Chapter 3

She woke up pretty late. But her head didnt hurt and she could stand on her own. Walking was the other case. Her leg was still swolen and hurt pretty bad when she tried to step on it.

With the guys they decided to live like nothing happened, - but Lucy have to promise, that if she will be trying to summon magic again, both of them will be near to help. Also both guys take turns in watch, in case Salamander would return.

After a month

Lucy was in the forest picking some herbs, along with edible mushrooms with satchel and the staf Gajeel made her to help her walk. Everything was back to the normal. Gajeel went to the town to buy some medicine for Lucy and Gray was hunting for the diner.

Lucy hummed light song, whe she heard some noise not so far from her. She raised her head to look in that direction but she saw nothing.

„Gray? Are you there?" – when nobody aswered, she only shred her shoulders and start to pick up the herbs again.

Suddenly a person appeared infront of her, catch her by her throat and push her agains the tree, so she was pinned with her legs in the air. Lucy wanted to scream but the grip on her neck was too strong, so she just open her mouth soundlessly and hit his arms with all the power she could muster. It looked like he didnt even noticed.

Lucy tried to look at him, - he has wild almost yellow hair, cruel red eyes and cocky grin.

„They didnt tell me anything about a girl, - Who are you?" – Lucy started to losing conciousness, due to his grip. She opeden her mouth desperate for some air, but she cannot breathe.

„WoHAHA! – You look like fish lady! BuHAHAH!" – he laught like an idiot, and than released Lucy. She felt hard on the ground and forcefully inhale the much needed air and immediately start to cough.

„Hey Fish Lady, - who are you?! You are human, but I can smell halfbreed from you. Will you tell me where they are before I kill you? Or should I play with you a little before I kill you?" – he raise his fist which immediately started to burn with black fire.

„AAAAAAAAAAAAA"

When Lucy saw the flames she screamed and wanted to run away, which didnt happen, firstly due to her ankle, her pannic state and because the guy catch her again, but this time hold hair and her mouth, so she cannot scream.

„Shut the fuck up woman! My ears hurt! Fuck! – You are not a fish lady – You are a fucking banshee!"

„Hmmm mmm m mmm…"

„Normaly I enjoy the sreaming of dying people, - but you are bit too much, - so I will kill ya quickly, Hihi.."

He still held her by her mouth and raised the other hand covered with black flames.

„ZANCROWW!" – someone shouted from behind them.

Lucy immediately recognise the voice. Even she met him only for few hours she knew it is him.

Natsu was furious. He was storming to Zancrow as fast as he can in the coat of his flames. Zancrow let Lucy fall and jump back to avoid the impact.

„Salamander…" – he growled lowly.

„LUCY! – Are you okay? What did he do to you?! Please talk to me!"

But Lucy didnt talk at all, - she just look at Natsu with wide open eyes full of tears, while her body violently shake.

Behind Natsu she saw Zancrow lit his flames again, and that was the moment when she definitively lost it. Her body shut down and she fell into Natsu´s arms unconciousness.

Natsu quickly lay her on the ground. His body was already partialy transformed. Wings emerged form his back, as well as his tail. The scales on his wings started to glow deep red colour and when he turn to face Zancrow his eyes were bright golden with tiny black slits.

„Who send you for her?!" – Natsu asked coldly while he comes closer to him.

„I must say I didnt expect you to be here anytime soon, Dragonscum…."

„Who send you..?" – another step closer.

„And why do you think I will tell you something. If I rememember correctly, last time we have met you run away with the tail between your legs…"

Natsu was still comming closer to him, and Zancrow had still the same mocking grin on his face.

„Not that you need that information, - because in few moments you will be dead, but I will tell you, - we are here for two Halfbreeds. And since we are going on hunt, It aint only me, - all party is here." he said ale started to laugh maniacaly again. "This fucking banshee pissed me off, so I just want to have my sweet time killing her when you sucker showed up."

As Natsu was coming closer to Zancrow, the air between those two started to linger by the heat they were radiating. They started at the same time, but after the first punch Zancrow lost his grin. Natsus power went berserk. It was only by mere seconds, and he could be late. That trow him of balance, and he lost all of his previous confidence.

No longer in his carefree mind and histericly laughing at everybody. Righ now he was at his limits to keep Natsu from him, unfortunately with only partial success.

„What the fuck this suppose to mean? Why do you care so much ´bout that little bitch?!"

But Natsu respond only with another of his fiery fist. Zancrow manage to get away from him and catching his breath. Natsu was again comming for him. He was desperately looking for any of his weakness, but he found none. He didnt have much of the time, since Natsu were beside him again, throwing punch in his gut. Zancrow was lifted in the air. He was sent flying quite the distance, before he hit the tree with his back. The impact was so strong, that the old and big tree cracked and Zancrow cough blod, which fell on his chest.

