Hello!

Now, to be perfectly honest it has taken me so long to update because I have had HORRENDOUS writers block, but not because I didn't know what to write, but because I was stuck on how to write this chapter! I have rewritten the introduction three times over from different points in the chapter! As well as that, I have had so much work and my first exam is next week, and my photography exam book is due monday and I have had so. Much. Work.

Secondly, while I was on holiday (without WIFI and 3G, only GPRS... THE HORROR! D:) I wrote a plan for the next three 'arcs', so to speak. So don't worry, I know where I am going for chapters to come!

Thirdly, sorry for any mistakes! I am running on 5 hours sleep and needed to update despite my exam book being due in three days and I have read over it, but the dyslexia is through the roof (much to my English teachers dismay) so I wouldn't trust myself with reading...

And before I start, I have my exams coming up and a lot of coursework due so- and I am very sorry for these next few words- updates will be slow until summer and my exams are over! :(

I am sorry, I really am! But for now, an extra long chapter- enjoy! :)

Warning! Darker themes in the following chapter.

Chapter Eleven
When you're fighting to believe

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"No! No please, st- stop! Stop this! Please-"

"Lucy!"

The Dragon Slayer screams, frantically trying to fight against the magic which has rendered his body immobile; as if every muscle in his body is in a stupor which refuses to rouse. Regardless of how much he orders his limbs to move they do not obey, the dark purple magic seals etched across his wrists keeping them numb. Seals which will not burn away from his skin, however hot he makes his body temperature.

Paralysis magic.

A sudden blood curdling scream for him cracks the air, the pain and pleading lacing her voice driving Natsu to the edge of insanity. With all his might he is fighting the magic which has rendered him immobile, but it isn't enough. His inability to help the woman he loves when she is calling, pleading for him to save her making him feel utterly useless. With every scream his heart beat increasing, drumming against his rib cage so painfully he can't breath.

"What do you mean, the job isn't quite what you had posted?"

The blond celestial mage had scrunched her face in confusion as she cocked her head slightly to the side, looking intently upon the man before her. His appearance fitting to be mayor of such a showy town. The man had scratched the back of his head nervously before answering, the action causing the Dragon Slayer to step closer to Lucy, as if a subconscious need to protect her had kicked in.

A deep, gnawing foreboding had been plaguing him since he had seen it outside of her bedroom window earlier that day, and again in the hotel they are staying in. Their ominous presence, which oozed darkness, seemingly unnoticed by everyone who walked past them. Yet he sees it.

The sign of her death.

"This job isn't just as simple as catching bandits, they...The bandits can use magic..."

"They're mages?"

The pinkette had asked, yet something told him there was more to the request than that. For an unexplainable reason the Dragon Slayer had felt a tugging in the pit of his stomach. They had battled mages before: bandits, dark guilds, renegades and even league guild mages- it wasn't a new occurrence, it was their job. There would have been no reason to leave such a piece of information off of the request.

The blond has shook her head lightly before smiling widely at the mayor.

"That's not an issue, we're happy to still-"

"Who-" The mayor had cut her off, his brow knitted together in a deeply unsettled manner, eyes still trained onto Lucy. "have been involved in a series of rapes and assaults of young women."

For a moment, a deafening silence had encompassed the room, to the point that Natsu had been able to hear Lucy's heart beat increase, and the sudden intake of air at the mayor's statement. Then suddenly, her voice, quivering slightly as she spoke, cut through the tense atmosphere like a knife.

"Why didn't you put this into the request?"

"If- If I had then the town would have lost publicity. If people knew women were being... Were-"

"Raped."

The Dragon Slayer interjected sharply. The mayors stuttering causing his eyes to narrow dangerously, already knowing the reasoning for missing this off of the request. That reason causing anger to bubble within him.

"Ye- yes. That, t-then there would be less visitors to our town. Balsam Village's main money income is from the spa's publicity. Who would want to walk the facilities in a kimono or around baths when they could be attacked?"

"That's why you warn them! So they won't be attacked and ra-"

"Natsu!" The blond shot a sharp look to her partner, who silenced instantly at her words with an indignant look upon his face. Instead of frowning in disapproval at the pink headed man, Lucy had given him an apologetic look. Despite her agreement with Natsu's statement, she knew shouting at the mayor would not bring any good- much less change the situation. Breathing deeply, she had answered. Her words stopping the Dragon Slayers heart with fear as an image of the figure flashed to mind.

