"So how bad is she?" Mirajane hears her brother Elfman ask from over her shoulder.

"Pretty bad," she replies, loading the last bit of food and drinks into the baskets she plans to bring over to Natsu's. "To be honest. She almost doesn't even look like the same woman. Her hair is a dull smoky color now. Her skin looks so pale it's almost see-through, and her lips are bluish. No one seems to know how much of it is her illness, and how much is from the poisoning. They also don't know how much Natsu may even be able to do to help. Master Makarov said she may never wake up, but they had to get Natsu to back off or he would have died."

It's been four days since the group first arrived back in Magnolia. Gajeel, Levy and Panther Lily left right away for the water nymph colony; which everyone had mistakenly spoken about in front of Mirajane. Master Makarov explained the importance of the secrecy around water nymphs, or she supposed all kinds of nymphs, and that she even has to keep the secret from her siblings about the true mission.

Mirajane has been bringing Natsu's meals directly to his house. He's spent most of his time lying beside the young woman and talking to Happy, herself, or Gina; though Gina never responds. It worries Mirajane how weak he looks when he gets up to take a break. He tells Mirajane that he is keeping his fire magic barely banked beneath his skin to try to help, but it still seems like it is somehow exhausting him. Before she left, Porlyusica had been adamant that they intervene and remove him from Gina's presence entirely if he seems to lose his strength completely at any point. Mirajane could never have imagined a type of magic poisoning this severe before, but the elderly medicine mage explained that Gina's original illness worsened the situation dramatically.

"Man," Elfman spits in a near curse. "I thought things were bad before, but this… this is really bad news."

"How is Natsu taking it?" Mirajane's little sister, Lisanna, chimes in with her high-feminine voice from Mira's other side. Her slender, nearly elvish-like features are drawn in worry beneath her snowy white hair.

"I'm not sure," Mirajane says with a sigh. "He's acting like he's okay, but…"

"But what?" Lisanna presses.

"I keep catching glimpses of him when he thinks I'm not looking," Mirajane admits. "He looks so lost. It's a lot like he was after we lost you, Lisanna, but different somehow. He was angrier then. Now he just seems desperate and confused."

"Maybe I should go talk to him," Lisanna offers. "Maybe I could get him to open up a little."

"I don't know, Liss," Elfman mutters. "The poor guy's heart's already taken a beating. I know you guys used to be close, but that may not help him now. Natsu's been stepping up like a Real Man a lot lately; especially around Gina. But I don't really want to think about how he's gonna take it if this doesn't work. When you died… or when we thought you did… Natsu was furious with himself for not being there. If she dies like this then he…"

"We know, Elfman," Mirajane agrees, not wanting to imagine a Natsu who was both present and powerless at such a time. "But if that day comes, we're going to have to help him through it."

"Do you think he loves her, Big Sis?" Lisanna asks with a worried expression.

"There's no doubt in my mind, Lisanna," Mirajane agrees. "It's too plain to see now. I'm not sure what kind of love it is, but somehow he's become close enough to her that I think he would take the loss as seriously as Gray, Erza or even Lucy."

"Then let me go with you," Lisanna pleads. "Let me try. I know I can help."

"Alright," Mirajane agrees.


"Well," Gray sighs, leaning back against the pillows on his small bed in the private train car, "I guess we can rank this up in the list of weirder jobs we've picked up, huh Luce?"

"Yeah," Lucy smirks. "You can say that again. I just wish… ugh nevermind."

"What's that about?" he asks, lifting his head and hating how weak he feels without even having been in a fight. He's already stripped down to his boxers, but it's just Lucy, so he doesn't care.

"Nothing," Lucy sighs. "Just lie down, Gray. You need to rest before we get to the next town."

She tries to scoot past his bunk, but he reaches an arm out and catches her around the thigh; halting her movement. She tries to bat his hands away with a blush, but he moves as quickly as he can manage to pull her down onto the bunk with him. She makes a small squeak of protest, but it's half-hearted and he muffles it with a kiss.

"Gray," Lucy sighs, pulling away and rolling her eyes. "This is not resting."

"No, but I think this is much better," he chuckles, kissing his way down her pretty throat. He smiles as he feels her relax against him, and even arch up into his hold; pressing that gorgeous, soft chest of hers against him. "Now… what did you wish?"

