A/N: Finally! Yeah, I know, it's been a while, my apologies! I royally f-ed up my wrist, and had to strictly enforce the "no typing" clause (or other wrist-necessary activities) for a good month. I tried the one-handed type, but it took forever, and the frustration was overwhelming. I did try to respond to your reviews, so I apologize if they were short or seemed extremely blunt. That was my one-hand-typing answering--and it's difficult to express what you're really thinking when it'll take hours to get one sentence out!
To my anonymous reviewers (who I can't rightfully respond to):
YellowFever: glad I made you smile. It's not skill so much as it is the result of writing too many essays and having my writing chewed apart (I could always improve)!
XDYuki: Yes!! You get it! And I write because people read it. My small idea has grown into epic proportions, and people are still sticking with it. I am very thankful for that!
Arydun: glad I could make you laugh ^-^
Anyhow, here's the next chapter (*whew!*). Hope you enjoy it! I changed it a million times, and this is what I settled with. I wanted a bit of humor in the epic-ness. Thank you to all the readers and reviewers--you all rock! My fanfiction is what it is, and is the result of my perceptions of the characters--so thank you for sticking with it and accepting it.
Disclaimer: don't own FT, only takin' credit for the OCs
[*****]
[*****]
"H-Help-p?" Lucy's teeth rattled as her hand slipped into Elfman's warm, rough palm. A myriad of emotions flooded through her as she uttered that one word: help.
Lucy quickly shook off the heavy feeling that was clawing at her insides. Now was not the time to dwell on their actions. Elfman had said they came for a reason. They had, for one reason or another, known something about this monster or the predicament Lucy and her friends had managed to find for themselves.
The fair-haired mage tugged Lucy to her feet, his movement almost rough. He rested his hand on the small of her back to support her as she stood on unsteady feet. Lucy then watched Elfman proffer his hand to Adie, who shook her head as she pushed herself to her feet. A slight grimace momentarily sprang across her face as she brushed the shorn hair from her shoulder. The pale locks softly floated to the ground as Adie blinked at the pile of hair that had been, very recently, attached to her head. As if suddenly recovering, she reached back, feeling for the missing length. Her head snapped toward Juvia, and the two women glared at one another in a battle of wills.
"Juvia did not meant to," the water mage offered, shrugging slightly. "You were in my way."
"Oh, Lu-chan!" Levy tsked, interrupting the who-can-angrily-stare-the-longest battle. She pulled her thin-framed glasses from her nose, thrusting a slender metal arm between her teeth as she closed her book.
"Wha?" Lucy asked, her head whipping around as her eyes searched everyone's expression. She still felt as if this were some odd dream....
"This....monster," Elfman gestured distractedly, continuing his earlier explanation. His eyes narrowed as he studied Adie, "It has been wreaking havoc for some time."
"It's not new," Levy chided as a loud explosion rang out and Natsu whooped. Somewhere nearby, Gray could be heard cursing the dragon slayer.
"Adassandra?" Elfman finally blurted, as if he had suddenly found the name that had been on the tip of his tongue.
A distracted Adie looked toward the source of the noise, somewhat oblivious to Elfman's attention. Juvia smirked as if she had won some silent contest. Lucy could see Adie's cheeks turning pink. Perhaps she had heard Elfman.....
"Your hair is....different," Juvia replied waspishly as she, too, recognized the former 'Guild Inspector'. Lucy couldn't blame any of her friends for their obvious distrust of Adie.
"It's a long story," Lucy interrupted, hoping to stave off that explanation.
"She left, did she not?" Elfman murmured, scratching his head.
"I did," Adie's voice was surprisingly calm as she dabbed at her thigh wound with shaky fingers. The tips were immediately caked in oozing blood.
"Now's not the time!" Levy sighed, licking her fingertip and thumbing through the book. "This thing needs stopped. That's why we came here, right?"
"What is it?" Adie asked, surprising Lucy with her sudden interest.
