New chapter on! I know I said I would update yesterday, but, hey, I'm just one day late, please forgive me! If everything goes right, next chapter will be on on April, 2nd.

I didn't manage to read this chapter twice, so if you find any mistakes, please warn me so I can fix it.

Thanks to: monsterousmaiden646, AiManga, LittleDarkDevil13, sasame103, ShiBara98 and to my nii-chan Tai :D

Disclaimer: FT belongs to Mashima Hiro-sama.

Iced Honey

Chapter IX – First goal

Erza watched as Nina wrote something in a small book. She knew the Honeywell was writing a report on their advances so far. She was afraid Edgar could mess up with her memory again and make her forget something that might be important.

Nina, on the other hand, was focused on her task. Since the day they left the guild she has been keeping a record on every small occurrence. So far, nothing really happened, but she was taking the opportunity to write down her feelings. A diary could be considered childish, but it really helped her deal with her emotions.

It was ironic, wasn't it? A mage that could feel and understand the feelings of everyone around her, but was just clueless about her own. Well, clueless could not be the right term, but she was too confused about everything. But especially, she felt guilty for falling in love with Gray so quickly when she should be mourning over Edgar's death. Why was that? Her love for Edgar wasn't real? No, of course it was! She loved him deeply, but Gray… Gray provided her a light that Edgar never had. Edgar contributed with the darkness inside her. Gray illuminated her.

Her past was dark. Her future could be bright. It depended just on the choice she would make. But, right now, she couldn't afford to choose anything. She had to help Edgar. She had to find out how he was still alive and help him get away from vampires. When this work was done, and just after it, she would be able to make her choice.

"Are you alright, Nina?" Erza took her out of her daydream.

"I'm just…" she sighed. "I don't know what to answer you, Erza. I'm a mess."

Erza smiled warmly to her.

"I'm sure that on the end of it all you will be better. We'll find both of them."

Nina smiled.

"I'm counting on it, Erza. I can't take it any longer. I'm on my limit. Emotional and physical."

"I can see that, don't you worry."

So far, they were trying to catch any of the Council's members that could be wandering alone. They were reaching the third town with a meeting, hoping for one of them to go shopping or anything like that.

"There's a perturbation on the air." Nina suddenly announced. "One of them is loose in the town."

Erza nodded and got up.

"You think you can track the way using the feelings?"

Nina nodded. It was quite strong. A high concentration of people, extremely annoyed about the presence. Huh, interesting. Annoyed, but not afraid. Definitely a different place.

The two girls covered themselves with the hoods of their black cloaks and went following Nina's sense until they reached an abandoned neighborhood. All the buildings were grey and lifeless. Everything was dirty.

"Are you sure?" Erza asked quietly.

Nina nodded and walked straight to a hidden door. There was a guard on the other side.

"Who are you?"

Nina sighed and closed her eyes. With her magic, she manipulated the feelings on the huge man until he was so happy he couldn't deny anything to anyone.

"Thank you, mister." She smiled to him while passing through, although he couldn't see the gesture due to the hood.

Erza also opened a small smile.

"We'll be eternally thankful to your services."

They climbed the stairs in front of them until they reached the night club. The place was no different from others similar. Lots of smoke, low light, smelling of alcohol and sweat, girls in sexy lingerie dancing and pouring drinks.

Erza scanned the place from a dark corner. It wasn't difficult at all to notice the Council's member. He was surrounded by girls giggling at every single thing he spoke. The approach could be easy, but… She was well known by all the Council.

"Leave it to me." Nina said.

"Are you sure? It could be dangerous."

"Don't worry. No one will even notice me."

The Honeywell disappeared into the backstage and managed to grab a spare outfit and lock herself on the closest bathroom. When she got out, she was dressed in red lacy panties with matching bra and a long sleeved shirt, that wasn't exactly a shirt since it didn't even cover her breasts. Lucky her, it covered her Fairy Tail tattoo.

She went back to the other room and walked over to the table where their target was. Using the same trick she used with the guard, he approached the man with a sultry smile on her lips.

"Wow. How have I never seen you before?"

Her smile enlarged.

"You weren't really looking." She said while sitting in his lap.

"What can I do for you, pumpkin?" he asked, not even noticing the magic that was messing up with his feelings.

Nina fought the want to roll her eyes. Why men were so stupid when surrounded by gorgeous girls wearing practically nothing?

"I heard a bad mage escaped." She said faking innocence and fear.

