All Rights to Hiro Mashima
For LynsieTheBraveShadowHuntress who was the 250th follower of this fic! Thank you all for your amazing support. Especially those who take the time to favourite the story and review, you are fantastic and give me the fuzzy feels.
BEWARE! CUTE LITTLE DRAGONS AHEAD!
Chapter 24: Maw-sit-sit
An obscure stone that is part of the Jade family, only found in one place in the whole world; It was discovered in 1963 by a Swiss geologist in the foothills of the Himalayas in what is now considered Myanmar; said to link to positive and pleasurable memories and stimulates the Heart Chakra to heal wounded hearts and souls.
She cornered them as they came out of END's chambers just hours before they were set on raiding as much information from the Emperor's study as they possibly could. The three entirely different entities (one mage, one Dragon Slayer and one Demon) stared at each other in silence until Wendy broke that with a question that rocked Lucy and END to the core.
"You are General Nova, are you not?"
Lucy panicked. They had been found out, how…she wasn't sure but this was it, she could almost feel the torture that Kyouka would delight in dealing out. She looked at END who had an equally pained look on his face. They hadn't done anything that they had set out to do with this infiltration.
She had failed. Failed her family and friends, failed Domus, failed END.
Nova wondered if her acting skills were crap because she didn't know how else Wendy of all people would figure out who she is.
END grabbed Lucy's hand with his when he recognised the tension in her limbs like an animal ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble. He disregarded her attempts to shake him off even though she almost succeeded in doing so twice. The Celestial Mage was very strong, but END was stronger. "Let me go." She hissed in his ear, but he held fast for he had seen something that didn't make any sense at the moment.
Wendy's eyes.
They weren't deep red as his were, they were a warm chocolate brown. Kind, but also sad at the same time, and held a weariness that he knew all too well.
"Wendy…how long until the possession takes you over again?" Lucy stopped trying to flee and really looked at the tiny Dragon Slayer before them.
The young girl shifted and shrugged. "I'm not sure. It varies from time to time… But my healing magic was just used recently and in great quantity. I think at least another two or three hours at the most."
END only grimaced at the short amount of time, but ushered them back into his room, shut and bolted the door behind them to give them some privacy. Luckily enough, this tower was the highest point of the Fortress, and it was extremely hard for someone to listen in on conversations, even if they were Dragon Slayers.
Lucy looked relieved and even offered Wendy a small smile. "To answer your question, yes, I am General Nova, but you can call me Lucy. May I ask how you knew it was me?"
"Mest told me this morning."
Immediately, both END and Lucy's smiles dropped, and the anxiety was back on their faces. "Why did you see Mest? What happened?"
Blue hair done up in twin tails bounced back and forth as Wendy waved her hands around trying to calm them down. "NO! Everything's fine. There was a small skirmish between the Oracion Seis and fifty troops from Alvarez against only two people from your side. One was all bandaged up and wearing a bandana, and the other was Jellal, who I assume was always working for Domus."
"Mystogan and Jellal!? What the hell! Why didn't the King tell us? Was anyone hurt!?"
A strong wind blew around them, lifting hair and rustling clothing. It drew Lucy's eyes back to Wendy who spoke once again. "Please listen to me! I don't have much time…and everyone is alright. The only casualty was Brain, and that was after Cobra turned on him and ripped his heart out of his chest."
Even more confused, Nova and END let Wendy finished before they bombarded her with a multitude of questions that were swirling in their brains. Chief among them, why would Cobra turn on his ally like that?
"I was called to see if I could help Brain, but it was futile, he was dead already, so I was ordered to heal the other troops that were knocked out by the same spell all at the same time."
Lucy nodded. She knew the one Wendy spoke of, it was one that Jellal hated using, but brought it out in dire circumstances. "Grand Chariot: Sema. It is one of the true Heavenly Body spells and is extremely powerful."
