Natsu barely registered the horrified scream of Alva as she joined him in viewing the now destroyed command tents. He couldn't understand the startled and panicked voices that were calling out though the mental link, each one desperately trying to figure out what had happened. And he most certainly didn't feel all the aches and pains that he had accumulated over the course of the battle. None of that mattered in the face of the nightmare before him, a nightmare that almost overlapped with his memories of that one horrible night in Crocus.
"Luce…LUCE!" he all but screamed as he barreled forward at the man who still had his blonde partner impaled on his fist, Natsu's flames springing to life faster than they ever had before and with such power that whatever pieces of fabric hadn't already been destroyed burst into flames so fast that they all but evaporated in the heat.
But unfortunately the man reacted just as fast; noticing the approaching meteor that was Natsu, tossing Lucy unceremoniously to the side, and reaching out with a single hand all in the span of a few seconds, his arrogant smile remaining on his face all the while.
Natsu barreled into the man with such strength that the earth behind the man exploded, bits of stone melting in mid air from the shear heat of their clash. But even with the fury that was now fueling Natsu's attack the bastard remained exactly where he was, his face not even looking strained from the effort of holding off his attack.
It's just like Gildarts back on Tenrou. Natsu managed to think through the fury filled haze as he leapt back for a moment and lashed out with his leg, not even consciously thinking about how he should attack and simply relying on pure fury filled instinct to guide his attacks.
But nothing he did seemed to matter to the cloak wearing man, as he was easily holding off each and every attack the enraged dragon slayer sent his way and was beginning to look even more battle crazed, his smile growing more feral as he continued to block Natsu's attacks.
"These flames…this smell…I see! So the time's finally come then!" He all but shouted beginning to laugh manically. Or he was, up until he was entirely covered in blackish green flames, blasting Natsu clear of the dragon in human form and into a nearby dirt mound.
As Natsu struggled to stand he looked over in the direction the attack came from to see a dragonfied Alva, tears escaping from her eyes only to vaporize before they could even get a few inches down her cheeks, her body surrounded in her own flames.
"You bastard! I'll kill you!" She screamed as she took yet another deep breath and released a roar that put her previous one to shame, the vast quantity of flames roaring so loud that it sounded like the air was screaming.
But the man that had attacked Lucy only continued to laugh, placing his hands forward like he was going to catch a ball. And then, when the fire was only a few inches away from washing over him again he did something that even Natsu had to admit was impressive; he grabbed the fire and ripped it apart like it was just made up of paper. The two halves of her green flames barreling past him harmlessly to detonate a few seconds later, sending blast waves billowing out in all directions.
"And to find not only the promised dragon here but another one too, and one that has the blood of demons in its blood? That bastard was true to his word…how magnificent."
Natsu clenched his teeth so hard that he practically heard them shattering, he wanted nothing more than to just tear the shirtless man in front of him to pieces, but at that moment nothing was more important than making sure that Luce was still alive. And since the blue haired bastard was currently distracted by Alva. Luce was always his priority after all.
But as Natsu slowly began to make his way over to where Lucy had fallen Alva remained fixated on the man before them, her draconic instincts in full swing. Her tail swinging back and forth as she held herself back from attacking the clearly superior fighter.
"You…I know you…I know this smell! Uncle Igneel made sure I memorized it from the scales he took from you!" Alva growled out as her tail whipped against the ground, shattering the broken stones underneath. "You're… Acnologia!" she all but shouted, pointing one of her scaled fingers at the blue haired man, said man only smirking victoriously in response.
"I admit that I am slightly disappointed that two of the last remaining dragons in this world cannot recognize me. But I am indeed the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse; Acnologia." The man declared as the battle lust faded from his eyes for a moment, leaving him looking almost bored with the destruction that surrounded him.
For the second time in the last hour Natsu froze up, his mind not able to keep up with what he had just heard. This bastard is Acnologia? The bastard who screwed up old man Gildarts? The same dragon who tried to kill us on Tenrou? He's…he's the one who tried to kill Luce? He eventually managed to think through all of the confusion, completely forgetting about Lucy for a moment as he stared up at the bastard.
"And now that the introductions are out of the way…" Acnologia started too murmured before vanishing from sight, only to reappear right in front of Natsu's face. "Try to entertain me for awhile last of Earthlands dragons!" He finished as he lashed out, striking only seconds after Natsu got his guard up.
Strong! Natsu barely managed to think in a panic as the bastard sent him flying through the air, only for him to be caught a second later by Alva who used her draconic wings to catch him in mid air.
