Hi guys! I'm back for this month, as promised this is the update for July! I hope you guys like it, I actually wrote all this out into one big 5000+ chapter but decided to split it, so I'll either upload the rest of this chapter next week or next month. However, that'll be the update for August already, so if I DO upload it next week you won't see anything till September.

So, the waits finally over, the most anticipated and hyped up fight is finally done! To be honest I'm not sure if I've made it completely worth the hype, but hey at least one major fight is finally over! On to the next one... ;-;

An apology that I'm not able to update nearly as often as I did when I had first started this fic, but at least I think I'll be able to update monthly now (**slaps self in irony**) Holidays have recently come for me, but I haven't gotten much done XD

I would like to thank my Beta Reader for diligently editing my chapter since Chapter 16, you've been amazing to work with and your editing was incredible, you've helped me a lot with my grammatical skills as well and I thank you so much for all of that! I hope to work with you again and good luck with your studies! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail!

Chapter 36 (The Chaos Dragon Slayer Returns & Poisoned Flames: Pt 1)

Lisanna's POV,

You said to forget about you, you said that if everyone else could accept you leaving, I could too. But you don't understand, you don't understand that I love you.

I didn't cry that night though, even though my heart was aching to see your face, to be there with you to make sure you're not hurt, to help you with what little power I possessed, I didn't cry.

I wanted to fulfil your wish, whether it would be the beginning of a long string of wishes or your last - you wanted me to forget you, which was what I was going to do.

I spent the next day blindly, I felt like I was missing a huge chunk of myself that I had voluntarily given away but I refused to let myself go find you. I wouldn't let myself even glance at the door, because I knew if I did I wouldn't be able to stay still.

They say you spend the first day numb, I spent the first day already missing you.

That night I remember looking at my own hands and thinking about how much of a hell the day had been, but it was then when I realised that I had lived through it. And that by refusing the temptation to find you I was one step closer to fulfilling your wish.

I was happy with that.

But then you hurtled into the bar the next day, your face flushed, sweat and dirt covered you from head to toe. I couldn't stop the small spout of happiness that exploded when I saw you but even as you stood there in the bar with the entire guild surrounding you, you're eyes never once wandered to find me.

The Master couldn't see you either, he was in his office the whole time you know. He knew you had come back but he couldn't bring himself to see you, I found out the day after you left - he wasn't the one that issued your ex-communication.

It was a piece of crumpled up paper under his desk, a single letter from the Magic Council that called for your ex-communication. But even so I guess the Master was still guilty he went along with it, he couldn't believe he could have done something this terrible just because the Council said so.

You can't blame them though, you really were terrifying that day. When I was seeing you fighting I couldn't help but be scared, not for your life but your power, it was overwhelming. I'm sure the rest of us could feel it too. It was like you went crazy, berserk even, you weren't the Natsu we had known for so long.

But I guess love did that, love did these things to people, I would know.

I wish you could forgive me, I wish Lucy could forgive me for what I've done. That day you were gone gave me time to think and I've realised how stupid I've been. From the first time - reacting from such an childish impulse, I hurt someone and not just anyone - a fellow guild mate.

I should hate you for what you've done to me, hate you that you've turn me into such a person but it's not your fault, I had done all this out of my own free will and if I had never done it then... We wouldn't be here now.

Maybe if I hadn't walked to Lucy's house that day, things would be different. Maybe you would have still at least considered my feelings instead of just brushing them off, maybe Lucy would be fighting beside you now, fighting for the title of Number One Guild of Fiore together with the rest of the team.

I regret it and I wish I could take it back, I don't know how I will but I am certain that I will spend the rest of my life repaying for debts that are far too large to repay in my lifetime.

I stared down into the arena now , my figure half shrouded by the shadows as I stared at you and Lucy. Lucy in particular. Her keys were lying at her feet, the golden metal shining in the sunlight.

My hands crossed over my chest as I stared, I knew how much those keys meant to Lucy and that in any case she would never leave them lying on the ground like that.

I leaned my hand gently against the concrete wall and sighed. I guess I'll begin my repaying my debt by giving up the ultimate sacrifice. I closed my eyes and grinned.

I'll still love him no matter how much time passes but right now, it seems he's the only one who can help you, you and whatever problem I've caused you from the beginning.

Take care of my dragon for me, won't you Lucy Heartfilia?

Normal POV,

The sky was a swirling mixture of purple and black overhead as Lucy took a slow step forward, her hands were only by her sides but at her fingertips there was already Dark Matter, residue from her attack towards Erza minutes before.

Sting had already been taken away by the medics after being knocked out by Natsu a few seconds ago, his battered and scratched body carried away in a stretcher to the infirmary. Lucy tried not to think about the Holy Dragon Slayer as she readied her fists, she wanted to end this quickly.

Lucy had seen the look on Natsu's face when he saw her keys lying there on the ground, the shock, the horror. It was apparent to those around her - her love for her spirits.

But it was only because she loved them that she left them behind, she knew if she didn't get rid of them sooner she would never be able to let them go.

And she would never let her spirits see her die especially when they would be helpless to save her, Zeref would kill all of them within a blink of an eye, there was nothing stopping him. Leaving them behind now would be the kindest thing to do.

