To the people who reviewed… thank you!I want to clarify that when I say I'm nervous about these chapters, its not because I don't enjoy writing this stuff, it's just that I've never really gone this route with my writing before so I get a little nervous about how people are going to like it. I'm actually very much enjoying writing the scenes lately so my nerves are not from not enjoying writing it.

Chapter 21

What the heck was going on? What could have made that sound?

I motioned for everyone to step back, moving till we were covered in the shadows once again. "I don't know what is going on but we need to get in there, fast."

"What should we do?" Happy asked. "That sounded like you, Lucy."

I dismissed Sagittarius and paused for a moment. I honestly didn't know what to think about the scream that had just echoed down the hallway. Why had it sounded just like me? Was it just a coincidence? Whatever it was, it would take too much time to analyze and at the moment, all I wanted to do was get in there and save Natsu and Charle.

"Wendy, could you create a wind tunnel around the people in the center of the room?"

She nodded and I continued. "Happy, I want you to search for Charle and Natsu. I should be able to take care of the guy on the far side of the room myself."

"Got it," Happy answered and we all turned back towards the doorway, preparing to put an end to whatever it was that these people were doing.

Quietly we crept forward once again, stopping just before the entrance. Wendy took a moment to prepare herself then straightened her shoulders, a determined expression on her young face as she stepped into the entryway, her arms raised while she started mumbling her spell. The wind quickly started to whip around the large room, gathering speed as it swept around the crowd in the center.

The cloaked figures stood up an instant later, turning their startled faces towards us as a swirling wind started to circle the room. The red and gold curtains lining the walls began to flap almost violently and suddenly the room went almost completely dark except for the light that seeped inside from the crack beneath one of the doors on the far side of the room, the many candles winking out as soon as the wind touched them.

I raced inside, my keys in my hand. The wind whipped violently against my clothing and I fought against it, keeping as close to the walls as I could.

"Where'd he go?!" I shouted, hoping that Wendy might be able to hear me.

Before I heard any answer, new light illuminated the room, coming from the doorway that had been the only source of light when the candles had gone out. I ran to the new opening, betting that the man had fled inside and called out Taurus, hoping he would intimidate whoever it was and keep them from attacking me.

Together we entered the new room, Taurus' large ax held at the ready.

"You're just in time."

My eyes adjusted to the new light and I glanced around the room, searching for the source of the words but my search died the moment I saw the blazing inferno on the far end of the room.

"Natsu!" I cried out, my body instantly ready to spring forward to save him.

"Not so fast." The man from earlier stepped in front of Natsu and instantly I noticed the black tattoo's that etched his face and neck, disappearing beneath the black cloak that was still draped over his body. "You didn't think I'd let you just take him, did you?"

With a hard shove, a body tumbled from beneath his cloak and landed loudly on the floor, the person's hands slapping against the rocky surface. Blonde hair fell in a curtain around its head and as the person slowly looked up, a gasp tore from my mouth.

It was… me!

"Pretty good, huh?" the man said. His mouth was lifted at the corners in a wicked grin that some might have found attractive if not for the malice oozing from every pore of his body.

Stepping to the side, I stole a glance at Natsu who was hanging from the wall, his arms shackled to the stone behind him and his head falling forward, resting on his chest. His entire body was ablaze, the heat from the intense flames reaching all the way across the room to where I was standing. Never had I seen such a sight in all the times I'd watched him battle. His skin was covered in scales, glowing like embers all the way up his torso, down his arms and over his down turned face. Protruding from his messy pink hair was two golden horns, spiraling upwards and coming to a sharp point at the tip.

"What have you done to him?!" I screamed, fear and anger making my voice harsh to my own ears.

A throaty laugh erupted from the man in front of me, his head thrown back in amusement. "What have I done? I haven't done anything to him? All that," he said as he indicated Natsu behind him, "was done by himself."

I glared at the man, my hands fisting at my sides. What was happening to him? What had these people done to him?

"All I've done was given him the incentive to reach his full potential. You should be thanking me."

"Let him go, now!"

The replica of myself suddenly started to move, groaning as it turned on to its back and stared blankly up at the ceiling. Its body began to glow from within, the bruises and cuts fading as the light intensified.

