Ch. 7- Haru vs. Jellal
Fairy Tail © Hiro Mashima
Story and OCs © Me
Sometime later, after Gray left with Happy...
"What?!" Haru questioned. "What do you mean, Shô took off with Erza?!"
"It's my fault," Simon replied, shamefully. "Perhaps if I hadn't told him the truth until after everything was over, this wouldn't have happened."
Haru bit her lip, making a soft noise of worry as her fists trembled at her sides, which caused Blue Fang to whimper as he went over and nuzzled her.
"I don't even know what you guys are talkin' about!" Natsu argued. "All I know is that I lost against that owl guy! What is it with me losin' so much?!"
"This is hardly the time for that!" Simon shouted. "Salamander, please listen to me."
"Huh?" Natsu asked. "Who are you?"
"My name is Simon," Simon answered. "I'm an old friend of Erza's..." He then grunted a bit as he held his chest, causing Haru to gasp as she ran over to his side.
"Mr. Simon!" she cried as she put her hand on his shoulder. "Try not to push yourself! You're still hurt!"
"It's fine," Simon reassured, his expression strained and blood dripping from his mouth. "I can manage." He then sighed. "I managed to contact Wally and Millianna, and they got Lucy and Juvia out safely. Amazingly, they managed to defeat one of the members of Trinity Raven!"
"Oh, that's good to hear," said Haru in relief.
"Heh!" Natsu grinned. "I knew Lucy could do it!"
"What about Shô?" asked Haru.
"Well, Erza managed to free herself from one of his cards," said Simon, "but now, she's going to face Jellal on her own."
Haru visibly tensed, her hair standing up on end. "Oh, no..."
"She said that she plans to finish this, once and for all," Simon informed. "I suppose it was inevitable... fate has bound her and Jellal together for 8 years. A fight to the death is unavoidable at this point. However, Jellal is too powerful, even for Erza... so that's why, Salamander... I ask you..." He then looked Natsu dead in the eye.
"Please, you must save Erza!"
"...Nah," Natsu said, causing Simon to gawk in disbelief.
"W-what did you say?!" he asked.
"Natsu... why?" Haru asked, horrified. "How could you say something like that?!"
"What?" Natsu asked as he dug his pinky finger into his ear. "This sounds more like it's Erza's battle. If she wants to fight Jellal, then let her. We shouldn't interfere with that-"
"YOU DON'T GET IT!" Haru shouted, taking her brother by surprise. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND A THING, YOU IDIOT!"
"Your sister speaks wisely," Simon said. "Salamander, Erza doesn't stand a chance against Jellal!"
"Who the hell do you think Erza is, jerk?!" Natsu asked, angrily. "Erza's one of our strongest wizards! There's no way she'd lose to some creep like that! Right, Haru?"
No answer.
"Uh... sis?" Natsu asked as he looked over at Haru... only to gasp as he saw clenching her fists and tightening her jaw.
"How could you, Natsu?" she asked. "How could you say something like that?!" She then glared at her adoptive older brother, who visibly flinched as he saw that her eyes were welling over with angry tears. "YOU'RE ALWAYS PREACHING ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD HELP OUR FAMILY, BUT YOU WON'T EVEN HELP ERZA?!"
"Well... it's just..." Natsu started. "Wait a minute, what are you getting all worked up about?!"
"...You don't understand... you weren't there...!" Haru said, tearfully before she turned and ran. "If you won't help her, then I will!"
"Wait! No!" Simon cried as he reached his hand out to her while Blue Fang ran after her. "Come back!"
"What's her problem?!" Natsu asked. "All I did say was say that we should let Erza handle this!"
"You don't understand, Salamander!" Simon said. "It's true, Erza has become a powerful wizard, but she's still no match for Jellal, for he is a master of manipulation! Right now, as we speak, Erza is probably confronting him, right now! She doesn't want to face him in combat! She wants to save his soul from himself!"
"Save... his soul?" asked Natsu.
"No matter what she says or how much she wants to," Simon began, "Erza cannot bring herself to hate him... and Jellal plans to exploit that! Even worse, the situation has become direr! As we speak, the Magic Council is preparing to bring Etherion down on our heads, and when it does, nothing will be left! This tower and all in it will be destroyed!"
Natsu's eyes went wide in horror.
"And according to what Shô told me," Simon continued, "we only have 15... no... 10 minutes left until that blast of magic energy falls on our heads! While everyone else fled, Erza has gone off by herself!"
"...So what does that mean...?!" Natsu asked, although it seemed that by now, he knew what the answer might have been.
"I don't want to believe it," Simon began, "but it's highly likely that Erza wants to make sure that the Etherion kills Jellal... while sacrificing her own life in the process!"
