Gray flipped the small notebook over to show Lucy the back. In small, burned-in letters, it read Subject 77 Notes, and under that it had Acnologia.

"What's subject seventy-seven?" Lucy asked, taking the small book from Gray's hands.

"That's what we want to know. I only read the first two pages," Gray admitted. Lucy turned the book over in her hands to look at the front.

"Why does it say 'Version Ghost'?" Lucy asked tracing the letters with her finger.

"I don't know that, either. We'll just have to read and find out," Gray answered, not noticing the small shape creeping up behind him.


Gildarts really wanted to go home. He had never signed up for this! So that's what he's going to do! Just run back home! They'll never even notice. All he had to do was-

"Papa Gildarts?"

Stifling a shriek that could probably make anyone's eardrums burst, Gildarts whipped around in terror to see that... ghost staring at him with wide, innocent golden eyes. Gildarts fought back another scream as he slowly backed away from the being.

"Y-yes?" he stuttered, looking behind him for something, anything he could use as a weapon.

"Big brother Zeref is gone," the supernatural boy said, rubbing an eye with a small hand.

"A-are you sure he isn't in the bathroom?" Gildarts said in a voice he hoped was casual.

"Big brother Zeref would bring Natsu, too. He's scared to go alone, because the creepies will get him," Natsu answered, blinking owlishly. "Papa Gildarts, will you help Natsu find big brother Zeref?" Gildarts looked at the small boy, completely ready to reject his request. But when he saw the small tears in the boy's eyes, the way he held tightly to the hem of his shirt, he couldn't bring himself to say no.

"Sure, I'll help you. Where do you think he went?" Gildarts said softly, not coming any closer but also not backing away. Natsu's mouth turned up in a smile, and he ran to hug the man, but as usual, he sailed straight through.

"Thank you, papa Gildarts!" he cheered, undeterred by the hug fail. "Big brother Zeref probably went to the top. He always goes there when he's sad." His smile was still in place, but it looked sadder than it had before. Gildarts was struggling to bring warmth back into his body after Natsu had froze him with his little hug, but he mustered a small grin just to make the ghost happy.

"Well, l-let's go then!" he said, teeth chattering. He made sure that he was at least seven feet away from the boy, but he didn't even think of trying to run off now. Natsu's smile came back full-force, and he nodded his head vigorously.

"Yeah!"


Zeref had no idea why, but that black-haired boy that was always screaming and shouting just made him mad. He thought the two girls beside him were weird; he had never seen a person with such a huge chest before. But looking at the older boy... it made his blood feel like lava in his veins. He raised the small knife higher, reaching to dig the blade into the taller raven's back. Nobody could see him or hear him; one of the upsides into being made a half-ghost was that he could turn invisible when it was needed. The knife was mere inches away from the taller boys' back. Zeref could feel his hand twitching to stab the boy.

And there wasn't anybody to stop him this time.


So, before you kill me... I will update this tomorrow! I swear! *Gets ready to block hate*

Audience: *Cheers*

Me: ...You won't kill me?

Zeref: We didn't say that *Stabs me in the back*

Me: ...Well, shit *Dies*