Once again, thanks much to all the readers/reviewers/followers. I get an email every time someone follows or favorites the story, and I take the time to read all of your profiles. Yes, ALL. I have noticed a few blurbs from my profile floating around on others' profiles, mainly my classification of some of the reviewers I've encountered and my coined "rules of "-all created for purposes of hilarity and honesty (those people do exist, I have PMs to prove it). I'm flattered that anyone finds it interesting enough to copy, really, but remember to credit the original author (i.e. me), always! You wouldn't post my story as your own, would you? (HINT: your answer better be 'no')
Much appreciation to those who leave me something to read at the end of every chapter. It's an extra step, and I am grateful.
Disclaimer: I only take credit for my OCs, my profile, and my plot.
~OoOoO~
Lucy felt her mouth go dry as she stared at the woman. If she had passed her on the street, she would have considered Ultear demure and beautiful. But knowing that she was capable of orchestrating so much destruction and death only served to make her appear uglier than anything Lucy had ever known. Her cause was futile and Lucy pitied her all the more for her misguidance, though mostly because she, too, had lost her parents, one on poorer terms. As she stared at Ultear, Lucy realized that she had that potential—that potential to be as hate-filled and cruel as the woman before her. She could be just as despicable as Ultear. In a way, Lucy considered her divergence from that path a conscious choice; a natural choice.
Lucy would never. Ever. Be. Ultear.
That knowledge made Lucy despise her enemy all the more.
Ultear smiled, dark lips twisting upward as she read Lucy's expression. "I've kept you waiting. You are angry."
Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy saw Levy silently gesture to Adie, who was now disguised in her armor. Erza and Jellal were slinking in the periphery, stalking their prey. The blonde raised her head, her voice as steady as she could maintain. "It stops here. You've killed enough of my...family."
She avoided following Jellal and Erza with her eyes as they crept behind Ultear. She was certain Ultear sensed them as well, but she maintained the hope that their enemy was oblivious. Lucy could hear Acnologia's furious roars, and she knew her friends were torn about what to do—especially Natsu and Gajeel. Lucy raised a hand in warning to them, but did not turn to look at her comrades. She hoped Natsu trusted her. She shuddered as she thought of what Acnologia had been at one time: human.
"I'm not even close to finished," Ultear scoffed, "But you can change that, of course."
"I don't bargain with murderers!" Lucy quickly replied, voice hissing between clenched jaws. She felt her pulse quicken.
"Then maybe this will help you reconsider," the woman told her, left eye growing crimson. Lucy watched in horror as the twice-defeated monsters slowly rose, bodies returning to their pre-injury states.
Morpheus immediately appeared at Lucy's side. His golden eyes studied her opponent, teeth bared. "No, that's now why I need you," she told him firmly, though he already knew that. "Your army again. Please! Everyone must be so tired." Even Ultear, she thought to herself.
"Done," he growled, observing what was happening around them. He angled his head as he listened to Lucy's silent commands, taking the glove in her hand. With a quick leap backward, he grabbed Levy and disappeared with her. She saw Adie flinch in surprise, and Lucy gestured with her hand, Go! The demi-spirit followed Morpheus and Levy, leaving Lucy to face Ultear for the time being.
"You're plotting?" Ultear raised a shapely eyebrow. "It's useless." Lucy said nothing. "You have the key I want."
"You're presuming," Lucy countered, unmoving.
"Am I?" Her voice was smooth. Deadly. The corners of her mouth twitched upward knowingly.
Lucy remained silent, jaw set in anger and fear coursing through her veins. Jellal inched closer, and Ultear's smirk grew . She held up a hand, eyes remaining on Lucy. Jellal's body suddenly grew rigid and his eyes bulged. He shook, blood slipping from between his lips as he bit his tongue to mask his screams. His hands clamped over his ears and he collapsed to his knees, resolve failing him as he howled in pain. He fell over, writhing and trying to tell them to run, but his injured tongue only babbled the warnings. Profanities followed as he yelled, followed by whimpering. Lucy stood frozen as blood trickled from his nostrils and ears, matting his hair to his head and soaking his fingers. Erza wasted no time, swiftly lunging at Ultear in a blur of fury. Her opponent easily dodged her angry blows, which were slowed from hours of battle. Erza switched armors vigorously, slipping underneath the icy tentacles that Ultear sent her way. The dark-haired mage elevated herself on a glacial pedestal, and Erza changed to a flight armor to reach her.
