Chapter 219
Revelations and Schemes
That night, the Bar Sun was again ablaze with lights, and the sounds of partying filled it throughout, the overwhelming energy higher than usual. Everyone in the Fairy Tail guild danced and cheered, celebrating our recent victories.
As he always was, Natsu was the focus of everyone's attention as he shot around barrel-surfing like before, wearing a giant grin on his face and laughing like a giddy kid. Knowing how hard he was partying, he was filled to the brim with pride and ego after beating Sting and Rogue on his own.
I couldn't help but smile as I watched him and everyone else enjoying themselves while wearing my new belt around my waist.
"Hey, Natsu! Try not to party too hard!" I called out to him. "The last thing we want is for you to destroy the place just like Ryuzetsu Land!"
"Aw, come on, Willy! Live a little!" Natsu replied with a smirk. "Besides, you should be partying just as much as I am, champ! After all, Fairy Tail's been kicking major butt, and we deserve to cut loose! And it's only a matter of time before we get back to being number one!"
Some other guild members cheered at that statement, and I could only chuckle.
"Just don't come crying to me when the master gets mad at you!" I said to him.
As Natsu went over to some of the other members, probably looking to start trouble or talk, I took a swig of my mug, enjoying the refreshing taste of my drink as I always did.
"Truth be told, if I weren't raised to be so humble, I'd feel the same as he would after what we accomplished," I thought. "We just beat Sabertooth twice in one day, although every guild in the games will be gunning for us now. Well, at least I've made my mark and won't have to worry about fighting anymore. Plus, Natsu and I managed to stick it to their master after what they did to Yukino and Lucy, so I'm satisfied. I can finally take it easy and watch the games."
At that moment, a loud and familiar voice called out.
"Hey, Willy!"
I looked up and saw Mira, Lisanna, Elfman, and Lucy. Elfman and Lucy had most of their bandages taken off but still looked battered. However, the two looked as healthy as horses and seemed just as energetic.
"Hey, guys," I greeted back. "Shouldn't you two be resting in the infirmary?"
"Well, we couldn't stay in bed after the way you guys won earlier today," smiled Lucy. "We had to come see you guys and congratulate you."
"You kicked that Orga guy's butt, Willy!" Elfman said while admiring my belt. "So, how's it feel, champ? You feel any more like a real man?"
"It certainly feels pretty good, but I don't know," I told him as I touched my belt. "I'm still letting it sink in. It still feels like a dream, you know?"
"Well, I think that belt looks good on you," said Mira. "It represents all your hard work and training. You should be proud."
"Thanks, Mira," I said to her. "That means a lot to me. But I don't want to always walk around with this around my waist. It might get in the way if I ever have to get into a fight."
"Come on, Willy. Don't tell me you're turning out to be like Natsu," said Lisanna. "I mean, what are the odds that you'll get into a fight? Sure, our guild loves to roughouse, but still."
"I guess I'm just used to keeping my guard up," I told her. "That, and I don't want to go around parading my status as a champion like Orga was."
"Yeah, that sounds like you, Willy," nodded Lucy. "You always were a bit more humble. Too bad a certain someone else isn't as such."
Everyone glanced at Natsu, now fighting with Gray close to the following table, while the other members watched, either cheering for them or watching.
"Oh, boy. It looks like someone will have to try and break those two morons up before they break a wall or something," sighed Lucy. "Lisanna? Elfman? Mind helping me out on this one?"
"Wait, why ask us?" asked Elfman. "Wouldn't it make sense to stay out of -."
Then, Lisanna gave Elfman a nudge to his ribs, making him double over and wince from the pain.
"Don't worry, Lucy. Elfman and I don't mind helping," Lisanna said innocently. "Right, Big Bro Elf?"
"Y-Yeah. Of course, we don't," replied Elfman with a grunt.
The three then went over to them, leaving Mira and me alone by the bar. At first, I was puzzled, but then something clicked, which made me bite the urge to roll my eyes.
"Is this another one of Lisanna's schemes to get me alone with Mira? Seriously?"
"Looks like Natsu still has a lot of pent-up energy, even after that fight," Mira smiled.
"Yeah, but I don't know if it's a good thing," I told her. "The guy's already managed to destroy this bar once already, along with an entire water park. Shouldn't he at least exercise a bit of restraint?"
"Well, we have a day off," said Mira. "So even if he gets hurt, he'll at least have time to heal before the final day of the games. He's always quick to bounce back, so I say let him have his fun."
I stared blankly at her. "Mira, I don't know if you're kidding, but I think you're missing the point here."
There was a brief pause as the partying continued. Then, Mira spoke up again.
"You know, you had me worried at first," she said quietly. "I almost thought you lost the match when you and Orga knocked each other out."
I looked over at her and saw that she now had a worried expression while staring at the floor.
"When I saw you lying there on the ground, it… kinda scared me," Mira continued. "I thought my heart would stop out of that fear alone. Not only that, but it also brought up some bad memories when we were younger."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked. Then, after a brief moment, I realized. "Wait. Do you mean - ?"
