(A/N: Ah, nothing like humming a little badass piano tune to get you in the mood to right a nice fight, am I right? Yeah, I'm pretty sure).

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Code Geass


Elric

Lelouch woke up for the second time during the course of the night—not counting when Erza woke him due to her off key singing—only to find that the sun was already up. He walked over to where she and Jace were currently by the portal only to find Erza fast asleep while sitting up.

"How long as she been like that?" Lelouch asked Jace.

"What do you mean?"

"She dozed off."

"Wait, what?" Jace stood up and saw Erza's eyes closed. "Huh, she was so quiet during watch I never noticed."

"I guess no demons want to try their luck. Kind of peculiar if you ask me."

"Why's that?"

Lelouch sat down next to Erza and shrugged. "I don't know. I just figured at least one demon would see a glowing, open portal and try to escape."

"Well never look a gift horse in the mouth I say," Jace told him.

Lelouch nodded in agreement. He then looked at Erza as she continued to sleep quiet as a mouse. He wondered what he should do. Erza wasn't probably even aware she had fallen asleep as far as he knew. She'd probably be devastated if she found out she was napping on the job. However, now that he was awake, she deserved her rest. She probably had done her best to stay up as long as possible so that he could sleep. That was so like her.

As Lelouch continued to look at Erza breathe through her mouth, he noticed the curvature of her lips. His brain, without his consent, gave him an image of him kissing Erza passionately. Denying the feeling, Lelouch immediately tore his gaze away from Erza and stood up. "Uh d-do we have food for this extended watch or do I need to hop on the train and get some from the nearest town over."

"Uh, probably that second one," Jace stated.

Lelouch sighed. "Fantastic," he said sarcastically. He extended his hand towards Jace. "Give me your wallet."

"What? Why?"

"Have you ever seen Erza eat breakfast after a good night's sleep? I have. She's torn through twenty plates full of pancakes and still had enough room for six milkshakes. Another time she ate sixteen omelets with bacon, cheese and broccoli. Sometimes I wonder how she pays her own food bills."

Lelouch took out his wallet and began counting his on hand cash. "Let's see," he began counting under his breath. "Fifteen." Lelouch sighed. This would only be enough to feed him, Jace and Leana or Erza. "How much do you have?"

Jace took out his wallet and sighed with a smile. "If it's to feed a pretty girl, I'll pay any expense." Lelouch listened to him mumble as he counted. "Ah, great. I've got nineteen here."

"I'll bring any change I get back to you," Lelouch said as he walked over to Jace and extended his hand for a handout. "So glad we bought roundtrip tickets." Jace handed him the cash and Lelouch counted it to make sure it was the same amount. When he was finished he said, "Right then, I should be back in half an hour to forty-five minutes. If she wakes up, let her know I went to get breakfast." Lelouch put the money he had in his wallet.

"Can do."

As Lelouch headed off towards the train station he continued to ponder why nothing had tried to attack them yet. Following that, he could only think, I really hope everyone's all right.


The Demonic Realm

Mirajane fired small blasts of dark energy from above her target as Kariya performed aileron roll after aileron roll to avoid her shots. After the fifth roll, he rose quickly into the air like a rocket to uppercut Mirajane in the face. She narrowly dodged back and then kicked Kariya in the side of the abdomen.

As she pushed him across the air, he leveled his body with the ground and shouted "Soul Burn!" Shaving away his own life force, Kariya slammed into Mirajane with full force, knocking the wind out of her as she went sailing across the sky. He then proceeded to try and punch her and knock her towards the ground, but Mirajane managed to right herself before that happened and turned her body away from his fist. His strike barely missed hitting the horn on the bottom of her wing.

"Dark Blast!" With both her hands, Mirajane hit Kariya with a blast of dark energy right at the center of his chest. He plowed through it.

"Soul Drain!" As he punched Mirajane in the face, the takeover mage could feel her strength slipping and she felt heavy as she beat her wings fast to keep her in the air.

"Soul Burn!" Kariya tackled Mirajane and slammed her in the back with his fist. Mirajane went sailing towards the bottom of the demonic realm and the endless abyss that awaited her there.

He's strong, Mirajane winced, but…Elfman flashed in her mind. Her guild flashed in her mind. She had only just reawakened to her powers yesterday. Perhaps somewhere inside her she was still holding back. I'm fighting too much like a human. I must, Mirajane's eyes flashed open and her brow crinkled determinately, prevail!

