"I'll go with you on one condition," I said.
"Shut up, Lucy!" Erza yelled. The hand around my throat tightened, lifting me up higher off the ground.
"Takeshi," Oscar commanded. I was set roughly on the ground, although the hand didn't leave my neck. I gasped for breath desperately.
After Gray and I finished packing our tents up (Loke disappeared, making a weak excuse at not wanting to use up all my magic energy), we met up with Natsu and Erza. A giant red lump graced the top of Natsu's head. We walked for hours, stopping a few times to rest and make lunch. We could just barely see the tip of Lunar Mountain when the five men from Stone Heart attacked again. They stepped out of the bushes like they'd been waiting for us.
Natsu started fighting them as soon as I said they were the same men from before. This is when I learned Oscar's power. He could block people's magic and spells. I asked why I could use my magic easily last time we met, if that was true. He made excuses that made sense to no one.
When Keen snuck up behind Gray and punched him in the stomach, my friends all looked at me. We waited a few seconds, and then a few more, until Oscar laughed.
"Curses don't work when they're near me either. So I can take pleasure in watching Lucy as she watches you all get hurt because of her."
Klein, Kale, and Keen went after my friends. With Oscar near, none of them had any way to protect themselves. Takeshi, the fifth man who hasn't said a word since the first time I saw him, held me tightly, forcing me to watch every moment while Oscar whispered horrible things in my ear.
"Just tell me what Stone Heart wants with me," I said now. Erza was kneeling on the ground, trying to get to her feet to keep fighting. Happy was lying face down in the dirt. Gray was staring up at the sky dizzily. Keen had Natsu in a headlock, but my friend was still glaring at the person holding me, barely paying attention to the dark man behind him.
"We want you to join us," Klein said.
"That will never happen. My family is Fairy Tail. I will never leave them," I spat.
"Oh, you don't have much of a choice now, do you?" Oscar sneered.
"And what do you mean by that?" I asked.
"We'll get you, one way or another," Kale said menacingly.
"By petty tricks and playing dirty? What kind of a guild are you?!" Erza roared.
"Aww, is the little girl scared?" Oscar mocked, ignoring Erza. He trailed his fingers down my cheek. It was sickening.
"She is, indeed," Klein said.
"Would you stop that?" I yelled at him.
"Stop what? Reading into your heart? Why would I do that?" he asked. "Does it bother you that I can make you so angry? That I can see everything you're feeling, even the things you yourself cannot?"
"Calm down, Lucy," Gray warned, sitting up. If I thought these stupid guys were pissing me off before, my rage now was nothing compared to that.
Oscar's hand was still on my face. I waited for a moment, anticipation building, relaxing my body as if I'd given up. I caught a millisecond of slack from Takeshi. At that exact moment, I twisted my head down and to the side and crunched as hard as I could on Oscar's disgusting finger. He staggered away, clutching his bleeding hand. Takeshi lifted me off the ground again.
"That's my girl!" Natsu laughed like a mad man.
"You… are really going to regret that," Oscar threatened. I spat on the ground in front of me. His fingers tasted just as disgusting as they looked. He stepped over to me and slapped me as hard as he could. My neck popped when it flew to the side.
"She's about to lose it again," Kale told Takeshi.
"Don't worry. The stupid wench can't do anything when I'm here!" Oscar boasted, laughing once again. I saw the anger in his eyes. It gave me a sense of pride. I had done something right for once.
"I did it easily last time. And you know what, Oscar?" I asked in a chilling tone. I tried to get control of the monster, but my patience was wearing thin, and it was rearing its ugly head. I tried to remember how I felt last time I did this, but I had no idea what had happened that time to give me control. "You shouldn't be so damn cocky."
"Luce!" Natsu yelled. A bright light enveloped the space we were standing in. My hair lifted into the air, swirling everywhere. Oh geez, it's going to take forever to get those tangles out.
At the last moment, hearing Natsu's voice along with seeing everyone sprawled across the ground, I shoved the monster back into its stupid cave.
"I stop magic, remember?" Oscar taunted.
"Nothing will stop me when I see my friends hurt because of me. Especially when I know I have the strength to fix things," I said. For the third time in my life, my keys flew in a tight halo over my head. Takeshi dropped me and stepped back, as emotionless as ever. I took a few paces back, taking deep breaths to make sure my control didn't slip.
"But that's impossible!" Oscar gaped.
"Don't underestimate out Lucy," Gray laughed.
"When she set her mind to it, she can do anything," Happy mumbled.
"Don't say what she can and can't do," Erza warned.
"And do NOT piss her off," Natsu laughed. "What happens now it all your fault."
"I don't know how to use these," I muttered to myself when two swords appeared in my hands. One was black with a white stripe down the middle, while the other was white with a black stripe. They each had an ornately carved handle with iron fish weaving across the hilt and up the blade. It was almost like I could see them moving.
"We won't be beat so easily this time!" Oscar yelled over the din of the wind picking up. "We kept Takeshi a secret last time, but no longer! Beware: the strongest mage in all of Stone Heart!"
Takeshi stepped forward. When he grabbed me earlier, I didn't have time to actually see him. I took the chance now to examine him quickly.
It was shocking how much he reminded me of Elfman. Giant in height and build, he was completely white. White hair, ghostly pale skin, white shoes, and a long white kimono of some type. He looked like he just stepped out a time period twenty years ago.
Clumsy with my swords, I tried holding them up dramatically like I've seen people do on shows. I could almost hear Erza face-palm when she saw me.
"You'll use all your strength holding the swords up like that!" she coached. Takeshi waited silently, hands by his sides, while I tried to reposition the giant blades.
"A little lower… there!"
"Are you ready?" Takeshi asked. He had a low voice. I nodded. Strangely, I was much calmer this time, compared to the last time I practiced with my spirits.
Gray gave me a thumbs up. Erza nodded her head. Happy stood up and cheered for me. Natsu, still completely oblivious to the man holding him around the neck, grinned at me. His expression showed one hundred percent confidence that I could beat this guy. I turned back to my opponent, feeling the hopes of my friends fill me.
He was standing in front of me one moment, and the next, all I could see was a white blur through the air. I tried using Capricorn's agility to avoid the hits he was slamming me with, but even that wasn't fast enough.
"See why we are the strongest team in Stone Heart when you put us together!" Oscar called. I was being hit all over my body, from head to toe, with sharp elbows or iron fists. I heard my friends screaming; saw the other members of Stone Heart fighting them to keep my companions from helping me. Everything gradually got quieter. The clearing transformed into a rainy street back in Magnolia…
Natsu laid on the dirty ground beside me, moaning in agony. I could still feel Takeshi hurting me, but it didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was my best friend and the boy I love in pain beside me.
"Lucy…," he whispered. "Why did you leave me?"