***Author's Note*** I have been trying to post one chapter a week; but I will be busy a lot in August so if I don't post I haven't given up...just August is the month where people decided to be busy and drag me along for the fun of it. So I'm posting twice this week to make up for it. ***Author's Note***
Chapter Fifty
"Sir?"
Silence came from within the darkened room. The man at the door cleared his throat and the man beside him elbowed him in the side. He shook his head and the guy jerked his head so he cleared his throat again.
"Sir? I have been nominated to ask…"
There was a sound of a strong breeze, and then the man fell to his knees, his hands grasping his throat. Between his fingers blood oozed slowly as his eyes widened and he looked into the darkness. From the inky void, stalked a figure. All in black, his black hair wild looking, and his expression feral. The man stopped in front of him, glaring coldly down at him. He tried to speak but only gurgles came, blood erupting from his lips and his eyes started to get cloudy.
"I said I did not want to be disturbed!" The man snarled and kicked the now dead body out of the way of the door and stared at the second man.
"We didn't want to…but the troops…they're…insistent."
"The troops?" The man snarled and shook his head. "You all aren't an army. You're a bunch of fools who can't live without someone telling you when to breathe. Let alone take over the situations we find ourselves surrounded by."
"Sir…please…" The man shook. The man leaned forward.
"What's my name?"
"Mard…Ge…" The man gasped as he felt wind against his throat. "…errrr."
Mard Geer stared down at the second dying man and sniffed in annoyance. Humans were so weak. So fearful. But not all. No, he thought to himself. Not all. Some had banded with his enemies and were actively fighting his draconic hoards and trying to get more and more survivors off world.
He turned and returned to the darkness of his chamber. He was beside himself. Anger filling him. Not only had he lost his first Celestial Mage to a human, his second was now working with his enemies to save the rest of the humans. He threw himself into the seat of his throne and threw an arm over his eyes.
He could still picture her, getting knocked flying by the draconic wing; tumbling down and over the debris filled street. As she'd gotten up; he's realized she was even more beautiful than her mother had been. Brighter too. Then he'd felt it. Her power when she summoned multiple Zodiac Guards at once. She was possibly the strongest Celestial Mage in history. He knew he had to corrupt her with darkness before she got even stronger. Otherwise she might be able to summon….him….
But, she had a protector. The Fire Dragis who had been a pain in his ass for the last handful of planets. He'd seen the way they had nuzzled close, a connection undeniable between the two of them. He wouldn't be denied a second time. He held his hand out and snarled when his book didn't fly into his hand. No…the book had been caught by the flying hairball and taken away. Left with someone called Mirajean. He sat up, resting his hands on the arms of his throne. The Lightning Dragis had been outraged; which told him this Mirajean was either special to him or too weak to protect the book. Which may be how he got it back.
But that foul monster that had caught the hybrid….that beast….was a whole new thing for him to think about as well. He didn't know what it was; but it had been powerful. He thought it might be Takeoverian but he wasn't sure. He glared into he darkness. All his ire rising higher and higher within him. This planet was supposed to have fallen so easily by his studying and estimates. But it hadn't. It didn't make sense.
He had been so sure that this magicless world would fall as quickly as the others. After all, without magic, how could they defend themselves against beasts that were breed to fight the most basic of elemental magics. And what happened? This planet not only survived; but had been starting to turn the tides. His original draconics hadn't had the lifespans required to survive as long as the humans had. Short lives were the best way to keep the mindless from becoming mindful. So of course he'd turned to experimenting; making hybrids and better more ruthless monsters.
But not all the hybrids had been good designs. He thought of the two who had appeared out of no where to fight against him! They protected the humans and the members of the Alliance who defied him. And they had developed a language; one the little fur ball had been able to translate. He couldn't believe they had survived; but that is what happens when you outsource work; he supposed. You can't make sure things are up to your personal standards unless you do it all yourself.
"Sire?" A soft voice asked from the darkness and he turned and saw the glowing eyes looking at him.
"I don't…"
"Lyon is in trouble on Solarium." His second in command whispered and he snarled. The Frostonian had promised him the Flame God's power if he had supplied him with a few key ingredients for his plan. So he had handed over the items; depleting his stores of those; but he had been sure that the confidence he had witnessed would bear results. But now he was in trouble? Against some small minded giants?
