The dust cleared from Lucy's gaze. Natsu stood before her. His eyes traveled up and down the newly formed crater in front of him. She didn't know where Zulu had gone, but she thought Natsu's attack must have destroyed him. From where she sat she could see the shadows lingered over Natsu's skin. The creature who haunted their nightmares stood in his place. What Zulu had said took the dragon slayer over the edge. Lucy could feel his indignation as if it was her own. She was no longer sure where Natsu's emotions stopped and hers began. Her feet found the strength to move forward. Her footsteps echoed in the circular room. Each step felt like a weight strapped to her ankles. She was sure Zulu was now dead in the mound of rubble until Natsu turned to face her. His eyes were wide, swirling with red and green, and met her own gaze. She watched his eyes dart to something behind her, his mouth open, ready to yell out to her. A thin arm reached around her neck pinning her to a solid form.

"Not so easy," Zulu said. Lucy could feel his chest laboring behind her. His other hand took her wrist, and halted its decent toward the whip at her waist.

"Lucy," Natsu said. His voice a mix of the Natsu she knew and the shadow she knew was coming. It was easy to feel his panic. At first, she thought he feared the creature inside that threatened to consume him. What she felt; however, was not fear for himself. His gaze lingered on the tight arm around her throat.

"Don't worry about me," she said. The arm around her neck and the hand at her wrist grew tighter.

"Zulu only needs two," Zulu said, "they could be anyone." What did he mean? She didn't have time to figure out an answer. Natsu pushed off the ground toward them. His form blurred as his fist slammed into Zulu's face behind her. The arm and grip were gone. Her body felt as though it fell forward. Natsu's arm braced against her holding her steady.

"You okay, Lucy?" he asked.

"Did you get him?"

"Almost dragon child," Zulu said. She heard a soft pop of his jaw echo with his voice. They could no longer place where the man hid. Lucy peered up into Natsu's face. He appeared occupied on the source of the laughter. While shadows moved across his skin, and his eyes swirled with possession. He did not seem worried about it, as though he could control it.

"How?" she began. Natsu looked down for a moment at her face and grinned.

"Don't worry. I think I figured it out!" he said. The familiar grin felt strange on the face of a cursed man.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. Natsu nodded toward the center of the room where a familiar chest sat. She wasn't sure how it had hopped out of their heads, but it was there. It still had chains all around it, but she could make out the lid slightly ajar. He had only opened it enough to use what little power he could get. Lucy was awed. They could just get out of this without fear of the shadows. "Let me take it," she said. She wasn't sure how long Natsu could manage to keep that up. The best she thought they could do was pass it between them. Natsu shook his head in reply. A frown spread across her face, and she was ready to make him accept when he moved in front of her. His large body was like a towering wall, as she witnessed a poison dart burned to ash in the air in front of him.

"Good luck doing that again!" Natsu called.

"Can you see him?"

"He's concealing himself from me."

"Just having a bit of fun," Zulu said. His voice bounced along the walls like a playful child. They both caught sight of the man who crawled down the wall toward the ground. He laughed as his bare ashen feet touched the stone floor. "Come out, come out dear servant." The man pulled a small orb from a leather pocket at his waist. The pair took a step back with its appearance. The orb seemed to beckon them. It reflected the small amount of light in the room, and swirled in pinks and purples. They watched as he clenched the orb in his fist. "It is time," he said to the orb. Beside him appeared a blurry figure that soon came into focus. Glace stood in front of Zulu, and bowed his head toward his master. His hands were free from the bindings that Erza had placed upon him. The servant took a moment to observe the room. Zulu held the book out to him. Once Glace took the worn tome into his hands, Zulu raised his arm, and slashed it through the air. For a moment, the sounds around them fell away into silence. Glace's eyes seemed to roll back in his head. A great gash formed at his throat. As blood poured from the wound, he dropped to his knees on the floor. A soft gurgle came from his bloody lips before he slumped over the book. Zulu's laugh seemed to overtake the room. Natsu and Lucy watched in horror as the blood pooled around Glace's body.

