Kon'nichiwa, everyone! ♥ Yes yes, I apologize for not updating for so long.  I know most of you are patiently anticipating the next chapter of "You're Lucy of Fairy Tail", which I will update soon. c:  Like I said, I will be uploading both accounts like crazy this weekend!  However, I do have some books I want to read this weekend, hehe. c;  Anyways, I heard we were supposed to get a huge snow storm here next week!  Woop! ♥ Sounds interesting, lol!  Bahh, Track Conditioning most likely starts next week; I'm going to be so sore! x.x  Anyways, I dedicate this part to consistency. c:  I hope you all enjoy this part of my short story! ♥ I think there'll just be three parts. c;  Thanks so much for reading!!  Feedback is also greatly appreciated.  Until next time, minna!

я y - c н α η ,

т н є и α ℓ υ ω я ι т є я--❦

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Kyouka halted, her piercingly cold eyes glancing up to the ceiling, the Ex-chairman lying on the ground unmoving.  Franmath followed his superior's gaze, his expression smug and vile.  The humming of the headquaters sent pulses radiating in waves across the air.  And, ever so slowly, Kyouka's hard line of a mouth quirked up into a small smile that looked to be carved in by a knife.

"The seal on Face has been released."  the she-demon replied, watching as the Super Archive channeled to nonexistense.

--

Natsu stopped in his tracks, the stone floor underneath him rumbling and causing his stance to waver.  Happy stopped slightly ahead of him, looking over his shoulder to Natsu in question.  However, when the exceed realized the trembling, he stopped as well.

"What's going on?"  Natsu replied, looking around as even the air hummed too.

"Tartarus is doing something!"  Happy concluded, his expression fearful.  "It can't be good!"

Natsu cursed under his breath, sprinting through the empty stone hallway despite the increase of shaking.  "We gotta find Erza and the others!"

--

Kyouka's face was triumphant and knowing as Face continued to activate, the air beginning to even pick at her ears.  However, she felt no pain but only excitement as she examined the area around her with a wide berth.  Not only would Fairy Tail be destroyed, but Tartarus would no longer have anymore obstacles in their master plans.

However, suddenly, it stopped just as it had began.

The slightly shocked and angered look on Kyouka's face was irreplaceable.  Her mouth turned downwards and into a hard line, her eyes flashing in distaste.

"I-It stopped?!"  Franmath exclaimed in his metallic voice, annoyance in his expression but not as much as the shock.  "But that's impossible!"

Kyouka's expression hardened, her eyes darkening into something feirce.  "Oh, I see...It seems we have an unnoticed visitor."

Across the base of Tartarus was a teen female, her hair disrupted and the tie ripped, leaving her hair down completely.  Though her face was not shown, her mouth was slightly parted as she panted heavily, steam resonating from her muscles.  The particular blonde-haired female dropped her arms as a small disturbance of air circled around her as the rest of the magic disappeared.  Her clothes still slightly ripped, they blowed in the final breeze before settling against her bruised skin.

Franmath turned to the female demon Kyouka in confusion, but didn't dare disrupt the she-devil when she was in such a change of mood.  Her expression explained it all; murder was on her mind and her shock was gone like it was never there.

"I will have the Devil Slayer, Silver, take care of our little..."  Kyouka paused for a moment, her aura slipping into a dark anger.  "...intruder."

--

Natsu broke—more like exploded—the steel door that seperated him from the strongest point of Erza's scent.  When he spotted the mage unconscious and chained, his eyes widened.

"Erza!"  Natsu exclaimed angrily, Happy following after him as the sprinted over to her.

Erza stirred slightly.  "Natsu...what are you doing here?"

Not answering, Natsu paid no mind to Erza's nudity and jumped to his feet, burning the chains that held Erza to a crisp.  She dropped to her knees, unable to make her muscles cooperate from the sheer exhaustion and pain she still felt.  Happy handed Erza new clothing, and slowly, she pulled them on after a small thank you.  

