//------------------------------// // The True Face Of Lullaby: Part 2 // Story: The Great And Powerful Fairy Tail // by The Corrupted Champion //------------------------------// The true face of lullaby: part 2 Everyone's attention was now on Trixie. she now felt a little nervous. "...Okay..." she trailed off. "...So..." Dusk leveled an analytic look at her. "...You're a dispeller wizard too?" Trixie gave the eccentric tomboy an apologetic smile. "Not exactly." she answered. "...I know a couple spells that, when put together, can DISRUPT the barrier...not dispel it." Dusk connected the dots of Trixie's words, and a devious smile crept across her features. "...So...You do your stuff to try and make a hole in the cyclone..." she theorized. Happy, who had sticking next to Lucy during the earlier fighting, finally spoke up. "...And then if Dusk can time her dispelling magic just right, then we can break the barrier!" the little blue cat said triumphantly. Rene squealed in delight at the sight of the flying cat. "Eeeeeeee!!! aren't you just the cutest thing?!" Trixie allowed herself a smile. "in theory..." she granted. "In truth, I've never had to cast it on a barrier of this size either..." she explained. "...I have no idea how much time I can disrupt it for, OR how many times I'll be able to cast it if we can't time it properly..." Everyone looked between the two. "Well, what'd y'all think? worth a shot?" Alexis inquired. Trixie began to sweat while everyone seemed to agree that it was worth trying. '...not to mention that I'm non sure if I can disrupt something like this...' she thought grimly. She took a deep breath and exhaled. "Okay, time to gather some clouds..." she said more to herself then anyone else. This statement caught the attention of several people. "Gather clouds...what do you mean?" Lucy asked. Happy, meanwhile, was being smothered with affection by Rene; all the while had a look of deep thought on his face... "...I still don't remember what I was supposed tell Lucy..." To answer Lucy's question, Trixie merely gave a playful wink and said "You'll see..." "Oh, this I gotta see!" Dusk beamed. "Yeah, I hope you're gonna watch. We need you to hit the hole she makes so we can get outta here..." Alexis deadpanned. Dusk merely blushed; a sheepish grin plastered on her face. They all stood out in the balcony, staring out at the cyclone sealing barrier circling them. Trixie looked up at the sky above them, squinting to see the sky through it. She held the staff above her head and began to focus her magic. her whole body hurt from the beating she took from Rayule. 'Come on, Trixie... fight now, hurt later...' she cursed over her throbbing. Alexis leaned over to Gray with a scrutinizing look. "...What's she doing...?" she asked. Gray merely shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know..." he said simply. "...She's a new recruit, so I've actually never seen her magic yet." "...hmm..." Alexis muttered something under her breath about not being very helpful. She arched an eyebrow as she saw a dark cloud gathering overhead. "Gather clouds, huh?" she looked back at Trixie. '...Just what kind of wizard is she...?' she asked herself silently. Thunder rumbled over their heads as the black storm cloud grew bigger and bigger. Erza was less subtle about her surprise. "...What? Weather control magic?!" she gasped. "How?! No such magic is supposed to exist!" "Are you going to use Lightning to disrupt the barrier?" Gray asked incredulously. Trixie grinned. "That's the plan!" she called over the hum of the spell circle at her feet and the howl of the cyclone barrier. "...I won't be able to hold it for long though; something this size will drain me pretty quickly and dissipate once my magic runs too low!" "Dusk, stand by!" Alexis ordered. "Got it!" the short haired girl replied quickly, readying her own spell; a purple spell circle flashed in front of her, and a holographic interface appeared and her hands hovered over the the key board; fingers ready to type "Wait for my mark!" Alexis continued. Alexis turned to watch Trixie once more; staring hard. The gun wielding wizard was silent for a moment before quietly speaking. "...Alright, stranger...let's see what you're made of..." The spell circle crackled at Trixie's feet as its glow intensified. Electricity arched around her as it pulsed with her magic. She looked over her shoulder. "Get ready, here it comes!" she called. Alexis slowly raised her hand, and watched intently as magic arched and pulsed more and more intensely. The sky above them was a constant light show of lightning as it seemed to be building along with her charging power. Then the charging reached its pinnacle. "STORM BREAKER!!" At Trixie's word, a large bolt of lightning shot down from above and crackled across the barrier in a brilliant display of light and magic "NOW!!!" Alexis commanded. Dusk nodded and began tapping frantically on the holographic buttons with awe inspiring precision. Gray, Lucy and Erza watched in bewilderment as a purple spell circle flashed across the cyclone, drawing on the now visible distortions in the barrier as if it was being powered by the lightning to intensify them. Dusk noticeably began typing a little faster. "...come on..." Everyone's attention darted to the short haired girl for a moment before they began to realize the problem. The distortions in the barrier were beginning to dissipate. "It looks like we need to try again, Trixie!" Happy