"He trusted you," Natsu said. Lucy saw his eyes narrow, and his jaw tighten. His irises a more turbulent scene. She placed a hand against his back. Their attention pulled to the crimson pool as it began to retract, as if sucked through a straw. Zulu paid no attention to Natsu's words. He walked to the body of the man beneath his feet. With a kick, he rolled Glace from the book beneath him. The blood poured into its pages like a man dying of thirst. Even from where Lucy stood she could feel the power radiate from the book. Zulu picked it up and dusted it off with an air of nonchalance. She could feel Natsu seething beside her. The entire sight was surreal.

"Now only one more," Zulu said holding up his hand in invitation. Lucy's eyes widened.

"Natsu," she said, "that's why we were cursed."

"What are you talking about?" Natsu said.

"The curse was only meant for two of us. He only needs two sacrifices." The idea gave her cold chills. Even if they died from the curse in Zulu's trap, all he needed was their blood. It didn't even need to be them. It could have been anyone of the people fighting to save their lives. They had walked straight to him. Straight into his trap.

"Lucy, I can't fight him and keep an eye on that chest," Natsu said. Lucy already had her keys in her hand.

"I can help you fight him," she said.

"Please." His voice was a whisper. The sound made her take a step back. She wondered how much longer he could keep the chest chained up. Protecting it, keeping the thing inside at bay, was important.

Natsu waited for Lucy to walk toward the chest beside them before he pushed his feet off the ground. The wind beat in his ears as he tore through it. He swore he felt his fist hitting flesh. The quick yelp from the smaller man confirmed that he had, at the very least, grazed him.

"Dragon children are all so angry," Zulu said with his feet firmly in front of Natsu's crater.

"Maybe because there is so much cruelty in the world," Natsu said. He clenched his fists. He allowed the flame to emerge. The heat licked across his knuckles, bathed his body in heat, but this flame was ink. The shadows moved inside him- wrapped around him like veins.

"That is funny coming from a murderer," Zulu said. Lucy watched for a beat as Natsu charged ahead with black flame. She knew some of her anger was Natsu's, but some of it was hers. She began flipping through her keys with her fingers. Lucy's eyes were still glued to the fight in front of her. She had memorized every ridge and angle of her keys. She grasped Leo's key and pulled it free from the rest- her hand raised and ready to open the gate. There was a crack from beside her. She peered down at the chest at her feet. A crack had formed into the wood. Splinters jutted out in different angles from the fissure. Whatever remained inside of it was beginning to push out. Natsu was weak. She had to do something.

"What does that make you?" Natsu replied. He raised his hands to attack as he saw Zulu dodge his last punch. A burst of flame whipped across like wings slamming into the man's body. Zulu was sent soaring backwards. Lucy. The man's body was propelled in her direction. Natsu could hear his skin skid across the stone floor. His body tossed right through the chest where Lucy once stood. Natsu watched the chest glimmer like a hologram before Zulu hit the wall. The image of it still lingered between their subconscious like a fracture in their reality.

"It's funny what poisons make you see," Zulu whispered in his ear. Natsu was frozen, but not with fear. His muscles refused to move and his eyes still glued to the Zulu slumped against the stone. The poison was paralyzing. "This dragon child really believed it got me!" He laughed loudly beside him, and plucked the dart from his neck. Natsu inwardly cursed. He wasn't sure how he had missed it. Zulu stood in front of him before Natsu had a chance to look for Lucy. The small man raised his arm the way he had done before. "Goodbye, dragon child." Natsu played out every scenario he could—any situation where he won, but there was nothing. He was ready for the slash of his long nails. He was ready for the blood to pour from his neck like the body on the floor. Instead he found himself feeling light, as if a boulder was removed from his shoulders. A darkness encased Zulu, wrapped around him like long fingers that twisted across his skin. The book he once held slid from his arms.

