Natsu peered back at the lone Magic Four Wheeler that'd brought a couple of soldiers. He pursed his lips. They had spears and shields, maybe with some anti-magic armament, but if they were caught off-guard?
"Can you put your head down?" Lucy hissed. She forced Natsu's head back beneath the rocks. "Are you trying to get us killed?"
"Oh, come on," Natsu said. "Even you could take those guys."
"Yeah, and sound off every alarm bell again?" Lucy asked.
Happy padded over. "I think Lucy's just a chicken."
"We just had half the guild teleported away from two of their people and you're calling a chicken?" Lucy asked.
"If we hijack the vehicle," Natsu said. "You can drive it to Magnolia, Lucy, and Happy can fly me there. We can't be too far."
"You want me to steal an Imperial vehicle?" Lucy asked. "That probably has a tracking device on it? Will you think things through for just a second?"
Natsu rolled his eyes. Lucy always had to find a way to complicate his plans. At least Gray wasn't there to back her up and call him an idiot.
"Happy, your thoughts?"
"Aye, sir. Let's hijack this thing."
"Alright, Lucy, you're outnumbered."
"Oh, come on!"
"Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed, perhaps a bit too loud. Whatever. What were those guys going to do? "You want to get home, right? This is our best ticket there."
Lucy folded her arms in front of her chest. Ah, great, was she going to pout? No, no, the way her lips were puckered wasn't a pouting face. It was Lucy putting on her thinking cap! She was considering every situation.
"I'll do it," Lucy said. "But I don't think Happy will be able to carry you all the way to Magnolia. You'll have to ride for a bit."
There it was. The flaw in Natsu's plan. He swallowed his pride…knowing that his lunch was going to come back up.
Hold on, Natsu realized. The last meal he ate…was it really seven years ago?
"I think," Lucy said, putting her fist in her open palm. "I can summon Loke to help us out, too. Or, at least have someone to pass the baton to if I get tired."
"Nah, he'll drive us the whole way," Natsu said. "Great, we have a plan! Happy, let's go!"
Then, he heard Lucy cry out against his next move, but he was already halfway across the gap of soldiers. Only two of them? Easy!
Four more stepped into the clearing, lighting up cigarettes. Natsu flattened his expression, quickly changing spells on the fly.
"Fire Dragon Roar!"
None of the soldiers saw him in the sky. Happy let him go as the spell blasted the ground, sending them scattering. Natsu slammed onto the road in front of the vehicle.
"Don't bother getting back up!" Natsu shouted. Lucy rushed over. "We're taking the car. Call in whomever you want. We're outta here! Let's go, Happy!"
Lucy sidled into the car. "Open, Gate of the Lion! Leo!"
Loke appeared next to Lucy in the car, his glasses glimmering in the faint sunlight. He grinned at her.
"Ah, good to see you again, my lady, it's been too long."
"Cut the crap, dude, we've gotta go!" Natsu shouted as Happy flung him into the air.
"Wait!" Lucy shouted. "How do I drive this thing?"
In a surprisingly swift movement, Loke swapped places with Lucy, of course making sure she sat on his lap an extra moment too long doing so. He clamped the magic suction bracelet to his arm and then slammed on the pedal.
"Where are we headed?"
"Magnolia!" Natsu exclaimed. "We're going home!"
Lily shouted as the anti-magic energy flowed into him, coursing through his body and shooting lightning out in tiny arcs. He calmed, sighed, and tried again.
Evergreen raised her tired head. She'd never looked so dirty, unkempt. Erza could only imagine how much that dug at her; not that Evergreen was so vain to only care about her looks but to know that the hard work she put into her appearance was being ridiculed and forgotten about had to eat at her.
"Please," Evergreen said. "Some of us are at least trying to sleep through this."
Lily huffed a few breaths. He was running out of stamina.
"Lily," Erza said. "Don't push yourself too hard."
"I can take it," he said. "I won't let these chains be the end of us, Erza."
Makarov stirred, raising his head. He was actually sitting on the floor, as compared to the others who had been raised and splayed along the cold stone walls of whatever prison they were in. Erza didn't recognize it, as if she'd been in many. Maybe Natsu would know.
