Surprise!
Consider this [super early] update to be a giant thank you to all of you amazing readers both registered and guest, who have followed me for over 50 chapters and 400k words… and didn't hate me (too much) for the last brutal cliff hanger. I busted my butt so you all wouldn't be hanging on that cliff for too long.
So without further chatter, here's the chapter you have all so patiently (or impatiently) been waiting for. Today's cliff isn't so jagged and awful as the last one.
~Onward
53
-Thirteen-
2 Weeks Later
"Star Reform: shatter!"
Lucy watched, detached, as the sky seemed to open with the power of her magic. Gold lights rained down all around her and the pained sounds of her demonically amplified victims barely registered. Mira whipped by with purple magic crackling around her, and unleashed a set of evil explosions. Then Erza dove from above clad in her Heaven's Wheel armour, and a large array of swords flew with her.
The explosions of all three attacks sent a plume of dust back at her, and Lucy shielded her face with her arm. Her long ponytail was caught in the resulting winds along with the white-scaled scarf around her neck. Reaching up to adjust the material, she turned and strode through the field of fallen foes. Her comrades caught up behind her, trailing at a short distance, and she absently listened to them whisper back and forth.
"Can we really keep letting her go like this?" Erza was saying. "I mean this can't be healthy… she hasn't taken any time to grieve…"
A pregnant silence followed when Mira didn't answer right away. "Haru hasn't been much better…" she admitted, "but then, are any of us really coping much better? Kyôka's turned soldiers keep popping up all over Fiore and with the Council in shambles… Gods, we all need time to grieve, but we don't have the luxury."
"True, but Lucy's hellbent on revenge, and more reckless than ever…" Erza whispered back, "Tartaros is still after her…"
"All we can do is stay by her side," Mira replied despondently.
Lucy stopped abruptly and revelled a little at the squeak of surprise it drew from the redhead. She faced her friends, hands on her hips and one eyebrow raised, "You don't need dragon hearing to hear you two, you know."
"We didn't mean to—"
Raising a hand, Lucy cut off her friend's apology, "It's okay Erza, really, I'll be alright. I do appreciate you both having my back." The other women peered at each other sidelong, unsure of what to do with her gratitude and Lucy couldn't really blame them. She was fully aware that her behaviour hadn't been rational over the last couple weeks. She wasn't sleeping, she was barely eating, the only thing that numbed her loss was going after any ties she could dig up to Tartaros. And so long as she insisted on running herself ragged, Erza and Mira would continue to be by her side with no hesitation.
It had started with eradicating what remained of Succubus Eye.
Flash Back
When Lucy had woken, she found herself wondering where Natsu was for a fleeting moment before her memories mercilessly reminded her. It was then that she realized she was clutching his scarf in a desperate grip in her lap. She swallowed a wave of nausea and pried her eyes off the red that stained one end.
She was in a modest bedroom, the early sunshine melting across the room from a small window to her left. Lucy's eyes came to rest on two of her guildmates, fast asleep on the adjacent bed. It was a small comfort seeing Erza curled against Jellal's chest, knowing that somehow, they'd managed to retreat safely as well. The redhead's cheeks looked puffy and red, presumably from crying and they both sported bandaging from whatever fight they'd faced.
Lucy felt empty.
With her mind replaying the painful loop of the last hours in her head, Lucy slid off her bed, being careful not to wake the dozing pair. She left the room in a daze and walked down a short hall, feeling the deafening silence around her. Gray glanced her way when she entered a quaint living room, and angrily swiped at his eyes. Mira sat nearby, holding her head in her hands, white bangs hiding her face.
"Lucy…" Gray mumbled, "we… I mean I… fuck. I'm so sorry… I was too weak…" he tried brokenly, his voice cracking again as more tears came unbidden. He looked away, rubbing at his eyes with the heel of his hand again.
Lucy's jaw tightened, she was angry, but not with him. She wanted to be angry at Leo, for taking her choice away from her, but she couldn't be angry at him either. Even if the irrational part of her couldn't see him without misplaced anger bubbling up anyway.
'I love you Lucy…' Natsu's voice rang through her head like a far-off echo.
She shook her head slowly; but she couldn't bring herself to say anything aloud to reassure her teammate. It would seem too final, too permanent, she wasn't ready for permanent. Instead, she moved to Gray's side, taking a spot beside him on the couch and wrapped her arms around him. He tensed at the action, before returning the embrace, his body shaking with the silent pain of failure and loss. Natsu wouldn't have forgiven any of them if they'd let her die there with him, Gray and Leo knew that… Lucy knew that. It didn't help.
They stayed like that for a long while before Lucy dared to ask, "Haru?" in a bare whisper, fearing his answer.
Lifting her head, Mira looked at them with bloodshot eyes, but it was Gray who answered. "Still in critical condition..." Lucy wasn't sure she could survive losing anyone else, the love of her life would leave an irreparable hole in her heart already. Haru had to be okay, Natsu had tried so hard to protect them both… "There was more internal damage then we'd realized, he needed emergency transfusions, blood and ethernano… Yuuko and her apprentice have him, there," Gray said, gesturing to a closed door across the room.
Lucy moved to Mira's couch, tugging the ice mage along with her, and they sat down on either side of the other girl. Wrapping themselves into a comforting group hug, they leaned back and settled into silent support while they waited for updates.
It had taken an additional day before Yuuko had deemed Haru stable enough to allow them in, and he remained unconscious for days after. Without the enhancements of dragon slayer magic, without a doubt, they would have lost him too.
Lucy had been in with Mira the afternoon that he finally came to.
They'd already been guests in the healer's home for nearly a week, and stories of attacks on the villages near Succubus Eye had begun reaching Clover Town. Erza had been in touch with Levy, and most of their guildmates had found their way to the Heartfilia mansion by now. The redhead didn't relay what had happened at Succubus Eye yet, their guildmates were still recovering from the shock of falsely losing them. They were all so elated at what seemed to be an impossible reunion, that Erza hadn't wanted to take that from them yet.
