A/N: Just saw the new 'Broly' movie...
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has overloaded due to sheer nerdy-ness. Please enjoy the following chapter with his best wishes.
OP Song: Strike Back (original or cover by Nathan Sharp)
Magic Battle Nexus Arc: Chapter 12
Beyond the Touch of Time
"Dragon Force, huh?" Zirconis muttered as he stared down at Wendy, his expression uncertain. He had never encountered the final form of the dragon slayers before, only heard tale of the destruction it had reaped upon his kind. If even half the stories were true, he knew he would have to be on guard. Still…
"If you think a little change in hairstyle is gonna be enough to beat me, you've got another thing coming, little girl," he sneered at her. Dragon Force or not, she was young and inexperienced- she didn't have the look of a killer in her eye. Zirconis on the other hand, had no compunctions about killing her and everyone else present.
Wendy's eyes narrowed, and in the next instant, she was gone. Zirconis barely had time to register the fact before he was being blasted with a cyclone from up above with enough force to send him crashing into the ground. It was more surprising than anything, but it still winded the giant dragon.
"Holy crap!" Lucino exclaimed. "Wendy kicks butt!"
"She is a dragon slayer," Mirajane pointed out with a grin. "And I think we've yet to meet a slayer that couldn't cause crazy levels of destruction."
"Let's be ready to back her up, just in case," Cana said, reaching into her pouch to ready her magic cards. "We still have no idea what this dragon's magic is, or how much of a fight he'll be willing to put up."
Mira, Lucino, and Juvia nodded and prepared their magics, waiting for the first moment to strike.
Meanwhile, Zirconis was now enraged, shaking himself as he glared up at Wendy, who had used a Vernier spell to keep herself aloft, glaring coldly at the beast. "You little brat!" the dragon roared as he took flight, jaws wide open to devour her whole.
"Sky Dragon…" Wendy replied, then vanished with inhuman speed once again, reappearing to deliver a thunderous kick to Zirconis' side, right below his armpit. "Talon!" The green dragon bellowed in pain, swiping at the little girl with his claws, only to grasp at empty air.
"Stay still, you pest!" he shouted angrily.
"What do you want with Ki- Cubellios?" Gorun demanded, his protective instincts kicking into high gear.
Cobra's eyebrows went downward as he replied, "That's none of your business."
"It is if you want me to take you to her," Gorun shot back.
Cobra growled briefly before saying, "She's an old friend of mine. I wanted to catch up with her, make sure she's okay."
"I can vouch for her safety," the Saiyan boy said tightly.
"Your word doesn't mean jack squat to me, kid," Cobra snorted. "Bottom line is, either you take me to see Cubellios, or you're short a dragon slayer."
"You'd risk the safety of the world just to spite us?!" Lahar exclaimed.
"Can it, sideliner," Cobra snapped at him. "Cubellios means the world to me, so yeah, I'm willing to gamble on the fact that you suckers need me."
"Enough," Gorun snarled, grabbing the slayer's attention once again. He held his gaze for a moment, then muttered, "When the battle is over, I'll take you to see her- provided she doesn't object."
"Fine by me," Cobra shrugged. "Don't really see how a snake is gonna voice its objections, though." He gripped Gorun's hand as the boy extended it to him.
"She's not a snake anymore, you idiot," the Saiyan boy berated him.
"Wait, wha-?"
They vanished via Gorun's instant transmission, leaving two bewildered magic council enforcers behind. "Sideliner?" Lahar repeated incredulously.
"He may have a point," Doranbolt sighed heavily. "We're not doing much good out here."
"Hmph," Lahar scowled. Much as he hated agreeing with a convicted criminal, he knew that his deputy and Cobra were right. "Let's change that, then. Gather our men and have them assist with the evacuations alongside the wizards already doing so."
"You got it, boss."
Kinana and the Thunder Legion were at their wits' end. They'd tried a dozen different combinations against Atlas Flame, all to no effect. It seemed that his boasts regarding his body's ability to incinerate all manner of magic were true.
"So…" Freed gasped, out of breath. "Anyone know if there is such a thing as a Water Dragon Slayer?"
"I've never heard of one," Laxus muttered, returning to his normal form.
"Well, I think that we've got a Fire Dragon Slayer inbound," Bickslow said as he pointed to the sky. They all followed his gaze, and were surprised to see a brightly colored fireball headed right for Atlas Flame at high speeds, Natsu at its head.
"Natsu!" Kinana called out in relief. "This is perfect!"
"Hmm?" Atlas Flame muttered, sensing something was wrong. He turned around just in time to have Natsu slam into him, piercing through his body to land in front of his guild mates.
"Sorry I'm late to the party, guys," he grinned crookedly, even as the others recoiled from his bizarre appearance. "But now we can really get started!"
"Natsu, are you…? What's happened to you?" Freed asked, his eyes wide as he stared at Natsu's newly acquired scales.
"Gorun taught us how to power up with our dragon force," Natsu replied casually. "Now I'm really fired up!"
"How'd you know to come here?" Kinana asked him.
"Well, I was gonna go beat up that jerk on top of the metal dragon that's flying around up there, but then I got a better idea," he replied, his grin widening rapidly. Turning around to face Atlas Flame, who had recomposed his body, he added, "This power takes a lot of energy to keep up since I'm not really used to it. But then I saw a big walking pile of fire, so I decided to make a pit stop at the buffet!"
"WHAT?!" everyone shouted at him.
"All right, I'm hungry and it's dinner time!" Natsu laughed as he shot towards Atlas Flame, rebounding off of a nearby building and landing on his target's neck. As soon as he had a solid grip on the dragon, he bared his fangs and began to feast on the flames that made up his being.
"You vermin!" Atlas Flame bellowed sounding both surprised and furious. "You dare?! You think you can eat me?!"
"Oh, I know I can!" Natsu shouted through a mouthful of flames. "I'm getting' stronger by the second, and this fire tastes delicious!"
"He's… He's actually gonna eat that dragon," Kinana muttered, dumbstruck. She'd seen a lot of crazy things since becoming an active wizard, but this had to the weirdest.
