Hey Kiddos! Sorry I couldn't do an early upload as I expected, I had a death in the family and I was not feeling up for much. But anyways, in our section of "What quote are you using to depress us today?" Dear A has 2 selected quotes that fucking match to perfection with today's chapter.
-A-
"I've never loved the wrong person, but I have loved the right people at the wrong time. The wrong life. The wrong moment."
― Dominic Riccitello
"How many times did we pass each other before we met? If only I'd known…. I would have searched for you endlessly.
If only I'd found you before it was already too late."
― Ranata Suzuki
Previously:
It took Ria some time to gather her energy and come back to the castle, it was straining her, and she wondered how long she could keep the charade of her strength before things kept crumbling down…
She arrived to the same spot she left, her library looked empty and cold and he had to sit down for a bit to recover from the drain of her magic; while taking in the ethernano in the air she tasted something different and hissed through her teeth "We seem to have an uninvited guest"
Remy tried to swallow but his mouth felt dry, almost as if he'd drank a glass full of sand... raspy, constricted and pained; he scrunched his face and tried to open his eyes immediately noticing something was different as one of them was being covered by some sort of fabric. He groggily tried to pull himself up when the clinging sound of the shackles reminded him of his confinement, almost like a chime filled with sadness and desolation.
There were too many things going on in his head, he felt anxious and panicked at the lack of clarity he was experiencing. His breathing became ragged and his shackled fists shook… what was happening? Why he of all people had to be left alone in this unknown place, looking for some ground to stand on.
He went back to his training; Remy was an expert military man and he tried to focus his breathing to retrace steps…
'Ask yourself where you were last…what's the last thing you remember, wiggle your fingers and toes to make sure everything works fine, count to ten while breathing deeply, focus on the smells, the room temperature and the surface you are touching… anything at this point would work' In theory that worked, but this place had no smells except for something similar to ashes; he knew he was laying on a floor otherwise he would be constantly falling but for some reason he couldn't feel it... it was almost as if something and nothing collided forming whatever was underneath him.
The fog started clearing from his mind little by little with each calming breath and then he remembered slowly… he had met with the so called demon king, the man he swore on his life to eliminate, the one he was meant to torture and decimate to make sure his evilness didn't taint the righteous world he lived in first, the soulless creature sent to recreate the world's worst nightmares... right?… no… that wasn't the truth… the tiny voice inside his head told him as much.
The pain in his heart told him too... that version was the first he'd heard and now knew it to be incorrect… how long ago did that feel. He closed his uncovered eye and frowned; a small tier fell from his uncovered eye while his mind took him on the wild adventure of seeing the similarities between them now clearer than ever. How ironic to see yourself reflected in someone you considered your mortal enemy.
But then again, wasn't that what war was about? two sides of the same coin... both fighting for what they have been told is right and not really knowing a single thing about the true reasons behind it all, two groups that hated each other with their very core but had never met, part of the same race but with slight differences that play an important role in determining whose right and wrong... all in the eye of the beholder.
He nodded, mostly to himself... both had been left to fend for themselves, both had trusted the wrong people and had been led to acts that would shatter someone's soul into pieces and force them to wish for the sweet release of death… but not them… they stood, facing their actions, owning the consequences and would risk everything to right their wrongs; how wrong had he been about the Demon King… not only him but also about the man he had considered a savior in his youth.
His name resonated inside his head 'Shiro...' and his world seemed to collapse once again, just as it did when his so called enemies had shared their information, and again while it all sank into his mind… was everything he had learnt a lie?
When he started listening to what they had to say he told himself they were trying to trick him, just like biblical demons would, but even then there was a little voice in the back of his head that knew… the tiny voice became bigger and louder with each of their words because how could you be on the right by doing so many incorrect things?
Remy had been judge, savior, and executioner, he knew he had been a sinner and a saint all depending on the situation and the storyteller, but the truth was undeniable… he had taken lives, and some he wasn't sure were justifiable, which led him to the situation he currently found himself in… alone…
He had agreed to help both of them get rid of the darkness that had been forced into their lives by their families, because he knew now that while Natsu may have not been someone he liked or wished to keep as company… he wasn't the villain, but a mere peon, just like he was.
It made sense… when Mal explained what the plan would consist on he had mentioned that Shiro wasn't who he thought he was, he had let him in the cursed family history being held above Natsu's head and the feud between his father figure and the matriarchs of the family and he remembered what Shiro had told him during one of their last meetings.
"We don't need them; we can take our enemies down ourselves Shiro"
"Have you seen them?... Our enemies Remy, have… you… seen… them?"
"No, but that doesn't mean…"
"They have been here all the time, unseen for centuries until now, you haven't seen them because they don't want to be seen; our enemies are the creation of Gods and Demons, and are not a thing to take lightly"
"Oh, come on, how would YOU know? It's not like you've seen them"
"I have"
"But you said…"
"I did. Anyways, they won't let us near them, and we have not been able to find their hiding place, but they will let their precious prince near, and he will make the best decision for his family, as usual"
"You don't know that"
"If there's one thing I know about his bloodline is that they will always sacrifice themselves in the end"
"I don't think the Dark wizard got the memo"
"You are still too naive, the boy we all feared so much sacrificed everything to bring his brother back, his mortality, his soul, his complete humanity"
"So?"
"If Zeref was alive, we wouldn't be able to get rid of Natsu, If Natsu hadn't been saved by Zeref no one would be strong enough to destroy Nihil and its witches, and if they are not destroyed, the council will"
"You speak as if this was all part of a bigger plan Shiro"
"Because it is; they are a tainted branch of a bloodline, one that should not prevail"
He wondered how he could've been so blind, there was an obvious hate in his master's words and not only that but apparently he had seen creatures that had been hidden for centuries… creatures that were more related to Gods and Demons and had left whatever humanity they had sink in the ocean of their hate.
Yes, he would help... his anger was now directed at one single person and the reason was quite clear. He had been lied to, used for a personal agenda, his intelligence mocked by someone he had trusted with his life and he had done exactly as the man pleased for years... he had been made a fool and not only was his pride bruised but his soul tainted with the blood of innocent people. He wondered when he had become so manipulative that he would rather risk a life without questions instead of fighting for it.
Remy took a deep breath and inspected himself; his hand was tightly wrapped with bandages and didn't hurt anymore… it had been nice on their part to offer to fix it for him, it would never be the same, but it would be almost visibly normal and somewhat functional; a small smile crept its way to his face when remembering Natsu's pained expression, he understood... he really did 'I'd like to say sorry… but I'm not… you killed me that day' He knew it was true, he had killed him, maybe not body but soul, he had allowed a woman whose mind was long gone to roam free and caused everything to fall down like dominos.
The image of Merryl's blooded corpse still haunted him but he knew… she had died because he hadn't stopped her, quite the contrary he had encouraged her behavior; things wouldn't have been different if she wasn't there since he had the plan to kill the celestial mage all along… at the right time; the red headed woman's blood was as much in Natsu's hands as it was on his.
The defeated man took a deep breath before moving his eyes towards the other end of the void where the once proud dragon was hanging from his own restrains, looking at nothing as he had for what he now knew was centuries.
