Mama Mirajane-12
"What's going on? Why is Metalica standing, I saw it crumble right in front of my eyes." Scythe whispered as he was maneuvering himself around the people that were walking around the town square, going about their busy lives.
"Connor sweetie, there you are." A familiar voice said as he felt his hand being clutched.
Scythe turned his head to see a face he had seen burning to ashes, when he last saw it. Her brown braided hair, lilac eyes, and green dress with a white apron wrinkle free, looking as beautiful on her as any other day she was alive.
"What's wrong sweetie? You look like you've seen a ghost." She asked putting the back of her hand on his forehead to check for a fever.
Her touch, it felt so real.
"No, this can't be real, I saw Zancrow burn you and dad to ashes." Scythe exclaimed stepping back.
"Oh sweetie, that was just a nightmare, c'mon, and join your father and I for lunch. We're having your favorite, mac and cheese mixed with ground beef." She smiled pulling him with her, to a building Scythe knew was destroyed.
"Maria, you found him." His father smiled putting the pot of food on the table.
"Arthur, you didn't have to finish the cooking, I could have taken care of it later on." Maria smiled.
"It's fine dear. Connor my boy, come and sit." Arthur chuckled taking his seat after pulling a seat out for Maria.
'Just like father, always putting others ahead of himself.' Scythe thought as he sat in his chair.
Scythe looked down to his side to see a familiar husky sitting beside his chair and wagging his tail.
'Even Thunder looks so real.' Scythe stated.
"Connor my boy, eat up. I made enough to feed a small army." Arthur smiled. "Dig in, after all, a powerful sorcerer needs his nourishment, especially one as famous as a member of Fairy Tail."
"Of course father." Scythe exclaimed before stopping, noticing a strange scent in his food. 'Almonds? Cyanide?'
"Shoot Arthur, he smelt it. I told you we should have used an odorless poison." Maria exclaimed.
"Poison?" Scythe questioned as he stood up.
"It probably wouldn't have mattered honey, I doubt poison affects him." Arthur stated.
"W-why would you poison me?" Scythe asked stepping back in shock, true the poison wouldn't have any effect on him, but it was shocking to find his parents would willingly try to kill him.
"Why wouldn't we? You're the reason the village was destroyed." Arthur exclaimed as he and Maria stood up. "You're the reason the people were slaughtered, the children were kidnapped, and we were burnt to ashes."
Scythe ran for the door, opening it, only to find the entire village surrounding the doorway with weapons and other objects that could cause lethal injuries.
"We want retribution sweetie." Maria stated. "We want you to pay for the pain you've caused us."
"Son of Acnologia." Arthur finished, the smiles on their faces never leaving.
~Reality~
Scythe was on his knees facing Jellal's throne with said bluenet sitting there, smirking seeing Scythe in a dream state of mind.
"It had been close, but the Nightmare Illusion spell kicked in at the last second. If it hadn't, his hand would have fully gripped my throat." Jellal chuckled, remembering how the spell kicked in when Scythe's grip was nothing more than a gentle touch around his neck. "I honestly wish Erza had been caught up in the spell to, but Scythe was just too damned quick for her to keep up with."
Jellal got up and walked around Scythe, pushing his head down hard, causing a few vertebra to crack in the Etherion Slayer's neck.
"The beauty of this spell, is the one it's cast upon can't break it by physical self-harm. His body remains motionless, while he's trapped within his own mind in a dream like slumber." Jellal smirked.
"JELLAL."
The hooded man turned around to see Erza standing in a pair of flaming red, yellow, and orange pants, with her chest wrapped in bandages, torn in different places, and a katana in her hand as her hair was done up in a ponytail.
"Ah, Erza so glad of you to join us." Jellal smiled knocking Scythe over in a lump on the ground.
"What did you do to him?" Erza questioned, her eyes locked on the motionless Scythe.
"He's alive. He's just living in his own self-made hell, facing the type of judgment he believes he deserves for what he did." Jellal explained. "Right now, he's facing judgement for it. When that sentence he has given himself is fully executed, his body will die, while his soul joins the ranks of the dream demons."
"YOU MONSTER." Erza shouted charging at him.
~Scythe's Dreamscape~
Scythe sat in a magic canceling cage, curled up in the fetal position, with his knees tucked under his chin, and his head buried in his crossed arms.
