Nashi sat in the middle of the crowded guild hall, squished in between both of her parents. This meeting had been called as soon as Simon and the others returned, which was to share and recognise all of the information they had acquired. She had no idea how much the others had found, but it was interesting.
She was reminded of her own adventure to The Hollows at this, and she grimaced. She didn't want to think about that, even though they'd need to share. They did end up finding out a little bit, after all. Granted, from what she could tell, their adventure had been the least useful.
"Nashi!" Nashi made a face as her voice was called. She turned, and had just enough time to brace before someone caught on and hugged her tightly. It took her a solid few seconds to realise who was hugging her.
"Asuka?" She asked weakly. Her former babysitter moved away from her and smiled.
"You really are alive," the girl said with a smile. "I'm so sorry I haven't seen you yet, I've just been so busy and-"
"It's fine," Nashi excused with a smile. "I'm glad to see you too. What are you doing here?"
"Didn't you hear?" Asuka asked with a raised eyebrow. "Master Laxus called everyone from every guild hall. We're all here." Nashi always forgot that Fairy Tail had more than just their main headquarters, where other members carried out their duties. She knew that Asuka's parents, Alzack and Bisca, ran the one to the West. She'd never been there, but it was apparently the biggest one outside of the main hall in Magnolia. As for Asuka, she had changed since Nashi had last seen her. Her brown hair had grown, being tied in a high ponytail. Her purple eyes were still wide and kind, the same ones Nashi remembered trying to emulated when she begged to stay up past her bedtime as a kid. She smiled fondly at those memories.
"Are Alzack and Bisca here?" Her dad asked, taking her away from her thoughts.
"Yeah, they went off somewhere else," Asuka answered, "you're looking even older, Natsu."
"Watch it, brat."
"Ah, don't be like that! I know I'm still your favourite."
"Questionable." Asuka then turned to Nashi's mother and Luke, "and that must be Luke! How are you, little guy?"
"Hi!" Luke greeted enthusiastically. "You're pretty." Asuka smiled softly at him.
"Thanks Kid," she said, "you're pretty cute yourself. Look at those chubby cheeks!" Asuka reached over and grabbed the young boys cheek, causing him to squeal and attempt to escape. After humouring her brother for a bit, Asuka turned back to Nashi. "How're you feeling, Nashi?"
"Good," Nashi lied through her teeth. "All things considered." Asuka nodded solemnly.
"That's good," she said. "I heard about Drake." Nashi's stomach dropped and her pulse quickened. "I'm so sorry. If Id have been here, I'd have helped look."
"A lot of good it would have done," she replied weakly. "No one found anything anyway." Asuka frowned.
"I know," she said, "I just wish I'd have been here to see him off." Nashi frowned as she recalled saying goodbye to her friend.
"Yeah," she said quietly, "we all wish things went differently."
Her attention turned to Laxus as he stood in front of everyone, clearing his throat.
"Alright, settle down!" He shouted, silencing the guild immediately. "As I'm sure you all know, we've spent the last week trying to discover everything we can about the Demon Lords. Now that the three teams we went out are back, we're going to summarise what we learned. Starting with Natsu's team. Natsu, if you would?" Laxus gestured to her father, who cleared his throat and stood.
"We wend to see The Hollows," he said, "the guild Neptu Skylancer is in. They have a history of Devil Slayer Magic, and we hoped they might be able to tell us anything we didn't know. Unfortunately, all we really got out of it were a few names of Demon Lords we didn't already know. Those were Mezevera, Archos and Barrath. We also learned that the Demon Lords were put in charge of judging Humanity, presumably by Anhkseram. They take takeover wizards in order to learn about humans and judge us fairly when we pass into the afterlife. Other than that, we didn't learn much of anything." He sat back down, and all attention turned to Laxus.
"Erza, Jellal," the Master said, "what did you learn visiting The Olympians?" The pair stood up somewhere across the guild hall, looking stoic.
"We learned that The Olympians were pushed to action by the visions of an Oracle," Jellal said. "This Oracle was from a family of renowned seers in the Pergrande Kingdom, who had never been wrong before."
"It's important to note," Erza said, "that this 'Oracle' is a girl named Pythia. Her power of foresight comes from the Demon Lord Mezevera, The Mistress of Time." Murmurs spread throughout the hall at this, Nashi digesting this information slowly. "The power has been passed down Pythia's line since time immemorial, granting them the foresight they had. The past Oracle, Pythia's great-grandmother, had a vision. A vision that detailed a great war."
"This vision was expanded upon by Pythia, who got the power after her great-grandmother. She foresaw a girl with pink hair and a checkered scarf facing off against a city burning, fighting a King of Bones." Nashi could tell that anyone without self-control looked at her at this. Hell, she could sense Asuka burning a hole in the side of her head.
"That's not anything we weren't already aware of," Erza continued, "Zeus told us as much a few months ago. However, Pythia did have more information to share. She said that she and her fore-mothers were bound by a pact to not reveal themselves until the time was right. The first condition of the pact was to foresee the battle itself."
