~CHAPTER 4 – LAST MONTH~

~LUCY~

I placed my hands flat on the barrier, feeling the usual shock run through me harmlessly. I applied pressure and the first twinges of pain ran up my arms. A bit more force and I felt the barrier cave slightly, but not enough. Pain assaulted my senses and I stumbled back, feeling completely fried. Dammit.

"That was better, Miss Lucy." Capricorn again. My third month of imprisonment with a dreaded feeling in my gut was coming to an end and I still couldn't break the damn barrier. I had also begun cussing like a sailor and the last two weeks had been spent in a vigorous attempt to regain control of my language.

"I guess." I replied, sulking.

"What's wrong, Lucy?" Loke spoke up. I spun around to face him, my hand waving around in aimless gestures that were lost on my audience.

"I have this feeling that something really bad is going to happen, and I think it's partially my fault. That something is outside the damn barrier. I need to get out and stop it, but I can't remember what it is and it's driving me insane." I slammed my palm against the barrier, ignoring the slight shock.

"You're completely right. In fact, the bad thing is going to start in a few days. It's better known as…" Once again, Loke kept talking but no sound left his mouth. Squinting with all my might turned up the words 'season' and 'destroy'.

"Sorry. Can't hear you." I tapped my ear for emphasis and he cut off his explanation. The fact that the gut feeling had something to do with my locked memories did nothing to improve my mood.

"Miss Lucy, summon Taurus and Virgo." Capricorn commanded. I followed his directions without a second thought and within moments the two were out.

"Miss Luuuucy, your body is as goooooood as always!" Taurus, always the pervert. I chose to ignore his comment.

"Punishment time, princess?" And of course, Virgo the masochist. How could I forget?

"Neither, guys. Training." I replied.

"Leo and I will attack, you will defend. No offensive. Virgo, tunnel and make potholes. Taurus, chop some trees. Begin." Capricorn wasted no time in assigning tasks and I linked my hands behind my back as the goat and the lion darted in for an attack. Virgo made my life difficult by making holes under my feet and Taurus mooed about my hot body while applying his axe to some unfortunate trees, providing a distraction and a drain for my magic.

"Pull out your whips, Miss Lucy." Capricorn ordered without breaking stride and my hands jumped to the twin handles, slipping them from the holders without effort. They were both common whips, each missing the barb on the tip to avoid hurting my spirits. We continued our violent dance, my whips tripping them up and giving me much-needed breathers. Suddenly, my knees gave and I dropped to the ground, clutching my head as pure agony swept through my body. It ate at my very cells, tearing each one into a million pieces and then slamming it together again. I was thrown into the long hallway with frames, staring at the four that adorned the far wall. The cherry-wood one burst into flames and I reached out on instinct, trying to save it from the fire. However, it didn't burn. Not a single char mark appeared on the carvings. Another wave of pain swept through my body and the sword frame begin to fill with color. The most noticeable was a long trail of scarlet. The name was at the tip of my tongue right as I was rudely shoved back into the waking world. Ignoring the worried cries of my spirits, I kept their gates open and ran straight to the barrier. I had to break the damn thing now. Both palms slammed into the barrier with force and a loud crack rang through the mist. I bit back a scream as more pain filtered through my body and pushed one, hearing another crack. And another. One more and the barrier shattered, revealing a rolling landscape. The sun blinded me momentarily and I had to blink several times to get used to the glare.

"You did it, Lucy!" Loke cheered. I spun around to find the four spirits right behind me, all in various states of enthusiasm. Taurus was mooning over my body, Virgo was impassive, Capricorn was his usual solemn self and Loke could've been at a disco party.

"Congratulations, Miss Lucy." Capricorn said with a slight bow. "I greatly recommend closing our gates and setting out for the nearest town."

"I think I'll do that." I replied softly. I was incredibly nervous, going back to a town after being with only my spirits for three months. Capricorn bowed again and his gate closed. Taurus and Virgo followed suit, but Loke stayed.

"I got some Jewels out of your safe." He held out a small pouch and I took it, the weight surprising me. "Good luck with your memories, and call me out if you need help."

"I will." I smiled at the lion and he grinned back before disappearing in a flash of golden light. The feeling of dread returned to my gut, as ominous as ever, but I felt light on my feet for the first time in months. I set off towards the small village, hoping to get answers to my many questions.

~CANA~

Natsu's carefree laughter had my head twisting sharply enough to feel a crack in my neck. Cursing, I rubbed the sore spot and watched Natsu goof around with Lisanna and Happy, a smile on all three faces.

"Oi, Mira." I called softly, grabbing the barmaid's attention with ease. She followed my line of sight and a quiet giggle escaped her.

