Chapter 5: The Song of the Demon Flute
Lucy was in the guildhall looking at the request board, trying to find a job to her liking.
"Search for a magic bracelet and dispel a cursed staff… Wanted: An astrological love forecast … Hunt down volcanic devils…" Lucy said to herself. Listing all the major jobs that seemed to be of interest.
"If you see any that are to your liking then let me know, the master isn't around right now." Mirajane asked.
Lucy looked over and saw that the small man was missing from his usual spot on the bar top.
"Oh, you are right." Lucy said.
"He's attending a regularly scheduled league meeting in Clover." Mirajane said with a smile.
Natsu and Happy were finishing up some food and walked up to Lucy.
"Come on. Let's get ourselves a job." Natsu said.
"We agreed you would get to choose the next one." Happy said, floating next to Natsu.
"No! You must be joking. You just wanted me because I'm a blonde girl, right? It could have been anybody!" Lucy said, annoyed with the two boys near her.
"Of course, it could have been anybody." Natsu said.
"I knew it." Lucy murmured.
"But Lucy, it was you we chose! Cause your such a nice person!" Natsu said with his signature toothy grin.
Lucy didn't say a word, she just stood there with a slight blush on her face.
"Since we worked so well together why don't we form a team?" Natsu said, happily handing his hand out for a handshake.
A shirtless man was sitting on a nearby table smoking.
"Whats the deal? You don't have to decide immediately. I heard about your huge success. I'm sure more team requests will come in then you can stomach." Gray said.
"Lucy, you and I must form the love team! We start tonight!" Loke said.
Lucy glared at Loke for that comment. "Tsk."
"You defeated two members of the southern wolf bodyguard guild, plus a woman who was built like a gorilla, right?" Gray said.
"Um, actually That was all Natsu…" Lucy said.
Gray got up from his table and grabbed Natsu by his scarf "That was you, you jerk?"
"Got a problem with it?" Natsu said as he grabbed Gray's arm.
"… But I did defeat Everlue" Lucy said in defeat.
"Of course, you did. I would expect no less from such a beauty!" Loke said as Natsu and Gray tumbled around the guild, swearing at each other.
Loke put his hands on lucy's shoulders, and she tensed up. Lucy grabbed Loke and threw him over her shoulder. He hit the ground with a loud thump.
"Don't touch me." Lucy said sternly.
"Oh my. Lucy, you have quite the skills." Mirajane said from nearby as she cleaned a table.
Not even Lucy's surprise attack on Loke could stop the two men from fighting. Natsu and Gray kept rolling around the guildhall landing punch after punch, but Lucy could tell that they both were not as serious about the fight as they pretended to be.
Where he was on the ground in a heap, Loke could see the loop of keys Lucy kept hanging off her hip.
"Huh?! You're a celestial wizard?! No way!" Loke said as he ran off screaming.
Lucy cocked her head in confusion. "What was that all about?" Lucy asked to know one in particular.
"Loke isn't very good with celestial wizards. I think he went on a bad date with one once." Mirajane told Lucy.
And not five minutes later, Loke comes running back into the guildhall. Clearly more afraid of something outside than he was of Lucy.
"Natsu, Gray! Really bad news!" Loke yelled.
Natsu and Gray momentarily stopped their fight to hear out Loke. "What" They both groaned in unison.
"Erza has come back!" Loke said.
"What!" Natsu and Gray both screamed at the top of their lungs.
The entire guild was in shock. They all stopped what they were doing to stare at the red head who, in a suit of armor, walked in carrying a giant horn.
She placed the giant horn on the ground with a thump.
"I came back just this minute. Is the master around anywhere?" Erza asked.
"Welcome back! The master is at the league meeting." Mirajane said with her usual cheerful smile.
"I heard that you people have been causing nothing but trouble! I won't stand for it!" Erza said sternly, letting her voice be carried throughout the guildhall.
"Who is that woman?" Lucy asked.
Happy plopped onto Lucy's head and spoke. "She's Erza she's amazingly strong!"
Erza proceeded to look around the guildhall and started to yell at anyone she could see. Pointing out all their faults and flaws like a mother would.
Lucy looked on with a mix of awe and shock. "So, does she punish everyone?"
Happy ignored Lucy's question and just said. "She's Erza!"
Erza looked at Lucy as if inspecting her, then turned her gaze to the cat sitting on top of her head.
"Bye the way, where are Natsu and Gray?" Erza asked Happy.
"That way!" Lucy and Happy said as they both pointed to the boys nearby.
Natsu and Gray had their arms locked around each other's shoulders sweating bullets with fake smiles on their faces.
"H-hi Erza. We are the best of f-friends like always…" Gray said Nervously.
"Aye!" was all Natsu could say.
"Really? I suppose even the best of friends fight here and there. But I really do love seeing you two act like brothers." Erza said to both boys.
"W-well, we may not always be the best of friends…always…but…" Gray struggled to say.
"Aye!" Natsu said in agreement as he saluted Erza.
"Wow! I did not think anything could scare Natsu." Lucy thought to herself.
Happy jumped down from Lucy's head and floated in front of her. "Lushee, why do you have sand in your hair?"
"I really like the beach." Lucy said with a small smile.
"Both Natsu and Gray are terrified of Erza. Once Natsu got beaten up pretty badly after challenging her to a fight, and Gray got beaten after she saw him walking around naked. And Loke… well, he tried to flirt with Erza." Mirajane explained as she drew a small diagram with a magic pen.
"I see, I see." Lucy nodded her head in understanding at Mira's diagram.
"I have a favor to ask both of you. When I was out on a job, I heard some disturbing rumors. I was going to ask the master's opinion on it but this must be addressed quickly, so I'll make a decision." Erza said as she put her hands on her metal clad hips.
"I want you two to help me, you'll come along, right?" Erza asked.
"Ergh?!" Gray grunted in shock.
"What?!" Natsu yelled.
The entire guild was in shock. No one could imagine a reason why Erza of all people would need help with anything.
"W-what's this about?" Cana asked. Sober for one rare moment.
"Just what kind of job is it?" Happy asked.
Erza started to walk off. "We leave tomorrow. Make preparations now."
"But I…" Gray said.
"…didn't agree to this…" Natsu said.
