Disclaimer: Hey guys! Firestorm40 here with a new chapter for you all. I do not own any of the characters except my own. Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I truly appreciate it. So without further ado, Enjoy!

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Erza and Jellal stared Milianna down as her face became contorted in anger.

The cat woman hissed, "Jellal..."

"Milianna, wait!" Erza gasped.

Jellal put a hand on the injured woman's shoulder, "It's okay, Erza."

"No it's not!" Erza protested, "Milianna, I've already forgiven Jellal."

Milianna looked furious, "Why are you covering for him?! He killed Simon! He held us captive in the Tower of Heaven! I can't forgive him! I won't! I'm going to kill Jellal!"

"Even if you do that, it won't change anything!" Erza shot back, "What do you get out of killing him, Milianna?!"

"What, do you want me to just let it all go?! Bullshit!" Milianna snarled.

"Indeed...that is wrong."

Milianna spun around, while Erza and Jellal stared as Ultear came up behind them.

"To begin with, your hatred of Jellal has always been misdirected." Ultear said easily, "I'm the woman who controlled the Tower of Heaven from the shadows, and as an extension of that, Jellal."

Jellal's eyes widened, "Not another word, Ultear!"

"That's just who I am." the woman said with a dark expression. She remained serious for a moment, then chuckled, "It was hopeless after all...me pretending to be on the side of justice...I'm definitely...rotten to the core..."

Erza stared at her, "What happened?"

Ultear shrugged, "Nothing really...More importantly, we don't have time to be fooling around like this. Those smaller dragon offspring are more lethal than they first appear..."

She turned and started walking away, then glanced at Milianna, "One more thing, kitty...The person who murdered your friend Simon...was me. I was also the one responsible for having the tower built. If you survive this, I'll take whatever hatred is simmering within you..."

Milianna bristled in disbelief.

And Ultear walked away, leaving the three mages stunned and uneasy.

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In the shadow of a building nearby, Kagura hesitated with unsheathing Archenemy, then let the blade fall back into place. There was no time for vengeance.

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Ultear walked through the ruined city, her eyes hidden beneath her dark hair. 'If the world is to return to normal, Rogue must die...It's the only way...'

But even as she thought that, Ultear remembered how Sora had told her that it wasn't the answer. At a loss, the Time mage fell to her knees.

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"What the hell are you spacing out for?!" Sting's voice reached Rogue, snapping the shadow dragon slayer out of his thoughts.

"Sting." Rogue spoke, turning to see the man running to him.

"I'll lend you a hand, let's do this!" The light dragon slayer said as he came to a stop.

"You...took one down already?" Rogue asked in shock.

"Nah..." Sting grinned, looking over his shoulders. "I brought it with me. Hahahah!" The dragon smashed through a house as it chased after him.

"What?! You think this is some kind of joke?!" Rogue growled at him.

"Well, whatever happens...we're a team." Sting replied.

"Scissor Runner, a capture mission doesn't mean you can't break a few bones." Rogue's dragon growled at the invading dragon, almost scolding him like a mother.

"Like I care about that, Revire!" Scissor Runner snapped a reply. "I'll erase every single one of these humans!"

"C'mon. Let's show them the power of the Twin Dragons." Sting grinned.

"Yeah." Rogue agreed and the two of them stood back to back just like they used to do. 'That's right! As long as he's here, I'll be all right! Should I become stained with evil, the light would surely kill me.'

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Lexi grinned at the Sabertooth Dragon"Is that all you've got, you piece of crap? Your scales are tough, I'll give you that, but you haven't made a serious hit yet. Not even close."

The Sabertooth Dragon chuckled, "You are unwise to underestimate me. There is more to me than simply being durable..."

Suddenly, the dragon lunged at her and and tried to slash at her with his claws, but Lexi managed to dodge.

Lexi sneered, "So you're trying forward attacks now?"

"GRAAAHHH!" the Sabertooth Dragon bellowed as it spun around and lashed out, catching Lexi in the side with its tail.

Lexi screeched in pain and crashed into a building, then fell to the ground. She took a moment to catch her breath, then glared back up at the Rock Dragon. "Cheap shot..."

