Vivian's P. O. V:
Gray says as we approach the frozen flame, "I haven't been able to do much about the ice in the village. It's immune to my Maker Magic. I sure as hell can't melt it. The only thing I can do is channel it through my body. I think that means this ice and my ice have something in common." He gazes up at the flame as he recalls his battle with Doriate.
Lucy exclaims in disbelief, "You're gonna channel that cursed ice through your body?!"
"I'm sure you'll handle it, but what will it let you do?" Wendy inquires as she steps up to Gray and I. She watches as Gray slams his hands on the ice.
"What I couldn't do before!" His hands start to glow like they did when he defeated Doriate. "Once it's been inside of me, I think that I'll be able to defuse it."
Flare looks at him as she asks, "That's amazing! But can you do it?"
"Won't know for sure until I try. That's why I'm not using this on the giants yet," He tells us. "Step 1 is to suck the ice right out of this mountain. I'm gonna give this giant flame some space to breathe. I'm not sure how this'll play out, so get back!" The ice begins to glow as steam wafts from it as it sublimates
It was only a few seconds before the ice disappears and there was no flame in sight. We all gasp. The Fullbuster clenches his jaw, no doubt thinking he may have failed.
"What happened?" Happy asks quietly.
Charlele asks, her paws covering her mouth, "Is there nothing left of it?"
"I didn't mean to..." Gray murmurs, trailing off as he gazes at the vacant spot where the flame should be flickering.
Overcome with sadness and disappointment, Flare drops to her knees and stares numbly at the altar. "It's not real."
I glance from the tense ice wizard to Wendy who suddenly stiffens. I ask, "What is it?"
Wendy whispers back, "I feel something."
I purse my lips and gaze at Gray's back, which is turned to the rest of us. My gaze softens as I know Gray must be feeling a tremendous amount of guilt for this. At that moment, something catches my eye. My hazel eyes narrow at some light coming from in front of Gray. "What is that?"
My comrades turn to me in confusion as they all chorus, questioning looks on their faces, "Huh?"
"I can feel it," Says Wendy, gaining all of our attention. "It has residual thought energy like with Zerconis."
"What does the Eternal Flame have to do with Zerconis?" Asks Charlele.
The bluenette points ahead of Gray, saying, "Over there. Something is shining."
The smoke then clears and we could clearly see the small flame flickering on the altar. Happy states, "It's lost a lot of its flame."
I say knowingly, "That must be the reason Warrod wanted Natsu to come."
"Yeah. Maybe you're right," Murmurs Gray, gazing back at me in immense relief—relief that he might not have screwed up this mission after all.
Flare asks, looking hopeful at the thought of being able to save her home village, "Is he done beating that monster?"
We turn towards the Fire Dragon Slayer to see him still fighting the one eyed bird. Natsu continues punching the bird with flame. Lucy calls desperately, "Natsu! Hurry!!"
"Yeah, yeah! This shouldn't take too long!" The pinkette shouts back.
The bird flips and sends him flying away. It slams its tail into Natsu. He grunts as he grabs its tail and spins it around him a few times, before throwing it away. Suddenly, a white beam shoots from its eye and hits Natsu head-on, making him cry out.
"Oh, no!" I gasp.
"It got him!" Wendy says.
The bird turns, dragging its beam as it drags through the village. It fires the beam at us, and we take off running to get away from it.
Wendy shouts fearfully, "That beam's going to hit one of the giants!"
Natsu snaps his eyes open and flips around to see that Wendy is right. Natsu unleashes a roar of flames that hits the side of the bird, knocking its beam off course, though the beam narrowly misses the giant.
Natsu spins backwards until he lands on the head of a giant. Natsu says, "I'll be outta your hair in just a sec!" Natsu uses fire to launch himself at the bird again. He slams into it head first and fire engulfs him.
"Fire Dragon: Brilliant Flame!"
Natsu throws it into the bird. It crashes into the Eternal Flame's alter, before his flames slam into it.
Flare shouts, "The Eternal Flame!"
With a war cry, Natsu sends a blast of fire at the alter. He continues throwing small fireballs at the bird. "Get up freak!!" Natsu shouts.
