Hi everyone, thanks again for your patience and Happy Easter! I know that it must be frustrating because this is a time where you are supposed to meet up with your family and have a good time, but we're all on lockdown, which sucks. Hopefully, this chapter will help ease your stress a bit. This is one chapter I've really been looking forward to writing as a certain reveal comes to light. You'll see as read the chapter, so without further delay, let us begin.
The Bonds of Family
The area around the ruins shook and rocked with explosions; Loke slid back on his feet after blocking a powerful attack from Caprico, but Trish jumped above him and tried to slice down onto him with her Sparda sword, only for the humanoid goat to catch the blade in-between his palms and deliver a powerful kick to her abs to send her skidding back as well.
"Come Forth! Hunter of Belparaso! Gladiator of Horancus! Samagui! Astaroth!" Caprico had used his Human Enslavement magic to write a series of ruins in the air and summon two different types of humans.
One of whom appeared to be some form of hunter clad in winter gear with a bow and a quiver full of arrows; along with a multitude of daggers strapped to his chest. The second was a much larger human, dressed like a roman gladiator, with large muscles and was about twelve feet tall with a massive two-handed axe in his hands.
"Astaroth! Deal with those two!" Caprico ordered the giant of a man named Astaroth. "Belparaso, eliminate Layla's daughter!"
"Samagui of Belparaso…?" Loke voiced in surprise, unfortunately this left him open for Astaroth to slam his axe into him and send flying back. Astaroth lifted the axe up to finish Loke, but Trish came in and blocked it with her Sparda sword, using her own strength to pit against the massive gladiator.
"Hey, keep your head in the game!" Trish told him as she sent a current of her demonic lightning surging through the sword to slice Astaroth in half complete before he vanished.
"Trish, we have to stop him!" Loke exclaimed, referring to the archer who already had an arrow notched and ready to fire. "He's a real-life legendary hunter! There are even children's books about him!"
Despite being from such a faraway location from his intended target, Samagui had a near perfect visual on Lucy as she continued to run along with Gray and Cana. "Wind, good. Angle, good." He launched an arrow, only for it to be intercepted by an electric bullet shot from Trish's Ombra gun.
"Don't think so!" Trish exclaimed, only for Caprico to suddenly appear under her and deck her an uppercut to her chin to send her flying through the air, but she quickly recovered and shot more electric bullets from Luce and Ombra at Caprico, who backflipped repeatedly to avoid each explosive electric shot before leaping on a ruin's rooftop. "I got the goat, Loke! You take the hunter!"
"Way ahead of you!" Loke's fists were coated in a golden aura as he smashed several arrows shot in his direction from Samagui. "What kind of hunter shoots people?!" Loke exclaimed as he leapt to punch Samagui, who in turn leapt from Loke's strike and while airborne, aimed two more arrows in Lucy's direction.
'He can aim upside-down?!' Loke thought in surprise as he continued to punch out the arrows as best he could.
"I hunt whatever my master orders." Samagui stated as he landed on his feet. "Be it animal or man, my arrows will strike it!"
Caprico limboed underneath a slice from Trish's lightning-charged sword. "Horned bastard, just how many people you got under your thumb?!"
The humanoid goat flashed a malevolent grin, while in a flipped stage to deal a powerful punch to Trish's side and send her skidding across the rooftop, where she was forced to use the Sparda sword itself as a shield to block a powerful kick.
"I have so many slaves under my whim, I honestly lost count." Caprico said in a borderline sadistic tone. "As a puppet yourself, I imagine this must be pretty nostalgic for you."
Trish extended the Devil Sword and spun the blade to try and slice at Caprico, but he proved too quick and nimble as he leapt over Trish and down back onto the ground, where she leapt in pursuit. "Keep talking Lambchop! It just makes me even more eager to slice you up!"
Meanwhile, Samagui aimed another shot which Loke readied himself for, but when he shot his two arrows, they actually curved above Loke, much to his and Trish's surprise.
"What the hell…?! A curved shot?!" Loke looked to see the arrows curving straight upward, and once they were high enough in the air, the arrows began to descend straight towards the retreating Lucy.
Caprico dealt another slug to Trish's face before delivering a roundhouse to knock her down. "As you can see, Samagui is no ordinary hunter! He's a master snipper that has even slain demons with his near-impossible accuracy, the very reason I choose to enslave his soul! I have no doubt those arrows will hit their target!"
"I don't think so!" Trish diverted her attention from Caprico and aimed her guns again, only for Caprico to appear by her side and slam his knee into her stomach before leaping into the air to deliver a kick to the back of her neck to send her crashing into the air.
"You should know better than to take your eyes off your enemy, dear Trish!" Caprico stated with an evil grin. "While Leo is only a short-ranged fighter; there is no way even he can intercept those arrows!"
"Wanna bet?!" Loke exclaimed as he punched a pillar and delivered a kick to send large chunks of rubble right at where the arrows were, destroying them, much to Caprico's and Samagui's shock.
"Did you see that?! He deflected my shot with debris!" Samagui stated in surprise, while Caprico merely growled in frustration, but this left him open for Trish to deliver an electric kick to his face, and while he was disoriented, she shot a powerful blast of demonic lightning point-blank from her palm at him to send him crashing into a set of ruins.
"You said something about not taking your eyes off your enemy?" Trish mocked to Caprico, who had crossed his arms to brace for the attack, though the fur on his arms was singed quite a bit as he himself was covered in bruises, but still quite frustrated.
"While I will admit, Samagui is an excellent archer, I'm afraid he's nothing compared to Sagittarius!" Loke stated, adjusting his glasses cockily.
"Go!" Caprico ordered his hunter. "Find the girl and eliminate her at once!"
As Samagui attempted to run after Lucy, Trish had already tried to run to intercept him with Caprico shooting at her to try and halt her. "Loke! Switch dance partners!" Trish exclaimed.
Loke then appeared to land a Regulus punch at Caprico, which he attempted to block by crossing his arms, allowing Trish to zoom directly at Samagui in the form of a bolt of blue lighting before appearing above him and slashing her Sparda sword at him. "This hunt's been cancelled!" Trish stated as she sliced Samagui in half before he completely vanished.