"We accept the job."

The memory from their earlier encounter with the mayor of Balsam Village flicks to mind, angering the Dragon Slayer further as Lucys pleas for the man to stop his assault continue to ring through the air, and rip his ear drums.

If that bastard had put this onto the request, if I had known... I would have never picked this... Because she would never have let something like this continue...

And now...

Now she's...

"Stop! Please!"

Lucy's strangled cry drags the Dragon Slayer from his thoughts forcefully, filling him full of dread as the heavy scent of sex intermingled with Lucy's blood wafts through the air. The sound of struggling and sobs, being drowned out by fits of sadistic laughter. Enraging Natsu. Sickening him.

A chuckle breaks the noise, causing the pink haired mans eyes to dart to his left where two other mages stand. The one causing his paralyses is a tall, blond haired male. His eyes are averted, looking off somewhere into the dense forest which surrounds them. The same seal etched across Natsu's wrist present on the males.

Hanging off of his right arm, hips pushed provocatively to the side and breasts pushed into his side, stands the woman the laugh had emanated from. Her rouge hair is in short curls as her fringe covers one of her hazel eyes. As of yet, the woman's magic is unknown to the Dragon Slayer. At the moment, that fact isn't of much concern to him. The blond, whose screams are burning his ears, is his only concern.

"Hasn't that girl realised yet? The more she screams, the worse it gets."

"Evidently not, my dear." The man turns his head to the woman by his side, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "But it is of no concern to us. Vallien will have his way with the woman, and then we shall collect our prize for the master."

"Bastards." The pinkette growls, catching the pairs attention. "Lucy isn't a prize! She's mine, and I won't let you have her! Lucy! Lucy!"

He hollers, calling for her through the dense tree's as he wills his body to move with everything he has. Every pain and desperate need to reach her. As he strains, the seal glows brighter along his wrist, causing the blond headed man to scowl and rub his temples irritably, trying to dispel the oncoming migraine.

"The girl isn't our prize." The redhead states simply, staring down upon Natsu while glowering at him. "And would you stop struggling! It won't work in freeing you, all you are doing is being an irritation."

"Shut up and give me back Lucy!"

"Oh, would one of you two shut him up?" In his anger, Natsu had not noticed the man who had emerged through the foliage with a beaten woman slung over his shoulder. "On second thoughts, I know how to silence the brat."

Smirking, the man shrugs his shoulder violently causing the body which had been residing there to hit against the ground with such force the dust lifts from around the woman as she collides with the floor. The thud of the collision is followed by a series of pained coughs and splutters before the blond head of hair lulls to the side. Lucy's doe orbs looking directly into Natsu's onyx ones.

The sight which the pink haired man is met with halts his fighting immediately as a chill runs down his spine.

Lucy...

Pure and utter self hatred and desolation is painted across the Celestial Mages dull eyes. Tears are streaming silently from her eyes to the tips of her nose and across her face until they meet the dry ground below. As she stares at him- as if capable of doing nothing else- something breaks within the Dragon Slayer, leaving a whimper to slip from between his lips.

His voice gone.

Fire to fight extinguished.

Heart stopped.

Before him lays Lucy Heartfilia; the love of his life and his mate. Her clothes forcefully ripped and doing little to cover what dignity remains, as her hair is splayed around her head and across her face. Bruised and bleeding, sobbing and stripped of something he always knew she held dear to her. Her virginity.

Forcing the words from his mouth, he does the only thing his mind thrown into a disarray can think of.

"L-Lucy?"

"What are you doing here?" The Dragon Slayer hisses, his abhorrence for the cloaked figure before him only barely being contained by the fact that he is standing in Balsam Village's hotel lobby. "Leave. Lucy's not going to die this time, I won't let it happen!"

At his words, Natsu's gaze had flicked to the blond haired woman who stands at the hotel desk. Her heated negotiations for a longer stay at the hotel- while still for free- could be heard from where he stands in the corner. She had been swooning over the thought of the baths since they stepped foot off of the train, and was determined to spend as much time as possible in the town.

At the sound of quiet laughter, the mans head snaps back the body cloaked in an chilling blackness. Scowling darkly while balling his fists.

