Chapter 9

Rest & Recovery


"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Magic"

Flashback / Mindscape

Location / Date / Time Skip


Throne Room

Erik walked over and lifted Jellal into the air by his shirt. "I should kill for what you did to Erza. But I'm not that kind of guy." He grabbed a vial of antidote from his pocket and poured it into the Jellal's mouth.

'He was able to defeat Jellal.' Erza thought as Erik turned around with a smile. 'I can't believe it, this nightmare is finally over. Now everyone can enjoy real freedom.'

Erik dropped to his knees, making her sprint towards him. "That was absolutely amazing. I knew you could find your inner strength." The tower began began to shake and glow as the crystal bubbled. "No, the Etheron has built up sooner than I thought. The tower is going to explode!"

She picked Erik up over her shoulder as Simon's body fell through a crack in the floor. The ceiling above her collapsed as she ran away. A geyser of magic energy burst next to her, forcing her to jump to the side. A beam went off next to her, tripping her up and sending them both to the ground.

Erza stood on her hands and knees as big droplets of liquid magic appeared around her. 'The tower can't contain all this power for much longer. If it explodes, I don't even want to think about all the devastation it could cause. Even if we escaped the tower, we'd still be in the blast radius.'

"Damn it!" She slammed her fist into the floor in anger. "I can't let it end like this! But what am I going to do!?" Her mind traveled back to what Jellal wanted to do to her. 'That's it!' She willed herself to her feet and walked over to a chunk of bubble crystal. 'If I fuse my body with the magic in this tower, I might be able to redirect the blast directly up.'

She placed her hand on the stone and it sank into the energy. "Good..." Erza panted. "I was worried it might reject me."

"Erza..." Erik mumbled as he looked up.

"Erik!?" She shouted back.

"Are you crazy!?" He shouted. "I just fought two bastards who wanted to put you in there and now you want to go back in?"

"It's the only way to stop it and you know it!" Erza shouted back.

"I won't let you!" He ran over and started pulling on her.

"Erik, stop!" She slammed her head backwards and sent him to his knees. By now, her arms and legs were already inside. "Listen, I can't image my life without Fairy Tail, or without you. Please, you've already risked your life to save mine. Let me do the same."

"No, don't!" He shouted as her torso merged with the liquid.

"Never forget me, Erik..." She whispered as her face sank in and her body vanished from sight.

"Erza!" He slammed his fists into the crystal, but couldn't enter. "Let her out, damn it! Take me instead! Let her go! I can't lose someone else! Erza!"


With Salamander

"There you are, you little creep." Salamander chuckled as he slung Jellal over his shoulder. "Come on, let's get out of this death trap." Cubelious flew around pillars and bubbling masses, only to have their exit cut off by a falling chunk. "Fan-fucking-tastic. Let's try the long way."

The snake obeyed and flew the opposite direction as the bubbles started over flowing. The exit was in sight just as the tower exploded.

"Someone shut that ringing off..." Salamander complained as he grabbed his head. He looked over and found himself floating in the water. "Well, that sucked." Cubelious rose out of the sea as Salamander grabbed Jellal's floating body and placed it out he snakes body.

Salamander climbed back on to his companion and stood up. "Alright, let's get back to-" He stopped talking and fell face forward into the water, unconscious. Cubelious quickly wrapped her tail around her master and flew into the sky.


Oración Seis Hideout

The giant snake landed in front of the cave as Brain lead the others out. "Excellent work, Sala-" He stopped when he only saw Jellal hanging off her. "Where is he?" The snake waved its tail and placed the unconscious man before him.

"No!" Angel shouted as she ran forward. She reached down and grabbed his face, only to have her gloves shinged by fire.

"What's wrong with him?" Racer asked.

"I've seen this before." Brain said as he walked forward. "Rampant magic power. This is the exact opposite of Acute Magic Deficiency Syndrome. There's too much magical energy in his body, causing it to shut down."

"Will he live? Oh yeah?" Hoteye asked.

"Possibly." The leader answered. "His body needs to release the excess energy anyway it can. In this case, it's burning anything it touches."

"We can't just leave him out here!" Angel shouted.

