A/N: Episode 262.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREE: MEMENTO MORI

Igneel and Acnologia continued fighting in the sky while Natsu and Gray were standing in front of Mard Geer before they both charged forward. Mard Geer crossed his arms and glowed white, sending thorns their way.

"Freeze!"

"Burn!"

Gray and Natsu combined their Magic, freezing and burning the thorns. Mard Geer soon flew down at them, grabbing onto their heads and bringing them up into the air as both Natsu and Gray struggled under his grip.

"Let go of me, you bastard!" Natsu shouted.

"This is the world on the other side of the underworld gate." Mard Geer claimed as Natsu and Gray were dragged onto the ground, both of them screaming out in agony. "I'm going to scrape away everything. Even your emotions..."

Ezekiel slowly stood up from the ground. "No one can take away the light... that shines on my path!" He claimed, getting the Exceed's attention.

"H-He stood up!" Minerva explained. "Even after being stripped of the five senses..."

"Ezekiel!" Bruno shouted.

"Impressed but not surprised!" Jim stated.

"Ezekiel-san is incredible!" Lector complimented.

"Indeed." Chii agreed.

"Fro thinks so, too!"

"Zeke..." Erza muttered.

"That's... impossible..." Kyoka mumbled.

"Even if I can't see anything... Even if I can't hear anything..." Ezekiel continued as he changed into his usual attire, going barefoot. "...there's a light inside of me. The path I've walked down with my comrades... is illuminating my tomorrow!"

Ezekiel punches Kyoka in the jaw. "I have nothing to fear! This doesn't even count as pain!" He exclaimed as Kyoka collapsed to the ground.

"Well, we're off to the guild." Lucy informed as she was with Wendy, Doranbolt, and Zack.

"Yeah. Tell Master. Do whatever he has to do with Lumen Histoire to stop Face!" Elfman said.

"I will." Lucy nodded.

'Still, what a hot outfit!' Warren spoke telepathically.

"I told you, your inner voice is leaking out!" Jet scolded.

"To begin with, this isn't the time or place for that kind of thinking!" Droy added.

"I know, but..." Warren sweat drops.

"Well, let's go, everyone." Wendy said as Doranbolt nods in agreement next to her.

"Oh, Wendy. Cutting her hair has made her even stronger." Carla thinks to herself with pride.

Lisanna turns to look at Elfman. "Elf-nii-chan..." She muttered worriedly.

"You don't gotta worry about me." Elfman reassured.

"I know. See you later." Lisanna told him, joining Lucy and the others.

Jiemma charged at Sting, Rogue, and Dusk, who leaped out of the way and landed back down on the ground. "Did you bring our lady into this?" Sting questioned.

"That girl was useless. I thought she would improve slightly if given the power of a demon, but it seems weaklings will always be weaklings." Jiemma responded.

"I am going to leave you here. Abandon your weak heart, your tears, everything. In this forest full of savage beasts, only death awaits the crying weak." Jiemma began to walk away. "You may return home when all of your tears have dried up."

"She's your daughter!" Rogue argued.

"My daughter?" Jiemma repeated.

"It can't be! How can you have this much power left?!" Minerva asked.

"You harmed the people I care about too much." Ezekiel replied.

Minerva stepped back a bit. "D-Don't!"

"Suffer the consequences!" Ezekiel exclaimed.

"Stop! I... I..."

"Hades Punishment!" Ezekiel shouted, striking Minerva with blue fire, sending her flying through the air before crashing onto the ground.

Minerva sobbed as she laid defeated.

"No!" Jiemma exclaimed, shocking Sting, Rogue, and Dusk. "I only had her to pass down my powerful blood to future generations."

"You... You're a sorry excuse of a father!" Dusk insulted.

"Words from a weak phoenix doesn't faze me." Jiemma claimed, making Dusk grit his teeth.

"Shut up!" Sting shouted, pulling his fist back and punching Jiemma, causing him to skid back.

"No effect!" Jiemma claimed before attacking Sting with his Magic.

