"speaking"
""thinking""
Erza's feet slid across the ground as she violently swung her sword right for Irene's chest, letting out a roaring battle cry in the process.
"HAAAAAAAAH!" She swung with all her might, only for her initial strike to be blocked by the Scarlet Despair's scepter. Even with Wendy supporting everyone in the back, Irene proved to be a mighty opponent. Erza tried against and again, failing to hit her mark. Irene then aimed the sharp end of her scepter at Erza's skull, but Titania was swift enough to evade it by leaning back, and as she did so, she summoned a sword within the grip of her left foot, swinging it at Irene.
Irene parried off the attack as Erza took the chance to go into her Heaven Wheel armor, manifesting dozens of blades to aid her. Titania flew past Irene while slashing at her, her blades following suit.
"Tenrin! Blumenblatt!"
The attack was so strong a cloud of dust formed around Irene.
"Have we done it!?" Wendy asked.
"No…she's not an opponent who'd go down just from that." Erza said.
"I see…" Irene's voice came from the smoke. "You launch indiscriminate slashing attacks by means of innumerable blades. Being able to control such a large number of swords is no small feat. I applaud you."
Irene clapped her hands in a condescending manner as all of Erza's swords was positioned in the ground around Irene, taking the shape of a Flower Circle. "For that, you have earned a Flower Circle!"
"Not only did she manage to fend off Erza's attack, but she even managed to do that!? I can't believe it…" Wendy's jaw dropped.
"She's screwing with me." Erza growled.
"And yet, even after being strengthened by that girl, is this the best you can muster, Erza" Irene said to her
"Identify yourself, you fiend!" Erza demanded as to why Irene seems and feels so familiar
"You've still yet to figure it out…? No, in reality, you've vaguely begun to realize. You simply refuse to acknowledge it…" Irene sighed.
Erza began to change back into her regular armor, all while screaming at Irene. "I know nothing of the likes of you!"
"Her resemblances to Erza aren't just limited to her facial features. Even their scents are similar!" Wendy thought.
"I am your mother." Irene finally decided to reveal it to Erza as this caught everyone off gurd
"THAT'S A LIE!" Erza screamed. "I was completely alone in Rosemary! I never had a parent, not even in my dreams!"
"And yet, here stands your parent, right before your very eyes. It is I…" Irene's eyes narrowed just slightly.
"There is but one person in this world whom I can call my parent: Master, who has been there for me my whole life!" Erza exclaimed as she absolutely refused to believe it
"I was told you may act like this…" Irene shrugged her shoulders. "I don't particularly mind, though. In truth, I'm rather indifferent to the fact that I have a daughter. I was under the impression that you had long since perished until recently, so…" Irene trailed off, drinking in everyone's expressions. "But the fact that Fate has led us to meet under these circumstances is truly unfortunate for you."
Erza's gaze narrowed to a death glare. "If someone attacks my guild, regardless of who they may be…in my eyes, they're nothing but an enemy."
"Well said." Irene said in agreement "When someone dares to defy our Alvarez Empire, I can only see them as another bug that needs to be squashed. Even if that someone happens to be my own child."
There was a deathly silence filling the air as Irene and Erza stared at one another. "but such feelings have long since vanished…"
"However…it would be pitiable if you simply die in blissful ignorance of the secret of your birth…" Irene smirked.
"Secret?" Wendy asked.
"I have no interest in such tales." Erza spat.
"Oh, don't be so cold. We've finally be reunited under these fateful circumstances. So the least you can do is indulge me, don't you think?" Irene spoke
"SILENCE!" Erza drew a sword, now lunging forward. She had enough of this nonsense and…Irene was suddenly right in her face.
"I am Irene Belserion. The former Queen of Dragons." Irene told her child with a devious look.
Flashback
400 years ago, the Dragnov Kingdom. In this time, or rather, this kingdom, humans and dragons lived peacefully with one another. The entire world was not in as much harmony as one would think. Two guards were discussing the happenings of the world outside their castle. "I heard the humans on the western continent were attacked yet again."
"By dragons, eh?"
"It would appear the dragons of the west do not possess the same level of intelligence, unfortunately." The voice of a dragon nearly startled the two soldiers.
"Ah, the Dragon of Virtue, Belserion!"
"So you've returned from your observational journey!"