Capricorn quickly appeared at Lucy's side, arms crossed over his chest. "Attack her," she commanded the spirit.
With a nod he sprang into action, scaling the crag. Ultear created flowery shields of ice, but Erza continued to wildly hack away, infuriated. Capricorn leaped high, coming down with a lethal kick and shattering one of the shields. Erza's barrier quickly became razor-sharp petals, slicing her wings and sending her to the ground. Aries created a barrier before the armored mage plummeted to a possible death. She rolled, pink armor encompassing her body as she prepared to counter. Capricorn shattered the icy mountain, throwing Ultear from her roost. Nimbly, Ultear bobbed and weaved, able to stave off even Capricorn's dangerous blows. Ice vines crept toward him, and he leaped over them, ducking and rolling. He did not anticipate the sharp thorns, and Lucy screamed as he was impaled by the icy daggers.
He looked down at his chest, perplexed. "I'm sorry, Lucy-sama…I have..failed." White light shot out of him and Lucy forced him back to the Spirit World.
Ultear slipped away from Erza's counterattack, landing atop of a giant thorny creation. She thrust her hands to her hips. "I have a special treat for you, Titania."
Erza stood tall, eyes flashing rage. From behind Ultear, Jellal jerked to his feet. His eyes appeared crazed, like Lucy had only seen one other time. "No," Erza croaked, already recognizing what was unfolding.
Ultear smiled, dark lips spreading wider, "It was my own will that I let him keep his mind. Now I'll take it away once again. You cannot break our bond, Erza." She waved a hand toward Jellal, calling over her shoulder as her eyes watched Erza with muted excitement. "Who commands you?"
"Zeref," he replied deeply, eyes devoid of any recognition.
"Jellal!" Erza yelled. "She's controlling you! Remember how much you hated—"
Ultear sent a flurry of orbs at Erza, who dodged them, her swords rising up around her. But, as she destroyed the orbs, they exploded with a force that she couldn't avoid. She was sent backward, limbs flailing.
"Finish her," the dark-haired woman ordered. Jellal's body grew rigid, his fists clenching. "And please do it somewhere else. I have business here, and you're distracting."
"Jellal, you don't want to hurt Erza—" Lucy pleaded, but Jellal ignored her. He was too far gone from whatever possession Ultear had over him. He pushed his hands together and the ground beneath Erza exploded. She managed to leap through the cloud of dust before his attack could consume her. Her face was swollen and badly burned. Lucy felt tears sting her eyes as she studied Erza's injuries. The red-head lifted her sword, preparing to defend herself from the man she cared for. Jellal responded by pushing his hands together, meeting her with his Meteor attack. Lucy heard Erza cry out in pain as they collided. Jellal's attack overcoming her and throwing the duo from Lucy's sight.
"No!" Lucy yelled. She made to move, but Ultear stopped her with a wall of floating orbs. "Stop it!"
"You can control that, Lucy." Ultear offered mock sympathy as a blue orb snaked up and down her arm.
Lucy narrowed her eyes, noting the movement from inside the orbs. As she squinted, she could see herself in the three floating closest to her, but she noticed each Lucy was…different. Her brow must have furrowed in confusion, because Ultear answered her silent questions with a haughty laugh. "Those are your realities, each resulting from different decisions you make. You can see what happens if you refuse me, can't you?"
Lucy averted her eyes, the grisly scene in the third orb mirroring the one she and Happy had seen in Veleda's cave. She grit her teeth, "Leave my friends out of this! It's me you want."
"Oh, Jellal and Erza? I do enjoy a good love story, but I find tragedies more enthralling. You think I didn't know he was feeding information to Makarov? How did you think this played out so easily? Stupid men!"