He looked at his oponent, and than around for anything he could use to his advantage.

Than he saw the girl still laying on the ground by the tree. She was slowly opening her eyes and looking aroud.

„Natsu?" – she called, but he responsed only by his deep animal rumble from his chest still looking in Zancrows direction. She also looked in his direction, and that moment Zancrow starts to laugh almost histerically.

„We will see what will you do, when I roast her before your eyes Salamander!" – After that he took enourmos amount of air in his lungs and roared mass of pitch black flames on Lucy. Natsu immediately launched with all his might infront of Lucy to shield her. He know from the previour fight with this bastard, that he will not be able to consume black flames, and the only hope for Lucy was that he will take the hit himself. As fast as he was able he runned and shield Lucy, with his wings and back to the flames. Lucy saw the pain in his eyes when the flames hit his wings.

Natsu drop himself on his knees due to unbearable pain, but he was still shielding Lucy so no flames were touching her.

„Dont ….worry,….I will keep you safe." – was all Natsu could say before he release painfull scream and close his eyes. Lucy look at him with wide eyes full of tears. He was in so much pain, and because of her. She was so scared that he will die. Right before her eyes, trying to protect her. There must be something she will be able to do! She fought that time for herself. So she will fight again. And than again, no matter how many times she will fight back! She may be broken, but still alive! It doesnt matter what will be the outcome. She will fight for her live. She will help Natsu.

With this resolve she found within herself, she started to feel her magic grow within her. The power was growing and was eager to be released.

Natsu felt the magic and painfully opened his eyes. Lucy was kneeling before him, her skin was glowing again. Her eyes were shut with wet trails beneath them.

„Lucy!"

But she did not hear him. Her magic was leading her, she started to mumle ancient words, her hair started to float and glow around her head. She looked divine. Natsu almost forgot about his pain and wanted to touch her, just to make sure that she is real and infront of him. Another wave of pain surge through his wings, and the pained cry pull him out of his trance. The black flames was eating him alive.

Suddenly Lucy opeden her golden eyes, raise her hands above her head and called the antient spell upon her.

„URANOMETRIA!"

It was something astonishing. Almost as the sky ripped open and from the universe – hundreds of stars with the weight of the worlds were falling on Zancrow. His flames shut down, as soon as the uranometria dropped on him. When it was all over, Lucy fall on Natsu with no power, she could not even lift her finger.

„Lucy! Lucy talk to me! – Are you alright?!"

„I …. Just wanted …fight - to help… you" - her voice was weak, but she was smiling at him. Natsu felt so much relieve like never before.

„Are you kidding? It was totally awesome!" – he held her in his arms, while both of them were still kneeling on the ground.

They both fall on the ground heaving and relaxing their pained bodies. When they catch their breath, Natsu sit and look at his burned and torn wings. He tried to spread them, but when the skin was stretched it started to rip and the blood was driping on the ground. Pain force him to wimp and close his eyes. Lucy hear this sound and sit with him.

„I am sorry, - This is because of me…. I am soo sorry…."

„Nah, - Its nothing, - I have been through worse, - I can handle fire pretty well."

On the other side, there was cracking sound. They both look that way and saw pretty torn up Zancrow to slowly stand up and spit blood their direction. The hole from the impact of the Lucy spell was a few meters beside him, but the attack was so strong, it still almost kill him. With no more magic and bloody mush instead his body he was still eager to kill them, - now more than ever.

„I will take you to hell with me!" – Was the only thing he said, and he started to create mass of the black flames which consumed everything in its way. He was deep in his world of madness and use all his life energy to create massive self-destruction spell.

Lucy saw the flames and started to shake, hyperventilanting and loose her mind due to pannic attack. Natsu turn to her and took her face into his hands.

„Lucy look at me!"

She raise her eyes to look into his dragonic ones and calm down a little.

„I will not let him to hurt you. I will protect you – I promise." – he said and smile at her gently. He pressed his head to hers and his flames started to cirkle around them. Lucy twitch a little when she saw the flames so close, but Natsu hold her still.

„This is my flame, - It will protect you." – he said and turn back to face the mass of the black flames which was still growing. Lucy look at his back and the flames all around her. When the small one slightly touch her skin on her arm, - it wasnt paintfull. It was warm and soft – protecting just as he said. The statement she was amazed was a big misunderstanding. On the other hand, Natsu was prepairing for the impact. There was no chance they will survive as massive blow, but he will do everything in his powers to save the fairy. If Levy was right, she must survive.

His wings was still all torn up and bloody, but he forced them to open and shield her as much as he can. He scream in pain.

