Hey everyone! Sorry for the late update but I had midterms and other crap. So I apologize for that. I hope this chapter can make up for it. XD
Mayuko-chan: Natsu will live on!
1fairytaillover: IKRRRRRRRRR!?
Takamiya Sakura: You'll find out! You'll find out! Of course Lucy needs you Natsu!
Ariri Dragneel: Don't worry you got it right XD Maybe or maybe not XP I'll do it in a blink of an eye!
CupcakeGirl633: you better believe it. EVERYONE wants to kill Jose XD They're coming up don't worry. I feel bad for them too but later the story will get happy! Sorry but that's not who said it but Hades was there when that person said it. Good try! Also I also don't like ruined nail polish XD and thanks.
Jizang: CORRECTOMONDO!
YuendmiiXD: Thank you! And I will update till the day I die XP
The answer for the person who said "Repent" is….. Zeref! Congrats to who got it right!
Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima…what does that name represent? IT REPRESENTS FAIRY TAIL SINCE HE CREATED IT!
Chapter 16: R-system is here
Jose dragged the beaten up Natsu to the jail cell. He flung the almost unconscious man into the cell like a rag doll.
"Today's a special day Natsu-san, I don't want you to ruin it" Jose smirked at his weak appearance.
Natsu tried to make a rude comment but the pain stopped him from doing so. When the pain finally ended, Jose had already left the room. The huge doors slammed shut, sealing Natsu from the world. Natsu got up wearily and laid his back on the wall, panting. It was starting to get cold. Natsu tried to warm up with his magic but it didn't function properly.
'So I can't use my magic now?!' He shouted in his head. He looked at his arms; they were starting to get pale. Almost death pale…
Natsu shook his head to get rid of the thought of dying. He can literally feel his life slipping away from him. Natsu clenched his teeth hard until they grinded together. He looked desperately around for something useful. Something that can help him escape. Something that would get him to his Princess.
Suddenly his eyes barely caught something shining in the corner of the dark room. Was it a key? No…It was a small dagger.
The edges of the blade had been used recently since it was practically covered with dried blood. Natsu began to notice his surroundings. There was skeletons, some old and rotted. And some that still had skin left on them. The smell of dead men filled his nose. Natsu cringed but stared at the dagger.
It was like Jose was giving him a choice. You wait till you slowly die in pain or end your life with this dagger now. He looked at one rotting body with its throat sliced open in a curve. His minded flooded with anger. Jose had given the same choices to these dead people like to Natsu. Their lives must've been used for the R-system…
Natsu looked at the dagger. One of Jose's choices would be the end of him. But which one?
"None" Natsu murmured. And with that comment he raised the knife to his upper arm. The arm with the dragon tattoo that is…
With one expert strike he sliced the dragon tattoo. His dark red blood splattered on the floor. Natsu had picked his own choice.
"You don't control me Jose and you never will…"
Lucy's POV.
I tapped my foot on the floor of the room I was trapped in. Wendy and I were playing go fish which I had no interest in, but if you're that bored you will do anything.
"Have any threes?" I asked, bored out of my mind.
"Go fish" Wendy said. I grabbed more cards. It's like everything I asked she says "go fish", so now I have a billion cards.
"Are you cheating?" I asked. Wendy gave me a smile.
"No" Wendy said and to prove it she showed me her cards. Yep she's not kidding.
"Thanks for telling me your cards" I said with a devilish smile. Wendy's little eyes widened and she gave me a small pout.
A knock interrupted us. I got up and opened the door.
"Thank god Natsu what too-" I froze. The person in front of me wasn't Natsu. It was…
My father…
"Lucy…Is that really you?" the blond man said.
"D-dad…" I mumbled.
"I'm so glad you're safe" he gave me a smile. "I knew you'll come back" My father opened his arms like for a hug. My dad never acted like this before. This was like when Mom was still alive.
I opened my arms to hug him but immediately something went wrong.
