HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! I hope you all have a wonderful new year!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Fairy Tail—A Diary's Secret 2: A Fateful Journey

Chapter 11

The raging inferno rose high into the air like a tower, tearing through the clouds in the atmosphere. Floating islands were swallowed whole and crumbled to ash. Sweltering heat filled the air. The roar of the flames was deafening and their immense power shook the earth.

Deep within the wall of fire echoed an animalistic shriek that sent shivers down the spines of many of the onlookers.

"What the hell is that?" Brac bellowed over the flames' roar. A heavy sweat clung to his skin from the heat and he wiped it away as best he could with his hand. "Where did this fire come from?"

Natsu and Mira both stared with wide eyes at the flames before them. Sweat clung to their bodies as well, but for a fire user like Natsu, it wasn't the heat that was getting to him; he was sweating for a whole different reason. "It can't be," he breathed.

Mira gripped Natsu's arm with her clawed hand. "Natsu…what's happening to Serafine?"

"I have no idea. I've never felt such strong magic power coming from her before."

Happy gulped. "We…We're sure that is Serafine, right?"

"That's her magic power for sure. No doubt about it," Natsu said with a nod. "And that scream…that was also definitely her voice."

"Then what do we do?" Happy asked. "What if she can't control that power? She could be hurt!"

Natsu gritted his teeth. "HEY SERAFINE!" he shouted, his voice somehow overpowering the roar of the flames. "CAN YOU HEAR ME IN THERE? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

There was no answer. The shriek had died out. Other than the crackling of embers and the rumbling of the ground, there was no sound.

"Hold on there, Natsu," Brac said. "You're not trying to tell me that Serafine is the reason for this fire, are you? How is that possible? No magic tool could create such power!"

Krex chuckled, gently bouncing his massive sword against his armored shoulder. "Well things actually took an interesting turn. Still, that blaze is nothing compared to what I can create with Hell Blazer!" His sword once again glowed orange, and as he lifted it and swung it down with enough force to cleave stone, an arcing flame shot out from the blade. The flames raced towards the wall of fire and exploded, but had no effect. Krex's smile faded completely. "What in the world? Nothing has ever stood against my magic! Not even the strongest of blazes could rage on in the face of my power!"

The wall of flame fluctuated slightly before beginning to narrow. As the power focused towards its epicenter, the shaking intensified. White Wing members and freed prisoners fell to the ground, terror flooding their bodies. Natsu, Mira, Brac, Krex and several others used every ounce of strength and balance they had to stay upright.

Then, with one final tremor, the flames disappeared completely. Everything became eerily quiet.

And standing there was Serafine Dragneel. But she wasn't the same girl that everyone remembered. Even her parents barely recognized her.

Pieces of her red T-shirt and white shorts had burned away. Her shoes had completely disintegrated, her bare feet exposed to the scorched earth. The checkered scarf around her neck was in one piece, but even the strong magic safeguarding the fabric barely protected it from being singed. The silver streaks in her pink hair were glowing brightly like the moon and whipped around as if they were alive. Her creamy white skin had become a dark ash gray and was covered in bright, glowing red marks that wrapped around her entire body like rivers of lava.

She was looking down at the motionless body of Lucius, who had somehow remained completely unharmed by the incredible flames that had enveloped him and Serafine. Steam was hissing from the corners of her eyes in thin streaks. She turned and looked up, fixing a burning glare at General Krex. But these were not her normal eyes. Her cobalt blue eyes were gone. Instead, her irises had become a deep orange and the whites of her eyes had gone black.

"What in the world?" Brac breathed.

"Serafine," Mira sobbed. Her chest felt tight. Her daughter had finally acquired her magic power after years of hard work and effort, but at this moment, looking at what her daughter had become, she was torn between pride and concern.

"What's happened to her?" Happy asked, tears in his eyes.

Natsu felt his body tense up. His chest constricted. He could hardly breathe. The way his daughter looked took his breath away. "Serafine…you're a…"

Krex pointed his sword at Serafine. "What are you? No magic tool could do this, especially without my Lord, King Faust, knowing about it! What tricks did you use? Speak, monster!"

Natsu spun around. "What did you call my daughter?!" he roared at Krex.

"…wo…ive…u."

A soft hiss, barely louder than a whisper, escaped from Serafine's taut lips.

