Trapped in The Labyrinth

Chapter 7: Things You Do For Love

Disclaimer: I am not Hiro, because if I was, there would be no need for this lovely fan fiction; it would be real already.

Chapter Seven:

The Things You'll Do for Love

-Happy and Levy-

"Levy, where do you think Lucy ran off to?" Happy asked the emotionless Solid Script mage. He got no response, since Levy had shut herself off from the outer world. He sighed sadly and thought, Gajeel, please hurry and get here, because Levy is having an emotional meltdown!

"Happy," Levy whispered. The blue cat's head snapped up, glad to hear his friend's voice again. "What would you do if someone you loved dearly was hurt, and there was something you could do to help them?"

Happy was stunned by Levy's question, but responded anyway. "Well, if it was Carla, I'd go and help her right away! I'd worry about her until I saw her alive and well!" There was a silence after Happy's answer, and finally, Levy spoke.

"Happy... Take me back." Happy gasped at Levy's request. He wasn't sure how to respond, so he stayed silent. Levy continued to talk, trying to persuade the Blue Exceed to help her. "Happy please... I... I need to go help him! I can't bear to just stand here and do nothing!"

"I... I don't know, Levy," Happy replied quietly. Levy decided this was the time to use her trump card. She knew if she told Happy this, he wouldn't be able to deny helping her. Plus... she had to admit it sooner or later; might as well be sooner.

Well, here goes nothing... she thought as she took a deep breath. "Happy... I... I love Gajeel, and it hurts to think... to think I might never see him again! I can't imagine a world without him... So please, take me back to him!" Levy pleaded, cheeks a deep red from confessing her love for the Iron Dragonslayer.

Well, this is interesting news... Happy thought gleefully. Wait until Mira hears this! She'll be so mad she wasn't here! "Okay Levy, I'll take you back!" Levy's eyes shone with happiness and her face brightened.

"Thank you Happy!" The bluenette squealed as she was lifted into the air by the flying cat.

Happy said one more thing as they were following the iron pieces Levy dropped. "Levy?"

"Yes Happy?" the female mage responded, content that she could help Gajeel, instead of Gajeel helping her.

"You liiiiiike him!" Happy teased. Levy just laughed.

"No, Happy. I don't like him," Levy said in between giggles. Happy was shocked.

"Wha? But you just said-"

"I loooooove him!" Levy said, imitating Happy, who just giggled at his now cheerful friend.

-Erza, Jellal, Juvia, Gray, Wendy, Romeo, and Carla-

As the group kept walking down the dusty corridor, Erza explained what Archimedes wanted.

"So it seems his whole goal is to gain Lucy's affection," Jellal stated. "But why did he drag us all down here?" That was the question in everyone's mind. No one noticed that they were being followed; everyone was lost in their own thoughts until the stalker attacked.

Erza noticed at the last minute and dodged, ex-quipping into her Heaven's Wheel Armor. "Who's there? State your name!" Erza demanded. Her question was answered by the swing of a blade, to which Erza blocked with ease.

The entire group was shocked when an exact replica of Erza stepped out of the shadows, followed by copies of Juvia and Wendy.

"W-who are these people?" Wendy stuttered. She grabbed onto Romeo's arm, wrapping her own arms around it to reassure herself.

"Juvia thinks they are only shape shifters; meaning they cannot harness the same power as us," Juvia stated. She stepped in front of Gray. She would not let this imposter take away her Gray-sama!

"Well, they are in the way of finding our Nakama, and that I will not let slide!" Erza said, going into battle with her double. Wendy and Juvia followed suit, also wanting to find their comrades as soon as possible.

The battle raged on, each having a hard time fighting their doppelganger. Every attack the real ones used, their copies countered with the same attack or a different one.

"Th-this is harder than Juvia expected... But she will not give up if it means protecting Gray-sama!" Juvia panted out as she used her Water Slicer. Gray was touched that he meant so much to her. She must really love me... he thought.

Fake Juvia deflected Real Juvia's Water Slicer by using Water Lock, encasing her into a bubble of water.

These copies must not be that bright, Juvia thought as she absorbed the Water Lock. What she did not expect was a jolt of electricity to be sent throughout her body.

Juvia screamed in pain as the lighting reacted with her water-like body. She collapsed to the floor and backed up against a wall. She noticed Erza and Wendy were also leaning against this wall, looking just as battered and bruised as she did.

The copy mages were about to give their final blow when the wall behind Erza, Juvia, and Wendy began to rumble. The female mages jumped out of the way, and the wall came crashing down on the Fake Erza, Wendy, and Juvia.

"Are you guys alright?" Romeo asked, helping Wendy to her feet.

"What happened to the wall?" Gray asked, stooping to check on Juvia.

"I don't know, but when the dust settles, we'll find out," Erza responded, who was leaning onto Jellal. They all stared at the wall intensely until the dust settled, and weren't surprised when they saw who made the wall cave in.

"Yo, Erza! Ice Princess! You haven't seen Lucy around somewhere, have you?"

-Lucy and Archimedes-

When Lucy woke up, she found she was in a room much like hers at the Heartfilia Estate: expensive and fragile. She quickly checked her belt to make sure her keys and whip was still there. Lucy sighed in relief when she realized they were all there.

Idiot... You forgot to un-arm me! Lucy thought happily. The door opened afterwards, and she wrinkled her face in disgust as she saw who was standing in the doorway.

"Ah, Lucinda! You've finally awakened!" Archimedes chirped happily. He glided over to her bed and placed a tray with food on her beside table. "I got your favorite!"

"Hey, Archimedes," Lucy said. Archimedes stopped what he was doing and looked at Lucy. In a flash, Lucy wrapped her whip around him to stop him from moving.

"Lucinda, what are you doing?" Archimedes asked, sadness filling his eyes. Lucy didn't care though; she had to get out of here and get out of here NOW.

Lucy did the first thing her mother told her to when attacked by a man: She kicked him in his orbs. Archimedes yelped like a girl and collapsed to the floor, unable to stand anymore.

"I'll be leaving now; thanks for the hospitality!" Lucy said as she stepped through the doorway.

Unfortunately for her, she was in yet ANOTHER Sky Prison. "How do I always manage to get trapped in these places?" Lucy said, annoyed her plan had failed.

"Lucinda, please don't go," Archimedes cried from his spot on the floor. Lucy looked at him before looking back out. She caught a glimpse of someone walking and she KNEW he was there, waiting for her to jump.

"Sorry, but I have to go," Lucy said as she backed up. "And it's Lucy." She mustered up the rest of her courage and jumped, knowing she'd be caught by him. He was always there for her, he never let her down, and he'd never let her in harm's way.

"NATSU!" Lucy cried as she plummeted to the ground. Just as she planned, she was caught. But instead of feeling the warm body heat of her favorite Dragonslayer, she felt something else. What the...?

"Oi, Bunny Girl! What the hell do you think you're doing jumping off of buildings like that! If I was a second later, you would've died, and Salamander would kill me for letting you die!"

Author's Note: HAHAHA, wasn't expecting that, were you? I wanted to do the Phantom Lord jumping-from-the-Sky-Prison Scene and mess it up for Lucy, because it seemed funny to have her expect Natsu and then get someone else! Ah, the joys of twisting plots!