"NATSUUU! LUCYYYY!" Happy cried out, flying ahead from the group.
Jellal and the rest were right behind the Exceed trying to catch up. Spotting the possibility that their allies were taken out by the enemy filled them with distress.
"This went from bad to worse…" Jellal lightly growled. "Erza…"
~~~Flashback~~~
Erza and Jellal try to catch up with Natsu, who earlier went off towards the castle where Izanagi is located.
"Jellal." Erza glanced at the male mage. "Even after you deal with that tower, leave Izanagi to us." She requested.
Jellal nodded. "I trust you. Is there something you want the rest of us to do?"
Erza focused back ahead. "There is still the situation regarding this country, and its fate. Focus on the civilians and their safety. We'll handle the situation with their god and getting Wendy back."
"I understand. Good luck, Erza." Jellal smiled.
The two proceeded to split up.
~~~End Flashback~~~
"Was Izanagi's power that much more powerful…?" Jellal wondered.
Sting briefly glanced behind him. "Hey! Looks like those Tenhei guys aren't following us!"
"They must've gone where the civilians are…" Rogue recalled. "Finding them is going to be tougher now."
"We have more important things to worry about! Like the condition of Gray!" Juvia urged.
Gajeel felt his nose twitch and raised an eyebrow. The scent he picked up felt very familiar, and it was quickly growing more apparent. "Hey…isn't that…"
Suddenly, a wall of wind erupted right in front of the group. Happy ended up getting caught inside and being thrown back. Jellal quickly side steps out of the way and the Exceed crashes right onto Gajeel's face.
Gajeel muffled loudly and quickly ripped Happy off his face. Taking a deep breath, he glares right at the feline. "Watch where you're going!" He chastised.
Jellal clenched his teeth, spotting a silhouette emerging from the wind wall. The rest of the group also spot the man as he spreads his silver wings out, the wind wall vaporizing behind him.
"Looks like we still have some stragglers…" Izanagi makes his presence known with a flat tone.
Happy widened his eyes, hovering off Gajeel's grip and pointing at Izanagi. "You're Exahelm's god! What did you do to Natsu and the rest?!" He demanded.
Gajeel stared at the god. Taking note of his scent, long blue hair and pastel brown eyes. "This is getting uncanny…"
Izanagi scans the group, internally counting them in his head. "You must be the rest of the intruders…" He squinted his eyes. "No…there's still two more missing."
He proceeds to raise a palm and begins emitting powerful amounts of air. Black winds circle around the area as the wizards get on guard.
"Damn it…he's not making any breaks!" Jellal cursed. "Looks like we don't have a choice…"
Happy focused on Izanagi, the Exceed furrowed his brows. "He seems…different compared to last time…" He pondered.
How did the civilians evacuate so quickly? And where did they hide? Well, due to the clouds being artificially made from Izanagi's magic, the god created a room directly inside the clouds that can be accessed by a subtle looking cloudy door on the floor just by the end of the park where Arya was located. When the order from Hahlos was made to cease the civilian's involvement and evacuate to a safe area, the soldiers gathered together to escort them to these barracks as well as tend to many injured soldiers.
The room was simply a large empty space surrounded by fluffy walls. Due to these barracks matching the size of the entire cloud holding the city, every angel was able to fit with plenty of room to spare. The only ones currently not evacuated were the ranchers due to Hahlos' battle near that area. Despite the area being safe, the people inside were just greeted with something truly worrying.
Many angels gathered together as they faced the Tenhei who entered the barracks not that long ago. Every member with the exception of Hahlos and Sync, the latter being told to wait outside, was present. Stark was currently on his knees with his head lowered, directly facing the crowd.
"What…what did you just say…S-Stark?" A young male angel with a sun hat fretted.
"Y-you're exaggerating…right?! There's no way that can be true!" A yellow Exceed denied, floating upward.
"It's true." Stark lifts his head. "We have failed our duty." He admits. "Not only was the enemy far too powerful for us, but I personally got you all involved out of desperation…"
Arya took a few steps and stood by Stark. "You all probably heard a loud crashing noise earlier. The glass dome tower had unfortunately fallen." She revealed.
The crowd lets out a collective gasp as they murmur among themselves. Despite the noise, the Tenhei continued speaking.
