For one more day, I'm not afraid to fall
For one more day, we try to save it all
The guards moved to prepare for battle, and a plan was formulated as the royal healers and Sherria went around healing those that needed it. I refused when asked, feeling as though my wounds were not nearly as bad as some of the other mages. Laxus glared at me when I insisted they heal him instead.
"I'll be fine." I told him, ignoring his heated look.
"No, I'll be fine." He growled "I don't want you getting hurt out there, it's gonna be rough."
"I agree." Bickslow says "I can tell you're exhausted (Y/n). You should take the chance for some healing."
I shook my head as the healers moved on, tending to other people. "Too late. There are people who need it more than me. C'mon guys, don't you have faith in me? I'm strong enough to take care of myself."
They both frown, and Bickslow eventually sighs "Fine, but I'm not leaving your side!"
Just then, Evergreen and Freed joined the three of us. They were smiling, looking determined. Evergreen put her arm around my back as she looked at everyone "No, none of us are. We're a team, and we'll fight together until the end!"
My heart sores at her declaration, feeling so lucky to have this wonderful group of mages by my side. The clock strikes midnight, and we grow quiet. There was no telling what would happen now, all we had to do was wait. Fairy Tail had been assigned to this area, while all the other guilds had left and were waiting on standby in other spots around the city. I took a moment to reflect back on all the time we'd spent competing with each other in the games. Now that it was over, there were no rivalries. We were all together, about to fight for our lives and our future. I hoped everyone would come out of this okay.
"Hm, I'm not sure this moon is a good omen…" Freed spoke, and we all looked up to see what he was staring at. A lunar eclipse had started, bathing the distant object in a red light.
Suddenly, we heard thunderous footsteps that shook the earth beneath us. I gripped Evergreen, both of us trying to keep our balance as we heard an immense roar. The noise grew closer and closer until I saw a large beast walking within the city. It was gray, with giant wings and a purple underbelly. It was bigger than anything I'd ever seen before and I gasped "We're supposed to be fighting over a hundred of those?!"
"How can they possibly take out a few of those, let alone thousands of them?!" Gray shouted.
I couldn't look away as even more of them showed up, their roars crumbling nearby structures. The dragons all looked completely different, but there was no denying that these creatures were strong. Makarov shouted at us to spread out, and I barely heard him over the dragons' roars. Laxus grabbed my arm as the beasts took to the air, the resulting shock-wave nearly knocking us all over. We dodged debris as we spread away from our guild mates, the five of us making sure to stay somewhat close together.
The beasts flew higher, and I watched as they all congregated near the castle, flying in circles around the building. We had no idea what was happening. At this point there were only seven dragons total, which nowhere near the amount we expected. However, even fighting this many seemed to be a daunting task. Before we knew it, they were all flying outwards, going to different directions in the city.
"They're heading straight for all the guilds!" I realized, and we watched as a beast cloaked entirely in flames came barreling towards us.
"That's a dragon?!" Droy cried.
"It's covered in fire!" I heard someone else say, and I watched with fear in my heart as the beast landed in front of us.
"Let's take it down!" Makarov shouted, prompting everyone to yell in agreement "Just follow my lead, and aim for its feet!"
The small man took off running, and we all followed closely behind him. We prepared to attack, and the dragon spoke "I am the one known as Atlas Flame. Prepare to taste my hellfire, puny humans!"
A large ball of magic energy formed as the dragon opened its mouth, shooting a powerful beam at us when he roared. It struck the ground, causing a blast that sent people flying. Laxus grabbed me, covering me and keeping us grounded. My heart beat wildly in my chest, having never experienced such a powerful force. Even after all my training, I felt powerless against the sheer strength of this beast. Left to my own devices, I surely would have been knocked down by the blast. I watched helplessly beneath Laxus's coat as my friends were thrown backwards. Laxus was so protective, and he was surely worried about me, but I felt dismayed at his constant protection of me. Did he think I was unable to take care of myself? I supposed in this case, I really was.
"Stay strong children!" Makarov shouted, bracing himself firmly against the wave of magic. Laxus released me as the force of the blast subsided, and I ran over to make sure the Thunder Legion was okay. They got up, quickly gathering their bearings.
"Jeez, that thing is strong!" Bickslow said, leaning on me and cradling his head as I checked him for injuries "I sure am glad I wear this armor!"
I sighed, relieved to see them all looking fine, if not a little shaken. I held onto Bickslow as I brought my gaze back over to the dragon. It was now rampaging through the city, destroying buildings and wreaking havoc. "This is bad."
