Author's note

And Chapter 30 as promised!


The Greyhound Part 3: War of the Mind

Chapter 30

Mira had been sitting on the sidelines for some time, staying out of the way while her guildmates fought, but now she felt the need to act. They wanted Lucy so she would give them 'Lucy' by using Transformation Magic on herself.

She didn't plan on fooling them for long, only long enough to give her guildmates a rest. Even if she could just get the fighting to stop for a few minutes that would be a win in her mind. With that time Fairy Tail could regroup, and move their wounded out of the way. After that things could start again.

She wasn't a combat mage anyway so being captured wouldn't take away from Fairy Tail's ability to fight at all.

And so with a wave of her hand, she transformed, and 'Lucy Heartfilia' took her place.

"Hey! Hey, I'm here!" She yelled while rushing to the edge, too far for her guildmates to stop her. "Please stop this! I'll go with you!"

Responding to her call the giant mech turned its head and as if responding to her plea, moved an arm, reaching out for her. And when the hand stopped in front of her she stepped in without complaint.

For a moment everything was calm. The Shades stopped attacking, no one was yelling, and all seemed at peace. For a single happy moment, she thought her plan had worked.

That was a mistake.

The hand closed, squeezing her tightly. Painfully so. And Jose spoke to her through the intercom.

"OH PLEASE GIRL DID YOU REALLY THINK TRANSFORMATION MAGIC OF THIS LEVEL WOULD FOOL ME?"

The hope drained from her face as a look of horror took its place. She had just given herself up for nothing.

Her body was pulled through the air until she found herself held next to the machine with a perfect view of the battlefield before her.

"NOW MY DEAR GIRL I WILL COMMEND YOU FOR YOUR BRAVERY. AND AS A REWARD, I'LL MAKE SURE YOU SURVIVE LONG ENOUGH TO WATCH YOUR FOOLISH FRIENDS AND GUILD DIE!"

As his words were spoken, the Shades struck again. The bloodshed she'd tried to give them some reprieve from was only worsening now.

She was hopeless, and everything was in her line of sight. She didn't want to watch the battle rage on, didn't want to watch her friends fall. So she averted her gaze.

Looking to her left trying to find anything to lock her eyes with instead.

She saw a cliff, overlooking the water. Yes, that was good she could focus on this instead.

So keeping her eyes glued to the landmark she took in more trying to calm herself. The way waves crashed against its base, the sharp rockface leading all the way up. And finally, at its peak, she saw... a person.

Black hair, jacket, tan skin. It looked just like-

"Kin...zo?"

He was still here. He was watching… he could help. But would he?

"RAAAAAGH!" a monstrous roar stole her attention and caused her to look in toward the Phantom's Guildhall.

She knew that roar, it was the same dark screech that made up her nightmares and haunted her brother's conscience. With force, she whipped around turning again towards the lone boy on the cliff.

She didn't care how selfish it seemed to beg for his help now, after trying to demand it earlier. She did care how much of a blow her pride would take. The only thing she cared about was that someone helped her brother. And she knew he could, if nothing else she knew that man could fight.

"Kinzo help us! Please!"


He could see her, platinum hair flowing in the wind. Her body, trapped in Phantom's grasp, helpless. He could hear what she said.

"Kin...zo?" her whisper even at this distance. The desperation on her face.

He had to steel himself.

"She isn't your responsibility Kinzo!"

"go." He heard Ur's voice whisper back.

"I don't owe her anything," he reassured himself.

"Kininin-zo," she said. Her voice growing more distorted the more she tried to say to him.

"These people are not my problem!"

"KiKiKi- Kinzo!" She said with more force.

"No! No, I'm not doing this! I'm not giving anything to these people who hate m-!"

He cut his own cry short, as he watched something break through the brush to his right. A familiar man with long black hair and studded clothing.

Gajeel.

The man made eye contact, smirking while he sprinted straight for the cliff's edge.

… And he was carrying, something on his shoulder.

