Hey my faithful readers, I'm back with the last quick update chapter. This chapter will delve even deeper into the Tower of Heaven arc, and will have more action than the previous chapters. I don't know how much farther we'll get in this chapter, but I hope we can get a decent amount done. At the current pace we're going, I guesstimate that we'll be done with the Tower of Heaven arc in about three to four chapters. So I hope you're all looking forward to what's coming ahead. Well that's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic.
"Speech"
"Thoughts"
Magic
Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. They're all still owned by Hiro Mashima.
(Same Time; Magical Council Meeting Room)
"In order to wipe the Tower of Heaven off the face of this world...to prevent Jellal from using the R-System!" Siegrain exclaimed, as he continued to try and convince his fellow council members. "Aside from using Square Satellite: Etherion, we have no other options!"
"The R-System has been forbidden ever since ancient times." Ultear chimed in, clasping her hands on top of the table. "I think we all understand the implications here." As Ultear watched the council members yell and bicker, she rested her head on her hand and let her mind wander. She knew that she needed to try and convince these old geezers to use Etherion. But her mind had frequently been drifting elsewhere lately, ever since she returned from Galuna Island to be precise. What was she thinking about so often? Well Ultear had become rather captivated by Natsu Dragneel. She couldn't exactly explain why, but her mind always seemed to wander towards thoughts about him. The dual dragon slayer had sparked immense curiosity and intrigue inside Ultear after their brief encounter. Natsu was the first mage in quite a while to actually challenge her, to push her to actually put some effort into fighting. The dual dragon slayer was also the first mage in many years to actually hurt her in combat, the fading bruise on her stomach was a testament to that, and that earned him a great deal of her respect. His determination to protect his friends and complete his mission, no matter the cost to himself, also fascinated Ultear to no end. Then there was the raw and immense power he exerted when they fought. Ultear still got shivers when she remembered the way he crushed her crystal ball with his bare hands. Just one short meeting and Ultear was completely bewitched by Natsu. Ultear didn't understand why, but she felt strong urge to learn more about Natsu, and she couldn't wait until she met him once again. "Mmm, I wonder what my little Natsu-kun is doing right now? Probably risking life and limb to save Erza and stop Jellal's little plan. I wish I could ditch this meeting and head over there myself. I'm dying to watch him fight again, and I have a feeling that I'm going to miss something truly special from him. Ah, but we'll meet again some day Natsu-kun, that I can guarantee...Hmm, I wonder if he's thought about me at all since we last met?"
"Ultear!" Org's sudden exclamation snapped Ultear out of her thoughts. "Are you finished daydreaming?! Because we're trying to discuss extremely important matters right now."
"Sorry, Org-sama." Ultear apologized, as she bowed her head. "I promise it won't happen again."
"Tch, that's what you said the first five times." Org said, releasing a heavy sigh and stroking his beard. "Now where was I...oh yes that's right. Siegrain, using Etherion would mean destroying that tower completely. That includes any possible innocent bystanders. Every living thing in that tower will be incinerated."
"To protect the magical world..." Siegrain said, as his eyes hardened. "That's a price I'm willing to pay."
"It's just as Siegrain says..." Reiji said, slowly shaking his head. "We've all gotten here because of the sacrifices of many others. That's also prevalent in the world of magic we live in today."
"But Reiji-sensei!" Hogg exclaimed, as he rose from his seat. "If we unilaterally attack Kaelum's soil, it will leave a dark stain all throughout history."
"*Sigh* Then that's a sacrifice we'll have to make." Belno said, shocking most of her fellow council members. "One cannot return from the dead. These foolish children must understand and cherish the value of life. I see no other way around it. I approve the use of Etherion."
"What?!" Org roared, as he slammed his fists onto the table. "I can't believe what I'm hearing! Especially from you Belno!"
"It's almost as if we're walking into his trap..." Yajima thought, releasing a light sigh as he glanced at Siegrain. "I have no way to prove it, but something doesn't feel right."
"We just need one more." Siegrain said, as he locked eyes with the council members that still opposed him. "If we want to stop the R-System, we must use Etherion."
(Back at the Tower of Heaven; Jellal's Thrown Room)
"Just one more, eh?" Jellal said of the blue, surprising Vidaldus. "It won't be much longer now..."
"What?" Vidaldus asked, as he quirked an eyebrow. "Did you say something Jellal-sama?"
"Nothing..." Jellal replied with a small smirk. "Just talking to myself...just one more person before this little game is all over...hahaha!"
(With the Fairy Tail Mages)
"Hold on sec Erza..." Gray breathed out, shocked by the story the scarlet-haired knight had just told. "That Zeref guy you just mentioned..."
"Yes...he's known as the most brutal and cruel dark mage in the history of magic." Erza explained, as she tightly balled her fists.
"You know now that you mention it..." Lucy muttered, rubbing her chin as she thought. "The monster summoned by Lullaby was a demon created by the Book of Zeref."
"Not only that..." Erza said, as she turned to face Gray. "Deliora might have been a demon from the Book of Zeref as well." Gray's eyes shot open when Erza said this. "A mage as powerful as Zeref was rumored to be could create such terrifying demons with minimal effort."
"So that's the Zeref Jellal wishes to revive?" Juvia breathed out, beginning to break out into a cold sweat. "If a dark mage as powerful as him were to be revived..."
"I'm not entirely sure what his true motive is..." Erza said, as glared at the ground. "According to my old nakama, when Zeref is revived they'd become the ruler's of heaven."