The beast chuckled again, "I believe that's a serious hit? I told you it was unwise to underestimate I, Zorlogia. You are the one who will fall, Sliver Dragon Slayer."

But Lexi grinned back, "Well, you might be tougher than I thought. Bring it on, you sharp-toothed gecko!"

-----------------------

Ultear was just sitting, frozen on the destroyed street while battle raged around her. Back then, I...I froze...But that's not the problem...I was about to kill...an innocent human being! Without even a second thought...I was prepared to erase a person's life...

She stared at her hands, which were trembling in shock. After everything I've been through...Crime Sorciere...I still haven't changed...My sins cannot be wiped away so easily...

-----------------------

Sora and Natsu were still clashing with Future Rouge atop Motherglare, while she, Helios, and Atlas Flame screeched and roared their fury at each other.

"Solar Dragon's Roar!" Sora shouted and tried to blast Future Rouge with the attack, but the man turned into shadow and evaded him easily.

Natsu lunged for the shadow with a burning fist, "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

He struck down, and although Future Rouge still dodged, the blow made Motherglare screech in pain.

Natsu glanced around wildly, "Where is he?!"

"Behind you!" Sora yelled the warning, but it was too late.

Future Rouge reappeared and kicked Natsu in the back of the head, making him gasp, but Sora managed to grab his brother's hand and drag him back onto Motherglare before he could fall off.

"Thanks." Natsu muttered, "Let's get him together this time."

Sora growled, "Let's end this!"

Natsu bared his fangs, "He's toast."

"You fools." Future Rouge sneered, "You're just walking to your deaths."

Suddenly, Future Rouge transformed into a spiraling mixture of shadows and light, then shot after the brothers with a laugh, "White Shadow Dragon's Horn Blade!"

Sora and Natsu roared in pain when the attack slashed viciously at their midsections, leaving them with deep wounds. Blood splattered on Motherglare's back as the twin brothers fell to their knees, gasping in pain.

Atlas Flame roared in fury, "Bastard!"

"Damn you!" Helios roared as well.

Future Rouge materialized and grinned, "Truly pathetic. You cannot defeat me, even with Atlas Flame and Helios on your side. I am the strongest Dragon Slayer, and I still have seven dragons at my command."

Sora and Natsu both stood up shakily and each sparked with solar light and flames respectively, then took a deep breath. Future Rouge mirrored them with a dark glee.

"Solar Dragon's..."

"Fire Dragon's..."

"White Shadow Dragon's..."

"ROAAAAR!"

The three fusion breaths collided and flashed for a brief moment, then-

The blast was violent and enormous, creating what looked like a small sun that exploded over the city. The shockwave devastated buildings close by and sent both people and the small dragons on the ground flying with yelps and screams.

--------------------------

At the remains of Bar Sun, Gray, Lyon, and Juvia were fighting back to back agains the smaller dragons when Meredy showed up.

Gray eyed her warily, "Are you okay?"

"Have you seen Ultear?" Meredy panted, "We got separated..."

Juvia shook her head, "Juvia doesn't think so-"

"Hey, LOOK OUT!"

Gray jumped forward and pushed them down as one of the smaller dragons fired a beam of energy at the girls.

Lyon froze the small dragon quickly and whipped back towards them, "Don't lose your focus! This is a war zone!"

"Sorry..." Meredy muttered, while Juvia was more preoccupied with mooning over the fact that Gray had saved them.

The Ice mage glanced at the Rain Woman and sighed, "Hey, Juvia...I need to tell you something."

Juvia was immediately at attention, clearly expecting some fantasy in her head to start. She stammered, "Wh-what is it?!"

Gray shrugged, "Well...it's nothing important, but..."

"It could be important to Juvia!" the Rain Woman urged.

Meredy giggled as she watched. 'She's definitely misinterpreting where he's going with this conversation.'

But this wasn't the time to be focused on a conversation. Lyon caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye and shouted a warning too late, "Juvia!"

Juvia spun in surprise to see a small dragon charging a breath attack in its jaws, but the instant the monster struck, Gray shoved her aside. The energy beam tore right through the Ice Mage's chest.

Gray coughed up blood while his comrades stared at him in horrified shock.

