Cana was seen with a huge barrel of booze, gulping down the last ounce of it and sighing in relief. She set the one empty barrel to the side and began to move on to the next one.

Mira was a little nervous by Cana downing booze, not that it isn't normal. This is Cana after all. Mira had been behind the bar, and she's known Cana's drinking habits because she serves the alcohol to her. And by the looks of her drinking so much so early, she was eager.

"Cana, don't you think you should slow down a bit?" Mira insisted.

The brunette ceased her downing and huffed briefly. Her purple eyes looked towards Mira. "Well can you blame me? I'm parched. I haven't had anything to drink." Not exactly true to her word though, as she just had a whole barrel not even a minute ago.

Mira grew nervous. "Maybe you should just have water to start off your mornings?"

"For little ol' me? Sorry, but today's a special day." Cana took a long gulp, long enough for Mira to figure out what Cana meant.

Her eyes opened up as she looked up a little in her epiphany. "Oh, that's right! Today's the day you go back to work!" She clapped for her. "Can't wait to see you back at it!"

Cana grew a small scowl. "Get real. I know you just want me to leave the bar so I don't pilfer every last barrel like I have this whole time."

All Mira could do was laugh as Cana sighed.

It had been over a week since Cana had her ankles treated, and she had been lagging around the bar the whole time. She past the time by doing what she did best – drinking up every last drop of liquor she could manage. But today was different. She was antsy, and she was dying to get back into the game…that was missions.

With her prescribed to be rid of the crutches and bandages, the brunette stood up and stretched with a grin on her face. "Oh man, after a week of just sitting, something like this really gets the blood pumping. You know what I'm saying?" She asked as she stretched her back.

Mira just smiled as always. "Sure. Now, just be careful. Start off easy this time, okay?"

"Can do." Cana learned her lesson the hard way on her last mission to stop Falcon's Calling. The upside with the 150,000 Jewels, was that 2/3 of it was paid for her rent early at Fairy Hills. With the rent in early, she was covered until the next time it came up. With the 50,000 Jewels remaining, she just spent it on alcohol at the guild.

Back to square one.

The brunette made way over towards the Request Board and stared at it. "Let's see…" She scrolled through the missions posted on the board. This time, and due to past experiences, she scrutinized every bit of every mission posted; reward money, location, and most importantly – details. That's what got her into trouble last time.

Taking that into account, and the fact she wanted to take it easy, she decided to leave the monster hunting and bandit jobs to others, and choose something close by and fair pay.

Nearby, Natsu yawned as he sat his head down groggily. His stomach was empty, yet he just ate a meal, which cost him the remaining amount from his hard job he returned from yesterday.

"Oooii. Need food." He grumbled.

"Aye, why did we have to spend all our money this morning?" Happy grumbled as he laid on his tummy.

Natsu sat up, supported by his elbow. "Well I guess we can go on a job. Haven't been on one that was just you and me in awhile, huh buddy?" He smiled.

"Aye! I'm ready as ever!" Happy cheered.

Natsu clenched a fist. "Alright, then if Lucy and Gray snooze, they lose!"

Erza was on the second floor of the guild hall, glancing down at Natsu. The site of him so groggy one moment but upbeat the next made her smile in delight. If she were honest, that's what she'd expect from him. Aside from herself, Natsu and Happy were the only ones from the team in the guild hall. The job they recently took and returned from involved a voracious monster, and suffice to say it was a glutton for punishment. As a result, they all had a rough time, but managed in the end.

Lucy took the day off to rest herself in a nice bath and try to do some writing. As for Gray, he was expected to be around soon, but Natsu wasn't waiting for anybody. Erza herself was ready for another job, the last one yesterday didn't provide as many drawbacks on her than it did on Lucy and Gray.

She looked over to see that the request board on the second floor had but a few jobs. She walked over to find that the S-Class Request Board had a few openings available. Those jobs could be handled by Erza and Laxus. Unfortunately Laxus was out on another job with his Thunder Legion.

Erza scanned the S-Class board a bit, and found something that was seemingly appeasing. She leaned in closer to scrutinize what she was dealing with. It showed a picture of a dark tan man and what seemed to be a vermilion-haired young woman, possible no older than Erza.