Rising swiftly from beneath the solid ground of the demonic realm, Mirajane flew at top speed towards Kariya."Take this!" With her powerful claws Mirajane slashed Kariya up the front of his torso, creating several deep gashes. Kariya prepared to strike her swiftly, but compared to Mirajane's current focus he may as well have been telegraphing his attack. She punched him hard in the gut, opening one of his wounds wider. She didn't let up. She pursued Kariya and then elbowed him in the back towards the ground. She flew faster than he could fall and tackled him from below. Kariya gripped her body and began using Soul Drain. However, despite his wounds healing, Mirajane didn't feel sluggish in the slightest.

"You want my power?" she asked. "Go ahead." She put her hands to his chest. "Take it. Soul Extinction!" At point blank range, the sky above the demonic realm was opened in darkness as Mirajane blasted Kariya into the air, ripping apart the majority of his first layer skin as well as a good portion of the outer edges of his limbs. She also blasted a big hole in his stomach. Mirajane then cupped her hands together before spreading them apart, creating a trident of darkness. She aimed it at Kariya as he fell. "Satan's Pitchfork." She threw the weapon at Kariya as it pierced him in the throat and pinned him to the ground. Mirajane dropped to the pathway in front of him, more than half a mile away from the castle entrance.

Kariya stood up to surmount one last attack of desperation, but Mirajane simply lobbed a ball of dark energy at him, which consumed his entire body and destroyed it in its entirety. Mirajane then took flight and returned to her friends.

However, as she flew off, she caught Kyouka's eye who as in the middle of strangling a demon with her snake sword. "Such power," she laughed. "One day we must make it belong to Tartarus, that woman."


At the castle courtyard, Ein had just finished beating down Suzaku, Kallen and Naoto.

"Your little rebellion is decisively amusing, but against my perfect illusions, you may as well have been standing still."

"Then how about you pick on someone your own size?"

Ein gasped and turned his head as Ratatosk stepped onto the scene from the shadows. "You…but how?"

Ratatosk grinned. "You're very amusing Ein, ambushing me in a group of five. It's cute how you thought that that would work."

"It did work!" Ein shouted.

Ratatosk waggled a finger at Ein with one eye closed. "Tch, tch, tch, tch, tch, tch." He opened his other eye, but kept his finger extended. "I let you capture me. After all, a successor to the throne must always be on hand in times of dire straits. However, you disappoint me, Ein." Ratatosk folded his arms. "It's one thing to take my throne." He cast an arm down by his side. "It's entirely another to change the political standing of the demonic realm."

"Demons and humans cannot coexist!" Ein shouted.

"Wrong! Kasumi and my daughter are proof of that!"

"When will you awaken your eyes to the truth? The humans hate us and want us dead."

"Wrong again," Ratatosk chastised. "Not all of humanity is against us. And those that are here would see my ideology take root. You are the one who will not awaken his eyes to the truth, Ein. Now then, are you going to give me back my throne with a hand shake and a kneel," Ratatosk pulled out his sword, "Or do I have to take it from you."

"I will never yield this throne! I took it fair and square! Your days are over Ratatosk." Ein became stepped in dark energy. "My time has finally come." Ein transformed into his etherious state. His body became black as pitch. His wings spanned out at over two meters each. His nails were as sharp as swords and as long as bread knives. He had golden bracelets just below his shoulders and on his elbows and he was wearing golden arm guards and shin guards. He also had gold horns and piercing red eyes.

Ratatosk sighed. "It pains me to kill one of my best, but I do what I must for my ideals. Come!"

Ein charged forward and Ratatosk blocked with his sword. "Why do you not use your etherious form?"

Ratatosk smirked. "Why don't you make me?"

"Do not underestimate me, Ratatosk. You know what my curse can do!"

"Ah yes, your whole, manipulate the five senses curse, right? Yes, I know it all too well, Ein. But have you forgotten my curse?" Ratatosk suddenly disappeared and Ein found his sword piercing through him from behind. "Chaos Curse."

Ein's body vanished and reappeared in front of Ratatosk several feet in the air. "Of course I haven't forgotten, Ratatosk."

"Really? Cause I think you did. Otherwise you would've known that an ambush never works on me because of my curse."

"The ability to manipulate randomization, accuracy and probability," Ein elaborated, "Are you saying that my illusions will have no effect on you because of this?"

"I'm not saying it." Ratatosk was behind Ein and in the air yet again. "I'm doing it."

Ein disappeared and reappeared above Ratatosk's starting position. "You claim they have no effect, and yet you attack illusions."

"I can end this whenever I want to," Ratatosk said, fanning himself. "I'm not exactly obligated to take you seriously."

