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Harry, while carrying Fawkes, leaves the cave room with the sea monster behind, and makes his way along the hallway. It was a good five minute walk before he comes across a soft turn to the right, which leads to an exit to another hallway. Harry looks to where light is coming in from and sees the outside. With a glance to his right he sees that there is a hill that leads down. 'Is that the so called safe path?' he questioned, making him realize that he had to go down, not up, to get to this point safely.
{How do we know that the safe way is down? It could have been in a wall,} Fawkes points out.
Harry shrugs his shoulders. "Well, the path we took led up into the ceiling, so a gut feeling is telling me that the safe one led down into the floor since there is a hill here," he said.
{We could find out.} Fawkes sat up from within Harry's arms.
"Are you sure?" Fawkes nods his head in reassurance. "Just be careful." The phoenix rolls out of Harry's arms and glides down the hill to see where it leads. Once he got down there he lets Harry know what it is he found.
{Yup, there is a ladder similar to the one we took. It leads up to the dark maze,} Fawkes said.
Harry sends a mental nod to his familiar in thanks. {Alright, come back up so we can leave this cave.} From far down, Harry saw a small, orange flash appear and then disappear only to reappear right in front of him in a much bigger form. Fawkes plops down into Harry's arms again, and the two leave the cave.
Just as Harry leaves the cave's mouth he sees Lucy and Cana by the lake/waterfall, as well as Gray and Loki/Leo. It would seem that not everyone is there yet. So the raven-haired wizard goes to a small opening where the sun is shining down on and lays Fawkes in the center of it. This should help him recover his strength faster. While Fawkes is sunbathing, Harry goes into a shade cast by a boulder and leans on it. He closes his eyes to get some rest while waiting for everyone else.
He didn't know he fell asleep until someone wakes him later, but right now he fell into a dream. In the dream there is darkness all around. Faintly he can hear a roar, but he couldn't make out what was making such a noise. He looks up, only to see more blackness. Wait...he sees something is the dark. It is outlined by a dark blue aura. It looks like some weird dragon, but it is the biggest dragon he has ever seen. It roars again, but this time louder. It is confusing; why isn't the roar much louder? With how close it is it should be nearly blowing out his eardrums, but it sounds like it is still miles upon miles away.
"We will meet soon, my master."
{Harry, wake up already! Everyone is here now!} Following up his words, Fawkes pecks Harry right between the eyes. Harry shoots up in both pain and surprise, all the while rubbing at his third eyes. It sounds weird, but it is going to look like a third eye once the redness comes in.
"I'm up... Did you have to peck me so hard?" Harry made to stand when he thought of something. "When did I fall asleep?" he muttered. That is when the dream came back to him. Who was that dragon, and why did the voice sound familiar? He knows it wasn't that long ago when he last heard it, but with hearing so many voices, and not hearing this one enough every day, he forgot who it belongs to. ''My master'. That is what the voice said. Was it Death? Was that who the dragon was? Can Death turn into a dragon? I guess it's possible, but why do I feel like that theory is wrong?' There are more questions than answers running through Harry's mind, but right now he has no time to think about them. The wizard shoves the questions to the back of his mind for later, and then strides towards where the others are in front of Makarov.
"Good, I see everyone is here, for the most part," said Makarov. Harry looks around to see that Juvia and Lisanna, as well as Freed and Bickslow, and Mest and Wendy aren't there. "Those that aren't here means that they have not passed the first test. So they are now at our camp recovering. Now then, on to the next part of the trial! What this test is going to be is using your brains to find our first master's grave. If you can find it using your wits and within 6 hours, then you have passed the S-Class trials. Now begin!" With that, Makarov vanishes.
Everyone quickly leaves to start their search while Harry and Fawkes decide to search for something else.
"Do you think we'll find them?" Harry asked.
{Knowing your luck, you might find the grave while looking for this magic energy,} said Fawkes. Harry couldn't really disagree with that logic, but he doubts that he'll find the grave first.
"Sure..."
{No, think about it, Harry. When you're looking for something you have a hard time finding it, right?} Harry nods his head. {When you can't find it you give up. Now you're looking for something else. While searching for this other thing you find what you gave up looking for a little while ago. I'm just saying that we might find something we weren't looking for.}
'He's got a point,' Harry thought while looking forward again so he doesn't trip on a root as he walks. "Can you sense them?" he asked, referring to the owner of the dark, magic energy.
{I can, but it is hard to pinpoint them. They are not that close.}
"Can you at least find their general direction, then?"
{That way,} Fawkes said while using his right wing to point between their right and center. Harry turns slightly to the right, and continues walking.
Even though Harry and Fawkes are looking for the owner of the dark magic, this doesn't mean they didn't keep an eye out for the grave of their first master. They have been walking for a solid hour now, but they have yet to find either. They are close to the one though.
{We are close enough to the dark, magic energy for me to pinpoint them,} said Fawkes. Harry turns with a raised eyebrow to his familiar as a way to tell him to continue. {It is just passed that dead tree line.} Fawkes pointed with his beak.
{Why are they dead?} Harry asked while making his way to them.
{Well, the dark magic is death magic, and it seems to be out of control. So that might explain why everything is dead.} Fawkes rolled his eyes while saying the word 'might'.
Harry tossed a glare at the phoenix. {Stop making fun of me.}
"Now I'll ask you again, you creep! Just who the heck are you?!" Harry paused at the sound of Natsu's voice. He does not sound happy; meaning the outburst of death magic almost hit him or a friend. Either way, Harry needs to get there before another outburst happens. He walks out passed the tree line to see Natsu glaring at a young man with raven hair, black clothing with a white toga wrapped around his upper body, and black boots. This man made Harry believe he has seen him from somewhere before.
