10

Chapter 10 – Cana Returns! The Burrowing Calamity!

"Hahaha! We made a killing!" Mira cheered as the Strauss Siblings and Natsu finally returned to the Guild Hall after finishing selling the last of the Wyvern Bones, Scales, Fangs, Horns, and Claws. They were keeping all the meat they brought back for the Guild to share and eat. They'd lost seventy thousand Jewels from the Wyvern Slaying Quest Reward, because of the damage to the village. But since they'd gotten to keep the slain Wyverns the group had come out well into the black. The total they made for the six Wyverns they'd broken down and sold came out to four hundred fifty thousand Jewels, adding that to the remainder of the quest reward made the group of four a profit of seven hundred thirty thousand Jewels. Needless to say they were all ecstatic!

"Let's go stuff ourselves with Wyvern meat!" Natsu cheered and got laughter from the siblings, though none of them disagreed. Suddenly Natsu's nose twitched and he straightened up just outside of the Guild Hall. Seeing his actions both Mira and Lisanna looked at their boyfriend.

"Are you alright, Natsu?" Lisanna asked; concerned for the one she loved.

"What's going on, Natsu? You're acting funny." Mira questioned as she looked her boyfriend over.

"She's back!" Natsu grinned before kicking the Guild Hall doors open. "Cana, we're back!"

"Cana?" The Strauss Siblings blinked before looking into the Hall and seeing the pretty brunette sitting at the bar next to her father, Gildarts.

"Natsu! Welcome back!" Cana grinned at her boyfriend. The Magma Dragon Slayer dashed across the Hall and Cana stood up to meet him. The brunette smiled happily as she opened her arms and Natsu enveloped her in a hug. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him back for all she was worth. Natsu took it a step farther and lifted her up to spin her around happily.

"You're back!" Natsu beamed at her. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too, you goof!" Cana giggled before being set back onto her feet. "Kiss." She smiled as she pulled Natsu's lips to hers and engaged in a soft lip lock for a few moments. When the two pulled apart Gildarts was staring right at Natsu with a look that promised severe injury should he do ANYTHING to hurt Cana. Natsu just grinned back before the Strauss Siblings caught up and welcomed the Card Mage back. Hugs were exchanged between Cana, Lisanna, and Mira while Elfman and Natsu welcomed Gildarts back.

"So did you get your old man's Magic down?" Mira asked and Cana smiled before her left hand glowed white and she placed it on the barstool next to hers. The stool instantly glowed before separating into cubes of wood and falling to the floor.

"I'd say I've got a good handle on it." Cana grinned as Makarov looked at the destroyed barstool.

"You're paying for that Gildarts." Makarov informed the Crash Mage. Gildarts almost choked on his beer before turning to the old Master.

"What?! Why me! I didn't do it!" Gildarts argued only for Makarov to huff at him.

"She's your daughter and you're the one that taught her that Magic. So it's your responsibility!" Makarov informed the orange-haired man. Gildarts raised his right hand, index finger extended, to try and say something against it. But he ended up closing his mouth and lowering his hand without saying a word.

"Fine." Gildarts agreed before finishing off his mug and asking for a refill.

The group of teens spent the next few hours chatting and catching up with each other. It was during this time that the group found out that Cana had learned to drink alcohol from Gildarts. The brunette even had a taste for it, and preferred wine to beer or hard liquor. Gildarts was thankful to find something he and Cana shared in common, even if that was the love of the Drink. Though Cana was sweet enough to reassure him they had plenty enough in common, she even demonstrated by calling up the white glow of her Crash Magic, which brought a smile to Gildarts' face as the father and daughter shared a hug.

"So, when do I get to have my own Dragon Soul Ritual and learn some Dragon Slayer Magic, Natsu?" Cana teased the pink-haired teen that she was still snuggled close to on the bench at the table their group had sat at.

"Whenever you're ready, Cana, just like I told you." Natsu grinned at his girlfriend while he pulled her closer into a sideways hug. Mira and Lisanna both grinned at Cana, already deciding NOT to tell her about the end of the Ritual and the feelings it evoked. A little prank between 'dragon sisters' as Lisanna, Erza, and Mira had taken to referring to their group as.

"How about we start tomorrow morning?" Cana smiled and Natsu agreed. "Now I want to sample some of this Wyvern meat you guys brought back. So let's eat!" The brunette cheered and the rest of the teens followed suit. It was a fun, laughter-filled, dinner among the group and by the end of it Cana could agree that Wyvern was tasty! Especially grilled with a good seasoning rub and some smoky flavor!