"I hope you're proud of yourself." Maria exclaimed as she and the rest of the village were gathered around the cage. "Because of you, all of us were murdered, and all the children were sold into slavery."
"You're a disease that will be extinguished." Arthur stated. "I wish you were never born."
"I didn't mean for this to happen." Scythe sobbed. "All I wanted was to help people."
(Que Music… Not one of us: Lion King2)
"Now look where you are." Maria glared.
"My fellow town's people, we have come and gathered together today, to place judgement on this plague and devise a way to extinguish his flame." Arthur shouted addressing the village, causing them to cheer. "He is the reason we are dead. Why our children are slaves, why our homes are gone. So I say to you, what punishment is suitable for a traitorous scumbag like him?"
"Execution." The villagers shouted.
"You heard them Connor, it's time for you to die." Arthur exclaimed as two burly men hitched the wheeled cage to two horses. "For your crimes against the people of Metalica, your head will roll."
Scythe held himself in his position of grief as the people threw trash at him as he rolled by on the cage, not even flinching as he felt the pain of some of the heavier objects hitting him.
"Hold it right there." A familiar pinket's voice shouted.
(End Song#1…)
Scythe turned to see Natsu standing in the horse's path with his arms crossed, Grey, Erza, Lucy, and Gajeel standing behind him.
"Move. This is a matter of our town's affairs, this does not concern you." Arthur stated.
Gajeel stepped up to the horses and used his iron club to destroy the connection between the cage and the animals.
"Scythe is a member of Fairy Tail. This concerns us as much as it concerns you." Erza stated reequipping into her heaven's wheel armor.
"You mess with him, you mess with us." Lucy stated holding up her Aquarius, Taurus, and Leo keys.
"That's right, if you wanna kill him because he has a big heart, then you can kill us to." Grey exclaimed icy air surrounding him.
"So let me make this perfectly clear." Natsu stated as fire began to surround him. "Scythe is a member of our family. If you mess with him, you mess with all of us."
"It's not his fault you're dead. He was just a kid when Zancrow lead Grimoire Heart here. He has one of the biggest hearts ever seen. If you can't understand that…" Gajeel began as all of them, minus the iron eater, began to glow a bright golden light, before dissipating into a golden swirling mass of magic particles, forming the Fairy Tail Emblem in a tribal pattern.
(Que Music… Number one: Bleach~ Ichigo's theme)
"Then you aren't worth remembering." The voices of his friends resonated from the emblem, before dissipating and flowing into Scythe, empowering him. "For we are Fairy Tail."
Gajeel began to glow and ran for the cage, before turning into a golden liquid substance covering Scythe in it. The golden liquid began to merge with Scythe and harden, tightening around his form while defining his features, before cracking, as Scythe shattered the shell, breaking the cage as he stood on his feet, in his Satan Soul form.
"I understand now." Scythe chuckled. "This isn't real. It's all in my head, it's a spell that is supposed to drive me mad, and render me as nothing but a dead lump of flesh."
Scythe jumped high into the air spreading his wings, before dive-bombing the crowd gathered below, sending them all back as he made impact with the ground.
"I am Scythe Strauss of Fairy Tail." Scythe exclaimed standing up from his superhero landing as his fist lit aflame. "I am the God of War."
All the villagers got up and began to change, going from human beings, to dark figures of shadows and death. They began to charge Scythe with an intent to kill.
A flame gleamed in Scythe's eye momentarily before he kicked the first one in the head, knocking it to the back of the crowd, as the wave continued to bombard him.
Scythe jumped back, landing on his hands, before pushing off and landing on his feet, sliding to a halt, grabbing an ankle with a kick aimed for him, before slamming his fist into the leg, and breaking it off, causing the demon to scream in agony.
Scythe threw the demon's limb away, with the demon, not realizing as the limb began to grow a body of its own, adding one more demon to the fray. Digging his hands under the wheel of the cart that had carried him, Scythe lifted it off the ground, slamming it on several demons, repeating the act over and over again.
Eventually the cart fell apart, resulting in Scythe throwing the wheel into the horde of demons, before slamming his fists together, igniting them with the holy black flames and crackling lightning.
"Come on, is this the best you got?" Scythe shouted grabbing one of the demons by the throat, punching it in the face before slamming it into the ground, standing on his hands, spinning around kicking several demons away, before pushing himself up and adding the third element to his attack. "Lightning-Flame-Iron-God-SMASH." Scythe shouted slamming his fists into the ground, causing the ground to rumble.