"I wish those stupid water freaks would keep their slimy hands off you!" Lucy finally spits before blushing, and Gray can't help but laugh.

"Yeah, well that makes two of us," he agrees.

"Oh yeah," she gripes with another roll of her eyes. "I'm sure it's such a hardship."

"Luce," he says, suddenly sitting up away from her and feeling nervous. "Look, I uh… I've got to admit somethin' but I don't want you to freak out."

"Freak out?" she asks, backing away from him on the small mattress, and getting those big eyes she gets when she's already freaking out. "Why would I freak out?"

"When these chicks first captured me, they uh…" he swallows hard, calculating in his head how to cut her off if she tries to bolt. He doesn't want this looming over his head anymore. "They used some of those charm spells on me, ya know. Like they were using on all the other guys."

"Uh huh…" she mumbles, not even blinking.

"I didn't know what the hell was going on, or even where I was," he tries to explain. "I thought I was trapped in some kinda nightmare filled with crazy Juvias or somethin'. I didn't recognize the charm spell for what it was when they tried to uh…" Her eyes go even wider, but he's determined to be honest. "Ya know… seduce me."

"You know…" Lucy replies in a weak voice. "I don't think I want to have this conversation right now."

She gets up and starts to bolt, but he catches her by the wrist and refuses to let go. "No way, Luce. Come on! You have to let me explain."

"Nope," she shakes her head in denial. "They're dying. We promised to help them. It's not going to help them if I find creative ways to kill them, Gray. It's just not."

"I didn't sleep with them, Lucy," he pleads. "You have to believe me. I'm tryin' to be honest about what happened because I love you, damnit!" Lucy stops trying to pull away and takes a look back at him. He hates the look of uncertainty in her eyes. "I swear to God, babe, I wish I had figured out what was happening sooner, but I didn't have sex with any of 'em. Ever."

"Fine," she trembles, pulling her hand away and sitting back down on the edge of the bed to hear him out. "What really happened? Please, don't leave anything out, because I only want to have this conversation once."

He starts from the beginning, and when he very first caught the sound that tipped him off to their presence in the woods. He explains waking up in the dark room with multiple voices around him, and not even realizing that his mind was being altered from freaked out to completely infatuated. He admits with a grimace how far the encounter went before he realized what was happening, and how he snapped himself out of it. Lucy now has a pout to her lips that he absolutely hates.

"So you, um," she says, wringing her hands, "realized she was using a charm spell. That's good, Gray. I'm happy you figured it out."

"Please don't be upset, Lucy," he begs.

"I'm not upset," she lies with a false grin. "I've been tricked by charm spells myself. You know that. It's how I met Natsu, when he snapped me out of one from that fake Salamander creep. I'm… glad you figured it out on your own."

"It wasn't all on my own, Luce," he admits with a small smile. "You saved my butt back there."

"Me?" she asks, meeting his eyes for the first time. "What did I have to do with it?"

"The chick made a big mistake," he says with a smirk. "She told me to make love to her. All of a sudden I could see you lyin' there on my bed back home. You were so pretty. I remember when you told me you loved me, after that first time. The illusion shattered, because I realized I couldn't make love to anyone who wasn't you. Not anymore. I love you, babe."

"I love you too," Lucy whispers with a small smile, as a single tear rolls down her cheek.

Gray leans forward slowly, giving her the chance to push him away. He kisses away the small tear and then pulls her more fully back into his arms. Lucy kisses him back more timidly than normal, but he coaxes her with his lips and his hands until he can feel her passion override any pain she might be feeling. God, he loves the taste of her. He could get drunk off of it.

He lies her back against the small pathetic mattress, bringing his body to hover over her own. He kisses his way down the soft skin of her throat, and his hands begin working at the ties on her shirt.

"Make love to me, Lucy," he begs. "I want you. Not some sick lie."

"But they'll hear us…" she whispers with a giggle and a blush, referring to the rest of the team in the room beside them, and maybe even the flock of water women hiding in the next car.

He devours her lips and tongue again hungrily and presses his body against her; letting her feel how much he wants her. Then he gives her a devilish grin and whispers in her ear, "Then you'll just have to be really quiet."


"I don't like the look of this place one bit," Gajeel grumbles, crouching down low and sniffing the air again.