She looked at the details and read them aloud. "So, this man is in this coastal city where an heiress is held, and the job stated that…"

"Oh, hey Erza!" Erza was cut off when Natsu and Happy were seen right beside her. The sudden appearance of Natsu caught her off guard, but left her pleasantly surprised. With the redhead startled slightly, Natsu looked at her request she was considering. "What you got there?" Curiosity growing, he took a peek. "Let's see…helping save a coastal town and rid of a foreign hunter? Sounds crazy tough."

Erza snapped out of her surprise and recovered back into her stoic fashion. "Natsu, what are you doing here?" She had to wonder why that question was asked, or perhaps why it came out of her mouth to begin with. Maybe she was caught startled by him being so close, or maybe she was trying to make conversation. Regardless, the Dragon Slayer looked at Erza with his trademark grin.

"Oh yeah, I was just wondering what kind of job you were doing." His smiled widened. "The ones downstairs weren't paying enough."

Erza snickered. "Being picky now, are we?" She raised a brow, but slowly turned back towards the request she was reading. "I suppose you want to accommodate me on this job I'm considering, right?"

Natsu laughed sheepishly. "Hehe! Read me like a book!"

Erza sighed at Natsu, but grinned softly. She didn't mind; in fact with Gray not present, and Lucy taking the day to recharge, this left Natsu and herself…unless you count Happy for teasing and commentary. The point being is that the more she thought about it, the more she realized that this job could have her and Natsu spend some more time together. And her heart skipped a beat when she saw the location was Solidaster, one of the loveliest vacation spots in Fiore, but first thing's first.

With her mind set, she took the request off the board and turned towards Natsu. "Well Natsu, I'll allow you to accompany me on this mission."

"Awesome!" He shouted.

"But!" Her exclamation made Natsu stand affirm. "You must do everything I say. No mistakes can be made on an S-Class job." Her eyes narrowed. "Remember Galuna Island?"

Natsu shuddered at the whole incident and its remembrance with Erza arriving. They had to admit that they had a rough time, and if not for her, they might have not completed it. "Y-yes ma'am!" He saluted.

"Good." He followed her downstairs, where he watched as she presented the S-Class job to Mira.

"Here, we'll be taking this one." She told her.

Mira looked at the job and her expression grew mildly surprised. "An S-Class job? My, you haven't been on one of those in a while." She commented, but showed no hesitation. "Okay, but be careful."

"Now hold on you two." The voice came from none other than Master Makarov. His sudden voice caught Natsu and Erza's ears and they turned to see him sit on the counter close by. "This is an S-Class job, so Erza, be having a watchful eye." He grew weary. "I've been hearing a few rumors going around in Solidaster for the past few days. Apparently this foreign invader has power…do proceed with caution."

"So you're implying that I add a few more members?" The redhead asked.

"Someone with great experience." Master looked towards his left, seeing someone at the Request Board. "Cana."

The brunette turned towards Master Makarov in question. "Yeah?"

"Come here."

The brunette walked onwards towards the Master and stopped in front of him, seeing Natsu, Erza, and Happy.

"Erza's taking Natsu on an S-Class request, but as a precaution, we'd like you to tag along." Makarov's order was like getting hit by a train, and Cana nearly fell over.

Talk about irony. When you just recover and take it easy, it doesn't work out how you want it to.

"Say what?" Cana was downright startled. "You're joking, right?"

Makarov closed his eyes. "It's no joke. I understand that you've just recovered, but we need someone of your strength and experience to help Erza with her mission. Gajeel's out on another job, so he's out of the question. And Gray is still slowed down, so that leaves us with you. Do you understand?"

Cana raised a brow, getting to the bitter point. "So basically what you're saying is that I'm your only option, right?" She stated bluntly. She didn't take it personal by any means, but she did look in Makarov's perspective. When she thought about, it was true; Gajeel, Elfman, and a majority of others were out on jobs. Talk about timing. This didn't dismay the Card Mage though, more experience for her.

Cana shrugged it off. "Whatever, fine by me. So where's this little party rockin to?"

"Our objective lies within Solidaster. The culprit is supposedly foreign and has immense Magic Power. Unfortunately that's all anyone knows." Erza explained.