"How?"
"Members of the Alliance went there to seek information. And his archenemy arrived via help of a Celestial Spirit."
"No one can travel with Celestial Spirits." Mard Geer snarled and the eyes closed before reopening very slowly.
"This one did. It is the Ice Dragis…the one who you watched fight earlier."
"Damn these little lizards!" He snarled and threw his head back and screamed in rage.
Gray shivered and looked over at Erza who was eying Lyon coldly. He couldn't believe that this was happening. That Lyon would work with Mard Geer; or that he would be acting like this. "Stop this Lyon. It goes against everything Ur taught us."
"Stop dragging her name through your dirty mouth Gray. Just because you are an Ice Dragis doesn't mean you are better than any one else who channels ice magic!" Lyon snarled before anyone could react a bird of prey made of ice slammed into Gray; blood spewing into the air.
Gray swore as he was flung to the ground and rolled to his feet; his hands in front of him and he flexed; his scales rising up and hardened; causing the beak of the ice bird to shatter when it tried to attack him again. He moved his hands and Lyon leapt to the side when a serpent made of ice lunged from behind him. He flung one hand at the serpent and the other at Gray. A sword made of ice cut off the head of the serpent and an Snow Ape charged at Gray. Gray gritted his teeth.
"We aren't Sorcierians, Ur stated to use ice spells properly we had to use both hands to strengthen our magic use." Gray yelled and Lyon shook his head.
"Please, that was just her way of trying to keep us weak and at her heel. I've learned so much with Mard Geer's resources." Gray charged the Ice Ape and Lyon's expression faltered when he charged through the ice; no more injuries to be seen even as the creature crumbled. Gray leapt into the air and spun; spikes protruding around his body as it hurled at Lyon. Lyon dodged but two of the spikes ripped through his left arm and hip. He screamed in pain as he hit the ground. Gray landed sideways on a tree for a split second before flipping off of it backwards and moving his hands quickly.
Long pieces of ice shot down around Lyon in a square pattern and then Gray landed while bringing his hands down. A large slab of ice landed on top and effectively made a cage for Lyon. Gray dropped to one knee, his hand held to his injured side. Lyon stared at him. He tried to use his powers but with one hand and the injuries it failed to form. Gray shook his head and forced himself to stand upright. He put both his hands to his side and gritted his teeth. Everyone watched as ice and frost formed a white light; and then when he moved his hands they gasped. He'd frozen his wounds shut. Ultear's eyes widened as she took in the ice covered skin.
"Ur did train us properly. We both were just shitty students." Gray finally scoffed as Lyon glared at him. "I wanted to avenge my family, my hoard of fallen Ice Dragis and nearly killed three people that day. You wanted to surpass her and sold your soul to a monster worse than even Deliora. And she proved to us; that the ultimate sacrifice can't be a selfish one."
"Shut up! You don't know anything!" Lyon gritted his teeth and tried to get to his knees but his purple blood was staining the grass around him.
"I've spent the last half of my life trying to learn Ur's last lesson." Gray said as he started to walk past the cage. He looked down at the male he'd once considered an adopted brother. "I still have a long way to go before I master it. But I know that when I do…I'll make her proud of the sacrifice she made…because she tried to rid my world of a monster…and now i'm trying to rid another world of a worse one."
"You will never unfreeze this planet let alone defeat Mard Geer! He is too powerful!"
"No…" Gray stopped several feet further into the jungle and turned around, and to the surprise of everyone, smiled. A real, bright and nearly blinding smile. "He isn't too powerful. Fairy Tail is more powerful; and we grow more so every day. Natsu and Lucy are proving that."
"Wha…?" Lyon sank against the ice bars and stared at the retreating back of the male he'd always considered his greatest rival. "Foolish Dragis…"
"He's no fool." Ultear said as she made to follow him and then stopped and looked at Lyon. "You are the only fool here. That spell he used; to heal himself. Is a Sorcierian spell that even Ur couldn't master. It involves using the water in ones own body and blood to turn into ice from the inside out. Him having mastered that, proves he's the best student Ur ever had."