Phased by this sudden event the demons while they were electrocuted and singed from the flames erupting from the ground. Scythe took this opening to inhale and let out the triple elemental roar. Turning most of the demon horde to ashes.
"There's just no end to them." Scythe shouted.
Letting his guard down was a big mistake on his part as one of the demons managed to slice him on the back, sending him to his knees, as the scenery began to resemble the barren wasteland of his home that he remembered seeing before he was taken away.
"Not good." Scythe groaned as he turned over on his back.
The horde of demons jumped through the air, and landed on him, all of them wanting to take a piece of him. Scythe screamed out in pain as he felt several of them bite into him, and tearing his flesh off.
"No, this can't be how it ends for me." Scythe screamed in anger.
"Scythe." Two womanly voices said in unison, Scythe recognizing them instantly.
"Mom, Big-sis-Juvia?" Scythe asked as two hands reached down through the horde of demons towards him. Scythe reached out his own, taking the hands as both women began to glow through the horde, if just slightly.
"We're waiting for you to come home to us baby." Mira smiled softly.
"I don't know if I can do this alone." Scythe exclaimed, fear evident in his voice.
"Scythe, you're never along." Juvia smiled as they both began to glow, before turning into his falchions.
"I'm not alone." Scythe smiled as he closed his eyes, allowing himself to be consumed by the horde of evil creatures that surrounded him. "I'm never alone."
~Reality~
"In seven minutes, the Etherion will strike and we'll take our last breaths. Why not sit back and enjoy these last precious moments together?" Jellal smirked as he evaded every one of Erza's attacks.
"You should know I've cast off all fears, including that of my own death." Erza said as she began to strike faster.
"Oh, is that so?"
"I will relish in it as I will be able to bring you down along with me." Erza stated swinging down with her blade.
"Oh really? Is that what you think?" Jellal questioned as a mass of red and purple goo began to grow from his hand. "Well we'll just see about that." Jellal shouted firing off his attack.
Erza sliced through the barrage of attacks sending the pieces off to different directions, destroying the floor they landed on before dissipating. Erza lunged at Jellal, swinging her blade, only to be blocked by Jellal grabbing her hand. She jumped back, evading an energy blast from him. The attack destroyed a large part of the lower head of the tower, causing the structure to rumble and quake.
Erza landed on one of the larger pieces that went flying through the air, and leapt back into the top of the tower, with an aim to strike down Jellal.
"You'd destroy the very thing you worked so hard to complete?" Erza questioned evading another energy blast from him. "What's the point?"
"Why should I care about a pillar or two?" Jellal questioned evading Erza's sudden attack. "After all they're nothing but decorations."
(Music intensifies…)
Before Erza could retort, a wave of magic energy washed over them, knocking both fighters back, as Scythe's slumped over unconscious body began to glow, as he steadily got to his feet, while arming himself with his falchions, activating his Satan Soul.
"Then I guess you wouldn't mind if I did this." Scythe growled stomping his foot on the ground, collapsing fifteen feet of floor to his right.
"No. The structure itself is vital." Jellal shouted clenching his fists. "You, how are you even still alive? The Nightmare Illusion spell should have killed your body, and corrupted your soul."
"That's true. But my heart, and soul, cannot be corrupted." Scythe stated placing his foot forward, before lunging at Jellal at speeds his eyes couldn't follow.
Jellal ducked down before a leg came up and slammed into his torso, sending him flying into the ceiling of the tower, before he fell to the ground, landing on his feet, before Scythe slammed the hilt of the falchion in his right hand into Jellal's face, slamming him into the ground.
Scythe placed his foot on Jellal's chest, making it extremely difficult for the blue haired man to catch his breath, as Scythe held one of his blades, pointed at Jellal's throat.
(End Song…)
"Why don't you tell us what your real goal is Jellal?" Erza exclaimed standing beside Scythe.
"All of us here know the R-System hasn't been completed." Scythe added.
"Do you know what I've been doing, since I've left this place years ago? Researching it relentlessly. I know that even though the tower itself was constructed exactly like the blueprints, there's still one thing you don't have, a vital part to its completion."
"That's not true, because your sacrifice will complete it." Jellal smiled.
