Chapter 6

The group hurried through the forest at a fast pace, to whatever 'safe place' the beaver had mentioned. Eventually the trees opened up to a small valley with a river flowing (or it would have been if it wasn't frozen) through it. In the middle of the river a beaver dam was spread across it, and in the middle of the dam sat a little house.

"Nice place you got here," said Gray, looking down on it.

"It's really cute, Beaver-san," agreed Lucy.

The beaver fidgeted and looked embarrassed. "Merely a trifle. Merely a trifle. And it isn't really finished. And please, call me Mr. Beaver."

"It looks highly flammable," said Erza studying it. She shot a warning glare towards Natsu. "You better behave yourself in there."

"Aye," said Natsu nervously.

Hearing that made Mr. Beaver seemed a little more reluctant to take them down there. But nonetheless he led them down, and into the house. "Here we are, Mrs. Beaver," he called upon opening the door. "I've found them. Here are the Sons and Daughters of Adam and Eve."

The four wizards filed in after him, Lucy first commenting on how nice it was to be out of the cold, and Natsu and Happy at the back. As he was about to enter, Natsu noticed Happy staring off in the distance.

"What's wrong, Happy?" he asked his best friend.

Happy turned back to him. "Natsu, I'm worried. When I was here, I met this nice lady who gave me fish. If Lucy's goat man friend got in trouble just for being friends with her, what if she got in trouble too. I'm not human, but I told her about them."

"You want to know if she's alright?" asked Natsu.

Happy nodded. "She doesn't live to far from here, she said her house is between those two mountains," he said pointing towards said mountains.

Natsu glanced where he was pointing. "Do you want to fly over and check on her?"

Happy nodded, "Aye."

Natsu nodded. "Then go for it. Make sure she's okay and hurry back. We'll start planning to take down the witch while your gone."

Happy nodded, "Aye sir," and flew off towards the mountains.

Natsu then turned and followed the rest of his team into the Beaver's house. It was a fairly small place, and all the wizards had to bend over to keep their heads from hitting the ceiling, but it was warm and snug.

A female beaver had gotten up from her sewing machine when they came in and was now fussing over all of them, saying how she'd never thought she'd live to see the day when humans came to Narnia. Once they all introduced themselves she then bustled off to put food on the table for all of them, insisting that they have some supper.

Once dinner was served Erza got down to business. "So what can you tell us about this White Witch? Where is she keeping Lucy's friend?"

Mr. Beaver sighed and shook his head. "Ah that's bad. That's very bad business. There's no doubt he's been taken off by the police. I got that from a bird that saw it done."

"And you didn't try to help?" asked Natsu, looking disgruntled.

"Where did they take him?" said Erza, staying on track.

"Northward, to Her house no doubt," replied Mr. Beaver.

"You mean the witch lady?" asked Natsu.

"Who else, Flame Brain?" snapped Gray.

Natsu looked like he was going to retaliate to that, but a glare from Erza convinced him otherwise.

"Tumnus-san said that the witch turns her victims into stone. You don't think she's done that to him, do you?" said Lucy worriedly.

Mrs. Beaver bowed her head. "I don't doubt you'd save him if you could, dearie," she said sadly, "but you've no chance of getting into that House against her will and even coming out alive."

"Who says we can't," Natsu declared, standing up too quickly and bumping his head on the ceiling.

"It's no good, Son of Adam," said Mr. Beaver, trying to discourage him, "no good your trying, of all people. But worry not." He leaned forward as if sharing a big secret. "Aslan is on the move."

"Who's Aslan?" the four mages asked in unison.

"Aslan?" said Mr. Beaver, "why don't you know? He's the King, the Lord of the whole wood, but not often here, you understand. But word is he has come back. It is he, not you that will save Mr. Tumnus. You'll see when you meet him. I'm to lead to where he is."

"If he's this big hero, why didn't he help out before now?" asked Gray. "And who says it has to be him that saves the guy? We're here, why not let us take a shot at it?"

"There is a prophecy, you see," explained Mrs. Beaver. "Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight. At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more. When he bears his teeth, winter meets its death. And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again."

"That didn't really rhyme," said Erza.

"Prophecy, shmofacy, I wanna fight her," said Natsu, cracking his knuckles.

"Roar? Teeth? Mane? What is this guy?" asked Lucy a little freaked out at the description the prophecy gave.

"Why he's the King of Beasts. Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion," explained Mr. Beaver in a tone that said they should know this already.

"A Lion? So he's a grown up cat like Loke?" asked Natsu.

"Who is Loke?"

Lucy then looked around. "Speaking of cats, where's Happy?"

