It's Monday!
A couple of chapters back, I mentioned that I'm really going off-script here and not leaning on the movie as much, but I wanted to make one more film-comment. In the movie, the assassins rescue the hero from someplace called The Pit of Despair pretty easily. In the book, this scene was a lot more elaborate and involved something called the Zoo of Death. It was a bit more complicated with multiple levels of monsters to defeat (though, the book didn't do it justice either) and showcased more characterization for some of the side characters. It let the readers see their friendship and gave them a struggle to save the hero. So, why didn't this make it into the film? According to the director, they just ran out of budget.
Given that we don't have to worry about budget restrictions here, I'm going to work through the rescue scene and try to make it a little more meaningful.
- K. Chandler
The air was dank and musty-smelling, making Natsu's nose itch. He followed Erza as they entered the tower, or spire, or whatever it was. It may have looked like a tree from the outside, but the interior was made of stone.
"Which way?" asked Erza.
"Your guess is as good as mine," said Lyon.
Natsu wondered why Erza was deferring to Lyon, of all people. She seemed far less confident once they had stepped into the darkness of the tower.
"They're keeping him at the very top of the tower," said Natsu.
"And how do you know that?" asked Lyon.
"You know when the mage in black was screaming bloody murder? That was where the sound was coming from," Natsu shrugged.
"We need to find stairs," said Erza.
They wandered deeper into the tower, this time with Lyon taking point. That was probably fair, since he hadn't gotten to earlier, and he was probably dying to have a chance at being in charge.
"I'm surprised that we're not facing further resistance," said Erza.
"I doubt they get many visitors," said Lyon. "Seeing as this place looks like a tree."
It didn't take too much for them to find the stairwell, a dizzying, spiraling thing.
"Let's get going," said Erza.
They climbed, and they climbed, and they climbed.
They had only gone up a few flights when the scented of lilacs wafted past. The moldy air had dulled his sense of smell, but there was no way he would miss that girly perfume!
"The little rat-man was here," said Natsu, his nose twitching.
It had to be. Although why he was wearing girly perfume was the real mystery.
"How do you know that?" asked Lyon.
"It's that girly lilac perfume again," said Natsu.
"He probably works here, whoever he is," said Erza. "Do you think you can follow him?"
"Sure can," said Natsu, shouldering past to take the lead. After another flight of stairs, Natsu led them off onto the floor.
"I thought we were going to the top?" said Erza.
"The little rat-man's this way."
"You can smell him from here?" asked Lyon.
A blur of motion caught Natsu's eye. In the distance, a small person in a hairy headdress ran on ahead.
"Nah, man. I can see him!" he said, pointing. "Come back here!" he shouted at the fleeing figure.
The green mane of the rat-man's headdress streamed behind him.
"That's not a rat! That's a guy in a mask!" snapped Lyon.
"I never said he wasn't," said Natsu, sprinting ahead and leaving Erza and Lyon in the dust.
The little rat-man wasn't putting up much of a chase. Natsu streaked past, heading deeper into the tower, finally cornering him.
"Who are you?" demanded Natsu, his voice echoing. He ignited his clenched fists, lighting the area with an orange glow. The room had opened out into a cavern.
"I should ask you the same question," said the little rat-man. His voice was low and gravelly.
"I asked first," said Natsu.
"I'm not the one who's trespassing," said the rat-man.
"Po-tay-to, po-tah-to," said Natsu, waving his hand.
"They call me Zalty," he said.
"You're gonna be salty when I'm done with you," threatened Natsu.
"I am the keeper of the Tower of Heaven, among other things."
"Oh, yeah? Then where are you keeping the mage in black!" growled Natsu.
"The who?" asked Zalty.
"My friend. The mage in black!" Natsu insisted. Okay, so they weren't friends yet, but they definitely could be.
Zalty laughed.
"I know, you know! You laughed funny," insisted Natsu.
"Are we really having this conversation? Where do you think he is?" asked Zalty.
"Well, I…"
Zalty held out his hand, a small orb appearing in his palm.
"Hey, what's that thing?" asked Natsu.
Zalty grinned from under his mask. The sphere shot from his hand, smacking Natsu in the head.
"Ow! Hey!" squawked Natsu, rubbing the back of his skull.
The sphere rocketed back, bludgeoning Natsu in the gut.
