Dein comes back for the climax, adding his impressive fight scene skills! There is a lot happening in this chapter. We hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 33
"Gray."
Gray blinked his eyes open, startled to find Igneel standing over his bed. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and pushing his hair away from his eyes. "Is it time?"
"Not quite yet," Igneel said. "I was thinking about your request, and I'd like to honor it."
"Huh?"
What request was he talking about?
"I'll wait for you at the back entrance."
Igneel left him to get ready, and Gray did so quickly, spurred on by the dragon's cryptic smile. When he arrived at the back entrance, Igneel was already there, but didn't respond to any of his attempts to get his attention.
He stared at the dragon in confusion until it finally dawned on him that his father-in-law must be in the astral realm and scrambled to meet him there.
"Oh, good. You're here." Igneel greeted him, "Now let's get you flying."
"Flying?!" Gray gaped at his father-in-law in dismay. How the heck was he supposed to learn to fly in his astral form? It was one thing to use his magic, but flying was more of a physical thing, wasn't it? He stretched his wings open, studying them with some trepidation.
"Yes, you asked me to teach you a few days ago." Igneel tilted his head at Gray's hesitation. "Is something wrong?"
"No, no, this is just unexpected, that's all." Gray was touched that the dragon had remembered his request, but still needed a minute to wrap his mind around the idea.
"Can I really learn to fly in here?"
"I can't think of a better place," Igneel said before launching into a cheerful explanation of what he needed to do. Gray had scarcely understood the bare minimum when Igneel nudged him off the ledge and lunged after him.
Gray panicked, trying to imitate the birds he'd seen to no avail. He was still falling. His wings flailed helplessly in the air. A moment later, Igneel was beside him, matching his fall while calmly telling him what he should do.
"Don't think so much," Igneel advised. "You've flown before, just let your body take over."
"What if it doesn't remember?!" Gray fretted, although as far as he could see, there didn't seem to be any ground to speak of. Perhaps that's what Igneel meant by there being no better place to learn.
Igneel gave a mighty roar. "Of course it does. You're a dragon! Let go of your doubt and claim your rightful place in the sky!"
Gray was getting the feeling that maybe learning from Atlas might have been the better choice after all, when he felt his body fight against his pathetic attempts. He tried to clear his mind of all fear and slowly felt himself relax. As soon as he did, his body did indeed take over, and while his movements were still clumsy, they were also more controlled.
"This is by far the best part of being a dragon!" Igneel boomed, and it was hard to miss the joy in his eyes as he launched into some acrobatics.
Gray had to laugh at the antics. He'd expected his father-in-law to be sad, but at that moment he looked and sounded more like an older version of Natsu than anything else. He tried to imitate some of his spins, but soon realized he'd need a hell of a lot more practice before he could pull something like that off.
Still, he was flying! As much as he loved to fly on Natsu's back, he had to admit this was even better.
"How much longer are you two going to be in here wasting time?" Atlas appeared next to them.
"Until you can catch me," Igneel grinned and took off at a speed that left Gray's jaw hanging open.
"Showoff," Atlas muttered under his breath. "He wouldn't be so spry if we weren't in the astral plane."
He gave chase, catching up quickly and matching Igneel dive for dive until Gray felt dizzy just watching them.
When they returned, both brothers were laughing, each taking a spot on either side of Gray. Atlas offered some pointers, and when he wasn't able to follow, the dragon teased rather than mocked. It was pleasant, and for a short while they flew companionably.
It was Igneel who brought them back to reality. "Let's head back. We should get started if we want to make sure we're done before Natsu arrives."
They retreated to their bodies in somber silence, all of them feeling the weight of what they were about to do.
0-0
Happy flew slightly behind Natsu, following his lead as they traveled home. Natsu had once again cast the enhanced speed spell he'd learned from Atlas before they left camp, and he was thankful for the boost it provided. Although it did nothing to counteract his biggest issue, the constant throbbing pain in his muscles as they strained from bearing the combined weight of Sting, Rogue and Irene on his back for hours. The young dragon did the best he could not to complain, knowing Natsu had it worse.
Still, Happy couldn't wait to get home, so as soon as he detected the scent that marked the beginning of their territory, he relaxed. Thoughts of soaking in their cave's hot spring and hunts with Atlas motivated him to persist in his efforts for just a little longer.
"We've entered our territory. Everything should be fine now," he said, his voice reflecting the cheeriness and relief he felt at the news. It confused him to feel all three of his passengers tense up at the news. Were they worried about meeting the people back in town? He twisted his head back to find all three looking upward.
