Firefall || Fairy Tail

39 : t h e . f i r e . d r a g o n . k i n g

Natsu, Gray, Sting, and Rogue couldn't bring themselves to move or speak as they watched the staredown that was happening before them. Kia's heart was racing fast enough that she was sure that Natsu could hear it behind her, but she didn't flinch. She would not give Zeref the satisfaction of seeing her fear.

"Let's see if it was really a waste of my time."

Small black orbs appeared around his fingertips, slowly burning into the back cover of the deep orange book. And Kia felt it, but not nearly as bad as she should have. She could feel the five points of pressure on her back, her skin stinging from the body link, but it was nothing more than an unpleasant itch that she could easily ignore.

Zeref was not pleased with this. A scowl crossed his face as Kia's remained stoic.

"I will see you crumble to ash, Kia."

"Only after you've been put in the ground, Zeref."

And that was the last thing that was said. A gust of wind passed through the clearing, likely from the warring dragons in the distance, lifting up a dust cloud that separated everyone from the Black Wizard. As it settled, they all found that spot vacant and the dark-haired wizard nowhere in sight.

Gray clenched his teeth, "Well now what do we do? That book could destroy everything!"

Natsu's eyes flicked between where Zeref had just stood and the back of his sister's head. He now had questions he wanted to ask her after they had gotten to speak with their dad. "Not if I have it."

He was still determined to keep his promise to Igneel. His dad had hired him to do a job and he wasn't going back on his word, he was going to make him proud.

Then he heard that deep voice inside his mind along with his sister.

"Kids."

The pink-haired Dragneels turned their eyes to the sky, looking for the battle that had been raging above.

"Dad, where are you?" Natsu called out, but his sister remained silent, her stomach tying itself in knots.

"Natsu, I owe you an explanation. And I'm going to give it to you while I still can, so your sister won't have to. So try not to interrupt me this time." Kia closed her eyes to force her emotions to stay in check, she understood his tone.

"As I mentioned before, there were two reasons we stayed inside the Dragon Slayers. The first was to create antibodies within you, to keep you from ever undergoing any physical transformation. Thankfully, that process was successful and you will never experience the dragonification that Acnologia once did."

Natsu jumped to his feet, having finally pinpointed the direction the voice and familiar smell were coming from.

Gray's shouting caused Kia to open her eyes, "Where are you going?!"

"Natsu!" She screamed as she went to chase him, but she only ran a few steps before her legs gave out. She could still hear Igneel's telepathy in her mind, but her sole focus became making her body move again.

"Kia, you need to rest."

She shook her head as a magic circle appeared on her back. "I have to stop him first."

Her fiery wings flickered in and out of existence as Gray continued to try talking her into waiting. "Flame brain can take care of himself."

But he couldn't hear what she was listening to. She knew her brother was strong, but he couldn't throw himself at Acnologia. That was apparent when she heard Igneel begin arguing with him inside her head.