Right, I have to ask you guys before hand to let me know if this chapter is okay :) I'm not sure about it and if I don't get enough good feedback, I'm going to take it down and do a re-write :) So let me know :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail (It's magic is credit to the amazing Hiro Mashima), only the my ideas and love for the show.

Chapter 22
Untold Power

Natsu P.O.V

When I wake up I know somethings different. The ground beneath me is softer, less cold that the stone I'd grown used to. I blink down at the floor, vision blurred, and stare at the green grass below me. What the hell? Where am I?

I push myself up and stare about. Okay, I'm in a clearing apparently. Surrounded by trees. With no clue how I got here. Great. Unbelievable but great. Right? I was free. That's-

I break of the though when I hear a groan from my left. I spin around, jumping up so I'm crouched and lift a weak arm ready to strike. I'm speechless when I see Lucy lying a few meters away, curled up and still bloody, but alive.

"Lucy!" I shout, launching myself forward and landing at her side. I grab her shoulder and haul her over until her head is on my lap. She blinks up at me confused, before her eyes widen.

"Natsu!" she yelps and throws herself at me, latching onto me and sobbing. "Natsu! Thank goodness, Natsu! I was so worried. Are you okay?"

I gape at her before pushing her back and grabbing her shoulders tightly. "Am I okay?" I ask, confused. "You where beaten and abused. Why are you asking me if I'm okay?"

"How-how do you know about that?" she asks, gaping at me.

"I was there, in the next room," I whisper, looking away. "He -Zeref- had this magic glass. It was one way. I could see and hear you, but you couldn't see or hear me. It was torture, watching you almost die. But how did we get here?"

"I was going to ask you that," she says. "Natsu, I am so sorry. I let myself get captured and dragged you into it. I am so sorry."

"Lucy, shut up," I snap and she clamps her lips closed. "You are not at fault. That bastard Zeref is. You need to stop with this. I do not blame you."

She nods and I stand up, looking around. The forest around us is dense, no chance getting through that. So how did we get here in the first place?

"Well, that was a nice reunion, wasn't it?" I spin around and see Zeref, standing at the forest edge. He's cast in shadow, so his face is concealed, but I know it's him. His voice has been haunting me for days and nights.

"You!" I shout, clenching my fists. Lucy whimpers at my feet and I glance down at her. She's curled up, staring at Zeref in horror.

"Yes, me," he laughs, brushing a hand through his raven hair. I glare at him, kneeling down beside Lucy. "Oh no, no no. None of that."

Suddenly, Lucy flies along the ground. Away from me and towards him. I lurch forward, my hand reaching out, but I clutch air, as the skirt of her light blue dress slips between my slow fingers. She comes to a halt at Zeref's feet and I stare in horror as he reaches down, picking her up by the chin.

"I'm going to give you a show, Princess," he says to her, just loud enough for me to hear. "Just like the one I gave your boyfriend over there."

He flings her back to the ground, so that she skids and hits her head on one of the trees. She lies there, watching me, her eyes wide and terrified. Zeref walks towards me, grinning slightly How can a man, not much older than me, have gone so bad? Something must have happened, right?

"Now little Dragneel," he says, his voice soft. "Time for you to feel true pain. And, Princess, you'll be able to experience what he did just a few days ago. Only, to a much higher level."

I see his arm rise and then pain. Blinding, endless, unbelievable pain. It's everywhere My whole body aches with it. I scream out, unable to keep quiet. I can't see Lucy, but I can hear her calling my name, her voice high and raw. I try to look at her but I end up curled up in a ball.

The blackness fallows soon after.

Lucy P.O.V

"Natsu!" I screech, as his body gives out. I watch, hopelessly, as he doesn't move. His breathing is erratic. "No, no, no! Please don't be dead! I need you!"

"Oh isn't that sweet," Zeref almost giggles. I stare wide eyed, scared of what he'll do next. "Don't worry he's not dead. Well, not yet."

"W-what?" I gasp.

