"Master Bob?" Toby asked, watching the demons from aboard the Christina, "How come the demons aren't following us anymore?"
Master Bob rushed to the side of the Christina, looking over.
"SHIT!" he exclaimed, then turned red, bringing both hands up to cover his mouth, "Sorry for my poo-poo mouth."
"It seems the demons have caught onto our plan!" Ren said, spotting Nembus through his looking glass.
"They're headed directly for Magnolia!" Hibiki confirmed.
Lyon growled, "Then what do you say we pursue them for awhile."
The other nodded, shifting courses of the Christina once more.
Lucy, Hisui and Kinana stood at the front of the cave in front of the people of Magnolia, facing the gates.
Lucy fumbled for her keys, holding them tight and praying she wouldn't have to use them. Another pain wracked her body and she fell to her knees, waving Kinana and Hisui away as she composed herself. A moment later, she got up, facing the gates once more. They could hear commotion on the other side. Someone was trying to get in. And from the constant thudding and hacking noises, it wasn't a friendly someone.
Evergreen passed off her children to a villager, joining them. They were the only mages in the tunnels. The rest of Fairy Tail was out there.
Lucy, Kinana and Evergreen readied their attacks as the gates began to open. The bright day light burned their eyes at first. They could hear the villagers screeching and heading as far back in the cave as they could behind them. Their focus remained glued to the front.
Hisui glanced back and forth, her eyes wide with panic.
Remember who you are.
Atria's voice echoed in Hisui's head. She took a deep breath.
You are the Celestial Princess.
In order to remember your power, you need to remember your early life.
Hisui closed her eyes, images flashing through her head. The Celestial King bouncing her on his knee. The Queen helping Hisui put on some of her jewelry. Practising magic out in the garden with Loki. Her magic.
Protect the people, Hisui. No matter what happens, know that your father and I are very proud of what you've become. Don't deny who you are. Embrace it and the power to save the people will flow through you.
The doors swung open. Hoards of demons snarled and spat at the entrance.
"We've found them!" one of them hissed, "Quick – go tell the master!"
"Priiiincess," another snickered, "Someone wants to have a word with you!"
Hisui's eyes were still closed, memories flashing through her brain. Beside her, Lucy, Evergreen and Kinana put their hands out, ready to defend the people. The Celestial spirits appeared behind the ladies before Lucy could call any of them. There was no reunion. Everyone stared straight ahead at the demons who had them trapped. Lucy star-dressed in Leo form without saying a word, her pregnant belly protruding.
Embrace who you are and the power to save the people will flow through you.
The stand off continued as demons bickered over who got to have what out of the prisoners. A few demons scampered off to let the higher-up demons know they'd found the cave they'd been looking for…and the Princess was among them.
Thump…thump…thump…thump…
Everyone could hear it. Lucy looked around, eyes resting on Hisui as she noted her demeanor change.
"Your heartbeat," Kinana whispered, "Hisui."
"She's remembering who she is," Lucy said in awe.
Thump…thump…thump…thump…
"You have to be careful with your powers, Hisui. Thunder and lightning are very powerful, especially when used together. The storm you just created made floods on the Earthland."
"I'm sorry, Papa…I'll do better."
"That's my girl."
"Kill them," the demon at the front of the line said, "Spare the Princess. Everyone else dies."
The demons attacked. The Zodiac spirits darted in front of Lucy, protecting her from the barrage of demon-flung energy.
Kinana flung attacks of her own, shooting off miasma. Evergreen used Stone Eyes, smashing demons to bits as they became hardened.
"We're sitting ducks in here!" Loke yelled, "Get out of the cave! Push them out of the cave! People of Magnolia – when we give the signal, RUN! Run for the forest!"
Hisui stood still, magic coursing through her as she remembered who she was.
"Did I really make that wind storm, Momma? I'm sorry!"
Mages were attacking all around her, slowly but surely gaining ground as they pushed the demons back.
Lucy was using Loke's Regulus power, releasing attack after attack, ignoring the pain ripping through her belly.
A powerful blast projected through the cave entrance, obliterating every demon in its path. The mages stopped fighting momentarily, glancing back to the source.
Hisui's green hair was now piled up on her head. She wore a Celestial white dress, similar to her mother's. She carried a silver lasso. Lightning still flowed through her body as she stared the demons down.
"Get the townspeople out of here," she said in a monotonous tone. Her eyes glowed as green as her hair. She exited the cave. Kinana, Evergreen, and Lucy flanked her sides as they cleared the way for the Zodiacs to evacuate the villagers. Everything around them was rubble. Lucy sighed heavily, realizing the guild hall had been reduced to rubble…again.
Sagittarius, Aries and Cancer began herding people out of the cave, pushing them toward the trees on the other side of Fairy Tail. Demons still attacked, some of them capturing villagers as they ran. Loke broke a hole through the retaining wall and began helping villagers through it. Hisui covered their escape, shooting off lightning bolt after lighting bolt.
The last of the villagers were exiting the walls when they saw him. He was large and muscular. Taking deep breaths, Lucy, Hisui, Kinana and Evergreen got ready for the next imminent attack.
