Natsu looks toward the city.

The slave ring isn't as hard as it is annoying to settle, and even now, Freed and Ever were still trying to sort out the most complicated seams of the situation. Happy and Bickslow were with them as their errand boys in the situation.

Laxus and Natsu, though, who were useless in stuff like these, spent the rest of their time having a meal.

And boy, did people in Bosco gossip a lot. His dragon hearing can catch almost all of it.

"It's almost been ten years since Deliora terrorized Isvan, hasn't it?"

"Ten years, huh? Felt shorter than that. Isvan never did pick back up after that."

Natsu looks for the voice in the corner of his eyes, not noticing the way Laxus' attention is fixed on him, curious to find out what he's thinking.

"Have you heard? No one's gone into the area, but apparently the huge glacier with Deliora inside of it is gone."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And we have no idea how long it's been missing. We're guessing a couple years at least, but no one can say for sure."

"But that's fucking creepy."

"Right?'

Deliora. Natsu knows that name-- he specifically remembers Zeref talking about it once upon a time, something about too much destructive power and not enough tactical force.

Isvan-- he's heard that before. But he can't quite place a finger on it. Maybe because it sounds like Ishgar-- hmm, maybe Isvan was a bigger city before this? It's not on the map anymore, so who even knows, really…

"Isvan," Laxus says, and Natsu jolts, belatedly remembering that Laxus had the same enhanced hearing he did, "that's Gray's hometown, isn't it?"

And ah.

Oh no.

That's where he heard it from.

"Bad feeling?" Laxus asks, recognizing the look really well. The last time Natsu wore that face, Mira came home with one party member short.

Natsu sighs. "Yeah."

Needless to say, Erigor was arrested, Gray was sent to the hospital, everyone got chewed out by Master Makarov for reckless endangerment and destruction of property, and well, they all got a contented pat on the head and then headed home.

"Gray's not allowed on missions for the next week at least," Cana says.

"You either," Gray mutters. Making an indistinct noise in protest, he murmurs, "I hope I don't run out of cash money in the meantime…"

They were all in the magic four-wheeler, Gray laying down on one side while Cana, Loke, and Lucy took up the other side. Cana took up the middle seat.

Gray was covered in bandages. No one listened to how many stitches he needed, but well, his arms and his torso were pretty shredded so it was all in all, a lot. He was wearing a shirt when they got on, but no one had any idea when it vanished, and seeing as it wasn't in the car, it was probably now on a journey in the depths of the Lyusica Gorge.

"It's okay, I got a sugar daddy to pay my living expenses," Cana says, a hand snaking up Loke's arm.

"Share it with me," Gray groans.

"Stop it," Loke says, "I cancelled my job, remember, I'm even worse in the red than you two. I can't handle two sugar babies at this time. Especially not the one that's going to drink the bar dry every day."

"What's more important, your livelihood or my happiness?" Cana whines. "Gray, help me out here."

"Oh Gray is fine," Loke clarifies.

"Yay," came the dry response.

"I'm considering homophobia right now," Cana says.

"You're bi, Cana."

"What's it called if I just hate men specifically?"

"...Misandry?"

Lucy chuckles into her hand as they banter. Whining, Cana switches from Loke into crawling over Lucy, fake-crying while being careful of her own bandaged shoulder, but still being incredibly clingy.

"Lulu~ You're the only one that cares about me anymore," she wails. "Be my sugar mommy. Please? I love you, I'd be the cutest, sweetest, sugar baby ever–"

Lucy pats her on the head nervously, "you know I'm as broke as you. So it's impossible."

Cana whines, loud. Loke bursts into laughter at that noise, and Lucy can't help but follow. Gray's smiling too, looking over them warmly.

"I'm only ever going on dates with Lucy ever again," Cana threatens, "Loke's mean to me. I'm dumping you."

"Hold on, you two were dating?" Lucy asks, flustered. She's seen Loke with a whole myriad of girls. Loke makes a dying sputtering noise before turning away, defiantly pretending he's not bothered by Cana's threat.

"Only every once in a while," he admits.

Lucy has no idea how that works.

"Ah, I see," Cana simpers, wrapping her arm around Lucy's, "Lucy, sweetheart, have you lived sheltered all your life? Do you know what polyamory is?"

Lucy's face goes five shades redder. "...what?"

Loke fixes his glasses. "Well, from my observation, Lucy is obviously from a highly educated household. Those places tend to teach the conservative norms rather than the civilian norms."

"Oh ho?" Cana sings.

