Chapter 24: Peacemaker
"Excuse me, you're majesty - but what exactly do you mean by that?" Strider asked, surprised.
'The old man must be going senile. 10,000 dragons are coming? And nobody has felt their presence?' Strider thought, eyes narrowed.
"Just that, young man. 10,000 dragons will be attacking Crocus tonight. We have a large scale counteroffensive in place that will defeat most of them, but we imagine that, at most, a few hundred may survive," the king said solemnly.
"That's not what I meant. You're telling me that 10,000 dragons - huge, scaly, flying things - will attack Crocus tonight. Not only that, but they're flying here this very instant, and yet no one has felt a thing? It's almost impossible to not notice a single dragon; if it were 10,000 I assure you we would've found out a long time ago. They aren't easy creatures to miss, your majesty," Strider said.
"The king is far more well appraised of this situation than you are!" a guard scolded Strider. He shut up immediately when Strider gave him a dangerous look.
"Where are they supposed to be coming from?" Strider asked the king. The king point behind him. Everyone turned to see what it was - nothing.
"Very well. I'll be back in a bit, Master," Strider said to Makarov. Mavis and Makarov nodded; someone would have to scope it out. With a tremendous force, Strider rocketed towards the direction of where the dragons were supposed to be coming from.
"Woah, woah, woah! If there really are dragons coming, isn't it dangerous for him to go alone?!" Novali yelled.
-o-
'Warren, keep a channel open between the others and I. Something isn't right here. Either the king is lying, is being lied to, or something completely different is going on,' Strider thought.
'Agreed. Will do,' Warren said, relaying the message to everyone in Fairy Tail.
-o-
"The last time we fought a Dragon, we were gone for seven years. Even Strider had a hard time beating him," Cana said worriedly.
"That was a special case… but still," Lisanna said fearfully.
"We can't take on an entire horde of dragons. Other than Strider, I don't think anyone here has ever even killed a dragon. Hell, we saw what happened to Gildarts," Evergreen gulped. Fear was in the air, and it was so palpable that you could cut it with a knife.
"I understand that Strider doesn't want to believe me. I'm sure no one here does, but I assure you that dragons are coming," Toma said gravely.
"He's right, though. How come we haven't had any reports? Hasn't anyone thought to look up at the sky just to make sure?" Bisca asked. The king had no answer; besides the fact that 10,000 dragons were headed towards Crocus, he had little else to share.
"I'm certain that the king wouldn't lie to us for fun. If he says that 10,000 dragons are coming, then we can at the very least be sure that something is coming," Makarov said. Jura and the Masters of the guilds nodded in agreement.
"I ask you, Wizards - please don't let this kingdom fall into ruin! Please, fight for a brighter future!" Toma asked, bowing low to them. The crowd was stunned to see the king defer. There was a pregnant pause before agreement began to run through the crowd.
"You can count on us, your majesty. Whatever may come, we shall fight it!" Makarov declared. He was just as suspicious about the ordeal as Strider, but if it was even a single or a handful of dragons, they'd need everything they had.
"We'd be glad to help," Elfman agreed, hoping mightily against any dragon setting foot in the beautiful city.
"What do you say, boys?! Ready to get WILD?!" Bacchus asked his guildmates. They resounded with a thunderous WILD; bravado overcame sense for the moment.
"We certainly can't let ourselves be beaten by reptiles," Lyon said. His team cheered in response, although none had any idea of what to expect.
-o-
'Still nothing, and I'm tens of miles out. I would've seen or sensed or felt them by now,' Strider relayed to Makarov.
'What do you think this means?' Makarov inquired.
'I'm not sure, Master. I'm going to do one more large sweep. Keep me posted by the second,' Strider replied.
-o-
"We're in!" Millianna responded for Mermaid Heel.
"Dragons, though. You think that's for real?" Risley asked.
"I imagine that we'll find out soon enough," Kagura said.
"This kingdom has always been good to us Wizards," Sting said with a smile.
"It's our duty to protect it," Rogue said. "We are Dragon Slayers, after all."
"Thank you, Wizards…" the king said, tearing up.
"No need to cry, your majesty," Erza said kindly before turning to a soldier. "The Royal Army has some of our allies."
"They're safe. I'm told they joined Princess Hisui at the Gate," the soldier said.
"FINALLY! Time for some more fighting!" Gajeel roared excitedly.
"You realize what we're up against, right?" Levy asked lamely.
"Time for us Dragon Slayers to shine," Sting said with a grin.
"Those flying lizards can't beat us!" Lector declared.
"I'll cheer for both of you, 'kay?" Frosche chirped adorably.
"Where's M'lady?" Rufus asked.
"Think I saw her yelling at the old man. Hope she's still around," Olga said.
"All the guilds, working together at last," Ichiya said.
"Such a wonderful parfum," Nichiya agreed.
-o-
'Mira, can you hear me?' Strider asked.
'Strider! Dragons are going to attack!' Mira replied.
'I know. The kings told us,. Thank goodness you're safe,' Strider said.
'Where are you?' Mira asked.
'Looking for them,' Strider said.
'What?! Why?!' Mira mentally cried, terrified for him.
'Something's off. I haven't been able to sense them yet,' Strider stated.
'What?' Mira asked, surprised. No one just missed 10,000 dragons
-o-
'100 miles radius sweep, nothing,' Strider relayed to Makarov.
'One more check. Then come back,' Makarov said.
'Yes, sir,' Strider said as he continued his search.
-o-
"Dragons against Pegusi? What a photo-op," Eve said confidently.
"Let's do this," Hibiki said, firing up his Archive Magic. "I should have some information on dragons here."
"Fine, I'll go along with it," Ren added casually.
Jenny stared at the spot in the sky Strider had disappeared into, fretful for his safety.
'Be safe,' she thought, thinking of him.
'I will,' a voice said.
'Who's that?!' she asked, surprised.
'Strider. Telepathy,' he said with a chuckle.
'Does this mean you see everything I'm thinking?' Jenny thought.
'Yup. Dirty thoughts, Jenny. Though I'd be happy to make your dreams a reality,' Strider chuckled as Jenny turned red.
"Jenny? What's wrong?" Eve asked.
"Oh, nothing," she waved him off.
'Look, they don't mean anything, I just—' Jenny started before Strider cut her off.
'Ha, I was kidding. Of course I can't see them like that. Good to know, though,' he said making Jenny blush harder.
'You asshole,' she thought, deadpanning.
'So I've been told,' he said back.