"Borg, that's enough," the man with the tattoo's said. "I think the real thing will do much better."

A man I hadn't noticed until now, stood up from where he'd been sitting against the wall and slowly walked out of the room, retreating to some side room I hadn't been in yet. At the same time, my twin transformed into a lean man with pale blue hair and skin that was now completely healed. He followed the other man, disappearing a moment later and leaving the room without a backwards glance.

I squared my shoulders and turned to the man who'd been speaking, grabbing my whip from my belt as he, with a flamboyant flourish, threw his cloak off his body, revealing his naked torso which was covered with the same tattoo that adorned his face.

"Two dragons will be revealed tonight!" he said and then raised his arms into the air, his palms facing the rocky ceiling. His skin started to stretch and bulge and a loud screech echoed around the room. "Reveal yourself!" he hollered and then, the black tattoos on his body began to move, sliding over his skin like a snake wrapping itself around its prey. The lines danced, coming alive until, with another loud screech, the tattoo tore itself from his body and flew into the air, taking the form of a black dragon the size of a human body.

"Taurus, now!" I yelled and charged forward, my whip in my hand.

The giant bull stormed forward, his ax raised high above his head and swung at the dragon as he leapt into the air. The dragon nimbly moved to the side, avoiding the blow and an instant later, green liquid streamed from it's mouth, falling on to Taurus' arm and immediately burning his skin.

The bull hollered in pain and grabbed at the burn. I dismissed him quickly, not wanting him to get hurt any further and called for Scorpio in his place.

"Watch out, the dragon spits poison," I warned and then cracked my whip, trying to catch one of the dragon's wings while Scorpio released a torrent of sand at the beast.

My whip missed its mark but Scorpio managed to hit the dragon, knocking it back till it slammed into the wall with a loud scream.

"Loke!" I shouted, summoning him with a wave of his key and instantly he appeared, his hands clenched into tight fists.

The two spirits attacked in unison, Loke sprinting forward yelling, "Regulus Punch" while Scorpio aimed his stinger towards the dragon, shooting a sand spear. Both attacks missed the dragon as it flew to the side and let loose a stream of poison, the green liquid just barely missing the pair and splattered against the floor.

While my spirits attacked the dragon, I concentrated on the man who seemed to be the leader of the group, sending my whip towards him and successfully wrapping it around his arm. I yanked hard, sending the man flying to the ground on his hands and knees but before I could make another move, he yanked his arm back and I went crashing forward, falling to the floor beside him.

"Don't think I won't attack a woman," the man said and then grabbed my arms, pinning them above my head as I struggled to break away.

"Bastard!" I yelled and sent me knee hard into his gut, sending him off my body as he clutched his stomach.

Before I was able to roll on top of him, Loke had a hold of his neck, lifting him from the ground and his arms locking around his head in a vice like grip. "You dare to lay a hand on Lucy!" Loke hissed and then screamed in pain as the black dragon clawed at his back, causing him to release his hold on the man.

"Lion Brilliance!" Loke yelled and the room was suddenly filled with nearly blinding light, making the dragon screech loudly in agony.

In the split second that the light shone, I dismissed Scorpio and called out Capricorn, yelling as I did, "Hold him!"

The goat looking spirit grabbed the man from behind, locking his arms around him and pulling him across the room till they were against the wall.

I took the opportunity to launch an attack at the dragon, hoping to get its attention on me so that Loke could have a free shot. My whip slashed across the dragon's right wing, a burst of some ash like substance clouding the air where he'd been hit. At the same time, Loke leapt at the beast, his fist lighting up as he swung.

With a loud thud, his fist connected with the dragon's head, jolting it backwards and sending the winged creature flying across the room.

Suddenly another roar, one deeper and more ferocious, thundered across the room, turning my attention to the source. "Natsu!" I screamed and ran to him, my feet skidding to a halt several feet in front of him.

Fire surrounded his body, the heat from it practically burning my skin. His eyes stared blankly ahead and I shuddered in fear as I looked at him. His normally onyx colored eyes were a startling shade of gold, the pupil's reflecting the flames that covered his body.

"Natsu, it's me… Lucy!" I yelled, trying to get his attention but he simply stared ahead, his chest heaving with rapid intakes of air.

