A scream filled his ears and Natsu stopped dead in his tracks. His mouth dropped in shock. "Uh, oops," he said, and then hastily backed out of the woman's house. He grimaced as he nearly ran Gray over. "Wrong house," he told him, and then sprinted to the next, nose working overtime to try and find any sign of something.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon," he wailed, throwing himself at the next one. There was only two left on the map Levy had given him. Two houses. Two chances.

And he was running out of time.

Erza had remained at the end of the street, studying it and keeping an eye out for any signs of a disturbance, but there was nothing. That she had seen, anyways. Gray, on the other hand, was helping him search. They'd gone through three houses now, and when they entered the fourth, breaking through the front door, he wheezed, entirely out of breath, "Anyone home?"

Silence.

"Oh, good, finally, freedom to look. Hurry up, we don't have all day." Gray shoved past Natsu and headed further inside. Natsu inhaled sharply, his onyx eyes blazing as he tried to focus. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his hands shaking with desperation-

I need to relax, he reminded himself. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, held it, and then let it out.

Finally, he calmly opened his eyes - and cried out in horror.

"Natsu?" Gray called, stopping to look back at him. He didn't seem to notice the shelf beside him, the jar of blue eyes that was settled merely a breath from his face.

"Right house," he choked, staring. "Definitely the right house, Gray. Look." He grabbed a jar, and then grimaced, wanting to drop it as he pushed it under Gray's nose. As if finally seeing past the wall that had been thrown up, Gray looked down - and promptly shrieked like a girl.

Rather than mocking him, Natsu put it back and looked at the sheer amount of eyes that had been gathered. "Oh, god," he whispered, feeling sick.

"Holy hell, this is horrible," Gray murmured, heading into a living room. He looked green as he knelt beside a mound of hair that had been neatly piled. Blue hair, blonde hair, gray hair, even purple hair and green hair. Endless combinations.

"Basement," Natsu said suddenly. "We...we have to find…"

"Got it." Gray rushed out of the living room. Natsu followed him, and then nearly tripped over his own feet when he saw a door they'd missed before. It was locked - crazily. Padlocks of every kind, chains, even six or so deadbolts.

"Get back," Gray told him, rearing back. He lifted a foot, took a breath, and then slammed it as hard as he could. A few of the locks broke, and he had to try several times before Natsu lost patience and just waved him away, using his magic to drive an over-powered punch into the wood.

The door turned into splinters and ash.

Natsu kicked a piece aside and then thundered down a flight of stairs. Soft sounds of fear filled his ears, and he peered around a corner.

Shock flooded him.

Three naked women were chained to separate walls, cuffed. Their eyes were all full of terror. Each one had hair cropped incredibly close to their heads. His heart sped up in panic. None were Lucy.

One rose to her feet. He felt the blood drain from his face and heard Gray gasp as they saw the blinded eye in her head. It looked agonizingly painful, deformed, and Natsu had no doubt in his mind that it would have to be removed entirely. A lash ran diagonally across her face - a wound from Lucy's whip, he realized. Her eye had been injured by Lucy's whip.

Her good eye, swollen from tears, widened. "Forget us!" she gasped, throwing an arm out and gesturing for the stairs. "You have to go! He took her! He took her and he's going to kill her!"

Lucy.

"Where?" Natsu growled.

"We don't know," she admitted. "I'm assuming it's somewhere near where you would have found the other bodies."

The sound of feet thundering on the stairs caught their attention, and Natsu looked up to see Erza descending, eyes panicked. "Natsu! There's a trail of blood drops. We missed it in our rush. It crosses the bridge. I followed it as soon as I noticed it, but you're the one who can see-"

"Gray," Natsu said with a snarl. "Let's go! Erza, help them!"

"Go," Erza ordered.

Natsu and Gray raced back up the stairs, rushing as quickly as they could.

Natsu clenched his jaw as they burst out of the house. He paused to search for the trail of blood, and then his eyes widened when he found it. It was small, only a drop or two every few feet. "Gray, this way," he shouted, rocketing forward.

Together, the fire and ice-make mages raced through Magnolia, crossing a bridge. Natsu had to waste precious minutes doubling back when he lost the trail, and then led Gray down a back alley. They burst out into a street. It was empty, of course.

Natsu's body shook as he tried to force himself to calm down. He took another deep breath. He took another moment to close his eyes. He took one more to drag that reassurance, that thought of warmth - Lucy was alive.

His onyx eyes snapped open. He bared his teeth at the sight before him.

Her head was turned in his direction, brown eyes full of terror and relief at the sight of him. She was fighting furiously, her hands wrapped around the wrist of a smug man who showed no fear at their presence. It was as if he hadn't even noticed them. He was trying to force a white-hot iron into her mouth, to brand her tongue, and she suddenly cried out, the iron so close-

"Lucy!" he shouted, lunging forward. He collided with the man fearlessly, and both went tumbling over the edge of the canal, landing in the water with a splash. Lucy threw her hands up, clutching her mouth with a sob and it took a hot moment before Gray had somehow seen her past the man's magic.

