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 97
"Repeat: Another one of the engraved seals has been removed. If the remaining three disappear, the owners will lose the right of possession." Lucy's voice was emotionless and flat. She blinked and suddenly her right eye was the same golden color as the orb where she was trapped, a clock-like design covering her iris.
"Princess," Coco said worriedly.
"Lucy! Get a hold of yourself!" Natsu called out.
A soft laugh echoed behind Natsu as the space began to distort. Suddenly appearing in the room was Midnight, Klodoa clutched in his hand. Midnight smiled at Natsu calmly and confidently. "Struggle all you want. Use as much magic power as you want. It's pointless. Very soon, Lucy Heartfilia will completely merge with the Infinity Clock."
"And as soon as that happens, we will be able to take control of Real Nightmare," Klodoa added.
Natsu's eyes widened. "No…that can't be! Lucy won't…she won't!"
"I won't let anyone lay a hand on Big Sister," Imitatia cooed with a dreamy smile. "She will stay with me forever. For all eternity!"
Natsu clenched his fists, flames erupting with a roar. "To hell with everything you're saying! I know Lucy! She will keep on fighting! She won't ever quit!" He threw his head back. "YOU HEAR ME LUCY?! THE GIRL I LOVE WON'T EVER GIVE UP, RIGHT?! YOU'LL COME HOME!"
Lucy, however, had become unresponsive. The clock symbol and gold color had faded away, but her brown eyes remained lifeless. She was trapped in a memory; a memory that for the longest time had been a happy memory.
It was her birthday.
She was surrounded by family, friends, and servants in the Heartfilia mansion's front garden.
Her father held a delicious white cake covered in fruit. Four candles burned brightly around a small card that read 'Happy Birthday, Lucy' with a small flower design attached to the 'y' in her name.
Her mother stood in front of her with a sweet, loving smile. "Happy birthday, Lucy."
A young Lucy stood beaming before her parents. "Thank you so much, Mama! Papa! Everyone!"
Lucy watched the scene unfold from the outside, like a stranger in her own mind. 'Everyone? No, it can't be everyone. Michelle isn't here…oh. That's right. She said it was all a lie, didn't she? That's why she isn't here.'
Midnight chuckled at Natsu's efforts. "Useless. She can't hear you. She's too far gone."
Natsu grinded his teeth together. "Bastards!"
"Natsu! Hey Natsu!" Warren's telepathic communication rang in Natsu's mind. "What's going on over there? How's Lucy? Did you find her?"
"Yeah, I found her," Natsu replied. "But if we don't hurry, she's going to be swallowed up by the Infinity Clock."
"WHAAAAAAT?!"
"Lucy's going to be swallowed by the clock?" Laki exclaimed, hearing Natsu through Warren's magic.
"That must be the reason why Warren hasn't been able to reach out to her once," Carla surmised.
"There must be something we can do," Wendy said.
"Let us worry about that. You rest," Carla said sternly.
Warren groaned worriedly and sent out a global communication to anyone who was within a wide area around the Infinity Clock. "Everyone! Listen up! You need to hurry up and beat the Oración Séis! If you don't, Lucy will be swallowed up by the Infinity Clock and it'll be too late to save her!" Warren then turned his attention strictly to Happy and Panther Lily. "Happy! Lily! You guys hear me?"
"Aye, sir! We hear you, Warren!" Happy called out.
"You two listen carefully," Carla said through Warren. "I'll tell you which way Natsu and the others went, so get going!"
Happy and Panther Lily listened carefully as Carla described the route the group had taken and where Natsu currently was fighting.
Panther Lily nodded. "Understood. We're on our way."
"We're counting on you!" Warren cried. "You need to stop Samuel before he gets there and makes things worse!"
"Aye, sir!"
"Roger!"
Nikolias sprang up to his feet. "Damn it! Seriously?"
Angel, who overheard Warren's global communication, lowered her head. "There's nothing you can do to stop it now. Lucy Heartfilia will become one with the Infinity Clock and our dreams will be realized."
Nikolias turned to her. "Your dreams? I thought you were past that?"
Angel pouted. "I meant their dreams."
"Well, semantics aside, I have to get going. Sorry Angel, but I can't sit around and do nothing anymore." Nikolias began to walk off, but a firm hand kept him still. He didn't turn around. "Why are you stopping me?"
"What do you think you can do?" Angel asked. "You can't stop the Infinity Clock. Not now. It's too far along. You may be strong, but even you can't do anything at this point."
Nikolias glanced at her over his shoulder. "Maybe not. But I won't know unless I try."