"How would you know what she knew or didn't!?" Lyon cried; tears running down his face as he threw frost at her. Ultear gave him a pitying look. Sting and Rouge moved quickly around her, trying to catch up with Gray.
"Because my mother didn't hide her shortcomings from me." Lyon's eyes widened as she turned and followed Gray. Meredy followed suit and sent him a sympathetic glance before moving on. Jellal strolled by and leaned down, adding seals around the cage.
"Going up against a member of the Fairy Tail Guild Station alone is a fools errand you know?" He asked as he walked away. Lyon stared at Erza as she stopped in front of his cage.
"What? Have something else snippy to add?"
"Watching a hero fall can turn you into a villain." She murmured and looked at him. "But all villains eventually end up in a cage or worse. It's better to fight for the side of good."
"You are blinded by what gifts they have but…"
"I'm not blinded." Erza said and threw a medical pack into the cage and he stared from it to her. "I know what it's like to live in darkness. Its what lets me tell true light when I see it. And we're going to win. No matter the sacrifices involved. Heal yourself; rest; and really consider what side you want to be on."
"Shut up!" He yelled as she walked away.
"A medical pack, really?" Jellal asked as Erza caught up with him. She looked at him from the corner of her eye. "He's just going to try and attack us from behind."
"Your spells are that weak huh?" She asked and he tripped over a root and then grinned at her retreating back before shaking his head. She was different from anyone else he's ever met. He caught up effortlessly and they trailed Gray in silence.
"I think he's smitten." Meredy whispered and jerked her head backwards and Ultear giggled and shrugged as bent low to avoid a low hanging branch. Meredy jumped over it and they resumed walking side-by-side. "What? Don't you?"
"He's mated to the mission."
"Because no one worth his time has ever appeared before him before." Meredy stated dryly and Ultear had to fight back the snort that wanted to come out. "She challenges him, doesn't just bow over to him, and lets face it. She's attractive for any race to recognize."
"I think you may be smitten." Ultear said and Meredy gasped dramatically. She turned and looked up at the mountain of ice. "Why would anyone want to freeze a mountain?"
"There is no telling. You could go back and ask that Lyon guy if you want an answer."
"No thanks. He's surly." Meredy shook her head. Gray, Rouge and Sting were stopped up ahead so they picked up their pace. When they got to the clearing where the males were, their mouths fell open. Between two hunks of frozen mountain; what some kind of stone shrine.
"What is this?" Ultear asked and held her hand out. "It's ancient. Before what even my magic would let me see."
"No clue. But there is something about the smell that is familiar." Sting said and the other two agreed.
"What's going on?" Jellal asked as he and Erza joined them.
"There is something about this shrine…it's ancient and powerful." Ultear murmured as she looked at it.
"And the smell…it's familiar but I can't name why." Rouge rolled his shoulders.
"You found it." A voice said and they all turned. Flare limped out of the foliage and they stared for a moment before Erza and Meredy raced over to grab either arm and support her.
"What are you doing? You are supposed to be resting in a medical bay." Erza scolded and Flare pointed at the shrine.
"I promised my adopted family to protect them. If I can get the Flame God…" She paused to catch her breath.
"There is no Flame God here. Just a mountain covered in ice."
"There is no mountain." Flare shook her head and pointed again. "That is the Flame God."
"Say what now?" Sting asked and squatted down to be eye level with her as he tilted his head in confusion.
"When the invaders came…The Flame God grew larger than any of us could remember. They froze him in this massive size." She said and looked around. "Everything you consider to be mountain is froze flames."
"Holy shit." Erza muttered and she turned her eyes on the frozen surfaces that reached up beyond what she could see.
"Not fully sure what that meant but I agree." Sting said and then looked back to Flare. "What were you going to do here exactly?"
"Try and melt the ice somehow. Or crack it. If I can free the Flame God he has to be able to undo the damage done and save everyone. I can't just sleep while everyone else is…"
"You weren't sleeping. You were being treated for your injuries." Erza corrected and smoothed some hair back from the young female's face. "But since you are here, and won't listen to reason; you can help us."
"Help us how exactly?" Jellal asked as he pulled off the cape he was wearing and put it around Flare's shoulders. She looked up at him and then all around.
