Chapter 57
Human Enslavement
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Magic"
Flashback
Location / Date / Time Skip
Ultear cuddled up to her goal as the sun set. "Zeref... you belong to me." She mumbled. "No one will take you from me. I'll make you the god of this world. And then the grand magic world will be made real."
With Elfman And Evergreen
Elfman raced from Belcusas as he slung Evergreen over his shoulder. "Run faster!" Evergreen shouted. "I don't think he wants us to get away." Elfman let out a gasp and came to a stop. "Why are you stoping!? Wait... there's nowhere left to run..."
"What a view..." He mumbled.
"What kind of idiot runs away without looking where he's going!?" She scolded.
"You just love complaining, don't you!?" He replied. "Fine, just go on by yourself."
Evergreen delivered a kick to his back. "First you're an idiot, now you're a coward who'd abandon an injured comrade!?"
"Injured!? You look totally fine to me!" Elfman shouted. A footstep caught their attention and reminded them of Belcusas.
"Crap, we're cornered." She mumbled. "This cliff can't take this much weight at once. One more step and we're done. I'm not sure I have enough magic to fly."
Elfman gasped before turning to his partner. "I completely forgot about that. Maybe I should wear a pair of glasses myself."
"Glasses have nothing to do with intelligence." She retorted. "Did you forget you're in the presence of-" Elfman grabbed her shoulders. "Wait, what are you doing?"
"Time to fly!" He shouted before throwing her into the air. Belcusas looked up and Elfman snuck behind him. "I'm right here, ugly." He declared. The monster turned and threw a punch. "Take-Over: Beast Soul!" Elfman delcared as he activated his magic and blocked the fist. "Sucker."
The cliff broke apart and Belcusas fell down to the forest below. Elfman turned to see Evergreen landed in front of him. "Nice job. That's what I call-"
Evergreen shoved her foot right into his face. "Never, ever use me as bait again, understand you buffoon!?"
"Have you lovers no sense of shame, touching during a battle?" Rustyrose asked.
"Be quite!" Both fairies shouted at once.
"Still, I must confess that you surprised me." The dark wizard said. "Many have meet their end by Belcusas. Surviving him is no small feat, even after such a pathetic display of drama. Wizards like you don't deserve to survive in the Grand Magic World."
Elfman climbed up from the cliff edge and glared at Rustyrose. "That's not freedom at all. That's a cowards world." He said, making both Evergreen and Rustyrose turn to him. "Don't you understand that most people can't use magic? You'd make them suffer just so you could feel better?"
"Correct." The dark wizard nodded. "People like them cannot live in the Grand Magic World."
"We won't let that happen!" Elfman shouted.
"You think their lives are important?" Rustyrose asked. "People without magic are the same as lights that won't work. They need to be thrown away."
"Magic power doesn't make you more important than someone who doesn't have any!" Elfman shouted. "Life is sacred no matter what!"
"Whats wrong, scared of losing your income?" Rustyrose asked. "That's it. Guilds like you are only profitable when there's people without magic."
"You're dead wrong." Elfman said standing up. "It's a support system. In exchange for our skills, they give monetary rewards." He limped forward past Evergreen. "That trust, that friendship... that's what built our world. And the guilds." Rustyrose chuckled at Elfmans speech. "I won't let you destroy the world we made. This world belongs to all of us, not just you!"
"See, this is why I don't understand wizards like you." Rustyrose spoke up. "Your magic is too far from the abyss of sorcery, and you've never known true power. Once you see Zeref's power, you will either submit or die."
"We're Fairy Tail wizards! We don't submit!" Elfman shouted as he ran forward. "And if we're gonna die then you're coming with us!"
"Such a shame the fairies of your guild aren't more elegant." Rustyrose mumbled as his hand glowed. The claw returned and swatted Elfman away. "If you wish to lie with garbage, then I will treat you as such!"
"Call me garbage all you want, but you won't get away with falling my friends that!" Elfman shouted. "As a man, I won't let it stand!"
Rustyrose pulled his arm back and thrusted forward, only to find Elfman had caught it. "I got you now..." He smirked as he gripped the claw. "If you want to take over, you have to know your opponent. Right, Mira?" He coughed up some blood before looking up at Rustyrose. "Thanks for the arm up, pal."
