Chapter 9

Winds carried into the hall, causing dust to sweep up and swivel around like small tornadoes. The sky outside the windows was a dark shade of blue, only getting brighter by the minute as the sun rose from behind the farthest valleys.

Natsu faced Zeref, the winds causing his scarf to flutter. He had a look of anger and determination in his face. He was facing Zeref. Finally, he would get to teach this man a lesson for everything that he had done.

Zeref on the other hand looked pleased with the scenario. Everytime he would look at his brother, his lips would curve up into a smile. Whether that was a twisted form of malice, or just admiration and adoration for the man that his beloved younger brother had become, it was unknown.

"I will face him alone." Natsu claimed.

The mages that watched gasp. What would inspire Natsu to say those words? Was he out of his mind? Facing Zeref all by himself? That was a definite way to get himself killed.

Erza grinded her teeth. "Natsu! Are you stupid? No! I won't let you do that! We will all fight him together!"

Zeref stole a glance at her. "The safest approach to this battle would be that Natsu faces me alone. Ankhseram's curse has made sure that no living being can touch me and still retain their existence. This was so I remained forever alone. The moment you touch my skin, you'd turn to ash."

He looked at Natsu, and smiled admiringly. "Natsu… my dear brother… he's the only undead amongst you all. He can fight me on equal terms. It is… it is almost as if fate wanted this."

Erza stayed quiet and took in his words. Maybe Zeref was lying. Maybe he was trying to reduce the number of combatants that he'd face to just one. But… There was also the fact that he hadn't lied about anything yet until this point. And also, he was probably strong enough to destroy all of them alone. So it didn't make much difference to him whether Natsu faced him alone or not.

She clenched her fists and grinded her teeth. No matter how much and how terribly she didn't want to accept this, but… Natsu probably would have to face him alone. She only hoped and wished desperately to all the gods that she could name that Natsu returned from this battle alive. It didn't matter if he lost the battle, and they lost the war. All she wanted was Natsu alive and well.

She wanted to see him again after this. Her and him… had unfinished business. He had promised to her that he would spend his life with her, by her side, in her arms. She would never forgive him should he not keep it. Never in an eternity.

Natsu looked at all the watchers with a bright smile on his face. He was someone they could trust in. And he wanted them to remember that.

He looked at Erza. The woman he loved beyond all norms and beyond belief. The woman he cared for more than himself. Right now, he would fight Zeref so Zeref couldn't harm her. That was his way. "It's going to be okay. I promise. You'll see me again after this."

Erza frowned as tears almost made their way onto her eyes. She locked her jaw tight and nodded half heartedly.

Zeref was a monster. A behemoth of a dark mage that could level the world should he wish for it. The slight bit of remnant humanity left in him was the retardant that had caused him to not yet. But… in Natsu she trusted. They all did. Natsu was a man that could turn around fate. That could play with the threads of destiny and untangle them. That's how he had gotten here. He was capable, strong and fierce. Believing in Natsu was easy, and they did just that.

Natsu clenched his fists. He breathed in deep, held the breath inside him for a while, and let it out slowly, in a controlled manner. He shut his eyes, and then opened them. Now, his eyes were bright and fiery. Fierce and glowing. A light emanated from them. A light that could burn the darkest evil with it.

Air started to heat up in the hall. Dust and debris unsettled in the vicinity of Natsu, and were soon thrown out from his position. A glow suddenly erupted around him and covered his entire body.

A blast of air emanated from his body, and Natsu's skin started to glow red. He was a glowing silhouette of heat and energy, and some had to narrow their eyes to look at him lest the brightness blinded them. They knew he was entering his dragon force. And it was just as breathtaking and mesmerising as always.

The red glow started to leave Natsu's body, and what remained was thick and tough dragon scales perching upon his skin. His arteries were now thick and wide, to provide massive amounts of blood to his muscles, his bones had transformed into those of a dragon's, thick and dense and harder and tougher than titanium, and some of those bones jutted out of his body as horns and spikes. They tore through his clothing and gleamed brilliantly white in the dark hall.

Wings erupted out of his back, massive and fluttering, and a tail swung powerfully behind his back. His transformation was complete now. His entire body had become that of a dragon's, except for the left side of his face, which retained his human looks.

Erza couldn't look away from Natsu. He was… breathtaking and beautiful. Strong and fierce beyond all norms and capacities. He was a hero. A glowing and shining staff of hope and resolve, his heat almost healing and nurturing the tired bodies of hers and those around her that were fortunate enough to witness this spectacle.