The dragon known as Belserion brought a hand to his chin, pondering something while delivering his report. "Indeed. The situation in the west has become much more worrisome than I had anticipated. Is Irene here as well?"
"Yes, sir. Her Majesty the Queen is in the courtyard."
After being told where Irene was, the dragon made his way to see her. On the way, one could see just how strong the unity between humans and dragons was. Swing sets were attached to the tails of many dragons, and children were happily swinging back and forth from them. Soon, the dragon found who he was looking for and greeted her with a smile. "Irene."
Irene was currently carrying a bundle of flowers in her hands. Her attire was much different than it was 400 years later. When spotting Belserion, her lips curved up to a smile. "Belserion! You've finally returned!" Although she noticed his expression immediately, bringing cause for concern. "You look troubled, judging by your expression. Is something amiss?"
Belserion remained silent for a moment. "The dragons of the West are attacking and devouring the humans. Before long, they will surely descend upon our beloved Ishgar. It may well already be too late to stop them." Being the bearer of bad news was never a job anyone wanted, least of all a dragon that held a strong sense of responsibility towards protecting humans.
Hearing this news caused Irene to frown. The thought of a war approaching… "The mere idea of dragons eating humans…it's unthinkable."
"We must not allow that ideology to take root in Ishgar." Belserion said with a firm stare. "We've come this far walking alongside the humans as allies."
"Yes." Irene said in agreement. "Humans, as well, have been able to advance this far thanks ot the Dragons' knowledge and power. From the very beginning, humans and dragons have proven that they're more than capable of coexisting, and yet…if the reckless behavior of the western dragons was to traverse the seas and make its way here…would the trusting relationship humans and dragons have worked so hard to build here become broken and tarnished?" The woman expressed her worries. She too valued the unity between humans and dragons.
Belserion's foot pressed against the ground firmly. "I shall not allow that to happen. We will protect all humans!" His declaration was clear, as was his resolve. Under no circumstances would he allow the humans to be harmed.
[End flashback]
"This was the beginning of the war that would later become known as the Dragon King Festival. Yes, it was a war that was brought about by the kindness of Dragons." Irene explained, and her words had everyone shaken.
"400 years, you say!? But your appearance is…!?" Erza gasped.
Irene turned her back, glancing over her shoulder. "Not to worry, little by little, everything will be explained. Now is where things start to get interesting, Erza…and that goes for the cute little dragon slayers as well."
"me…?" Wendy tilted her head.
[Flashback]
"Mine was a country in which humans and dragons peacefully coexisted and walked alongside one another for generations. In Ishgar, many such countries existed during that era."
Irene was surrounded by a large crowd, holding a wooden stick in her hands, while staring down at a blade placed down on two stone blocks. Irene swung the stick down, snapping the steel blade in two. "Hah!"
"WHOOOA!
"AN IRON SWORD WAS CLEAVED IN HALF BY A WOODEN STICK!?"
"Your Majesty! What is this sorcery!"
The crowd was in awe at Irene's display. To her, it was quite simple. "This is called enchantment. I can grant the stick a level of hardness that surpasses iron, temporarily heightening its destructive capabilities.
"AMAZING!"
"This will make the dragons even more powerful!"
"The war will be over in a flash!"
The praise was appreciated, but Irene herself felt differently on the matter. She wished that there wasn't a war to begin with; however, there was nothing they could do now but fight. "…."
"However, the flow of the war was not favorable for us. In addition to the enemy's sheer numbers, we were also put at a disadvantage due to the small faction of Ishgar dragons who were opposed to coexisting with humans and going to war against their own kind."
A wounded Belserion had no choice but to deliver the worst news to Irene. The war was not kind to Ishgar or its dragon warriors. "We will lose…"
"…I…I see…" Irene's gaze lowered to the ground.
"My desire to protect our humans friends has not wavered, even in these circumstances…" The dragon let out a heavy exhale. "No matter how many of my compatriots fall in battle, I shall not budge an inch."
Despite his condition, he was still willing to go so far for humans. "Why…why would you go so far for we humans?" Irene asked.
"I told you, did I not?" Belserion let out a soft chuckle. "Of the story of how my life was saved long by your now deceased predecessor."
"No, Belserion. I believe you have more than repaid that debt." Irene told him. "You attend to me and provide me council. You continue to fight and put your life on the line for humans. There must be more to it."