"Hey, guys!" Natsu shouted as Atlas Flame began trying to buck him off. "See if you can help any of the other guilds around here!"
"You wanna fight this thing alone?!" Laxus shouted back. "Are you insane?!"
"He may have a good point, actually," Freed interjected. "Clearly, his magic is suited for this, while ours is completely ineffective. Natsu can handle this on his own. Other guilds are not so fortunate to have a dragon slayer in their ranks. We should go see if any of them need help."
Laxus pondered his friend's words for a moment before he looked back over to Natsu, who was holding on while Atlas Flame tried to scrape him off his back with a house. "You sure you're gonna be okay, Natsu?!" he called.
"Yeah man, I got this!" Natsu cackled through another full mouth. "Go! Help the others!"
"Rrrgh… All right, but I better not come back and find out that you lost!" Laxus called over his shoulder as he and the Thunder Legion began to retreat toward the palace.
"Good luck, Natsu!" Kinana called as she flew after the others.
"Iron Dragon CLUB!" Gajeel bellowed, sending forth a black pillar of iron to crash into the stone dragon's head, dislodging several stones from its face in the process.
"ARGH!" the monster bellowed in pain. It wasn't the first hit Gajeel had landed, but it was certainly the most telling so far. "You think you're so clever, flying around and hitting from a distance?! Well, guess what?! I can do that, too!" It opened its maw, yellowish energy shining from within its throat.
Gajeel thought fast. Even if he could counter the oncoming breath attack with his own- which he doubted that he could- the blowback would still decimate several city blocks, at least. He needed something quick and preferably painful to the dragon to keep it from firing that blast at all.
Guess there's no time like the present to try out the new spell that Mavis gave me, he thought resignedly. "Iron Dragon…" he growled, raising his right hand above his head. A disc made of metal conjured above his palm, thin as paper, but unbelievably hard and razor-sharp. "DESTRUCTO-DISC!" He bellowed the name of the attack as he cast his hand forward, hurling the deadly spell at breakneck speed toward the dragon.
The Frisbee-like spell sliced straight through the dragon's left forefoot, cutting all the way through the limb at the ankle. The dragon howled in agony, throwing its head skyward on reflex, and unleashing its breath attack at the same time. It wasn't quite what Gajeel had been hoping for, but at least he had avoided destroying a square mile of city property.
He was starting to wonder when he started caring so much about preventing unnecessary damage when the dragon's tail slammed into him, sending him and Pantherlily through several buildings.
"So, this one's mine?" Cobra mused as he stared down at the black-and-red dragon from a rooftop that had yet to be damaged during the dragon's rampage. "Doesn't look too bad."
"You say that now, but their power levels are absurd," Gorun muttered as he watched the unfolding scene before them. Twilight Ogre was putting up a valiant effort, surprisingly enough, but their power and magic styles were in no way suited for this kind of combat. "Do you want me to bring someone along who can provide solid backup?"
"Nah, this'll be more fun," Cobra grinned arrogantly. "Go help someone who needs it."
"I'll be back in a little while anyway," Gorun scowled. "Can't have you running off on us, now can we?"
Cobra shot him a glare and replied, "I ain't goin' anywhere until I've met up with Cubellios. Count on that."
"Hmph," his temporary ally snorted. "Fair enough." He hesitated, then added begrudgingly, "Good luck." Finished speaking, he put his fingers to his head and vanished.
He reappeared in front of the castle to see the army watching in a mixture of terror and awe as Wendy seemed to be single-handedly giving Zirconis a beat down he wasn't soon to forget. She was everywhere at once, and in his base form, even Gorun was having a hard time keeping track of where she was every time she moved to attack.
He was surprised- she seemed to have unlocked the power of the Dragon Force and was handling it masterfully, despite her youth. He noted briefly that the girls were all waiting on standby, ready to let loose the minute that Wendy might falter.
Seeing that the situation was more or less under control, he landed by the princess and Arcadios, startling them with his sudden appearance. "Has anyone been hurt?" he asked as he approached them.
"Other than minor injuries sustained during the dragons' entrance, no," Arcadios replied. "Listen, we-"
"Save it," Gorun said shortly. "I'm not interested in any apologies you might have to offer. What's important right now is that there are still citizens in the city that have yet to evacuate. Some of the lower-caliber wizards are helping with that, but there's not enough people. Think you can do something about that?" He gestured at all the soldiers behind them as he spoke. "They'd be better off helping the ordinary folks get out of here- not like they've got the equipment to take on a dragon."
"He makes a good point," Darton said as he nodded amicably. "We're no good in this fight, Colonel. We should leave this to the wizards and get the princess to safety."
"I will not abandon this fight!" Hisui objected. "I brought this calamity upon us, and I must stay to see that it is resolved."
"Why?" Gorun asked, exasperated, wincing as a particularly strong blast of wind screamed overhead, and demolished a section of the castle wall. "Your presence here will only be a distraction, if not a nuisance. Wendy and I need to be able to let loose with our full power, and we can't do that with you guys standing around!"
"I am the princess, and I will stay if I choose," the woman replied stubbornly.
"Then we're not responsible for what happens if you get caught up in the fight," Gorun said heavily. "And how would that turn out, the nation losing its sole heir to the throne?"
"Are you threatening her?!" Arcadios demanded, reaching for his sword before remembering that Natsu had broken it.
"No, I'm informing her of the unnecessary risks involved in staying behind," Gorun said dryly. "Look, I don't have time for this. Stay or don't, but things are about to really pick up speed here." He had been keeping an eye on the powers clashing the short distance away from where they stood, and he detected a strong surge in energy from Zirconis, which spelled bad news for his guild mate.
"HaaaaAAH!" His hair shot upwards and turned blond, his eyes flashing with an emerald light as a golden magic circle appeared overhead, followed by another, slightly larger one that crackled with electricity. Drawing in a deep breath, he let out another shout as the two circles vanished, leaving his hair even spikier than before while lightning danced across his body. The blowback from the energy increase forced everyone near to him back up several paces, Arcadios moving to protect his princess with his own armored body.
