All Rights to Hiro Mashima
For turtle3334 – Darling. This chapter is written in thanks to that wonderful review, which I read in my head at like…one in the morning, screaming where you had all capitals. I may have snorted loudly enough for my man to wake up and smack me with a pillow. (This definitely happened) SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR MAKING ME LAUGH IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT :3
Everyone's overwhelming response in just under 24hrs to the last mega chapter is stunning, but ya'll are giving me whiplash people. It's either: Oh! Happy's back, can't wait for the reunion, or THAT FUCKING SMUT WILL TAKE ME TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET AND I WILL LIKE IT, DAMN IT. You have all warmed my poor perverted icicle of a heart. 3
BEWARE! THE FUZZY KITTEN! THE BADASS FIGHT! THE BANTER!
Chapter 29: Sphene
Also known as Titanite; accelerates learning and mental abilities; the name 'Sphene' was derived from the Greek 'Sphenos' or 'Wedge' for the shape the crystals take when in their unpolished and uncut form; found around the world, but most often occur in the Alps, Madagascar, and Brazil
"Thanks, Wendy! You really know the best fish! It's so yummy!"
That little voice, excited and chipper even in the direst of circumstances helped lift the room's atmosphere by leaps and bounds. After the heavy revelation of the truth behind END and Natsu, and the fact that he truly did still have a soul (none were more ecstatic about this than END himself of course, even if that soul was now a mix of both Dragon and Demon) they all did really need a bit of a pick me up.
And there were none better for that than Happy himself. That little blue flying cat, even though he had been asleep for nigh on eleven years, was a positive force of nature in the shape of a feline. He was their Happy, through and through.
Lucy felt like she wanted to cry again, but this time for joy, at just seeing his beautiful blue coloured fur and listen to his joyful talks about fish, bundled up in Wendy's arms snacking on what looked like a mackerel.
All around the room, she could see her family's spirits lift, smiles and laughter ringing out once again as tentative conversation burst forth. Lucy never thought about it too much before, but there was a reason why Natsu named that tiny Exceed 'Happy' and she was seeing the evidence of that fact before her eyes.
Still kneeling on the floor with Natsu – as she had decided to call him that when he was in this form, all pink-haired and onyx-eyed – he wasn't holding her up quite as much as he previously was, and she felt a bit better and less pale than before. Now they were just enjoying the feeling of being in each other's arms once again.
Natsu had explained as much as he knew in the early morning light before they had come down to meet everyone. It wasn't much, but he tried to convey the gravity of the situation, one where she had become his everything, and that she would hopefully come to rely on him just as much.
She had laughed and playfully slapped his bare chest where she lay. Lucy had told him that no matter the form he took, he was still the person (demon) that she would go to no matter the cause. In truth, he was hers now, just as much as she was his. She might not have the instincts of a Dragon, but the fact that she had lost so much in her lifetime made her grab hold of what she held dear quickly and never let it go.
"You do know that you're stuck with me now END. You won't get away that easily."
He nuzzled the bite mark on her shoulder (an action that would come to both soothe her worries and send a spike of love through her body) and chuckled. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else Luce, wherever you go, I will follow."
Lucy had slipped the Dragon pendant over her lover's head and laid it against his collarbone then. "I promise not to go anywhere where you can't."
The memory made her smile. It was hard to think that they had joined together just last night. It was also mind-boggling that she had found Natsu, and been attracted to him no matter what he looked like after all these years. Perhaps their story was written in the stars before they had even been born. Or it could have just been really good luck.
Or perhaps the Gods had found it in themselves to be merciful on her. Natsu and Happy had been the only good things in her life for years, and she was more than glad to finally have them back, in whatever capacity.
"Hiya Gramps! How are you? Who are all these people? Have you seen Natsu? Is he still visiting Lucy? Do you have any more fish? What happened to me? Why am I here?"
Question after question came pouring out of Happy's mouth as he twirled around in the air, exercising his wings and smiling the whole while.
"Ah, Happy my boy! Good to see you're awake!"