Instead of going for my arms, my father tumbled to the side. He fell to the ground and I stared at his body. On his back was covered with multiple knives. All covered with his blood…
"DAD!" I screamed, I brought my hands to my face. Wendy scurried over and started her healing magic. Her eyebrows scrunched up together in concentration while large droplets of tears fell from my face. Suddenly Wendy's concentrated face was replaced with regret. Wendy turned to me with the most apologetic face ever with her own tears appearing on her face. That's when I know he can't make it. The king of Fiore is going to die tonight.
"Lucy…" My dad murmurs. I crouched down until I became level with my dad. I start to sob uncontrollably but quiet enough to hear my dad's last words.
"Lucy…You look so much like your past mother…I wanted to keep you safe…but I didn't realize how lonely you were…" King Jude suddenly coughed out blood but he continued.
"Now I see how many friends you have…like the pink haired man I saw before…" He chuckled. "I want you to know that you will always be my little girl…and my lucky Lu-" he stopped abruptly. I made a small gasp. "-cy" My father turned pale as he finished his sentence.
He turned his head toward me and gave me a small smile. A small trickle of blood came out of the corner of his mouth. I clutched my mouth tightly. I knew what he was going to say.
"I do love you Lucy…" With that comment my father's eyes became glassy… I was frozen that no tears would come out of my eyes. Not only that my father had died but he had loved me even though I thought he didn't. My tears continued where it left off.
Wendy gently rubbed my back and murmured comforting words. I am grateful that she didn't say "I'm sorry for your loss" or "You'll get over this in time". I do not need any pity. I tried multiple times to stop my overflowing tears but they just wouldn't stop. This showed how much I loved my father even though it took this long for me to figure it out. Who killed my father? I don't know but I do have feeling that did…
Jose… when will you stop tormenting me?
Sting's POV.
'Natsu-san, I hope you're alright' I thought.
No matter how much I want to rip Jose to shreds, first thing first we have to rescue Natsu-san.
"Hurry up!" I screamed back to Rogue who was way behind. "A man's life is at stake!" I added.
Rogue wiped away his remaining tears about losing Skiadrum but more filled its place. His waterfall tears are slowing us down!
What a wuss! I'm not even crying that hard...ok I have a few tears left on my face… FINE! I have a huge pool of water rushing down my eyes. And I admit, I'm crying harder than Rogue but that does not make me less of a man!
...Ok I'm a wuss.
Gajeel-san ran side by side with me. He made a tsk sound and murmured something like "Why do I get stuck with a bunch of crybabies?" either he said that or he meant to say "Boy, you know I love cranberries!" I knew it was the first one.
"I'm not crying!" I said to him but my tears proved me wrong. Gajeel-san didn't say anything. Probably to give me and Rouge some time to mourn or probably arguing with me wouldn't do him any good.
I continue to rub my red eyes for any stray tears and started to run faster. Rogue and Gajeel-san caught on and ran alongside with me. Me and Rogue knows the castle inside out so we know where's the dungeon doors were.
When we came to the huge metal doors, we found it open which is strange. The strangest part is that there were blood splats on the floor leading to another way. Don't tell me Jose killed Natsu-san earlier and wanted to display his ruined body to the whole world?!
I looked at Rogue and his eyes tell me he and I are thinking the same thing. Despite our suspicions, we ran to the direction the blood was leading to. Suddenly my dragon slayer ears picked up a sound and we stopped. The strange part is that we didn't pick up any scent…
Natsu-san? He's the only one I know who can hide his scent. Our suspicions were confirmed with we saw a person with rosy pink hair.
"I knew I smelt you guys" He said but his voice sounded tired and his usual cheeriness was weak. Natsu-san's back was toward us and he was wearing a cloak over his uniform which seemed strange.
"Natsu-san! How you get out?!" I said to him amazed. As he turned around my voice went quiet. His face was streaked with blood. That's when I notice that his left arm limper than his right. Not only that but it was leaking red blood to the floor. That was the blood trail.