He feared the dragon, but also despised him and before thinking he whispered to himself believing the creature wouldn't hear him "Tsk...Beast…" the huge figure raised his immense face and snarled "Beast? You, pathetic human…" he flinched and cursed himself for his stupidity, that had not been a good way to start and he knew there were many habits he had to get rid of "My apologies, amm… sir?" he felt stupid, Sir? Was that even a proper way to address a lost mythological creature? … "I don't know how to refer to you, never have I met a dragon before"
"You and your kind have no right to refer to me, you should've been wiped from earth!" the dragon's low growl didn't echo, it couldn't in the void… but its sound was so strong that it resonated in Remy's ears either way, like a rumbling volcano "You dirty creature… we should have gotten rid of you when we could"
"You wouldn't have been allowed"
"Dead! You weaklings should all be dead!"
"Give me a chance to prove we are not all bad" the dragon laughed "You can't hide from me… I see your tainted soul, I smell your sins on your soul and the blood on your skin, you cannot fool me!"
There was a definitive tone in his voice, but he knew he couldn't let this go, everything depended on him talking to the mighty creature "I have too many sins to account for, and I am trying to atone for them, if you would just listen…"
"I have no desire to help you atone for anything, you can rot in the abyss for eternity for all I care! I will be here way beyond your time… human"
"Please, I bring you news from the outside!" The dragon laughed painfully "Why would I care about the outside world when it has forgotten about me?"
"There's one that remembers…"
"You are pathetic and a liar!" Remy looked up and stared right into his huge dark eyes "I do not lie! He remembers you… vividly…"
"You expect me to believe you? It's been over 400 hundred years boy! Whoever remembers me is either an angel or a demon and they won't be coming for me while we are here"
Remy gulped knowing it was now or never "He was a young boy when you met, pink hair, fire in his eyes... surely you remember"
Of course he remembered him, that boy and his family had been the ones who had cost him everything… "I killed him, centuries ago… you lie" Remy shook his head "He's alive and knows of your presence here"
"I remember the smell of his blood and the last beating of his pitiful heart! The stench of his pathetic life ceasing!"
"Well he sure punches hard for a dead guy..." He gave him an amused look, hoping to spike his interest. "I'll amuse you since I have nothing better to do at this time… why would I care?" Remy nodded; he was getting to him even if it was a tiny window "He'll come to us when I call… He will get you out of here on one condition"
"Even if it was true… I would refuse to accommodate the demands of a filthy human" Remy pulled his chains in a desperate display "He's not a regular human! Why won't you listen?"
"He's a worthless human! Just like you are… flesh and bones"
Remy felt the need to stand his ground; why he felt as if he had to protect Natsu's honor, he didn't know... maybe it was the fact that he had played an important part in taking so much away from him, maybe he felt responsible for breaking him to the point where he wasn't sure who he was anymore. He raised his voice more than what he thought he was capable of "He is the demon king, grandchild of the sorceress you hate, son of the disgraced Boetian Prince who was the claimed son of Ares!" the dragon froze and kept quiet for a minute, his eyes trying to make sense of something Remy couldn't pinpoint.
"No... It can't be… Mars would have burnt me to the ground if his progeny had fallen under my claws, the God of war knows no forgiveness, you lie" Remy shook his head "Maybe he thought this was a better punishment for hurting his children"
The dragon considered for a second and shook his immense head "He could be a demigod or a forgotten price for all I care… he is not my king, Dragons may pay their respects to the Gods but we do not serve them"
"No… you serve your own king, don't you?"
"Who I serve is of no concern to you mortal"
Remy matched his stare with confidence… how many Dragon kings could there be? He doubt there were too many and he took a wild guess "Igneel…" The creature snarled viciously, pulling his restrains and for a moment the former knight feared the creature would break away and tear him apart "YOU DARE TO SPEAK HIS NAME! YOU, UNWORTHY HUMAN!"
"I wonder what the Fire Dragon King would say if he knew you refused to assist his son…" The dragon's head snapped immediately, a frown deepening on his face making him look angrier than before, and an even deeper growl came from him, one so intimidating that Remy visibly flinched "Ignia is an unworthy successor… too consumed by his own power, I would never accept him as my king"
"I do not know who that is, but he is of little to no concern to me…" the dragon laughed causing the air passing through his broken teeth make a whistling sound "The fire Dragon king had only one hatchling, and even he could tell his son was tainted before birth"
"Which is probably why he picked a successor" The Dragon blinked a couple of times and shook his head again "Stupid human... you have very little knowledge of how our world works"
"As do you… four centuries are not a short time, things have changed too much" he sighed "He chose someone who could carry his undying will... a resurrected pink haired boy… a dragon slayer, raised by Igneel himself, a man that became a king in his own right since he claimed power on his own nest by mere strength"
The Dragon was baffled… a dragon raising a human child, a king not only in succession but in his own right "That's… impossible"
"I saw it happening, they were all forced to kneel under his power"
"A human cannot hold that much power! Not even someone raised by the king himself!"
"They thought you would refuse to believe… you've been away for too long; they wanted you to know he was not the only one that took on a human child" there was a moment of silence before Remy continued "Grandeeney, Metalicana, Skiadrum, and Weisslogia also took human children as their own"
"His court?! Lies! Nothing but lies!"
"You will see for yourself soon enough…" The dragon grunted, still not believing the possibility that things had gone so bad that the mighty dragons had taken to training human children "What does the fake king want then?"
"The truth… only that""
With as little strength as she had regained, Aporia slammed the dark wooden door open and walked to where the energy source came from; she was not surprised to see it came from the end of the aisle, where her grandson's room was.
"Why does that boy cause so much trouble?" Aporia straightened her look while walking, she didn't want them to sense something was wrong with her and once in front of Natsu's door, she opened it without bothering to knock and what she saw made her instinctively stretch her hand out, summoning her powers, which she immediately realize was a stupid thing to do…
It was apparently too much too soon; instead of a powerful purple cloud came a see-through fog that barely made it a couple inches far from her fingers before she retracted her hand and smirked trying to pretend that was her intention, although deep inside she cursed herself. Her eyes were staring daggers at the dark-haired man standing by the window; she waved her hand to get rid of the leftover fog and rolled her eyes, continuing her sad attempt to cover appearances.
They really weren't surprised to see her; they knew it was a matter of time and all had immediately sensed her returning to the castle. Everyone had been ready for her to attack the ice mage, and when that didn't happen the silence between them filled the room creating an uncomfortable environment.
Aporia noticed Mal observing her a bit too much and her concern grew thinking he may have noticed something was off with her because of her sad attempt, so, she decided to clear her throat to break the silence.
"What is this?" She said pointing at Gray with disgust; Natsu snorted, she immediately sensed him different somehow but couldn't quite pinpoint it "A visitor, you know what that is right?"
"Do not… play smart with me, boy… my patience is running thin today" She kept pointing her finger at him in a defying way "Let's finish him and call it a day, shall we?" Natsu tensed but before he could respond Mal stood in between his place on the bed and Aporia "Now, why would we do that to such a valuable member of our allegiance?"
