Following the water trail Juvia had left behind, they came upon a tomb. Removing the stone lid, they realized that it was a lot deeper than it looked and there were plenty of stairways.
"So which way should we go?" Natsu asked Sam.
"I guess Sam and I could go one way and you and Happy go another way." Jack suggested. "Is that a problem Sam?"
"I guess as long as no one is alone." Sam said. "Stick with your cat Natsu also keep your weapons ready."
"Gotcha sir."
Just then they heard the sound of something scratching against the stone walls. At once they realized that those noises were coming from the talons of Thanatos, standing across from them looking as smug as ever.
"Hello gentlemen." He said with a fanged grin. "Welcome to my home away from home. Samuel it's so good to see you again after all these years though I must say, age has not been kind and Jack, though we've never met I can already see so much of your grandfather and your grandmother in you."
"Where are my friends you pyscho?!" Natsu demanded. "What did you do with them?!"
"The ice mage's transformation is near complete and the rain woman still lives as a human."
"You mean you haven't turned Juvia yet?"
"No she's much more valuable to me as a mortal."
"What does that mean?"
"Did you know that water mages like herself can actually create blood from water? Now considering that her body is made entirely out of water, she might as well be made entirely out of blood."
"I don't understand. What are you getting at?"
"Tonight when the moon rises her neck will be cut with a special knife that will turn all the water in her to blood and me, my sister, and followers shall drank every last drop of her."
"That's disgusting!"
"You can't do that to her!" Happy protested.
"We can and we will."
"You heathens won't be able to get any where near her neck, she wears a crucifix." Sam said.
"Yes that would be a problem if she hadn't of taken it off."
"She wouldn't do that!" Natsu said.
"She would if it was the only way my sister wouldn't order the ice mage to stake himself."
"You sick bastard!" Natsu cried realizing the sick tactic he had used.
"What is he talking about?" Jack asked.
"He threatened Gray's life to get Juvia to remove her necklace."
"The poor girl." Thanatos chuckled. "You should have seen the desperate look on her face as the man she loved came so dangerously close to destroying himself. That's thing about you humans, the love you feel for each other makes you weak and so very easy to manipulate."
"Where's Lucy?" Natsu asked trying to keep his rage under control.
"Who?"
"Don't play dumb! I know you took her! Where is she?!"
"Oh you mean my queen."
"Your what?!"
"You're wasting your time coming for her boy. She's chosen me as her mate and after tonight we shall be together for all eternity."
With every word he said Natsu felt his rage boil at a hotter temperature.
"She has such sweet lips." The vampire said licking his fangs. "And a very delicious neck."
"You filthy son of a bitch!"
Enraged Natsu lunged for Thanatos only for the evil vampire to vanish out of his grasp.
"Go ahead and try to destroy me. That is if you can find me." His voice taunted.
"Damn it! I'm gonna kill him!" Natsu shouted.
"Calm down." Sam told him. "He tries to get inside your head. He plays with your emotions and tries to get you to act without thinking. Don't let him do that to you."
"We'll just split up and look for him but everyone be careful." Jack said.
Natsu and Happy went down the left stairway. With every step they took it kept getting darker and darker. It was also quiet, too quiet. Neither one of them liked it when it was like this because they knew that it meant that it was only a matter time before something bad would happen.
They heard a door creak open, they froze and held up a crossbow loaded with wooden stakes. A figure entered the room, Natsu made his aim and he almost fired until he realized that the figure had blonde hair.
"Lucy?" He asked nervously. "Is that you?"
"Yes." The figure answered.
Coming into the light was Lucy wearing a red, sheer, bohemian style dress and cape that would have made Natsu feel kind of flustered if he wasn't so relieved to see her.
"Lucy! Thank God are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She said.
Happy stiffened as she started to come closer.
"Hold on pal I think something is very wrong here."
But before he could protest any further something grabbed him and held his mouth shut.
"You say something Happy?"
Natsu started to turn in the direction of where Happy was only for Lucy to gently grab his chin and turn him to face her.
"Uh what are you doing?" He asked her.
"Nothing." She smiled, showing him her new fangs. Natsu stepped back in fear. "What's the matter Natsu? Aren't we still friends?"
"Yes we are." He said keeping his distance from her.
"Then why do you look so scared? You're not afraid of me are you?"
"I'm not afraid of you Lucy. I'm afraid for you. I'm afraid of what that monster did to you."
Lucy started to look really sad and hurt. She buried her face into her hands as if she was going to cry.
"It's not my fault Natsu." She wept. "You said you wouldn't let them get me."
"Oh Lucy I...I'm sorry." He said feeling a horrible sense of guilt. "I tried so hard to protect you but I...I'm so sorry. It's all my fault, I never should have left you alone."
She lifted her face from her hands and smiled at him.
"It's alright Natsu. It's not really your fault. You couldn't have known what he had planned."
She started to run her fingers across his chest which made him become nervous. He was going to question what it was she was trying to do but lost his train of thought when she turned her back to him and pressed it up against his chest. He smelled her blonde hair which gave off an aroma that drove him insane.
Before he knew it he was running his hands up and down her curves. She took one of his hands and moved it under her dress, allowing him to feel her thigh. She placed her other hand around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair. Her lips then met his and they started to kiss passionately. A voice in his head told him that he should stop and focus on the plan but his feelings not to mention his hormones silenced that voice.
"You know you're so cute." She told him breathlessly when they broke apart. "And so strong, I wanna see your muscles."
Within a blink of an eye, Lucy pulled off Natsu's shirt and began to trail kiss down his muscular chest and toward his navel. As of right now, poor Natsu couldn't move or think. He could only sit there and let Lucy do whatever she wanted to him
"Lu...Lucy." He said when he found the strength to speak again.
"Yes?" She said between kisses.
"I think you should stop."
"Do you want me to stop?" She asked while teasing his navel with another kiss.
"Um...Um...Um." He was tongue tied.
"That's what I thought." She grinned.
Lucy brought her lips back open to Natsu's mouth where she kissed him more passionately then she did the first time. He opened his mouth and responded with extreme emotion.
Meanwhile Happy was being held by another vampire. When the little cat saw Lucy move her lips to Natsu's neck she realized right away what she had in mind. He quickly bit down on the vampire's hand which burned his hand really bad because before coming down here he had been chewing on garlic. Happy was released and at great speed he flew right toward his two friends and pulled Lucy roughly by the hair. He didn't want to hurt her but he couldn't let her bite Natsu.
"Owww!" She screamed.
"Sorry about this Lucy." He apologize before picking up a wooden cross and holding it in front of him and Natsu. "Back! Get back!"
She and the other vampire both screeched in terror before slithering away into the darkness.
"Natsu are you okay?" Happy asked shaking his face. "Snap out of it buddy! Speak to me! Speak to me!"
"Huh? What? What's going on?" Natsu asked coming back to his senses.
"Lucy almost made a snack out of you, that's what happened."
"Oh man my head is pounding and I feel dizzy."
"Take it easy pal. Just take it slow."