Everything here smells really wet like it did back in Atlantia. He wishes that would give him more assurance that they are in the right place. Unlike before, this location isn't anywhere near a town. They're at least a couple of dozen miles away from where they left the train station - a station in the middle of nowhere to begin with. They'd gotten off the train first thing this morning, and had now pushed deep inside the wilderness. Panther Lily had been flying with Levy so that Gajeel could run without her falling behind, and they could gain ground faster. They were somewhere north of the river between Capital Crocus and the southern coast of Fiore. Fortunately, they didn't have to cross the continent or anything; so, getting the other nymphs here shouldn't be too hard.

"All I see is forest," Levy comments as Panther Lily sets her down gently.

"No, I see what Gajeel means," Panther Lily counters. "Everything here looks too crisp, too clear. I would guess there is some form of illusion magic being used here."

"So what do we do now?" Gajeel wonders. "Did Kitty Cat give any indication of how to say hello?"

"YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION ALREADY," a deep base voice booms from all around them, then dims slightly. "Only those who seek death venture into these woods. Have you come to drown your sorrows?"

Great… Gajeel thinks, rolling his eyes. A guy with a cheesy sense of humor and death threats. Just another day in Fairy Tail… Wait a minute! This clown speaks our language!

"Please sir," Levy asks, projecting her voice out into the woods around them. "We humbly request an audience with the colony that lives here. We are in need of your aid."

"ONLY A FOOL WOULD SEEK HELP IN THIS FOREST!" the voice booms, again. "IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIVES, YOU WILL LEAVE THIS PLACE NOW!"

Gajeel suddenly hears a great sound of rushing water coming towards them, and pulls Levy back behind him. Then he hears trees beginning to fall to the ground with a thunderous noise.

"Panther Lily!" he shouts, "Get her out of here!"

"NO!" Levy screams, suddenly clinging onto his back. "I'm not leaving!"

Panther Lily's eyes go wide, and Gajeel turns to see a mile-high wall of water racing towards them.

"Holy shit…" Gajeel breathes, trying to think of where to run.

"The water nymphs are going to DIE IF YOU DON'T HELP US!" Levy screams from his back. "SHIELD!"

Suddenly the word shield appears all around them like a thick pane of glass in a large bubble, made out of script magic - Levy's forte. Gajeel knows it's not going to be enough.

"Iron Barrier!" he shouts, sending up an iron wall within Levy's bubble, and hoping to reinforce it before they get crushed to death.

They all brace for impact, but none seems to come. Gajeel can still hear the water roaring outside, but with both barriers in place they can no longer see. Suddenly, water begins to come up from the ground within the bubble and form into the shapes of a few water nymphs.

"Take down the barrier, Levy!" Gajeel orders, doing so himself as well.

When he turns to run, however, he realizes the wall of water now completely surrounds them. They are trapped in a massive circle. The wall parts slightly, allowing a single form to walk through the massive wave. Gajeel gives Panther Lily a signal to rip Levy out of there if he gives the word, and his friend - now in full man-sized battle cat mode - nods in agreement.

The man walking towards them is massive; at least as big as Elfman. He is wearing black pants, tied securely at the ankles, with simple sandals and a long, black, hooded cloak. His upper body is bare beneath the cloak, and he has some kind of massive tattoo running along the entire right side of his body, including part of his face. It looks like some kind of wave pattern with water droplets or tears resting at the end of each stroke. He has deeply tanned skin and blonde hair. His green eyes are cold, and Gajeel tenses; seeing that the man will not hesitate to kill them if it suits him.

"Please, Sir, I beg you," Levy says, jumping down, but Gajeel refuses to let her get too far. He pulls her back against his chest. "Are you the father of this colony? Are you a water nymph?"

The man cocks an eyebrow in obvious surprise, then narrows them at Gajeel once more. "If you do not know the answer to these questions, child, why have you come?"

"We seek the aid of the father of the water nymph colony that lives in these woods," Levy explains quickly. "We have only been given very limited information from a group of young water nymphs who have asked for help. They said they need to seek adoption. And I'm not a child," she adds, making Gajeel want to roll his eyes and grind his teeth. "I'm just… small."

"You expect me to believe that story?" he chuckles darkly. "I am nearly five hundred years old. You are all children to me. You would be wise not to count me for some wavering fool, who will swallow any story you spin."