Time seemed to stop as he took in blonde hair, and as his eyes roamed he saw the face of a terrified girl. Tears fell from her eyes as she was stolen away from the people she cared about. They had Lucy.

And after that-

"Someone save her, please."

"Kinzo help us!"

"Hehehe-HELP THEM!"

-It was like every force on Heaven and Earth screamed for him to move.

The ground he stood on all but exploded as he pushed off-

*BOOM!*

-and a sonic boom filled the area.

...

Gajeel's head snapped forward from the force of the blow, and his eyes nearly rolled into the back of his skull. After that, it took a second for everything else to catch up… but the rest of his body followed suit.

Flying backward through the air, after taking a Mock 1 punch.

His body cratered the ground he landed on and snapped a number of trees along the way as he was dragged against the earth, but Kinzo didn't bother to watch.

He was far more focused on Lucy's still airborne body, having been left behind when the iron dragon was sent flying.

He reached out his hands intending to catch her, but something else got to her first.

Shades, two massive Shades latched onto her arms and rocketed off the cliff soaring for the guildhall.

His gun was out a half-second later, lined up to take the shots. But he couldn't. If he shot the Shades Lucy would plummet to the ocean. A fall from this height would feel like hitting concrete, and he didn't think he could reach her in time.

So he put the gun down and grit his teeth. "Damn it!"

"Kugh! Cuh! Cuh! You fucking prick!" came Gajeel's voice as he limped toward the cliff edge. He was covered in his metal skin and looked none too happy.

"You know if I hadn't activated my scales in time my insides would probably be paste right now," he said while taking a hand away from his stomach only to reveal a fist-shaped indent in his iron skin.

"It felt like you hit me a couple dozen times, but it was just one gut punch. Heh, you really are something else."

He finished his line and promptly jumped off the cliff himself, causing a massive splash when he hit the waves. But his dragon scale skin protected him yet again and his form could be seen swimming back to his guild.

Kinzo's irritation only grew but when he let himself look up he once again saw a clearly distressed and nearly crying Mirajane. "Shit."

He needed to move.

But how was he supposed to reach that walking guildhall? He couldn't fly and there was no way he could form enough Conversion Leaps to get all the way across. I mean if he could get someone to launch him he could reach it easily enough but where was he supposed to find some who could do tha-?

"Wait a second."

...

Glancing down at the remains of the Fairy Tail guild he saw a certain Card Mage who might be able to help him.

Flying off the cliff himself he stacked 3 Conversion Leaps behind him and launched headfirst toward Cana.


Cana Alberona was having a bad day, for obvious reasons. Not only was her guild being attacked by a Wizard Saint gone rogue, but now one of her guildmates, Mira, had gotten herself kidnapped… ON PURPOSE!

Uhhhh, and it wasn't like she could really help the girl, the fortune teller had her plate full with these Shades that Jose had sent after them.

She wanted to get the barmaid back, scream at her for being an idiot, and move her out of harm's way. But her hands were tied right now.

Speaking of, she squared up with another shade in front of her. Readying her left hand with cards and her right with Crash Magic. The ghost-like monster seemed to notice her too, before lunging.

Whipping back her left hand she prepared to stri-

*Boom!*

Something struck the ground with a lot of force, right in front of her, sending that Shade to the Shadow Realm in the process.

Cana raised her hands again, unsure if whatever attacked was friendly. But as the figure stood up she dropped her guard.

"Kinzo!?"

Turning his head he gave her a quick nod.

"What? But I thought you weren't gonna help us?"

He ignored her "No time for chit-chat Cana. I need to get onto that Mech, and you can help me. Metal Make: War-Door!" he said while forming an oversized shield in his hands.

"I'll ride on this, I need you to hit me with the strongest blast of Crash Magic you can manage safely."

The card mage seemed like she was following but something wasn't adding up. "Wait, I thought your metal absorbed magic?"

"Not this one it's just regular steel."

She didn't look like she really understood what he meant but. "Cana we're wasting time! Mira and Lucy are both up there!"

That got her to focus "Alright, then grit your teeth because this won't be fun."