Caprico was sent back with another Regulus punch from Loke, right before Caprico's face became one of twisted rage. "GET OUT OF THE WAY!" He shot both his hands to summon at least half-a-dozen enslaved human puppets; in the form of knights, samurai, even Lionodis, and San Jiao Shin were among them. They were all sent straight at Loke and Trish who were more than prepared for them; with a series of Regulus attacks, as well as electric bullets and sword slices, all of the enemy puppets had been defeated and vanished as well; much to Caprico's fear and anger.
"And why exactly are you so dead set on killing Lucy? You got some kind of grudge against her?" Trish questioned.
"No, it's because she's his greatest threat." Loke stated.
"What do you mean?" Trish asked.
"Twenty years ago, Capricorn formed a contract with Lucy's mother, Layla." Loke explained. "I don't know what kind of contract he made in the human world, or if Mundus or someone else in Grimoire Heart did something to him, but since Layla's no longer with us, Capricorn should be fighting for her daughter, Lucy; at least according to his contract."
"So, he's contracted to Lucy like you and her other spirits?" Trish asked for clarification.
"He's supposed to be, at least that's how it was for Aquarius." Loke answered before turning to Caprico himself. "But I don't understand why she doesn't know anything about you, so you wanna tell us what happened… Capricorn?"
"A taboo." Caprico said, much to Loke and Trish's confusion. "Every magic in existence has its own set of rules that must never be broken. And I broke one of those sacred rules."
"You did?" Loke looked in surprise as Trish only narrowed her eyes.
"As a result, I was given this form." Caprico continued.
'This form? What the hell is he talking about?' Trish wondered.
"Now I'm a goat! Isn't that funny!" Caprico laughed like a madman while both Loke and Trish looked more than a little perplexed.
Meanwhile, Natsu continued to follow the familiar scent with Dante, Lisanna, and Lady right behind him. The group ran downhill on a rather rough terrain, but Natsu wasn't keen on stopping.
"He must have gone this way! I'm telling ya I smell em!" Natsu stated.
"Natsu be careful!" Lisanna warned. "The terrain here is really rugged!" However, it seems her warning came a bit too late as Natsu tripped and slid down a steeper hill. Lisanna immediately flew down in the form of giant green bird-like creature via her Take Over, where she quickly caught him on her back. "I tried to warn ya." She said with a sweatdrop on her head.
"Sorry, I just so focused on finding that masked creep." Natsu commented.
"Hey, you two lovebirds wanna focus on the mission!?" Dante called to them as he slid down the hill on his feet, carrying Lady bridal-style, both with serious expressions before they landed on the ground.
As Dante set Lady down, she glanced nearby a tree and saw the unconscious form of the Black Wizard. "Dante, it's him!"
"So, that's Zeref." Dante observed, narrowing his eyes, finally realizing who that cry-baby was. However, Dante soon sensed an odd magic energy coming from the ground before his eyes widened in alarm. "Lady get back!" He pushed Lady out of the way just as a tree suddenly shot out from the ground, though Dante was able to jump back to avoid being caught up in it.
"Hey, are you guys okay?!" Natsu asked as he and Lisanna landed right before she transformed back into her normal appearance.
"Where'd that tree come from?" Lisanna questioned in surprise.
"There was a sprouting seed hidden in the soil beneath you." All four of them directed their attention to the source of that voice: Ultear, sitting causally at the top of a separate tree. "The Arc of Time guided it into the future to become this tree, yet you were still able to sense it coming. I expect no less from a child of Sparda, it's a pleasure to finally meet you face-to-face Dante. And I'm actually quite happy to see you again to, Natsu Dragneel."
"You know this chick?" Dante questioned the Fire Dragon Slayer.
Natsu sniffed the air a bit. "It's him! The same creep from Galaluna Island! I never forget a smell!"
"Wait… I thought you said it was a masked man we were tracking." Lady looked slightly confused.
"Must be some kind of transformation magic." Lisanna deduced.
"So, wait, are you a man or a woman?" Natsu asked in comic confusion.
"That masked old man you fought before was simply a disguise, this is my true form. I'm a member of the Grimoire Heart guild, and leader of the Eight Kin, you may call me Ultear Milkovich."
Natsu's eyes narrowed "So, you're the one who's been pulling the strings behind Deliora and the Tower of Heaven and all sorts of crazy stuff that's been happening."
"The leader of the Eight Kin huh, not a bad looking I gotta say." Dante observed with a slight grin. "She's actually kinda hot."
"Now is not the time to start flirting." Lady said as she and Lisanna had annoyed sweatdrops on her head.
"I have to say, you're quite the extraordinary man yourself Dante." Ultear complemented. "Certainly, a much more exciting man than your brother."
"So, you know Vergil?" Dante questioned.
"We've crossed paths once, but that's not important now." Ultear said as she leapt off the tree and all four of them readied themselves for a fight, even Dante kept his hands trained on his guns. "Oh please, there's no need to be so hostile."
"Your guild declared open war on us, invaded our sacred ground, and we've been fighting for our lives while you're trying to get your hands on arguably the most evil wizard in history! That doesn't count as hostile?!" Lisanna exclaimed.
"Sure could have fooled the hell out of me!" Lady commented.
"I was speaking to Dante, not all of you." Ultear told them.
"Now you're just gonna ignore us!? How rude!" Natsu comically complained.
"What do you want from me?" Dante questioned seriously.
"I have come to extend an offer from Master Hades." Ultear began. "He extends his hand for you to join us. Join Grimoire Heart and abandon these worthless fairies!"
"Saywhat?!" Natsu voiced in surprise.
"They want Dante to join him?!" Lisanna was just as surprised while Lady just narrowed her eyes, she knew Dante long enough to know he'd reject an offer to cross over to the dark side.
"One of your pals already offered me that, I told him he could go screw himself, and so can you! I do not care how hot you are!" Dante stated.
"You're not even going to listen to what we have to offer?" Ultear asked with a teasing smile. "Do you know why we seek Zeref?"
"He's supposedly a herald for that three-eyed-jackass Mundus." Dante summed up. "You wanna use Zeref to free him and bring about the apocalypse. That sound about right?"