"Yeah. When you disappeared after you were supposed to be transferred," said Mira. "Back then, despite not having any idea, I couldn't help but feel powerless, unable to do anything to help you. And it got even worse when Lisanna was gone, too. It was to the point where I couldn't help but feel scared of losing someone else. And despite you and Lisanna coming back, I still can't help but feel that afraid."
"Well, I can appreciate it, but you don't have to worry about me," I said. "It's not like I'm Natsu throwing caution to the wind without thinking of the circumstances."
Mira suddenly looked in my direction, glaring sternly. "Sorry, but I'm going to keep worrying about you," she said firmly yet emotionally. "Because you are as reckless as Natsu is, Mr. I decided to make a bet staking my status in a guild."
Feeling a bolt of realization, I couldn't help but blink in bafflement while saying nothing.
"Listen, Willy, I know that you won in the end, and I'm happy that you managed to win, but I don't want you to make such a silly bet ever again," Mira said. "I don't care if you get called names or anything else so petty, please don't do it."
As she stared at me, Bacchus's previous words from the other night echoed in my mind, causing my cheeks to heat up instinctively. However, I responded by nodding.
"U-Um, yeah. Sure. I won't."
At that moment, three screams of fear caught my attention, prompting me to look up, only to see Natsu, Gray, and Lucy running away from a livid Erza with her sword drawn.
"I don't want to know what's happening with them."
Then, the entrance swung open with a slam, and Gajeel stomped in.
"Hey, Gajeel's back!" I couldn't help but say as I stood up.
"Where have you been?" asked Happy. "Master was about to send out a search party for you."
"Yeah, and why'd you skip out during our match?" barked Natsu.
Gajeel glared crossly at Natsu. "Are you kidding me?!" he snarled. "I've spent half of the day crawling out of a hole in the ground after a charcoal-brained idiot right in front of me put me there!"
Natsu, being the oblivious guy he was, hummed thoughtfully. "Wait, did I do that?" he wondered before chucking snidely. "Man, that must have been rough for you."
"Seriously, Natsu?!" snapped Gray. "Don't act like you weren't involved in that!"
I couldn't help but shake my head, exasperated, wondering if Natsu was really that forgetful or just being a jerk.
Gajeel sighed. "Never mind that," he said gruffly. Then, a serious look crossed his face. "Anyway, listen, Salamander. I need you to come with me. I got to show you something." He looked in my direction. "Water Boy and Wendy need to come to."
Natsu, Wendy, and I exchanged puzzled glances but decided to follow the Iron Dragon Slayer anyway. Considering how serious he looked, it must have been something significant.
He led us through the town before eventually coming to an abandoned mine and leading us inside to an underground tunnel.
"So where are you leading us, Gajeel?" asked Wendy. "And what did you find down here?"
"Just pipe down and keep walking," Gajeel replied.
"I wonder if he found something that has to do with Dragon Slayer Magic," guessed Happy.
"That would make sense," said Lily.
"I do have one question myself," Carla asked snootily. "Why did the gawkers have to tag along?"
The gawkers the white exceed referred to were Lucy, Gray, Elfman, Lisanna, and Mira.
"Well, excuse us for being gawkers," Gray said huffily.
"We can't help but be a little curious," Lucy smiled.
"And as the saying goes, curiosity killed the… " Lisanna spoke before trailing off. "Well, you get the rest."
Gajeel soon stopped at the opening ahead of us, keeping his eyes forward. "We're here," he announced quietly.
I looked over at where he was looking, and my eyes widened in shock.
It was a large cavern littered with giant skeletons all over the place. They all looked reptilian-like and bigger than houses, maybe even buildings. I then understood why Gajeel was insistent and wanted us dragon slayers to come with him.
These weren't just any skeletons.
"What are those things?" Gray wondered in a hushed tone.
"Those look like giant animal bones," Lucy spoke warily.
"Not just any animal bones," Natsu spoke in a subdued voice. "These are all dragon remains."
"No way," gulped Elfman. "Seriously?"
"All these bones used to be dragons?!" Happy spoke with wonder.
"There's so many of them!" gasped Carla.
"Well, if you ever wanted proof that dragons existed, here it is," said Lily.
We continued walking through the cavern, exploring the graveyard of bones. As we passed through the many remains, I noticed a skeleton split in half by the spine. From the looks of it, it looks like someone or something cut it clean in half.
"I don't know about you, but this place sure is creepy," Lisanna spoke worriedly.
"Yeah. My manly senses are tingling something fierce," agreed Elfman.
"I know what you mean," said Mira. "It's hard to imagine all of these corpses being right under our noses."
"But how did they get down here?" wondered Gray.
"Who knows?" shrugged Gajeel.
"Well, I'd like to. That's for sure," said Natsu. "Why would there be piles and piles of them like this?"
"Something bad must have happened here," surmised Lucy.
"Well, based on what I can see, given how they're spread out and broken," I said. "I'd have to say a major fight happened down here."
"And who knows? Maybe we'll find Igneel down here," said Happy.