"Remember I don't want you to break this thing into pieces, I just need a big burst of magi-"

"Shut up and move!" she roared while cocking back her fist.

He took that as his cue to jump, reaching pretty high into the air and balancing on the large shield like a surfboard.

"Enjoy your flight!" he heard before his body was thrown forward, cutting through the air. His target was Mirajane who was currently being harassed by a large Beast-like creature.

He would have to knock some sense into it.


10 minutes earlier

Inside the guildhall, the boys had already split up and Elfman in particular was getting irritated. He'd been running for some time and had yet to find anyone he could hit.

But rest assured his wish would soon be granted.

"Bonjour sir Elfman" Came a call from his feet. And as he looked down the sight of some green-haired guy's face sticking out of the floor gave him pause.

"Uh? You know me?" he asked the... face?

"But of course, I've done research on all of Fairy Tail's members." With that said Elfman was blindsided by a kick to the back of his head, sending him tumbling against a wall.

Quickly righting himself he looked back toward his attacker, only to find that the man with green hair was emerging from the ground and stretching his body around like an accordion.

"Okay, he can phase through solid objects, his whole body can stretch like rubber, and his strikes pack enough punch to make me stubble… So I take it you're one of the Elements?"

"We we, I am Sol of the element 4!" His assailant said excitedly.

"But I am not interested in talking about myself right now, I am much more interested in talking about you Sir Elfman." the man said while sliding his feet along the ground like a snake as he approached.

"Tell me, is it true you can only do a Partial Take-Over?" He asked while getting very close to Elfman's face.

"And, is it true zat... you killed your sister?" That made the beast-man flinch.

Why, why was everyone bringing it up today. It had been two years, why couldn't the world just forget? And why couldn't he?

"Shut up! Beast Arm: Black Bull!" With a monstrous right arm, he threw a bone-shattering punch. Sadly the Frenchman was far too prepared for something like that.

"Elfman, what are you doing?" He froze.

That voice, he knew that voice. It sounded just like her. And turning to face the source, he saw

"Li-Lisanna?" he choked out.

It looked just like her. A short girl that barely came up to his chest. White hair, so much like his own, that just reached her chin, and the brightest blue eyes.

"Why are you trying to hit him?" The girl asked. Clearly confused.

"Are you hurting people again?" She questioned in concern.

"Are you gonna hurt me again?" She asked while shrinking away, trying to seem as small as possible. Fear playing in her eyes.

"What? Lisanna no no I wouldn't, I would never!"

"But you already did." she whimpered back, falling to the ground.

How was he supposed to respond to that? All he felt capable of doing was watching as his little sister wept.

She gripped her own arms so tightly, clutching herself for comfort. She balled, and as she cried slowly her body began to break and fall to the ground as dust.

He just watched for a moment unsure of what he'd seen, but quickly it made sense.

"Earth Statue." He growled in his own head.

Whirling around yet again to face the bastard, he had words to say. "You would use her memory like this? Take her appearance and twist it!? No, no this is over!"

The Frenchman just chuckled, "Oh sir Elfman, we have only just begun."

"Fight me like a man!" came his rebuke before swinging his monstrous arm yet again.

The attack was easily dodged, and the next, and the next.

Finally, Sol decided he'd played enough. Turning his body into rubber he wrapped himself around Elfman's form and specifically his Beast Arm.

The Strauss was immobilized. And Sol was taking his sweet time taunting the man.

"You bastard! Leave my sister out of this. Fight me on your own. Just let her memory rest!"

"Sir Elfman, I do believe there has been a bit of a misunderstanding..." He said before driving his own elastic fist into the man's face.

The blow was strong, more than enough to send the beast mage flying. And as the fairy's back slid across the ground Sol made his intentions clear.

"I am more than strong enough to beat you on my own. I do not use your sister's form because I must, only because I chose to. You see there is something that I want from you, Sir Elfman. I want to give you a chance."

As the beast mage started to regain his footing the mad Frenchmen continued.

