The striper's sister (Editing stuffs)

Chapter 23: To the Temple

Natsu's POV

After Luce told us the plan, we set off back to the temple, leaving Gray, Wendy and Carla behind. When Luce told us that the sword couldn't kill ice mages, I didn't have the best feeling about it. Why did she look so unsure about herself? Am I just imaging thing? I look at her behind figure as she walks in front. She seemed very timid, she was about to face the man who threatened to release her worst nightmare, but it seemed for a different reason.

Lucy's POV

As I walked in front of everyone else, following the directions Natsu made every once and a while, I worry about my brother. If he wakes up, will Wendy tell him the plan? What if he remembers the full story? I begin biting the inside if my lip. Suddenly, I feel someone's hand in my shoulder. "Don't worry Lucy, we'll all get back to fairytail in one piece." Erza nods as I turn around to her. The emotions I've walled up for so long start to waver and I wrap my arms around her waist, hiding my face in her chest. Everyone was silent for a second, Erza was frozen. "Please, I can't let him get to Gray. That thing has ruined enough people's lives. I-I can't do this by myself." I whisper, my word gets caught in my throats through the soft sobs I let out now and then. Erza relaxed a little and put her hand on my head and upper back, hugging me closer. She was like a mother figure to me, and I did want to lose another family.

Then, I felt the warmth of someone else on my back. I lifted my head and say Juvia smiling down at me. I suddenly realise what I had done and straighten up, wiping my tears from my face and blushing a lot, turning away from everyone. "S-Sorry about that. I don't know what came over me. C-Come on, let's go." I once again walk ahead of everyone as they stand still, watching my retreating figure. I turn to them and give them the biggest smile I could muster at this point and waved them over. "Come on guys. Let's kick that freaks butt." I make a fist and they all smile, except for Gajeel, and come running, again except for Gajeel, who just wondered over. I won't let Deloria ruin what Gray and I have worked so hard to make. I won't let him break this family. My second chance.

When we reach the cave under the temple, I see the frozen Deliora again, and I wince a little. "It's fine Luce, we've got your back." Natsu smiles and grabs my hand for comfort. I nod back and walk closer. "So, I've come. I was beginning to think you had given up." Lyon walks out from the shadows. "Not you again!" Natsu shouts in frustration. "Dude, you're getting annoying." Gajeel grumbles. "Don't speak so disrespectfully!" Lyon shoots an attack of frozen eagles. "Geez, insecure much." I smirk, after jumping out the way with everyone else. "I wouldn't act so cockily if I were you." Lyon gestures to my tied up spirit in the corner. "Gemini!" I try running to my second self, by I get shot by another one of Lyon's birds. "Of you truly want your friends to be safe, you'll sacrifice yourself to me." He walks up to my position on the floor. "We would never let you take Luce!" Natsu rushes between us. I look at Gemini, who looked in pain with the magic restricting stone on her wrists and legs. A second wave of having her on Earth for so long hits me, and I clutch my head in pain, screaming. "Lucy!" Erza and Lily rush over to me as Gajeel joins Natsu. "Please, help Gemini. I'll be fine, I just need to return her to the Celestial realm." I cling to Erza's side as she and Lily help me up. The black cat nods to my red haired friend and he tries sneaking over to her.

