Disclaimer: Hey everyone! Firestorm40 here with a new chapter for you all. Anyways, this chapter will wrap up the Dark Roxas arc and move into the next one. Enjoy!

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Roxas emerged from the maelstrom, but he was changed. Blue flames was surrounding his body, when suddenly, a golden aura appeared outside of Roxas' fox flames. The golden aura manifests a gentle, flame-like contour while the blue fire maintained as violently fluctuating and jagged. His hair was blowing through the wind his power gave off and hard blue, slitted eyes drilled into Zervik red ones.

"I'm going to end this here and now!"

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Zervik's eyes narrowed as he observed Roxas and the power he was giving off. The fox slayer was standing in the exact spot he had been and the darkness that had once engulfed him was now being burned away by the power of his new power.

"Hmph. You've changed somehow...I don't know what happened, but the darkness doesn't frighten you anymore." Zervik said.

Roxas looked down at his hands. "I'll admit this. I always thought darkness was something I never wanted with me. But after getting some sense talked into me, I realized that both light and dark go back to back. But I prefer to be one who walks in the light and order to do that...." He looked over at Zervik with a cold glare. "I won't run from the darkness anymore...or lose to it!"

Zervik snarled at him with malice. "Don't get cocky because you got a little power-up! If you think that feeble light with help you from the darkness I wield, think again!" He roared before he fired a beam of crimson fox flames at where Roxas stood and erupted like a storm surge of a hurricane, rocketing  towards Roxas, who just glared at the blast, before he was then lost amid the red light of the attack.

The explosion shook the area and sent shockwaves everywhere. Soon, there was a low rumbling noise as the smoke cleared and revealed a startling surprise.

Roxas stood in the exact same spot, not even fazed by the attack, with the glared still present of his face.

"What!? No way!" Zervik stuttered.

"Now," Roxas said, as he cracked his knuckles, "It's my turn to fight back." He suddenly vanished, causing Zervik to look around for him. Soon Zervik felt a presence behind and turned, right as Roxas' light-power blue-fire fist drilled right into his cheek, snapping his head back around with a sickening crunch of bone on bone, blood mixed with saliva flying everywhere.

The moment his fist hit, Roxas put more pressure behind it and the doppelgänger went flying, drilling straight into the ground in a massive spray of earth. The fox slayer didn't hesitate, he channeled his magic before inhaling.

"Nine-Tails' Howl!"

The blue blast of fox flames soared across the hall towards Zervik, who was pulling himself out of the ground.

"What!?" The dark mage had no time to doge and quickly sent his claws forward, "Crimson-Tails' Claws!"  The claws collided with the blast as Zervik was lost in the explosion that shook the ground and made an even bigger explosion, strong enough that the shockwave from it was able to send deep cracks through most of the walls in the structure.

As the smoke cleared, it revealed Zervik's claws were still out, but with major damage to them. Dropping the magic spell, Zervik stood up glared at Roxas with fury in his eyes.

"AAGGGHHH!" Zervik roared, "I WILL KILL YOU, ROXAS!"

He then charged at Roxas with intense speed and raised his right fist ready to strike. When Zervik punched Roxas in the face, Roxas didn't even flinch. Zervik then continued to throw punches/slashed at Roxas. However, with ease, Roxas dodged the claws. In one swift movement, Roxas smacked Zervik across the face that sends him flying to the ground once more. As Zervik got up from the ground and wiped his mouth, he saw blood on his hands. In rage, Zervik raised his face towards Roxas and summoned another blackish one and an dark red one, appeared in front of him. "Crimson-Tails' Black Howl!" he yelled before firing the large deadly blast of black flames.

Before the flames made contact, Roxas decides to do something different. Roxas then raised an arm and without trying, deflected the blast off his hand and sent it sailing into the wall, causing it to explode on impact.

'No way...he deflected my Flames!?' Zervik thought in shock.

When Roxas lowered his arm, he said "Looks like the tables has turned on you, Zervik. Now let me show what happens when you mess with a Fox Slayer!" "Nine-Tails' Flash Bullet!"

Roxas then disappeared then reappeared in front of Zervik. Before Zervik could do something, Roxas delivered a powerful elbow strike into Zervik's stomach, knocking the air out of him.

As Zervik wrapped his arms around his stomach, Roxas said "That's for taking over my body and trying to drag me into the darkness!"

