Summary: Warmth blossomed over Lucy's hand and a faint echo of metal bouncing across marble reached her ears. She didn't feel the panic she expected when she saw the blade disappear into Ava's stomach, but she knew the guilt wouldn't come either.

Authors Note: Hi all. I'm sorry this took a long time. I've had some health issues, that sadly actually had me back in hospital on Saturday morning. Along with that I've started studying so my time dried up quickly. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I in no way own Fairy Tail! I do however own my own characters. Or the origin of the Black Zodiac though the names and descriptions used in this story are of my creation and interpretation.

Arc: Greed

Previously: "Ah. The famed Thunder God. What a... pleasure to see you in attendance. What a shame none of the other Slayers could make it. Just makes you all the more precious to us at Infernos Manor."

A dark glint lit her eyes and Ava turned from then in a flourish of red hair and gold fabric, beckoning them forward.

"I do so hope you enjoy your evening."

Chapter 21: The End of Tyranny

The music from the orchestral flowed through the room, like a soft wind pushing the dancers from partner to partner. Lucy couldn't help but get swept up in the movement, her feet following the tempo from man to man, each commenting on her legacy, of her family name, of the name that she'd made for herself… and it made her sick.

"My dear. You look as stunning as your mother did at her age." The elderly man leered down at her and Lucy kept her mask in place, mentally chanting to keep her façade up, her stomach rolling as he continued his praise and she sighed when the men shifted, partners rotating around the floor once more and it was with relief that she found someone familiar

"You holding up alright blondie? You don't look too hot." Laxus settled his hand on her shoulder, grabbing her other hand gently before guiding her into a waltz, the crash course she'd put them all through having paid off.

"Yes. I'm fine. It's just… unsettling being back in this kind of…" She trailed off, her eyes catching sight of their esteemed host, "That's not important. It seems Ava has her eyes on you."

Discreetly, Laxus spun them, his eyes scanning the crowd around them, finding that Ava was indeed watching his every move and spoke simply, "She knows why we're here…"

"At the very least she suspects you, and likely the rest of the Thunder Legion. She'll suspect me because it was the Princess that requested I be her substitute. This situation could take a turn a lot faster than we wanted." Her keys warmed and cooled against her thighs, both Gold and Black Zodiac reacting to her thoughts, ready for her bidding.

Laxus led her into a spin, his hand catching her hip, "Well reconnaissance as pointless, so why look a gift horse in the mouth? I may as well go right up to the bitch and deal with her."

"There's innocent people around Laxus!" Lucy hissed, eyes narrowing when she caught sight of his smirk.

"Yeah, I know Blondie. And how many people do you think she's put under a charm? Like the Luxaria did. We don't know what her magic is. We can only assume it's what made them so wealthy." Laxus bowed as the song ended and carefully extracted himself from her arms, making his way towards their host with a haughty gate and a wicked smirk on his lips.

"He's going to get himself killed!" She hissed, humming silently while stomping back to the others.

"Are you alright Lucy-sama?" Freed was quick to offer the blonde a drink, one the drank all too willingly and then mourned when their was no more.

"No… that… that brute is going to get himself killed! He has no idea what he's dealing with. He hasn't done any reconnaissance. He hasn't bothered listening to any gossip like we planned. He's walked right into the lion's den and expects to just… just… ugh!" Noticing the attention she'd drawn from her outburst Lucy quickly schooled her features, depositing her empty wine glass on a passing waiters tray before straightening her dress.

"Have you guys heard anything?" Freed and Bixlow shook their heads, discontent visible in their eyes, "Evergreen?"

The brunette sighed, fanning herself in a way that she was able to hide her mouth, conscious that every person in the room had magic, some of which may have been employed by Ava, "I only heard two things of use. The first was that Ava and her 'husband' aren't actually married. Not by Fiorian standards anyway. Ava claims they were married by the stars, whatever that means. And the other thing I heard is that these guys came from nothing. Like, literally nothing. They have no history of wealth, they don't come from old money. They literally just… popped up out of nowhere. And whenever Ava wants something, she has it practically the next day. It's made people wary of her. Some called her a murderer, killing the people that have what she wants out of jealousy and then taking what she wants from them."

