The Final Day: The Festival of Dragons
Yukino found herself walking alone through a long, dark tunnel shrouded in dense fog. She was lost, that much she knew. Leo had been guiding her through the streets of Crocus not too long ago, but had suddenly vanished from her sight the moment they turned a corner. Yukino had searched for Lucy's spirit, however, no matter where she looked, she saw nothing but shadows in the thick, growing mist.
She had tried to call his name only to find she had lost her voice. Fear had gripped her for the briefest of moments until she heard someone whisper in her ear: 'Don't stop. Keep walking.'
Her body seemed to move on its own since then, every movement sluggish and uncoordinated as if she was in a drunken stupor. Each of her footsteps echoed long and far, the sound muted like she was strolling underwater.
The situation felt so frighteningly familiar. However, when Yukino tried to understand why, her mind drew a blank.
Forward, she kept going, not knowing where her legs were taking her. An eternal march, it felt like, with the silent shadows and fog as her only companions.
Sometimes there would be a glimpse of a crimson star twinkling in the distance and she would turn in its direction, following the unseen path. Left. Right. Left. Right. Always moving. Never stopping.
Next thing she knew, she was out of the tunnel and fog and climbing on steps that spiralled upwards. Up and up she went, climbing forever on a staircase that was as high as a mountain, barely tiring. At the peak, she saw the full moon nearly swallowed by darkness, leaving only a sliver of a crescent. The lunar eclipse.
Her body finally stopped. Her eyes drifted from the darkening moon to the enormous structure waiting before her. Twelve golden rays of a sun, each leading to a mechanism that were no longer locked. Gilded stone. Silver, blue, and green. A giant arced gate. She was standing before the doors that could change the world.
She was mesmerized by it. The sheer magnitude, the intricate design, the power it contained.
She had stood before this gate before, she realized, her heart aflutter. She was the one who had unlocked it with Celestial Keys that were not her own. Fascination turned into absolute terror in an instant. A sudden cold washed over her as if she had just taken a plunge into a frozen lake. She shivered uncontrollably, her breath short and stuttering.
A tall, frightening shadow appeared beside her, bearing a pair of horns and no face. It only had eyes that flickered like the crimson star that guided her. It pointed a wispy finger towards the golden lever situated near the gate, giving her a silent command. Yukino's legs jerked forward and carried her towards the switch that should never be touched. It will open the doors... and behind those doors was the end of world.
Stop!
She paused mid-step, nearly stumbling over her own two feet. She had bitten the inside of her lower lip, drawing blood. Her hands were furled tight, nails digging into her palm in one hand while the other clutched onto something she wasn't aware she was holding. A metal hilt. A knife. Before she could question it, a voice thundered from all around, deafening her ears and rattling her bones.
'Open the Gate.'
A command spoken so harsh and cruel. It broke the meagre willpower Yukino had left. The knife slipped from her fingers and landed dully beside her only to be forgotten.
Her body continued walking onward, the motion no longer awkward but smooth and purposeful.
No! Please, stop!
This time there was no hesitation she could muster. Tears blurred Yukino's vision. She was a prisoner in her own body; trapped within a horrific nightmare that would not end.
'Open the Gate and you will be free.'
An empty promise. Yukino knew it in her heart. There was no freedom waiting for her on the other side.
She cried in silence, tears streaming down her cheeks. When she blinked, she was already standing in front of the lever, her fingers wrapped around the golden handle. She shut her eyes as the lever was pulled, making gears noisily turn and something hum to life.
There was a loud audible metallic ring followed by the heavy creaking of hinges as both doors of the Eclipse Gate slowly swung open.
Yukino was greeted by blinding light that she could see through her eyelids and felt a rush of wind. The light embraced her in warmth, chasing away the bitter cold and shadows. She shielded her face with a hand and dared to open her eyes.
She had thought the light holy and pure; freeing her from the invisible binds that controlled her.
Until she saw the giant monster that emerged from within.
It was almost as tall as the gateway, with twisted black horns that nearly scraped the bottom of the arch. Upon its muscular neck was a large reptilian head with a mouth full of sharp teeth. It walked upright on two legs where every toe ended with a deadly black claw. Spiny black and ruby scales protected its powerful body and a pair of huge, webbed wings were folded at its sides like a bat. Fierce eyes that gleamed like amethysts looked around in confusion for a brief moment before they widened in surprise.
Black chains wrapped around the monster's neck and jaws – thick, heavy, barbed, and choking. They tore into the beast's scales and ignited with a dark, sinister flame. The fire spread quickly, engulfing the monster completely in less than a second only to extinguish a few heartbeats later.
Eyes that were once purple were now shining red and wicked. The chains were gone, but the wounds still bled.
The beast fully stomped out of the Gate, each step making the ground tremble and crack. It turned its attention on Yukino, its red eyes glaring and cruel.
She stood frozen, too frightened to move or even make a sound, when the monster lunged straight for her.
Carla had thought the battle was won, that the demon's terror and the threat behind the Eclipse Gate was over... but changing fate was never as simple as one would believe. Carla had hoped and prayed and begged to the unseen gods for her premonition to never come true.
However, her pleas had fallen on deaf ears.
She knew what was going to happen next; she had seen it multiple times, played through her mind over and over again for the past few days when she had tried to make sense of it.
With the darkness of the total eclipse and the truth behind the phantom's last words, the nightmare had only just begun.
There was an exhausted sigh coming from Wendy and a groan from Pantherlily as he came to.
Carla turned towards them, finding Pantherlily fully healed and slowly moving to sit up and Wendy leaning forward on her lap, clearly exhausted.
"What... happened?" Pantherlily croaked, gingerly touching his head, finding blood but no wound.
"You tried to save Jellal," Carla answered with a frown, slightly shaking her head.
Right when she heard his name, Wendy wiped the sweat off her brow and summoned her power in her hand to provide some light to see. She quickly crawled over to Jellal and bit her lower lip the instant she saw his injury. Wendy swallowed a few gulps of air, closed her eyes, and started to heal the wounded man without a word.
A pair of footsteps fast approached them from behind. Fur standing on end, Carla twisted around, claws and fangs bared, only to breathe a small sigh of relief at the sight of Ultear and Meredy.
Meredy dropped down on the other side of Jellal, a worried frown on her face. Ultear stood on guard, giving the area a quick scan before she looked at the others gathered around the crater where the black knight had fallen.
"Did they do it?" Ultear asked.
Carla shook her head and glared at the total eclipse mocking them from above. "No, it is far from over," she hissed, hating to repeat the demon's words. "They did not defeat the true demon, but his phantom..."
"A phantom?" Pantherlily growled, shocked. "That was a mere phantom? Where is the real Captain? And the Eclipse Gate?"
Carla shook her head, having no answer. They weren't the only ones to ask those questions. She turned towards the crater, seeing Keaton and a seething Natsu step out to join Mirajane, Happy, Lucy and her spirit, Virgo, and Keaton's spirit, Libra. Natsu was ablaze, but his fires soon died down when he rushed to catch Mirajane right when she transformed back to her human self. She was too injured to stand, with her one ankle crushed and her arms and shoulder bleeding. Natsu gently picked her up and followed behind Keaton who was quickly making his way towards Carla's group.
Keaton's frustration was obvious when he pushed his mask to rest atop his head, revealing the scowl on his face. With a subtle nod to Libra, he sent the Celestial Spirit back home. His expression softened to concern when he knelt beside Meredy, his eyes drawn to the bright glow of Wendy's hands as she worked on healing Jellal. The injury was severe, a deep slash diagonally down the back from shoulder blade to hip. If Pantherlily had not jumped in to try and save him, the sword would have cut deeper and ultimately been fatal.
"Wendy is doing everything she can," said Carla, hoping to ease their worries.
Keaton nodded. "I know. Master will pull through," he murmured, placing one hand on Jellal's arm.
Natsu carefully laid Mirajane on the ground nearby, queuing her next in line for Wendy's healing. He was about to say something when Keaton abruptly stood up.
Keaton had fully turned to the side, his eyes wide for a second before his scowl returned.
"What is it?" Ultear was first to ask.
Everyone's attention was on him. He glared at the darkness beyond the castle wall, teeth bared in anger. "I found the Gate," he snarled, "Domus Flau... The doors are open and the first goddamn dragon has appeared!"
"What? All the way there?!" Lucy exclaimed, "H-How?"
"The underground passageways?" Happy suggested. "Domus Flau and the castle are connected that way."
Natsu growled, "But even still... How the hell did that bastard move that huge Gate through there?"
