Chapter Six

Her eyes shot open by the rude awakening of pain that Lucy tried to shift her body without alerting any of her spirits in the celestial world that she was awake. They needed all the rest they could get before trouble found her once again. Her whole body ached from the used up adrenaline from earlier magic and flight but the slightest movement in her left leg caused her to moan in pain and for her body to flinch. She recalled how she hurt her foot in the river when she tried to get from whoever was following her.

'Why now?' she wondered. 'Why did he suddenly decide to pop out of nowhere?'

Goose bumps rose on her skin. She rubbed her arms as she imagined how she must look like; a rumpled mess. Soon Virgo would appear from the celestial world and fret about her appearance.

But she didn't have time to think how she looked like. She must have suddenly woken up for a reason. It was time to get moving or face her worst nightmare, if he was the same creature she encountered on Tenrou Island. Somehow, his roar sounded similar to that time and it had the same intensity to shake the terrain around her.

'It's a good thing he didn't destroy the forest. I must count my lucky stars to still be alive. At least for now.'

But her name "Lucky Lucy" wouldn't last forever. Her luck had a way of turning on her like the time she had to break Aquarius' key so she could summon the Celestial King and save her friends from being sucked in Tartaros.

The male creature had located her using magic. He knew what she looked like. And she wouldn't doubt if he knew her name.

Good thing she was far away from Fairy Tail. Imagine how much damage her friends would have to endure if they had to face him. They went through enough during the Tartaros event. She felt another pang, another loss. Lucy didn't want to add another burden on her friends. How much more problems did they have to endure because of her? Apparently, everything. Which was why Lucy had to break away from Fairy Tail. She only sacrificed one of her spirits, whereas they lost almost everything.

"I have to get stronger for everyone," she vowed to herself. "Therefore, I won't return to Fairy Tail until I defeat that creature, whoever he is."

Then she gave an ironic chuckle at her vow. How was she suppose to defeat such a strong creature when she couldn't comprehend her powers? When she was with him, her magic sky rocketed to the point she thought her whole body was going to explode. It was as if her magic responded to his, like there was some connection between them.

She shook her head at such an absurd thought. There was no connection between them. If there was one, then how come she couldn't stop him from destroying Tenrou Island? Unless he wasn't the same creature...

"I'm over thinking things," she whispered to no one. "And I'm going crazy."

She leaned her head against the bark of a tree that Loki left her and she sighed. She closed her eyes before she mentally counted to three. On number three, she finally attempted to move. Since most of the pain came from her lower left leg, she put all of her weight on right leg. She lifted her body using her arms and shifted her body using her right leg to move along the leafy ground. There were times she had to grit her teeth to keep from crying out while she was moving. She had to mentally talk to herself to try to get through the pain.

'I can do this. I'm almost there.'

The only problem was she didn't know where she was going. The forest got deeper and eerier. There was no sound except for the swaying of the branches and the snapping of dead leaves and branches as she dragged herself through the forest floor.

Then there was the inability to walk and her life feeling like it went to hell. She scowled and scrubbed at her eyes with the back of her arms. At least the weather was warm enough that she wasn't a mass of shivering limbs. That was a problem she didn't have to worry about.

She paused and glanced at the sky. The sky seemed to ripple. Was that possible? The clouds' shape changed as the winds suddenly shifted toward her direction. She shaded her eyes. A patch was getting bigger in the sky. It looked out of place. Her stomach clenched as she never seen something so bizarre move through the sky. And it was getting closer to her.

"Oh shit!" she cried. Raw instincts took over as she began half crawling on the ground. Her pain was momentarily forgotten as her body dragged through the dirt and leaves, dirtying her clothes more. "There's no way in hell I'm going to call my spirits to fight that thing."

She was practically gliding through the forest as she pushed her limbs with all the speed she could muster. However, she couldn't move faster than the thing was hurtling toward her.