"…too strong…we need to work together." Was all she murmured, her voice deadly and quiet. Natsu for his part said nothing, merely nodding his head in agreement. At that point Natsu would be willing to work with Zeref again if it meant taking down this guy. A second later Natsu felt Alva's tail wrap around his midsection before he was tossed at a breakneck speed, a hail of green fireballs following after him in order to cover his advance. But Acnologia didn't even move, he simply remained where he was as he watched Natsu fly at him.
"Dragon Slayer's Secret Art; Crimson Lotus Exploding Flame Blade!" He shouted as he began to spiral, pulling some of Alva's flames into his attack as he spun. The mass of twirling fire struck the black dragon head on, sending him skidding backwards but otherwise doing nothing but burning his cloak.
"Not enough…this is not nearly enough to satisfy my lust for battle! Don't tell me all those years of waiting did nothing to improve your power, I'm disappointed in you fire dragon!" Acnologia taunted as he reached out faster than Natsu could follow, grabbed him by the head, and slammed his skull into the ground, creating a not so insignificant crater.
But Natsu was far from done, as the moment the dragon man had finished Natsu lashed out with a leg and knocked him off balance, sending him tumbling to the ground and giving Natsu an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
"Fire Dragons Roar!" He shouted before releasing his own torrent of flame, sending Acnologia rolling away from the sheer force of the blast, rolling directly into the path of Alva.
"Fel Fire Dragons Roar!" She shouted out, sending her own flames crashing into Natsu with explosive force, shaking the land under their feet. But even with the swilling green and red flames neither slayer thought that they were done with him yet, both instinctively knowing that they had to give it their all if they wanted to stop this bastard. Before the smoke had even begun to fade Natsu unleashed his Lighting-fire dragon mode while Alva forced out even more of her draconic blood, her form becoming more and more dragon like with each passing second.
"Lightning Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" "Fel Dragons Demonic Flame!" The two shouted their respective attacks once again striking the Black dragon within seconds of each other. The sheer quantity of fire released scorching the clouds and turning the rock under their feet into glass. Natsu couldn't help but fall to his knees shortly after unleashing his attack, his body shaking slightly from magical exhaustion. Their impromptu magical assault surely had to at least put a dent in him…right?
"…Heh…ha ha…ha ha ha HA! Yes, this is it! This is the battle I was promised!" Acnologia laughed from within the cloud of smoke, swiping his hand through the air to dissipate the smoke to reveal that besides for a few minor burns and bruises in places he was perfectly all right, grinning like there was no tomorrow for a moment before frowning slightly. "But this is still not enough to satisfy me…alright then, let's go with that." He murmured to himself before nodding and grinning to himself.
"What the hell are you mumbling about?" Natsu cursed as he exchanged glances with Alva, trying to confirm the timing of their next attack.
"This of course." Acnologia answered as he reached into his cloak, withdrew something dark red, and tossed it at Natsu. The fire dragon slayer instinctively caught it and at first thought that it might have been some kind of trap, but when he looked down at the object that had been tossed to him her couldn't help but choke on his breath.
In his hands was a dark red dragon scale, a dragon scale that smelled exactly like his dad.
"You…how…" Natsu murmured as he gripped the scale so hard that it cut into his skin, his blood barely noticeable against the dull red of his pops.
"Up till seven years ago it was nothing more than a trophy of one of the greatest fights I've ever been involved in. but then an old foe gave me an idea, an idea that would create a foe more powerful than any I had fought before…and to think, all it required of me was to write a letter and to rub that scale on it. I wouldn't have believed him if it weren't for the fact that here you are."
Natsu couldn't process what was happening, the sound of his own blood flowing through his veins blocking out everything, even the words of warning that Alva was shouting at him. Not only did this bastard attack Luce…he…he was the one who wrote that letter? He was the one who tricked Natsu into betraying one of the most important friends in his life? It was his fault that the love of his life had to spend seven years of her life away from her family?
"That's right Natsu Dragneel. I'm the one who sent you that letter, all so you could grow strong enough to provide me with a suitable challenge…so come then, dragon of flames, come and provide me the battle I was promised."
In that moment Natsu couldn't help but clench his teeth and fists, everything they had been put through, the strain Luce was under, all so that a dragon could have a fight? He couldn't accept this…he wouldn't accept this. All of this…everyone who tries to take what is mine…they…can all just…BURN. And with that final thought, Natsu's consciousness was consumed by his blood red flames, the flames signaling the return of the demon known as E.N.D.
Alva watched in surprise as blood red flames erupted around Igneel-smelling Betrayer in such massive quantities that she couldn't help but take a step back and lower her head reflexively. Normally she would have never been intimidated by the weaker slayer, but it wasn't just her draconic instincts that were screaming at her to be careful. Whatever this fire was her demonic instincts were just as wary.
