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Dance of the Dragon King

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three

As Natsu had predicted, they broke through the scrub of the East Forest by mid-noon. Magnolia by then was only five minutes away on foot, and Lucy savoured the paved road beneath each footfall. The forest had been naught but a death trap, each step plagued by exposed tree roots and hidden boulders. Natsu displayed far more grace than she, picking a path better suited for them. She had the luck of finding each and every obstacle to snag herself on.

"There it is," Natsu announced, eyes cast to the north. Lucy followed his pointed finger, eyes widening as she saw the city spread before her.

It was just like Marseille. Towering like a steadfast guard over the city and its people was a cathedral reminiscent of St. Vincent de Paul Church. Twin emerald-helmeted spires stretched far into the heavens, and hidden away in each were grand bells. She could spy the brass through the intricate iron fretwork, reflecting the high sun and casting a golden light over the city centre. The bells tolled one o'clock as Lucy roamed through the main gates, jaw agape. Each cobblestone seemed to be plucked from her memory and placed before her. A tribute, or a mockery of the life she may never lead again?

She completely forgot about Natsu's presence at her side, could barely notice the warmth he gave off. Nor was she aware of her mumblings. Lucy was almost thankful when the similarities seemed to die off – unlike Marseille, Magnolia was divided into blatant sections through an impressive canal system. The water seemed free of use to all, as she noticed some fishermen heading out to sea and traders utilising the canal water.

"This way," Natsu snagged her wrist, banishing her thoughts.

She had to stop getting carried away with her musing, she realised. Their journey to Magnolia had not merely been for social purposes; the second boss lay in wait somewhere. Lucy let Natsu lead them with a slow jog, and the excitement of seeing his family seemed almost palpable, a physical force between them. She had always been the outcast, after all. The concept of family was really quite alien to her.

"Hurry up!" Natsu called over his shoulder, eyes almost shimmering.

"You hurry up, you're the one dragging me!"

Fairy Tail was like nothing she had ever imagined, virtually or in real life.

Natsu's colourful explanations hadn't done it any justice; in his words, the building was a 'weird Aladdin-shaped castle thingy but without all the big domes and gold because we'll never be able to afford that shit, have you seen how much we break?'

In actuality, the building was a fortress, built to withstand centuries of wild weather and engineered to protect its occupants with a fearsome dedication. Allegedly, demons ascended upon the looming citadel in x686 in search of the very first guild master, Mavis Vermillion. With crushing fang and bloodied claw, they tore at the enchanted brick, thoughts of pillaging and murder on their possessed minds. They didn't notice the spell slowly activating, ancient runes sharpening into focus until the entire sky glowed golden with their luminescence. The stone bricks came alive, much like coal under pressure, but in place of diamonds was lacrima imbedded with the souls of every Fairy Tail mage to ever have passed on. Or at least, that was what Natsu had told her, and she made no mention of the fact she had read nothing of the sort in the guide book. Not that it seemed a bit improbable, given the newness of this world.

"We're home!" Natsu roared with a chest full of fire, and Lucy danced away from the flames before they could singe the flyaway hairs escaping her braid.

"The durability spell isn't designed to withstand an idiot!" she could just discern Gray yelling over the cacophony of cheers and screams.

She felt herself whisked away from the insanity of a Natsu-sized homecoming by a small statured player Lucy had never met before.

"I'm Levy," the girl called over shoulder, all wild blue hair and honeyed doe eyes. "Erza has told me so much about you!"

"Oh," Lucy hummed, "all good things, I hope?"

Levy's smile was infectious. "Most definitely!"

They stopped at the bar, where it seemed the most sensible members congregated during such brawls. Lucy wondered at the logistics of it all; wouldn't such combat damage one's health? Partners and teams, she knew, were protected against friendly fire through the some of the game's surviving systems. Could such engines extend to whole guilds?

Levy must have noticed Lucy's pondering, for she provided, "It's the guild hall that protects us. The building is charmed so that no one, whether it be friend or foe, can be harmed by lethal attacks. If the brawl moves to the street, they'll start to lose health."

"That's actually quite practical," Lucy mused.

"I thought so too."

The bite of cool steel was all the warning Lucy had before she was pulled into a plated chest, the embrace an odd mix of warmth and pain.

"Hey, Erza," she greeted once released, eyeing the woman and her guild master's garb.

A gold-plated cuirass guarded her chest and vital organs, beneath it fine chain mail that glistened like the crystals Lucy had once indulged in a past life. Fixed around her shoulders was a billowing ruby cape, trimmed with golden embroidery. Cuisses covered her legs all the way up to her thighs, the thin metal fashioned to resemble scales. Each one seemed to reflect the light, the bronzed plating engraved with silver runes. A split leather skirt left both left both legs free to move, the middle piece expending longer for modesty rather than protection.

She looked like a fearsome Centurion, the kind of woman who could split skulls and shear off limbs. Lucy couldn't think of any other person better fit to coordinate the front lines, and for the first time she felt real, tangible hope that they could survive.

"Right!" Erza yelled over the roar of voices, her authority stilling the breath of each mage crowded within the hall. "I want this mess cleared in five minutes! We have a strategy meeting to commence now that we are all here, and I will not tolerate tardiness! Are we understood?"

No sooner had the guild been cleared that they were huddled around the centre of the hall, the benches having been pushed against the sides of the large room. Their guild master stood upon a dais flanked by the teams that participated in the vanquishing of Lullaby, each one matching the hardened expression on Erza's face.

"As you all know," Erza began, "most of our integral members were part of the beta. They will raise their hands — if you are new, have a look around and familiarise yourself with their faces. They will be your guides throughout these months."

Lucy was unsurprised to see Levy raise her hand, and she looked past her to the rest of the crowd. The beta testers had congregated at the bar, and Lucy was perplexed by the mix of ages. A girl possibly no older than thirteen waved shyly to the audience, and next to her were the burliest, most brutish men Lucy had ever seen. Assembled by the blond man were, who she assumed to be, his team — and a ragtag one at that. The barmaid and her siblings all had their hands raised as well, wide and hopeful smiles adorning their faces except for their brother, who seemed to brood sullenly with his arms crossed over a beefy chest.