"When I first heard about your tragic story I was heartbroken for you. To lose control and kill your own sister must have been truly crushing. That I could empathize with, but what I couldn't stand for was what you did after the fact. You and that wretched Mirajane both!"

He'd managed to stand up straight, but let the Element keep talking if only to catch his own breath.

"You stopped using magic, or limited yourselves to such small amounts that you're mere shadows of what you once were! What I want Sir Elfman, is to see you at your best! To see you rise to the level you once stood at. I simply cannot let your story end before you are restored to your former glory!"

What the hell was this guy on about? Nothing he said was making sense.

But all would become clear with the next line.

"So go on, Sir Elfman. Use a Full Take-Over, Show me the Beast."

He could only stare back at the madman before him, finally understanding what he wanted.

"You want me to bring that thing out? Are you insane!?" he cried before a foot was driven into his guy. "Cugh!"

"Indeed I may be. But even so, I will get what I want."

"Elfman, help me!" He heard her cry.

He knew it was fake, fake, It was all fake damn it! So why did he look?

It was a scene made in hell. Lisanna held down, and an Earth Statue of Sol slowly beating her into the ground.

A kick to her ribs,

A boot to her face,

And his foot coming to rest as he pressed her skull into the ground.

He could hear every blow that struck her, he could hear her screams.

"Stop! Stop! Get off of her!"

"Yes Sir Elfman, you can help her, you can save her. Just use the beast!"

Slowly he tore his eyes away only to stare back at the man. "No, no I can't!"

"You must!" Sol ordered before the room was filled with his statues all reenacting the same scene he'd just wanted again and again.

"No I won't, I can't let that thing out! ... None of this is real!" he screeched trying to convince himself.

"Hmm? You are right none of this is real… but that hole in your chest is." Elfman could only listen in confusion before he watched in horror as a sharp chunk of rock emerged from the man's arm. He smashed the spike down on his chest, before ripping his limb back again.

The blow was painful and from a bird's eye view, one could see a now gaping hole in the side of Elfman's chest. Stone having carved its way through him. He could only scream as the pain settled in.

"AHHahaahA!"

"Yes Sir Elfman, can you feel it, how death calls for you. But you can stop it all. Just let the monster out to play."

"No, I won't!"

"Come now my friend surely we can agree it would be best for you to do as I say, no?" the Frenchman said while throwing a kick into the open wound.

"Augh!"

Blood was leaking out of him at an alarming rate, and Elfman's vision was starting to blur.

"Let me out." he heard a dark voice whisper from the back of his mind.

"NOOO-RAAAAAGH-aaaaaah!" He screamed as both the man and the monster in protest. Trying desperately to keep his inner demon at bay, but failing in many ways.

"Oh is this still not enough reason for you to bring him out… well then why don't I give you some more incentive!" Sol Screamed before sending his victim flying with a massive sandblast. "Sable Dance!"

The attack struck with enough force to destroy the wall behind Elfman as it sent him soaring. Leaving the mage to dangle part of his upper body on the outside of the guildhall staring down at the ocean.

"E fm n"

What was the use, this was hopeless, he couldn't win.

"El man"

I suppose the only silver lining was that he would be able to die and finally take the beast with him.

He was ashamed to leave Mira alone, but he trusted the rest of the guild to keep her safe. And at least this way she wouldn't have to worry about him losing control ever again. She would be better off without him anyway.

"ELFMAN!"

The call of his name brought him back to reality, and the sight of his sister trapped in a massive metal hand made him panic.

"Mira!?"

What was she doing here? Why was she here? HOW was she here?

"Ah yes, Sir Elfman I see you've met our guest. So now allow me to tell you how things will proceed." Sol said while walking closer.

"You will release the monster, and allow me to see its glory in combat. Or I will start tearing your sister apart in front of your eyes until that creature manages to escape from your soon to be shattered mind."

"Your choice," He'd said that with relative ease, as though he hadn't just threatened his sister's life.

"I-I can't! Please, you don't understand… He'll kill everyone!" the man begged.

"Hmm? Even this much won't convince you? Well, then you leave me no choice. I guess I'll just have to trap you in your own mind until the beast consumes you. How pitiful."