Lucy followed Adie's sudden attention shift, as the blacksmith's eyes narrowed and she peered through the billowing dust cloud obscuring their view. She caught sight of the dark forms of Natsu, Happy, and Gray as they appeared through the thick cloud of smoke and dust that Natsu had managed to bring forth. Lucy studied the trio with muted caution as she registered the sudden silence that had been cast. Something had happened.....but what?
"Its name is..." Levy frantically pushed through the pages, glancing up at the trio as the men approached.
"It's taken care of," Natsu replied, grinning as he smacked his hands together in childish delight. Even Gray offered a smirk as he shoved his hands into his pockets and continued striding toward the gathering. They studied the newcomers, their surprise evident on their faces.
"Juvia, Elfman, Levy" Gray nodded toward the three as they came closer.
"Hey guys!" Natsu grinned, slapping Gray on the shoulder. "Did you see us?"
Elfman puffed up his chest slightly, "Natsu, men do not play with their enemy. You should always quickly take them down--"
"Yeah, yeah, forget I asked," Natsu shook his head, looking mildly defeated by the lack of praise.
"What'd you do?" Lucy asked, unable to hide her own smile at Natsu's earlier glee.
"You don't want to know," Gray shrugged, glancing over his shoulder. "Where is Erza?"
"I hid her in Horologium--" Lucy started, quickly realizing that Gray was not familiar with the odd spirit.
"Reedus is with her," Juvia replied, turning to glance toward the forest, "...somewhere."
"Reedus is here, too?" Gray smiled. "Figures he's hiding in the forest somewhere."
Juvia nodded, her eyes serious, "Without him, we would not have been able to get here so quickly. He's of value, despite not being a fighter, Juvia thinks."
Gray seemed taken aback by Juvia's forceful and fervent reply. She no longer seemed to be the bashful water mage that secretly followed him around Fairy Tail. A slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he nodded his misgiving.
"How did you know where to find us--" Natsu began, ignoring the conversation about Reedus.
"....is Antaeus!" Levy confirmed with a triumphant nod of her head as she finally finished her earlier sentence.
"That's irrelevant now," Happy crossed his arms over his chest. Lucy watched him with a small glimmer of pride swelling in her chest. He was changing as were the rest of them. It was as if Happy was becoming more...mature.
Now, if only he could rub off on Natsu, she thought mischievously.
"How long has this...monster been roaming free?" Adie's voice was gruff as she kicked at the ground.
"Only recently," Juvia answered, her eyes darting over Natsu and Gray. "Since Master Makarov had learned of the destruction of another of Zeref's prison keys."
Two keys, Lucy thought. Two keys had been destroyed. How many does that leave? Five? She couldn't remember, exactly, but she knew that, with each key destroyed, the dark mage's power and influence would grow exponentially. She silently wondered where the prison keys were hidden, if they were hidden at all....
"So it's possible that Zeref's growing power could have created this thing?" Adie posed the question to anyone who could fathom the answer.
"It is," Elfman confirmed. "But we have no way to verify--"
Lucy quickly realized the direction Adie was going with her questions, "You don't think your sister is responsible for this....that's why you didn't know what it was! She didn't release this!"
Adie's nod was hesitant as she glanced at the cloud of smoke that was wafting through the air as she nervously wrung her hands. Lucy was sure that Adie was now concerned for Lilith's safety since her missing sister would no longer be needed to bring forth such creatures now that Zeref's power was growing....
Juvia looked from Lucy toward Adie, "Juvia does not understand, Lucy."
Lucy opened her mouth to give a quick synopsis, but Levy's interruption stopped her.
"Uh, g-guys," Levy's voice wavered as she nervously glanced past where Natsu and Gray had appeared.
"Eh?" Natsu asked, wrinkling his nose. "That smell!"
"Whatever you did, did you make sure it's not in contact with the ground?" Levy's eyes were wide behind the rims of her glasses.