Natsu's jaw tightened as he clenched his fists, fire begin to grow around his body as he digested this information.
"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT FIRST?!" he yelled. "WHERE IS ERZA, NOW?!"
XXX
Erza, dressed in nothing but a pair of hakama pants and a sarashi around her chest, glared bitterly as she held a katana in her hand. On the opposite side of her... there was a man in a hood, standing before a chessboard. He didn't even turn to face her... but he seemed to know he was there, for a dark grin soon creased his shadowed face.
"It's been a long time... Erza," he spoke.
"...Jellal..." Erza hissed as she stepped forward.
"You could have escaped along with the others, you know," Jellal mused.
"I came here to rescue my friends from your grip," Erza stated.
"Hmph!" Jellal scoffed. "Those fools? You can have them. I no longer have a use for them... now that the Tower of Heaven is complete."
"Even thought it will be destroyed in ten minutes?" asked Erza.
"You mean the Etherion blast, right?" asked Jellal.
"You're far too relaxed," Erza said as she gripped the hilt of her katana. "So was the Etherion a lie, as well?"
"Oh, no," Jellal replied as he pulled his hood back, revealing his blue spiky hair and the odd sword-shaped sigil over his right eye. "Etherion will come. That much is true."
"Fine with me!" Erza declared as she held up her sword. "Then that means I will my chance to stop you here in those ten minutes and finish this once and for all!"
"That's where you're wrong!" Jellal proclaimed. "You will be sacrificed to Lord Zeref! That has already been decided! Accept your destiny, Erza!"
"My destiny..." Erza said before she charged at Jellal with her sword at her side. "MY DESTINY IS YOUR DEATH!"
XXX
Haru panted as she ran up the stairs as fast as she possibly could, determined to get to the very top. Blue Fang wasn't too far behind her, hurriedly climbing up the stairs after her. As they kept running, Haru could feel her lungs burn and her muscles ache with every sprint... but she pushed on, knowing that time was of the essence.
"I won't let you," Haru said. "Erza... I don't care what you say! I'm not gonna let you die!"
All of a sudden, the tower started to shake, forcing Haru and Blue Fang to stop in their tracks.
"What was that?!" Haru asked before she looked out to the darkened sky... and she gasped as she saw a gigantic magic circle above the tower, glowing a bright light. Almost instantly, the Beast Wizard's stomach sank as she realized what it was.
"It's Etherion...!" Haru whispered as Blue Fang joined her side. "We're too late!"
Blue Fang whined, panic beginning to set in, his instincts telling him to flee to anywhere that the Etherion couldn't get to him... but before he could, Haru suddenly ran over and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his silvery-blue fur.
"It's gonna be okay, Blue Fang...!" Haru said as she clutched his collar. "I'm just... sorry we couldn't get to Erza in time!"
XXX
Out on the sea, Gray, Happy, Lucy, Juvia, Millianna, Wally, and Shô all sat on a small boat, gasping in shock and horror as they saw the Etherion preparing to fire.
"Oh, man, we gotta get outta here!" Gray shouted.
"But what about Natsu?!" Happy asked.
"Yeah! He, Haru, Erza, Blue Fang, and Simon are still in there!" Lucy shouted.
"Maybe they'll get out in time?" Juvia asked, although she didn't sound very sure herself.
"We have to go back!" Shô urged.
"Are ya crazy?!" Wally questioned. "There's no way we'd survive that!"
"But Big Sis is still in there!" Shô cried.
"Yeah, and Simon, too!" Millianna shouted.
Before they could argue further... a huge shaft of light suddenly came down on the tower, creating a shockwave so powerful that it sent them all flying over the water. Thankfully, Juvia managed to conjure up a giant Water Bubble in the nick of time. They all stood on the surface of the water, the waves tossing them about violently... and then, the waves began to still, much to their relief.
However, as they looked toward the horizon... they all gasped.
The Tower of Heaven was gone... but in its place was a gigantic crystal spire.
XXX
Haru gaped in disbelief at what she was seeing. Instead of the cold grip of death claiming her and Blue Fang in a flash of light... instead, she found herself standing amongst a crystal floor.
"We're... alive?" Haru asked in awe. "But... how? Etherion came down on us!"
Blue Fang blinked, unable to understand what had happened, himself... but then, his ears twitched as he looked up to the upper floor, then without warning, he began to run, causing Haru to gasp as she went to follow him.
"Blue Fang! Wait for me!" she called as they climbed up to the next floor... the tower's very top. As soon as they made it up, Haru gasped as she saw a giant Lacrima crystal in the center of the floor... with Erza inside of it!
