**Fairy Tail and all the characters belong to Mashima. Not to me.
Alright everyone, here's the last chapter of 24 hours. I kind of want to write a sequel, but whether or not I do depends on the amount of interest shown.
I just wanted to note that Lucy's torture was not worse than any of the others. There seems to be a perception among many that I chose to show that particular scene because I hate Lucy, which isn't the case. I actually don't hate Lucy, though I do hate shipping her with Natsu. The torture scene was supposed to provide a glimpse of how the villain (if there's a sequel more will be explained about him as well) treated his victims in general, not imply that Lucy somehow had it worse than anyone else.
So anyway, here's the final chapter of this story. As I said, may or may not be a sequel. Thanks for all the reviews, likes, and favorites.**
"Well," Levy said, her voice sounding draggy and a little on the low side. "I've got a plan, but I don't think you'll like it…"
"I'm willing to try anything you can come up with," Erza said, her eyes shadowed by her bangs. "That person's got Natsu!"
Levy nodded, her lids moving slowly down before jerking upward again. "Well, you remember the communications lacrimas master has in his office? The sound-only ones?"
Erza's eyes lit up. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that? I'll take one of them and get him to capture me next, and then get him to tell us where to look for him!"
"You catch on fast," Levy said, still sounding tired. "But we probably won't be in time to save Natsu."
Erza paused, her mood instantly dropping again. By the time the man captured his next victim, he was already hours into his routine. There was no way to get there before he started on Natsu.
Or was there? Suddenly the fire came back to her eyes. The killer set some rules. Rules that he couldn't allow anyone to break, and they still had a good six hours before he started work on Natsu. "Oh, we'll be in time." She said. "Get the lacrimas out, now!"
Levy nodded and scurried away to the master's office. Soon she returned, holding two small, round lacrimas about the size of a golf ball. She quickly activated both, and then looked at Erza.
"Well, we have it," she said. "The problem is, where do we put it?"
Erza blinked. She hadn't considered it, but they didn't know what condition the freak who was doing this had people in once he captured them. It was possible that she wouldn't have any clothing available to hide the device in once she was down there. And that only left…
Her face turned a bright scarlet as she mumbled, "I'll take care of it…" Then she headed quickly for the privacy of the girls' bathroom.
Once there she took a deep breath, knowing what she had to do. Sliding her panties down a little way, she braced herself before shoving the lacrima firmly into the one place she was fairly certain he wouldn't check. She winced slightly as it went in, feeling her cheeks tighten against the intrusion, but she forced it past, knowing it had to go deep enough to be invisible should this creep turn out to be that kind of pervert.
Once she was satisfied with the result, she pulled her underwear back up and washed her hands. Then, she left the guild, heading for the train station. If there was one thing they learned through this whole ordeal, it was that their antagonist wouldn't stand for anyone breaking his "rules."
She made it to the train station unscathed. Then, when she bought her ticket and there was still no response, she began to worry. What if she was wrong about her estimation? What if this guy was ready to let one of them escape if it meant not letting his timeline be interfered with? Her confidence began to dwindle as she approached the train, ready to board.
But then the world in front of her became black. She had only a moment's vision of him, or rather, a shadow of him. For there was not enough light to see features. Only a silhouette of a tall, lean man. But the putrid, rotten odor that assaulted her nose as he approached was all too real. Then her senses faded, and darkness claimed her.
When she awoke, the first thing she noticed was the strength of the smell. It was similar to the one that accompanied the man when he assaulted her, only here it was much stronger. The room she found herself in was lit by low, green light, which made it fairly easy for her eyes to adjust. She was shackled to a wall across from two stone slabs. The slabs were slightly angled, and facing each other. On the one to her right she saw Natsu, the anger in his eyes visible even in the low lighting. On the other slab was what she could only assume was Lisanna. The deep pits where her eyes used to be, the absence of ears, and her cheeks hanging open where he'd cut from the corner of her lips almost to the edge of the ear, made it difficult to tell, especially with the blood matting her hair. But Lisanna was the last one to be taken before Natsu, so she could only assume this was her. Low, hoarse whimpers escaped the girl's throat, barely audible even in the deadly quiet, well contained room they now occupied.
The next thing that attracted her attention was him. The man who had taken her captive, standing across from her and beyond the slabs near a table. On the table lay an assortment of weapons. Hooks, knives, saws, needles, spikes, a hammer, and many other various sharp objects. She knew they didn't have much time left before he finished with Lisanna, from the looks of her, so she had to get the information she needed, and fast. The uncomfortable tightness in her ass told her that the lacrima was still wedged in where she put it.
