Chapter 39: Sting's New Dragon Mode

Robin, Nami, Sanji, and Brook were walking through the destroyed buildings.

Robin thought of the conversation she and her friends had with the two captured Spriggan Twelve.

F

Earlier before Robin's group left, Robin and her crew began questioning the two captured Spriggan Twelve.

"Why is it that you guys go to war with Fiore, what do you hope to gain from getting this?" Robin asked.

Dimaria gritted her teeth. "What makes you think we'll just answer you easily?" Robin did her stance and two pairs of artificial arms sprouted from her legs. "What the hell are these?"

"Tickle...tickle..." The artificial hands began to tickle the woman's feet.

Dimaria was feeling funny and she tried to hold back her laughter. "Mmm...mmm...stop it...this isn't..." She spoke holding back her laughter.

"This is weird..." Lucy sweatdropped.

"Effective, though," Evergeen commented sweatdropping too.

Brandish giggled as she thought this was kind of funny.

"I think it's time for tickling under the..." Two more artificial hands sprouted and were reaching out to Dimaria's breasts which Dimaria noticed and gasped. "Fine...fine...alright...I'll talk..."

Brandish had no choice either. "Yes, I'll talk too, from what we do know, Zeref planning to use Fairy Heart to defeat Acnologia."

Dimaria was panting from the tickling. "Agreed, Irene the Scarlett Despair is planning to help Zeref with that."

Lucy gasped. "Hold on, does this Scarlette despair have strong magic power?"

Brandish decided to answer that question. "Yes, on top of that, she plans to use her magic to separate Mavis' body from the Fairy Heart."

Lucy and the others gasped in shock. "Wait, is this Irene woman capable of doing that?" Nami asked.

"Yes," Brandish nodded. "She's a master of Enchantment spells."

"A master enchanter," Robin thought.

"What will happen to our first master if this Irene separates her body from Fairy Heart?" Evergreen asked next.

Dimaria scoffed. "I'm sure you losers can figure that out, but, to be clear, your precious master may vanish forever."

"So, Zeref wants to use it to defeat Acnologia, how stupid can you be?" Nami cursed under her breath getting everyone to look at the navigator. "How do we know that you both aren't telling us the entire truth."

Lucy was shocked to hear that. "Nami, what are you saying?"

Robin had her thoughts to share. "I agree, I mean, if Fairy Heart is capable of defeating Acnologia, then why should the Alvarez Empire go through all that trouble?"

Evergreen decided to join in the conversation. "I have to admit it seems like a waste of time."

"Green, what are you getting?" Lucy asked.

The female Thunder legion member looked at the blonde. "Think about it Lucy, Alvarez knows how strong Acnologia is and we know that that monster is capable of causing devastating to the world."

Porylusica had to agree. "I hate to say it, but, they have a point. If there is more to this conflict than just getting Fairy Heart..."

"Then it must mean that Zeref must have another goal besides using Fairy Heart to defeat Acnologia," Robin concluded getting everyone to look in her direction. "In other words, Zeref must have an additional plan to use the Fairy Heart. Perhaps an idea that not even the Twelve know about."

Hearing Robin's theory was considered, Brandish had to admit that pirates were quite the thinkers, Robin was anyway. "Dimaria, I hate to say it, but, they might be right. We never questioned his majesty's goal and yet we never asked what else the king plans to do with the Fairy Heart. We won't deny that Acnologia is powerful and he was able to take down God Serena too."

Upon hearing that stunned Fairy Tail and the Straw Hats, but before they could get a word in, Natsu's body was emitting air. "What's going with Natsu?"

"I fear the huge mass within him," Porylusica summarised.

Lucy placed her hands on the boy's body and felt such chills. "His body is cold! Come Natsu, wake up! Natsu!"

F

"I wonder if Natsu is alright?" Nami asked.

"He'll be fine, Chopper decided to stay behind, trust me, his doctor skills might be helpful," Sanji stated.

"Yes, what troubles me the most is what Dimaria and Brandish told us about this Irene woman," Robin spoke looking troubled despite her emotionless expression.

"Indeed, this other Spriggan Twelve must be a formidable opponent," Brook added. "From what Lucy described earlier ago, Wendy and Erza are fighting her at the very moment."