-Next Morning ~ The Hut-

"This is where I've done all of the Dragon Soul Rituals for everyone." Natsu smiled at the fond memories. "I'm thinking about buying this whole area and building my house near here."

"That's sweet, Natsu." Cana smiled at him as she let him lead her towards the hut. Once the two teens had gotten inside the hut Natsu leaned back against the edge of the hut and opened his arms for Cana. With a soft smile Cana moved over and sat down between Natsu's legs. The brunette teen sighed in content as she leaned back into her boyfriend's chest and felt his arms wrap around her waist.

"Ooh, is that Dragon Magic?" Cana asked as she felt Natsu's Magic move and envelop her. She had been expecting the warmth, but the depth of his Magic was surprising. She felt a warm pressure all around her; it brought her happiness to be wrapped in Natsu's Magic like this. There was also the feeling Lisanna had tried to describe; the feeling of something old or ancient, primal and wild. With a happy sigh she sank deeper into her boyfriend's embrace and let the Ritual begin. The two spent all day together performing the Ritual. Natsu had told her that it would be about three weeks for the Ritual to be completed. Cana had smiled and leaned her head back onto his shoulder. The brunette was fine with spending all of that time snuggling with her boyfriend; they'd been apart for far too long in Cana's opinion anyway.

-Three Weeks Later-

"Did you feel it? Your Magic just shifted." Natsu murmured into Cana's ear as the brunette tightly clutched onto him.

"Mmm~." Cana pleasurably sighed into Natsu's neck. The feeling of her body and Magic changing and fully assimilating the Dragon Magic she'd been basically bathing in for three weeks was, 'climactic', to say the least. Cana made a promise to herself then and there that she was going to get her 'sisters' back for not warning her about this. Right after she stopped feeling like her cheeks were on fire, of course.

"So are you going to tell me what Element you've decided on now?" Natsu asked his brunette girlfriend. Cana giggled before standing up and, reluctantly, leaving her boyfriend's arms.

"Yeah, yeah…" Cana grinned. "After I deplete my Magical Reserves."

"You're just as bad as Mira." Natsu pouted and Cana couldn't help but giggle at his expression.

"Come on, pouter, I'll show you some Crash Magic for making you wait." Cana teased her pink-haired boyfriend.

"Cool!" Natsu exclaimed as he followed her out of the hut. Cana stretched a bit as she stood in the field and prepared to use her Magic. Noticing Natsu's eyes on her stretching form the pretty brunette got a naughty idea. Without giving any signal at all Cana bent forward and touched her toes. This just so happened to give Natsu, who was standing behind her, one hell of a good look at her Capri-clad booty.

"See something you like, Natsu?" Cana smirked wickedly as she caught her boyfriend's eyes as she straightened back up.

"Uh…huh? Yeah…" Natsu nodded dumbly as the image remained in his mind's eye.

"I'm glad you find me such a sight for the eyes." Cana giggled as Natsu snapped out of it and turned away, rubbing the back of his head embarrassed. "You can stare some more later, Perv Dragon, for now I've got some Magic to do."

"Hey! I'm not a perv!" Natsu shouted, sending Cana into another round of giggling at the indignant look on his face.

"It's fine as long as you're only perving on us!" Cana winked at him before her hands glowed white and she picked out a nice spot. "Crash!" The area she was looking at was suddenly covered in a grid of tiny white lines. The marked area then burst into pebble sized cubes of dirt and rock. The result of her spell was a large hole in the ground about a meter deep.

"Awesome!" Natsu cheered as he watched his girlfriend use her Crash Magic.

"Hmm, make it a bit wider and it'll be a good size." Cana nodded thoughtfully before directing her next spell. "Break!" The area around the large hole suddenly glowed and shattered sending more dirt and rock flying. The space affected by her spell was much shallower this time. 'Perfect for a private outdoor hot spring bath.' Cana nodded at her handiwork before turning to Natsu. "You ready for the biggest one I can do?"

"Heck yeah! Go Cana, go!" Natsu cheered her on, his eyes sparkling at her Magical Display. Cana smiled at seeing Natsu so excited by her Magic before raising both of her hands towards the sky.

"Fracture!" Cana called out and the very air several dozen meters up in the sky appeared to crack. This was followed by a loud booming sound and gales of wind blowing everywhere sending the trees swaying from the force. Cana put her hands on her knees as she took deep breaths before exhaling slowly. That was the strongest Crash Magic Spell she could use right now. It was so powerful it could even 'break' the air for a short time. Gildarts had warned her to only use it as an absolute last resort. There was no 'Reassemble' Spell capable of restoring anything hit with the 'Fracture' Spell. So whatever she destroyed with it would remain in pieces after it was used, including people.