Angel gripped his arm tighter. "How can you be so positive in such a dire situation?"
"What good would being negative do?"
Angel's eyes widened.
"Besides, I have faith in my friends. I believe in them. They won't give up on Lucy, and neither will I."
"Faith in your friends…"
"Can you let go now?"
Angel shook her head. "Only if you let me come with you."
"No way. Your magic isn't anywhere near stable. Bringing you along would only harm you."
"But—"
"It's not up for discussion."
Angel wanted to argue, but found herself complying. She released her hold on his arm. "Will you…will you come back?"
Nikolias nodded. "I will. I promise."
Angel smiled warmly. "Okay. I'll have faith in you. Good luck."
Nikolias took off down the path that not too long ago Natsu and the others had taken. He focused all of his thoughts on his nose, trying desperately to sniff out where Lucy was. 'We can't be too late. I refuse to give up on you, Lucy!'
"Erza," Gracie whispered.
Erza nodded. "I know."
The two swordswomen had been locked in battle with Cobra for quite some time. No matter what tactic they tried, no matter what pattern they ran, no matter what combination they used, he would dodge it effortlessly and launch a sound-based counterattack. They already knew they had to hurry, but now, hearing Warren's latest communication, they could feel their bodies fill with even more adrenaline.
Time was running out, faster than they had originally thought.
Erza and Gracie pushed off of the thick chain link. They both struck forward with their weapons at the same time, forcing Cobra to bend backwards to avoid the damage. Erza's lightning-charged spear crackled and unleashed a massive shockwave. Cobra held up a guard and leapt away.
Cobra eyed the two girls. "I can hear it. You need to take me down without a moment to spare so that my engraved seal will be erased from the Infinity Clock. Just give it up already, Titanias!"
"Damn it, get out of my head already!" Gracie cried, furiously scratching her head. "It's really irritating!"
"I thought you could hear it," Erza retorted. "We will never give up. Fairy Tail doesn't know the meaning of those words."
"Because even if you both are defeated here, you still have friends, right?" Cobra said, finishing Erza's thought before she could continue. "Rely on them all you want. Nothing any of you throw at me will take me down!" Cobra swung his hand in front of him in a horizontal arc, unleashing a massive wave of sound.
Erza and Gracie leapt high to avoid the blast. Erza requipped into her Sea Empress Armor. Both swordswomen landed on the chain link and dashed forward, Erza swinging her sword in quick, arcing slashes, while Gracie tried to fill in the gaps in her attacks with powerful, longer strikes with her halberd. Cobra dodged every single blow from both weapons. Erza and Gracie tried to keep up with his movements and predict where he would end up next. However, with his ability to hear their thoughts, they couldn't get the drop on him.
As he dodged, Cobra continued. "In order to receive our new powers, we lost something irreplaceable. For Erigor, it was his memories. For Racer, it was his heart. For Angel, it was her lifespan. Do you wanna know why scum like you won't ever defeat me?" He made one final dodge of both weapons by spinning on his heel. He balanced on both feet and grabbed each weapon with one of his hands, firing point blank sound waves through their weapons and into their bodies. "It's because you lack the resolve to lose something important!" The sound waves exploded, sending both girls flying back into separate chain links. "No one can surpass the weight upon our hearts!"
"Why?" Erza called out as she got to her feet. "Why do you want power that badly?"
"I get that you're lonely," Gracie added as she hopped to her feet, "but is all this chaos and destruction really necessary? I mean, I get wanting revenge, but isn't there a better way?"
"There is no better way," Cobra replied shortly. "This is what I have to do. If I don't accomplish this, I won't ever be able to look Cubelios in the eye!" He pointed a hand at each swordswoman. Waves of sound magic vibrated intensely through the air. The girls put up a guard, but the sound magic was too strong. It tore through their clothes, their armor, and their skin. They gritted their teeth and dug in their feet, but they couldn't hold up against the intense pressure. Once again they were sent flying backwards. Erza's back slammed into the connector of two links, her Sea Empress Armor shattering on impact. She managed to grab hold of a small ledge before she could fall. Gracie hit another chain link hard with her side and rolled. Using her reflexes, she was able to dig her halberd's blade into the chain link, managing to bore a small hole in the metal deep enough to stop her momentum and keep her from falling to the ground below. "I have nothing else to lose. I've lost it all. I threw everything away, so I am afraid of nothing. There's nothing either of you can do!"
Warren sighed as he lowered his hand. "Alright, everyone should have been able to hear that. Hopefully they get the job done quickly."