When Zervik got up, he started to throw more punches at Roxas. But just like before, Roxas dodges all his attacks. Once Zervik threw one more punch, Roxas quickly dodges it and delivers a powerful knee-kick into Zervik's chin that causes him to fall backwards.

As soon as Zervik fell to the floor, Roxas said "That's for hurting my friends and the people of Magnolia!"

When Zervik got on his feet, Roxas raised his right arm and gathered blue fire in it and said in a furious way "And this is for hurting Lucy! Nine-Tails' Sacred Fist!"

Roxas slammed his fist into Zervik's face, causing another shockwave that sends him flying towards a nearby wall creating another dust cloud to erupt. When Zervik got up on his feet, he was already heavily wounded: he was injured from head to toe, as well as being covered in intense burns. In rage, Zervik charged at Roxas once more while swinging his claws at him. "I won't lose to you!" Zervik roared as he ran towards Roxas. Before the blade made contact, Roxas caught them with his hands, causing the light aura around to burn away at the claws, much to Zervik's horror.

As Zervik took a few steps back while holding onto his arms, Roxas stared at him in a serious way and said "Why don't we end this?"

Zervik lets out a mighty roar and his body was surrounded with crimson/black flames as he began to increase in power more. Roxas narrowed his eyes at Zervik as he realized that he was summoning more power. Zervik then charges at Roxas ready to strike him. Roxas was ready and started to block all of his attacks. Zervik then thrusted out his hands "Crimson-Tails' Blazing Barrage!"and fired a wave of crimson beams towards Roxas. Roxas was quick and defects the beams away from him. Having an opportunity, Zervik then delivered a powerful left hook across Roxas' face that sends him flying away from him.

Zervik lets out a piercing laugh and said "HAHAHHAHA! YOU SEE? NO MATTER HOW BRIGHT THE LIGHT SHINES, DARKNESS WILL ALWAYS TRIUMPH OVER IT! THIS WILL BE NO DIFFERENT!!!"

Before he could finish, nine spheres of  blue fire appeared out of nowhere and hit Zervik in the chest. In the distance, Roxas recovered from Zervik's attack with a little bruise on his face where Zervik hit him.

"Hey, dumbass," Roxas said, "If you are going to talk like that, make sure that your opponent stays down."

In rage, Zervik got up and in lightning speed, tackled Roxas to the ground. Before Zervik was going to punch him, Roxas placed his hands towards Zervik and releases a powerful blast of blue flames towards him that sends him flying away from him. When Zervik stopped himself, Roxas appeared in front of him.

It was now Roxas' turn to fight back.

Right as he cloaked his arms in blue flames, Roxas first delivered countless punches and kicks around Zervik's body. As Roxas gripped his hands together, he brought it down on Zervik's head that he crashed to the ground. Before he could get up, Roxas kicks him with his left foot that sends his flying in all over the areal. When Zervik crashed into the ground, Roxas appeared a few feet away from him and unleashed a barrage of rapid fire punches upon him him. After the barrage and the smoke cleared, Zervik fell to the floor on his knees. In a quick movement, Anubis raised his hands and fired a massive blast of crimson flames towards Roxas.

Before the blast came in contact, Roxas placed his hands to his sides and began fusing immense blue fire and heat waves together, gathering the magic into the his palms. It formed into small compact ball in both his hands before it grew bigger.

As the blast was closer, Roxas pushed his hands forward and yelled "Nine-Tail's Roaring Bomb!"

He then hurled the large blue sphere straight towards Zervik's blast and was overpowering it. As Roxas' attack was closing in, Zervik leaped away from the sphere and the blast impacted with the wall behind him and causing a massive explosion. Once the smoke cleared, Roxas landed on the ground a few feet near Zervik.

As Zervik was breathing heavily, he looked at Roxa and cried " YOU THINK YOU ARE WINNING?! FOOL, I AM NOT DONE WITH YOU OR THE REST OF YOU FAIRY TAIL TRASH!!!. ONCE I GET RID OF YOU, I WILL DESTROY WHAT YOU HOLD DEAR!"

Roxas just shook his head and said "That is so sad. Do you have any idea what you have done? You hurt my friends and nearly killed Lucy. Yet you plan to continue you path of destruction for you own amusement?"