Carla gasped, appalled. "Don't say that!" she scolded crossly.
Happy then realized, covering his mouth regretfully.
But Natsu didn't show any reaction. "He ain't here," he said simply.
"He's right. None of our dragons are here," agreed Gajeel. "It's only been fourteen years since they disappeared. And lookin' at all of these bones, I'd say these things have been here for a lot longer than that."
Then, Wendy suddenly gasped. "Wait a second! That might work! Milky Way!"
Everyone looked at her, puzzled.
"What's up, Wendy?" asked Lucy. "And what do you mean by "Milky Way?"
"It's the name of one of the secret art spells Grandeeney passed down to me," Wendy explained. "While studying it, I came across something that made me wonder. "Hear the voices of dragon spirits that lead to the river of heaven." At first, it made me think it was an attack-based spell, but then I had a thought. What if it's not, and it's something else entirely, like being able to speak with the dragons that have passed on?"
"You mean talking to the dead?" I asked with wide eyes.
"Seriously?!" Natsu spoke while also shocked.
Wendy nodded. "If we can somehow commune with the spirits of these dragons, then one of them might be able to tell us what happened here and maybe find out why our dragons vanished."
"I didn't even know there was such a spell," murmured Lisanna. "Is there anything dragon slayers can't do?"
Wendy then started drawing a magic circle on the ground using a piece of wood lying around, finishing after a few minutes.
"It's just as a thought," she murmured in amazement. "I got these characters wrong before because I assumed they were used for an attack spell." She then looked back toward us. "I need everyone to step away from the circle."
Everyone did so, and while in the middle of the magic circle, Wendy closed her eyes, sat on her knees while holding up her arms, and began casting the spell.
"O WANDERING SPIRITS OF DRAGONS LONG PAST- - REVEAL YOURSELF, AND SHARE YOUR WISDOM WITH ME. MILKY WAY!"
The magic circle exploded into bright green light, sending a shining tower of itself from the ground to the ceiling, creating ripples of light. During this, numerous tiny sparkles like little stars appeared, spreading around the cavern and onto the remains, adding a sense of beauty to the ominous atmosphere. Then, the bones all started to tremble as if something was trying to animate them, which made unease grow inside me.
"Th-The bones!" Lucy spoke with a bit of fear.
"Wendy, what's going on?!" demanded Gray, who was just as tentative.
Elfman protectively held Lisanna, who instinctively clung to him. "You sure you know what you're doing, kid?" he asked worriedly.
"I'm trying to contact a dragon spirit," Wendy replied, holding her position. "But the residual thought energy lingering down here is weak. It's ancient and fading."
Then, suddenly, the sky dragon slayer's eyes snapped open as she brought her arms down and clasped her hands like she was in prayer.
"I found one!"
A shining vortex of light and wind whipped about at her exclamation from above while a sphere began taking shape at its center, the magic energy around us climbing in strength.
"Are you sure that's a dragon spirit?!" Lily cried in alarm.
"Wendy?" Happy called out in worry.
"Be quiet! She's concentrating!" Carla admonished.
Then, a giant green scaly hand shot forth from the sphere of light, followed by a massive body with a pair of enormous bat-like wings to go with it. It also had razor-sharp teeth hidden behind its snout and claws as long as trees.
It was undoubtedly a dragon spirit.
As I stared at the specter with wide eyes and mouth agape, the dragon spirit let loose a mighty and deafening roar that shook the entire cavern, causing everyone else to scream or yell out of startlement and surprise. Believing it was about to attack, I quickly held my hands at their sides, preparing to fight.
But then, the dragon spirit began to laugh while pointing a finger. "Even in death, scaring the pants off of humans is hilarious! You should see the looks on your faces!"
There was a long silence as we all started processing what the specter had said.
The dragon spirit then spoke again. "My name is Zirconis," he introduced. "I'm also known as the Jade Dragon." He glanced around the cavern. "I'm impressed that you were able to conjure my spirit. Looks like work of the Sky Dragon Grandeeney, but which one of you was it?"
His eyes then fell upon Wendy, who was still concentrating on using her Milky Way spell in her circle.
"Aw, how adorable. So it was this tiny little dragon slayer that woke me up?"
"Back off, creep!" Natsu barked protectively. "Don't even think about touching her!"
Zirconis looked up at Natsu. "Then, I'll eat her," he countered slyly. "And she's just the appetizer."
Natsu promptly got into Zirconis' face, glaring. "I won't let you!" he angrily growled.
Zirconis then laughed again as he poked a finger at Natsu, making it go through his body a few times. "Geez, lighten up, you dummy. Did you honestly think I could eat any of you? That'd be hard to do when I can't touch you. I'm obviously joking."
Natsu could only stand there, realizing he was right, but he still felt insulted. "What did you call me?!" he growled huffily.
"Oh, great," sighed Lucy. "Out of all the bones, we get the crazy person."
"Technically, it's a dragon. Not a person," corrected Gray.
"Or at least the spirit of one," said Gajeel.
