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 77
A large, dark pink octopus glided across the surface of the ocean near the Magnolia coast. Atop the creature's head stood a tall man with white spiked hair. Twin clumps of white hair stuck out on either side of his chin. The man had a hard glare that was focused on the rocky shore as the wind billowed around him. "It's coming soon," he growled with a gravelly voice. "Our Holy War is approaching and all who oppose us will perish."
"I can't believe Gajeel ran away from a fight like that!" Panther Lily shouted as he paced back and forth across the guild floor. He was fuming, his tiny arms crossed over his chest and his furry face twisted in annoyance at his friend's actions hours earlier. "I never expected something so cowardly from him."
Carla and Happy were the only ones with him inside. "I wonder where he went," Happy wondered out loud.
Carla placed her paws on her hips. "Well wherever he went, everyone in the guild went looking for him so I'm sure he'll be found and brought back. Even Nikolias joined in and he's got the sharpest nose of anyone. Oh and by the way Happy, how was Natsu?"
"He's fine," the little blue cat replied. "He recovered quickly and joined in the search with everyone else."
Panther Lily was continuing to run a hole into the floorboards when his ears twitched. He stopped and turned towards the door. "I think I hear footsteps," he said as he bolted for the door. Happy and Carla quickly followed. He threw open the guild door and ran into the light of the setting sun. He could see three shadows approaching the guild. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to make out who it was, but he couldn't. "Who are you?" he demanded.
The three figures stopped in front of them. One was a tall woman wearing a green and white shirt and green pants with a red necktie. Around her waist was a beige belt with two matching pouches on either side of her hips. She had dark purple hair with a large streak of white on the front left side. Her eyebrows were thin and shaped like arrows. She had a confident smirk on her face as she stood with her hands on her hips.
One was a tall, thin man with golden hair that stuck out like an arm in front of his forehead. He wore dark sunglasses and he was dressed in a white leather long sleeved suit with golden tassels on the arms. The suit was open partly, revealing a rather large sternum bush that matched his hair.
The last of the three was a young girl with light brown hair tied in a braided ponytail that draped over her shoulder. She had a forest green headband lined with points like a lion's mane. She wore a yellow, green, and white long sleeved short dress over skin-tight forest green leggings. She had a small dog-like nose which made her look like a cute little animal.
Upon seeing this young girl, Panther Lily took a step back. "Coco? But that's impossible!"
"Hang on, Lily," Carla said. "You don't actually think that she could have come to this world, do you?"
Happy raised a paw. "Oh, I remember Coco now! Wasn't she the girl who ran really fast that we met in Edolas? Maybe she traveled to Earth Land when we were all stuck on Tenrou Island."
Carla hummed. "Perhaps, but she really doesn't look that much older."
Panther Lily stepped forward towards the young girl. "Why are you here, Coco?" he asked the girl. "Is there trouble?"
The young girl crossed her arms and frowned. "Quit talking to me like you know me, cat. I've never met any of you, so shut up already."
"Are you serious?" Panther Lily asked in disbelief.
"She has amnesia!" Happy cried in shock.
"I doubt that," Carla said. "However, it's possible that they could be…"
"I swear that Gajeel is such a coward!" Natsu shouted.
The three visitors turned to see the entire Fairy Tail search party returning. They all looked tired and frustrated.
"I'm with you," Elfman said. "I can't believe he ran away. That's so not manly!"
"Well Natsu did get hit pretty hard," Max said.
"I'm pretty surprised you couldn't find him, Nikolias," Mira said.
Nikolias chuckled. "Surprising is the word for it." In truth, he knew exactly where Gajeel was. He picked up his scent during the search. However, he decided to let him be. He wasn't sure why. Maybe he thought it would be more entertaining later.
Sky blinked and tugged on Nikolias's sleeve. "Look. There are strange people standing in front of the guild."
Nikolias narrowed his eyes and peered ahead. "You're right. Wonder who they are?"
"They must be customers!" Mira said excitedly.
The group stopped in front of the visitors.
Wendy gasped. "Wait! Isn't that girl from Edolas?" she asked while pointing to the young girl.
Natsu leaned forward and analyzed the girl. "Queen Shagotte, right?"
Wendy sweatdropped. "No, she was a cat."
"Coco?" The group turned to see Lucy, Michelle, and Levy walking towards the guild. Lucy's face showed shock but also joy as she carried her father's memento in its case. "It's been such a long time! But how did you get here from Edolas?"
The taller girl chuckled. "Can you believe this, Sugar Boy? These fools actually believe that we're old friends of theres."
"Uh huh," the male stranger said. "But I have to say that sounds like their problem, Mary Hughes." This man had a strange southern accent and his voice had a sing-song quality to it.
"If we don't wrap this up, they'll end up inviting us for dinner," Coco joked.
Natsu lifted an eyebrow. "Mary Hughes?"
"And Sugar Boy?" Lucy exclaimed.
Ash leaned towards Nikolias. "You have any idea what's going on here?"
Nikolias shook his head. "Not a clue. It sounds like everyone knows these three, yet these three don't know any of them. It's odd…"
"Before you and Gracie joined, the entire Fairy Tail guild was transported to Edolas, a parallel universe to ours," Wendy explained.
"Yeah, and we fought these weirdos at the Royal City's amusement park," Natsu added.
"So not friends then," Sky said.
Nikolias groaned while scratching his head. "I still don't really understand."
"They look so much like them," Lucy breathed. "I can't believe it."
"What's with the lady clothes, pervert?" Natsu barked while pointing an accusing finger at Hughes. "Back at Edolas you were a guy! You trying to trick me or something?"
Hughes's eyebrow twitched. "I just met him and I already wanna kill him."
"Something doesn't feel right," Ash said quietly while standing a little closer to Sky.
"I agree. Something feels off," Wendy said.
"Look, if you're not here to hire us," Max began.
"Then you can just go back to where you came from," Laki finished.
Hughes laughed. "Really now?"
"Sorry, darlin'," Sugar Boy said, "but we don't take orders from slobs with no style."
