Hello, everyone! ♥ It's time; I finally updated, haha!  Sorry it took me so long, haha.  It's just for the past days of break I haven't wanted to do anything except rest.  I mean, I was just soo lazy!  But, I hope you all had a nice Christmas!  I sure did!  If you want, care to share the stuff you got?  I'm always curious to know what you all got, haha!  Anyways, I again apologize for the wait; I hope this chapter makes up for it, though. c:

In the multimedia is both a poster and song. c:  The poster is of Natsu, and one of the things he says just in this chapter~  It's just to give you a good feel of the situation, ne?  The song is "Start Again", by Red.  I really love this band, and have listened to it for a long time. c':  I think it goes really good with the story, and a good fighting song between Natsu and Donovan!

I dedicate this chapter to starryflames; thanks for being such a good friend; I hope we can talk more soon!! ♥ Please tell me how you like the fighting, the dialogue, etc...I really want to your opinions!  Thanks so much for reading, and remember; feedback is greatly appreciated!  Until the next chapter, minna!

я y - c н α η ,

т н є  и α ℓ υ  ω я ι т є я--★☆

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"Salamander better be takin' care of things!"  Gajeel snarled, slamming his arm into multiple Black Brigades at once.

"Like a man, like a man, like a man!"  Elfman exclaimed, slashing at the evil soldiers one after another.

Gajeel crossed his iron arms as a force of air slammed into him and sent him sliding backwards against the dirt.  Lifting his head, his expression was slightly strained.  "These bastards are getting on my nerves!"

"Kee going, Gajeel!"  Lily exclaimed, not far from him as he swung his axe around, dodging as Black Brigades fired at him.

Mira shot up into the sky, transforming into Satan's Soul as she did so.  Spreading out her hands, she faced the battle ground high in the air, the large waves of Black Brigades looking like ants beneath her.

"Try and dodge this!"  Mira exclaimed in a demonic voice, a large yellow orb shooting out from her palm and expanding extremely quickly.

It grew to the size of four football fields, slamming into the earth and the warriors of the Horsemen gigantically.  The ground rumbled, and when the blast cleared, the earth was burnt and smoking.  However, more anti-Sky Brigades took the fallen's place, silent yet deadly corpses.

"There's so many of these things!"  Freed exclaimed, floating in the air a few feet away from Mira, his sword in his hand.

A sudden bolt of lightning struck the ground, moving quickly and electrocuting the anti-Sky Brigades, making them evaporate.  It was then that Laxus appeared with lighting cracking around his body.  "Well, we'll have them cleared out soon anyway."

"Gahaha!  It looks like Fairy Tail is having difficulties!"  A voice exclaimed.

Everyone looked up, seeing two figures drop to the ground not far from them.  The Black Brigades stopped their attack, standing obediently around the guests.

Gajeel smirked.  "You're those Four Horsemen snakes..."

Keiran smirked, his smile just as dark and vile.  "I've been looking to fighting you, Fairy Tail."

Selena was silent, her eyes flashing.

"Gehee; time for a real fight!"  Gajeel exclaimed, taking a few steps forward.

"It's about time we found you."

Surprised, everyone turned to look up the hill, and spotted familiar figures.

"You two...!"  Lily exclaimed.

Sting smirked, his arms crossed.  Rogue's expression was calm, and slightly amused.  Their clothes blew in the foreboding breeze, the grass rustling underneath them.

Sting's smirk widened.  "I'm here to surpass Natsu-san.  But until then, I guess we'll have to take these nasty things out!"

"Rogue, you'll be challenging me again soon, I assume?"  Gajeel exclaimed, smirking.

Rogue nodded, smiling slightly.  "Don't forget, either."

"It seems we have more arrivers, Selena!"  Keiran exclaimed loudly, amused.

"Let's show them exactly who they're dealing with!"  Mira exclaimed.

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"Salamander..."  Donovan muttered, poised for attack.  "Take your best shot."

