"Laxus, stop her," Suki shouted as Dux and I started to close in on them. Laxus instantly turned around, and launched towards me.

"Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist," he roared punching towards me. I blocked his lightning attack and stepped back slightly.

"Dux keep going," I ordered the dog as he continued to run after Suki. Laxus' punch was still weighing down on my arm as he leaned closer to me. "Dammit," I muttered, "I don't want to hurt you."

Laxus then kicked me in the legs, causing me to fall to the ground. His foot was on my back, and I could feel him pushing me into the ground. "Are you sure you don't want to hurt me," he grumbled. "Because you've hurt me more than you could ever imagine," his voice was low, lower than I had ever heard before. I felt my heart drop at the words he spoke, him confirming what I already thought I had done, hurt more than me simply thinking I had hurt him.

"Laxus," I said softly, the pain of him stepping on my back becoming harder to stand.

"Get up Nix," Zo's voice was low and commanding as she repeatedly hit me in the back. I was face down on the mats, unable to move.

"I don't want to -"

"You Don't Want To Hurt Me," Zo shouted. "If Someone You Care About Turns Against You, Will You Die To Them Because You Didn't Want To Hurt Them." I remained quiet, unsure what my answer would be.

"I don't know," I said softly, Zo stopped, and sat next to me.

"And I don't expect you to," her voice was soft now, a small smile on her face. "But it's something for you to think about, would you be willing to fight someone you might love if they turned on you. Would you be able to stop them in their tracks, or let them walk all over you, let them use your feelings against you."

"What would you do," I asked my eyes meeting Zo's.

"I would let them walk over me, and take advantage of how I feel," her voice went quiet, and I could see her eyes watering up. "Even now, after I've faced someone who already had, I would probably still crumble to their words, the memories I had with them. Nix, for someone to be able to fight someone they hold dearly, like they would fight an enemy they never met before, takes more heart, and bravery than I had ever seen before in my life. To see someone who is willing to take the consequences, and the pain of hurting someone they know and love, is something that's only a dream to me."

"It's not a dream," I said softly, Laxus still kicking my back. Just as Laxus was about to kick me again, I grabbed his foot and threw him onto the ground. As he landed he let out a series of hard coughs, glared towards me.

"Lightning Dragon's Roar," bellowed Laxus, I easily dodged his attack and landed a solid kick to his stomach, followed by a punch to his head. He then stumbled back and held his jaw.

"Beating up someone you love Heartfilia," he growled out. "Never thought someone could be so-" I cut him off with another punch to his stomach, and again threw him to the ground. This time however Laxus never hit the ground, instead he went into his lightning form, and hit me stomach as revenge for my strikes.

"Do you honestly think you can beat me, I never once went full on with you," Laxus laughed as I stumbled slightly. I remained silent and looked towards him. The smile that curled on his lips was something I had never seen before.

"Laxus," I said softly. "I'm sorry," his eyes went wide at the words, and his smile disappeared. He then walked towards me, and punched me in the stomach, causing me to cough hardly.

"You're Sorry," Laxus roared, again and again he hit me, each strike beating my body more and more than the last. I felt blood begin to drip from my lip, and my stomach quiver with each strike to it, the threat of puking present.

"Laxus, I'm sorry, it took me so long, to find myself again," I said, my eyes meeting his, using the strength I still had I pulled back my right arm, and gave him a powerful punch to the stomach. He flew back from the force, and hit a building. After a few moments he didn't move, but I could see he was still breathing.

I was about to walk away when I heard him grumble something. "Blon-die," was all I could make out before I started running towards the loud barks that came from Dux. Once I found him I saw the Suki had rejoined her fellow guildmates and were still standing with the people the took from us.

"Lucy," Erza cried when she saw me. Levy and Romeo were leaning on one another, and Gray was barely able to stand. I'm sure I looked no better than them, but I knew I was still able to fight.

Suki and her gang were still in prime fighting condition from the looks of it, and our friends only had a few scratches on them. "We couldn't," Levy started, but I already knew what she was about to say.

"Don't worry about it," I said confidently. "Just leave them to me," I said, my eyes meeting Suki's.

"Like that's going to happen," Erza said stepping forward. "I'm not going to let you fight alone," Erza grunted as she reached my side.

"Gray, remember what our plan was back in Felden last year," I asked shooting a glance towards Gray.

"If things go south, get the hell out of here," Gray answered. I nodded and gave another glance towards Levy and Romeo.

"Go ahead and get those two to safety, we'll cover you," I said returning my stare to the people standing in front of me. Dux had also joined my side and was growling lowly. The three of us faced the nine people standing in front of us.

"We're not leaving you either, Lucy," Levy said stumbling to our line, Gray and Romeo joining shortly after.

"After all, that's not what Fairy Tail Wizards do," Gray said looking towards me.

"We won't leave you," Erza said getting to her feet. Gray was already working on freeing Natsu, Wendy was standing by Erza, freeing her hands as well. "That's not what,- " Erza started.

"You think I care about what Fairy Tail wizards do at the moment," I shouted, my heart pounding. "If you don't want to leave that's fine, but all I ask is that you stay out of harm's way," I continued. "Leave the fighting to me," I added.

Three years ago, when I was only known as Nix, I disregarded the strengths of my friends, in order to protect them.

"You don't have to protect everyone on your own Lucy," Loke said his voice growing softer as well.

It was at this moment, I realised just what they were trying to say. "I know," I said softly, "Fairy Tail wizards protect their family together, not alone." I looked towards the other Fairy Tail wizards who were standing against us. In my heart I knew they would do the same for us if they were in our situation.

"How touching," Suki said. "Seems like you really do have a heart," Suki added with a smile.

"Few people see it anymore," I answered, I felt my magic flowing through me, and smiled softly towards the people we stood against. "Hopefully I still know how to use it," I added.

"We got your back Lucy," Gray said putting his hands together, I could feel his magic making the air around us could.

"Yea," Romeo and Levy said at once, Romeo formed fire in his hands, and Levy got ready to write her words out.

"And we won't leave you side," Erza added equipping into her simple robes that held no armor or granted her extra abilities, in her hands were two katanas.

"Fairies, were never meant to roar like skeletons do," Suki said softly towards me.

"And dragons don't usually like playing with old bones," I shot back, a smirk on my face.

"Flaming Petals," Hravart shouted, thousands of small fireballs shot towards us. Gray quickly stepped forward and shout his spell back at him.

"Ice Make: Shield."

"Fire Dragon's Roar," Natsu shouted, causing more fire to be shot towards us.

"Solid Script: Water," Levy created water which fought off the roar Natsu sent towards us. "Erza, Lucy, go get them," Levy said weakly as she casted another spell. We both nodded, and jumped over the shield.

"Thousand Iron Swords," Ernine shouted, there was no way for either Erza or me to block the attack in the air, but luckily Dux was already on the move. Just as the attack was about to be sent towards us Dux bit down on Ernine's arm that was holding the long iron sword towards us. "Stupid mutt," Ernine spat as we landed.

Erza, seeing that Dux was in danger ran forward and drew Ernine into a fight, along with Gajeel. I was about to help Erza when a large blast of wind hit me, I turned to see the youngest of the Roaring Skeleton, and Wendy looking towards me, and Jessy and Mira weren't too far behind them.

"Oh Great Northern Wind, Give Me Your Strength," Aeolius said, his hand sticking in the air, I felt the wind wrapping around his arm, and a smile to appear on his face. He lowered his arm to be pointed towards me, and shouted words I couldn't understand.

"Sky Dragon's Roar," Wendy shouted along with him. I already knew if that attack hit me, it would send me flying. Everyone else was wrapped up in their own fight to have noticed the attack barrelling towards me, so I did the only thing that came to mind, and braced myself for the attack.

But the attack never came.