Hello, minna!  Here is the chapter!  Sorry it took me so long to update, but...I had a lot going on.  Some of it's personal, but some of it was also that I didn't have any inspiration.  So forgive me for that, minna! ♥ It's okay though!  I watched like ten Fairy Tail episodes not just because I miss it but to get some inspiration back~!  So, here you go!  I dedicate this chapter to truth000!  Geez, I'm running out of dedications.. ♥ Haha, but this girl is awesome, seriously!  She such an amazing writer!!  I hope you all like this chapter, and until next time!

 яy-cнαɴ,

тнє иαℓυ ωяιтєя ❖

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How is Mai involved with all of this...?  Lucy wondered, her eyes shaking.  E-Even though she had Etheoria, it hasn't been affecting her at all.  What does that mean?

Lucy looked up as guards ran past her cell, yelling commands as more ran past her, their boots scuffing against the ground.

"Hurry!  The other prisoners have escaped!"

Lucy's eyes widened.  Natsu...?

"If he get's on this floor, Master Renold will have our heads!"

Lucy felt her face slacken.  So Natsu escaped.  I'm so glad.  Hopefully...he can find Mai too.

Lucy suddenly shook her head, erasing those thoughts from her mind.  No!  I can't think like this!  I have to work hard too, and find a way out of here!

As if in warning, the emblem on Lucy's neck blasted pain through her neck, and Lucy flinched, slouching from the sudden lack in strength.

This is no good...  Lucy thought.

She looked up and outside her cell, clenching her teeth.

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Natsu roared, causing an explosion to erupt in the middle of the hallway.  The guards who were hit yelled as the fire struck them, sending them flying away and making the ground shake from Natsu's blow.  That group of guards being the last of them, Natsu's fire snuffed out, showing unconscious men all over.

Dropping to the ground, Natsu turned back to Mai.  "Mai!  Let's go!"

"Right!"  She exclaimed, coming out of hiding and running along Natsu's side.

As they headed up the stairs, Natsu glanced up and saw the shadows of the waiting guards, and clenched his teeth.  Lighting his hands on fire, Natsu went on ahead and in front of Mai, yelling a battle cry as he went.

"Brilliant Flame of the Fire Dragon!"

The slightly surprised guards were hit simultaneously by Natsu's attack, and were sent flying in every direction.

"This is the fourth floor!"  Mai exclaimed, far behind him.  "I heard them saying Lucy-nee was on the fifth floor!"

Natsu grinned, stepping back and re-lighting his fists on fire.  "Yosh!  Lucy's just above us, then!"

However, when Natsu looked ahead, both him and Mai gasped.  There were much more guards crammed on this floor than on the last few, all blocking Natsu's path.

"T-They must be trying to keep us from Lucy-nee!"  Mai exclaimed, stopping a few feet behind Natsu.

Natsu rotated his shoulder.  "What does it matter?  I'll take them all out and fry 'em up!"

Charging forward again, Natsu pushed off the ground, soaring into the air high above all of them.

"There!"  One of the guards shouted.  "Capture him!"

As the guards surged forward, Natsu plummeted back down towards the ground.

"Take this!"  He yelled.

Making an explosion slice into the air, three followed, smaller.  The soldiers yelled in pain, being scortched.  

Mai looked around, trying to find a way to help as Natsu fended off the guards from attacking.  She saw the weakening ceiling, along with a chain coming down from it.

Suddenly, she had an idea.

Natsu moved on as he set another set of guards either flying into the wall or into the air, filling his mouth with fire as he threw his head back.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

The velocity of Natsu's attack sent him flying sky high, and the fire rained down on all the guards he could hit, which were many.  Letting his trail of fire move forward, Natsu dropped back down to the ground, rubbing the side of his mouth.

"Damn, this is annoying..."  He muttered, watching as the rest charged forward.

He was tiring.

"Natsu-nii, move outta the way!"

Natsu looked back in surprise, and saw that Mai had moved from her position and was now hanging onto a chain near the wall.  As she let go of it, it flew upwards, making the railing above crash to the ground before following the chain, slamming into the ceiling above.  Natsu watched in awe as the rocky ceiling began to chip, and understood just as the ceiling started to fall.  Jumping out of the way, Natsu came to a stop beside Mai and watched as the ceiling tumbled down in large boulders, crashing on top of the remaining soldiers.

"Alright, it worked!"  Mai exclaimed, her childish voice rising in happiness.

Natsu grinned, looking over his shoulder at her.  "You're a smart kid, Mai!"

