War of Children
A bright flash of purple light suddenly lit up the entire cavern, stunning Link and making others either gasp or yelp in surprise. Blinded, the boy tensed in caution when he felt a strange, cold, prickling sensation brush over his skin, which lasted only a second. Shadows soon danced before his eyes as something wooden clattered to the ground nearby, producing a loud echo.
Link rubbed his eyes and rapidly blinked, trying to quickly readjust his vision to the dimmer light. When he could finally see, he gasped at the scene before him.
Natsu, Gray, Erza, Lucy, and Jellal; before the flash, they had stood tall as adults, but now they were all short and small, barely able to fit in their own clothes and armour. They were cursed by the demon just like the villagers of Daffodilia, transformed into children around Link's age or younger.
"Oh no!" Wendy cried in horror, her voice higher in pitch than normal.
Standing beside her, Link turned his head, his wide eyes growing wider.
Wendy was now as small and young as Asuka! She gawked at her shrunken body and tugged at her oversized clothes with hands hidden within the long sleeves of her winter coat. There was mewing down by her feet.
Crawling on the ground were Happy and Carla, both turned into little kittens. Their tails were drastically shorter and their wings were tiny upon their backs.
"Ah! We're babies!" Happy shrieked, struggling to stand upright with his shortened limbs.
Link took a quick look at himself, worried he was caught in the same situation. However, his clothes looked normal; nothing felt loose or too big. To his relief, he was not affected by the demon's curse, which Fairy Tail had anticipated.
Another quick glance at his team and he found Erza and Natsu to be around his age. Lucy was maybe a year younger while Jellal and Gray both appeared to be between seven to eight-years old.
Deep laughter rumbled within the cavern, coming from the giant shadow stomping between a sneering Minerva and Rufus.
A demon disguised as a man. Doriate was his name. He was a member of a Dark Guild alongside the ex-Sabertooth members standing behind him.
The demon marched towards the children, his eyes gleaming with malicious intentions under the golden light of Jellal's dropped staff. "Now, who wants to play first?" he bellowed, smacking a huge fist against his palm in an intimidating manner.
Natsu was first to snap out of his shock. The Fire Dragon Slayer, despite his size, still possessed the same fiery rage as his adult self. Coat, pants, and boots forgotten on the ground, Natsu stumbled to the front to stand protectively before his team. He angrily shouted at the top of his lungs, "You big, dumb, ugly dork-face! Just 'cause I've been turned into a kid doesn't mean I can't kick your smelly butt!"
Irked, Doriate growled at the boy, his glower becoming more menacing and his stomping steps, louder.
Gray ran up to join Natsu, abandoning all his clothes with the exception of his boxers that were on the verge of slipping past his hips. Almost a head shorter than the Dragon Slayer, Gray may be smaller, but his anger easily matched the other boy's. "Yeah! You're a bunch of cowards! Especially you, Rufus!" he yelled, pointing a finger at the man in red; "Not only are you a butt-hurt loser, you're a big, fat bully and a scaredy-chicken too! Can't even fight me fair and square!"
Unlike Doriate, Rufus was rather amused as a strange smile curled on his lips. He began to walk forward in a slower pace behind a fuming Doriate, hands folded behind his back. "My, oh my," he calmly remarked, eyes narrowing at Gray in spite; "Even your insults have devolved into childish prattle. Call me whatever crosses your diminutive brain, boy. It will not faze me nor will it not take away the joy in what I am about to do to you."
Natsu looked at Gray, confused. "Hey, what's 'duh-min-yee-tive'?"
Gray scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "No clue."
Natsu snickered. "Heh, well you have a big duhminyeetive brain!"
"What?! Shut up! No, I don't! You do!"
The Dragon Slayer huffed and crossed his arms, standing tall so he could look down at the physically younger boy. "Nuh-uh! Stupid fancy-hat said you do, no-pants!"
Even though Rufus had stated he wasn't bothered before, there was a noticeable twitch in the corner of his mouth as the two boys bickered.
Gray shoved his face right into Natsu's. "Hey! You've got no pants on either, lizard-breath!"
Natsu pushed back, smacking his forehead against the other. "What d'you call me, ice-freak?!"
"Ya heard me, flame-brain!"
"Natsu! Gray! Focus on the enemy!" Erza screamed at them, her young, shrill voice reverberating throughout the cavern, making those with sensitive ears painfully wince. She had changed out of her winged, silver armour and wore only a black sleeveless shirt that was long enough to be a short dress. Her normal steel sword was drawn, held in both hands like a two-handed greatsword. Although she was currently equal in age to Natsu, she was still the authoritative figure neither boy could defy.
Doriate grunted in annoyance as he continued to stomp towards Fairy Tail. "Loud and irritating little fleas," he snarled, giant fists clenched by his sides. "Looks like you all need to be silenced!"
Natsu took a step forward and soundly cracked his knuckles. "Oh yeah?" he taunted in a cocky manner; "Let's see you try, dork-face!"
Infuriated, the demon broke into a charge. "Then allow me to crush your puny little bodies into a bloody pulp!"
"Leave Gray to me, Doriate!" Rufus barked.
"Fine! But I'm taking care of that annoying loudmouth first!"
While Natsu lunged ahead at Doriate, Gray ran to the side. He soundly stuck his tongue out at Rufus, purposely luring the man in red away from the others. "You want me, fancy-hat? Come and get me!"
Rufus was in no rush, however. He maintained his steady pace, lowering his head to peer at the Ice-Make Mage under the brim of his hat. Slowly, his mouth twisted into a thin, cruel smile. "An invitation for pain. Do not hold anything against me now that you've called for it, boy. The agony I shall inflict on you will be reminiscent of what I had to endure!"
Gray stiffened from the man's look but didn't back down.
Natsu was first to pull off an attack against his opponent. Halfway in reaching Doriate, he fell into his stance and took a deep breath. "Fire Dragon's..."
"No, Natsu! Not that!" Lucy cried, but it was too late to stop him.
"Roar!"
What should have been a devastating blast of scorching fire – capable of incinerating everything in its path far and wide – was instead only a short stream of weak flame that slightly brightened and warmed up the cavern.
Doriate ran through Natsu's puff of fiery breath as if it was only hot air, unharmed by the magic.
It caught Natsu by surprise.
Laughing wickedly, Doriate closed the gap between them within mere seconds, able to move surprisingly fast for his bulk and size. He was already swinging a giant fist around before Natsu could react. With a resounding crack, the Dragon Slayer was punched in the side of his face and sent flying. He crashed through a stone pillar and other rocky obstacles, taking a long and painful tumble before smashing into the cavern wall, leaving a trail of destruction and thick clouds of dust in his wake.
There were horrified screams coming from Wendy, Happy, and Lucy.
Worried Natsu could be badly hurt, Wendy started to quickly shuffle towards the fallen Dragon Slayer with little Happy trotting on all fours by her heels.
Link flinched into action. His hand flew to the hilt of his sword as he took a few running steps, only to pause in his tracks.
Erza had already taken Natsu's place. Fully engaged in battle against Doriate, she danced around the brute's legs, narrowly avoiding his swiping hands and swinging fists. Her blade flashed silver and gold as she slashed in-between each dodge, barely landing a hit due to her limited reach. But when her sword did connect, it would strike skin that refused to bleed.
Someone cursed under their breath beside Link, drawing his attention. Out of every grownup on the team, he found it most shocking to see Jellal turned into a child. Never could he imagine his powerful master so weak and vulnerable.
Jellal stood about half a head shorter than Link. His clothing hung so loose on his small frame that he didn't bother to maintain his disguise, exposing his blue hair and the distinctive red mark on his face.
"This damn curse severely weakens our magic as well!" Jellal snarled, flexing his hands before him. He turned to Link, quickly looking him over. "Your appearance hasn't changed, but is your magic affected?"