called from Rene's arms. "...just over five seconds..." Dusk said, her tone serious. "What was that?" Gray asked. Erza answered his question. "That's how much time Trixie's spell disrupted the sealing barrier for...just over five seconds." she explained, stroking her chin thoughtfully. Trixie shook her head. "It's no good, I can only cast the storm beaker at this level by itself..." "What do you mean?" Gray asked. Trixie placed one hand on her hip. "I said before, it wasn't meant to be cast on barriers of this size and structure. I'm putting too much magic energy into it to be able to cast the other spell quick enough." She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose, then turned to the others. "We're trying a new tactic this time; one big bolt didn't work, so I'm going to try a sustained assault of smaller bolts..." she continued. "...I'll need everyone who can use some kind of projectile magic to help on this one. The distortions are going to be smaller, but if you guys can keep hitting them as they appear, then we might be able to keep it disrupted long enough for dusk to dispel it completely." Gray, Lucy and Dusk grinned. "Sounds like a fine plan!" Erza complimented. Alexis drew her revolver with a skillful twirl and pulled the hammer back with her thumb. "Let's do this!" "Hold on a sec!" Happy's voice rang out, drawing everyone's attention to him, still in Rene's arms. "...has anyone seen Natsu?" ................................................................................................................ Virod lay on the floor, battered and defeated; he glared at the ceiling. "How long are you planning on hiding, Karaka?" he growled. the wall, not far from him was lit up by a golden spell circle, and the green haired man in the red coat slowly phased in through the wall. "...Uuuhhh, you know I'm no good in a fight..." Virod ginned cruelly. "...I have a job for you..." "...what...?" he dumbly replied. Virod's grin widened. "Kage is the only one who can break that barrier..." "Yeah...it's a good thing he's on our si-" Karaka's statement was cut off by Virod. "...Kill him..." Karaka blanched. "You can't be serious!" he demanded. "He's our com-" Virod cut him off once more. "We're cutting him off to ensure our goal is complete! If they figure out that he's a seal breaker, then they will try to get him to break the cyclone barrier. If we kill him, then we guarantee that they can't get out and will only tire themselves out trying to break through it!" Karaka flinched. "...but..." "Just do it you pathetic piece of dead weight trash!" Virod growled. Karaka recoiled at the harsh words, and disappeared back into the wall... ...................................Train station hall way............................... Natsu thrashed and blasted hole after hole in wall after wall; to the point that Kageyama actually broke off his pursuit to gawk at how destructive the fire breathing wizard was. "...Good God... doesn't this guy know how to use doors...?" he asked no one in particular. Meanwhile Natsu, still completely unaware of his presence continued about his path of destruction. "ERIGOR!!" he roared; "COME OUT, COME OUT WHERE EVER YOU ARE!!!" '...Now that Erigor's made it it out safely, this kid doesn't pose much of a threat...' Kageyama thought. '...I could just let him go...' he rose from his shadows with a malicious grin on his face. '...but where would be the fun in that?' the shadows rose from the ground and formed a swarm of shadowy tendrils; each one ending in a hand clenched into a fist. "THRASHING SHADOWS!!!" the shadows assaulted Natsu from behind with a barrage of lighting quick punches that bull rushed him into a pile of wooden crates. "How's that, Fairy Tail insect?!" he barked visously. "I've been waiting to do that for a good while ever since our little scuffle back on the train!" "Rrrrraaaaaaaaagggggggghhhhhhh! NOT YOU AGAIN!!" Natsu roared, looking quite comical with his head having burst through a framed painting of some manner of cartoon character or another. Kage gave a lopsided grin. "Ha! you look so stupid." "Oh, get out of my way, Kagi!" Natsu shouted. "Kage; my name is KAGE!!" the shadow wizards bellowed back. "Meh...same thing, really..." "Anyway, I think I've got you figured out this time around..." Kage said confidently. "You eat fire to boost you powers, isn't that your big trick?" Natsu arched an eyebrow, wondering where kage was going with this. "...Shouldn't be too hard to stamp out!" Natsu's head burst into flame, incinerating the picture instantly. "Now I really wanna teach you a lesson, but I don't have the time!" Natsu roared. "Tell me where Erigor is!" Kage chuckled "You really think it'll be that easy?" he taunted. "Sorry, but you'll have to beat it out of me!" A black spell circle flashed at his feet. "KNOCKOUT SHADOWS!!" he called, and the shadows flared to life once more and assaulted Natsu. This time, however, the dragon slayer was prepared, and parried the attack with a flame engulfed fist. "So, I get to slap you around AND get the info I need? That's killing to birds with one stone!" Natsu declared triumphantly. Then a predatory grin flashed across his face. "...I'm getting all fired up!" .................................................Main Train Station Lobby............................................ the sounds of Natsu's destructive rampage were not going unheard by the others. Lucy looked around worriedly. "Why is the building shaking like that?" she asked with a whimper. Gray merely smirked. "I'll bet that's Natsu giving that shadow guy a Fairy Tail beat down..." "AYE!!" Happy cheered. Virod, who'd managed to prop himself up against the wall. regarded them with a menacing smirk. "...well, than it looks like he's thrashing your only shot at getting out of this sealing barrier." he snarked. Erza spun on her heel to face him. "What did you say?!" she demanded, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and hoisting him up off the ground. Virod remained defiant; a smirk still on his face. "Heh...If you punks really wanna get through the sealing barrier, then you better hurry and stop your boy and collect Kage, because he's the best dispeller wizard in the whole kingdom..." he said ominously. "...quickly now, because one of ours is on his way to kill him just to prevent you from getting out..." "What?!" Trixie shouted. all the Fairy Tail wizards were shocked by this...the Phantom lord women, however... were silent, knowing that there were several of their guild mates who would be more then happy to kill off a guild mate if it meant getting what they wanted... Alexis lowered her gaze knowing full well that Master Jose even encouraged such things...so people like Sol, Aria and Gajeel were praised and rewarded for their honorless behavior... Sol often claimed to be among the finest of gentlemen; he was a cutthroat and a sadist, able to look into peoples' darkest memories and use them to torture his helpless victims... Aria of the great sky, as he was known, knew some of the deadliest magic she'd ever seen; the ability to drain another wizard's magic energy or very life force out of their bodies and either leave them for dead, or continue attacking them, crying his disgusting crocodile tears... And Gajeel would be a sadistic textbook back alley thug were it not for his Iron dragon slayer magic... quick glances to either of her teammates clued her o them thinking the same thing... "We need to find this guy..." Alexis said darkly. "...Sorry Trixie, we're gonna have to put you're disruption spells on our plan "B"..." "Yes." Erza nodded in agreement. "Let's move!" and so they all took off down the hall to track down Natsu and Kageyama. .........................................Back with Natsu and Kage................................... Volley after volley of spells shot back and forth from both wizards, causing more and more destruction. Kage growled in irritation, and slammed his palm into the floor. "SHADOW SNAKES!!!" he bellowed as a black spell circle flashed on the floor and the shadows sprang to life, this time taking the form of dozens of shadowy snakes springing from the ground; mouths open, fangs bared, and hissing loudly. All the while, Karaka watched from the shadows. Kage was a guildmate...a comrade...a friend, and Virod, Erigor's second in command had ordered him to kill his friend... so many emotions were coursing through him at a mile a minute. 'what should i do...?' he thought, scrunching his eyes shut. Were they really so expendable to their guild? maybe those legal guild wizards have the right idea...maybe...? he found himself glaring forward, a cold resolve burning in his eyes. Now he knew what to do... Natsu pounded his fists together. "I got this." he stated simply. He jumped in the air and his arms were engulfed in flame. "FIRE DRAGON WING ATTACK!!!" their two spells collided in a spectacular blast of magic energy that made large cracks form in the walls and floor. the blast wave sent both of them sprawling. they were, however quick to recover and once again start charging spells. "THIS ENDS NOW!!!" they both roared. "PHASE TRAP: HEADHUNTER'S PITFALL!!!" called their spectator, and both of them sank into the floor until they were neck deep, only their heads visible through the floor. "What the hell?!" Natsu cried indignantly. Kage was equally indignant. "Yeah, Karaka, what's your deal?!" The wizard in question stepped through a wall as if it wasn't even there. "...This fight is over..." he said simply. "Double teaming me huh?! you cowards!!" Natsu raved. Karaka regarded the pink haired wizard. "Salamander..." he said with a grim calmness. something in his tone instantly brought Natsu to attention. "...We are no longer your enemy." Kage, looked at his guildmate incredulously. "What are you talking about, man? Of course we-" Karaka quickly cut him off. "...We've been cut loose, Kage..." total incomprehension washed over Kage's face. "wh...what?" "Virod has ordered me to kill you before the fairy Tail wizards get the idea to try and use you to get rid of the barrier." Karaska said despondently. Kage, still trapped in Karaka's phase trap, was now horrified. "What?!" "...so here's what's going to happen..." Karaka said. "...I'm going to pull both of you out; Kage, you are going to dispel Erigor's wind barrier for them, and we are going to figure out how to get passed the sentries and bust out Sprig and the rest of them..." Kage just stared at his stared at his guildmate. 