"Deploy your troops, Colonel," Gorun ordered, his voice harsh and cold. "They're all in the splash zone." Then he was gone in a golden blur, racing through the night sky to challenge Zirconis alongside Wendy.
"I think it would be best if we at least moved to a safer distance, Princess," Darton said nervously. "I'm no wizard, but I can feel the energy that boy and these dragons have been putting out. It's not safe here."
"I must-"
"Princess!" Arcadios said, a little harsher than he meant to. Lowering his volume, he added, "Much as I hate to agree with him, you are the future of this kingdom. I cannot allow you to come to harm. We must go, now."
Hisui looked back from the looming battle to Arcadios, then to Darton, then back to the fight again. "I will retreat outside the castle, but no further," she announced, relenting a little.
"Very well, I will escort you," Arcadios said, breathing a huge sigh of relief. "Darton, can you see to the men helping the evacuation?"
"I will," the small minister nodded. "Now let's get going, before she changes her mind."
Meanwhile, Gorun had just made a grand entrance, appearing behind Zirconis' head and bellowing, "Big Bang Attack!" The blue sphere blasted the green dragon at point-blank, causing him to grimace under the impact before Wendy hit him with another concussive kick in his side.
Snarling in fury, his power level shot upward, and Gorun realized that he had made a mistake in getting in so close. The dragon's fist caught him a glancing blow in the chest, though he managed to evade the attack for the most part. Still, it sent him crashing into the Eclipse Gate, winding him badly, though it was nowhere near as bad as the first hit he had taken from the metallic dragon.
Wendy, inexperienced as she was, had unconsciously settled into a pattern of attack that Zirconis could now predict. Moving faster than they all expected, he head-butted the little girl out of the air, tearing part of her clothing with his rough scales. "Augh!" she screamed as she plummeted to the earth.
"Wendy!" Carla cried out in fear as she saw her best friend falling.
"No you don't!" Gorun grunted before using his blinding speed to snatch the little girl up before she could hit the ground and injure herself further. "I gotcha, kid!" He landed next to the others and glared up at the dragon, who was laughing down at them.
"Wendy, are you all right?!" Carla asked worriedly.
"Yeah, I'm fine," the little girl grunted as she looked down at her ruined outfit. Fortunately, the damage had only extended to her dress' midriff, leaving a shallow cut through the torn fabric, but it wasn't too bad, all things considered.
"I gotta admit, you threw me off there for a minute, cutie," Zirconis smirked. "I haven't met a human with that much spunk before. But it's pointless. In the end, you're just a human, and I'm a dragon. To me, you're nothing more than a snack."
"And what about a Super Saiyan?!" Gorun snarled, setting Wendy down so that she could stand on her own. She wobbled for a second, but quickly regained her footing and stood alongside her guild mates.
"No idea what that is, but I don't really like eating guys- too tough and gamey," Zirconis said dismissively. "Girls, though… Nice and tender." He licked his chops, sending shivers down the spines of the female wizards.
"I said eyes to yourself, creep!" Lucino shouted defiantly.
"My body is reserved for Gray, and Gray alone!" Juvia added.
"You're just a perv, like almost every other guy I know!" Cana shouted at him.
"Well, I guess he does have one thing in common with humans, then," Mirajane laughed nervously. "Boys are boys, it seems."
"Hey!" Gorun, shouted, offended. "I'm not like that overgrown lizard! Or most of the guys in our guild, either!"
"Gorun! Can you hear me?!" the boy was startled to suddenly hear Warren's voice, but he quickly recovered his composure.
Kinda in the middle of something! He replied snappily.
"This can't wait," the telepath replied quickly. "You know that big metal-looking dragon? The one that weirdo is riding on?"
Yeah, that thing almost killed me, he replied dryly. Why, what about it?
"Turns out it was carrying a bunch of eggs! They hatched almost immediately, and now we're dealing with an army of 'em!" The other mage's voice was panicked.
And with good reason, Gorun thought. All right, I'll send a couple of the girls to assist you, he told the other man. But we're still dealing with our own crisis right now.
"Got it," Warren replied, sounding relieved. Then the connection was severed, and Gorun's mind was clear again.
"Listen up!" the ascended Super Saiyan shouted to the others. "Baby dragons have taken the city! I need a couple of you to go and help the others fight them off! From what Warren was saying, it doesn't seem like things are going well! You need to-!"
"All this arguing and standing around is getting boring," Zirconis drawled, cutting him off. "So, who's gonna be first? I think the little girl, since she tried to mess up my handsome face." So saying, he began to descend towards them once again.
"I don't think so, pal!" Lucino shouted, the emblem on her hand changing to that of Scorpio. "Eat a Sand Buster!" From her outstretched hand, a pillar of sand shot out, striking the dragon in the eyes, blinding him and causing him to crash into the ground a lot harder than he had meant to.
"Evil EXPLOSION!" Mirajane shouted in her demon form, casting a black sphere that exploded in his face, much like Gorun's Big Bang Attack.
"Hydro Beam CANNON!" Juvia added, aiming for his wing that was closer to them. Normally, her water attacks would have barely left a mark. Now, with the spell designed to pierce almost any defense, her attack punched through his wing and left a bloody hole in its wake. "Let's see you fly around with that wound, monster!" she shouted at him as he bellowed in pain.
"Nice!" Gorun said approvingly.
"My turn!" Wendy shouted, stepping forward. As she drew in a breath and raised her hands above her head, Gorun noticed with a sinking feeling that she was missing the white feathers he had noticed on her earlier, and her hair was not standing up as much as it had been.
Uh-oh, he thought as she launched her attack.
"Sky Dragon DOUBLE SUNDAY!" Twin cyclones shot out of her palms, striking Zirconis as he started to get up, throwing him on his side and knocking the wind out of him again. However, as she did, she drained the last of her magic energy, and her body reverted back to its original form, blue hair and brown eyes replacing her magenta shades.
"Uh-oh," Gorun repeated, out loud this time. He might be stronger than Wendy, but his magic power wasn't going to do nearly as much damage to the dragon as hers' would. Even worse, the others wouldn't even make a scratch on the beast- with the exception of Juvia's new spell, but it took too long to charge to make it effective- which meant that ineffective magic or not, he was their best shot at taking down Zirconis.
