Hello everyone! Once again, sorry that I'm late in posting this on Monday. I got preoccupied with Christmas things but I will always make sure to update once a week! Thank you so much for reading and please keep the reviews coming! It makes me so happy that so many of you have enjoyed my first fanfiction! I hope you all enjoy this chapter. See you all next week~Arzuera


Blood.

Once again, it is the first thing I notice as I awaken in my pitch black prison. It's a sickening smell that used to make my stomach churn. I pressed my hand into the aching wound on my leg and brought it up to my eyes. A dark sticky liquid contrasted against the pale skin of my hand. Proving what I smelled to be true. Blood. Somehow I had gotten used to it. The only difference here is that the blood is mine and not someone else's. This is odd though.

This is the first time that the vial, that contained the medicine in it, wasn't waiting for me in my cell. They always made sure I had one after a fight. Why was it different this time? Not that it really mattered to me at this point. My soul was tired. Also the medicine always had a weird affect on me when I took it. Aquarius had told me herself that she didn't want me taking it. It worried her to no end. The only reason she bit her tongue on the matter was because it kept me alive.

Why did I even try anymore? So many lives have been lost. My hands had snuffed out so many people...When I am taken to the arena it is like I am on autopilot. My body goes after the poor mage that I'm pitted against without me even having to think at all. I don't even know if I am fighting to survive or fighting because I have to. Normally, a thought like that would scare me but I have long since become numb. This place has sapped me of my happiness and optimism.

The only thing the shines in this dark place is Aquarius's key, that I have hidden in a hole in the wall beside me, and the thought that Natsu might be able to find me. Not that I would want him to see what I have become.

Natsu...

He had to of blamed himself for all this. There is no way in hell that he would think otherwise. That pink haired idiot will blame himself for all that has happened to me and never let himself live it down. There won't be a day that he'll be able to look at me and not internally hate himself for allowing this to happen. I don't want that. I don't want to see his face like that. That face of internal pain and suffering that he tries so hard to hide. The one that I always see since he is constantly by my side. He won't talk much on the matter but he expresses it in other ways. His mood will change from the happy Dragon slayer that everyone loves to angry and defensive.

Either that or he will avoid everyone. Even though it wasn't his fault. This isn't anyone's fault but the people who made this place. I mean who would think up a place like this and put it into action? Dark guilds normally have ulterior motives for these kinds of things but I have yet to see evidence of anything other than a sadistic gladiator arena. I haven't seen the shadow bastard since day 1. To be honest, I'm glad I haven't seen him since. Once Natsu finds him...That thought brought a small smile to my face. It felt weird since I haven't smiled in a very long time. A groan fills the room, when I shift my body, and echoes. Man, that last mage did a number on me. That's what I get for not summoning Taurus like they wanted me too. I'm surprised that they didn't notice that one of my keys was missing. They never said anything to me about Aquarius's key.

Then again...I don't wanna know what they would do to me if they found out that I had it. That and the fact that I know how to break the magic cuffs so she can summon herself whenever she wants. But that could be why I don't have a vial in my room. This could be my punishment and the next fight could be my last, unless I summon a celestial spirit.

If it comes to that, I would rather just die.

A loud explosion crashed from somewhere above. Dust and small rocks drifted to the ground as the ceiling shook violently over my head. Today was just full of surprises... A smaller crashing sound followed and footsteps of several robed men ran by. Frantic voices spouting orders combined with confusion. My eyes just remained fixed on the filthy floor of my cell. This isn't the first time that this has happened but it was the first time that it sounded so close.

When I first woke up, I wasn't the first mage to try and escape. Several others tried to escape and were either lead to a match (so I assumed) or caught again. I sometimes heard their cries of despair when they were caught . A couple times they ran by my cell. Though I already knew that there is magic concealing other mage cells to none Dark Guild member eyes. But that doesn't mean that we can't see out of them.