Makarov grumbled. "Still…" He took a big gulp of booze, and took a long pause as it ran down his throat. "To have come from another region other than Fiore, what are his motives? No one can tell."

Natsu held up a fist. "Well whatever it is, it won't be a good enough reason to keep us from bashing him into the dirt!"

"Aye sir!" Happy agreed. "Let's rock and roll!"

Mira kept her smile. "You four better be careful, and enjoy the beaches while you're at it!" Of course Erza had to refrain from showing any signs of blushing from the mentions of the beaches. To her, it felt like a vacation with Natsu…with Happy and Cana. Though it was the principle, which was being on soft, sandy beaches with the warm sun cascading down on an umbrella overshadowing a large towel where you could be sharing it with the one you care for.

With that behind them, the four began preparations for their big mission.

Hours later, the small group was seen in the middle of a train ride. Slowly, the landscape began to alter from a grassy plain, to ragged hillsides. Cana looked out and stared.

"This train ride is supposed to last another five hours, right Erza?" She turned to see Erza in her trademark armor, having a motion sick Natsu lying on her lap. Seeing the site of the Dragon Slayer, Cana raised a brow, but grew even more weary when she saw that his eyes were deprived of pupils.

Realizing he was unconscious catered by Erza, the brunette shrugged it off and had the redhead speak.

"Yes. We should be in the town close to it by sundown." Erza informed. "The job pays 12 Million Jewels. The client is supposedly the head of Solidaster. From what it said, Solidaster is not just a vacation spot, but a city that is by the rule of heirs and heiresses. Those kinds of cities are rare to come by in Fiore."

Assessing the scenario, and from the culprit, Cana was trying to get an idea as to what's happening. "Do you think that the culprit may want the heiress for a ransom?"

"It's possible." Erza told, which was followed by Natsu groaning.

Happy patted his buddy's head. "There, there. It'll be over before you know it." He then looked up at the girls. "So I don't think that they'd go after Solidaster for any random reason, right?"

"Yeah. To provoke someone outside of Fiore means there's something behind this. Something personal." Cana indicated.

Erza closed her eyes. "…No. It's still too early to speculate. We're making too many speculations. For now, we have to make our only priority to meet the client while undisclosed to the enemy. For all we know, they may be waiting for us.

The train whistled as a signal for the passengers to get off, and Happy was seen hauling Natsu out of the train with his wings. As he carried his recovering buddy, Erza and Cana followed behind. The lights in the train station were surprisingly bright, meaning the station was kept in good condition.

The town they were in was a sizeable town that is known for being the passageway from there to Solidaster. The city had no train station, but the town on the otherwise of the mountain did, which was where Erza and her group was.

Natsu stretched. "Gnnnaaahhh! Sweet freedom!" He sighed happily. He turned towards the girls confused. "Say, wasn't it sunny today?"

"You were out the whole eight hours. It's basically sundown." Happy said.

Natsu groaned. "Wait…eight hours?! Happy! Begin the cooking!"

"Aye sir! I got the fishes set and ready to-" He was cut off when someone was trying to cough a little to get their attention. Curiosity getting the best of them, Happy and Natsu turned to see Cana with a hand to her hip.

She was giving a disapproving sigh. "You guys, you do realize that inns here have room service, right?" Her deadpanning was like a revelation to Natsu and Happy, for their mouths hung open. Cana just turned away and looked at Erza. "So I guess we're getting dinner?"

Erza nodded. "We'll find an inn with room service, and we'll get room service to supply a fresh dinner."

"Awesome!" Natsu and Happy cheered in joy, but their joy was sucked up by Erza.

"Now listen you two." She warned. "You'll only eat what we can afford. We're on a budget this mission, alright? So no overloading on your selection."

Natsu sulked. "Yes ma'am."

Cana grinned at Erza. "Man, talk about a bottomless pits. Glad they have a cover."

Erza turned towards her, getting her little metaphor. "True." She turned her head to see Natsu pouting a little when his food would be limited. She found it a little cute, and she was seen smiling.

Cana sighed and began to make way with the others towards a local inn.

Perched atop of a mountain, overlooking the scenery of vast smaller mountains and Solidaster a ways away, there sat a solemn individual with the sunset beaming onto his face, enlightening his sea blue eyes. Despite the beautiful view, he only half-grinned. The sun's rays would've left anyone grinning, yet it didn't seem to affect his mood in the slightest.