Lucy's eyes grew wide. Was her conniving endless? "Everything….you were behind it…."
"Perhaps we can scare your friends. See how much they are willing to sacrifice for you," Ultear continued waving at the monsters attacking Lucy's comrades. "Maybe you'll cave then. Can your spirits protect everyone? I'll chip away at your army one body at a time."
"You'll run out of magic before that happens," Lucy lashed out. "It drains you to use that much magic!"
"Hmph," Ultear narrowed her eyes.
Lucy could feel the air whirling around her, and she knew that Acnologia was in flight. She turned to look at the massive dragon with its white eyes. It was headed their way, as if at Ultear's beckoning. The dragon slayers were confused and Happy and Charle easily picked up Natsu and Wendy, respectively. They landed on Acnologia but the dragon paid them no heed. A giant ball of energy formed between its jaws as Acnologia's head whipped back, energy glowing larger and brighter. The air around it began to swirl dangerously, as if being gathered up by Acnologia's developing attack.
Her head whipped around so she could look at Ultear. Her mouth opened to plead for her friends—to stop the madness. She saw Ultear's face contort in rage, a low growl in her throat. "I thought I killed that old bat!"
Lucy followed her angry look and saw Natsu and Wendy being thrown from Acnologia's body as Happy darted to catch Natsu and Charle carried Wendy to safety. Makarov's Titan form was standing in front of the dragon, arms angrily crossed over his chest. With a look of determination, he punched the scaled beast, stunning it. Acnologia roared, his ball of energy sputtering, now replaced with flames. The wizard shielded himself from the attack, but was unable to block the deadly stinger on Acnologia's tail. It shot through the left side of his chest, causing him to stumble and the earth to quake. Acnologia circled with amazing speed, sharp teeth bared as he crashed into his opponent. Makarov's feet slid along the ground as he prevented the dragon from advancing and protected the allied forces. Acnologia, attempted a second tail attack, but Makarov sliced through it with his magic. The dragon hissed and howled, white magic again flaring in his mouth. Makarov, in his weakened state, had no time to counter, and instead used his body as a shield. The attack hit him square in the torso, and he managed to stay standing until the dragon depleted his reserves, looking worse for wear. Makarov clutched his midsection, lurching forward whilst slowly shrinking. Lucy craned her neck to see him collapse to the ground. She thought she could hear Mirajane's scream of admonition. Acnologia roared his disdain, flying low and spinning in a counter attack, hoping to finish Makarov off. Laxus and Elfman fought with a combined attack, temporarily stunning the beast and buying time.
Lucy's heart felt heavy; there was no way Makarov would survive that attack, though his martyrdom would likely give them a sense of vengeance to reap. No matter how much they injured the dragon, Acnologia would keep reviving at Ultear's command. Lucy didn't know how she'd compete with a dragon except with—
That's it! Her eyes fluttered open and her mind called for the spirit without second thought.
Lucy!
I need your help! This is bad! Her thoughts swirled through her head, and she hoped he could see Acnologia. Draco, there's not much time! Lucy willed him. She felt the warmth of his cohesive thoughts, and the sting of his talons. She heard Ultear scream and felt somewhat triumphant at having her opponent leap out of the way as the tiny flicker that was Draco became larger and brighter than before. The ground rumbled and the heat that emanated from Draco's body took everyone by surprise.
A welcomed distraction, Lucy thought. "Go!" she yelled as the spirit rushed past her, meeting Acnologia head on.