"What is the Archbishop's condition?"
The Fairy Tail mages turned around after hearing a deep voice echo behind them. Standing there was Byro, an army of Zentopian monk soldiers behind him. His body was covered in bruises and cuts. His armor had deep scratches. His trademark staff was nowhere to be found.
"Byro?!" Warren exclaimed.
"What are you doing here? Where's Gildarts? Don't tell me he…," Laki asked, but couldn't bring herself to finish her last question.
Byro looked at her sternly. "He descended down below with two of his comrades. However, I expect him to still be alive. He's stubborn like that, I've gathered." He looked around. "Where are Samuel and the rest of your guild mates?"
"You have no more reason to go after Lucy!" Laki exclaimed, ignoring Byro's question.
"If we defeat all of the Six Generals of the new Oración Séis, their seals will disappear from the Infinity Clock," Wendy added, hoping the new information would keep Byro from getting involved in the hunt for Lucy. "And if we do that—!"
"But you're too late to stop Lucy Heartfilia from merging with the Infinity Clock," Byro interrupted. "Am I wrong?"
"We…we don't…," Wendy began.
"There is still a way," came a weak, raspy voice. The voice belonged to the Archbishop, who had finally awoken. He was carefully pulling his body out of bed, attempting to stand on weak legs. He slowly dragged his feet towards the group. "All hope is not lost."
"Your Grace!" Byro exclaimed. He and the soldiers behind him swiftly dropped to a knee and bowed their heads in respect.
"I had a very trying nightmare for the longest time," the Archbishop said slowly. "Nothing I've done of late has been my own will. I was being controlled like a puppet. And it is because of this that our current situation has come about." His gentle gaze fell on Wendy. "However, while taking no heed for the danger it posed to them, these people rescued me from my nightmare." He looked back to Byro and approached him slowly. "Even though the enemy was manipulating me, I could see from their viewpoint."
"Then could you tell us something?" Warren spoke out anxiously.
"You know a lot about the Infinity Clock, right Archbishop?" Wendy asked timidly.
The Archbishop turned his head to the young girl and looked into her frightened eyes. "You wish to know about the captured Celestial Spirit Wizard, your friend, don't you? Listen carefully. There may still be hope for her yet."
Natsu fixed his glare on Imitatia. "You say you wanna be with Lucy forever. But tell me; have you ever considered Lucy's feelings in all of this? She trusted you, and even after she realized you had betrayed her, she wants to believe in you still. Can't you hear her voice?"
Imitatia said nothing as she stood barring Natsu's path to Lucy.
Midnight chuckled as he played with his small braid. "There's nothing to hesitate over. Remember, you're trying to take back what you lost. Isn't that right, Imitatia?"
"Michelle, listen to me!" Natsu called out.
Imitatia threw her bladed shield at Natsu. He was able to perform a back handspring to avoid the blow. She pulled back on the vine attached to the shield to redirect the shield to chase after Natsu. He continued to dodge, but she was able to quickly redirect her shield over and over to keep Natsu on the defensive. "I'm sure Big Sister will be happier this way! After all, we were always together!" She yanked the vine, pulling on her shield to force Natsu to have to leap to the right. The moment his feet left the ground, she charged forward, her large sword held high over her head.
Natsu saw the attack coming, but had no way to dodge. He lit his hands and forearms ablaze and held up a quick guard as the blade descended upon him. While he was able to avoid lethal damage, the blade cut through his forearms, leaving thin gashes running vertically through his flesh. He landed on the ground and pushed back to create a distance between him and Imitatia. Small droplets of blood dripped to the stone floor. Natsu ignored it. He had to find a way to break through. And fast. He gritted his teeth. "I don't get it, Michelle. Why? Why the hell do you keep lying?!"
"Lying?" Imitatia repeated. "What am I lying about?"
"You say you were always together, but you're not the real Michelle. So you must be lying!"
Imitatia tightened her grip on her sword's hilt. "I'm not lying!"
"You say you believe Lucy will be happier with the way things are now," Natsu continued. "So you're trying to tell me you thought about Lucy's feelings? Don't give me that bullshit! After Lucy lost her dad, the last family she had left, did you think about how happy she felt when you showed up, claiming to be her family? You betrayed her! You lied to her! Everything you say is a lie, so this must be a lie, too!"
Imitatia's body trembled. "I…I'm not lying! Big Sister and I…we…we were! We were always together!"
"Imitatia," Klodoa cooed. "You can't let them shake you up like that. He's just trying to throw you off, get inside your head. You can't allow that. Anyone who stands in your way is your enemy."
