I'm back! Happy (almost over) Friday!

Dragon Slayer heavy Chapter ahead.

~Onward

55

-Sabertooth's Resolve-

Gazania was a fair bit larger than Magnolia, and certainly more densely populated. A fact that became increasingly apparent the closer Haru got to the guildhall that claimed the epicenter of the town. People ran screaming toward the outer rings of streets, adding to the chaotic atmosphere he'd been dropped into prior to parting ways with Mest. The smell of smoke and various things burning, assaulted his nose, making it impossible to discern anything useful. He was actual thankful he couldn't hear at the moment, because he was certain the collective terror he was seeing below would be accompanied by constant screaming. More than likely, the sheer noise would be beyond disorienting. Enhanced senses didn't always prove to be an advantage in every situation.

Haru jumped between rooftops, making his way to Sabertooth as quickly as he could. The evacuating citizens had forced him out of the streets to avoid being slowed or trampled in their haste, as he moved opposite them. The switch to his travel methods had been necessary, but he really didn't like the exposure. The fact that he still had no idea what he was running into, made him just as anxious. Whoever had contacted Fairy Tail for aid, hadn't had the chance to explain what Sabertooth was facing before their transmission had been abruptly cut off.

A series of explosions along the façade of Sabertooth's guildhall sent tremors reverberating through the streets. Haru felt the explosion before he saw it. Gritting his teeth, he sprinted to the end of another building, gathering magic power at his palms in preparation to launch himself the distance of the plaza below. He jumped, releasing jets of water beneath him and propelled across the wide distance to the next building.

The lone shadow crawling up the side of the building he landed on went unnoticed, but he was ready for an attack none-the-less. As soon as the shadow stretched out to his right, he leapt to the side, planting one hand and rounded off to skid back with his fingertips dragging over the tiled roof. The entire rooftop froze in an instant, trapping his assailants.

One man, the first victim of his counterstrike had been frozen just mere feet from the Water Slayer's current position, and he appeared to be speaking frantically. Not that Haru could hear any of it. He could sense magic from him though, so his foe wasn't Etherious, or demonically tainted for that matter.

A dark mage then.

Haru reared back with the magic of an Iron Fist growing around his knuckles but stopped short of attack when the odd ninja-mage scrambled to pull down one of his netted arm-covers to reveal a Sabertooth guildmark. A section of his ice exploded a second later and Rogue burst out of the roof looking rather exacerbated.

Haru dispelled his ice, freeing Rogue's comrade, as he simultaneously established a telepathic connection with the pair. "Shit, sorry about that," he said sheepishly, "my senses are a little—"

"Fucked?" Rogue asked with a dry chuckle, "yeah, mine too." The Shadow Slayer arched a brow, "Dobangal was yelling at you to call off your attack though, you didn't hear?"

Haru shook his head, "Can't hear anything right now, I'll explain later though." Regardless of the state of his hearing, it would be better to rely on telepathy with enemies around anyway. "Where are Yukino and Sting?" he asked.

"Sting and I split up, so I could lead the evacuation," he explained, "what about you? Natsu didn't come?"

"No," Haru said too harshly. He squeezed his eyes shut, released a long exhale to physically reset and tried to ignore the look the two Tigers exchanged at his obvious agitation. "What happened here?"

Rogue looked like he wanted to push the issue of his fire-breathing partner, but to his credit, he left whatever questions or thoughts bloomed in his head, unspoken. "It's Master Jiemma. He disappeared after the Games; saying Sabertooth was an embarrassment to him. We'd gotten soft, weak. But two days ago, he returned, and with a small army at his back. His power was always stifling, but it's different now— like that pink-haired girl Lucy fought—he overwhelmed us."

None of that sat well with Haru. If Tartaros was turning people of Jiemma's power, then the 13 Gates weren't the only big threat they would be facing in this war. "I see," he muttered, scanning the nearly vacant streets below. "The people have been evacuated, so let's go back up your Guild."

. . .

Sting peeled himself off the ground, his head ringing as the world spun around him and his stomach with it. The wall behind him exploded and sent him flying once more, the force was enough to fire him clear across the courtyard. He crashed into the opposite wall, and fell forward, dropping to his knees to spit up a mouthful of blood as he surveyed the battle. Rufus was down, bleeding from a nasty looking headwound. He wondered how the rest of his guildmates were doing, the ones that had left under Rogue's command to help the citizens.

Black lightning coursed by him and then Orga caught him by the fur trim of his vest, dragging him to his feet again. "Get it together man!" he scolded, "Sabertooth ain't going out like this!"

Sting mumbled his gratitude as Orga unleashed another torrent of God Lightning toward their former Master, standing above them on the ramparts of the Guild. He launched himself at them, moving with speed that no one would expect from a man of his size. Slamming into Orga, his large hand wrapped around the God Slayer's face and his magic flared with the charging of his spell.

"Libra!"

Before the blast was discharged, gravity had shifted, dropping Yukino horizontally across space. Her heel slammed into Jiemma's cheek, breaking his hold on their comrade. The space between the four of them still detonated and the shockwaves sent them all flying. Sting caught Yukino and wrapped his arms around her protectively. Libra appeared in front of them, turning the point of gravity and watched their enemy fall sideways once more.

Another series of explosions obliterated the entire span of the wall behind them, but Jiemma was only just prying himself out of the wall he'd collided with. Sting looked around wildly, but none of the ex-Master's soldiers had breached the walls of Sabertooth's headquarters. A hysterical laughter came from behind him, drawing his attention. The blonde demon Sting recalled Natsu telling them about, stood on the rubble of the ruined wall, a wide smirk cast his way. Jackal, Third Demon Gate of Tartaros… But how could that be possible?

"W-why is a Demon Gate here?" Yukino asked, voicing one of the thoughts racing through his own head. Jiemma made sense, corrupted or not by Etherious, he would always want Sabertooth. What purpose could Jackal possibly have here though?

