Titania and The Hunter
Chapter 20: Damnation In The Wind
First off: Thanks to you all for helping me break 800 reviews. And thank you all for the support in general.
That night after I had posted the last chapter I got a call from my mom. She called to tell me our dog had died. She was getting old and she passed away in her sleep. I was away and I didn't get to see her off but the last time I saw her I told her how much I loved her. So remember people, never leave the people you care about without telling them how much they mean to you. You never know when the last time you see them could be the last time you see them.
I tried my best with this chapter. I had to deal with the fallout and I did that the best way I thought I could.
Thank you and on with the show!
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March X781
The bony old man watered his plants and enjoyed the calm sensation of nature around him. In this one moment, he felt the warm arid air and the cold sensation of the water he was pouring contrast against him to make it even more serene.
Which distracted his mind from other matters.
Even out here in the far off desert, away from the busy and crowded cities, he still heard the essential rumors and big news that passed around the country. Anything concerning the magical society or national news was usually something that peaked his interest.
But over the last month, both slots were filled with just one big topic...
Fairy Tail. And how it had singlehandedly beaten the majority of Damnation.
This news spread over the entire nation of Ishgar- Fiore (Sorry) in a matter of days.
In the first week, the entire nation celebrated. People that had suffered at the hands of those menaces cried out in exuberant joy. And there was literal crying. Men. Women. Even some children. Everyone cheered.
In the next week, the community was begging for answers. What happened? What did Fairy Tail do? What happened to all the members of the independent guild? And what punishments were they going to suffer in atonement for their horrible crimes against humanity?
And more than anything else that has happened over the last few weeks, Fairy Tail was praised by the nation for its heroic deeds.
Every citizen in Fiore thanked the reckless guild from the bottom of their hearts for what they did. People came from all around the country to convey their thanks to the people in that guild. All debts and wages they had earned over the years had been dropped out of thanks and respect for what they did. Hundreds of mages were thinking about abandoning their guilds and hopping on the Fairy wagon while they still could.
In all his years on this world, he had never heard such dear praise for his old guild.
And yet...despite the achievement and praise...he hadn't heard any word from Fairy Tail about what happened.
He knew that guild better than anyone else. And if they weren't celebrating for their victory...
Then something horrible happened that didn't make the papers.
Walrod Cken looked up at the clouds in the sky as his mind wandered to the simpler times...when he was younger...
Mavis...what would you have done in a time like this?
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Erza sat in the flower shop and waited for her order to finish. She had a rather solemn look on her face and waited in silence. She sat up with a perfect posture but her eyes were heavy and focused completely on her hands fiddling around in her lap.
"Erza-San..." The scarlet-haired girl looked up to see the kind old woman with a bouquet of lilies in her hands. She gave an earnest smile towards the young Fairy Mage as she handed the flowers over.
"Thank you..." Erza gave a weak smile and looked at the flowers she had ordered. She looked back to the woman, "How much do I owe you?"
"It's all right dear. They're on the house."
Erza shook her head, "No please, let me pay for them. I don't deserve to just have these because of what our guild did."
"I heard about your loss. I can't ask for your money when you are giving your respects to those you have lost." She smiled and grasped the younger girl's hands, "You have my condolences."
Erza stayed silent for a moment before she nodded her head in respect, "Thank you."
The armor girl exited the shop and made her way down the street. She looked around at the peaceful serenity the large town was in after the the chaos over the last few weeks. And every now and then there were parties being held in town for their heroics.
And yet Erza still had the same somber look on her face.
Because while the rest of the world celebrated their achievement, the Fairy Tail guild wasn't their normal cheery selves.
They were in mourning. Some of them had gone off on regular requests to slate the worry and concern in their heads. They had just lost a precious ally and suffered heavily from Damnation's attack. And even though this was good news for them because some of them had lost their family to Damnation...they couldn't even think about celebrating when they had lost someone else so soon.
"Erza Scarlet..."
Erza stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and looked behind her. Standing in the middle of the town were a dozen Rune Knights lead by their captain.
He kept a firm gaze on the young woman as he wasn't going to be thrown off again, "It's time."
She narrowed her heterochromic eyes and tensed her arms in discomfort. She matched the look the Knight Captain was giving her, "Didn't we say we would answer your questions when we were ready?"
The Captain nodded his head, "Yes. But it has been three weeks since we first summoned your guild for questioning. We have been very lenient with the issue due to your status after the incident but orders are orders. We need everyone from your guild that was involved in that incident to come in for debriefing."
Erza turned to face them straight forward, "Some of our members are not here at the moment. Gildarts and Laxus are off taking missions right now and one of us is still undergoing treatment."
"I'm sorry but we can not wait anymore." The Captain took a step forward, "Take us to your guild master."
Erza's argument was at the tip of her tongue but she knew they had put this off long enough. They had made excuses and rescheduled this meeting several times now but it was always going to happen. She was worried about what might happen if the questions were asked now but...
She knew this was going to happen sooner or later.
She started to make her way back to her guild while the squad of Rune Knights followed from behind. They finally arrived at their destination and Erza took a step in.
The Fairy Tail guild had a rather reserved atmosphere compared to how it usually acted. They were still trying to cheer each other up and some of them had genuine smiles on their faces but the loss was still a sensitive matter to bring up.
The mages watched as the armor clad S-Class Mage walked in with a small platoon of knights following behind her. She made her way to the counter at the back of the guild.
There, Mahiro was playing with Koyuki and trying to cheer up the sad little girl that missed the old man and young boy she hadn't seen in weeks. And Makarov looked up to see the men he had been dreading to talk to for the last month.
He didn't even wait for them to say anything as he got off his butt and jumped off the counter with a grunt. He had a reluctant look on his face, "If we all have to come then we have to make a quick stop."
########Hunter########
He was running through a battlefield. His short arms and legs were pushing him as fast as he could go as he looked at all the destruction and bodies that surrounded him, feeling his feet splash into the crimson puddles that had risen to his ankles. He was breathing heavily, like his lungs were burning, and he couldn't see through all the smoke that surrounded him.
Until he saw two figures he hadn't seen in such a long time. One was an older man with gravity-defying silver hair and a headband over his left eye. The other was a gargantuan fox with nine tails slowly waving behind him.
The little child felt a sense of relief and happiness wash over him as he sprinted as fast as his little legs could take him. He stumbled over some rocks but finally came up to the two figures, "Kakashi! Kurama! I-it's me! Naruto! Remember?"
He couldn't clearly see their expressions and waited longer than he thought for a response from them. Naruto stepped forward a little, "Kakashi? Kurama?"
The older ninja turned around to face the little boy that called his name. Naruto was ready to see the first man that ever gave him a chance...
And instantly he was covered with blood, grievous wounds all over his body and missing the eye that he kept covered so often. Naruto looked up in horror as Kakashi looked down at him like he was a repulsive stain...
"Didn't I suffer so that I could give you a second chance?"
Naruto looked up in terror and noticed that Kurama's body started to glow and fade again. The giant fox looked down at him with something in his eyes...
Disappointment.
"Didn't I give up everything to save you? Give up my life so you didn't have to be what you were anymore?" Kurama just shook his head as the rest of his body started to fade away, "And you wasted it."
"K-Kurama? Kakashi, wait!"
Naruto watched as their forms blurred out of existence before he could reach them.
Instantly his body was changed to an older form and several shadows appeared behind him.
He turned around to see several faces he hadn't seen in years.
Wally. Simon. Shō. Milliana. And Jellal.
He felt something hitch in his throat when he saw all their faces smiling at him.