"When you explain it that way, I really don't understand your old friends." Lucy said, placing her hands on her hips. "They kept calling you a traitor, but from what you've told us Jellal seems to be the real traitor."
"I have no idea what nonsense Jellal has been filling their heads with ever since I escaped the Tower of Heaven..." Erza said, as she released a heavy sigh. "But I did abandon them for almost eight years. I guess that itself is a type of betrayal. Now if can just take out Jellal, this'll all be over."
"Is that really so?" Gray thought, giving Erza a suspicious look as her words from earlier ran through his mind. "Her words seemed to have a much deeper meaning."
"We've wasted enough-"
"Nee-san." Everyone whipped around when the newcomer made his presence know. Erza was shocked to see that Shô was conscious and walking towards them. "What you just said...what did you mean?"
"Shô..." Erza muttered, as she gave her old friend a sympathetic look.
"Everything you just said is utter nonsense! You're just trying to earn sympathy from your friends aren't you?!" Shô exclaimed, fiercely glaring at Erza. "The truth is absolutely nothing like what you said! Seven years ago, you were the one who bombed our escape ships and ran off by yourself, weren't you?! If Jellal hadn't uncovered your betrayal we all would have been killed! Jellal told us all! This was the fate of those who cannot control magic! You became drunk with your new power and gave up on us! You-"
Shô was cut off by a harsh slap to the face. Looking down, Shô was shocked to see that it was Lucy who had slapped him. The blonde celestial spirit mage's jaw was clenched and her fists were tightly balled. Lucy's eyes were filled with anger as she glared at Shô. Tears stung Lucy's eyes as she roughly grabbed Shô's jacket.
"How dare you!" Lucy screamed right in Shô's face, which caused the young man to flinch. "You call yourself one of Erza's nakama! Then how the hell can you possibly believe that Erza would do something like that?! Erza is one of the kindest and most loyal people I know! She would never betray her nakama like that!" Lucy growled and shoved Shô onto the ground. "I won't have you speak of her as if she's some kind of monster!"
"Lucy..." Erza thought with a small smile, grateful that the blonde had stuck up for her like that.
"You fools don't understand anything!" Shô yelled, as he scrambled back to his feet. "You don't know a single thing about us! I was saved thanks to Jellal! Therefor we all built this tower for the last eight years! For Jellal!" Shô suddenly hung his head and clenched his fists. "So...all of this...has been a lie?" Shô's head snapped up and he glared at everyone. "If what nee-san has said is true, then everything Jellal said has been a lie?!"
"That's right." Simon said, surprising everyone as he walked up behind Shô.
"You bastard!" Gray exclaimed, as he tried to rush forward and attack Simon. But he was stopped when Juvia grabbed his shoulder. "Let go Juvia! This is the guy-"
"Please wait Gray-sama..." Juvia said, turning to lock eyes with Simon. "When this man attacked us at the casino, he definitely knew that was merely an ice clone of Gray-sama, yet he attacked it anyway. No dark mage wouldn't have detected that. If he was truly trying to kill us he would have easily found us. Juvia wished to confirm this, that is one of the reasons Juvia tagged along."
"Heh, no wonder you were one of Phantom Lord's Elemental Four." Simon said with a hidden smile. "I never planned on killing you back then. In order to trick Shô and the others I was simply going to knock you unconscious. With that ice clone I was able to make your 'death' much more believable."
"You were just messing with us?" Shô asked, as he hung his head.
"Well you, Wally, and Milliana, everyone had been fooled by Jellal." Simon explained, patting Shô on the shoulder. "I waited for the right time and pretended to believe Jellal as well." A slight blush suddenly spread across Simon's face as he scratched his cheek. "I believed Erza from the beginning and I never doubted her. It's been that way for seven years." Simon slowly walked up to Erza and pulled her in for a tight hug. The scarlet-haired knight felt tears prick her left eye as she hugged her old friend. "I'm so glad I was able to see you again, Erza."
"How...how could you trust her like that?" Shô asked in a shaky voice, as he tightly clenched his eyes shut. "How? Why...Why can't I trust nee-san, trust her like you do?" Letting out pained scream, Shô slammed his fists onto the ground. "DAMN IT! RAGH! Who the hell is telling the truth!? Who am I supposed to trust!?"
"Shô..." Erza said in a motherly tone, crouching next to the crying young man. "I know it's hard dealing with everything you've just heard...but please just let me say a few words. During these past seven years I never forgot about any of you." Erza gently gripped Shô's head and hugged him against her armored chest. "I couldn't do anything because I was too weak...I'm truly sorry for that."
"But I can see that you're ready now." Simon said, as he smiled at Erza. "Isn't that right? I've been waiting quite a while for this moment. Now that all these powerful mages are gathered in one place."
"Powerful mages?" Lucy parroted, quirking a blonde eyebrow.
"We'll fight Jellal with all of our combined strength." Simon said, as he gazed at all of the mages gathered before him. "But first we must stop Salamander and Wally's impending battle." Erza, Lucy, and Juvia's eyes widened when Simon said this. "Salamander's power is absolutely crucial if we wish to take Jellal down."
"Well lead the way!" Erza exclaimed in a serious tone. "We have to protect Natsu!"
"Looks like I was too late..." Simon thought with a sad smile. "Alright follow me." Simon took off down one of the nearby corridors, with everyone else following closely behind. As they ran, Simon pressed his middle and index finger to his temple. But he cursed when all he heard was static. "Damn it! My connection with Wally and Milliana is being jammed! Now I have no idea where they are!"
