ADL OLD CHAPTERS

3. Nirvana Unleashed

The cave was dimly lit, its stone walls bathed in the flickering light of the candles. Dark shadows reached out from the corners and crevices. They wrapped around small stones and scurrying insects, enveloping them in murky darkness. It was eerily silent save for the whistle of the wind blowing outside.

Everyone stared as the man standing before them slowly blinked open his eyes. Some watched in awe and excitement, another in fear, one in regret and one with keen interest.

Y/n glanced between the sobbing girl and the man once thought dead who stood before her.

So that's the power of the sky dragon... She mused. Interesting.

"Jellal!"

Her gaze snapped to the mouth of the cave where the fire dragon slayer stood. Natsu's hands were clenched into fists, a menacing growl rumbling from deep within his chest.

"What are you doing here?" He snarled as he charged at the man.

The blue-haired man, Jellal, barely cast him a glance as he shot him down. Brain cackled at Natsu's quick defeat, but before he could spout any more of his bullshit, Jellal took him out too. Y/n pulled Wendy behind her, ready to fight if need be. But Jellal ignored the pair, walking out of the cave, mumbling incoherently under his breath.

Natsu got back up to his feet, ready to chase after the man. But when Happy reminded him about Erza and that they were running out of time, he stopped. Y/n climbed to her feet, helping Wendy stand on shaking legs.

"Who the hell are you?" He regarded y/n with narrowed eyes.

She raised a brow in disbelief. "Did you hit your head when you got laid out on your ass?"

"That's the Serpent's Shadow member," Happy explained, going to stand by Natsu's side.

"You're the Black Death?" Natsu asked, his eyes scanning over her. A faint pink dusted his cheeks.

"I am," she offered him a close eyed smile and outstretched her hand. "Name's y/n nice to meet you,"

"Natsu," he introduced, taking her hand. He held it longer than he should have, too distracted by her presence to realize. He found it hard to believe that she was the person in the stories. From what he heard the Black Death was heartless and violent, he'd imagined them to look war-torn and cold. Y/n looked nothing like that. She seemed warm, friendly and kind. Cute even.

"You're in love," Happy teased snapping Natsu from his daze.

"Shut up Happy!" He turned to the exceed with a glare.

"We have no time for this tomfoolery!" All eyes turned to Carla who stood at the mouth of the cave with her arms crossed. "We need to be taking Wendy back to the others as soon as possible- you do want to save your friend don't you?"

Natsu nodded. "You're right, let's go,"

***

Y/n watched as Racer kicked the others from the sky. She cursed and scaled the walls of the gorge with more urgency than before, hoping to make it before anything too serious went down.

She vaulted herself over the edge in time to see Natsu crash on the ground. Her e/c eyes widened and with speed, she didn't know she had, y/n slid across the forest floor, catching Wendy 's unconscious form. She climbed to her feet, the small girl limp in her arms.

"Happy! Carla!" Natsu cried, only to be met by a pair of groans. He grabbed the two exceeds off the ground and ran into the woods, y/n following not far behind.

She heard Natsu's dark-haired companion shout something that she couldn't quite make out. Y/n realized that she had been too slow when the earth shook underfoot and a wall of ice shot up, bringing y/n with it. She let out a startled shriek as she began to fall. She tried desperately to find a handhold but the ice was smooth and only seemed to quicken her descent. She shifted Wendy so that she was holding the girl against her chest, shielding her from the imminent impact with the ground.