"I have had Levy begin devising our plan. She has spent the past few weeks delving into the archives with the help of our friends in Blue Pegasus. We believe that we have managed to put together a map of the dungeon system, and let this be a warning to any of the beta testers that they are not to be trifled with alone. There are absolutely no similarities between the previous version of the game and our current."

Erza narrowed the full extent of her glare at Gray and Natsu, angling it over the two men by the bar and the rest of the blonde's odd entourage. "With that being said, by this weekend I hope to have begun clearing out the paths in level two. What Levy has found is that the dungeon seems to follow as one gargantuan maze; you are more likely to run into a trap than you are to stumble upon one of Zeref's Demons. I have word from the other guilds, and they will have teams meet us at the entrance this Friday. Be adequately prepared or I will deny your entry on the grounds of safety for not only yourself, but everyone else participating."

She seemed to humble then, less a terrifying Commander but more of the scared girl Lucy had been, and really still was. The display of vulnerability almost floored the newcomer.

"I don't want to lose any of you. Each decision you make, each risk you decide to chance, has catastrophic consequences. I urge you, put away your pride. Do not let your ego jeopardise your ability to think clearly. This is no longer a mere game — it is our reality, and the lives of every single soul trapped here hinge on your ability to push aside your pride and think not only for the good of yourself, but the preservation of all of us."

By Friday morning, Lucy was aching to get back on the front lines. She found herself no longer able to sit still, and what little spare time she had she gave to Levy, and to the maps the woman seemed to constantly pour over.

Being forced to bunk with her partner had kept her wits as sharp as a knife's edge —Natsu was quite determined to keep up her training. They had settled into an arrangement of sorts. Dawn would find them slinking through the woods, engaged in a violent game of hide and seek. So far, the tally stood in Natsu's favour, but Lucy was determined to adjust that. Lupus enjoyed the games just as much as her, and he proved himself a valuable ally. It also gave them time to bond and train as Spirit and Mistress, and Lucy found herself able to sustain his gate for an entire day before being forced to close it.

A week later she found herself waiting at the guild with Natsu asleep on her shoulder. She had packed both of their packs the previous night, knowing Natsu wouldn't bring along the allocated number of wellbeing tonics if left to his own devices. The past week living with the man had many startling realisations as well, possibly the most surprising being Natsu's sleepless nights. She would hear him in the small hours of the morning, gasping for breath and whining wordlessly, like a starved infant. That first morning her heart lurched in her throat, and she ran through the dark to him, a light spell lingering at her fingertips.

No amount of calling his name had woken him from the terrors that plagued his sleep. Lucy had swallowed all notions of propriety in that moment and crawled in beside him, draping her limbs over his flailing ones to still them. Slowly, his pulse settled, a serenity befalling his clenched features. The man looked pained, and it broke Lucy's heart. It was the widest smiles that hid the greatest pain. And so it became their new norm, falling asleep separately and awakening in the other's arms come first light.

She let him sleep on her shoulder for as long as she could before gently rousing him as they were moving out, the expedition gaining quite a few volunteers. He grumbled the whole time, sticking close to her side as they left through South Gate Park towards the caves in the near distance, tearing from the mountainside like the ribs of a giantess.

There was a bitter feeling in the air, each and every one of her guild mates aware of the danger. It was all too possible that they would be leaving with less than they arrived with, and the thought was rotten, a curse almost. Lucy had come to know each one of her comrades, and she wouldn't wish any harm upon them. As inexperienced as she was, she had a will stronger than most to survive.

"This way!" Levy called form the head of the pack, flanked by Gajeel and her two team members, Jet and Droy.

As a group, they veered right off the beaten path and straight into the wild forest. She could smell the earth on the air, the warmth of wildflowers and musky moss. At her side, she felt Natsu's chest swell as he sampled the air, senses trained for danger.

"All good?" she asked with a knowing smile.

He rolled his eyes down to her. "For now."

She echoed him wistfully, steeling her senses. The void of the dungeon would soon be upon them. She could feel it under her skin, drumming like a second heartbeat; beckoning for her last breath. Natsu must have felt her shudder, for he pulled her tight against his side, words not necessary for the either of them.

When the trees began to clear, Lucy knew they had reached their destination. Carved into the bone-white mountain side were a set of large and imposing doors. Intricate glyphs seemed to be worked deep into the stone, and Lucy reached a hand out to trace a section with an exposed fingertip. Beneath her touch they felt older than time itself, an odd magic sizzling at her skin. She withdrew her hand and left it at her hip, idly flipping through her small collection of keys to hide her sudden shaking.

"Spread out," Erza commanded. "We wait here for the others while they port to us."

She settled beside Natsu, Wendy soon joining them. Lucy had been shocked to learn that the two were cousins, at first mistaking their bond as something fraternal, no doubt brought on by the desire to protect those defenceless from a game aching to steal the life from you. But now she saw the similarity between them; the burning hazel eyes, the strength to endure hardship. Wendy had climbed the player ranks in the beta as a Sky Dragon Slayer, and her restorative prowess became integral to their cause. The responsibility would be crushing, Lucy realised, to have the lives of so many upon your young shoulders. She wondered how the girl didn't buckle under it, but seeing her cuddled up to her cousin, a pleasant smile livening her youthful features, Lucy somewhat understood.

She summoned Plue mostly for companionship, smiling as Wendy held the spirit to her chest. Not long after, the other frontline fighters began trickling in with bursts of silvery light, each a new face for Lucy to catalogue. Erza immediately took charge by organising the crowd into their corresponding guilds, before allowing the guild masters to form teams. Lucy was unsurprised to find herself and Natsu once again grouped with Erza and Gray, though this time Wendy joined their ranks.

"Did you bring your dagger?" Natsu quizzed the girl, frustration twisting his features at her meek denial. "Wendy, I thought I told you to keep a weapon on you!"

"I don't want to use one if I can help it!" Wendy shot back, shoulders beginning to shake. "I never want to use one of those things to harm someone."

Lucy recognised Natsu's clenched jaw for his impending outburst, so she quickly laid a hand against his tense chest, pushing him away so she could kneel by Wendy's side. She rubbed soothing circles across Wendy's hunched shoulders, her smile gentle and nurturing.