Natsu growled in a deep horse dragon voice, and his breaths turned into flames before his lips. His transformation was over. It looked like he had pushed his limits the farthest this time. He was nearing a complete and perfect dragon force before their very eyes.

Zeref could only smile. "You have grown, Natsu. I had heard of your conquests and achievements, but to witness your strength first hand is a mesmerising ordeal."

He raised his finger though. "But, you need to push yourself farther. This still isn't enough to defeat me."

Natsu growled, and dashed forward. He had vanished. Only air and hot sparks were left where he was only a few moments ago.

Zeref's eyes widened. That speed… that nimbleness… that quickness. His strength was nearing some of the greatest dark wizards that Zeref had faced in combat.

Natsu suddenly appeared before Zeref, hanging in midair. Zeref's widened eyes widened even more, before they shut forcefully. Natsu's heavy dragonified leg made contact with Zeref's body and sent shockwaves of air and energy emanating out into the rest of the hall. Dust and debris flew out at massive speeds and the onlookers were forced to either look away or cover their eyes.

Time stood frozen for a few mere seconds, before Zeref rocketed in the opposite direction as the complete impulse of the behemoth and straight attack was transferred to his body. He crashed through the guildhall wall and was sent flying out into the town.

Natsu clapped his wings and hung in the air for a while, before zapping forward and vanishing from sight again.

Erza slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She couldn't even match Natsu's figure with her eyes. The power he held right now… it was fantastic. It was unheard of. It was magical.

She smiled in wonder. "Natsu…"

Zeref rocketed past sceneries of the dark skies and the destroyed town at massive speeds, crashing through more walls in the process and penetrating straight through them onto the other side. He flew for what felt like miles, until he finally got embedded in the last wall, causing shockwaves of winds and dust to ensue from his position. He rested in the indent for a while, his lungs almost unable to breathe after the massive and unearthly power he had been kicked with. Birds chirped frantically in the air and the winds whistled at the top of their voices in the silent and quiet surroundings of the destroyed lonely town of Magnolia.

Zeref coughed painfully, feeling as if some of his ribs had been shattered and his organs ruptured. He weakly brought out his hand off the wall where it was embedded and pushed himself out of the indent. He landed with his feet, but soon lost his balance. It felt as if his legs couldn't keep him up. As if they had lost the strength to do so.

He slowly got up again, and breathed out deeply. He looked around, and realised that he had been flung at least a mile away. He smiled frantically to himself, in awe of Natsu's power. The strength he had kicked him with would have easily been enough to kill an average mage in one go. Even some of the stronger mages that Zeref had known.

Before he could think any further, Natsu again appeared right before his face, and twisted in the air once at a great speed. He launched a fist square onto Zeref's face, and his face contorted for a minute, as Zeref felt what was akin to pain for the first time in a long time. As the complete impulse of this attack was transferred to Zeref, he rocketed backwards again in the same direction he had come from. He broke through more walls this time, cometting fast back towards the guild. He broke through another of the guild's walls and landed on the ground, coming to a sliding halt. He lay lifeless there.

Natsu appeared through the wall that Zeref had come in through, and knelt on the ground, coughing blood painfully. He was definitely overdoing it. The stress that his still imperfect transformation was putting onto his body was immense, causing deep ulcers to manifest in his system, the bloody coughing as a result.

Natsu breathed in and out deeply over the floor, watching the breath sprinkling his blood onto the dirty debris laden tile.

Erza narrowed her eyes as she stared at Natsu, kneeling on the ground and his face hidden behind his arms that were supporting his upper body. Her heart rang painfully with fright and concern.

"NATSU!"

She screamed before making a dash for his position, but was held back by Laxus who happened to catch her on time.

Erza struggled to free herself, but couldn't. Her eyes welled with tears. She knew that the more Natsu overexerted himself in his imperfect dragon force, the farther he would fall from sanity and health. An imperfect dragon force sapped its user's life force very fast, as opposed to a perfect one that didn't do that at all.

"NATSU! STOP! YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT ANYMORE!"

She screamed at the top of her lungs. She hadn't expected this. She had very much known that Natsu was in danger from Zeref and his unknown mystical powers, but never that Natsu was in danger from himself. The slightest possibility that Natsu would never return to her from this brushed her mind, and that realisation was enough to almost set her completely insane with grief.

