A/N: Episode 191.
Enjoy!
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE: NATSU & SEBASTIAN VS. ROGUE & ORION
Sebastian turned to face the group. "Lucy, Natsu and I will handle Rogue and Orion. Get everyone else outta here." He said.
"But..." Lucy began to protest, looking down at her future self.
"Let's leave this to Natsu and Sebastian." Loke said, grabbing onto Lucy's hand.
"You're being targeted! You've gotta get away from him!" Happy reminded.
"R-Right!" Lucy agreed.
"You're not getting away!" Future Rogue shouted as Natsu sent another punch his way, sending him down.
"Natsu Dragneel!" Future Rogue seethed. Natsu sent a kick to his face, causing him to skid back.
"I figured you would stand in my way. But since you're fated to be killed by a dragon in the future anyway..." Future Rogue paused as he disappeared into a shadow and onto the walls. "...killing you myself shouldn't have an impact on history."
"Is this how you've always been?" Natsu questioned.
"Time changes a person." Future Rogue soon appeared. "Die here, Natsu Dragneel!"
Shadows soon headed for Natsu, who crossed his arms over his head. The shadows soon disappeared.
"You stole somethin' dear to me right before my eyes. I got no faith in the way you do things. I'll protect the future with the way we do things!" Natsu declared.
"To prepare for the dragons' attack, I shall enter the Eclipse Cannon firing sequence." Hisui raised her hand in the air. "Unlock!"
"The portal will open at last..." Darton noted as the portal slowly began to unlock.
"I'll bear witness to the will of the princess to the very end." Arcadios told himself.
Hisui turned around. "Is there any news of the dragons' advance?"
"There are no sightings from the western observation posts!"
"All is clear in the east as well!"
"What of the citizens' evacuation?" Hisui asked.
"The soldiers are guiding them in an orderly manner."
The portal continued to unlock. "I pray we're able to destroy all of them with one strike. It'll take a matter of years to replenish this much magic power." Hisui claimed.
Everyone peeked their heads out from behind a few bushes. "We've stumbled across something big." Carla commented.
"It looks like the portal is opening." Wendy noticed.
Happy looked around. "Huh? Loke isn't here." He realized.
"That's because magic doesn't work near the portal." Raden reminded.
"When Rogue came from the future..." Lucy trailed off.
"Someone interfered with the opening of the portal. Because of that person, the portal wasn't opened. The Eclipse Cannon that was pointed at the 10,000 dragons couldn't fire. Someone led the world to destruction."
Lucy looked down as she recalled what Future Rogue had said.
"There's no need to hide." Arcadios suddenly spoke up, getting Hisui and Darton's attention. "Come out."
Happy jumped out from the bush. "We didn't do anything wrong!" He declared.
"If Arcadios is with the minister, then..." Carla started to say.
"Various circumstances have changed." Darton explained.
"Fairy Tail..." Hisui muttered.
The group soon stood in front of Hisui, Darton, and Arcadios. "You have my deepest apologies. Owning to our current emergency situation, I'll give you a formal apology at a later date." Hisui said.
"She's the princess, Carla." Wendy said in awe.
"Yes."
The sound of the portal being unlocked got their attention. "Why are you opening the portal? The dragons aren't here yet!" Lucy said.
"They know about the dragons..." Hisui mumbled.
"Yes. They are aware of the situation." Arcadios said, turning to look at Lucy. "Come to think of it, where's the you that came from the future?"
Lucy and Wendy glanced down. "She was murdered." Lily revealed, opening his eyes. "By another man who came from the future."
"That man said something. He said the Eclipse Cannon didn't fire because I interfered with the portal opening." Lucy informed.
"That's why he tried to kill you?" Arcadios questioned.
"Are you going to interfere with the opening of the portal?" Hisui asked.
"Of course I'm not!" Lucy shook her head. "I'm just wondering why you're opening the portal when the dragons aren't here."
"That's simple. It takes time before it can fire. We wouldn't have time if we waited for the dragons to appear." Hisui replied.
"Will that really be able to defeat the dragons? All of them?" Lucy asked.
"I can't say that with certainty, but I'm sure his Majesty is also taking measures to prepare for a worse-case scenario." Hisui answered.
This is the city of Crocus. At its center is the Li In Crystal.
All of the guilds were gathered in front of an elderly man surrounded by guards.
