I apologize for taking so long to update. I will finish this story, don't worry. I've encountered such awesomeness from readers, thank you!
I will say to cherish those closest to you, because life is both short and cruel.
As usual, please read and review.
Happy Reading!
Disclaimer: FT is not mine. OCs I will take mass credit for.
Summoned. Lucy mouthed the word to herself, eyes darting between the large monster and Adie, who was now tearing at the bodice of her dress and cursing quite loudly out of frustration.
When? How did I…
Lucy's hand inadvertently went to her waist, where she lacked both keys and whips. She felt oddly naked at that prospect and was determined to retrieve her belt. She opened her mouth to ask more questions.
"Not now!" Adie held up a hand, anticipating Lucy's barrage on inquiries. Her gaze was directed at the crest of the crater and her expression serious, "We don't have time."
"I didn't mean to, I swear!" the Stellar Spirit mage tried to reassure her friend, suddenly feeling like a scolded child. There was too much going on, and she was beginning to falter in her resolve. The damage, death, and decay surrounding them didn't help her cause.
Adie watched her through narrowed eyes, her lips pressed together as if she were holding in a thought. Lucy didn't know if it were out of disappointment or out of concern. As if thinking better of her unspoken words, the pale-haired woman sighed, "Just know that you did."
"Tell me what that is," Lucy demanded, pointing at the gigantic armored monster looming above. It was momentarily distracted, an axe taking off one of its opponent's heads. Lucy cried out softly, her hand covering her mouth in disgust. That mage was barely older than Romeo!
"Shit," Adie croaked, her face more ashen. Lucy felt her stomach sink; the demi-spirit's reaction was not reassuring. She quickly turned toward Lucy, "Lilith must be….she has to be nearby….not much time!"
"For what?" the spirit mage asked as she watched the woman stare at the creature though the scope of her newly requipped weapon that had been quickly assembled. Lucy was finding that this demi-spirit business was more convoluted than she thought, and they obviously didn't have time to discuss the intricacies.
"If he's been summoned, then there is isn't much more she can bring upon us," Adie grunted, her next comment barely above a whisper, "at least not yet."
Lucy remained stoic, too afraid to find meaning in Adie's words, instead choosing to watch the demi-spirit adjust the scope of her weapon. Without so much as another word, Adie's finger hooked on the trigger, and a barrage of bullets were released from gun—the noise eliciting Lucy's memory of their battle with the Adze. It seemed like years ago, now. Lucy covered her ears, eyes following the bullets' trajectories. The demon's body jerked and twisted from the impact. Smoke sizzled from his body as he doubled over before collapsing entirely. For a moment, Lucy thought victory was on their side. She had nearly ventured to ask Adie more questions in her false hope, but was distracted by the flurry of movement caught out of the corner of her eye. Her head snapped around toward the bodies of dark, matted hair that were slowly hunkering closer to the women.
Oh no! Not again! "Uh…Adie…."
"That's only gonna hold him for a moment. We have to come up with a plan…where is Erza? Tell those idiots that they can't come in contact with his body or cloak, dammit." Adie called forth more rounds, distracted by the task at hand.
Lucy's eyes widened as she gulped in a deep breath. Her fingers clenched her frayed belt loops, and her heart quickened as she reminded herself she was weaponless aside from her very small, meager dagger. Her voice was a slithering hiss as she regained it, "Adie, look!"
"What—" the pale-haired woman spun around, her mouth dropping open. "Fuck. Not now!"
"My words exactly," Lucy agreed, still not having the courage to use the crude language Adie reserved for moments of extreme frustration. Her back remained toward her friend as she watched the Amarok slink closer, their golden eyes silently observing as their hairless faces sniffed the air for any trace of blood. "What are we g-gonna do?"
"What else is there to do?" Adie responded slowly, the sound of her ammunition reloading in a clinking lullaby. She looked at Lucy inquisitively, and odd smile on her face. "We fight."
"Right," Lucy sighed in exasperation. As if there was any other option, she wanted to say aloud. "Magic doesn't work on them, so I need to use weapons. Kill the pack leader, and get rid of them."
"You've learned," Adie replied calmly, the corners of her mouth turning upward.
"Problem is," Lucy gestured, "I only have this." She pulled the dagger from its holder strapped to her thigh.
Adie stared at the dagger, her lips parting to say something. Her eyes flickered up, suddenly widening. "Watch out!" she yelled.