Levy and Freed were working tirelessly with Hisui to try to locate Plutogrim, the newly rumoured and apparently airborne location of Tartaros' headquarters. It came as no wonder then, why Natsu and Haru had never been able to find it through two years of searching. Makarov had assigned Laxus to help Arcadios and Lehar in mobilizing and coordinating the Rune Knights and Royal Army against the increasing dark mage activity. Divisions of knights remained actively stationed in the biggest towns now, Magnolia included, to try to keep the citizens from panic.
Mira sipped a mug of tea, blue eyes on Lucy, "There's no need to do anything rash… If anyone can track down Tartaros, it's Levy."
The sentiment didn't appease the blonde. "I believe in Levy, but it's taking too long, and people are dying. The more allies Kyôka gathers, the more the scales tip in their favour."
"Sure, but what would going after Succubus Eye accomplish now?"
"Aside from preventing more attacks?" Lucy retorted bitterly.
"You know what I mean Lucy." Mira said with an eyeroll, "we need to stop Kyôka, but we haven't seen or heard anything about her since…"
Lucy swallowed thickly as her friend left the words unspoken. "Kyôka wants me. If I start taking out her lackeys, word will reach her eventually, and she'll show up."
Gasping, Mira's tone hardened, "That's ridiculous!" she growled, "you can't take on Tartaros single handed, let Levy find them and Fairy Tail will fight together."
"…You want me to wait?" Lucy breathed incredulously. "What if it had been Haru, Mira!?"
Her white-haired friend's challenging look slipped, eyes snapping to the unconscious water slayer for a split second. But her eyes sharpened when they returned to Lucy just as fast. "You don't get to do that!" she yelled angrily, "I loved him too! He was family, a brother to me! I don't think I'd have made it through losing Lisanna without him. So don't you dare act like I'm not fighting just because Haru's still here!"
Lucy hung her head, shame colouring her cheeks. The comment hadn't been fair, Lucy knew she'd still be a wreck if Natsu and Haru's positions had been reversed. But still… "I'm sorry Mira, but I won't stop until Kyôka is dead. She's going to pay for taking him from me," Lucy stated venomously.
Sighing, Mira set her mug down, "I know how you feel Lucy—"
Their conversation was cut short when Haru groaned, rolling weakly, and began struggling to sit up, "What the hell… happened…?" he asked.
"Haru!" both girls cried in relief, each jumping to their feet to crowd his bed.
"Mira… Lucy…" he said, running a hand over his bare torso, in confusion. Yuuko had managed to heal his injuries so well that only a couple of the deepest cuts had left scars. The biggest of which, was a thick line at the lateral edge of his abdominals, that trailed below the waistband of the shorts he currently wore. Haru brushed his thumb over it wonderingly, before looking up at Mira questioningly.
She swooped her hand around the side of his neck gently, guiding him toward her so she could press her lips to his temple. "Yuuko healed you," she told him, brushing the dark hair out of his eyes.
"Ah… how long was I out?"
"Few days," Lucy replied.
The girls took the time to tell the water slayer what had happened since their escape, both the escalating attacks, and Fairy Tail's updates. "I see," he said tonelessly, looking at Lucy, "and now you want to go after Succubus Eye again." When she looked at him in mild surprise he just sighed, "Yes, I heard you… And I'm going with you."
"Like Hell you are!" Mira barked, "you are not going anywhere in your condition, let alone after a dark guild! I could take you down with my pinky right now!" She rounded on Lucy next, "what is with you two and death wishes?!"
"Look," Lucy said bluntly, "I am fucking done reacting to Tartaros' moves! We always say to make an enemy of Fairy Tail is to bring about your greatest regret, right? Well, now we prove it!"
"Well said Lucy." The trio's heads whipped in the direction of the door where Erza now stood with a hand resting on the nob. "It's so good to see you up Haru," she said entering the room before adding with no room for debate, "but I agree with Mira, you're not going anywhere." Ignoring Haru's attempts at debating uselessly, she looked between Mira and Lucy.
"Succubus Eye will fall to the Valkyries."
. . .
Of course, it hadn't ended with Succubus Eye.
As Erza had pointed out to Mira earlier, Lucy was hellbent on getting her revenge. She wanted Kyôka and she didn't seem at all willing to stop until one of them was dead. Erza was determined to make sure that wouldn't be her hard-headed friend. Lucy seemed a little lighter as they strolled the countryside, in no particular rush for a change. She always seemed a little lighter after successfully wiping out any faction under Tartaros' order.
But it never lasted.
Erza predicted that by tomorrow morning, Lucy would be searching for their next target. The girls would likely take tomorrow to relax and recover a bit, before heading out the following day again. Erza wanted to see Jellal, but she knew he wasn't likely to be around. Makarov had assigned him as the go-between for the Council remnants and the Guild Masters, who were now temporarily overseeing Council matters.
Lucy and Mira walked just ahead of her, chatting on lighter matters, avoiding talk of Tartaros as they often did when returning from an eradication mission. They followed the wide trail that led toward the estate Fairy Tail currently called home. The once manicured gardens, wild now from lack of maintenance, marked their arrival on Heartfilia land. Another 15 minutes and the mansion could be seen on the horizon poking out between the trees, Fairy Tail's banner flapping in the breeze, beckoning them home.
Opening one of the large double doors, Lucy called, "Hey everyone, we're home!"
Her voice lacked the cheer it had once held, but so did most of their companions'. Erza knew everyone was trying to move forward, in their own way though. A few members returned the greeting, but most of them were enthralled in something that Erza couldn't make out through the crowd. Most of Fairy Tail stood or sat in a tight knot around one of the two long tables, she spotted Wendy near the middle of one and moved to join her. Placing her hands on the short teen's shoulders, she leaned over her head to get a look at who was at the center of the group and laid eyes on Laxus.
The lightning mage was chugging a beer, which he slammed down on the tabletop with a satisfied burp and a bark of laughter. "We never expected to run into one of Tartaros' core members out there!" he declared boisterously.
Attention solidified, Erza leaned in closer to Wendy's ear as Laxus continued to relay his story, "What is this all about Wendy?" she asked curiously.
"A request came in a couple days ago asking for Laxus and Haru's help with some thunderstorms and flooding that kept devastating a town to the west," Wendy elaborated. "Turned out to be Tempesta, though they didn't figure out why he was there… no known dark guilds in the area, no Council operations… it doesn't really make sense."
