The wall of water was beautiful, but as they trekked down the beach, Lucy barely noticed. Her heart raced in her chest. "There," she called, pointing, and they all ran to the spot where the sand was heavily disturbed, scorch marks signaling where someone had been.
She wondered what the Ker had told the humans of their missing - dead - companions, whose bodies lingered out in the jungle of Tenrou Island. If she'd lied to them, told them that Natsu had killed them and used their fear to drive them from the island before they could recover and realize what was happening. Lucy wondered just how much of this had been planned.
Natsu's rage boiled beneath her skin, and Lucy really, really hoped that the Ker hadn't used Natsu in such a way, because she knew without a doubt it would tip him over the edge.
"Gray!" a voice hollered, dragging them to a halt. "Lucy!"
Lucy snapped her head around, nearly tripping over her own two feet. Relief surged through her despite the dread. Juvia and Natsu came barreling out of the trees to join them. Good. She'd been worried about what to do if they couldn't find them quickly. Lucy didn't do more than touch Natsu's arm when they came to a stop beside them, all four heaving for air. Happy lashed his tail, hopping from Lucy's shoulders to Natsu's. Natsu looked a little more settled with the familiar there, keeping close.
Juvia, chest heaving, managed to pant out, "The Ker has tricked the humans," she reported, "into somehow allowing her to accompany them, Mavis's body, and pieces of Igneel that the humans stole."
Natsu said nothing, but the flash of his vicious eyes was enough to tell Lucy to stick close when they found the humans who were clearly all in danger. Tricked or not, he wasn't happy they'd stolen Igneel's bones.
Gray raked a hand through his dark hair as he looked at the injured selkie. She'd somehow kept up with them, even as her lips tightened with pain. "How many humans did you see? Could you tell what the Ker was doing to trick them?"
The selkie debated what she'd seen. Her eyes darted this way and that as she considered it, and then finally, the selkie said, "Several. Several humans, perhaps a dozen. She was kind to them, showing them tricks of fire and promising them more knowledge on mythics."
Lucy sighed heavily. That sounded just about right. Even she, who liked to think she was smarter than that, would have fallen victim to such promises in her thirst for knowledge surrounding history before her time in the past. "Right," she muttered, "so first things first. We know they're gone from Tenrou, which means we need to get to the surface. Aquarius can help. Juvia-"
Juvia winked, though her lips were tightened into a hard line. "Juvia is ready."
The selkie blinked her big eyes at Lucy and offered, "I can help as well. I know where your boat resides, miss. Between the three of us, we can get you to your boat quickly."
"Thank you," Lucy said sincerely, finding that she was fond of the nameless selkie. Between helping Lucy with her leg, running around the island keeping an eye on things, and now, Lucy liked her quite a bit. She took the keys from her pocket, silently pleading for Aquarius to appear as she trudged across the sand to the wall of water.
Natsu trailed after her, catching her wrist before she'd gone more than a few steps. "Luce," he rumbled, and she paused, looking curiously at him. "We can't let them keep Igneel's bones."
"We won't," she reassured gently.
But her reassurance wasn't heard. He wouldn't hear much until those bones were recovered. "There were a lot of necromancers back then. They'll still be around today. They're just better at hiding themselves. If we don't get them back now, before the bones get to them, then they're going to be able to summon Igneel to them and force him to do things he'd never do. Igneel was a lot of things, but he doesn't deserve to have his image tarnished by necromancers."
Lucy searched his gaze, feeling a swell of pride in her chest. Natsu had grown a lot from a discontented, lonely demon who'd been ousted by everyone he'd ever trusted. Even now, he struggled with Igneel's memory, unable to determine if he truly forgave him for the cruelty of his words and what had happened following Layla's death. Yet, despite his everlasting grudge, he was determined to ensure Igneel could rest in peace.
She was proud of him.
He released her wrist, and Lucy longed to wrap him in a tight hug. But she couldn't - not now. They had work to do. So, Lucy rushed to the water, ignoring the shadow that fell across her face as a massive shark swam by, seeming to eye her with interest as she plunged her hand into the water, key grasped tight.