Another crashing explosion causes more dirt and rocks to fall on my head. I look up at the crumbling ceiling. Maybe it will cave in on me like that first person I killed. That would be ironic. Once again the ceiling shook violently as another loud explosion sound filled the area. Someone was not going to give up without a fight. Without thinking, I use my bloody hand and try to brush the rocks and dirt off that had accumulated on top of my filthy blonde head. Streaking the blonde locks with my own blood and making it heavy. Damp.

Just then, I heard frantic footsteps stop in front of my door. A key clicks and the door to my cell opens with a lot of eerie moaning sounds that echo down the long hallway. My hollow brown eyes glance up from the cell floor. Only so that I can keep a close eye on the 4 robed mages that stood just beyond my cell's threshold. Two of them move in warily and they each grab an arm, hauling me up into a standing position. The sudden movement causes pain to erupt all over my body but nothing shows on my face or in my breathing.

They half drag half pull me out of my cell and we start down the familiar route down the long hallway. The way they treat me confirms my previous suspicions. Whoever is in the arena...Whoever else that I am going to face...Will probably be the person that finally does it. The person who will finally kill the celestial mage of Fairy Tail.

The hallway felt shorter than it normally did. In a matter of moments the four robed mages had drug me into the large domed arena. My eyes scanning above the high walls were the barrier normally is. Odd.

Hundreds of people normally filled the seats above but now they are currently empty. The domed death pit was also lit up brighter on one side and made my eyes squint in pain. The two robed mages that held my arms released them and I slumped to the floor. Deep laughter that I hadn't heard since my first fight filled the room causing me to shiver. The vile shadow man was here. Hiding somewhere that I could not see. The third robed mage approached me and held out the vial, that I know all to well, in front of my eyes.

I just stared at it. The robed made an annoyed noise and put the vial into my hand. "Take it now. This is your last vial. You will not get another." He said in a rather pissed off tone. Again, I just stared at the vial in my hand.

So this was it. Here I am. I sat in the exact middle of the domed arena, where I had killed countless people to save myself, holding the last healing vial that I will receive from these horrible people. The horrible people that put me through this. The horrible people that kidnapped so many mages. The horrible people that had forced me to kill. My eyes darkened and I felt a nasty anger start to form within me.

If they wanted one last show. Fine. But they are all going down with me. This last healing vial will be their biggest mistake. With slow movements so that my legs wouldn't shake, I stood up and looked that third robed mage defiantly in the eyes, before popping the cork and downing the elixir in one swig. I then dropped into a fighting stance and grabbed at my makeshift chain whip that was always attached to my hip.

I went to pull it out and whip it around the nearest robed man when my arm remained where it was. What the hell? I tried moving my legs, toes, fingers...ANYTHING! They remained where they were. They wouldn't budge. The elixir had paralyzed me!

A bright light at my feet brought my eyes to the floor and they grew wide. The arena floor had intricate engravings on it and they had started to light up and form a magic circle at my feet. In a matter of seconds, the circle completely formed and lit up the entire arena in an ominous light. The laughing getting louder and louder. It rang painfully in my ears.

All the shadows and darkness started being pulled towards the center of the circle. It puddled at my feet and started traveling up my legs. I continued to try and fight it. Fear returning to me after several months of feeling truly nothing.

I tried to scream but even my vocal chords were muted as well. All the while, the darkness continued up my body and the laughing got louder as it reached up to consume me entirely. My head turned upwards slowly as I continued to fight against the paralysis. I needed to move! If I moved from the center then the spell would lose it's effect. But all I could manage to move was my head so that I was looking straight up. My mouth open in silent terrified screams.

The darkness clawed up my neck and started flowing into my mouth entering my core. It reached past my nose and covered my eyes. All I could see was darkness and hear that horrible laugh as though it was all around me.

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I awoke again in darkness but I wasn't in my cell. I stood in the middle of the arena. The robed men still around me and the magic circle gone. How long was I out? What had happened to me? Why could I still hear that horrible laughing inside my head?!

That's when I realized. It wasn't inside my head. I was the one doing the laughing! Immediately, I tried to move my arms and legs, to no avail. They weren't listening to me. The robed men had started bowing and were smiling as if the most wonderful thing in the world had happened. My hand raised without me actually doing it.