-o-
"Kagura, sit this one out. You need rest," Millianna said worriedly.
"No way. All of us have to fight," Kagura said.
"I suppose that I could stomach working with you," Lyon said to Gray.
"Just try and keep up," Gray replied.
"Is Wendy ok?" Shelia asked Juvia, worried.
"Don't worry, I'm sure she's fine," Juvia said, smiling.
"A war with dragons," Jura said, smiling.
"I'll spin them all! Let me at them!" Ooba said.
'The guilds are all working together now,' Makarov relayed to Strider, who chuckled lightly.
'I suppose that's heartening at least. Sabertooth is playing nice, then?' Strider asked.
'Indeed. Although, I don't see Minerva here,' Makarov replied.
'That's a shame. She's pretty powerful. If someone does see her, they should let her know what's going on. Now that I think about it, I suppose it would be a good idea to let everyone know the best way to deal with a dragon. Warren, could you open a telepathic link with everyone so I could give them some advice? Gajeel, Natsu, Wendy, Laxus, Sting, and Rogue are all Dragon Slayers, but even they don't seem to have much experience with that aspect,' Strider said. Warren looked at Makarov, who nodded.
"LISTEN UP!" Makarov yelled over the din of the conversations. Everyone immediately stopped talking, giving him their fullest attention.
"No doubt that you're all excited and a little terrified. There's nothing wrong with that. But very few of us have dealt with dragons. Those that have - like the Dragon Slayers - did so a long time past. Strider has asked that a telepathic connection be opened amongst us all so he can let us know how to deal with the beasts. I ask that everyone hold their questions until he's done," Makarov said.
Despite a few uncertain looks, everyone ultimately agreed.
'Can you all hear me? Good. I'll keep this short and sweet. Dragons are highly magic resistant. Most of your attacks will bounce off or do little damage. I'm doubtful many will even garner attention. You have to make sure to be smart about your attacks. A dragon's eyes are its weakest point, so blind them as soon as you can. The mouth is also a weak point, and, depending on the dragon, the belly will also be tender enough to damage. I'm sure Hibiki can use his Archive Magic to identify those points and coordinate everyone to focus their attacks. Do not, under any circumstances, try to bite off more than you can chew. Even the weakest dragons are extremely dangerous under favorable circumstances,' Strider said. Everyone quickly affirmed what he said, mulling over the information.
"Master Makarov, how does Strider know so much about dragons?" Kagura asked. Makarov was silent as he looked all around. He thought intently about how much he should tell them.
'Tell them as much as you wish,' Strider told Makarov. With a sigh, the old Guild Master nodded.
"No doubt that many of you have realized that Strider is not from Ishgar," Makarov said. Apparently, most were not aware. His words were met with a resounding "WHAT?!"
"Wait - really?" Makarov asked, surprised.
"Where's he from? Alvarez?" Millianna asked.
"Or Veronica? Or Desierto? He looks kinda tan," Sherry added.
"He's from a different continent altogether - the one far north of Ishgar. He's the only one to make the journey successfully," Makarov said.
"No way. That's insane!" Sting said, surprised. Regardless of where in Ishgar they lived, everyone was aware that the Great Sea was nigh impossible to cross.
"And to the north, as Strider has told me, dragons are rare, but still very much alive. Strider has had more than a couple of dealings with them in the past," Makarov said.
"He's slain dragons?" Rogue asked, cutting to what everyone wanted to know.
"Yes," Makarov said gravely.
"How the hell were we supposed to beat him?" Risley asked lamely.
"Do you or he think we might have a chance against the ones that are coming?" Lyon asked.
"I honest—" Makarov began before his eyes shot wide open.
It started out as a low thump.
"THERE!" Jura roared. Everyone's eyes snapped toward the direction the Wizard Saint pointed. They were mesmerized as they saw a giant dragon with gray-ish white scales come out of a giant gate in front of the castle. Each step was like a mini earthquake, rumbling the city.
'STRIDER! THEY'RE HERE!' Makarov exclaimed. Strider kicked it into overdrive as he rushed back to the city.
"No way. We're expecting thousands of those things? We're totally screwed," Elfman said as the others looked on in shock. Most had never seen a dragon, and those that had hadn't since they were raised by one. In the special case of the Tenrou Team, the last encounter was almost their last.
Another came out, this one covered in a leathery green skin and almost smiling.
"Wait! I thought they were supposed to be coming from the sky! Your Majesty!" Jura barked. The king looked on with just as much surprise as the others.
"No… what's going on?" the king asked quietly, his heart beating madly.
A third dragon soon followed; unlike the two predecessors, it was covered entirely in flames. The fourth was black and had a ton massive spikes protruding from its wingtips. It had a purple underbelly and walked on two massive legs, crushing buildings with each step. The fifth was purple-ish red with two curved spikes on the top of its head and bottom of its chin. The sixth one looked a bit more wizened. It was blue with fins on the top of its head and the bottom of its chin and its stomach was closer to the ground than the others. The seventh dragon looked like a giant boulder, covered in what seemed like impenetrable rock.
As the seven began walking and destroying things underfoot, there was another rumble and a loud creak, as though something had been closed.
"They've stopped?" Makarov asked aloud, surprised.
"I hope so. Hell, this might be too much," Cana said as the Wizards were finally beginning to grasp the terror of the situation. Then, they heard another rumbling.
"More dragons?" Lisanna asked worriedly.
"No! Look!" Romeo shouted.
They saw them coming from Domus Flau, taking care to avoid causing as much damage as possible. The four massive statues that stood at each corner of the arena were running towards the dragons, who watched with intrigue.
"Are those…?" Romeo asked weakly.
There was another figure flying in front of the statues. Strider, as he had done in his first match with Jura, awakened the four. Each stood taller than a dragon, gaunt and menacing. They held their own weapons: a large sword and shield, a staff, a bow, and a battle axe. They soon heard Strider's voice over the commotion.
"FIGHT FOR THIS CITY YOU'VE WATCHED OVER! FIGHT FOR ITS PEOPLE! SHOW THESE DRAGONS THE STRENGTH OF CROCUS!" Strider roared at the statues. The axe wielding statue took a mighty leap and crashed the axe on the head of the dragon with the large spikes on its head. Several dragons roared in pain as the statues were finally locked in battle with them, defending and attacking as well as they could.
Strider set down where the other guilds were as they watched on in shock and awe.
"Alright! We got some of our own monsters," Bixlow said, grinning.