"I know that hurting someone may scare you, but getting hurt is a whole lot scarier," Lucy whispered in a muted tone, all too aware of the strangers around them. She placed a hand upon the swell of her hip, where her own scabbard rest. "Natsu's not asking you to wield a sword. Why don't you let us give you something small, for our sakes? That way we know you'll be able to protect yourself should something happen."

Wendy stayed silent, a minute nod the only affirmation she was willing to give. Lucy backed up as Natsu wound his arms around his cousin, cheek resting atop her head and his embrace firm.

"I promised your mum that I would look after you, no matter the cost. But it's kinda hard when you don't listen to me, yeah?"

"I'm sorry," Wendy whispered into his chest. "I promise I'll do what you say."

Natsu's face blanched slightly. "It's not about doing what I say, Wen. It's about keeping yourself prepared and alive."

Lucy took that moment to sort through her inventory, scrolling past the miscellaneous items to her weapons. She had equipped most of them, but she knew a stiletto knife remained. It shimmered into existence in her palm, no bigger than the length of her hand and about as wide as her thumb. The hilt of the blade was constructed from dainty silver, curved to fit the contours of its wielder's grip. She closed her eyes and funnelled her magic down into the dagger, a protection charm on her lips.

"Sit celeritas benedicite dominum tuum," and then, "protegas dominum."

When she opened her eyes, the dagger shimmered with a silvery-gold light, shifting as she swiped it through the air experimentally. Deeming it ready for Wendy, she crawled on her knees towards the girl and slipped the scabbard through a notch on the girl's belt.

"The dagger will increase your swing speed, and it will absorb any attack you parry and throw it right back at your opponent," she informed both of her shocked companions, pulling Wendy into a swift embrace. "My magic isn't the best for offence either, so I'll hang back with you as support. You won't be alone in there for a second."

She felt Natsu's warm hand on her shoulder, his silent gratitude. Lucy reached up and lay her hand over his, shooting her partner a warm smile.

"Move out!" Erza commanded from her station by the dungeon's entrance, and the three of them pushed through the masses to join their team leader.

Gray shot her an easy smirk, mist escaping through the cracks of his clenched fists. "You good?" he queried, and Lucy nodded with a smile.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

His smile softened. "That's the first step to surviving this hell hole."

It took almost half of Fairy Tail to get the doors to budge open, and the rush of damp air that greeted them did little to settle her nerves. Her limbs felt heavy, she found suddenly, and she wobbled into Natsu's side unsteadily.

"What's going on?" she panicked, grasping Wendy's shoulder and tugging the girl to her side.

"No idea," he choked. "I don't like it, though."

Her vision grew dark, and through her slitted eyes she recognised the flashes of magic from the others. She weakly attempted to grab a key, but she sooner fell to her knees before she wrapped her fingers around the handle of Lupus' key.

"Wendy, stay close," she managed to rasp, choking on the wretched air.

Her head hit the stone floor heavily, darkness sweeping over her mind and stealing her every thought, sucking the consciousness from her and replacing it with a bittersweet sleep.

She awoke with a jolt, crawling through the dark in a panicked state.

"Natsu?" she whispered in the silence, tuning her ears for anything. "Wendy?"

Her hand brushed something warm and she flinched back, recognising the smoothness of another's flesh.

"Hello?" she tried again, summoning what feeble light spell she could with a head fogged with sinister magic.

She could recognise nothing. Stone above her, stone below her. Her claustrophobia swelled in her chest, but she forced herself to swallow the lump, knowing that her life depended on it. There was only room for rationality.

With that thought, she closed her eyes and forced the foreign magic from her body, calling upon every star willing to listen. The magic slithered away from her Celestial light, the essence of her magic nothing like what had possessed her. Her magic was warm, soothing, pure. This magic reeked of malice, and she was glad to be rid of it.

Spirit strengthened, she fed more of her magic into her light spell, welcoming the wash of golden radiance. Her eye was immediately drawn to the huddle in the centre of the cavern, the blue hair unmistakable. She rushed to the figure, heart soaring with hope, but as she turned the girl's body over it was Levy's face that welcomed her, not Wendy. Worry ate at her then; would the girl be safe? Where was Natsu, did he have her?

She shook off the disappointment, focusing on the woman that clearly needed her help. Lucy stumbled through casting a diagnostic enchantment, the restorative craft something she had not devoted as much time as she could have to learning it. Levy's body began to radiate a dull scarlet as the spell took hold, before being swallowed by the darkness, though this one swirled over her skin. The magic, Lucy realised. It was eating into Levy's own magic and poisoning her.

Lucy only knew a single purifying spell, and she hoped to the heavens it was strong enough to purge the black from Levy's blood. Hovering her hands over her friend's chest, she focused her magic, feeling it respond in kind. The incantation that fell from her lips was smooth and firm, a demand. She recognised the warmth rushing through her arms as her magic, and she directed it right at Levy, filling her full until she gleamed a rich gold. The dark magic escaped much like before, fleeing to the dark of the cavern and slithering into the cracked stone.

"Levy," she tried the girl's name, giving her shoulder a gentle shake. "Levy, you need to get up."

Thankfully, she roused, eyes opening blearily to Lucy hovering above her. "Lu? What happened?"

"Oh, thank the heavens," Lucy gasped, wrapping the Script mage in an embrace, "you're okay."

"I feel so drained," Levy groaned as she sat up on the cold stone, bringing her knees to her chest and placing her head between them. "I just need a moment."

Lucy watched her wrap her arms securely around her knees, moving forward to rub soothing circles between Levy's shoulders.

"I don't blame you. It seems like there was a dark magic infecting us. I managed to cleanse you of it, but it did manage to absorb quite a large amount of your own power. I have a potion you can take once you've settled down somewhat."

"And you? How did you shake it?" Levy's voice was muffled, her wording belying just how exhausted she must have felt.

"My magic is derived from the Heavens, so I'm assuming that it's almost holy. I banished it before it could do too much damage to me."

"Tale as old as time," Levy hummed, before shooting up with a gasp. "Where's everyone else, where's Gajeel?"

Lucy felt her own worry begin to swell. "I don't know. As far as I can tell, it's just us here. Whatever is in this dungeon must have split us all up."

