Hello minna! ♥
Story updating info: So... in next week (from like September 8th till September 12th) I'm going to Berlin on a field trip with my class, and I'm not sure if there's wi-fi on the hotel, but I'll bring my tablet, and write the chapter on there, if I get the time for it. If there is wi-fi, I'll try to write a chapter and publish it before September 12th, and if not... yeah I'll post it after, kay? Good. I don't know if I can get a chapter out before Monday, but if I can... yeah, we'll see.
Enjoy this chapter. ^^
//тнeвιѕcυιтqυeen♥
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Natsu forced himself not to look back. He had seen Lily gotten shot down, but had kept on flying. His fists were clenched and his eyes were covered by the shadows.
"Natsuu~" Happy cried. His magic power was nearly used up, but he kept flying. "I can see- ah... I can see the gray building from here!" Natsu looked up, and saw the gray building getting bigger, the closer they flew.
Natsu used his free hand to pet his partners leg, the only thing he could reach. "Great, Happy," he exclaimed. "Soon we'll see Lucy again!"
"Aye..." Happy whimpered, exhausted. The gray building was getting closer. It was actually just a gray box with windows. It was huge and surrounded by trees.
"Happy," Natsu exclaimed, pointing at the mountain ground. "Land here! We can walk the rest of the way!"
"Aye..." Happy whimpered again. Happy's speed slowed down, and they moved closer to the ground. Natsu landed soundlessly on his feet, and caught the exhausted exceeds in his arms.
"Happy..." he murmured, sadly, looking down at this magic weakened partner. "You... should stay here. Rest."
Happy looked at Natsu with big eyes. "N-No, I want to help Lushee..." Natsu smirked at him, petting his head.
"You got it, partner," Natsu place Happy on his shoulder, feeling the small exceed paws clenching to his vest. "Let's go get Lucy!"
Stealthily, Natsu snuck up to the gray building. It was plain and boring, but a faint sound came out of the two, closed iron doors. A faint scream, but the owner was unknown.
Natsu chose to ignore the faint screams, and snuck into the building. On his shoulder, Happy was breathing heavily on his shoulder, which comforted him a little.
Inside the gray building, tons of hallways were winding through it. It was like a maze! The faint screams were still there, a little louder, but it echoed too much to recognize the owner.
How the hell do we find her now? Natsu thought looking around.
It was like Happy had read his thoughts. "Natsuu~" he cried. "You are a Dragon Slayer, you know!"
"Oh," Natsu said, rubbing his back, awkwardly. "Right." He tilted his head back, and with small sniffs, he began his search for Lucy.
After a while he finally found the familiar scent of vanilla and strawberry, but something was up. The familiar and comforting scent was mixed with something... strange. Metallic. Blood...
Suddenly it all made sense. The faint screams and smell of blood... it was all Lucy! Lucy was probably in real pain at them moment.
"Happy..." Natsu whispered, paralyzed by shock. "Lucy... he hurt... Lucy!" His eyes were filled with anger, and with that, he started running. Heck, he was even about stumble sometimes, but he kept going.
The scream became louder as far they went in, and after a minute Natsu recognized Lucy's scream. He ran faster, and suddenly they reached the a huge door. The screams behind the door were pained.
She was just on the other side of that door.
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"So," Delora said, still holding a slightly shaking Hachi. "What else do you want to know?" It had taken about fifteen minutes to explain everything about Zeref's plan. About Lucy being the sacrifice, just more detailed then Lucy had been able to.
"Well," Gray said. "We know someone with Haichi's magic, he's from our guild. And-"
"Wendy and I knew someone with your magic." Carla interrupted, fanning her unconscious friend with the paws.
Gray nodded. "But Elimar's magic... we haven't been able to figure that out. It's like... he can use multiple types of magic!" The others nodded in agreement, whilst Delora and Haichi just exchanged looks.
"It's not his real magic," Haichi declared, leaving the others with a confused look. "Zeref-san gave him these glove-thingies. Each glove has a different kind of magic in them. He also uses them himself. They can also work as a key to a door, or something like that. He gave a bunch of them to Elimar-san's, cause Elimar's magic doesn't work as good this world." The last words left the group dumbfounded.
"With this world, you mean...?" Juvia mumbled, resting her hand on cheek.
Delora nodded. "Yes, we're all from different worlds," she gestured from herself to Haichi. "Haici and I are from a world named Ackerkar. It looks kind of similar to this world, except for our magic and animals. Perhaps also some plants...? Haichi and I just happened to have the same kind of magic that exists in this world." Haichi nodded.
