"So I guess we can all agree that Natsu and Juvia's pasts are connected by the Nightshade family." Wendy hypothesized. "Natsu worked as a foreman for the family and Juvia was the maidservant of a woman planning to marry into that family."

"But none of it explains how we died or what our unfinished business was." Natsu said. "For some reason everything specific to her past life and mine has been hushed up. Just what in hell is going on here?"

"Every small town has secrets." Juvia said. "Magnolia is no exception."

"In that case whatever secrets are involved in our lives must've been pretty big."

"So now what are we going to do?" Lucy asked. "We've been to the library and we've talked to Reedus, they were pretty much our only sources to what had happened all those years ago. Who else is there to ask?"

"Maybe we've been talking to the wrong kind of people." Wendy said.

"What do you mean?" Juvia asked.

"Well it seems pretty clear that no one alive can really tell us the whole story and that they're are no records in the living world but what about the dead world? What if we talked to someone in the In-Between who had lived during that time period?"

"One problem kid, anyone in the In-Between who lived during that time doesn't remember anything." Natsu said. "They're all as amnesic as us."

"Maybe not. You say that for some of them a little of their memory comes back? Maybe they have trouble remembering their own deaths and unfinished business but what about someone else's death and business? Could that be easier to remember for others?"

"I doubt it." Gray said. "If they can't remember anything about themselves, how could they possibly remember anything about other ghosts and ghouls?"

"There's no harm in trying right? When the potion wears off we could all go to the In-Between and-"

"Hold it there's no way on heaven or in hell you're going back there." Gray objected. "The last time you went there you were almost eaten alive."

"Okay so I'll be more careful this time. I'll stay close and I won't go off alone."

"Absolutely not." Juvia said. "Our world is not safe for anyone living especially a child."

"You're acting like I'm five. I'm almost a teenager."

"Technically speaking even if you were a teenager you'd still be considered a child by legal standards." Gray said. "At least until you're eighteen."

"But I'm very mature for my age."

"Not mature enough to enter our world again."

"Wendy it's not safe over there for you." Juvia said. "The living are forbidden to go there for a reason and we're not allowing you to go back."

"Who says I need your permission? You can't decide if I can go back or not."

"Sure we can." Gray said. "We're the only ones who can take you there so ha."

"I can get Natsu to take me. He did it the first time."

"That's because he's a moron and he didn't understand how stupid and dangerous that was."

"Stop calling me a moron!" Natsu said. "And you know I think you guys are being a little too overprotective. She's a smart kid. She can probably figure out how to avoid trouble."

"We're not taking that risk Natsu." Juvia said. "You are to never ever bring her over there again. Is that clear?"

"Now look here angel face, you can't tell me what to do. I can do whatever the hell I want and there's nothing you or anyone else can say or do that will change that."

Gray looked over at Natsu and glared.

"You take her back there again and I'll reveal your location to every ghoul you owe money to."

Natsu gulped as he comprehended the seriousness of Gray's threat.

"Then again." He said. "It isn't really secure back there and you are very young Wendy. So maybe it is best that you don't go back there."

"This is so unfair!" Wendy complained.

"Lesson number one Wendy life isn't fair." Gray said. "And neither is the afterlife. Except in Heaven maybe."

"This isn't to be mean." Juvia said. "It's for your safety."

"Well my safety isn't your concern!"

"It is in matters of the afterlife. We're the only adults who know about these things. You're a child and you're alive."

"I can see the dead."

"That doesn't automatically make you an expert on the subject."

"Well I don't expect to become an expert as long as you keep treating me like a kid and sheltering me from this stuff. How am I supposed to really know anything if you don't let me experience it?"

"Sometimes you don't need to know everything." Gray said. "Sometimes you're not ready to know certain things. And if you learn about them too soon or if you can't handle what you find out it can be really dangerous. You're not going back to the In-Between and that's final."

"You two are just like my parents!" She snapped. "They never want me to know anything and they always keep stuff from me! But you two are way worse!"

"How are we worse?" Juvia asked.

"Because you have no right to treat me like this! You're not my mom and Gray's not my dad! Nothing gives you the right to order me around!"

She knew better than to run away suddenly but she was so frustrated and angry with where the argument was going that she couldn't ignore the urge to go off by herself. She ran very quickly and manged to lose them in a crowd, they chased after her but just like that she was gone.

"Wait to go you two." Natsu said sarcastically. "Great idea to go all parental figure on her. Couldn't see how that could backfire on you."

"Shut up." Gray said. "It's not like your idea to just let her go to our world would be any better."

"It's not up to us if she goes or not. She was right, you shouldn't have forbidden her."

"So we just let her go over there and possibly be killed? You want that on your conscience for the rest of your afterlife?"

"Gray far be it from me to take Natsu's side on any argument." Lucy said. "But I think he may have a point."

"You think we should let Wendy go back there after what happened last time?"

"No but I do agree that you and Juvia might have taken things a little too far and could have handled it differently."

"How did we take it too far?" Juvia asked. "She's just a little girl Lucy. It's our responsibility to look after her."

"It's our responsibility? Since when did she become our responsibility?"

"I mean she's our responsibility when it comes to the afterlife. In those matters we have to do what's best for her."

"Okay I see your point but you know you two know you're not her parents right?"

"Of course we know that." Gray said.

"Do you really? Because I think you both are getting a little attached to her."

"That's ridiculous. We know the consequences for the dead getting emotionally attached to a living person."

"We shouldn't even be arguing about this now." Juvia said. "Let's just focus on finding her first before something happens."

"We'll split up so we can cover more ground." Natsu suggested. "And meet back here at the bust station."

They parted into two search parties. Juvia with Gray going uptown and Lucy with Natsu searching downtown.