"So he is using Thought Transmission Magic." Juvia muttered underneath her breath.
"Hey..." Gray whispered to Juvia, so that Simon wouldn't hear him. "Are you really sure we should be trusting this guy? I mean I understand that he wasn't really trying to kill us, and that's great and all, but in that situation Lucy could have died if flamebrain hadn't shown up."
"I don't plan on making any excuses." Despite being quite, Simon had overheard what Gray had said. "If you were the type of mages that would die easily..."
"Then you never could have tried to fight Jellal." Gray finished, now understanding what Simon was planning.
"Besides I had faith that Natsu and Lucy would survive." Simon said, as he turned to give Lucy a thumbs up. Lucy merely chuckled and smiled awkwardly. "You people have yet to see Natsu's 'true' power. When Natsu hold the true power of a dragon...evil will perish before him."
"Natsu has even more power residing within him?" Lucy thought, her eyes widening considerably. "And what is the 'true' power of a dragon?"
"That power he used against Phantom Lord...that wasn't his true power?" Erza thought, as her heart rapidly beat in her chest. "Just how much power is lying dormant within Natsu?"
(Same Time; With Natsu)
"Happy!" Natsu exclaimed, wondering aimlessly through the tower's winding corridors. The dual dragon slayer could find a hint of Happy's scent in the air, but it was very muddled and hard to track. "Where the hell are they keeping Happy?" As Natsu turned down another random hallway, Happy's scent suddenly became much more prevalent. "Happy is definitely somewhere around here." Opening the first door he saw, Natsu's jaw hung open when he stumbled upon a room filled to the brim with cat memorabilia. "What kind of room is this? There's cat stuff everywhere." Natsu walked up to a dresser and picked up a large cat mask. "Heh, this thing is pretty cool." Suddenly Natsu felt an overwhelming urge to put the cat head on. However, Natsu shook his head and put the cat head back onto the dresser. "I don't think it'd be a good idea to put that thing on." As Natsu continued to search through the room, he didn't notice a newcomer silently teleport in.
"This is the end for you punk." Wally muttered, as he pulled back the hammer of his new revolver. But before Wally could pull the trigger, someone tried to wrestle the gun away from him.
"No!" Milliana yelled, trying to grab the revolver out of Wally's hands.
"Milliana! What the hell are you doing?!" Wally exclaimed, as he fought off the wild cat girl.
"There you are!" Natsu shouted, turning to face Wally, lightning crackling off his fists. "I finally found you, you square bastard!"
"Milliana that was my perfect chance to kill this bastard!" Wally yelled, as he glared at Milliana. "Why the hell would you interfere like that!?"
"The nice flying kitty told me that's his friend!" Milliana replied, frantically pointing at Natsu. "And I don't want to make the flying kitty sad! So I won't let you hurt him!"
"Don't think I've forgotten what you tried to do back at the casino!" Natsu roared, as he charged towards Wally. "I'm going to kick your square ass!"
"Out of the way!" Wally exclaimed, shoving Milliana out of the way. "He's our enemy Milliana and I'm going to take him down!" Suddenly Wally's body broke apart into several separate pieces. "Let's see how you like this! Polygon Attack!" The floating pieces of Wally's body began to shoot towards Natsu. The dual dragon slayer easily dodged the attacks and began to advance towards Wally. "Milliana he's our enemy, back me up here!"
"No!" Milliana replied, as she rapidly shook her head. "I won't hurt the flying kitty's friend!"
"Why you little-"
"Lightning Dragon's Wing Attack!" Natsu grabbed ahold of Wally's head and hit him with a large amount of powerful electricity. Then Natsu hurled Wally over his shoulder, hitting him with even more lightning as he flew off. Moments later Wally crashed into the ground, knocked unconscious by Natsu's powerful attack. "That's payback for almost shooting me in the mouth." Releasing a light sigh, Natsu turned to Milliana. "Thanks for having my back there...uh I'm sorry I didn't catch your name."
"Oh, I'm Milliana." The cat girl said, as she energetically shook Natsu's hand. "Any friend of the flying kitty's is my friend too."
"Flying kitty?" Natsu repeated, quirking an eyebrow in confusion.
"Natsu!" Happy cheered, as he flew into the dual dragon slayer's arms. "I knew you'd come to save me."
"It's great to see you buddy!" Natsu exclaimed with a wide grin, hugging Happy tightly. "I'm so glad you weren't hurt." Still holding Happy close, Natsu turned his attention back to Milliana. "I guess I can thank you for keeping Happy safe?"
"Yeah! She was super nice Natsu! Milliana and I played a bunch and she gave me some fish!" Happy said, as he smiled at Milliana. When the blue cat next spoke, he whispered into Natsu's ear. "Although she was a little too affectionate. I felt sort of suffocated."
"Well anyways thanks for keeping my buddy safe." Natsu said, gently patting Milliana on the head. The cat girl blushed brightly at the display of affection. "You should stay here and make sure that your square friend is okay. I'm gonna keep pushing on ahead."
"A-Alright..." Milliana stuttered out, as she tried to fight back her raging blush. "I'll keep an eye on Wally."
"Great, let's get moving Happy!" Natsu cheered, running out of Milliana's room.
"Aye sir!" Happy exclaimed, as he flew after Natsu.
"Wait!" Milliana called out, stopping Happy and Natsu in their tracks. "Will I ever see you again, flying kitty?"
