"You can't hide the child forever, I promise you that."
"H-Hey! Don't leave without me!"
"Luce! Are you okay!? Where did you send Nashi!?"
"I... I sent her... to the past..."
"What!? But how!?"
"Using a spell that only Kumiko and I know... Nashi will be safe in the past."
"But how do you know that!?"
"Kumiko will watch over her and guide her to a safe place. Since it's the past... Vetani won't be able to easily take her."
"...I trust your plans wholeheartedly Luce. But after we check on the guild, we have to go after her."
"Y-Yeah..."
"Don't cry, Luce... We'll get those bastards and they'll wish they never messed with Fairy Tail."
The guilds, though confident at first, were not faring well against their respective dragons. None of their attacks damaged the large reptiles in the slightest, not even when Makarov grew to match their size. Motherglare had also already laid eggs throughout the city per Usami's orders and the hatchlings were born. This caused even more worry to the many mages as the hatchlings also shot lasers through their mouths. They were nothing like the younger dragons from the Dragon Realm.
Each dragon roared throughout the city, destroying houses and other buildings. The city of Crocus was no longer the flower blooming capital, but was now becoming a decaying wasteland. It was getting harder and harder for the mages to dodge the dragons and the hatchlings' attacks but luckily they did not have to fear anything any longer. A top the highest roof that remained intact, blonde hair followed the wind and piercing gold eyes met with the eyes of the twins.
"Can you hear me... dragons from 400 years ago?" Lucy's voice rang throughout the destroyed city, thanks to a sound amplifying spell from Miwa, making all the dragons, hatchlings and the mages turn in the direction of her voice. "How dare you come to this era and wreak havoc! I've no choice but to raise my hand!"
"It's Lucy!" Juvia cheered as the other fairies rejoiced when hearing her voice while the other guilds were confused at their relief. "She and Future Lucy's husband must have succeeded!"
"Why exactly is your guild so happy to see the Athena, Gray?" Lyon asked. "Sure, there is no denying she is strong. But she can't possibly be stronger than these dragons, is she?"
"Hate to say this but Lyon, Lucy being a dragon slayer is only one half of the coin." Gray said with a grin as a portal opened above her head, shocking every single guild besides Fairy Tail.
Lucy's aura grew as the royal army, Princess Hisui, King Toma and even the eight dragons looked up in shock as roars could be heard from the other side of the portal. Natsu and Happy, who had almost caught up with Motherglare and Betherion, grinned in excitement as Akira's dragon head appeared from the portal. Usami, Ushin and Vetani scowling under their breath when Akira descended to fly next to Lucy followed by Takeo, Kai and Raiden. The three dragons roaring to challenge the eight dragons.
"No way..." Sherria gasped.
"You do realize that our guild never actually denied Lucy being the Dragon Empress, right?" Gray asked as the two Lamia Scale members had their mouths agape in shock. "We just denied her of ever bringing an invasion to Fiore."
"My name is Lucy Heartfilia and I am the Dragon Empress!" She announced as the other guilds stared at the blonde with surprise and in slight fear. "You will regret stepping foot in this time and slandering the dignities and virtues of my dragons!"
Arhad, Isla and Lunaria were the next three dragons to descend from the portal. Motherglare's hatchlings became distracted and so the mages took the chance to slay them one by one. Sting and Rogue too distracted to see Ava, Weisslogia and Skiadrum descend from the Dragon Realm as the portal closed. The eight dragons roared as they remembered the faces of every dragon that had arrived except for the dragon successors. The seven dragons that were a part of Lucy's council roaring back.
Lucy made eye contact with Natsu and the fire dragon slayer noticed her pointing towards Atlas Flame while nodding to him. Natsu somehow understood her message and told Happy to dive down so he could feast. The blue exceed, inwardly sweatdropping at how simple Natsu's thinking was, complied and Lucy looked to each of her dragons. The ten splitting up into pairs, leaving Atlas Flame to Natsu alone, and met up with one of five dragons that stayed on the ground.
"What is your plan, Ms. Dragon Empress?" The twins thought in unison.
Lucy smirked as she jumped down from the building she stood on and made her way through the crumbling city towards where the Eclipse gate was, where Zirconis was. "Future Natsu said that Natsu would the one who ultimately finish the battle, so you two better enjoy your freedom while he's busy." She thought.
Meanwhile, with Sting and Rogue, both were faced to face with Scissor Runner and Levia, the two dragons staring down at the two with hungry eyes. They weren't able to land an effective hit yet but they weren't tired. If anything, they were more determined to show off their power. The two dragons had to admit, their bravery and courage was nothing to laugh at. Yet it was futile to continue to try. However, they were both met with a slash to the face to bring them out of their thoughts.