"Speak up, monster!" Krex ordered. "Answer me or be eliminated!"

Serafine threw her head back and released an ear-splitting shriek. "I WON'T FORGIVE YOOOOOOOOOU!" The power of her voice tore through the wind, shaking the ground and even the thick stone walls surrounding the Capital. The sound had everyone reaching for their ears.

Krex winced as it felt like his ear drums were about to shatter. "You cannot defeat me with such cheap tricks. I am a veteran of several wars who has seen victory more than anyone in the history of Edolas." He gripped his sword tighter with both hands. Once again the blade began to glow. "Now die with your fellow traitors!" He swung the blade upwards, shooting another projectile of flames at Serafine.

However, in a split second, Serafine reacted. Her head snapped forward and she released a whistling, misshapen missile of flames from her throat coupled with an angry shout. The small projectile collided with the incoming fire and forced an explosion.

"Incredible," Happy breathed. "Serafine is…strong!"

"Hold on, Serafine! Papa's coming!" Natsu called out, stepping forward to fight with his daughter.

"Stay back, Papa!"

A harsh tone from Serafine made Natsu freeze. She glanced over at him and, for a moment, he forgot who he was looking at. The look in her eyes reflected nothing but hatred, something he had never seen in his daughter before. "But Serafine, you…"

"I will be the one to make him pay," Serafine said, her voice darker than it had ever sounded before. She looked away, returning her attention to her enemy. "No one else can touch him. He's mine."

Natsu was speechless. He didn't know what to say. Serafine had never spoken like this before.

"Serafine, please just wait! We'll help you!" Mira called out.

However, Serafine wasn't listening anymore. "Why?" she growled. Her eyes were wide and quivering with rage. "What did they do? Why did they have to die? All they wanted was freedom! Was that so wrong?!"

Krex lowered his blade. "Freedom? You believe what these people sought was freedom? Don't make me laugh. All they wanted was a reason to rebel. Pretty words like liberation, justice, and morality hold no true meaning to them. They are nothing more than a means to an end. Being free has nothing to do with it. They can't comprehend what lies ahead so they fight. It's as simple as that. My Lord, King Faust, is doing what needs to be done for the good of this country. Parasites like White Wing need to be incinerated until nothing remains."

The red marks on Serafine's arms began to glow even brighter as she drew them back. "SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUP!" she roared. She thrust her arms forward and a burst of wild, powerful flames shot out. They enveloped everything in their path, burning it all to ashes.

Krex leapt high as the flames sailed beneath him. He could feel the powerful heat on his skin. "Such power."

Natsu clenched his fists, watching as crates, barrels, wagons, and other goods were burned away to cinders. 'This is what I was afraid of. Serafine now has incredible magic power alright, but it's too much at once. She's had no time to hone her skills and now the power of her magic is overflowing. It's too much for her to control all at once. Add on to that the fact she's not thinking clearly due to grief. While she has an enemy in mind, she can't reign in her power enough to avoid collateral damage. She may not consider her surroundings. Which means everyone here…' He turned his head to look at Brac, who was staring in stunned amazement. "Yo, Brac! You've got to take everyone and fall back to the tunnels! Escape now!"

Brac blinked upon hearing his name and turned to Natsu. "Are you nuts? We came here to take down Faust! We can't turn tail now! It would be an insult to those who have laid down their lives here on this battlefield!"

"If you don't go now, you may all be joining the dead!" he spat back. "Serafine doesn't have enough control over her power. You'll all get roasted alive if you don't get out of here!"

"Natsu, I—!" Brac began, prepared to argue with Natsu. However, a calm hand from Mira silenced him. He looked into her trembling sapphire blue eyes and froze. "Miss Mira…"

"Please have faith in us," Mira said. Her voice was slightly uneven, like she was fighting back tears. "Once Serafine has calmed down, we will take care of Faust. Believe in us."

"Aye," Happy said seriously, nodding his blue head.

Brac looked over at Lucius. Tears welled up in his eyes. He knew he was being selfish wanting to avenge his boy. And he also knew there were other people to think about. He couldn't endanger them for his own vendetta. "Very well. We'll fall back for now." He looked back to Mira. "However, once we hear the fighting has stopped, we're coming back to help you with Faust. And I won't take no for an answer!"

Mira gave him a small smile and nodded. "Very well."