Natsu smirked, lighting himself on fire.  "Here I come, ya bastard!"

Bending his knees, Natsu made a loud clap resound through the air as he pressed off the ground, flying through the air and straight for Donovan.  His fists alight, Natsu brought his right hand back quickly, yelling a battle cry as he sailed forward.

"Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!"

Donovan brought his fist forward, slamming it straight into Natsu's and causing a large blast of air to shoot in all directions.  Natsu's breath halted slightly in surprise, and his pupils contracted as Donovan suddenly disappeared, leaving him tripping forward at the suddenly release.  But only a second later did Donovan reappear, surprising the dragon slayer who barely had time to look over his shoulder.

"H-He's fast...!"  Lucy exclaimed, unable to help herself as she took a warning step forward.

Donovan brought his fist forward so fast Natsu didn't see it as he blinked; Donovan slammed his fist into Natsu's face, making Natsu explode through the air and fly into the wall across the room, knocking over statues in his wake.

"Natsu!"  Lucy exclaimed.

Natsu's teeth were clenched as he fell to the ground on his knees, shaking slightly. 

"I'm not even using magic yet, Salamander."  Donovan replied smugly, smirking.  "I doubt I'll even need it!"

"Hoh?  You're really determined, aren't ya?  Well, we're just getting started..."  Natsu mumbled, smirking widely with a dark look in his eyes.  "...This is going to be more fun than I thought!"

Jumping up, Natsu dodged out of the way as Donovan struck the ground where the dragon slayer once layed, skidding across the ground on his heels.  Lighting his heels on fire, Natsu spun on one hand upside down and kicked Donovan as he was off guard.  Slamming his flamed-foot into Donovan's face, the force of Natsu's blow sent Donovan flying into the wall that Natsu had just crashed into earlier.

However, surprising Natsu, Donovan recovered quickly, lunging for him with incredible speed.  Ducking, Natsu grunted, avoiding a heavy blow from Donovan's fist.  Doing a couple back-handsprings to distance himself from Donovan, Natsu stood back up, his mouth beginning to fill with fire.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

In one smooth motion, fire erupted from Natsu's mouth and slammed into the crossed arms of Donovan.  Donovan's eyes narrowed, but with a jerk of his arms diagonally, the fire was dispersed, leaving him unharmed.

"W-What the...?!"  Natsu began to exclaim.

"He still hasn't used any magic yet..."  Lucy murmured, her eyes shaking in surprise.  "Why?  How...is that possible, against Natsu?"

Rushing forward, Natsu barely escaped a blow from Donovan, whose fist skimmed the side of his face.

"Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!"  Natsu exclaimed, bringing his fist upwards as it slammed into Donovan's gut.

Following up with the attack, Natsu threw a left hook of fire at Donovan's face, making the leader of the Four Black Horsemen spin around because of Natsu's velocity.  Donovan growled, using his spinning to his advantage as he came back up on the opposite side.  Natsu's breath caught in surprise, but Donovan had already grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into the earth.

The strength of the gesture was so large that when Natsu's back slammed into the ground, a crater formed underneath his body.

"N-Natsu!"  Lucy exclaimed, clutching Alys' staff tightly in her hands in panic.

Donovan looked triumphant.  "You're the reincarnation of Nagaharu?  Don't make me laugh."

Natsu grinned wickedly, though his voice was husky from the pain just inflicted upon him and one of his eyes was scrunched shut.  "What?  Too scared to use your magic?"

Donovan chsked, dragging Natsu into the air by his collar until he was suspended in mid-air.  Bringing his right fist up in an uppercut, Donovan slammed his fist into Natsu stomach with a loud bang.  Natsu doubled over, his eyes wide as blood escaped from his mouth and the air escaped from his lungs.  Natsu thought quick, however, and was able to fill his mouth with fire quickly.  Donovan's eyes widened, and Natsu released his magic as it hit the lower half of Donovan's body.

