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Chapter 20: Burn Together
(Que Fairy Tail OP)
Erza was running from the explosions with Natsu and Lucy over her shoulders. Her legs screamed to stop from the extra weight she carried, but the redhead did not care. These two fought their hardest for her and going as far as to forfeit their life. And the moment they shared together. She will not let these Natsu and Lucy down, not after what they did for her and they deserve a full life together. An exploding tower will not stop Erza to save these wonderful friends.
She could force her legs to run all she wanted, but the explosion of the tower prevented any escape impossible. Even if they made it out of the tower, Erza knew that the explosion would be too big and probably blow up the coast.
It left Titannia with one choice. A heavy one, but one she took without hesitation, and in fact some happiness in it.
Erza walked to one of the swellings of lacrima and forced her hand on its smooth surface. Instantly, the lacrima sucked in her arms and following her body. The entire process was so painful it caused Erza to grunt, but she continued. However, her agony awoke Lucy and Natsu.
"Erza?!" Natsu exclaimed weakly.
Erza shot her head back, and her eyes widened seeing Lucy and Natsu conscious. Lucy looked quite scared with unblinking eyes as she saw Erza willingly sinking herself into the lacrima.
"Natsu." Erza gasped, "Lucy."
"No." said Lucy, her lips quivering, "No, no, no. What did I say? What did I just fucking say, Erza? If you go in there, you will die."
"I'm sorry." Erza pleaded, "It's the only way to contain the blast from killing you all."
To add to Erza's statement, the whole tower rocked from a mighty explosion. Lucy and Natsu could feel gravity tilt a little. Erza gave a cry of agony as the lacrima consumed up to her right shoulder and leg.
"Don't you dare." Lucy cried, "There's no way I'm letting you die."
"There has to be another way!" Natsu added.
The two slayers rose to their feet to pull Erza out of the lacrima, but every step they took their feet proved too weak and they stumbled to the ground. They devolved into a quick crawl but the Natsu and Lucy didn't even have the strength to stand.
"I'm determined to save all of you." said Erza, the lacrima trapping her legs.
"NO!" Natsu screamed, "Don't do it, Erza!"
"But what about you!?" Lucy cried, "I - you - you can't just die. I-"
It marked the rare occasion in years tears were going down Lucy's face. It was happening all over again. Just when she was making friends, especially Erza, one of them was being taken away. Just like her father. Just so she could live. She tried to get more words out, but they only came out as sobs. The build up of emotions was too much and so Lucy screeched to the heavens, cursing them with her voice.
"WHY!?" Lucy sobbed, punching the ground, "Why can't I protect anyone?! Why do the ones I love always have to die around me?!"
Natsu felt a hand caress his cheek and Lucy could hear Erza's soft, kind voice. They both looked up to see Erza with a sad but genuinely happy smile. Her eyes made a glimmer that she never made in the time even Natsu knew her.
"I have to." Erza said, "I can't imagine what my life would've been like without Fairy Tail. If it weren't for everyone, I probably wouldn't be here today. You are all so important to me, and I care for you so much." Erza pulled her hand back and allowed the lacrima to pull her in. "That's why I'm prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice. It wouldn't be fair if one of you were to use themselves for the sacrifice. Lucy and Natsu, you both deserve each other. Love each other fully to your hearts content. Live shining days together. If it means that you two can have your love, then I am glad to forfeit my life. So that you may live together."
Erza embraced the lacrima as it completely swallowed her whole. She sank into the murky space with closed eyes as though sinking in water. But the slayers wouldn't have it still as they banged their fists on the lacrima.
"No way!" Natsu cried, "Come out of there right now!"
"Please don't this!" Lucy begged, her tears still falling, "Please - don't leave me. I-I can't lose anymore people."
"COME BACK!" The two roared as the light of etherion masked their figures.
(Unknown)
Erza floated in an ethereal form over a gray sky. A beat of rain went through her and crashing on the land below. Erza could feel so much sorrow it was like the heavens themselves were crying. She looked down and to her own despair found her own guild, including Cynthia, in sorrow over her own death. They all faced a grave with a statue of herself standing proudly in a position of eternal strength with words plated in gold at the base reading, "Here lies Erza Scarlet."
The Magic Council came in to proclaim a permanent seat in the order of the Wizard Saints. That's when things got worse when Natsu stormed in and accused that Erza couldn't be dead. This only brought on more sadness from her guild mates, making even the master shed a river of tears. Natsu had tears of disbelief and tried to defile Erza's grave and fighting with his own guild that tried to stop him. Erza felt her own tears rising and covered her mouth to hold in the sobs.