"Please, don't insult my intelligence" Aporia walked around him and inspected Gray's marking on his arm "Interesting magic you have there… I once met a wicked man with the same markings" the dark-haired man scrunched his nose but didn't fall for the bait "Probably my father, he worked with Tartaros for some time"
"Oh yes, how to forget Silver, an impressive man… very handsome" She smirked at him while brushing her finger above the black marks of his arm, causing him to feel fire in the pit of his stomach "What are you doing here Mr. Fullbuster?" Gray walked closer to Natsu and stood next to the bed "Well… I guess you could say, like father like son… I'm standing in my rightful place, witch… We've always been brothers in arms, you didn't think that was going to stop, did you?"
"Oh, you expect me to believe you've succumbed to darkness too, abandoned your pathetic little guild to fend for themselves?"
"You can believe what you fucking want to believe, I ain't here because of you" Gray crossed his arms above his now somehow naked chest, and turned to Natsu before internally flinching, thinking of his next words; he knew his friend would never let him forget it "My lord… there's still much Intel to gather and I'm sure you will need it to take down the ones who have risen against you"
The pinkette had to bite his tongue and hold his breath to avoid the laughter to come out as an explosion, but gave his friend an amused look while arching his eyebrow "Of course, we need as much as we can get, proceed with the plans that we've discussed"
Aporia fisted her hands, she wanted to tear him limp by limp and remove that smug look from his face, but Hades had been clear… her magic would not replenish as before and this was something she couldn't afford "So… you are planning to join for good? Join the blood bond ceremony and link your fate to ours?" The ice make mage didn't even flinch, he laughed loudly and gave her an amused expression "Why would I be here if I wasn't"
"I'm not buying it" Gray and Natsu felt a bit nervous but their faces remained expressionless. "Ok, so take him out yourself if you don't believe him" at Mal's words, both former team mates skipped a heartbeat but when nothing happened they grew curious as well.
Aporia knew he was baiting her; the knight must have noticed her magic recede and was trying to test the theory and she knew she had to be careful around him from now on "He's one that walks with the light, not the shadow… and now you expect me to believe he had a change of heart all of the sudden?"
"We've all walked with the light at some point and have chosen our path, why can't he?"
"We all had our reasons to do so, this is not the same" Mal snorted and shook his head "We all had revenge to lead us, I wanted to pay for my sins and to avenge my own, same as you and the rest"
"He has no one to avenge" Gray took a step forward "No one to avenge? The council has been trying to destroy us since day one, they worked with the son of a bitch that got to my friends and I failed them, do you not think that to be reason enough?"
Mal nodded and smiled at Gray silently congratulating him for his fast thinking "Our lord trusts him and so do we… are you willing to go against the Prince's wishes?" she bit the inside of her lip and turned towards Mal "You better not betray me, whatever you are trying to pull here I'll figure it out and end you"
Despite him being tired and in pain, it took Natsu merely two seconds to press her against the wall and place his mouth right next to her ear. The pain coursed through her body and she gasped, she didn't remember how pain would normally feel… not that she couldn't get hurt but she could stand much more than this "Threaten my advisers again… see what happens, and Ria…" she looked up at him, and for the first time he saw fear in her eyes and he was delighted to be the one causing it "If you ever enter my room without my permission again, I'll rip your throat out with my bare hands, is that clear?" he released her and walked back to the bed trying to hide the pain the effort had caused him.
Aporia tried her best to keep her fear in check, she patted her clothes and straightened her back "Very well then…" she turned on her heels and left through the door leaving a sense of uneasiness behind her, and finally everyone released a breath they didn't know they were holding.
"What now?" Natsu looked at Gray as if he'd grown two heads and grunted "I was all in for sending your ass back! Why are you asking me?!"
"Ashbreath! you are the fucking leader!" the ice mage grunted "Can you use that thick head of yours for once!"
"Now you make sure Natsu stays safe, we will all go to your camp before dawn and retrieve the rest" Mal said while shaking his head, those boys sure had a weird way of caring for each other.
"Woah, hold one second there" The pinkette straightened his back and raised his finger to make a point "You said Luce had to come, you didn't say jack shit about the rest" he felt his nickname for her roll on his tongue as if suddenly it became again the most natural thing in the world, and it scared him because in only a couple of hours he would have to pretend it was like poison for him.
"Natsu… you said so yourself, Ms. Lockhart would find us in no time"
"Then let Gray stay behind with her!" the ice make mage cleared his throat "Yeah but we kind of told bitch supreme that I was on your side, so…" Natsu cursed himself "Fine… Luce and Juvia and that's it"
"Yeah… but…" Natsu fisted his hands on the sheets "BUT?! What Ice-Princess!?"
"S'not like we are going to be able to stop Erza, man, ask me anything you want but that, she was this close" he signaled with his thumb and index finger "To murdering me earlier" Natsu sighed deeply and was about to reply when Gray continued "And Jellal won't leave her side"
"Well fuck me… are you planning to bring the whole fucking guild?!" Mal's tightened his shoulders scrunched his nose before he raised his finger "Actually… it wouldn't be all bad to have Ms. McGarden here… she's good with runes and she did figure out part of Ria's book"
"Not sure what that plan is but Gajeel won't let her come if he is not with her" Natsu was close to ripping his own hair off; this was not going the way he'd originally planned "FINE… but that's it…."
"You're not planning on leaving Wendy on her own, are you?"
"Wen… why is she even there! FUCK!... " The dark haired mage shrugged "Not like she asked for permission, she kind of sneaked in"
"I'll be damn; I guess we are housing the entire team plus some more!" Gray was more than amused, of course Natsu seemed ticked off, but he knew the dragon slayer all too well and was sure than underneath all the pain and anger he was just anxious to see their friends, or at least he hoped that was the case.
Natsu took a deep breath and painfully walked out of bed "I'm taking a walk" he sensed the objections coming and turned with a stern look on his face "It's not a question, I need some fresh air" Mal knew exactly where he was going, he looked at Gray and signaled with his head suggesting he followed his friend.
The pinkette walked through the aisles and across the main hall; once he was outside he noticed there were still people up and about who nodded in respect, but he didn't care about them… he disregarded their looks and walked straight to the small garden Neri had built.
His fingers caressed a few petals while he walked further in, and once on the center he noticed something weird; in the middle, where she had started her creation the flowers now looked more opaque, almost as if loosing the natural brightness her magic had covered them with, and it concerned him; Natsu didn't want to think that maybe… just maybe… this meant she was… No, he wouldn't… this was just because she'd been away for too long, the kids would be fine… right?
He heard a couple of branches crack and emitted a low growl, just enough to warn people to keep their distance, but as soon as he took in the scent, he rolled his eyes and sat on the floor.
"What? A man can't enjoy of some privacy?"