"That's not important," Keaton grumbled as he started to rummage through his pouch, "We need to get over there and shut the Gate before too many dragons overwhelm the city. Meredy, here," he handed her a familiar vial of dark liquid, "Please give this elixir to Wendy and Master. Once Master has recovered, you guys need to destroy the Gate!"
Meredy grabbed the vial and nodded, her expression turning into grim determination. "We will. We didn't spend all that time and money for nothing! We are blowing that stupid Gate into smithereens!"
"We'll contact you when we're ready to move," said Ultear, giving Keaton and the others a firm nod.
Natsu and Happy were about to take off for Domus Flau when Keaton shouted at them to wait. "I'll teleport us there," said Keaton, "it'll be safer and faster. But first..."
Keaton walked towards Carla and knelt before her, his look pleading. "Carla, I know this may sound demanding–"
"Say no more," she interrupted. She already knew what he was going to ask.
"Carla... Come fly with me. We'll protect Wendy... We'll protect everyone..."
"I will be your wings," she continued, giving Keaton what she hoped was a confident smile. She was not as bold as she made herself appear to be, there was no denying it; she did not know the outcome of her premonition, but she knew she was supposed to play a part in it. Helping Keaton was her destiny. If protecting Wendy and the future meant risking her life, Carla would not hesitate to do it.
Keaton's smile was grateful as he reached out and scratched behind her ear before picking her up. He lifted her as he stood and propped her onto his left shoulder.
As Carla shifted to cling down his feathery back, she discreetly brushed her cheek against his, giving him her trust. The strong bond between her future self and Keaton was unmistakable when he shared his story with Carla back at the little hideout.
"You were my dearest friend and partner." She held onto him tight, almost afraid to let go.
Keaton pulled down his mask as he moved to stand between Lucy and Natsu and Happy. Happy hopped onto Keaton's other shoulder, needing to be in physical contact in order to warp with Keaton's spell.
The five of them faced Ultear, Meredy, Pantherlily, and Mirajane.
"I'll join you guys shortly once I'm fully healed," Mirajane assured, keeping one hand over her shoulder wound.
Keaton shook his head and spoke quietly, "No, please stay here and keep Wendy out of danger. Don't let her come to us. I don't want anything to happen to her."
Mirajane raised her brow and wagged a finger at him as if scolding. "You know she won't like that. She'll refuse to stay put knowing you're out there fighting."
"Please, Aunt Mira, I've already lost her once..."
Mirajane's face fell. She dropped her hand and nodded in understanding. "I'll try my best," she said softly. "All of you, please be careful."
They nodded.
Keaton grabbed Lucy's and Natsu's hands and said, "Two – no, three dragons now have left the Gate so far. I know the Captain is there, but I can't tell where. I'll warp us close and out of sight so we're not taken by surprise. Hopefully sneak up from behind."
"Leave the bastard to me," Natsu demanded, spitting out smoke and sparks with every heated word. He glowered at their unseen foe, eyes as fierce as a dragon's. He was smouldering, his body giving off so much heat that Carla was panting and Keaton was noticeably sweating. "I'll make sure he gets what he deserves. Bacon, you take care of the dragons."
"Understood. Just don't get careless against him, Natsu. Might end up being another phantom."
Natsu scoffed. "Don't worry. I'll hunt him down even if I have to go through every damn phantom in my way."
"Wait," Carla blurted out without thought.
Keaton glanced at her sideways and asked, "What's wrong, Carla?"
She held her tongue, the end of her tail twitching anxiously. In her premonition, she was certain Keaton was the one fated to battle the black knight. But also in her vision, the city was already burning by the time Keaton had asked for her help.
It will not be the same, she assured herself. Premonitions were not absolute... If they acted as quickly as planned, then perhaps the city would not end up in smoking ruins.
"I'm sorry, nevermind," she murmured with a curt shake of her head.
Keaton's gaze lingered on her for a brief moment before he turned to Lucy. "Master Lucy, we'll leave the Gate to you. There should be a panel that controls it. Find it and shut the Gate while we have the Captain and the dragons distracted."
"Got it," said Lucy, her voice quivering with trepidation.
"Everyone, hang tight," said Keaton.
Carla's fur stood on end as his magic flared to life, coursing through her body like harmless electricity. He was surrounded by a bright green aura that soon enveloped Carla and the others.
Carla shut her eyes when the light grew too bright and felt a strong wind suddenly pick up. Having experienced Keaton's spell once already, Carla braced herself for what was to come next.
"Don't die..." she heard Meredy quietly pray right before the strong, magical gale swept them away.
Carla dug her claws into Keaton's feather cloak as they soared fast through the air, heading towards the destination he had set in his mind.
Not a moment longer, they came to a sudden stop, back on solid ground. Carla blinked to adjust her eyes to the dimmer, flickering light and immediately recognized where they were. They were up on one of the balconies overlooking the bleachers and the arena of Domus Flau.
Keaton quickly crouched to hide behind the stone barrier of the balcony, pulling Lucy and Natsu with him.
They carefully peeked over the ledge at the arena far, far down below to assess the situation. The gaping hole Sting had created during the tag team battle between Fairy Tail's and Sabertooth's Dragon Slayers had been temporarily patched up with wooden planks. Situated on the opposite end of that was the Eclipse Gate, its heavy, gilded doors wide open and white light shining through.
And roaming near the Gate like guardians were three dragons that had yet to take flight. One was black, crimson, two-legged and tall; the second, stout, heavy, with scales as gray and jagged like rock; and the third...
Happy gasped at the sight of it. "Is that really a dragon?! It's completely on fire!" he whispered in shock.
Indeed, the third monstrous beast was engulfed entirely in red and orange fire appearing like a living, moving torch. Its flames were so bright, it lit up the whole stadium in a warm, flickering, orange glow. The ground burned and smouldered as it left a fiery trail in its wake. It looked more demon than dragon having only its black skeletal body visible through the wild flames and a white, pulsing core that may be its heart. An eerie red glow shone from deep within the sockets of its eyes, sharing the same sinister light as the other two dragons.
Carla could feel the incredible heat coming from the fire dragon's form despite the great distance between it and the balcony. She would even dare say it was hotter than Natsu who was seething right beside her.
Keaton cursed under his breath. "Damn it. Why does it have to be that fire one?" he groaned, keeping his voice low. He hastily wiped the sweat dripping down the side of his face with the back of his gauntlet. "Without Pisces, I won't be able to get near it."
"Ugh, it's so hot..." Lucy whined, dabbing at her forehead with the sleeve of her shirt. She blinked at Keaton in bewilderment. "Wait, you've actually fought that freaky fire one before?"
Keaton shook his head. "Tried to, but no success. It was Gray who managed to kill it. He was the only one who could withstand the heat."
Natsu huffed and crossed his arms. "If that dumb Ice-brain can kill it, then so can I!" he declared out of jealousy.
"But, Natsu, your element is fire," Keaton stated, sounding skeptical.
Lucy perked up and leaned forward to look at Natsu, her sweaty face beaming with an idea. "But he's also a Fire Dragon Slayer. Natsu, you can eat that dragon since it's mostly fire!"
Keaton cocked his head slightly at Natsu. "Oh, right. Forgot Dragon Slayers can do that. Can you eat a whole dragon?"
A devilish, sharp-toothed sneer adorned Natsu's face as he patted his stomach. "Won't know till I try. I am getting pretty hungry!"
Keaton turned back to the situation below before glancing around the stadium, hands clenched upon the stone barrier. "I don't see the Captain anywhere..."
"Don't see Yukino either," added Lucy, knitting her brow with worry. Her eyes fell on the Gate. "She had to be the one to open those doors... Do you think – Oh no! Look!"
A fourth dragon was emerging from the light, one covered in glimmering green scales and looking awfully familiar.
"Hey, isn't that–" Natsu started to say only to be sharply cut off by Keaton's angry snarl.
"Zirconis. That's the dragon who killed Wendy in my time..."
Hearing that made Carla's blood run cold. She hadn't liked Zirconis as an annoying ghost and now she despised him even more alive. Glaring daggers at the Jade Dragon, she bared her fangs and furled her paws with newfound anger.
"I'll make sure it won't happen again," Keaton vowed, moving to stand, which prompted Happy to shift over to Natsu. "I'll slay him before–"
Keaton froze when four dark, hazy, purplish rifts suddenly teared open in the air right before Zirconis just as the dragon was only half-way through the Gate. Multiple, thick, black chains suddenly shot out of the magical rifts and ensnared Zirconis's head and neck, sealing his big mouth shut. Black fire quickly spread from the rifts and down the chains before consuming the dragon entirely in shadowy flames. Zirconis only struggled once before falling completely still. Red eyes burned through the darkness, matching the eyes of the other mind-controlled beasts. The black fire extinguished, taking the rifts and chains along with it to leave behind another obedient slave.
