It was empty. Neither a ground nor ceiling in sight. Only an endless space that resembled a bright cloudy sky. A single resident drifted aimless in place while staring off into nothing. Her long blue hair didn't even flap around due to no wind brushing, in fact she didn't feel anything on her body. It was like this space had no feeling at all.
Despite only being able to drift in place, the girl was able to barely move her body. She slowly lifted her right arm and realized that it was transparent. Once she lowered it, she witnessed the clouds begin to drift around a bit more frantically.
"Again…" Wendy lamented. "He's in battle again…"
She stared off for long enough where her thoughts began to take over. Images of her friends smiling at her appeared one by one. Her blank expression only watched back, unable to respond appropriately.
"It's only a matter of time…until I fade in his subconscious…" Wendy revealed to no one, lightly sighing. "Everyone…I'm sorry you had to come back again for me."
She clenched her right shoulder with her left hand.
"I'm too weak to even help myself…"
While lamenting, Wendy overhears what appears to be twinkling. Blue sparkles begin to form right behind the girl.
Crashing through stone walls, Izanagi emerges with his wings spread out. The battlegrounds only got more crowded with him now currently in the hallways. He flew back to gain some distance.
Izanagi crossed his arms in an X formation and summoned a blue magic circle underneath him. "Physical abilities…ri-" He attempted to chant, but was cut off when he noticed a fiery silhouette burst out of the dust.
Natsu, engulfed in flames, bounced off the castle walls and used the momentum to launch himself towards the god. He attempted to land right on top of him by throwing a fiery claw, but Izanagi managed to narrowly avoid the attack by gaining more distance. Natsu's attack effortlessly created a small hole on the stone ground.
"Despite this form, this speed...they're managing to push me back!" Izanagi noted, landing at the far end of the hallway and sliding a couple feet back. "They're relentless…"
Natsu stretches back and charges at the god. His flames take the shape of a large blade. "Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"
Izanagi quickly lifts a palm. "Wind Turbine!" He unleashes furious winds which blow away the fire mage.
Suddenly, Natsu gets caught by a soft pink substance which cushions his fall. He glances to the side and spots Lucy wearing her Aries Star Dress. The two exchanged a thumbs up before Lucy instantly switched into her Virgo Star Dress and dove underneath the stone.
Izanagi spots the path Lucy took and extends his fingers. "That won't work if I know where you're at!" He chides and strikes the ground with a wind enhanced claw. Lucy pops out of the stone and quickly switches into her Leo Star Dress while twirling in the air.
Lucy front flips in the air and throws a downward kick right on top of Izanagi's head. "Regulus Lucy Kick!"
The god's chin smacks the ground. He grits his teeth in pain while expressing irritation. "Her powers change on a whim…!" He thought.
Lucy bounces off of Izanagi's head and backflips in the air. "Natsu!" She calls out.
"Right!" Natsu responds and takes a deep breath. "Roar of the Fire Dragon!" He unleashes a condensed fire attack while Lucy hangs above it. She lands right beside the fire mage.
Izanagi widens his eyes and quickly flees right before he could get engulfed in the flames. The god dashes through the hallways. "I need…time!"
Gray makes his entrance by skidding to a stop at the opposite end of the hallway, in his casting stance. "Going somewhere?! Ice-Make Pillars!" He slams his palms on the ground and conjures dozens of ice pillars which grow out of the stone walls.
The ice quickly caught up to the god, causing him to stop in place. He gets surrounded by the pillars and before he could retaliate, one grows out of the ground and strikes him in the gut. He gets pushed back and pinned on the wall. He coughs out painfully.
"He can cast all of this…in mere seconds?!" Izanagi wheezed, eye twitching.
Gray smirked. "Get him good, Erza!"
Erza hops into the field of ice pillars and requips into her Robe of Yūen. The elastic material makes it easier for the flexible woman to slip through the cracks. She leaps on top of the pillar that pinned the god and summons her bisentō. Erza slides on the ice and spins in place, using the momentum to thrust her spear with more power.
Izanagi chops the ice pillar trapping him and narrowly avoids Erza's spear by tilting his head to the side. He catches the spear with his hand and crushes it with ease. The god then sends out a burst of wind, causing much of the ice around him to shatter.
Erza quickly leaps back and requips into her Morning Star Armor alongside two one-handed blades. She watches the god fly upward and chases after him by running up the wall and launching herself to his level.
Izanagi summons his silver trident and uses it to block Erza's swings. He pushes her back and attempts to retaliate with a wind spell. But he was caught off guard by Erza pointing both her blades and unleashing a barrage of energy blasts right back at him.
