Happy stayed outside of Magnolia. As much as he wanted to help the others fight in any way he can, he stayed behind to watch over Natsu's and Zeref's bodies. It was his way of making sure they are around for the final battle. Happy could see Acnologia attacking and was worried for everyone.

"Can you see it, Natsu?" Happy said. "Nashi and Lucy are down there and are fighting for our world. All of our friends are fighting down there. They all just better come out of this alive." Happy was hoping for the best, but maybe hope isn't enough anymore.

...

The Battle

It wasn't just Acnologia that everyone needed to be cautious of. The soldiers of the Duat Kingdom continued to fight for whatever reason. That means that everyone needs to hold them off as well.

"Poison Dragon Spiral Jaw!" Drake used his attack as he knocked some of the soldiers away. "Just how many of these creeps are there?" He heard another soldier trying to attack him from behind, but he moved out of the way and hit him across the face. Drake looked to Acnologia and was wondering what to do like everyone else.

"These fools. How much longer do they think they can really hold on." Ankhselam questioned. "Crush them like the insects they are!" Acnologia continued the attack as he tried to take down whoever he can.

"Iron Dragon Lance: Demon Logs!" Gale used his attack and tried attacking Acnologia, but his attack wasn't do much either. It just bounced off against Acnologia's dragon scales. "Come on! Nothing?! He's a dragon, isn't he?!"

"It's not that easy, Gale." Nova said as she came over. "Acnologia is immune to almost every kind of magic. On top of that, he was once a human turned into a dragon since he is a dragon slayer."

"Human turned dragon?! Do you think that's going to happen to us one day?!" Gale asked as he was a little freaked by the thought.

"Focus." Nova said. "Dragon slayer magic might work on him, but it might only be half as effective on him. With how powerful he is, it might not be enough."

"Damn." Gale said as he didn't like the sound of that. Acnologia was looking their way and tried to crush them, but they both managed to jump out of the way. "In that case, I guess I'll just have to kick it up a notch." Gale reached inside himself and called on Dragon Force to help him out. Nova was quite surprised to see him do that.

"Is that Dragon Force?! When did you unlock it?!" Nova said.

"I'll tell you later." Gale said as he went on the attack. He jumped in the air and turned his arm into a sword. "Iron Dragon Sword!" He held back his sword and was getting ready to slash at him.

"I don't think so." Ankhselam said as he readied his own attack to blast Gale down. He launched the attack, but Simon saved him as he flew by and was able to get Gale out of the way. When they were out of the way, they saw Ankhselam's attack and did some destructive damage.

"Thanks for the save." Gale said.

"Between Ankhselam and this Acnologia, we've got to be very careful." Simon said. Gale was going to get back in there, but he dropped to his knees and returned to his normal form. "What happened to your Dragon Force?"

"I just recently learned it." Gale said. "I haven't exactly mastered it. Oh man. I'm almost out of power." Simon pulled out a sword and tossed it to Gale.

"Here. Eat up." Simon said.

"Seriously?" Gale said.

"I've got a hundred more. We need to try and keep our strength up." Simon said. Gale went with it as he snacked on Simon's sword. 'What are we going to do?' He wondered. 'Almost all kinds of magic don't effect Acnologia, dragon slayer magic is only about half as effective because of that, and even if we get close enough, Ankhselam can counter our attacks. Ezrin had the right idea with him using his curse power, but he alone isn't enough. Regular weapons won't work either. Dragon scales are very durable. I can't seem to think of anything that might be able to beat that monster.' Simon was getting irritated with it seeming like there is no answer. Everyone might be getting frustrated, but Ankhselam is enjoying this.

"I can practically feel the despair in the air." Ankhselam said. "It seems some of you are realizing that it's hopeless to defeat me. This is where it ends! Give up now and try to salvage whatever of your little lives you can as we enter a new era in the world!"

"Not yet!" Nashi shouted as she charged right in. "You haven't won yet!"

"That girl must be determined to die or something." Ankhselam claimed.

"White Fire Dragon Heavenly Strike!" Nashi tapped into the power of her dual element as she leaped at Acnologia. She smashed her fist against Acnologia's face in a blazing white fire. It looked like she was doing some damage with that one, but Acnologia was able to push back and sent her flying. Nashi soared through the air and was going to crash.