Suddenly, more of the small dragons appeared and fired several more energy rays at the wounded Ice Mage. They delivered multiple hits that left holes in Gray's body as he struggled to recover, but any and every one of the attacks could have been a lethal blow.

Juvia watched in horror as one of the beams struck Gray through the head.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAY!"

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Ultear looked up at the sky with tears in her eyes, sensing Gray's life come to a close. I don't...have the right to live...

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Above Crocas, the Eclipse had reached it's peak. But in the city below, things were going badly for the humans. The dragons were gaining the upper hand. Some lives were already over or ending.

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Bacchus roared in pain as one of the small dragons slashed his chest open, spilling red onto its claws. His comrades nearby watched in horror as he destroyed the dragon, then collapsed, choking on his own blood.

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Jet had Droy's lifeless form in his arms, desperately calling for help as Sabertooth struggled against the dragon ambush that had already resulted in other casualties. Rustyrose lay nearby, his life bleeding out while Orga fought like a cornered beast against a mass of the small dragons, but his body was covered in deep wounds.

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Lexi was forced back as Zorlogia exploded from the ground and lashed out with a snap of its jaws, making her skid to a stop and crouch, trembling and gasping.

Lexi then staggered to her feet. The dragon slayer was terribly wounded, but she kept glaring at the dragon with stubborn anger in his eyes.

Lexi then glanced down at her arm and realized it was gone, "I need freeze it arm up so I stop bleeding. I have to get that damned reptile back." she muttered.

She then bared her fangs and almost collapsed from the loss of blood which poured from her wound, but she swore in fury, "Goddammit..."

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Gajeel glared at the pitch-black dragon, who still had enough fight in it to look down on the Iron Dragon.

The beast growled, "I'll shred to bit, Runt!"

Gajeel snorted, " Bastard, talking like he's already won... Not while I've still got fight."

"Gajeel!"

The dragon slayer and dragon looked towards the voice as Levy walked out from an alley, calling for her friend, "Gajeel! Where are you-!"

She stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Gajeel pinned down by the huge dragon.

The dragon snarled, "Another brat? I have no appetite for humans."

Gajeel roared, "Shrimp, run!"

But Levy was frozen in fear by the huge dragon gazing down at her with predatory eyes. By the time Gajeel's warning registered, she only stumbled a few steps to the side when the beast slashed at her with his claws.

For the dragon, it was just a glancing blow, but the edge of Scissor Runner's claws made a huge gash on the right side of Levy's face.

"LEVY!" Gajeel screamed.

The girl collapsed, but before the monster could lean down to snap her up, Gajeel slammed an iron pillar into the Dragon's head, making it stagger and fall over with a shriek.

Gajeel rushed to the little bluenette, who looked even smaller now. He cradled the girl in his arms and shook her, "Levy, get up! Wake up!"

But Levy was motionless in Gajeel's embrace. Streams of blood ran down the side of her once pretty face, with no sign that she was still breathing. He shook her again, "Dammit, Levy! Wake the hell up!"

Gajeel held her close to his chest and buried his nose in her hair, breathing in Levy's scent. He bit his lip until it bled and felt something wet trickle down from his eyes. The weakest sound he'd ever heard slipped out of his mouth in a whisper, "No..."

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Lyon was shouting at the top of his lungs, "Chelia! Where are you?!"

Meredy stared in horror at Gray's unmoving form from a distance, while Juvia had collapsed in tears beside him. He was covered in blood and clearly beyond anyone's help, but Lyon kept yelling anyways.

"Chelia! You have to help Gray...!" Lyon gave up and started crying, covering his face with a hand as he sobbed, "It went...right through his skull..."

-------------------

Ultear could feel lives ending around her like candles fading from a strong wind. She gazed up at the Eclipse in silence. 'I've lived a cursed life...deceiving and mocking people, and doing whatever I want with their lives like playthings...But Gray...you gave me another chance at this life...you convinced me to reconcile with Ur, and eventually I joined Crime Sorciere to make up for my atrocities, but...I still haven't changed...'

(FLASHBACK)

Ultear was reading a book on magic, one of many on an elaborate table.

"That's quite the collection you've got there." a voice rumbled.

Ultear gasped and spun around, dropping to one knee with a shaky voice, "M-Master Hades! I didn't know you were here!"