FIVE HUNDRED years old?! Gajeel's mind reels in shock. No way! "Don't take us for idiots either!" he spits back. "You expect me to believe that you were alive since before the time of the great wars? Give me a break! You're just a human. I can smell it on you! So, where is these chicks' dad huh? We need HIM! Not YOU!"

The man suddenly looks unsure as he stares back at them. "Why did these nymphs not come to us on their own?" he asks instead.

"They're very sick, sir," Levy explains. "They said that without their father, they have been getting sicker for many years. They are suffering from something called, elemental poisoning. They did not know how to find you. When our guild discovered them, they asked for our help. One of the members of our group spoke their language and helped us translate."

He raises his eyebrow in interest yet again. "What language do they speak?"

"I don't know…" Levy suddenly says with a tremble of fear in her voice. "They didn't say. She was using a translation token, but it sounded like a strange clicking and humming sort of noise. I… I can't really describe it well. I…"

Suddenly the nymph standing to their left begins making the noise.

"That!" Levy shouts, pointing to her. "It sounded just like that."

"And why is this member of your group not with you now?" he asks, folding his arms in front of him in obvious suspicion.

"She became ill when she came in contact with them," Levy explains. "She was… too ill to continue on any further. They explained that the elemental poisoning could be contracted by a human who was too ill or injured. We did not know that until it was too late, because Gina had already been terminally ill before we arrived in the town."

The man looks very unconvinced.

"Look, wise guy," Gajeel grumbles. "Enough with the 20 questions. Are you gonna help us find the guy or what? As it is, we're gonna be lucky if they make it here."

"I am the man you seek," he replies, puffing out his chest and glaring. "My name is Elrick, and these beautiful women are but a few of my daughters."

"Bullshit," Gajeel practically laughs. "You're human! I'm a dragon slayer! You can't beat this nose, bub."

"Of course, I'm human. All nymph Sires are human, you idiot," the man sighs in his deep base, surprising and irritating Gajeel. "You obviously don't know the first thing about their kind."

"There is an agreement between our guild and the nymph peoples to keep your secrets as we learn them," Levy pipes in again. "But you're right. We know very little. I'm sorry for our ignorance, but we had very little time to act. The women are dying."

Elrick's spine stiffens and Gajeel realizes the news sincerely distresses him. "How many nymphs are there, and where have they come from?" Elrick asks. "If they didn't know how to find me, how did you? Who was their Sire?"

"What is a Sire?" Levy asks.

"Their father!" he shouts, getting more agitated by the second. "Sire means father. Like me! Who was he?"

"We don't know," Levy sighs in frustration. "There are a little more than 20 of them, if none have died since we left. They're coming from Atlantia."

The man steps back, eyes flying open wide. "Atlantia…" he breathes. "Dearest waters… they've been alone for that long?"

"Did you know their father?" Levy asks.

"Of course I knew Damion," he spits. "But he's been dead for more than… 16 years now. Good heavens. I believed they were all dead."

"Sixteen years…" Levy breathes. "Wait, are you saying… Is the man from the mansion Damion? H-he had markings like that… just above his collar in the picture! But the women in the photograph were human, they were rain…"

Elrick seems to recover from his shock and his eyes narrow in distrust. "Rain women?" he asks.

"That's what the book said, but I," Levy mumbles. "I don't understand."

"You don't need to understand," Elrick replies as coolly as a snake. "You just need to bring them here. What have they promised you in return for your help? And how did you find me?"

"They promised us nothing. We offered our aid when we understood their situation. It was the right thing to do," Levy explains. "One of our guild members is a celestial wizard. The nymphs asked us to speak to the celestial spirit Leo, so he could help translate for the other group who is escorting them. He found the location of this colony from the celestial archives, and said he could tell us because of the contract Fairy Tail has in place already."

"Fine," Elrick grumbles. "I will have to see this contract when he arrives. How far behind you are they now?"

"Three or four days," Gajeel replies. "They're moving a bit slow to keep out of sight and transport the sick. Are you going to be able to help them?"

"If what you claim is true, then yes," Elrick nods. "I will adopt them as my own and set to healing them as quickly as I can. But hear me well, dragon slayer. If I believe that any of you mean us harm, or have harmed them… If I catch a single trace of a nymph hunter's trap, or betrayal in your actions… I will kill you all, and sleep peacefully in my bed."

Wonderful… Gajeel dreads.


