Hey all. Guess what; there won't be any mind rape here. I'm done. No more. God, writing the first part of this three-parter nearly mind raped me on its own. Sorry for the long wait, guys. Lots of life stuff happened, and…well, it's been tough. I'm feeling kind of blah right now, so sorry for the lack of enthusiasm.
To treeofsakuras: Bad ending for Natsu? Well, that's in the eye of the beholder, right? When we get there, you'll have to judge for yourself if it's a bad ending or not. ;) And yes, I'll keep my promise to try and work in a moment between the two. Hopefully this update will satisfy you. :)
To Rogue Soul Alchemist: Thank you, I'm glad you like it. :) And yes, that'd make for an epic scenario, but we'll see how things play out. Hope you'll like this update.
To Justice Tokidoki: Thank you so much; I'm glad you found elements in this chapter that you could praise! And don't worry; I promise we'll get to the meat of the action very soon. ;)
To Guest: I've actually been juggling quite a few possible endings for this story in my head for a while now, but we'll see how things turn out.
To Azuma (guest): Hmm…that's an interesting idea, but it's already been sort of implemented here, only inverted. The details of that will hopefully be explained in the next chapter.
To FTfangirl818: Here you go! Here's what happens next! XD Hope you enjoy this update!
Ch. 10: The Final Hours (Part 3)
This is just a bad dream. This is a nightmare. None of this is real. None of it.
Hey, kid. You still there?
No, leave me alone. Don't talk to me. I don't want to listen to you. You're not here; no one is here. Nothing's wrong.
Aww, looks like you lost a bit of spine. Did I pour in a bit too much for the second round? C'mon, I don't want my fun to end just yet.
You made me watch that. You killed him…I killed him.
…Oooh, wow. I guess you really are broken. Well, I guess I did lay it a bit thick. Immolating that kid was probably overkill. I'm surprised you're still capable of coherent thought, though. Impressive.
You made me kill him. You made me kill someone. You made my fire kill someone. You forced my fire…to take the life of an innocent person!
Tch, why am I even bothering? You're not even paying attention to me, yet here I am chatting away. Heh…you really are different. Jellal wasn't nearly as entertaining to mess with as you. I guess I just want to see what you'll do next.
This is only a bad dream. Nothing but a horrible nightmare. That's all this is. Isn't it, Lucy? Nothing's wrong with me, is there? Everything's okay…nothing bad happened…I'm still normal, right? I'm okay, right?
And there's that name again. Honestly, what is with you and that girl? What is she to you, anyway? It's not like she can do anything for you; she's a lost cause. Just hopeless.
CRACK!
"Bad-mouth her one more time," I muttered , breathing heavily as the shattered remnants of the ice column I'd been leaning against a second ago rained down around me, "and you're as good as dead. You hear me?"
Oh, hey! Guess you're not completely broken, after all. Thought I lost you there for a second.
"Like hell…I'll let you break me…" The icy rock remnants of the column felt increasingly cold against my back, and I let out a shuddering sigh of exhaustion. "I hate to admit it…but that was way too close for comfort. Man…that was suffocating." I shook my head to try and clear the nausea, and felt my eyes tighten in anger. "But I swear…pull something like that again…and you're gonna wish you were dead!"
Haha, you've even got your sharp tongue back, too, it laughed. Man, I'm real glad I decided on you; you don't crack easy. That makes it all the more fun for me, since I like to play rough with my toys.
"Ugh…stuff a sock in it," I grumbled, massaging my forehead in an attempt to alleviate the throbbing. "I'm not anybody's toy…'specially not yours."
Yes, yes; of course. The demon sounded bored, which seriously irritated me. I am curious, though; how did you make it through that in one piece? I'm sure I saw your mind break after that last one.
I snorted softly. "Well…what can I say; I'm pretty famous for being stubborn," I grunted as I lowered my hand. "I'm not about to let an asshole like you mess me up like that before my friends help me get rid of you for good."
Goodness, you just won't stop going on about how you're going to kill me. I'd think that you're actually excited for it if I weren't privy to every one of your thoughts.
"'Course I am. Dunno what you're seeing inside my head, but I'm getting shivers just thinking about it…wiping your existence off of the face of the earth so that you can't hurt anyone else like me or Jellal ever again…how can I not be excited for something like that?"