And this man is the king of Fiore, Toma E. Fiore.
"And so, I'm terribly sorry we don't have time to bask in the afterglow of the Grand Magic Games, but I just heard that this country is facing a critical moment."
"10,000 dragons?!" Makarov exclaimed.
"Even though we were no match for just one of them, Acnologia..." Cana claimed.
"And even if that was a special case..."
"...10,000 of them..."
"Right now, a large-scale strategy is underway at the palace. The Eclipse Project." Toma continued.
"Eclipse?!" Lisanna quoted.
"The objective of this strategy is to eradicate all 10,000 dragons."
"Eradicate? Can you really do that?" Cana asked.
"I couldn't really say... As the enemy is a swarm, I'm sure several of them, maybe even several hundred of them, will survive." Toma replied.
"Yes, that's more realistic." Makarov commented.
"Wizard guilds, I must request that you please lend us your aid. I would like you to use your power to slay the dragons that survive." Toma said. "That is all. Please save this country!"
It went silent for a moment before everyone cheered.
"Naturally!"
"Leave it to us!"
"Yeah!"
"We won't let any monsters do us in!" Lyon claimed.
"Right!"
"This country, which goes hand in hand with magic..." Nox started to say.
"...is our country!" Kross finished.
Toma began shedding tears. "Our comrades have been captured by the royal armed forces." Erza spoke to a nearby guard.
"They're safe. We just got a report that they joined up with the princess."
"All right! I'll go on a rampage one more time!" Gajeel claimed.
"The opponents are dragons." Sting said.
"Therefore, it's time for us Dragon Slayers to step into the spotlight." Rogue stated.
"Good luck, Sting-kun!"
"Fro will cheer you on, too!"
"Where is our lady?" Rufus asked.
"I dunno." Orga replied.
"All of the guilds' wills are one."
"What a lovely parfum."
"Dragon versus Pegasus, huh? It'd be perfect for a painting." Eve said.
"Let's do our best." Hibiki stated.
"Crap. Guess we have to." Ren said.
"Kagura-chan, you need to rest!" Millianna told her.
"No. Everyone must fight." Kagura informed.
"Wild Four!"
"We're the Sexy Four." Arana claimed.
"Fighting alongside you brings back memories." Lyon told Gray.
"Don't hold me back." Gray said.
"Is Wendy okay?" Aster asked Juvia.
"I think so." Juvia answered.
"A battle, eh?" Jura said.
"I'll spin, too! Violently!" Obaba claimed as she spun around.
"Thank you... Thank you..." Toma thanked them all.
"King..." Erza trailed off.
"Thank you... Thank you... kabo..."
His last line leaves everyone stunned. "'Kabo'?" Erza quoted.
"The parfum of that last bit..." Ichiya trailed off.
Toma looks around at everyone's stunned faces. Toma cleared his throat.
"Everyone, I'm counting on you!" Toma said, making everyone cheer.
Lahar and Doranbolt were standing on a balcony, watching the guilds get together.
"This is unbelievable." Lahar commented.
"All of the wizards coming together..." Doranbolt said.
"Eclipse? Its very existence violates 30 laws. I think we'd better contact Council headquarters about this." Lahar claimed.
"Lahar and Doranbolt..."
The two men turned around to see Jellal standing behind them.
"Jellal!"
"What are you doing here?"
"I have a favor to ask." Jellal replied.
Natsu charged forward as Future Rogue did the same thing, their magic colliding with one another as both of them flew back. Future Rogue disappeared into the shadows.
He climbed up the walls as Natsu looked around. Soon, Future Rogue appears and strikes Natsu with shadows, causing his feet to skid on the ground and collapsing to his knees.
"Did you really come to save the future?" Natsu questioned as a dark shadow casted over his eyes before he glanced up. "'Cause you sure as hell smell evil!"
Future Rogue only grinned.
Meanwhile, Sebastian was staring at Future Orion. "Orion... What the hell happened to you?" He asked.
"A lot." Future Orion responded. "Would you like me to show you?"
Sebastian grits his teeth in response.
A bell rang throughout Crocus and the date changed to July 7th.
"July 7th..." Gajeel muttered.
"That's the day the dragons disappeared, right?" Levy questioned.
"Are the dragons gonna appear on this day?" Gajeel asked himself.