"Hey Ashbreath… what's on your mind?" Natsu gave Gray an amused look "Cut the crap, we" he pointed at himself before pointing back at Gray "don't do this"
"And maybe that's what we did wrong, don't you think?" he didn't reply, he just laid on the ground and looked up to the sky "Maybe if we had talked shit out instead of what we usually did…"
"It ain't your fault asshole, don't you dare make this about you" Gray laid next to Natsu and looked up too, they were both uncomfortable, just like whenever they talked about deep stuff. Generally they would cover it with an argument or a fight and that made things less awkward, but now that was not an option "It kind of is, I mean not just me… you just seemed so happy and oblivious all the time we thought"
"I was fine…" The dark-haired man snorted "Sure… fine, people that are fine have recurrent nightmares and almost get killed frequently"
"That's just part of the job, man" he shook his head "Nope, even to our standards… you always ended up pushing us away and throwing yourself into the fire as a sacrificial lamb, that ain't right"
There was more than a couple minutes of silence, Gray had nothing else to say and soon got lost in the darkness of the sky and the brightness of the thousand stars; he was sad, he had failed in all the possible ways and now didn't know how to make things better, and suddenly his train of thought was interrupted by his friend's whispering voice.
"Is just… I thought if I pretended to be fine, I would eventually believe I was, I… didn't want to be… you know…"
"A burden? Man, come the fuck on… every single person at home knows you cause trouble but we also know most of us wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you, do you think we mind you burning a couple things off?"
"That's not what I meant"
"I know… but still" Gray sighed "Anyway… I really think you should consider letting Lucy in, she'll get it and her and Levy are super smart, I'm sure with their help…"
Natsu sat up and fisted his hands, this was something no one else could understand "No…" Gray sat up and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder but was quickly slapped away "You wouldn't understand"
"Well not if you don't give me the chance!" The pinkette stood up and paced for a bit brushing his hair with one hand until suddenly the words started spilling out without his permission "You know how long it's been since I know I'm going to die?" he didn't wait for his reply "Since I was released from the council"
Gray had heard some of it from the Master, maybe not all but enough to figure that out, still hearing it from Natsu himself made his heart clench; his mouth parted to speak but was interrupted again by a ranting Natsu "And I was ok with it… I'd made my choice and as soon as I laid eyes on her again I just… I thought maybe I could change things and fix everything"
"We can, if we…"
"What? Work together? Gray come on… we are not kids anymore, we can't fix this anymore than we could fix your father or Igneel's death, there are some things you can't fix"
"You are the one who always seemed to do things as if there was no such thing as 'no escape scenarios' what the fuck happened to you?" Gray stood up now and remained behind Natsu "What happened to the idiot that would wing it and make shit switch to his favor?"
"He grew up man… and he realized that some things can't change, no matter how hard you try" Gray felt bad for his friend as now he was the mere shadow of what he used to be "I tried to rescue Lucy and to save everyone and that led me to taking a life, a worthless one but a life no less… I tried to get the council off your back and that led me to strike a deal to avoid my stupid actions from affecting you, one that would most definitely kill me… I tried to steer away from it, to live my life with Lucy; I thought if I sucked it up for 6 months, they wouldn't have anything to go after me anyways and I couldn't even do that!"
"Natsu… what are you talking about?"
"Shiro… he wants to end this place, he wanted to end all of them, so he wanted me to come here and commit to a blood bond and then burn everything to the ground"
"Which would kill you too… what if you don't do that?"
"Then I stay here, the council goes after you and kills everyone they can lay hands on and if that happens then I much rather be dead too" He was surprised by his own words, but the shocking part was the feeling of devastation that accompanied those words, any doubt he had before evaporated with that pain… his soul was anchoring itself and unwilling to leave and that was both good and bad.
If his soul was there it would react to Lucy's, maybe he wouldn't feel the love he felt before, but his soul would still go after her no matter what, making his actions instinct driven and uncalculated.
"Dumbass! We are Fairy Tail! We'll fight back and we..."
"What? you will what Gray!? Defeat the council? Fine... I'll believe that" he shook his head "At what cost?" There was a moment of silence before Natsu sighed "Will you be willing to lose Asuka?" Gray opened and closed his smile several times "How about Wendy and Romeo? Erza, Juvia, Gramps! Are you willing to lose lives on this?"
"We won't lose anyone, we can..."
"Now who's being dense and naive? I can see the headlines... "The Dark guild Fairy Tail kills the magic council" how does that sound, uhm?"
It dawned on him... his friend was right, there was no scenario in which things would go back exactly to what they were "There has to be a way out" Natsu shook his head "I kill Shiro and his henchman, then I come back and take the dark guilds down… it's the only way man, don't you see?" Gray tilted his head and scrunched his nose "The rest of the dark guilds are not that strong, they would take ages to regain power and for once there would be peace… you, Gajeel and the rest will be free to raise a family and do all those things normal people do…"
"And you?" Natsu's lip curled upward "I ain't made for normal ice-princess"
"Lucy will never move on, you need to…"
"What? Lie to her and tell her I'll love her forever? I don't know if I can do that anymore, don't you see?!" Natsu lowered his face and stared at his feet; his hands were fisted to the point where his knuckles looked white because of the pressure "She'll stay with me even if I don't have a soul to give her anymore, she'll never leave… I need to pretend I don't care, I need to stay away from her because if I don't, whatever is left of me will see hope and will try to avoid the unavoidable… this is a plan I can't back down from"
"You're scared…" the pinkette took a deep breath and nodded "I am… I let it happen once, and I can't let it happen again… If I get too close, I'll drop everything, I can't be selfish anymore. She deserves better... man… just, please do as I asked?"
Gray promised himself he'll get his friend back, no matter if it was against his will; he would find the way for everyone to survive and show the idiot standing in front of him that he could still be the guy who didn't believe in no escape scenarios, but for now he would go with it.
"I will.." the black haired man extended his hand and after a couple seconds Natsu did the same, believing shacking his hand would legitimize the pact they've made. It didn't take long for them to walk back and enter the building in full silence; the few people from the dark guilds that noticed their presence sent suspicious looks towards the ice mage but he pretended not to notice until a voice made them stop in their tracks.
"M-My Lord…" Natsu turned with a tired expression and sighed "What…"
The tall, lean man bowed with respect and gulped "The Guild leaders would like to address you…" Natsu clicked his tongue "I'm busy" he was about to turn when the man flinched and continue "My lord... it's just…"
"You gotta be fucking kidding me…" The man knelt immediately, not daring to look directly at him "I am merely a messenger… my prince… please"
"Name?" the man looked up questioningly "Your name…" the man bowed again "The name is Marek"
"Ok… Marek… speak before I lose interest…" Gray was surprised by Natsu's unforgiving tone, which was nothing like his usual carefree, happy, clueless one "The leaders… are concerned about y-your leadership"
"Is that so?" the lean man nodded before standing up slowly "They… recognized your companion as an enemy, and wondered if our plans have deraigned from the original path"
Gray cursed himself, of course they would know who he was, is not like fairy tail kept their members hidden with all the magazine covers and the grand games; but still… Natsu didn't look concerned.
"Very well… Mr. Fullbuster gather the rest of my advisers and have them meet me outside" Gray almost snorted at being called 'Mr. Fullbuster' by his idiotic best friend, but he kept appearances and bowed before retreating to Natsu's room to get the rest.
