~Lucy~ 

Erza and I stayed up throughout most of the night training with our new spells and skill sets. We both fell asleep after using to much magic on the training room floor. My dream was different. I was floating in a space of pure fire, volcanoes in the background setting off. "Think I am really gone, your pink head lover boy might of got rid of the taint on your body but Luke changed it up remember, I am in here in your head, I will be able to make your life a living hell while you still believe in that lover boy of yours" I heard my own voice as I turned around fast.

Soon as I had done so I saw the image of myself grabbing my neck tightly. She lifted me up into the air as I tried using my hands to pry her off my neck but I was having no luck. I was struggling to breath. "Whatever happens to you here will happen to your body back in real life" my image spoke smirking as I saw Natsu sinking into lava struggling to get free while his other self was looking toward me and my image. His other self being the evil thing he turned into. His evil self started to walk over as my image threw me to the ground hard.

She kicked my side pushing me near the flames. I felt one burn my arm as I moved away fast from the flames and got onto my feet as my image looked toward the new Natsu smirking before looking toward me. "You have two choices, join us in being dark or give up on your friend" my image spoke as I got in a fighting stance my emotion leaving my face. "I ain't giving up and I ain't giving in. You will just have to kill me if you want me out of your way" I spoke as Natsu, the normal Natsu far away looked toward me in shock.

His evil self moved in front of me within a blink hitting me hard in the gut into the air and then showed up above me blasted me down into the ground with boiling hot flames. "LUCY STOP! THEY WILL KILL YOU JUST GIVE UP ALREADY, FORGET ABOUT ME" Natsu shouted as he was sinking more into the flames as his evil self grabbed my hair and pulled upwards yanking me with it as my hands were on his evil self's arm. "No" I only replied as I put on a smile shocking my own image and the old good Natsu.

"Don't worry about me, because I will not give in.. I promise you, so wait for me" I spoke as his eyes widen as his evil self was about to slam me down to the ground as that was when the dream ended, my eyes opened to see myself in the training room with Irene, Brandish, Dimaria, Larcade, Erza, Grandine, Igneel and Metalicana around me worried as I noticed the burn on my arm from the dream along with bruises. "You was gaining these why asleep, how?" Brandish asked worried as I got worried for Natsu.

"Natsu....taking the taint he couldn't take it all. Some of the taint is inside my own head so it has linked our minds every time I sleep I will be put in a battle zone now, a fight me vs myself and the new evil Natsu but....I saw him...Natsu is in there fighting too" I spoke looking toward Erza smiling as she was in some shock. "He is waiting for us" I added as she smiled slightly at the thought. Grandine was healing the burn along with the bruises. "So you are linked to his good self, meaning you are the reason he can even fight" Irene soon spoke.

Her eyes were closed thinking. "There is a chance you could turn also with this link" Brandish soon spoke looking toward me worried as I got helped up by Erza. "Like hell I will let myself turn before saving that idiot" I spoke as Erza smiled slightly more as Dimaria smirked slightly looking at me. "Someone's hyped up" Dimaria spoke as I nodded as Irene opened her eyes. "The others won't be ready by the time we come back we got here a lot earlier than thought" Irene spoke turning to face Grandine. 

"Is there a way you can slow down the pain Lucy will gain from these dreams?" Irene asked as Grandine started thinking. I noticed that Igneel had a worried look on his face. "Unlike Lucy Natsu is trapped in that dream world all the time" Larcade soon spoke getting me slightly worried as he was sinking into fire. Did that meant he was giving up? "Let me go back just for an hour or so" I spoke looking toward Irene as the others but her looked toward me as if I was crazy. Irene raised an eyebrow on the other hand.

"Natsu was starting to give up when I was in there, I have to make sure he is fighting before I can stay awake to fight" I then explained worried as Irene sighed walking over, putting her forehead onto mine. "Erza will be going with you" Irene spoke getting Brandish and Dimaria to let off a jealous 'EH'. "Grandine do the spell" Irene moved her head back as I looked toward Erza who offered me her hand. I smiled taking it us both ready to help Natsu. Grandine stomped her staff into the ground as Erza and I both blacked out.

We was both in the dream world to see my image self looking toward me confused. "Have a death wish you nearly died if it wasn't for those people waking you up" my own voice spoke as if I was crazy as Erza pulled me away having swords in her hands blocking what was Natsu's evil side. She stood her ground as he was in some shock she was holding but soon smirked as I noticed the bright salmon hair had gone slightly darker. "Move out my way" I snapped toward my image seeing Natsu was sinking into the fire still.