"All Haru's water just turned him into a giant lightning rod!" Laxus burst out laughing again.
Next to him, Haru tipped his own beer back to take a long sip as well, glancing up as Mira slipped through the crowd and brushed her hand over his shoulders. She hinged and placed a kiss on the top of his head, saying something Erza couldn't make out over the clamour. Haru shifted enough in his spot to draw her into his lap and kissed her cheek before returning his attention to the ongoing conversation.
"Just think, if Gajeel had gone with us it would have been a real light show! –Wait, I got it, you two can be me my conductors!"
Haru just rolled his eyes, but the iron slayer sitting across the table, leapt to his feet indignantly, "I ain't no one's damn conductor!"
Swimming in a strange balance of gratitude for the light-hearted banter, reminiscent of her family's interactions before Tartaros, and exacerbation at not focusing on the underlying problems Laxus' story brought up, Erza interrupted. "You didn't try to take Tempesta captive?!" she asked incredulously, thinking the pair of dragon slayers just let their rage over losing one of their own, loose on the Demon Gate.
Blue eyes flicked her way, flashing in agitation, "What do you take me for Erza?" Haru asked, "of course we tried." The redhead felt the heat in her cheeks as Haru explained, "He kept trying his bane particle trick again, and we only got through that last time with Wendy's help and Purifying Flames… So yeah, we took him down in a last-ditch all-out attack before he could."
It didn't escape Erza's attention that Haru hadn't voiced Natsu's name… everyone seemed to be actively avoiding saying it aloud these days. The pain was simply too fresh. "I see… sorry I doubted you," she said apologetically, "I didn't mean it that way."
"I think everyone is just feeling a little on edge," Mira interjected, looking at the water slayer with concern. She'd taken to carding her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck soothingly and he just gave Erza a slight nod, accepting her apology.
Erza observed the couple, the ease of their interactions had been more tense recently, Mira had confided in her and Lucy that she was struggling to keep Haru from withdrawing. It was like losing Natsu had him putting walls back up that they'd all picked a way at over the years since he'd joined.
Where Lucy had become reckless in her pursuit for revenge, Haru had fallen back into an overcalculating and meticulous approach to the same goal. Instinctually, Mira had wanted to stay by his side to ensure he would be okay, but he wasn't the one throwing himself into dangerous situations… Lucy needed their help more.
Master Makarov suddenly clapping titan hands from above, had them all pausing and looking up at the bannister overlooking the foyer. The chatter died to minimal whispers before going silent when the elderly man cleared his throat, "Laxus, Erza, Haru and Mira, I need to speak to you upstairs," he said.
Various looks were exchanged as Laxus got to his feet; Erza was already moving toward the stairs as well. Mira looked at Haru who was staring at the master with an unreadable expression, so she made no effort to remove herself from his lap just yet. "What is this about Master?" Haru asked instead of complying.
"Upstairs, this is S Class business, my boy."
Clicking his tongue, Haru challenged, "With all due respect Master, if this is about Tartaros—and I have to assume it is, then it isn't S Class business. This affects us all and we need to face whatever it is together."
"Haru, we know how you feel…" Laxus said lowly, warningly, taking the water mage's shoulder in a strong hold.
"NO!" Haru snapped back, smacking the hand away "they killed Natsu!"
Haru dropped his hand, absently holding the table edge in a white knuckled grip as he glared up at his fellow dragon slayer. A thin crust of ice spread out over the tabletop in response to his flaring anger, freezing some of the drinks on its surface. Makarov's face fell under one of Haru's rare outbursts and the bluntness in which he'd spoken of their fallen comrade. One of his children. The pain on the elderly man's face was reflected in the torment of everyone watching Natsu's long-time partner fall apart.
Erza had stopped, one hand on the railing, her gaze shifting between Haru and Lucy who'd been quiet since announcing their return. Releasing a shaky breath, Haru muttered, "I… I still can't figure out how I move forward without him… I want to be angry at him for ever forcing himself into my life in the first place, because this hurts so much… but I—fuck." Haru's shoulders shook in silent sobs, though no tears fell.
"Oh Haru…" Mira whispered, fitting his head into the crook of her neck and holding the side of his jaw with her free hand.
He seemed to appreciate the gesture, making no move to untangle himself from her. "But I… I wouldn't have all of you, I wouldn't have this family…" he continued softly, covering the hand Mira had on his upper arm with his own. His gaze sought out Lucy standing toward the back, at the far end of the table observing. She was hugging a quietly sobbing Happy to her chest; Erza hadn't even noticed the cat when they'd arrived. Tears shone in Lucy's eyes as well, for the first time since that fateful day. She tipped her head encouragingly for him, a faint smile at her lips. Erza knew their stellar mage understood Haru better than anyone else could, in that moment. After all, Natsu had given her the home she'd never dared to dream of as well.
"The Twin Dragons are officially history… and I don't know how I—how we—get past this yet," Haru repeated, "but I do know that our first step is wiping Tartaros from the face of Earthland. Together."
Erza raised her voice in agreement, and slowly everyone else, save Haru, Happy and Lucy were joining their own to a chorus of determination. Makarov stroked his beard, taking them all in with a sweeping look. "What am I going to do with you stubborn brats…" he chuckled fondly, "well, okay then, have it your way. We'll show them what Fairy Tail can do, for our family, for Fiore, for NATSU!"
More cheers, and this time Lucy and Happy wiped away their tears and joined in. Haru wrapped both arms around Mira's waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, smiling at their guildmates through waves of gratitude.
. . .
It took the group a few minutes to settle down, and then Makarov jumped down from the upper floor to join them. He paced over the length of the tabletop between them, with his arms crossed, "I got a call from Master Bob this morning, he tasked Hibiki with using his archive magic to try to discern any potential threats Tartaros could use against the light guild network in the coming war."
"And?" Laxus prompted when the master paused in front of himself and Haru.
"And it seems he's inadvertently stumbled on to the reason why Mercurius and the NMC were attacked."
Haru raised a brow, "Thought we already determined that…" he drawled. "Emotional warfare. They only attacked the institutions we had people stationed at… Seems it would be a tactic to show us we are powerless to stop them, even with advanced warning."