"I have been stripped of my Tenhei duties." Stark reveals with a sigh. "My own hubris caused me to put you all in this position. So I request you all pin the blame on me and me alone, like I requested in that announcement."
Torian bends down and whispers in Stark's ear. "A-are you sure about this…?"
A boy and green Exceed approach the Tenhei members. The boy speaks up. "What happened to Hahlos? Is he okay…?"
"Yeah…! And wh-what about our home?!" The green Exceed raised both paws.
Argus slightly bent down and raised both palms. "Hey now! Let's calm down now. We shouldn't lose hope now!" He urged.
"Easy for you to say…" The bartending angel from 'Heaven's Gate' countered. "From the sounds of things, Exahelm may as well be doomed!"
A black furred Exceed covered his ears while being comforted by a middle aged male and female angel. "What's gonna happen to us?!" The feline panicked.
"Our god has been revived…yet I can't feel even a shred of hope right now…" A male soldier held his face in regret. A female soldier by his side had her arms crossed and staring off into space.
The crowd's panic slowly intensifies. Stark abruptly stood up and stumbled back slightly. He clenched his teeth, unsure on how to stop this panic. The other Tenhei members show signs of dejection and uncertainty.
The panic was interrupted by the sound of the barracks door opening. Everyone's attention was immediately grabbed by whoever opened the door. The sun's light shined brightly outside, covering the individual completely. They leap inside and slowly float down, shutting the door above them. Once the door was shut and the light no longer covered them, the angel's quickly realized who it was who just entered.
"It's Hahlos!" A female angel exclaimed, pointing at him.
Hahlos landed by the Tenhei. All the attention in the room focused on him. The green haired angel glanced at Stark and gave a soft smile.
"Stark. So you're okay." Hahlos relieved.
Stark didn't respond, he narrowed his eyes away after Hahlos' comment. He clenched his teeth tightly.
"It's good to see that you're okay too, Hahlos." Arya acknowledged with a smirk.
Hahlos cleared his throat and spread his arms out. "Citizens of Exahelm! There is something very important I must inform you all!"
Chelia lay unconscious in Erza's arms as she and the rest of her team surrounded the dark pink haired girl who had just healed them all, at the cost of her magic and physical ability. Erza carried Chelia and gently laid her down at a safer spot.
"You have our gratitude, Chelia." Erza thanked with a smile. "We promise we will finish this." She stood up and approached her team.
"So, what's the plan now?" Gray wondered, putting his hands in his pockets.
Lucy held her chin, staring down while pondering. "It's going to be tough, with the high quality air Izanagi can eat…as well as his ability to completely heal himself."
"Plus we are at a disadvantage up here, since our bodies can only handle the denser Ethernano for only so long…" Erza pointed out.
Natsu didn't say anything. He stood a couple feet away from the others while staring off in the distance. He clenched the lacrima in his hand tightly, showing a determined expression.
"Everyone!" A high pitched posh voice called out. Everyone turned their attention to where the voice came from and witnessed none other than Carla, who was carrying Wendy's body, flying towards them. She stopped right by them and took a couple deep breaths. "You're…all okay…"
"Yeah…" Gray glanced over at Chelia while itching the side of his head.. "Thanks to her…"
Carla gently laid on the ground, placing Wendy down. She raised an eyebrow at Gray's statement and followed his gaze. The moment she spotted Chelia lying unconscious, the Exceed gasped and immediately flew to her side.
"Oh Chelia…what happened to you…?!" Carla whimpered, checking on Chelia's condition. She gets a feel of her and widens her eyes. "H-her magic! It's much lower than before!" She realized.
"We wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for her." Gray acknowledged.
Erza knelt by Carla and placed a comforting hand on her head. "Her magic container may have cracked after she healed us…" She lowered her head and sighed. "There's a possibility she won't be able to use magic anytime soon…"
Carla didn't respond, she kept staring at the pink haired girl. Ever since the battle with the Alvarez Country, she and Wendy would often visit Chelia to assist in obtaining her magic back. It felt like a cruel joke that the moment she finally musters the energy to use her magic again, she loses it. But Carla knew that if Chelia made this choice, then she wouldn't have any regrets. The Exceed slaps her cheeks and faces the Fairy Tail wizards.
"Do not waste this opportunity you were all given." Carla demanded.
