Chapter 20: It Begins
"WHAT!?" This is just a great way to start a newly reunited relationship. "You mean to tell me that while you were on that island you were attacked by MY FATHER!?" it's been a couple of weeks since they returned from Tenrou island. The other guild members and I waited for what seemed like forever for our friends to come back, though they were supposedly dead. Even with that being said you would think that your ice making boyfriend would tell you about a dragon attack whether or not it WAS your evil father.
"How could I know that?!"
"I told you when I ALMOST WAS KILLED BY HIM!"
"You never once mentioned the name Acnologia!"
"Are they arguing again?" I could hear Cana at the bar gulping down her usual barrel of sake. "Gray argues less with Natsu. And that's saying something since they've argued everyday since they met."
"You could say that again." Lucy chimed. I sighed and rubbed my temples in annoyance as I listened to the girls' conversation.
"Look Gray. I'm sorry. Im just...I..."
"Hey look, Whatever the problem is we can work it out. You just gotta work with me instead of against me." Gray hugged me tightly and whispered deeply into my ear, "I can help if you let me."
I nod into his chest and give him a large toothy smile. "You're right. I shouldn't have gotten worked up."
This was the nature of our relationship. Fight them make up. Fight then make up. The constant repetition was annoying but I know that loved ones will fight and their bonds become stronger. I've seen it many times before.
Once again at the bar I could hear the girls chatting now adding my least favorite of all, the rain woman, Juvia. "Damn it." She whined. "Juvia wishes that Gray-sama would dump that scaly beast of a woman and come back into her arms where she can protect him from the nasty dragon girl." it's not that I didn't like Juvia and all but, she...well y'know...she's Juvia.
"You're barking up the wrong tree there, Juvia." Cana says taking another big gulp of her booze.
"Thats for sure. Their bond is stronger than Erza and here strawberry cake." Lucy added.
"Juvia thinks that the two of you are just after her Gray-sama as well. Juvia will not have this! Let us fight for Gray-sama's affection!" The other two women looked at each other and burst into loud obnoxious laughter."
"Juvia you're crazy if you think I'm fighting Arion." Lucy laughed while wiping her tears.
"Yeah. Who knows what kind of dragon magic she has."
"Juvia thinks she could take her. If its for her Gray-sama."
"My Gray-sama?" I poke her playfully. "Theres no reason to fight for him. We can't force him to do anything he doesn't wanna do. Of he wants you and not me then so be it." I give her a toothy grin and turn to Mirajane who was tending to the bar. "Mira, can I have my milkshake to go?"
"Sure thing." she hands me a cup with a lid and straw and waves me goodbye.
"See you guys later." I wave to all of them as I run to take Gray's hand. "We can go now." We left the guild together then. We were just going to go back home. It had been a pretty long day and I was feeling kind of tired. After everyone returned from Tenrou, I moved out of Lucy's house and into Gray's. That was a pretty interesting experience considering his nasty little stripping habit.
It was 12:00pm and I just couldn't sleep. Our conversation about Acnologia from earlier had still been bothering me. He was the one who attacked my friends and nearly killed them. He was the one who took my mother and almost took Gray. I would not stand for him to live any longer. The dragon king, Acnologia, would die today.
I slowly lifted Gray's muscular arm off of my body and slid from beneath the blankets. I dressed myself in thin black pants a high neck, sleeveless, red shirt and my ankle height black boots. I tied my hair back into a long braid, black bangs covering my green eyes.
Making my way to the other end of the room, I grab a golden key from smallest drawer in the dresser and leave only with a letter to remain in my wake.
(-Gray's PoV-)
When I woke up the next morning, the whole house was empty. Looks as though Arion already left for the guild hall without me. I brush it off and stretch out my muscles. I went over to the closet to find something to wear but instead I found a little note with my name written in cursive and a drawn picture of a dragon on it.
It read:
Morning Gray (or at least it should be morning when you read this.),
I have been feeling...happy? Too happy in fact. I think this has something to do with you guys actually being...not dead. However, I dropped my duties as princess selfishly and I will not let Acnologia continue to kill those I love and care about. When I left Cecily, I thought it was because I couldn't handle my job as the leader of my people. Now I feel that if I am to continue this journey with you, I have stop this beast of a king that I call Father.
I love you Gray,
Arion
My eyes grew wide at a sudden realization. Acnologia was too strong for Fairy Tail's strongest. How could she alone even hope to come out of this alive.
As quickly as I can, I throw on some clothes and run all the way there.
I burst through the guild's receiving confused glares from everyone. "Huh? Gray what's wrong?" Erza asks me. I quickly shove the note into her face. As she reads her eyes grow large. "She planning to sacrifice herself to Acnologia!" everyone gasped.
"What?"
"She's doing what?"
"We gotta go stop her!"
"And we will." Master said, interrupting the chaos. "Arion is one of my children and her guild mark proves that. She was here waiting for us to get back just like the rest of them. She left her kindgdom to help us. For that I say we must save her from this fate she has ensued." the room roared in applause and silenced again as the old man cleared his throat with a loud ahem. "Natsu, Gray, Erza, Lucy, Gajeel and Wendy. I'm sending you to Cecily to get her."
"Alright! I'm all fired up now!" Shouts that flame brain at the the top of his lungs.
"What do you say Gajeel? Are you up for it?" Wendy asks him. I could tell that he was still thinking of that day she came clean about who she was. He wavered for half a second before letting out a low laugh and saying, "Let's go save us a princess."
The roars grew louder and sounded closer. I kinda wanted someone to stop me from the crazy quest to save Arion. But I couldn't stop, something was pulling me towards her.
By the time I got there about three halls were either destroyed or burned."Arion!" I know she can't hear me.
"Arion!" I know she can't hear me.