Makarov shook his head, "True my boy," he said, pivoting, he resumed his pacing, "but it isn't as simple as that. Consider that to be a bonus for them, that's why Jackal warned Natsu. But according to Laxus, you also had Mermaid Heel send a team to Zentopia Church… why wasn't it hit? At first I thought it was just about hurting Fairy Tail…"
"But it isn't… that's what you're saying?" Erza piped in.
"It was right in front of us, I am ashamed we didn't realize the threat sooner."
"Spit it out Gramps!" Gray complained.
"The Eclipse Gate held in Mercurius and Nirvana held by the Council," the elderly man answered gravely.
Haru ignored the gasps of surprise, already pondering the ramifications, if what Makarov theorized turned out to be true. They would need to try to figure out what the Demon Gates could possibly want with Zeref's magic items to prepare properly. Nirvana's benefit to them was obvious, the Seis had already used it to strip the magic from a guild all those years prior… "The Gate is a portal though, what could Tartaros possibly want with it?"
"The gate itself isn't worth much outside of time travel, but it can be weaponized," Hisui explained, descending the stairs to join them. "It absorbs Ethernano at an exponential rate, and has been doing so for over 400 years. In addition, some of the most powerful dragons and magic users on the continent have travelled through it… If Tartaros combined that power with the capabilities of Nirvana…"
"We could be looking at the end of Magic all together." Lucy concluded.
Haru looked her way and noted the emerald colour melding through the brown of her irises, seemed the conversation had drawn Mavis out. Hisui nodded grimly in confirmation, "They'll be after a celestial mage to drain and harness the power."
"Which means we have even mor reason to keep you safe Lucy, we can't let Tartaros get their hands on you. In one fell swoop they would eliminate the threat of the Grand Fairy Spells, and get the power they need," Makarov concluded. Lucy's eyes narrowed in displeasure, but he held a hand up to stall her rebuttal. "That said, I know our Fairy Tail stubbornness runs deep in you… I won't ask you to sit on the side lines, but you aren't to leave the estate without at least two of our S Class. Fair?"
"Fair," Lucy agreed easily, she rarely went anywhere without the team anyway, and most of them were S Class.
"Okay, if that's out of the way, how about the good news then?" Makarov said cheerily.
"There's good news?" Gajeel and Gray barked in surprise, "and you couldn't lead with that?!"
"Mm. We are finally one step ahead of Tartaros."
Two Days Later
Lucy padded across marble floors barefoot, tracing the building perimeter, a trio of Rune Knights following loosely behind her. The night skies were black, and unnerving. It certainly didn't help that the Council building was nestled in the middle of jagged hills ripe with hiding places. Not to mention the pompous idiots who'd commissioned the flashy structure had thought that a floating upper structure would somehow not be used against them in an ambush. Lucy clicked her tongue, if Makarov was right and Tartaros did attack, the Rune Knights stationed here would be no help either.
"Come in Haru, how's it looking?"
"No change Lucy," he replied, "Jellal has Knights set up all around though, at the very least they'll give us extra eyes… though in this darkness, I'm not sure how helpful that is."
Seemed to Lucy, the water slayer must have had the same thought as she'd had where their knightly company was concerned. At best they were extra people to protect that might be able to give them advanced warning of approaching danger, at worst, they were a liability. "Starting to think we should have brought the other slayers," Haru added as an afterthought.
"Everything's good here too," Erza's voice chimed in, "who's taking the first watch?"
Erza joining the telepathic conversation caught Lucy off guard at first. She realized if Haru had managed to interconnect the entire team, then his telepathy must have gotten stronger at some point since their battle with Grimoire. She didn't comment on it, "I'll take the vault for the first half," she offered.
"And I'll keep our blind spots locked down," Haru said, referring to the rock surrounding Fiore's council branch.
"You can't do that all night again Haru…" Erza drawled.
"I can. I'm the best line of defense against an ambush from the hills," he countered, "I'll get some sleep when the sun breaks."
Erza's exacerbated but defeated sigh resounded through their links, "I'm holding you to that Haru. Don't think we haven't figured out you're boosting your senses with Drive… Don't overdo it, you're no good to us magically exhausted and sleep deprived."
"I will stay with Haru, Gray can relieve me at half?" Jellal asked, deflecting the redhead's worry. The ice mage confirmed quickly and a second later, Erza said she'd do the same for Lucy.
As her comrades all said good night, or good luck, Lucy resumed her walk toward the inner chambers of the building. Dragon Soul had joined Jellal yesterday afternoon, directly following Makarov's debrief. The hopeful air shared by Fairy Tail when the Master alerted them that he did not believe the Demon Gates to be in possession of Nirvana, had been spectacular. Apparently, Fiore's own branch boasted one of the most impenetrable vaults in Ishgar and keeping a portion of the Council's devastating arsenal outside their headquarters had been a strategic move. One that had paid off.
Of course, if Tartaros had known to attack Mercurius and the Council for the weapons, then someone familiar with both the Oracion Seis and Grimoire Heart had to be feeding them intel. And that was more than a little unsettling. The question remained: would their source figure out that the weapon was already in Fiore?
Seemed to Lucy, it would only be a matter of time regardless. If they didn't already know, they were bound to figure it out. Probably by indiscriminately attacking every branch of the council until they found what they were looking for. She did wonder why they hadn't started doing so during the month she and her friends were stuck in the spirit realm, unless they were preoccupied with trying to confirm whether their attack had been successful.
Entering the court chamber that stood as the epicenter of the council building, Lucy dismissed the knights to continue patrolling and found a spot to settle down and kill some time. Anyone wanting to get to the vault would have to come through this room, and Lucy would be there to stand in their way. Erza and Gray should already be asleep in the modest sleeping quarters just around the corner. Sliding down to the floor with a yawn, Lucy popped Plue's key off her ring, intent on summoning the spirit for some company to keep her awake. But she found herself staring at her reflection in the silver instead, her brain traitorously and blissfully replaying the night Natsu had gifted her with the key.
'I love you, Lucy. With every fiber of my being, with every flame burning inside me, I never gave up hope I'd find you.'
Lucy knew how to handle a missing Natsu… it gave her something to focus on and just liked he'd said, she'd never give up hope of finding him. Watching him die in her arms and being powerless to do anything, fractured her hope in a way she'd never truly recover from.
