Good morning, my faithful followers. How long has it been? So, long let me tell you. But what can I say besides the fact that I got into other phases? Like reading and drawing and other story working and tv watching. Quite boring excuses, I know but completely the truth. Completely. But hey, how else can you publish things unless it's your own. Trick question. You can't. Oh well. Moving on.

Now, I know that you are all very concerned about Happy and his recent rebellious acts. Something I'm sure none of you have ever done. It's not like he's sneaking out to hang out with some of his friends. Oh, wait... Also, this chapter goes into that a little bit, so I'll leave it at that for now.

And for those concerned about my long pauses in between updates, I will for sure end the story eventually. I WILL FINISH IT! That is practically the metra I use when I haven't touched the story in a while. Or when I get a review from you beautiful people. I also realize that there are many spelling and grammar mistakes throughout this whole story. I catch a lot when I go back and edit previous chapters. I think it's a bit sad how many there are. Oh, well.

Well, that's it for reviews. I'm sure you're all anxious to read the next chapter. I'm anxious for your responses. Come on, guys. Onto the story!

~Chapter 19~

You know that moment where you know you're doing something stupid but by the time you realize it, it's too late to go back? Yeah, this was that moment. Their first mission had been perfect. There were no larger problems than the one on the flyer, they didn't have to pay any destruction costs, it was amazing. Then, came their second mission. Now this one... This one was dangerous. It was on a distant Island she'd never heard of before, and an odd mission to say the least. Apparently, they were supposed to break a curse. A curse... That had turned humans into demons. Or... parts of demons we should say.

So, here they were, on a boat in the middle of the ocean with some guy named Bobo who was taking them to Galuna Island. Or so he said. You could never really trust people these days. Well, just the ones who gave you a creepy vibe for some reason. Lucy could tell that there was something weird about this man but she didn't really have a chance to ask him about it considering how he just up and disappeared halfway into their boat ride. The two friends were left in awe at the mystery. Where did he go? They didn't know. He was gone. But, that was before they realized that Bobo, or whatever his name was, left them without a driver. Well, rower person. What were they called again? Never mind. It didn't matter. What did matter was figuring out how they were supposed to get to the island now? It was obvious that neither was going to row the boat, so they only left one option. So the irritated blonde decided to call Pisces for help.

Soon, the two Fairy Tail mages were on the rocky shores of Galuna Island. Behind them, the night sky was darkening as the sunset, the stars glistening like jewels about them. Down on the earth, longer and longer shadows started to crawl around the island as they bled from the darkening forest. They spilled across the beach, trying their hardest to push fear into the hearts of the visitors. The moon above wasn't as bright as it should've been but it wasn't really dull either. Behind them, the ocean was an inky black, the waves foaming as they crashed on top of each other and seemed to have as much mystery as everything else.
"Well Happy, this has definitely taken a turn towards creepy. Why couldn't it just be dark without making everything look it wants to come out and eat us."

"Aye, Sir. So, what are we going to do now?"

"There isn't much we can do. I think that the only thing left to do is find a place to camp."

"Aye, Sir." Happy nodded his agreement as they stared into the darkening forest. Great. Just great.

XXX

Galuna Island. A small village that apparently had been cursed to turn into some kind of monster. Overall, it didn't seem like that big of a deal. On the surface, it seemed like a normal mission. Although, Chaos knew the truth. He'd seen people take this mission then bring it back unfinished. That wasn't even the most interesting part. For some reason, when people got back from the mission, they didn't like to talk about what happened on Galuna Island. Chaos could only guess it was because he knew that people really didn't like to talk about their failures. Regardless, the mission was brought back so often that it became an S-Class mission. And the worst part was that the mission was only a couple of months old. And still, no one seemed able to complete the mission. Then, since there were so few S-Class members, the ones who did look at it thought it was too lame of a mission and a waste of their time. Not to mention, the reward. Chaos, himself, didn't know exactly what it was, but he had heard that it was good money. He also knew there was a second part and also the fact that this second mystery part was completely useless to him. The Dragon could only wonder what it could be.