"What'd you say?" Natsu growled while grinding his teeth.
"I'm going to say this just once, so make sure you're all listening carefully," Hughes said with a wicked grin. "I demand that you hand over Lucy Heartfilia right now."
Lucy gulped. 'What? What do they want with me?'
Fire erupted around Natsu as he glared darkly at the three visitors. "Come again? I don't think I heard that right."
"Don't play dumb," Coco said. "Also, don't bother hiding her from us. We know she's a part of this guild."
"Make things easier for everyone and shuffle on over, baby. Uh huh," Sugar Boy said while swinging his hips.
Levy discreetly leaned over. "Lucy, what's going on?"
Michelle mimicked Levy. "Who are these people and why are they looking for you?"
"I wish I knew," Lucy whispered.
Wakaba tsked as he stepped forward. "I'll give you one thing. You've got guts coming here without warning and disrespecting us like this."
Macao stepped forward as well. "I'm the Master of Fairy Tail and your request is denied. Now, I suggest you get out of here. We're not exactly known for our patience when it comes to cocky punks."
"Especially when those punks are shouting orders," Max added.
Hughes laughed. "Sorry if we're not scared of old men, kids, and cats."
Kinana stepped back and held her hands up to her chest. "All of those churches that have been burned down the past few weeks…it's you. You're behind them."
Hughes clenched her fists and glared at Kinana. "You bitch," she hissed.
"It makes sense," Carla said.
"Even without proof, the timing is just too convenient. They must be the culprits!" Panther Lily added.
Sugar Boy chuckled. "Spicy! They're trying to serve up some guilt."
"Not interested," Coco said.
"Blame us all you want. See if we care," Hughes said while holding out her hand. "I won't ask again. Hand over Lucy Heartfilia before we decide to stop being friendly."
Sugar Boy whipped out a wooden square from his sleeve and it began to glow green. "We're gonna rock your world!" he cried as the square elongated into a long wooden stick. He held up the stick to his mouth like a microphone. "1, 2, 3, 4!" he cried and his voice echoed on the air as he sang.
"Wow that's bad," Macao grumbled.
"And I thought Gajeel was bad," Wakaba joked.
Nikolias's hands shot to his ears and he snarled at the three. "Shit that hurts."
"Are you alright?" Mira asked as she rubbed his back.
"As soon as he shuts up I will be," he replied.
Sugar Boy's outfit began to pulsate as if something was trying to break free. His suit grew and grew in size until green slime began to ooze out of every opening. The slime grew with each passing pulsation until Sugar Boy was practically overtaken by it.
"What the hell is that?" Levy asked in disgust.
"Oh God, I'm gonna vomit," Lucy groaned.
"I think it looks tasty," Michelle said.
"What planet do you come from?" Lucy snapped.
Sugar Boy continued to sing into his microphone and the slime began to shoot out and surround the entire group.
"What is this?" Laki asked as she felt the green slime rub against her thin stockings.
"I'll take care of this stuff like a real man!" Elfman roared as he charged forward. He threw a punch at the slime, but there was no effect. Instead, his fist stuck in the slime and it began to pull him in. "Hey! Let go, you stupid sludge! Fight me like a real man!"
"Elfman, hold on!" Mira cried as she ran to her brother.
"Let go of him now!" Lisanna demanded as she ran alongside her sister.
"Mira, don't!" Nikolias begged.
"No! Stay back or it will grab you too!" Elfman cried in a panic before he was completely sucked inside.
As soon as Elfman was enveloped, the slime shot towards Mira and Lisanna. It quickly enveloped them both and all three Strausses found themselves trapped in the slime.
"Mmm!" Sugar Boy sang. "Wizards taste so SPICY!" With each echoing sound from his microphone, the slime would expand more and more.
"I…can't move," Mira groaned.
"I know we're in trouble, but I can't help remembering when we used to snuggle like this when we were little kids," Lisanna said.
"This isn't the time to reminisce!" Elfman roared.
Wendy looked on in horror from above as Carla and Panther Lily each held one of her arms. "What's it doing to them?" she asked.
"Does this slime have a will of its own?" Panther Lily wondered.
"Whatever it is, don't let it touch you!" Carla called out. "Run away, everyone!"
Nikolias gritted his teeth as he stared down at the slime. He had summoned his wings to avoid it and was hovering in the air. He had an arm around Ash's waist while Sky flew beside them in the wind. "Mira!" he cried.
"What are we gonna do?" Ash asked. "Mira's in trouble!"
Shadows shrouded his free hand. "I'll just have to break her free without letting the slime touch you and without harming them inside." The shadows began to collect and form an orb in the palm of his hand. "SHADOW DRAGON PULSE!" he shouted and fired the orb at the slime. It connected and discharged a shockwave of shadows, but the slime merely shook violently from the attack and did not break. "No effect? Damn it! If only using more power wasn't dangerous."
"Poor Mira," Sky breathed. "Poor Elfman and Lisanna, too. Can we help them, Nikolias?"
"I don't know," he growled. He had to find a way to free Mira. His very being was burning with rage that she was in danger. But what could he do to free her that wouldn't harm her or Elfman or Lisanna?
Meanwhile, the slime continued to lash out at the other Fairy Tail members and it was all that they could do just to dodge the large blobs.
"This is bad," Macao said.
"How can we get rid of this gunk?" Wakaba asked as he leapt away from an approaching blob.
"You're the guild master?" Coco asked as she suddenly appeared behind the two older men.
"When the hell…?" Macao began as he whipped around.
Coco leapt forward. "If you don't want everyone in your guild to get hurt, it would be smart to just hand over Lucy Heartfilia!" She then unleashed a powerful and swift kick at Macao's head.
Macao was able to block, but the furious kicks didn't stop as Coco somehow managed to constantly redirect herself to land more and more kicks. He was having difficulty blocking all of the attacks and some landed on his face, but he stood his ground. "It's not my style to beat up kids, you know."
"Who the hell are you calling a kid?" Coco shouted. Suddenly, streams of pink smoke shot towards Coco, forcing her to push off of Macao like a springboard and back flip away to avoid all of the blows.
