Back with the continuation
"speaking"
""thinking""
On with the story
"Those kids are….fighting the soldiers in swimsuits…." A tourist said in shock as Gray and the others had just pummelled the soldiers down to the ground
"Why would they…?"
Now that they had all of the attention on them. A few more soldiers overheard the commotion and easily determined the cause of it. "You brats! Stay right there!"
Mest was sweating as their cover was blown. "We can't get out of the island like this!"
"Leave him to us!" Wendy said, escorting the shocked child away.
"We'll take him to his dad!" Charla told
"Mest, you go too." Gray said.
"We need you to go to the informant!" Lucy said as she kicks a soldier right in the face
"I see…" Mest understood. "While you guys are keeping them occupied…"
"Yes, that's the plan." Erza nodded.
"Alright. Be careful." Mest said before vanishing.
Gray smirked, a frigid aura beginning to form around his open palm. "Well, it's getting hot here…so let's cool down for a sec!"
Lucy had her whip drawn and at the ready. "Let's go!"
"SEAL OFF THE PORT!"
"CAPTURE THOSE BRATS!"
One minute later, they now stood over the defeated soldiers. Gray let out a sigh as his hands went into his pockets. "This is disappointing. These are the guys the old man is afraid of? You sure about that?"
"we shouldn't underestimate them" Lucy said as she looks towards the ships that were stationed at the harbour "their reinforcement will probably come soon"
"Either way…" Erza was already sitting at the Star Mango booth, happily dining down on the island's favored treat. "We've got to be ready!"
"You're all very popular." The man behind the booth said as he was preparing some Star Mangoes into a plate. "But it would be great if you guys tone it down a little…."
"Sorry about all that." Erza spoke with a spoon in her mouth.
"Heh, and even after all that, you're still opening shop. That's some commercial spirit you've got there." Gray offered a friendly smile.
"Fights always happen around here anyway." The tender said with a smile of his own, cleaning a cup with a rag. "Nothing's more important to me than business! I'm gonna save my money to get to Ishgar! You lot came from Ishgar, no?"
"Yeah." Gray confirmed.
"I'm gonna popularize Star Mangoes in Ishgar and make the best desert stop there!" The man said with enthusiasm.
"Yes, that sounds delicious…" Erza coughed to correct herself, giving a thumbs up. "I mean…it's a great dream!"
"I'm stuck in this shabby hut for now, but…I'm a man with big dreams too! There's no way an ordeal like this will…" Before he could finish, his hut just exploded violently, catching everyone off guard. "NOOOOOOO!"
"WHAT!?" Lucy screamed.
"The hut!?" Gray was trying to figure out what happened!
"Well done. Well done~" An unfamiliar voice turned their heads.
"Who is it!?" Erza turned with a very angered look on her face. "How could you!?"
"Ah, that's a wonderful face you've got there! Very well done~~! The name's Marin Hallow, and I'm from the Brandish Force, a part of the Alvarez Empire's army." Marin introduced himself so politely and he had a soft enough looking face; one wouldn't think he was an enemy had he not destroyed that poor man's hut.
"That man…my dream…" The man was utterly heartbroken.
"Run." Lucy told him.
"This might not be enough, but take this as compensation." Gray handed the man a bag of jewel.
"I will exact revenge for the Star Mangoes." Erza held a deathly glare.
"Well done, well done~!" Marin repeated himself in an affectionately creepy manner. "You'll get a an A from me anytime!"
"Enough with that nonsense…" Erza growled out as the wind began to kick up as her aura began to make itself known. "I'll show you the wrath of the deserts. Kansho!"
Nothing happened
"What's wrong Erza!?" Erza exclaimed in surprise "I…can't use my requip?"
Erza stared at her hands in confusion as she can't summon her weapons
"Of course you can't. Space is something I own." Marin said
"Space?" Gray said in confusion
"The Knight is a type of magic that enables one to instantly equip anything they want from a pocket dimension, correct? That's precisely why you can't use any of your spacial magic against me. Because I own space." The Alvarez soldier explained.