"Good thinking!" Mavis agreed.
"Strider!" Jenny said as she hugged him tightly.
"Hey, Jenny," Strider said gently, rubbing here back. "Don't worry. We'll make it through this."
"Strider!" Makarov yelled.
"Right. Metal, rock and sand wizards - come here, please! Those four statues can do more damage than most of us can. Your only job is to keep them standing and fighting! they're going to suffer a lot of damage and breaks - keep them healed! Fill in the cracks, lock the joints! Besides staying alive, that's your main priority! Jura, can you lead them?" Strider asked.
"Of course. You all, with me!" Jura ordered them, quickly breaking them into teams. Suddenly, Strider saw a giant burst of flame erupt from the back of the dragon with the grey-ish-white scales that had taken to flying.
'Looks like Natsu's with whoever caused this mess. I'll check in with him soon,' Strider thought.
"Hibiki! You stay here and monitor the situation. Ren, Eve, back him up. Shelia, I need you to help the people who need it if they get hurt. Hibiki will point you in the right direction," Strider said. They agreed in affirmation, Hibiki quickly got to analyzing.
"Alright, I see you've all broken up into teams. Let's see… Sting! You, Olga, and Quatro Cerberus head to the one with with the giant fins!" Strider ordered. The finned dragon was fighting a statue, struggling to do significant damage to the mighty structure. Sting nodded and set out with his team.
"Lamia Scale and Mermaid Heel are up against that one!" Strider yelled, pointing to the dragon that was made entirely of rock. Its hard scales did well to support it against the crushing blows by the sword wielding statue.
'He's gonna be a bastard to take out,' Strider thought, rolling his neck in anticipation.
"Rogue, Rufus, Gajeel - you're on him!" Strider said, pointed at the one with he spikes coming from his head. The dragon was having its mouth pried open by another of the statues. With a curt nod, Rogue and Rufus rushed off.
"Whoa, where are you going?" Gajeel asked Levy, who tried to follow.
"With you!" Levy said.
"I don't think so. You stay here. People are gonna need help gettin' out," Gajeel said.
"You're cra—" Levy began.
"Gajeel's right, Levy. We're going to need a lot of Wizards helping with the evacuation, and no one is better suited to lead them to safety than you," Strider said. Levy looked as though she was about to argue but Makarov agreed with Gajeel and Strider. With a sigh, Levy nodded and got to work.
Strider saw a Sky Dragon Roar suddenly come out against another dragon - the one with leathery green skin.
'Wendy has him,' Strider thought. He'd go and check on the girl in a bit to make sure she was safe.
"Fairy Tail - you're on the fire dragon until Natsu gets to him," Strider said, as the fire dragon was locked in battle with the final sentinel, trying to melt it.
"Jenny, find Mira and Wendy. Make sure they're ok," Strider said, pointing to the dragon that seemed to be talking with Wendy. Jenny nodded and quickly ran off.
"And what about you?" Makarov asked.
Strider looked at the dragon that had spikes on its wings, causing havoc. He felt a tingling go down his spine as Anglachel began to gently shake in anticipation; blood was coming.
"He's all mine," Strider said as he erupted at the dragon in full force. The other teams paused to watch as Strider collided with the dragon, Anglachel outstretched and a significant telekinetic barrier around him to keep him stable.
"No way," Sting said softly.
"Is… he trying to beat it head on by himself?" Rogue looked on in wonder.
-o-
"FOOL! You think you can beat me?!" the dragon roared at Strider.
"And what do they call you, o'mighty lizard?" Strider asked, his voice laced with condescension.
"Pulse," the dragon said.
"You won't be feeling yours by the time I'm done with you," Strider snarled.
"Big words from such a TINY CREATURE!" Pulse yelled, swiping at Strider with a wing. Instead of dodging, however, Strider pointing Anglachel out and suddenly ripped towards and through the wing. Pulse roared as a surprising amount of pain shot through him.
"Ha! What's wrong, Pulse? The little human to much for you?" the dragon with the spikes on its head asked.
"Quiet, Scissor Runner!" Pulse snarled as he launched another wing at Strider, who cut through it as well.
"YOU WILL SUFFER FOR THAT!" Pulse roared at Strider.
"And you will suffer ME!" Strider roared as he landed on Pulse's head. With a mighty plunge, he drove Anglachel into Pulse's head, pushing through the skin atop his head. He shot several bursts of telekinesis through the dragons head. Pulse screamed in pain as he felt purplish blood began to trickle down. Looking in front, he saw the sword that Strider was holding - completely free of blood.
"IMPOSSIBLE! NO BLADE CAN PIERCE A DRAGON'S SKIN!" Scissor Runner roared in Strider's direction.
"This is no ordinary sword. This sword was made explicitly for slaying dragons or otherwise! You should've stayed away, lizard. You die tonight!" Strider said, so quietly that only Pulse could hear. Rolling his neck, Strider's eyes and mouth erupted blue and he soon went into a frenzy on the dragon. Amplified by his telekinesis, he was a blue as he began to quickly tear through the dragons wings. Within a few minutes, the right wing was almost completely gone while the left was run ragged, bits of skin hanging on only by the sinew.
Pulse was breathing heavily, the pain finally reaching a tipping point. Strider soon landed on his head again and drove Anglachel deep into the same spot as before, this time thrusting through another layer. He felt the tip of the blade plunge into something soft - something that felt like the brain of the dragon. Licking his lips in excitement, Strider began to thrust the blade even more, digging through inch by inch. Pulling it out, he maneuvered a spire from a building and drove it deep into the hole that he had created.
'A young one. Its skin was thin. Not even comparable to Acnologia,' Strider thought before smirking inwards. 'Your lessons have paid off, Glaedr. Looks like I still have a lot to learn about dragons. Ancalagon won't be happy, though. He'd want to kill this thing himself.'
The world was almost silent as they looked on. With a disgusting squelch, the spire ripped through the brain. Stride pulled it out and smashed it through several times, soon covering himself in the brain matter and copious purple blood that erupted like a geyser. The dragon had a horrified expression etched into its face as it began to fall to the side. As its body collapsed, more brain matter began to seep through the hole, its tongue hanging out and its eyes wide open.
Strider soon landed in the blood and scoffed. He dipped Anglachel into the pouring blood and soon, it began to be absorbed by the blade.
"Drink up. Have your fill. We're not done yet. Not by a long shot," Strider said, a shadow passing over his eyes as he looked at the dragons that stared at him.