When Natsu had slung Erza's arm over his shoulder, Happy began explaining to Erza about the plan.  Though injured and weak, Erza's strong mind and demeanor slowly helped her physical body recover.  She listened intently to the plan, her expression hard despite the intense pain she must have just gone through only half an hour ago.  However, Happy left out something; something Natsu and Erza shouldn't know yet.  

However, Happy could tell them something now that even Natsu hadn't known; he'd have to listen now.

"There's something I haven't told you, Natsu!"  Happy exclaimed, flying over the Fire Dragon Slayer as they slowly progressed through the hall.

"What is it, Happy?"  Natsu replied, his full focus on the area around them; he was prepared for any oppponent who would spring from the stone's shadows.

"Lucy's paying a heavy price for doing this."

Natsu stopped, adjusting the hold he had on Erza.  "Nani?  What do you mean?  We're all paying a heavy price right now!"

Erza looked suspicious, despite her exhausted look.  However, she did not speak.

Happy shook his head, stopping Natsu from continuing by floating in front of his face.  "You don't get it; baka Nat-zu!"

"Eh?  Then explain it me then if you're so certain I don't get it!"  Natsu exclaimed, annoyed.

"Though Lucy has power from Eames now since he's inside her body..."  Happy wondered is he should reply after all.  "...every minute is a minute of Lucy's life."

Silence spread into the air around them, and Natsu's eyes widened.  Erza also looked surprised, however her injuries prevented her from voicing her opinion.

Natsu pretty much covered her opinion, however.  "W-What?!  How could you let Lucy do something so stupid?!  She shouldn't have gone and..."  He wandered off, thinking that the seconds he spent right now speaking was the seconds Lucy lost to her precious life span.

"That's why we have to hurry and meet Lisanna back where we first entered the base!"  Happy urged.  "Natsu, don't go fighting!  It'll only disrupt everything, and I don't want Lucy dying anymore than she's fated to!  Besides, you don't have enough of your magic back to fight any of the member of Nine Demon Gates!"

It went against every fiber of his being, but Natsu realized that if he stalled for even a moment, Lucy's life was the thing that paid the price.  So, growling low in his throat in frustration, he nodded, his eyes angry.  "Fine.  But if I have to, I will burn any of these members to a crisp!"

"Let Lucy and Eames figure this out,"  Erza replied, and Natsu looked at Requip mage in slight surprise.  "Happy, there is a lot of holes in this plan.  If we escape with backup from the guild, what will happen to Lucy?"

"She's coming with us, of course!"  Happy exclaimed, almost appalled.  "W-Why would you ask that?"

Erza gave him a questioning glare.  "It doesn't seem that way.  Tell me, Happy...how much of Lucy's life is gone?"

Happy flinched, and Natsu couldn't help but stiffen.  

Finally, Happy's ears drooped, his tail sagging in defeat though he was still aloft in the air.  "S-Since Lucy stopped the trembling most likely..."

"...About two years of her life is gone."

--

Lucy stood, her feet spread apart in an attack stance as she faced a new arrival.

In her mind, she was told by Eames the male was named Silver, the same mage who had frozen the village pertaining to the giants.  He possessed Ice Magic, and to Lucy's surprise she was faintly reminded of Gray.  Now that she mentioned it, they seemed similar.  They stared each other down; Silver had walked in on her recovering from the spell she'd used to stop Face.  During that time, another year of her life had been sacrificed.

"Who are you?"  the male mage replied, his voice deep and threatening.

Lucy's eyes were emotionless and cold.  "Silver, the Devil Slayer.  It's no surprise Kyouka sent you to dispose of me."

Silver looked wary, his expression cold.  "So you know of me?"

Lucy's expression hardened, her voice slightly echoing like she was a hologram.  "I know you are of relation to Gray Fullbuster."

Something slightly snapped inside the Ice-originated mage.  "You dare speak that name...?!"

Silver brought his hand up and swung it diagonally, aiming to completely freeze the female as he had done to Natsu Dragneel.  However, when he looked up in triumphance, he quickly became shocked.

Lucy still stood defiantly against the mage, her face hard and her fists clenched slightly away from her body.

"What...?!"  Silver growled.  "How did you...?"