"Lucy, watch out!"

I jumped just in time to avoid a sharply curving talon that had nearly ripped my head off. Reluctantly I left Natsu, sprinting across the room to where Capricorn still held that now tattoo-less man.

"I'll take care of him. Go help Loke!"

Nodding, Capricorn shoved the man to the ground and I immediately jumped on top of him, pinning his arms down above his head and summoned up enough magic energy to bring out Virgo. "Can you cuff him?" I asked, struggling to restrain the man who was much larger than me.

"Yes Master," Virgo answered and a few seconds later than man lay on his side, his arms pulled behind him and locked inside metal bindings.

"Thanks! Can you go help Wendy?" I asked, watching her nod and then turned to Loke and Capricorn who had managed to back the dragon into a corner.

Capricorn jumped on to the creatures back, sending it into a fit as it screeched and flapped its wings wildly. His arms grabbed at the neck of the beast, steering it downwards and then, with a bright flash, Loke leapt into the air, his fist glowing as he yelled, "Regulus Impact!"

A golden light with the image of a mighty lion flashed and then his fist connected with the dragon's head while Capricorn agilely jumped off its back and landed on the ground, casually brushing off the sleeve of his black tux. The dragon's high pitched roar pierced my ears and then it shriveled up, falling to the floor and slithered across the ground till it merged back with the man's body, turning into the black tattoo once again.

Without a second thought, I turned back to Natsu, urgently rushing over to him.

"Lucy… must save Lucy." His mumbled words chilled me, his voice almost unrecognizable.

I moved as close as I dared and then called out to him, trying not to stare overlong at the frightening scales that covered every inch of exposed skin. "Natsu, I'm here. I'm safe!"

He didn't even budge at my words, his golden eyes lost, fighting some sort of internal battle. The story Zirconis told us about Acnologia blinked into my mind, images of a man transforming into a gigantic dragon flashing in my vision. I remember his story well, the tale of how the dragons formed an alliance with humans and taught them slayer magic.

As in all things, a dark side arose; people with ill-intentions taking advantage of good people.

At the forefront of this was Acnologia, a foul-tempered, powerful mage who thirsted for the blood of dragons like it was the nectar of gods. He lusted for the kill, relished in the power it gave him as death by death, his power grew. Killing was no longer about survival or alliances to him, killing was his passion, his lust.

It was unknown at the time what would happen to someone with that much blood on their hands. The dragons that had entrusted the humans with their powers could not foresee the very powers they gave them, turning them into dragons themselves. But as more and more dragons perished, Acnologia thrived, turning from man to beast and eventually becoming the King of the Dragons himself.

A shudder raced down my spine, curling my toes. Was that what was happening to Natsu? Was he turning into a dragon?

Suddenly Natsu lifted his head, straightening till he was standing completely up instead of crouched forward. With a start I realized how large he was, his head towering a good foot and a half higher than normal and his body thicker and broader. The flames around him lessened but then he threw back his head and screamed at the ceiling, his fingers stretching outwards as long black claws grew from the tips.

I stepped forward, trying to close the distance between us. I needed to get through to him. I needed to pull him out from whatever trance he was in.

(Natsu's POV)

'Lucy… must save Lucy,' I repeated in my head, the words turning into the mantra of my very existence.

The world around me had faded away, replaced with a towering inferno that rose above me, the flames arcing high into the ashen sky. Black clouds battled above and I stared at the fire in front of me, the bright orange and red heat beckoning me to move forward.

Slowly I took in the sight, letting my eyes drift from the base of the object to the top where a headstone of sorts sat. It looked to be made of gold and was cut in the shape of an endless flame, the combination of the tower beneath and the object making it look almost like a large flaming candle.

As I stepped forward I glanced to the side, finding another tower to the left and slightly set back from the flaming tower. It looked heavy, the thing made completely of metal, large iron studs lining the entire length of it and coming to a stop at the top where a long sword pointed threateningly towards the sky.

Looking the other way, I found yet another tower, this one beautiful where the others were slightly intimidating. The long column gradually thinned as you followed it from base to tip, looking almost like ivory as it thrust towards the sky, coming to a four cornered point at the top.

