A/N: This chapter was fun to write. It took a different direction than I had hoped, but eh, it works! That just means I have to tweak my outlines a little bit. But, it doesn't change the progression or plot of the story!
So I hope you like it!
I don't own Fairy Tail.
Enjoy!
War of Fire
-O-
Chapter 2: Strength
A scorching heat was stinging at her, her skin feeling like it would melt. The flames circled and billowed around the imperial soldiers, their cries of anguish filled her ears. Eyes wide in sheer shock, Lucy was incredulous to the scene before her.
She has never seen magic this powerful, this monstrous, this terrifying.
Silence reached her ears as the funnel of flames vanished, and the sight left her eyes stinging with tears, and the bile reaching to the back of her throat.
The surviving imperial soldiers groaned as horrific burns covered theirs bodies, black and screaming red blisters covered their skin. Charred bodies were what were left of the dead. Unrecognizable, the smoke arose from the unfortunate fate of the imperial soldiers.
The captain of the platoon of soldiers stood at the front of his men, his hand stretched out forward. Heaving, panting, his clothes were torn and the same black and red blisters encompassed the skin visible to the world.
Standing in front of the remaining survivors of their heinous attack was a silhouette. The smoke hadn't cleared yet, and Lucy narrowed her eyes for a better look.
"Ho-how does someone have this much power?!" A soldier exclaimed as he struggled to move away from the rebel.
The power to wipe out an entire platoon of men… Was this the power of the Resistance?
With no regard to life, Lucy thought to herself as she forced herself to look away from the blackened bodies.
"You… I know who you are." The captain whispered with pain, retracting his hand.
The smoke finally cleared and Lucy agape.
A man, with unruly kept pink hair, stood with a snarky smirk. His teeth baring, a white scaled scarf wrapped around his neck, a waistband coat tied around his body. But what had Lucy more intrigued was the tattoo pressed on his shoulder, baring bright in the daylight.
One of the first founded guilds in Fiore from 100 years ago; she had read so many books about them.
Fairy Tail.
"I'm just getting started! Let's see what else you got." His rough-edged voice rang out through the street and Lucy's mind was spinning as his smirked deepened.
"You will meet your end, Salamander."
"Salamander?!" Lucy nearly knocked herself over with the spouting of the captain.
As in the infamous Salamander of the Resistance!?
The blonde had heard many passing stories about the Salamander. It was said that he could blow away villages, towns, even cities with his lethal magic. His flames were said to resemble the lost flames of the now extinct dragons of long ago. Stories were told of him leveling battlefields, leading the Resistance to many crucial victories that have kept them in this war for so long.
And here he was, standing right in front of Lucy.
"Th-that's the… the-"
"Ah yes, the infamous Salamander." The old shop keeper finished for her. Her eyes went to his, and found him to be in a calm state.
Lucy was quivering in her boots! The immense amount of sheer magical power this powerful mage just exemplified nearly caused her to lose her footing.
"I still gotta a few things to do before I die." Another smirk, "Like, ya know, end this war? So, sorry, looks like I won't be meeting any end today."
"Chain magic! Dark binding!" The captain shouted as a dark magic circle appeared and four chains shot towards the Salamander.
The rebel moved swiftly, avoiding the grappling's of the chains. He jumped on the perched umbrella, hoisting himself to the balcony of a townsfolks home.
"You really gotta be faster than that if you want any chance at beating me."
Lucy was in both awe and shock as she watched the Salamander jump away from the chains that reached for him. Most battles she had either participated in or watched from afar involved hand to hand combat, or power of wits.
But this Salamander was just… mocking the captain. She would go as far to say that his smirk turned to that of a smile; a carefree smile. And that had Lucy upset.
How could anyone be happy to fight like this, to know you are taking away lives! She didn't understand.
"You stupid brat!"
The captain of the guard jumped towards the Salamander, his fist cocked back.
Moving swiftly to the side, the pink haired rebel grabbed the captain by his foot and threw him into the building on the other side of the building. Lucy winced for the captain.
"Captain!"
A barrage of magical attacks was aimed at the rebel the moment he landed. She held her breath and clutched her cloak as suspense filled her. The rebel's fist was suddenly encompassed with flames and he began to shoot away at the avalanche of attacks.
Lucy was struggling to keep her eyes trained on his movements. He moved steadily and swiftly within the vortex. This wasn't his first battle, and it wouldn't be his last as he eventually blew away the soldiers that had their weapons aimed at him.