Rogue appeared behind him using his shadows, but before he could make an attack, Jiemma turned around struck him in the chest, sending him down on the ground.

"You two whelps think you've taken over Sabertooth at this level?" Jiemma questioned as Rogue stood back up.

"We... took Sabertooth back!" Rogue responded. "Back to what a guild is supposed to be..."

"Don't make me laugh!" Jiemma exclaimed, striking Rogue. "Sabertooth is meant to be the strongest! But your weakness has ruined it!"

Sting stood up, a dark shadow being casted over his eyes. "I admit it, we were... weak. But that weakness... isn't the kind of weakness you're talking about." He confessed.

"What?"

"The weakness of thinking of fellow members as less than comrades." Sting said, thinking back to Yukino's banishment and Akame's words.

"If you call yourselves a guild, take care of your comrades."

Sting then thought back to when Lector was attacked.

"Begone!"

"Sting-kun!" Lector exclaimed before vanishing.

"Lector!" Sting screamed out.

"Lector is... gone..." Frosch teared up.

Tears fell down Sting's face. "Frosch!" Rogue exclaimed, hugging Frosch closer to him.

"Rogue..."

"This is an eyesore. I suppose it's what I get for letting cats bear the crest of my guild." Jiemma claimed.

Sting cried out in pain. "Keep it down, Sting." Jiemma ordered.

"What did you do?! What the hell did you do?!" Sting questioned.

"Silence! Bawling over a stupid cat!" Jiemma responded.

Sting sent him a dark look before striking Jiemma with his Magic, sending him to the ground.

"We want nothing more to do with a guild like that." Sting claimed.

"To become a strong guild in its truest sense... we've started again from zero!" Rogue said.

"That's why it's high time..." Sting started to say.

"...you begone!" Rogue finished.

Sting and Rogue charged forward as Jiemma stopped the two with his arms before he laughed. "A truly strong guild, you say? I've learned that doesn't exist! The strongest is the individual! And that is my individual will!" Jiemma exclaimed.

"You're wrong. It does exist." Sting stated. "Not one, but two strong guilds... and they're both right around the corner. We're lucky... to have met such strong, kind..."

"The ultimate pain is the pain of losing friends!" Ezekiel announced.

"That's the way, Ezekiel!" Bruno cheered.

"...honest guilds!" Sting finished.

"Fools!" Jiemma exclaimed, striking Sting, Rogue, and Dusk. "Only one is the strongest! Relying on others is weak! Weak! Weak! Weak! That is the ultimate weakling!"

"Even so, we're living for somebody else's sake! We love someone in order to live! Just like Fairy Tail... Just like Twilight Phoenix..." Sting started to say.

"...we're strong!" Rogue finished.

"Nonsense!" Jiemma exclaimed, his eyes glowing red.

"Star Fall!" Dusk called out, a wave of starlight appeared underneath Jiemma, knocking him off his feet.

"Sting! Rogue!" Dusk shouted.

"We'll sew up your twisted wound..."

"...with a white and black bond!"

"White Shadow Dragon's Silk!" Sting and Rogue shouted in unison, striking Jiemma.

"It... can't be..." Jiemma managed to get out as Sting, Rogue, and Dusk were breathing heavily. Jiemma finally collapsed on the ground. Rogue, Sting, and Dusk began to fall forward, collapsing to the ground in exhaustion.

"The rest..."

"...is up... to you..."

Natsu opened his eyes as did Gray, the two of them grabbing onto Mard Geer's arms and getting his attention. Natsu ignites his fist in flames as frost came from Gray's hands, the two of them striking down at Mard Geer in sync.

"Yeah!"

Igneel flew up into the sky as he roared, making Acnologia do the same before the two dragons rammed into each other and crashed to the ground. Igneel flew back up into the air as he roared once more and Acnologia roared back. The two dragons continued battling it out.

Acnologia sent a blue blast at Igneel in which he dodged. The Fairy Tail members watched their fight from the ground.

Gajeel and Levy were carrying Laxus and Juvia. "Look out!" Gajeel warned, moving Levy out of the way.