"So this is where you're hiding," she said aloud, looking around. "Some master of hiding you are. I bet you this isn't even in Magnolia."
The man turned to her, giving her a full view of the face. The thin, sunken cheeks. The greedy, predatory eyes. The sharp jaw, and the slightly hooked nose. Then he spoke, his voice echoing through the room in a sing-song that made her want to take the nearest blunt instrument and insert it into his throat.
"Of course we're in Magnolia. I wouldn't break the rules of my game."
"Oh yeah?" Erza scoffed, looking up to meet his eyes. "Prove it. Where in Magnolia are we? Because I don't believe you."
The man looked at her for several long minutes before turning back to the table. "We're in a special subsystem of old dungeon cells on the outskirts," he said in his grating sing-song. "The only known entrance is in the forest, in the side of the cliff facing the lake. And of course it's obscured by the undergrowth, so there's no chance anyone will find it."
Erza fought hard to keep the victorious smirk from her lips, knowing she couldn't give anything away. There could still be time for him to move them if he suspected. "I never knew such a place existed in Magnolia."
"Most people don't, which is why I chose it." The man replied, picking up a knife from the table. "While you were looking all over town, the entrance was just a short distance away into the forest."
He then turned back to her, stroking the knife, which was coated with blood already, with one hand, and she could see his eyes grow darker as he looked at her. "But you and this pink-haired brat… You have managed to make me angry," his sing-song lilt remained, threatening to driver her mind to insanity. "The Titania and the Salamander. Protectors of Fairy Tail. You were supposed to watch as all your guild mates died, one at a time. To realize that you were helpless to protect them despite your self-appointed roles. By the time I finally took you, last of all your guild mates, you were supposed to be miserable, broken shells of the great protectors of Fairy Tail."
Then for the first time his lips broke their absolute straight line as his eyes focused on her, turning down into a scowl. "But no. First the salamander dares to defy my plan by threatening to run. Then you take his idea and attempt to flee as well, forcing me not only to capture both of you much earlier than I planned but also to bring a third victim here before I was ready for one. Yes, I am extremely displeased, Titania."
He paused for several long moments. His breathing was heavier, his voice losing its sing-song ever so slightly. Slowly he brought the knife to his mouth, slipping his tongue out and running it slowly along the bloodied blade. His breathing calmed again as his eyes closed, an expression of satisfaction on his face. When he finally spoke again, the sing-song returned, grating at her nerves as it had before. "And that's why I have something very special in mind or you, Titania." He started moving, walking slowly over to Lisanna's slab. Erza watched, helpless, as he plunged the knife down. The poor girl had no voice left to scream, so the hoarse cry that escaped her lips was raspy and barely audible above a whisper. After a few moments, he stuck her hand into her chest. When he pulled it back, he held her heart, still beating slowly, not knowing yet that the girl was dead.
"So," he said as he summoned the platter. "Has the search party left yet, to find the hidden entrance?"
Erza felt her breath catch in her throat. "What do you mean?" She asked, not liking the way her voice broke for an instant.
"The group from Fairy Tail that your guild would've sent out. I'm sure they're close to the forest by now…" He picked up the platter and disappeared for a moment.
She felt the cold lump of fear growing in her stomach. He knew. How could he know? It wasn't possible! She'd been so careful!
"Oh come now Titania," the words were a little less sing-songy again as he reappeared. "Did you really think that I hadn't thought of this? Did you think I wouldn't know what you were up to when you started questioning me about my location?" He leaned down, running his tongue slowly along the dead girl's eye sockets. Erza felt the bile rising to the back of her throat as she watched. "I don't know where your lacrima's hidden, but I do know that I'm gonna' enjoy finding out," his sing-song began to return as he pulled back, unsnapping Lisanna's body from the table. As soon as the body was completely freed from the restraints, he took a large cleaver from the table and severed her arms with two quick strokes. He then cut her once more, right below her large, round breasts that were slick with blood. Then he placed what remained on a platter, larger than the other ones to fit the gory contents. "This will be a nice surprise for that Mirajane, don't you think?" He said before disappearing for a few brief seconds.
"Now it's time to start on the Salamander," the man said in his sing-song. Humming softly to himself, he picked up a serrated blade that looked as though it had been used before. Then, to Erza's surprise, he walked over to her. He undid the chains that bound her to the wall and placed the knife in her hand.
Unsure why he would make such a foolish move, Erza quickly brought the knife up to stab him. Or at least, that's what she wanted to do. But her arm remained firmly planted at her side. She frowned, trying to pull her arm up again, but it was futile. Her body wouldn't listen to her.