…Wow, that sounds awfully dark coming from you, it remarked, though it sounded more amused than surprised. Didn't actually think you'd jump to that right from the get-go. Its tone turned patronizing again. But come on, you really aren't thinking that you'll be able to kill me that easily, are you? I'm sure Jellal pulled a spoilsport move and told every one of your friends how to kill me.
"Oh, really? Good; I can count on this working, then."
But then again, it said, its demeaning tone growing more pronounced, what are the chances that they'll actually pull it off? Will they even want to try? Jellal must've told them that the only way to take me down is essentially by you going down with me. If they want me dead, they need to strike you through your heart.
"They'll do it," I said firmly. "It'll be hard on them, I'm sure, but that doesn't matter because they'll do it in the end." I scoffed weakly. "I don't care if they do need to get to my heart to get rid of you. As long as you're gone by the end of it, that's enough for me."
I could feel the demon's mild shock and hesitation in both my head and my heart (it felt kind of weird, to be honest) at my words. It had probably expected me to be scared, or to have second thoughts on the whole kill-the-demon thing.
You're an even bigger fool than I thought, the demon said, and it sounded more serious (and a tad uneasy) this time. You don't understand anything, do you? If they do that, you'll die along with me. Does that not matter to you?
"Heheh, I'm sorry," I apologized sarcastically, "but did I ever say that I was gonna let myself die? That'd be really pathetic, you know." I raised my hand and grasped at my chest. "How can I call myself a Dragon Slayer or a Fairy Tail wizard if I can't survive a stabbing through the heart, huh? That'd be really sad."
Fool, that no longer applies to you, the demon growled, its anger spiking and making my heart throb painfully. You are no longer associated with that guild. It will make no difference! Your friends want you out of this alive, but you will perish, Natsu Dragneel!
"Rgh…!" I winced and my fingers tightened automatically, but I still managed to grin through the pain. "Heh…who's the real fool here, buddy?" I muttered mockingly. "It doesn't matter whether…I have the guild mark or not. I'm still a Fairy Tail wizard at heart…so I won't be going down with you. Besides, whether I live or die doesn't matter…either way, you'll be dead before the sun comes up."
Well, we'll see who gets the last laugh tonight, Salamander, it said scathingly. In any case, I think I've wasted enough of my time here with you. Thanks for reminding me that there's work that needs to be done. I suppose I should go and keep my appointment with your friends right about now.
My heart burned even more painfully, and I started to feel dizzy. "Why, you…" I hissed angrily, but I was unable to muster up any more energy. I was utterly spent after trying not to cave under the pressure of that hallucination from before.
Oh, don't you worry about a thing, dear Natsu. I'll be sure to let you put in a comment or two before I get started. Isn't that nice of me?
I felt my eyes widen in horror. "You…that's…"
Be honest with yourself. You wouldn't want to end your friends' lives on a bad note, would you? C'mon, it's a sweet deal. I get to have some last-minute fun with them, and you get to say goodbye to your friends one last time. We both win.
"Why you…you sick bastard," I wheezed as the pain in my chest intensified. My vision had gotten blurry to the point that all I could see of the ice cave was a haze of turquoise. "What're you talking about…you're gonna be the one attacking my friends!"
You're too kind, it teased. And that may be true, but it doesn't matter either way. They know it's me, yet they see you. Don't expect this to be fair. Any and all outsiders will be seeing you killing the innocents. Who'll get the blame here in the end? Who'll be the one despised by the very people that they were loved by?
It might as well have punched me in the gut with those words. I couldn't believe what this demon was planning to do. It was too horrible for me to consider the possibilities. I almost didn't want the chance to talk to my friends back if that was going to be the outcome.
"You…you wouldn't…"
Come now; I thought you were smart enough to expect this out of me after this long.
"Urgh…"
Well, enough talk. Let's go greet your friends, shall we?
Everybody in Fairy Tail probably just about had a heart attack when I dropped into the guild hall without warning. I would've felt a bit more stung if it hadn't been for the fact that I'd literally crashed right down through the roof. That kind of thing would freak anybody out.
Still, I couldn't ignore the tiny pang of hurt that shot through me once they got over the shock of seeing me crash through the roof right into the middle of the guild hall. Most of my friends had expressions ranging from nervous to wary to outright antagonistic, and the tension in the still air was so thick that it nearly smothered me. It definitely made sense why that was the case, of course, since they had no real way to tell whether I was the one in charge or not (and to be fair to them, it wasn't me), but it still hurt that my friends were treating me like an enemy now – willingly or otherwise.