Aquarius appeared with narrowed eyes, blue hair swirling around her. Her cerulean tail seemed to shimmer within the sunlight that dappled down through the ocean's waves as she snapped, "Took you long enough."
Lucy gave her a look of exasperation, but didn't offer a retort. She didn't have time. "Please?" she simply begged, and Aquarius rolled her eyes, offering a hand to her Keeper.
"Well? Let's go then," she huffed, and Lucy took her hand.
Natsu spat salt water from his mouth, grimacing as he clambered onto the boat, his gaze already roving the wild waves for any sign of the boat they'd seen previously. Frustration radiated from him as he realized it was gone. The humans and the Ker had vanished, and he wondered just briefly as he reached down to haul Lucy up if the Ker had performed some kind of spell to hide them.
"Thank you," Lucy called to Aquarius, who peered up at them from the rolling ocean waves with slightly narrowed eyes.
Aquarius snorted. She reached up with slender arms to latch onto the side of the boat, hefting herself up with ease as Juvia handed Happy up to Natsu. The selkie slid easily through the water, her seal form gliding gracefully past the boat before circling back. Happy bristled in Natsu's arms as Gray joined them and reached down to help Juvia up, her own tail flicking cheerfully in the water.
"I can feel the Ker," Aquarius told them seriously, gaze flashing warningly. "Her power is great. Be cautious around her." She pointed north. "Head in that direction. I will follow beneath the waves with the selkie and watch from below."
"Thank you," Lucy repeated, stressing the words as Gray raced to get the boat moving. She wheeled her arms with a yelp when the boat suddenly lurched forward, turning north, and Natsu quickly grabbed her arm to steady her. His palm was hot enough to make her wince, but she didn't seem to notice. He quickly let go of her.
"What do we do when we find them?" Juvia demanded, her blue hair flying around her face as the boat raced along the waves. She impatiently pushed it out of her eyes, looking concerned. "We have the advantage if we catch up before we hit land, seeing as she is a creature of fire, but the humans will be at risk and we can do nothing useful without revealing ourselves as mythics."
"I mean, they already know we exist," Lucy pointed out.
"But they won't know we are." Gray's voice was wary as he shouted over the wind. "There's a reason we stay hidden now, Lucy. Humans can be unpredictable, and I'm sure they're planning something for the Ker."
Natsu didn't care, he found, unable to look past the deep well of hatred that was swimming in his chest. He was furious with the humans who had dared to steal from Igneel's grave. He almost hoped the humans gave them reason to kill them all.
He quickly halted that thought in its tracks, flinching at it. No. He didn't want to kill more people. Natsu simply wanted to steal back Igneel's bones, ensure they were safe and secure along with what remained of the goddess of knowledge. He'd done enough damage a long time ago.
This was a new world, a new time, and he refused to let his old tendencies surface and recreate the myth he had become into reality.
"Natsu."
He was ripped from his wild, racing thoughts, caught unprepared for the nearness of his Marked One. She winced as she nearly stumbled again, the boat crashing into a wave and rocking them wildly. Instinctively, he caught her elbow, making sure Happy was secure on his arm. Lucy's fingers curled around his arm tightly, a thin-lipped smile on her face.
"We'll get his bones back," she said softly, squeezing her fingers. The gesture soothed him further and he cracked a small, rueful smile in return. Despite the situation they were in, Natsu fought the urge to tuck her against him and hide his face in her soft hair, knowing he'd find peace there just as he always did. For the time being though, he'd have to make do with her simple touch.
"What do you think we should do?" Juvia called to him, and Natsu forced himself to focus. They had a Ker to deal with first and foremost. They could deal with retrieving their things afterwards. Gray was right though. Keeping their truths hidden would be important. Gajeel had quietly told him of a few mythics who'd been caught up in human clutches in the modern day, and the stories never ended well. In fact, they all had one common ending: death.
