Chapter 49 Stopping the END For Now
A/N: 4 Chapters left. Counting this one that is. Enjoy.
As he flew over the flames Happy called down at Natsu.
"Natsu! Stop! We're trying to help you!"
"Zeref… must die!" Natsu/E.N.D said. "Stay out of the way Happy!"
"Oh come on Natsu! You saw how he was crying because he was killing everything!" Happy said. "He might be known as the Black Wizard but he's not as bad as they say! And he's your brother too!"
Natsu stopped for a second.
…
Silver, Gray, Lucy, Wendy Lisanna and the others could only watch through the flames as Natsu vanished from sight. Wendy has tears running down her eyes as she watched her brother walking away from her. Then her crying ceased and she made a determined expression.
"We have to stop him!" she said.
"Wendy don't push yourself, child!" Carla warned.
There was a grunt behind as one of the tents opened. They saw Gajeel getting out of it.
"Whats been happening since I had a little nap?" the iron dragon slayer asked.
"Gajeel!" Levi exclaimed and ran over to him.
The solid script mage hugged the bulky goth man.
"Wow. What's this for shrimp?" Gajeel asked.
"For saving me earlier!" Levi said looking up at him.
"Oh… right. Forgot," Gajeel said. "So what's going? Did we win?"
"Not yet! Natsu seems to have turned into some kind of demon and we can't get to him with this fire!" Gray said.
"I can put it out I think," Silver said stepping forward.
Gray looked at his father seriously.
"You maybe my father and some sort of Demon Slayer… but Natsu is my friend. Even if he has been turned into some sort of demon… if there is a chance we can reach him… I won't let you kill him!"
Silver looked at his son for a moment. "Well since I know you're alive… maybe revenge isn't necessary any more. But if he hurts you… I will kill him!"
The Demon Slayer turned to the fire blocking their path.
"Ice Demon Rage!"
A large amount of ice flew at the fire, which weakened a bit but didn't go out completely.
Silver grunted. "Seems this Demon Slayer magic might not be strong enough for E.N.D's flames. Blast… maybe I was just wasting my time all the years of my second life!"
"Let me try!" Levy said. "Solid Scrip: Waterfall!"
A running shower of water rained on the fire and maintained as Levi continued the spell. Silver shot another ice attack at the flames, and Gray added his own ice magic to it. The three of them combined managed to quench the flames. Everyone gasped.
"You did it!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Yay!" Lisanna jumped for joy.
"Lets go!" Wendy made to run.
Only to wince in pain and trip. Carla ran over to her.
"Wendy you're still not at a hundred percent!" Carla said. "Also, Laxus and Makarov are still in need of healing!"
Wendy looked at the two Fairy Tail Masters. She had healed the worst of Makarov's injuries… though Laxus still needed his tended to. Wendy wanted to go help her brother but her role as a healer was very important. There was only one thing to do.
"Lucy! Lisanna! Please keep him safe!" she said to the two girls that were competing for her brother's heart.
"Of course we will Wendy!" Lucy said.
"You can count on us!" Lisanna agreed. "We maybe rivals but I hardly consider her an enemy. Lets do this Lucy!'
Wendy got to her feet and winced a bit. She put her hands on side and did a bit more healing magic on herself. She didn't have much power left. As Lucy, Lisanna and most of the others left to go after Natsu, Wendy walked over to Mirajane who was tending to the wounded Masters.
…
As Natsu stopped, a large number of figures emerged from the woods. Grimoire Heart soldiers! But something felt off about them. They smelled… dead.
"Master E.N.D!" a voice spoke.
Natsu saw a skeleton like man.
"At last! You've been revived!" Keyes said. "Now you can help us return to Zeref and grant his wish for death! I shall see too it that no one interferes! Azuma… you and your comrades go and finish off the remaining Fairy Tail members. Start with that cat!"
The necromancer raised a bony finger up at Happy.
Azuma nodded. "Fire!"
The undead Grimiore soldiers shot bolts of magic at Happy who struggled to dodge them while comically screaming. They then began to run in various directions to try and find members of Fairy Tail but… Natsu would not allow that! He moved with deadly and fiery precision. He drove a hot demonic fist into Keye's body, then lit the fist aflame! Keyes screamed as he was burned from the inside. His bones shattered and exploded! As their reanimator was destroyed, the undead soldiers and Azuma all began to disintegrate.
"Ah come on I wanted to fight at least one more good opponent!" Azuma lamented as he died a second and final death, fading to magic energy.
…
Silver suddenly stopped with a gasp.
"Dad?" Gray asked.
Silver grunted and fell to his knees. He then looked at his hand which was starting to disappear.
"It seems… someone killed Keyes. That means I can finally rest," Silver said.
Gray clenched his teeth. His father was dying again!
"Gray… I'm glad you found a guild to join. I hear this is the best one in Fiore. I hope that these friends of yours are true ones."
"They are dad! Each and every one of them! Even Natsu!" Gray said. "He may be dumb and get on my nerves but he's still a friend!"
Silver smiled and reach other with one hand, putting it on his sons shoulder. "I hope you can save him then. But if you can't…. I'm leaving you my Demon Slayer powers! Goodbye… my son."
He faded into light and Gray looked at his arm which had a strange mark on it. He was an ice demon slayer now.