"Well, better crazy than malicious," I sighed in relief. "Then again, I could think of a few other people who have a nasty habit of teasing."
I looked over at Mira and Lisanna, who then looked back at me.
"Oh, come on, we're not as bad as he is," Lisanna said.
"Even though certain people can be so adorable when you tease them," Mira spoke with an ambiguous smile. "Especially those that spring out their wings when that happens."
"Uh, Mira, think you're reinforcing his point," Elfman spoke wryly.
"Now then, my name is Zirconis," the dragon spirit spoke again. "I'm also known as the Jade Dragon…"
"You already told us that!" Gray snapped indignantly.
"Can you tell us what happened here?" Carla questioned.
"We were wondering why so many dragon bones are lying around here," added Happy.
"Which was why we woke your spirit in the first place," said Lily. "To learn their fate."
Zirconia turned away in a huff. "I have no interest in talking to humans."
"Okay, but what about cats like us?" questioned Happy. "You don't have a problem with that, do you?"
Zirconis promptly responded. "Let's see… I'd say it was around four hundred years ago…"
"Guess he doesn't mind," Gray muttered.
Zirocnis then told his recollection of events.
"Dragonkind once ruled over every corner of the globe. We soared through the skies, raced over the land, and swam across the great oceans. Everything in the world belonged to us dragons, including humans. You were a plentiful race and made excellent protein. But one dragon felt that our reign was unjust and zealously spread the idea of a world where dragons coexisted with humans. What a fool..."
I couldn't help but frown at that scoff.
"Because of that, some dragons agreed while others greatly opposed this idea, and it wasn't long before war broke out. Naturally, I was against the fanatics."
"So… does that mean you're against humans?" Lucy gulped nervously.
"Well, sure, I'm not fond of your kind unless you're properly cooked medium rare," Zirconis sneered at her.
Natsu then snickered. "Didn't your parents tell you not to talk with your food then?" he shot back.
"Hey! Show some respect to the dead!" barked Zirconis crossly.
"Never mind that," said Carla. "You mentioned something about a civil war."
Zirconis cleared his throat as he resumed his story.
"Both sides were evenly matched. The battles were so brutal that entire landscapes were scarred and barren. That was until the dragons supporting coexistence devised a plan that doomed us all. They granted the humans what would come to be known as Dragon Slaying Magic, and with that new power, the humans joined the war."
Shock filled my face once again, along with everyone else.
"So that's how Dragon Slaying Magic was created," I murmured, remembering back to my childhood when Aquadia first granted me the power.
"So does that mean that the first dragon slayers were ancient warriors of some kind?" asked Happy.
Ziconis nodded. "The Dragon Slayers' immeasurable magic power turned the tide of the war in almost an instant. We were so overwhelmed that victory seemed certain for the dragons seeking coexistence." Then, he paused solemnly as his expression grew dark. "But no one could have foreseen the tragedy that would come to pass."
Everyone kept silent while Zirconis stroked one of his whiskers. "The Dragon Slayers became so powerful they soon turned the very dragons that had granted them their strength. It was a massacre. But out of all of them, there was one man wielding power so terrifying that he bathed the countryside with the blood of my kin. The mere mention of his name still scares me."
At that moment, deja vu struck me as I remembered when I was small, and Tu Chi told me the same story. Then, it hit me, like one of Natsu's Iron Fist attacks struck me right in the face. With everything Zirconis told me, I connected the dots to who he was talking about, which made the color drain from my face upon realizing it. In addition, a flashback from a traumatic moment at Tenrou Island made its way to my mind as I began to tremble.
"No way… It can't be!"
"This man slayed countless dragons and soaked in their blood," continued Zirconis. "And he used his power so much that his skin turned into scales, his teeth sharpened into fangs, and he stopped being human altogether."
"A-Are you saying that he turned into a dragon?!" I heard Lucy gasp.
"That is the fate awaiting all who practice Dragon Slaying Magic," said Zirconis. "Every single skeleton you see around you is a victim belonging to that monster. Despite being human, this man became known as the Dragon King, and the war he gave rise to became known as the Dragon King Festival. And the once human being that turned into a dragon cloaked in wings of darkness, his name was…"
"Acnologia!" I finished in stupified horror.
Everyone looked in my direction with mutual feelings, the memory of the black dragon's assault from seven years more than likely fresh on their mind.
"Impossible!" Gajeel gasped in disbelief.
"That's the dragon we fought on Tenrou Island!" Lucy murmured.
"You're saying that thing used to be human?!" Gray exclaimed in shock.
"Even our strongest members couldn't beat that thing!" Lisanna spoke in a hushed tone. "And we gave it everything we had!"
"And even when Willy hit him in the eye, he kept coming!" Elfman gulped while breaking into a sweat. "While we weren't able to do anything!"
"Then you should consider yourselves lucky enough to survive," said Zirconis. He then looked in my direction. "And I'm surprised you figured it out before I said his name. I take it you've heard this story before?"