Zervik just gave off a devious smile and said "OF COURSE! I WAS CREATED THIS WAY! I WALK IN DARKNESS AND WILL CONTINUE MY PATH OF DESTRUCTION UNTIL EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU FAIRY TAIL SCUM FALL!!!!"

Roxas then said "Then it's about time I ended this."

Pulling his hands to his side in a circular hand sign, a magic circle appeared under Roxas' feet as his magic along with Xionara's magic flared up around him while Zervik then lets out one mighty roar as he charged at Roxas. 

"You've only brought this upon yourself, Zervik." Roxas growled, before he yelled. "THIS IS FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE! ANGEL FOX SLAYER SECRET ART: DIVINE LIGHT'S FLAMING SHURIKEN!" An orb formed between his palms, before it formed into a spinning blade made of blue fire and light. 

With a mighty cry, Roxas sent it forward. "THIS IS FOR MY FAMILY!!"

The flying shuriken spun forward, as Zervik shot a beam of crimson flames at the attack. To his horror, however, the shuriken sliced through the beam and it continued it's way towards him.

Zervik was frozen on the spot. 'I can't dodge that... I can't dodge that!' The blade was inches from hitting him, as time seemed to slow. 'So this... is the power of your Light...'  The shuriken made contact, delivering inflicted intense pain and burns to Zervik's stomach. He could now feel the extent of the attack, his whole body felt like it was on fire inside and out. Zervik continued being pushed backwards by the attack, before eventually being sent into the air. The attack then morphed into a hot burning shooting star, drilling into his stomach with ferocious velocity.

The blades then slashed right through Zervik, but it didn't stop there. The shuriken flew through the darkness in the room, appearing to cut it all in half before finally exploding in a bright flash of light, obliterating the rest.

Once the light died down, Zervik opened his eyes and he noticed where he was. Well above the dark abyss, floating weightlessly in the air. He looked down at the darkness him, watching as the vanished from the light of Roxas' attack. 'To think you still had an attack like this up your sleeve.....' The doppleganger thought as he felt gravity beginning to kick back in. He felt his stomach, burns had burrowed into his skin, 'Well played, Roxas'. He then closed his eyes as he met the ground.

Roxas watched his counterpart crash into the ground, before his arms shot up to protect his face from the debris exploding out of the impact. The ground rumbled, throwing up a thick, choking, black cloud of dust over the abyss. When he found it was safe to look, He removed his arms and opened his eyes. 

Zervik was lying on the ground, unmoving and he looked worse for wear. the top part of his bodysuit was completely destroyed, other parts of his clothing were torn, he was bleeding and there were dark burnt marks  blooming all over his body

It was finally over, Roxas won his heart back from his dark copy's clutches, glad that he was finally able to return to everyone that was cheering him on while he was fighting to reclaim his heart, but he had a nagging feeling in his stomach. Zervik, he couldn't help but ponder about, but as soon as he thought of him, he saw that he was fading from existence. Wisps of blue flames began to surround him, but he made no move to struggle.

"So, it's over...you finally managed to beat me...hmph...death doesn't frighten me. Good riddance to a phony life," Zervik began, "A dark being like me...was never real, I'm sure, even what I'm feeling now, is probably all fake."

"What are you feeling?" Roxas asked, curious.

There was silence between the two until, "What happens when a shadow dies?" Zervik asked "One like me? Where will my heart go? Does it disappear?"

"I'm sure it'll go somewhere." Roxas said smiling as he placed a hand over his heart, "Maybe, to the same place as mine. You may have been a shadow, but when it all came down to it, you were still me. If you become a part of my light, you won't disappear. You'll be part of my flames."

That made Zervik a little tick, "Tch...a optimistic idiot, till the very end," but then smiled, but not his usual evil smile or grin, it was a genuine smile "...that's...okay..."

Soon, the swirling Roxas' flames swallowed Zervik whole before he started to flow a bright blue, then the light and the flames entered Roxas' body. Roxas felt the soft glow on his body for a second, then he felt kinda funny as he looked down at his hands and body, wondering if he changed in some way. "No, I'm still me...." he muttered.

Suddenly, something was shining brightly behind Roxas before he turned around and saw it was a beam of light, shattering around the area that he was standing in. "Time to head back." Roxas said, before he was bathed in the light.

