Owee! This is the last chapter I've finished so far. So until then I'd be working on the next chapters. I'm not sure though if until when I would be finished, since I'm still a student and well, unfortunately our teachers are just so darn demanding. Urgh!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail; Mashima Hiro does. :)

Chapter 3

Natsu seemed to be staring up ahead to see any sign of the village as his friends walk behind him. Gray seemed to be in a serious mood today and really wondered what he could be thinking. Lucy, on the other hand, was complaining all the way and if not, she's squeaking every time she stumbles on every rock on their way. He rolled his eyes. Could she be really that lame? Just then there was a whiff of strange scent in the air that only he could notice. "Wait-"

He felt his comrades' eyes on his back. He turned back to them and they all paused. "That scent..it's weird." He said as he sniffed the air again. Lucy stepped her right foot forward and stumbled by doing that and everything happened in a blur. He swore Lucy seemed to disappear quickly but Gray with quick senses, yet not quick enough to grab Lucy, looked down the pit where Lucy fell. Gray and Happy yelled Lucy's name as he held out his hands in vain. Natsu was brought back to reality when he heard a scream that he knew came from Lucy.

"LUUCCYYY!" Natsu managed to shout as he looked down to see the blonde disappear in the darkness.

"Let's get going!"

He looked up to see Happy with a determined face. "C'mon, Gray, Natsu, we have to save Lucy. I'm going to carry you down there."

"Are you sure, Happy? You can only carry one person." Gray said his voice full of tension.

"It's okay, we're going down and the gravity would just help me in doing my job."

Gray looked at Natsu who looked like he did not comprehend anything that Happy said probably because of the turn of events or he's just plain simpleton, just nodded at Happy anyway. He looked back down. He has to save Lucy no matter what. That cliff, it's just way too deep, he's having a hard time believing they're walking on a cliff though the surroundings seem to deceive them.

With Happy carrying them with all his might, they went straight down, yelling out Lucy's name all the time. With what Gray at first thought as just a thick covering of trees, he was shocked at the place as it appeared to be a steep slope with a lot of humongous trees. He was afraid he would see his friend sprawled on the ground not moving because she bumped her head seriously. But that doesn't mean he doesn't want to see his team mate however.

"LUCCYYY!" He yelled with all his might followed by Natsu's yells that echoed through the area. Natsu was cursing in between his yells and muttered unintelligent words that Gray can't seem to hear. The trees, Gray noticed, is getting thicker at this part of the place that sunlight seemed to be fainter. He's really nervous now as they still haven't caught sight of Lucy. For some reason, as they delve deeper in the forest, his head scream louder and louder scolding himself again and again about being not fast enough to rescue her.

Before, he could yell for the nth time, he felt himself falling suddenly on the ground; all three of them rolling just as what happened to Lucy before coming down to a halt. Dizziness swept over him at first, the when he got a hold of himself, he slowly stood up and checked for his companions. Natsu and Happy, who seemed to reach his limit flying, seemed to be okay but nonetheless, he needed to ask. "Natsu, Happy, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," Happy answered grimacing at their recent ungraceful landing.

Gray turned to see Natsu trying to sniff the air looking for any signs of Lucy. Natsu just answered him with a grunt concentrating on what he was doing. Then Natsu stopped sniffing and there seemed to be a look of confusion and surprise on his face that made Gray anxious. "W-What is it, Natsu? Is Lucy near?"

Before Natsu could answer, Gray felt a presence behind him and immediately turned back to see a blonde woman standing still with an expressionless face. It's as if she was standing there all along watching their every move. Gray expected the girl to be covered in bruises, not that he wants it, but it should be since they saw her fall and roll down. But she was neat and clean as ever, as if she had just landed gracefully on the ground where they were standing. With all the confusion, all he could muster was, "Lucy!"

They rolled down the ground but Natsu seemed to not feel the pain as rocks pierce his flesh at every contact. His mind was filled with thoughts of his team mate who was lost somewhere in this weird looking and weird smelling forest. At the time that they were flying down, he could smell Lucy's scent, though faint, yet it gave him hope. The strange scent he smelled awhile ago seemed to have gotten stronger and that doesn't made him more comfortable. Lucy is still missing and they haven't seen or heard any signs of her. When he halts to a stop, he heard Gray groaned and felt him steadying his knees.

"Natsu, Happy, are you okay?" Gray had said and Happy replied him with a grimace and a shivering 'I'm fine'.

Then he smelled something really weird that made his eyes go large as ping pong balls. It's as if Lucy's smell became fainter and it merged with the strange scent. What is going on here?

"W-What is it, Natsu? Is Lucy near?" Gray had asked him probably sensing his anxiousness. But before he could answer, they both felt a presence and Gray turned to see the blonde mage they've been looking for the whole time.