"Hoh? So is this the power that demon bastard spoke of that day? Interesting…perhaps this fight won't be as disappointing as I thought." Acnologia commented as the blood red flames continued to climb higher into the sky.
"What is this? What did you do?" Alva growled out as she watched Natsu's form within the fire begin to shift, strange black swirls appearing along his exposed flesh while two horns, quite similar to her own, sprouted from his skull.
"I simply told him the truth, that I was the one who took everything he once held precious." Evil-smelling Dragon returned as he looked over his shoulder at her. At first Alva wasn't able to follow what he was talking about, her mind not able to process logic with so much fury coursing through her veins, but after a few seconds everything fell into place.
Wait…Evil-smelling Dragon was the one who sent that letter!? Not Death-mage? How did Demon-Bastard get this wrong? Did Sister-Luce know?...eh, I don't need to worry about this. I just need to destroy Sister-Luce's enemies, and Evil-smelling Dragon is her enemy. Alva couldn't help but think in a panic as she looked over to where Sister-Luce had fallen, not even remotely surprised to see that she had vanished at some point. About damn time Demon-Bastard…now to fire out what to do about this.
Slowly Natsu began to move forward, each step almost looking like it was difficult for him as the crimson flames burned around his form. Alva had to admit, as much as she hated him, she knew that something was very wrong and that it was on her now to make sure that the Igneel-smelling Betrayer didn't do anything stupid…or anything more stupid than what he normally did.
"Dragneel! What are you doing?" She questioned as she leapt next to the now almost nostalgic looking fire dragon slayer, his form now so much like her own that it almost felt like they really were related. "Have you always been able to do tha-." She started to ask before being caught in the side of her head by Natsu's foot, sending her spinning away with a surprising amount of force. She nearly let her rage take over then and there, fully intending to rip him a new one for daring to hit her, but when she glared up at the fool she couldn't help but stop.
The Igneel-smelling Betrayer wasn't looking at her with eyes filled with cockiness like normal, or even wearing the grin she nearly always saw on his face. Instead, his eyes looked almost dead, staring through her like she didn't even exist as his flames all but reached for anything that was close, the ground smoldering under the heat.
"…Fool. How could you lose control? This is why uncle Igneel would be disappointed in you." She murmured quietly as she took another step back, completely understanding the situation. She could question why or how Natsu had a demonic form so well hidden that she didn't even notice it later. For now she had to show her adopted cousin that even if he was out of control, she still wasn't going to lose to him, whether it came to dragon power or demon power.
When the shadows faded from Lucy's vision she was in an entirely different place than what she remembered, the world around her covered in blood red flames.
"Wha…what just…guh!" She asked as she started to sit up, sucking in a breath at the pain in her chest, a pain that hadn't been there the last time she was aware of her surroundings. Looking down at her chest, Lucy at first couldn't believe what she was seeing; a hand sized hole that was covered in a place white light, a light that was slowly but surely closing the gaping wound.
"Oh sweet mother of…what the hell happened?!" Lucy screamed in surprise as she gingerly reached out for her chest in order to try to figure out what happened, but was stopped when someone grabbed her hand.
"Please sit still for a moment Lucy, I cannot guarantee your survival if you move before I finish administering first aid. A woman's worried voice called out from her side, Lucy staring over at her side to see someone she never expected to see again.
"Lucina? How did…no way! Did I die?!" Lucy questioned blankly at first before feeling an almost overwhelming panic, the lord of redemption placing a firm hand on her chest to keep her from sitting up.
"Not yet, though you certainly came close after that last attack." Lucina commented with a sigh as she gestured down at the still decently sized hole in Lucy's chest. "Had the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse struck you just a few inches to the left he would have damaged your already weakened heart. And in all honesty, if it weren't for the fact that your blood does not actively flow you would have passed on before I could aid you."
"Oh…well thanks for that then." Lucy eventually said with a humorless laugh, trying hard to lighten the heavy atmosphere. "But now that I think about it, how are you even here? I don't remember trying to summon you or anything so why…?"
"I was the one who called her here Milady." Abaddon answered, the Lord of Pride manifesting from a nearby shadow so suddenly that Lucy couldn't help but squeak in surprise. "As you were unconscious I seized control over your magic and forced your pacts to switch over to Divinities as opposed to Sin…at great cost to myself if I might add." He added at the end with an exhausted sigh, neither woman even remotely believing him for even a second.
"Right…well then, would one of you please tell me what's going on? Because with all these flames around I wouldn't doubt that I died and ended back up in Underworld." Lucy eventually asked as she looked around at the surrounding flames, the ground occasionally rumbling from far off impacts all the while.