While Makarov tried to explain to Happy that he had been under a spell of never-ending sleep for the past decade, which was difficult because Happy was a ball of energy that didn't like to sit (hover) still for any period of time, Lucy and Natsu picked themselves off the floor and stood as close to the King as they possibly could while happy blabbered on about Wendy and her cute Exceed Charles that was so pretty and hopefully accept his present of fresh fish when she woke up. "She's just the prettiest kitty I've ever seen. Do you think she'll like it?"
Natsu just couldn't help himself at that, having already recovered some (if not all) of his memories concerning this little fluff ball, he just needed to insert himself in somewhere and build a relationship with his best friend once again. "Aye little buddy, I bet she'd love your present! You can never go wrong with fish…"
A blue blur was hardly seen as Happy rocketed into Natsu's outstretched arms. "NATSU! Gramps is saying weird things! He thinks I've been asleep for a long time…he's probably catching Lucy's weirdness, we have to help him! It could be fatal! WAIT…!"
The room froze in anticipation of Happy's next words. Would he be unbelieving? Sad? Unhappy? "Why are you so tall?"
Everyone deflated and gave the pair tentative smiles. Happy would be Happy after all, even in the weirdest of circumstances. Natsu didn't answer his friend though, how was he supposed to? He had grown taller because it had been eleven years since the cat had been conscious. How was he going to tell his little buddy just how much fish he had missed out on?
How was he going to tell Happy that he had died?
Mentally shrugging, Natsu decided to let Lucy handle it. She was the one who was better with words anyways.
Lucy smiled endearingly at the two long lost friends, united once more. "Shut up you shitty cat. I've told you a thousand times, I'm not weird." There were no bite to her words, no venom in the statement. It was purely for old times' sake of course.
Happy poked his head out from under Natsu's crushing embrace and smiled wide, recognising her voice it seemed. "LUSHY!" But then he stopped and squinted his eyes at her. "How are you here? What happened to that purple wall you were behind? Why are you wearing that armour? What the hell is happening around here?!"
"Ahh…Happy…I-well…" She can't get any words out edgewise. Her mind is blank. How does one tell a friend that he woke up in the middle of the war and that she is now a General, a mage that does rogue work, one most dangerous fighters next to Thunder Thighs, Titania, and the Mighty Gildarts? How does she tell him of the genocide that left her a dying breed? That she is a Princess without a Kingdom anymore?
Before she could answer him with a full competent sentence, the blue Exceed had wiggled his way out of his friend's arms and stood floating before her face, a scrutinising expression on his. "Lucy…was what Gramps said true? Was I really asleep for ten years?"
She grimaced sadly at him, her golden armour clinking as she shuffled back and forth, uncomfortable to be under so much pressure. She didn't want to be the one who told Happy that he had indeed been under a spell, and that his best friend had died, then been resurrected as a Demon of all things.
Lucy reached up and caught Happy out of the air, just as she used to. "Yes Happy. You were caught under a spell of living death, of never ending sleep, through a cursed Demon flute named 'Lullaby.' But none of us knew where you were." Her voice caught in her throat. "There are so many things to talk about Happy, but let's just rejoice in the fact that you're up and about now and with us. I promise…all will be revealed later."
Happy burst into tears, fat drops rolling down his face and chin. "Why are you crying Happy!?" Lucy was bewildered, to say the least as her friend launched himself at her face and tried to wrap his little arms around the circumference of her head.
"You and Natsu got so old!"
Well, now she was just annoyed. She pried the little cat off her face and held him up by his scruff. "I'm not old Happy!" Lucy dropped him in the air, his white angel wings catching him before he hit the ground while he giggled, his crocodile tears drying up in an instant. It was very ironic because that stupid feline was anything but angelic.
He was the devil, pure and simple.
A devil that could pull off the cutest puppy dog eyes in the world.
Happy sniggered at her pouty face, while Natsu smiled toothily at the interaction, before watching Happy float away to go terrorise someone else in the room. They could faintly hear him remarking at the fact that Gray's eyes got even droopier with age and the lieutenant's indignant retort.
