Ice Dragon Slayer/Chapter 10: Daphne

"Long story short, Wendy and Carla are the newest members of Fairy Tail." Erza explained, motioning to the blue haired girl in the green dress and the white cat. "So treat them well."
"Nice to meet you all." Wendy said with a bow. The guild crowded around her and started praising her cuteness.
"We're so glad you all made it back, Erza." Mirajane said to the red head. All of team Natsu had just returned from the mission Makarov gave them; destroy the Oraciōn Seis, one third of the Balam Alliance. Together with members of three other guilds, the six demons were defeated and arrested.
"Hello, master." Erza nodded to the old man.
"You did well, Erza." The master said. "Now that the Oraciōn Seis are in jail, I'm sure things will quiet down. And thank you for bringing two precious and powerful new members to the guild with you."
"Girl, it's been too long!" Levy cheered before tackling Lucy in a hug.
"Does Lucy seem...different to you?" Jet asked Droy.
"Who knows what they went through on this mission." Droy mumbled.
Water poured out of Juvia'a eyes and swept them away, and almost drowned the whole guild. "Gray, darling, you're back! I'm so happy I'm crying waterfalls!"
"Gray, calm down your girlfriend!" One member shouted, struggling to keep his head above water.
"She's not my freaking girlfriend!" Gray shouted, floating by before the water drained out of the guild.
"And then the giant snake grew wings attacked." Natsu said, telling others about his fight with one of the Seis.
"Quit pulling my leg." Elfman said back. "No snake is manly enough to fly."
Mirajane walked out from behind the bar and over to the new members. "Welcome to Fairy Tail, you two. I'm Mirajane."
"I can't believe it, Carla!" Wendy said to the cat. "First we meet Erza, and now Mirajane!"
"I'm guessing your cat friend uses the same magic as Happy. Would you mind telling me what magic you use?" The model asked.
"Don't you dare compare me to that furry freak!" Carla shouted.
"Don't mind her." Wendy said about the cat. "I use healing and support magic. Actually, I'm a Sky Dragon Slayer." The whole guild stopped talking and stared at her, making her drop her head. 'Did I do something wrong already?'
"That's Awesome!" The whole guild shouted, shocking her.
"Ive never heard of a guild having four dragon slayers!" Wakaba cheered.
"Four?" Wendy asked.
"Oh, yeah, you don't know about him. Drake, come here!" Cana shouted over to the back of the guild hall. The members moved out of the way to show the Ice Dragon Slayer sitting alone on at a table.
"Let's go say hi." Sarah grabbed his wrist and pulled him over.
"What's up." He whispered before returning to the table.
"What's wrong with him?" Lucy asked.
"I don't know. He's been like this since he got back from his solo job." Sarah explained.
"Wait, I know you two." Carla said. "Weren't you the criminals that were wrongly blamed and had to spend seven years on the run?"
"Got it in one." Sarah said. "Then we ran into Natsu and the others, one thing led to another, and now we're members."
"So what magic do you use?" Wendy asked.
"Dinosaur Soul Take Over." Sarah pointed to Drake. "And he uses Ice Dragon Slayer magic."
"Okay, everyone!" Makarov shouted. "Listen up! Let's welcome our new members the only way we know how!" The whole guild cheered him before they started partying all night long. Only two members stayed out of it; Mystogan, who faded away after seeing Wendy, and Drake who got up and exited the guild.
A Few Days Later
Wendy and Carla, now decorated in their new guilds emblem, stared up at the request board, looking for a job to do. "See anything you want?" Mira asked, walking over to her.
"There's just so many." Wendy said to the model.
"Take as much time as you want." Mirajane said back. "But a little advice. Stay away from solo jobs for a while. All our new members usually start with team missions. You'll take a pay cut, of course, but the experience is well worth it."
"Sounds like fun." Wendy said with joy.
"Wendy, do I need to remind you of your potently choices?" Carla motioned over to the bar, where Elfman and Natsu where laughing like madmen and Gajeel was sulking.
"Helping Wendy find a job, Mirajane?" Lucy asked as she and Levy walked over.
"Actually, I'm thinking it be best if she started off teaming with someone else." The model said back.
"Not a bad idea." Levy said. "That's how lulu started here."
"Yeah, I'd rather not think about that." Lucy said, thinking about all the problems that has lead to.
"Well, do you two need any help?" Wendy asked.
"Sure, we need all the help we can on Shadow Gear." Levy said.
"Why not just stick wit us?" Lucy asked.
"That might be hazardous to her health." Levy said back, making Wendy chuckle.
"Hey, Natsu." The pinkette turned around to see Drake behind him.
"Where you been, man?" Elfman asked. "None of us have seen you for days."
"Don't worry about it." He disregarded the concern. "Anyway, I heard a rumor that you might be interested in."
"Well, what is it?" Natsu asked.
"Someone in town says they saw a dragon." Natsu and Wendy were shocked.
"For real?" Happy asked as Natsu jumped off his seat.
"Was it Igneel?" Natsu asked.
"I didn't hear a name." Drake answered.
"Did you talk to the guy who saw this dragon?" The pinkette asked again.
