Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.

Chapter Eleven: Lust's Scorn

Back to the present….
Rosemary & Thyme

"How do I look?" Lucy/Lust said as she walked down the stairs, her eyes taking in the stunned and horrified expressions of her guildmates. "Not bad, eh?"

"You witch!" Cana shouted. "What've you done to Lucy?!" While she, Wendy and Erza stared down the demon, Mirajane had gone to check on Natsu to try and bring him back into the fight.

Walking over to her, Lucy/Lust grinned wickedly, knowing that Cana wanted to attack her but knew the consequences of doing so. "What's the matter? Jealous of my stunning good looks?"

Erza had enough. She moved with a rage few had ever lived to see and charged at the possessed Lucy. "I don't know what you've done but I'll carve you out of Lucy!" she shouted as she Requipped a sword. But Lucy/Lust dodged Erza's slash and jumped gracefully onto the chandelier, the ornament swaying from her sudden weight. "How can she move like that?" Erza questioned. "Lucy can't move that agile."

Grinning, the possessed blonde ran a hand down her transformed body. "Have you forgotten, Erza? The body is Lucy's but I'm the one behind the wheel," she snickered. "What a nasty blade. Were you really going to cut your own friend to ribbons?" she asked, gesturing to the scimitar in Erza's hand. "Just so you know: killing Lucy won't kill me. But please, keep at it. I do so enjoy a dance."

Cana looked at Erza in disbelief. "Erza! No!"

"We have no choice," Erza boldly declared. "We cannot let her have Lucy, no matter what. I will not leave her to a fate worse than death."

"Ooooh! You're as cold as your reputation proclaims, Erza Scarlet," Lucy/Lust mocked as she looked down at the redhead. "Since you're so eager to play…."

Erza saw the demonic Lucy reach behind her. "You think I'm going to give you a chance to play another song?"

"Why not? I do so adore an audience. But if you're so critical of my performance then allow me to introduce my supporting cast!" The remaining women gasped when they saw her hold Lucy's keys in her hands. "Open!"

Erza braced herself as Taurus emerged. "Taurus!" she shouted as the anthropomorphic bovine charged at her. "You can't do this! Your master is being possessed, you have to help her!"

"MOOOOOOO!"

Erza was forced to dodge the Spirit's heavy axe as he swung, taking of chunk of the wall in Erza's place. When the Celestial Spirit turned around, Erza was horrified to see the same black eyes that Lucy had. "What have you done to Lucy's spirits, you fiend!"

"Lucy and I are one. Her body is my body. And her powers are my powers, now blended with a hint of demonic energy." Lucy/Lust took a long inhale. "I do so enjoy the smell of corrupted spirit in the afternoon. It goes well with the smell of blood. Oh Taurus," she called out. "Why don't you play with our dear friend, Erza? You can have at it with her udders!" she said lewdly.

"MOOOOO!" went Taurus with hearts in his eyes. "Erza's udders! I've always wanted to touch them!"

The redhead would have deadpanned had it not been for the charging bull coming right at her. She readied her sword and prepared herself for what she had to do. She knew that Celestial Spirits couldn't die but that didn't mean she'd enjoy hurting Taurus, even if he was blinded by his perverted obsession with women's "udders". She dodged Taurus's wide swing and slashed at his belly. She expected the spirit to tumble and fall before disappearing but instead he turned right around and backhanded her, sending her flying into a table. Cringing from the impact, the strong woman saw that the wound she'd inflicted was healing. "What? But how could-" It was then that Erza could hear it: music.

Sitting atop the chandelier, Lucy/Lust played another melody from her black flute. "Fret not, my lovely Taurus. If you're injured, your wounds will heal. Now then, kill her."

Erza stood up and Requipped an axe of her own in her free hand, sheathing the scimitar for now. "If you think that your song will be enough, Lust, you're sorely mistaken!"

"Is that so? Then how about a change in tune?" Lucy/Lust's fingers danced across her flute, sending out a deadly melody towards Erza.

Erza took a step forward before she felt something on her cheek. When she wiped it she saw what it was and gasped.

It was blood.

She reached up and felt the cut on her cheek and wondered when she was hurt but soon found herself bleeding from other areas. She stumbled forward as old wounds were reopened. "What is happening?" she gasped as she struggled to remain on her feet.

Lucy/Lust chuckled as she played her melody of pain. "A song is a powerful weapon. And in the hands of a Demon it can be quite fatal. I was an accomplished songstress in my Human life and as a Demon I know many fatal melodies. Some can send you into a sleep you'll never wake up. Some can turn make the best of friends kill each other. Some can heal. And others can cause pain." The possessed Lucy leered down at the bleeding Erza. "How does it feel to have the wounds you barely survived to open back up one after the other? So what will it be? Will you survive my Spirit's attack and bleed out?" she asked as Taurus readied his axe for another round. "Or will you simply end it with a quick decapitation? Either way is fine with me."