The Dragon King riled at the presence of another dragon, his attention now on his newest rival. He blew flames at the spirit, but Draco didn't alter his path. The flames engulfed his body and, for a moment, Lucy thought it was the end of him. He appeared through the cloud of smoke, his talons slicing into Acnologia's body as he wrapped around the enemy. With a giant roar, Draco's teeth sank into Acnologia's neck and the latter howling in pain and fury. They took to the sky, both whirling in a sea of of shimmering scales and smoke. The dragons disappeared above the clouds and Lucy could hear their roars as their absence continuing for minutes. She saw Draco spiral toward the ground first, body compact for better aerodynamics. Acnologia followed in close pursuit, mouth open and aflame. Draco quickly changed direction, and his pursuer slammed into the earth, writhing. Acnologia was quick to regain his bearings, pushing off the ground more quickly than the spirit had anticipated. He darted away, feigning right then altering his course, talons tearing through Acnologia's wings. The dragon roared as the sky became awash with black feathers whilst Draco tore at his appendages. The Dragon King fought back, his newly regenerated tail lashing forward and slashing across Draco's neck.
Lucy screamed as the spirit halted his assault, appearing somewhat surprised by the attack. Acnologia sank his teeth into Draco's neck as the two plummeted, spiraling, to the ground. Acnologia hit first, the impact earth-shattering. The ground pushed away like ocean waves, and the forces were quick to scramble out of harm's way. Draco used the last of his energy to push off of Acnologia and made a weak attempt to fly in Nani's direction. He landed on his feet, taking a few steps and collapsing with a sigh that resounded in Lucy's head.
Draco! Lucy inwardly screamed as Nani yelled his name. She could feel the warmth of his thoughts, a rumbling mess in the distance.
It'll be OK, Lucy, he promised. I think I did it, but I must…go.
With a small huff, Draco disappeared, leaving behind a flickering blue flame and a brief explanation to Nani and Lucy. The tiny dragon slayer reached out to touch the fire, noticing that the flames were cool as her fingers passed through it.
"It's for Natsu?" Lucy thought she saw her say. The girl quickly flitted to him, lifting her palm to his face. He sniffed the flame, eyeing it carefully. She raised her palm again, more emphatically, and he shook his head. He looked up at Lucy, who nodded her agreement.
"It's created from Acnologia's blood….Draco did it!" Lucy murmured, hoping her suspicion was correct and she hadn't forced Draco's hand without justifiable cause. If her suspicions were correct, the flame was akin to dragon slayer magic. She hoped…..
Nani yelled at him and Natsu, now apparently pacified by Lucy's urging, ingested the flame as Nani's palm slammed into his face in comedic display. He looked slightly disgusted, but quickly recovered.
"Well?" Nani pressed.
The pink-haired dragon slayer's elbows lit up, though the flames were the same blue as Draco's parting gift. He shrugged at the others after examining them, "Weird."
He looked up at Lucy, giving her a thumbs-up. Strong work, he mouthed. The dragon slayers once again amassed, now looking more determined than ever.
"That was damned impressive," Gajeel agreed.
"You guys ready?" Nani squinted at the giant dragon, visibly fatigued. Acnologia had recovered from a broken neck, but his wings were slow to heal.
"We are," Juvia replied, cracking her knuckles by extending her elbows and wrists and interlacing her fingers. "Luckily he can't take to the sky, so this should be much easier, Juvia thinks."
"For Makarov!" Wendy growled, and the other dragon slayers nodded, knowing tears in their eyes.
"Let's do this!" Natsu prompted his comrades, somewhat more hopeful with a belly full of the magical flames. They leaped into action once again, their unity seamless as they made a counterattack on the Dragon King look easy. Lucy stood alone on the dusty mound on the hill, watching with bated breath as Acnologia drew back as if to breathe flames. Natsu wasted no time, quickly inhaling and belching his own, bright blue flames. They covered Acnologia in entirety and the dragon's scales began to lift off his body. Natsu didn't let up, the flames coming on relentlessly. Soon, flesh began to dissipate, and Acnologia's roars ceased altogether. Within moments, nothing was left of the Dragon King's existence.
There was nothing to revive.
Which Lucy suspected would put an end to Ultear's ability to revive the creature.
"Impressive," Ultear cooed from behind her, clapping. "I thought you were the weakest, but I see I misjudged you. It won't happen again."
Lucy did her best to hide her smile as she slowly turned, meeting the woman's scrutinizing gaze. Her mind returned to her training with Erza and she said a silent prayer.