Brac nodded and gave the order to fall back. Everyone began running for the tunnel, including the freed prisoners. Lisanna hung back for a brief moment, shooting Mira and Natsu a silent 'Good luck' and a smile before joining up with the others.

Mira let out a long, slow breath as she left her Satan Soul. "Really…first we find Lisanna, then Lucius and so many others die, and now Serafine is…Serafine is…"

"I know," Natsu said soothingly.

"Honestly, Natsu, I don't know how much more my emotions can take today."

"It's been one hell of a day, that's for sure."

"And what about Serafine?" Happy asked. "Are we really going to let her fight alone?"

Natsu shook his head, looking at the twisted face of his daughter as she unleased powerful, untamed infernos from her arms, chasing the surprisingly nimble Krex around the main gate. "Like hell I want her to fight alone. But…"

"But what?" Happy inquired, curious as to what could be keeping Natsu from joining a fight with his daughter.

Natsu gave the best smile he could, but there was clear uncertainty behind it. "She wants to fight this one on her own. While it may be stupid and selfish, I kind of want to let her experience this on her own."

Happy sighed. "Really? How reckless can you be, Natsu? Are you sure you're really her father?"

Natsu gave him an irritated look. "Hey, if things start looking dicey, I'll jump in without hesitation. After all, I'm the only one who won't get burned by her magic. I'll make sure she stays safe."

"I don't know, Natsu," Mira said. "I think we should help her. I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to her."

"But still, I think she's old enough to try things like this on her own. Have a little faith in her."

Mira pouted. "That's not fair, Natsu. You know I have faith in her completely."

"Good." Natsu smiled and took her hand. "Then let's keep an eye on her while she kicks some bad guy ass!"

Krex grumbled in annoyance as he tucked and rolled away, just managing to avoid the reach of the flames. He had no time to catch his breath, however, for soon Serafine was quickly able to redirect her attack to continue her pursuit. 'This damn brat…she won't let up! What kind of magic tool is this that she can use so much power at once with no recharge?' He needed to regroup and formulate a plan of attack, but that wouldn't be possible with the wildfires chasing after him. His eyes quickly scanned the area for potential cover. He knew anything flammable was out of the question; he witnessed enough wooden objects be deleted to know better.

His next thought was to hide behind one of the stone supports along the outer wall. However, his experienced, calculating mind quickly erased that idea. Based on the angle of the attacks, he wouldn't be properly covered to avoid damage from such a wide-spread attack.

He continued to look around, constantly leaping and ducking away from his opponent's flames. However, there was no apt place to hide.

His flames couldn't break through the girl's flames.

There was no place to regroup.

That left one option for him.

His sword began to glow orange. He landed nimbly on the ground before pushing off with enough force to disturb the dirt, launching himself at Serafine like a bullet. With a roar, he drew back his sword, prepared to swing.

Serafine's eyes twitched. She dropped her arms. All of the red markings on her body began to glow and she shrieked. When she did, flames dispersed around her in a rapidly growing barrier of orange.

The fiery bubble enveloped Krex. He felt intense heat burning his skin on contact. He grunted in pain, lost his focus, and fell forward. He rolled to a stop on the ground, his sword still clutched in his hand.

Serafine's eyes narrowed and she leapt forward, practically floating across the ground. She drew back her foot as erratic, lashing flames shrouded it. She launched her attack, landing a bone-shattering kick to the side of Krex's face with a loud smack. The burly man went sailing back and into the base of the stone outer wall.

"She's actually winning!" Happy cheered.

Natsu nodded. 'I can't believe how much power she's unleashing on this guy, especially since this is the first time she's using magic. But still, her control isn't all there and if this fight continues too much longer, it will only continue to suffer. She may end up hurting herself.' He cupped his hands around his mouth. "SERAFINE! YOU NEED TO STOP FIGHITNG NOW! IT'S TOO DANGEROUS! YOUR POWER IS TOO NEW TO YOU!"

"No, Papa," Serafine refused. Flames gathered in her hand as a formless ball, much like she was holding a giant soap bubble in her palm. It danced about and threatened to pop. She threw it with all of her might where Krex had fallen. It exploded in a cloud of crimson flames. "He has to suffer. He has to suffer for what he did! He killed him…he killed Lucius!" Steam began hissing from the corners of her eyes again. "I won't show him any mercy!"