0-0
Gray and the two brothers moved to the cave's main room to perform the spell. A coffee table - one that Gray vaguely remembered from the emergency meeting they'd held that time a dragon had attacked Natsu - had been placed in the otherwise empty room. The dragons had overloaded it with scrolls and other items he didn't recognize.
Three large symmetrically placed intersecting circles, colored red, blue and purple, had been drawn on the floor of the cave. Each one pulsed with massive amounts of magical energy, while a patch of silver runes in the shape of a triangle decorated the center spot where all three circles joined.
"Alright, I know I've explained this before, but I don't want anything to go wrong so I'm going to go through it again."
Gray nodded, for once not annoyed with Atlas' long-winded explanations. He had no desire to fuck this up, not when so much was at stake. He was already sweating profusely, and he wasn't sure how much of it was a reaction to the oppressive heat the two fire dragons always exuded, and how much was just because of his nerves.
"Igneel will stand in the red circle and cast the deconstruction spell we devised. The circle will contain the energy produced while I convert it into magic, ensuring none of it is lost. As soon as his soul is free, he will head for the astral plane. There he will begin preparations for his life force transfer spell. Gray, you will stand in the blue circle. I will cast the spell on you since you lack the necessary knowledge. As soon as your soul separates from your body, you will join Igneel. I'm not gonna sugar coat it, this part will be painful, but you must bear it. There is no other way."
Atlas waited for both of them to voice their understanding before continuing with his explanation.
"Once you have arrived in the astral world, you may not return to this one until I have finished my part." Atlas eyed Gray gravely. "I mean it."
When Gray didn't answer right away, Atlas scowled at him. "Do you remember when Igneel told you astral projection was perfectly safe because your soul remained tethered to your body?"
"Yeah, he said that death was the only thing that could ever break the connection."
"Precisely. I'm glad you were listening. Deconstructing your body destroys your earthly vessel. It's a state close enough to death to count. The magic circles will temporarily tether your souls to the astral world, not this one. I can't stress this enough. If you leave the astral plane before I'm ready for you, your soul won't have a vessel to return to and you will die."
"Don't return until you call for me. Got it." Gray wanted to sound flippant, but his voice broke at the end, revealing his jitters.
Atlas offered him a rare smile that felt mildly reassuring.
"Now, where was I?" Atlas muttered to himself for a few moments. "I will stand in the Reuleaux Focal Point..." Noticing their blank looks of incomprehension, he sighed. "The silver triangle in the middle."
"The runes will protect me from the destructive magic while still allowing me to combine and manipulate the magical energy we've generated into a generic dragon body within the purple circle. When that's ready, I will tether your soul to it. Only then will I call for you. Your soul will enter its new body and merge with it, reshaping it to match your appearance and linking your magic. Once that's done, Igneel will infuse your soul with his life energy. That's pretty much it."
"He's making it sound simple, but the magic involved is incredibly complicated. As I've mentioned before, nothing like this has ever been attempted. Some of the magic comes from scrolls we researched, but most of it is magic we've created or adapted for this purpose. We'd be remiss if we didn't tell you that once we get started, there's no going back. This is your last chance to change your mind." Igneel warned Gray.
None of what Atlas had said sounded simple to Gray, but he understood what Igneel was getting at.
"Thank you for the warning, but I knew that going in. I'm not going to change my mind now, no matter how dangerous he makes it sound."
"Let's get started then. Everyone proceed to your circles." Atlas' voice sounded tense, but there was also an underlying excitement to it that made Igneel snort.
"He really likes magic, doesn't he?" Gray commented as he made his way to the blue circle.
"I don't think like quite covers it, more of a love really." Igneel said, reaching his circle and turning to face his brother. "I wouldn't trust anyone else to try this, though. We're in excellent hands."
"Let's hope you're right," Atlas mumbled, walking over to the coffee table and grabbing a few items before heading towards the circles. "Do you remember the words?"
"Yes, I memorized it weeks ago." Igneel took a deep breath and began casting his spell.
Gray couldn't make out any of the words, and it fed into his apprehension.
"That's draconic," Atlas explained, noticing the confusion on Gray's face. "We only learned your language to communicate with Anna and the kids."
The runes inscribed in Igneel's circle glowed red as soon as he finished his incantation, and Gray watched in dismay as Igneel's body shone with a light that seemed to come from within him. It got brighter and brighter until Gray had to look away, no longer able to identify any part of Igneel's body. Soon after, the bellowing began. It was loud and relentless, and it promised a pain more profound than anything Gray had ever experienced before.
Atlas stared at the place where his brother had stood just a few moments earlier, his features clouded by an almost tangible sadness. Even so, he refused to look away until it was over.