He considered his options briefly, then decided to go with his gut. "Guys," he said as Zirconis began to heave himself up, bruised but definitely not beaten. "Get away from me. I'm basically about to turn myself into a glass cannon, and there's gonna be one hell of a kickback."
"What are you talking about?" Cana asked him as he prepared to unleash even more power, settling himself into a slightly wider stance. "What are you up to?"
"Seriously, run!" he barked, startling them a bit. "I need room to do this, and I don't want any of you getting hurt! Besides, the others still need support!" As he spoke, they were further made nervous by how high his power level was going, and the rate at which it was doing so.
"I suggest we do as he says!" Carla shouted to be heard above the wind that was beginning to emanate from the boy, faster and even fiercer than when he had become a Super Saiyan 2. "It's dangerous!" She grabbed Wendy's dress and began to fly back, away from the Saiyan warrior. The others followed her, but they all kept glancing over their shoulders, wondering what on earth their alien friend was up to now.
"Second Origin, release!" Gorun shouted once they were a reasonable distance away. The moment he unleashed his hidden reservoir of energy, the city around him began to tremble, buildings shaking and losing roof tiles. Windows were shattered as a new magic circle appeared over his head, this one absolutely blazing with lightning. Even the ocean began to respond, massive waves racing away from the coastline as mountaintops started to crumble.
"What is this?!" Wendy shouted to be heard above the tremendous noise. Juvia had taken off, saying that she wished to go help the others fight the infant dragons. After a moment's hesitation, Lucino had decided to follow her, since the Eclipse Gate was shut tight.
"I think we're about to see Gorun's true power!" Mirajane responded to Wendy's query.
"This is even more power than that time my dad fought Natsu!" Cana added, eyes wide. "Just how strong can this guy get?!"
I haven't mastered Super Saiyan 2 yet, Gorun thought grimly as he felt the energy of the new magic circle begin to course through him. But this is the only option I can think of. I just hope the backlash doesn't kill me!
All around the city, wizards and dragons alike took note of the insane amount of power that Gorun was putting out. Among them, Kinana looked toward the palace, eyes wide. "I don't believe it," she murmured. "He only just used Super Saiyan 2 for the first time…"
"What's that crazy boy up to now?!" Makarov grunted, his hands still aching from the burn wounds he had received. "If he keeps this up, he's going to turn the entire country into a pile of rubble!"
"He's going further beyond…" Kinana answered vaguely.
Gorun screamed loud and long, the sound drawn out from a mixture of the rush his new power was giving him, and the agony of the same source. He felt like he could destroy a galaxy if he chose, but it felt as though every cell in his body was on fire. He could barely maintain the concentration he needed to complete the transformation, and he had only just begun. He could feel his hair lengthening as it touched the nape of his neck, but he wasn't even halfway there.
"What's this now?" Zirconis growled, eyes narrowed as he glared at Gorun with hate. "Another one of those pesky transformations? Don't think I'll just let you power up again!" Despite the wind and raging golden energy surrounding Gorun, he made his way toward the boy, not even slowing down for the maelstrom.
"We have to help him!" Wendy cried, but Carla held her back.
"We can't get in close!" the white cat objected. "That much energy could seriously hurt one of us!"
"I don't need to get in close!" Wendy argued. "I just need to be close enough to hit him with a breath attack so that it slows him down long enough for Gorun to finish whatever it is that he's doing!"
"But you're dangerously low on power!" Mira reminded her. "Use any more, and you could end up getting Magic Power Deficiency Syndrome!"
"I don't care!" the Sky Dragon Slayer shouted. "Gorun's giving it his all, and he saved me! I have to repay him!"
"Hold your horses, kid," Cana said as she pulled out one of her cards. "Let's just make sure you don't go passing out after you do your thing, all right?"
Zirconis was closing in on Gorun, who was about two-thirds of the way through the painful transformation. "Time to die, you puny human!" he bellowed, opening his mouth wide to swallow the boy whole.
That's when Wendy's breath attack hit him in the jaw, sending him staggering and causing his teeth to snap on empty air. "Rrgh… You're really starting to test my patience, brat!" he snarled, fixing his glare on Wendy.
She didn't have her dragon force, but even so, it was a solid hit, and for the moment, it had served its purpose. "Why don't you come over here and say that?!" one of the other wizards taunted him, the one with brown hair. "Or are you scared of the kid dragon slayer?!"
"All right, that does it!" the green dragon snarled furiously. "I'm just gonna eat all you girls together!"
"Try it and you'll feel my claws!" the tiny white cat shouted at him, causing him to chuckle.
"Oh no, I'm so scared," he said mockingly. "Actually, cats do make nice appetizers…"
"Hey, dragon…" a voice grunted from behind him. Zirconis looked around to see the blond wizard, his hair nearly reaching his waist now. He was doubled over, and it seemed as though it was physically painful for him to speak. "Your fight… is over here!"
"You people think you scare me cos you're growing your hair out and getting a little increase in magic?" the lizard snorted. "Please. The worst you can do is tickle me."
"We'll… see… about that!" he shouted, his hair now reaching past his waistline. Now he glared up at Zirconis, drew in a deep breath, then bellowed at the top of his lungs, "Takeover: SAIYAN SOUL!" There was blinding flash of light that enveloped the entire castle, and when it finally faded enough for everyone to see, his transformation was complete.
Long, spiky blond hair that reached halfway down his legs. Unlike the other transformations, his hair was not standing on end this time, but drawn backwards, save for two bangs that stuck out over his eyes, which for some reason, no longer had eyebrows. His muscles were more defined than ever, and lightning constantly crackled along them and his lengthened hair.
When he spoke, his voice was slightly deeper, and etched with a growl. "You're gonna wish you'd stayed down after Wendy hit you," he told the dragon. "The last dragon to witness the might of Super Saiyan 3 did not live to tell the tale." He was speaking of Hirudegarn, the evil dragon-monster defeated by Goku and his friends in an age past, though of course Zirconis would have no way of knowing that.
