"Magic is life!"
Lucy leaned back in surprise at Natsu's sudden proposal.
"Did you just ask me to marry you?" she asked.
"Yeah, why?" Natsu asked, cocking his head.
"You know this has to be some of the worst circumstances to propose under," Lucy said, "You just turned into a dragon and back again."
"So?" Natsu asked, clearly confused about all this. Lucy couldn't help but laugh. She had a dream of being proposed to under a setting sun with the ocean at her back and the wind through her hair, not in the middle of a downed airship, with the father of her son just having been a massive dragon. But despite all that…
"And here I thought I would have to be the one to propose," she said, tears of happiness welling in her eyes, "Yes, I will marry you." Natsu's response was to grab her, and hoist her into the air, spinning her around. When the Dragon Slayer put his betrothed down, he looked over his team, who were looking at him in what seemed like a mixture of relief, shock, and even a dash of fear, especially from Wendy.
"What?" Natsu asked, "Its still me." At first, the team remained silent, until Gray finally spoke up.
"You just turned into a giant dragon! What are we supposed to say?"
"I dunno," Natsu said with a shrug, "Thanks, maybe? I did save your asses." Wendy slowly approached him, and before she could say or do anything, Natsu grabbed her in a hug.
"I'm glad to see you alright, little sis," Natsu said into Wendy's hair. While the Sky Dragon Slayer initially wasn't sure what do, she breathed in her brother's scent, and felt the warmth that came from him. That was all the confirmation Wendy needed, as she hugged her brother back.
"Alright," Erza suddenly spoke up, as she stood, "I want answers and clarity as much as anyone else, but we have consider it all later. Right now w…"
"NATSU!"
"Happy?" The team looked over, to see all the Exceeds running in their direction. At first, they were glad to see them, but then they saw the battalion of dark mages that were chasing after them. Lily was among them, apparently out of magic power. Happy was still holding onto Mr Cursey, but had run out of hairs to use (a couple looked like they were balding).
"Help us!" Happy cried.
"Relax!" Natsu said with a smirk, "I can…" He didn't finish, as he suddenly keeled over.
"Natsu!" Lucy said, as she caught him.
"I guess that transformation sapped what was left of my magic," Natsu said, panting slightly.
"My magic is all gone too," Lucy said softly.
"Stand back! We've got some magic left!" Gray said, as he tried to rise to his feet, only for his broken leg to cause him to fall back down.
"Stand back Gray!" Erza instructed, as she slowly pulled herself up, "I'll handle this."
"You kidding," Gray said, as he used a downed beam to boost himself up, "I've had far worse than this." He, Erza, and even Wendy got ready to fight. That was when the dark mages suddenly stopped dead in their tracks.
"Ah crap," one said. The light mages glanced in the direction their opponents were looking.
Standing before them, were all the remaining members of Fairy Tail. That enough made the dark mages grind to a halt, but then they saw their guild master in the ground, along with the massive three clawed imprint that he was now in.
"Master Hades has been defeated!"
"This can't be happening!"
"Have we lost?!"
"Get off our island," was all Makarov said. That was all that the dark mages needed to hear, before they were sent scurrying away. After that, there was a moment of silence, as everyone took in the moment.
"Did we win?" Wendy asked.
"Yeah," Erza said with a smile, "We did." As if it granted some kind of confirmation, everyone in the guild erupted into cheers. Everyone hugged and hi-hived each other, and needless to say, the Thunder Legion was quite happy to see Laxus again. Natsu briefly tried to "restart" the exams, only to keel straight over. Needless to say, it was agreed that a break was necessary, as the guild started to head back to the camp.
"Makarov." The third master stopped, before glancing over his shoulder to see Hades staring up at the sky, immobile, but very much alive.
"So you survived even that," Makarov said, frowning.
"In a manner of speaking; I doubt I'll be doing much for the time," Hades said, " One of your brats turned into a dragon, so you should be cautious around him." Makarov looked at Hades closely, narrowing his eyes.
"I've always had a healthy caution of Natsu, as I do with the rest of the brats," he said, "But the day I start fearing him, is the day I stop trusting everyone in my life." Hades just snorted.
"Always the optimist," he said, "How ridiculous."
"Call it what you will," Makarov answered, "There was a day where you had a similar perspective."
