Hey guys, here is the next chapter in this story.
Enjoy
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The Ice Silver Crystal
Run…away…
Rave`s finger twitched as she lied on the ground, unmoving. Everything that had happened up till now was running through her head. She can see Mavis`s smiling face as the First Master stared at her.
All my life…I have always run away, she thought, even back then when mother and Father were alive…
She slowly started to pull herself up.
"Not anymore," she whispered.
Zeref who was standing in front of her raised his dark eyebrows but he didn`t say anything. The young woman stood up fully and her eyes stared straight toward her brother.
"I am not running away anymore," she said.
"You still want to continue fighting what`s inevitable Rave?" Zeref told her, narrowing his eyes a little, "You can`t defeat me, no matter how powerful you have become these past hundreds of years we have been apart. The Five were merely ants in front of my full power."
Rave chuckled softly.
"You really think that I will face you without an Ace up my sleeve?" she said, looking straight at him.
"If you talk of your plan to remove my immortality…," Zeref started.
"No it`s something entirely different," Rave told him as her magic started to gather around her body, "I had a long time to be able to master this ability…many days and night spend practicing and working to perfect it…all for this day dear brother."
Zeref`s eyes widened as he stared at her actually stepping back as the reddish pink aura around Rave started to turn into a silvery color…
W…What is that? He thought.
Rave frowned to herself as she remember the words that her old Crystal Magic master had once told her about this brand of magic…
Flashback
It had been three years since Rave had started to learn Crystal Magic from underneath the old man called Harry. The young man had decided to give all of his energy and time to learn this brand of magic so that he could become strong and keep the word he had spoken to the man…
It was the only thing he can do…to grow strong, so that another tragedy like the one that happened to Vanalu could never be repeated. The young man stood out of breath with Harry standing across him both of his arms crossed.
"Not bad there Rave," the man said looking at him, "You are quite a talented young man…despite your earlier misgivings about magic."
Rave looked up at him.
"Well, I had decided to see past it," he said, "Magic is magic whether it is used for good or for evil. It`s just as Igneel once told me. Magic is only a tool."
Harry chuckled.
"You`ve learn I see," he said.
Rave looked up toward him, suddenly remembering something.
"Harry, there is something I have been meaning to ask you," he said.
The old man blinked in confusion.
"What?"
"Well, I was reading that book you gave me about the history of Crystal Magic when I stumbled upon a type of Crystal Magic…it`s called, Ice Silver Crystal Magic."
Harry`s look suddenly darkened causing Rave to wonder why.
"What about it?" he asked slowly.
"What is it exactly?" he asked, "When we started training, you said that they were only two type of Crystal Magic."
"I know what I said Rave," Harry told him.
"Then what is the Ice Silver Crystal Magic?"
Harry stayed silent for a while, leaning upon his staff, and Rave grew nervous as the time passed wondering if he had over stepped his bounds when Harry suddenly looked up.
"Well if you found about that," he said, "I can`t keep quiet about it. It`s best if I just tell you about it before you do something foolish."
Rave quickly stood up straight.
"So what is it exactly?"
"It's a combination of both Capture Crystal Magic and Crystal Making Magic," Harry told him.
Rave leaned his head to the side.
"What? But I thought that we had to have a balance with both Crystal Magic?"
"Yes which is why it is a Forbidden third step in the Crystal Magic domain," Harry told him, a sudden serious look in his eyes, "The unbalance within yourself can turn you into a Crystal statue, as you already know Rave…this third step break the balance within yourself to reach a new height in power."
Rave perked up at that.
"A new height…how high exactly?"
Harry hummed a little.
"Imagine being able to create Crystal without even doing the required signs," he said, "To be able to continuously absorb the Ethernano that is in the air and be able to fight with that power, able to turn anything to crystal…"
Rave stayed silent as he thought about it. This power…it sounds like it could be worth learning and if he masters it…he will be unstoppable.
"Will you teach it to me?" he asked looking up toward Harry.
"What part of Forbidden don't you understand you little brat?" Harry yelled slamming his staff upon Rave`s head.
