All Rights to Hiro Mashima

This is it my loves, the descent to the end. Thank you all for sticking around for so long. Love you long time.

Stay Crazy my precious cupcakes,

LoadedEel

Chapter 41: Calcite

A clear variety of this stone is common in Nordic regions and is called "Icelandic Spar" and in the 10th century, it helped Vikings on their voyages find the sun and navigate on cloudy days; symbolizes cleansing and is highly protective.

They had marched in muted silence.

Lucy had never been a part of such a somber procession.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. The last time...the last time that sense of dreariness had hung over her head was her mother's funeral.

The entire castle of Domus had prepared for the last battle. They were neither needlessly optimistic about the outcome nor excessively condemning themselves in their own heads. What would come, would come no matter what they did now. There was determination, yes, extra training sessions, the trading of tips and advice.

But there was no wailing, no pleading, no cursing of the Gods about how their lives had come to this.

It had taken the army less than a single day to pack and begin their journey towards where Ignis had once stood, towards the Black City. Makarov had asked them to leave a day earlier than Cana's cards said, to give them an edge, but they had been waylaid by a surprise storm – while good for Laxus – had slowed their march enough that they would arrive precisely on time.

Just as predicted.

Everyone had been ready to pick up and leave for days, packed and ready at a moments notice.

The Dragon's had relinquished their need to fly and decided to spend as much time on the ground with their loved ones.

Lucy had headed up the pack of Generals and Lieutenants with Sting on one side, Natsu on the other and her motley family close to her back. Everyone knew that she was the key to ending this pointlessly distressing war, and so she was always surrounded, protected, almost smothered by bodies of her brother, her mate, or her extended family and friends.

Makarov strode purposefully a little way away with Laxus and Freed. She had spotted Erza and Jellal, fingers entwined tightly. Juvia's eyes glowed blue through the twilight from her place by Gray and his family, joined at the hip.

Happy rode on Natsu's shoulder, entirely quiet. Wendy's light footsteps could hardly be heard.

It was too quiet, too stifling. It felt like she was back in her castle in Astralis, surrounded by runes and silence and death.

So, in the space between dawn and morning on that last day, Lucy had started to sing the lullaby her mother had sung to her as a little girl. Her voice carried on the wind, clear and crisp as it shattered the quiet that was as heavy as any boulder.

It weaved a tale of love that transcended the ages, and of friendship, of a bond between Stella and her Dragon that could never be severed.

-ooo-

"Does everyone understand their assignments?"

Levy's voice was sharp and sliced through the murmurs. The group of Generals – including the Dragons, because no one knew just where they sat in the hierarchy of the army – shifted with anxious energy but nodded their ascent. This was the last war assembly – hopefully – that they would all be part of.

It was either triumph or perish now.

The plan was simple, easy to remember. They all knew from experience that with war, anything and everything could happen on the battlefield. So, it was best to keep it light and non-specific. However, that wasn't to say that they left everything up to chance. Levy and sometimes Freed, worked the probabilities quickly and gave them the best assignments for their fighting type, abilities, and experience while trying (and usually failing) to keep personal grudges and feeling out of it.

This time, with everything that had happened. Personal feelings were used as fuel in the upcoming fight. The drive they all felt to finally finish this or die trying was palpable.

Laxus had released Crime Sorciere over to Jellal. Ultear and Meredy would join them. Their faces bore deep black lines for their penance. They wore them with pride. Levy had directed them to finish off the last of Grimoire Heart. Cobra and Nova shared a feral grin. No one would get the best of them.

Erza and Laxus were to consolidate their factions into one that encompassed all the foot soldiers and lieutenants of Fairy Tail and were to be aimed at taking down the remaining members of Tartaros. Laxus had his heart set on Tempester and Mira on Seilah. Lucy painted dark blue for Fairy Tail on her brother's cheek with a small smile while Jellal did the same for Erza only a few feet away.

Nova had donned her armor, her swords and whip, keys and bow. Gold under her eyes and helm on her head. Dragon flame in the steel on her hip and Celestial light in her heart. She wanted to finish what she had started two long months ago.

Natsu and the rest of Lucy's nest chose red for Ignis, in tribute to the place where this all started and for where this would all end. Gajeel was chomping at the bit for a chance to bring down Torafuzar, he had a personal grudge against the wielder of the black waves. Both Wendy and her mother were delegated to medics with Porlyusica and Chelia. The tiny Slayer wasn't impressed with that decision, but Erza had insisted that they would need her there, healing, more than out in battle. They had plenty of fighters, what they didn't have many people to save those people if they needed.

Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, Quatro Cerberus, Blue Pegasus, and Mermaid Heel were sent after anyone left over.

Makarov had squashed down the exclamations from many of the army that he shouldn't march with them. I would never send my children out to a battle in which I wouldn't fight. Hades was his and he wasn't going to stand by and watch as he wreaked havoc over the coming fight. He may be the King but he was also a citizen that had seen that the Alvarez army was capable of.

Levy would stick by Gajeel's side. He had opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it when he saw that gleam in her eyes.

Gildarts and Mystogan would scout around and pick off the stragglers.

