Chapter 90
The Winner Is...
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Magic"
Flashback you
Location / Date / Time Skip
Jura smirked as he forced himself to a stop, throwing off his black cloak. He shifted his feet and a stone block rose up, knocking Laxus into the air. The blonde flipped in the air and pulled his arm back, gathering a large amount of electricity. He punched forward and a halberd-shaped bolt launched flew at Jura, who summoned a trio of pillars to block the attack.
An explosion covered Laxus as he charged forward and tried another punch, only for the Wizard Saint to block with his forearm. "Take this!" Jura waved his other hand and more pillars rose up, forcing Laxus to bounce off them. He went for another shot only for Jura to chop him again. Laxus retaliated with a punch, making Jura smile.
The two traded punches and blocks before Laxus launched a bolt that ripped through the ground. "Excellent! I'm thrilled!" Jura shouted as he blocked the attack, making Laxus pant in exhaustion. "I haven't felt this alive in years. Color me impressed."
"What do you know? Those 'monster rumors' about you are true." Laxus chuckled. "Alright, let's kick things up a notch." He declared, lightning arching off his fist.
"No holds barred? See who's left standing?" Jura asked, knowing the answer already.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art!" Laxus shouted as pulled his arm back. "Quaking Heavens: Roaring Thunder!" He launched a massive javelin at Jura and plowed through the Saint, making him stumble back.
"Well... done..." He chuckled as he fell backwards, hitting the ground.
With Gray & Juvia
All four mages panted in exhaustion as Gray looked up. "Man, this is a pain..."
"My power is almost gone..." Juvia added.
"Let's finish them off and get out points!" Chelia shouted in annoyance.
"Hurting girls isn't my thing, Chelia." Lyon replied. "Especially if it's my beloved."
"Are you just gonna ignore your fight with Mermaid Heel!?" Chelia shouted back. "Quit being so stubborn and just go all out! Even if you get hurt somehow, I'll just use magic to heal you!"
Juvia panted as she glanced at Gray, who smiled. "We found their weak point, and it's fatal." He declared, helping her up. "When it comes to teamwork, they have nothing on Fairy Tail. We're ending this, now."
"Right." She nodded as the two gripped hands. Both roared as their magic started swirling around them, catching their opponent's attention.
"Chelia, don't just stand there!" Lyon shouted. "We have to do something!"
The girl merely stared at the increasing spell with wide eyes, a soft smile on her face. "It's so pretty..."
Both Fairy Tail wizards thrust their hands forward and blasted the two with a Unison Raid, ending the fight as Lyon and Chelia flew into a building.
Gray smiled at Juvia who returned the gaze, only to to look down. "When are you gonna let go of my hand?"
"Never." She teased, pulling herself in closer.
With Erza
Erza groaned in pain as she pushed herself up, shocking Minerva. "Why won't you stay down!?" She shouted. "I can keep hurting you all day, you can't even stand up! Surrender and this all stops!"
"It's... as I told Kagura..." Erza replied, finally standing up. "This is one fight I can't afford to lose. I'll keep getting up until you go down. You sealed your fate the moment you messed with Fairy Tail. You brutalized Lucy, tortured Millianna, and ruined the fight between me and Kagura. I'm beyond angry at this point."
"If you think you can frighten me, then you're more foolish than I thought." Minerva said, summoning a swirling mass next to the redhead. Erza jumped back from two attacks before a third hit her in the back. "If you don't surrender, the pain is only going to get worse."
Erza jumped back from even more explosions as dust kicked up. Erza jumped through the storm and swung two sword at her. "You missed me!" Minerva threw magic punches at her only for Erza to counter and slice at her. "This anger isn't just mine. It's Fairy Tail's! Second Origin Release!"
Her whole body started glowing as a new armor donned her in an elegant armor composed of a short blue robe trimmed gold which is largely open in the middle, revealing much of Erza's chest. The robe is tied together at the waist with a simple red ribbon held together by a gold bead. The robe has elegant multi-layered trim. She wears two large blue gloves which have gold trims flaring out in the ends.
The gloves have red ribbons tied around the wrist and are adorned in a simple pattern of gold dots. She wears a large golden pauldron over each shoulder, bearing the image of a lion with an open mouth. She has blue and gold leggings which match the gloves in their pattern and design. Around the leggings are a pair of gold greaves. The knee plates contain a pattern similar to the tiara she now donned.