"Tch. You are all a pain in my ass." He growled, his eyes blazing.
Incredible…
"Ain't it, Missy?" Lucy covered her mouth as she realized her thoughts were spoken.
"He cleared the battlefield in a matter of minutes. That's… amazing." Despite her disgust with how he so carefully disregarded human life, to witness the statue of his power left Lucy breathless.
"Thus, this is the true power of the Resistance." The old man muttered quietly as his eyes hardened.
True power, huh?
"Natsu!"
Lucy had to blink not once, but twice as a floating, flying blue… thing? arrived next to the Salamander.
What in the world…?
"You sure made quick work of these guys!"
"Happy! There you are! I was wondering where ya went!" A gigantic grin settled on his lips as he put his hands behind his head.
"Stupid Natsu! I lost you right after you blew up the thrift store!"
Salamander chuckled as he rubbed his head sheepishly. They engaged in banter and Lucy felt like she had to sit down.
A talking, flying, blue cat was hovering next to the infamous Salamander right after he just decimated an entire platoon of imperial soldiers.
"What is it, my young mage?"
With an incredulous stare, her eyes peered out into the battlefield. Lifeless bodies scattered the floor, the streets painted in blood, and whatever was left of these wounded soldiers were groaning in sheer pain.
"How could he be smiling after he did this?" It was a harsh whisper and tears kissed her eyes.
The man's shoulders fell and he remained quiet. The silence was deafening.
"Thus is the reality of war."
War… was truly a horrendous, cruel thing.
"Agh!"
A blast erupted from the impact sight of where the Salamander had thrown the captain of the platoon. When Lucy's eyes landed on the pink haired rebel again, he was wrapped with a dark chain, the grappling's hooked onto the skin of the infamous member of the Resistance.
"Natsu!"
"Happy! Get away!"
"You vile rebel!"
The captain emerged from the smoke of the blast, his face covered in blood, armor falling to pieces, stumbling in his steps.
In the same fashion, the imperial captain lifted Natsu into the air and crashed him back into the earth. He proceeded with dragging him through the pavement of the road, the earth lifting from impact. Lucy could hear the Salamander scream in pain.
"Natsu!" The blue, flying cat shot towards his companion, but another chain wrapped around the animal, thrusting him into the ground.
"Stay out of this!"
The captain pulled Natsu towards him, the pink haired mage glaring at the captain.
"I will make your death painful." He spoke darkly, squeezing the chains around the rebel's body. An agonizing scream ripped through the air as the chains continued to tightened and Natsu's face contoured in pain.
She gripped her hands tightly, biting down on her lip.
He was going to kill him!
And all she did was sit there and watch while he did it. Because she wasn't strong enough. Lucy closed her eyes, Salamander's high-pitched scream traveling through her body. Her keys dangled at her sides, Aquarius lectures from the past few years circling in her mind.
She had to do something!
She couldn't continue sitting there and just watch him die.
Without a second thought, Lucy burst through the door of the dingy antique shop, ignoring the worried calls of the shop owner behind her.
"Open! Gate of the Bull! Taurus!"
A blinding, golden light appeared, and a large silhouette formed.
The captain of the platoon went wide eyed as a large, muscular bull with a human like built carrying a large axe appeared out of thin air. His stare even more shocked as the blonde from the previous night stood next to him with a glare.
Salamander looked down from his current imprisonment through pained lidded eyes.
"Mooooo! Miss Lucy! You are looking fine as ever!" Lucy sighed dejectedly as the bull made heart eyes towards his gate keeper, drooling over his master's physique.
"Not now, Taurus! We have more pressing matters!" She pointed in the direction of the two mages locked in combat.
"The celestial mage?!"
"Is this man giving you trouble, Miss Lucy?" Taurus' eyes darkened immediately, a heavy glare and a huff of his nose.
She nodded. "Let's go, Taurus!"
Charging at the man, the bull put his head down, axe positioned for battle. "Moooo! No one touches Miss Lucy except for me! Mooooo!"
The celestial mage shook her head in disappointment and embarrassment, reaching for her whip.
Scrambling quickly, the captain pulled Natsu away, and shot his other hand forward towards Lucy and Taurus. A chain at high speeds was reaching for the two, but Taurus easily knocked it away with his axe.
"Taurus! I'm going to need you to distract him while I get that man out!" She said and Taurus nodded.
