"You can't be serious!" Makarov was shocked at the news. "Erza and Mirajane were captured?"

"Drugged," Happy concluded, a somber expression on his face. "Master…why is everyone leaving?"

"No one is leaving," Makarov promised. "Happy, get the Thunder God Tribe and the wounded to safety. Something tells me that Fairy Tail isn't the safest place for them," he ordered, to which Happy nodded and flew off toward us. Makarov turned to the door. "Natsu…I can only hope your struggle is going smoother."

"Natsu! Wait!" Lucy called after him.

"I can't! They have Erza and Mira! I have to save them!" he exclaimed, only pushing harder. "I am sick and tired of not being able to help my friends!"

"Natsu! This is pointless!" Gray agreed, him and Juvia having caught up with the two. "We should go get Master!"

"We don't have time!" Natsu persisted, his determination only growing stronger as he jumped up into the air and using his flames to propel himself far ahead of his companions. "I won't stop until all of Tartarus is burnt to the ground!"

"Stand down, Mard," I gripped his shoulder as he was about to deal the final blow. A group of rune knights had ganged up on us and we had a small scuffle with them; it only torched a single forest, don't worry. "They're beaten and can't follow us."

"Oh, it's this again."

"I said stand down."

He glared at me for a moment before relenting and walking away. I hesitated following him, which he noticed. "Come then, before I change my mind."

I soon fell into step with him. "What's with you lately; you've never had this much of an urge for murder," I questioned.

"I'm growing tired of these pointless struggles; lowering the number of people chasing us is the easiest solution."

"The more people we kill, the more people will be after us," I countered. "I'm busting my ass for you and all you seem to do is feed the fire to get us captured."

He turned to me and stopped. "Then maybe you should leave."

"…"

"…"

"…I refuse. I said I would stay, and I'm going to."

Mard Geer shrugged and kept walking. "Then don't complain about what I do."

I frowned. "Whatever; what do we need to do to revive those other demons?"

"We need a large magic supply to resurrect all of them, which cost less than bringing them back individually. Still, the power needed is much larger than what you have."

"So we should find a couple of other powerful wizards."

"And what wizards would you find? Especially ones that would be willing to resurrect demons?"

I took the point. "Alright, fine. Any other ideas?"

"Well…no one ever said that magic had to be given willingly."

"No," I said. "I know exactly what you're thinking, and I won't allow it."

"Don't forget who saved your life not four months ago!" Mard Geer snapped and he pointed accusingly. "And what have you shown me? Scorn; for continuing to protect both of us! You owe me at least this!"

I swatted his hand away. "I've shown enough gratitude," I retorted. "And my life isn't enough to warrant a few thousand."

"In the grand scheme of things, a few thousand is nothing."

"These are lives we're talking about here. These aren't just things that'll come back."

"Even still, I'd say it's worth it."

"Well, I don't. You said you needed magic to resurrect them, right? Well, then you'd need magic to even activate it, and guess who's your source of magic power right now?" I pointed to myself and began to walk past him. Suddenly I was jerked back and shoved into a tree, me lighting up my hand in lightning in defense and Mard Geer threatening to run me through with a thorn vine.

We stood glaring at each other for a long few minutes before we both realized exactly what was going on and we both ceased aggression. "What are we doing…?" Mard wondered.

"We've never…threatened that kind of fight before…" I agreed, both of us sitting down. "I'm sorry."

"Agreed."

"…but I still can't condone what you want to do."

Mard nodded. "I'll agree to look for an alternative."

We both sighed and I stood, offering my hand. "Thanks."

Days passed, and we'd been ambushed again and gotten separated. After I'd finished off my batch of soldiers, I heard footsteps behind me, expecting them to be Mard Geer complaining that I took too long, however, instead, I got another visitor.

"If it isn't my least favorite prisoner," Siegrain's form appeared from the trees. "And here I thought you'd be a prisoner again by now."

I lit up magic. "You want to fight? I'll kick your ass myself this time."

He held up his hand calmly. "I have no wish to fight you myself."

"Then…why are you-"

"I came to make you a deal."

"Yeah right; what's the reward, you slightly decrease my sentence?" I mocked him.

"I hope that you won't be irritable in this matter," Siegrain pleaded, though still in the calculating voice. "I just want a little…information on your companion."

"Get real; we're brothers; I could never betray him," I stated as I shot a bolt of lightning at the man, but it simply fazed through him: Siegrain was using Thought Projection. "Too cowardly to talk in person?"

"Come now; would you not hear me out before blindly attacking me?"

I contemplated shooting another bolt at him, but that would be proving his point. "…Go on."

"I'm sure you realize that man's killing intent by now, and you won't be able to control it much longer. I wish to keep casualties to a minimum, and to get that, I need information. I need to know where you're heading, when you'll get there, and what you plan to do when you're there."

"And if you don't like what we're doing?"

"Then convince him to turn back, or you'll have the whole of the soldiers in Fiore after you."

I waved off the threat. "Your 'elite' Rune Knights aren't all that tough," I stated. "Why should I be scared of some soldier?"

"Think about it. I've been sending droves of ten or twenty knights to fight you; imagine that on the scale of thousands. Still think light of my threat?" I opened my mouth to speak, but then closed it, thinking things over. "So long as you steer clear of the red path, no harm will come to your friend."

"…"

"Trust me; I'm after exactly what you're after; to save lives."

"…fine," I relented. "…But if you betray me-"

"I won't. I'll be keeping in touch," he stated as his projection began to fade. When I was left alone, I sighed, running my hand through my hair.

"What am I getting myself into?"

Eventually, I heard footsteps again, and this time, Mard Geer walked into the small clearing. He looked around at the unconscious knights. "Tch, took you long enough," he commented.

I smirked. "Jeez, I've been waiting here for twenty minutes so you could finish up. Come on, let's keep going."