It was decided that we would split into groups, in order to cover more ground. I ended up with Natsu, Gray and Carla. I refused to let her out of my sight. That cat was hiding something, and I didn't like it. Lamia scale stuck together and Lucy unfortunately got stuck Hibiki, the poor girl. I trusted that she would watch over Erza for me, Lucy never let us down when it counted.
"So if she's a sky dragon slayer, then what does she eat for power?" Natsu asked Carla, his tone curious as we ran through the woods.
"Air of course!" Carla declared with a note of irritation. Natsu began to debate with Carla about how it tastes, and Gray and I sighed.
"I don't see how that's any different from breathing." Gray muttered and I snorted. I found the discussion pointless and I didn't see why we were bothering to talk with the cat. We had better things to do, like find Wendy and save Erza.
"You know the only reason she applied for this mission was because she wanted to have the chance to meet the two of you." Carla spoke aloud, addressing Natsu and I.
"Why?" Natsu asked, frowning as I rolled my eyes.
"Maybe because we're both dragon slayers?" I responded drily. Natsu's denseness just amazed me sometimes.
"Right and because there was something she wanted to ask you about." Carla agreed with me, "Apparently, the dragon who taught her dragon slaying magic mysteriously disappeared seven years ago. SHe was hoping the two of you might be able to tell her it's whereabouts."
"We'd need more to go off on." I stated and Natsu nodded.
"What's the dragon's name?" Natsu asked.
"I believe Wendy called her the sky dragon Grandeeney." Carla replied and I furrowed my brow, I had heard that name before, from Isole. My train of thought was interrupted when Natsu crashed into a tree root and spun out.
"Maybe Laxus knows?" He asked as he sat up.
"He's not a real slayer remember, Gramps told us." Gray denied the statement and I nodded. I opened my mouth, only to turn as Carla gasped.
I stared into the trees, shocked as we could see a wave of black mist covering the forest in front of us. The trees seemed to grow black and creak in the wave of black magic.
"Word is that it's caused by Nirvana, ain't that right big brother Zato?" a man emerged from the forest as member of the dark guild, Naked Mummy appeared.
"That's right, the earth can't handle so everything it touches withers up and dies." The other man emerged from the forest, another member of Naked Mummy.
"Oh dear, this is bad, we're surrounded." Carla murmured as she shifted towards us.
Natsu, Gray, and I turned back to back, covering the three areas of the circle of men surrounding us.
As the men recognized our emblems they began to get angry, and I grinned at them.
"You're the ones Lucy whupped before, right? Man I love that girl, care for seconds you pansies?" I challenged.
"Hey don't go messing with Naked Mummy!" One of the bigger ones grunted.
"What's this Naked Mummy business?" Natsu asked and Gray groaned.
"Are you seriously that stupid? It's that dark guild Lucy told us about the other day."
"It was a trap, they tricked us into thinking we'd only be facing six wizards." Carla cried out.
"Well I say the more the merrier." Gray summoned his magic and his hands began to give off a blue mist.
"I couldn't agree more!" I nodded as my hands began to ice over.
"Are you insane?! We need to run while we still can!" Carla argued, looking us over like we had lost our minds.
I gave her a smirk, "Don't get your panties in a twist kitty cat. These guys only look intimidating."
"We're not leaving until we find out where there base is." Gray stated and I nodded.
"Where are our friends, Wendy, Happy and Stella?!" Natsu demanded to know.
"Hah! This is the end of the line for you fairies!" The older one sneered. I cackled, and exchanged grins with Natsu and Gray.
"First one to find the location wins?" I offered.
"You're on!" The boys yelled.
"Then let's get'em!" I yelled and we charged into the fray. I whipped through the crows, freezing the members to the ground and then knocking them out. I blew a kiss in the direction of several of the members and a glacier now stood in the forest, with the members encased inside.
"They're really a lot stronger than they look bro. What should we do?" The blond one asked the other.
"Too slow!" I yelled as I leapt over the fray. "Ice dragon roar!" I sent an icy blast careening into the brother knocking them out. And ding, ding, ding, we have a winner, I thought.
"It's unreal, Naked Mummy was taken down by-" I slammed my foot into his face, shutting him up for a minute, as Natsu grabbed and yanked the other one up.
"Alright, you big dummy. Tell me where you guy's hideout is." Natsu roared, as the big one laughed. Natsu growled and knocked him out, moving onto the other brother.
"How about you?" Natsu roared.
"Okay buddy, they're all yours now." The other croaked before passing out.
"What the hell does that mean?" Gray asked, as a creak emanated from a tree above.
"Well, it looks like you flies are still buzzing around, so I've come to swat you once and for all." A chilling voice echoed from a tree branch and we looked up to see none other than Erigor.
"What's up cool breeze, long time no see, how you been man?" Natsu called out cheerfully and I facepalmed.
"Are you that dense? He's the guy from the lullaby incident, the one who tried to kill Gramos and all the other guild masters." Gray groaned.
"Oh yeah, he's the windbag I roasted on the bridge with Aquila right? Talk about a jerk." Natsu agreed, remembering the incident.
"After the fall of the Eisenwald guild, I used my expertise as an enforcer in the service of the Oracion Seis, biding my time until now, when I can finally have my revenge. Until the day Erigor the Reaper would rise again." Erigor cackled, his eyes wild with demented glee.