Link glanced down at his body again and shook his head. "I don't think so. I feel okay."
Jellal's relief lasted for a second before he hardened his gaze at the brute who was clearly annoyed trying to land a hit on Erza. Jellal lowered his voice; "Defeating the demon is our priority. Link, you will have to take him down first!"
Determined, Link nodded and soundly drew his sword. Dragonslayer gleamed in his hand, its lustrous and extremely sharp edge flawless from hilt to broken point. It wasn't as large as its 'awakened' state, but the length of the blade was still suitable for Link to properly fight. He had practiced with it against Romeo a number of times, (and against Erza on very rare occasions), so he was used to its current size.
Little Carla suddenly came bounding towards him, worried and frantic, the tip of her short tail whipping side to side. She hissed a warning; "Watch out for Minerva, Link! She's dangerous no matter where she stands!"
"Carla's right!" Lucy whispered, shifting to stand closer to the group, nearly tripping over her sagging clothes. She frowned at Minerva, her eyes quivering with trepidation and her hands rubbing each other anxiously. "Minerva has the power of teleporting people and objects to wherever she wants! If she sees you have the upper hand, she'll likely interfere!"
The boy's eyes flickered towards the dark-haired woman who had yet to make a move. She kept her distance near the edge of the shadows, visibly entertained at watching Erza struggle against Doriate's greater might.
Seeing that look on Minerva's face reminded Link of the Naval Battle event during the Grand Magic Games. Minerva had magically taken Lucy's keys and, out of sheer cruelty, tortured the helpless spirit mage, striking her with magic attacks over and over again. Remembering how badly injured Lucy was afterwards made Link angry, but also wary of Minerva's magic.
"Then we won't let her see what we're up to," said Jellal, sliding off his sash of staves. Each of his weapons were at least three times as tall as his current height. He pulled Rain Stick out of its holster and gave Link a knowing look. "I'll try to keep you covered. Be silent. Be swift. And be prepared for anything that could happen."
"Understood," said Link with a curt nod. He turned his attention back forward, quickly taking note of the path ahead between his position and the demon's.
Jellal waved Rain Stick high above his head. The blue, crystal eyes of the leaping fish flashed to life and thick, white fog began to spew from its mouth. The dense mist quickly spread out to shroud the area, obscuring everyone's vision. "Go now!" Jellal commanded in a hushed tone.
Link dashed forward, taking short, light steps to produce as minimal noise as possible. He followed the sounds of Erza's battle, being careful not to trip or run into rocky obstacles that suddenly appeared before him. He tensed up when he heard a loud smack that was quickly followed by a pained yelp. A shadow flew right over Link's head. He caught a glimpse of scarlet hair before it was gone.
Doriate's triumphant laughter rang throughout the cavern. "Nice try, little fleas! But what is this fog supposed to do?! It's not going to stop me from breaking your puny bodies!"
"Indeed. A mild hindrance," Rufus joined in the mockery, his voice coming from farther up ahead. "Do not think you can hide from us! Shrine of Turbulent Fang!" A blast of wind came from his direction that instantly blew away the cover of mist. The gust suddenly turned into a howling tempest as two twisting pairs of whirlwinds took shape, controlled by a single raised hand. With a simple flick of his fingers, Rufus sent the whirlwinds straight for Gray.
The twisters traveled in an unpredictable pattern towards their target. Wherever they touched, they tore both the roof and ground of the cavern and swept away dust and loose debris.
As the whirlwinds rushed past, Link had to drop down to his hands and knees to brace against the powerful winds that threatened to pull him off his feet.
Doriate had noticed him then. Being large and heavy, he was unaffected by Rufus's spell. He began to stomp towards the boy.
For a brief second, Link met the demon's scowling gaze before the cavern suddenly went pitch black. He was able to hear Jellal's childish voice within his mind over the roaring winds; "Get as close as you can to the demon and I will bring back the light! Tell me when!"
"Okay!" Seven running strides was the distance Link had estimated between him and Doriate. Rufus's whirlwinds were somewhere far behind him, allowing him to freely move unhindered. Link scrambled to his feet and began to count. Upon the fifth stride, he shouted at his master, "Now!"
Golden light vanquished the darkness, revealing Doriate's giant form towering in front of Link. The demon yelped in surprise, blinded by the flash that shone in his direction. Stumbling back, Doriate raised his hands to shield his eyes, leaving him wide open. He didn't see Link approach until it was too late.
Dragonslayer was enveloped with blue energy that quickly turned into a fiery red. Link bent low and leapt high, swinging his sword diagonally upwards as he rose. It felt like he cut nothing but air as his blade slashed Doriate from his right hip to his left shoulder. The charged energy flared out to cut deeper into flesh, sending the brute flying backwards with a pained, gurgled grunt.
Doriate's body crashed through a few rock formations before he landed with a resounding thud. He lay on his back, unmoving.
"What?! How is that possible?!" Rufus exclaimed, shocked at the sudden defeat of his ally. He cursed at Link as he turned to face the boy, dispelling his whirlwinds for another spell. "You're immune to Doriate's Curse? Then I shall rid of you first! Begone! Sword of–" He abruptly cut himself off and sprang back, narrowly avoiding the barrage of ice lances thrown at him. When he landed, he glowered at the one responsible.
Gray, as well as the rest of Fairy Tail, had returned to their normal selves. The Ice-Make Mage was absolutely livid as he snarled at Rufus, "Your opponent is me, you fancy-hat bastard!"
There was a furious hiss coming from Minerva. Her eyes swept across the cavern to scowl at each member of Fairy Tail until she finally settled on Link. She further narrowed her gaze into a scathing glare. "You truly are a troublesome little Fairy," she muttered before she looked upon the fallen demon in disgrace. "Doriate! Get up, you damn fool! How could you let this mere child defeat you?!"
Doriate twitched from the sound of her voice. He groaned and rasped in a deep, harsh tone; "It... hurts..."
Off to the side, Natsu growled in anger. He had fully recovered thanks to Wendy's healing and was now charging at the demon, enraged. "Still alive, dork-face? Gonna get you back for that cheap shot! Hell-Fire Dragon Mode!"
"Ah! You're going to roast us all alive!" Happy shrieked, leaping behind a boulder for cover.
"I'll finish it quick!" Natsu assured, just as his entire body burst into flames, the brightest and hottest he had ever conjured. His skin became fire, his eyes white and glowing, his human form a faint shadow within a raging inferno that scorched the tall, rocky ceiling. Large wings of fire flared from his back, allowing him to soar through the air like a fiery bird.
An unbearable, sweltering heat radiated from his being, hot enough to melt nearby stone. Everyone broke into a heavy sweat, feeling as if they were standing within an oven.
"Stand back, Bacon!" shouted Natsu as he flew straight for Doriate.
Link didn't hesitate to oblige, wanting to get far away from Natsu's devastating power. However, before he could even move a muscle, Doriate suddenly let out an ear-shattering roar that made the boy drop his sword and brought him to his knees. Link slapped his hands over his ears to try and block the sound, but it was no use. It was somehow ten times worse than Gajeel's screeching voice during the Christmas party! Through his grimace, he noticed everyone, including Minerva and Rufus, were rendered helpless by the demon's awful cry. Even Natsu was writhing on the ground, his deadly flames extinguished.
"It hurts! It hurts!" Doriate bellowed, his voice booming all around and thundering within Link's chest. The demon pounded the ground with his fists, shattering the rock and sending dust into the air. He abruptly sat up, his crimson eyes wide and blood-shot as he stared at the boy who harmed him.
Link gaped. The demon's mask had slipped down under his chin, revealing his big, ugly mouth full of pointed fangs and a pair of short tusks that protruded from his lower lips.