Natsu heard Erza's screams, but in his dazed and confused mind, couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from. It was as if all his directions had fused together. He didn't know where he was, what he was doing, or who was watching him. All he knew was that he had pushed his dragon force farther than ever before, and he was almost bordering within consciousness and not.

Zeref slowly rose up from his downed position. He tilted his head to crack a few joints, and dusted his robe. He was back to normal again, as if Natsu hadn't hurt him at all.

He felt his ribs mending themselves, and his organs going back to normal after being ruptured. He spat out a few teeth that had been broken, but instantly felt new ones coming in their place. Ankhseram… had given him immortality. A painful and grieved one, but immortality nonetheless. He didn't feel a slightest bit of pain.

Natsu coughed once more, and tasted the blood in his mouth. He felt his dragon scales returning back to his normal skin. He was losing his dragon force. He cursed himself for not having perfected his dragon force before engaging Zeref, which would have allowed him to hold that form indefinitely.

Zeref watched Natsu with an unconcerned and flat face. He sent his ringed fingers through his hair and dusted them off the debris and dust that they were laden with.

"As I said, Natsu. You'll need a greater strength to defeat me. As impressive as where you stand, it isn't enough. I am… immortal. My existence, though filled with pain and suffering, is painless. I didn't feel an ounce of what you have inflicted on me."

Natsu growled in between his coughs and breaths. "Fuck you…"

Zeref smiled. "I have a brilliant idea, Natsu. I know how you can call forth that missing strength. Just show me who you truly are… and you can defeat me within minutes. Show everyone your true form."

Natsu slowly looked up at Zeref. Etherious? Was that Zeref's plan all along? Why did Zeref want to bring out Etherious? What did he have to prove to the world? That Natsu was evil? Natsu would never do that.

"No… I am not Etherious. I am Natsu Dragneel." He coughed more.

Zeref watched him nonchalantly. "I knew you'd say that. But… I have prepared myself well for this battle."

He started to fold his left sleeve back. What was uncovered over his left arm's skin was a tattoo. Not just any tattoo—some kind of writing. It was a bunch of obscure words and letters that adorned every bit of his left arm. The onlookers couldn't understand what that was about.

Levy gasped. She understood immediately what was going on. "No… it can't be… that's… that's where it was?"

Erza slowly looked at her, worry coiling painfully in her heart. What was Levy talking about?

"Levy… What is that? What's on his arm?! Are those runes for powerful magic?! Is Natsu in danger?"

Levy didn't answer her question. Apparently what she was looking at was so terrifying that she couldn't find her words.

"That's… that's impossible…." Levy muttered further.

Erza exhaled in annoyance. Why wouldn't anyone tell her what the fuck was going on? Was Natsu in danger? She looked back at Zeref.

Zeref shut his eyes and placed his right index and middle finger over the writing on his left arm. The black writings started to glow brightly.

Erza turned to look at Polyurischia. "Tell me… TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW!"

Tears escaped her eyes.

Polyurischia was herself shocked to her feet. Erza grabbed her shoulders and shook her. Polyurischia broke out of her trance, and looked at Erza. She gulped.

"Erza… that writing on his arm… it's Zerefian for… It says…"

"What?! What does it say?!"

Levy slowly turned her head to look at Erza.

"It says… Etherious."

Erza stared blankly at the writing on Zeref's arm. What did it mean? Why was… why was Natsu's other name written on Zeref's arm? And why was it glowing? What was Zeref planning?

Soon, a mountain of realisation collapsed on Erza's head. Zeref had written all his demons into existence. And Natsu… or Etherious… was one of his demons.

Erza slowly found her voice, which was fragmented and broken. "That… that means…"

Levy gulped. "That means Zeref wrote the spell that created Natsu on his arm. And… and he can call forth Natsu's demon form with that writing…"

Erza's heart rang painfully. Her lungs breathed out of her chest. Tears blinded her. Her body ached with heartbreak. Her face contorted.

Was Zeref going to call Etherious in full force? Was this the last time she would see Natsu? Was… was Natsu going to be snatched away from her forever? Was Natsu going away? The man she loved… the man she cared for more than herself… the man she was ready to lay down her life to protect… was he going away?

Now, no one could stop her from entering the battlefield. She will protect Natsu, even if it costs her her life. Natsu was hers. And no one could snatch him away from her. Not even Zeref. Not even his own twisted and insane brother. Natsu belonged to her, and her only.