"Irene, until I keep you safe from any and all dangers, I can't even imagine my debt being fully repaid. I swear on this life of mine, that…"
"Belserion." Irene cut him off, leaving him confused. "Let me join with you and fight as well."
"What nonsense are you spouting!?" The dragon gasped, clearly shocked by her proposal. "Your enemies are not follow humans, but dragons! Even if you were to form a massive battalion of humans, their power would pale in comparison to even a lone dragon!"
"I've come up with an idea. A secret art of sorts. Your power…" Irene stared up to Belserion with a firm gaze. "The power of a dragon. Could you not attach it to me?"
"Bestow a dragon's power…unto a human!?"
"A power which I could fight against the evil dragons…the power of a Dragon Slayer!"
End flashback
"Wha…?" Wendy's eyes grew wide in shock to the revelation of the creator of the Dragon Slayer magic
"You mean to tell me that you invented Dragon Slayer magic!?" Erza gasped.
"That is correct." Irene said with a slight smirk. "I am the mother of all dragon slayers."
"However, that enormous power began to gnaw away at the human vessels that housed them. There were those who could not contain their powers and were driven to an uncontrollable rampage. Others were stricken with an extreme sickness caused by the large gap between a dragon's visual acuity and the perception of a human's semicircular canals. And in others still…."
"Lady Irene…" A guard hesitantly spoke up. "Forgive my rudness, but…your face…"
"What?" Irene hadn't noticed. She didn't realize that her skin began to break away, revealing the scales of a dragon underneath.
"The seed that would begin to spout within their bodies…the Dragon Seed. It would mark the final moments of dragon slayers as humans, and begin their irreversible transformation into a dragon. And at that time, you were already growing in my womb, Erza…"
Fast forward until the war ended. As Irene stated, the newfound power of Dragon Slayers tilted the war vastly in Ishgar's favor, but…
"Your father was a general from a neighboring country. Our union was what you'd call a 'political marriage', having occurred during times of strife when fellow humans were locked in territorial disputes. He and I had marched on many a battlefield together. We even cared for the ailing Belserion in his final hours. With the appearance of Acnologia, the war ended abruptly with no clear winner or loser. As if to mock the countless deceased, the victor was Acnologia alone."
One week after the war ended…
"NOT ANOTHER STEP, MONSTER!" Erza's father yelled at Irene. By this point, her transformation into a dragon was noticeable to all around her, thus instilling fear into everyone. "OR I SHALL CUT YOU DOWN!"
Irene's face was half covered in scales. She was desperately trying to convince everyone that she would be all right… "It is I, Irene! My face will surely heal, so please!"
"This wench will surely become the same as Acnologia!" Irene's husband yelled. "The remaining dragons in Ishgar have already fled to some other island!" Meaning that if another Acnologia appeared, humans would be done for. This caused people to scream in horror.
"No, I will not!" Irene objected. "I love the dragons deeply…!"
"And that makes you the enemy of all humanity!" The man cut her off. "Now seize this foul dragon woman and banish her to the dungeons!"
"Stop this, I beg of you! I am pregnant with your chi..!"
"THE CHILD OF A MONSTER IS NO CHILD OF MINE!"
Pure shock. The fact he yelled those words at her stunned Irene, and she was apprehended and brought to the dungeon. That was the beginning of it all. "To say my life from then on was miserable would be an understatement. Torture, beatings, humiliation…" She went through it all, and yet…
As Irene lie on the cold stone floor, she wrapped her arms around her stomach. Her body was mostly covered in scales at this point, but that didn't matter. There was but one thing on her mind for these last three years. "Don't you worry…no matter the cost…I will definitely protect you…"
That's when he appeared. The man known as Erza's father. In this story, he had no name, because in the end, he was insignificant. "Dragon-bitch." The man spat. "The day of your execution has been decided."
"Please…" Irene weakly lifted her head up. "I beseech you…if nothing else, spare my child."
"I've had quite enough of your lies." The man snarled, opening the cell to walk inside. "You mean to tell me this 'child' has been in your womb now for three years!? UTTER NONSENSE!"
"That is because I have cast magic on it!" Irene explained. "I cannot possibly give birth in such horrid and squalor conditions!"
"THERE IS NO CHILD!" Screaming, the man drew his blade, standing over Irene. There was no possible way the child in Irene's womb could remain there for three whole years. "OR SHALL I CUT OPEN YOUR STOMACH AND NOW PROVE IT TO YOU!?"