"In that case…" Lucy drew a golden key and held it out to the side. "Gate of the Archer, I open thee!"
nothing happened
"Whoops. Celestial Spirit magic…that's spacial too, you know?" Marin shrugged.
"…No way..." Lucy and Erza aren't avle to use their magic how would they win?
"Ah…! I forgot to mention…" Marin held up his index finger. "But…those who manage to break free of my laws of space…"
As Marin spoke, Lucy and Erza's bodies began to vanish. "What's this!?"
"My body…!"
"Get an invitation to my own personal relaxation space~" Marin's voice was still oddly affectionate. Lucy and Erza could only scream before they just vanished into thin air against their will.
"LUCY! ERZA!" Gray shouted out and tried to save them but they were long gone by the time he reached them. Gray stared in horror at Marin's powers. "HEY! WHERE'D YOU TAKE THEM YOU BASTARD!"
"Didn't you hear me? I said I invited them to my own relaxation space!" Marin's tone of voice was still spoken and well-mannered despite the face he was clearly acting with ill intent.
"Those two have done so well, so…I've decided to make them mind." Hands clasped together, a creepy smile now forming on his lips. "But you guys. You have failed." Suddenly his expression turned ugly, the veins nearly bursting from his face! "FAILED, YOU HEAR!? JACKASSSSSSSS!"
"WHAT THE!?" Gray took a step back. "talk about a different persona!"
Marin snapped his fingers, a heavily injured Mest appearing from thin air. "He's one of yours, isn't he!?"
"Mest…!?" Gray shouted in shock as Mest was in lot of pain.
"This one too, tried to use spacial magic in front of the great me!" Marin shouted as he glared at Gray "FAILURES! UNCLEAN! HOW DARE YOU SHITHEADS USE SPACIAL MAGIC!? IT'S NOT SOMETHING FOR MEN TO USE, DAMMIT!"
Gray lunged towards Marin and was intending to put the slam to him but the man just disappeared before Gray could hit him
Marin reappeared behind Gray with an evil smile on his features. "The great me, a specialist in spacial magic…" Gray's reaction was on a dime, swinging his arm to chop at Marin's chest, but he vanished just before impact once again, reappearing behind the Ice mage once more with a fist aimed at his back. "And now you're in my domain!"
"Gah…!" Gray shouted out as he was forced forward.
"What the hell!? How'd he got behind me!?" Gray shouted in shock as he can't land a hit on Marin
"The one that controls space is the victor." Marin said while sitting atop a building behind Gray
"That guy is too much trouble…" Gray thought, trying to formulate a plan against Marin. He glanced around as he tried to find a way to defeat Marin
"Don't you get it!?" Marin laughed at Gray as he disappeared and then re appeared behind Gray "I control SPACE! I WIN!"
Gray turns around and tried to defend but could not as he could not react fast
But just before Marin could land a hit, a black metallic claw grabbed a hold of Marin face and slammed the man down to the ground
"What?!" Marin shouted in shock as he was then thrown away to the side and in his crash, he destroyed a stall
Marin got up as he holds his bruised-up face
"WHO DARES HIT ME!?" Marin shouted before his eyes widen in shock and in fear as he was face to face with Natsu who was in his demonic like form
"Y-Y-You are..!" Marin shouted in shock as Natsu looks at him then to Gray
"sorry, I'm late" Natsu said as his metal mouth mask moved when he talks
"what in the world happened to you?" Gray said as he scans Natsu's new look
"I'll explain later" Natsu told him as he started hearing footsteps
"Marin…" A female voice spoke out, unfamiliar to Natsu or Gray. "How much longer are you gonna play around like that…?"