There was only one thing that was really grating on his nerves. Gramps. It was still evening when the She-Demon finally spilled her guts of everything she knew. Then, stupid Gramps wouldn't let him leave. The old man thought that the vicious evil Dragon Slayer was leaving with the intent of saving them. Ha! As if. In fact, he was after something much more sinister. He intended to steal this mission out from under them. He may not take the money, but he would definitely take all of the credit. He'd get credit for finding the stupid idiots and dragging their asses back to the guild, credit for completing and uncompletable mission, and credit towards their team reputation. Especially since it was clear that those two idiots cared more about secret adventures than actually building the name that they would forever be stuck with. Imbeciles.

What didn't help was the fact that two Fairy Tail mages thought they could sneak onto this mission as well. He'd heard the quiet bickering and their not so quiet steps. He could smell their unmistakable scents from the miles they put between them. Immature, obvious, ignorant idiots. Did they honestly believe him to be stupid? Or ignorant? Did they not know even the basic senses that a dragon slayer possessed? As unlikely as the possibility was since he never broadcast his skills and abilities, it still didn't mean that there wasn't some information on dragon slayers somewhere. Just not from Happy either. The small blue feline wasn't well to draw information from. After all, ever since he was born he had been trained not to spout out information randomly. Especially to that stupid leech. She would only gossip and brag until there were no secrets left. A fact he was determined to avoid. There was only one small problem. The blonde celestial mage. Happy hadn't been trained to deal with a person like her. A person who could not only understand certain situations some people didn't but flip back and forth between light and dark. It was so uncommon that it wasn't even considered as a possibility. It also didn't help that she was so similar to Happy in many ways. They laughed at the same things, plotted their pranks the same was, their thoughts in general probably ran along the same lines. He wouldn't be surprised if they had.

He knew, later at least, that the two of them spending time alone together was not in everybody's best interest. With one mischievous mind mirroring the other, the number of pranks and tricks they could pull multiplied not quite tenfold but close. They were a dangerous pair when they were alone together. Who knew what mischief they could stir up? Now, not only were the two of them alone together but they were on an S-Class mission where any number of things could go wrong. Naturally, he didn't think of what could go wrong since he didn't care. If anything, he would show up, assess the situation, and behave accordingly. There was no need for overly complicated planning.

Now, for the thought that was probably going to be on the mind of everyone once they hear of the current situation. Why would Happy go behind his back on a dangerous mission with someone he hardly knew? The answer was simple really. Experimentation. A habit, not even the feline himself picked up on. But, everyone knows it's easier to pick up on other people's traits rather than your own. Ever since the exceed was hatched he had three main traits that shined through above all else. The first, mischievousness. However, the level he reached was much different than just pulling pranks and having a good laugh. With an eye that was always looking for an opportunity to pull something, he could read any situation and use any facts he found to his advantage. He saw small details most people overlook and filed away any that could be of use. Usually, he keeps the non-important ones to himself and shares the rest with the Chaos Dragon. Most times he just uses his skill to determine how well someone would respond to this pranks or how successful a prank would be.

The second was possessiveness. A trait that he hides very well. And one that he no doubt gets from his father figure. Ever since the feline was born, he watched as his father take and maintain control of everything he kept. He didn't share and never gave anything willingly. Or anything at all really. Now, associating with the guild as much as he did, Happy did actually learn to share. However, that didn't stop the metra that no doubt went through his mind. 'If it's mine, why do I have to share?' It was a fact that Happy had shared with the Dragon Slayer before and a fact not easily forgotten. From the beginning though, it had been clear to Natsu that Happy had taken a liking to Blondie early on, and it was highly likely that the bond had grown. He would want to keep her to himself; Shielding her from everyone. Even from the one who allowed her into their lives.

Adventurousness was the third. While not quite a word, it fit quite nicely. Curiousness would be another word. Does straight goes hand-in-hand with the "first" trait. The little blue feline just loved seeing how far he could take something, how long could he explore a forbidden area before he gets caught, how many buttons he could push before something blow up. with this tendency, he was able to figure out how to make someone react how he wanted to. And he constantly used this to his advantage. There were times though that things just happened to work out for him. Chaos was not so lucky. Well, some things went the way he wanted, other times they happened despite his wishes. Like the stupid idiots that were following him. Mavis, they were annoying. Now, he was torn. He could either drag them to his side or let them chatter behind him. He knew they weren't going to go back, even if he beat them within an inch of their lives. One of the downsides of being involved with Fairy Tail.