"Lucy.." he croaked unable to believe his voice. He knew something was off but he doesn't seem to understand what the heck is going on. Standing in front of them is Lucy. But he knew she is not; it's all getting confusing.

Lucy then scoffed and a smug grin tugged in the corner of her lips. Then she turned her brown eyes to Gray and then to Natsu in where she lingered for a little too long. She started to move forward but Natsu charged forward, "WHO ARE YOU? WHERE IS LUCY?"

Gray, who also sensed something, drew back a little and positioned himself for an attack. Natsu grabbed the blonde's shoulders—Lucy's—and shook her wildly. "WHERE IS LUCY?" he repeated.

Lucy, still grinning, moved her lips and then said in a not-so-Lucy way, "I am Lucy. Who are you looking for?"

Natsu drew back, "NO, YOU'RE NOT!" he stormed.

"Natsu, what are you talking about? It is Lucy," Happy said though with the quivering in his voice, it seems that he's not convinced either.

"Where's Lucy?" This time, it's Gray with a deep and dangerous voice that suggests he's serious. When the woman in front of them just continued grinning, Gray 'tch'ed out of frustration and prepared himself as smoke starts to form in his clasped hand.

The said Lucy noticed this and she moved another step forward as she put one of her hands on her hips, "Oh well, seems like I didn't get your approval. But it doesn't matter anyway." She turned to her fingernails, examined them as if making a mental note and with an approving look to herself, she turned back to them. "Ah, yes, I'm not this girl you called Lucy. I never underestimated your wits to not immediately notice."

"What have you done to Lucy? Where is she?"

The woman turned to see a flying blue cat with teary eyes looking at her. "Aww, you're so cute. Would you mind being my pet?" she cooed but when the cat gave her an angry glare, she backed off. "Oh well, you do mind, so whatever. Where was I? Ah, yes, I'm not Lucy-"

She was cut in when she had to jump back immediately as soon as she saw that the other man who's half naked threw something at her. She landed on the ground just as soon as the pointy, dangerous icicles struck the ground from where she was standing a while ago. She had to admit, the guy's skilled and quick and she was also impressed by how well coordinated this body is despite its look. She's glad she finally found a fitting body—quick, well-coordinated, hot, and most of all, contains a lot of magic power. When she caught her footing however, she noticed a warm sticky liquid flowing from her right cheek. She smiled an evil smile however, confusing the two men and the cat in front of her. "You do know that I don't intend to leave my disguise unknown? I want you to know actually, that I'm not Lucy and start attacking me."

What is this crazy woman talking about?

"Yes, I'm not Lucy. But this body is hers.." The woman grinned in satisfaction as the horror of the three showed on their faces. Then she turned to the ice mage and smiled a sinister smile, "You don't want to rip your poor friend's body, do you?" She laughed maniacally and for once in a very long time, she hasn't felt this ecstatic except maybe for one or few times when that certain someone shows affection for her.

"What do you mean?" The pink haired boy with a fierce look on his face said. That was such a nice scene for her and she was quite enjoying it. Two cute faces looking at her demandingly clearly confused and frustrated.

"You don't get it, do you?" she said at him and jumped toward him, her face just an inch closer than his. She lifted a finger on his chin, "What I said is, you harm me, and you damage your friend's body and she won't be able to come back. That's what I mean."

Out of anger, Natsu sent her a flaming punch from his right hand but the woman was too fast. She dodged and jumped away just in time and smiled at it smugly. "I don't believe you!"

"Stubbornness won't get you anywhere. You know I'm not lying the moment you saw me. I knew you immediately know I'm not your friend. You smelled something odd, right, Salamander? " At that, she laughed again fuming Natsu even more who was looking at her with blood-shot and dangerous eyes. Gray, on the other hand, looks at the woman that possesses Lucy's body. If what this crazy woman says is true indeed, then they're in more trouble than they think they are.

"I'm getting bored already." She said rather flirty, it sent Gray goose bumps all over. "Ah, I know, let's put this body to a test, to make it more interesting." She reached down and when Gray and Natsu saw what she was holding, they stared in utter horror. "Gate of the Goat, I open thee! Caprico!"

At that instant, a half man-half goat with a pair of eyeglasses that cover his eyes appeared out of nowhere. "You called..Lucy-sama."

A flicker of mischief showed in the face of his owner and from that, Caprico knew this is not his master. Even so, the presence and the physical body is the same so technically, she is his master for now. But what happened to their real master. "Caprico, I want you to finish those two for me," she said. When she felt him falter, she added, "Aren't you listening to your master?"