He had a blank face as he hadn't even noticed me and Erza was there. "Why should I?" my imaged asked as I made my wings grow as I moved fast look as if I was going to pass her but stopped at the last second hitting her into the flames and lava. I flew to be in front of Natsu as the flames he was sinking into grew wild. The heat intense. "NATSU DRAGNEEL WAKE UP" I shouted as I noticed him slowly coming back to his senses. "LUCY MOVE" I heard Erza as it was to late my side got slash by the evil Natsu's blade.

I was sent to the ground next to the flames Natsu was sinking into as his eyes widen in fear seeing me. I was holding my side that was ever so slowly healing. Grandine. I knew she would be healing both me and Erza. I pushed myself to my side to help sit up as I glared toward the evil Natsu who pointed his blade toward me. "You would die for my old self huh?" he would ask his voice the same as Natsu's as I smiled. "Yeah, I would" I answered as he was about to strike me down until a hand grabbed the blade.

My eyes widen slightly to see Natsu was no longer sinking into the flames, he was next to me holding onto the sword. "Now you fight me? For her?" his evil self asked as Natsu was struggling to hold the sword back. "ERZA" I shouted as Natsu looked shocked as a wheel of swords came at Evil Natsu pushing him back and away from me and Natsu. "What are you doing back here? You baka" Natsu snapped looking at me as I pushed myself up to hug him. He was in shock but hugged back.

My eyes watering. "You're the baka! What was you thinking taking the taint?" I nearly shouted my question holding back tears as I heard Natsu chuckle slightly. "Ok maybe I am the baka but you needed help" Natsu replied as I pulled away from the hug looking toward him. "Please Natsu keep fighting we are coming for you, I kept my promise about finding your father he is coming too. We are coming for you and we want you back" I begged a tear going down my cheek as Natsu put his hand on my cheek using his thumb to wipe away the tear.

"I see why it was so hard for you" Natsu only whispered as I put my hand over his. "Please Natsu" I begged as he smiled toward me. "Alright" he replied as I smiled toward him. "GUYS" Erza shouted as evil Natsu was rushing toward me and Natsu. Natsu pushed me behind him as Flames showed up in his hands out of no where as he clashed swords. "I will be waiting Lucy" Natsu spoke smiling still as I looked toward Erza who was struggling to hold back my image self. "We are on our way, I promise" I spoke rushing to Erza's side.

I blasted away my image as I grabbed Erza's hand as everything went black. In a blink Erza and I were sitting up fast gasping for air. We was still in the training room. "That was more than an hour Lucy" Larcade spoke worried as I took a deep breath as I looked toward him. "Sorry about that" I spoke as he helped me up as Dimaria was helping Erza up. "He is really fighting but we have to hurry" Erza spoke as I nodded in agreement. "Good because we are leaving on Dragon back" Irene spoke coming into the room. 

"Igneel is flying us all back" Irene then informed us as we nodded, following her to outside the camouflage rock. Igneel was in dragon forum stretching his wings. "Is he good at flying and landing?" Dimaria soon asked rubbing the back of her neck. "Unsure" Irene answered walking toward Igneel as Dimaria sweat dropped slightly as my mind was on Natsu. "Lucy?" Erza and Brandish asked at the same time. "I just don't want to leave Natsu to fight alone, this is all my fault after all" I spoke as Larcade walked over taking my hands.

This got me to look at him. "You didn't start this sadly Luke did, we are by your side to the end Lucy, we will save him, together" Larcade then spoke getting me to smile. He always was able to do that. A reason I fell in love with him so long ago was that he could read me like a book unlike most people. Larcade was able to tell when I was lying, when I wanted something, when I was in true pain and so on. "Just when you join him in that dream world be careful" Larcade soon spoke as I nodded feeling weak all of a sudden.

Soon a glow came from the slash I had gotten in the dream link world from the evil Natsu as I fell forwards into Larcade who was holding me up. "I-it stings" I whispered in pain as Grandine was rushing over using healing magic from her staff getting the pain to lessen but it was still there. "It will take awhile to fully heal, are you able to go on?" Grandine asked looking toward me slightly worried as I put on a fake smile. "I have no choice, I have to go on for my friends and promises" I answered her.

I was in shock as after I had answered Larcade picked me up in a princess hold. He sighed smiling with his eyes closed. "Then I will carry you to the location if I have to" he spoke as I laughed slightly as he walked toward Igneel the others following as Brandish and Dimaria were smirking and whispering as Erza was in some thought. "You can't pick what lover boy you care for more......don't worry one will die by your own hand" I heard my own voice getting me to close my eyes and hope she would just shut up.