"Not quite; Lord Mundus will indeed bring this world to an end, but from the ashes, he shall usher in the Grand Magic World." Ultear replied.
"The Grand Magic… what?" Natsu asked with a confused expression.
"What are you talking about?" Lady demanded.
"The Grand Magic World; a world in which only the strongest of wizards and demons will thrive as the entire realm of Earthland is bathed in glorious darkness; for Mundus is the source of all wizardry!" Ultear stated. "Have you ever wondered where magic came from? It all stemmed from him. Mundus is magic in its most primal form!"
"And what happens to everyone else who lives in this world?" Lisanna asked, already having a good idea what the answer was.
Ultear's eyes carried a malicious intent as did her malevolent smile. "Sadly, they won't be around to see our world come into fruition."
"So basically, genocide, right?" Dante questioned with a gravely serious expression on his face.
"What has this world ever done for you Dante?" Ultear questioned. "Why fight for it? Are you trying to honor your father's memory? Sparda abandoned you and your brother as a child, subjecting you to a life where you had to fight hordes of demons every day just to survive. Are you fighting to protect humanity? They are a chaotic species who only live to steal and kill, with just a few rare exceptions. This world has done nothing but cause you pain and misery; but in the Grand Magic World, you will rule as a king and have vengeance on the world that has caused you pain for so long. And believe me, I know what that pain is like myself, so you wouldn't rule alone."
"You're completely insane!" Lisanna exclaimed.
"If you think for one second that Dante is ever gonna work for…" Natsu's rant was interrupted when Dante held his hand out at them.
"You know, I gotta say that's actually a pretty tempting offer." Dante began, much to Lisanna and Natsu's shock.
"Dante you can't seriously…" Natsu was however once again interrupted by Lady as she put a hand on his shoulder before she gave him and Lisanna a knowing smile, as she had an idea of where Dante was going with this.
"And you're not entirely wrong about bad some people can be, and maybe my childhood was a living hell." Dante continued. "But, even if I did hate my father, or the rest of humanity, my answer would still be no. You wanna know why? Go ahead, ask me."
"Very well. Why would you reject my offer even if you hated this world?" Ultear asked.
"Because that monster you worship murdered my mother!" Dante stated with a deathly serious expression on his face.
Neither Natsu or Lisanna could have expected that as they looked towards their friend in surprise as Lady offered a sympathetic expression, knowing exactly what that feels like. Even Ultear was minorly surprised by that.
"My mother was one of the kindest people I had ever met in my life." Dante continued, thinking back to her kind and loving smile. "I never once doubted she loved me with all her heart, even sacrificed herself to try and save me and Vergil. And Mundus took her away from me. So even if I do hate the world, I would never join Mundus! I'd sooner die than help him! But that alone isn't it. I may have lost one family back then… but I found a new one." He glanced back at Lady, Natsu, and Lisanna with a small smile, which they each returned. "And I will never walk away from them. My name is Dante of Fairy Tail! So you can take your offer and blow out your demon-worshiping-psychopathic ass! You and your pals messed my family; now I'm gonna mess with you right back!" He held Rebellion in his hands, ready for a fight.
"You got that right buddy! Nobody picks a fight with Fairy Tail and walks away!" Natsu agreed with an eager grin as both his fists lit on fire; while Lady and Lisanna also stood ready for a fight, the former holding a machine gun in one hand and her short blade that was previously attached to her rocket launcher in the other.
Ultear merely shook her head in disappointment with a sigh. "Very well, I personally respect your decision. However, Master Hades has also made it quite clear that if you were to reject our offer; then we have to do everything in our power to end your life."
"Bring it, bitch." Dante challenged. "In case you've forgotten, there's four of us and one of you!"
"Count again!"
All four members of Fairy Tail looked in surprise to see a large beam of yellow and red light shoot directly at them; however Natsu had pulled Lisanna out of the way just in time while Dante did the same for Lady as they all looked in the direction where the beam-attack shot, having cleaved clean through solid rock, with smoldering heat coming from the edges.
"What the… where did that come from?!" Lisanna thought in surprise while Ultear merely smiled knowingly and evilly.
Dante's face however had a small twinge in fear, as did Lady's. "Oh no…" Lady gulped, recognizing this type of magic.
"You live, Son of Sparda." Job revealed himself as he stepped into the clearing. "How surprising. I would have thought the damage I inflicted on you would have at least rendered you immobile for a time, but even your wounds have healed quickly enough."
"Who the hell is this guy? Some kind of priest?" Natsu questioned.
"You guys remember that Devil Slayer guy we told you about?" Dante told Natsu and Lisanna. "That's him."
That took the two by surprise. "He's the one who brought you down, Dante?!" Lisanna exclaimed in shock.
"Job." Ultear greeted. "So, you had encountered Dante before, and he actually survived. That's a first for you."
"I was caught off-guard by his partner's quick thinking." Job said with a straight-forward face, his tone just as emotionless as ever. "Even without magic, humans can be quite resourceful. But rest assured, I have no attention of letting him slip away again. And I see you've acquired Zeref" He noticed the unconscious form of the Black Wizard. "Our mission nears completion."
Dante was the first to get serious as he, Lady, Natsu, and Lisanna stood together; Dante and Lady facing Job on one side while Natsu and Lisanna faced Ultear on the other.
"Indeed." Ultear agreed with Job as she produced a crystal ball from one of her gauntlets. "It's time to finally put Fairy Tail in their place once and for all!"
At the same time; Erza and Juvia stood in the swam-like area as they continued to face down their own opponent, the youngest member of the Eight Kin of Purgatory: Meredy.
"Juvia Lockser, formerly of Phantom Lord's Element Four. Along with Erza Scarlet, also known as Titania." Meredy observed in a robotic tone of voice.
"Well you've obviously done your research on us." Juvia noted. "And who might you be?"
"Who are you and what do you want?" Erza questioned as well.
An eerie pink glow began to form around Meredy. "Answer has been deemed unnecessary. Commencing combat operations!"
Erza held her sword. "You ready Juvia?"
"Yes." Juvia said as she took a combative stance. 'I know I have to fight, but I'm so worried about Gray. Not to mention, this girl is only a child! She honestly looks like she's only a year or two older than Wendy! Why is someone so young with a dark guild? Is this like Wendy's friend Sheeree, who was manipulated by Arkham into joining Devil Hand?"
