Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

WARNING: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS! Read at your own risk. There's still original stuff in here, but if you haven't gotten to this point in the anime/manga, then some things may be ruined for you. I advise catching up to the anime/manga if you haven't already (for more reasons than just reading my story)! Thank you and enjoy!

Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon

Chapter 40

Hades chuckled evilly in his chair at the head of the Grimoire Heart ship's dining table. He sipped at a glass of wine and sat back. "How entertaining. I never would have imagined that I would get such a show."

"I'm pleased to see you in such high spirits, Master Hades," said a man in the shadows as he walked towards his Master, his voice booming in the small room.

"How could I not be, Bluenote?" Hades asked as he removed his helmet and placed it on the table. "Of my Seven Kin, three have already been bested. Makarov has clearly raised his children well. He's made this interesting."

"I could make things more interesting by going down there," Bluenote offered.

"That won't be necessary. This isn't your fight. There's no need for you to get involved," Hades said.

"Why should those beneath me get all of the fun?" Bluenote asked as he put his hand on the table. "I wouldn't want to risk my body getting soft." Suddenly, the whole ship began to shake violently as if there were an earthquake. Tremors echoed out from the ship, causing massive waves to form in the water surrounding the docked airship.

Hades looked disinterested. "That's quite enough, thank you."

Bluenote removed his hand and all of the shaking stopped. "I'm afraid I don't understand your discontent. If I submerge the ship then they won't be able to find us."

"Oh, I'm sure that they will find us. I'm also quite sure that they will foolishly come aboard, never realizing that they ventured into the Devil's heart. By the time they realize it, it will be too late and they will perish."

Bluenote huffed. "You'd rather your prey walk right into your open jaws? I prefer the hunt."

"Another time," Hades said dismissively.

"But it's not every day that I can hunt down and slay a dragon. I would very much like to find him," Bluenote said.

Hades sipped his wine. "The Half-Dragon was defeated by Azuma already."

"So he's dead?"

Hades looked at him and smirked. "When did I say that? The Half-Dragon was defeated, but he somehow has not perished. When all this is said and done, we will recover him. He would be a valuable asset to this guild."

"Let me go and fetch him now if you won't let me fight," Bluenote offered.

"I will say this one last time; you will remain here. I won't have you ruining my perfectly laid plans," Hades shot at him.

Bluenote took a step forward. "Half of your prized fighting force is down, Master Hades. If one more falls, I will go in and take care of things. I will collect the Half-Dragon and wipe out Fairy Tail myself."


Juvia and Meredy stared each other down across the water.

"Just accept your fate and die," Meredy said. "I must kill Gray Fullbuster if Ultear is ever going to have peace."

"Juvia won't let you touch Gray-sama!" Juvia shouted at her.

Meredy smirked. "It's funny. We both speak of the same Gray Fullbuster, but one of us feels only hatred for him and the other only love. If anyone had to guess, they would say that we're talking about two completely different men."

"Having your own feelings about someone is part of what makes us all human," Juvia said.

"Even if that's so, it would seem that luck favors me."

Juvia raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"I'm lucky to have found someone who cares so deeply for Gray Fullbuster. It will make killing him even simpler," Meredy explained.

"Juvia will stop you," Juvia warned.

"Just picture your beloved Gray," Meredy said. "That's all you have to do."

Juvia didn't want to do as Meredy commanded, but it was too difficult not to imagine Gray. She was thinking about him constantly, after all. She could picture a wonderful future with him where they live happily in a nice house with a beautiful little girl. She blushed at the thought. "Oh, Gray-sama," she said dreamily as her body swayed.

Meredy lifted her hands as they became enveloped in a pink glow. "That's all I needed to activate my Sensory Link. Go!" She thrust out her hands and pointed her palms at Juvia, sending out pink spark-like magic that struck Juvia in the abdomen.

The magic spread through Juvia's body, making her feel as if she were being electrocuted. She shrieked at the pain. From her body, a ray of pink magic shot out and ventured off towards an unsuspecting victim.


Gray dove behind a tree as he continued to follow the mysterious woman who looked so much like his former Master. 'I need to find out who this woman is, starting with what she's doing with Zeref.'