'what?! That's it?!' they're cutting us loose just like that?!' his mind was a torrent. That's when the Fairy Tail girl's words replayed in his mind. "...You know, I was like all of you, once...All I cared about was power and revenge... Money and fame...needless to say, I was NOT a nice girl...Then it all came crashing down on top of me...And I was at my lowest... All over my homeland I was known as a usurper and a slaver, and I was hated for it..." He could tell from her tone, and the look in her eyes, that she was speaking from personal experience, and now he understood what she meant. this is what she was talking about... everything was indeed falling apart on top of him, it seemed. Karaka proceeded to release them from his spell and they rose from the floor. Then he walked over to an unbroken crate and sat down on top of it. Natsu watched him for a moment and realized that this guy wasn't trying to fool him, he was for real. "Sprig is one of the runaways that you guys captured before, right?" Natsu asked "...Yeah, short little imp who uses sand magic..." Kage affirmed. Natsu instantly remembered him from their encounter when he first met Trixie and her team mates. "Oh yeah, I remember him!" Natsu said cheerfully. "NATSU!!" Erza's voice boomed. They all looked up to see Erza charging at them with sword in hand. "AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!! Whatever I did, I'm SORRY!!!" The dragon slayer screamed. With a heavy thud, Erza had Kage at her mercy; pinned against a wall with her sword embedded into the wall mere inches from his neck. "YOU! You will break the wind barrier spell, and you will do so without complaint!" she barked. "Just do it, man!" Natsu wailed. "This chick's a REAL monster!" It became apparent that the rest of their team plus Trixie and Team Phantom Lord were right behind Erza in her persuit. Kage took a moment to compose himself. "...Y-yeah...Karaka already laid it out for me; that we've both been cut loose from Eisenwald..." he nodded. "...I'll do it, but we need an escape route from here...we can't afford to get caught and locked up yet..." he shared a look with Karaka. "...There's one or two accounts that we need to set right first." This seemed to satisfy Erza as she released him with a much calmer demeanor. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" she inquired. "He's telling the truth..." Trixie interjected. "...You seem very sure of that..." Erza commented with a questioning look. "I've spent a lot of time around performers and actors...I know an act when I see one...I know genuine words when I hear them...this guy's being honest." Trixie said with a smile. Erza seemed to think it over for a moment. "...Very well, we accept your terms. I'm not sure what we'll do about your escape route, but..." she trailed off as Happy chimed in. "I think I have a solution!" he chirped, drawing everyone's attention, Though Lucy seemed very skeptical. "...Really...?" she asked flatly. "AYE!!" he exclaimed. "...I finally remembered what I was supposed to tell you before Lucy!" he began digging into his ruck-sack, and pulled out a certain golden gate-key. "TA-DA!!" "A gate-key?" Alexis asked; her tone giving away her intrigue. "What kind of spirit is that?" "That's Virgo's key!" Lucy realized. "How do you have it?!" "Well, after that whole thing with Everlue happened, Virgo gave me her key and asked me to bring it to you so she could make a contract with you!" he explained. "OH! you mean that gorilla lady?" Natsu piped in. ' ...Gorilla lady...really Natsu...?' Trixie groaned internally at Natsu wondering how someone so completely tactless hadn't gotten himself killed yet... "How is she supposed to help?" Lucy snarked. Happy's ears drooped. "...well...I just thought maybe with her tunneling magic, she could have gotten us out by digging underneath the barrier or if Kage releases the barrier, then she could dig them an escape tunnel..." "Convenient..." Dusk said offhandedly, Trixie nodding in agreement. "okay...let's do this..." Kage said uneasily. Dusk, however was slightly sidetracked. "Oh, you guys are the ones who practically demolished Everlue's estate?" she gushed. "Cool! we're the ones who exposed all of his illegal activities!" "That was you?" Lucy asked in surprise. "Dusk, darling; focus..." Rene deadpanned. "...Oh...right..." the dark haired tomboy conceded sheepishly. ....................................Main Lobby...................................... "Okay, Kage you're up." Trixie encouraged. "Okay..." he said, taking a few steps toward the roaring wall of the wind barrier and began his work. He waved his hand and a magic keyboard flashed in front of him as it did for Dusk. He tapped at the keys with a calm precision that left Dusk and many others in awe. It wasn't long before the cyclone started fading. "How are we gonna get after Erigor, then?" Alexis asked the inevitable question. "I got this!" Natsu declared. "Let's fly, Happy!" The little blue cat jumped up enthusiastically. "Aye sir!" he latched on to Natsu's back and they flew off. "Follow the train track to Clover!" Erza called after them. "If you hurry, you should be able to catch up with Erigor!" Kage offered. "Got it!!" Natsu shouted back as they flew further away. "Alright!" Lucy declared, hefting Virgo's gate-key. The key began to glow in her hand as she held it out in front of her. "I CALL UPON THEE IN THE CELESTIAL WORLD!" she called. "...I BECKON THEE TO MY SIDE AT ONCE!! OPEN, GATE OF THE MAIDEN: VIRGO!!!" Trixie's curiosity was perked when strangely, the sound of a doorbell rang out. -Bing Bong!