Author's Note 1: I don't own anything except my OCs and Original Magic.
Hey everyone! And welcome to my first new chapter of 2016! And to celebrate, here's the new opening for my original arc!
(Flyaway by Back-On)
(We see a birds eye view of Magnolia before seeing scenes of a winged figure passing by the members of Team Morningstar looking up as silver feathers flutter around. Natsu, Alyssa & Happy fishing, Lucy is looking out of her apartment window, Loki is looking sick in an alley, Juvia is shopping, and Zeke is crafting a new bow.)
Saa ryoute hiroge ano kumo wokoete
Niji no achi kugette mezasu basho e
Flyaway
(We see Natsu, Alyssa and Zeke readying their magics before firing and combining them into their Unison Raid that blows back several bad guys.)
(Mukai kaze datte deka I kabe datte oikaze matotte
Mezasu basho e)
Kimi ga soba ni iru kara
(The story logo appears over the reconstructed Guild Hall in a flash of light. Then see all the members of Team Morningstar putting their fists together with smiles on their faces.)
I held your hand 'cuz you said
Take you to the shining place from a maze
Kimi wo shinji te
(Zeke & Juvia bump into each and start blushing & stuttering, much to Happy, Natsu & Alyssa's delight.)
Dasono te atataka
Kute mitsu merusono hitomi nikumorihanakute
(Taurus & Hu butt heads while Alexander & Lucy train in the background.)
Tsumikasane ta omoi ga kare ta daichi ni oto shita namida
Hitotsubu no shizuku ga hirogatte shoku toridori no hana wo sakashiteku
(The group is on a train doing their usual thing. Natsu being motionsick in Alyssa's lap, Happy eating a fish, Lucy reading, Alexander drinking and Zeke looking out a window. The group stand together as a giant monster looms over them, their magics at the ready.)
Tsuyo ga ri no naifu wo furimawashite
Kizutsukete kizutsuite kurayami de saken deta
(We see a young Lucy crying with her father looming over her, a young Alyssa running from a fire, a young Alexander reaching out while in a storm, a pale Loki with Karen behind him, a young Juvia alone in the rain, and a young Natsu looking for Igneel with tears in his eyes.)
Ima hikari terasu ano sora no hate e
Kimi no te wo tsukan de hanasanai you ni
Flyaway
(We cut to images of a large green crystal, several animals being captured by various figures, an image of two silver wings, and the Masked Woman with one eye widened in anger.)
(Mukai kaze datte deka I kabe datte oikaze matotte
Mezasu basho e)
(Team Morningstar, the Gold & Celestial Spirits, Juvia and Loki run with a moving still of the rest of the Fairy Tail guild wizards in the background.)
Boku ga soba iru kara
(We still images of all our heroes, with emphasis on their guild marks. The final shot shows all of them calmly sitting on top of a hill while the sun sets in the distance)
Chapter 16: Morningstar, Theater Troupe?
Era...
"And as you can see, after our strategic retreat from Oak Town, Alzack and Bisca dropped Makarov off at Porlyusica's place in the forest." Lyle explained to Magic Council with the aid of several hologram lacrimas. "We figured if anyone was capable of reversing the damage down to the master, it would be her. Although the two did say that she passed them away with a broom, which is actually pretty normal for her. Anyways, after we had reconvened the guild remains we..."
The Absorb wizard was interrupted by the sounds of snoring. He turned and saw that Master Makarov was asleep on the podium. "Master! We're in the middle of a hearing! How can you..." He heard more snoring and saw that his wife had fallen asleep while standing up. "Amelia, Master! You're making us look unprofessional in front of the council."
The bespectacled man then turned to the council and much to his shock (and disappointment), the Magic Council members were also sound asleep. 'ARE YOU F&^KING KIDDING ME?!' Lyle gave a loud whistle, waking everyone up.
"What happened?"
"Is the hearing over?"
"I was totally not sleeping just now!"
"As I was saying, afterwards, we reconvened at what remained of the guild hall..."
"Thank you, Mr. Hudson." The judge interrupted the Absorb wizard. "You've provided more than enough evidence to prove that Phantom Lord were the aggressors in this case."
"Really? 'Cause I haven't gotten to the part where..."