"We have to find them," Levy's voice shook as she said the words, and Lucy recognised her battle for control over her emotions.

"I agree, but not before you have a restorative potion," and Lucy thrust the small vial into Levy's grasp, taking out her own and downing it. The burst of replenishment it provided was exhilarating, like the world sharpened and focused. Her magic felt tuned as well, her strength returned and mind sharp.

Levy needed no assistance picking herself up, her gaze clear and keen. "I can cast a doorway to get us out of here. If it's enchanted already, I'll need to use a rune spell," her gaze flicked over to Lucy's, unsure suddenly. "It may take a while."

Lucy nodded with understanding. "I don't doubt it. If you need any help, let me know. I'll see if I can spot anyone on the maps."

Both women set to work on their individual tasks, Lucy summoning her player menu and examining the dungeon map. She could see Natsu and Wendy's player tags off a hallway a few levels below them, and the relief threatened to floor her. She hadn't realised how sick with anxiety she had spun herself, and the unravelling of that coil left her feeling weightless.

She tracked the rest of her team. Erza was trapped in a system similar to what Lucy found herself in, and the Knight was accompanied by Gray. She could only hope that the dark magic hadn't infected them as it had with her and Levy. How many mages knew purification spells? How many of them could fight it off?

"Almost done," Levy called, and Lucy glanced over to find the woman sorting through an onslaught of jade runes.

The entire wall of stone seemed networked against penetration, the spellwork impressive. But Levy still found a tiny fissure, and she threw every single combination of runework she had at the crack. Before Lucy's eyes, the hole widened and stretched, a gaping crack leading into what looked like a dimly lit passageway.

"Go!" Levy shouted, and Lucy bound through the opening, barely catching her balance as Levy threw her own body after Lucy.

The runes holding the gap open shimmered away into nothing, but still, the hole stayed open, jagged and barely large enough for a body but steadfast enough.

"Thank you," Lucy praised, and returned Levy's sudden smile.

"And thank you too, Lucy. You saved my life."

Lucy left it at that, focusing instead on mapping a path for them to follow. "I've found the rest of my team, but they're still a few floors below us."

Levy brought up her own menu, brow furrowing at the screen. "That's weird."

"What is?" Lucy asked, and craned her head over to watch over Levy's shoulder.

"According to the map, Gajeel should be right here."

"What?" Lucy spun in a slow circle, eyeing each wall and the narrow pathways continuing on into the dark. "There's nothing here. Could it be a glitch?"

"Gajeel," Levy called instead, rushing forward. "Are you here?"

Lucy had no choice but to follow, summoning a light spell to guide their way more easily. Up ahead the path seemed to fork, one continuing through the dark and the other leading down into an open cavern. She craned her head over, analysing the drop.

"That is certainly not an option. We would die going over that."

"So left it is," Levy barely got out before she was sprinting into the dark, mindless of what could be lingering in it.

The both of them managed a couple more steps before Levy suddenly gasped, dropping to her knees to cradle a mass of shadow. The tendrils snaked up her arms, but Lucy's magic must have lingered for they retracted just as swiftly, a shrieking hiss occupying the dense silence.

"Oh, gods," Levy whispered.

"Gajeel?"

Lucy felt her heart drop to her knees, and she rushed forward, fearless of the shadows as they shrieked at her. "Is he okay?"

"I don't know," Levy's voice broke, and she pulled the man more firmly into her lap.

Lucy closed her eyes tightly, reaching her magic forward to begin to unravel the threads of dark magic that had cocooned the Slayer. She managed the first few layers, but the sheer malice of the shades weakened her, left her magic feeling like naught but a flickering candle against perpetual black. She felt the coils snap closed again, squeezing tighter and draining the man steadily.

"It's too dense," she hissed, screwing her eyes shut to begin the process again. Levy's hand atop her own gave her pause, and she opened her eyes to find the woman's gaze steely.

"Together," she said simply, and Lucy let her entwine their hands.

They both took a steadying breath, and Lucy was unsure for a moment of their success rate. Levy was a Solid Script Mage, how could she possibly help with a holy spell? But the brush of Levy's magic as she uttered an incantation chased those doubts away; the woman radiated a holy energy, a stunning light emitting from the words scrawled in the air above Gajeel. Lucy pushed her magic forward, the purification spell once again falling from her lips in an authoritative tone, the enchantment an absolute command.

The shadows engulfing Gajeel gave a piercing shriek, and Lucy let go of Levy to shield her ears, eyes still screwed tightly shut. The walls shook around them, dust trickling through the cracks of the rocks. And Gajeel's body slowly emerged from the spell of dark magic, flesh a sickly grey and breathing shallow.

"Gajeel!" Levy sank to her knees again, pulling him into her lap. Lucy quickly summoned a vial of restorative elixir and guided Levy to tip his head back as she poured the foul-smelling brew past his lips.

The man took one, heaving breath, flesh still pallor and gaze slightly frenzied as his eyes shot open. Lucy backed off slightly, giving him room to orient himself. Levy hushed him all the while, stroking the side of his face and humming in a low tone. The bond between them seemed so strong in that moment, and Lucy turned away, not wanting to interrupt their diverted her gaze away from the pair, just managing to catch a tender kiss before her eyes found the floor.

"You're okay, I've got you," Levy hushed, Gajeel's breathing steadying slowly. "Just focus on me, okay?"

It took a while before Gajeel was able to support himself, tangled hair tumbling down his back. It seemed to take him a great deal of effort to move a single limb, back against the wall as he slumped forward into Levy's ready arms. Lucy had another potion at the ready, palming it to Levy as Gajeel caught her eye. She offered a weak smile, a chill settling at the base of her spine.

The air still felt wrong. A threat lingered, something sinister whispering just out of reach.

"Thanks," was Gajeel's gruff response, and Levy beamed a smile up at Lucy.

"Can you remember anything?" Lucy asked the Slayer, realising Levy needed time to collect her own thoughts as she seemed to melt into Gajeel's side.

The man shot Levy a crooked grin, hand running through her hair. "Nothing," he said to Lucy. "All I remember is feeling like my balls were dropping, and then black."

Lucy's nose screwed up slightly. "That's helpful," she cringed.