Natsu and Gray turned around and they see a woman with green hair and was wearing a coat. Gray had cold seat beaded down his faces at this woman's presence as he senses the amount of magic power, she had
"What…what is this…? Her magic…it's almost as equal to Natsu!?" Gray thought as Natsu just looks at the woman
"I want some Star Mango gelato." The sudden statement caught the two wizards off guard. Brandish ignored them and turned to the destroyed stand. "W-What…? The shop's in ruins!? What happened here!?"
The woman cried in tears before spotting Natsu as she looks serious for a moment
"Brandish…" Natsu spoke out as he knows the woman's identity
Brandish stares at Natsu as the man stared back at her
A cold moment of silence filled the air as no one was moving a finger
"B-Brandish-sama…h-he!" Marin stuttered out before Brandish turns around and walks away
"we're going home, Marin" Brandish told to the man as she walks away
"y-yes!" Marin complied as he teleported behind her and followed her
"stop right there" Natsu spoke out as a powerful magic pulse exploded from Natsu and was felt by everyone
""Natsu's magic power!? It doubled!? No it quadrupled?!"" Gray thought as he gulped down his throat
"that guy took away Erza and Lucy, right?" Natsu said to Gray who nodded "give them back before I do it myself"
Brandish looks back at Natsu as a bead of sweat slides down her cheeks, she then looks at Marin and nudge her head as the man nodded
Marin snapped his fingers as Erza and Lucy returned
"Lucy! Erza! You two okay!?" Gray went to them as he help them sat up
"My relaxation room isn't dangerous, so no worries, no worries!" Marin assured them.
"We're fine, but…" Erza rubbed the back of her head. "What was that creepy room?"
"We're back…" Lucy groaned. She then noticed Brandish "There's another person here too…?!" "W-What's with this power!? Powerful alone is an understatement…!"
"What is she…?" Erza looks in nervous as this was the second time she felt such tremendous magic power other than Natsu
The two started at Brandish before seeing Natsu walking towards Brandish
"Natsu….!?" Erza and Lucy exclaimed at the same time as they were surprised by his sudden appearance and his new demonic looks
Natsu looks at Brandish and Marin as his eyes glowed black and red
"so that's what this is all about.." Natsu said as he turns around "you're looking for an Ishgal spy, huh?"
Brandish looks at the man as she can sense such a malicious and evil aura coming from him
"and are you going to stop us from doing so?" Brandish asked as Natsu looks ahead and started walking away
"I don't need to" Natsu said as the land started to rumble and shook "I already did"
The shaking turned into an earthquake as the very land started to crack and shatter
"Marin" Brandish called out as she and her henchmen were teleported away
"hey! Natsu! You can stop the earthquake!" Gray shouted as the land shattered and started to sink
"I can't" Natsu said before he and everyone else were transported to the ships that were docked at the harbour
There, all of the inhabitants and tourists were boarded the ship
"we're on the ships that were docked at the habour!?" Gray said before he looks to the side and sees the Caracol Island sinking into the ocean
"you're kidding right?" Lucy said in shock as Natsu had just made an island sink into the ocean
"Natsu, why did you do that? And how did you know that woman's identity?" Erza demanded from the man as he was standing near the railings and was looking out in the ocean where the Caracol Island had sunk into
"later" Natsu told her as he suddenly disappeared
"wha!?" Gray then disappeared then Erza and lastly Lucy, Wendy and Charla
Somewhere else
In the ocean
Everyone landed somewhere, as it was Mest's doing
"That was…my magic…" The mage groaned, still feeling sore from his injuries.
"Don't just teleport us to random places!" Charla yelled.
"Where…exactly are we?" Erza surveyed the area.
"Well…we're still technically in Caracol Island's waters, well it used to be." Mest clarified.
"Underwater!?" Lucy gasped. "How…?"
"What is this place…?" Charla stated out as she could see fishes swimming outside of the room.
"I did get to the spy…but the only message I got was to come here." Mest told them
"This is an odd place." Erza shrugged.
"An underwater temple, huh…?" Gray was somewhat impressed.
"There isn't even a boundary here!" Lucy stuck her hand through the barrier and easily slipped through to the water on the outside.