"I don't have time for your games, girl," Ultear took a step toward her, hand outstretched. "The key. Or I'll kill everyone you've ever cared about." Her eyes flickered to Natsu, who was nearing Makarov's side. "I'll start with him."
Lucy bit her lip. "No."
"Fine." Ultear's eyes narrowed dangerously, "I won't spare your life."
"It's not meant to be used by you," Lucy carefully replied, "And I'm not afraid of death."
Ultear moved quickly, sword in hand as she attacked. Taurus and Scorpio appeared. "We are here to help," Scorpio told her, sand swirling around them.
Taurus wordlessly swung his axe, the sand shooting at Ultear. The brunette was easily thrown from the force of the gale, and Lucy unleashed her whip. Taurus and Scorpio attacked again, but this time Ultear was spared as she weaved mercilessly between the sand, sword slicing into Taurus as she attempted to cut down Scorpio. The ground split apart as she did, water gushing skyward as Aquarius appeared, urn held over her head. Ultear slid to a halt, looking surprised for a brief moment.
"How dare you TRY TO ATTACK MY FIANCE!" the spirit bellowed, water cascading down over Ultear, who surfaced before another wave crashed down on her.
"Pisces!" Lucy yelled, the father and son duo appearing. They took off running, diving into the water and transforming. Lucy could see their fish forms circling, searching for Ultear, who was treading water. Her arm shot up as she was pulled under. For a moment, Lucy dared to think she had the upperhand. But that hope was dashed as Ultear shot skyward, the water behind her crackling as it froze. She landed atop of the frozen geyser, sword reappearing in her hand as she locked eyes with Lucy.
"Bitch!" Aquarius hissed, lower body caught in the ice. "Lucy, you better destroy her!"
"I will. Congratulations. Now go!" Lucy yelled at her spirits, forcing them back to the Celestial World as charged at Ultear.
She slid along the ground, ducking under Ultear's swing and using Etoiles to grab onto Ultear's ankle. She sprang to her feet, continuing to run and letting her whip slacken. After weaving around the melting, icy boulders Ultear had created, she pulled her whip tightly. It contracted, snagging Ultear mid-turn and pulling her to the ground. The mage yowled in frustration as she tried to stand, only to be pulled down by Lucy again. Virgo exploded from the ground, and with a vigorous kick, the earth beneath her foot dissipated, leaving a giant gaping hole. Ultear continued to be dragged, sliding off edge of Virgo's trap and dangling by her ankle. Virgo looked triumphant as she nodded at Lucy, who saw the orb sail up over the spirit's head. She yelled, forgetting her whip and tackling Virgo to the ground as the orb exploded. She blinked away the blinding pain as she pushed herself to her feet, bleary-eyed and head pounding. She was certain her shoulder was dislocated and she used her good arm to lift herself.
"You OK?" she asked Virgo who inclined her head.
"Thank you…Mistress." Her eyes grew wide as Lucy's body was violently jerked to the side. The blonde sputtered, her expression a mixture of confusion and pain. Virgo's expression told her all she needed to know, but she looked behind herself, anyhow. She saw the blade deeply embedded in her flank and she slowly traced the metal to its hilt, the hilt to the hands, the hands to the arms…
She continued to do so until she met Ultear's eyes. The eyes of a murderer. A sociopath.
"That was a nice game, but don't say I didn't warn you that I'd get that key," Ultear sneered, victorious, "Even if it killed you."
"Gramps!" Natsu yelled as he quickly ran to Makarov's side, elbows still ablaze and earth smoking. He was torn between the man who had been a father figure to him and Lucy. He knew Lucy could hold her own, he had faith. Besides he was certain that Gray wasn't too far behind.
"Maintain your positions!" Makarov snarled from where he was standing. Natsu slid to a halt, eyes on his former master's chest—where the blood was soaking through his shirt and spreading outward. The elderly mage's eyes softened as he grasped his chest, gasping for air. "Do me this last favor, Natsu. There are more important things, my boy…" His eyes were rimmed with moisture, and Natsu blinked away his own tears.