"Wow Ever… you're good at this stuff." Bix laughed at the way Evergreen narrowed her eyes at him, her fan snapping shut with a loud clap.

"I'm not wasting my time drooling over the women…" With a sigh she turned to look at Freed, the green haired man staring longingly at the food arranged around the room, "Or the food…"

Lucy couldn't resist the giggle that left her, the situation seeming only increasingly more absurd, "Yes well. It isn't often that we're surrounded by this kind of lifestyle."

"And it's thanks to you Miss Lucy that we've been allowed to experience it." Freed look at her with a faint dusting of pink on his cheeks, his eyes only just meeting hers.

"It's nothing. Besides, the more of us the better right?" With a blinding smile Lucy turned, her dress swinging around her, "Now, should we have to assume that she must be a mage like the siblings. And going off the theme, she has to be one of the remaining sins. My guess would be Greed."

"An astute assumption."

The voice called from the shadows behind them and the four mages spun, glaring at the curtains that led to the balcony.

"Who's there?" Bixlow growled, his babies flying ahead of him to search the fabric.

"It's of no concern. You're already too late. And I doubt you'll make it out of this room alive."

The snicker faded, the faint magic that had filtered between them disappearing along with it. But it was enough time for Lucy felt the tug on her magic, the dual keys flaring against her thigh. She spun, her hands already slipping into the slit of her dress while horror consumed her.

Laxus, across the room seemed to dim, his magic dissipating as he lurched on his feet, a spray of crimson flying from his back, the light of the room bouncing of the blade the pierced through him. Everything seemed to go still, his hulking form jerking once as the sword was pulled from his abdomen, sending him towards the ground with a heavy thud. Moments passed, a tension running through the room so thick that it immobilised everyone witness to the event. Only to be broken by Evergreen's cry.

"Laxus!" Ever screamed, her hands grasping for the space Lucy had stood seconds before, the blonde already halfway across the ballroom, her dress morphing as she ran.

"Stardress: Taurus!" Lucy jumped, slamming down a solid kick on Ava's arm. A loud crack rang out and the weapon shrunk down, a black key clattering to the ground. The blonde slayer groaned from his spot on the floor, blood pooling quickly around him. Bixlow took the chance to run up the his friend and leader, hauling the larger man away from the fight, his own blood boiling for revenge.

"Open! Gate of the Twins! Gemini!" Lucy grabbed the black key off the ground and glared at Laxus' attacker, "You'll regret what you've done here tonight."

The sound of Gemini hitting the ground spurred Lucy into action, knowing her spirit knew what she wanted before focusing on the new key in her hand, "I call upon the Black Gate of the Warrior! Open! Gate of the Sword!"

A sword of ebony appeared in her hand in place of the key, shimmering like it was formed of dark crystal. The tendrils dangled from its pommel, each stand twisting and writhing like snakes came life in a flurry of movement, slithering up her wrist before sliding under her skin. She bit back a cry as she gagged, the pain almost overwhelming her, but she clamped her free hand over the handle, forcing her fingers to grip the blade tightly.

"Miss Lucy-" Freed showed up at her side as the Taurus stardress fell away, leaving her in her ballgown, the material tinted the darkest shade of the night. His hands gripped at hers, trying to pry her hand from the blade, her blood dripping lazily across the crystalline surface.

"Don't!" Lucy hissed, swinging her sword arm to the side, the blade itself taking on a golden glow, her blood seeping into the weapon itself, fusing with her magic. She took a step towards Ava, watching as the red head scampered back, cradling her broken arm to her chest, "The bitch is mine."

The Thunder Legion gasped as she looked over her shoulder at them. One eye glowed golden, the same shade as the blade while the other was black. But the blonde didn't wait for them to speak before turning back to her opponent. Her words went unspoken, but they understood the severity of her warning; anyone who interfered would be dealt with swiftly.