The Fairy Tail wizards nod in response. Natsu rejoins the group and slams a fist on his palm. He showed off that cocky and confident smirk of his.
"Of course we won't!" Natsu affirmed. "And if that Wendy-stealing punk is gonna use the same old tricks again, then we'll just have to drag him down!"
Lucy stared at Natsu blankly. "...Wendy-stealing?"
"What do you mean, 'drag him down'?" Gray wondered.
Natsu raised a finger. "Those angels, including him, kept saying over and over that they have the advantage up here right?" He then pointed downward. "So how about we bring our fight back down below?"
"How do we plan on doing that? It was difficult enough getting all of us up here." Lucy reminded. "We needed both Jellal and Sting, are you suggesting we find them?"
Natsu crossed his arms. "Nah! We asked for their help too much already! This is a Fairy Tail only issue."
Erza held her chin. "Well…I suppose I could fill in for Jellal's part…" She volunteered.
"And what about Sting's part?" Carla asked, floating upward and placing her paws on her hips. "His holy magic powered up the Meteor spell did it not? Last time I checked, none of you have any sort of holy magic."
Natsu laughs, to the confusion of the rest. "Are you sure about that? I know just a guy who can fit that role perfectly!" He smirks. "You think this place's ruler is 'holy' enough for you guys?"
The rest of the group perked up at Natsu's suggestion. They then exchanged looks at each other and proceeded to nod and smile.
"Guess that's the plan then?" Gray acknowledged, rubbing the back of his head.
"We'll make it work! If we fail now, we'll never be able to forgive ourselves!" Lucy encouraged, raising and clenching both her fists.
Gray smirked at Lucy. "Of course. Losing multiple times is giving me a bad taste in my mouth after all."
Erza glanced at Carla. "Apologies, Carla. But we need you to watch over both Wendy and Chelia." She requested.
"No problem at all. Good luck, everyone." Carla nods.
Natsu flexed an arm, showing a sign of confidence. The rest of the group nodded at him and they began to leave the area. Carla watched them leave before lowering her head, deep in thought.
"One more thing!" Carla halted. The four turned their heads at the Exceed. "Do you all remember the day we all met? When an alliance was formed to dispatch the dark guild Oracion Seis?" She recalled, raising her head.
The four turned the rest of their bodies, paying attention to Carla. She opened her wings and floated to their level.
"At the time, I was in utter shock at Wendy's decision to join in on that mission. It was reckless… I never saw that side of her." Carla explained, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes. "...But… ever since that day. Both our lives changed drastically. We never would have expected to be members of Fairy Tail after everything."
Carla paused, taking in a deep sigh. "I understand I'm… very late in saying this…" She faced the Fairy Tail wizards. She proceeded to show a rare side of her; a big smile, glistening teeth and all. "I'm grateful to you all. To Happy as well, and all of Fairy Tail. Thank you."
Natsu, Gray, Lucy and Erza smile back. Natsu in particular gave a thumbs up. Lucy waved at the Exceed with her right hand.
"The next time you see us, we'll have Wendy back with us. We promise." Lucy assured.
A colossal burst of wind exploded in an open field of clouds. Mist blew everywhere which blinded the area, like a thick fog. Jellal covered his face with his arms as the wind blew him back. Sting landed right beside him. A blurry image of Izanagi could be seen within the fog.
"Aaagh! If only we weren't so fatigued!" Sting complained. Rogue emerged from a shadow right next to the Sabertooth master.
"It's not even just that… The power he's emitting is absurd." Rogue noted.
Gajeel coughed on his arm. "Damn it… since when did the kid get this tough?!"
Happy, who clung on top of Gajeel's head, kept staring at the god with an uncertain expression. "What's with him…? He is definitely different than before." He wondered.
The misty fog fades away, revealing the god in full. He lowered his head and scoffed. He raised an arm and casted a large black circle.
"Every time I look at any of you… I get a painful headache." Izanagi condemned. "I must bury you back down the world below as soon as possible!"
"He's going to cast another large scale spell!" Juvia exclaimed.
Jellal grits his teeth. "I…can't afford to use too much magic right now!" He thought. "But!" He prepares to cast a Hexagon Barrier. Before he could, he suddenly felt a jolt of power making their way here.