While falling, Erza backflips in place and reorientates herself. She witnesses Izanagi emerge from the dust and prepares to strike down the swordswoman.
"Ice-Make Rampart!" Gray swings both arms and creates a large ice wall in between Izanagi and Erza. The god slams his face on the ice.
Izanagi began to grow more frustrated. "I can't…keep up!"
"Finish it! Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed, spinning in place while gripping her whip tightly. She was currently in her Star Taurus Dress.
Natsu gripped the other end of Lucy's whip. Lucy swung her whip, launching Natsu in the air. "Fire Dragon's…Flame Elbow!" He ignites flames erupting from his left elbow and uses the boost to uppercut Izanagi in the air.
Izanagi coughs out loudly, slightly getting pushed towards the ceiling due to Natsu's attack. His pupils slowly began to fade away. He manages to snap himself back awake and glares intensely at Natsu.
The sky god grips Natsu's arm with both hands and lifts him over his head. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" He barks, chucking the fire mage back down. He threw him so hard that Natsu crashed to the floor below the current one.
Natsu lays on his back and quickly looks back up. He widens his eyes, noticing that Izanagi was not done. He witnessed him take a deep breath with his wings spread far apart.
"Roar of the…" Izanagi stretched his body back, his wings flapping furiously. "Sky Dragon!" He unleashes a powerful tornado from his lungs. It lands directly where Natsu laid, creating an explosion of air.
Lucy, Gray and Erza get caught up in the tornado. Izanagi continues his roar, making it to grow larger and completely demolishing the floor they all stood on. He stops his attack and takes several deep breaths.
The result of the attack caused the entire area to be covered with dust, obstructing Izanagi's view and sense of smell. Speculating that his opponents fell to the bottom floor, he rocketed downward.
Carla rests right by Wendy's body, staring at the ground in thought. She briefly glances over at Chelia who was sitting by a small table, unable to see her eyes due to her pink hair blocking them. The dark pink haired girl appeared to be staring down at something, but Carla was unable to see what it was.
Alivia watches outside from the large hole Natsu created inside the house. She gleefully whistles and faces the white Exceed. "Well I'll be! Looks like those friends of yours took care of that tower lickity split! Ya were right on the money!" She praised.
Carla glances at Alivia and doesn't respond. Only giving a small nod.
Chelia stands up and pushes her chair in. "I'm gonna get some air." She proceeds shove something in her pocket and went to open the front door, shutting it behind her after leaving. Carla glanced over and wondered why the girl left so abruptly.
Alivia scratches the back of her head, she was still in her human form. "Uh…whole lotta awkward silence going on here…" She points out the obvious.
Henry, who sat by the opposite end of the entrance, turned and faced Alivia. "That's not the only thing that's awkward…" He proceeds to glance by the entrance and spots Hahlos who was leaning by the wall, his arms crossed.
Hahlos slowly raises his head and notices Henry's glare at him.
"Why are you here?" Henry asks in a harsh tone.
Hahlos stares back, not responding right away. He closes his eyes. "...I take it you still despise me? After what happened to Mr. Birch?" He guessed.
Henry blinked a couple times, being caught off guard that the Tenhei member remembered. He shook his head to snap out of it and stood up. "O-of course I still despise you! If you remember then you should know why!" He clenches both fists.
Carla lifts her head and raises an eyebrow, wondering if these two share a connection. Alivia peered her eyes back and forth at the two. She decided to step back a couple inches, noticing Henry slowly approach Hahlos.
"He was the *only* parent I had left ya know!" Henry badgered, pointing at the green haired angel. "We did our best to follow these crummy laws! But you just took him away over an assumption and caused him to be executed!"
Hahlos didn't respond, only continued to stare back at the farmer. Henry begins to grow more irritated and growls at the Tenhei member. He kicks down a chair nearby, causing Carla to jump in place.
"Why won't you say anything?!" Henry exploded.
Hahlos doesn't budge. Despite the clear anger shown from the farmer, he sensed no hostility coming from him. Hahlos lowers his arms and stands up more straight, looking down at Henry.
"You have a right to hate me." Hahlos admitted. "After all…I arrested a man over a crime he did not commit."
Both Henry and Alivia gasped, the former slowly backing away and lowering his head. Hahlos was prompted to continue due to no response.
"You used to cook around here. When the magic permits were given to several of you ranchers, I witnessed you assist your fellow people using fire magic." Hahlos revealed. "Mr. Birch had no such magic, only the green magic you later adapted."
Carla felt like she shouldn't be watching this. But since her priority was watching over Wendy, she didn't show any sign of moving.