"Your name suits you Avarice." Lucy smirked as the noble woman shrieked, advancing with the gait of a dancer, "But it's time you paid your dues." The Celestial mage lunged forward the sword easily taking control of her limbs.

"It's feeding off her emotions…" Bixlow whispered, crouching low over his leader, "Her souls' blending with the spirit. They both want the same thing."

"But it's using her blood! That can't be good Bix!" Ever played with her fan, Freed standing guard over the Wendy copy. Making sure Gemini was guarded while Lucy battled for them all.

"Doesn't matter. Cosplayer wants that woman dead. Or as dead as a semi-celestial being can get. The sword thing is only too happy to comply." Bix shook his head, glancing at his injured friend, "I just hope she doesn't lose herself to the Fairy Tail way..."

"The point is mute. The outcome will be in our favour. And we must help Miss Lucy as much as possible. We will not be accessories to this any more." Freed glared at the woman responsible for downing their leader, his magic flaring under his fingertips.

The three watched on in silence as the celestial beings battled across the ballroom, a lethal dance that would allow only one of them to walk away.

xXx The First Sin xXx

Stab, parry, dodge. It was a dance of beauty, pain, steel and survival. Lucy couldn't even take in the room as she moved under crystal chandeliers and glittering marble. It was a strange feeling for her to experience movement without being the one in control. But she was grateful. It meant everything Ava threw at her was cut down. Every creature called upon was killed by either her blade of the Thunder Legions magic. The ballroom had become a battlefield bathed in blood of red and black and deep inside, Lucy revelled in it.

Avarice had resorted to using her own weapon, a shield so white it almost blinded Lucy when the light hit it, decorated in spikes so sharp that they shredded anything they touched. Both women wore tatters of their once glorious dresses, their skin decorated with multiple cuts but neither accepted defeat.

The vague sound of fighting echoed through the room and Ava smiled, her black blood staining her once white teeth, "It's over blondie."

Lucy spun at Ava's words to see the Thunder Legion barely holding off conjured soldiers, creations that Ava had made without her noticing. But she didn't have time to ponder the newest dilemma when a sharp pain lanced through her back and she pivoted away, sword cutting through her assailant. But the sight before her had her screaming, her lungs unable to take in air.

The blue eyes she had come to know so well stared down at her, pain reflected in them causing her knees to buckle.

"Lucy! It's just a copy! A fake! Don't take it as reality." The voice that boomed through her head made her cringe, but she stopped panicking. The man before her bled, but the liquid was cold, dripping onto her face and rattling her resolve, "Allow me to take over completely Mistress."

Without a second thought, Lucy submitted to the will of the spirit and she could only watch as her body flew across the room with unmatched grace where sword met shield in a majestic display of sparks. Strike after strike, her blows were unrelenting. It wasn't long before Ava made her first and final mistake.

Warmth blossomed over Lucys' hand and a faint echo of metal bouncing across marble reached her ears. She didn't feel the panic or regret she expected when she saw the blade disappear into Ava's stomach, but she knew the guilt wouldn't come either.

Ruthlessly, she yanked the blade from the red head and watched as she dropped, blood oozing along her dark skin and staining the marble floor and Lucy could only feel pity for the spirit hybrid, "You could have stopped Avarice… You didn't need to take the keys." Her voice echoed that of another, of the spirit inhabiting her body, "You didn't have to be her tool."

Ava laughed, choking on her own blood, "W-what choice d-did I have Ferrum? Lucifera was all I had…"

"You're wrong." Lucy's voice was strong, the eerie echo driving her point home as she and the spirit separated. The blonde mage buckled as her body regained control, the sword detached from her arm with a bright flash as the shape morphed. What was once a sword was now a tall, black haired woman with grey eyes and a fierce look etched on her face. A dress of silver and iron shifted across her skin like a living thing, rippling and reforming with every breath the spirit took. The Spirit turned away from Avarice, her gaze softening as she took in the battered Celestial Mage.

"Mistress. I am Ferrum, the Sword of the Black Zodiac," The woman bowed, "Thank you for trusting me with this task."