Carla felt Keaton shudder as he drew a sharp breath.
"Those accursed chains..." he hissed vehemently, each word laced with hate. Keaton grasped at his curse hidden under his sleeve, metal fingers wanting to tear through clothing into flesh. "That vile demon is down there somewhere!"
Carla's fur bristled as Keaton's magic suddenly surged forth. She was unnerved by his sudden change in demeanour and managed to only utter nervously, "Keaton, are you–"
She didn't get to finish because he had decided to teleport right at that instant, taking her along for the ride. Within a blink, they reappeared somewhere bright and unbearably hot. For a fraction of a second, Carla didn't know where they were until she felt her heart leap to her throat as they began to fall from the sky.
Carla's first instinct was to take flight, but the sound of a drawn sword made her pause. Keaton summoned his magic once more, quickly charging his blade with blazing red energy. He twisted in mid-air, his body parallel to the ground, and performed a dizzying, fast-spinning sideways slash as he descended upon what Carla could assume was one of the dragons. She couldn't tell which of the four he was aiming at because the world before her eyes was nothing but a blur of fiery red and white.
In the midst of the maneuver, Keaton had reoriented himself to land perfectly on his feet. It was graceful for him, but not so much for Carla who was unprepared for the abrupt stop. The wind was knocked right out of her and trying to regain her breath was nearly impossible when it felt like they were in the middle of a burning brazier. Panting, she only caught a glimpse of the blood spraying from the side of Zirconis's neck before Keaton rushed forward, leaving the collapsing dragon's body behind.
Three pairs of wicked red eyes snapped in Keaton's direction the instant the remaining dragons heard his footsteps.
Keaton dashed towards the closest dragon, the one composed of solid stone and spiny rock and possessing a body as rigid and sturdy like a mountain. Standing half-way across the arena, the grinning, stout-faced dragon let out a deep, rumbling growl that sounded like grinding stone. It raised one of its front legs and slammed it down with little effort, easily smashing the ground apart and creating a huge wave of jagged, rocky spikes that violently burst from the earth towards Keaton.
Keaton leapt into the air and shouted, "Carla! Up!"
Carla reacted upon command, sprouting her wings and flapping hard to carry him upwards as fast as a fired arrow, just in time to avoid getting impaled by giant, deadly spikes that were tens of metres tall.
"Back down! Where the spikes end!"
There was no time to question why; Carla could only believe Keaton knew what he was doing since he was an expert in slaying dragons.
Carla performed a tight turn and quickly dove towards the last of the earthen spikes that almost touched the edge of the arena. Shortly before landing, Keaton had summoned Libra and magically changed into the Celestial Spirit's Star Suit.
His feathered cloak disappeared from right under Carla, forcing her to lose her grip on him. Fortunately, he was just a few feet above ground when it happened.
Keaton rolled into his landing and was as lithe as a cat at getting back on his feet, imbued with Libra's power. His new attire nearly matched the spirit's in both colour and style, in which he bared more skin than usual, showing off his many battle scars for all to see.
He was half-naked but he wasn't completely vulnerable and defenseless; a pauldron guarded his right shoulder, vambraces protected his forearms, faulds hung around his waist, greaves and armoured shoes shielded his lower legs and feet. Each gilded piece of armour was painted green and gleamed like gold, held in place or decorated by thin golden chains that resembled the chains of Libra's scales.
Draped down in front of his faulds and red, knee-length shorts was a long, green, silken cloth embroidered in gold thread that formed Libra's Celestial symbol. An armlet of gold adorned his left arm, adding a little glimmer to the dull white bandages that covered his tattoo. A white cloth hid the lower half of his face, similar to how Libra hid hers, making them a perfect pair.
With Libra's Star Suit, Keaton was granted an enormous golden hammer to wield. The shaft was twice his height and the rounded hammer head was as wide as Taurus's axe and ten times as thick. If it were not for Libra's power, the weapon would have been impossible to hold for someone of Keaton's size.
Carla hovered nearby and watched in fascination as Keaton spun in a circle once, twice, thrice on his heels to build up momentum. After the third rapid spin, he swung his hammer at the base of one of the spikes. Hammer and rock collided like a crack of thunder that was so loud it hurt Carla's ears. Although the hammer was light enough for Keaton to use, it packed quite a devastating wallop due to the manipulation of gravity.
With a single blow, all the towering spikes blocking their view were completely demolished by the resulting shockwave. Thousands of boulders and giant chunks of sharp, jagged rock were sent flying far and fast back towards the caster; turning the dragon's own magic against it.
Carla didn't get to witness the damage Keaton had done because she noticed something flash bright and orange in the corner of her eye. It was a massive, fiery inferno and it was heading straight for them at an alarming rate.
"Carla!" Keaton spun around towards her, one hand reaching out of desperation. He had already changed back to his normal clothes, Libra nowhere to be seen.
Was there even time to escape?! Carla dove at Keaton nonetheless, heart racing, mind numb with panic. However, instead of wanting her to try to get them out of the fire's path, he yanked her out of the air and held her tight against him. He brought out his crimson shield, planted the pointed end deep into the ground, and huddled behind it a mere second before the incinerating blast reached them.
Keaton grunted as he braced against the devastating attack. The howling fire was deafening as the world burned around them.
It was so hot it felt like Carla was being roasted alive! She squirmed in Keaton's hold, curling into a tight ball, burying her face in his clothes, desperate to get away from the sweltering heat. She wanted to scream, but there was no air left to breathe.
It was pure agony. She was suffocating and the inferno seemed to last forever.
Fear gripped Carla's soul; she was afraid to die. Her lungs were burning. Throat and mouth dry like sand. She couldn't hold on any longer, her mind was slipping and her struggles grew weak.
Images flashed before her eyes; Keaton falling through a dark sky. Rows of sharp teeth closing around him. Pale blue light that flickered like a flame; stronger, brighter, uncontrollable by the second until everything was consumed by its unbridled rage.
Carla must have fallen unconscious because the next thing she knew, someone was roughly shaking her awake.
"Breathe... Carla... Breathe!" a faint voice pleaded in a breathless rasp. "Carla... wake up... Shit!"
There was a thunderous rumbling followed by stone noisily cracking.
Carla gasped, drawing a lungful of much needed air when the world trembled beneath her. The shaking grew more violent and she was nearly thrown aside. Then she was falling, surrounded by the roar of cascading rock. The unbearable heat was quickly replaced by rushing cool wind that was unfortunately dusty and stale.
Carla's eyes shot open and she found Keaton holding her close, protecting her, keeping her safe, as they plummeted head-first into a deep, dark abyss. Dirt and rocks of every size fell alongside them and not far behind was something that shone bright. The Eclipse Gate; it noisily clanged as it clashed and tumbled against the walls of the pit, its stubborn doors remaining wide open.
Whatever had caused the earthquake ended up destroying the entire arena of Domus Flau.
Carla's adrenaline kicked back in and she was fully alert once more. "Keaton! I'll get us out!" she hollered over the noise. He loosened his grip and she quickly clambered to his back.
She summoned her wings and caught the wind, swooping down before smoothly changing their course upwards to avoid giving her rider whiplash. Keaton had pulled an arrow from his quiver and infused the tip with a bright, golden light to illuminate the darkness and oncoming dangers.
Carla swerved and weaved around the falling hazards to the best of her ability while Keaton used his shield to protect against the smaller debris she failed to dodge. They avoided the spinning, giant Gate by only a margin and as they flew past, Carla was certain she saw the silhouette of another dragon within the light.
She continued on, escaping the dusty pit seconds later. Exhausted, she slowed their ascent and took a quick glance down at the bottom, catching the last of the Gate's light before it was buried beneath tonnes of rock and dirt.
There was no time for a breather; they were out of one danger and thrown right into the next.
"Carla! Left!"
She shot to the left in the nick of time to evade the snapping teeth of the giant, winged shadow that dove at them from above. They avoided getting eaten, however they couldn't avoid the powerful wind gust left in the black dragon's wake.
Caught in the turbulence, they ended up tumbling downwards.
"Steady! Carla! Steady!"