"Yes, I have," I told him. "I heard the story from my master, Tu Chi, but she never said anything about Acnologia being human."
"That shouldn't be possible," said Zirconis. "Other than me, no one else could possess such knowledge. Unless this Tu Chi you're talking about is hundreds of years old, which I doubt given your life spans."
This made me start thinking about Tu Chi, which made me wonder. If both she and Zirconis knew the same story that happened hundreds of years ago, then what else did she know, and how did she come to learn such a story?
Then, I had a thought regarding Acnologia.
"Answer me this, Zirconis," I spoke to the dragon spirit. "If you know how Acnologia came to be, then you must know how to defeat him, right? If you can tell us any weakness he has, anything at all, please tell us."
ZIrconis stared at me, stroking his whiskers again. "Well, it's hard to say if he has any weaknesses," he hummed. "The only obvious choices to kill a dragon are with Dragon Slayer Magic or another dragon rivaling him in strength, and I'm not even sure if those things would be enough. But there is one thing that might."
"What was it?" asked Natsu. "Tell us."
"Back when I was still alive, I heard stories about something that existed long ago," said Zirconis. "Something so powerful and out of the ordinary that most of my kind believed that this thing was a myth. It was a legendary creature known as a leviathan."
"Leviathan?" repeated Mira. "I've never heard of such a name."
"Not much is known about it, but it's a being that wielded not only magic but something else unlike it," Zirconis said. "Using these powers in conjunction made the leviathan so strong even Acnologia would have difficulty defeating it. In fact, I would have no doubt that the thing would be strong enough to defeat him. I know because I had the fortunate or unfortunate, depending on how you look at it, of fighting it."
He paused impressively as he looked up at the ceiling.
"I can remember the encounter vividly. I was going on a rampage in a city, trying to get my fill of humans and minding my business. Then, I met them. A human that was brave enough to stand up to me. He was spouting nonsense about protecting the town and its people, and he put up a good fight, even going as far as to wield dragon slayer magic, but even with that, he still couldn't win. So, being the cocky bastard I was, I toyed with him a little by trying to eat a human that was close to him. But that would prove to be my greatest folly."
"One minute, the human stood there. Then, suddenly, they exploded with overwhelming power like a volcano erupting. And what I saw after that was a being neither human nor a dragon, but also a dragon and a human. A real freak of nature. At first, I thought the human was undergoing the process of dragonization, but something was vastly different. It was as if something had awakened. From there, the tide of battle turned instantly, and I was ruthlessly pummeled. Every single blow that thing inflicted on me made my blood spill, and my body weaker and wracked with pain like something was poisoning me. Before long, I was lying on the ground in agony, actually terrified that I was going to die. But much to my surprise, I was spared."
"Wait, he let you go?" puzzled Happy.
Zirconis nodded. "Yes, but not before he gave me a warning, but it felt more like a threat," he said. "They told me if I ever tried to harm any more people, they wouldn't be so forgiving. I could never forget it. The cold, emotionless expression was filled with rage, the killing intent that would rival the fiercest creatures, and most of all, those dazzling golden yellow eyes. Seeing them made me realize that this being was a true leviathan, and since then, I've stayed far away from that city."
Everyone, including me, couldn't help but be in awe after Zirconis's story.
Natsu, on the other hand, was still being cheeky. "That's gotta suck for you, scaly!" he teased. "You got your butt handed to you, and you ran away with your tail between your legs!"
"Hey! Shut up!" Zirconia snapped. "In case you weren't listening, I almost died! He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day!"
"I got to say, hearing about that makes me wish we had one back on Tenrou Island," said Gray. "But considering what he heard, they're probably long gone by now."
"That's a pretty safe bet," said Lucy. "But considering something like that was able to beat up a dragon, I don't think I ever want to meet one."
I couldn't help but frown in disappointment.
"Either way, most of my race now rots in the ground because of that monster," said Zirconis. "And all of that happened four hundred years ago. But then again, you and I have already…"
At that moment, Zirconis' body began to deteriorate before finally fading away in a cloud of fading sparkles.
"Hey! What happened?!" Natsu yelled out.
"Get back here!" snapped Gajeel. "We weren't finished with you yet!"
I then looked back at Wendy just in time for her to open her eyes while the glow of the magic circle faded away.
"What happened, Wendy?" I asked her. "Did you lose your connection or something?"
"I'm sorry," Wendy spoke sadly. "Any thought energy Zirconis had left is completely gone now. But, I hope that wherever he is now, I'm sure he'll finally get some long-needed peace."
"I hope you're right about that," said Mira.
"Well, it looks like we've gotten ourselves into another situation," Gray said grimly.
"Too big if you ask me," Lucy spoke worriedly. "Let's just pretend we didn't hear anything!"
"Kinda hard to pretend after what we just found out," said Elfman. "I mean, fighting Anologia back on Tenrou Island was crazy enough, but to find out he's a human?! Like, what the hell kind of crazy is that?!"
"There's only one thing I want to know," said Natsu. "Does that mean we'll eventually turn into dragons, too?!"
