The following morning, Lucy found herself in a field near the guild, staring as Natsu, Erza, and Gray prepared to fight the blonde. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to fight her friends, her team. She didn't want another reminder that she'd left them there on Tenroujima while she survived.
She fiddled with the fringed edge of Natsu's scarf as it flowed easily in the wind. Why he hadn't asked for it back, she had no clue. Gray and Erza didn't even seem to notice she wore their items, either. She wondered how long that'd last.
"YO!" Natsu called, shaking her from her thoughts. "How do you want to do this? Three on one, or one on one three times?" Lucy had to think about this for a moment, mainly because the pink haired man had confused her, before nodding.
"Three on one would be too unfair, I think. I doubt I could take you all on at the same time." She answered. "So one on one."
Erza stepped forward, "Then I shall be your opponent." Lucy nodded at this, while Gray held Natsu back. Mira had set up a betting station and while more money rode on Team Natsu, all the members who were left behind bet on Lucy.
Macao strode to his point between the two and held up his hands. "Erza vs. Lucy!" He shouted. "Begin!" With that, Erza requipped into her black wing armor and flew straight at Lucy. The blonde saw this and jumped up, bending forward mid-air as wings sprouted from her back, one pure white and the other midnight black. "You want to fly, Erza?" She asked darkly. "Then let's fly."
Lucy picked up speed and flew right into the redhead who, although holding her sword in defence, took a hard fist to the shoulder. Flying backwards a couple yards she rolled her shoulder and grimaced. "Nice blow, Lucy." She commented. The blonde merely nodded and smiled. Her hands glowed dark and she smirked as she flew back into the fray with Erza. Anyone who was paying attention would notice Lucy's pure white wing turning black at the base as the color slowly spread.
"Damn-ed Demons hear my prayer, Emurge from Hell Holes everywhere, Hear my voice and gather here, Strike my victim's heart with fear!" As the spell progressed she moved her hands in time, summoning forth demons that surrounded her. "Go, Satan Spawn!" At her words, the deformed demons attacked Erza, dragging her to the ground. No matter how she slashed or sliced they never died.
To this Lucy laughed, the black on her wing spreading faster. Macao looked up and saw this, his eyes widening. "Lucy!" He shouted, "Stop this, stop this fight now! I'm stopping the fight!" His panicked shouts caught everyone's attention as he ran towards the hovering blonde.
"Why, Macao?!" Natsu shouted in protest. "I haven't gotten to fight her yet, and Erza isn't done yet!" Macao didn't answer, his attention was focused on gaining the blonde's. Laki spoke up from the sidelines, "Look upon Lucy's wings, Natsu." She said. "See as they change."
Kinana continued for her, "Yes." She said. "Lucy's magic usually stays in balance between dark and light, but when she uses the wings, it's more easily swayed depending on how powerful the attacks she uses are. If she's not careful, she can be swallowed up by the darkness. It's happened once before."
Natsu tilted his head. "So you're saying if she uses too much dark magic, the magic will consume her?" Kinana nodded. "Well that's stupid, she should just use a light attack to balance it out, right? Hey, Lucy!" He shouted to the blonde. "Use a light attack to balance it out!"
His cry caught the blonde's attention and she turned her malicious gaze to him. "Oh?" She said darkly, "You say to use a light attack, hm? Alright then. Satan Spawn, dismiss!" With that the demons disappeared, leaving an unconsious Erza behind and she turned to Natsu. Holding out her hands, golden light spread from her chest and spiralled around her body.
"Angel's breath and bosom, Grace and Faith arise, Holy love and kindness, Cease the children's cries!" She chanted. "Caeli Nubila!" As she cried out, the magic she had gathered around her began to plummet to the ground, striking it with force. Gray sprung into action, throwing up an ice shield to protect the guild and rushing at the blonde to strike her down.
This was not necessary, seeing as she dropped to the ground before him, her feet braced on the ground. "Fighting you in the air wouldn't be fair, Gray." She said smoothly as she stood into a fighting stance, two blades appearing in her hands. "Now, come."
Gray did just that.
"Oi!" Natsu shouted from his spot. "Not fair! I wanna fight, too!"
Lucy heard this and smiled. "I guess I do owe you a fight, eh, Natsu?" She said. "Alright." Flipping away from Gray for a minute she reached into her key pouch and grasped the familiar decorated hilt and pulled it away. "Open!" She shouted. "Gate of the dragon! Draco!" In a flash, the green haired boy was before her and smiling.
"Draco, get that pink haired boy there!" Draco didn't need to be told twice, and though Natsu would've much rather fought Lucy herself, she had called the spirit a dragon. And that made him even more anxious.
"So you're Natsu, hm?" The dragon spirit said as he walked over. "I hear you're the Fire Dragon Slayer, hm? Well I'm the Celestial Dragon Spirit. I've wanted to fight you for a while now. Shall we get started?"
Natsu didn't like this guy's tone. Igniting his fists in orangey flames he smirked. "I'm all fired up."
Lucy watched this exchange before smiling. "Good to see Natsu brought you back to your senses." Gray spoke, startling her from her thoughts. She looked at him and smiled. "Yea, sorry about that. It doesn't happen often, but when it does it's hard to bring me back." Gray struck her with an ice sword as she parried with a golden one of her own, opting for only one to make the fight more fair.
"How do they usually get you back to your senses?" He asked as he spun and slashed, the blow easily deflected by the blonde as she swooped in a strike of her own, nicking him in the chest only slightly. "Knocking me out works most times." She answered as she flipped back from him, prepping her bow and a few arrows. Notching them and letting them fly rapidly she smiled.
"You've still got it." She remarked as he easily dodged the arrows. They weren't directed anywhere vital, so dodging was rather simple. Taking a glance at Natsu she found the pair of dragons pounding away at each other, both obviously on par with the other. Lucy smiled at this.
"I've been meaning to ask," Gray spoke as he strode up to her, ice crystalized over his hand and elbow. She recognised the move and blocked accordingly. "You have my necklace, don't you?"
The question surprised the blonde, and she faltered slightly. Gray saw this and struck, landing a scratch across her arm. She cried out, but stifled it, closing her mouth tightly. "Nice blow," She bit out. "But yes, I have your necklace. Erza's gauntlet, and Natsu's scarf as you can see. Why ask now?" She regained her attack on the boy as she said this.
"You can keep it." He answered as he fanned his hands, Ice Lances flying her way. She dodged them all, gaining merely scratches across her legs and arms. "What?" She said. "You don't want it back?"
Gray shook his head as the attack continued. "You've kept it safe for seven years." He said. "You deserve it."
"I don't!" She protested, tears forming in her eyes as her movements began to falter. "I don't deserve it! I don't deserve any of it! I survived while you guys died! I got stronger while you were stuck! I don't deserve it!" She stopped attacking and dropped to her knees, surprising pretty much everyone. "Why don't you see that? Why don't you hate me? I escaped! I left you there! I lived, while you didn't! And now you just smile and take me back? I don't know what to do!"
Her tears flowed freely now while Gray merely stood baffled. Everyone was watching her now, surprise and befuddlement clear on their features. "We don't hate you, child." Makarov said as he approached. "How could we hate you? I believe if anything we are glad you lived, glad you survived. You became strong to protect the guild, yes?" The blonde nodded. "Then why should we envy that? You became strong for us, yes? We should be honored."
Lucy nodded and tensed suddenly, shivers and spasms erupting from her body. "Draco!" She shouted. "Draco, go back! Go back, hurry!" The spirit tore his focus away from the pink haired man before him and hurried to the blonde. "Yes, Princess?" He asked. "What is- Oh, shit! I'll be going then!" In a poof of green he disappeared and the blonde slumped forward.
Everyone erupted into concern, mainly Natsu. Rushing forward he took the blonde into his arms. "Wendy!" He shouted. "What's wrong with her?" The young girl rushed forward and hovered her hands over the blonde. It didn't take long, "She just ran out of magic power, Natsu-san." The girl said. "She should be okay in a little bit."
Everyone sighed in relief.
So, No one won! Yahahahaha. Sorry for the late update, guys. I just wasn't reall happy with this and I've had stuff going on. I think it turned out okay... or at least I'm hoping it did. Let me know.