Lightning Protection

"Would you slow down, Blondie," Laxus yelled.

Lucy moved quickly through the forest, not giving a single thought about Laxus. She moved so fast that even Laxus with his long legs had a hard time keeping up with her. She moved through the trees to make it toward the bare cliff mountain side that she somehow managed to walk up without slowing down in the slightest.

"Lucy!" Laxus shouted. "Don't just ignore me."

The blonde maiden made it to the edge of the cliff before she finally turned around. Her glared bore into the dragon slayer and couldn't understand how she could be so angry over a single gesture. It didn't make since even for her.

Laxus took one step toward her. "Lucy,-"

"I don't like this," Lucy shouted at him.

"I was just trying to make you feel better," Laxus responded.

Lucy shut her eyes and lowered her head. Her eyelids were practically trembling with her force anger. "I know that!"

Laxus hunched his shoulders. "Then what's the problem. Just because I'm not that damn stripper Gray doesn't mean what I do isn't just as good as what he does. What do you want me to do take my shirt off when I offer you a damn flower?"

"No, I liked it," Lucy confessed. She partly opened her eyes with sadness.

Laxus looked at her confuse for a moment then straightened himself up. A tiny smug smile appeared on his lips. "So you liked it?" He folded his arms across his chest. "Then why don't you get over here and give me a kiss to show me how much you liked it."

Lucy looked up at Laxus gently with her large brown eyes. "Laxus, I'm being serious."

"Huh? Then why did you hit me?" He looked at the girl strangely. "Most girls would say thank you."
"I'm not most girls," Lucy said. "And you're a dragon slayer." A tender smile appeared on her face. "Liking you as a friend I can't do that, knowing one day you'll devour me. I rather fall like a star to the ground."

Lucy fell back, closing her eyes to fall over the edge.

"Lucy!" Laxus dashed to the edge of the cliff with all of his might and dropped down on his stomach. Just barely did he grab the girl's hand. He held onto the small hand as tight as he could. He rather he broke the one hand than let her entire body break by going over.

Lucy realized that she was still in the air, being dangled right side up. She looked up to see the intense expression on Laxus' face. "What do you think you're doing, Blondie? Have you gone nuts? I told you a thousand times I'm not going to devour you."

Lucy stared up at Laxus with painful tears in her eyes. "I don't believe you I know what I saw. I know the future I have if I don't end it now. I don't want to be eaten by someone I'm starting to consider a friend."

"You can't believe everything you dream about," Laxus told her. "Change it for the better if you're so afraid of it."

"That's impossible," Lucy shouted back. "One of the seven will devour me."

Laxus grinded his teeth. He pulled Lucy back up, standing up on his knees. He pulled Lucy into a hug so tight Lucy couldn't even try to escape. "I won't let any dragon or slayer harm you. I won't let anyone devour you."

He rested his hand on the back of the girl's head, feeling her beautiful blond locks. "You got me, Blondie?" He lowered his head down on Lucy's shoulder and shut his eyes.

"You can't promise that," Lucy said. Tears fell down her cheek.

"Sure, I can," Laxus told her.

"No, you can't."

Laxus opened his eyes. He looked back to see three cloak wizards approaching them. The lightning wizard stood up along with the celestial wizard, turning toward them. He held Lucy's hand to make sure she didn't try anything while he focused on the enemy that stood in front of them.

"We of Dragon Mouth shall insure here meeting the seven needed Dragon Slayers to reach our goals," the head of the group said.

"And what the hell are these goals?" Laxus questioned.

The man merely smirked.

Lightning sparks shot off of Laxus' irritated face. He moved himself and Lucy away from the edge of the cliff before he let go of the other blonde. He brought his hands back and thrust them forward. "Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!"

A lightning spear shot forward at the group of wizards in front of him.

The leader of the group slammed his hands on the ground. "Five Layer Wall of the Earth!" Earth wall after Earth wall rose in front of the group until there were five of them. The lightning spear shattered each one as it went through.

When it hit the last one, the group of hooded magicians leaped into the air. The spear shattered the last wall before it ran out of magic and disappeared. The three wizards came at the two blondes through the air.

Laxus rushed forward to face them head on. He shot a lightning blast from his fist at the middle one who landed in front of him. The other wizard just barely dodged the strike by twisting to his right.

The only two wizards flew over Laxus to go after Lucy. "Taurus," Lucy chanted. Her body began to glow as her clothes started to change when the man on the right stuck out his hand toward her.

"Return!" he commanded. A dark purple magic circle appeared above Lucy that reflected on the ground below Lucy. Lucy screamed as the glow disappeared and she was back in the clothes she started in. The man's spell disappeared and Lucy breathed heavily.

"What happened?" Lucy asked.

The two men landed on either side of the celestial maiden. "With my power, I can cancel out any of your transformations," the man who counter her earlier spell explained.

"In that case, Open Gate of the-" Lucy had stuck out her hand to open one of the twelve zodiac gates to fight on her behalf when both men grabbed one of her wrist to stop her.

Laxus twisted around. "Lucy!"

"Letting your guard down," the leader said.