The robed men's shadows burst up from their feet and impaled them all. Their bodies slumping to the ground lifeless. Again the laughter left my lips that weren't in my control. " Oh my dear... Who would have thought that you would become my new vessel?" My head moved down and looked into the pool of blood that had formed in front of me.

The reflection in the blood made me scream. That was not my face. Well it was but it was obvious I wasn't the one in control. My face had a twisted smile and the eyes were alight with dark amusement. "WHO ARE YOU? GIVE ME BACK MY BODY!" I demanded at the top of my lungs and the person in control let out an amused chuckle.

"I am so glad you asked my dear...My name is Shroud. I am one of Zeref's demons." the deep chuckle continued as my body did a polite small bow at the pool of blood. " My actual body had been destroyed long ago and I had fooled these mortals into finding a fitting vessel that I could call my new home. You should feel honored."

"Honored?! Are you kidding me? Why would I be honored to be the vessel of a Shadow Demon?!"

Shroud made my body straighten and I noticed that the healing potion had done it's work...after it had paralyzed me. "Because only the most resilient...strong...and good looking body would do." The shadows in the room started to form a body in front of me and switched to another form a few seconds after. "I thought you would die in a couple days but you proved me wrong. Look at all the mages that you took down and were sacrificed to the magic circle. Not only that you killed most of them with you bare hands and they had magic."

I watched in horror as all the people I had killed were paraded in front of me like trophies. Feeling sick but not actually being able to physically act on it. "I have followed you since day one. I heard your thoughts, your desires, your wishes, and your fears. Despite all of this, you never have been truly broken. Aquarius helped but there is only one thing that has kept you going all this time."

"... What would that be?" I asked meekly, feeling violated at the new information.

"Natsu Dragneel"

My being went cold. Before brimming with confidence. " Yeah, well...He will destroy you! He will defeat you and you will never be able to find a vessel again! Natsu will never stop hunting you down for what you have done!"

Shroud smiled darkly. "You forget something rather important, my dear."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"If he truly wishes to defeat me...Then he will have to kill you."

W...What? Natsu...has to kill me? My heart ached.

"That is correct my dear. The one you wish to see the most. Your white knight! The one you love! Must kill you." Shroud started laughing manically. This couldn't be happening. "You know your friends are the reason I had to speed up this ritual. The very reason you still have a soul. Those damned elixirs were supposed to keep sapping you of your energy until you were just an empty body. You were supposed to break eventually! Now I will have to do it myself."

"What do you mean?" my voice shook.

"Your friends never gave up looking for you. All those crashes and loud noises? They are here looking for you right now." Shroud walked towards the back of the arena, flicking my blonde hair over the shoulder. He stood in the darkest part and waited. "Only they aren't going to find sweet little Lucy Heartfelia... They are going to find one of Zeref's horrible demons. For fear of killing you, Natsu will not be at his full strength."

"What are you going to do to him?!" I growled, anger filling me as my concern for Natsu grew.

Shroud shook my head with a smile. " I need to break you."

"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO NATSU?!" I screamed at him.

"I'm going to kill him and you are going to watch."

My heart fell from my soul. Shroud hummed to himself as he waited in the darkness. Either Natsu was going to have to kill me or Natsu was going to die. This can't be happening. THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! why? why? WHY?!

Several moments passed. Shroud perked my head up. "The guest of honor has arrived." he thought to me. He didn't make my body say it like he had been before. I watched through my own eyes helplessly as the pink haired Dragon slayer burst into the arena. He was panting heavily.

His eyes scanned the arena frantically until they rested on my possessed body. "LUCY!" Throwing caution to the wind, he ran towards me. Concern and relief filling his eyes.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I shrieked in such emotional despair that I managed to cause my vocal chords to voice them. Natsu skidded to a stop as he heard this but it was to late. Shroud was on Natsu and I watched as my hand plunged a knife deep into Natsu's side.

Shroud's laughter filling the air.