Furious, Ein charged at Ratatosk only for Ratatosk's position to shift suddenly and he sliced Ein's arm above the elbow. Ratatosk landed on the ground as Ein clutched what little remained of his stump of a right arm.

Ratatosk put his sword away. "Give up now Ein and I'll at least let you live."

"No!" Ein shouted. "You will acknowledge me, Ratatosk! You will acknowledge my power! I hate it! I hate how you stand so high and mighty over all of us!" Ein dove down at Ratatosk, left arm extended. He missed as Ratatosk sidestepped his attack, arms folded. Ein looked at the smug, superior look on Ratatosk's face. He began swiping at him with his one arm and missing badly. "I hate it! I hate you! I've always hated you! I've always aimed to take the throne to show you the power you lack! You do nothing with your power! You could have the humans groveling at your feet and yet you make peace with them! Why? Why do you coddle these inferior beings?"

Ein suddenly felt his sternum glued to Ratatosk's fist. "Because as one with an etherious form humans do not find threatening, I find it easier to find what else humans will respond to and it what way other than cowering in fear."

"That is laughable. The humans do not find you threatening?"

Ratatosk smirked. "Not at all. In fact some of them think I'm cute."

Ein didn't know how to respond to this at all.

"Of course, personally I don't see it, but then again, the humans have only ever seen the first stage of my etherious form." Ratatosk's eyes flashed a little orange. "Since you were asking so nicely, how about I show you the stage of my etherious form that even you have not gazed upon?"

"Preposterous," Ein proclaimed. "Each demon has a natural state and their etherious state. How could you possibly have a second form?"

"Hard work and dedication," Ratatosk said with a provocative smile. Upon seeing Ein's angry stare he said, "Sheesh take a joke. In reality, calling it a second form might be a bit much." Ratatosk's fangs sharpened. "It's just an amped up version of my etherious form. I need it for some of Zeref's bigger demons. Behold, my most powerful form." Ratatosk's transformation then completely went underway. His body grew in size until he was amassing the entire battlefield. His skin turned into orange fur. His eyes were still red, but now they were glowing brightly. Ratatosk has a large bushy tail, fangs that wouldn't be out of place on a vampire or sabertooth tiger, large, serrated claws and a belly of fur lighter than the rest of his body. He was the size of the entire courtyard as he cast a shadow on Ein, Kallen, Naoto and Suzaku.

Ratatosk then roared and his shrill, damning cry shook the foundations of his castle. He then growled in Ein's face, his upper lip vibrating.

Ein stared pale as a sheet wondering what Ratatosk was going to do. He could feel Ratatosk's curse emanating everywhere. Ein couldn't move his position. This was it. He was as good as dead. Ratatosk could do whatever he wanted with him and because of his curse, Ein just had to take it.

"You know," Ratatosk's voice communicated telepathically, "I can get bigger than this, but I don't want to damage my precious courtyard. Now, what to do with you, Ein? Oh I know," Ratatosk opened his mouth wide to the point that Ein could see all of his teeth in all their terrifying glory. He then proceeded to tilt his jaw forward and ate Ein, chewing him in his cheeks, making sure to get all the chewy parts out from between his teeth. He then swallowed, burped and returned to his human state as he wiped his mouth. "Well, that'll hold me off for a few more years."

Everyone from Knightmare Frame and Fairy Tail that had arrived in the demonic realm had seen the whole thing starting with Ratatosk's transformation. They were just staring in awe, not knowing what to say to any of what just transpired.

"Sooooooo, dad's a giant monster squirrel?" Kalina asked, curiously.

"I…guess…so?" Kasumi was completely confused.

So that's what he looks like when he doesn't look like a human, who could've imagined? CC thought, barely bothered by the turn of events at all.


With Ein dead and Ratatosk firmly back in power, Kallen, Kasumi, Kalina and the others all met in his throne room. Of course, rather than sit upon his throne, Ratatosk met them at an even altitude at the bottom of the staircase leading up to the throne.

"So, you've come all this way, what can I do for you? It's not every day I get visitors from your world."

"They came here looking for me, my liege," Naoto said to him.

"Is that so?"

"I'm his sister," Kallen explained.

"Ah, I…see?" Ratatosk was confused.

"We met before. I was with the group when you saved us a few months ago."

"Ah, yes, now I remember…wait, which one were you?"

"That brings us to one of my requests. Could you turn her back to her human state?"

"Shouldn't be too hard. You've only been here a day." With a snap of his fingers, Kallen suddenly found herself back to her human form, though her right arm was still demonic.

"Kallen, your arm," Naoto said, alarmed.

"It happened when I tried to reach out to save you."