"NO! PLEASE!" Irene tried to struggle. In truth, her struggle was weak if only because she was trying not to hurt anyone. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" She shrieked as the blade cute along the side of her stomach, drawing blood. At that instant, wings spread from Irene's body and she breathed heavily, giving the man an inhumane stare. If there was one thing you didn't do, it was mess with a mother and her unborn child…and now, he incurred the ire of a woman gone dragon.
"Y…YOU FI…" the man was squashed by Irene as the dragon roared
"W-What is that sound!?"
"It came from the baol!" Several more explosions occurred, and soon there was Irene, standing in her full dragon glory. "A dragon!?" A single roar utterly decimated the area.
"I AM A HUMAN! A HUMAN! I DESTEST THIS BODY! I WANT MY HUMAN BODY BACK!" She cried, wailing and screaming as she flew off into the distance. "Someone….anyone…help me…" The city became ruins in a single attack, and right after that, Irene flew off from the scene, never to be seen again…for 400 years.
"And so…hundreds of years passed with you in my womb. I continued to the depths of the mountains where humans dared not tread, I searched endlessly for a way to lift the curse from my body. And then one day…I came across His Majesty…"
Zeref happened to be walking through the mountains, spotting a dragon of all things. "Now this is a rare sight…to think a dragon still existed in this land."
"Who are you!?" Irene snapped.
"Ah…pardon me…you are human, are you not?" Zeref questioned.
"He was an unparalleled genius in the art of magic. What I was unable to accomplish in hundreds of years…" In a matter of moments, Irene's dragon form faded, and her human body returned. "He achieved in mere moments."
Irene couldn't believe it. After 400 years, she had her human body back. She was so happy she could cry. "I'm human…! I've regained my human form! AAAAH! I…I've finally…"
Well…while Zeref's trick did work, there was one catch. The woman before him was so happy; he hated to be the bearer of bad news. "Only in appearance. It is regrettable, but you've long since…"
Regrettable? She was human again, so what did it matter?! "No, not at all! I…" The woman turned to the nearby lake, basking in her own reflection. "Returning to this form is more than enough. I'm happy beyond words!"
"However…tragedy came shortly thereafter…"
Now that she had her human body back, it was time to eat. Irene went to the nearest town to put food in her stomach, but… "…I…cannot taste anything." No…no, this wasn't right. She began stuffing food down her throat, nearly choking in the process, and yet… "I EAT AND EAT! BUT THERE'S NO FLAVOR AT ALL!"
That was only the beginning. When night came, she lied on the ground for hours and hours. "Icantsleep, icantsleep, icantsleep…" This one thought plagued her throughout the night. She sat up with the blanket wrapped around her body. "It itches…it's cold…it hurts…what is this I'm feeling!? I…all I want is to become a normal human once more!" She was being driven insane. It was then that Zeref's words stuck in her mind.
"You have long since…"
No. No! This couldn't be! "I'M A HUMAN! HUMAN! I'M HUMAN!" And once again, Irene was struck with the same dilemma that haunted her for 400 years. It was made worse by the fact that humanity was within her grasp…it felt as though Fate continuously mocked her.
"All I want is to give birth to this child as a human…a human…?" A thought ran into her mind as she looks to her belly "Human…there is a human inside me. Life…human…a human body…"
Irene's insanity ran crazy as she held a crazed look "If I could just enchant myself into the unborn baby within me…I could finally get my hands on an authentic human body!" She could see the light, and she was reaching out to it. "A new existence…a new body, a new life…I am you, and you are me. Let us become one…my child…."
That was the end of Irene's tale – a tale that shocked everyone listening.
"But it was a failure." Irene shrugged. "Casting enchantment magic on my own child was a fool's errand. It was impossible. And so, I lost all interest in you, and threw you away like the worthless trash you were in the back allies of a small, dirty little village."
"And that village was Rosemary, was it not?" Erza asked.
"I've long since forgotten." Irene held a dismissive tone.
"Erza-san…." Wendy began.
Erza held her arm out to stop Wendy. "I'm all right. I suppose I have no choice but to express my thanks to you for bringing me into this world."
"Please, I need no gratitude from trash." Irene scoffed.
As soon as she said this, Wendy went right into Dragon Force. "How could you say such things to your only daughter!?"