He turned to face the three comrades of her real master and here he is ordered to kill them in front of their real master's eyes. And when he says eyes, he means the literal eyes. "I've been ordered", he said as if making his point to the two men who were already preparing themselves for an attack. "Forgive me, Natsu-sama, Gray-sama. And most of all, Lucy-sama," he said as he charged for a battle on the two mages. Lucy laughed again that maniacal laugh as she watch the two mages caught in a battle with one of the most powerful spirit in the Spirit World. This girl is really something, she said to herself musing at how easy she could summon spirits on her own will. Still not contented, she summoned another spirit and waved its keys in the air. "Gate of the Twins, I open thee! Gemini!" At that instant, two small creatures appeared in front of her. "Defeat that raven haired boy for me. Leave Caprico alone with that pink-haired boy. You understand?" Another faltering moment for the spirit. She's already getting tired of this, "What are you waiting for?" she stormed. Then, the two small creatures transformed into a man with raven hair and droopy eyes. She smiled at how intelligent these creatures are and she knows this girl she's possessing as well. Gemini then charged in the battle field and somehow pulled the real raven haired into a fight.

After minutes of fighting and destroying a lot of trees in the vicinity, Lucy got tired of the battle as the two were almost beaten by her spirit. As soon as the three paused to catch their breaths, she waved Caprico and Gemini's key forcing a gate closure on him.

"That was quite rude, you know."

The woman turned to see the mocking face of the real raven-haired mage who by now has a long cut on his muscled left arm. That look was just priceless. Hm? She thought to herself. The way the two mages looked at her, she smiled knowingly earning a challenging and questioning glare from the two.

"Natsu.. Gray.." That was the cat. He was obviously watching just like her. Yet, of course, he's not enjoying the battle unlike her. "Lucy, what are you doing?" he said in a hushed voice.

Just then, she felt a movement on her left. That was the pink haired boy.

"Karyuu no…" The he paused and hesitated.

"Eh? What's wrong, Salamander?" she asked tauntingly. She could smell frustration coming out of them especially from this pink-haired dragon slayer. And she liked it.

"Natsu, no!" It was the raven haired boy. Ah, always the protective and careful one, she thought. She knew the dragon slayer is also protective but his way of protecting people makes those people he protects suffer more. If you love someone, she thought, you have to make sure you attend to his wishes and avoid him from getting hurt, no matter what it takes.

"Gray.."

"Don't, Natsu. Please don't do it! Please." The said Gray seemed desperate of their situation she can't help but scoff. Tch, kids and their drama.

With that, she laughed again, "You fools! Do you think I would get easy on you just because you get easy on me?"

"I'm gonna make you pay for doing this!"

Lucy stared in amazement at how the dragon slayer's body engulfed in flames and how furious-looking he is. It seems that she is seeing a dragon herself she can't help but let out a delighted laugh. She heard another warning from his raven-haired friend but he seems to be ignoring it. Ah, maybe he is not. The way he tensed and get frustrated; it means he is faltering and having a hard time making up his mind. From his actions, it is clear that he doesn't know the meaning of giving up. The look on his face is just so heart-tearing that the woman wants to make him her subordinates. Or maybe she would take all three of them including the cat. This group is pretty interesting. As expected of her partner, he knew nothing but the best. "Oooh, nice power you have there. As expected of you," she said and was a little surprised when she saw a glitter of tears starting to form in the boy's eyes. Is he that frustrated? She seems to like this boy, she thought. He's so interesting. She heard him mutter a 'Damn it' and she scoffed at that. "What are you waiting for?" she cooed and an evil smile curved on her lips. "Show me what you got… Natsu."

That served as a trigger and the pink haired she called Natsu screamed, "SNAP OUT OF IT, LUCYYYYY!"

Just then, she felt a strange sensation, as if her soul is being ripped away from the body. Huh? She can't help but scoff. She doesn't know this girl's soul is also strong and became stronger upon mentioning her name. Probably, summoning two spirits at the same time is not a very wise idea but she was entertained so it's worth it anyway. She felt herself weaken but did not dare show it to them. The raven haired however was sharp enough to notice and she saw him prepare and was about to charge in when they heard a voice.

"That's enough, Renge. "

Finally, she sighed inwardly. She knows she's getting weaker due to her exhibition in summoning two spirits at the same time. She wants to rest and get away. She still wants to face these boys but that would be dangerous if she still continue. He, of all people, probably has known.

"WHO ARE YOU?" yelled the two boys as they search around looking for someone in sight.

"Well, it's fun, meeting you. Bye!" she had just plainly said, and with that she jumped back and disappeared out of their sight.

"LUCYYYYYYY!"

I intend to put a little GrayxLucy in the previous episodes but I would make it up to you NaLu fans as I will add a lot of NaLu moments (well, of course since this is a NaLu fanfic, silly me). Please review! Thanks! :))