The Celestial Princess

Chapter 19

Tears trickled down my face, although I was too full of rage to notice, much less care.

"Lucy! Natsu!"

Looking back I noticed the entire guild, frantically running towards us.

Lisanna ran to her siblings, crying tears of joy. "Mira-Nee! Elfman!" She cried happily, embracing them both.

Ezra ran up to the two of us, her sword drawn, glinting in the fading sunlight. Gray also was beside us, his hands in the usual fighting position.

"No. Please let me handle this," my voice softened. "It's all I ask."

They looked at me, alarmed at my tear stained face. Laila's corpse had disintegrated, which is what happened to any magical creature who died outside of their realm.

"Lucy...I'm sorry..." Erza whispered, her voice quiet and wistful. She held out her hands, as if to comfort me, but I turned away.

Gray just stared at the ground, his face twisted with guilt.

"Luce..." Natsu said, laying a sympathetic hand on my shoulder, which I shook off.

"I don't need your pity, Dragneel." I hissed, and he flinched at my sudden rage.

Zeref narrowed his eyes into cold, icy slits, glowering. "I could've just made things a whole lot easier for you, Lucy, if you had just let Natsu die."

"And when do I like things easy, Zeref?" I snapped, and my entire body became engulfed in a golden light.

The guild had surrounded us, everyone, including Natsu, watching.

Waiting.

Who was going to make the first move?

The silence cut deep, no one speaking, no one moving.

Zeref was still in the air, sneering, but said nothing.

Beginning to grow tired of this...I did.

"Celestial Dragon's ROAR!"

A powerful golden light shot out of my mouth, heading straight for Zeref. He smirked then dodged with ease, swift and nimble, like a cat.

The beam, however, shot straight past him and demolished some buildings in the distance.

I cursed under my breath. "Air Dragon's Special Attack: Tornado!"

A funnel of rapidly spinning air trapped Zeref, disabling his ability to move, much less dodge.

Zeref shook his head angrily. "Lucy, you will not win this one!"

He drew a deep, sharp breath.

"Death's Plague!"

As soon as he uttered those words, everyone around me suddenly fell to the ground, breathing heavily.

Erza collapsed and clutched her body, letting out a shriek of raw pain.

Gray did the same, along with many others.

I covered my ears, not wanting to hear their screams.

Everyone fell to the ground hurting.

Except me, Natsu and Zeref.

Natsu looked in dismay at his guild, all who were now on the ground, powerless.

And he began to rage.

"Zeref!" He yelled, glaring at him, his eyes full of a new energy. "You will pay for this! I swear it!"

Zeref chuckled, taunting him. "Oh? I'd like to see you try." His voice was slithery and cold, manipulative.

"No, Natsu, don't--"

Natsu was covered in a flash of light, much like Erza's reequip, but this light was black. Dark.

When it disappeared, Natsu was no longer there. (A/N: not literally speaking).

Black marks ran up his arms, much like tiger stripes. His eyes had turned a cold, dark red, and a matching set of horns spiraled out of his head, the edges glinting like a knife.

"N...Natsu?" I asked, my voice shaking.

He turned to me and grinned sickly, revealing sharpened teeth. "Why hello, Lucy."

He emphasized my name, knowing well that he didn't use my usual nickname. I flinched at this, both surprised and hurt.

The childish glint to his eyes was now gone, and his new red ones were dull and plain, as if he wasn't all there.

The guild did nothing, for none could move or speak.

Zeref, however, laughed, a laugh without a trace of humor. "Did I not tell you to let him go? Let him die?"

He looked at Natsu, eyeing him as if he were a tasty morsel.

I could see a small grin flicker on his lips, but it did not last long, for then he turned to me, his grin faded.

"And now you'll have to pay the price."