Hola my fantastic readers! Sorry for the wait!
(Please make sure you skim the A/N at the end for update info)
The chapter ahead clocks in at nearly 13000 words for your reading pleasure. I debated splitting this chapter but wasn't happy with any the spots I might have split it, just didn't feel right. So at least this gives you plenty of movement into the Tartaros War to tie you over for the next weeks.
Hope you all enjoy!
~Onward
56
-Time-
Muffled sounds flitted through Haru's head. His body felt heavy and wouldn't respond when he tried to move. He was aware of the dull ache that seemed to accost his entire body, and for a moment, he couldn't remember what had happened. Was he on the ground? When had that happened?
Everything came rushing back as the disorientation faded. End's departing words echoed through his head repetitively as Haru tried and failed to make sense of them. 'It isn't time, yet.'
Time for what?
Something solid clamped around his shoulder, shaking him, and he groaned as the dull pain spiked with the aggressive action. "Hey, stop! He's injured, dumbass! Be more gentle!" Those were the first words that had entered Haru's head with any real clarity. Injured? Me? Not that understanding the words helped him. Was that Sting's voice?
"Shut it Light-bright! Beauty sleep's over Poseidon, get your ass up!"
More shaking… Haru's body was clearly still feeling the adverse effects of absorbing another element… His head was whirling and the information his brain seemed to be feeding him still didn't make any fucking sense. That sounded like Gajeel… When had Gajeel arrived?
Why wouldn't his body listen to him?! Move, damnit!
"Yell all you want; but all you're doing is pissing off me and Sting, Haru can't hear you…"
"We don't have time for this, we gotta help Yukino!"
"I'll make him hear!"
"Do you have metal for brains?! Hitting him isn't gonna help! He's deaf!"
Haru groaned as the argument of which he was apparently the subject, continued to increase in volume above him. "I can hear you, so please… for the love of Mavis, quiet the fuck down!" Haru pleaded. His voice sounded exhausted even to his own ears. Cracking his eyes open, he found the trio of his fellow dragon slayers above him, looking relieved or impatient or both.
Rogue was the first to speak, his head tilting to the side as he asked, "You can hear again? How's that possible? Ruptured ear drums don't just magically heal…"
Haru's muscles still weren't granting him any of the movements he was attempting to accomplish, but the Shadow Slayer clearly noticed his struggle and helped him sit up. "That, is exactly what happened…" Haru retorted as he massaged his temples, "seems the combination of white magic and water magic has some pretty significant healing properties."
"Can't you heal yourself—and us—right now then?" Sting asked expectantly.
Apologetically, Haru shook his head, "I don't know if I can heal others, and besides, I am completely out of magic. Hell, I can't even sit up on my own," he added bitterly.
"Who the fuck managed to put you three in such a sorry state anyway?"
Dead silence fell over them for a good moment as they were forced to reconsider their friend as an enemy. "It was Na—"
"—Not expected," Haru interjected quickly, "they got the jump on us, the third and thirteenth Gates, while we were already tied up in a fight."
As Gajeel dissolved into indignant complaints about how no one should be able to get the jump on a Dragon Slayer, the Twin Dragons fixed Haru with their shared confusion. He glared warningly and shook his head, silently swearing them both to secrecy before the iron mage had refocused on them.
Haru would do everything in his power to keep the truth from Fairy Tail. The pain of losing one of their own was bad enough, without the devastation of learning what Tartaros had done to their beloved fire breather. Most critically, he had to keep Lucy from ever learning of Natsu's fate. She'd been so strong in the wake of the past weeks' emotionally compounding events, stronger than Haru thought he himself had been, but he already worried what was going to be left of the bright light that she embodied once she'd succeeded in her vengeance. Especially if she had to face what he just had. As such, Haru would shoulder the burden of taking down the Thirteenth Gate himself.
He swore to himself, then and there, that he would free Natsu's soul and carry all of the anguish that such a promise would inevitably bring with it, alone.
The inner turmoil he felt seemed to be relayed to the Sabertooth mages, because they simply exchanged a look and said nothing more on the subject.
"What do we do now?" Gajeel asked bluntly, disregarding the physical states of Haru and the Sabertooth mages. He was straight to the point and pushing for action, with little concern for any consequences, as always. "I took care of most of the demons on my way here… They didn't pose much of a challenge," he grumbled.
"I think most of them were pretty low-level grunts," Rogue put in, having eliminated many of them himself.
"Somehow, I doubt the Thirteen Gates would put any of their more powerful forces in Jiemma's hands…" Haru muttered. "We should regroup at the estate, Fairy Tail's got Lullaby, and she's our best chance of finding Tartaros' base and Yukino. Besides, we aren't in any shape to get wrapped up in another fight right now anyway…"
"Speak for yourself Water-Sprite! I'm fine!"
Haru rolled his eyes, "Great, we'll count on you to protect us on the way to the train station then…" All three of his fellow dragon slayers paled and protested the thought of transport instantly, the mirrored images of their shared horror lightened Haru's mood just a little. With the smallest apologetic smile, he dragged himself to his feet, wavering slightly. "Well, what do you all suggest then? We walk clear across Fiore?Do you wanna save Yukino or not?"
Sagging in defeat, the Tigers begrudgingly complied, though Gajeel still complained vehemently and begged Lily to fly him back. The cat ignored the plea, still exhausted from the flight there. He strolled calmly behind Haru as the other three conceded, dragging their feet as they followed.
Heartfilia Estate
"Igneel's doing what?!"
Lucy sighed. Nearly everyone was gathered in the main foyer of the estate, and their steady noise blanketed the space, making it hard for Haru to concentrate. He almost missed being deaf. Almost.
The Sky Slayer had already addressed Haru's injuries, most of which were surprisingly superficial. That news surprised him, given the enthusiasm in which End had delivered his blows with. Not to mention, the fights he'd had with both Torafuzar and Lullaby prior.
Before the stellar mage replied to his question, Porylusica leaned into his view with a sadistic smile and presented a purple-hued vial that smelled sickly sweet and earthy at the same time. "Drink up, brat," she said, pressing whatever mixture she'd concocted into his hand.
"W-what is—"
"DRINK!" she barked.
Paling under her wrath, Haru tipped the contents into his mouth without another word and recoiled as soon as the flavour coated his tongue. Gagging at the indescribably awful taste, he hinged forward, coughing, and frantically swiped for the beer he had within arm's reach. Chasing the nasty medicine with nearly the entire beer, he realized, to his absolute displeasure that it only succeeded in lessening the potent taste. "What the hell was that?!" he demanded indignantly, glaring at the Healer. Her medicines rarely tasted good, and he had a sneaking suspicion she did that on purpose, she was a brilliant chemist after all, but what he'd just ingested was at a whole other level. "Are you trying to kill me?!"
She smirked back, "Consider that appropriate recompense for disregarding the warning I gave you and Natsu about eating another element!" she snarked, "you're exceedingly lucky your flimsy guess didn't kill you!"
Haru's eye twitched, realizing he'd been had as the woman chuckled to herself. "You know, for a healer, you can be really vindictive…" he grumbled.
"Is that so," she said without the questioning tone, "well for someone who claims to be the level-headed Dragon Slayer, you can be an imprudent and brash idiot."
The emphasis she'd applied to his idiocy set the heat of embarrassment in his cheeks and realizing their grumpy healer had gotten the better of him in the proceeding battle of wits, didn't help. He had no retort on which to stand and the triumphant look on her face as she left him to help Wendy with treating his travel companions had him seething indignantly.