"The second was to confirm the existence of the pink-haired girl with the checkered scarf," Jellal said. "And the third was that she needed to foresee another battle. In her own words, one that involved humans, dragons, demons and Gods. And she has, confirming the last condition. The pact says that when these conditions are filled, the battle is on the horizon. No doubt what happens next will decide the fate of our world." The couple shared a look, arguing silently about something. "She...She also confirmed that Nashi gives her life to stop the King in her visions."
Nashi paled at this, trying to look stoic for anyone staring at her. She could tell it was failing.
"Anything else?" Laxus prodded.
"Yes," Erza said, making Jellal grimace. "Pythia had another vision about this battle. In it, she saw...someone wielding a ring of great power. One that caused all magic to fail and the space around the user to distort. Thankfully the person wielding it will be on our side, but there is a catch."
"Which is?" Nashi's father asked. Erza gave pause, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Drake was the one with the ring," she said. Another wave of murmurs went over the guild. Nashi's heartbeat sped up, drumming an excited tempo in her ears.
"Don't get excited," Jellal said, "she had no knowledge of his location, or a time frame we could expect him back. At most, it confirms he's alive and human still."
That was enough for Nashi. She had been driving herself crazy worrying about her friend, doing anything she could to take her mind off of him and the feelings she wasn't supposed to have. But knowing that he would return alive and human made her beyond excited.
"Was there anything else before we continue?" Laxus asked.
"Yes," Jellal replied "Firstly, with the information Damien gave us, we think this ring is a relic from the God Aether, but that will have to wait." That all sounded like gibberish to Nashi. "Hera gave us a lot of information about the man we're fighting, Hades."
"Namely," Erza said. "His real name is Cain."
"Cain?!" Nashi nearly jumped out of her skin, turning to see what had happened. Damien was on his feet, wide-eyed and alarmed. Steph sat beside him, eyes just as wide. "You're sure she said Cain?!"
"Y-Yes," Erza replied, "why?" Damien grimaced.
"Ah shit," he hissed. "Shit...It'll have to wait. Go on." Erza looked confused, but nodded.
"She said that Cain had not always been the Hades we know," she said, "that he changed after a recon mission. She believes he found something there, something he kept hidden from everyone else. We guessed it might have been a relic of Zomrus, but that explanation will have to wait." Nashi noted how disturbed Damien looked by this. "Hera offered her hand in alliance and is scanning her information channels for any info on the any further without further explanation from your team, Laxus, would be confusing. Could you explain?" Laxus, too, looked disturbed.
"Of course," he said, "I believe you should tell it, Damien." All eyes turned to the resident Demon Lord takeover wizard, who still looked disturbed. Finally, he sighed.
"We learned a lot at Zentopia," he started. "So I'm going to try and condense it into an understandable lesson. Basically, before time even existed, Anhkseram existed out there in the void. But he wasn't alone. He had his brother, Zomrus."
A chill went through the guild hall, soaking into Nashi's spine.
"Anhkseram and Zomrus split their infinite power to create even more Gods, such as Chronos and Aether. Together with these new Gods, they again used their infinite power to create the universe we inhabit today. Anhkseram used his power to give us life, and Zomrus used his own to watch over us after we died. Chronos used his power to create the concept of time, and Aether used his own to give us the gift of magic."
Nashi already felt lost.
"They first gave birth to the dragons, the firstborn of the Gods," Damien said, "and then, they created humans, the second-born. And then, all other life less intelligent than us, the third-born. Anhkseram and the other Gods gave birth to this utopia for life to flourish, and gave us the free will to make our own choices. However, in order to join Anhkseram in Paradise when we die, we were to be judged of our choices by Zomrus, who would decide if we would go to Paradise, or be damned for our sins."
Damien's expression darkened.
"However, as eons passed, Zomrus grew tired of us. He was the God of Death, and as such his name was invoked in every horrible sin humanity ever committed. He was subjected to countless wars where we massacred each other. He watched as the dragons devoured humans, even though we shared higher intelligence. Over time, he began to resent the free will he and Anhkseram had given us, and tried to convince his brother to rescind that right. Apparently, he didn't think the life they created deserved to be free. We needed to be ruled over, to taught how to use the gifts the Gods gave us. That in giving us the will to choose our own path, that they had inadvertently doomed us to be horrid, lesser beings."
Damien made a face.
"Anhkseram disagreed with this, saying that this was the point of free will. That all those who live deserve to make their own choices, no matter how horrible they are. They argued, and eventually came to blows over it. This was the first God War, where Anhkseram and Zomrus fought over our right to live as we see fit."
Nashi was having a hard time wrapping her mind around this. She had never been particularly religious, so this was making her head spin.
"Point of this tangent is that Anhkseram obviously won," Damien continued, "and sealed Zomrus away for millennia. This is where this gets important; Anhkseram took Zomrus and split him into twelve pieces, twelve new Gods that could manage the underworld in his place. Those twelve being are the Demon Lords."
Nashi's eyes widened.