Gray didn't know how long it lasted. The cries had quickly blended together in his brain, warping his sense of time. He heard Atlas' voice casting another spell and tried to prepare himself for what was coming, but soon realized it was directed at the energy Igneel's transformation had produced, grouping the bits of light that bounced around inside the circle into an organized structure.
"Igneel is safe in the astral realm. It's your turn." Atlas informed him, "Are you ready?"
Gray looked down at himself one last time, only then realizing he'd instinctively clutched the scarf that Natsu had entrusted to him. It had gotten him through so many difficult moments, but he thought it was time he returned it. Natsu would need it more in the coming days.
He relaxed his hold slowly, saddened by the idea of being without it but holding firm. Gray unwrapped it slowly, feeling naked as he removed the weight of the fabric from around his neck. He smiled, wondering if this is what it had felt like for Natsu when he gave it to him. His fingers smoothed out the wrinkles before folding the scarf into a neat square and handing it to Atlas.
Gray considered removing his pendant as well, but thought better of it. Natsu had made it and offered it to him as a token of his love and his hope for their future. It was precious to him, for not only did it mark them as mates, it had also protected him from their worst instincts.
The pendant had become a part of him, and he wanted it on him when he embarked on his new life.
"Not even remotely, but let's do it anyway." Gray finally answered, closing his eyes and taking shallow breaths in a pitiful attempt at preparing himself for the pain he knew would follow.
"I'm sorry for what Deliora did to you," Atlas said. "And for scaring you that day on the field. You never gave up on Natsu and you pushed past your own demons and that makes you a hell of a lot braver than I ever gave you credit for. I just wanted you to know that."
Gray opened his eyes, too shocked by the dragon's apology to manage a response. But Atlas had already begun casting his spell. There was a second of silence, and then he could see things happening. The runes glowed blue, creating a barrier between him and the rest of the cave.
Everything felt unbearably hot, like he was burning from the inside and he could make out the same glowing he'd seen in Igneel. That was when the pain began. It felt like his body was being ripped apart from the inside. He didn't even bother trying to quiet his screams. If a fire dragon hadn't managed it, what hope did he have?
It was a slow, excruciating process, and he wished he were dead many times before it was over. But suddenly he felt his soul shift, and he rushed to the astral plane and the relief it promised.
Igneel greeted him with a shaky smile. "That was intense."
"Yeah."
Gray looked down at himself, trying to reconcile to the fact that his human life was now behind him. From this point forward, he would forever be a dragon.
It was strange, though. He'd assumed that once he got to the astral realm, he'd stop feeling pain, but it was still there, gnawing at him. He shifted his body, attempting to ease his discomfort.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, I just thought the pain would be gone once I got here."
"What are you talking about?" Igneel sounded concerned, and it fed into his sense that something was wrong. "You shouldn't feel anything."
"I don't underst-," Gray doubled over as another wave of pain hit him, and this time there were emotions flowing in too, and he finally recognized it for what it was.
Shit! Of all the rotten luck!
Just as he realized what was happening, Natsu was in his head.
Gray, can you hear me?!
What's happening?! Gray demanded, pressing when he didn't get an immediate answer. I know you're hurt!
Go find Atlas and Igneel. Tell them we're about thirty miles from home.
Although Natsu's voice sounded calm, Gray could still feel his panic, and it freaked him out even more because he hadn't answered his question.
Natsu, what aren't you telling me?
Gray could almost hear the gears of his mate's brain turning, seeking a way to communicate what was happening without distressing him. Natsu must have realized it was impossible, for he soon gave a resigned sigh.
Acnologia ambushed us... Happy's down. I don't have time to talk. Tell them to hurry!
What?!
But Natsu didn't respond.
Natsu? NATSU!
Gray soon gave up, knowing his attempts to get Natsu's attention could prove deadly. He could still feel him through their bond, and that would have to satisfy him for now.
"Son of a bitch!" Gray growled, and his ice responded to his anger, but it felt much stronger than before.
"It's Natsu, isn't it?"
"We have to stop right now!" Gray yelled. "Acnologia ambushed them on the way home. He said they're about thirty miles away. Happy's hurt and he needs you and Atlas to go help. He's fighting that thing on his own!"
"Of all the fucking times," Igneel broke into a litany of curses the likes of which Gray had never heard before.
"We can't stop now. Both of us will die, and that won't help him either." Igneel attempted to reason with him. "Just let me think for a minute."
Gray did his best to listen, but he was already in a full-fledged panic. Natsu was fighting that monster all alone! He'd barely survived the last two times he'd gone up against him.