The greaves themselves match the pattern of her robe. Atop her head sits a tiara consisting of two blue rhombus shaped pieces to each side and a center blue triangular shaped piece. Each piece has a gold adornment inside. Two strands of hair from the sides of her head are each tied together by a golden bead with an intricate swirling pattern. Behind her is a large white sash which loops above her head with the ends hanging out towards the ground with a bead on each end.
In her hand was a large halberd with a golden circular hand guard in the center. The blade is quite large with a semi circle of small rhombuses on the other side. A purple cloth is tied right below the blade. "Nakagami Armor!"
Minerva stared in shock before thrusting her hands forward, sending beams of spatial magic at Erza. "This is the end." She declared as she swung her pole arm. The blade cut through the spells as she charged forward. "Because this armor cuts all magic!"
"How... how can you have so much power left?" Minerva asked in shock.
"You hurt the people I care for." The red head said as she marched forward, scaring Minerva even more. "This is the reward."
"Stay back!" Minerva shouted as she tried preparing a spell.
"Nakagami Starlight!" Erza swung her halberd and rushed past Minerva, delivering a heavy blow that sent her flying backwards, crashing to the ground. Millianna and Kagura smiled as Erza stood tall. Her armor faded and she dropped to her knee, using her sword as support.
A bright flash of light erupted into the sky, taking the form of the Sabertooth emblem. "The last obstacle..." She mumbled, walking towards the source.
Behind her, Minerva started tearing up as she stared at her hand. "Sting... I failed you..." She mumbled.
Erza walked towards the apex of the light, meeting up with the others who were just as badly injured as her. All five reached an opening before they turned and stared at Sting. "What a spectacle. No wonder I looked up to you all seven years ago." He chuckled.
"Stop blabbering." Gajeel demanded. "This is the last fight."
"We'll do this one on one." Gray added. "What do you want?"
"You can attack me all together is you want." The blonde chuckled. "It's your only chance since you're wounded."
"You shouldn't underestimate Fairy Tail." Juvia declared.
"Please, I'll defeat you all together!" Sting said. "I was waiting for this moment! I'll show Lector my power!"
"I don't know what you're talking about, but are you serious?" Laxus asked.
"Fine. If that's your decision, we'll be your opponents." Erza declared.
"That's good." The blonde chuckled, as his magic started flaring. "I'll show you my power!" He looked up and went wide eyed as all five stood strong, despite how badly they were actually hurt. 'They're wounded head to toe... so much so I cpuld beat them all just by pushing them. I came this far, didn't I!?
'If I defeat them all, I'll be able to see Lector again. That's right! For Lector's sake! I'm strong now!' He charged forward and stared at the five, only to suddenly drop to his knees. "I... can't win." He said as he stared at the ground. "I surrender."
"...It... it's over!" Chapati shouted over the microphones. "The winner of the Grand Magic Games is Fairy Tail!" Even from the center of the city, the six could hear the cheers from the arena.
Erza walked forward and stared down at Sting. "Why didn't you attack us?"
"I... I couldn't meet him." He replied. "I thought if I could beat you, I could face Lector. But you were all so dazzling... There's no way, I can meet him now."
"You can." She replied, confusing the blonde. She turned to the side and he looked up to see Millianna walking over, his best friend in her arms."
"L... Lector..." He mumbled before breaking into a sprint, his cat opening his eyes. "Lector!" The cat jumped out of the girl's arms and meet the blonde in a hug, tears falling from their eyes.
Mercusius
Princess' Chamber
"Princess!" Arcadios shouted as he looked around the room. "No one is here... Could she already be there?"
Deep in the palace, Hisui and Darton walked through the palace depths. "All of Fairy Tail undefeated and Sting surrendering." Darton mumbled.
"The person predicted something no one could." Hisui added. "They were right. The future they talked about is true. The fight for the survival of humanity starts now. We must take the Eclipse Cannon to the surface."
With Natsu's Group
"Does anyone know what time it is?" Natsu asked as he punched a soldier back.
"No clue." Wendy replied before vines shit up and wrapped around her limbs. "What is this?"
"Aren't my plants the cutest?" Cosmos chuckled.
A puff of smoke covered Pantherlily as he shrunk to normal size. "Not good, my transformation is up!"
"End this, now." Kamika declared, making the soldiers charge forward.
"Surrender, and we will make your death painless." The scythe user declared.
"You really think I'm gonna buy that!?" Natsu shouted back. "No chance!"
Uosuke waved his hand and Rose, Happy and Carla started floating without their wings. "Hang on, what's that?" Rose asked, looking at the massive shadow growing out from under the executioner.