Laxus was still hanging limply from the chains. He didn't resist against them; wisely, Erza noted, he was attempting to rest to recover his strength. Evergreen continued to check on him, but not with any words.
"Even if we do get out," Makarov said. "Does anyone have an idea of how to escape her Territory magic? Not that it's limitless, but this dungeon is likely riddled with traps."
"The best way out is through," Erza said. "To defeat her in combat."
"I doubt she's one to do much fighting," Makarov said. "We must think of a different—"
He was cut off by more of Lily's screams, these continuing on for some time. Erza tried to shout out for Lily to stop but he did not hear.
Then, just as his voice reached its breaking point, Lily seemed to vanish. Or, at least, the chains dangled freely again.
And in Lily's place was a tiny Exceed, one huffing and puffing but rising to one knee nonetheless.
"I...I will find a way to free you," Lily said. "Master, what would you have me do?"
"Find out where we are," Makarov said. "Prioritize saving yourself if you must, Panther Lily. Don't be a hero."
"I will not leave you behind," Lily said.
"No, but if you can find out where we are and get the information back to Hisui, you can send reinforcements."
Lily rose to a full stand, revealing the Fairy Tail guild symbols still on his back.
"Aye," Lily said, and then raced off as fast as his legs could take him.
Transforming was a fool's errand, likely igniting any other magical sensors that could be around.
Erza shifted against her chains. Freedom was only a matter of time. She tried to relax, though the way she was held didn't let her muscles do so as they strained just to keep her body upright. She could at least quiet her mind, then, and allowed it to plunge into her stores of armors, trying to figure out the very best one to counter the Ethereal Witch.
Minerva rifled through files they had on Fairy Tail at the facility, mostly keeping herself to the Captain's office that she'd been permitted to use. Most of it was destroyed at the Emperor's behest. Mentions and whispers of Fairy Tail were to be snuffed out so that, in time, its very memory would be eradicated.
Their Guild Master was a man named Makarov. None had given their names yet. Other prominent members were their legion of S-Class wizards: Erza Scarlet, Mirajane Strauss, Laxus Dreyer, Gildarts Clive, and a mysterious Mystogan, a man whom even the Empire had few notes on. A late note was added in, as if in passing: Cana Alberona.
"Insignificant pests, all of them," Minerva thought.
Perhaps they could be useful to the Empire, but even if some of those that she had in the other room were genuine artifacts, how strong could they be? In time, with training, they could get up to snuff.
The path ahead of Minerva was a clear one, yet unfortunately, one that would require patience. Even if these weren't Fairies, they'd displayed reasonable skill on the battlefield. That one with the scarlet hair did not seem likely to simply fold to Minerva's whims.
She'd need to be Broken, like the rest of them. But where to start? That limp, muscular one? Probably, but, if he was already a meathead like Orga then the process wasn't going to be necessary.
Minerva's hunch about that pretty one in green could pay great dividends if indeed she had Eye magic. The Empire, particularly the Hunters Division, could greatly benefit from such power. She closed the files, placing them back in their assorted place, then moved through the facility.
It was a dank, cold one, rife with the Imperial trappings of black, silver, and white lining the walls. A few candles guided her path, as did a few soldiers. What good were they when she was around? She accounted for an entire army.
Minerva eased through the open doorway, and slowed down, not showing the shock on her face as only four sets of her five chains were occupied.
"You've lost, Witch," Erza said. "Our victory is—"
Minerva flicked her wrist and magic flew into that one, slamming her against the wall. Minerva ignored her. She'd die before she was useful to the Empire.
She clawed the one in the green dress.
"You belong to the Twilight Empire," Minerva said and slammed the woman back with force. It stunned her, and she went limp, falling unconscious. "You don't deserve a farewell."
"Enough!" the scarlet one shouted through the pain.
"You will take your hand off of her this instant!" the little old man yelled, but his voice was drowned out by a bubble formed around his head. He raged against it, but no sound came through.
"Perhaps you are the one they called Titania, given how much they care about you," Minerva said. The chains relaxed and the woman crumpled. Minerva picked her up by the hair, and then dragged her out the door. "But in the Twilight Empire, there can be no Queen. Only those who serve the Emperor."