"Listen to me." Igneel snarled, snapping Gray out of his hysteria. "I know this is hard, but Natsu isn't on his own. He has the slayers with him and that isn't nothing. All of them are seasoned warriors. They will do their part, but we still have to do ours if we want to help. Right now, your magic is the best weapon we have against Acnologia. We have to see this through if we want to stop him once and for all. I'll speak to Atlas, maybe he can speed things along."
It was all Gray could do to keep from screaming as he waited for Igneel to use his telepathy to communicate with his brother. He paced back and forth, fighting his desire to ignore Igneel's words. There was nothing he could do in this state. If he ignored Atlas' warning, he'd only die. He knew that, but he couldn't stand to do nothing either.
"Alright, we have a plan. It's risky, but it's the only thing we can do. We're going to need about five minutes to put it into play."
"Five minutes?! That's too long!" Gray balked, knowing how long that was in a fight, and Natsu would have to wait even longer for them to get there.
"It's the best we can do. Trust me, Atlas wants to get there just as much as you do."
Five minutes felt like five lifetimes when spent in tense silence, but Atlas finally gave the go ahead and, much to Gray's astonishment, both he and Igneel rushed to the waiting body.
0-0
Happy circled high above the black dragon whose blue markings identified him as Acnologia, the renegade dragon slayer Natsu had warned him about. Watching the fight unfold below him, he waited for an opening.
His side still hurt from when the bastard had rammed into him earlier, sending Sting, Rogue, and Irene hurtling towards the ground. He'd shook off the daze from the blow, only to find himself tumbling out of control, still gasping for breath from the impact. His friends' terrified screams had rung in his ears and he'd fought frantically to regain control of his body so that he could attempt to rescue them.
It had been close, too close.
He'd collected them one at a time, first Sting and then Rogue, scooping them out of midair and holding them in his talons. But he'd only reached Irene when she was a few hundred feet from the ground, leaving him no room to make a proper landing. He'd flipped onto his back at the last second, holding the dragon slayers to his chest in a last-ditch attempt to cushion them from the impact of his rough landing. If you could even call it that. But his friends were all alive at least, albeit pretty beat up.
Happy remained vigilant, and when the young dragon saw Acnologia land a stunning blow on Natsu and attempt to follow it up, he dove with all his speed, claws spread in front of him. Acnologia wasn't caught off guard though, and just as Happy was about to grab the black dragon's neck, Acnologia's long tail smashed him off course.
The small dragon refused to give up, however, and as he was thrown to the ground, his head whipped around and he sunk his fangs into the black dragon's right wing sail, right near the root. There was a hideous ripping noise and a furious roar as the bulk of Acnologia's wing sail tore completely free from the wing.
Happy hit the ground tumbling, snapping the bones in his wings with a nauseating crunch. The sail, which he'd never let go of, wrapped itself around him like some sort of bloodied bedsheet, leaving him tangled up and unable to move.
Acnologia, now injured but in no way incapacitated, pounced and grabbed Happy's hind legs in his jaws, giving the young dragon a furious shake and throwing him across the clearing where he landed in a pitiful groaning pile.
Happy felt darkness closing in and hastened to burn away the sail that trapped him. It soon turned to ashes all around him, and he managed a triumphant grin before losing consciousness.
At least he won't be flying again anytime soon, either.
0-0
They had been so close to Talos when Acnologia had come out of nowhere, almost as if he'd been expecting them.
Damn it! Why now?
"Don't just stand there gaping, you idiots! Go get Wendy and the others and bring them here! If we don't regroup and tend to the wounded, we're done for."
Irene's bellowed order snapped Sting out of his daze, but it did nothing to quell the panic that replaced it. Acnologia had finally caught up to all of them, and Rogue was once again in the dragon's crosshairs. How could he ever hope to protect his mate against such an opponent? He felt an overwhelming urge to grab Rogue and run.
"Stop." Sting felt Rogue's hand curl around his, the telltale pull of gravity alerting him that his mate had activated his magic. He soon found himself sheathed in familiar shadows.
His instincts, so much stronger than conscious thought, railed against Rogue's demand. He was about to protest when his mate repeated the words that had become so precious to him.
"I'm right here with you." Rogue smiled, squeezing his hand and seeming eerily confident despite the shit fest they'd been hurled into.
"This time, we fight back."
As terrifying as that sounded, it was exactly what Sting needed to hear. His instincts balked at the idea, but he fought to keep them at bay, knowing Rogue was right. If they were serious about making amends, they had to make their stand here. Even if it proved to be their last.
"Should be a piece of cake, right?" Sting cackled, surrendering to the insanity of it all.
Rogue scoffed, "Hardly, but we will defeat him."