"I never imagined such a thing could happen. Natsu… Gray… and Erza. This could be Fairy Tail's strongest team!" Mirajane said in slight shock.
"Wow… the strongest team…" Lucy murmured.
Toot toot!
Lucy heard the sounds of trains coming and going in the bustling Magnolia train station. People saying goodbye and hello as they went about their business.
"Why would a monster like Erza need my power?!" Natsu angrily said.
"I don't know! But if anyone should be saved from this, it's me!" Gray shouted.
Natsu and Gray started throwing punches, running into people and their luggage.
"Then just go alone! I don't wanna go!" Natsu yelled, as he pulled at Gray's shirt.
"Then don't! I'll just get Erza to kill you afterwards." Gray yelled as he Grabbed Natsu by his scarf.
Lucy stood a little way away holding Happy in her arms. "I think we should stay out of this."
"Aye!" Happy said in agreement.
After a few minutes of fighting Natsu and Gray stopped to catch their breath.
"I don't understand why you two always fight. Is it fun?" Lucy asked.
"Why are you here?" Natsu said.
"Because Mira asked me to come. She was worried about you two." Lucy explained.
"You really wanted to come, didn't you?" Happy said.
Lucy scratched her face in embarrassment. "Well, you could say that…"
As Erza walked closer towards Natsu and Gray, pulling along her mountain of luggage, she spotted a cloaked figure conversing with the two. She regarded them with suspicion.
"Sorry. Did I keep you waiting?" Erza asked.
"Nah" Natsu said.
"No." Gray replied.
"That is a lot of luggage." Lucy thought as she looked up at the giant wagon holding bags and bags of luggage.
"And who might you be?" Erza said.
Seeing the cloaked figure holding Happy, Erza's suspicions lessened somewhat. Happy wouldn't let just anyone hold him.
"I'm Lucy. I'm new here. I just recently became a Fairy Tail member." Lucy said with a bow.
As Lucy bowed, Erza saw the golden locks of hair fall slightly out of the cloak's hood.
"I see. So, you are the same woman I saw with Happy in the guild yesterday." Erza said.
"Aye!" Happy said, holding up a paw.
"Yes. I am." Lucy replied.
"My name is Ezra. Nice to meet you." Erza said.
"I've heard tales of your strength. You took down a vulcan at Mt. Hakobe?" Erza asked.
"Well…" Lucy mumbled.
"We may run into a bit of danger on this job, but with your strength I'm sure you'll be okay." Erza said as she patted Lucy on the shoulder in support.
"I can handle anything dangerous you could throw at me!" Lucy said.
Natsu stopped looking at the trains to turn around and glare at Erza. "I don't know what we're supposed to face, but I'll go along only under one condition."
Erza raised her eyebrow. Eager to hear what Natsu had to say. "A condition? Let's hear it."
Natsu pointed at Erza. "Once we're back, I'm gonna fight you. I'm not like I was before."
"H-hey don't do it! Do you want to die?!" Gray shouted.
"A duel between two of Fairy Tail's strongest? This could be interesting." Lucy thought to herself.
Erza pushed back a few locks of red hair that were in her face. "A duel? I admit that you have grown, but I am still not sure you could take me…. Fine I accept your challenge."
"Yeah! I'm all fired up! Let's do this!" Natsu screamed at the top of his lungs as his face combusted in flames.
"Gray, do you want to challenge me too?" Erza asked Gray.
Gray shook his head in terror. "No! no thanks Erza!"
"Can he combust any part of his body like that" Lucy said, pointing to Natsu's head on fire.
"Aye! One time he even lit his ass on fire." Happy said as he snickered.
"Oi Happy! Watcha telling Luce that for?!" Natsu yelled.
Happy didn't answer Natsu, he simply flew out of Lucy's grasp laughing.
Lucy found herself sitting in a compartment meant for passengers on a comfy seat, along with her new guildmates.
"The trains just started and your already like that? You're an eyesore!" Gray said.
"So, does it happen every time he goes on a vehicle?" Lucy asked.
"Pretty much!" Happy replied, now sitting happily on Lucy's lap.
Erza patted the seat between herself and Lucy. "For pities' sake, come sit by me."
"Does this mean I move?" Lucy asked as she sat beside Gray.
Erza held sympathy in her eyes for Natsu's suffering, so she decided she would end it quickly. Erza slammed her metal fist into his gut as hard as she could and Natsu fell unconscious on Erza's lap.
"There. That should ease your suffering a bit." Erza said soothingly
Gray and Happy looked on with horror while Lucy shook her head in understanding.
"So, it's fine to knock him unconscious when he gets sick?" Lucy asked.
"Ugh? I don't think…" Gray muttered.
"Yes. It's simply the most effective method." Erza replied.
The train ride went by smoothly. Lucy looked out the window admiring the view of the county side as the train shot past. There was no attempt to be made at conversation as everyone was enjoying the momentary peace from Natsu's antics.
"Hey Lucy! Why do you wear that hood outside, but whenever you've been with the guild you take it off?" Gray asked, pointing to her Black hood covering the top half of her face.
Lucy didn't reply at first, she patted Happy's blue fur as she thought of what to say.
"I feel at home with the guild… I know it's weird to say but… you all feel like family." Lucy said as she smiled.
"That's great to hear from you Lucy. And be rest assured we feel the same way." Erza said.
"I've been meaning to ask, but I have never seen anyone besides Natsu and Happy use magic in the guild. What kind do you use Ms. Erza?" Lucy asked.
"Just call me Erza." She spoke.
"Erza's magic is pretty. Her enemies blood goes everywhere!" Happy said.
"Yes. I can see how that would be pretty." Lucy said.
"My magic isn't anything much. If you want pretty magic, Gray's is much prettier than mine." Erza said.
"You think so?" Gray said.
Gray slammed his left fist into the palm of his right hand and cold air started to chill the booth they were sitting in.
Gray lifted his hand to reveal an ice sculpture in the shape of the Fairy Tail crest.
"Wow! So pretty!" Lucy said.
"I use ice magic." Gray said.
"Wait a second… fire… ice…I understand now!" Lucy shouted.
"Hmm, what do you understand Lucy?" Erza asked.
"Your ice Gray and Natsu is fire. It that why you don't get along?" Lucy said.