"Anything for youuuu, Miss Lucy! Moooo!" The celestial spirit charged once again the captain as his hold on the Salamander tightened. Taurus thrusted himself at the captain, the rebel in his chains falling to the floor, being dragged as the captain fell back.
"Grab the celestial mage!"
Lucy turned her head only to find three imperial soldiers pointing their weapons at her. Sweat formed at the side of her temples as their weapons powered with magic aimed at her.
Dammit. I thought the Salamander took them all out!
Her eyes shifted back towards Taurus, who was barely holding off the captain as it was.
Smart thinking, Lucy! Look what you got yourself into!
She clutched the whip in her hand tightly. One of the soldiers ran at her, swinging their blade at her. Dodging the careless and rather reckless swing easily, another soldier ran at her with their staff, a green aura surrounding the tip. Lucy cracked her whip at the staff and hauled It away from the soldier, the staff clanking on the floor.
A hard kick to the face and the soldier stumbled backwards. Lucy took this opportunity to pounce and sent more physical attacks his way until the soldier was rendered unconscious on the ground. Two more soldiers ran at her, and with her whip, she grabbed the arm of the weaponless man and with all her might, threw him into the other soldier. It wasn't enough to get them down, but it was enough time for her to charge forward and land two hard kicks to their faces.
Nodding her head at her handiwork, she couldn't suppress the victorious smirk. "Not bad, Heartfilia."
But a yell in the battlefield took away the short-lived moment as Taurus went flying.
"Taurus!" She screamed in fear.
The bull stood, although covered in cuts and bruises, and smirked. "I'm okay, Miss Lucy."
He attacked the captain again.
"Are you going to hide behind your precious spirit, celestial mage?! Or are you too scared!?" A menacing laugh and Lucy shut her eyes in guilt.
It wasn't that she didn't want to fight. Lucy despised using her spirits as shields, as pawns. Stories have been told of celestial mages who used their keys to cause mayhem and destruction, forcing the spirits to do their evil for them. She refused to rely on her spirits as mere shields in battle.
Lucy was going to stand right next to her spirits in battle. They were her friends; her companions. Growing up, she formed bonds with Aquarius and Taurus, creating precious memories. She refused to see them anything less than what they were: her family.
"Just hang tight a little longer, Taurus!"
He nodded, "Anything for you! Moooo!"
The blonde ran towards the chained rebel, finding him conscious, but struggling to break free of the tightened chains. Lucy watched for a moment as her celestial spirit fought against the captain, and noticed that he was no longer breathing as heavily as he was earlier.
If anything, he looked stronger.
How in the world…?
The chains that had a grip on the Salamander proceeded to hum. Her eyes trailed from the chains back to the captain.
Eyes widened in realization.
"Agh! Dammit! They won't budge!" He shouted as he continued to thrash around.
"It's because they are coated in dark magic!" The pink haired rebel stopped in his haste and looked up at her with confused eyes as she ran by his side.
"What?" Lucy dropped to her knees and pulled at the chains, shaking her head.
"They are covered in his dark magic. Do you feel yourself getting weaker?" She questioned and his mouth opened for a moment, then closed his eyes; almost as if he was meditating.
His dark, onyx eyes opened suddenly in distress.
"The hell?! What's he doing to me?!" Salamander began struggling in the chains again, but Lucy put her hands to his shoulder.
"Stop! If you continue resisting the chains, they will continue draining your magical power and make him stronger!" His gaze followed her pointed finger to the captain.
"What?!" He shouted, wincing slightly at the fatigue settling in.
"All that you have resisted against these chains, it's been making him stronger! So, we need to find a way to get you out of these, now." The blonde explained, and the rebel nodded.
"Who are you?" He asked, and Lucy smiled.
"The names Lucy."
Now he offered a smile, and Lucy almost blushed at the grin on his face.
"Natsu."
"Pleasure meeting you, Salamander. Wish it was under different circumstances, though." They both laughed slightly, Lucy still examining the chains wrapped around him.
"Any ideas to get this off me?" He asked, and Lucy gulped.
Truthfully? No. She wasn't strong enough to break these, and the only person with enough power to cut through these was currently fending off the captain.
"I've had enough!"
A sudden chills and Lucy shivered at the shrilling cry behind her. Her hands began to tremble at the vibration of the ground. When she turned, Taurus was on all fours.
"I grow tired of this!" He sent a powerful kick to Taurus' head and had him soaring through the air, landing with a hard thump. Lucy cringed, instant remorse filling her. His battle axe went flying on the other side of him.
