Last edited: Dec. 9, 2017

The Surface world had always fascinated Lucy. The very few memories she had of her time as a human there were the roots of the interest, and the people she protected and guided were the water to feed it. The interest was the main reason why she could connect so quickly and easily with her wards and why she had the highest rate of all Celestial Beings of successful wards making it to their personal paradise.

But the interest gave her a thirst to return to the Surface world, regardless of the peace and bliss the Celestial world provided her.

Perhaps it was that insatiable thirst that Lucy found herself bargaining with her holiness for the sake of her most recent ward, Natsu Dragneel. Or, maybe it was, indeed, her heart's purest intention for her ward to succeed. She didn't know, but she felt that her purpose was not as clear-cut as she made it to be. And she knew that the Celestial King, in the deepest of deep in his hearts, knew that too.

"Very well, my child," he said sadly. "I will grant you two months, and only two months, to lead your straying ward back to the redeeming path. But be careful, my dear. The Surface world has always been laden with sin and vice, and you are very much susceptible to it because of your first human nature. Should you partake in any sins, I will not be able to welcome you back until you meet Azrael or any of his siblings once more."

"My king," Lucy whispered, her head bowed. "Thank you."

"You are sacrificing your entire being for the sake of one human," the Celestial King mused. "You take after one of my children from the past. The child may no longer be here, but I will always remember their pure intentions: love for a human." He sighed. "Love is the downfall of many, my child included. I warn you, Lucy, love is both a powerful shield and weapon. Be careful on how you wield it, my child. Love purely and wisely."

"Always, my king."

When he was a child, Natsu loved to stargaze. His father Igneel would always point out the several planets and stars that dotted the endless sky. He'd teach Natsu the names of the constellations and which stars made them up. Whenever Natsu felt down on the dumps, he'd always look up at the bright, twinkling stars and be reminded of his father.

Now... well, now, he couldn't see them.

Natsu took a drag from his cigarette, the initial burn from the smoke in his lungs fading into a pleasant tingle. He told himself that he'd quit after high school, and he did, up until he couldn't. Which was now. He sighed, the smoke from his lungs expelling out into the night. "Oi, Natsu," a voice said from behind him, and Natsu stiffened. "Loke and the others are looking for you."

"I know, Gray," Natsu said gruffly, refusing to turn around. He took in another drag from his cigarette.

"Dammit, Fruit Cake, I told you to stop smoking!" Gray was much closer now, and Natsu growled before tossing the cig from his hands onto the dark streets below.

"Well, I told you to stop following me!"

Several moments of silence passed, and just as Natsu began to relax, thinking that perhaps he'd left, Gray said, suddenly next to him, "You've changed, Nat."

"Haven't we all?"

"I know you're hurting," Gray said idly. "But I've already told you. I've let it go. You should too."

Natsu buried his face in his hands. "Shut up, Gray. I won't. I can't. This one, all of it... it's on me."

"Well, yeah," Gray said, snorting, and Natsu glared up at him. "But I already forgave you."

"How?" Natsu snapped, looking at his shaking hands. "How, Gray? I fucking killed-"

"Natsu?" The pink-haired boy froze before taking in a deep breath and turning to face Loke. The op-leader's normally-spiky hair flopped down onto his eyes, almost as if all the life within it had fled. His face was haggard and hollow, his eyes sunken and burdened with dark circles. He was tired and looked tired, but his crossed arms and stiff shoulders screamed strength and anger. Another talk, Natsu knew, just like the past couple days.

"What now?" he said impatiently before flinching at Loke's harsh glare.

"I don't want to repeat this conversation, Natsu," Loke said. "But we need to. It's been days—"

"—I can't do anything about that, Loke—"

"—you cost us a life, Natsu!"

"I know, but—"

"How long? How long will you go for this girl? How far, huh?" Loke closed the distance between them and grabbed Natsu's collar in anger. "You fucking killed your best friend over her!" he yelled at the younger man's face.

"I KNOW!" Natsu screamed, swiping away Loke's grip. "I know! God, I know."

"Why? Just tell me, why?"

"Do you know anything about love, Loke? Do you?" Natsu asked, glaring up at the man. "I'd do anything for her because I love her. She showed me hope when I couldn't go on. She was— is— my anchor. I'd do anything for her. Anything."

Loke's lip curled in disgust. "You'd kill your best friend for her? All because you love her?" Loke scoffed. "You've changed, Natsu. Normally, you wouldn't have let your feelings take charge. Normally, you would've found a way around his request. You would've."

