I'm still getting commissions. PLEASE STOP. If I want artwork or anything else down with my stories, I can do it myself. I'm not spending money on something I can't make money from. Plus, I can not showcase them anyway because this site doesn't allow it.


132

Harry and Zeref tore through the door, splitting from the rest of Fairy Tail. Natsu's team ran one way, following his nose, while Gajeel's group stayed to fight the survivors of Zeref's attack.

{Alright, Zeref, which way is the control room?} asked Fawkes, who flew beside Harry's head.

"Not this right coming up, but the second," replied Zeref.

They turned the corner but stopped when they saw more pawns. Harry scowled and lifted his wand. A spell was on his lips, but before he could utter the incantation, a pillar of flames engulfed the enemy.

Harry stared at the burning bodies and forced himself to turn to the culprit. Fawkes had a smug look in his eyes, but when he turned to Harry, he tilted his head.

{Why are you looking at me like that?} he asked. {After all, they were in the way. We need to get to the room before anything bad happens.}

Fawkes' words snapped Harry from his shock. He shook himself and nodded to Zeref. The three took off again.

They had a run-in with some demons, but Harry, Zeref, and Fawkes took them out in seconds. As they neared the control room, Harry thought, 'Where are the nine demon gates?' His eyes scanned the area, searching for the demons. He felt a life force up ahead.

They barged into the control room. Harry looked around, seeing a bridge leading to a platform. Outlining the edge were control panels, and above those were holographic screens. An old man with tiny, white-out eyes, a puffy white beard, and a round body stood before the screens. His fingers sped over the keys, and images flashed across each hologram. Harry saw one picture remain throughout it all. It was a pillar with a face on it.

"He's dead," said Harry.

"Yeah, if the eyes didn't give him away, then the lack of a life force does," said Zeref.

Harry scratched his head. "But I thought I felt one on the way here."

"This is Keyes' doing. He must be nearby if you felt something." Zeref looked above the former chairman and sighed. "It also appears they found the three body links. But that blue-haired guy is still alive. I guess that the chairman transferred the link to him and was killed as a result."

Harry blinked his owlish eyes. "You can transfer it? I thought you needed to do something special like a ritual to cast a body link spell. Now I'm hearing they can transfer the link without doing something fancy?"

Zeref tapped his chin and narrowed his eyes. "I know the spell is like a ritual, but I don't know how a transfer would work."

Fawkes chirped from Harry's shoulder. The wizard jumped from the sound and glared at the bird.

{If the body links have all been destroyed, then doesn't that mean that Face is active?} he said with a glare of his own.

Harry and Zeref's eyes widened. "Oh shoot! He's about to activate it," they said together.

"Yes, and I won't let you stop him," a voice said from the shadow of the room. A skull-faced man in black robes and a short, checkered cape walked from behind the computer. With each step he took, the staff he held clanked.

Harry's eyes zeroed in on the demon. "So, you're Keyes, huh…"


"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" His fist crushed the helmet the pawn demon wore. They crashed into the ground, unmoving. Natsu ignored his enemy and kept running, leading his team to the rest of their friends.

Natsu screamed. "Where is Mard Geer? I want to fight him, not these guys."

"Quit complaining, fire breath," said Gray, knocking out another pawn. "They're probably trying to weaken us before coming out to fight."

"So they're cowards?" Natsu had a throbbing vein in his temple, blood boiling at the mere prospect of his enemy being weak.

"I doubt that's the reason," said Lucy.

"They might just be playing it smart," continued Lisanna.

Natsu growled, "I don't care if it's a smart move. I just want him to come out and fight me." He went quiet, pausing in his run. His friends stopped, looking at him with concerned eyes.

"What's wrong?" asked Elfman. "Do you smell blood?"

Natsu sniffed the air. There was a snake-like smell, but there was the scent of books and old parchment next to it. He turned his head toward where the smell was heading. It was going further away from where their friends were - closer to where he smelled faint hints of blood.

With a curse under his breath, Natsu turned to chase after Voldemort and Hermione. But Gray latched onto his wrist. The dragon slayer whipped his head around, glare firmly in place.

"Why are you stopping me?" he demanded.

"Natsu, you need to calm down and tell us what's going on."

"Voldemort took Hermione from the others and headed toward a torture chamber. Now let me go," he ordered, tugging on his arm.

Gray didn't let go. "We'll save her after you finish leading us to the others. Once we're there, you can run off to save her. We're close, right?"

Natsu scoffed, but without saying a word, led his team to the rest of their guild. It didn't take long to get there - just a few turns here and there.

"You guys are okay," exclaimed Lucy and Lisanna. Natsu noted how their bodies sagged a bit.

"For the most part," replied Makarov, looking over toward Laxus, his team, and Yajima.

Natsu sniffed the cell, already knowing Hermione's scent would be missing. But there was one other unaccounted for.

"Where's Mirajane and Hermione?" Natsu asked. He could follow the latter's scent to find her, but he couldn't pick up Mira's scent anywhere.

"Natsu! I'm so glad to see you," cheered Happy with tears streaming down his furry cheeks. He pressed his body to the bars of the cell, stretching his arm as far as it could to latch onto Natsu's scarf. Natsu's shoulder drooped as warmth flooded his body. He petted Happy's soft head, feeling the tension leave a little more from his chest.

Ron stood up and spat, "That evil, slimy worm, Voldemort took Hermione, and I think Mirajane was taken to some lab. I heard the horned she-demon say she was going to turn her into a demon as well."

Natsu listened to every word Ron said. He reached his hand toward the lock and melted it. Once his friends were free, he wiped his hands with a smirk.

"Alright, I'm going to go save Hermione," he said, turning and sprinting down the hall.

"Ai!" cried Happy.

"I'll come with you," called Lisanna.

Natsu heard another set of footsteps following. After a quick sniff, he identified Ron. 'Makes sense he'd come with.' Natsu ignored the tag-along and kept running.


Gray filled everyone in on the plan. Lucy informed them that everyone had an assigned demon. Once the two finished, they all went their own way. Lucy, along with Gray, Juvia, and Elfman, ran in search of Mirajane.

'Hopefully, we don't get caught in the crossfire when we get there,' Lucy thought as a bead of sweat rolled down her head.

TBC


I had to go back a little because I almost forgot Happy. Sorry little guy. :(

Natsu: How can you forget Happy? D:

Enj/Dark: I don't know…

Voldy: Well, I guess I'll be seeing Natsu Dragneel soon.

Zeref: Don't think he'll be an easy fight.

Harry: Darn, and here I thought you wanted to kill me. I've been replaced. :(

Natsu: HAHA! X'D

Voldy: You're next, POTTER!

Enj/Dark: Speaking of: it's your turn.

Harry: Please review!