Out of nowhere, a strange, electric sensation on his wrist forced Gray's attention away from his target and towards his own body. He stared at his wrist in confusion, for there was now a pink, glowing band with a heart in the middle wrapped around his wrist and etched in his skin. He marveled at the strange markings. "What the hell is this?"


"What is this?" Juvia asked as she lay in the cool water of the swamp, staring at a pink, glowing band with a heart in the middle that was wrapped around her wrist and etched in her skin.

"This is my Sensory Link," Meredy began to explain. "I've linked your sensations to Gray so that whatever one feels, the other feels. It only works if there are strong feelings for the other person, so I thank you for making this easy for me."

Juvia blushed. "You mean…Juvia is connected to Gray-sama in such an intimate way? Whatever Juvia feels, Gray-sama feels?" She put her hands to her face and squealed excitedly.


"Why does my face feel so flushed?" Gray wondered as he suddenly felt his whole face heat up.


"Now," Meredy said as she summoned a magic blade, "I will show you the true power of my Sensory Link. Go!" She thrust out her hand and forced the blade forward. It sliced through Juvia's arm, causing her to scream in pain.


Gray grunted as a sharp pain cut through his arm, although he saw no injury. "What the hell was that?" he asked a little too loudly, for Ultear had stopped and turned towards the direction of the noise. Fortunately, she soon continued to walk down the path without investigating the noise. 'Shit,' Gray thought as he grinded his teeth to keep from shouting out. 'I have to stay quiet. But what was that pain I just felt?'


Juvia winced as she pushed herself up from the water, her arm shaking from the wound that was inflicted. "Juvia will stop you," she promised.

"Don't you understand it yet?" Meredy asked. "Whatever pain I put you through, Gray feels as well."

Rage filled Juvia's body as she glared at Meredy. "You would dare use Juvia's love to hurt Gray-sama? WATER RUSH!" She charged forward with incredible speed for someone who was so injured and slammed her arm into Meredy's small frame as she ran past her.

Meredy quickly recovered as a pink glow surrounded her hand. "You have yet to witness the true power I possess."

Juvia charged forward once again. "Juvia isn't finished either!"

Meredy realized she didn't have much time to act as Juvia was closing the gap between them surprisingly quickly. She thrust out her hand. "THREE SPREAD SENSORY LINK!" A ray of pink magic shot towards Juvia and connected to the pink band on her wrist, causing a band to appear on Meredy's wrist as well.

The bands on Juvia's and Meredy's wrists began to glow just as Juvia launched her attack. "WHIRLPOOL!" she shouted as she threw out a water-enveloped fist that connected with Meredy's stomach. As soon as the attack hit, the water began to spin like an intense whirlpool that tore through the fabric of her clothes and pinched at her skin before sending her flying into the trunk of a tree. Juvia had no time to admire her work or even prepare a defense, though, as an intense pain tore through her stomach. She screamed as she fell to her knees. "What just happened?"


Gray had finally recovered from the strange pain and was continuing to run from tree to tree when suddenly, the strange band on his wrist began to glow. He stared at it. "What's this weird thing doing now?" His question was quickly answered, though, as an intense pain struck him in his toned stomach. He grunted as he took a knee, a hand clutching his body where the pain was coming from. 'Where is all this pain coming from?'


"What did you do?" Juvia called out as she clutched her stomach.

Meredy held up her wrist to show her glowing pink band. "I have connected all three of us using my Sensory Link. Now we all feel the same pain."

"Why would you do something like that?" Juvia asked.

"Because this way, no matter which one of us dies first in this battle, Gray will die, too," Meredy said.

Juvia's eyes widened. "What?"

"Through my Sensory Link, all three of us share the same sensations and share the same fate. If one dies, all three die."

Juvia forced herself to her feet. "But why? No one wins or lives this way!" she exclaimed.

"That's how far I'm willing to go to kill Gray Fullbuster. After everything he's done to my Ultear, he needs to disappear. Because this is the path I have chosen, the only thing left for all of us is death." She put a hand to her chest. "It's sickening, but I can feel the connection I have with Gray. I feel the connection and because of that, there is no more need to fight you." She summoned two magic blades and positioned their edges at her own throat like a vice. "I can simply take my own life and thus kill both you and Gray."