He swore tears were gonna start coming out of his eyes. He was trembling in joy at seeing them again, "G-guys, I-"
Jellal just lifted his hand up with a smile and stopped Naruto's words in their spot.
Naruto's right eye exploded before he could react to Jellal's gesture. He just stood their in shock as blood spewed out and covered his feet in a crimson rain.
"AAAAHHHHHHH!" Naruto screamed as he stumbled back and grabbed the empty eye-socket, breathing heavily as blood seeped through his fingers.
"Didn't you make a promise to yourself when you got that eye? That you would never go back to what you were? That you would do whatever you could to leave that life you had behind? That you would aim to protect instead of destroy?" Jellal asked as his face started to twist dementedly, looking like he did when he went insane and attacked them in the Tower of Heaven, "And you just left us...looks like that was just another hollow promise, huh?"
Naruto looked up again to see they were gone as well. Naruto panicked and ran as fast and far as he could.
"UGHRAAHHH!"
He yelled as he felt his left arm being crunched, twisted and bent in gut-wrenching ways as blood spurted out in every direction. He gripped the mangled limb painfully as the young man staggered back weakly. He felt his back land against something huge and unmoving...
"See...I told you didn't I?"
Naruto's eye widened in horror when he heard the old gravely voice reach his ears. He slowly turned his head to look up at the huge, menacing man that peered down at him with a patronizing smile and the eyepatch he had burnt into his memory.
Hades softly laughed, "You tried to walk down the path of light and all you did is tumble back into the dark. I guess the impulse really did take you over in the end."
Naruto spun around and tried to attack the elderly man but he was already gone. When Naruto looked up again, he saw everyone in his guild smiling at him warmly. But they weren't moving...they were just standing there...
"Did you get covered in the blood of friend and foe? And all the evil in you boiled out again, didn't it?"
Naruto spun around to hear an ear popping loud blast as something stood in his way. He covered his face as the massive torrent of wind struck him and he struggled to keep his eyes open to look at his shield.
When he finally realized what was standing in front of him the same eerie cold grip crushed his heart. He watched as the same old man he trained under looked back at him with a kind smile on his face, his body bloody and broken like it was before.
The old Senju fell back towards Naruto as he opened his arm, "Hashi-Ji-"
The moment they came into contact Hashirama dissolved into ash, leaving him covered in a red dust that slowly turned into blood. He looked down at his blood-soaked self and shook in fear.
"Sins of our pasts don't leave us just because we want them to."
Naruto looked up to see the old, scar-faced Damnation leader staring at him. He was surrounded by the entire army he had called out to fight the old ninja from his past.
"Water and time aren't enough to wash away the blood on your hands. You've always known that, haven't you?" He said in a calm voice as Naruto's eyes were shadowed by his hair and he was gritting his teeth, "All you needed was a little push...a little reminder of what you are...and boom."
*SNAP*
Naruto lifted up his head again and roared like a beast. A horrid black energy started to form in his empty eye as another started to come out and cover his mangled arm. A morphic, jagged, jet black beast arm took over for where his left arm once was. And his left eye was a solid yellow ball while tears spilled down his other eye.
"WWRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Naruto just waved his hand and tore through the people like they were paper. Blood spilled and drenched him in a crimson coat as he pushed his hands through flesh and bone.
He couldn't even control himself.
He took out anyone he saw around him.
Friend or foe.
Just trying to stop this pain that built up inside.
As the man let out a beastly roar he was running out of people to shred apart. Until suddenly...only one figure stood in front of him...
Erza looked up at the deformed, horrific remains of what she once knew as her friend. That lovable goof-ball with the sunlight blond hair and contagious smile was replaced by this freak; covered in blood and ready to tear her apart.
She looked up at him with pleading eyes...hoping she could still reach that boy she had known for so many years, "Naruto, please, don't do this..."
The demon she once called her friend looked down at her as if he really understood her words...
Until a crooked smile grew on its face and it raised its hands over its head.
It brought them down on the girl, "WRRAAAAAAA-"
"-AHHHHHHHHH!"
The blond screamed as he was woken out of his horrific nightmare. Sweat was dripping down his face and he struggled to breathe in the little bed he slept in. He took in some shallow air and looked down at his hands, seeing they weren't deformed or changed from his dreams. He sighed and started to wipe his face clean.
"That was 47 minutes this time. A new record." Naruto looked over to the old, pink-haired medical advisor that was carefully putting down the medical textbook she was reading. She stood out of her chair and looked at the young man, "Want to try again?"
"No." Naruto responded instantly with a scared look in his eye. Porlyusica looked at him with a quizzical eye before he looked back down at the blanket covering him, "I'm...I'm fine."
"Well we know that isn't true." She said informatively as she walked over to the bed, "You've barely slept in weeks. You've got bags under your eyes. Your nails are almost falling out. If you don't get some real sleep soon your organs are going to shut down. And I don't think I'll be able to fix them again if they do that."
"Leave it." He said pointedly as he wanted to drop the conversation right there, "I'm fine."
Porlyusica decided to leave the boy to his wishes and pulled up the stool by the bed. She sat down and started to do her diagnosis of his physical condition after the battle. He raised his arms like he had done for the last few days as she checked his heart.
Last month, in the middle of a monsoon, the Old Fool and Erza came bursting in with Naruto in their arms almost half-dead. She didn't even get a chance to question what had happened because if she didn't start fixing him immediately, she was going to lose him. She worked on healing him all night and into the morning until his body was in a stable enough condition for her to just watch over him.
She looked over his entire body and the new scars he had were the first that caught her eye. He had new cuts on his chest and arms, damaged skin on his legs and there were even worse scratches on his prosthetic then there were before. And a long, shallow scar down his back from where he was cut by the massive sword.
The wounds he had as a boy trying to fight Grimoire Heart were easier compared to these ones. Broken femur. Most of his ribs were broken off cleanly from their cage. Blood vessels had ripped open. Ruptured organs. Punctured lung. Some of his skin was shredded and severely burned. Even his spine was close to getting severed from the cut. She was lucky she had a blood transfusion and herbs to help increase red cell count or else he would have been in more trouble.
She had learnt what had happened to Naruto, Hashirama and Damnation the next day. She felt a sense of pain and pity wash over her after hearing about losing the old ninja again. He had come up to her house out here to visit with his great-granddaughter and they talked about what had happened over the years. She was really going to miss that silly old man that always had a smile on his face.
When the Magical Council started to clear up the messes from the battle, they found his corpse and brought it back home. The guild cried for their fallen comrade and buried him in the graveyard, somewhere he could finally rest in peace.
And when Naruto woke up two weeks later, that was the first bit of news they had to give him. He seemed upset and depressed but...he just didn't react the same way they expected him to. He held his expressions down and he seemed disengaged and standoffish from their words.
Porlyusica decided to keep him in prognosis for a few days until she could be certain he was fine. He didn't eat nearly enough food and he didn't sleep for the first few days. And when he did finally go to sleep he woke up within the hour dripping with sweat and frightened out of his mind. It seemed like something was getting to his head.
But they could probably guess what it was. Survivor's Remorse had a hell of a way to fuck with a poor kid's head.
There was a knock on her door and she called for them to come in. The tree-house door creaked open and Erza, Makarov and Mahiro stepped in. They looked over to see the old advisor check up on the healing blond as he had the same distraught look on his face.
He looked tired. Even worse than he did when they last came to see him.
Erza and Mahiro looked concerned as Makarov took a step forward, deciding to start heo problem before it had a chance to grow, "Naruto, we have to go. The Magic Council is summoning us."
