Chapter 50 Final Stand of the Dragons
Three More Chapters! This one, the next, and the last. Though if you count both endings that makes it four. Here we go.
"Acnologia? The Black Dragon of the Apocalypse?" Mest asked Zeref.
The black wizard nodded. "The same."
There was no time to think. "Everyone hold hands!"
Everyone did as Mest said, except Zeref. Even if he could prevent the predatory death from exploding, he would still cause it by touching a person. Mest, Lisanna, Lucy, Levi, Gray, Gajeel and Natsu all formed a small circle with their hands touching. Mest then teleported them back to the base camp. All the others hand arrived, Freed and Bickslow were back with Elfman and Evergreen. Ultear and Meldy sat silently in a corner of the camp, Wendy had collapsed. She'd healed Laxus, Makarov, Elfman, and Evergreen, she was completely wiped out from all the healing, Mirajane and Carla stood by her side, proud of her for the effort. Erza, Juvia, Cana, Lily, and Gildarts were there as well. That was everyone back together!
"That's everyone back! Oh I'm so glad!" Mirajane said.
"Good," Laxus said. "Looks like we all made it through this battle alive? But what happened out there Natsu?"
He looked at his fellow dragon slayer and climbed to his feet.
"Well Lucy, Lisanna, and Happy all turned me back to human," Natsu said.
"You were pretty scary there," Laxus said. "And what of Zeref? Did you get him? What's going on?"
"You want the long or the short version?" Natsu asked.
"Short," Laxus said.
"Me, Wendy, and Gajeel were born four hundred years ago. I'm Zeref's brother and he's not as evil as the legends say."
"Okay," Laxus said a little unsure. "Did he get away?"
A black flash suddenly appeared next to them and Zeref appeared. "No, I'm here to help you."
…
As Laxus and Zeref began a talk on the edge of camp, Erza approached Lisanna, holding up the girls Beast Saber.
"I believe this is yours Lisanna," the knight said.
"Oh thanks Erza. I lost while I was helping Natsu fight a couple dark wizards," Lisanna said as she accepted the gift.
"Seems you had a lot of time with Natsu," Erza said.
"Yes," Lisanna said with a blush.
"Well, I'm glad you're safe," Erza said. "I would hate to lose you again!"
"Thanks Erza," Lisanna said.
They got what rest they could until morning.
"Hey!" Gildarts shouted at breakfast. "Guess what I found out while I was walking back with Cana? I'm her father!"
This shocked everyone present! They looked from Gildarts to Cana who nodded as her father wrapped an arm around her. They all smiled at this… morning had arrived. It was hard to believe that only yesterday they had been in Hargeon taking the boat here, and a guild war had already happened. They hadn't slept either with all the excitement. They'd need to get some rest on the ride home.
But their joy was cut short as a loud sound filled the air.
"Its coming!" Zeref said. "All of you need to get off this island now! Natsu, Wendy, Gajeel, Laxus! You stay!"
"Excuse… you are in no position to assume command over this guild!" Makarov shouted. "Your tale has been a tragic one but you are still a trespasser on this island!"
"I'm the guildmaster here!" Laxus said.
"Then what are you orders?" Zeref said.
Makarov looked at his grandson. "Have everyone but the dragon slayers get to the boats! If Acnologia is truly coming we likely do not stand a chance."
Zeref nodded. "If you have any mages that have exceptionally strong physical attacks though, keep them here. Acnologia was once a human being and a dragon slayer as well. He doesn't have an element, but he can devour all kinds of magic… which means they also don't have much effect on him."
"Understood," Laxus nodded to Zeref. "Mira! Get everyone to the boat! Natsu, Erza, Gajeel, Wendy! Stay here like Zeref says!"
"But-"
"That's an order Mira!" Laxus said.
The She-Devil looked at her guild master with sad eyes but nodded. The terrifying sound was getting closer.
"Look in the sky!" Elfman shouted.
They looked and saw it. A gigantic black dragon with blue markings, it had no pupils, just white orbs for eyes that looked soulless. Acnologia had arrived.
…
In a dark place somewhere… a volcano erupted. In a cave near the volcano, Igneel stirred.
"So the time has finally come has it?"
…
"What? Zeref says that Acnologia is coming to the island? And he is about to fight alongside Fairy Tail to defeat it?" Lahar asked Mest.
The teleportation wizard nodded. "That's what he says anyway? How do you think the council will act?"
"I'm not sure… but Zeref is still a criminal… and Fairy Tail is harboring two members of Grimoire Heart?"
"They defected to Fairy Tail's side by the looks of it," Mest said.
"Well… the council will judge them regardless," Lahar said. "If we can catch them. But right now we have to get away from here. We don't have the power to go up against Acnologia!"