Lucy nodded numbly, taking in the woman before her, "Ferrum…" She tested the name on her tongue and the spirit smiled in return.

"Yes Mistress. From this day forth, I pledge myself to you." Ferrum shifted, picking up the shield Ava had used, "I will be your protector. Call me whenever you require, and I shall be at your side."

Ava whimpered, her hands pressing desperately at the wound in her stomach, the black blood bubbling quickly through her fingers.

"No… no! Ferrum! Y-you promised me!" Ava shrieked, kicking vainly at the ground to put distance between herself and the spirit that had once been part of her.

"I promised you nothing. You were different… we could have made a difference. But I should have known a mage like you wasn't strong enough. And my brothers and sisters were enslaved because of it. Worse… they were changed, manipulate into your grotesque forms." Ferrum hissed, her eyes glaring down at the Infernos sibling with such malice that those left in the room felt the magnitude of her hatred.

"G-Gula! Gula! I-I need… I need help!" Avarice called out, her voice cracking and fading, the light in her eyes dimming by the second, "You cowardly fool! I regret ever knowing you!"

The smallest amount of remorse gripped Lucy's heart and she staggered up, dragging herself closer to the dying woman.

"I think I get it know…" Lucy smiled when Ava sent her a quizzical look, the rage and fight having all but left her, "When you told people you were married by the stars. You didn't mean married. You meant connected. Through the black zodiac."

"Rae, the Spirit of Creation, is closely linked with Desiderium, the Spirit of Longing. They fed off each other. Together, Avarice and Gula are powerful, without the other, their magic is incredibly diminished, their natural magic will try to force its way through. In this case, her Celestial magic is trying to cleanse her." While light was starting to peek through the black blood that stained Ava's dress, "It's trying to return her to her proper form."

"What a sad way to live…" Evergreen fanned her face, blinking back tears, watching the interaction with quiet remorse.

"At least now there's no pain. But tell me Ava… Why… why did you do it? Why merge with the keys?" Lucy leant forward, grabbing Ava's hands in her own, allowing her own magic to flow over the red head.

"I just wanted to know what it was like… To love. To have everything… I came across Ferrum. She taught me everything. Eventually, the Spirit Realm closed off to me because of my relationship with her…" Ava whispered, allowing her head to rest against the tile floor, accepting the chill that settled over her, "I found Lucifera one day. She helped me and Gula. She promised us the world…"

A sad smile settled across her face, Ava's eyes closing slowly, "But her promise came with a price."

"Yes… and a Celestial mage always keeps her promise. I had Gula. I had everything I wanted. I just had to do as she said." Ava sighed, a gurgled sound, "I will tell you this much, for freeing me of my burden… Gula is still strong. And Lucifera stronger still. While you can, you should run. Even she may show you mercy."

Lucy smiled and shook her head, knowing the mage couldn't see, "Not possible. The Black Zodiac have been accepted back into the Celestial realm, taking their rightful place with the Golden Zodiac. I need to make sure they all go home."

A single tear fell from Avarice's eyes, a faint smile pulling on her lips while the light spread from her wound, "What an amazing thing to learn before the end."

"It didn't have to be this way…" Ferrum knelt beside the two women, her own eyes wet.

"It was the only way out I saw." Ava cracked open her unseeing eyes, the light nearly completely obscuring her form, "For what it's worth… I truly am sorry Ferrum. I would do it all over again, if I could."

The Spirit said nothing, tears silently tracking down her face. And just like that, Ava disappeared in a shower of sparkles and light, a single black key laying where she had been.

xXx The First Sin xXx

And… it's been a while. This chapter was something of a struggle. Only because I wanted to bring a little more humanity to one of the Sins. A little more has been revealed, with Ava being the reason the Black Zodiac were found and merged with humans. But more of that later. I think this story will have a maximum of maybe twenty chapters. So that's exciting. I've been trying to write out a lot of stuff because I'm about to start studying and the course is intense.

But I'm super excited! And that's what matters right?

A big, big thank you to the following people for reviewing the last chapter:

lara jefferys
lindsaykelly312
Tiernank
aliciacevbra
Veraozao