Elfman raised his right arm and it turned into his own claw. "You stole my weapon for yourself!?" Rustyrose shouted in anger.
"Time for a little payback!" Elfman roared as he threw his arm forward.
"In my hand is a kite shield, impervious to any attack!" Rustyrose chanted as his other arm turned into said shield. "Cheap tactics have failed you. Now what?"
Elfman reached forward and pulled off Rustyroses glasses. "Scared to see without your glasses?" He asked as he crushed them into pieces. "Ever!"
Evergreen reached up and pulled her own glasses off. "For the record, only Laxus and the Thunder Legion can call me that name." She smirked as she looked at Rustyrose. "But I guess I can make an exception." She activated her magic and sent it right at the dark wizard. "I can't wait to turn this theater washout into a pigeon pedestal will make me smile for the first time today. No one smack talks Fairy Tail And gets a away with it."
He flailed around for a bit before smirking. He then whacked Elfman to the ground before sticking Evergreen. 'No, why didn't it work?'
Elfman looked up to see Rustyrose wearing a pair of glasses. "Impossible... I crushed them myself."
"My magic is imagination." He mumbled before summoning an arc of sunglasses around him. "It is the arc of embodiement. Whatever I think of, I can make real."
"No, that's impossible..." Evergreen groaned out.
"The power of wishes is directly linked to the power of sorcery." Rustyrose explained as he walked forward. "While it,has its limits, I say they are well worth it. It's power is invincible and has yet to fail me in battle." He stopped once far away enough from the two. "Come forth, my mighty tower of Dingir!" He turned around and a massive tower shot out of the ground, trapping the two. "Destroy these fools with your power and return them to the earth!"
"What is this thing?" Elfman asked. "My arms won't move!"
"Elfman..." Evergreen mumbled out.
"Hang on, Ever!" He cried out.
"I'm sorry..." She mumbled. "If it wasn't for me, you'd have made S-class by now. You would have beaten this guy, but now..."
"Don't be stupid." Elfman smirked. "The only reason I'm here is because of you. Thank you, Ever."
"Fall to the depths of darkness." Rustyrose snapped his fingers and the tower exploded.
With Natsu
Natsu groaned before he snapped up. "Natsu!/You're okay!" Wendy and Happy shouted in joy.
"Where's Gramps?" Natsu asked.
"Here." Rose said, making him look over.
"He's not safe yet, I'm afraid." Carla explained.
Natsu smiled before getting hugged by Laki. "It's okay, Laki. I'm still here." He then looked down and noticed his scarf was fixed. "My scarf..."
"Wendy fixed it using her sky magic." Happy explained. "Then Laki flipped your clothes around for you."
"Thanks a lot Wendy." He said.
"It not a problem." She said.
A scent caught Natsu's attention and he sniffed around Wendy. "I remember that smell." He said standing up. "You smell that, Laki?"
His girlfriend took a sniff and she's stood up as well. "No way, he's here?" She asked.
"Who's here?" Happy asked.
"Wendy, can you smell anything?" Rose asked.
"No... there are so many new smells here I can't really get my bearings." She confessed.
"Who are you guys smelling?" Carla asked.
"That masked creep from Galuna Island." Natsu answered. The two took another sniff before racing forward. "There he is!"
"What happened on Galuna island?" Wendy asked.
"The usual. Bad guys, big magic fight, destroying some property." Happy said, delivering the highlights.
"Shouldn't we be focusing on this lost magic?" Carla asked.
"I must admit, I wish I had Natsu's sense of smell." Pantherlily confessed. "It's like he's an animal."
Council Warship Remains
"Help the wounded at once!" Lahar shouted. "Repairs can wait until we have the island under our control. Gather whatever forces we have left and prepare for battle at once. We cannot let this-" Doranbolt appeared next to him, catching him off guard. "Doranbolt!? What happened to you?"
"Don't worry, I'm fine." The spy said. "How's the ship?"
"Not as fine as you, but no one seemed to die." The captain said.
"And the communication lacrima?" The scarred man asked.
"It's still in one piece. Now what is happening on the island?" Lahar asked.
