Here we go! Last chapter for this arc!
Enjoy!
Natsu continued to pound away at the shield preventing him from storming the arena, and he wasn't going to stop for anything.
Whatever that asshole, wanted, he wasn't going to get it.
"Natsu hurry!" Lucy shouted. Natsu growled angrily and continued to pound away at it.
He had to hurry.
Giving it one final punch, Natsu's fist broke through the shield preventing his advance, and he sprung to action. He dove down onto the field and ran as fast as he could towards his daughter who was slowly disappearing before his very eyes.
Hurry up...
Her friends were slowly disappearing as well.
Hurry up...!"
"Nashi!" He shouted, and she turned to look at him. He met her gaze,
"She looked scared and confused.
"Dad..." Natsu reached out to grab her shoulders.
His hands met open air.
His eyes widened as Nashi completely disappeared from view. He looked around, but the others were gone as well.
...No...
They were gone...
No...
His baby girl.
Pure rage coursed through Natsu.
He did this...He caused this...!
Natsu whirled in the direction of the man who'd caused her to disappear.
He was gone.
He'd disappeared completely from the Domus Flau. Natsu couldn't even smell him.
Silence.
No one spoke. The competitors in the arena were silent. The crowd was silent. Ross was silent. Hisui was silent.
The sound that pierced the silence was Lucy screaming her daughters name. Natsu had very rarely heard the woman he loved sound so devastated.
"What the hell?" He heard Michael ask. "They're gone!"
"What was that?" Terra asked, but Natsu dropped to his knees as he growled in anger. This was his fault. If he'd broken through the shield faster, maybe he could've...
BOOM!
Natsu looked up as the Domus Flau rocked from the explosion. What had that been?
BOOM! BOOM!
Natsu looked around as the arena suffered from more explosions, and soon the competitors got to their feet and looked around as well. Was that asshole who'd caused them to disappeared behind this?
BOOM!
The opposite entrance to the arena exploded, bits of rock flying everywhere.
The man, Kronos, rolled out of the blast and climbed to his feet quickly, eyeing the blast.
"How was this possible?" He asked the smokescreen. "What happened?" Natsu watched the smokescreen created by the explosion, and heard a laugh. A woman's laugh.
"Explaining it would take all day Kronos." It said. "Let's skip to the ass kicking." Soon enough, the figure walked into the arena.
All five did.
Natsu's eyes widened as the whole group walked back into the Domus Flau.
Well at least, we assumed it was his daughter and the others. However they seemed...different. Older, almost. Nashi glowered at Kronos.
"You caused a lot of pain, asshole." She told him. "Good thing we made it back." Kronos looked confused.
"Back? Where did you go?!" Drake chuckled.
"Not important." He said, cracking his knuckles. "What is though, is how I've wanted another go at you for the past..." Drake made a face. "Well...However long we were gone."
"Looks like a few seconds for them." Ultear answered him. "So a few seconds. For us it'd be maybe a week. I guess." Drake shrugged.
"Whatever. So, Kronos, you ready to receive your second ass kicking?" Drake glowed dark red. Nashi's body erupted in flames. Simon's katanas appeared in his hands. Damien took over into his demon form, and Ultear discarded her shirt to the side. Kronos stared at them before he laughed.
"So the dynamic group survives another attack. Come, let me see what the past few months have wrought!"
Nashi knew this was going to be an interesting battle. Kronos was very strong, so much so it took Erik and all of them combined plus Katsuchi. Tetsu and Azzie to beat him before.
Speaking of...
Nashi looked over towards the crowd and scanned it as fast as she could. Soon enough, her eyes fell on the trio from Devil Advocate, all three looking stunned.
Azzie's alive...The future's changed.
Nashi returned her eyes to Kronos as black fire whipped around him.
"Well then, Fairy Tail, let us see how...!" Kronos was cut off as a blast of poison struck him in the stomach, and they all looked at Drake.
"I'm tired of him doing a monologue" He hissed. "Let's get him!" Nashi smiled and launched herself forward towards the man, who tried to prepare himself with black fire. Nashi laughed as the flames barely even stung.
"Sorry Kronos, but your fuck up made it even easier to fight you!" She shouted, driving a Fire Dragon's Iron Fist into his chest. He had, after all, forced them to time jump and their aging from the future had not gone away yet. As Kronos slid away from her, he had no time to recover before Drake was behind him. He turned and tried to strike him, but Drake dodged every strike and grinned.
"I heard you." he said, round-housing Kronos in the face with poison. The man stumbled back and Ultear and Simon ran towards him.