"What happened…?" Rogue said quietly.
"Just sliced my arm" Natsu shrugged as if it's no big deal. He winced as he revealed his tattered arm. The Acnologia tattoo was covered with blood and only a small black design was the only thing left.
"That would leave a mark Salamander" Gajeel warned to Natsu who gave the long haired man a cheeky grin. The color on Natsu-san's face was coming back…
"That's the only thing you're thinking about Gajeel-san!" I screamed at the metal dragon slayer. "Natsu-san just cut himself and is bleeding all over the place! And you're just thinking how it would leave a mark?!"
Gajeel-san answered with a simple:
"Yep" My jaw gaped open while Rogue laughed silently at Gajeel-san's behavior. Natsu-san smiled his regular smile and concealed his arm with his cloak once more.
"We need a bandage for that" Rogue said as he stepped closer to Natsu-san.
"I'll manage" Natsu-san insisted but Rogue gave him a worried look. Natsu-san then gave a serious look to all of us.
"Where's Jose?"
Normal POV.
Later…
Jose stood in front of a huge hole that was a size of half the whole castle. It was glowing with magic power as Jose chanted runes that circled the ditch.
The man smiled as the hole grew bigger and brighter. The R-system is going to make Jose the most powerful wizard ever. Zeref would kill every wizard and only he would be the remaining one. His dream is within his reach unless he gives the system one more sacrifice.
"Bring in the sacrifice" Jose ordered. A Soldier grunted and went to fetch Lucy Heartiphilia. Suddenly there was a yelp when he entered the castle. Jose stared at the door where the soldier went in. It was quiet…
Suddenly the castle's wall exploded and chunks of debris flew toward the hole. But as it landed in the light, it immediately disintegrated.
"Who disturbs my glorious day?" Jose said, anger building up in his voice. Hades, Giemma and Ivan shifted in a fighting stance.
They are met with a canine smile that shone brightly in mock. The pink haired man stood proudly holding the disgruntled soldier with his good arm.
"Miss me?" Natsu said as he flung the soldier to Jose.
"Natsu-san" Jose spat out the honorific out as he clenched his hands tightly that made his veins appear. "I thought you were dead!" Jose shouted which made Natsu pout.
"And miss this day? No… I want to see your plan crash and fall" Natsu chuckled. Jose gave Natsu a forced smile.
"What could you do?! You're nearly dead! Besides you couldn't defeat an army and the 4 strongest men in all of Fiore in your condition!?" Jose laughed. Giemma smirked and Ivan guffawed. Hades just shook his head.
"You're right" Natsu said which shocked the 4 men.
"I can't defeat you on my own but I have friends that would kick your ass" Natsu turned to the hole in the castle wall and grinned. "You can come out now guys"
Figures came out to the open.
"I thought you wouldn't stop talking dickhead!" A man said.
"Now isn't a time to be fighting" A woman said.
"A MAN NEEDS TO PROTECT HIS FAMILY!" A big man shouted.
"You wouldn't think you would leave us out of this Natsu?" A small old man said as he pointed his finger at Natsu in a scolding gesture.
Natsu gave the small man an apologetic smile.
"Sorry Ji-chan" Natsu said as the huge mass of people came out, all bearing the same insignia that Natsu wears oh so proudly. Fairy Tail has arrived.
"My nakama won't let me down"
End of chapter 16
Hey everyone! You just read a new chapter that I did in a day so don't blame if I made any grammar mistakes. Believe me I suck XD I just wanted to say that once I do a chapter in "An arrow through the heart" I start on a new chapter of "The Unluckies" so it's like a pattern. I'm just saying!
Coming up next Chapter 17: Fighting can kill you
Where's Lucy?
How about her celestial Keys?!
Who will die?
Who will live?!
Find out in the next "An arrow through the heart"!
Question: who said this?
"Open! Hunter of Belparaso!"
*hint* This was said to Loke