"I wonder how long it will take Chaos to notice us." That one sentence cut through his thoughts drawing his attention.

"Shut up, you idiot!" was the immediate response. That was it. If they thought they could fool him, then they had another thing coming. Summoning his usual magic, he sent it into the ground to avoid detection. The more fear he could create, the better. He continued walking but he could feel the ground rumbling as his magic tunneled back up to the surface. He relished in their screams of surprise and through his magic, he felt them struggle and fight. Not that it would help them much anyway. When his magic subdued theirs, he brought his foes forward.

"Put us down, Chaos!" Titania shouted.

"Yeah! Put us down, you freak!" Ices Princess added.

"Shut up, Gray! You'll make things worse."

"Why did you follow me?" Of course, with Happy gone, Natsu had to ask his own questions. It was more irritating than anything else.

"We wanted to ensure Lucy safety," Titania answered calmly.

"We had to make sure you wouldn't hurt her for disappearing like she did." And of course, the Ice Prick had to add something stupid.

"She wasn't the only one," Natsu growled. While the Ice Block looked confused, a look of understanding crossed Titania's face.

"Happy went with her."

"If anything, he took her with him," Gray scoffed. Natsu growled at his accuracy.

"Aw, did I hit a nerve?" Yeah, right. What nerve? However, mockery was not allowed here. In retaliation, he threw the Ice Prick against the cobblestone street before bringing him back up.

"What nerve?" Chaos spat.

"Chaos, I demand you put us down," Titania cut in. Ha! Who was she to make demands of him?

"You demand me?"

" We just want to make sure she gets home safe. That's all. The longer you stand there demonstrating your power, the more likely they will find themselves in deeper trouble and they were planning for." Another growl escaped his throat. It irritated him that she could be right. the more time he wasted on these annoyances, the greater risk they put interpretation in. But... Who said they had to walk with him? Why not throw a wrench into their face?

"You want to help?" She nodded. Ice Princess just scowled.

"Stay out of my way." Snowflake was sent hurtling behind Chaos and into the side of some building. Titania was thrown down into the street, the stones breaking apart from the force. Both groaned in protest after they stopped moving.

"I don't need your help... And neither do they," Chaos sneered. The dark blue claw that still had Titania down moved so that the Chaos Dragon could walk over her body. He said nothing more as he walked away, not even sparing a glance back at his defeated foes. They weren't worth his time or his reputation.

With as much enjoyment as had come from throwing his unsubtle shadows, he hadn't been rid of them for long. Granted, it was longer than he thought, but not as long as he had hoped. They had caught up by the time he reached the docks. His only option here was to fly but the two main logics were at war in his head. On one hand, he could steal their mission and waste his time and magic in the process. On the other hand, he could go home right now and forget this happened. The only thing that mattered was his reputation and if you wanted to risk it or not. So many options.

"Come on, Chaos! Let's go!" the Ice Prick shouted from where they sat on the boat. Chaos didn't respond at all, the conflicting opinions taking every available space.

"You know what!? We are saving her without you! Once she's with us, she'll drop you completely!"

Now, there was a thought. Why take the blame for stealing their mission when he had a scapegoat right here? Two in fact. If he implied they were only going to stop her, maybe it would widen the gap between them. Who woulda thought that trickery would win out above things like pride and reputation? The interesting point about this whole situation, however, was even though his body was frozen, and his mind is racing, his magic was already preparing for his decision. Shadows were pulled from the buildings in the late morning sun. They slid up his back and formed the familiar black dragon wings. Intricate purple patterns glowed upon its surface, the muscles flexing and causing his wings to bat the air around him. He blinked; The movement of his wings pulling him from his thoughts. He cast of glance at the boat that had already left the dock. They were trying to leave without him. It was such a good thing that he didn't need them. Once airborne, it didn't take long to catch his competition. After all, dragons were excellent trackers. The ocean breeze was warm ask it rushed past him, and in the distance, he could hear their shrieks of anger and disbelief growing quieter. He almost smirked to himself. Nothing beats a good competition like winning one.

