Hello again, everyone! ♥  Here is the next chapter, I hope you all like it~!  This is our last day of freedom before school starts, ugh. -.-  Today is going to mostly be studying for me. cx  But, I had started writing this chapter last night, and had gotten about halfway through it before I stopped.  So, I thought it's be a good idea to finish it and get another chapter up for sure! ^.^

In the multimedia is both a song and picture. c:  Picture is a poster of Lucy; please read it from the top, and from left to right!!!  Thank you!!  "Song is Where Is The Blood" by Delain...a good fight song if you ask me. c;  I hope you like them!

I dedicate this chapter to kitcat5510!  I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and don't forget...feedback and votes are greatly appreciated! ♥ It'd mean a lot to me if you commented and voted!  I'm also freaking out I'm almost to 1,000 followers!!  I love you guys so much, omg.  Haha anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and until next time!

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т н є и α ℓ υ ω я ι т є я - - ღ

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Lucy turned to face Natsu, dropping to her knees and surprising him with a hug.  Natsu froze, his eyes peaking over her shoulder in surprise.  Despite blood being on him, Lucy pressed him firmly to her.

"Arigato, Natsu..."  Lucy murmured, and Natsu slowly looked at her, though she was still hugging him.  "You've protected me for a long time.  Now..."  Lucy pulled back, smiling at Natsu sadly.  "Let me help protect you."  Lucy pressed her hand on Natsu's forehead before standing up.  

"Oi, I...I ain't done yet..."  Natsu grunted, but clutched at his throat painfully.  

Natsu watched Lucy, still in shock as she smiled down to him.  "Get better, Natsu.  Then we'll fight him together, ne?"

Lucy didn't wait for a reply, and turned around to face Donovan again, standing protectively in front of Natsu.  Her expression had become determined again, and slightly angered.

"Shall we begin?"  Donovan began, his voice taunting.

Surprising him, Lucy gestured Alys' staff forward, and the dark mage was suddenly launched across the room, slamming into the rock wall with a crack.

Natsu's eyes widened stupidly.  "N-Nani?!"  He exclaimed in stupid surprise, not thinking the Lucy he knew could do something like that.

But then again, this Lucy was also different.

Lucy set her staff down to the ground, which made a light tap on the rocky floor.  Natsu watched in surprise as the shoes Lucy was wearing began to dissolve into light, but then replaced with different clothes.  As it continued, Lucy's clothes were completely exchanged.  Lucy remembered these clothes; Alys had worn them during her battle against Valince.

Lucy was wearing an entire new clothing.  Instead of the clothes she had came to the island with, Lucy had exchanged the clothes with armored clothing.  Though most of the outfit was white cloth with yellow symbols on it, near the wrists, neckline, waist, and legs was armor.  Lucy's hair was slightly longer, just the same length as Alys' had been.

I feel like Erza, switching clothes...  Lucy joked for a minute before turning her full attention on Donovan, who was pulling himself out of the debris in the wall.

Lucy was going to end this.

"My my, that was a surprise..."  Donovan muttered, rubbing the back of his hand on the corner of his mouth.

Lucy's eyes narrowed, half of her experience and training mixing with Alys' knowledge.  She wasn't weak anymore.  She wasn't delicate.  Lucy had a power that could finally protect her friends, and she'd die before not using it to protect them.  Lucy...Lucy was the new Alys, just as Alafan had said.

And she was going to defeat Donovan.  Once and for all.

"Don't try to come near me,"  Lucy began, her expression determined.  "You know what'll happen if you touch the barrier."

Donovan chuckled.  "Oh, I know very well, Alys.  You'll purify the dark magic I possess, isn't that correct?"

Purify?  What did that bastard mean by that?  Natsu watched in caution, slowly feeling the pain in his chest ebb away.  Had Lucy done something?  Lucy didn't reply, but only gestured for Donovan to accept her challenge.

And so Donovan lunged.

Lucy wasn't herself anymore; anyone could tell that.  The training she had recieved along with Alys' memories had really made a difference.  Dodging to the side, Donovan instead flew past her, leaving himself wide open.  Slightly surprised, Donovan's breath halted, but Lucy was already reacting.

Slamming her staff into the ground, a shockwave of light spread through the area.  And as it hit Donovan, he was sent flying back before regaining his balance.  Turning to face Lucy, Donovan came at her again.  However, Lucy was still trying to right herself after using such a shockwave, and was surprised as Donovan appeared next to her.  However, he didn't touch her.  Instead, he used a mixture of red and black magic and slammed it into Lucy's barrier.  Since it caused such a violent reaction, Lucy was sent skidding backwards anyways.

