"Erza?" Lucy's voice was soft as she spoke. There was a trembling under her words that was very audible. "It that you?"

Y-yes. I'm right here." Erza wanted to run but her legs refused to move.

"He told me you were coming here. Where's Natsu?"

He shook himself when she said his name and sat up so that his head was level with hers. He tried to best to not think about the empty sockets where her eyes were supposed to be. "I'm here." He made sure to keep his voice low so as to not give away the true emotions he felt. He didn't want to scare her.

Lucy turned to the sound of his voice and tried to grab him but her hands went right through his body and she fell to the floor.

"NO!" They heard from behind them. Natsu glanced back to see Grey with both fists clenched in fury. "after all of this, when we were so close, she's not even here?" He was screaming by the time he stopped, and not even Juvia wanted to try to comfort him this time. She was just as upset as Grey was.

"It's ok" Lucy whispered.

"No, it is far from ok!" Natsu growled at her.

"I knew it was too good to be true, you guys finding me."

"This ain't over yet, Lucy. We can still find you and bring you home, don't you worry!"

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything."

"Give a girl some warning next time, I didn't have time to fix my hair."

Natsu managed to bark out a quick laugh as Lucy gave him a sad smile. "Your hair looks great."

"Liar" They fell silent and sat there. Lucy couldn't see or physically feel him, but in a way she could 'feel' him. It was like her soul could feel his. Natsu, who closed his eyes, noticed and felt it as well.

"Do you remember the day we met?"

"Of course I do. You and Happy saved my ass, then I ran off to join Fairy Tail."

"Any regrets?"

"None."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"What about when you kissed me?"

"I regret nothing" she paused then took a deep breath "Well, almost nothing."

"What?"

"It's nothing."

"Come on, Luce you can tell me!"

"Promise you won't laugh!"

"I promise."

"I only regret not doing it sooner."

A grin appeared on his face as he heard her say that. "Me too."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while then, then Lucy started to shiver. She whimpered, causing Natsu to open his eyes and see that she had huddled in on herself. "What's happening?"

"He's coming back." Lucy shrank. It looked like she melted to the floor as she fell and covered her head with bruised arms. "Natsu." She whispered, he flattened himself to the floor next to her.

"Still here."

"I'm scared."

"I know."

"I don't think I can fight him anymore."

"Don't you say things like that. You can do this."

"I can't! I'm not strong enough!"

"Bullshit!"

"Natsu…"

"No more excuses! You fight him with everything you have!"

"I don't have anything left."

"You still have us." Erza said, finally finding her voice again. "And as long as we live, we will never give up. So don't you give up either."

All of a sudden Lucy jerked upward. At first Natsu thought she was just startled until he realized she was dangling in the air.

"Keep fighting Lucy! You hear me?" Natsu screamed at her, then she was gone. With hardly even the ghost of her whisper in the air.

"Is it time sir?" the young doctor asked his master as he stared at the girl that had lost her fight.

"It is. Begin the fusion process. Two lacrima, one in her core and the other in her brain. Put her eyes back too, she looks like shit."

2 weeks later

Lucy sat still in the cold metal chair with an empty expression. Her eyes looked straight ahead, but saw nothing. The man who kidnapped her, the man known as Eagen, stood beside her.

"What is your name?" he asked in a sweet voice.

"This one needs no name." her voice was cold and robotic.

"What do you desire?"

"This one had no desires."

"Where is your home?"

"This one has no home."

Eagen grinned and rubbed his hands together in eagerness. "Who's orders do you follow?"

"This one follows your orders."

"Good. I have one for you. I want you to return to the Fairy Tail guild hall, and then destroy it."

"As you command, this one will obey."

"One quick think before you go though." He lifted her right hand and touched the guild mark stamped there. "You don't need this mark anymore, get rid of it."

"As you command, this one will obey."