I'm trying! Carla wanted to scream, but she could barely catch her breath let alone utter a single word. She was flapping hard, wing muscles burning like fire, fighting to reorient themselves in the air. Once she did, Keaton immediately commanded her to spin around to face the black dragon, his shield already replaced with his bow and his arrow of light still in his hand.
The beast with wings like a bat had crash-landed on the bleachers of the stadium while trying to quickly turn around. Eyes locked on its prey, the dragon launched off the stadium, aiming its gaping mouth at the flying pair.
Keaton fired his light arrow and struck the dragon between the eyes, the tip soundly piercing through scales. Golden light burst upon impact – a flash so bright it was like catching a glimpse of the sun – blinding the beast and drawing a pained howl. Stunned, the dragon reared back and hovered in place, whipping its head to and fro, eyes clenched tight.
Keaton's sword was back in his hand. "Its neck! Go!"
Carla ignored the ache in her wings and mustered everything she had to swoop in faster than ever before. They were upon their target within a blink of an eye with Keaton slashing his silver blade deep across the dragon's exposed neck as they zipped by.
The dragon's gurgled cry was cut short when it started to choke on its own blood. Down it fell, the red light in its eyes fading to nothing. Its body vanished in the darkness below where it landed with a heavy, echoing thud at the very bottom.
Carla was tense, awaiting for Keaton's next command while they hovered near the centre of the stadium. When he sheathed his sword, she took that as a sign to finally have a moment to breathe. She cautiously looked around, her wide eyes taking in all the damage Domus Flau had sustained.
Besides the complete destruction of the battleground, bringing shame to Sting's little hole, the entire north wing of the stadium had been blown away. Even the giant, guardian statue of the legendary mage was missing, likely reduced to a molten pile of rubble or blasted miles away. Nearby stone structures were either scorched black or visibly melted and still red hot.
The south wing was barely any better; smashed, impaled, and punctured by giant chunks of rocks that Keaton had sent flying back at the stone dragon.
"Carla! Bacon!" Happy cried, zooming towards them. "You're okay! I was worried! Wow, you guys were amazing!"
"Barely okay," Carla sighed wearily. It had been one crazy, dangerous situation after another; her heart was still pounding and she was highly on edge. The fire dragon's heat had been the worst and she dreaded to experience its breath attack once more. She hadn't noticed either the fire or rock dragon around, making her anxiously wonder where they had gone.
Keaton pushed his mask up to rest atop his head and wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead. "Carla, I'm sorry," he mumbled, giving her a sideways glance, "I didn't mean to suddenly jump in like that. I don't know what took over me..."
Carla furrowed her brow and hardened her gaze. "Was it your curse? It looked like you were in pain earlier..."
He looked away, one hand rubbing the concealed mark on his arm. "Was I?" His voice was quiet and full of uncertainty.
It was disconcerting. Carla's frown deepened, but she decided not to press further on it since it wasn't the time or place. "Happy, where is Natsu? And the other remaining dragons?"
Happy pointed beyond the east wing of Domus Flau where in the distance, Carla spotted a dragon-shaped fireball flying erratically in the air. "Natsu took Lucy's advice and is trying to eat that fire dragon!"
Sighing, Keaton pulled his mask back on, seemingly back to his normal self. "That fire one is the worst of the bunch so far. Hopefully Natsu can defeat it."
Happy raised a paw in the air and grinned proudly for his partner. "Of course, he can! The dragon didn't seem too pleased with Natsu munching on its flames! And the rock one, it went into a stomping frenzy when you badly injured it, Bacon. It made that earthquake and broke the ground and fell into the hole. I don't know if it's still alive..."
Keaton lowered his gaze to the darkness, eyeing something hidden within. "It is. I can sense it. Hasn't moved though. Maybe too injured to–"
He was cut short when something suddenly flashed to life all around them, making him tense and Carla flinch in surprise. Happy let out a terrified squeak and dove behind the pair, but it was useless to hide.
Four giant Lacrima-Vision screens, the very same ones used during the Games, had appeared, lighting up what was left of the stadium in a soft blue glow. Upon each screen was the same frightening image of the Captain of the Holy Blossom Knights, gazing down at the trio hovering in the centre.
Carla shuddered and held her breath. Even through a hologram, she could feel the chilling intensity of the demon's hidden glower upon her, the sensation made worse being surrounded by his stare.
Keaton growled heatedly at the black knight, fists trembling with anger by his sides.
"I've underestimated you, little rat," said Geraldo, his spiteful voice blaring loud through the speakers of the stadium, "It seems you are capable of slaying a few dragons, but how long can you truly last? Ten? Twenty? A hundred? How many more can you slay until you grow tired and weak?" Eyes suddenly burned like smouldering red pits in the shadows; evil, angry, malicious like a true demon from the depths of Hell. "Resist all you want, vermin, this world is fated for ruin. There is no straying from this path. You survived the calamity once, can you survive it again when every dragon hungers for your flesh?!"
All the Lacrima screens blinked out, bringing back the darkness.
Carla gasped, remembering to breathe and maintain her magic wings. She had nearly frozen up in terror, her blood ice-cold from the evil emanating from the mere image of their enemy. There was no time to even process what the demon had said before she heard a loud rumbling echoing from the bottom of the pit.
Something was moving through the rubble – no, smashing through, judging by the violent sounds of shattering rock and thrown stone. It wasn't long until the familiar light of the Eclipse Gate began to shine from the dark abyss, uncovered by the obedient rock dragon.
Keaton strung together a series of colourful expletives. "The Gate is still open!"
Carla didn't hold back as she, too, bit out a few choice words that would have made Wendy gasp. The Eclipse Gate was lopsided and crooked, but still mostly upright, its stubborn doors angled slightly upwards towards the lunar eclipse. The light was taunting them. After such a fall and crushed by tonnes of earth, the Gate remained intact and functioning, truly as sturdy as a mountain.
Happy clutched the sides of his head. "O-Oh no! There's no way Lucy can shut it now when it's all the way down there!"
"We need to destroy it as soon as possible, but Master–" Keaton was interrupted yet again by the appearance of the dark rifts opening before the Gate. It was double the number compared to before and each suddenly shot out multiple flaming, black chains into the light of the gateway. They snagged onto something on the other side and began to reel in fast, pulling a hapless dragon through that was already red-eyed and enslaved.
Once the dragon was out, the chains burned away and new ones appeared within the rifts, shooting into the light to quickly find what Carla feared was another dragon.
Happy's eyes were wide with horror. "What?! H-He's dragging them through time?!"
Carla's heart sank with dread. "No! At this rate..." They would soon be overwhelmed. Two new dragons had replaced the ones Keaton had just killed and a third was already on its way.
Keaton cursed the black knight, his body trembling with contained fury. Unlike before, he did not lose himself to his curse. "Carla," he turned his head to give her a sideways look. Although his face was hidden, his concern was evident in his tone; "Are you okay? Can you keep going?"
She was exhausted, terrified, and desperate to flee. However, despite her rapidly pounding heart and badly shaken nerves, she was not ready to give up just yet, not when she was needed; not when the fate of the world depended on them.
Her future self had fought by Keaton's side till the end. Carla would be insulting her own name if she backed down now. Gathering every ounce of courage in her heart, she said to him; "I will help you fight for as long as I live, Keaton."
He nodded in thanks and returned his attention to the growing threat lying below. "Happy, go to Master Lucy and get her out of here. That goddamn coward is sending all the dragons after me. I want to keep them around Domus Flau until Crime Sorcière can get here. I don't think everyone has evacuated the city yet."
Happy frowned. "Bac–"
"Go! Hurry! Carla!"
She didn't need to ask. She saw it herself; three pairs of red eyes glinted at them from the darkness below accompanied by the burning energy coming from each dragon's mouths. Blue, purple, white – each glowing brighter by the second.
Happy dove one way, Carla and Keaton the other. Three ear-deafening roar attacks shot skywards towards them at the same time, merging into one to form one deadly, powerful blast. It was a beacon of devastation; blinding, scorching, catastrophic – no doubt capable of annihilating an entire mountain range or more.
Carla didn't escape unscathed; she had dodged the brunt of the blast, but the charged energy surrounding it was hot enough to burn the tip of her tail and singe her wings. She gritted her teeth and ignored the pain, flying as fast as possible away from the open pit.
The light of the beam faded and the silence of night returned to their ringing ears.
"They're giving chase," Keaton informed soon after. "Circle around the outside perimeter of the stadium. We'll take them down one at a time!"