Wendy nodded and continued. "After I had finished healing them all, I felt my control returning to my body like it always does after I use my magic in great quantities, Mest found me, I don't know how he does it, but he always knows when the Black Wizard's control is breaking. He told me to find you on the inside of the Black Fortress and that you would be with END. He also said that you wanted to get me out of here to help someone in Domus…someone that could give you valuable information that could turn the tide of war."
"We need you to awaken five Exceeds that were placed under an eternal sleep spell by the Demon Lullaby."
Wendy's face lit up into a gigantic smile filled with hope. "Exceeds!? Was there a small white one with a pink bow on her tail in a little dress?"
Nova nodded and couldn't help but smile along with Wendy's joy. "Yes. Do you know her?"
"YES! Her name is Charles, and she was…is my best friend. All the Dragon Slayers here in Alvarez had one after the Queen of Extalia granted four eggs to the different families. The Crown Prince had found and looked after an Exceed for many years after the egg was lost in a forest. Queen Shagotte gave one egg that contained an Exceed that had been orphaned to each Dragon Slayer as a companion and friend, as a tribute to the kindness of Natsu. We loved them with all our hearts."
Lucy stared dumbfounded at the little girl, Natsu had never mentioned that to her before, he probably found it unimportant or uninteresting. Ugh, that boy was infuriating.
"END found them all in a deep sleep under the Fortress, and they are being taken care of by our healer Porlyusica back in Domus. They are healthy but asleep."
A few tears leaked from Wendy's eyes as she leapt forward and hugged both END and Lucy at the same time, squeezing them together in a surprisingly tight grip. "Thank you so much! I thought she was dead!"
END placed a hand on top of Wendy's blue hair and stroked her head slowly – being mindful of his claws – "They're perfectly healthy. Gramps and the others will take good care of them all. I promise."
Nova wiped the tears away from Wendy's eyes as the little Slayer stepped back with a hopeful look on her face. It seemed that the news had given the girl another reason to fight the possession.
"Wendy, can I ask you a question?"
She nodded at Lucy who crouched down to Wendy's height and clasped their hands together as a show of silent support.
"No one knows what I look like and I could have just been another soldier. How did you recognise me as Nova?"
The Sky Dragon Slayer smiled sheepishly and twirled a piece of her hair around her finger. "You smell like Stardust."
END laughed and ruffled the little girl's hair. "I know right? She smells great, better than any of the others in the Army who only smell of desperation, boot polish and bad dental hygiene, eh?"
Wendy nodded and giggled, trying to swat END's hands away from messing up her hair-do any longer. Lucy looked on and smiled at the sight. It was nice to see END interacting with someone in a pleasant manner, albeit a slightly annoying older brother way, but it reminded her somewhat of her and Laxus when they were younger.
Lucy was suddenly very homesick and couldn't wait to see everyone again just to make sure that they were all alright. Especially Laxus and Erza, and even those in the Thunder Legion. Freed, Evergreen and Bixslow had always been so welcoming of her into their little group. She loved them all like family.
An errant thought brought Lucy up short from her musings, and she actually gasped out loud.
"Shit! How could I have been so foolish? I can't believe I forgot about the one person that can help us with that problem…" Lucy mumbled to herself. She needed to speak to Bixslow the moment they returned to Domus. It would give them both peace of mind if nothing else.
Wendy looked on in confusion, and she watched General Nova berate herself under her breath and slam an armoured hand to her forehead. End only chuckled and shook his head when Wendy went to ask if Lucy was alright. "Don't worry kid. She's just weird."
Lucy rounded on the idiot Demon and pointed a single finger at his face. "I'm not weird! You are! Never mind that now…I think…I have an idea about something that doesn't have any relevance to these proceedings at the moment." Lucy waved off END's questions and only spoke directly to Wendy while the big bad Demon pouted about being ignored.
"What happened to the Seis Wendy?"
"They were captured by the two mages from Domus after they surrendered and taken back to the castle. That was the last I heard of it. The Emperor is absolutely furious. I would stay away from the throne room for at least a day, his Death Wave is out of control right now. He didn't know that there were double agents in his castle, so now he is combing through all his factions, searching out the weak links and killing those who he suspects as traitors."