"Ouch, that freaking hurt," Rave yelled, massing the sore part on his head.
Harry let out a sigh.
"I wouldn't teach it to you even if I wanted to," he said.
Rave frowned.
"Why not?"
Harry looked at him straight into the eyes.
"Because the price for reaching such height in power will be your life," he said.
Rave`s eyes widened in shock.
"Are you saying that if I used that Ice Silver Crystal Magic I will die?" he asked.
"Power is not something worth dying over," Harry told him, "a kid like you should enjoy what he already has. Too much power can corrupt even the purest of souls, it`s simply human nature. The Ice Silver Crystal Magic has already taken many lives in the past…"
"So this must be the magic that could actually match a Dragon`s?" Rave said, remembering Igneel saying something about Crystal Magic Users to be able to fight dragons.
"It is because of that power that my people were pushed to the brink of extinction," Harry told him, a sadness overcoming his face, "That power brought out a fear from the rest of the world and we were hated and shunned for it. That fear grew so strong that the King of Fiore at the time ordered a complete extermination of the Crystal Magic Users, thinking that we might grow too powerful and wrestle the country from him…"
Then he shook his head.
"Enough about that now," he said, "Just don`t dwell upon it. That power will stay where it can never face the light again, the past."
End of flashback
Rave`s entire form was covered in an entire silvery color that brightened around her. Even her hair had a silvery tinge in the raven black as her clothes danced in the wind. She can feel the magic in the air around her so much that it was overwhelming…
It`s just as Harry described it, she thought, Unlimited power…
She looked up toward Zeref noticing that for the first time in a very long time, the young man actually looked shocked, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Rave had a smirk upon her face at that. It was great to be able to wipe that smirk off his face.
"This is my ace brother," Rave said, a confident look upon her face, "The Ice Silver Crystal."
"The power…," Zeref said, "How can you achieve such strength in power?"
Rave tightened her hands into fist.
"I told you," she said, "This village will be our graves, and I intend to make that happen, by any means necessary."
Zeref`s face shadowed itself for a few second as the red eyes suddenly glowed in the darkness.
"As you wish."
He launched a dark wave toward Rave who raised her hands instantly causing it to turn into crystal, a dark crystal. Then Zeref jumped backward from where she was and joined his hands together.
"Nemesis," he said.
From the destroyed parts that were lying all around them, monsters started to rise out of the rumbles until a good dozens of them were all around Rave who was incased in the silver light as she gazed around her.
Then all of the monsters all charged at her and Rave could feel them after all, she could feel the magic in the air and within the monsters. Then a large magic circle appeared from underneath her feet.
"Crystal Pulse,"
A sudden wave of magic burst from Rave`s body, using it as a center as it blew all around her and the Nemesis creatures were all frozen, turned into crystal before they all exploded into chards.
This power…, Rave thought, I can use it to push Zeref into a corner and summon the Triangle...This way I might be able to remove the Valhalla Piece that is within him…and once he is mortal, all I have to do is to go for the kill.
Suddenly a surge of pain coursed through Rave`s body causing her to wince.
Damn…my body is already feeling the damage of the unbalance, she thought, I am going to have to finish this quick.
She pulled out an orb from her clothes and placed it on the ground.
Now for the next two, Rave thought before charging forward aiming straight at Zeref who had transformed the earth around him into large lumbering monsters. They all charged toward Rave who simply cut through them with her hand causing the monsters to explode into crystal.
"I won`t be defeated Rave," Zeref said, as he raised his hand toward her, "Not like this….not when I have so much to accomplish."
A dark magic circle appeared around him as a large hands made out of black magic all aimed straight for Rave who dodged most of them and turned the others into crystal. Then when she got close enough to Zeref, she slammed her fist straight into his face.
"You have accomplished enough already," she yelled out as the man was thrown backward from the hit.
Rave then landed on the ground in a crouch as she watched him land on the ground and rolling.
"Acnologia, Deliora, Lullaby," she said, "and the many others that you have unleashed on the world back during the war…It`s already enough."