"You have to focus, Juvia!" Erza noticed the conflicted look on her face. "Whatever the case, this so-called child is our enemy. We will subdue her first, then question her motives!"
"Right, of course." Juvia shook her head, ready for a fight.
"Maguilty Sodom!" Meredy had suddenly summoned multiple blades that appeared to be made entirely out of magic energy around her.
"Blades of magic power!" Juvia observed in surprise.
"She can summon weapons just like I do?" Erza wondered.
Meredy had shot her hand forward, to send a flurry of the magical blades straight at the two warrior women of Fairy Tail. Though Erza was able to dodge and deflect the blades with her own sword, Juvia made no effort to move, believing the blades would pass right through her.
"Nice try, but your attacks will have no affect on me! My body is made entirely out of…" However, several of the magical blades sliced through her sides and even cut her arms and legs, causing her to scream in pain.
"Juvia!" Erza exclaimed in shock.
But none were more shocked than Juvia herself. 'I don't understand…! How is she able to injure me…?!'
"When my blades strike, they stimulate the enemy's pain receptors." Meredy explained. "One might say they're blades of sensation."
"Such power…" Juvia voiced in amazement and fear, clearly having underestimated this girl.
"I see." Erza still stood ready, however. "You're one of the Eight Kin of Purgatory, aren't you?"
"I was not sent here to answer questions." Meredy replied. "Just eliminate the enemy. That is the mission I was given."
Meanwhile; Trish and Loke continued to stand against Caprico who chuckled maniacally. "It's funny, I was thinking it was about time I took on a humanoid body. Maybe I can try for two at once; I'd never been inside a woman's body, much less one that has all sorts of demonic power under her control. This is perfect!"
"You're not even making sense anymore!" Loke stated.
"Bodies… what is he…?" Trish's eyes suddenly widened with realization. "He's possessed!"
Before Loke could even express a surprised expression, Caprico had already unleashed his spell. "Huma Raise!" He outstretched his palms to cast out a veil of dark magic. Before either Trish or Loke knew it; they were completely surrounded by a dark grey fog as it appeared the environment around them had almost completely changed.
"You realize that magic is not gonna work on us, right?" Loke said. "Neither of us are humans. I'm a Celestial Spirit and Trish is a demon!"
"Yes. And that would be the taboo." Caprico's voice echoed throughout the fog. "This magic is only supposed to be used on humans…"
"But Capricorn was a Celestial Spirit, and someone else is possessing him!" Trish stated as she and Loke tried to ready themselves for whatever the enemy was planning.
"You figured it out. How very clever of you my dear." A new voice echoed throughout the fog, which must have belonged to the one possessing Capricorn; their true enemy.
"How did this happen?! When did we fall into their trap?!" Loke questioned.
Suddenly, both he and Trish were separated from each other as they were each surrounded by multiple dark spectral images of Caprico. "Whoever dares to break that rule completely merges with their target!"
Shadows began to stretch down along the ground in an attempt to merge and possess both Trish and Loke, as dark blue patches of magic began to form all around each of their bodies. They both attempted to resist, though it seemed Trish was putting up more of a fight as multi-colored lightning, particularly yellow, blue, white, and purple, all began to surge all around her body.
"No… Get out… Get out….!" Her voice began to sound more and more demonic as she was completely enveloped in a bright electric aura. For one brief second, it appeared her whole body had changed; a silhouette of something more demonic with large bat-like wings took her place. The explosion of lightning appeared to have blown away the darkness, while at the same time, Loke's own body surged with his own bright light; apparently freeing both of them.
Loke sent a punch at Caprico's body, where his own body briefly surged with Loke's light right before Trish leapt behind Caprico, pinned his hands behind his back and pinned the rest of him to the ground with her other hand at the back of his neck.
"Hate to break it to ya pal, but you're not the first to try and get inside my head." Trish told Capricorn, believing he was still possessed. "And you're nowhere near Mundus' level."
"Maybe not."
Trish's pupils shrunk as that voice didn't belong to Capricorn but Loke as she looked up in shock to see Loke's skin had turned dark purple and he had a malevolent smile on his face.
"But I still got one of my targets."
Lucy suddenly stopped running, much to the surprise and concern of Gray and Cana. "What's the matter? We don't have time to stand around!" Gray told her.
"I can't explain it but… I just got a terrible feeling creep down my spine." Lucy said as she looked with worry back toward the hilltop where the ruins where. "I think… we should go back and check on them."
"I know you're worried, but that's not an option. Not now." Cana told Lucy.
"From what I can tell, it seemed like Loke had some sort of plan, plus he has Trish to back him up." Gray added.
"Those two can handle it." Cana said. "Plus, we'd only get in their way considering that goat-guy's magic."
"They got this in the bag." Gray said with a confident grin. "After all; Loke is the leader of the Zodiac Spirits; and Trish is a professional Devil Hunter who's worked alongside Dante for years. Have a little faith in them."
Lucy knew that her friends had very good points, but she still couldn't shake this bad feeling in her stomach. "Yeah… I know." She resumed her run with Gray and Cana right beside her. "Come on. We gotta meet up with everyone else and find the rest of the Eight Kin."
"That's right!" Gray agreed.
"Let's hurry!" Cana stated.
'Loke, Trish, no matter what happens, you two have to come back safe and sound!' Lucy thought with worry. 'You promised me!'
Trish was immediately back on her feet, holding the Devil Sword Sparda in her left hand and her Ombra pistol in her right. "Bastard… so you're one of the Eight Kin of Purgatory, not goat-boy here!"
"That's right." The villain possessing Loke's body stated. "Capricorn was merely a vessel I borrowed, my original intent was to possess you with Leo serving as a back-up, maybe I could possess both at the same time. But you proved far stronger than I thought. Guess being able to resist even Lord Mundus' influence has made you quite strong; too bad the same can't be said for Leo."
Trish cocked her gun and aimed it directly at him, however the villain wasn't the least bit intimidated.
"What are you gonna do? Kill me?" He teased.