"Ow…my ears are ringing." Natsu hissed as he held his ears. He hadn't been expecting the boom at all. After several moments the ringing went away and he approached Cana who had finally gotten her breathing steady again. "That was crazy, Cana!" He congratulated the brunette.

"Thanks Natsu." Cana smiled at him. "But it takes almost everything I have to cast that spell. So it's not something I can do more than once, at least not right now."

"So you're ready to set your Element, then?" Natsu asked and Cana nodded before moving over to the box she'd brought with her this morning. She'd forbidden Natsu from opening it to find out what was inside of it until she was ready. Opening the box Cana pulled out a bottle. Natsu looked confused as he saw the label on the bottle, 'Vigne d'or Brassée par Magie' was printed on it. "Is that wine?"

"Yep!" Cana replied 'popping' the p. "This particular variety is brewed with Magic! So it's perfect for this!" She grinned happily as she pulled out two more bottles. "I'm going to be an Alcohol Dragon!" Natsu face-faulted straight into the ground at his girlfriend's declaration.

"That's what you decided?" Natsu questioned and Cana smiled widely.

"What? I have a perfectly valid reason, mister!" Cana stuck her tongue out at him. "I looked into it during my training with Dad. Alcohol Magic exists and it's full of Status Affliction Spells. You can leave enemies so tipsy they just pass out, mess with their sense of balance, cloud their minds and slow their thinking; you can even mess with their senses! It's something not many Mages can do, especially not in our guild! Plus being able to use Status Affliction Spells covers up one of the last things my current Magics can't do. Aside from Healing Magic, I'm basically an all-rounder!" She explained and Natsu slowly started to see her reasoning.

"This is also so you can drink whenever you want and not have to worry about hangovers isn't it?" Natsu inquired with a small smirk.

"No…" Cana denied, unconvincingly, as she looked away. "But now that I think about it Alcohol Dragon sounds kind of stiff. How about Booze Dragon?" She looked at Natsu for his thoughts.

"Igneel never told me about any kind of Alcohol Dragon." Natsu replied before turning a bright smile on his girlfriend. "You might actually be the first!"

"Heck yeah!" Cana cheered with a delightful laugh. "Get ready for the first Booze Dragon!"

"All hail the Booze Dragon Slayer!" Natsu teased and Cana blew a raspberry at him.

"Time for a drink!" Cana smiled as she uncorked the first bottle and started drinking. Natsu walked over and sat beside the box before motioning for Cana to sit next to him. The brunette smiled as she sat next to her boyfriend before leaning against him. Natsu's arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her close. Cana sighed and relaxed as she enjoyed her boyfriend's warmth and the tasty wine.

"You're amazing." Natsu whispered into her ear after she'd finished her drinks, all six bottles, and felt her Dragon Slayer Magic take on the Element she wanted. Technically Alcohol Magic was a derivative of Plant Magic, which in and of itself was one of the subsets of Earth Magic. So Cana's unique choice made her 'Element' a derivative of a derivative Element.

"Hmm, how long does it take to get used to the fangs?" Cana asked as she turned to show off her new fangs and the slit pupils that all Dragons Slayers possessed.

"Shouldn't be too long, they're a part of you now." Natsu smiled at her. "Only took Erza about a week to stop hurting her tongue!" Cana snorted before bursting into laughter. The two sat with each other for a while longer just enjoying their closeness. Then Natsu's stomach growled and Cana raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend.

"Hungry?" Cana teased. Natsu simply nodded.

"Want to get something to eat together?" Natsu asked with a grin.

"Like a date?" Cana inquired a cute little smirk.

"Not 'like a date'. A date!" Natsu responded moving his face closer to Cana's.

"I'd be happy to." Cana murmured as their lips met for a soft kiss. The two slowly broke their lip lock before getting up and heading for Magnolia together.

-Ackerland ~ Northwest of Crocus-

It started with a light tremor, a small rumble of the land. Everyone blew it off as a rare minor earthquake. It was time to tend to the vast fields that produced upwards of forty percent of Fiore's agriculture. The many farmers that made the large, flat grasslands their home continued on without a care. It wasn't until a much larger tremor passed through the area and sent people stumbling and the animals into a panic that people started to get worried. By then it was too late. The ground erupted and a massive creature emerged with a deafening roar. None of the younger farmers had ever seen such a beast. But one of the old timers stood from his seat and yelled the first warning of the disaster.

