Gray was right about the gloom and mustiness in this room. Funny how it took a blind man to point that out to them. The air was so stale, with a hint of mold. That couldn't be good for the books down here. Mold was murder to paper and parchment. They should really consider leaving some dehumidifier lacrimas down here. Or even just install some vents. And while they were at it, why not a sky light? A window? Were they too far underground? Maybe some renovations were in order the next time they had to rebuild the guild.

Lucy had to wonder at the ease in which that thought came up. They really did rebuild too often, if such an idea was so innocuous as to sound like she was just penciling something on her to do list for later. Such chaos has become an everyday occurrence for them all.

She and Wendy had come down here in order to gather any supplies they'd need for the spell they were going to try tonight. That quick trip became an hours-long endeavor to help clean up the mess they had found Levy in the midst of rearranging this morning. Though the solid-script mage had agreed that a break in research was in order, she couldn't bring herself to leave all that valuable knowledge strewn across the floor like they had. Besides, cleaning and organizing could be relaxing, right?

So Lucy and Wendy had found her knee deep in piles of books. Because she couldn't just pick up the few (hundred) books that had fallen. There were also many papers and scrolls scattered about, plus the references that weren't part of the mess, but were now. Because everything needed to be put back in order, and sometimes you had to make a bigger mess in order to clean it up. Lucy and Wendy weren't expected back any time soon, and were quick to offer their assistance in the clean up.

This was convenient, as it would allow them all to discuss everything that needed to happen tonight in order to make the Milky Way spell a success.

Wendy was nervous. So many things could go wrong tonight. She wasn't even worried that the spell might not work. That would be the least problematic thing that could happen. Sure, Gray may be disappointed, but they could always try again later, after figuring out what would need to change to make it work. There'd still be hope.

But if it did work? Wendy was used to the self-doubt and second guessing of her decisions, but never had she felt such a huge knife hanging over her head. What if the small bit of hair they possessed wasn't a strong enough catalyst? What if they couldn't pull enough of his mom's essence out, and she wasn't the same as he'd remembered? What if the soul was too degraded? What if the sound of her voice frightens him, or causes him to panic, or drift, or God knows what else?

What if their success causes him to change his mind, and he doesn't want to meet her after all?

But Wendy came up with this plan. She's the one who first approached him with it. The one to offer this hope to him.

She would see it through.

"Levy, I hate to say, but the miscellaneous pile is growing faster than all the others," came Lucy's voice.

Shaking her head at all those interrupted thoughts, Wendy returned her focus to the stack of sketches she'd been sorting through.

Meanwhile, Levy's brow was furrowed as she gazed upon a small collection of parchments she hadn't seen before, but which contained figures that looked vaguely familiar. Concluding that they must have fallen loose from a tossed book like all the other debris strewn about, she placed them aside for later sorting before looking up to reply.

"I know. I'm sorry for pulling you all away from what you're working on. You really don't have to be here."

"It's fine. Everything we need is down here anyway. We're not in any hurry. After all that happened last night, Gray's probably still sleeping right now. And we can't do the spell until everyone leaves here tonight, so we've got all day."

Gray had decided that he needed his friends to be there. He knew deep down that no matter what happened, he wouldn't be able to get through tonight without them.

He was perfectly fine with having them all at his house, but Wendy was concerned about the possible backlash from the power that would be released when Milky Way was activated. That many people in too small a space wasn't ideal, let alone the damage his house would sustain, so Laxus, in the master's stead, had authorized them to use the guildhall. It didn't hurt that the infirmary would be readily available should Gray suffer any setback from whatever happens tonight.

"Well, I appreciate it. I feel like a stupid child, having thrown that tantrum the other day. I may have set us back months with that stunt," said Levy.

"We're not going to let that happen. Once everything gets put back in its place, you'll be right back on track. I'll even set aside more time to help you guys!" Lucy offered.

"Thanks, Lu-chan. But I'm not sure how much help you'd be. We've already gone through most of these writings, and we're still stuck. It's like we're this close, but something is just out of reach."