"Sure! Come visit me anytime you want to play again!" Happy replied with a big smile, as he waved to Milliana. "And the name's Happy!"
"Happy, huh?" Milliana muttered, glancing down at Wally.
(Same Time; Jellal's Thrown Room)
"Hmm, looks like things are starting to get interesting..." Jellal mused, as he knocked over a few of the chess pieces on the board next to him.
"It seems as if Shô, Simon, and Milliana have betrayed us..." Vidaldus explained, kneeling in front of Jellal's thrown. "Wally was also defeated by the Salamander."
"Yes, this is how a game is supposed to be played." Jellal said with a growing smirk. "There's nothing I hate more than a one-sided game."
"Jellal-sama, we must quickly capture Erza and perform the ceremony." Vidaldus said, rising back onto his feet. "There is no more time to be playing around."
"If that's the case why don't you head out there Vidaldus." Jellal said, as he placed three new chess pieces onto his board. "I can see that you and your friends are itching to fight."
"Are you sure Jellal-sama..."
"Well they've finished their turn haven't they?" Jellal said, moving a few chess pieces around the board. "I think it's about time I play one of my trump cards." Vidaldus merely grinned in response and crossed his arms, forming an X. Suddenly a large amount of dark magic exploded off Vidaldus as his body began to change. As Vidaldus began to finish his transformation, two new figures walked into the room. One of the newcomers was a beautiful woman with flowing pink hair. The woman wore a white kimono with red skulls emblazoned on the bottoms, and she gripped a sword in her right hand. The other newcomer was a massive man with an owl's head, and he also sported a large rocket pack on his back. Once the two newcomers had taken their position, Vidaldus had finished his transformation. The dark-haired man now resembled a heavy metal rocker, with pale white skin and a guitar strapped to his back. "Special Raiding Squadron of Assassins...Trinity Raven. It's your turn to strike now."
"Go~ To~ Hell~~!" Vidaldus screeched, as a large maniacal smile spread across his face. "Hell! Let me show them all the deepest depths of hell~~~!"
"Who-Who...Who~~" The owl man said, cocking his head.
"Oh I wish you were easier to understand Fukuro." The pink-haired woman said, as she adjusted the blade in her grasp. "But I, Ikaruga, will lead the members of Death's Head Caucus to victory." A sadistic smile suddenly spread across Ikaruga's face. "Perhaps it is the fate of both love and life to scatter on the wind...tonight shall be a festival."
(Back with Natsu)
"Hold it right there!" Wally exclaimed, struggling to stand back onto his feet. "This ain't over Salamander!" Before Wally could take a single step, lighting still lingering from Natsu's attack brought him down onto one knee.
"Wally please don't push yourself!" Milliana exclaimed in a worried tone, as she rested a hand on Wally's back. "Please just rest!"
"Well I've gotten my payback." Natsu said, glancing back at Wally and Milliana. "And Erza and Happy are both safe now, so I see no point in continuing to fight you."
"Our...goal is heaven." Wally struggled to say, as he glared at Natsu. "The true freedom that Jellal speaks of. A world where we can rule over the people..." Before Wally could say anymore, dozens of strange mouths appeared on the walls and ceiling, all them creepily cackling.
"What are those creepy things, Natsu?!" Happy yelled, tightly clinging to Natsu's arm.
"They're mouths...and they're everywhere." Natsu said, as he gazed at the laughing mouths with disgust.
"Welcome all of you..." Natsu immidiately froze stiff when he heard an eerily familiar voice come out of the numerous mouths. It may have been more mature and menacing, but there was absolutely no mistaking it now. It was definitely Jellal who was speaking to them. Even after all these years apart, Natsu could never forget his voice. "To the Tower of Heaven. I am Jellal, ruler of this tower. All the pieces on both sides are now in place. I think it's high time we begin...Heaven's Game."
"Jellal..." Natsu breathed out, tightly balling his fists and clenching his teeth. "What the hell happened to you? What game are you playing?"
"The rules are quite simple..." Jellal's voice echoed out from the numerous mouths spread throughout the entire tower. "My goal is to use Erza as a sacrifice to revive Zeref." Natsu's eyes shot open when Jellal said this. The dual dragon slayer could feel his anger starting to boil over with each word Jellal spoke. First the bastard kidnapped his mate, now he wants to sacrifice her to some random asshole named Zeref! Natsu didn't know what had gotten into Jellal, but he did know that he would beat his ass until he came back to his senses. "That means if I can open the gateway to heaven I win...and if you can somehow stop me from doing that you win. However...that by itself isn't very exciting. So I've arranged for three mighty warriors to fight on my behalf. If you cannot get past them, you will never reach me. In other words this is an all out battle royal, three versus seven...Oh! There's one last tiny rule I should probably tell you all about. There's a possibility that the council could launch an attack on this tower using the Satellite Square." All of the Fairy Tail mages' eyes widened when they heard this. "The council possess the ultimate magic of destruction, Etherion. With enough power to reduce an entire country to rubble."
(In Jellal's Thrown Room)
"Yo~ You never mentioned anything like that Jellal!" Vidaldus exclaimed, as he flicked out his excessively long tongue. "If we got hit by that, everyone one of us would be going to hell!~"
"Why Vidaldus, are you afraid?" Ikaruga asked with a small smirk.