Yes, their plan was a simple one, but it would hopefully be enough to wipe out the Alvarez army once and for all.

"We'll remember the plan. However, I would like to point out that we might have a bit of a…well, snag." Igneel squinted down at the map of the area around the Black Fortress.

Levy pushed her glasses back up her nose, a little startled that she could have overlooked something. "And what would that be?"

"Acnologia."

Levy's brow furrowed as she ran more calculations through her mind, but she could do little else but say that it was probable that he would show up sometime tomorrow in the chaos. "I don't know enough about him, so I can't predict his movements…"

Lucy had a feeling that she knew where this was going. "You believe he'll show himself?"

"We will be the most vulnerable during the fight."

"You'll draw him away from us, won't you?" It wasn't a question. Lucy knew it was something she would do if she had the ability to, but from what she heard from Gildarts…there wasn't much she could do to the Chaos Dragon. Perhaps Igneel would have some sway over the chaos dragon.

With a wry grin, he nodded. "That was the idea, yes. But not just by myself. My nest will be by my side."

She watched as Weisslogia was elbowed in the stomach lightly by his own mate when he had whispered: "we will?"

Levy nodded and approved the plan with a shrug. "He locked you up in a cave for over ten years. You're the ones who he feels intimidated by. I think you and your nest will be the ones he wants to go after in the end. This kills two birds with one stone, really."

Makarov called an end to the meeting and gave the signal for them to disperse.

They would be at war in mere hours, with the first dawns of the morning.

-ooo-

"Sting?"

"Hmmm?"

"Where will you be during all of this?" Lucy twirled a piece of grass between her fingers before releasing it into the breeze.

"Right by your side my lady." She punched her Right Hand lightly in the arm. He only started to call her that lately when he wanted to get under her skin.

"And you Rogue?"

"Beside Sting. Someone has to keep him out of trouble."

She snorted at Ryos' flat tone. Even though it was the truth, it was still a little funny. Lucy knocked her head against the chest of Natsu. She had been leaning on him for almost a full hour, just soaking up his warmth and a little comfort from her nest. The uncertainty of later was pushed from their minds for a moment. "And you Natsu?"

"Do you even have to ask, Luce?"

She smiled into his scarf and didn't answer. She knew the answer better than she knew the back of her own hand.

The wind whistled through the dry stalks of dead scrub, all that was left over of the beautiful land Ignis used to be.

Lucy was content here. There would be mayhem and chaos, fighting and blood later, but watching Wendy bending the air to tickle Gajeel's nose so he scrunched it as he dozed next to Levy, her head deep in a book, was calming.

Come what may, she had a family to come back to. A brother, a lover, a wonderful extended family and a father figure, sisters as far as the eye could see, best friends and love. So much love.

Before she had met END in the flesh, she had left her emotions in the castle, far away from where she was so that she wouldn't be compromised in the heat of battle. Since then she has fought to protect, to kill, to destroy. She's fought and killed in anger and fury and despair. She's obliterated beings for revenge, and for love, for justice. Her emotions, she realized, fueled her.

So now, she would fight with everything she had, every single part of her to keep that love and trust alive, to ensure that her family lived long enough to thrive again. Like they deserved to. She would also fight for Mavis, and for the Zeref of old that hadn't lost what was left of his sanity. For the man that was a wonderful big brother, a scholar, and a kind man.

This entire war started when a heart broke, with a love that just refused to end.

So, she would end it in the same way. But she wouldn't let any other hearts break in the process.

"I will make sure you all come home again, I promise." This is what she would do.

So, she sighed and closed her eyes, prayed to her stars that they would watch over them all.

Only Natsu noticed that she didn't include herself in that promise. But that was okay because he would promise to get her back to Domus, whole and in one piece.

-ooo -

"Mavis, love…I think it'll happen soon. Can you feel it? I can."

"Me too Zeref."

"Will I see you after it ends? Will we finally be together?"

"I—I don't know."

"I think we will."

Silence. Then—

"Will you fight them?"

"—yes. I won't have a choice."

"Ah. The curse."

"Mmmm. The curse my love. I will be glad to be rid of it. Finally. After all these years."

More silence.

"I love you, Mavis."

-ooo-

As the last star winked out, a horn blew.

It was time.

-ooo-

The line broke, and Nova charged forward with hope in her heart and determination in her eyes, Celestial fire in her hand and a cry on her lips.

The end, the light at the end of this grueling cruel, pointless war was finally glimpsed.

And whether it would be carnage and damnation, or a new dawn for those left in Earthland…didn't matter. There was finally a conclusion and that was all anyone could ask for.

-ooo-

For all their planning, they weren't quite ready for the complete and utter madness of this battle. It seemed as if Zeref had sent every single one of his soldiers out, all the rest of the Demons and his shield out into the field.

The chaos, the lines between friend and foe, blurred so severely until there was a horrid mix of both in every direction. The ground was already a mix of mud and blood, black sticky Demon ichor and grey dust from the volcanic stones that littered the terrain.

