Fairy Tail Next Generation: Thrown Back

Chapter 7 - Divide and Conquer

"Oops?"

"Damn it Nashi!"

"What, I thought that we were going straight home."

"That's no excuse." Reiki barked. Just then a red flare lit up the sky.

"What's that?" Gale wondered.

"An enemy attack?" Master deduced.

"It's Grimiore Heart." Storm explained. "They're looking for Zeref."

"Zeref?!" Master choked. "But he's been dead for 400 years! He can't be here."

"You're wrong about that. He's alive here on the island and any minute now the seven kin of purgatory are gonna come looking for him." I explain.

"They're already here." Reiki points out. Falling from the sky were hundreds of soldiers in blue and purple cloaks bearing the Grimiore Heart crest.

"We gotta get rid of these thugs ASAP!" I snarl.

"No," Master interjects. "You four are leaving."

"Master,"

"I'm sorry master," Reiki explains. "You may be the Master of this time, but our master would never make us abandon our guild."

"Yeah!" Gale chimes.

"We will fight alongside Fairy Tail. Past or future, we will not abandon our guild! Or our family!"

We charge down the slope ready to attack.

"What's the plan Reiki?" I ask.

"Wipe out as many Grimiore Heart thugs as you can and assist any member of Fairy Tail you come across. We'll meet up on the South beach."

"Right!"

"Good luck to you all."

We all nod in understanding and go our separate ways. Kali and I head East, I didn't tell the others but I've been tracking my father's scent ever since we got here. I followed the scent as it continued to grow stronger. I round a corner of the cliff and come face to face with more than a dozen Grimiore Heart thugs. I can't see their faces, but I know that they're sizing me up.

"Twelve of you and only one of me?"

"That doesn't seem fair." Kali brags sarcastically.

"Don't worry sweetheart, we'll go easy on ya."

"Really? Because I don't plan on doing the same for you." I let off enough magic power to form a shrowd of sunlight around me. "SUN DRAGON ROAR!" In an instant, the jungle lights up in a roar of sunlight. Thugs are tossed left and right from the impact.

I hear a leaf crunch behind me as three thugs try to jump me. I leap out of the way and send them hurtling to the ground with a wing attack. Out of nowhere another tries to attack using only his fists. I dodge his punch easily and send him flying with a classic sun dragon iron fist.

One after another, Grimiore Heart thugs attack left and right. I'm given no time to recover or catch my breath. I've been fighting for what seems like hours and the sun is sinking high in the sky.

"Sun dragon secret art! Solar flare!" With the flick of my wrists and the swing of my arm, a wall of sunshine and fire burns my enemies to a crisp.

My magic power is still at it's usual all time high, but my body is exhausted. I rest my hands on my knees and try to catch my breath. The thugs have stopped coming at me for the time being which gives me a break.

"There she is!" A thug yells. "Get her!"

"Come on," I groan. "Can't a girl catch a break?" I stand up and face them head on. "Sun dragon light claws!" From my fingers, form claws made of sunlight. I slice the enemies so many times, their clothes fall off. They all run away in embarrassment.

"Talk about embarrassing..." Kali jested.

"No kidding." I slump against a larger boulder and stare at the unconscious bodies of my beaten enemies. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. When I open them, all the thugs have disappeared.

"Uh Kali! Where did they go?" I fret.

"I don't know! They just disappeared!" She squeals. I quickly stand and search the nearby trees. They're gone.

"We need to keep moving." I determine.

- - -

We've been walking for hours and the sun is setting in the vast jungle. I tilt my head back and sniff the air. My father's scent is getting stronger, but I can sense little magical power from it.

"He's weak," I determine. "We have to help."

"But where is he? We've been searching for hours."

Kali's right, we have been searching for hours and we still haven't found anyone from Fairy Tail. Every now and then, I hear some kind of explosion from a different part of the island. The explosions are undoubtedly caused by fights between Fairy Tail and the Seven kin. I just wish I could be there to help.

Just then a massive explosion rocks the ground beneath my feet. I stumble to regain my balance from the nearby fight.

"We must be close to a fight!" Kali shouts.

"I think so." I sniff the air once more and catch a whiff of my father's scent only this time I sense no magic power. I gasp at this discovery, I have to find him. I immediately start running towards the site of the explosion.

Half an hour passes before Kali and I come to a clearing. Natsu's scent is strong and I can sense that he's recovered some of his magic power. I run through the clearing when I spot Wendy, Happy, Carla and Lily. Lying next to them are two bodies; Master Makarov and Natsu.

"Wendy!" I call out. The blunette looks up at me in disbelief. The exceeds stare at me like I'm a ghost as well.

"Nashi?" They all question in unison. Their mouths hang open in shock. As I get closer, I can see that Gramps and my father are in bad condition.

"What are you doing here?" Wendy asks.

"More importantly, how are you here?" Carla interjects.

"That's a long story. What happened?"

"N-Natsu got attacked by this creepy guy who claimed to be a god slayer." Happy explains. "I don't understand... How are you here?"

I stare at the tiny blue exceed in front of me. He's got tears in his eyes, and his bottom lip quivered. I crouch down on my knees and gently rest my hand on his head.

"Don't worry about it," I soothe. "All that matters is that I'm here, and I'm here to help."

"But WHO are you?!" Happy cries. "You're all that Natsu thinks about anymore. He deserves to know the truth."

I can feel the tears forming in my eyes as well. Staring at this tiny cat with tears and snot running down his face just breaks my heart. I instantly pull Happy into a hug and let the tears fall free.

"I'm sorry Happy," I sob. "but I can't. It's just not the right time."