Sting and Rogue gasped in surprise as Arhad slashed Scissor Runner right on his snout while Isla had whipped her tail to slap Levia's cheek. The Blade Dragon King and the Water Dragon Queen growling in disgust at the two dragons that shared their respective element. "Those were the dragons with the Athena!" The twin slayers thought.
"No... how is it that you two are here!?" Levia demanded with distain.
"It doesn't matter if they're here or not!" Scissor Runner replied as the four dragons growled at one another. "You are no longer a king or queen in my eyes! You betrayed your own kind and sided with the humans!"
"And to think I ended up agreeing to join her majesty in battle only to see your wretched faces again." Arhad spoke up. "Well, I was lucky to enough to see Miss. Erza and give her that sword I was preparing."
"You may not consider us your king or queen anymore, but you are the one who betrayed our kind." Isla stated accusingly. "To think you were once a faithful dragon that stood by me!"
"Those two... are a king and queen?" Rogue asked.
"And they even know these guys? That's insane... just how old are they?" Sting added.
The two slayers were brought out of their shock when they heard footsteps coming from behind. They had thought it was one of the dragon hatchlings and were about to attack when they were met with the faces of the two old men that had appeared at Sabertooth's lodge when Lucy had come to get Natsu. Both men held relaxed smiles on their faces as their familiarity confused Sting and Rogue. Weisslogia and Skiadrum looked at one another, the former sighing while the latter remained indifferent.
"It seems our sons have become easily distracted, don't you think?" Weisslogia asked the shadow dragon, Sting was confused as to what he meant but couldn't help shake at the sound of the old man's voice.
"We've been watching over them all this time and you just now realize that?" Skiadrum retorted, Rogue just staring at him in disbelief.
"Weisslogia! Skiadrum! Catch up with your sons after the battle is done!" Isla commanded as Sting and Rogue gasped as she confirmed their suspicions. "You can explain everything to them then!"
"Isla is right. Transform and get your sons to focus!" Arhad agreed. "You trained them to be dragon slayers, haven't you!?"
The two dragons nodded and began to transform into their dragon forms. Sting and Rogue's eyes widening at the sight of their dragon parents before them. It was then that Lucy's words from when they first encountered her came to their minds, about how she knew without a doubt that Weisslogia and Skiadrum had not been slain by them. It was made clear now. Since Lucy was the Dragon Empress, and the fact that Weisslogia and Skiadrum were there, it meant they had been in the Dragon Realm all this time.
"But that's impossible..." Sting said breathlessly. "How...!?"
"We understand that you may have many questions for us." Weisslogia began to say.
"But for now, they must wait until this battle is over." Skiadrum finished. "We shall talk then."
Sting was unsure at first, but then Rogue placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded. The blonde soon following at they got into their stances. "Right!" They said.
"To think you're siding with dragon slayers yet again!" Scissor Runner exclaimed. "A disgrace!"
"They are the reason for our declining race and yet you still aid them!?" Levia cried. "I will not allow our pride and honour as dragons to be sullied by you lot!"
"We were able to survive this long because we sided with humans." Isla stated as the ground shook when she stomped her foot down. "You all perished long ago while we remained."
"Lies!" The two dragons cried.
"Believe what you will! We now have a home to call our own and an empress who is like our own daughter!" Arhad replied.
"How dare!"
Levia and Scissor Runner began to bring forth their dragon roars and the four dragons got into position. Isla and Arhad in front while Weisslogia and Skiadrum were in the back protecting Sting and Rogue. The white and shadow dragons, like Igneel, Metalicana and Grandeeney, could not afford to be damaged greatly or something might happen to the soul fragments that are keeping them on Earthland, so they looked their sons and nodded. Sting and Rogue somehow reading their minds.
The water and blade dragons combined their roars while Isla was able to protect them with a Water Dragon Queen's Barrier. Arhad dashing towards Levia and tackling him, causing a few cuts from his scales to embed the water dragon's flesh. Skiadrum then sent out a Shadow Dragon's Roar towards Scissor Runner while Weisslogia momentarily blinded said blade dragon with a flash of holy light, giving Sting and Rogue an opening to attack. The two joined hands and casted their unison raid.
But when the attack was over, Levia and Scissor Runner just groaned for a second before recovering quickly. "You really have become weak... even more so now compared to when we last clashed." Levia stated.
The four dragons scowled in offense. Though they hate to admit it, the water dragon was right. Besides Arhad, the other three hadn't gone into an actual battle for a great number of years. Overpowering a dragon and defeating it was not the same as teaching and training with Lucy back in the Dragon Realm. Especially more so considering Weisslogia and Skiadrum are only able to utilize a small piece of their power since the rest of their magic is being used within Sting and Rogue's body.
"I'm going to have so much fun... finally ripping you apart for betraying us!" Scissor Runner said in excitement. "And then, I can have those two little brats as a snack."