"It's only a rumor." He continued. "The girl who started it is named Daphne. According to her, she didn't just see it, they talked with each other."
"In person?" Natsu asked. "Is it true?"
"No idea." Drake answered. "I didn't ask that many questions."
"How do we find her?" Happy asked.
"She's living in a lodge outside the city." 
"Thanks, let's go Happy." Natsu said. The cat jumped off the bar and onto Natsu's shoulder.
"Can I come too?" Wendy asked. "I don't wanna bug you. I just want to see if it's Grandeeney or not."
"The more the merrier." Natsu chuckled before turning over to the bar. "You two sure you don't wanna come?"
"Not a chance in hell." Gajeel said back.
"I know you're as curious as we are." Natsu teased.
"Will you just listen to yourself?" The metal eater asked. "You hear dragon, and you run off on a wild goose chase. Stories like this are made for suckers like you. It's pointless to get your hopes up."
"What if it was Metalicanna?" Natsu asked. "Would you still sit here?"
"No, I'd find him and punch him in the face." Gajeel said back. "I don't know why you care about someone who abandoned you."
"I no longer worry about Glacius." Drake added. "I've got more important things to worry about." 
"Well, I'm not giving up." Natsu said back. "Igneel is out there, and I'm gonna find him. Let's go Wendy."
"Right." Wendy nodded before turning to Carla. "I hope it's Grandeeney."
"Don't get your hopes to high." Carla warned her. "If your hopes are too high, you'll only be disappointed."
"Thanks for the tip, man." Natsu told Drake as he walked over.
"Not a problem." The black-haired teen smiled back as the other slayers ran out the guild.
'I'm sorry.' He thought to himself with a sad expression on his face.
Magnolia Cake Shop
"Id like to order this one." Erza said, pointing to the strawberry cake with the Fairy Tail symbol on it.
"Thank you, miss Erza." The owner said. "I have to say, you are probably my most faithful customer."
"I buy one each time we get a new member." Erza explained. "I guess it's become something of a tradition. Then again, if you weren't a master of your craft, I wouldn't come here. So are fifty cakes do able?"
"You got fifty new members already?" The baker asked.
"No, just three." Erza said, turning to the door. "The rest are for me." The owner stared in shock as Erza walked out the door. Knowing a shortcut to the guild, she walked down an alleyway before jumping out of the way of a pair of swords that a clocked figure swung.
Erza summoned her own pair and blocked a double swing before she swung herself, breaking the blades. Her opponents hand glowed green before two short swords appeared. "Requip?" The figure jumped down and swung again. Erza blocked the blades before jumping back and then charging. Both blocked the first blade as they traded blows. Erza landed and turned around, only to find air. "What was that?"
----Rise Hotel
The four stared at the bright yellow hotel just sitting in the dull rocky plain. "This looks... out of place." Happy mumbled.
"And run down." Natsu added. The pushed open the door and walked in, only to find the whole place empty.
"It doesn't look like anyone's around." Wendy observed.
Carla walked over to the receptionist desk and a crystal glowed. "I think that's by design. This place seems to be run automatically. It can check people in and out with the need to hire employees."
"You're so smart, Carla." Happy said, trying to score points.
"I don't think anyone's here to maintain the place." Carla ignored the blue cats comments.
"Frosty is getting a punch for this!" Natsu growled.
"I think we're jumping the gun." Wendy spoke up. "They're are a ton of rooms to check. Maybe we can try checking them, this Daphne might be staying in one of them."
"Okay, let's split up and check every room." Natsu nodded. The four split up and knocked on all the doors they could find but no one answered them. They all met up at the last room, a big door surrounded by giant stuffed animals. Two were sticking out of the wall and the door had a giant face on it.
"So, I'm guessing this is the last door?" Happy asked.
"And it's not suspicious in any way." Natsu added sarcastically. "Daphne, are you in there?"
"Ya got that right!" A voice shouted back.
"Open up! We need to talk!" Natsu shouted.
The door opened slowly cracked opened to reveal a girl in a cowgirl outfit and glasses, chewing on a pokey stick. "You really need to work on your manners." She poked out the door and adjusted her glasses.
"We heard you saw a dragon." Natsu shouted.
"That I did." Daphne nodded opening the doors wide. "Come inside, we have much to talk about." Magic seals appeared under the four and they dragged the wizards into the dark room before the door closed. The lights flashed on and it show Daphne sitting on a couch, her patchwork dolls pampering her.
The four could only stare as she ripped the lid off another pokey box and had a doll give her one. "What are you waiting for, sit down." The seals lead her guests over to the couch and forced them to sit. "Now I understand you have many-a-questions."
"Damn right we do!" Natsu shouted. "That dragon you saw, where is he? What did he look like?"
Daphne fixed her glasses and stared at Natsu. "Tell me, why do you want to know that stuff?"
"I'm a Dragon Slayer from Fairy Tail!" Natsu shouted, igniting his hand. "I've been searching for a dragon named Igneel that disappeared. My friend here is also looking for a sky dragon, named Grandeneey. We heard a rumor that you saw one. That's the only reason we're here! So if you know anything, tell us! We need your help."