Natsu grabbed Lucy by her forearms and pulled her gently into a hug which wiped away the last of her irritation. He placed a single loving kiss on her forehead. "How do you feel Luce?"
"Better Natsu, now that my family's back together."
At that point, the King knew that not a single productive thing would happen, and declared it time for their midday meal. Ushering the thirty plus mages out of his office and bouncing off towards the Great Hall to find his mug of mead, Makarov felt his heart lift once again at the fact that his family was growing exponentially as of late. He listened to Happy chatter on about the fact that he had ten years of fish to catch up on, and the banter between Natsu and Lucy while the blue cat floated around them acting as the devil's advocate who delighted in antagonizing their poor General Nova into summoning her golden sword to try and shave his whiskers off. He thought that even though they were still at war, this was the happiest he had seen their Celestial Summoner since she had come to Domus all those years ago.
-ooo-
Once again gorging themselves on many delicious concoctions thanks to the many chefs within the Domus castle, the Generals and Lieutenants sat at a giant round table so that everyone could see each other. Chatter and teasing, conversations and laughter were all around, and Natsu felt like he had finally come home. He could see it on the faces of Sting and Gajeel, while Ryos was harder to analyse he was sure it was there as well. They felt the same as he did. Wendy had disappeared once again after munching delicately on a meat pie and some spring salad to check on the Exceeds, hoping that Charles and the rest had finally awakened.
Every Dragon Slayer sat on pins and needles, just ready to get up and greet their best friends after all those years apart. They could hardly stand it, especially Sting, who was a ball of perpetual energy while the sun was up (something to do with his magic) and needed a quick distraction before he started to sprint around the castle screaming at the top of his lungs for Lector.
He was like Natsu in that sense, but while the Fire Dragon Slayer had mellowed out slightly after becoming a Demon, Sting had years of captivity to work off and was positively vibrating with pent up energy.
Ryos, seeing his predicament and wanting to help his brother in arms out, asked something that most had been wondering about, but were distracted from with the arrival of Happy and Lucy barring her marks for them. "General Nova, would you tell us about the fight you had with Jackal? We only saw the aftermath, and I must say we are all curious about how half the Fortress collapsed in on itself."
Sting's bouncing leg stopped as he gave Lucy his full attention while still inhaling a third helping of roast pork belly. Ryos sighed, noting that his friend would be settled enough for the time being listening to this story. He was also wanting to know the whole tale and asked out of his own curiosity if nothing else.
Nova delicately wiped her mouth with her napkin and set it slowly back on her lap. When she looked up again, her face was carefully constructed in an expression befitting a noble lady.
But those dark brown eyes of hers held everything he needed to see.
Pride.
Determination.
Glory.
Her façade finally cracked under all the scrutinising stares. A vicious smirk graced her face before she could school it into something different and her eyes flickered over to the Lightning God that apparently was her brother.
The blonde behemoth leant forward over his plate, eyeing her critically until a similar facial expression passed over his own. Ryos realised that this was where Nova must have learned to look so…intense.
"You brought out that one? Your end game spell?"
"I had no choice Thunder Things. You should know better than anyone how the Etherious are like cockroaches…they just refuse to die…"
And Laxus did know. He and his Raijinshu had almost died from Tempester's poisonous Magical Barrier Particles. Luckily for him, Porlyusica had been on site and able to make the antidote from some of the Etherious' blood that had been collected. He still had a score to settle with that fucker.
"Which spell?" The Shadow Dragon was intrigued at their cryptic answers, and as he turned back towards END, or should he say the Fire Dragon Prince, he could tell that Natsu had no idea what they were talking about either.
Lucy looked at him, her eyes sparkling with the thought of her accomplishment. "Do you really want to know the full story?"
The King burped and waved his tankard for a refill. "We have time dear Nova. I must admit that I want to hear this tale as well…especially if it involves the same spell that brought down a certain idiot Grandson of mine…"
"Yah Lushy! Tell us…you always told the best stories!"
Lucy stroked the top of Happy's head, handed him another red snapper off the plate to her right and sighed good-naturedly. "If you insist."