Erza cursed as Taurus charged at her again, her legs feeling like they were made of lead. She gripped her axe and prepared to block the huge Celestial Spirits swing when she felt air rush behind her. "Sky Dragon's Roar!" Wendy shouted before blasting a vortex of air at the spirit, sending him flying into a nearby wall and leaving a Taurus-shaped hole behind.

Lucy/Lust looked up to see a sharpened playing card veer overhead, severing the chain to the chandelier. She leapt off the falling chandelier and landed on the ground, only for more cards to shoot towards her, knocking the black flute out of her hands. "Wendy, go take care of Erza!" Cana ordered. "I'll deal with getting her out of Lucy."

The small Dragon Slayer rushed over to the bleeding Erza and quickly began to heal her wounds. "Are you alright, Erza?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm fine. Thanks for the save," Erza thanked with a kind smile.

Cana glared at the demon within her friend. "Get out of my friend or I'll drag you out!" she shouted, holding up another card threateningly.

"Bring it, bitch!"

The brunette hurled another Magic Card at the demon. Her intent was to injure her, thinking that if she was afraid for her life she'd leave Lucy's body and become vulnerable. That thinking was dashed, however, when Lucy/Lust slashed the card out of the air with Lucy's whip.

"So, are you actually going to fight?" the demon taunted. "Or are parlor tricks the only thing you have?"

"Says the one who's using someone else to fight! Come out and fight like a woman!" Cana challenged.

"Please, I'm a demon, sweetheart. And demons don't fight fair. Oh Taurus!" she called out. "Cana would like you to show some attention to her!"

"MOOOOOOOOO!"

A large crash followed by the wall being destroyed revealed Taurus, snorting steam out of his nostrils as Lucy/Lust's words lit a fire in him. Lucy/Lust kicked his axe towards him and he picked it up.

Cana reached into her deck and pulled out another card. "Icicle!" The card lit up and Taurus found himself trapped within a pillar of ice, unable to move despite his strength. She pulled out another card and pointed it at Lucy/Lust. "This is your last warning! Let Lucy go! You've no chance with Taurus out of the picture!"

"Silly girl, you're forgetting something." Lucy/Lust wagged a finger at Cana. "Lucy's body is my body, remember? Whatever she can do, so can I. And as you well know…Lucy can summon more than one spirit." She held up another gold key. "Open! Gate of the Lion!"

"No!" gasped a horrified Cana.

"Leo!

With a bright flash emerged Leo, the Lion Celestial Spirit, AKA Loki. Like Taurus, he showed the same sign of possession, telling her that trying to convince him to save Lucy was out of the equation. Still, Loki was a member of Fairy Tail and Cana couldn't help but try to reach out to him. "Loki! No! Lucy's in danger! You have to help us!"

Loki was silent as he held up a fist which began to glow from his channeling light. "Light of Regulus!" He then charged at Cana. The brunette threw a volley of Magic Cards at Loki but a bright flash disintegrated them. Further, the flash blinded Cana and left her vulnerable to Loki's attack. Cana felt ribs break as Loki punched her, sending her sprawling to the ground in a heap, coughing up blood as she struggled to breath.

"Finish her," Lucy/Lust commanded as Loki stood over Cana.

"Loki…" Cana pleaded through clenched teeth. "Don't…."

Loki's shoe glowed as he prepared to stomp Cana's face in but the attack never came. A choked gurgle escaped his lips when an axe became embedded in his back, taking him down. Cana watched as the Spirit stumbled before disappearing back into the Celestial Spirit World. She looked up and saw Erza and Wendy next to her, the former having taken down Taurus. Cana tried to speak but only coughed up more blood.

Wendy crouched down and tried to work her Magic as fast as possible. "Don't speak! You've got a punctured lung!" she said, knowing she was in a battle against time to save Cana.

Sitting atop the railing on the second floor, Lucy/Lust merely shook her head. "You've broken my new toys. Still," she held up Lucy's keys and rattled them. "I've plenty more where that came from."

"I wouldn't try it," Erza said as she tossed away her axe and drew her scimitar. "If your body is Lucy's, then you should know that she can't summon multiple spirits at once without taxing her body."