"Case closed." The judge stated with a bang of the gavel.
"But...I spent all night on my testimony." Lyle stated in sorrow as Amelia rubbed his back in comfort.
Back at the partly-rebuilt Fairy Tail Guild Hall...
"Good news guys!" An excited Mirajane said from the bar. "We're excepting job requests again!"
Hearing this, most of the guild wizards crowded the job request board. Seeing this brought an amused look from Lucy.
"What's up with them? Normally these guys just lay around the guild all day." She said, earning a giggle from Mirajane.
"Hey, I take offense to that!" The two women turned and saw Zeke writing down some more blue prints. "You don't see me spending my paycheck getting drunk. Except that one time."
"Oh yeah." Mira said with a thoughtful expression as she thought back to the night in question. "That was also the night we discovered that Natsu can't get drunk."
Lucy breathed a sigh of relief at this news. 'A sober Natsu is destructive enough. I'd hate to see what a drunk Natsu can do.'
"I thought we agreed to never speak of that night again!" Natsu yelled, surprising Lucy at his sudden appearance.
"What night? What're you guys talking about?" Happy asked.
"Nothing!" The two male wizards responded. Suddenly, Natsu was forced to evade as a barrel went flying near them.
"Why don't you tell the others how you feel?!" The group turned and saw an angered Erza glaring at Laxus, who was sitting at one of the nearby tables.
"Oh great. Him." Zeke said with a glare of his own.
"I have no problem telling them what I think of them." Laxus said with his usual cocky smirk. "This guild's full of nothing but losers and weaklings." The then turned to Jet and Droy. "Especially you two. You were Phantom's personal punching bags. I'm glad I never bothered to learn your names."
The two injured wizards looked down in shame before Laxus turned to the bar. "Which brings me to the worst of them all. The rich little princess wannabe wizard. This was your fault."
Lucy, Zeke, Natsu and Happy glared at him while Mira said her piece. "Laxus, would you shut up?! The master said no one in the guild was to be held accountable for what happened, not even you. Despite the fact that I begged you to come help and you turned your back on us!"
Laxus just stood up and scoffed. "Stop your whining! That fight had nothing to do with me! But if I had been there, you wouldn't be drowning your sorrows in a pile of rubble right now."
Suddenly, a series of shots went off near his feet and everyone turned to see an angered Alexander with his flintlock out.
"You talk a big game, but I know your kind too well. You were probably too scared to fight and now you're just covering your tracks!"
Hearing this actually made Laxus drop his smirk as he glared at the celestial wizard. Lightning started flowing around him. "You want to repeat that, patchy?"
"I think he's got a point." The blond man turned and saw the wizards of Morningstar and Maelstrom all with their magics ready encase things got ugly. While he did believe he could take all of them, he didn't feel like wasting energy on those he saw as beneath him.
"Think whatever you want about me. It's not going mean a damn thing once I inherit this place and kick all you weaklings to the curve!" The then addressed the rest of the guild. "Your days in Fairy Tail are numbered kids!"
However, everyone started to notice the temperature drop several degrees and saw Ur walking towards Laxus with an angered expression.
'Master.' Gray thought in concern.
"With that attitude, it won't mean a thing even if you do inherent the guild." She said with a tone as cold as her magic.
"The hell are you talking about? Who are you?" The lightning wizard asked.
"If you rule with strength instead of compassion, no one is going to follow any order you give." The ice master stated. "And I'm guessing if they don't follow your orders, you'll beat them until they submit? Am I close?"
Hearing this actually made the blond man chuckle. "Right on the money. But you're saying that like its a bad thing."
"Just look at the Dias Kingdom. I think that's proof enough." Ur stated, the two powerful wizards glaring at each other.
"Whatever. The second I become guild master, you losers are going to have to find a new place to hang out." And with a final chuckle, Laxus vanished in a streak of lightning.
"What a jerk." Lucy said.
"Tell me about it." Zeke said, scowling as he went back to his blue prints. "He thinks that just because he's Makarov's grandson he can do whatever he wants."
"Well, we may not have a choice." Mira sadly stated. "He's on the top of a short list of candidates who can run the guild should the master retire."
Seeing as how the tension was getting to everyone, Alyssa quickly went to the job board and quickly found something to get their minds off the unpleasant encounter.