The demon punched the ground hard to lift himself up onto his feet. He angrily smacked the bleeding wound on his chest. "It hurts!" he bellowed, making Link cringe. "You cursed little maggot! I'm going to pulverize you!" He reared his head and unleashed another painful roar that blasted away the dust and made the entire cavern seem to rumble. His voice turned deeper and beastly and his eyes suddenly flashed with a blinding purple light, once again stunning all who looked.
Link felt the prickling sensation wash over him again, making him realize it was the demon's curse. Ears ringing and temporarily blind, the boy fought to regain his bearings for he sensed a terrible danger growing before him.
And he was right. As he began to regain his sight, he saw Doriate had transformed.
The man was a true demon now; a hulking, purplish-blue skinned monster with massive, ape-like arms that touched the ground. Bulging muscles had ripped through most of his clothes, leaving only the top half of his frayed pants intact. His wound no longer bled and appeared as small and shallow as a scratch on his broad, rippled chest. Hands were clawed, muscular, and huge, likely capable of crushing huge boulders single-handedly, while his feet were small in comparison, each toe ending with a sharp talon. Long and pointed were his tusks, having grown to extend just above his black, wavy-haired maned.
Purple, pupil-less eyes shone with a malevolent light as they glared straight at Link with utmost hatred.
The boy steeled against the demon's glower as he moved to stand, his sword back in his hand. Doriate's transformation somewhat reminded Link of the Evil King in terms of appearance. When comparing the level of evil power however, Doriate couldn't even hold a candle to the fearsome red-eyed demon armoured in black.
"Doriate! Not again!" someone suddenly exclaimed angrily. A new voice; young and shrill like a child's.
Much to Link's surprise, the one who spoke was Rufus.
Not only had Doriate's curse changed most of Fairy Tail back into children, it had also affected both Rufus and Minerva as well.
As a boy looking no older than eight, Rufus had to keep a hand on his large hat to prevent it from falling over his eyes and another on the waist of his pants to keep them up. His crimson mask had slipped under his chin, fully revealing his youthful face that was distorted with anger towards the fuming demon. "Get a hold of yourself and change me back this instant, you lumbering ape!" he demanded, nearly shrieking his words out of desperation.
Young Gray pointed and laughed at Rufus, greatly amused that they were now nearly equal in age. "Look who now has a dummy-tive brain!" the Ice-Make Mage teased.
Rufus pouted childishly to the side and huffed indignantly, "You're really stupid, you know that?!"
"The hell did you–"
Link didn't hear the rest of Gray's retort because Doriate began his rampage right at that instant, completely ignoring Rufus's demand.
Snarling, the demon charged on all fours, truly moving like a great, monstrous ape. He easily barreled through every rocky obstacle in his path without a care as he went straight for Link. He was bigger, stronger, and noticeably faster, but not quick enough to take the boy by surprise.
Poised and ready, Link waited for the right moment to counter.
When Doriate was within range, he pounced. He was a leaping mass of pure muscle and rage. He swung his hands around, aiming to crush Link like a pestering fly within his giant palms.
At the last moment, Link dove forward and rolled under the brute, infusing his blade with magic in the midst of his manoeuvre. Dragonslayer was ablaze with red energy by the time he was back on his feet and twisting around to face Doriate's backside.
There was sharp smack, which was quickly followed by a thunderous quake when Doriate landed where Link had been standing a second ago. Hands tightly clasped together, the demon had yet to realize he had missed his target by a long-shot.
With a cry, Link performed a jumping slash, bringing his charged blade down upon the demon's bare, muscular back. However, Dragonslayer suddenly vanished from his grip right before his sword could hit. He stumbled forward in his landing and glanced at his empty hands, confused.
High-pitched chortling erupted from somewhere behind him. Link snapped his head to find Minerva holding Dragonslayer by the hilt, the sword propped downwards beside her, appearing as long as she was tall. Being roughly nine-years old, her adult-sized coat was so large on her, it looked like she was being swallowed by it. "Looking for this, Fairy brat?" she said, sneering. "Doriate! You big dolt! Look behind you!"
Link immediately shifted his attention back on Doriate.
The demon spun around, purple eyes flashing with fury. Grunting, he swung a great fist down at Link.
The boy dodged to the side, avoiding the knuckles that easily punched a deep crater into the ground. Dust and rocks flew from the impact, forcing Link to leap back a few more times.
"Damn you, Minerva!" Erza yelled. Through the thin veil of dust, Link saw her sprinting towards the dark-haired girl. "Link! I'll get your sword back! Keep the demon busy!"
"Try all you want, Erza," Minerva spat, raising a hand wreathed in magical energy that shimmered like a prism; "Even as I am, I will not lose to you again! I will make you grovel before me!"
While the two girls started to clash, Gray and Rufus had gone from exchanging insults to trading spells. The ex-Sabertooth members were now occupied with their opponents, which left Link to focus solely on Doriate. He trusted in Erza to retrieve his stolen blade as he followed her command.
By then, Doriate had violently torn his fist out of the sunken ground, his glowing eyes scanning left and right. The instant he spotted Link, he turned, sunk his claws into the earth, and propelled his body forward like a fired cannon. He threw all his weight into his next attack like a mindless, blood-thirsty beast.
Being small and nimble, Link simply ducked under the demon's swiping hands that missed the top of his head by half a foot. The demon soared right over and soundly crashed into multiple obstacles, destroying them with his bulk and speed.
As Link spun on his heel, he equipped his bow and selected one of his golden keys, infusing it with magic. "Open the Gate of The Paired Fish!"
Human Pisces stepped out of his cloudy vortex wielding his trident over his shoulder. Sensing from his master that he was summoned for a real battle and not training, he quickly shifted into his stance. He noticed the bow and arrow in Link's hands. His dark eyes followed the dusty trail of destruction left in the demon's wake, just in time to see the giant shadow rising within the haze.
"Ice Stream, Little Brother?" questioned Pisces, giving Link a sideways glance for confirmation.
Link nodded as he nocked his arrow. He infused the iron tip with freezing cold magic, shrouding it in a deep blue mist. "Now!"
Pisces thrust his trident forward, unleashing a powerful jet stream from the tip of the prongs.
The concentrated blast of water struck the middle of the demon's upper back and knocked him back down to one knee. Before he could realize what was happening, Link fired his Ice Arrow.
The magic arrow pierced the back of Doriate's right shoulder and flashed a bright blue. White ice burst forth, instantly freezing every drop of water that drenched his skin. More and more layers of ice were added to the first as Pisces' jet stream continued to flow. Once the spirit's attack finally came to a halt, the brute was nowhere to be seen for he was encased in a thick sparkling prison that resembled a frozen windswept tide.
Cheers exploded in the cavern coming from Wendy, Happy, Natsu, and Lucy.
Pisces shared a triumphant smile with Link. They were both pleased at the success of their combined attack against an actual enemy.
However, the moment of victory didn't last very long.
Deep cracks suddenly appeared in the ice, silencing all who noticed. A deep rumbling could be heard from within, growing louder with each passing heartbeat. Within the next moment, the ice shattered like glass, unable to restrain the rage-fuelled demon.
Doriate was completely lost in anger. Yelling, he repeatedly pounded the ground in a tantrum, turning ice and solid rock into dust. The cavern seemed to violently shake with every blow, appearing on the verge of collapsing with sections of the ceiling cracking and beginning to crumble. "Annoying! Annoying!" he started to bellow at the top of his lungs, each word accompanied with an earth-shaking pound; "Cursed slippery maggot! I will catch you and rip off each of your limbs!"
The demon's unbearable screams had brought Link down to his knees once more, hands clamped futilely over his aching ears. Pisces was kneeling protectively over him to shield from any falling rocks.