He walked fast through the aisle and pushed the door open "Ok, we have an issue" Mal and Helle blinked a couple of times, and Gray noticed he may have interrupted a private conversation "The dark guilds know who I am, and they ain't happy… they summoned Natsu to speak to them"
"That's not good…"
"It'll be fine, we just need to come up with more crap like we did with that creepy woman" Mal shook his head "They would never dare to summon Natsu… they are terrified of him, they barely look him in the eye in regular days"
"Well… let's not keep his royal pain in the butt waiting then…" they walked rapidly through the aisles and crossed the main hall to reach the entrance, and once they were out, they froze.
They shouldn't have been surprised to see them there… not really, this had Aporia written all over the place since the start; why would they think she'd let matters go.
Natsu was standing menacingly, fists balled and a growl in his throat staring daggers at his grandmother while she kept her smirk, the leaders standing next to her and a nervous looking Elle.
"You dare to question me?!" Gray shook a bit from Natsu's tone… anchoring the feeling this was not the man he knew "YOU DARE?!"
"The leaders are simply concerned about the safety of their members with a rotten fairy in the ranks… my prince" Aporia's crooked smiled seemed to rile him up even more than before "It is none of my concern if you are too weak to stand your ground against a light guild! And if you are, then you should remove yourself from this camp because I can assure you… you won't survive for long"
A tall well-built man, bigger than Elfman took a step forward; his thick brown beard covered half of his face but not the scar that crossed from his left temple to his cheek. Even with his black shirt and brown knee length coat you could see the muscles from his arms moving as he tensed them "You promised revenge against our enemies, and here you are bringing one of them to our camp!"
"The council is our enemy" The man shook his head "They have taken down many of our comrades, they are with the council, they are one of the biggest enemies we'll ever face"
"We're not" Gray stepped forward and stood next to Natsu, who relaxed a bit just by sensing his presence "The council has disgraced us, Fairy Tail is no longer a light guild" there were murmurs all over the place but the leaders' face didn't change "That changes nothing"
"It changes everything" Gray walked towards the man; the scene almost looked ridiculous since his head barely reached the man's stomach "You said we were one of the biggest enemies… what do you think we are to the council now then?" the man frowned but remained silent "They will be scared when we come knocking on their door and finally all the blood they shed will be repaid a thousand times over!" there were a few nods and more murmur.
"We can't trust you… Fairy" Gray snorted "Then don't… I don't give a shit, but you do need to realize if your leader made the decision to bring his old team back it is because of one, very specific, very accurate reason"
"Which is?" the black-haired man looked up and scrunched his nose "You are not enough against your enemies…. If you haven't been able to beat Fairy Tail then you will be nothing against the council" The man roared and pushed his fist against Gray but he fell forward and hit the floor.
It took the ice mage no effort to jump high above the giant's head to avoid the blow before summoning his ice hammer and hitting him straight on his back. The man took a couple of seconds to get himself together but stood up and rushed towards him again but before he could reach his enemy the floor change to tall icy spikes and he barely had time to stop himself.
One of the spikes had ended up close enough that when he gulped, the tip scratched the skin on his neck "You're just going to hurt yourself asshole…" Gray turned around and looked at the other leaders "Now we can do this all night… or you can choose now… are we going to be allies or enemies?"
He suddenly felt the temperature increase and when he turned, Natsu's eyes were bright amber; Gray saw his friend walking slowly towards the giant man still encased in ice "You… think you fear the fairies… but do you know what you should really fear?"
Everyone saw fear flickering in the man's eyes "M-my l-lord?" Natsu cranked his neck and climbed the ice making it melt a bit until his eyes matched the man in front of him "You think I need you here? I'll take the council down myself if I need to… you are merely here to serve whatever purpose I choose you for and right now that is to form an army worthy of a king…"
The man was sweating and Gray was pretty sure also wetting his pants, the claws, the amber eyes, the fire flickering around him and the now sharper teeth… that didn't even look like what Natsu looked before… this was darker… more demonic even…
"But we have no king… dearie… do we?" Natsu's head whipped almost inhumanly towards Aporia, her thick blue skirt flowing in the wind along with her now messy bun "I AM YOUR KING!"
"Technically… no, not yet" She smiled again, proudly and in that second Natsu lost interest in his current pray, he landed on hands and feet, almost in an animalistic way. Elle stood in front of Aporia and knelt "Natsu… calm down please listen" a growl came from his throat so deep that it echoed through the forest behind them "Y-you are our leader and p-prince… but not a king… yet"
He stood up on his legs and faced the dark guilds "Will one of you want to challenge me for the crown? Come on… I'm all fired up now" every man and woman took a couple of steps back "They will do no such thing; they are aware they won't be able to defeat you… but…"
"BUT…." He was hanging by a thread, every instinct in his body was telling him to go for the kill, to close his jaw on her porcelain neck and rip her veins away until she died "I am the regent of this land until you go through kingship"
Natsu could feel the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, and deep inside knew this display of power was hurting his already tired body, but he wouldn't budge "So… then I'll kill you, simple enough isn't it?"
"You really don't want to do that" he laughed "Why wouldn't I?"
"Well I am the only one who can perform the blood bond ceremony"
"After you are dead why would the ceremony matter?" she smiled and shook her head "Your men distrust your leadership already… I am sure they would rather know you had to keep them alive, don't you think?"
He growled with anger, he knew she had him where she wanted him and there was no way out… if he allowed the dark guilds to walk away all his sacrifice would be for nothing. His aura became even darker and more menacing, but he remained rooted to his place "That's not all…" Natsu gave her a frustrated look.
"The leaders think we should create a stronger alliance with them… in order to make sure once we get rid of the council and the light guilds our reign can expand and progress"
Mal took a step forward now, not liking a bit her excited tone "And what would that alliance require… Ria"
"Three days before the blood bond, our prince will choose a maiden to marry and bed" There was a moment of silence before Natsu snapped out of his dark trance, his aura disappearing into nothing leaving the real Natsu behind yelling in a tone a bit more acute than what the dark guilds were used to listening from him "What the fuck are you talking about?!"
Gray, recognized that tone… that was his friend resurfacing and in shock. Aporia walked closer to him with a joyful face "A maiden my lord, to secure our family's reign, you know… to produce an heir for the dark guilds"
"No, no, no… w-wait a minute here!" She tilted her head faking innocence "But isn't that what you want? To procure a healthy, majestic kingdom? That's why we think it best to happen before the blood bond! You shall be bonded with your chosen queen and unborn child" she clapped her hands together in excitement.
Mal was pale; he'd always known Aporia was smart and cunning… but this? It could only mean she knew, or at least she imagined their plan was to take them down… because how would one come to the conclusion to kill his own child? She was trying to force him to stay, to lead and to do as she wanted him to do.
The Ice make mage moved forward, he had to say something and couldn't think of something more logical to say, "Even if that happened, you can't possibly force someone's pregnancy in tree days!"
"You can't… I can make sure it happens"
Gray and Elle were speechless, looking from Natsu to Aporia and back and they could see the gears in Natsu's brain working to find a way out of this. The pinkette looked at the dark guild leaders and bit his lip "What if I refuse?"