- she blinked. '...a doorbell...really?' she thought as she observed. Next was the sound of a jackhammer as a young woman who seemed about her age burst up from the ground with such force that she had a good few seconds of air time; spinning like a ballerina before landing gracefully in front of Lucy. "Good afternoon, Mistress." the lovely spirit woman greeted. Trixie made a mental note that this didn't resemble a Gorilla in any way, shape or form... Lucy actually blinked dumbly a couple of times before asking. "Are you the same Virgo from before?" Virgo nodded. "...I am." she stated simply. "...Does this form displease you, Mistress?" she asked. "It's...just...How do you look so different from when you worked for Everlue?" Lucy asked "I am able to change my appearance to suit any master's tastes." she stated simply as a soft pink glow enveloped her and a loud pop and poof of smoke exploded around her. Emerging from the smoke was a mountain of a woman who was built like a body builder, and about as wide as she was tall, which Trixie guessed to be nearly eight feet tall... offhandedly, she wondered if that's what an ogre was supposed to looked like... "This is simply what my former Master wished for me to look like..." 'Ah...so THAT'S what "Gorilla Lady" came from...' Trixie mused awkwardly. 'Everlue preferred this? He has curious taste in women...' "NONONO!! Change back!" Lucy demanded. Another poof of pink smoke replaced 'Gorilla Lady' with Virgo once more. "...As you wish..." Lucy sighed. "Listen, Virgo. I know we don't have a contract yet but I need you to dig a tunnel outside of town for these two." Virgo took a moment to look Kage and Karaka over and nodded. "Of course, Mistress; we may discuss our contract when we are no longer in duress...". An amber spell circle flashed at her feet and she once again spun on her heel like a ballerina, and she bore into the ground to the rapid fire sound of a jackhammer. "Well, down ya go, boys!" Dusk cheered. The two former Eisenwald wizards gave their liberators grateful smiles. "Thank you." Karaka said softly before descending down the hole. Kage gave a nod before jumping down after him. Erza saw Trixie drop down to one knee. "...Are you alright?" Trixie gave an apologetic smile. "That Rayule guy gave me a beating before I finally pummeled their plan out of him...that combined with my efforts to break passed that wind barrier...drained me more then I thought..." Gray gave her a reassuring pat on the back. "well, now we can rest up..." he said sitting down next to her. "...and trust 'Fire Freak' to finish the job..." "I guess that's all we CAN do..." Lucy admitted. "Yes..." Erza said turning toward Alexis, Rene and Dusk. "I thank you all for your assistance with Eisenwald." "Oh, we were happy to help, darling." Rene said happily. "Totally!" Dusk cheered from her place on the other side of Trixie, apparently having taken a shine to her. Alexis tipped her hat. "Sure thing; but I'm afraid this is where we part ways." she said. "Until we meet again, then..." Trixie said, awkwardly looking at Dusk, who seemed a little too eager to tend to her injuries Dusk looked up at Alexis with an exaggerated pout. "Aaawwwww..." She stood up and regarded Trixie once more, and to their surprise, blew her a kiss. "...later, gorgeous!" she said with a suggestive wink. Trixie blinked in surprise at the gesture, but blushed slightly in spite of herself. 'Oh, sweet Celestia...she's hitting on me!' she thought as she waved back awkwardly, unable to shake off how much this girl reminded her of Princess Twilight; from her voice to her eye and hair colors...it really was uncanny, yet there she was...hitting on her. About five minutes had gone by after the three Phantom Lord wizards parted ways with them. "So, what now?" Gray asked. Erza regarded her guildmates. "Now that we've had a moment to catch our breath, we head out to try and catch up with Natsu and Erigor." Lucy stood up and brushed herself off. "Back to the magic mobile, then?" she inquired. "That's right..." Erza smiled. .....................................Clover Valley................................ Erigor walked along the train tracks on a long, winding bridge over a mountainous chasm so deep no one could see the bottom; in fact, many believed that it's treacherous walls rose from the very abyss of the underworld. A sadistic smile spread across his face. "...Clover..." he growled. "...those guild masters are so close I can taste it...!" He could even sense them, he was so close...but... there was another presense coming up behind him, fast. "WHAT!?" he bellowed. "I FOUND YOU ERIGOR!!!" Natsu roared triumphantly. "DIDN'T THINK A CAT COULD FLY SO FAST DID YA?!" Erigor didn't take long to compose himself as his utter shock dissolved into a predatory grin. As he observed Natsu landing a few meters away from him, he laughed. "It seems a safe bet to say I underestimated you and your friends, Fairy Tail fly..." Natsu grinned himself. "Trust me! the moment you underestimate Fairy tail, you guarantee your loss!" "Oh, I wouldn't go THAT far..." Erigor replied casually. "By now, I'm back up at full power after casting the wind barrier spell." he reached into his pocket and pulled out the Lullaby. "...Maybe I should play a song on the lullaby for you...?" he pondered aloud. "...A little warm up before the main event at the Clover Conference hall, eh?" Natsu's fists erupted in flames. "Well, good luck with that; I'm not letting you go any further!" he declared. "I' m gonna burn you and your stupid flute to ashes!" Erigor's expression became cold and severe. "...You Fairy tail flies have become quite the nuisance..." he said with a chilling calm. "...you have managed to promote yourself from 'fly in my ointment' to 'thorn in my