Disclaimer: I've posted on both sides of one, two and three weeks now. All that variation and I can't claim a thing about Fairy Tail belongs to me.
Stoked Tempers
Makarov's pulse pounded. The seconds it took for Zeref to close the distance between him and Mavis' form stretched into agonizing eternity. The ceiling of the chamber trembled and the floor shook; doubtless due to the fierce battles being waged in Magnolia on the surface. Makarov took slow, measured breaths, opening and closing his hands into fists.
Even with all his years of practice, the wizard saint found patience trying in this instance.
He glanced left, toward the darkest corner of the chamber; a small hole stood out with the flicker of a faint light from another room.
Zeref's pale hand rose toward the crystal surrounding Mavis. Makarov took the opportunity to speak.
"If it came down to such dire stakes, I might well trade the world to you for the sake of my brats."
Zeref's head turned. Makarov called upon his light magic; he needed to present something of a threat. The pressure from his magic caused the stone floor to crack and split beneath him in a wide circle.
"But not today," Makarov said, the volume of his voice escalating as Zeref turned his body to face him. "You'll get nothing from me today!"
Zeref's black magic, billowing out from beneath his cloak, sprung the trap.
The crystal, born of Gray's devil slaying ice, reacted to the dark magic power Zeref exuded; Mavis' likeness, an illusion created by Juvia's water, responded to Gray's magic.
In one, fluid motion both snapped toward Zeref. Juvia's water latched onto the dark mage's hand and spread over his cloak and face. Gray's tinted ice froze the water over and expanded once it covered him.
The black-haired immortal had been encased before he could blink; Zeref never took his crimson eyes off Makarov. The old wizard saint shouted.
"NOW!"
His voice echoed into a hidden room behind the room's left wall. Mest blinked into sight with his magic and placed a hand on the ice. The teleportation wizard made eye contact with Makarov long enough for a partial breath. He vanished along with the trap.
The ruse had been flawless. The tunnel Gajeel and Lucy dug out, the wooden stairway that Laki built to add to the effect, the fake wall that blocked passage to the chamber with Mavis' real body; everything should have paid off, even it had only been a tactic to buy time.
"Once might have been justified by trying new methods," Zeref said. "But two fakes is disappointing, Fairy Tail. It seems you still have to make a choice."
Makarov balked. The power of his light magic wavered for a moment. In the time it took for Makarov to signal to Mest, the dark mage had walked out of his icy prison. Mest couldn't have stopped his teleportation; in fact, Makarov drew comfort from the idea that he would be alone against Zeref.
"I don't like repeating myself." Makarov said through clenched teeth. The inflammation in his chest flared again. He called on his magic and doubled in size several times.
The old wizard saint made himself a wall between Zeref and the chamber's exit. Even in his giant form, Makarov felt as though he were the one being looked down upon; he kept his expression even.
"Fairy Tail really isn't any different from the rest of the world." Zeref said as though speaking to himself. Makarov's huge form felt heavier with each passing second. "Humans are the epitome of hypocrisy. They swear by the strength of their word, only to act in opposition to them. Yet when others behave the same way, they respond with reprimands and outrage."
Makarov's knees buckled; he realized Zeref had already cast an attack.
Rain of Light!
Makarov summoned a magic circle that shot out dozens of beams of light magic toward Zeref. The immortal wizard raised his hand with his palm outward.
"Humans base their truths on falsehoods; everything the world does in each era contradicts itself and all eras previous. Truth ought to be absolute. But, nothing is absolute."
A sheet of darkness materialized between Zeref and Makarov's magic. The shifting black void swallowed the rays of light. Makarov's giant limbs sagged further under Zeref's magic. He fell to one knee, his chest burning.
Zeref let the dark magic fade. He stared at his outstretched hand as though it were the source of an epiphany.
"Nothing is absolute," he repeated. His magic power exuded greater pressure, even without apparent conscious effort. "Death rejects nothing, and death rejects me."
Zeref's eyes moved from his hand, but his gaze remained blank.
"I am nothing."
Makarov shuddered.
"I am absolute."
Zeref brought his eyes back to Makarov. He muttered; that was all the warning the eldest Dreyar received.
Three Pillar Gods!
Makarov called upon his strongest defensive spell. A simple, undulating wave of dark magic blasted through his protection and struck his giant form. The old wizard saint crashed through the stone ceiling and walls of the smaller tunnel behind him. The wood staircase splintered and broke to pieces against his back until he stopped.
Sapped of his strength, Makarov shrank and fell back. Debris and remnants of Laki's wood collapsed over top of him. He felt warmth pooling underneath his shoulders.
"You're weaker than you seem." Zeref said. Makarov shifted and pulled his face from under the rubble. "By rights I should punish you for lying to me."
"You're talking in circles," Makarov said, though his words came out as a rasping murmur. Zeref might not have heard him.
"Crushing Fairy Tail is my only aim for now, even before I reciprocate the world's rejection of me."
Makarov's chest felt like a hole could burn through it at any moment. His vision blurred at irregular intervals.
"Hope is one common aspect of all eras; nothing has no hope." Zeref said. Black magic swirled out from his fingertips. "In order to become truly absolute, I must have no hope. Yet Fairy Tail alone clings to that label."
Makarov's mind swam. The wizard saint drew in ragged breaths and struggled to follow Zeref's speech.