"No, something even more basic than that. I remember you talking about it with Hades whenever I served you tea and sandwiches." Scythe growled. "You need an impossibly large amount of magical power, the strongest there is. Etherion power."
"I don't think you realize how much magic energy you'd have to accumulate just to activate the R-System. You could gather every single wizard on the continent, and still wouldn't even half a fourth of the power you'd need to pull it off." Erza exclaimed.
"This tower doesn't have the capacity to store the energy it needs within its walls, and you certainly can't do it on your own." Scythe exclaimed. "I find it highly suspicious that you haven't tried to escape, despite knowing the Council's prepared to attack in less than twenty minutes."
"Actually Scythe, it's less than three. You've been under his spell for twenty four minutes." Erza explained before turning her attention back to Jellal. "What are you up to? Answer me. You know your dream will never come true, so why are you willing to risk your life? Do you want to die?"
"If that's the case, then we'll go together. I'll keep my foot on you for as long as it takes, and I won't let up till the bitter end." Scythe exclaimed.
"To be honest. That doesn't sound so bad." Jellal said surprising them, putting a hand on Scythe's ankle. "I no longer have control over my own body and soul because I've been possessed by Zeref. I'm merely a puppet he's manipulating in order to become flesh again."
"You were possessed by him?" Erza asked.
"I find that highly unlikely." Scythe stated skeptically.
"I wasn't able to save myself, and not even my closest friends were there to come to my rescue." Jellal continued. "That's when I realized there is no heaven, nor does true freedom really exist. All of creation was finished before it even began, simple, fragile, and able to be turned into a puppet if a higher being of power wished it."
"Still not buying it." Scythe said as the tower began to shake.
"Deep down I knew the R-System couldn't be completed, but Zeref kept pushing me. He forced me to continue the Tower's construction. I wanted to stop but I couldn't. It's like I was a freight train with no breaks. I surrender. Go ahead and finish me. Isn't that why you came looking for me?" Jellal questioned, causing Erza to hesitate.
"Release your hold on him Scythe."
"But Erza…"
"Now." Erza stated.
Begrudgingly, Scythe removed his foot, and Erza pushed his blade away. This act causing Jellal to gasp, as he sat up.
"There's no need for me to spill your blood with my own hands." Erza exclaimed putting her blade back in her reequip dimension. "The satellite square is focused, and the Etherion will fire any minute now."
"That means this is the end, for you, Erza, and me." Scythe sighed.
"It is a grim fate that we share." Jellal sighed sitting up as the quaking of the building got more intense. "For what it's worth Scythe, I truly am sorry for what Zeref made me do about telling Hades about your village."
"So all this time, you were just another of Zeref's victims." Erza sighed.
"It's my own fault. I let my weakness get the best of me. The rift between my dream and reality was too deep for my mind to comprehend." Jellal stated as Scythe leaned against the giant crystal in the center of the room, deactivating his Satan Soul.
"The only people capable of saving you, from your flaws and inner weakness, are those who you call your friends." Erza stated.
"That's true." Jellal stated.
"I apologize for not being able to save you back then." Erza exclaimed. "Can you forgive me?"
"Erza. You have saved me." Jellal smiled before the two embraced each other in a hug.
'I still think he's up to something.' Scythe stated, feeling like he couldn't get the gnawing sensation of betrayal, out from the back of his mind, as the light of Etherion began to shine through the hole in the ceiling.
A bright flash of energy filled light blinded the three of them, as the Etherion made contact with the tower, destroying the stone layers, revealing the lacrima hidden within.
Scythe opened his eyes and looked around in shock, realizing what was happening.
"Of course. I knew something was up." Scythe growled as Jellal stood up. "The tower absorbed the Etherion blast, turning it into a giant lacrima."
"What have you done?" Erza questioned as Jellal began to chuckle quietly.
The quiet chuckling began to grow into an uproar of evil laughter, as Jellal was proud of what he had accomplished.
"It's here. At long last my hour of glory has arrived." Jellal smiled.
"Glory?" Erza questioned.
"This is the true form of the Tower of Heaven. A giant magical lacrima crystal. Thanks to the council, it's ready to activate. The Etherion's magic energy provided the missing piece of the puzzle, which means the R-System is now complete." Jellal monologued gleefully.
"So, we were your pawns." Erza glared.