"hey" Natsu called out as the place itself started to rumble
Outside the temple sprouted wings and pushed itself up with mechanical legs before walking forward through the ocean.
"Mest, what's going on?" Erza demanded to know.
"I…I dunno…." Mest admitted. He didn't know as much as he should have in these moments.
"Welcome aboard!" A feminine voice said from the chair nearby. The chair turned and there was Angel, giving a salute, a wink, and stuck her tongue out playfully. "To the moving temple, Olympia! This is your captain, Sorano!"
"ANGEL!?" Lucy's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets from surprise.
"Why is she in a swimsuit?" Said Gray, lacking any clothes.
"She's underwater…why aren't YOU in a swimsuit!?" Charla growled.
Erza turned, giving Mest a look. "Why wasn't it Cobra!?"
"He would've asked too many questions…" Mest sighed.
"So the spy was…" Lucy began.
"That's right~" Angel shook her rear while answering the question.
Angel explained the situation. Needless to say she got some deadpanned looks. "So your cover was blown…" Lucy said.
"Then you came to the island to hide…" Gray continued.
"And now the island is gone…" Charla finished.
Angel puffed her cheeks, flailing her arms around childishly. "Hey! It took all I got to escape alive, okay! Anyway, this time's special because I owe Mest and Natsu a favor anyway. We're not comrades, make no mistake."
"Ah…thanks, Angel. Er…So…rano…?" Lucy wasn't entirely sure how to address Angel at this point.
Angel turned to Lucy, taking a part of her top piece and tugged it forward while giving a sinister smile. "It was I who killed Karen. Don't forget."
"Enough, Sorano." Erza said.
Angel relented with a lazy smile. "Yeah, yeah…" She then glanced at Lucy.
"enough talking" Natsu said as he clenched his claws a few times before clenched them hard as sparks appeared "take us to where gramps is"
"alright I got it" Sorano said nonchalantly as the moving temple started to move towards a different direction
"You know where Master is?" Erza said in shock
"it's more like he told me where to find Makarov" Angel said as she motions to Natsu who looks out towards the ocean walls
"wait, Natsu knows where gramps is? How?" Gray asked
"magic presence and smell" Natsu replied as he clenched his claws a few times before they disappeared and he returned to his normal form
The Alvarez Empire; capital: Vistarion. Makarov was in the main palace, playing a card game known as Legencia with another elderly man known as Yajeel. Yajeel set down a card and began to talk to Makarov. "I'm sure you've heard the whispers regarding Fairy Tail, haven't you, Sir Makarov?"
"Shocking to be honest…" Makarov muttered while staring at the cards in his hands.
"You would've seen it coming though?" Yajeel questioned.
Makarov was pondering his next move, but it seemed that Yajeel misunderstood him. "Hmm…oh, I wasn't talking about the guild. What shocked me was His Majesty's personality. I thought he would've been a bit more…hm…"
"Dictatorial?" Yajeel could already figure out what Makarov had assumed.
"Just when I thought of a nicer way to put it…" Makarov said as he sighs which made Yajeel just let out a hearty laugh. "Who would've thought he'd treat me as a guest and be so open to negotiations? I would've have believed it a year back. Well…you're the one doing the negotiating though…"
"Oh, but his Majesty has a habit of disappearing sometimes. He isn't even back yet." Yajeel explained. "Some time ago he took one of the Shields for a quick mission of some sort. He never returned after it was complete, though."
"Normally, one wouldn't bother with having negotiations with old bones like us." The former Wizard Saint laughed.
"But you see, that's the one interesting card you have in your hand!" Yajeel remarked. "To sooth his bloodthirsty shields and avoid violence as a means of solving conflict, was it? Our king is a man of excellence."
"But in Ishgar, people speak of him as a man that has control over all the guilds In Alakatasia by force." Makarov placed a card down.
"That is also one of his sides." Yajeel spoke very highly of Emperor Spriggan. "But that's what it means to be 'kind'."