-ooo-
Her smile was just on the sane side of maniacal as she turned back to her prey. "I'm all fired up…"
Jackal cackled right back in her face. "Whatcha gonna do little girl? You have no armour, no backup, and you friend is currently turning into a Demon as we speak."
Lucy's smile slid nicely into a smirk, she had a few tricks up her sleeves (metaphorically of course) to deal with this stupid Demon. "Virgo."
Without the need to pull her faithful maiden's key, Virgo stepped neatly out of her gate with a small bow. "You called Princess?"
"I did indeed Virgo. Thank you for coming so promptly."
Virgo stoically stood, ready for action, her normally blank eyes sparkling with glee. "Punishment time Princess?"
"Oh yes, Virgo. It is indeed time for punishment. Jackal has been a bad dog after all. We must collar the mutt and release Juvia."
Virgo smiled. "Consider it done Mistress…" And with that Virgo dove down into the ground, her destination unknown startling Jackal into placing sporadic bombs down into the dirt, trying and failing to find the ever elusive Celestial Spirit.
While he was distracted, Lucy saw her chance to attack and promptly took the offensive. She swung out with her sword attempting to bisect Jackal down the middle, but only hit empty air.
Jackal was quick and cunning, as his namesake told. Lucy knew that she was fast, but unfortunately, the canine Demon was both faster than her and seemed to be specifically made for this type of confrontation.
"Dammit!" She growled under her breath as he dodged yet another of her swings, parrying her next with his ridiculously sharp claws. Jackal cackled again, delighting in the game that they had been playing.
Lucy attempted to shuffle back and take a defensive stance (the air was clouded with ash and dirt from his bomb curse) and waited for Jackal to make another move. Before she could even think, Lucy tripped over a stray piece of rubble landing heavily on one side of her body onto a large rock that had dislodged from the explosions.
That misstep knocked the wind out of General Nova and bruised at least three of her ribs making breathing painful. But she had much worse and disregarded the pain for the moment.
"Wrong move worm!" Jackal descended from his perch above the cloud of airborne detritus and shot down towards Lucy's prone form readying a final attack.
"Shit! What the fuck is this!?"
Lucy almost laughed. Jackal had made the error of forgetting or not counting on Virgo. The mischievous Spirit rose from the ground after trapping her enemy in a well-placed 'Spica Lock.'
One round house kick and an uppercut from the quietly giggling Virgin and Jackal had landed on his ass, disoriented and missing both of his front teeth. "He does look quite ridiculous like that doesn't he Princess?"
"Indeed he does Virgo. Would you like to do the honours? I believe it's time to cuff the little doggy and leave him for his master."
Jackal's hackles rose and a choking laugh left his throat. "Oh? You think you've already won?"
He snapped his fingers, failing to hide the joy in his eyes.
"Princess? Something's happ-" Virgo never finished her sentence as blood red seals littered Virgo's body. Her foot, knee, elbow and hands all lit up like a demented Christmas tree.
Lucy looked towards the sniggering Demon who caught her eye and winked, whispering a single word into the silence. "…Boom."
A split second later all the seals spun and then detonated in a concentrated blast. Shrapnel flew out from all sides. A spinning rock shredded the side of Nova's chin who had ducked not a moment too soon.
"NOOO! VIRGO!" Lucy's Spirit friend shimmered back to the Celestial plane screaming in pain.
Nova swung wide and attacked the laughing Demon without a plan, without a care, and definitely without remembering any of her training. It was no wonder her enemy was able to evade her without much effort on his part. She had attacked him in anger, disregarding the Colonel's lessons, leaving nothing in her mind but the pain and suffering of Virgo.
Jackal bounded away, not before kicking her with his foot right where her ribs were sore. She stumbled back ungracefully, landing on her butt in the dirt and grime of Hell's Core.
A shimmering red lit up the gloom.
Lucy looked down to see the same seal that had injured Virgo attached to her torso.
The air was stagnant as she clearly heard Jackal snap his fingers. The resulting explosion blasted her back into one of the resurrection chambers, cracking the glass and splintering the base. Multiple black tentacle-like hoses fell off the top and flopped around the ground like fish out of water before laying still.