He was loathe to admit it, but she was right, he had been far too reckless recently. If he wasn't so in tune with his emotional state, he'd have to consider whether the irreparable hole his partner had left, had left him with a flippant regard to his own life. But Haru hadn't taken his decisions lightly, and he hadn't meant them to be self-sacrificial in the slightest. At the time, he just saw them as his best (and only) options to guarantee his comrades' futures. His and Mira's future. He had no intention of leaving them, or losing any more of them, because to Haru, continuing to fight for them with every shred of his power, was one of the best ways he could think to keep Natsu's spirit with him.
The way Lucy had been conducting herself as of late appeared similar on the surface, and Haru knew she too, was fighting to protect them all, but her drive was ultimately on revenge. Losing Natsu had tainted the purity of her reasons to fight, and he worried she was losing herself in that. The stellar mage had been prepared to die with Natsu back at Succubus Eye, and it was almost as though she had. At least a part of her had. That pure light she shared with them constantly, what he admired most about her, flickered dimly and sporadically now.
Sighing and cutting off his inner pondering, Haru caught her eye across the table. Their guildmates were spread all around them, but none of them shared in the solitude he and Lucy currently held for themselves alone. He wanted to ask her how she was coping, if there was anything he could do to help her, but he knew that she would just mask her pain and dismiss it with some sort of sarcastic remark. So, he just returned to the conversation they'd been having before the guild's sadistic healer had decided it necessary to try to kill his tastebuds.
"How would Igneel even find Tartaros?" Haru asked. "I bet he'll show up here first, and we can figure it out from there."
Lucy didn't appear appeased. She chewed on her lip as if physically chewing on the counterthought he presented. "I've been racking my brain on how they could have found out though, and I keep coming back to Tartaros. Aside from our Guild, the only people that know about Natsu, is Tartaros… What if they're setting another trap?"
Mulling over what seemed to be a legitimate concern, Haru still found too many holes in the idea. Igneel and the others had departed Magnolia with no real destination in mind because they had no specific leads on which to pursue. As such, no one knew where they were, aside from Fairy Tail when Sienna occasionally checked in. Besides that, what reasons would Tartaros even have to believe the dragons were in their time period?
The Demon Gates would, of course, be aware of their existence, having hailed from 400 years ago when the dragons' rule was dominant. Their entire creation had taken root from Zeref's desire to bolster humanity's position in the Dragon Wars after all.
In that respect, the Etherious weren't so different from himself and the rest of the Dragon Slayers. But where the True Dragon Slayers' power came from the nurturing aspects of familial love and fostering friendship, the Thirteen Gates' power had grown from emotional anguish, the anger and despair that had been the driving forces behind Zeref's experiments. Where the Dragon Slayers had been carefree children with the brightest expectations of their futures, such that only the innocence of a child could manifest, Zeref's demons had been born from the corruptions of the most desperate people. People on the edge of oblivion after witnessing horrendous things and the profound loss that accompanied that.
Ironically, with the same intentions, Igneel and Zeref had inadvertently given tangible form to the eternal discussion of whether magic originated from the most positive emotions or the most negative.
And Natsu's own existence had seemed to offer the bridge between those two groups. His power emanating from both the agony he'd most certainly have felt in the last moments of his young life, and the loving bonds forged between the family he'd been thrust into by Zeref himself.
"Haru?"
The mild level of mirth in his companion's voice dragged him from the tangent his mind had taken. Lucy was watching him with a quirked brow and the slightest hint of amusement at catching him so unfocused. Apologizing sheepishly, he diligently explained his reasoning against the concern she'd put forth earlier, though he left the derailment of all the thoughts that his pondering had fed into, unspoken. "So where are Mira and Erza anyway?" he asked, glancing around the Guild's makeshift hall, "and Master?" They were the only three, aside from Laxus' team, that he hadn't spied after his return. He'd been prepared to be bowled over by his girlfriend's relief before he'd even made it through the doors, that, or slapped into next week when she learned of the shit he'd pulled (even if it worked out for the best).
"They're with Lullaby." Haru jumped and whipped around at the sound of Porlyusica's voice just behind him. She still appeared entirely pleased with herself and his startled reaction only seemed to add to her pleasure. She stood, grinning down at him with her hands on her hips, and next to her, Warren eyed them both in curiosity.
"Looks like they're ready for you," Lucy said knowingly, though Haru had no clue what she was alluding to. Clearly, he was being volunteered for things again… He would consider few things in life to be more frustrating.
He pursed his lips in irritation as the elderly pinkette walked by with Warren following obediently. "Step lightly brat, or I'll have another potion with your name on it!" Porlyusica called tauntingly over her shoulder.
"What the hell…" Haru mumbled, looking at Lucy from the corner of his eye. She smiled and curled a couple fingers in a dismissive wave, sending him off to whatever he'd been unwittingly signed up for.
Plutogrim
END stood on the top of the Plutogrim cube, the wind carrying strands of pink hair across his face. Dark clouds hung above and angry orange hues of an approaching sunset bled through the mute grey dusk. He watched Magnolia town cradled within pristine fields and framed by ocean waters that glittered under the odd ray of sun that pierced the cloud cover. A notable absence in the silhouetted skyline where the famous guildhall he once called home, dominated his attention.
Ripples of anger peeled through him, it burned to see that Kyôka had spoken the truth about its annihilation... Her orders to head for Magnolia were based purely on the assumption that Fairy Tail's surviving guild members would have taken refuge somewhere within their hometown. END wondered about that. Even if her theory turned out to be correct, he'd bet many of Fairy Tail's strongest would be away, searching out leads to avenge their fallen comrades. Natsu among them. That thought presented an ambiguity that he didn't have the luxury to ponder.
Fleeting memories of a close-knit, albeit misfit, family played behind his eyes. He crossed his arms over his bared chest, consciously closing himself off from the flood of thoughts. He had a mission to complete. END remained still and rooted to the spot as the airborne cube drew closer and closer to the unsuspecting, sleepy town.
"Natsu."
He didn't turn toward the presence approaching him. A warning growl rolled up his throat, not quite escaping the seal of lips pressed in a thin line. "Natsu is gone," he bit out between clenched teeth. He was still glaring at the empty space where Fairy Tail should be, he just couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from it.
"I disagree," a hand fell lightly to his shoulder, and he whipped around, snagging the owner's wrist in a brutal grip that threatened to snap the bones like twigs.
"What do you want, Time Witch?" he asked lowly. Her fingers twitched in the space between them when he released her. Ultear's potential motivations alluded him completely, suspicion reigning dominant among his considerations. Even after burning half of Hemlock Town, fighting his old comrades and kidnapping Yukino, his fellow Gates remained guarded around him. Natsu being in control no longer seemed to be a question, but END's allegiance to Tartaros and not solely himself, remained to be seen.
Had they sent Ultear to him? Hoping that a human perspective and familiar face from his past, might reveal a hand he was trying to keep hidden from them?
He recrossed his arms in defiance at the thought and glared down at the woman.
"You don't want this, Nats—"
"End," he corrected harshly, "how many times do I need to tell you? Your friend is gone."
Ultear's face remained stony as she watched him with that same calculating look that he remembered from every one of their previous altercations. His arm snapped up, catching a crystalline orb in his hand, and shattered it with raw strength. Still, she gave no sign of emotion as the orb reformed instantly, whipping around him again in a wide circle, joined by a second, and then a third. END dodged effortlessly, swaying around each strike of Ultear's orbs until, patience waning, he caught and shattered another. "What are you trying to accomplish?!" he growled.