The pounding abruptly stopped after the demon's last outcry, but the noise he made echoed a few seconds longer. His eyes shone through the thick cover of dust, glaring in Link's and Pisces' direction.
Pisces pulled away only to suddenly shrink right before Link's eyes. The spirit transformed from a young adult to a child in an instant!
Startled, Pisces dropped his trident to gape at his new body, one hand needed to hold his silver, finned headband in place.
"What?! Celestial Spirits can be cursed too?!" Lucy exclaimed from the side.
Pisces turned to Link, his shock quickly morphing into an apologetic frown. "Little Brother – err, I suppose I am the little brother now?"
"Pisces! Hurry back home!" Link urged, picking up his bow and jumping to his feet. The spirit's magic power had been drastically weakened from the curse; Link was afraid of getting him hurt.
"Yes, Master. I'm sorry I was of no use..." the spirit murmured glumly, clearly disappointed. He gripped his fallen trident and disappeared.
At that exact moment, Doriate leapt forward, bursting out of the haze to land roughly ten metres before Link. The ground shattered and shook under his clawed feet, making everyone within the vicinity stumble. The demon didn't lunge at the boy in a mad frenzy as expected. Instead, he began to draw a deep breath as if to prepare for a deadly roar.
Doriate had finally figured out Link's greatest weakness.
But before the brute could unleash his awful cry, Natsu came in fast from the side, soaring in front of the demon on Happy's rapidly beating wings. The Dragon Slayer quickly spat fire in the brute's wide open mouth as they shot past.
Doriate inhaled most of the flames and choked. He staggered back in pain and shock, one hand grabbing his neck as he noisily hacked out black smoke.
Meanwhile, Happy's wings suddenly disappeared, resulting in a rough landing for Natsu. The boy was quick to bounce back up while Happy slumped against his partner's back, exhausted.
Natsu pointed at the demon's agony and laughed mischievously. "Ha! Take that, dork-face! That'll shut your big, ugly mouth up! That's for making my ears bleed! And for ruining my chance to show off my Hell-Fire Dragon Mode!"
Doriate took a stomping step towards the Dragon Slayer, his eyes blazing. Throat hoarse and wheezing, he managed to croak, "You'll pay for that, fire brat! I'll – urk!" A large beam of golden light slammed into the side of his face, sending him stumbling sideways.
Jellal, enveloped in the radiance of Meteor, had kicked Doriate with the bottoms of his bare feet. Light dispelled, the boy rebounded off the demon's face, flipped backwards in midair, and followed with another attack shortly before his toes even touched the ground. With a wave of his hand, his five magical staves shot out from their holsters and plunged bottom-first into the rock around the demon, each one standing erect to form a large circle.
Natsu quickly retreated as the runes and Lacrima on Jellal's staves flashed and sparked with energy. Five different-coloured magic circles appeared in succession directly above the demon's head, stacked atop one another. Purplish-white light erupted beneath the demon's feet, turning into a ray that shone through the centre of each circle.
Jellal landed into a crouching stance, his glowing hands forming a seal. "Five Layered Magic Circle: Sacred Song!"
Starting from the top, the purple ray intensified in brightness as magic was concentrated through each circle, forming a powerful beam that smote Doriate from above. The demon was swallowed in the blinding energy that vaporized everything it touched.
It was a powerful spell; unaffected by Jellal's current limitations since it relied on the magic contained within each of his staves. Despite how strong it was however, it was not enough to fully stop the demon.
Link saw a giant fist swing out from the light. It smashed through one of the staves, cutting Jellal's spell short.
Doriate still stood strong within the smoking hole left by the attack. His body was steaming and his skin was blistered. Other than that, he appeared mostly unharmed and downright angry. In a rage, he backhanded two staves in a row, reducing them to splinters.
Cursing, Jellal magically recalled his remaining two staves before they could be destroyed alongside the rest. Heaven's Rod and Rain Stick flew back in his hands. The light of his shining staff drew the demon's attention, making the brute open for a back attack from Wendy and Carla.
The duo swooped over the demon's head. "Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang!" Wendy shouted, swiping both her hands as if they were claws. Short bursts of wind formed from her attack, succeeding in only lifting Doriate's thick mane of hair and nothing more.
The demon retaliated by swatting the pair out of the air as if they were annoying flies.
Wendy took the brunt of the blow. Together with Carla, they crashed through a series of rock formations before tumbling to a stop several metres from Link. They both lay on the ground, whimpering in pain.
Link felt his blood run cold. He was dashing towards them before he knew it.
Around the same time, Doriate had decided to charge at the fallen pair. Link jumped protectively before Wendy and Carla with a Light Arrow drawn and ready on his bow. He shot the holy arrow at Doriate's ugly face.
The demon flinched and brought a hand up just in time to block it.
Link had been hoping the Light Arrow would be effective against Doriate as it was against the Evil King. However, it only released a bright flash of light upon impact. There were no golden tendrils to further smite and paralyze the demon.
There was no time for Link to figure out why the Light Arrow didn't work; in a single bound, Doriate closed the gap between them, his giant fists raised high above his head.
The only thought that crossed Link's mind was to protect Wendy and Carla. He twisted around and dropped on top of them, shielding them with his body and desperately praying that he could save them. His magic suddenly surged within him, as if his own heart had heard his silent prayer.
He felt his energy flow out in all directions to surround them, silencing all the screaming voices and battle noises ringing throughout the cavern.
There was a sudden dull thud right above Link, making him jump and Wendy and Carla curl up into a tighter ball. It was as if someone had tapped on glass and cracked it. The sounds repeated over and over, each one steadily getting louder than the last, the crackling of glass spreading all around. Then, it abruptly stopped.
Link held his breath in anticipation. All he could hear over the ringing in his ears was the rapid beating of his heart and the breathing of his friends. Every muscle tense, the boy didn't move for a little while longer, determined to keep Wendy and Carla safe as they huddled beneath him.
Doriate should have soundly landed and broken Link's spine by now...
Realizing that was long overdue, Link dared to open his eyes to find out what happened. He was met with the soft blue glow coming from a badly cracked, translucent, diamond-shaped crystal that had formed around them. He let out a sound of surprise that snapped Wendy and Carla out of their terror. Link pushed off of them, rising only halfway before he banged the back of his head against the crystal wall.
"L-Link, what hap – oh?" Wendy gasped, her eyes growing wide at the magic that protected them.
"What is this? A magic barrier?" Carla questioned, crawling out to gaze at the damaged crystal curiously. She turned to Link, astonished. "This is your doing? A new spell?"
Link frowned. It wasn't new... He had a feeling he had cast the spell numerous times before.
"May the Goddess, Nayru, forever protect you on your journey, young adventurer..."
"Nayru's Love," Link whispered, suddenly remembering its name. "It's... a spell that was given to me..." Long ago, it felt like. Much like most of his spells.
Wendy quietly repeated the name. For a moment, she looked sad and on the brink of tears.
"Are you okay, Wendy?" Link asked, worried. He couldn't tell how badly she was injured, seeing only the rips in her baggy clothes and the few scrapes on her face.
"I'm okay. Just a little banged up, that's all," she assured. However, she winced when she tried to shift in a more comfortable position. There wasn't much room to move in the small confines of the barrier so she remained lying on her side right under Link. She turned her head to give him an assuring smile, but her expression soon became stern. "What were you thinking?! You shouldn't have jumped in front like that!" she scolded, a slight quiver in her voice.
Link frowned at her in confusion. "Why not? I couldn't let him hurt you again..."
She gripped his arm and tried to look angry. "Because! What if... What if you got seriously injured or... or..."
"You can always heal me," Link pointed out. "I don't have the power to heal, but you do. So I don't care what happens to me as long as I can keep you safe."
Wendy bit her lower lip, clearly upset by what he had said. She was about to say something, but was interrupted by a light tapping against the crystal.