Lisanna knocks on the front door of Happy and Natsu's little cabin in the woods. After hearing Natsu call a faint response, she pushes the door open and strolls inside with Mirajane. Before they left the guildhall, they'd packed three baskets of food; trying to account for how much Natsu eats when he isn't helping heal someone. Now he will probably eat even more. They carry the baskets over to the small kitchen table, and then Lisanna makes her way towards his bedroom as Mirajane begins to unpack.

"Natsu?" Lisanna calls, hesitating before entering.

"Hey Liss…" he mumbles. "Come on in."

As soon as she lays eyes on him, she pauses and notes how much he has changed. He looks exhausted, with dark circles beneath his eyes. His body seems to look the same in build and color, but she can't shake the feeling that he looks sicker somehow.

She glances down at Gina next. She doesn't look quite as bad as Mirajane made her out to look. Her hair isn't smokey-colored, but just a dull black. Her skin looks frail, but not really translucent. Her lips do look pale, though. The beautiful woman is curled up in Natsu's bed as if she'd simply fallen asleep there after a lovers tryst. Her cheek rests on the center of his chest, and his arms are around her tightly. He has his own cheek pressed tenderly against the top of her head, and his eyes remain closed. The sheet on the bed is pulled up to Gina's shoulder, and therefore the middle of his chest.

Oh my goodness… she thinks in concern. It's only been a couple of days. I'm not sure he can keep this up.

"Oh dear," Mirajane suddenly breathes from beside her, and Lisanna scrambles to catch the plate of food she's carrying before she drops it in apparent shock.

"Did he look like this when you saw him last?" Lisanna whispers to her older sister, taking the plate back to the table instead.

"Look like what?" Natsu grumbles without opening his eyes.

"Natsu, get up. Right now," Mirajane orders instead of answering either one of them.

"No way," he objects, lifting his head to glare at her.

"Get up!" Mirajane shouts, ripping the bed sheet away from them; revealing Natsu in his favorite pair of red shorts, and Gina in a black and red bikini.

"What the hell, Mira?!" he shouts back, scrambling back from her with Gina in tow. "What is your problem?!"

"Lisanna, help me," Mirajane orders. "Get Gina away from him. Do it now!"

"Both of you back off!" he shouts, holding up a ball of fire in his hand.

"Natsu, it looks like Gina is making you sick," Lisanna tries to reason with him; walking up and trying to grab ahold of the frail young woman. She grabs Gina's arms, but he gives up on the fireball idea and clings to Gina instead.

"Who gives a crap?!" he shouts in disbelief. "She's getting better!"

"Have you been doing what Porlyusica said not to?" Mirajane scolds. "She told you not to repeat whatever you did in the Master's office, you know that!"

"I didn't!" he shouts, looking offended. "I haven't needed to! I can feel her pulling from my magic now, and I'm not even keeping it on the surface, damnit!"

"Then you need to take a break," Mirajane reasons, and Lisanna is shocked to see Mira pry Natsu's arms apart with very little effort.

"Natsu! Look at how weak you are," Lisanna begs. "Mira's not even trying!"

"Shut up!" he screams, losing his grip on Gina as Lisanna pulls her body away from him and against her own. He angrily turns his arms red hot, and Mira lets go of his arms with a yelp. "Give her back Lisanna!"

"Do you care about her, Natsu?" Lisanna asks instead, cradling Gina's head against her shoulder.

"Of course I do," he spits with a completely confused expression. "What does that have to do with…"

"We will give her back, Natsu," she says slowly and calmly. "After you have taken a break. If you keep fighting us, she's just going to wind up hurt. You trust me, don't you?"

"Well, yeah, but," he tries to object weakly.

"And you trust Mira too, right?" she continues to lead him.

"Yeah," he begrudgingly admits.

"Then go over to the table, and get something to eat. Please," she asks. "You need to recover some of your magical energy. They said that someone who was too weak could catch the illness, right? What if you make yourself so sick, that you end up with the poisoning too? You won't be able to help her at all then."

Natsu's eyes go wide for a moment, before he replies with, "I didn't think of that. Sorry, Mira."

"It's fine," Mirajane sighs. "Just go eat."