I call her again and again. When I finally decided to stop screaming, I shot a barrage if ice lances at the guards coming at me. They looked at me with evil eyes. Black fire burned in them.
I tried again,"Arion. Where is she?"
They just stare at me intensely with no intent on giving me my answer.
They fell to the ground dramatically, as I shot them with my Ice Cannon angrily.
This castle is so big.I don't know what to do. I was stopped in my tracks, paralyzed. Guards were coming at me from every side. "ICE MAKE: SWORD." I called out. I slashed the guards as they came at me from the left and right.
By this time I was badly injured from being repeatedly attack by these dragon's talons. I might die if I keep getting smacked around like this.
Just then, "FIRE DRAGON'S-" Natsu?!
"IRON DRAGON'S-"
"SKY DRAGON'S-" even Gajeel and Wendy?
"ROAR!" The three said in unison as they attacked the guards together.
"What's wrong Gray? You scared?" Natsu laughed.
"No I'm just not used to fighting dragons like SOME people, ash brain!" I retorted. "But then again you never actually BEAT a dragon now, have you?
"WHY YOU?!"
"U-uhm , Natsu we should probably continue our search for sister."
"Oh, heheh, right. Lets go."
The three take off in the opposite direction. I lazily lift myself up as I watch them go."Moron," I muttered under my breath.
"Bow before the throne wench!" I heard a loud voice come frome the opposite end of the hall.
(-Arion's PoV-)
"Oh, I'm a wench now am I father?!"
"Do not sass your king, girl!" He had gotten off of his throne and slapped me across the face with the end of his enormous tail.
"You are hardly a king." I struggled. "You shunned your whole race when Zeref offered you that form."
"Don't forget that without this form, you'd be old and weak." His giant claws threw me against the wall, repeatedly squeezing me and crushing bones.
I coughed up blood. "Acnologia! Gah! I ha-have gotten stronger from since we last met! And I will not take this anymore. FULL RELEASE." I transformed into my true dragon form.
We clashed. There were ear shattering cries and roars echoing off the throne room walls. Every scratch and bite went by so fast. I could barely keep also didn't help that he wastwice my size.
He caught me off guard for just one measly second and I was pinned against the wall.
"This is is why you don't challenge the king, little girl!" He had flung me out of the large castle windows. "You think you can beat me? You think that just because you left for over 100 years makes you stronger than me? You'll need another 1000." He inched closer and closer to me until finally putting his claw on my throat. "Have those humans made you soft?"
I scratched at his claw, gasping for air. "N-no. They m-made me stronger."
"And where's your strength now?"
"Here!" A familiar voice rang. "Ice Make: LANCE!" Acnologia was shot off of both me and the castle roof.
I turned my head around to look at the ice mage. "G-Gray?" I say as I transform bacoriginally man form.
"The one and only," he offered his hand out for me.
I slap his hand away and stand on my own. "How did you get here?"
"Well the master sent us all here."
"That damned, Porlyusica?" I gasped. "How-" I could hear Acnologia roar. "We're gonna talk about this later. Lets go."
Still holding his hand, I dragged him back through the window and jumped. Before we fell to the ground, I loosened the spell I had over my body, revealing a pair of wings.
"Woah…"
"Stop gawkin', Gray. Where are the others?"
"I don't know, we all fanned out to find you."
"Okay then I'll find them."
"And how are you gonna do that?"
"Even if I renounced my role as heir, I still have connections in this castle." I flew down through a nearby corridor. After turning the corner like a gazillion times, I finally found the false wall.
I knocked on it 3 times then hit it with my tail 3 more time. The wall then turned to ash and revealed a secret hall. "Stay close" he nodded.
The hall was short and full of cobwebs. There were cracks all over the walls and ceiling.
At the end of the hall stood three hooded figures. "Halt. Who is the one who holds the crown?" The first asked.
"Queen Arion as she hails from atop of her perch in the sky."
The figures removed their tattered rags from their heads, revealing a man and 2 women on either side of him.
The first women was named Kimberly Solaris, She had dark red eyes and long brown hair that fell along tan cheeks. Kim was a fire dragon.
Next to her was Roen who was Kim's older twin brother. Roen (or Shy as we called him) had short brown hair like his sister and golden eyes. Roen was also a fire dragon.
Finally there was Kira Solaris or, as we called her, Spark, who, as the name suggests, is a lightning dragon. Spark was the younger sister to Kim and Roen. She had two large blonde braids with various colored beads intangled into her locks and bright yellow eyes. Spark looked only to be the same age as Wendy even still she could rival Natsu when he gets all fired up.
"It's great to see you again princess." Shy said as the three bowed.
"Likewise. I need you guys to do something me."
"Anything for you, princess."
"Find all of the humans and get them out of here. And take Gray with you."
"What? No, I can't leave you here, Arion!" Gray quickly protested to my order. I understand why but, I wish he wouldn't.
"Gray, please. I need you to go with them okay." I put my hand on his cheek and gave him a fake eyes looked so sad and confused. And as I look into his eyes I feel mine start to water. Damn him for making me feel this way. Sam him for making me happy. Before I know it, he kisses me. Not a normal kiss though. It was more like...how our first was. Passionate, stable, awaited. It was filled with every emotion we had since our journey together begun.
We parted.
"You better make it back." he said sternly.
"I will see you again. Don't worry." I dropped my hand from his face and turn to the youngest sibling. "I'm trusting you, Spark."
The little girl playfully saluted me. "I willn't let ya down, sir! I swear on m' life!"
"Good now go. I'm counting on you." I turned to walk away before I feel a hand on my shoulder.
"And what of you, princess? How will you proceed?" Shy asks flatly, removing his hand.
I turn back with a smirk and pop my knuckles dramatically. "I'm gonna go skin me a dragon."