It's Monday! Hope everyone's had a restful weekend and is staying safe, wherever you are. :) These are crazy and stressful times we're living in, so we've got to be each other's reason to smile, so do something extra nice for someone today! ;P

- K. Chandler


It was hard work dragging Ice-Erza out of town, but with Natsu's strength, he managed.

"Will you let me out now?" groused Erza. She scowled in annoyance.

"That depends entirely on you. Are you planning on attacking me?" asked Lyon. "Or do you still need to be kept on ice?"

"Oh, har-har," muttered Erza, glaring. "Hilarious."

"That doesn't answer my question," said Lyon coolly.

"I will refrain from further resistance," said Erza, her expression sullen.

Satisfied, Lyon snapped his fingers. The ice that held Erza captive dissolved around her, leaving her sitting in a puddle of water.

She glared, trying to keep her dignity.

"So, what's this about a new job?" asked Lyon.

"A new job?" echoed Erza. "Why didn't you say so?"

"We tried. You were too busy trying to cause Armageddon to listen," snapped Lyon.

"I was only trying to—"

"Forget that, you guys! I was in town today and I heard that the princess is back at the castle," said Natsu.

"No surprise there," said Erza. "We already knew that Freed wasn't paying us."

"It gets better," said Natsu. "She's getting married tonight. To the prince—"

"Good for her," said Lyon sarcastically.

"—who plans on killing her."

There was a pause, like waiting for one's mouth to ignite after eating firecracker chicken. Natsu gave the others a look, waiting for them to catch up.

"And?" said Lyon.

And what? Wasn't it obvious?!

"Geez, and you say I'm slow," sighed Natsu.

"You're thinking a rescue mission?" asked Erza.

"Who's paying us?" asked Lyon.

"Does that matter?" asked Natsu. "This one's important."

"I work for the highest bidder," he reminded him.

"I agree," said Erza.

"Really?!" said Natsu. "This might be the first time you've agreed on anything."

"We're mercenaries," Erza reminded him.

"We're mercenaries," repeated Natsu. "And that means that we do what we want, and we don't answer to nobody. We can kidnap a girl today and we rescue her tomorrow. No royalties or whatever to worry about."

"You mean loyalties," sighed Lyon. "Royalty, we will have to worry about, since you're planning on stealing his bride."

"But what about the mage in black?" asked Natsu.

"Is that what we're calling him?" said Lyon, quirking an eyebrow. "Mage in black?"

"I don't know his name, do you?" said Natsu.

"I fail to see what this has to do with the mage in black," said Erza impatiently.

"Didn't I tell ya?" asked Natsu. "He and the princess have a thing. He was trying to rescue her… from us!"

"If she's back with the prince, he clearly failed," shrugged Erza.

"I can't believe you're siding with him!" said Natsu.

"I hate to admit it, but even Lyon can be right on occasion," said Erza.

"We have to rescue the girl and reunite them!" insisted Natsu, appealing to Lyon instead.

"Is he planning on paying us?" asked Lyon.

"He sorta doesn't know we're helping," said Natsu.

"Then how is this a job?" asked Lyon. "Might I remind you, I don't do charity."

"This is his true love we're talking about," said Natsu. "Think about it. With as hard as he fought us, do you think he'd sit around while she's set to marry the prince? No way! He's clearly somewhere where he can't help."

"Where is he?" said Erza. "Do you even know that much?"

"I'm not sure," said Natsu. "I think the prince has him."

"I'm out," said Lyon. "This is more than I bargained for on a pro bono job."

"Lyon…" said Natsu. "Come on, man. This is his true love. The person who he lives and dies for."

Lyon let out a soft sigh, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

Leaving him to digest that, Natsu turned to Erza. "Erza, I know you're the tough, scary warrior woman, but… but even you had to have known love once!"

Erza's impassive expression softened as she and Lyon exchanged glances.

"For love," said Lyon.

Erza sighed. "Fine. We'll do it. For love."

Natsu grinned, whooping loudly.