"What are you doing here Jackal?! Stay out of my way!" Jiemma demanded.

Raising a cocky brow, Jackal only looked thrilled, "I have no desire to prevent you from playing with your toys, though, keep in mind though, Lady Kyoka didn't give you this power to waste on such trivial matters." He threw his palms up with a dismissive chuckle as the man glared back. "Do what you like, Jiemma, so long as you don't get in the way of our mission here, I won't interfere."

Sting's attention snapped back and forth between them, as Jiemma retorted indignantly, playing Jackal's words on a loop in his head. Their purpose? As in Tartaros'?

Whatever their purpose, it didn't appear Jackal and Jiemma were working together, regardless of affiliation. Still, both being here presented a huge obstacle to overcome. "Be ready Yukino…" he said softly.

Heartfilia Estate

The smell of medications would never make Lucy feel at ease, she hated the infirmary. The earthy scent of Porlyusica's concoctions had always meant that she and her comrades could be assured they'd be okay, but that didn't stop its association with plenty of bad memories. The grumpy pink-haired woman shuffled about the mid-sized guest room of the Heartfilia mansion that the Fairy Tail mages had repurposed for her use. Snatching various ingredients from vials and jars with barely a glance, the healer began grinding them into pastes as her audience observed.

"Are you sure this will work?" Mira asked softly, eyeing the intravenous line in her arm.

Makarov turned her way with his lips pursed in thought. "Porlyusica's hypothesis makes sense, your magic gives you the ability to takeover and control demon souls, so the properties of your demon blood may be able to help us create an anti-etherious sedative…" he replied. Lucy gnawed at the inside of her cheek; this was their best hope to keep Lullaby subdued. Without anti-magic cuffs being a liable option, they had to rely on Porlyusica's medicine to inhibit the Fourth Gate's Etherious.

"It isn't a hypothesis, it'll work," Porlyusica corrected confidently. Her scarlet eyes swept over each of them as she approached to collect a couple vials of Mira's blood before removing the line from her arm.

"How can you be so certain?" Lucy asked.

"Because of Natsu…" she muttered, turning her back on them again, to add the blood to the mixture.

"Because of… Natsu?" Lucy breathed, her heart clenching.

Fairy Tail's Healer gave a curt nod as she drew the new blend of wine-red fluid into a syringe and faced them again. "Natsu is not entirely human, he is a demon hybrid," she stated bluntly. One delicate pink brow raised slowly when not one of them reacted with the slightest hint of surprise, "and now I'm getting the feeling you all knew that already…" she grumbled.

"Yes, we learned the truth recently, but how did you know?" Makarov asked. Lucy was curious as well. She was certain no one outside Dragon Soul and Eclipse, and a select few in the Guild—present company for example—knew Natsu's secret. Natsu had kept the information under close emotional guard, having been afraid that the revelation of his origins would change how Fairy Tail saw him. Despite believing wholeheartedly in the Guild's unconditional family ties, it just wasn't the kind of reveal people could accept on blind faith. That hard truth had been proven by the subtle damage Natsu's friendship with Gray had sustained after he'd told Dragon Soul the rest of the story, following the mission at Mercurius.

"I've known since that S Class mission," she admitted easily. Mira flinched at the mention and Makarov balked outright.

"No human could have survived the wounds he had, and it wasn't just his Dragon Slayer enhancements," Porlyusica elaborated. "His body rejected every magic-based intervention I tried, and I couldn't make sense of why. Honestly, I was certain he was going to die." Porlyusica flicked the glass syringe a couple times, crossed the room, and injected the unconscious demoness bound at the side. "There, that should do it," she said with a prideful note before picking up where she left off.

"As I was assessing him and experimenting with his treatment, he woke up, but in an aggressive state. He didn't recognize me, or anything, and attacked despite barely being conscious. He passed out again from the blood loss before he could harm me too badly," she continued, absently running her fingertips over a pair of long, pale scars that spanned nearly the length of her right forearm. "Anyway…Natsu's episode presented the best theory I had, as to why magic was warring against his body. His demonic signature had taken over as a survival mechanism, attempting to regenerate his body. it was Mira's blood—the blood she rudely dripped all over my home—that I used that day to suppress it so that I might heal him—"

"—You knew this all along and you didn't warn me?!" Makarov interrupted angrily, "his demonic side, dormant or not, was a threat to the Guild and Natsu himself!"

Lucy and Mira both threw out complaints against the master's statement, but the old healer raised her voice over them. "Shut up, all of you!" she barked, "Natsu's demon side was already being supressed by an enchantment of some kind, it was just being on the brink of death that tipped the scales and I managed to rebalance that anyway. Not knowing the nature of the enchantments placed upon him, I thought it best to keep him unaware of his demon side, and that meant the rest of you as well."

"You had no right Porlyusica—"

"Do you honestly think it matters now?!" Lucy interrupted; hot tears blurred her vision but didn't spill. "I shouldn't have to point out that Natsu's Etherious no longer poses a threat, so how about we move on from pointless arguments—"

The blonde's seething point was interrupted by a hesitant knock that most of the room's occupants missed entirely and had Lucy wondering if she'd imagined it. A few seconds went by before a second, more committed, knock rapped against the door. Porlyusica huffed in irritation, narrowing her eyes at Makarov before turning to answer the door. "Stubborn, prideful old fool…" she muttered under her breath as she crossed the room.

The woman's agitation diminished when she found Wendy in the hall outside, "Sorry to interrupt Porlyusica," the girl murmured.

Rolling her eyes in an obvious attempt to hide her fondness for the Sky Slayer, the healer ushered the teen into the room. "Don't apologize all the time girl," she reprimanded, as if she wouldn't be berating anyone else for forgetting the courtesies Wendy offered. "And speak up! What did you need?"

"Right, sorr—" Wendy cut herself off, her cheeks flushing, before she quickly extended the Lacrima Comm Lucy had lent her so that she might contact Chelia. "Sienna was trying to call you, Lucy."