"You asked," he snorted. He heaved both himself and Levy up, snaring a scarred and muscled arm around the woman's shoulders. "Let's get going. The others are around her somewhere."

Lucy lead the way, dutifully trying to ignore the whispered promises of the lovers behind her. Her skin itched still of that sinister magic, anxiety churning in her stomach. She summoned Lupus for support, trusting the wolf's instincts and sense of smell over her own.

"Find Natsu," she whispered to the ash-grey wolf, smoothing a gentle caress over his silky top coat.

The spirit trot ahead of them, nose scenting the air. Lucy followed as he weaved through the corridors, coming across only a few lower-levelled beasts that her spirit happily tore into. A lance of pain tore across her torso suddenly, and she gasped to a halt, eyes frantically searching for the cause. A flash of red in the corner of her player screen alerted her, and she felt her stomach drop.

"Natsu," she barely managed to whisper, before she was sprinting after Lupus as he took off into the dark, relying on the wolf to find her partner before it was too late.

She hardly acknowledged the thundering steps behind her, the desperate calls of her name. The light spell wasn't necessary with her spirit guiding the way, the air around him shimmering with starlight, so she left it for Levy and Gajeel.

Lupus confidently lead them through a maze of hallways and caverns, his pace increasing the faster Lucy's anxiety manifested. Natsu's health bar continued to steadily drop before surging to the orange-level, a dance with death as the drain came faster each time. The smoulder of firelight reached her then, and she focused on it, using it as a beacon to guide her.

"Fire Dragon's Claw!"

She would recognise Natsu's voice anywhere, and the growl behind his incantation worried her. He sounded exhausted, manic. Just what had he gotten himself into?

A final corner lay between them. She stumbled around it, Lupus' flank against her thighs stabilising her teetering balance. Natsu's name was on her lips when she vaulted into an expansive cavern and right into an invisible barrier. Lucy bounced off it, recognising the network of spellwork from the cavern Levy busted them out of.

What lay before her drove her to frenzy. There was Natsu, entire body cloaked with vicious flames, eyes ablaze and lips skewed with a snarl. Before him stood a wall of hulking flesh and fangs, a beast Lucy knew would haunt every single one of her nightmares. But behind him was Wendy, hovering in the air as she worked hard on keeping Natsu alive. The girl had cast a shield spell on herself, eyes tightly shut and arms raised.

Lucy knew their opponent was the level two boss. There was no questioning it. She dragged herself to the outline of the doorway, still winded from her collision against the shieldbarrier. When she placed her hand against the invisible entrance, the information screen flashed into being, a red plaque that cast a rosy light in her face. Fenrir the Devourer, it read in bold text. He Who Dwells in the Dark.

She scrawled through the stats like a woman gone mad, heart quickening with each line. Fenrir had three health bars, and when the final one was reached the wolf hybrid would shatter and remerge as alpha of an entire pack of werewolves. Natsu had only managed to wipe out one of the health bars, and she knew it would only be a matter of time before the second was gone, too. There was no chance he had read the plaque before going in — knowing her partner, he had stumbled into the cavern, all blazing fury and worry. Or worse yet, he was deliberately put there. She beat her fists against the barrier, mindless of the sparks that scorched her skin with each strike.

"Natsu!" she screamed, voice raw. "Wendy!"

Neither of the Slayers paid her any mind, leading Lucy to believe that the barrier must have been spelled against interaction from the world outside Fenrir's lair. Zeref was purposefully doing this. He wanted to separate them and break them all, one by one. And like lambs they walked right into his trap, and here she was — heart breaking, voice failing, watching her first ever friend be torn apart and not being able to do anything but endure it. Forced to listen to her own pleas, knowing they would never reach his ears.

But she could hear every scream, every threat, every cry.

"Come on, you mongrel!" Natsu snarled, leaping forward with fists shimmering with flames. "Give me all you got!"

Lucy threw herself against the barrier when punching it did nothing. He needed her, Wendy needed her. She had promised the girl she would keep her safe, hadn't she? What worth were her oaths if she still had to watch her friends be slaughtered?

"Lucy, stop!" she barely heard Levy, only registering the burly arms of Gajeel yanking her away from the barrier.

"Let go of me! Can't you see they need me?"

"Yeah, because killing yourself is just what they want," he hissed in her ear, lip piercing stinging the shell of her ear.

It was then that she noticed her health bar and how low it had gotten, how Lupus had been forced back to the Celestial Realm lest he kill her. She let herself be cradled to Gajeel's wide chest, swallowed the potion Levy poured past her lips.

The woman was crying, hair a wild mess as she hushed Lucy's sobs. "We'll fix this. We'll find a way."

Lucy's voice was unrecognisable. "It's too late."

And as Natsu landed a final, crushing kick, sword plunged deep into Fenrir's throat, the wolf hybrid fragmented, the ruby crystals glittering as they fell to the cave floor. Natsu's wide smile broke her heart, and she sobbed his name as he rushed forward to envelope Wendy in a hug, picking the girl up and swinging her around the cavern. She tried to warn them, as raw as her voice was.

A smaller, but no less lethal version of Fenrir stalked forward, flanked by another werewolf. They seemed as tall as horses, muscles shimmering as they stalked closer on four legs rather than two. More beats formed, circling the two cousins as their eyes widened. Wendy began quivering, magic fizzling as she tried to summon another shield.

"Fuck," Natsu hissed, teeth bared at the pack circling him.

"Levy, please," Lucy sobbed, struggling out of Gajeel's arms. She slipped free and vaulted herself at the shield, throwing magic at it and simultaneously praying for the floor to swallow her up. She couldn't watch the slaughter.

The Solid Script Mage frantically began to undo the runes, sparks of magic catching her fingertips as she sifted through the enchantment for the right sequence.

"Power of the stout arms that tear the heaven... Arms!" Wendy chanted, and Natsu's fire burned cyan along the edge. "Ile Arms!"

His voice was deep, guttural. He reminded her again of the man that stalked her through the woods, the one with the eyes of a man but the snarl of a beast.

"Thanks, Wen," and he aimed an attack at her feet, forcing her to summon a shield. "Do not let that spell go. Understand?"

"What about you?" she quivered, reaching her hand through the shield to pull him in.