"Huh?" Natsu and Gray asked in unison—confusion on both of their faces. They looked at one another, as if hoping the other could confirm that, yet not understanding what Levy was implying.
"You two are an embarrassment," Elfman shook his head. "Being a strong fighter means being aware of your enemy's demise."
"Elfman-sama," Juvia replied softly, knowing that he was chastising the two younger mages out of concern.
The group had disappeared without so much as a word, worrying much of the guild. When Fairy Tail had heard, from Makarov, of the small band's whereabouts, the guild was ecstatic that their comrades were in good health. Juvia's address was not missed on Lucy, who watched the concern that was evident in the water mage's softened expression. She looked from one to the other—what had happened while they were gone?
"Because if not--" Levy's hands trembled as she closed the thick, ancient text.
A thundering roar tore through the air as the ground shook with heavy movement. Levy yelped as she teetered, the book falling from her hands. The ground reverberated as a giant wave of earth moved toward them with uncharacteristic fluidity. Elfman quickly scooped up Juvia and Lucy, leaping out of the way before the attack crushed them.
"Natsu! Gray!" Lucy rasped frantically, her mouth suddenly dry. Her feet quickly found the ground as her eyes scanned the dust-occluded area for her friends.
"We're fine, Luce," Natsu called back from across the wide ditch that had been created between them.
"My book!" Levy screamed, as she squirmed against Gray's grip. "I-I had to search everywhere for it! It's invaluable!"
"Not as much as your life!" Gray growled.
The ice mage was holding Levy tightly over his right shoulder while his other hand encircled Adie's wrist. The latter was kneeling on the ground, her pale eyes wide with shock as they registered the destruction caused by the giant. Lucy silently wondered how they could even conceivably form a coalition against this monster. Her fingers wandered to her keys. She would need to think of something, and fast. This thing was not going to go down easily. Especially if Levy was correct about this monster...this Antaeus.
"It's hundreds of years old! You don't understand!" Levy continued to yell as Gray set her down. Before she could break free, a thundering tremor shook the ground for a second time.
All eyes were drawn skyward as the angry giant hovered above them. With amazingly swift speed, it had managed to leap at the group, taking them off-guard. Its massive arm was drawn back, ready to strike as it plummeted toward the ground. The chains dangled from the now-healed chest wounds, their clanking the only noise announcing the monster's descent.
"Ladies, if you'll excuse me," Elfman pushed past the group, shoving his way between Gray and Natsu—whose hands were still smoking from his last attack. His Full Body Transformation occurred in the blink of an an eye, leaving a large demon-like creature in his place.
"Holy hell," Adie whispered under her breath, incredulous at the gentle man's unsubtle magic. "H-H-He--"
"Is very strong, yes," Juvia nodded, a grim smile on her face.
With a roar matching the giant's in ferocity, Elfman caught Antaeus' flying punch in the palm of his clawed hand. A deep, growling chuckle told Lucy that Elfman was enjoying his new strength.
"Cowards attack when backs are turned!" Elfman spat vehemently.
In one swift movement, he grabbed the giant's wrist, spinning around and launching the monster over his shoulder. A sickening crunch of the wrist bones told Lucy that Elfman's two-handed grip was for more than just support. The shriek Antaeus dispelled as it was flung through the air announced its displeasure at the move. Giant and train remains collided as the monster slid along the earth, pulling trees and boulders with it.
"That was.....awesome!" Natsu breathed in awe. "Elfman--"
"We are not done yet," Elfman warned. "There is more to come."
"Right," Natsu nodded, his fist bursting into flames. "Levy, tell me something good—tell me you know how to kill this thing!"
"I-I don't know!" Levy shrilly replied. "I only know what I told you. It's all I could find, doesn't that count for something?"