"Storm!" Drake called as he ran over. "Give me a boost!" Storm didn't bother arguing with him. He used his magic and tossed Drake in the air so that he was able to catch Nashi. When he got her, Storm made more ice to be used like a slide. Drake slid against it and landed on the ground. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the catch." Nashi said. Drake put her down and she looked ready to get back in the fight.

"I'm not sure how much longer we can keep going like this." Storm said.

"Behind you!" Drake called as he launched some poison behind Storm and blasted another soldier.

"We can't keep fighting like this. There are soldiers everywhere and that dragon is practically unstoppable." Storm said.

"We can't just give up." Nashi said.

"Those fools." Ankhselam said as he had a look around. "They just don't seem to get it, or maybe they're just naïve. No matter what, Acnologia is immune to magic and..." Ankhselam didn't finish that as he saw large wooden roots emerge from right under him. They coiled around Acnologia and pulled him down to pin Acnologia to the ground. "What is this?"

"Acnologia might be invulnerable to magic, but we don't have to use it just to for offense." All of them looked and saw Forge was the one who did this. "There are other ways to use it. I'll hold him down while the dragon slayers attack."

"Perfect!" Coro said as he went to attack with Stella. "Sun Dragon Harmful Ray!"

"Moon Dragon Quill Arrows!" Both of them attacked and tried to do some damage.

"We want in on this!" Michael called as he and Shae went to join in. "Holy Ray!"

"Shadow Dragon Roar!" All four of them attacked Acnologia together, but Ankhselam was a step ahead.

"How quickly you forgot that I'm here." Ankhselam said. Drake heard this thoughts and knew what was doing.

"Get back! He's about to use a dangerous spell!" Drake called. They took his word for it as they called off his attacks and moved away. Ankhselam clapped his hands and unleashed a dark wave of his magic. The young dragon slayers were able to get away, but the spell destroyed the wood that was holding down Acnologia and he took to the sky once more.

"Oh man! I thought we had him!" Michael complained.

"We have to remember that it's not just Acnologia we're fighting, it's Ankhselam as well." Shae said.

"Perhaps it's time I stop playing around with all of you." Ankhselam said. "I think it's time I show all of you how terrifying this combine power can be."

"Drake, can you hear anything up there?" Nashi said. Drake tried to get a good listen and he didn't like the sound of it.

"Take cover!" Drake called. Ankhselam called on his magic and combined it with Acnologia's.

"Splintering Devastation!" Magic gathered in the air and formed spikes. He had them all rain at everyone on the battlefield.

"A rainstorm of magic spikes!" Nashi said as she couldn't believe it. Everyone was trying their best to avoid the attacks. They were practically everywhere as they all poured down like a horrible storm. Nashi was able to look around as she tried avoid them and saw some of the soldiers were being attacked as well. "Are you kidding me?! He's attacking his own men!" Nashi kept trying to avoid all of them, but they just kept coming and the impact of some caused her to trip. 'There's just too many to avoid!' She thought as she saw more coming at her.

"Nashi!" Storm called as he hurried to save her. "Ice-Make: Shield!" Storm made a shield to try and block the spikes, but it wasn't holding. It already shattered and there was another heading her way. 'I can't stop the attack, but the least I can do is protect Nashi!' With no time to make another shield, Storm stood in the way and was going to use himself as a shield.

"Storm, don't!" Nashi called as the spike was about to impale Storm. Storm readied himself, but it never came as someone else jumped in the way. Drake jumped in the way of the attack and impaled him. Drake and Nashi were shocked beyond belief at what they just witnessed. As the attacks stopped, he dropped to the ground with it looking bad. "Drake!" Nashi screamed at the top of his lungs. Kinanna and Erik heard her cry and were just as horrified. "Drake! Drake, no!" She cried as she and Storm rushed to his sides.

"You idiot! Why did you do that?!" Storm said.

"Couldn't let you have all the fun." Drake said with a weak voice. He tried to laugh but it turned to coughing.

"Wendy! Where are you?! Get over here!" Nashi called.

"No... I think this is it..." Drake said.

"Don't talk like that! Try and hang in there!" Nashi pleaded as she didn't want to lose another person she cares about.