Lucy thanked Wendy with a grimace and a true smile – albeit a small one. She couldn't help but adore this young woman, she was so gentle and kind. Determination flooded her veins. Lucy knew right then that they needed to get her – and all the other Dragon Slayers – out from under Spriggan's thumb and into Domus as quickly as possible, she could feel the end of the clash between Alvarez and Domus coming and knew that there was bloodshed in their future. It might also be time to call Juvia home.
Lucy sighed. The tasks to be done before they left for Domus were certainly piling up. But she couldn't focus on that at the moment, there was information that they needed and someone here that could potentially answer their questions. "Do you know how the Emperor is controlling you?"
As an answer, Wendy rolled up her sleeve and bared her right arm.
There, halfway between her elbow and her shoulder was a brand of the Alvarez crown. Lucy sucked in a quick breath and gave the girl a sad look. "Are you sure this is it? Don't most have this brand if they are in the Army?" Lucy pointed to END's shoulder as an example, the black of the brand standing out against his tanned skin. They had done it on the opposite side of his spiralling Demon marks.
"Yes, but I can feel the black magic spell woven into it. Right now, my healing magic is trying to overcome it, as it is like an infection in my blood, but I'm not strong enough to completely throw it off."
Lucy could see it now. Feel it in the air. The dark wizardry that was almost pulsing like a heartbeat within the brand. It made her slightly sick to her stomach. She had an idea, but it was a dangerous one, as well as being absolutely reckless and crazy.
And it would hurt.
END couldn't do it because his Black Hellfire was too close to the spell that was used on the brand, but Lucy possibly could pull this off in a pinch, if her magic listened to her and did what she wanted. It was dicey at best.
But it was all they had.
"Wendy. I think I can free you from the possession…It will most likely burn something fierce and leave you with a scar, but you would be free, I hope and able to go to Domus and reunite with Charles. But it is your choice whether or not to try it."
"What will you do to me?"
"I will burn off the brand with Holy Light. My magic is derived from the Heavens and will rid your body of the black magic. But it will hurt."
Wendy nodded quickly. "Do it. Please. I want to help, and I want to see Charles again. I will do anything, try anything even if it hurts. But…will you help all the others as well? None of this is their fault, the possession, everything they have done they haven't had any free will over it."
"Of course. We promise to help any way we can."
Lucy admired the little girl's courage and readied herself for the process of burning away the seal on her arm. "END, get her something to bite down on so she doesn't accidentally gnaw off her own tongue."
He complied and handed Wendy a scrap of fabric which she rolled up and folded into a square, clamping her jaw down tightly onto it. END grabbed her small hand in his own. "Wendy, squeeze my hand when it hurts so that you can ground yourself. Don't worry about injuring me, I'm strong."
She gave him a quick, nervous smile but seemed to relax with his help.
"Are you ready Wendy?"
Determination and steely resolve flashed through Wendy's eyes as she nodded at Lucy, clutching END's hand in a death grip.
Lucy had built up an excess of magic into her hands. She would usually will it into the shape of a sword or as an arrow for her special bow, but this time she left it as a ball of swirling gold. "Alright. Don't be afraid to make noise. No one can hear us up here. If you must yell, then do so to relieve the tension, but do not let your jaw loose. Alright?"
Another nod.
Without another word, Lucy pressed the blessed light to Wendy's shoulder over her brand and held it against the skin.
Wendy screamed through the bit but didn't let the fabric fall out. END grunted as the grip on his hand turned bruising, his tendons and bones shifting together uncomfortably. He was slightly proud of Wendy, this little Slayer was strong and would be a very good ally for them. She would lead a much better life in Domus at any rate.
Lucy tried not to gag as the smell of burning flesh wafted through the room, coupled with the scent of salty tears and ozone.
And then it was over.
Lucy released her magic and looked at the blistering bubbling burn on Wendy's shoulder for a moment before a green glow overtook it and wiped it away. She had never seen true healing magic before, but Lucy thought it was beautiful. All that was left on Wendy's arm was a large red scar.
