Hello again, everyone!  I hope you were happily waiting for the next chapter, haha!  To be honest, I'm going to estimate how many chapters I have left...hm..maybe about..six or seven?  After that, I think I'm done!  Wow, this is my longest fan fiction yet~!♥  I hope that you all like this chapter!  So, I dedicate this chapter to littlesmile07!  She's awesome, so be sure to fan her, ne? c:  On to the story then, haha!  Feedback is very much appreciated, and until next time!

♡{я у - ¢ н α и}

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Lucy tried to pull herself up off the ground, but Adamantalia's curse was still in place.

How am I going to get out of this?  Lucy thought, slamming back into the ground.  The more she struggled, the more harder she was forced into the dirt flooring.

"Hang in there, Lucy!"  Wendy exclaimed, wishing she could help her friend.

I-If I could use Star Mist...  Lucy started to wonder, looking back to see Erza and Gray continuing their battle.  I could help them!

I know how to summon it now...  She thought, looking back down at the ground in concentration.

I can do this!

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"Lucy..?"  Wendy asked, stopping when she saw air start to swirl around Lucy's body.

"Stand back, Wendy.."  Lucy murmured, her voice echoing before her eyes lightened.

"Wendy, it's Star Mist!"  Carla explained.

Wendy nodded, standing back but watching Lucy with concern.

Lucy suddenly made the air around her pulse, and she shot her eyes open which were now unrecognizable.  Standing up, the white ball of light appeared again, and the same steel ribbons twirled around Lucy's body.

She charged forward, practically gliding through the air and slamming into Red and Adamantalia.

"Lucy!"  Erza and Gray exclaimed with surprise, watching as they realized she was under the Star Mist's control.

Lucy disappeared into the ceiling, leaving an unconscious Red and Adamantalia behind, just like that.

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Natsu growled, filling his mouth with fire as he aimed at the giant monster.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

Natsu's jet of fire erupted out of his mouth, making him fly backwards from the velocity.  It crashed into the purple-gelled monster, but the fire didn't do any damage.  The monster roared, swinging its arm at Natsu.  In order to dodge, he jumped onto the monster's arm.

But when he was about to jump away, Natsu realized he couldn't.

"What's going on, Natsu?!"  Zeke asked, wondering why in the world he wouldn't get off that thing.

Natsu huffed.  "I'm stuck!  This stupid sticky monster won't let me go!"

Zeke sweat-dropped.  Stupid Sticky Monster...?

"Hang on!"  Zeke exclaimed, rushing forward.

Natsu waved his hand, now upside down yet still stuck.  "Ayee.."

Jumping all the way into the air, Zeke flew upwards, slamming his hand into the spot where Natsu's feet resided.  The purple gel evaporated, and Natsu was free.  They both jumped to the ground, looking up at the spot Zeke had attacked the creature.  The wound on its arm evaporated, as if nothing had ever even affected it.

"I'm getting sick of this!"  Natsu exclaimed, clenching his fists in annoyance.

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"Erza!"  Happy exclaimed, flying low and straight to Erza, Gray, and Wendy and Carla.

"Happy?"  Erza asked, slightly surprised at his appearance.  "I thought you were with Natsu."

Happy nodded.  "I was, but when they went above ground to fight some more, I got stuck...I was about to follow, but then Lucy appeared!  What happened?!"

"So that's where she went..."  Gray murmured.

"Star Mist has taken over again."  Wendy explained, looking up at them.

"Star Mist?"  Erza asked.

Wendy nodded.  "I don't know where Lucy's going, though."

"Probably to help Natsu and Zeke, though she's baisically unconscious."  Gray replied, crossing his arms.  "What do you say we follow?"

Erza nodded.

"But what about those two?"  Happy asked, guesturing to Adamantalia and Red.

"Lucy was able to nock them out with incredible ease with the use of Star Mist; they shouldn't be a problem."  Erza answered, and everyone agreed with her.

"Let's go, then!"  Happy exclaimed, showing them which way Natsu and Zeke had disappeared to.

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Natsu's feet hit the ground, but his momentum didn't stop.  He skidded backwards, picking up dust in the process.

"Damn..."  Natsu murmured, rubbing soot from his face.  "This monster won't give up!"  He looked into the shadows of the trees as Zeke landed next to him.  "At least those weird fire bursts stopped..."

Zeke narrowed his eyes.  "Something's wrong.  Coven is preparing for something; something bad."

Natsu growled.  "That guy's such a coward..."

Before any one of them could react, the darkest beam of magic erupted from the shadows, slamming into Natsu and Zeke simultaneously.  When it left, Natsu and Zeke dropped to the ground, yelling heavily as pain flew through their bodies in waves.  And that wasn't the worst of it; they couldn't move.

They were paralyzed.

Natsu let out a deep yelp, smoke surrounding his body.  Zeke was the same, but he was on his side, curled up into a ball of obvious pain.

"What..the hell..is this?"  Natsu growled, feeling like a thousand knives were jabbing into his skin.  He was in so much pain that he went from paralyzed on his knees to on his elbows, leaning over.  Blood splattered on the ground as he coughed, and he raked at the ground.

"No idea."  Zeke replied, scratching at his body.  "But...it really hurts!"

Seeing that its opponents were at a disadvantage, the giant dragon-like monster advanced, raising its head to do the finishing blow.

"Crap!"  Natsu barely exclaimed, unable to move from the extreme pain inside.

When Natsu was expecting to be eaten, he - instead - heard Zeke's surprised voice.  "Natsu, look!"

Doing what he could, Natsu turned his head though his body was fully on the ground now.

His eyes widened, and his breath caught.  "Lucy!"

Lucy was standing a few yards away, her eyes covered from sight.  Steel ribbons were flowing around her, and a strange air current made her clothes and her hair swivel.

"Get back, Lucy!"  Natsu exclaimed, worried about the monster.  "It isn't--"

"Wait, Natsu.."  Zeke murmured, his eyes suspicious.  "Lucy's using Star Mist right now."

"What?"  He looked again, and saw that Zeke was, indeed, right.

"What is she going to do..?"  Zeke murmured, mostly to himself.

As if answering, Lucy rushed forward, flying past them and straight up into the air.  Natsu and Zeke watched with wonder as she same close to the monster, her hand filling with light like it had last time.  But this one was much stronger; and much more radiant.  Pressing her hand into the purple essence of the monster, the creature roared with what was obvious pain, throwing itself around.

Zeke gasped.  "Look at that-!"

Slowly, where Lucy had touched the monster, the gel began to evaporate.  It first started at the feet, then moved up the body and finally to its head, disappearing permanently.

Lucy dropped to the ground like a feather, but suddenly turned in a full circle and locked hands with Coven, who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Coven!"  Natsu exclaimed, impatience in him growing as the painful spell started to wear off.

The hand that Coven had ahold of was the one Lucy had used to block.

It also had the Caballeen stone in it.

Zeke gulped.  "Keep that safe, Lucy!  Don't forget-!"  He stopped, remembering Lucy was unconscious at this point.  If Coven gets ahold of the stone..

His worst fears were realized as Coven smirked, grabbing onto the stone that barely protruded from Lucy's hand.  Lucy seemed to realized what was going to happen, even in her comatose state.  Her mouth parted slightly, and her eyebrows barely rose.

An explosion erupted from the two, first a blast of air and then followed by the light and small portion of heat.  Natsu covered his head in his arms, blocking himself from any serious damage.  Zeke did the same, but not before looking at them for a second longer in panic.

They blacked out.