----Fairy Tail Guildhall
"Hmmm... it's strange that he would attack and then leave." Makarov mumbled as Erza told everyone about the attack.
"It was a warning." The red head explained. "He was letting me know that he was out there. But there was something odd about him. The only way I can put it is that he smelled wrong."
"Smelled?" Lucy asked.
"Not like a person, more like an animal." Erza clarified. "Even his breathing wasn't normal."
"We'll be cautious, but not paranoid." Makarov spoke up. "He'll come to us."
"Are we going to sit here and do nothing?" Erza asked.
"Yes, we are." Makarov answered. "We'd be doing nothing but waste resources otherwise. Go about like nothing has happened, that should irritate him into attacking again."
Rise Hotel
"Yes, I said I met with a dragon." Daphne said, turned around to the group. "But that was nothing but a lie."
"A what?!" Natsu angrily shouted.
"That's too bad." Wendy mumbled.
"Looks like Gajeel was right." Happy said, disappointed.
"I'm sure you understand, dragon boy." Daphne said, messing with Natsu's hair. "I had to find some way to get you to come."
"I understand you suck!" Natsu shouted before marching towards the door. "Come on, let's go!" He kicked open the door, only to find a swirling mess of colors instead of a hallway. "What the heck!?"
"The hallway melted!" Happy shouted in shock.
"How does a building vanish?" Wendy asked.
"You belong to me now, like birds in a cage." Daphne bragged.
"Well see about that! Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" Natsu punched the doorway, only to get blasted back.
"Natsu!/You okay?" Wendy and Happy shouted at the same time.
"It's like a magic wall... your a wizard!" Carla asked Daphne.
"Not a bad display, Salamander." Daphne chuckled as Natsu stood back up. "You certainly live up to your reputation."
"She's kinda scary now..." Happy mumbled, hiding behind Natsu.
"I guess good things do come to those who wait." The cowgirl chuckled again.
"This was a set up!" Natsu realized.
"That's right, and you fell for it." Daphne bragged. "Stuff that in your pipe and smoke it."
Wendy ran over to the window and opened it, only to find the same thing. "We can't leave this way either."
"My magic is quite handy, wouldn't you say?" Daphne chuckled as Natsu ran back to the door.
"I've never met a wall I couldn't break!" Natsu swung his fist again, only to be met with a fist of stone to his face. He looked up to find Drake glaring at him.
"Enjoying the floor Natsu?" He asked.
"Drake." Wendy cheered.
"Wait, how did you get past that wall?" Happy asked.
"Good question, and I've got my own bone to pick with you." Natsu said, standing up. "Next time, make sure your info isn't a pile of garbage."
"It's not my fault you're stupid." He stated before walking into the room. "We've been playing you this whole time."
"That we did." Daphne chuckled as she put her arm on Drake's shoulder. "Good work, partner."
"You know her?" Natsu asked as everyone stared at the two. "What's going on here? I want some answers and I want them now!"
"You clearly don't understand the meaning of the word double-cross, do you idiot?"
"What'd you call me?" Natsu asked back.
"I want payback for the first time we fought each other."
"The hell are you talking about?" Natsu asked.
"Quite simple. As of now, I'm done with this guild and you."
"You serious?" Natsu asked from the ground.
"That's a man for you." Daphne said with a smile. "Now fetch me a Fire Dragon Slayer."
"Gladly." 
"Don't do this!" Natsu shouted.
"I've been waiting for the moment to shut you up for good."
"This is a dream, right?" Happy asked, not wanting any of this to be true.
"You guys get behind me." Natsu ordered the girl and cats. "He's not joking around."
"Why are you doing this?" Happy shouted.
"Please don't fight!" Wendy begged.
"Ice Dragon Frozen Fist!" A icy fist punched the ground where Natsu had been standing.
"Stay close to me, understand?" Carla said, pulling Wendy out of the way.
"Stop this!" Happy shouted. "There's no need for this!"
Daphne laughed at the cats statement. "You really are as stupid as you look, are you? If you don't fight back, you're gonna end up as a fine paste. Get him, Drake Frost."
"The hell is the matter with you?" Natsu shouted.
"Nothing's wrong with me. You're the one just standing there and not avoiding my attack."
"Do you think this is a fake?" Wendy asked.
"I don't see how... One brand of Dragon Slayer magic is extremely rare." Carla mumbled. "The odds of finding another person with the same elemental type are extremely slim."
"Wait a minute, what about that freaky spirit we meet fighting nirvana?" Happy asked, speaking of the Gemini spirit. "That copied a lot of different magics. Do you think it's something like that?"
"It is possible." Carla confessed. Natsu jumped and kicked Drake in the back of the head, forcing him to the floor as the marble tiles shattered upon impact.
"This has to be a fake." Happy shouted.
"How do you know?" Wendy asked.
"Well for starters, he-" Happy started before he chewed on a icicle he was carrying.
"He just ate a icicle. This guy's the real deal!" Happy shouted.
"He's right, only a Dragon Slayer can eat their elements." Wendy added in horror.