Just as with every other attack, the giant rose to its feet. Its broken wrist and leg hindered the monster, though Lucy could see the slow healing that was already taking place. It glowered at them from its temporary resting spot, its fist clenched around the nearest train car. The metal crunched in the giant's angry grip as it raised its face to the sky and howled.
"Mistress," came the soft-spoken reply from somewhere below Lucy. The spirit mage blinked out of her fear-filled trance, quickly realizing that she was being addressed.
"Huh?" Lucy gawked, realizing that Virgo was staring up at them from the ditch.
"I've created an escape," the spirit pointed toward something Lucy couldn't see, only her head visible above the ledge of dug out earth.
"Where? H-How?" Lucy stuttered, confused as how Virgo had appeared and read Lucy's mind. This wasn't the first time Virgo had come to Lucy's rescue. Each time, Lucy found it just as unsettling.
"You can punish me later, Mistress, for acting out of line," the pink-haired maiden leaped up onto even ground with the group, "but for now, please--"
Another loud roar forced Lucy to quickly follow Virgo's suggestion, "R-Right! Let's go, everyone, follow her!"
"But shouldn't we find a way to kill it first?" Natsu argued, pouting slightly.
"This will give us time to think!" Lucy hissed as she quickly grabbed him by his scarf, not caring that she was staunching his ability to breathe. His eyes bulged from his head as she dragged him behind her.
The mages wordlessly and quickly disappeared into the ditch, ducking into the dark tunnel that Lucy's spirit had created—no one knowing where it would lead them, yet all hoping it would give them the time they so desperately needed.
"My book!" Levy cried as the dingy cover caught her eye. It was lying—in a poor state—only a few yards from them. Those few yards were also headed in Antaeus' direction.
Natsu was behind her, quickly grabbing her arm and preventing her from recklessly running for the item. A dark shadow caught his eye, and he quickly pushed Levy into the tunnel to avoid the crashing train car that had been launched in their direction.
"Watch out!" he roared, as he braced for the impact, glad that the rest of his friends were already inside.
The crushed metal car skidded along the ground, rolling toward him with perilous speed. His eyes fell to the book that Levy had cherished. There was no way it'd make it through such a thrashing, he suspected. His eyes quickly flickered back to the oncoming projectile....except it was gone.
Well, it not where he had expected it to be.
He saw it happen before he actually heard it....swatted away as if it were a measly fly.
Natsu blinked a few times, his mouth hanging open in shock. Adie was leaning against the side of the ditch, a familiar gloved hand supporting her body weight as she cradled Levy's book under her left arm. Her breath was ragged as dark blood oozed through the shoulder of her shirt. Somewhere in the far-off distance, the smashed train car collided with the earth.
Levy's head shot out from the tunnel, "Natsu, are you OK?"
He didn't say anything, instead blinking stupidly and staring ahead. Levy followed his gaze, her eyes
catching sight of Adie gently cradling her book.
Her breath caught in her throat. "My book!"
She caught sight of Adie's gloved hand, her smile growing wider as she recognized the relic. Before she could remark about it, the shaking earth knocked the trio off of their feet. Levy flew face-first out of the tunnel, colliding with Natsu's knees. She rubbed her aching forehead as the rumbling became more violent.
"Oh shit! In the tunnel. NOW!" Natsu growled as the giant hunkered toward them, his injuries well enough for him to move again.
The monster had obviously realized that its prey was disappearing from sight. Adie had fallen to her knees, and Natsu quickly reached her side, reaching under her shoulder to help her.
"Enough playin' around, we need to get going!" he yelled.
"Not as easy as it looks," Adie grunted, quickly glancing over her shoulder and mumbling a string of profanities that Natsu had never heard before. Within seconds, the three were racing through the entrance of the tunnel, Natsu dragging Adie as she limped.
The trio turned as the opening for the tunnel collapsed with the giant's stomping. Daylight quickly disappeared as the earth crumbled with each quaking movement. Natsu flicked his fingers, bringing forth a small flame.