"Nothing good, I can assure you of that. After the black dragon appeared I was forced to move you through my shadow, and therefore was unable to keep track of the battle. From the magical energies in the air it appears that Alva and Mr. Dragneel have engaged Acnologia, but as far as why that accursed dragon has shown itself or what exactly is happening I cannot fathom its purpose.
"Well then why don't you use your shadows to find out what exactly going on?" Lucy questioned from her spot on the ground, Abaddon performing an elaborate bow before snapping his fingers, activating his spell. A second later the shadows of the three beings present gathered in the center of their little hideaway, creating what almost looked like a hole in the world as they did so.
For a few seconds nothing out of the ordinary happened, making Lucy think the spell might have failed at first, but after a moment an image of flame appeared on the other side, flames that were clearly not of this world. The fires ate at everything they touched, from the remains of the pavilions to the earth itself, moving almost like they had a mind and desire of their own to erase life. For minute or so there was nothing to see but flames on the other side of the darkness, but when shadows began to dance in between the flames Lucy was able to make out human shapes on the other side, shapes that caused her frozen heart to hurt from anxiety.
The first form that she could make out was Alva, the young dragon badly burnt and bleeding in from wounds all over and looking both furious and annoyed at the same time as she all but bounced around avoiding the blood red flames and explosions of bluish energy. She had unleashed more draconic energy than Lucy had ever seen, so much so that she looked like a miniature dragon as opposed to her naturally human form. One of the other forms appeared to be a man in his early thirties, his long blue hair whipping wildly as he leapt after Alva and something else, his eyes wild as a silent laugh escaped from his lips.
But the third form was what really drew her attention. A form that, despite the strange black marks and horns, was impossible for Lucy to get wrong.
"N-Natsu?! What the…what's going on?" Lucy panicked as she stared up at both Lucina and Abaddon, her unease only growing at the surprised looks on their faces.
"That form…an Etherious …no, it feels similar to a natural born demon as opposed to one of Zeref's monstrosities. But then how did he…" Abaddon muttered quietly before noticing Lucy's gaze. "I apologize Milady, I can only guess at what has transpired and from what I can see it appears that Mr. Dragneel has taken on a more demonic form. And due to that power he appears to be attacking both Lady Alva as well as Acnologia." He explained before shrugging slightly. "From what I can see he simply wasn't strong enough to keep control over his power." He continued, Lucy having long ago tuned him out as she looked back down into the shadows.
Natsu's got demon powers? But that…that can't be. Is this that whole thing that the Future Lucy told Natsu and the others about? Does that mean that Natsu's…E.N.D? She eventually managed to think, the reflection of Natsu in the shadow releasing a torrent of hungry flames, the ground shaking a moment later in response.
A moment later Abaddon appeared to make the connection as well, the demon of pride clapping his hands together with a wide eyed look on his face. "Ah, I see. Then Mr. Dragneel is the magnum opus of the dark mage Zeref…that honestly explains so much about his smell."
"Th-this isn't a time to joke Abaddon! What are we supposed to do now? What's going on with everyone else? Are the Etherious doing now then?" Lucy screamed out as she pushed thoughts of Natsu's origins to the back of her mind, she could leave that question for another day.
"From the mangled remains of your telepathy network it appears that both sides have been thrown into chaos due to those three. Master Makarov has apparently taken charge in your absence and ordered a full retreat. And from what I can tell Lilith is still toying with the leader of the Etherious, his forces holding back for the time being or are simply fleeing en masse from the battle." Abaddon reported as he once again looked down at ongoing free-for-all. "But from what I can see it doesn't matter how far they flee, with the shear strength of those flames and the known power of the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse this land will soon be nothing more than ash and death."
"Now way…you mean everything was for nothing? All our fights, everything we did, and not only will I not be able to get my revenge but everyone in Fairy Tail will die too?"
"I'm afraid so Milady. Against the powers of Zeref's greatest creation and the strongest dragon in the lands no force in Earthland would be enough to stand against it. That is simply the truth of reality." Abaddon easily dashed Lucy's hopes, his serious for once.
"…Lucina! Is there anything you can do to help us? Please!" Lucy begged the Divinity, said spirit turning her head away in shame.
"I am sorry Lucy, but the power of redemption is not a power capable of violent actions…and even if I could, when Abaddon here forced me into your world he greatly damaged the magical pathways you use in order to summon beings from our world. If you try to do anything more…you will only rush to your death."
Lucy couldn't help but blink slowly in shock as the kind Divinity finished her first aid and helped Lucy sit up. Was she really that close to death? Sure, there was a pain in her chest but she just attributed it to the fact that she just recently had a big hole there. But apparently that was just her body telli8ng her that her end was nearly upon her.