"If it's a real fight you want, then you got it!" Natsu shouted at him.
"Bring it on." He challenged. "Ice Dragon Roar!"
"Fire Dragon Roar!" Natsu did the same and both torrents of elements met in an explosion of ice and flames.
Drake ran through the smoke and pulled his glowing fist back. "Ice Dragon Frozen Fist!" He punched Natsu square in the gut before raising his leg. "Ice Dragon Talon!"
"Keep it up!" Daphne cheered for him. "There's nothing like dinner and a show. And by the way, I'm not one for cheap imitations. That right there is the real deal!" Drake threw a punch that sent Natsu flying back. "Oh, and he came to me. I'm not one for something as petty as mind control."
Natsu slid to a halt as he wiped his mouth of sweat. "No kidding. I've felt that punch before. No copycat could ever do the same."
"Took you long enough to figure that out."
"Fire Dragon Talon!" The pinkette delivered a flaming straight kick, sending Drake crashing through the wall. "We're just getting started!" Natsu raced after him as the others followed him into the hall.
"I knew Natsu was a barbarian, but I thought this 'Frosty' would be different." Carla mumbled. "It must be something Fairy Tail puts in the water."
"I want answers, buddy, and I want them now!" Natsu shouted. "Were you ever really a good guy, or were you just fooling Sarah as well?"
"Don't bring her into this." 
Natsu jumped out of the rubble and used his breath attack, while Nicholas used his Pillar spell to pierce it. "This doesn't make any sense. Why would Drake betray his friends?" Wendy asked from the peanut gallery.
"Not that it matters to you, but Frosty offered to help me with a special project." Daphne explained. "When I first got here I needed information and he was just the first person to help me. After that, we started meeting up and then we became partners on this little endeavor of ours."
"A betrayal, after everything Fairy Tail has done for him?" Carla asked in anger.
"But wait, what does that have to do with why you want Natsu?" Wendy asked.
"Sorry, but I'm not into spoilers." Daphne teased. "For now, just shut up and watch."
"If you don't wanna tell me what's going on, I guess I'll just beat it out of you!" Natsu charged the Ice Dragon Slayer, who smirked at the bravado shown to him.
Fairy Tail Guildhall
"I don't understand, why are they late?" Erza complained about Natsu and Wendy. "Following a simple lead doesn't take this long."
"You don't suppose he found Igneel, do you?" Lucy suggested.
"Or maybe he got tired of chasing rumors and called it night?" Wakaba added.
"Normally I would agree, but Flamebrain had Wendy with him." Gray pointed out. "As reckless as he is, he wouldn't keep a kid out this late."
"What's more, we still don't know anything of my attacker." Erza added. "For all we know, he could have gotten to them."
"I don't think we should be just standing here, doing nothing." Sarah stated.
"Frosty's a big boy, he can look out for himself." Gajeel teased. "He doesn't need someone looking out for him."
"Do you want to repeat that?" Sarah threatened.
"Enough." Erza stopped the fight from getting any more severe. "I'm going to look for them. Lucy, Sarah you're with me."
"Got it." The blonde nodded.
Others tried to join in but Erza shot them down. "We can't split up anymore than we already have. Stay here and guard the guild hall."
"Be careful." Mira warned them as the three women ran out the guild hall.
Rise Hotel
"Ice Dragon Avalanche!" A avalanche of snow and ice swept Natsu down a set of stairs.
"You're a disappointment Dragneel." 
"You're one to talk!" Natsu shouted as he pulled himself out of the wall before throwing a fire ball at Drake who blocked it with a shield made of clear ice.
"Ice Dragon Volcano!" A eruption of clear ice sent Natsu up into the air.
"Don't hurt each other." Wendy begged.
"At the rate they're going, they're going to wear themselves out or destroy this place." Carla pointed out. "But we have a problem. The walls in this place is made of stone. Meaning Natsu is at a disadvantage."
"Natsu needs help." Happy said. "I'm going back to town and getting some." He opened a window and tried to fly out, only to be send to the ground.
"That was painful to watch." Carla mumbled.
"I'm afraid there's no escape, so just relax and enjoy the show." Daphne chuckled. "This place is my illusion, so if I want you to stay, you stay."
"Illusion?" Wendy asked.
"Just a little concealment magic to hide it in plain sight for as long as I want." The cowgirl bragged. "It may not be good in a fight, but it sure fooled you." She glanced out the window and the others follower her head. "On the plus side, you're little friends are here."
The three fairies looked out the window and saw Erza and Lucy looking around. "We're up here!" Wendy shouted pounding on the window.
"They can't see us, child." Carla told Wendy.
"Don't worry about them. They'll have their own problems soon enough." Daphne chuckled.
He threw Natsu away, only for the pinkette to jump off a wall and springboard back. "Fire Dragon Flame Elbow!" Flames shot out of Natsu's elbow and he rammed the other one into Drake's gut, sending him crashing into a hallway as Natsu followed him.
Outside
"That inn should be here." Lucy mumbled, seeing nothing around her but sunbacked rocks. "Do you think we made a mistake with the directions?"