"I've found our next mission!" The speed wizard exclaimed, getting her team's attention. "There's an evil cult in Lupinus that needs a good asskicking. And Team Morningstar's just the guys and gals to do it."
"Alright!" Natsu cheered.
"Really?" Lucy asked in disbelief. "After all the craziness these last two weeks you want to fight an evil cult?"
"Hey, it's a 250,000 Jewel reward. Plus, they only got like one Earth wizard with them." The amazon responded.
"I don't know." The blonde said.
"Come on, what's the worse that can happen?" Zeke asked.
And then...
It was a lovely night in the town of Lupinus as the stars twinkled in the sky. At least until a large explosion consumed a warehouse, piercing the silence of the night.
"DAMN IT NATSU! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Lucy could be heard screaming.
"You guys told me to do it!" The dragon-slayer retorted.
"I said smoke them out, not blow up the building!" Zeke yelled back.
"There goes my new combat gloves." Alyssa said with glum in her voice.
"Aye." Happy responded with the same level of glum.
Back at the guild hall...
"So, you're really thinking about retiring?" Lyle asked Makarov as the older man took a swig of beer. The two men were sharing drinks while sitting on top of half-built pillar, the moon shining down on them.
"To be honest, I've been thinking about it for while." The diminutive wizard stated with a solemn look on his face. "Truth of the matter is, the only stopping me is the thought of who would be the next the guild master."
"And you can't leave the position to Laxus." Lyle said, grimacing as he thought about the Lightning Wizard. "If became the guild master, he'd immediately kick out every wizard he thinks as weak."
Makarov nodded before listing off the other candidates. "Mystogan or Amelia have the skills to be masters, the guild can't afford a master who's always off doing something else."
"And then there's Erza, Ur and Zeke. But they're either too young to carry such a responsibility or have been out of touch with the world for too long." The bespectacled wizard sighed before taking another sip of his drink. "It's a tough call for sure."
The older wizard noticed that Lyle had forgot to mention one of the other candidates. "You forgot one other candidate, my boy."
The Absorb wizard raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh my bad. Who did I forget, master?"
Makarov just chuckled at this. "Still so modest after all this time. You put your wife and son on the list of potential masters but neglected to put yourself on it."
Lyle spit out his drink when he heard this. "M-Me?! No, master! I...I couldn't! I mean I'm sure I would do the best job I could but..."
"And that's what made my decision so easy." Makarov said, confusing Lyle.
"You already made your call?"
The tiny man nodded before standing up and looking at the younger man. "Most of the candidates we listed off would jump at the opportunity to be guild master, although they'd probably abuse that power or couldn't handle the stress of the job. But the fact that you never even jumped at the chance shows something that most guild masters then to lack: humbleness. A true guild master must never see themselves as above their peers, but as part of them. He must treat his guildmates as if they were his own children. And who better to personify that then a man who's already a father?"
"Do...do you really mean it?" Lyle said, shocked at what he was hearing and what this was leading to.
"It's a new day for Fairy Tail. We've had more new members this year than any other. In a few weeks, we'll have a new guild hall. It only seems fair for us to have a new guild master as well." Makarov held out his hand. "Lyle Hudson, the title of Fairy Tail's Fourth Guild Master is yours for taking."
A lone tear fell down his face before the Absorb wizard wiped it away and looked at the older man with a determined expression. He took his hand and grasped it firmly. "I accept."
Hearing this brought on a smile to Makarov's face.
"Master!" The two turned and looked down to see Mirajane with a stack of papers in her arms. "It looks like they've done it again!"
"Who did what again?" The tiny man asked as he and Lyle landed in front of the barmaid.
"Team Morningstar. They completed their mission...but they also destroyed a wearhouse containing a large amount of consumer goods." She said with a sympathetic smile before holding up one of the papers. "The town's already sent a list of complaints."
Makarov was about to freak out at Morningstar's latest screw-up, until he remembered what transpired before the white-haired woman appeared. "Actually, this is a good opportunity." He said before motioning to Lyle. "You see, I've just appointed Lyle as the new guild master!"
"Oh that's wonderful!" Mira said with a cheerful smile. "Congratulations, Mr. Hudson!"