Wendy sighed as her healing powers gave her relief from the burn and turned towards the two that helped her so much. More than they would ever know. "Thank you…"
She toppled over in a dead faint, startling both END and Lucy. But they could see she was still breathing, so their proper freak out was halted before it could begin.
"Her body must be ridding itself of the possession, I think it will take some time. Probably a day, maybe two." Lucy's magic was potent in its pure form, luckily enough she didn't have to use it in that way too often. It was bright enough to blind her eyes and give her spots in her vision, she couldn't imagine what END was seeing with his enhanced senses.
END carried Wendy's tiny body to his bed and tucked her under the sheets, the act so foreign to him but it felt wonderful to help out in any way he could. He realised that he wouldn't mind more times like this, tucking in the little girl, watching over her while she slept peacefully, protecting her so that she could grow up strong and happy.
He knew that she was the daughter of one of the Dragon's that went missing years ago and had no other family, just as he did. Well,…he had Lucy in a way…and possibly those in the Domus Army, specifically those of Fairy Tail.
Would they accept this little girl as well? Would they welcome Wendy with open arms? Would Makarov be willing to let her help the war effort? She was a healer of sorts, maybe she could apprentice under that scary pink-haired witch lady. It would keep her out of the front lines and allow her to grow into her abilities while being relatively safe from attacks.
END knew that if Wendy were anything like Lucy, then she would want to do anything possible to make up for what the Black Wizard did with her body. It was inevitable, but also unnecessary. But the guilt was there, and he understood that. He had that emotion in spades.
Wendy was so strong and resilient, she reminded END a lot of his Lucy that way, the woman who never ceased to amaze him. He could become Wendy's family, couldn't he? She didn't shy away from him like so many other do, so hopefully…it would happen one way or another.
At that moment, he resolved to be the best big brother to the little girl that he could be.
He watched Lucy gaze at Wendy for a moment and voiced his idea softly, delighting in the approving nod and gentle smile that he got in return. "That's a wonderful idea END. She needs a good example growing up, and I think you are a perfect one."
END wanted to say that he thought that Wendy would be better to take after Lucy, but kept that idea to himself. Lucy was much too humble to think that she was any kind of role model for anyone. But the kindness of her heart spoke for itself.
He and Lucy retreated from the room, locking the door behind them and set off towards the study to gather the information they needed.
For the second time in his life as a Demon, END felt the stirrings of joy in his heart.
-ooo-
The information retrieval was as boring as it was tedious.
END guarded the door and used his enhanced hearing to keep himself aware of all the approaching figures and possible intruders for at least an hour.
But, by either shear dumb luck or possibly the Gods were looking down on them, not a single person interrupted them.
Lucy had been scanning all the notebooks in the room as well as the files and such with that lacrima for what seemed like an eternity before he heard her breathing change into one of slight distress.
He abandoned his post in favour of figuring out just what had her heart elevating, a true sign of either adrenaline or anxiety.
Looking at the files she had in her hands, it was definitely anxiety and stress.
He watched her eyes grow impossibly wide before they closed altogether and handed all of the files that included pictures and important documents and scientific discoveries to him. "I..I can't read these…please…can you?"
Without a word, he took them and noticed the headings written in perfectly spaced looping script.
Zodiac Keys – Uses and Combinations
Demons – Tartoros/Underworld King (see Mard Geer/E.N.D)
R-system
And the last one, who had his heart racing in time with hers.
E.N.D – Experiment One (see Demons)
END ripped open that file as if his life depended on it only to stall on the first thing he saw. A single portrait of three people. A tall man with flaming red hair, bottle green eyes that glowed with mirth wearing a simple bronze circlet on his head. A black haired teen wearing robes of white and black clutching a single book to his chest. A small boy with vivid pink hair, black eyes and a gigantic smile.
He closed the file and showed the picture to Lucy. "Who are the men in this picture?"