After some exchange in drivers, and quite a bit of riding in the back of the vehicle, Natsu, Happy, Lucy, and Loke pulled up to the ruined gates of Magnolia, slowly through before sliding to a halt in front of a dilapidated building. Only Kardia Cathedral remained somewhat intact, from what Lucy could see. The guild hall was further in town.
"Look!" Natsu exclaimed, stumbling forward. "Is that Lily?"
"Natsu…" Lucy said, her voice quiet while she absorbed the surroundings.
She stepped out of the vehicle with Loke in tow but didn't recognize where she was. Maybe some of the buildings were familiar, but little remained of them.
Dust blew from the windows where shouts or songs once flew. Streets empty of the echoing clatter of footsteps spoke loudest to Lucy. It was hardly quiet, as the breeze that collected through the streets still ran. But upon it wasn't the happy voices of people going about their day or the sounds of businesses just making their way; upon the breeze was the hollowness of a vacant, lifeless husk.
Natsu charged ahead with Happy but Lucy could not take her eyes from the store they'd parked in front of. It was a boutique store she frequented with Mirajane a few times. Before they left for Tenrou, while they were bonding as a means of finding synchronicity in the S-Class Wizard Promotion trial, Cana promised to buy Lucy something from the place if she ever won.
The windows were shattered and several clothes were stolen. Lucy stepped toward it. Loke didn't insist otherwise, he simply followed in kind. Some dresses remained and they were all gorgeous despite the ruin wrought over them by damages or dust.
"Did you see any of this happen?" Lucy asked. She stood on the open window sill.
"No," Loke said. "We had glimpses of this world. But never Magnolia."
"Did you ever come to this world?"
Loke kicked away some debris. "A few times. Came with a few others, we never wanted to travel alone. Seemed risky. Wanted to look for any signs of you. By the time I went to talk to some of the other guilds, we found out they were all gone."
"All of them?"
"You're seeing Magnolia, Lucy. This wasn't the only place the Twilight Empire hit. Just one of the ones they hit the hardest."
Thunder rolled in the distance. Faintly, down the road, Lucy heard Natsu giving Lily words of comfort about it.
"Come on," Loke said. "We've gotta find the others."
"Did you ever find anyone?" Lucy asked.
"From Fairy Tail?"
"Or the other guilds."
She stepped down, walking up to Loke, but not facing him.
"Jura."
Lucy nodded, then continued toward Natsu. Natsu picked Lily up when the thunder came back, then set him down.
"Tell Lucy what you just told us," Happy said. "Oh, and Loke, too. I forgot he was here, sorry!"
"I emerged from some sort of facility buried beneath Kardia Cathedral," Lily said. "It's not too heavily fortified, though I think that's more to do with the presence of the Ethereal Witch than anything else."
"Oh, great, her again," Lucy muttered.
"If we can free the others, I'm sure we can defeat her," Lily said. "But we have to act quickly."
"Right," Natsu said. "Come on, Lily, show us the way!"
The two Exceeds took to the sky with their Aera wings and the others sprinted after them. Lucy did her best not to stare at her surroundings, not to gape and weep for every lost shop.
Every step took her closer to punching the Ethereal Witch, and by extension a key component of the Empire, straight in the face. Closer to defeating her, to sticking it to them for taking advantage of Fairy Tail's disappearance. They were cowards, simple as that.
Lily stopped in front of the cathedral, pointing out a path through the rubble that led to a rather obscured doorway, one that'd been opened enough for a figure of Lily's size to slip through. Loke took point, swinging the door open while charging a Regulus Fist to strike with should it be necessary.
No greeting party came. Lily transformed into his larger size. He was without his sword, but that didn't mean his strength meant nothing.
"The path splits further down," Lily said. "We should stick together in case we encounter the Witch."
"Sure," Natsu said.
"Just follow my lead," Lucy said. "Alright, Natsu?"
Natsu raised an eyebrow. Lucy reached for a key with a trembling hand and opened the gate for Virgo, who bowed to Lucy.
"It is good to see you once more, Princess," Virgo said.
"Open a tunnel into this place," Lucy said, her voice low. "And then, Natsu, Loke, Lily?"
She pointed down at it. Lightning soared across the sky. Thunder boomed but Lily didn't shake. The first drop of rain struck Lucy's hand, the pink guild mark still there proudly.