"Hell no!~" Vidaldus replied with a twisted grin. "It's the exact opposite!~ The reverse!~ That's totally the best news I've ever heard!~ A life or death job like this is exactly what I've been waiting for!~"
"The time is unknown, but it is ticking down." Jellal said, as his smirked widened. "But know that the moment Etherion strikes everyone in this tower will die. It will be game over and no one will win this fun game we're playing. So everyone...let's have fun shall we."
(With Erza's Group)
"T-This is insane..." Lucy stuttered out, feeling her knees go weak from fear. "What the hell is Jellal thinking?!" The blonde celestial spirit mage began to nervously rub the mate mark on her neck. "Playing a 'game' when he could die himself at any moment..."
"Etherion?" Erza muttered, as she began to shake slightly. "The council? Im-Impossible...I mean-" Everyone gasped when Erza was suddenly encompassed in a thick cloud of smoke. When the smoke dissipated, Shô was holding onto a playing card which held Erza inside. "Shô! What's going on!?"
"What the hell are you doing, Shô!?" Simon exclaimed, reaching out to Shô.
"I'm not gonna let anyone lay a finger on my nee-san." Shô replied, as he clutched the card close to his chest. The young man's voice was determined, yet full of fear at the same time. "I'll defeat that asshole Jellal all by myself!"
"Stop! You can't possibly do this alone!" Simon pleaded, but Shô has already began to run down the hall. "Son of a bitch! I'll head after Shô! You three have to search for Natsu! Now!"
"Juvia will search with Gray-sama." Juvia said, gesturing down a random hallway. "Lucy-san can search down that way."
"Oi! Hold on a second!" Lucy exclaimed, as she placed her hands on her hips. "I don't mean to diminish my skills or anything, but I'm not strongest one here! There's no way I can go off on my own!"
"Damn it, why am I stuck with these two?" Gray groaned, running his hand down his face. "Alright, I'm pretty worried about Erza, so I'm gonna go after the big guy and Shô. You two go find Natsu, okay?"
"Gray-sama wait!" Juvia called out, but Gray had already taken off after Simon and Shô. Once Gray was out of sight, Juvia sighed and hung her head.
"Well let's get going Juvia." Lucy said, as she patted Juvia's back. "We have to find Natsu and make sure he's alright."
At the mention of Natsu's name Juvia perked up slightly. "Alright, let's go Lucy-san. Juvia wants to make sure Natsu is okay."
(With Natsu)
"I'm not really sure what's going on, but I know I have to stop Jellal and kick his ass until he's back to normal." Natsu growled, as he ignited his hands in bright orange flames. "When I get up there I'm going make Jellal apologize to Erza and explain just what the hell is going on here."
"W-What are you going Jellal?" Wally muttered, catching Natsu's attention. "Etherion you say...if we take a blast from that thing we'll all die...all we ever wanted was true freedom."
"I don't know exactly what type of freedom you're after." Natsu said, as he crouched down next to Wally and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "But at Fairy Tail you can have all the freedom you want..." Wally's eyes widened when Natsu flashed him a toothy grin. "Plus it's a pretty dandy place too." Giving Wally's shoulder quick pat, Natsu stood back up. "Happy! I think I've got a way for us to cheat this little game."
"Aye sir! I think I know what you mean!" Happy cheered, picking Natsu up and flying out the nearby window.
"HAHA! Let's skip straight to the final boss!" Natsu exclaimed, as Happy soared up the tower. "Jellal, I'm coming for your ass!"
"Salamander..." Wally said with a small smirk, watching Happy and Natsu sail off. "It's all on you now."
"Please stay safe you two..." Milliana thought, as she clasped her hands over her heart.
"We're almost there, keep it up buddy!" Natsu yelled, straining his voice over the howling wind. However, as Natsu and Happy flew further up the tower, something caught Natsu's eye. Off in the distance, Natsu spotted a brief flash of light. "Happy, what is that!? It looks like it's heading towards us!" Before Natsu or Happy had a chance to react they were slammed back into the tower, by what appeared to be a man with an owl's head. The dual dragon slayer and Happy tumbled across the tower's floor and crashed into a wall, coincidentally right in front of Simon.
"Salamander!" Simon exclaimed, as he ran up to Natsu and Happy. "Are you both alright?!"
"Who are you?" Natsu asked, rubbing his aching head. The dragon slayer then growled when the owl man landed in front of them. "And who the fuck is this dickhead?!"
"I will not allow you to break the rules." The owl man said, as he pointed at Natsu. "I am the protector of justice, Fukuro! Who-Whoo!"
"First a square dude and now a talking fucking bird." Natsu grunted, slowly getting back onto his feet. "How many freaks are in this tower?"
"N-No way...is h-he..." Simon stuttered out in fear, as his eye shot open. Without warning, Simon grabbed Natsu's wrist and took off down the hall. "This is really fucking bad! We have to get out of here quick!"
"Wait Natsu!" Happy exclaimed, flying after the dual dragon slayer. "This guy...he's that square dude's buddy!"
"I'm on your side now, so get your asses moving." Simon yelled, as he quickly formed a hand sign. "And you absolutely must not fight this guy!" Simon swiped his hand and the entire corridor turned bitch black. "Dark Moment!" Amongst the confusion, Simon grabbed Natsu's wrist again. "This is our only chance!" But Simon hadn't taken three steps before Fukuro was right in front of him. Simon gasped when Fukuro grabbed ahold of his head.
"The owl of justice strikes even in the blackest of nights!" Fukuro exclaimed, cocking his fist back. Simon's eye widened when magical energy gathered on Fukuro's fist. "Justice Ho-Ho-Hou!" Fukuro launched a powerful blast of magical energy directly into Simon's chest, sending him flying down the hall.