Natsu yanked his arm away from her hold, settling the brunt of his glare on her. "I'll be fine. I need you to stay safe. This isn't an option, Wen."

And he leapt into the fray, driving a fist into the flank of a black werewolf. His flames formed claws, and he sunk them deep into the flesh, bypassing ribs and muscle to tear the liver from behind the beast's ribs. Natsu drove his arm further, blood staining his bare arm up to the elbow. Lucy couldn't look away — he tore away the heart and threw it at Fenrir, the organ arcing through the air aflame.

"Damn," Gajeel hissed behind her, breathing rugged. "He might have a chance."

The black wolf shattered into broken ruby crystals. The others pressed closer, growling and yapping, frothing at the maw and eyes swallowed by bloodlust. Natsu gave it back, his own sneer vicious enough to make even Lucy's eyes dart away from his. Fenrir pounced, getting the Slayer on his back, teeth yapping greedily at Natsu's throat.

"Levy, how much longer?" she cried, wringing her hands in her tunic.

"I can't say," the woman grunted, fingers whirling over the runes. "I think I may have found something, but the warding is strong. I might need help."

"What do you need, Shrimp?" Gajeel walked closer, towering over the mage.

"Once I've weakened a section of the script I'll need you to strike it. I can apply the internal pressure, and you'll hit it with external force."

The Slayer summoned his magic, transforming his right arm into an iron rod. The corded muscles fused with the metal silkily, his piercings melting into the rod. "On your call, Shrimp."

Lucy readied her own weapons, Taurus' key settling in her grip comfortably. She bounced the flat edge of her dagger against her leg as she waited, watching Natsu wrestle with Fenrir on the stone floor. The other wolves had settled their sights on Wendy, and they stalked the girl, charging at her shield and weakening it. The young Slayer did her best to ignore them, instead keeping Natsu's health in a safe range and enchanting his attacks when needed. She had summoned Vernier and Arms several times already, and Lucy worried for her strength. The second her power waned, the shield would drop and she would be up against six bloodthirsty wolves. They had to hurry.

"Almost," Levy groaned, throwing all her power into her runework. "The devs really didn't want anyone getting in. I'm almost there."

The next few moments were torturous — Natsu continued to be torn apart, his tunic tearing away completely to reveal bloodied flesh, the skin marred with weeping bite marks and deep, gaping slashes. Wendy kept a strong front, shield steadfast despite the wolves throwing themselves at the ward. All the while Levy worked tirelessly to break through the code enough for Gajeel to do it damage.

"I've got it!" Levy blurted, skin reflecting the glow of her magic. "Gajeel, now!"

The Slayer lurched forward with a roar and Lucy followed right after, watching as his conjured ramming pole struck the shield where Levy had weakened it. There was a tense moment of nothing, the shield absorbing Gajeel's attack and pulling him in. But then a single fissure formed, and the cracks kept spreading. Gajeel kicked in the shield with a heavy boot, transforming his arm into a jagged sword. The two of them burst in, an unworded agreement passing between the two. Lucy would get Natsu and Gajeel could destroy the pack after Wendy.

She bounded across the cavern, footfalls thunderous. Taurus shimmered into existence as she hissed the incantation, leaping ahead of her to seize Fenrir by the hind legs. The spirit tore the wolf away from her partner, his axe arcing high over their heads to bury into Fenrir's side. Lucy fell to her knees by Natsu, frantically mumbling a healing spell she knew would drain her; she wasn't naturally gifted like Wendy, or in possession of the Sky Dragon's restorative craft.

"Derivantur a sanguine," she murmured, swirling her fingertips in the blood soaking his skin and the stone below them. She brought the tips of her bloodkissed fingers to her lips, chanting the spell directly into his blood.

"Luce?"

She chanced a teary smile. "Hey. I'm sorry it took us so long to get though."

Shock stole his eyes, replacing the pain and fury. "You were there the whole time?"

Lucy could only manage a weak nod. "It was horrible."

She repeated the spell as many times as she could, tracing sigils of healing with his blood. The spell would stop the bleeding and clot the blood, but it could not replenish what he had lost. Lucy used her last pain relieving potion on him, threading her bloodied fingers through his hair as he drank.

"Is that better?" she whispered, like the world around them had dissolved and left just them, alone in the lair of a beast.

"I've been better," he hissed. "Damn thing got me good." He looked up at her then, something unnamed swirling behind his gaze. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"And I'm sorry you had to go through that," she choked. "I wish I had got to you sooner."

A deafening roar masked his reply, and Lucy craned her neck to see the cause. Gajeel had managed to pin the remaining wolves to the cave walls, spiked chains extending from each knuckle. They tore through the flesh with their barbs, silencing the last cries of the wolves. Lucy watched Levy rush to Wendy as the girl fell to her knees, shield flickering as the last wolf was slaughtered.

"Is Wendy okay?" Natsu groaned, attempting to push himself up.

Lucy forced his shoulders down. "Levy has her. She's okay, you protected her. All she needs is a good sleep and a wellness draught."

It seemed to reassure her partner enough, and she watched his eyes flicker closed. She took that moment to glance up, just in time to watch Taurus kick in Fenrir's ribs and force the wolf to the stone. The axe arced high before thundering down, the Spirit cleaving the wolf's head off with a guttural battle cry.

"Gods," she whispered in horror, eyes squeezing shut as the Congratulations screen flashed in front of her.

A sickening feeling crept up her throat at the message that greeted her when her eyes next opened:

Congratulations, Ms Heartfilia. You not only managed to find my brother, but you saved his life as well. I will allow you to revel in your hard-won victory for now, but beware; this will not be the last time, and you may not be as prepared when that time comes.

You have been aptly warned.

-Z

"Lu?"

She flinched at the interruption, scrambling to close the system message. Something told her that it was for her eyes only, and she trusted that instinct. It did not ease the storm brewing in the pit of her stomach, or the rocks scraping against her throat with each breath. She would not break. There was no time to give in to the inevitable meltdown; there were people depending on her now, and she would not be selfish.

"Yes?" she said instead, meeting Levy's gaze. Wendy was by her side and the girl burrowed into Lucy's ribs, a hand resting on Natsu's chest and ready to cast a diagnostic spell. "Be careful," Lucy warned. "I've done the best I can. You can fix him later when you're not so exhausted, okay?"