"That just means you've come too far to give up. Don't worry. Something will give soon. If we don't have what we need, we'll find it. I know we will."

Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzz.

They were interrupted by Lucy's com lacrima, displaying Cana's name on the screen. Upon answering, she asked, "Hey, Cana. I'm at the guild. Did you need something?"

"Mira told us Wendy's with you. Where at the guild? We need to talk."

"In the archives. Why, is something wrong?"

"We'll be there in a minute," she replied, hanging up.

With no time to ponder what she'd meant by "we", or why she sounded so urgent, Lucy told the others to expect company, and they all set up a space away from all their hard work to talk.

Cana soon entered, followed by Freed and, surprisingly, Bickslow.

Without mincing words, Cana started off right away with, "Where's the hair?"

Taken aback, there was a slightly confused pause, before Levy pointed to a small table set in an out-of-the-way corner, on top of which sat a small drawstring pouch laying next to an old urn. Bickslow wasted no time in going to it, removing his helmet before snatching the pouch, emptying it onto the table. He leaned against the table as he stared at the bound lock of hair, his face taking on a serious, contemplative look. He backed up a bit, as if trying to study something from a different angle? Or trying to see something more clearly.

"Well, what do you think? Is there still time?" wondered Freed.

"What do you mean? What's going on?" asked Lucy, growing more and more concerned.

She wasn't encouraged when Bickslow sighed and lowered his head, before straightening back up and facing them, an apologetic look on his face.

Cana answered, "I was talking to Mira and Laxus about helping her close down the guild tonight. Get things ready quicker. Bickslow and Freed showed up, heard what we were planning, when Bickslow asked about specifics. Told him about Milky Way, and about the hair. He pointed out some issues we might have. Looks like we hit more than a little snag."

Freed already understood, having turned away, unable to look at the girls, to see the disappointment he knew would soon be there.

"Bickslow-san, what's wrong?" Wendy asked quietly, dreading the answer.

"The soul fragment bound to that relic is losing cohesion. It has been from the very moment it was separated from the rest of … *Ahem* You can try to call it forth, but it was never a complete soul to begin with. That Arius guy was only able to gather so much of it, just enough to understand how to make Gray's mom seem real to him, maybe even gain a few memories to make her more convincing."

"But I don't understand," said Levy, "Do you mean we need more of her … I mean, do we not have enough? You're not saying we need to go all the way to Isvan to—"

"—I don't think it would matter if you dug her up and hauled all that was left of her back here. She's been dead for what, about twenty years? Anything that may have been there, Arius probably used it up. There's nothing to call."

"How could this be? Arius was calling up souls from people who died in ancient wars. Was he that powerful?" cried Lucy.

"The key phrase there is 'died in wars'. I'm willing to bet all those souls died feeling all sorts of negative things. Gray could probably tell you more about curses than I could, but the gists of all this is that necromancy is a cursed art. It's why so few can even try to use it, let alone master it. Arius was able to call up all those souls because they were all cursed to linger far longer than they should have. Considering they were still around even after all this time, there must have been some majorly shitty conflicts fought in that region over the years. All those dark emotions would have made it easy for a necromancer to focus what curse powers he could gather onto those lost souls. He could latch right onto them, and do whatever the hell he wanted."

"But Gray's parents died in the Deliora attack. That must have been horrendous, seeing all that destruction and sorrow all around you, knowing you were about to die, right in front of your child, not even knowing if he'd survive? Considering the heartache still felt by the lone survivor of that attack, how could his mom's soul already be gone, while all those warriors were still bound to that land for so long?"

"It's because he and his dad were able to make peace with each other," reasoned Cana. Upon receiving curious looks, she clarified, "Gray and I shared stories about our battles with Tartarus. Don't bother going to him for details. There was a lot of alcohol involved in that conversation. We were just trying to decompress after everything that had happened, so … Loke was there. He might remember more. All I know is, he mentioned his dad was now free, and he could finally be with his mom. I'm thinking being reunited with a long-lost love would have been a surefire way to free a wandering soul."