'More,' Anglachel suddenly whispered in Strider's ear.
"As much as you want. These dragons aren't innocent," Strider whispered aloud. He grinned eerily, feeling a sense of excitement he hadn't in a long time.
-o-
"He… he… he…" Sting said weakly. His draconic opponent seemed just as flabbergasted, unable to capitalize on the pause in the battle.
-o-
"Killed…" Rogue continued.
-o-
"The dragon," Makarov finally ended.
-o-
"So… quickly?" Shelia asked.
-o-
"No… it's impossible," Scissor Runner said. Strider locked eyes with the dragon and erupted towards him, staggering him like he did Pulse. With several quick jabs and slashes, he had carved several deep marks into the dragon.
'I guess all of these dragons are young. Nothing next to Acnologia, and he was nothing next to Ancalagon,' Strider thought, his mind traveling to the seven years of training he had accomplished in the aftermath of the Tenrou Island incident.
-o-
The other Guilds looked on in awe.
"I've never seen anything like that," Kagura said as Strider was fighting Scissor Runner.
"He killed that dragon like it was nothing," Millianna said, awestruck.
-o-
"That dude is WILD!" Bacchus said, grinning.
-o-
"How were we supposed to beat him during the games?" Lyon deadpanned.
-o-
"Rogue! Join Sting and his team! I've got this one! Gajeel - help against the rock one!" Strider yelled. Rogue and his team quickly acquiesced and joined the White Dragon Slayer, who was fighting a dragon that called itself Levia, while Gajeel joined Lamia Scale and Mermaid Heel against the rock dragon.
"Impossible!" Levia roared as Scissor Runner roared in agreement.
"You're not human!" Scissor Runner yelled at Strider as he continued his attack. Scissor Runner swiped at Strider with a wing. Strider attempted to cut through it like he did with Pulse, but found himself launched into a building.
'His wings are tough,' Strider thought. With a scoff, he quickly recovered and ripped toward the dragon again. Strider narrowly avoided another winged swipe and managed to get close to the eyes. He drove Anglachel into one, eliciting a howl of pain from the dragon. He began jiggling the sword quickly, cutting through the nerve fibers and spilling optical fluid by the gallon. With his free hand, he shot a few telekinetic bursts at the other eye but they did almost no damage. Strider kept pace with the dragon as it lurched and swayed, trying to throw him off. Anglachel was embedded like a hook, however, with each movement, the eye was cut further and further until Strider was satisfied at the damage. He soon began work on the other eye, making sure to be just as thorough.
-o-
Gajeel was locked in battle with the rock dragon, who called himself Rock Garden. The dragon chuckled, surprising Gajeel.
"What's so funny?" Gajeel asked as he sent a giant iron rod at Rock Garden.
"They call us monsters, but I've never seen a human do that to a dragon before," Rock Garden said as he moved focused from Strider to Gajeel, who effortlessly managed to evade his attacks. Suddenly, Rock Garden launched rocks at Strider, who didn't see the attack coming.
"Strider, look out!" Gajeel yelled as he saw them fly. Strider, having destroyed both eyes, was flying around Scissor Runner. He narrowly managed to avoid the rocks, only to have a lucky hit landed on him by the dragon. Strider felt the dragons tail slam against him, hurtling his body towards the concrete.
"Are you alright?!" Kagura yelled as she rushed to him.
"I… think so…" Strider said, gingerly getting him. He groaned as he felt blood seeping down from the back of his head. "I hope you're doing alright.
"You're the one whose hurt!" Kagura said. Strider raised an eyebrow. He hadn't heard Kagura sounding so concerned before. With a smile, he was soon in Scissor Runner's vicinity again.
"I can sense you're still alive," Scissor Runner said, looking all around, but not seeing anymore. Strider kept playing around with the dragons senses, lunching here and there to cut him before backing off. The blind dragon was severely weakened, its other senses not as useful for the situation.
Strider paused to survey the battle field. The statues were holding up better than he imagined and were able to do a considerable amount of damage. Most of the dragons were breathing heavier and bleeding severely, thanks to the powerful blows. The wizards, however - even the dragon slayers - were hardly able to do any damage.
Strider soon noted the cathedral that lay broken just a little further away. It had a massive and sharp spire, longer than the other one he had used. With a smile, he brought it under his control. Scissor Runner felt the spire pierce through his right eye, digging deeper than the sword. He screamed as he felt the crack part of his skull. As Strider withdrew it, he scoffed.
'Damn there thick skulls,' Strider thought as Scissor Runner continued to stomp in pain. Looking behind, he saw that Gajeel was having a bit of trouble with Rock Garden.
'Gajeel! Drive your iron rods into his right eye! I've got the left,' Strider thought to Gajeel who smiled.
"Hey, ugly - over here!" Gajeel yelled as Rock Garden focused on him.
Two sharp and vicious iron rods burst from Gajeel's arms and landed deftly on the right eye of Rock Garden. Gajeel heard a satisfying pop as they burst through the eyeball. Meanwhile, he saw that the left eye had been pierced by the sharp spire. One dragon was dead, and now two were blinded. Rock Garden went on a rampage against Gajeel, but he easily avoided the dragon.
'Lead him towards me!' Strider ordered Gajeel telepathically.
"Hey, what's wrong, ugly?! Can't you see me?!" Gajeel goaded as the dragon roared in pain and anger and began to follow Gajeel's voice. It soon erupted into a full on charge in the direction of the Dragon Slayer, leveling many buildings before finally, it ran directly into Scissor Runner.
"YOU FOOL!" Scissor Runner roared.
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?" Rock Garden yelled as his rock tail connected with Scissor Runner. To the amazement of the Wizards, the dragons began to fight each other with as much fury and force as they did the Wizards. Scissor Runner was unable to penetrate the rock hard skin of Rock Garden - who, on the other hand, landed devastating blows on Scissor Runner. With another smash of his tail on Scissor Runner's head, Rock Garden cracked away at the hard skin and exposed the softer second layer. He continued to blindly attack the dragon, who had no choice but to suffer the attacks.
"I've never liked you," Rock Garden snarled as his tail tore through the wing of Scissor Runner.
Suddenly Scissor Runner got in close and let out a devastating magic attack against Rock Garden, who roared in pain as he felt his rock chip away.
"Man, they're tearing into each other. Looks like the other dragons don't care," Gajeel said, noting how the other dragons didn't do anything to stop the fight.
"Dragons either care deeply, or not at all. These two are no exception. They're mostly competitive with each other, though," Strider said.