"Wha– what's wrong with that?" Lucy sputters, trying to recover, wondering how she'd even end up being the one teased here, "and no uh. I am absolutely not from a place of higher education. I am not educated any more so than an average person. Not at all, absolutely not! I just know a bit. Like, I had a teacher, that's it! I didn't even really listen much to the lesson anyways uh, I didn't do well most of my tests, oh I absolutely definitely didn't–"

Cana, Loke and Gray stare quietly at her.

They're not sure how to tell her that most civilian children aren't educated at all.

Outside on the driver's seat, Erza was driving with Master Makarov by her side.

"I'm glad to see they're getting along, even if Lucy is new," Erza says, "It was not my intention to make this a team-bonding exercise, but I'm glad it is how it's transpired."

Makarov nods. It's always nice to see them warming up to each other.

"Is Loke doing well with her?" Makarov questions, and Erza falls silent.

Loke's distaste for Celestial Spirit wizards wasn't exactly unknown, and while many often laughed it off, one could often tell that it was a very real concern, at least for Loke.

And before leaving, Loke had been approached by master Bob, where they had finally spoken. Erza had seen them speak, but she didn't dare invade their privacy to listen in. All she knew was that Loke looked forlorn as he spoke, and Master Bob looked at him the same way Master Makarov looked at all of them.

(There was so much she didn't know about him.)

(But it's a two-way street.)

"They didn't interact much," Erza says, vaguely. Loke still kept his distance from Lucy, even insisting Cana sit between them– but just a little, Erza hoped it didn't offend him too much that she'd essentially forced him onto this mission with Lucy despite his obvious discomfort. Loke was one to forgive, but it still wouldn't be right. "I should apologize later."

Makarov nods, sagely. "Yes, I suppose you should."

The rest of the trip home came in comfortable silence, barring the joyous banter occurring inside the car.

Natsu puts his hands together in a prayer, "please Mira? Please? I won't ask anything from you ever again!"

"Absolutely not!" the barmaid insists, arms crossed over her front, cheeks puffed up as she turns away, displeased. "That's already the seventh time you asked me a pfavour with that excuse. I'm not falling for it again! Especially not about this!"

And that's the scene Lucy walks into this morning.

It's only been two days after the Eisenwald debacle, when things have settled down. Erza went to the council to hand in a letter of explanation, or something. Cana and Gray were with her, coming home together after clinical checkups.

"Who's that?" Lucy wonders.

"Oh, Natsu's back!" Cana beams. Gray just grimaces, and Cana laughs. "He's Natsu, you know uh– I think he's known around as the Salamander?"

"The Salamander?!" Lucy gawks, "you mean, the one with rare ancient fire magic that's the co-leader of the famed Thunder Legion?"

"...you sure know a lot," Cana says, a little surprised.

"His magic's not some big deal," Gray mutters, "don't you use rare ancient magic too? What's so surprising?"

Lucy takes that in. "Eh? Oh… I guess…"

Celestial Spirit magic was something she was told was rare, but she genuinely hadn't really gone outside of her house much before the last year, so it doesn't quite sink in. Every magic is new to her– but her own is something she's known all her life.

Natsu whines dropping his head on the bar counter loudly, slumping in despair. "Oh c'mon… you were the last one I could ask… everyone else is out."

"I'm not the last one, I'm the only one available, right? I'm just Laxus' spare to you," she pouts. "Geez, no one appreciates me in this household. I'm upset."

Natsu jumps back up, flustered, "no no, that's not what I was thinking! Not at all!" and then, hands back in a prayer, "just– this once! I promise it's really urgent, like, really bad…"

"Uh, Natsu, you know that praying to the Devil won't work, right?" Cana interjects in the conversation. "Welcome back, when'd you arrive home?"

"What do I need then, a blood sacrifice?" Natsu sulks, slouching back onto the table in defeat. "And I'm back. Just a couple minutes, the mission was done this morning but it took forever to drag Laxus home first."

"Oh? What happened to him?"

"There was out-of-season snow near Bosco borders last night," Mirajane answers for Natsu, "I'll bet our resident idiots got too stubborn to use a train again. Guess who gets sick, every time without fail, when this happens? Two guesses, the first doesn't count."

Cana snorts.

"Happy's home taking care of him now," Natsu grumbles. "The others went on to another job already. Ruins mission so they don't want me there."

Cana cackles at that. "So? What's Mira too stingy to give you today? Tell big sis Cana."

Natsu makes a groaning noise. "I don't think I'm younger than you, Cana."

"Okay then, don't tell me."

"...you're gonna sit there until I talk, aren't you?"

"Get me a drink, Mira, this is gonna take a while."

"I'm still not telling you, Cana."