"Hmm, how peculiar," Ratatosk said.

"What is?" Kallen asked.

"If a demon attacked you at the same time that Naoto was attacked by the demon you summoned, that makes for two different demons," Ratatosk stated. He knew Naoto's story.

"Wait, so the demon in me isn't the demon I summoned by accident?" Kallen asked.

"It's not. Quite frankly with the way it's mixed with you it's impossible for me to tell what it was exactly, but I do know that for you to have survived with one since you were young speaks volumes of your own potential as a mage. Both you," he looked at Mirajane, "and you, along with Kasumi and Kalina are the exact people I need to bridge the gap between demons and humans."

"Why do you want to bridge that gap anyway, Ratatosk?" CC asked him.

There was a strange silence in the air as Ratatosk looked at CC. It was impossible for the others to tell what both of them were thinking. After nearly half a minute of dead silence, Ratatosk said, "Humans are a living, sentient species, same as we demons. I find that the world could be a more harmonious place if we could coexist."

There was more awkward silence until Loke broke it. "I have a request, Lord Ratatosk…sir."

"Leo, never thought I'd see you again this century. How's Aries?"

"Uh," Leo scratched his chin. "We kind of got separated…and stuff."

"Tragic," Ratatosk said seriously. "What do you need? More importantly how did you—"

"My master asked that I come along, or rather I volunteered. I've learned to sustain my own mana and summon myself."

"You spirits never cease to amaze me."

"Yes, now if I could get to my point. My current master, Lucy, she is a growing stellar spirit mage, but I worry for her own ability at times. She's," Loke scratched his head. "Well she's strong, but there's certainly room for improvement."

Ratatosk held up a hand. "Say no more." He snapped his fingers. "Give this to her, the key to the gate of the king of demons. It'll probably take a lot out of her, but I can always be on hand should she need me," Ratatosk scratched his neck with the side of his finger, "Although I can't guarantee what percentage of my full power might be at her disposal. Naoto you too."

"Me, sir?"

"You've always wanted to see more of the light of day in your home world, well this is the best way for it. The fact that you survived long enough to bring Withengar's dagger to a specified location like I asked proves you can sustain yourself good enough on your own."

"About that," Suzaku now spoke, "Why did you have Naoto do that? It caused us to have to fight and defeat Withengar and it made all of Unistrad go crazy."

"Do you recall the ruined citadel that used to house the dagger?"

"Yes, but how did you—"

"I asked Naoto to destroy it and put Withengar with the town. Inside his own citadel his seal was slowly weakening. I had hoped to delay his return for as long as possible. I had hoped when he got out I'd be ready to do something about it. I guess I grossly miscalculated the Curse of Eternal Night."

"Your intentions were to destroy Withengar entirely?" CC asked.

"Is there anything wrong with destroying a dangerous entity?" Ratatosk asked her. More awkward silence. "Naoto, the key."

"Ah, right." Naoto generated a key of his own and handed it to Loke. "The key to the descendant of the ancients, I hope your master uses it well."

"I'll make sure she does," Loke said with a smile.

"Naoto," Kallen walked over to him.

"I wish I could leave and see you continue to grow and become an excellent mage, Kallen," Naoto said. "But, my place is unfortunately here, at Ratatosk's side." Naoto changed out of his etherious form to his human state. He looked almost exactly as Kallen remembered him. "You've grown up into a fine young woman and mage, Kallen. And I can see you've made lots of wonderful friends. Continue to grow and be strong," Naoto ruffled Kallen's hair. "I'll always be with you in spirit. As long as you continue to do what you think is right," Naoto tapped his index and middle finger to Kallen's forehead and smiled at her, "I'll always be proud of you."

It started with a little bit of sniffing, but eventually Kallen's chin felt heavy and she stared at the ground, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Naoto." Kallen walked forward and gave her big brother a hug. He returned her affection with a hug of his own.

"Group hug!" Mirajane cheered and joined in followed by Kasumi, Kalina and Loke. CC and Suzaku eventually gave into peer pressure.

"Loke if that's you with your hand on my ass, I'll break it in half," Kasumi threatened.

"Ah, sorry, that's...me," Suzaku said, embarrassed. "CC's arm's in my way."

Ratatosk just laughed. "You humans certainly are amusing. I wish you all a safe journey."

As the group hug broke up, Loke said, "So, it took us several hours to get here, do we have to walk all the way back?"

"Oh, I believe I can help with that," Ratatosk said. With a wave of his hand he sent everyone, including Naoto—since he had been in the group—near the portal Leana and Jace had created to get here. Almost thirty seconds later, Kyouka and Sayla flew down from the window and landed behind him. "Mission accomplished?"

