Glad to see you again guys, I figured that while I have time between college classes I'd write some more and get a few chapters hammered out so you guys have some cushioning for the next month or so. You can thank me later ^.~

As always: I own nothing, not the characters, the locations, or the spells.

Much Love,

BlackRose999

The Star Queen

Chapter Thirteen: Broken Bridges

They attacked indiscriminately, uncaring of who they injured. Tables were overturned, windows shattered, doors kicked open to splinters, and chandeliers dropped onto guild members. They had only one focus, Natsu and Lucy. Lucy was in no condition to fight, the fullness of her belly preventing her from both standing her ground and running. But she wasn't going to run or hide. Steeling herself, she drew three keys, fully knowing she could draw only three without hurting her children.

"OPEN! Gates of the Scorpion, Lion, and Bull! Scorpio, Leo, and Taurus!"

The three spirits appeared immediately, forming a protective shield around her hospital bed as she sagged against the propped up pillows. Sweat formed on her brow as she felt her magic getting so low she could see her skin turning ashen. Footsteps pounded up the stairs to the second floor, multiple footsteps. She touched her stomach protectively, knowing with every part of her soul that they were here for her and the babies.

"Protect my children. Even at the cost of me!"

The trio before her nodded their agreement, and the door burst open. Multiple mages piled in, their attention drawn to the three spirits at the back of the room, and charged. Leo moved first, he met the first one head-on, swinging his sun-flared fists and making contact to their chest. The man flew back into the mass of men, wheezing. The second swung a sword at him but was stopped by Taurus's axe, the muscular cow snarling his rage at those who dared try and harm his mistress's loved ones.

Lucy drew her throwing knives, her eyes narrowing in concentration, and waited for an opening. She had gotten good at them, and so far they had yet to see her miss her target. Taurus ducked, avoiding the sword attempting to decapitate him, and she threw the knife. It hit the man in the left eye and sank in deep, killing him. Taurus nodded at her, mooing his thanks. Scorpio stayed back with Lucy, his tail flicking dangerously as he acted as her last line of defense. Taurus and Leo moved perfectly together, desperate to keep the mages from Lucy's bed. They were winning, that much was clear.

Until the next set of pains hit Lucy.

Whimpering, she clutched her stomach in pain, trying to will the agony to stop. It was too soon, she wasn't full term. Natsu, just returning from his personal mission, was fighting below until the pain scorched through his bond and he knew it was time. Turning, he started fighting his way upstairs but was stopped by a horde of mages, he screamed his frustration as Lucy cried out in pain.

"LUCY!"

Her focus waning, she noticed her spirits were losing too and tried harder to keep herself focused on funneling her magic to them. She failed. Leo and Taurus vanished first, before Scorpio vanished he shot a Sand Tornado at them, hoping to take a few more out so she wasn't so outnumbered. With three men remaining they advanced on Lucy, carrying knives. Terrified, she reached for Natsu's magic and found herself drawing a huge breath.

Blowing outward, she released a jet of her pure white flame, scorching two of them to their deaths. She drew another breath but was backhanded, the man wrapped his hands around her throat, eagerly pressing harder and harder. She struggled, smacking at his hands and clawing at his eyes. She could feel her life, her baby's life, fading away. Desperate, she brought her leg up hard, catching him by surprise as her foot connected with his left temple.

She followed him up as quickly as she could, her hand reaching for the set of short daggers on her right thigh.

Releasing her, she drew a quick breath and began to blow outward once again, the white-hot fire setting him aflame. She drew in another breath, this time to ease her ragged gasps for air. She stood, facing toward the mass of bodies in front of her, fingering another knife. Her hand on her belly, she made her way to the door. As she opened it, someone forced her back by kicking the wooden frame open. Protecting her stomach as she fell, she glared up at the smirking form of Lisanna Strauss.

"Hello Lucy, long time, no see…"

Glaring, she forced herself to stand as to not appear weakened by the weight of her pregnancy. Scowling, Lisanna waltzed toward her, her appearance changing drastically as her magic emerged. Gone was the angelic face they knew, gone the ivory skin and the cropped white hair. Her eyes turned black as night, darkening her skin and hair, and making her fingers into elongated claws. She sprouted black feathers from her back, forming wings.

Lisanna wore a chained tube top and a pair of leather pants that only covered one leg, her feet were covered in blue-black fur with ivory claws, and around her neck was a black ringed collar. She looked so demonic it made Lucy's heart shatter.

"Takeover Magic: Wolf Soul."

"Oh, Lisanna… What have you done to yourself?"

"I did what I had to do! For the love of a man that should have been only mine!"

Lucy shook her head, tears welling as she realized what had befallen the Take-Over Mage. She reached for her keys, and Lisanna was on her. Clawing her face and chest as Lucy desperately tried to protect her stomach, she knew Lisanna had seen the pregnancy, but it appeared she carried no guilt or conscience at this point. Clawing for her keys, she screamed in agony as Lisanna's claws dug deep into her stomach. Ripping her away from her body, she kicked Lisanna in the face as sent her sprawling.

"NATSU!"