"I don't like this." Sarah muttered. "Are you seeing anything, Erza?"
"I think we may have walked into a trap." The redhead said, making Lucy panic. "It's the same smell as before." Magic seals appeared on the ground before a cloaked figure rose out of the ground. "That's what attacked me. You two stay behind me."
"Got it." The blonde nodded as Erza donned herself in her Heavens Wheel armor. The figure held out its hands and summoned its own blades before charging Erza.
The four swords met as Erza started pushing on the blades. "What is your plan? Are you why Natsu and the others haven't returned yet? Tell me!" She swung her blades and ripped the hood to shreds, showing a lizards head underneath it before it charged Erza and pushed her back.
"Erza!" Lucy shouted as the other two ran along side her. "Hang on!" She pulled out a gold key and summoned Virgo. "Erza needs help, pronto!"
"Understood." The maid started digging underground when she stopped. "Princess, we have company." A seal appeared behind her and another beast landed next to her.
"Another one!?" Erza asked, pushing her own opponent back.
"I'll take care of this one, princess." Virgo dug underground, hoping to catch it off guard.
"Why is your spirit copying Nicholas?" Brianna asked.
"Virgo could do that way before we met either you!" Lucy shouted back. The beast behind them dug underground and Virgo missed it.
"It fled?" Virgo asked before it rose out of the ground, catching her off guard. Virgo swung her chains and the beast dodged them before going back under ground.
"Listen, we got this. Go help Erza." Lucy told Sarah who went to back up the red-head as Virgo popped back up.
"I failed princess." Virgo reported.
"Just take a rest for now, okay?" Lucy closed the gate as Virgo bowed to her. "Okay, let's try this." She pulled out another key and held it to the sky. "Open, Gate of the Lion - Leo!"
"Sup, gorgeous." Loke asked as he appeared.
"Think you take this guy?" Lucy asked.
"No problem. Besides, I still owe you one for taking in Aries and the others." Loke pushed his glasses up as the beast charged him and was met with a fist to the face, er, snout. Before hitting the ground, a seal appeared and swallowed it before a new one popped out, this one looking like Loke. "Well, this should be fun." Every punch and kick he threw was matched perfectly. "What's going on? He got way stronger."
"Take-Over: Pterosaur!" Sarah dive-bombed Erza's opponent only for a third beast to shot out of the ground. This one had wings instead of arms and large about of feathers on its neck. "That might be the ugliest thing I've ever seen."
The beast flapped it's wing and a tornado shot towards Sarah, who avoided the tornado. "Let's go a few rounds."
"Imitation may be flattery, but you have no style of your own." Erza said before dressing herself in her Giant Armor, only for the beast to do the same.
----Inside Rise Hotel
"Are those lizards working for you?" Happy asked after the three watched outside the window.
"What a smart kitty." Daphne teased. "Yes they are, and those aren't the only ones. I've got an army of dolls working for me."
"So, they aren't really alive?" Wendy asked.
"Golems?" Carla guessed.
"Nail on the head." Daphne nodded. "And the best part is they can tag out to another Golem who can match the opponents power. Lucky for me, Frosty told me everything about the wizards of your guild. And that's not even the best part. But why spoil all the fun and tell you now?"
An explosion rocked the building as Daphne looked down over the railing. "My, my, those two sure like to have their fun, don't they?"
"Ice Dragon Pillar!" Drake threw his arm forward and it turned into clear ice aimed at Natsu. The pinkette caught it and started melting it with his bare hands. "Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!" He pulled his arm back and Natsu launched forward and punched him in the face.
"Finish this game, would you?" Daphne asked her partner.
"You got it." 
"You lose!" Natsu speared him through the wall and landed in the lobby.
"Not bad, dragon boy..." Daphne chuckled as Drake's icy scales faded.
"Okay, we're done." Natsu panted as he looked up to find the other Slayer out cold. "No way, I actually knocked him out? Awesome!" He noticed the lack of movement from the earth wizards chest. "Crap, I didn't kill him, did I?" He raced over only to find a pillar forcing him to the ground from the ceiling. "What the heck?"
"Idiot..." Drake chuckled as he stood back up. "How stupid can you be?"
Daphne laughed as she walked up behind Natsu. "I'll take it from here." She held out her hand and a purple seal appeared beneath Natsu. "Hidden Darkness!" The seal turned into a hole that swallowed Natsu whole. "An excellent performance, Frosty."
"Thanks." Drake said, clutching his gut. "Man, his head is really hard."
The others ran into the room and stared down the glowing hole. "You sneaky little... You never meant to beat Natsu at all, did you? You were just leading him here." Carla realized.
"And he fell for it hook, line and sinker." He explained.
Outside
Erza and the beast clashed spears against each other as Loke brawled with his own lizard and Brianna tried to hit her opponent. "Now it make sense, they switch out with each other that has the same skills as the opponent." Erza said aloud. "But that's also their weakness. Requip!" 
She changed into her Adamantine armor and the lizard did the same, before she jumped up, changed into Black Wing Armor, and sliced it in half. "No one can requip as fast as me." She glowed and returned to her normal armor Next time, use your own power."