"Get away from him," Lucy commanded. Of all the scenarios Natsu had come up with, this one never crossed his mind. He could feel her name form on his lips, but he never heard it leave his mouth. She stood behind Zulu. The shadows Natsu once carried drifted around her like smoke. Her eyes a pool of black and warm brown. The sight of her was like a horrifying mirror. In her hands, she grasped two black keys. They were like no other keys he had seen her use before. Natsu watched as Zulu was pulled back and twisted like a rag doll by the shadow arms around him. The two creatures held him firm. Lucy gestured to them with the keys, and commanded them without a word. She had summoned monsters. Their red eyes grinned back at the small man. "Release him from your poison," she said. Zulu only laughed- a trail of blood trickled from the corner of his lips. He began chanting in a language Lucy had never heard before. She flicked her wrist toward one of her creatures. It seemed to grow another arm, and shoved it down his throat. Natsu felt his fingers wiggle, and his movement begin to return. Zulu's chants morphed into a sickening gargle.

"Lucy, don't," he said. Her face, once contorted in anguish, fell at his words. "Don't hold the regrets that I do." He watched as one of the creatures pulled its arm from his mouth. The other wrapped around his small body like rope.

"I could do it," she said. Natsu's arms were free as he worked on moving his legs. "I could kill him."

"No, you can't," he said. Her eyes flashed and his heart hurt with her pain. "The Lucy I know wouldn't do this." He watched as one of the monsters morphed and twisted around Zulu like a cocoon.

"If I crush him it will all be over," she said. A small tear trailed down her face. "Our friends are safe. No one else has to die."

"Hey, Lucy. Listen to me," Natsu began, his legs beginning to move forward, "Are you listening?" A part of him wanted her to do it. He wanted the man gone just as much as she did. Her feelings swirled around them from the curse that started it all. Lucy's stare remained at the swirling mass of shadow in front of her. He was relieved when she nodded in reply. "Lucy, you are not a killer." She seemed to wince at the word.

"But he is."

"I know he is," he said, "I promised you." This tore her eyes from the scene in front of her. "I promised that I wouldn't let this curse take you."

"I'm still here."

"Not once you do this," he said, squaring his shoulders with resolve, "Lucy, there are a lot of things I like about you."

"I'm going to end this Natsu. You have enough blood on your hands."

"I like the way you laugh with all your heart."

"This isn't going to change my mind."

"I like the way you play with Happy, and the way you love the guild," he said. Natsu stood behind her, his hands at her wrists. His fingers stroked the soft skin of her hands imploring them to release the keys they held. There was a heat, a raging power, that radiated from her skin. He wasn't sure how long he could hold her.

"Stop it."

"I like your kindness, your forgiveness. I like your strength."

"Get away from me."

"I like when you cry over stupid things."

"You can't change this, Natsu," she said. Her hands raised to command.

"Lucy, don't," he said, "Doing this, this will change you. I can't let that happen." He felt her body shake against his chest, her palms tighten. "You know what I love the most about you?" She twisted her wrist without reply. He watched as the shadows began to constrict inward toward the man inside.

"I love the way you love me," Natsu said. He watched her for a moment. Her hands never wavered and her eyes cold in concentration. He wondered if it was too late. "Please, don't do this. We'll find another way." He closed his eyes dreading what she would do. If the one magic was real, if it was love as her mother had said, then he hoped that it would reach her. He hoped that she could feel it through him. He hoped he changed her mind. At first, he heard a soft sob. Her arms became limp at her sides. When her hands abandoned the shadow keys he sighed with relief. They watched together as the shimmering pool of shadow ceased its restriction.

"I was going to kill him," she said.

"We don't kill people," Natsu said, "The shadow does."

"I released the shadow. I let it take over me." Regret seeped into her words.

"You saved my life," he said. She knew she had done what she had to, but it all felt wrong.

"We have to contain it," she said. Natsu watched the swirling shadows of black.

"We have to question Zulu about this curse," he said. The turbulent dark mass stilled at his words. "Lucy, what are you doing?" He looked down to find her eyes wide and staring at the shadows.

"I haven't done anything," she began, "something's wrong." Her body shivered. Natsu could no longer touch her. The power she wielded had become too strong.

"Lucy?" She didn't reply. He watched in horror as the shadows that swirled in her vision began to emerge from her eyes, her mouth, and skin. They pulled away like smoke toward the shadows Zulu was been wrapped in. Natsu could feel the panic welling inside him. He couldn't touch her. He couldn't help her. Once her vision was clear her knees gave out. Natsu was close enough to catch her. He pulled her into his arms. Her eyes opened slowly. Her hand clutched her forehead.