"I told you I had something special in mind for you, Titania," the sing-song voice threatened to destroy her sanity. "My magic isn't limited to putting my subjects to sleep. I can also use my mind to take control of your body, so that your own body obeys me instead of you. But of course, your mind remains intact, so you'll see, hear, and feel everything as though you yourself were doing it…"
A glint came to his eyes as he leaned forward. "Now, cut the Salamander's eye out."
"No!" Even as she cried out the denial, her body began to move, slowly, jerkily, toward the slab where Natsu was bound, helpless. She tried desperately to stop, but her body wouldn't listen. Wouldn't even slow. Soon Natsu came into full view, his onyx orbs looking almost alien in the eerie green light. "NO!" Erza screamed out, tears coming to her eyes as her arm raised the blade for the strike.
"It's ok Erza…." Natsu said quietly. "I know this isn't you."
Tears streamed down her face as she watched her arm plunge downward, stabbing the semi-sharp blade just to the side of his eye. She saw his teeth clench, his face screwing up in agony, but no sound escaped. And she knew it wouldn't. He was too stubborn to give their antagonist the satisfaction of a scream.
But she couldn't help it. Another scream of denial escaped her throat as she watched the arm that looked just like hers saw the blade slowly around his eye. Watched his face as he braced himself against the excruciating pain she knew he must be in right now. Her hand kept working, disobeying her will as she tried again to stop it. To return the muscles of that arm to her command.
And then she was finished. "Take it out and put it on that platter," the man commanded her. She tried to resist, but her body continued to move as though it no longer belonged to her. With her left hand, the hand not holding the knife, she reached down, cringing as she felt the bloody flesh surrounding the eye in her grasp. Then she watched her body pull the severed eye out of the socket, placing it on the platter as he'd indicated.
"How does it feel Titania?" The sing-song voice mocked her, but she could do nothing. She could feel his will binding hers like iron, as unbreakable as the anti-magic wristbands that remained on her wrists. A few times she thought she could overpower him, but her body only resisted for a few extra milliseconds.
Hot tears spilled down her cheek as she looked at Natsu, laying on the table, his breath coming in quick gasps. His one remaining eye found her, and a sad smile came to his face.
"I told you I don't want to see you cry anymore…" He said, his voice calm and gentle, though she could hear the harsh undertones that belied the tough exterior.
"Don't worry," the sing-song returned. "In less than an hour, you'll never have to worry about seeing her cry again."
Erza gritted her teeth, glaring at the man, but he seemed unperturbed. He was back at his table, surveying the contents with a contemplative look. She tried again to move her hands, straining against the iron will that locked her out of her own body. But she was unable to break it. She could feel that this wasn't his first time doing this. His magic felt vile, even moreso than any opponent she fought before. Even more than the demon Kyouka.
"Ah, here we go," He picked up a large nail, at least a foot and a half in length and as large around as her pinky, and handed it to her with a hammer. "Here's a real test for you," the sing song voice called out to her. "You are going to put this through his chest. I know exactly where to strike to keep it from killing him, but you must not resist me. Even the slightest mistake could result in death, and I know you still hope to get him out of here alive…"
Erza struggled with all her might to keep her hands from accepting the 'gifts' she was being offered, but she was unable to regain control of her body. She watched, helpless, as her hands received the nail and the hammer. Then she slowly gave way, allowing him the control. She knew that in these next few minutes Natsu could die, and that was something she couldn't risk.
Tears started flowing again as the hand that held the hammer hit the nail, driving it into his chest. His body tensed, his fingers gripped into tight fists, but still he didn't cry out. Erza felt a sob escape as her arm swung again, driving the nail deeper. Then another swing, and another. At the last, she felt hard, solid resistance. The nail hit the cold stone underneath and drove in a little way.
"Good girl. Now give me back the hammer," the man said, his sing-song voice infuriating her. She wanted nothing more than to take the hammer and shove it down his throat, but her body wouldn't let her. She watched her hand move slowly, placing the hammer gently back in his hand that waited to receive it.
"You know, I think your friend could use some cheering up," the man said. "Go grind against his dick."
Erza's eyes widened in horror as her body moved to comply. No, this couldn't be happening! Not this way! She cried out again in denial, trying to force her limbs back into obedience, but they refused to listen. One painful step at a time she approached the stone that the dragon slayer was bound to. Slowly her legs moved up, kneeling over his flaccid penis till she was fully straddling him. Tears streamed down her face, beyond her control once again as her hips began moving, her naked pelvis gyrating against him. Under other circumstances their positions would've been incredibly arousing, but right now it was nothing but disgusting.