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(Reality)

The team stare in shock as Roxas' dark mass covered body completely freeze on the spot, before a miracle happens.

Roxas' eyes turn blue, as the mass seems to float off of him and turn into light as it sparkles away into the air. In its wake stood Roxas, still shirtless and covered in bruises and cuts and while some patches of his skin were severely burned, others were still peeled off to show draw skin underneath.

He fell forward when his eyes rolled to the back of his head suddenly, cause Lucy to react as she caught him. His head rested in her chest as she held him close.

"He did it!" Natsu was the first to shout with a wide grin on his face, as he flopped onto the burned grass under him with a big sigh of relief.

"Bout time." Gray smirked in agreement.

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered.

"You're going to get such a beating for this later, Whiskers." Ariel said.

Erza smiled. "Everything is okay now."

"Roxas... you're back!" Lucy cried, burying her face into his chest as she half laughed and half cried while the rest of the group smiled at the scene.

But it only lasted a moment, as Lucy held her ear against Roxas' chest.

And didn't hear anything. Not a breath. Not a heartbeat.

"R-Roxas...?" Lucy's eyes widened, as she shook the silver haired mage slightly, getting no response. "Roxas, come on. T-This isn't funny! Stop joking around!"

Seeing Lucy's look of distress, Erza's smile drops as she kneels before the two. "Lucy, what's wrong?"

Lucy couldn't seem to hear the swordswoman, as she shook Roxas harder. "R-Roxas! Wake up!" She suddenly yells, forcing everyone to jump and scurry to kneel around her.

"Lucy, what's wrong with Roxas!?" Ariel demanded to know, her hands were now shaking.

"It's Roxas! H-He's not breathing! And I can't get a heartbeat!" Lucy panicked, as tears began trailing down her face which landed on Roxas' whiskered cheek.

"WHAT!?" The group shouted in shock.

"N-No way....!" Ariel muttered.

"Erza... do you think?...?" Gray trailed off, as Erza nodded.

"His magic burnt him from the inside out. Even though he beat the man who was doing this to him, he still couldn't beat him in time."

"No! You don't mean...!" Natsu's eyes widened in horror.

"Yes... Roxas... is dead." Erza's voice hitches at the end, as tears began to fall from her eyes. Everyone froze at that. Roxas was...dead?

Lucy looked back at Roxas and tried to wake up, refusing to believe her childhood friend was gone, "No, no, no, no... Roxas, Roxas, wake up, please?"

Ariel tried thinking positive, but even she, was so devastated that tears formed in her eyes, "R-Roxas, stop playing with us!"

"Come on, man! Wake up! You're stronger than this!" Natsu yelled, shaking the slivernette, to no avail. "You're a member of Team Chaotic!"

Gray looked down at the ground, his fists clenched. "This can't be happening...It can't."

Lucy couldn't stay calm; she just couldn't as she stared at the peaceful face of her childhood friend. She had blocked everything out and focused just on him.

She leaned down, placing her forehead on Roxas' lips and feeling how cold they were as she watched he tears land in the boy's neck and chest.

What she was feeling was different than what she felt when her mom died. She'd never be able to hear Roxas' voice again. To see his adorable smile when he gets excited over the littlest of things. To see his strength and determination in battle...To have him always be her side.

"Roxas..." She whispered, her small hand gripping his larger one tightly. "You can't be gone... you can't be...P-Please wake up. Y-You're my best friend...my hero. Please don't leave me. I never got to tell you, how much you mean to me. How much I look up to you..." She clenched her eyes shut, as she could no longer see though her tears. "How much... I love you..."

Ariel couldn't stop her tears from falling anymore. Her hand shivered in grief that she sobbed continuously. Natsu held her tight as he looked down to the ground. 

"Roxas..." Happy also showed some tears falling down from his eyes. He went closer to Roxas and moved his hand, trying to let him pat his head, but he didn't receive any response. 

Lucy's tears fell on Jack's face as she wept. She held tight onto Roxas' head. When her tears fell on Roxas' face, a light suddenly came out from between the duo and went inside Roxas. Suddenly, rays of Golden light and wisps of Sliver surrounded all of them, most especially Roxas. Soon, Lucy and Roxas were also glowing, from their respective light. The group looked shocked at how strong and bright the light was coming from the two, but no more than Lucy. She had no idea what was happening as she looked just as shocked.