"Tartarus wasn't all that long ago. That's about long enough for a body to lose the last vestiges of a once bound soul," offered Bickslow.

Wendy wasn't ready to give up. "Isn't there any chance that enough of her soul could still remain to cast this spell? Maybe if we all went to her grave to try it!" she suggested, a hint of desperation coming out.

"I don't know if he could handle that. You saw how he was last night over having just a piece of her. What would standing before her grave do to him?" Lucy pointed out.

"That's not even the most pressing matter," said Levy, "There's still the issue of that other necromancer coming after him. Here, he's relatively safe. But what would happen if we were attacked on the way? We'd have to travel North, right along the path of the enemy. We can't put him in danger for the off chance that we might find what we need there."

"Yes. And Gray would never willingly put us in danger for his sake, either," said Freed.

"So we're pretty much screwed, then. All that effort these last few weeks to augment the spell, and we never even had the right ingredients in the first place. F*ck!" cried Cana.

Levy caught Freed's eyes from across the room, and he knew right away what she was thinking. They'd managed to get Gray's hopes up again, and would have to let him down in bitter disappointment. Maybe they should just get it all over with, and report their own failure, with the seals, as well. But instead of becoming disheartened at the thought of giving up, he grew angry and defiant instead. They'd been working on the problem of the seals since the very beginning. He still wasn't ready to give up on them, and neither was Levy, he was sure. He was a member of the Thunder Legion, and a Fairy Tail mage. They didn't give up!

"Bickslow, isn't there any other option? Think! Isn't there a way to strengthen a soul bind, or recall a disintegrating soul fragment, or something?"

"I have been thinking! Believe me, I wanna help him just as much as you guys! But short of finding a keepsake relic, we're shit out of luck!"

"A what?" wondered Lucy.

"I'm saying it's impossible. You may as well be trying to find that key you've been searching for. I shouldn't have even brought it up. You're not gonna find something like that, not from someone who's been gone that long."

"Low chance is better than none. What the hell is a keepsake relic?" demanded Cana.

"Exactly as it sounds. It's a keepsake. An item that has special meaning to the person it belongs to. Something they treasure. You and Lucy, who use holder-type magic, would probably understand this best. You imbue your powers into your cards or keys. They're essentially a part of you, and you leave a little bit of yourselves in them as you use them. Keepsakes are the same. They're not necessarily magical. But if you value something very strongly, you can form an emotional attachment to it. If strong enough, your very emotions will flow into that item, forming a soul bond."

"A soul bond?" wondered Lucy.

"Yeah. Think about it. Your emotions are tied to your soul. Remember when I told you how Gray's soul was damaged before? We all saw how he was after he woke up. Unfeeling, not caring, almost completely apathetic. I'll go even further. You know better than me how he's been since you rescued him from Arius. His emotions have been all over the place, haven't they?"

Somber nods all around.

"Then I can guarantee, even without 'looking', that his soul's been fragmented since then, as well. But my main point is this: Emotions are tied to our souls. And what is tied to our emotions?"

!!!

"Our magic!" exclaimed Lucy.

To Levy, all this discussion about keepsakes sounded familiar. As everyone was talking, Levy left them to shuffle some books around, heedless of the few soft inquiries from Freed about her sudden preoccupation. Meanwhile, Bickslow was wrapping up his impromptu lesson.

"Exactly! All these things are tied together, which is how simple everyday objects can have such a strong connection to us, that a piece of our very souls can be bonded to them. A keepsake relic."

"You said it was impossible to find in this case, because of how long Gray's mom's been gone. Why is that?" asked Wendy.

"The same reason we're even talking about it now. The soul fragment degrades after a time, just like it does from a long dead body. If there's no more emotions feeding into it, there's nothing to bind that fragment to the keepsake anymore. It'll just disappear into the ether, rejoining the rest of its soul eventually."

"Which brings us right back to being screwed!" murmured Cana.

"Not yet, we aren't!" came Levy's excited shout.