"What if they do? With four dragon slayers and Zeref there, they might win," Mest said.
"I don't know," Lahar said. "But they have just taken down most of the Baram Alliance. I doubt the Council will bother with them anymore after that."
…
Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel froze up in pain. Their bodies were letting off strange waves as they saw the dragon… the one that they now knew had been the one responsible for separating them from their parents… who were now living inside them. Acnologia landed in front of them with a roar. Zeref glared at him with bright red eyes, while Erza and Laxus (who being a second generation Dragon Slayer, wasn't frozen and in pain like the first generation ones), looked determined. Erza equipped her heavens wheel armor in order to launch a barrage of physical attacks, which according to Zeref was the only way to harm Acnologia as he could devour all forms of magic. Even so, Acnologia's scales were super hard. Even Erza would have difficulty here.
Then Acnologia spoke. "I smell you… dragon slayers!"
"I'm surprised you spoke to them," Zeref said.
"I thought I would bid farewell to my enemies. I thought that the Dragon Slayers were all vanquished the dragons. But it seems I was wrong. Well… time to finish them!"
Acnologia raised an immense front paw, ready to crush them."
"Oh no you don't! Take this Thousand Dragon Bolts!" Laxus shouted as he unleashed a barrage of lightning from his hands.
Acnologia was not harmed by the attack, but it did immobilize him for a moment. That gave Makarov, and Erza a chance to pound the dragon with physical attacks. Ezra sent dozens of swords at Acnologia's wings. He roared. Makarov grew to a giant size and grabbed the dragon's long neck once the lightning dissipated. Zeref meanwhile, hung back. He had no physical weapons. But he did have the black magic that came with the curse. He gathered a large amount of it.
"Makarov get out of there!" Zeref shouted.
"No time! Do it!" the former guild master said as he struggled with the dragon.
Zeref grited his teeth and pointed… but withdrew.
The black wizard shook his head. "I don't want anymore innocent blood on my hands!"
"You really aren't the bad guy are you?" Erza asked. "Natsu, guys!"
"Their dragons are emerging," Zeref said.
Sure enough, all the dragon slayers heard the voices of their dragons inside their head.
"Natsu, been too long my boy."
"Igneel?" Natsu asked.
"Oh Wendy, how you've grown."
"Grandeena?"
"You certainly didn't turn out very good looking, Gajeel!"
"Hey! That any way to greet your son you old rust bucket?" Gajeel shouted at the voice in his own head.
"We've waited a long time for this! With Zeref on our side, I'd say we have a fighting chance against Acnologia!" Igneel said.
All the dragon slayers glowed, Natsu fire orange, Wendy green, and Gajeel dark gray. Then they emerged. Igneel, Grandeena, and Metallicana! They appeared on the island, then charged at Acnologia! Igneel rammed into him head on as he was about to finish Makarov. Acnologia looked up in surprise, and Igneel as well as his allies roared.
Acnologia roared back, though his was much more menacing and filled with hatred. The black dragon flapped his wings and went back into the air, with the other three dragons following. Acnologia let out a dragon roar in the form of a beam, Igneel let out a fire roar that matched it. Grandeena and Metalicana both flew around the black dragon, trying to flank him and catch him by surprise. But Acnologia was at a different level than these two. Igneel had been known as the Fire Dragon King, while these two were not ruler level dragons. Still, he knew he had to take them down as quick as possible or they would overwhelm him.
He turned to Grandeena, gathering his dragon slayer magic in his mouth but not unleashing it. He turned into a meteor as he rammed into her. She tried to mimic him with the same move, but not being at the same power level as Igneel, she wasn't able to counter. His magic conquered hers and hit her. Grandeena fell out of the sky, back to Tenrou Island. Wendy watched in horror from the ground as her mother… the mother she had hoped to see again for seven years, was defeated.
"Grandeena!" she screamed with teary eyes.
"Come on sis! We got to get up there and help!"
"Salamanders right!" Gajeel said. "Lets go!"
Their exceeds latched onto their shoulders and they traveled up into the battle. Erza flapped her heavens wheel wings, while Laxus rode his lightning, and Zeref shot up like a black missile.
"Iron Dragon Sword!" Gajeel cried, turning his arm into a sword.
Lily had taken him at the dark dragon's belly, which were said to be softer than the rest of it. It worked, at least a bit. The physical attack combined with dragon slayer magic caused a gash on Acnologia who growled.
"Sky-Fire Daggers!" Wendy channeled magic into both her daggers and struck him on the back when Carla took her there, but the scales there were too tough. It at least got his attention though as he snapped his massive jaws at her, narrowly missing.
Natsu, not having any weapon forms to his magic, was forced to use his fiery fist attacks.
"Fire dragon Iron Fist!"