Izanagi's eyebrow cocked, also feeling the jolt of power. He quickly turned his head to his left and witnessed a small figure dash through the clouds. They appeared to be channeling some dark energy.
The figure shot up, opening their small wings and rocketed right at the god. He widens his eyes and focuses his attention at them, using his winds as a shield. He blocked an attack from what appeared to be a large scythe.
"Y-you?!" Izanagi gawked. The attacker channeled the dark magic into the blade of the scythe as it grew large and was covered in a purple aura. The scythe slashed through the winds and pushed the god back several feet.
"Wait a second…" Gajeel realized who it was and pointed at them. "Ain't that the small angel girl from earlier?!"
Sync painted after she launched her attack. She gripped his scythe tightly, eyes focused on the god. Her chest was shining brightly.
Juvia recognized the kind of magic the small angel used immediately. "G-Gajeel… that magic…"
"Gihi…guess the world is still full of surprises, huh?" Gajeel smirked. "Never expected to see *that* ever again…"
"But what is she doing? Why is she helping us?" Jellal pondered. He then overheard a buzzing noise and looked behind him. A small orb that was hiding revealed itself, before vanishing in a white aura.
Izanagi stood up and dusted himself off. He glared at the small angel. "I must agree with him… just what are you doing, Sync?!" He demanded. "Do you plan on changing sides?!"
Sync clenched her chest tightly. "I-I'm not changing sides!" She swung her arm and shot daggers at Izanagi. "I'm making my own choice! My own actions!" She fluttered in place, winding her scythe back. "I know why this stone was placed inside of me… big bro told me years ago!"
Izanagi glared back at the girl and flew in the air. "So you already knew the burden magic had given you?! Yet you still plan on helping these people who rely on that same burden!" He accused.
"It's not a burden! I am not the monster people think of me as!" Sync exclaimed, shades erupting from her Lacrima and swirling around her like a shield. "I'll show them that I'm not… by changing my fate and choosing my own future!" She declared, swinging her scythe downward and unleashing a large magic-based blade.
"And the future I want… is to continue being with the ones who accept me!" Sync shouts.
The attack landed directly where Izanagi flew. It caused an explosion of purple energy, blinding the onlookers.
"That's some crazy power! Didn't one of the older Wizard Saints have that kind of magic?!" Sting exclaimed.
"Indeed. Jose Porla." Jellal answered. "To think that kind of magic was found up here too of all places…"
Sync landed on the ground, appearing exhausted. Her Lacrima shined once again, causing her to clench her chest in pain. The moment she had her eyes off of Izanagi, he emerged from her attack and dashed right at her. Before she could react, the god grabbed her by the neck.
"I'm through…giving second chances…" Izanagi vowed. He clenched on her neck tightly, causing her to gag. Her magic begins to diminish, the shades evaporating from sight.
Happy gasped. "Oh no! We have to help her!"
Izanagi lifts her up, Sync kicking in the air and gripping on his hand. "I'm on the verge of losing everything again…" The god vents, his eyes showing desperate fury. "I CANNOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN!"
He tightens his grip even more.
"WENDY!" A loud male voice shouted from far in the distance. Everyone turned their attention to where the voice came from.
Happy's eyes glistened, recognizing the bearer of the voice immediately. "NATSU!" He flew up, overjoyed.
Natsu roars, sprinting at full speed. He had his typical toothy grin, looking directly at Izanagi.
Izanagi choked on his breath and gawked at the fire dragon slayer. He dropped Sync, the girl coughing and holding on her throat the moment she landed. The god didn't even lower his arm as he kept staring at Natsu with utter disbelief.
"...How is he still standing?" Izanagi asked himself. "And his injuries…they're gone…" He lowered his arm and turned his body towards Natsu. "But how is that even possible? No one else here could've been able to tend to his injuries in such a short amount of time…!"
Natsu chuckled, noticing Izanagi's expression. "Ready for round three? I'm getting fired up now!"
Izanagi growled, his eyes bloodshot with rage. He raised an arm upward. "Would you all just…" He proceeds to swing his arm down, unleashing a wind-based path of blades. "GO HOME ALREADY?!" He exclaims, the attack slicing through the clouds.
Natsu acted quickly, and leaped to the side. He narrowly avoided the attack, witnessing the large vertical hole it created. "You won't be able to shoo us away that easily! It's like I said earlier, we'll keep on coming back!"