Scissor Runner continued to break away the rocks that covered Rock Garden until he finally found the second layer.
"You've some soft skin for a dragon," Scissor Runner said viciously before he launched a magic attack at Rock Garden in a blind fury. Surprisingly, the attack connected. Rock Garden screamed in pain as the magic attack began to erupted within him. His rocky exterior began to bulge as pieces began to fall off. The magic attack inside began to churn away and destroy his internal organs until he finally fell with a crunch, dead.
-o-
"Two dead, five to go!" Makarov yelled as the people cheered.
-o-
"YOU THERE!" Strider roared as a statue approached them - the one wielding an axe.
"Now!" he yelled to it. With the stoic expression that adorned all of their faces, the statue brought up his axe and with a mighty swung, wedged it between Scissor Runner's eyes - in the same spot that Rock Garden had exposed.. The dragon roared in pain as blood began to spurt out, covering the statue. It began to sway back and forth. Strider followed up, quickly driving Anglachel into the dragons head. The sword immediately began to absorb the blood, delighted.
The statue and Strider gazed at the dragon who was still alive, but by the skin of its teeth.
"Anglachel. Now," Strider whispered. There was a muffled burst and suddenly, the dragon stopped twitching.
"Burn in hell," Gajeel snarled at the dragon's body.
-o-
Gajeel joined up with Sabertooth, Mermaid Heel, and Lamia Scale against Levia. Meanwhile, Strider had taken high to the sky.
"Natsu!" Strider said.
"Strider!" Natsu said in excitement, happy to see his friend. Strider soon turned to look at the other man, one who had black hair covering the front of his face and grey hair running down his back.
"I have no idea who you are," Strider deadpanned.
"Rogue," the Wizard answered.
"Oh?" Strider asked.
"He's from the future. He's the one that brought the dragons here!" Natsu said.
"Why?" Strider asked.
"He wants to conquer the world!" Natsu said.
"You can't be serious," Strider said with a laugh. Rogue attacked him but Strider deflected the attack. "Why are you attacking our time?"
"Why this time?" Strider asked.
"Acnologia," Rogue hissed.
"What's Acnologia to you?" Strider asked.
"He's insane, man! He wants to kill Acnologia and become King of Dragons or something!" Natsu explained, cutting to the gist.
"Did you tell him that Acnologia is dead?" Strider asked. Future Rogue froze, surprised.
"No, that's impossible!" Rogue said, attacking Strider again.
"I killed him. Seven years ago, you fool," Strider said, knocking the attack away again. Rogue seemed stunned. Strider narrowed his eyes.
'How does he not know?' Strider wondered. "Time travel, hmm? Fool. You've entered a completely separate - a completely wrong - place in history, it seems. This isn't the past you were hoping to change. Perhaps these dragons remember Acnologia, if they're from the past - but in this future, there is no Acnologia. Acnologia is dead," Strider.
"No… no, that's impossible! I SAW IT! I SAW IT MYSELF!" Rogue roared.
"Enough," Strider said, suddenly lunging forth. He wrapped a hand around Rogue's face, his eyes and mouth blazing blue again. As he tore through the mental defense of Future Rogue, he suddenly saw a glimpse of it.
A single dragon, black as night and blotting out the sun. In the air around him were smaller winged creatures - each with a rider. Strider attempted to go further but found nothing else save for the mental image. He let Rogue fall back, his eyes wide open.
'No,' Strider thought. He felt a powerful fear grasp at his heart
"Uhhh… Strider?" Natsu asked, snapping him out of his funk.
"Hmm?" Strider asked.
"He's the one that's controlling the dragons!" Natsu exclaimed.
"What? How?" Strider asked, surprised. He pushed the image out of his head for the moment. He could think about it later.
"Dragon Tamer Magic!" Natsu yelled. To his surprise, Strider began to laugh. "What's so funny?"
"Dragon Tamer Magic… really?" Strider asked, turning to Rogue who grew angrier at having his memory violated.
"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?!" Rogue roared, attacking him.
"That you actually think your magic worked," Strider said.
"What're you talking about? These dragons are under MY control!" Rogue roared.
"No, they aren't," Strider said. "Natsu what's this dragon's name?"
"Uhh… Motherglare, I think!" Natsu said.
"You ought to be honest, lizard. Dragons might be known for their trickery, but never their dishonesty. Are you truly under Rogue's control?" Strider asked the dragon. To Rogue's surprise, the dragon began to laugh.
"None of us were," the dragon said in a menacing voice.
"Motherglare…" Rogue began.
"We listened to you because we thought your idea interesting, boy. You think you have the power to tame a dragon? Don't make us laugh," Motherglare said.
Rogue's look of surprise turned into fury.
"But… you said…" he began, seething.
"Like I said, it was an interesting idea. Nothing else," Motherglare said. Suddenly, he began to shake.
"What're you doing?" Rogue yelled.
"This world isn't yours. It's ours," Motherglare said vilely. Strider noticed several egg-like things begin to detach and rocket towards earth.
"Oh, hell. Natsu! Rogue and Motherglare are yours! You're going to need some help, though!" Strider said as he rocketed down to the ground.
Four dragons remained, but the landscape below had changed rapidly. The eggs that Motherglare deployed began to hatch immediately. To his surprise, Strider saw that everyone took the change in battle in stride. Most of the Wizards attacked the hatchlings, leaving the Dragon Slayers focused on the bigger ones.
Strider soon came across a small squadron of hatchlings that were faced away from him. With a small smile, he quickly locked them in statuses with his telekinesis. Pressing his hands to the hatchlings heads, he began to Dominate them. Their own eyes burned blue and as he removed his telekinesis from them, they stayed still and awaited orders.
"You will obey. Fight for me," he ordered them. With a nod, the hatchlings began to join the fray on his behalf.
-o-
"Guys, I don't like this," Macao said as Wakaba, Romeo, Cana, Lisanna, Elfman, Freed, Bixlow, and Evergreen were fighting beside him. They saw a large squadron begin to descend upon them and looked on fearfully, wondering what to do.
"How are we going to take them all out?" Evergreen yelled. Suddenly, the squadron that was approaching them was blown to hell.
"What just happened?" Freed demanded. They didn't have to look long before they saw the answer.
Hatchlings appeared, but their weapons weren't on Fairy Tail - they were turned against their own kind. Strider's squad began to annihilate their brethren with a furious intensity. The looked to Fairy Tail, who looked in shock. They simply began attacking more hatchlings, paying no attention to the Wizards.