"So you came here looking for a rematch is that it?" Gray remarked.
"Sounds like fun to me." Natsu grinned and I smirked.
"How can you have a rematch when you haven't gotten any stronger?" I sneered and Erigor let out a yell of rage. He sent a wall of wind slashing across the forest straight towards us. Gray stepped forward and blocked it with his shield.
"I think this joker's going to be a major step up from that pack of monkeys." Gray bit out as he held his shield against Erigor's wind.
"Maybe so." I slammed my icy fist against my hand, giving of the noise of cracking ice, "But we beat him before. And we'll do it again."
"I got this." Natsu leapt up into the clouds, matching Erigor blow for blow.
"Fire doesn't seem like the best weapon to fight wind." Carla pronounced.
"Maybe so. Natsu may have had some trouble beating the guy the last time, but he's gotten a lot stronger since then." Gray noted and I gave a nod of agreement.
"Natsu and I beat him together last time. I have no doubt he could've done it by himself though. This time, it will take him no time at all."
I paused and as Erigor fired off a blast, I grabbed Gray, who had Carla securely tucked under his arm, and froze us to the ground, preventing us from blowing away in the explosion.
As Erigor proclaimed his desire to defeat Natsu at all costs, and Natsu refuted him in a few words, Gray and I exchanged a smirk. When Natsu was this fired up, nothing could beat him.
With the release of his finishing move, Erigor collapsed to the ground, and Natsu landed on his feet.
"Why'd you have to drag that one out so long you pyro?" Gray complained.
I let out a grin at Natsu's quick victory, "Let's find out where they are shall we?"
Natsu beat the information out of Erigor, they were hiding in an ancient village that was to the west of where we were.
We arrived at the village, and Natsu let out a yell for Wendy and the cats.
"Be quiet, do you want to give away our position?!" Carla hissed and I clunked Natsu on the back of the head.
"We need to get Wendy and the cats and get back to Erza, not get caught up in a fight!" I growled as Natsu pouted.
Without warning a glint appeared from one of the huts and we were sent slamming away from the edge as Racer appeared behind us.
"What's this guy doing here?!" Natsu yelled, as we all scrambled to our feet. Racer cackled form where he stood on one of the branches of a tree.
"Gray and I can handle this, go find Wendy and get to Erza!" I ordered and Natsu nodded.
"You're not going anywhere!" Racer yelled as he ran down the tree, only to slip on some of Gray's ice.
"Okay, bust out your wings!" Natsu turned to Carla only to find her woozy on the ground.
"Here, use this." Gray made a slide and Natsu grabbed Carla who screamed as they careened down the icy pathway.
"You two have some nerve." Racer sneered, "No one puts the breaks on me."
"Looks like you had a little problem with traction." Gray and I turned to face him. "I can do more than just put the breaks on you, pal. You ready?"
"When we're through, you're going to be on ice!" I leapt forward as Gray and I advanced on Racer. We threw every punch that we could, but he seemed to dodge them all. He let loose with a kick that sent Gray hurtling into a tree, then followed with a punch that knocked me off of my feet. Gray managed to roll of the tree before Racer sen this fist slamming into the bark, leaving a crater behind.
"He's crazy fast, this is nuts." Gray murmured as we struggled to catch our breath.
"As a matter of fact, I'm the fastest man alive. You'll never beat me because you'll never catch me. They call me Racer." He straightened his gloves and as we looked up, we say Natsu and Carla with Wendy and the cats.
"Natsu found them!" I cried out.
"Impossible, how did they get past Brain?! He'd never let them go." Racer cried out, aghast.
"They probably just kicked his ass. Just like how we're going to kick yours pal!" I roared, revitalized by the fact that Erza would be okay as long as Wendy made it to her alright.
"Well end of the line!" Racer yelled as he flashed up to them, knocking them all down. Natsu caught Wendy and picked her and the cats up, then start to run like hell.
"I told you, it's the end of the line." Racer moved towards them, and my breath caught in my throat.
I grabbed Gray's shoulder, and he looked me in the eye and nodded. "Ice-make, rampart!" He cast his spell, and I bolstered it, creating a towering rampart of ice, trapping Racer with us, and leaving Natsu and Wendy unharmed.
"You guys got this?" Natsu paused and I turned to look at him through the ice.
"Get Wendy to Erza, now hurry!" I yelled. Gray and I were sweating with the effort of holding the massive structure and from our previous attempts at fighting Racer.
"I can tell you both have burned through your power." Natsu hesitated.
"I said we can handle this!" I roared, and Gray nodded.
"Just go, Natsu!" He panted out and Natsu murmured his thanks.
"We won't let him pass, Erza's live depends on it!" Gray yelled.
Natsu bit his lip then groaned and turned for the woods, yelling behind him, "Fine but as soon as Erza's out of danger, we're coming back for you!"
"We know." I smiled up at Gray.
"Impressive." Racer flashed up to us and placed a hand on the wall. "This is the second time you've stopped me."
"And it certainly won't be the last." I growled, as Gray and I turned to face Racer.
"Ice has the power to slow everything down." Gray stated as we both moved into combat positions.
"And when we're done, you'll be frozen dead in your tracks." I bared my fangs at him.