"Well?" Irene demanded crossly. "What are you waiting for?"
They dashed to where the dragon slayers had crash landed minutes earlier, hoping for the best. Natsu noticed their approach and drew Acnologia away, clearing the way for their rescue.
"It wasn't supposed to go like this," Sting muttered when he caught sight of the other dragon slayers.
All of them looked pretty beat up, but Oliver was a bleeding mess. Wendy was trying but failing to cast both healing and support spells, while Gajeel ignored his injuries in favor of keeping his eyes on the fight.
Sting rushed out, picking up Oliver in his arms and carrying him as gently as he could manage back into Rogue's shadows, knowing Wendy would follow.
"Gajeel, come on," Rogue's voice urged, projecting itself over Natsu's roars. "We need to retreat for now."
"Get those two somewhere safe, someone's got to give the runt backup."
"And you're going to accomplish shit by yourself. Come with us. Irene has a plan." Rogue sounded extremely convincing, but this was news to Sting.
She does?
I hope?
Oh, man, he's going to be so pissed if she doesn't.
Thankfully, they didn't need to argue with Gajeel any further because Wendy chose that moment to call for him, and they both knew he wouldn't be able to refuse her.
In the end, Gajeel carried Oliver, freeing Sting up to cover their retreat with blinding flashes of holy light.
Irene fired off orders like a seasoned general the moment they returned. Gajeel cleared an area for a makeshift infirmary, allowing Wendy to get back to work on Oliver. Sting used his breath attack to create a trench where Irene suggested, while Rogue did his best to obscure their actions from Acnologia's view.
Sting wiped the sweat off his forehead, examining the results of his efforts with some satisfaction. The makeshift trench he'd fashioned was about three feet deep and large enough to accommodate all the dragon slayers comfortably. Hopefully, it would offer them some protection against Acnologia's attacks.
"Alright boys, here's what you're going to do." Irene said.
Sting turned toward her with a frown, detecting a shallowness to her breathing he didn't like. It was only then he noticed the deep purple bruising on her belly.
"You're hurt."
"I'm fine," she tried to wave him off, but staggered a bit, causing Wendy to rush over to check on her. A quick burst of magic was followed by a request to Gajeel to place Irene with Happy and Oliver.
All thoughts of joining Gajeel and Rogue left him as soon as he saw a tree trunk fly past them, landing dangerously close to Wendy's group. They'd need to protect their wounded if there was to be any chance of Wendy healing them back to fighting condition.
And he was the only one who could do it.
Rogue seemed to have had the same thought for he ran over. "Keep them safe," he said, pressing a quick kiss on Sting's lips before running after Gajeel.
"Be careful!" Sting called after him, watching as both dragon slayers dove into the trench ahead of one of Acnologia's breath attacks.
He took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind of as much inner turmoil as possible, even though he knew, given the circumstances, he was unlikely to succeed. With eyes closed, he called on his magic and cast the strongest barrier spell he knew. It manifested as a shield of light in front of him and he fed it steady streams of magic, growing it until it spread over and behind him in the shape of a dome large enough to cover Wendy and her patients.
Sting hadn't been looking forward to the fighting, but he'd thought at the very least he and Rogue would fight together, their fates entwined. Instead, he was forced to watch from a distance as his mate fought for his life and he couldn't do anything to help without sacrificing others.
It was hell. He remembered Natsu describing Gray bleeding out and not being able to help him and he prayed it wouldn't come to that.
Maintaining a spell of this magnitude was exhausting. Every minute drained enormous amounts of magic from his reserves. At times, Sting didn't know how he was still going, but he was determined to continue. None of them were going to be hurt further. He wouldn't allow it... not again.
The light shield held steady as a flaming tree trunk struck it like a spear and then exploded into burning splinters. He wasn't sure if that was actually a direct attack or just a side-effect of the battle raging around them, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was the shield. He would protect his friends, even if it drained him dry.
0-0
They lay on the ground of a small clearing in the forest, her three patients surrounding her in a triangle. Wendy panted in equal parts terror and exhaustion. Sweat trickled down her nose, tickling the tip before it dripped down, splashing onto Oliver's stomach, where it mixed with the blood that oozed out of his wound.
"No need to look so worried," Oliver flashed her a strained smile. He raised his hand to caress her cheek briefly, and Wendy couldn't help but notice his hazel eyes appeared dull. "It's not that bad."
She somehow returned his smile, not wanting him to worry about her in his condition, and continued to pour healing magic into him doggedly, refusing to give up on the hope she'd held at returning home and starting a new life together.
