I do not own Fairy Tail. All rights go to Hiro Mashima and all copyright laws apply.

Lucy's POV
I sighed, again, for the umpteenth time that day. I really needed to fix this habit son but, for now, I had bigger things on my mind. I felt bad about it, I really did. I erased Rogue's memories involving my being a dragon slayer. I knew that I really should've asked for permission to erase those memories, but I couldn't help it. He knew what he needed to know, but… something just didn't feel right. I felt that it would affect him in some way. Laying back on my bed, I stared at the ceiling. We were in some kind of danger. I had 10 of the zodiac gate keys, was a past princess, but now I'm a multi magic mage. Of course I was going to be kidnapped, like last time. But… something was definitely wrong this time. I don't know, but I could just feel it. I haven't seen any of the usual signs of being followed, which I have learned to spot in the last few years, but I always felt a magical presence lingering. It was strong, powerful, yet discreet. Being restless, I jumped off of the bed, and started to get ready to go to the guild hall. Maybe Master would know something about this. Well, that's what I hoped. Slipping tying my hair up into a ponytail, I busied myself with other things, forgetting about my current problem for a while.

Master's POV

When Lucy walked over to me in a hurry, asking for a talk, I wasn't surprised. She must've noticed it, too. The only other person who I've seen actually take notice of the situation was Erza, but it was only by a little. Nodding, we headed to my room, where I locked the door behind us and drew the curtains. Hopping onto my desk, I nodded at Lucy to show that she could speak.

"Look, Master, I've been feeling as if someone, or something, has been following me lately. I've left it alone for now, but lately I've been feeling a strong magical presence around that. What do you think it could be? It definitely has magic, but it's definitely not on our side here" She said, her eyebrows creasing in worry.

"Yes, my child. I've noticed it, too, whenever you leave or enter the guild lately, there's been a slight change in the magical aura. It was definitely a dark mage, whether he or she's in a guild, though, that I have no clue. I can sense trouble brewing up, though, so be careful. Also, you might not want to reveal sensitive information to others, so that they won't be targeted" I said cautiously, looking down. Bowing and leaving the room, I watched as the blonde mage walked out of the room, her head held high. I clenched my fists. Nobody was going to hurt my children, not again. I wouldn't allow it. However, what I knew was that sacrifices had to made sometimes.

Lucy's POV
I wasn't going to let my friends get hurt. Definitely not this time. I've been too selfish lately. I've never gotten over the Phantom Lord incident. Too many people were hurt, and all because of me. My family's done so much for me, the least I could do was show them how much they've made me grow. I smiled at everyone in the guild hall, walking with a new confidence, and with a new goal. Sitting at my usual place, I made small talk with Levy.

"So, how'd the date go?" I asked bluntly, getting straight to the point.

"It was actually really romantic… He took me out for a picnic by the lake, and even played a song for me on his guitar, though the moment was kind of ruined because it was heavy metal music…hehe" she chuckled, and I rolled my eyes at the irony. And what was more ironic was the iron in it. My, my, so many puns. I giggled along with the girl as we proceeded to talk about how sometimes boys could be so weird. Clapping my hands in delight at this one story about how Droy completely embarrassed himself, I was having a good time. Levy always knew how to cheer me up.

Natsu's POV

As I saw Lucy start to walk away from Levy, I started to go to her, but I stopped, sniffing the air. There's something following her. Before I could call out, she had walked out of the guild hall, her previous cheerful expression replaced by one of worry. Without a second thought, I ran after her, trying to be as quiet as possible. What is that? It has a huge magical presence, yet… I looked around once again. I didn't see anything suspicious, and that was sort of freaking me out. Fearing something was going to happen, and knowing that I couldn't do anything, I ran back, hoping to speak to Master. Something was wrong.

Lucy's POV
I felt it again, that presence. I also felt Natsu behind me, but when he ran off in a panic, I started to panic. Breaking out into a run, I pushed past people, past the crowds on the streets, and tried running towards the forest. It wasn't the smartest idea, trapping myself there, but I needed somewhere to be confronted privately. I ran faster. I can't let anything happen to anyone, especially the innocent citizens of Magnolia. Thinking this, I ran at my fastest pace, knowing that whatever was following me was still hot on my tail. Looking behind, I only saw a very subtle movement in the space behind my head- almost as if it was being warped. Time and space magic was dangerous. My eyes widened as I broke through some leaves, bringing myself face to face with the abundant forest. Backing up a bit, I examined my surroundings once again, only to have no luck. Taking off my limiters, and all of them, I felt the magic pile onto me, but that still didn't give me a sense of security.

"I thought that it would take longer for me to be found out. Impressive. Let me introduce myself. I go by the name Kukyo" a male voice came form behind me. Turning around, I saw a tall, muscular man, with black hair and sharp, golden eyes. The eyes held so much potential, yet they felt like they were soulless. I thought about his name for a moment, before pinning it down.

