Natsu, Gray, and the Celestial King were still staring down Andromeda. They were at a stalemate. Everything they sent the Demon King's way was repelled and visa versa.
"Gray," Natsu said, "I don't feel good about the people being loose in the forest. I need you to watch over them. They appear to be safe now, but we both know from experience…demon armies don't stop coming."
Gray searched his face, seeing the pain in Natsu's eyes. It was killing him not to be with Lucy right now.
Nodding, Gray took off toward the forest, noting the new waves of demons flitting in the shadows even now. The townspeople and the injured mages would not be safe there. The mages who had just defeated Nembus joined him, including the crew of the Christina and Lamia Scale. Erza was carrying Jellal over her shoulder. Wendy had done all the healing she could for now. It was up to Jellal to fight the infection. Laxus was barking out orders to the villagers to gather into one large group. It would be safer to stay all together.
Satisfied that Gray would take care of his Lucy, Natsu turned back to Andromeda.
"It's killing you, isn't it?" Andromeda tried again with the psychological warfare, "Dear Brother, do you know who you are asking to aide you? This is END."
"I'M NOT END!" Natsu yelled, "END's consciousness is gone. What is it with you stupid demons always trying to call me END anyway? You're all afraid of him, but are so quick to point it out."
"You're the one who's stupid," Andromeda smiled evilly, knowing it would just piss Natsu off, "Even if END's consciousness is gone, his attributes are still inside you. Do you think about it, Natsu? Do you dream about ruling the Heavens and Earthland?"
"SHUT UP!" Natsu yelled, "JUST SHUT UP!"
The Celestial King watched as Cana raised a shaky hand, trying to grasp the card in a position that she could charge it for the incantation. Her body was so weak, she was having trouble gripping the card. Natsu fought not to change his facial expression as he noticed her, relief flowing through his body as he realized she wasn't dead…yet.
"Even if he was END," the King said quickly, trying to buy Cana some time, "Natsu is not capable of losing himself to the urges. His heart is pure. He knows love."
Andromeda shook his head, "I never understood you, Brother. I never understood why you think being good is the answer to everything."
"Because as long as there's good in the world," the Celestial King answered, "There is always hope."
Andromeda powered up, "I'm sick of this shit. Let's finish this, shall we? I have a young girl to kill and a baby to steal."
"How is it possible there are still demons?" Juvia yelled angrily.
"They'll never stop coming," Levy lamented, "Not until we defeat Andromeda. For every demon we kill, two more will appear."
They were in a large circle. The Fairy Tail mages outlined the circle, facing out to the forest. The townspeople, the ill Jellal, and Lucy were in the centre. Hisui, Kinana and Evergreen joined the outer circle of Fairy Tail Mages.
They were using Warren to communicate so that the demons wouldn't know what they were thinking. Warren opened a channel.
"We need to get somewhere safe!" Gray said.
"There ARE no safe places!" Gajeel protested, "Plus, we can't move Lucy or Jellal."
Gray couldn't argue against that. They had no choice but to face the demons head-on and pray they could hold out until Andromeda was defeated.
Thump…thump…thump…thump…
"This isn't going to be effective!" Hibiki warned, "They have us surrounded. There will be casualties. We'll be slaughtered."
Gray knew that. The demons were cockily lining up around the circle, sneering as they circled the trapped mages. There were only about 40 mages, spread out thinly as they stood guard of the group of townspeople. It was simply not enough protection. The demons would breach their line in the first attack.
"I can set up runes with Levy," Freed was saying, "But it will take time. We don't have that time."
"We won't need it," Hisui said finally, "It is my duty to protect to the people. Mages, stand down. I've got this."
Thump…thump…thump…thump…
The mages glanced back at the panicked people, searching for Hisui. She was standing near Gray, her eyes glowing as she lifted her arms. A wind started circling the massive group of people, whipping up slowly to gale force. The inside of the circle remained completely devoid of wind. But it was dark. As Hisui concentrated on forcing her wind to beyond tornado strength, she added some lightning and thunder, striking the demons as they tested to see if they could pass through to get inside the barrier.
Thump…thump…thump…thump…
"Awesome," Wendy gasped under her breath.
The tornado grew stronger. The outside forest and the demons attempting to get through the tornado were invisible to the mages and the Town of Magnolia from inside. They couldn't see through at all and had no inclination of just how effective it was. The demons started to get sucked into the tornado.
