Hello, mina!!  I had so much fun writing this chapter!  Dude, the suspence was killing me!  Gehee...  *Gajeel laugh*  I hate to do this, but I had to. Lol, I hope you enjoy it anyways!  I dedicate this chapter to MidnightBlaze7 for being a Fairy Tail lover, and I made a book cover for her for one of her awesome NaLu stories, so check it out!  She is also really nice, so be sure to fan her! ♡  I hope you like it, ne?  Feedback is VERY much appreciated!!  Arigato, and until next time,

♥Ry-chan ========================================================================

Natsu flew to the side, dodging one of the force-blows from Rogue.

Rogue's magic was strange.  It was like he sent an invisible wall into you, knocking the air right out of your body, or even crushing you.  But you couldn't see it; the closest thing you could get is a slight shimmer in the air, which was hard to spot.  And he controlled dark magic at the same time.  While Natsu and him were quarreling, Lucy noticed how Rogue's dark magic seemed to be different than the average black mage.

"Fire Dragon's Iron fist!"  Natsu exclaimed, his anger and determination not diminishing.  It slammed into Rogue's face, but he was able to get away from Natsu before he could land another blow.  

Erza, Gray, and Wendy were all trying to take off the binds on Lucy's arms; but they were without success.  Wendy couldn't even heal her wounds because of the bounds on her arms.  Lucy wanted to help so much; but without these taken off, she couldn't move.  And she didn't even have her keys; they were back at the guild, where her possessed-self hadn't bothered to grab them.

"You're going to pay for what you did to Lucy!"  Natsu exclaimed, the fire on his fists growing intensely.

Rogue scowled.  "Don't be so sure, boy."  he thrust his wrist downwards, and black tendrils appeared from the ground, wrapping around Natsu's torso.

"What?!"  Natsu exclaimed, and Rogue moved his arm to the side, which in turn made the black vines swing Natsu into the wall.  Debris fell from the impact, landing on Natsu and covering him completely.

"Natsu!"  Lucy exclaimed, turning to Rogue with anger and a slight mix of despair in her eyes.  "Stop it!"  Rogue turned to her, completely forgetting about Natsu.

The distraction was just enough; Natsu came charging out of the debris, his fists alight as he ran for Rouge.  He slammed his fist into Rogue's face, sending a jet of air flying in all directions.  Rogue was thrown backwards, but he was able to gain his position in air, dropping into a low crouch as he skidded backwards on the earth.

"Give up."  Rogue murmured, his eyes flashing.

"No way!"  Natsu tried swinging at him again, but he dodged, sending another blast of magic at his body.  The air was knocked right out of his lungs, and he slid across the ground before he could regain his balance.

"You think I'm just going to give up?  Over my dead body!  You've torchered Lucy, endangered our guild, made a fool out of us..."  Fire appeared around his body.  "I won't forgive you!"

Rogue scowled.  "I don't need any emotion from you.  They are worthless no matter what they are."

"You're wrong!"  Natsu exclaimed, lightning sparking to life onto his flamed-body.

"That's his lightning flame mode..."  Erza murmured, as Gray continued to struggle with Lucy's bounds.  "He's going into that so soon?!"

Rogue charged, his face furious as he summoned dark magic behind him.  "You will not get in the way of my desire!"

"And what is that desire?!"  Natsu yelled, barely dodging a stricking blow from Rogue as he formed a black mist-made sword in his hand.  "To destroy this world?!  How is that a desire?!"  He dodged another swipe of Rogue's sword, and upper-cutted him in the jaw.  "And isn't that an emotion?!"

Rogue quickly recovered, slamming his leg into Natsu's stomach.  "My desire is not an emotion!  It is a black will to rid this world of humans!"  Anger flamed even darker in his eyes.  "You will be the first to die and understand!"  He sent a force of air at him, and sent Natsu skidding backwards against the ground.  "Time to die, boy!"  Dark magic swiveled around his body, and up into his skin to make it turn grey.

"What the-?"  Gray murmured, his eyes wide.

Lucy clenched her teeth.  Rogue couldn't handle that much power that exists inside dragons.  But he does contain a lot of it.  Rose's voice flashed through her mind.

Rogue smirked evily, his teeth sharpenning slightly and scales appearing on his body.  He looked like Bragun did; the same color of scale and skin.  You have to use Lux Omnium Stellarum.

How?!  Lucy exclaimed in her mind, stressed.  How and when am I supposed to use it?!  And how are we going to defeat Rogue?