"Figures they would all barge in when they felt like it." Porlyusica looked down at the little man, "No. You'll have to hold off on that a little longer."
Makarov shook his head, "We can't. I'd love to but we've pushed them off long enough and they're demanding our presence now."
"Well I say his diagnosis isn't complete yet. He'll need to stay until I give him the all right and-"
"It's fine." Naruto interrupted as he pulled himself out of the bed and grabbed the short-sleeved white shirt over the end of it. The whiskered teen pulled the white shirt with his grey pants and looked at the old man, "I'm ready. Let's go."
"Woah woah woah! No way!" Porlyusica said as she put her arm in front of him to stop him from leaving, "I'm the one who says when you're ready to go or not."
Naruto looked over to the old woman, "It's all right. If I have any problems I can just use the Sky sword to heal myself."
She gave him an obvious dry look in response to his statement, "You do understand why I'm apprehensive of the idea of using a sword to heal yourself, right?"
Naruto looked to the old woman and gave a weak smile. He gently held her arm and lowered it out of his way, "Don't worry Baa-chan, I promise I won't do anything stupid."
She continued to stare at him before she reluctantly lowered her arm. Naruto walked past her and the others and made his way outside. And when he walked out, he was greeted with the sight of a platoon of Knights with a several large four-wheelers ready to take them to the Fiore Council Branch.
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The four Fairy mages sat in the back of the vehicle alone as the Knights sat up front driving them. They mostly sat there in silence as the magical vehicle bounced across the road.
Mahiro looked over to the old man, "Do you know how long this will actually take? I really don't like the idea of leaving Koyuki with Macao and Wakaba."
Makarov sighed and scratched his head with a silly expression, "Ahhhh, you know how it is. Freakin' politics jerk themselves around to make themselves feel big. Wasting our time and blowing steam out their butts. They'll probably just have us tell them what we experienced and then move on. It gets really boring really fast."
"Hehehahahaha." Mahiro laughed as she heard his tired voice whine, "Looks like you know from experience, huh? The life of a celebrity I suppose." Makarov looked up at her with a wrinkly miffed face before he grinned and started to laugh as well.
The two older mages laughed as the heavy atmosphere that had settled in the room had started to fade. The blonde woman looked over to the red-head with a far off look in her eyes. She leaned forward, "Hey, Erza..."
Erza came out of her stupor and looked towards the busty blonde Senju, "Huh? What Mahiro?"
"I just wanted to know why you were getting flowers when you walked into the guild?"
Erza looked down silently as she thought about how to answer, "I was...going to give them to Hashirama-san. The ones he already has must have wilted by now."
Mahiro looked at the uncomfortable young Requip Mage and smiled warmly at her act of kindness. The older woman sat closer to the edge of her seat and grasped her covered hands, smiling up at her, "I think he would love them."
Mahiro looked over to Naruto as he stayed silent during the whole conversation, "Naruto, when we are done here do you want to come visit the cemetery with us? You haven't gotten the chance to see it yet, right?"
They didn't get an answer from the whiskered teen. They looked over to him as he quietly looked down at his hands. He didn't have the heart to talk to any of them so easily anymore. Because even though they hadn't said anything to him or asked him directly, they already knew what he did in that forest. They were still so bright and kind to him but in his mind...
He believed he had betrayed each of them.
Mahiro trusted him to be strong. To use the strength he had gained to protect everyone he cared about. But when he needed that strength the most, he couldn't use it to protect Hashirama. And now he was gone from her life too. The grandfather that watched over her when she was alone and Naruto let him die in his arms.
If he was stronger, or-or maybe had a medical magic or kit or something...would he have been able to save the old ninja before it was too late? Or at least long enough for him to say goodbye?
And Erza. He made a promise at her parents' grave that he would never let someone they cared about get hurt again. And this was his chance at life she sacrificed and suffered to give him; yet all he did was go back to what he was like before the tower.
If she had the chance, what would she say to him? Was she disappointed? Disgusted? But even though he expected all of those reactions, she still smiled at him and stayed by his side.
And then Jiji...god that little old man looked after all of them like they were his own kids. And he probably had the biggest heart Naruto had ever seen. Naruto just walked up to him in the early morning, eyes raw from crying for hours, and asked him if he could join the guild. And without giving it a second thought the old master took him off the street and into his home. If he ever asked Naruto for anything in the world the blond man would not hesitate to find it for him. And that could be said for everyone else in the guild.
But Naruto had broken a law. Makarov probably knew he had broken that law. An unspoken creed everyone in the guild promised to hold when they were brought into the family.
He killed.
If the Magic Council took all the defeated Damnation members then they must have looked through the forest he fought in as well. And if they did they would have found the bodies of the Damnation Generals that Naruto was barely able to beat.
That was a rule that separated the legal guilds from the Dark Guilds. A law put down on all the guilds by the Magic Council that said they would never take a life, good or bad. And even if it was a guild like Damnation there was still a punishment that he had to face. And he had to do it for the good of he guild...
Even if it meant he was expelled from it.
He didn't want to. If this were by any other circumstances then he would have argued and fought for his position...but he couldn't lie...
His hands were covered in blood.
Naruto looked down at his hands to see blood dripping down his arms and pooling around his feet. His eyes widened as he watched more and more blood form on his arms and-
"Naruto?"
Naruto was shaken out of his hallucination when he felt Erza grasp his shoulder. She was looking at him with concern on her face, along with Makarov and Mahiro staring at him in worry. He buried the feelings of dread down, "What? I'm sorry I wasn't listening."
"We thought we should go visit Hashirama-San's grave when we come back. Do you think you would like to come with us?"
Naruto still hadn't paid his respects to the man that saved him. He gave a faint smile and nodded his head, "Yeah. I'd like that."
The Fairy mages looked out the window of their vehicle and saw the massive building they were coming to.
########Hunter########
The bespectacled young man stood outside of the main hall, looking out at the scenery of the wildlife. He was in deep thought as he contemplated what was happening inside of that room.
"Hey." His scar-faced colleague greeted him as he teleported right by his side.
The black-haired man with glasses sighed and started walking away from him, "What do you want?"
"Seriously? I don't even get a yelp of fright anymore?" Doranbolt asked as he followed Lahar's march down the hall. He sighed in defeat, "That used to scare the crap out of you when I caught you off guard."
"Yeah well when you do it everyday for a few years it gets boring and expected." Lahar deadpanned as he tried to ignore his fellow council worker's joking.
Doranbolt just exhaled and shook his head, "I see you've still got a pole shoved firmly up your colon like always. What's with you?" The scar-faced subordinate turned towards the doors they had just walked away from and realized what Lahar was doing before he arrived. He turned back around, "Waiting for the Fairy trial to end, huh?"
Lahar looked over to him for a second but did not register his response or stop walking. Doranbolt just shrugged his shoulders, "I guess I can understand why you were so eager to stand outside the door the whole time. The Council threw everyone out who wasn't a part of the Council or the accused group. Not even any soldiers or subordinates." He looked out to the open view, "Makarov Dryer, Erza Scarlet the 'Titania' and Naruto Uzumkai the 'Hunter'. I didn't recognize the last woman though, I haven't heard anything about her."
Lahar stopped walking and looked back to his colleague, "Doesn't it bother you? About the possibilities of what could happen from all of this?"
Doranbolt contemplated what he meant for a minute. He joked, "What? More mages are going to join their guild and cause an even bigger ruckus?" Lahar just sighed and shook his head to disregard the teleporter's answer.