Erza put her hand to her chin and began thinking back. "The glove-thing explains much," she muttered, spacing out a little bit. "When I think back, Elimar has been wearing different kind of gloves every time we encountered him. We just didn't notice. But... I still don't get why you are working with Zeref."
"Zeref saved our lives," Delora said, cold. "He save hundreds of lives in different worlds. Just individuals. Haichi and I was caught in a fire, from a unusual heavy fire rain-" she stopped as she saw the confused looks she got from the others. "Oh, right. You don't experience fire rain. Well, Zeref was nearby and stopped the fire around us, just in time. We were both lacking from oxygen, and if we had been there anymore... we would've been dead."
As Juvia was about to speak, Wendy began to stir and utter small groans.
"Wendy," they white exceed exclaimed, resting her paw on her partner’s head. "Wendy, thank goodness you are alright."
Erza hurried over to Wendy and sat down besides her.
"Mh-hm," Wendy groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. "What... happened?"
"You were attacked by those Knuckle Vines," Carla said, quietly. "You've been out for half an hour or so."
Haichi turned her body in the blue-haired mage's direction. "And I apologize deeply for that!" she said, smiling sweetly.
Wendy sent both Erza and Carla confused looks.
"Carla will explain later," Erza said, helping Wendy on her feet again. "But they are not our enemies anymore." Wendy turned her gaze to Haichi and Delora. Hachi was still smiling sweetly, whilst Delora did nothing to show emotions. Her arm was just around Haichi's shoulder.
"Well, as Juvia was about to say," Juvia spoke, turning the other's attention to her. "What happened to Elimar?"
Haichi looked down. "In his world," she said, quietly. "You have to be born with the most powerful magic to be accepted. The problem just was that... Elimar-san wasn't born with that. Maybe in your world, his magic would have looked average, but in his world... it was a shame for his whole fam... no, his whole village. The ability to travel in time. No use for them. They beat him up and tried to kill him. When they left him for death, just a while from his village, Zeref-san found him. He took him in, treated his wounds, and made sure that he weren't going back to that place. As he had given Elimar-san a new life, far away from his old village, Zeref-san asked if he would help him with a mission in the future. Elimar-san accepted, cause he felt like he owed it to Zeref-san. The same did we. You know... thought that we owed him something."
"Oh," Erza uttered, silently. "Now I feel a little bad for Elimar. But... we have to worry about that later. Now the important thing is to support Natsu and the others."
Haichi jumped up, and a little after Delora stood up too. "I got it, then," Haichi exclaimed, diving her hand into her one pocket. Out of the pocket, she pulled out a glove. It shined silver in the sunlight. "Zeref-san gave me this, in case there should be an accident. It will teleport us right to the up to our hideout." She smiled optimistically, which automatically infected the others with a little smile.
With a smooth gesture, Haichi made portal appear in front of them. It was shining green, and they had to cover their eyes to look at it.
"Are you coming then?" Haichi asked, gesturing at portal.
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Lily had hit another ledge, just ten meters under the other one. He was okay, but terribly wounded. He had turned out of his Battle Mode form, and back to his normal exceed form.
"I have failed..." he said, panting from the fall. "I have failed my partner." Slowly he stood up, trying to get his wings to work, but it was no good. He was completely out of magic power, and it didn't look like he would gain power anytime soon.
Back to where Gajeel and Levy stood, it was a war zone. Levy was bleeding from her head, whilst Gajeel's skin was tougher, but still had several wounds.
"Iron Dragon's," Gajeel yelled. "Roar!" The attack hit the still flying Elimar, but wasn't enough to throw him out of balance. In return a light magic ball was thrown at Gajeel and Levy, and they both cried out in pain.
"It's no use," Levy whimpered, rubbing her aching head. "He's too strong, and he doesn't even look that exhausted."
"I'm trying over here," Gajeel growled, standing up again. "And I don't see you fighting!"
Levy wanted to yell something to him, but she couldn't quite find the right words. The truth was that she really was scared. She would never stand a chance when it came to such a strong opponent like Elimar. Or that was her opinion. But she had to do something. Gajeel needed a partner right now.
With hesitant movements, she stood up and swung her arms around. "Solid Script: Fire!" she yelled, and the words "fire" appeared in front of her. It afterwards shot forward to Elimar, who was hit really badly, and nearly lost balance. Levy gasped, and looked at Gajeel who was smirking.
