Despite the distance, the Christina was rocked about in the sky, the power radiating from the volcano could be felt in the air. It's sheer power was something of awe, it couldn't be natural, could it? Gray was astonished as he saw the darkness surrounding the volcano. Thick ash fell like snow coating the ocean and land in complete darkness, rivers of magma were the only visible signs through the black ash. Streaks of golden lightning surrounded the volcano in a rage of power. Whatever was causing this couldn't be natural.

Boats passed underneath them, refugees of the towns that were being consumed by the so called natural disaster. Gray didn't envy them, no doubt after the Volcano was quelled they would need to rebuild, mourn for those that they had lost. If it was even possible. If the Volcano didn't become inactive after this the place might not be liveable. Nothing would be the same for those that had to flee from this disaster. How many lives had been lost he didn't know, and the numbers might never be known. On a disaster of this level, it was never truly certain.

"We have to be careful." Eve spoke up as he piloted the Christina, hands on the wheel as he observed the lacrima monitors Hibiki had set up in the Christina, allowing for them to monitor the situation. "There are abnormal levels of magic and it's causings more than just the eruption of the Volcano."

"So it's not completely natural?" Juvia asked, turning to the young Trimen.

"No, I think someone has purposely interfered with the Volcano and the natural habitat." He explained. "The lightning storms surrounding the island are also not natural, if we're hit by a lightning strike I don't think the Christina will survive it. The last recording strike that I managed to read was far beyond normal and its magic power was immense." He explained, turning the wheel as he pulled one of the controls, the Christina beginning to descend lower to the ocean's surface.

"We have to do what we can to quell the destruction, after that we can find out what was the cause." Lyon stated. "Once we're ashore, we head for the most critical parts." A large map appeared before the group of Fiore Wizards, it showing a map of the area dotted with red indicators.

"The red marks are magic signatures, those dots are the ones living in the area." Eve explained. "These lines here are the lava flow."

"What's that massive mark in the centre?" Juvia asked.

"Deep within the volcano." Eve told her. "Whatever is causing the eruption is right in the centre of it all." He continued. "The lava itself is imbued with similar traces of magic. I'm assuming someone infused a lacrima with mass amounts of magic power to cause the eruption." This shocked the other wizards, just who would do something like that?

"Our top priority is saving lives." Gray said coming to realise just how much of a predicament they were in. If they couldn't even use their magic and considering the dense heat they could already feel it would be unlikely. They wouldn't be able to stop the destruction. All they could do was evacuate the people and save as many people as they could. Uncovering the culprit would come after everything else.

Relaying the instructions, forgoing the stopping of the Volcano and to focus on the people the gathered Wizards nodded as Eve directed the Christina into the crowded port. Splitting up, Juvia and Gray headed straight from the Christina and out into the chaos of people fleeing the disaster. Lyon and Eve headed off in another direction to search for anyone. However Eve stopped as he felt the ground tremble under his feet, his lacrima blaring warning signs.

"What is it?" Lyon asked as Eve looked up with a pale face at what he had just read on his lacrima device.

"The magic power in the volcano just went nuts." His voice was shaky as he spoke. "We don't have long, the entire mountain's going to explode, nothing in a five mile radius is going to survive this."

"Get in contact with Gray and Juvia, tell them to hurry!" Lyon ordered. "How many can the Christina hold?" Lyon asked.

"Three hundred at maximum capacity." Eve said already using his lacrima to get into contact with Gray, however the magic in the air was causing interference causing the lacrima to explode in his hand causing the snow wizard to wince.

"Well we're going to have to go over, we're not leaving anyone behind!"

"There's no way I can reach them!" Eve was beginning to panic. Lyon could tell as much.

"Get as many on the Christina as you can, I'll go get them. We got here too late." Lyon frowned as he looked up at the mountain, chunks of rock being thrown from it's top as pyres of fire blasted upwards as new crevices began to form on the mountain, the volcano wasn't just erupting it was completely collapsing in on itself. "Do what you can." Lyon told him getting a nod from the young man as the Ice Wizard rushed off in the direction of Gray and Juvia.

Eve hurried back to the docks doing whatever he could to help people aboard, there was so many and so little ways to evacuate. It was becoming more and more apparent that they wouldn't be able to save everyone. Looking out into the chaos the ground shook causing Eve to brace himself against the side of the Christina as there were cries all around him before an alarm sounded off in the Christina. Eve's eyes widened at the alarm, it had been set up to recognise a single magic signature after the threat the user was, it was good to have an indicator of it's approach.