"You all, are truly going to let me stay to help?"
"Of course. This is your home. You want to protect it as much as I want to protect my home." Erza said and shrugged. "I just wish you'd let yourself heal first."
"And arguing with Erza is suicidal so you win." Sting smiled, his fangs bright against his tan skin. Flare blushed and lowered her gaze. She twisted her hands in her hair as the others left her to walk up the frozen facade and rest their hands against it.
"Do we pray to him to get him to unfreeze?" Sting asked after a few moments of silence and everyone looked at him and he shrugged. "I've never seen frozen fire; and I hang out with Natsu all the time."
"To be fair he isn't wrong." Gray added and looked up. "I've seen all kinds of fire between Natsu, Romeo and his father. But this…this is new territory even for me."
"Well it's made of Moondrip and Deliora essence, so that's why it was able to do what its done." Meredy pointed out. "If we can defeat those two things weaknesses; we should be able to beat this."
"I'm not sure how to beat Deliora on a molecular level." Gray said and Meredy deflated.
"And I don't think anyone here knows much about Moondrip either."
"Stupdi magic ice." Sting said and kicked at the solid sheet in front of him. He started growling in frustration as he jumped up and down on his good foot while holding his injured one. Rouge and Jellal chuckled while the women all rolled their eyes.
"It's ice." Gray said and looked up, his mouth dropping open.
"Yes. We've known this." Sting stated slowly and grunted as the Ice Dragis punched him then wrapped an arm around his head and pulled him close.
"No. It's ice. That means I can probably manipulate it. I was so focused on its ties to Deliora I never stopped to realize the most basic thing. It's ice."
"You think you can manipulate the ice and make it melt?" Erza asked and looked around. "This is a massive scale."
"Yeah but it's my element. It's a part of me." He said and released Sting and looked over at Jellal. "And that scent that's been bothering me. I recognize it now."
"What is it?"
"It's dying fire. Natsu smells like it when he's severely injured. We need ways to feed and revive the Flame God once I free him. He'll be weakened from being incased in ice for as long as he has been."
"I'll start chopping wood." Erza said and turned, her outfit lighting up before she appears in a pair of bright yellow overalls and a red shirt under it. She wore a weird yellow hat on her head and carried a massive axe over one shoulder. Flare's mouth dropped open as she watched the transformation and the appearance of the axe.
"What was that?" She asked and Meredy knelt beside her.
"Erza uses a rare old magic from an ancient race because of blood transfer. It's called Re-quip."
"Blood transfer?" Flare asked and furrowed her brow.
"Yeah, her friend is half the ancient race. Go figure. And on their planet sharing blood heals each other because they don't have our technologies or magic. So she got the magic that way."
"What is she?" Flare asked and jumped when a tree fell Erza just moved onto the next one. Lifting the axe behind her and swinging forward. They watched as she started to fell trees with speed and precision.
"Human. We're pretty sure." Ultear said as Erza stopped after so many trees and started to chop them into "more manageable" sizes. They still looked ridiculously large to them but they weren't going to argue while she had the axe in her hands.
"I know the spells that we use to honor the Flame God. But I don't think I can be more help than that."
"That's enough." Jellal reassured her and he looked over. Gray already had his hands on the ice and was focusing on it. His body was tense and his scales gleaming in the sunlight. They watched as leaned into his palms and just didn't move.
"Is he gonna kiss it?" Sting asked but Rouge just shook his head when Ultear lifted and brought her leg down; bringing her foot down on Sting's head and he fell to the ground.
"Make yourself useful." She ordered and he slunk off and Rouge looked at her and then followed his friend. Meredy giggled and kept running healing packs and wands over Flare. Jellal was conversing with the rest of the team that Flare wasn't missing or wrecking havoc on the ship but was with them.
"I got one hundred trees fell. Do you think we need more?" Erza asked, breathing heavily and they shook their heads. They watched as she shone brightly then was in the outfit from before. She dropped to the ground and sighed heavily while she looked over at Gray. She closed her eyes and prayed he knew what he was doing. She flinched slightly when a hand dropped onto her shoulder and she looked up and saw Jellal looking down at her with concern. She offered him a smile and he held out a bar of food. She took it and nodded thanks before looking back to Gray.