"Happy?" asked Mrs. Beaver.

"Oh he went to check on a friend he made last time he was here. Some woman who lives between the mountains over that way," explained Natsu with a careless gesture of his hand. "We should save him some fish."

It was then that he noticed the horrified expressions on the two beavers' faces. "What's wrong?"

"There is only one person that lives in that place," said Mr. Beaver in horror. "And that's the White Witch herself!"

The Fairy Tail mages paused long enough to share a glance, then bolted out the door to rescue their friend.

"Oh dear," said Mrs. Beaver, as she and her husband took off after them.

"Wait!" shouted Mr. Beaver. "You can't go there!" He tackled Gray from behind into the snow, stoping him and the others in their tracks.

Natsu turned around and glared dangerously at the beavers. "And Why Not? My Friend Is There, I'm Not Leaving Him Behind!"

"Because the Witch wants you dead more than anyone!" shouted Mr. Beaver. "There is another part to the prophecy. When Adam's flesh and Adam's bone sits at Cair Paravel throne, the evil time will be over and done."

"That still doesn't rhyme," snapped Erza.

"There is no time to waste," snapped Mr. Beaver. "If he's betrayed us to Her we must move quickly! Her police could be here at any minute! We must make haste to Aslan!"

"How dare you!" Shouted Lucy. "Happy would never betray us!"

"We can't leave him behind like that!" snapped Gray, standing back up.

"They're right," said Erza in a voice so sharp it could cut through steel. "Happy would never do that to his Nakama. He must have been tricked."

"But-!" Mr. Beaver started to protest, but was cut off by Natsu, who had begun shaking in rage the moment the soon to be throw rug had accused the Exceed of being a traitor.

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR DUMB PROPHECIES OR YOUR STUPID KING! THAT WITCH HAS HAPPY, AND THERE IS NO WAY I'M LETTING HIM BECOME A STATUE, OR WORSE! SO WHO'S WITH ME?" he roared, lighting himself on fire as he did so.

"AYE!" shouted Lucy, Gray and Erza in unison.

"Then let's go kill ourselves a witch!" he said. And with that the four wizards took off towards the mountain pass where the witch lived.

Mr. and Mrs. Beaver stared after them in shock. "This will not end well," said Mr. Beaver, as the two of them hurried after the mages.

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When the Queen he'd met had said she lived in a little house in the woods, Happy had been expecting something like what he and Natsu lived in (when they weren't mooching off Lucy). He wasn't expecting a big frozen over palace that was bigger than the Heartfilia mansion.

But he didn't dwell on the fact, as he flew through an open window, determined to check to see if his friend was okay. He was so focused on his task, that he failed to notice the courtyard filled with statues below him, or the wolves patrolling the palace that looked up and growled when they spotted him.

He searched through the palace, and soon came upon a throne room. Sitting on the thrown was none other than his Queenly friend.

Seeing her he broke into a giant smile and flew over to hug her around the neck. "You're Okay!" he cheered. "I was so worried. Lucy's goat friend got kidnapped by that ugly mean ol' witch, and I was worried she'd gotten you too."

"Tell me Cat, are your teammates as unintelligent as you appear to be?" asked the Queen quietly.

"Sometimes," said Happy, too happy to see his friend safe to notice the insult. "But they're there for you when it matters."

"Then how DARE you come alone!" she snapped. "I told you to bring the others with you!"

Happy jerked back, in surprise. Then thinking that she was just worried that his friends might be in danger he said, "Don't worry, they're not far away. They're at the beaver dam down the river. They'll be okay."

The Queen's face melted into a cruel smile. "No, they wont be."

Happy felt himself being grabbed from behind and stuffed into an icy birdcage by a mean looking dwarf.

The Queen was no longer paying attention to him, as she spoke to a wolf in the doorway. "Maugrim! Take your forces to the beaver dam. Kill everyone there."

"Yes, your majesty," said the wolf with a bow, then it turned tail and darted away.

Happy's eyes widened in realization as it all clicked in his head. "It's YOU! You're the White Witch! I thought you were my friend, you tricked me!"

"Yes," said the Witch, sparing him a smug look as she swept out of the room. "And your stupidity has just cost your friends their lives. Take him away!"

The dwarf holding his cage bowed and began to carry him toward the dungeon.

Happy collapsed to his knees within the cage, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "Natsu, everyone, please be okay…"

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A/N Happy didn't betray anyone. He just thought the wrong person was his friend. She betrayed him, not the other way around. Next chapter Team Natsu storms the castle to rescue him.

Also, Oz the Great and Powerful reference, can you spot it?

Disclaimer: I own nothing