"How the hell should I know?!" Gajeel cried. "But that's still not good!"
"What are we going to do?!" cried Wendy, tears of anxiety filling her eyes. "I don't wanna turn into a dragon!"
Then, Happy gasped. "Wait, remember when Willy went berserk with the Zentopia incident?" he asked. "Now that I think about it, he looked like he was turning into a dragon!"
I looked over at the blue exceed, deeply shocked, before looking at my hands. "If that's true if Gildarts hadn't stopped me, then I would have…"
"That's not very likely," an unknown voice called out.
Immediately, I looked up to where the voice came from and saw two people step out from the shadows. One was a male with a boxy-like nose and wild, unkempt black hair, wearing armor and a red cape. From the looks of things, he appeared to be a knight or a guard.
The other turned out to be Yukino, now wearing a soldier's uniform colored blue and black, which I recognized immediately, to my surprise.
Lucy and Mira recognized her, too.
"Yukino? Is that you?" Lucy softly gasped.
"What are you doing here?" asked Mira. "I thought you had already left town."
"We took the liberty of eavesdropping. It would appear that our research is aligned with historical fact, after all," the male went on. "Tell me, have you heard of the Demons from the Book of Zeref? Acnologia is similar to them, for Zeref was responsible for turning the Dragon Slayer into that creature of death. That means to defeat the black dragon of the apocalypse, you must find a way to subdue the black wizard."
"Who the hell are you?" demanded Gajeel.
"I am Colonel Arcadios," the armored man replied. "Leader of the Sacred Cherry Blossom Knights, the Crocus garrison force of the Royal Fiore Army."
"And I'm Yukino Aguria," she also introduced. "Acting sergeant in the Cherry Blossom Knights."
"No way," Lucy murmured. "You're in the army now?"
"But weren't you a member of Sabertooth a few days ago?" asked Lily.
"Yeah, but then they kicked her out when she lost against that Kagura lady," explained Happy. "But did you join the army not long after that?"
"Yes, in a matter of speaking," Yukino answered.
"So, what business does the military have down here?" Gray asked suspiciously. "And why would they want a former member of Sabertooth?"
"Please allow me to clarify," spoke out Arcadios. "I have been working on a highly classified project, but its success required the power only a celestial wizard can provide. Thankfully, Sergeant Yukino was able to lend her assistance in this undertaking.
"A celestial wizard?" repeated Lucy apprehensively.
"Excuse me for saying, but why do you need such a specific magic power?" inquired Wendy.
"Yeah! Get to the point, would ya?!" Natsu snapped. "I'm running real low on patience, so skip the formal crap and tell us what you're doing here!"
Arcadios looked at him. "The one and only Natsu Dragneel," he spoke with a cordial smile. "It's an honor to meet you. I applaud your recent victory with the Twin Dragons."
Then, while dismissing his compliments, Natsu stomped toward Arcadios, glaring daggers, and he got into his face, looking even angrier.
"I thought I told you to skip the formal crap and tell me what you're doing here!" he snarled. "And while you're at it, tell me why you're trying to get your hands on a celestial wizard! When I ask someone a question, I expect an answer!"
I was quick to go over to him and gave a swift chop right on top of his head while yanking him backward by the scarf.
"Hey! What the hell, Willy?!" Natsu yelled crossly.
"I thought I told you to consider the consequences before you act!" I admonished him. "In case you haven't noticed, Arcadios is quite a big deal, no matter how suspicious his circumstances. If he wanted to, he could have arrested you on the spot for talking like that, so how about you calm down before you end up in a jail cell?"
Natsu growled, glaring while I returned one until he finally turned away while clicking his tongue.
"Geez. And here I thought Erza was the only one that could reign in Natsu," said Lisanna.
Arcadios then turned away from us and started walking off. "Follow me, please," he said.
"Hey! Don't just walk away!" Natsu barked.
"You should also come along with us, Lucy," Yukino urged. "If our plan succeeds, Zeref and Acnologia will be defeated in one fell swoop."
And with that, Yukino followed the man. Seeing that there were no other options, we all followed, too. But as we did, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease about this whole thing.
Mira then whispered to me. "I don't like this. Something about this whole thing seems off."
"I know what you mean," I whispered back. "Simply defeating one of those two is already a tall order, but both at once seems nearly impossible. Given what we experienced, I can't help but be skeptical. What do you think we should do?"
"For now, play along," murmured Mira. "But be on guard. We're dealing with the captain of the Royal Army of Fiore. One false move and things could get ugly."
"Right," I acknowledged.
We were soon led out of the caves through the town again and eventually came to the front of the Royal Palace. This would be my second time seeing it up close, but it was still an imposing and incredible sight from its large stature to its millions of lit-up windows.
Everyone else was amazed.
"Holy crap, it's huge!" marveled Natsu.
"This is Mercurius, the luminaria palace!" spoke Wendy.
"And his Majesty's home," added Arcadios.
"It certainly is fit for a king," commented Lily.
"No kidding," agreed Elfman. "It's a pretty manly castle."