"Ice Make: Sword!" Ultear shouted, the sword in her hand forming just in time to cleave right through the metal that Kronos had connecting his metal arm to his body. The old man looked stunned at this, and Simon drove his katana into his face, which appeared to damage his metal half as it started to spark as Simon backed up.
"You foolish children!" He roared, Hellenization magic flying at them as he tried to save himself. "I need this metal to survive! Stop attacking it!"
"Oho?" Kronos paused, and Nashi watched with a grin as Damien landed behind him. "You want to survive, do you?" Damien stood up straight and unfurled his wing as Kronos stared at him. "Funny how the tables turned since last time we crossed paths, hm?" Damien grabbed the man by his collar, and threw him straight upwards. He brought his hands together, and darkness formed there. "Soul Extinction!" The blast struck Kronos directly, and the man fell like a rock back onto the battlefield.
He attempted to stand, but Nashi rushed to his side and held him down, Her fist coated in flames right next to his face.
"One move." She threatened. "And your fleshy bits get charred too." Kronos looked defiant, but in time his expression calmed and he nodded.
"Whatever you say." He said. Nashi raised an eyebrow.
"Giving up so easily? No like you, old man." Nashi held the man down as she heard royal army men rushing the battlefield, and soon enough Kronos was in anti-magic handcuffs.
And, of course, Ross realized he'd been quiet for almost five minutes.
"WHAT A SHOW OF POWER! After disappearing, Nashi and her team reappeared, and devastated their attacker! This year has truly been one of the best the Grand Magic Games has ever seen!" Nashi watched as the men restrained Kronos.
"Make sure he rots for whats left of his life." She said, glaring at the old man. The men, not in any mood to argue with her, simply nodded and began to escort Kronos out as the crowd booed him and cheered for Nashi and the others. The men began to walk Kronos past her and her friends, but Kronos held them up for a moment.
"Nashi...Dragneel." Nashi narrowed her eyes as Kronos said her name, his sinister robotic voice sounding weak and damaged. "You...Have made many errors." Kronos stared at her with his good eye. "You have no idea what's in store for you. And the others."
"We'll handle it." She replied. "Trust me."
"Can you really? With the Gods themselves angry with you?" Nashi licked her teeth in irritation at this.
"Oh right, you reminded me of something important I had to do." Kronos raised his eyebrow, and Nashi turned to look up at the sky. Her eyes honed in on the lacrima floating their broadcasting the events, and she pointed up at it.
"Listen up, you Olympians bastards!" She shouted, voice silencing everyone in the crowd as she shouted at he magical device. "If you ever try to hurt me or my friends ever again, there will be no holding back! Do you hear me Zeus?! It's fucking go time next time our paths cross!" Nobody in the crowd must've had a clue what Nashi was talking about, but she felt pretty empowered as the lacrima vision just stared down at her.
I know you're watching. I know you heard me.
The men forced Kronos to continue walking, and soon enough he was out of the arena.
"Nashi?" Nashi jumped a bit and turned to find her father standing there, looking confused. "Are you...Okay?" Nashi smiled at him.
"Yep! We're okay. You're looking better too."
"What?" He asked, confused. Nashi chuckled and looked down at the ground.
"Nothing...Nothing at all." It made no difference whether or not her dad knew about the future. It was changed, after all. Nashi watched as her friends were swarmed by the others in the arena, asking them questions and telling them how awesome the fight had been. She did notice, however, that Damien seemed to be rather fidgety.
"You okay?" She asked him, making him look at her. "We won, you know. It's over." Damien nodded.
"Yeah, for now." He said. "I just hope everything the way it's supposed to be..." Damien looked pretty worried, but he didn't say anything more. Nashi's thoughts were thrust elsewhere as her mother wrapped her in a surprise hug from which she couldn't escape.
"Jeez, you see that man?! Crazy shit!"
"Yep! Those kids from Fairy Tail sure are something else." The men all around the bar laughed, and the bartender turned towards the waitress watching the lacrima vision with relief in her eyes.
"Get moving, Steph!" He shouted. "The crisis is over and we have people to serve!" The waitress, Steph, laughed and covered her eyes so her boss would not see her tears trying to escape her eyes.
"I'll get on that... She whispered weakly, trying to hold the tears back as best she could.
After all, no crying.
"So," Zeus said. "The Time Wound." Athena nodded as Fairy Tail celebrated on the lacrima vision.
"Yes. Ultear Milkovich's use of Last Ages many years ago caused this rift within the city." Zeus nodded.
"Well, it seems any major crisis has been somewhat averted. END is still present." Athena nodded.
"Shall I gather Hades, Master?" She asked. "See if he is ready to start his plan B?" Zeus sighed, but eventually nodded.