Maybe, maybe, he could have seen her stupidly (though pointlessly) attempting to talk sense into him, hoping to use their strange friend-enemy history to some sort of perceived advantage. He certainly hadn't expected her to attack him. He couldn't fathom any desired outcome where fighting him could be helpful to her. But Ultear was not one to do anything without meticulously plotting every detail to get to her goal.
Black-rippled embers licked over his bare arms, corrupted by the Etherious flowing freely in him now. A thick burst of ice exploded around her feet, rapidly covering a far-reaching expanse of the ground they stood on. END didn't bother avoiding the ice that quickly encompassed his legs to the knee, he just glared back unimpressed. "I never took you to make rash and stupid decisions," he muttered, his tone hinting to disappointment. "I'd have thought you'd be happy we are finally on the same side." His embers ignited further, fanned by his increasing irritation until his arms had been swallowed completely in red-black flames. The ice around him evaporated before it had even shown signs of melting.
"We are not on the same side," she responded resolutely.
"So be it…"
The air between them cracked audibly, black lines spreading outward until space itself fell away into a black void that END vanished into at an untraceable speed. Ultear didn't even have the chance to squeak in surprise when he reappeared behind her, catching the side of her neck, and slammed her into the ground with brutal force. The wind was knocked from her lungs as he crouched down and pinned her beneath him, without ever removing the strong hold he had around her neck. Close enough now that she could truly appreciate the scarlet of his eyes, she lifted her own hand to his wrist in a contrastingly gentle hold, "Nats—"
Predictably, his growl answered in defiance of the name and the tips of his claws bit into the flesh of her throat warningly. She gasped, but still showed no signs of fear, no signs of backing down, much to his chagrin. "Back. Off." he ordered. "I'd rather not kill you and you must know you stand no chance against me. Hell, you can't even scratch me."
She seemed to consider the level of conviction in his threat until the slightest laughter bubbled from her. "And you think Natsu's gone…" she rasped. Something flashed in her eyes that he was sure he wasn't going to like any more than her first declaration. "Do you think your little star princess would be jealous of you holding me like this?" she asked coyly, rolling her hips up against him. He knew she was trying to get a rise out of Natsu, not END, but regardless, he failed to reign in the wave of anger at her insolence.
"Are you trying to piss me off?!"
"Oh? Did I say something to anger you?" she asked with a self-satisfied smile.
"Don't think I won't kill you just because we are guildmates now."
"You wouldn't, Natsu would never allow it."
END's head tipped back, a rageful shout peeling out of his lungs even as his fingers twitched over her pulse point. "Dammit Ultear! Why do you always have to be so Gods-damned, infuriatingly IMPOSSIBLE?!"
"Are you going to kill me or not?" she challenged, "because honestly, I can think of otherways you could punish me, that would be much more satisfying for both of us…"
"Fuck's sake!" he spat, releasing her throat as he sat back on his haunches and adverted his eyes. He remained hovering above her, noticing her crane her neck in his peripheral, trying to get a proper look at him.
"Natsu… oh thank Gods! You really are still you," she whispered, "I just couldn't bear seeing you go against Fairy Tail…"
Rolling his eyes, he removed himself from where he'd kept her body locked in place beneath him and dropped to his butt beside her. Ruffling his hands through his hair in frustration, he let out an exacerbated, choked sound. "Gods, why did you have to pick now to grow a damn conscience?!" he barked incredulously as he scanned their surroundings to ensure they were still alone.
The raven-haired girl didn't answer, "How are you still you? Seilah's curse—"
"—Isn't strong enough to control me. It never was," he interrupted, blowing out a puff of fire in aggravation. Turning narrowed eyes back on her, he admitted, "infiltrating Tartaros may be the best way I can help my Guild, so I need to trust that they are strong enough to counter whatever attacks I have to carry out, and whatever information I provide Kyôka to gain the Gates' trust… Now the question remains, do I trust you or do I knock your ass out?"
The relief she'd revealed when he'd been pushed to drop his façade had seemed genuine enough, but they had so much history of betrayal between them that it was hard to consider placing any trust in her. Especially with his family's lives on the line. But he'd also never believed she was a truly bad person. Dangerously misguided beliefs aside, he didn't think she would want to see himself or any of his comrades badly hurt.
Considering eyes met his, "Do you know what happened to Meredy?" she asked out of the blue.
He nodded. "Tartaros corrupted her, and Lucy risked everything to save her. Meredy still almost died, and Tartaros has been after Lucy since. I rest most of that blame, squarely on your shoulders," he told her bluntly.
Ultear flinched visibly, violet eyes dropping from his, "I… I…" she stuttered.
Natsu took pity on her despite his better judgement, "She's okay. She's working with the Capital now, with Hisui and the rest of my team in Mercurius."
Wide, fearful eyes snapped back to his, "Mercurius?" she asked.
"Uh… yeah." He couldn't understand the seemingly misplaced tone of panic in her voice.
"Tartaros…"
Natsu's lips parted, now realizing the cause of her fear. If Era had fallen despite his and Haru's efforts… Had Mercurius as well? If it had, was it possible the Eclipse Team hadn't made it out? The unknowns he couldn't pursue were the worst part of remaining on Plutogrim. He still didn't even know if Lucy and the entirety of Dragon Soul had made it out of Succubus Eye after he'd sacrificed himself. Running into Haru meant at least one of his other friends had to have made it out, Haru wouldn't have been capable of fleeing on his own. All he could do is trust they'd all gotten to safety. Lucy's wellbeing remained the heaviest unknown to weigh him down. He could only imagine how the trauma of him dying in her arms was affecting her.
He had assumed the 'water and lightning users' Kyôka had alluded during their last meeting would have been Haru and Laxus. After all, they were the only ones Natsu could think of, that could deal that much damage to Tempesta. And if Laxus was okay, then he chose to believe that meant the Thunder God Tribe and the Eclipse team had made it out unscathed too.
Sighing at his internal conclusion, he covered Ultear's hand with his own, "She's okay," Natsu told her. "Laxus and his team were there to protect them all, and Fairy Tail never gives in without a fight."
"Thanks, Natsu…" she whispered.
"Loooord Eeeeend?!" a sing-song voice broke the quiet.
Natsu's head snapped in the direction of the new voice. Vira was a far distance away, head swivelling around as she searched for him. He threw his hand back over Ultear's neck without warning, pinning her back to the ground again and raised a fist overhead. A ball of fire swirled up around it just as the Virus Demon caught sight of them. She pursed her lips as she approached, "What's going on here?" she drawled, sounding all too disinterested in his answer.
"What do you want?!" Natsu demanded in a menacing voice, slipping back into his detached persona again.
The demoness tilted her head to the side, "Lord Zeref might be upset if you broke his pawn," she chirped.
Natsu growled, standing and brushing passed the other Etherious, leaving Ultear gasping for breath. "You think I give a shit what the Black Mage thinks?"
"No Lord End…" she answered diligently, "Lady Kyôka has requested your presence, the time to strike approaches."
Heartfilia Estate
The atmosphere felt heavy, and somewhere in Haru's head, he reminded himself that anything he experienced now was just a figment of his imagination. Or more specifically, Lullaby's. He forced himself to move, dragging his feet forward against an unseen force, driven by no real logic or plan. That alone made him more anxious then infiltrating the Nightmare Demon's head.
"Stay close…" Haru whispered, unable to rely on Telepathy whilst he and his comrade were only here by mere projections as an extension of that exact spell. Warren nodded, quickening his pace to catch up.