After a moment of silence, Jellal was the first one to speak up. I couldn't see him, though, because he was somewhere behind me, and the demon had my back to wherever he was.
"Natsu?" he asked in a low voice, his tone laced with unmistakable hope yet still tinged with caution. "It's…is that you?"
You wouldn't believe how much I was seething inside at that moment. I wanted so badly to tell him yes and reassure everybody here that the demon wasn't going to hurt them (yet), but it wasn't letting me go. I couldn't so much as even twitch on my own. It was being an insufferable bastard even after deciding to play nice.
I knew that the demon had picked up on my emotions, because I felt my lips twitch in an amused smile as it answered smugly, "Sorry, Jellal. You've got the wrong guy."
Almost immediately the already-heavy atmosphere became charged with uneasiness. Every person that had been within ten feet of me backed off immediately, with their magic activated and ready to go in case the demon tried anything funny.
Also, did I ever mention how weird it feels to be talking when you're not trying to? It's weird and all kinds of uncomfortable. I don't know what you've been assuming, but I feel like a puppet on strings whenever this demon is in charge, and that's not the most pleasant situation for anyone to be in.
The demon then raised my hands in an attempt to placate my friends. "Whoa, hold on a second there," it said, waving them down. "Relax, I'm not here to kill anybody – not yet, at least. All I'm asking for here is a brief cease-fire."
"Right, and you expect us to believe that after everything you've pulled?" I heard Gray snarl from behind me. "We'd be complete morons to be trusting somebody like you, so just cut the act!"
The demon crossed my arms and let out a put-upon sigh. "Geez," it muttered in mock disappointment. "And here I was planning on letting you talk to your friend for a bit as a farewell gesture. Thought it'd only be fair for you to have one last chat with him before I get on with my work."
That got their attention.
"Say what?!" Gray exclaimed. "What the heck do you mean by one last chat, huh?!"
"I mean exactly what I mean by that, you moron," the demon said with a hint of genuine annoyance. Wow, this thing must hate Gray even more than I did if it wasn't even bothering to look at him while throwing the insult. "I'm letting to talk to your friend one more time so you can say good-bye, since this is the last you'll ever see of him. I can't get much clearer than that."
I didn't like the way it referred to me in that statement. It was talking as if I was never going to have my free will back ever again…like I wouldn't even be aware like I was now.
I heard the light clanking of metal-on-metal accentuating the footsteps behind me as I heard Erza say suspiciously, "What do you think you're trying to pull here, demon? This doesn't sound like something the likes of you would say."
"For the love of…" The demon sighed impatiently and grumbled to me, Your friends are seriously paranoid, Natsu. It's like they don't even want to see you.
Well, yeah, I snapped sarcastically. Of course they're paranoid! You kinda stole my body and nearly killed Lucy – twice! Did you seriously think that they'd listen to you just like that by telling them you'll let me talk to them?
Fair point, it mused. I suppose I should've thought this through a little more.
If I were free to palm my face, I definitely would have. And you call me an idiot?
I just can't understand why you humans can't let bygones be bygones.It then said out loud, "Listen, I'm being dead-serious here. If you want to have one last conversation with your friend, here's your chance. Take it or leave it, because this is the only time I'll offer this opportunity." I felt my eyes harden in seriousness, and it surprised me a real lot to see that it actually meant what it was saying. "I suggest you take advantage of my current generosity, because it won't last long. Go on and humor me while you still can."
My friends were obviously conflicted. They really wanted to have me back, even if for a short moment, but they didn't know whether they could trust the demon's word or not considering all the times it had double-crossed us. I grew increasingly pissed toward it the longer my friends hesitated.
You knew something like this was going to happen, didn't you? I snapped. Can't you pass off one opportunity to mess with our heads?
Haha, mere words cannot express my amusement at your comment, Natsu, it said teasingly. As for me, you know I'm being completely honest. Your friends are the ones who can't decide whether they want to talk to you or not.
And do you need me to remind you whose fault that actually is?!
Oh, there's no need for that. It's just, well, what can I say? I aim to entertain the masses.
This is definitely not entertainment!