"Lucy told me how Celestial Spirits work." Trish said with a serious expression. "When they get hurt too badly their bodies go back into the Celestial Spirit World, they don't really die. Sure, Lucy might be a bit upset, but considering her friend is being possessed by an evil douchebag, I'm sure she'll get over it."
"You've done your research." The enemy teased. "But I hate to tell you this, the Celestial Spirit world is no longer an option for Leo. Now that he's merged with me, it's my magic that flows through his veins, not his. You actually can kill me right now if you wanted, but the problem is, Leo's body would die as well. He wouldn't return to the Celestial Spirit World; he'd fade from existence entirely."
Trish's eyes narrowed, developing a great sense of hatred for the being in possessing of her friend's body.
"But there's nothing to stop me from killing you." The possessed-Loke walked towards Trish, who only took a few steps back but kept her pistol trained on him. "And once I'm done with you, there will be nothing to stop me from killing Lucy. Since I'm Leo know, I should get to her with little trouble at all; after all, she trusts him so dearly. There is nothing to stop me from being completely human again!"
"Someone like you has stopped being a human a long time ago." Trish commented.
"This coming from a demon…" The enemy laughed mockingly but was suddenly struck in the back by Capricorn who had recovered, much to Trish's surprise and the enemy's completely shock. "No! How could you do this?!"
Trish recognized the light that shined out of Loke's body from where Capricorn struck him. 'That's Loke's magic…' Her eyes widened, thinking back right as Loke struck Capricorn right before he was possessed. 'That wasn't an attack, he transferred his power to him! Loke must have known he was about to be controlled so he gave his power to Capricorn!'
"I believe Regulus has reached its zenith… Zoldeo!" The now-freed Capricorn addressed the enemy by his true name.
"No! Don't say that name! You know what it does to me!" Suddenly a black mass shot out from Loke's body as the dark presence had appeared to have been exorcised from Loke's body.
The mass itself transformed into the human man named Zoldeo. He had puffy dark brown hair, with bags under his eyes, and scars along the sides of his mouth like a twisted smile. He wore something of a white servant's robe with a purple waistcoat over it, and a headband on his hair. Zoldeo screamed as he fell from the air and onto the ground.
"Thank you, Capricorn…" Loke said, now free from Zoldeo's control as Capricorn helped him to his feet.
"I apologize sir, I didn't want to use excessive force." Capricorn said.
"No, it's alright… you had to use that much power…" Loke said, more than a little fatigued. "It's the only way you could have possibly separated us."
Zoldeo growled in frustration as he attempted to pull himself up. "Curse you…. Curse you all!" He stated as he was already on his knees before he screamed into the air. However, and sadistic and gleeful smile formed on his face. "All that matters is I'm finally myself again…!"
Suddenly; multiple bullets tore through is back as he fell to the ground with a pool of blood already forming below him. Zoldeo struggled to look back as he saw the glaring eyes of the blonde lightning she-devil known as Trish. "Yeah, you're yourself alright." Trish said with venom laced in her voice. "And there's nothing to stop me from cutting you down!"
Trish quickly stabbed Zoldeo in the back with the Devil Sword Sparda and hauled him up into the air with a toss before she sent a powerful electric blast from her hand to completely roast him. After that final bolt, Zoldeo's charred corpse landed on the ground. However, Trish looked in confusion to see the corpse beginning to fade away completely in a faint golden light.
"The hell…?" Trish muttered.
"Even if you hadn't killed him his fate had already been sealed." Capricorn revealed as he helped Loke stand on his two feet again. "That was the price of his taboo."
"I see." Trish said with a somewhat emotionless tone, though she was glad that Zoldeo was finally gone and he more than deserved what he got, some of the words he said to her still hurt.
"Your name is Trish, correct?" Capricorn asked as he waked toward her. "Even though I was not in control of my own body, I could see everything that had occurred in the last seventeen years while I was under Zoldeo's control." The humanoid goat Celestial Spirit bowed his head. "I apologize for harming you, as well as for the many hurtful things I said."
"Don't worry about it." Trish assured him. "One former puppet to another, I understand. But, how exactly did you end up being possessed by that freakshow anyway?"
"It happened twenty years ago." Capricorn began to explain to both Trish and Loke as the former sat down to rest. "Lady Layla had suddenly fallen ill; she was forced to retire from wizardry. Since she no longer had any use for us, she decided her three spirits; Aquarius, Cancer, and myself, would be passed on to three of her servants. One of them was Zoldeo, my key was given to him."
"One of the Eight Kin of Purgatory worked for Lucy's mother?" Trish asked in surprise.
"No, Zoldeo did not join Grimoire Heart until after Lady Layla's passing." Capricorn replied. "However, before I moved on, Lady Layla made one other contract: to protect her family for all eternity, should any of her descendants choose to follow the path of magic."
"I see, so that's how you were contracted to Lucy." Loke said.
"Yes, that's correct." Capricorn said. "However, while I am contracted to Lucy, my obligation does not reside solely with her, but rather with Dante as well."
"Dante?" Trish didn't expect to hear that. "What do you mean?"
"As you already know; that young man is the son of the Dark Knight Sparda." Capricorn explained. "However, his mother's full name was Eva Heartfilia, the elder sister of Lady Layla."
That revelation was something that neither Loke nor Trish could have expected.
"Lady Lucy and Sir Dante are in fact maternal cousins." Capricorn continued. "However, given Sparda's long and bloodied history against the Demon World, after he and Eva were joined together, she had her last name removed and choose to live far away, in an effort to protect her sister and family from the demons' wrath."
"So, they really are related." Trish uttered in surprise. "And they don't even know it yet."
"After Lady Layla's passing, Zoldeo left the mansion." Capricorn continued. "He began traveling aimlessly, eventually he was exposed to the dark side of magic."
"I'm guessing he then broke a sacred rule; and ended up merging with you." Loke assumed. "That kind of power can sometimes push people toward the dark side."
"It doesn't matter if it's magic or demonic, power is intoxicating." Trish said. "At this point, I'm certain that we've all seen what it does to people; twisting and corrupting them, turning them into something else entirely. You don't have to be a demon to be a monster."
"So, what do you think of Lucy now that you've met her, Capricorn?" Loke asked his fellow Zodiac Spirit.