"This ain't the time to be getting soft on us, Macao!" Wakaba called out, pink smoke billowing from his cigar. "These guys are enemies!"
"I know that!" Macao barked. "And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Master?"
"Hey old timer!" Coco called out. The two older Fairy Tail mages looked towards the sound of Coco's voice and were shocked to see her standing sideways on a wooden vertical post, her body completely parallel with the ground. "Sorry, but attacks like that will never hit me."
"Nimble little thing, ain't she?" Wakaba grumbled.
Coco grinned down at her opponents when she sensed an attack coming. She leapt away just as balls of purple flames crashed into the post.
The attacks were Romeo's as he charged after Coco. "Get back here!" he shouted as he continued to throw fireball after fireball. However, Coco simply ran along the guild wall, giggling as each attack was easily avoided.
Macao and Wakaba were quick to stop Romeo. "Knock it off, Romeo!" Macao said.
"Yeah, before you knock down the whole guild hall," Wakaba added.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the green slime enveloped all three of them, completely consuming them and trapping them inside.
"Oh no! Romeo! Macao! Wakaba!" Laki shouted. She was standing back to back with Max, using her Wood Make Magic to create a barrier in front of her while Max used his sand to create a barrier in front of him.
"Shit," Max hissed. "All we can do is defend ourselves!"
Lucy, Levy, and Michelle were all running from the fast approaching slime.
"What's with this weird stuff?" Levy asked. "It keeps getting bigger and bigger!"
Lucy clutched the case close to her chest. "Natsu! Help!"
Natsu was breathing heavily as he attacked vigorously with his flames. He looked towards Lucy and saw that the slime was almost upon her. He was exhausted, his fight with Laxus finally starting to take its toll, but he couldn't just sit back when Lucy was in danger. "I'm coming!" he shouted as he desperately fought off the slime while attempting to reach her.
Wendy looked down at Natsu with worry from the lookout tower. "He's so pale."
"He hasn't fully recovered after all," Carla said with worry.
Hughes laughed at seeing Natsu struggle to fight off the slime. "I'm dying! Look how pathetic he looks! God, these guys are all so weak!"
"We're shaking them all up!" Sugar Boy said.
"Guild wizards are such pushovers. I don't even see the appeal of it," Coco said as she rejoined her partners.
Panther Lily looked down at the three enemies, his gaze never leaving Coco. 'This can't be Coco. She hated violence. The mere thought of harming others made her physically ill. This girl…'
"Alright little hound dogs," Sugar Boy said while snapping his fingers, "come home to Papa!" The green slime shook and slid over to Sugar Boy. It crawled back up his sleeves and down his open collar before completely disappearing underneath his clothes. All of the slime's victims lay on the ground.
"Game, set, and match! Ready to give up yet?" Coco asked.
"Mira!" Nikolias cried as he landed, gently placing Ash on the ground before dashing to her side. "Are you three alright?"
"I feel so…weak," Mira said softly.
"But you're unharmed?"
"I…I think so."
Nikolias released a heavy sigh. "Thank God. If anything happened to you, I'd never forgive myself."
"What's going on?" Happy asked. "They weren't this strong before."
"That's because these people are completely different from the ones you met in Edolas," Panther Lily replied.
"They're the Coco, Hughes, and Sugar Boy that have lived in Earth Land from the very beginning," Carla added.
Natsu fell to his knees and tried to catch his breath. "Damn it!"
Lucy ran to his side. "Natsu, I'm sorry. I wouldn't have called to you if I had known you were so exhausted."
He shook his head and looked up at her with a tired smile. "Don't apologize. I always want to be there to protect you. I want you to be able to count on me."
She blushed and smiled sweetly at him. "Natsu…"
"You're wasting too much time, Lucy. Hurry up or we'll show your little friends what we're really made of," Hughes threatened. She then chuckled darkly. "Sugar Boy would love to play another solo."
"Don't listen to her, Lu," Levy said.
"You can't give yourself up," Michelle added.
"They still don't know who Lucy is yet," Natsu huffed as he struggled to his feet. He swayed slightly and his legs shook from fatigue, but he still stared down his three enemies. "You three go try and find Gramps and tell him what's going on. I'll deal with these guys somehow. Just don't keep me waiting long."
"Natsu, we couldn't do that," Lucy said with worry. She could tell that Natsu was in bad shape. She couldn't ask him to fight for her in this condition.
"We'll stay and fight with you," Levy said encouragingly.
"Trust me, okay?" Natsu said with a smile.
Lucy hesitated before nodding. "Okay. Just be safe, Natsu." She then took off running with Michelle and Levy.
"Oh, don't leave now. Don't you wanna play with us, too?" Hughes taunted.
"Natsu!" Romeo called out. He was barely conscious and he was very weak from the slime, but he still managed to create a ball of yellow flames. He hurled it at Natsu. "Here!"
Natsu caught it and grinned. "Thanks, Romeo," he said as he shoved the flames in his mouth. He chewed a few times and swallowed before shaking his head violently. "Oh, nasty!"
"Sorry, wrong flame," Romeo chuckled.
Flames danced around Natsu's fists. "Whatever. It'll do the trick for now." He cocked back his fists. "Feel the burn!" he roared as he smashed his fists together, shooting a powerful pillar of flames at the three visitors.
"Spicy!" Sugar Boy shouted.
"He's using fire magic? How lame," Hughes chuckled. She whipped out a strange wand shaped like a hand with five fingers. One finger pointed ahead and began to glow while the others were curled into the palm. "CONDUCTING ART!" she cried as she waved her wand around. Natsu suddenly turned to his right, directing the flames towards an unsuspecting Laki and Max. The flames collided with them and they let out cries of pain as they fell to the ground.
"What the hell?" Natsu asked in confusion.
"He attacked them!" Michelle cried.
"But why?" Levy asked.
"Wait, is she using…?" Lucy began.
Natsu gritted his teeth. "EAT THIS!" he roared as he unleashed his Fire Dragon Roar at the three.
