[Unedited]
<>Lucy<>
Hiss.
I winced, the sound sending shudders up my spine as the soles of my boots heated up, responding to the fervor of the mountain. My feet began to burn, but I clenched my jaw and took another step; backing out was not an option. The wind screamed in my ears, tearing at my hair and clothes, biting my skin with sharp stings.
After a few more painstaking feet forward, I turned back to the small town nestled in the distance. Magnolia looked so quiet and content, only a collection of quaint buildings that housed the bustling population of wizard and non wizard folk alike.
I bit my lip and looked back up at the golden globe atop Mount Yoogan. The destructive magic emitting from the summit was beginning to overwhelm me; I could feel it seeping into my own magic, tainting it with its need for obliteration. Above the sphere, a hurricane was forming. The rapidly growing swirl of clouds centered on the top of the extinct volcano.
What had Ava done?
My journey up the mountain was a long and tiresome one, and by the time I could see the top I was hot and exhausted. My breath came in heavy, drawn out pants, the air so thick that I had to start up a mantra; inhale, hold, exhale, inhale, hold, exhale. Sweat popped up all over my skin and I shivered, despite the intense heat.
‘Come on, Lucy,’ I psyched myself up through gritted teeth.
I knew what lay ahead of my at the peak of Mount Yoogan. In two words, certain death. With the giant dome looming in front of me, I knew that now was not the time to doubt Ava’s words. Flawed though her intentions may be, her heart only felt betrayal. And that was what was leading her on.
I shook my head sharply, not knowing why I was so keen to defend her after everything she’d done. The only that seemed to stick with me was that hurt that glistened in her eyes like a sheen of ice.
Shaking steps led me up to the summit where the air was turning gold and mist began to snake around my legs, tiny auric wisps darted towards me, zipping from all around. I stiffened, but they didn’t seem to want to harm me, they were only attracted to life. I smiled faintly; this was pure magic.
My expression hardening, I regained my resolve. I set my shoulders firmly and scowled into the mist.
‘Ava!’ I shouted. ‘Stop hiding from me! I’m here!’
The celestial wizard didn’t respond. Was she ignoring me? I growled lowly and grimaced.
‘Ava!’ I waited a moment for her to call back. ‘Ava! It’s Lucy! You told me to come here, didn’t you? I’m here! So come out!’
Movement directly in front of me caught my attention. A startlingly black figure within a sea of curling white, a tattered cloak blowing in the strong current. I raised my hand in hopes of blocking the wind, but it did little.
‘Ava?’ I hollered.
She didn’t respond, but who else would it be? As Ava drew closer, I felt my hands tighten. The brand on the back of my hand began to burn painfully until my eyes watered, but I didn’t shed a tear. I stood my ground until Ava was only a few feet away.
She threw back her hood and glared at me. There was nothing of the girl I once knew in those blue eyes; only coldness and fury. There was no getting through to her now.
‘You’re here,’ she said. She didn’t shout, but her voice still carried.
I glanced nervously at the hurricane above, ‘Yeah, I am. Now what do you want with me, Ava? What is all this? Don’t tell me you’re planning to attack Magnolia.’
Her face darkened, bangs falling in front of her face.
My eyes widened and I took a step back, ‘N-no way … Ava … Ava, what have you done?!’
‘This is your doing, Lucy!’ Ava screamed at me, her face flushed red with rage. ‘This is all your fault! If you had listened to me - if you’d gone back to the spirit world - we wouldn’t be here!’
I shook my head, ‘You know I can’t do that. Fairy Tail is everything to me.’
‘Did you ever think that maybe Natsu was everything to me?’
I shut my eyes, tears of sympathy and sadness welling up behind them. My lip trembled, but Ava didn’t seem to appreciate my pity.
‘It’s too late to feel sorry,’ she said, her voice cracking. ‘Its too late.’
I opened my eyes, ‘Ava, what is that? What have you done?’
The dirty blonde haired girl turned into her left shoulder, staring at the ground beside her as the atmosphere intensified in colour.
‘A bomb,’ she replied quietly.
My mouth dropped open as I forgot how to speak. The air in my lungs froze, turning my insides bitterly cold. My knees suddenly felt weak.
Ava tightened her jaw, ‘A magical bomb. The field around it is enchanted with a barrier that prevents humans from entering. Its set to go off in 30 minutes. It will destroy everything in a five kilometre radius.’
‘Ava!’ I screamed. ‘You’ll kill everyone in Magnolia! They’re innocents!’
She leveled her gaze with me and I truly saw how far she was gone into the hurt.
‘There is a way to stop it,’ Ava declared. ‘I’ve programmed it so that if one were to pour their entire magical energy into the bomb, it will overload and implode. The explosion will be confined to the edges of the barrier. But the amount of power required will completely drain them. They’ll die.’
My face went slack. Ava kept hers as solid as stone. My fingers felt numb as my body was whipped by the stale wind, my feet burning from staying in one spot too long.
‘This,’ my voice was dry. I ran my tongue over the cracked skin and tried again. ‘This was your plan all along.’
Ava raised her head, looking down at me along her nose. Sharply, she nodded. I shook my head as tears gathered.
‘Why, Ava?’ I sobbed. ‘We could’ve talked this out.’
‘Like I said, Lucy,’ she spoke slowly to keep her voice steady. ‘Its far too late.’
‘Lucy!’