The bespectacled man rubbed the back his head, bashful of the praise. That was until Makarov took the papers from Mirajane and shoved them into his arms.
"And one of the duties of a guild master is dealing with fallout of the guild's actions. Including apology letters, compensation forms and complaints."
"Hey wait a minute!"
"Consider this early training, my boy!" Makarov said before yawning. "Oh my, I do believe its time to hit the hay. An old man like me shouldn't be up this late. Not good for my health, no sir."
As the tiny man walked away, Mirajane just smiled, oblivious to Lyle's stunned expression. "Again, congrats, Master Lyle!" And with that, the barmaid walked away, leaving the newly appointed guild master with the large stack of paper work.
"Is it too late to reconsider?"
And then...
"Uhhhh." Lucy groaned as she laid her head on the bar.
"Feeling down in the dumps, Lucy?" Mirajane asked her blonde friend.
"You can say that." She replied with a sigh. "We were a bigger threat to that town then that evil cult ever was."
"Actually, considering the only thing destroyed was one warehouse, this was actually a personal best for Morningstar." Mira said with a smile.
"Not helping. The damages were still taken out of our reward." Lucy groaned. While she did love her friends, their enthusiasm sometimes tended to drain her. Seeing her down in the dumps, an idea came to Mira's head.
"I think I got the perfect mission for you guys." The white-haired barmaid said with a smile, getting Lucy's attention. "And the best part is that your team won't be able to destroy anything.
The next day...
"You're sure about this?" Natsu asked as the team walked through the town.
"Hey, all we have to do is draw attention to the nearby theater." Zeke stated. "It'll be a cinch. You and Alyssa do some tricks with your magic, Happy attracts all the girls by being cute, and Lucy draws in the male demographic with her ridiculously large melons."
"Hey!" The celestial wizard yelled out while covering her chest with her arms. "That's sexual harassment!"
"Geez, I was just kidding!" Zeke retorted with a smirk. "Just summon a celestial spirit or something."
"Hey guys! Check it out!" Alyssa said, pointing to the large intricate theater ahead. A few minutes later, the team was lead to the meeting room where their client (an odd looking short man who constantly peeked out from behind a curtain) was waiting.
"Thank you for coming." The director stated.
"No problem." Zeke said as he looked around, noticing the lack of any other personnel. "Already had rehearsals for the day?"
Hearing this brought some sweat to the director's forehead. "Actually...my theater hasn't been doing so good. The recent reviews for my play have been...less than kind. So much so that my actors, my stage hands, even my writing staff quit on me." He then let out a sad sigh. "I guess my dream of making it big in the theater will stay just that."
The director's story really got to the team. As such they decided to help him out. However, after reading the script, they started to see why his troupe was getting such harsh reviews.
"Okay, no offense..." Zeke began as he read the script.
"And here comes the offense." The director sighed.
"But this story is one of the most tired premises ever." The archer stated. "A prince saves a princess from a dragon? Haven't heard that one before."
"I'm with Zeke on this." Lucy said. "This story's been done to death."
"Ya, it does seem kind of boring." Alyssa replied.
"And how come the dragon is always the bad guy? Dragons are awesome!" Natsu chimed in.
"Aye!" Happy chimed in.
"Oh, you're right!" The director cried out. "My former actors said the same thing! But it was the thing I could think of after the writers walked out on me!"
"Then we'll just have to make a new script." Zeke stated.
"But what about the props and costumes?" Happy asked.
"We'll have to make do with them!" Alyssa stated. "Come on, we're Team Morningstar! We can do this!"
"Right!" Natsu exclaimed, sharing his girlfriend's enthusiasm.
"But we're gonna need some help." Lucy said before getting an idea.
After calling up Alexander and the rest of the Star Liberators, the gang went to work on making the next play as great as they could. When they weren't passing out flyers to bring people in, they were rehearsing their new lines, refitting the set pieces, and designing new costumes.
Soon, the opening day came, with Zeke & Lucy handing out posters to passing by civilians.
"Opening night!" Lucy stated.
"Be sure to come!" The brunette stated. But as they continued to pass out flyers, the two big brains of Morningstar noticed a group of familiar looking people.