"Your expression was priceless Erza. Yours as well young slayer." Siegrain said, appearing out of nowhere behind them both. "He isn't capable of putting forth his full power right now. So he had to manipulate the both of you in order to save himself."
"Siegrain." Scythe growled.
"I don't understand. What are you doing here?" Erza questioned.
"This reminds me of when we first met, years ago. Do you remember Erza?" Siegrain questioned.
"You accompanied Makarov to the Magic Council to submit a written apology for destruction of property." Jellal smiled.
"She attacked me out of nowhere. She must have mistaken me for you." Siegrain added.
"I can't say I blame her. After all we do look alike." Jellal stated.
"You refused to let up until I confessed to you that I was his twin. But still you were hostile towards me from that day forward." Siegrain exclaimed.
"What did you expect? If you truly cared about your brother, you would have tried to stop him instead of helping him cover his tracks. I know you've been spying on me and reporting back to him." Erza glared as Scythe stood next to her.
"Is that so?" Jellal asked.
"A mistake on my part. In retrospect, perhaps I should have said something that would have convinced you I was going to find Jellal and kill him, but my biggest mistake was running into you in the first place, especially after the trouble I went through to become a council member." Siegrain sighed.
"There's nothing worse than having to come up with excuses on the spot." Jellal chimed in.
"I get it. So the two of you have been conspiring this whole time." Erza glared.
"Conspiring?" Jellal questioned.
"Not exactly." Siegrain added.
"I'm afraid it's more complicated than that." Jellal stated as Siegrain's body became transparent.
"We're not twins, but two faces of one person, and we have been from the start." They said in perfect unison, before joining back together, becoming whole once more.
"But how is that possible? Was he just a projection?" Erza questioned taking a step back.
"You never suspected for a moment we were one and the same." Jellal smirked.
"Then you're the one responsible for firing the Etherion." Scythe glared. "Did you worm your way onto the Council just for that?"
"I hope you enjoyed the freedom I granted you all those years ago Erza. Your release and everything after was all part of my plan to resurrect Zeref." Jellal exclaimed, ignoring Scythe's remark.
"How can you live with yourself knowing that your entire life has been one big lie?" Erza questioned.
"Magic energy." Jellal stated clenching his fist. "I can feel it surging through my body."
Scythe and Erza lunged forward, swinging their fists at Jellal, before he ducked, and flicked them both in the stomach, sending them flying across the lacrima ground, as they skid to a halt.
"Looks as though someone's a little worse for wear." Jellal chuckled.
Scythe flipped over, landing on his feet, reentering his Satan Soul form, and went flying towards Jellal swinging his falchions at the man, left and right, with each swing evaded before Jellal grabbing his wrists.
"Erza, don't tell me you used up all your magic energy fighting against Ikaruga." Jellal said as Erza picked herself up.
Erza slammed her fist into the ground, bringing out one of her larger blades, before running at him, ready to strike.
"Jellal." Erza shouted. "You're through."
Jellal pushed Scythe away, and blocked Erza's blade with a shield of energy. Erza twisted around before pulling out a second equally large blade, swinging them both at Jellal as Scythe came at him from a different angle. Jellal managed to evade them both, avoiding Erza's kick, and Scythe's leg-sweep, before jumping to the side, with a smirk.
"The Magic Council's headquarters is little more than a pile of rubble by now. I can't tell you what a blessing Ultear has been." Jellal smiled. "I couldn't have done it without her. She had no fear of death because she believes all of mankind will become one in heaven. In fact she told me she'd be more than happy to give her life if it meant my dream would come to fruition."
"Ultear. You know she's a member of Grimoire Heart, right?" Scythe questioned lunging his right blade forward.
"Who do you think let me employ her?" Jellal questioned, evading the thrust and kneeing him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. "Which reminds me. Remind me to thank her for being an ignorant fool and being so easy to manipulate."
"Curse you." Erza shouted swinging her blades down at Jellal, shattering a pillar of lacrima after he evaded it. "I'm taking revenge for all the people you've abused. This is the end Jellal. I'll kill you! Agh!"
Jellal remained motionless as a red centipede like mark began to spread all around Erza's arm, before wrapping around her entire body paralyzing her.
"Huh? What's happening?" Erza questioned.
"It's just a bind snake. I slipped one onto you during our heartwarming embrace earlier." Jellal exclaimed.