"Or..." Lahar looked back over to see Doranbolt with a serious look as he dropped all humor from his voice, "Are you talking about the strength and power this shows for the Fairy Tail guild?"
Lahar stayed silent for a moment before he looked out to the wilderness again. He sent him a momentary glance, "So, even you can recognize the bigger picture behind all this celebration, huh?"
"Of course I can. You'd have to be an idiot not to realize the repercussions this event creates." Doranbolt droned as he rubbed the back of his head and ignored the bespectacled man's opinion of his intelligence. He looked out to the horizon, "Damnation's been terrorizing the world longer than most of the people here have been alive. Hell, my old man was scared shitless of those guys, and no one even wanted to stand up to them."
Lahar slowly nodded his head in agreement, "There are hundreds of mages in Fiore that could have defeated any number of members of that army. And even more powerful people around the world who could have beaten them as well. If we could have gathered the Wizard Saints to lead a charge on them, they never would have stood a chance. But it wasn't completely about their strength or numbers. It was about the fear and horror they had etched into the masses' hearts from years of evil."
"You're right about that." Doranbolt agreed with a nod of his head, "For me fighting against the big names in Damnation was like trying to face Zeref or the Boogey-man, it was just too impossible of a task."
"The Haven for the Worst of the Worst. An independent army whose top brass switch out every few years to allow in the newest and strongest criminals. That's what Damnation symbolized for most of the people. And just like any great evil or crisis that's overcome, those that survived are revered as heroes by the people."
"What do you mean?" Doranbolt questioned as the glasses man started walking off a little further down the hall.
"If a hero were strong enough to slay a dragon or a monster, his name and reputation would spread far and wide. But sooner or later the people would come to fear him because he could slay a monster no one else could. Because if he ever decided to turn on the people, they would never stand a chance."
"So you have to wonder..." Lahar turned back around and pointed towards the door they had walked from, "Do you think the Council is taking precautions in case Fairy Tail becomes a threat to the world?"
Doranbolt blinked and considered that thought. Fairy Tail was even more famous now than they were before. They were at the top. And when you were at the top, you were in the crosshairs of everyone below you.
########Hunter########
The council hall was tense and heavy as the members of the Magical Council listened to the testimonies of the present Fairy Tail mages. The Council members listened to their stories intently and made mental notes of every piece of information they had shared.
Mahiro and Erza had already given their versions of the event and Makarov was currently giving his. He yawned into his hand before looking back up to the political figures, "Then I activated my guild's special magic, Fairy Law, and incapacitated the rest of Damnation." He walked out the back of the railing and started making his way to his seat, "You should probably know everything else that happened after that since your guys arrived on the scene."
"Yes, that was quite enough. Thank you." Org nodded to the short old man as he made his way to sit by his fellow guildmates. The bearded Council member looked at a sheet in his hand and checked off the Guild Master's name from the list. He looked down, "Last one present...will Naruto Uzumaki come forward."
The young blond man silently stood out of his seat and started walking down the alley. His fellow guild members watched his retreating back silently as he approached the railing. He walked in and placed his hands on the wood, looking up at the Council members.
Yajima couldn't help but feel a little disheartened at the sight of the young boy. Just a few years earlier that bright-faced little boy walked up to that same podium, stood up to these same people and ate ramen with him in the mess hall. But right now he looked so...
"State your name."
"Naruto Uzumaki."
"Your guild."
"Fairy Tail."
At the top of the layered podium was a large man with a wide, bushy beard. The Chairman of the Council, Crawford Seam, looked over the papers surrounding him as the blond Mage stayed silent. He looked down, "Naruto Uzumaki-kun, I didn't think I would see you here again after the last time you were brought here. And under similar circumstances too." He leaned forward and looked at the young man, "Do you understand why we summoned you here?"
Naruto just looked up at the large man and kept his eyes on him for a moment. It wasn't like he had done much else to warrant a trip here.
Crawford looked down and nodded his head towards the other members. The little cat-looking man, Michello, grabbed a bag at his side and started to rummage through it. He looked at the young man, "Several weeks ago at the edge of the Fiore mountain range, we discovered the body of one Hashirama Senju. And we have a report that his body was claimed by Makarov Dryer a few days later."
"Over his body, we found this." The short man pulled out a long black cloak from the evidence bag. It was burnt, ripped up and dried in old blood. The other Fairy mages instantly recognized the black cloth they had seen so often hanging off Naruto's back. Michello held it out for everyone to see as he looked down at the blond Mage, "Answer truthfully...is this yours? Were you there when Alexander Sorrento and the members of Damnation attacked?"
Naruto looked at the confiscated cloak and then to all of the members intently staring at him. He nodded his head, not even attempting to lie or explain why they found it. He looked at the cat man, "Yes, that was my cloak. I stayed by Hashirama Senju's side while he passed away from his injuries and put that over him. Hashi-Ji sacrificed himself to save me and I put it over him in respect."
The Council looked between each other and came to a silent agreement before they put the cloak away again. Org caught the man's attention, "Naruto Uzumaki, we need your testimony now. If you were a part of this, you need to tell us every detail you experienced."
The Fairy mages were each a little reluctant to force him to retell his experience but Naruto answered before they could say anything. He agreed, "Yes, I understand."
Naruto looked forward and started talking like he was reading a line from a paper, "After the group from Damnation bombed Magnolia, I found one of them injured and unconscious in an alley. I forced him to tell me why he did this and he said it was to cause a distraction long enough for Hashi-Ji to make his way to the mountains."
"Why was he going there?"
"Because Sorrento and the rest of the his guild were waiting there for an ambush."
"And why ambush him?"
Naruto's eyes peeked at Yajima for a moment when he saw the old former Mage already knew the answer. He looked back at the Chairman and his Council, "Bad blood."
They really couldn't ask for a more obvious reason than that. A lot of people had a grudge against Damnation and Hashirama could have been someone that caught their eye. Sorrento was old, and from the autopsy report so was Hashirama. It wasn't impossible for them to be old enemies and to keep it hidden this long.
"Hashi-Ji fought against those guys for awhile and was kicking their asses. I showed up and helped him fight them off but no matter how many we knocked down they just kept coming. And then Sorrento started preparing a spell. And so did some of his guys..."
"Abyss Break." Some of the Council turned to Siegrain as he added into the conversation while leaning against his fist. His eyes met with Naruto as he continued his explanation, "It's a forbidden spell taught to those of the highest authority and standing, like members of the Wizard Saints." He looked down at a file that he was given reporting the damages the attack had done to the mountain, "Alexander Sorrento must have taught some of his followers how to use it. It's the only spell I know that could cause damage like this that wasn't a magical weapon."
"He fired that at us and even killed his own men just to catch us in the blast. I didn't wake up again until they were all gone but when I did Hashi-Ji was protecting me and..." He stopped because he didn't have the heart to keep talking about Hashirama's death like it was just a cold fact. He said it before and they had a cloak drenched in his blood; that should be enough.
The Council looked down towards the blond Mage and...they anticipated something. Something else that was key to the end of Damnation. Something they hadn't heard from the rest of Fairy Tail yet. Everyone in the courtroom was silent in wait...
"And I saw a set of tracks that went in a different directions from all the others. A set that went through the forest...and I followed them."
Everyone's attention landed on Naruto as he told a story they hadn't heard about yet. The Fairy mages felt a cold fear run in their chests as the Council members prepared for an answer for their biggest question.