"Nope," Hughes chuckled as she waved her wand.
Natsu's entire body suddenly began to move on its own again, spinning around while breathing flames until he was facing Lucy, Michelle, and Levy. The flames collided with the ground, forcing the three girls to fall forward. "NO!" he cried in fear. He had just attacked his girlfriend. What the hell was going on? He turned and glared darkly at Hughes. "What did you do?"
Hughes laughed while waving her wand around. "Nothing like a little friendly fire, huh? Now give us Lucy or the rest of your guild will get cooked!" Suddenly, a rock connected with the side of her head. She turned to see Kinana standing off to the side, a rock gripped tightly in her hand. She was shaking with fear, but she wanted to help fight.
"Ho ho! Sorry to break it to you sweetheart, but things are about to get real cruel now," Sugar Boy said to Kinana.
Hughes was shaking with rage. "Oh you can count on it. Get ready, bitch, 'cause I'm about to make you eat those rocks!"
Panther Lily flew for Kinana. "Run away, Kinana!"
However, he was stopped by a flying kick from Coco that landed underneath his chin. "Oh, so little kitty wants to play?"
Wendy leapt down from the lookout tower. "SKY DRAGON WING ATTACK!" she cried as she waved her arms downward, sending powerful streams of wind at the three.
"Bad move, little girl," Hughes said as she lifted her wand. The tip of the finger began to glow again, forcing Wendy's arms to aim at Natsu. Her wind collided with him and sent him flying backwards.
"Natsu!" Wendy cried.
"That weird stick is behind it all!" Happy cried.
"I think you're right," Carla said. "Could it be that it lets her take control of people?"
Lucy shook her head as she struggled to her hands and knees. She noticed that she no longer had her father's memento and she began looking for it. She quickly found it far to her left. The case was completely open and the memento was sprawled out on the ground. She looked back to the three strangers. 'I can't just stand by and watch this happen. Maybe I should call a Celestial Spirit. I'd use the Fleuve d'étoiles that Virgo gave me, but I can't seem to get it to work anymore.'
Wendy was quickly by Natsu's side, trying to heal him. "Natsu, I'm sorry!"
"It's okay," Natsu groaned. "It's not your fault."
Elfman groaned as he struggled to get up, but found his strength gone. He was lying over his sisters protectively, one under each arm. "Damn, that slime really took a lot out of me."
"Big brother, you're crushing me," Lisanna complained as Elfman fell back on top of her with his full weight.
"Whoever the slime touched seems to be drained of magic energy, too," Mira said worriedly.
"Don't try to speak," Ash said. "Just rest."
Nikolias slowly stood up. "Ash. Sky. Can I ask you two to look after these three for me?"
"Sure," Sky said with a nod. "What about you?"
Shadows erupted from his body, shaking the ground violently. He stared at the three enemies darkly with golden dragon eyes. "I've had enough of these clowns. I'm gonna tear them apart," he hissed.
"Is that a good idea?" Ash asked. "I know you're strong, but it seems like they can control people."
"Yeah, you could end up doing more harm than good like Natsu," Sky agreed.
"Still, I can't just let this slide," he growled.
"Nikolias, please," Mira said weakly. "They could be right. It's not worth the risk. Just stay with me, okay?"
Nikolias looked at her and then back at the three. He gritted his teeth, but allowed his shadows to disappear. "Very well."
Hughes chuckled. "Aw. I would have had fun controlling you, hot stuff. But at least you're smart enough to not try fighting us."
Nikolias's blood was boiling. "I swear you will pay for this. Mark my words."
Hughes shrugged. "Whatever. Now come on out, Lucy. We're getting bored with these weaklings."
Lucy clenched her fists. She grabbed the memento and got to her feet. "Just stop it!" she called out. "You've got what you want now!"
"Is that so?" Hughes asked.
'Lucy, no!' Natsu cried in his mind.
Lucy took a deep breath. "I…"
"I'm the Lucy Heartfilia you're looking for!" Michelle called out.
Lucy whipped around to face Michelle. She looked determined and calm despite what her false claim would lead to. "What?"
"You, huh?" Sugar Boy said.
"Be a good girl and come here," Hughes demanded.
Michelle began to slowly walk over. Lucy watched her in disbelief. "Don't do this," she begged softly.
"There's been enough violence for one day," Michelle said loudly for all to hear. She stopped several feet from the three. "What exactly do you want with me?"
Sugar Boy shook his hips. "That's definitely her. Uh huh. You just know a little princess like this grew up playing house at the Heartfilia mansion."
"She sure looks the part," Coco said.
Hughes huffed. "I'm kinda disappointed. I was expecting a dumb bimbo." She chuckled. "Lucy Heartfilia, once the daughter of the Heartfilia concern and now a Celestial wizard for the Fairy Tail guild. Are you admitting that you are that Lucy Heartfilia?"
"That is correct," Michelle said with a nod.
"What is she doing?" Natsu asked as he got to his hands and knees.
"Could it be that Michelle was the real Lucy all this time?" Happy asked.
Wendy sweatdropped. "I kind of doubt that."
"This is ridiculous!" Lucy exclaimed as she leapt in front of Michelle. "I'm the real Lucy!"
"Say what?" Coco said in surprise.
"Oh Miss Michelle!" Michelle cried with fake tears collecting in her eyes. She took Lucy's hands. "It means the world that you're willing to protect me from them, but it's far too late for such a deception to help us now."
"Seriously, knock it off!" Lucy demanded.
"But these people are so perceptive," Michelle continued while spinning around and crying into her hands, "that I'm sure they would figure it out instantly and I'd hate for anything to happen to you on my account." She turned back to Lucy and looked at her with big, watery eyes. "Please don't try to be a hero!"
"She's not a bad actress, but she's a little over the top," Mira said softly.
"She's into it, that's for sure," Lisanna added.
Elfman was crying rivers. "So beautiful! So manly!"
"I don't get it," Sky said while tilting her head to the side.
"What's not to get?" Ash snapped at her quietly. "She's faking to protect Lucy!"
