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"It's chicken soup," declared Sting before he entered the house. Rogue pushed Sting out of the way who grimaced and opened the door. Lucy came out of the kitchen wearing an apron. She was holding a ladle which she waved threateningly at them, "Wash your hands, it's almost ready."
They willingly complied, Ryan especially. He set down the duffle he was holding and made his way towards the bathroom. He washed his hands quickly.
"Did you find what you wanted?" Rogue asked Lucy, remembering that she went to the bookstore.
Lucy nodded and placed her focus on the soup which was brewing. Sting was already wolfing down the bread which was set upon the table.
Lucy stirred the soup and switched off the heat. She served it in four bowls equally. Lucy had prepared some fish for the exceeds much to their delight.
"Thank you for the food!" Ryan chirped as he dug in. Lucy smiled at him affectionately; she reached for the ladle once more and gave him a second helping.
"Hey! I'm starving here too, you know!" Sting exclaimed, protesting. Lucy sighed and gave him a helping as well. He looked slimmer than before and that was a big improvement. Lucy thought that Sting would never lose weight.
Lucy was lying sprawled across on her bed with the tightly bound leather book open in her hand. She flipped the pages gingerly as if it were sharp as a knife. Lucy glanced at the pictures once more feeling the unpleasantness grow with each page she turned.
Lucy closed the book shut and frowned slightly. She didn't want to read it but she had to. It would be good for her if she could recognize some of the dark arts. Lucy shifted slightly to make herself feel comfortable. She thought about Natsu and the Alvarez Empire. Why would they kidnap Natsu?
Lucy thought about the weapon which Sting mentioned. She didn't know that Fairy Tail had a weapon. Lucy bit the inside of her cheek, she didn't want to admit it but she was worried for Natsu. After all, he was her previous nakama…
Suddenly there was a knock on the door, Lucy whipped her head around to find Rogue opening the door.
"Rogue?" Lucy asked in puzzlement. He shrugged and entered her room as if it was nothing. He sat down backward on a chair which was beside the bed.
"Am I disturbing you?" Rogue asked, his chin resting on the top of the chair.
"I think you missed the timing to say that." Lucy replied curtly. She was slightly grinning, though.
Rogue quickly flashed a smile at her, "I suppose I did." Lucy raised her eyebrows slightly; it was a rare sight to see Rogue flash a smile.
"Now, why are you here?" Lucy asked Rogue seriously. He yawned and tilted his head slightly to the left. "I don't have the ability to entertain a fourteen-year-old boy."
Lucy gazed at him questioningly to which Rogue added, "Sting's wrestling with him. And in my opinion, I think Ryan's not a very mature boy." After hearing his words, Lucy had become aware of the faint sound of furniture breaking.
Lucy laughed weakly and smacked Rogue's head lightly. "You…"
Rogue glanced around the room and caught sight of the book. He reached for it and flipped it open. "Lucy-san? What's this?"
Lucy glanced at the opened book wearily, "A book on the dark arts. It's mostly pictures though."
Rogue nodded and peered at it scrutinizing, "Why did you buy this?"
Lucy shrugged and rolled off her bed, "I don't know…" Rogue frowned slightly and faced Lucy, "Hey… don't you think this looks like Ryan?"
"Ryan?" Lucy asked, taking back the book from him. "Yes, you know, after he went berserk…"
Lucy's eyes widened, her mouth opened slightly, "You're right!" She got up abruptly and grabbed Rogue's arm, "Get out of my room."
"Huh?" Rogue blinked, Lucy dragged him forcefully out of his room.
"Good night." Lucy said tersely, she slammed the door in his face before he could say anything. After Lucy made sure that Rogue was completely gone she scrambled for her keys and summoned Crux.
"Long time no see, Crux." Lucy breathed out, she was strangely starting to get excited.
"Same to you, Lucy," Crux muttered, his eyes getting droopy. He stroked his mustache and waited for her command.
"Can you look into Zeref?"
"The Black Wizard?" Crux asked, sounding doubtful. Lucy nodded and wiped the sweat off her hands on her pants.
"Yes, the very one."
"Ryan Winslow. Please enter." A cold terse voice called out. Ryan gulped and fixed his tie; Lucy had pestered him to wear something smart.
Ryan entered the big room and looked around. There were countless of people looking down at him as if he were some prey. Ryan saw a wooden chair in the middle of the room; he supposed that he was going to sit in that chair.
Ryan took a seat; he wiped his sweaty hands on his pants and waited for his hearing to proceed.
"This is crazy," exclaimed Lucy. She was pacing left and right around the room.
"I know, sit down." Sting muttered crossly. Lucy stopped in front of Sting and waved her hands frantically.
"Guilty until proven innocent?!" Lucy yelled devastatingly. Sting grimaced and put an assuring hand on her shoulder.
"Calm down… Don't worry, I still have a trump card." Sting whispered in her ear. Lucy looked at Sting and let herself fill with hope.
"Really?" Lucy asked, her words laced with doubt. Sting nodded and looked at the massive door which was standing tall in front of them.
The door creaked a little and then swung suddenly, revealing the chairman, Hyberion. He stared at them soundlessly and moved past them swiftly.
"Wait!" Lucy croaked, "Can I see him?" She crossed her fingers and waited.
Hyberion regarded Lucy and nodded briefly before turning back to hurry to his office. Sting took Lucy by the hand and led her towards, what they called the prison.
Lucy could hear her heart thumping as they descended down to the prison. Sting let her go for a brief moment to explain the situation to a guard who was guarding the cell.