Lucy/Lust tapped her chin, knowing that she was right. Though she was in possession of Lucy's body and Magic, Lust couldn't supplement any fatigue or energy Lucy lost with her own; it was the trade-off for the guaranteed protection. "A fair point. Then why don't we get physical?" She leapt off the railing and landed on her feet, drawing her whip again. "I'll start with you, Erza. And then I'll finish off Cana and the brat."

"Fat chance!" Erza charged at Lucy/Lust, swinging her sword much to the horror of her comrades. Lucy/Lust dodged the strike and leapt to the side, slashing at Erza with her whip. Back and forth the two ladies went, dodging and striking at one another. The ruined brothel became much more destroyed as walls were gouged, furniture was split in two and multiple paintings ruined.

Erza started to pant as she started to tire out. 'How is she so agile? Lucy is swift but she's-' Erza was knocked away by a powerful kick, the blow cracking her armor. She hit the wall in a daze and tried to stand up but Lucy/Lust put a heel to her chest, keeping her pinned. "I assumed you'd be tougher than this. I guess you're so concerned about saving your friend you forgot about saving yourself." She held up the whip, ready to start beating Erza to death. "Too bad for you." Erza braced herself for the blow but found that it never came. She looked up and saw that somebody had grabbed a hold of Lucy/Lust's wrist.

That somebody being Mirajane.

The waitress glared at her possessed friend. Her body had taken the form of her Demon Takeover, Satan Soul. Wrenching the whip from the blonde's hand, she threw Lucy/Lust into another wall and picked up Erza's Scimitar.

Lucy/Lust picked herself up but saw the advancing demoness with the sword in hand. "You…you wouldn't!"

Wendy and Cana both stared in horror and knew from the look in Mirajane's eyes that she was serious. "Mira! Don't! Please!"

"You've threatened our guild. You've hurt my friends. And now you've toyed with my friend's body like it's your personal plaything." Mirajane held up the scimitar and the runes etched into it started to glow. "Now you'll pay."

Lucy/Lust tried to jump out of the way but Mirajane was faster. She swung the weapon hard, the blade going right through Lucy's exposed midriff. Everyone watched in horror as Lucy fell to the ground…along with Lust beside her.

The blonde sat up and groaned. Her head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. "Where am I?" she groaned before looking down. "What the hell? Why am I dressed like this?" She turned to see the demoness lying beside her and quickly crawled away in horror. "Whoa!"

Wendy blinked in confusion. "Wait…that wasn't a real sword."

Mirajane helped Erza to her feet. "No. It's one of Erza's special weapons." She handed her friend the Scimitar. "It's the evil-sealing sword: Rune Save. It dispels evil from one's body." She looked over at Cana and Wendy and smiled. "Erza used it all the time when we fought as kids. That's how I know."

"Oh…but why didn't you tell us?" Cana asked as she got onto her feet, feeling better now that her ribs weren't crushing her lungs.

"If we did, Lust would've known and she would have fled with Lucy's body. We had to make her think that we weren't willing to go through Lucy to get to her." Mirajane scooped up Lucy and carried her over to Wendy.

"Wait…" Wendy looked around. "What about Natsu, Juvia and Gray?"

"Juvia and Gray are…occupied," Mirajane said knowingly. "As for Natsu…."

Lust got to her feet, shaken from having been forced out of Lucy's body so suddenly. "You…you…" she started, trying to come up with an obscenity big enough for Mira. She pulled out her flute and smiled. "I guess you'll be the next person I get to doll up."

Mirajane dispelled her Satan Soul and pointed at Lust. "I don't think so, you should look behind you."

"FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!"

A burning fist punched Lust in the face. Staggering, Lust looked up to see Natsu standing over her, cracking his knuckles. "That was for putting Lucy in danger."

Getting up, Lust nursed her burned cheek. "Oh look, the hothead is back." She straightened up and summoned her flute back to her. Her eyes glared at Natsu with hot venom. "You look so much like them…."

"What?"

Lust took advantage of Natsu's confusion by sweeping her leg low, knocking Natsu off his feet. She promptly pounced like a jungle cat and sat to the boy's chest, her heels stabbing into his wrists and keeping him pinned with her inhuman strength. "You have no chance, Dragon Slayer. I'll kill you. I'll kill you all. And then I'll watch as my pretty little Lucy falls into despair before making her turn into one of us!"

"LIKE HELL!"

Mirajane and a rejuvenated Erza attacked Lust, forcing her to quickly get off of Natsu. "What are you demons planning?" Erza demanded as she swung her blade at Lust. Unfortunately the room wasn't big enough to use one of her more powerful armor so she had to limit herself to her already-cracked armor.

"Pride wants to Tree of Life. He seeks to give Yggdrasil a healthy dose of corruption, filling all the realms with sweet, sweet sin."