"I was aware your father framed himself when you were discovered. So I played along." Hahlos continued, placing his arms behind his back. "But…the lacrima issue grew much larger in mere days. Izanagi predicted this, and had all of us put an end to this lacrima smuggling operation." He narrowed his head away slightly to the left. "I know of someone else…who had suffered from this event…"
In only a couple sentences, Hahlos words manage to push Henry back. The farmer stared at the floor and slowly crouched down. He slammed a fist on the ground and let out some grunts of sadness. Alivia approached her roommate and gently placed a comforting hand over his shoulder. Hahlos turned his head back at Henry, lowering his brow at him.
"So you all played along with a self sacrifice, one that you all knew the truth of?" Carla interrupts, which got the attention of the three. "How genuine is this country, really?"
Hahlos flinches. "What do you mean?"
"I knew of a country once. One that in order to survive, made up a society formed out of lies to install fear into others. Just so they can live their own peaceful lives." Carla stood up, sighing deeply. "That country…fell later on. But the people were able to move on."
Henry stood up while he and Alivia listened quietly. They watch Carla point at the group with a sharp look in her eyes.
"Does your country and people really have a future if you're all just playing by some charade?!" Carla questioned. "Just how *long* can all of this even last? All things will die out eventually!"
Hahlos' eyes shrunk. He lowered his head and aimlessly moved his eyes around. He then focused back on Carla and squinted his eyes at her.
"Then tell me…can you see a different future for Exahelm?" Hahlos wondered.
Izanagi landed on the bottom floor and scanned the area. Despite being covered in cloudy dust, he could tell that he was in the castle foyer. He paced around the room, frantically searching for the four mages he was up against. He was unable to sniff them out due to the dust and his inexperience with identifying smells.
"If these memories serve me right…" Izanagi thought to himself. "Then one of you will no doubt attempt to charge right at me…"
He then suddenly feels the heat in the room rising and quickly turns around. He spotted a glowing fire aura about to emerge from the dust. Izanagi raises a palm and gives off a grimace.
"I caught you-" Izanagi gloated, but was interrupted. He felt the presence of another leap from behind.
The god turned his head around and spotted Erza, currently equipped in her Flame Empress Armor. She swung her sword, which was engulfed in flames, to the side. Izanagi ducks underneath, some fire singing his hair slightly. He briefly glances back where the fire aura was and realized that it was only a small patch of flames.
"A feint?!" Izanagi exclaimed. He dodges more of Erza's swings by backing away. He retaliates by swiping his arm and unleashing a powerful burst of black winds.
Erza covers her body with her arms as the winds push her back. At the same time, dozens of light arrows fly past her and towards Izanagi. The god quickly flew up and dashed away from the arrows. The dust in the room began to clear out more, causing him to spot Lucy right behind Erza, currently in her Capricorn Star Dress.
Izanagi coats his right hand with wind and dashed down towards both women. "Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang!"
Lucy and Erza scattered by leaping away from each other right before Izanagi slams his claw on the ground between the two. He quickly stood up and spotted both Gray and Natsu charging at him. The two threw a barrage of punches in which Izanagi shielded his body with his arms. The god bursts out of their attack and grabs both of their faces. He slams them both on the ground.
Izanagi's palms begin to emit black winds, preparing to blast the two. However, Natsu rockets his body upward with his flames and uppercuts him once again. Gray then thrusts his foot at the god's chest, sending him hurling back.
The god lands on his palms and boosts himself to backflip and unleash another Sky Dragon's Roar. The two shield themselves but get blown back. They both land on their feet right by Erza and Lucy, not showing any sign of slowing down.
"You said this guy can just completely heal all his injuries and fatigue right?" Gray inquired.
Natsu wiped his mouth with an arm. "Yeah, any sign of slowing down could negate all the damage we have done to him."
Erza requips into her Black Wing Armor. "Then all we need to do is take him down in a coordinated attack, are you all ready?"
Lucy grabs her whip with both her hands and stretches it out. "Yeah! Let's show him the true power of Fairy Tail's teamwork!"
"I can *hear* you!" Izanagi mocked, stretching his arms back. "Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!" He swung both arms forward, unleashing furious winds directly at the four.
The attack destroys the wall behind the mages, but none of them could be seen. Izanagi, beginning to feel fatigue, limped back slightly before spotting Gray running over from his left.
Gray slams his fist on his palm and conjures two ice blades sticking out from both of his elbows. He crosses them together and leaps at the god. "Ice Blade! Seven Slice Dance!" He rapidly slices Izanagi seven times. The last slice sends him flying up as the ice mage grits his teeth and calls out. "Lucy!"