"Is that true?" Erza asked.
Gray looked around the booth they were sitting in, refusing to look at either girl.
"I-its. Who cares anyway?" Gray said, slightly Embarrassed.
"But more importantly, isn't it about time you told us what this is about, Erza? What are we here for? It must be something terrible if you want our help." Gray said.
"Yes. I suppose we should discuss this." Erza said with a small sigh.
"On my way back from my last job I stopped by a bar where wizards gather. And there were a few people who drew my attention. They spoke about how they found where a 'Lullaby' was but that it was magically sealed." Erza told the others.
"Lullaby? What's that?" Gray asked.
"Is it a children's bedtime story?" Lucy said.
"Is it a fish?" Happy spoke up.
"I don't know what it is, but when I heard it was sealed, I figured it must have strong magic." Erza said.
"Sure, some guys are trying to break the seal to some magic we don't know about. People break magic seals every day, for food and toys, so I don't see how this is a problem." Gray spoke.
"True, at first I didn't give it much thought either. But that was until I heard the name Erigor!" Erza said.
"I've never heard of this 'Erigor' before." Lucy said.
"Good. You never want to meet him. He's the ace of the Eisenwald guild: Erigor the death god!" Erza spoke.
"He's a god?" gray said.
"Erza. I do not think we can beat a god." Lucy said.
"He's not an actual god, it's just a title for people who only accept assassination requests. The magic council banned all assassination requests but Eisenwald chose money over the law." Erza said.
-We have arrived at the Onibas station. Passengers please depart. –
An automated message played over the speakers within the train.
"Looks like it's time to go." Gray said.
The trio of mages and Happy left the train and Erza continued what she was saying earlier while also pulling along her massive pile of luggage.
"As a result of their illegal actions, they were expelled from the league six years ago. And yet they still continue to operate as if nothing happened. They have been now categorized as a dark guild." Erza said.
"So that's it." Gray said as he cracked his knuckles.
"A dark guild? Is that all? It can't be too bad then." Lucy murmured.
"I wasn't paying close enough attention. The moment I heard the name Erigor I should have killed them all." Erza said, letting her magical aura radiate out.
"Yeah. If it was just the four of the guys you mentioned, you could have taken them. But if it was the whole guild…" Gray said.
"I've decided that I can't just disregard what they might be planning on doing if they get their hands on this magic." Erza said.
"we're going to march on Eisenwald!" Erza said sternly.
"Sound like fun." Gray replied.
"This could be very interesting." Lucy said.
A few minutes later and the mages left the station and were walking around town.
"So, do you know where the Eisenwald guild is?" Gray said.
"That's why we're here. To find the location of Eisenwald." Erza said.
Lucy looked around in a panic. "Oh no! It can't be. We left Natsu on the train!"
"We must find him now!" Erza commanded.
And thus, the trio of mages ran back towards the Onibus station in search of their friend.
Gray was looking at a timetable plastered on the wall of the station.
"Looks like the train won't be back until three pm." Gray said.
"But that's almost five hours away." Happy whined.
"I can't believe it! We were so caught up in the discussion that we left Natsu on the train. I knew he was bad in moving vehicles. I take responsibility! I ask that one of you hit me!" Erza said.
Lucy stood there in silence. Then, she slowly walked up to erza, lifted her left hand up and slapped her as hard as she could.
Gray and Happy simply stood there. They couldn't believe she actually did it. Something no one in Fairy Tail dared to do unless they wanted to die.
A large red hand print marked Erza's right cheek. She reached up and touched where she was struck and a sting of pain was felt.
"She's dead! She's dead! She's dead!" gray mentally chanted.
"I don't wanna have to make a new friend!" Happy wailed.
Erza looked at Lucy, her hood hiding her eyes from view, yet she locked onto her eyes.
"Thank you, Lucy. I really needed that! I can already feel myself thinking more clearly." Erza said.
"It really worked?" Gray said in surprise.
Erza walked up to an employee working at the station and explained why she needed the train stopped.
"…And that is why you must stop the train!" Erza yelled at the man.
"For what reason was that again?" The middle-aged man said.
"We must for the sake of our friend!" Erza yelled.
"You can't stop the train just for one passenger who missed the exit. You're asking the impossible!" The middle-aged man was now yelling, trying to drown out Erza's own yelling.
Erza then noticed the emergency stop signal lever next to the employee.
"Happy!" Erza yelled.
"Aye sir!" Happy said as she sprouted wings and flew up to the lever and pulled it down.
"Y-you will be in deep trouble for stopping the train!" The middle-aged employee tried to say, before realizing that the red head had already stormed off.
Erza saw a couple walk near her and stopped them. "Excuse me, you are to take our luggage to Hotel Chili."
"And who are you…exactly?" The young woman asked.
"Um…no." The young man said.
"Quick we're going after Natsu! You people go to Hotel Chili now!" Erza shouted.
"Who are you people?!" The man shouted.
"Fairy Tail!" Lucy shouted back with a wave of her left hand.
Gray saw Erza sprinting off into the distance, looking around frantically for something.
"W-where are you going Erza?" Gray shouted.
"A magicmobile!"
"But why?" Lucy asked.
"How else are we going to catch up to Natsu?" Erza replied.
Erza spotted an empty magicmobile parked in a corner of the path to Onibus station. She quickly jumped into the driver's seat and strapped on the SE plug.
"You can't just steal this, Erza!" Gray shouted.
"Of course, I can. And it's not stealing if I intend to return it" Erza shouted.
Happy, being held in Lucy's arms snickered. "Erza is a criminal!"
"Who cares? I'm sure we have all stolen a few things in our lives." Lucy said as she entered the magicmobile.
Just as Gray jumped on the roof of the vehicle, Erza sped forth out of the city and towards a clearing. She moved the magicmobile off the main walking path and instead headed towards the train tracks, driving on the grass just inches away from the train tracks.
"Where are we going?" Gray asked.
"To wherever that train took Natsu!" Erza said
"There's the train up ahead!" Lucy said, pointing to the train in the distance.
"Just a little faster and we should catch up." Erza told herself.
Erza increased the flow of her magic into the SE plug making the magicmobile run faster. Just as they caught up to the backend of the train a few meters behind, Natsu suddenly smashed through one of the train windows.