"We landed right in the middle of a war between Fairy Tail, Grimoire Heart and Zeref." Doranbolt explained. "Grimoire Heart were the ones that attacked the ships. Where's the lacrima? Headquarters needs to know what's going on."
"This isn't a coincidence." Lahar mumbled. "The three biggest thorns in the councils side are all gathered together like this. This whole thing stinks. The chairman won't even blink at the chance to take them all out. And you know just what he'll use to do it."
"Etherion!?" Mest asked in shock.
"We have no choice but to follow his orders." Lahar replied.
"Hold on a second!" Mest shouted. "The council might not like Fairy Tail, but they aren't on the same level as Grimoire Heart or Zeref!"
"You know we can't make that decision." Lahar replied. Mest gasped as his mind flashed with his time as Wendy's partner. "So, who's going to tell headquarters?"
With Natsu and Laki
"He has to be around here somewhere." Laki said as she ran alongside Natsu.
"The only question is why is he here?" Natsu asked.
"How do you guys know what he smelled like?" Happy asked as he flew along side them.
"Becsuse we fought him before." Natsu explained. "He must have gone this way."
"Just be careful." Happy warned his partner. "The terrain here isn't exactly normal." On que, Natsu tripped and started falling down a cliff, riding a giant leaf. His motion sickness kicked in before he fell to the ground. Pushing himself up, Natsu saw the man called Zeref sitting against a tree. "It's him..."
"Natsu! Move!" Laki shouted as Happy carried her down. Natsu looked under him as a tree ripped out of the ground.
"A sapling was hidden beneath the soil." Both Dragon Slayers looked to see Ultear sitting on a branch above them. "My arc of time caused it to grow into this tree. Tell me, where do you think your future will lead to, Natsu Dragneel and Laki Olietta?"
"You're the one from before." Natsu mumbled. "No doubt, your smell is the same as before."
"Thats the guy from Galuna Island?" Happy asked.
"When did you become a chick?" Natsu asked, pointing up.
"Natsu... this is what she normally looks like." Laki said.
"Seems like she is the brains of this couple." Ultear teased. "I'm a member of Grimoire Heart and the leader of the Seven Kin of Purgatory. Ultear Milkovich, is what you may call me."
"Ultimate what?" Natsu asked, confused on how to pronounce her name.
"So your guild sent you two after Zeref?" She asked, shocking the three before Natsu turned to the sleeping man.
"So that guy is Zeref?" Natsu asked. "The same guy who made all those giant monsters we fought?"
"Thats impossible." Laki said back. "Anyone with a basic knowledge of magic knows that Zeref died almost half a millennial ago."
"I won't let either of you take him from me." Ultear said. "Lord Zeref is mine and mine alone."
"Thats fine, because I don't want him!" Natsu shouted. "All I want is to make your guild pay for what they did!"
"Very well... I suppose I do owe you a fight from Galuna." She replied as she summoned her orb. "But first, some payback!"
"I've had it with you!" Natsu shouted as he started climbing th tree. "If you and your pals hadn't shown up, I could've been made S-Class by now!"
"is that so?" Ultear asked as her orb flew at him. Natsu jumped off the trunk and the orb changed path and bounced off him. Natsu threw a punch and the orb flew out of the way before multiplying around him and Laki. "These orbs contain all of the possible futures for you two. I can create an infinite number of them and then compress them into one."
The orbs began glowingly before they flew towards the two dragon slayers. "Flash Forward!" Laki summoned her Shield spell and braced behind it as she and Natsu held out against the onslaught. "Excellent, I was worried this was going to be too boring."
With Lucy and Co.
The four stared at the goat man in shock after the explanation from the goat man. "That's genocide..." Loke mumbled.
"You're gonna wipe out everyone who can't use magic?" Cana asked.
"What kind of world will that be?" Lucy asked. "No one will be happy in that world."
"Maybe so, but then Hades hasn't told me everything as well." Caprico confessed. "But the Grand Magic World is not made for those of lesser magic. The black wizard is on this island, and once we have him this world will be birthed anew for just wizards."
Gray slammed his hands together and channeled magic into them. "You're insane! You interrupted our important trial over something like this?"
"The Seven Kin have to missions; obtain the black wizard Zeref and destroy Fairy Tail for good." Caprico said, dropping into a fighting stance.