"I'm on it!" Lucy leaps above Izanagi, back in her Taurus Star Dress. She swung her whip at the god and the stone ground beneath him, causing it to erupt below. "Earth Wave!"
Izanagi cries out painfully from the attacks. He slowly looks to his right and spots Erza gunning towards him.
Erza swung her black blade in the air twice, sending blade-like attacks and cutting through Izanagi. "Moon Flash!" Erza lands right by Izanagi, the attacks causing a great deal of damage to his body. She lifted her head up and called out to the last person. "End this! Natsu!"
"Lightning Fire Dragon Mode…" Natsu stood while clenching his left fist. His body was surrounded with flames and lightning. His left fist channeled fire while his right channeled lightning. "Secret Art…" He charges at Izanagi.
Izanagi glares at Natsu and attempts to orientate himself. Natsu swings his arm in a wide arc and unleashes a furious vortex of fire and lightning.
"Crimson Lotus! Exploding Lightning Blade!" Natsu roars.
Izanagi cries out loudly, being engulfed in the attack. He gets sent crashing at the other end of the foyer, completely demolishing the wall behind him.
Natsu slumped over, taking several deep breaths. He proceeds to collapse on his stomach, his power diminishing. The rest of his allies also collapsed after he did. Gray's ice shattering, Erza's armor vanishing, only leaving a white shirt and blue skirt, and Lucy reverting back to her normal clothing. Bulge marks began to grow on their bodies, due to the amount of magic they used at once.
Erza smacks her fist on the ground and shakily pulls herself up. "W-we don't ha-have time to lay down just yet…" She said, lightly coughing.
The rest began to slowly pull themselves up. Gray clenched his side and hissed from internal pain. "Yeah…we still gotta-" While he was speaking, he felt the air in the room thin slightly. He widened his eyes and gawked up ahead.
The four wizards witnessed Izanagi resting his hand to the side of the hole that was created by Natsu's attack. He was still bruised and fatigued, but still standing. He shakily raised his head up and stared at the wizards, the air slowly entering his lungs.
"Do you know why...I built a country high in the sky?" Izanagi croaked. His body shines in a green aura, his wounds beginning to fade away.
Natsu growls, charging at the god. "I won't let you!" He winds his arm back.
Izanagi catches Natsu's fist with his left hand, gripping it tightly. He proceeds to pull Natsu towards him and strike him in the gut. Despite the light attack, Natsu coughs out loudly and collapses on the floor. His body twitching after the strike.
"NATSU!" Lucy shrieked.
"The world kept progressing…faster than I had realized. More people were learning much more dangerous magic, and it kept growing stronger." Izanagi continued, popping his neck and standing up straight. "So I built a country where no man can ever reach. A country with an atmosphere that man couldn't live in."
Erza, Lucy and Gray prepared to charge at the god. But Izanagi raises a hand towards them, his expression one of irritation.
"You cannot win." Izanagi insisted. "A country with denser air means higher quality air. It doesn't take much air for me to consume for my energy and strength to return." He lowers his hand, glaring at them all. "Your adrenaline had run out. I am practically invincible up here. Or has your stubbornness affected your intelligence?" He mocked.
"We won't stop fighting!" Erza declared. "Because Wendy hasn't! You of all people should know she is still alive inside of you!"
Izanagi paused, shutting his eyes and sighing. "So, you're still not backing down?" He opens his eyes, showing an expression one of pity. "Because you place your faith in a girl…who had already given up on all of you?"
Natsu grabs Izanagi's leg and shoots daggers at him. "You're lying! Wendy would never-GAH!" He yelps, the god stomping on his back. The fire mage gets kicked away right back at the group. Lucy knelt down at Natsu to check on his condition.
"These memories…say otherwise…" Izanagi reveals, pointing at his head. "She lost all of her options. So she gave up on you all, in order to protect everyone."
The Fairy Tail wizards scowl at the god. But Izanagi shows no sign of emotion as he gently lifts both arms. He casts a spell which causes the air in the room to shift and push all the mages down back on the ground.
"That's enough." Izanagi's patience reached its breaking point. He whipped his arms and spread them out. "For a moment earlier, I began to wonder if humanity had really changed. But it appears even this new generation is still filled with selfish desires." He condemned.
The air shifts back at the angel. Massive amount of magic power pulsated around him, his hair flowing upward. The Fairy Tail mages' eyes were as wide as dinner plates, realizing the spell he was about to cast.
"Sky Dragon Secret Art…" Izanagi chanted.