"Natsu?" Erza said.
"Why is he jumping from the train?" Gray said.
"What's going on?" Lucy asked.
"Waaah!" Natsu screamed as he fell out the train and started falling. His head violently collided with Gray's head, causing Gray to fall off the vehicle's roof and fall onto the road with Natsu.
Erza quickly stopped the vehicle and looked over her shoulder for both men.
"Natsu, are you alright!?" Erza shouted.
Natsu and Gray got up from the ground and started to argue.
Natsu stopped his argument when he saw Lucy, Happy and Erza walk towards him.
"Happy, Lucy, Erza! How could you do that! You left me behind!" Natsu yelled.
"Forgive me." Erza said.
"Sorry." Lucy and Happy spoke in unison.
Erza slammed Natsu's head into her armored chest in an embrace. "I'm so glad you're all right."
"Ow, your armor." Natsu complained.
Natsu lifted Erza's hand of him to stop the painful embrace. "Who are you calling alright?! I was just attacked by a weird guy on the train!"
"What did he call it? Eye…Ven…Vault?" Natsu said, racking his brain for the name of the guild he had heard.
Lucy, Erza, Gray, and Happy looked on in shock, just realizing what Natsu was trying to say.
Erza proceeded to slap Natsu hard across the face that left a giant red handprint.
"You absolute fool! I was searching all over for people from Eisenwald!" Erza yelled.
"You didn't tell me about that." Natsu angrily mumbled.
"Then why didn't you listen to what I was saying?!" Erza angrily yelled.
"Because you knocked him out cold, Erza." Lucy said.
"Oh. Yes, you are correct. Thanks for reminding me Lucy. But if Eisenwald is on that train then we'll have to go after them. Did you notice anything special on the man you encountered Natsu?" Erza said, as she strapped the SE plug on her arm.
"He was pretty normal. The only special thing was this creepy three eyed skull flute." Natsu told Erza.
"A three eyed flute? How creepy." Gray said.
"D-did you say a flute with a skull that had three eyes?" Lucy said as she dropped Happy to the ground.
"What's wrong Lucy?" Happy asked, noticing her shivering.
"A three eyed flute… Lullaby… t-that can only mean one thing." Lucy murmured.
"Hey Luce, you okay?" Natsu asked as he noticed her shivering.
"That flute is Lullaby! Lullaby is a demon from the book of Zeref! It has the power to kill anyone it puts under its spell song!" Lucy yelled in shock.
"What?" Erza said.
"A demon?" Natsu said.
"How do you know about demons?" Gray asked.
"It was something my mother told me. Let's hurry or we will all die!" Lucy said.
Erza zoomed past the countryside, putting more and more magic energy into the vehicle.
"A demon from the book of Zeref?! If that thing gets into Erigor's hands…Damnit! Do they think they can control it?" Erza thought.
There was a commotion outside Kunugi Station with royal guards blocking the entrance as numerous people complained about missing work and seeing creepy wizards.
"So those guys stole a train?" Lucy asked.
"That's what it sounds like." Happy replied.
"But why a train? It can only ride where the tracks are." Erza said.
"The main thing trains have over other vehicles is speed." Gray said as he started to strip.
"They must be in a hurry to kill quite a few people then…" Lucy murmured.
"But the royal army already knows about them. They'll catch the bad guys!" Happy said.
"Let's just hope so." Erza said with a look of worry.
Erza sharply sped around a corner, knocking over tables and chairs in an outdoor restaurant.
"Are you insane!" An old man yelled at the speeding magicmobile.
"Erza! You're going too fast. The SE plug is beginning to swell up." Gray said.
As magic power was being pushed into the SE plug, Erza started to breathe more deeply.
"We don't know what Eisenwald is after. We could be in for a tough battle!" Erza shouted.
"If you push this thing too hard, your magic may dry up when we're in a pinch!" Gray yelled over the wind.
Erza pushed the accelerator harder, determined to get there in time. "I don't care! If push comes to shove, I'll fight them with my bare hands...plus… I have you three.
Happy was sitting in the magicmobile thinking hard about something.
"I have the feeling I was supposed to tell you something Lucy." Happy said.
"I am sure you will figure it out soon." Lucy said as she patted Happy's head.
Natsu sniffed the air. "Is that…smoke?"
"Damnit! Just what have they done?!" Erza said as she ripped the SE plug off her arm, noticing as a large plume of smoke was leaving Oshibana Station.
As they made their way through a large crowd of onlookers, the mages heard a station employee telling everyone to stay back over a megaphone.
"The station is now closed for maintenance following a derailment. No one is to enter the station!" The man spoke through the megaphone.
As Lucy was pushing through the large crowd, she pulled her hood closer to her face so no one could pull it off.
Erza walked up to one of the station employees and when he didn't answer fast enough for her liking, Erza headbutted him, knocking the man out.
"What's the situation inside the station?" Erza asked again and again as she continued to headbutt anyone and everyone.
Erza finally found someone who could answer her quick enough.
"An army platoon went in, but it hasn't returned. The employee said.
"What about the Eisenwald terrorists?" Erza said.
"They haven't come out either. They may be fighting inside!" The employee informed Erza.
"Stop! You can't go… in there…" The employee tried to say as he saw the group of mages run off.
"Th-They are all dead!" Lucy said as she saw the scene before her.
Laying across the steps to the station were the bodies of royal soldiers. Some had been impaled, others cut by swords or blasted by magic while others looked if they were cut thousands of times.
Natsu and Gray said nothing as they walked past the bodies.
'They went up against an entire guild of wizards, not even a platoon could survive that." Erza said.
"Let's hurry! The platform is this way!" Gray said as he motioned the others to follow.
The trio of mages stopped running when they saw a large group of wizards guarding a train with one man holding a scythe sitting on top the train.
"Fairy Tail… I knew you'd come." Said the man holding a large scythe.
"Look at all these people." Lucy said.
"So, your Erigor, huh?" Erza said.
"Huh! I've seen that chick in armor before." A man with cat like whiskers said.
"Yeah, she's the chick from that bar!" A short, fat man said.
"So, you figured out our plan?" Erigor said.
"What are you guys after? What happens to you next depends on your answer!" Erza said as she glared daggers into Erigor.