"Y-your name is Emptiness?" I asked, fear dripping on every word.

"Yes, but as much as I would love to chat, I have to take care of something. Though I doubt you'll go down without a fight. I shall explain while we battle. Be prepared, Lucy" Kukyo said, and charged at me, his fist raised. Dodging out of the way, I started to use my dragon powers, a rare sight.

"Celestial Dragon's Holy Touch!" I shouted, and placed my forefingers on Kukyo's head gently, a white light emitting from them, leaving him frozen. I sighed, thinking my work was done, but the man just chuckled.

I didn't waste time, and jumped back into action.

"I SUMMON THEE! LEO GATE OF THE LION!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, my panic rising to a while other level. This guy just brushed off one of my finishing moves. He was going to be tough. Leo appeared next to me, and fought along side me, while I continued to throw punches and kicks, not one of them landing on its target.

"Dark Chant: Soul Reap" Kukyo said a little too quietly, sending spiky shadows towards me. I dodged, not giving up, nor willing to give in. I finally landed a hit no him, with my dragon roar, but his shadows also managed to catch me. They strangled me, while the remaining stars from my attack strangled my opponent. We both screamed in pain, and our spells immediately dispersed. I needed to finish this fast.

"I summon thee! Gate of the Reborn Souls! Dragon Duo!" I yelled and Weisslogia and Skiadrum appeared next to me. Leo, the dragons, and I continued to attack, but it wasn't long before I sent Leo back. Regular Zodiacs wouldn't get me anywhere with this powerful mage.

"Zen, I summon thy dragon, heed my call and do thy commands" he chanted, and a huge, silver dragon appeared, facing off with my dragons. He called out another, red dragon, this one apparently called Fio, and I engaged myself with focusing on getting hits in.

"Urano Metria!" I shouted, aiming at Kukyo as he released a black orb towards me. We both hit each other, and fell to the ground. I was panting, and sent my dragons back, knowing that I couldn't keep them out for long. Zen and Fio also disappeared somewhere, and I slowly pulled out my katana, staggering to my feet. Kukyo followed suit, though much more stable.

"You… are a rare mage, and I need you to become apart of my plan" Kukyo said as our swords clashed.

"What… what plan? Why do you need me…?" I questioned, keeping up as I tried to trip him up.

"My plan to turn back time" Kukyo explained, panting.

"That's a lost magic! The last wizard who did that died!" I shouted, shocked.

"Yes, that's exactly why I need your magic. You're strong, and will last for a long time while having your magical power drained. I'll convert that power to energy, and I'll be able to turn back time… to rule the past so that I wouldn't have to suffer… so that I CAN RULE THE WORLD!" he laughed maniacally, stopping me in my tracks, and took the opening to stab me in the shoulder. Wincing, I backed up against a tree.

"Holy...Jud…ge" I tried to continue, but immediately blacked out from the lack of blood. I was a mage, but I was also human. Damn it.

Kukyo's POV

I picked her up, and opened a portal to my lab. My plan was going to work. I was going to get rid of those filthy aristocrats, and rule the world. I'll show everyone what it means to be treated like how I was. That way… she'll be proud… I'll show her… I'll show mom…

Stepping inside, I placed the Lucy inside the crystal lacrima that I had so painstakingly made. The plan was going to be put into motion…finally.

Opening a can of soda, I smiled to myself as I savored this moment, the moment where everything began to fit into place.

"It'll work… it definitely will…" I whispered to myself, brushing some of my hair through with my hands.

Natsu's POV

When I heard the shouting, I knew that it was Lucy. Master, the rest of my team, and I ran towards the forest, only to find half of it burned up and lots of footprints. Smelling the air, I knew that Luce was definitely here. Seeing some blood on a tree, I growled in anger. How could I let this happen again…? I should've stayed. I cursed myself, and I shot worried glances towards Erza and Gray, who looked ready to kill. Following Luce's scent, it stopped at the tree, and then it disappeared. I felt a lingering magical presence, though, and I immediately knew what happened.

"They… used a portal" I said quietly, knowing how hard it would be to track them down now.

"I knew something was wrong… I should've paid more attention" Erza said, clenching her fists.

"Yeah, me too… I can't believe that I let this slip past me…" Gray muttered, his eyes ice cold. I fist lit up, and I knew that I had to find her. She was my best friend. Thinking of something, I told Master what I was thinking. Dragon slayers would be really helpful right now, and I happened to know two more…

Sting's POV
We got the call, and I grew angry, and I saw the same deadly aura around Rogue. Waving to the guild as we walked out, we ran to where they said they were, not wanting our friend to get hurt. She was precious to me, and I just knew that she was precious to Rogue as well. I clenched my fists, trying to not let my anger take me over. I saw Rogue having a little more trouble, though, as his shadows were swirling all over the place, lashing out occasionally. I looked down, feeling guilty. We didn't even know what happened, and we never even thought that something like this would happen. I was too careless. I bit on my bottom lip, ignoring the little bit of blood that drizzled out. If this guy was able to beat Lucy, then we were going to be in big trouble. Arriving there, we greeted, and nodded as we accepted the information present.