"ERZA!" Haru cried as she ran over and grabbed her arm, then began to pull with all her might. "Urrgh... hold on, Erza!"
With a forceful yank, she pulled the Requip Wizard out of the Lacrima, causing her to drop to the ground, coughing harshly for breath.
"Erza, are you okay?!" Haru asked as she held her. "Say something!"
"...Haru...?" Erza asked as she weakly raised her head. "What are you doing here?"
"What do you think I'm doing here?" asked Haru as she pulled Erza's arm over her shoulders. "I came to save you, duh! Now let's get outta here!"
"I... I can't," Erza replied, her body trembling. "I can't move."
"What?!" Haru questioned.
"And just WHAT do you think you're doing?"
Haru looked up as she heard that voice... and there was Jellal, glaring at her as he approached.
"If you had waited just a minute more, Erza would have been absorbed by the Lacrima," he said. "The sacrifice would have been complete!"
Haru glared hatefully at Jellal while Blue Fang growled viciously, baring his fangs at the evil mastermind behind this whole scheme.
"So... you're Jellal, huh?" Haru asked.
"Indeed, I am," Jellal replied.
"Haru, don't engage him!" Erza urged. "Please! You have to get out of here! Right now! Take Blue Fang and run!"
"Nothin' doin'," Haru answered as she gently set Erza down and began to approach Jellal, who smirked at her. "He hurt you, Erza... and I don't forgive anyone who hurts my family!"
Jellal chuckled darkly, his hands shoved down his pockets.
"How cute," he mused. "The Beast of Fairy Tail dares to bare her fangs at me."
"Oh, I'll show you fangs!" Haru shouted as she put her hand on Blue Fang's chest, causing her signature magic circle to appear beneath their feet.
"No, Haru! Don't!" Erza cried, but it was too late.
"Beast Spirit: SOUL LINK!" Haru shouted before she felt the pulse of magic energy, causing her to growl as she began to feel her power begin to surge forth. Her eyes glowed red, her nails grew into claws, and her teeth sharpened into fangs while her hair bristled wildly. Blue Fang growled, his fur standing up on end as his eyes began to glow, as well.
"Here we come, Jellal!" Haru shouted as she and Blue Fang charged at the madman, who smirked before he raised his hand up, causing tendrils of darkness to appear from his palm before they shot forward, taking the form of black ghosts that flew toward Haru and Blue Fang. However, Blue Fang roared as he bit through the ghosts, causing them to shriek as they disappeared. Haru growled as she reeled her arm back and swiped her claws at Jellal, who merely backed out of her reach, then he coated his right fist in Darkness Magic before he punched her across the jaw, sending her rolling across the floor.
However, Haru was never one to give up so easily. Taking a moment to shake off her disorientation, she charged again, and this time, she swung her leg low in a roundhouse kick, attempting to knock Jellal off his feet, but he managed to jump over her leg.
"Is that really the best that your Beast Magic can do?" asked Jellal, mockingly. "You're just showing me some old tricks!"
"How's this for a trick?!" Haru questioned as she jumped up and kicked Jellal in the jaw, knocking him back, but as he stumbled, Blue Fang tackled him in the side, sinking his teeth into him as he threw him to the floor. Jellal growled before he put his hands into the floor, causing two giant hands of darkness to appear and try to grab the silver wolf, but before he could, Haru tackled Jellal from behind and sent the two of them rolling along the ground before she pinned Jellal down, her hand wrapped around his neck while he grabbed her arm.
"I won't let you sacrifice Erza!" Haru shouted as she attempted to claw Jellal in the face, but he kicked her forcefully in the stomach in order to push her off. Then, he raised his hands and threw several orbs of darkness at Haru, who darted around the room in order to avoid getting hit.
"Lord Zeref will return to the mortal coil!" Jellal declared. "I won't let anyone stand in my way!"
"Oh, yeah?!" Haru questioned as she charged at him, and before he could react quick enough, she kneed him right in the face. "Well, your 'Lord Zeref' can stay in the ground, for all I care! We're taking Erza home with us!"
She then began to pump her arms back and forth, striking Jellal with multiple punches as she roared in fury.
"Feral Beast... FANG FRENZY!"
With one final punch, she sent Jellal crashing into one of the crystal pillars, causing her to pant as she felt the effects of the Soul Link beginning to wear off, causing her to sigh as she fell to her knees, her body returning to its original form. Even Blue Fang groaned in exhaustion, his fur flattening as he sat down on his haunches... but at least the fight was over.
