Here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy reading it, BTW Fairy Tail may make an appearance at the end. ;) Read on!
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Disclaimer... I do not own Fairy Tail, nor do I own Akuma no Eros or Dante's Inferno.
Previously...
"SORRY!" I screamed as I pulled out my i-pod and placed a set of earphones on my head and turned up the volume. I smiled when my favorite tune started to play and I slowly started to walk. My slow walk slowly turned in to a strut as my overconfidence started to fill the air. Within moments I was dancing my way through the gates of the underworld as I sang along with the song resonating in my head... "Ohhhh, THAT SHIT makes me BAT-SHIT crazy..."
An evil laugh escaped my lips as I thought, 'let the fun begin!'
Chapter 4 - Limbo...
Lucy's POV
I stepped over two large doors that I had sent flying into the pit only a few minutes ago and smiled as I had finally returned at my old playground... A place that I had snuck out to countless times as a child. When I was younger, I was always careful when I came here... Careful not to raise my Father's suspicions because the last thing I wanted was to be caught roaming through the Bowels of Hell. I'm sure my punishment would have been swift and severe but my curiosity always got the better of me.
My Mother, as sweet and kind as she is, has never been told what I truly am. Only Father and I know what I am... 'I am he and he is me!' We are one and the same, in other words I was born with all of my Father's powers, knowledge and memories. I know everything that he knew up until the moment I was born... After that moment we became two separate entities, who now have different life experiences and a different path in life to walk. So traveling through the Pit is mere child's-play to me.
I grinned as I took a deep breath, breathing in the wonderful aroma of ash which mingled with the sweet smell of death. To me the smell was intoxicating and I smiled, "I'm home!"
As I looked down at the doors I thought, 'I better fix that!' So with a slight wave of hand I sent the doors flying back into their original position... "Good as new!" Besides, the last thing we need are wayward souls coming and going as they please, 'it's a mess to clean up!' I grinned.
I turned around and stood on the edge of the pit and looked out over the familiar landscape. Below was the river Acheron which flowed deep into the Bowels of Hell, as flames rose from countless pits that scorched the surface while cliffs framed the scene before me. Dotting the surface were numerous stone pillars that rose across the pit and seemed to go on as far as the eye could see and in reality it did!... For the expanse of the pit was literally infinite. From above fell a never-ending supply of damned souls, who screamed in torment as they plunged into their worst nightmare.
Ahead I could make out the steady precession of souls as they boarded a large barge that would ferry them to their final damnation and at the bow of the ferry stood Charon, a little white-haired man. His body was pale and decrepit as was everything else in this pit but if you looked close enough you could see shadows of their former selves and Charon was now slowly becoming one with his ferry, his final resting place, as his legs are encased in roots.
I jumped off the cliff and gazed out as the scenery slowly changed. My fall to the ground beneath passed like the blinking of an eye and I gently landed near Charon's ferry.
A line of damned souls passed by me as they mindlessly walked up a loading ramp and into the belly of the ferry. What struck me the most about them, was their appearance... They all looked dark and gloomy and moved slowly as if they were dragging the weight of their sins behind them. Their faces were nearly unrecognizable as they're deeds in life weighed heavy upon their faces.
As Charon received his cargo he chanted... "Through me the way to the city off woe!... Through me the way to ever lasting pain!... Now shall I ferry you into the fire, the cold and the everlasting darkness!... Abandon hop..."
"Oh! shut up you old wind bag!" I roared as I released my demon form and jumped up on to the bow of the ship and sat just a few feet in front of Charon and crossed my legs. "Do you ever shut up!" I said as I rolled my eyes at the thought of having to listen to this boring speech... 'Again!'
"You are not numbered among the dead!... Leave this place!" He said in deep voice as his eyes burned bright red.
"HAHAHAHA!... Fool be quiet!... Take me to Limbo!" I ordered.
"Your soul is dark, we will have you soon enough!... Leave this place while you still can!" He said as he looked up into the cliffs. I followed his eyes only to she demons flying out of the caves that lined our way. Their wings were tattered, but still supported their obese, horned forms. Their blood-red eyes glowed as they came towards me with scythe's drawn... "You are damned girl... Leave or perish!" I sighed.
"Fine! Have it your way!" I groaned as I took a deep breath and blew the reapers back into their caves. "Now take me to Limbo!" Charon tilted his head to the side as he tried to determine who I was or perhaps what I was.
"What are you human!" He wondered but I had enough.