Lucy flinched, accepting the crystal device with a shaky hand. She was immediately reminded that she'd been avoiding breaking the news of Natsu's death to Sienna and the dragons she travelled with… Namely, Natsu's father. She'd let Igneel down. He'd told her not long ago, that Natsu was stronger with her beside him… and yet it was her lack of awareness on the battlefield that had resulted in him taking that fatal strike. And so, she'd been putting off telling him, hoping that by the time she had to tell him, that she'd at least be able to comfort him with news of the death of his son's killer. But she didn't feel much closer to ending Kyôka's life now, than she had weeks earlier. Staring at her reflection off the shiny surface of her comm, she accepted that she'd run out of time to keep the truth from them any longer. It hadn't really been fair of her to do so in the first place, selfish even.

"Lucy…?" Wendy asked uncertainly.

She released the breath she was holding, realizing that the whole room was staring at her and forced herself to call the Earth Slayer. When the girl did answer though, Lucy was immediately filled with regret, and dread. The brunette's image flickered onto the screen, her cheeks puffy and copper eyes glossed with tears, "Lucy…" she greeted in a broken sound.

They knew already…

That was Lucy's initial thought as her breath hitched in her throat, but no… How could they possibly? Only Fairy Tail knew, and they all appreciated that Natsu's father should hear the news from Lucy, and no one else. So, did that mean they'd gotten bad news about the other dragons? Lucy's eyes flickered down to Wendy still standing beside her, and her mind flickered over her best friend, still out fighting Tartaros. Haru had just lost his partner, he couldn't lose his father too… Please, don't let it be that. She couldn't bear to see his heart break again.

"How could you not tell us, Lucy?"

No…

"Sienna, what—"

"How could you not tell us about Natsu!" Sienna yelled this time.

There it was. They knew and it felt like the most brutal gut punch Lucy had ever taken. Her heart was in a clamp. Her lungs fought for their next inhale. She felt numb, again.

The wonder of how they'd come to learn of the Fire Slayer's demise still danced in the periphery of Lucy's mind. Not that it mattered now. She apologized, eyes downcast and her pink-emblemed fist trembling over her heart as she spoke, explaining, to the best of her ability without breaking down. "Can I speak to Igneel?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper. The Fire Dragon King should have heard it from her, and there was no way she could ever rectify that, but she could at least answer any questions he had and allow him to yell at her if that would help. Lucy would accept whatever anger he wanted to release; if it would help him grieve the irreplaceable loss.

It was Glaciea that leaned in over the brunette's shoulder though, her own eyes raw with the devastation, and perhaps the reminder of the loss of her own son.

"Igneel left in the night, Lucy. He's going after Tartaros."

Gazania

"White Dragon's holy breath!"

The concentrated beam of light tore across the vacant expanse of the guild courtyard, the blinding light drowning out the details of their surroundings in a muted glow. Sting's jaw clenched as his spell obliterated the far wall and a large chunk of Sabertooth's guildhall along with it.

"Did that do it…?" Yukino asked softly, laying a hand on his shoulder as she came up beside him.

Sting warily eyed the thick cloud of dust that obscured everything behind it. He would like to believe his advanced breath attack could have resulted in Jiemma's defeat, but it would honestly shock him. He spared an appraising glance back at Yukino, she was favouring one leg, and had plenty of other minor injuries that concerned him as well. Not that he was in much better shape. Fighting Jiemma had been taking its toll, and their ex-guild master had still seemed relatively unscathed before his last attack.

"Is he down—" Yukino echoed her earlier sentiment as Sting's silence seemed to unease her further.

Angling himself in front of her slightly, he replied, "I wouldn't count on it Yukino…" and as though mocking their words, a line sliced the curtain of dust right across the center. Several blinding lights sparked in front of them, following the horizontal course before exploding one after another. Neither mage had the time to react with so much as getting an arm up to block. Neither mage even had the chance to scream.

Sting's back crashed into the wall behind him before he'd registered being thrown, he sucked in a breath as pain streaked through his body. "Yu…" he mumbled, trying to get eyes on his comrade though the stabbing pain running down his neck demanded he remain still. She was on her side a good distance from him, half her white hair now painted in red. He watched as her arm shook with the effort of lifting one gold key, pointing it defensively toward the imposing figure of their former master now emerging from the debris.

"Why I ever allowed you miserable weaklings to wear the pride of my Guild on your bodies, is beyond me…" he rumbled as he stopped, standing equal distance from them both.

"We will be stronger now, stronger than we ever were under your rule!" Yukino exclaimed furiously. A shower of gold bloomed between them, and the paired fish of Pisces burst forth. Sting groaned in a mix of pain and desperation, trying to pry his beaten form off the ground. He had to protect Yukino. After all the abuse she'd suffered in Sabertooth's constant drive for absolute power, abuse that Sting had done nothing to prevent due to his own blind quest to prove his strength… He couldn't let her suffer anymore. Certainly not to protect him.

With a renewed snap of fury in response to the celestial mage's challenge, Jiemma rounded on her and slammed one fist after the other into each of her spirits. Pisces vanished in mere seconds, leaving them both completely exposed once more.

Still, Sting's muscles refused to answer in any effective movements. He barely managed to stagger to his feet, his usual agile coordination failing him as his surroundings continued to lurch around him. His sights landed back on the celestial mage, still defiantly standing her ground, even rendered helpless. All of her spirits had been banished from their plane at his point, and unlike Fairy Tail's own celestial mage, Yukino had no other primary magic on which to draw. Still. Her fists raised before her as she settled into her offensive stance, her body trembling with what could be fear as likely as it was to be complete exhaustion.