Kindness towards her spirits

Lucy chuckled quietly underneath her breath, has she been anything but kind to the people around her, the people who loved her and enjoyed her company. The people who would be devastated after she was gone.

She was in every essence killing herself now, wasn't she?

She was just lucky enough to be bringing Zeref down with her, a mask, an illusion that she was some noble hero on a quest to take down the world's greatest evil. That's right, she was only lucky.

What kind of a hero is she wrecking the lives of people around her?

But why do it then? Why lie and pretend this is some kid's fairy tale, people don't always die saving the world so why should she? Why couldn't she call it what it was, it's not like she didn't do it constantly anyway.

Only this time, she'll be running away permanently.

The reason though, because she was scared of dying, she wanted to but she couldn't find the heart to do it. Most people would think of this as a sign to continue living but Lucy thought of it as the brick wall to her desperately needed freedom.

An eternal freedom known as death.

And this would make it easier for people too, wouldn't it? There would be no fault pointed towards them or her, just the person that was killed along with her. They'll all blame Zeref and she'll be remembered as a hero.

Her dying because of a noble cause was just easier to accept then to think she died because she just couldn't be honest with herself, honest about who she loved.

Noble or not though, it would still sting, the slap reality gives you when someone you know - much less someone you had loved dies, no matter the cause.

Lucy grinned, she guessed she was a villain no matter what happens. She had poisoned the lives of the people she had once loved before and she would continue doing it long after she dies, nevertheless a coward would forever remain coward.

And she would only be lying more if she said she wasn't one.

Closing her eyes she breathed in a sigh. She had to focus on the battle now, not whatever comes next, she'll need to get past Natsu before even thinking about finding Zeref.

Finding Zeref and killing him, would only be the easy part.

Lucy smirked, there was no way she could defeat Natsu in this state of hers. No chance, only a Dragon Slayer could defeat another Dragon Slayer, and Eclipse was the real Chaos Dragon Slayer - not her.

Not Lucy Heartfilia.

Lucy could feel the pulsing, coiled up energy deep in her stomach as she exhaled, Eclipse, as she knew was still alive. Even after all this time buried underneath all of Lucy's humanity she was still alive and kicking.

Part of Lucy felt sad that Eclipse, her alter-ego still existed. A cruel, emotionless version of her brought on by Acnologia when she had first left Fairy Tail.

After killing Acnologia it felt like she killed Eclipse as well but it seemed she was only buried underneath her own shaking emotions.

Lucy knew she had to throw herself to the darkness now though, if she wanted any chance of winning this battle, emotions would only hold her back.

Eclipse was the only person able to beat Natsu.

Lucy had no idea what was going to happen but she knew she'll just have take the risk.

She chuckled and breathed in one more breath of the dry tangy air surrounding her before letting the coiled up energy within her, explode.

"Soul Explosion." Lucy whispered without moving an inch from where she was standing, a laser jet of Dark Matter shot straight into the ground missing Natsu by just an inch. The Fire Dragon Slayer stumbled back, shocked by the sudden attack.

Electricity fizzled in the air between the two as thunder echoed around the arena, the sky was a churning mass of purple descending upon Lucy as she took one slow step towards Natsu, making the dry clumps of dirt beneath crumble into dust.

"Lucy!" Natsu called, his voice hoarse against the pounding thunder as Lucy continued to walk, her hands glowing with a murky black light. "Lucy?!" He yelled again, his eyes wide as he called towards the Chaos Dragon Slayer, not knowing just how far gone Lucy was already.

Lucy was gone again, fallen back down the spiralling darkness within.

"LUCY!" Natsu screamed one last time, his voice but a tiny whisper against swirling wind erupting in between Lucy and him. For a second Natsu was about to give up on trying to get Lucy to respond when suddenly she looked up.

Natsu's voice caught in his throat as he stared into Lucy's glowing white eyes, her normally warm brown ones were gone, replaced by an eerie stark white glow.

An intricate tattoo that winded down from her neck, her collarbone and her left arm that he was sure he had never seen before, was also pulsing with the same stark white light, it was almost too bright contrasting completely against the swirling dark matter that surrounded her.

"Natsu Dragneel." A voice that was much deeper than Lucy's regular one called out to him, making Natsu freeze, "W-who are you?" Lucy smirked and answered slowly, "Eclipse, the real Chaos Dragon Slayer."

Natsu scoffed, "Lucy is Eclipse, I don't know who you are but you're not Lucy." Eclipse's smirk grew wider, "Indeed the Celestial Spirit Wizard is me, but at the same time she isn't me. You see, I'm the darkness curled within her soul, the evil that's within all human beings. I am her shadow."

So that's Pt1 of the fight, bet you didn't see that coming XD In all honesty this chapter completely went off the direction I had planned it to be. The fight was originally suppose to be Natsu giving Lucy this whole speech about living but it kinda veered itself this way instead XD Ah well, I kinda like writing about 'Evil Lucy' and I hadn't written about her in a while so here's her come back.

Hoped you guys like that Lisanna part I added there; I just thought her opinion wasn't really touched on in this entire story so I added that there to give ya a little closure - thank me later ;) Hope Fairy Tail's been going well for you, seems Natsu's finally found someone he can't just one-out! Read and review.