"But I fucking changed," Natsu said mockingly. "And because of me, Gray wouldn't be able to live his life the way he wanted to. Because of me, he won't be able to travel the world. Because of me, he wouldn't be able to marry the girl he loves." Over Loke's shoulder, Natsu met Gray's hooded ones. "Because of me, he died. I killed him. I killed him." For several heavy seconds, all Natsu could hear was the blood rushing in his ears and the distant blare of traffic.

Loke gave Natsu a heavy look. "The higher-ups are getting really agitated over our loss. They gave us two months." He leveled Natsu with a warning. "You have two months, Natsu. Capture Tartaros. Confess. If not, then others will." Natsu watched as Loke turned round, walking past where Gray has been a minute earlier. "And it's not just love you're feeling, Natsu. It's an obligation. Trust me. I know."

Once Loke had gone, Natsu slammed a fist into the brick ledge, ignoring the pain that bloomed across his knuckles and the blood that dripped slowly onto the ground. "Dammit!" he screamed. "Dammit! It wasn't supposed to happen. I didn't fucking mean to do it." Natsu screamed out onto the sky, "Help me, please. I didn't mean to do it. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry..."

It had been a long and stressful month, but they had done it. Finally fucking done it. He, Gray, Alzack, and Gajeel had finally infiltrated the ranks of Tartaros and finally, give more support for Jellal, the first agent that had infiltrated Tartaros four months prior. Today would be the first mission they had together as a team, and the chances of them fucking it up was too high.

Good thing Natsu never really cared much for percentages, otherwise he would've pissed his pants and fled the mission.

"Oi, Pinky," Gray's grating voice said, and Natsu couldn't help but wince. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Natsu said. "Is it time?"

Gray nodded. "Yeah. But I wanted to talk to you before we turn on our com." He tapped his ears, which hid a small communicating device that Levy had made for them. "Wouldn't want Loke and the others to listen in." Gray pursed his lips. "I know you don't want to talk about it."

Natsu pushed himself from the wall he was leaning against and brushed past Gray. "Then let's not talk about it," he said quickly, but Gray quickly intercepted him, grabbing his arm.

"You're not gonna let Lisanna distract you?"

"Why the hell would I?" Natsu snapped. "She's already made up her mind, hasn't she?"

"Natsu," Gray said impatiently, "you need to tell someone about her. Maybe Loke-"

"Loke would pull me out of this," Natsu said agnrily. "I've devoted way too much time into this, Gray. I'm not going to let her distract me."

"You sure about that?" Gray asked, sending him a look of skepticism. "I've seen the way you look at her Natsu. You're not over her, and I need you to promise that you won't let your personal feelings cloud your judgment. You've said it yourself. We've wasted too much time into Tartaros to fuck this op up."

Natsu leveled Gray with a hard and determined look. "I won't, Gray. Just stick with your part, and I'll stick with mine."

"Fine," Gray said, releasing his arm from his tight grip. "But if you do fuck this one up, Natsu, I'll annoy the fuck out of ya 'til the day I die."

Natsu smirked, rolling his eyes. "Good luck with that, Ice Princess."

"I really need to pee, guys," Alzack whispered, and Natsu chuckled when groans of disgust and disbelief filled his ears.

"Why didn't you before we left, Al?" Gajeel hissed. "Fucking idiot."

"Just go," Loke's voice said, and although his voice was tinnier than the others', Natsu was once again impressed by Levy's ingenuity over technology. Loke and the base team were miles away from their location, and for them to even communicate from such a distance was a miracle. It blocked out all the noise from the outside other than their own voices, so the risk of interference dropped to basically zero.

"Hey, Loke, how long until the meeting starts?" Natsu asked casually.

He could literally see Loke narrow his eyes in suspicion. "Natsu, don't even think of going anywhere. Stay where you are, got that?"

"Fine," Natsu grumbled, but the food sitting invitingly on a maroon-covered table beckoned him, and his previous thoughts to explore the building quickly vanished as his stomach took over his brain. "Lovely food," he mumbled and began to stuff his mouth of the delicious appetizers.

"Oh shit," Gray said softly after several minutes passed. Natsu looked up from his food, discreetly wiping his hands against his pants, now on high alert. He searched the crowded place for Gray, wanting to help his friend should trouble come his way, but either he was too short, or Gray was in a completely different room.

"What is it, Gray?" Loke demanded.

"Mard Geer coming my way," Gray mumbled. "Shit, what do I do?" Natsu began walking around, casually looking out for his friend and Mard Geer and his conspicuous, high-ass ponytail among the crowd.

"Where are you?" Loke said. "Natsu, Gajeel, Alzack, if you see him, follow closely, got it?"

"Lord Mard Geer," Gray said, a tone of respect and awe in his voice. "To what do I owe this pleasure in you meeting me, a lowly recruit?" There was a garbled response, the tone and pitch so obviously Mard Geer's own deep and dark voice, but Natsu was unable to hear his response. Perhaps Levy's contraption worked a little too well... "Of course, sir," Gray said after Mard Geer finished speaking. "I'll look for him."