Izanagi grinded his teeth. He got on guard and spread his wings out wide. He is prepared to intercept whatever fire attack Natsu will throw at him. Sync quickly scoots back and gains some distance between the two.
"We came here for one reason and one reason only!" Natsu began, launching himself at Izanagi. The god catches both of Natsu's hands and grips them tightly.
The two exchanged headbutts. Natsu begins to slowly push the god back. "And Fairy Tail will do whatever it takes to complete that goal!" He gains the upper edge, and pushes Izanagi back further and further.
The onlookers watch the two, wondering what Natsu had planned. Many of them then came to a shocking realization.
Natsu chuckled, smiling at Izanagi. "We're taking you home! No matter what!" The fire mage asserted.
Izanagi gets pushed off the clouds, Natsu leaping off after him.
The god snaps out of his fury, realizing what Natsu just did. "...Huh?"
Natsu's friends watch on in horror and disbelief.
"What?!"
"Are-"
"You-"
"Doing?!"
"You dumbass!"
Jellal, Rogue, Sting, Juvia and Gajeel exclaimed in that order. Sync sat on her knees, covering her mouth in shock.
Happy spreads his wings, preparing to take off after the two.
"Happy! You stay there!" Erza ordered from afar. The Exceed turned and saw her, Lucy and Gray catching up to the group.
The rest of them saw the three and held expressions of relief that they're all okay.
"Gray! My darling!" Juvia clapped her hands and hearts grew on her eyes. "You're okay!"
Gray held an unimpressed expression. "I should've known that moron would pull a stupid stunt like that."
"No matter, we'll just have to catch up to him." Erza bluntly stated. She switched into her Celestial Armor.
Lucy quickly placed the pieces together and her face began to turn white. "W-wait… You d-don't mean…" She shuddered.
Erza grabbed both Gray's and Lucy's arms forcefully and tightly. Her body gets covered in a yellow aura.
Gray was the next to put the pieces together. "Oh no…"
"Jellal! We'll leave the rest up here to you!" Erza directed at her old friend.
"Waitwaitwaitwait! I'm not mentally prepared-EEEEEEEEEEK!" Lucy attempted to urge, but screamed when Erza casted her Meteor spell and leaped off the clouds.
Jellal runs over to the edge of the clouds and looks down, watching the Fairy Tail wizards free fall down. He sighs and gives an exhausted smile. He turns to the rest of his allies.
"Right, we still have a job to do. Let's have faith in those four." Jellal suggested.
"Release me!" Izanagi demanded. He tried to shove his hands off of Natsu's, but the fire mage's grip would not budge. "Are you trying to get us killed?!" He growled.
Natsu chuckled. "Of course not! We're just going on a quick trip!"
Due to Natsu's grip and falling speed, Izanagi wasn't able to use his wings to fly back up as he flapped them furiously.
"Why you…!" Izanagi shot. He opened his mouth and prepared to unleash an attack. "Roar of the Sky…"
Before he could attack, he witnessed three more people falling right behind Natsu. Lucy's screams became more audible as Erza was able to catch up with the two.
"He's preparing an attack! Do it now, Erza!" Natsu exclaimed.
Acting quickly, Erza got a hold of Natsu and channeled her magic to make the Meteor grow into a large ball. It encased all five of them, the ball turning from yellow to white. In an instant, the ball zipped down at lightning speed.
A large, open field of grass, trees and flowers bloomed during the bright sunny afternoon. There wasn't a single individual in sight as only the sound of the soft winds brushing the leaves were heard.
That moment was interrupted however, as a white ball softly landed in the middle of this field. Several people popped out of the ball and it evaporated in a flash. Izanagi rolls down a hill, many stems of grass being blown off its roots in the process. Team Natsu remained lying where they had landed.
Lucy was practically hugging the ground, still shaken up from their action earlier. "Th-th-that was c-crazy! I never thought I'd m-miss the g-ground so much!" She shivered.
Erza was standing, appearing unphased. "I wasn't entirely sure what Natsu's call was on getting Izanagi off the clouds, but I'm glad it worked out." She relieved.
Gray pulled himself up and dusted himself off. He glances behind him and notices Natsu laying on his stomach, his cheeks puffed up like he was about to throw up. Gray rolled his eyes. "Come on dude. If you're going to pull a crazy stunt like that, at least try and man up!" He mocked.