He smiled.

"Don't you worry about that. We got that covered by tons of mages."

"Really? You know where he might be?"

"We believe he ran back to his safe place. But we can't know. Someone must have helped him out but left no tracks."

Nina noticed he was beginning to sense there was something wrong going on there.

"I'm glad he'll be caught soon." She smiled again. "Can I get you anything, sir?"

"No, no need." He answered with a big predatory smile.

She made a small scene of getting up and walked back to the backstage. She quickly dressed up and put her cloak back on. Taking a good look around she saw the target was once again distracted by the dancers. She quickly left the backstage and went to where Erza was.

"Let's go."

In no time they were out the club and rushing to the closest forest. They walked silently until finding a faraway clearing on the nearer woods.

"You were quite convincing." Erza was the first to break the silence.

Nina couldn't help but laugh.

"He was easily manipulated. He was thinking with his smaller head."

Erza chuckled.

"I'm sure he was."

"He said they think Jellal went back to his safe place."

"The Tower of Paradise?" Erza raised an eyebrow. "Why would he?"

"I don't know, but that was probably the information they passed to the guilds."

Erza nodded.

"I just can't see him going back there. It makes no sense."

Nina considered it for a minute.

"Do you think there might be anything hidden in that tower?"

"Hidden? Like what?"

"I don't know. Before the towers what was there?"

"Just an ordinary island."

"Ordinary… there might be something important, Erza. Whoever helped him out, could have brought him there."

"I just don't know. If he was there it would be no reason for the Council to ask for help from guilds."

"I think we should check. It's not like we have anywhere else to go, anyway."

"Well, you are right. It won't hurt to check."

"Now, the real problem. How we'll get there?"

"Think like Gray."

"What?"

"If you were Gray and I was Natsu, what would we do?"

Nina held back a scandalous laugh.

"Steal a boat?"

"Yeah, they would do it, wouldn't they?" Erza chuckled.

Nina, not managing to hold herself any longer, burst into laughter.

"Of course they would! I can picture it quite right! Those two idiots would try to steal it." She was laughing so hard tears were forming on her eyes

"And they would succeed." Erza smiled warmly.

The Titania was ready to ask if she missed the two troublesome boys when her eyes caught the tears running down Nina's face.

"Nina, what's wrong?" she asked full of concern.

"What do you mean?" she paused her laugh attack because of the concern that she felt on large waves coming from the red haired.

"You should take a look on your tears."

Nina reached her hand to the moist escaping from her eyes. At the first touch she could already notice something was wrong. Water didn't have that consistence. She looked at her fingertips and couldn't help but feel shocked.

"It's blood." She whispered, staring at the scarlet drops in her hand.

"Why?"

"Vampires cry blood."

"Really?"

"Yes. All they eat is blood, so everything that escapes their body is blood. Tears, sweat, everything is blood."

"But you are human."

"I am, right?" she fought not to let more tears escape. "Sometimes I think I might not be."

"There's no way. Vampires don't have human emotions, right? How would you be the way you are if you were a vampire? And beyond that, you always ate normally."

"Yes. It's all true, but it's been month now since I started to drink the synthetic blood. What if Isabella did something to turn me to a human?"

"I don't know, Nina. I don't believe I magic can accomplish everything. It has its limits. If it hadn't the world would be dominated by black mages."

"You might be right. I just don't get why all this is happening to me. Fighting Daimonion for the first time turned on this switch on me. I've never been defeated so brutally before. I was powerless and really hurt. I would die and I knew it, and the realization made me want for blood. So, I attacked Edgar and killed him. Since then, my life was so much different than it used to be."

Erza smiled to her.

"I told you to stick with us. Fairy Tail will take care of you."

Nina wiped a stubborn red tear.

"I'm turning to a monster, there's no way any of you can love me."

Erza hugged her, letting her cry all she wanted.

"I'll stain your shirt."

"I couldn't care less."

Nina sobbed and cried all her heart demanded her.

"Nina, I loved Jellal even when his mind was taken by darkness. He was a true monster back then. But it doesn't matter. You love us, we love you. It's that simple. We are a family."

"Thank you, Erza." Nina sobbed. "I promise I won't isolate myself anymore."

"Good. Let us take care of you. We all want to help."

Especially Gray, the Titania added mentally, but didn't say out loud. Nina didn't need to hear that now. She should first reconstruct herself, when she was whole again she would be able to love again.