"speaking"
"Thinking"
On with the story
At the scene of the battlefield, the battle was over as it was ended by Natsu who stopped it all
Every soldier of the Dragnof and Fiore were all getting tended by reinforcements who had come in the nick of time as many were injured in battle
The campsite was rebuilt as everyone was resting up their strength and wounds
At the head tent, Natsu was inside as he was looking at the hologram image of his mother in front of him
"Natsu…if you are watching this message, it would mean that I have passed away and you now gain possess of my weapon and my powers.." Hael stated to Natsu who looks at her with determined eyes "….i know that you must have so many questions as to why I told you so many lies..but the day you were born, the day that you came to my and Igneel's life. I never lied on how much I love the both of you..you are my child and I was truly happy that you loved me back.."
A single tear slides down Hael's eyes as they seem to be tears of sadness and joy
"Natsu…now that you have gain possession of my armor and scythe, you must search for Igneel's weapon, your father's sword" Hael stated as Natsu keens his eyes "during the Dragon Civil War, it was lost in the battle but was never destroyed. I've tried locating its whereabouts and I found its location but could never obtained it because I couldn't leave you behind. You were still young and I couldn't let that happen"
Natsu soon hears crying as Hael turns around and then looks back at him
"Natsu..you must find your father's sword..it is yours now and in the wrong hands it could mean the possible destruction of the world…Igneel's sword now lies within the Flaming Pits of Garuda's grave" Hael said before she disappeared "you must find it.."
Natsu stood in his place before he looks at his scythe and sees it glowing again
Hael appeared once again as the message repeated
Natsu continues to hear his mother's message before he looks to the side and sees Dimaria walking in while having bandages around her body
"do you miss her voice that much?" Dimaria asked as Natsu looks at her and then nodded before he looks at Hael's hologram message
"you wouldn't know of how one can miss his own beloved parents" Natsu said continuing to hear Hael's message "especially their own mother"
"I wouldn't know but I know how it feels to lose a beloved mentor" Dimaria said before looking at Hael's hologram "it was centuries back when Hael-san was still a member of the Valkyries. I was her apprentice at the time"
Flashback
"she was as every bit as magnificent and all the warriors of the Brunnhilde Kingdom idolize her as a supreme Valkyrie"
Hael floats in the sky with her black wings spread out and black feathers flies everywhere
"Hael-san was not one to have run in fear, she face it like a true warrior of legends"
Hael swings her scythe around as she slaughtered an army of a hundred demons in a single night. Soaking her armor and body in their blood
"then at some time, she took me in as her own apprentice who might succeed her"
Hael stood in a garden, somewhere within the Brunnhilde Kingdom as she watched a younger Dimaria training her sword for battle
"she was a good teacher and a great friend, but that all ended the day she was banished and ordered to be executed by the Pope"
Hael flies away from Brunnhilde Kingdom as she was being chased by the Valkyries and Dimaria who followed but with a hesitant face
"when the Pope ordered that we were to use Ragnarok's Wrath upon her execution, I hesitated and didn't use it, but Freyja and the others weren't like me"
A powerful bolt of lightning strikes down upon Hael as the Black Valkyrie falls from the sky and down to earth
Dimaria tries to fly and catch her but the Pope intervened her
"from that day on, I planned to take revenge for Hael-san's death"
Flashback
Dimaria had her eyes closed before she opened them to look at Natsu
"but I was wrong, she was alive and had a peaceful life before her death" Dimaria said as Hael's message ended and the hologram disappeared "didn't she?"
"yes…she did" Natsu said as he lifted his scythe before placing it on his back. He then looks at Dimaria with a curious look "tell me why she was banished. What did she ever do that was so dreadful that she was ordered to be executed?"
"she was banished because she knew the truth" Dimaria said as her eyes flared in anger "a dark truth that was lying in the shadows for centuries"
Heading out of the tent, Natsu and Dimaria got out and sees Freyja and the other Valkyries tied up while being guarded by 12 soldiers, all aiming crossbows at them for any possible escape from any of them
The Legend Beasts however were all freed of their golden chains as they soon fled away from the scene except for Apophis who remained and was slithering around in the sky filled with clouds
Walking towards them, Natsu lifted a hand up and the soldiers pulled away their crossbows
"what do you want, Lizardius?" Freyja said as Natsu looks down on her before nodding to a soldier who nodded back before leaving the premises
"you..no all of you were fooled" Natsu said looking back at Freyja "you were all fooled for centuries by someone who you believed to have been a comrade"
"what? What are you talking about!?" Freyja exclaimed before the soldier came back and he had the Pope tied in a rope "Pope! You injure the Pope!? How dare you!?"
"the Pope is someone in power at your kingdom, right?" Natsu asked as Dimaria nodded while the Dragon King got near the Pope before punching his gut hard "but this guy ain't your Pope"
The Pope grunted out in pain before his face turns into that of a demon
"what?!" Freyja gasped in surprise as so did the other Valkyries "who in the name of gods?!"
"a Doppelganger" Natsu stated "a type of demon who can take the form of any individual it desires. Not only do they look like the person that they are impersonating, they also take on their memories, personality, and abilities, making them their own."