"Here," Adie handed the book over to eager hands. Levy happily clutched the item to her chest, as if it were a child.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" she sobbed, her unspoken attachment to the book speaking for her.
"Don't mention it, I know what it means to lose something so valuable," Adie gruffly replied,
"Like that glove?" Levy's former enthusiasm had returned. "I know what it is, you know! It's older than Master Makarov!"
"What about 'em?" Adie followed behind Levy and Natsu as the scholar trudged her way through the tunnel.
"You guys alright?" the echoing voice of Gray called back through the damp escape.
"Yup, just keep walkin'!" Natsu yelled back, wanting to get out of the tunnel. He looked around in awe that the tiny Stellar Spirit could create something like this large.
"Your glove..." Levy cooed, turning to glance over the top of her spectacles. "Herculean armor!"
"It is," Adie grunted, slightly impressed that someone recognized the lightweight material. It quickly disappeared from her right hand as she ex-quipped.
"What does that do?" Natsu mumbled from the corner of his mouth, recognizing the glove from when Adie had thrown him out of her shop. Well, beat him out, actually.
"Increases the wearer's strength, though I'm not sure by how much," Levy began, her lips pursed as she picked her memory.
Natsu, apparently satisfied with the answer nodded. So it hadn't been a fair confrontation. He would have to challenge her again, later.
"True, it doesn't make the wearer invincible," Adie admitted, somewhat hesitantly "but if you are weak, to begin with, then you won't increase your strength by much."
"Which means she's not weak," Levy whispered to Natsu. "Obviously."
"Hmph," Natsu grunted, mentally re-arranging his list of those he wanted to fight.
Slowly they descended a gentle slope. Sunlight beckoned for them to leave their dark hovel and return to the ground above. Lucy looked around as she followed Virgo out of the well-dug tunnel, blinking against the bright light.
"Where are we?" she asked, shielding her eyes.
"In the forest, about a kilometer away. It's far enough that you can escape," Virgo bowed, her hands on her thighs as she tugged at her skirt. "I'll take my punish--"
"Not now!" Lucy's face burned as questionable glances were passed around. Her face turned crimson, "I-It's not what you g-guys think!"
"Then what is it?" Gray asked, his arms crossed over his chest.
Lucy's ears were now burning as she reached for her key, "Shut up, shut up! Oh, just close the Gate!"
Virgo pouted as she disappeared without a sound punishment. Lucy was disturbed by the fact that her spirit was so enthusiastic about sadism. She didn't get it.
"Definitely weird," Gray muttered under his breath.
"Sure is," Lucy nodded, looking around at the group. She could hear the throes of anger coming from the north, and she knew that the beast was likely confused as to where his prey had disappeared to.
"Levy, how do we get rid of it?" Elfman asked, hoping the group's most intelligent mage would have something to suggest, since she was the only one that knew anything about the monster thus far.
"I'll take care of it!" Natsu growled, his eyes flashing their anger. He was easily becoming impatient with their inability to defeat the monster. His fist burned brightly as he thought about the challenge they were facing, and his helplessness in disposing of it.
"You have to get it off the ground," Levy murmured, thumbing through the pages. "It regenerates if it's in contact with the earth."
Natsu turned toward Levy, his mouth hanging open, "Why didn't you say something earlier?"
"I was trying to--" Levy snapped, her eyes growing wide as the monster roared from its not-so-far off location.
"SKULLS...." it bellowed.
"Oh shut the hell up!" Natsu yelled, his entire arm burning brightly as scales began to flicker across his face and body.
"Shhhh!" Lucy hissed, quickly cupping her hand over Natsu's mouth. "We are trying to come up with a plan of attack!"
"Juvia agrees with Lucy, this is a good opportunity to decide how to get rid of this monster," she crinkled her nose, remembering the horrifying necklace the monster was wearing.
"How do you suggest we kill this thing, Levy?" Gray asked, returning the conversation to the scholar's expertise.
