A/N: Please enjoy? 😢

Lucy knelt near Erza, who had just taken the blast of the Jupiter head on. Another 15 minutes, there will be another one, driving everybody to the edge.

"Erza, that was reckless." Lucy looked at the redhead, trying to hide her trembling state.

Erza chuckled. "It was worth it anyway." Erza struggled to stand, but Lucy kept her down.

"Don't move." Lucy placed her hand on hers, to let her know that she need to rest.

"Lucy." Mira walked to Lucy and grabbed her hand. "Come with me. We have a secret hideout. You are going to stay there till the fight ends."

"But, what about Erza?" Lucy asked, seeing how injured Erza was. "And why do I need to run away?"

"Go with her Lucy." Erza croaked, agreeing with Mira. The secret hideout will the best place for Lucy to be safe. Safe from her father.

"But-"

Before Lucy could say anything, Mira grabbed Lucy and dragged her away from the scene of the battle, and went past the building where Reedus was waiting with a carriage that he created with his magic.

"Lucy, Reedus will be taking you to the hideout. You should be safe there."

"No...I'm not going to run away anymore!" Lucy declared, as she whipped her hand from Mira's grasp. Seeing how everyone was getting hurt because of her, she will not run away and let even more people get hurt. She needs to be strong. For Erza, for master, her friends, her guild.  "I'm going to fight with the others! This is my fight!"

"Even though, you're not alone. Your fight is our fight. This is for our injured friends, for the guild, and to protect you. Everyone is proud to fight this battle" Mira said with a determined look.

Lucy gritted her teeth. Before she could say anything else, or try to run back to the fight, Mira casted a sleeping spell on Lucy, causing her to sleep.

"Reedus! Take her to the hideout!" Mira ordered, catching Lucy before she hit the ground.

"Oui!" Reedus complied, opening the door to set Lucy inside the carriage.

...

"Punishment is in order"

"Why did you do this!?"

"This is your fault!"

"If only you were not born!"

"Why are you still alive?"

Thoughts of negativity flowing through Lucy's mind, making her paranoid. Lucy wanted to run from it...but...she wanted to fight it. How? How can one fight fear? It's all madness.

"Lucy." Lucy  heard her name and looked up to see her Mother calling to her with a smile.

"Mother." Lucy trembled, either from joy or fear.

"Do not fret, my dear. Do not be afraid." Lucy's mother smiled warmly. Lucy had almost forgotten what it had looked like.

"Mother." Lucy couldn't smile, she couldn't. She was still afraid.

"You have the strength to be brave. Turn your fear into strength." Lucy's mother continued on smiling.

Lucy glaze at her mother, repeating the words she had said. 'Brave?'

"Can I really be brave?"

"That's up to you, darling."

Lucy watched as her mother faded into nothing. She was now in front of her guild, and everyone was in front of the guild, smiling.

Tears fell down her cheek as Lucy fell to her knees. Lucy had been a fool. She was never alone. Erza, Natsu, Gray, Makarov, Mira, the entire guild...they had been telling her to be brave, to be strong, and to never give up. That's what it's like to be a Fairy Tail mage.

Lucy jolted straight up, looking around. She was in a warehouse. And Reedus was there, painting something on his paper.

"Where am I?" Lucy asked.

"This is our emergency hideout." Reedus responded.

Lucy looked around. An empty warehouse with couple of crates and such. She couldn't stay here, she must fight with the others. She must be brave, she has to prove herself that she can fight.

"I have to go back. I need to fight!" Lucy declared, even without her keys.

"No Lucy. You need to respect why Mirajane did this." Reedus said while painting on his paper.

"But-" Lucy started, but the metal door begun to dent with a loud sound.

Someone was trying to break in.

"Get back, Lucy!" Reedus ordered, getting into his defense stance just as the metal door exploded.

Three people entered. One of them moved quickly and hung from the ceiling, and the other two stood in front of Reedus.

"Hand over the girl already." The woman said.

"Our master is waiting." The man said.

Not too soon after, the two men had the upper hand and easily took on the Fairy Tail mage.

Reedus was already half-drained of his magic, and he knew he wouldn't be able to hold them back"Lucy...hurry and escape."

The blonde gritted her teeth. She fought the urge to turn and run. "No...I will fight." Lucy must prove that she could fight too.

"Please. Do it for all of us." Reedus said.

Lucy didn't want to leave him to fight on his own. Clenching her fist, she turned and ran. However, before she could even take one step toward in the opposite direction, a strong hard kick was delivered to her stomach, causing Lucy to be sent backwards. Clashing harshly against the collection of wooden crates.