Juvia ran with all of her might. "Don't do this! It doesn't have to be this way!"

"Don't bother. It's too late," Meredy said as she closed her eyes and resigned herself to her fate.

'Juvia won't make it in time,' Juvia said as she realized the distance was too great. She summoned water to encase her fist. "Juvia apologizes, dear Gray-sama!" she cried as she slammed her fist into her own leg. She cried out in pain as her legs buckled beneath her.


Gray fell to the ground as a sharp pain shot through his leg this time. 'What the hell is happening to me? Why am I feeling all of this strange pain?' He looked at his wrist. 'Does it have to do with this strange thing on my wrist?'


Through the newly acquired Sensory Link, Meredy felt a sharp pain shoot through her leg. She screamed as the pain forced her to fall to her knees and caused her magic blades to disappear. Her eyes were closed tightly as she tried to endure the pain, but managed to partially open one eye to look at Juvia. "Why would you do that? There's no point. You can break your own body as much as you want trying to stop me, but the Sensory Link shares only pain, not the physical wounds themselves. That means the only way to stop me is if you kill me, but that's what I want anyway. Can't you see that it's useless to try and stop me? Death is the only option for all three of us."

Juvia's head hung down. "You're wrong," she mumbled. "There is another option. We can all live!"

"No we can't!" Meredy shouted back as she rose from the water. "I have to kill the man who hurt Ultear!" She summoned another magic blade above her and forced it to begin descending towards her head.

"Don't!" Juvia cried as she tried to force herself to her feet. "Juvia won't let you do this!"

'But I have to do this. I owe so much to Ultear. After my hometown was destroyed, I was the only one left. Everyone was gone. I felt so alone and so frightened that I couldn't stop the tears from falling. And then she came. Ultear found me and decided to take me in, even if it would upset Master Hades. She said she saw promise in me and raised me like her own flesh and blood daughter. Even if we weren't related, though, she was still my mother, even if she was always saying that she was too young to have such a beautiful and mature daughter. I love Ultear and I will do whatever I can to make sure that the man who caused her so much pain is wiped from the face of the earth, even if it costs me my own life! I'll do it for Ultear!'

Suddenly, a wave of water shot up and smashed the magic blade before it could strike Meredy. Before Meredy could even understand what had happened, she felt arms wrap around her shoulders and pull her towards a warm body.

Juvia embraced Meredy, tears pouring down her face. "Don't throw your life away so easily," she sobbed.

Meredy looked at Juvia. 'Why? Why is she crying?'

Juvia held her tighter. "Juvia can see that you love someone very much. But don't you see that dying here would only hurt them more?" Juvia pulled away and held Meredy by the shoulders. She smiled at the small girl as the tears continued to flow. "If you have love, you have to live."

Meredy's eyes widened. "Love?" she repeated as she felt her throat tighten. 'These feelings, I…I can't stop them. It's too much.' Tears began spilling from Meredy's eyes as she broke down. She buried her face in Juvia's shoulder and cried.

Juvia smiled as she held Meredy close. The two fell to their knees in the water as the strength to stand left them.

And once the two fell, the Sensory Link vanished.

Meredy felt all of her energy leave her as she fell back from Juvia's embrace. 'Forgive me, Ultear. I couldn't do it. Forgive me.' She collapsed into the cold water.

Juvia, too, began feeling weak. 'Gray-sama, Juvia prays that you're alright. Stay safe until Juvia can find you.' She collapsed on her back as well as she and Meredy lay there in the cool water, completely drained of all energy as the rain continued to fall.


Gray released a shaky breath as all of the phantom pains he was feeling vanished without a trace. He was sitting on the ground with his back pressed up against a tree trunk, for he was waiting for the pain to disappear. He looked at his wrist and noticed that the strange pink markings were gone as well. "So the weird thing on my wrist is gone now and took the pain with it." He then noticed a drop of water hit his forearm, causing his brow to furrow in confusion. He was under cover from the tree, so this strange rain shouldn't have hit him. It was then that he felt tears on his cheeks. "Oh what the fuck? What the hell is going on?" he asked as he hurriedly wiped away the involuntary tears.