"Don't. Ever. Call. Me. That... AGAIN!" I roared, my voice echoed off the cliff walls and resonated through the Pit, as my anger had been unleashed. "I am you're lord and master!... So shut the hell up before I destroy you!... You overgrown raft!"
"My master!" He laughed.
My patience was at an end. I turned into black smoke and circled the little man who had spoken once too often. Through the smoke, only the outline of my face could be seen as I looked him dead in the eye... My eyes burning with the intensity of the deepest Hell-pit...
"You dear mock me, you piece of trash!" I growled as my mouth opened wide. I grinned and bite the his head off and spit it out."HAHAHAHA!" I laughed as I returned to my demon form and walked over to the severed head laying on the deck and picked it up. "Don't ever disrespect me again... I... Am... Lucyfer! Daughter of our Lord and Master Lucifer and you do not take my soul... I take yours!" I growled as the red glow in Charon's eyes faded to black. I dropped the head on the deck and crushed in under my foot. "Maybe the next time, you'll show me the proper respect I deserve and that goes for you Reapers as well!" I growled as I saw sets of red eyes in the cliff-side slowly disappear...
'Screw it!... I'll get there myself!' I thought as I turned back into fire, smoke and ash and headed for Limbo...
First Circle.. Limbo!
Limbo... The one place in Hell that I had never visited before today. It wasn't because it scared me that I never visited her, it was because of what it is... A place where those that didn't know of 'Him' went to. This place was unfair, unjust and unnecessary. Within the walls of the city were some of the greatest thinkers of all time, Plato, Socrates, people who did not know of 'Him', the one true God. They are condemned to roam Limbo till the end of eternity for something that they had no control over. Within the walls, were beings from every corner of the known universe... To me Limbo was the true Hell, a place you were damned to for the mere crime of not knowing, but the worse part of Limbo was outside the walls where the innocent and the unbaptized resided. They were more demon now than innocent and were well beyond redemption.
I know from my memories that Father also felt the same way about Limbo and he never entered this Circle. He preferred to not add to their torment, but from time to time he would pass over it, just to get to Charon or to check on their existence. He had set this domain to 'Off Limits' and no demon may enter here, except for Father and I.
As I made my way over the dark gray expanse of Limbo, I noticed the lack of any thing other than a few withered trees and the occasional boulder... It was flat and foreboding, a complete wasteland. Up in the distance a large walled city slowly came into view. It was almost identical in shape and height to the wall around the pit, with the only difference being in its sheer size... It's walls went on as far as the eye could see and continued on far beyond that.
I came to a stop in front of the large doors and re-materialized into my non-demon form and pushed them open and walked in. Inside was a court-yard where poets, scholars and other souls discussed their lives, works and their beliefs. Along one wall stood Ceasar and Plato as they discussed human nature... But a familiar voice quickly caught my attention...
"NATSU!" I yelled as I ran across the courtyard, weaving between men and women as I attempted to get to him as fast as possible.
As I zoned in on his familiar voice I noticed that something wasn't right... Not only was Natsu transparent, he was arguing with Gray about something stupid... Totally oblivious to his current situation. It was a normal argument for Natsu and Gray, but under the circumstances it surprised me that they never noticed where they were. I guess this is what Father meant when he told me 'to hurry up'.
"Natsu! Gray!" I yelled but neither of them noticed me. For a moment I thought perhaps they're still mad about what happened with Lisanna but no matter how many times I screamed at them, I got no response. I was starting to feel a little anxious as I looked around and saw the rest of Fairy Tail doing something similar... Cana was drinking from an empty keg, Mira was tending a bar that never existed and Erza was eating a cake that I could see through. They all seemed to be oblivious to those around them, even though they were all in the same area.
"Dam it!" I roared as my patience ran dry and I punched Natsu in the face, sending him into a nearby wall. Slowly he stood up while rubbing his chin and looked around and growled.
"Who did that!" He yelled as he spotted Gray, "that was you wasn't it Ice Princes..." His voice trailed off as he realized he wasn't in Fairy Tail, then panic set in. That was when he finally noticed me standing next to an excited Gray who was now arguing with himself.
"Lucy!... Is that you?" I smiled for the first time since this whole incident started.
"It's about time you idiot!" I said as he walked up to me. Natsu looked around and noticed he could see through everyone and that's when I could see the wheels in his head start to spin.
"We're dead aren't we?" I nodded my head as I noticed a tear forming in his eye. "But!... But!" He stuttered as the tears gave way to a pained Natsu who was almost hysterical.