Natsu's flames wrapped around his fists like snakes. "Michelle, you can say what you want. Honestly, I shouldn't be worrying so much about who you are or why you're doing what you're doing. Right now, I only have one thing to worry about. I will kick your ass and save Lucy from the hell you're putting her through!"
Imitatia stopped trembling and angled her body. "Natsu."
"Don't shy away, Imitatia," Midnight said calmly. "You are the new Oración Séis's number two. Do what must be done and I will make your prayers come true. Show me your allegiance."
Natsu put his hands together, firing twin columns of roaring flames at Imitatia. Imitatia ran forward with all of her speed, charging straight at the incoming flames. Right before the flames could hit she bent backward, her body low and completely parallel to the ground. She slid on the heels of her feet until she closed the gap between her and Natsu. She swung her sword upwards, carving an arc in the air as she slashed through Natsu's upper body. He was able to react enough to only receive a shallow scratch, but the attack still had enough power behind it to knock him up into the air. Imitatia pushed off the ground, spinning her body and throwing her bladed shield right into Natsu's back. Natsu flew several feet through the air before landing roughly on the ground. He tumbled a few times before sliding to a stop. He hissed as the dirt rubbed into his fresh new wounds. He cursed as he spat off to the side.
"I knew you could do it," Klodoa complimented. "All you need to think about is your most fervent wish; living together with Lucy Heartfilia for eternity."
Midnight approached Imitatia from behind and whispered in her ear, "Now finish him off. Then I will do whatever is needed to make your prayer come true."
The vines that were wrapped around Imitatia's body began to unravel and swirl around her. "Bind that man!" she commanded. The vines shot out towards Natsu like viscous snakes.
Natsu leapt away to try and avoid the new attack, but they chased after him. They wrapped themselves tightly around his wrists, thighs, waist, and neck. Thorns tore into his skin. He struggled against the restraints, but could not break free.
Imitatia lifted her sword, silently commanding the vines to lift Natsu high into the air. Once he had risen nearly a hundred feet into the air, she lowered her sword. Like before, the vines obeyed their silent owner, swinging down towards the ground and slamming Natsu into the stone floor and holding him there.
Still in her trance, Lucy felt some kind of consciousness returning to her. Through her clouded vision, she could see Natsu and Imitatia fighting. 'Natsu…Michelle…please stop…I don't want anyone to get hurt!' Suddenly, like before, a voice spoke through her. "Warning. Murderous intent detected nearby, approaching rapidly."
"Murderous intent?" Coco blinked.
Suddenly, there was a loud crack from the ceiling. Rubble descended and among the dust fell Samuel. He landed on the ground with a crash and raced towards Lucy on his wings.
"Samuel?" Coco breathed in surprise. "What are you doing?"
Samuel summoned his claws as continued his approach. "Lucy Heartfilia! I will stop the Infinity Clock by spilling your blood!"
"NOOOOO!" Natsu roared. Flames erupted around him, immediately burning away the vines. He leapt to his feet and began to run. "LUCY!"
Coco shook off her shock and acted quickly. Using her Free Run magic, she stuck her feet to the golden orb behind her and put her arms out to the side. She had completely blocked off Samuel's attack.
Samuel, upon seeing his former Legion Platoon comrade act as a shield, froze in midair, his right arm extended and poised to strike mere inches from Coco's face. "Coco, what are you doing? Move out of the way!"
"I won't!" Coco refused.
"There's no time to argue!" Samuel barked, sweat trickling down his furry face. "I have to kill her!"
"Then you should have no problem tearing through me, too!" Coco threw back. "You have no time, right?"
Samuel withdrew his arm. "Damn it, Coco! I'm not doing this for the sake of the church doctrine. I'm following my own heart!"
"Even though you know this is wrong?" Coco cried.
"Yes," Samuel replied honestly. "To put an end to this chaos, I have no other choice. I'll do what must be done!" Pushing down every last shred of doubt, Samuel charged his claws with magic and drew back his arm. He had resolved himself to destroy Lucy Heartfilia, even if it meant seriously injuring Coco in the process.
Coco closed her eyes tightly, prepared for Samuel's claws to tear through her body.
But the pain never came. Instead, the sound of bone hitting bone rang through the air and the sound of Samuel's grunt met Coco's ears. She opened her eyes to see Happy in front of her.
Happy had managed to reach the group just in time to land a full speed headbutt to Samuel's jaw. The surprise attack knocked Samuel away from Lucy and Coco.