When Lucy finally made it to the Eclipse Gate where Wendy, Carla, the Thunder Legion, the royal army, Princess Hisui, Yukino, Zirconis, Vetani, Raiden, Kai, Future Natsu and Future Lucy was, the blonde couldn't believe her eyes. First of all, the entire royal army had been stripped naked, thanks to Zirconis, and second of all, she was staring at her future self next to Future Natsu! "No way..."
Wendy and Carla were the first to see Lucy, the two dragons, Laxus and his team too focused at the time travelling pair before them, and ran over to her in relief. This caught the attention of everyone else and the married couple locked eyes with the blonde empress. Vetani didn't feel like beginning a battle as she and Zirconis stared at Lucy's shocked reaction. The jade dragon, along with Raiden and Kai, understanding her shock since it was obvious Lucy had no idea that Natsu was her mate. It was actually quite amusing to watch.
But of course, Future Natsu still being the same as his current self with his hand on Future Lucy's waist, didn't read the room and greeted the blonde with a smile while his wife just facepalmed at his stupidity along with the rest of the crowd. "Yo Lucy! You finally arrived!" He said. "I was starting to think you went somewhere else!"
Lucy, slowly coming out of her shock, pointed a shaky finger to the married couple as her future self slapped Future Natsu on the back of his head for not reading the mood. "You're telling me... the person you ended up marrying is..."
"Natsu, why don't you catch up with your younger self?" Future Lucy suggested in a whisper. "He's probably eating away at your uncle without you and you know who?"
"Huh? How'd you know he's here?" Future Natsu asked.
"Because I do. Now go before my younger self stops breathing all together."
Future Natsu, chuckling at his wife's remark, nodded and kissed her a top her forehead once more (the sight causing Lucy to blush for some unknown reason). None, besides Vetani, were used to seeing the duo be so intimate in a way that was more than friends and Lucy herself couldn't believe that Future Natsu was so bold to do it in front of other people. Perhaps she should've paid more attention to Grandeeney's lesson on mates when she was still training.
Once the fire dragon slayer was done, the masked woman decided that play time was done and over with as she caused an explosion to happen right next to Lucy. Luckily, the blonde was able to jump away before she was caught up in the act and landed next to her future self, still not all together sane from the revelation but almost there. The two nodded to one another, Lucy assuming that she would get an explanation one way or another and they faced Vetani with determined eyes.
"How does it feel to find out that your husband in the future is that pink haired dragon slayer, Heartfilia?" Vetani asked with sarcasm.
"Don't go spouting jokes, Vetani! It's time that I and my future self take you down!" Lucy declared as her aura grew. "You've hurt Nashi and even slandered my standing as the Dragon Empress! I won't forgive you!"
Future Lucy looked at her younger self from the corner of her eye with nostalgia. "Of course Nashi was well protected..."
"Oh really? Then come get me!" The masked woman taunted.
The two blonde women nodded to one another and quickly transformed into their Taurus Star Dress, Lucy going ahead to attack the green haired woman while Future Lucy turned to the fairies and the two dragons. "You guys deal with Zirconis! We got this chick!"
"Alright!" Wendy and Carla said as the white exceed brought the bluenette into the air.
"Heard you loud and clear, Mrs. Dragneel!" Laxus said in a joking tone as he cracked his knuckles.
"Oh how I wish the Mira from my time was here..." Future Lucy groaned before dashing to join her younger self in combat. "But right now, all that matters is that we take down Usami, Ushin and Vetani here and now!"
"No way..."
"...! Happy! Gray! Erza! Wendy! Carla! Gramps!"
"Dear Mavis... what is this!? This feels like the curse magic that Mard Geer used in the fight with Tartaros!"
"Gajeel! Levy! Mira! Juvia! Laxus! Lisanna! Open your eyes dammit!"
"Natsu stop! If you get too close, who knows what'll happen! You might end up like them!"
"We have to get them out of the thorns Luce! We can't just leave them there!"
"I know Natsu! But these thorns are too thick and too strong! One wrong move and you could rip their arms off!"
"It that's the case, I'll just have to burn them! Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
"... It... It had no affect...?"
"Arrgghhh! What the heck! Why! Can't! I! Burn you!?"
"Natsu stop! You'll end up burning the others too!"
"Well then what should we do, Luce!? You're smart! You have to know something!"
"I... Magnolia is completely covered in these thorns... and there are explosion craters everywhere... I don't know where to start..."
"Haa... looks like we're following them after all."
"What?"
"If they're gonna follow Nashi into the past, then we'll just have to do the same."
"... That isn't... such a bad plan... Nashi is safe thanks to Kumiko's help from the Dragon Realm. If we go and defeat them in the past, these thorns should go away too!"
"Besides, they'll probably get some ideas once they get there and try to change other stuff while they're at it. So we better go and stop them before anything else happens!"
"Right! Let's go!"