When he looked at the sun setting, it only reminded him of the lives he's come across, and how some's last breaths were as the sun was setting. He shook himself from those terrible thoughts before they could resurface, but he choked a little and remembered the sad days that went by.

20 months ago

Craig stood there, baffled beyond recognition. The woman that he had saved on so many time, the one he saved from a giant demonic monster that he destroyed, along with an entire mountain in Joya, just said words that he couldn't comprehend.

"What…" Craig was gazing at the long, golden-haired woman with brown eyes and ruby red lipstick in a professional white and red battle dress.

Despite the mood as the sun set behind her, she smiled. "It's true…I am but a forsaken soul that was bound to that curse." Selano's smile widened. "I was a solid soul for 200 years, and now…I'm free."

Craig swallowed. "Wait, just-what the hell are you saying?! I knew that your family was lost, but you didn't tell me it was two centuries ago! Just…" He clenched his fists and growled. "What is going on?! TELL ME SELANO!" He held one of his swords out to her, pointing the glistening tip at her.

Selano frowned a little as she expected Craig to be this harsh, but regardless, she was very happy. Her body slowly sparkled. Craig's breathing hitched when he saw the sparkling.

"Craig…listen." Selano was being as gentle as she could, despite how rough and stubborn she was to him the entire time. She closed her eyes and thought back to how she wandered aimlessly under her curse of the Solid Soul, a curse to keep one's soul in their bodies young. When she was cursed two centuries ago by the three-headed monster of pure darkness, she was left to stay young and watch as her family passed on, and she watched any other lives around her suffer. In a way, her boat was like Craig's.

"I was cursed, you know this. We both promised that we'd lift my curse, no matter what, right?" She sounded so serious, yet so happy at the same time. "Well, the promise was fulfilled. We finally defeated the Buio Draca, and now the curse is lifted." The sparkling on her body began to increase.

Craig was left unable to comprehend what this meant, until his eyes widened in realization. His sword dropped from his hand and he stepped back as he put a hand to his head. "No…no, no, no, no."

Selano closed her eyes. "Yes. Craig, I'm sorry. I know you told me you learned the hard way that death is never an apology, but promises are lived out no matter what. Right?"

Craig's eyes widened as he remembered saying those words. From what he learned with the lives lost, he learned the hard way that death can't be forgiven, yet no matter what, any promise made from one friend to another has to live on. He's done this so many times.

The sparkling around Selano's body escalated. "Craig, you promised so many that you'll remember them, regardless of the pain…I guess I'll be joining them, with my family."

Craig began to shed tears. Though he finally understood that, he was still disheartened with another one of his friends dying. He began to stream tears and balled his fists even tighter.

"So…you knew?" He sounded so cold. "And you accepted your fate."

Selano turned her near translucent body towards the sunset. She kept smiling. "No one deserves to live forever. Everything is like the sun; it rises and sets, like the life cycle." She took in a deep breath. "It was stuck in place at high noon, now I can finally set."

"Selano." Craig was having a few tears fall and his eyes widened as he found himself being hugged by Slano, and he felt the small bits of tears drip down from his shoulders.

"You're a good person Craig. You may be rough, but I know it's just so you don't suffer like you have been. Trust me, I know." Her grip tightened on him. "But we all sacrifice something precious to us at one point in our lives. You'll never forsake friendship; it means so much to you, as it does to me."

Selano shed more tears down Craig's shoulders and Craig shed his own tears. Slowly, he began to embrace his friend tightly as the sun was setting fully, and the sparkles around her body began to shine brighter. Her body began to become more translucent.

"You'll find the life you once lived, but I know that I'll never be truly gone." Behind his shoulder, she smiled the widest she has been as tears fell happily. "My family was never gone to me. Their spirits always guided me, and as of now, I can be embraced by them once more…"

Slowly, Craig could feel her body vanish. "Se-Selano…thank you."

Selano shed one last tear that dripped down his back. "You're a true and pure friend, the best that I've had…"

As the sun's last rays shined on the two, Craig's heart hitched as his teeth showed. He streamed so many tears and his body shuddered when the last of the sparkles and Selano vanished.