Finding the island was pretty easy too. It seemed to rise out of the ocean as he drew closer. Dropping gently onto the sandy beach, he took a deep breath, easily finding the abandoned boat his partners had left. The tracks in the sand led into the Jungle before him and it wasn't that hard to obscure their tracks once he knew what direction they were going in. It was midday when he reached the island but that didn't stop the shadows from creeping along beside the Dragon Slayer as if they were following him. Maybe they were but Chaos was hardly affected. The tracks he was following seemed fresh. Too fresh for someone to have made them the night before. Did that mean they camped on the beach or where was there someone else on the island? He shifted his gaze to the jungle around him as he began melting into the shadows. If he was going to make his plan work, she needed stealth more than anything.

His shadow form now slid quietly across the earth, completely undetected by those not looking. Most sounds were easily distinguishable, but soon the shuffling of leaves filled his ears. Hushed whispering came next. Although, who wouldn't whisper in a dark jungle where unknown dangers lurked? He approached silently to find out who might be crossing his path. What he saw wasn't what he expected. Instead of seeing a blonde girl with a blue feline in her arms, he soared to other figures moving down a path. One was taller, some sort of mask covering their face. Their scent was an odd one. It was almost as if one was trying to hide the other one. The second figure was a shorter one. The most distinguishable thing about him being the large rectangular eyebrows that drew more attention than they should. Their hushed conversation wasn't anything special but one thing caught his attention.

"When do you think it'll be done?" The figure beside the asker turned his head.

"You're right. I shouldn't be talking about this out in the open. I'll just wait to ask him." The masked figure just turned to look forward once more, not saying anything. How curious. It was obvious he was hiding something, but the dragon slayer really didn't feel like while wearing them to find out. Not that he had much time to do that anyway. He wasn't sure how much time he had before Fairy Tail caught up to him and ruined his plans.

Slowly, as to avoid attention, Chaos used to shadow form to slip away from these mysterious figures. If they were important, he would find them later. For now, he had to put his plan into motion. All that was left was to find the partners that made up the rest of his team. Easily, Chaos picked up the trail once more and followed it. This time, he set a slightly faster pace. He had to find Blondie and her mischievous little friend. Soon, happy giggling filled his ears. Now that, was a familiar sound. Who else would giggle in a dark and creepy forest for no apparent reason? Moving closer, it was obvious cool these unstealthy giggly morons were. And it didn't take much to slip in front of the happy pair. His shadow form pooled in the path before them, before slowly rising up to mold into his regular form. He glared at the two, who still hadn't noticed his presence, and waited until they saw him. Which wasn't that long at all. And unfortunately for them, they didn't see him until they were staring up at him from the ground. Blondie let loose a high shriek before stifling it.

"Y-You are seeing this, Happy, aren't you?" Happy sighed at the blonde's question.

"Yes."

"H-He's actually here?" Somewhere in that sentence, feer changed to happiness and Happy wasn't the only one to notice.

"Yeah." There was no tone or emotion in the feline's voice, probably to avoid using the wrong one. Smart move. The next sound to be heard was also high in pitch, courtesy of Blondie. However, instead of a shriek, the high pitch sound was a squeal.

"That is so awesome!" Scrambling to quickly pull herself off the ground, the dragon slayer only had a second to brace himself before Blondie had decided to jump on him. Her body leaned against his and her arms wrapped around his neck. In order not to fall over, Natsu had to put one foot back and wrap his hands around her waist.

"It's been a while since the three of us went on a mission alone." Ha! If only she knew what was on her tail.

"we won't be alone for much longer," Natsu but hissed.

"What do you mean?" She caught her head to the side.

"I mean that Gramps sent Titania and the Ice Princess to bring you home. They don't intend on letting you finish this mission."

"What?! Why?"

"It's an S-Class mission. they don't think you can handle it."

"An S-Class Mission? What's an S-Class mission ?"

"They're missions that proven too hard or too dangerous or too long for regular mages to complete," Happy answered.

"So what? They don't think I'm capable of completing an S-Class mission with Happy?" Anger laced her tone as she glared at the dragon slayer. The Slayer didn't say anything as the blonde continued to seethe. Happy, feeling somewhat responsible, tried to speak up. Sadly, he only got as far as,

"Actually-" before he was cut off.

"Save it. We are completing this mission regardless of what they say." Happy could only sigh as he slowly put down his hand. He could already tell that Natsu was up to something. Unfortunately, Happy was not in the loop this time. Good thing that there was a next time.