"Called overkill! Ever heard of it?!!!" Lucy shouts, hands covering her head to protect herself from his fiery onslaught.
"Fire Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Flame Lotus Exploding Flame Blade!!" The fire hits the bird and explodes. When the flames vanish, the bird is revealed to be unconscious and burned.
Flare puts her hand to her face in shock as tears drip down her mouth and she sobs in gratitude, "The Eternal Flame... our guardian deity... you brought it back!"
The once tiny flame now burns brighter and is as tall as a building.
Natsu lands next to Happy in a crouched position. The Fire Dragon Slayer looks at his friend as he asks, "Yo, Happy, I wanna get to the top of this thing. Do you mind giving me a lift?"
"Do I have to?! It's scary!" Happy exclaims. He picks Natsu up as I straighten and flies him up to the top of the flame.
"This is where the voice came from," Natsu states.
On her knees, Wendy says in realisation, "The voice and the thought energy are one and the same! That settles it!" She clasps her hands together as a light green aura swirls around her.
"Hey, there Uncle! How've you been?" Natsu greets. The Eternal Flame swirls until it takes on the form of a dragon.
"Well met, son of Igneel," He returns. "Aside from being imprisoned in ice, I've been good."
"It's Atlas Flame," Gray observes.
"Oh, yeah! From the Eclipse Gate. That's the dragon that helped us fight Rogue," Says Lucy.
Charlele says in confusion, "But the Eclipse Gate was destroyed, sending the dragons back to their time."
Atlas Flame confirms, "That's correct. It sent us 400 years into your past. And all that time, I've burned on."
Natsu says, "Didn't know you were still alive. You must be ancient."
Happy says slightly nervously, "Yet you look so youthful!"
"Ancient, yes. But alive? No. Far from it," Atlas Flame says.
Wendy informs us, eyes closed in concentration, "Atlas Flame has been dead for centuries. I used my Milky Way spell to give form to what remained of him."
Charlele asks in surprise, glancing at Wendy, "What?"
Atlas Flame says, "I thought as much. I don't recall dying, but, I do remember life. And this isn't what it felt like."
"Sooo, are you not all there, or what?" The Fullbuster asks.
"I don't have the perspective to say. But my memories are clouded. Muddled. Who am I? What place is this?"
"I'd be forgetful, too, at your age. Relax!" Natsu says.
I deadpan at him as I point out, my voice dripping with sarcasm, "Uh, you'd be dead at his age, Natsu-kun."
Charlele questions Atlas Flame's memory, and Wendy explains that his amnesia might have something to do with the ice.
Atlas Flame muses, "Ice... yes. All around me. I didn't know what cold was, till then."
"About that... could you tell us how everything got like this?" Natsu demands to know.
"Please, Sir! I really need to know," Flare pleads. "You see, I used to live here."
After a short pause, Atlas Flame speaks up. "... His intentions were not evil, but he mistook me for something I am not."
"Did you say 'he'?" Lucy asks.
"Yes. A single human being transformed this entire village into a tundra." We all gasp in disbelief at that.
"You're saying that all this was done by 1 ice wizard?!" Gray asks, a look of disbelief on his face.
Lucy says, "I'd understand if it were a guild or a monster, but not a lone wizard!"
"Then, do you know what he thought you were?" I question, my brows furrowed.
"He mistook me for a demon. Not the first time that mistake's been made, but this man froze an entire village, just to get at me," Atlas Flame replies. "He was a Demon Slayer. And a ruthless one at that."
"A Demon Slayer?!" Natsu echoes in shock.
"First there were Dragon Slayers, and then God Slayers... just how many kinds are there?!" Lucy wonders.
"Demon Slayer Magic? I've never even heard of that before," Wendy states.
"I haven't as well," I murmur, remembering all the books I've read on all different kinds of magic.
I glance at Gray to see realisation on his face. He must've figured out why this ice is so familiar to him.
"Everything's fading. I can't remember. Who am I?" Atlas Flame questions.
"Our deity! You're the guardian of this village! Atlas Flame of the Titans!" Flare declares to him. She gets on her hands and knees and bows before the Flame Dragon. "Hear my plea, I beg you! Warm this village with your life! Vanish the ice! Be the guardian you always were!" Flare sobs.