"Has the city been fully evacuated?" Erza asked as we all regrouped.
"Yes. They're safe, the Royal Army is protecting them." Macao responded.
"Good, then we don't have to worry about letting loose!" Gajeel cackled.
"Letting loose is manly!" Elfman shouted, prompting Evergreen to roll her eyes. I couldn't help but smile at the group. They were so positive about everything.
The beast came back our way, and we readied ourselves to fight. I felt my magic power swirling inside me, nearly recovered. I would do anything to ensure we made it through this, and I glanced over at my boyfriends. Bickslow was grinning madly, his babies bobbing around excitedly. Laxus looked eager to fight as well. As I looked to him, I realized that he was our best hope for defeating this beast, being a dragon slayer. Above everything, I knew I had to make sure he didn't run out of power. I'd empty my magic containers if it meant giving him fuel to continue fighting.
"Laxus" I grabbed his coat sleeve and he looked down at me. I couldn't help faltering under his intense gaze. He was so incredible, and as I stared at him I knew that I was falling for him, harder than ever. "I... If you ever find yourself feeling weak, I can use my lightning to help you restore power, okay?"
"Thanks, but don't worry about me." He grinned, kissing me "Trust in my strength."
I looked away, hiding my flushed face. I'd nearly told him I loved him, but this wasn't the time or place for that. We had to make it through this fight, and he was our best chance for victory. This was no time to be distraction him with declarations of love. I knew he wouldn't so easily accept my help, but I was determined to do it no matter how much he protested. I simply nodded, leaning into Bickslow when he came up behind me. I felt so safe with them both here and I smiled.
"After this, I'm taking us on a nice relaxing date."
The two men chuckled, and we watched as Juvia and Gray decided they'd attack the beast together. Being that they controlled water and ice, their attack should be super effective against fire. They combined their magic, sending the two waves at the dragon and hitting it directly. It caused a large cloud of steam and smoke, and we waited for it to clear. Everyone gasped when we saw it did nothing.
"But how?!" Juvia cried "We combined our burning passion for each other and hit it with our full magic power!"
Gray deadpanned as the water mage tightly gripped his hand. The dragon moved closer and spoke "Foolish creatures. My hellfire consumes all that stands before me!"
It reared back, sending a pillar of fire at us. Freed ran forward, pulling out his rapier "I'll block his attack with my runes!"
He quickly drew up a shield, meeting the blast halfway. His shield holds for a moment before giving way, and the blast hit those of us up front hard. We were sent flying back, and I crossed my arms to cover my face from the heat. I crashed into the ground hard, rolling and scraping my exposed skin roughly against the stone street.
"It blasted through Freed's spell like it was nothing!" Bickslow grunted as we all stood up again.
I winced, feeling sharp pain in my side and I realized my rib had cracked. It had gotten hit hard during my earlier battle with Sherria, and that blast had only made it worse.. Dammit. This is bad. If I kept hitting the area, the bones would eventually break. I really needed to be careful. That was, unfortunately, kind of hard to do when battling a fucking dragon. And this was barely just beginning...
"This thing is crazy." I said, shaking the dirt off my torn clothing. I had changed out of my earlier outfit, and now the clothes I wore were ripped again. "There's no way we can do this."
"Don't lose hope!" Erza said "We have to keep fighting."
Everybody stood, nodding at her statement. The dragon, Atlas Flame, laughed "You're all still standing after that roasting huh? You must be wizards."
"You're damn right we are!" Makarov growled, having walked forward to join us. We gaped in shock as he summoned his magic, transforming himself and growing in size.
"Good idea." Macao called "Fight a monster with a monster."
"All right, that's the way to do it!" Wakaba chuckled "Give them a good old fashioned beat down Gramps!"
"Wow, it's been awhile since I've seen this!"
I grin slightly at Romeo's words, watching as the small man grew to match the towering frame of the dragon. His power swirled around him as he faced the beast.
"Fairy Tail is no ordinary group of wizards!" Gramps shouted, his voice deep and thunderous "The power we share is unlike any other!"
He ran at the dragon, throwing a powerful punch directly at it. The force of it sent a huge gust of wind backwards, and we marveled at the incredible magic of our guild master. However, it did nothing to the dragon, and I couldn't believe it. Not even he could faze Atlas Flame.
"There's is nothing you can do!" The dragon rumbled "Humans will never beat a dragon!"
It charged, and I watched in horror as Gramps blocked him, taking his fiery form head on. He was pushed back, and we all shouted as the flames flew at us, their heat burning and the force knocking us over. I cradled my side as we stood again and Makarov shrunk back down, breathing heavily.