"Hold on a second." Loke said getting between Gray and the goatman. "I'll handle this guy. If he's one of the Seven Kin, that means there are six more you guys need to worry about. I'll hold him off while you look for everyone."
"The hell are you talking about?" Gray asked. "The four of us couldn't take him! How can you fight him alone?"
"It's because of his magic." Loke explained. "He's using an ancient power called Human Enslavement Magic."
"Human Enslavement?" Cana asked.
"It's also known as rulers magic." The spirit explained as his body glowed. "It weakens both the physical and magical strength of anyone it affects." The glow died and showed Loke in his spirit clothing. "Us spirits are immune to it, so I have the best chance of beating him. And you've probably figured it out, but this guy is the Goat Spirit."
"Say what!?" Gray asked.
"He's a spirit!?" Cana shouted.
Lucy remembered the fight Loke had with Aries and it tore her heart out. "Don't say anything." Loke said before she could say anything. "What do you say, Capricorn? Wanna fight the superior spirit?"
"I accept the terms, Leo." The goat spirit said. "Honestly, I'm surprised it took you this long to confess your spirit identity."
"Guys, get going." The Lion spirit told his teammates.
"No!" Lucy protested.
"We have to listen to him." Cana said, pulling the blonde away from the impending fight.
"Without our full power, we'd only get in the way." Gray explained.
"No, I can't let you fight another spirit!" She protested.
"Just go!" Loke shouted, shocking the three.
"Something tells me there's more than Loke is letting on." Cana said.
"He's definitely got something against this guy." Gray said. "Just trust him."
The blonde reluctantly ran away from the spirit before turning around. "Loke! You better win this, understand?!" The spirit nodded and the girl turned and ran.
Caprico studdied the girls face and gasped. "Regulus, give me your power!" Loke changed before charging forward and punching the goat in the face. He charged the other spirit only to eat a knee to the gut. "How long has it been since you were in the spirit world?"
"Seventeen years." He replied.
"No way you lasted this long on your own power! Who is your key keeper?" Leo asked as he kicked the goat back.
"I have no keeper, but I am one myself!" The Kin member shouted as he waved his arm. "Open, the gate of the hero of Rubengard! San Jao Shin!" A man armed with a glaive appeared and sliced Loke before disappearing.
"Who was that?" Loke asked, gripping his wound.
"The general San Jao Shin lead the anti government forces to victory in the Rubengard civil war in X779." Caprico explained. "He went missing soon after, but in truth he became my servant."
"This is insane!" Loke shouted. "You can't keep humans as puppets!"
"This coming from a spirit who's a slave to the human will." Caprico pointed out. "That's reminds me, who is your keeper? Maybe that blonde girl you shouted at? You never meant to fight me by yourself, you just wanted to get her away. How disgusting, risking your lfe for your keeper."
The goatman gasped as he recognized the voice and face. "It can't be..."
'Crap, he figured it out!' Loke shouted in his head.
"I know what you're planning, Leo!" Caprico shouted. "Why didn't I see it before!? She is Layla Heartfilia's daughter! She won't get away from me! I will kill her!"
With Erza and Juvia
"Juvia Lockser, once a member of Phantom Lord's element four." The small pinkette girl retorted almost robotically. "Erza Scarlet, known as 'Titania'."
"You know who we are, but who are you and what do you want?" Erza asked.
"Answer is not necessary." Meredy replied. "Commencing combat operations."
"Ready Juvia?" Erza asked as she readied her blade.
"Yes." The bluenette nodded. 'I just wish I was next to my darling Gray's side and help him!' Her mind went into fantasy mode and Erza had to snap her out of it.
"Maguilty Blades!" The girl chanted before blades appeared around her. "Go." She held her hand forward and the blades flew towards her opponents.
Juvia turned into her water form, but the blades sliced right through her. 'I don't understand! How can these blades hurt me?'
"My blades strike the pain receptors in the body." Meredy explained. "They are blades of sensation."
"Now I get it... you're one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, aren't you?" Erza asked as Juvia clutched her arm.
"I wasn't sent to make conversation." The girl replied. "I was sent here to deal with the enemy."