"In time, he will be," Zeref answers, grinning manically. "You'll know true pain then, won't you? Little Princess that you are, you can never know the true pains of life."

His hand wipes to the side and Natsu's body seizes. "Time to great death, little Dragon," Zeref whispers.

"No," I whisper. I say it again, louder and stronger. "No! You're wrong. I know pain. I lost my mother. But I also know love. It's the strongest thing in the world. And I love that boy. You are not taking that from me."

"Oh, really," comes the answer. He sounds amused. "Try me."

Natsu's body falls to the ground and he's not breathing Everything stops. The world is gone; just me, Natsu and Zeref are left. My body is cold, my breathing shallow. I am not losing someone else. No.

"What the-?" I hear Zeref say before I scream. My whole body feels engulfed in heat, my temperature rocketing.

I stand up, my eyes closed, as a feeling of warmth flies through my veins. It's almost like I can reach out and touch it. It gathers in my chest, beside my heart, like a ball of electricity. Then it explodes outwards, along my arms and to my palms.

"You are not taking him from me," I say again, my voice hard. I open my eyes and stare at the now awed man in front of me. "Not today. Not ever."

My arms move as if on their own and I pint my palms towards him. There's a light, pure golden in colour, between the palms on my hands, which explodes out. The clearing is obliterated and I squeeze my eye closed. What the hell is happening?

The light fades from my eyelids and I open them, staring around in shock. Zeref and Natsu lie on the floor of the cave we where in before. So it was all an illusion. I register this before I collapse.

Levy P.O.V

"What was that?" I ask, as a low rumbles emits from the passage in front of us.

"No idea, but I hope it doesn't bite," Gajeel says, taking my hand. I clutch him, straing into the shadows in front of us.

"I suggest me find out," Erza says from in front of us.

"W-what?" I squeak. She had to be kidding, right?

"Yes, I agree, we should. That's what I man would do," Elfman says, nodding.

Oh great. Here we go.

Gray P.O.V

I follow behind Gajeel and Levy, my hand clutched in Juvia's. She's scared, I can tell. Her breathing is ragged and I'm slowly losing feeling in my hand, she's holding it that tight. I turn and shoot her a reassuring smile.

"Come on, Juvia. It'll be fine," I whisper, bending my head and kissing her temple.

"How can Gray be so sure? Juvia is scared for herself but she is mostly scared for Lucy and Natsu," the blue haired girl whimpers. I stare at her in wonder. Even in a dangerous situation, she's still worried about her friends more than herself.

"If I know Lucy, she'll be kicking butt," I say, smiling. "And so will that idiot, Natsu. He'll protect Lucy with his life. I have a funny feeling he feels the same way about her as I do about you."

"Well done. Gray isn't as stupid as we all through," Levy laughs from in front of us. I glare at her before looking at a blushing Juvia.

"If Gray is sure, then Juvia will try to braver," she whispers, smiling slightly at me. "But Juvia wonders what that is."

I follow the finger she is pointing into the passage and gape. In front of us, a golden light shines and I have no clue where t's coming from.

"Damn, this trip get's weirder and weirder," Gajeel states and I can't help but agree with him.

Aine P.O.V

The flames at emit from Grace's maw are amazing. Perfect gold and bright, the emit an unbelievable heat. I actually feel a little sorry for Acnologia. Not that much though. I shield my eyes and turn into Adan's chest, when the light of the flames gets too much.

"This is insane," I say to Anila.

"No kidding," she reply's. "Though you look like you're having fun."

"Oh shut up," I snap. "I bet you doing what I'm doing with Kai."

"I am in fact." I groan and snarl.

"You okay?" Adan asks. I nod into his chest and he chuckles. "This sure is something, ain't it?"

"Sure is," I say, looking up at him. "Is it still happening?"

"Em, you may want to check this out."

This cause me to turn and survey the changed scene. Grace is now in human form again, he pink hair matted and sticking up. But Acnologia is gone. In his place is a man of about forty, with dark red hair and black eyes. And he's totally naked. Great.