He finished wiping away the tears and peeked from behind his hiding spot behind the tree. However, he couldn't see the strange woman. "Damn it," he cursed. "I lost her."

It was then that Gray felt a presence behind him. He turned to see the very woman he was following standing behind him. He jumped to his feet and watched the woman warily. "Stay back!"

The woman smiled. "Were you following me, sir? I've had this strange feeling that I've been being followed and this would put my mind at ease."

"Who are you?" Gray demanded, completely ignoring the woman's question.

"Oh my, don't tell me you can't see the resemblance?" the woman said. "Do I not remind you of someone?" Gray glared at the woman but refused to answer, so the woman continued. "There's a good reason why I look so much like your old Master, Ur."

'She knows Ur?' Gray wondered. "And that would be?"

"I'm her daughter, Ultear."

Gray's eyes widened. 'That's impossible. Someone like this couldn't possibly be related to my Master.' He gave a smile. "So you're here to kill me, aren't you? That's your whole purpose in being here; you want to kill the one responsible for Ur's death."

"No, Gray," she answered simply. "I bear no grudge against you. As a matter of fact, I've wanted to meet you and talk with you for the longest time."

"Sorry if I'm having a hard time believing you."

"It's true," she said with a smile. "Please, don't worry. I'm a friend."

"A friend, huh?"

"Yes. A friend who wants to make things right."

Gray raised an eyebrow. "So I'm supposed to believe that you're on my side?"

"Yes, please believe me."

Gray closed his eyes. He couldn't stop seeing Ur in Ultear. "Look, about Ur…"

"I know," she said, cutting him off. "I don't blame anyone for her death, especially not you, so please don't be so hard on yourself about it." She smiled at him. "My mother died protecting someone she loved; her darling pupil. I'm proud to say that I'm her daughter. She was so strong and so brave."

"You're proud, huh?" Gray asked. "Well you sure as hell have got a funny way of showing Ur that you're proud of her."

Her smiled faded. "Are you talking about Zeref?"

"Of course!" he shouted. "If it wasn't for that fucking bastard, Ur would still be alive! Deliora would have never been born into this world and Ur wouldn't have had to sacrifice herself to protect me." Gray clenched his fist as he narrowed his eyes at Ultear. "You have the opportunity to get rid of him once and for all, but instead you plan on using his twisted power to kill more people than Zeref's creations ever did."

"You have it backwards," Ultear said.

"Oh don't give me that bullshit!" Gray shot back. "I know all about the Grand Magic World."

"You know about that?"

"Yeah, so you can't lie to me."

Ultear grabbed her own arm and looked at the rain-soaked earth. "I have no interest in the Grand Magic World. I only want to set things right. Please trust me, Gray."

"Trust you," Gray laughed.

"It's true," she said before meeting Gray's gaze. "This is Ur's will."

Gray couldn't believe what he had just heard. "What the fuck are you talking about? Ur's will? How can Zeref have anything to do with Ur's will?"


"Wendy!" Natsu called out as he, Lucy, and Happy ran over.

Wendy turned and a large smile appeared on her face. "Natsu, you're back! And you found Lucy!"

Lucy waved with her free hand, her other still clutching Natsu's hand. "Hey Wendy! I'm glad to see that you're safe. You, too, Lily and Carla!"

"So did you find anything?" Wendy asked.

Natsu nodded. "Yeah, it turns out that guy from Galuna Island is actually a woman with Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin of Purgatory."

"You're kidding," Wendy said. "Did you beat her?"

Natsu shook his head. "She got away while Lucy and I beat up another one of the Seven Kin."

Lucy looked at Makarov who was lying on the ground, unconscious. He was heavily bandaged and Lucy could tell that despite what was most certainly Wendy's best efforts, his injuries weren't healing all that quickly. "How's the Master doing?" she asked, her voice soft and concerned.

"I'd be lying if I said that his condition has really improved," Carla said.

Wendy returned her gaze to Makarov. "I did everything I could, but his injuries just won't heal. I'm just not strong enough."

"Don't worry about it, Wendy. You used a lot of energy healing Natsu," Panther Lily said. "Besides, it's like I said before; even with the severity of his wounds, I don't feel like his life is being threatened."