"You are so foolish, Salamander. You felt it, didn't you? That deep fear that took over as soon as Lucy Heartfilia accepted the request. You know what comes next, yet you refuse to admit it."

"No! She won't-"

"Lucy of Fairy Tail is destined to die one way or another, and always will. No amount of chances can change that."

For a moment the Fire Mage had stood, catatonic. His head reeling as the oddly familiar, yet sickening, scent wafting off of the figure before him and into his nose. His heart pounding violently inside of his rib cage like the beating of a drum. Emotions a mix and head aching. Before suddenly, as a wave of anger overtakes him, the man's fists ignite. Eyes boring into the figure as he speaks, voice low and laced with disdain.

"I will save her."

He promises, narrowing his eyes as a smirk begins to form on the figures lips.

"Natsu?" Startled by her voice, Natsu looks behind him and onto Lucy's concerned face. A heavy frown contorting her beautiful features. Gazing over the blonds shoulder, the Dragon Slayer can see the stares from strangers and only now hear their whispers. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." Quickly his fists extinguish. Turning back to face where the figure had been the man was met with empty space. Scrunching his eyes brows together, the pinkette shakes his head quickly before picking up both his and Lucy's bags. "Where's our room?"

"I told you that would shut him up." The third mage- Vallien- gloats, causing the memory of Natsu's earlier encounter with the figure to dispel. Valliens smirk pulls at a scar under his eye, contorting it grotesquely. Other than that, the man is quite attractive. His brown hair in slight waves and eyes a shade of silver; as if his iris' were a sheet of ice. Cold. Staring away from the fallen blond, he looks to red headed woman. "Do we have any more need for the blond?"

"No. The pink haired one will do."

"Good."

The grin across the mans face can be heard in his voice, which is filled with malice. Stepping over Lucy, he straddles her, earning a flinch in fear from the Stellar Mage who quickly averts her gaze from Natsu and onto the man above her. However, before she can resist his molestation, his thick fingers wrap around her fragile neck. Lucy's squeal in shock and quick, scared breaths snap Natsu from the dark recesses of his mind as the young womans fingers try to pry the dark mages from around her neck.

"No!" Natsu suddenly screams, his attempt to break free of the magic keeping him immobile beginning again. He can hear his pulse in his ears as he strains, sweat beginning to roll down his forehead and tears straining the dams keeping them from escaping his eyes. "Lucy!"

"Yamaken-kun!" The rouge headed woman cries suddenly as the man by her side collapses, gripping his head and shaking. "Let him go, it's hurting you!"

"No, we need him, Miu!"

"But-"

"Silence!"

Vallien shouts, stunning the woman into silence. Her body shaking as she clutches Yamaken's straining biceps. His teeth grinding in pain.

The brunettes eyes are still trained onto Lucy who, under his grasp, begins to convulse as the lack of oxygen reaching her lungs causes her body to burn and eyes to water as black splotches invade her vision. Her fingers tingling as numbness begins leak into her extremities, that fact petrifying the blond.

"Stop! Lucy!"

Straining, Natsu suddenly feels his fingers. Quickly darting his eyes to his left hand before back to his partner, he can see his forefinger moving, followed quickly by the others. His sheer will power and love for Lucy- need to keep her safe- forcing it's way through the paralysis magic.

"I'm coming, Lucy! Hold on!"

Lucy can vaguely hear her partner talking to her, but her ears appear to have stopped working properly. All noises sounding like distorted whispers.

Closing her eyes to take away the image of the crazed, disgusting man above her, a tear rolls down her temple. Turning her head as far as she can with Vallien's grasp being around her neck, the Stellar Mage gazes upon Natsu. Despite the man is crying and mouth is wide open screaming- although, she can no longer hear his voice- she can't help but admire him. His pink hair, and those eyes which could hypnotise her if she looked into them for too long. The way his tan skin almost glows and, although he is not smiling now, the way his childish grin makes her heart flutter.

She doesn't wish for the last thing she sees to be the revolting man who defiled and abused her. She doesn't want to die, not now. Not when she has a million and one things to do, to see and be and have. But she knows that if here is where it all falls- with her magic drained, partner detained and body failing- the last thing she wants to sees and her as her last memory, is to be of him.