Natsu doubled over. "Dude! Seriously? Ow!" he groaned.
The sphere circled back, knocking him off his feet, and leaving him in a pile on the floor before it returned to Zalty's palm.
"What are you sitting around for?" echoed Erza's voice. She and Lyon had finally caught up.
"It wasn't me. It was Salted Rat," said Natsu, still doubled over. He climbed to his feet with a grunt.
"Who?" asked Lyon.
"Him." Natsu pointed.
Lyon sighed, moving to stand next to Natsu.
"Dude, I got this," said Natsu.
"We don't have time for you to play around," said Lyon, preparing to cast his own attack.
"Time is one thing I have plenty of," said Zalty cryptically, tossing the orb up into the air before catching it.
"I'll make it quick," Natsu promised. "I'm frying you alive," he hissed at Zalty. "Order's up! One roasted rat, compliments of the chef!"
Natsu conjured ball of fire, the flames growing between his open palms. He gave a startled shout as his attack spun out of his control, changing direction and shooting towards Erza and Lyon instead.
Lyon cast a hasty shield, dispelling the fireball with his ice. "Watch it!" he barked.
"It totally wasn't me!" said Natsu.
"Whose fire was it?" Lyon demanded.
"Yeah, but… it kind of—"
"I can take your fire forward in time to any point along its trajectory," said Zalty.
Natsu clenched his teeth. This guy was messing with his fire, and he didn't like it.
"What if there's no trajectory?" said Natsu. He took a deep breath, feeling the burn of flames building in his chest. Then he puffed a stream of fire towards the rat-man.
The jet of fire arched into a molten corkscrew, as brilliant as the sun. It lit up the room in a display that even Erza would be in awe of, and that was saying something.
Then, darkness.
Natsu was left to choke on smoke. He coughed, trying to clear the acrid remnants of the spent fire from his lungs.
"I-incombustable!" he wheezed, pounding on his own chest. "D-dude! What are you doing to my magic?"
"I can take your flames back in time," said Zalty. "Back to when they existed as mere embers. Or forward to when they burned themselves out. Back in time or forward in time. It really makes no difference to me."
"You can extinguish his fire, but see how you fare against my steel!" threatened Erza, making to draw her sword.
Lyon clamped down on her arm. "The last thing we need is for him to take your swords backwards and forwards on their trajectory in time."
Erza nodded in understanding. "Yes, I could see how that be a problem. What about your ice?"
"It might as well be water," Lyon reminded her.
"Very well, carry on, Natsu," said Erza.
Natsu hadn't thought about it, but Lyon was making a good point. If he couldn't use magic…
Natsu cracked his knuckles. "Then we settle this the old-fashioned way," he said, grinning.
With a roar, Natsu launched himself at Zalty. He slammed a fist into the rat's jaw, throwing him across the room.
Take that through time.
Natsu jumped after him, pinning him down with his knees and pummeling Zalty with all his might.
Then he was falling. One second, there was floor beneath them, the next it had shimmered its way into nothingness, leaving both opponents to tumble to the level below.
Natsu felt the floor of the level below slam into his back.
"Oof!"
"Natsu!" shouted Erza, her face pale through the darkness as she peered down through the floor. Or the ceiling, now.
"I'm okay," he called back.
"I'll send down a bird," said Lyon.
Zalty was climbing to his feet.
"I didn't get him yet. This might take a while," said Natsu.
"We can't waste any more time here," said Lyon. "The mage in black is waiting, and the man that Erza's been tracking could be getting away!"
"Go, on you guys. I got this!" said Natsu.
"Are you sure?" asked Erza.
Natsu gave a thumbs up. "Get going! Go find the mage in black. I'll catch up," he shouted. "After I take care of Salted Rat," he growled.
Calling her Salted Rat isn't quite as good as Natsu's canonical "Ultimate... Milk-sandwich?" But, hey! Trying to work with what I had.
And... for anybody who wants to choose the next story, this is the last chance to weigh in. I think I originally said that I'd take responses up through the first week of April, so I'll announce the final next week. (Details at the bottom of Ch 19 if you want to see the choices again.)
Next time, in As You Wish, higher in the tower, another foe awaits: "Did you see that?" he asked. / "No," she said, rubbing at her good eye. "But that doesn't mean it's not there. What is it?"
Stop back next Monday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.