Everyone looked towards where she was now crouched on the floor, frantically skimming through several pages of a well-worn tome. She wasn't quite smiling in triumph, like she'd discovered a victory already won. But the excitement on her face grew more apparent as she read, taking on a look of someone who'd at least found a road to possible success.

"What did you find?" Freed wondered, hopefully.

"I remember reading about something similar to what you were describing, and … Ah! Here it is! It's not in standard Fioren, so I'm paraphrasing here. Essentially, a soul-bound relic will eventually lose its cohesion, but there's a way for the cohesion to be strengthened, even after the death of the soul's vessel: It can be passed on to a living person, one who shared a strong emotional tie with the original owner. A tie so strong, that their very souls bonded and intermingled together, such as through the love between a husband and wife … or a mother to her child!"

She looked up then, eyes bright with anticipation as she looked straight at Lucy, waiting for her to put it all together. She didn't have to wait long.

Her own demeanor changed to one of renewed spirit and hope when she remembered.

"Gray's necklace! He said it used to belong to his mom!"

Everyone else started to grasp at that tentative hope as well, but Cana didn't want to get hers up just yet.

"Will that work? You said his mom would have had to have valued the keepsake, too. It's easy to see why Gray would treasure it, but for all we know, his mom probably just bought it off some street peddler one day."

Bickslow was just as cautious, but willing to allow a little bit of anticipation when he offered, "I can tell you right away if I could take a look at it."

"Erza still has it!" said Lucy.

"I'll go find her. She should be here by now." cried Cana as she ran out the door.

"With this added factor, will there be anything else needed to make this work?" asked Freed.

"Can't say. This isn't something I've ever done before. I think I should be there. Not sure what I'd do, but an extra set of hands wouldn't hurt," answered Bickslow.

"Um …"

Everyone looked towards Wendy, wondering at the pensive look she was giving, her brows furrowed in concern as she eyed the pile of books Levy still sat among. She directed her next words to Bickslow, though.

"Bickslow-san, you kept calling it a relic just now."

"Of course. That's just what it is. It's what us Sieth mages have always called those kinds of talismans."

Nodding, she continued, "Levy-san, what exactly are you reading; and more importantly, where did you get it?"

Realization was slowly dawning on the others, concerning once more the logistics involved in making their plan work.

" ... This is an ancient tome on arcane arts … confiscated from Arius' lair," Levy somberly answered.

"Levy," asked Lucy, "What made you think of using Gray's necklace for this spell?"

She feared she already knew the answer.

…

…

"Way back when this all started, Arius was planning on using it for something similar, when he tried to cast that spell on Gray."

…

" ... Gray was heartbroken when he discovered it missing in the chamber. I understand his refusal to wear it later on was probably a delayed reaction to everything that'd happened. Afterall, he was too busy saving us all back then. But I was still grateful for his sake that you'd found it. So grateful, that I'd never even thought of the implications of Arius possessing it. You said he wanted it for 'something similar'. What was he planning to do with it?"

" ... It … It would have bound Gray to hellish servitude as Arius's living relic. A being trapped, not alive, not dead. The necklace would have served as a totem, a lock and key to bind Gray to Arius. He would have been used as a storehouse for pure curse energies, so his powers would be siphoned out of him, while he'd suffer any rebounds from poorly executed spells. Nothing more than a tool. Worse of all, he would have been completely conscious and aware of everything. His own despair would help fuel the curses. Arius wouldn't have given a crap about being careful with his spells. Why bother, when there'd be no consequences for him. He did that to his own son, afterall. Gray should have died when the spell activated, so he'd be reborn as that … thing … if not for the seal."

"That's … that's just … ," Freed couldn't finish. How long had Levy known of this? But he could guess why she hadn't told him before. It was rather distressing to learn of this. He wasn't sure he'd want to share it either.

"That's some evil bullshit right there," Bickslow finished for him.

Lucy was aghast, but confused as she stated, "But I thought that spell would have resurrected Arius' son. That's what you told us before!"

