Sorano was running as fast as she could. She knew the Ice Mage and the Iron Dragon slayer were right behind her as she darted through the trees. They had an advantage. They knew these trees. If she didn't hurry up and ditch them, Rustyrose would do worse than beat and rape her.
"That's far enough!" Jellal said firmly, a long line of mages by his side.
About 40 Fairy Tail mages lined the edge of the forest. As she stopped in a dead halt, she glanced around her in panic. The mages closed in on her in a circle.
"Explain yourself,"Jellal demanded, stepping in to the circle.
"He's going to kill me!" Sorano started freaking out, "Just let him have the key and he'll leave you all alone! I swear it!"
"That key belongs to me!" Natsu roared as he too stepped inside the circle. He snatched the key out of her hands, cradling it lovingly, before turning his dark red eyes to Sorano, "You have two seconds to explain to me why I shouldn't fry you right here."
Sorano was hyperventilating with panic, "He's going to kill me! He's going to kill me!"
"I can't kill you," a new voice said from above. Rustyrose was in a tall tree, overlooking the entire guild of Fairy Tail, "I need you to summon the Heartfilia bitch first and turn her to our side. The new Grimoire Heart will have her power behind us. And Fairy Tail will rue the day they fucked with us!"
He waved his arm, "ARC OF EMBODIMENT!"
Instantly a metal cage fell on top of the Fairy Tail mages, effectively locking them inside. He used the spell a 2nd time to bind them.
"Get the key and get your ass out here," he told Sorano.
Sorano apologized with her eyes before she took the key from Natsu, slipping out of the bars with her Angel magic.
"Now do it!" Rustyrose ordered, "Call her!"
Sorano raised the key, "OPEN – GATE OF THE –"
"Go on!" Rustyrose yelled, "What the hell is the hold up?"
"I-I don't know her classification!" Sorano stuttered, backing up as Rustyrose approached her, smacking her across the face and sending her sprawling,
"Then you'd better fucking figure it out!" he thundered.
Gajeel was eating through the bars, letting the members of Fairy Tail free as Rustyrose attacked Sorano again. The cage fell apart and disintegrated.
He raised his hand again to strike Sorano when he realized his wrist was caught by Laxus, an angry Elfman glaring behind him. Dodging Laxus's attack, Rustyrose pivoted, snatching the key from Sorano's hand and holding it high above his head.
"I'll break it!" he yelled, effectively freezing everyone in their spots, "I'll fucking break it and your little Lucy will be lost to you forever!"
"You wouldn't dare," Elfman snarled, advancing on him, "That's unmanly, even for you!"
"You're dead the second you do," Gajeel agreed.
Fairy Tail surrounded him.
"You just made your last mistake," Laxus told him, winding up and punching him clear across the clearing.
Gray was waiting for him there, using his demon arm to wind up and smack him back to Elman's feet. Elfman transformed, growling ferociously as he picked Rustyrose up by the neck.
The key dropped from Rustyrose's hand and landed straight in front of Sorano. Sorano bent to pick it up, carefully weighing her options.
"Natsu!" Jellal yelled, "Go get the key!"
Natsu nodded, a small group of mages following him to surround Sorano. He pulled his fist back, anger blazing in his eyes. Her eyes were wide with terror.
He stopped, watching her face.
"She's been bullied into this," Juvia said, pulling down Natsu's fist.
Natsu nodded, extending his hand out flat.
Sorano placed the key in his hand, trembling in fear.
"You wanna tell me how you even knew about the key?" Natsu asked, anger still flaring in his voice.
"W-we were at my sister's," Sorano stuttered, "She took a phone call in the kitchen. It wasn't my idea! I didn't know he'd do this, honest I didn't! I had no choice!"
"He won't hurt you anymore," Levy promised, helping her up, "but you still have to answer for your crimes. There is always a choice when it comes to choosing right from wrong."
"And this time, Crime Sorciere isn't going to help you," Jellal added.
Behind him, Elfman had Rustyrose pretty much rolled up into a ball.
Romeo pumped his fist triumphantly, "I'm going to get the Royal Guard!"
Natsu ran a finger down the platinum key affectionately.
The crowd was dispersing, taking the two troublesome mages away to meet the Royal Guard.
"Are you okay?" Erza asked Natsu.
He nodded, "I almost lost her again. And I hadn't even really gotten her back yet. How did you guys know?"
"We were followed throughout our whole journey," Gray supplied, "We've known since we ran into Jellal in Crocus. When you were so anxious to go home alone, we figured it out pretty quick."
"We knew about Sorano, but not Rustyrose," Gajeel added, "But when we followed you to your house, I smelled him."
"I've been suspicious for awhile," Jellal continued, "Even with Crime Sorciere taking breaks between bringing down dark guilds, Rustyrose wasn't acting right. More than that, I started noticing the way Sorano has been acting. She's been hiding bruises for months."
"Is it true that if Sorano had called Lucy out, Lucy would've been theirs?"
"Probably," Levy said, "You have to make a contract with Lucy in order to make her yours. If Sorano had called her out first…."
Natsu put a hand up to stop her from finishing the sentence.
"The sooner you make the contract with her, the better," Master Makarov said, joining the remaining mages in the small circle.
"If you want to do it alone, we'll understand," Mira placed a hand on Natsu's arm.
He looked from face to face. These people were his and Lucy's family. They had been supportive of them for all these years. He wondered briefly what Lucy would want and instantly knew the answer.
"No," he said, his trademark grin gracing his face, "I have a feeling I know exactly how Luce would want to handle this."