I finally got a new laptop! No more borrowing or typing on tiny screen! Woohoo!
Here is the new chapter!
Enjoy!
All the Fairy Tail members stood inside Dumbledore's office, wondering why Dumbledore would call them in before the holidays would start. "Hey guys! Look at this!" Natsu giggled, holding up a trinket. "Natsu, don't touch that!" Levy scolded, snatching the trinket out of his hands and placing it back where it was. Natsu grumbled a bit before turning to another item. "Can't believe it's been almost two years since we last came here." Erza smiled, picking up a potion then putting it back. "For most of us." Gray snorted. "Gray shut up!" Natsu hissed, leaping at Gray. "Natsu came in here like, three times already for misbehaviour." Gray continued, fighting off the shoving Natsu. "Dude, shut up!" Natsu hissed again. "Make me dragon breath!" Gray gritted.
"Alright you two stop it." Lucy sighed, pushing the two away from each other. "Natsu, we already know." Mira smiled. "Yeah, do you really think that news around here is that secretive?" Levy chuckled. "With everything going on…. Yes." Natsu said blandly. "Well we do hear things. And don't think I haven't let go of your foolish behaviour Natsu!" Erza scolded. Natsu could feel the blood drain from his face a bit, before backing down in defeat.
"Ah Makarov, Mavis. Thank you all for meeting me here." Mavis flew in through the painting, bowing towards Dumbledore for courtesy. "It's alright. We do need to talk about what has happened and what might happen…." She muttered. "Is Harry alright after what happened?" Wendy asked, a bit worried. "Harry is fine."
Everyone turned around, wondering where that voice came from. "P-Professor Lupin…" Lucy stuttered. "Thought you went home." Gajeel said blandly. "On the contrary. Professor Dumbledore asked me to stay behind to help you." Lupin explained, stepping towards of them. "With what…?" Mira asked. "To prepare how to strengthen your minds when facing the Dementors." Dumbledore said. "How?" Gray asked. "Are you aware with the spell Legilimens?" Dumbledore asked, taking a seat at his desk. "Legilimens?" Gray asked, tilting his head. "It is a spell that can look into ones memory. If the caster is strong enough, you can even alter memories." Lupin explained, standing next to Dumbledore.
"I have requested Lupin to help you with fighting Dementors if they get too close." Dumbledore explained. "W-Wait…. But what about our…. Conditions….?" Erza asked, not wanting Lupin to catch on. "Oh I know." Lupin said bluntly. "Wait, YOU KNOW?!" Everyone gasped, their jaws dropping. "E-Even us?!" Happy exclaimed. "Yes. All of you. Dumbledore explained everything. We even had a little chat after you left my office." Lupin smiled. "He is a member of The Order of the Phoenix, and a personal friend of mine. He can be trusted, so do not worry." Dumbledore said with a gentle smile. Everyone looked around at each other, humming, before nodding signalling that they agreed to this.
"So how will we combat this?" Erza asked, folding her arms. "Well, you've all been close to Dementors before correct?"Lupin asked. Wendy, Erza, Mira, and Levy looked at each other and shook their heads, not yet coming face to face with a Dementor. The students, on the other hand, looked down, nodding slightly. "Then you all know that they aim to feed off negative energy. What we aim to do, is try strengthen your mind by re-living and altering memories to simulate what Dementors would expose your mind to." Lupin explained.
"So, during these holidays we're going to learn how to counter despair?" Charla clarified, Lupin nodding. "If you do not… then you might leave with nothing but despair…. As I'm sure you're all aware, Dementors are foul creatures that find every happy memory and replace it with your fears and worst nightmares. They will not care who you are, and as we have intel that the Dementors had attacked you we have to take measures." Lupin explained. "So over the holidays we are going to train you all to counter a Dementor's Kiss." Mavis but in. Everyone looked around, unsure. But they had to do this, in order to counter the Dementors if the need arise.
"Oh the summertime is coming
And the trees are sweetly blooming
And the wild mountain thyme
Grows around the blooming heather
Will ye go, Lassie go?