"Something is happening." Flare's voice was barely over a whisper and they all focused on the wall of ice. It was slowly starting to melt. Small drops at first, rolling down quickly. Then it was faster. But it never hit the ground. It swirled around itself and settled just above the ground.
"Gray?" Jellal asked hesitantly wondering if it was him or the ice itself stopping like that.
"I don't want the Moondrip to contaminate the ground." He gritted through his teeth and turned his focus back to the ice before him. He nearly had it.
"Gray your side!" Rouge shouted as blood started to seep through the ice he'd healed himself with. Gray ignored him and kept concentrating. Ultear stepped up and put her hands on the ice and focused as well. She rarely used her ice magic anymore, it was too much of a reminder of her mother. But she knew he needed help. Together the ice started to break off in hunks, falling inward into the hallow looking shell of itself. A large crevice was created near the shrine and once Gray and Ultear stepped back, Erza nodded. She turned, equipping into a suit of armor they had no idea what it was. But when she grabbed several pieces of the trees and carried them as if they were light; they realized that the armor gave her crazy strength.
"She's terrifying." Rouge murmured and Sting nodded. Jellal just followed her as she went back and forth from the felled trees to the crevice, tossing in the lumber.
"Okay. It's in. What do we need to do now?" She asked as she turned, one again returning to the suit she'd had on.
"We pray to the Flame God; and if he's strong enough he'll accept the offering and grow strong again." Flare said and climbed up to the top steps of the shrine. They all followed and got behind her. She started the prayer, her voice small and soft. But it slowly got louder. They didn't understand the language but it was eerily beautiful. When she stopped she looked up, her shoulders falling.
"It didn't work…he's gone." She choked out, tears streaming down her face. "I failed my family….my planet."
"You haven't failed." Erza put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. Sting frowned and looked at Rouge and Gray. They shared a look and stared into the dark crevice. They inched closer.
"What would Natsu do?" Sting asked softly and Gray rolled his eyes towards him.
"Blow up the lumber and the rest of the ice and the Flame God." He stated and they nodded.
"Then let's blow it up." Rouge said and the other two looked at him. "What?"
At his defensive tone, Sting made a face and shrugged. "You usually don't have the stupid ideas. That's usually me."
'It's not stupid." He groused. "We just do what he would. It will work."
"How will a light, shadow, and ice Dragis, cause an explosion?"
"I'll bend the shadows out of the way of the light you'll focus through the clearest ice that Gray can make. It will act like a refractor; causing the light to heat up and catch the lumber on fire. Then we throw in some of these combustable packs I have from the ship…"
"Why do you have those?" Gray asked and Rouge pushed his hair out of his eyes.
"Because I thought they might come in handy?"
"Okay then. We have a plan!" Gray said and stepped away and climbed the few stairs to get even with Flare who turned and stared at him. From where she was kneeling on the steps; she was even with his torso and saw that the blood had completely melted his ice bandage and was staining his pants.
"What…plan?" She asked and hiccuped.
"We're going to blow up what is left of your Flame God in the hopes it sparks life back into him."
"That is some Natsu level thinking." Jellal said and Gray, Rouge and Sting nodded. "It might work. He did stop a volcano from exploding by setting off a series of explosions within it."
"He what?" Erza asked and Meredy held her hand up.
"That is a story for a different time." She said and looked at Jellal. "I have some combustion packs and you have a few spells."
"And I can slow down the explosions to prolong them and make sure the heat gets intense." Ultear offered and shifted on her feet, wiggling her fingers.
"And I can help with spreading flames." Erza said and again changed into a new suit of armor.
"Fire Empress armor…impressive." Jellal murmured and she flushed under the heavy metal helmet."
"Lets get this done." Sting crowed. Flare watched in awe as these strangers, from different planets; came together to help her god. She felt the tears rolling down her cheeks as they put the various parts of their plan into action.
The light from the Light Dragis as it passed through the ice sheet Gray made was so bright she had to look away. It made her watch as Erza ran along the various pieces of lumber, flames following her steps. The branches and leaves lit up; and the crackle was a welcoming and familiar sound. She wiped at the tears on her face and swallowed heavily. Meredy and Jellal were setting the various combustion packs on and lining them up on a spell he'd written into the air. He moved his arm back and waited.