"H-He's so...strong..." Simon struggled to say, as he coughed up a mouthful of blood. "I...I think that fractured a few ribs..."
"Who-Whoo." Fukuro said, cocking his head.
"There's no doubt...he's from the assassin's guild...Death's Head Caucus!" Simon exclaimed, as he struggled to stand back up. "They're one of the dark guilds in the surrounding area. But Death's Head Caucus is one of the worst...they ended up specializing in assassination missions...and the most infamous among them all are a group of three know as 'Trinity Raven.' It was said during one of the guild wars they assassinated all of the officers in the entire western army."
"Who-Whoo, you are mistaken." Fukuro said, slowly shaking his head. "I merely struck down the forces of evil."
"Don't listen to him!" Simon yelled, as he coughed up another mouthful of blood. "Those guys are professional killers! You mustn't try to fight them!"
"So you are the famous Salamander...your infamy has even reached the ears of our guild." Fukuro said, cracking his knuckles. "I believe it's time for this warrior justice to strike down evil!"
"A guild is supposed to be a place filled with dreams and aspirations." Natsu said in a dark and menacing tone, as his anger passed the boiling point. The dual dragon slayer disposed regular dark guilds, but one that only took jobs that killed people, that was too much for Natsu to take. These bastards were tarnishing what a guild is supposed to be. They were disrespecting him, Erza, Lucy, Lisanna, and every legitimate guild in Fiore. Just then, like when he heard Lucy being hurt, Natsu felt an invisible barrier inside him break as his anger spiked considerably. Simon and Happy's eyes widened when dark orange lightning exploded off Natsu and filled the entire hallway with static electricity. "It's not some place for fucked up jobs like you assholes do. You bastards are a blemish on the magical world and I will take you down. I'm the one that's going to disintegrate evil."
"This...I wasn't expecting this..." Simon said, watching Natsu stare Fukuro down. "I didn't know Salamander possessed this type of power as well...just how strong is he?"
"This guy...he kills people for a living." Happy muttered, as he tightly clenched his paws.
"It pisses me off that jobs like that even exist." Natsu said, the lighting encasing his body becoming more powerful the angrier he got. "But it also pisses me off that assholes request those type of jobs. Not to mention they have the balls to call themselves an actual guild." Natsu tightly balled his fists and glared at Fukuro. "Everything about this bird freak pisses me off! So I'm gonna beat the shit out of you!"
"Who-whoo...little Salamander, there are some evils that cannot be allowed to live in this world." Fukuro said, as his rocket roared to life. "And you surely are one of those evils. So it's time to die."
"What did you just say?" Natsu asked in a dark tone, his brow twitching. "A killer like you has the gall to call me evil...haha, now you've really pissed me off!"
"Jet Ho-Ho-Hou!" Fukuro exclaimed, as he rocketed towards Natsu at a blinding speed.
"I'm sick of your ugly fucking mug!" Natsu roared, bracing himself for Fukuro's impact. Moments later Fukuro reached Natsu, but to Simon's shock the dual dragon slayer stopped the rocketing owl man dead in his tracks. Fukuro began to howl in pain as Natsu's lightning coursed through his body. Then Fukuro's rocket pack started to spark, before it exploded in a ball of flames. The owl man went limp in Natsu's arms, his back scarred and burned. "Time to make sure you're out for the count." Lightning exploded off Natsu's body as he spun Fukuro around and grabbed ahold of his waist. "Lightning Dragon's Detonating Suplex!" Natsu fell backwards and slammed Fukuro headfirst into the ground. As soon as Fukuro's body hit the ground, a massive explosion of lightning engulfed the owl man and filled the corridor with blinding orange light. When the light died down, Fukuro was in a large crater, charred and twitching. Natsu stood victorious over Fukuro, glaring down at his defeated enemy. "Justice fucking served."
"He...He beat a member of Trinity Raven in a single attack..." Simon breathed out, as his jaw hung open in shock. "If he's this strong already...then Jellal doesn't stand a chance."
(Two Minutes Earlier; Jellal's Thrown Room)
Jellal chuckled lightly as he used an owl shaped chess piece to knock down the wall chess piece the represented Simon. "How very disappointing Simon...out of the game already." Jellal then moved the owl chess piece towards a dragon shaped one. "And up next is Natsu vs. Fukuro...Hmm, I wish I could fight Natsu my self, but he might not-" Jellal stopped mid sentence when he felt his connection to Fukuro suddenly cut out. Hidden eyes narrowing, Jellal knocked over Fukuro's chess piece. "Looks like I might get my wish after all...this Natsu Dragneel sure is an interesting character. A wicked smirk spread across Jellal's face as he turned his attention to three different chess pieces on his board. "The celestial mage and the water woman vs. Vidaldus...I wonder who will come out on top?" Jellal's evil smirk widened as he knocked over the chess piece representing Lucy. "Looks like this might be the end for out celestial spirit user..."
(With Lucy and Juvia)
"Natsu!" Lucy called out, using her enhanced sense of smell to try and find her mate. The blonde celestial spirit mage frowned when she couldn't find Natsu's scent. "Damn it, my nose isn't nearly as strong as Natsu's."
"Are some type of dragon slayer as well, Lucy-san?" Juvia asked shyly, as she walked up next to the blonde. "Because Juvia knows from Gajeel-kun that dragon slayer's have enhanced senses."