Gorun's mind felt as though it was filled with a thousand hot firebrands- he could barely form a cohesive thought. He did, however, remember that the dragon in front of him needed to die. And die he will, he promised himself.
"How about we set dragon against dragon?!" he shouted, settling into a fighting stance mid-air, drawing his right fist back as if preparing to throw a punch. However, the energy erupting from his body lent itself to the thought that this was not going to be a simple punch. I don't have long in this form, he thought as he prepared the attack. I need to end this… soon! Already he could feel his vast reserves of energy draining rapidly, like a broken dam releasing all the water it had kept back.
"Ready to die, dragon?!" he challenged.
"Real cute, blondie!" Zirconis laughed. "I already told ya- no human can beat a dragon!"
"I'm not human," Gorun replied, his green eyes wild with power and maybe a hint of madness. "I… am the Super Saiyan of Fairy Tail! And you can burn in hell!" A golden light a shade brighter than his aura shone from his right fist as he drew back even further. "Dragon FIST!"
A golden serpentine dragon's head appeared around Gorun's body as he launched himself at a speed that rendered him nothing but a blur to the onlookers. Its body, thought mostly coiled up, stretched for some miles, making it visible to everyone in the city. It let out a savage roar as it collided with Zirconis, smashing him into the ground and destroying a multitude of city blocks just from the shockwaves resulting from the collision.
The attack kicked up so much dust and debris that the wizards could not see what had become of their comrade.
"What was that?!" Future Rogue demanded from atop Mother Glare, the Adamantine Dragon that he was currently riding.
"That…?" Natsu grinned from his position of Atlas Flame's neck. "That's Gorun, proving that we can change the future." He had befriended the Hellfire Dragon after learning that he was close friends with Igneel during the course of their own battle, and as a result, Atlas Flame had managed to shake off the effects of Rogue's Dragon Tamer magic. Now he was prepared to fight to the death for the sake of his king's son.
"You Fairy Tail wizards just don't know when to give up, do you?!" Rogue snarled, sending rays of light to strike at Natsu and his companion.
"Damn right!" Natsu shouted, countering with a wing attack fueled by his dragon's flames. "C'mon, Uncle! Let's show him what a real dragon and rider look like!" Atlas Flame growled an agreement as he lunged at Mother Glare, scorching her metallic scales and beginning the battle anew.
It took a long time for the dust to settle enough for the others to see him, but when the debris was finally out of the air, the girls were shocked to see the state that both combatants were in. Gorun was on the ground, looking like he could barely stand, though his power output seemed as strong as ever, the ground around him cracking and shifting from his presence alone.
Zirconis didn't look too well, either. His scales on the side where Gorun had hit him were turning a very unhealthy shade of purple, and blood was leaking from his mouth. "You…" he gasped, enraged and in pain. "You can't… beat me! You're just… a stupid human!"
"Not all of me," the boy muttered. That attack had cost him a lot more energy than he had predicted it would. Obviously, Super Saiyan 3 was too much for his body to handle right now. However, it was the most telling blow dealt to the dragon thus far. One more of those, and I could finish him, he realized.
Unfortunately, he knew that he didn't have another one of those in him. It was an unfamiliar technique, and he couldn't handle its energy properly, just like his new form. But maybe…
"Wendy…" Gorun panted, short on breath from the energy he had spent. "I don't know how long I can hold this form… But I need every increase in attack power you can give me."
"O-Okay," the bluenette nodded, still in awe of his freshly awoken power. "Just say when, and I'll give it my all!"
"Good, because after this shot, there won't be another," he growled as he glared his enemy in the eye, who regarded him smugly in return, despite his injuries.
"What'll you do?" it taunted him. "Tickle me until I can't breathe anymore?"
"Oh, I don't know…" Gorun snarled, white-hot rage fueling his power once more. "You might find that this stings!" He flung his arms out to the side, driving his energy levels through the roof as he prepared his most powerful technique of all. This might kill me, he thought grimly. But… I don't care! I'll give everything, if it means they can all live!
As he drew his hands back together, lightning danced forth from his palms, some of them glancing off his enemy, who laughed in amusement, though he winced as one particular bolt glanced off his injured side. "Oho! That's much better! I think I can feel that!"
"In just a minute, all you'll be feeling," Gorun seethed, his Saiyan blood urging him to push harder, destroy this insolent creature. "…is OBLIVION!"
"Bold claim, small fry," the beast laughed, standing up straight to face the oncoming attack head-on. "Let's see you back it up."
"Now, Wendy!"
"O stalwart might to cleave the heavens… Ile ARMS!" the girl cried.
Gorun felt his already considerable power double as the final bits of energy finished gathering in his hands. "Final… FLASH!" Zirconis was enveloped in a yellow beam of monstrous proportions- as was everything else in its path. Vegeta's technique carved a straight line through numerous sections of the city before its angle carried it upward, shearing through one of Magnolia's higher mountains, and continuing all the way out into space.
The last thing Gorun saw before the darkness claimed him was the crumpled body of Zirconis, missing a wing and smoke rising from his scales, many of which were missing. We did it… Then he knew no more.
Everyone noticed the attack that obliterated a chunk of the city and its scenery. It brought fear to most of those that saw it, but smiles to the faces of the majority of Fairy Tail wizards who witnessed the attack.
"Now that's how you take out a dragon," Gajeel muttered to himself as he floated above the stone dragon, which was being forced to limp due to the missing leg. His grin widened as he added, "Guess I better do the same."
"What's that?" Pantherlily asked.
"Do me a favor, Lily," Gajeel said as he looked over at his partner. "Drop me right on top of his ugly mug."
"You have a plan?" the exceed asked, slightly alarmed by the request.
"Course I do," the Iron Dragon Slayer replied, grinning crookedly. "Trust me."
"All right," the black flying cat nodded. "But no suicide attacks, understand? I don't want to have to explain to Levy why you got yourself killed."
"Why should you be afraid of that shrimp?" Gajeel inquired. "You can turn into a giant!"
Pantherlily regarded him silently for a moment before saying, "Didn't she manage to get in a good hit on you during the Tenrou Island test?"