"It's alive! It's alive!" Daphne shouted from atop the things head. "Activate lacrima core!" The girls jaws hit the stone floor in shock as they realized they were staring at a giant dragon like thing. "Anything that isn't my Salamander core, get away from my baby!" Carla and Happy flew Wendy away as the things eyes started glowing red. "Behold, the mighty Dragoniod!"
"Do we really wanna know what Salamander core means?" Lucy asked as it roared again. "So loud!"
"Like a new born, it cries!" Daphne cheered. "The world's first artificial dragon has salamanders power for its life force."
"Ypu guys!" Wendy shouted as she and the cats raced over.
"Wendy!" Erza shouted in joy.
"We need to do something, fast!" Happy shouted.
"Hold on, where's Natsu?" Lucy asked.
"He's inside that thing!" Happy explained. "Some crazy woman named Daphne set up a trap and Drake lured him into it!"
"You're kidding right?" Sarah repeated. "He must be under her control."
"No, he's not!" Wendy said back. "He's doing all this because he wants to."
"Up there." Lucy pointed to the dragonoid's snout to find Drake standing on it.
"What are you doing?!" Erza shouted as he jumped off. "If you've betrayed Fairy Tail, I'll-"
"Punch me in the head. You guys aren't supposed to be here." 
"Tell me what's going on?!" She shouted. 
"Can't you tell? He's trading you in." Daphne chuckled from the cockpit. "And I'm still waiting for my congratulations."
"You're the one behind this insanity!?" Erza asked. "Let Natsu go at once."
"Not gonna happen." Daphne said, finishing her pokey. "Kinda using him as a battery after all. I'd say your good byes while you can. Natsu Dragneel won't be around much longer."
"You want to stop it, be my guest." Drake muttered. "I don't expect you to last this long against the dragonoid."
'Something isn't right. The way he's talking.' Sarah thought. 'If this isn't mind control, what is it?'
"I take offense to that." Daphne spoke up. "Genius is often mistaken for madness, but once I'm done, people will know what I am. It wasn't easy though. First, I had to make artificial dragons and then raise the young. After that, well, let's just say my home town finally proved itself useful. But they all use the same magic I do, so they fled before I could get any results. Without any data, the test was ruined. But I got the last laugh..."
"And now, after all my research, I found the solution. In order for my baby to work, I need the power of a real life Dragon Slayer. Of course it couldn't be just any dragon Slayer, no, no. My machine was specifically crafted to handle a fire dragon. Now, Salamander, surrender your power my baby can live." Daphne ordered. "Burn, baby, burn!"
Natsu screamed in pain as the beasts eyes glowed red. It slammed its foot down, kicking up dust around the girls and Happy. "Why did you create this thing!?" Erza shouted. "It can't just be for show."
"Your mind is as sharp as your blade, Erza Scarlet." Daphne said back. "My dream is to make the ultimate dragonoid, but this thing is still just a prototype. And now it's time for field testing." The beast slammed its feet down again, trying to squash them like bugs.
"This chick is insane!" Lucy shouted.
"We need to stop her." Erza declared. 
"And attack that thing with Natsu trapped inside it." Sarah responded. "He's not going to survive it's destruction."
"Sometimes you have to make sacrifices." Carla answered.
"Don't talk like that!" Wendy shouted.
Erza glanced over to find Drake still on the rock formation. 'Is this what you really want?' A magic mobile pulled up and Elfman jumped off and punched the Dragon Slayer in the gut, knocking him out. "What are you guys doing here?"
"You were taking too long, so the master sent us out to find you." Macao, the driver explained. "Mind telling me what the heck this thing is and where Natsu is?"
Elfman jumped down as the wings of the robot started to glow. "Is this thing about to fly?" Lucy asked in disbelief. It started floating off the ground before it flew away.
"It's going to hit Magnolia." Wendy realized.
"You all take Drake back to the guild, and then prepare for action." Erza ordered. "Protecting Magnolia is our top priority."
"What about you Erza?" Lucy asked the red head.
Erza summoned a sword to her hand. "I'm going Dragon hunting. Now get moving." The others nodded. 
"Thanks for the ride." She jumped off the wagon and was met with another lizard man. "Again?"
"Did you really think I would leave my baby unguarded?" Daphne asked.
Erza jumped back, donned herself in her Black Wing Armor and took to the sky, only for the lizardman to grow its own wings and fly after her. "I've beaten it before, and I'll do it again!" She swung her sword and sliced the beast in half. She reached the Dragonoid's hide and landed on it, only to find it covered in lizardmen.
----Magic Mobile
Three lizard men popped up.
"That's just ugly." Elfman mumbled as the three men climbed out of the car. "Sarah, we'll deal with these things. You just get him back to Magnolia."
"You sure about this?" She asked back as he threw off his coat. "Right, I'll be back!" She hooked up the S.E. plug and the car took off.
----Magnolia
"Big dragon, dead ahead." Cana pointed out as the town crowded in to the guild hall.
"Now for the million jewel question: how do we beat it?" Drop asked.
"Master has a plan, right?" Jet asked Mira.