A shadow overtook her form. She caught a glimpse of something dark, like huge wings before she panicked. She turned her head and shut her eyes. A mountain slammed into her back causing her face and upper body to crash into the dirt. The breath was knocked out of her. Huge hands held down her wrists like shackles as a long thigh crossed over the back of her legs.

She wheezed and struggled to breathe in and out through her bruised rib cage. Her palms and knees were abraded from the crash. She could barely lift her head as she took in dark toned arms leading to calloused hands that held her prisoner.

'This is it!' her mind wailed. 'It's the end for me.'

A male's nose pressed against her neck and hair and she heard him inhale a deep breath. Her body shivered in response. Was he sniffing her? He rubbed his face against her and she fought back the sudden urge to whimper.

"So we finally meet," he growled, his voice a dark rumble against her back.

She coughed the dirt out of her mouth. "We met before."

"At the river?" The weight at her back disappeared. With mind numbing swiftness, she was shifted so that she lying on her back. He pinned her arms and legs as he straddled her.

"Yes," she replied, but something else deep inside her wanted to respond that they met before the river incident. His emanating aura felt familiar as it tried to consume her magical one.

Her eyes got watery before she blinked several amount of times to clear her vision.

"Then why do I have this feeling we met before that?" he asked.

Lucy couldn't answer him. Once her vision cleared and she got a good look at the creature on top of her, she lost all sense to speak. He was breath taking. He radiated like the sun. He had sharp, dark masculine features on a handsome face. His upper body was muscular and tanned and partially covered with a dark cloak. Sharp red claws adorned his neck. He bared dark markings on his arms and at the sides of his face.

His hair was an astonishing light blue color and long as it fell over his shoulders in uneven waves. It blanketed her when he leaned over to examine her. Her fingers twitched lightly at the silky feeling of it.

His green eyes narrowed on her as he took in her dishevel form.

"So are you going to stare at me all day or are you going to kill me?" she finally questioned him. Her eyes widened in disbelief and she felt like she was going to die from mortification. She squeezed her eyes shut as she waited for him to splatter the ground with her blood.

When nothing happened, she kept her eyes closed. 'Maybe this is all a dream and I'm still sleeping.'

"I'm sorry," she said after a moment of silence. Cautiously, she cracked one eye open to see him staring at her with a little curiosity and something else that she couldn't read.

"Do you randomly say or ask the first things that come to your mind?"

She had to clear her throat before answering him. "Yes and no."

He tilted his head. "Why didn't you call on your spirits?"

His question caught her off guard. She closed her eye while she thought about his question.

"They already fought you once," she answered honestly. Then her lips formed a shaky smile as she opened her eyes. "I rather they not get hurt over me."

"And do you really think you can beat me?"

"Truthfully, I know I don't stand a chance against you."

He got up from on top of her, moving with a liquid grace of a jungle cat. "Then we have a clear understanding about that."

Shakily, she nodded her head before she sat up. Momentarily, she forgot about her injured foot. When she tried to stand up, she let out a pained squeak and she fell back on the soiled ground. "Damn it, I forgot I can't walk."

The male growled at her. Before she could blink her eyes, he hefted her form into the air until she had no other choice than to curve her arms around his neck and hold on for dear life.

His nose was at the crook of her neck. Breathing in and out her scent, he muttered, "Why do I put up with you weak human?"

It was the same question she pondered on herself. He could have killed her the moment he landed on top of her. Yet, he was putting up with her.

Lucy moved her head back until she pressed her cheek against his hard chest. She raised her attention to the jutting of his chin and noticed he had a dimple in the center. She shifted her head until her eyes landed on his mouth and a forbidden thought popped into her mind. What will it be like to feel those lips on hers?

And then she knew she went crazy. He was a dangerous creature with the power to easily snap her in half and she was feeling some attraction over him. 'Will he is gorgeous, for a wild thing he is.'

Again, his magic spiked and hers responded. A gasp left her as his green eyes flashed at her beneath his pale bangs. Instantly, his magic enveloped her, like the sun being clouded on a regular day. His magical aura quieted, matching hers for his and before Lucy knew it, she was inhaling and exhaling air clearly into her lungs; surprisingly, better than she had in days.