Panther Lily, in his Edolas battle form, leapt in front of Coco. "Thank you, Coco. Leave this to me now."
Natsu slid to a stop and smiled wide. "Happy! Lily! Nice timing!"
Samuel regained his balance and glared down at the new obstacles. "Brother. Happy."
"So Samuel. This is the answer you arrived at?" Panther Lily asked. "Fool! I guess I'll have to knock the decision to take a life out of your head!" Panther Lily summoned his wings and rushed at Samuel. Samuel had no time to react as Panther Lily's large body slammed into him and pushed him out of the room and away from his target.
Happy waved his paw in front of Lucy's face. "Lucy! Hey, Lucy! Wake up! It's Happy! Can you hear me?"
Lucy didn't respond. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say she couldn't response. 'I can hear you…Happy. But I…I can't do anything. Everyone is injured and I can't even move my body to help. I don't want this! I want to help everyone!' A small tear leaked out of Lucy's left eye and trickled down her cheek.
Happy smiled wide. "She can hear us! She can hear our voices!"
Natsu felt his chest relax slightly. Lucy could hear them. She was still in there somewhere. A massive toothy grin split his face. His entire body ignited in powerful flames as his hope was renewed. "I knew it. Lucy's in there fighting with everything she's got. This showdown ain't nowhere near over!"
Klodoa groaned. "Damn it, he's so stubborn! This is why I told you to kill him before instead of imprisoning him."
Imitatia readied her sword and charged at Natsu. Natsu charged at Imitatia with flame empowered fists. Imitatia swung her sword. Natsu countered with a right jab. The two attacks met head-on as the two fighters pushed against each other, eyes locked.
Midnight sighed. "Let him continue his fight. No matter what he tries to do, it's too late anyway. You people have no chance."
"Everyone! Can you hear me?" Warren called out using his telepathy. Everyone who could hear it, except for Natsu, froze upon hearing the sudden communication. "Listen to this! There's a way to slow down the merging of Lucy and the Infinity Clock! The Archbishop will explain, so listen carefully!"
There was a moment's pause before the Archbishop's voice came through Warren's telepathy. "In order to merge with a sacrificial Celestial Spirit Wizard, a telepathic bond has to form with the person and their sense of time. In other words, the Infinity Clock must integrate with your friend's memories. To integrate their memories, the chains descending from the Infinity Clock to the ground spread Real Nightmare while simultaneously taking in the land's magic power and all memories."
"In short, you can buy some time if you cut the chains!" Warren summarized. "Byro and the Zentopian monk soldiers already left to get started. Everyone! Start destroying chains!"
Far below the Infinity Clock, Gajeel laughed. "Destroy chains, huh? That's easy enough. Plus, these chains look like they'd fill me up."
Gray, shirtless, stretched his arms. "I bet the more we break, the more time we save. Let's get started!"
Gildarts smiled. "Right!"
Panther Lily and Samuel, who had been locked in a heated brawl, paused in the air. "Did you hear that?" Panther Lily asked.
Samuel nodded. "Yes. I heard it." Samuel lowered his gaze. "Brother, I—"
"Forget it," Panther Lily said, cutting Samuel off with a raised paw. "Everyone makes mistakes. I've made plenty. But what's important now—"
"—is what you do afterwards, right?" Samuel guessed.
Panther Lily smiled and nodded. "What do you say we go snap some chains, Sammy?"
Samuel returned the smile and nod. "Yes. Let's have a contest to see who can chop through the most, brother!"
Nikolias slid to a stop. His eyes were dragon-like and his wide toothy grin revealed elongated dragon fangs. "So we have to destroy the chains outside? Now that's something I can get on board with!" Shadows swirled around his body rapidly, enshrouding his body in thick darkness. "SHADOW RUSH!" With a sudden burst of speed, Nikolias's body slammed through the thick walls of the airship and tore through as if they were made of paper. He shot through the multiple layers of the hull until he was outside of the flying airship. The moment he was outside, the shadows around him swarmed even more and expanded. After a few seconds they exploded and dissipated, revealing Nikolias in his dragon form. He roared loudly, his voice echoing through the dark skies. "I'll crush them all!"
Natsu swung his left leg up in an arc, flames engulfing his foot. "FIRE DRAGON TALON!"
Imitatia managed to lift her shield to block the powerful kick. "You never know when to quit. Is this is the power of your feelings, Natsu?"
Natsu used the opportunity to push off of Imitatia's shield to gain some distance. He smirked. "I would never quit on her. I knew there was still hope. We can still save Lucy!"