Really? I find it otherwise.
Look, just let me talk to them already, I insisted impatiently. That's the only way they'll even consider believing what you're saying to them, you know.
Ohh, what's this, it noted smugly. Are you actually sticking up for me, little boy?
Don't get the wrong idea, you jerk, I countered fiercely. I'm not doing this for you!
Well said, it pointed out in amusement. Your friends are taking an annoyingly long time deciding whether to trust me or not. I suppose I can be nice this one time.
Good answer, because this is the last chance for you to redeem yourself before we waste you, I said fiercely.
You're too much, Natsu, it laughed.
"Answer me this, demon," Erza said firmly, catching our attention and interrupting our conversation. "What proof is there that says you'll keep your word?"
The demon laughed at her question. I hated it whenever it did that; it made me sound downright creepy. I do not want to sound like that when I laugh.
"Proof, you say?" it chuckled. "You bring up a good point, Titania. I have no legitimate proof." Then it offered a hand to her. "But if you like, I'll bring him out right now."
Surprise and suspicion rippled through the guild hall at the demon's words.
"You'll what?" Erza gasped.
"I may not have a conscience, young lady," it said, "but that doesn't mean I can't act generously when I want to." It lowered my arm and smirked in a superior way. "What other way can I show you that I'm telling the truth? You're essentially telling me to walk the walk, aren't you? Seeing is believing, and all that?"
Nobody said anything in retaliation – it had hit the mark.
"I figured as much," the demon chuckled without humor. "Honestly. You humans are just so funny. You just refuse to cut your losses and admit defeat."
"What did you say?!" Lucy exclaimed in fury.
Her voice caught its attention, and it turned around to face her – and the minute it did, I wanted it to turn right back around. So much had happened in the past several hours that I'd nearly forgotten how badly the demon had beaten her senseless to the brink of death. It was amazing that she was even able to stand right now, much less talk.
"Ah, hello again, princess," it greeted her amiably with a casual wave of the hand before resting it against my hip, making her flinch back. "Goodness, you are a trooper. Being able to stand and walk with injuries like that! And here I thought that you were punished badly enough before…whew, how many more reasons can you give me to like you all the more? It's downright uncanny."
"Shut up!" she yelled furiously. She looked like she wanted to jump on it (and by extension, me) and beat it up herself, but she held her ground. "I don't want to deal with your erotic attitude right now! Just give Natsu back!"
"Of course, by all means," it obliged, grinning slightly. "But just letting you know, you won't be able to talk for long. Be mindful of how you spend the next several minutes, you hear? I'm not one you can call 'patient'."
It took me a while to get the situation straight. Did…did you seriously just call Erza a 'young lady'? I asked incredulously.
Natsu, all of you humans are nothing but babies in my borrowed eyes, it answered simply. Now go ahead and have your little talk. You've got twenty minutes.
And just like that, I could move again – and once again, I had no bearings once I got feeling back in my body, so I promptly stumbled and fell down on my hands and knees. After a brief moment in trying to catch my breath, I sighed in relief – at least nothing was hurting this time. It was probably because I wasn't fighting it like I had back on Mount Hakobe.
"Ow…" I muttered as I slowly rose and tried to recalibrate myself. "Stupid demon; some advance warning would've been nice…"
"NATSU!"
All at once, virtually everybody in the guild hall was on top of me, crying, laughing, yelling – just the way Fairy Tail was supposed to be. I couldn't help but smile in spite of the grave situation we were in. The spirit of the guild was too much for me to ignore at first.
"It's really you, right, Natsu?!"
"So glad to have you back, man!"
"Sorry we ever doubted you!"
"Are you feeling okay now?"
Pretty soon I had to try and get them off me, because the sheer amount of people was making it hard for me to breathe right.
"G-guys – get off me, c'mon – you're real heavy –!" I managed to choke out. It got a bit easier to pull them off of me after that. It took a minute, but I finally managed to break free of the bear hugs (except for Happy, who was clinging onto my left shoulder crying his eyes out). Everyone was standing around me with overly happy and relieved expressions on their faces, and it made me both happy and sad at the same time to see it. I was glad to be back just as much as they were, but this reunion wasn't going to last long. I had to make it count.
"Listen up, you guys," I finally said, catching everyone's attention. "I can't waste much time talking to you. The demon only gave me twenty minutes to say what I need to say."