"Until we meet again…we'll all be waiting…with warm smiles…"

With the last of that being her voice, dusk came and Craig finally broke down, dropping to his knees and trying his best to smile through the searing pain of his friend joining her family at long last. He imagined her finally happy, and running up to her beloved mom and dad and the three embracing with tears of happiness.

With that thought, he bellowed tears of grief atop of the mountain.

He found his hand drenched in fresh tears and snapped himself out of his past adventures. Realizing he was crying, he wiped the tears away and huffed.

"Damnit…why?" He understood it, but why people would give themselves for him after such a small amount of time left him broken and unrepairable. He always questioned if it was a curse, but others argued because he was dependable. Either way, guilt bites him hard.

He stood up and saw that it was dusk. The sun had set, and he huffed once again. Looking at a fellow bird pass on by, he heard it chirp as it made its journey through the skies.

"Alright, guess it's time that I learn what all of this hubbub's all about that pissing my ears off." He jumped off the cliff, running down the steady slope that the cliff fell into down towards the mountains beneath.

In an elegant room with vaulted walls and arched windows, a tall man with bushy blonde hair and very small beard looked down at the ground. His hands were folded behind his back and disregarded that despite his light regal attire, the predicament made him feel no better than a poor excuse of a man.

"So…how many lost today?" His mature voice sounded through the chamber. He was looking away as a fellow soldier was at the doorway on the other side of the room.

The soldier didn't hesitate. "Twenty-one."

His majesty sighed in grief and his head remained bowed in guilt. "How many more…" He sounded so heavily regretful. "How many more lives must we give? Hiding behind these doors makes me feel all the more a reason to be a coward."

"Forgive me, your majesty." The soldier dismissed. "But we are sworn to give our lives to you, and to your daughter. If we must fall, by all means, that is on our behalf." His little fact still didn't lighten up the mood, nor did it ease any level of guilt that his majesty felt.

His majesty looked up at the large portrait of his late wife, seeing her wavy vermilion hair reminded him of the heiress; his daughter. He had no idea on what to do, but he must do what it takes to keep her alive.

"Sentoro, is Velvea secured?" He asked in concerns for his daughter.

Sentoro nodded. "Yes, your majesty. Lady Velvea is currently in the most secured chambers in Solidaster's establishment. The enemy and his forces can't reach there with the heavy number."

His majesty looked back at him. "But that is nothing to him." Then mentioning of him was a hard pill to swallow, but Sentoro took it without a fuss. Still, the recollection of the city's forces getting cut down by that one man and his immense Magic Power was so terrifying.

"If we have to, we'll call off that meeting."

"But, your majesty! The ambassador meeting is but vital to all of our population!" Sentoro argued. "Lady Velvea may be entrusted as the ambassador, but if we cancel the meeting, the officials will surely-" He was cut off by his majesty raising his hand. Immediately, Sentoro grew stiff and went silent.

He looked down and glanced out the window into the dark sky. "I'm aware, but if they think I'll let them have their way…" His eyes narrowed. "They are wrong."

The morning sun was high in the sky, and Natsu, Happy, Erza, and Cana were all seen trudging over the mountain pass. It was a long trip, and Natsu groaned as bags were under his eyes. "Uuuhhhh."

"Aaaayyyyyee." Happy whined as he flew right beside him.

"Enough." Erza said, her eyes set on the pinnacle up ahead. "We're almost there."

"That's exactly what you said two hours ago." Happy interjected. "Why did we have to get up so early?"

The four had woken up approximately six hours ago, meaning they got up near four in the morning. As groggy as they were, the sooner the better.

"Just quite down you guys. This city needs help, so are you gonna complain about it or hurry up?" Cana asked. She was just like Erza; her tolerance was pretty low, and she was staying in her best composure. She looked up at the pinnacle of the mountain pass and soon enough they found themselves standing right above it.

They then saw it: Solidaster. Natsu and Happy's eyes widened at the beautiful scenery before them. The city was astounding with its oceanic north, as well as the expansive white beaches. A few palm trees scattered and bordered between the city and the beach. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, which was what unnerved Erza.

As she saw the open landscape of Solidaster, she took in the whole thing, as all experienced Mages would do to assess a situation. She saw a mighty ship on the shores, and it looked as though no one was out.

