SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 17 out, this is Chapter 18 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and the main pairing.

Chapter 18: Lucy and Ami

"Just a little more." Brain II grinned, continuing his battle with Natsu. "Just a little more and my father's will can be carried out."

"Natsu, at this rate, Lucy…" Happy turned to Natsu, Coco slamming her fists at the 'Infinity Clock', trying to awaken Lucy.

"I ain't gonna let you vanish!" Natsu swore.

"Can you still stand?" Elfman was by Romeo's side.

"Michelle…" Romeo muttered.

"Yeah," Elfman nodded. "But if you're a Man, you cry only after you do what needs to be done."

"They're cutting through the chains, so why…?" Happy wondered.

"We won't be in time like this." Romeo stood up.

"Anyway, we're going to defeat the Oracion Seis." Elfman agreed.

"Klodoa." Brain II instructed.

"Leave this to me." The talking staff assured. "I'm not letting anyone get in our way."

"You guys snap that stick in half." Natsu smirked. "I'm gonna knock that sneer right off this one's face."

"Your flames will never burn me." Brain II declared. "In the end, your magic will run out."

"Is that right?" Natsu mused, dodging the attack. "And yet, you're totally on the defensive. I got you shaking in your boots."

"Say what you like." Brain II shrugged. "Loathe me. But also fear and respect me. I received my power by making a huge sacrifice. I'm as powerful as my father now. Become a resident of the World of Nil, Salamander. Genesis Zero! I cast open the Gate of Wraithwail! Travellers of nothingness, devour this man's soul, his memories, his very existence. Cease to exist, in the name of Zero! Fitting for two friends." He grinned. "You're caught in a world of darkness, while the little girl is trapped in time without an exit. Struggle as he might, there's no way he can get out of there. Goodbye, Dragon Mage. It's awakening!" he grinned, the orange orb of the 'Infinity Castle' burning a bright amber as Lucy was sucked into it. "The time has finally come for the main body to awaken!"

"Something is…" Elfman exclaimed. "Sketchy! Coco, get Ami out of there while you still have the chance! We can't allow that thing to take Ami too!"

"Everything is going according to plan." Brain II remarked. "Now, all that is left is to merge with the girl of Winter. Come now, into the 'Infinity Castle', Mizuno Ami."

"No…!" Romeo protested. "We have to protect Ami no matter what!"

"I won't kill you yet." Brain II stated, taking out Elfman and Romeo with a single blast. "If I did, there would be no point in bringing all of you here. I'll show you. Watch with eyes opened and bodies immobilized. Watch, Fairy Tail!"

"Somebody, please get up!" Romeo screamed.

"I can't keep crying forever." Lucy swore. "Apologize to Michelle. Give Natsu back!"

"What's happening?" Coco winced as the clock started burning brightly.

"It's blinding!" Happy shielded his eyes.

"What is this?" Brain II was stunned. "The girl…" he realized. "With just one engraved seal left, it must be impossible to have complete control over the 'Infinity Castle. I was careless."

"I heard you, Lucy!" Natsu burst out of the barrier.

"What's that?" Coco was astonished as Natsu slammed a punch right across Brain II's face.

"It's Lucy." Happy declared. "She used the 'Infinity Clock' to sic 'Real Nightmare' on him."

"Sacrifice, you say?" Natsu growled.

"They say magic is the heart." Brain II added. "The more feelings you throw away, the more power you can attain. Oh, you're still alive." He noted, Angel entering the battlefield.

"Angel of the Reborn Oración Seis has returned." Angel smiled. "Do you remember what you told me?" she turned serious. "From here on out, I'll live for myself. It'll be alright now." she brought out the 'Divine Thought' crystal and let it fly over Ami's head. "I'm going to undo the mind alteration that I placed on you."

"Angel, are you betraying us?" Brain II demanded.

"It escaped." Romeo blinked, Klodoa fleeing from the scene.

"And you call yourself a Man?" Elfman retorted.

"It's a stick." Romeo reminded.

It almost took all of my power to stop Ami's thoughts. Angel mused, concentrating on the task at hand. I never planned on returning her to normal. When the mind is broken, the body becomes numb to pain. But… just as he saved me, I'll try to save you even if it costs me my life.

"When you think you'll be able to meet someone one day, you can't stop thinking about them!" Brain II pummelled Natsu. "There's nothing more painful than the sacrifice of cutting out that feeling, that possibility yourself."

"I get it." Natsu remarked, Brain II reflecting his attack. "So what are you saying you sacrificed?"

"The future." Brain II replied. "A future in which I'm reunited with my father."

"Now you lost me." Natsu admitted. "If you wanna see your dad, go and see him already."

"You people caused a rift between me and my father." Brain II powered up. "Surely you haven't forgotten?"