The flames once again called for me, bringing my gaze back to its brilliance. I walked till I stood directly in front of it, sparks bouncing off and singeing against my bare skin. A golden plate was affixed to the base of the tower, words etched into the splendid metal.

I inched closer, peering through the flames till I was able to make out the words.

"In times of unrest, we will rise again."

I reached my hand out, passing through the fire till the tips of my fingers brushed over the etchings, gliding slowly down when I noticed something higher up, another golden plate engulfed in flames. I had to step back to see it clearly, my eyes adjusting to the glare.

Encased beneath

Natsu Dragneel, Great Ruler of the Dragons

My eyes narrowed. Great ruler of the Dragons, what did that… suddenly my vision shifted, spinning in vibrant shades of red, silver and white. I blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what I was seeing till the image slowed and the three towers were now three colossal dragons, their mighty heads bowed solemnly.

I immediately recognized the one in the middle, the largest of the three with his scales of bright red and eyes the color of the suns flames. To his left was a sleek looking dragon. His body was a smooth slab of metal, layer upon layer of iron taking the place of hard scales. On the opposite side was a slightly smaller dragon of pure white, hard scales merging with thick white fur that covered its entire body.

"Natsu!"

I jerked. What was that voice?

Recognition speared into my gut and I twisted in confusion, trying to find the source.

"Natsu, It's me… Lucy."

Lucy… LUCY!

Emotion flooded my insides, making me nearly tremble as it overwhelmed me. I stared back at the dragons who were now watching me silently, their stances unwavering and strong.

"Natsu, I'm here. I'm safe."

I blinked, trying to find the source of the words. Safe. She'd said she was safe.

Suddenly something warm and soft enveloped me, a familiar scent filling my nostrils. I collapsed in on it, willing myself to merge into the haven… my home.

Lucy…

(Lucy's POV)

Panic constricted my throat as I watched Natsu scream. His entire body was tense, the large muscles beneath his scaled skin bulging as he yanked hard on the chains that still restrained him. I tried to reach out for him but I hesitated, the flames licking too closely and sending fear into my gut.

His eyes flew open once again, the golden gaze piercing my heart. This couldn't be happening. What should I do?

Desperation clawed at me, making my hands shake as I stood there. I needed to bring him back to me, to pull him into my arms and hold him till he was with me once again.

The flames around him continued to burn and I closed my eyes, willing myself to a place where it was only him and only me. My mind grasped on to the memory of him, his perfect smile that lit up any room and my heart, his warm eyes that could read me completely without having to say a word. I held that image, along with the swelling feeling in my chest, the feeling I got whenever I was with him.

Then, I stepped forward.

My arms reached out, the tips of my fingers submerging into the fire. Any doubt was quickly pushed aside and I clung to the image I'd produced, reaching further. My hands brushed against hard skin and I pressed closer, wrapping my arms around his waist and sliding my body against his. I buried my face in his chest, the hard scales scraping over my cheek. The fire raged around our entwined bodies and I squeezed him tightly, holding him till there was nothing between us besides flesh as my clothes burned away and turned into ash.

'Natsu, come back to me. Please, Natsu!'

The body against me shifted, sagging against me. I stroked my hands up his back, feeling the hard scales as they softened and a surge of relief swept through my body, making tears well in my eyes.

I clutched him tighter, letting my tears fall and dampen his flesh where my face was still pressed against his chest. His body started to shrink, his waist becoming smaller and soon my face was tucked into the crook of his neck, the flames extinguished.

I heard the now too large shackles fall from his wrists and an instant later, his arms circled me, closing around my body. "Lucy…"

My grip tightened, hugging him to me. I pressed my lips to the side of his throat and then felt his own lips press tenderly to the top of my head.

"Lucy, you're ok?"

I nodded, sniffling loudly as I pulled my face away and slowly looked up at his. Gone were the horns that had been there only a few moments before and staring at me was the beautiful onyx eyes that I loved.

"Natsu, you're back."

Warmth flooded my gut as a small grin lit up his face. He was back, my Natsu was back.

To be continued

YAY! Lucy saved the day! I love a kick-ass Lucy. I hope Mashima shows off her abilities in this current arc.

Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Let me know what you thought.