"are you saying that we were being fooled this whole time?!" Herja exclaimed looking shocked
"then when the Pope ordered Hael's banishment and her execution.." Saklauss said before she gasps in horror
"you ignorant and foolish demon! I will have your head!" Afl shouted angrily, wanting to break free from the ropes and kill the Doppelganger
"so Hael was right, the Pope was an impostor and the real one was killed" Freyja said before tears swelled up in her eyes and started pouring down "I didn't believe Hael…and I was being played as a fool for decades?! Forgive me! Hael!"
Natsu looks at the emotional Valkyries who realized that they hurt their own sister who knew the truth before he looks at the Doppelganger
"tell us who do you work for or die" Natsu said to the Doppelganger who smirks in response before he transforms into Hael
"really? Do you really desire to kill your own mother, Natsu?" the Doppelganger Hael said smirking
"why you!" Dimaria exclaimed angrily to see the Doppelganger using his teacher's face and voice but Natsu stopped her by raising a hand
"answer me, while you still live" Natsu stated as his eyes glowed red and black before he grabs hold of his scythe on his back
"how can you use such tone to your own mother, Natsu? I've raised you to be better than having such a tone" the Doppelganger Hael said having a few chuckles "do you really wish to see your own mother die again? Even after the many tales of your father's great adventures I told you before I tuck you in? even after how much love I gave you as a mother to her own child?"
Natsu looks at the Doppelganger as he grabs hold of his scythe hard before slowly letting it go. His hand falls to his side, the man seemingly unable to kill someone who has his mother's face and voice
The Hael Doppelganger chuckled with a smirk before he lets out a laugh
"hahahahaha! You humans and your emotions! This is why it's the best to see humans having such a despair look when confronted with their lost loved ones! It's the best!" the Hael Doppelganger laughed out as everyone looks at him "now, let me go, Natsu. Be a good boy for your mother."
Natsu looks at the Doppelganger before he swipes his hand to the side, the rope around the Doppelganger was instantly cut to pieces
"hey!" Dimaria exclaimed as the Doppelganger got up while rubbing his wrists "he's not Hael-san! You can't let him leave!"
"that's a good boy, Natsu." The Hael Doppelganger said patting Natsu's head a few times while the man's eyes were shadowed by the bangs of his hair "I knew that you will always be such a good boy to me"
Black wings soon spread behind the Doppelganger's back as he then flies away
"what are you doing?!" Dimaria shouted to some soldiers "shoot him down!"
"no, don't" Natsu said as his hand reached for his scythe on his back
"hahaha! I'm free!" the Doppelganger exclaimed laughing while still using Hael's face in fleeing
But before long, a silver slash went pass the Doppelganger and he stops flying
"agh…ahh…ahhh…w-why…your o-own mother.." the Doppelganger said as his face turns back into a demon before he was cut into two right in the middle and falls to the ground in a big splat
Dimaria looks at Natsu as the man had his scythe pulled out while having tears sliding down his eyes
"you.." Dimaria muttered out as Natsu swings his scythe to the side, the rope wrapped around Freyja and the Valkyries were cut into pieces
"you have Warta in your custody, do you not?" Natsu said as Freyja looks at him before slowly nodding "free him and I will not attack your kingdom"
"you…are you not going to take revenge for our foolishness in attacking your mother?" Freyja asked as Natsu shook his head
"my mother was never one for revenge" Natsu stated "nor do I"
Natsu turns and started walking away
"I will send a message to you in a week's time to discuss on a meeting of peace between our kingdoms" Natsu stated "be sure that you comply wisely"
Natsu's armor appeared as it equips onto him before the wings spread and the Dragon King flies away
Dimaria and everyone else watched the Dragon King fly away as he dashes to north of their location
At a calm and quiet forest, the stars were glimmering and the moon shines beautifully
In the location of Hael and Igneel's graves, Natsu flied in as the man landed down gently
Purging off his armor, Natsu went near his parent's graves and his tears were dripping down endlessly to the grass
Natsu squinted his eyes as his tears were falling endlessly, the man soon let out his cries as he falls to his knees
He wailed out his tears as he just cries and cries endlessly
Natsu cried in tears as he holds his hands to his face trying to stop his tears
His armor disappears as it reforms both Hael and Igneel's armor respectively while standing beside each other
Natsu wails in his cries before he feels a gentle and warm hand caressing his head
He slowly opens his teary eyes and looks to who is with him, when he did his eyes widen in surprise
Behind him were Hael and Igneel, both donning their armor while having a loving yet gentle smile to their son
Natsu tried to speak out some words as he slowly reached out a hand to them
Hael reach out her hand to Natsu as their hands intertwined, as she was there with him
Natsu's tears streams down even more before the Dragon King got up and hugs his mother, wailing out his cries to her
Hael hugs her child while caressing his back lovingly as Igneel got into the family hug as he pats Natsu's head a few times
Natsu wails out his sadness and tears to them as Hael and Igneel were there for him
The next day soon came as Dimaria was flying in the sky before she flies down to the island of where Natsu and his parents grave were at
She flies to where the graves were at and she finds Natsu there
Dimaria landed as she finds the most surprising and mysterious sight, she had ever laid her eyes upon
Natsu was kneeling in front of his parent's graves while in the embrace by both Igneel and Hael's armors, the two were protectively holding Natsu in a hug as if they were there to be with him
Dimaria looks at the scene before she smiles and slowly walks away, giving the man more time to spend it with his parents
That's a wrap!
Bye bye