He begged her to run in a rasping plea, though he knew she wouldn't. Even when the rest of the Guild had allowed themselves to remain under the totalitarian control of their abusive master, Yukino had always harboured a quiet flame of rebellion. Sting knew, prior to Sabertooth's humiliating fall to the Fairies, that this seemingly passive girl, would have been the first among their ranks to openly oppose the brutal man, had she felt his actions might threaten any one of them. She had been the only in the Guild, except maybe his own partner, who hadn't existed in singular pursuit of solo power.

Sting thought he would never understand why she'd stayed aligned so loyally to Sabertooth, when not one of them had shown her even the simplest acts of kindness. He now knew the strength of her character had only grown along with new conviction after she'd met Natsu and Haru. Though, he hadn't known any that at the time, and had he been aware, he would have been blinded by his drive to rip apart Fiore's faith in the Twin Dragons for which he and Rogue had appropriated their own title.

It was time he repaid her for always holding the light of their potential, the light for what their Guild could be, in her hands alone.

White light burst off his body again, fanned by every emotion he hadn't let himself feel under the dominating reign of fear that Jiemma had held over them for so long. Sting launched himself headlong at the imposing bulk of his foe, vaguely aware, of the Bomb Demon that had perched himself on one of the ramparts that still stood. Jackal swung his legs as he continued to observe the ongoing battle, clearly entertained by the display. The power of Sting's Secret Arts seethed around him as he collided with Jiemma, exchanging a flurry of strikes that barely fazed the other.

Slamming an Iron Fist right into the monstrous man's nose, Sting could practically hear the answering snarl that had belittled his power so many times before. With an audible snarl of his own, the White Slayer landed a palm strike against the heavily muscled chest of his enemy, and the white crest of his Stigma bloomed over the dark skin. In the past, such a strategy would have been futile, but against a demon, the mark proved a little more effective. Jiemma howled in anger, thin trails of smoke wafted off him as the mark sizzled in opposition to the demonic being it had been imposed upon.

Knowing his Stigma was already breaking down in the face of overwhelming power, Sting was already gathering every last sliver of his power in preparation of one of his most devastating spells. With that power at a threshold, he unleashed the magic of his Holy Nova at point-blank range and was forced back under the aftershocks of his own spell. The sounds of Jiemma's pain that followed, were an immense relief as Sting skidded to a stop and dropped to one knee, panting as his magic stores dipped too low to further sustain his Force state.

Hearing Yukino call out to him, he met her worried blue hues as she helped him to his feet. Nothing moved. Jackal still sat carelessly to the side, a deranged and undeniably excited grin stretched across his face that settled an uncomfortable weight in the pit of Sting's belly. Then without warning, a palm slammed into his face before he'd even sensed the imminent threat, the barest shriek of terror slipped from Yukino as well. Jiemma's massive hands had caught both their heads in an unrelenting grip. His fingers reached around the side of Sting's face, allowing only hints of the environment beyond.

Sting began punching and kicking at the demonically enhanced man with flailing hits in a show of futility that had Jiemma laughing madly. The telltale initial sparks of his tainted blast magic flickered around his hands, warning of the energy pulse he planned to detonate around their heads. Desperately, Sting's hands flew up to wrap around the hand holding him, attempting to peel off even a finger. But then, they were all unexpectedly and violently lurched to the side, and Jiemma's grip slipped enough to uncover one eye, affording him a slightly less hindered view.

Second and third precisely aimed strikes had the White Slayer released heavily to the ground, where his eyes blew wide at the sight revealed to him. Jiemma appeared to stand alone, swiping wildly at the air around himself as he spewed sounds of agitation, turned pure rage. Streaks of vibrant blue arced around him, raining down strike after successful strike. Fairy Tail had sent reinforcements, Yukino's call had been fruitful. Sting couldn't catch actual visuals of their rescuer, but he was more than familiar with the Water Dragon Slayer's magic signature after being on its receiving end.

He ripped his attention away to check on Yukino who sat stunned to his side, and crawled toward her, wrapping his arms around her in relief. Absently, she threaded an arm around his waist in turn, though her gaze never strayed from the fight. A shock of blue appeared in the sky above Jiemma and the magic pressure around them became even more stifling, the air glittering with icy particulate as Haru shot at their foe like a bullet. The impact drove a wide but shallow crater out around them and forced both Sting and Yukino to look away from the shower of rubble and debris that was expelled back in a ring around the fighters. Wrapping his arms tighter around the white-haired girl, Sting kept his face buried in her shoulder until he heard Haru's name slip from her lips in awe-laced admiration.

Jiemma laid face down in the dirt, and Haru stood side-profile to them, standing on their tormenter's upper back with one foot lodged in his neck. The other Dragon Slayer's attention was fixed solely on Jackal who's tail swished back and forth in continued amusement, though he made no move at Haru for the time being. Sting was dumbfounded. This was the first time he could say he'd been truly confronted with the boundless potential of a fully realized Dragon Force. He wondered how he could have ever been so arrogant.

Sunlight refracted off one of Haru's translucent ice horns as he faced and jogged toward them, dropping into a squat to assess their states. "Are you two alright?" The soft question filtered into Sting's head.

He was aware of the celestial mage answering Haru's questions, but Sting was busy taking in the details of a true Force State, having never seen it up close. The burnished gold of Haru's irises, slashed by more slitted pupils that raked over them both in concern, the elaborate scales that painted over his cheek bones in shifting tones of cerulean. He eyed the other's elongated nails as the Water Slayer carefully peeled sticky red bangs out of Yukino's face to get a look at her head injury. Those sharp gold eyes snapped back to catch his, startling his fascination, but Haru didn't seem to notice.

"This fight isn't over, you two need to get out of here. Jackal's not going to sit idly by for long," Haru stated factually. He flicked his attention back to the Demon Gate who was still observing them, and who still showed no sign of wanting to seek out a fight with them just yet. "I honestly don't know what he's waiting for, but it can't be good for us," he added as an afterthought.