"WYRM!" The old man yelled as loud as he could and that sent people scrambling for cover and trying to get as far from the beast as possible. The Wyrm roared loudly again before locking its eyes onto the fleeing people and panicking livestock. With a speed that belied its massive size the Dragonkin slithered along the ground and tore into the herds of livestock and any person that was unlucky enough to be in its path. A few of the farmhands knew some Magic and launched spells at the beast. The Wyrm barely noticed and when it did it reared up high and opened its mouth wide.

"BREATH ATTACK!" One farmhand yelled out but he and the others nearby were silenced when the Wyrm blasted the area they'd been in with its rock-based Roar. The land hit by the Roar was devastated. A massive trench tore through the land and ended well over a hundred meters away from the initial point of impact. With the nuisances gone the Wyrm continued its meal of livestock. When the first area was cleared of animals, the large Dragonkin practically dove back into the ground and tunneled through the earth before emerging near the next farm and continuing its feeding rampage.

One farmer and his family were hiding in their home as the land shook and the Wyrm roared loudly. The man slowly made his way to the Communication Lacrima in the house and input the number for the closest Branch of the Rune Knights. The land shook again and screams were heard as the Wyrm launched another Roar.

"Rune Knight Squadron Fourteen, what seems to be the issue?" The woman on the other end of the Communication Lacrima inquired.

"We're under attack!" The farmer yelled and the woman on the other end flinched at the volume.

"Under attack by whom? Dark Mages?" The woman questioned.

"No! A Wyrm came tearing out of the ground! It's destroying everything! It's killed I don't know how many people already!" The farmer exclaimed and the Rune Knight on the other end stilled for a second before snapping herself out of it.

"How large is the creature? Is it possible for you to run?" She demanded and the farmer shook his head, even though the Rune Knight wouldn't be able to see it.

"No way!" The farmer denied. "It has to be well over thirty meters in length!"

"Th-thirty?!" The Rune Knight stuttered before forcing herself to calm down. "We'll be sending the whole Squadron! Just try to hold out! Where are you located exactly?"

"Ackerland, District Twenty Six! But the Wyrm is burrowing through the ground to travel! It's emerging all over the place!" The farmer informed the Rune Knight.

"District Twenty Six, got it! The Squadron is on the way!" The female Rune Knight promised as she slammed her hand down on the emergency button next to her. A loud, blaring alarm sounded out across the Squadron Fourteen building and every Rune Knight present immediately stopped what they were doing and started suiting up.

"What the hell?!" One Rune Knight questioned.

"Emergency! Everyone get ready!" An Officer yelled as he ran through the building.

"Rune Knight Squadron Fourteen! A thirty meter Wyrm has attacked Ackerland District Twenty Six! All Knights are to mobilize at once!" The female Rune Knight announced over the Intercom Lacrima.

"A Wyrm?" One female Rune Knight questioned.

"A type of Dragonkin!" Another informed her. "Big as hell when they get older and deadly as well. We're going to need the cannons!"

Within fifteen minutes every Rune Knight of Squadron Fourteen was assembled and the Magic Cannons were loaded into the one Airship they were in possession of. The Squadron moved with all haste towards District Twenty Six hoping they'd be in time to save as many people as possible. The female Rune Knight on Communications had called up all the surrounding Squadrons and informed them of the situation. Squadrons Fifteen and Sixteen reported that they'd be moving to assist them in subduing the Wyrm. Squadrons Thirteen and Seventeen would be sending some of their members to cover the patrols of the three Squadrons while they were away.

Upon arrival the Rune Knights of Squadron Fourteen were shocked at the devastation below the Airship. Huge swathes of land were torn asunder. Large trenches hundreds of meters long littered the area. The farms they could see from the air were all destroyed. Many of them couldn't even speak at the level of devastation they were witnessing. Finally the Leader of Squadron Fourteen spoke up.

"Yes it's horrible, but that's to be expected with a Wyrm of this size!" The Leader spoke loudly. "We'll be disembarking to look for survivors! The Airship will scout the area to try and locate the Wyrm!" Here he turned to the two Pilots and the crew of six Gunners. "If you spot the beast you are cleared to fire! Take it down as fast as possible! Make sure you're in constant contact with Squadron Fifteen and Sixteen so their Airships can meet up with you! I want this monster to look like hamburger meat when you're done with it!"

"Yes Sir!" The Pilots and Gunners saluted as the Airship descended. The Rune Knights disembarked and immediately set out in teams of four to scout the farms for survivors. The Airship quickly ascended back into the air and moved to follow the trail of devastation. As the search went on over a dozen survivors were found and were being escorted to a 'Relief Station' that the Rune Knights had set up and concealed with Magic. On the off chance the Wyrm returned to this place they didn't want to be spotted. Explosions were heard off in the distance and the Rune Knight Leader contacted the Airship.