"Trying to ditch your friend and escape, Princess?" The third man taunted. It was Gajeel. "You Fairy Asses aren't so great. Are all of your members so pathetic?" He smirked.

Lucy struggle to get up, pushing the debris off of her, using nearby debris' next to her to get up. That kick really had hurt, her stomach is burning. Lucy glared at the man before her. She needed to be brave, and she shouldn't falter now.

"What, you wanna fight?" Gajeel smirked, seeing the look Lucy was giving her, always loving for a fight. He cracked his knuckles with a grin.

As if on cue, Reedus was sent to the other side of the room with a loud thud.

"Weak. Do you like hanging out with guys like that, Princess?" Gajeel questioned, smirking at Lucy's reaction.

Lucy gritted her teeth, she wondered how she could fight with this man without her keys. Then Gajeel lashed at Lucy, and brought his fist to her stomach again, causing her to heave heavily. Thus blacking out due to pain.

Lucy cursed at herself over and over. She's weak, useless, and she can't even protect herself.

'That dream...Mother...what was you trying to tell me? Brave? I can't be brave, I can't even protect myself. My guild, my friends, I-I can't help...I'm too useless.'

"You're thinking too much darling." Mother's voice called out.

Lucy opened her eyes, seeing darkness surrounding her. She could hear the voice of her her Mother, but she was nowhere to be found.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, her words echoing in the darkness.

"It is okay to be afraid. It is okay to run away. It is okay to feel fear. All it takes to overcome them is bravery, and I know you have it."

Lucy stared off into the dark void, letting the words echo in her mind.

Lucy was jolted awake by a song kick to her stomach, causing her to be sent to the other side of the room, crashing harshly into the wall. Lucy coughed at the pain.

"Looks alive to me!" A voice cheered.

"I'd expect no less from our guild's strongest wizard." Another voice called out with a laugh.

Lucy was still jumbled up from the pain earlier, and she focused on her little flashlight with her mother.

...

Erza had just defeated Aria, the last of the Element 4. Abyss Break is no longer activated, and will not pose anymore threat to Fairy Tail. The guild is safe. The members are safe now. Erza fell to her knees, heaving drily as she had used most of her magic. She had completed her mission in protecting Lucy. Or so she had thought.

"Erza!" Natsu ran to Erza's side, running into the room with Happy by her side.

"Members of Fairy Tail! Listen closely to this." A voice suddenly boomed, causing Natsu to pause in his tracks.

Ezra raised her head, listening. She knew it was Master Jose.

Then a loud familiar scream was heard. Erza jolted straight up in a frenzy, forgetting about her lack of magic or injuries. Lucy!

"We have captured Lucy. That's right. Our first goal has been achieved. That leaves us with our own goal. Destroying all you pathetic brats!"

"Bastards!" Natsu cursed.

"Natsu! Let's go!" Erza yelled, frantic and worried. She didn't even accomplish her mission. She wanted to hit herself, but now wasn't the time to do so.

"Erza! You can barely fight!" Natsu said, seeing the condition Erza was in.

Erza glared at Natsu. "I do not care." Erza left no room for argument, as she glared at Natsu, gesturing him to take the lead, since he could pinpoint them.

Natsu gulped and gritted his teeth, but complied. He wanted to find and save Lucy.  He ran while he sniffed the air to find Lucy while Erza followed.

Erza swore to herself that this would be the last time... Jose will not live!

...

"Watch Lucy." Jose ordered, looking at Gajeel. Then he left the room without saying anything else.

Gajeel became quickly pissed as the seconds became minutes. Jose having all the fun while he was stick with babysitting Lucy. He didn't like that at all.

Then a great idea came to mind, a great idea to pass the time. Grinning, Gajeel used his magic and punched Lucy in her already sore, broken stomach, sending her to the other side of the room. She fell to the floor with a loud thud. 

"Hmm, doesn't sound half-bad." Gajeel smirked, already having fun with torturing Lucy. "But there's no challenge at all."

Challenge? Is this a game to him? Lucy used the wall as support as she shakily got up.

"Do you enjoy hurting people like this?" Lucy coughed, she had enough. she will have to be brave and fight if she can. She will not run away and let other people get hurt in her stead.

Gajeel smirked.

The smirk was all Lucy needed to see...or hear. "I pity you. Retorting to violence like this. You have no life." Why is she taunting him, she asked herself?

Gajeel's response was another wave of his magic and punched the blonde harshly in the stomach, causing Lucy to be wedged into the wall. Lucy swore that she felt her ribs breaking.

"Oi, why are you not screaming?" Gajeel smirked, always liking the screams of his victims.

Lucy carefully breathed, as her stomach too painful to breathe normal. "If you want me to scream, then you have to get rid of me." Lucy panted, now on her knees, close to passing out.