"You have to learn to control your magic better," he growled. She could feel the rumble of his growl through his chest.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. She glanced down at her tattered clothes and became self consciously aware of she must look to him; dirty and unkempt. But she looked the way she did because of him.

"Your magic is a magnet for trouble," he commented. Her eyes darted to his chin and her breath caught in her throat. His eyebrows tucked together as a frown marred his handsome face.

"It's always been that way for me," she muttered as she recalled the Project Eclipse Gate, the Infinity Clock incident and other little events. It seemed like she was always the damsel in distress. She had to rely on Natsu and the others to save her. She was only good for supportive magic, although she had combative celestial spirits. Her mood soured as she once again became the damsel in distress. However, there was no one to save her from the beast. And she refused to risk her celestial spirits' safety against this one.

She didn't know exactly where they were heading until a set of tree cleared to a dark cave. Lucy's eyes widened as panic began to overtake her. Her arms stiffened as her right leg swung back and forth in the creature's arms. He paid no heed to her struggles as he walked into the darkness.

Fear and distress made her magical aura rise once again and a guttural growl escaped the man as his fierce magic arose to swamp it. "Stop that," he commanded. His sharp words left no place for argument.

Lucy would have normally been annoyed at a command from Natsu or Gray, and maybe Erza from time-to-time, but she had seen what this creature was capable of and she didn't want to make him furious.

He ventured deeper into the cave. The darkness blanketed them. Not once did he shift her in his hold or did his arms threaten to release her. Instead he continued to move with grace and confidence of a warrior. Lucy didn't know how much time went by but she noticed there was a point in the cave that got lighter. She could see the outlines of her arms against a muscular chest. Her cheeks reddened as she her gaze drifted upward to the man's jutting chin. The dimple in the middle of it became more noticeable. Then he placed her down on something warm and fluffy before leaving her side. There was a crackling fire surrounded by twigs and chopped wood.

And Lucy's eyes widened more at what she saw in the cave. There were large gem stones, rich fur blankets, exquisite mahogany chairs, colorful paintings of landscape and on a table were piles of old books. Lucy knew riches. She came from a prestige family who owned wealth, yet seeing these various objects in what she assumed was his home spoke of history and wealth. This creature or man was rich.

"Rest until I find something for us to eat."

If her eyes could have widened more, they were going to fall out of their sockets. All she could do was dumbly nod her head. The corner of his lips quirked in amusement. "And don't try to escape. There are a lot of cliffs ." That meant there were a lot of places to die. Nervously, she gulped as she nodded her head again.

She watched as he turned his back to her. His dark cloak bellowed around his lithe frame as he melted into the darkness, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

What the hell was he thinking? Why didn't he kill her when he had the chance? These were the questions that had been plaguing him when he left the blond mage in his sanctuary. He never let anyone, besides himself to view his horde. His horde was his pride, a reminder that in his long years, there was something to look forward to; a reminder of what he accomplished.

Yet when he came across her pathetic form, he couldn't find in him to kill her. There was no point in killing something so easy. It took out all the fun of playing with his prey. He liked to killed what he thought was worthy and she was far from worthy to kill. Maybe once she healed, he could toy with her before slaying her. A feral smile broke across his ruggedly handsome face as he imagined torturing her.

Besides, she was a rare Magical Source. Filthy humans with her type of magic were like finding a needle in a haystack. In a way, she was a treasure and if anyone knew her value, they would hunt her down. Why not keep her? He could assess her potential and perhaps she could become useful to him.

He scoffed at the idea. What potential could she have when she couldn't control her magic properly? When he carried her weak body through his cave, there was a moment her magic rose and he had to use his magic to direct hers into a calm state. He created something like sheathe over her magic. But doing what he did had consequences. He was more attuned to her on a magical level. If she tried to escape, and hopefully she wasn't asinine to attempt it, he would locate her easily. As a last resort, he had enough power to immobile her movements. But it depended on her location. His cave had dangerous paths that led to cliffs, waterfalls where the water roughly flowed under rocks, and there were creatures that mages didn't know about that lived deep within the darkness. Either way, she was a sitting duck until she recovered.