"All we can do is have faith that they'll be fine," Nami said. "Though, if Zeref does have another plan to use the Fairy Heart, then it could be something that might endanger the world."

"Good point," Robin agreed

"Indeed, this Zeref seems to think big and make plans that can make the impossible possible." Brook commented.

Robin had one more thing to say. "I honestly I don't know if my theory is right, but, it's the only thing I can think of."

"Either way, we can't worry about that now, we need to get the guild," Sanji stated.

Natsu was in some unknown area.

"Where am I?" He wondered and felt someone behind him. "Why are you here?"

"Calm down, you're just in a sub-conscious state," Zeref replied calmly.

"I won't listen to this crap!" Natsu tried to throw a fist at the black wizard but went through it.

"As I was saying I'm not here," Zeref continued with a calm expression.

Natsu rubbed his head. "So, this is like a dream or something?" Zeref turned his head. "In a way, but, first off, could you call me big brother?"

"Hell no!" Natsu barked.

"It's almost over, you will die very soon, but, before that happens, I will use this chance to fill in the blanks in your memory," Zeref continued.

Natsu didn't understand what the black wizard meant until a small portal showing a family of four. "There you see us with our mother and father in a small village. Both were kind and loving." The fire dragon slayer was speechless seeing the appearances of his biological parents and him as a child.

Soon the scene changed with a few dragons attacking the village and bringing fire to the ground. "Our life changed when the dragons attacked our village. Our parents along with you died." Natsu stared in disbelief.

The next scene changed as Zeref was in a dark room with a container that had roots attached to the bottom and Natsu was resting inside it. "I vowed to bring you back and after many years of research and hard work, it became a reality."

"I realized that I shared that story before to some degree, you refused to talk and read. So, I consulted my friend Igneel and left you in his care. You helped you learn a lot of things including fire dragon slayer magic."

"For that same purpose, Metalicana raised Gajeel. Weisslogia raised Sting. SKiadrum raised Rogue and Grandeeney raised Wendy."

Natsu continued to stare at the small portal without responding. "Though, it seems that your memory is a bit fuzzy perhaps the dragon soul technique is to blame."

The small portal revealed a child Gajeel and Natsu. "Do you recall when you and Gajeel met?" The two children started to quarrel in fist fights. "You both would quarrel over something." Then a child Wendy came bursting into tears. "Then Wendy would interrupt your fight in tears as she begged you two to get along."

Next two children Sting and Rogue showed up. "Sting and Rogue were about the same age as Wendy and they looked up to you and Gajeel like big brothers."

"Our dragon parents would get together every year and we would get to tag along." Natsu turned to see Sting, which took him by surprise. "To be honest, I don't remember about that period."

"Why the hell are you doing here?" Natsu asked.

"I'm not here, I'm more like an illusion that your mind created," Sting replied with a simple shrug. "Just a familiar face that guided through your memories."

Natsu noticed that Zeref wasn't around anymore. "Where did Zeref go?"

"I almost forgot..." Zeref's voice rang out. "I also met Gol D. Roger and Whitebeard when I was traveling in the world of pirates."

"Seriously?" Natsu asked stunned.

"Well, to think that your brother got to meet the two famous pirates," Fake Sting chuckled a bit.

"It was a pity that I couldn't join Roger's crew, they offered me to join but I turned them down, I'm sure you can imagine why," Zeref continued. "My time with Roger and his crew was short, but it was fun to hang out with them. Whitebeard has such loyalty to his crew as well and he went far to give up his life for his sons."

Natsu could've sworn that Zeref sounded somewhat happy. "Wait, why do you sound so happy?"

Zeref didn't answer, which annoyed Natsu. "Hey, you didn't answer my question you jerk!"

"I suppose he's got things to do," Fake Sting spoke. "Anyway, I think it's time we get out of here, so follow me." The white dragon slayer ran to the right.

"Where are we going?" Natsu followed the other dragon slayer.

"To find out what the thing inside you is," Sting replied.

In the real world

The real Sting was running through a deranged rocky path. "Good thing I ran into Freed and the directions he gave me. I hope Lector and the others are fine." He stopped abruptly catching a familiar scent. "Wait...that smell."

Zoro and Larcade continued their fight.