With speed only her boots could give her, she threw Lucy aside to avoid the low-swinging axe. The blade whizzed an inch above Lucy's ear, her eyes wide at the near loss of her head. She wanted to cry at the sharp pain in her shoulder, which had suffered its second blow that day. She watched Adie dodge the attack by leaping over it, riding on the blade of the axe for a moment, a new black armor on her arms and encasing her shoulders. The axe sliced through an Amarok, and the beast yelped its displeasure. Lucy twitched in disgust as she saw the two parts slowly start to migrate toward one another. Obviously, that one was not the leader of the pack.
Lucy could feel her throat tightening from the demon's near vicinity and she heard Adie's booming warning, "Move it, Lucy! His touch can freeze your soul. Instant death. Got it?"
Lucy recalled seeing him grab Natsu and her heart raced. Could he possibly be….dead? She pushed herself upright on her good hand as Adie flitted to the monster's shoulder, kicking it squarely in its armored head. His neck bent at an odd angle and she used a blade to cut its neck, smoke billowing from the decapitating wound. She leaped away, landing beside Lucy.
For some reason, the Amarok were simply circling, none venturing close enough to cause Lucy or Adie harm. The demi-spirit hesitated to study them, intrigued by the odd display, which did not mirror her earlier encounter with the beasts. It was as if they were too intimidated by the large demon to come any closer. She silently wished for her old crossbow, but it had been so badly damaged and she no longer had the arrows that had been so effective.
She leaned down and grabbed at Lucy, who was rolling to her knees with a groan of pain. The spirit mage's fingers explored her own shoulder, which was certainly and very obviously dislocated. With a murmur of an apology, Adie reached out and gripped the joint, easily popping Lucy's humerus into place. The blonde wanted to both hit the woman and hug her as the sensation returned to her fingers. She looked up, surprised at what she saw as her voice was choked from her. She was barely able to croak Adie's name in warning.
Pale eyes widened in recognition as Lucy fell to the ground again, rolling away while Adie dodged another slicing blow of an axe after the large demon's quick, miraculous healing. The two women had managed to keep somewhat of a distance, which prevented the feeling of suffocation that surrounded their opponent. The monster's horned head swung around to locate Adie—who was now its primary target purely out of irritation. Lucy was attempting to maneuver away from the Amarok, who were edging closer. The axe was swung again, and Lucy, lost in her other distractions, had become a liability.
With a howl of frustration, Adie kicked Lucy in the back of her knees, and the spirit mage toppling with a cry of surprise. The few seconds Adie had used to save Lucy put her in danger, instead. She groaned as the weapon's handle caught her squarely in the chest, forcing the air from her lungs. She rolled over the handle, dropping onto the ground next to Lucy. She recovered quickly, pushing herself upright with a grimace of pain and a quick count of broken ribs.
Muttering a long string of profanities, Adie pushed herself onto unsteady feet. The axe chased them again, but this time Adie reached out to stop it, one hand wearing her Herculean armor—its mate shoved deep in Lucy's pocket. The demi-spirit gripped the handle with both hands, her feet sliding in the dry earth as she was pushed backward, overcome by demonic strength.
"Lucy, get out of the way!" Adie hissed, face red from exertion.
"And into an Amarok's mouth? No way!" Lucy cried out, her hand slipping into the glove that Adie had left in her possession.
In a hasty motion, she leaped toward the axe, landing beside Adie and using her newfound strength to complement her friend's attempt. The pale-haired woman glanced at her from the corner of her eye, cursing under her breath. Lucy smiled encouragingly, attention on the task-at-hand, which was to not be decapitated by the giant battle weapon.
"And I'm tired of people thinking I'm not as strong," Lucy grunted, sweat shining on her forehead. She wondered if perhaps just giving the other glove to Adie would have been a better idea. She felt her feet sliding along the earth as the monster's strength overwhelmed their combined effort. Her breath was becoming more ragged, and the air less abundant…..
"No one thinks you're weak, you idiot," Adie growled, pushing back on the axe handle as the monster rumbled his disdain. "You're too important to—"
Before she could finish her thought, the creature released his grip on the axe. Both women flew backward, Adie loosing her hold on the handle. Without her weight on the weapon, it flew in a lopsided arc, clunking to the ground and burying deep in the dry earth with Lucy being pulled along for the ride, as she had not thought to let go. Adie quickly leaped to her feet on borrowed speed, avoiding a lunging grasp by her horned opponent. She quickly changed into the earlier black armor, swatting away a hand as it reached of her. She stumbled, and the demon snatched Adie into his giant fist, thick fingers enclosing around her neck. She gurgled incoherently as her tender flesh was squeezed and the oxygen leaving her lungs.
"No!" Lucy screamed, quickly realizing what had happening. She saw a few Amarok circling more closely, waiting for the right time to strike. "No! Let her go!"