He wondered about interrogating her. He figured her reason for being away from other people. He understood the desire to get stronger. Once upon a time, when humans were raging wars against the dragons, his desire led him to become what he was. He, like the pathetic person in his horde, was one of a kind. Aconologia had the power to turn into a dragon and a human. Over time his power made him invincible. He could destroy all the human vermin populating the areas around his land, but it was too much work to deal with them. It was better that he disappeared, making them think they won the war against the dragons. Eventually, they began to believe dragons were a myth.

He made a guttural growl as he recalled coming across four dragon slayers. Dragons weren't suppose to exist, yet three of them were raised by dragons. One even had the audacity to communicate him, only he didn't talk to insects. He recognized the dragons that raised them by the dragon roars the three insects hit him. Metilicana, Grandeeney, and the insufferable Igneel. He hated Igneel, the fire dragon empathized with the pests.

If Acnologia had a chance, he would have loved to capture those little nuisances and play with them before killing them instantly. Sometimes he regretted not playing a little bit more with those insects on Tenrou Island. He shook his head as another growl rumbled from his chest. The Tenrou incident had been nagging him lately, and it was infuriating him. He hit the cave wall with all his might, causing the rocks to fall into dust on the ground. His fist turned into sharp claws. A sudden urge overtook him, a need to kill. The perfect, tantalizing morsel of the blond mage was only twenty feet away from him. He could simply command her, using his dark magic to come to him. He could be there within minutes, splashing her blood among his treasure. Or he could hold her delicate, trembling body in his arms as he sank his fangs into her neck, soaking her delectable essence within himself.

"Damn it! What makes her special?" Besides her defying what he knew about humans and her magical rarity, he couldn't think of anything else.

Furiously, he strode toward the area he left her, forgetting his purpose for leaving her in the first place. He straightened his claws and angled his body for the right moment to strike. Then he felt the air intensified as if something was in the air weighing him down. He snarled at her mundane attempt to fight him, when she admitted that she stood no chance against him. He should have killed her when he had a chance. That problem was easy to remedy.

As he got closer to her, he concealed his magic by gathering around it his lithe form. It clung to his every pore, as a second skin. He turned right around the corner, ready to advance on her, when he heard voices.

"I can't do that," her melodic tone was as clear as day to him. "If I escape now, he won't hesitate to kill you and the others."

The other voice he recognized from the maid in chains answered her. "He can't kill us. We'll be automatically sent into the Celestial World. But he can kill you."

Acnologia heard a sigh. "Then, I have to take my chances."

"Big brother won't like this," the maid spirit warned the celestial mage. "He's already angry about you forcing his gate to close and not summoning him when you were in danger."

"I don't know what else to say," the blond girl answered back. He heard her breathe a deep breath before letting it go. "I'm tired."

"You mustn't give up, princess. We can still get you out of here."

"With a twisted ankle? And even if by some miracle I do get away, how long can I last in the forest?"

"Princess, maybe we can have big brother do what he did earlier."

Acnologia frowned. He folded his arms across his muscled chest as he leaned against the wall of the cave. If he took more time to eavesdrop into their conversation, he could learn how she was able to escape under his nose.

"That is out of the question, Virgo. Right now, I rather him stay in the Celestial World than be here. He will only make things worse. Besides, if whoever captured me wanted me dead, he would have killed me already."

"What if he's biding his time?"

"What do you mean?" There was a pregnant pause.

"What aren't you telling me Virgo?" He heard skin scraped against the rocky ground.

"I-I spoke with him before disappearing and I asked him what he wanted from you."

There was a whoosh of breath. "And?"

"He's toying with you, princess. And when he gets bored, he will kill you."