"Fairy Tail will defend this central plaza!" Makarov informed.
"What about the guys from the other guilds?" Warren asked.
"They're all standing by throughout the city." Max informed.
Cana was carrying a barrel. "Erza, with those injuries, you need to sit this one out."
"This is nothing." Erza reassured.
"I can more or less move again thanks to Lyon, that Kallia girl, and the royal healer." Gray said.
"Although if Wendy were here too, we'd be healed a little more." Juvia stated.
"At any rate, that's a creepy moon." Freed commented, looking at the now full blood red moon.
"Eclipse... a lunar eclipse..." Laxus muttered.
In the palace hallways, the ceiling began to crumble. "Oh... I don't like this..." Sebastian mumbled.
"What's that sound?" Natsu wondered.
"The sound of Eclipse opening." Future Rogue replied, charging forward. "I'm surprised it opened with Lucy surviving!"
Natsu easily blocked the attack from hitting him. "But I'm sure she'll interfere!" Future Rogue claimed as Natsu leaped back. "The portal is destined to close!"
Future Rogue fired shadow spheres at Natsu. "Lucy's not gonna do that! She'd never destroy everybody's future!" Natsu shouted.
"Move!" Future Rogue ordered, blasting Natsu with shadows once more. "I'm off to kill Lucy!"
Natsu flew up into the air. "You're not goin' anywhere!" He exclaimed as flames and lightning combined. "Lightning Fire Dragon Mode!"
Flames and lightning struck down at Future Rogue, causing it to lit up the hallway.
"So that's the power you hid seven years ago..." Future Rogue commented.
Future Rogue's eye soon flashed white as he got covered in holy light along with black shadows. "White Shadow Dragon Mode!"
Holy light strikes Natsu's side. "These are the twin attributes of light and dark." Future Rogue claimed as Natsu clenched his side in pain.
Future Rogue's hair was now spiked up. "White Shadow Dragon's Rough Silk!" He called out as streaks of shadows and holy light struck Natsu.
Natsu flew back and collapsed to the ground. "White... Shadow..." He mumbled to himself.
Future Rogue chuckled. "It's the power I stole from Sting after killing him!" He revealed. "That being said, it's still a little while after this time period."
"Did you always think... people's lives were worthless?!" Natsu asked.
"That's right. And you're going to die here, too." Future Rogue replied.
Natsu struggled to stand up. He could feel his energy leaving his body and his vision getting blurry as Future Rogue was about to send another attack at him.
"White Shadow Dragon's..." Future Rogue began. "...Rough Silk..."
"Flash-forward!"
An attack was sent straight at Future Rogue, causing an explosion as Future Rogue disappears into the shadows. Sebastian looked around to see Future Orion was gone as well.
Natsu soon collapsed to the ground as Sebastian rushed over and caught him. It was revealed that Ultear saved him.
The ball soon returned to Ultear as Meredy looked around frantically. "He escaped!" She informed.
"Natsu! Wake up! Cousin!" Sebastian shouted.
"Meredy, bring first-aid meds, quick!" Ultear ordered.
"Right!"
Meredy glanced over at a deceased Future Lucy with a saddened expression. "Hey... What is this?!" Ultear asked.
"Natsu!" Sebastian called out.
Natsu began sinking into some shadows. "This is bad! He's sinking into the shadows!" Ultear said as Natsu sunk lower into the ground.
"Look! The portal for the hope of the human race is opening!"
"The portal of victory is opening!"
Everyone continued to stare at the portal opening as Happy's whiskers moved. "That's some incredible magic power, you know? My whiskers are wiggling." He said.
"Certainly, with this, we may have a chance of exterminating the dragons." Carla stated.
"All this magic concentrated in one place..." Lily muttered.
"The future can be saved with this, right?" Wendy asked Lucy.
"Yeah." Lucy nodded.
The portal continued to open as Wendy smiled. "And Lucy from the future can rest in peace." She said, tearing up a bit.
Lucy's eyes widened as she stepped forwards towards the portal, confusing Wendy. "Lucy-san..." She called out.
"No... The portal mustn't be opened..." Lucy mumbled as a dark shadow casted over her eyes before she looked up.
"I need to close the portal now!"
Lucy's sudden statement shocks everyone that heard her.
A/N: Another chapter is completed!
Thanks for reading!
~ Kaleb.