The young man said something, but it was too quiet for Harry to hear, but not soft enough for Natsu to miss it. Harry would have thought the man said something bad with how Natsu reacted, but after the dragon slayer charged forward and slams a fist into the dark mage's face, which then the man recovered from and stood back up to reveal that he has tears trailing down his cheeks. Harry can tell that the man wasn't crying due to pain, at least not from Natsu's punch. This pain if coming from the man's eyes. Harry is too far away, however, to truly know what kind of emotional pain the young man is going through.
All of a sudden, the raven-haired man clutches his head in his hands. His teeth are grinding together as if he's trying to restrain himself.
{Uh...Harry, that is exactly what he's doing. His magic is about to go out of control again!} said Fawkes worriedly.
"R-run!" the man said to Natsu - and Harry is now just realizing - Happy, Evergreen, and Elfman. Natsu didn't listen right away, but that changed when the black cloud of death forms around the man's body. This helped Harry to remember where he had seen this person. He was one of the first people he had seen after waking up with no memories. He practically saved him from traders, even if the young man doesn't agree to his own accidental method or unknowing interference. Harry remembered how relieved the mage was when he saw that Harry was still alive, and how sad he looked when he saw the dead bodies. The man didn't want to kill anyone, but his magic didn't allow him to have much of a choice - or that is what it looks like. His magic could be out of control due to the man's fear of it for all anyone knew. Maybe Death would know, but Harry has no way of contacting him.
Harry had to shove all these thoughts to the back of his mind, because they aren't important right now. What is important is getting Natsu away from that magic before it touches him. The wizard dashes forward toward Natsu. He can hear Fawkes yelling at him through his mind, telling him that he is crazy, but Harry ignores him in favor of saving his friend. Harry makes it to Natsu, grabs him, and throws him as hard and as far as he could with the muscles he developed over the years of being with Fairy Tail. He may have the body of a swimmer - or a seeker in this case - but that didn't mean he couldn't use a little instinctual magic to boost his strength. With Natsu out of range of the death magic, Harry now realizes his new problem. He has no time to get out of the way of the death magic. Just has he had gotten Natsu away, the magic engulfs him.
Natsu must have caught his scent when he threw him, because he called out his name is horror. Just as the magic ended, everyone saw that Harry is still standing. The young wizard opened his eyes is surprise that he is still alive. He didn't put up his death shield, so how is he still alive? Harry looks over at Natsu to see if he's okay. Natsu is looking at him is both shock and relief at seeing him still breathing. Harry then checks on the others and sees they are okay too, and are just as relieved at seeing him still drawing breath. After his checking his friends' well-beings, he turns on his heels and goes after the man who lost control of his magic.
Natsu called out for him to stop, but again Harry ignore this. {Fawkes, do you know where he went?} Harry asked.
{Yeah, follow me,} Fawkes said while flying in front of him. While they broke through the other tree line, Harry did hear Natsu try to follow, but there was a crash from behind. It sounded like a tree, but Harry hopes that it didn't crush the dragon slayer - he doubts it - and that Natsu will trust him to take care of himself.
{Do you know how I survived his magic?}
{It might be because of you being the Master of Death. Maybe you are immune to death magic?} Fawkes theorized.
{Augh, I have so many questions for Death, but no way to talk to him!} Harry said in frustration. He then remembers something that happened a little over an hour ago. His dream had Death's voice in it. He said something about meeting him soon. He hopes soon is like within the next day or two!
{Over there!} Fawkes said excitedly. Harry follows him pass another tree line and into another, much smaller opening, but this one is close to a waterfall and pond. Sitting under a tree is the young man he was looking for. The man's head snaps up at hearing his approach, and when he lays eyes on him, his black as coal eyes widen in shock and disbelief. His mouth is slight agape thanks to that same shock coursing through his veins. He was silent for a handful of seconds, but he finally forces himself to ask what is on his mind.
"How are you still alive?"
TBC
I'm happy with this chapter. My favorite being the ending. Zeref and Harry finally meet once again, and this time Zeref is not going to get away! XD
Also, in case you didn't catch it earlier: no, Acnologia is not Death. Although, that would have been interesting. :)
Harry: Wait...That is Zeref...then... *Turns to look at "Zeff".* O_O
Voldy: No way... You mean to tell me that this guy is the black mage Zeref!? This is the same guy who people also - if only slight - fear to say the name of?! HOW!? DX He is too...
Harry: Nice? Kind? Feels guilty when he kills someone?
Voldy: YES! D:{
Zeref: The reason people fear me so much is due to my demons and magic. I'm sure Enjali will show just how bad my magic can really be. What is the death count on again?
Enj/Dark: It is... Zeref with 10 bodies, and Voldemort with 513 bodies. Voldemort didn't get that number in one day. Remember this people. It is going to show why I believe I have better chances of surviving Voldy than Zeref - even though it should be painfully obvious. -_-
Natsu: You're doing it at this point to show Voldy how much more dangerous Zeref is compared to him.
Harry: You knew that Zeff was Zeref?
Natsu: We did say he was my brother right?
Enj/Dark: Yes, when we brought Zeref into the ANs.
Harry: So that mean we have 2 dark wizards, 2 light wizards, and a dragon. This is just nuts.
Zeref: You are just realizing that?
Enj/Dark: Now then. I think that is everything for now. Harry it is your turn.
Harry: Please review!