"Are you okay old man?" Bickslow shouted as we walked up to the small man.
"Did it hurt you?" Romeo asked.
He waved us off "I'm fine, just a little burnt is all!"
"If not even Master can stop it, I don't think the rest of us have a chance..." Juvia muttered.
"There's got to be something we can do!" Freed shouted desperately.
"First Master, you're good with strategies." Gray said, turning back to address the woman who was keeping Asuka safe. "What should we do?"
She nodded, analyzing the situation for a moment before speaking. "There are seven dragons. I think the plan should be obvious at this point…"
"What do you mean?" Erza said.
Just then, we heard the voice of Natsu shouting from one of the dragons above. "Can everybody hear me? Dragon slayer magic can take these guys down! You guys, we've got seven slayers here! One for each dragon! Our magic exists for this very reason, we were born for this."
I look over to Gajeel and Laxus, who both grinned widely as Natsu shouted "Let's use our power, and slay some fucking dragons!"
Everyone shouts in agreement, looking to the two slayers. After a moment, Gajeel frowns "Wait, seven slayers? That idiot can't count."
Erza's eyes go wide and she mutters, "Cobra…"
Before anyone has the chance to question her, Lisanna shouts "What are those?!"
We look to where she's pointing, and we see the largest dragon roar as it begins dropping large egg-shaped objects from above. They come barreling towards us, and we dodge when they crash into the ground, sending debris and dirt flying.
"Dragon eggs?" Freed says, and we watch in horror as they begin hatching. Dragon-like creatures emerge from the shells, and suddenly we have hundreds of them surrounding us.
"There's a whole army of them!" Elfman says, standing next to Lisanna protectively.
"This isn't good." Romeo said "Dealing with one dragon was hard enough!"
Suddenly, I feel the pressure of Laxus's lightning, and look over to see him running at Atlas Flame. He sends a powerful punch at the fire dragon, knocking him back. I run towards him, in awe of my boyfriend's power and also worried about his extensive injuries. "Laxus!"
"Get it together you guys!" He growls "We've got dragons to slay. You can take care of the little ones; I'll handle this guy myself."
"You can't do it alone!" Romeo shouts, and before anyone can respond I feel the Thunder Legion step up beside me.
"He isn't alone." Freed says, his face set in determination.
"The Thunder Legion is always by his side!" Evergreen grins, putting her arm around my waist. I gape at them, surprised by their devotion. I begin to realize now what their team was about. It wasn't just a Laxus fan club. It was a group of outcasts, that had become loyal friends brought together by their difficult upbringings and strange magics. That, also paired with their mutual love and respect for a man who seemed so cold and closed off but actually cared for his friends fiercely.
"That's right baby!" Bickslow shouted, his babies repeating "That's right!" cheerfully. "We can handle anything life throws at us!"
I nodded, steeling my reserve. There was nothing left to do but fight as much as I could alongside my friends. I swore I'd help Laxus in any way, and now was my chance. "Right! We've got this, no problem."
"The rest of you keep away! Only dragon slayers will be able to defeat these large ones." Mavis instructed as we moved to flank Laxus. "Good luck you guys! Gajeel, find another target. Not all the guilds have dragon slayers, so go help them. The rest of you, focus on the little ones!"
Everyone began to move into position, and I watched as Elfman walked by Evergreen, telling her to be careful. She huffed, pretending to be offended "As if I need you to tell me that."
He grinned, walking away without another word. She sighed, biting her lip and trying to resist the urge to look back at him. Evergreen was so clueless and stubborn, and I hoped she wouldn't regret her harsh words towards the man. I turned back to the fight going on in front of me, trusting everyone would stay safe. The monster slowly made its way towards us, and I felt sweat drip down my face from the heat. Bickslow looked at me, now wearing the same nervous expression as myself. We both glanced to our boyfriend Laxus, who was scowling at the dragon.
"Alright guys, let's give this bastard everything we've got!" Laxus says.
"Right!" We all shout, summoning our magic and sending a barrage of spells at the beast. He roars in anger, swiping his tail at us. Debris from nearby buildings goes flying as his tail knocks down everything in its path. The Thunder Legion takes to the air, using their individual magics to dodge. I dive to the side, using a rock barrier to stop the debris from hitting me. Laxus runs towards Atlas Flame while he's distracted, using his lightning dragon's iron fist to attack. It connects with the dragon's chest, and the Thunder Legion returns to the ground as Laxus continues to attack the beast.
"Your magic is nothing compared to my flames, stupid creature!" Atlas Flame laughed, swiping at Laxus and nearly hitting him "I will destroy you!"