Carla nodded. "It's possible that it has to do with the fact that this is Sacred Ground."

Lucy stared at the sky. "Well we should probably find a place to get out of this rain. It can't be good for the Master's bandages."

"That's a good idea," Natsu said. "We should head out."

Suddenly, a man appeared a short distance from the group. They all turned to see who had arrived. And everyone frowned once they realized who it was. Well, everyone except Wendy, who smiled.

"Doranbolt!"


A FEW MINUTES AGO

"You're kidding," Doranbolt said. "Bluenote Stinger is with them?"

"Yes, and I'm sure you've heard the rumors about him," Lahar said. "Legend says that during the Gabria War, he was able to defeat Commander Gora's Blue Dragoon regiment alone. Based on what everyone says, this man's power is beyond anything we've ever seen."

"They have someone that strong?" Doranbolt asked in disbelief.

"Yes, so now you see that we must act now. No one has any hope of defeating him on their own; not us and not Fairy Tail," Lahar said. "We must contact the Magic Council immediately, Doranbolt."

"But an Etherion blast…," Doranbolt started.

"If that is the order, then we must follow it," Lahar said. He was getting tired of repeating that to Doranbolt. He walked over to the communication lacrima and raised his hand towards it. "Since it would appear that you have no interest in contacting the Council, then I will do it. We need to know our next move."

Doranbolt grabbed his arm and forcibly lowered it. "Not yet."

Lahar glared at him. "Have you gone mad? We can't afford to waste any more time!"

"I don't need a lot of it. Just give me a little time," Doranbolt said before releasing Lahar. He walked over to the communication lacrima, put his hand on it, and used his magic, completely disappearing from the ship with the lacrima.

"He's gone!" one soldier cried. "And so is the communication lacrima!"

"How are we going to contact HQ, sir?" another soldier asked.

Lahar wasn't listening. He clenched his fists. "Whose side are you on, Doranbolt? You would allow your new feelings for Fairy Tail to prevent us from eliminating so many threats at once? Surely your vision is clouded."


Doranbolt appeared on the island, the communication lacrima falling to the grass beside him. 'Now all I have to do is find Fairy Tail.'

"Doranbolt!"

He turned to see a smiling Wendy alongside Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Carla, Panther Lily, and a wounded Makarov. "I found you guys."

"So I see the traitor has returned," Lily growled.

"You're Mest, right?" Lucy said with a scowl. "You're that spy from the Magic Council."

"The name is actually Doranbolt," he corrected.

"What are you doing here?" Wendy asked.

"And we better like your answer," Lily added.

"Relax. I mean you no harm," Doranbolt promised.

"Like we can believe that," Lily said.

"It's true."

"Then why are you here?" Natsu asked warily.

Doranbolt smiled. "I suppose you could call it a rescue mission."

"Rescue mission?" Natsu repeated.

Doranbolt nodded. "Using my magic, I can get everyone safely off of the island. Just tell me where everyone is so that I can do so."

Natsu turned away. "No one's askin' to be rescued."

Doranbolt's eyes widened. "What?"

Natsu looked at him again. "You think that just because things are a little rough right now, we're gonna turn tail and run? Think again, pal."

"We couldn't possibly trust someone who's with the Council," Carla said.

"We won't run," Lucy said. "That's not who we are."

"You people need to listen to me," Doranbolt begged. "As soon as the Magic Council finds out that three of its high priority targets are on the island and they learn about the damage that has been caused, they won't hesitate to act!"

"You don't mean…Etherion?" Lucy whispered.

Doranbolt nodded. "They wouldn't even think twice."

Lily leaned over towards Carla. "Ehterion?" he whispered.

"Apparently, it's extremely powerful and concentrated destruction magic," she whispered back.

"What will happen to us if they fire on us?" Wendy asked.

"Nothing good," Lucy answered.

"So you see now the severity of the situation," Doranbolt said.

"Still not interested," Natsu huffed. "All this means is that we've gotta step up our game and beat the shit out of these guys before the Council can fire Etherion."

"Are you insane?" Doranbolt shouted. "Master Makarov is down. Grimoire Heart's wizards are way too strong. There's no way that you could win here!"