The old man laughed, "Not a problem...So how is your research on Arc of Time coming?"

"I've finally gotten a solid lead on it!" Ultear exclaimed and held up a book with a clock on the front.

Hades's eyes narrowed, "Last Ages, huh...I'm sorry, but you can never use that magic."

Ultear was taken aback, "What? But why?! This is the magic I've been searching for this whole time! I can use this to rewind time and make things go to the way they should!"

Hades shook his head, "Last Ages comes at a great cost to the user. In return for rewinding time, you sacrifice YOUR time."

The girl stared at him, "Sacrifice my time?"

"In other words, your life." Hades explained, "Whilst everything in the world will have its time rewound, your time will come to an end. Surely that's not what you wish for?"

Ultear pouted and looked down with a sigh, "No...it isn't..."

(FLASHBACK END)

Ultear's face became determined as she made her decision. 'But now...I do want it...If my life is what it costs to return the world back to its original form...then so be it!'

She held her hands out and charged all her power with a shout, "Arc of Time: Last Ages!"

The pain was immediate and excruciating as Ultear's veins almost burst, but she held on and kept using the spell. 'I beg of you! Please return the world to how it was...or at the very least, before the gates were opened! Return it in exchange for my time!'

Around her, the earth seemed to shudder, then the spell ended.

Ultear glanced weakly towards the clock tower. 'Did time...rewind-!'

To her shock, the clock hand had moved backward...but only by one minute.

'Just one minute?! That's all my life was worth?' Ultear collapsed, unable even to cry in frustration. 'That's not even...I couldn't save anyone...'

-----------------------

Gray jumped forward and pushed Juvia and Meredy down as one of the smaller dragons fired a beam of energy at the girls.

Lyon froze the small dragon quickly and whipped back towards them, "Don't lose your focus! This is a war zone!"

"Sorry..." Meredy muttered, while Juvia was more preoccupied with mooning over the fact that Gray had saved them.

Suddenly, the four mages froze in place as a vivid image of Gray being killed ran through their minds. For a moment, they couldn't do anything from the shock.

Gray finally broke the silence, "I'm...going to die?!"

"Was that a dream?" Meredy asked slowly.

Juvia was staring at Gray, "Juvia saw it too..."

The Ice Mage shuddered, "What the hell...watching your doppelgänger bite the dust is creepy..."

Meredy spun around, "One of the small ones is supposed to come out of there and-!"

On cue, the small dragon jumped up with energy charging in its jaws.

Lyon shouted in shock, "It came out!"

He and Gray froze it immediately, then blasted the rest of the group that was about to ambush them.

Meredy was stunned, "What just happened?! Did someone warn us?"

Gray stared at the frozen dragon that had almost taken his life and whispered quietly, "Someone..."

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"We're changing locations!" Orga bellowed, "It's not safe here!"

Jet led Droy and the rest of Sabertooth away, "Let's get out of here. I don't know who warned us, but this is too dangerous!"

---------------------

On that day, everyone in the world saw one minute into the future. However, like a dream, it would soon vanish from their memories. In fact, many were not even aware the phenomenon had occurred. But for the mages fighting with their lives on the line, that one minute changed everything...and became the catalyst for their counterattack!

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Bacchus slammed his palm into the small dragon that would have killed him and destroyed it with a rough laugh, "Not today, you little shit!"

-----------------------

Lexi paused as images of the future went through her head, then grinned like a predator, "There you are!"

She leaped aside as Zorlogia exploded out of the ground, then unleashed a sliver fury on the huge beast, "Sliver Dragon's Roar!" The Sabertooth Dragon screeched in pain and hurtled into the side of a building, its body covered in sliver flames.

The Rock Dragon grunted, "How?! No one can predict where I burst from the earth!"

"I don't know...." Lexi said slowly, but kept grinning, "And to be honest, I don't care what just happened. You're gonna rot away, you toothy bastard!" She then gazed down and saw she had both of her arms.

"Well, I'm sure having both arms makes me that much tougher, huh?" she muttered.

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Gajeel blinked the vision by and snarled, "OH, HELL NO!"