"I see…so this is where everything ends." Lucy murmured as she laughed humorlessly. In truth, she wasn't exactly shocked that her end had found her on a battlefield. She just wished that she could have done something for everyone.
"It is true Milady, this is your end, but it might not necessarily end in your defeat." Abaddon spoke up then, drawing shocked gazes from both the women present. "While it is true that no force in Earthland could oppose Acnologia…a force from Underworld might be capable of standing against him."
"Huh? I don't follow." Lucy replied with a frown, trying to figure out the Pride demon's angle.
"Lucy Heartfilia." Abaddon started to speak, his tone more regal than she had ever heard. "Perform a Union Spell with me, unite our power, and reconnect this world with Underworld."
"Abaddon! You cannot be serious!" Lucina shouted as she jumped up, fury etched on her normally kind face. "To ask her to do that, when her soul has been weakened from use of our pacts, would not only ensure her death but risk the destruction of her very soul! You would force this burden on her? A burden even her mother failed to shoulder"
"I would." Abaddon answered immediately. "From the day I first agreed to her pact this was always a possibility of her taking on this burden. This is simply the most prudent time to request this of her."
"Wait, slow down you two. How exactly do you expect me to do something even mom couldn't do? Why would I possibly be able to make that work when I have no idea even how to connect two worlds?"
"You give yourself too little credit Milady. The fact that you so effortlessly summon beings from other worlds regardless whether or not they are demons or celestial spirits speaks volumes of your ability to see through the barriers of reality. Even if you are not aware of it, your power could easily serve as the bond that would unite our two worlds once again…assuming you had the power to fuel such a spell that is."
"…and your saying that by giving you control over my body you could do that?" Lucy murmured as she shakily stood, her body still sore over everything it had been through over the last few minutes.
"Of course, if there's anything that I have pride in it's my ability to weave complex and powerful spells." Abaddon replied with his normal cocky smile for a moment before it faded once again. "However, Lady Lucina here does raise a valid point. Should you attempt this spell there is a very good chance that your soul will be irreparably harmed, and your death is all but assured." He coldly stated, Lucy inadvertently shivering at the talks of her demise. "Even if the spell was not so complicated, by performing a Union Spell with me the spell on your heart will not be able to hold out."
"I see…so I'm as good as dead either way then huh…" Lucy muttered, a sad smile on her face as Lucina placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort.
"Lucy, you don't need to feel like you have to do this. Even without your aid, life will continue to endure."
The three were silent for a moment, the only sounds being the crackling of the flames that surrounded them, but eventually Abaddon cleared his throat and stared at Lucy with a look of borderline compassion.
"I ask you once again… Lucy Heartfilia, will you bind your fate to the pathway between our worlds? Will you sacrifice your life to give our worlds a future?"
Lucy stared down at the ground for a moment before looking back up, the conviction in her eyes giving her answer before she could even answer. "…I will, not for Earthland or Underworld, but for the future of Fairy Tail and my friends."
Abaddon smiled and nodded his head while Lucina sighed heavily but smiled as well. "Lucy, it has been a true honor to work with you. And no matter what happens I will always be willing to welcome your soul into the halls of redemption. Even if your soul has been tainted with the likes of him." Lucina commented as she gestured over her shoulder at a very annoyed looking Abaddon.
Lucy laughed lightly as she stepped forward and hugged the woman, the Divinity returning the gesture almost immediately. "Thanks Lucina…and thank you for giving me the chance to live up to my mom's legacy." And with that the divinity took a step back, whipped the tears from her eyes before smiling, and vanished into a bright light.
For a moment Lucy simply stared at the place where the woman had been, but eventually she turned to Abaddon with a peaceful smile, the Lord of Pride returning the gesture in turn.
"Milady I-." Abaddon started, but was stopped when Lucy held out a hand.
"Ah, don't worry about it Abaddon, you already said your piece before this all started. And plus, that's not really how we work right? You're the demon and I'm the one who summoned you right? I always figured I would have to pay with my life after everything was all said and done."
"In all honesty, I never expected things to develop in this way. But now that we stand here I see no other way." Abaddon replied with a light laugh as Lucy drew a small dagger from her side. "But I must refuse your previous request Milady, as I feel it is my duty to once again praise you. And as the perfect gentlemen that I am I cannot pass up the chance to flatter such a prime example of a woman. So allow me to once again say that I am proud to serve under such a woman, regardless of how our path has ended."
"Right, right…but before we do this there's something I want you to do with my body if we're going to do this. Think of it as a final request if you will." Lucy requested as she passed the blade across her skin, flinching slightly as a thin line of blood appeared on her palm.