"Seems the snake is immune to the burns." Brian mumbled before turning around. "Have it bring your lover inside." He grabbed Jellal's body and carried it into the cave.

"Wha-what are you talking about?" She asked with a blush.

"Please. It was so obvious." Racer said.

"I'm not a betting man, but I know a sure thing when I see it, oh yeah!" Hoteye added.

Angel let out a sigh and stood up. "Okay, we're together. So what?"

Midnight just snored as his carpet floated back into the cave. Racer just shrugged his shoulders as he and Hoteye walked back into the cave. Cubelious worked her way under her master and lifted him up, raising her head to Angel's hip. "At least I can talk to you. Let's go."

She walked into the cave with the snake following her. Brain was studying Jellal's body as Racer and Hoteye talked and Midnight just slept as usual. The two made their way to Salamander's quarters and carefully put him on his stone slab of a bed. Cubelious coiled her body and sat on his chest as Angel just sat on a rock.

'Please, don't leave me.' She begged as Salamander broke into a cold sweat.


Salamander's Mind

Salamander opened his eyes and found himself standing in a mist filled plain. 'Where am I?' His eyes wandered around the empty space, looking for anything or anyone. 'Maybe I should try walking...' He tried to move his feet, but they wouldn't obey him.

'What the hell?' He tried to move his arms, but they stayed by his side. 'Feels like my body is tied down. By about a thousand tons per limb."

"What have you done?" A human voice asked, making him look up a oval in the sky, seeing only a figure obscured by shadows.

"I did what was right for the world." A deeper, almost monster voice said back. "That thing you created would have destroyed everything."

"The world could burn for all I care." The human said back leaning in. "Where is he?"

"Somewhere you'll never find him." The deeper voice replied back. "And I have no intentions of telling you anything, Dark One."

"Then this is goodbye, Flame King." The man pressed a series of buttons and flipped a switch, sending a current of electricity towards him. Both Salamander and the creature roared in pain as the oval shortened and condensed into a small circle. A clang echoed as something dropped to the ground and Salamander dropped to his hands and knees.

The man walked forward and picked something up. Salamander looked up at the circle and saw a man in black with a white sash over his left shoulder. In his hand was the same lacrima that he found in the tower. "Throw that thing somewhere no one will find it." The man threw it over his shoulder as the circle faded.


One Week Later

Real World

Cubelious flicked her tongue on her master's face as Angel wiped his forehead with a cloth. "He still hasn't awoke?" Brian asked as he walked into the quarters.

"His fever is a little better, but I still loose rags whenever I clean him." She answered, showing him the pile of burnt rags in the corner.

"Then we may have to consider the possibility that he may never wake up." He said. "Unless..."

"Unless what?" Angel asked as Cubelious looked over.

"Tell me, how much would you do to save him?" Brain asked.

Angel looked over at Salamander's sweating body in shame. "Anything."

"Very well." Brain nodded. "If you wish, i can transfer some of the extra magic to you. However, there may be some serious-"

"Do it." She said with no hesitation. Cubelious sensed how serious she was and slithered off her master.

"Then grip his hand." Brain ordered. She grabbed his hand and her right glove started to burn. Brain waved his staff and summoned a magic seal, causing a vapor of magic energy to float off of him and transfer to her arm.

"Agh!" Sorano cried in pain as she felt more magic particles enter her body. Under her sleeve, a red tribal tattoo of a dragons head slowly appeared. "I... can... do this..." She panted. The seal faded as the last of the extra magic dissipated and Salamander's eyes slowly opened.

"Oh, my head..." He groaned as he sat up.

"You're okay!" Angel shouted as she wrapped her arms around her lover's neck. Cubelious copied her and wrapped around the both of them before flicking her tongue on the man's check.

"It's okay, you two." He said to both. "So, how long was I out?"

"About a week." Brain answered.

"I saw some weird things..." The younger man mumbled.

"Like what?" Angel asked.

"Well, I watched through this oval as someone talked to a... I don't know." He explained.

"What did it look like?" Brain asked, his scientist past picked.

"I don't know, I never saw it." Salamander answered. "Then the dude flicked some switches and I felt the most excruciating pain ever as the oval shrunk. I looked up, and the man was holding the lacrima I found in the tower."

