....Is anyone complaning about how long this is getting? |D  I haven't heard anything yet, but if you have a problem with it, please excuse it.  I don't think I have more left; maybe five chapters?  It really depends.  I hope you are enjoying it though, ne? ♥  I dedicate this chapter to schnarggle_the_ninja. c:  Please enjoy this, okay?  Feedback is always appreciated, and until next time!~

♡{я у - ¢ н α и}

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"Is everyone alright?"  Erza asked, pulling herself to her feet.

Gray nodded, the ice ramp behind them shattering and disappearing.  Erza, Gray, and Wendy all had fallen together, and Gray had used his Ice-Make powers to let them have an easy slide to the ground.  However, they did have serious bruises and scrapes from the impact.

Wendy sat up, rubbing her head.  "W-Where's Natsu and Lucy?  Carla?"

Erza looked up at the massive tunnel they had fallen through.  "They were able to slide into the other hole before Lucy hit the rocks."

"They better have."  Gray muttered, though his face was slightly worried.

"I hope they found a way to survive the fall."  Erza replied, and they looked nervous for a minute.

"Look, Erza.."  Wendy suddenly replied, breaking the silence.  "The exit over there...?"

Erza and Gray turned, and saw the cave that led out of here.

"Well, we don't really have an option for any other route, do we?"  Erza replied, helping the Sky Dragon Slayer up to her feet.  "Let's go."

Gray nodded.  "Right."

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Zeke cursed under his breath, walking up the steps he told his friends to follow only minutes before.

That son of a...  Zeke thought, frustration filling him.  I should have known this.  He's trying to grab Lucy even if it's at the last second.  But I never knew there would be such a trap as extreme as that.

He narrowed his eyes in stress.  You better be with Lucy, Natsu.

I'm starting to realize what Coven's trying to do.

"Zeke?"

Zeke emerged from his thoughts, seeing Happy and Carla floating by him.

"What happened to Wendy and the others?"  Carla asked, her face worried.

Zeke paused for a moment.  "Coven's trying to split us up, even now.  If he gets Lucy by herself, I have a pretty good idea what he's going to try and pull."

"What is it?"  Happy asked.  "What is he going to try and do to Lucy?"

Zeke stopped, his hair sliding in the wind as he turned to look at them.  "Y-You're not going to like it."

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When Natsu and Lucy had entered the cave, they found stairs inside that had light shining down them, which meant there was an exit nearby.  They had taken it, easing up them as Lucy forced herself through the pain and followed quickly after Natsu.

"Do need a break?"  Natsu asked, still walking but directing his voice to Lucy.

Lucy shook her head.  "No, I'm alright.  We have to keep going and stop Coven from finishing this."  

She paused for a moment.  "Natsu, if I'm slowing you down, you can go ahead and get there quicker."

Natsu paused to walk by her side, shaking his head.  "Nope, no can do Luce."

"Why not?"

"I gotta protect you, remember?  Coven probably hasn't given up on you yet."

Lucy looked at him in wonder, but understood.  "Right.."

Continuing on, Lucy focused on putting as little weight on her ankle as possible.

I still feel like I'm slowing us down...  She thought, clenching her teeth tightly.

Slowly, Lucy picked up her pace, the pain becoming of no importance to her.  Natsu didn't notice much, but Lucy started pushing her ankle to the extremes.

If we don't stop Coven from using the Caballeen Stone soon, everyone will die..  Lucy thought, a bead of sweat falling down her temple.

I won't let those visions come true! 

Reaching the top of the steps, Natsu and Lucy gasped at what they saw.

They were back inside the cathedral, but it was different.  Instead of the polished marble and fancy pillars, it was rocky and destroyed.  It looked like a building should look like when it was around for so many years.

"What the..?"  Natsu muttered, and they took steps inside to stand in the middle of the floor.

The floor was nothing but brown rock and earth; not like brick at all.  The walls were ruins, however there was a wall with a window still intact nearby.  The room was still circular, of course, but totally ruined.

