Chapter 26

The fight between Akuma and Lucy continued to rage on. As Lucy ran ay Akuma, Akuma swung her arm around to try and swat Lucy away, Lucy was able to Jump over the incoming arm and actually landed on it. She began to run up Akuma's arm.

"Lucy, be careful!" Juvia cried.

"Insolent Wench." Akuma growled as she moved her other hand to grab Lucy, but Lucy was able to jump over her hand and land on Akuma's other and continued running up it.

"Akuma!" shouted Lucy

*Meanwhile*

Outside the sphere, Natsu and the others were still trying to break through the barrier. Lamia Scale and Black Knights started to help too.

"Ok. We are now able to see inside the black sphere." Chapati announced.

Everyone put their attention on the lacrima screens that used to be pitch black. The picture was slightly blurry, but they could all see and hear what was going on. They started watching just in time to see Lucy running up Akuma's arm.

"Lucy" cried Natsu.

"She's really fighting that on her own?!" Erza questioned. They all noticed that Lucy was already banged up.

"Oh no! Lucy's hurt!" Wendy exclaimed.

"Lucy!" shouted Rhianna. Before anyone could say anything else, they all saw Lucy be slammed to the ground by Akuma.

"LUCY!" everyone exclaimed.

Lucy had hit the ground quite hard. The magic light that surrounded her arm quickly disappeared.

"Lucy, are you all right?!" Juvia asked as she and Sting raced to Lucy's side. They both helped Lucy sit up right. She slowly put her left hand on her broken right arm. Lucy winced in pain and hid her eyes with her bangs.

"Haha. Look at what a pitiful state you are in. You couldn't defeat me even if you were at full strength." taunted Akuma. Both Sting and Juvia glared at Akuma with anger in their eyes.

"That's it! I'm done listening to you!" said Sting.

"You have no right to talk about Lucy like that!" added Juvia.

"Why defend such a pitiful creature? Especially when you know of her blood line." said Akuma.

"You don't know anything about her!" Sting yelled.

"Lucy is one of the greatest people we know!" shouted Juvia.

"SHUT UP! EVERYONE JUST BE QUIET!" Lucy finally yelled.

Juvia and Sting snapped their heads around to see Lucy on her knees and trying to get up, still holding her arm. When she stood up, she was staggering for a little bit, but she still adjusted.

"I'm tired of hearing this. People saying I'm great and people saying completely worthless when they're all just empty words." Lucy said as she walked forward and stood before Akuma. Everyone outside the sphere was also watching anxiously.

"Back in Fairy Tail, I was ignored for eight long months. For the first four months, I went on solo missions day after day just so I could stay off the streets and every time I came back from them, I was always bloody and beaten. Occasionally, Wendy would've healed me, but soon she just stopped and left me for dead like all the others. I either had to drag myself to Lamia Scale for Cheria or to Porlyusica's or I just lay on the ground, waiting for death." Lucy exclaimed.

*Outside*

"Wendy, is that true?" Cheria questioned.

"Yes...It's true...Lucy..*hic*...I'm so sorry..." Wendy choked out as she cried.

"And I don't know what I did wrong, but everyone started avoiding me. My best friends always ignored me and my own team would always leave without even talking to me first. Soon, I was lucky enough to have Juvia come to my side, but the four months after that, I dragged her down with me. I was happy that I wasn't alone, but I was angry at myself for causing her that pain." said Lucy.

"Oh Lucy." Juvia murmured, holding her hand close to her heart.

"And what hurts the most is, I put up with all of the insults, all the jokes, and all of that pain, from people who I thought were my friends, that were breaking me on the inside everyday, for nothing. Because, it turns out they thought of me as nothing but a waste! Just like everyone else does!" Lucy shouted.

"What are you saying, girl?" questioned Akuma.

"I'm saying when people say I'm great, that is usually always a lie! And when people insult or reticule me, they're actually saying what's on their mind! My life isn't great, but it's also not horrible. I don't know what my life is." said Lucy, finally calming down.

*Outside*

Everyone was able to hear what Lucy said and people she mentioned all had different feeling when they heard her.

"We...we really made her feel that way?" said Erza, looking at the ground.

"Lucy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so mean to you." Happy cried.

"I...I never knew..." Gray murmured.

"Lucy..." said Natsu.

"Heh. It seems you've had a bad life." Akuma taunted.

"I did...but that can still change for me." said Lucy.

"What?" Akuma asked.

"If I can defeat you, learn about my family, and go back Saber Tooth, my life may change for the better." Lucy said.

"And how do you know that?" Akuma said.

"I don't, but I won't know unless I try!" Lucy declared.

"Haha. Then by all means, go ahead and try." Akuma chuckled. Before Lucy could do anything, she felt a hand grab her shoulder. She looked over shoulder to see Sting and Juvia behind her.

"I think this time, you'll need our help." said Sting. Lucy didn't know what to say, but she simply nodded her head. Sting and Juvia both stood beside Lucy and all three of them got into their own fighting stances.

"Alright, let's go!" Lucy shouted.