"What did the man look like?" Brain asked.

"Black hair, red eyes, and a black outfit with a white sash over the shoulder." He answered as Angel sat next to him and Cubelious wrapped around him.

"I don't believe it..." Brain mumbled. "You saw Zeref."

"The black wizard?" Angel asked. "How?"

"No one is actually sure how dragon lacrima came to be." Brain explained. "I think we just found out. Zeref must have done a complicated ritual to transform a dragon into a crystal."

"But that doesn't explain how I saw that." Salamander said.

"Perhaps all the excess Ethernano affected the lacrima inside you, letting you see the dragons last moments." Brain hypothesized.

"Well, who cares?" Salamander asked. "All that matters is that we succeeded. We did, didn't we?"

"Your pet delivered Jellal." Brain nodded. "However, the Etheron burst seems to have caused his brain to shut down. Essentially, he's in a coma."

"So, how do we wake him up?" Angel asked.

"That, I don't know." Brain answered.

"Well, I do know one thing." Salamander said, wrapping his arm around Angel's waist. "We deserve some time off."

"Very well, one day." Brain sighed as he left the room.

"So, where do you want to go?" He asked.

"I heard there's this celebration a few towns over." Angel said. "Should only be half a day if we walk. Sounds like fun." The two stood up and grabbed some old cloaks, flinging them over their shoulders.

"Listen girl, I need you to stay here for me." He said to Cubelious as she licked his face. "You're my most recognizable feature. If people see you, we could be arrested. And I don't want to think about what they would do to you there. Please do this for me." The snake uncoiled herself and slithered onto the bed. "I'll bring you something. I promise." He waved as the two walked out of the room.

Cubelious sat in pile as she looked at the door. 'Choisssse... Me...'


Night

Magnolia

The two hooded dark wizards walked into town and were treated to the bright lights of a massive parade. "Wow, what is this?" Salamander asked.

"I take it you two aren't from around here." Both turned around to see a heavily bandaged blonde with a lightning bolt scar over his right eye. "It the Fantasia Parade, a tradition done every year, hosted by the Fairy Tail guild."

'Fairy Tail?' Salamander thought. 'Why does that name sound familiar?'

"Come on." Angel grabbed his hand. "Let's get a better look." She led him down the street, as the blonde smiled and went the back way.

"Careful." He chuckled. "We almost lost our cover." The two stopped by the side of a building and looked as a conga line of floats passed by. One float past by with a large creature and a female demon, both with white hair, laughing in front of a tower prop. The top opened, and another white haired girl in princess outfit popped out.

The light from the lacrima behind her blinded the other two and turned them back into humans and the three embraced in a warm hug.

"I remember her." Salamander said, looking at the short haired girl.

"From where?" Angel asked, a little jealous.

Salamander chuckled at the memory. "Two years ago..."


Two Years Ago

"Come on, girl. Let's back to the others." Salamander rode his companion over a forest surrounded by mountains. "Wait, what is that noi-" He turned and a girl falling from the sky slammed into his face. "What the heck?" He looked in his hands at the girl he instinctively caught, battered and bruised.

"Please..." The girl clutched her arm as her eyes struggled to stay open. "Help... Mira..."

"Who the heck is Mira?" He asked. A massive roar caught his attention. He looked over as a massive creature with glowing purple eyes swatted a black ball of magic at him. "Jeze, I gotta deal with this thing now?" The creature noticed him and swung its arm, forcing Cubelious to move.

"Great, land there." His snake nodded and flew to the ground, and he put the girl next to her. "Keep an eye on her." He turned around as the creature roared again. "Listen, I had a rough mission and just want to get home. But then you decided to throw your trash at me!"

He swung his arm and activated his Scales spell, sending flaming projectiles that peppered the creature. "Fire Dragon Spiral Jaw!" He jumped into the air and ignited his feet before spinning around in a circle, repeatedly striking the beasts face before jumping off the back of the head. "Fire Dragon Sharp Horn!"

He slammed his flaming hand down and forced the creature to the ground. Jumping into the air, he created a large ball of fire. "Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!" He flung the orb and sent it crashing into the beast, creating a large explosion. The beast crashed into a mountain and another girl was flung into a tree, unconscious.