'I sacrificed myself because I thought it would make the future better,' thought Erza to herself, 'but that's not the case. I never thought things would turn out this way. I wanted to save them so they could go on living happily. I never meant to hurt them like this.'
The scene changed for Erza in the blink of an eye. She was now standing on the aftermath of a battle on a camp of bandits. The sight sent bile to Erza's stomach. There was blood, guts, and limbs of bodies littered everywhere. In the middle of it all was Lucy her hair highlighted in black with her blonde. Her hands were permanently painted with blood still warm. The blood of her enemies.
Most disturbing was that instead of her Fairy Tail mark, there was an alien tattoo that Erza recognized from the Balam Alliance. The mark of Tartarous.
She was holding a bandit by the collar begging for mercy. Erza noticed her eyes, no longer hazel or even pink. No, the white was pitch black with a red iris that revealed no mercy, but pleasurable sadism. Lightning struck and in that split second, Erza could've sworn she saw the demon queen herself with black horns and crimson wings.
"No." Lucy said coldly, "You people...never gave Erza the same mercy."
She opened her mouth to an impossible length and consumed her victim's soul. The skin of the bandit shriveled up drier than a raisin. When Lucy dropped him, he disappeared into dust. Lucy started to chuckle under her breath but soon evolved into an evil laughter that terrified Erza. There was no shred of light or goodness in her eyes. Those were the eyes of a destroyer. And it was Erza's death that caused this.
'What have I done?' thought Erza in horror. It was her fault that she created a monster worse than what Jellal could ever reap.
A warm gold light caught Erza's attention. She looked above only to see two hands reaching out to her.
(Real World)
Erza awoke in the clothes she wore with the same injuries on the shore. Over to the side, her friends, former and now, were running in her direction calling out her name. Her eyes widened in realization. She was alive, but how was that possible.
Feeling returned to Erza's body and she felt that her arms and shoulders were supported. Erza glanced to both sides and to her shock found Natsu and Lucy with one of her arms each over their shoulders.
'Natsu and Lucy!' thought Erza, 'Even through the sea of Ethernano, you still managed to find me.'
"Erza." said Natsu, losing strength in his legs.
"Natsu?" Erza replied.
"I feel the same way you do," said Natsu, "Lucy and the others do too"
"No matter what, we will never abandon each other." said Lucy, then a menacing aura hanged over her, "Don't you ever - fucking ever - do that again, Erza?!"
"I won't-"
"PROMISE!" Natsu and Lucy demanded with tears in their eyes.
Erza couldn't help but smile warmly. "I promise."
Erza wrapped an arm around Natsu and Lucy each and pulled them in a hug. Soon, the others arrived pushing Erza down in hugs and cries. Even Cynthia was crushing her at the spine with unusual strength while gushing out rivers from her eyes. She didn't resist them and allowed them to cry in happiness.
'Thank you, Lucy and Natsu.' thought Erza, 'This experience has taught me a very important lesson. You don't for your friends. You live for them.'
(Time-Skip)
Fairy Tail and the survivors from the Tower of Heaven spent the day eating and hanging out as the best of friends. As the day went by, Erza and Cynthia took notice of the significant change in the air around Natsu and Lucy. They were now more closer too each other than they were apart, and there was a smile on their faces neither had ever seen on the slayers. Too bad that Happy was getting that much attention from Natsu as usual, but it made up with how much closer he saw his father figure got with Lucy. Gray didn't even bother starting a fight with Natsu, and the latter was to engrossed with his mate to fight at all. The prospect that Lucy's very presence could do that to Natsu astounded Erza. It solidified how much they were made for each other.
Night followed on the third day. She was looking for Sho and the others, but their absence told Erza that they were leaving. Rather than getting them back, Erza respected her friends decision, and was going to give them a Fairy Tail send off until she bumped into Simon. Since they left, Simon opted of getting a blue shirt with crossing stripes for a top and removed his helmet. Erza had to admit he looked nicer without it.
"Simon." said Erza.
"Hello Erza." said Simon in his same stoic tone, "If you are wondering where Sho and the others are, they left. They didn't want to trouble with saying goodbye."
"I know." said Erza, "I was actually going to send them off in Fairy Tail's fashion until I bumped into you. Speaking of, what about you?"
Simon looked away in silence. There was hesitance in his eyes as they darted around the hall as he tried to figure out an answer.
"If it is okay with you, Erza," said Simon, "I would like to accompany you and join Fairy Tail."
"Really?" said Erza with a surprised face, "O-Of course you can. The guild is open to everyone. You didn't need to ask me."
"I just thought that it may trouble you." Simon said sheepishly.
"No it doesn't." Erza panicked, "I couldn't find it a problem for you."
Simon bowed his head. "Thank you, Erza."