"Gray we got to go!" Lucy said.
"Right!" Gray agreed, steeling himself.
They ran through the forest, Lisanna, Levi, Gajeel, even Mest were all there with them.
"Guys! Wait!" a voice called from above.
It was Happy.
"There's a whole army of soldiers and this scary skeleton guy up ahead!"
"Damn I thought we'd dealt with enough soldiers!" Gray said.
"We just have to keep going!" Lucy said.
"To get to Natsu!" Lisanna said.
They continued. But found no soldiers, skeleton man or Natsu!
"They were just here!" Happy said.
"You don't think Natsu defeated them all do you?" Levi asked.
"Its hard to tell," Gray said.
Natsu had left so much destruction in his wake. The fire he was transmitting was hot it turned everything black. At least it wasn't spreading anywhere. They kept going, when would this end?
Not long actually. Finally they saw Natsu! He was standing directly across from Zeref! Lucy, Mest, and Levi shivered as they laid eyes on the Black Wizard. Gray, who had lost his family to one of Zeref's demons (twice in the case of his father), glared at him with hatred. Gajeel had a hard stare, ready to fight. Lisanna however, looked at Zeref with sympathy for she knew his story.
"Time to die, brother!" Natsu said as he began charging his flames.
"I've been waiting for that to come for a long time. Kill me Natsu. No… kill me… E.N.D," Zeref said.
"What? He wants to die?" Lucy asked.
"It's a long story," Lisanna said before running forward. "Natsu! Don't do it!"
Natsu prepared to strike against Zeref who held his arms out to the side… ready for the end. But Lisanna placed herself between the two Dragneel brothers.
"Lisanna what are you doing?" Mest asked his ex-partner. "That's Zeref!"
"Yeah he's the most evil wizard to ever live!" Gray said.
"He's not!" Lisanna said. "Natsu please listen to me!"
Natsu growled. He took a step forward. Lisanna's mind went back again to the time when she'd been attacked by Elfman. This time it had to work.
"Natsu! I love you! Please… come back to me!" she said with teary eyes. "Being away from you hurt. I wanted so much to hug you when I realized it was you in Edolas!"
"Yeah, come on Natsu!" Happy said as he flew beside her. "Come back to us. We're your family!"
"Natsu… please turn back to yourself! You're really scary looking like that!" Lucy said.
"Lucy's right! I miss the old Natsu!" Levi agreed.
"Come on Salamander! You gonna lose to some demon inside you?" Gajeel asked.
"Yeah you idiot! Are you gonna hurt Lisanna like Elfman did!" Gray said. "I don't care if you are one of his demons! You're still a member of the guild! But I won't let you hurt Lisanna!"
He created a sword of ice, ready in case Natsu did attack.
Natsu heard all their voices. Slowly he lowered the fiery fist. The fire around him began to go out. His horns and scaley arms receded.
"I could never hurt my friends," Natsu said with a grin.
Lisanna let out a breath of relief and smiled before wrapping her arms around him. She was quickly joined by Happy and Lucy.
"I'm so glad you're back to normal Natsu!" Happy said.
"Me too!" Lucy agreed.
"That's great!" Gray said before narrowing his gaze at the Black Wizard.
Zeref watched the scene in shock. He hadn't thought it possible for someone to break E.N.D's awakening.
"Zeref!" Gray shouted. "You're mine!"
"Wait you'll never beat him!" Mest warned.
Gray's face was full of fury… this was the man that had caused the deaths of his parents through Deliora. And another demon had enslaved his father after Silver's death. Gray was ready to fight him no matter the odds.
"Gray wait!" Lisanna said as she broke her hug with Natsu and the others. "He's not our enemy!"
"How is he not?" Gray asked.
"Because the legends about him being the most evil wizard are just that. Legends!" Lisanna said. "We ran into him earlier!"
Natsu nodded. "My brother here is cursed to destroy every living thing that comes near him! Wait… get back so we don't get hit!"
They all did as he said. But Zeref smiled at them, not an evil smile but a genuine one.
"No need to worry about that anymore Natsu! I can control it!" Zeref said.
"Oh good," Natsu said.
"Zeref. I know that you feel remorse for what you've done," Lisanna said. "All the demons you created were meant to destroy you."
"Yes. I only wish I'd prevented them doing more damage," Zeref said.
"Is there any way we can break this curse?" Lisanna asked.
"You are a pure hearted girl Lisanna Strauss. I appreciate the sentiment. But there is no time… we must gather your guild and get them off this island! Then the dragon slayers must prepare!" Zeref said. "Acnologia approaches."
Mest shivered at the name.
Dark wings carried a terrible beast toward Tenrou island. He would be there soon.
Well its time for the final showdown to begin here. Next chapter: Final Stand of the Dragons. Igneel, Grandeena, and Metallicana will all be emerging from their dragon slayers there and alongside them and Zeref, face Acnologia. I was wondering… was it ever revealed why that didn't happen in the Tenrou Island arc? Cause if they were waiting for Acnologia they could have emerged then. Or maybe they wanted all five dragon slayers together? But their children were in danger, unless they knew the magic on Tenrou island would keep them safe? Anyone know? Ah well… that's what's gonna happen. But will it be enough? Wait and see. As I said there will be death this time.