"Aye!" Carla veered to the left once they passed the edge of Domus Flau. She could hear the snarls and mighty flaps of wings coming from the dragons wanting to have them for a snack. She dipped low, using the building for cover while soaring along its outer walls.
One of the dragons noisily crashed through the stadium right behind them. Carla flinched but dared not to look back.
"Fly straight up! Dive when I say so and go for one of its wings!"
Carla did exactly as he instructed and sensed the dragon pass right under them, its manoeuvrability in the air not as sharp as an Exceed's.
"Now!" Keaton drew his sword.
Carla folded her wings and dove straight down just as the dragon with purple scales and thin, curved spines upon its head twisted around in mid-flight to face them. That moment when it stalled in the air was enough for Carla to shoot past its head towards it right wing unhindered. Keaton easily cut through tough scales and bone, severing the webbed limb from its body like a branch from a tree.
The dragon yelped in pain and helplessly fell backwards, plummeting over the side of the mountain.
Carla didn't get to see where it ended up because another dragon was already after them, coming from above. Covered in thick, bluish, spirally scales, the dive-bombing dragon was a huge, muscular brute and noticeably slower in flight.
Carla swerved above its head at the last second, giving Keaton the opportunity to target one of its wings. He slashed, his sword soundly scraping against hard scales, generating a brilliant shower of sparks. Unlike with the purple dragon, he failed to completely cut through.
Keaton grunted in annoyance. "Left!"
Carla turned swiftly just as the third dragon appeared, smashing over the top of the stadium, sending chunks of debris to rain down. Dark blue and with webbed fins instead of spines and horns, the dragon was just as big of a brute as the other.
"I'm warping!" Keaton forewarned, "Drop when we reappear!"
A flash of green, a rush of wind; they were somewhere else in the sky before Carla could blink. She stopped flapping, hoping that 'drop' meant to fall. And she quickly understood why when Keaton opened the Gate of The Heavenly Scales.
"Libra! Imbue my blade!"
It was the same technique he used against the phantom; a downward plunge greatly sped up by Libra's gravitational pull.
Carla clung to Keaton for dear life, the wind whipping by fast, stinging her eyes. Everything passed by in a blur of colours and shadows as the point of Keaton's fiery red sword fell straight for the dark blue dragon.
He avoided the dragon's sharp back fin and landed upon one of its shoulders, his sword sinking deep into the base of its neck. Libra's gravity continued to drag them downward and, altogether, they dropped hard and fast.
The blue dragon collided with the other dragon with spirally scales in mid-air, crushing the brute under its weight when they both crashed into the ground with an earth-shaking boom.
With a furious yell, Keaton unleashed the magic from his sword upon impact, sending a burst of energy that pierced through both dragons and erupted into large, fiery blades that spread outwards once it struck the ground. Scales, flesh, bone, and rock were cleaved apart by the magic as if they were nothing.
Carla cringed in disgust when she was sprayed by hot blood. She shook her body in hope of shaking it off, meanwhile Keaton, drenched from head to toe, was too tired to care about the mess. He had dismissed Libra not too long ago, needing to conserve his magic as much as possible.
The unstable ground began to rumble and sink beneath them. Carla quickly carried Keaton to a safe distance as the mountain broke away in a landslide, taking the two dead dragons with it.
Keaton planted the tip of his sword into the ground and leaned against it to catch his breath. He pushed his mask up and rubbed his face, heaving an exhausted sigh.
Carla rested her head against the nape of Keaton's neck, ready to collapse. However, she knew it was far from over.
A familiar voice suddenly spoke in their minds, making them both flinch;
"Keaton!"
Keaton bowed his head in relief. "Master! Thank the Gods you're all right. You need to hurry! The Gate, it's–"
"I know," Jellal interrupted, his fury clear in his tone, "It's in a fucking pit."
"And Geraldo is dragging the dragons through the door, bringing them here as fast as he can. Don't know where the hell he's hiding, but he's sending them all after me. We'll lure the dragons away from here so you guys can–" Keaton cut himself short, his head snapping towards the sky. He swore under his breath.
A new dragon had made its appearance, flying over the boundary of the shattered stadium, its hungry crimson eyes falling upon Keaton and Carla.
It was a fearsome white beast, shrouded in cold mist and covered in sharp, icy spines. Crystal horns sprouted from its head and nose and a frosted beard hung down its lower jaw. Broad wings layered with ice folded as the dragon dove straight for the pair.
The moment Keaton freed his blade, Carla took off, going in the opposite direction of Domus Flau now that the plan to destroy the Gate was in motion.
"Master, I'm sending Gemini your way!" said Keaton, sheathing his blade. They were soaring over the city with the ice dragon soundly flapping behind them. The dragon wasn't alone; soon two more pairs of wings had joined it, making a total of three dragons hot on their tail.
"All right. We will destroy that damn Gate. Don't die, understand?!"
Despite their dire situation, Keaton managed to smirk. "Understood! The same goes for you, Master!"
Keaton wasted no time and summoned Gemini while Carla was left to watch out for the dragons chasing after them. Keaton snatched the twins out of the air right when they appeared so they wouldn't be left behind. They huddled against his shoulders while he gave them orders; "Gemini, take on my current form and go to Master Jellal and listen to his commands. Protect him with everything you have for as long as you can, understand? The goal is to destroy the Eclipse Gate!"
"Yes, Master Link!" the spirits cried as one.
"I'm counting on you both. Now, go!" Keaton flung them sideways as hard as he could so they were out of the flight path of the dragons.
Carla saw a flash of white as the twins fused into one before they were out of her line of sight.
Keaton sensed an attack coming their way. "Dive!"
Carla dropped low seconds before several large lances of ice could pierce them through, each ten times as big as Keaton. The ice whizzed by overhead, leaving a sparkling trail as they shot towards the outer city.
Keaton had drawn his bow and grabbed an arrow. "Loop around! Fly under the ice dragon and give me a clear shot at its underside!"
She twisted sharply around, grunting from the strain in her exhausted wings, and did not fail to do what he had told her.
Fire erupted from the tip of Keaton's arrow. He shot it upwards at the ice dragon's belly as they passed under it. The arrow exploded in a quick burst of orange flames, making the dragon flinch. However, the small fire only melted away some of the protective ice and merely licked the beast's scales beneath, doing little to no harm.
Carla turned her attention back forward and felt her stomach drop at the sight before them; three dragons were now five and counting. She swerved to the side, throwing the closest pursuing dragons off-course for only a brief moment.
It was starting to feel like a hopeless struggle until Carla saw something bright flicker in the periphery of her vision. She looked in its direction and gasped at the massive fireball shooting fast towards the ice dragon.
"Hell Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" the fireball roared as it rammed the side of the ice dragon with so much force it knocked the beast out of the air. Searing flames exploded upon impact, shattering and vaporizing the dragon's protective layer of ice and engulfing it completely in burning fire. The dragon screamed in pain as it fell towards the city like a flaming, thrashing meteor.
"It's Natsu!" Keaton exclaimed with a grin. "He must've really eaten that fire dragon whole."
Indeed, Natsu was an impressive sight, having absorbed an incredible amount of power. He was a living inferno, his body nearly obscured by the towering flames that radiated from his form. Behind his back, the fire flared out like the wings of the dragon he had just consumed. And just like the fire dragon, he made the air shimmer with unbearable heat.
The Dragon Slayer launched at the next oncoming dragon, propelled by the flames at his heels, all the while yelling, "I got this! Keep moving!"
"Carla, let's go! Keep leading them away!"
"Right!" Carla circled around just as Natsu unleashed another brilliant explosion that sent a blistering wave of heat in all directions. She quickened her pace, getting away from Natsu's fires as well as the angry roar of the dragon Natsu had just attacked.
Despite Natsu taking one of the dragons down, Carla had noticed two more had already taken its place. More winged shadows with eyes of red were in pursuit of the pair, ignoring the Fire Dragon Slayer. Their numbers were steadily increasing with no end in sight. Ten thousand dragons was the demon's goal; a number that no longer seemed impossible at the rate they were coming.
"We can't defeat them all," Carla hissed breathlessly, the feeling of hopelessness returning.
"No, not yet, at least, but we can keep them distracted long enough for Master to blow up the Gate. Once that's done, we can focus on defeating the remaining dragons. We'll find a way!"
Carla involuntarily shuddered, remembering the vision she saw when she had passed out at the stadium. She wanted to tell Keaton about it, but the chance never came.
They were busy dodging everything the dragons were throwing at them, constantly praying no one was still occupying the city below. Carla purposefully stayed away from the lake and Mercurius Castle where Wendy was hopefully still safe. Businesses, homes, streets, and parks were demolished, blown apart, incinerated, flooded, frozen, impaled, flattened; every dragon of every element seemed to be chasing after them now.