"We just want to play. We're not getting work, so we've got all the time in the world on our hands." Erigor said.
Suddenly the large group of wizards started laughing hysterically.
"I don't understand? What is so funny?" Lucy asked.
"Nothing. They're just insane." Gray replied.
Erigor jumped off the top of the train and started to float in the air.
"So, he uses wind magic." Lucy thought to herself.
"Don't you get it yet? There's something special about the station!" Erigor said as he flew to the station loudspeakers
"The station?" Erza said.
"Buzzz!"
Erigor tapped the station loudspeakers with his knuckles to get his point across.
"You're planning on broadcasting Lullaby?!" Erza yelled.
"Bwa ha ha ha!" Erigor laughed. "I'd say there's a mob of several hundred people out here, and if I play it loud enough, the death song will spread through town!"
"You're talking about mass murder!" Erza yelled.
"This is a purge of all people who don't realize that other's rights have been stolen! It's a sin to live in this world without knowing how unfair it really is! And the death god will give out punishment. A punishment we call death!" Erigor said.
Lucy started to grit her teeth in anger. "Your guys are fools! All this death just for a stupid idealistic crusade! Of course, this world isn't fair, nothing in this world is!"
"Oh, and how would you know anything about this 'unfair world' little girl?"
With a bout of wind Erigor pulled the hood down from Lucy's face, and upon seeing her bare face he was greeted with an intense scow.
"I know that no matter how much you beg and plead this world will not save you!" Lucy yelled.
"I like you kid; too bad you're going to die by my hand." Erigor said.
A man the others called 'Kage' slammed his hand onto the ground and a shadow resembling a clawed hand was moving across the ground and popped up about to rip Lucy in two.
"Too bad for you little flies. You won't live to witness the start of a glorious new dark age!" Kage yelled.
Natsu ran towards Lucy to intercept the attack, but Just as the shadow claw was about to strike, Lucy pulled her diamond scaled right arm and a metallic clang was heard as the shadow claw broke apart against Lucy's diamond arm.
"Just what are you?!" Kage said.
"A member of Fairy Tail." Lucy said.
"You take it from here and I'll go play the flute. Show these no name flies the dark power of Isenwald!" Erigor laughed as he flew off and smashed a window to escape.
"Natsu! Gray! You two go after him!" Erza commanded.
Both Gray and Natsu looked at each other in confusion. "Huh?!"
"If you combine your powers not even Erigor can stop you!" Erza said.
"Us?" Natsu asked.
"There's no way I'll work with him!" Gray said.
"Lucy and I will find a way to manage here!" Erza said.
"Of course, we will!" Lucy said with a smirk.
Erza turned around to see the boys still fighting.
"Are you listening to me?!" Erza said.
"O-of course we are!" Both boys said in unison.
"Then go!" Erza said as she motioned her arm for them to leave.
"Two of them ran away!"
"Maybe they're trying to run after Erigor!"
"Just leave them to me." A wizard wearing a beanie and jacket said.
"I've got a score to settle with that pink guy! I'm going too!" Said Kage as he fell into his shadow.
Lucy heard some Eisenwald members mumbling to themselves.
"It'd be a shame to kill em!"
"Let's sell em as slaves."
"No! No! let's make em strip!"
"Yeah! I wanna see a naked fairy!"
Lucy remained calm not letting their petty insults annoy her.
"If you insult Fairy Tail once more then you will not live to see tomorrow!" Erza said as she requiped a large sword, ready to fight.
"So that is requip." Lucy thought to herself.
"Requip huh? Well, we can do that too!" A wizard said as many of his guild-mates requiped their swords.
"Let's peel off her armor!" Another said.
Erza ran and slashed wizard after wizard not letting them get a swing in.
"Tsk. Let's see how you take projectile magic!" Another wizard yelled as he shot off a magic blast just for it to dissipate as Erza requiped a pike and slashed the man.
Others tried to strike Erza down with magic guns or larger swords only for Erza to dodge their attacks and requip again and again. Changing weapons from a pike to twin swords to a large axe.
"She's amazing." Lucy mumbled as she stood there starstruck by Erza's power.
Erza looked around and saw there were still many wizards left to fight.
Erza puffed in exhaustion. "Just how many are there left? This is too much trouble. I'll clean them out with one fell swoop!"
Erza's clothes and armor started to disappear in a stream of smoke and light. The Eisenwald wizards started to gawk and whistle as her bare breasts could be briefly seen before her chest was covered in iron.
"Why is Erza stripping?" Lucy said.
"She's not. Erza is transforming." Happy said.
"Transforming?" Lucy said.
"Aye! While the standard wizard swordsman only requips weapons while fighting, Erza requips armor too. That is Erza's magic!" Happy explained.
As Erza stepped out of the smoke, Lucy saw that Erza was wearing an armor with a long fabric skirt and a metal chest piece that covered her breasts, and four giant metallic wings with countless swords floating above her.
"Wow!" Lucy said with a big smile.
"Erza…no she can't be." A short fat man told himself.
"Dance my blades!" Erza commanded and her swords took out the remaining wizards with extreme precision, not letting anyone escape.
"N-now I'm sure of it! She's the strongest woman in Fairy Tail…" The short fat man said.
"You dirty little! Now you're taking on me!" A wizard screamed as he jumped, about to punch Erza with a fist swirling with magic but Erza effortlessly cut him down.
"…She's the fairy queen Titania Erza!" The short and fat wizard said.
"Your incredible Erza!" Lucy said as she saw all their enemies out cold.
Well almost…
A short fat man rushed off when Lucy and Erza weren't looking. Erza just saw him before he ran out of view.
"He's probably going to where Erigor is! Lucy, follow him now!" Erza commanded.
"Yes!" Lucy said as she saluted Erza.
The last of Erza's magic was used up and she reverted back to her ordinary set she usually wore.
"I knew it. I used up too much magic power driving the magicmobile. Natsu…Gray…Lucy and Happy, it's up to you now." Erza said.
As Lucy was pursuing the Eisenwald member that got away, she found herself in a corridor filled with giant knight statues.
"It seems we have lost track of everybody." Lucy said.
"Aye!" Happy said.
"Why don't we go back to where Erza is?" Lucy asked.