"I'm not sure, to be honest. But theoretically, if it is off of the ground and someone can deal a killing blow," she glanced around, her face reddening from being the center of attention for once, "then that should be enough."
"Sounds reasonable," Happy replied, nodding.
"But how are we going to do that?" Lucy asked, her eyes falling on Natsu as he paced around them, muttering to himself.
"Juvia thinks there has to be a way," the water mage replied confidently.
"Natsu," Adie finally spoke, her face weary with fatigue.
The dragon slayer seemed surprised by the address. "Huh?"
"How hot do your flames get?" she pressed, her eyes wandering to his fists.
"I dunno, pretty hot, why?" he grunted, looking at his hands.
"Why do you want to know about Natsu's flame?" Happy crossed his arms, glancing up at Adie.
"Because...maybe....I have an idea," Adie nodded thoughtfully.
Happy looked at Natsu, "He can burn through metal. I've seen it. With Gajeel."
Adie chewed on her lip as she closed her eyes. "Then it just might work."
"What might work?" Lucy asked, feeling lost.
"A blow to the chest," Adie whispered quickly as she shifted from her spot against the tree.
Lucy studied the blacksmith. It was obvious that Adie wasn't entirely sure of her theory, nor was she especially keen on sharing the reasoning behind her thoughts. But, she wasn't one to hastily come to conclusions, Lucy knew, and that gave the spirit mage the faintest hope that this plan would succeed.
Natsu grinned, shoving a fist into an open palm. "I like it. Right in the heart!"
"But how will you manage to keep him off of the ground for this?" Levy asked warily.
"I can do it," Gray stepped forward.
"Huh? How?" Natsu growled, not wanting Gray to interfere with his fight.
Gray was silent for a moment, as if considering Natsu's question. He had been thinking about possibilities since Levy had mentioned the monster's weakness, and was convinced that this one might work, "I'll freeze the ground beneath it. An ice layer that should be enough, right?"
Juvia gasped, "Do you have enough strength for that? It'll take a lot of power for such a large area!"
Gray's eyes remained locked on Natsu's as he spoke, "It's not a matter of strength. If he can do it, I can do it."
"I mean," Juvia worriedly glanced around the group, "Gray would need for the monster to be still, no?"
It wasn't a matter of Gray being unable to summon that much magic. It was a matter of him being able to do so at the exact place, at the exact time. If he was unsuccessful, would he have enough magic reserve to start over? It would be exhausting or any mage....
"I'll attempt to hold the monster in place. That way Gray can pinpoint his magic," Elfman offered, understanding Juvia's concern. "Those chains should allow me to do so."
"I didn't think of that," Adie admitted, her gaze steady as she observed Juvia. "Good point."
"Right," Natsu replied, his smile lopsided as he looked around the weary mages. "So we have a plan. What do we do now?"
"We hide and wait," Elfman answered, looking high into the trees.
[***]
[***]
Natsu, Happy, Elfman and Gray stood at the forest's edge, waiting for the right time to initiate the plan they had agreed upon. The women were crouched in the forest, watching and waiting to see if things would go as smoothly as they had anticipated. Lucy had a teetering feeling that it would not. It never did—at least not that she could recall, anyway.
"Where's Natsu?" Lucy breathed, realizing that the dragon slayer had disappeared from her line of sight.
The loud yelling from the open field was enough to answer Lucy's question. Happy sped through the air carrying Natsu by the back of his vest, scarf flapping in the breeze.
"Come on, you piece of shit!" Natsu hollered, as the duo swooped down and Natsu landed on the monster's shoulder. Happy circled high above.
"NOW!" Gray bellowed, as Natsu's fiery punch connected with the monster's head.
The giant's neck snapped back, its head covering falling to the ground as the its body flailed backward. Happy swooped down, saving Natsu from being crushed by the giant's body. Elfman—now with his Beast Arm—swiftly grabbed onto the flailing chains, pulling them behind Antaeus as the giant tried to rise to its feet. Lucy gasped when she saw its face.