"Flare..." Lucy murmurs.
"I have no right to ask this. Please save my family!"
"Guardian, you said? Yes... I was a dragon, once. Then I died, and I became the flame of the titans. I created this village," Murmurs Atlas Flame.
"You did?" Natsu asks before a grin stretches across his lips. "Nice! Glad it's coming back to ya."
"It pains me to see it suffer so," Says Atlas Flame. "If I had a single drop of moisture in me, it would glean now from my eyes. With what strength of spirit I have left, and the fire I received from the son of Igneel, I will burn this ice away!" The flames begin to swirl and flicker around Atlas Flame. "For I am more than Atlas Flame the Fire Dragon, I am also Atlas Flame of the Titans!"
"Eep! Hot! Hot! Very hot!" The Heartfilia and I squeal, flailing our arms about, before he places his hands on my and Lucy's foreheads to cool us down.
Wendy says, "I can feel his spirit fading."
"Igneel... the Dragon King Festival... Acnologia, and Zeref... I remember now. I remember everything! 400 years ago, your father fought the strongest, most vile demon in the book of Zeref. That monster's name is E. N. D, and not even Igneel had the strength to slay it," Says Atlas Flame.
A light orange glow starts spreading out from the heat Atlas Flame is giving off, and soon, everything becomes unfrozen, including the giants.
🗡🗡🗡
We partied with the giants that night after finding out that it was possible that they were frozen because of Tartaros, a dark guild. That's why the term Netherworld Gate was familiar to me. Natsu had asked me if I knew anything at all about Tartaros or E. N. D from my time travelling the continent, to which I'd replied I had only ever heard the occasional rumour here and there, as I had traveled far and wide before coming back home to Fiore.
We had to walk a very long way just to get back to Warrod's place the following day.
Our reward was the hot springs hidden behind Warrod's house.
After soaking in the hot springs for awhile, we got out and went to join the males and Warrod at the barbecue. I inhale and take in the delicious smell of the food. "Mmm, this smells so good!" I stare at the food Natsu and Gray were eating while Happy eats a fish.
The others murmur their agreement.
"I'm happy you could join us!" Warrod says as he approaches us with a tray of drinks. "I have some drinks here, if you're thirsty."
"My apologies, Sir. I'm so embarrassed. I should have done that for you," Erza says apologetically.
"Nonsense! You're my guests! I'm happy to do it myself. Please have as much as you can drink," Warrod replies.
We all take a cup and thank him. Though, I silently wish mine was hot chocolate. "So, question, why is mine the only one with a mushroom coming out of their cup?" Happy asks as he deadpans.
The rest of ours have trees growing out of the cups.
"Do you have something against mushrooms, Happy?" Charlele asks.
"What's in this stuff?" Natsu asks. "No offence but it smells like dead leaves."
"It's a special blend of medicinal herb tea. It's great for relieving stress and even helps you stay regular. It took me a long time to perfect, and it's my great pleasure to share it with you," Warrod explains.
"Down the hatch!" Erza says.
I hesitate before putting my cup to my lips. I still don't drink my tea as I watch my teammates drink theirs.
"You kids will believe anything, won't you?" My teammates purse their lips, tasting the drink in their mouths. "But the part about relieving stress was true, at least."
They all swallow, and I move the cup away from my mouth, grateful that I didn't drink it. "Gross!" Natsu mutters. "I've tasted better brew from a sewer."
"That's quite some tea. It's delicious. Thanks," Erza stammers as she trembles, trying not to be rude.
Natsu and Gray shove their cups at one another to get the other to drink their tea. "You've been real stressed out lately. You can take the rest of mine!" Natsu tells Gray. "Drink up!"
"What are you talking about? You're the one that needs to chill, dude!" Gray retorts. "Don't be shy! Drink it all!"
"Knock it off. You're being impolite," Erza chides the males, turning her head to glare at them.
"Then you can have it," Natsu and Gray day in unison, with deadpan looks on their faces, causing Erza to start.
Warrod chuckles, watching us with a fond look on his face. "Spending time with guild mates can be a wonderful experience. I must admit, I'm feeling nostalgic."