"Thank you," Wendy sobbed, eyes rimmed with red. "You saved him."

Lucy shook her head, burying Wendy's head into the crook of her neck. "No," she said firmly, and the hand not entwined with Natsu's began to ease calming circles into the girl's quivering back. "You saved him. What you did was incredible, Wendy. You should be so proud of yourself. You kept him alive, which is more than what any of us could have done."

It took a few more moments before exhaustion stole Wendy, and Lucy shifted her next to her cousin, draping a blanket from her inventory over the both of them. She left lingering kisses on both of their foreheads, scrubbing the tears from her eyes before they could fall.

"Lu, do you want me to message Erza and Gray?"

Lucy walked over to Levy and Gajeel, smiling at the sight of them cocooned in each other's embrace. "That would be great. I need to transfer the prize to Natsu and Wendy, if that's okay?"

It was Gajeel who responded. "There's no one more deserving of it than them. It's not like Shrimp and I need the jewel, anyway."

Lucy smiled gratefully, walking over to the centre of the cavern where the large Congratulations! screen lay in wait of claim. As it was her Spirit that delivered the final, killing blow, Lucy was rewarded with a large sum of the jewel and a unique item. She transferred the money to Natsu and Wendy in equal amounts, and despite Gajeel's reassurance that he didn't want his prize she left it for him to do with as he pleased. The unique item revealed itself to be a Zodiac Gate Key — the Gate of the Lion Key, Leo.

A nauseous feeling crept up her throat as she recalled Zeref's warning; he had said she could revel in her victory, and the gift of the key seemed to be mocking her. Just what did Zeref want from her? She was convinced now more than ever that the developer was the cause of all the abnormalities she had faced. Natsu had said earlier that it was strange for low levelled players to wield such advanced spellcraft, and yet she had been summoning Zodiac Spirits since the very first day. Something ominous was brewing, and she knew that she would have a large part to play in it.

The key hummed in her grip, almost eager to be summoned, but Lucy returned it to her inventory. Her magic was needed for other things; there was no doubt that the others had suffered greatly, and with Wendy drained of her magic Lucy would have to volunteer what meagre restorative magic she could summon. The pounding of footsteps alerted her to that, and she allowed herself a single moment to take some deep breaths. Erza's voice reached her next, and she felt her lips lift with a relieved smile. The woman appeared fine if not a little worse for wear; her armour had begun to deteriorate in some places, and the skin that shone through was splattered with blood.

"Are you okay?" she rushed forward, one of her few restorative potions materialising as she called upon it.

Erza rejected the vial, instead pulling Gray closer. "I am fine, but Gray took a nasty hit to the right side. We've managed to staunch the bleeding but we weren't quite able to disinfect the wound."

Lucy dropped to her knees by Gray's side, prodding at his ribs to establish any breaks. There appeared to be none, and she directed her attention back to the gory mess of his torso.

"That's what I get for playing the hero," he hissed as Lucy began to lathe away the blood staining his entire right torso.

"What happened?" she asked Erza, eyes lifting briefly to meet the woman's gaze.

"We were accosted by regenerating Type A beasts. Each time we managed to kill one, another materialised in its place," Erza's eyes surveyed the cavern then, features losing some of her composure. "Levy told me what happened to Natsu and Wendy. Thank you for following your instincts — you saved them both, Lucy."

Lucy's gaze lowered. "All I did was find them. Gajeel and Levy were the ones to free them."

"And all the same," Erza forced Lucy's head up. "Thank you."

"Is it true that Flamebrain ripped out one of Fenrir's hearts?" Gray muttered, face screwed against the pain.

She tipped a pain relief elixir to his lips, a smile on her own. "That he did."

Erza left them to reconvene with Levy and Gajeel, and Lucy focused on wrapping Gray's torso in cloth bandages. There was not much else she could do on her own; they would all need to visit the hospital in Magnolia. They all ambled as a group from the dungeon, the injured propped on makeshift stretchers that Gajeel and Levy had fashioned by combining their two magics.

Once reconvened with the rest of the guild that had broken from the dungeon, they were welcomed by the news that Fairy Tail hadn't suffered any deaths this time, but some of the lower-levelled guilds had endured great consequences. They did what they could by providing comfort and reassurances, but there was little they could do when those guilds decided the front lines were not a risk they were willing to subject their members into taking. The guilds left were those managed by beta testers, and even their members had been dwindled by Zeref's trickery.

Lucy huddled closer to Natsu, now awake but no less drowsy. Wendy had yet to wake from her exhausted slumber, and Lucy cast her a concerned look where she lay draped over Gajeel's back. She would at least a week to recover from such a drain, and that was only if magic depletion syndrome didn't claim her. Lucy decided then to never let the girl leave her sight until she had recovered completely.

"You okay?" she hummed as nightfall drew closer, and the first stars brave enough to peek through the dusk twinkled brightly alongside the moons.

Natsu's flattened hair tickled her neck as he nodded, his yawn wide enough for her to count each of his canines. "Tired. What about Wendy?"

"Still asleep," she whispered, threading her fingers through the hem of her tunic. "I'm worried about her."

Natsu stayed quiet, sharp gaze watching his cousin as she shifted closer to Gajeel in her sleep. "I think she'll be okay."

"I won't be happy until she's cleared of magic depletion syndrome. And even then I'll worry. She's so young, Natsu, and for her to experience a trauma like that I'm concerned her mental health may be affected—"

Natsu closed his hand over her lips, the full brunt of his glare oddly reassuring. He was more like the Natsu she knew, not the wounded man she had watched be torn apart or the man she had brought back from the fringe of death.

"We will look after her. I agree with you, Luce, but she doesn't need to be treated like glass. She's a Dragneel; it'll only piss her off."

"You're sure?" she mumbled into his palm, and the dramatic roll of his eyes split her lips with a smile.

The NPC's at the hospital worked their way through each player until they were all cleared of any ailments or injuries. The healing magic of the nurses felt much different to the restorative power of players following the healing path; it felt like she had swallowed an entire litre of vigour elixir, and the extra stamina spilt out of her. Her hands almost shook with the added energy, and she could sense Natsu struggling from beside her. Flames kept flaring over his skin, his veins almost smouldering like channels of lava, but she was glad that the magic didn't burn her. It seemed soothingly warm, and she almost welcomed each flare up as it circled both of their arms and shoulders.