Lucy's fingers grazed the faces slightly, a ghost of a smile gracing her face. She pointed to the red-haired man. "This was Igneel, the King of Ignis back in the day when all the Kingdoms were prosperous and content. This," She now let her finger trace the teenager, "was Zeref Dragneel, the Crown Prince before Igneel went missing."
Her smile grew wider at the last figure. "And this…"
"…was Natsu." He finished for her. He looked back at the file once again and noticed something strange.
His name at the top, spelt 'E.N.D' instead of a single word it was used as an acronym. Lucy seemed to notice the same thing, so he let her peruse the information inside while he operated the lacrima, copying everything else and sending it back to headquarters in Domus.
Before she could get very far into it, END had finished his own job. He was about to ask how long she would need, but something pinged in the back of his brain halting his words in his throat. He cocked his head to the side, realising that what he was hearing were footsteps.
Heavy footsteps of at least three people. They were coming this way.
"We need to leave…NOW!" END shoved all the papers back in the files, grabbed Lucy's hand and dragged her back towards the entrance they had come through. Too late he noticed that she still clutched the file and notebooks dedicated to the experiment that he was, but they didn't have enough time to turn back and hoped with all his being that that particular file wouldn't be needed soon.
Their door had barely closed before the study's double doors had slammed open. Lucy opened her mouth to ask just what the hell was going on, but END beat her to it and crushed her against the side of the cramped corridor with his overheated body slapping a single hand over her mouth.
He could see the discomfort in her expression, as his wings and horns and talons were not ideal for standing in the servant's entrance, so he shifted to what he had dubbed as "Natsu form." He watched her eyes grow softer as Lucy took in the sakura coloured hair and deep eyes.
For a moment, he could imagine what it would have been like if the Black Wizard hadn't transformed her best friend into a Demon, what would have been in store for Natsu and Lucy? Would they have been in love? Would they have been bound together? Would they have a mess of children to watch over and Kingdoms to run? Would they ever met with all the allies they had and become a family together as they had now?
It was futile to think about those things now. This was the reality that they were in, this world that was slowly being eaten by the Black Wizard and his creations.
So he let himself savour the warmth of her body as they pressed up intimately together and just listened to the meeting taking place in the study they had just vacated.
"…what of the Exceeds?" Invel, the Winter General, was there, his voice taut and strained.
"Stolen." So Spriggan was there as well.
"Who could have done such a thing? Cobra? Jellal? Another spy?" END growled lowly as Kyouka's voice filtered through the crack in the door to his sensitive ears. He would never forgive that Demon for what she did to him and Lucy that first night. He had wanted Lucy to be his, true, but not that way.
Never that way.
"I don't know. I didn't think that Cobra would turn on us like that. Killing Brain, then leaving with one of my most trusted advisors. Jellal is priority two. He must be killed, along with that traitorous snake. But first…"
"General Nova…yes, we remember."
"Good. Hopefully one of you will be able to do the deed better than END could. It was a mistake to send him out there. His humanity is bleeding through again, he asked about his name the other day…his memories must be returning."
He could hear fabric shifting and footsteps fading, the group in the room exiting into the hallway. "…what will you do with END?"
"Extermination. He is nothing but a failed experiment after all…"
END heard no more after confirmation of his death fell heavy on his ears, the weight insurmountable and troubling. He didn't even know he could die a true death. He always thought he was immortal, or something along those lines because all Demons could be resurrected by Hell's Core.
Now…he wasn't so sure.
He looked to Lucy who had so much worry in her eyes and knew that after this mission was done, he had nothing left to do here in Alvarez. He would publicly fight alongside his new allies in the Domus Army. He would stand tall and be proud of the fact that he was END, or Natsu, or a mixture of both and have faith in his strength and in the woman who he knew would be by his side until the bitter end.
Lucy involved him in a tight embrace that gave him hope, if he could stay this way for hours, then he would.