"What they did to Hashi-Ji, what they were planning to do to the town and my guild...I lost control. Everything went red. And all I wanted to do was hunt down the bastard that started all this." Naruto gripped the wooden banister until it started to creak under the pressure. He was looking down at the floor as his hair started to shadow his eyes, "I felt nothing but anger and hate boil up inside me. And I found them, all of them looking down at the fighting their foot soldiers were in."
Michello was sweating and shaking in disbelief. He looked down at the boy, "Y-you fought them?"
"No. I couldn't fight them." Naruto answered with a shake of his head. He didn't look up at the cowering old man, "They were all too strong. I couldn't fight any of them on even terms. Not even close." His grip weakened a little as his strength faded, "So I didn't fight them. I tricked them. And..."
Everyone waited with baited breath as Naruto stopped for what felt like an hour. They were silent...
"I killed them."
He felt like he had just cut off a limb when he admitted his crime to the council. But at the same time, it felt like a weight that had been building up on his back had finally released. Telling them wasn't going to change what had happened but being able to say it felt...liberating.
The Fairy Tail mages looked at the back of their comrade after his confession. They knew. They had already guessed he did what he did a month ago. But hearing him say it felt so much different from just suspecting it.
Many of the Council members had made their theories and opinions of who in Fairy Tail could have murdered the former Wizard Saint and his close followers. It had to be someone in that guild. Less than one mile away from the field they waged war in, the Rune knights found a section of the forest that was nothing but burnt trees and scorched earth.
And in the middle of all the fire; three beaten, charred black corpses. One with massive head trauma and a broken skull. One with their legs severed off from the knee down and a grievous wound from the collar to waist. And one that had most of the upper body cut off in two pieces.
Their bodies were so badly damaged from the fire that it was impossible to identify them. Their skin was burnt to a charcoal black and all the blood had evaporated from their veins. It had taken numerous days and various means but in the end...
They were identified as the missing leaders of Damnation.
This boy had ended the lives of some of the worst criminals in history. And survived.
They hadn't reported the deaths of Sorrento or his Generals and only a select few in the system knew about it.
Yajima looked conflicted for a moment at the horrible news of what this boy had done in the throws of his anger. Yajima knew that Naruto was aware of the consequences of when a Mage normally killed someone...and he had told the Council about it. "Why...would you tell us this?"
Naruto didn't answer his question. He didn't even say it out loud to the Council of the most influential political heads of the magical world. He said it because the people he cherished most in the world were in the room and they had a right to know. After everything they had done for him, he couldn't lie even if he wasn't facing them.
Whatever happened next, he would accept it.
Crawford rubbed his beard and sighed tiredly. He pulled his hand down his face and looked over the edge of his seat, "Uzumaki-kun, this is a severe matter to deal with so suddenly. You know our laws. And what can happen when they are broken."
Naruto just closed his eyes and readied himself for whatever was going to happen.
"But considering what your guild has done, and the part you played by killing Sorrento and ending Damnation, we can show leniency towards your actions."
Naruto's eye widened in disbelief as he registered what the old Chairman said. He lifted his head, "W-what?"
Belno answered, "Damnation has been a great threat to our kingdom for many decades now. And the fear and hopelessness that many people have suffered during that time has come to an end. If anything, you and your group should be commemorated as heroes."
Michello looked over to the woman, "That isn't a very accurate assumption though. There are still hundreds of members of that despicable guild running around the country and Earthland. And we still need to decide on how we are going to handle them."
"Perhaps we can use Uzumaki-San's actions as a way to deter their enthusiasm. If we report that the heroes of Fairy Tail that destroyed their guild and killed their master would come after them, they most certainly would give up and turn themselves in." An older member of the council added in his thoughts.
To the side, Ultear and Siegrain looked between each other in contemplation before looking down at the Mage at the wooden stand. His face was hidden because he lowered his head out of their view while they conversed between themselves.
"Hmmmm..." Crawford nodded his head while stroking his long beard. He looked down at the other members, "Yes, that might be the best choice of action." He smiled and looked down at the 'Hero' that brought everything together, "What do you say Uzumaki-kun? Can you help your country once more?"
Makarov felt a vein throb in the top of his head. He knew immediately what the Council was trying to do. They were going to use Naruto as a symbol to scare the remaining members of Damnation. His boy was standing up there, pouring his soul and admitting to a crime he felt guilty of and they were going to use that chance to tie up some lose end?!
They could easily make him a part of the Rune Knights and send him off over the border to fix their problems! And if Naruto felt even a little bit guilty, they could build on that to-
"Kehehe."
Everyone in the room was surprised to hear the scoff and laughter coming from the whiskered mage's lips. He dryly laughed and looked up at the council, "Hehehe, are you kidding?"
"I'm not a hero. Not even close."
He shook his head and stood up straight, "I'm actually telling you I killed people...and you're calling me a hero? You're all idiots."
"What?"
"You were going to make me a hero for what I've done? I resorted to taking lives. I did it out of rage! They were monsters and they deserved a lot worse than what I did but I shouldn't be rewarded for what I've done!" He pointed behind him at his group, "Jiji! Mahiro! Erza! Gildarts! Hell, even Laxus! They fought with everything they had and didn't resort to their level! Me?! I'm no different than them!"
Org stood out of his seat, "No! We were-"
"I-I mean that Sorrento guy was a role model too, right?! A Wizard Saint you guys passed off on?! What, did he scalp kids and skin animals to get your approval or something?!"
"Hold your tongue boy!" Michello yelled angrily as he stood out of his seat as well. He looked down at the boy in disdain, "What our predecessors chose in their time in power are the choices they deemed appropriate at the time! Whatever the results, positive or negative, it's our duty to do what we can for the betterment of Fiore!"
"And now that means waging war on a broken illegal guild that probably can't even hold itself together for much longer?" Naruto looked at some of the Council in scorn, "Damnation is dying. The people at the center of it have passed. The only thing keeping it alive anymore is your paranoia." Naruto just sighed and started to walk away from the stand, "I'm done with this."
"H-hey! You get back here! This isn't over yet!"
"Yes it is." Naruto just walked away and ignored the yells from some of the Council. He didn't even meet the eyes of the other Fairy mages he passed as he approached the door. "Sorrento is dead. Hashi-Ji is dead. And all he wanted was for everything to be over with. So that's what I'm doing."
Naruto walked out of the courtroom and closed the large door behind him. Erza was surprised at the intensity he used to argue with the Council over the matter. But she couldn't blame him. All of this must have stirred up some bad experiences he had tried to bury away already. She was ready to go after him but a hand on the shoulder from Mahiro told her that the boy needed his space right now.
Michello slammed his small fist onto the wood, "Dammit! That insolent little brat! How dare he talk to us like that!"
"Calm down, don't get too hasty." One of the Council looked out to the short Guild Master sitting in his seat with the other Fairies, "Makarov, you need to learn to control your guild members."
Makarov stood up on the seat to get a better view of the council. He shook his head, "I won't let him go."
"What?"
"Your plans to use him and lure out the last of Damnation, I won't allow it." The Fairy Master looked up at them with a defiant glare, "That boy has suffered enough from the idiocy of people trying to use him. And I won't let it go any further."
Org furrowed his eyes slightly while looking at the elderly Mage. He stared him down, "We didn't say anything but that boy is dangerous. If he became unstable and used his strength for the wrong reason then he would become a dangerous threat. We need to keep him under watch. He has taken a life. Would your guild accept someone like that if they knew what he had-"
"Whether the guild knows about what happened or not is something I will let Nartuo decide himself! But even if he did something like that, I saw the pain and regret he had in his eyes for resolving to that!" Makarov slammed his fist down and cracked the wood of the seat from the pressure, "That boy is a part of my family! I would rather die than abandon him! And even if that means I have to stand between you all and him then so be it!"