Natsu struggles to get up from the bed and over to his kitchen table. Once there, he plops down and begins eating. At first, he just picks at some of the food, but soon he begins eating like a man dying of starvation. Lisanna lies Gina back down in the bed gently and covers her body with the bedsheet so she doesn't get chilled. After all, she's not wearing very much. After a moment, Gina moves, pressing her face against the mattress as if she's searching for warmth. Lisanna gasps in mild surprise. She looks over at Natsu and he's paused, staring intensely at Gina for a moment before going back to eating.

"She's moving more," Mirajane notes with a surprised smile.

"Yeah," Natsu mumbles around a mouthful of food. "She's been doing that for a few hours. I hope it means that she'll wake up soon."

"Where is Happy?" Mirajane asks, looking around the room. He was supposed to be the one chaperoning them.

"I sent him out to the store," Natsu replies with a shrug. "He was whining because we didn't have any fish in the house. I also told him to get some chocolate."

"Chocolate?" Lisanna asks, watching Gina stir faintly again.

"Yeah," he says with a faint blush. "I'm gonna melt it. I figure if she's moving she might be able to smell. Chicks love chocolate. I thought maybe it would get her to wake up."

Lisanna and Mirajane both burst into a fit of giggles, but rush to agree that it's a good idea when he looks irritated and embarrassed.

"Is it true that you and Gina have been getting along better?" Lisanna asks, trying to learn more about how his attitude towards the woman has changed. It's obvious that it has.

"Oh yeah," he says with another shrug. "I didn't get how much of what she was doing before was because I was making her sick. I do now, so I've been more careful. We got a couple of chances to talk on the trip, and next she was mad at me for being careful. She's pretty much mad at me no matter what I do," he laughs, "but I know she trusts me too. I helped, uh… save her butt a couple of times; like I've done for Lucy before. She knows now that I'm there to help when she needs it. But now… geez. I don't even know what to think about everything. Before I was making her sick, but now I'm making her better. How the hell am I gonna know if it switches back?"

"Porlyusica says it never will," Mirajane says, watching Natsu carefully.

"Huh?" he asks, dropping his fork. "How does she know that?"

"She said that Gina wasn't doing the right thing before in trying to correct her temperature," Mirajane explains. "Apparently, her fire magic is acting out beyond her control, but fighting it was never the right thing to do. It won't harm her. It's just inconvenient. Using Gray the way she was, though…"

"I don't get it," Natsu admits with a bland expression.

"Porlyusica believes that using Gray the way she was," Mirajane continues, "was actually making Gina sicker. You were never making her sick. Her body was trying to boost itself somehow; which is probably part of what it's doing now. She said there is no way to tell whether what's happening now has more to do with the poisoning or Gina's original illness. She also said that Gina's original illness could have even led to this on its own if she hadn't encountered the nymphs who were already sick. It's just rare, I guess."

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Natsu rages, slamming his flaming fist against the table top. Then he starts ranting with flames all over his body. "GRAY WAS MAKING HER SICK THE WHOLE TIME, AND I COULD HELP, AND I DID THE EXACT OPPOSITE?! GOD DAMNIT GRAY, I AM GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS! DO YOU THINK GINA KNEW THAT?! THAT CRAZY, STUPID… ARGH! I AM GOING TO SHAKE SOME SENSE INTO HER WHEN SHE WAKES UP, AND SHE IS NEVER GONNA GET RID OF ME AGAIN! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! SHE SHOULD NEVER HAVE EVEN GONE ON THAT STUPID JOB IN THE FIRST PLACE! WHY I'M GONNA..."

"Natsu!" Lisanna shouts, interrupting his temper tantrum.

"WHAT?!" he shouts, looking at them again.

"Don't be mad," she says with a smile. "I don't think Gina or Gray, or anyone else, did anything to hurt her on purpose. Just think of how you felt when you thought you were hurting Gina. Gray is going to feel the same way pretty soon."

Natsu swallows hard and simmers down from enraged to annoyed. "Yeah, whatever. Popsicle boy should never have lied to us in the first place. Hey Mira… did Porlyusica say what Gina's sick with? I mean what she had when she got here."

"No," Mirajane sighs. "She said she cannot say. She was privileged to the information so she could treat Gina properly, but she still has to respect Gina's wishes."

"So she's still dying…" he mumbles.

Mira nods in confirmation with sadness in her eyes.

"Well I'm not givin' up," Natsu shrugs, starting in on his third plate of food. "I refuse to believe there's nothing we can do to help her. Especially if there's a chance my fire magic can help more than just the poisoning."