Rogue suddenly materialized from a shadow, causing the blonde male to flinch in surprise. He must be worse off than he realized, if he hadn't sensed his own partner's approach, shadow form or not. "Can you get them out of here?" Haru asked the newly arrived Shadow Slayer, unaffected by the abrupt appearance.

"Sure, but then I'm coming right back to help you… I won't leave you in this fight alone, Haru. This is Sabertooth's fight," he declared with conviction. With the subtlest upward quirk at the corner of his mouth, Haru agreed easily as Rogue reached for Sting's arm, pulling it over his shoulder. "Yukino, can you walk?" the shadow wielder asked, but their efforts to retreat didn't matter anyway.

"No one is going anywhere."

It should have been predictable that the Demon Gate would only remain complacently by until they discussed a tactical retreat. But something was off, and the tension of Haru's muscles had a knife of fear twisting in Sting's gut. It was only when a name fell in a broken sound from the Water Slayer's lips, a name Sting would have associated with the tide of battle turning further in their favour, that he realized something was amiss.

It dawned on Sting now, that it wasn't the Bomb Demon's voice he'd heard.

In his exhausted state, Sting was easily missing some very key details of the situation playing out around him. It hadn't even registered that the words, dripping in an unspoken ultimatum, had come from another new arrival. He followed Haru's gaze back to the rampart where Jackal remained in the same lazy posture, a wicked smile that was all fang, fixed on their group.

Natsu stood next to him now. But not the Natsu he remembered. Black marks twisted up over the tanned skin that was visible, disappearing beneath a dark red sleeveless top. He wore black pants tucked into boots and the same belt with the gold, dragon-adorned buckle that matched Haru's, as though in cruel jest of a partnership lost. The horns that rose from wild pink spikes were certainly not the magic-borne horns of his own Force state. Sting could just make out the edges of his guild mark, now a deep scarlet red against the ebony that marked his skin.

Just what the fuck was going on?

Sting released a hesitant chuckle, "Man is it good to see you, Natsu," he tried, voice quivering with uncertainty as his brain told him this Natsu didn't exactly exude the energy of an ally.

"I thought you said Natsu didn't come...?" Rogue asked.

"That isn't Natsu," Haru said flatly. The tones in his voice masked something Sting couldn't quite decide upon. Resolve maybe? Fear? Probably. His need for clarification was voiced by another telepathic inquiry from Rogue instead, and Haru just answered with absolute bluntness, "Natsu is dead."

Words that tore through the White Slayer's being with a brutality he wasn't remotely prepared for. The revelation left him gasping as though struck by a physical blow, but now he knew without a doubt, what was hidden beneath the words. Not simply resolve, more than fear, were the notes of raw anger.

. . .

Sting had never seen the Water Slayer angry before… Indignant at the way Sabertooth had belittled his guildmates, frustrated with having a night with his girlfriend interrupted, irritated with his refusal to back down during the last event of the Games… but never angry.

He'd seen Natsu angry before. During the opening event when Raven Tail's participants had disregarded the intention of the challenge in order to gang up and blindside Lucy. The ferocity in which he'd eliminated both in the span of a mere second had chilled Sting to the core, he'd even momentarily questioned ever challenging the original Twin Dragons. Only his fear of Jiemma and his own need to prove his power against them had driven him forward.

Where Natsu's anger literally set the world around him ablaze, reactive but decisive; Haru's seemed akin to his own magic's namesake, water, moments before it would be stirred into an unpredictable rage with the force of a typhoon.

Watching the water mage's blank expression now, Sting found himself exceedingly relieved that he'd never found himself to be the subject of either Dragon Slayers' true anger.

"The fuck is this?" The question came off Haru's lips completely devoid of emotion, at least to the average ear. Sting could hear the slight quiver, which only increased when the Dragon Slayer spat, "Necromancy?"

The venom painting the single word had all three of the Tigers' eyes shooting open as they whipped in Natsu's direction. The pink-haired man shifted his weight lazily, answering his old partner's gaze with one that was equally stony and unfeeling. He said nothing, but Jackal threw his head back laughing even more obnoxiously than he had prior and finally stood, lumbering through the movement under bouts of his perceived hilarity. Grinning as though he knew the punchline to a joke no one else was privy to, the demon replied, "While there is a Necromancer among our ranks… Pinky here, still belongs to the world of the living."

Jackal seemed further amused by the pointed look he received for use of the nickname. Blood-red eyes narrowed, the first visible sign of emotion from the other. "He doesn't like that name though you see," Jackal chuckled, he waved a hand around in an exaggerated flurry, "the Lord Etherious Natsu Dragneel, Thirteenth Gate of Tartaros, prefers a different name…"

Natsu still appeared as entirely unpleased by the long-winded answer as he was by the sarcasm coating each word to leave his companion's mouth. With black-red flames licking over his knuckles, he grumbled, "I don't need a fucking introduction, Jacky. Let's just get this mission over with, it's finally getting interesting..."

For the first time ever, Sting was having immense trouble believing his ears. Even after everything Haru had said, hearing Natsu impatiently discuss a joint mission with one of the Thirteen Gates was jarring. Looking around he noticed Rogue looked equally confused, but Haru barely seemed effected at all, then he remembered Haru couldn't hear anything they were saying.

In a flash that Sting had no chance of following, both their apparent enemies had vanished, and without a sound of warning, Haru was careening by him, crashing into the same rampart the demonic pair had just been standing on. Jackal had Sting's whole jaw in the furry grip of his paw, and he couldn't fathom when the Bomb Demon had even gotten in front of him.

Long fangs glinted as the heat of black-red flames washed over them. Sting glimpsed pink and black from the corner of his eye as the other demon strode toward his ex-partner with an air of indifference. Streams of water swelled around Haru as he pried himself from his impact point in the wall, the purest anger reflected in deep blue eyes now. Tearing his attention off his fellow Gate, Jackal came to a mirthful announcement.

"Ya can jus' call him End—as in yours. He likes that!"

. . .