He hit the dragon on the jaw, breaking at least one tooth. Igneel then did the same move, though his was enough to send Acnologia back. Metallicana then moved in for his moved, but the black dragon roared at him, hitting him. Gajeel gasped as he saw the charred form of the iron dragon fall to the ground like Grandeena. Now only Igneel remained of the three dragons. He knew they were technically already dead, but seeing it happen in front of you made this death seem like the real one.
…
Things were not looking good up there. Lisanna and Lucy both saw one dragon fall, then the other… now only two remained as they looked back. Dark winged Acnologia and red Igneel.
"Guys we got to go back!" Lisanna said.
"They might not last much longer!" Lucy shouted.
…
Igneel was now dueling Acnologia alone, well not completely alone since he had the aid of his son… as well as the children of Grandeena and Metalicana, their cats, his old friend Zeref, and Natsu's friends from Fairy Tail. They continued their assault against the black dragon. Natsu and his cat flew head on with Natsu about to deliver a fire headbutt, but Acnologia seized the dragon slayer in his paw.
"Enough of this!" Acnologia yelled.
He squeezed Natsu who screamed while Happy tried to pull him out.
"Let my son go!" Igneel shouted as he flew at Acnologia's arm, opening his jaws.
Acnologia turned and swiped at him.
Igneel bit off the arm he had gone for… but at the same time… Acnologia ripped him in half. Now it was Natsu's turn to become wide eyed as his father opened his mouth, causing the arm holding Natsu to fall. Happy pulled him out as Igneel fell. That was all the dragons gone!
Happy charged as Natsu let out a roar, only to be swatted by Acnologia.
…
Zeref felt the urge to cry at each death, but he held his tears back. He'd been charging his magic the entire time, hoping to have enough to deliver the final blow to Acnologia. He watched as dragon after dragon fell, then Natsu after he'd recklessly charged in.
"Big brother!" Wendy shouted.
She and her white cat friend as well as the red haired knight flew to catch him… but someone else was there. Lisanna caught Natsu in her feet which had turned to green talons. She was in her humanoid bird form, her limbs transformed.
"Lisanna!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Hey don't forget about me!" Lucy called as Mirajane carried her while in her Satan Soul Form.
"Or any of us!" Gildarts shouted. "We're all one guild! And if you mess with one of us!"
"You mess with all of us like a real man!" Elfman shouted.
Evergreen dropped him as she flew toward Acnologia. He assumed his weretiger form and rammed onto one of Acnologia's wings. The dragon bellowed as its wing was broken. He fell to the island. Causing a huge crater. The Fairy Tail wizards on the ground began to barrage it with spells and other attacks. The dragon had lost its ability to fly as well as a limb. They still had a chance to pull this off.
Attacks hit the black dragon from all over. Gray made an ice hammer, Erza rained more swords on him, puncturing his other wing. Makarov began to punch the beast in giant mode. Ultear had brought out her own sword and attacked, while Meldy did the same with her pain transmitting blades. Lisanna brought out her saber and with Happy flying her, stabbed Acnologia in the eye!
"Enough!" Acnologia roared in pain and fury.
He let out a large amount of magic from his entire body that knocked back nearly all of his opponents. He snarled and limped toward the nearest downed individual, Natsu. He would eat this dragon slayer first. Or so he thought.
"Get away from my brother!" Zeref shouted as he managed to get back up.
Acnologia looked at him. "Fine… you can die first black wizard. I was content to let you suffer… but after this… you must pay!"
He moved over to Zeref now… who didn't move. He looked Acnologia in the eye. The one remaining pure white eye of death.
"This the end you have long waited for!" Acnologia stated as he opened his jaws.
"No."
Acnologia's teeth neared Zeref.
"This is the end for us both!"
Black death energy emitted from Zeref as Acnologia's jaws closed around him. Zeref exploded into darkness within the black dragon mouth. The dragon that could devour any element had no time to suck any of the magic up! The Anskerham curse that destroyed all life made its way into his body. He roared, standing on his hind legs… then he fell, black mist still emanating from his mouth.
The black wizard… and the black dragon… were dead. The members of Fairy Tail were stunned as they watched. Natsu stood stunned at Zeref's… his older brother's noble sacrifice. It was over.
Well I was worried when I planned this that Acnologia might be defeated too easily going up against the likes of Igneel, Grandeena, and Metallicana. After all, Igneel was able to fight Acnologia evenly in canon. But I think I avoided that with Acnologia eliminating the lesser dragon first. They managed to do some damage, and Zeref finished the deed with Fairy Tail. Hope you guys liked it. I should be able to get another chapter out next week but I think I'll take Christmas off. So no chapter on the 25th. Though I have considered doing a Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer one shot, or maybe start a story along those lines for Christmas. Please review and comment.