Mute tones of greys and purples coloured the space they found themselves in, though Haru couldn't describe it as darkness, or shadow… He couldn't really put any descriptor to it at all. Empty maybe? The moved through the directionless void until all at once a large door rose in front of them as though they'd been approaching it all along but had somehow not noticed it from the distance. Haru eyed the door warily, peeking sidelong at the other telepath to gage his readiness. Warren only nodded again. Haru didn't have access to his dragon slaying magic here, that had been painfully obvious as soon as they'd materialized. So, at this moment, the mind-manipulative facets of Warren's telepathy was the only defense they really had, should they run into trouble.
Hopefully, they would be able to infiltrate and explore Lullaby's mindscape without problem though… Mira and Mest were both monitoring the state of the Third Gate's mind, prepared to help if needed for any reason. When Haru had entered Porlyusica's temporary apothecary he'd noticed the group's shared tension right away. Despite being tied to a chair, Lullaby had been swinging her legs carefreely, somehow demonstrating a playful nonchalance while the gaze that pinned each of them in turn dripped with undisguised malicious intent. Mira and the others all kept their attentions on her partially, uneasily, even as they acknowledged the Haru and they other new arrivals.
No knobs or handles marked the sleek surface of the door, in fact, the only thing that hinted to its purpose was that it seemed to exist separate from the rest of the space. A gate. A passage. It had to be the way out of the room that currently held them. Haru released an exhale, clipped short by nerves, and pushed against the door rising high in front of them. It barely budged. With no words between them, Haru and Warren each threw their weight against the door, grunting as it slowly gave way with no sound.
Before the door was even open wide enough for them to squeeze through the gap that gradually widened, a nearly overwhelming sensation of hatred slammed into Haru, as heavy as the door blocking their path. It stole the air from his lungs, and he was forced to stop for a minute, taking a couple steadying breaths to process not only the hatred, but a host of other emotions hidden in layers beneath. Anger, betrayal, disgust, torment…
Pain.
And then, the overlying malice, a desire to see an end.
An end to what?
Haru noted that Warren, despite his stronger mental warding, seemed to be struggling with the same onslaught of Lullaby's mind state. Redoubling their efforts, they shoved the door open further, a crack just wide enough to get through.
Was this what Mira felt every time she was forced to engage in a mental war with a demon?
If he hadn't always been deeply impressed by Mira's unwavering strength, he certainly would be now. Takeover magic was not an easy magic to wield, it took a high level of mental fortitude, one that was rarely possessed. Add to that, the volatility of demons and the rage and outright bloodlust often corrupting the souls his girlfriend had to experience firsthand, every time she made the decision to assimilate one… Well, Haru didn't think he could be any more proud of her, but he might be wrong. He definitely didn't think he'd ever stop being at least a little stunned that out of all the men in her life, she chose him.
The malice that thickened the air only continued to increase, and it forced Haru from his thoughts, everything about this place felt wrong. He and Warren had remained quiet until the Water Slayer couldn't possibly bear the quiet any longer. "Do you feel that?" he asked his companion softly.
"Yeah… it doesn't feel right," Warren replied, reminiscent of Haru's own thoughts. "What's that?"
A good distance ahead, jumbled shapes seemed to morph out of the ground, and Haru's breath hitched as his sharp eyesight began to pick out more and more detail. The smells he would have expected to accompany the sight his brain was feeding him weren't there though, and he desperately hoped that meant he was wrong. He wasn't, of course. As they grew closer the forms of people—corpses—piled with no regard for care, dotted the space. Ravaged by fire or blades or anything else that left many of the bodies unrecognizable. Haru felt sick and the blood lust that pushed at the edges of his mind challenged him further. The brutality of the images in Lullaby's mind contrasted so sharply with the child-like form of the demoness he knew. Not that he couldn't reconcile the two. Haru turned away, taking deep breaths to try to steady himself against the horrific imagery facing him.
None of this is real.
He played the reminder on repeat in his head until Warren's hand landed on his shoulder, "Haru, look," he said. Reluctantly, Haru followed the instruction and found the carnage to have vanished. In its place, a city rose before them. Tall ramparts of a castle and red-clay tiled roofs encircling it on the hill it was perched upon itched at Haru's memory. The outer rings of streets disappeared behind massive thick walls that bordered the entire thing. Still, the whole image was cast in a certain murkiness that would have stolen any chance of identifying the city, had it not been for the large banner draped over its main gate.
Dragnof, Haru thought in wonder.
As soon as the name flickered through his memory, embers flickered over the flag's tassels, and suddenly, the Walled Kingdom was burning. Screams pierced the air as citizen roasted within its walls, trapped in the mazes of tightly packed homes and shops, and sandwiched between supposedly impenetrable walls. A small girl, no more than a child, burst from the wall of flames that had completely obscured the Kingdom, running toward them in desperation. She stumbled, distinguishing purple hair hiding her face as she fell to her stomach with fire eating away at her clothing and skin. The sounds of her agony ripped through Haru viscerally, and instinctually he burst forward, "Water Dragon's—"
Halted by the painful reminder that he was magicless in this world, he collapsed to his knees trying to remind himself once more, that none of this was real. He was rooted to his spot, unable to even bring himself to check on Warren, and when he did look up again the girl was still there and the world before him was still engulfed in fire. She stood now though, so still that she might have been a statue. Her eyes were locked on his, the dark purple of her irises turning an eery gold and familiar black marks covered her pale skin now. Her lips peeled away to reveal razor sharp teeth as her head tilted consideringly to one side. "Do you understand now?" she asked.
A new city replaced the fiery hellscape in an instant, without even a tendril of smoke to bely its previous state. It was Crocus. And somehow, all at once, Magnolia, and Hemlock Town, and every other place he'd visited throughout his travels in Fiore. At its forefront, Fairy Tail's guildhall stood proudly until dragons tore across the sky, massive wingspans throwing strange shadows of a mucky purple over an equally washed-out backdrop. Large maws opened and floods of pure flame spilled over every home Haru had and might have ever known.
He couldn't breathe.
Lullaby appeared in front of him, malicious grin still firmly in place. "An exchange then," she said, confusing Haru. "I revealed the fate of your beloved Fiore, and of humanity once stripped of magic and completely powerless to raise a hand against the underworld… This is very kind of me, wouldn't you say? You know, given that you rudely intruded in my head?" She didn't wait to see if he'd reply, "so now I get something in return, fair's fair, after all."
"What do you want?" Haru rasped, he could feel sudden heaviness on his consciousness.
"Everything you can tell us about Fairy Tail," a new voice answered. Long raven locks framed a fair complexion, the strands divided by the gold horns that adorned her head. The silks of her elegantly printed kimono barely swayed as she stopped and clasped her hands in front of her. "Don't worry, you don't have to cooperate with us, we have all the intel we need, right. Here," she said, placing a single fingertip against his forehead.
"Warren, get us out of here!" Haru yelled, whirling toward his comrade.
"Oh, that won't do," the new arrival said coolly, "Lullaby dear…" The child-like demoness turned her way with an answering hum, and the new arrival's proceeding instruction was a single word. "Sleep."
Lullaby collapsed into a seemingly deep slumber, and not a full second later, Haru collapsed the ground where he stood too.
. . .
"What the hell just happened?!" Mira screeched.
She raced to Haru's side, terrified by his and Warren's abrupt collapse. Just prior the guys had been in a sort of meditative state, projecting their consciousnesses into Lullaby's with the hope of gaining information with the aid of Warren's magic. Their captive had gone from an intense focus that seemed to scream her desperation to torture them, to a perceptively peaceful sleep in utter seconds and just after, both men had collapsed.
Porlyusica was already fervently scanning their forms and checking vitals, trying to get answers as well, when Lullaby's giggles interrupted. "You humans seem to discount the ability of Etherious to wield magic as well," she said in a voice and mannerism that was not her own. Mira recognized it immediately. Somehow the Macro Demon she'd faced off with during the events following the Games was speaking to them through Lullaby, but how was that even possible?