However, Lucy pulled herself back up, not giving up yet.  Her eyes flashed yellow, and this time she charged forward.  Donovan waited for her, but when they met, both of their magics collided, creating a wall of light and darkness shooting up into the air.  Lucy closed her eyes as she struggled, then suddenly jerked them open only to have them completely covered in light.  Donovan's magic was suddenly dispersed, and Lucy's light slammed into Donovan's body.  The dark mage was sent sliding backwards on his heels, his skin and clothing smoking.

Lucy had burned his skin with light.

Natsu's eyes widened.

Lucy gestured with her staff once again, daring Donovan to come at her again.

Donovan began to chuckle then.  "I find it amusing how you believe that wiping me out will wipe out the rest of the darkness here."

Lucy's grip on her staff tightened.  "Nani?"

"After all, the ever-lasting darkness of the War of the Horsemen and the Bright Sun will always loom over this island.  You think defeating me will defeat the darkness here?  You yourself have a tainted soul!"

Lucy's eyes widened, those words ringing through her mind.

I...have a tainted soul?

However, Lucy made the mistake of letting her guard down.

Red magic exploded from the ground, slicing against Lucy's right side.  Lucy's back arched as pain exploded in her side, and blood splattered against the rocks on the ground.

"L-Lucy!"  Natsu exclaimed, his eyes dark and angered though his body was still recovering from the paralysis.  Coughing again roughly, Natsu's vision swam though part of the sickness had been lifted.

Lucy clutched at her side, one eye shut tightly in pain as she dropped to her knees.  

Donovan chuckled, taking a few steps forward.  "It is surprisingly easy to distract you, Lucy Heartfilia."

Lucy grunted in annoyance but also in pain.  Tensing, a wave of bright light shot out from her body.  Donovan blocked his eyes with his arm, his teeth clenched in annoyance.  Lucy began to grab her staff again, but just as she did so, Lucy was extremely surprised to see Donovan rush at her.  Lucy thought he was insane, since he knew the barrier around her would severely injure him if he touched it with his bare hands.  

However, Donovan did just that.  Reaching with his hand, the dark mage clenched his teeth painfully as his palm touched the barrier.  Lucy watched in shock as Donovan pressed on, his arm getting all the way up to the elbow inside her barrier.  Suddenly, a sharp pain went through Lucy's head, and a second later Donovan grabbed her by the throat and slammed her into the ground, the barrier broken.  However, they skidded a few paces, and Lucy's back scraped into the ground, creating a small path within the dirt.

Lucy's staff skidded off a few feet from her, thought Lucy was mainly focused on trying to pry Donovan's right hand from her throat.  Donovan loomed over her, his expression dark.  Lucy scratched at the reincarnation of Valince's arm; without Alys' staff, Lucy couldn't summon any of Alys' magic that was within her.

Donovan chuckled darkly.  "You think you're the only one who can bend the rules?  Lucy Heartfilia, I'm surprised.  Your barriers aren't as strong as Alys' once was.  Is it because you too have a tainted soul?"

Lucy chsked, grinding her teeth as she struggled to grab for Alys' staff.

Natsu growled, feeling his power coming back.  Just a little bit longer, and he would be able to move again!  Natsu grinded his teeth together, anger seething through the dragon slayer.  Making fun of Lucy like that...

He wasn't going to allow it!

His hands suddenly sparked as a sign of his emotions, and showing a sign he was almost free.  Lucy had one eye shut in strain, still struggling to grab her staff.  Her fingertips brushed it, and Donovan smirked at Lucy's expression, forgetting about the staff.

"Tell me again, Lucy..."  Donovan began, his voice low.  Lucy was gasping for air by this time.  "...Do you believe light will win now?"

Lucy's expression suddenly turned fierce, and she grabbed ahold of her staff before slamming a jet of light into Donovan's side.  The dark mage was sent sliding across the ground, hissing in agony as another part of his armor crumbled to the floor.

"Why you little..."  Donovan murmured, his expression more dark now.

Lucy stood her ground, leaning slightly on her staff for support as she breathed heavily, gasping for breath.  She halted as Donovan began to stir, powerful magic rippling at his feet.  Lucy began to summon one of her more powerful spells that she had learned, gold-colored magic outlining her body.  Her hair began to stir in the magic-enduced breeze, and Donovan's eyes turned monster-like once more as black magic appeared in his palms.  Donovan charged forward, swinging blow after blow to try and hit Lucy.  