"Just a little further Lily!"

The smoothness of the black exceed's flight faltered sporadically, dipping low in physical and magical exhaustion, and shooting back up with bursts from the fumes of his magic stores. The rolling hills began to flatten out, the sprawled city of Gazania spread out just ahead. Gajeel craned his neck, glimpsing Lily on the edges of his vision, his small partner was panting with the exertion of carrying him such a vast distance. He might have the strongest Aera magic of Fairy Tail's three winged cats, but it was obvious he'd been surpassing his limits for a while now. "Lily!" he called, and then with an audible pop, the wide expanse of white wings above them vanished and they were both soaring to the earth below.

"I'm sorry Gajeel—"

Gajeel rolled in the air, wrapping his worn friend safely in one arm as they hurtled toward the ground. His iron scales rippled over his body, reinforcing every inch, and when they were much closer to the ground, the iron mage tossed Lily above him. Shoulder-rolling, he absorbed the impact of hitting the earth, his armoured skin taking the brunt, and then quickly turned his attention skyward in time to catch the falling cat. "Don't you dare apologize, Lily. You just proved, without a doubt, that my cat is the strongest!"

Lily gave a snort of amusement, "Who said I was your cat?" he retorted.

"Well, if you wanna go hang out with Sparky instead…" Gajeel teased back, watching the cat's eyes widen at the mention of the lightning wielder.

"On second thought…"

Chuckling, Gajeel started toward the boundaries of the town, letting the black cat ride on his shoulder to regain his energy. Throngs of people dotted the rural land that framed the town, and Gajeel could see the occasional flare of magic as mages amongst the civilians fought back their pursuers. None of what his eyes fell on seemed to demand his intervention though, so he continued forward. Even at their current distance, Sabertooth's guildhall dwarfed the rest of the city, large enough that it would be obvious even to someone without enhanced sight. It was also obvious from the distance that it was the focal point of whatever trouble had come to afflict the city. Smudges of grey and black had filtered into the sky above as smouldering buildings expelled trails of smoke into the air.

The Iron Slayer would bet that whoever Dragon Soul's team had agreed to send would already be there, in the midst of the fight. Gajeel had departed with Lily as soon as Fairy Tail had received Yukino's distress call, Carla was going to bring Wendy as well, but there was no way the white cat could've kept up. Hell, even with Lily's endurance, they'd still been forced to take rest periods at regular intervals.

He was just pondering who out of the group Makarov had sent after Nirvana would have come straight here. If they'd been pulled into a fight with Tartaros at Fiore's council branch, then the options had likely been narrowed significantly. That whole team was made up of S-Class level mages, but out of them, Gajeel would guess that only Titania, Poseidon or Jelly would have the magic stores to take on back-to-back confrontations with the demon guild.

An explosion tore through the stillness, rocking the small homes and businesses of the quadrant he was currently navigating and Gajeel abandoned the streets to investigate. Jumping up to one of the roofs he watched as a cataclysmic blend of deep red fire and raging water collided. He blinked at the scene. Poseidon then.

A stream of blinding light followed, cutting through a hunk of the stone building before blinking out in the sky. Gajeel clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth, this was the kind of battle he could get excited about! "Here we go Lily!" he said, an edge of nerves tainting his anticipation for a good fight.

He took off running, vaulting between the rooftops, and making quick progress until a series of screams divided his attention. Gajeel's head whipped to the left, landing on a large group of civilians that had been pinned down between the town's invaders. Cursing, he changed course on a pin and charged straight for the mass of people. The attackers were represented in a mess of inhuman colours, skin tones marred by markings in blacks, tans, reds, and greys, if they had skin at all, many were covered in fur or scales. So many demons…

Releasing his magic, Gajeel adopted his Drive State, boosted senses darting over the scene to ensure that his greeting would belong to the enemy group alone. He reached the edge of the last roof of the street that helped to trap the innocent people below and launched himself into the air overhead. "Iron Dragon's ROAR!" he yelled furiously. He landed on the opposite rooftop as the tornado of metal ripped through the first half of the demon grunts, sprinting further and repeated the action with the second half.

Gajeel dropped to the ground between his foes, screaming in varying levels of pain, with Lily clinging tightly to his shirt collar. Morphing his arm into a giant serrated blade, he braced that arm and swung it straight across the group blocking the people's escape, bowling them over effortlessly. With a path cleared, Gajeel snapped impatient red eyes back to the group of terrified people, watching as they flinched further under his attention. The reality that his appearance must be unsettling to them, with all these low-level demons and demonically corrupted dark mages running around their previously peaceful city, occurred to him. But that couldn't be helped. "What are you waiting for?! MOVE!" he barked.

They jumped with shared squeaks of surprise and fear before breaking into a run around him as some of their attackers began struggling back to their feet and closing in around Gajeel. Smirking, he cracked his knuckles as they approached. Perfect. He'd been itching for a fight where he could let loose without repercussions of injuring an enemy who might simply be misguided… The group before him now? They were too far gone, and Gajeel would not hold back here.

. . .

Fighting without hearing was more challenging than Haru would have guessed. He never realized just how much information about his opponents' moves came in the form of even the most subtle sounds. That disadvantage meant very little in the face of his fallen partner though. Of all the cruel and deplorable strategies Tartaros had employed in attempts to break the resolve of his Guild, this was by far the least forgivable.

Rogue had been relaying every word Jackal mockingly proclaimed, until his own fight with the aforementioned demon demanded his sole attention. He spun around Jackal in shadowy bursts, working desperately to protect his injured comrades as Haru clashed with the demonized form of his best friend. END—Thirteenth Demon Gate of Tartaros—supposedly untouched by the Necromancer's curse… Haru didn't believe that for a second. He'd seen Natsu's death, there was no way he'd survived, and if he had, there's no way he could be turned to the Demons' side.

Tartaros was going to pay dearly for corrupting his partner's memory.