"Of course Milady, I shall strive to accomplish whatever you desire…now then, what is it you wish for?"
Alva wanted nothing more than to scream in frustration as she rolled across the ground in order to avoid another wave of stupid Igneel-smelling Fool's flames, the stupid flames almost pursuing her as she ducked under a collapsed beam, the flames impacting and incinerating her cover in seconds.
"…Damn fool…" She muttered in annoyance as she once again returned to the site of the battle. She could see the Evil-smelling Dragon and her distant cousin still trying to tear each other into bloody pieces. Whatever had happened to her foolish cousin had defiantly given him quite the power boost, as Igneel-smelling Fool shrugged off blows that had previously sent him flying. His flames no longer just singed the Evil-smelling Dragon but leaving burns on his tanned skin.
But the Evil-smelling Dragon wasn't pulling his punches either. He had left a number of incredibly bad wounds on Igneel-smelling Fool and Alva herself had suffered a particularly bad break in her arm, but with her dragon scales instantly hardening around the area she was still able to use the limb, although with pangs of discomfort from time to time.
Alva was just barely holding on at that point, and while it was frustrating beyond compare to not be able to do much, but what could she do at that point? When Sister-Luce originally came up with plans to fight against Death-mage or other insanely powerful foes she would only be supporting Smiling-Demon or Demon-Bastard as they took point. She was supposed to keep Sister-Luce safe or look for opportunities to exploit holes in the opponents guard. and while the dragon part of her loved the thrill of fighting against such powerful opponents, the rational side of her mind was screaming at her to just run as fast as she can.
"Don't stop now boy! I'm not even remotely satisfied with this battle! Keep trying to kill me, burn away everything in front of you! Try your hardest to end me! Only then will this fight be worth it!" Evil-smelling Dragon shouted as he covered his hand in a pale blue light and slammed it into Igneel-smelling Fool, an explosion covering the surroundings the moment his fist met flesh.
But Igneel-smelling Fool didn't seem to care, and instead simply ignored the attack to lash out with his newly acquired horns, slashing the Evil-smelling Dragon across his shoulder. "You…the weaklings here…Zeref…I'll burn you all!" He shouted as another orb of flames broke away from the pyre that he had become, hovering just over his head before breaking apart and showering their surroundings.
This is beginning to get on my nerves! Alva complained to herself as she ducked down and released her breath attack, her blackish green flames colliding with the blood red ones. At first Alva's flames seemed to be holding off the fire at first, but after a few tense seconds Igneel-smelling Fools flames quickly consumed hers and continued onwards in her direction. That was the secret of his demonic fire; it consumed everything in its path, growing stronger with everything it burned, and pursued its target with almost predatory focus, tracking them around or simply through objects. Already Alva had watched a few unlucky Etherious disappear into the hungry flames when they had approached, their reasons for trying to get involved in the chaotic battle completely irrelevant in the face of his flames.
If I wasn't running from them myself I would almost be impressed…almost. Alva grimly thought as she unfurled her wings and leapt backwards into the air as the bloody flames impacted the place she had been standing in. Alva had wanted to join in the fight, in order to keep the two insane dragons from spreading too much chaos onto the battlefield, but every time she got close the flames would react to her and try to entangle her, only adding to her frustrations.
"I'll say it again…you're a fool Natsu Dragneel." She muttered once again as she tried to twist and avoid the flames, knowing deep down that that with so much fire coming at her there wasn't any real chance that she would be able to avoid the flames.
But contrary to her expectations the flames never even came close to burning her skin. As when they were inches from incinerating her the flames and the land around her was covered in shadows. Alva stopped in mid air as she tried to get her bearings, not really sure what was happening. She could vaguely recognize the magic, the smell coming off of it reminiscent of Demon-Bastard but despite how overwhelming powerful he was Alva had never seen anything close to this level of power from the arrogant demon. This spell was on a scale whole other level.
"Who dares interfere with my fight?" Alva heard the Evil-smelling Dragon shout out in rage. She turned to see both of the enraged dragons entangled in shadows, both straining against their bonds but not able to move even an inch.
But rather than the arrogant laugh of the Demon-bastard Alva heard a woman chuckle lightly from the shadows. The voice both familiar and foreign to her at the same time.
"Oh, I beg your forgiveness, oh Dragon of the Apocalypse. I had only intended to erase these annoying flames but I seem to have unintentionally bound you as well." The woman mocked in a clearly unapologetic tone, a voice that sent a shiver down Alva's spine the moment she managed to place it.