Makarov sighs as he place down his cards on the table.
"You're too good at Legenca, Sir Yajeel. I've lost again." Makarov shrugged.
"The key to victory is to keep the Goddess close and not lose her." The old man said with a faint chuckle.
An uproar from the city caught their attention and they looked to see what the commotion was.
"His royal highness has returned!"
"It's been a year!"
"Emperor Spriggan is coming!" The people rejoiced at their ruler's return.
"My…speaking of the man…" Yajeel stood up, using his cane to support his weight, but he still shook due to his fragile stature.
"finally!" Makarov said as he was now close to fulfil his mission
"Be at rest, I'm sure His Highness would've heard of your concerns regarding Ishgar. And once His Highness delivers his decree, his shields will have no say." Yajeel said to ease Makarov's worries.
Makarov felt a wave of relief wash over him. His concerns over the past year could finally be put the rest. It was almost so much he wasn't even sure what to say. "I…"
"Please return to your guild when all of this is over." The old man said.
"Yes…" Makarov stared at the silhouette of Emperor Spriggan as he walked through the city. "My family is wait…"
The people of Alvarez chanted 'Long live the Emperor!' as their ruler slowly approached the palace. The identity of Emperor Spriggan, the man Makarov wanted to protect Fairy Tail from was none other than the guild's own worst enemy: Zeref.
"He looks well as usual…" Yajeel chuckled. "His youth is really something worthy of envy, isn't it?"
"Huh…?" Makarov couldn't hear anything. His gaze was too fixated at the information he attempted to process. "Zeref!?"
Zeref returned to the palace where he was greeted by Invel, one of the Spriggan 12 and known as the Winter General. "Welcome back, Your Majesty." Invel said with a curt nod.
"I'm back, Invel." Zeref responded to the Spriggan's greeting with a soft smile. "Do you think you'd be able to gather all of the 12?
"It would take some time." Invel responded. "If I could predict that the spring wind was coming, I would have gathered them in advanced."
"Oh? Are you saying I'm like some sort of capricious wind?" Zeref chuckled at the thought.
"Wind…black wind…no, a dark storm bringing death." Dimaria Yesta, the Valkyrie and member of Spriggan 12, said while placing a hand on her hip. "The spring wind doesn't suit you."
"DESSERT!" Said Ajeel Ramal, the King of the Dessert and another member of the 12. "You're like dust dancing over a dead land!" The Spriggan grinned
"Dimaria, Ajeel, you look cheerful." Zeref commented.
"You should speak more politely to His Majesty." Invel chided his two comrades.
"It's okay, Invel." Zeref reassured.
"You look cheerful too, Your Majesty. You seem happier than before." The elderly caused others to turn. This was the King of Magic: August.
"Do I?" Zeref asked.
"I reckon you've found your answer about Ragnarok…" The elderly man walked forward with a staff in hand.
"In Ishgar, they call it the Dragon King festival." Zeref informed them all. As soon as he did this, there were subtle grins on their faces.
"FIGHT!" Ajeel smirked widely, clearly the most excited one here. "Yes! I can't wait!"
Yajeel approached the small group. "Your Majesty…you are back! I am really glad to see you." The old man started to approach, but then he recalled Zeref's curse and backed away. "Ops…"
"Don't worry; Ankhseram has been in a good mood these last few years." The Black Wizard reassured.
"Oh, but someone like me might have their old soul sucked out just by getting close." Yajeel then gestured to Makarov, who was standing beside him. "I believe you are aware that while Your Majesty was away, a messenger from Ishgar came."
"Yes, I know." Zeref stared at Makarov.
"He insisted he wants to meet you right away. Perhaps you can grant him an audience?" The Minster asked.
"Yajeel-sama…" Yura was about to chide the old man. "Before beginning foreign guests into the palace you should fill in the official documents…"
"It's okay." Zeref said.
Makarov then kneeled before Zeref, showing the utmost respect to Emperor Spriggan.