"Looks like we had nothing to worry about." I muttered. Levy sighed, turning back to her book and flipping the page. I swirled around the contents of my mug, watching the whirlpool. During the past month the air in the guild had become lighter. People took comfort in Natsu's growing relationship with Lisanna, and most had decided that the season would go over smoothly.

"Worry about what?" Gajeel strolled over, his jaw working furiously as he munched on a chunk of metal. He came up behind her chair and crossed his arms across her head, resting his chin on his forearms. Levy paid him no attention.

"About Natsu." I muttered, taking a long swing of beer.

Red eyes narrowed at me. "What about 'im?"

"The season. Figure it out." My eyes did a splendid three sixty and I chugged down the remains of the golden liquid, slapping down the mug on the table for a refill.

"You're so dense, Gajeel." Levy murmured, still lost in her book. Gajeel smirked and pulled the book away from her in a fluid motion. She made a noise that resembled something between a snarl and a squeal before leaping out of her chair, both hands extended for her book. Gajeel lifted the book out of her reach, but he used his other arm to catch her around the waist right before she hit the ground.

"Careful, shrimp." He teased, setting her back on her feet.

"Gajeel!" Levy whined. "Give me back my book!"

"Go and get it, shrimp." He replied smugly, holding the book out but slightly above his head. Levy pouted and made a half-hearted effort to retrieve her prized possession. "You were saying?"

"I agree with Levy, you're a dense asshole." I sipped the fresh beer. "Lisanna will help Natsu bear the season instead of Lucy."

Levy froze, abandoning her pitiful efforts to retrieve her book, and Gajeel's eyes widened considerably. He snorted and shook his head, letting the book drop into Levy's hands.

"I'm not the one who's dense here. Bunny girl is Salamander's, and no little kitty can change that." he said with a dark chuckle.

"Dragons sometimes had more than one mate, right? Isn't it the same for dragon slayers?" Mira rejoined the conversation, her hands working on their own.

"The chances are more than against you. You find your mate, you stick together for life." Gajeel retorted. The tiniest blush crept up on Levy's cheeks as he propped his elbow on her head.

"But Natsu hasn't claimed anyone yet, so the mate isn't chosen." I butted in, supporting Mira's argument.

"A mate doesn't change simply because the dragon hasn't accepted them yet." Levy snapped. Gajeel's fingers played with her blue hair and she relaxed slightly. "His density is a one-of-a-kind case. Don't apply it to everyone."

"We aren't. His density could be an advantage, if he goes for Lisanna instead of Lucy. Instead of having to keep him from searching, we'll only have to protect one person." I replied easily. I saw no flaws in our plan. Gajeel was just being the pain in the ass he usually is. A snarl formed on his face and he dragged Levy out of the guild, ignoring her surprised protests.

~GAJEEL~

"Hey! Gajeel, put me down!" Shrimp shouted, her tiny fists drumming on my back. Such a nice massage.

"No." My reply was curt and she shut up. I carried her to a side alley that I liked, a nice, quiet corner that I had long since claimed as my own. Setting her down on a ledge, I leaned against the opposite wall and stared at her.

"What?" She snapped. I put up a smirk and crossed my arms.

"Ain't it obvious?" I snapped back and she bit back her retort, thinking it over before slowly nodding.

"They've all been acting weird, like there's no chance of anything going wrong." Her eyes widened with panic. "Are you saying someone drugged them?"

A shrug. "Always the possibility. I talked to Master yesterday and he was just as chill about it, if not more."

"Who wants to destroy Magnolia so much?"

"Who doesn't want to mess with the Salamander?" My list was a mile long, and I'd only known the idiot for a couple years as a guildmate. "He goes berserk, razes the town and a bunch of neighbors, comes to and sees his handiwork. It'll crush the guy."

"Let's assume that the guild has been drugged. How would the attacker do it?" Levy began her analysis, taking it step by step for my benefit.

"They used a stink bag, so they are familiar with the powers of the guild. Chances are they went for something untraceable that can't be tracked back to them." I followed her question and she nodded in approval.

"I'll go and search up some possibilities. Who else has been out lately?" She hopped down and flicked her hair out of her eyes.

"The big shots, but they probably won't show their faces during the season. That's it for long term." I pushed off the wall and walked out onto the street, scaring a bunch of cats. "Lily knows and he's clear."

"Fine. Keep watch for anyone who hasn't fallen under, and make sure to catch them before they do." She set off at a light run towards her precious library.

"Gihi. What are the chances, shrimp?" I smirked and headed back towards the guild. The chances were zero, and we both knew it.