Mai nodded enthusiastically.  "Thanks!"

"Now let's go!"  Natsu exclaimed, grabbing onto her and running to the pile of large rocks that now resided on the ground.

Jumping on it, Natsu and Mai sailed through the hole that resided in the ceiling, heading for the fifth floor.

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"Finally, we're here!"  Happy exclaimed.

"Sh."  Erza commanded, pressing a finger to her mouth.

They were all currently pressed up against the wall of the guild, already hearing explosions from within.

Erza glanced down to Wendy.  "Wendy, I need you to stay here."

Wendy looked shocked.  "What, why?"

"We need a lookout for if anymore members come back.  I'll need you to take them out for me, alright?"  Erza asked, and Gray watched Wendy.

Wendy looked conflicted, but then finally, she nodded.  "Alright.  But come back if you need my magic."  Carla looked satisfied.

Erza nodded.  "Thank you, Wendy."  She turned.  "Let's go, Gray.  Happy."

"Right!"  Gray exclaimed.

"Aye!"

As they charged inside, Carla's expression turned strained.  That premonition...  What's going to happen in there?

Whatever it was, it was going to be disastrous.

Erza, Gray, and Happy were surprised to see that the floor had been busted through, and saw that more floors resided underneath.

"Did Natsu do this?"  Happy asked.

Gray tsked.  "Who else would?"

"Let's go,"  Erza replied.  "By the looks of this, we aren't far behind."

Running again, Happy looked around as he sailed through the air.  "This place is huge!"  His voice echoed off the walls like it would in a cave.

"Why would a guild have such a large celling unit?"  Gray asked.

Erza shook her head.  "That's something I'm sure we'll find out along with our other answers."

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Lucy coughed, but that - for some reason - only made the area the mark resided hurt more.  Lucy struggled against her binds again but realized that it was, once again, still unbreakable.

What am I going to do?  Lucy muttered.  I can't reach my keys...

"Lucy!"

Lucy jerked her head up in surprise, her eyes widening as she saw Natsu and Mai residing on the other side of the bars.  Natsu was grinning, while Mai had a happy look on her face while she clutched at the bars.

"Lucy-nee!"  Mai exclaimed cheekily.

Lucy's expression turned to one of delight.  "Mai!  Natsu!"

"Hold on Luce, we'll get ya outta there!"  Natsu exclaimed, lighting his fists on fire.

With a screech, the bars came flying off their hinges, and Natsu and Mai ran in as the dust cleared.

"H-How'd you escape?"  Lucy asked, bewildered.

Natsu squatted down next to her, using his flames to break the chains that resided on her wrists.  "It took me awhile, but I figured it out."  He dropped his hands as Lucy rubbed her wrists.  "Sorry I'm late, Lucy."

Lucy smiled slightly at him.  "Natsu..."

"Lucy-nee!"  Mai exclaimed, suddenly jumping into her arms.

Lucy laughed happily with surprise.  "Mai!  I'm so glad you're okay!"

Natsu stood, looking at them both with satisfaction.  

However, as he glanced out the cell, his expression turned dire.  "We'd better move."

Lucy nodded, standing.  "Right."

Grabbing her keys, Lucy ran out and met Mai and Natsu in the hallway, and they ran together, heading up the next flight of stairs that resided in front of them.

"How many floors does this damn place have anyway?"  Natsu growled, Lucy running beside him as Mai trailed behind.

Just as he said that, however, They entered the next room, stopping dead in their tracks.

Their eyes contracted in shock.  

"W-What is this?"  Lucy muttered, her voice soft and fearful.

Mai whimpered.

The room was large and round, with a magic ring residing across the floor.  There was a platform in the front of the room, which led up to darkened stairs and to an outside platform.  However, there were chains lying everywhere, both new and old.

It looked like a place of sealing.

Just like the Grede Fumir.

"What the hell is this?!"  Natsu exclaimed, disgusted.

There was obvious signs of torture in here.

There was a clack against the stone, and all three of them looked up to the stairs.

Appearing out of the shadows was Renold, with Lenn and Colenburn trailing behind.

"Renold..."  Natsu snarled, taking a step forward as Lucy and Mai stared at Renold with anxiousness.

Renold smirked.  "My my.  Seems I let my guard down a little.  What do you say we finally do what we came here for, then?"

.

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Looks like Fairy Tail and Venom Strike's final battle is near?  Will they destory Lucy, or will something completely opposite - but just as sinister - occur?

Find out what happens next in Chapter 18: The Dire Call!