"And the alternative is letting them destroy the island," Natsu threw back. "The same island that's Fairy Tail's sacred ground. The same island where our first guild master is buried. We ain't gonna just abandon it."

"He's right!" Wendy cried. "We have to do everything in our power to protect it!"

Lucy walked closer to Doranbolt. "How about you relay a message if you wanna be helpful? You can tell the Magic Council to back the hell off. Fairy Tail doesn't back down from a fight and we're not about to start today."

Doranbolt glared at her. "Is that a threat?" he growled.

Natsu grabbed Doranbolt by the collar. He wasn't too thrilled with the tone he was giving Lucy. "Now you listen here," he hissed. "I don't give a shit who challenges us. Whether it's a dark guild like Grimoire Heart or the Magic Council, Fairy Tail will never give up and will never back down!" He leaned in close. "You even think about attacking us and it'll be the last thing you ever do. We'll come at you with everything we've got and blow you away!" he shouted.

Lucy sighed and gently put a hand on Natsu's shoulder. "Natsu, I'm just as upset as you, but we can't get distracted. We need to find shelter to get out of this rain."

Natsu gritted his teeth, but released Doranbolt. "You're right." He turned to Carla and Lily. "Can you guys fly up and try to locate Grimoire Heart's ship? Happy's all out of power."

Carla nodded. "I'll take care of that."

"And I'll fly to base camp to relay information," Lily said.

Natsu smiled at them. "Thanks you two. That helps a lot."

The two nodded and summoned their magic wings before taking to the skies.

Natsu turned to everyone else. "Alright, let's go."

"I'm coming with you," Doranbolt said.

"Why the hell would we let you come along?" Natsu barked.

"I want to try convincing you again," Doranbolt said. "I don't give up easily either."

Natsu turned away and carefully picked up Makarov so that he was carrying him on his back. "Do whatever the hell you want." He then took off with everyone in tow to find shelter from the strange rain.

Doranbolt took off after them. 'Why? Why won't they run, knowing full well what doom awaits them?'


Rustyrose stared at the sky as he caught raindrops in his gloved hand. "This rain certainly wasn't expected. I wonder where it came from?" He closed his eyes. "I feel deep emotion in this rain."

"Always the sentimental type."

Rustyrose opened his eyes and turned his head to greet his visitor. "Oh hello, Azuma. You startled me."

"My apologies," Azuma said from his seat on a small stone ledge above Rustyrose.

Rustyrose examined his comrade. "Well it certainly looks like you've gone through hell. I don't believe I've ever seen you so injured."

Azuma smiled as he examined his wounds. "I was fortunate. I was able to fight two highly skilled warriors back to back; the She-Devil and the Half-Dragon."

"Oh my, I hope you didn't kill the Half-Dragon," Rustyrose said.

"He had to perish," Azuma replied. "Why?"

"You were already on the island when we discovered the boy's existence. Master Hades was interested in recruiting him to our ranks," Rustyrose explained before shrugging. "Oh well. Nothing we can do about it now. It's too bad, though. If your injuries speak the truth, you faced the only two strong Fairy Tail members."

"It would be wise not to underestimate them," Azuma warned. "They are not a guild who should be taken lightly."

"I find it hard to believe that there's anyone else remotely strong here," Rustyrose said.

"Their magic isn't the only thing that makes them strong, though," Azuma said as he recalled his fights. The She-Devil fought hard and protected her sister while the Half-Dragon fought even harder to avenge his friends. "They fight with their hearts and convictions to make them even stronger."

"Is that so?" Rustyrose said with a smile. "Well I'll keep my eyes open for this strength. We should move out and continue with the mission."

Azuma stood. "I agree." He then walked off.

Rustyrose walked off as well. "Fighting with their hearts and convictions, huh? I'm most intrigued to see it."


Hades put his wine glass down. "I must say, I wasn't expecting this. Four of my Seven Kin have been defeated by Makarov's weak children. I never would have predicted such an outcome. I now have no choice if my plans are to succeed." He glanced over to his left before sighing. "It would appear that you've already left, Bluenote. Forgive me, Makarov. He was the one wizard that I hoped would never enter the picture. Now, all of your children will meet a terrible end."