Gajeel stared at the blonde for a moment before smirking and brought something out of  his pockets. Lucy's eyes widened when she saw what he was holding.

It was her keys.

"I wonder...how these taste..." Gajeel smirked, eyeing some of the keys.

"Damn you...bastard..." Lucy cursed, trying to get up, but failed miserably. "Gajeel you bastard, do you really need to eat more iron in order to get rid of me?" Lucy spoke softly to prevent more pain in her stomach, trying to find something else to say her keys won't be eaten.

"I will be torturing you slowly" Gajeel declared, licking one of the keys.

"Then you're weak..." Lucy said in a stern tone, glaring at the iron dragon slayer.

Gajeel frowned. "What did you say? He asked, glaring at the beaten up blonde on the ground.

"If you can...get rid of-" Lucy started, but Gajeel lashed another of his attack to Lucy's stomach.

"Don't go insulting me, Princess." He growled.

"Why don't you stop me then by getting rid of me?" Lucy glared at Gajeel. She really did not want to die, but her keys were important. They were mementos of her Mother's.

"Sounds interesting. I might just as well do that." Gajeel activated his magic and lashing toward Lucy. He didn't even care about the consequences of not following his master's orders. He didn't care anymore. All he wanted was screams escaping from this blonde's mouth.

The last thing Lucy remembered was the ground exploding in flames, and a familiar redhead embracing her.

...

As soon as Natsu destroyed the floor, he immediately clashed with Gajeel head on, Erza went to Lucy's side who was already drifting off to darkness.

"Lucy!" Erza cried. Lucy looked horrible. Bruises were everywhere, cuts were everywhere. But Lucy was still breathing.

"Erza!" Natsu yelled. "Take Lucy and go! I'll take care of this bastard!"

Erza eagerly complied, scooping Lucy in her arms and leaving Natsu with Gajeel.

Couple minutes later, Erza was in front of the guild, with Lucy still unconscious in her arms. The members were fighting the shades, struggling while their magic slowly drains.

Erza needed to get Lucy to a safe place.

"Erza! Lucy!" Cana yelled, running to them once she spotted them. Then she realized Lucy's condition. "Is Lucy okay?"

"She's hurt. But she'll be fine...I hope." Erza muttered, not sure of Lucy's extent injuries.

"Mira! Come here!" Cana yelled, gesturing Mira to come over.

When Mira looked at why Cana was frantic, and saw an unconscious blonde, she ran to them.  "Is she okay!?"

"For now. We need to get her out of here." Cana said, trying to grab one of Lucy's arm, but Erza whipped them away.

"I'll take her away. I'm not letting anyone touch her." Erza glared at Cana and Mira murderously. Even they are friends, she will not let anyone touch her.

"Fine, but the guild had been destroyed. So you have to take her somewhere else." Cana said, looking sad and angry.

Erza blinked, before looking to where their guild stood. Instead, it was in shambles, destroyed, turned to rubble. "Our guild." Erza gritted her teeth angrily. Phantom will pay.

Then the sky begun to tremble. The Phantom headquarters begun to shine a bright light, and gigantic magic circle appeared above the guild. Erza knew what it was and smiled. And she knew the battle was over. It's all over now. The redhead held Lucy in her arms as the light expanded and engulfed them in warm light. Fairy Law....

Then it all returned to normal, and Makarov appeared at the edge of the building, overlooking their destroyed guild, and his beaten up members.

"This victory was not by my hand alone! This victory belongs to the entire family!" Makarov smiled.

The Fairy Tail members cheered, cheerful that this all over now, and that they had beaten Phantom.

Makarov walked over to where Erza and Lucy was. Lucy was still unconscious, and Erza was holding her protectively.

"How is she?" Makarov asked, concerned for his celestial mage.

"We need to take her to a hospital. I think she broke some bones." Erza could feel some broken bones, especially her ribs.

Makarov sighed. "Well. In any case. Everything is over. Take her to the hospital so she can recover."

Erza complied, carefully lifting Lucy into her arms once more, and made her way to the hospital.

Lucy...it is over. You are safe now.

"Erza!" A voice called out.

Erza paused and turned to see Natsu running their way. Natsu was smart enough to stop couple meters since Lucy was with her.

"Here." Natsu took out Lucy's keys and extended it to Erza to take for Lucy.

Erza was surprised. "Where did you get it?" Erza asked as she reached out and grabbed the key.

"Gajeel almost ate one of them. I managed to take it before he could." Natsu grinned.

Erza smiled and turned to go a hospital. Erza glance down to study the peaceful look of Lucy while in her arms. I won't let this happen again. I promise Lucy...because I love you.