Another of the leaders took a step forward, this was a shorter man, still well built but it was obvious his strength was more on his head than his body "We'll walk away from the alliance"
"I would come after you if you do…" Fear was Natsu's last resource but he was willing to use it "I took down two dark guilds before you came… what makes you think I would spare you?"
"We don't think you would, and we are willing to take that chance… My lord; a true leader would take his loyal servants' requests into consideration"
Natsu kept thinking on ways to change this, he knew it wasn't right… for one his blood line was cursed from the beginning… a foolish king gone mad, willing to sacrifice his children, a father that tried to escape destiny only to fall along his family, a brother who retraced his grandfather's footsteps by bringing death and sorrow and then him… a boy who died, who was kept in a lacrima until his revival as some sort of hybrid… no more human than demon and dragon, one part of him claimed by the Gods and the other left to rot…. Why would he want that cursed line to continue?
His second thought was the act itself… he realized then that with 'bed' they meant he would need to have sex with a woman and that almost made him gag. Natsu had been oblivious to the opposite sex for his entire life, even when he met Lucy he truly didn't realize he was attracted to her, no, she was a best friend, an ally, she was family… except he felt for her a bit different than what he felt for the rest of his friends.
Truth be told, when Gildards had 'that talk' with him he thought it was gross and found absolutely no appeal to it, hence… everyone thought he was simply asexual and for some time he did too… and then things changed and once they did he couldn't deny how the things he'd heard form the guys in the guild now sounded interesting but only if Lucy was involved. The mere thought of having someone else on his lips, his tongue, his hands was enough to make him cringe… those things didn't seem right unless it was Lucy.
He noticed people were staring at him, waiting for his response and he knew then whatever happened he needed to gain some time, he couldn't let the worse guilds in the land to simply walk away from him and ruin this opportunity. Natsu gulped and open his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Mal "Then it shall be done… gather a list of maidens willing to participate"
The shock on Natsu, Helle, and Gray's face was visible, even Nephele had her mouth slightly open for the short silence that took over. The same leader who had spoken last nodded and smiled "How will our lord pick his mate?"
"Our Prince won't chose a mate… this is a political arrangement as prove of our allegiance and his commitment to it" he nodded before Mal proceeded "We shall have tournament then, our lord not take a wife that is unworthy; she shall be no less than warrior queen since we are trying to built the strongest kingdom"
Some of the girls started looking around, at least half of them frowned knowing who they would be up against, and some others had sadistic smiles on their faces "And a warrior queen he shall have; my prince…" the leader bowed "We'll prepare a list for you… the games will begin a week before the blood bond, leaving enough time for you to claim the winner for yourself three days before the ceremony"
Natsu gulped and nodded before turning on his heal "Now… if you will excuse us, my advisers and I have a war to plan… Aporia, join us" his face was almost stoic, but his friends could all tell he was panicking inside.
Both his grandmothers followed him inside along with his friends who had now been formally presented as his advisers and once they were out of reach, he turned and grabbed Ria's wrist twisting it painfully.
"What the FUCK do you think you are doing?!" he pulled and noticed her wincing, it was strange to see her affected by him "I could ask you the same thing" Natsu pulled her arm behind her back and slammed her face on the wall "Do not… test me"
She scrunched her nose knowing her wrist had cracked and wondered what else had changed since she'd spoken to her master "Let's call it insurance, shall we?"
"What makes you think I won't kill whoever you chose along with the child?" A though bluff he thought to himself; even the words leaving his mouth left a sour taste behind "Like Grandfather like grandson… not above killing his progeny" he pushed her harshly and walked away rubbing his face.
"I… FUCK… THIS IS A FUCKING CHILD YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, A LIFE… NOT AN INSURANCE"
"Now you are concerned about a life? Please… spare me the lecture, will you?" She tried to hide the pain and turned with her best blank expression "First you act as if you were up for killing them and now a child is not insurance? You know… all of those out there are lives… and you don't seem to care about those so… I found a new insurance policy" He felt fire in the pit of his stomach, but he also knew his unrecovered body was about to give.
Helle stepped forward with an angry stare "You are whoring your own grandson… you're basically forcing him to sell his own body for a commitment he doesn't want, you've been forcing him to do what you want since day one"
Aporia snorted "Unlike you who didn't help on any of it? Please child… You're very dramatic, thousands of women have been sold to husbands for other's agendas, to breed heirs against their will and to serve a higher purpose, why should he be excused just because he is a man?"
"That's not the point!" Helle had tiers in her eyes "It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from of what you have between your damn legs God Dammit! This is wrong!"
Nephele fisted her hand and walked closer "Ria… that's enough" the black haired sorceress looked at her with a baffled expression, never had she been stopped by her friend before "This… is not fair to Natsu, and he would never end a child's life… you are forcing his hand"
"Unless he turns out like his grandfather, right?" Elle flinched, that had been a low blow "I mean his brother did turn out quite murderous… why would he be any different, sending one's children to their death seems to run in the family" The pinkette saw the pained expression on the nymph's face, his nature told him he should pull his less evil grandmother and comfort her… but he couldn't… not with everything at risk.
"That's enough Ria" Mal pulled Elle to his side "Natsu already committed to the guilds… you got your way now go away and be sure not to leave any more poison for us to drown in" she smirked very proud of herself and walked away to tend to her now swollen wrist.
Helle stared at his mother, the abandonment of her father was a pain they shared, and she wished she was as forgiving as to walk towards her "I'm very sorry this happened… I… she didn't listen" Natsu nodded "She usually doesn't" Elle gave him a little smile before retreating to her chambers, she needed to be alone for now to put her head in order.
They walked silently behind him all the way to his room, they closed the door and before they could say something Natsu raised his hand.
"Gray and Helle need the mark…" Mal nodded "Where should we put Mr. Fullbuster's?" Natsu let his weight fall on the bed before grunting "Good look finding a place he won't show… fucking stripper"
"If he can manage to keep his markings on… those would cover him" Gray nodded and made his magic recede to allow Mal to work and true to his word once he was finished and the markings were back, no one would be able to see it.
"How about Helle?" Natsu shook his head "She has her legs and stomach bare most of the time… so…" Natsu waved his hand asking him to hurry.
"Ahem… so…" Helle was blushing "I… h-how about on the side of my leg… c-close to my hip?" they both looked uncomfortable, but they nodded. They walked to the bathroom to avoid her from exposing herself in front of the other males and after a minute they came back, their faces redder than before.
"You're really not going to marry some fucked up evil chick, are you?" Gray was arching his eyebrow and scrunching his mouth "Not if it can be helped… nor am I passing the crazy-genes to the next generation… this dies with me and Zer…" there was an awkward silence before Grayed continue "I don't know man… I always imagine my kids would beat the shit out of yours"
Natsu snorted "Even if that had happened… my kids would definitely beat the shit out of yours ice-princess" Mal walked closer and sat on the bed "Having kids is not that bad, I'm pretty sure you would be ok"
"Oh, speaks the one with years of experience raising kids?" Mal rolled his eyes "I kind of helped raised your father and he turned out well"
"Yeah, he only had a son prone to losing his mind and murdering people and one with more destructive energy than brains… lots to look forward to" Natsu sighed, he suddenly felt that sharp pain on his side again and flinched.
