"Lucy I'm sorry." Natsu said for the hundredth time since they finished their mission, and like the ninety nine previous times, he received a cold shoulder. Natsu poured and followed his blonde friend in silence.

Lucy was mad, no, furious at the Dragon Slayer. She had clearly told him that she needed the reward for this mission because her rent was due in a day, and the mission was simple, catch some bandits, bring them to the mayor and collect the reward, but nooooooo, Mr. Dragneel had to destroy half of the city to do so and now they lost all of their jewels. Yes it wasn't the first time that that happened, but this time he had promised that he would keep his powers in check.

She sighted, stayìng mad at him wouldn't solve anything, so she turned around and gave him a small smile.

"It's okay Natsu, don't worry about It anymore." She said as he gave her a huge grin in response. As they got close to Magnolia, Natsu started smelling something very faint, but similar to...Lucy! The Salamander then changed direction and started to follow the sent, while the blonde was asking for an explanation. In about three minutes, they arrived in front of some burnt wood, sign of an old camp. Natsu sniffed around again before turning to Lucy.

"Hey, Lucy, the person who was here had a very faint scent that reminded me of yours."

Lucy frowned obviously surprised by Natsu's discovery. She doesn't remember setting a camp here before.

"Are you sure, maybe your nose is getting too old." She said teasingly as Natsu puffed his cheeks, not responding to her.

"Hey, maybe she has a secret boyfriend and they have been doing some naughty stuff here." Happy giggled, flying around their heads before Lucy caught him by the neck with her whip.

"Say that again?"

Happy squealed, trying to get away while Lucy was pulling harder and harder. But while they were bickering, a blondegirl of their age, who was about Lucy's height, while a maiden old school pony tail approached them casually. Her face showed nothing but seriousness, just like her golden eyes. It was like Erza, and what made the comparison more true was the fact that they both wore a dress which reminded of the middle age, but Instead of white and red, hard were white and blue.

"You have five seconds to tell me what you people are doing in our camp." She said, as Lucy out her hands forward.

"Wait! We were just passing by, we didn't intend to steal anything, not that there is anything to steal since you apparently have put out your campfire and left with your things but we didn't intend to steal anything." Lucy quickly explained, trying to dismiss the situation while Happy his behind her back, whispering a scary.

The blonde girl frowned before slowly nodding. It was true that they had already left so she had no rights to act like this. So she intended to apologise, but that was until Natsu got too close and started sniffing her. She started blushing as her eyes for wide open before delivering a super high knee to his chin, making him to crash in a tree a few yards back.

"Wh-What are you doing?! That was highly inappropriate, you sick pervet!" She yelled, clearly disturbed by what Natsu did. The salmon haired mage got back on his feet and jogged back to them, not minding the blushing girl.

"Hey Lucy, that's not her." He said.

"See? I told you so. Now you should apologize to her for..." By the time she looked back at the blonde girl, she was already gone. They looked around but no signs of her. They shrugged and went back on their way to Magnolia.

Not too far from the old camp, the blonde girl arrived to where she had left her friend.

"So, Ria, were they dangerous or anything?" The guy asked as she shook her head.

"Not dangerous, just weird. One of them even looked a little bit like you." She replied before they went back on their way.

In Magnolia, Lucy was sitting at her desk in front of her unfinished novel. Indeed she was happy that her friends had accepted to lend her some money that of course she will have to payback, except for Natsu, but something felt off with her. She kept staring at the white paper in front of her, not that she was experimenting the so feared writer's block, but she kept thinking about what Natsu found earlier. Even if the smell wasn't on the girl, didn't she kept saying they instead of I. Maybe the person she was with it one of the person she was with was him...but could it really be the case? He was dead, she was a thousand percent sure of it. She then sighted heavily, putting down her pen and making her way to her bathroom for a nice and long bubble bath.

The next day, the guild was as rowdy as usual, Natsu and Gray were bickering, Cana was drinking, Erza was eating her strawberry cheesecake. That's when Mirajane called team Natsu over to the bar, showing them a mission sheet.

"Finally some action!" Natsu grinned as Lucy sighted.

"We just came back yesterday!"

"Anyways, what does the mission consist of?" Erza asked, as serious as always.

"Well, a rich merchand, living not far from here, is afraid that one of his rivals might send mercenaries to kill him, not just because of the competition, but also because that merchand has been doing a lot of illegal trades with black markets, and the requester of the mission is the only one to know about it, so he requested Fairy Tail's strongest team to help him have the other merchand arrested." Mirajane smiled.

