A/N: So, yeah. This chapter is mostly NaLu. With Gray and Erza not in it as much. The next chapter will be the opposite. :D

Anyway, FIGHT SCENE!

"Is that the best you can do? I can break out of here in no time!" Natsu yelled from inside their muddy prison.

"Stop it." Gray whispered. "We have to think of a plan first.

"Like what?" Natsu asked, interested.

"This'll turn into a game if cat and mouse. He'll keep capturing us, an well keep escaping. Well never get to Erza that way." Lucy said.

"So we'll split up. Gray will go after Erza, and well take this guy down." Natsu answered his own question.

"Not so fast. He'll notice I'm gone." Gray replied. "Wait, Lucy, can you use Gemini to turn into me?"

Lucy nodded, her eyes bright. She proceeded to summon that celestial spirit.

"Fire won't work very well if you need a distraction and an escape. It can't burn through this mud very fast." Natsu admitted.

Gray smiled slowly. "Mud has a lot of water in it. I'll freeze that water and crack the newly formed ice. After that, you create an enormous fire and step out with the others. He be distracted, and I'll run as fast as I can. Good plan?"

"Aye!" Happy said.

"Get ready... Now, Gray!" Natsu motioned for him to start.

The dirt and ice around them exploded, shards falling slowly like crystal snowflakes. A brilliant orange flame appeared amidst the ice. It was beautiful. As much as he wanted to, Gray couldn't turn back. This was his only chance.

He opened a door and ran down a corridor. After a while he stopped and sighed. He had no idea where Erza was. At times like this he needed Natsu's keen sense of smell.

"No." Gray spoke aloud. He didn't need anyone's help. He could figure this out on his own. 'Erza would never have gone willingly. He either carried her, or dragged her.' Gray knelt on the now woiden floor and skimmed his fingers over it, searching for skid marks.

After a couple seconds, he smiled, and took off in the same direction, pausing at every corner to feel the ground again. He would rescue Erza.

"How dare you kidnap Erza!" Natsu yelled. "Fire Dragon Claw!"

The villain in white smiled. "You cannot hope to defeat me with such puny attacks. Well, I can fight fire with fire." He directed a jet of fire straight at Natsu.

The dragon slayer quickly sucked up the fire while the man from Erza's past stared in shock.

"Now, while he's distracted." Lucy whispered to Gemini.

The celestial spirit(s) nodded and joined the battle. "Ice Make: Lance!" He charged at the enemy.

"Now that I've eaten, I feel re-energized! Fire Dragon Blow!" Natsu yelled at about the same time.

Despite the double attack, their opponent thought quickly. He sent a powerful stream of water in Natsu's direction and grabbed Gemini. "Surrender, or your friend, I think his name was Gray? Or Gray will die."

It was Natsu's turn to be surprised. "How can you use different types of magic?"

"I have mastered the four elements, pus ice, which is basically water. Now is your last chance to give up." He pressed an ice blade against Gemini's throat. "How fitting is it to be killed by your own weapon."

Lucy brought out a key. "Close gate of Gemini, the twins!"

Realization came to the man's face. "Nathaniel cannot be outsmarted!"

Natsu knocked him down and put a foot on his chest. "Admit your defeat. Now, tell us where Erza is."

"I. Will. Not. Be. BEATEN!" With that last word, he threw Nastu off. "Because, unlike you, I have a backup plan."

Lucy intended to find out what that was. "Open gate of Gemini, the twins!"

Natsu saw at once what Lucy was trying to do. He had to distract Nathaniel. "Back up plan or not, we'll still defeat you, Nate. Can I call you Nate?"

"No." Nate growled.

"Fire Dragon Wing Attack! Fire Dragon Talons!"

Nate brushed the fire away. "Your attacks have to be more powerful if-"

"He created a copy of himself to stay with Erza! Gray is in trouble!"

"Gray will have to take care of himself. We have to focus on this guy now." Natsu looked at Nate.

"He's going to use air!"

Nate smirked. "It first matter if you know what I'm going to do, you're still powerless to stop me." He shot a blast of wind at Natsu.

"Fire Dragon-" he sighed. It was no use. He couldn't even make a single spark appear in this much wind. 'Don't give up.' A small part of his brain said. 'Remember, use fire straight from your heart, and you cannot be defeated.' Natsu looked defiantly at Nate. 'If this doesn't work, you're on your own, Lucy.' He thought.

"Fire Dragon Blow!" Natsu yelled as loud as he could. He reached down into his heart and put everything into that last fire. His love for his friends, his loyalty to Fairy Tail, and his hatred of Nate. Natsu blew as hard as he could.

The fire did not affect Nate, but the sheer force of it drove him straight into the wall. Right before the villain passed out, he muttered three words. "I never lose", right before he lost for he first time in his life.

"You did it!" Lucy ran over to Natsu, who looked like he was about to collapse any second now. She threw her arms around him.

"Thank you, Lucy." Natsu said in her ear.

"W-why? I didn't do anything!" She exclaimed.

"You did everything." He leaned closer, until their lips met in a delicate but passionate kiss. After a little while he collapsed, hight there in her arms.

The villain stopped his pacing and looked at Erza, tied up with a special rope. He frowned. "After those puny mages disappear, you'll be my queen. Together we'll destroy anyone who gets in out way."

"No." Erza said firmly. "You were the first kind person I met after I escaped the Tower of Heaven. It's only natural that I would promise you anything."

"But still, a promise is a promise." He smiled evilly.

Gray put his hand on a doorknob. All the signs led him to believe that Erza was being kept in there, so why was he hesitating? 'Still, it might be a trap', he thought. 'Well it's now or never.'

So, another cliffhanger. This is me enjoying driving all you people insane.