"Man this bastard is annoying." Laxus growls, lightning sparking off his body as he falls back and stands beside me. The monster summons a roar, aiming it directly at us. We quickly jump back as a burst of energy barrels towards us, blasting apart the ground. I use my own runes to block the beam, but it breaks them apart quicker than Freed's, and Laxus and I are sent flying back. He manages to keep his footing as he lands, catching me in his arms. The jostling irritates my cracked ribs and I inhale sharply to avoid crying out in pain. Laxus looks at me in worry. "Are you okay (Y/n)?"
"I'm fine." I grit my teeth in frustration as he sets me down and the Thunder Legion groups back up with us. "Let's see how this guy does when I snuff out his fire with my storm magic!"
I move forward, crossing my arms in front of me and summoning a hurricane. Up until now I'd only used smaller spells, but there was no use holding back. The wind kicks up, water whipping through the air as my storm gathers strength. I focus on making it as powerful as I can, and large clouds gather above the dragon. I release it all at once, sending it roaring directly at the beast. The explosion covers the entire area, and eventually clears to show that his flames have barely been affected. I groaned in dismay; that attack had used quite a bit of magic power. "Well fuck. What do we do?"
"Don't worry, I've got an idea." Laxus said, and both my boyfriends moved to stand beside me.
"We gotta work together Stormy." Bickslow chuckled "That's what the Thunder Legion does best."
"Everyone get ready!" Laxus commanded. "Freed and Evergreen, spread out and gain some height. Bickslow, send your totems into the sky and (Y/n), aim for his belly. We're going to hit him from all sides. Let's all do it together, alright?!"
We all nod before moving into position. Freed uses his wings to gain a high vantage point, and Atlas Flame instantly directs his attention to the rune mage. He dodges the beast's swinging tail and activates his eye magic, using his Dark Ecriture as we all summon our own magic. Evergreen, using her fairy wings to fly around the opposite side, begins shooting her Fairy Machine gun. I create a large ice storm, blasting it directly at the dragon's chest and belly. Bickslow uses his baryon formation, his babies attacking from above as Laxus moves next to me, shooting his lightning dragon roar at the beast's face. The creature is blasted with our magic, and the force creates a huge cloud.
"How does it feel to get hit by everything at once?" Laxus grins, but the dragon merely laughs.
"I don't feel a thing!" The smoke clears to show that once again, Atlas Flame is unaffected. "My hellfire burns through magic!"
"Dammit, this thing is strong." I mutter as the dragon roars, crumbling any structures still standing nearby.
"You've got bad chemistry with this one Laxus," Freed says as he and Ever return to our side. "Lightning is useless against flames…"
"Too bad there isn't a water dragon slayer." Evergreen mutters, her brows furrowed in frustration.
"We've got a fire dragon slayer floating overhead." Bickslow laughs, pointing into the sky. We look up to see Natsu being carried above us by Happy, much to our shock. The exceed drops the slayer, sending him falling towards Atlas Flame. The boy begins laughing madly as he free-falls.
"Natsu, what're you doing?" Laxus shouts.
The pink haired boy cackles excitedly as he lands on the flame dragon, ignoring Laxus. "I found you, fire dragon!"
"Who are you?!" Atlas Flame growls, and Natsu introduces himself before quickly chomping down on the beast.
"What the hell?" Laxus gapes, and we all face-palm.
"This is insane." I can't help but laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of this situation.
Happy floats over to us, chuckling "What else can you expect from a guy who thinks with his stomach?"
We all watch as the dragon shouts in rage, taking off into the air to try and shake Natsu from his back. The slayer continues to eat the fire, despite Atlas Flame's efforts.
"What the hell are you trying to do, Natsu?!" Laxus yells.
"What does it look like? I'm getting this guy in my belly!" He responds between mouthfuls of flame. "You guys should go help Wendy at the castle! She needs back up."
I gasp, having forgotten about the small girl. I look over to Laxus who's frowning. "He's right. She may be a dragon slayer, but she's still young."
"She could be in trouble if she's on her own." Evergreen says worriedly.
"Tch," Laxus crossed his arms "Fine, let's go. You've got this, right Natsu?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna get more powerful by eating this guy!" He shouted back before shoveling more flames into his mouth.
"Alright, then let's hurry." Laxus said, turning to us "To the palace, I guess."
We took off running, Happy following us closely. I ran beside Laxus and Bickslow, trying to power through my fatigue. I had nearly forgotten how exhausted I was in the heat of battle, but running made everything even worse. My ribs shifted with every labored breath. Laxus glanced over at me, his expression worried "You okay?"