"L-Luce?" she tried to confirm as her draconic hearing picked up on the sounds of someone slowly approaching, the sounds of their footsteps somehow echoing in the darkness around them.
"Almost correct, Little Alva, but at the same time not fully accurate now." Sister-Luce answered as she finally emerged from the shadows, Alva's eyes going wide at her appearance. The armor she had been wearing was gone, replaced by a white ball room dress that almost seemed to shine in the darkness, her hair had somehow changed color, going from the bright blonde it was normally to a shade of black that almost seemed to blend in to the darkness that seemed to cling to her body. But by far the most disarming change was her eyes; the warm brown having changed to an emerald green, green eyes that stared out at them with a look that could only be described as a mixture of contempt and smugness. A look that Alva couldn't have ever seen her savior making at anyone but maybe Igneel-smelling Fool.
But then it hit her, the combination of Sister-Luce's body but Bastard-demon's power? There was only one reason this could happen…and the answer that she arrived at only added fuel to her fury.
"Abaddon! You bastard! What did you do?" She demanded as she flew so fast that she all but teleported to the black haired girls' side, the half dragon having to struggle to keep herself from strangling the arrogant demon.
"I'm hurt Alva, I have done this at Milady's request." Abaddon denied with a pout before turning to the still struggling dragons. "She requested that I make haste to you and aid in the suppression of Dragneel there." She continued as she gestured at the demonic Natsu.
"Demons…burn them…burn them all!" Natsu growled as his body burst into flames once again, the shadows that held him back shrinking away from the heat.
"Such a shame, he has such beautiful flames but no ability to control them…truly a pity." The possessed Lucy muttered almost sadly, a tone that Alva didn't even remotely believe him capable of feeling.
"This isn't a joke Abaddon. How are we supposed to deal with this?" She angrily shouted as Natsu began to slowly stagger over in their direction, his flames continuing to burn away the twisting shadows.
"Oh, you seem to have misinterpreted my presence here Little Alva. I am here to suppress Acnologia for a time. It is your responsibility to wake up our wayward slayer." Abaddon replied indifferently, the dragon slayer turning to glare at her like she had announced they were headed to space.
"…No way. It's not my responsibility to wake the fool up."
"Indeed it isn't, but this is Milady's request. And I know you won't disappoint her." Abaddon returned before smiling widely, Alva inadvertently blushing slightly by pure reflex of seeing Lucy smiling at her. "Well then, I must be off. Do be a dear and don't take too long. There is much we must do after all." And with that Lucy vanished from Alva's side, reappearing right in front of the still immobilized Acnologia, grabbing him by the face, and jumping away with the dragon in tow.
Well what am I supposed to do now? Alva thought as Natsu lunged at her, the demonic dragon ducking under his blow. For a few minutes the two exchanged blows in close quarters, Alva having figured out that despite not being all there Natsu still wouldn't use his flames with them exchanging blows, Either out of fear of burning himself or for some other reason that she didn't care about. But as they continued to land blows on each other Alva was beginning to grow more furious as time went on. There was no cocky grin on his face like normal; instead his face looked almost passive, like he had no interest in what was happening around him.
"Damn you Natsu! Is this what someone raised by Uncle Igneel does? You're an embarrassment to all dragons!" she shouted as she slammed a flame infused fist into his face, sending Natsu skidding backwards slightly.
That challenge finally seemed to get to him, as his face twisted in fury for a moment before he ran back in. "Shut up…SHUT UP! I won't stop…not until I burn away everything that hurts her…I won't…I won't give her up!" He shouted before sucking in a breath and unleashing a torrent of flame, Alva leaping into the air in order to avoid his attack.
"Huh? Are you that dumb? She isn't yours. Don't be so arrogant!" Alva shouted back as she landed on his skull, forcing him down onto the ground before she began to land punch after punch on his chest. "Why are you so stupid…damndable fool!"
"Shut up!" Natsu once again shouted as he grabbed one of Alva's arms and turned her over so that he was sitting on top of her, his own fists landing on her stomach just as fast as she had been hitting him only moments ago. "She's mine! She has to be! If she…if she goes away again then I can't make up for what I did to her! I can't let her go somewhere I can't follow again!"
So it was his betrayal that caused him to lose control…damn fool. Alva managed to think in between the rain of blows, waiting until he presented a slight opening before slamming her head against his own, sending Natsu reeling backwards.
"Fool! Why do you think that you need to do anything at this point? Didn't she forgive you already? You should already know what you have to do!"
"Well I don't! What the hell am I supposed to do?" Natsu returned as he took a stance, a stance that Alva recognized as his dragon slayer secret art.