Soldiers started sinking into the abyss, scaring both sides of the battle. "What is this?" The scythe user asked in horror. The shadow started swirling outward and began swallowing everyone, even the executioners.
"Help us!" Kamika shouted as the leader of the Knights tried to pull her and Cosmos out of the void. The entire Fairy Tail group stared in shock as the abyss swallowed everyone, leaving only them before it vanished.
"...What the heck just happened?" Rose asked, hoping someone would have an answer.
"I... I don't know." Future Laki mumbled in fear. "This wasn't something I remember could happen."
With Arcadios
Arcadios marched forward as he saw the Eclipse Gate rise out of the ground. "Princess!" He called out, catching everyone's attention.
"Arcadios, are you safe?" Hisui asked.
"Colonel, regarding the Hell Palace..." Darton started. "I was prejudiced and..."
"Let's forget about that for now." He said, looking around. "Does everyone gathered around here already know about the Eclipse 2?"
"Yes, we're spreading the information among the soldiers." The Defense Minister replied. "Hopefully, Garou Knights will know soon."
"What the person from the future said is true." Hisui declared, looking up at the Gate. "The Eclipse Project is moving on to Project 2."
"Are you going to abandon the first project of destroying Lord Zeref?" Arcadios asked.
"No, but we need to deal with the menace before us." She replied.
Arcadios stared at her before he gripped his sword and pulled it out, shocking Darton. "What are you-"
"A knight would never doubt the words of his monarch." The knight declared, handing the sword to Hisui. "When your words proved true, I will give up my life. I have dishonored you by doubting your words, and am ready to pay." He pointed his blade at his own neck. "With my life, if need be."
"You, are you crazy!?" Darton asked.
"Princess, tell me the truth." Arcadios demanded. "I met the person from the future you talked to. She didn't know anything about the Eclipse 2. She cried because she knew what was going to happen, but had no knowledge on how to deal with it."
"No, that person clearly told me what to do." Hisui replied.
"So you're saying that she would lie!?" He asked back. "That woman saw her love die before her. She wouldn't lie about something like that, not to his face."
Hisui's eyes went wide as she pulled the blade back. "The person that spoke to me... was a man."
"There are two who came from the future." Arcadios stated, loosening his grip on the sword. "One of them was Laki Olietta. She came here to warn her friends of the impending doom."
"And then there's another who came here to tell the princess how to advert that disaster." Darton added.
"Both have the same objective in their hearts." Hisui continued. "They did what they could to try and save the kingdom. It's the only chance, and if the future is as bad as they say, there could still be more." She shoved the blade onto his hand, forcing him to take it. "Take back your sword. You'll need it for the battle ahead. I'm going to open the Eclipse.
"I intend to save this kingdom, and that means drawing a blade of my own." She turned and started walking towards the door as the moon started turning red from the eclipse.
With Laki
"Yukino! Where are you!?" Laki shouted, running through the castle. "Yukino!?"
"Miss Laki..." The Dragon Slayer turned and found the girl sitting against the wall, holding her knees.
"There you are." She said with a smile as she ran over. "Let's get out of here."
"I...I can't." The Celestial Wizard replied, confusing Laki. "If I go with you, you'll be haunted by misfortune. It's always been like that. People around me have always been unlucky. No one has ever blamed me for the bad things that happen to them, but-"
"Then don't blame yourself." Laki replied, rubbing the other girl's head. "We've all had bad things happen to us, but that's just part of being human. As long as you don't do give up, you have a right to live." Yukino started welling up with tears as she hugged Laki tight.
With Natsu's Group
The entire group stared in horror as the shadow returned, filling the hallway with darkness as it moved towards them. "Someone's there!" Loke shouted dropping into a fighting stance. "Be careful."
A figure rose out of the black void, shocking the group. "Just who are you?" Natsu asked.
"Are the shadows reaching out to the past or the future? Or to people's hearts?" The voice of a man asked as he walked forward, shocking Natsu with how familiar it was. "How nostalgic this feels, Natsu Dragneel. I am here from the future. My name is Rogue..." The last of the shadows rolled off him, revealing that his hair is now much longer than before, being tied in a high ponytail that reaches midway down his back.
Additionally, rather than being completely black, his hair is now black on the right, and a much lighter color on the left. He gained a sharp, curved tattoo around his left, snake-like eye, his right hidden by his bangs.