In the frozen down time, she dashed towards the battlefield. But as Zeref's writing expelled a behemoth energy outward, she was swept backwards again and landed on the ground, as did everyone else. They all slowly got their bearings back to them and stood back up. A heavy and chest crushing energy hung in the air. Dark and behemoth. Broken and unbridled. Twisting, convoluting, breathing. The final days of society. The final days of the world. It was near. It was nearing. It was close. Once Etherious escaped in full capacity, no one could stop the end of the world.

And Natsu… Natsu would be lost forever. He would forever be flung into a dark abyss from whence there was no return. All his memories, all his promises, all his words, all his dreams… they would all be ashes in the winds. The clouds in the skies. The rain in the air. The moon and the stars. He was going away. And where he was going, no one could reach him.

Amidst the shrill sound of Zeref's dark magic, Natsu's screams were heard. He squeezed his hands around his forehead as an ear piercing and head splitting headache gripped him. Something was expelling out of him. Something dark and twisted. Something old and ancient. Something so dark that not even the bright light of the stars could illuminate it. Something beyond this world. Something broken.

His eyes went dark. In the darkness. He saw himself. He saw his figure, beaten and broken… weak and frail… his eyes were missing… his mouth open and his long sharp teeth almost digging out of his mouth… he saw ugly colours mixing and matching. Red, purple, green, pink… all merged and separated, dancing and twirling. Twisting and turning. Contracting… expanding… loathsome and ugly colours breaking and faltering. Something was coming. Someone was coming. A dark and behemoth power. A beast from the depths of hell itself. A dark creature from the deepest abyss. It was here. Natsu could hear its footsteps. Its painful yet excited screams ringing in his ears. It's horrible face contorting and convoluting before his shut eyes. This was the end. He was going away. Faded and jaded… he was being wiped away. He was leaving this world to the great beyond. Maybe there… maybe then… he would find peace.

He found peace. He was in a bright world. A world free of darkness. A world free of whims and violence. A world free of desires and crimes. A world free of itself. Valleys expanded as far as he could see, green and brown, with beautiful and sweet flowers blooming upon them. Rivers, oceans, mountains, hills, the sun, the stars, the moon. It was a beautiful world. Natsu felt at peace. His pain was gone. His aching arms and legs found solace there. He was flying high in the winds. And swimming deep in the deepest of the oceans.

"Natsu…"

He looked around himself in that bright world. Someone had called him. Who was she? Was she Erza? No… this voice sounded different. Feminine… blissful… sweet… beautiful… just like Erza's… but different.

"L-Liana?" Natsu muttered.

He suddenly opened his eyes. He was back in the guildhall. The white and peaceful world was gone. But… so was his pain. So was the feeling of something ugly breaking out of him. And his aching muscles were gone. His aching body. His aching spirit. He was back in the battle. He slowly rose up off the ground. He felt… rejuvenated. Rested. Peaceful.

Zeref stared at him, confusion and bewilderment on his handsome face. He looked at his arm, and his tattoo had stopped glowing.

"What…?" Zeref mumbled. "What is happening?"

He tried to start his spell again, but it wouldn't work. Something was wrong. His spells were usually foolproof. He had made sure of that. He had perfected his magic. He had spent ages trying to do so. So what… What was happening? Why did his mark of Etherious stop glowing? Why was Natsu not under his control yet?

"No… something is wrong. Something… has gone awry…"

Erza stared at Natsu, stood up and confused… but healthy and well. He looked… okay. He looked fine. Zeref, on the other hand, was beside himself with confusion.

Zeref and Natsu looked at each other, exchanging glances. One was mildly confused. Why did Natsu hear Liana's voice just now? She… she wasn't here. So why did Natsu feel like she was right beside him?

Zeref on the other hand, was confused beyond possibility. He had never been confused before. He was sharp and calculated. Precise. So what was this impasse he had reached? His plans had never failed before.

He looked at Natsu's eyes. He saw something… something wrong in them. Something didn't add up.

"No… your… your left eye… where did you get it?" Zeref gasped.

Natsu narrowed his eyes. His left eye? His left eye… belonged to him himself, as far as he knew. Then he suddenly remembered.

His trip to Liana's temple. His surgery that the doctors there had performed on him. Liana had said that as long as Natsu's left eye was still in him, which had been taken over by the demon, he still had a risk of transforming into the demon. So she had it removed and replaced. Natsu still didn't know where the other eye had come from, and Liana wouldn't tell her.

