Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters; that right belongs to Hiro Mashima.

Author's Note: This is the last chapter. There will be no more. No Epilogue at all. So, don't bother wasting your time and mine by requesting it. I will be honest, with this story, I feel a bit like Stephen King with the Shinning. And for those who don't know, he hated that book after it was turning into a movie. When I created Obsession, it was meant to be only a 1-2 shot. But with friends/fellow authors, and readers constantly demanding more I caved. I was still a very new Author back then and had no backbone. And I am posting this today, because the day is special to me. Now, without further ado, I give you the end of Obsession.

25 of 26 weeks,170 of 182 days (January 2nd to give an accurate date)

He could only stare in muted shock, his brain not wanting to register what he had just seen and heard. The fact he was still angry was now shoved to the back of his mind. How in the span of thirty-six hours could things go so... so horrible wrong!? The scene before him was like something out of a nightmare. In the years of service as a Rune Knight, working up the ranks to where he was now, Lahar had seen some horrific things — dealt with criminals that were better put to death than sitting the rest of their life in cells that canceled their magic for the things they'd done.

Giving his head a small shake when he heard retching from behind him, Lahar finally turned to see Doranbolt bent double, tears rolling down his dirt-covered face. The site of his partner and best friend empty his stomach had his rolling. But he couldn't cry, no Lahar wouldn't cry, not yet. Turning back to the scene before him, Lahar couldn't keep his mind from going back to them, arriving in Hargeon. Lucy had seemed a little too quiet, almost withdrawn. Then her Spirit, Leo, appeared and dropped a bomb on them all, and it finally clicked in his mind. Lucy had known what was coming.

Lahar had been a mix of ecstatic at finally having the information he needed and hurt at the fact that he hadn't been told immediately though Doranbolt had defused it by jumping into questioning the Spirit, getting specifics. The Witch's name was Velletix, had long black hair, was young and beautiful, vanity the source of her power, which explained why she cursed Lahar with the geass since she couldn't stand anyone else being prettier than she. And to make everything perfect, her lair was along the coast, just 8 miles from the harbor, and was well protected.

Taking in a shuddering breath, Lahar lifted his hand; magic pen gripped tightly as he did his best to keep from shaking. All it would take was to write a rune for healing into the air. He knows the toll on what little of his magic reserves were left, as well as his life force. At this point, it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. His eyes were watching Lucy's and Vellatirx's as he began to gather his magic.

"Lahar, it is okay."

Those four words had his body locking in place, as all the air in his lungs seemed to be pushed out by an invisible force, while the blood rushing through his veins felt like it was freezing. The smile Lucy was giving him was something he wanted to see directed at him, but not in this situation. Leaving him feeling so alone, at a loss, because he knew that there would be no coming out of this without deep scars.

Mest knew something was up the moment they had paused a mile from the Witch Velletrix's lair. Lucy was still silent and withdrawn, and Lahar was fuming angrily. The tension had been almost unbearable. Yet it was when Lucy sat next to him after they had talked about whether to scope out the place or just attack head-on and not call for back-up from either the Rune Knights or any Light Guilds. They'd gone with the latter since they had the ability for a surprise attack. Lucy had reached into her pouch and handed him her Key Ring after taking two specific keys from it.

Now, he couldn't help but empty his stomach as he watched as one Lucy poofed into two small little floating spirits that made up Gemini. While the other had gone toe to toe with the Witch, and it had been evident that Lucy was outmatched. But the quick plan they'd come up with had her distracting the Witch so he could teleport Lahar around whatever chamber they'd find Velletrix in. Runes that had been on a scroll given to them by Loki that would nullify the Witches power.

Of course, they had tried to get Velletrix to remove the geass first. When that failed, Lucy had willingly offered herself in place of Lahar. That had made the Witch laugh hysterically before telling Lucy she was uglier than Lahar was with his hair down and glasses off. Then demanded Lahar remove his glasses and let his hair down, showing that Lucy was a weak woman, prone to pathetic human emotions of lust and love. And would hate others when she had aged, and no one would give her a second look.

The result was Lahar doing exactly as demanded, and Lucy looking at him with no reaction. This enraged the Witch Velletrix, who cast an immediate hex and missed because Virgo appeared and raised a simple rock wall. Though, Doranbolt was glad, because that hex had rotted the wall to nothing but black dust.