Fear-Pain-Terror-HELP scorched through the mark and made him grit his teeth in rage. Charging through the men on the stairs, he burst through the door in time to see Lisanna coming back for more. Tackling her, he shoved her away from Lucy, who laid on the floor sobbing at the ruin of her belly. Guarding her, he drew in a deep breath and lit her aflame as she looked at him in utter shock.

"Why… Why would you choose her over me?" Lisanna cried out, her eyes full of betrayal. "They said if I could get rid of her, you'd be mine again! They showed me what to do!"

"I would never, ever choose you Lisanna. I don't love you, I don't respect you, I don't want you. What will it take to get you to understand that?!"

Lisanna began to sob, her heart breaking in two. "Stop lying with those words! It isn't true! Once upon a time, you loved me, you cherished me!"

"Yes, I did. Then I met Lucy, and she showed my soul real love, not lust. What you and I had was lust Lisanna! Not love!"

Sobbing hysterically, she ran forward, her claws darkening with black magic as she prepared to go for the kill.

"IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU NO ONE CAN!"

Rage enveloping him, he felt his scales emerge as he channeled Lucy's pain and fear into himself. Natsu ignited his fist with intense swirling flames, charging at the woman who had once been his friend and lover, punching her in the jaw with his flames. The attack produced a powerful explosion, slamming his target into the wall behind her. His target, he no longer viewed her as his Nakama, let alone his friend.

Her screams vanished as her body burned brutally her lungs scorching the air inside them and her heart slowing to a barely-present rhythm. He looked at her body in disdain, hatred filling him like molten metal in a molding bed. A whimper behind him reminded him that his wife, his world, was behind him in a pool of her own blood.

Whirling, he rushed to her, and the sight of her made him weep. She was covered in blood, her belly oozing the majority of it and some other liquid he didn't recognize. Screaming, he begged for someone to come upstairs to help them, and someone did. Mirajane and Levy came first, the former dissolving into sobs when she saw the sight of Lisanna's body. Her legs buckled beneath her, and she touched the still-hot body of the sister she once knew.

"No… No, not again… Lisanna please!"

"M-Mira… I… I'm so sorry…"

"Shhhh, shhh, it's ok. You're ok."

Smiling softly, Lisanna reached up and touched her cheek, wincing at the pulled skin. She rubbed her sister's softened cheek with rough, burnt skin. She passed slowly, her breath shallow and ragged as her burnt lungs desperately tried to gather air to fill them. Mira screamed, howling her pain as she held her sister's body. Elfman came forward, cupping his sister's head in his massive hand, and silently he wept.

Lucy's screams broke the silence, bringing everyone back to reality. She was losing a massive amount of blood, and amniotic fluid oozed out as well as her blood. Levy burst into the room, having left a sleeping Gajeel and Laurie in their rooms. She made her way to Lucy, helping the terrified babbling woman back into her bed. She positioned herself before her, seeing the already crowning child ready to come out.

Screaming, Lucy felt wildly for Natsu, wanting him to help her. She felt calm soothing her through the bond, Natsu's gentle heartbeat quieting her quelling hers. Her breaths came easier before new pain blossomed into her, this pain wasn't a normal birthing pain, it was the same she'd been feeling for so many months. The burning, stinging pain of her magic being sucked out of her at an alarming rate.

"The babies! Get them out! Get them out NOW!"

Levy caught the first one as Lucy began to grey and sag, handing the baby, a girl she noted, to the waiting arms of Erza. The second came easier, for he was smaller than his sister. But she screamed in agony nonetheless. When she was done, she sagged deeper, her eyes emptying and her breathing stopped. Terrified, Natsu pumped her chest, willing life back into her. She breathed once more on her own, but her eyes wouldn't open. Even when Porlyusica brought smelling salts under her nose, she did not stir.

Natsu cried, holding her left hand close to him, as the machines were brought to monitor her. He watched them set up an IV drip and numerous other machinery in the hopes that it would wake her. Her skin continued to grey, and before long her hair lost its luster. She looked nearly dead, but the rise and fall of her chest told him otherwise.

"Natsu? Is there anything we can do?"

Natsu looked up at Mira and Erza, his eyes dull and lifeless. His wife before him, he touched her cheek. Then somehow he found the strength to speak.

"The babies… Are they safe?"

"Yes. A boy and a girl. Twins."

He ran a hand through his hair softly, exhaustion on his face. The dead had been cleared away by officials and were currently being buried properly. So far, he had yet to leave his wife's side for several hours. He felt nothing, not the bruises on his body, the heartache of his loss, or the joy of parenthood. He felt it was justified.

"They need names Natsu… We can't keep calling them 'the twins'."

Nodding, he gathered in a breath of soothing air.

"Igneel… For the boy. And for the girl, I think Lucy would like the name, Layla…"

Nodding, the two women left him to sob brokenly, afraid to touch him for fear of the impending explosion that would soon come to fruition. He stayed with her, day and night for a week. Her condition slowly got worse.

"Oh, Lucy… Please. Please, wake up. I can't lose you, not now, not ever. You're too important, too precious to me. Losing you… I would lose me too."

He brushed a hair away from her face, and stilled when she moved slightly, thinking she would wake soon, he gripped her hand tighter, sending his love and his need for her through the bond.

She never moved.