I rolled my eyes as Bickslow looked over at me too "I'm fine you two, this ain't nothing!"
The last thing I wanted was for them to fret about me, when they probably weren't feeling great themselves. So, I morphed my face into a blank expression to hide my discomfort as we neared the castle. Wendy and Mirajane were in a heated battle with a large green dragon, and Laxus quickly ran toward them. They stood back when they saw him, relief evident in their faces. We followed, stopping to check on the two women as Laxus continued on towards the dragon.
"Are you two alright?" I asked.
Mira and Wendy nodded, looking fine despite their struggle. I surveyed the area, and was surprised to see Yukino and the other exceeds there, standing with a man in armor and a woman in regal clothing. I quickly did a double take when I realized it was Princess Hisui, and gaped. I couldn't believe she had not been evacuated when the dragons came. We began to move towards them, with Wendy and Mirajane following us.
"Is everyone okay?" Freed asked when we reached the group next to the Eclipse Gate. They all nodded, watching as Laxus stood in front of the beast, his lightning sparking off his body.
"Oh-ho, more delicious human women!" The dragon rumbled, completely ignoring Laxus in favor of looking at me and Evergreen "I can't wait to strip them of those nasty clothes and taste their yummy flesh!"
I scrunched my face in disgust "What the fuck?"
Mira sweat dropped "You should have seen what happened to Lucy..."
"Kinky." Bickslow chuckled, and I sighed.
I could only imagine what had happened. That girl always lost her clothes.
"Tch. You're done for pervert!" Laxus shouted, aiming a lightning punch at the beast.
"Ha! That cocky attitude will only get you so far, you little insect." The dragon growled, and Laxus quickly continued with a lightning dragon roar. The monster was barely affected, continuing to dodge and attack back. He easily absorbed a lightning attack from Laxus before spreading his wings and sending the lightning shooting outward. It came blasting toward us, and I quickly shielded Wendy as the others did their best to avoid the bolts. Laxus was hit in the chest with the lightning, blasting him out of the air. He fell, grunting as he hit the rocky ground.
"Laxus!" I stood up, running towards him in concern. He was injured, and that blow had to hurt.
"Is that the best you've got?" The dragon chuckled, flying low to the ground "I am the mighty Zirconis, your weak little attacks have no effect on me."
"We'll see about that." Laxus smirked as he began to stand. I quickly grasped his arm as I helped him rise to his feet. He took off his coat, throwing it over my shoulders and cracking his knuckles as he faced Zirconis. "I'm just getting started."
Laxus was panting, his body still covered tightly in bandages. I started to worry that he wouldn't be able to defeat this beast either, and I knew he needed more power. "Laxus! Let me help you!"
"It's fine! Conserve your energy (Y/n)." He said, walking forward. "I can take care of this."
I felt tears of frustration fill my eyes and I grit my teeth. "No! I know you're strong, but you can't do this alone. I want to fight alongside you! But... if you won't let me, then I'll just have to help you another way!"
He turned to me in shock as I quickly summoned a lightning storm. Before he had the chance to stop me, I put as much magic into it as I could before sending it towards him.
"(Y/n)!" Laxus's eyes went wide in dismay, and he scowled as his body began to greedily absorb the power.
I could instantly tell it had given him strength, but felt myself starting to weaken. However, that didn't matter as long as it helped Laxus defeat Zirconis. Bickslow came up behind me as I wobbled on my feet, catching me before I could falter. The Thunder Legion surrounded me, and I grasped tightly onto the fur lined coat sitting on my shoulders. Laxus gave us a meaningful look before turning back to the dragon.
Zirconis laughed "As if a little extra magic is going to do anything against me! You humans are such silly little insects."
Wendy began to move forward, walking past us as she neared the battlefield. She stood beside Laxus, her face set in determination. "If that's not enough, then let's see how you do with two dragon slayers!"
She aimed a wing attack, catching the beast off guard. The wind hit him directly and knocked him sideways. Laxus quickly followed up with his lighting breakdown fist, the large ball of lightning connecting with the dragon's underbelly and sending him crashing into the ground. Zirconis began shouting, angry at what they had done. The Thunder Legion and I quickly moved away, nearing the city. Laxus and Wendy continued to battle the dragon while Mirajane kept watch over Yukino and Princess Hisui near the gate. Hopefully now, the two dragon slayers would be able to defeat Zirconis.
"Are you okay (Y/n)?" Bickslow asked, brushing my hair out of my face.
I brushed his hand away, standing firmly "I'm fine babe, don't worry about me."