This gave Gajeel pause. "Huh," he muttered. "Good point. All right, I promise not to die. Happy?"
"No, but go anyway!" Pantherlily said as he released his hold on his partner.
Gajeel laughed to himself as he fell feet-first toward the ground at high speed, the metal in his body causing him to plummet with greater force than most humans would. "Your time's up, ugly!" he taunted the wounded dragon bellow.
"You think an injury like this will stop me?!" the stone dragon retorted. "Dragon Slayer or not, you're still weak, inferior!"
"Wrong!" Gajeel snapped as a large gray-and-green magic circle appeared beneath him. "I'm a Fairy Tail wizard, which means only one of us is goin' down, and it sure as hell ain't me! Dragon Slayer Secret Art!" His legs fused and transformed, becoming like a large drill as he began whirling himself at high speed, further increasing his momentum. "Karmic Demon: IRON SPIRAL!"
He plunged into the dragon's body near its rump, which wasn't quite what he'd been going for, but the effect was much the same. He broke off its tail in the process, which brought a large grin to his face as the dragon screamed in agony. From the wound, sand began to leak out, not unlike blood. "That's for the smackdown you gave me earlier!" he shouted, even though it was a lucky coincidence.
The dragon's only response was to collapse from the sheer agony and shock. As it did, Gajeel turned and gave Pantherlily a thumbs-up. Metalicana, wherever you are, I sure hope you were watchin' that, he added silently as he released his dragon force.
Romeo, Macao and Wakaba had found themselves surrounded by a group of infant dragons, and it was clear that the older men were tiring out. "I don't know how long we can keep this up!" the older fire wizard confirmed as he blasted back another of the metal menaces.
"Hey dad?" Romeo offered. "I've got something I wanna try, something that might take care of this group. But I'll need your help."
"What're you gonna do?" Wakaba asked.
"Something I've been working on for a while, but I didn't really think was possible until I saw the new spells that Master Mavis gave the team," he answered. "I need to get up high in the air, while you two move to a safer distance."
"I'm not abandoning you!" Macao shouted angrily.
"I'm not asking you to!" Romeo shot back. "But I am asking you to trust me! I'm a Fairy Tail wizard, which means I'm gonna take risks, with or without your approval, Dad! I'm a proud member of this guild, and I have a right to fight, just like you and everyone else!" As he spoke, he blasted back one of the small dragons that was trying to sneak up on them.
"Kid's got a point, Macao," Wakaba said neutrally. "Besides, I'm almost out of power. If the kid has an idea to get us out of this mess, I say we try it."
Macao scowled, then relented somewhat. "We'll get you up in the air, but we're not going any further than that building." He indicated a ruined structure that was less than a block away.
"Fine by me," Romeo grinned, relieved that his father was willing to trust him. "Get me about thirty feet up. That should be enough for what I have in mind."
"Done!" Wakaba shouted as he dodged a miniature breath attack. "Ready, Macao?!"
"Yeah!" Together, they merged their smoke and fire magic under Romeo's feet, pushing up, then launching him to the height that he had requested.
"All right, clear out!" Romeo shouted, raising his hands above his head, even as an orange magic circle appeared in front of him. The two older men wasted no time retreating to the spot Macao had selected.
Time to see if all that time watching Gorun's practices was worth it, he thought as he gathered the magic he needed. Because although the Super Saiyan didn't know it, Romeo had spent a number of hours watching him practice his combat through the windows of the guild, and had seen the composition of several of his attacks, and had unconsciously memorized a few of them. Now, he added his own spin to one particular magic circle, and was pleased when it didn't blow up in his face immediately. All right!
Drawing in a deep breath, he aimed at the half-dozen infant dragons, who were all preparing breath attacks, their maws glowing with white light. "Scorching Masenko!" he shouted, throwing his hands forward. A smaller beam of fire shot out of the improvised magic circle, landing right in the middle of the assembled monsters. The result was a fiery explosion that not only took out the threatening beasts, but also slowed down his descent enough to see that he only had a minor sprain when he landed in the smoldering crater. It wasn't a large blast when compared to most of the other wizards' spells, but he had struck them down with respectable force, especially for someone of his age.
While he didn't have Natsu's resilience to fire, his magic did see that he was somewhat immune to the residual heat, so he limped out of the small crater without sustaining any burns. Macao and Wakaba were back with him by the time he made it out of the blast radius, the purple-haired man beaming with pride.
"That was amazing, Romeo!" he said as he wrapped his son up in a bear hug. "I'm so proud of you!"
"Guess we're looking at Fairy Tail's newest dragon slayer," Wakaba joked, bringing a grin to Romeo's face.
Back at the palace, Wendy was using what little strength she had left to keep Gorun from dying of severe magic power depletion. With the threat of Zirconis more or less dealt with- they could sense that he was alive, though just barely- she no longer felt the need to conserve her strength in the case of him coming back to threaten them.
"Child, be careful," Carla admonished her gently as she saw her hands trembling from exhaustion. "We don't need you falling unconscious in trying to save him."
"I have to do what I can," the girl insisted stubbornly. "He did what I couldn't, so this is the least I can do to thank him."
"Why not just give him a senzu bean?" Cana suggested.
"I don't think he's in any condition to eat one right now," Mirajane said worriedly. "Plus, his stash is halfway gone. If Wendy is confident that she can keep him alive, I'm going to trust her abilities."
"Guys!" a familiar voice called from above. They all looked up to see Happy carrying Future Lucy down toward them, both of them looking worried. "What was that huge explosion?!" the blue cat asked as they landed. Then, seeing Gorun as the state he was in, he gasped and added, "Oh no! Is he gonna be okay?"
"Wendy's doing her best, and he's a strong wizard," Mirajane answered. "I'm sure he'll be okay with a little time and plenty of rest."
"How did he put out that much power?" Lucy asked as she stared down at the boy. "Even in his ascended transformation, I doubt he could use that much energy without killing himself."
"He transformed into an even stronger form than before, but it seemed like the amount of energy he was releasing was pretty painful," Cana informed her. "That might be what knocked him out just as much as the two attacks he managed to land."