Raising a hand the Earth mage resigned himself to using one of his least favorite, but most damaging spells.

"Merci la Vie!"

He only hoped there was still something left of the Beast mage's mind once all was said and done.

As he spoke Elfman's vision was covered in white, before everything went black.


Once everything seemed to normalize again the first thing Elfman noticed was just how dark it was.

The sun was down, while previously it had been mid-day. And he was currently sitting in the middle of a forest instead of fighting on the giant mech from earlier.

What had happened?

He wasn't given much time to ponder though as a flash of dull light struck his eyes.

Looking down he watched as a fire lit itself on the ground in front of him. It was small but it illuminated enough that he could at least see a few feet around him, and that was more than enough for him to notice two things.

First, was that he was alone. With the Darkness pushed back, if only slightly, by the campfire; he could clearly tell that no one else was around. Or at least there was no one in his field of vision.

That was fine, it was the second piece of information or rather realization that gave him pause.

With the fire's light not only did he pick up on his surrounding, but he also discovered something problematic about his own appearance. Looking down toward his own feet he could see that his body was far smaller than he remembered.

"Am I a... child?" he asked himself, before focusing in again on the flames.

What in the hell was going on?

"Boy..."

The sound of a dark voice reaching through the air made him freeze, as an animal-like growl called out from the shadows.

He could hear the sound of thumping feet and rustling bushes. Something was circling around him, stalking him, but he couldn't see it. The creature made sure to stay just outside of the fire's light.

Even so, he didn't need to see it, he remembered the beast far too clearly.

"Let me... help you." He knew it was lying, this thing only wanted to kill him.

"You won't help me, and I'm not letting you go," he said back in defiance, despite his child-like stature.

He was talking big right now but in reality, he felt vulnerable. If this thing charged him, he knew he couldn't fight back. Not with this body.

"You can't keep me here forever." It bit back.

"We'll see about that."

He wasn't confident in his body's strength, but one thing he was sure of. Or at least he prayed it was true.

It seemed like the beast couldn't step into the light. Like it was a shadow itself, this thing couldn't bear to step toward the fire.

"As long as I'm here you're a prisoner, and that won't change until we're both dead!"

As he yelled into the darkness, he heard the beast begin to breathe deeply, before...

It screeched.

"Let me OOOOUT!" came its freakish howl.

The Earth beneath his feet seemed to shake as he covered his ears in pain.

Its bellow lasted far longer than he wanted, the echoing noise only serving to further unnerve the boy.

But even with all that he was still confident. Because despite the roar and prideful speech the beast still hadn't shown himself.

It still hadn't stepped into the light.

That blaze was his lifeline, and as long as it stayed lit he was safe.

Which is why his heart nearly stopped... when he saw it start to flicker.

His blood ran cold, and slowly he turned to the fire.

The once-proud flames were now dying down, slowly being reduced to embers.

The circle of light, his place of safety was growing smaller and smaller.

For a moment all was silent.

...

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

The monster's laughter rang out through the clearing, shaking his very soul.

"no" he whispered in terror, shrinking closer to the fleeting light.

"no please." begging as he dropped to his knees desperately trying to stoke the dying fire. But it was too late… far too late.

He could hear the beast's deep breaths grow closer, and soon enough he could feel them on his skin.

Everything went dark, and he lost all hope.


"RAAAAAGH!" As a roar ripped through the space, magic power flowed over them. Sol and Mira were both left to gaze at the creature that had replaced Elfman.

It was covered in blood-red fur with grotesque green skin visible underneath it. Jagged claws decorating its hands and feet, while a row of blade-like teeth protruded from its mouth. Horns and spines stuck out across its head and shoulders, but despite all of that. The creature's most distinguishing feature was its eyes.

Those hollow, lifeless, eyes that screamed for blood.

One of them stared in fascinated joy, the other total horror.

"Elfman!"

"Yes Sir Elfman! Finally, finally, I have seen you at your best! Finally, we can do battle!"