"What's… going on?" Romeo asked his father.
"I've… no idea. But I'll take it!" Macao said, as he leaped into an offensive as well. Strider meanwhile dominated a few more squads that took their place throughout all the teams, saying nothing but ingraining themselves in the fight. Everyone was stunned, but no one questioned it - right now, the stakes were too high to question alliances.
-o-
Strider made his way over to where Wendy was - and there, he finally saw Mira. Strider felt a rush of happiness as he saw her - but to his horror, Zirconis did as well. He launched a tail at Mira. Kicking it into overdrive, Strider barely grabbed her at the last minute.
"Strider!" Mira yelled, hugging him tightly.
"You're safe," Strider said happily, smiling as he set her on the ground.
"What's going on?" Mira asked worriedly.
"Three dead, four active," he said.
"Did you…?" she asked uncertainly.
"Unfortunately. To many lives at stake to worry about anything else," Strider said. Mira sighed as she hugged him again.
"This is sweet and all, but is now really the best time?" Jenny asked as she came up to them, exasperated.
"DIE!" Zirconis yelled as he launched his tail at them. Strider quickly pulled them out of them way, sighing as he admonished himself for spacing out.
"Strider, be careful of his magic!" Wendy yelled.
"What is it?!" Strider asked.
"He can make your clothes disappear!" Wendy said, blushing red.
Everyone was quiet. Strider looked slowly at the dragon who grinned in response.
"Yeah, you should've seen Lucy lose hers," Mira sighed.
"What's your name?" the dragon asked him civilly.
"Strider. And yours?" Strider asked.
"They call me Zirconis," it said.
"Zirconis? Your temperance reminds me of another dragon I met during my travels. You wouldn't happen to know a dragon named Glaedr, would you?" Strider asked.
"HA! So the old coot is still alive, eh? I knew him well. Smallest dragon I've seen. Could barely use fire! He liked you humans for some reason. You met him, then?" Zirconis asked.
"I have. He's a pretty good conversationalist," Strider said.
"Useless in other regards," Zirconis said, although he couldn't deny that particular trait of Glaedr.
"He outlived you, didn't he?" Strider asked, smiling.
Zirconis's smiled turned upside down.
"Only because he chose to hide his whole life," he snarled at Strider. "When I get my claws on him…"
"He's flown north," Strider said.
"Oh? To chase those myths?" Zirconis asked snidely.
"Not myths. Completely real," Strider said as Zirconis eyed him.
"You said your name was Strider, right?" Zirconis asked again.
"I did," Strider replied.
"Strider… I'll remember that," he said before he attacked Strider, who dodged.
Zirconis took to the air, following Strider and the two began to rocket off of each other. Wendy joined in, attacking Zirconis with her mighty roars which inflicted slight damage.
"Nice work, Wendy," Strider praised her.
'Please be safe,' Mira said telepathically.
'Of course. We've our date coming up, no?' Strider asked. Despite the situation, Mira couldn't help but blush and smile.
"Strider…" Mira heard a soft voice say. She turned and saw the princess looking up in awe, watching Strider's every movement.
"He's quite the warrior," Arcadios said in awe.
"You should've seen his reaction when the king told us about the dragons," Jenny said with a smile.
"What do you mean?" Hisui asked, worried.
"He flew out, looking for them. Didn't believe the king. Looks like he was right," Jenny continued as Hisui started to cry.
"It's all my fault… what've I done?" she asked as Jenny and Mira leaned down close to her, comforting her.
"You did what you thought was best," Mira said softly.
-o-
Above them, Zirconis roared in pain as Strider cut off the two tendrils that hung from his chin.
"You'll pay for that!" Zirconis roared as his tail connected with Strider, sending him to the ground.
"Strider!" Mira and Jenny yelled, rushing to his figure. Slowly, he got up and looked at them. They could see blood begin to pour more heavily from the back of his head. His clothes were tattered and ripped, bruises and cuts showing on his face. As Mira looked down, she saw that his legs had begun to wobble.
"Going to take a lot more than that to get rid of me," Strider said, winking at the two before rushing against Zirconis again.
'Wendy! I need some support. Use Arms and Vernier on me and spin me with your magic!' Strider said telepathically. Wendy did as he asked and Strider began to spin wildly - Anglachel at his front. He added a telekinetic burst to himself as he got closer to the dragon, who paused to see what he was going to do. As he connected with Zirconis's chest, the dragon roared in pain. Strider ripped through several arteries of the dragon and erupted on the other side, covered in blood. Zirconis's body slowly fell back to earth, landing with a thump that shook the entire city. Strider soon landed close to the dragons head, cleaning himself as much as possible.
"I will leave it to you," Strider whispered softly so only the dragon could hear. The others looked on in anticipation.
"Oh? What?" the dragon breathed.
"Whether you live painfully or die peacefully," Strider said.
The dragon had a weak smile on it's face. Slowly, it closed its eyes. Strider's attack did more damage than he thought - the dragons raspy breathing finally stopped as it laid motionless.
"It's… dead…" Hisui said weakly. Strider walked over to Mira and Jenny who rushed to hug him.
"Are you okay?" Jenny asked, feeling his face while Mira made sure to check that nothing was broken.
"Just a bit tired and sore," Strider said as he put his arm around them. Mira quickly kissed his cheek, paying no attention to the blood that still covered him.
"Th-Thank you…" Hisui said.
Strider found a green haired woman, and a large armored man - he recognized neither. Beside them stood Yukino, the wizard he saw fight against Kagura
"You're welcome. If you can fight, then fight. And hello, Yukino," Strider said, looking at them. Yukino smiled and nodded in reply.
"This is Princess Hisui," Mira said.
"And General Arcadios," Jenny added.
They shrunk under Strider's gaze, unable to tell what he was thinking. He then smiled gently at Hisui.
"I'm surprised you didn't run when you got the chance," Strider said, leaning down close to the princess.
"I cannot abandon my kingdom," Hisui said, tears falling freely.
"You're already braver than many kings I've dealt with," Strider said kindly.
"This… is all my fault," Hisui cried.
"No. I assume you were tricked by the Rogue from the Future?" Strider asked.
"I… was. He made many predictions - all of which came true," Hisui said with a shuddering breath.
"And you assumed this one would as well. A reasonable deduction, and one you cannot be blamed for. The punishment you'll probably give yourself is worse than any that could inflicted on you. But I need you to do something right now, Princess," Strider said.