"Don't stand there…run!" Adie gasped, eyes rolling toward her.
The demon's fingers squeezed her neck more tightly and the veins bulged in her temples. The Amarok bristled behind Lucy, who was no longer paying them any mind—her eyes on her friend. The demon lifted Adie higher with a violent shake of its hand. Lucy was frozen in place, helplessly watching Adie's limbs move like a rag doll's as the bones in her neck were being slowly crushed.
"No, no, no," Lucy muttered in shock too numb to do anything. "This can't be happening!" What can I do? Can I lift that axe by myself? She tried frantically to pull the weapon from the ground. She managed to drag it a few feet, but she was unable to lift it.
"Run….stupid. Summoned me...to protect you," she heard Adie croak with a painful breath.
"I didn't summon you!" Lucy wailed, "I don't have your—" her eyes fluttered open. Did she have Adie's key? How? Had Adie placed her key in Lucy's storage the day they were training? She had seen the key disappear before she could touch it, was that was the demi-spirit had done?
Another shake of the demon's hand pulled Lucy from her thoughts. The whites of the demi-spirit's eyes were no longer so, instead filled with dark blood from her cruel strangulation. Her skin was turning purple from the inability to drain the blood from her head. It would only be a matter of minutes until her demise, Lucy knew. Her teeth chattered as she furious tried to think of a way to help her friend. Could Taurus lift this axe?
The suddenly howling fury from the demon confiscated her attention and she noticed something protruding through his chest. So did the demon, as he dropped Adie's body, both hands attempting to push the item back the way it entered. His hands were burning on contact, and dark billowy smoke was emanating from his wounds. A white pillar of light hit the enemy in the face, and he was violently blown backward. Lucy nearly shouted with joy as she saw Erza holding the large black sword, grim expression on her face. She looked over her shoulder and nodded at….Jellal?
Lucy saw the monster rising, and she attempted to alert Erza. She stumbled and fell as she was knocked aside by an attacking Amarok. She swiped with her blade, but never came in contact with the wolf's body. A second leaped over her, then a third. Why were they not attacking her and instead heading toward Erza and Jellal?
"Erza! Watch out!" she screamed in warning.
Erza turned around, sword rising, but Lucy knew she was too slow. The rest of the Amarok were following the first, howling as the swept to the left in choreographed unison. A look of surprise flickered across Erza's face, as well. Lucy watched with wide eyes as they quickly veered left, instead leaping upon the rising demon.
"What the-?" Lucy whispered. What. The. Hell.
The wolves tore into the demon's armor with sharp teeth, climbing onto its back as if commanded to attack. The monster grabbed a nearby Amarok and snapped its neck. The creature fell lifelessly, its body twitching with early stages of healing.
A movement to her right caught her eye, and she saw Adie slowly rise. Her movements were mechanical, and her appearance startling. She looked like she had that day in the guild, when Lucy was certain she was dying.
"Adie?" Lucy whispered.
Adie ignored her as she growled and stalked toward the demon. The Amarok parted, and Adie quickly dove into the pack, an armored hand glowing brightly as the demon tried to fight back against his attackers. Her glowing fingers were plunged into the monster's sunken face, into the depths of his helmeted head. Adie tore her hand free, and followed with a similar movement to the chest. She tore his head from his body, throwing it meters away. She quickly retreated, stumbling backward as the Amarok once again took advantage of their incapacitated prey.
Lucy called her name again, and this time Adie faced her. The markings on her body were fading, and her neck afforded a dark bruise. Her eyes were unrecognizable with their newly golden irises.
The demon was no longer able to stave off the attacking wolves. A few howled at the sky before their teeth gnashed against the armor. A handful circled around Adie as the woman breathed deeply in an attempt to calm herself. She blinked rapidly, her eyes slowly paling.
Lucy stared incredulously at the interaction. "Can you control them?" she ventured.
Adie squeezed her eyes shut, her fingers cupping either side of her face as her breathing stabilized. Lucy briefly recalled Adie's bite—had that been an alpha creature that bit her in Veleda's cave? And in its death, did that make Adie the leader? she further wondered.
"I…maybe…" Adie panted finally, her skin clammy and pale as her hair was mattered to her head. Blood smeared on her lips from where she had bit her lower one earlier. She looked around at the Amarok, choosing to hold out a hand to the nearest creature. It lifted its hairless snout to Adie cautiously. Adie said nothing, staring down commandingly as she offered one word: "Sit."
Lucy's eyes fluttered open as the creature did what it was instructed. "What the-"
"I'll be damned," Adie croaked incredulously. She looked at the others. "Come."