The guard let the cell door open reluctantly and Sting resumed his position, holding Lucy's hand. She was rather touched by this small gesture of comfort.
"Luce!" Ryan called out; reaching for her but was stopped because of the chains which were restraining his movement.
Lucy trembled with rage when she saw the chains which bound him. "How could they?!"
Ryan smiled helplessly and shook his head, "I suppose they thought it was necessary, to stop me from going berserk."
Lucy pursed her lips and crossed her arms, her eyes burned but she didn't cry. Sting bent down and ruffled Ryan's head gently, "Don't you worry, and I'll get you out of here. Soon."
"Where's Rogue?" Ryan asked.
"Rogue? Ah, he had some important matters to attend to." Sting muttered smiling at Ryan.
Lucy sighed clenching her fists; she looked around the dingy cell. The cell was dark except for the light which passed through a narrow window which was covered with steel bars.
"Um… excuse me? Time's up." The guard standing outside called out awkwardly. Sting got up and went outside, "Ah, yes. Thank you."
"Ryan, I promise that you will get out of here soon." Lucy whispered, echoing Sting's words as if it were her own. She was frustrated with herself, not being able to do anything when the one she wanted to protect was in danger.
Ryan smiled at Lucy and held Lucy's hands, "Luce? I want to eat pizza when I get back home."
Lucy laughed and hugged him lightly, "Of course. Anything you want."
"So, where did Rogue really go?" Lucy asked Sting. He turned his head away, "Fairy Tail…" he mumbled.
Lucy blinked twice, she thought she heard wrong for a moment. "Fairy Tail? Why?"
"I don't know. I was also supposed to go with him but you know… Ryan. I couldn't let you go alone." Sting finished gently. Sting suddenly blushed and shook his head frantically, "It wasn't for you, I just felt that it would be very awkward if I go to Fairy Tail after I caused chaos at the guild!"
Lucy laughed but paused suddenly, "You caused chaos at the guild?" Sting gulped and tugged at his collar, not liking where this was going.
"R-relax. I just injured a couple of guild members. They started it first anyways!" Sting raised his voice slightly defending himself.
Lucy sighed and rubbed her forehead as if it were hurting, "Whatever…" Sting pouted and crossed his arms.
They were interrupted by the sound of the front door creaking. "I'm back," a tired voice called out.
Lucy went to the door to greet Rogue, "Hey, and welcome back." She searched his face and was surprised to see him looking extremely weary. "What happened?" Lucy asked. Rogue said nothing and walked to the nearest chair and collapsed on it.
"I don't know what to do anymore…" Rogue exhaled slowly and looked right at Lucy, "He's back."
"Natsu's back?" Lucy whispered. Sting's mouth was open; he was clearly baffled by this turn of events.
Rogue nodded and wiped his forehead, "I saw him just a while ago. He didn't seem to sustain a lot of injuries."
"But how can he be back? Didn't the Alvarez Empire kidnap him? Why would they release him so easily?!" Lucy yelled, her voice rising with every word she spoke.
Rogue raised his hands as if surrendering, "Please calm down, Lucy-san."
Lucy breathed slowly and forced herself to calm down. Rogue looked relieved when he saw her calming down.
"Lucy-san? Well… there's one more thing I have to tell you." Rogue said slowly, he looked nervous for the first time.
Lucy braced herself and looked at him, "What is it?"
"It seems that Natsu-san… lost his memories," Rogue replied hesitantly. The moment Lucy heard his words, she could feel her knees buckling under her weight.
She could faintly hear Sting shouting in her ear. But she didn't care. Not a bit.
Lucy felt her consciousness drifting away, trapping her in an endless world of black.
"You should eat something…" Sting held a spoon in front of her mouth for the umpteenth time.
"I'm not hungry," Lucy mumbled, rejecting the food which was laid on the table. Frosch whimpered beneath her, "Fro is worried for Lucy."
Upon hearing those words, Lucy forced herself to grab the spoon and gulp down the food. Frosch smiled and climbed up to sit on her lap.
Lucy smiled back at Frosch, "I'm sorry for worrying you, but I'm completely fine now!" She could feel Rogue's gaze pierce her when she said those words but she ignored it.
Lucy finished the food quickly and got up, "Thanks for the food. I'll be upstairs in my room." As soon as she entered her room she collapsed on her bed and closed her eyes.
Her mind was filled with countless of thoughts. It was suffocating her. Lucy touched her guild mark and thought about Zeref.
She forced to remember last week. Lucy didn't summon Crux for nothing. She pulled out a pad of paper under her bed and examined them.
She wrote everything she understood from Crux's words. Lucy traced her words and recollected what Crux told her.
'The Black Wizard, The Ugly Fairy and Spriggan… there are a lot of people who call him by those names. Not much is known about him except for his first name and history. His first name is Zeref and possesses extremely dangerous magic.
He is the most evil mage in the history of the Magic World. Zeref was described as having alighted in an ancient land, mastered Black magic, given birth to tens of thousands of Demons, and thrown the world into chaos.
However, according to Mard Geer, the previous Underworld king, Zeref cursed himself for becoming immortal, desiring to die and eventually created the Etherious born to kill him with E.N.D as his final masterpiece.
There was a period of time when Zeref could not be traced, in other words, The Lost Years. There are a lot of rumors concerning about this. Some claim that he created out neighboring country, the Alvarez Empire.'
Lucy stopped at those words, Crux couldn't tell her Lucy any further. But this confirmed her worst suspicions. Zeref was related to the Alvarez Empire.
He was the ruler.