Happy immediately freaked out at the suggestion of retuning to Erza. His fur was standing on edge in terror.
"You can go if you want Lushee. I don't want to be killed by Erza!" Happy said as he sprouted wings to hide from Erza.
"Come on. Let's go, Erza will not kill us." Lucy said as she grabbed Happy by his tail.
"….ROAR!"
As Lucy and Happy were running back to Erza, they heard a loud roar and what sounded like bricks falling. Lucy looked around to try and find where the noise was coming from.
"Was that Natsu?" Lucy said.
"Yep! No doubt about it." Happy said.
"He probably beat Erigor! Let's go." Lucy said as she continued to run back to the others.
Lucy and Happy finally made their way back to Erza and the others. Lucy saw Erza cradling the man called 'Kage' in her arms. He was bleeding out rapidly with a small pool of blood beneath him.
"That man has been stabbed!" Lucy said.
Lucy ran over to Erza and kneeled down next to Kage.
"Take his shirt off. We need to stop the bleeding and wrap the injury." Lucy said as she reached into her cloak and pulled out gauze and medical tape.
Erza ripped Kage's shirt off and Lucy began to wrap the stab wound with gauze tight and seal it with the tape.
"There. All done. He should survive." Lucy said.
Erza placed Kage on the ground and stood up. "Thank you, Lucy, for saving him."
"It's no problem." Lucy said.
"But this is." Gray said looking at the massive wall of gale force winds trapping them inside the station.
"A wind wall." Lucy said as she saw Natsu try to break through.
"See?" Gray said pointing to Natsu.
"Kage please wake up. We need your power." Erza said.
While Natsu tried to bust through the wind wall to no avail, Gray explained everything to Lucy.
"So Erigor put up this wind wall to trap us while he kills the guild masters at the league meeting?" Lucy said.
"Pretty much. And we're trapped here unless one of us can break through." Gray said.
"Damnit!" Natsu yelled as he lit his fists of fire. "I'm gonna bust through this thing!"
As Natsu slammed his fist into the wind wall his flames were instantly extinguished.
"Gray! Can't you freeze the wind?" Erza asked.
"I would if I could." Gray replied.
"AAAHHHH!" Natsu screamed as he violently slammed himself against the wind wall. More and more of his flesh and clothes were being torn up in the process.
"Natsu stop!" Lucy yelled as she pulled Natsu from the wind wall.
Natsu tuned around and stared into Lucy's eyes.
"What?" Lucy said. A small blush appearing on her face.
Natsu put his hands on Lucy's shoulders in sudden shock when he just remembered something.
"That's right! Your spirits!" Natsu yelled.
"What?" Lucy said.
"I was able to go from one place to another through the celestial spirit world, right?" Natsu said.
With that Gray and Erza's attention was caught.
Lucy brushed Natsu's hands off her shoulders. "Natsu, normal people will die if they go to the spirit world. You cannot breathe there. Besides, the gate only opens where the celestial wizard is."
"Cut the long explanation and just do it!" Natsu said.
Lucy's patience was running thin with Natsu's inability to listen.
"I am saying that it can't be done! Humans passing through the spirit world is a bad breach of contract. The only reason it did not matter was because it was Everlue's key!" Lucy explained to Natsu who looked like her words went one ear and out the other.
Something clicked in Happy's mind as he heard Lucy talk.
"Everlue's key…" Happy mumbled.
"Lushee! I just remembered!" Happy yelled.
"Remembered what Happy?" Lucy said.
Happy sat down and took the little bag off his back and started to rummage around. He pulled out fish, water and many other things. It was a miracle they could all fit in the tiny bag.
Happy pulled out a key out of his bag and held it in his little paw for Lucy to see.
"This is it." Happy said with a smile
"That's Virgo's key!" Lucy said.
"Aye!" Happy said.
"But how do you have it?" Lucy asked.
"Virgo herself wanted me to give it to you." Happy said.
"Really?" Lucy said.
"What are you two talking about?" Erza said.
"We don't have time to waste discussing stupid things like this!" Gray said. The irritation was clear in his voice.
"Virgo? The gorilla maid?" Natsu said.
"Virgo said her contract with Everlue was broken the minute he was arrested so she wanted to create a contract with you, Lushee." Happy said.
"That's good to hear but what does it have to do with our current situation?" Lucy asked.
Happy looked down at the ground sniffling slightly. "I just thought that since Virgo was able to dig underground, she could help us get out under the wind wall." Happy explained.
Lucy's face immediately lit up in understanding and she picked up Happy and gave him a big hug.
"Happy your amazing! I will treat you to fish when we get back to the guild." Lucy said.
Happy's bad mood instantly vanished when Lucy mentioned fish. "Lushee you're the best!
"What?!" Erza said.
"Is that true?!" Gray asked.
Lucy grabbed Virgo's key from Happy and swung it in the air.
"I am one who creates paths to the celestial spirit world! You must answer and pass through your gate! Open! Door of the Virgin Palace! Virgo!" Lucy chanted
Virgo's gate opened in a stream of smoke and when her eye's met Lucy, Virgo bowed slightly.
"Did you call mistress?" Virgo asked.
"Yes Virgo. Can you-" But before Lucy could say anything more Natsu butted in to talk to Virgo.
"You've lost weight." Natsu said.
"Please forgive my prior actions." Virgo said.
"Ahh, don't worry bout it!" Natsu said.
"Virgo must change her appearance based on her master's preferences." Lucy thought. She shuddered when she remembered how creepy Everlue was.
"Hmm. She's pretty cute." Gray said when he got a good look at Virgo.
"Lucy… I shuld have known." Erza said.
"I know we don't have a contract yet but this is an emergency, so can it wait?" Lucy said.
"As you wish, mistress." Virgo said.
"I'm not your mistress, I am your friend Virgo, so don't call me that." Lucy said.
Virgo looked at the black cloak Lucy was wearing and a thought popped in her head.
"Cultist?" Virgo asked.
"No! That's terrible." Lucy said.
"Then, 'Princess'." Virgo said.
"That is much better." Lucy said.
Gray looked on at the conversation between the mage and her spirit bewildered. "How is that any better? Never mind just hurry."
"Virgo! Can you dig a hole under the wind wall that will let us escape?" Lucy said.