"I was naive then," Hades answered with a slight chuckle. Makarov stared at his mentor, clenching his fist.
"What happened to you? I think I deserve at least that." Hades was silent before sighing slightly
"I suppose that much is true. You know that I left the guild to seek knowledge, and in that quest, I traveled across the world, seeing lands most probably haven't even heard of. And in those travels, I came to a profound realization about the nature of magic."
"Oh?"
"The very essence of magic is darkness," Hades explained, "It was born from it. The other forms were merely born from schisms of that one true magic. I know that if I could find that one magic, then I can find the answers to all the questions I ever had."
"So you sought out Zeref to find those answers," Makarov finished, "How can you be so sure he would have them?" Hades opened his mouth, but no words came out. Why was he so obsessed with Zeref? Why did he think that the Black Mage had all he answers? For a time, Hades contemplated telling Makarov that Zeref was the one that taught him and the others how to use magic, but decided against it.
"The origins of magic are all around irrelevant," Makarov eventually said, "In the end, the origins of anything, or anyone for that matter, I think are irrelevant. What's important is what something or someone is now. For all we know, maybe magic was originally born from darkness, but that doesn't change what it is now."
"And what is that, pray tell?"
"Magic is life!" There was a silence, as Hades just lay still, taking that all in.
"Where in the name of the gods did you learn that?"
"You, where else?" With that, Makarov left Hades to chew on his words, leaving the master of Grimoire Heart alone. He then looked up, to see Mavis floating over him. The astral figure looked over Hades, who looked up at her. The two made eye contact, but no words were exchanged between them. With that, Mavis faded away again, leaving Hades alone, as he stared at the sky.
"One hundred years," he mused, "And still that sky looks the same."
(on the water)
Ultear, Meredy, and Azuma, were all retreating from the island on a small boat that Azuma built using his magic. Said Tree Mage was in the middle rowing, with Meredy and Ultear on opposite sides of him. The pink-haired girl stared at the bottom of the ship, as Ultear occasionally glanced at her. The woman's attention was then suddenly seized by a splashing sound, as a couple of dolphins swam by.
"Look, dolphins," she said, with a soft smile. Meredy didn't even look up. Ultear's face fell, as she took a breath.
"Listen, Meredy…"
"Azuma, is it true?" Meredy suddenly asked softly. Azuma didn't look at her, but instead glanced at Ultear, who after a moment, just nodded slowly, tears welling in her eyes.
"Its true," he answered, "I wasn't there myself, but I was told what happened." There was a point of silence from Meredy, before she started shaking slightly.
"As time went on, I approached life with the mindset that nothing mattered, because I would ultimately undo everything in the end," Ultear explained, "I used that mindset to justify all degrees of horrors and atrocities in my time in the guild. It was truly an abhorrent way to live." Meredy then suddenly stood up, and Azuma tensed, preparing to act.
"I'm not going to ask for your forgiveness," Ultear said, "I don't deserve it. But I will take this as an opportunity to say that I now understand just what I did, and all I can do now is hope to atone for it. If you want to kill me that's fine but…"
"Ultear," Azuma said softly, narrowing his eyes, as he started to look back, only for his eyes to widen. Ultear had just stabbed herself in the stomach, to both his shock, and Meredy's horror.
"I can't let you bloody your hands anymore than you already have, my sweet little girl," Ultear said, before allowing herself to fall into the water.
"Ultear!" Azuma called, as he moved to help, only for Meredy to beat him to the punch, as she dove into the water as well. He watched the water for what seemed like forever, and he was about to dive in after them before Meredy broke the surface, holding Ultear.
"Meredy…," Ultear said softly, "Why…"
"DONT' LEAVE ME!" In the list of things Ultear expected Meredy to say, that was certainly not among them, as her eyes widened.
"But…"
"I forgive you!" Meredy all but sobbed, "I forgive you! Just don't leave me!"
"Why?" Ultear said, unable to fathom why she would feel this way.
"I don't want to lose another mother!" Meredy cried, "Let me stay with you! Never leave me!" For the longest time, Ultear had absolutely no idea what to say, until slowly, her smile returned to her face, as she cupped Meredy's face, who looked up at her through her tears.