The three of them turned their heads to see a distorted image of Lucy. She was kneeling on the other side of the barrier, waving and gesturing with her hands.
Link's first instinct was to reach out and touch the broken barrier. He jerked back his hand when the solid crystal flashed and dissipated into thousands of pale blue light particles, his magic dispelling with only a thought.
For a brief moment, all eyes stared at the vanishing specks of light in childish wonder. With the protective barrier gone, the noise and rumbling in the cavern suddenly returned in full force.
"Thank goodness you guys are okay!" Lucy cried in relief. "What was that barrier?"
"Link remembered an old spell," Carla was first to answer, giving the boy a grateful smile. "In the nick of time, I might add."
As Link gently helped Wendy sit up, he said, "It's called 'Nayru's Love'."
Lucy was flabbergasted. "Wow, it's incredibly strong! It withstood Doriate's attacks!"
Link was just as impressed as he stared down at his hands. Nayru's Love was a powerful defensive spell, yet very draining on magic energy, he was quick to notice. Sighing wearily, he hardened his gaze at the aforementioned demon who was now wreaking havoc in Gray's and Rufus's battle-zone.
Jellal, Natsu and Happy, and Gray were busy battling the demon and, to an extent, Rufus as well. The hat-less boy in red was caught in the middle of the madness, constantly evading attacks from both sides and shouting angrily at them all. He cast spells here and there, more so to defend himself rather than to attack, likely wanting to avoid hitting Doriate and evoking his wrath.
With Jellal's staff still shining, shadows danced and flickered throughout with every movement he made and with every spell cast by each mage. It was evident the boys, including Rufus, were getting battered and worn out trying to survive Doriate's onslaught.
And the cavern certainly looked no better. Pits, craters, fissures, piles of broken stone and boulders, crumbled pillars, and missing chunks from the badly cracked ceiling; the cave looked ready to fall apart at any moment. With every quake the demon made, cracks would grow and deepen and more rocks and dust would fall. It had to be by some miraculous force that the cavern continued to hold up.
"We need to hurry and defeat Doriate," Carla hissed, shooting Link a look of desperation. "If he keeps on rampaging, this whole cavern will eventually collapse on us!"
Link nodded and stood up, his bow still in his grip. He turned towards Erza's and Minerva's ongoing battle off in the distance. Their area was lit up by a small piece of Light Lacrima Erza had levitating over her shoulder.
Behind Minerva's position, Link spotted Dragonslayer, as well as an assortment of Erza's weapons, all likely stolen right out of her hands. Minerva confidently stayed her ground, persistently keeping Erza at bay with her long-range magic.
"I need Dragonslayer back," said Link. "It might be the only thing strong enough to hurt Doriate now that he's transformed."
Lucy grabbed the boy's arm before he could take a step. "Wait! You can't let Minerva see you coming or else she'll relocate your sword somewhere else. I have an idea." She formed a cunning smile as she held up Virgo's Key.
"But won't Virgo turn into a kid too? Like Pisces did?" Link asked right before Lucy could summon the spirit.
"She'll be okay if the demon doesn't see her. I figured that out when I had Sagittarius lure the demon away from you guys. Now, here goes..." Holding Virgo's Key in both her hands, Lucy closed her eyes and furrowed her brow in concentration.
Link slightly tilted his head as he watched his master. Normally, Lucy could summon spirits without any effort at all so it was rather odd seeing her struggle.
Sweat was beaded on her brow by the time Virgo's Key flickered white. "Open the Gate of The Maiden!"
Virgo appeared in a puff of smoke. The young woman dressed as a maid looked down at the children around her. She raised her brow questionably at the little blonde-haired girl who was supposed to be her master. "Is that you, Master Lucy? What happened?"
Lucy waved a dismissive hand before pointing at the weapons behind Minerva. "No time to explain! I can't keep your gate open for long, Virgo, so I need you to hurry and do something for me! Go underground and retrieve Link's sword without being detected!"
Virgo followed Lucy's finger. "Which one is it?"
"The broken one with the blue metal hilt. It's lying beside that spear," Link explained, also pointing.
The spirit nodded and dove straight into the ground as if diving into water, smoothly tunneling head-first through solid rock. It took only a matter of seconds before Link and the others saw her head pop out of a hole like a curious mole beside the weapons.
The Celestial Spirit did a quick scan and found what she was looking for. Her hand was a blur as she swiped Link's blade before quickly retreating back underground.
Thankfully, Minerva was too distracted by Erza to notice what had happened.
Virgo reemerged from the hole she had made. She dropped to one knee before Link, bowed her head and presented Dragonslayer in both hands like a gift to royalty. "Your sword, Young Master."
Link put away his bow and grabbed his sword, grateful to have it back. "Thank you, Virgo."
"I shall return to the Spirit World at once. Master Lucy, please punish me when this bizarre situation has resolved itself." Virgo vanished in a blink.
Exhausted, Lucy groaned and sank to her knees, wiping the sweat on her brow. "It's so hard to control my magic like this," she muttered, holding her trembling hands.
"Are you low on magic, Master Lucy? Here." Link dug into his pouch and pulled out his vials of Magic Restore Elixir. He only brought two with him while leaving the rest back at the inn, thinking it was all he needed. He offered one to Lucy and the other to Wendy to help with her wounds.
The girls smiled in thanks, although they weren't too enthused to hurry and drink the extremely bitter potion.
"Keep your sword hidden so Minerva doesn't get a chance to take it away again," Lucy advised, glancing between Erza's battle and the boys'. "I'll try to help Erza. Keep Minerva's eyes away from you long enough for you to finish the job. We're counting on you to put an end to this, Link!"
"Understood," said the boy, his expression bold. He sheathed his sword and pulled up his hood to hide the hilt. To Wendy, he asked, "Can you cast any enchantments?"
Wendy frowned and rubbed her sore shoulder. "Well, I found out the hard way that I can only cast one at a time because they only last a few seconds at most. I'm sorry... You'll have to get close to the demon for any of my enchantments to be effective against him!"
"It won't be easy getting near him without getting caught up in the others' attacks," noted Carla, furrowing her brow in thought. She met Link's gaze, her eyes fervent and surprisingly fearless. "Nor can we have Rufus or Doriate notice your approach. Be silent and swift, as Mystogan had said. So, Link, I will help you. Use my wings to get close to him quickly and, when the moment is right, Wendy, give Link the Arms enchantment. Together, we will strike the demon fast and we will strike him hard."
Both children nodded.
Their plan was set. Lucy split off to help Erza while Link, Carla, and Wendy made their way towards the raging demon.
Carla rode on Link's back as he led the way with Wendy keeping in pace right behind him. They purposely took a roundabout route, using every obstacle as cover to stay out of sight and within the shadows.
When they were nearly there, Carla murmured in Link's ear, "Seven to eight metres. That's my estimate in how far I can carry you before my wings will give out. You're heavier than Wendy so I can't fly too high either. But don't worry. I'll get you behind Doriate no matter what. The rest will be up to you!"
The boy nodded, his focus never straying from the battle coming up ahead. He quietly seethed upon witnessing Doriate smashing a fist through Gray's flimsy shield of ice and punching the young mage behind it. Gray flew into Jellal and both boys ended up crashing through a support pillar and into the nearby cavern wall. The entire column crumbled apart, taking huge chunks of stone from the ceiling with it.
"Stop, Doriate!" Rufus screamed indignantly, daring to run up to the demon. "For the last time, calm down or else you'll kill us all, you brainless oaf!"
Doriate growled irritably, making the boy flinch back. "I've had enough of your whining!" the demon snarled. He swiped at Rufus, smacking the boy aside where he flew like a ragdoll into the same wall as Gray and Jellal.