"I don't believe you'll be having any more usurper issues," Kyouka said with a sadistic smile.

"Good." Without moving a muscle a portal opened on the staircase to Ratatosk's throne room. "That will take you to Tartarus' current location. You're free to go if you wish, whenever you wish."

"Just like that?" Sayla asked him.

"I'm a man of my word," Ratatosk told her.

"You almost sound like you're kicking us out," Kyouka said.

"Only if you want to leave," Ratatosk said. "Of course, you're always free to return."

There was a deafening pause as none of the three demons budged an inch. "Will we really forget all that we have learned?"

"Unfortunately the force that binds you against humans is too inset for me to remove. There is no third option."

"It's fine, Kyouka. I've detailed what we've learned in my diary. Hopefully we will not forget its value."

"If you do see Zeref, give him my regards…and my condolences."

"Now that we can do without a problem," Kyouka said with a smile. Without another word, Sayla then exited the demonic realm for Tartarus. Kyouka took a few steps towards it. She then took one last glance at Ratatosk's back, turned back around and left the demonic realm.

Ratatosk then sighed. "Alone in my castle, it's been a while since this has happened. Well, guess I better start recruiting some new elites. If Tartarus is as strong as the two of them, I have my work cut out for me."


Elric

"How many is that now?"

"Twenty-seven," Lelouch answered Jace. The two were watching as Erza continued to devour a large pile of hamburgers. Since Lelouch had gone through the trouble of buying breakfast, she thought she should get lunch. She came back to the group with cheeseburgers, of which only fifteen were left not including the one Erza was eating.

"Is her stomach a black hole?" Leana asked Lelouch. "I've never seen someone eat so elegantly yet eat so much."

"I've been asking myself that same question since the first time we ate together."

As Erza chewed, swallowed and took a sip of her soda, she then glanced at the portal. "They're coming back."

"Already? That was fast," Lelouch said. He and Erza stood up and watched as Kallen and the others stepped out of the portal to the demonic realm one by one.

Kallen winked and gave Lelouch a thumb's up with her right hand. "Mission accomplished."

"You sound happy for him not being here, what happened?"

"Well, turns out Naoto's working for Ratatosk," Kasumi said. "Boy couldn't be happier. He's too far gone to live here with us without becoming irrational, but Kallen seems satisfied just to know he's alive and well."

"The reverse also holds true," Kallen smiled. "I'll tell you about it on the way back to Homura."

"Sounds good to me."

Mirajane then noticed the stack of hamburgers near the campfire. "Oh, hey are those for us?"

"Well, actually—" Lelouch was about to say that it was their lunch, or more specifically Erza's lunch.

However, Erza cut him off. "Help yourself. I can buy more when we get home."

"You're the best Erza," Mirajane ran over to one, unwrapped the paper, and bit into it voraciously.

"You're sure?" Lelouch looked at Erza.

"What kind of selfish person do you take me for? Our friends are probably starving."

Lelouch sighed as he ran his hand up through his hair. Yeah, what else did I expect really?


Knightmare Frame Guildhouse

"We're back," Lelouch said as he and the others arrived home that evening.

"Welcome home, big brother," Nunnally said. "You're just in time for dinner."

"And you also have mail," Inoue said handing Lelouch a letter from his left hand side. She then whispered to him. "It's addressed to you know what."

"Ah, got it, after dinner then." Lelouch put the envelope in his jacket pocket.

For whatever reason, that evening Kallen thought dinner was extra delicious. Maybe it was because she had a weight off her chest, or maybe it was because she was happy that Naoto was so proud of her, or maybe it was because her fellow Black Knights were happy to hear how her escapade went. Whatever the case, Kallen was happy and she was looking forward to the next assignment that her career as a mage would entail.

"Demons yield only to strength. Humans yield to compassion. Despite this, no matter what, I will push forward for what I believe to be a brighter tomorrow."
—Ratatosk


(A/N: And end chapter. Yeah, who here is really all that surprised that Ratatosk is a squirrel? If you are, read up on your norse mythology. Anyway, next chapter will finally have me tackling my first ever canon arc: the Orocion Seis arc. Egads that is going to be a bitch with the way my fight scene brain is working right now. Seriously, I really wish I could've made this a longer chapter. But that is unfortunately neither here nor there. Hopefully I'll have another chapter for all of you tomorrow. If not, I'll hopefully have it before the first day of spring. Ja ne! And no, I'm not about to explain what the hell is up with Ratatosk and CC.)