Every burst of magic felt like her last, but she hadn't spent years training with Grandine for nothing. She continued, refusing to let even the idea of failure enter her mind. None of them were going to die here. Not after they had all finally come together again. She wouldn't allow it.
A moment later, she watched as the long gash in his side she was holding together finished closing up. The blood that had originally been gushing out had slowed to a trickle, and finally stopped. If only that were the last of his wounds, but it was enough for right now.
She turned away from Oliver and bit her lip as she faced her next patient, laying at an angle to Oliver. Her arms trembled briefly as she held them out over Irene, and the healing magic flowed once more, searching for the cause of her internal bleeding.
"Don't waste your magic on me," Irene grunted. "Even if I recovered, I can't help you fight. Focus on healing Happy, Natsu could use the backup."
"Nonsense, you got us this far, didn't you? I'm going to make sure you get home to Anna and Erza. I bet they're so excited you're coming!" Wendy tried to sound unconcerned, but Irene's injuries were serious, and she'd lost all regenerative abilities when her magic had been removed to stop her dragonification.
Behind her, she heard Happy whimper as he shifted, trying to find a position that wouldn't put pressure on his shredded wings or his shattered hind-legs.
She couldn't help but peek at Sting, who stood a short distance away, his arms held out over his head as if they were holding up the glowing dome of light energy that shielded the five of them from the hellish chaos outside their clearing.
She pushed on, hoping she could stabilize her patients quickly enough so they could be moved somewhere safer, freeing Sting up to help the others.
0-0
Take Wendy and don't stop until you get her somewhere safe. We're all counting on you.
Those were the last words he'd ever heard his father say to him when he was six years old. Wendy had been two then, nothing more than the noisy kid of his father's best friend.
But he'd taken the words to heart, scooping her up in his arms and running as fast as he could.
And he didn't stop.
Not until he got to Talos, the village they'd been planning on moving to. Once there, they'd been sent to live with Anna Heartfilia at the orphanage. He'd fulfilled his promise to his father, but far from being done, he'd soon realized the greater meaning behind it.
Wendy was all that was left of a life he barely remembered, and he pledged his life to keeping her safe. Over the years, he'd grudgingly extended that pledge to include the other dragon slayers. They were an idiotic, excitable, stubborn and often frustrating bunch, but they were his family. And he loved them all, although he'd be hard pressed to say the words out loud.
That was why, despite how just being near Acnologia made his blood freeze, Gajeel would get over any ridiculous feelings about cowardice. He would face the enemy like the warrior he was. And though it might very well end up being his last fight, he would give it his all.
It hadn't taken him long to figure out that trying to face Acnologia head on was an exercise in futility.
If the dragon saw Gajeel's attack coming, it was guaranteed not to land. Natsu had started using diversionary tactics as the battle continued. He would dive in, breathing a wide spray of fire which splashed harmlessly off Acnologia's skin, but still blinded the dragon temporarily. Other times, Natsu would rear up, spreading his wings wide and whipping his tail out at the black dragon's face.
Whenever the beast looked away, Gajeel would take advantage of the opportunity, darting out from cover and striking with his metal limbs. As expected, none of the magic the slayers had thrown at Acnologia had the slightest effect, but they'd found that with a carefully timed blow that had enough force behind it, the beast could be wounded.
Would it ever be enough to put him down or drive him off? Gajeel grimaced. Not damn likely, but that didn't matter. There was no other choice but to continue. He peered into the sky, watching and waiting for Natsu to wheel down and provide him with another opening.
0-0
When Rogue had been flailing around in midair, he'd panicked. His mind had gone right back to that cave where Acnologia had found them and the fear and helplessness he'd felt. He hadn't even thought to call on his magic to slow his descent or even reached out to see if he could help the others, something that should have been all but second nature to him. But once they'd crashed, all of that had changed.
He'd felt Sting's inner turmoil and knew he had to act swiftly. They couldn't hide anymore. Not behind fears, or excuses, or even the bond that they both cherished. They had to come together and fight as they should have done in the first place.
So he'd taken the first step, even though he'd worried he'd end up being a burden. But once he'd used his magic to rescue the other dragon slayers, he'd realized that had only been an excuse he'd stubbornly clung to.
He had everything he needed to be effective.
Skiadrum had given him a way to fight, Gajeel and Metalicana the means to get back on his feet, and Sting the will and courage to walk forward and take his place with his friends and his mate.
Now that Rogue had made it into the trench, he'd cleared his mind of everything but his hatred toward Acnologia. He allowed it to fill him with purpose. He would help his family survive this last desperate trial and make it home together.