Luckily enough, the specially made chain mail seemed to be imbued with magic like her golden armour, absorbing most of the shock. Lucy could feel her ribs crack and split though, the feeling grating her insides and poking her with a thousand red hot branding irons. She could still breathe, but it was painful to inhale deeply, so she assumed her lungs weren't punctured.
"You're still alive after all that? Impressive…for a lowly worm who crawls through the dirt that is. Stupid bitch, I should have killed you the moment I saw you standing next to END…"
Lucy spat out blood and dirt onto the ground that had accumulated in her mouth, noticing that one of her canines had chipped on the impact with the Demon raising tank. She looked around, a sudden idea striking her, letting her forget about the pain and anger she felt from what Jackal had put Virgo through.
"I think it's time to end this don't you think little Princess? I bet you're ready to join your Kingdom, aren't you? I bet they'd be so proud of their Princess playing at being a warrior but failing miserably."
Lucy wasn't listening, although deep in her subconscious a part of her heard Jackal's taunts and vowed to drag the Demon dog back down to Hell and make him stay there for good this time. Her mind was whirling with plans, until she grasped one that would both kill Jackal, save Juvia, get them all out unharmed (for the most part), and bring down Hell's Core around their ears.
"I bet you can't wait to see you daddy again, can you Princess?"
That remark snapped her out of her planning. She snarled at the Demon, her mouth curling up into a vicious sneer worthy of Titania herself. If Jackal had more sense, he would have stepped back at that moment, but alas, he was as idiotic as he was dense at reading the feeling of the room. "DO NOT TALK ABOUT MY FAMILY LIKE THAT! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!"
"Whatcha gonna do about it, Princess? Cut me with your little sword? You can't even fucking get a single hit in! You are no match for us, the Etherious will always be superior." With that, Jackal was enveloped with a bright light, his form growing and changing into something that resembled an actual jackal standing on two legs.
Lucy blocked his ranting out, opting to instead put her plan into action. "Taurus, Sagittarius..." She pulled two keys, using the shortened version of their summoning in her haste. She had to concentrate more this way, but it was worth it if second could be shaved off in a fight.
She pointed at the enlarged Demon, fire burning in her eyes. "Sagittarius, keep him occupied if you please. He is a long range fighter and very fast, but you are faster."
"My Lady…" And with that, the horse costumed man shot off arrow after arrow, keeping Jackal on his toes dodging and weaving to avoid the magically enhanced arrows that could pierce through iron.
Without preamble, Lucy turned to her other Spirit friend. "Please, Taurus. Use your axe and get Juvia to the entrance of Hell's Core. When you're done, you may leave. It won't be safe for you here after all."
Without his usual perverted grin and comment on her figure, the Bull got to work on releasing Juvia from her prison.
Lucy strode up to Sagittarius who still kept Jackal on the ropes. "Keep him occupied while I chant please."
The horse-man-spirit-person almost stumbled forward. "Are you sure about this My Lady? That spell…it will almost wipe you out…"
"It is my only choice. I must destroy this place. You must leave right before it is cast."
He nodded and switched to arrows specifically made to power up Laxus in a fight, the heads crackling with electrical energy. "Alrighty, My Lady. Be careful."
Lucy stepped back and clasped her hands together sending a swift prayer to the Gods above and below for luck before she started her spell. This was it, her endgame had come to pass and she would make END proud.
"Open the Heavens, Survey the Heavens…All the Stars, far and wide…Show me thy appearance…with such shine…Oh, Tetrabiblos…I am the ruler of the Stars…Aspect become complete…Open thy malevolent gate…Oh, Eighty-Eight Stars of the Heaven…Shine!"
Lucy's eyelids flew open, showing the solid gold beneath, full of righteous anger and brimming with unimaginable power. Jackal blanched as he felt something in the air change.
A rip in the cosmos opened and the stars manifested themselves within Hell's Core. Each screamed for the destruction of the place that brought back the servants of the Underworld. Channelling her inner Natsu and willing the spell to be as destructive as possible, Lucy let her magic fly.