"I'm okay, just dizzy," she said.

"What was that?"

"I can't feel the shadow anymore. It's gone." She gave him a look of terror.

"Someone give this girl a prize," a voice said from the swirling shadow. It was raspy and echoed like the creature they had heard too many times before. The blob began to turn and mold itself into a human form. Although a man came through the darkness, they knew that he was not human. "Ah it's good to have a body of my own," it chuckled, "too bad for the man that gave it to me." It ran a hand through thick black hair. It's eyes a scorching red. Its features angular and menacing.

"How?" Lucy said.

"You helped me of course. Without giving me this man's body I would have never seen the light of day." It walked toward them. With its first step, Natsu pushed Lucy behind him and readied himself. "Don't worry, what did he call you? Dragon child? I am not going to hurt you." It walked past them easily.

"What are you?" Natsu asked. When the creature made it to the book that lay abandoned on the ground it stood above it, and held out it's palm.

"I am born of both of you, of course. Given form because of you." He slid a long nail across the palm of his hand. They watched as blood dripped from the wound onto the book below. The book took the offering greedily. "I suppose sparing your lives is gift enough for that."

"What are you doing?" Lucy asked.

"Raising the devil, of course," it chuckled, "Well, a demon actually. I'd love the power it holds." She watched the red iris of his eyes glow brighter with a sense of excitement.

"It won't work," she said, "You can't be a sacrifice. Someone has to die." Natsu nudged her back further. His eyes never met hers but she knew he wanted to destroy the thing in front of him.

"Oh, but it will. Zulu is already dead."

The vines around them slithered down the stone walls. Like arms they stretched out to meet Gray and Juvia. Lyon remained unconscious between them. Gray adjusted his grip on his friend. They made their way to the center of the room where the vines had not reached them. Their backs turned to the glowing orb they found.

"Juvia cannot fight these vines off," she said, "Juvia's magic is almost gone."

"Mine too," Gray said. His eyes darted around the room for the source of the plant. The vines were so dense that they encompassed the entire room sprouting across the ceiling. He knew Zulu had planted the orb there to teleport. They would soon be forced to touch its shimmering surface to escape. Gray cursed his lack of magic. Yet again, he looked to Juvia who had saved his life. Her eyes were wide with panic.

"Gray, please give Juvia some of your magic that is left," she said. The stone resolve in her voice was easy to catch.

"What is your plan?" Gray asked. He knew whatever she had in mind was the only plan they had.

"With the rest of my magic and some of yours Juvia may be able to control the vines." She extended a free hand to him without looking away from their current enemy. "The orb could take Gray somewhere Juvia cannot follow. That is not an option." Gray trusted her with his life- knew she had a plan that had to work. She was right, he had no idea where the orb would lead. For all he knew, the journey could kill them. He took her hand, and closed his eyes. He envisioned his magic as a tangible entity. It rolled and spiraled through him. He concentrated on that movement. He pictured his magic traveling through him to Juvia's palm that was nestled in his own. Gray could only hope that doing so would work. He was rewarded with a gasp from Juvia. Her grip tightened. Gray opened his eyes, as she pulled her palm away pointing it toward the incoming vines. It began to feel drier to him, the moister sucked from the air around him. He watched as it accumulated in her palm. With a thrust, she moved the water through the vines. Their movements stilled.

"What did you do?" Gray asked. He felt exhaustion from his lack of magic.

"Juvia can control them with her water," she said. The vines moved with the palm of her hand, as though she had charmed them. "Take us to our friends." The vines wrapped around them.

"Are you sure they are listening to us?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, with a deep breath she moved her arms to signal the vines. She yelped when they tugged them up toward the ceiling. Gray put his arms above his head in preparation for the impact. He felt himself being sucked up into the vines, and pulled away from Lyon and Juvia.

"Juvia!" he called, outstretched an arm to find her. He had no idea where the vines would take them, but he hoped it was toward their friends.

"Erza?" The voice from behind her was weak, as it carried her name like wind. Erza's eyes followed the voice. Wendy sat up in Mira's arms.

"Don't sit up too fast, Wendy," Mira said. She pressed her hand on the little mage's back.

"How are you feeling?" Erza asked.

