Fairy Tail - Twilight Empire

Chapter 103 - A Complete Empire

Everyone stood around the craters where the dragons once stood. The three Dragon Slayers were in the pits, along with a few others, like Lily, Carla, Lucy, and Happy.

Erza was busily reciting some sort of farewell, something Hisui didn't want to interrupt. She was finally back up on her feet, with some mobility. The same could not entirely be said about some of the others. Mirajane, for one, was still unconscious, having moved to Laxus's arms while Lisanna made her way down to Natsu, Happy, and Lucy.

Max and Laki were barely supporting one another. Juvia and Gray stood nearby to help prop them up if they needed the help. Hisui was holding Sherria's hand. Makarov was in Biscklow's arms, the old man conscious but barely able to move anymore.

An apology rested on Hisui's lips, but she held it back. Words were unnecessary at the moment. The dragons, those creatures of marvel and wonder that had raised some of these wizards, were gone for good. There was no more chasing them, no more chance at finding them.

Sunlight had broken through the clouds a long time ago, but even its rays were dim over the final resting spots of the dragons of yore. Hisui wasn't entirely sure she understood how they were around in the first place—they'd just emerged. Had they been in hiding around Magnolia, were they magically bound to something, and only summoned because Acnologia and Animus approached?

She blinked away the dryness in her eyes. Soot and debris were still skirting along the faint breeze that'd claimed the battlefield. The remnants of the Cube resembled the rest of Magnolia: a husk of something once proud. The battle eradicated the entire place—the full force of the rebels' power struck out against the Demon Gates and barely won out, with much destruction in their wake.

At least, Hisui thought, the threat was over. Tartaros was dead. Bosco wasn't avenged, but they'd certainly taken a long leap forward in getting the vengeance someone like Kip no doubt sought.

Hisui hung her head. Yet another rebel she'd let down. Two dead, one a demon, two more suffering from severe Magical Deficiency Disease. She knew victory would have a price, and that to have lost, otherwise, would've meant the complete eradication of the rebellion and the go-ahead signal the Empire needed to continue with their STAR weapon.

There was just no cause to celebrate. No words of praise or accomplishment came to mind at all. What they all needed was rest, and a long bit of it. Of course, there was also nowhere to go. All of their hiding spots had been compromised, even their respite in the forest was probably lost because of the mass teleportation they'd done.

Some more flakes in the air drifted by. Hisui blinked those away, too.

"Max?" Evergreen asked. "Is that you?"

"Huh?" Max asked. "What do you mean?"

"This sand in the air," Evergreen said. "Is that your magic?"

"No," Max said. "I can't..."

"Run."

The word escaped Hisui even before she saw it approaching from the horizon. Everyone stared at her, then in the direction she was gawking. Her eyes widened, and her pulse quickened to the high it'd been during her battle.

"We need to run, we need to find shelter and get out of here right now," Hisui said.

"A sandstorm?" Freed muttered.

"It can't be," Makarov said. "Hisui, it can't—"

"Let's go!" Hisui shouted. "Gather the wounded! Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy, hurry! We have to run!"

The sandstorm wasn't just fast-approaching; it was already on top of them. They were just on the fringe of it. The Dragon Slayers were quick to move to help their friends get out of the way. Typical. And good.