"That was very honorable of you (Y/n)." Freed said, clasping his hand over my shoulder as he nodded to me. Evergreen watched me intently, her face a mixture of concern and admiration.
"No, it wasn't." I shook my head in exasperation, watching as Laxus sent giant bolts of lightning toward the dragon. "Laxus needed the power up, and I'd happily empty my magic containers if it meant victory. I did nothing special. Any of us would have done the same for him..."
"Uh, guys," I heard Evergreen say suddenly, breaking me from the fight going on in front of us. She was looking behind, pointing towards the ruins of the city "We've got company!"
"Shit, when did they get here?" Bickslow shouted, as we all turned to see a horde of the small draconic creatures from earlier.
They aimed their jaws at us, shooting off large beams before we even had the chance to move.
"Look out!" Freed shouted, bringing up a rune shield to block the beams. I quickly joined my runes with his to double the strength of the shield. It managed to hold this time, knocking us back just a little.
"Get rid of those things! We can't have them interfering over here!" Laxus shouted, continuing on to assist Wendy in their attack against Zirconis.
"You heard him!" Freed directed the Thunder Legion as I looked back at Laxus in worry. What if he needed more power? "He'll do fine (Y/n), now make sure you don't let him down. We must defeat these beasts."
I nodded, looking to Bickslow for comfort. The seith mage grinned, sticking out his tongue "Let's make him proud, baby!"
His totems got into formation, and we all moved to attack the minions. There was so many of them, and we quickly got to work trying to take them out, also making sure none of them got too close to the others. I used many different ranges of storm types, trying to see what worked best on these monsters. However, it felt like barely anything was working. The Thunder Legion was faring the same as me. We had barely taken half of them down and I was really low on magic power.
"Damn, these things are a pain!" Bickslow huffed, his babies wobbling tiredly in the air.
"There's no end to them." Evergreen pouted, leaning heavily on Freed. We were all growing weary, the massive amounts damage we took beginning to catch up to us.
Still, they continued coming, and we all tried our best to dodge their attacks. Laxus's coat stayed firmly on my shoulders, covering me in his comforting scent. As I moved, I took a moment and glanced over to check on my dragon slayer boyfriend, but soon found myself separated from the Thunder Legion. Dammit (Y/n), you got distracted again. I couldn't believe I'd once again put myself in a bad position because I was worried about Laxus. I sighed, focusing back on the group of beasts quickly surrounding me.
"Shit!"
I realized too late the predicament I was in, and I narrowly evaded a laser attack from the creatures. As I moved to avoid the beam, I felt my ribs shift wrong, worsening the crack. The intense pain made me cry out in shock. I lost my footing, and was unable to dodge the tail being whipped towards me. It hit my midsection in the exact spot that hid the cracked ribs, the force completely shattering the bone. I was thrown across the ground, feeling a sharp point puncture my lungs. Blood quickly filled my lungs, and came sputtering out of my mouth as the blow from hitting the concrete knocked the wind out of me. I tried to call for help, but the noise was garbled behind the blood in my mouth.
"(Y/n)!" I heard a voice shout, and the world began spinning as I saw Bickslow's worried face hovering over me. He'd taken off his visor and there were tears gathering in his bright red eyes. I could taste coppery blood on my tongue as I struggled to breathe. Bickslow gently cradled me, Laxus's coat wrapping around me as he did. He activated his Figure Eyes, and I could feel him desperately holding onto my soul. It was as though he was trying to push strength into it, but I could feel myself fading. "No! Don't you dare die! (Y/N)!"
The anguished shouts of the seith mage and the smell of blood momentarily made Laxus lose focus. The green dragon quickly struck at him, sending him into a wall with enough force to crumble it. Time seemed to move slowly for everyone, dragging on the seconds as tragedy struck. My vision was darkening, and I vaguely felt tears falling from my eyes. Bickslow's lips were moving, but I had no idea what he was saying. Despite wearing Laxus's coat, I felt cold. Is this really the end? I'm… dying?
"Laxus! (Y/n)!" Freed shouted in despair, moving to shield us from more attacks from the dragon minions. He watched worriedly as Laxus struggled to get up. Evergreen was slumped over on her knees with tears pouring down her cheeks, heartbroken as she watched Bickslow desperately trying to keep her little sister alive. Freed struggled to keep the group safe from the minions. He was barely holding on, and it seemed like all hope was lost as his shields began disintegrating. The monster's beams burst past the runes, heading straight for the group. Bickslow paid no mind to the impending doom as he sobbed heavily, his first love dying in his arms…
Suddenly, time seemed to tick backwards and I found myself back with the Thunder Legion, facing off with the creatures again. We all looked at each other, apparently having experienced the same phenomenon. It was as though I had a vision, or some strange dream. My blood ran cold when I realized-I had died. The monsters moved to attack again and my eyes went wide in fear. This time though, I felt strong arms wrap around me as Bickslow's babies formed a circle in front of us.