Outside, trees began to rip from their roots, smashing into approaching demons. Gigantic bolts of lightning picked out individual demons, disintegrating them as the people now stood in awe.
Thump…thump…thump…thump…
Hisui's body glowed as she controlled the mass of magic. The people regarded her in reverence.
"That's the Princess Hisui of Fiore," they whispered.
Atria smiled to herself. The Zodiacs joined her as they watched Hisui push her storm up another level.
"No," she thought out to the other mages using Warren's magic, "THAT'S the Princess Hisui…of the Celestial Kingdom."
Natsu and the Celestial King were attacking from two sides, both being careful not to hurt Cana anymore than they had to. Andromeda had found renewed strength…somewhere. He skillfully fought them both back, sending them flying over and over.
Cana moved slowly, charging the card at a very slow rate. Her magic was almost depleted from her lack of strength, but it was apparent that Andromeda was too strong. Banishing him to the Andromeda system really was the only way to end the war.
It didn't help that Andromeda was dodging attacks, whipping Cana around. Natsu mentally apologized every time her body jerked. He could see her suppressing her screams. He admired her strength…to hold on this long, impaled on a dirty spike. She was determined not to die until her job was finished.
The card was charged enough, she figured. Glancing at Natsu, she sent him her last silent requests, aware that there was no way he could possibly understand. Natsu was not telepathic.
He stood still, watching her as she smiled softly, then raised the card above her head.
Celestial Card, please awaken
Come to my aid
Trap Andromeda and bind his powers forever
"I HEREBY BANISH YOU TO THE ANDROMEDA SYSTEM!" she yelled with surprising strength.
Cana slammed the card down onto his back, screaming as he writhed to see who dared to interfere. He still couldn't throw her off his back. A large black door-like image appeared in front of his body, pulling him inside a black hole. He screamed, clawing at the air to keep from being sucked in.
Natsu bit his lower lip, then started running without thinking. Flying through the air, he felt the vacuum of the black hole pulling at him. Calling on all of END's strength, he pulled at Cana's body to get her off Andromeda's back. Finally, he managed to remove her from the spike, landing on the other side of the door. He held Cana's head to his chest. The vacuum was impossible to fight, slowly sucking Natsu toward the opening, even with END's strength supporting him. His foot grip was slipping…he was slowly being sucked into the gateway. The Celestial King struck the ground, creating a barrier between Natsu and the door and securing himself, then reached for Natsu's hand. Natsu grabbed it and they held on, their bodies flailing in the wind suction that the black door hole produced.
They both watched as Andromeda was finally sucked inside, screaming bloody murder. The gateway shut, and the card fluttered to the ground.
Natsu and the Celestial King exchanged glances, eyes wide.
It was over.
Promptly, the Celestial King conjured his power, destroying the card. Now Andromeda could find no way to come back.
Natsu was still shielding Cana's body. He brushed the hair away from Cana's face, taking her fully into his arms. Her face was white…pure white. Her eyes were closed, a trickle of blood seeping from her mouth. He kissed her forehead, taking a shaking breath as he worked to push END back down. He held her to his chest, letting out a cry of complete and total anguish, then let the tears fall.
Thump…thump…thump…thump…
Back in the forest, Hisui felt the shift in magic. They all did.
"Stand back!" she ordered.
In an instant, she had dissipated her tornado. The heartbeat stopped.
They all kept a watch as the outside because visible again. The demons were gone. Around them, the forest had been leveled.
"What just happened?" Juvia said in a low voice, "Where did they go?"
"It's over," Hisui said in wonder.
"IT'S OVER!" Lyon shouted, throwing his arm up in triumph.
Cries of victory erupted. People began cheering. Mages hugged.
Gray glanced over to the ruins of Magnolia below.
"Natsu."
He starting running, Gajeel, Levy, Erza, Arcadios and Levy joining him as they neared the edges of the rubbled Fairy Tail ruins. They came to a stop at the top of the hill, taking in the devastation. Then they saw them.
The Celestial King and Natsu were walking side by side toward the forest. Cana's limp body was cradled in Natsu's arms, his bangs low over his eyes as he visibly wept. Slowly, the other mages of Fairy Tail joined Gray's group at the top of the hill, staring at the somber sight below. They knew what happened then.
Cana Alberona had successfully banished Andromeda.