"Natsu… I miss you." she whispered brokenly to the empty room.
"The Salamander? Is that so?" a disembodied voice asked her.
Lucy jolted, looking around wildly, but saw nothing, sensed nothing. Her eyebrows knit together, and she climbed back to her feet, reattaching the silver key to her belt. She searched every inch of the room until she was certain her grief had just been playing tricks on her. "Lucy," Haru's voice this time, but the sudden sound against her frazzled nerves had her jumping again, despite the familiarity. "Lucy?" he repeated.
"I'm here Haru, everything okay?"
"I think so, just picking up an odd scent," he informed her, "gonna investigate."
"Okay, be careful Haru, check back in in ten or we're coming after you."
"Got it."
A flash of movement whipped by, behind her and Lucy barely caught sight of something purple in the corner of her eye. "Hello?" she called, "someone there?"
A child-like giggle answered, Lucy whirled in its direction.
. . .
The sun, warm against her skin. Unmarred blue skies. A gentle breeze in her hair.
Lucy squinted against the bright morning light, blinking until her vision adjusted. She was standing in the middle of a familiar cobbled street, her mind whirling with the impossibility of her sudden relocation. Had she been teleported? But it was the middle of the night, not morning, wasn't it?
She turned slowly and was far more stunned to find the Fairy Tail guildhall standing proudly just across the street, not a stone out of place.
The dark green doors that opened to her every adventure, and welcomed her home upon every return, were presently closed but she could hear the rambunctious chatter of her guildmates within. She stayed rooted to the spot, wondering why she was here before gradually, wondering why she was wondering.
There was something she was supposed to be doing, wasn't there?
What… was it?
Transfixed on the doors just meters ahead, she reached up and ran trembling fingers over her bare throat. A fleeting panic tickled at the periphery of her mind and had her whirling around immediately, looking for… what, exactly? She paused, wrestling her odd reaction under control… she never wore anything around her neck, so she couldn't have possibly lost anything important, right?
"What's wrong with me?" she mumbled to herself, she faced the guild again, deciding that she'd probably overslept and was just groggy. She was probably late for a team meeting with Dragon Soul about their next mission, maybe that was what had her feeling so out of sorts.
There was a haze where the memories of her last few days should have been… but maybe her comrades could fill in the gaps of her memory.
She was staring at the doors again, willing herself to move. But she still couldn't shake the feeling there was some truth inside that she didn't want to face.
"Oi, Lucy, ya gonna stare at it all day, or ya gonna go inside?"
Lucy's eyes blew wide open, lips parting as her breath hitched in her throat. She froze.
"Earthland to Loonie…"
Impossible.
She turned toward the voice, moving stiffly, and gazed up at the wide toothy grin that she'd have given anything to see just one more time. "Hey, what's with you?" Natsu asked, smile faltering slightly as a pink brow arched in confusion, "weren't you going on ahead to order us some breakfast?"
Lucy's eyes brimmed with tears in an instant, and his expression changed again, replaced with concern this time. "Uh h-hey… Lucy, what's wrong? Somethin' happen?" He raised a fiery fist in front of him, "I'll incinerate whatever made you cry—" She threw herself at him, her force shutting him up and knocking them both to the ground in the middle of the street.
"N-natsu how— I- I never thought I'd see you again—" she buried her face in his chest, continuing to cry and vaguely wondering where his treasured scarf was.
One arm wrapped around her, and the other hand came up to her head, gently folding her into his embrace. His familiar warmth melted through her as she clung to his vest in an unrelenting grip. "Luce," he whispered, "I don't know what's got you so scared, but I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere…" he said.
"You can't promise that!" she cried angrily, pushing him back, "you left me Natsu!"
"Wait, is this about the mission?" he asked carefully, "I don't have to go, if something's going on with you, I can stay. Haru can handle a routine wyvern extermination, Gods know we've done plenty—"
Lucy wrapped her arms around him tightly again, refusing to let him go, "Please… please don't leave me…"
He stopped trying to reason with her at that point and resolved himself to silently stroking her hair, soothing her in a way that only he'd ever been able to. Lucy couldn't pinpoint why she was so upset, why she'd felt terrified that he would vanish out of her arms if she dared to let go for even a second. Nothing was making sense.
Had she hit her head at some point?
Eventually though, the fire mage pressed her to arm's length when her sobs quieted. Onyx eyes searched her face in genuine worry, "How 'bout we just go home Luce? Have a quiet day, just the two of us?" When she said nothing, his head tilted, apparently trying to get a read on her thoughts, "I'm sure Mira an' Haru would be happy to watch—"
Whatever he'd been about to suggest was rudely interrupted.
"Seriously?! Have you two still not grown up, what kind of example are you setting?" another familiar voice barked, "you could at least try to make to the guildhall before you're all over each other!"
Aquarius hovered in front of the two of them now, looking beyond unimpressed. The mermaid spirit's presence threatened to melt Lucy's mind further, but not more than the presence of the small child holding Aquarius' hand.
"Mommy?" the little girl asked, "what's wrong?"
"Mommy's okay Nashi," Lucy heard herself say, holding her arms open to her apparent daughter. Somehow, she knew the little girl was hers, hers and Natsu's, despite her head grappling for clarity. Natsu had an affectionate smile fixed on them both, though she could easily pick out the underlying concern still present in his eyes.
"Can we get breakfast now?" Nashi asked excitedly, immediately appeased by her reassurance.
Lucy brushed the messy light pink bangs from the girl's face, finding warm chocolate eyes and a signature toothy grin. "As insatiable as your Dad…" she said softly, readjusting the scaly scarf on the girl's shoulders. "Okay, how 'bout we find some pancakes hmm?" Nashi broke into loud cheers, throwing her little arms in the air. Lucy turned, thanking Aquarius who had been watching her, hands on her hips and her typical scowl that was lessened by the concern she was failing to mask.
"Whatever," Aquarius dismissed, vanishing in a shower of gold.
"Are you okay now Luce?" Natsu asked, ruffling Nashi's pink locks.
Nodding, Lucy realized she couldn't even remember why she'd been so upset, "Yeah, sorry to worry you, I think I'm just tired."