"Baryon Formation!" The totems shot an enormous beam forward, taking out many of the creatures at once. I turned my head, gaping at Bickslow in surprise. His teeth were gritted as he spoke "No way am I going to lose you!"
The Thunder Legion moved to continue the attack, and I quickly gathered my bearings and fought alongside them. We combined our strength to finally defeat the rest of the creatures. Laxus also continued to fight, suddenly able to predict Zirconis's next move and easily avoid it. It was the best possible outcome for that situation, and seemed to turn the tide of battle.
"What was that?" I wondered, holding my side. I was so sure that my ribs had been broken, and I vividly remember the feeling of being unable to breath and tasting blood in my mouth. Bickslow had taken control of my soul, trying to keep it from slipping away. It was the most frightening and incredible experience I'd ever had.
"I don't know." Bickslow squatted down with his elbows on his knees, holding his head in his hands. I knelt next to him when I realized he had tears running down his cheeks "I saw you die…"
"Bicks…" I muttered, and suddenly I was knocked over as Evergreen hugged me fiercely. She also had tears in her eyes as she held me. Freed stood behind us, his face grim as he watched Laxus continue to fight Zirconis.
Before I had the chance to say anything, Lucy came running past us from the ruins of the city, shouting that she had a way to end the fighting.
Bickslow furiously wiped his face of tears as he stood "C'mon, let's go see what she's talking about. There's no use dwelling on something that never happened."
I could only watch him go silently, and Evergreen released me as we both stood up. She stayed close to me as we followed Lucy to the group near the gate. The celestial mage was explaining to everyone how she found a diary that said if the gate were destroyed, the dragons would cease to exist.
"If what I'm thinking is true," Lucy looked at Yukino "Then we can use our celestial magic to destroy it."
"That's a good idea." Yukino agreed, "If our magic helps power it, then I'm sure it'll be effective in destroying it."
"Exactly." Lucy nodded.
"Alright enough chatting," Laxus shouted, having heard the conversation. I wrapped his coat tighter around me, my mind flashing to the vision from earlier. "Just get it over with! This bastard is pissing me off!"
The two women stiffened, and quickly went to stand in front of the massive gate. The two celestial wizards joined hands, summoning their magic power. A bright golden light surrounded them as they summoned all 12 of the zodiac spirits. I could only gape in wonder at seeing them all together. The women muttered their spell, sending each spirit shooting towards the Eclipse Gate. I shielded my eyes from the blinding light, surprised at how bright it was from way back here.
When it cleared, we were dismayed to find that there wasn't even a scratch on the gate. The man in the white armor sighed "It is meant to be indestructible. I imagine the Eclipse Gate will be nearly impossible to destroy, celestial magic or not…"
"We'll just keep attacking!" Lucy shouted "We can do it!"
They clasped their hands together once again, focusing on keeping their zodiac gates open. The spirits repeatedly sent attacks at the Eclipse Gate, trying their best to damage it. The force of the blows shook the ground, and still the massive structure held. I couldn't believe there was not a single mark or any sign of damage to the gate. This was the last chance we had to survive this battle and it wasn't working. Was it hopeless?
"How did that not do anything…?" Lucy muttered as they ceased their attacks, slumping forward. Yukino sat beside her, panting heavily.
"There must be something that can destroy the gate." Hisui insisted.
Suddenly, a bright light shone behind us, and I looked back to see a giant ball of fire barreling towards the ground. My eyes widened in surprise and I quickly shouted "Get away from the gate you guys, something's coming!"
I grabbed Bickslow's sleeve, pulling him along as we all ran as fast as we could to avoid being hit. The fire ball headed directly for the Eclipse Gate, and the two celestial wizards near it barely avoided the blast, getting knocked over from the force of it. The structure crumbled and debris went flying outward.
"Oh my!" Mira gasped as we all stopped to look back "I hope they're okay!"
The smoke dissipated, and I sighed in relief when I saw the ones closest to the blast were okay. Natsu suddenly stood up among the wreckage, chuckling. The gate was reduced to rubble, and he had been triumphant in his battle with the curator of the entire disaster.