Nikolias crouched low and balanced on the balls of his feet, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. "I can't believe she's sacrificing herself. Has she lost her mind?"
"I don't think you can talk, sweetie," Mira said with a giggle.
"Whatever," he muttered under his breath.
"I'm telling you I'm Lucy Heartfilia!" Michelle cried and waved at the three.
"Don't listen to her! I'm Lucy!" Lucy called with a wave.
The three strangers stood perplexed at the two bickering blondes. "Now what?" Coco asked.
"I know exactly what to do," Sugar Boy said while snapping his fingers. "Uh huh. The real Lucy Heartfilia is supposed to be over 20 years old. Ain't that right?" He pointed to Lucy. "Don't you think this blonde in the pigtails is a little on the young side?"
Michelle nodded happily.
"That's because we spent 7 years sealed away on an island!" Lucy shouted desperately.
"Lucy, get back!" Natsu called out. "I'll make sure they don't lay a finger on you!"
Lucy looked over, but was surprised to see Natsu not looking at her. No, he was looking straight at Wendy with a big grin on his face. "What the…?"
Wendy pumped her fists. "Right, because I'm the real Lucy!"
Hughes's face fell. "Wh…What?"
"You mean her name's Lucy, too?" Coco cried in confusion.
"You ready for another round, Lucy?" Max asked Laki.
"Yup, let's do this!" Laki cried.
The three looked over to the duo. "What the hell is going on?" they all shouted.
Macao, Wakaba, and Romeo all ran over to Levy to help her out. "You think you can stand up on your own, Lucy?" Macao asked.
Levy nodded. "Yeah, I think so."
"Just take a breather," Wakaba said comfortingly.
"There's another one?!" Coco exclaimed.
"I don't believe this," Lucy breathed.
"This is so wonderful," said a teary Michelle.
Coco was shaking her head furiously. "I can't tell which is the real one! What are we going to do?"
Hughes shook with anger. "This is incredibly stupid and annoying," she growled.
Mira, Lisanna, and Elfman all stood up. "Is your magic back too, Lucy?" Mira asked.
"Yup! I'm good to go, Lucy!" Lisanna exclaimed.
Sky leapt to her feet and threw her hand in the air. "My name is Lucy!" she called out.
Ash stood up as well and put a hand on her hip. She smirked as her hair became wild fire. "Why don't you stop messing around with all of them and come get me, the real Lucy?" she taunted.
"The Devil in disguise," Sugar Boy mumbled as he looked to the new group of Lucys.
Elfman pumped his fist. "Game over! I'm Lucy!"
"Ugh! I'm so sick of this," Hughes said while waving her hand. "Let's just capture the lot of them and sort them out later."
Sugar Boy spun his microphone in his hand. "Uh huh! Come on, hound dogs!" he sang out. His voice echoed and the slime began oozing out of his clothes again. "Your audience wants an encore!"
"You're not gonna do anything!" Natsu roared as he leapt into the air. His hands were ablaze above his head. He thrust his hands downward. "FIRE DRAGON BRILLIANT FLAME!" he cried as he threw a massive fireball at the trio. The flames exploded around them in a massive inferno. However, a mass of slime shot upward and wrapped around Natsu. "Shit," he groaned as he felt his magic slowly being drained away. The smoke from his attack cleared to reveal that the slime had protected the trio completely. "Lucy, run away now!"
"Natsu, no," Lucy said softly as she stepped forward. However, Michelle quickly grabbed her arm to stop her.
"We need to go," Michelle said sternly. "He's distracting them. This is our chance to slip away unnoticed."
Lucy cringed as she watched Natsu get slammed into the ground. She watched as Wendy fired her Sky Dragon Roar. She watched as Max and Laki charged their magic in preparation to strike. She watched Sky and Ash combine their powers to create a raging inferno. She watched the Strauss siblings charge forward. She watched as shadows enveloped Nikolias as he crouched down low, his black blades glinting in the setting sun. She lowered her gaze sorrowfully to the ground and nodded. She and Michelle then took off running, her father's memento clutched firmly in her arms. 'Everyone, I'm sorry. And thank you. Natsu, be safe.' The memento then began to glow under its old cloth wraps.
Hughes immediately saw the two fleeing mages. "You see that, Coco?"
"They're trying to run away," Coco said with a confident smile.
"Go get 'em," Hughes commanded.
"I'm on it!" Coco cheered as she took off running at incredible speed.
Macao, Wakaba, Levy, and Romeo stood in a line to block off Coco. "Where are you going? We're just getting started!" Macao then fired a ball of purple fire, Wakaba fired a stream of pink smoke, Romeo threw a small orb of purple fire, and Levy used her Solid Script magic to send flames at the charging Coco.
"FREE RUN UNLOCK!" Coco cried as she suddenly burst forward and leapt into the air. She easily dodged the attacks and sailed over the heads of the four Fairy Tail mages. She then landed on a vertical cliff and stuck there as if her shoes were layered with glue. She then began sprinting up the side of the cliff.
"How the hell did she do that?" Macao asked.
"That looked like Free Run!" Levy cried.
"Free Run, huh?" Wakaba grumbled. "That's a special kind of athletic magic that was banned because so many wizards got hurt using it."
"I'll weigh her down!" Levy cried. "SOLID SCRIPT! IRON!" A large, iron, 3-D version of the word IRON plummeted down from the sky.
"Nope," Hughes chuckled as she redirected Levy's arm with her wand, forcing the iron to fall directly on top of Romeo, Macao, and Wakaba.
"I'm so sorry!" Levy cried.
"I got her!" Nikolias shouted as he ran at incredible speed after Coco. He summoned his wings and leapt into the air.
"Like I'd let you," Hughes chuckled as she lifted her hand-shaped wand.
"And I won't let you stop him!" Ash shouted as she spit a small fireball straight at Hughes.
Hughes tsked as she leapt away. "Annoying brat."
"Sky!" Ash cried. "Give Nikolias a hand!"
"Right," Sky nodded as she disappeared into the wind. "Be careful, sister."