"Is this normal?" she asked no one, tensing her calf muscles as a form of self-restraint.

"Unfortunately," Erza muttered, brow laced tightly as she too fought the urge to burn off the energy. "Players get addicted to this sensation. It is almost like a drug; they feel invincible, and so they'll keep taking larger risks until they eventually burn out or lose their lives to recklessness."

"It figures," Lucy seethed, remembering Zeref's deceit in Fenrir's dungeon. She ignored the look Natsu cast her way, choosing to instead slump against the wall behind her. "Who else are we waiting for?"

"Stripper and Wen. They needed more healing than us."

Lucy's gaze sought them out, and she smiled ecstatically when Wendy's tired eyes blinked back at her. Gray was almost done, the continued diagnostic charm shifting from orange to yellow rapidly. Soon they could return to the guild for a quick meal before going home.

When they finally walked through the guild hall as a group, it was late in the evening. Mira had prepared no less than a feast, and despite the trauma of that day, they were able to indulge. Lucy sipped her honeywine slowly, letting herself be carried away by the energy of Fairy Tail. There were smiles all around, and if she hadn't witnessed firsthand the events that transpired, she could almost be convinced that it was an ordinary day.

In the end, she had to drag Natsu away from the festivities so that they and Wendy and could get some much-needed rest. Her partner had managed to finish an entire bottle of firewhiskey, and her patience was wearing thin. When they finally stumbled through the threshold of Natsu's home, Lucy dumped him on the couch to sober up as she and Wendy bathed in the natural onsen at the back of the cottage, which Natsu kept roaring at all hours. It was in the safety of the deep pool and the four water-slicked walls that she let her tears flow freely, and Wendy took it in stride, curling into Lucy's back as the woman finally let herself break.

"I'm sorry, that was selfish," she managed through her thick throat, scrubbing the sorrow from every inch of her skin with a pumice stone and castile soap.

"It's okay to cry, Lucy," Wendy reassured. "My mama used to tell me that you're no use to anyone if you're bottling up your sadness. How can you help people when you're hurting?"

"Your mother sounds like a wise lady," Lucy hummed.

"She was," Wendy said wistfully, "I loved her so much."

Lucy could recognise the longing for her own, and she bundled Wendy in an embrace. "My mama is gone too, but I can always trust that she's with me in my heart. I know that yours is too."

"Thank you for everything," Wendy choked, and Lucy held her tightly as the girl shuddered with her own soundless cries.

That night Wendy joined them in Natsu's bed, the girl huddled in between their two bodies. Lucy had long ago lost all sense of propriety, and so she snuggled into the both of them, arms joining Natsu's as they wrapped around Wendy, and her legs entangled with his. Despite her best efforts sleep evaded her, and she listened to the heavy breathing of Wendy and Natsu as she desperately tried to fall asleep.

The day weighed heavily on her. The nagging, implacable thought that she was somehow to blame for everything that happened in that dungeon filled her with guilt. Zeref wanted something from her. But what? And what more could she possibly give? Would the man continue to put those she cared about at risk and force her to watch it, like he had tried to with Fenrir? She knew with all her heart that it would break her to see someone else put in such a position. Gods, she had been willing to tear herself apart if it meant she could just get through that barrier to Natsu and Wendy, and if Levy and Gajeel hadn't have stopped her, she knew she would have died today. The revelation of Natsu and Zeref being siblings still needled at her, like barbed wire had replaced her nerve endings. It repulsed her — after all, Natsu was so full of love and light and Zeref was so capable of snuffing out lifelights as easily as he could wield the blades that slit throats. He had been willing to kill Natsu today. That trap, as much as it seemed to be designed for her, was intended for him, too.

Was that what Zeref wanted, to watch them tear themselves apart? Why? What lines was he willing to cross, and would he ever stop?

Natsu's hitched breathing brought her from those thoughts, and she curled herself tighter against him, mindful of the slumbering Wendy between them. She whispered sweet nothings and traced gentle caresses into whatever part of him she could reach, intent on chasing away whatever darkness had stolen him. His moans settled to whimpers, and from the whimpers came small, gasping breaths. She pinned his hips down with her leg when he began to thrash, and she was thankful when his flaring nostrils managed to catch her scent amidst his night terror. He settled completely then, a mumbled version of her name trickling up his hoarse throat.

"It's me. You're safe, I've got you, shh…" she repeated, over again until his brow relaxed and his breathing slowed.

She found her own sleep like that, and when the morning sun rose all three of them were mindless to it, sleeping heavily into the afternoon. Later, she realised just how much she cared for her new companions, and how she could readily admit she loved them.

Lucy could only hope that it wasn't her love that stole the life from them.

WHAT HAVE I DONE.

On another note, WOW, you guys are killing it. Thank you so much for all the support, all your reviews, all your theories and hopes! I hope I answered some of your questions with this chapter, and if not, next chapter should solve most of them. However, on that note, I need to let you all know that I need to take a short break from DoDK. I have a month and a half left of year 13 and a mountain of work that refuses to disappear. So uh, I'm gonna go do that.

As always, thank you to my beta noseinabook145. She has caught more plot holes than I care to admit, so thank you for catching me up on all those!

Also, REVIEW MILESTONE! 20 reviews in just two chapters?! oh my god. thankyou.

Review replies:

endailles, thanks hunny! Mashima really messed up with not doing wolf spirits, how amaizng are they?! Mavis bless u more xx

4evrDorkly17, such a tease! Tell me allll of your theories, I live for them.

Wiintery, awww, I'm so glad to have made your day!

MotherOfDragons1227, thank you so much! I hope this chapter answered most of your questions about Natsu.

SleepinBeautyK, the possibilities are most definitely endless! I must say, your theories are actually super close to what's coming up soon... and with what happened in this chapter!

narutoyaoifan, I love Mard Geer too! The power to the thorn curse?! Sign me up! It's like, all of my Poison Ivy dreams come true ugh.

stranger1999, awww thankyou! I'm loving their relo just as much, I live and breathe it tbh.

Firefly9917, your wish is my command!