"We start by finding the mage in black," said Erza, taking charge, as usual.

"I don't follow," said Lyon. "Why wouldn't we begin by rescuing the princess?"

"The mage in black is something special," said Erza. "He's better than all three of us put together. He beat your magic, my strength and Natsu's… whatever you call it."

"My fighting spirit!" supplied Natsu.

"Yes, that's exactly the word I was looking for," said Erza lamely.

"Beat us? You mean, he cheated," groused Lyon.

"Still," said Natsu. "He beat us. We need him. Besides, if anybody deserves to help rescue his girl, it's that guy."

"I'll buy that," said Lyon. "If it were me, I'd want to be involved. But where do we start? You said the prince has him, but that could be any—

Natsu frowned, his head tilted to the side.

"What's wrong, Natsu?" asked Erza.

"Do you hear that?" asked Natsu.

"Hear what?" demanded Lyon.

"Listen. It's very faint, but you might be able to hear it if you try," said Natsu.

Lyon shuddered. "What is that God-awful sound?"

Erza grinned, her eyes lighting up.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Lyon.

Erza looked solemn. "That, gentlemen, is a sound that all of us are familiar with. Have you never heard it before? We've all made a sound such as this."

"I guarantee you; I've never made a wretched sound like that…" said Lyon.

"You've never heard the sound of Ultimate Suffering?" asked Erza. She waited for her words to sink in.

Lyon's eyes widened in recognition. "When Ultear disappeared. I thought my heart had been torn from my chest…"

Erza nodded. "It was when the man with the red seal over his eye took my beloved away from me. He murdered my Simon before my very eyes," she whispered.

"I remember. When I found out that 8-Island closed forever…" moaned Natsu. Then he blinked. "Hey, wait a minute! So, that's why you're looking for him?" he asked. "For a while, I thought you were like Lyon and just wanted to hook up with the guy, when here you actually want to kill him… Wow."

"Shut your mouth, dragon slayer," hissed Lyon.

"Hey, I've found a guy with a seal over his eye. I think he's working for the prince," said Natsu. "He's part of this whole mess, maybe. Yeah. He's the one who's supposed to kill the mage in black!"

"Are you serious?" said Lyon.

"Yeah! It slipped my mind, but it's true."

"Why did you not say something sooner?" demanded Erza. "I would have agreed right away instead of wasting precious time!"

"I—I forgot, I guess," said Natsu.

"You're an idiot," said Lyon, folding his arms over his chest.

"This is perfect! We'll find the mage in black. Then we can storm the castle and while he rescues his girl, I get my revenge," said Erza. "Come on, we've no time to waste!"

Without waiting for a response, Erza charged into the woods, her sword drawn.

"Erza. Erza, slow down," called Lyon. "How exactly do you know that's the mage in black!" he shouted after her. "That could be anybody! Erza!"

"Isn't it obvious, man?" asked Natsu.

"Not particularly, no."

"The wedding's tonight," said Natsu.

"So?" said Lyon.

"What do you mean, 'so?' What are ya, heartless?"

"I mean, that could be anyone crying out. Who says it's the mage in black? After all, you're upset over a restaurant."

"With the best firecracker chicken known to man! But enough about me. I figure—"

"Erza figures," interrupted Lyon.

"—that the wedding's tonight, so the whole city's partying and everyone should be having a blast, right? But for the mage in black? Not so much, because the love of his life is marrying somebody else tonight. If anyone's got a reason for Ultimate Suffering, it'd be him."


Natsu and Lyon had to sprint to keep up with Erza. She barked at them to pick up the pace.

"How much do you want to bet that he's in that tower up there?" asked Natsu.

"What tower?" asked Lyon.

"Dude, how could you miss that?" asked Natsu, pointing at the horizon, where a twisting structure rose high into the sky. "The big thing. Up ahead."

"How do you know that's not just a dead tree?" challenged Lyon.

"Does that look like a tree to you?" asked Natsu.

"Assuming that you're right and that's actually a tower… What kind of imbecile would be that obvious about it?" asked Lyon. "That's almost asking for us to discover him."