A silence filled the gap and Acnologia thought he should let his presence be known amongst the females.

"I have no choice then." The female with the entrancing voice dropped her tone. "I guess it's final."

"What is?" the other female asked in alarm. For some reason, Acnologia didn't like how dull the celestial mage's voice sounded.

He straightened up from the wall and peered at the side it. He caught a sight of the maid spirit stooping before the celestial mage. They never looked toward his direction, notifying him that they still weren't aware him. He could attack them so easily. The monster inside was urging him to spill blood. His claws bit into the scaly palms, drawing blood.

The blond girl raised her head to stare at maid with a stoic expression. "If he aims to kill me, then don't interfere."

Suddenly, the urge to kill them deflated. Acnologia blinked; completely astounded by the complexity of the celestial mage before him. His claws flexed and retracted.

"What?"

"Promise me you and the others won't try to stop him if he kills me."

"Why? Are you crazy?" the spirit gasped.

The girl blinked. The air hung with silence as he too waited for her answer.

"What's the point?" She glanced down at her swollen ankle. "No one can stop him. Not you, me, Loki, Capricorn, or the others." Then she did an amazing little gesture, and it was in that little gesture that answered Acnologia's question about her specialness. She raised her head and smiled brightly at her spirit. "Right now, I'm lucky to be alive."

"Are you sure this is place where you last felt her?" a gruff voice asked the smaller female.

They had been traveling the whole day. They left Crocus region and entered a fresh part of the woods that was considered unclaimed by the Fiore kingdom. These parts of the woods were dangerous due to a beast inhabiting the place. There were many jobs that sent mercenaries and mages alike to defeat the monster to only fail. The fact that she and her companion were able to move through the dark forest undetected was suspicious, unless the beast already found who they were looking for.

"Lena?" The masculine voice called to her. "Are you daydreaming again?"

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "No, I'm concentrating."

"Figures," he grunted.

"Stop complaining. I need to verify that she was here." She lowered herself to the ground to touch the dirt. It looked fresh, the soil had been ruptured. Standing up, she scanned the area around her. There were many fallen trees, scattered branches, dead leaves. She moved toward a section where the earth deepened into a crater. She lifted her head into the air and stuck out her tongue. The residue of stale air touched the surface of her tongue. There was also a hint of magic. She closed her mouth as a small smile formed on her pretty face.

"Master will be pleased."

"So we found her at last?" the man asked with a bored tone.

"Yes."

"Then, let's capture her."

He turned away, removing the large hood from his head with strong hands. "Not so fast, Taro." Lena moved swiftly for her small frame. She clutched Taro's wrists, halting his movements.

The man's eyes narrowed on her. "What is it you're not telling me?"

"Don't you find it strange we have not encountered the beast in this forest?"

"Maybe he's stalking us," Taro replied with an evil grin.

Lena shuddered from the malice shown on his good looking face. "Or maybe he has what we're looking for."

Taro pulled his wrists out of her grasp. He began cracking his knuckles. "Then we fight him for her. She is our Magical Source."

Lena clutched the ends of his cloak and pulled at it with all her might. He gave her annoyed look. "Aren't you forgetting that we need to juice up on magical power? Besides, this beast will kill us for sure."

He raised a skeptical eyebrow at her while crossing his arms across his broad chest.

"This is no ordinary beast we're dealing with," she admonished him.

"Who is it that we have return home empty handed and face Master's wrath?"

Lena tucked a green strand behind her ear as worry became evident in her pale eyes. "Acnologia."

Taro's stance straightened and his facial expression turned grim. "Let's count our losses for now and head into Crocus."

Lena nodded her head. Taro concealed his face with a large hood and together they quickly walked out dangerous woods, leaving the Magical Source to face the beast that dwelled within the forestry depths.

A/N: Well, the long awaited chapter has come to an end. I hope you liked it. Don't forget to tell me what you think. As for the next chapter, I'm still in the planning process. Although, I think the next chapter is going to be longer than this one due to how everything is building up so far. See you next time. :)