Natsu still looked skeptical, but his grin returned as he dipped and tossed a giggling Nashi up on his shoulders. Lucy's eyes grazed over the ring on his finger when the gold glinted in the light. "If you say so Loonie, guess I'll have to refrain from keeping you up so late tonight then," he added with a coy look that had her blushing.
. . .
"Lucy?! Erza?! Gray?! Someone answer me!" Haru yelled anxiously through the team link, not one reply.
He flipped back multiple times, skidding further on the balls of his feet, as a dark swell of water rose over him. He inhaled, "Blizzard Dragon's roar!" he countered, unleashing a sub-zero blizzard that froze the water on contact. "Jellal! I can't reach the others—"
"I know! Leave it to me!"
The resulting explosion of ice and water had the Rune Knights tossing their swords and running for safety, lest they get caught in the middle of the devastating attacks being exchanged. It was all the same to Haru, he had told them from the beginning, he just thought they'd be in the way if the Master's mission came to a fight, as was expected.
Another jet of black water barrelled toward him, and Haru ducked under the encroaching attack. Springing up on the other side, he cartwheeled, planting his hand, and vaulted far out of the reach of the stream his enemy redirected his way. Haru landed, sprinting in an arc around the spined shark-like demon, he never thought he'd face water he couldn't ingest.
The God Slayer elements flickered through his mind. Natsu aside, even Wendy had managed to assimilate black winds. He launched upward, over the demon's head, "Water Dragon's talons!" Haru yelled, aiming a series of sharp kicks his way. But the waters he faced now were a far from the black magic-borne God elements, this was Curse power and Haru knew he wouldn't survive attempting to inhale these waters.
Torafuzar took the hits point blank, his dull grey scales fracturing around the impacts. He reacted instantly, a huge hand whipped up and closed around Haru's throat. Rasping for air under the bruising grip, Haru clamped his own hands around the demon's wrist, freezing half his body solid in a thick case of ice. Then he swung both legs back and slammed them hard into his foe's knee. Unleashing his magic fully, icy blades swam through the trashing water that raged around him, severing Torafuzar's hand at the wrist.
Haru dissolved into his water as the demon howled anger and pain and skipping back to get some distance between them again. Widening his stance, he extended one arm in front of him, noticing his own scales looked black against his skin in moonless night.
He tracked Torafuzar's position with Force-enhanced vision and took the reprieve to check in with Jellal. "Jellal, did you find the others?!" Haru asked. He wanted to go after them, to see what was keeping Lucy and his team silent. He felt as though Natsu was watching his every move, begging him to keep the stellar mage safe. Jellal didn't respond.
A dark tidal wave erupted from around the treacherous rock and Haru countered with his own, the giant waves collided in a mass of water, soaking everything in a far-reaching radius. As soon as the spray of water cleared, Haru and Torafuzar flew forward, meeting each other head on once more, swapping a flurry of overpowered punches and kicks. Haru had to find a way to knock the water demon down, and keep him down, so he could go find his comrades. Something was going on in the building behind him, he was certain of that now.
And if his comrades were down, then that meant there was nothing standing between Tartaros and Nirvana either.
. . .
Lucy sipped at her strawberry milkshake, eyes crawling over her guildmates spread around the hall. Laxus and Freed sat at the bar where the lightning mage was attempting to fend off a bout of Cana's drunken flirting and his ever-present green-haired shadow complained indignantly. Wendy, Carla and Erza were across the hall enjoying slices of strawberry cake, the blue-haired teen claiming Lucy's attention for reasons she couldn't place. Wendy chatted happily with her companions, long blue locks hung loosely over her back and the hint of cleavage that her tank top revealed. Arching a brow, Lucy watched as Erza cooed at Alzac and Bisca when the gunslingers walked by her table to approach the bar. Bisca paused with a smile, stopping to allow the redhead to fawn over her swollen belly.
"Ne Natsu… Lushy's being weird…"
"Luce, you sure you're okay? You're spacing out more than usual…" Natsu pointed out after the blue cat's announcement.
She turned to look his way, Nashi was squirming under one of his arms, having thrown herself at him in a failed sneak attack. Their daughter didn't seem to notice the adults' collective distraction as she shrieked with laughter. Gray and Juvia were watching her intently as well, but the double doors swung open before she was forced to answer. Nashi halted her struggling, sniffing the air before her eyes lit up, "Lissa's here!" she cried, happily leaping out of Natsu's clutches.
Mira chirped a friendly greeting to the Guild, her fingers threaded with Haru's over her shoulder. A small girl with pale blue hair and the same piercing blue eyes Haru and Mira shared, held the water mage's hand. She was about the same age as Nashi and smiled widely as the girl ran over and pried her away from the entrance. The pair darted into the guild, and immediately began teaming up to tackle their unsuspecting guildmates. Lucy chuckled, of course their kids wouldn't be into playing dolls and make believe…
"The fire dragon rescues the princess!" Nashi declared enthusiastically, charging at Laxus who'd scooped up Lissa in retaliation. She reared back and slammed her foot into his shin, earning a yelp of surprise from the blonde man.
"The hell kid?!" Laxus barked as Lissa cocked an arm back and punched her little fist into his jaw. Deadpanning, he grumbled, "ah… damnit, fine…" Lucy watched in shock as one of the guild's strongest (and most prideful) mages made a show of collapsing to the ground before the two girls.
So, she was mistaken, they enjoyed make-believe as much as any little girl, just not the typical make-believe weddings or whatever. Watching as Lissa whined about being referred to as a princess, Lucy realized these kids were going to be a force as they grew. Pride swelled in her chest and she couldn't remember being happier than she was in this moment, but…
Something isn't right.
There was something she was supposed to be doing.
She barely registered Natsu asking Haru if he could handle their mission by himself this Friday when he and Mira joined them at the table. "That depends…" the water slayer replied coolly, eyes flicking over the Lucy, "is your husband bailing on me so you two can sneak in a weekend in bed while Mira watches the girls?" His grin betrayed his amusement as Lucy blushed bright red.
Natsu burst into laughter, "Well, now that you mention it—"
"Not at all," Lucy cut him off, "you idiots can take your mission as planned, it's only a few days. But Mira and I get to take the next one, you know the deal." The Twin Dragons laughed in response, and Natsu's subtle tension over her weird behaviour seemed to be diminishing.