"Chew on that... you crazy sonuvabitch," said Haru before she turned around... but as she did, she suddenly froze. It was like her entire body had been grabbed by something, keeping her in place... and as she looked down her right arm and saw some sort of snake-shaped tattoo crawling up the limb. Before she could react quick enough, the mark had coiled around her whole body, and she screamed in pain as she felt it constrict her.
"What... is this?!" Haru questioned.
"Haru, behind you!" Erza cried out, causing the Beast Wizard to painfully turn her head... and that's when she saw Jellal walking out toward her, looking as if her attack from earlier had not even fazed him!
"That was a good effort," he said, mockingly, "but not good enough, I'm afraid... Haru Dragneel."
"How...?!" Haru whispered.
"Earlier, when you pinned me down," Jellal began, "I placed my Binding Snake on you. How do you think I managed to get Erza into the Lacrima in the first place?"
Blue Fang barked as he attempted to charge at Jellal, who turned and grinned at him darkly before he held out his hand to him.
"Sit," he ordered, and soon after, Blue Fang suddenly found himself restrained by the same mark, causing him to yowl in pain as he fell to the floor. "Good doggie."
"Blue Fang, no!" Haru cried before she gagged, the Binding Snake coiling around her throat... and slowly constricting her windpipe.
"Haru!" Erza cried. "Jellal, stop it! Let her go!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Erza," Jellal said. "No... I'm afraid she has to suffer." He then gave the Requip Wizard a sinister grin. "Once her last breath is gone from her lungs... that should be easier to break you... and after that, then you will be sacrificed to Lord Zeref."
"Er... Er... za...!" Haru croaked as she felt the Binding Snake tightening around her neck. "R... run... get away...!"
"No!" Erza screamed with tears forming in her left eye. "Leave her alone! PLEASE!"
Jellal cackled madly while Haru gagged again, feeling her lungs tighten as she desperately tried to breathe. Her heartbeat began to slow and the world slowly started to darken around her. As she felt her breath slowly leave her lungs, her eyes began to well up with tears.
'This is it... I'm gonna die... and Erza's gonna die with me! I'm so pathetic! Why is it that when I try to protect the people I love... I can't do it right?! Why do I always get beaten down?! Why... why am I so weak?!'
"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!"
Jellal turned before he was suddenly struck by a fiery fist, sending him back a few feet before he managed to regain his balance and raised his head, growling in anger. At that moment, Haru coughed and gasped as she felt her air return to her lungs, and as she looked up... her eyes widened as she saw Natsu standing over her. Behind him, Blue Fang panted as he was also freed from the Binding Snake, groaning as he lied on his side.
"Natsu...!" she whispered.
"Natsu!" Erza exclaimed in surprise.
"Well, well," Jellal said as he wiped his jaw. "If it isn't the mighty Salamander?"
"You okay, sis?" Natsu asked as he put his hand on her shoulder.
"Natsu... I... I tried so hard...!" Haru whimpered, trying her hardest not to cry, again. "I just wanted to save Erza!"
"I know," Natsu replied as he gently nuzzled his forehead against hers. "You did your best... I'm proud of ya, Haru."
"Natsu! Please, get Haru and Blue Fang out of here!" Erza urged. "Please! You don't know what Jellal is capable of!"
"...You're right... I don't," Natsu said as he walked over to her and gently pulled her to her feet. "Then again... I don't know much about you either, Erza..."
"Natsu..." Erza whispered.
"But I know this much," Natsu said... before he punched Erza right in the stomach. "I'm gonna win!"
"AGH!" Erza cried as she felt the wind get knocked out of her, causing Haru and even Jellal to gasp in surprise.
"Natsu...!" Haru whispered.
"Hahaha!" Jellal laughed. "Well, you're more outrageous than the rumors say, Salamander! You'd even strike down one of your own friends!"
"...You don't get it," Natsu said. "Erza... she was crying. She sounded so weak and helpless... but that's not the kind of person she is! Haru and I... we've always looked up to her as a strong, brave warrior!" He then turned and glared at Jellal, his body alit with flames. "We never wanna see Erza like that, again! So after I kick your ass, we're takin' her back home... so she can be the person she always was!"
Haru gaped in awe at her brother's words... her eyes welling up with tears once again.
"Natsu... you do understand...!" she whispered.
"Interesting," Jellal grinned as he gestured for Natsu to come at him. "In that case, Salamander... show me the power of a Dragon Slayer!"
"YOU ASKED FOR IT!" Natsu roared as he charged at Jellal, his fists ablaze with fury.
"GO GET HIM, NATSU!" Haru cheered for her brother, just as Natsu and Jellal clashed.
I know it seems like Haru's losing a lot of battles, but she'll get her moment, one day. Besides, I didn't want her stealing the spotlight from Natsu.
Review, please!