The council was silent in shock after Makarov's heated exclamation. They were silent for a minute.
"I agree." Everyone looked over to Yajima as he nodded his head at Makarov's position. He looked over to the other members, "The idea of using a child like that doesn't sit right with me. We shouldn't announce Naruto-kun's involvement in this so hastily."
"What do you suggest we should do?" Belno asked.
"In this case, perhaps we should say that Sorrento-San and his Generals were captured. And put to death in a private execution away from the public eye."
"Are you suggesting we change the details, Yajima-San?"
"I'm saying, for the sake of Fairy Tail's protection and the peoples' interest, we need to think rationally about what we do next."
The Council started to slowly calm down at the suggestion from the old former Fairy Mage. They started to quietly converse between themselves about that course of action and started coming to a consensus. For a moment, Yajima and Makarov's eyes met. Makarov bowed his head in thanks towards his old friend while Yajima just gave a weak smile and nodded his head in return.
"But..." Crawford interrupted as he scratched his bald head, "That still doesn't solve the problem of our uneasy standing with our bordering countires. We still need to arrest the remaining forces of the army outside of Fiore. And if we don't start showing an initiative to act soon, the foreign diplomats will get angry."
"Well what should we do?!" Michello yelled, "We need someone strong and experienced to lead our forces against theirs, and our soldiers won't be enough! So what do we do?!"
...
"I'll do it."
The Council turned towards the seats while Makarov and Erza looked to the side in shock. Mahiro stood out of her seat and looked at the Council members with a firm glare, "You want somebody that helped fight Damnation to scare them and bring them down? Then I'm perfect."
########Hunter########
Naruto slowly walked down the hallway as his feet clapped against the marble floor. He aimlessly walked around as he was disappointed with how he reacted in there.
He got too emotional and basically flipped off the people that controlled the magical world. He stood by what he said but he probably could have worded it better.
But hearing them talk like that; praising him and using what he had done to frighten others to behave and follow their rules.
"You and your power...we use them for the benefit of our village."
It was like being used by Danzō again. They probably didn't mean to make it sound so callous, but just hearing it left a bad taste in his mouth.
Naruto leaned against the wall and looked up at the ceiling as his mind faded off. He really felt like sleeping.
What now?
What were Erza and the others going to think? Was the Council really going to report this to the public? Would he be excommunicated for what he has done? All he could do now was wait and see.
But he knew this was something that would never leave his shadow. Whether in the back of his mind or in the thoughts of the Council, this would always be over his head.
He wished there was some other way all of this could have happened. Sorrento truly did deserve to meet his end. And the other criminals deserved whatever punishment that was forced down on them, be it execution or living the rest of their days out in a cell. He wasn't arguing that. It's just...
He really wished it wasn't him that ended everything.
"Looks like you have quite the dilemma pounding away in your head."
Naruto looked over to the voice that pierced his heavy silence to see a very familiar blue-haired man walk over to him. Naruto couldn't help but remember how Jellal would always help him out in a crisis when they were in the cell together. Maybe this was like some weird cosmic joke to have his twin brother come do the exact same thing. He looked away from Siegrain, "Shouldn't you be in there with the rest of them?"
"No need. At this point it's just a bunch of old codgers arguing between themselves." He chuckled and waved his hand, "They're so busy I don't think they can even tell I left a second Thought Projection with them."
Naruto just stayed quiet and kept looking out at the garden. Siegrain just joined him at his side and let the silence take its place between them. He added, "You must have grown significantly stronger since you were last here a few years ago. Give it a little more time and you might make Wizard Saint material before you know it."
Naruto dryly laughed and shook his head, "I'm really not."
"Yes. I suppose a title like that isn't as appealing to some as everyone believes."
"Why are you here Siegrain?"
"It seemed like you were very conflicted in there. And after that little moment I'm certain you are trying to hide what this has done to you. Also, I should let you that the Council has decided against announcing what you have done for now."
Naruto rubbed his eye tiredly, "Thanks for the concern and everything but I'm fine. And I don't feel like talking about it."
"I can't say that I know what this must feel like for you. From what you said back there, if there was a better way you wanted to resolve all of this, you would probably try to change what happened." Siegrain said with a strange understanding and sympathetic tone for the blond Fairy Mage.
"But you should know, we are grateful for what you have done. Whether the action or course were right or wrong, the sacrifice you made and the result have benefitted everyone greatly. Fairy Tail has saved countless lives and put the pain of thousands of dead to rest. And for that, the people of Fiore will always be eternally grateful to them."
Naruto felt a small sense of relief build in him after hearing the other man's words. Naruto was so worried about the personal after-effects of what happened that he had almost forgot what this meant to so many other people. The people that had lost friends and loved ones to Damnation could finally take a breath of sweet relief. The trauma they faced, like with Levy's hometown or Parker-Ji's son, could finally be moved past.
At least they could finally be happy and not live in fear anymore.
"Just imagine it..." Siegrain smiled and looked up at the ceiling, "People motivated and strengthened to do what they can by any means...by 'The Killer of Damnation'."
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise before he looked over to Siegrain, "W-what?"
He gave a dark smile towards Naruto as he chuckled a little. He stopped, "Well people are gonna start spreading rumors soon enough. Even if we make an announcement about them being executed, some people will still believe someone else took them out entirely by himself. And they will feel motivated to take up arms for themselves. With Damnation gone and the paranoia lifting from their heads, they might be ready to take the law into their own hands. Kill who they believe deserve to be killed. Punish those they believe deserve to be punished. The way of their great hero."
"How-" Naruto grabbed Siegrain's collar and slammed him against the wall. He looked up at him with anger growing in his eyes, "How can you just laugh at that?! You want to make people killers! Are you sick?!" Naruto shook his head and moved his face to look directly into Siegrain's eyes, "Killing whoever you want isn't the way to solve an issue! It isn't right!"
The blue-haired Council member laughed lightly, "Now, who are you trying to convince? Me?" He looked up with a crazed look and gazed into Naruto's blue and brown eyes, "Or yourself?"
Naruto's tired eyes widened in horror as he lowered his head. He released one hand from Siegrain's collar and let it fall to his side.
"Are you trying to run away from something you know you can't control?"
Naruto slowly raised his arm again.
"Or maybe you're just trying to convince yourself that you've changed into someone that can stay by the sides of your friends?"
Naruto cocked his fist back and gripped it until veins started coming against his skin.
"Do you really regret taking lives? Or are you just telling yourself that?"
Naruto eyes turned cold and threw a punch at the Wizard Saint's head.
########Hunter########
"What did you say?"
"I said I would do it." Mahiro repeated as she walked out of her seat and faced the council. She marched towards them, "You want someone who fought Damnation to lead the charge, right? Well you heard my testimony. I'm perfect."
"We can't just take some random Mage like you and put you in charge of a platoon like that!" Michello argued.
"You were ready to do that to Naruto! Why not me?!" She slammed her hand against her chest, "What do you want to see me do?! Fight? Lead? Show my tactical abilities? My magical limits? I'll do whatever I have to. Bring on your best and I'll show you I'm better!"
"Why?"
Mahiro clenched her fists and glared at the Council, "My grandfather was Hashirama Senju. I have a personal stake in this conflict. And...if I do this, I want Naruto Uzumaki's involvement in this matter to be dissolved from record."
The Council and Fairies all looked at the blonde Senju in surprise as she stood there with an unwavering will. She crossed her arms, "If you can promise that, I will follow your commands for as long as I have to."