"What...." she couldn't complete her question, as the words refused to leave her mouth.
"An undead creature," Levy whispered, her eyes wide with fear.
A portion of the monster's face was rotted away, revealing part of the skull beneath. One socket was dark and barren, the eye long gone. The intricate facial muscles were also atrophied, revealing the ivory cheekbones and poor dentition beneath. The one angry eye it had rolled in its socket as the monster drooled from the lip-less side of its mouth, saliva dripping on its hand as it howled its fury.
"Oh shit," Adie hissed between her teeth.
They all silently agreed, knowing that the ancient magic responsible for this creature's appearance—its revival—was known to be possessed by one sorcerer. And that sorcerer was currently locked away for the time being. But, his influence was growing, and this monster was testimony to that.
"Come on, Natsu!" Lucy softly cheered the dragon slayer on, "You can do it."
Gray stood away from giant, his hands on the ground as he attempted to focus his ice magic under the monster. The giant thrashed against Elfman's hold, his hand knocking the mage away.
"Elfman," Juvia's voice was filled with worry as she quickly pushed herself from the ground, "Juvia must do something!"
"Juvia!" Lucy yelled as the water mage quickly sprinted toward the thrashing mess of giant and Fairy Tail mages in the clearing.
"Here!" Juvia yelled, waving her arms in the air. "You want skulls? Here's one!"
"Juvia, what are you doing?" Elfman yelled, his transformed arm disappearing as he wiped the blood from his mouth.
The monster perked up at Juvia's offering, quickly leaping at the chance. It crawled toward Juvia, scooping her up more quickly than anyone had anticipated. The monster held her in its hand, shaking her like a rag doll.
"Juvia!" Gray yelled, his eyes wide with horror. Antaeus stopped shaking its hand, instead squeezing more forcefully and cutting off Juvia's air supply.
"Just....just...finish it off!" Juvia gasped, her hair obscuring her face as her fists gripped the monster's skin.
The monster reached up with its other hand, two fingers ready to pluck Juvia's head from her shoulders. As its dirty fingernails brushed her hair, Juvia's body liquefied, dripping from the giant's grip. It collected and reformed on the ground. .
"Juvia thinks that now is your chance," she commanded from the ground as the monster unclenched its fingers looking for its victim.
Elfman was the first to recover, quickly pulling the chains with the brute strength of his full transformation. The monster fell to its knees as Elfman speedily circled, pinning its arms to its sides and securing the chains as the a ragged circumference of ice beneath the monster stretched outward. The thick ice continued to grow as Gray struggled to control such a large area--funneling as much magic as he could muster. The ice grew upon itself, pushing the restrained monster skyward as it struggled against its captivity.
"Now, Natsu!" Gray grunted, his face damp with sweat. Elfman took the cue, leaping from the growing ice pillar that was both enlarging in radius and height.
"Right! Time to end this!" Natsu's eyes were wild with fury as Happy carried him toward the kneeling monster. His entire arm was burning brightly as his skin metamorphosed into a scaly armor.
"Time to die!" he yelled as Happy released him in mid-air.
Natsu's body burst into flames as he flew toward the monster's chest, his arm drawn back. With one final, furious yell, Natsu unleashed his attack on the monster, his fist piercing the its chest. He quickly recoiled, landing on the icy platform and crouching low as he glared up at his the enemy. The giant shuddered, its half of a face etched with confusion. It opened its mouth, and a low gurgling noise emanated from its throat.
"Did I finish it?" Natsu asked, confused as he stared up at his victim.
"I'll be damned, it worked!" Adie breathed as she watched in amazement. The monster's body quickly became bloated, as if it were swelling from the inside out.
"He did it?" Lucy asked breathlessly. They could always count on Natsu.
"Um, now would be the time to take cover," Adie whispered to Levy and Lucy as she quickly crouched in the underbrush.
