A/N: Thanks to everybody who RRFF :) Hope you're liking this extended epilogue, too.

As it turned out, the map made things look far simpler than they actually were. The bottom of the canyon was covered in a tightly packed forest that was difficult to move through. The couple often circled back on their own path so that it became difficult to even know which direction they were going. With the help of Pyxis, they managed to mostly stay on target, but the forest around them was already growing dark with the setting sun by the time they reached a clearing barely large enough for a small campsite in front of a cave entrance.

"Well, this job is already a pain in the side," Lucy said as she rubbed at her aching abs. She expected sore legs and maybe even arms from trekking through a forest, but she'd had to twist and dodge away from branches and vines so much that she'd gotten a core workout, as well.

"Rest or carry on?" Sting asked.

"Rest," Lucy declared. She plopped down on the ground with her legs spread before calling Virgo to set them up a temporary camp. Both Lucy and Sting would have preferred something a little further from the cave, but this was the only clearing they had found since entering the canyon.

"You get some sleep first," Sting offered. "I'll keep an eye out on the area."

Lucy didn't bother arguing. She crawled into the tent and immediately shrieked as she stumbled over something furry. Lucy backpedalled out of the tent and latched onto Sting's arm. A few seconds later, Sting started laughing as a very sleepy Lector walked out of the tent as he rubbed at his eyes. Lucy glared at him, but then she had to start giggling, too.

"Lector, how'd you get in there?" Lucy asked.

"I snuck in your bag when you were packing. Why'd you try to leave me behind?" Lector asked Sting angrily. Lucy crouched down and rubbed the Exceed's head.

"I think it's my fault," she said. "Sting thought this was more of a date thing, so he didn't want you to feel uncomfortable with us. I should have explained it to him before we left so you could come with us. I'm sorry."

"Ah, it's cool, Sunshine," Lector said nervously. He was still getting used to having Lucy around a lot. Lucy moved past him into the tent, and Lector went to sit with Sting where he was facing the cave entrance.

Lucy was awoken by a yell and the sounds of fighting coming from outside the tent. She reached for her keys as she cautiously looked through the tent opening. She growled as she saw Sting fighting with a pink-haired man. Lucy stepped out of the tent and sent her whip flying to wrap around her best friend's leg so she could pull his feet out from under him.

"Natsu, what are you doing here?" Lucy asked with a sigh as she crouched down beside him. He blinked up at her as if he were still trying to figure out just what had happened before suddenly leaping back to his feet.

"We followed you," Natsu said. He frowned. "Levy told us about the job you took. If that thing really is what we think it is, then you need us."

"Us?"

"Lucy!" A blue ball of fur collided with Lucy's face. She really should have expected this. Lucy had barely extricated Happy from her face before Erza came out of the trees wielding a large ax. Wendy stumbled out of the hole in the foliage behind her. Erza muttered angrily under her breath about the trees, and then she turned her attention to the others in the clearing.

"Lucy, I know that you and Sting make a very strong team, but for this you should have asked for our help," Erza said. "With Gray still missing…"

The blonde looked away at that. She blamed herself for Gray's sudden disappearance. He called into the guild by communication lacrima to let them know he was fine and to take jobs, but he hadn't actually returned to Magnolia after the meeting with Crime Sorciere.

"So much for a little alone time," Sting sighed. "Well, since you're here. You guys can keep watch while we get some sleep."

He pushed past Natsu and grabbed Lucy's hand to pull her into the tent with him. He settled back on the sleeping bag and dragged Lucy down to lie on his chest. Lector curled up on the opposite side from Lucy. Sting ran his fingers through his girlfriend's hair; it was a soothing motion for him, and he sorely needed that. He was ready to beat the shit out of her interfering team for once again showing up where they weren't wanted.

"It might be good that they're here," Lucy whispered. Sting's fingers stilled for a moment before resuming their trek through her hair. "You were worried about what we might find in there anyway."

"I know," Sting murmured. Lucy liked feeling the rumble of his voice through his chest when she was cuddled up to him like this. "Still wish they'd learn how to wait for an invitation."

Lucy giggled. She scooted further up so that her nose was pressed into his neck.

"Get some sleep, Nightlight. No telling what we'll be seeing in a few hours," Lucy whispered. Sting stayed awake for a bit longer so he could enjoy the feel of her next to him. He still wasn't used to this: actually being able to touch her, kiss her, talk to her. She was so much more amazing than he'd guessed in those early days when he found himself inexplicably drawn to her. Now he couldn't even imagine giving her up and running away as he had after the Rebirth incident. Sting finally fell asleep to the sound of Lucy's steady breathing.