Wendy trembled in sadness. "Only twenty minutes…?" she whimpered, holding Carla closer to her chest. "That's not fair! That's too short!"
I scratched my head, feeling disgruntled. "Well, remember what you're dealing with here. It is a demon out to destroy Fiore. With my magic, no less." I lowered my arm and turned to my teammates. "Guys, I'm real sorry for all the problems I caused up until now. It couldn't have been a walk in the park for you, right?"
"Definitely wasn't easy," Gray stepped in, shooting an irritated glare my way. "You were breaking our backs here, bonehead."
I snorted. Yeesh, even in a dire situation like this, Gray just had to dish out at least one potshot. "Tch, say that after this is all over with a straight face. I dare you."
"You're on."
"Well, in either case," Erza interrupted, "the real problem is how we're supposed to resolve this problem the best way we can."
She didn't say it out loud, but I could tell from her expression that she was thinking the same thing that I was thinking.
"Why bother thinking about it?" I asked them flatly, looking at each of their faces in turn. "You already know what to do. You just don't want to go through with it; am I right?"
"Of course we don't!" Happy cried from his spot on my shoulder. "Don't get us wrong, Natsu; we still want the demon gone forever, but…you're too big a cost! Doing that is no different from killing you! It's just murder!"
I shot a quick frustrated glance at Happy before sighing irritably. "Okay, this is seriously getting old, you guys. Knock it off."
"Natsu!"
"Look, I know what's at stake here," I said firmly. "I know I'm not the most patient guy around, but still – I'm not an idiot, either. I'm ready for all that, okay? You gotta believe me." I crossed my arms in indignation, a tic going in my forehead. "And here you guys are losing faith in me again! How many times do I need to drill it into your heads that you need faith?"
"This isn't a laughing matter!" Erza yelled angrily. "How do you propose surviving a lethal attack right through your heart?! It's beyond foolhardy!"
This is about the point where I snapped. I'd been trying my hardest to be reasonable with my friends up until now, and I'd even made some progress by getting Lucy to make me a promise. But now – since not even my smarter friends were agreeing to this and still thought that taking the 'idealistic' route was still an option this time around, I was getting seriously worried to the point that I was afraid they would let me turn into a mindless murderer just so they wouldn't have to face the prospect of actually having to kill me. Obviously you can't expect me to take something like that very well after everything that's happened, so my patience wore thin immediately and I just started unloading rant after rant in her face in frustration at their incredibly exasperating lack of spine.
"Fine!" I countered lividly, turning on her. "If that's how you really feel, then try coming up with a better way to get rid of this demon forever and keep it from destroying our country, Erza! I'd love to hear whatever plan you've got in mind!" I ignored the devastated expression on her face and advanced on her in fury, forgetting that I was the one who was supposed to be terrified of her. "Come on, then! Lay it on me! Is there a spell out there that can destroy it from inside my body without killing me? Huh? A magic weapon that heals you when you get hit by it so I won't be hurt in the end?" I was practically nose-to-nose with her now, and my rage was still building. This was a very stupid move on my part (I mean, this is Erza we're talking about here), but when you're completely livid with rage, it's kind of difficult to focus on setting your priorities straight. "Or maybe there are spells that make ghosts visible and tangible so you can kill it once you beat it out of me?" I clenched my fists so hard that I felt my nails cut through my palms and draw blood. "If there are, go ahead and say so! Prove me wrong! And if you can't do that, then at least tell me that you actually know better than anyone else here that magic isn't all-powerful! Can you or can't you? Tell me, Erza!"
"Natsu, stop it!" Wendy cried desperately, pushing me back and trying to hold me there. "You're not being fair to her!"
I ignored her, still burning with anger. I didn't care one bit that I wasn't being fair to Erza. I can't properly explain to anyone just how crushingly disappointed I was by her pathetic display then. I'd thought for sure that she would have had way more sense than this. This wasn't like her at all, and that frustrated me nearly beyond words.
"What happened to the Erza I know?" I yelled. "The Erza I know is way stronger and scarier than this! She never loses her cool even when things get tough, like right now! What happened to her?! What happened to you?!"
"Stop, Natsu!" Lucy came in then, trying to pull me back. "Don't take your anger out on just her; we all feel the same way, you know!"