His clothing is also significantly different. He wears a long, light, high-collared version of a ferraiolo. However, the part of the ferraiolo that drapes over his shoulders is very dark, and the edges of the ferraiolo are adorned with a tiger-print pattern. Across the ferraiolo, there is a strap, which is fastened to his body via a button on either side of his chest.
Underneath the ferraiolo, he donned a light-colored, long sleeved shirt, wherein the cuffs are rolled up. Over his long-sleeved shirt, the man wears a dark, Y-shaped vest, which has three circles printed on front, that he keeps tucked into his belt.
However, the vest splits into four long pieces of cloth that, as they are a part of the vest, are also decorated with circles; each piece of cloth has four circles. Finally, he wears a pair of light trousers under the loose pieces of cloth and, to complete his attire, strapped boots.
"No way..." Natsu mumbled.
"The same one from Sabertooth?" Wendy asked.
"You came from the future too?" Lucy asked as Future Laki glared at him.
"So I'm not the only one." The robed girl mumbled.
"Why did you come back? What do you want?" Carla shouted.
"All I want is to use the Eclipse." He replied, shocking the group. "Because that will save us all, if we tap into its hidden power. As you know it can be used for time travel, but it can also serve as an offensive weapon known as the Eclipse Cannon. That is the only chance you have of defeating the ten thousand dragons."
"So then it's possible... we can win..." Future Laki mumbled.
"That sure makes things nice and simple." Natsu chuckled. "Glad to have you on our side."
"Does this mean everything is going to be okay?" Wendy asked with hope.
"I'm afraid not." Rogue replied. "I've come from seven years in the future. A time when the world you know has ceased to exist. The dragons will have destroyed everything and rule over the ashes. Barely ten percent of the human population remains, and our Eclipse has only a fraction of the power yours can unleash. Which means this is humanity's last chance. It's do or die."
"So we just open the gate and blast the things, problem solved." Natsu said.
"Seven years ago, something happened." The time traveler explained. "Someone prevented the cannon from firing. Because of that one person's action, the Gate remained shut. And humanity was left defenseless against the rage of ten thousand dragons. This person let ninety percent of humanity die. So I've come back to save those lives by killing the person responsible...
"Talking to them will do no good. Even if it managed to work, they would still end up closing the Eclipse. Fate has stolen that choice from them. As long as they're alive, it's bound to happen again. It is your destiny to doom us all, Lucy Heartfillia!" He pulled his arm back coating it in shadows before launching it forward.
The spear of dark energy shot passed everyone, it's aim at Lucy true. A force pushed the blonde out of the way and everyone watched in horror as the attack punched through a wooden bark shield, going straight through Future Laki's heart.
Blood sprayed out from the wound as she stumbled backwards, forcing Lucy to catch her. "Are you okay!?"
Happy and Rose raced over as Natsu stared in horror, his fist shaking in anger. "No, that wasn't supposed to happen!" Rogue shouted.
"Are you okay? Hold on!" Lucy shouted.
"He... he's lying..." Laki gasped out. "You never closed... the Gate..."
"Who cares about that!? Why did you take the hit for me!?" The blonde shouted.
"You're... my best friend..." The girl replied, blood pouring out of her mouth. "I wouldn't let you die... like this..."
"Wendy, come over her and help her!" Rose shouted, only to find the girl had tears in her eyes.
"The attack... destroyed her heart." Carla replied. "There's nothing we can do."
"It's okay..." Future Laki groaned out. "I'd never thought... I'd see you all again... It's a joy... to see you one last time... And that's enough... to make up for the... hell I've been through..."
"Laki, don't die!" Happy shouted as tears started building up in his eyes..
"I'm not... the Laki you know..." She chuckled, rubbing his face with her hand. "She'll live with... her friends... So don't cry... for me..."
"No, I'll cry for you no matter who you are!" The cat shouted back.
"No matter what happens, you're still Laki!" Rose added before tackling her into a hug. "We don't wanna lose you so of course we're sad!"
Laki smiled as she held the purple cat close. "Lucy..." Laki mumbled, looking at the blonde. "Let me see your emblem... one last time..."
Tears in her eyes, Lucy held her hand up and showed off the pink crest. Laki reached up and gripped her hand, a soft smile on her face. "Natsu..." She turned her head and looked at her crush, anger building up even more. "I..." Her eyes started closing as the smile stayed on her face. "Love..." The last of her strength faded and her eyes closed, a happy smile on her face.
The entire group started crying before Loke glared at Future Rogue. "That was not supposed to happen!" He shouted in horror. "Only the one who closed the gate was supposed to die!"