"Like something out of a fairy tale," said Lisanna.
"Are you sure it's OK for us to go inside?" asked Happy.
"Yes, but before we do, I'd like to extend our humblest apologies to your guild," said Arcadios. "Most notably, Miss Lucy and Wendy. My misguided actions have inadvertently put them in harm's way."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked.
Carla then realized. "Hold on. Do you mean that time those bunch of hooligans kidnapped Wendy and me?!"
We were now walking through the halls during this, the hallways being big and tall with fancy decor. After that, we then entered another long corridor made of stone and lit by candlelight.
"You were the one that was behind all that?" Lucy asked. "Not Raven Tail?"
"My intention was never to put you in any real danger," replied Arcadios. "But I was too aggressive with my orders, falsely believing you were our only hope for the celestial wizard we desperately needed. It was a lapse in judgment, and I beg for your forgiveness."
None of us said a word.
"The Grand Magic Games are a ruse or rather a mechanism for siphoning magic power from the participants," went on Arcadios. "The same could be said for the Crocus Battle Fighter's Tournament."
"So you've been stealing magic power from wizards for years now?!" Gray spoke, sounding shocked.
"It's all just a big cover-up?!" exclaimed Happy.
"How deplorable!" sniffed Carla.
Even Gajeel was appalled. "That's messed up!" he growled crossly.
"Yeah! Totally uncool!" concurred Elfman. "What kind of man are you doing something like that?!"
I kept silent but felt just as they did.
"Well, you're certainly entitled to your own opinions on the matter," said Arcadios. "But I firmly believe that the ends justify the means in this instance."
We soon came to the end of the corridor, and I found myself staring at a strange and massive device. It looked just like a door, rectangular at the bottom and curved on top. In the center was a sun with several circles and a darkened moon painted below it, with the lower section being dark blue with gold lines and the upper being green while split into a dozen segments. At the top of the arch was an emblem showing an eclipsed sun.
"What is that?" wondered Wendy quietly.
"Eclipse," responded Arcadios with a hint of pride. "The door that will change the world. It would have never been constructed without the massive amounts of magic."
"A door?" questioned Lucy.
"To where?" Natsu also asked.
Arcadios turned towards us. "When both the sun and moon intersect," he spoke ominously. "We will use all twelve Celestial Zodiac keys to open this door. What lies beyond it is time itself. It will allow us to travel four hundred years into the past and slay Zeref before he attains his immortality. That is our true goal, his ultimate destruction."
I felt my eyes going wide.
"Do you mean to say you plan to travel back in time?" Mira gasped incredulously.
"But how is something like that possible?!" Lucy asked in a stunned voice.
"Lucy, you've been to the celestial world, correct?" Yukino spoke out. "Is it true that time flows differently there than ours?"
"Yes, it does," the blonde responded.
"We intend to utilize the unique dimensional boundaries the Celestial World possesses," continued Yukino. "Therefore, to open this door, we'll need celestial magic."
"And since celestial wizards are so scarce after the Infinity Clock incident, we originally thought about finding a substitute power source," cut in Arcadios. "But now that we found the two of you and all twelve of the Zodiac keys, the Eclipse Project can proceed as planned.
His eyes narrowed, giving us a look filled with burning passion.
"The time for action is almost upon us. When the sun and moon intersect. It will happen three days from now, on July 7th."
"Wait, did you say July 7th?!" Natsu couldn't help but exclaim.
"That's the same day all of our dragons disappeared," Wendy spoke quietly.
"That sure is one hell of a coincidence," remarked Gajeel.
At that moment, a strange sense of deja vu wracked my brain as I felt a dull ache spread throughout my head.
"Why does that sound so familiar?"'
"So the door is supposed to open when the sun and the moon intersect," Gray spoke to himself. "That's basically…"
"An eclipse," said an old and gravelly voice.
I couldn't help but jump upon hearing that and turned around, only for a mob of soldiers to come swarming out of the shadows. They soon surrounded us, aiming with their spears and weapons pointed squarely at us.
"You there! Stay right where you are!" barked a soldier.
"Royal soldiers!" gasped Wendy.
"But why are they looking at us like we're the enemy?" Mira wondered.
"Any of you got a problem?" challenged Natsu.
"You looking to pick a fight with us?" Gray leered.
A small man then approached toward where we stood. He was old enough to be elderly while dressed in robes belonging to a priest. He also had his arms behind his back, and a grave frown was upon his features.
"It would be wise for you to surrender quietly, Arcadios," the old man warned. "Before things get messy."
Arcadios recognized the old man when he saw him. "Defense Minister Darton! What is the meaning of this?!"
"I'm the one who should be asking you that," Darton countered. "Why are you here revealing state secrets to these outsiders? You do realize that such an action is treason!"
"But you're making a mistake!" insisted Arcadios. "These people aren't outsiders! They are key components to the Eclipse Project!"
"You do not have the authority to make such a reckless decision, Colonel," Darton rebuked.