Zeref slowly stood up, whipping his face as blood slid down from his lip. This punch felt heavy…heavier than normal punches thought he can`t figure out as to why it was doing this.
Also, it felt cold, he thought as he stood up, Rave`s magic feel cold now compared to earlier…in a very dangerous kind of way. It`s seems that his new magic can even turn my Nemesis to Crystal something he couldn`t do before…
He stood there narrowing his eyes.
To be able to push me like that Rave, he thought, Who would have thought out of everyone…it would be my cowardly younger brother?
"Look like it`s time to finish this Acnologia," he said.
From above, the Black Dragon`s roar echoed.
Rave suddenly glanced up toward the sky as the black Dragon itself came flying down toward the ground, landing causing the very ground beneath her feet to shake. She narrowed her eyes at him.
Zeref is actually using Acnologia? She thought, he must have realized how much of a threat my new magic is.
"This is my ace Rave," Zeref spoke out from where he stood, "And you are going to die."
Acnologia`s jaws started to shine with magic and Rave`s eyes widened as the light started to become even brighter…
That`s a breath attack, she thought.
A large white blast blew from the Dragon`s mouth as it tore the ground causing a giant chasm to appear in the earth aiming straight for Rave as a magic circle appeared underneath her feet.
A power that once battled dragon, she thought, Time to see if it`s true or not.
"INFINITE CRYSTAL WORLD," Rave yelled out throwing both of her hands forward.
The large blast of concentrated magic caused many dust and rubbles to fly all around the area as Acnologia`s magic caused devastation to the valley that was once standing there but now a deep chasm stayed there.
Zeref narrowed his eyes as the dust settled wondering if Rave had been killed in that attack after all, Acnologia`s breath attack was powerful enough to level an entire city into smithereens, and when it is at its most powerful, level an entire Island…
When the dust disappeared, Zeref`s eyes actually widened in shock.
W…What the? He thought.
A tunnel of silver crystal was there in the chasm that Acnologia`s attack had created. He couldn`t understand how that happened nor how did Rave caused that to happen for he knew that his brother was the one who did it.
How was he able to turn that into Crystal? He thought, It was like the magic itself had been solidified but…that can`t be…Just where did you learn such a powerful Magic Rave?
Rave was huffing slightly at the enormous amount of magic that she had to use to get that done. The Crystal World already used a large amount of magical power whenever she used but this more powerful version of it was draining…even thought her body was quickly drawing upon the magic in the air to replenish what she had lost.
A power to match dragons, she thought, Guess the old man wasn`t exaggerating.
BA-DUMP!
A shiver ran through Rave`s body as she suddenly vomited blood upon the ground and she can see crystal in the red substance on the ground.
My…My blood…it`s already starting turning into crystal? She thought, Damn…I don`t have much time left…
He looked up toward the large dragon whose white eyes where now fixed upon her.
I am going to have to set up the rest of the triangle around Acnologia, she thought, that way…I will take destroy both him and Zeref together…
She stood up straight, whipping her mouth. She tensed her legs and then noticed the large dragon aiming a clawed hand toward her and then she moved quickly continuingly dodging his attacks and sometimes sending out her own attack against him, but never actually doing any real damage to the dragon itself.
"Running around isn`t going to change anything Rave," Zeref said as more Earth made hands grew from the ground.
They all aimed toward Rave who had slowed down to kneel on the ground and they all slammed into her body causing her to yell out and land painfully on the ground, blood falling out of her lips.
"Game over Rave," Zeref said, raising his hand as he summoned more magic.
To his surprise however, Rave smiled.
"What are you laughing about?" he asked.
"Triangular Seal," Rave said.
Suddenly a beam of light surged from three different locations around them as Zeref glanced around himself.
"How did you…?" he started but suddenly stopped, "Wait, when you were running around dodging Acnologia`s attacks…this was what you were doing?"
Rave looked up toward him.
"You underestimate me too much brother,"
Rave`s trump card is revealed...
Next Time: The Gates of Valhalla
Jacques0 out.
R&R.