The sliver and golden rays of light surrounded them. The rays of Light then formed into a heart looking shape over Roxas's chest and surrounded his body. And as the rays started to fade out, his wounds disappeared.

Lucy looked around as she, Natsu, Misty, Erza, Gray and Happy were astounded by what they were seeing. Lucy held Roxas' hand tightly and suddenly felt a grip being returned to her hand. She looked back at Roxas when she felt the grip and heard Roxas groaning.

She gasped with eyes full of hope, "R-Roxas?!" Natsu and the others stared at Roxas and waited for him to wake up.

Roxas slowly opened his eyes, showing his piercing-blue eyes to all of them, "Lu...? Guys..."

"Roxas, you're okay!" Lucy exclaimed, as she helped Roxas up.

"Thanks, Lu." Roxas said, before he noticed the scratches, burn marks and torn clothing on her. He looked down in shame. "I hurt you..."

"That doesn't matter!" Lucy exclaimed as she gave Roxas a warm, tight hug. "I could have lost you, you weren't in control it wasn't your fault, a few burns and bruises is nothing compared to losing you forever."

"Still, I'm sorry... for putting you through this... for putting everyone through this."

"At least you came back. Thank you." Lucy whispered in his ear. 

Roxas smiled and hugged her back. "Yeah."

 As they broke away from each other, the others suddenly jumped in and gave Roxas a warm hug.

"Whiskers! You're alive!" Ariel screamed as she jumped onto Roxas giving him a tight grip around his neck, making him unable to breathe.

"Ariel... I haven't even awake for one more minute and I'm gonna die for sure because of your grip," Roxas teased. Ariel chortled and punched him in the arm. 

Natsu smacked him on the back with a huge grin, "Welcome back, you bastard!"

Gray patted his shoulder. "Glad to have you back, buddy."

Happy jumped on Roxas' head and hugged him. "Roxas is alive!"

"Thanks you guys!"

"Roxas..." Erza said as she walked up to him with a warm smile, before she grabbed his head and hugged him, making his head collide with her armor. "Thank goodness you're okay."

Roxas rubbed his head from the pain as he grinned. "Yeah, not only do I feel better, I also feel stronger than before."  He took a deep breath and tried to summon his Magic Power, but he collapsed to his knees.

"Roxas!" Lucy yelled in worry. "It's great that you're stronger now, but don't strain yourself. You took quite a beating from Natsu and that power seemed like it was hurting you a lot."

"Oh... that's why I'm in so much pain..."

"Always have to show off don't you?" Gray asked with a smirk.

"I wouldn't exactly call it showing off..."

"Hey!" Ariel yelled. "There is still one important thing we forgot..." everyone looked at her with serious faces. "Natsu, Roxas... Out of curiosity, who won?" she asked with a smirk everyone except for Mira all comically fainted.

"Oh my..." Mira said with closed eyes and a smile.

Natsu and Roxas look to each other. "Heh, let's call it a draw." Natsu said.

"Sounds fair," Roxas agreed.

Ariel though wasn't satisfied. "What? Oh come on...? The most epic fight ever just happened and you want to call it a draw!? There should be a rematch! Cana what do you say?"

"Hey, keep me out of this..." she replied.

Gray then got an idea. "You know, a proper rematch would be so-" he was comically punched in the face by Erza before he was allowed to continue.

"Shut up, idiot!" she exclaimed as she re-quipped into her regular armor.

Roxas looked around as everyone was laughing at Gray's expense. "At least everything is back to normal..."

"Ahem!" everyone turned to see Porlyusica glaring at them. "Roxas, Natsu... I have to talk to you about something..." She appeared civil and serious before pulling out her broom and began waving it. "LOOK AT WHAT YOU FOOLS HAVE DONE TO THE FOREST!" she screamed while she began to chase after them while waving her broom. Roxas and Natsu were laughing as they were running from her.

 Cana sighed. "Some things never change..."

Lucy giggled. "I'll say..." 'At least I know Roxas is feeling a lot better now...' she thought to herself while looking up to the sky.

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Next Time: Departure and New Meetings

Because of the guilt of attacking Lucy and his friends burning in his heart, as well as determined to make sure to never lose control again, Roxas does the unthinkable and parts from the guild to better his skills and himself as a mage!