"They're using advanced telepathic projection too!" Mest announced in shock. It was the only thing that made sense as to how Seilah could be speaking to them through Lullaby.
Mira gritted her teeth, "What did you do to them?!" she demanded furiously.
"What an accusation… I didn't do a thing, if the host's body slumbers, so does the passengers within its mind," Seilah alluded. "Now I really must be going, the stupidity of humans is just too draining…"
"Dammit!" Mira shouted. She glanced down at the unconscious Water Slayer, he looked so peaceful he could have easily been asleep. Napping with his head cushioned in her lap as he'd done so many times before, if she didn't know any better. "Damn HER! I'm going in!"
Plutogrim
Striding down the bleak corridors of Tartaros toward his chambers, Natsu tried to calm the storm of thoughts and emotions whirling around in his mind after his meeting with Kyôka. Plutogrim had been stopped in its advance, hovering not far from Magnolia now, and Kyôka was preparing their assault, expecting END to be at their head. Natsu didn't think it likely his comrades would still be in the town, but he couldn't very well allow Kyôka and the others to begin slaughtering the innocent citizens just to gain Fairy Tail's attention. Knowing that, it was obvious he wouldn't be able to keep up his charade much longer, so he needed to start putting plans to action and deal as much damage to Tartaros as he could.
Starting with Hell's Core.
Destroying their lab would not only prevent the Demon Gates from regenerating in an eternal loop, it would also halt their progress in literally manufacturing demonically imbued S-Class rank dark mages. The army that would currently oppose Fairy Tail and their allies was daunting enough as it stood…
Natsu spun around a sharp corner and paused in front of his chamber, the only sanctuary on the entirety of Plutogrim, where he didn't have to worry about prying eyes or ears. Right now, that was a huge reprieve. Being forced to fight his partner had been a necessary show to put on, but it had threatened to rip his soul apart. Just seeing the pain in Haru's every action had crushed him too, and it had been all he could do to maintain the stony demeanour he presented. Natsu had almost broken down and turned to rip Jackal and the remnants of Jiemma's army apart with him, when the Water Slayer had reached out with his telepathy.
'Natsu… are you in there?'
He'd felt every ounce of the emotional agony Haru had felt in that moment, and the anguish on his best friend's face as he answered END's Hell Fire with his newly acquired Holy Water was mirrored in the depths of his being. Still, he was grateful. The fact that his involvement in Yukino's kidnapping had forced Haru to attempt something so asininely reckless, had given Fairy Tail another powerful blow to the Demon Gates' daunting front. Natsu was also more thankful then he could ever put to words that Lucy hadn't been with Haru. Seeing her would have been a spectacular relief to have proof that she was okay… But he wouldn't fool himself into thinking he could have engaged her in a convincing enough battle the way he had with his partner.
What a mess.
Growling to himself, Natsu unlocked and threw the door open. Across the room, Yukino flinched, her eyes going wide and fearful when he closed the door behind him with the softest click. "Trying to find a way out?" he asked, crossing his arms amusedly as his leaned into the wall, "I've always appreciated your tenacity, ya know that?"
Yukino whirled away from one of the small windows she'd been picking at, and her fists rose in front of her, despite the seal-stone bracelets that adorned her wrists. "Don't come near me, you disgusting demon reject! How dare you use his face!" she spat.
"Ouch…" Natsu mumbled, with the slightest upward quirk of his lips, "you're going to hurt my feelings Yukino. It's me."
Her anger faltered for just a second, before her eyes narrowed in outrage again, "Don't think to play my emotions End!" The alias came off her tongue like poison, vicious and defiant. "Haru told us the truth! Natsu was… Natsu isn't with us any longer…" she settled on, her volume dropping to a whisper as her defensive posture sagged.
Natsu sighed, he wondered how Ultear had managed to see through him when his closest friends hadn't been able to. But then, Haru had witnessed his death, had seen him take his final breath… Such a trauma was not easily accepted as false. He didn't think even Lucy would be able to believe he was himself, without some convincing that is. He pushed off the doorframe he was leaning on and approached her, ignoring the way she screeched at him to stay away, and dodging the objects she began throwing at him uselessly.
When he was within range, he sidestepped the punch she threw and caught her at the wrist, before using it to pull her into a hug. She immediately began hammering her fists against him as she filled the room with angry, broken sounds. Running a hand up and down her back soothingly, he murmured in her ear, "It really is me, Yukino… I'm sorry I had to fool you, I'm sorry you've been scared."
Her relentless attempts to push him away from her froze, and when he stepped back, holding her at arm's length and his bright lopsided smile appeared, his name fell from her lips. He never thought something as deceptively simple as his name spoken by a friend could have such an impact on him, but the warmth of it spread through him as he nodded in confirmation. "Natsu…" she repeated before throwing her arms around him, "how is this possible? Haru said you died! You attacked us… you kidnapped me… Haru and the others, they must be so worried… and devastated."
"I know…" he muttered; the reality of the pain his act was having on his friends hurt physically. He guided her over to his bed so they could sit and talk, and he explained everything that had happened, and everything he was hoping to achieve by being here.
"Tartaros needs a Celestial mage," he continued, "though I'm not sure why Kyôka sent me after you and not Lucy." That was one of the unanswered questions wreaking hell in his head. The Slave Demon had been after Lucy from the start, so why go after Yukino instead? Unless… A certain thought bloomed, the same one that had been twisting its roots deep into his mind, eroding his resolve to stay on Plutogrim for days now. No matter how many times the thought surfaced, he could never bring himself to fully ponder it.
"They probably just see me as easier to control. Without having the threat of a powerful light-based magic at my disposal. Take away my keys—" she said, gesturing to her keys that he had clipped to his belt with a raised eyebrow, "—and I'm rendered pretty helpless."
He nodded absently, "Do you know if Lucy is okay?" he asked.
The surprised etched in her expression told him that she didn't before she'd even responded. "No, sorry, I didn't even know anything had happened until Haru had said you were dead… He didn't provide any details, being in the midst of battle and all. Not that I think he would have, you know how Haru is…" she trailed off and patted the back of his hand. "I'm sure she's okay Natsu, Lucy is so strong, so is your whole team for that matter."
"Yeah…" he breathed, before meeting her eyes again, "listen, there's something I gotta do…"
. . .
Natsu had to refrain from the impulse that would have him tearing through the cube toward his objective. He couldn't risk drawing the attention of the numerous demons he shared its halls with. That knowledge didn't stop the constraints of time from wearing on him, as though every tick of a passing second was chipping way the calm exterior he was fighting to maintain. Plutogrim hovered just mere miles from the outskirts of Magnolia; waiting for the blanket of night to fully envelop its people before Kyôka would call their attack.
Before he could even consider escaping with Yukino and regrouping with his comrades, Natsu had to inflict as much damage as he could on their iron clad façade. Knowing he'd likely get pulled into battle, he'd made Yukino promise to stay in his chambers, no matter what sounds she may hear outside. Tartaros hadn't managed to secure Nirvana yet, so she would be safe there until he could get back to her. It was regretful that she'd been pulled into this at all.
When Kyoka had requested END track her down, Natsu had considered playing it off as not being worth his time. But had he disregarded the mission, someone else would have been sent in his place. At least by going himself, he'd had more control over her safety. So, he'd agreed, but on the condition that he got to keep her with him for some fun, upon his return.