However, Lucy was able to side-step each attempt, half focusing on the words of the spell she was about to use.  Finally using another attack to send Donovan skidding back quite a few feet, Lucy's eyes began to glow and the light around her body intensified.  The words seemed to say themselves, just out of Lucy's mouth.

"In the name of I, Alys the Celestial Goddess, surrender your powers and be defeated..."  Lucy gestured outward with her palm, bringing it down in a vertical formation.

"I won't let you finish!"  Donovan exclaimed, charging towards her.

"Lucy!"  Natsu exclaimed.

"...Kieru!"  Lucy exclaimed dominantly, and light shot from her hand and slammed into Donovan, making him sail into the wall and be pinned by Lucy's magic.

Natsu watched, eyes wide, as Donovan exclaimed loudly in surprise and then in pain as Lucy's attack continued to force him.  The wall he was pressed against began to crack, and another large portion of Donovan's armor crumbled and fell to the ground.  Lucy continued to keep the spell alive, pushing as hard as her body would let her.  The light grew so brightly Natsu had to cover his eyes, clenching his teeth tightly as the air chopped around him.

When it finally cleared, Donovan was covered by the wall's debris, and Lucy dropped to her knees, panting heavily.  Her staff clattered to the floor, resting next to her.  Natsu watched, silent, as he didn't see Donovan resurface from the pile of rubble.  

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Lucy looked up, her eyes slightly clouded over from fatigue.  However, there was a small stir behind Lucy, and she only had enough time to begin to glance over her shoulder before she was hit.

Donovan's magic burst from the ground underneath Lucy, and engulfed her in dark magic.  Lucy began to scream, nightmares and pain flowing into her.

"Lucy!"  Natsu exclaimed, able to stand now.

Sprinting over to her, Natsu dropped to his knees heavily, reaching his hand towards the column of magic that had engulfed Lucy.  However, when he touched it, his hand was immediately rejected, and Natsu pulled it back in pain.

"What the..."  Natsu muttered, looking over to see Donovan finally pulling himself out of the rubble.

"That..."  Donovan started, looking extremely angry.  "...wasn't very nice, Lucy Heartfilia."

"You bastard...!"  Natsu snarled, lighting his fist on fire.

Natsu tried again, forcing himself through the pain as he reached into the column of red and dark magic.  Lucy was silent now, her eyes covered by her hair and her staff by her side.

"Lu..cy...!"  Natsu forced out, before yelling a frustrated and determined cry.

The barrier suddenly dispersed, leaving Lucy to fall forward.  However, Natsu caught her, seeing she was unconscious and severely injured, almost the amount of damage she had inflicted upon Donovan.

Donovan began to laugh triumphantly.  "You're so foolish, Salamander!  Realize there is no future for her!  Thinking no one dies in a war...Alys' fate will be Lucy Heartfilia's as well!"

Natsu's eyes shook in shock as he stared down at Lucy's face, which showed closed eyes and a pained expression.

"How pathetic Fairy Tail is!  Learn this: no matter how much it hurts, innocent lifes fall,"  He laughed with an insane edge to it.  "Who knows how many of your friends have been defeated by my soldiers and my fellow commanders?  Lucy Heartfilia's soul is mine to determine if life is her path or death is!  Nothing can save her now!"

Natsu's hands shook as his head bent lower, holding Lucy to him like a lifeline.  His teeth grinded together, and anger surged through him so strongly it turned to fury.

"As she takes her last breaths, hold her hand in yours.  Not even your flames, Salamander...or your tears....can change the inevitable!"  Donovan was saying triumphantly, his body being engulfed in his powerful magic.  "Lucy Heartfilia will die, and she will fail to save this island--this world, even!  You think she's strong?  She is a tainted soul, just as I am!  She belongs to me, and she will perish by my hand only!"

Natsu slowly looked up, his pupils churning amber.  The magic he had obtained from the natives was starting to take affect, and his blood boiled in fury.  His emotions finally reached its peak, and just as Alafan said, the magic activated to it.  Natsu set Lucy down gently, standing up.  Fire burst from his feet and engulfed his body, his fists clenched tightly together.  Donovan watched in crazed dominance.

Natsu turned around, his eyes fierce as a pulse of magic energy waved off him.  The ground cracked underneath Natsu as he turned, and his teeth grinded together furiously.

"You wanna bet?"  Natsu snarled in a low tone, a threatening note in his voice.

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The magic Natsu obtained from the Daonei natives is finally coming out to help aid in the fight!  Will everyone be able to hold their ground?  Or will the large number of enemies overwhelm them all?

Find out what happens next in Chapter 21: Limb From Limb.