Fairy Tail: Black Blood [Book 2/2]

Chapter Forty-Six: Resemblence

     Erza

     I knew what Levy was going through, seeing someone you love get twisted into something you barely even recognize, almost getting killed by them... Gajeel is like the current version of Jellal, except he was possessed by Acnologia himself rather than "Zeref". I looked down at my mother's face and saw that she was looking back at us with worry written over her reptilian features, but when she saw me looking she faced forward again, her face falling neutral. I knew that I wanted to get to know my mother better, that I wanted to learn where I came from and how she had gotten to the point of abandoning me. But first and foremost, I had to settle my suspicions that Eileen wasn't all she was cut out to be. Otherwise the question of whether or not I could trust her would be lingering over my head for the rest of my life.

     As we neared the island with the giant tree, Eileen prepared for landing and began profusely beating her wings until she lighted on the ground with clouds of dust by her feet. She kneeled down and allowed us all to slide off her head just as Zeref and a new man emerged from the trees, their scarlet eyes narrowed with rage and magic radiating off them in powerful waves. The new man was blond with a white toga wrapped diagonal across his chest like Zeref, he wore baggy white pants like Natsu and sported a white cross tattoo on his forehead, a giant golden cross on his back, and strange black tattoos on his arms like the ones Natsu faintly bore on his skin. Natsu stepped forward and I watched as Eileen's body began glowing and reforming into her human form with clothes intact.

    "Where the hell were you?" Zeref demanded.

    "We just went to pick up some old friends," Natsu said calmly, disregarding Zeref's withering glare.

    "Eileen, what's that?" the new person said and gestured to Eileen's side, when the mage's eyes traveled there she saw that there was a giant wound that shredded the skin from her lower right side to her thigh. Upon seeing the injury, Wendy rushed up to Eileen and began healing the wound. Eileen's teeth gritten in pain but she didn't seem to want to reflect her agony in front of Natsu and Zeref.

    "Just a scratch, Larcade. Nothing else," Eileen said and the man named Larcade narrowed his eyes before glowering at Natsu. The look was far more vicious than the one Zeref had, in fact Larcade looked like he was ready to kill Natsu right now! I didn't realize that I had moved until I stood besides Natsu with Gray, Lucy, and Happy by my side until we were facing the strange blond man's glare together.

    Zeref stepped forward threateningly and spat, "Natsu Dragneel! What the hell were you really doing?! Because I couldn't think of an excuse that could possibly explain why our strongest female mage could have such a gruesome wound!"

    "We went to get my friends!" Natsu shouted. "Didn't Eileen tell you already!?"

    "Of course she did but I didn't really think she would do something like this! Natsu, why on earth would you bring your human friends to a dragon fight!?"

    "I don't want to fight without them, it wouldn't be the same! Besides, I brought back four dragon slayers and they would be a hell of a lot more helpful than just the four of us against Acnologia-"

    "Natsu! Acnologia will kill them! All that blood right in front of you, and I know you're not dumb enough to ignore the fact that they will get caught in the cross-fire! Don't you want to protect your friends?!"

    "They already agreed, Zeref! They know full well what they're getting in to!"

    "I've had enough of this!" Larcade shouted and he jumped forward in a flash, his fist glowing with an unholy bright light. He sailed past us before we could even react and Natsu brought up his fist to block Larcade's attack. "You disobeyed father! And I will make it so that your 'training' begins now!"