"You're a dragon slayer?"  Natsu murmured, his face strained.

Rogue growled, his eyes going completely white.  "No, boy.  I am a dragon."

"Take him down, Natsu!"  Lucy exclaimed, frustration building in her chest.

Natsu turned his head to look at her in surprise, but then looked back to Rogue, smirking.  "Don't worry, Lucy.  I'll wipe the floor with this guy!"

"Forbidden Dark Dragon Magic..."  Rogue muttered, darkness practically pooling from his body.

"Going for a final blow?"  Natsu exclaimed, his fire and lightning intensifying.  "Then in that case I'll finish you with one blow!"  Natsu exclaimed, the lightning-fire morphing around his hands and arms.

With a roar, Rogue charged towards Natsu, darkness exploding from his arms as he extended his darkness-covered claws.  "Time to meet your end, Salamander!"

Natsu growled, his eyes becoming black slits as he ground his teeth together.  "Crimson Lotus..."  He slammed his feet into the ground, pushing off the ground intensely as he charged to meet Rogue.

"...Exploding Lightning Blade!"

"...Claws of Destruction!"

When they met - fire mixed with lightning, and darkness - they collided with so much force their power was sent ricocheting off above them, causing the roof to explode.  Air exploded from them, and they pushed as hard as they could to gain the upper hand.

Natsu yelled a battle cry, his face furious and intense as he pushed with all his might.  An explosion between them suddenly appeared, fire flying everywhere.  Rogue was sent flying across the ground, skipping across it like a rock on water.  When he slammed all the way into the opposite wall, he had returned to his original form, and he fell to the ground.

"You did it, Natsu!"  Lucy exclaimed, happy tears in her eyes.

Natsu fell to his knees, breathing extremely heavily as cuts, scrapes, and bruises coated his skin and dirt coated his clothes.

"Nice work, Natsu."  Erza replied, her hands on her hips as she stared down the platform to the drained Natsu.

Lucy suddenly widened her eyes, gasping in horror.

"What is it, Lucy?"  Happy asked, and he turned his head to look where she was looking.

Everyone followed suit, and widened their eyes as they saw Rogue pulling himself up to his knees.

And then his feet.

Natsu growled, despite the strained look on his face.

Anger flared in Rogue's eyes, which flashed a blood-red.  "I've had enough!"

A snapping noise was heard and dark magic exploded from the ground, starting as thick columns but then churning into whips that flew and cracked.  They swooshed through the air, and one slammed into Natsu and threw him against the wall, high into the air.  Others came colliding with Erza and the others, sending them flying across the ground and extremely far from Lucy, who cried out for them.  Once they came to a stop, more vines appeared from the ground and wrapped around them, pinning them to the ground.

"Everyone!"  Lucy exclaimed, dismay in her voice.

"Damn it!"  Gray exclaimed.  "I can't m-move!"

Wendy and Erza struggled as well, along with Happy and Carla.

"I can't use magic!"  Erza exclaimed, anger and urgency in her eyes.

Rogue turned, his eyes landing on Lucy.  Lucy cringed, and gasped as Rogue flashed to stand in front of her.  "It's time, Light Being."

"Rogue!"  Natsu yelled with all his might as he struggled furiously to get free.  "Get away from her!"

Rogue smirked slightly, turning to stare at Natsu.  "Oh, I will do more than this."

He slowly unclenched his hand, and darkness hummed to his fingertips, forming another one of his swords.  He grasped it tightly, and smirked even wider at Natsu.

"Enjoy the show."  He growled evily to them all.

Natsu didn't know what Rogue was going to do; neither did Erza, Gray, Wendy, or Carla and Happy.  Lucy hadn't a clue what he was doing either, but she didn't like having him possessing a sword in his hand and being so close to her.

And her feelings were right.

Rogue gave one single triumphant laugh, and slammed the tip of the sword into her side, stabbing her right through.

Everything seemed to freeze, and no one could breathe.  

Everyone stared as Lucy's eyes widened, the shackles on her arms evaporating into the air like they were nothing.  For a second Lucy didn't move, for she was pinned between the sword and the wall.  Then with a clang, Rogue thrust the sword out of her body, stepping to the side.  Lucy's eyes went blank, and - as if in slow motion - she fell to the floor, face first.

Natsu's eyes were as wide as they'd ever been in his life.

He seemed to be able to get over his shock just enough to scream one word.

"Lucy!!!"

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Stay tuned for the next chapter: "Chapter Eighteen: The Summoning of The Dragons!"