"Leave it to Natsu to demolish something indestructible." Bickslow chuckled halfheartedly, and I leaned into him as we saw the dragons begin to disappear.
I felt incredibly relieved. After so much struggling, we finally pulled through. It had been the most difficult battle of my life, and there were many times I found myself losing hope. Yet again, my guild mates proved me wrong. There was no way we'd ever stop fighting, and if we were together, we could defeat anybody. Not to mention, all the loyal guilds around us did not hesitate to put their lives on the line as well to help. It was amazing. Despite my wounds and the drain on my magic, I was elated.
"C'mon Stormy, let's go see Laxus." Bickslow said, and the other two Thunder Legion members joined us as we made our way over to him and Wendy.
"Glad to see you two are safe!" I sighed when we finally reached them. The small slayer was kneeling on the ground, smiling happily with tears in her eyes. I look up to my boyfriend and felt my own tears gathering. He was still heavily bandaged and looked exhausted, but the grin on his face sent my heart racing. I deftly removed his coat as I made my way up to him for a kiss.
"You look like shit Laxus." Bickslow cackled as I pulled back. Freed smacked the seith mage, outraged.
"Laxus is a true hero!" He cried "Have some respect."
"Tch," Laxus frowned, taking the coat and throwing it over his shoulders "Some hero. I barely did anything. What kind of dragon slayer am I if I can't take out a single dragon?"
I pouted, wrapping my arms gently around his bandaged body "That doesn't matter Laxus. In the end, everyone is safe and we prevailed."
He avoided my gaze and I simply sighed. He was such a stubborn man, but I supposed I understood where he was coming from. I thought I had worked hard to get stronger over the years, but obviously I had a long way to go. Once everything settled down, maybe I would take time away from everyone to continue training myself. Although, with my cracked ribs, it would be awhile before I did anything. Thankfully they hadn't broken like they did during that strange vision earlier...
"Attention Fairy Tail members!" I stilled, dropping my arms from Laxus's waist when we heard Warren's voice speaking to us through his telepathy. "Master has asked that we all make our way back to the center of town!"
"Glad the geezer's alright." Bickslow chuckled.
"Why wouldn't be?" Evergreen huffed "He's not the guild leader for nothing, gosh!"
"Jeez, someone's touchy."
"Don't worry about her Bicks," I giggled, sensing the fairy mage's unease. "I'm sure she's just worried about Elfman!'
"(Y/n)!" Evergreen pouted as the two men laughed "You've been hanging out with Bickslow too much."
"That's my girl!" Bickslow cackled, and he threw his arm around my shoulder as we began heading back to the place where we'd started this fight.
We carefully made our way through the debris and ruin, feeling sluggish now that the adrenaline had worn off. Along the way, we grouped up with many other Fairy Tail mages. Juvia glared at me as she gripped Gray's arm tightly. I simply shook my head in exasperation at her antics. She was still upset about Gray and I's fight together during the games. But there was no way I'd be interested in him though when I had two wonderful men at my side.
When we finally reached the spot we were asked meet at, Gramps was sitting there with the rest of our members. Mavis stood beside him, looking glum. Although we had triumphed, it hardly felt like a victory. In the end, none of the dragon slayers could defeat their dragons. I glanced at Laxus as we stood with everyone. Even Laxus and Wendy together couldn't do it. I was sure my boyfriend was feeling pretty upset, and I wanted nothing more than to comfort him.
"Listen up brats..." Gramps spoke, and I turned my attention back to the small man "I am so grateful to see that everyone is safe. We all fought a long, arduous war tonight. Unfortunately, our job is not done. Look around you for a moment," We all glanced back at the ruins of the city "Many innocent people have lost their homes. As wizards, we must now take responsibility and help them rebuild. Everyone will be given the chance to heal before we begin. We will all be staying at the palace for a while, thanks to the wonderful offer made by his majesty."
Everyone gasped in awe, and I couldn't help voicing my concern. "Uh, you mean they're gonna let this lot stay in a fancy castle? Not sure that's a good idea."
Gramps sweat dropped "Trust me, I know. But they insisted, so you all must be on your best behavior. I'll kill you if you cost me any money, got it?!"
His declaration made us laugh, and we all heartily agreed.
A/N: This is one of my favorite chapters, and the longest so far! I just love writing heart wrenching scenes. The week following the battle was never really explained, they just jump right into the Grand Ball. So, I took the liberty of filling the gap by having Fairy Tail stay behind to help rebuild! Mostly because the scene of everyone returning to the guild also happened after the ball, so it made the most sense.
Let me know what you think! Stay tuned for next week's chapter and finally see why this story is rated M ;)