Acnologia's Child- The Sequel

Chapter 9

When I next opened my eyes I was back inside the guild hall, it was a little worse for wear but part of me wondered had everything been a dream. And then I remembered Mirajane, tucking my self into a ball I cried for her, for Elfman, for Lisanna, for Natsu.... I wanted to be held, for someone to tell me that everything would be ok, that I would get through this. But I was alone. As I curled tighter I felt a cold metal thing around my neck, opening my eyes I saw it was a collar. Like someone would put on a disobedient pet. Lifting my head I saw Master Mavis lying down on a table, having the magic sucked out of her.

"Leave her alone!" I yelled, but no sound came out.

"Ah I see you've finally woken Luna, there was me worried that I'd killed you." Irene said smiling as she sucked the power from Mavis. "Now come over here."

My body began to move on it's own, not only did I climb onto my own table but I willingly allowed her to begin draining my own magic power from my body.

"What a wonderful little battery." Irene said with a smirk. "His majesty prepared you well."

So that's what I was all along, no wonder my origins were larger than normal. I was being prepared for this moment, I was being prepared as a battery to keep Irene's magic levels up in order to allow her to keep draining Mavis. My body writhed in pain as my magic was being drained from me, memories of my past tortures flooded my mind and it was like everything went blank. I didn't move, I didn't tremble. My whole body lay motionless.

"Will the separation enchantment take much longer?" A voice asked.

I didn't even turn my head, I knew that voice better than most. It was Zeref. He made his way over to me and looked down at me, picking up a strand of my hair before letting it flutter down. Part of me burned with anger as he looked at me, in my head I screamed and yelled at him. But my body wouldn't let me.

"I believe you are aware of just how special her magic power is?" Irene asked him. "And as for Luna, I believe she's entered a state of shock. I believe her body has completely shut down, however it makes my job easier now she's not struggling."

"I have no desire to watch Mavis suffer." Zeref said ignoring me.

"Oh, it is not often my majesty wears his emotions on his sleeve." Irene said with a small chuckle. "But, rude as it may be, I fear I must speak my mind here."

I felt Zeref glare at Irene as she spoke, but her words chilled me to my bones.

"If you do not rid yourself of that Naiveté, you will never defeat Acnologia." Irene said coldly. "He is the apotheosis of darkness itself. Truly the lord of all dragons."

"Indeed your logic is sound, I shall be taking my leave now." Zeref said before walking away. 

He paused for a second and then walked away, Irene continued to drain the magic from me and Mavis but I felt no pain. My whole body was numb to everything, I could barely hear Mavis crying out in pain. My whole body was going cold, I couldn't stop it. 

"Someone....help me...."

3rd Person POV:

Natsu collapsed to the ground as Brandish changed his tumour back to its original size, a fierce battle then erupted between Lucy and Brandish. Both using all their powers to stop each other, Lucy using the power her celestial spirits had given her, and Brandish using the power she had learned as a member of the Spriggan 12.

"Open Gate of the Scorpion! Scorpio!" Lucy cried as she transformed into her Scorpio star dress. "Sand Buster!"

As Scorpio unleashed his attack Lucy flew along the slipstream of the sand directly towards Brandish, slashing and slicing through her. Brandish yelled out in pain as the sand sliced through her, glaring at her Brandish held her hand out towards Lucy.

"Command T: Reduction!" Brandish yelled.

Lucy cried out as her body shrank and Brandish grabbed her in her hand, thinking quick Lucy transformed into her Cancer star dress slicing Brandish's fingers. Crying out in pain, Brandish dropped Lucy who went falling to the ground. Reaching a building Lucy used her momentum to launch herself at Brandish slicing at each visible part of her, Brandish continued to cry out in pain. Snapping her fingers she glared at Lucy.

"How Irritating!" Brandish yelled. "Revert back to your Original Size!"

But as she changed Lucy back to her original size, Lucy vanished. Looking around Brandish felt her heart hammer inside her chest, and then she looked up.

"Aqua Metria!" Lucy yelled sending her attack 

While Scorpio explained that the attack was one taught to Lucy by Aquarius, Brandish used her own magic against Lucy.

"Command T: Reduction!" She yelled compressing Lucy's magic into a ball.

"You compressed my magic?!" Lucy yelled stunned.

"The difference in quality of magic is just too great. Between you and I...A Spriggan that is!" Brandish yelled twirling Lucy's attack in her hands. "Command T: Magnification!"

As the attack was fired back at Lucy, Natsu tried to move his body. The pain from his tumour and the strain it was putting on his body was excruciating. Collapsing again Happy wept as he felt the temperature in Natsu's normally boiling body begin to drop, a sign that he was seriously ill and weak. 

"I admit it...you're far stronger than me. But who cares! I don't have the luxury of loosing!" Lucy yelled regaining her footing. "The truth is, I can barely muster the resolve to fight with you right now! But as conflicted as I am, this is something I have to do! Because right now, I'm going to protect Natsu...No matter the cost!"

Brandish looked at Lucy, her body was battered and bruised, but her eyes shone with determination and a fire that Brandish couldn't ignore.

"That's quite enough. Let's end this farce of a battle here and now shall we?" A voice called out.

"Mari..." Brandish said turning her head to look at the girl approaching them.

"A farce?!" Lucy yelled stunned, she had given the fight her all. Using almost all of her magic power to keep up with Brandish. "What are you getting at?!"

"Ignorance sure is bliss." Mari said smiling at Lucy. "From the very start Randi had no intention of killing that man...Or you for that matter. Is that clear enough for you?"

Stunned Lucy looked at Brandish, who was silent. Was it true? Despite the battle that had just occurred, both of them were injured and weakened. Wasn't that part of Brandish's plan?

"Returning the tumour to it's original size?" Mari said with a chuckle. "Don't make me laugh, if you so desired it, you could enlarge his internal organs and make him blow from within. The same goes for the girl, you needed only to shrink her and crush her beneath your feet. So the question becomes, why didn't you?"

Making her way closer to Brandish, Mari continued to speak her mind.

"I have a theory...You realised I was watching from afar and that the best course of action would be to throw the battle to deceive me." Mari said coolly.

"Wha..." Lucy asked stunned, unable to finish her thought.

"Such a pity, Randi....You're simply no good to us anymore." Mari said her voice cold.

"ST....!"

Brandish began to yell when Mari sliced through her stomach, collapsing to the ground Lucy was horrified at what had just happened. She had planned on knocking Brandish unconscious and then tying her up at the guild, she never wanted Brandish to be killed!

"Tell me, are you the one responsible for corrupting my Randi?..." Mari asked.

She kicked Lucy to the ground and then stood on her head, Lucy cried out in pain at the force pressing on her skull. 

"I'll make sure your death is a slow and painful one....You little Bitch!"