"She's definitely Lady Layla's daughter." Capricorn replied. "It's clear she loves her spirits, and I can tell they love her in return."
"Yeah, that kid has got a real heart." Trish had a small smile on her face.
"And you Trish…" Capricorn got her attention. "Though you were a demon created by Mundus, you share quite a bit of qualities with Eva. If she ever had a daughter, I believe she would have turned out just like you."
Trish was quite surprised by this, but it was a welcomed surprise. It reminded her of how Dante was able to convince her to leave Mundus behind and join the light. Ever since then, she had felt she had developed a special connection to Dante, not a romantic one, but something more akin to a familial bond, and it wasn't just because she bore a resemblance to his late mother. She smiled as she almost felt a tear run down her eye.
"Thanks goat-man." Trish said as Capricorn smiled and nodded in return.
"So, would you be willing to lend Lucy your help?" Loke asked Capricorn. "She could really use it."
"I can't. I'm sorry Sir Leo, I'm afraid it's too late, I can't offer her my help now" Capricorn answered before a small smile formed on his face. "I'm only saying that because she already has my power at her full disposal. Finally, I can return to my rightful owner."
Loke and Trish both smiled. "Hey Trish, I think Capricorn and I are gonna head back to the Spirit World now." Loke told the blonde lightning demon. "Burnt up way too much energy in that fight. Could you please catch up to Lucy and help her out?"
"Sure, leave it to me; after all, we're practically family." Trish said as she turned around and was about to walk away but stopped briefly. "And not just cause we're part of the Sparda-Heartfila-bloodline or whatever, but because were both part of Fairy Tail." She held up her hand to show them the yellow Fairy Tail emblem stamped on it. "You boys get some rest; I'll see you later."
"Take care, Lady Trish." Capricorn bowed as he and Loke both vanished, returning to the Celestial Spirit World while Trish leapt down the hill to try and catch up with her friends.
Lucy came to a stop as she felt her Celestial Keys begin to glow, something that Gray and Cana both noticed.
"Is there something wrong?" Cana asked.
"Don't tell me Loke's in trouble." Gray hoped.
Lucy smiled. "Nuh-uh. He was just telling me he won!"
"I knew he could do it." Cana didn't doubt him for a second.
"What about Trish?" Gray asked.
"She's on her way and should catch up with us soon." Lucy answered. "And also, Capricorn apparently switched over to our side, Loke said he'll explain the details later. Also, he said the fight really took a lot out of him, so he's going to try and recover his strength by going back to the Celestial Spirit World."
"What?" Gray questioned in surprise.
"It makes sense." Cana seemed to understand. "I mean he has been using his magic power to stay in the human world all this time."
"But that ain't fair at all!" Gray comically complained. "He promised he'd be my partner and now he's backing out on me?!"
Lucy smiled apologetically. "He says to tell you he'll make it up to you later."
That didn't make Gray feel any better. "What?! Forget him! You tell that four-eyed womanizer I don't need his help to make S-Class!"
That caught Cana's attention as she gave a small gasp, almost having completely forgotten about the trial as a sad and conflicted look formed on her face. 'S-Class.'
"Okay, let's get moving you guys." Lucy told them.
"It's about time!" Gray stated.
"Hold on, I have an idea." Cana stopped them both for a moment. "Well, if we wanna find these other seven demon-worshiping psychos, it might be easier if we split up?"
"You think?" Gray asked.
"Are you crazy?!" Lucy looked in comic fear as her face turned blue and she began to shiver. "I don't wanna run the risk of running into one of them when I'm all by myself!"
Cana suddenly enveloped Lucy in a seemingly protective hug. "Oh, don't worry! I'll be there to protect you Lucy!"
"But… I thought we were…" Lucy was more than a little confused.
"I see, so when you said, 'let's spilt up', you really meant 'let's ditch Gray'." The ice-make wizard said in an unimpressed tone.
"You're jealous." Cana said as she comically groped Lucy's breasts from behind, much to the blonde's embarrassment. "You just wanna see us compare cup-sizes don't ya?"
A small blush formed on Gray's face. "That's not true and you know it! Geeze!" He had a serious look on his face. "I just don't think splitting up is a good idea cause were a lot stronger together than we are on our own."
"Listen Gray, the only reason I suggested we split up to search for the enemy is because I wanna get back to the S-Class trials, and in order to do that we have to wipe them out." Cana told him. "Bet I know exactly why you're so against it, you're scared! If you're really that scared to go off on your own, just wait for Trish. Lucy said she'd catch up with us."
"Cana!" Lucy didn't expect her friend and partner to be so eager to split up, especially with such a dangerous enemy still lurking about.
Gray however seemed to take some offense to that, so with a scowl on his face he turned around to walk away. "Fine, have it your way. Let's go ahead and split up here."
"Be careful out there, Gray." Lucy told him as she walked alongside Cana.
"Right back at ya." He replied back. Though he was annoyed by Cana's attitude, he was genuinely concerned for Lucy, but he knew she could handle herself. But that didn't stop Lucy from giving Cana a worried look, while hers had a serious expression, but if one looked into her eyes, one could see something else deep inside: obsession.
Meanwhile; Dante, Lady, Natsu, and Lisanna had their backs to each other as they faced Ultear on one end with a smirking face and her floating orb, with Job on the other end, his face being as emotionless as ever.
A sweatdrop fell from Dante's face, indicating he was more than a little nervous. 'Damn. I was hoping I wouldn't have to run into him again. Just my luck.'
"Hey Dante." Natsu got his attention. "Sense you had so much trouble with that so-called Devil Slayer, how about I take em on?" Before Dante could even reply, Natsu leapt right at Job.
"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"
"Holy Devil Blessed Shield!" Natsu's fiery fist made contact with Job's light shield. But the attack was still able to crack through Job's defense, allowing Natsu to deliver a flaming roundhouse to Job's chest causing him to slide back.
"You would interfere in my holy mission?" Job questioned.
"You're mission ain't holy!" Natsu exclaimed. "You and your band of nutjobs are trying to free a super-demon to kill countless people! Quit acting like you're the good guy here! Fire Dragon Roar!"
"Holy Devil Rage!"