"I won't allow your opposition to jeopardize the kingdom's safety!" Arcadious snapped, losing his temper. "Call off your men and end this ludicrous farce immediately!"
"You are way out of line, Arcadios!" Darton exploded in anger. "Don't you realize your plan will alter history, putting our entire civilization at risk?! I won't tell you again! Stand down!"
Still defiant, Arcadios attempted to walk over to the old man, only to be stopped by two soldiers.
"What the heck are they talking about?" asked Natsu.
"Looks to me that not everyone is on board with this plan," Lucy spoke nervously.
"I'll say," said Gray.
"They did say they were going to change history," said Wendy.
"But… if they go back and change the past…" Happy mused thoughtfully.
"... the present and future will be changed also," said Carla.
"It is rather frightening to think about," said Lily. "I wouldn't blame them for being opposed."
"This feels like the Infinity Clock all over again," Mira murmured. "And that was already a mess with everything that happened."
"Colonel Arcadios! You're under arrest for treason against the kingdom of Fiore!" Darton went on with a firm tone. "Also, take Lucy Heartfilia and Yukino Aguria into custody for being accessories and remove the rest of them!"
"Yes, sir!" said the soldiers as they closed in.
Lucy became alarmed upon hearing that. "What?! But I didn't do anything!" she cried.
"We didn't even agree to this lousy scheme!" I also protested.
Natsu immediately clenched his fist, gearing up to fight while standing defensively beside Lucy. "I'm warning you, pal!" he roared. "If you want to get to her, you gotta go through me!"
"No, stop!" Arcadios yelled. "You can't use your magic here!"
But it was too late as Natsu's fist burst into flames. No sooner than that, a sudden humming sound came from the door as the sun exploded into light while the same kind shrouded Natsu. Then, like some kind of vacuum, the light was being sucked out of Natsu and into the gate, his flames dying out in an instant. While this happened, I could feel the magic power rapidly leaving his body.
"Natsu!"
"Wh-What?! What's happening to me?!" Natsu grunted as he struggled.
"Didn't the Colonel tell you?" Darton spoke. "The Games are a way of stealing magic power to give to the Eclipse. It's an effective tool. So much so that if a wizard were to activate their magic close to it, their magic would be instantly drained from them completely."
Not long after he finished, Natsu stopped shining before collapsing to the floor, appearing lifeless. Lisanna and Elfman quickly rushed over to him.
"Natsu!" Lisanna cried as she shook him. "Wake up! Say something!"
"It's no good!" Elfman said. "He's out cold!"
I glared at Darton's direction. "Damn you!" I snarled.
"I hope that you won't cause any more trouble," Darton said with a neutral expression, "After all, a wizard incapable of using magic is hardly a problem for trained knights." He looked in my direction. "And if you know what's good for you, Willy Falconer, you'd also be wise to stand down. Unless you want to stand trial for another crime to add to your list."
I felt anger flash through me, wanting the old man to take back his words. But then I felt a hand clasp my own, causing me to stop and look. The hand belonged to Mira, who looked at me with firm eyes and silently shook her head.
Knowing that there was nothing I or any of us could do, I scowled in frustration while watching the soldiers grab Lucy, Yukino, and Arcadios and take them away.
"Get your dirty hands off of me!" Lucy yelled as she struggled. "Let me go!"
"If you're soldiers, then you serve under Colonel Arcadios' command, don't you?" Yukino demanded the soldiers.
"Lucy!" yelled out Gray.
"Please don't take her away!" begged Wendy.
"Damn you, Darton!" cursed Arcadios. "I will not stand for this!"
"Say what you will," Darton spoke. "But I will not allow the Eclipse Project to proceed."
It wasn't long before we were forced back outside of the palace.
Natsu was lying on Wendy's lap, still unconscious from the sudden magic drain.
"Poor Natsu," Happy spoke worriedly while staring at him.
"He's lost almost all of his magic power," said Carla. "It'll take him quite a while to recover."
"You bastards!" Gajeel growled angrily.
"You're going to pay for taking away our friend like that!" snarled Elfman. "I don't care if you are some kind of royal army! Who do you think you are?!"
"Please, you must understand," Darton spoke without facing us. "It wasn't my intent to harm anyone, but there's simply too much at stake here."
"Well, you sure could have fooled us," I scoffed. "Because I'd say you did plenty of harm."
"Be that as it may, I can offer you somewhat of an olive branch for your trouble," said Darton. "I'll have you know that his majesty is highly fond of Fairy Tail. If you can claim victory in the Grand Magic Games, I will grant you a private audience with him."
The rest of us looked at one another.
"The kind is a rather kind-hearted man," Darton continued speaking. "Who knows? He may be persuaded to pardon your comrade. I wish you the best of luck."
And with that, the old man and the soldiers disappeared into the castle, leaving us staring daggers at his back while Natsu murmured in his slumber.
"Lucy…"
Hey, guys! Just want to take the time to wish you a happy December!
Also, thank you very much for reading!
You know what to do if you're new! Review, Fav, and Follow!
I'll see you in the next chapter!
Dragomaster, signing off!