The Council members looked between each other as they thought of the parameters set by the Senju woman. Crawford announced, "We need time to come to an agreement. Excuse us."
The Council all faded out of the room and left the group of Fairy mages alone. Erza jumped out of her seat and ran to Mahiro, "What the hell are you thinking?!"
"Erza I-"
"You can't just leave like that Mahiro!" Erza yelled passionately as she faced her mother figure in anger. She swiped her hand, "It's dangerous! What if you get hurt?! We just lost Hashirama-San! We can't lose you as well!"
"You won't Erza. I promise." Mahiro tried to calm Erza down but her hand was smacked away by the armor girl's gauntlet.
"You can't promise that!" Erza yelled back, "Hashirama-San promised he was going to come back! Naruto promised he wasn't going to get hurt! What if you never come back?! What will-"
Mahiro grasped Erza's shoulders and gave the panicking girl a strong smile. She looked the Scarlet girl in the eye, "I promise Erza, I will always come back home."
Erza looked conflicted but swallowed her argument and felt her shoulders shake. Makarov walked to their side, "Are you sure about this?"
Mahiro just smiled and nodded her head, "Positive. Not just for Naruto and Ojii-sama, but I need to do this for my own reasons too."
Makarov looked at the blonde woman and nodded his head, "I understand." He looked up at her, "What about Koyuki? Are you going to take her with you?"
Mahiro gave a sad smile as her eyes grew heavy. She slowly shook her head, "I don't...I don't want my baby girl to grow up following me into battle. I want to be with her but...it's best if she stayed at home in Magnolia."
Makarov nodded his agreement. Even if it hurt both of them to be apart like that, it was better for the child to stay and wait rather than go with her mother and follow her in the danger.
"I'll..." Erza weakly said as she looked back up at Mahiro with a brave look in the face of pain, "I'll protect her. Always. Until you can come back."
Mahiro smiled and felt her eyes water a little as she embraced the younger woman in a hug. She kissed her head, "Watch over her. And Naruto. They'll need you now more than ever." Erza just nodded as she returned the hug as tightly as she could.
They stayed in each other's arms for a minute...
*BAM*
They heard the sound of shattering concrete and the room slightly rumbled from the force. They ran out of the court and headed towards the sound.
A large crowd of Rune Knights was surrounding something and silently whispering to themselves. The Fairy mages pushed themselves through the mob to see what they were all crowding around.
Naruto was standing there with Siegrain pinned against the wall. Less than an inch away from his head was Naruto's fist that had cratered the rock and sent cracks over the entire wall. But Siegrain's smile didn't waver for even a moment.
Naruto slowly pulled his fist out of the wall as it succumbed to the damage and crumbled into rubble. He roughly let go of the Wizard Saint and silently started to walk away. A group of Knights stood in his path...
"Move."
They all stumbled back from the quiet command the blond made. He walked past them and started heading towards the front of the facility.
Erza stepped forward and watched Naruto walk off. She lowered her head and looked over to Siegrain, "I'm sorry for that. He isn't himself right now."
Siegrain just smiled and fixed up his collar with a calm skill. He closed his eyes, "It's all right. I understand that he must-"
*Thwack*
Everyone's eyes widened in shock when Erza punched Siegrain across the face with no warning. He fell on his butt as his cheek started to turn red from the force of her punch. Even if that was just a Thought Projection, he still felt a tinge of pain move through his real body. The knights were shocked that she just punched a Wizard Saint and a member of the Council! Before he could stand up, Erza grabbed his collar and stared him down.
She growled, "If you ever come close to him again, I'll do a lot worse."
She roughly threw him down and started walking away as well. Siegrain just sat there quietly and gingerly touched his bruised cheek.
And smiled as they walked off.
The Hero. The Savior. The Villian.
All these years and the three of them still played their parts perfectly.
########Hunter########
Mahiro walked through the graveyard behind the cathedral with a bouquet of lilies in her arms. She slowly approached the tombstone and gave a weak smile as a gust of wind blew past.
Here lies Hashirama Senju
Cherished Family
Beloved Mentor
Mahiro kneeled down and placed the flowers gently on the grave next to a set of other fresh ones. She smiled and stood back up, "Hey Ojii-sama. I'm sorry I keep bothering you by coming by. But...I might not be here again for awhile."
She pushed her hair behind her ear and stared down at the gravestone. "I took a position with the Magic Council and Rune Knights to capture the remaining forces of Damnation and settle the issues with other countires. I'm-hehe-kinda getting into the political game like you did when you were younger. Of course everyone at the guild isn't really happy about it. And poor Koyuki will probably still be crying when I go back."
"I know if you were still here with us right now you'd probably tell me this was a bad idea. That I should stand down and just let the problem die. But then you'd probably just run off and take care of it all by yourself. Just like you did before. But this is a problem our family started all those years ago so our family needs to be the ones that end it."
She stayed quiet for a moment as she let that thought dig into her head. She held onto her own arm for support as she looked away from the grave...
"I always remember Mom smiling and hugging me and telling me she loved me...but that look in her eyes she had when she thought she was alone, I could tell she wanted to be back to her own home. And you had the same look too sometimes. And you know, I always wanted to meet them. Tsunade and Nawaki. My older sister and brother. But I always believed that if I ever met them in person that they would hate me. For taking you and Mom away and keeping you here."
She closed her eyes, "I was always scared. Scared to ask you and Mom what you really thought about me. Because I know you two always said you loved me, but I also know you both regretted being stuck here and destroying Tonewa. And...well if it wasn't for what happened back then...me and Koyuki wouldn't even be here today. The strife of 'Children born from Tragedy' I suppose."
She opened her eyes again and smiled at the grave of her grandfather, "It's okay Ojii-sama. I'll put an end to that tragedy once and for all. And I'll be back every few months to check up on everyone. So you just rest now...and thank you. For everything."
Mahiro just stayed quiet as she just wanted to be with her grandfather one last time before she had to go. She wiped a tear out of her eye and took a deep breath.
A set of footsteps moving across the grass caught her attention. They kept growing louder and louder until they stopped at her side.
She looked over to see Naruto, standing quietly and looking down at Hashirama's grave. He didn't bring any flowers but he had his head down out of her sight.
After a moment she saw his shoulders shake lightly as his mouth kept opening and closing. He looked over to her with sad eyes and looked like he was struggling to say something. Like he wanted to ask her for forgiveness or beg her not to go. Like all he wanted to do was say sorry.
He didn't need to.
Mahiro knew what he was trying to say and just gave him a warm smile. She held his head and gave him a kiss on the forehead before putting it on her shoulder and embracing him in a soft hug. She rubbed his back as she tried to solve his strife with just her actions.
She couldn't believe that little teen that came charging at her ready to fight just a few years ago had grown up so quickly. She was so proud of him. Like a son that had wanted to show his mom how much he had grown.
And let her know he wanted her by his side forever.
########Hunter########
It was past midnight. Mahiro was gone. Off to save the world. She said goodbye to everyone in the guild and told them she would come back and spend her breaks with them when she was close.
It was a tearful send off. Everyone felt saddened by the departure of the Senju woman. But no one was sadder than little Koyuki. She held her mom as tightly as she could with her tiny little arms and cried for hours. Even Mahiro struggled to say goodbye because tears were streaming down her face the whole time. But she hugged and kissed her daughter, told her how much she loved her, and left for her new job.
Naruto sat on the couch in his living room. He tried to calm the crying toddler down but finally found peace when she cried herself to sleep. Now he was sitting on the couch alone in the dark and just trying to calm himself down as the little Senju girl slept on his bed in his room.