Given that predetermined reward, none of the Gates questioned him dragging her back to his chamber when he and Jackal had arrived home. Yukino had blushed a vibrant pink when she'd realized the implications of how her safety had been guaranteed, despite no romantic or sexual inclination having ever existed between them. The celestial mage used to tease him that if she didn't know about Lucy, she'd have taken Natsu for asexual. While he'd never been blind to his sexual desires, even prior to meeting the beautiful blonde he was now lucky enough to call his girlfriend, he certainly didn't have eyes for anyone else now.
What he had with Lucy; he didn't think he'd ever be able to put words to.
There'd been times over the last few years where he'd almost felt guilty for the infinite strength of his feelings for her, like he was somehow dishonouring Lisanna's memory in some way. Of course, it wasn't anything like that. He had loved Lisanna, and that love, and subsequent loss was woven into the very fabric of his identity, undeniably, unalterable. She would always be a part of him. But Lucy. Lucy was something else.
From their very first interaction when she'd chased him down in Hargeon, he'd had the odd, untested surety that he could trust her before he'd even known something as simple as her name. Natsu didn't think he could believe in something as naïve as love at first sight, but something about Lucy had drawn him in from that first moment that he'd taken a glimpse of the untamed fire in her chocolate eyes.
Before that, he had thought he'd be content to just have his Fairy Tail family around him, thinking he'd already experienced the gifts of love at such a young age. Looking back, it had likely been a defence mechanism to opening himself up to such a raw and vulnerable level with another person, only to have that connection severed by something as irreversible as death. He'd subconsciously put guards up to the slightest possibility. Guards that Lucy had rendered useless, dismantled effortlessly, with no more than a bright smile that melted him on the spot.
Not that he realized what was happening for months.
That had taken back-to-back missions where he was faced with the very real potential of losing her as well, the feeling of which could have paralyzed him, had he been almost anyone else. That fear, and more and more people tactlessly pointing out what his inner voice had still been busy denying, finally made him accept that he was, in fact, falling in love again. Or had already. She'd commanded his heart from the second she suggested they team up.
For her sake, and all of his Fairy Tail family, he had to destroy Hell's Core, and give them all a fighting chance for the war that was looming ever closer.
Natsu spun around a corner and was heading straight for the stairs to the basement lab when he was subject to the voice that landed just shy on his list of most annoying. Kyôka claimed that coveted position… but Jackal came very, very close second. Grinding to a halt, Natsu turned, huffing in irritation.
"What're ya doing?" Jackal asked with his usual grin, peering around Natsu to the entrance to Hell's Core just behind him. "Don't tell me Lamy is growing on you, not when you've got that celestial hottie back in your room. I'll take her off your hands if you've had your fun…"
Another impulse to rein in, don't throttle the dumbass. Natsu bit off the answer he'd like to deliver, one that would have been more fist and fewer words. He shifted his weight lazily to one leg and crossed his arms over his chest. "Sharing's never been my strong suit, Jackie," he muttered, "something else I can do for you? Or are you just strolling about to see how many people you can piss off?"
"Always the latter, Fire-Prick."
Heartfilia Estate
Mira reached out, extending her consciousness, searching for either of the other two minds she might encounter within the Third Gate's head. Like gliding through the ocean at night, searching for a single being within wide expanses of empty water. She'd done that too many times too. Hold on Haru, Warren, I'll get you guys out.
Her magic didn't work the way Warren's did, she didn't have the ability to project her consciousness the way he'd done. She never left her body fully; her attention and awareness could be divided between reality and mindscape. Still, it was just as risky. Takeover would always be her last-ditch effort, the only move remaining to her, as it required her to literally put the sanctity of her own mind on the line. Should she ever lose one of these fights, her mind would be forfeit, a fate Mira considered worse than death. Absentmindedly, she combed her fingers through the dark strands of Haru's hair even as she began the first strides of an impending battle for control. It grounded her, holding him while she fought to save him.
It occurred to her, that the last time she'd been forced to this point had been an attempt to save Lisanna and Natsu. The failure of which would always gnaw at her. She wouldn't fail here.
It didn't take her long to hone in on the threads of hatred and bloodlust, denser than the general sense of both that washed over her as soon as she melded her mind with Lullaby's. The familiar twitch of intrusion in her own mind settled against her focus as well now, the Nightmare Demon already warding her off before she'd even located the root of her consciousness.
Mira ventured deeper, trailing the growing torment that Lullaby couldn't help but leave floating in tendrils through her mind like an intricate web. All the while, the takeover mage could feel Lullaby doing the same, burrowing deeper, searching, just as she was. Mira's breathing was already laboured under the strain of trying to keep the demoness in her head under control, out of her memories and feelings, barred from delicate information about the guild. Mest and Porylusica watched her with concern, though they said nothing, knowing nothing they could say would deter her.
"Ohhh! Another come to play?" a new voice squealed excitedly, "you must be Mirajane? Am I right? Am I?"
Pausing in her probing, Mira gave her attention to the demoness still bound to the chair before her, but her face was still slack with sleep. She answered back in thought, "Soon to be Master to you," she snarked, "tell me what you've done with my friends!"
A sensation of indifference filtered through the mind-meld; Mira could practically see her foe shrugging dismissively. It was odd, having a conversation with a demon she was trying to takeover, the demons she'd assimilated in the past had never spoken the languages of humans. "Oh, nothing much, they're just enjoying a good dream."
"How?! Your curse is repressed!
"Out there, maybe. But not in here, you entered my mind, and everything in here is mine to play with."
"We'll see about that!" Mira retorted.
"I suppose we shall."
The last remark lacked the expected enthusiasm, a blunt statement, cold and detached from the usual child-like persona she'd begun with. Then a sharp pain ripped through Mira's skull and she cried out, more startled then anything. An unpleasant itch bloomed deep within, morphing into a steady throb and flickers of her most painful memories found their way to the forefront of her mind. "Oh! Well aren't you interesting?" Lullaby asked, "a demon parading as a human—"
"I AM human!" Mira interrupted with a righteous anger.
Abruptly, new scenes surrounded her along with Lullaby's disembodied giggles, and immediately, Mira knew she'd gotten caught up in her enemy's curse. Similar to what Lucy had described, one minute she'd been sitting on the floor with Haru's head cradled in her lap, and focusing intently on the enemy, and the next she was somewhere else entirely. The room and the few comrades who'd been around her, watching anxiously as she attempted the dangerous spell, were gone in the span of a breath.
Unlike Lucy however, Mira was fully aware she was in a construct woven with the power of the Nightmare curse. And that was exactly what she was in, a nightmare, reexperiencing some of the most devastatingly painful moments of her life… The ones that had made her question her humanity.
And that might just be exactly what Lullaby wanted.
The nightmare started with dealing with the first major abandonment she'd experienced so early in life, at the hands of the people who should have loved her unconditionally. Up until the moment the demon blood within her veins first started surfacing with visible signs, Mira's parents had been the typical loving parents. So when that illusion shattered under the disgust they'd turned on her, expressed with words like monster, and abomination, Mira had only been confused, certain she must be misunderstanding. She'd begged her parents to tell her it was just that, instead, they delivered an ultimatum. Leave on her own volition, or be executed as a demon, they'd called that an act of mercy. One that the entire town—people she'd known her whole life, people who'd helped to raise her—enforced without the slightest hesitation.
Mira fled, not for herself, but for her siblings. Leaving them was the most devastating part, and she knew it would hurt them, but knowing what the Town had done to her would be more harmful. Despite that, they'd found her, and the guilt of feeling like she was solely responsible for essentially making orphans of them and robbing them of a childhood unaware of the crueler side of the world, had felt crushing for years after. And Lullaby made sure she got to relive each and every one of the most awful experiences they'd faced. During that time, Mira had desperately tried to shield her siblings from the ostracization she faced in every town they entered, until after two painful years, they found salvation within the walls of Fairy Tail and the warm embrace of its members.