"How long do we have before they get here?" The blonde asked the mostly silent dragon.

"A couple of hours," he answered with a shrug.

"So, we have just enough time to get a good head start before they get here. If we can get far enough into the mission, then they have no choice but to let us finish it." The gears were turning in her head as she started to plan out her new deadline. Upon seeing his father figure though, the blue feline felt a wave of guilt watch over him. He hadn't told Lucy the full truth, and now he felt the guilt start to eat at him. He'd never snuck out like this before. Sure, he'd snuck around before but he'd always had Natsu's permission and it was never without Natsu. Now, he'd not only snuck out without Natsu, but he'd also been caught red-pawed. Not to mention the fact that he pulled Lucy along and she wasn't as knowledgeable about such things as he was. How was that for a twist in the storyline?

The worst part of the whole situation was the fact that his father didn't need to verbally berate him. It was all conveyed by the look in his eyes. It was a look that Lucy hadn't learned or even really seen yet but Happy knew it well. The blue feline had only had it directed at himself a few times, but it stung every time. It was like a thousand tiny needles stabbing into his heart at once. Then, depending on the level of disappointment, the pain would spread two other vital organs. The small exceed made another attempt to set the record straight, but Lucy wasn't having it. She was too busy planning for when they would get here and how much time she had to do things. Well, crap. What had he unleashed?

Unfortunately, it was too late to do anything about it as they already had continued on their previous path. Happy just let out a sigh and settled himself back into Lucy's arms. If he was going to be ignored then he might as well be comfortable. Comfortable enough to enjoy the silence that is. The blue exceed was well aware that the dragon slayer wouldn't talk much and since the Celestial Summoner was busy plotting in her head, the only thing left to do was sleep. Soon, the gentle sound of footsteps on dirt in the rocking of Lucy's body lulled Happy to sleep. The most unfortunate part being that as soon as he closed his eyes, he felt himself being jostled awake. Or at least, that's what it felt like. Happy blinked to sleep from his eyes and gave a large yawn before looking around.

"Wha... What's going... on?"

"We have to show them our guild marks," Lucy hissed. Ah, so that's what the jostling was. She was shifting him in her arms so she could raise her stamped hand. Where were they again? Happy let go of another yawn before turning around and lifting his backpack from his back. There, the Fairy Tail guild stamp had been pressed. The green ink standing out against his blue fur. The symbol took up most of his back and clearly visible at a distance.

There was a slight pause after Happy showed his mark before a loud creaking sound overtook the silence. The feline turned back in Lucy's arms in time to see a huge wooden fate looming before them. It looked like the gate and the fence was made of giant posts bound together. And right before they could even go inside, a war cry type thing sounded behind them. They all tyned to face it, the gate behind them freezing in place. Seems like they left an exit plan just in case. How thoughtful of them.

"We won't let you take her!" A voice shouted from the forest behind them. Or maybe the word was taint, not take. But, oh well. But not even the confusion of words could stop them from dodging the blasts of magic that were aimed at them. Well, to be more accurate, the blast of magic that was aimed at the Dragon Slayer he pulled his partners out of its path. Now, who would be stupid enough to fire at both of them?

"We are taking her home!" Another voice shouted. This time, after the voice called out, the leaves rustled and two figures came barreling out of the darkening forest. The first was a tall, dark-haired male wearing only pants and a silver necklace with a cross hanging from it. An icy look glowed in his eyes, his right fist closed over his left palm. The second was only a couple inches shorter, her vibrant red hair glowing in the light of the rising morning sun. The plated armor covering her chest almost sparkling against the sun, the metal flower staying perfectly in place as she moved. A billowing skirt with metal plating covering the upper area. Large metal wings that looked to be individual blades, were perched on her back and a wing-like headpiece sat on top of her head. There was an angry look in her eyes as she glared at the man who looked like he couldn't care less at the current situation. Which, in all reality, he probably didn't. Lucy just looked at the whole situation with confused eyes. Why were they so angry at her partner? What could've happened between them? There was all so the other matter of why they were there in the first place. Not good.

"Giver her back to us!" The dark-haired male shouted. Was that Gray?

"And why are you making it sound as if she's been kidnapped?" Happy asked. The exceed cocked his head in confusion. He did have a point.