Lucy keeps awkwardly silent, watching the exchange. They were clearly good friends– which made sense. She read in Sorcerer's that they had all been in the guild ever since they were young, after all.

"Lu-chan!" Levy calls out to her, in the distance, and Lucy beams, "welcome back! And I'm back, too!"

Team Shadow Gear had just come home from a mission as well, so the first thing Levy does is run to Lucy and take her hands, cheering.

"Levy-chan, welcome back!" Lucy beams, tearing away from Cana's side to greet her. "And I'm back! How was your job?"

"Oh it was easy-peasy! Right, Jet, Droy?" she says, turning to the two boys behind her, one of which was saluting toward Gray as a curt greeting, the other of which shyly smiles at her in acknowledgement, for which Lucy smiles back politely. "You?"

"It's a little hard to say…" Lucy chuckles awkwardly. "Gray got a little bit too hurt," she looks toward him to see that Jet and Droy had both started hounding him in worry, and he was grumpily shrugging off their gazes. He lost his shirt, so no hope there. "There were a lot of close calls… I never knew the life of a wizard was so tough!"

"Right?" Levy still has her hands interlaced between Lucy's, and she was swinging them around childishly, "you'll get used to it! I was pretty bad at wizarding at the start, too."

"But Virgo was really our saving grace!" Lucy says, and Levy lights right up, "I really can't be grateful enough."

The conversation continues, going into the details of their mission, and the entire debacle that Lucy got involved in. Lucy is led to a table, where they sit on opposite ends, chatting it right up warmly.

"So I really wanted that grimoire, but…"

Levy's voice dies out in the middle of her sentence, and she's staring, almost mortified– Lucy follows her gaze to see that Natsu has walked up to Gray.

"Gray," Natsu says, and Gray pauses between talking to Jet, his face falling right down to a miserable annoyance as he hears him.

Lucy is surprised, when the entire guild falls a whole notch quieter, as more people notice the interaction. She looks around– and sure enough, many of them adopt the same look as Levy, nervously sipping their drinks, watching, warily, as Natsu walks up to Gray and dares to talk to him.

Something dangerous was about to happen. That was what it felt like.

"What do you want?"

Lucy had never known that Gray's voice could sound so cold, so dry.

Natsu clearly falters, his eyes turning away when Gray doesn't even bother to turn around. His lips purse, but he takes a breath and says, "I need you to tell me about what happened in Isvan."

(Isvan? Lucy knew that word…)

Gray spins around, so quickly, one would think he was about to punch him, Lucy jumps, startled— but Gray grabs Natsu fiercely by the collar, dragging him forward.

And then the entire guild jumps to attention.

"Hey, Natsu! Gray! Stop it!"

"You two, cool your heads first– talk it out! Gray, are you listening?"

Levy is abruptly beside Lucy, guiding her to stand up. And then, Lucy is being led away to a further table— the rest of the guild had moved, too, giving the two a wide berth, only a few members brave enough to approach them.

Gray and Natsu stay completely still, the tension between them firm and angry.

"You," Gray finally says, and it's the most threatening thing Lucy has ever heard from him. "I am not telling you shit."

Natsu's glare intensified, brows furrowing. "It's serious. I just need to know what exactly happened when Deliora—"

"Oh, you think it's serious now?" Gray barks out an exasperated laugh, incredulous. "You're unbelievable."

Natsu's fists are locked tight by his side, trembling with effort. "What if I tell you someone's trying to awaken that demon now?"

Gray's fist erupts with a surge of icy wind, and the second it starts being thrown toward Natsu, the entire guild yelled out in alarm.

The blow is interrupted, clashing sharply against a magic seal that opens between them. Gray's magic abruptly deactivates as his fist crosses the seal, startling him enough to miss his punch and tear away from Natsu.

"Don't get in the way, Cana!" Gray snarls, his voice fierce.

Cana raises The Chariot in her hands, deactivating it. "No violence," she says. And while that barrier only works once, her words clearly weren't a suggestion.

Natsu steps back, adjusting his vest and scarf where it'd been messed up. And he sighs, "okay, forget it then," he says, turning around to pick up his bag before throwing it over his shoulder. "I just wanted to ask."

He walks past Gray, not sparing him another look.

Mira abruptly calls out, "hold on, Natsu! You're not going to go alone, are you? We're not done discussing this!" she says.

Natsu groans. "I only asked you because Laxus wasn't letting me go alone, and then you say you're not taking me– so whatever, already, I'm not a kid. I'm fine with letting Laxus get mad at me. Leave me alone."