"What? Why?" Lucy asked, looking back in confusion as the blacksmith rolled away.
"'Cause it's about to get ugly!" Adie's eyes were wide as an awkward grin spread across her face, "Don't say I didn't warn ya!"
"What's that supposed to me--" Lucy began, before the loud wail from the giant caused her to turn around.
Natsu's head was angled as he stared up confusion. Even Gray had ceased his ice magic, waiting for whatever was supposed to occur. The monster's chest began to heave, slowly at first, but soon growing more violent. Lucy watched in horror as the monster jerked, its eye widening as a slight cloud of smoke burst from its mouth.
"Uh oh," Natsu muttered. "Happppppy!"
The cat, as if on cue, quickly swooped down and grabbed his friend. They were only a short distance away when, with one final roar, the monster's body exploded.
"Gross!" Lucy cried as she slid under cover next to Adie.
"I didn't promise it wouldn't be!" Adie shielded her head with her arms as innards rained down around the vicinity.
When the sound of raining body parts had ceased, the women slowly crawled out from their shelter and approached the field. Lucy heaved when she saw the gore that littered the area, most of it unidentifiable. She glanced around, finding Juvia walking toward them, her body reforming from the water droplets. Elfman and Gray were not so lucky, as both had been spattered with various fluids. Neither looked amused.
"What the hell just happened?" Gray asked, shaking something slimy from his hand.
"He exploded," Elfman replied calmly.
"That was definitely not cool!" Natsu growled as he trudged toward them, his face twisted in disgust. His eyes fell on Adie, "Why didn't you warn me?"
Adie eyebrows shot up in mock surprise, "I had no idea that would happen."
"You thought of it!" he pointed out as Juvia summoned a rain cloud to wash the gore off of three men.
The blacksmith sighed as the rain pattered on the ground, "I suppose it was an unfair advantage."
"I knew it!" Natsu pointed at her angrily, ignoring the chilling water that was running over his skin.
"But it's dead..." Lucy's voice trailed off.
"Whose side are you on?" Natsu whined, his mouth falling open.
"I'm sorry," Adie admitted. "I was going off of a hunch. The bullets Bar made were created to remain stable at high temperatures, so as not to explode. But at extremely high temperatures, the material is unstable. Which is where your flames came in."
"I'd say," Natsu grumbled, still not forgiving the blacksmith, though her explanation did make sense.
"But, as Lu-chan said, it's dead!" Levy kicked at something near her feet.
"Only because it's in a million pieces!" Natsu snapped back.
Lucy sighed and shook her head at the dragon slayer's bickering. Any other time, he would be proud that he had finished off a monster. Lucy glanced at her own clothes, picking the burrs from her t-shirt.
"I could use a good shower..." she muttered to herself, examining the caked blood on her arms.
Juvia mistook Lucy's remark, sending a cloud Lucy's way. Everyone laughed as Lucy ran from the cloud while Juvia looked offended. "But you said--"
"I know what I said!" Lucy wailed. "But I can wait until we get home! Call it off! My shirt is white!"
"I don't understand. What about your shirt?" Juvia asked, her fists on her hips as the cloud dissipated.
"When it gets wet..." Lucy panted, wondering if an explanation would be lost on the water mage.
"Let's find Reedus and Erza!" Levy smiled, tucking her book under her arm, as she glanced around. "Then we can head home, you guys!"
"Home," Natsu repeated softly, his eyes closed and a smile on his face as he allowed Juvia's rain to wash away the day's events. There, he could forget about exploding monsters.....
Home, Lucy thought as she watched Natsu. It would be the first time she slept in her own bed in months. She would get the chance to see everyone and find out what's going on from Master Makarov. There was a lot they needed to catch up on, but there would be a lot of explaining to do. Their friends deserved to know why they left and what information they had gathered.
Home, she repeated to could sound better at the moment.