"I…I am pleased to meet you, Your Majesty."
Zeref stared down at Makarov before turning to the others. "Could you leave us alone?"
"Of course, Your Majesty." Dimaria nodded.
Zeref and Makarov met on the balcony of the palace. The Black Wizard stared out to the kingdom while Makarov stood behind him.
"Are you Emperor Spriggan? Or Zeref?" The old man asked as to start the conversation
"Both." Zeref replied. "For you, I am Zeref. But to Alakatasita, I am Spriggan. Well…if I was asked to choose one, I'd say Zeref. I was looking for the meaning of living in this world. It's been 400 years already. But you know…I had already prepared the Dragon King Festival. I think it was about a few hundred years ago that I decided to create a country here. In the beginning it was a small country. Then it absorbed many guilds, and eventually became an empire – a huge organization."
"To get your hands on Lumen Histoire?" Makarov questioned.
"There's no need to hide it. I know the official name." Zeref's words caused Makarov's eyes to widen. "A secret magic superior to even the three great Fairy Magics; Fairy Heart."
Now Makarov understood. "Everything is clear. You're after Fairy Heart because you're Zeref, aren't you?"
"That's correct. But actually, I only decided that very recently. Originally, this empire was power I was gathering to compete with Acnologia." Said the Black Wizard, placing a hand on the railing nearby. "It wasn't me who decided to advance 13 years ago. Some of the 12 aren't easy to keep still. That time I stopped it. It wasn't the right time."
"Wasn't it because you feared the Etherion and Face possessed by the Council?"
"Of course, that's a reason too. It would've caused serious damage to us as well." Zeref admitted, a slow grin creeping onto his lips. "But Alvarez as it is now isn't going to lose to either Ishgar or Acnologia."
"I take it you're not open to negotiations?"
"Unfortunately. The real Dragon King Festival is about to start. Black Wizards…the King of Dragons…and you humans. It's time to decide who will survive." Zeref turned to face Makarov.
"Are you going to start a war…?" This was the dreaded question Makarov feared.
"An extermination." Zeref corrected.
"I WON'T LET YOU HAVE OUR FIRST MASTER!" Makarov yelled, but before he could do anything more, Zeref extended his hand and the old master's body tensed and seized up. "Ugh!?"
"I'm just a bit thankful to you." Zeref said with such an honest tone. "you took in Natsu, right?"
Makarov grunted in pain as the magic pressure was overwhelming "let me tell you a little secret" Zeref said with a smile "Natsu is a former Spriggan 12"
Makarov's looks in shock as he didn't want to believe the Black Wizard's words
"You'll feel better soon. I'll send your body to Natsu. He'll get so angry…he'll want to destroy me."
"Ngh…ugh…" Makarov groaned.
"Do you have anything left to say? I'll be sure to leave those parting words with Natsu." Zeref chuckled.
"Ugly….demon…." The old master gave Zeref the death glare.
"That was close. Spriggan is the name of an ugly fairy." Zeref prepared to end Makarov's life when the old man suddenly disappeared in a flash as he was saved by Mest who was visible for a moment but in that short brief moment Mest saw Zeref as the two looks eye to eye before Mest teleported away.
From the capital to the forest miles away, Mest reappeared with Makarov safely in his arms. Everyone was waiting for Mest to areturn, and as soon as he did, the group immediately surrounded the two of them with elated expressions. "Old man!" Said Gray.
"Master!" Lucy grinned.
"Master!" Erza beamed.
"Waaaaah!" Wendy wanted to cry she was so happy.
Makarov was huffing and puffing, but he was unable to believe the sight before him. "You…"
"ZEREF!" Mest panted heavily, trying to catch his breath after narrowly escaping that situation. "Zeref was there…!"
Natsu heard his words as his eye glowed red and he could see Zeref standing on the balcony with a smile on his face
Natsu stared hard at his brother before summoning Drac on
That's a wrap!
Bye bye