With Loke and Caprico
The two spirits burst out of the cave and landed outside. "Come to me, hunter of Belparaso! Samagui!" The goat spirit chanted before a man with a bow and arrow appeared, racing towards Loke. "Find and kill Layla's daughter!" Caprico ordered.
"You're joking, him!?" Loke asked in shock as the hunter took aim. "That guy is a legendary hunter. Little kids look up to him." The hunter fired his bow but Loke broke the arrow before it even came close to hitting Lucy. "I thought hunters only went after animals." He punched at Samagui, but the hunter jumped and fired two arrows at once.
'Even upside down he can aim right?' The spirit asked in shock before breaking the arrows. Two more fired at him but they curved out of the way before Loke could break them. "Curve shots? That's really possible?"
"Indeed, and that is the reason I choose to enslave him." Caprico nodded. "No doubt those arrows will reach his target."
"Not if I can help it!" Loke punched a pillar apart and the stone destroyed the arrows. "He might be an excellent shot, but he's still no where near Sagittarius' level."
"Find the girl and kill her!" Caprico shouted and the hunter raced forward. He threw some knives at Loke, who merely backhanded him into a pillar and made him fade away.
Caprico grew angry and held out his hands. "Out of my way!" Four more humans appeared and charged Loke. He held his fist to the sky and blasted all four back.
"I'm not moving until I get some answers." Loke said. "Crux said you formed a contract with Lalya twenty years ago. I don't know what kind of deal you made with her, but I do know that you should be fight along side her daughter." Caprico just glared at Loke in silence. "So why didn't she know anything about you? Wanna start talking, Caprico?"
"...Taboo..." The goat man mumbled. "All forms of magic have a set of rules that must never be broken. And I broke one of them. For punishment I was given this body. Now I'm a goat, isn't that hilarious?"
"What are you saying?" Loke asked in confusion.
"You know, I think I want a human body again. Thanks for volunteering." The second spirit said with a smirk as he held out his hand and black mist rolled off it. "Human Enslavement Magic: Huma-Raise!"
"Did you forget that Celestial Spirts are immune to that kind of magic?" Leo asked back.
"And there is the taboo for this magic." Caprico smirked out. "This magic is meant for humans alone. Whoever breaks that most sacred rule will merge with their target."
Loke went wide eyed as he finally put it all together. "Hold on, are you saying... you're a human that fused with Capricorn?"
"Yes, and your body is up next!" The human possessor shouted in arrogance. Loke charged forwarding a bright light and punched Caprico to the ground. "Too little, too late." The human bragged as the goat fell to the ground.
Panting, Loke looked at his hands and flex his fingers as he clutched his gut. "Damn... , I must have hit him harder than I thought. Still, I finally have a human body again. Don't think you'll be able to move for a while, goatboy. Thanks again for all you years of service. I'm Leo and my master is Lucy Heartfilia.
"All I need to do now is kill her and my problems are over. So, how to do it? I know... I'll make her a slave and play with for a while. She is just as beautiful as her mother." He gasped his pain as Caprico had stood up and punched a beam of light through him. "How!?"
"It seems Regulus is now fully charged, Zoldeo." The goat man said.
"No, not that name!" A black mass rose out of Leo and turned into a man, gripping his head in pain.
"Thanks, Caprico." Loke said.
"Forgive me, I wanted to make sure you weren't permanently injured." Capricorn explained.
"Don't worry about me." The Lion spirit replied. "It was the only way to get him out of me."
Zoldeo crashed tot he ground and looked up at the two spirits. "I don't understand.. how can you even move?"
"Before you took over Leo's body, I received the power of Regulus from him." The goat man explained.
"You mean that blast was magic transferring!?" Zoldeo asked before screaming in anger. "Who cares, I'm finally normal again." His body started turning into pure light as he writhed in pain. "Capricorn, please help me!" He begged but no one came to his aid.
"So, that's what happens to those who break the rules of magic." Leo mumbled.
"It happened 20 years ago." Capricorn explained. "Layla heartfilia grew ill and retired from wizardry. She then transfused the contracts of Aquarius, Cancer and myself to her servants. I was given to Zoldeo, but I made second promise to Layla. I promised to watch over her family.
"Zoldeo agreed at first, but then he was forced to leave the manor. In his travels, he grew colder and more twisted in his approach to magic. It wasn't long after that that he fused with me."