"Easy, Princess." Virgo said as she dived underground like a swimmer diving into a pool of water.
"Good work Lucy." Erza said as she slammed Lucy's head into her armored chest.
"Thanks…" Lucy murmured.
"Good! We can use that hole to get out." Gray said looking into the now deep hole.
Natsu picked up Kage and dragged him over his shoulders.
"Natsu what are you doing?" Gray asked.
"No matter how bad they are I can't just let someone die after I fought them. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth." Natsu said.
A moment later Virgo popped back up from the hole with blood-stained clothes and cuts scattered all over her body.
Lucy put her left hand to her mouth in slight shock. "Virgo! What happened?'
"I'm sorry princess but the wind wall does not end. It goes down farther than I can tunnel." Virgo said.
Lucy had a worried look on her face. "You did well Virgo. Go rest up."
And with that Virgo went back to the spirit world to heal.
"Damnit! She was our only hope!" Gray yelled in anger, punching a stone pillar.
"I am truly sorry everyone." Lucy bowed slightly. "But we can still get out."
Natsu's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? You can get us out of here?!"
"Yes. But it's something I don't want to do. But since it has come to this…" Lucy said as she walked closer to the wind wall.
Lucy uncovered her right arm that was hidden inside her cloak, it's diamond like scales and three clawed fingers shocked Gray and Erza.
"Lucy your arm!" Erza called out.
"What is that?" Gray said.
"A takeover. A rock serpent: Diamond class." Lucy said. She knew lying was wrong, her mother told her as much but she knew it was better to lie to protect herself than to tell the truth and be hurt again.
Lucy flinched slightly as she pushed her arm into the wind wall
"Lucy!" Natsu yelled in worry.
"What are you doing?!" Gray yelled.
"Don't be so stupid Lucy!" Erza yelled.
There was an ear-piercing noise as the violent wind brushed against her diamond scales. It sounded worse than nails on a chalkboard. Happy covered his ears with his tiny paws to try and drown out the noise.
After a moment Lucy pulled her arm from the wind wall. "Just as I thought." She inspected it for cracks or broken scales but found none. "This wind cannot break diamond!" Lucy said.
As Lucy held out her diamond coated arm for everyone to see, they let out a collective sigh as they saw that Lucy wasn't injured.
"Lucy! That was crazy!" Erza yelled as she ran over to where Lucy was standing near the wind wall.
"Yes, well, that was just a test." Lucy said.
"Test?" Gray said.
"What do ya mean Luce?" Natsu asked.
Lucy's face looked pained as if she didn't want to say what was about to come out of her own mouth.
"Since I now know that this wind cannot pierce diamond… I will create a path for you to escape." Lucy said.
"Lucy don't." Natsu said. Worry was written all over his face.
"You can't stop me Natsu. I am a wizard. I expected this could be an outcome when I tagged along for such a dangerous mission." Lucy said.
Everyone watched as Lucy's arms and legs were slowly being coated with diamond like scales. Even Lucy's face was mostly covered with them, the only exception being her eyes and mouth.
"I'm now wearing an impenetrable suit of armor. Nothing can hurt me." Lucy said as she pushed one foot through the wind wall.
The wind being so strong, it let her place her foot down as if it was solid ground but Lucy knew better. The wind wall was trying to rip apart a foreign object that entered its sphere of magic, so it was getting stronger and stronger to rip that same object apart.
Lucy would be impressed at the complexity of such a spell if it wasn't used to trap and kill.
Lucy now had both her feet on the wind wall and she gripped the very wind itself and pushed the wind up with all her strength, creating an opening for the others to escape.
"Now! Jump now! I can't hold it for long!" Lucy yelled over the deafening wind.
"Thanks." Gray said as he jumped through the hole and onto the roof of a nearby building.
As Erza jumped through, she said "Your extremely brave Lucy."
Natsu was the only one left to go through. He just stood there staring at Lucy with worried eyes.
"Go Natsu! Even Happy's gone!" Lucy yelled.
"B-but what about you?" Natsu said.
Who cares about me?! Just go!" lucy yelled.
Natsu adjusted Kage so he was being held on his back piggyback style.
"Lucy your wrong, we care." Natsu said as he jumped through the hole in the wind wall landing on a nearby rooftop.
Lucy could feel as her diamond armor was starting to crack. She tried to create more layers of diamond to protect herself, but just as fast as she could create the diamond scales, the wind wall ripped them apart just as fast.
The wind broke through the scales on Lucy's right arm and Lucy lost her grip. "Damnit!"
Lucy saw blood rushing down her arm shortly before it went limp. "I knew this could have been an outcome, but I had to do it!" Lucy thought.
Lucy struggled to continue to hold up the violent wind over her head, her left hand being cut into deeper and deeper the longer she did so.
"I have to leave. I need to jump out but the second I try I'll be ripped to pieces." Lucy told herself.
Lucy knew she couldn't hold out forever, it would come for her sooner or later. So, she let her grip go and the second Lucy did she was violently thrown around the wind wall. Every surface of her body being shredded to pieces.
All she could hear was the sound of flesh tearing and scales breaking.
All she could feel was immense pain.
All she could see was the violent wind.
And then she could sense nothing.
"Lucy!"
Natsu screamed her name again and again as all he could do was watch helplessly as Lucy's body was thrown around like a rag doll.
"Natsu! We need to keep moving." Erza yelled.
"But she needs our help!" Natsu yelled back.
"Natsu don't worry. She's strong." Was all Gray said as he walked past Natsu.
"Natsu! Lucy got us out of there so we could save the guild masters. Don't let her sacrifice be in vain!" Erza said sternly.
"Tsk!" Natsu grunted as he tore his gaze away from the wind wall and ran towards the magicmobile Erza had found.
When Lucy awoke, she found herself lying against a broken wall inside Oshibana station. She figured the wind wall must have thrown her back into the station by chance.
All Lucy could feel was an immense pain that spread all over her body. As she tried to move her head to look at her injuries, Lucy felt a sharp pain shoot through the left side of her head.
This was when she realized she couldn't see anything out of her left eye.
"Why can't I see?!" Lucy murmured in a panic. "Why can't I open my eyes?!"
After what felt like forever Lucy was able to slightly open her right eye. Using her small bit of sight, Lucy, carefully without moving her head or much of her body at all, assessed her injures.
