"In other words they would proclaim us guilty, slap us on the wrist and send us home with no real punishment. We could have been home for supper at our guilds by now!" Erza was very irritated by her guildmate. "For pity's sake."

"I'm sorry." the two of them said.

"Natsu... it did make me happy."

"Well you already saw my reaction Gajeel." I said as I sat next to him. "Thanks, big bro."

He patted me on the head. "I was a hothead."

"No, just a steel skull."

Chapter 8: Trip to the Cursed Island Galuna

I was brought back to the guild where Snippy was sun bathing on the stone path. A pant leg in his teeth. "Did you have fun?" I scratched him under his chin.

Gajeel just chuckled. "Idiot got to close, gihe." The Guild door opened and my father rushed me in a hug.

"Oh, you are alright." He hugged me close.

"Dad, we have to talk." I said as I broke from his grip.

"Oh, come with me." He ushered me into his office. "Did the coun-"

"Siegrain knows." I said.

He sat at his desk and he let a breath into his hands. "Are you sure?" His tone was somber.

"He said, 'Not all of us fall from the stars.'" I sat in a chair next to him. "He told me that refrain talking about him and Erza Scarlet having a secret. She that she knows evil people."

He sighed. "Looks like he is using the information to keep you quiet about something unrelated..." He stood up from his desk and looked out the window. "We won't look into the history between Titania and Siegrain. If he reveals what he knows to the council..."

I nodded. "It could mean the end of Phantom."

My father turned to me, his dark maroon hair framing his face as he stroked his thin mustache. "We'll continue with the Galuna mission. It would be more suspcious if you were to end all activities."

I nodded. "I'll be taking Orc."

He nodded. "Yes, his machine soul take over magic would help."

I turned to leave. "I'll be ready to leave by tonight." I walked out of his office as I mentally started to think of every thing I would need.

I sat on Snippy's back in the custom made saddle as Orc shouldered his pack. I held the reins and gave them a flick with a whistle. I waved back as we headed out on the mission. In the back of my mind was still one question.

'How?'

Ever since Siegrain had confronted me that had been nagging me in the back of my mind but now I had to push that back for the mission at hand.

"Been a while since we have teamed up." Orc said as he lit a cigar. "Normally you team with Gajeel. I'm surprised he turned you down on this mission, with such a large pay, and a golden gate key."

I looked at the request, all it said was that there was curse that had to be broken, not, the kind, the source, or the nature of this curse. "We are going in blind here."

Orc shrugged as he we walked along the road, Snippy's feet plodding along to match the large green mage's stride. I returned the gesture as the night went on.

When we reached Hargeon I got off Snippy and ran two fingers down his spin as Orc held my packs. As my hand ran down his scales he shrunk down to the size of a small cat. I picked him up and set him on my shoulder. His small claws clung to my jacket as we entered town. "All right so we just need to get the bearing for Galuna Island and we can ride Snippy there." I said.

Orc cleared his throat. "I'm in a sports suit. Do you know how much this costs?!" He gestured to his clothes.

I gestured to mine. "Do I wear the same clothes as you? Suck it up."

"Tsk." We walked into town making our way down to the docks where fisher men were getting ready to head out and starting asking around for a course to Galuna Island.

"I am not getting on Snippy! Do you have any idea how bad salt water stains silk!" Orc shouted at me as argued on the pier.

"Oh! I'm sorry princess! We have to get out to the island somehow! And not a single boat is willing to take us there, so you are getting on the crocodile!" I yelled back, we had spent hours looking for a boat to take us.

"We are swimming there!" I froze as I looked to the end of the pier. "On we go to Galuna island!"

"Aye sir!"

"Are you insane!"

"God damn it!" I stormed over to the three Fairy Tail members. "Oh no you don't! Galuna island is our mission!"

"Oh hey it's Turnip." Natsu said as he turned to me.

"Aye friend, on your way to Galuna island as well?" Happy asked.

"As well!? You lot aren't going! It's a Phantom mission!" Orc shouted at them, "So you three Fairies can go home."

"Phantom, Fairy? Are you lot wizards on a mission to remove the curse?" The fisherman nearby asked.

"Hell yeah!" Natsu yelled.

"I'll take you." The man said as he moved things around in the boat.

"Hang on, I'm not taking this mission with these fairy fools." Orc said.

"And these three are coming back to the guild with me." Gray said as he grabbed Lucy and Natsu's shoulders making them jump.

"Oh, Gray thank you for coming, Natsu and Lucy made me do it." Happy cried out to the ice mage.

"Oh no you don't you damn cat!" Lucy screamed out.

"Look, you are coming back to the guild with me, you'll be lucky if you get a stern talking too." Gray said. "You can be kicked out of the guild for this."

"Kicked out of the guild, but I just joined." Lucy panicked.

I stood silent for a second, "Wait so these idiots aren't S-class? Then they are stepping on my mission!"

"I'm going to be S-class for completing this mission!" Natsu yelled.

Orc pinched the bridge of his nose. "That isn't how it works."

As the Fairy Tail Mages were arguing I stepped on the boat while pulling at Orc's sleeve. "Now's our chance." We settled on the boat with our bags but suddenly Natsu struck Gray and grabbed Lucy and Happy before leaping on the boat.

"Off we go to Galuna Island! Urk!" he wretched over the side of the boat with the sway of the craft.

"NO! This is my mission!"

"To late." The fisherman said as he pushed off from the dock.

On the water we rearranged seats, Gray tied up on the floor of the boat, Me sitting on the back of the sea sick dragon slayer as I pet Snippy on my lap, and Orc flirting with Lucy. "Um... sir..." Lucy said to the fisher man.

"My name is Bobo, I used to be a resident of Galuna Island. Until the curse started. That is why I am taking you there." He said as he looked at us.

I spoke up, "About that, what is the curse?"

He lifted his arm from under his cloak, "The people of the island were afflicted with this." His arm was black, clawed and demonic.

I gulped hard as I realized just what I was getting myself into. "A demon curse." Orc said.

"Yes..." He said as he looked into the night sky. "Were here." We looked where he was but there was nothing.

"There is nothing..." I said as I looked back and nearly jumped out of the boat.

"He's gone!" Happy yelled out.

I looked in the water if he had fallen out... 'Where did he go?' I heard the thunderclap of water and looked up as a massive wave was bearing down on us.

I threw Snippy in the water where he expanded in size and jumped on his back. "Get on!" I yelled as I used the spells embedded in his scales to make him grow larger as Orc ripped the rope off of Gray and threw Natsu onto Snippy's back. He did the same with Lucy and Gray as happy latched onto my head. "Better hold on!" I said and snapped the reins on the crocodile that was longer then the boat. He started to swim through the water. The wave bore down on us. "ORC!"

"MACHINE SOUL ARM; JUPITER CANON!" He swung his right arm towards the wave, Lacrima implanted in the now metal arm as he fired the canon blast behind us obliterating the wave and the boat as it launched us forward, we skipped off the top of a swell and crashed through another knocking me from the saddle and the others fell off. I came to the surface only for the waves to crash down on me forcing me down and the current took me and I slammed into the hidden remains of a wrecked ship.

I came up as I wiped the salt water and blood from my face, the weather having turned into a full on storm. I couldn't catch my breath with out getting a lung full of water as I struggled to tread water. My wet clothes dragging me down. Another wave crashed down o me and everything went black.

Chapter 8 done.