Natsu looked out ahead. "Hey guys, is that a ship?"

"Doesn't look like a Magic Council's ship." Cana deduced. "And most certainly not a guild's either. It's way too sturdy and armor-like. It's like a warship almost."

"Well it's not a friendly sign." Erza started down the trail. "We'll be careful along the way. The client is supposedly inside his castle. We'll meet with him accordingly."

The four, now filled with seriousness, began their descent and started to make way down towards the mountain pass. They were astonished by how prestige the city was with the late morning sun beaming down on the water, lifting their moods, yet they all had a bad feeling.

'What is this I'm feeling?' Erza thought.

'Magic Power? But it's so massive.' Cana contemplated.

Sooner or later, time passed on and high noon marked their time as they stood at the entrance of Solidaster. From what they saw before, it looked like a ghost town. They walked onto a street that branched from the main one, and that's when Natsu's nose twitched.

Natsu stopped in his tracks and he began to take in several whiffs of some nearby smells. Erza turned around and saw Natsu sniffing the air, in which she all saw his look turn from curiosity to defensive.

Natsu turned north, where he clenched his fists. "Guys, we got trouble."

Erza requipped a sword and held it tightly as enemy soldiers were seen turning the corner, at least fifty of them. The one leading them looked to be a man clad in shoulder-padded armor with a bare chest with dark brown pants and a belt with an oversized iron buckle.

His dark eyes caught sight of Natsu's gang and he raised a brow. "Well now…" His men began to surround them, and they all grew defensive. Cana pulled out some cards, ready to attack. "I think Grander made it perfectly clear that everyone is forbidden from leaving their homes unless they know where she is."

"What's he talking about?" Happy asked.

He reached out at them. "Get 'em! Make another mark on the streets!" The soldiers all began to advance around the three mages and Exceed. With enemy advancing quickly, Natsu jumped into the air, making a fireball.

"How's about taking this instead! Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" He threw the fireball that exploded upon contact. Many men were instantly blown away by his attack, but many more were starting to advance.

Erza slashed her sword. "HRAH!" Her sword plowed through many adversaries that came at her. She pivoted and slashed at another few who came at her left.

Cana swiped her cards. "Thunderbolt's Fate!" Her attack sent hundreds of small bolts at the enemies advancing onto her, and they all twitched and screamed as pain flared.

The head soldier raised a brow. "Mages?" Slowly, his astonishment grew into a mischievous smirk. "Well now, this changes things." He eyed as Natsu punched several down in one blow, and Erza slashed through another dozen with a mighty sword. Cana was also observed as she used a card to whip up a mighty wind that blew many away. His interests were piqued, and he took a pose.

"Well now, seems that Grander will be glad to see some prizes other than the heiress when this is over." He raised his arms, and the soldiers all immediately backed off from Cana and the others.

"What the…?" Natsu was caught surprised by the sudden retreat, but he saw the head soldier.

"Iron-Make: Prison!" The group saw the head soldier slam his hands to the ground. Immediately, iron bars sprung up out of the ground, trapping Erza and the others inside the barred prison that shined on the top, making an iron ceiling.

Natsu's eyes widened. "What?"

"Iron-Make Magic?" Erza exasperated.

"He's got us sealed in!" Cana exclaimed.

Erza slashed her strong and thick sword at the bars to break free, but her slash just bounced off the thick iron cage bars, much to her shock. Natsu had his turn by huffing out some fire to melt away the iron, but to his luck when he attempted to do so, the bars were only cindering hot.

Erza backed away. "Such strong Magic." She glanced behind her. "Cana."

Cana flashed her cards. "I'm already on it!" The brunette held up several empty cards and they all emitted a bright light, temporarily blinding the soldiers. They all covered up from the sudden flash and were unable to act for a few seconds. When the light faded away, everyone opened their eyes again to find their targets gone.

"What?"

"The cage is empty!"

"Did they get away? I don't see any holes or anything!"

The head soldier clenched his fists and felt no Magic Power. By his guess, his enemy escaped. He swiped his arm. "Dispatch and find them!" His men followed the order and they ran off into various directions. The head soldier kept a straight, exasperated face as he witnessed his targets escaping. "This news bites."

Happy flew at a low altitude and got into an abandoned alley, where nothing was in view. He was safe and retracted his wings. "Phew! That was a close call."