"Lucy!" he gasped, throwing himself down beside her. "Show me your mouth!" he ordered, prying her hands away. "Show me your mouth!"

"I'm fine!" she managed to cry, smacking his hands away with a hysterical laugh. "I'm fine, Gray, he didn't...I've just got one burn." She showed it to him on her chin, and then buried her face in his shoulder when he drew her upright and gave her a tight hug, careful of her wounds when he saw them, rocking her when she began to cry.

"Natsu!" he suddenly realized as there was a splash and choked sputtering. Lucy turned her head, quivering as someone dragged himself from the canal.

Natsu clung to the side, eyes shocked. His pink hair stuck to his forehead. His scarf was just barely hanging onto his shoulders, stuck there by water and undone. He suddenly grimaced and hauled himself out the entire way. He dragged a limp form up with him.

Amber eyes stared blankly up at the sky. A trickle of blood escaped Simon's mouth and Natsu shook his head, looking a little horrified by what had happened. "He...his head snapped back when we hit the edge, he must have snapped his neck on it-"

"Natsu," Lucy gasped, throwing her arms out.

He forgot all about the dead man they'd been chasing. He threw himself at her with a sob of relief, wrapping his arms around her. She gave a faint laugh, and Gray gently tapped his hands when she flinched. "Watch your hands, pyro, she's hurt."

He froze and she shook her head, pulling away. Tears shone in her dark eyes as she searched Natsu's relieved gaze. Her fingers curled gently along his cheeks. And then she pulled him down and pressed her lips against his in a fierce kiss that he returned just as eagerly. Gray awkwardly looked away.

But a smile danced along his lips as he the last rays of sunlight danced over Magnolia.

At long last…

Simon's reign of terror was over.


Her hands shook with awe as she emerged from the front door, wrapped in a blanket that had been found in the home of the man that had imprisoned her for so long. A hand descended upon her shoulder and she looked up to see Erza Scarlet smiling gently at her. "Are you alright, Ayako?"

"I'll live," she whispered, ignoring the pain in her face. "Chelia will tend to it, I'm sure."

"We have Porlyusica," Erza offered. "I lost an eye once. She helped me regain sight and more."

But Ayako shook her head. Pride slid onto her expression as she rained her chin. "No," she disagreed softly. "No, but thank you. I think I want to keep these scars. They are reminders. Reminders that I survived, that I lived."

"If you're sure," Erza murmured. She smiled gently a final time and then went over to Athena and Maria. She began to speak urgently with them, her armor clinking softly. Ayako chuckled and closed her good eye, enjoying the feel of the breeze that washed over her face.

And she thought of all of those that he'd killed in her time there.

And she grieved.

"Come," Erza said suddenly, speaking to all of them with warmth. "Let's go to the guildhall. Master will contact respective people for each of you and your wounds will be tended to. And from what I've gathered, Levy was exceptionally worried about all of you. She'll be pleased to see you."

Ayako's lips trembled. "Levy's...alive? But what of Lucy? Do you think-"

"You know what?" Erza mused. She looked towards the disappearing sun and smiled with a warm look in her gaze.

"Something tells me that Lucy will be just fine."


"You sure about this, Shrimp?" Gajeel demanded as the blue-haired woman swayed on her feet, clinging to his arm to help keep her upright. "You're still a mess. You can wait until you're better ya know."

Levy shook her head, giving him a firm look. Makarov had told her that if she wished to come down, she was more than welcome to. Supposedly, Juvia had reported that Natsu had dragged his team out under suspicious circumstances, and he was certain that it would be okay for her to come down.

She wanted her guildmates to see her and not have to worry for her anymore.

Besides, she thought as Gajeel helped her out to the second story balcony. She leaned momentarily on the railing, hiding a smile when she was seen almost immediately. Asuka cried her name, pointing, and commotion erupted.

Who else was going to greet Lucy when she came home?


And Simon is dead! I know everyone thought Natsu was basically going to incinerate him, but...for some reason, I thought this would be a good end. His lack of attention allowed Natsu to find them and basically ruined everything for him. We have one more chapter and an epilogue, by the way. :)

Some expressed confusion about the matter of my bully in a wagon. Probably should have added that I have an English Bulldog. XD She has hip problems, which is why she's being towed in a wagon through the halls. She's too heavy to carry. XD

Celestial Flame Fairy, on the matter of updates...I update every other day for TGOL! The next two will be on the 24th and the 26th.

BreannaCoris, RandomAnimeNerd, ThatOneFriend-3, Ethidium, TwinDragons0268, Jade Occelot, Celestial Flame Fairy, PinkFireandGoldenStars, lilphoenixfeather, TheAliceHuntt, Spakona, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Mkben, HummingBird742, Typhlosion8, Guest #1, HollyNinetales, PurpleandPink2005, Guest #2, Elisha Silverpine, ToastedWeirdBrain, Soul-of-glass, FairyRains, Leahcar-Soutaichou, NicoledaughterofPosideon, quite-a-riot, kmmcm, and FlameDragonHime!) as well as those who favorited and followed!