"Still, killing you would be too merciful." Zeref said. His magic receded beneath his cloak. "I'll force you to live and see the rest of your guild perish."
Makarov inhaled a sharp breath and winced. Zeref's body flickered like static before disappearing from sight. Makarov fell back again and clutched his chest.
Fairy Tail's third master felt his eyelids drooping. Just as they were about to fall, an unsteady voice spoke in his head.
"Master," Warren said. The telepath's unease emanated from his tone. "Are you okay?"
Makarov coughed, turning his head to prevent catching loose splinters and dust in his mouth.
"Zeref," he said. "Zeref is"
"Got it. At least we have some more time now." Warren said.
Makarov sputtered; he realized Warren must have read his mind.
"Are you"
"I got over the shock," Warren said, an edge to his voice. "Now I'm just pissed about it."
Makarov heard footsteps echo in the tunnel above him.
"It'll be all right, Master."
The old wizard saint's mind went blank in surprise. He let out a weak chuckle.
"If my brats are reassuring me with my own words," he said. "I really have lived too long."
Gajeel swept his eyes over the grey mass below him. From his position overhead via Lily, the enemy did sort of look like a storm cloud; the sound of thousands of beating wings betrayed the illusion. That, plus their skin tone and ugly faces, marked the creatures as gargoyles.
"Dive." Gajeel said.
Lily folded his wings and plunged. The huge cluster zoomed up toward them until it filled the dragon slayer's field of vision; part of that was due to the distraction of a couple dozen breaking off and ascending toward them.
"Takin' us lightly, aren't ya?" Gajeel said. He snarled.
"Drop me," he said. "Do what you want after that."
Lily hesitated. Gajeel growled. The Exceed sighed before complying and changing into his battle form. The iron mage waited until the nearest gargoyle took a swing at him.
Gajeel caught the creature's wrist with one hand and clamped the other over its eyes.
"Yo."
The pierced wizard shifted in midair, keeping his would-be assailant blind and pinning its arm behind its back. He steered it around to plow through the others that had come with.
"Lemme meet yer friends, freak."
Gajeel scowled while forcing his ride to nosedive into the massive cluster. He paid no mind to the gargoyle's cries of protest. He only snapped its arm and hurled it aside after he'd broken into the moving cloud.
Before the iron dragon slayer could grab a new victim, he landed on something; he hadn't fallen through the whole crowd. He could hear the sounds of wings slicing through air all around him. The black-haired mage felt his platform moving, yet his stomach didn't file any complaints. His foothold was alive.
There were so many gargoyles above him that he'd been cut off from almost any natural light.
It took two seconds for his keen eyes to adjust; within half of the first second, he heard something skittering toward him. The footfalls stopped a short distance away, but made the mistake of announcing itself by gnashing its teeth.
Iron Dragon's Club!
Gajeel lifted his transformed arm overhead like an offering. The pierced mage heard the whimper of something with normal fangs biting into metal. His other hand snapped up and caught the creature by its throat before it could retreat.
"Numbers," he said, tightening his grip. "Size." He lifted it over his head and slammed it onto its back. "Ain't gonna save you!"
The dragon slayer could see several large spider-like legs flailing in the air. He smashed an iron fist into the creature's gut until it stopped moving.
The message he'd deciphered, the one Zeref sent via Salamander, still grated his nerves.
I can kill any of you, whenever, and however, I wish.
"Don't try feedin' me loads of bull!" Gajeel shouted.
The iron mage craned his neck up.
Iron Dragon's Roar!
A furious maelstrom of iron shrapnel blasted into the ceiling of gargoyles. At least a hundred fell from their formation. The sky showed through the new gap.
Iron Dragon's Scales!
The flash of Gajeel's magic cast ominous shadows on the gargoyles that had been rendered flightless. The dragon slayer set his feet apart on his foothold, ignoring the pain in the ankle Poser twisted. Some of the gargoyles above had a new interest in Gajeel.
The black-haired wizard made use of an obscene gesture as provocation.
"COME ON!" He bellowed.
A/N: I got little to say. Except now I think I've had enough of the build up and the set up! Truth be told readers, it's gotten slow for my taste, so we'll delve into the action!
I may have put too much set up for different fight scenes in at one time; I'm sure I'll think of something good for you, dear readers!
I have no excuses for the almost full month of non-update. I promise, barring any extremely unforeseen circumstances, ye shall have the next one before the end of the week! (Given the monologue Zeref just made, though, that probably sounds weak.)
If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a review! If not, tell me how to survive in a house with two dogs and a fat bunny!
Review Response Corner:
0FairyTail0: Wonder no longer! At least not for this chapter! Have a much overdue update! Thank you for continuing to read and review!
DaughterofDeath: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I wouldn't dream of giving it up! Hope you enjoy the new chapter!
The Age of Awesomeness: I shall accept these gifts humbly... and then, over the course of an overlong wait for updates, clumsily drop them. Thankfully they are unharmed. Thanks for the continued support via reading and reviewing! I'll do my best to earn the cookies!
Saira-Blue: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I'm thrilled that you enjoy the story so much! You've given me quite high praise and I thank you for it! I'll give you as much more awesome as my man-child mind can conjure! This update didn't come very soon, but I will work to bring you more!