Everything around him was happening so fast, making him feel like he couldn't keep up, but the frustration he'd built up over the last couple of years fueled his efforts. As impossible as it might seem, they had to put an end to Acnologia once and for all.
He could feel Sting's panic flowing through their bond, communicating his desire to make up for everything his actions had set off, coupled with his conflict at keeping the others safe while Rogue fought alongside Gajeel and Natsu. But he also perceived an underlying pride at his efforts that bolstered his resolve.
Rogue watched carefully for opportunities to make his contributions to the fight. He knew he wouldn't be able to charge out and attack Acnologia like Gajeel. These legs were a wonderful gift, but he wasn't that steady on them, at least not yet. Instead, he used his shadows to alter the battlefield subtly to his team's advantage. He covered holes and boulders that stood in the black dragon's path from sight, causing him to stumble.
One of his attempts to hinder Acnologia had backfired spectacularly. Rogue had summoned an enormous globe of darkness around the dragon's head, hoping to prevent him from seeing Gajeel advancing for a strike while Natsu hovered just above the black dragon as a distraction. Unfortunately, Acnologia took advantage of their inability to see his head to reorient and Rogue felt a shock of panic as a huge spear of ice launched from the darkness, aimed not at Gajeel, but at Natsu. The fire dragon juked to the side in an attempt to dodge, but was not fully successful, and Rogue winced as he saw the spear gouge a furrow in the dragon's side, causing him to falter for a bit before he wheeled and struggled for more altitude, a distressing rainfall of blood trailing behind.
Rogue shook his head and focused. No time to wallow in guilt. Acknowledge the mistake and focus on doing better.
0-0
Natsu couldn't understand how Acnologia had somehow become even stronger than the last time they'd fought. It made little sense to him. He knew he'd wounded him in Talos, so how could he have strengthened himself without a steady source of dragon blood?
It was extremely demoralizing, considering that he'd barely escaped with his life the previous times they'd clashed. And this fight seemed different from their previous ones. Whereas before it had felt like Acnologia had mostly been toying with him, there was something in his eyes that told Natsu that this time he was playing for keeps.
There was no doubt in his mind that one way or the other, this would be their last fight.
And right now, it felt like all of his determination had dried up. Everyone was hurt, and the way things were going, he didn't see how he could do anything to prevent them all from dying here. None of the things he'd tried so far had done much damage.
It wasn't even so much that Acnologia was a great fighter, although he certainly was no slouch. He just had so many types of magic at his disposal that it was impossible to plan and counteract all of them at once. Natsu had to use his fire magic in increasingly creative ways to even land a hit on him.
He had gotten through to Gray, however, and hopefully, that meant Atlas and Igneel were on their way. But he couldn't rely on that. He had no way of knowing if Gray had been with them or not.
One thing he did know. Now that Gray knew he was in danger, he would move heaven and earth to get to Atlas and Igneel quickly.
It felt like hours had passed since they'd talked, even though it had probably only been a few minutes. Natsu was tiring, and it slowed him down. He kept accumulating wounds he couldn't stop to heal and rarely inflicted any on his opponent. But no matter how discouraged he felt, he knew he had to keep going. He was all that stood between Acnologia and his friends.
If he could keep them alive until help arrived, there was still a chance they could come out on top and get rid of Acnologia for good.
He'd just have to fight smarter. It was all he could do.
If there was one silver lining to their current situation, it was that Happy had managed to ground Acnologia, and as far as Natsu knew, the renegade didn't have access to any magic he could use to heal himself. He might have reaped Grandine's soul, but Sky Dragon healing magic didn't work on the caster.
Natsu spied a glint of metal from one of Gajeel's sword arms and lined up for another strafing run on Acnologia as the black dragon again moved to batter the shield that held the rest of his friends. As he got close, Natsu roared out another thick cone of fire toward the dragon's back, but he realized too late that this time, his opponent was ready for it. The dragon arced his neck back, facing Natsu, and breathed out a tremendous gout of water directly into the incoming fire breath.
The fire and water collided and explosively turned into a cloud of steam that struck Gajeel just as he had leapt out of the trench and charged. It bowled the slayer over and tore a scream from his throat as he was enveloped in the boiling hot mist. Natsu caught the glimpse of a shadow darting out of the trench near Gajeel. It resolved into the figure of Rogue, who quickly grabbed the other slayer and shifted back to shadow, retreating to the trench.
Natsu did the only thing he could think of and continued his dive rather than pulling up out of it. He pulled his wings tight to his body and drove his shoulder into Acnologia's side, driving the beast up against the light shield, causing Sting to collapse to his knees with a pained groan.
The shield flickered but didn't break.
