Stronger Than You (Graylu)

Hopeless

The slow knocking made Lucy's head snap upward. Tears were streaming down her still face but her expression switched to pure anger. The only thing that made her look down was the sharp intake of a breath from Gray. He was in pain. Alive, just, but he was hurting. And It wasn't her or Cana or Juvia, it was Zeref. He did this. 

The door swung open, hitting the wall behind it with a deafening thud and everyone was silent. The black wizard himself stood in the doorway, his eyes a dark red colour and boring into Lucy's skull. But she didn't step down. 

He walked slowly toward Lucy, coming to a stop as two girls, Cana and Juvia, stood in his way, their eyes still a goldish brown colour. Lucy still had a hold of them, preventing Zeref from winning back his minions, a task which without her would have proven easy. But even despite her hold, pushing them to the side and out of his way was effortless for the dark mage. Lucy lowered the slowly breathing Gray's head from her lap down to the floor as Wendy, trembling but determined with a sense of duty, dashed towards the unconscious boy. Lucy stood in front of Gray and Wendy in a protective stance. 

"This shouldn't be possible" Zeref told her dangerously. "Once I've won the companionship of a slave such as yourself I should have total control over when I do or don't have a hold over them." 

Lucy's eye's darkened dangerously. "You'll never have a hold over me, or any of my friends again, I swear by it. You'll have to kill me first."

Perhaps she was far to over her head, or over confident in her skills, everyone thought. It didn't matter to everyone that she had improved. Zeref, was a age old wizard, he had over 400 hundred years of experience underneath his belt, whereas Lucy had 17 years and only one of those years was made up of hard and constant training. It  was helpless, it was over. 

But they underestimated her. As did Zeref. 

Zeref  produced a large black hole of shooting magic energy that plummeted towards Lucy in a  flash of dark power, but Virgo was by her side without Lucy having to tell her as she gave her princess a step up to somersault over the black beam with agility and skill. While in the air she requipped her extendable whip and a key, a skill that she learned while training. Zeref regained control of some members of his army as they flung themselves infront of him, taking a brutal hit from the whip as Lucy summoned the spirit in her hand. 

"Open, gate of the golden bull, Taurus!" she yelled, wearing her Taurus star dress as she requipped two more keys. "Open gate of the goat, Capricorn, and gate of the scorpion, Scorpio!" Taurus raced towards Zeref as Lucy took all the standing members of Zerefs army out once more with her immense strength. They fell embarrassingly on their faces as Scorpio's sand storm pushed Zeref like a rag doll to Taurus's hammer where he was catapulted to Capricorn who flung him to the ground. Lucy was suddenly donned in a strange mix of clothing and patterns, a cow print kimono and a golden sash around her waist. Zerefs eyes widened as they engaged each other in hand to hand combat, Lucy's immense strength, speed and Extra regulus magic gaining the upper hand over the black wizard so that he had to quickly change the fighting back to magic based in order to re earn a level playing field. A black rope of magic shot from his wrist, whipping Lucy's feet from underneath her so she fell wincing on her back. He quickly stalked over to her, standing with his feet on either side of her waist as the laid on the floor. He had his hand facing downwards, palm parallel to her heart, preparing to quickly finish the battle before more damage could be done. However before he could a smirk played across her lips and she was gone, below her a hole which as soon as she disappeared Virgo popped out of, slapping Zeref on the face before disappearing. Zeref shot upwards, as Lucy reappeared in her Virgo stardress which quickly changed to her Aquarius one as she shot an Aqua Metria in his direction, injuring him.