"I should get going and find Natsu and Lucy." said Erza and she walked away at a quickened pace.
Erza walked through the halls of the hotel to the two slayers' room. Oddly, the redhead found Cynthia outside the room with a smile on her face. The mage's eyes opened to Erza's direction.
"I wouldn't go in there if I were you." warned Cynthia with a smirk.
Erza raised an eyebrow. "Nonsense, I just need Natsu and Lucy for something."
Cynthia sighed. "Just take a listen and rethink that."
Erza approached the door of the room. She reached for the doorknob only to find it extremely hot. To her shock, the metal of the doorknob was melting in molten metal. Panic ran through Erza but quickly realized the foolish notion of barging in. If there was a fire, two fire slayers would be the farthest in danger.
Curiosity took over and she resorted to her hearing. Erza pressed an ear to the wood of the door to get some idea was going on beyond. Her eyes arched in confusion when she heard feral growls and roars of animals. She was about to barge in to save her friends from a pack of ravage animals that somehow got in their room. However, Erza soon realized these growls and snarls didn't sound violent. They sounded familiar but where...!
Erza turned a shade brighter than her hair when she caught on to the truth of it all. It was further proven by a feral moans and the mischievous smirk on Cynthia's face.
"Are they..." Erza mumbled but the words caught in her throat in her fluster.
"Yep." Cynthia confirmed, "They take a new meaning to the term 'in heat'. Like the bestie I am, I put up some suppression barriers, and that's not counting the inferno they set off in there."
"And you just stood there?!" Erza exclaimed, "Pervert!"
"I prefer 'inquisitive'." said Cynthia, "If I'm such a pervert, why are you still listening?"
Erza immediately backed away from the door, but the sounds still echoed in her head making her blush persist. Her thoughts couldn't go away from it, and she tried to make some image out of what she heard. She's read "those" books and isn't a stranger to the makings that could happen in a love couple. It was all purely for common knowledge (that what she thinks) and knows every sort of scenario that could go on. But nothing, absolutely nothing could come close to what she just heard. It put it all in a class in its own.
"If you're wondering," said Cynthia, "they've been going at this since midday."
"I-I-I didn't need to know." Erza half-lied, "Well, as indecent as it is, I'm happy for them."
Cynthia snickered. "Oh, you'd wish they were 'indecent'. That would make them clean. They are both pseudo-humans with literal monstrous stamina and instincts. Five minutes of that in words is an instant million in J. They could be doing things no human would dare even think. And-"
"Shut up, you pervert!" Erza screeched, but Cynthia only smiled.
"Yeah, yeah." Cynthia said, "So... what about you and Simon?"
"What about me and Si-!" Erza exclaimed, "Th-There's nothing like that between us."
"Sure there is." said Cynthia, "Not yet and Simon's little confession just adds such good drama to it all. Be warned Erza. I was just teasing Lucy, and look what happened. I'm the matchmaking queen, and I promise you, Erza Scarlet, I'm bringing out the big guns for you."
Erza's face turned crimson with rage. She reached out to strangle Cynthia's neck only to turn into dust of light on skin contact.
'She was an illusion the entire time?!' thought Erza, 'I'm doomed, aren't I?'
Suddenly, Erza's blush returned when the feral growls turned into howls and their matter of tone no mystery to any in the hall. Fire slipped under the door frame licking at the walls of the hotel. With no choice, Erza ran out of the hall, whether to escape the blue inferno or to not faint from blood loss.
(Time-Skip; Magnolia)
Team Natsu returned to Magnolia healed from their injuries. People were back to their usual musings since the attack from Phantom, and some greeted the mages. All the way, Natsu and Lucy stuck like glue to each other, and Happy imitated popping hearts over their heads. The pair ignored him of course, too busy enjoying the company of their mate. To signify it, there was a dragon mark on Lucy's neck and a demon mark on Natsu's side.
"Are you... purring?" Gray asked in disbelief.
True to his question, the pair were making a rumble in their throats as they rubbed each other backs and nuzzled their cheeks, with Lucy more verbal than Natsu when he scratched behind her ears.
"Music to my ears." said Cynthia.
'Music to a pervert.' thought Erza.
"As strange as their antics are," voiced Simon, "I find it... fitting."
"Woah, look at the guild!" Happy cried out.
"What the-"
"THEY ALREADY REBUILT IT!?"
The guild hall was no longer a two story wooden house. Before now stood a literal fortress six stories tall worthy of a royal castle. The entire property was surrounded in a black iron fence. Multiple plazas for catering or other activities dotted each level of the fortress, and there looked to be enough housing for the entire guild hall.
"I wasn't expecting this." said Simon in awe.
"There it is." said Gray, "Fairy Tail's new guild hall."