"Taurus!" But suddenly, the chains moved and the Salamander was hoisted away from her, dragging through the uprooted earth.
"I think the Emperor will be quite pleased when he hears that not only did I rid the world of the infamous Salamander, but also a celestial mage and her poisonous magic." A sinister smile and he threw Natsu through the air.
Lucy stood her ground, glaring at the imperial captain.
This was a horrible situation. She had little to no magic left after leaving Taurus out of his gate for so long. She was still recovering from her battle from last night, and she had no strategy against this man. All odds were truly against her.
But, that didn't mean she would run from the fight. Especially when it meant life or death for someone else.
The imperial captain flung the Salamander on the ground, breaking and retracting his hold so both of his hands were available to fight. The pink haired man, Natsu, was still tied in the dark chains, the magic still somehow transmitting to the captain.
Cracking her whip, she smirked, hiding her nerves. "You're going to have to kill us first."
"My pleasure."
His hand shot out another series of chains, and Lucy barely dodged, sending her whip to diverge the paths of the ones she couldn't avoid. She kicked and punched a few away, but the moment the chains connected with her, she could feel whatever was left of her magic drain away.
Lucy felt one of his chains wrap around her leg and thrust her into the ground. She yelled in agony as he kept dragging her through the earth, sending the chains to do his bidding for him. They attacked her with a reckoning force, hardly giving her time to breath.
She struggled to stand as she tasted the blood in her mouth and her body screamed in pain. The chains slithered away from and the captain held his evil smile.
"Hey, you bastard! Your fight is with me! So, quit being picking on her and fight me!" The Salamander yelled and the imperial captain frowned in detest.
"You shut your mouth, you disgusting vermin!" Natsu groaned painfully as the chains squeezed tightly around him, Lucy hearing a menacing crunch.
"You really shouldn't take your eyes away from your opponent."
With a swift kick, Lucy landed multiple punches on the captain, the hold on Natsu lessening, and his screams dwindling in the wind.
He stumbled backwards as the blonde mage released a barrage of physical attacks. She may be weak, and her body may be falling apart, but she learned how to hold her own.
She didn't give him a chance to retaliate as she continued her assault.
Punch, kick, double punch, swift kick. Step back, duck, aim for the knees, find his pressure points.
All things she's learned from running around a better half of the country the last two years.
"Stupid bitch!" He yelled, released two chains to wrap around her and Lucy cried out. He threw her far back, hard into a wall and her eyes almost left her head as all the air in her seemed to be lost.
"Lucy!" She could hear him call her name.
The chains that encased her slithered away and Lucy didn't move. She couldn't. Her body was screaming at her, barely having the breath to breathe. Her arms and legs refused to move even the slightest inch. It was hard to keep her eyes open.
"This should keep you put while I deal with the rebel."
Her breathing was heavy as persisted to keep moving, watching under blurred eyes as the imperial captain engaged in conversation with Natsu. This was her opportunity, her opportunity to surprise attack the captain.
But, she didn't have the strength left to do so.
Move, Lucy! Dammit, MOVE!
Tears cascaded down her cheeks, past the blood and filth that covered her cheeks. Why was she so weak!? Why couldn't she have been stronger!
"Hey! Are you okay?"
Through teary eyes, she saw that flying blue cat that had been with Natsu earlier.
"You…" The blue cat looked her over with concern as she groaned.
"You're hurt pretty bad. Can you stand?" The flying cat lend her his paw as he touched her shoulder.
She barely nodded.
"We need to free him from his chains."
For the size of this cat, Lucy was impressed with his ability to hold her up without her completely collapsing on him.
"Natsu's strong! He'll be able to get out of it!" The blue cat smiled, but she could see the fear behind his eyes.
"Those chains wrapped around him are stealing his magical power. The more he resists the chain, the more power is transferred to that guy." Happy nodded, following Lucy's explanation.
They watched as the two engaged in a heated argument, the imperial captain continuously tightening the chains around him.
"We need to get them off."
The cat nodded, but looked at Natsu in concern. "How do we do that?"
She searched the battlefield, looking for a weapon that would be powerful enough to destroy the chains. Lucy groaned in frustration, seeing as most, if not all the weapons were either obliterated with Natsu's attack earlier or, wouldn't be nearly as powerful as they needed it to be.
Until her eyes landed on Taurus and his axe.
Feeling guilt for not sending him back yet, Lucy would promise to make it up to the stubborn bull later. But, this was the only way.