"You call him -kun..." Lucy muttered awkwardly under her breath, avoiding Juvia's gaze. "To answer your question, no I'm not a dragon slayer...but I do have enhanced senses similar to a dragon slayer."
"Why is that?" Juvia continued her questioning, as she spotted a strange mark on Lucy's neck. "And what is that mark on your neck? Juvia doesn't remember seeing it before."
"Uh...*Sigh* I might as well tell you." Lucy said, unconsciously rubbing her mate mark. The blonde celestial spirit mage hid her face so Juvia wouldn't see her sly smile. "Seeing as you'll be joining us eventually." Taking a calming breath, Lucy began her explanation. "I don't know any easier way to say this, so I'll just come right out with it...Natsu and I are mates. This mark on my neck and the pink streaks in my hair mark me as his. The enhanced sense I have are also because I'm his mate."
"So you and Natsu really are together..." Juvia muttered in a dejected tone, something that wasn't missed by Lucy. "Well...Juvia is happy for you two."
"Thank you, Natsu is really great guy...but there is one little thing that makes our relationship very...unique." Lucy said, smirking when she saw Juvia perk back up. "Because Natsu was raised by two dragon kinds, mating customs are different for him. You see Juvia, dragon mating rituals are passed down to dragon slayers. A normal dragon will have only one mate in their life, and they will only love their mate and this is passed down to dragon slayers as well. However, this process is different when it comes to dragon kings. A dragon king will take on multiple mates, generally around three or more, to ensure that their magic will passed on to a new generation. Since Natsu was raised by two dragon kings that rule applies doubly for him."
"So...Natsu can have multiple mates?" Juvia asked, as her eyes slowly widened. "Aren't you upset that you can't be Natsu's only mate?"
"Maybe a little at first, but I'm fine with it now." Lucy replied, shocking the blue-haired water mage. "Natsu can't help the way he feels. His magic is driving him to claim multiple mates, it's not something he can really fight against. But I know that Natsu loves me and that I'm very special to him. Dragon kings instinctually pick their mates at first sight and do everything in their power to make their mates happy. So Natsu is very sweet to me and will risk his life to keep me safe." Lucy smiled brightly and clasped a hand over her heart. "Plus I know who a few of Natsu's other possible mates are and they're all girls I really like. So I don't see a problem with sharing the guy I love with my friends, friends who love him as well. It'll be like we're one big family."
"Like a family..." Juvia said underneath her breath, as she began to process everything Lucy had told her. It all sounded too good to be true. "If what Lucy-san had said is really true then that meant Juvia still had a chance with Natsu...Wait, why is Juvia thinking like this? Natsu is just Juvia's friend...Juvia doesn't love Natsu...or does she?" Juvia clutched the side of her head as he mind raced. "Juvia is so confused right now. Juvia is sure that she loves Gray-sama, Juvia's feelings for him are so strong right now...But...whenever Juvia thinks of Natsu, Juvia's heart starts to beat faster and she feels so happy...and when Juvia imagines Natsu with other girls her heart aches because she isn't one of them. Juvia...Juvia...be in love with Natsu as well as Gray-sama. But that makes sense, Natsu has been Juvia's friend for so long...he was the first one to bring sunlight into Juvia's life...But Juvia's feelings for Gray-sama are so strong right, Juvia can't explain it. Juvia...will have to figure this all out lat-"
Juvia's thoughts were cut off when a piercing wail filled the air. It sounded as if an electric guitar was being put on blast right next to them. Lucy's shrieked in pain and covered her ears. Her enhanced hearing more easily affected by the extremely loud music.
"What's that noise?!" Lucy screamed, collapsing down onto her knees. "Is that a guitar!? GAH! It feels like my ears are gonna start bleeding! AGH! It's so fucking loud!"
"Really?" Juvia asked, as she quirked an eyebrow. "Juvia actually thinks it's quite nice."
"How is this not bothering you!?" Lucy exclaimed, trying to stop the rapid pounding in her head.
"HEY! YA! FUCKING! GIRLS!" A screeching voice alerted Juvia and Lucy to the presence of a newcomer. The man had pale white skin and extremely long black hair. He was whipping his hair in circles as he played his guitar. "The name's Vidaldus Taka! Welcome to my hellish concert! Destroy!"
"You're the bastard who's playing the guitar so damn loud!" Lucy yelled, standing back onto her feet and glaring at Vidaldus. "Cut that shit out!"
"This man must be one of Jellal's three warriors." Juvia said, as she prepared to fight this new enemy. "We must be prepared for anything."
"Assassin's guild Death's Head Caucus!" Vidaldus wailed, sticking out his long tongue. "Hey! We're the skulls! Kickass name ain't it!?" Vidaldus strummed his electric particularly hard and his hair whipped out towards Lucy and Juvia. "Rock you!" Still covering her ears, Lucy barely dodged the flailing hair. The blonde's eyes shot open as she watched the tendrils of hair crash through walls and the floor. While Lucy was busy dodging Vidaldus' attacks, Juvia merely stood her ground and allowed his attacks to pass through her water body. Vidaldus looked genuinely impressed when he saw his hair sail harmlessly through Juvia. "WAH! That's a rockin' little body you there girlie!"
"Juvia's body is made out of water." Juvia explained, as she formed a sphere of water in her hand. "No attacks can harm Juvia." Juvia closed her fist around the ball of water in her hand. "Water Lock!" The water formed underneath Vidaldus and began to creep up his body, entirely encasing him in water. "Huh, looks like his bark was far worse than his bite."