The pain caused Donovan to drop Natsu, who jumped back a few feet to regain his breath.  When the fire evanesced, Donovan looked at Natsu with vile in his eyes.

Lucy flinched as Donovan turned his gaze to her.  "Lucy Heartfilia; it seems you need to be shown something."

"Nani?"  Natsu grunted, pulling himself back up to his feet cautiously.

All Donovan did was turn back to Natsu, his eyes narrowing.  Natsu's expression was angered, now; he had to step it up a notch.

Fire erupted and gathered at Natsu's feet, moving up his body until he was completely covered in fire.  Lightning soon followed, and Natsu took a step forward, getting in a defensive position.

"Get ready!"  Natsu roared.

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Erza and Lorelie stood face to face, Lorelie grinning manically while Erza's stare was threatening.

"I've waited a long time, Titania!"  Lorelie exclaimed, unsheathing her sword.

"Hoh?"  Erza began.  "So you're a swordswoman too, I see."

"Of course,"  Lorelie began, her samarai sword glinting in the dark light of the sky.  "Let's see who's the better, shall we?"

"She's just going to fight Erza with that?"  Gray began, his voice questioning.

"Erza will beat her for sure!"  Happy exclaimed.

There was a deadly silence as the two swordswoman stared each other down, and the choppy wind began to pass on through.

Erza yelled, pushing herself powerfully into the air, Lorelie following.  The result of their movement cause a wild stir in the area, leaving everyone else behind.  The anti-Sky Brigades once again began their assault, leaving the demise of Titania in the hands of their commander.

"Back to fighting these things..."  Gray muttered, clenching his teeth.

Erza sailed into the air, transforming into her Heaven's Wheel Armor.  Brining her silver decorated and controlled sword down in a wide arc, Erza was met with Lorelie, who rushed at her from underneath.  Their swords clashed, causing sparks to dance across their blades before disappearing.

"You may be able to change armors, Erza..."  Lorelie began, her voice low as her sword's aura began to change.  "...but can you change your swords powers?"

"What...?"  Erza murmured, seeing vines appear at the handle of Lorelie's sword and shoot out towards her.

Forced to draw back, Erza dodged the attack and sailed back down towards the ground, now in an open pasture where no Black Brigades or guild members resided.  Her velocity of descending back to the ground was high, and as Erza hit the ground and sailed back against the dirt, a large dust cloud gathered at her feet when she stopped.

Lorelie dropped to the ground loudly, the earth crunching under her feet as her armor clanged against each other.  She snickered evily, her eyes wide with excitement.  Taking a few foreboding steps forward, Lorelie's sword sparked into a different element; posion.  Poisonous liquid dripped from the blade, and gas formed in the air around it.

"You can exchange elements within your sword...?"  Erza began, her expression strained yet feirce.

Erza switched to her Flight Armor, knowing she had to make sure none of that poison touched her.

"Are you ready, Titania?"  Lorelie mocked, taking more steps forward before stopping.  "These are only two of my many elements.  I can change whenever I want to."

Erza smirked slightly.  "It looks like you'll be a worthy opponent after all.  Well...lets begin, shall we?"

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Natsu charged forward, his speed much more increased.  Donovan's expression was surprised, and Lucy gasped in surprise as Natsu brought his fist forward, flying through the air.

"Lightning Flame Dragon's Iron Fist!"  Natsu roared, his fire and lightning growing in intensity even though it was still connected with Donovan's stomach.

As a result, Donovan was sent stumbling a few paces while clutching at his lower stomach painfully.  However, Natsu didn't stop there, and he surged forward, an explosion echoing through the air as he pushed off the ground with a large amount of force.  Bringing both fist forward, Natsu slammed twenty blows onto Donovan's front within a frenzy of fifteen seconds.  Donovan made a choked noise, his expression strained yet also surprised.  As a final move, Natsu jumped in the air while spinning and yelling a battle cry.  