They did as commanded, all two dozen of them leaving their mangled and limbless prey.
"Looks like that earlier bite somehow made you boss," Erza noted, suddenly beside them. Her comment supported Lucy's earlier theory.
"Thanks for the help," Adie commented, looking at the sword appreciatively. "If only I had been able to use that sword."
"I've notice that whatever magic surrounds it appears to work much better on some of the non-living enemies," the red-head remarked. "It's a beautiful weapon."
"It was my mother's, and its maker is a Celestial Spirit," she informed them.
"I know what this sword is made from, but your armor…it looks like lacryma." Erza remarked, tapping her magical eye. "It emits a different sort of light."
"Barsky left it for me….a parting gift," Adie agreed, quickly removing the armor. "Lacryma is originally a creation in the Celestial World, which somehow made its way here."
"Opposite magic," Jellal remarked softly, staring at the demon. "Celestial magic nullifies this dark magic."
Adie eyed him cautiously, "Is this your friend?"
Erza looked down, cheeks slightly pink as she sheathed the sword carefully, "Jellal Fernandes."
They were suddenly surrounded by dozens of inquisitive golden stares, and Lucy interrupted their conversation, "This is making me uncomfortable. It's like they are waiting for you to allow us to be their meal."
Erza smiled, "If you can command them—"
"Then we have a great force at our hands," Jellal finished.
Adie nodded slowly, looking around. She was wearied by what she saw. Death surrounded them. She looked somehow uncomfortable at knowing she commanded the beasts. "Let's try this theory out." She cleared her throat, "Kill the onii."
In a blur of coordinated movement, the beasts took off, the lead one howling its compliance as it did what Adie had commanded.
With a croaking roar, the demon sat up, one arm dangling uselessly from his headless torso. The four watched the movement with mild amusement. An Amarok returned and grabbed a head and and arm in its mouth before returning to its pack. Lucy had an inkling that Adie's silent command initiated that feat.
"That'll keep him from rejoining again," Adie whispered in confirmation. Lucy looked to her, confused, so the woman continued, "It'll keep rising. That is the curse of the Undead King—he is a culmination of restless dark spirits."
"How do we kill it?" the spirit mage asked, hiding the waver of her voice.
"There are only a few ways," she replied grimly, "One being to kill the summoner, which is not occurring at the moment, obviously."
"And is not desirable," Lucy nodded her understanding.
"Correct," Adie answered, "Another would be to return it to its realm, also impossible without the summoner."
"I can stay nearby and guarantee it won't rejoin again," Erza patted the sword.
"Is that really the best plausible plan?" Jellal asked, noting the fighting around them.
"It's far easier than having that thing destroy half of my remaining forces," the red-head abruptly replied.
"I…need to find Natsu and Happy," Lucy cleared her throat. "They were injured by that thing."
"They are fine," Erza informed her. "I think Natsu's scales saved his life. Wendy is healing both of them as we speak." She moved her head to indicate where Wendy was diligently working to help the injured. "I recognized his flames."
Lucy noticed Jellal studying Adie with an odd sense of recognition. She didn't feel like explaining her relationship to Lilith. Her brow furrowed, "How did Jellal get here? Wasn't he—"
"Long story," Erza shook her head, "He's here now, and he's fighting with us."
Jellal glanced at Lucy, lowering his head in acknowledgement. She studied him for a moment. Was he expecting her to shun him? Was that shame she saw in his feature? She chewed on her bottom lip, "So you were right about him, weren't you?"
Erza's lips twitched as she made a poor attempt to stifle her smile. Jellal's eyes widened in surprise. She noticed Adie's querying look. "He's uncertain of Lilith's location. I already thought to ask," she informed them.
Adie sighed in exasperation, a few choice words murmured under her breath. "We've got to find her. Or Ultear."
"Ultear will eventually show herself, I can promise it," Jellal growled. "She's got too much pride. She's enjoying the chaos she's created."
"What is it she's looking for?" Lucy ventured, brow creased with concern as her eyes danced over the battlefield. She hoped the Amarok were helping them substantially. She also wanted to know how Levy was doing.
"She's looking for keys to release Zeref," Adie replied quickly, her own gaze quickly scanning for someone.
Jellal's expression was somber as he spoke in a voice so low that it was easy to miss his words. "No…she was looking for…a key…"
It appeared that Erza, too, had heard him, and she met Lucy's eyes for a brief moment. The latter wanted to ask him what he meant, but was interrupted by the bright pillar of light that shot skyward from the middle of the battlefield. As suddenly as it appeared, the light was gone, leaving Lucy, Adie, and Jellal to stare in confusion. None of them could deny the sheer power that emanated from that burst of light.