"What is it?" Hisui asked, wiping away her tears.
"I need you to be strong. Your people are depending on you. I know you're afraid - I am too, and I've dealt with a lot of dragons in my lifetime. But you need to be fearless. You need to be strong. I need you and your men to put your heads together and figure out a way to stem the damage these dragons are causing and send them back to their own time. Can you do that for me, Princess?" Strider asked gently. Slowly, she nodded and got to her feet.
'I will not be beat,' Hisui thought to herself. She began to work with her men and women and do what Strider asked.
"That was sweet of you," Mira said, putting her arms around him again. Despite the fighting, she wanted him to herself for a few moments.
"I thought you were going to yell at her," Jenny said.
"She's young. And while this isn't a mistake as much as it is a total clusterfuck, that's not what she needs to hear right now," Strider said smiling. They looked at the city - three dragons were still remaining. To the surprise of those watching, the fire dragon was attacking Motherglare. The other teams began to focus their attacks on the last dragon on the ground - Levia. Three of the statues were destroyed. Only the one wielding an axe remained, and he was on the ground - unable to move. Here and there and swept at a few of the hatchlings and crushed them, but was otherwise out of commission. Metal, sand, and rock wizards congregated around the statue and began to heal it to the best of their abilities. Strider smiled wistfully as saw the carnage.
"What's wrong?" Mira asked worriedly.
"I thought I left all the destruction behind me," Strider sighed. Mira frowned as she leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek, Jenny taking the other side.
"None of this is your fault. The way I see it, you're the one that's doing the best at trying to stop it. The world needs more people like you," Mira said confidently.
"Thanks, Mira," Strider said as he kissed her forehead. He couldn't wait until they finally got some downtime again - he couldn't remember another time he was as worried as when he couldn't reach her.
"You guys stay here and figure out the next move with the princess. I'm going to go help against that dragon," Strider said. Kissing both of women on the cheek, he headed towards Levia.
-o-
As opposed to flying, Strider opted to go through the streets. He was able to help a few people that had been left behind and pointed them in the right direction.
"Damn these little guys!" Ultear shouted. Closing in on her and Meredy's position, Strider quickly twisted the necks on the hatchlings that surrounded them.
"Whoa. Thanks for the assist," Meredy said.
"Not at all. Where's Jellal?" he asked.
"I think he went to find and help Erza," Meredy said. "You're doing a great job too!"
"Have either of you seen Minerva?" Strider asked.
"I haven't. I think she's already gone by now, though," Meredy said.
'She could've been a huge help,' Strider sighed.
"Are you doing okay? You look hurt," Ultear said.
"I'm fine, more or less. Just want to get this over with so I can rest," Strider sighed. "Come."
Exchanging a glance, Meredy, and Ultear followed.
-o-
"My skin is harder than even Rock Garden's. You can't pierce it!" Levia yelled at the group he was up against.
"Don't be so sure!" Strider yelled as he smashed into the dragon head on, making it flinch slightly. Meredy and Ultear meanwhile split the group up and pointed them in different directions to fight the hatchlings.
"You!" Levia roared.
"Who is this guy?" Strider asked Sting.
"Calls himself Levia!" Sting shouted, sighing heavily. The fight had taken a lot out of those involved, even the Dragon Slayers.
"Levia, eh?" Strider said as he brandished Anglachel.
"And you must be the one they call Strider," Levia said.
"I am," Strider replied.
"I'm impressed with you, boy. You not only killed Zirconis and Pulse, but you somehow convinced Rock Garden and Scissor Runner to destroy each other! You're quite an effective killer, aren't you?" Levia said with a snarl. Strider clicked his tongue.
"Not even a thank you for all that praise? Where are your manners!" Levia roared at Strider, sending the young man back slightly from the force of his dragon breath. Strider found his footing as he zoomed at Levia, tearing through one of the fins. Levia roared in pain as the others looked on at the match.
-o-
"GUYS!" Lucy cried as she caught up with Princess Hisui and the others.
"Lucy! You found new clothes!" Jenny cheered as Lucy sweatdropped.
"Yeah, Jenny… but that's not important right now! Listen, I think I've a way to get rid of these dragons. The Eclipse Gate! We need to destroy it. If we destroy it in our time, the dragons can't ever use it to come here," Lucy said in one breath.
"But how do we destroy it?" Yukino asked.
"We can use our spirits. They've got enough power I think," Lucy said as Yukino nodded. They knelt in front of each other near the gate as they clasped both hands and began to chant. They summoned their spirits, all of whom focused on destroying the gate. No matter how hard they tried, however, they couldn't break it.
-o-
Meanwhile, Levia was still fighting Strider. Neither relented as they tore into each other. Strider found himself a bloody mess. Levia seemed to be one of the older dragons here, and considerably more powerful than the others. Even though he lacked the scales of Motherglare or the naturally resistant body of the fire dragon, who announced himself as Atlas Flame, he was older than both. His attacks were certainly more matured.
"I've already claimed the lives of countless Dragon Slayers," Levia said as he stopped his attack. Strider levitated, wondering how to proceed.
"I'm not a Dragon Slayer. I just happen to be a man who's found himself slaying dragons. A culling, as it were," Strider said as he went in for a cut. Anglachel met it's mark, but the damage wasn't deep enough
"You've certainly given me more of a workout than those other slayers," Levia said as he sent fire at Strider, who dodged it.
"They're no joke themselves. A little more experience and they would've likely slain you by now," Strider said, praising his friends for their bravery.
"Ha. Don't be so easy on them, boy. These so called Dragon Slayers have never met a true Dragon Slayer. They've likely not even set eyes on a dragon before. But you… you're different. You've seen many dragons in your time. You know the devastation we can cause - our wrath and ruin. I see it in how you fight us. Oh, yes. You won't admit it, but this is your element Strider. Death and destruction. You're not so different from us dragons, are you?" Levia asked with malice. He took a sharp intake of air as Strider said nothing. The world seemed to have gone quiet as it listened to Levia.
"I can smell his blood on you, boy. That particular dragon - the one that struck so much fear in the hearts of my kind. The name that we even now struggle to say. So, it was you who killed him, eh? You slew Acnologia. That's no small feat. You slew the Dragon King. But there's another smell on you. Something else… something like…" Levia finished, smiling at Strider who remained unmoved.
Finally, Strider erupted at Levia with a devastating ferocity. With as much force as he could gather, he flew directly at the head of the dragon. Levia simply smiled as he saw the fury take hold of him. Strider tore through Levia's forehead as he erupted out of the other end as Levia roared in pain.