"He wants to wait until Drake gets back." She explained. "He thinks that Drake will talk to him."
"What good will it do, talking to a traitor?" Cana asked. "We can't just sit here and twiddle our thumbs."
A damaged magic mobile pulled up to the guild hall. 
"Get them help!" The doors popped open and Macao, Wakaba, and Elfman fell out after Sarah stopped the magic mobile. Everyone raced over to them.
Cana pushed her out of the way and grabbed Drake, who was asleep, by the collar. "Wake up! You might as well be awake and see the damage you done. Pathetic!" She slapped him across the face, waking him up.
"Leave him alone!" Sarah shoved Cana away. "I'm sure he's got a valid reason for this."
"I got your reason! He's a damn traitor!" Cana shouted back.
"You don't know what you're talking about." She was on the verge of crying.
Once awake, he looked away from them. 
"I thought I was here to see Master Makarov, not get slapped." Drake said quietly.
"Let's go." Alzack said, pointing his gun into Drake's head.
"Don't make my trigger finger any more excited than it needs to be." Bisca warned as the three walked into the guild hall just as the dragonoid landed in Magnolia. The three reached the masters door and Alzack opened it before pushing Drake onto the room. The two closed the door behind him and raced into Magnolia to fight the beast.
"The battle has begun..." Makarov mumbled as he looked out the window. "Now is as good a time to explain yourself."
"I'm sorry about all of this." He apologized. "This is the last thing I wanted."
Makarov walked over, anger seeping out of his mouth. "What did you think was going to happen!? Answer me, dammit!"
"Only Natsu can beat this thing." Drake said back, looking at the master. "And he's right where he's needed."
"I don't want riddles, I want answers!" Makarov shouted. "Is this how you repay kindness? We took you in when you had no where else to go. We gave you a new home, a new family, and you do this to us?! Maybe you're more like Suishou than you thought..."
The sound of stone breaking stunned Makarov into silence.
"You think I enjoy what's going on right now. Betraying my friends and putting their lives at risk!" Drake had punched a hole into the wall in anger. "If I had any say in the matter, I never would have allied myself with Daphne." 
"Is someone forcing you to do this?" Makarov asked.
"Yeah. The Magic Council." He answered, sadly. "Even though I was cleared of involvement in the village massacre, I committed other crimes over the last seven years. After my last job, they gave me a offer that couldn't be refused. Lure Daphne out or Sarah and I go to jail. Why do you think I've been avoiding everyone else for the last seven days. I hated what I was about to do to Natsu."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Makarov asked. 
"They have a inside man." Drake explained. "If they found out I shared this information with anyone, you guys would never see me again." 
"So are you expelling me like Laxus?"
Makarov stared at him before speaking up. "No, however, you will be punished. For the next seven years, all the monetary gains you receive on jobs will be given to the guild."
"I just want to fix my mistake." Drake responded sadly. 
"I appreciate you owning up to what you did wrong." Makarov said. "Now how do we clean up this mess you caused?"
"It's real easy." Drake smirked. "After proving to Daphne that I could be trusted, she told me something interesting. The only way to beat this thing once it's activated is for a Dragon Slayer to attack it from the inside." 
"Then what are you waiting for?" Makarov said. "Get down there and tell them your plan."
"You lousy-" Sarah was angry about being kept in the dark regarding this.
"I will." After opening the doors he left the guild.
Magnolia
"Master told you what?" Erza asked after recovering from being forced off the robot. "Destroying the Dragonoid is our top priority? What about Natsu?"
"He said he's tough enough to survive this." Lucy mumbled.
"Natsu!" Erza shouted. "Can you hear me?! The master ordered us to destroy this monster by any means necessary. But I need to know what do you want to do? Answer me!"
"It's about time someone asked that..." Natsu mumbled from inside the core. "Listen up, I'm only gonna say this once! Forget about me! Just destroy this thing!"
"But what's gonna happen to you!?" Happy asked.
"Just do it!" He shouted back. "If Magnolia turns into a pancake because of me, I'd never live with myself."
"Please tell me you've got a plan in mind, Erza." Lucy begged the redhead next to her. "Erza, answer me!"
"Oh, what a rush!" Daphne screamed in scientific ecstasy. "They all called me a liar for that day. But I'll never forget what I saw. It was majestic, powerful... the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I thought it would come back but it never did, so I decided to make my own!"
"Okay, this girl has major problems." Happy mumbled.
"The first thing I'll show them is how my baby can wipe out a whole city, and then an entire country!" The Dragonoid roared, forcing them back a bit.
"Sheesh, she's annoying." Drake muttered as Sarah floated in the air in her Pterosaur form. 
"What is the meaning of this!?" The redhead asked.
"I may have gotten Natsu into this mess with my secrets." He said as she landed right beside him. "But I know just how to beat this thing, so you need to listen to what I'm about to say."
While Drake was explaining as fast as he could, the robot was sapping Natsu's strength to the point he was hallucinating two chibi versions of himself. "Only six percent left! We're almost at full power!"
"The council did what!?" Lucy asked in shock.