"Natsu! Don't cry... I'm here now! I'll bring you all home!" I said as I noticed Natsu shaking his head.
"No! I-I ca-an't go b-back!" Natsu held his head low hiding his tears.
"Why can't you go back Natsu?
"Be-because this i-is all m-my fault!"
"I don't understand Natsu! How is this your fault?" I said as I tried to get Natsu to look up.
"I-I-I'm the one that killed you Lucy!" Natsu said as he fell to his knees.
"WHAT!" I yelled, "Is that what you're upset about!" I gently knelled down by Natsu and smiled. "Natsu, this isn't your fault!... It's mime for hiding my true nature from everyone and then letting my guard down!"
"But Luce! But... I killed the woman I love!" My eyes sprang open the moment the word love passed my ears. 'Did he really say that? I'm not dreaming am I... He really said he loved me!"
"You love me! That can't be... You don't mean that!" I said as I fell back on my ass as the word 'Love' kept ringing in my ears.
"Of course I do!... I've been nuts about you since I first met you. I was just to scared to say anything because I thought you'd reject me!" A shy Natsu said with his head held low...
"Natsu!... I love you too!" I said as I reached down and placed my hands on his cheeks. The moment I touched him his body glowed and kneeling in front of me was Natsu in all his glory. No longer pale and transparent, but pink and vibrant. 'My Natsu was back!' I smiled.
For a split-second he seemed surprised but then he grinned as he wrapped his arms around my neck.
"Natsu I have to tell you about mysel..." He placed his finger on my lips and hushed me.
"Luce! You don't have to explain anything to me... I... I... I know everything!" He exclaimed with a shocked look on his face. A look that told me he was surprised... "You're!... You're! Lucyfer, the daughter of Satan and a human named Miu... You are Satan and he is you... You're the prophesied one... You!... You were supposed to be born male and bring about the end of everything! But you're not male, you're Lucy the game changer!"
My eyes opened like saucers as Natsu spoke, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. There was no way he could know any of this, especially about the prophecy... "How!... How do you know those things? That's not possible, because only Mom, Dad, God, 'His' son and I know that! Neither Beelzebub nor Micheal know about any of that!... How!"
"Luce! I don't know how!... I just know it!... I also know I have to protect you and you're secrets, because you and I are the same!" Natsu said as he stood up and held out his hand and helped me up. He grinned and looked around. "Luce, we need to get them out of here before it's too late and they're trapped here forever."
"The same?" I said as I had a feeling I'd felt something like this once before. This Natsu felt familiar... Very familiar!
"Lucy! Snap out of it!"
"Natsu! I have to ask you a question!" I said as Natsu nodded his head 'yes', "Natsu are you willing to stay here to release our friends!"
"Of course Luce! I knew I would the moment you touched me! Besides with your help I'm sure we can figure a way out of here, but we have to get..."
"Lisanna!" We both said at the same time, as if our minds were one... No!... Our souls were one!
"Luce help me wake up the others so your Father can come and take them from here before it's to late for them!" I nodded as we both ran around touching our friends and one after another they became flesh and bone like Natsu and I. "Call your Father!" He ordered!
I looked around at my friends who were speaking among themselves. They all seemed confused, but they never questioned anything and just stood there smiling at me. Natsu and the situation had me unnerved to say the least as I contacted Father. A moment later a golden gate appeared with two large doors. As they swung open Father walked through shaking his head as he looked at Natsu and I and he smiled.
"Have you figured it out yet Lucy!?" Father said as he directed our friends through the gate. As the last of our friends walked through the gate, Father smiled and walked through it as well but stopped part way through...
"Lucy!... Natsu!... Show us your resolve in your upcoming test... Show me your faith!... Show me your love!... Show me that the prophecy is true!" He smiled as he walked through the gate and it slowly disappeared. 'Miu and I will be waiting on the other side for you two and that traitor... Oh!... One last thing, you have to complete this trial without using your powers! The moment you use your powers you forfeit your trial and that traitors life!... Lucy, you and Natsu may use your hidden items if you need... Good luck!"
Wow! That was a lot of typing! LOL
OH!... So many questions... Who's Hellena? What's this prophecy? Who is Natsu? What trial? Why does Natsu know everything? What awaits Lisanna? How will they escape The Nine Circle of Hell? What resolve? How much destruction will they cause on their way to get Lisanna? What waits for them in the Ninth Circle? ... All will be answered in due time! LOL
Please take a moment and let me know what you think of this chapter! I really hope you're enjoyed it!
Till next weekend...