Surprisingly, Larcade was seriously injured while Zoro had scratches on his arms and part of his outfit was torn, though, he kept standing on his feet.

"To...think... I would be panting this heavily...by someone who hasn't any magic...power..." Larcade snarled.

Zoro smirked. "Suck it up...if you can't handle the pain, then just get your ass out of here." Larcade was getting irritated at being smack-talked. "I will make you suffer and once I kill you, I'll be sure to take your head and show it to your dear captain!"

Zoro was prepared to use his Armament Haki to finish off his enemy until Sting appeared and delivered a dropkick using one leg. "Sorry, I was late."

Yukino, Lector, and Frosch were happy to see their guild master. "Sting!"

"I knew you show up."

Jula smiled happily. "So, the Sabertooth guild master Sting shows."

Sting noticed Zoro. "Well, if it isn't the pirate hunter Zoro." The green-haired swordsman glanced at him. "You look a little rough, but, I can see you were handling this jerk well...sort of..."

A few anime veins appeared on Zoro's head. "What do you mean 'sort of'?!" He comedically barked.

"Though I'm not surprised, I heard a lot about you. Despite your bad sense of direction, I can see why you were Luffy's first mate." Sting praised.

Zoro regained his composure and smirked. "Heh...well I dealt with serious injuries than this."

Sting chuckled lightly and looked at Lacarde glaring at the Twelve. "Something isn't right about you, you smell like Natsu."

Zoro looked at the Twelve too. "Well, according to what this weird-o told us, his last name is Dragneel like Natsu's last name."

"On top of that, he claims to be Zeref's son and Natsu's nephew," Yukino added. "Lastly, he told us he's Zeref's younger brother."

Sting wasn't taken by surprise by the details. "Huh, that doesn't make any sense."

"I'm having a hard time following it too," Frosch agreed.

"Hold on, this doesn't add to the way this guy smells, if that's true then this guy having the same smell as Natsu is weird," Sting commented. "I mean I can sort of see if he smelled like Zeref. But, when I encountered Zeref, he and Natsu didn't give off the same odor. It's not genetic or anything, everyone has their scent but this guy smells a lot like Natsu."

"Kind makes sense, though, it still doesn't add up why this guy claims to be Zeref's son." Jula thought.

Larcade put his hands together in a prayer stance. "Things aren't that simple. One can say Natsu is Zeref's child like me." He unleashed white blades at Sting, who deflected them and gathered white magic between his hands. "I forgot to mention that I'm a White Dragon Slayer, so your white magic won't work on me!"

He put out his hands in front releasing countless streams of light. "Holy Ray!" The energy erupted the ground shaking the area violently.

In a second, Sting appeared in front of Larcade. "Holy Nova!" He threw a punch at the Twelve sending him crashing across the ground.

"You're a more capable foe than I realized, but, still..." Larcade put his fingers up as a purple magic circle surrounded Sting. "Famished Soul!"

A stomach growl was heard from Sting. "What was that?" He held his stomach.

"What's wrong?" Yukino asked noticing her guild master's strange behavior.

"The hunger you feel will be impossible to endure," Larcade chatted.

Sting's stomach growled even more and louder as he held onto it. "Ugh...ugh...I'm starving all of a sudden."

"Seriously?" Zoro asked suddenly he saw Larcad throw his massive cross like a boomerang.

Zoro blocked it quickly with two of his swords. "You ain't getting any further, you bastard!"

Sting held onto his stomach. "Man...I'm getting so hungry." He looked at Lector, who was a chicken drumstick. "Lector...you look tasty."

"Huh?" The red Exceed wondered in confusion.

"Master Sting, what has come over you?" Yukino was an ice cream bar.

"Hey, don't look at me like that!" Kagura was a three-apple stick with syrup.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Jula was octopus fritters.

Zoro glanced at the white dragon slayer. "Dammit, what is going on with you?!"

Sting bared his teeth and bit on Lector's head. "Hold on, I'm your friend not a piece of meat!"

Kagura wasn't like this at the very least. "Damn, pull it together!" She felt something nudging on her shoulder. "Yukino, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry but I don't want to starve to death," Yukino spoke with a hungry expression.

"Save some for me," Kagura began to nudge on Yukino's shoulder.

"Crap, not you both!" Zoro yelled still blocking the boomerang.