Laxus turned back to face the man. He slammed his fist down on the ground, shooting off a wheel of lightning at the man that tore through the ground. The hooded wizard managed to dodge it.

"I think it's time to use it," the leader said. The man held up two fingers in front of his face, flicking them back slightly. "Snake Bind."

Laxus instantly felt his body stiffen. "What?" His eyes trembled while the snake image on his back glowed purple. A snake pattern crisscrossed over Laxus' body, holding him still. Laxus tried to fight it, but the best he could do was tremble.

The man in front of him smiled. "Don't tell me you forgot about your time with, Sara?"

"Who?" Lucy questioned.

Laxus glared at the man. "Damn it, I underestimated her didn't I?"

"That's right, she implanted a restrict spell on your body during that little fight of yours so we have a chance to get the celestial maiden," the man explained. "It will keep you completely bound, including that annoying dragon slayer magic of yours for a time."

The man then looked over at Lucy. "So what will it be, Celestial Maiden Lucy? Will you come quietly or will you let your little boyfriend here die on the spot. He can't do anything to stop me and neither can you. So what will it be?"

Lucy looked at the hopeless situation in front of her.

"Lucy, run," Laxus told her.

The blond maiden instead lowered her head in defeat. "I'll come with you."

"Don't!" Laxus yelled.

The leader of the Dragon Mouth team held out his hand. "Why don't you shut up, this no longer involves you. Rock Fist." Rocks from the ground lifted up and formed around the man's open hand. He then made a fist and punched Laxus across the face.

Lucy lifted her head. "Leave him alone! I said I'll come with you!"

"I know, but I don't need this one following after us once he's freed," the man answered. "So I'll let him leave, but I won't leave him in any good condition to follow. " He slugged Laxus in the gut to get Laxus to bend over in pain unable to do anything to defend himself.

More rocks formed around the man's hands and feet. He slammed the hard rocks into Laxus' body to make the tough dragon slayer look like a chump as he took each blow. He bashed Laxus all over, having him crash onto the ground.

The man repeatedly slammed into the blond hair wizard's back. Lucy couldn't take it anymore and tried to break out of the two men's grip, but she wasn't strong enough and with the Sealing wizard holding her she couldn't access her magic either.

The leader of the Dragon Mouth team stomped Laxus into the hard stone ground. Lauxs could only grunt out his pain. His teeth were clenched together as he tried to show as little weakness as possible in this situation though all he wanted do was get up and pound the guys that were making his Lucy so upset.

He had promised to not let anything happen to her after she had given up hope and right now he was failing that in every way. He didn't understand what these guys wanted with Lucy, but they clearly wanted this 'devouring ' to happen and since he clearly wasn't going to be the one to do it they needed to fine one of these other six to do the job.

Laxus' body crashed harder and harder into the earth below him, making him feel like his own bones were cracking. Blood came out of his mouth and who knew where else. The snake bind only seemed to get worst the longer it was on. His body reacted less and less the proper way as it took damage which made Laxus worry if it weren't for the fact his own thoughts started to feel restricted as well.

The stomping suddenly stopped. The leader of the group looked over at Lucy and his two men. "There that should do it, let's get going."

The man had beaten Laxus for a good five minutes with Laxus unable to do a thing. He then felt a strange relief. The purple snake pattern that had crisscrossed all over his body had disappeared. It seemed the magic was only strong enough to keep the dragon slayer down for that long and was trying desperately to keep him in line the longer it went on, but now it was done.

Done.

Lightning sparks flew off of Laxus' body. His magic was back and he didn't give a damn about any of the pain he had to endure. He had heard Lucy, his Lucy cry because these bastards were hurting him. He wouldn't let them get away with trying to make him a liar out of him and trying to hurt his girl.

Blood feel off of his back and arms as he started to rise. The other wizards around him were more than shock at this. It shouldn't be possible for him to get up with all the poundings he took from those rocks.

The blood ran out of his noise. He coughed as he continued to rise. "You bastards are going to pay." More sparks flew off of the tall man's body. "Didn't anyone teach you not to mess with a dragon?" Laxus' body became consumed in lightning distracting all three Dragon Mouth's members.

Lucy took the chance to stomp on her two captive's foots so they let go. Lucy stumbled away from them. The two tried to go after her, but were struck by lightning dropping them like flies. Laxus then threw his lightning charged fist straight into the leader of the group's face.

The man flew into the forest with a scream. Lightning shot after him to make sure he was down for the count. An explosion of lightning went off when it connected with its target.

Laxus breathed heavily. Blood dripped off of his fist as he lowered it down to his side. Lightning still radiated off of his body.

"Laxus."

The lightning wizard looked over at worried maiden. He had one eye close and managed to smile. "I'm ok, Lucy." He let the lightning disappear from around him so he wouldn't harm Lucy as she approached him.

Lucy wrapped her arms around his torso and pressed her head against his wounded chest. Laxus flinched out of pain, but simply took it as it was Lucy. He somehow managed to throw one arm over Lucy's back and lowered his head, closing his eyes. "I told you, I'll keep you safe."

So what did you think? Do you think better of Lucy now?