"Bastard." Scythe shouted, running for him, before a bind snake began to coil itself around Scythe as well.
"I also placed one onto you when you were holding me down. It was quite easy with how your foot was on my chest." Jellal stated. "Now that I've collected the precise amount of magic energy needed for the R-System, there's one more thing that must be done before Zeref can be resurrected." Jellal smiled walking to Erza. "This is where you take center stage for your moment in the spotlight, S-c507. The original plan was to use Erza, but after seeing your fight with Jose, and gauging the level of your strength, I thought maybe it should be best if you were the sacrifice, and Erza can be backup if something went amiss with the plan. I just never told the others this plan."
"Go to hell." Scythe growled, trying to ignore the pain the bind snake was putting him through.
"The magic energy held within this lacrima must be fused with the body of my sacrifice. Once that happens, your flesh will break down and reconstruct itself to create Zeref's body." Jellal explained, ignoring Scythe's insult. "But just to be safe, Erza will be held within one as well, just so she can't break free of the bind snake."
Two pillars of lacrima rose from the ground, one of them enveloping Erza, the other standing tall behind Scythe, enveloping his hands pulling him backwards, screaming from the pressure of the Etherion energy enveloping him.
'Why is this hurting so much? I'm an Etherion Godslayer, I shouldn't feeling the harmful effects from this, unless… it's not the Etherion causing this, it's the pressure and level of magical energy all on its own.'
"You know I really did feel sorry for having your home and loved ones killed and destroyed." Jellal smirked as the power inside the tower began to crackle light electricity.
"No. Stop." Erza shouted. "Use me instead of him. Use me for the sacrifice."
"Oh great and powerful Zeref, I call upon you to offer you this man's flesh." Jellal chanted.
"Don't do this. He's just a child, spare him and take me." Erza shouted fighting against her restraints. "Please Jellal."
Jellal remained silent as he was focusing on his prayer to Zeref's soul. He sensed something amiss and turned to where Erza was being held and saw Natsu pulling her out of the lacrima.
"I got you." Natsu stated pulling her out and destroying the bind snake, causing Erza to gasp as Natsu jumped back with her in his arms. "Erza's an important part of our Fairy Tail family. I won't let you touch her."
"Natsu." Scythe shouted gaining his attention.
Natsu's eyes widened in horror, seeing Scythe's head was all that remained outside of the lacrima.
"Kick Jellal's ass for me." Scythe smirked as his head was enveloped.
~Fairy Tail Guild Hall~
Mirajane was happily serving one of her guild mates, a smile on her face as she served them their food.
"You seem in a chipper mood today Erza." Cana smiled.
"Yep, the guildhall is finished being rebuilt, and Scythe's business is booming. Yang and Ruby can't seem to get a break until closing time with how busy it is." Mira smiled walking back behind the bar counter.
"Sounds like he's quite the little business man." Cana smirked.
*CRASH**Shatter*
"What was that?" Cana asked.
"Oh dear." Mirajane said picking up a large piece of glass. "It was the family portrait Reedus made of the three of us. It must not have been on the hook properly."
Cana looked over the counter and saw the portrait lying on the ground in the broken frame, with a piece of it sticking through Scythe's face on the portrait.
"Mira, I think this might be an omen." Cana said.
"But. They're on vacation, what kind of trouble would this even be able to warrant, besides Velvet returning early due to food poisoning?"
"I think it must mean, Scythe is in trouble and there's no way out of it." Cana exclaimed.
"Scythe." Mira said worry evident in her voice.
~The Tower of Heaven~
"Scythe." Erza shouted in horror, slumping back in sadness and defeat. "Natsu, you've gotta get out of here as fast as you can."
"I ain't leaving. If you can't do the fighting yourself, then I'll just have to do it for you." Natsu growled, pissed at Jellal for making Scythe the sacrifice.
"You can't. He's too powerful. Besides you don't know anything about him." Erza exclaimed.
"Who says I need to know the guy to beat him up?" Natsu questioned.
"Please." Erza began as a tear fell from her left eye. "Just this once do as I ask you. I already lost one friend, I don't wanna lose you to."
Natsu was silent and motionless before he grunted as he bent down, picking Erza up with one of her arms over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" Erza questioned.
"Honestly, I don't really know you all that well either, but I can still take you down." Natsu grunted slamming his fist into her stomach, knocking her out.