The look in Lucy's eyes is crippling Natsu's heart. Those big brown orbs which, like embers, are slowly dimming until eventually nothing will be left. Overflowing with tears like a swimming pool on a rainy day and filled with such a sickening resignation that the Dragon Slayer almost can't bare to look into her eyes. Yet he knows he can never look away.

Lucy's head is spinning as hectic thoughts cloud her mind.

Desperation at her situation, growing more dire as her lung's plea for air grows more desperate. Screaming like a burning fire within the confines of her rib cage.

Fear at the prospect of dying right here, right now and knowing that it is going to happen. Feeling it happen as she grows more drowsy.

Shame and anger that she hadn't fought hard enough and, because of it, lost her virginity and her dignity to the likes of the dark mage above her.

But, most prominently, disgust that she hadn't kept her promise. Her promise that everything would be okay. Celestial mages always keep their promises, yet her's is about to be broken.

Tears cascade from the pink haired males eyes as he struggles against the paralysis, his hand free of the magic and reaching for Lucy. But, in the end, all he is able to do is scream her name as her consciousness wavers and movements become less frequent. For a moment, Natsu sees a faint smile pull at the blonde's lips. Not one of happiness or relief. Not a real smile. But one laced with fear and pain despite being used to reassure him.

"It-'s o.. Kay, Nat- t- ts... u"

The woman gasps, croaking out through her constricted throat before her efforts to prise the steel grip from around her neck, ends. Nimble fingers halting, but her body spasming a few times before all movement ceases.

The blinding pain consuming the Dragon Slayer keeps him mostly unaware of the blond haired mans few further thrusts against Lucy's unmoving form, and pushes to her neck. The pain in his chest so deep it feels as if someone is twisting his heart.

A moment later, Vallien arises, revealing the deep purple bruises which are beginning to form along Lucy's delicate neck. The neck Natsu had, in this life, nuzzled. Sniffed and licked teasingly when her scent had intoxicated him. Kissed lightly, and stroked when the blond fell asleep.

The vile man had violated her, then choked her right before Natsu's eyes. Relished in her pain and continued his molestation even after she begged him to stop. Left marks across her neck. Killed her.

Killed Lucy.

A piercing cry expressing such emotion it portrays every pain Natsu feels escapes his lips, his body exploding into flames so black it rivals the night sky as he releases his roar. The screech of a dragon who has lost its mate. Lost the life in which he had been able to kiss Lucy, as he has dreamed he could be able to since these incarnations began. The life in which he had promised her dinner tonight, and it was going to be there first official date.

Every tendril of the curling fire suddenly burning away. Along with it, mages who he had starled with his abrupt ignition, as well as that life with Lucy he was just about to begin.

The last half of the chapter I promised and a bit of a dark one at that. But it'll make sense why I did that to Lucy and Natsu, which I feel horrible about!

Anyway, till next time, have a nice [Insert amount of time it will take me till my next update]

Oh, also- because it has been so long since I last updated, I haven't been able to express my joy that the Fairy Tail anime has restarted... YAAAAAAAY! I love it! The drawing style is different, but very similar to the movie (a great movie, so much NaLu and a bit of GraLu- watch it if you haven't!), I just can't wait for the ultimate tear jerker episode Fairy Tail has ever seen. But if you don't follow the manga, don't worry. I won't ruin the surprise, just get the tissue's ready! :(

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SHOUT OUT TIME!

cookie. panda-roo- She wasn't murdered at the end of the last chapter, but this one... I'm sorry, she has. I feel so bad for writing that! I feel bad :(

Mayumi-san 101- Thanks for the review! And if you were tearing up with the last chapter, I am going to apologise in advance if you tear up with this one

SnowAngelSlayerTasha- It'll be great! So have fun! :)

Soprana- You got it right, it was the first promise she ever broke, and she was still determined to keep it

Llaelien- Thank you, I really did love writing the valentines day chapter, so I am really glad you liked it :3

Lolibeagle- If it was my choice when I updated (work rules my life! D:) I would have updated so much sooner! I am so sorry for the long update! Haha, oh my god, yes! Same! High five! XD

TheSecretSeason- Thank you! I am so glad you love it! I hate killing Lucy off so many times, but I hope in the end you like the conclusion! I hope you like the update!

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Till next time,

Review!