SailorStar9: We now continue with Chapter 115 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and my OCs.
Chapter 115: The Place You Came To
"So, what's dangerous now?" Natsu asked after Wendy cast the Troia spell on him.
"We picked up a life form on the island, identity unknown." Lahar replied. "We don't even know if it's human or animal. The reading was inconclusive. But it definitely came from this island that appeared just a few days ago."
"That doesn't bode well." Gray noted.
"And that's why we're checking it out?" Lucy guessed.
"As commander, I'll stay behind the boat after we dock." Lahar informed. "If anything happens on the island, set up a signal flare."
"Why is there a path on a new island?" Natsu wondered after they docked.
"My guess is that people used to live here and then it sunk at some point." Lucy reasoned.
"And for some reason, popped up again." Gray concluded. "Anyway, there may be something in those ruins." he looked at the stone temple in the middle of the island.
"Let's split up and search the perimeter." Erza instructed. "We'll regroup at the ruins.
"What the heck?" Natsu scoffed, the Fairy Tail group was trekking inwards. "It's just an ordinary forest."
"A fully grown forest on an underwater island?" Ulyo echoed skeptically.
"Look at this." Wendy stopped, spotting a cluster of mussels on a rock.
"Why is there a shellfish in the middle of a forest?" Happy asked.
"Isn't this the same seashell from the stone slate in Lamia Scale?" Ulyo frowned.
"Look at this, everyone!" Happy gushed.
"Is that what we saw at Mermaid Heel?" Erza recognized the fish hanging on the tree branch.
"I'm sure things from the sea rose together with the island, but..." Lucy mused. "But it's as Ulyo said, how can the tree be so lush on an island that's been submerged up till now? And a forest?"
"It's certain that this is no ordinary forest." Erza remarked.
"What's that?" Natsu gasped when a giant water serpent appeared from the temple ruins.
"Is this the life reading?" Erza was shocked when the group arrived at the ruins.
"Natsu-san, that's a sea serpent." Sting informed, the two Saber tooth Dragon Slayers hurrying over. "A demon of the sea. I head about them a long time ago."
"Shatter!" Ulyo barked, the sea serpent's head came charging at them and the group jumped to dodge the attack. "Oh no." she gasped when the sea serpent chased Natsu, Lucy, Happy and Kemo-Kemo into the ruins. "Erza, the signal flare!"
The swordswoman nodded and set up the red flare.
"Anyway, we have to do something about that thing." Rouge said.
"Before Natsu-san and the others are crushed inside." Sting agreed.
"Let's go, everyone!" Erza summoned one of her swords.
"Ice Cannon!" Gray blasted the sea serpent with his manifested weapon after Erza sliced off its tail.
"Droplet Spear!" Ulyo fired off her multiple water spears.
"Roar of the Shadow Dragon!"
"Roar of the Light Dragon!" both Sting and Rouge combined their breath attack to form an energy tornado and released it at the sea serpent's head, the attack sending the serpent crashing to the ground.
"Wendy!" Carla gasped, seeing the Sky Dragon Slayer collapsing on the rock they were hiding behind after a heartbeat echo was heard.
"For some reason..." Wendy muttered. "I can't move."
"What's happening?" Carla breathed, collapsing alongside her partner.
"Were they attacked?" Doranbolt teleported in.
"They suddenly collapsed." Gray explained. "I've got no idea."
"Take them back to the ship." Erza instructed, turning back to the revived sea serpent. "What the hell is happening?" she winced, collapsing shortly after Gray did.
"This reaction..." Ulyo frowned, her compact computer having finished its scan just as Sting, Rouge and the other two Exceeds collapsed. "A virus? If that's the case..." she got back on her feet and summoned the Parbaiba Crystal. "I'll have to nullify it."
"Ulyo, stop!" Gray shouted. "If you do that... that's right!" he remembered the Mariner Ring he still wore around his neck.
"It's been too long since you called me, Master." Stribog manifested in front of Gray.
"There's no time, Stribog." Gray told the Ice God. "We need to back Ulyo up."
"Master, throw me as always; I'll use my barrier technique." Stribog nodded.
"Thanks." Gray caught the fluffy ball of fur in his hands and tossed Stribog in front of Ulyo.
"Crystallization Barrier!" the Ice God raised a shield of ice crystals, protecting the group from the sea serpent's rampage.
"Everyone!" Natsu ran out of the demolished temple with Lucy and Happy in tow, the oversized Kemo-Kemo having broken out of the ruins.
"It's a virus..." Ulyo muttered, the Parbaiba Crystal vanishing back into her body, the green smoke that Kemo-Kemo emitted was engulfing the ground.
"This smoke was poison, after all." Happy gaped.
"No, this smoke isn't poison!" Lucy corrected as Kemo-Kemo fought the sea serpent. "We were in there with the smoke and weren't affected by the virus. It's the opposite. The smoke coming out of Kemo-Kemo's body isn't poison. The virus is being released from the island itself and that smoke is purifying it."
"Is that Kemo-Kemo?" Gray looked up at the God of Plants battling the sea serpent.
"I don't think Kemo-Kemo is an animal." Lucy nodded. "Kemo-Kemo must be neutralizing the virus. He's the God of Plants!"
"Kemo-Kemo, I'm not letting you fight alone." Natsu grinned, Kemo-Kemo letting loose a stream of fire at the sea serpent.
"Since the distant past," Lucy continued as Natsu and Kemo-Kemo fought together. "This island has repeatedly sunk and emerged. And when it comes up, it always releases a virus. In ancient times, people built a civilization here, without knowing that. Kemo-Kemo saved them then."
"Then, even now..." Sting realized.
"I think it's neutralizing the poison even now." Lucy confirmed.
"Exploding Flame Edge!" Natsu combined his attack with Kemo-Kemo's fireball, destroying the sea serpent.
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.