The capital had descended into chaos. Soldiers in the arena streamed to try and stem the attacks coming from all directions. A few unfortunate fellows ran right into a thick stream of poison as Erik descended on them. He punched, kicked, and attacked through the soldiers not completely certain what was going on. He had arrived thinking he would be alone in helping the two idiotic twins when suddenly he had a whole bunch of people fighting alongside him. There were familiar faces in his allies too, people from Natsu's old guild who seemed to recognize him too.
And then... He heard a sound he never thought he'd hear again. Two familiar souls... two voices... Erik whirled around just in time to see a flash of red and silver scales before a dust cloud rose up.
It was the last thing Erik ever expected to happen. Natsu and Gajeel, in full dragon forms, right there before his eyes. Erik must've stood there for a solid minute in shock and awe as the dragons lay waste to his opponents.
Then, he heard the sound of a magic attack soaring for him and with some quick action, he managed to avoid it. He glared over at the poor soul who had tried to attack him and tore his attention away from the startling return of the two dragons and back to the fight at hand.
Laxus was completely frozen in shock.
In the past few weeks, his life had turned upside-down. His eldest daughter had returned to him. The kids of his old friends had turned up on his doorstep. He'd joined a rebellion. His guild was full of criminals as of now. To top it all off he was staging a full-on coup, a coup against the bloody king of the dragons. Right when he thought life couldn't throw him any more strange things, it brought him two dragons that he thought were long gone and a third one who crashed right into Acnologia.
Everyone froze when Natsu and Gajeel landed in the arena as if no one could believe it happened. The dragons easily disposed of the few dragon hunters. Everyone watched as they embraced their kids and all anyone really wanted to do was run up to either Natsu, Lucy, Levy, or Gajeel, and hug them.
Instead, everyone's attention was turned when a mighty roar shook the sky. A black dragon with large blue markings shot into the sky with a light blue dragon giving chase. The two clashed with such ferocity that everyone in the vicinity was blown away. Erik stumbled and managed to find a firm footing while across the arena, Laxus was only spared from it by catching Mira's outstretched hand as the woman, in her satan soul, clung to the stairs with her claws.
In the center of the arena, Natsu and Gajeel both shielded their families from the dust thrown up but everyone froze a bit to look up in awe at the two dragons.
"So... you've returned," Acnologia's draconic voice was one of the most terrifying things most anyone in the area had heard. He hovered above, glaring at his opponent.
The light blue dragon before him snarled. "This is the end of you," Wendy growled back. Her dragon form was second nature to her and it felt so good to be back in scales... except the moment from her nightmares was coming true. "I will end you..."
"If you can, child," Acnologia growled.
"I will... father," Wendy snarled. She saw an emotion flicker in Acnologia's eyes and felt anger well in her chest as she let out a roar and tackled Acnologia in the sky.
"I'm gonna go help her!" Natsu announced with a snarl as his skin began to turn to scales.
"Natsu!" Lucy ordered, grabbing his hand while she kept one arm wrapped around Sting. "Incoming from the west!"
Hearing her words, Natsu looked back and made out the oncoming figures of a few dragons.
"SALAMANDER! THEY BROUGHT REINFORCEMENTS!!" Gajeel yelled, seeing the same thing.
"I see em'!" Natsu yelled back.
Sting went to get to his feet but was stopped by Lucy.
"It's alright," she soothed, "You're hurt and we can handle this."
"B-but," Sting began, still flabbergasted at the whole situation.
"Don't worry, we'll talk later, fight now," Natsu grinned assuringly before he transformed and took to the sky to fight the oncoming enemy dragons.
Gajeel kissed Levy's forehead.
"You stay down, kid," Gajeel then ordered to Rogue tenderly. "We'll figure everything out late and... and shit kid you're so big just... Levy please watch him."
Levy nodded and Gajeel took off to the sky. Rogue shifted so he could sit more comfortably while Levy began writing runes in the air. Rogue, for the moment, was still stunned at the situation but stood up to try and help her.
Chaos reigned in the sky as Natsu and Gajeel clashed with the dragons. In a few moments, there were two other familiar flashes of magic.
"NATSU, YOU BASTARD! HOW ARE YOU ALIVE!?" Erik demanded as he punched a dragon.
"HEY, SNAKE-GUY! YOU'RE STILL ALIVE!" Natsu laughed in dragon form.
"YES! I'M ALIVE! I'M ASKING HOW THE HELL YOU ARE ALIVE!" Erik yelled as he continued fighting his quarry.
"Funny story. Time dimension or something like that. I honestly have no clue, ask Lucy later," Natsu answered in his dragon form, grappling another dragon.
"YOU WILL DIE FOR CHALLENGING THE DRAGON KING!!" the dragon fighting Natsu yelled.
"Yeah, yeah. Shut up." Natsu let loose his fire breath which enveloped his opponent in an inferno.