"Hey, kiddies!" Makarov greeted as he, his friend Yajima from the Magic Council, Lyle, Amelia, Mirajane, Team Maelstrom, Ur, and shocking of all, Moka, Bobo and a few of the Galuna Villagers.
"Master, mom, dad. What're you guys doing here?" The archer asked.
"We heard you were putting on this show, so we decided to drop by." Amelia said while pulling on Zeke's cheek, embarrassing her son.
"Who cares about the play? Why haven't you Fairy Tail brats destroyed the moon yet?!" Moka yelled, making Lucy sweatdrop.
"Haven't we been over this?"
As the group chatted, no one noticed a certain water wizard looking from a distance behind a street lamp, giggling at Zeke's bashful response to his dotting mother.
A few hours later, the assembled wizards turned players started to get into position behind the curtain while the theater seats were packed, much to the director's delight.
"Can't wait to see how Natsu screws up." Gray said as his team sat in one of the balconies.
"Please, if anyone's going to foul up their lines, it's Alyssa." Erza stated as she summoned a pair of theater specs.
"You guys should have more faith in your fellow guildmates! That's the many thing to do!" Elfman yelled.
"Are you guys betting actual money? If so, let me get in on some of that." Cana chimed in as she sipped some wine.
"Cana!" The giant of a man exclaimed.
Meanwhile, a certain harp spirit peeked out from behind the curtain and smiled.
"Oh wow! I've never played in front of so many people before!" Lyra exclaimed.
"You're gonna do great." Lucy replied. The blonde celestial wizard was currently wearing an elegant blue dress fit for a queen with a tiara to match.
"Alright! Places everybody!" The director yelled. "It's almost showtime!"
On a nearby podium, Zeke took a sip from his water and placed his script in front of him before clearing his throat. Soon, the show began, Lyra playing an enchanted tune on her harp as the archer began the opening narration.
"Long ago, there were two kingdoms at war. To the south laid the land of Dias, while the country of Fiore laid to the north. For decades, the two kingdoms clashed, neither side gaining the upper hand. That was until a brave knight joined the fray. A knight who rose from the streets as a beggar and quickly climbed the ranks of the Fiore Royal Army. By combining his skills with the blade and magic flowing his body, this man managed to turn the tide of the war. By slaying Dias' infamous Golems, he built a reputation as the strongest knight in all the land. And his name..."
The curtains opened, revealing several large rock set pieces shaped like limbs. Standing triumphant over a head-shaped piece was Alexander, adorned in silver armor that shined thanks to the stage light. A red cape flowing behind him and his Celestial Cutlass in his right hand completed the guise. A few of the Star Liberators were also dressed as the opposing forces of the Fiore Royal Army and the defeated Dias Royal Army.
"Was Samuel the Brave, Fiore's First Rune Knight!"
The audience cheered at the mention of one of their greatest heroes, the young women of the stage enamored by his confident smile, including a certain white-haired barmaid.
"At long last, this tired conflict is at an end!" Alexander, or Samuel in this case, proudly stated. He plunged his sword into the golem head and raised his fist into the air. "No longer will Fiore be plaugued by these monsters!"
"To Sir Samuel!" A female Fiore Knight cheered. The other Fiore Knights followed suite until the stage turned dark, the stage hands quickly setting up the next scene as Zeke started narrating again.
"But even as the Forty-Year War was ending, their was still evil afoot in the land. In his lair at the edge of the kingdom, a dark wizard was planning his next move. This was a wizard who once served the Fiore Army alongside Samuel, but turned against his comrades for the sake of power. A powerful wizard who creature corrupted life simply by willing it."
The lights turned on again, this time the stage was a dark chamber with a large crystal ball in the center showing an image of Samuel's battle. A chuckling was heard and a figured stepped out from the shadows. It was Natsu, who's hair had been dyed black, wore yellow contact lenses, and an elaborate black cloak with golden edges.
"What a fool." The dragon-slayer said with a surprisingly chilling voice. "He believes that all is well simply because Dias has fallen." He let out another chuckle as he placed his hands on the crystal ball. "Celebrate while you can, Samuel. You and your pitiful excuse for a kingdom. For soon, this country...nay! This entire world shall bask in the greatness of its one true ruler! The All-Mighty Zeref! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
As 'Zeref' continued his laughter, a few of the children were the audience were terrified of Natsu's portrayal.