Wendy took her hands away from the young man, slumping with exhaustion. "I've done all I can for now," she said wearily. "If it looks like he's going to take a turn for the worst, we can try to force-feed him a bean, but I'd rather avoid the possibility of choking him."
"You need to rest now, child," Carla advised. "You're nearly as tired as he is, and we need you healthy in case any more dragons come along."
"Please no…" the child groaned.
"There's something else you guys need to know," Lucy told them. "I nearly forgot with everything that's been going on, but there just might be a way to get rid of all the dragons at once, even the little ones."
"How?" Cana asked.
"The Eclipse Gate was used to bring Rogue back from the future, and the dragons to the present," the girl explained. "Levy had a hypothesis in the future, but we were never able to test it." She paused, then added, "If we destroy this gate, their ties to this time might be severed. It could send them back to where they came from."
"That's brilliant!" Mirajane exclaimed. "How do we destroy something like that, though?" She pointed to the structure, forcing them all to note that even with all of Gorun's crazy attacks going on about it, it stood undamaged.
"But… doesn't that mean that you'll vanish, too?" Wendy asked the time-traveler.
Lucy's face settled into a grimace as she answered, "It'd be worth it to save everyone. For now, let's focus on how we break this thing."
The others looked uncomfortable, but they agreed that the gate needed to be destroyed.
"Maybe if we got Gorun to hit it directly?" Cana suggested.
"With the state he's in, I doubt that's going to happen anytime soon," Lucy said with a wince. Glancing over at the city, she added as an afterthought, "I'm not sure Crocus can take much more of this, though…"
"Water Slicer!"
"Zodiac Geyser!" The two water-based attacks pummeled a group of infant adamantine dragons, reducing them to broken messes.
Then, to the surprise of Juvia and Lucino, the water coating them froze over, reducing the temperature in the area by several degrees. The two girls turned to see Lyon grinning at them, Gray beside him with a grim look on his face. "Looked like you could use a hand," the wizard from Lamia Scale said as they approached.
"We appreciate it," Juvia nodded, wiping sweat from her brow as she spoke. "It seems as though there are no end to these creatures."
"Pfft, I'm not even close to done yet," Lucino grinned, though it was clear that the battles were taking their toll on her, too. "How's it going with you guys?"
"We just cleared out a group a few blocks away with Erza and Jellal," Gray answered. He seemed to be confused by Lucino's appearance, not recognizing her, but still feeling like they had met somewhere before.
"Are you injured?" The rain woman asked them.
"A few cuts and bruises, nothing that won't heal," Lyon answered. "And you, Juvia? You're not hurt?"
"I'm fine… Thank you for asking," she acknowledged.
"So who's your new friend?" Gray asked as he gestured to the fused wizard. "I don't think we've met before?"
"We kinda have, but not really," Lucino grinned at him. "I'm the fusion born of Lucy and Yukino- call me Lucino."
"Oh, so the rings worked on you then?" he asked, pointing at the item she wore on her right hand. "Gorun was worried they wouldn't work on someone not from his world. Guess that answers that problem."
"Not that all this catching up isn't nice…" Lyon said dryly. "But we should get a move on. Those dragons have a sharp sense of smell- if we stand around for too long, we could get ambushed."
"Right," Lucino agreed. "Let's go- see if we can help any of the other guilds that need it."
"This can't be possible!" Rogue shouted angrily. He had sensed two of his dragons being defeated, and the others were not holding out so well, either. Plus, with Atlas Flame turned against him, it left only four dragons capable of fighting. "None of you were supposed to be this strong!"
"That's just what you don't get," Natsu growled from atop Atlas Flame's head, his hands resting by his ribcage. "With all of us workin' together, there's no challenge we can't overcome!" Orange light began pooling between his cupped hands, his eyes flashing dangerously.
"You fool!" Rogue snarled. "You haven't seen what I have! I know that the only way for our future to change is through total destruction!" He fired off a series of white shadows at Natsu, who leaped up above them while keeping his hands by his side, the orb growing larger and brighter.
"So you'll end everything, even Frosch?!" the Fire Dragon Slayer demanded. "Your best friend?!"
"I told you, Frosch is dead to me- as is the Rogue that wasted time playing with his cat!" the mad slayer shouted up at him, shifting his aim to blast Natsu out of the sky. Atlas Flame intercepted with his body, allowing Natsu to land back on top of his head.
"I don't believe that!" Natsu retorted. "Your friends never die, as long as you remember them!"
"Believe what you want, but nothing will stop the death of humanity in the future," Rogue said somberly. "You want happiness for everyone, but that will never happen!"
"You can change that!" Natsu countered, the fiery orb reaching its peak size. "I know I won't ever stop fighting for today, or for tomorrow!"
"Now, Natsu!" Atlas Flame roared as he drew back from Mother Glare, opening his mouth wide.
"Magic Fusion!" they bellowed in unison.
"Hellfire Dragon…"
"Roaring KAMEHAMEHA!" Atlas Flame's breath attack mixed with Natsu's technique, slamming into Mother Glare and scorching Rogue, whose boots began to melt from the heated scales. He cried out in pain and shock as the fire enveloped him and began to force his dragon down toward the earth at high speed. Mother Glare roared, too, not having experienced such pain in decades due to her nearly invulnerable scales.
"Maybe if we get Laxus-"
"Uh guys?" Cana said, interrupting Mirajane. "We might wanna hold off on our plans." She pointed upwards, where it looked as though something akin to a falling meteor was headed right for them.
"What is that?!" Wendy cried out. She was sensing a tremendous amount of magic power coming from that fireball, and some of it felt familiar.
"Anyone else think we've asked that question a lot tonight?!" Cana asked.
"No time to figure it out, we need to move!" Mirajane said as she grabbed Gorun up and began a hasty retreat. The others were quick to follow, Carla carrying Wendy since she was too tired to run.
A final explosion rocked the city that night. Mother Glare, with all her immense weight and unstoppable momentum, caused by Natsu and Atlas Flame's combined attack, sent her crashing into the Eclipse Gate, destroying the hardy mechanism. It had been pure chance that the metallic dragon hit the device, but no one would be complaining that it did.