"The Twelve Demon Lords are aspects of Zomrus, a twelfth of his power. They were tasked with watching over humanities sins in Zomrus' place, so that Anhkseram could keep them in check. However, big man upstairs knew that eventually his brother would wake up, and that they'd fight all over again. To help prevent this, he created a sect of loyal followers who helped erase Zomrus and the Demon Lords from humanities collective knowledge as much as possible. That's why the Demon Lords are called as such. No one knows they're technically Gods. This sect, called the Order of Life, was also given a prophecy. A prophecy that goes as follows."
"In a time when his name is lost
When he's disappeared from the earth
He will return heralded by frost
And all the dead he will unearth
Fear not the living, they don't have a clue
But a soul returned from death
Will herald his due;
His reign will be marred by blood and by pain
He cares not who he hurts
With his twisted game
But we will not fall, he'll have to contend
For when the King rises
Humanity will find salvation in the end."
"This is the same prophecy that Pythia gave The Olympians," Damien said, looking over at Jellal and Erza. "Which makes sense, given that Mezevera represents time as well as Chronos. But that's not all. Anhkseram wrote down four names specifically listed by Chronos to be important in this battle." Damien's frown deepened.
"Those names are Natsu, Zeref, Cain, Nashi."
The guild was so quiet you could hear a pin drop as Damien ran a hand through his hair.
"The news that Hades' real name is Cain clears that up. Anhkseram said that these names would herald the return of Zomrus, and we've heard them all. Two of them are in this room as we speak."
Nashi again felt eyes on her. Her father put a protective arm over her, which she appreciated.
With the help of his parents, Damien filled them in on the rest of what they learned from Zentopia. All of it alarming, to say the least. They explained that relics were artifacts of power the Gods left behind, like the Infinity Clock or the aforementioned Ring of Aether. Damien told them about the Creed and Staff of Anhkseram and how he could use it to confront the Demon Lords. At the end of it all, Laxus sighed.
"Too summarise," he said, "Zomrus was waited for eons for this, and all his pieces are in place. The Archbishop told us he most likely created a situation where neither side would relent, and we have it. The Demon Lords want Nashi, we won't give her to them. And he spared nothing in telling us what would happen if the Demon Lords lost too much power."
The guild was silent.
"What happens?" Ultear asked quietly from somewhere in the room. Laxus' face hardened.
"If the Demon Lords are killed, Zomrus will probably wake up."
As if she had not already been at the point of puking, she nearly did when she heard this.
This was the end game, what Hades had aimed for all along. He put them in such a horrific situation that the God of Death himself was about to wake up. And it was all because she existed. But why? Why did this have to happen to her? Because some God eons ago said so? That wasn't fair! She didn't deserve this! Her family didn't deserve this!
"With this in mind," Laxus said, I've already begun planning a team. A team strong enough to defend Nashi from these Demon Lords. Using the Staff of Anhkseram, we will confront the Demon Lords in their own realm and-"
"And do what?" Nashi demanded loudly, her voice shaking. Everyone turned to look at her as she shakily got to her feet, gritting her teeth.
"What was that, Nashi?" Laxus asked.
"And do what?!" She shouted, lifting her head to glare angrily at her Master. "We're talking about Gods here! Do you expect us to be able to beat them?! What exactly will defeating them accomplish other than the end of the world?!"
She got no response, making her feel even worse.
"This is ridiculous," she said weakly. "I'm not worth this! My life isn't worth the end of the world! I'm not...I'm not even who you think I am! I'm not...I..." Luna felt herself spiralling. Her mind felt fractured and weak.
"If my life is what it takes to prevent the God of Death from waking up, I'll give it!" She cried, tears streaming down her face. "I won't let anyone die in my place, do you hear me?! I'm not worth this!"
"Nashi-" Her mother started softly, trying to hold her hand. She shook her off.
"NO!" she roared angrily, magic pulsating off her form and making people back up. "I'm not worth it! My life isn't worth all of yours, don't you get that?! I won't let this happen! I'll gladly give myself up if it saves the world!"
545 wanted to hide. She wanted to curl up into a ball and die, disappear so nothing like this would happen. But she couldn't, not with everyone looking at her. Gods, but she hated the stare they were giving her.
"Here's my plan," she croaked. "I let the Demon Lords take my soul away, and the world is saved. How's that for a plan? I think it's pretty good!"
"Nashi-" Her father tried this time, but she pushed him away.
"Don't you dare!" She screamed, reaching hysterics. "Don't you dare try and console me! How dare you imply my worthless life is worth more than yours! Or Mom's, or your fucking son!" Luna brandished a finger at Luke to prove her point. "I'm not even really your daughter, for God's sake! I'm some fucked up creation from the Demon Lords that's taunted by her memories and feelings she shouldn't have!"
545 tried to take a deep breath, but couldn't. Now she was hyperventilating.
"No," she whispered, "no, no, no, no...I can't I won't let you people do this! Not for someone like me!"
Turning, she tore for the door to the guild hall and fled, ignoring the people shouting a name.
A name, certainly not hers.
I didn't want most of this chapter to end up being recap, but...Here we are anyway! I tried to condense the most important information, as well as point out what we don't know yet. By we, I mean you guys. I hope you enjoyed, leave a review! Let's try and get five!