Erza's frenetic pace slowed as they got deeper into the woods.

"What's the matter?" asked Lyon.

"It's getting fainter," said Erza, straining to hear.

"Really?" asked Natsu. "I can hear just fine. Follow me."

Natsu moved into the lead, following the sound. It had been getting fainter. Natsu hoped that the mage in black was all right.

"Come on! Let's move out!" roared Erza as if she were commanding an entire army instead of just a couple of people. She chased after Natsu, leaving Lyon to run after them.

The sound led right where he thought it would. Natsu stopped suddenly, sending Erza and Lyon slamming into his back.

"Why did you stop?" asked Lyon.

"This is it," said Natsu, gesturing at the structure before them. "I told you!" crowed Natsu.

"A tree," scoffed Lyon. "The answer is a tree?"

"It's not a tree. It's a tower!" insisted Natsu.

The team looked up at the towering mass of tangled roots that extended towards the sky.

"It looks more like a spire than a tower," complained Lyon.

"Who cares what it's called. I don't see any way inside," said Erza.

His ears would help them no further. Natsu looked to his other senses to find more clues.

"Do you smell something?" asked Natsu.

"No…" said Lyon.

"What is it?" asked Erza.

"It's like ladies' perfume," said Natsu. "Lilacs."

Motion caught the corner of his eye. He whirled around. A small person scampered past.

"Did you see that?" asked Natsu.

"What?" asked Erza, looking around wildly.

"A rat-looking creature. Long green hair," said Natsu.

"What?! You're seeing things," said Lyon.

"I'm serious," said Natsu. "Look, maybe it was a person in a mask or a costume or something."

"Well, where is he?" demanded Erza.

"I don't know. He's gone," said Natsu.

"Natsu, people don't just disappear," said Lyon.

"I think he went inside," said Natsu.

"How did he do that?" asked Lyon.

"I don't know, man! But like you said. People don't just disappear!" said Natsu.

"There's got to be a way in," said Erza. "A switch, a trap door, something."

Lyon looked serious for a second, as he bent down on one knee.

"What are you doing?" asked Erza.

"Shh, he's proposing!" chortled Natsu.

"Master," said Lyon. "I don't know what to do. We need your help. Guide us to the mage in black."

Erza gave an impatient scoff.

"It'll work," insisted Lyon. "Just watch."

"Oh, this'll be good," snickered Natsu.

Lyon raised a hand, casting a small flurry of snow crystals. They fluttered to the ground, landing in a heap.

"Well?" asked Erza.

"Just wait," insisted Lyon.

"We're waiting…" said Natsu.

"Master, don't let me down," begged Lyon.

Nothing.

Suddenly, the wind picked up, whisking the snow up in a spiral.

"Ha!" said Lyon. "I knew I was right. My turn to lead. Follow me!"

Natsu and Erza did not follow.

Lyon chased after billowing snow all by himself as Natsu and Erza watched. He circled the base of the tower once, twice, three times.

"Um, hate to tell ya, man? I think you're just doing laps," said Natsu.

Lyon groaned in frustration, slumping against the side of the tower. "Oh, come on Master! This isn't funny!" he huffed, pounding against the tower with his fist.

Something under his fist gave.

Natsu could see the excitement in Erza's eyes as they exchanged glances, leaping up in excitement as a hidden door swung open. It had been right under their noses their entire time.

"You did it!" shouted Erza, thumping Lyon on the back.

"I did?" said Lyon. "I mean, of course, I did!"

"Come on, we've got a mage in black to rescue!" she cried, leading them into the tower.

Natsu followed behind her, almost missing sight of Lyon as he took a knee near the tower's hidden entrance.

"Thank you, Master," whispered Lyon, his eyes drifting skywards.


One step closer to finding Gray! But we don't expect it to be easy, do we?

Next time, in As You Wish: "I-incombustable!" he wheezed, pounding on his own chest. "D-dude! What are you doing to my magic?"

Stop back next Monday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.