I gritted my teeth as I slowly cooled down. Of course, she was right. Nobody in this building liked the way things were looking right now. My taking my frustration on Erza was uncalled for.
"Sorry," I said shortly, brushing off their hands and shooting pointed glares at anyone in the building who could see before turning my back to Erza. "It's just that…magic doesn't make miracles. It's only a means to an end that we already know. Even I know that. Gramps said it himself, you know…magic isn't anything miraculous. Having it is nice…but it's not vital." My hands clamped into fists again, and I ignored the aching in my palms from the open wounds. "It's really frustrating…but magic doesn't solve everything. I mean, that's totally obvious. I wish that a spell that could kick out and kill a demon from the body existed, just as much as the next guy – but it doesn't. So we have to resort to a different way." I shot a quick glance at Jellal, who'd been watching me from next to the old man with a somber expression. "I know Jellal told you guys what you had to do. He told you that because it's the only way to get the best possible result. He and I know more about this demon than anybody else here, so we know what we need to do to get rid of it."
Everyone was silent in the wake of my tirade.
"So don't make this any harder than it needs to be," I continued through clenched teeth. "Don't give us false hope for possibilities that aren't really there, 'cause no one wants or needs that kind of disappointment. I'm ready to risk my life to kill this demon, but I have no plans on dying just like that. And I need everybody here to be ready, too…" I slashed my hand through the air indignantly. "…or else we all lose!"
Nobody around me looked like they were sure about what to say. I didn't blame them, though, because they'd never seen me act this way before, but I still hoped that seeing me like this gave them an incentive to listen to what I was telling them. Enough stress was already piling on all of us as it was, and I didn't want to make things worse by instilling false hopes.
I lowered my arm and turned to Lucy, who had a pained expression on her face. She knew what we had to do in order to get rid of the demon for good, and she'd promised that she would do it for the sake of the world. I knew that she would keep her promises, because if there was one thing nobody in the entire world could beat her at, it was keeping her promises to her friends.
"Lucy," I said solemnly. "You made a promise. Remember?"
The moment I reminded her, her eyes welled up with tears and she nodded as she whispered, "Yeah…I remember."
"And you're not planning on breaking it, are you?" I pressed.
She didn't answer right away – which told me all that I needed to know. The very fact that she was hesitating at all showed just how desperate she actually was.
"I…I won't," she replied at last, her voice shaking with emotion. "I made a promise…so I'll definitely keep it, because I…I never go back on my promises."
I nodded in approval. "Good." I then scanned the rest of the crowd as I called, "You guys heard that, right? She made a promise to me that she'd do this way beforehand, all by herself. You're not going to let her carry that on her own, are you? There's no way she can do it on her own, and if you don't help her, it's the same as letting her break her promise to me." I hardened my gaze. "That's not the Fairy Tail way, is it? Break that code and you're all as good as dead. You got me?"
The crowd started murmuring again in concern and indecision, which would have annoyed me even more if it hadn't been for a new yet familiar voice popping up in the middle of it.
"Hey, well said, Natsu!" Sting called from my right, prompting me to turn around and face him and two other Sabertooth wizards – the other Dragon Slayer of their guild, Rogue, and their Celestial wizard, Yukino.
"You three!" I exclaimed in surprise. "What the heck're you doing here?"
"Isn't it obvious?" he teased as his group approached me. "We're here to lend a helping hand."
I couldn't follow what he was saying. "Hold on, what?"
"Simply put, Sabertooth will be assisting you in defeating this demon however we can," Rogue said solemnly. "As a form of repayment."
I blinked in confusion. "Repayment?" I said blankly.
"You changed our guild for the better, Mister Natsu," Yukino inserted with a smile. Funny, she seemed a bit more cheerful than I remembered her to be – even back at Mount Hakobe I could tell that her confidence had gone up quite a bit. "So we want to return the favor by helping your guild through this crisis."
I scratched my head. "Oh…that so? Well, you're welcome, then…I guess." I was still confused as to what sort of help I'd actually given them, but that wasn't really important right now. I dismissed that with a wave of the hand and a small grin. "Anyway, thanks for deciding to pitch in. You're gonna need all the manpower you can get in order to get to me." I reached out and ruffled Yukino's hair, which surprised her, but I ignored that. "And it's good to see that you're doing a lot better now, too."