Natsu watched closely as Sting, Leo and Lucy worked well in tandem, their light magic playing off and bolstering them with energy and speed. She was fierce and cunning, with her Right-Hand viciously cackling by her side as he blew a massive wound through the torso of an enemy with a bright laser. Ryos close behind pulling soldiers into his shadows and spitting them out bloody and torn.

He launched himself off the ground, ruby wings snapping out strong to bolster his jump. He let the molten fire gather in his lungs and let it out, bathing the field in a red glow, cooking soldiers in their armor.

A booming roar had them all ducking low until they could all attribute the heaving of the ground to their giant King whose face was a mask of fury, bellowing and grappling with a newly restored Jupiter cannon. Within a few seconds, the front had been ripped off and Hades was seen trying to subdue his enraged opponent with different spells to no effect.

From Natsu's vantage point, he could watch as the last of the Demon's met their end.

Torafuzar, finally subdued under the massive iron claws of Gajeel, Levy sitting primly on his back between his spines.

Abbadon and the She-Demon combining their strengths to pull Seilah back down to Earthland, ripping off her golden horns in the process.

Erza, plunging a dagger into Kyoka's thigh, surprising the Demon into stumbling long enough for a single silver blade to thrust itself through her chest.

Keyes, exploding from the inside out after having Gray and Juvia combine attacks, the pieces of his body fizzled out into nothing.

Tempester's ashes floating away on the wind after having clashed with an enraged Laxus, hell-bent on making that particular Demon pay for the poisoning incident years earlier.

The weight on his chest felt a little less now. All those Demons had been cruel, yes, but they had once been human, had been mages that had been friends of his father. Their passing into the void – finally – was a far better fate than the one where they were living, neither alive nor dead…just existing. He should know, being END for so long had put so many things in perspective for Natsu, chief of all was the fact that he took his soul for granted, but no longer would he do that.

A loud explosion caught them all off guard again, the ground rattling like the aftershock of a massive earthquake. Natsu whipped around to find the source, half in exasperation and pride having a feeling that it was his mate that was causing a ruckus again.

Only to find his father locked in a vicious battle with an equally gigantic black Dragon. Claws dragged over scales, drops of crimson lifeblood flew, sizzling as they hit the ground. Igneel was trying to herd the Chaos Dragon to a more open place so that there was no unnecessary loss of life. And with the help of his nest, they succeeded for the most part, although the deranged look in Acnologia's eyes didn't bode well for anyone involved. The Dragon was crazy and he clearly had more strength than his brethren did. Igneel and his nest had been in captivity for so long, their muscle mass had significantly depleted.

Natsu wheeled around through the air and dove for Lucy, wings snapping up as he halted his passage towards the unforgiving stone.

"LUCE!"

She knocked another light arrow against her magical bow and blew one of Ezel's many arms off as he tried to creep up behind Porlyusica and the other healers. They watched a little stunned as Wendy and Grandeeney leaped into immediate action as vicious winds and sharp teeth tore the other limbs off the Demon until he resembled nothing but a wriggling worm on the ground. Porlyusica drove the sharpened wooden handle of her broom through his chest with a disturbingly blank look on her face.

Lucy finally turned to him. "Natsu," her eyes darted over his body looking for wounds but would only find a scratch on his cheek and his clothes slightly smoking still. "What is it?"

He gestured towards the Dragon's battling on the other side of the field, even from here he could tell that his father was getting tired. "Luce…I have to…" He didn't know how to say what he needed. He wanted to be here with his love, fighting alongside her and watching her back, but he wanted to be beside his father again as well.

He had just found them both again after so long and he wasn't ready to let go of either of them yet.

"Go." Natsu looked back into her amber eyes only to find understanding and determination shining deep in their depths. "Natsu, go. He needs you. They all need you."

He purred and nuzzled her cheek. "Be safe love."

"You as well. Remember your promise."

He nodded. "Together. I know."

Nothing more needed to be said.

Sting whined a little but ultimately followed his Drake off to help their parents fight and destroy that despicable Demon. They pushed themselves off the cracking ground, their half-forms rippling and distorting in the air until they were once again fully Dragon. Lucy took another second to marvel at the strength of her best friend, the man he had become.

That was until a pained roar made her wince, her teeth rattling in her skull. She gasped as she watched Igneel tear an arm off of the Chaos Dragon, shredding his wing into tatters in the process. It was a mighty blow, but it seemed that it only enraged Acnologia more.

For a moment, everything stopped, not a sound was heard until a great crackling parted the stillness and a beam of dark light shot out and hit Igneel in the chest, pushing him back and bowling his nest back under the sheer force of the blast.

He didn't get back up.

A great shriek of anguish filled every corner of he battlefield, many lesser soldiers cowering under it's sound. But Lucy didn't bow to it because she would recognize Natsu's voice anywhere, no matter what form he took.

But even she gawked at the creature that swooped down from the heavens, barrelling into Acnologia's chest, clawing and tearing with gigantic gleaming talons and fangs. Deep red like spoiled blood, covered in swirling patterns of ink black script, an entirely new beast, this unfathomable Demon-Dragon that left breathless.

Friend or foe?

Flames as dark as pitch spilled from his maw, and that was then that Lucy knew that this being was her mate. Her Natsu.

Her END.