Before the Black Dragon even turned to Levy's voice as she called for Gajeel, the Iron Dragon's body flashed with shadows. "I don't know what just happened, but you are not killing Levy!"

"Iron Shadow Dragon's Roar!"

The huge monster shrieked as it was lifted off it's feet and sent crashing through buildings by the force of the breath attack. When it finally came to a stop, it were so stunned that the dragon kept stumbling clumsily in an effort to get back up.

Gajeel flew over to Levy in an instant and grabbed the girl by the shoulders, "Hey, I don't know what the hell just happened, but you're okay, right?!"

Levy nodded, "Um, yeah, I'm okay...what about you?"

Gajeel frowned, "Excuse me?"

"That vision I saw...you were crying, weren't you?" Levy murmured, sounding genuinely concerned.

Black Steel paled and immediately looked away with a huff, "I ain't a pansy!"

Levy giggled, then looked up at him with soft eyes, "Whatever you say...but it was very sweet of you to be so worried."

To which Gajeel's face, possibly for the first time, turned completely scarlet red.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Gajeel screeched.

"Is it wise to turn your back on the enemy?!"

The duo glanced back as the dragon got back up, shaken, but still capable of growling stiffly. "Stinking humans! Even after you're all dead, I'll slice you until nothing remains!"

Gajeel tch'd, "Persistent bastard, aren't you?" He then turned back to the blunette. "Levy, you need to keep back. You stand no chance against these things. Back up and leave them to us."

The girl nodded, "Okay...but here...let me do this first..."

Levy took out a pen and wrote the words, "IRON" out in midair, which the Iron Dragon immediately devoured.

Gajeel licked his lips after he finished and grinned, "After that meal, I'm all fired up!"

Levy snorted, "If Natsu hears that, he'll kill you."

"I'd like to see him try." Gajeel sneered, "Now let's end this!"

The Iron Dragon rushed the Black Dragon, who snarled in response to the start of round two.

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At the castle...

"Laxus!" Wendy yelled as she gave the man a supportive spell as he shocked Zirconis with a strong thunder attack. Laxus and the Thunder Legion made it in time to assist Wendy in her fight against Zirconis.

"Please leave the smaller ones to us!" Freed said.

"They're tough little bastards..." Bixlow grunted as he tried to prevent one from biting his face off. "Damn it!"

"I think I caught a glimpse of the future just now." Mira stated as she stood, facing off against the other little dragons.

"You too?" Evergreen asked as she slapped her opponent away with her own magic.

"Was that your doing Carla?" Lily asked as he slashed away with his sword.

"No, it wasn't." She replied with a nod of her head.

"I wonder what is was..." Kiki wondered.

"Princess...we should leave this to the mages and retreat." Arcadios said as he watched the battles.

"We'll provide cover for you." Yukino added.

"No...please, let me stay awhile longer..." Hisui said even thought her body was trembling. "It's my responsibility to see this through to the end.

"Everyone!"

The people looked over as Lucy ran up with a journal in her hand, "You have to see this!"

She handed the journal to Yukino, who looked it over and frowned, "What is this?"

"It's my future notebook." Lucy explained.

Lucas stared at her, "Future Lucy's?"

"Yeah." Lucy said. "Read this page."

She flipped the journal open to a page in the book, which Yukino read aloud, "Should the gates ever be destroyed in this time, the existence of I, in the future, should also cease to exist as a result of a chain reaction effect."

Arcadios stared at the book, "What does that mean?"

Lucy pointed at the Eclipse Gates, "In other words, if the gates are destroyed now, we can alter the future to one that is bound to that one event. If the gates don't function in the future, Rouge has no way of coming to the past."

Lily crossed his arms, "I see...If Rouge loses his means of traveling to the past, then we can rewrite the past...in theory."

Hisui looked skeptical, "Be that as it may...can it really stop something that has already happened?"

Happy was more optimistic, "If all goes well, then the dragons and Rouge should disappear, right?"

"It's worth a try." Carla agreed.

"But there's one major problem." Arcadios muttered and motioned to the gates, "We lack the means of destroying something this size."

Lucy and Yukino whipped out their gate keys, "We'll just smash it with all the magic we've got!"

proceeded to attack the gate, however it proved to be useless as the object appeared to be immune to magic.