When Lucy spoke, Doranbolt lifted his head and looked at the warm, gentled, accepting, and utterly loving smile that Lucy was giving his partner and friend. It hurt, but he knew that in the past five and a half months, they'd formed a strong bond of friendship and that they had developed feelings of the romantic kind. He had respected it since he had been turned down. But all that meant nothing now as he saw Lahar's arms drop to his side, the gathered magic dissipate.

The battle was coming to a halt, they had won, but at a cost. And he didn't want to believe what that cost was.

Lucy had it all figured out in her head. The plan was not the best, but it was solid and would work. Having discussed it at length the night before they left to return to Magnolia with her Spirits and Warrod. Though she wasn't completely upfront with her spirits about what she was going to do. It pained her to keep this a secret, which was made worse by Lahar's reaction to finding out. A secret keeper she was for her magic, but in real life, she was an easy book to read.

Sighing as she had given her key ring to Doranbolt, with very detailed instructions, should things go wrong in the lair. Lucy knew that by deciding to go this route, she was hurting those she cared about dearly in Fairy Tail. And it would have been difficult having her team helping in the small cave network that housed the Witch. Their exuberance would more than likely collapse the tunnels onto all their heads since they didn't know how to hold back. Also, for a fact, the more people, the more chances the Witch would have to harm people to extend her life. And Lucy wouldn't ever willingly put her friends into that kind of trouble or danger. Yes, she was being very selfish. More than anyone would know.

Turning her gaze from Lahar and Doranbolt, Lucy looked the few inches up into Velletrix's face, seeing her eyes under her shaggy, black bangs. A price had to be paid for making a pact with a demon for power. Velletrix paid with her eyes, which were hollow, lidless sockets that had healed in the centuries she'd been alive. The cruel smile that Velletrix was giving her promised more pain than she was in already.

"You speak bold worlds, you blond harlot!"

Lucy didn't even bother to speak; the pain from where Velletrix's clawed hand was shoved through the flesh of her chest was too much. The best she could do was snort loudly, causing Velletrix to flex her sharp fingertips deeper into her chest, closer to her heart. She could feel each beat of her heart slow as it pumped more blood out through the wound and torn arteries and veins.

Focusing, Lucy felt Gemini return to the celestial realm and felt warmth in her left hand hanging by her side before a brilliant, white light filled her vision. When it faded, Lucy knew that Ariadne was standing beside her. This was the only Spirit she had told her whole plan to, and now it was coming to fruition. Giving her newest friend a side glance and small nod of her head, Lucy struggled to bring both arms up and wrap Velletrix in a very firm hug and earning loud, painful screeching from the woman before her as Lucy gathered all her magic and focused it to her right-hand.

Recalling what Warrod had told her about the Rainbow Sakura and how to make it grow, Lucy just let it all go. In seconds she felt a pain unlike any she had ever felt tear through her body, dulling the pain from Velletrix's hand in her chest. Then it with a pulse that seemed to swell to a crescendo as Lucy felt her fist burst apart as the seed took root in her own body. This was her choice as she heard shocked gasp and screams from the other two as it dawned on them what she was doing.

Turning her gaze from Velletrix's face, Lucy saw what used to be her right-hand over Velletrix's right shoulder. It was a wooden stump that had roots twisting and twining around their bodies, squeezing them together, binding them as their flesh was turned to wood where the roots touched. Each breath became harder and harder, making Lucy feel as if she was drowning in water. The screeching from Velletrix had stopped because her head was fully encased.

Knowing she wouldn't have another chance, Lucy turned her head and relaxed her left hand, allowing Ariadne's key to fall to the ground. Lucy forced a smile onto her face as she saw her Spirit, who was glowing brightly, giving the light needed for the seed to take root. There were tears of sadness and pride falling down her beautiful, olive-tones face. While behind Ariadne, she saw both Doranbolt and Lahar staring in horror and fascination at her, each crying as their skin continued to lose more color, leaving them white as a sheet.

When her heartbeat its last beat, Lucy was unable to feel her body as it finished turning into wood. The last sight she saw was a mix of rainbow-colored petals stained with blood from both Velletrix and herself fall with debris from the ceiling of the tunnels as it burst through to get to the natural sunlight. Lucy had saved a friend, protected many more people from being put under a geass. To Lucy, at that final moment, she was happy to have been genuinely selfish for once in her life.

THE END!