Slamming his foot dead into Donovan's face, Natsu pushed forward as his eyes widened slightly, fire and lightning suddenly exploding in intensity and gathering at the bottom of his leg.  When Natsu gave one final push, Donovan took off like a rocket and skidded across the ground like a pebble on water, his armor slamming against the ground heavily.  Lucy watched in astonishment as Donovan slammed into the wall across the room, making it crack high above him.

Natsu dropped to the ground, his fit over yet still residing under his skin dangerously.  Panting heavily, the lightning and flames still gathered around the dragon slayer's body, not dwindling.

Lucy smiled in relief, her shoulders relaxing slightly.  He's winning...

Natsu smirked, though his expression was still murderous.  "What did you think of that, ya' bastard?  Pretty good for another Nagaharu, eh?"

There was a small oment of silence, the only noise being the raging battle outside, and Natsu's flames dancing through the air and his electricity crackling.

Donovan suddenly began chuckling, pulling himself up to his knees and then slowly to his feet, his arms slung down and his posture bent.  Natsu's expression was impassive, but his stance tensed as Donovan continued to stir.  When Donovan began to straighten his back, his mocking laughter continued lowly.  The armor along his arms and chest broke off, Natsu's flames the result of it.  The cape Donovan wore was slightly tattered and charred at the ends.

"You are actually more than I expected, Salamander."  Donovan replied, his voice low.  His eyes still hidden by his hair, Donovan chuckled again darkly.  "I was saving my magic to fight against Alys, but it seems I have no choice to use it against you as well..."

Natsu growled slightly, not liking what he was hearing.  Lucy was cautious, the same whisps of yellow smoke brushing off the outline of her body as she kept the barrier strong.

Red aura seemed to vibrate off of Donovan's body as he continued to straighten his posture, his eyes finally showing as they flashed darkly.  It gathered in the air high above him, making the air chop around roughly and cause both Natsu and Lucy to block the wind with their arms.  Slowly, the red aura became filled with black, and a pulse raised through the air as the magic gathered in Donovan's hands and around the outline of his body.

"I-It's the same..."  Lucy murmured to herself.  "Just like I saw Valince, this is the same magic!"

The magic began to grow in intensity, and Natsu's power was completely overridden.  When Lucy couldn't comprehend how much bigger it could get, the magic suddenly absorbed back into Donovan, causing another wave of air to erupt around them.  When it stopped, there was a kind of deathly silence that could only mean trouble.  Finally, there was a reaction from Donovan, who had been impassive since the beginning.  He smirked, his eyes revealing themselves again.  Only this time, his eyes glowed red, black churning in the depths of them and making him look like a demon.  

And as he opened his mouth, Lucy began to think of possibilities of what might come out.  

But all Donovan did was sigh slowly, letting out a breath as a cloud of vapor escaped his mouth; it had mysteriously gotten extremely cold in the throne room.  His exhale was almost relieved, and Lucy watched in awe as the evil mage had completely transformed.

Slowly, Donovan smirked, looking like a monster.  "It's been a long time..."  His voice was cold, and it seemed to have a ringing edge to it, like two destructive beings were combined and speaking at once.  "Finally, I can use magic I've kept locked in an attempt of restraint for a long time..."

Natsu growled slightly, deep in his throat.  Though, there was a look of shock in his eyes, feeling the sudden release of immense power from the leader of the Four Black Horsemen.

Donovan chuckled, his throat making it sound twisted and disturbing.  "Prepare yourself, Natsu Dragneel...for now is the time I show you that you will be eliminated."

N-No way...!  Lucy exclaimed, her eyes wide in shock as she took a few disbelieving steps back.

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The true fight is about to begin.  Will Natsu be overwhelmed, and will Lucy have enough strength to overcome the darkness that continues to spread through the air?

And will Lucy make a decision?  Will she choose to help keep up the barrier, or will she be unable to help herself and help Natsu battle against the monster that has suddenly appeared?

Find out in the next chapter, Chapter 18: The Reincarnation of Valince.