For decimating Natsu's name in the eyes of Fiore.

Still, every hit he landed on the demon wearing his friend's face, twisted more painfully in his soul than the brutal strikes he took, in turn. And brutal seemed an understatement given the ferocity of the blows the so-called END had been delivering mercilessly. Another storm of fire swept toward him, bathing the entire courtyard in blistering heat and flames, a strike that didn't differentiate friend from foe. Haru whirled, arm's outstretched with water and ice answering the hellfire, causing the temperatures to plummet in an instant. The trio of Tigers and Jackal alike, gasped in shared relief as the embers that licked at their skin died away.

Haru panted, watching, from a defensive posture as the Bomb Demon's eyebrows pinched together in incredulity and anger at nearly being incinerated, again. END appeared indifferent, red eyes bored with whatever fury Jackal had cast upon him. His lips moved in a single utterance and Haru could practically hear the dismissive 'oops' on his lips.

A wide grin, strangely similar to Natsu's signature toothy smile, contradicted the malicious intent Haru would have expected to see peeling back lips to reveal sharp canines. END tore through the distance between them, and a demon-fire coated fist crashed into Haru's cheek, sending him flying. Melting into ribbons of water, Haru used the spell to buffer the would-be impact, changing his trajectory to launch right back into the fight. But END vanished, leaving just a ring of embers and reappeared just as fast, right above him. With incredible precision, he caught the back of Haru's neck, driving him out of his Flash Steps and face-first, into the ground.

No one had ever knocked him, or any of the Slayers, as far as he was aware, out of a Flash Step. Fire exploded around him again and Haru was sent rolling across the ground as agony shot through his aching body. Natsu had always been the faster of the two of them, his magic's attribute gave him that advantage, but this was ridiculous. END gave him no time to recover, landing another of series of hits, one after another, the last of which fired him clear across the courtyard and buried him in the wall of Sabertooth's crumbling guildhall. Haru groaned as significant chunks of rock were dislodged around him.

Shocks of white light and streams of shadow continued to course around as well, and Haru observed for a solid minute, vaguely noticing that both Jackal and END put far more effort into avoiding the White Slayer's attacks than his or Rogue's. His fellow dragon slayers fell in back-to-back and wove their attacks together in what Haru recognized as their Unison Raid. The massive globe of mixed light and shadow spanned nearly the entire width of their battlefield, but this time, neither of their demonic opponents seemed as concerned with dodging.

END merely extended a hand, and fire ignited in a wall between them and the encroaching attack, burning away the magic in an instant. Had it been the shadow mixing with light that made it less threatening? Not to mention, Sting's attacks were far less powerful then they usually were, given his exhausted state. Something else picked at Haru's memory though, the Etherious' aversion to Natsu's Purifying Flames, and the Grand Fairy Spells… Really any magic borne of light seemed to make them wary, but most still weren't powerful enough to deal them any real damage. Sting's spells included.

Too bad Lucy wasn't here. Though inwardly, he had to admit, he was relieved she couldn't see Natsu like this. It was truly devastating seeing his fire tainted in this way, and Haru was determined to make sure she never would see it. It wouldn't do to dwell on what he couldn't do in this fight though, he still needed to free Natsu from the curse, so his partner could finally rest properly.

With his joints and muscles protesting, he wrenched his body from the rock and fell forward onto his knees, scanning the battle once more as Rogue's body whipped by with a scream of pain. Sting unleashed a breath attack that appeared to be half the strength of his usual, scrounged up from a need to protect the family he now recognized. The white energy overtook Jackal and ripped a cry of pain from the demon's throat, even at half power. Sting's magic had to be the key to their triumph, somehow; Haru just hadn't figured out how to optimally utilize it. Haru was confident he could beat Jackal in a one-on-one fight, but END's power was on a much different level, and the two of them together left the trio of dragon slayers with little hope for a win.

Unless…

Two beyond reckless ideas in one day… Just what was happening to him?

Haru struggled back to his feet, eyes flicking over each of his three comrades, none of whom were currently on their own feet. Neither of the demons were paying them any mind, after their last assaults, END had snagged the back of Jackal's collar and dragged him back. The pair currently had their backs turned on them as they engaged in a discussion as if Yukino and the three dragon slayers posed them no threat at all. But that unspoken insult and resulting reprieve was just fine by Haru. "Sting!" he called urgently, waiting to catch the White Slayer's blue gaze, "can you manage one more Holy Ray?"

Haru knew it was one of the strongest spells in Sting's arsenal, outside the Secret Arts, so he could only hope the other dragon slayer had enough magic left for the task. "Yeah, I can do it, what's the plan Haru?"

"I know it's gonna sound crazy, so you're just gonna have to have some faith, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah! I trust you, whatever—Just tell me what to do!"

"Aim for me!"

Shock and confusion washed through the telepathic link to match the expression on Sting's face as he outright balked at the order, but only for a moment. "You better know what you're doing Haru!" he said after the short moment of hesitation. White magic gathered at his palms, and blue eyes sharped in concentration.

"I do." Or at least, he hoped he did…"But I'll need you to buy me some time."

"We got your back, but whatever you're doing, do it fast!" Rogue answered, warily eyeing the pair of demons who were still paying them their barest level of attention.

"Right!"

"White Dragon's HOLY RAY!"

Haru was fully aware just how flimsy his plan was, it couldn't really be considered a plan even, a desperate hope would be the better word. A Slayer attempting to assimilate any element outside their own had always been a foolhardy aspiration, a near certainty of severe illness, and potential death. He and Natsu had both managed to fully adapt an element outside their own but neither had ever dared to consider attempting a third… It would simply be too much strain on even a Dragon Slayer's magic container. Of course, that was before Glaciea had performed her ritual on him to make him a full Blizzard Dragon Slayer, the first true dual-element Dragon Slayer. If neither of his elements was secondary, then it might just be possible to take on a secondary element.