"Any hope you have is a faint hope at best," Midnight said. "Feel free to do your worst."
Cobra's arms and hands became snake-like, covered in dark red scales. Deep red magic swarmed around his entire body like a cloak. "I'll kill you with one final stroke. Cubelios, I'm going to use it; the last breath you gave me."
"This must be second generation," Erza thought out loud. She peeled herself from the connector and landed in a crouched position on a chain link. She quickly requipped into her Robe of Yuen armor.
"Second generation? Second generation what?" Gracie asked.
"Second generation Dragon Slayers; individuals who had dragon slayer lacrimas implanted within them to grant them their power," Erza briefly explained. "Laxus is also a second generation Dragon Slayer."
"Get out," Gracie said. She steadied herself and pried her halberd's blade from the iron chain link. She rested the shaft on her shoulder. "So I'm guessing this will hurt if it hits?"
"His poison is strong. Be prepared," Erza warned.
"So it'll hurt."
Cobra held his arms out to the side. "Decay and die, Titania! Titania's comrade!"
"My name is Gracie! I have a name, jack ass!"
Cobra inhaled deeply. "POISON DRAGON ROAR!" A column of noxious gas sprayed towards Erza.
"Erza!" Gracie cried. "Move!"
The poisonous gas crashed into the iron where Erza was standing, concealing her in dark red miasma. However, the cloud soon disappeared as if it had been knocked away. Standing there was Erza, a large hammer clutched in her hands. Smoke billowed from the massive head from where Cobra's attack struck and was nullified.
"Impossible!" Cobra cried, shock appearing on his face for the first time.
"It's the Actually Hammer!" Gracie exclaimed.
"This ancient weapon is said to keep evil at bay," Erza said. "I'm glad my theory was right. I am able to use it like this, too."
"I guess I can't ask about something I don't know about. I didn't expect you to pull out such a weapon at the eleventh hour," Cobra said.
"Try listening to my heart instead of my mind," Erza replied.
Cobra listened carefully. His eyes widened. "Take me with you? Sever the chains…you intend to bring us both down?"
Erza smirked as she leapt towards the chain link where Cobra was standing. The hammer's head glowed brightly. "Gracie, I'll handle things here. You help out everyone else in destroying other chains." Erza swung down at the chain link, slamming the hammer head into the iron. The light expanded and burst through the chain link, breaking it apart as if it were a cheap toy. The bottom part of the chain descended, crashing into the ground below. Both Erza and Cobra descended with it.
Gracie saluted. "Roger that!" Suddenly, a loud crash followed by a powerful roar rang out on the air. "And look at that! Here comes my ride!" Appearing from the other side of the airship was Nikolias. He headed straight for where Gracie was. She waved emphatically. "Perfect timing, Niky!" Once he was close enough, she leapt down and landed on his back.
"You okay with leaving Erza to fight alone?" Nikolias asked as he flew off.
"Yeah, she's got this covered. That weapon she got earlier will win it for her," Gracie answered as her halberd disappeared. "Let's just cut some chains to save Lucy!"
"Right!" he roared.
Gracie clapped her hands together. "Come forth, Dragon Rider Armor!" A bright light enveloped Gracie and Nikolias's bodies. When it had faded, Gracie was wearing her Dragon Rider Armor, her massive flaming sword gripped in her hand. Nikolias's golden armor had appeared as well.
Cobra was leaping from chain link to chain link, using his sound magic to aid in his balance. However, every time he landed he found Erza close behind him. She would swing the hammer down and shatter the chain easily, forcing him to leap away all over again. His ability to read thoughts wasn't helping either. After all, he knew very well what Erza was going to do and what her plan was. She was going to strike wherever he landed, knowing full well that he would leap away to dodge, but still earning a victory; each chain broken would buy the captured Lucy Heartfilia more time. He was completely on the defensive, dancing to the rhythm that Erza was putting forth. There was no room for a counterattack. "Damn you, Titania!" he bellowed as he leapt away again.
Erza slammed her hammer down, snapping yet another chain. She turned on her heel and pushed off of the broken iron to keep up her pursuit.
Gajeel spat off to the side. "Man these taste like shit." He smiled as he looked up at the destruction Erza was causing to the chains. "But I can't stop here. Can't let her outdo me."
Gildarts used his Crash Magic to disintegrate several chain links at once.
Gray used his Ice Maker magic to freeze and shatter the weaker connections between chain links.