"You ok man?" Gray gave him a concerned look and Natsu shook his head "Something's not right…"
"Understatement of the year…" The pinkette rolled his eyes "No… something's really not right… I can feel it" Mal bit his lip; he knew this was probably related to Lucy and wondered if he should just go to her and check but dawn was only a couple of hours away and Natsu needed them here.
"Why don't you try to get some rest… we'll wake you up in two hours or so and head to get Lucy and the rest" Natsu wasn't sure he would be able to but nodded either way "I'll stay here with him, why don't you guys get some rest… I mean… weird spiritual beings also sleep… right?"
The golden knight snorted "Something like that…" each went their way while Gray sat on a comfy, red velvet chair he had placed close enough to rest his feet on Natsu's bed "Go to sleep before I knock you out…"
"Shut it popsicle…"
Lucy was feeling the weight of her body; she had expected to feel tired but the level of exhaustion claiming every muscle was close to unbearable. The celestial mage had set herself on a task that she knew could very well end everything she loved, but at this point… doing nothing would do the same.
She had walked peacefully with the knights until they arrived to their camp where she was immediately pulled into a prisoners carriage, that had allowed her feet some rest, but even without the walking, she could feel her energy receding, almost trying to warn her.
She sat on the cold floor of the carriage holding her hands together almost in a prayer like way; was she being reasonable? No, she was well aware of that… her brain was working against itself, one side telling her that the logic she was using for this was wrong and would lead her to a certain death, telling her this is not what Natsu wanted when he sacrificed himself for them… but the other side had gone mad little by little starting the moment he was taken away.
That other side, ruled by passion, love and desperation, where logic was not welcomed because Natsu was evidence enough that lack of logic was sometimes exactly what you needed to defeat your enemies, that mere fire in your belly could do the trick if you were willing to take the risk and break your own boundaries… and she was, more than willing… for a second chance together as a family.
She wasn't sure how long it'd passed with her thoughts all over the place before the carriage stopped and she was let out of it; she recognized the sight…
It was an uncommon place, but a beautiful one no less; tall, rock hard mountains provided cover for miles, their light brown color also provided little coverage for anyone who dared to approach since any other color would stand out.
She was standing still with her hands restrained observing the peculiar place; A mansion like house laid in between two mountains as if hiding it from the world, its color almost blended with its surroundings.
The guard pulled on her shackles and when she turned to give him the stink eye she saw it… the shoreline at the end of the Phoenix mountains, so close, and yet so far… she had though they had driven for too long but it seemed she was closer to her friends than what she thought.
The soldier pushed her from behind to force her to walk and she obliged feeling she had little to no energy left in her body; she really did hope this worked, otherwise the only way she would see everyone again was in the afterlife.
She kept inspecting, trying to memorize every little detail of her surroundings, its wide double doors, the tall, thick windows and the stairs leading to her fate… but instead of going through them, she was led to the back of the house. Lucy assumed she would be blindfolded but maybe they just didn't think there was much she could do… or maybe they wanted her to see it thinking she would try to reach Natsu for help… what the true reason was, she didn't know.
They walked through a stone path on the side of the house until reaching the back, her eyes stung from the dirt the wind carried, she wished at least she could use her hands to protect her sore and dried eyes from it, but the clinging sound of metal reminded her she could do nothing at this point.
Lucy blinked a couple of times trying to focus her tired eyes once they stopped; right next to the back door almost hidden in plain sight by bushes there was a door on the floor; it required four guards to pull the heavy door open, and once it did she was led through several flights of stairs all separated by different metal doors, runes, and other magic security items.
It became harder to see the further they went; the first level had several lacrimas, but every level down had less and less until the point the guards had to get lacrimas out to light the way. She felt the cold seeping through her bones, the distinctive smell of mold and humidity penetrated her nose making her scrunch it in distaste.
Her legs were about to give… she knew it, the celestial mage felt as if it was harder to breath every time but she did her best to hide it from the guards, she didn't want to alert them about what she was going through. She walked passed a big cell and noticed several tiny forms crowded together, it was hard to see them because of the darkness but her mouth formed a thin line "Children?... you torture children? Monsters is what you are…"
"We hold dangerous criminals here Ms. Heartfilia, just like you"
"What crime could tiny children commit? Stealing a toy from daycare?"
"Fortunately, that is not of your concern" the guard pressed his hand against the cell and led her inside before closing it back "Get comfortable… I don't think you'll see the light of day anytime soon"
As soon as he left, Lucy inspected the cell; it had nothing but dark stone, no window, no way to get out… not that she would plan on it. There was no place to sleep other than the floor expect the stone rectangular table on the opposite end, she wondered what purpose it had there but her train of thought was interrupted by a tiny voice on the adjacent cell.
"Heartfilia? As in Lucy Heartfilia?" she walked closer to the wall joining both cells "You know… it's polite to introduce yourself before asking someone's name"
"I'm Miko… are you…" she heard him sniffle and her heart broke a bit "Are you Lucy?" the blond mage sat on the floor and rested her back on the wall "Lucy Heartfilia or Fairy Tail, nice to meet you"
She heard excited mumbling and whispering from the other cell and couldn't help but wonder how the kids knew about her; a second voice, softer than the first interrupting the mumbling "M-miss Lucy… c-can you tell us a story?"
It was sweet, she could hear in their voices they were pretty young and knowing they were here sharing her fate sadden her "What type of story would you like to hear?"
"We'd like to hear about your adventures with papa!" Lucy froze for a second, before Miko spoke "She means Natsu Dragneel, Miss Lucy, would you… would you tell us what he was like before?"
Lucy covered her lip to try to stop the tears from coming, these kids were the ones he was looking for, the ones she wanted to save and they were stuck here with no one to care for them… scared, lonely, hurt… if she didn't survive this no one would ever know they were there.
She took a deep breath "Of course I will… let me see… we have so many stories to tell! The time we met and emptied by account with his incredible appetite, or how he would constantly avoid using the door and climbed through my window even when I wasn't home!" she giggled "There are so many stories, what type of story would you like to hear?"
"Do you love him?" she rested her head on the wall and sighed "Very much…"
The voice of a little girl spoke then "Did you always know you loved him?" Lucy giggled again "Oh hell no… I always pictured myself falling in love with a well-educated, intelligent and romantic man, one of those characters in the books I liked reading"
"What changed?"
"I realized adventures with a dragon were more interesting that a life of boredom… anyway… how about those stories, uhm?" she started right at the beginning with the fake Salamander and the boat, how she'd ended up in the guild and their first mission together and went on and on until she heard soft snoring; she didn't know how long it'd been but she felt so tired that she fell asleep in the same spot she was leaning on.
Gray was dozing off when the bright light caught his attention, he blinked and rubbed his eyes until he was able to focus "Is it time?" Mal nodded "Almost morning, how's he doing?"