"Yes, if you would." He said. Athena left the room, and Zeus looked down at the lacrima vision as the guilds continued to celebrate. He watched Queen Hisui give the cup back to team Fairy Tail, and then whisper something to them. Presumably their invitation to the Royal Ball. Zeus frowned.
"It's fucking go time next time our paths cross!"
"Unfortunately, Nashi darling, the next time our paths cross may very well be the last. For if Hades succeeds, we can move on to phase two..."
"Master!" Zeus looked up as a man with bright golden hair ran into the room, looking panicked.
"Apollo." He said. "What is it?" The God of the Sun gulped.
"It's happened again." he said. Zeus nodded curtly and stood from his seat, following Apollo out of the room and down the hall. They soon reached their destination, and Zeus stepped inside the room.
Inside, sitting up on a bed staring out the window, was a woman with silvery hair and golden eyes. She seemed to be in a fair away place, But looked over as Zeus cleared his throat.
"Ah, Master Zeus." She said, speaking softly. "I see Apollo summoned you."
"He did." Zeus replied. "He says you've seen more of this future." The woman nodded and returned her eyes to the window.
"It was only bits and pieces." She replied. "But I saw it...A sky darkened by the smoke of the world as it falls. The armies of the damned walking the earth to please the King." Zeus nodded at this. He'd heard all of this before.
"Was there anything else, Oracle?" He asked. The woman nodded. She remained silent for a moment, before she turned to Zeus.
"I heard a phrase spoken to me." Zeus pressed his lips together in anticipation.
"What was it?" He asked. The Oracle looked down at her lap, before she looked out the window once more.
"When the King rises, Humanity will find salvation in the end."
Elise stared out her window as the sun set around the city of Crocus. She'd heard the guild come back only a little bit ago, talking about the Royal Ball Hisui had invited them too and what they were supposed to wear to it. Not like she gave a damn, they wasn't going.
Elise didn't like feeling so angry with her friends, but she couldn't help it. She was still fuming about the lies. How could she face them knowing what happened to her.
Elise jumped as something hit the ground behind her. She turned to find the doorknob rolling across the ground. The other side of it had been melted away.
Melted.
Elise quickly looked away as the door opened, revealing Nashi and the others standing there.
"Hey." Nashi greeted softly. Her voice seemed different for some reason. "Elise?"
"Go away." Elise replied. They didn't. As a matter of fact they walked inside. "I don't want to talk to you." No one spoke, but Elise felt Nashi sit on the edge of the bed and she put a hand on her shoulder. Elise would've shrugged it away, but it was nice to have someone try to comfort her.
"I'm sorry." Nashi whispered. "I...We're so sorry we kept this from you."
Elise remained silent.
"I can't begin to imagine what you're going through." She continued. "But after what's happened today...I realized something."
"What?"
"...When my Dad came home, I was pretty distraught over everything that happened." She said. "But that day someone sought me out and told me everything was going to be okay. You remember who that was, Elise?"
"..."
"Because I remember who it was. It was you. You went out of your way to find me and make sure I knew that everything was going to work out. And oh boy were you right. Look at us now."
"..."
"I know you're mad, and you have every right to be. But as your friends, we want to help you. But you have to let us." Nashi laughed weakly. "Let us tell you everything's going to be okay. We'd never lie to you." Elise laughed coldly.
"Really, Nashi?" She asked.
"You know what I meant." She retorted. "You can't lock yourself away and dwell on this. Let us help you." Elise didn't reply, mostly because she wasn't sure what to say. She didn't want to like this, but...
"Look at it this way." It was Drake who spoke up. "Long story short, we've seen the future." Elise didn't look back at this. "I know you probably don't believe me, but listen to us. Sound different?" They did. They sounded...older. Elise's eyes widened.
"And in the future we saw..." Ultear said. "The Elise we saw...She wasn't this Elise. She was happy, she had a family, she had everything." A family? Happy? Elise wasn't sure if it sounded like bullshit or not.
"You can get through this." Simon said. "Let us help you." Elise still didn't reply, and Nashi sighed.
"Just let us know if you're ready, okay?" She said. "And we'll do our best." She felt Nashi get off of the bed, and the group turned to leave.
Elise lashed out and grabbed the pinkette's hand.
"...You guys make it so damn hard to be mad at you." She said loudly. She turned to look at them and surely, they looked older. "But I'll take you up on that offer, Nashi." Nashi smiled.
"Thanks." She said, moving back and hugging the girl. "Trust me, it'll get better." Elise shrugged as tears started to fall down her cheeks.
"I damn well hope so."
And this concludes the Kronos arc! I know that this chapter probably wasn't what you guys were expecting, but it's setup! Trust me, big things are afoot. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, leave a review! Let's try to get ten for the end of the arc!