side'..." he held out his hand and a silvery blue spell circle flashed over it. A massive blast of wind rumbled forth and nearly sent Natsu flying off the bridge. "...Is...that...all...you've...got...?" Natsu challenged, even as he struggled to breath while the gale force winds constantly seemed to suck the air out of his lungs. Erigor's glare hardened. "...hardly..." he replied coldly, as the force of his wind blast seemed to double; this time, it was enough to send him flying back, fortunately for Natsu, this did not mean off the bridge. ......................................Entrance to Clover Valley.................................... Lucy, Gray and Trixie sat in cab of the magic mobile while Erza drove once again. The vehicle rumbled loudly as it jumped with each plank on the tracks. "This thing was NOT meant for this!!" Trixie lamented. "I know, but this is our only way to catch up with them!" Gray called back over the rattle of the magic mobile. Lucy wasn't happy about it either. she could feel every jump of the magic mobile vibrate her very bones. "Why couldn't we-Gyaaaggghhhhh!!!" her query was cut short when the magic mobile suddenly lurched violently to the right, nearly sending them off the bridge. Gray slammed into the door, knocking it open, and Trixie slammed into him, almost sending them both for a very dangerous ride. After a brief moment of thrashing and panicked screaming from both of them, Gray managed to get the door closed again, but the two were still a tangled mess of bodies and limbs. Trixie sat awkwardly in Gray's lap. Lucy couldn't help but think they looked like someone had just walked in on them while they were making out...they both had that 'deer in the headlights' look as their eyes darted back and forth between each other and Lucy. By the time they separated, they were both blushing bright red. It wasn't long before The magic mobile lurched again, this time to the left. Lucy couldn't help but fawn over the sight of her two friends once again in an amusingly questionable position. This time, Gray was on top. she covered her mouth with a hand as she realized where Gray's hand ended up... Gray took a moment to realize where his hand had gone himself once the shock wore off; somewhere soft and squishy... He looked down to see his hand virtually groping her breast. "Gyaaaggghghhhh!!! I'm sorry! it was an accident!" he jabbered as he scrambled to get off of her. Trixie, for her part, was stunned. Gray's hand groped her chest, sending a completely alien sensation through her body. she couldn't describe it... nor could she decide if she hated it, or loved it... but now wasn't the time to think of such things. Her inner ramblings were cut short by yet another jump. "What is she doing out there?!" she demanded. she slammed the front window open, facing out to where Erza was seated. "you trying to run us off the bridge?!" she barked. "Slow down or you'll get us killed!" "...I'm sorry..." Erza called back. "We can't afford to let Erigor get ahead of us now!" Erza look rather ragged. Trixie made a mental note; evidently, the magic mobile's design could use some refining in a direction closer to the magic carriages of Equestria if it's going to end up being detrimental to the driver's health in such a way... Trixie stared at Erza for a moment. "Stop the car!" Trixie ordered. "What? Why?" Erza shot back. "Erza, you nearly ran us off a cliff at full power." Trixie reasoned. "...you look like you could keel over at any moment; I shudder to think what would happen if you finally push yourself too far and pass out at the wheel while we're still on this bridge." Erza could hear the desperate plea in Trixie's tone over the rumble of the car and the roaring wind. "...Stop the car and let me take over." Trixie finally encouraged. The magic mobile slowed to a stop. "Have you ever driven one of these before?" Erza asked weakly. "A much slower model that doesn't drain your magic energy, yes." Trixie said offhandedly. "...Now go sit down." she instructed, not giving Erza time to respond. Erza reluctantly sat down in the magic mobile and Trixie sat at the wheel... Or...Joystick thingy...whatever. Trixie slipped on the S.E. plug and revved the motor. To her astonishment, she could actually feel her energy being drained out through her wrist. gripping the joystick with both hands and pushed it slightly forward. the vehicle started moving at a leisurely pace, but slowly increased its speed until they had reached a speed she was comfortable with; not as fast as Erza, burning herself out at full throttle, but by no means slow. Every ten minutes or so, she would slightly slow down to look through binoculars to check if she could see Natsu or Erigor yet. ............................................Further down the bridge............................ Natsu pounded a fist to an open palm. "Alight! let's go!" he declared. He drew in a deep breath. "FIRE DRAGON ROAR!!!" a great stream of fire shot forth aimed at Erigor. Erigor didn't flinch. He threw up a hand. "WIND WALL!!" The result was Natsu's fire breath crashing into an invisible wall and redirecting in all directions before dissipating completely. "I'll grant that you powers are remarkable, but your still no match for me!" Erigor taunted. "STORM BRINGER!!!" Natsu's eyes went wide when he was engulfed in a powerful cyclone in a matter of seconds, and was launched into the air; this time, falling down into the ravine below. Happy looked on in terror. "Natsu!" he called feebly. The little blue cat scrunched his eyes shut in exertion and tried to conjure his magic wings, but nothing happened. "It's no good..." he whimpered. "...I just don't have the strength..." Natsu was falling... He was falling off the bridge..."NO!" he cried as he fell. Tears started welling in his eyes. "...Gramps...I'm sorry." he whispered. He closed his eyes as memories began flooding his mind of his fondest times with Makarov, even recently when Lucy joined the guild...or when they met up with Trixie and her friends for the first time. then an oddly particular conversation he once had with Macao about his fire magic... ........................................Several Years Ago................................ "Uuuuuggghhhhh! That's not fair!" A much younger Natsu whined with a pout as he observed the veteran wizard Macao ensnare several different items with a tendril of purple flames without those items burning in the slightest. "All my fire does is burn everything it touches." Macao just smiled encouragingly. "That's cause you don't know how to make it not burn.." he said. "Remember. If you really wish for it deep down in your heart, then it'll do what ever you want it to...If you can do that, then you'll find your flames can do a LOT more then burn things." Macao's flames dissipated. "...and then not even wind or water magic will be able to stop you..." ...............................................Clover Canyon Bridge.......................... The fog underneath the bridge was suddenly disturbed by an intense inferno shooting upward from the depths. "What?!" Erigor gasped. "...It's not possible...!" The geyser of flames began to writhe and twist unnaturally, like a blazing serpent. The very top expanded outward and took the form of a giant hand which the took hold of the bridge. Erigor watched in utter dumbfounded shock as Natsu practically flew back up to the bridge and dropped himself safely on the bridge. "Natsu!" Happy cheered. "phew...that was close..." Natsu breathed. He looked down at his hand and smiled. "...so that's what you were trying to tell me...thanks Macao...I owe you one..." Erigor couldn't believe what he'd just seen. He floated above the bridge, staring slack-jawed as the fire wizard before him recovered from an attack, that by rights should have killed him, and did it without taking so much as a scratch. "...It can't be...!" he muttered. Natsu looked up at him. "You look pretty cold up there, half naked like that! Why don't I warm you up?" he challenged; his fists erupting in flame. Erigor glared down at him. "Enough of this! It's time I started getting serious!" He growled. Natsu stood his ground with a feral grin. "I'm ready when you are!" Erigor spun his scythe in mid air and a spell circle flashed over him. "STORM MAIL!!!" as he called his spell, The wind violently began swirling around him with increasing ferocity. within seconds, He was surrounded in what Natsu could only describe as a miniature version of the wind barrier that he cast on the Train station. "Here I come!" he roared, and proceeded to dive bomb towards Natsu. Natsu countered with an attack of his own. "FIRE DRAGON WING ATTACK!!!" he bellowed as he rose to try and stop Erigor's assault, to no avail. He was once again sent sprawling. "I don't understand!" Natsu sputtered. "Why are my flames going out?" "Ha! As I suspected, the winds of my storm mail spell blow outward, smothering your flames and leaving you completely helpless before me!" Erigor gloated. "FIRE CAN NEVER OVERCOME WIND!!!" Natsu was struggling to stay on solid footing against the fierce wind. "...This is like standing in a typhoon..." he groaned. "Now do you see, Fairy Tail fly?!" Erigor howled. "You...Can't...Beat...Me!" he roared, launching an attack with each word, as if to ad insult to injury. "STORM SHRAPNEL!!!" A spell circle flashed in front of him and dozens of wind projectiles rained down on the bridge peppering Natsu with a seemingly unending assault. Using his flames as a booster rocket, he weaved and evaded through the spell, however, and launched himself up at Erigor with a raised fist, ready to swat him out of the sky. he could almost see the condescending grin on Erigor's face through the wind mail as he raised a hand and once again pushed him back with a blast of wind. "I just can't get close enough...!" Natsu lamented. "Hahahahahahahah!!! feeling a little frustrated?' Erigor taunted. "Don't be too hard on yourself, you never stood a chance!" The storm mail began to pulsate around him. "...Don't worry, though. I'm going to end this now! EMERA BARAM!!!" another spell circle flashed and this time, a massive blast of wind shot at him that would prove impossible to dodge on this bridge. Natsu braced for the impact... "Come on, Natsu! You've gotta get up!" Happy cried frantically. "I'm impressed your body is still in once piece after that!" Erigor jeered. "Not too shabby for a wizard so young!" Happy went to try and help Natsu up. "I'm going to play the Lullaby for those old wretches in Clover...and they'll join you soon enough!" Natsu punched the ground beneath him in frustration, and his whole body burst into flame. "What's wrong with me?!" he roared. "I can't take it anymore! I have to beat him!!" "IMPOSSIBLE!!! How are you still able to move?!" Erigor roared. The only answer Erigor got from Natsu was a cry of rage, and his flames becoming exponentially more powerful. "The flames of