"Huh. So flame brain can act." A surprised Gray stated.
"Master." A man dressed as a demon approached Zeref and kneeled before him. "We are ready to begin."
"Excellent." The dark wizard grinned. "Prepare for the ritual. And make sure the sacrifices are still alive until then."
"Yes, my lord." Soon, the sound of people in pain (which in reality was a few of the stage hands crying from off stage) was heard, bringing chills to the audience. 'Zeref' once again faced his crystal ball, the image shifting to show a demonic red eye.
"Deliora! Heed your master's cry! Go forth and do my biding!"
The sound of a monstrous roar was heard before the scene shifted once. When the lights came back, the scene had shifted to a throne room, with Lucy on the throne with 'Samuel' kneeling in front of her.
"Lady Katiana, I am happy to inform you that this war is finally at an end."
'Katiana' gave a warm smile. "I am already aware of this my knight. The King of Dias has already requested to negotiate the terms of their surrender. As such, he has recently sent one of his councilmen to handle the task."
"Splendid." 'Samuel' stated as he stood up. "Maybe now, our two kingdoms can finally put all the bloodshed behind us and move forward to a better future."
"My queen!" The two turned as Zeke (who was dressed in a light green squire outfit) rushed onto the stage. "My queen! Something terrible has happened!"
"Hey, isn't that the narrator?" A man in the audience asked, recognizing his voice.
"Shush." His wife whispered.
"Speak, squire." 'Katiana' ordered.
"The Dias Councilman...his convoy was attacked!" The squire reported, shocking the queen and her knight.
"Are you certain?" 'Samuel' asked.
"Terribly so." The squire responded. "They were just passing the border, when out of nowhere, they were besieged by...by a monster!"
The queen's eyebrows lowered as she asked her next question. "Did the reports give a description of the beast?"
"Yes, your highness. The beast was several stories tall, had horns on his head, and destroyed most of convoy simply by shouting."
Hearing this made 'Samuel' scowl. "There can be no mistake. The monster attacked the convoy...was Deliora."
"Zeref's attack dog." 'Katiana' finished as a worried expression appeared on her face. "So the traitor has returned."
"My lady, let me go after him!" The Rune Knight pleaded to his queen. "I will gather our strongest knights and wizards so we storm his fortress!"
"Hold your tongue, Samuel." The queen responded. "Many of our forces are still recovering from the war's end. If you took a party of all our able warriors, we would be defenseless if Zeref decides to launch an attack on the kingdom before you reach him."
"But just waiting would be unwise as well." The knight rebutted. "Zeref has the power to create monsters ad infinitum. If we slayed a hundred beasts, he would simply raise his hands and create a hundred more! The only way we can end this threat to slaying the dark wizard himself!"
'Katiana' started to ponder at this new information until an idea came to her head. "Then if we cannot spare our own forces, mayhaps one of the neighboring kingdoms can provide you with the forces you require."
"You mean the Terune kingdom. But they have been neutral in the recent war. Do you truly believe they will be willing to offer us aid?"
"Zeref represents a threat to all kingdoms, not just ours." 'Katiana' stated. "I believe that once you explain the situation, they will be willing to lend you their aid."
'Samuel' nodded and then took a bow. "If this is what you believe is best, I shall do so, your majesty." He then got up and started to walk away.
"Samuel! When you face Zeref, do not let it be a repeat of your last encounter." The queen ordered. The knight placed a hand on his eyepatch and nodded.
"Do not worry, my queen. I have no intentions of losing a second time." And with that, 'Samuel' existed the stage, the lights dimming as the stage hands went to work again and Zeke once again started to narrate.
"And so, Samuel left that night and began his journey to the neighboring kingdom of Terune. Within the week, he crossed the infamous Badlands, fending off bandits and animals aplenty. And soon, he was standing before the Pharaoh himself, where he explained the recent events. The Pharaoh agreed that the threat of Zeref needed to be stop once and for all. As such, he lent Samuel his two strongest warriors. Mala, a woman whose fists could shatter stone, and Kufu, who was well-known for his mastery of magic."