"Yeah! We came out here all by ourselves! Just Happy and me!" Lucy corrected.

"Clearly, Chaos has brainwashed you. Come with us. We can help," the redhead tried to answer calmly.

"What you can do is leave me alone and let me finish this mission. Natsu has not brainwashed me. He's only said three sentences to me in the last three days. And in those sentences, all he's told me is that you were coming to stop me from completing my mission! So, no. I will not be going anywhere with you. So, I will only say this nicely once more. Please leave so that I can complete the mission I came here to do."

"Do you even know what you're doing here?" Gray asked.

"I'm beaking a curse."

"Lucy-"

"Save it. A gold key is involved and I have every intention of earning that key. So, leave."

"I'm afraid we can't do that, Lucy."

"And why not?"

"We promised Master that we wouldn't return without you." Erza's voice only held the slightest bit of remorse or disheartened something or some other third thing, but that was hardly enough for the angry blonde. Everything about this situation was wrong. As members of Fairy Tail, they should be encouraging one another; Not showing up during a mission to take them home. Fairy Tail members were supposed to be friendly to strangers and even nicer to fellow members. However, the closer she got to Natsu, the harder they pulled on her. They wanted to keep Natsu isolated. But for what purpose? And don't even get her started on that white-haired crazy that was probably related to Mira in some way.

"So? What does that matter?" Lucy huffed. A seemingly valid question.

"I made a promise." A promise, huh? A promise that the would bring her home before she could finish her mission. But wasn't it the same thing if you told someone that you accepted the job they offered you? A promise that you would help them? Surely it was. So, what did Erza know about promises? She made a promise that directly conflicted with her own. Now, it was a stand-off between who would be the first to break their promise, and celestial mages never broke their promises. She couldn't be sure about Erza, though she didn't seem like the type to make promises. More like she would hear something and just go do it. After all, circumstances change all the time.

"But what about my promise?"

"I'm sorry, Lucy, but you'll have to break your promise." She's...She's-

"You're sorry!?" she shouted.

Lucy took a step back in horror and disbelief. She's sorry!? Erza expected her to break a promise and all she had to say about it was "I'm sorry?" What kind of crap is that?

"I truly am. And we can discuss this more back at the guild." Oh no, she didn't. Lucy wasn't going anywhere. Not with Erza; Not ever.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," the blonde hissed.

"Yes, you are. Now come on."

"I'm. Not. Leaving." Anger swelled inside her veins. There was absolutely no way that Lucy was going anywhere with her. The ending result will be one of two options. Either Lucy would be a promise-breaker, or Erza would be. And being a promise-breaker was the last thing Lucy would ever become. It was the very last thing her mother had ever said to her.

"Lucy, you must always keep your promises. Your word is your bond so don't ever promise something you know you can't deliver. Uncertain circumstances count as well. I love you, my sweet baby." Those five sentences had followed Lucy the rest of her life; No exceptions, no rule-bending. Even when the task had seemed impossible, she had still kept her word. And nothing was ever going to change that.

Lucy slowly moved her fingers down towards her belt. There seemed to be only one way to settle this. Easily finding the key she wanted, she imagined the gate in a place no one would expect. The element of surprise was with her.

"Lucy, come on. Stop this," the redhead pleaded. Oh, she wasn't going to just stop something. She was going to end it. The words fell faintly from her lips.

"Open. Gate of the Golden Bull. Taurus." The bell sounded and falling from the sky came the ever familiar spirit, landing in between the two parties.

Whoo! That was a rush. So much drama. And some insight on the Character that is Happy. Still working on Lucy though. Now that is a long process. And I know that I paint Erza as a bad person-ish. But for Lucy, Natsu isn't a bad guy. Just misunderstood. We'll see how that evolves later.

So, I have started the next chapter, and I can't guarantee this, but I should be done with it sooner than I was done with this chapter. Here's to hoping I won't get too distracted. Just in case though, you guys should follow and review my story often.

P.S. I know that the follower number isn't a 5 but I'm pretty sure a follower joined the fanbase while I wasn't looking or something. I'm not sure exactly so we are just going to pretend that the number is correct. You've been waiting long enough. So, why not? Welp, that's all for now. I love you all lots. Till next time.

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