There was a loud echoing boom sound and Flare was flung backwards into Rouge's legs. He never moved and she watched as small pile of combustion packs that Sting had put inside the crevice exploded. Erza leapt out of the crevice at the same time that a Jellal threw his arm; and Meredy's devices went flying under the lumber. As they erupted; everything went into the air. Then suspended even as they felt the heat increasing. Ultear started to sweat and her uplifted arms trembled.
There was a sudden breeze and then the flames lit up, against Ultear's magic. She dropped her arms and fell against Gray who wrapped an arm around her waist and they watched as the flame shifted. Changing from yellows and oranges to reds whites and blues. It continued to grow and grow as it raised higher into the air. They all stumbled down the steps of the shrine and kept watching it.
Suddenly it stopped, and shot back down towards the ground. Flare's breath caught until the last of the ice shell that had held the Flame God evaporated with sizzles. The fire in front of them was a rage inferno, but the heat and gradually reduced.
"Who dared attacked me with multiple explosions?" A deep voice shook the ground. Flare flung herself onto the shrine.
"Oh merciful Flame God. We had no other choice! You had been froze in Moondrip ice like the rest of the planet's inhabitants! It was our last chance to free you and revive you."
"Moon…drip….ice…." The deep voice snarled. "Such magic was supposed to be long forgotten."
"Mard Geer remembers." Gray muttered and the ground shook as the flames grew higher.
"May Mard Geer burn in my king's flames for all eternity for his crimes against decent civilizations." The voice rumbled and everyone shared a look.
"What god has a king?" Jellal asked the question they were all thinking.
"The old kind." The voice said and suddenly a face appeared n the flames. It had rows of strong teeth, and angles all along it's face.
"You are a…dragon?" Erza asked in surprise.
"I am the spirit of a fire dragon." The voice answered. "My scales crumbled to dust when this planet was still uninhabited. But still I burned, to protect this planet from anyone who wanted to corrupt it."
"But my family….they live here and have for generations." Flare said and shook her head in confusion.
"Who is your family child?" The voice asked and she twisted her hands in her hair.
"The giants of this planet. They took me in when I was a child. You granted me a gift even, of magic…"
"Ahh yes… I remember you now." The face in the flames nodded. "When the giants brought you to me; you were sickly. And they were too large and clumsy to heal you. They asked me to help you. It was me who gave you your name."
"I was…named by the Flame God?" Flare whispered in awe and stared up at the face that only the high elders had claimed to have seen.
"Yes. When you first saw me, in fright you threw a small wooden toy at me. It caused my flames to flare up. So I called you little Flare."
"That's actually kind of sweet." Erza murmured to herself and Sting and Rouge nodded having overheard her.
"Thank you for that…but please, I'd give you anything I have if you would unfreeze everyone!" She cried, tears running down her face. The flames moved in and out a few times, as if it was breathing. "Please."
"What do you mean unfreeze everyone?" He finally asked and Jellal glanced at Erza and she took a deep breath.
"The ones who froze you, also froze the giants."
"Those wretches!" He shouted and everyone wobbled as the ground shook as the flames shot high into the air. Erza's Empress Armor returned and she slid in front of everyone and threw her arms out. The flames hit her and she kept her arms up, blocking them from everyone else. When the flames receded, she pulled the helmet off.
"I will unfreeze everyone." The Flame God swore and Flare started to laugh softly in relief. "Grab that lantern. I will need to travel to those who are frozen. Otherwise I would scorch the planet if I grew too large to try and reach everyone from here."
"Of course." Gray picked up the lantern and the Flame God shot into it; condensing himself into a small flickering flame. He held it out to Flare who hugged the lantern close and looked around before settling her gaze on Gray.
"Thank you for freeing him."
"No problem. Let's start unfreezing the giants. I need to get back to Earth-land before Natsu does something stupid."
Natsu sneezed and looked around and then up at the sky. "Quit talking about me when I'm not around you jerks."
"It's cute how he's already believing that." Lisanna whispered to Lucy who giggled as Natsu spewed fire up into the sky.