The two dragons traded furious blows with fang and claw and tail. Natsu managed to get his mouth around Acnologia's throat and tried to rip it open, but the black dragon countered by grabbing one of Natsu's wings in his jaws. The beast shook his head violently, snapping the bones in the leading edge and ripping a sizeable chunk out of the flight sail. Natsu's head spun in agony and he knew there would be no further aerial attacks coming from him for the rest of the battle. But he felt the slightest satisfaction mix in with the pain as he tasted a hot coppery fluid trickling into his mouth from the black dragon's neck as a few scales were torn loose.
Acnologia reared back and roared. His entire body erupted into a thick miasma of acid with enough force to blast Natsu back, slamming him into the ground several lengths away. Smoke guttered on the red dragon's scorched scales as the acid etched its way through them. He tried to climb back to his feet but failed. Acnologia slowly stalked toward Natsu. His murderous eyes danced in delight as he lit his entire body with hellfire.
"It's over," Acnologia crowed, "We both know you've got nothing left."
Natsu tried to get up once again, refusing to admit defeat just yet. When that didn't work, he crawled away from Acnologia's advance, desperately casting healing spells on himself. His eyes darted about for any means by which to hold off the black dragon's next attack, no matter how crude. He'd club the bastard to death if that's what it took.
Acnologia continued to press his advantage, edging ever closer and looking annoyingly pleased at Natsu's predicament.
"I always sensed there was something off about you." Acnologia's eyes bored into him, "but I never dreamed that the great Igneel's son would turn out to be a dragon slayer like me."
"You're wrong. I am nothing like you." Natsu snarled, bristling at hearing his father's name on the lips of the one who had ripped away part of his soul. "I might have been part human once, but I've always been a dragon."
It had taken him years to get to where he accepted what he was without regret or shame, but it was now a point of pride for him. No matter what else he might happen to be, he was a dragon.
"Well, no matter. I commend you for your efforts either way. You managed what no other creature could. It's almost a pity to have to kill you." Acnologia said with a sickening grin. "Almost."
"And when I'm done with you, I'm going to follow that convenient trail of magic you've left all the way back to wherever your despicable brethren are cowering and finish them off. It's time to put an end to the era of dragons once and for all."
It dismayed Natsu to realize Acnologia was right. He'd been so caught up in his worries about Gray that he'd never once stopped to consider he was leaving a trail of magic that could be followed back to the island.
The demonic visage of the black dragon and his insane ranting was almost enough to drive Natsu into a panic, but he knew he couldn't give up yet. Not now that the stakes were so much higher than he'd originally thought. He had to have faith that his father and Atlas would arrive in time and keep Acnologia focused on him until they did.
"I hope you're ready for a long walk," Natsu taunted, "Cause your flying days are over."
Acnologia stopped his advance, looking amazed by Natsu's words. He soon cackled. "You still have some spirit left. Splendid! That will make it much more satisfying to break you."
"Fuck you."
"You can act as brave as you want, but it won't change a thing. There's no one coming to your rescue this time."
That's what you think.
Natsu could feel Acnologia collecting large amounts of magic and prepared himself for what he thought would be a breath attack. Except it was much worse than that. Acnologia had begun casting a spell, and Natsu immediately recognized it as the one Belserion had intercepted.
He was horror-struck. Acnologia planned to reap his soul, and if he succeeded, it was game over.
Please hurry, I don't think I'm going to make it this time...
Natsu realized too late he'd let the thought seep into the bond, and winced. It didn't take long for him to hear a response.
Don't you dare give up, Flame-Brain! Help is on the way...
There was steel to Gray's voice, and it was exactly what Natsu needed to regroup. He shook off his terror and set about casting a defensive spell, hoping to at least weaken Acnologia's spell before it could hit him.
A mist crept out of the forest and into the clearing like an early morning fog. It was almost imperceptible at first, but Natsu soon noticed the glittering sparks that were woven throughout it.
And as he studied it with a furrowed brow, he couldn't help but think that it held a familiar scent.
Gray?
A/N: One of the relationships that I really enjoyed in the latter part of this story was Gray and Igneel. Igneel became a father of sorts to Gray as they grew closer and I think it was something that Gray had really missed since Silver's death.
The spell or ritual was one of those other parts that I had been avoiding, I went back and forth a million times driving Dein crazy, but I'm pretty happy with how it came out. Once again getting back into the dragon slayers head spaces after such a long time away proved difficult but I was happy to give everyone a viewpoint (and hey Oliver spoke again), and it was great to show them working together.
And Happy did so good! Now the last fight has begun bringing us ever closer to the conclusion. We put a lot of work into this chapter so we'd love to hear what you think about it!