Lucy slowly raised her hands up, holding them out in a threatening gesture.  "You're trick won't work on me.  The only way you will defeat me is by force.  Oh, and do not worry; I will not voice your relation to the air."

Silver scowled, his expression recovering from his shock.  "Who. Are. You?"  He emphasized angrily, the air around him chilling to dangerous levels.

Lucy's eyes sparked.  "I am Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail.  I've come to put an end to a threat.  That's it."

Silver's expression darkened.  "Is that so?  Try me, girl."

Lucy's feet shifted.

In a flash, Lucy appeared behind Silver, but the mage was not surprised.  Swinging his arm back, he almost hit Lucy square in the jaw before she slid away.  Sliding underneath Silver's defenses again, he was slightly surprised to see her reappear so quickly in front of him.  With a whack, Silver's left shoulder was connected with Lucy's heel.  Lucy's expression was determined, though her eyes were still cloudy and emotionless as light materialized from her skin.  Silver didn't widen his eyes, but his posture tensed as Lucy's new magic appeared.

Lucy truly was reformed.

Silver was thrown back, sliding against the ground deftly and stopping after a few seconds.  He clutched at his left shoulder, surprise decorating his face this time as he felt something odd.  When the Devil Slayer looked, his left shoulder was lightening up through his clothes and an intense burning sensation ensued.

"I've never seen magic like this..."  Silver muttered, looking at Lucy in disdain as a bead of sweat fell down his temple.

Lucy held her hands out again, her voice hard.  "It's called Celestial Purification.  This magic is made to slay demons such as you."

Silver looked exceptionally angered, but it was hidden under a facade of strange calm.  "You're dealing with the Devil Slayer.  Don't think I will go down so easily."

--

"Natsu!"

Natsu stopped in his tracks when his name was called, hearing a familiar voice.  He had made it to the meeting spot, where the hole he had created in both the ceiling and the wall still remained.  Turning around with Erza still leaning against his shoulder, Natsu spotted Lisanna running towards her with Mira on her back, her expression worried.

"Where was Mira?"  Natsu asked, his expression dire.

Lisanna looked slightly scared.  "She was inside some weird machine!  Luckily I was able to break the glass, but I tried yet she won't wake up..."

"We'll have to check her out once we're back at the guild!"  Happy exclaimed.

Natsu nodded.  "Ah!  But where's—"

Natsu was abruptly interrupted as the wall in front of them exploded, small pebbles jumping across the ground as debris exploded everywhere.  Natsu ducked into the cover of his scarf, shielding Erza with his side.  Lisanna turned away, her hair blowing around wildly as she closed one eye shut in precaution.

Lucy emerged from the new hole in the wall with smoke following after her at the tips of her clothes; slightly injured, she had her arms crossed as her feet slammed to the ground.  Lucy skidded back quite a few feet, her shoes digging into the dirt of the ground roughly and leaving a line where her feet had traveled.  She only stopped, however, when Silver also appeared from the new hole in the wall and when Natsu along with the others raised their heads.

"Lucy!"  Natsu exclaimed in surprise, everyone gasping at Lucy's appearance.

Lucy jerked her head over her shoulder to stare at him, though her reflectionless eyes and the bridge of her nose were the only things visible over her bare shoulder.  Suddenly, Lucy turned the palm of her hand behind her and straight at her friends, and Natsu along with the others looked at her in surprise.

"Don't come."  she replied firmly, looking at the rising Silver.

"We gotta go, Luce!"  Natsu exclaimed, despite how much he hated replying the words.  

Natsu looked at the mage who smelled like Gray, his expression angry and slightly strained.  Happy's expression was troubled, and sadness began to hit it as the plan still progressed fully.  Natsu and the others just didn't know it.  Light emitted from Lucy's hand, and suddenly there was a field encasing Lucy and Silver together.

"She put a field up around herself?"  Lisanna replied in a low tone, surprised.

Lucy pulled herself back up to her feet, her expression hard.  "If I can only take one demon down, it will be you, Silver."

The mage that was named growled in his throat, ice gathering around his fingertips.  "Do not be so sure, Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail."

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Until the next part!  Thanks so much for reading~!