Was that why he had heard Liana's voice just now? Because of the eye? Did that mean the eye… did it belong to… Liana? Had Liana given Natsu her own left eye?

Zeref breathed frantically. "No… your left eye… it isn't yours… where did you find it? It… it seems to be protecting you against my magic… it's like a protective charm… No… No!"

The onlookers looked at Natsu and Zeref in horrid confusion. What was going on? What was this talk of Natsu's left eye? What was this protective charm that Zeref was going on about? What happened? But one thing… one thing was for sure. Natsu hadn't transformed. Zeref's magic had failed somehow. Etherious hadn't been called forth. The summoning had failed. No one knew why or how… but it did.

What now? Natsu wondered. Etherious hadn't been called forth. He was still safe and sound. But… he still had no way to defeat Zeref. Zeref was right. He was immortal, and Natsu needed a greater strength to defeat him.

He remembered something. Just like his eye that Liana and the temple of One had given him, he had another gift, from the temple of Ankhseram.

Natsu looked down at his bandaged left arm. Should he use it? What would be the consequences of using this arm? He hadn't used it in the battle with Zeref's army before meeting Zeref, and he had thought that he wouldn't have to use it further as well. But… it wouldn't hurt in trying.

He quickly grabbed the bandages around his left arm and started to pull them apart. He revealed his black arm made of Ankhseram's essence. It shone brilliantly in the faintly lit guildhall.

Zeref stared at the arm that was revealed from under the bandages. It was eerie. Black, solid, tough, smooth, shiny. It was made up of a strange material that Zeref had never seen before. Or… had he?

At first Zeref didn't understand anything. Natsu had a prosthetic arm? When did that happen? Why wasn't Zeref made aware of this even though he had kept such a close eye on Natsu? What was this arm all about?

Suddenly, Zeref's breaths halted. He couldn't breathe for a while. Air escaped his lungs. His heart leapt in horrid anticipation and realisation. Something was wrong. Something was horribly unsettling about the scenario he was in. Something… he didn't know what… but something was terribly awry.

Was it that arm that was causing this unsettling flash of feelings within Zeref? What was so particularly horrifying about that arm? What was going on?

Suddenly, Zeref realised what was wrong. That arm… that black shiny material it was made of. He had seen that material before. He had heard of it. And… he was terribly terrified of it.

"No…" Zeref stepped back and shook his head. "No… it… it can't be… Ankh… Ankhseram? That wax… it's… it's his…"

The onlookers watched with great interest and curiosity. Natsu's left arm… they remembered everything about it. His one-third transformation into Etherious… him having to amputate his own arm to get rid of the demon's influence on him… his new arm that was especially crafted from Ankhseram's candles. His brilliant black flames.

The priests of Ankhseram that were present in the guildhall all dropped their weapons and got down on their knees, in reverence to their god.

Erza watched Natsu's standing form with great anticipation. He looked heroic with his black new arm–the special blessing given to him by the God Ankhseram himself. He looked tall and strong.

Levy repeated something she had read in the temple of Ankhseram.

"The Spriggan did as he pleased. But farther was he from his whims, as thence descended the dark god and put on him a curse terrible. As long as the spriggan lived, forever he shall be weak to the one that held the will of Ankhseram."

Erza looked at Levy as she heard that. She looked back at Natsu.

Natsu was the one that held the will of Ankhseram now.

Two brothers… both born out of misery and tragedy… both ancient and dark… convoluted and terrible pasts… and both of them given strengths by the same one God–Ankhseram. Did Ankhseram plan all this beforehand? Did he… plan Natsu as the victor of this battle as well?

Erza dearly and wholeheartedly hoped so.

Zeref shivered. Beneath the fright and terror that was within him at the name of Ankhseram, was anger. Deep boiling anger. His twitchy and trembling body started to faze in and out of view, almost as if his entire existence was trembling. A deep and foul energy surrounded him all over, and black smoke started to envelop him and rise around him. Slowly, winds started to pick up around his figure, and the dust and debris that rose in the air started to shoot out from around him.

His until now youthful and handsome face morphed into a demon's. This was probably his true form… something that Zeref himself didn't know existed. He was once handsome and good-looking. Human-like, but after going insane, after the centuries long existence of him under the terrible curse by Ankhseram, he morphed.

His hair fell over his face and hid his true expressions from the rest of the onlookers.