Erza slumped over on Natsu as he brought her back down to the ground, gently laying her down to sleep. This act of sudden violence caused Jellal to gasp in shock, wondering why Natsu would even do that.
"You're even foolhardier than the rumors make you out to be." Jellal stated. "What kind of sick satisfaction do you get from striking a defenseless friend?"
"I had to do it." Natsu stated, widening his stance. "Because she was crying. She looked so weak and fragile. Her voice was trembling with fear." Natsu continued igniting his flames, his magic energy flowing around him. "I don't wanna see Erza like that. I've always looked up to her as a strong warrior. When she wakes up from this nightmare, I want her to feel like her old self again." He exclaimed, his eyes snapping open, revealing a rage that could not be tamed. "If you wanna get to her, you'll have to go through me. I'll make you pay for making Erza cry, and what you did to Scythe."
"Is that a challenge? Consider my interest piqued." Jellal smiled, making a, come and get me, motion with his hand. "I would love to witness the power of a Dragonslayer."
Natsu went lunging at Jellal, throwing a Fire-Dragon-Iron-Fist, at him. Jellal blocked the attack, sending it to the side, while fending it off with a magic barrier. In just as quick a motion, Natsu hit Jellal in the head with his talon attack, sending Jellal flying before catching up and slamming his fist into the bluenet's stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
After that, Natsu used his speed and slammed his flaming fists multiple times into Jellal's face, knocking him left and right, ending it with a wing attack, and another talon attack, sending Jellal into a pillar of lacrima, creating a cracked dent on the side of it.
"Fire Dragon Roar…" Natsu shouted as Jellal picked himself up.
As the attack hit, Jellal shielded himself with his magic. As the flames died down, it was revealed that Jellal was unharmed, and the most damage that was done was to his jacket, which he threw to the side.
"Is that the best you can do?" Jellal questioned with a confident smirk on his face. "I expected more from you, Natsu Dragneel, son of Igneel. I was hoping to get a taste of the destructive might of a Dragonslayer before I started ripping you to shreds with my bear hands, but if that's all you've got, I won't waste my time."
"I'll show you." Natsu shouted dashing for Jellal.
"You must be punished for disrupting my ceremony." Jellal stated. "Prepare to be destroyed by my Heavenly Body Magic. METEOR."
Jellal's body began to glow in an instant, before he dashed away from Natsu, evading his attack faster than the pinket's eyes could perceive. Without warning, Jellal came back and slammed his fists into Natsu's back, sending the pink haired Dragonslayer forward.
Natsu turned around to face Jellal, only to be repeatedly bombarded with Jellal's attacks, coming from all different angles and directions.
~Inside the Lacrima~
Silence filled the air, or whatever Scythe was surrounded by, the lacrima around him blocking out any sound, or sight from the world outside.
'I guess this is it for me. Fate sure has a cruel twisted sense of humor for a curse like me.'
"Enough of this nonsense boy." A deep, respect demanding voice, resonated within his head.
Scythe's head shot up, and he instantly saw he was in a mountain terrain, standing on a rocky ridge, with the valley below him visible.
"How did I end up here?" Scythe questioned.
"Here is the inside of your mind." A womanly voice, smooth as silk, said softly from behind. Scythe jumped and turned around, seeing two awe inspiring people standing there.
The first being a slim, woman, wearing a black belly dancer's bikini top, with a loin flap, the two pieces held together by two gold chains, and white flame markings on the fabric. Her figure was slim with an hourglass waist, her curves being a little more enhanced than Erza's or Lucy's; her hair was down and tied at the end, with black flames in the shape of wings on either side of her head, and a gemmed belly button piercing chain to top it all off. Her eyes were a beautiful emerald green with black sclera.
The man standing there, was majorly beefed up; he had his arms crossed, dressed in a pair of moccasins, buckskin pants, and a belt sagging on one side of the pants, having the same tan skin as the woman, with lightning bolts tattooed onto his arms and torso. His black hair was windswept with a streak of white going along the right side of it. His eyes a firm golden color with the same sclera color as the woman's.
"Finally he can communicate with us." The man said.
"Be nice Raijin. It's only natural he'd only be able to see us when surrounded by Etherion powered lacrima." The woman stated slapping him across the chest.
"I suppose you're right Amaterasu." Raijin stated.