"That fiend," Carla hissed under her breath. "He has no regard for his own teammates!"
"Bastard!" Natsu roared, lunging at Doriate's side. He jumped high with Happy's aid, his right arm completely engulfed in bright orange flames. Clenched within his hand was a large piece of crystal that burned white hot. "Hell-Fire Dragon Lacrima Crushing Claw!" he quickly blurted out.
Natsu's fiery fist connected with the left side of the demon's face and exploded with a powerful blast of scorching fire. The explosion sent Happy and Natsu tumbling backwards in the air and Doriate stumbling sideways to fall over on one knee. The demon's black mane had caught aflame, which he had yet to notice as tufts began to burn away.
With the demon down with his back exposed, it was the perfect chance for Link to strike!
The boy broke into a mad sprint towards the demon and leapt the moment he was close enough for Carla. Grunting with effort, she granted him a boost in speed and distance with her wings, closing the wide gap within a second. He landed in a crouching stance, his blade already drawn and ready by his side. As his sword flared with blue energy, Wendy cast her enchantment, imbuing his arms with incredible strength. The instant, his blade flashed red, Link sprang up with a mighty yell, twisting his body as he rose.
Dragonslayer slashed into Doriate's broad back multiple times from Link's high flying, spinning attack; a sudden new manoeuvre that his body seemed to remember how to do on its own. With each strike, his magic flared out like fiery blades, cleaving into the demon's flesh much, much deeper than before thanks to Wendy's added strength.
With a pained howl, Doriate was thrown off his feet by the magical attack, his blood flying after him. His hulking body flew in a wide arc and smashed into a rock column, which entirely shattered to pieces and buried the demon under rubble.
Link nearly fell over when he landed due to the spinning momentum of his attack. Dizzy and tired, he planted the broken tip of his sword into the ground to steady himself and catch his breath.
"You did it!" Carla cried in a rare display of joy.
He looked over his shoulder and mustered a weak smile, happy to see she was back to her normal self. He was about to check on everyone else when a sharp cracking sound made him freeze. It was continuous, accompanied with a dreadful rumbling from above.
Link snapped his head towards Doriate's buried body and saw huge cracks and fissures running along the ceiling, spreading out from where the pillar once stood. Large sections of rock began to break off, adding more debris atop the demon's mound. But then more and more of the ceiling began to fall in a devastating chain reaction.
The rock column Doriate had destroyed with his body was apparently the last crutch that had kept the cavern from fully collapsing.
The cave roared and trembled and started to fill with dust as rocks rained down on everyone.
"No! It's coming down!" Carla shrieked.
"Everyone! Over here!"
Jellal's scream pierced everyone's minds, ringing louder than the deafening noise.
Wincing, Link spun towards the brightest source of light, finding Jellal near the wall where he and Gray had been thrown into earlier.
Down on one knee, Jellal had his glowing hands raised towards the crumbling ceiling as if trying to hold it up. Face distorted into a grimace and arms badly shaking, the man was straining to slow the collapse of the cavern around him using Earth Magic and levitation combined.
"Hurry!" Jellal continued, his voice loud and urgent in their heads; "Link will warp us out!"
Sheathing his blade, Link hesitantly stepped towards Jellal as he searched for Wendy. He shouted her name, panic gripping his heart when he couldn't see her.
Not a moment too soon, Wendy emerged from a plume of dust, running in his direction.
"I'm behind you! Hurry!" she shouted, hands over her head to shield from falling debris.
Link decided to wait for her to catch up instead. Together, they sprinted the rest of the way to Jellal where Natsu and Happy were frantically waiting. Gray was next to arrive, roughly dragging Rufus along by the front of the man's frilly collar. Rufus was reluctant to follow, but was too injured and distraught by the chaos to fully resist. Lucy and Erza appeared shortly after with the latter carrying an unconscious Minerva over one shoulder.
As they all began to crowd around Link, the boy grabbed onto Jellal's arm and had no choice but to hold onto one of Minerva's limp hands. Everyone else placed their hands all over him, clutching his arms, shoulders, and back.
Gray shot Rufus a warning glare as he forced the man to hold onto Link's shoulder. "If you want to get out of this alive, you better not pull anything stupid! Got it?!"
Rufus bared his teeth in a snarl, but otherwise said nothing. He gave Link a brief glance before looking away, his hand tightening into a firm, but painless hold.
"Link, get us out of here! Now!" Jellal growled through clenched teeth, nearing his limits.
Everyone was ready. Link shut his eyes and took a quick, deep breath.
He focused on his warp point, remembering he had tossed it high above the entrance of the mine up on the mountain. He sensed its location, feeling it resonate in response to his call.
His magic surged forth. Bright light shone beyond his closed eyelids and a strong, cool wind began to blow, drawing a few sharp gasps. Hands and paws tightened their grip on his body. This was the most people he had ever had to teleport at once; he prayed he would not fail them. With their destination clear in his mind, Link cast his spell, putting every ounce of his remaining magic into it.
Farore's Wind swept them all off their feet and hopefully out of danger.
A/N: Writing battle scenes where there are multiple characters feels like my greatest weakness. Hopefully it wasn't too confusing.
Below is the next short. Surprising, the third most voted character was a tie between Romeo and Meredy so I'll be doing both! First up, is Romeo. Please enjoy!
Brotherly Mischief
As silent and stealthy as a ninja, Romeo walked along the ceiling of the hall towards Link's bedroom, his lips curling into a big grin. He couldn't wait to see how his little brother was going to react.
It had taken about a month of vigorous training, but Romeo had finally mastered his control over his Purple Fire. Instead of just creating a sticky hazard against foes, he had learned to use it to his own advantage after gaining some inspiration from Libra's gravitational abilities. He could cling and swiftly move along any solid surface by quickly alternating between casting and dispelling Purple Fire on his hands and feet. Upside down, sideways, every other odd angle; Romeo could climb just about anything if he tried. Just like a true ninja! (His master, Totomaru, the Rainbow Fire Mage, was actually quite impressed by his creativity.)
Romeo crouched on the ceiling as he reached above him to knock on the top of Link's bedroom door. It was early in the morning, but he knew Link would be awake by now. Or close to waking up at least. He tuned his ears, hearing light footsteps approach the door before it started to creak open.
Link peered out into the hall, appearing to have just crawled out of bed. He was yawning behind a hand only to pause mid-yawn when he saw no one standing on the other side of the door. He quickly rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked both ways down the hall in confusion.
Romeo couldn't hold back his snickering.
Link's head snapped up and he was shocked to see Romeo hanging upside down.
"Morning," greeted Romeo with a little wave and boastful grin.
"How are you doing that?!" Link exclaimed, swinging his door wide open to step out into the hall for a better look.
"Check it out." Romeo stood and lifted one bare foot to show the string of purple flame that attached his heel to the ceiling. "Been practicing for a while, but now I can walk and run on anything with Purple Fire!"
Link was astonished. "Like with Libra's gravity?"
"Exactly. Although, not quite the same because down is still down. All the blood is rushing to my head." Romeo extinguished his magic to drop to the floor, flipping in midair to land in a crouch in front of Link. After enduring countless bruises and bumps on the head, he had also finally perfected his landing.
Link made a sound of amazement, bringing a prideful smile on Romeo's face.
"There's something else I want to show you," said Romeo as he stood up and dusted his hands. "Hurry and get dressed. I'll make us breakfast."
Nodding, Link ran back to his room to change.
Romeo went to the kitchen where the rising sun was beginning to peek through their large, back window. He noisily grabbed cooking utensils and ingredients to make quick and easy omelettes.
At a young age, Romeo had learned to cook due to his father sometimes having to be out of town for a number of days dealing with Guild Master duties. It was Bisca who taught him all the tips and tricks of a kitchen when she and Alzack used to watch over him before he was old enough to take care of himself.