"Damn it…Wendy!" Natsu called out.
Izanagi stared deeply into Natsu's desperate expression. He started to twist his body, the air swirling around him. A large magic circle formed from behind.
But he stopped.
"Wendy!"
A voice echoed in his head. Izanagi flinched, his head aching. Visions started flashing in his mind.
"Let's show these punks why they shouldn't mess with Fairy Tail!" Natsu glanced over and smirked. He raised a fist, awaiting a fist bump.
The air slows down. Izanagi hovers a hand over his forehead.
"Dude, come on. Quit teasing the girl." Gray stood by, his hands in his pockets. He was facing Natsu who held a flashlight shining under his head. The shirtless mage glanced over. "Don't listen to what this loser is saying, Wendy. Nothing to worry about." Gray assured.
Izanagi stumbled back, attempting to stand up straight.
"I know you've been through a lot." Lucy pulled into a hug. "But I promise…Fairy Tail will *never* abandon you."
"Why…am I hesitating…?!" Izanagi covered his face with his palm, shaking in place.
Erza pulls in a hug, gently kneeling down and smiling softly. "You are our guild's pride and joy. Thank you."
Natsu chuckles, smiling widely. Izanagi removes his hand from his face and goggles at the fire mage.
"You're saying she gave up? Are you sure about that?" Natsu snarked. "So, her memories say otherwise huh? I say her memories are *proof* she is still fighting!" He pushes his body up. He faces the god and smirks. "No matter how many times we are struck down, we'll always keep coming back! If she can still hold on to those precious memories…then that's proof enough we can bring her back!" He roars.
Izanagi's right eye twitches, veins pulsing on his forehead. He stomps his left foot and shakes the room. The air begins to grow violent, pushing Natsu back down on the floor. Black winds cover the room, Izanagi channeling more power than before. The pressure causes the mages and debris to bounce upward.
"Those memories…" Izanagi growled. Memories continue to flash in his mind.
A elderly woman offers her hand, her eyes covered by shadows. "If that is your ideal future…then lead them towards that future, Izanagi." A crack, similar to that on a window, forms between the woman. Flames break through the crack, shattering the image. Revealing miles upon miles of desolation and emptiness behind. With no end in sight.
Izanagi lifts his head, his brown eyes glowing brightly. "Are *nothing* compared to what I had endured…!"
The four mages notice an image of what appears to be a white dragon faintly appearing behind the angel.
"Shattering Light! Sky Drill!" Izanagi roars, the sound mimicking one of a dragon. He unleashes a furious tornado covered with black winds. It forms into a drill and engulfs the Fairy Tail wizards, carrying them outside the main entrance and crashing through dozens of feet through the town.
The air shifts to normal. Izanagi's hair reverts back to blue as the dragon image fades away. Heaving heavily, the god feels his legs shaking. He lowers his head and smacks his palm on his face. Growling to himself, his eye pokes out from his hand and peers over outside. Izanagi observes the destructive state of the town outside of the castle and a brief memory flashes of what the peaceful town used to resemble before reverting back to its current state.
"It's still the same…" Izanagi shakes. "The world…continues to be in a state of madness…"
"Why are you asking *me* that?" Carla questioned. "Is it because I can also foresee the future? Well mine doesn't work the same as yours." She waved her paw away and faced Wendy's body. "Besides…unlike you, I hate that I have this ability…"
"You…hate it?" Hahlos was perplexed.
Carla paused, staring at Wendy. She sighed deeply and faced Hahlos again, spreading her wings and hovering to his height. But before she could even utter a word in, the front door swung open.
"Hey!" A black haired farming angel exclaimed, pointing outside. "There's something going on at the castle!"
"What do ya mean?!" Alivia blurted.
Henry, Alivia and Carla all ran outside. Hahlos being left behind. The three saw a crowd of ranchers gawking at the town far ahead and they followed their gaze. Carla felt her heart stop, witnessing a familiar looking tornado attack traveling through town before shrinking and fading away.
"That attack…can it…" Carla quickly puts the pieces together and gasps. "No! They couldn't have!" She panics.
Carla prepares to take off towards town, but realizes that something else was off. She scans the area in a hurry. Her panic only intensified, figuring out what else was off.
"Chelia! Where did she go?!" Carla exclaimed.
~~~Author's Notes~~~
I had debated taking from my one shot 'Fitting In' for this, since I don't want to make it seem like you *have* to read that to understand this story. But I made an exception this once since you don't really need the context and I decided to use it as a cute little nod.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Now pardon me as Paper Mario TTYD takes over my life for a month starting this next week.