Erza's body started to change as well. "One more thing…I'm equally grateful that you threw me away." She donned the Rabbit Armor, donning the red and black blades. "Thanks to that, I was able to meet my true family. Even though you're my real mother, I will annihilate anyone who dares block my path to my guild.
"Me too…" Irene smiled slightly. I thought that, maybe if I told you about our past, my child, my feelings towards you may have changed. Such a shame. None of my feelings will change."
Irene pointed her hand forward with an antagonistic smile, creating an explosion that almost caught Erza, but she was fast enough to evade it. With her speed, Erza rapidly closed the gap between them and brought her twin swords down, but they were easily blocked by Irene's favored scepter. "Do you really think that you can defeat me? Someone who is excelled in magic?"
"We've did the impossible." Erza said "And I believe we can do it again…because I have family and allies by my side."
Erza swung both of her swords across Irene's stomach in an X formation. "Black and Red Twin Blades!" The vicious cross slash succeeded in creating a noticeable gash on the Scarlet Despair's skin. The force behind the attack was also more than enough to send her skidding backwards.
"Uaaaaah!" Irene cried out in pain as she went sliding back
Irene looks to her wound as she saw blood had come "You manage to hurt…me…"
"I'm sympathetic to your past…" Wendy began. "But I can't forgive someone who doesn't even love their own child!"
Those words just caused Irene to smile. "O small Dragon Slayer…and her companions…you heard me talking about the Dragon's Seed, didn't you? It's in you"
"Yes…" Wendy nodded. "But it was my mother who kept it suppressed over the years."
"What…?" Irene's eyes went wide as to know such thing
"It was so that we wouldn't turn into dragons…" Wendy explained.
"The same is likely for Natsu as well…" Erza added.
"…I see." Irene said. "So the dragons sealed themselves inside your bodies and stopped the growth of the Dragon Seed. In her case, the fabled Mystic Water on that coward's island halted her complete transformation into a dragon. Belserion, who gave me this power, died on the battlefield. I took over his name…I promised I'd avenge him….but…to think that there was a way to prevent the dragonification…" Irene's temper then snapped as she was furious
"THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Screaming, she pointed her scepter forward, unleashing a potent blast that blew everyone away in separate directions. "GIVE ME MY LIFE BACK! I DON'T NEED THIS BODY!"
Erza stepped forward, preparing to dart at Irene once more with Cynthia, Takeru, and Selene by her side. "I'll return the favor then! WENDY!"
"Understood!" Wendy held her hands out, supporting everyone once more. "Physical ability raise: Deus Eques!" A bright light shone from Wendy's body, enhancing Erza's power
"Pretty clever." Irene smirked. In a battle of enchantment, however, she would not lose. "Detaching enchantment, Deus Zero."
"Counterbalance the effects of Deus Zero with Deus Zero!" Wendy exclaimed as both spell canceled each other out.
Irene was taken aback by Wendy's advanced repertoire. "What?! She's able to use such an advanced technique…!?"
That surprise then turned into hope. Hope for her, and a small smirk drew itself on her lips.
Erza let out a roaring battle cry, merging the two swords into one, fueled by Wendy's buff.
"THIS IS THE END!" Titania exclaimed, slamming her joint blade right into Irene's skull and causing a deafening shockwave to boom out from around them. Surely, no one could survive after taking a joint attack like that. Erza held her stance, never taking her gaze of Irene, even as her torn hat fell to the ground.
Blood dripped from Irene's forehead and she simply held a smile. "I understood, Erza. The truth about enchantment. You were just a bay, and we're relatives. That's why I failed. But…is it really impossible to enchant one's personality into another body? The answer is no. However, there must be compatibility between them…"
"Who would have thought that one day…" Irene's body let out a strange light and her hand trembled. "That the young body of a both a dragon slayer and enchanter would appear right before my eyes."
Wendy's body convulsed and that strange light appeared around her body. "Ooooooh…how long I was waiting for this moment! My magic power has decreased somewhat, but it's no problem…."
"WENDY!" Erza screamed. No one could utter a word. All they could do was stare in horror at the sight before her
"New body, new life…" Irene's new body stepped forward. "Irene has been born anew…" The enemy in front of them now…was a witch with a demon in her heart. Wendy Marvel was no more. The girl who stood before them was now… Wendy Belserion.
That's a wrap!
Bye bye