He set down three cards onto the ground, where one of the cards showed Cana. The brunette inside grinned. "Nice work, Happy!" She then snapped her fingers. "Now, release!"

In a bright flash, Happy watched as the cards shined a powerful light, and three figures emerged from them. They all took shape, and were revealed to have been none other than Cana, Erza, and Natsu.

Natsu stretched his limbs. "Man, that was some cramp spacing!" He stated as he stretched his arms over his head. He turned towards Cana and Happy. "Nice job!"

"Aye!" Happy cheered.

From what happened inside the cage, Happy was the only one not to have been affected by Cana's Card Dimension. With his small size, he carried the three cards and squeezed his way out and flew off while everyone was still blinded.

"Well glad we gave them the slip, but what the heck was that all about?" Cana wondered. "They came out of nowhere and apprehended us."

Erza grew suspicious. "And that makes things even more troubling, was that he mentioned about apprehending us. His Magic Power was also extremely strong, not to mention high in level."

Cana turned to her. "Your sword didn't cut through it. That's some thick stuff right there." She turned towards another direction. "It's no wonder this place is a ghost town. So much for a warm welcome."

Natsu crossed his arms. "Yeah, and a vacation right now would be the last thing we want." He looked down at Happy. "The next time we come across them, they'll be on the receiving end."

Erza nodded in agreement. "That being said, we should hurry and move quickly. Our client should be able to fill us in on all the details as best as he can."

With a plan of action, the Fairy Tail mages moved through the alley in silence towards the castle to understand their now extremely dangerous job.

On the ship, in a room, the tall man had been calmly staying still while remaining thoroughly disciplined. He had been patient all this time, and now with a certain date coming close, his patience was coming to the end of its rope.

The door to his large chamber opened hastily, revealing it to be another lackey in a red, sleeveless coat with white markings all over. He had short, white hair and dark eyes. He had no shirt and showed his very muscular physique. He had brown pants and a red scarf with more white markings.

"Grander, sir!" He exclaimed.

The tall man slowly opened his eyes. "What, Boreas?" He asked in a stern and focus tone. "You know I hate being interrupted."

"I know, but Malloy had an urgent message! He says that guild mages entered town!" Boreas's words were of mild surprise, but Grander's eyes only narrowed and a low growl came from him. He was initially disappointed that Malloy failed to capture them, let alone kill them. Yet the more he thought about it, the more he came to the speculation that Solidaster may be easier to deal with than he'd imagined.

He lowered his head a little as he sat back. "Begone. I have no worries."

Boreas was left confused. "Uh, sir?"

"If they assigned guilds to look after our prize, then that's basically letting them do the work for us. Just keep extra eyes on the castle, and don't screw up." His hand showed blades again. "Or you'll be staining my floors."

"We'll get her, don't you worry." Boreas assured. He closed the door, leaving Grander to look down at the permanent bruise on his abdomen. He never likes it when his prizes escape, and looking at the bruise left him growling.

That day came to him, where he remembered all of those relieved souls being free. After all of the hard work he's went through to capture them and do his bidding, then he recalled the large-scale in numbers lead by a man, the first ever to leave a permanent mark on him, and send him into the ocean, and afterwards could not afford to let that happen again.

"This time, I'm not just hunting for game anymore. This'll teach them no mercy."

Looking atop of a building, Craig kept a very discomforted face. He looked pretty mad, as he recalled the ship all too well. The very ship that he thought he would never see or maybe board on again. He grew foul as his sharp teeth showed.

He knew full well who could have been on that ship, and as much as he wanted to go in and storm the ship, he knew that his brain was in charge. His mind was set; sitting back until his timing was right was the most effective choice. Going in now would lead to hysteria.

Craig's eyes never left the ship, staring at it like a wild animal ready to pounce for prey. "Grander, you're going down, or everyone's sakes."

Here's the next chapter. While this wasn't carefully made, and lots of hints were pointed out, I still made it as effective as I knew how. As usual, Natza was implied. Cana and Craig will have their moments soon enough, whether you guys liked how they interacted or not.

Natalie: Sorry, but I don't make openings. Also, this is all non-canon.

Hope you guys keep up those comments. Until next time! :)