"First… first you take away my life… you take away my parents from me… you take away my home… my family… you take Mavis from me… you take away every chance of redeeming myself that I had left… and now… And now… YOU DARE INFECT MY BELOVED BROTHER!"

Heavy and uprooting shockwaves of wind expelled out of Zeref at an unholy pace. The ground sunk beneath his abominable aura, and dust and debris filled the air. The mages watching witnessed the true strength of Zeref's as they all tumbled to the ground and even the floor started to shake under his heaviness and pressure. It was an ungodly magic… and yet, it felt like he still was holding back. One caress of that magic onto anyone, and they would swiftly turn to ash.

Zeref's ear shattering scream filled the air. It was a mixture of fright, paranoia, disgust, anger, hatred, outrage and lividity all in one. It was heavy and demonic. It was ungodly.

Everyone shut their eyes and looked away. They could only hear Zeref's screams and the shaking and corrupting of the land and the winds around them. Nothing else. It was a horrifying and mind bending environment to be in.

Zeref… a loving son and brother. This is what Ankhseram's magic had done to him. Just because he wanted his dear beloved brother back.

Erza kept her narrowed eyes fixed on Natsu for as long as she could. She didn't want to shut her eyes. She didn't want Natsu to go away from her eyesight for even a moment. But when the poisonous winds expelling out of Zeref's person became too much, even her determination was forced to submit. She looked away, shutting her eyes and covering her face. All she hoped for in that fleeting moment… was that Natsu would be okay.

Natsu clenched his left fist and pulsed a heavy amount of fire through it. Black flames erupted out of his arm and burnt brilliantly even through the heavy and corrupted winds and debris filling the air. He could barely see Zeref in the distance, his vision covered by the stones that uprooted from the floor and hung in the air, swirling around as if a storm had hit them. If there was any chance of him winning this battle, it was this. Zeref had lost all touch with reality. He had crossed the final line of insanity. He was gone. Twisted and convoluted beyond belief. He may have once been the brother of Natsu that loved him to no end. But now, he was merely a husk of his former self, better off freed from his unending curse.

Natsu dashed for him. He dodged around the massive pieces of concrete that separated off the ground and were thrown about in the air. He hopped from one platform to the next, dashed around some larger pieces of stone and concrete in the air… and swiftly and quickly, ended with his left flaming arm rocketing through Zeref's chest.

Zeref's screams halted. The winds expelling out of his body ceased. He coughed blood all over Natsu, and then there was silence.

The guildhall fell silent. All the noise, disturbance, heaviness, the shrill screaming, the curses and the fires… all ceased. It was quiet and peaceful. But… something was wrong.

As the last remaining bit of the winds died down and the floor was again stable, Erza and the others opened their eyes. Before them… was emptiness. The empty guildhall, variedly destroyed and uprooted. Some pieces of rubble fell to the ground even as they watched, and a piece of the ceiling fell down and scattered and smashed against the ground.

Erza slowly walked up, looking around. She climbed over a mound of debris, and looked at the spot where she had last seen the two brothers standing. But, they were both gone. She looked all around the guildhall, looking for one of those two brothers, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"N-Natsu?"

The strong winds filtered into the temple. The candle right before Liana extinguished. Thunder cackled and lightning struck the skies, loudly flashing through the darkness of the rainy stormy night.

Liana quit her praying and looked up. It was time.

She wiped the tears off her face and sobbed once or twice. She then walked over to a pedestal and climbed onto it, laying herself down over it.

She had been forever preparing for this exact moment. For millions of years. As long as she had lived. Now that it was finally here, she felt as if she wasn't ready. As if she was still afraid. But… she had to do it. This was the path. This was the plan. This was the way.

She fished in her robes and brought out a dagger. Rain fell over her hands, brought in by the strong winds entering through the fluttering windows. She held the hilt of the dagger with her shivering and trembling hands, wetted by the rain which further loosened her grip over it. But… she held on tightly. She had to do it. The possibilities before her had dwindled to nothing but this.

She placed the tip of the blade against her chest. Storm continued. Rain fell, oceans danced and waved, seas were shaken. The moment was finally here.

Another bolt of lightning raked the skies. Liana pushed the blade into her chest.

Blood and tears seeped out of her being and wetted the white marble pedestal under her. The blood merged with the rainwater and sprinkled over the marble floor.

These moments were her final. In the quickly darkening vision before her eyes, all she saw was…

"Natsu…" she muttered. "Wait for me."