Mira was already rubbed raw with emotion from each and every memory, when finally, she found a head of locks as white as snow, caked with patches of unnaturally vibrant red, in her lap. Her little sister. Brutal gashes carving deep into her body, an arm severed from her shoulder, and bones quite obviously broken in places. The wail that tore itself from Mira's lungs didn't sound human even to her own ears. Apologies began falling from her lips in broken sobs on repeat, the agony of being back in the moment of her greatest failure impossible to approach rationally. The fact that this was still a manipulation of a curse ability hadn't escaped her awareness, but that reality felt distant and unimportant in that moment. "I'm sorry… Lisanna…" she whispered again.
"Mira…"
Her name materialized in a barely coherent sound, deformed around globs of blood that gurgled in her sister's throat. Eyes as blue as her own stared up at her now, stealing Mira's breath. "Help me Mira…"
"You could save her," another voice said behind her.
Natsu crouched beside her, frantically wrapping his scarf around the deepest wounds her in her belly. He looked at her accusingly, "it's your fault she died!" he yelled.
His own clothing was soaked with blood as well, tan skin hidden behind a coating of red due to the wound that was slowly killing him, and she knew he was only moving by the nightmare's influence. "Natsu, you'll die without help too," she choked out.
"She dies because you saved me! Now you have the chance to fix that!" he screamed desperately.
Was that true?
The thought materialized for only a second, fed by deep seeded guilt. No, Lisanna had certainly been dead when she'd found her… She could save her now though. She was being given the chance, if she only stayed, but she couldn't save both her sister and Natsu. Distantly, she realized she was being irrational for even considering it. How would Haru feel if she had the chance to save Natsu, and chose Lisanna instead?
What?
Mira flinched. Where had that thought come? Her consciousness was slowly sinking deeper into the nightmare, and she tore it back with a scream. She was mercilessly reminded that both the individuals in front of her, had already died, and she was letting herself get absorbed in a life that was impossible now. She couldn't stay here, and leave Haru, and the rest of her family behind. Not when she still lived, and they were right there with her. She couldn't give in.
"LULLABY!" she screamed furiously.
"Mira…"
No. No. Please don't ask me for help…
She couldn't hear her sister ask her for help again when she was about to abandon her in a pool of her own blood for a second time. False reality or not. She turned teary eyes back on Lisanna and was shocked to find a subtle smile on the girl's face. "Mira, it's okay, you did everything you could. None of this was your fault," Lisanna whispered, "I love you so much, so live. Live for me."
Tears streamed down the takeover mage's face. Memories of the kindness and unconditional warmth her sister had offered to everyone who crossed her path, had purified the corruption of Lullaby's influence. Another hand landed on top of hers and her pink-haired friend, the version of him she'd seen the days before he and Haru had left on that fateful mission was watching her now. "I don't blame you Mira, I never have. Go now, go help Fairy Tail, they need you!"
The illusion shattered around her and in one burst of renewed focus she forced the Third Gate from her head and her memories. With her magic swelling furiously over what the demoness had subjected her to, and resolve to save the people she could actually still help, Mira drove her power into the mind-meld, overwhelming the holds Lullaby had gained up to that moment. Slowly, the Nightmare Demon's own resolve slipped and fractured against Mira's and the takeover mage could feel her foe's self-awareness fading. She released a long exhale, "You know, I will never offer mercy after what you did to me… But ironically, you gave me the chance to say goodbye, and granted the closure I've always needed…" Mira said softly.
"Goodbye."
Plutogrim
"The fuck happened to you?" Natsu asked in a flat tone.
Ahead of him in one of the large canisters, Torafuzar floated in regenerative fluid, the bubbly state of the tube told him the demon's reconstruction was actively under way. Beside him, sounds of displeasure had been periodically erupting from his unwelcome companion. They paused now, replaced by a sudden fit of obnoxious laughter when Jackal finally became aware of his surroundings outside Lamy who was once again, thoroughly fastened to his torso. "Armour of Tartaros, my ass!" Jackal declared flippantly, fully amused by the state of their fellow etherious.
Natsu narrowed his eyes at the Bomb Demon, irritated that he had insisted on making a nuisance of himself by following him into Hell's Core. Predictably, Torafuzar gave no sign of acknowledging Jackal's taunts. Considering the exchange with the barest level of interest, Natsu had to admit, albeit begrudgingly, that Jackal's explosive personality and equal disregard to caution was quite similar to his own mannerisms. And if that was true, then the Water Demon's stoic demeanour and subtle pride, though more overtly arrogant at times, would be the closest match to Natsu's own water-wielding partner. With that in mind, the sudden outburst that ripped itself angrily from the brutalized demon caught Natsu off guard.
"That blonde fairy bitch rusted—rusted," he repeated with unnecessary emphasis, "my armour!"
"What?!"
The word was out of Natsu's mouth with far too much emotion before he knew it, and mentally, he was already smacking himself in the forehead over the slip. He could feel all three of the demons' eyes on him instantly, a mix of curiosity and suspicion. Fortunately, overlying the feelings of his relief at having evidence of Lucy's wellbeing, was the anger at thoughts of what the demon before him might have done to his girlfriend. That genuine anger would make his attempt to save face more convincing. Natsu bared his teeth, "That fairy bitch, is the holder of the Grand Spells…" he muttered, letting his ethereal pressure swell around him threateningly, "and besides that, she—and her fate—belong to ME!"
Torafuzar stared back stone-faced, apparently unaffected by the rage directed his way, but at least his initial suspicion seemed to have dissipated. Jackal, on the other hand, would prove to be his typical annoyance. He burst into a renewed round of laughter, even as his clawed grip found Lamy's face to redouble his efforts in prying her off and Natsu turned menacing red eyes his way. "Don't tell me the all-powerful Lord End is still whipped by a human girl?!" he asked sarcastically. "Why do you care what happens to her?"
The heat of his magic wove around the tendrils of etherious that licked at Natsu's fingers, and he could already feel the instability in the miniscule clash of both. Truth was, he was still only at a fraction of END's power, and it was anything but stable. Especially when both destructive powers were being fueled by his gradually increasing rage. "I told you—" Natsu bit out through clenched teeth, "she's MINE. No one can touch her, ravish her, end her. BUT. ME."
Finally, fear, though just barely perceptible, flickered through Jackal's eyes and posture, as though he was only now worrying about how far was too far to push the man who'd already handed him death once. "Why are you still here?!" Natsu asked in tone that reclaimed its dangerous calm, that edge he knew to be more intimidating than yelling could ever be.
Jackal took a step back, hesitant chuckles escaping his throat in dry pants now. "Well, it's just fun to light your fuse and wait to see what the detonation brings…" he teased, though the remark lacked its usual confidence this time.
That was it.
Natsu was done with Jackal.
And he was done with the charade.
He'd hoped Jackal would leave, motivated either by anxiety of being on the wrong end of the Thirteenth Gate's fist, or by irritation of being subject to Lamy's attention. Since neither seemed to be doing the trick, Natsu abandoned his first plan, reverting to his natural, act now, deal with the consequences later, attitude. He would just have to use the Bomb Demon as his personal sledgehammer in which to destroy the lab with.
"You really wanna see an explosion, Jackie?" he asked, fist clenching at his side. Fire crawled up his forearm in preparation for his battle-opening Iron Fist, but before he snapped and launched the attack, an ear-splitting roar cut through the quiet.