"If he wants him arrested, why doesn't he just contacts the autorities?" Gray asked before Natsu shoved him aside, telling him that he was asking too many questions. Gray frowned but stayed calm, not wanting to anger Titania.

"Alright, we accept the mission. Guys we're leaving in two hours." Said woman ordered, and was answered by a loud "AYE!"

Not far from Magnolia.

A quite short and bald man, wearing all sorts of expensive clothes and jewelleries sat in his throne looking like chair, looking down at two blonde mercenaries, with whom he gave been talking about a mission.

"Are we clear? I want it done by tomorrow." He said, as the one of the mercenary frowned.

"I don't understand, why are you giving us a time limit if our job is to kill that guy?" He asked before getting slap at the back of his head by his teammate.

"Idiot! We have to kill him before he gets our employer killed, or arrested."
The male mercenary pouted but nodded, feeling like she could have explained that without being so mean.

They both nodded at the merchand before leaving his office, which was hidden in the forest outside Magnolia.

"So, Ria, how are we gonna do this?" The male mercenary asked his friend.

"Well simple, you stay here to protect the guy in case something happens here, and I'll go and get rid of the other merchand." She calmly explained, as he pouted once more.

"So you're getting all the fun." He closed his golden eyes, leaning on the building's wall as she rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, you'll be getting some fun. You can be the one to kill the guy after he pays us." She explained before giving him a quick smile to which he responded, before she left, having heard the "be safe" he whispered.

In front of the Merchand's house.

It had been decided before they arrived that Gray and Lucy would go directly to the evil's merchant's office. They wouldn't have any problems finding it since it's location have been given to them with extreme precision. Natsu and Erza were waiting in front of the office of Mr. Pantalon, their employer.

"Now remember Natsu, try to destroy as less as possible, okay?" Erza teased her Salmon haired friend, who pouted and reminded her that she could be as destructive as him when she got into a serious fight. The requipmage replied with a small smile before both felt a strong presence coming their way.

Natsu sniffed the air before yelping in shock, recognizing the blonde girl who was walking towards them.

She too stopped in her tracks and stared at him before frowning, growling some cursest him, while Erza looked confuse.

"Do you know her, Natsu?" She asked as the chuckled in embarrassment and rubbed the back of his head. They didn't exactly know each other, they have just met before.

"So you guys are the mages Mr. Pantalon hired." She said while opening her palm, as some wind spin around it before closing her palm, as to if she was gripping something. That made Erza frowned, but she didn't dwell on it as she requiped in her purgatory armor, putting her sword forward in an offensive stance.

"Alright Natsu let's..." She couldn't even finish her sentence that a big fire ball was launched and in a matter of a fraction of a second, it was at the mercenary's level, who was only standing still, one of her hand forward, her palm facing the ground as if it was on something.

Natsu and Erza were very surprised, as their side opened eyes showed, to see the fire ball divide in two equal halves as it reached their foe, each half going each side of her.

"Huh?" Was all Natsu could say before the Mercenary dashed toward them, both of her hands gripping the air like it was something before doing an horizontal slash, which created an energy wage. Erza had to jump out of the way, yelling at Natsu to create a fire wall to prevent the wave from damaging the building.

"What I'm the world is your magic?" Erza asked as their opponent smirked.

"You really wanna know don't you? Well, I'm a requip mage, just like you." She said making Natsu and Erza frown.

"You don't even have a sword nor a weapon." Natsu said to which her smirk only grew wider.

"Are you sure about that." She responded before leaping in the air towards Erza, and doing a downward slash motion. Erza didn't think that, by trying to take a slash at her opponent as soon as she did her motion, her sword would be met by resistance. Her eyes widened in realisation and the mercenary jumped back.

"Now you finally get it. So I guess there is no need to keep it invisible anymore." She said before releasing a huge amount of energy, as the wind started to go crazy around her hand while both Fairy Tail's mages could only watch in slight see. Soon, a beautiful long swords, with its blade looking like it was made out of light, materialized itself in her hand. Erza smirked. Was she...excited? Excited that there was a swordwoman who's skill could possibly match her own? Excited that she had the chance to witness the legendary Excalibur? Too bad her owner had to be an assassin.

"Natsu, I want you to take to somewhere safer than here, and make sure that nothing happens to him." She ordered, giving him a flare which made the man understand that there was no room for negotiation. Natsu shines, but obliged, and soon, both women were alone, facing each other. Both had a smirk on their face, both knew that this fight would leave no room for mistake, and soon, they charged at each other with a loud warcry.