"Meh… he was able to sleep some but he seemed… I don't know, not at ease?" the golden knight nodded "That's usually the case"
"Can you two stop talking about me as if I could sleep through your chattering" Natsu rubbed his face and sighed; he slowly got up the bed and walked to the restroom without saying much else "He seems upset…" the pinkette yelled from the restroom "I can also hear you through the walls asshole…"
They shrugged and waited for him to come out, his face was still wet and some of his hair was too "Of course I'm upset… I am not looking forward to today"
"But you'll get to see Lucy" Natsu threw one of his pillows at Mal "Which is exactly what I don't want right now… it'll complicate things"
"Natsu…"
"Just… stop ok? I don't need to be injected with your good wishes and hopes, let's just get this done…" It didn't take long for Helle to join and soon they walked up to the roof. The Dragon slayer hadn't been able to remove the concern and uneasiness from the night before, either something was wrong or something was going to be wrong… he wasn't sure but deep in his soul the anxiety was eating him up.
"Ok, everyone ready?" Gray rubbed his face "It's going to feel like shit again, isn't it?" Mal nodded and smiled "At least now you know what to expect"
The knight took a moment to gather his energy and focus on where he wanted to go, the golden threads started weaving around forming a dome cage with leaf like pattern around them all and a second later, they were gone.
Gajeel had been walking for hours, his meeting hadn't provided much information but sufficient to determine two things, one that he kids Natsu was looking for were not in the jail built in the former tower of heaven, and two, either if there was no specific mention of him there was word that some of the major dark guilds had moved outside the known map of Fiore, they were not able to give a specific location but had mentioned sightings in a wooded area within the mountains way past Cait Shelter.
"So, what now?" Gajeel turned to Lily "Now we get something to eat… I'm starving"
"Always thinking about your stomach…"
"Right… so now we tell the rest what we know and go from there, first we…" he stopped and placed his hand on his chest "Everything ok?"
"Yeah…" he scratched the awkwardness away and kept walking; their camp was visible now. He walked to his tent, stretched his muscles and reached to pull the fabric when the scent hit his nose causing him to turn rapidly.
He placed himself protectively before the tent where Levy was sleeping despite of everything inside him telling him to back down… in the end, a dragon's instinct wouldn't allow him to attach the nest's king…
"Salamander…" The name came out much like a growl and in response a rumble from Natsu's own throat cause him to flinch but he stood his ground. It took a second more for Wendy to emerge from her tent, she'd sense him too "Natsu!" she was about to run to him but stopped once she took a look at his cold eyes.
Gray stepped forward "Woaah, hold on… it's ok"
"Gray!" This time Wendy did run and hugged him "We thought…" he ruffled her hair "We need to talk, where's Lucy?"
Natsu gasped "She's not here" the ice mage turned to his friend and noticed his confused expression but before they could inquire, he took a run to the forest in a speed that would be almost impossible for them to match, even for the Dragon Slayers.
The pinkette felt his heart sinking, that feeling of something off was getting stronger by the second. In camp, the scent of Lucy was faint, and he knew that meant she had been gone for hours now. He ran too fast, even for his standards, to the point where he felt his legs would simply fall off. The branches and leaves hit his skin and opened tiny cuts but he couldn't feel them.
Her scent was a bit stronger as he got closer but not strong enough to indicate a living presence and he feared the worse, it didn't take long to get to the clearing and find what she'd let behind… the necklace, her ring and a ribbon.
With shaky fingers he pulled it from the branch and got it closer to his nose, it smelled like her and it stirred something inside him, longing, need, possessiveness and so much concern. Natsu kept the ribbon on his nose and fell to his knees before slamming the floor with both fists and roaring.
The rest of the team had been trying to catch up when they heard him, it was a roar so strong that they had to cover his ears.
"No…" they turn to Wendy who had now her hands covering her mouth, a few tiers forming on her face "What's wrong?" Gray got closer and held the bluenette by her arms, but she just shook her head.
"We need to move…" Juvia got closer to her friend with a concerned face "What is it Gajeel?"
"Something ain't right… that's not a roar but a cry to the nest…" they moved faster now, not only worried about Natsu but Lucy too and when they reached the place their friend was still kneeling on the floor.
The circles of threes around him were scorched, and the soil darkened, every bird had flown away when sensing his presence leaving nothing behind.
"Natsu…" Mal took a couple steps closer but the pinkette stood up, still with his back towards them "She's gone, her trail stops here" he finally turned around, trying to hold all his contradicting emotions in check, but the only thing the knight could focus on was the items on Natsu's hands "We need to find her"
The dragon slayer sensed the change in Mal's tone and the sense of uneasiness inside him grew "What is it?" he sighed and braced himself "I told her she couldn't remove the necklace… it was the one thing keeping her energy in check" the silence was deafening, he gulped and took a deep breath "We don't have much time, she needed that… we need to find her now Natsu… whatever time I thought she had could now be very well cut in half… if we are lucky"
Natsu stomped his way towards him and punched him in the face with all his strength literally pulling him from the floor and breaking a few threes on his way "Natsu! Stop this right now!" Erza's words fell on deaf ears as the pinkette pulled Mal up from the collar "You… should have told me the truth since the start"
"I know…" Mal grabbed Natsu's wrist, he didn't blame him for being upset "If you had told me she was in danger…"
"I know…" Natsu loosened his grip on the knight's collar, his arms going limp on each side. The celestial spirit grabbed his master's shoulder with one hand and placed the other on his cheek "I'll find her, ok? I promise I'll make sure she's fine"
He felt a someone pressing against his back and long arms wrapping around him until a pair of hands was laying on his stomach "Idiot…" Erza tightened her grip on his middle "Are you done lying?"
"Probably not…" He felt her tiers on his back and it hurt "You once told me I would be punished for making her cry, do you remember?" Natsu looked from the corner on is eye and saw the blue haired man with the red tattoo smirking at him.
How could he not remember? It was a fitting memory… Jellal was still being controlled and was trying to complete the tower when he had said those words to him, he had promised him a world of pain for making his friend cry, and now… now he was doing the same. It was out of mere instinct that his hand ended up above Erza's.
They wouldn't buy the lie he'd prepare now; he had expected to pretend with them too… to make them believe whatever connection he had with Lucy was gone forever but the moment he realized she was gone every single one of his priorities shifted, and it scared him to the core… what would happen if he actually got to see her again? Not if… when, when he saw her again; whatever happened he knew he couldn't let her die because as long as she lived he would be ok with dying, as long as her brightness was kept in the world then it would all be worth it.
"I'm sorry to cut this short but we need to head back and make a plan to find her"
"Head back? You just got here!" Natsu turned to Wendy with a pained expression "He means all of us… you guys are coming with.
It didn't take too long for them to gather their belongings and be warned about the horrible feeling they would experience while passing thought the realms, and once they were done, they gathered together and Mal formed the same dome cage with a leaf shape patters around them.
Lucy woke up to the sound of steps on the hall, her arms were wrapped around herself to keep the cold away. She heard the kids whimpering while one of them whispered 'It's ok… we need to be brave' to the rest of them and she couldn't help but fear of what was coming their way.