Than he felt cold touch right between his wings. When he turned to see what is happening he saw Lucy again all mighty and glowing. Her magic was around her, weak from the spell earlier but still it was very beautifull. There was a stream of darkness radiating from her palm on his back. It wasnt like anything he know – and he know almost everything about darkness, - It was half of himself after all. But this was not darkness, - It was so calm, and peacefull. Like a pitch black starless winter night – full of chill and without any sound. It soaked into his body and called his own darkness on the surface.

„No!" – he shouted and tried to avoid her touch, but his body refused to move.

„Stop it – You cant let it loose! It will kill you!" – Natsu tried to fight it, but his dark side was too eager to be in charge. Clawing its way out.

„Dont fight it…" – Lucys voice echoed in his head. He didnt want to, he was too afraid what will happen if the deamon will be released, but her magic has called him out anyway. Natsu started to change. All the severe burnings were healed almost instantly. His wings and tail slightly started to change their shape but it was still there – main difference was the colour. Now it was black with little dark red spikes on the scalet of the wings and on the top of his slimmer tail. The red scales dissapeared, the dark symbols started to cover all his body instead. His claws were longer and sharper and from his head grow two black horns. The tips of his hair also were pitch black. His cannies were a bit longer and his eyes also changed. They were black with his draconic slits but it was no longer golden, it shined red.

Daemon look around him and focused on Lucy. Her palm was still on his back so now, when he have his demon form he stepped away from her. The moment was interrupt by the Zancrow and his last scream when he launched with all of his flames on them. Natsu just smirk, his cannies shined and he stepped closer to the flames. When they were few inches from him he started to swallow them. When he devour it all, the only thing left behind was burned trees and Zancrows dead body on the ground.

„Aaaa – nice snack – thats a way to wake up someone!" – Daemon look back at Lucy.

„You are the one who let me out." – Lucy still in her divine form stepped closer to him.

„And you are the one who didnt let us die."

She was smiling gently at the creature befor her and raised her palms to hold his head.

„You are not scared of me…."

„Why would I?"

„Well maybe because I could kill you in the blink of eye."

„Why yould you do that?"

„I dont need a reason – I am Deamon, the darkness itself." – He smirked and grip her throat with his clawed hand.

Lucy looked into his eyes and smiled a little.

„It is really lonely, Is it? The darkness."

Natsu immediately lost his grin and growled.

„Why the hell do you care?! What do you know?!"

„I know it all, we are both the same."

He bring her closer to him and sniffed her. When he pull back his eyes widened.

„What are you?"

„Queen of the stars, Daugther of Luna. Goddes of the life…. They gave me a lot of names."

„Why did you release me? Do you think I wont kill you?"

„I am sure you would If you wanted, but you didnt kill me yet, - did you? That proves that you are not just a wild beast, nor the pure evil itself. You were created from darkness, but darkness itself is not evil."

„You are interesting one – little star. You have some balls on you. I havent met anyone like you." – he smiled wildly sniffed her again, still holding her throat, but not so much to choke her.

„Will you take care of my body till I come back?" – she asked but before Deamon can say anything she closed her eyes and she returned from her Fay form to her human body unconsious. He took her into his arms bridal style and sniffed at her curiously.

„Human…? You are far too interesting to let you die."

He hold her closer to him and walk them away from the burned land.

Meanwhile at the border of the woods.

When Gajeel was on his way back to his home, he realized, that someone is folowing him. He changed his direction to the hunting area, so he wouldnt lead them to his home and to Lucy. He just needed to lead them further into the woods, so no one else would notice. What he didnt expect was Gray, leaping from the tree above him, and punching the ground behind him, which instantly froze to solid ice.

"Ey! That was my pray!"

Gajeel spit infront of Gray and started to shift into his other form. His skin was iron-like. He also grew a pair of wings. With a blade on the egde of every bone in them. From his pants grew a large and thick iron scaled tail. Gray was also transforming. No need to tell that his clothes were long gone, black markings started to cover his body, till it covered more than half of it. His eye on the black part of body changed its colour into icy blue, his other was still black. Two spiky horns emerged from his scull, and he also grew a tail.
His tail was way more slimmer and longer than Gajeels. Also, while Gajeels cannines were sharper and slightly longer, all of Grays teeth were sharp.

"You are right, but this is my hunting area." - Gray said and looked at frozen land.

"Seems like our guest like to hide under ground."

After Gray prepared to hit the ground again, a slim man emerge from the earth.

"Good day to you, Monsignor. But I am afraid, it wont last very long."

"Who are you, and what do you want?!" - Gray asked.

"My name is Sol, and I have been given the task of hunting you down. So now the formalities are over, I believe we can start." - the guy bow and attacked both of them with the massive earth spell.

To be continued