"I'll be okay." Erza's chest filled with concern and pride. Wendy always exuded strength even in the toughest situations. She truly was a Fairy Tail mage.

"Don't stand up just yet," Mira said, holding her small frame as she began to stand, "You should rest."

"Where is Natsu and Lucy?" Her knees wobbled with the effort to stand.

"We all had to split up. I believe they will be safe," Erza said. She didn't know where exactly they were, or how they were doing. She felt a turbulent worry build in her stomach. For all she knew they had grown weaker together, and she had begun to regret their decision to split up. She focused instead on the monster in front of them. "This demon seems to be dormant."

"We don't know how long that will last," Mira noted. Wendy's gaze drew up to the stone monster. Her eyes grew wide at its sheer size.

"Where is this place?"

"Somewhere deep in the temple we were all brought to," Mira said.

"Do you hear that?" Erza said. She materialized a sword, and waited to hear the sound again. It was as though something crawled across stone above them. They all looked up toward the high ceiling as something burst from it. Rubble rained down onto the stone floor below. They all backed up and gazed up at the intruders. Erza placed herself in front of the other two, and waited for their enemy to appear. Soon vines descended out of the freshly made hole. They scaled across the stone walls, and down toward them. They moved like a single entity, and with speed.

"What is that?" Mira asked. Erza squared her shoulders to begin eradicating their new enemy, but ceased when three figures emerged from the growing cavity in the ceiling. Debris and rubble pummeled the floor below causing dust to rise.

"Gray!" Erza called, storming toward the familiar figure. As she reached out toward him she spotted the other two figures, Lyon and Juvia. "Help me Mira!" The two women dragged the three from the vines.

"Juvia did it," Juvia said through heavy breaths. She pulled herself up with Mira's hand, and leaned into her from fatigue.

"Oh Juvia, how much magic have you used?" Mira said. Her eyes furrowed and searched her body for any injuries.

"Almost all of it," Juvia said. She found Erza pull an unconscious Lyon from the vines, Gray stood beside her helping as much as he could, but she could tell that he was just as out of breath as she was. Juvia held up her arms and made tight fists. The vines began to wither and die, as the water found its way from each vine to her palms. Juvia gladly took the water into her own body, and the plants stilled indefinitely.

"That was amazing," Gray said, "Thank you, Juvia."

"You were controlling them?" Erza asked. Juvia nodded and went with Erza and the others toward Wendy.

"You all look terrible," Lyon said, coming to. Erza moved him to sit on the ground by Wendy.

"Speak for yourself," Gray said. He took a seat next to Lyon and leaned back on his palms.

"Wendy, you need to rest," Mira said. Wendy moved over to Lyon, and held her hands up to him.

"No one else is going to be able to heal everyone. Besides, he's right. We are all in bad shape," Wendy said. Erza nodded to Mira. It still awed her how mature Wendy was. Somehow, she reminded Erza of herself at her age. Part of her felt pride for her strength at such an early age, and another part was saddened by it. The world was a cruel place, and it showed in the weariness in her young eyes.

"Thank you," Lyon said, and watched as Wendy worked, "Your magic is amazing."

"Can someone explain what the hell that is?" Gray asked.

"We believe it is the demon that Glace talked about," Erza replied. All eyes were on the stone demon before them. Wendy moved over toward Gray and began to heal. The ground rumbled. The dust kicked up again.

"Now what?" Erza said to herself. Cracks formed over the stone demon. They stretched and spread up and down its body. She knew what this meant. Zulu had succeeded, and Zeref's demon would rise once more.

If you follow my writing tumblr you might know why I've been away. If you don't, I had taken a road trip from Florida to California where I had a hiking accident. I ended up flying home and needing ankle surgery. It was terrible, and I never got a chance to work on this with a clear head. I am currently doing physical therapy, and should hopefully start working on walking in the coming months. To make matters worse I live in FL, and was recently hit with hurricane Irma. I just got power and wifi back yesterday. I am disappointed I couldn't get this chapter up before the end of the FT manga, but I still plan on finishing this.

I'm curious to hear how you guys felt about the end of the manga. How did you feel about that open ending?

Thanks for your support as always! :)