Right now, Macao was out of town on a mission with Wakaba and would be gone for a few days, leaving Romeo and Link alone in the house. The boys were free to do whatever they pleased. As long as they didn't destroy their home. Again.
The boys had learned their valuable lesson since the first incident. With their father doing more jobs than usual to pay off their new house, Romeo and Link had promised to never use their weapons or attack magic inside or near their home. They didn't want to cause Macao any more stress than he already had.
The boys quickly scarfed down their meals and cleaned up their messes before donning their coats to head out to their small backyard. Unlike their old house, which backed a smelly, old alley, their new place was situated right at the eastern edge of Magnolia where a small forest grew on the other side of their short, stone fence. Looming past the trees were tall, pale mountains that stretched along the side of the town, providing a natural barrier.
It was a crisp, autumn morning. A slight breeze made the leaves of the forest quietly rustle and fall. The ground was littered with colours of gold, red, purple, and brown as the trees started to shed their leaves in preparation for winter.
As Romeo locked the back door, Link asked him, "What did you want to show me? Another new fire ability?"
"Sort of," the older boy replied. He moved to stand in the middle of the yard, his shoes crunching on dried leaves. "I think I figured something out. Let's go to our secret place and I'll show you! It's going to be cool!"
Excited, Link nodded and didn't need to be asked to summon Libra.
The Celestial Spirit, upon first glance at the boys' eager faces, immediately knew what they were up to. Sighing, she shook her head at them in slight amusement, thankfully never seeming to grow tired of their antics. Without even waiting for a command, she tilted her arms to greatly reduce the gravity on their bodies, making them as light as feathers.
The boys smiled at her in thanks. Carefully, the three of them positioned themselves for the next step.
Romeo stood in the middle with Link on his right and Libra on his left. He held each of their hands in a tight grip as he shifted low in his stance.
"Jump on three," said Romeo, locking his eyes on the peak of the mountain in the distance. "One. Two. Three!"
They jumped off the ground as one. The height and speed of their leap was further boosted by the short, concentrated bursts of Orange Fire at the soles of Romeo's shoes.
They shot through the air like a fired cannon, soaring far and fast over the treetops and well above the tall, mountain range. The rushing cold wind stung their eyes and chilled their skin, but did little to ruin their fun.
Romeo and Link were laughing and screaming in joy, always thrilled by the blood-pumping adventure no matter how many times they've experienced it. Up high in the sky, they could see all of Magnolia and the land beyond the borders. East Forest was waiting on the other side of the mountains, the vast expanse of the giant trees seemingly endless. They could easily jump to Porlyusica's home if they wanted to, only if they knew which of the thousands of trees was hers.
They flew over the mountaintops in seconds. Once they were nearing their destination on the other side, Libra gradually increased their gravity so they would start descending back to earth.
Their secret place was in sight; a secluded area up on a wide, flat cliff near the edge of East Forest. It was a nice, quiet spot the boys had discovered shortly after moving into their new house. The location was a secret between them and Link's Celestial Spirits. They had called it their 'Secret Training Ground' for it was a place where they could freely use their spells and dragon weapons without the risk of being seen. Or cause any accidental damage or harm to anyone else, for that matter. With the regular Training Grounds in constant use by the adults, it was safer for the boys to train elsewhere.
Libra made them drop like a boulder when they were right above the spot. Before they could crash into the ground, she turned them near-weightless so their feet would gently touch the ground. Gravity was returned to normal right after, preventing them from bouncing back up.
Still giddy from the adrenaline rush, the boys cheered and thanked Libra for her help. She nodded, her eyes gleaming with a smile, before heading back home to the Spirit World on her own, knowing her job was done.
Romeo brushed his hands through his messy wind-swept hair as he looked around. The cliff they stood on was a third of the way up the mountainside and close enough to the edge of East Forest that they could leap onto the thick branches of the nearest trees. The area was relatively flat and as twice as wide as their entire guild, allowing them to freely move around without constraint. Opposite of the cliffside was the mountain wall, steep and marked with numerous holes and scars from the boys testing out their weapons and spells. Various wooden logs were also set up near the wall, acting as shooting targets for them to practice their long-ranged attacks.
Romeo moved towards their makeshift shooting range and stopped a good distance away. He flicked his wrist to equip his leather sash of dragon daggers belted over his left shoulder. Having the weapons felt rather natural to Romeo, as if they had always been a part of him, much like how a swordsman was always comfortable with their favourite sword by their side. It was a strange feeling he couldn't quite explain. Maybe because the weapons were soulbound to him for Link had a similar feeling with his dragon equipment too.
Romeo glanced down at his blades, seeing the golden mark of Lupus glinting on each hilt and sheath. He and Link had spent several nights brainstorming names for them.
At the top was Skycutter, its hilt made of smooth white bone and the guard carved into the shape of feathered wings. The pearly-white blade was a curved, sharpened fang of the Sky Dragon, Grandeeney, and was capable of generating powerful air blades with every slash.
Next was Salamander, made from Igneel, the Dragon King of Flames, and named after Natsu. Layered, crimson scales covered the handle that was warm to the touch. The blade was always white-hot and ablaze with orange flames whenever in Romeo's hands, but cold and lifeless when other people tried to wield it. Searing fire would flare out with each swing of the knife, deeming it a powerful short-ranged weapon that can cut and burn at the same time.
The third knife was the sharpest of the six. Dragonslasher. Originally an iron fang from Metalicana, it was magically converted to its strongest form: dragonsteel. The hilt was a metallic blue and the pommel was a sharp, metal, claw-like point. The flat, straight and lustrous, silvery blade was double-edged and deadly, able to cleave through solid stone and metal as if they were only paper.
The fourth, Earthbreaker, was crafted from the Quake Dragon. It looked plain when sheathed with a brown, leather hilt and a rounded, amber-jewelled pommel. However, when drawn, it would attract a lot of attention with its large, wickedly jagged blade that gleamed like smooth onyx. As the name of the dagger implied, (and from what Romeo had accidentally learned), the weapon could cause mighty tremors against anything it struck.
The fifth, Romeo rarely unsheathed due to its danger; the sleep-causing Dreamblade from the Coma Dragon. Pale pink crystal formed the handle and a tassel of soft, red feathers dangled from the gilded pommel. The curved, bony blade was serrated with hundreds of tiny, sharp, little teeth and shimmered with a rainbow sheen as if coated in oil. Its sleeping effect was supposedly potent; Gemini had mentioned that the smallest cut could knock a person out for a week. Romeo was curious if that were true, but did not have the heart to test it out on anyone or any other living creature.
Last, and definitely not least, was Starpiercer, the Nova Dragon dagger. Romeo drew the weapon into his hand by its thick, solid black handle that was polished stone. Unlike the other daggers, Starpiercer was a third shorter in length, lacked a guard, had a rather large pommel that was cone-shaped and hollow, and – despite its smaller overall size – had a little more heft to it. The dark, stony blade had thin cracks running outwards from the centre where the inner core steadily pulsed with white energy. The edge was dull, however it was not meant for cutting, but piercing instead, with its sharp, narrowed point that resembled the head of an arrow.
Romeo had found out the hard way what Starpiercer was capable of. The first time he stabbed it into a wooden target, he was met with a blinding white explosion to the face. Luckily, it happened when he was at the Training Grounds and Wendy was around to heal his injuries. After that incident, Romeo had tried to be extra careful with Starpiercer, but kept accidentally blowing himself up. With such a short reach, he couldn't quite figure out how to properly use the explosive energy weapon without hurting himself in the process. He had thought it was meant to be thrown, but it was too heavy to fly far or even straight.
One day, after unsuccessfully hitting distant targets, Romeo had noticed that the power behind each explosion depended on how hard the blade was thrown. The stronger the impact, the stronger the blast.