Natsu simply groaned in response, his motion sickness kicking in full gear.
At the bottom of the hill, Izanagi was feeling dizzy and sick. It appears he was also experiencing motion sickness as he covered his mouth. His vision was blurry, trying to snap himself out of it. Once he came to, the angel felt like he was laying on something… soft and warm. But also brushy, like every movement was a gentle tickle on his skin. He placed his palms on the ground and tried to push himself up. Once his vision returned to normal, the first thing he saw was a green ground. He was laying on the grass.
Izanagi let out a horrified gasp and widened his eyes. He sat on his bottom and frantically scooted back. He looked all around him and saw that the whole area was surrounded by grass and trees.
His breath hitched, ears ringing. The god realized that he was in the world below. He shakily lifts his right arm and gently places his palm on the grass. He rubs his hand on the ground to get a good feel of it.
"I-It's still a bright green color…" Izanagi noted, raising his palm and staring at the grass that stuck on it.
Izanagi heard the soft wind blowing in the air. His long blue hair brushed through it as he kept admiring the fields in front of him. The angel then spots something dead ahead from him. His pupils shrank, letting out a faint gasp.
He got on his knees and quickly crawled to what he had spotted. It was a fully grown and healthy blue tulip. The blue haired god couldn't believe what he was staring at. He gently held the flower with both of his palms, having it rest on them like a pillow.
"A real… genuine flower…" Izanagi whispered, eyes watering up. "I… haven't felt one like this in so many years…"
Tears slowly fell from both his eyes. Izanagi couldn't help but let out some hiccups, feeling overwhelming joy. "It's… so beautiful…" He raised his head and observed even more tulips through the fields. "The world i-is still so so beautiful…" He chuckled delightfully.
"Fire Dragon's…" Natsu slid to a stop and winded his arm back. His fist was engulfed in furious flames. Izanagi quickly turned his head and witnessed Natsu's face covered by the sun's shadow, eyes glowing white. "Iron Fist!"
Natsu slammed his fist directly at Izanagi's face, unleashing a burst of flames in the process. The god gets sent tumbling back several feet, dropping the tulip in the process as it turned to ash. The angel crashed into a large tree, causing it to fall over.
"There he goes again… charging off on his own." Gray commented with an unimpressed stare.
Lucy hovered her hand over her mouth, raising an eyebrow. "What… was up with Izanagi though…?" She wondered.
Natsu clenched his arm and flexed it. "Aaaah~ The air here feels *great!*" He cackled. He then points at the god. "Now that you're in our turf now, I'm even more fired up!"
Izanagi hadn't budged the moment Natsu attacked him. He laid in the destruction caused by the fire mage, noticing the charred grass path that was created. His hair shadow covered both his eyes.
"...Your turf?" The god whispered.
Izanagi pushed the branches that laid on him off and shakily stood back up. He took a few steps forward, staring down. "That's right… this world was taken from us…" He raised his voice.
Natsu dropped his bravado and pose. He furrowed his brow, noticing that his opponent was acting differently.
Izanagi raises his head, his eyes glowing brightly. "Taken… by people like you…" He directed at Natsu, glaring at the fire mage intensely.
Gray, Lucy and Erza felt a chill up their spine. They watch the angel's tone change abruptly.
Izanagi grinded his teeth tightly where it chipped a tooth. He clenched both fists, growling furiously. "Give it back…" He murmured, before raising his head even more as well as both fists. "GIVE BACK WHAT YOU'VE STOLEN FROM US!" He exploded, raising his right arm and summoning a colossal magic circle in an instant.
Thunder crackling could be heard as leaves began getting blown away. The four Fairy Tail wizards covered their faces and got on guard, letting out surprised grunts. Erza felt something like this before and took her attention upward. She witnessed the sky shift from a bright blue to a dark gray. Dark clouds began being dragged by an invisible force and joining together in this one spot.
"The clouds…they're changing formation!" Erza exclaimed.
~~~Author's Notes~~~
So I'm currently in the process of moving out of my own for the first time. So I can't guarantee when the next chapters will come out anytime soon.
We're at the climax now though, not many chapters left until the story is finished! I hope you continue reading and thank you to all who have been!