"What the…where did she go?" Hughes asked.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Ash taunted, her eyes turning completely orange as she spat another small fireball at her.
"SAND SLASH!" Max shouted as he sent out a crescent blast of sand at Hughes and Sugar Boy.
"WOOD MAKE VIOLENT APPROACH!" Laki cried as she sent a massive wooden spiked ball alongside Max's attack.
"Uh huh," Sugar Boy sang as his slime blocked both attacks easily. "I've gotta decline, baby. Sand and wood aren't a very good match for my hound dogs!" The slime began to envelop the sand and wood until it was completely absorbed.
"We didn't even phase it," Max said as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face.
"It's just too strong!" Laki cried. "What are we going to do?"
Lucy and Michelle stopped by a tree deep within the East Forest to catch their breath. Lucy was hunched over as she sucked in deep breath after deep breath.
"I don't think they're following us," Michelle said as she looked behind them. "I think now we should start trying to find where your Master went."
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Lucy said and as she straightened up she glared at Michelle, "but first you wanna tell me what that crazy stunt you pulled was all about?"
Michelle blinked and smiled nervously. "Well, I…uh…well you were in danger and I was trying to help you out."
Lucy sighed as she rested the memento against the tree trunk. "I'm a Celestial wizard, Michelle. If they had caught me, I would have been able to defend myself. What would you have done if they had managed to take you away instead?"
Michelle's eyes began to water and her bottom lip began to tremble. "I…well I…I don't know." She sniffed. "I'm sorry. I didn't really think that far ahead." She bowed her head as she was getting closer and closer to crying. "I just did what I thought would be the most helpful. I didn't mean to cause you any trouble."
"It's okay," Lucy said nervously as she tried to console Michelle. "I'm not angry, so please don't cry." But it was too late. Michelle was crying again. Lucy sighed and smiled. "Actually, it meant a lot even if it was a bit dramatic." She leaned back against the tree trunk. "Thanks for protecting me. I owe you one."
Michelle sniffed and stopped crying. "You're welcome," she said with a smile.
Lucy giggled at seeing how happy Michelle looked now. 'I did some crazy things when I first joined Fairy Tail, too. Everyone always went with it, though, and helped to make it all work out. It's only fair that I do the same for her.' She pushed off of the trunk and stretched. "While we're here, mind helping me brainstorm? What do you think those three creeps want?"
"Do you think they're the scoundrels behind the church fires like Kinana suspected?" Michelle offered.
"It's possible, but what would they need me for? I'm not a part of that," Lucy said. "It just doesn't add up."
Suddenly, the sound of rustling tree leaves caught the two girls' attention. They looked up to see Coco hanging upside down from a tree branch and smiling at them. "I finally caught up with you. You won't get away again!" She leapt to the ground and stepped towards the two.
"Follow my lead," Lucy said quietly to Michelle. She raised her hand in the air. "About time! I was holding her for you. I'm tired of running, so here's the real Lucy Heartfilia!" She motioned towards Michelle.
"What?" Coco asked.
"Oh, don't let her fool you like that!" Michelle said as she gestured to Lucy. "She's the real, honest-to-goodness Lucy!"
"No way!" Coco exclaimed as she stepped back.
"Oh Lucy, I can't believe you'd lie to save your own skin!" Lucy said.
"Don't be silly! You're the really real one!" Michelle replied.
"Okay fine, you got me. I've been lying this whole time! I really am the really real Lucy!"
"Or so you think, but you're wrong! Because I'm really the really real Lucy Heartfilia. So there!"
Coco was getting dizzy as she wobbled on her feet. "I…can't! My brain…not working!"
Out of nowhere, Virgo sprung up from the ground behind Coco. "Don't listen to them. I'm the real princess you're searching for."
Lucy laughed nervously. 'Damn it, Virgo.' She looked around Coco. "What are you doing here, Princess?"
"Helping you get out of this sticky situation of course," Virgo said as she pulled herself from the dirt.
"Wh…Wh…What's with all the 'princess' talk?" Coco asked exasperatedly. "Do you mean Lucy?"
"That's exactly right," Virgo said to Coco. "I'm the real princess, so take me away."
"Then again, I might be Lucy after all," Lucy said while crossing her arms over her chest.
"Or has it been me from the very beginning?" Michelle said while clapping her hands together.
All three then pointed at Coco. "The truth is you've been Lucy this entire time!" they all cried simultaneously.
Smoke began pouring out of her ears as she clutched her head tightly. "I…can't…take…this!"
Lucy, Michelle, and Virgo took the opportunity to run away. "That should keep her busy for a while," Virgo said.
"Let's hope so," Michelle said.
"Still, I can't help but feel a little bad for her," Lucy said.
"Damn that girl is fast," Nikolias huffed as he peered through the trees from the sky. "I can't believe I lost her."
"She was very fast," Sky's voice echoed on the wind beside him. "Her magic is impressive."
He sniffed the air. "There's something masking the scents, but I can just make out her scent over there," he said while pointing towards the left. "It seems like she's standing still."
"Okay," Sky said. "Lead the way."
He sniffed the air again and hummed. "That's odd…"
"What is it?"
"If that Coco girl is standing still over there," he paused to look towards the right, "then why do I smell Lucy and Michelle running in that direction?"
"Maybe they gave her the slip?" Sky offered.
"It's possible."
"What should we do?"
"That's obvious," he said while directing himself to the right. "We go towards Lucy and Michelle."
"But what about Coco?" Sky asked as she followed alongside him.
"She's unimportant. All that matters is the safety of our friends."
"You're right."
"You're running out of time," Sugar Boy said while swinging his hips. His slime had grabbed hold of Max and Laki and was draining their magic from them. "Unless you want my hounds to keep loving ya tender, you'll tell me where I can find Lucy Heartfilia."
Panther Lily, in his Edolas form, leapt for Sugar Boy. He swung his large sword, but the slime easily blocked it.
Sugar Boy turned towards Panther Lily. "Your little change almost caught me off guard. Lucky for me I've seen it before.
"What do you mean 'seen it before'?" Panther Lily asked. However, he never got an answer before Natsu punched him in the head with a fire engulfed fist.