"Why is this room ruined and not the other?"  Lucy asked, confused.

Suddenly, Natsu smelled something.  

He pushed Lucy behind him protectively, scowling.  "Lucy, get behind me."

"What is it, Natsu?"  Lucy asked, her voice low and fearful.

Natsu's eyes scanned the shadows.  "Something's up."

Lucy turned, looking over her shoulder; she had a bad feeling.

Natsu looked to his left and right, scanning every corner closely.  Lucy went back to back with him, pulling out one of her keys and lifting it up.  Her face was prepared, poised for a battle.

With the sound of heavy wind rushing forward, a dark mass rushed for the two.  Lucy was about to yelp, but Natsu pulled her out of the way.

"Look out, Lucy!"  Natsu exclaimed, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her out of the way.

"W-Who is that?"  Lucy exclaimed, looking around wildly while they were in mid-air.

A fist slammed into Natsu's face, sending him fly across the room and hit one of the rock walls nearby.

"Natsu!"  Lucy exclaimed, hitting the ground since they had been in the motion of dodging when Natsu was attacked.

"I summon thee, gate of the lion, Leo!"

Loke appeared, standing over her.  "It's Coven."

Lucy heard Coven's laughter before she could see him appear from the shadows.

He looked the same, except for the Caballeen Stone on his neck.

"The stone!"  Lucy exclaimed.

Natsu pulled himself to his feet.  "Damn it.."

Coven lunged forward, but Loke dodged.  Bringing his leg up to swing, Loke prepared to kick him as he swung his leg around.  But at the last second Coven grabbed onto his leg, shoving him away and jumping back.  Natsu jumped forward this time.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Natsu tried to uppercut Coven's jaw from below, his flames licking the air as he rushed his fist forward.  However, Coven thrust out of the way before Natsu could even skim his chin.  Trying again, Natsu lit his foot on fire and jumed into the air, spinning in a full circle to try and land a blow.  But, this time Coven bent backwards, Natsu's foot skimming across his chest as he dodged his blow with ease.

Natsu jumped back, landing on his feet heavily.

Desite the situation, he smirked.  "You know for a big guy you're pretty quick!"

"Let's go, Natsu!"  Loke exclaimed, and he nodded as they rushed forward together.

Working together, Loke grabbed onto Natsu's forearm and swung him forward, propelling him through the air.  As Natsu slammed into Coven in a dead-lock, Loke plunged forward, sending a heavy blow to Coven's back.  Frustrated, Coven shook them off.

Lucy pulled herself to her feet, but felt something behind her and spun around quickly.

Her breath caught in her throat.  "W-What?!"

A male silhoutte laughed.

I recognize that laugh!  B-But it couldn't be!  N-Natsu is-

The black figure stepped out of the shadows, and there stood an exact replica of Natsu.

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"Dark copies of all of us?!"  Happy and Carla exclaimed in unision.

Zeke nodded.

"S-So if Coven wants, he can bring any of us from the Black Stars?  Just like with Lucy?"  Happy asked, his cat eyes wide with fear and shock.

"Yeah.  I think Coven is planning to use the one he thinks is strongest as a distraction so he can capture Lucy."  

The two exceeds looked at each other in horrible realization.

"Natsu!"  They exclaimed together.

Zeke nodded.  "Natsu is the best pick for a distraction, since the one now won't stop until he wins.  It'll be likewise for the Dark version."  His eyes narrowed.  "If that happens, then it's all over."

"We have to hurry!"  Carla exclaimed, appearing in Zeke's face and shaking him from his reverie.  "We have to save Lucy, along with Wendy and the others!"

"Aye!"  Happy agreed, worried for Natsu as well.

Zeke nodded, agreeing they didn't have much time.  "The best thing to go is to get up to the summoning room.  If Coven isn't there yet, we can surprise him."

He turned, staring up the stone steps.  "Let's go!"

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Stay tuned for the next chapter, Chapter 38: A Versus of One Soul!