Acnologia.

The ground trembled under his feet as he did his best to lift a wooden beam, the heat causing him to start to lose his breath as the glow of the magma reflected in his eyes. Most everyone close to the danger was retreating down to the docks, but Juvia had heard the cry of a young boy inside a house and they had rushed to investigate only for the lava to burn at the houses supports and cause it to crumble in on itself.

"Juvia!" Gray grunted, falling to one knee holding the beam up with his shoulders, his hair starting to fray as the heat tried to ignite it.

"We're coming out now!"

"Hurry!" The magma was inches away, his magic did nothing to protect him from the heat as it burned away everything in its path. Seeing the hint of blue hair Gray forced himself to raise the beam higher allowing for Juvia to come out with the young boy clutching a puppy. When they were clear Gray dropped the beam causing the structure to collapse and was forced to jump back to get out of the splash fo lava that followed. "Talk about a close one." He thought as he turned to Juvia who smiled, she was covered in soot as well as the boy who had tear streaks through the ash.

"We need to go my love." Juvia frowned slightly. "There's nothing more we can do." Gray did a sweep of the area and reluctantly nodded. Buildings around them were bursting into flames as they turned and jogged down the path.

Gray was surprised when he saw Lyon running up the path before he skidded to a halt, his eyes widening in horror as he looked past them. This caused Gray and Juvia to turn and look at what had stopped him. The mountain was beginning to break apart, the land trembled under foot and the flames that shot forth were anything but natural, and so was the roar.

"GROOOOHHHH!" The air trembled with power as the massive maw of the Dragon forced its way up through the tip of the Volcano followed by its arms and massive form. It's wings burst forth spreading wide sending molten rocks of considerable size soaring all the way over the town, some crashing down into the buildings some even making it as far as the ocean.

"A freaking dragon!" Gray roared as he and Juvia sprinted towards Lyon who turned and ran with them down towards the docks. Behind them the Dragon let out another vicious roar, sending a powerful wave of flames into the sky which unbeknownst to them trickled with lightning and shot into the black ash covered sky. The clouds then filled with the lightning magic and before long hundreds of lightning strikes all struck around the volcano, hitting buildings causing them to crumble as others struck at the magma causing explosions amongst the sea of lava.

The red eyes of the Dragon turned and saw the burning village and paid it no heed as he looked to the sky, flapped his wings of the remaining volcanic lava and let out another roar. This time a Challenge and it was returned.

The roar from the ocean was far to familiar to Gray and Juvia, never in their lives would they forget the horror of what befell them that day on Tenrou Island. Blending into the pitch black skies was a mix of blue markings, shooting across the sky like an arrow. Straight towards the Dragon that had emerged from the volcano. Their roars together were deafening as Acnologia charged, the flame dragon was about to take off before a Dragon covered in white scales with a mane of flames crashed into the Dragon of the Apocalypse from above. Gray couldn't believe what he was seeing. Why were three Dragons here?

"I won't let you kill him!" The white Dragon Roared, opening her mouth gaining a massive amount of magic power as she prepared to let off a powerful magic infused roar, green light forming in mass quantities in her mouth. The mass amount of raw magical power crashed into Acnologia's back sending him crashing into the lava below, the white Dragon shooting down as Acnologia shook the attack off like it was nothing.

"Get away from me you fake!" Acnologia roared crashing his tail into the white dragon sending her crashing into the town, tearing up buildings and coming to rest near the docks half submerged in the water. Gray, Juvia and Lyon shielded themselves as the titanic beast crashed past them ripping up everything in its path as Acnologia set it's sites on the Flame Dragon still atop the volcano. Acnologia's eyes narrowed as he saw the beast, taking in the full appearance of the Dragon.

It reminded him severally of the Flame Dragon Igneel, but there were notable differences, between that Flame Dragon and this one. With dark-red scales, beige underside, and horn-tipped nose. Even for a recently born Dragon he was large in size matching Acnologia himself if not larger, with bat-like wings, and sported canine teeth and sharp claws. There was a notable scar on his right cheek. It's massive hands had darkened scales, completely black as a moonless night all the way up the forearms resembling flames.

It glared down at him, rage in those eyes. He had seen it hundreds of times from Dragons that had all fallen to him. But they all had reason to hate him, this one didn't. Nevertheless, it didn't change what needed to be done. Spreading his wings he shot forth towards the top of the Volcano and the Flame Dragon spread its wings shoot upwards into the ash covered sky, Acnologia hot on his trail.