And we'll all go together
To pluck wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather
Will ye go, Lassie go?"
Lucy sang, her feet dipping in the clear cool lake by the edge of the school. She closed her eyes as she hummed the Scottish tune, listening to the birds chirping in the clear blue sky above her. The trees swayed in time to her song, and the kind fish swimming gracefully past her bare toes. She gave a sigh and looked up to the sky. Since the holidays started, she felt so relaxed.
BOOM!
"YOU STUPID ICE PRINCESS!"
"BITE ME SALAMANDER"
Lucy groaned, the animals now too scared to sing and the explosion knocking the rhythm of the wind out of tempo. She couldn't be bothered with any of this right now. Her forehead began to tick, and her body began to tense up. She turned around about to snap at them, but no one was there. "Huh? I thought that….?" She looked around, certain that she heard Gray and Natsu go through their daily banter. She stood up, the dirt pricking her bare feet. She examined the environment around her. Suddenly, the day swiftly turned to night, the dark clouds covering the full moon.
"Upon one summer's morning
I carefully did stray
Down by the Walls of Wapping
Where I met a sailor gay
Conversing with a young lass
Who seem'd to be in pain
Saying, William, when you go
I fear you'll ne'er return again
My heart is pierced by Cupid
I disdain all glittering gold
There is nothing can console me
But my jolly sailor bold"
Lucy turned around, noticing the familiar and beautiful voice. There in the now misty lake, there was Aquarius. Her long blue hair shimmering in the moonlight. Lucy gasped, tears nearly forming in her eyes. She was alright! She was herself again! "Aquarius!" She cried out. But Aquarius did not turn.
"My name it is Maria
A merchant's daughter fair
And I have left my parents
And three thousand pounds a year
Come all you pretty fair maids
Whoever you may be
Who love a jolly sailor
That plows the raging sea
While up aloft in storm
From me his absence mourn
And firmly pray arrive the day
He's never more to roam
My heart is pierced by Cupid
I disdain all glittering gold
There is nothing can console me
But my jolly sailor bold."
Lucy's smile turned into concern, calling out her name again. Aquarius turned around, swimming away from Lucy as she kept singing.
"My heart is pierced by Cupid
I disdain all glittering gold
There is nothing can console me
But my jolly sailor bold."
"A-Aquarius wait!" Lucy ran into the water, attempting to swim after her. "Aquarius! Wait! What's wrong?! Tell me what happened?!" She gurgled as she swam towards to her spirit. Only for Aquarius to disappear into the mist. It felt like Lucy was swimming in the ocean. The waters raged against her, land no longer in sight or around her. She gasped for energy and air, trying to continue swimming forward. "A….quarius….." She gasped, before she could not continue, the water crushing over her.
When she came too, she was surrounded in black. "W-Where am I…. Ah! Aquarius! Are you here?! Aquarius!" She called out, frantically looking around. Only an echo greeted her in reply. But then a soft growl emerged, blue patterns and white eyes glowing in front of Lucy. She suddenly froze, knowing that growl and pattern. "N-No…. You're not…. You're not here….!" The dragon suddenly chuckled, standing on its hind legs in all its glory and majesty. "You do not know. This is my domain…. This is where I rule…. Here I am King… I am the rightful ruler after I killed my father with my own hands… no one can stop me…. Not even Fairy Tail…"
He flapped his wings, a dark light illuminating behind her. She turned around, gasping sharply. There were Lucy's friends, guildmates and spirits, all mangled and blood running from the pile. Natsu was missing an arm and a leg, Gray was torn in half, the Exeeds had their wings torn, many of them having serious life threatening injuries. "N-No…." Lucy shook all over, stepping back. She almost began to throw up, and kneeled down hands to her mouth. "This is what happens to those who go against me. And you'll be next!" He declared. "NOOOOO!" She screamed, her lungs feeling like her soul was being sucked out from her body.