Just as he gets close enough to unlock the chains, he's shot away by a blast of pink. "You really thought it would be that easy?" The three brats from before walk out of the same shadows Lyon had before. "You?!" I gasp, seeing them. The dog man had a baggage on his neck, and Eyebrows' hair looked a little crazier than before. "You didn't think that it would be that simple to defeat us all like that, did you?" Yuki chuckled. "It worked quite well for your dog." My eye twitched as Thw both of my comrades hesitantly went to help Gajeel and Natsu with Lyon. "It seems you're running out of magical energy. Why don't you take a seat?" Pinky launches in the air and kicks at my legs, forcing me to the group. "Argh!" I grunt in pain, trying not to give them the satisfaction of my screams. "Boss, I got the girl and cat." An interesting accent says from above. I look up to see a man with a mask and cloak on. "Good. Put the, with the imposter." Lyon smirks at the three tired competitors he was fighting. In a blink of an eye, Juvia and Happy's limp bodies are thrown down next to Gemini's trembling one. "Juvia! Happy!" I scream in sorrow, trying to run to them, but get a stabbing pain in my leg. I try to move away, but the leg was paralysed. I looked up to see Dog boy, Pinky and Eyebrows smirking down on me. I looked over to my fighting friends, to find them all almost passed out on the floor, breathing heavily. "Guys." I gasp. Never seeing them in this state worried and angered me, how dare they harm my friends this badly. But I knew I was helpless. For me to use my dragon slaying magic, I needed to be standing. My Celestial magic was out of the question at the moment because Gemini had been here for so long, and Ice magic didn't work on these people, well, Lyon for that matter. The cloaked man jumped down behind to Lyon, who was walking up to me. He grabbed my hair and used that to pull me up, making me scream in pain. "Lucy!" Natsu screamed, unable to comprehend that he was beaten. "If you want your friends to escape here alive, or in one piece at all, join me." Lyon smirked evilly, pulling at my hair more. "I... I would never hell a monster like you." I grunt before spitting in his face. "Ah! Then I guess you should say your good byes now." He wiped his face clean and threw in away, my head hitting a nearby wall. "Lucy!" My friends, maybe even Gajeel and Lily, screamed for me as Lyon approached them. I watched as he drew closer to them, inching them closer to death. It was just like when my parents died. Deloria slowly stepping towards them before he stepped on them, like they were some sort of ants you wouldn't see in the grass. My anger bubbled inside me, and I had had enough of the deaths that surrounded my past. "Stop!" I screamed, sitting up, strands of hair falling in my face. Lyon turned to me. "And why should I do that?" He smirked, still walking closer to them. "I-I'll help you. Just please! Dot hurt them!" I begged, putting my hands down to support myself. "Luce, don't!" Natsu commanded, reaching for me. Lyon kicked him in the face and Natsu flew into a wall. "Stop it! I said I will help you!" I tried standing up, using a nearby rock to help me. "You won't betray me. I will join my cause and do what ever I say." Lyon forgot my friends as they struggled to stand. "Don't do it Lucy!" Erza commanded, trying to sound stronger than she was. I looked at their frail bodies, them to Happy and Juvia's unconscious ones, and finally to Gemini, who had a serious face was silently, slowly, shaking her head. I took a deep breath and stood up straight. "As you wish, Ice Emperor." I bow, regret instantly filling my mind. I'm doing this for them. Sorry everyone. I thought as they screamed for me to run or reject his offer. Lyon smirked and gestured for the trio of freaks to throw everyone out, unlocking Gemini from her chains as she returned to the world of spirits. The awake fairytail me,bees tried as hard as they could to get out of the guards' grasps, but it was to o effect and their voices soon grew so distant, that I couldn't even hear them. "Well then, let's get started, shall we?" Lyon walked up to me and knocked me out, putting me out of my misery.

Natsu's POV

The masked and cloaked guards threw us out of the cave and were instantly blaoxked off by a wall. "Hey! Let me in there so I can kick your butts!" I begin hitting the stone that parted us from saving Luce. "Natsu! Natsu stop, it's no use. There's a magic seal." Erza stopped me from using anymore of my magic. I sighed and sat down, sulking. "We need to get Juvia and Happy back to the camp. They look really beat up." Lily commented as he looked as their wounds. They had cuts and bruises all over their bodies. "I'll take Juvia." Gajeel picked her up and swung her over his shoulder. (This isn't a Gajeel x Juvia book. I just love the brotp.) I pick up Happy and sadly make my way back with the others, helping Erza walk as well. Why the hell did Lucy do that?