Alva however chose not to answer, instead lowering her body to the ground, almost looking like an animal about to pounce on its prey. The two glared at each other as they continued to gather their magical energy in preparation for their attacks, neither one being willing to be the first to attack. But eventually Natsu's already small amount of patience gave out and his magic flared in response to his fury.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus Exploding Flame Blade!" He shouted, the spiral of blood red flames roaring directly at her. But this is was exactly what Alva had been waiting for. Despite the fact that she wanted nothing more than to deny the truth, Alva knew that she couldn't stand up to her cousins fire. But she had something that Igneel-smelling Fool didn't, something that had been honed over the years of battling against foes like Demon-Bastard and Sister-Luce.
Her reaction speed, her ability to move before anyone else.
She watched for a brief second as the flames approached before activating her own spell, the fel-fire that she had been gathering in her lungs coursing through her body as opposed to spewing from her mouth.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art…Fel-Fire Accel Blade." She muttered under her breath as the flames went to work. For just a moment her demonic blood and dragon blood mixed in perfect harmony, and that harmony was reflected onto the world around her. The flames, Natsu, even the world itself; all things before her eyes slowed to a crawl as the fel-fire in her blood accelerated both her thought process and reaction speed to godlike levels. But she couldn't use this technique for long, as the fire in her veins would soon burn her from the inside out.
But a moment was all she needed. As the blood red fire crawled forward Alva moved, sprinting forward and ducking underneath the swirl of death before approaching her foolish coursing. She was shocked to see that despite her ungodly levels of speed the Igneel-smelling Fool was actually reacting to her, his eyes slowly beginning to track her movements while his face slowly began to scrunch up in shock. But no matter what he did at this point it was far too late to do anything to her, as the fel-fire in her blood had already been concentrated in her unbroken arm, condensing until it formed a blade of pale green fire along her skin. And with all the strength the young half dragon could muster, Alva struck the enraged pink haired slayer across the chest.
And with that the world began to move once again. The flames that surrounded the two of them were blow away in an instant, the shockwave created by Alva's attack. Both slayers staggered and fell, Natsu from the massive wound on his chest and Alva from the immense pain her body was now in. for a moment both were completely incapacitated, the two slayers simply trying to keep their breathing under control, but eventually Alva began to speak.
"…when we got back from that mission, I asked Luce why she was willing to go back to you…why she was able to love you after everything you did." Alva murmured, all but feeling Natsu tense just off to her side. "At first she couldn't answer, she simply talked about all your faults, how you never listen to others, how you fight at the drop of a hat, how you used to sneak into not only her house but her bed too…but then she talked about how you gave her a home to belong to, a family for the first time since her mom died, and how you were loyal to a fault…up until you tried to kill her that is."
Alva was sure that Natsu was feeling pretty miserable right about then, but she couldn't care less in that moment, there were things that just had to be said. "But even then, even after everything your actions put her through; she still came back to you…and no matter what, you have to live up to her expectations for her remaining time."
For a minute Natsu said nothing, but after awhile he groaned out loud as he struggled to sit up. "Damn…I really screwed up if I need you to tell me off…what the hell was I doing by the way?" He eventually asked causing Alva to sigh in annoyance.
"Feel the top of your head and look at your arms first." She commanded, closing her eyes for a moment as Natsu yelled in surprise.
"What the hell! Horns? And when did I get crazy tattoos?" He questioned to no one in particular. "Did you do something to me while I was out?"
"Don't flatter yourself…but enough of this, Luce still needs our help fighting against Acnologia."
"Oh yea! Where did that dragon bastard go? I still need to tear him a new one for what he did!" Natsu continued to shout as he jumped up, Alva growing somewhat jealous of his ability to bounce back after a fight, not that she would ever admit it out loud.
"We can follow the shadows…that will lead us to Luce." Was all Alva said as she sat up to stare in the direction of two massive magical signatures, fearing what would happen when either one disappeared.
Lucy looked up from her battle as the oppressive demonic energy faded, her hand all but automatically moving to smack away the unruly dragon before her. If the magic of E.N.D had faded to this degree then that meant that Alva had accomplished the mission she had been given. With Zeref's masterpiece out of commission, at least to the degree he was only minutes ago, that gave Abaddon the freedom of movement that he required.
"You…this magic…I've fought you before." Acnologia murmured in confusion as Lucy turned back to him, her green eyes filled with mirth.
"Indeed we have, oh childish dragon. But now is not the time to reminisce on the past." Lucy started to say before snapping her finger, the sky overhead beginning to crack in response. "Now, it is finally time to begin. Now is the time for my revenge."
Finally got this one done, sorry for the delay everyone. next time will be the final chapter (exculding an epiluge if i choose to do one) so look forward to it! Until then!