"Happy, right?" The blue cat looked at her incredulously, then smiled.
"Right!"
She smirked, pulling away from the flying animal now that her adrenaline kicked in and could stand on her own.
"I have an idea, but I need you to provide a distraction. Think you can do that?"
A mischievous and giddy smug spread on Happy's face. "Absolutely!"
The plan was simple. Distract the evil captain and get his focus away from Natsu for a few minutes while Lucy plunged Taurus's battle axe into the chains, hoping she didn't cut the Salamander in the process.
Happy flew towards Natsu and the imperial captain while Lucy ran in the opposite direction where Taurus laid unconscious and his axe wedged into the ground.
"I'm so sorry, Taurus. I promise that I will reward you later. Thank you." The celestial mage grabbed his axe and began to heave the weapon towards Natsu.
"You sure are funny lookin'!" Happy insulted while the imperial captain steamed in anger.
"Happy! What are you doing?!" Natsu shouted, but Happy gave him a smirk.
"Stupid feline! Move!"
The cat flew out of reach as the imperial captain's chains charged at him.
"Gotta catch me first!" He then proceeded to stick his tongue out at the captain, angering the man even further.
"I'll send you to hell, first!" Thus, Happy led the imperial captain away from Natsu, who only watched with a mouth agape as his feline friend led the man away.
Thanks, Happy. Lucy thought as she inched closer to the pink haired rebel.
"Natsu!"
The pink haired man went wide eyed as the blonde that was just knocked into the wall mere minutes ago was now holding an axe over her shoulder. Her body was trembling under the weight of the axe that was almost as big as her. She was bloodied, bruised, and cut in different places. And her breathing was frail and heavy.
But, her eyes were lit with an undying fire that refused to be vanquished.
"I'm going to cut through your chains with this, so be ready!"
A smug smile and Natsu nodded. "Do it."
With her adrenaline weakening and the remaining strength her body willed, Lucy wailed as she thrusted the axe over her shoulder, a golden light encircling her, surrounding her body. She felt a rush of power circle through her, empowering her for a short moment as the blade connected with the chains.
The captain stopped in his step as a bright light shone from where he left Natsu, eyes going wide as Happy smiled in victory.
"She did it! She did it!" He chanted and the captain growled.
"That wench!"
But the captain was soon brought to his knees as the golden light was now turned a fiery yellow, orange and red flames encircled the battlefield. Eyes in terror as the Salamander stepped out of the vortex of flames, a scowl that furrowed his brows together and green eyes shining brightly in the dancing fire.
In his hands, he was carrying the blonde celestial mage, who's head was nestled in the crook of his neck.
Lucy looked up at him, fighting the urge to sleep as his once onyx colored eyes turned a bright green, parts of his skin resembling scales of some sort. Though there was fire circling around them, she wasn't burning. She didn't even feel hot.
"You did good. Thanks for that save. I'll take it from here, okay?"
And there was that grin that he shone at her earlier.
That grin made her feel at ease, like everything would be okay.
It filled her with hope.
"Happy, take her. I got some unfinished business to attend too."
"Aye, sir!"
Lucy felt herself being lifted out of Natsu's arms, carried into the sky, her head falling further. Her body felt so heavy, eyes resisting to close as she watched the flames circle around the Salamander's arms, his voice booming.
"Don't worry! Natsu will be sure to take care of him real soon!"
The last thing Lucy saw before exhaustion consumed her was the dragon shaped flames that surrounded Natsu's arms as he plunged towards the imperial captain.
A/N: And cue the Dragon Force OST for that final scene where Natsu is emerging from the flames! But, no really. I was listening to the Fairy Tail OST and Dragon Force seemed like the perfect score for that part. Anyway! I hope this chapter was fun for you all. It was fun for me to write!
Some asked how this story was different from the original universe, but I ask that you just stay patient because it will all be explained in due time! This is just the introduction of the story! Not only is it going to be action packed, but it will also be a bit dark. This story is being told in an AU, one where they are fighting a war. And wars are not without casualties, without misery and suffering. So, there will be moments that seem darker than what Fairy Tail is. It isn't just blowing away the bad guys. There are real consequences with the decisions made. So, I hope that you guys will enjoy my take on that. Characters will remain mostly the same, but you will notice how the war has affected them all in different ways.
Enough of my chattering, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! As always, reviews as welcomed! Let me know what you think!
Until next time!
Dark Waffle
Until next time!
Dark Waffle