Her hips moved of their own accord for several minutes, and as she expected nothing happened, with either of them. But before she could become to exultant, she felt his flaccid member twitch, then start to become harder.
"Funny thing about the body," the sing-song voice made her want to shove something down his throat so she didn't have to hear it anymore. "Biologically, it's made to react. So, regardless of circumstances, if you just stimulate the right areas long enough, you'll get a reaction. You don't even have to have physical attraction really. Just the right stimulation in the right spots…"
Erza scowled as she felt the erection slowly growing under her, knowing that what he said was true. She also knew that she wasn't looking forward to what she knew would happen once the erection reached its full height.
Even though she knew it was still a couple more minutes before it got there, it seemed to happen all too quickly. And, as she feared, his next command came.
"Now get on his dick."
Tears still streaming down her face, she watched her body comply. She didn't cry out at the pain as she felt him break through her barrier roughly.
Tears streamed down her face as her body bounced on him. How dare this stranger take her first time from her? She would've loved her first time to be with Natsu, but not like this! They weren't making love. This couldn't even be called sex. She derived no pleasure from the act. Even if she wanted to she couldn't. Not looking down at the man she had fallen for, seeing the hollow, bloody pit that used to be his eye and knowing her own hands had removed it. Or knowing that her own arm had hammered the nail that stuck out of his chest.
Several minutes later she felt her body stop bouncing and slowly get off the still erect dick. "The Salamander hasn't released yet," the sing-song voice said. "I think he needs more stimulation. Maybe he likes things… a little rough."
What was he talking about? Her body turned toward her tormentor, and her hand reached out again, against her will, taking a sickle from the man's hand. She watched as her hand inverted it, then screamed again, the tears beginning afresh, as her body thrust the handle into Natsu's ass.
As her arm pumped the wooden handle in and out she looked at his face. His good eye was tightly shut, his teeth gritted, and she also saw his hands clenched into tight fists. She could see a small, unwanted tear leaking from his good eye, and that only tore her heart more. She wanted to stop her body, but she couldn't! Nothing she did worked to break her tormentor's hold.
Then her arm stopped again, retrieving the bloodied sickle handle and returning it to the monster near the table. Her hand then opened, again of its own will, and received the knife that was given it.
"It's time for another delivery," the sing-song voice felt like a hammer in the back of her mind. Her rage grew with every minute, but it was choked by the guilt and pain. Again she was forced to watch as her own hand plunged the knife into the skin surrounding Natsu's good eye. Then continued, in a sawing motion, till the eye was completely removed.
After the eye had been delivered, the monster actually laughed at her. The first time she heard anything other than his sing-song. "How do you feel now, oh great Titania? Are you proud of yourself for forcing my hand? Do you feel good about what you've accomplished?"
Then his voice returned to his hated lilt. "But look at you, having your first time and you haven't even kissed him yet. Go ahead, kiss him."
As her body moved in, her face pressing itself closer to his, she heard him whisper between ragged breaths. "It's ok Erza… I love you…"
Tears flooded her eyes as her lips met his in a passionless kiss. This monster was taking everything from them. Behind them she heard his laugh again. "Aaww, he loves you. That's so sweet…" Her eyes widened in surprise. How had he heard that? Natsu's whispers had been barely audible to her… But she didn't have time to ponder further as the next command came. "Now bite a nice big chunk out of his bottom lip."
To her horror her mouth obeyed, the teeth clamping down hard on the designated lip. She tasted blood on her tongue as her head moved back and forth, working to remove the chunk of flesh. Soon she felt it come loose in her mouth, and as soon as she was able she spat it onto the floor.
"Brace yourself…" A faint whisper from Natsu, and she barely had time to comprehend the meaning. But she did. He was still thinking of the man's hearing of his whisper. The body take over magic he was using required immense concentration, so if Natsu could break it…
The dragon slayer quickly employed his one weapon that didn't require any magic power. In a moment that outstripped even his battle against Cobra, he let out the loudest roar she ever heard. It felt like her eardrums were about to shatter, but in that moment she saw her tormentor's face scrunch up in pain and felt his hold release on her body. She couldn't use her requip magic, but she still held the knife that cut Natsu's eye out.
With a scream of rage she launched herself at him, burying the knife in the monster's chest before he had a chance to exert control over her body again. She felt her fury taking over her as her arm raised again, descending into the bleeding chest. Then again, and again. The knife tearing up his chest with each stroke. She plunged it into his throat. Into his face. Losing count of the number of times she slashed, stabbed, and cut his body. Even when the last, ragged breaths stopped, she continued her merciless assault on the animal below her. She wished she could bring him back just to kill him again. And again.