"Sorry Lily!" Natsu apologized.
Hughes chuckled as she controlled Natsu's body. "This is too easy."
Ash struggled to her feet. Her body was covered in cuts and bruises from fighting Hughes. Try hard as she might, she couldn't help but fall prey to Hughes's Command Magic. She was forced to attack herself, running into trees and beating herself with rocks. She glared at Hughes. "This bitch is tough."
Elfman leapt at Hughes. "I've got her, Ash! BEAST ARM! IRON BULL!" Elfman's right arm turned into iron as he prepared to throw a punch.
Hughes chuckled and swung her wand to the right. This action forced Elfman to change directions and land a powerful punch to both Macao and Wakaba's faces.
Natsu clenched his fists. "This is pissing me off. I can't fight with all of these control spells! Come on! Start fighting fair instead of using boogers and a stick!"
Sugar Boy chuckled as his slime wrapped around Panther Lily. "Let's get this show on the road! I've got a feeling that Coco is chasing after the real Lucy Heartfilia."
Hughes laughed. "You hear that? Your friend is as good as ours."
Flames erupted around Natsu as he snarled at Hughes. "You won't touch Lucy! You hear me!?"
Hughes raised her arms as if she were preparing to conduct. "You're funny! You don't have any choice in the matter, you know. My Conducting Art lets me control anyone." She waved her wand towards Natsu.
Natsu could feel his entire body starting to move on its own. His fire moved and engulfed his hands without his consent. He struggled with all of his might to fight off Hughes's control. "There ain't no way in hell I'm letting you control me!" However, no matter how hard he fought it, he couldn't stop himself from punching himself over and over again in the head.
"Natsu's in trouble, Carla!" Wendy said as Carla tried to pull her out of the slime.
"You need to worry about yourself, child!" Carla said as she pulled and pulled to no avail.
Hughes laughed wildly as she waved her wand over and over again, forcing Natsu to continuously punch himself. "Now, bring it home, puppet!" she exclaimed as she swung down, forcing Natsu to create a massive explosion of flames beneath him. The flames expanded outward, consuming everyone in its heat.
"Who would've thought that Gajeel would be so good at hiding," Jet said, his arms behind his head as he walked. He was heading back to the guild with Droy after searching for Gajeel separately from everyone else.
"I bet you anything that he's back at the guild relaxing with everyone else," Droy said as he ate a chicken leg.
"I was hoping we'd find him on our own so that we could impress Levy with our skills," Jet sighed.
"I guess we'll just have to try again tomorrow," Droy groaned.
Suddenly, an explosion shook the ground slightly and smoke and fire billowed into the sky from where Fairy Tail sat nestled on a cliff.
"What was that?" Jet asked.
"It's coming from the guild hall!" Droy cried.
The two ran as fast as they could to the guild hall. However, what they saw left them shocked. Many guild members were severely injured. Others were aiding them however they could.
"Wh…What in the world happened here?" Jet asked.
"Levy!" Droy called out upon seeing Levy helping the wounded. The two Shadow Gear members ran over to her.
Levy turned to them. "Oh, hey you two."
"Levy, what happened?" Jet asked.
Levy looked sadly at the ground. "Three strangers came looking for Lucy. We fought them off while Lucy and Michelle ran. One of them ran after Lucy and Nikolias and Sky ran after her. We fought the other two as hard as we could, but they were too strong. The two strangers took off after wiping the floor with us. Natsu and Wendy went after Lucy and Michelle a while ago."
"How pathetic," Elfman growled. "I can't believe we let those clowns take control of us like that."
"Yeah, there were only three of them and we were all completely at their mercy," Lisanna said.
"Somehow I doubt we've seen the last of them," Mira said softly as she tended to Ash's many injuries.
"That bitch," Ash hissed as Mira cleaned her wounds. "Next time I'll wipe the floor with her. She won't get that lucky again."
"Lucy! Michelle!" Wendy called out. She was being carried by Carla while the two and Panther Lily searched for the runaway mages over a canyon. Night had already arrived, but they were no closer to finding their friends. "Where are you?"
"Even if they went looking for the Master, we have no way of knowing which way they went," Carla said.
"Can you smell anything at all, Wendy?" Panther Lily asked.
"I'm doing everything I can to smell them, but I can't pick up their scents for some reason," Wendy said sorrowfully.
Suddenly, Panther Lily heard the sound of fast moving footsteps. He looked down to see Coco running up the side of a large cliff. "Coco?" he shouted in surprise.
"Get back here!" Coco cried as she leapt off of the cliff and landed a flying kick to both of the Exceeds. The force of the kick caused Wendy to slip out of Carla's grip. The young Dragon Slayer screamed as she plummeted to the ground.
"Wendy!" Carla cried as she and Panther Lily both flew desperately for Wendy. They managed to catch her just in time and fly upwards.
Coco landed on the vertical cliff once again. "Perfect!" she exclaimed as she straightened up.
"What were you thinking, Coco?" Panther Lily roared. "You could have killed her!"
"I've lost track of Lucy, so tell me where she's hiding!" Coco demanded. "Unless you'd like to eat my foot again." She closed her eyes. "Oh, and by the way, I hate cats so please stop talking like we're best friends."
"I can't believe that bitch!" Natsu roared as Happy carried him through the air. "Nobody uses me as their personal firecracker!"
"Natsu, if you don't calm down I'm going to drop you," Happy said.
"Fine," Natsu grumbled. "Let's just find Lucy."
"Hey Natsu, can't you find Lucy by sniffing her out?"
"I tried, but something funky keeps blocking me out. It's a smell that's kinda like that weird stick thing that her father gave her." He clenched his fists. "I can't believe I can't find her easily."
Suddenly, a large blob of green slime shot up from the ground. Happy barely managed to avoid it. "Natsu, down there!" he cried.
Natsu looked down and gritted his teeth. "Sugar Boy."
"Uh huh," Sugar Boy sang into his microphone. "If you're lonesome tonight, my hound dogs would love to keep ya company!"