Larcade smiled at his actions. "Yes, the hunger you feel keeps swallowing your souls."

B

Minerva and Rogue were resting as they drank some magic potions after the strange spell that was cast on them. "To think that Fairy Tail's recruit would make potions that replenish our magic power."

"Yes, it's like Porylusica's, but, it's more effective," Rogue tossed the bottle aside. "It was fortunate that Usopp and Run weren't affected."

Usopp was looking around the area for any of their comrades. "Sorry, I don't see anyone at the moment."

Run was using his aura sensor to detect anyone. "Hold it, I sense someone in that direction." Rogue looked where Run was pointing at. "I can smell someone, Sting...no...I can smell Zoro, Jula, and Yukino."

"Alright, let's go," Minerva attempted to walk in the direction until Rogue put his arm out. "No, m'lady, you will stay with Run and Usopp."

"What, we should come along if we do, then we'll be able to outnumber the enemy we encounter," Minerva argued.

Rogue wouldn't deny that was true but there was a reason why he wanted Minerva to stay behind. "I agree with that, but, in case anyone else that's with Sting, I'll need your powers to bring them here so they can recover."

Minerva reluctantly agreed. "Very well, be careful."

B

Sting, Lector, Yukino, and Kagura kept biting each other like hungry wolves.

Jula was trying her hardest to resist the hunger. "I can't...keep...this up..."

Larcade chuckled lightly. "Keep it up, soon you'll be dead once the hunger consumes your whole,"

"I heard of enough of your hunger crap!" Zoro declared as he pointed one of his two swords at the Shield. "I'll cut you down!" He took out his third sword and placed it inside his mouth.

"Three Sword Style-" Zoro bent his body and swung his swords in the form of an inverted 'S' shape while performing a vertical spin. "Crossing the Six Paths!" He slashed Larcade about six times simultaneously so fast.

Larcade felt the cuts of the blade slash his entire body. "This swordsman has more skill than I thought." He faintly smiled. "However...I'm stronger than he could ever imagine!"

Zoro smirked. "So, you want to keep going, fine with me."

Yukino disappeared and in her place was Rogue while Kagura fell on her face on the ground. "Sting, are you okay?" He was baffled by what he saw next. "Sting, what the heck are you doing?"

Zoro noticed the shadow dragon slayer's arrival. "About time, your friend is under some kind of spell, it's making him devour the cat!"

Sting was seemingly able to come to his senses. "Sorry about this you guys..."

Bonk Bonk Bonk Bonk

With one punch after another, Sting knocked out Jula, Lector, Kagura, and Jula.

"Sorry, I had to do it," He apologized seeing Rogue's utter stunned expression.

Rogue understood. "It's okay, but, anyway, I can see you and the others here are acting a bit strange."

"You don't know half of it," Zoro muttered.

Sting knew this was getting out of hand. "Anyway, I need you stay back, Zoro, and I will finish this bastard off."

Rogue nodded and had an idea. "If that's the case, then I'll share my power." He released his dragon slayer magic and was blowing toward his guild master.

"Hold on, you want me to...wait, I can't do that," Sting said doubtfully, though in a second, he already began to inhale Rogue's magic. "However, I'll try anyway since I'm starving!"

"There are three primary that drive humans. First is sex, second is food, and followed by sleep. That is the final desire I shall grant which is enteral sleep."

"I heard of enough your crap!" Sting roared half of his body was covered in White and Shadow dragon magic. "I hate the way you smell, it's burning the hair in my nostrils!"

Zoro smirked. "I'll enjoy cutting you into pieces!"

Larcad wasn't phased by the remarks. "Next desire is one that you both won't be able to resist. It's known as Rest in Peace."

"If you're trying to get me fired up, then like it or not, that's what you're doing!" Sting declared with determination.

Zoro prepared to do one final strike.

B

Natsu's state wasn't getting any better.

Chopper checked his friend's condition with a thermometer. "Oh no, his temperature is dropping so fast, at this rate, he'll die!"

Lucy sobbed worriedly. "Natsu...wake up..open your eyes...Natsu!"

Sting and Zoro's final strike against Larcade is about to come to a close. Natsu's condition isn't getting better. Will the fire dragon slayer die or wake up in time to get back in the fight, find out next time.

End of chapter.