Natsu looked back toward Magnolia in confusion as a gigantic explosion rocked the entire city, the reverberations pulsing out well past the defensive zone they'd set up in the forest.
"That looked like Fairy Law!" Bixslow yelled.
"SHIT!" Mira exclaimed, "Natsu, they broke the perimeter! We've been defending this side – there must have been a second army that breached the other side!"
"Gramps!" Laxus yelled, breaking away for Magnolia.
Natsu didn't wait for orders. He bolted toward Magnolia at a speed he didn't even know he could manage, surpassing Laxus easily. He would have to congratulate himself later.
"LUCY!" he yelled.
The others followed him. There was no sense in continuing the battle here if the demons had managed to breach Magnolia already.
"Go straight to the tunnels!" Laxus ordered, "Mirajane and I have your back. Thunder Legion! Stay at the breached wall and prevent any more demons from entering Magnolia. Dragon Slayers! Destroy every demon you come across inside the walls!"
Natsu didn't look back to see if Laxus and Mirajane were still at his side. He was running for his Lucy. His blood was boiling again, and this time, he didn't know if he could control it. END's blood. It begged for release. It begged him to allow it to give him the extra strength he might need to save Lucy. He was trying to ignore it, but as he rounded the corner to Fairy Tail's entrance, he knew that might be an impossibility.
Magnolia lay in rubble.
He didn't stop running, heading straight for Fairy Tail. By the path of destruction, he suspected the demon forces were already there.
Laxus and Mira were not following Natsu anymore. Something else had caught their attention.
Makarov lay face down in the dirt.
"MASTER!" Mira cried, running to his side.
"Gramps!" Laxus echoed.
"Omicron," Makarov breathed, his voice raspy, "Fairy Law didn't vanquish him. He's that powerful."
"Gramps, stay still," Laxus coaxed, bringing the old man's head up onto his lap, "You're going to be okay."
"No, my boy," Makarov coughed, "Not this time."
Mira's eyes instantly filled up with tears as she realized what he'd just said.
He coughed again, Laxus and Mira exchanging looks.
"WENDY!" Laxus screamed, "WENDY! WE NEED YOU! PLEASE HURRY! PORLYUSICA!"
Makarov grabbed his hand, shaking his head to stop calling the Fairy Tail medics.
The battlefield was booming again. The demons who hadn't been vanquished by Fairy Law stormed Magnolia and the Dragon Slayers were busy keeping them at bay.
Wendy could hear the panicked screams of Mira and Laxus. She made their way to them, leaping over rubble as she went, immediately pushing Laxus out of the way and pouring her healing power into Makarov's body.
He grabbed her hand, lightly pushing it away.
"No, child," he rasped, "Save your magic. There will be others who are injured."
"NO!" Wendy cried.
He smiled, reaching for her, Laxus, and Mira's hands, joining them together.
"You are Master now," he said quietly to Laxus. Blood poured out of his ears, "Take care of my children, Laxus. I am so proud of you."
He turned to Mirajane, "Be by his side, Mira. Kick his ass when he needs it. And don't cry. I've been trying to retire for decades."
She giggled, but her tears didn't stop.
"Wendy," Makarov ran a hand over her cheek, "You're young, but you are so powerful now. Your time will come. Take care of the other Dragon Slayers. Don't let them give up. Not ever."
"Master!" Wendy's tears poured down her cheeks as she threw herself over his chest as he gave the death sigh and stopped moving. Wendy howled out a cry of anguish. Laxus and Mira joined her, the sorrowful cry rocking what was left of Magnolia.
Back in Hell, the brothers faced off, matching each other blow for blow. Hell's walls shook violently, giving way in places and collapsing to the ground. Atria and the Celestial King were tag-teaming the lone Andromeda.
"Give up!" The Celestial King yelled, "This doesn't have to continue. We can still call off this war."
"Yes, we can!" Andromeda agreed, "You can surrender to me and agree to be my subordinate in the New Kingdom!"
"That will never happen!" the King roared, "I can't let you hurt the people of Earthland. You'll destroy them!"
"Why do you love those…guppies so much anyway?" Andromeda yelled back, smashing a part of Hell's walls to collapse on the King.
"They're good people," The King told him, rolling away from another attack, "They understand love and what it means to reap what you sow. They work hard. And they appreciate what is done for them."
"Lesser life-forms!" Andromeda bellowed, throwing spikes at the Celestial King, and then at Atria. She dodged, firing off a light attack.
"They're not lesser!" Atria yelled back.
Atria watched Cana, still flipping like a rag doll on Andromeda's back.
Andromeda swore as the Celestial King landed a punch in his gut. He looked up at his brother with rage in his eyes.
"We're at a stalemate, brother," The King said, "I don't want to kill you. This is your last chance. You know I'm stronger. You know you'll fall. Submit to me."
Andromeda sneered, whacking the King's fist from where it still rested in his stomach, "Fool! You think you're stronger than me, but I can still beat you in other ways. I will have the throne. You watch!"
Andromeda disappeared in a flash of black smoke.
"He's going after Hisui!" Atria cried.
The Celestial King grabbed her arm and they disappeared too.