As soon as Sting started struggling to consciousness, he knew something was wrong. He forced his eyes open against the blinding light above him and willed them to adjust quickly. Using light magic definitely gave him an edge in that regard. After a few seconds, he began to make out things around him, which only solidified his feeling of wrongness.

The tent was gone. Lucy and Lector had both vanished, as well. Actually, it might be more accurate to say that Sting had vanished from them because he wasn't even in the clearing by the cave anymore. The stone floor beneath him was perfectly smooth, but he was surrounded on all sides by roughly hewn walls. Three brilliant white crystals above produced the blinding light, but he wasn't sure if the light came from within them or if they were reflecting some outside source. Sting carefully picked himself up and began searching for a way out.

It was a small room, so it didn't take long to realize there were no obvious exits. Rogue or Lucy would have begun searching more carefully, but Sting's patience was shot. He tried to blast a hole through one of the walls with his magic, but the blast didn't even leave a scratch. He attempted the maneuver a few different times, and in different places on the walls, but with the same effect. Sting sank to his knees, breathing heavily. He'd put a lot of power behind the attacks, but it shouldn't be taking this large of a toll on him.

As he fully collapsed, Sting thought he heard a cold laugh drift through the room.

Lucy felt decidedly colder than she should when she woke up. Sting was gone from the tent, and Lector had curled in to her side seeking warmth. She gently wrapped him in the sleeping bag before stepping out of the tent. She froze in place at the sight of her team before her. All four of her friends were passed out on the ground. Wendy was curled up into a ball, her skin icy pale. Erza was in a similar position with icicles slowly melting from her armor and hair. Natsu had curved his body around Happy, and bruises covered his bare skin which was slowly regaining color as she stared.

Lucy had barely thought of Virgo before the maid appeared at her side.

"Blankets, Virgo! Hurry!" Lucy yelled as she sprang towards the smallest member of the team and began rubbing her arms and legs. Her fingers burned from the cold, but she kept rubbing vigorously, trying to promote some circulation and get some heat into the small girl. Virgo reappeared and handed her a blanket before quickly wrapping up the others and digging a fire pit at lightning speed. Lucy gently picked up Wendy and carried her to the roaring fire while Virgo moved the others.

"What happened, Princess?" Virgo asked.

"I wish I knew, Virgo," Lucy whispered. Cold dread settled in her gut as she dismissed the spirit. The mark of Sting's magic in her body hummed loudly. She wished there was something else she could do to help them.

Several minutes later, Wendy's eyes slowly fluttered open. The girl gasped before letting out a heart-piercing whimper. Lucy pulled Wendy onto her lap and slowly rocked the girl as she tried to soothe her. Natsu roused next as he drew some of the fire directly into his body through his mouth. He sat up with a start before immediately lying back down with a groan.

"Natsu, what happened?" Lucy asked.

The fire slayer sat up more slowly this time and pulled Happy into his chest with the blanket wrapped tightly around them both. He stared at the fire silently.

"Black eyes," Wendy whispered. "So cold." Another whimper escaped her before she fell back into silence.

"Black eyes?" Lucy prompted.

"It was Gray," Natsu said tonelessly. "But it wasn't. He reeked of dark magic. Like Edo-Rogue when we fought. I could practically taste it. His magic is different, too. More powerful. It's like he drained our magic as he froze our bodies."

"Sting?" Lucy asked unable to voice more of a question than that.

"I don't know," Natsu said as he shook his head. "Gray took out Wendy and Erza. I saw him head for the tent and Sting coming out before I blacked out, but that's all I know."

The dread in Lucy's stomach spread to freeze around her heart.

"I think we need back up on this one," Lucy murmured. Natsu sighed, but he nodded in agreement. Lucy gently sat Wendy back on the ground and went to find her communication lacrima. She just hoped that someone would be able to reach them in time for them to save Sting. She didn't think her heart could take losing him.

"Do you think that we are sufficient back up?" A voice asked from the trees. Lucy and Natsu both looked up to find Jellal and his guild. Meredy immediately rushed to Erza's side, though Lucy was pretty sure there wasn't anything else they could do for her right now.

"How do you guys do that?" Lucy asked. The independent guild's amazing timing was great, but seriously, how?

"We heard of a job request that had been sent to Fairy Tail to find a specific device. It's something we have been searching for, as well," Jellal said calmly. "Now, tell us, what has happened here?"

Lucy glanced at the cave entrance before sweeping her gaze over her wounded teammates. She sighed. It looked like they would have enough time for her to explain. She motioned for the members of Crime Sorciere to join them around the fire as she filled them in on what little she knew.