"Destroy this place!" she shouted.
Natsu let out a great roar as Virgo bowed once more, then burrowed. When she reappeared, Natsu dove into the hole.
"Hey, Twilight Empire!" the Dragon Slayer shouted. Loke and Lily dove after him. "You messed with the wrong guild! Fire Dragon!"
"Iron Fist!"
Dust and debris shook in the prisoner's room while nearby wailing of some soldiers sang like a chorus to Erza's ears.
"So," she whispered. "It seems we've been found."
"Then I've had about enough of this," Makarov said. His body glowed. Electricity coursed through him but he made no sign of it injuring him besides a few grunts. At once, his hands and legs gigantified to a small amount, and the chains snapped free of him. "Didn't want to give away our magic power in case it was any indication of who we are to the Ethereal Witch but Natsu, as usual, has taken matters into his own hands."
He pointed and fired tiny white beams at the chains, breaking free Erza and his grandson. Laxus slumped but caught himself, rising as some lightning ricocheted around the room.
"Allow Laxus and I to deal with the Ethereal Witch after we've secured Evergreen," Makarov said. "You take charge of whatever Natsu'd doing Erza. Understood?"
"Yes, Master," Erza said. "Requip! Black Wing Armor!"
The shadow armor clung to Erza, forming fast as her will pulled it to her. She clasped her hand tight around the sword it created. She allowed her wings room to spread and flex.
"Master, can you sense Evergreen?"
"Yes, she's this way. Come!"
He charged out the doorway, Laxus and Erza just behind him while Natsu continued to cause all sorts of havoc. Hopefully, in the event the Ethereal Witch went after him and not the escapees, he didn't come along. Preferably, Gildarts was with him, or Mirajane at the very least.
The facility was a maze riddled with shadows and few indications of what anything was. Makarov stopped and started a few times, but had to keep going. Erza didn't dare look into some of the rooms, fearful of what she may peer into. The twisted mind of the Witch likely knew no bounds.
They came to a hallway riddled with darkness. Erza attempted to plunge forward but Makarov stopped her and called for Laxus, who blasted lightning down it. Far enough down it to think one's self safe, the lightning was swallowed by another of the Witch's spells.
Her voice filled the corridor. "So you've found a way to escape. I suppose I underestimated the lot of you. Ah, well. I believe they'll be happy enough to see you all in shambles, now that I've at least got one of you!"
The voice closed in the more it annoyingly spoke. Makarov grabbed Erza's hand.
"You go, Erza!" he shouted, spinning around as the Witch appeared from the ceiling, magic bolts crackling in her hand. "Stick to the plan!"
Erza flew down the hall without a second guess. A portal formed then closed as she heard the Witch get probably punched, hard, by Laxus. She'd have to thank him for doing so later. She slammed through one of the walls, to create a shortcut.
"But I have no idea where Ever is," Erza muttered. Then, sucking in a long breath, she belted as loud as she could, "Where are you, Evergreen? Laxus needs your help!"
Not far from her, Erza heard a woman cry out. Not in pain. In anger. Then, moments later, in pain. Erza Requiped once more into a bulkier armor, blitzing through the walls before she dropped the Requip to her Clear Heart clothing, delivering a fast kick to the face of one of the people standing over Evergreen.
The majority of the guards, it seemed, were in that room. Erza blocked one's strikes with her blade and obliterated other soldiers with a kick. Evergreen called for Erza's name as other soldiers stepped up to a device over Ever's face, some sort of black lacrima suspended over her.
Erza flung her blade shattering the lacrima, and in her follow-through punched a soldier hard in the head, denting his helmet and sending him spiraling. Erza reclaimed her sword and cut the bonds holding Evergreen down, but the woman could still barely move.
She mouthed words to Erza but, in the commotion, Erza could not make them out. She handily dealt with the final soldiers, then hefted Evergreen up.
A blond woman sprinted past before backtracking.
"Lucy!" Erza exclaimed.
"Erza, Evergreen!"
The Celestial wizard dove at the two, embracing them, before stepping back. Natsu's destruction wasn't far off.
"Come on," Erza said. "They've done something to her, we need to get away now."