Gasping, Natsu whirled toward the sound, despite knowing the walls would block his view of whatever had unleashed it. His immediate instinct noted the familiarity, that which clawed through him and left panic in its wake when his mind flew to Acnologia. Similarly, his fellow demons also wore expressions wild with confusion and fear… So, this interruption wasn't part of Tartaros' plans either then and that seemed to solidify the yet to be confirmed arrival of the Apocalypse Dragon.
The puzzle piece didn't quite seem to fit in Natsu's reasoning though.
Then an explosion obliterated the far wall, and Natsu's pondering with it. Not in a fiery cataclysm of rubble, but in tens of thousands of perfectly uniform cubes that buried Jackal and Lamy who'd been standing closer. Natsu's jaw dropped as the new arrival stepped through the hole, his figure silhouetted against the setting sun just behind him.
"Gildarts?!" Natsu barked incredulously.
The crash mage stepped further into the room, one copper brow climbing halfway up his forehead when his eyes fell on Natsu. "The fuck is this?" he asked, "Gray told me you were dead, who are you?"
"I am me Gildarts, long story."
"Prove it, say something only Natsu would know."
Rolling his eyes, Natsu smirked back, deciding to ask a question instead. "Added any new photos to your secret collection recently? You know the ones of—"
Gildart's eyes bulged, "how'd you—"
"Get the balls to tell Ca—"
The Fire Slayer found his mouth sealed with the steel grip of his father-figure in a split second, "Okay! I believe you, shut up, would you?!" Gildarts snapped. He sobered just a second later, eyes locking on Natsu's as he released his hold. "How are you alive? Do you know what the Guild is going through? What Lucy is going through? Hell, your Dad's on a fucking rampage right now!"
"Dad's here?"
Natsu kicked himself, the recognition of the roar just now making sense to his frazzled mind state.
"I ran into him and the others on the road, shared a fire, he recognized my name from you, thanked me for my part in raising you… I told him I was devastated by the loss—I was you know? You've got some fucking explaining to do kid—"
"What in the actual fuck is happening right now?!"
The sudden shout startled both Fairy Tail men out of their conversation, both becoming aware of the Bomb Demon who had picked himself out of the remnants Gildarts' destructive spell and had been watching the exchange in dumbfounded shock. "Ah, guess the jig's officially up," Natsu mused.
"I knew it! You're back to the pink-haired Fairy-dick!"
"Fairy-dick?" Natsu parroted, "that's a new one…You been exchanging insults with the snowflake? 'Cause that one needs some work…" He chuckled as another roar preceded a large explosion that rocked the entirety of the cube sending all the Hell's Core occupants scrambling to catch their balances. As soon as he recovered from the quakes that destabilized them all, and the revelations that destabilized his reality, Jackal was flying straight for Natsu with a rageful yell. Winding up with a fiery fist, Natsu prepared to answer the attack, but Gildarts beat him to it. Crash magic slammed into the demon's cheek, sending him soaring straight for one of the large glass tubes, knocking a row out like dominos before it all shattered in a shower of tiny cubes again.
"You overdid it," Natsu said with a toothy grin.
"Says the master of overdoing…"
Grin widening, Natsu released his magic and columns of fire ignited sporadically around the room in patches as his power spiked. Crimson scales crawled over his skin, interspersed with the black markings that still painted his skin. "Fire Dragon King's demolition fist!" Natsu shouted, whipping forward to tear through both the machinery and throbbing organic elements that brought life to Hell's Core. He spun on the ball of his foot with a wild grin as everything crumpled around him, including the tube that had housed Torafuzar… "I gotta pick up a friend, you good here old man?"
"Who are you calling old?! Can still kick your ass…" came the familiar reply.
"See you on the other side then… Don't go dying!" Natsu called as he tore out of the room, leaving behind the ruins of Hell's Core, and the crash mage's retort of, 'How 'bout you try not to die AGAIN!'
. . .
Igneel's roars, and subsequent explosions of power continued to rock the labyrinth of passages that cut through the cube in intricate layers, connecting nearly a hundred chambers within its confines. It still didn't take long for Natsu to get back to his own. He'd found Yukino loyally abiding his request, though she hadn't looked happy about it. She'd demanded to know what was happening as soon as he arrived back. "Time to go!" he'd said in place of an explanation as he'd ripped through the fabric of space with an ethereal portal.
Now they both stood atop Plutogrim, watching the earth roll by hundreds of feet below them. He couldn't see Igneel, but he could see blasts of fire lighting up the night sky that had cloaked the world by this point. Uneasily, he wondered what presented enough challenge to keep his father's fight constrained to one side of the Cube, he also noticed the Cube's course had changed. Magnolia was now shrinking in the distance behind them, but he didn't know the direction they were headed in now.
Or why.
"Lucy's estate!" Yukino breathed, answering his unspoken question. "It's this way, Tartaros found Fairy Tail!"
Natsu recalled that the Heartfilia Estate had been left to the stellar mage upon her father's arrest years ago… Apparently to Fairy Tail's saving grace. He took in the blue hues focused on him now, wide with concern, but he just shrugged a shoulder. "You worry too much Yukino! Remember, this is Fairy Tail we're talking about," he stated mirthfully. He held out a palm, and it glowed as he pulled his lacrima comm from his Requip space. Static danced over the smooth crystal as the device sought a connection, and before long, Makarov appeared. Natsu didn't give the Guild Master time to express the inevitable imposterquestions he'd been fielding far too much today. Speaking over the predictable anger-laced words, he just said, "Put Haru on," in a sharp statement that he hoped left no room to rebut.
Makarov's eyes narrowed, never one to give into the demands of a perceived enemy, but curiosity had him acting anyway. Natsu's crystal went dark for a minute, but he could hear shuffling and then eventually, the mutters of a conversation he couldn't quite make out. For a moment, he wondered if the elderly man was going to ignore him, but a few minutes later he was taking in a change of location. Makarov was back on the screen but turned away from Natsu and speaking to someone else, rows of books filled shelves that swallowed the entire wall behind him. The elderly man faced him again, lips pressed in a thin line that betrayed his unease over giving End what he wanted. With a final begrudging look, Makarov passed the comm off, and then Natsu was face to face with his partner again. Flashing his toothy grin, Natsu watched as the Water Slayer flinched, the movement so slight, he didn't' think anyone else could have picked it up.
"It's time now, Haru."
A/N: Here we go!
Igneel and Gildarts on scene. Natsu's Natsu. And Tartaros is moving on Fairy Tail.
So funny (or not so funny) enough, this entire chapter was held up by one stupid tiny section. Mira's Takeover scene gave me the worst writer's block, I just couldn't figure out how I wanted to spin that scene. Still don't think I'm entirely happy with it, but as one guest recently requested: I decided to have mercy on you all!
Just remember, even if school and work hold me up, I promise, this story will see completion (and potentially a sequel, depending on all your feedback). [Going forward] if time stretches past the 4 week mark, I will post a quick note at the top of my bio to give you all an update on the next chapter's progress and expected post date. (Especially for the guests who don't get chapter update alerts).
Thank you as always, to all of you, as a hobby-writer who obviously doesn't get paid to do this amongst her busy life, I can definitely say it is the messages, reviews and discord conversation that fuel my motivation to get chapters out in relatively timely fashion! This chapter's specific heroes to my writer's soul are: HisSecretLover18, kkitz, FyreFalcon, SuperSaiyagin4Vegeta, EternalFlame, MPrime, and some guests.
(If any of you ever want to connect on Discord, you can add me under: LokaMuse#2019
'Till next time!
~LokaMuse