Both foes unleashed similar breath attacks of fire and light that collided with one another as they began to press against the other with their respective elements. However, this appeared to leave Job open from behind.
"Take Over: Dragon Soul!" Lisanna had transformed into her Dragon Take Over as she flew in to land a powerful kick to Job's back, causing him to lose focus on his own attack, allowing Natsu's breath attack to overpower him and engulf him in a powerful explosion.
Lisanna landed right by Natsu's side as they looked to see the dust clear, with Job still standing albeit having a few scratches. "He took your breath attack and he's still standing." Lisanna noted.
"Considering he could take on someone like Dante, I ain't surprised." Natsu said.
"A Fire Dragon Slayer, with a Take-Over user who possess a form of Dragon Take Over that also allows her to use fire-magic." Job observed. "Interesting. Clearly there is a connection the two of you share with each other."
"That's not any of your business!" Lisanna told him.
"Yeah the only thing you need to know is that the two of us are about to kick your ass!" Natsu added. "We already took down your God Slayer buddy, we can handle you to!"
"You defeated Zancrow?" Job voiced with just a tiny hint of surprise in his otherwise emotionless face. "I admit that is quite an impressive feat to defeat even one of the Eight Kin of Purgatory. However, do not think for a moment that each of us are on the same level. I think you will find my magic is far more potent than his. Holy Devil Starburst!"
Multiple beams of light shot out from Job's body; forcing Natsu and Lisanna to scatter and avoid being hit by them. "Fire Dragon Wing Attack!" Natsu shot multiple waves of flame forward to intercept the light-beams shot at him with explosive results; this allowed Lisanna to shot through the dust cloud straight at Job as she tried to punch him, only for Job to disappear and reappear behind her, ready to blast another light-beam attack at her, but this left Job open for Natsu to slam both his fists onto the back of his head, where Lisanna delivered a roundhouse from behind to send Job rolling across the ground before flipping and landing on his feet.
"I must admit, your teamwork is commendable." Job granted.
"That's what makes Fairy Tail so special! Don't ever underestimate us!" Lisanna shouted.
"Yeah, Grimoire Heart made a big mistake picking a fight with us!" Natsu stated as both his fists lit on fire
"Is that so?" Job questioned as an eerie yellow aura formed around his body. "I'm afraid that you yourselves underestimate our guild's determination to carry out our mission. We will awaken Lord Zeref and see to it that our Lord and Savior Mundus is free; even if you reduce our entire guild to a single master, we will not stop until our mission is complete."
At the same time, Dante and Lady both opened fire on Ultear with their respective guns, only for the bullets to be reduced to dust less than a second after they were fired. "What the hell…?!" Lady voiced in surprised.
"Guessing that's your magic, right?" Dante questioned.
"Indeed." Ultear confirmed. "I possess the Arc of Time." She threw her crystal ball out at the pair, forcing them to split up, only for them both to be smacked by the same crystal ball at the same time. Lady took the brunt of the attack, but Dante was able to slice with Rebellion to shatter the crystal ball, but he looked in surprise to see the very same object repair itself almost like it was being rewound before it pounded Dante across his body many more times.
Suddenly, Dante found himself surrounded by countless crystal balls as he glared, while Ultear simply smirked. "Each one of these crystal balls contains a different possible future for you. This is my spell 'Parallel Worlds'. I have the ability to create an infinite number of futures and then compress them into a single future. Flash Forward!" She sent all the crystal balls at Dante like homing missiles, though Dante tried to shoot them all with Ebony and Ivory, he could only get a few before he was pounded by an entire barrage of them that shook the entire ground.
However, Lady had suddenly appeared behind Ultear to try and slice at her with her blade, but it seems Ultear had expected her as a crystal ball suddenly appeared to slam her in the abs before curling around to slam into her repeatedly, causing her to groan with each hit before she was brought down to one of her knees.
"I'm impressed." Ultear said with a mocking smile. "Most people would have already been on the ground from an attack like that, yet you're still conscious despite having no magic power at all. I guess I shouldn't be surprised from someone who's been fighting demons all her life. But I think you might find that I…!"
Ultear was suddenly cut off by a surprise punch to her stomach from Lady, whom then grabbed her head and delivered a knee straight to her face, causing Ultear to stumble back a bit before Lady swept her legs to knock Ultear down, where she pinned her to the ground with one hand to pin Ultear's hands behind her back and one at the back of her neck.
"You talk too much; you know that right?" Lady said with a smirk of her own, while Ultear's own smirk vanished and was replaced with a scowl. "That fancy time magic can create 'parallel worlds' or whatever, but it can't affect people can it? Otherwise you would have just aged us to dust or something."
Ultear's eyes narrowed as she glanced upward. "Clever, you discovered my only weakness. But don't think for a minute that it'll save you. Infinite Sphere!" The crystal ball reappeared above Lady to smash into her repeatedly once more, which was enough to make Lady lose her grip, allowing Ultear to stand back up and deliver a kick to Lady's face to knock her down.
"Hey!" Ultear turned around to see a charging Dante. "Don't forget about me! I'm still in this game!"
"Not for long." Ultear threw her crystal ball over Dante and prepared a certain attack. "Luminous Minutes…"
"Quicksilver!"
Before Ultear could even react, she was sent flying by a powerful and invisible force, causing her to crash through an entire tree and into a rocky wall. She fell to her knees as she attempted to recover. 'How… how did he…?'
"You ain't the only one who can mess with time, bitch!" Dante stated as he stood alongside the recovering Lady who was already back on her feet. "All the good that Arc of Time is gonna do if you can't actually see your enemy coming. No matter how strong the power is, it won't be of much help if it's user can't use it right."
Ultear struggled to pull herself up as she felt her stomach and could tell there was a bleeding wound there. Dante had undoubtedly slashed at her with Rebellion right as he used Quicksilver, and she even felt some blood trickle down her mouth. She scowled as she glared at the red-clad Devil Hunter and his companion.
"I've underestimated you, Dante." Ultear said as she readied herself for a fight once more. "But it won't happen again. There's a reason I lead the Eight Kin of Purgatory, allow me to show you!"