"U-um – well, I – th-thank you, Mister Natsu," she stammered, quickly backing away from my touch, her pale cheeks flushed bright red. "It's – it's an honor to be working with your guild."
I smiled in gratitude. "Thanks. Really."
"Back to what you were saying earlier to Lucy, Natsu," Sting put in, prompting me to turn back to him, "I don't know about anybody else here, but Sabertooth is ready to back her up. All she needs to do is to give us the word."
"All right; that's awesome," I said, giving them a thumbs-up. "Give it all you've got, hear me?"
"Clear as day," Rogue replied with a nod.
"Great." I turned to the rest of the guild. "What about you guys? Are you gonna leave Lucy hanging or what?"
You have about five minutes left here, buddy, the demon spoke out of nowhere before I could actually pay attention for a response in the midst of the clamoring voices, sounding extremely bored. Sheesh, just how indecisive are your so-called "friends"?
Shut up, I snapped. It's none of your damn business what my friends decide to do. And don't call me 'buddy'!
Such a sourpuss! In all seriousness, though, I do beg to differ. You are trying to convince them to kill me, after all. I have every right to be let in on this.
Oh, right, like you had every right to jack my body and decide to use it as a country-nuking murder weapon, I shot back acerbically. You're not in any place to lecture me about rights, you bastard!
What a pity; your insults are suffering again, it noted mockingly. I can't tell you how much I wanted to deck this psycho (even though I'd effectively be beating myself up), but I was pretty sure that it'd stop me before I could get a punch in. Honestly, can't you do any better?
Goddamn it, stick a lid on it, would ya?!
Aww, but ribbing you like this is so much fun!
Are you trying to waste my time on purpose?!
Oh, would you look at that; you've got one minute left! it said in a grating sing-song voice. It sounded so giddy it was downright disgusting. Any final words?
I clenched my jaw in frustration as I tried to drown out its taunting by yelling, "Guys, we're out of time!" out loud, causing the entire crowd surrounding me to immediately quiet down. The silence in the air was heavy again.
"What?" Gray asked apprehensively. "Out of time?"
"Well, yeah; it doesn't get any clearer than that, glacier brain," I muttered, massaging my chest in preparation for the oncoming pain. "One last thing before I go, because once I do, you'll have no choice but to make a decision. The fate of our entire country rides on your course of action from here on out, you guys, so pay close attention."
Everyone stared at me with bated breath, waiting to see what I would say to them, probably expecting some kind of epic one-liner or something that'd rattle their spirits into action or something.
Thankfully, though, I didn't need to dig all that deep for this one. I drew in a deep breath and raised my arm, pointing up to the sky with a straight index finger – our guild's signature sign. That caught everybody's attention – even the Sabertooth guys.
"Everyone," I said firmly, "no matter what goes down tonight, I won't ever leave any of you. I'm still a Fairy Tail wizard, and I'll stay one till the end of time." I smiled, well aware that this was likely the last time that I ever would. "That's why you have to kill this demon and save Fiore! You're all members of the Fairy Tail family…so don't let me down!"
That seemed to do the trick. Everybody around me looked saddened and teary-eyed at my gesture, because they could feel the weight that this sign carried in our guild (and what it meant since I was using it here), but their countenance was completely different now – and not in a bad way, either. Erza especially looked like she wanted to say something to me, but something in my expression held her back. She just grinned softly in response and nodded slightly, her eyes welling up with tears.
Time's up.
I lowered my arm and closed my eyes. "Later, guys."
Think carefully about what's more important to you, Fairy Tail.
Saving your dear friend's life…or ending mine?
Are you willing to forsake the world for the sake of your friend?
Or will you make the ultimate sacrifice?
The choice is yours.
Whew…Natsu has become less Natsu-like with each passing chapter. Is that good or bad?
And yay, the third part is done. Now, it's about time that I start getting to the real meat of the story come next update. And don't worry; this story isn't close to ending yet (I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that we're somewhere near halfway through now—don't quote me on this). I have a lot more in store.
Oh, and this is the last you'll hear from Natsu for a really long time, because of…obvious reasons. ^^; Ahem. Don't miss him too much, okay?
Kudos to all of you who made it this far into this, and I can't thank all of you enough, reviewer or not, for supporting this story.
Hope this chapter was satisfying, and see you all next chapter whenever it happens.