Arcs of lightning, frigid ice blades, volcanic boulders, poisonous spines, water bombs, wooden stakes, stone spikes, deadly beams of energy; it was one attack after another. Staying alive required all of their focus and instincts.
It was too risky to counter-attack with so many powerful beasts swarming the sky. They could only flee. However, they couldn't run forever.
Carla was tiring quickly, leaving Keaton to warp them out of danger whenever he detected an attack that was impossible for Carla to evade. He would always take them to a new location in the sky, far enough to give Carla a brief ten second break before the chase would begin anew.
After the fifth time they warped, Keaton snapped his head sideways to look behind his shoulder. "A fast one is approaching. This one feels so familiar. No! Damn it! It can't be..."
"Acnologia?!" Carla followed his gaze and was met with multiple pairs of hungry red eyes. The fear of death gave her a small boost in energy, allowing her to beat her wings harder for a little more speed.
"No, not him, but just as bad. Second to Acnologia even. To the right! Hurry!"
She veered hard, evading the enormous shadow that suddenly descended upon where they were mere moments ago. Instead of a tempest left in the dragon's wake, it was a strong whirlwind that caught the pair. Carla struggled to break free and regain their balance due to fatigue. They spiralled downwards, the rooftops of buildings rushing to meet them.
"Carla!"
"I-I can't!"
Keaton resorted to warping to safety. He took them somewhere noticeably higher up in the night sky where the air was cold and thin, away from the turbulent winds. Carla got them back upright and soaring. Far beneath them was the monstrous dragon that had just attacked them.
"Dreadwing," Keaton snarled in the same hateful manner he had spoken Zirconis's name, "He's the one who killed Master Jellal and Meredy."
As the dragon's name implied, its massive dark, webbed wings were its most intimidating feature. It easily overshadowed the rest of the other dragons due to its broad wingspan and long slender body, making it the largest Carla had ever seen.
The dragon was armoured in spiny purplish-black scales tipped with gold and its three pairs of wings were twice the length of its body, patterned with golden, swirling lines, and the ends torn and frayed. Its tail was several meters long and protected with multiple layers of spines and its neck was half that length, ending with a head plated in purplish-black and gold. A pair of thick, strong horns grew atop its head, curving forward like a bull's, their deadly golden points reaching beyond the dragon's narrow snout.
"Calm yourself," Carla hissed in Keaton's ear, "don't be reckless."
He growled, head shaking. "I know! I know... Dreadwing is extremely dangerous in the air. He commands the power of storms. Hurry, we need to stay as far away from him as possible!"
It was at that moment the dragons below sensed their presence. All heads craned skywards in their direction, every pair of blinking red eyes as hungry and fierce as the next.
Dreadwing was first to change course in an instant, its many wings flapping to gain altitude faster than Carla could count to one. A powerful flyer and swift in the air, the dragon was a living nightmare of the sky.
Carla was already zooming in the opposite direction when the dragon let out a roar so loud and mighty she was certain she had gone deaf the moment the shockwave struck her. It was like the crack of thunder right in her ears amplified by a thousand times. Ears painfully hurting and ringing loud, she fought to stay in flight.
It was the storm that truly brought them down.
Thick, dark clouds had gathered above, twisting from the strong winds that began to blow. Stronger and stronger the gusts became with every passing second, turning into the magnitude of a hurricane.
Carla was at the mercy of the stormy winds, too weak to resist. Icy rain pelted her face and stung her eyes. Lightning flashed, blinding her.
She couldn't see and she couldn't hear. She didn't notice the red-eyed monster that suddenly appeared in front until it was too late. Sharp pain erupted from her side and back.
Numb and badly hurting, she was barely able to comprehend what was happening other than she was falling. As the world began to fade, she thought she saw Keaton tumbling towards the gaping maw of a monster before everything went dark and cold.
From the darkness, she saw the city of Crocus in ruins, giant dead monsters strewn throughout. Smoke, ash, devastation, death. A demon armoured in black, eyes a burning red. A winged being shining an icy blue, a large sword in hand. Facing each other like mortal enemies.
Another premonition... one Carla feared she may never see come true.
Erza couldn't believe her eyes when she and Gajeel were the first to reach the foot of the mountain leading to Domus Flau. A rockslide was blocking the path and half-buried within were two very dead, giant, reptilian creatures that were unmistakably dragons.
Master Makarov wasn't wrong when he had warned them of the great evil and the possibility of dragons appearing to attack the city.
"Holy shit," was the first thing that came out of Gajeel's mouth. He cautiously stepped towards the head of one of the dead beasts, narrowing his gaze at the gaping, bloody wounds. "Actual fucking dragons... Who the hell did this? Don't tell me it was those damn Twins."
"No, wasn't us," came a familiar voice behind them.
Sting and Rogue, both carried by their respective Exceeds, touched down on the ground to join Erza and Gajeel. The Twin Dragons, bandaged, bruised, and weary, still stood tall and proud despite losing this year's Grand Magic Games. They, too, were struck with wide-eyed disbelief the moment they saw the deceased dragons lying before them.
"Sting! I-Is that a real dragon?!" Lector asked, peering over his partner's shoulder.
"Yeah, it really is," Sting answered quietly, his brow furrowed with unease. Hands on his hips, he turned and faced Gajeel and Erza, giving both a questioning stare. "So I take it you guys have no clue what's happening either? We were in the middle of evacuating the city when we saw that commotion coming from Domus Flau. Wanted to find out what the hell was going on, but then noticed you guys down here."
"We may have an idea of what's happening..." said Erza, hand upon her chin. She was about to say more when a shadow suddenly appeared above them.
"Hey!" Happy cried, swooping down whilst carrying Lucy. Both were looking very worried and frazzled.
Erza was relieved to see Lucy out of prison and unharmed for the most part. Before Erza could question where Natsu and the others were, Lucy was first to speak;
"You guys haven't evacuated yet?! You need to get away from here! It's too dangerous!"
The moment Lucy landed, Erza firmly gripped the spirit mage's shoulders and spoke in a stern tone; "Lucy, calm down. Tell me what's happening."
"Dragons!" Happy answered in a panic, paws flailing as he stayed in the air. "They're being dragged out of the Eclipse Gate and being controlled by a scary demon! He's sending them all after Bacon! And soon this whole mountain is going to explode!"
"What?!" everyone, other than Happy and Lucy, exclaimed in a mixture of shock, confusion, and terror.
It was too much information to take in all at once, but one thing stood out the most to Erza and it made her furious.
"Did you say dragons are going after Bacon?" she asked, furling her hands.
Gajeel growled deeply and bared his fangs. "Why is this demon after the little runt?"
Lucy shook her head. "No, he's not targeting young Bacon–"
"It's older Bacon!" Happy tried to explain, "Seven-years-from-the-future Bacon! He travelled to this time to stop the demon!"
Erza raised her brow while Gajeel blinked, both needing a moment to fully understand the words spewing from Happy's mouth.
"All this talk about bacon is making Frosch hungry," Erza overheard Frosch say.
Rogue sighed and quietly grumbled, "You just ate before we left."
Sighing in aggravation, Gajeel held up a hand and raised a studded eyebrow at Happy. "Back up! Back up! The hell did you just say, cat?"
Happy didn't get the chance to answer because more people suddenly showed up, appearing out of nowhere in a brilliant flash of green and a gust of wind.
Expecting a sudden attack from an enemy, Erza twisted sharply on her heel, a sword already equipped in her hand. To her surprise, she found all three members of Crime Sorcière huddled around someone who had hidden his face behind a mask of a familiar, smiling yellow fox.
Jellal was also hiding his face behind a mask, one that resembled a crow. Despite the disguise, Erza could feel his eyes meet hers.
She quickly shot him a look of relief before knitting her brow in concern. He was injured, evident by the slouch in his posture and the slight lean towards the masked stranger that Erza assumed was Jellal's secret informant.
"Who're you freaks?!" Sting demanded, shining fists raised and ready for battle. Rogue stood by his side, just as prepared to unleash the wrath of his shadows.
"W-Wait!" Lucy waved her hands at the Twins in hopes of stopping them, "They're on our side!"
Completely ignoring Sabertooth, Ultear stepped away from the masked stranger and said to him and Jellal, "Get to the Gate. We'll start setting up the barrier. We'll message you when it's ready."
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Sting growled, however none of the newcomers paid any attention to him.