"Him?" Loke echoed. "Gray-"

Natsu nearly jumped out of his skin when Gray appeared before him, a wide smile frozen on his face. Behind him, Mard Geer stood back, his face a picture of dangerous peace and arms crossed in an aggressive stance."Natsu!" Gray said, clapping the pink-haired man on his shoulders. "Lord Mard Geer would like to have a private meeting with us."

Natsu gulped down his food, grinning widely at the two and slipping into his happy-go-lucky role. "Roger!" he said happily. Mard Geer only gave him a small look of disgust before beckoning for the two to follow him. The two agents stared at each other briefly, neither knowing why they would be needed. Within seconds, Mard Geer led them through wide twists and turns, and the loud chatters and uproarious laughter from partying drunkards devolved into silence. "Where we goin', boss?" Natsu asked. "Will there be food?"

Mard Geer barked out a laugh. "For the fish, yes" he replied casually. "You see, I've created the Tartaros from scratch as a way for society's no-gooders and hopeless miscreants to band together and actually make a living out of something. Within years, I've created an empire, one that society looked upon with fear and awe instead of condescending disgust. I'm proud of it and of all my members. We're a close knit group, we in Tartaros, you see." They stopped in front of a metal door that Mard Geer held open for the boys as if it were wood.

Gray and Natsu sent each other brief glances, both very much dreading where Mard Geer was going."So imagine my surprise and pure agony when I realized that a spy had infiltrated our ranks." Mard Geer slammed the metal door shut, and the boys were plunged into darkness. Natsu settled into defensive mode, his senses sharpening as he attempted to assess and solve the situation, which honestly was looking grimmer and grimmer the more time passed.

In his ears, the rest of the team was in chaos. He could hear Gajeel and Alzack demanding to know what the hell was happening, as Loke shouted orders to the field agents to sit down and the sitting team, all of whom, Natsu knew, were panicking over the breach of information. "A spy?" he heard Gajeel say. "Who? Who? There can't be one, we've all been screened!"

He knew who it was. And a feeling of dread and bile threatened to rise from within him as he realized who it was.

He had trusted her.

Slivers of light revealed the dark and imposing figure of Mard Geer, and suddenly, Natsu was aware of the other presences in the room. A frightening sneer crept onto Mard Geer's face, showcasing sharpened canines and highlighting the silvery scars that lined his face. "Gray Milkovich. Or should I say, Gray Fullbuster, son of Silver Fullbuster." Mard Geer began to laugh, shaking his head in amusement, his sneer widening into a predatory grin. "I should've known. The resemblance is there. I should've known that you both were traitors. Like father, like son, eh, Gray?"

Mard Geer looked up, an expression of disgusting bliss written all over his face. "Man, you must've really had a vendetta against me! But lemme just say, my dear Fullbuster..." He bent down to Gray's height, his eyes narrowing in distaste. "... it was liberating to feel his blood on my hands." He laughed, blocking Gray's attack with his arm and throwing him half-way across the room.

Natsu winced, barely stopping himself from helping his friend. He couldn't blow his identity now, either. It was best to remain still and silent.

Unfortunately, Mard Geer had seen the minute movement. "Ah Natsu!" he said, clapping his hands on Natsu's shoulders. "How could I have forgotten Tartaros' most promising recruit? It's a shame, really." Mard Geer tsked, shaking his head in disappointment. "You're with him, aren't you?" Natsu gaped up at him in shock, refusing to break from his character. He had to keep it up, he had to, if not to save Gray, then himself for the sake of the mission. "It's all good. I have an ultimatum for you. Join us or die with the traitor."

"I will always be part of Tartaros, Lord Geer," Natsu said immediately, bowing his head despite his stomach rolling in disgust over his words.

"Oh but words are just words aren't they? No. I need tangible proof. I want action." Mard Geer withdrew a sword from his side, the blade singing in the air as it glinted threateningly in the dim lights. He handed the weapon to Natsu, who looked down on it in horror. "Same sword for Silver, same sword for Gray. Poetic justice, I say. But then again, I failed English in high school." He laughed again, the sound reverberating ominously in the dark room. "Kill him, Natsu, and prove to me your worth. Prove to me that you are part of Tartaros and our empire!"

And so he did.

The blood that covered him and the floors, the cheers and whoops from the other ranking members of Tartaros— all were nothing to the betrayed light in Gray's fading eyes.

That he would take to his grave and beyond forever.

Word Count: 2800+

What'd you think guys?! Don't worry, Lucy will be in the next chapter or two; I was only setting up the background and tone for the rest of the story ;D