The girls came rushing over with Happy flying overhead and threw themselves on Haru's back with little warning, though he adapted to their weight with practiced ease. "Uncle Haru! Will you take us fishing?!" Nashi begged.
"Oi! What am I? Chopped liver?!" Natsu complained dramatically. Lucy raised a brow at the smug cat hovering nearby and giggling behind his paws, knowing exactly what he was up to. He'd clearly instigated the girls' request for his own benefit, and gotten a rise out of Natsu in one well calculated prank.
"We always catch more fish when Uncle Haru takes us!" Nashi replied, sticking her tongue out at him.
"Cuz he cheats—" Lucy cuffed him in the back of the head lightly, and he crossed his arms, releasing a puff of fire.
Pressing a kiss to his cheek, she suggested, "Why don't we all go? It would be nice to spend the day at the river."
You aren't supposed to be here.
Lucy dismissed the echoey words from her head, noting her family's collective agreement. Mira moved to collect some treats from Fairy Tail's kitchen to pack for them, and Natsu boisterously exclaimed that he was going to catch more fish than all of them combined, grinning down at his daughter's rebuttals. 'Natsu will never change…' Lucy thought fondly.
Your friends need you.
My friends are right here…
YOU aren't here, you never will be.
. . .
Haru danced around the shark demon's strikes, countering with an emphasis on his ice imbued spells. He forced his foe back with a point-blank blizzard breath attack but as soon as the flurries dissipated, Torafurza was directly in front of him winding up for a hit. The spiked punch caught Haru square under the chin and launched him toward the council building behind him. He recovered enough to get his feet under him again, planting his feet into a rocky point and fired himself back at the demon with his Secret Arts surging around him.
The two water wielders crashed midair, Haru's storm blades shredding through grey scales like butter. Gripping the Gate's arm at the elbow, Haru swung him around and released him in the opposite direction. Torafuzar's body smashed through multiple rock formations before coming to a stop. "Blizzard Water Dragon's jagged tsunami!" Haru yelled, unleashing a massive wall of water that dwarfed the landscape of rocky hills. The spell submerged everything and froze before exploding in storm of ice that obliterated much of the surrounding rock.
Haru landed softly, hands on his knees and scanned the devastated environment as the excess water drained away in the newly formed crevasse his attack left behind. He needed to be sure Torafuzar was done before he could retreat to locate his friends. He could smell the demon ahead, amidst the shattered rock but couldn't see him yet. "Not bad Fairy!" Torafuzar declared in a booming voice. Haru tensed, adopting a defensive stance, gold eyes flickering around in search of his enemy.
More rock exploded away under the shark demon's prowess, and Haru barely got his hands up before the demon slammed into him in a much bulkier form. Water churning with black etherious surrounded them as they arched through the air at a breakneck speed. Torafuzar smashed him straight into the council building with enough force to break right through the roof and upper wall. Haru coughed out a lung of air when his body hit the opposite wall inside, heavily cracking it, and fell forward into the water that already flooded the chamber.
Swearing under his breath, Haru looked up from his hands and knees to see Torafuzar appear at the edge of the hole, looking down on him. The Gate was easily double his previous size, his body now armoured in steel-like scales and when he clenched his hand around the wall he held, it crumbled to dust. The dark waters were rising too, Haru couldn't let him flood the building or his comrades would be in trouble too.
He might not be able to inhale this water, but it was still water, and there was no water that didn't bend to his command.
Haru spun, dragging his hands through the water to build the current around him until the liquid surged at his fingertips "Try this!" Half the water in the room was swept up in a destructive vortex that Haru sent directly at the demon, then he threw his arms out to his sides, "and FREEZE!" he yelled. The remaining water froze instantly, but his attack barely fazed his enemy.
Torafuzar cut spiked arm across Haru's attack appearing completely undaunted, "I invite you and your friends into the deep sea of Hades!"
"Thanks for the offer, but for once in my life… I'm not feeling like a swim," Haru drawled sarcastically. He scanned the room they were in, if he couldn't stop Torafuzar from flooding the building, then he had to make sure he contained the waters. "Freeze!" he repeated.
"That again? Why bother, you're just making a fool of yourself…"
Haru smirked back, his ice spread out over the walls, spreading rapidly over the entire structure, sealing the doorways and halls to prevent the rushing waters from advancing further. The water continued to rise steadily, now contained to the chamber they occupied. When the icy water reached his throat, Haru took one last deep breath before he was fully submerged.
. . .
Lucy was freezing.
The sun was beating down over head, but Lucy found herself pulling a beach towel around her shoulders for warmth. Mira looked perfectly comfortable in a light sun dress as she sliced up a watermelon for snacking. Both Natsu and Haru had ditched their shirts as soon as they'd reached the river, the former was knee deep in the river with the girls. Nashi and Lissa ran through the shallow water totally soaked through as they engaged in Natsu's splash war, their fishing poles forgotten on the shore. Not one of Lucy's family appeared to be the slightest bit chilled.
But Lucy could swear she was locked in a refrigerator…
She shivered, pulling Haru's attention after he cast his fishing line. He arched a brow at her and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously as though her inability to warm up was somehow his fault. "What's that look for?" he asked.
"I'm freezing," she muttered.
"Don't look at me, you see any ice? I'm not to blame for your weirdness," he said, chuckling when she threw one of Natsu's sandals at his head. Catching it, he tossed it back in the pile of clothing Natsu had abandoned, "seriously though, how are you cold? It's so hot out."
Pursing her lips, Lucy grumbled, "How should I know? I just am!"
You DO know. How much time are you going to waste here?!
"Watermelon Lucy?"
"Huh? Oh… thanks Mira," Lucy said distractedly, taking a slice from the plate her friend presented.
"FOOD!" the two pink-haired cheered together, tearing out of the river with the water splashing up around them. Lissa blinked owlishly for a moment, and then ran after them as well. "So good!" they cheered again after large bites that should have had them choking. Sharing mischievous grins, Natsu and Nashi simultaneously bit into their watermelon again and began spitting the seeds at one another.