It had got him thinking. For days and days, Romeo had pondered and stared at Starpiercer until he finally realized why it was designed the way it was.
Today was the day he was going to test his theory out.
Link came up beside Romeo and looked at the dagger in his hand, entranced by its glow. "Did you figure out how to properly use Starpiercer?"
Romeo's grin was smug. "Yes! I've been doing it all wrong. I'm not supposed to throw it, but to launch it. Watch – actually," he gave the area a quick scan, seeing dried leaves scattered throughout; "Maybe summon Pisces here. Just in case something starts to burn."
"Okay," said Link, happy to oblige. He selected his other golden key and opened the Celestial Spirit's gate.
Pisces appeared in human form, wielding his great trident in hand. He smiled warmly at the two. "Greetings, my brothers. What mischief are you both planning today?"
"It's not mischief, it's training," Romeo corrected, slightly pouting.
The spirit's dark eyes flickered to the glowing knife in Romeo's hand, a skeptical eyebrow raised.
Romeo ignored his look. "Anyway, watch this cool thing I'm about to do! Stand back and cover your ears!" The fire mage shifted into position as Link and Pisces took several steps back and plugged their ears.
Romeo stuck his tongue out to the side as he focused his sight on the standing wooden log straight ahead. Tip pointing forward, he held Starpiercer before him in his left hand and placed the palm of his right over the opening of the hollow pommel. Sweat beaded on his brow and his heart was racing in his chest. He was nervous; he had to time it right or else it would literally blow up in his face.
All right... Here goes!
He loosened his grip on Starpiercer's hilt just as a concentrated burst of Orange Fire erupted from his right palm. The knife shot out of his hand like a rocket with a loud fwoosh! In a blink, it blew past the wooden target and struck the mountain wall behind it instead.
Romeo had expected a bigger blast than normal upon impact. What he didn't expect was a humongous, deafening, blinding white explosion that filled his entire vision and sent him flying back.
His back collided with something hard and everything went black.
Next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground in a daze, his ears ringing and his eyes unable to focus on the blurry shadows looming above him. Slowly, his senses returned as did the feeling in his body.
"Ow..." he groaned, wincing at the pain throbbing at the back of his head.
"Romeo! Are you okay?!" he heard Link cry as a hand gripped his shoulder.
Romeo rapidly blinked to clear his vision and found Link and Pisces kneeling over him, their brows deeply furrowed. "Yeah... I think I'm okay," he mumbled as they helped him sit up.
Link gave his brother another quick check, gingerly touching the bump on Romeo's head. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Romeo flinched away and lightly batted the younger boy's hand away. "I'm fine. Just a small bump, I think..." He touched the bump just to make sure. It was bigger than a small bump, but luckily there was no blood. He gave them both an assuring smile. "See? No worries."
Relieved, Link's concern quickly morphed into wide-eyed amazement. "That was really cool, Romeo!"
Pisces held up a proud fist and joined in the praise. "Indeed. An impressive display of absolute destruction worthy of your guild's reputation. Well done, Brother."
"Huh – Whoa!" Romeo's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped to the ground when he finally noticed the damage he had done.
Normally, Starpiercer thrown into the mountain wall would blast out a reasonable sized chunk. Starpiercer shot into the wall like a bullet however, resulted in an enormous, melted crater that was at least a third of the mountain deep and just as wide, appearing as if a giant meteor had smashed right into it. The explosive energy had vaporized all the rocks it had touched upon impact, including the entire back-half of the boys' shooting range area. Numerous cracks and deep fissures spread out from the crater, running far and deep across the mountainsides and clifftop.
Romeo jumped to his feet, shocked, horrified, and flabbergasted in that order. He was gawking at the true power behind Starpiercer. "I-I did that?! That's so awesome! I can't wait to show Natsu!"
Link was just as thrilled. But then his excitement turned into bewilderment. He pointed at the mess before them. "How will you show Natsu when Starpiercer is gone?"
Romeo raised his brow and planted his hands on his hips. "What? It's not gone. Starpiercer can withstand its own explosion. It should still be in one piece."
However, Link continued to point, his face a frown. "But it's gone... How do you know where it went?"
Pisces nodded in agreement as he looked over the damaged clifftop. "It will be difficult to locate when we could not see where it had flown."
Romeo felt his stomach drop as his eyes widened in horror. "Oh... Oh no! It's still gotta be around here somewhere! Help me find it!"
For hours, Romeo, Link, and Pisces searched the area for the lost knife. They checked every little crack and fissure and even dared to venture into the giant, melted crater on the verge of crumbling. Romeo was starting to lose hope by mid-afternoon. Tired, hungry, and frustrated, he decided that they should take a break and search again later.
However, it was as if luck was on their side; just as they were climbing out of the crater, Link's keen eyes spotted Starpiercer wedged under a shadowy crag close to where the mountain wall once merged with the clifftop.
Romeo was so relieved that he gave Link a big hug as thanks.
Exhausted from the search, they took a little break before heading home. They sat at the edge of the cliff, looking towards the colourful forest, legs dangling precariously over the side.
"I wonder how future-me fought with Starpiercer without ever losing it," said Romeo as he studied the blade closely in his hands, seeing it glow with energy once more. He couldn't imagine his future counterpart spending hours searching for the weapon after every use in the midst of a battlefield full of dragons. Starpiercer sure was a tricky weapon.
"Tied with string?" Link suggested, peering over from Romeo's left.
Romeo shook his head. "Would've burnt up in the explosion."
"A heat-resistant chain?" offered Pisces, seated on Romeo's other side.
Romeo pondered for a moment. "Too heavy. Would mess up the range as well as trajectory. Also would have to find a very long chain and where would I even attach it to?"
"What about... magic?" Link asked with a slight tilt of his head. "Maybe use one of your fires?"
"Fire? No way that would... Or would it?" Romeo perked up when an idea suddenly crossed his mind. He smiled at Link, grateful to have a clever little brother.
"Link, you've given me a great idea!" exclaimed Romeo. He sheathed his blade, stood up, and dusted off his pants. He helped pull Link and Pisces back onto their feet.
Link was overjoyed. "Really?! What's your idea?"
"You'll see!" said Romeo, grinning. "It's going to be another cool surprise! I'll have to work on mastering it first. But it looks like we'll have to find a new secret spot before then." He frowned at their destroyed training ground. It wouldn't take long before the ground under their feet would eventually start breaking apart. "Let's do that after we go home and grab something to eat. I'm starving!"
As they journeyed home the same way they had come, Romeo was smiling from ear to ear. He couldn't wait to start practicing his new technique so he could make his brother proud.
Link may not seem to know it, but he was oftentimes a big inspiration to Romeo. Strong, courageous, and filled with endless determination; Romeo admired Link as much as Link had grown to admire him as a big brother.
To be the greatest big brother was Romeo's aspiration so he could one day help carry the burden on Link's shoulders. The older boy wasn't always playing games or fooling around as many tend to think, he was training hard in his own creative ways. Just like everyone else in the guild, he had been spending most of his time and effort growing stronger, shedding his fair share of blood, sweat, and tears, hoping to reach the same level as Crow, his future self.
A master Rainbow Fire Mage, skilled ninja, and perhaps, someday, even Gildarts' disciple; those were Romeo's goals set deep in his mind and heart. No amount of pain and hardships were going to stop him, especially when his greatest desire was to be able to protect the lives of his guild and family.
A/N: Just like the boys, I spent days trying to come up with names and descriptions for each dagger. It's too bad Romeo never got much development in the series. I honestly think he'd make a decent Fire Ninja if he sticks with his training with Totomaru.
Thanks for reading!
Note to Sayians4ever: Sorry! I'm currently not taking any story requests.