When she finally stepped back, the mutilated meat lying on the floor barely resembled a human being. She winced on reflex as she did a quick search of the remains, but eventually she was able to find what she was looking for. She unlocked the bands that bound her hands and feet, and felt her magic flowing back through her. She then moved back to the table, grabbing the nail and pulling it quickly out of the dragon slayer's chest, being careful to pull it straight out without wavering to the right or left. She then unlocked him, and to her chagrin he tried to stand.
"Don't stand up," she ordered. "You're far too injured for that." She pulled him onto her back, piggy-back style, and went to find the way out.
~~~~~~Fairy Tail~~~~~~
The atmosphere in the guild was the gloomiest Wendy ever saw it. Not that she could blame anyone. She herself was feeling hopeless after seeing the second eye that her nose identified as Natsu's. The guild protectors – the ones who always rescued them no matter what, were gone now. What hope remained for the rest of them?
Then the door creaked, and everyone jumped, alert and fearful, facing the guild doors. Even Wendy felt her hear pumping faster as she faced them, even though she knew the fear was ridiculous. This monster didn't come through the front door. He appeared from the shadows, anywhere he pleased. Then the doors creaked again, then opened. A naked girl with long, scarlet hair stumbled through the door, carrying a pink-haired boy on her back. The girl, who Wendy's nose quickly confirmed was Erza, had blood spattered all over her chest and arms, and the boy on her back, who she could tell was Natsu, had blood leaking from empty sockets where his eyes used to be. Then, as Erza stumbled forward and laid Natsu on one of the tables, Wendy saw there was more damage. There was a large hole in his chest and it looked like a piece of his bottom lip had been torn off – by teeth, no less.
"Heal him," she grated out. And Wendy quickly began doing just that.
"Bring me some iodine and water, and two clean cloths," she commanded. Those were definitely teeth marks on the lip, and Wendy knew that a person who was bitten by a human could die from infection if the bite wasn't sterilized. Kinana came back with the requested materials, and she quickly used one cloth to clean the wound with iodine. Once that was finished, she used the other cloth to wash the wound with water, rinsing as much of the residual iodine away as she could.
After that she was able to close the chest wound, which she quickly discovered went all the way through to the back. She stopped the bleeding in the eye sockets, and also the lip. Then she sighed softly, dropping wearily to the bench. Her magic power was growing, but the number and severity of the wounds took a lot out of her.
"There's still one more spot," the still naked Erza said.
"Where?" Wendy looked over Natsu's naked form, wondering what she could've missed.
Erza wordlessly turned Natsu over, and Wendy saw blood coming from his asshole. Her cheeks turned a bright red as she asked for the instruments she would require to see the extent of the damage.
"Umm, Erza…" she said as she began the work. "You know you're still naked, right?"
"Huh? Oh.." The red-head exquipped her basic armor quickly, though she didn't even blush at having been exposed to the guild this whole time.
"Erza-san, where was he hiding?" Wendy heard Levy's voice from behind her, but didn't turn from her work. She was, to her surprise, finding slivers of wood lodged inside the pink-haired dragon slayer, and pulling them out with tweezers.
"There's an old tunnel system under Magnolia," Erza replied. "I don't know exactly how deep, but I traveled up a long way. It came out under the cathedral. After I came out, it looked like just a wall."
"Oh…" Then Wendy heard the question that was foremost on her mind. "So, what about the man who's doing this?"
"He's dead," Erza replied, a hard tone in her voice. "I killed him."
There were multiple relieved sighs and a few choked sobs throughout the guild. Wendy finally finished removing the last of the wood splinters from Natsu's ass and healed him fully before turning again to the redhead. "His physical wounds are healed," she said quietly. "There was no sign of internal bleeding, which is good. But he could be out for a couple days."
Erza just nodded. "I'll take him home," she said. She then picked up the dragon slayer and headed out as everyone watched.
Wendy looked around the guild after she departed. All were relieved by the criminal's apprehension, but not all had made it out unscathed. Alzack and Bisca might never recover from losing their young daughter. Macao had tears in his eyes as he mourned the loss of Romeo. As Juvia awoke from her slumber the rain outside started up again. And, though Mira wore an impassive expression behind the bar, she hadn't said a word to anyone since Lisanna disappeared.
Fairy Tail made it through the darkest hour, but the night was far from over.
So there it is! Don't forget to review, and let me know however you feel like it if you want to see the sequel. Sequel wouldn't be horror, but would still contain dark themes as people deal with what happened in this fic.