The dust and embers were still settling when the Fairy Tail wizards dared to come closer to the gate. There they saw Mother Glare, possibly dead, lying near Zirconis. Rogue was further away from them, having been thrown off of Mother Glare's back when she hit the ground. Even as they watched, a golden glow surrounded them, and light particles began to drift off their bodies, causing them to become incorporeal.
"Now that was a breath attack!" Natsu laughed as he and Atlas Flame landed among them. They noticed that the Hellfire Dragon was also beginning to fade away. "Uncle?" Natsu asked as his red scales vanished, worried for Igneel's comrade. "What's goin' on?"
"We are returning to our own time," the dragon answered, and those assembled were surprised to notice that his words were tinged with sadness.
"So Levy was right," Lucy said as she too, began to glow. "Destroying the gate was our best shot."
"Lucy?" Natsu asked as his scales faded away. "What's happening to you?!"
"I told you guys, I don't belong in this time," she said sadly. "I'm being sent back, same as all the dragons and Rogue." Forcing a smile, she added, "Don't be sad, guys. You still have your Lucy, and a bright future ahead of you."
"No!" Happy cried. "You can't go! I don't care what you say, you're still our Lucy! We can't just let you go! How can you ask us not to be sad that you're leaving?! We love you!" He began to wail, and Lucy's eyes misted as she gathered up the little blue cat in her arms for one last hug.
"I don't accept this!" Natsu growled helplessly. "You can't just go, Lucy! It's not fair!"
"We can't… stop her, Natsu." They all turned to see Gorun with his eyes open, lying on the ground where Mirajane had set him down. His voice was weak, but he was still alive. "There's… nothing we can do… but see her off… with our heads held high." He shifted his gaze to look directly at Lucy and smiled slightly. "Thank you for coming back," he said gratefully. "Because of you… our future is saved."
"You had a hand in it, too," she said with another smile through her tears. "I'm glad that this time's Fairy Tail has you in it." She was nearly gone now. The dragons themselves had faded away, except for Atlas Flame. Only Rogue and Lucy remained otherwise.
"Natsu…" the giant fire beast said. "I will never forget you, as long as I live."
"And I'll remember you, too," Natsu said as he turned away from Lucy for a moment. "I'll tell Igneel you said 'hi' when I find him. Thank you for everything, Uncle."
"Hmm…" Atlas Flame mused. They all thought for a moment that he had smiled. Then he too, was gone.
"Good-bye, everyone," Lucy said, drawing their attention back to her. "I'll miss you… so much. But I'm glad I got to go on one last adventure with you." She reached out to touch Natsu, but a new voice interrupted her.
"Not so fast," a young girl's voice said from the smoking remnants of the Eclipse Gate.
Gorun, in spite of his exhaustion, bolted upright, his eyes wide and face pale. "I know that voice…" he said, his own voice strained with fear. "But… that's impossible!"
"Nothing is impossible," the girl's voice replied as he sensed a strong burst of energy. All around, time froze, rendering everyone still as statues, save for Gorun and Lucy.
"Gorun, what's going on?" the frightened mage asked as she stepped closer to him, having noticed that everyone else was frozen.
"Something out of my worst nightmares," he answered as a petite figure stepped out of the now-still smoke. "I don't know how… but I was followed here. By someone from my past."
"Who?!"
"Only the girl in charge of maintaining the proper flow of time," a pink-skinned figure said as she came into clear view. Dressed in blue and purple robes befitting a god, the Supreme Kai of Time stood before the pair, a stern expression on her face. "Hello, Gorun," she said, her tone matching her face. "You did a pretty good job at covering your tracks, but I finally found you. Now that I have, it's time we had a serious talk."
Saiki: Huh. Just when you would think that everything was going to settle down...
Mataras: sldvkj zesbffjkjvk kjsnd fjjwenv.
Gorun: Uh... What?
Saiki: He appears to be overstimulated from his experience with the new Dragon Ball Super movie. I believe he was attempting to say, 'That's what any good writer does.'
Gorun: You're saying good writers are jerks to their characters.
Saiki: Wait. Let me fit him with a translator, first.
Gorun: You just have one of those on hand?
Saiki: Of course. I come from a comedy where things can often be solved by convenience.
Gorun: And when they can't?
Saiki: That's where being a psychic comes in handy. All right, done.
Mataras: Thank you. Now, as I was saying, no, a good writer is not a jerk to his characters... He seeks to challenge them.
Gorun: I am not going to fight the Supreme Kai of Time!
Mataras: Then you're gonna have to be really lucky or really clever if you want to live beyond the next chapter.
Gorun: ...Live?
Saiki: Next time on Saiyan Tail- Of Gods and Dragons.
Mataras: Coming on the first week of February!
Gorun: So, Mataras, how was the movie?
Mataras: elkfjbv jnerwnaefvonbkjvbjfd jnvakjzc!
Gorun: ...?
Saiki: You broke my translator... That'll be twenty coffee jellies.
Gorun: Wait, how much are-?
Next time on Saiyan Tail...
"You can't be here…" Gorun said as he shook his head in disbelief. "I made sure that Shenron would never tell anyone where I'd gone!"
"Yes, that was rather clever, using your wish like that," said another voice from within the frozen smoke, this one flamboyant in nature. "Not even Porunga could tell the Supreme Kai of Time where you had run off to."
"This had better be worth that pizza with fish toppings you were going about," growled a sleepy voice from next to the second speaker.
Gorun's eyes widened even further as he recognized the two speakers the instant they stepped out of the fiery debris. "L-Lord Beerus?!" he sputtered, also recognizing Whis, the cat-like god's loyal attendant.
He struggled to get to his feet, but swaying dangerously until Lucy helped steady him. Some part in the back of his mind registered the fact that she was no longer fading from existence, but most of his thoughts were consumed by the fact that one of the strongest gods of destruction was standing in front of him, looking rather put out, and with the Supreme Kai of Time, no less. She didn't look very happy either.
Oh gods, I'm about to die, he thought, sweating profusely.