But reality always interrupts those precious moments. And so they left quietly and quickly back to his room, and he watched as Lucy shucked her specially made armour (she had left her other armour, and weapons save a pair of daggers behind as they clinked together and made them useless for stealth) and climbed into his gigantic bed. She curled protectively around the young Dragon Slayer and drifted off into what would hopefully be a dreamless sleep.
END took the stolen file, the notebook and photographs and decided that they would take the physical copy back to Domus. It was too important to leave it lying around, and by the looks of all the dust, it hadn't been opened in years.
He found a good place to hide it in the back of his closet between two books written in an obscure language that he didn't know but tickled something in his mind, like an itch he couldn't scratch. Those would be coming back as well by the looks of things.
A small wooden box that smelled heavily of smoke and sandalwood caught his attention. He had never opened it before, not truly looking around the possessions of the late Crown Prince until just recently, save for the paintings (those would be coming with them too).
He assumed something like jewels or gold would shine from within, and he was half right. A golden ring, carved and moulded into a curling image of a Dragon sat on a seat of velvet. In its mouth sat a very porous rock that neither gleamed nor was polished in any way.
It was a beautiful piece and seemed to hold some significance.
A large stab of pain lanced through his brain and he dropped the box on the ground as his world went black.
Then there was fire. Only fire.
The fire died down until he could see it was grand forge lively with flames that somehow felt like home and smelt delicious. The giant man – who he now knew as Igneel – stood bare-chested and watched him with something akin to credulousness. "You want to make her what?"
"A ring, Dad."
The great King laughed heartily. "I knew that she would want something sparkly. Idiot boy making a girl a sword…what stone should we put in the centre?"
"No! Dad, nothing that sparkles. That's stupid. I read about something the other day that I thought she would like."
Igneel dropped the red-hot poker in surprise. "You read?"
"Shut it old man! I read…Don't look at me like that! FINE! Zeref read it to me."
"That's better. Thought I was dreaming there for a moment."
He growled at the man. "Whatever. I want to make it out of gold."
"Course. We are Dragons. Dragons like gold. It's only natural. What gem then? Or perhaps a semi-precious stone?"
"No. I already found one." He showed the King, only to have his father grab the volcanic rock from his hands and examine it.
"It's a good one, not very expensive though. Where did you find it?"
"The Molten's summit."
"Natsu…do you know what that means for us Fire Dragon's?"
"…yes." His voice was small but steady.
"This is akin to a proposal in her Kingdom. How long have you known this girl? Only a couple of months. And you know that you wish to be bound to her? You are barely nine years old!"
He huffed a breath, letting smoke curl out of his mouth in anger. "I know alright? I can feel it. The Dragon in me knows Igneel. It will always be her. Luce is strong…and courageous and smart and pretty and her eyes are so big-"
Igneel held up his hands to stop the tirade of the young boy. "But do you even know what marriage entails?"
"Two best friends being together for the rest of their lives. Right?"
The King laughed and ruffled the boy's hair. "In a sense, yes. But there is also love, Natsu, to make it worthwhile."
He curled his small hand around the rock. "I know that. I love her already. She's my best friend dad."
"Alright, you brat. Let's get started on that ring then, promise me that you won't give this to her until after your seventeenth birthday, alright? I'll put a diamond on it as well, to keep with the customs of her own land. Do you want an inscription on the inside?"
"Alright! I'll wait…and of course, I wanna do that! I know exactly what to say…"
END shook the fading memory from his mind and looked down to the ring, picking it up off the floor. The diamond sat as the eye of the Dragon. Inspecting the inside, a simple sentence could be seen in scrolling script.
For My Best Friend Luce
He chuckled at that. It was perfect and just what he would expect for something that was made by a young child.
END placed the box with the ring inside in his pocket, deeming it too important to have it laying around.
Pulling off his tunic and pants he climbed into bed on the other side of Wendy. He watched Lucy sleep peacefully and chuckled quietly to himself.
It seemed that Natsu loved her too, for many, many years.
He was somehow alright with that. END was a Demon, but it didn't mean that he couldn't learn how to share.