"Ugh! Uwwwahh…!" Lucy clenched her hands tightly onto the chair's arms, the wood splintering as she gripped tighter and tighter. Her brow was sweating, tears flowing down from her eyes. Her teeth clenched hard, saliva dripping from the corner of her mouth. "Focus Miss Heartfilia... Remind yourself that it's not real…" Lupin reminded her. "I-It… no….rea….!" Lucy gasped, pains in her chest as she spoke. "This pain will feel worse if the Dementors come back for you Lucy…. Your First Master told me all about it… how that dragon attacked you, how your guild suffered for seven years…. I can see your memories, I know about your family and spirits. If I can, so can the Dementors. Now fight it Miss Heartfilia!"
Lucy screamed in pain as Lupin continued through her horrible exercise. The others watched, most of them trying to stay strong, but ultimately looked away trying their hardest not to intervene. Natsu paced back and forth, until he had enough of this. "Oi… she's had enough… Let her rest…." Natsu muttered, slowly stepping forward. "She needs to strengthen her mind… the Dementors aren't going to let her go that easily…." Lupin muttered back, not breaking his concentration. "Hey…! Didn't you hear me….! I said it's enough…!" Natsu said, raising his voice as he stepped closer to Lupin.
"Natsu! Stop it!" Erza said, holding him back. "I said stop it! You don't know the feeling she's gone through Professor! Stop it!" Natsu yelled, fighting Erza. Lupin continued to concentrate on Lucy. "Natsu, stop it! Lucy is strong, she'll pull through." Gray said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Natsu stopped struggling, looking at Lucy who was twitching and struggling. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, praying Lucy would be alright…
Lucy continued to struggle in her nightmare, gasping for air as her memories re-played over and over again, attempting to break her. "P-Please….. Please….!" She quietly begged. "You're not real… You're not real…! You're not real! YOU'RE NOT REAL!" She screamed.
Suddenly Lucy gasped, Lupin breaking his stance on Lucy, freeing her. "Lucy!" Natsu rushed over to her and gave her a hug. "Natsu…. Natsu…. Natsu…." She muttered again and again and again, clinging to him like her life depended on it. "You did well Lucy." Erza congratulated, placing a hand on her shoulder. When she did, she felt Lucy shaking violently. "Er….Er…." She stuttered. "Lucy it's okay…" Natsu whispered. "Professor Lupin…. Don't you think you went to far…?" Mira asked, watching to others crowd around Lucy. "The truth is what I did was the least amount a Dementor can do. What I showed her would be considered mercy to them. It's not that I was being harsh…. But rather letting her experiencing the minimum of what a Dementor can do." Lupin explained.
"I-I'll take her to the infirmary…!" Wendy cried, asking Charla and Lily to help her, which they did with no hesitation. "So that was the least amount a Dementor can do huh…?" Gajeel said, overhearing Mira and Lupin talk. Everyone left behind looked at Lupin, both with concern and anger. "Unfortunately yes. What I showed her would be level one… Like I said, what I showed her would be considered mercy for the Dementors. And they are not ones of mercy." Lupin said seriously. "But there is no other way." He sighed.
Natsu tisked and grabbed Lupin by the collar, about to yell at him. But he couldn't think of anything to say, and let go with a grunt. Lupin straightened out his tie and cleared his throat. "Don't worry. I say Lucy is a strong girl. She'll pull through in no time" Lupin reassured. Erza stayed silent before sighing. "If it's to defeat the Dementors, then we'll have to go through what Lucy did… No matter how painful…." She muttered. Lupin nodded and sighed, looking at the group. "We have to keep going. Who wants to go next?"
"Fairy Tail… A guild that builds upon each other from their pasts…. Each one of our members has a past that makes up of who we are…. That's probably why the Dementors are so attracted to them… And it won't be long until they come for Erza, Mira, Wendy, and Levy… That's why they need to do this… And help build upon them… That's what makes Fairy Tail…." Mavis muttered, looking at the scene from above.
"A guild of painful pasts…. That's who they are….."