"It'll be fine." Drake said.

"Stop talking! Save your strength!" Nashi said, but Drake knew this was going to be it for him. Before he goes, there's somethings he wanted to say to those two.

"Storm, listen." Drake said with him getting Storm's undivided attention. "I know we've had our differences, I know we fought a lot, but that's how I know how strong you really are. You're one of the toughest guys I know. That's why I want you to promise me something. Promise me that Nashi makes it out of this war alive. Protect her no matter what."

"I will, but you're not going anywhere. You're going to make it." Storm said. Even though they fought a lot, they did become good friends. Drake knows he can trust Storm to keep the promise. He turned to Nashi to say what he wanted, but Nashi didn't want to listen because she didn't want to believe he was about to die.

"Come on, Nashi. Don't look at me like that." Drake said.

"Drake, please stop talking." Nashi said with tears about to fall, but Drake had to say all of this. As he raised his hand, he placed it against the side of her face with Nashi holding it there.

"Come on. Don't let the last thing I see be you crying." Drake said. "You were...the first person who saw the real me. You saw me as something more than just my father's son or just some handsome face. Thanks to that, I was able to find others who were the same. I'll never forget that. It's why you mean so much to me, Nashi. I...love you." Those were Drake's last words as he began to leave this world. His hand fell from Nashi's face with Storm and Nashi going into shock from seeing this. Others saw what happened themselves and they were all astonished at this themselves.

"Drake's really...dead." Simon said. Kinanna and Erik had it the worst. Kinanna was in tears with Erik's rage rising while he was trying to hold it all back. Nashi didn't know what to think anymore. Drake was always there and willing to help her when she needed it. She appreciated all that he did, but she knew about his feelings and never really did anything about it and now she never will.

"Didn't you say you wouldn't let your friends die, Nashi?" Ankhselam called.

"I'll never let my friends die!" Those words echoed in her head. She thought she could do it.

"Look around, Nashi. I dare you to say those words again." Ankhselam said. It wasn't just Drake who died from that attack. Nashi looked around and saw others have died from that attack as well. She considered those in other guilds her friends as well and she couldn't say any of them. "I said say those words again!" Nashi couldn't bring herself to say them because it was clear she failed to keep those words. "This is the world we live in. It's full of despair and misery. People die and there's nothing you can do about it. There is no hope in this world, but you had hope that everyone was going to come out of this alive. You were clearly wrong. Fantasies are just fantasies, not reality. Can you honestly fight knowing you can't save your friends from death?" He was reaching into the depths of Nashi soul and was causing it to break. "You lost your father, your uncle, and now many of your friends. What is there left for you to fight for in this world, Nashi? It's time to surrender. Just come with me." He held out his hand to her and it seemed like his words were working. Nashi seems to be giving up on hope as she raised her hand to him. Storm, on the other hand, wasn't going to allow that. He got in front of her and actually slapped her across the face.

"Don't listen to him, Nashi." Storm said. He tried to snap her back to reality and it seemed to have worked. "Yes, people die and there might be nothing we can do about it. It's painful when a friend dies, but that doesn't mean we should just give up. They trusted us, they gave up their lives so that we could keep fighting. If we just give up, their sacrifice would have been for nothing. Letting their deaths be in vain is a fate worse than death itself. Are you really going to let that happen?" Nashi came close to giving up, but she sees what Storm was saying. Drake just sacrificed himself so that she and Storm could live. He wouldn't want to them live just so they could surrender. Nashi got back up and stood with Storm.

"Maybe I can't stop my friends from dyeing, but that doesn't mean I can't try." Nashi said as she still had the will to fight. "For those who did lose their lives, I won't let the sacrifice be for nothing. Especially when I have friends to keep me going." She held Storm's hand to help her keep going.

'Nashi's hand feels warm.' Storm thought. 'It's almost like I can feel that strong fire flowing into me. It's not just me that gives you strength, Nashi. You give me strength too.' Ankhselam may be annoyed, but she's not giving up yet.

"Ready, Storm?" Nashi asked.

"Ready." Storm said. For their friends, for Drake, they will keep fighting for all of them.

AN: Final survey. One that went on a lot in the story. Name your Top Ten fights.