You don't want to hear my excuses for not posting in a while. And I don't really feel like sharing them :P My lovelies, this chapter is short but sweet. I promise you will...enjoy the next chapter...

Chapter Twenty Six

Hell. This...was hell.

They stopped torturing me a while ago, leaving me to bleed half-conscious on the floor. But they would be back. I knew they would. And if I'm not dead by then, they'll definately kill me.

I'll admit I now regret my last words to Jin...he didn't do anything wrong and I just snapped at him. And maybe Selene was right. Our feelings were real...they had just been pushed.

Foot steps caught my attention. I slowly shifted my eyes to the door, the noise getting closer and closer. They stopped and the door opened. I closed my eyes, waiting.

Ominious POV

All the charms were torn off finally and all the gnomes had left to do was break the enchantment on the door.

Jin growled. "Can't ya hurry it up?!"

"Shut up and let us work, shinobi," Carrot snapped, observing the door.

"She may be killed!" Jin argued.

Carrot sighed as he and Cabbage placed their small hands on the door. "She can't die. Not easily anyway."

"What are ya goin' on about?"

"She was scratched by the thorn of a flower. At first we thought it was the olentis amor flower, which would have bound the two of you forever."

Jin blinked, confused. "But it's not tha'...so what was it?"

"Cabbage, focus. I'll explain," Carrot ordered his brother. "It was actually the vita flower. Any wound she sustains automatically heals and she'll soon be able to heal others with just her touch."

"You said she can't die easily," Touya said. "What does that mean? Obviously she can heal herself, but is there one particular thing that will kill her?"

The door started to glow, the enchantment finally wearing off. "One and only one. If she is ever scratched by the thorn of a mors flower, she'll die. The mors is the flower of death, as the vita is the flower of life."

With one last pulsing glow, the enchantment broke, bits of light breaking like glass from the door.

Before Carrot could say anything else, Jin flew out the door to start searching for Lucy.

Lucy's POV

The door slowly creaked open, revealing the black outline of a short figure. I heard the figure sniff the air for a second before calling to someone else, "I think I found her."

I gulped, not caring if he could hear me.

"Seems she's awake," another voice said. "We won't harm you. We're here to help." I heard them take a step forward and out of instinct I screeched as best I could in my condition. Normally it would have sounded fierce and would pierce anyone's ears. But I was weak, drained from the torture so my screech only came out as a choked yell.

With a snap of someones fingers, torches lit the room and I could finally see my "heroes."

One was very short with spiked black hair and sharp crimson eyes. The other had long red hair with kind green eyes; he looked the most approachable.

"Who...are you?" I asked weakly.

"Friends of Yusuke. I am Kurama and this is Hiei." The shorter man nodded his head once. "We've been sent to rescue you and anyone else that came with you."

Kurama offered his hand as I did my best to lean on my elbows. I slapped his hand away, struggling but succeeding to stand on my own. Leaning against his shoulder shamefully, I still prided myself for being able to stand up.

"Jin...Touya...Yukina. They're the ones who came with me," I pushed the words out, eyes focusing on the door in front of me. Freedom. I was five steps away from it. And that much closer to getting out of this hell hole they called Grey.

Suddenly, I felt something stir inside me. Hope? Happiness? Whatever it was, it was...doing something to me. I felt the energy spread from the core of my body to absolutely everywhere. It was healing me. I could feel the skin growing and stitching itself together, the bruises fading, and broken bones being mended. What was this?

"Miss Lucy?" Kurama asked, concern in his voice. I looked up at the green eyed fox. "Are you okay?"

Grinning, I said, "I'm fine. In fact, I'm perfect. Find my friends and get them out as soon as possible. I have one last errand to run before I can leave this god forsaken land." Without waiting on a reply, I darted out the room, using my scent to guide me.

Revenge, Lucy? Selene asked me.

My grin widened. "You know me so well...mother." I could practically feel Selene smile as I continued through the dungeons and up to the castle.