The person with the fox mask cocked his head at Ultear. His muffled voice belonged to a young man's as he replied hesitantly with, "But there's still that little problem down here..."
Ultear snorted and gestured at the Twin Dragons and Gajeel, who all flinched at her pointed look. "There are three Dragon Slayers here. Surely they can handle a single dragon!"
"What dragon?!" the three Dragon Slayers exclaimed as one.
Jellal pointed at the landslide. "The one heading this way! Move!"
Erza roughly grabbed Lucy by the back of her collar and pretty much carried her to safety the moment the ground started to rumble. Not a moment longer, something huge and purple burst through the broken rocks, tossing the two dead dragons aside and flinging boulders down the path where everyone once stood.
Erza cleaved apart all the rocks that flew her way, protecting Lucy who shrieked and cowered right behind her. After the shower of debris, Erza shifted into her stance and warily faced the enormous shadow looming in the dust, her blade held steady in front.
The dragon towered above them on four strong legs, its muscular body covered in coarse, purple scales, and its head armed with two curved, blade-like spines that jutted forward from the top of its head and lower jaw. As mighty as it was, it was wounded; one wing was missing, cleanly sliced off by a sharp blade, and there were numerous small cuts around its head and neck. In spite of its injuries, it held itself proud and strong, exuding an immense power in its form alone.
The beast stomped forward, its fierce red eyes locked on the masked stranger who stood protectively in front of Crime Sorcière.
"It must think you're Keaton," Jellal muttered apprehensively, hands glowing gold in preparation of a spell.
"As it should. We are a perfect copy of Master Link right down to his scent!" boasted the young man with pride as he drew his large, broad sword from his back.
"Wait, is that Gemini?" Erza inquired, glancing back at Lucy.
Lucy nodded as she slowly stood up, her body visibly shaking. The moment her gaze fell on her spirits, her fear instantly vanished when seeing their bravery against a monstrous foe. "They've copied future Bacon."
Erza's eyes widened. She gaped at the Celestial Spirit, rendered speechless by the truth behind the identity they had taken. Seven-years-from-the-future Bacon. The fearless boy had grown into a fearless young man and had somehow travelled through time. Erza was desperate to know what was happening, but she knew now was not the time to ask.
The dragon let out a ferocious snarl and charged at Gemini.
Darkness, light, and metallic energy blasted the dragon head-on coming from the three Dragon Slayers, their roar attacks clashing together into one massive explosion. Tendrils of shadow, swirls of radiant white, and streaks of silvery gray melded in perfect harmony, decimating the trail and nearby mountainside.
The light of the Dragon Slayers' attacks dissipated and the dragon that was caught in the middle was lying on its side within a deep, sunken hole.
Just when Erza had thought the dragon was defeated, it began to rise.
The dragon climbed back to its feet and shook off the rocks and dust, looking no more wounded than before.
Sting took a wary step back. "No way..."
"It's still alive after all that?!" Lector exclaimed, hiding behind Sting's neck in fright.
Rogue stared in shock. "Did we even hurt it?"
Gajeel snarled. "Shit! Not even a new scratch?!"
The dragon roared in anger, its cry loud and deafening, blasting away the dust and making everyone wince. In a single bound, it left the hole and landed before them with an earth-shaking tremor, crushing the solid rock beneath.
Gemini appeared in front of the dragon in an instant, their movements so fast that Erza would have missed them had she blinked.
Their blade was enveloped in a familiar blazing red energy, their magic possessing that same tingling sensation Erza immediately recognized. They crouched low and leapt high, spinning fast and hard as they rose, slashing open the dragon's chest and neck with each successful hit, the energy of their sword flaring out like flames, further cutting deep.
They truly were Bacon – there was no mistaking that sword attack nor the feel of their magic.
The dragon merely flinched and made no sound before it began to topple over, the light of its eyes fading away. With a heavy thud, it crashed lifelessly on the ground, sending a minor quake under their feet.
Erza stood stunned and she was not the only one gawking.
"Gemini, we need to move," Jellal urged the spirits, his voice breaking the moment of silence that had fallen over the astonished group.
"Yes, Master Jellal!" said the twins, sheathing their weapon. They returned to Jellal and grabbed his hand.
"Stay off this mountain if you value your lives," Jellal warned, looking between Fairy Tail and Sabertooth just as Gemini's body began to glow green.
To Erza, he spoke to her privately through telepathy, his voice stern and commanding in her head; "Don't follow me, Erza. It's too dangerous. Get everyone out of the city."
Irked that he would dare give her such an order, Erza was about to retaliate when he and Gemini suddenly disappeared the same way they had came.
"What just happened?" Sting uttered under his breath, blinking in bewilderment, his attention flickering between the slain dragon and the remaining members of Crime Sorcière. "That guy! He just killed – Who the hell was he?! Who the hell are you guys?! What is going on here?!"
Exasperated, Ultear stormed right up to Sting and jabbed a finger right into his bare chest, making him flinch back. She wore a scowl so fierce that Erza couldn't help but admire her. "Listen here, punk, if you want to survive this, you better calm down and stop asking questions right now. What happens today will decide the fate of our future.
"Don't listen to what that masked fool said. Our world is in grave danger so you better do something to help save it. Get your ass in there and lend them a hand. They'll need all the help they can get to destroy the magic time gate that's bringing all these goddamn dragons here. If you really are a Dragon Slayer, then slay some goddamn dragons! Or else this will be the last night you'll ever see! Got it?!"
Sting opened his mouth to argue only to quickly shut it back up, highly intimidated by Ultear's look and tone. Wide-eyed, he slowly nodded in understanding and Rogue was just as timid when she glanced his way.
Gajeel said nothing, his face grim yet determined as he finally understood what they were up against.
Satisfied, Ultear smirked and strolled back to Meredy. "The two of us will set up a barrier around this mountain that will contain the explosion that we hope will be enough to destroy the Eclipse Gate. Once we give the word, bail out of the mountain immediately."
Meredy gave Erza a knowing look and a teasing smile. "Erza, you better go too. You're Jellal's girl, he'll need your help."
Erza was taken aback. She huffed and hid her suddenly burning face behind her hair. "W-What are you talking about?"
"He needs you," Meredy answered, sounding quite pleased by Erza's reaction, "He's still wounded and he's super pissed. And when he's mad, he's bound to do something reckless and stupid. You need to make sure he gets out alive!"
Knowing Meredy spoke the truth, Erza grumbled and crossed her arms irritably. "That idiot... Very well. I'll knock him out and drag him back if I have to."
Meredy smiled in thanks.
"Good. You all better get going," said Ultear, nodding towards the mountain.
"I can make a shortcut," said Lucy before anyone could make a move. With a golden key in hand, she summoned Virgo.
The petite Celestial Spirit dressed in a maid's outfit bowed at Lucy and held out her arms. "I am ready for your punishment, Master."
Lucy sighed. "There's no punishment, Virgo! Please, dig through this mountain down to the bottom where the Eclipse Gate has fallen. Make the tunnel wide enough for all of us to walk through."
Virgo bowed again. "Yes, Master." In blink of white light, Virgo suddenly changed her appearance, transforming from a cute little girl to a huge, terrifying, beefy gorilla-woman, giving almost everyone a start. With a manly grunt, she dove right at the mountainside as if she was diving into water and instantly dug a wide opening leading to their destination.
Sting and Lector, Rogue and Frosch, Gajeel, Lucy, Happy, and Erza headed straight for the tunnel without a moment to waste.
"Be careful," was the last thing Erza heard Meredy say as she stepped into the darkness with Sting lighting the way.
A/N: As much as I love writing action scenes, I love writing bits of fluff too. Below is an extra scene I wanted to share because hugs. I love hugs.
Hope you enjoy!
It's all about that Feeling
Meredy was all sorts of emotions as she was left to wait. She paced between the kitchen and living room of the little house Crime Sorcière had temporarily made into their base of operations in the city of Crocus. It used to be an abandoned, boarded up, and vandalized stink-hole long forgotten at the very edge of the slums, but thanks to Ultear, it had been fully restored to what it used to be in the distant past; a humble little home.
Meredy was growing impatient and anxious, but she had no reason to be, the young man with the fox mask Jellal had suddenly disappeared with was not an enemy. Far from it, in fact. She had placed a Sensory Link on both Jellal and the mysterious person before the pair had vanished out of Ultear's crystal sight.
Wherever they had gone, Ultear could not reach Jellal with telepathy. However, Meredy could keep track of them, capable of only feeling their emotions and nothing more. They were still alive, putting their complete trust with one another; that was all she knew as she and Ultear waited for any news.