He raked his brain for answers on what they should do and wavered just somewhat. He could do a little bit, seeing as the Ker could be blamed for any damage caused by fire, but at the same time…
They were on a boat. In the middle of the ocean. Sure, Lucy could Portal them to safety if necessary, but he didn't really like the idea of putting her in danger like that. If the humans knew she'd done it, then they'd talk, and Lucy would become what they were all trying not to be.
They could do nothing without revealing themselves, Natsu realized with dawning horror.
At least he, Lucy, and Gray resembled humans; if they caught sight of Juvia with her powerful tail…
Happy purred and butted his damp head against Natsu's cheek in reassurance. Natsu lifted a hand to ruffle his familiar's ears almost mindlessly, thinking hard on what should be done. Finally, he looked to Gray, figuring he'd be the one to give him an unbiased, blunt answer. "The Ker can't reach land. Once she reaches land, we're done for. She'll burn Hargeon to the ground and kill every person in it. Especially without a guild to protect it. We might not have a choice in giving ourselves away."
Gray listened intently past the wind buffeting their faces and answered back, voice rough, "I know. If it stops the Ker, we'll have to."
"What if we don't though?" Juvia said suddenly, her round eyes resting on Natsu. A smile broke over her face. "We merely need to sink their boat, do we not? It erases any of our problems. We can get the humans on our boat. Anything they've acquired is lost to a watery grave. The Ker would lose any and all power in the water."
"They'll want to bring her aboard, too," Natsu pointed out warily.
"Then we have people beneath the waves who make sure she doesn't get that far," said Juvia, baring her sharp teeth in a smile that was slightly terrifying. It reminded Natsu once again why he had avoided playing with the sirens for so long.
Lucy said nothing, though she looked a little uncomfortable with the idea. Still, she nodded silently. There wasn't much more they could do without giving the Ker what she wanted and giving her the ability to annihilate as much of Fiore as she wanted - likely starting with whatever Natsu cared for. His heart twisted. The Ker knew precisely what - who - meant the most to him.
Lucy's soul brushed his suddenly, trying to offer him whatever she could, and Natsu cast her a swift glimpse. She was studying him, dark eyes trusting. Whatever he decided they ought to do regarding the Ker, she'd be right there alongside him. As would the others, he realized, who were both waiting for him to say something. Gray looked worried, but ready. Juvia waited for him to tell her what to do, posed to dive into the sea alongside the selkie and Aquarius, both of which he could tell were skimming through the water close by.
Natsu took a deep breath, remembering what Lucy had said. "We're not alone like we were last time."
Natsu exhaled slowly, settling himself. He pushed away his worries and the bond he had with Lucy for the time being. They had two goals, he decided, simplifying it all. One, stop the Ker from reaching land. Two, recapture their lost items. Mavis's body was their primary focus, though he refused to consider Igneel's remains any less.
"Juvia, work with Aquarius and the selkie and make sure the Ker doesn't get to our boat," Natsu decided, calling the words over the wind as the boat rushed over the waves. She inclined her head and simply dove right into the sea, vanishing beneath the water. Gray watched her go, but said nothing.
Gray's ice could hold against the Ker, but not for more than a few moments. This, Natsu was sure of, because the Ker's fire was nowhere near as hot as his, and that ice had started to hold up just the slightest against Natsu's. Gray would work well as a defense against her, protecting the humans and Lucy from whatever was thrown their way. Natsu told Gray as such, to focus on that, and Gray inclined his head.
Distantly, Natsu was reminded of the days in which he'd served as one of Makarov's most trusted inner circle.
A thought occurred to him, and Natsu grudgingly muttered to Happy, "Think you can go with Gray?" Happy would be capable of reinforcing Gray's ice further. Happy purred in response, though he looked annoyed about it, sliding from Natsu's shoulder and bounding carefully across the boat to join Gray.