"Let's ask that card mage of yours if she can track her" Rogue suggested, and I nodded in approval.

"We also have a fortune teller, so that might come in handy" I pointed out, wanting to do everything in my power to help out. This was going to prove a challenge. I couldn't beat Lucy when she didn't even use half of her power, so I really don't know how this will turn out. And frankly, a small part of me didn't want to find out. Nothing lasted forever, and I knew that my relationship with Lucy was no exception, but… the least I could do was savor the moments that I had left with her, right?

Rogue's POV
It pained me to say the least. Lucy had showed me so many new things, introduced me to new feelings, yet here, another one was born. I was never angry, but now I was. How dare someone take her away? I was hoping that, even if it was only for a little while, I could be friends with her for a bit longer. But no, there was no way that something that good could be reality? I needed to get her back, and even if it was just some dream this whole time, I want to be with her more. That's all I wanted. That's all I asked for. Was it really that much?

Master's POV

I was angry. Whoever did this, they had hurt one of my children. This was completely unforgivable. I trembled in rage, my eyes glowing.

"We WILL get Lucy back, understood? No matter the cost, no matter the pain, we WILL get her back… We can't let her get hurt anymore than she already has" I said, my voice booming. Everyone shook their heads solemnly as they departed, leaving me alone. They were going to get information, I knew, but I felt strange. It was almost as if I was… afraid. This was new.

If it's possible, studying the patterns of the footwork and taking a closer look… my eyes widened. IT couldn't be, could it…? Kukyo…? Lucy was in trouble, and I ran to the guild, needing to go through some old files. This was bad. If something went wrong, Lucy could become, would become… I shook the thoughts out of my head, running along the pavement with a deathly gleam in my eyes. Nobody should have to go through that. That was even worse than death itself. I wasn't going to let that happen under any circumstances. It couldn't happen, could it…?

Lucy's POV

I woke up in a crystal lacrima, much like the one I was in during the whole Nirvana ordeal, but this one was much larger. I felt weak. Was this thing…? My answers were found as I looked around, spotting some tubes, and I knew that my magic was sucked out. This was going to be a fight of will and physical power. I willed my magic to condense, and tried to not lot it get sucked in. Keeping this up, I used al of my strength, which was a lot, and pounded against the crystal surface. A small crack was made, but it was so small, I almost didn't notice it, and I only did because of some light reflecting on it. Pounding again, the crack grew a little more, and I smiled a bit. I could do this. I didn't have my keys, but that didn't mean I was weak without them. Even without my magic, I was strong. I could do this… okay, just a little bit at a time. I raised my fist back, determined.

My hand was bleeding, but I managed to make a small hole in the lacrima. Taking a bi of energy, I shot at one of the tubes, and I felt a little better as magic flowed into me. However, I was exhausted. I slumped down, cradling my hand. I wouldn't get out today, but there was always tomorrow.

. . . . .

The next day, I followed the same pattern, creating cracks and shooting tubes. Surprisingly, I didn't see Kukyo come, so I was in the safe. When I had all the tubes shut down, I knew that it was safe to use my magic.

"CELESTIAL DRAGON'S IRON FIST!" I yelled, shattering the lacrima. Feeling accomplished but sore, I stepped out of the shattered orb, and kneeled down on the ground.

"Oh? Has my little toy broken out? What a shame, I have a back up, only because I'm not stupid" I watched as Kukyo walked in, an amused expression on his face. Grabbing my keys and whip, I started again.

"CELESTIAL DRAGON'S ROAR!" I shouted, stars coming out of my mouth, temporarily blinding him. Taking my whip, I tripped him, but he just got back up and shot dark, pitch black beams at me. When one grazed my arm, it burned so much, and I had to restrain myself from stopping and crying out. WE went at each other's throats for about an hour before I started to get tired. I wasn't getting anywhere.

"Elemental Decomposition! Air!" I used one of my old tricks, and I was shocked to see that it worked. Taking this chance, I stabbed his shoulder, or at least I thought that I did. He just sighed as he teleported behind me, stabbing me in the same place as last time, where the wound hadn't healed a bit yet, either. I just now noticed the pain and flinched. Closing my eyes for a moment, I willed myself not to give him the pleasure of hearing me scream. Apparently that was a bad move. When I opened my eyes again, I was in another lacrima, and collapsed in defeat. I couldn't just give up. When he left, I was going to try again. But… where were they? I knew that I couldn't always rely on them, but I felt lonely, and I could only think of my friends. Drifting into sleep, I comforted myself with happy thoughts of them coming for me. We were always going to be together, today, tomorrow, and forever… Right? Nothing would, or could, for that matter, change that… I thought.

Sorry, I know it's a bit short, but school's been keeping me busy lately ;(. The weekend's here, though, so I'll be sure o update longer chapters!