"Raijin, Amaterasu? The God and Goddess of Thunder and Fire?" Scythe asked, not believing who he was in the presence of.
"So he knows of us. Good." Raijin smiled.
"I'll handle the message from here." Amaterasu sighed knowing that look in Raijin's eye. "Look sweetie, we don't really have a lot of time to tell you this, so listen close. You are more powerful than you know."
"I'm stronger than I am now?" Scythe questioned.
"That's what she just said. But since you're still a child, we're not going to push you past your limits." Raijin stated.
"Be nice you dumb brute." Amaterasu scolded pulling his ear. "Look sweetie, Raijin and I have been connected to you since the day you were made an Etherion Godslayer. Whenever you feel like training, or need our help, or just need someone to talk to, just give us a summoning."
Scythe was confused until a flash of light from both sides of him caught his attention, he looked down at his hands, and saw the mark of Amaterasu on the back of his right hand, and the mark of Raijin on the back of his left.
"What do these do?" Scythe asked.
"They can summon us, just hold out the hand with the emblem of who you want on it, and say either of our names." Raijin stated. "Don't summon me for a talk, you can summon her for that. Only summon me for training, or fighting."
"He's a bit of a heartless brute isn't he?" Scythe asked, turning to Amaterasu.
"He is indeed." She smiled patting him on the head, much to his annoyance.
"HEY." Raijin shouted.
"You have to go back and fight now. We'll be able to give you enough strength to break free of the bind snake and lacrima prison, but we won't do anything else, unless you summon us." Amaterasu exclaimed.
"Wait, how are you both connected to me?" Scythe asked.
"Well sweetie. The same way the dragons are still with their Dragonslayers. We're inside your soul, we're a part of you. Unfortunately your body can only handle two of us, not all of us that make up Etherion." Amaterasu smiled. "Now, off you go to join the fight."
"Hold on, just one more thing…" Scythe exclaimed his fists shaking. "Is it true what Hades told me? Am I really the son of that monster?"
"I'm afraid it is sweetie, Acnologia is your biological father. You were given to Arthur and Maria right at birth. Your mother was an unwilling host, who had been kidnapped and forcefully impregnated through artificial insemination using DNA from one of Acnologia's scales that the cult had found." Amaterasu exclaimed bringing him in for a hug. "But that doesn't change the fact, you are who you are. You don't have to follow in your father's footsteps, carve your own path."
"But how come I don't have Dragonslayer magic if my old man is a dragon?" Scythe questioned.
"Your body hadn't fully developed any magic yet, so when you were injected with the Godslayer magic, it took root and the development was accelerated." Raijin stated putting a hand on his head. "Now get out there, and show that jerk what a God of War can do." The Thunder God smiled.
~Reality~
"Be glad you got your hits in, 'cause it won't happen again." Jellal smirked before sending lightning fast punches in Natsu's direction.
The battle had continued on for a while longer during the meeting Scythe had with the two deities in his soul.
"Now, I'll show you the true destructive power of darkness magic." Jellal smiled charging up an attack. "May the seven stars bring judgement upon you; Seven Star Sword: Grand Chariot!"
The attack came falling down from above. Before it could hit, a burst of energy washed over the area, and pieces of the Etherion lacrima went flying, with a flash of black and red came zooming past, grabbing Natsu with milliseconds to spare before the attack destroyed part of the tower.
"That was a close one." Scythe smiled setting Natsu down with a smirk on his face. "Let's see if I can't get the power of that spell right. It packs as much of a punch as being struck by a meteor, correct?"
"You, but how? Your body should be gone and Zeref should be resurrected." Jellal exclaimed.
"I'm no ordinary human." Scythe stated, scarlet flames and royal blue lightning cracking around his feet. "I am the son of a dragon and a human. Granted strength by the deities Amaterasu and Raijin who reside in my soul. Now if I'm not mistaken, your precious R-System can't afford to suffer any more damage, or it'll be rendered useless?" Scythe raised his foot, and stomped it on the ground, spider-webbing cracks all along the surface.
"What are you doing?" Jellal shouted.
"Come on, didn't you know destroying stuff is what us Fairy Tail sorcerers are best at?" Scythe smiled as Natsu got on his knees and slammed his fist into the ground, creating more cracks.
"Now that your tower's a giant crystal, shattering it would throw one hell of a wrench in your plans." Natsu smirked. "Now I'm all fired up."