"I thought you had betrayed us... please hit me!" Erza begged, dropping her head in shame.
"I am a traitor for not sharing this information with anyone when we first joined the guild. But right now, we've got work to do." He turned to the side.
"So what do we do?" Carla asked as Daphne summoned her lizard men.
"Get rid of the lizard men first." Drake instructed, kicking one to the side. "Gray, Juvia. Get to the highest point you can and wipe all these things out."
"How do we do that!?" Gray asked.
"Head to the roof of the toy store and combine your magic." Drake answered. "You'll figure it out soon enough."
"Combine..." Juvia mumbled as her face turned red.
"I still don't understand how we're supposed to beat this thing." Erza mumbled. "Master knows Natsu is the only one who can destroy this thing so why is he telling us to attack it." A thought crossed her mind as she figured out the plan. "Of course."
"You always were smarter than you give yourself credit for." He complimented her.
"Hold off the lizard men for as long as you can." Erza ordered as she donned herself in her Heavens Wheel Armor. "We'll take care of the Dragonoid."
"But Natsu's still in that thing!" Wendy shouted.
"We know what we're doing." Drake shot back.
Erza jumped towards the Dragonoid's snout and summoned a multitude of blades. "Blummenbalt!" She swung her arms and the blades hit the beast.
"That's it, keep wearing yourself out." Daphne teased. "Only three percent left."
"Ice Dragon Volcano!" A eruption of snow and ice hit the Dragonoid.
"So you showed your true colors, Drake Frost." Daphne asked. "But you're too late. Salamander is now apart of my Dragonoid for good!"
"It's never to late for us, my dear..." He teased the last two words.
The beast roared again, knocking him off the snout.
"I hope Gray and Juvia are in position." 
With Gray and Juvia
Gray looked out from the roof to find the Dragonoid was in front of them, as well as the river that flowed into town. "I get it. We're in her blind spot. She'll never see us coming."
"What do you mean?" Juvia asked.
"He wants us to do a unison raid." He explained. "Not gonna lie, I've thought of the idea myself."
"You have?" She asked with a blush.
"Yeah, we're ice and water." He nodded. "The first time we fought, I though how our magic would complement each other."
"Really!?" Juvia asked, now beet red.
"I know we can do this, so what do you say?" He offered his hand to her and she took it.
"Magic Fusion!" Both shouted as they glowed in a blue aura. "Unison Raid!" The river burst out of the canal like a series of geysers as icicles started raining down on the lizard men, wiping them all out.
The glow faded as Juvia still had sparkles in her eyes. She turned to confess, only to find air. "Don't run away from me!"
Magnolia
The Dragonoid started having a case of split personality, with Natsu's voice begging them to stop him before saying he wants to destroy everything. "This is bad." Bickslow said, using his Figure eyes. "That thing is starting completely absorbing Natsu's spirit. If we don't do something now, he's gonna be gone forever."
It started stomping around while at the same time saying it shouldn't. "Listen up, ya pink haired freak!" Gray shouted, catching its attention. "Are you seriously this helpless?! It's pathetic! I should have known you were nothing but hot air! Stop the lame comedy and man up!"
"Stop it, Gray!" Happy shouted before an idea crossed his mind.
"Smash that thing to smithereens, and let's go home! That is if you can!" Gray shouted.
Soon, Lucy, Happy, and even Erza started jeering him. "Jeeze, you don't have to be so hard on him..." Cana mumbled.
"What happened to the guy who gave me a hard time when we first met back in Hamamelis Village? Where's that Natsu?" Drake asked. "If Igneel saw you right now, he'd be very disappointed." 
That was the tipping point. Flames shot out of the core as Natsu started marching towards him.
'Damn it! It's still not enough!' The Dragonoid burst into flames as Daphne couldn't control all the power.
"Jeez, you're dumb." He looked over to find Gajeel walking forward. "Next time you wanna do something this stupid, just do it alone."
"Don't start with me Redfox, just help." 
"Thought you'd never ask." He jumped off of Nicholas and started falling toward the Dragonoid. "Time to shut him up! Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Karma Demon - Iron Spiral!" His legs turned into a drill and he cracked the orb open like an egg, snapping Natsu out of the frenzy. "Damn. Was hoping to sneak up on you and beat the snot out of you."
"Anyone that has fire-related magic, send it this direction. Natsu needs a recharge."
"I've got just the delivery system." Lucy said as she summoned Sagittarius. Everyone around her summoned as much fire as they could as the spirit fired his arrow. The fire swirled around the arrow flew towards Natsu.
"This chick has tarnished the dragons reputation." Gajeel mumbled. "Teach her a lesson."
"Don't have to tell me twice." Natsu grinned as he ate the fire. He climbed to the robots snout and started ripping it to pieces. "You wanna see a dragon, huh? Let me show you what an angry one looks like!" Daphne stared at Natsu as she was shaking in fear. "Pull that vanishing act again, I dare ya. I'll find you, no matter where you hide!"
A blast of fire and the Dragonoid exploded from the head first. The sun rose out from behind the clouds as Natsu slung Daphne over his shoulder. "I hope you saw that, Igneel."