Lucy nodded, then hollered for Loke, of all people, to help clear a path, particularly to make sure they didn't accidentally get in Natsu's way while he continued doing what he did best: eradicating whatever place he was in.
Evergreen continued to try whispering things to Erza, but it was as if she were speaking a different language, and she spoke so softly. Erza continued to try to reassure her, but the further they got, the less she truly recognized the once-proud woman that she called a rival.
Minerva slid against the pavement of the room, enjoying herself quite a bit. These opponents were of some decent strength.
"I'll admit my surprise," Minerva said, lowering her hands to prepare another spell. "You two have given me more than I expected today."
"Your reign of terror over my children ends now, Witch," Makarov said. "This entire facility will be wiped out, and your stain upon this world forgotten."
Yes, Minerva thought as the man put his hands together. She wished to see more of the power as he charged it further into his hands, eyes glowing white. The other, his grandson Laxus, reacted in shock at what the old man was doing.
Minerva didn't mind losing whatever soldiers were here. She hardly cared, too, if that Evergreen got away. From what she saw, they'd done enough. She'd Break soon, even without the final push from the Empire.
She did care to see what this was. Minerva swung her hands down as the old man roared, his magic reaching a peak that even frightened Minerva.
"Fairy L—!"
Bingo.
Minerva vanished into one of her portals as white light consumed the rest of the facility, likely killing the rest of her men in there. She eased onto the ground far enough out of Magnolia that she wouldn't be followed and smiled.
"So, then it is true." She flipped her hair over her shoulder, staring in the direction of the capital. Her Emperor. "Fairy Tail has returned."
Natsu rushed to the source of the awesome power, finding Gramps on one knee with Laxus supporting him.
"Did you get her?" Natsu asked.
Master shook his head. "No. She got away just as I cast the spell. I'm sure I eliminated their soldiers, but…not our major enemy."
Natsu sneered. "Yeah, but you cleared the town of her. And Erza got Evergreen back! That means we've a clear path back to the guild hall, where she can rest up."
"We're in Magnolia?" Makarov asked, quietly, and suddenly took note of his surroundings.
"Yeah, come on!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Wait, Natsu!"
But Natsu didn't hear him. Instead, he ran, following the path back out of the building and into Magnolia, those familiar streets. Everyone shouted after him. Happy made pursuit, as did Lucy, but he was faster than them.
He ran up the hill toward the guild hall. Yeah, the town had some damages, but of course the Empire would attack it. They freed it, though! The guild hall was all their's once again!
Only, it wasn't there. B—but that made sense, too. After all, the Empire would just try to attack it to get rid of Fairy Tail, but of course, with everyone coming back, it was only a matter of time until they'd all be together again.
Natsu raced into where the guild hall once was. The sign was burned. All that remained were scraps of wood. Oh, but there were planks! Natsu started to gather them up.
Thunder clapped once more. Rain poured over him. Damn. It'd rot the wood! So, he covered it up with his body, searching and searching for the driest pieces he could salvage.
"We'll just put it back together," Natsu said. "We have Laki and Levy, they know how to put the guild hall back together quickly."
He got a few splinters, a few scrapes, from hurriedly picking things up. The rain picked up. It sizzled off his warm body.
"We'll get the guild back," he said. Something formed in his throat. Weird.
Natsu tripped over the guild flag, left moderately undamaged. He moved to pick it up but a smaller, older hand caught his wrist.
Master Makarov.
"Come on, Master, help me out."
"Natsu."
"Come on!"
"You're crying, son."
"No, I'm not."
Natsu rubbed his face. There was rainwater, there, duh. That thing came back in his throat.
"There are some things that even the rain cannot hide."
Natsu tried to disagree, tried to argue against it, and then the thing in his throat blossomed, and he fell forward, caught by Gramps, who tenderly held Natsu against him, the two among the rubble of Fairy Tail.
A third figure joined them, fizzling into reality next to them.
"I'm sorry," Mest said, then gently grasped Natsu's shoulder.
The Fire Dragon Slayer got one final look at the guild flag among the ruins, among the rain and the stormy skies, before he was once more taken away from his home.
What was left of it, anyway.
A/N: Again, apologies for splitting the chapter into two parts! Just didn't want you to feel like you needed to read like 8,000+ words in one go!