The colours and detail of his surroundings blurred as the bright light of Sting's attack drowned everything in white. Haru's lips parted slightly, and he braced himself as the Holy Ray barrelled down on him. He exhaled fully and then began inhaling every bit of the spell to the depths of his lungs. The effects of a foreign magic instantly ripped through his body like static. It felt like his nerve endings were immediately on fire as his skin heated with fever, attempting to burn a pathogen from his body. Haru buckled over, dropping his hands onto his thighs as nausea followed. Blizzard dragon magic had never affected him so acutely, possibly because water and ice shared an affinity. Light on the other hand, well his body protested his decision vehemently.

Haru panted for air, forcing his head up to look around and caught END's gaze, those red eyes looked surprised, and for just a second, Haru thought he glimpsed concern. But fever delirium can wreak an impressive level of havoc on one's mind. Shadow cut a wall of black between them, slamming over both Gates who'd been actively observing. It blew apart in flames and Jackal lunged forward with an orangey hue cloaking his form, the explosion that followed when he collided with Rogue sent both Haru and Sting flying as well.

From the edges of the battlefield, in a precarious hint of safety, Yukino screamed their names in terror. Jackal stood over Rogue's seemingly unconscious form, and not far behind him, Sting clung to shreds of consciousness. "Don't touch them!" the celestial mage cried out as she sprinted over and tackled the Bomb Demon. Her weight did little more than force him to take a couple lumbering steps back as she unbalanced him.

Jackal wrenched her upward with a strong grip on her wrist, glaring down at her, completely unimpressed. The white and shadow duo were up and on him again within a second, despite their own growing lists of injuries. It was then that Haru found himself in a standoff with Natsu—End—he forced himself to say. During their entire fight so far, he'd never thought of the man across from him as his partner, so where the hell had that come from?

The red gaze locked on his own now was intense, but Haru corrected his earlier thought of it being malicious. He couldn't recognize a shred of anger in those red pools, there was almost a hurt to his emotionless expression. END didn't move, and neither did he, but the Water Slayer was suddenly aware of the way his foe's image blurred slightly as grief settled like a stone in his heart. Tears welled in his eyes now that he was truly staring down the abomination of his partner's soul. The emotional anguish burdening him overshadowed the nausea and the deep ache now drumming through his entire head.

A feeling of serenity flowed through him slowly, following the subtle shine encompassing his form as his body began accepting the white magic. Haru could feel the new magic weaving through the threads of his water magic, mixing into a new tapestry of potential. A series of pops in his ears startled him, and then muffled sounds of battle gradually became apparent, becoming clearer by the second. Haru's eyes dropped, appraising the palm he raised to take in the glittering light that had settled there.

White magic… Holy magic, he thought in wonder.

If Weisslogia had been capable of using enchantments with his magic, then it was possible it had at least some of the potential of sky magic, especially when combined with the natural healing traits of water... Could he heal Natsu, the way Natsu's Purifying Flames released Jellal and Meredy from the grasp of Etherious? No… Jellal and Meredy had been alive… At the very least, he might be able to purify the damned Necromancy Curse and release his best friend to the afterlife.

His tears fell freely down his cheeks now. "Natsu, are you in there?" he asked brokenly.

His partner didn't respond, but the way END flinched didn't slip by Haru's attention.

Blackened flames erupted over his entire form, and Haru answered with the release of bioluminescent waters that swelled in a column around his own. Natsu… I'm sorry… The apology flicked through his head before he'd processed what he was specifically sorry for. For apparently allowing his partner to be reanimated into a twisted version of himself. For not being strong enough to prevent his demise in the first place. For letting his first true friend down.

"Holy-Water Dragon's radiant tidal wave!" he shouted. The waters churning around him rose into a giant wave and collided with the hellish flames END had unleashed at the same second. Haru collapsed to his knees, panting with the exertion, his head still pounded as he watched in desperation. His spell cut through the fiery vortex, blanketing the air in steam and smoke, but when it all cleared, END had vanished again. Three thick black lines were slowly closing the fractures of space itself, until only miniscule cracks remained. The unmendable scars of which, Haru had pondered the long-term consequences of, once before.

Right now, he had more critical things to consider.

His head swivelled frantically, snapping back and above him, to the angles he considered a counterstrike to be most likely launched from. But there was nothing. Only the continuing fight between Sabertooth's Twin Dragons and Jackal…

"Keep getting stronger Haru…" Natsu's—End's—whoever's, voice rang in the recesses of his head.

Haru was back on his feet with a speed that set him swaying under the head rush that the state of his body caused. Across the courtyard, space ripped itself open behind Yukino, and then everything happened so fast none of the Light mages really registered what was happening. Jackal cackled loudly as he abandoned his own fight, "Well, it's been fun!" he declared, and whipped toward the portal with barely traceable speed. He wrapped an arm around the celestial mage's middle and threw a sadistic and wild grin back over his shoulder at them. "Do whatcha want with Jiemma, we don't need him!" he added flippantly, before disappearing into the void with the celestial mage panicking in his clutches.

END stood just to the side, observing each of them before his attention landed on Haru just once more. Being the first to shake off the shock, the water mage screamed for his white-haired friend's safety and launched himself straight for the Demon Gate with gold-laced waters already building. With the slightest incline of his head, END turned away, and the portal swallowed him as well, leaving Haru's strike meeting nothing but air.

Parting words echoed in his mind.

"It isn't time yet… We'll meet again soon, Haru."

A/N: Another Tartaros installment done and dusted and we're just now getting into the thick of it next chapter.

Are you all as excited as I am?!

Predictions? Any guesses as to how Igneel and Co. found out?

Round of applause to the following people fanning the fires of my writer's soul: HisSecretLover18, SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta, AliceCullen3, TaraPasty, Valerioux, MPrime, EternalFlame, FireShifter, Joker D. Zero, FyreFalcon and Guests!

'Till Next Time

R&R

~LokaMuse