"It's made out of a magic resilient ally called Maginium, destroying it is easier said than done, I'm afraid..." Arcadios told them but that didn't stop them from trying again once more.

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In the air...

"UUUUOHHHH!" Sora and Natsu charged at Future Rogue as Atlas Flame and Helios thrashed Motherglare into buildings and structures. 

"Go back, to your own damn time!" Natsu yelled as he kicked Future Rogue with a flamed foot, causing the man to stumble back.

"I have no such intention." Future Rogue growled as he wiped his mouth.

"What will happen to the Rogue now?" Sora asked him.

"In time we'll become one...just like how shadows overlap."

"So you plan on stealing Rogue's future too?!" The fire slayer roared as the man's body turned into shadows and started to surround him.

"As long as Acnologia exists, there is no future!" Future Rogue hissed. "Which is why I have come here to create it!"

"I see through your technique." Sora growled as he shoved Natsu away and caught Rogue as he attacked from underground. Turning on his heels Sora flipped the man over and slammed him down against Motherglare's back. "The same tricks won't work twice!"

"What happens to Frosch...?" Natsu asked him.

"He's dead." Future Rogue answered as he got back on his feet.

"He's still alive as of now." Sora looked at him. "You being here will put him in danger."

"Frosch...is going to die..." Future Rogue stated calmly. "Either way...it happens in about a year I think..."

"How could you not protect him? He's still alive now!" Natsu roared at him.

"Regardless...I'm no longer the man that plays around with cats." Future Rogue smirked at them.

"Bastard..." Sora growled.

"You two are strangers to despair..." Future Rogue snarled, then lashed out with more beams of shadow and light, which the Dragons Slayers quickly avoided. He roared in anger, "I've finally gotten my hands on a real purpose to live...yet you continue to stand in my way!"

Solar light shimmered over him as Sora yelled furiously, "So your purpose is to throw the future into despair?!"

"Equality for everyone is a useless dream!" Future Rogue bellowed, "Grow up, you damn brats!"

Natsu's body crackled with Hellfire, "Even if that's true...we all have the right to choose our own future..."

"We should be able to walk the path we choose." Sora hissed, "Not the future you've decided for us!"

"NATSU!" Atlas Flame roared as he rushed up behind him in the air with a massive, burning hand held out.

"SORA!" Helios roared, doing the same except with a shining golden hand.

The Sora and Natsu leaped back, landed on the hands, then lunged with blinding speed as Helios and Atlas threw them forward with all their might.

Sora bellowed, "We don't need to know what's coming tomorrow..."

"So that we can live today to the fullest!" Natsu roared.

They lashed out with their fists as one, unleashing solar light and hell flame in the shape of a roaring dragon's head, "Unison Raid: Solar Dragon's Chaos Hammer!"

On contact, the Unison Raid generated a titanic explosion midair that engulfed Helios, Atlas Flame, Motherglare, and the Dragon Slayers with a fusion of Solar light and Hellfire.

Reyos screeched in agony as the attack took him in the chest,"GAAAAAAHHHH!"

"OOHHHHH!" Sora and Natsu roared their fury.

-----------------------

At the Eclipse Gates, the mages weren't having much luck destroying the huge construct.

Lucy fell to one knee with a gasp, "That's what I call sturdy..."

"I didn't think it'd be this un-moo-veable..." Taurus muttered.

Something behind the gates caught Yukino's attention, "Huh? Wait, isn't that...!"

Happy blanched, then screeched, "Get away! Get away from the gates!"

"Take cover!" Lucas shouted.

The mages scrambled and leaped away just in time as Motherglare crashed through the gates and slammed into the ground with tremendous force, creating a huge crater.

Sora and Natsu staggered to their feet atop the stunned dragon, glaring down at Future Rouge's unmoving form as they gasped for breath.

"Game over bitch...." Sora gasped out.

Lucas and Happy bounced, "Sora! Natsu!"

"The gates broke!" Lucy gasped.

That's a wrap for this chapter! Hope you all enjoyed it. Next chapter, Future Lucy will get to see all of her friends on the other side. Look forward to it. Comment on your favorite parts and don't forget to vote!

Be sure to review. Until then, see ya!!!