Byro led the army of Zentopian monk soldiers to the next chain as the one they had just destroyed crumpled down. "Hurry! To the next chain!" Out of the corner of his eye, green light drew his attention. He turned as he ran to see Gatman the Cleaner using his Rupture Magic to implode the magic within the chains and easily destroying them.
Gatman looked down at Byro. "I heard the Archbishop's voice. I will correct the mistake I have made!"
Hughes, Sugar Boy, and Dan Straight ran through Zentopia Cathedral to join the efforts in destroying the chains.
Panther Lily and Samuel flew through the air, Panther Lily gripping his massive sword and Samuel ready with his fists.
"I've destroyed five now!" Samuel bragged.
"Not bad! I've already done seven!" Panther Lily laughed.
Nikolias and Gracie raced through the air. Gracie swung her sword at any chain she could see to the right of them, sending out arcing bursts of flames that severed any chain with its intense heat. Meanwhile, Nikolias snapped every chain in front of them with his powerful jaws, spitting out the pieces as he flew off. Chains fell all around them in rapid succession.
As massive chains descended all around her, Kinana ran. She barely noticed what was happening around her. Her thoughts were focused on one thing. 'He's calling me.' She smiled. 'I'm getting closer and closer. I can hear him! I hear his voice!'
Upon one of the few remaining chains, Cobra and Erza squared off. Erza's hammer was still at the ready.
"Cobra," Erza called out, "you said you're strong because you lost everything, correct? But you're wrong. That's not true strength."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Cobra barked.
"People get stronger when they have something or someone to protect, not the other way around," Erza clarified. "When you have real friends, they support you." She drew back with her hammer. "However, you only think about yourself. Are you sure you could really hear the voice of the friend you lost?" She leapt towards Cobra. "You don't feel shame now when you think of your friend?"
Miasma engulfed Cobra's fists as he swung them at Erza, sending out waves of poison. Erza swung her hammer to destroy the incoming attack, but Cobra used that as an opportunity to try to land a sneak attack, trying to use the burst of light from the hammer as a smokescreen. He swung down at Erza with poison-laden talons. "SHUT UP!" The blow met its mark, striking Erza in the chest and pushing her down into the chain link. A wicked grin split his face. "This is as far as you go. I'm going to crush your head!" He raised his free arm, prepared to strike a finishing blow.
And then he heard it.
It was faint, but his incredible hearing received it.
It was a voice. A soft voice. It was approaching.
He knew this voice.
Once he heard it, he forgot everything else. He forgot about Erza as he stood straight, freeing her from his grip. He looked around wildly. "Cubelios! It can't be…but…yes I sense her! Her form has changed, but I can hear her thoughts!" He was panting as his eyes scanned around him in every possible direction. He walked towards the edge to look out on the horizon. "This can't be a mistake. It's impossible!"
"I never thought you would lose your composure in the heat of battle."
Cobra's eyes widened as he snapped back to his present situation. He turned around as quickly as he could, but it was too late. Erza was nearly upon him with her hammer drawn back. "Shit!" In a last ditch effort to protect himself, he struck out with his palm, meeting the hammer's head as it swung toward him. Sound magic echoed out as he tried to push Erza away. But the hammer's power wasn't exaggerated. Its bright light ate away at his poison and tore away his scales. He shrieked in pain as the light consumed him.
Erza focused all her energy on her attack. 'Feelings for friends don't drag you down. I think you realize that, don't you, Cobra?' The light expanded as Erza finished her swing, batting away a now unconscious Cobra. His body flew off into the distant mountains. 'Yes, you can hear the voice of your friend. So then could you really have thrown everything away that easily, as you claimed to have done?'
"Warning: Another engraved seal has been erased. There are two left," Lucy said with the monotonous, mechanical voice of the Infinity Clock.
Happy and Coco cheered excitedly. They knew they were one step closer to freeing Lucy from her fate.
"Now Cobra is down? I don't believe it!" Klodoa shouted.
Natsu's flames swirled around his fists like cyclones. "Alright! Guess that means the last two people who have to be beaten are right here in front of me."
"You really are quite tenacious," Imitatia remarked as she readied her sword and shield for another exchange of attacks. "Can't you see you are only buying time? You won't have any effect on the big picture."
Midnight held out his arms. "What my father left undone, the destruction of everything that has form, and bringing about nothingness and chaos. Seven years ago we were unsuccessful, our plans left in shambles by you and Fairy Tail. But this time, you won't be able to interfere, Natsu Dragneel." He swung his arms down, sending out arcs of magic that swirled around Natsu like a tornado. They picked up Natsu's body, throwing him around mercilessly before sending him crashing back first into the rock wall. The wind was knocked out of him as he plummeted back down.