He was no longer in the mood to play 'beg the Devil' anymore, and that wasn't working in Mira's favour at all. Hell– if Laxus deemed wherever he was going to be too dangerous, then if Mira let him go alone, she would never be able to forgive herself.

Mirajane curses under her breath.

"Oh–" she hurries out of the counter, chasing after Natsu as he speedwalks right out of the building. "Natsu! Get back here and listen to me!"

They leave, abruptly, a few guild members worriedly watching as they go out, full of concern and new gossip.

Lucy had no idea what had just transpired. Everyone in the guild got along well, they were all friendly, even Loke that clearly had problems with her on a fundamental level treated her well. And yet… there were some that just didn't get along no matter what.

That was not a rivalry, not at all. That was pure, unbridled hatred.

(Lucy had to unfortunately admit– this place wasn't the harmonious home she imagined. And of course, that was to be expected– but she still feared it.)

(She feared that her illusion of freedom was being broken by reality.)

Gray's eyes were filled with a hollow, mortified realization– and she knew then, that whatever Natsu had said and whatever it meant to Gray– it wasn't going to be good.

"Cana," Gray says, and his voice is morbid. "Hold the fort while we're gone?"

Cana's behind the bar, pouring herself a drink. "Levy and I are home. We'll be fine. You don't push yourself too far either, alright?"

Gray turns toward Levy, who resolutely nods.

And then Gray breaks into a run, picking up his jacket from the floor. He had no idea where they went, but if he ran fast enough, he'll be able to catch up.

They were gone, and the guild hall collectively sighs in relief.

"Uh… so do they not get along?" Lucy asks, feeling dumb right after she says it. Of course they don't, she just saw as much.

Levy and Cana collectively drawls over the table.

"Master is gonna be so mad…"

"But… it sounded like where Natsu was going was dangerous," Lucy says. "Are you sure it's alright for Mira-san to go after him?"

"Oh, about that…" Levy chuckles. "You don't know, do you?" And then, at Lucy's confused look, Levy grins. "Mira may not be as strong as she used to be, but she is still one of the only four S-class mages in our guild, you know!"

"So what's going on?"

They were at the station, waiting for the train. Mira, giving in to Natsu's demands, had changed into more active clothing for travel, and was now in the process of tying her hair up.

"Oh, you're willing to hear me out now?" Natsu mutters, spiteful.

Gray fuels his hand with magic, wondering if a pike or a mallet would be more appropriate to smash his face in. "Okay, your highness, what do you want? A throne, a drink, or for me to lick your boots? What would satisfy our greatest high?"

Natsu's face scrunched right up in disgust, and Gray knew that if Natsu would look at him it would be with a glare that would make beasts cower. But he did nothing of the sort, simply looking away, arms crossed, and spitting his words spitefully.

"You're fucking unpleasant, you know that," he growls. "I'm only explaining all of this once– the iceberg that sealed Deliora in the ruins of Isvan is gone."

That gets a reaction from Gray– he straightens, hissing, exactly what he'd feared finally happening. "...Someone moved it out of the country."

"Someone's obviously trying to use the demon for something– break it out, or something."

"But the ice is unmeltable, there's no way they can–"

"They can," Natsu interrupts. He'd talked all about this with the Thunder Legion, and they had done all the tough pre-mission research at the Council library for him. It was a shame they had to leave, but they made sure Natsu had the information he needed before they went off. "At least, Freed said there was one. Moon Drip, it's an ancient magic that can corrode anything down to its magic equation."

"Wait– that means…! But then, it would be able to dispel anything!" Mirajane realizes, mortified. "A spell like that exists?"

"What?" Gray gapes. "First of all, why even–"

"Look, that's what I'm trying to ask you," Natsu interjects, even though it looks as if Gray is about to explode five times over just for Natsu's consistent interrupting. "You're the one that knows about it– why would anyone want to revive Deliora? Hell– how did they even know about it and why would they be trying to get rid of the ice?"

Something in that sentence catches Gray so off guard, he turns from his entire demeanor morphs from frantic brainstorming right into straight, visceral horror.

"...you've got an idea, Gray?" Mira asks.

Gray stays silent. Natsu sees that anxious, hesitant look on his face– and turns away, remembering the old rule Master enforced on him that told him he just wasn't allowed to pry. Whatever, then– Gray was coming along. That meant Natsu didn't need to learn the details.

"So are we headed to Isvan now?" Mira questions, "we'll need to find out where the cult went first? Or do we have any leads, Natsu? What's the plan?"

"We're going to Galuna Island," Natsu says. "Island of Demons, off the shores of Hargeon– it's the most ideal place to gather Moon Drip."