"Er, that's sweet, but when are we guild mates?" Lucy questions, giving him
A sheepish closed eye smile.
"So sorry about that. I was sure Makarov already told you." Warrod tugs the left sleeve of his jacket up to reveal a black Fairy Tail Symbol on his forearm. "I was apart of Fairy Tail from the very beginning. Right alongside Mavis and the other founding members. You could even say I'm your senior's senior!"
We were all stunned by this revelation. Even I had no idea Warrod Sequen was a founding member of Fairy Tail!
"No!" Gray gasps in shock.
"What?!" Breathes Erza, brown eyes wide.
"Really?!" Exclaims Natsu, gazing at the Wizard Saint.
"That makes you as old as the first Master!" Happy says.
"That's exactly what he just said," Charlele says.
Gray mumbles, "So that's why Gramps was so uptight about this mission."
"Meeting a new generation of fairies has been inspiring. You truly embody the spirit of harmony. The kind of harmony Mavis talked about," Warrod tells us. "She dreamed of a wizard guild bound not by blood, but by the souls of its members. That is Fairy Tail. The foundation she laid for our guild is so strong, her spirit lives on in your hearts. I'm not saying this because you completed the job; I could feel it the moment you walked into my home."
Warrod smiles.
"Mavis told me something once," He goes on. "A comrade is much more than just a word—a comrade is in your heart, someone you can trust unconditionally."
"I want you to feel like you can rely on me, because one day, I'll need you, and our trust in each other will see us through. Whenever you're suffering, whenever you're sad, I'll be there to make sure you remember you never have to face it alone. We have as many hopes and dreams as there are stars in the sky. If we walk toward the future together, I know we'll reach them. Now, let us move forward—forever in tune with the song of the fairies."
I smile as I hear the first master's voice flow through my mind. I murmur, "I never thought I'd hear Fairy Tail's founding words. Mavis was truly incredible."
Natsu gets close to Warrod with an impatient expression on his face. He demands to know, "So let me get one thing straight! You're more gramps than Gramps, aren't ya?!"
Erza stalks over and grabs at Natsu's scarf, yanking him back as she scolds, "Will you be polite for two seconds?!"
Erza releases Natsu and he says, "Look, I'm not trying to be rude here, I was just thinking that since you're really old, you might know something about this demon. It's called E. N. D."
'E. N. D'?" Warrod repeats thoughtfully. "Tell me more."
"He's from the book of Zeref. Apparently, my old man, Igneel tried to take him down way back when," The pinkette explains.
Warrod walks past him as he muses, "Zeref, you say? I haven't heard that name in a trees age."
Natsu states, "I've been trying to find Ignerl ever since he disappeared. I thought if I found out more about E. N. D, it might lead me to him."
I input, "Atlas Flame told us there was history between Igneel and the demon."
"Hm. Sorry, but I don't know anything," Warrod says, stopping with his hand on his chin thoughtfully. "However, there might be a connection between this E. N. D character and Tartaros. They're an eerie group of wizards, shrouded in secrecy. Nobody knows how many members they have or where their guild is located. But I've heard stories from people claiming to have stumbled upon their gathering. And all of them came to the exact same conclusion—the Tartaros rituals are for worshipping demons. Now, we don't know for certain, but the four emperors of Ishgar have a grim suspicion. We believe Tartaros may be in possession of a demon from the book of Zeref."
I say in disbelief, "You're kidding! A guild with a demon?!"
"Creepy!" Lucy squeals in fear.
"If that's true, it could be the one we're looking for!" Happy states.
"This sucks!!" Natsu screams in anger and frustration. He whirls around and starts throwing random punches. "We can't do anything about it! We don't even know where they are! When I get my hands on one of those freaks, I'll smash them around until they tell me everything!! Like this! And this!! Tartaros won't know what hit 'em!!"
I groan in exasperation as I slap my palm to my face, shaking my head at the Dragneel. Gray tells the pinkette, "Natsu, look down."
"Huh?!" Natsu looks down to see Erza, on the ground with a clump of bumps growing out of her head from all of Natsu's punches.
Natsu starts sweating profusely at the look of murder on the redhead's face. We all watch as Erza attacks Natsu and he screams.