'That thing is a freaking castle!' thought Cynthia.
Inside, they discovered an entirely new cafe that had its own kitchen service. At one side of the guild was a gift shop that was run by Max who turned to business. It all seemed perfectly normal until Max mentioned the dolls of Lucy herself. Before he could show off, Natsu blinked right in front of him, smashed the doll, and grabbed Max by his collar.
"I know it's been a while so I'll made this quick." growled Natsu, "See here, Lucy is my girlfriend, and knowing you and the master I can tell what these dolls do."
"Yes." whimpered Max.
"I'll say it once." stated Natsu, "You get rid of all these pervy dolls of my mate and if I see just one outside of the guild anywhere I'll make you a nice meal for Lucy."
"Right." muttered Max quickly before disappearing in a whirl of sand.
Lucy sighed. "Let me guess. Master made the guy make these dolls so my clothes come off, right?"
"You aren't mad are you?" Natsu said a bit sheepishly, thinking his new mate was having a lower opinion of him since he knew a few perverts in the guild.
"Oh far from that." said Lucy in a sultry voice, placing a leg over around Natsu's and inching her head higher, "I found that ravishing that you will always protect my dignity."
Natsu smiled. "No one is seeing the flesh and skin of my Lucy except me."
Lucy could only grin like a demon and give off a purr in agreement. Cynthia and Mira were watching the pair from the bar, the former with a shit-eating grin and the latter with shocked eyes.
"Pay up." said Cynthia, holding out a hand.
Mira grumbled some curses and handed Cynthia a red glass bottle as tall as Cynthia's foot to her knee. It was a very old bottle by the layers of dust and cobwebs that littered the top. With one blow, Cynthia cleaned most of it off revealing the title of "rum".
"I am going to drink you dry." mumbled Cynthia, hugging the bottle like a baby.
Cana paused drinking a barrel of beer to look at the bottle in Cynthia's hands. Her face took on the look that she was looking at a holy relic when she saw what the bottle had. Her thoughts turned to only that bottle, and her legs raced her across the bar to get the legendary nectar in Cynthia's hands.
"Oh goodness, come to Mommy-"
Her fingers were inches from touching the bottle before reality shattered before her eyes. Cana was back on her stool but was tied down with a gag on her mouth. She turned to Cynthia who had falsely innocent glint in her eyes and a shit-eating grin.
'Thank you illusion magic.' thought Cynthia, walking away with her prize.
Cynthia turned to see Lucy looking over a request from the board with a smile on her face. After ordering two empty shot glasses, Cynthia sat in front of her best friend and handed one glass to Lucy.
"What's the occasion, Cynthia?" said Lucy with a quirked eyebrow.
Cynthia undid the cap on the bottle with a pop, making Cana in the corner squirm to no effect. She poured the rum in the glasses and held on to her face.
"To you of course." said Cynthia, "You finally got laid and the man of your dreams."
Lucy turned her head away with a blush on her cheeks. "You don't have to say it all the time."
Cynthia pouted. "Mau, how about this? To being awesome wizards that kick ass and make the baddies scream for mercy."
There was a devilish glint in Cynthia's eyes as she said those words, and Lucy responded with a smile. As cute and innocent Cynthia seemed to be, she missed the other side of her personality that was for a lack of a better word bat-shit insane, psychotic, and sadistic in a friendly way.
"To being awesome wizards and kicking ass." Lucy toasted to her best friend. They clinked their glasses and downed the intoxicating beverage in one gulp. It burned like liquid fire down their throats but rushed through their bodies like a hot bath. Even from the tiny amount, Lucy was having a tingle in her fingers, and that was counting her slayer vitality. Cynthia was a bit worse with a noticeable blush on her cheeks.
"So what'cha doing?" said Cynthia, while closing the bottle.
"A double A-Class mission just to get rid of a pack of monsters in a nearby town." Lucy detailed, "I'll be back just in time for the festival."
"I know you want to get out of town to think of some 'ideas' with Natsu." said Cynthia with a perverted grin, "How was he?"
Lucy looked like a deer before being hit with a car. There was a trail of blood coming out of her nose that left Cynthia looking like a gulping fish.
"Holy fuck." said Cynthia, "You are one lucky girl Lucy. As for me, I'm going spend my lottery money for a new TV, more rum, and do absolutely nothing in my apartment."
"Have fun." said Lucy, taking her leave.
As she exited the hall, Natsu and Lucy locked eyes one last time with warm smiles on their faces.
I am going to change a lot in the upcoming arc. It will mostly revolve around Cynthia when Laxus' plan to takeover Fairy Tail interrupts her lazy time. The next chapters will truly show Cynthia what she really is.
Up next Chapter 21: Really FUCKING Violent
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