My breath hitched in my throat. Never had I been so angry, yet so glad to hear that voice.
‘Natsu!’ I shouted, my tone bordering a fine line between alarm and gratefulness.
A small group of black dots were slowly making their way up the mountain. The wind pushed them back, preventing them from getting too close. The mist and golden glow hid their features, making them indistinguishable. But the mess of pink in the lead could never be mistaken for anything else.
I whirled around to Ava, frowning as her expression remained placid and unconcerned.
‘You don’t seem worried,’ I commented. ‘This storm; its you causing it, isn’t it?’
Ava shook her head, ‘Three years with me, Lucy, and you still think I’m capable of this kind of magic? The storm is my, influence. I’m not personally controlling it.’
‘Oh yeah?’ I raised an eyebrow. ‘Well, who is?’
Ava’s mouth widened into a smirk. ‘You can come out now!’
From behind her, two more black cloaked figures emerged from the seeping fog. When the entered my line of vision, my hands began to shake.
They were both male and sported identical black buzz cuts and black eyes. But unlike the warmth and safety that came with Natsu’s onyx orbs, these boys betrayed nothing but soulless, cold emptiness.
The air around our small group suddenly became the eye of the storm. Around us, the wind still raged its dominance, but from where we stood, calm reigned.
'These are the Typhoon Brothers,' Ava introduced. 'Twin wizards of wind and storm magic. Sons of a friend of mine. They're helping me.'
'By keeping my friends away?' I said. 'Your friends away?'
'You took them from me,' Ava hissed lowly. 'They're not my friends. Not with you around.' She straightened, collecting her composure. 'There's still time. If you leave now, I can deactivate the bomb.'
I shook my head, 'You're bluffing.'
The celestial wizard shot me a glare but I didn't let myself waver. After a long moment, Ava turned away and I took my chance.
'Nova Storm!' I cried.
Before Ava could utter a word, I aimed my spell at the brothers who were taken aback by my sudden attack. The blast of navy wind hit them head on and sent them catapulting backwards into the fog. Two loud thumps echoed across the summit, followed by groans; the knockback wouldn't last for long
Thankfully, it bought the few precious seconds my friends needed to clamber up the mountain side to where the celestial wizard faced off against her celestial spirit.
'Lucy,' Natsu crashed into me and nearly sent the both of us tumbling back to Magnolia the hard way. 'How could you do that? The whole guild is worried sick! You can't just leave.'
The others in his small party weren't as fast up to the top as he was (even Jet who chose to stay back with his team). They followed behind, calling my name. Natsu continued to stare at me expectantly, his hands burning in a tight grip on my arms.
I bowed my head, 'Gomen, Natsu. But I have important business to take care of.'
The dragon slayer traced my line of sight back to Ava who stood as firm as ever. Already, her two lackeys were climbing to their feet and regrouping behind her.
'Lucy!' the others called wildly.
Ava glanced behind her, 'Boys, stop them.'
Nodding, the Typhoon Brothers thrust out their hands and a wind barrier sprung to life, separating Natsu and Lucy from the rest of the group.
Natsu's expression darkened, 'Oi! Are you Ava?'
She nodded once, 'I am.'
'Then you're the one who took my memories,' he snarled. 'Give them back, you bitch!'
Ava shook her head, sighing sadly, 'Is this how you treat your girlfriend, Natsu?'
I blinked, 'What?'
Natsu stepped back in confusion, 'I- what?'
Ava cocked her head to the side, staring at him like a lost puppy, 'What have they told you about me?'
Natsu stuttered unsurely, 'You ... You took my memories ... And tried to keep Lucy away from Fairy Tail. You betrayed your spirit.'
Ava smiled pitifully, 'You have it all wrong, Natsu. They've been lying to you this whole time. You see, Lucy is a very powerful spirit with memory manipulation magic. She erased your memories and then altered everyone in the guilds so that they thought I'd done it. And she did it all because she hates me. She knew we were together, so she tried to take you from me.'
I was speechless. My mouth quivered and I couldn't feel any movement in my chest to suggest a heartbeat. Beside me, Natsu hadn't moved. His eyes were wide, but his jaw was clenched.
'N-Natsu,' I touched him arm, but he flinched. Tears sprang to my eyes.
'One of you is lying to me,' he whispered shakily, lowering his head. 'And I don't know who is telling the truth.'
'Me, of course,' Ava said gently. 'Natsu, I love you. I can return you memories to you if you come with me.'
'Natsu,' I grabbed his sleeve urgently. 'Please listen to me! Ava is the one who's lying. Please tell me you don't believe her.'
Natsu looked me, his eyes bloodshot and shadowed, 'I don't know what to believe. You both could be lying to take advantage of me.'
I swallowed down an onslaught of tears, 'Natsu.'
He couldn't meet my gaze. I grabbed his chin and pulled it up in line with mine.
'Natsu,' I said, more firmly this time. He looked up. 'Look at me. If you don't believe me, that's your choice. But I have to let you know, that I love you too.'
My hand dropped and I stepped away. Natsu's mouth opened slightly as his head veered from me, to Ava, the back to me again. His dark eyes shook in confusion and he trembled.
Ava, I thought. Would you really go this far?
'Natsu,' the celestial wizard breathed gently and huskily. 'Come back to me.'
Natsu looked at me again and my heart thumped inside my chest. Then he took one devastatingly slow step forward. But it wasn't towards me.
Natsu walked straight to Ava.