"Th-Thank you." Levy thanked.

"Don't just stand there in a daze!" Gajeel scolded.

"Are you all right?"

Gajeel and Levy both looked up to see Porlyusica.

"Porlyusica-san!"

Gajeel stood up. "Old lady." He said, handing her Laxus's coat. "We brought it."

"The blood of the guy who has the anti-Magic particles?" Porlyusica questioned, examining the coat.

"Yeah. Thanks to this guy." Gajeel responded, referring to Laxus. "Didn't think he'd go that far. He's one tough mother."

Gajeel placed the coat in Porlyusica's hands. "As reckless as always... Sheesh. Who does he remind me of? But now I can make the vaccine." She turned to look at Freed, Bickslow, Evergreen, and Yajima. "I can save all of you."

Natsu and Gray's attack ended up causing a huge explosion. When the dust settled, Mard Geer glanced up, shocking both Natsu and Gray as Mard Geer grabbed the two by their heads and throwing them on the ground.

He then got ready to attack, sending a white blast towards the two as Natsu landed on his feet.

"Fire Dragon's..." Natsu puffed up his cheeks. "...Roar!"

Mard Geer soon dodged his breath attack.

"Ice Devil's..." Gray puffed up his cheeks as well. "...Rage!"

Gray released a blast of purple ice from his mouth as Mard Geer dodged that attack as well.

"Dea Yggdrasil!" Mard Geer called out, sending thorns their way. Natsu and Gray both gritted their teeth.

Natsu and Gray both ignited their fists in their respective elements, striking the thorns in sync before it reached them, breaking it.

"Ice-Make: Gungnir!" Gray shouted as an ice spear headed for Mard Geer, who dodged.

The ice shattered as Natsu appeared. "That's cold!" He exclaimed.

"Inside the ice?!" Mard Geer questioned.

Natsu places his hands together. "Fire Dragon's... Brilliant Flame!" He yelled, attacking Mard Geer with the huge ball of flames, sending him crashing to the ground as Natsu landed next to Gray.

Mard Geer remained standing. "What is this guy, invulnerable?" Natsu wondered.

"Not if my Magic hits him..." Gray stated.

"You showed me a good time... human wizards." Mard Geer claimed as both Natsu and Gray narrowed their eyes. "Long ago, Magic was born as one."

"Huh?"

"Eventually, it developed into a great number of varieties. During that historical time, END discovered a new possibility for Magic. Curse power. The source of that power are curses, grudges, jealousies, hatreds... All of those negative emotions become power. Power based on the essence of life." Mard Geer continued.

"What a load of crap. If that's the case, then Magic will create the future!" Natsu exclaimed, making Gray nod in agreement at his words.

Mard Geer extended his arm out, causing both Natsu and Gray to be on high alert. Purple mist soon gathered.

"W-What's this?" Natsu questioned. "Fog?! No..."

The purple mist began trailing on Gray. "My body!" He exclaimed.

"Can't move..." Natsu said.

"Magic has no future. Curse power is superior in regards to everything." Mard Geer said as the purple mist engulfed Natsu and Gray. "Go to purgatory. This is the ultimate Curse power that I devised to destroy Zeref!"

Natsu and Gray both let out screams.

"Memory of death." Mard Geer stated as a bright light shined and purple-like figures appeared, eventually turning green. "Memento Mori!"

"To kill the immortal Zeref, the notion of life and death will be destroyed! Anyone hit by this Curse will be neither dead nor alive. They will just vanish."

"The future..." Gray thinks to himself.

"Become nothing... for eternity." Mard Geer said.

A bright beam engulfed the sky before disappearing.

Mard Geer's Etherious form disappeared. "It is done. The ultimate Curse power, Memento Mori. Now I just need to revive END... and I can destroy you... I can destroy Zeref." Mard Geer claimed, narrowing his eyes.

A/N: I'm kind of updating later into the night, but I needed to get this chapter out there because I won't be able to update next Wednesday because I'll be away from my laptop for four days.

But the other dragons will appear next chapter!

Thanks for reading!

~ Kaleb.