"Y-You held back...?" Levy exclaimed in shock.
"Well, I like to see you fight," Gajeel said, grinning. "If that's all what I need to do to see you fight, then that's what I'm gonna do!"
"S-So reckless. And... stupid..." Levy said, finding herself dumbfounded. But sweet... She added in her head. Her and Gajeel were looking at each other for a while before Elimar regaining his balance disturbed them.
"I hate to break such a... touching moment," he said, looking evilly at them. "But I'm needed elsewhere. Good luck climbing the mountain without the... flying cat of yours." He gestured down at the other ledge where Lily laid, unconscious.
And with that, he swung his hand around and a shining portal appeared. Just as long as it took to appear, it disappeared, and Levy and Gajeel was left alone.
Gajeel took Levy by the hand, and began to drag her with him to the edge. "C'mon," he said, pulling her closer to him. "Let's go save my cat!"
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With great force, Natsu hit the door, trying to open it, but it didn't succeed. The door was locked, and it was staying like that.
Natsu growled, as he shook his aching hand. "Why won't this door open?" and after that Lucy screamed again, and this time it sounded like she was choking on something. Perhaps her own blood.
"Natsuu~" Happy said, sadly. "Why won't the door open?" Happy had taken place just besides the door, resting as his partner hit the door again.
"I don't know but-" a bright light shining behind of him cut him off. Immediately he turned around to face his comrades. Well, his comrades minus Levy and Gajeel.
"Perhaps we can help you." Delora said, pulling up a bright yellow glove.
"Ehm," Natsu said, looking confused at Erza and Gray. "Didn't these girls, like... try to kill you?"
Erza giggled. "Yes, but we're teamed up with them now," she stopped her giggling as Lucy screamed a loud and long, ear-piercing scream. "I-Is that... Lucy?"
Natsu nodded. "Yes, so we could use a little door-opening over here." He gestured to the door.
"Oh, right." Delora put on the glove, and went over to the door. She took a deep breath, and placed her hand, firmly on it. After a few seconds, a bright light began shining under the glove, and continued out in the door's grooves. With her other hand, Delora pushed the door open.
Natsu was the first one to peep into the room they now faced. A machine was placed in the middle of the room, and besides that was... Lucy! She was in great pain, and was writhing around on the table she was laying on. From her mouth small streams of blood was flowing, and had made it's way to the ground.
As Lucy heard the door open, she, with difficulty, looked up and saw Natsu sprinting towards her. "Natsu..." she whimpered, lifting her one hand up, trying to reach him, but was hit by another sudden pain-attack and let out a scream.
"Lucy!" Natsu yelled, not looking back at the others. He made it to Lucy, and without breaking a sweat, he burned the chains apart. The skin that was supposed to be under the chains were completely gone. Natsu could see directly into the flesh, and it made him wanting to barf.
Lucy was shaking uncontrollable, so Natsu pulled her into a tight embrace. She was sobbing into his ear, and closed her eyes tightly as the tears streamed.
"Shhh," Natsu whispered, trying his best to comfort Lucy. "We're here to get you out. We won't let him touch you again. I promise." Lucy nodded, still slightly sobbing, but more controllable than before.
From behind them, someone made a fake cough. Natsu turned to see his comrades, and Delora and Haichi, standing behind them, looking worried at Lucy.
"Lucy," Erza said, trying to control her voice. "Why were you in such big pain? What is this place?"
Lucy just shook her head. Natsu's one arm was still around her shoulder. "I-I don't know," Lucy whispered. "I-I... think that that machine was... sucking out my magic power."
The team looked shocked, but it didn't held back Wendy. "Lucy-san, let me heal you wrists," she said with a calming voice. "It'll be done in a few minutes." Natsu began sitting Lucy down at the floor, so she could rest a little bit, before they moved on.
Gray then turned to Haichi and Delora. "Do you two know what this room is for?" he asked. "I mean... Zeref must have told you a little about it." Delora and Haichi both shook their heads.
"No, he only told us to guard Lucy," Haichi said, sadly. "If he ever-" she was cut off by someone walking up behind them.
"I guess you must've realized why I didn't tell you two about my plans," an angry voice said. Zeref. "Traitors! Both of you! And for that sake... I'll punish someone for your sins." He smirked evilly at the terrified group.
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Oh, no! They got caught! What did Zeref mean by punishing someone because of Delora and Haichi's sins?
Well, figure out in the next chapter: The last of her ^^