"And so, a trinity of heroes was formed to combat the dark wizard and his forces. Soon, a week had passed and the three were close to reaching Zeref's stronghold in the mountains. However, the dark wizard was well aware of their arrival, and had set a trap for our heroes."
The light turned on again and showed 'Samuel' and his two new accomplices. Alyssa was dressed in dark purple robes with a veil attached an elaborate headdress covering her mouth. The second new addition was Gongji, who was wearing silver robes and carried a brown tome in his arms. The stage had changed to a dark mountain backdrop with a red sky.
After a fight between the three costumed wizards and a large puppet meant to be a crude imitation of Deliora, they once again switched the scene to show the final battle at Zeref's stronghold. 'Mala' and 'Kufu' were forced to keep Zeref's creations (in reality the Star Liberators dressed as demons), 'Samuel' himself stormed into the main chamber and confronted the dark wizard 'Zeref'. As it turned out, his plan was to sacrifice all the people he had locked away (which included most of the defeated Dias Army & their peace envoy) as part of ritual to replace mankind with his monstrous creations. The two opposing wizards engaged in a climatic battle, 'Zeref' attempting to destroy the hero with his 'Dark Fire' (which in reality was Natsu's Azure Flames on their lowest possible temperature), but 'Samuel' managed to deflect the attack by infusing his sword Excelsior with light magic (which was actually Alexander holding the Final Wave energy in his blade for as long as he could.)
"Damn you!" 'Zeref' groaned as he struggled to get back on his feet, staring down his foe. "How are you this strong?! You're just a simple human!"
"That is something you never understood, Zeref!" Samuel said, pointing his shining blade at the dark wizard. "You have always underestimated the strength of humankind, preferring your corrupt puppets over actual allies. That is why evil like you will never win! You lack the courage, the heart, and the unstoppable will of the human race!"
"Oh? Is that so?!" 'Zeref' yelled as he cloaked his fists in 'dark fire.' "Then show me this power, Samuel!"
"Zeref!" The knight yelled as the two charged at each other and collided in a blinding flash of light. The light faded, revealing the two foes facing away for each other. But a few seconds later, 'Zeref' to his knees as 'dark fire' started to spread all over his body, the dark wizard giving his foe a hateful glare.
"You think this is over?! IT WILL NEVER BE OVER! Evil will not die with me! As long there is darkness in men's hearts, evil will never die!" And with that, the dark wizard fell over 'dead', consumed by the 'dark fire'. As his foe burned, 'Samuel' stood up, a triumphant look upon his face.
"And there will always be people like me, willing to stand up against evil." And with the final battle, the curtains closed, the audience standing up, clapping and cheering. The director peeked from behind the curtain and shed a single tear. It had been forever since any of his productions had gotten a decent reaction from the crowd, let alone a standing ovation. And even though Morningstar & the Star Liberators would be leaving the next day, the positive reviews of the play was enough to convince his former staff to return. Within the next few months, 'Samuel the Brave Versus Zeref the Dark' would go on to be a favorite in among the citizens of Fiore.
Author's Note 2: Man, it's good to be back after spending a few weeks messing around with my Christmas presents (Fire Emblem: Awakening does indeed live up to the hype). Anyways, I decided to use the play to show off some ways I plan on expanding the lore of the Fairy Tail universe. However, do not take what happened in the play as 100% accurate. Enough time has past between the fabled Forty-Year War and the modern day time for some details to be mistranslated or lost in the flow of time. And no, the fact that the Dias Kingdom used Golems and Amelia's involvement in something known as the 'Golem War' is not a coincidence. But more on that later.
And for the record, Lyle's announcement as the new Guild Master will take place during my original arc, so as far as everyone but Mira, Makarov, and Lyle are concerned, they still think Makarov is the the guild master.
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this latest chapter, because next time, we get into some crazy Celestial Wiz-Biz! (Adventure Time Pun!)
(A chibi Natsu & Alexander stand in front of a job board, still in their stage costumes.)
Natsu: Oh man, that was fun!
Alexander: I gotta admit, it kind of was. You really seemed to get into the role of the bad guy, Natsu.
Natsu: Hey, I've beat up plenty of bad guys. I think I got their usual speech pattern down.
Alexander: If you say so.
Natsu: Next Time: The Lion Spirit! I'm all fired up now! Mwahahahaha!
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