"I will tell you one thing," Midnight continued. "It's too late to save the girl trapped in the Infinity Clock. Lucy Heartfilia is becoming part of the Infinity Clock, in spite of your foolish efforts, and when it's done, she'll lose her body and mind as well. Once she's become a piece of the clock, she'll be erased from everyone's memories. Her very existence will be wiped off the face of Earth Land."
Imitatia's eyes widened. A scared, whispered gasp escaped her lips. "E…rased? What? But…Big Sister is going to be together with me."
"Fear not," Midnight said calmly. "She won't leave you. She's simply going to become a tool. When that happens you can be with her as much as you like." He chuckled. "It will work out well. For someone like you, she'll be the perfect partner."
Imitatia staggered backwards. "No…" Her sword fell from her hands. "No…what I wished for, what I prayed for…" Panic flared within her. She spun on her heel to face Lucy. "THAT'S NOT IT!" She thrust her shield towards the orb, forcing Coco and Happy to dodge out of the way by leaping down off of the stairs. The blades of the shield stuck in the stone stairs, allowing Imitatia to pull herself quickly to Lucy. "BIG SISTER!"
"What are you going to do?" Coco cried, panicked as she and Happy tried to get in Imitatia's way again.
"Stay away!" Happy warned.
Imitatia landed on the stairs and spun around with a raised leg, landing a sharp kick to both Coco and Happy. "MOVE!" Imitatia roared. The two were sent falling down to the base of the stairs. She spun back around to face Lucy's blank expression. Lucy was continuing to sink deeper into the golden orb. Imitatia pulled her shield out of the stairs and grabbed hold of it. "Big Sister, I…I…!" She swung her shield at the golden orb. It bounced off, having no effect. But she didn't quit. She kept swinging over and over again. "I'm sorry!" She swung her shield again. "I'm sorry!" Again she swung, only to have her shield be deflected again. No cracks appeared in the cool, smooth stone. "I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!" She shrieked over and over at the top of her lungs. Pieces of her shield shattered off, flying all around her like rain. For the first time since taking this form, Imitatia's face flushed. Her eyes shone with life. Tears flowed down her face.
Natsu watched as Imitatia did everything she could to free Lucy. "Michelle…"
A part of Lucy's consciousness awoke. 'Michelle…Cry a lot…Eat a lot…Kind of clumsy…' Memories of the times she spent with Michelle since she arrived came back to her. 'I see. Michelle was also suffering.'
"Oh no no no," Klodoa sang. "This is no good."
Midnight sighed as he played with his braid. "Utter nonsense." He held up his hand and pointed it at Imitatia's back. "Your role is finished, Imitatia. Return to garbage." Dark green and black magic appeared in a flash before his hand. A single bolt of magic energy shot out like a missile, striking Imitatia in the back. Green magic engulfed her body as she gasped and froze.
A sad smile appeared on Imitatia's face. Her shield dropped from her hand with a metallic clang. She fell backward, her hand extended towards Lucy. "Big Sister…" The green magic completely consumed her, shining brightly as she fell like a star. The light bounced on the stairs as it descended.
The light shrunk and turned pink in color as it continued to bounce down the stairs. The orb of pink magic finally hit the floor before fading away. And there, rolling to a stop on the rough stone ground, lay a doll. She was battered and dirty. Her blue dress was slightly torn. Her dark blonde hair was messy and was sprawled out beneath her head. 'Big Sister…I'm sorry. I love you!' A small drop of water appeared in the corner of her left blue eye.
More memories ran through Lucy's barely cognizant mind. 'That's right. I remember.' Tears were streaking down Lucy's face. 'Somewhere along the line, I think I realized…that this girl really was my precious little sister.'
A strong memory shone its way to the front of Lucy's mind. It was a memory of her as a child as she hugged a doll, her favorite doll as a child—the same doll that lay motionless on the ground in front of her.
Midnight walked over and stomped on the doll. He huffed as he dug his foot into her and twisted back and forth. "Pathetic, filthy doll."
"Please stop. You'll get your shoe dirty," Klodoa laughed.
Natsu slammed his fist into the ground. His body trembled with rage. "You…you son of a bitch!" Flames erupted around him, roaring like a dragon as they shook the room. "You heartless bastard! Michelle was suffering and you act that way? Is it that funny to you when someone's sad? Well then I'll beat the shit out of you until you can't even crack a smile!"
Midnight stopped and turned to Natsu with a taunting smile. "Then by all means, come and get me."