"So, what do you think of Lucy?" Loke asked.
"She's very much Layla's daughter." The goat spirit replied. "She loves her spirits, and I can tell they love her in return."
"So, does that mean you'll help her?" Loke asked.
"I cannot." He replied. "Lucy cannot receive my power because she already has it. I can at least go to my true master."
With Lucy and Co
Leo's key glowed and the three humans came to a stop. "Great news, Loke won!" Lucy cheered.
"Thats awesome!" Gray cheered.
"He's gonna tell me the details later, but it seems that Capricorn is on our side now." The blonde added. "But he also said the fight took a lot out of him, so he's going back to the spirit world to recover his strength."
"Makes sense, he's been using his power to stay in the human world." Cana added.
"Thats not fair!" Gray shouted. "He promised to be my partner! Not bail out on me half way!"
"He said he'll make it up to you." Lucy said for her spirit.
"Screw him!" Gray shouted. "I don't need his help to make S-Class!"
Cana gripped her arm at the mention of the goal. 'S-Class...'
"We need move on." Lucy said. "Let's get going."
"Wait, I have an idea." Cana spoke up. "If we want to find the other six members as fast as we can, then we should probably split up."
"No way!" Lucy replied scared. "I don't wanna run into one of them alone."
"Oh, don't worry Lucy." Cana said, hugging her partner. "I'll keep you safe no matter what."
"I thought the point was to all go our separate ways?" Gray asked.
"Oh, wanna see us compare boob size, do ya?" The brunette asked, squeezing the blondes melons.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Gray asked. "I'm just saying that splitting up might not be the very best idea."
Cana let go of the blonde and looked gray in the eye. "Look, I want these creeps dealt with as soon as possible so we can get back to the trial. You too scared to go it alone, Gray?"
Gray stared back before turning around. "Fine, we'll split up for now."
"Careful, Gray." Lucy said as the two groups started walking away.
"Same to you." He replied.
Fairy Tail Base Camp
"Well, they're both breathing so that's good." Levy said as she and Lisanna watched over the injured Mirajane and Gajeel. "I just..l I just can't believe that Gajeel and Mira were taken out like that."
"It's all my fault..." Lisanna mumbled as she started crying.
"Don't blame yourself.." Both girls looked over to see Elfman walk out of the woods, carrying Evergreen in his arms. "These guys are just too strong... as a man, I'm a failure. I couldn't even protect my partner!"
Levy hung her head before standing up. "We need to come together." She said. "The trial split us up. I know it wasn't for long, but look what that has done to us. We can't stsy like this. If we want to defeat this enemy, then we need to work together! If we just work as one then I know we can win!"
With Cana And Lucy
"Mavis' grave?" Lucy asked back as the two walked through the forest.
"Yeah, you said you figured out where it is." Cana replied. "I wanted to ask how you figured it out, but then Grimoire Heart showed up."
"Okay, but this just a guess so give me that." The blonde replied. "First I thought of all the words that 'grave' could be connected to. Death, sleep, dirt, rock, star, end.' But not one of them was six letters."
"Wait, where did the six letters come from?" Cana asked.
"The time limit master gave us." Lucy answered. "We had to find it in six hours. Now, it might seem forced but there is a word that fits both death and the time limit, 'Demise'. Now, this is just guess work but I want you to pay attention to the letters. See anything that stands out. One letter is used twice, 'E'."
Cana gasped as she picked up what Lucy was saying. "Remember all those paths we had to in the beginning of the trial, the ones with all the diffrent letters? I think it's in route E..." The blonde fell over as Cana held out a card.
"Thanks for everything, Lucy." She said as she picked the blonde up and drug her over to some bushes. Cana started to run away before coming to a stop. "Sorry, Lucy." She whispered before resuming her sprint.
Seconds later Kain walked over, staring down at the blonde.
E3 has gotten my creative juices flowing. By that I mean I'm starting a new crossover story of one of the games highlighted there, but I've got two versions of it. So I would like you guys to vote on my profile on which you wanna see first.
Yes, not much Laki in this chapter. But that will change next chapter. Also, mad props to Zoldeo for being an interesting villain. Has me wondering what his life was like before merging with Capricorn.
Beta read by JBallinR12.