emotion...?" Erigor finally deduced. "...But how?! That's supposed to be ancient forgotten magic! How is this...kid able to use it?!" He watched in morbid fascination as Natsu uprooted a metal girder from the train tracks at his feet with another shriek of blind berserker rage. That's when Happy got an idea...a devious idea... a fiendish idea...a diabolical idea... "Natsu!" he called, drawing Natsu's attention. here goes nothing... "You're flat out sucking the big one, here! just give up and let Gray handle this when he gets here!" Natsu's flames instantly went out and he just stared with a shell-shocked expression on his face. '...Please work...!' Happy prayed. The fire returned more powerful then ever. "WHAT DID YOU SAY??!!" Natsu bellowed. Happy smiled inwardly. He knew that Natsu could take Erigor down in his blind rage without even meaning to...He just needed Natsu to get mad enough and burn hot enough that his flames would simply suck up Erigor's wind just by being so close to him. It was working... Erigor began to feel something he hadn't felt in a long time. Fear. "No! His fire magic is this strong?! could he possibly be...?!" he didn't get to finish that thought as Natsu cut him off with a final attack. "FIRE DRAGON SWORD EDGE!!!" Natsu called, plowing into Erigor with a fire propelled headbutt, sending Erigor flying off the bridge. "...The Dragon slayer?! they really do exist...!" was Erigor's last though before blacking out; and so Erigor the Reaper had been defeated. "Yeah! I knew you could do it! Natsu!" Happy cheered. "...You didn't seem so sure of it earlier..." Natsu said, an unamused look on his face.. "Ah, whatever, it's in the past..." Happy said nonchalantly ignoring the look Natsu was giving him. "The point is, you beat him!" Natsu finally allowed himself to smile. "You bet I did! not sure how I pulled off that last attack, though..." he trailed off when he saw a familiar magic mobile approaching with Trixie in the driver's seat. "Natsu!" Trixie called. "You beat him!" "Sure did! Man, you guys just missed an awesome fight too!" Natsu said with a grin. "Hardly!" Lucy laughed. "You guys were getting so destructive that Trixie refused to drive us any closer until you guys were done fighting!" "I told you, my telekinesis has its limits, and I can't use it if I'm in an uncontrollable nose dive of death and carnage that would no doubt happen if we got too close while in this thing!" Trixie argued as she took off the S.E. plug from her wrist. "...wow, this thing is more draining then you would think..." That's when a shadowy hand reached up from the other side of the magic mobile and gripped the pressure point at her collarbone, instantly knocking her out... There stood Lazaro Sarabaas with Erigor the reaper, still unconscious and slung over his shoulder. "...Sorry to rain on your parade..." He taunted, making everyone blanch at the sound of his voice. "...But you're not out of the woods just yet." He dropped Erigor like a sack of potatoes and charged forward. A swift punch to the gut instantly dropped Gray. He flipped Natsu over his shoulder, landing the pink haired wizard on the ground; flat on his back, and delivered a hard palm strike straight to his forehead. Natsu was out instantly. "Natsu!" Happy cried out as he rushed to Natsu's aid. Lazaro effortlessly snatched him out of the air and slammed him into the ground. "Child's play..." he hissed. Lucy watched in utter terror at how easily the masked man dispatched her friends. "Oh, no! Everyone!" Lazaro twirled the Lullaby in his fingers. "...I'll be taking this..." he taunted. Erza charged at him, sword drawn. "LAZARO!!!" she roared. She raised her sword over her head and brought it down with all her might. Lazaro stopped her assault dead in its tracks by clapping his hands on the blade. "...Lady Erza..." He greeted. "...I'd love to stay and chat, but I have an appointment to make..." He jumped up, hands still holding the steel blade tightly, and landed a hard dropkick directly to Erza's chest, making her skid back several meters. While in mid air, he tossed the sword aside and rushed at Lucy knowing Erza wouldn't be stopped by such a simple attack for more then a few seconds. "Kyaaaahhhh!!!" Lucy shrieked as Lazaro gripped her throat and hoisted her over the edge of the bridge, dangling her there threateningly. Erza's eyes went wide. "Lucy!" she glared at Lazaro. "Release her, NOW!!" A low, menacing laugh came from Lazaro. "Very poor choice of words..." he mused. He turned to face Erza more completely, though he still held Lucy dangling over the edge. "...Which will the mighty Erza choose, I wonder?" he mocked. "...destroy myself or the Lullaby to ensure your mission's success...?" he nodded to Lucy. "...or save your teammate from an untimely death?". The tension was overwhelming as Erza realized what was going on. "...Now...Lady Erza..." His red eyes became glowing red pin pricks in the darkness of his mask. "CHOOSE!" Lucy screamed as Lazaro dropped her from the bridge. Time seemed to slow for Erza. Nothing else mattered as she requipped. Her body glowed brilliantly and the Black wing armor took shape around her, and she dove off the bridge after Lucy. '...You will pay for this, Lazaro...' she thought as she snatched Lucy from her free fall and flew back to the bridge to find the magic mobile driving away in the distance, all her guildmates still unconscious and strewn about the bridge...but wait... "...Where's Trixie...?"