"What's going on?" The Leader demanded.

"Sir, we found the Wyrm!" One of the Pilots responded. "We've engaged the beast!"

"Good, fire at will!" The Leader replied.

"Sir, it's not looking good!" One of the Gunners came over the Lacrima. "The cannons are barely damaging this thing's scales!"

"Where are Squadrons Fifteen and Sixteen?" The Leader questioned.

"Both are inbound!" The Pilot responded again. "Shit! Evasive maneuvers! Breath Attack!" The Lacrima went dead for several seconds and the Leader stood there in shock. Only when the Lacrima blinked back on did the Leader realize he hadn't been breathing. "Sir, we're pulling back a bit! We need Squadron Fifteen's and Sixteen's support! This thing's more durable then the Capital's walls!"

"Retreat to a safe distance!" The Leader ordered. "Continue the assault once the other two Airships get there!"

"Yes Sir!" The Pilot acknowledged before the line went silent. The Leader took command of the ground forces and expanded the search area a bit more. Another dozen survivors were found before the Lacrima in his pocket blared to life again.

"Sir, get the hell out of there! It's burrowing through the ground and headed in your direction!" The second Pilot screamed into the Lacrima and the Leader's face went white when he felt the ground rumbling. The eruption of the earth and the massive roar had him looking up at the towering serpentine Dragonkin.

"Oh shit…" The Leader mumbled as he saw the three Airships in the distance trying to catch up with the beast. The Wyrm's wide open jaws and the explosion of rock launched towards the group of Mages in the area was the last thing he saw before everything went black.

-Three Days Later ~ Magic Council – Fiore Branch-

"So that's the situation." A messenger Frogman reported. The entire Council looked a bit perturbed at the news.

"We've lost almost three Squadrons of Rune Knights and we're not even sure how many civilians, and we still can't kill this Wyrm?" Councilwoman Belno questioned and received a nod from the Frogman.

"That is what has been reported, Ma'am." The Frogman bowed somberly.

"Please tell me we've at least managed to confine it to a single area?" Gran Doma, Chairman of the Magic Council, asked and the Frogman looked through a few papers before nodding.

"Yes Chairman, the Airships have to keep their distance, but they've managed to drive the Wyrm into the foothills of the Centro Mountain Range. It seems the beast doesn't move as well through the stone of the mountains. Currently it's being contained within District Twenty Nine of Ackerland." The Frogman informed.

"That's very near to the Capital." Councilman Leiji commented a look of worry on his face. "What can we do to stop it? Should we call in the Wizard Saints?"

"It seems we may have to." Gran Doma looked worried. A voice spoke up and the Council turned to another member.

"We could call on Makarov." Councilman Yajima spoke up. Several faces were made at the thought of asking the rambunctious Fairy Tail Guild for help. "He's filed some rather interesting paperwork over the last several months to the Council about some of his members."

"You mean besides the damage reports?" Belno groaned at the mere memory of some of the things she'd had to read regarding that Guild.

"Yes, actually, a rather specific 'Lost Magic' user joined up with Fairy Tail around three and a half years ago." Yajima started and seeing the looks on the faces of his fellow Council Members, he continued. "This same 'Lost Magic', according to the updated paperwork Makarov has filed, is now known by five members of his Guild."

"What Magic are you talking about?" Gran Doma inquired.

"Dragon Slayer." Yajima replied and all of the Council Members perked up at hearing the name. After all, God Serena practiced the same Magic, if they could figure out where the eccentric man had run off to they wouldn't be in this mess! "If we sent Makarov and his five Dragon Slayers, I'm sure this incident can be resolved before any more lives are lost. Hopefully before the Wyrm can destroy any more of Ackerland as well. If it continues to make its way through the heart of Fiore's farmlands we'll be looking at food shortages come harvest time."

"That would be a calamity." Gran Doma nodded before turning to the rest of the Council. "All in favor of sending Wizard Saint Makarov Dreyar and the five Dragon Slayers of Fairy Tail to deal with the Wyrm; say 'Aye'."

"Aye!" The Council voted unanimously.

"Bring me a Communication Lacrima; we have no time to waste!" Gran Doma ordered and two Frogmen hurried into the Council Chambers with the requested item.

Makarov and the rest of Fairy Tail had no idea they'd soon be receiving direct orders from Ishgar's Magic Council. That these orders would be the only viable recourse the Council had to prevent a literal Calamity for the country of Fiore.