"DON'T MELT THE CITY, SALAMANDER!!" Gajeel yelled
"Are those DRAGONS!?? ON OUR SIDE!???" Charle cried in amazement and disbelief. She transformed into her cat form and flew towards the arena, hearing the familiar roar of Wendy as she doubtlessly had flown right for Acnologia.
As the white cat flew, she spied four other small aerial beings who flew at intense speeds.
"Mom!" Sting yelled, spying a few soldiers who had jumped in the arena.
Lucy nodded and narrowed her eyes as she summoned the magic energy in her. Sting stood by herside as his fists began to glow but there was no need for a second later, four beings rushed through the soldiers.
Happy tackled on soldier while Panthelily transformed and knocked five into the metal walls. Lector sunk his claws into one unfortunate soldier while Frosch flew right into Rogue's arms.
"ROGUEEE!" Frosch cried happily, crashing into the shadow dragon slayer.
"Frosch!" Rogue smiled as he hugged his cat.
"LUCY!!!" Happy cried, flying right into Lucy's arms.
"Happy! You're alive!" she cried in joy, welcoming the cat into her embrace.
"Is that Natsu up there?" Happy asked, sniffling as he cried tears of joy.
"Yeah," Lucy nodded.
"Sting's alive too, you know," Happy hiccuped.
Sting smirked and looked at Lucy who was beaming and petting the overjoyed cat.
"I know," Lucy nodded, throwing Sting a look of love and pride.
"STING!!!!" Suddenly, a very happy red cat crashed into Sting, sending him back to the ground.
"LECTOR!" Sting laughed in joy.
"YOU'RE OKAY!!!" Lector cried in relief. "I CAME AS SOON AS I COULD BUT THERE WERE A WHOLE LOT OF JERKS AND I WAS REALLY SLOW!! THERE WERE DRAGONS TOO!!"
"I know, buddy," Sting smiled.
"Also... apparently there are a whole bunch of talking flying cats," Lector sniffled. "Like... a whole lot more than we thought."
"Umm... good to know?" Sting murmured in confusion.
Meanwhile, once Pantherlily had thrown the last of the guards away in his muscular form, he looked back and smiled.
"Levy," he called out.
"Lily," Levy smiled as she spied her old friend. Pantherlily walked up and the two hugged like old friends. The large humanoid cat looked up at the metal dragon in the sky.
"And... is that?"
"It is..." Lecy nodded.
Pantherlily looked on the verge of tears, "I always hoped you two would make it."
"We did," Levy smiled.
"We did," Rogue smiled, continuing to hug Frosch.
The city was full of fighting as soldiers tried to hold off this coup. Meanwhile, Acnologia and Wendy tumbled through the air, exchanging blows.
Wendy's scales were thick and her blows were planned and strong. The air twisted around them and Acnologia recognized how much strength the young woman possessed.
"You're grown, Wistala," he applauded as he pushed her away and flew back a small bit.
"It's Wendy," Wendy snarled back, her large wings pushing the wind away like it was some grand extension of herself.
"Ah, yes... She would've changed your name," Acnologia recognized. "What else did she change?"
"Grandeeney taught me many things... namely how to defeat you!" Wendy yelled, lunging for the dragon king again and throwing him through the air.
"You cannot hide from who you are," Acnologia snarled as he caught himself and just barely avoided crashing into his own castle.
"Who says I'm hiding," Wendy snarled. "She may have not been my blood... but Grandeeney was my teacher. Just as you may have been my father... but I don't know you."
"And your true mother?" Acnologia growled.
Wendy's eyes flickered with anger, "I intend to make you pay for what you did to my mother."
Acnologia swallowed another snarl. "What lies did that sky dragon feed you?"
"No lies... only the hard truth, father," Wendy spat out the last word like a curse and their fight continued.
Wendy was raging. This was the man who for so long had haunted her dreams, making her afraid of who she could be. For so long she had hidden her lineage in fear of becoming just like him, only Charle, Romeo, and Sherria knew... but now... she faced that demon of hers and she would not lose.
This monster had caused too much pain. He was the reason her mother had died. The reason Grandeeney had died. The reason for the suffering that inflicted the country...
Relative or not, it was her duty to defeat him.
Acnologia, on the other hand, looked at the grown dragon before him with nothing but pride and relief.
For so long... so long had he planned for this... and now... She was here, more powerful and prepared then he could've imagined. His daughter had grown so much since he had last seen her. She was no child anymore, but a full-grown, strong and beautiful dragon with a fury in her eyes.
She could do this...
She could kill him. She could take his place. She could do what he could not.
For the first time in a long time, Acnologia felt peace and he smiled.
It was the beginning of his end.
(Sup guys. I know it's hecka confusing right now and like... PLOT TWISTS, am I right? Don't worry, everything will be explained next chapter so... just give me a week. Love y'all, hope you have a great day/night, and thanks so much for reading.)