He closed his eyes and tried to relax. He probably wasn't going to sleep tonight but he could use the time to rest.
...
*Creak*
Naruto's eyes shot open and he jumped out of his seat. He turned towards the back door to see who entered his house. But he didn't sense, see or hear anyone. He must have been really tired. He sighed and sat back down on the couch.
"You really are out if it, huh?"
Naruto's eyes opened and he looked to his side in surprise. Erza was sitting next to him with her arms cross and a little smile on her face. Naruto blinked, "Erza? How did you-"
"You aren't the only one that trained with Mahiro and Hashirama-San. I picked up a few things along the way."
She was part ninja now too...apparently.
She looked to him and saw the bags under his eyes. She spoke with a kind tone, "You look really tired. You must be desperate to get some sleep." She tapped her hands on her lap and gave him a smile, "You can rest your eyes here if it's easier."
Naruto looked between the offered space and the red-head like she was crazy. He chuckled and waved off her joke, "I'm fine Erza. It's-"
"Nonsense!"
*BONK*
Naruto's eyes swam in his head when Erza pulled him back down and slammed his head into her breastplate in an attempt to show affection. She pushed him down further and held his head down to rest on her lap.
Naruto flailed around, "E-Erza! What the hell are you doing?!"
Erza just smiled sternly as she held him down in place. She struggled, "Now now, quit fighting and settle down. You don't want to wake up Koyuki after finally putting her to bed, right?"
Naruto stopped struggling and just stayed still on Erza's lap. But he definitely wasn't feeling comfortable. He didn't want to go to bed and this entire situation was way too weird. What exactly was he supposed to accomplish by lying on her lap?
She relaxed her hands and let them rest on his head, "I thought it'd be better if you weren't alone tonight." She softened her eyes and had a sad tone, "And I didn't want to be alone either."
Naruto placed his hand on top of the hand on his cheek. He squeezed it lightly and quietly said, "Thanks."
Erza smiled and squeezed back in return. She let her head hang back on his couch, "It's been a hectic last couple of days, huh? I even cried. I try to avoid that as much as possible." She looked down at her friend, "What about you? It's actually pretty relieving to do it every now and then."
"No."
She shrugged her shoulders, "Suit yourself."
"Erza, what are you doing? Why are you really here?"
Erza roughly grabbed Naruto's cheek and pulled it with a vicious grin on her face. She groaned out, "I'm here because you need help! You can't sleep! Barely eat! You zone out every time you look off somewhere! And you basically exploded against the Council the other day! Fairy Tail causes them problems but you took it up a notch!"
"Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow-okay! I get it!" He attempted to slap her hands away but she was adamant on keeping her grip on his cheek. This continued on for a few minutes until-
"It's just me." Naruto stopped the swat fest when he heard Erza's soft tone reach his ears. She tensed her hands a little before she continued on, "It isn't a court. It isn't in front of a group of people. And you aren't even by yourself anymore. You're just here with me. And you can tell me anything."
Naruto realized why she came to his house in the middle of the night. Because even if Naruto hadn't realized, Erza was the person he could always confide his thoughts and problems to. She never judged him. She never thought ill of him. She was always there to help him.
Naruto felt tense for a moment, "...I'm scared. Frightened that I could lose control again. That I haven't changed at all."
He hesitated, "Back when I was being used by Danzō, I always felt this uncontrollable rage build up inside me before I completely lost it. And when I came to again, I was finished with the task. But since I came here, I've always been in control of my own strength and emotions. I thought if I kept trying then there won't be anything I would lose like that again. But I wasn't strong enough to save Hashi-Ji or fight those Damnation guys without losing control. And when I lose my mind like that, I go back to that monster that followed that mad man's orders and I feel like I can't do anything to stop it. I'm worried that one day it will become so bad that I'll be too far gone."
Naruto's hand started to tighten as he grabbed the seat of the couch. He kept unloading on the red-head, "And if that happens, how are you and everyone else going to pay for my mistakes? Mahiro and Koyuki are already suffering because of me! What if I hurt everyone in Fairy Tail?! What if I hurt you too?! I-I just-"
Naruto was shaking in anger and despair as his voice faded off.
Erza closed her eyes and lightly stroked his cheek to calm him down. She looked down at him, "Naruto..."
"I believe in you."
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise when she said that.
She kept talking, "I believe that you are someone who would never stop to get stronger and help those you love. I believe you are the kind of guy who could face the biggest monsters and evils and come back with that smile that always helped me move forward. When I'm scared and I don't know what to do, I think about how you would keep moving forward and that gives me the courage to keep moving too."
She softly ran her hands through his hair and smiled, "Mahiro doesn't blame you. Koyuki will always love you. They're strong and they'll always be here for you. Everyone is sad now but we have each other. We will be fine. And they're waiting for you."
"I will always be there by your side. If you ever think you've too far gone, I'll come to your side and pull you back. If you're ever hurt, I'll be there to pick you back up. It won't be easy to get past what happened here...put I'll always believe in you..." She lowered herself until her mouth was right by his ear...
"And I forgive you. For everything."
Naruto's eyes stayed wide for a moment as her words pierced his heavy mind. It wasn't changing anything. She said it herself; that this was something that was going to take time to move past from. But knowing she was by his side in worry and guilt. That she would be there for him whenever he needed her...
It was like being with a guardian angel.
Erza waited for a moment to hear a reply from her old friend. But piercing through the silence was a steady, soft snoring from her lap. She giggled a little and petted his head to ease his worry as he finally started to sleep again. She leaned down and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.
She felt entitled to a little reward for finally getting him to rest.
It was a long road ahead. And it was going to take some time to get themselves fully out of this dark chapter. But one thing was certain...
When Naruto woke up the next morning on Erza's lap, he could say that was the best sleep he had in over a month.
########Omake: As the Rain Fell########
Naruto walked away with the black sword in hand. Covered in a mix of his own blood and the blood of his fallen enemies. He stumbled away, broken and beaten, leaving the scene of his rampage against the Damnation leaders.
The clearing was silent. The only sounds that could be heard were the falling rain and the flickering fires. And the sight of 'The Tyrant King' Alexander Sorrento sliced in two, lying dead on the ground as his blood pooled around him was the only thing to see.
The sound of metal footsteps imprinted into the mud as the man in the suit of armor stood over the disgraced Wizard Saint. He just looked down at the threat to the peace of the people and wondered...
Was this really the choice of action they were making?
"Sir!" Another man in a suit of armor approached his superior and saluted to him. He announced, "We've secured the other two bodies. They've both sustained serious injuries and they won't survive the trip unless we start intensive surgery."
"Very well. Prepare the supplies." He looked down at the body at his feet and started to walk away, "Don't forget to grab him as well."
The soldier shook a little in worry before he looked to his superior officer again. "Sir, are you sure about this? Bring...that man? That monster?! After everything he has done! Can we really just-"
"I'm against the idea of using him as well soldier, but this isn't time for us to vent our displeasure." Several other soldiers ran past him to switch out the corpse for a model they had prepared for occasions like this. They started forming the fake body with magic until it was a perfect replica of 'The Tyrant king's' corpse. He turned to look over his shoulder, "He had the duty to protect the interests of this country by any means necessary. And if this world is truly on the brink of destruction...then we will continue to use him as long as we must."
The soldier reluctantly nodded his head in agreement as they left the false body for the fires to scorched.
And for the rest of the world to believe a hollow truth.
########Hunter########
Done
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