"Alright, Old Man. Just this once." He clenched his fists, doing his best to collect himself. He wouldn't disobey the man, not now. He turned his head and glanced at the former guild master, voice shaking ever-so-slightly. "But know this, Gramps…you will be missed." He gave a tear-filled sigh and took a step back to his comrades. "More than you'll ever know."
Tears welled up in Makarov's eyes as his ears captured Natsu's fleeting words. He groaned in pain, his breath shallow from his mortal injuries. Laxus caught him as he collapsed, lowering him backward. Makarov suddenly looked years older. He coughed and blood bubbled at the corner of his mouth. Laxus' eyes betrayed his fear, despite his calm exterior. Hibiki and Mirajane were behind him, the latter weeping openly. Makarov nodded gently at Hibiki, who quickly did as he was bid, opening up the transmission for the allied fighters to hear.
"My children, do not despair…" Makarov told them, "Even the mighty fall." He gasped, quickly regaining his composure. "I have never been more proud of you, my children. And, no matter what is to unfold, do not be driven by anger...it will only lead to the hate you are surrounded by. Be strong, Good will prevail."
He glanced at his grandson, who was biting his lower lip. The wizard smiled, "Laxus, you have made me proudest of all, my grandson." Laxus gave up trying to stop his tears. They streaked his dirty face, leaving trails in his sunburned skin. He simply nodded, too afraid to speak. Makarov whispered, "I know, I know."
Porlyusica knelt next to Makarov, patting his hand regretfully, "I'm sorry, my dear friend, my magic is not enough." Her eyes were moist, but she maintained her composure. "Even Wendy's magic cannot…" She stopped, unable to continue.
He offered her a blood-stained half smile as he gently nodded. "Always my dear, Porlyusica, you always had it..."
Her eyes flickered wider, and she pursed her lips, saying nothing more to his cryptic speech. His eyes softened and his gaze grew slightly unfocused. His voice was now distant-sounding. Confused. "Have we done it?"
A quick glanced passed amongst them. Porlyusica closed her eyes and nodded the confirmation. Laxus' shoulders shook.
"You have, Father," Ivan answered as a pained expression flickered across his face. He placed a hand on Laxus' firm shoulder in comfort.
They knew that Makarov's plan had been to sacrifice himself using Fairy Law, as he was already dying from the irreparable damage inflicted as a result of the prior use of the spell. Used on handful of mages was one thing, but on an entire city…well, that wasn't without consequence. The appearance of Acnologia had changed the circumstance, and Makarov's Titan Mode had depleted his brittle reserves so that he could stave off the Dragon Roar attack that would have decimated the entire army. He had only wanted to protect his guild. His family.
"I knew it would work," Makarov sighed in contentment, his lips curving upward in a smile, moustache tinged with caked blood as Mirajane gently sobbed into Hibiki's shoulder.
"You've ended the war," Porlyusica told him, bringing the back of his hand to her lips. A tear slipped from between her eyelids as she furiously squeezed them shut.
"I can finally get some peace and quiet," Makarov murmured. His eyes stared skyward as he continued, "Tell Mirajane—"
"I'm here," the mage cried, quickly falling at his side. "Tell me what, Master?" Trembling fingers touched his face. "Tell me what?" Her voice grew higher and she looked at Laxus, her expression panic-stricken. The lighting mage looked away. Makarov offered nothing more—eyes staring at the heavens, unblinking. His chest did not rise for another breath. Mirajane threw her head onto his chest, crying.
Hibiki didn't stop the transmission, instead allowing the mages to hear the grief of those closest to Makarov—if only to build their resolve. Laxus watched Mirajane, devastation in his features. He joined the hundreds of other mages, openly weeping in the midst of the fight for their lives.
The battlefield was only momentarily calmed, due to the victory owed to a blonde Celestial Spirit Mage. It was as if fate had perfectly timed the events.
It was a fitting ending to an era, and a suitable farewell to Makarov Dreyar, Third Guild Master of Fairy Tail.