"Bring it on! I owe you from earlier anyway," Natsu said. "I'm gonna fry your green gunk!"
"You're so sweetly naïve, hot boy," Sugar Boy said. "But I happen to hate sweet food and sweet people so I'm afraid this conversation is over."
"What's wrong with this guy?" Natsu wondered out loud. The ground suddenly shook violently as a large object crashed into the ground. Dust flew everywhere, creating a large smokescreen. Once the dust cleared, Natsu could see a large, dark pink octopus with glowing eyes standing before him. On top of its head stood a tall man masked in the darkness.
"Sugar Boy," the tall man growled. His voice was gravelly and authoritative. "You must not let short term matters distract you from the task at hand."
"Where the hell did that thing come from?" Natsu exclaimed.
The tall man looked at Sugar Boy with a hard glare. "Have you found Lucy Heartfilia yet?"
"I think she'll be ours momentarily, Lord Byro!" Sugar Boy shouted up to the man.
Natsu landed on the ground and stared up at the octopus. His jaw dropped. "Wait, Byro? As in the creepy dwarf guy from Edolas who tried to drain me and Wendy of our magic?"
"He's an octopus?" Happy cried.
"Man, he's nothing like the Edolas Byro."
"Don't be stupid, hot boy!" Sugar Boy shouted. "Lord Byro is the one standing on top of the octopus!"
Natsu looked further up. "Oh. That makes more sense. Still nothing like him."
"We're here to obtain the Heartfilia girl, not play with this boy and his cat," Byro growled. "Eliminate them at once. When you're done, return to the mission at hand or else."
Sugar Boy bowed. "You got it, boss man."
Fire danced around Natsu's fists. "Let's make this quick! I've got to get to Lucy!"
"I'm sorry, Virgo," Lucy said as she handed the spirit her Fleuve d'étoiles. "I think I broke it."
"Don't worry," Virgo assured. "I'm sure it was just affected by the magic that sealed you away for seven years. I'll return to the Celestial Spirit world and try to fix it." She bowed. "Please excuse me." With that, she vanished.
"Right," Lucy said with a smile. "See you soon!"
"So that was a Celestial Spirit?" Michelle asked excitedly.
"Yeah. Virgo is just one Spirit that I'm contracted with."
"She seems very nice," Michelle said with a big smile. "How are the mermaid and the crab?"
"What?" Lucy asked quietly. "How do you know about them?"
Michelle blinked. "You told me about them. Don't you remember?"
"No, I don't."
"Well look what we have here!" Hughes called out from above the two. She was standing on a small rock face with a smile. "It's exactly how Samuel calculated this would go down. I have to say I'm impressed by his mind."
"Hughes," Lucy said while taking a step back.
Hughes lifted her wand and the fingertip began to glow. "Dance, monkey, dance!" she exclaimed while waving her wand.
Michelle suddenly spun around and began walking off. Lucy turned to her. "Where are you going?"
"My…My legs! They're moving all by themselves," Michelle replied in terror. She continued to walk away, her legs moving her closer and closer towards the edge of a steep cliff.
"Michelle, stop!" Lucy begged. "You're gonna fall!"
"Believe me, falling is the last thing I want to do right now," Michelle said in a weak voice. She could see her end quickly approaching and she couldn't do anything to stop herself.
"Wait Hughes!" Lucy called out as she ran to Michelle. She wrapped her arms around her arm and tried to stop Michelle from going over the cliff. However, Michelle kept walking. "What happened to taking us with you?"
Hughes chuckled as she followed the two, waving her wand back and forth to force Michelle to keep walking. "I figured you two bimbos won't be able to run away from me if I injure you first."
"Let go, big sister," Michelle breathed. She was terrified of falling, but she couldn't stand the thought of Lucy getting hurt because of her. "I don't want to see you get hurt!"
Lucy didn't listen. She continued to pull with all of her strength, the wind wildly whipping her hair and skirt around.
"Big sister Lucy, please save yourself!" Michelle begged, crying out over the roaring wind.
"Not happening!" Lucy refused. "I'm going to stick with you!"
"I'm liking this friendship thing you've got going on," Hughes mocked. "It saves me the trouble of having to control you both at the same time."
Michelle took another step towards the very edge. The rocks beneath her foot gave way and she fell down the cliff. Lucy, who had refused to release her, fell with her. With cries of fear, the two plummeted down the steep cliff hand in hand, the memento falling beside them.
"NATSU!" Lucy shouted at the top of her lungs, squeezing her eyes shut and praying, wishing that he would be there to save her again. Suddenly, she felt a strong arm wrap around her stomach and she was no longer falling. She slowly opened her eyes and was shocked. "Nikolias!"
Nikolias hovered in the air, Lucy in one arm and Michelle in the other. He looked down at her with concern in his golden brown eyes.
"Lucy, are you alright?" Sky asked, her voice echoing on the wind.
Lucy released a heavy sigh. "I can't believe you found us in time. Thank you, Nikolias. You too, Sky."
"Don't mention it, but what were you thinking?" he scolded. "You could've been seriously hurt."
"I know, but I couldn't just let Michelle fall. I had to try and stop her!"
He looked at Michelle. "Any particular reason you decided to jump?"
"I was being controlled," Michelle replied sadly. "I'm so sorry."
"Controlled huh?" he growled. "So that Hughes girl is here?"
"Yeah, she is." Lucy then gasped. "My father's memento! Where is it?"
"There it is!" Michelle said. She pointed to the ground where it had landed.
Nikolias flew downward and placed both of them on the ground. As soon as he did, Lucy ran for the memento. She picked it up and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."
Sky reappeared in her human form and smiled. "I'm so glad we found you in time. Now let's get back to the guild."
"My, you sure are resourceful," Hughes said jokingly. The four looked over and saw Hughes walking over. "I never thought you'd escape that fall uninjured. I'm impressed that you found us, hot stuff."
Nikolias snarled at her. "I told you that you would pay. Now it looks like it's time to make good on that promise."
Hughes laughed as she raised her wand. "I look forward to seeing that."