Natsu honestly would have preferred his blue familiar accompany Lucy, seeing as he created shields around her when he did so. His Marked One waited impatiently, her fingers twitching, and Natsu wished he'd thought to make someone get her a whip of some sort. It had been her weapon of choice, after all. She didn't even have a knife now.
But she had Aquarius, and whoever else she chose to summon. She'd not sat around in the time they'd spent at the Archives. Rather, she'd worked hard to push herself when it came to summoning them, working on her own capabilities with Portals and other such matters while trying to not overdo it in the area.
This wasn't like last time, he reminded himself. He wouldn't allow it to be like last time.
"Luce, you help Gray," he decided though every bit of him wanted to keep her close. A compromise with instinct, however, as she'd have Happy nearby if she needed shielding and Gray would be able to help her if need be. "Get the humans out of the way."
Natsu didn't bother telling them what he intended to do, and neither Gray nor Lucy asked. They knew, and from the way Lucy was studying him with concern, she knew it bothered him more than he would ever let on. Natsu flexed his fingers and let flames spring to life, dancing between them.
He tried to pretend that it didn't bring him some semblance of joy, the idea of killing the Ker.
"We're never going to catch up," Lucy declared nearly an hour into their chase. Aquarius had been sent away long ago, to help Lucy preserve her energy, and Juvia and the selkie had both taken residence on the boat to rest until they were needed in the water. Lucy had settled onto the floor of the boat, deciding it was much safer, with Happy in her lap. Juvia was close to her, her blue eyes thoughtful. "We need to find a way to stop their boat from here."
Gray muttered his agreement. "If we had a better boat, we could catch up, but their boat is a few steps up from ours."
"Is there a radio on board?" Juvia asked him, her lips pressed into a hard line as she considered what they might do. "Can you warn someone in Hargeon, or perhaps contact the humans on their boat, Gray?"
"We're way too far from Hargeon," Gray said, carefully steering through a rather large wave that knocked their boat sharply enough to make them all scramble for footing. "But maybe I can try the other boat–"
"Why not just Portal?" The selkie's words quieted them, and they all looked at the selkie as she tipped her head to the side. Her arms were wrapped around her nude body, her chin resting on her knees. Her burns looked just as painful as ever, and Lucy felt some guilt for that, wishing more than ever that they'd brought Wendy with them. "You can Portal," she added to Lucy, "can you not? We are away from the island. You should be capable of doing so now."
Lucy blinked, startled. She could Portal. But– "I don't know if I can Portal the whole boat," she admitted, glancing at Gray. "It'd have to be a larger one than I usually make." Lucy shook off her doubts and rose to her feet. Maybe Happy could help her, she thought. She cast a quick look at the feline, who purred and seemed to read her mind. He hopped up onto her shoulder, settling there with his tail curled around her neck.
At the front of the boat, Natsu watched her intently, ready to step in and interrupt her if he felt the need. But he said nothing as she settled, drawing on whatever she could. She went so far as to lean into the piece of Natsu tucked safely into her soul, hoping that she could use something he might offer to help her.
It took a lot longer to get the Portal to appear. While normal Portals had become rather easy for her to create, this one one was difficult. Regardless, Lucy grinned, confidence growing as it formed. She felt drained even before the boat suddenly crossed through, seeming to skim over the path of starlight that she was so used to passing through.
Her smile widened at the pride that surged through her. Natsu was delighted with what she'd done, even as she slammed one side of the Portal shut immediately. The burden lessened but it was still difficult to keep the other side of the Portal open. Even so, she managed until the boat surged through the other side. Water flew, startling them all as the small boat slammed into the sea's waves. The Portal crumpled shut behind them and Lucy's knees buckled beneath her, partially from exhaustion and partially from shock.
They could only watch in horror as the Leviathan's massive head and neck crashed down, annihilating the boat full of screaming humans beneath it.
Update time! We're heading towards the end of OWAR as well, which makes me sad, but you know.
Thanks to reviewers (FairyTailxFanGirl, Meow Orbit, and FyreFalcon!) as well as those who favorited and followed!