"I know," Levy replied, "and that's what Arius thought would happen as well. But remember, he wasn't trying to get his son back. If he was, the spell would have worked, and Gray would have been exchanged for him. But that jerk couldn't have cared less about his kid. All he wanted were the curse powers. So the spell sought after those, but was blocked by the seals. I really hate the irony, but Gray really owes his life to those seals. If it weren't for them, that spell really would have worked. But because the powers were the ultimate goal, it would have been Gray's body that would manifest to house them, not Arius' son. Because the necklace would have acted as the beacon to call and bind him into slavery."

"Does Gray-san know all this?" asked Wendy.

"Far as I know, he doesn't know any of it. Master offered to tell him a long time ago, when he was still in the hospital. He wasn't interested. Far as he's concerned, this whole ordeal was just a petty revenge plot that went too far. Nothing more, nothing less," informed Levy.

"I think we should keep to his wishes in this," suggested Lucy, "I can't even imagine how he'd take it if he ever found out Arius' end goal for him."

"Agreed. But what about the rest of this? The fact that we're using terms and items similar to what Arius used, this feels like we're dabbling in necromancy ourselves. How would he feel about that?" asked Freed.

"Oh no, you're right! There's no way he'd want anything to do with such a dark use of magic. He's got more than enough reason to hate the art more than any other," said Lucy.

"Let's just not tell him," offered Bickslow, "If he wants everything else about that time kept from him, he's probably better off not knowing about this stuff, either."

"But it wouldn't even be necromancy!" argued Wendy, "This is still Milky Way, a dragon slayer spell. Necromancy is a terrestrial magic. It's of the realm of men. That's why it's tied to the physical realm. It's focus is all on reanimating the dead. Arius couldn't call forth souls until he had unlimited curse powers, which are of the Nether realm. Milky Way, like all dragon slayer spells, is also of the Nether realm. It's focus is also on the spirit and soul. We're trying to call forth his mom's soul, not her body. She won't even be tangible. We'd be able to see and hear her, but know one would be able to touch her. We wouldn't even need to tell him we'd be using a few necromancy techniques. This is still by and large a dragon slayer spell."

There was definitely some rationalization in that argument, but most of them agreed. Most, but not Lucy.

She's had her fair share of poor decision making these last few months. A lot of it came from a lack of information, or of understanding. Her love, care, and worry had blinded her too often, of how better communication could have prevented a great deal of needless torment and distress, in everyone. Add to that her and her friends' poor habit of rushing into things, and making decisions for Gray without any thought of asking his opinion on those matters, and she could see the pattern plain as day.

He had every right to know all that was involved in this spell, so he could make a fully informed decision. They wouldn't push him towards one choice or another. This wasn't about what they wanted, what they thought was best for him. This time, he needed to do this for himself.

"No," Lucy declared, "We need to tell him about this. Not about what Arius had planned. He's already made his desire known about that. Be he needs to know what this spell entails. It's only fair that he knows what he's getting himself into. And it's not right to hide something like this from him … It's wrong to purposely hide things from a blind man."

"But what if after we tell him, he chooses not to do the spell," asked Levy.

"Then he'll have made his choice. And we will stand by his decision."

With such a note of finality, everyone could only agree. Wendy silently chastised herself at what she'd been suggesting. Her desire to see her friend be healed had clouded her vision in that moment, seeing only the end goal, regardless of the means. She'd have to make it a point to remember that a patient had just as much say in their treatment as the healer.

It was into this resolute atmosphere that Cana entered with Erza, Gray's necklace gripped tightly in her hand.

"Cana informed me of everything. Can it be done?" she asked, thrusting the necklace towards Bickslow.

Without pause, he took the necklace, held it aloft by the chain, and stared at it deeply, with intense concentration. All were silent, and tension was mounting.

Finally …

He grinned.

"Yeah. I think we can work with this."

The next chapter includes a bit of a mini story tucked into the main narrative. Just for fun, and cuz I don't want those who haven't discovered this story to miss the cute little interlude, I'll be publishing it shortly as a one shot.

Next Chapter: Gray needs to convince himself that he can make it through the spell. Also, a short interlude about a keepsake.