"Great job Juvia!" Lucy cheered, giving Juvia a thumbs up. "That's a member of the Elemental 4 for you!"
However, Lucy and Juvia's eyes widened when the water trapping Vidaldus started to disappear. Vidaldus' maniacal laughing was heard as little by little, Juvia's water seemed be absorbed into his hair. Lucy had to cover her ears once again, as Vidaldus began to play his guitar again. A few moments later all of Juvia's water had disappeared.
"W-What..." Juvia stuttered out, as she stared at Vidaldus in shock. "Juvia's Water Lock...disappeared?
"Phew..." Vidaldus released a calming breath, before his twisted smile returned. "A bit of water is just trick when your hair is messed up. But, you shouldn't use shampoo in the morning, your hair won't like it."
"How..." Juvia breathed out, as she tightly balled her fists. "How did you eliminate Juvia's Water Lock?"
"My hair can absorb any liquid." Vidaldus replied, playing with a few strands of his hair. "Though you won't see me wiping up any oil or alcohol, that's bad for the hair."
"Juvia's water...won't affect him." Juvia said, as she grit her teeth in frustration.
"But my, my, we do have a couple sexy babes here, heh heh." Vidaldus chuckled, leering dangerously at Lucy and Juvia.
"W-What do you mean?" Juvia hesitantly asked, as she tried to cover her body with her hands.
"Hmm, now the important question. Which one do I choose?" Vidaldus asked no one in particular, wagging his finger between Lucy and Juvia. An evil smirk spread across Vidaldus' face when he spotted Lucy. "Looks like the blondie is already taken, so..." His finger landed on Juvia. "I'll have to take you!" Juvia took a fearful step back as Vidaldus prepared to play his guitar again. "Well that settles it! You're the lucky girl who's gonna be my succubus today!"
"S-Succubus..." Juvia repeated in frightened tone.
"Rock of Succubus! Hell yeaaaaaahhhh!" Before Juvia or Lucy had a chance to react, the water mage was lifted into the air by purple tendrils of dark magic. Juvia screamed in pain as the dark magic entered her ears.
"AH! What is this?! This noise!" Juvia yelled, as she attempted to cover her ears, but her hands wouldn't move. "GAH! NO! STOP IT! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
"Juvia!" Lucy cried, reaching out to her friend. But Juvia's body was suddenly engulfed by a blinding white light, forcing Lucy to shield her eyes from the intense rays. But the person that Lucy saw when the light died down definitely wasn't the Juvia she knew. Juvia's skin was now pale white like Vidaldus' and her clothes resembled that of a rocker's. The bluenette's hair was also down and a purple was emblazoned across Juvia's stomach. "J-Juvia?"
"Looks like I got myself a love slave." Vidaldus said with a twisted smile.
"Hell, hell, hell!" The transformed Juvia chanted, shocking Lucy so much that she fell over. "I'm gonna show you deepest, darkest, most glorious pits of hell, ya bitch!"
"That's not Juvia anymore..." Lucy breathed out, as her eyes narrowed in determination. "I have to save her from this asshole...for my...and Natsu's sake!"
(With Natsu and Simon)
"GAH!" Natsu yelled, suddenly collapsing to his knees. The dragon slayer clutched a hand over his thundering heart. Just like with Erza when Phantom Lord attacked, Natsu could sense that both Lucy and Juvia were in trouble. Natsu's pulse pounded in his ears as he howled in pain.
"Natsu?! What's wrong?!" Simon exclaimed, as he was instantly by the dragon slayer's side. "Are you hurt!? Did something happen when you fought Fukuro!?"
"N-No..." Natsu struggled to reply, using a wall to steady himself as he got back onto his feet. "Lucy...Juvia...they're both in trouble..."
"Your friends are in trouble..." Simon said, as he placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder. "I know you want to help your friends more than anything Natsu, but we don't have time for any sudden-"
"I know." Natsu said, shrugging off Simon's hand. "I know we don't have time for detours. I know Lucy and Juvia are in trouble. But I'm not worried." The dual dragon slayer turned to flash Simon a bright grin. "Because I know my girls are strong and that they can overcome anything in her way. I know that they can handle this."
And done! I felt this was a good stopping point. Next chapter will finish up the Lucy and Juvia vs. Vidaldus fight, I have a few new twists for that one so look forward to that. Next chapter will also get to the Erza vs. Ikaruga fight and maybe even Jellal, who knows. I hope you all enjoyed Natsu's new fight against Fukuro. I figured with his new powers, Fukuro shouldn't have been any problem for Natsu, plus I also used a little bit of Pokemon logic in that fight; electricity is super effective against flying-types. So now there's no need for Gray to come in and save Natsu's ass, which will speed this arc up a little bit. There's about thirteen chapters left in this arc, I'm on chapter 87 in case you were wondering, which means I can probably wrap this arc up in about three chapters. So hopefully when the next batch of chapters are released we can finish this arc and get started on the Battle for Fairy Tail arc. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed the chapter, PLEASE REVIEW (The amount of reviews for last chapter was kinda disappointing. Let's see if we can pick it up with this chapter!), and PM me any ideas you have for this fic.
Also I want to clarify one thing real quick. At the beginning of the chapter, Ultear isn't in love with Natsu yet, that will come much later. She's merely fascinated by his strength and determination right now. If she has any sort of attraction to Natsu, it's purely physical right now. So need to worry about Ultear instantly loving Natsu. That will come in due time.
So until next time, I'm outta here!