"What was that? Another one of these monsters?" Lucy moaned.
"No…it was not dark magic," Jellal answered her, eyes narrowed.
The sound of Erza's dry chuckling intrigued them, and soon, three pairs of disbelieving eyes were on the red-head.
"Erza, please tell me you haven't lost it," a look of concern flashed across Lucy's face.
Erza grinned at them, crossing her arms authoritatively in a rare display. "Backup's just arrived."
"Hibiki, your calculation was perfect! I assume you've alerted them of our presence?" Makarov reached out to steady the man, who had transferred the knowledge of the spell to the guildmaster.
"I have," Hibiki replied, straightening and surveying the battlefield quickly.
"Holy Saints Hell," Laxus murmured, his eyes wide as he took in the chaos surrounding them. Blood of enemy and ally littered the field.
"She's not here," Makarov softly informed himself, his jaw clenching tightly. "Porly, can you be of assistance? I'm sure poor Wendy is exhausted."
"I'm sure everyone is exhausted," Laxus spat. "This is—"
"Grim," Ivan responded, offering nothing more. Laxus nodded, a bead of sweat sliding down the side of his face.
"Be strong, my children," Makarov whispered, his eyes watering as he recognized a few of the dead. People were calling their names now, recognizing the blazing magic that had announced their arrival.
A dark creature swooped down, landing before them. "Master!" she yelled, concern on her face as she ignored her indecent clothing. She paled when she saw Hibiki. "You're not supposed to be here!"
"Now, now, my dear," Makarov instructed her, "A man can choose his own will."
Mira looked away, her resolve crumbling as tears of frustration sprung to her eyes, "I've not been of help to this guild; so many have died!"
"Mirajane," Makarov told her sternly, "Was death not expected as an outcome? And did each person not choose to be here, fighting for you—with you?"
The woman quickly wiped away a tear, her chin raised slightly higher as she composed herself. "I'm sorry, Master, we've been fighting for so long."
"I see that," he replied softly as she studied the others with him. She glanced between Laxus and Ivan, saying nothing.
"Ah, Makarov," Bob chirped as he came arrived, the ends of his cropped pants singed and crusted with blood that was not his own. He smiled as he noticed Ivan. "And the happy family!"
Makarov offered a half-smile, "Feels like the good old days, doesn't it?"
"Oh yes! Half of us are here." He beamed at them for a moment before his expression fell, "Is this what has become of us, my friends?"
The mood turned somber as the older mages reminisced on their youth—their better times. Finally, it was Porlyusica that broke up the foul mood, "Why don't we stop living in the past and recognize what we came here for. We don't have all day."
"Today's as good a day to die as any, I suppose," Bob echoed, smiling sadly at his friends and former teammates. "Shall we show these kids the true power of being old mages?"
"My children have been harmed, and I will not stand for this heresy," Makarov puffed out his chest, doubling in size. Laxus smiled as he recognized his grandfather's wrath.
"Master, you're not well," Mirajane reminded him. "You should save your energy—"
"Oh, I am quite well, Mirajane, my dear," he smiled grimly at her. "But a home is where your heart lies, and mine is with my guild—my children. And I will die beside them—for them—if I have to. That is what being a family is all about."
Mirajane chewed her lip, nodding her head in understanding. She stepped back and crossed her arm over her chest, "Yes, sir!" She turned to Hibiki, her voice stern and commanding, "Do you hear that? Master Makarov is here to fight with us! Spread the word! Build our resolve!"
His eyes widened. For a moment, he was too taken aback to do anything. He slowly recovered, a small smile on his face as he nodded, "Yes, Master."
Cheers rang out as the bystanders were once again rallied against the forces, and in the distance, Wendy was fighting Natsu to let her finish healing him after word of Makarov's return had reached him. All over the field, Hibiki's telepathy was restoring the allied forces' belief in the Greater Good. He reserved some of his magic for a silent message for Mirajane, which caused a blush to creep across her cheeks.
"What next, Gramps?" Laxus asked, cracking his knuckles as he stood next to the ailing man, who was now his size. Even Ivan appeared interested in Makarov's answer, finally feeling as if he had returned home.
"Next?" Makarov murmured, his eyes flashing dangerously as his anger was once again fanned, "Next is we find Ultear…."
The roar of the rallying forces rang out over the field. For a moment, all seemed hopeful, despite the loss of close friends and family. Makarov watched with a sense of pride, his voice low and his words only for him to hear.
"….No kin of mine can be so badly misbehaved and gets away with it…"