Mira glanced over to where Serafine's last attack had landed. The flames, smoke, and dirt cloud were fading away. She could just make out the form of Krex lying motionless on the ground, his sword lying several feet from his body. "But Serafine, you've already won! Look, he's been beaten! He can't go on. So stop now!"

Serafine's body shook, the red markings glowing once more. "No! I won't stop! He hasn't suffered enough!"

"Serafine, that's enough!" Mira said, her voice gaining more authority. She wasn't about to let her daughter become like the very man she hated by allowing her to attack an already defeated opponent.

"He needs to hurt more! He needs to feel the same pain I feel!" Serafine wailed, flames swirling around her body.

Before anyone could blink, Natsu had leapt forward. He ran to his daughter and wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her close to his body. "That's enough," he said calmly.

"Let go of me, Papa," Serafine growled, pressing her hands against his chest in an attempt to push him off. However, her father wasn't budging. "I said let me go!"

He continued, ignoring her demand. "You've done enough. You've won your first fight with your own magic. I can't tell you how proud I am of you."

"Let go!"

"But you know, Serafine, I don't think Lucius would want to see you like this; so full of hate and revenge."

Serafine froze. "But I…"

"You know I'm right."

Serafine's eyes closed. She leaned forward and rested her head against Natsu's stomach. The flames that had been dancing around her vanished. Steam continued to hiss from her eyes even louder. "Papa…it hurts so much, Papa!" she sobbed.

Natsu put a hand on his daughter's head. "Shh. I know," he whispered softly. "I know it hurts."

The silver streaks in Serafine's pink hair lost their bright shine and calmly rested among the rest of her silky locks. The ashen color of her skin faded away and her creamy white skin returned. The bright, glowing red marks that had covered her entire body vanished into her skin. The black and orange in her eyes melted away until her cobalt blue eyes were sparkling with tears that now ran like rivers down her cheeks. And from her mouth, now buried in her father's warm body, poured sorrowful, pained cries.

Mira ran to her daughter and joined the embrace. "Oh, Serafine. You had me so worried! But still, I am so proud of you. I love you so much." She couldn't fight the tears from falling as she squeezed her family tight.

Natsu chuckled softly. "Now don't you start crying, Mira."

"I can't help it. I told you, it's been too much," Mira replied.

After a few moments of silence, White Wing and the stronger, able-bodied prisoners filed out of the exit of the Tunnel of Hope. "That was some fine work, Serafine," Brac complimented. His voice was rather soft, nowhere near his usual exuberance. "I was quite impressed by your skill. I never knew you possessed such a unique magic tool."

Natsu chuckled nervously. 'Right, a magic tool. They really still think that we use magic tools in spite of everything. I think it's easier to just let him believe that than to actually try to explain how we take pills every day to fuel the magic within our bodies.'

Brac took a deep breath and cleared his throat. He looked off and focused his gaze on the center of the Capital. "You see that tall tower? That's where we need to be if we're going to defeat Faust and free the people of Edolas."

Natsu, being the only Dragneel with any composure at the moment, turned and looked as well. He narrowed his eyes. "Finally. The time is finally here." He looked down at Serafine. "You think you're gonna be okay to tag along?"

Serafine looked up at him and sniffed. She wiped her teary eyes and nodded with renewed resolve. "Yeah. I'm all fired up!"

Natsu smiled brightly. "That's my girl! Let's go dethrone a mad king!"

Faust frowned as he looked out his throne room window overlooking the main gate. An attendant was behind him, kneeling with his head bowed. "I see. So then General Krex has failed me."

"Yes, Lord Faust," the attendant replied. "He was bested by a most peculiar magic tool with considerable fire power."

Faust shook his head. "Unbelievable. I should have been able to see how weak he was." He turned around and glared at the attendant. "Fine then. I'll deal with them myself."

The attendant's head shot up. His eyes trembled. "Y…You, Lord Faust? But…But, my Lord, we still have considerable forces left to…"

"DID I STUTTER!?" Faust bellowed.

The attendant's head snapped back down. "No, my Lord! Please forgive me for overstepping."

Faust sighed. "Tell the researchers to ready the weapon." He turned to look back out the window. He could see a large group of people moving towards the center tower. They looked like insects from his vantage point, but he knew exactly who they were. "And tell them to hurry. I want to make sure we're ready for when our uninvited guests arrive."