As Lucy looked around, she saw her body was covered with gashes, but they didn't seem to be too deep which she thought was thanks to her diamond armor. Lucy also saw that much like her body, her clothes were shredded and stained by the pool of her own blood she was sitting in.
Lucy glanced up and smiled slightly as she saw the wind wall was gone. "Natsu did it… he beat… Erigor…."
Lucy was tired and sore all over and as she felt the last of her energy leave her body, she closed her eyes and embraced the comfortable darkness.
"Over here! We need doctors and quick!" A royal guard yelled.
"There is a young woman who is bleeding out. And, oh god, Her eye…" The same guard said.
Lucy awoke outside the wind wall laying on a makeshift cot with the left side of her face heavily bandaged. When she opened her right eye, she saw she was in a tent wearing a hospital gown. There were a few bandages wrapped around her arms and legs, but knew it wasn't something that she had not healed from before.
Lucy got up to sit on the edge of the cot, her feet just touching the ground.
Lucy heard the sound of the tent being unzipped and saw what she assumed to be a doctor enter. The doctor was a tall but slim woman with greying hair and held a clipboard in her hand.
"Oh. I see that your awake." The doctor said.
"Hello." Lucy said.
"Hello, I am Doctor S. It's nice to meet you. I am quite surprised to see you standing and talking yet alone awake.
As Doctor S was looking through the papers on her clipboard, Lucy jumped off the bed and walked up to the doctor.
"How long have I been out for?" Lucy asked.
"You shouldn't really be doing that in your condition." Doctor S said.
"I asked you a question." Lucy said.
"U-um about 40 minutes or so. But I still advise- "
Lucy glared daggers into the doctor. "Let's get this straight. If you tell a single soul of what you saw today, I will end your life."
The doctor nodded her head in agreement and lucy raced out of the tent.
Lucy saw a magicmobile parked nearby and she ran to it, strapping the SE plug on her arm and speeding off.
"Damnit! They could all be dead by now!" Lucy said.
In the distance Lucy heard explosions and roars of pain. Hoping it was not her friends she pumped more magic power into the SE Plug.
It took Lucy more time than she liked to get to Clover, and when she did, she saw her friends fighting in the distance, shooting off lances made from ice, explosive fireballs and swords slicing wood.
"That has to be Lullaby's true form." Lucy thought to herself as she panted for air.
"They all look exhausted; their magic is hardly hurting the demon. If I get any closer, I will run out of magic." Lucy thought to herself.
Lucy put her right hand to her chin in thought. "Wait. From this distance…Yes! That should work." Lucy murmured as she climbed onto the roof of the magicmobile for a better view of the demon.
When she had the demon in her sights, she allowed her remining magic to be put to use.
"Diamond spears: Piercing silence!" Lucy yelled.
Suddenly, out of nowhere a giant spear made of pure diamond shot through the demon's stomach, and then another hit its right arm and another hit it's left leg.
Spear after spear came flying towards the wooden demon keeping it locked in place, unable to sing its song of death.
"I will not be defeated by mere humans! I am a demon from the book of Zeref!" Lullaby roared.
Lucy made a finger gun with her left hand and pointed it at the demon.
"Bang!"
One last diamond spear hit the demon, shooting through its head killing it.
The demon fell, crashing on top of the Guild master's lodge destroying it completely.
Everyone stood there in shock trying to figure out what just happened.
"Who exactly killed the demon?" Master Goldmine said.
"Oh, I hope a cute honey killed it!" Master Bob said, cuddling an annoyed Kage.
"Well, whoever it was they must have a massive amount of magic power." Erza said, impressed by the display of power.
"I'd say." Gray replied.
"I don't care who they are, I just wanna fight em!" Natsu yelled.
Erza saw a figure walking through the forest nearby, drawing a sword in preparation to fight.
"Who are you? Show yourself!" Erza yelled, pointing the sharp blade towards the figure.
When Erza saw the figure approach closer, she dropped her sword in shock.
"What's wrong Erza?" Gray asked.
"Hello everyone." Lucy said with a small smile, hiding her right arm behind her back as to not be seen by anyone.
Natsu rushed over towards Lucy, looking at her wounded state. "Lucy… your hurt."
"Don't worry Natsu I am mostly healed.
"But your face…" Natsu said, pointing to the left side of her head which was wrapped in various bandages.
"Like I said, it is just a few injuries. The wind wall can't kill me." Lucy said with a small smile.
Makarov looked at Lucy's body, a grimace forming on his face as he thought about the pain, she must be in.
"Lucy, my child. Was that your magic power that killed the demon?" Makarov asked.
Lucy could feel the eyes off everyone present look at her waiting for an answer. It was at times like these she wished she still had her cloak to retreat into. "Yes. It was my magic."
"That's awesome Lucy! Natsu yelled with a big toothy grin.
"But I thought you were a celestial wizard?" Gray asked.
"Yes, I thought so too." Erza said.
"Well, I am a celestial wizard." Lucy said as she showed her hoop of keys that she was wearing around her arm. "But I also know a few offensive spells for when my celestial magic cannot handle an opponent.
Makarov nodded his head in understanding and suddenly he was grinning wildly. "My wizards are just amazing, aren't they?!" He began to gloat to the other Guild Masters.
"Well, I don't understand the whole story yet, but it looks like we owe a debt to Fairy Tail." Master Goldmine said.
"You may be amazing, but you will still pay for a new lodge, Fairy Tail!" Another Guild Master said.
"Aren't you impressed with how completely it's destroyed?!" Natsu said laughing.
"Arrest them!" One of the old guild masters said.
And with that Master Makarov, Erza, Gray and Happy were running off into the distance. Lucy just stood there dumbfounded, unsure of what to say or do.
That was until Natsu grabbed her left arm and pulled her along saying "Come on! Let's go home!" with a big toothy grin.
Lucy smiled. "Yeah, let's go home."
Hello Everyone! I just wanted to thank Amanny, FireShifter, and Copperreign12 and everyone else who faves, follows and comments.
I originally wanted to split the chapter into two parts with Lucy ripping open a hole in the wind wall being a cliffhanger, but i just couldn't execute it well enough, so you have one big chapter! I hope you enjoy!