The stranger didn't feel like a stranger to Meredy. No, there was something about him... A strong sense of familiarity. The emotions she had felt from him while he conversed with Jellal atop Domus Flau were genuine.
Happiness. Sadness. Yearning. Desperation. Hope.
All true feelings that came from the heart.
It was a wild, emotional ride and it made Meredy anxious to know who he was.
"Sit down," Ultear grumbled, tired of Meredy's pacing. She was lying on an ugly floral-patterned couch that used to be tattered rags and broken springs until Ultear rewound time on it. Levitating her crystal ball above her face, she appeared to be bored but was actually scanning the whole city inch by inch in search of Jellal. She had been at it for almost an hour and a half now. "Don't worry about Jellal, he can take care of himself."
"I'm not worried," Meredy uttered with a little pout, "I'm just... I don't know. I'm not sure how to explain it. That boy Jellal disappeared with... feels like I know him."
Ultear glanced at Meredy knowingly and shrugged. "He did look kind of familiar under that mask," she noted.
Meredy clapped her hands and pointed at Ultear in agreement. "Right?!" She let out an exasperated sigh and stopped before the window, placing her hands on the sill. Outside she could see the filthy backstreet where a pair of mangy mutts were digging through a garbage heap for scraps. "But it's not just that," she continued after a quiet moment, a small smile on her lips, "This feeling I have, it's more than just reacquaintance. It's stronger. Like he's... It's like... Ugh, how do I even describe it?!"
She groaned and threw her hands up in frustration. Communicating her emotions through words was always so difficult!
"Deep breath, Meredy," Ultear advised, stern yet patient.
Meredy listened and took more than one calming breath as she leaned forward on the windowsill. Once relaxed, she tried to explain herself again, however she was rudely interrupted by a bright green flash and a strong gust of wind that nearly knocked her over from behind. She twisted around on her heel, forming magic swords that shone bright and blue, ready to shear through whoever dared to pull a surprise attack on them.
At the same time, Ultear had shot to her feet, numerous orbs of white light hovering above her head, her expression instantly morphed into a cold, murderous scowl.
"Wait! Ultear! Meredy!"
Jellal had appeared out of thin air right in the middle of the kitchen and he wasn't alone. Still disguised as Mystogan, Jellal stood protectively before the young man with the fox mask, arms raised and glowing palms held towards both women in preparation of countering any accidentally thrown spells.
"Jellal?!" Meredy shrieked in surprise. She quickly dispelled her magic and Ultear did the same.
"Goddamn it. Don't just suddenly appear out of nowhere!" Ultear growled, crossing her arms irritably, "You know that's never a good idea with us."
The young man behind Jellal bowed his head apologetically, making the mask resting atop his head slightly tilt forward. "Sorry! Should've warped us outside so we could knock," he said meekly.
Jellal shook his head. "Better that no one saw us coming here," he said, pulling down his bandana that hid his face. He stepped aside and it was then that Meredy got a better look at the boy with blond hair.
His blue eyes found her first. Right at that instant, she was suddenly overwhelmed by a rush of warmth. She moved without thought, her body driven by the powerful feelings he held when he saw her face.
"Meredy..." was all he managed to say before she practically barrelled into him for a big hug.
Even though his clothes were cold and damp, Meredy held him tight and began to cry. "I-I don't know why!" she sobbed, slightly shaking her head, "I don't know why! But... this feeling... You're..." Family. That's what it was. He was family. Not an acquaintance. Not just a friend. Family. Much like how Ultear and Jellal were close to her like family for the past seven years. She wasn't sure how it was possible considering she had no memory of him at all, but feelings never lie. Especially when they came straight from the heart.
This boy knew her and he truly missed her.
He embraced her back without hesitation and cried just the same.
"Damn it, Meredy," Jellal muttered, turning away from the scene. He could hide his face, but not the quiver in his tone. "Break this Sensory Link, right now."
Meredy sniffled and started to giggle. She held out an arm towards Jellal and said teasingly, "Aww, come join us for a hug. I know you want to."
His quick response was a sharp, "No."
The young man chuckled in Meredy's ear. "You know Master Jellal isn't fond of hugs."
Meredy pulled back and raised an eyebrow at the grown man ashamed to show his tears brought out by her magic. "Oh? 'Master' Jellal?" she questioned, her lips curling into a playful smile. "Since when did you ever had time to take on a pupil? And what happened to you two?" she added, finally noticing they were shivering cold and wet, "Did you guys fall in the lake or something?"
"Err, almost..." the boy mumbled, glancing off to the side in embarrassment, "I accidentally warped us into a fountain at the castle."
With his back still turned towards her, Jellal grunted in annoyance and waved her away. "It's a long story."
"Do tell," Ultear demanded, tapping her fingers impatiently over her crossed arms. She narrowed her eyes at the young man, not yet trusting of him as Meredy and Jellal. She looked him over from head to toe, taking note of his sword upon his back. "Just who are you?"
"Keaton," the boy answered promptly, turning to meet her piercing gaze without flinching. "However, you may likely recognize me as the boy named 'Bacon'."
Meredy did a triple-take and stared, mouth agape. "Wait, what?!" She leaned right into his face for a closer look and started to see the resemblance between him and the fearless little kid who remembered nothing. It was made especially clear when he grinned at her reaction.
"How?" Ultear was first to ask, completely taken off-guard.
"He is from the future," Jellal answered for the other, finally facing everyone. His slightly reddened eyes were the only evidence of his tears.
"Yes... seven years from the future," Keaton added, his smile turning wistful. He gave Ultear a respectable nod. "You must be Ultear. Forgive me, I barely remember the first time meeting you when I was still a child. Meredy used to talk a lot about you all the time so it's nice to finally meet the person I've heard all about."
Ultear glared at Meredy as if she had just been insulted. "And what sort of things did she love to talk about?"
Meredy held up her hands in protest. "H-Hey! Why are you looking at me like that?! Whatever you're thinking, it wasn't me!" Well, technically, it was her. Future her. She stiffened when she realized what he had just said. "Wait... 'used to'? What happened to Ultear? To me?"
"And how did you travel through time to get here?" Ultear inquired.
Jellal certainly wasn't lying when he had said it was a long story. They made themselves comfortable around the dining table, drinking the few bottled drinks and munching on some of the snacks Meredy had bought during Crime Sorcière's search for a decent hideout, all the while learning how grim the future would become.
The Eclipse Gate. The Festival of Dragons. Ultear's death. Acnologia. The demon behind it all. And the plan that may possibly change history for the better good.
Meredy was taken through another wild emotional ride yet again as she remained connected with Keaton with her magic.
Grief. Remorse. Regret. Loss. Anger. Despair. Forlorn.
For seven long years, Keaton had to endure. It was painful. Disheartening. And yet Meredy didn't let go as she listened to every word.
However, every day wasn't terrible and full of hopelessness. There were some happy, cherishable moments sprinkled in between. Fond, tender memories that evoked the strongest feelings. Although brief those instances may have been, they shone through the most throughout the misery and sadness.
"You were like an older sister, Meredy," Keaton had told her with a loving smile, bringing back that warm sensation that nearly brought Meredy to tears again.
Playful. Teasing. Encouraging. Caring. Protective. Future Meredy had watched over him while he had trained under Jellal. Perhaps she had taken the part in order to cope with the loss of Ultear.
And Jellal; though he was referred to as 'Master' by Keaton out of great respect, Jellal's role hadn't only been limited to just that. It was unspoken, but Meredy could easily read the truth in Keaton's eyes without the need of a Sensory Link whenever he glanced at his master.
Jellal was a mentor. A guardian. A close friend. A father.
As of now, it was impossible to imagine Jellal in that kind of position, given he was a relentless man hard-set on the complete annihilation of Zeref and his dark forces. But with the world reduced to nothing but death and ruin, the path to redemption would no longer matter. Perspectives would have had to change in order to survive; to keep living for those who didn't make it in the end.
It was obvious Jellal wasn't aware of how Keaton truly regarded him. Not yet, at least.
Meredy was hoping he would eventually come to realize it. Wanting to make sure it would happen sooner than later, she secretly devised a cunning plan.
While Jellal was distracted with explaining the details on how to proceed with destroying the Eclipse Gate, Meredy subtly created a very weak, invisible Sensory Link between Keaton and Jellal.
Slowly, but surely, their bond would grow and Jellal would understand what family truly stood for.
A/N: Thanks for reading!