chapter eighteen: zeref's plan

"Now tell us what happened that you got yourself caught," Sting said.

"They wanted both me and Lucy. I told Lucy to take Happy, Lector and Frosch, and run, and let them take me. The guy that caught me had weird shadow magic. I couldn't move. So here I am again." Rogue collapsed against the back of his cell. "Why does Zeref need us?"

"He's got some sort of project he needs us and Lucy and Yukino for," Sting said. "Whatever it is, I don't like the idea of being a tool for him."

"Bring them in here," a male guard's voice said. The three of them went quiet. "They can have a cell together."

They watched as Lucy and Yukino were tossed into a cell. Their hands and ankles were tied together. Happy, Lector, and Frosch, who were all tied together, followed them not long after.

"I thought you said she got away!" Natsu yelled at Rogue.

"She did! I don't know what happened after they got me!" he yelled back.

"Don't blame him, Natsu," Lucy said. She sat up. "They had someone waiting. I didn't know."

Natsu slumped against the back wall of his cell. Are we underestimating them?

"What about Yukino?" Sting asked. "How did they get her?"

"She came to check on me, so they got us at the same time." Lucy sighed and fought back tears. "My carelessness caused Rogue and us to get caught. I'm so sorry."

"Hey, don't be like that." Natsu looked over towards where her voice was coming from. "It's not your fault at all."

As they were talking, they saw a man walk in front of their cells. Everyone fell silent as he passed. "So you said something about Zeref needing us and Lucy and Yukino for something," Rogue said to Sting.

"Yeah. By my count, they only need to get Gajeel and Wendy, and then whatever they're planning can be underway."

The male guard walked by in front of their cells again, and they went silent. A few minutes later, Zeref followed him and stopped outside of Natsu's cell. He glared at him with red, angry eyes.

"Natsu Dragneel."

Natsu stood up in his cell and grabbed the bars. "Zeref."

"I think I'll take you first. You seem to be the one with the most magic power."

Natsu's cell door unlocked and a pair of magic-blocking handcuffs appeared on his wrists. He braced himself inside his cell.

"Please put the Shadow Dragon Slayer and the White Dragon Slayer into their own cell. Leave the two Celestial Spirit wizards in their current cells," Zeref said. He turned and began walking away. "And bring the Fire Dragon Slayer with us."

Natsu turned to look at Rogue, who was being ushered into Sting's cell. Lucy and Yukino, who had just woken up, both stared wide-eyed at Natsu. Our safety depends on us obeying Zeref's every order. If I don't agree with him, it's all over. Dammit!

Natsu walked out of his cell quietly with a guard on each side. He glared at Zeref's back as he followed him down the stairs. The tension between them increased with each step, and the stairs finally opened out onto the main room. Zeref sat down at the head of a long table.

"Please, Natsu, sit," Zeref said, motioning to a chair at the other end.

"I'd rather stand, thanks," Natsu said.

"No, please sit. I insist."

Natsu flopped down in the chair and stared at the dark wizard. "Okay, so what is it you wanted me for?"

"To tell you my plan," Zeref smirked.

"Why are you telling me? I thought you were going to tell all of us."

"I thought I said that I was going to tell you once we got everyone?" Zeref said. He leaned against his hand.

"No, you did not. Besides, you don't have everyone. You're still missing two dragon slayers," Natsu pointed out to him.

"Oh yes, Gajeel and Wendy. They should be arriving soon."

Natsu's mouth dropped open. "You mean you got them?"

"Oh yes, it was very easy. Wendy wouldn't put up a fight. Gajeel, however, I will say did quite the opposite."

"What the hell are you playing at? Why did you need us?" Natsu yelled. The chair he was sitting in slammed to the floor as he stood up. "You obviously have something up your sleeve."

"I'm going to use the power of the first generation dragon slayers and the Celestial Spirit wizards to create a Celestial Dragon."

"A Celestial Dragon?" Natsu asked. "So that's why you wanted us?"

"Yes." Zeref stood up and walked around to where Natsu was standing. "And now that I have all of you, my plan will come to fruition very soon."

Natsu growled. "If you hurt any of us, especially Wendy, Lucy, and Yukino, I'll make you pay!"

"No promises." Zeref turned to the guards behind Natsu. "Please escort him back to his cell."

"Yes, sir!" The guards grabbed Natsu by the arms and began pulling him toward the door. "Don't bother fighting us; we're prepared to use force on you."

Natsu grumbled as he allowed himself to be led back up to his cell. He saw Gajeel in his empty cell, and Wendy crying in Lucy and Yukino's cell. He felt a shove from behind as one of the guards pushed him in. He turned around and looked at them. "Hey, what was that for?!"

"Hands," the guard demanded. Natsu stuck his hands out, and the guard unlocked his handcuffs. "You all are to stay in here until we come back to get you."

After the guards left, Lucy crawled over to Natsu. "So what happened?"

"He told me what he plans to do with us."

"Yeah? And what is that?" Gajeel asked.

"He said something about creating a Celestial Dragon. He didn't say much more about it than that he needed the first generation dragon slayers and the Celestial Spirit wizards to help make it."

"Creating a dragon using our combined magic? That's impossible!" Sting said.

"There's nothing we can do. He's already captured us, we can only wait it out now," Rogue said.

"Dammit!" Sting yelled.

"Getting mad isn't going to help anything," Yukino said. "We need to figure out what he could mean by Celestial Dragon."

"I think we all should rest," Wendy said. "It's getting dark outside, which means that it's almost nightfall."

"Wendy has a point. Let's all just rest for a bit. Maybe after we all have a bit more energy we can talk more," Lucy said. She pointed a finger at Natsu. "And that includes you."

"Okay, okay."

As they all settled in for an uncomfortable night, Rogue mulled things over in his head. A Celestial Dragon… how is this going to work?