Sagittarius closed his own gate but not before giving a half-assed salute and smirk to Jackal on his way out. The Demon would not survive this.
"URANO METRIA!"
And the heaven's rained down around them.
-ooo-
"…I believe that Jackal died in the impact. I have grown exponentially since I last used that spell on Thunder Thighs, so it is safe to say that that particular Demon has been removed from the board. I had a small amount of magic left, enough to manifest my sword once again, grab an unconscious Juvia outside the doors of what was left of Hell's Core, and stumble out of the Black Fortress while the roof caved in around us…and you know the rest. END found us outside and we flew straight here I assume. I was too tired to really think about it."
Silence greeted her final statement, as everyone absorbed her well-told story.
"Holy shit…you got some fucking balls Bunny Girl. We should spar sometime."
"Bunny…?" Nova couldn't follow his thought process at all.
From Gajeel's left, Levy let out an exasperated sigh. "Don't worry about it Lu. He calls me 'Shrimp.' He's just giving you a name that will probably annoy you the most, probably to psych you out cause he knows he can't beat you in an honest fight."
"Oi! Shut the fuck up Shrimp!" Gajeel covered the blue haired girl with a massive hand, effectively cutting off Levy's next scathing remark. "So…what do you say Bunny? Think you can take me on?"
Lucy smirked at the Iron Dragon Slayer as he covered his body with his impenetrable scales. His chair groaned under the added weight as he leant forward and matched her leer with one of his own. "Maybe so Black Steel…I would very much like to match my blade with your," Lucy waved her hand at him in a roundabout fashion, "…claws."
Natsu snorted. "Get in line Pincushion. Luce is sparing with me first, then I wanna take on the giant sparkler over there." Natsu threw his thumb over his shoulder in the general direction of the other blonde man at the table.
Laxus took offence to the nickname. He only really tolerated Thunder Thighs from Lucy because she wouldn't fucking stop calling him that no matter what he did. She wasn't scared of him at all, so intimidation didn't work and neither did bribery. The Thunder God chucked his half-eaten bread roll at Natsu's forehead and pointed a finger at him in warning. "Watch it, idiot. Just because you love my little sister doesn't mean I won't rip off your arms and beat you with them."
Instead of backing off like a sane person, Natsu cackled in delight. "Let's go you overgrown outlet!"
Natsu tried to launch himself over the table at Laxus who had already started sparking in irritation but was slammed down into his seat by Lucy. Makarov slammed his empty tankard on the wooden table and grabbed all his children's attention. "Alright Brats. I can see that you all have too much energy. I don't want my castle to fall around my ears by dinner time, so take your brawls out to the training grounds!"
Cana started to call for bets while Bacchus collected the money from her side. A long, chattering procession of Generals and Lieutenants filed out of the room led by one General Nova.
Makarov grabbed a bottle of rum from behind the bar and scampered off behind his family, he had bets to place.
-ooo-
The jovial atmosphere disappeared as quickly as it had come as Lucy just who was battling on the training grounds.
Jellal and Mystogan were taking on three mages each. All had different magic, but all were clad in armour and clothing that denoted them part of Fairy Tail under Laxus' division to be specific.
The man in question sucked in a quick breath and took a quickly panicked look at his sister. Unfortunately for him, Nova had a very blank face. On the contrary, Natsu had changed into his Demon form, horn spiralling out of silver hair, leathery wings bursting out of his back. He had an absolutely murderous expression on his face, scaring the crap out of Happy who had hidden in Levy's arms for the time being.
The only reason he wasn't sprinting off to fight the six in front of him was the bruising grip that Nova had on his arm.
Laxus then looked to his Grandfather who was muttering under his breath, so low that only he could hear. "Shit. I knew there was something I forgot to tell them…"
If he was anyone else, Laxus would have laughed at the circumstances. But he was the Seis' new commanding officer, so he should be the one to tell Lucy about them.
Before he could assess every angle and run different scenarios through his head, he saw Lucy materialise her broadsword into her dominant hand while Leo and Virgo stepped out of their gates.
"…Fuck."