Lucy's face softened at the sight, she could feel the slight smile pulling at her lips again, the warmth in her heart despite the chill accosting her body. She wasn't sure how long she'd been staring at them, but Natsu pulled her out of her trance, "You cold Lucy?" he asked. Without waiting for her to answer, he pounced over to her and wrapped her in his arms, letting his innate body heat banish her shivers. She gave him a grateful look, surprised he hadn't call her a weirdo before moving to comfort her. He turned and pressed a kiss to her forehead and smiled down at her when he pulled away. That smile would always melt her heart and set it racing all at once, he really was the love of her life.
Confusion flitted through her when his smile faltered though, his head tilted to the side as confusion settled there instead. "Luce?"
"Yeah? What is it?"
"When did your eyes turn green?"
"What?" she asked, confused.
Lucy wake up, NOW!
. . .
Lucy's eyes flew open, whipping herself up into a seated position with a gasp. She ignored the way her skin burned where she pulled away from an ice coated floor. Tears immediately brimmed in her eyes as she reached up subconsciously to grasp the scaled fabric of Natsu's scarf at her throat.
"Whaaa? No fair!" a childish voice complained, "how'd you do that?!"
Lucy turned as a couple tears slipped down her cheeks, feeling like her heart was in a vice. A young girl stood a few meters in front of her, no taller than Wendy, and Jellal was flat on his stomach not far from her. The girl had deep purple hair that reached her shoulders, vibrant gold cat-like eyes and was clad in a plain pink top, black pleated skirt and striped knee-high socks tucked into high-tops. Black markings curled up over her pale arms and across her collar bones, but other than that, Lucy could have mistaken her for any human teen. That was, until the girl's face split in a wide smile that displayed rows of razor-sharp teeth. "I was trying to do you a favour you know, why couldn't you just stay asleep?"
"A favour?" Lucy bit out in the barest whisper. Anger rippled through her, her nails bit into her palms as she clenched her fists hard. This girl might look like a kid, but she was most certainly one of the Gates. If Jellal was under the same curse as she had been, then he was okay, for now. Lucy aggressively scrubbed a hand across her eyes, drying her tears and bared her teeth back at the little demoness.
"How dare you," she growled.
Unknown Location
Natsu's head was swimming. He shifted, movements feeling heavy and sluggish, restricted. A strange sensation surrounded him, a deep and achy cold. He couldn't fathom what the hell was happening to him now.
He'd died. Of that he was certain.
Now he found himself submerged in an odd fluid, though strangely able to breathe unobstructed. Natsu forced his eyes open and the fluid filled his vision in a slightly greenish tint, but he could still make out a dark room. It appeared to be some kind of lab, large cables lined the floor, feeding various tubes bigger than himself.
Taking a moment to assess his current predicament, Natsu realized with a start that he was nude and floating in one of several of those identical canisters that filled the lab in long rows. He ran a hand down the front of his torso experimentally, palpating the wounds he was certain had taken his life… the gaping holes in his abdomen remained, but somehow, he didn't feel any residual pain from them currently. Actually, he couldn't feel much of anything.
"What in the fuck is this?" Natsu thought dazedly. He had no energy, no strength, his consciousness faded again.
. . .
Without any clue as to how much time had passed again, Natsu's eyes peeled open to slits, finding the same greenish filter to the world around him once more. He flinched back in surprise when a face suddenly pressed into the glass of the tube holding him, eyes wide and deranged grin wider. A short girl… with rabbit ears?
Natsu blinked a couple times, trying to dispel the hallucination. Pressing the heel of his hand to his forehead, he refocused on the weird girl—no demon he corrected himself—and the grin she wore took on a slightly predatory tone.
"Aren't you a hottie?!" she squealed in a nasally tone, smooshing her cheek against the glass even harder as her eyes raked greedily over his form. It made his skin crawl, but he refused to reveal his discomfort. It still took every ounce of self-control he could muster not to react by attempting to cover himself from her gaze.
"Lamy, get your worthless ass back to work."
The rabbit demon released a squeak of surprise, "K-Kyôka!" she yelped, whirling at the sound of her name as clicking talons rang across the stone floor. Natsu tensed with a barely contained rage burning through him as he came face to face with the slave demon once more. He swore he could suddenly feel her claws embedded in his stomach again. The claws that had been meant for Lucy. He desperately hoped she and Haru were okay.
He promised himself he'd kill her the second the opportunity presented itself for what she did to Haru, what she tried to do to his Lucy.
The green-haired female clamped a clawed grip over the side of Lamy's head and shoved her harshly to the side, attention already trained on Natsu. Sharp blue eyes narrowed as she looked him over with a calculating gaze before they widened in recognition.
"You again…impossible. I'm certain I killed you," she breathed. Wonder painted her features, "then…you're Etherious?!" she stated in disbelief. She pivoted and began pacing in front of him, muttering under her breath to herself before concluding, "must be… only true Etherious regenerate in Hell's Core."
She'd spoken so softly, Natsu's dragon hearing barely registered the quiet words. She stopped abruptly, returning her attention to him and he glared back defiantly, refusing to confirm her theory. Her lips parted as something else dawned on her and her gaze suddenly seemed even more predatory then Lamy's lust had earlier. A chill crawled down Natsu's spine one vertebra at a time.
"You're Thirteen. Our missing Gate."
A/N. Okay, so y'all knew I didn't kill the MC… permanently, anyway.
Inspiration point: Lucy being subconsciously aware something was wrong while simultaneously forgetting as she slipped deeper into her dream was inspired by Demon Slayer [Mugen Train arc]. The actual Curse of the Gate she faces and being trapped in a dream was pre-planned.
Story point: Only the demon gates (which will include Mard Geer among others) will be 'true' Etherious. The rest are Etherious-enhanced or run of the mill demons under the Tartaros mark.
So, predictions?
Shout outs to: kkitz, Valerioux, gwostwyatt10, Joker D. Zero, Alice Cullen, Eternal Flame, MPrime, FireShifter, LovesCurse, HisSecretLover18 and guests for your reviews, it is your reviews that drove me to get this update up early! Infinite gratitude!
(PS. Joker D. Zero convinced me to pop over to Archive of our Own too. So, if you're over there, come say hi, you can find me under LokaMuse)
'Till next time,
R&R
xx. Loka Muse