"Yes, we'll always be together," Ultear said softly, before embracing her daughter, who happily returned it.
"You can't be together if you stay down there." The took then looked up to the tree mage standing over them.
"You two have plenty more to live for," Azuma said, before offering a hand with a smile, "Perhaps its time you acted upon it."
(in the airship)
Of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, only two had made it back to the ship, namely Kain and Rustyrose. They were now sitting in the ship's galley, wallowing in their defeat.
"Zancrow's dead, Caprico's deserted us, and who knows where Ultear, Meredy, and Azuma are," Kain said grimly, "We're all that's left."
"I bet our vassals are going to seize on this opportunity when we get back," Rustyrose added, "What are we going to do?"
"Relax," Hades spoke up, getting his lackeys' attention, "We may not have been able to get Zeref himself, but we'll have other chances. If nothing else, we cannot allow this to be the…" He suddenly stopped as he felt a presence.
"Master?" Rustyrose asked.
"It can't be…"
"I remember you," a voice spoke up, "You were younger then, but there is no doubt about it." With that, the simple, yet imposing form of Zeref stepped out of the shadows, to the shock of the dark mages. On reflex, both Kain and Rustyrose fell to their knees. Hades couldn't believe his eyes; after a hundred years, Zeref was standing right in front of him, looking exactly the same as he did then. It defied understanding.
"My Lord, to be able to see you again after so long!" Hades said, "I would…"
"You betrayed Mavis," Zeref interrupted. That gave Hades pause; what did Mavis have to do with Zeref?
"The past coupe years we spent on this island were the happiest we had in ages," Zeref connived coldly, "You took that away from us."
"Wait!" Hades said, "I don't under…"
"Back then, if I had known this is what you'd use it for," Zeref continued, "I'd never have taught you magic."
"Master Hades, what is he…" Rustyrose couldn't finish, as a dark aura began to swirl around Zeref.
"I suppose though in the end, I should thank you for taking Mavis from this island, since it was through that I was bale to meet her," Zeref said darkly, "So for that, I'll make this painless." He then held up his hands.
"Wait!" Hades cried, holding up his hands, "I have so many questions! Please just let me…" Once again, Zeref didn't let him finish, as he brought his hands together.
"Repent."
(Tenrou Island)
Wendy wiped her brow, taking a breath, as she channeled more magical energy to heal Erza's broken ribs.
"You shouldn't exert yourself so much," Erza commented, "You've expended enough magic energy in the fight."
"Its fine," Wendy said, "A lot of the energy's come back now, actually." She wondered briefly if that was another plus to being infused with her Eclipse Dragon Slaying magic; her power reserves were now significantly greater than in the past, and they increased much faster.
"That's good to hear," Erza said, "Though I would be willing to give you a hand when you're done. I do have a nurse outfit I've been dying to try out…"
"Uh," Wendy said, sweat dropping slightly, "I think I can take the load." She had a feeling the men wouldn't be thrilled by the notion of Erza taking care of them. Though maybe on the other hand they would….
The guild had regrouped at the camp, and they were now getting some much deserved rest before beginning the voyage back home. Gildarts had found his way back to the camp, much to Cana's relief, and discomfort. Laxus meanwhile, had also taken up residency in the camp, despite Makarov's continued "protest". During all of this, Natsu was sitting off to the side, looking at his hand, contemplating what happened with him.
"That was quite a show you gave us," Lucy said, coming up to sit next to him.
"It was so weird," Natsu said, "It was like I was me, but also like I was something else." As an experiment, he briefly summoned up a ball of fire in his hands, though it was smaller than what he could usually conjure.
"Though that transformation took a lot out of me," he said. For at time, Lucy looked at him, trying to process what happened. While Natsu didn't seem any different outwardly, what had happened wasn't something a couple could just put behind them. It would take some getting used to, but Lucy believed that they could really make it work. She moved to put her hand over Natsu's, only to get knocked back when Natsu suddenly stood up.
"Why can't we finish the S-Class exams?!" he shouted.
"I believe I made myself clear," Makarov answered from his position on his rock.
"But it ain't fair!" Gray said, throwing his hat into the ring, "We can't call it off after we've come this far!"
"I second that!" Gajeel said, "It just ain't right!"
"You aren't even the one up for it," Pantherlily commented.