"I would never close that damn gate!" Lucy shouted.
"No matter what you say, your fate has been sealed the minute you were born!" Rogue shouted, his arm glowing in shadow. "Every choice you think you had was already made for you!"
"SHUT UP!" Natsu shouted, tears falling from his eyes as he threw a flaming punch that sent Rogue flying backwards. "I'm gonna make you pay, for everything you've done! Get ready to die you BASTARD!" He charged forward and started swinging his flaming fists at Rogue. "Lucy, get out of here!"
"But..." She started before Loke grabbed her wrist.
"We need to trust Natsu." He replied as he started running. "One wrong move and we could get in his way."
"R-right..." The blonde mumbled as she, Wendy and the Exceeds started runnign away from the fight.
"I won't let you escape!" Rogue shouted, charging the group only for Natsu to punch him in the back of the head. "Natsu Dragneel..." He growled out before getting a hit in the stomach. The time traveler flew back as Natsu wiped the tears from his eyes. "I reckoned you might interfere." Future Rogue said as he sank into the shadows. "Either way, you'll be killed by the dragons. History won't change if I kill you now."
"You weren't like this earlier." Natsu said, watching the shadow. "What happened?"
"Time changes people." The time traveler chuckled from behind, pulling his arm back. "Die, Natsu Dragneel!" He thrust his arm forward and shadows blasted Natsu.
Fire cut through the darkness and showed Natsu glaring at him. "You stole something precious to me, right in front of my eyes." He growled out as fire surrounded him. "I don't care what you say, we'll protect the future our way!"
Rogue blasted him with another wave of shadows, making him slide back. "I can smell the evil on you. Did you really come here to save the future?" His question brought a small smirk to Rogue's face.
Central Plaza
Toma E. Fiore stood out before every guild that fought in the games, a somber look on his face. "I'm sorry we don't have time to celebrate the Grand Magic Games, but this country is in grave danger." He said. "At the castle, they're getting ready to use our strategy, The Eclipse Cannon. Our objective is to wipe them all out at once.
"However, considering the number of enemies, a few might survive. So please, I want ti use your power to defeat the dragons. Help us save this country." Instantly, every guild agreed to help save the country, making the king cry in joy. "Thank you..."
"What a thing..." Doranbolt chuckled. "All these wizards together..."
"The Eclipse... Just by existing, it's in conflict with 30 laws." Lahar mumbled. "We should contact the Magic Council about this."
"Lahar and Doranbolt." The two turned around and came face to face with Jellal, a serious look on his face. "I have a favor for you two."
With Lucy & Co
The group peered out from behind a bush as they stared at the gate, unable to hear anything the Princess or the soldiers were saying. "Are they gonna open the Gate now?" Wendy asked.
"There's no need for to hide." Arcadios said, calling out to them. "Come out."
The group left their cover and Hisui stared at them. "Fairy Tail..." She mumbled as they walked over. "I'm sorry for what happened. We're in an emergency situation, so I'll give you an official apology another day. And congratulations on winning the Grand Magic Games."
"We won!?" Happy cheered as the others smiled.
"Why are you opening the Gate now? The dragons aren't coming yet." Lucy asked.
"The dragons..." Hisui mumbled.
"Yes, they know everything." Arcadios replied. "By the way, where is the Future Laki?"
"She was killed by the other person who came from the future." Pantherlily declared, shocking the other two.
"He said I stopped the Eclipse Cannon from firing so he tried to kill me." Lucy explained. "Laki saved my life."
"Will you get in the way?" The princess asked.
"No! But why are you opening the Gate if the dragons aren't here?" She asked back.
"Because it takes time to prepare a shot." Hisui replied. "If we wait for them to appear, we won't make it in time. I cannot say for certain this will work, but his majesty is getting ready in case the worst happens." Everyone stared at the massive gate as it slowly opened, a bright light shining out of it.
Gotta be honest, I think this is a much better version of events. Because the person who died was ACTUALLY in a relationship with Natsu, this death hits much harder than just a friend dying to save herself... as confusing as that sounds. I think this might be harder for him than when Lisanna 'died' because he actually saw it.
Also, obviously changed things with Laki going after Yukino. Made it less sisterly and more like friends. Because honestly, if you're gonna have them bring up the connection between Lisanna and Yukino, DON'T BRING LISANNA BACK! Seriously, the dialogue between the two makes it sound like Lisanna is still dead.
Not much left to say. See ya next time.
Beta read by General Feng Xiang