Meanwhile, at what was left of Fairy Tail's base camp; Levy stood near the only tent available as Gajeel, Mira, and even Modeus all laid unconscious on a series of mats. She did her best to treat their wounds and stop the bleeding, but it didn't make it any less painful to see three of the friends she cared so much in such a sorry state.
"They'll be okay…" She said, mostly to herself. "But… I can't believe that Gajeel, Mira, even Modeus were defeated." She looked to her own hands with a sad smile. 'And I did nothing to help them. How was I chosen for S-Class when I didn't even help my friends, all I did was get in the way…"
"Levy…!"
She turned around in surprise to see Elfman, covered in bruises, bleeding cuts, and even some lacerations, weakly stumble into the campsite, while carrying an unconscious Evergreen who appeared to be in even worse shape than him.
"Elfman! Evergreen!"
"We… We got our asses kicked…" Elfman stuttered. "I couldn't…" He fell to his knees, right as Levy ran to help him.
"Take it easy! Bring her here!" Levy helped Elfman to his feet as they made it to the tent, where Elfman gently set Evergreen down next to everyone else right before he fell flat on his butt in pain and exhaustion.
"How could this have happened...?!" Elfman questioned, tears of frustration already forming in his eyes. "Grimoire Heart… is just too damn strong! We just don't stand a chance against those monsters!" He was already sobbing. "I couldn't even protect my partner or my big sister! And I have no idea where Lisanna even is! I'm a sad excuse for a man!"
Elfman felt a hand on his shoulder and saw it belonged to Levy as she tried to maintain a strong look, though there was a sad and fearful expression lingering in her eyes.
"It's time for us to come together! We all wanted to become S-Class Wizards so badly we let the trail drive us apart. I know it was only for a little while, and some of us even treated it like a friendly competition, but everyone was only thinking about themselves instead of the guild. Well, we can't afford to do that anymore…!" She too began to sob, but she tried to hold her head high as she looked toward the sky. "Our enemy may be overwhelming, but we're the Fairy Tail guild! If we put all of our strength… and our feelings together… there's no way they can beat us!" She tried to call out to her friends and family, even though they likely couldn't hear her. "Please, everybody! We have to come together! I'm begging you!"
"Mavis' grave?" Lucy asked in confusion as she and Cana walked down their intended path.
"Yeah, you said you figured out where it is, right?" Cana recalled. "I was going to ask you about it earlier, but then all the crazy stuff started happening."
"Sure, I'll tell you." Lucy replied. "But do you really think now is the best time to start thinking about that? I mean, we are kind of caught in the middle of a literal war."
"Yeah I know, just curious, that's all." Cana said.
Lucy didn't really seem to think there was anything wrong with telling her. "Alright, but I gotta warn you, I could be totally wrong. There was a lot of guess work involved. First of all, I decided to think of a list of words that might somehow be connected to the word 'grave': 'death', 'sleep', 'earth', 'stone', 'star', maybe 'end'? Sadly, no single word was six letters long."
"Wait, I don't get it. Where did you get the idea that there needed to be six letters in the word?" Cana asked.
"From the time-limit, silly." Lucy replied. "We were supposed to find the grave within six hours. I figured that number had to be important." Lucy knelt down to grab a stick and begin writing in the dirt. "Now I know it's a bit of a stretch, but I thought of a word that not only has six letters, but also relates to the words 'grave' and 'time': demise!" She wrote the word 'demise' on the ground as Cana continued to listen. "Essentially, it means to end. It's associated with death, and therefore it meets the grave's letter requirement and there's a time element to it."
Cana almost couldn't believe it as the pieces almost seemed to fit perfectly, there was no way she could have made a guess like that. But Lucy wasn't finished explaining yet.
"Okay, now is where things get iffy. This is just a hunch, but when you look at the word 'demise', there's one letter that's different from the others. Wanna guess?"
"Um… I don't know."
"There's one letter that's used twice: e." Lucy revealed, using the stick to point out the two e's in the word 'demise' for emphasis. "Doesn't that seem kind of suspicious to you?"
"What's it mean?" Cana asked.
"Remember how all the paths we choose at the very beginning of the trial were marked with the letters?" Lucy recalled.
Cana had a gasp of realization. "Back in the first round!"
"Yep, you got it." Lucy confirmed. "Route E. I think that's where…" Suddenly Lucy began to feel very drowsy as she fell to the ground to sleep. The culprit was none other than Cana herself who used a sleep-card to put Lucy out for a bit.
"You've been a big help, thank you." Cana said as she pulled Lucy's sleeping form off the path and toward the bushes where she was reasonably sure she'd be safe. Cana then began to run toward the direction where Route E was, but not before stopping to offer her sleeping partner whom she had just betrayed a sorrowful expression. "I'm so sorry Lucy." That was all she said before she left.
A few moments after Cana had left, the ground around the sleeping Lucy began to shake as she was found by another one of the Eight Kin of Purgatory: the massive and overweight Kain Hikaru.
Done.
So, some good news…
*Trish and Loke have killed Zoldeo, so that's two of the Kin of Purgatory down (only six more to go). And Capricorn has joined Lucy's growing army of Celestial Spirits.
*Dante, Natsu, Lisanna, and Lady have crossed paths with Ultear and even Job; but after switching partners; Natsu and Lisanna against Job, with Dante and Lady taking on Ultear; they seem to be holding their own.
*Elfman and Evergreen have managed to survive their encounter with Rustyrose and make it back to the basecamp where Levy is with the defeated Modeus, Gajeel, and Mira; and it seems Fairy Tail is starting to come together again and push back against Grimoire Heart.
But there's also some bad news; after ditching Gray and learning of the possible location for Mavis' grave, Cana has betrayed Lucy and knocked her out, where she now appears to be at the mercy of Kain Hikaru. But don't worry, Lucy is about to get some help pretty fast, lightning fast. (hint, hint)
Also, major reveal: Dante and Lucy are officially confirmed to be cousins! Eva's full name is Eva Heartfilia and was the elder sister of Layla Heartfilia, Lucy's mother. You'll get a full story of their families' history later on; but Eva hid her identity to protect her family from the demonic forces of the Underworld.
So, what does our future hold for Fairy Tail as their war against Grimoire Heart continues? Find out next time on Fairy May Cry!