Gray was worried. Worried about his blonde teammate. Since they left for the mission, no, ever since she came back from her mission with Flamme Breath, she had been very distant, often lost in her thoughts, and was barely conversation with anyone for more than 20 seconds before returning back to her thoughts. Maybe something happened during that mission, buht he really hoped, if necessary, that she will be able to fight in her condition.

Lucy's mind was going wild. Stupid Natsu, he had to remind her if him. It has been 20 years, if we count the seven years of sleep that were in at Tenrõ, but, she still missed him like it was her first way without him, and she still cries about it, and deals guilty because everything was her fault. She ended his life. At least for 20 years she thought so, until Natsu made her think about the possibilities of him being alive. But who can survive a knife to the heart? Then suddenly, Gray shook her pretty roughly.

"Hey! Don't forget that I'm a girl." She pouted but he frowned in response.

"Lucy, I don't know what's up with you, why you are so distant and always lost in your thoughts, but get your shit together! Somebody's coming." Gray frowned, hearing footsteps coming their way.

When was the last time he trully wanted to kill somebody? Of course, due to his job he had to kill a lot of people, but not once did he ever do it because he hated the person. He couldn't recall ever feeling that way. So why, why did he suddenly felt the urge to rip somebody's guys appart as soon as he heard the guy yell that name, "Lucy". Even if it wasn't her, even if it wasn't the same Lucy that he was thinking of, he would make sure that she will hate her parents for choosing that name for her, and he will kill her friend for even having the guys to tell that name. But as he approached them, he started to have a bad feeling, sequels of the past playing themselves in his head, with all in common a blonde girl present. Why? Why he starting to see her in front of him. Was his mind playing him tricks? But she looked so real, her brown eyes were the same, she still had her long blonde hairs, and he could see the celestial keys on her belt. No doubt, it was her, fucking Lucy Heartfillia.

Lucy's eyes got wide as she stopped walking, her mouth gaped, which was slowly covered by her shaky hand. How? How was he still alive? Nothing could express her shock better than the fact that she nearly fell to the ground, if it wasn't for Gray catching her.

"Lucy what's wrong? Talk to me, are you alright?!" He asked rather loudly as the mercenary kept approaching.

Of course she wasn't alright, she has just seen a freaking ghost. But this ghost looks really alive. She kept staring at him as he approached them, her hand still in her mouth.
"So Ria wasn't wrong when she said that I'll be getting some action." The mercenary said, doing a good job at masking any type of emotions he was feeling at the moment. He opened his palms as two twin swords appeared, one in each hand. Both had a red bolt, with a long and thin silver blade with some lightning paterns on it.

Gray, knowing that things were about to get serious, quickly got rid of his shirt and got into Ice-Make position, not wanting to go full Demon Slayer mode at first.
"Dylan..." She whispered, but he ignored her. She removed her hand from her mouth and let it drop to her side.

"Dylan." She repeated louder but, the mercenary only growled a shut up.
"NII-SAN!" She screamed

"SHUT UP!" He talked in response, letting his magic go wild, as dark clouds appeared in the sky, a storm quickly starting, while lightnings were crazyly sparkling around his body. His trip on his swords so tight that his knuckles turned white. His messy blonde bangs were hidding his golden eyes. Rain started to pour heavily, as he then raised his head, his eyes full of hatred staring directly into her eyes full of sadness.

"Don't call me that anymore! I am not your brother anymore!" He then took a deep breath. All he had to do now was to kill them and everything will be over, but, would that really change anything? Would that calm his anger? Would that calm his sadness? Of course not. That's why he let out a loud scream before turning around, only to see his employer a few yards back.

"What are you doing?" He growled. "Kill them!"

But Dylan only started walking forward before towering over the shirt man. In a small reaction of a second, his head was flying on the air, leaving behind a trail of blood, as his eyes were wide open, just like his mouth. Gray and Lucy could only watch in disgust as Dylan ended that man's life. But then Dylan turned back to them and walk back toward them, only to walk pass them and to leave them standing there.

When he was finally gone, Gray, turned to Lucy, only to see a river of years flowing down her cheeks. She stopped on her knees and lowered her head, silently crying.
He couldn't, Gray just couldn't stand to see his friend like this, so he kneeled beside her and pulled her into his arms, hugging her gently.

Lucy, who for once wasn't crying alone, couldn't hold it back anymore and let out a loud cry, full of 20 years of sadness, 20 years of guilt, and 20 years of remorse.