As the Frenchman cried out in satisfaction the beast turned to him, and just stared. As though observing the man's appearance, and taking him in for the first time. Until its hulking form blurred out of sight.

"Wha-?"

Sol soon found his body being crushed as the monster held him in its grasp. "So fast!"

The pain increased, nearly crushing his bones before he tried slipping away. Stretching his rubber body to the limit. It worked and his core started to squirm free. But then the Beast's grip tightened, and this time his body did snap.

The sound of crunching bone and tearing ligament filled the area, but there was no scream of pain. The monster was holding the man too tightly. His chest couldn't expand enough to cry out in pain. And that was likely the moment Sol realized his chest couldn't expand enough to breathe either.

The Beast kept its hold on him, but decided just crushing him wasn't enough.

He raised his hand and proceeded to slam Sol's body against every available surface.

Floor, walls, ceiling. He was smashed against them all. And when the blows did enough damage to break his skin the Frenchman's body became a paintbrush the Beast used to cover the ground in red.


Mirajane was horrified, seeing that monster again would have been enough to make her cower. But knowing it was Elfman in there made her want to cry.

He was killing him. The Phantom mage was being used as a club and slowly being beaten to death. That was how she knew it wasn't Elfman in control. Even so, she couldn't let her brother do this. Could let him wake up only to find a dead body at his feet and blame himself. She had to do something.

"Elfman!" she screamed, and the creature stopped. It took a moment to turn, facing her, but when it did her nightmares came true. Its eyes, those eyes that only moments ago seemed so uninterested were now sharp and focused as they looked at her. And she watched helplessly as the makings of a cruel grin appeared on its face.

It was like this thing recognized her, and it drew closer. Throwing Sol's broken body to the side, completely forgotten.

It leaped from the main guild out to the metal arm she was held in, and it approached her. The sound of its claws scraping against the steel limb as it took slow steps.

"Elfman, I know you can hear me!" It growled in response showing its teeth, saliva leaking from its open mouth.

"I know you're in there, you can stop this!" She wanted that to be true, but even she was doubting her words as the stench of its breath reached her nose, and a hungry look settled in his eyes.

Finally, as this thing's face moved forward, its sharp teeth barely a foot away, she cried. "Elfman, Anyone, Please!"

She could only watch in paralyzed fear as the distance between them was closed. And she responded with shock when something heavy slammed against the Beast's face.


Author's note

And done. This one was really fun to write. I've been thinking about how to handle Elfman for a while now, and I hope I did him justice. Also, Kinzo will be seeing a bit more action in the next couple of chapters. I know you've all probably been waiting for him to actually do something, but from the beginning, I knew he was only gonna have one or two real fights in this arc. The first was Gajeel and the second I'll leave up to your imagination. Anyway, that's all from me for now. See you again tomorrow.


Magic

1) Metal-Make Magic like ice make... but with metal

2) Speed Magic (Potential energy magic- p.s. I made this up so you won't find it on a wiki... I think.) so any time you see Conversion Leap (speed boost) or Kinetic Decay (stealing something else's speed and trapping it in place)

3) Telekinesis lifting things with one's mind etc.

4) Re-Quip no armor just items/weapons

Tools

1) His Revolver- Iron Maiden (two types of ammo revealed. Puncture rounds and Flashbang rounds)

2) The rings his mother gave him - can be molded into other objects and when spun together replay a recorded message.

3) The magic absorbing metal - He can choose to make his weapons out of this or other kinds of normal metal (iron, steel, etc.)

4) The Eye of Talionis - replacing his right eye, it allows the user to see magic (Ethernano)

5) Isacc Colt's journals - three journals belonging to his father

6) metal woven into his hair - this will not play a major role for most of the story but I may as well mention it so people don't forget.

Abilities

(1) Enhanced strength, speed, and senses. - under normal circumstances, Kinzo can act like a normal human in terms of strength and senses, but when he focuses on a particular trait it can increase its effectiveness. I.E. by focusing on his sense of Sight, he can see more clearly at much farther distances.