Strider levitated over the body of Levia, feeling everyone stare at him. The battle seemed to have stopped. Even Atlas Flame and Motherglare looked at the Wizard. Nobody knew what else to say - except Anglachel.
'Blood,' the sword whispered. Strider obeyed, setting down close to the dragon and resting the rip of the sword in the blood that pool around its head. Anglachel began to absorb the blood more quickly than earlier. Strider sighed, feeling the pull of the sword on his mind and body. He heard Levia whisper one more thing to him before he died.
"The king is dead. Long live the king."
Suddenly, an explosion was heard and everyone finally snapped out of their funk. They looked to the sky as they saw something erupt from Atlas Flame and hit Motherglare - hard. The dragon lost its balance in flight as it began to fall towards the Eclipse Gate.
-o-
Finally, Motherglare landed against the Eclipse Gate. The gate buckled under the immense pressure of the dragon and broke into hundreds of smaller pieces. As the smoke cleared, Natsu stood triumphantly over Rogue, his hand wrapped around his beck.
"No… it's impossible. The Eclipse Gate was meant to withstand any attack," Arcadios said.
"Whoever designed this particular flaw should be rewarded handsomely," Carla added. Immediately as the gate was destroyed, the bodies of the dragons began to dissipate.
-o-
From the alleys, Strider saw the hatchlings he had dominated come to him, their heads tilted as they too began to vanish.
-o-
"Leaving? Good riddance," Gajeel spat at the body of Rock Garden.
-o-
"That was pathetic. We couldn't slay a single dragon. It feels like a loss," Sting said, sitting on a pile of rubble and rubbing his face.
"We protected our friends. That's all that matters," Rogue said, smiling at his best friend. Sting returned the smile with a large grin of his own.
-o-
Mavis was hovering overhead, frowning.
'All these Dragon Slayers… and none were able to slay a dragon. Only Strider was… There's still a lot of mystery around him. But there's doubt he's a huge help to us,' she said, smiling at his figure. She frowned as she saw his sword, however. A shiver went down her spine as she felt something else; her head snapped towards the broke Eclipse Gate. Mavis waited, but nothing happened. With a sigh, she returned to Fairy Tail.
'Perhaps I'm a bit too tired as well,' she thought.
-o-
"Strider!" Mira yelled as she launched on to him, holding him tightly. She cried softly into his chest as Jenny joined her. Strider held both of them closely - finally, peace had come. The dragons were gone.
"I will never forget you… Son of Igneel," Atlas Flame said to Natsu.
"Couldn't have done it without you. Thanks, Uncle," Natsu said, smiling at the dragon. He looked at Strider, a huge grin on his face. Strider returned it.
"That dragon knew Igneel?" Strider asked.
"Yup. Turns out he and my dad were good friends. Wouldn't have beaten Rogue without him," Natsu said, smiling.
"It's no small feat to get through to a dragon. Congratulations," Strider said, smiling at the dragon slayer.
Slowly, he let Jenny and Mira go.
"I'll be back quickly. I need to make sure that…" Strider trailed off but they understood.
"Go," Mira said, smiling. They watched him rocket off.
"He's really something else, huh?" Mira asked.
"That he is," Jenny said.
-o-
"Strider! That was absolutely astounding!" Jura said.
"Thank you, Jura. But I deserve the least credit. Without the hard work of everyone - and I mean everyone - here, the outcome would've been drastically different, and not for the better. The courage with which you all fought today - it's one of the greatest showings I've seen. The world will live to see another day because of your actions," Strider yelled to the crowd that had gathered. They cheered in response to his words. He began to check in with everyone.
"Sting, Rogue, Olga, Rufus, Lector, Frosche. How're you guys holding up? Any serious injuries on you or your guild?" he asked going over to Sabertooth.
"A little wounded pride," Sting said with a grin that Strider returned.
"Only remedy for that is alcohol," Strider replied as Sting chuckled.
"Marvelous work out there," Rufus said, bowing. Strider bowed in return.
"Don't thank me. You guys did all the heavy lifting," Strider said, smiling at those gathered.
"I'll see you guys later," Strider said as he moved on to Mermaid Heal. Kagura seemed to be the most hurt. He knelt down and tended to her injuries as best as he could.
"I wasn't aware you could use healing magic," Kagura said, surprised.
"I can't. Little massage never goes amiss, though" Strider said, smiling.
"Thank you," Kagura said, blushing slightly.
"Not a problem. You were astounding out there. I saw your work with the hatchlings. Think you got more than anyone else," Strider praised.
"I would've been a goner without my team," Kagura said.
"You were awesome out there, Strider!" Millianna exclaimed.
"Indeed," Erza said, coming up behind Strider and hugging him as he got up.
"Are you okay?" Strider asked softly, holding her tight.
"Yes. And you?" Erza asked worriedly.
"More… or less," Strider said.
"Three dragons all by yourself, by my count," Erza said.
"I would've rather'd they not attacked and lived peacefully in their own time. As hard as it is to accept, the world belongs to other creatures as much as it does us. Never easy to do something like that," Strider whispered.
"We all would've," Erza sighed, resting her head on his chest for a while.
"Man, you're way to wild," Bacchus said, slapping Strider on the back. Strider slung his arm around Bacchus and smiled at his team.
"You all alright?" Strider asked. Quattro Cerberus seemed to have escaped without a scratch. They gave him a resounding WILD bill of health.
"Thank you all for the help that you rendered today. Without you, the kingdom would lay in shambles. Please, take the night and day off and rest your wounds! We have nothing but festivities planned for the next several days!" the king's voice soon said. Leaving the guilds to their cheer, Strider excused himself.
'Finally, I can get some rest,' Strider thought. He thought back to the words that Levia had said.
"The king is dead. Long live the king."
With a sigh, Strider managed to push the words out of his head.
"Strider? Are you okay?" Erza asked as she came up behind him, worried. She noticed that he stumped as he tried to walk away.
"Hey - can you hear me?" came Cana's voice, a bit muffled.
"STRIDER!" Bisca yelled, although at this point he couldn't hear much of anything. Strider suddenly fell forward, his legs unable to hold him up. Wendy and Shelia quickly rushed to his side and began to heal him while the others gave him some space.
Strider felt his eyes open and close several times, unsure of what was going on. All he could see was black, all he could feel was pain, and all he could hear was Anglachel's whispers.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone