Hello everyone! I'm back again, and I have to say I'm ashamed of my absence. I'm really proud of this fic, and I want to share the ending with you, so here I am!

Please review, favorite, follow, etc. I love reading your thoughts on the story!

*I do ask that, when leaving reviews, try to use your account if you have one so that I can discuss and respond to questions. I find that helps me a lot, and I feel really bad when I can't answer a question posted on a review because there's no user attached to it.

Now, onto the next chapter!

Lucy's chest was on fire as she tore after Umbara through the thick maze of trees. The information she'd received from Kale, along with his sudden death, swirled in her mind and confused her, weighing her down with thoughts and emotions. She fought them, determined to keep up with the fleeting form before her.

She didn't have to give chase for too long; Umbara was beginning to slow. It occurred to Lucy that she was probably realising that her sister was no longer with her, and she may begin to panic and attack. Lucy quickly fell back and watched.

She jogged to a stop at the same time Umbara did, both women bending to catch their breath. Umbara looked strange in the forest ahead of Lucy; her frame was small, her posture fragile, and now she was flitting about like a scared bird. Lucy almost felt bad for her.

"Epense?" She heard Umbara whisper. It was broken, light, and breathy, but it had come from Umbara's mouth. Lucy stiffened as she realised it was the first time she'd really heard Umbara speak.

The woman looked around, peering through the trees as though her sister might be hiding from her. Lucy thought for a brief moment that she should do just that; hide until Umbara began to move again. But she couldn't; she needed to face this evil before it grew out of hand.

"She's not here," Lucy voiced boldly, flinching as Umbara panicked at the sound of another person. Umbara stared at her with wide, dark eyes, her small mouth open in a quivering 'o'.

Upon seeing Lucy, Umbara turned as if to flee yet again. She hovered there for a moment, indecision written on her hollow face, broken from her trance when Lucy spoke again.

"I know what happened to you," She said softly, thinking back to what Kale had told them. She may not understand everything that had happened, but she knew enough. Two legends had been humanized in front of her on the same day; Kale was a monster who'd taken advantage of two young wizards who'd been shunned by their family. He'd used them for his own selfish reasons, turned them against the world, and now one of them was standing in front of her looking no more fearsome than a scared child.

Kale was wrong. Lucy could talk to this woman. She wasn't a threat anymore.

Umbara stared at Lucy, refusing to open her mouth. Lucy was sure they'd never meant to hurt anyone other than Kale, or at least Umbara hadn't. The bloodlust she'd seen in the clearing had come from Epense, and that worried her. But she trusted Natsu's judgement; he would do the right thing.

"You were just trying to get revenge," Lucy prompted, trying to stop Umbara from making another escape. She was still hovering as if decided what to do. "Kale wronged you in a way no one could ever imagine; he used you, he made you do awful things, and he almost killed you. I understand that was hard, harder than anything I've ever been through-"

Lucy yelped as an unseen force smacked her in the chest, propelling her backwards into a tree. Her skull snapped against the bark, but she was still conscious albeit in pain. Umbara's hand stretched towards Lucy, the last of her magic evaporating before her eyes.

Lucy coughed as she fell to the ground, keeping a close eye on the sister. She'd overstepped, that was all. Umbara panicked and responded in kind, it wasn't unjustified. Lucy told herself this, but there was a nagging worry that had settled into her stomach.

Umbara eyed Lucy warily. She hadn't moved since her attack, and now Lucy risked pulling herself into a crouch. She could see the lonely toddler in Umbara's black eyes as she measured her pained breathing.

"Where's Epense?"

Umbara's voice carried on the breeze, just loud enough for Lucy to hear. She shook her head apologetically.

"She's with my partner," Lucy admitted, panic rising in her throat as Umbara lurched towards the way they'd come. "Wait! Please!" She cried, side-stepping to block her path, although there wasn't much she could've done if Umbara had truly tried to run. Umbara recoiled like a cornered cat, hitting Lucy in the side with another weak blow.

"I want my sister."

"I know," Lucy tried to soothe her, to distract her. The dull pain in her torso was annoying at best, limiting at worst, but she was determined. "You two do everything together, right? Like when you broke into Madison's house?" Umbara blinked. "You were looking for a way to undo the immortality spell you put on Kale. You wanted to fix the mistakes you thought you made. But Madison's research showed you something totally different, right?"

Umbara blinked again.

"Kale always told you that after the spell took hold he couldn't be hurt, but that was wrong." Lucy was rambling. She was desperately trying to make a connection with Umbara; if she could get one sister on their side, perhaps they could convince the other. "He wouldn't age, but you could still kill him physically."

"So you busted him out, chased him down, and took your revenge for all the things he did to you." Lucy kept eye contact with Umbara, ensuring she wouldn't lose her. The atmosphere had shifted since Lucy started talking, although she hadn't taken much notice. The death of Kale had sent her into a state of shock, and some parts of her brain were still firmly on autopilot. "But you've done it now, Kale's dead." Lucy gulped, finally pulling herself upright. "What do you plan to do now?"

Umbara stared unblinkingly at Lucy, her wide eyes drinking in every detail of her face. Lucy tried not to squirm under the scrutiny, breathing calmly as Umbara sank into a slow crouch.

She watched, making note of Umbara's body language. Lucy tensed, preparing for some kind of attack, worrying that she'd again gone too far, but Umbara remained where she was.

Suddenly, a quiet whisper drifted across the space between them. It was too quiet for Lucy to make out, but it sounded like a song. She crept closer, keeping her eyes on Umbara in case she overstepped her confusing boundaries.

"-Beware…Nuit,"

Lucy strained to hear the words coming from Umbara's moving lips. She was chanting, quickly and quietly to herself.

"-When darkness creeps into your sight,"

Lucy balked. She was singing the rhyme, the children's rhyme that Jellal had sent to her.

"-Your vision robbed of all its light, Legend speaks of mortal girls, One of dull and darkened curls, One of flooded holy light, Stolen futures tall and bright, Do not trust all that you see, Know La Lumiére de la Nuit-"

Lucy hesitated, fearful of breaking the trance Umbara had slipped into, but as she was distracted she stepped on a fallen twig. She froze; it was easy to forget what had happened with the people of Fernhold, but in this moment Lucy was painfully aware that Umbara had the power to make her go blind.

Umbara's head swivelled back to Lucy with the sound, her chanting becoming furiously fast and high pitched. Lucy flinched, thinking she was casting some sort of spell, but she was very mistaken as Umbara continued with the rhyme.

"A child's tears brings a smile, Lured by deceitful boyish wiles, KnowthewhipthecurdledscreamsFighttokeepfromhopefuldreams,AseedofrageisplantedthereTogrowingrittedsilencefairTormentedheartholdsthekeyToLaLumiéredelaNuit-"

Lucy took a shaky step back, Umbara's words quickly escalating to garbled screams-

"-HateinhidingfuriousfuelTOOVERTHROWATYRANT'SRULE-"

The rest became drowned in panicked sobs, ones that shook her very soul. Lucy reached out to Umbara but was batted away furiously, the frightened woman snatching Lucy's arm and twisting it until she heard a sickening snap. Lucy jumped back and watched in horror as Umbara lunged away from her, maintaining her crouch as she did so. She got a few feet away before her sobs turned to panting, slowly regaining what little composure she'd had before.

Lucy listened. The rhyme was continuing, closing in on the last verse:

"So when parents tuck their children in, And promises the sun to return again, Lies their vicious tongues will speak, Into their hearts the black will sneak, Murder and mayhem doomed to rise, Horror blinds the experienced eyes, Turn your back, pray to be free, Fear La Lumiére de la Nuit."

The air fell to a heavy silence as Umbara gathered herself. Lucy had been rendered speechless; her tongue felt thick and dry in her mouth. She knew the twins were a little off, but Umbara seemed to be the worse for wear. She sat now, shaking off the aftereffects of the fit.

Beyond the mania, Lucy could see a small glimmer of hope. This woman wasn't beyond help; she could talk to her, continue trying to break through. She'd seen that there was something there when they'd been talking before, she just needed to grab onto it.

She pushed away that little voice that told her she was kidding herself.

.

Natsu dove sideways as Epense threw another blaze of white magic towards him. It missed by a solid mile, but he couldn't relax. The sister had been keeping him on the ropes since she'd struggled free of him, and he couldn't stop his mind wandering to Lucy and her opponent.

He'd deliberately chosen Epense when he caught one of them; she seemed stronger, crazier, and severely more deadly. Natsu didn't trust her within ten feet of Lucy.

"You persistent, oily little speck!" Epense shrieked, firing another string of attacks. Natsu dodged and countered, grinning evilly at Epense's obvious trouble blocking him.

"If you'd stop fighting back I wouldn't have to be so persistent!" Natsu yelled, roaring a column of fire at Epense. She screeched and dove to the trees, shielding herself from the heat.

"Leave us alone!" She screamed at him, her hair frizzing in the presence of his flames. Epense was looking shaken, more so than Natsu had ever seen her. He thought to Umbara and how they'd been separated; it must be that.

"What, so you can kill more people?" He'd almost added 'innocent' in front of the word 'people', but he thought of Kale's eyes and the look he gave Lucy whenever he saw her… and the word evaporated on his tongue.

A sharp pain shot through his side as Epense choked on a laugh. "More people? Boy you have no idea how many I've killed! I'm done with this silly game!" Another attack from somewhere behind him. When had he lost sight of her? "Killing is in my past! It's a long forgotten memory to me now!"

"It's a habit!" Natsu snapped, aiming his fire in a large circle. He heard some shuffling to his right and tightened the focus of his flame, but Epense was gone yet again. Instead, there was a slight crackling as a magical bomb went off, blindsiding him.

Natsu fell to the ground in horrible pain. Epense had been planting bombs the entire fight, and he'd been hit by a few of them. When the first one went off right after Lucy left, he'd panicked and thought Epense was using her blinding magic. He'd been wrong, thankfully, and the bombs only provided a blast of physical energy. It had been easy to cope with, but now his body was beginning to feel the effect of shouldering more than one hit.

He heard a shuffling to his left, fired, and heard a scream. He'd hit her, but not too hard it seemed, because another blast collided with his head a moment later. Natsu fell to the ground, writhing. Epense swung around him, gathering more energy for another blast.

"You can't stop killing, not once you've started." Natsu spat, regaining his footing once again.

"Don't pretend to know me!" Epense snarled. She was in front of him now, angrily eying him without fear. There was a small pulsing orb of light in her hands, the beginnings of another bomb. "You know nothing of what I've been through! I want my sister, and I want you to LEAVE!"

She fired, but she was emotional now and Natsu deflected it easily. He was thinking of Lucy again, and the way that she'd look at the situation. He found himself doing that as of late, caught in a difficult position and asking himself: what would Lucy do?

She wouldn't want to kill Epense. Even after everything that had happened during this mission, Lucy would never want to kill the twins. Natsu knew this, and he also knew that if he wanted to get out of this situation in one piece, he should jump right to the killing.

Instead, he powered down.

Epense watched suspiciously as Natsu raised his eyes to look at her. He would do what Lucy wanted and search for something, anything that would save the twins from a murderous destiny. Natsu promised himself that if he saw anything in Epense's eyes that resembled hope, redemption, change, anything, he would spare her. He wouldn't kill her. He'd stick to his morals and let her live. Natsu was harder than Lucy; when Kale said they'd have to kill the twins, Natsu accepted it. He didn't like it, but he knew that a day would come when defeating was simply not enough. He'd have to kill, and he'd never ask Lucy to do it.

He'd sent her away with every intention of catching up. He'd planned on killing Epense and, if he succeeded, Umbara would die as a result. That much he had understood from Kale's speech. Lucy would never have to kill anyone. She could blame the whole thing on him if she wanted to, although he knew she wouldn't. She'd blame herself, and if Natsu could stop that guilt from crushing her he certainly would.

Epense eyed him. Natsu was still searching frantically for some sign of salvation when the pit of his stomach clenched and he found his fists tightening once again. He'd searched and he'd searched-

But he'd found nothing.

Epense's eyes held a poorly hidden bloodlust that Natsu had only seen a handful of times. Her irises were dull, emptied of light, and immediately he knew there was no hope for her. Not anymore.

His odd behaviour had taken Epense off guard. She faltered, and that hesitation was all Natsu needed to aim his fist directly at Epense's heart.

There was a horrible gasping sound as Natsu's flames licked Epense's skin, blazing a path through her chest and bursting through the other side. She was dead before the fire left Natsu's arm.

Natsu remained suspended with Epense's body. Suddenly there was a small spark and the bomb Epense was holding exploded. There was a massive wave of smoke, magic, and heat, that nearly seared even his skin. The trees shook around him, leaves and branches swirling in the air.

He barely had time to register that he'd killed someone before he was barrelling through the air, propelled into the sky. He registered shock and pain before he backed out entirely, his body going limp as he soared.

.

Lucy watched as Umbara composed herself. She'd been breathing heavily for a solid five minutes without showing any other signs of even being alive. Lucy had begun to panic when finally Umbara began to turn.

Suddenly, there was an explosion behind her. Lucy flipped around as fast as she could manage, gripping her injured arm tightly with her good hand.

She was blindsided by a wave of heat seizing the air around her. It nearly knocked her off her feet, but Lucy's balance was shockingly steady. If she had turned, she would've seen the blank look that took over Umbara's face.

Ignoring the heat and scanning the skies, Lucy's eyes zeroed in on a trail of smoke originating from the clearing where Natsu had taken on Epense.

"Oh no…" Her heart filled with dread, both for Natsu's safety and Epense's, watching and waiting with baited breath for something to tell her if it was too late to turn this around.

A small black dot appeared in the clouds, plummeting towards her with deadly speeds. She had a split second to jump out of the way before Natsu's beaten body crashed to the ground at her feet.

"Natsu!"

He didn't answer her. He was charred, bruised, and bleeding, but he was still breathing and that meant he was alive.

"Oh my God…" Lucy's legs were shaking. She wanted to drop to Natsu's side, to see if he was going to be alright, but it felt like she was made of lead. She had never seen Natsu this badly beaten before, and the sight was unsettling.

"You…"

She whirled, shocked into awareness by the sound of Umbara's voice. It sounded as though she'd be punched in the throat, low and broken. Her sharp features were twisted into a look of grief-stricken rage.

"Umbara?" Lucy whispered cautiously. Her eyes shot from Natsu's broken body to Lucy's face in an instant, her entire demeanor shifting from shock to dangerous determination. Lucy resisted the urge to gulp.

"You…" She began again, speaking over the violent winds that had suddenly appeared. Despite the quiet of her voice, Lucy heard her perfectly. "You killed her…"

Lucy's heart was pounding painfully in her chest. Her question had unintentionally been answered for her, but now she was wishing it hadn't been.

"Umbara, please…" Lucy held her hands in front of her, like she was coaxing a small child. "I didn't-"

Umbara cut her off with a strangled cry, her fists balling at her sides.

"You killed my sister!"

There was a crash, followed by an eruption of blackness from Umbara's mouth. Lucy watched in shocked horror.

The woman shook violently, staring coldly at Lucy and Natsu on the ground before her. The look in her eyes was one Lucy rarely saw, but it was impossible for her not to recognize. She was going to blind them, kill them if she could, and there was nothing Lucy could do to stop it.

"Please," She whispered, her voice cracking under the intense pain she felt in her body. Umbara's attacks had not been light on her, and now she was aware of her hurt more physically than she was mentally, "Please don't do this."

Umbara lifted her shoulders in a subtle gesture of indifference. Power was surging from her frame, clouding the air around her. Lucy shuddered, her breath hitched with fear. She hadn't felt like this before; her body was a stone, cold and heavy in the fading light.

"Lu…cy…"

Natsu voice struggled to her ears. Lucy whirled around as her fear's grip on her body shattered with the sound of Natsu's voice, falling to her knees beside his heaving chest. Sharp fragments of stone clawed at her flesh, yet the cold had numbed her legs so she felt the pain as through a thick layer of padded gauze.

"Natsu," Lucy cried, her hands hovering over Natsu's body, wanting to clutch him but afraid of the pain it may cause him. Natsu cracked open one eye, forcing his lips into a weak smile. "Are you ok? Can you stand?" She choked, her voice dropping in severity. "Natsu… can you see?"

Natsu summoned a chuckle that fell to ash on his tongue. "Don't be so serious, Lucy," He assured her. "I'll be okay, I promise."

Lucy's bottom lip began to tremble. She glanced up at Umbara who'd begun to swirl the clouds around her in lingering patterns. "I'm so sorry," She said to Natsu, digging her fingers into the rocky ground. "This is all my fault. I should've stayed out of it. Natsu…" Her voice caught on the grief rising in her throat. She'd been feeling the weight of her decisions this whole time, but she'd never admitted it out loud until now.

She squeezed her eyes shut against the guilt she felt. Tears welled and trickled down her muddied face. If she could redo everything, take it all back, she would in a heartbeat-

Suddenly warm skin brushed against the dampness on her cheek, fingers rough from a life of intense work and a rash personality. Lucy blinked at Natsu, trailing his soot-smeared hand delicately over her skin.

"Come on Lucy," He whispered, cradling her crying face in his palm, "don't cry. Smile for me," He shot her a genuine smirk, as if to demonstrate what he wanted her to do. Lucy held his gaze, the chaos around them slowly dissolving to white noise. "And don't worry about me-"

"How can I not?" Lucy demanded sharply, her voice rising. Visions of Natsu's bright eyes dulled by Umbara's smoke filled her mind. She was too weak to move him; she was too weak to even move herself. They were going to go blind, maybe even die, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. "Natsu, I- I-" She gulped. "She's going to take away our light-"

"Hey," Natsu interrupted her, squeezing slightly with his warm palm. "As long as you keep smiling," He winked, "there will always be light in my life."

"Enough," Umbara hissed. Her words barely rose above the growing roar her clouds had made. Lucy looked up, instinctively jerking away from the mass of black smoke she saw before her. Umbara raised her quivering arm, flinging it towards the ground in a sweeping gesture.

"No," Lucy whispered.

Umbara's body bowed in a sickly shape, her chest thrust forward and up towards the sky. The wind was whipping around her in wild gusts, tearing her hair away from her scalp. There was a thunderous crash from somewhere above them, the air around them growing dark.

"Lucy, get down!"

Natsu's voice met her ears weakly, but she couldn't obey him. Lucy's eyes were fixed on the dying sister, her eyes aglow with flashing black light. Umbara's smoke gathered before her, sparking with the intensity of her magic, while her life quickly drained away. The wind ferociously tore at the trees until one snapped, sucked into the vacuum of air Umbara was creating. It collided painfully with her ribs, snapping them beneath her skin; she screamed.

All at once, the wind stopped. Everything settled to an eerie calm while Umbara, suspended in the air, fell limp. Lucy watched in horror as her body crumpled to the forest floor, the last of her powers trickling slowly from her eyes like tears.

"Is it over?" Lucy whispered to herself, eying the pulsating orb of black smoke warily. It hadn't moved since Umbara's fall, but it hadn't dissipated either. She opened her mouth to speak again, but suddenly the smoke shuddered, silencing her before she began.

The ominous cloud rose in the air, trembled, and erupted.

The smoke barrelled towards them, snaking along the ground as though it were alive, wrapping around trees and shrubs in all directions. Lucy's tears had stopped, her eyes grasped by shock, as the smoke rose to block Umbara's body from their view. Lucy gathered the rest of her strength and threw her trembling body over Natsu's vulnerable one, shielding him from the eternal night that faced them.

Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnnnn. Oh no, what could possibly happen?

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