"Repaying kindness with resentment?" Natsu snorted. "But that's no reason to make Lucy cry. You got a roundabout way of doing things. You sacrificed the future? Talking big about that ain't even happened yet. That pisses me off!" he roared, both adversaries meeting in a clash.

"Impossible." Brain II was shocked. "He's overpowering me."

"I can understand how you're thinking about your dad," Natsu remarked. "But you don't gain anything from the power of feelings by tossing them away. It's something that's engraved in you somewhere and you gain from that."

"Wrong!" Brain II snapped. "Because you throw them away, because you lose them, their importance shines."

"Why you!" Natsu broke the standstill, Brain II tossing him over the shoulder to the ground. "You're warped, every which way." The Dragon Slayer stood back up. "The way you look at things, the way you feel, it's twisted. That's why the past, the future, even your own heart, you can't face it head on!" he renewed the brawl.

"You…" Brain II muttered, Natsu kicking him into the wall. "You say I'm not facing my father?"

"Lucy did it for her father, Michelle did it for Lucy; they tackled each other head on." Natsu declared. "You've got no right to laugh at that. Right from the start," he levelled a punch on Brain II's cracked face. "You lost to the power of feelings!" and ended the fight with a knockout punch.

"He beat the last one." Romeo beamed, Brain II falling down the 'Infinity Castle'.

I can still make it in time! No… Angel's eyes widened when the sphere shattered. The last hope has been broken… Ami will never again… awake up. "I can't bring her back!" the female mage wept. "I can't carry out my responsibility… It's already…"

"I don't want to hear 'already' anymore." Romeo cut her off. "It's 'not yet'. I'm not giving up! Ami, I've got something to say to you. I want to see you smile! Wake up!"

"Heya, Ami!" Elfman took over. "You're gentle and caring! For what's its worth, those are my impressions of you! Wake up!"

"Everyone…" Ami muttered, her consciousness returning, just as the 'Infinity Castle' solidified amber arm reached out to grab her.

"We were too late." Happy gasped, both girls vanishing within the clock. "Not only Lucy, even Ami is gone."

"Why?" Natsu demanded. "We made all the engraved seals get erased. Give them back! Somebody answer me!"

"What?" Lucy wondered. "What do they mean we're gone?"

"Hey, wait!" Ami exclaimed. "Don't tell me this is…"

"We've got a bad feeling about this!" both girls wailed.

"I smell Lucy and Ami all over the place." Natsu sniffed the air.

"Then this big fish castle…" Happy twitched.

"Is Lucy and Ami's body?" Natsu finished.

"No!" Lucy screamed. "This is too cruel."

"Are you kidding me?" Ami exclaimed. "We've become food for Happy."

"I won't eat you!" Happy retorted.

"Stay calm, the two of you." Warren assured. "By using 'Real Nightmare' to help Natsu, Lucy has only sped up the merging process."

"What, it's my fault?" Natsu snapped.

"Anyway, I finally got through." Warren informed. "A little while ago, I got a call from the Guild. Jean-Luc found another way to save Ami and Lucy. First, we need to break the spells that have all the Celestial Mages in a chrysalis-like state. It's a simple method. If it is, then the clock will break up into its component parts and scatter somewhere again, apparently."

"Ain't there any other way?" Natsu pressed.

"We'll try." Lucy cut off all protestations.

"Lucy's right." Ami agreed. "That way, a lot of people will be able to wake up from their 100-year slumber, right? We may fly off somewhere, but that's the only risk?"

"We're both Fairy Tail mages!" both girls chorused. "Unison Raid!" both females focused the clock's magic, sending out blue shooting stars across the sky to free the Celestial Spirit Mages hit by Anti-Link.

"Men!" Ichiya posed, having rescued the group using Kanaloa.

"Where are we?" Natsu wondered. "On top of an octopus?"

"Don't panic." Ichiya assured. "We're joined together with Kanaloa by the parfum of friendship."

"Where's Lucy?" Natsu looked around.

"Calm down, Natsu." Erza chided.

"Warren and the others are looking for them right now." Gray replied.

"How can I calm down?" Natsu snapped. "Lucy's scent!" he sniffed the air. "I'm sure of it. Go over that way, octopus!"

"Kanaloa, if you would." Ichiya gave the instruction and the said octopus took off into the air.

Both Natsu and Gray jumped off the octopus once it landed, running after the girls and catching them before they hit the ground.

"Guess I can't blame you on the timing this time." Ami chuckled, Gray cushioning her fall.

"It could be worse." Gray joked.

"How so?" Ami blinked, Gray carrying her bridal style.

"Them." Gray nodded to the other pair, Lucy having landed on Natsu's back.

"You've got a point." Ami giggled.

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.