anyone who isn't a spirit, or under the protection of the king like Lucy and Lisanna, then they will revert back to their original form, raw magic, if they stay in the Spirit World too long."
"So you're saying my dad and I are going to disappear?" Natsu asked, slightly confused.
"Yes. Your dad faster than you because he is a dragon and more closely related to raw magic. You will take some time though." Loke said.
"How much time does he have? Igneel?" Lucy asked, watching the Fire Dragon spit a fireball at the king as a quick slash of his talons broke the barrier.
"About ten minutes."
…
"Open the portal for the children!" Igneel growled as his long neck stretched out, his powerful jaws snapping at the king's arm.
"Why? So I can lose my precious dragon spirit? Never!" the king yelled as he sent a punch flying toward the red dragon's face.
Igneel caught the spirit's fist in his hand, his talons digging into the king's wrist, electing a yelp of surprise.
"Now!" Igneel growled as his jaw snapped shut inches from the king's face, hot smoke rushing out.
"I don't even have to defeat you. I only have to outlast you. You are going to disappear soon anyway. And judging from your lack of a tail, I won't have to wait very long at all," the king grinned as he slammed his free hand into Igneel's scaled cheek.
Igneel growled, knowing that the king's words were true. He was running out of time. "You really don't deserve to be king," Igneel taunted as he threw the king over the balcony and into the square below.
The spirit king landed roughly on his back and before he could recover, a giant plume of dragon fire came crashing down on him. The king closed his eyes and threw his arms in front of him.
The echoing scream shook the conscious spirits to their cores.
"Now! Open the portal!" the king heard as he opened his eyes to shinning white fangs, each the size of a sword.
""Never!" the king yelled as he sent a giant ball of condensed magic up, hitting Igneel square in the stomach, launching him up several feet.
"We need to help dad!" Natsu yelled as he launched himself at the king, his fist cloaked in flames.
"No you don't squirt," the spirit king grunted as he grabbed Natsu by the fist, the flames extinguishing immediately. Natsu hung there, his free limbs flailing as he tried in vain to break the hold on him.
"Let him go!" Igneel roared, launching another ball of fire at the king.
"Sure," the king said simply as he tossed Natsu into the flame, not catching the grin on the dragons' muzzle.
Stupidly, the king tuned back to where Lisanna was standing. Only when he sat the girl's grin did he turn around again.
"Fire Dragon's roar!" came the echo, a split second before we was hit with a combined Fire Dragon/Fire Dragon Slayer roar.
Lisanna took the chance to join the fight. "Take Over: Dragon- Offensive mode!"
A flash of silver crashed into the king's mighty back, knocking him forward, right into Igneel's waiting paw.
"No!" the spirit yelled as he felt the dragons talon's tighten around him, the ends ready to pierce him at the slightest move.
"Open the portal," Igneel growled once more, black smoke suffocating the king.
"Or I will just wait, you don't have that much time left, even your son is beginning to revert,"
Igneel tightened his grip on the spirit, but he knew the king was right. He could feel his back legs beginning to disappear and the tips of Natsu's spiky hair were starting to go.
"Please," Lisanna begged. "We will leave you and the other spirits alone, just let us go."
…
"Hurry, we must hurry, the dragon has little time," the servant called as she led the way for Lucy and Loke. While the dragons had been fighting the servant had motioned for Lucy and Loke to follow her.
"The king wasn't like this before. I fear it may be his key," she said as they rushed up the stairs.
"The king has a key?" Loke asked incredulous.
"What do mean, his key?" Lucy asked.
"Yes, every spirit has a key, including the king. Keys' become tainted if they aren't used after so long. A spirit's key is a part of the spirit, so a tainted key equals a tainted spirit. His majesty is becoming evil," the servant said as she threw open the doors to a small room. In the center, on a pedestal, lay a giant key.
"That's his majesty's key?" Lucy asked as they gathered around it. The key was much larger than the ones on Lucy's waist and much more ornate. A large emerald sat in the middle of hilt part, with streaks of green running down the key part. The other side was etched with a crown surrounded by strange letters that also down the key part. Most noticeably, it was discolored, a dingy look covering a good part of it.
"How do we get rid of the taintedness?" Lucy asked.
"A stellar spirit must summon the king," the servant answered as she lifted the key up.
"How? You must make a contract first, besides we are already in the spirit world. You can't summon a spirit if you are in the spirit world, can you?" Loke asked.
"You can. If, in the human world, the spirit and mage get separated, the mage resummons the spirit. The spirit then travels back the spirit world for a split second then back to the human world where the mage is. The inverse is true for this situation. The king will be sent to the human for a split second then come back to your side. The taintedness gone," the servant explained, slightly out of breath.
"But still, the contract?" Lucy asked.
"You have to summon the spirit first to make the contract, but in this case you won't make one, just summon him."
The three tuned their heads suddenly as one of Igneel's roars rattled the walls.
"Hurry, we are running out of time." The servant said, holding the key out toward Lucy.
…
"Natsu!" Lisanna yelled as she ran to where the boy had just fallen, his left arm hanging limply by his side. "We can't keep this up much longer, you dad is almost gone and you are starting to go too," the silver haired girl cried.
"I know, but we almost have him," Natsu replied.
"It isn't worth you two disappearing though."
"Of course you are," the pink haired teen said, his grin shining bright despite the dirt and cuts covering his face.
Igneel was down to his front legs, his long neck, and his head, his teeth still snapping at the king.
"You've seen better days there haven't you, dragon?" the king teased. "It won't be much longer-" the king started but the three watched as he vanished with a poof, a small cloud of smoke taking his place, leaving everyone confused.
"Natsu come her," Igneel coughed.
The boy did as he was told, rushing to his father's side.
Lisanna couldn't hear them, but by the pained look on her boyfriends' face, then the small glimpse of hope in his eyes, she knew it was mixed news.
"The king will open the portal for us now," came Lucy's voice as she exited the palace, a giant key in her hand.
"What? Igneel growled, as she crashed to the ground, his neck and head the on part of him left.
"He is better now, I promise." Lucy said, as the king emerged behind her, the dark glint in his eyes gone.
"I'm sorry. My key and therefore my soul had become tainted, causing me to do these uncharacteristic deeds. Please forgive me," the giant spirit said with a deep bow of his head.
"Yeah, yeah, you're forgiven, now just open a damn portal!" Natsu yelled as he watched his father disappear up to his head. His own dislocated shoulder vanishing as well.
"I have already started opening the portal, but it will still be another minute before it is functional," the king answered as he pointed to a spot behind Lisanna. She turned to see a vortex of sorts starting to open.
"My dad doesn't have a minute you asshole!" Natsu roared, causing the king to drop his gaze in shame.
"I'm sorry, but here is nothing I can do for your father."
"NO! Don't tell me that! Do something! You're the all-powerful king aren't you?" Natsu yelled as he turned toward the king, his one arm tightening as his hand formed a clenched fist.
"Natsu remember what I told you to do," Igneel's voce echoed as it was carried off on the wind, his head fully vanishing, the only traces of his existence being the giant talon and scorched marks.