Still in her Satan Soul, Mirajane grabbed Lust and slammed her into the wall, pinning her. "Not if we have anything to say about it!" She tried desperately to use her Take Over on Lust but found it useless. "What?"

Lust laughed in Mirajane's face. "Oh please, don't insult me. I'm not some mindless demon born out of dark magic. I'm the literal embodiment of Lust created out of creation itself. You, on the other hand," she gripped the stunned Mirajane's face and leaned forward, "Are just Human."

"Mira!" Erza punched Lust in the face, keeping her from giving Mirajane a deadly kiss. "Are you okay?" She was shocked when Mirajane stumbled and her Satan Soul disappeared, leaving her human. "What's wrong?"

Mirajane opened her eyes and the whole world spun. "I can't…she was too much…."

"Oh dear, it seems that your friend bit off more than she could chew. Trying to take me over taxed her pretty body to its limit. That's what happens when you try to be a wannabe demon!" Lust taunted.

Natsu jumped over Erza and threw another fiery punch. Over and over again he attacked her, swiping her sides with his fiery fists. "Shut your mouth, damn you!" he shouted before eating Lust's elbow. He staggered backwards as Lust moved to kick him again, this time preparing to send him flying out of the brothel again. This time, however, Natsu recovered and caught her leg. "Got you!"

"Grrr! Let go!" She struggled to break free before putting her flute to her lips. 'We'll see how long you can hold me when I put you into a never-ending sleep!' She blew into her flute but no song came out. "What?" When she turned her flute over she saw that the end had been burned. The air couldn't escape the flute. 'That's what he was after! He wasn't hitting me. He was trying to burn my flute!' "Damn you!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "NOT MY FLUTE!" She punched Natsu in the face, breaking his grip. The Dragon Slayer and female Wizards saw murder in her eyes. "How dare you! HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY FLUTE! I'LL KILL-"

She never finished.

Lust suddenly couldn't breathe. Looking down, she saw the scimitar impaled in her chest, the evil-fighting sword cutting through her demonic skin. Turning her head, Lust saw Lucy behind her, having retrieved the sword from Erza. "You…" she breathed.

It took all of Lucy's strength just to remain on her feet. Panting, she held the sword in her hands as she stared at her captor. "That…was for my…friends!" she said with a defiant look in her eyes.

As death came for Lust, the corruption that'd plagued her for so long became undone. Her body fell forward, the sword leaving her impaled body as she hit the floor. "No…I don't…I don't want to die…" Lust choked, blood spilling from her wound. The Fairy Tail Wizards watched in silence while Lust turned back to normal. Soon it wasn't the demon in tight black leather lying there, but Rosanna, the shamed songstress clad in tattered clothing.

Rolling onto her back, Rosanna felt tears running down her face as her life flashed before her eyes. She had so many regrets. "Mercurius… Icaro…" she called out.

Soon her vision darkened, leading to a light at the end of a tunnel. At the end she heard a familiar voice. Two of them, to be precise. "Rosanna…it's over now. We're so sorry for what we've done. You can rest now….'

Blood-stained lips choked as Rosanna recognized the voices of her long-dead lovers. 'No…I'm the one who's sorry. I should have been honest. I should never have lied to you. I…I didn't want to break your hearts….'

"We know. We shouldn't have let our father influence us. Now come, Rosanna. We want to hear you play again…."

Rosanna clutched her burned flute to her heart and gave one last smile before breathing her last.

The group watched woman die and wondered what was going through her head as she went through her final moments, Erza recognizing how Envy/Camilla had a similar experience. The redhead helped Lucy up onto her feet after she'd slumped to the floor. "Are you okay?" she gently asked.

"I'm fine." Lucy slumped forward and let her friend hold her in her arms. "I just feel exhausted. And I really need to get out of these clothes," she lamented, ashamed of her current attire. She looked over at the dead Rosanna sadly. "Was there really nothing we could do for her?"

Erza turned and nodded, helping Lucy walk away. "I'm afraid it's for the best. The wound you inflicted could not have been mended by Wendy after she'd used up so much of her Magic. I think we can all take comfort that she died in peace at the very least."

Natsu nodded. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask but where's Gray and Juvia?"

Mirajane giggled. "Oh, like I told Wendy, they're very busy!"

Helping Lucy walk, Erza merely smiled. "We should be glad for this victory. Now that's two of the Seven Deadly Sins down. Five to-"

Erza was cut off when she felt something beneath her feet. A small rumbling that began to grow…and grow…and grow until the entire brothel started to shake. Eyes widening, she turned to her friends.

"RUN!"

To be continued