"So I'm guessing she wasn't joking when she said anyone can be saved," Kai says in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, I guess so," I say, slightly shaken. What kind of power was that? To be able to reverse a transformation spell that powerful.

"I told you, brother," Grace suddenly says. "Anyone can be saved."

She pulls of her cloak off to reveal a plain cream dress and throws it to him. He wraps it around his body, staring around in shock, before falling to his knees and sobbing. Grace turns to us and smiles.

"I can take it from hear. Go and help your friends," she says, walking over to her brother and kneeling beside him.

"Okay. Come on guys, lets go," Kai says, walking towards the passage the other disappeared into.

I hope we're in time.

Lucy P.O.V

When I open my eyes, I have to blink a few times to understand what I'm looking at. A wide, blue, cloudless sky stretches above me. Okay, this is weird. I push my self up and blink at the grassy hill I sit on.

"About time you woke up," a voice says behind me. Natsu stands above me, grinning from ear to ear. I don't think. I leap up and throw myself at him, burying my face in his chest and crying my eyes out. "Hey, calm down. I'm okay. You're okay. We're okay."

"I thought you had died!" I choke out, clutching his shirt.

"Well, I, um, I did," he says and I pull away to gape at him. "I don't know what happened but your mother said that my body is still alive, though I'm not exactly in it. Or something like that."

"My mother?" I ask, confused. "I'm dead aren't I? That's the only explanation."

"No silly," he laughs, taking my hand. Mine fits so nicely in his, I can't help but blush. "We're just in between worlds I guess. Your mother just wanted a word before we go back."

He pulls me along, up the hill and towards a tiny cottage on the hill. When we reach the door, he doesn't knock, just walks right in. The sight that greets me makes me smile. My mother and a few others side around a table, smiling at me. I waste to time and run to my mother, wrapping my arms around her.

"Mama," I say, staring at her smiling face. "How? What? I'm so confused right not but I don't care!"

"Oh my little Lucy," Mama laughs. "My beautiful, wonderful, amazing girl. Look at how much you've grown in such a short space of time. I am so proud and your father will be too."

"Oh my god the cure!" I yelp, pushing away and spinning around. "Papa is still in trouble! We need the cure!"

"Lucy, chill," Natsu says, grabbing my shoulders and grinning at me. "We have loads of time and we still have to discuss the Zeref problem."

"Oh right, yeah, that," I say, breathing out in a gust. He laughs again and pushes me back towards the group. I sit down beside my mother and look over at her. "So, what happened?"

"You finally unlocked it," she says simply. I blink at her and she laughs. "My ancestors and your's has a power that was locked away years ago. No oje ever knew how to unlock it, so it was forgotten. But you did. Whne you saw this young man die, the barrier holding back the power crumbled."

"But why would that break it?" I ask, a little breathless. I had magic? No way. Not possible.

"I think you know the answer to that," Mama says, smirking.

I turn and glance at Natsu, who looks away with faintly pink cheeks. I blush a red to rival Erza's hair and look down, hiding behind my hair. Okay, so I did know the answer. My love for Natsu broke the barrier because I refused to lose him. I cough and look up.

"So, what about Zeref?" I ask, my faint.

"He's still alive," a man with blue hair says. Levy's father I think. "But you can stop him."

"Em, really?" I ask, staring about. Every one in the room nods. "How? I'm just one girl."

"You're one girl with the power of the heavens," another man says. Gray's dad I guess -he look's like Gray. It's been years since I've seen any of them. It's a bit strange.

"The power of the heavens? What does that mean?" I ask. It sounded a bit vague to be honest.

"You can call spirits, like those you met before," Mama tells me. "You can control light as well. Something that Zeref cannot fight, for he is a primarily dark creature. He left the light a long time ago."

"You can do it, Luce," Natsu says, coming to stand next to me. I stare up at him, eyes wide. "You're the bravest person I know. Trust me, you'll save us all."

"I guess so," I mumble, looking down. "What if I fail though? I could hurt so many people."

"No you won't," Mama says. "We have a plan."

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