"My decision is final," Makarov said calmly, holding up a hand, "There's nothing to be done about it."
"I promised Haru I'd be an S-Class when I came back!" Natsu insisted, "I'm not gonna break a promise to my son!" Makarov was silent for a time, as he folded his arms.
"That all said, there has been something I've been considering," he added, "It doesn't sit well with me to keep with only three S-Class members for the time."
"So what?"
"You defeated Erza, and if I heard correct, transformed into a dragon and then back," Makarov said, before smiling, "And if that doesn't make a person S Class…" There was a period of silence, as everyone just absorbed the information.
"You mean..," Natsu said softly.
"Congratulations, Natsu Dragneel, you're now officially an S Class mage." For a time, Natsu just stared at Makarov, as if unable to process what had just been said. Then in another moment…
"HELL YEAH!" he roared, pumping his fists, which were infused with fire.
"Congratulations!" Lucy said, coming up to him, only to get whisked into her fiancé's arms.
"I told ya' I'd do it!" Natsu said, whirling her around.
"Flame brain gets it, but not me?" Gray demanded, "That's messed up!"
"Let's be really honest, he did do a lot more than you," Happy said, floating next to him. Gray wanted to protest, but found that he couldn't, as he just sighed.
"If its worth anything," Juvia said, coming up next to Gray, "Juvia still thinks you're cool." Gray looked at her for a second, before sighing, and rubbing his head.
"Guess I can't complain too much, then," he said with a smile, which Juvia happily returned.
Watching this from the side, was Cana, who glanced at her father, who was teasing Laxus. Lucy, after being put down by Natsu, looked at her briefly, before approaching her.
"How long are you going to side step it?" she asked.
"Just do it," Lucy said, "I'll get Natsu to take Gildarts somewhere away from the others."
"Alright," Cana breathed, before trying to smile, "Let's do it!"
(in the airship)
As the airship soared through the air, it seemed calm. But then a massive pillar of dark energy erupted out of its center, and in its center, was the lifeless husk of the great Sovereign of Hell, Hades.
"Master Hades!" Rustyrose cried out.
"He's dead!" Kain sobbed. Zeref just glared coldly at the corpse; for the first time in a long while, he felt nothing at the death of another. If anything, he felt satisfaction; justice had been done to the man who betrayed Mavis.
"Accept this as your punishment!" Zeref said, "For violating the trust of those who called you their friend." He took a moment to savor the justice, before he sensed something. Something powerful; far more powerful than him.
"He's finally here!" he said, "Acnologia!"
(Tenrou Island)
It had all finally ended…
Natsu, Happy, and Gildarts had elected to go fishing to celebrate Natsu's promotion to S-Class, which had gotten Gildarts away from the group enough, that Cana finally decided that she could approach him. Taking a deep breath, she slowly approached the men, with Lucy by her side.
Everyone was so happy
As the rest of the guild continued to celebrate their victory, Meredy, Ultear, and Azuma continued their trip back to the mainland. And all the while, Zeref stood atop the airship, looking over the island.
"I'm sorry, Mavis," he said softly, as tears briefly graced his face.
And then…
The clouds parted, revealing a massive black dragon looming over the island, its blank eyes zeroed in on it.
disaster struck…
(….)
And it would not be until another six years….
"Will they be back today, big brother?"
"Maybe, you never know."
Note: Well, I'm back from basic training, and I'm now in the Air Force. It was a miserable experience that I would never do again if given the choice, but I'm still thankful for it, and I think I'm a better man because of it. I'm now in technical training, enjoying my last few days before classes start, which gives me some time to work on my stories. Once classes start, though, I'm going to be VERY, VERY busy. For the record, I can't tell you what I'm doing and where I am.
I cropped it down by one year. To that end, Haru is going to be six when Natsu and Lucy finally see him again. That's one less year he'll have go without his mom and dad (small victories). I also omitted the actual fight with Acnologia, as well as the scene Cana and Gildarts, simply because there would be no deviation from canon, and it wouldn't contribute much to the story.
I'm going to take this time to say now that there were will be major deviations from canon from here on. A quick note, is that Natsu's dragon form, as you may have guessed, isn't something he can just summon up whenever he wants. If he could, that would make him beyond OP at this point.
Please review.