Salamander landed as the burnt body of the beast glowed and shrunk down into a dark skinned boy with matching hair. "Now to finish it." He lit his hand on fire and walked towards the rock formation, only to have the short haired girl stand between the two. "Why are you stopping me?"

"Please, you've already beaten him." She said. "I won't let you hurt him anymore."

"That thing nearly killed you, and you wanna let it live?" He asked as Cubelious slithered over to him.

"That's my brother." She defended. "He tried to protect us, but that thing was more powerful than we thought. Please, he'll learn to control it." Cubelious reached out and licked her face. "Looks like your friend agrees with me."

"No, she's just hungry." Salamander said back. "I'm guessing you smell like her favorite food, rabbit." The master and pet looked each other in the eyes. "Fine, he'll live." He turned around and started walking away.

"Wait!" She shouted. "My name is Lisanna. What is yours?"

'Can't my code name.' He thought to himself. "It's Natsu. And this here, is Cubelious. I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this little encounter to those two."

Lisanna looked over as her siblings stirred. "Thank you-" She turned back around and saw him sink back into the forest.


Present

"And that's what happened." He finished. "There's absolutely nothing between us. Besides, I would never betray you like that."

"Huh, she kinda looks like my little sister." Sorano mumbled.

"Don't worry. We'll find-" Another float passed and Salamander's eyes went wide at the red head on it, spinning swords around her before glowing as her body was garbed in an outfit belonging in the Far East. "Shit!" He mumbled. He grabbed Angel's hand and led her into an alley. "I don't think she saw us." He said, looking around the corner.

"Natsu, what's wrong?" She asked.

"I assume Brain gave the rest of you a debriefing about my assignment?" He asked and Angel nodded. "I thought the guild name was familiar. This is the guild where Jellal's would be sacrifice belongs to. It's also home to, him." He growled as a bandaged Erik walked behind the floats, in the middle of lacrima power snake robots. He pulled his head back and spat the name of the guild in the sky, letting the crowd cheer.

"Are we in trouble?" She asked.

"I don't think so." Natsu shook his head. "The only two that saw me were Titania and Cobra, so we should be safe as long as we stay in the crowd." The two walked out and stood in the back of the crowd. "Hey, watch this."

Erza waved to the crowd in her exotic outfit when four words pierced her head. 'You couldn't save him...' She turned around and looked, but found nothing.

"Ha!" Sorano chuckled. The two held hands as the town celebration continued into the night.


So, this is the last chapter before the Nirvana arc. Agian, would work on that sooner, but OCD so I'm very sorry. I've always wondered where the hell dragon lacrima came from, and this story gave me the chance to explore that idea. And yes, the dragon is who you think it is.

A few chapters ago, someone mentioned in the reviews that I sped up Natsu and Angel's relationship, so I sent them on a little date. And for those wonder what the new tatto on her arm is, look up 'tribal dragon head' on Google. It's the second one in the image section. Just add two more branch horns on both sides. Keep it in mind, because it's very important.

The whole thing with Lisanna was the only way I could think of to incorpeate her into this poll. I really like the pairing of Natsu and Lisanna, but if someone other than me didn't want her in the poll, I was gonna leave her off. But Natsu is Awesome, the guy behind the story, says he doesn't want her in this. So, that brings me right back to square one. So I've put up a second poll on whether or not to add her to it. It will end once the Nirvana arc starts.

Well, on to the girls added to the poll. They are, in order; Kyouka, Ultear, Imitatia, Erza Knightwalker, Hisui, Briar, Mirajane, Ophiuchus, and Yukino. They will join Sayla, Flare, Minerva, Meredy, Ikaruga, and Lisanna; if yes wins the poll, bringing the total number of choices up to sixteen, counting one last option, leaving it as just Angel and Kinana. If you do not see someone you suggested on the list, sorry.

And for anyone who wanted Kagura or Erza Scarlet, I'm pretty sure both would rather die than be involved with him. And there's no way I'm having him rape anyone. Looking at you, sneak13579.

Beta read by digemsmack.