Chapter 20

A/N Go to the previous chapter and read the flashback scene again. I changed it a lot. I had forgotten a plot point before. It is NOT ignorable, go read it.

Searching an island for suspicious things was much harder than it looked. You had to search every nook and cranny, and often you ended up wandering somewhere you'd already been.

However, none of this was a problem if you had a flying cat.

There was nothing suspicious. Not a single thing.

Natsu closed his eyes and tried to look through his mind's eye, which, despite its description, was quite unphilosophical and mundane. He immediately found suspicious things in droves.

It would seem that he owed Lullaby an apology. For the villagers were indeed demons in human form. There was also a much larger source of demonic power, along with a high concentration of ether-nano and spirit. Possibly a powerful ghost that had been brought back to life.

"Huh."

Yeah, that about summed it up.

Lucy had recently taken to sleeping in the guild itself. There were rooms there, apart from Fairy Hills, where she could stay. Just adjacent to the library, for example, was a study room, which also had a bed where she could sleep.

While reading, she shared the room with Levy. At night, Levy went back home with Jet and Droy, and she slept there.

That day, her mind was occupied with what Mira had told her. Could something similar happen to her? It seemed like those people were trying to use Lisanna to hurt Natsu. And they also had powers over blood. That was quite worrying.

Oh, well. There wasn't much possibility of running into them again.

Her eyes grew tired, and she shut off the lamp and went to sleep.

Standing in front of the demon, Natsu didn't know what to think. On one hand, the demon looked scary. On the other hand, it had nothing on a dragon.

"Yo," he greeted, rapping his knuckles against the ice around Lullaby's Uncle Deli. "Anyone home?"

"What is it?"

Natsu whirled around, not having heard anyone get close to him. At first, he saw nothing. Then he looked down. A mop of pale blonde hair looked up at him.

"Who the-"

The person looked up at him cheerfully and chirruped, "I'm Mavis Dragneel! Pleased to meet you! Please state your name and business, and do try not to disturb little Deli. He's been locked in ice for a decade, poor child."

There was so much Natsu didn't have any clue about in that sentence. He finally settled on the most obvious question.

"Dragneel?"

"Yes, Dragneel. My last name, y'know?"

Natsu frowned. He brought Lullaby out from his bag.

"Do you know him?"

"Granny!"

Mavis blinked. Then she blinked again. "I do know him. Hi, Lullaby! Last I heard, you'd been sealed in some tree? Right? And don't call me granny, I'm not that old." Turning to Natsu, she said, "Thanks for saving him. He's such a rambunctious child, y'know? Always getting into some sort of mischief or another."

Natsu didn't know what to say. He asked, "Are you some sort of long-lost sister of mine?"

"Not unless your last name is Vermillion! Wait- What's your name?"

"It's Natsu Dragneel."

Mavis's eyes immediately lit up. "Really? Excellent! Stay here. I'll be back in a bit, 'kay?"

Before Natsu could say anything, Mavis bounded over to a corner and conjured a deer. Natsu gawked as she told it something, and waved her hand. The deer took off into the night sky like a Patronus. Yes, Natsu had read Harry Potter. He was currently on book five.

Meanwhile, back at the boat, Gray and Zeref were resolutely looking in the opposite direction, while Erza was trying to play peacemaker.

"Your 'son' destroyed my home!"

"I apologized, dammit! He was a teenager! Have you never done anything stupid as a kid?"

"The stupidest thing I've done as a teenager is agreeing to take a dark mage to my guild!"

The two got into a staring contest, neither willing to back down.

After a couple of minutes, Gray blew air into Zeref's eyes.

Zeref blinked. Twice. Very rapidly.

Before Gray could start jumping around, which he was planning to do, a deer appeared next to Zeref and started making a keening noise. Zeref smiled and looked at Erza.

"I'm sorry, I have to take this. It's Mavis." Poking the deer in the forehead, he smiled wider. "Hey, Maves. What's up? I was just heading there."

The deer replied, "That's great, Zer-bear! Come back fast, I have a surprise for you."

Gray chuckled. "So the Dark Wizard Zeref is dating a deer! Seriously?"

"I'm not a deer!" shot back the deer.

"Is that you, Gray?!" Natsu's voice could be heard through the deer.

Erza frowned. "Na-"

"Shhhh!" hushed Mavis. "It's a surprise!"

"What's a surprise?" asked Zeref. "It is a surprise, right? Not a shock? A pleasant, nice surprise?"

"Yes, yes, don't worry", reassured Mavis.

"Who's that? Why am I a surprise?" Natsu demanded.

"Is that a boy over there? Who is it? I'm not sure I'm gonna like this surprise."

"It's for you," said Mavis, as Natsu protested the use of the word 'it'.

Zeref buried his face in his hands. "For the last time, Mavis, I'm not gay! That was one time!"

Gray's eyes lit up. "What was one time?"

"Never thought you were bi Gray," deadpanned Natsu.

"I'm not, YOU DAMN BLOODSUCKER!"

"I subscribe to the thought that everyone is partially bi," Mavis added. "God knows I am."

They all went silent. Then Zeref suggested, "I have some techniques that you may like…"

Gray, Erza and Natsu yelled simultaneously, "We don't want to hear that!"

Zeref looked at Gray and Erza. "Some privacy?" They stepped back.

Mavis poked Natsu in the stomach, which was the highest she could reach. "Get back if you know what's good for you."

Natsu stepped back. Girls were not to be underestimated. They had mallets hidden everywhere.

Mavis and Zeref began talking in hushed tones, starting with serious matters, like a guy melting the ice around Deliora, but quickly degraded into what all things Zeref could do to Mavis with ice, then it shifted to how long it'd been since Mavis hadn't had ice-cream, which transformed into exactly where Zeref could lick it from-

She didn't look like it, but Mavis was a pervert.

After dissipating the deer, Mavis walked back and plopped down on a log. Natsu took this opportunity to ask, "Hey, do you know how to change the villagers back?"

"It's some moon magic that's being used to melt this ice."

Natsu frowned. "So all I have to do is destroy the moon?"

"Well, preferably not, but you could try if nothing else works. But wait until this ice melts, okay? I want Deli back first."

Natsu was okay with that.

Meanwhile, in Oak town, the guild master of the Phantom Lord guild had just announced his idea.

"So, once we get Lucy and beat Fairy Tail, we'll be invincible! Does anyone have any questions?"

Gajeel raised his hand.

"This isn't a classroom, Gajeel, don't raise your hand. What do you want to know?"

Gajeel said, in a completely deadpan voice, "Is this a joke or are you completely insane?"

"Why would you think that?"

Gajeel stood and slammed his palm against a table, which broke, causing him to overreach and trip.

"That's the guild of Natsu Dragneel. I grew up knowing him, and in all those years, he wiped the floor with me. As much as I hate to admit it, I can't take him in a fair fight."

Jose waved his hand in dismissal of the argument. "Word says that Natsu Dragneel doesn't care about his guild. And anyway, he isn't there. He's on an S-class mission, and intelligence suggests he'll be quite late to return. If we play it right, we can destroy the guild before he ever gets to know."

Gajeel smiled, showing off all his jagged teeth. "Let's do it."