Hey all! It's time fore another chapter! :D

I had a couple scenarios playing in my head, and had a hard time deciding which to use, so sorry for this 'late' update. In the last chapter, we saw a little glimpse of Zeref getting uncomfortable at some interesting info on Natsu, as well as our favorite pink headed boy using his newfound power to take down another. The middle section of this chapter was kind of weird for me, as to how it goes down and how some characters act.

Anyway, I hope you all have enjoyed the story so far, and PLEASE! PLEASE let me know how I did this time! If you have any questions on the plot or something that doesn't sit right with you, let me know!

Also, thank you, kashimoto7, I hope you enjoy the rest of this story as it progresses ^-^

NOW, on to the story! :D

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL OR ANY REAL WORLD REFERENCES IN THIS STORY!

Key for story(More will be added IF needed):

BOLD - anger, attacks

Italic - thoughts, dreams, other end(s) of a phone call, singing and song titles


By the time they got to the roof for lunch, everyone else was waiting for them. Multiple expressions were shared within the group, starting with Erza walking up to the pinkette and shaking him angrily.

"What the hell were you thinking, Natsu!?" she yelled. The blonde shuddered at her viciousness. "Erza, I already chewed him out."

This caused the redhead to stop, noticing Natsu looked rather dizzy. When he finally regained his balance before stumbling over his own feet, they all sat down. Erza explained they had already told the others about what happened last night, getting their word not to say anything. Natsu added in why he was caught on camera last night.

"Considering how you haven't been called out, it seems we're in the clear for now." said Jellal, "But I want to address another issue other than what happened to Natsu." He added, causing them all to look at him confused.

"Surly, you've sensed it, but he's not the only one with these… powers."

"What do you mean?" asked Mira.

Erza, Laxus, and Gajeel met his eyes, frowning. "So, it isn't just me." said Jellal, worry spreading over his face.

"I thought I sensed something different about you guys." added the pinkette.

"Would someone please explain!?" cried Lucy. "I'm not following. Are you talking about that guy Natsu fought last night?"

The bluenette shook his head. "When we were in that lab, Natsu wasn't the only one out of us given these powers." he said. "He was the only one to be awake when he was given his, as well as the first to awaken them."

"But something strikes me as strange." Erza questioned, gaining the group's attention. "I only sense the presence in all of us except Lucy."

"Really?" the blonde said. All the other heads nodded. The blonde sighed, relieved that no one messed with her DNA or whatever. Though it did come off as strange.

"There have been multiple missing persons reports lately." Levy chimed in. "I bet that Zeref is the one responsible."

Erza nodded. "It would make sense. But why?"

Natsu frowned. "I don't know, but there was something odd about that guy. I just can't put my finger on it."

"Other than the fact he kidnaps people to use as his guinea pigs? Oh my, you're so smart!" snickered Gajeel, earning a growl from the pinkette.

"Oi! Shut it!"

"Gihihi!" chucked Gajeel, earning a punch from Levy. "Knock it off you two!"

"Indeed, this is not a situation you should take lightly," said an elderly voice, causing all of them to shudder. As they turned, they saw a short, elderly man with a bushy white mustache, and matching hair around his head, standing on top of the doorway. He hopped down and walked towards them slowly, with a serious look on his face.

"P-Principal Dreyer!" squeaked Juvia. That name seemed familiar to her. Suddenly, her brain began to catch up, recalling her friends introductions. Her head shot to Laxus, remembering he had the same last name.

"Wait, you're related to the principal!?" she gasped.

The blond nodded at her. "Yeah, he's my grandfather." Lucy looked back at the old man.

"Oi, Gramps! How long have you been standing there?" growled Natsu.

"Since I heard about you all coming up here this morning, from Gray." he replied. "Though I am quite angry with you all for hiding this from me, it is understandable."

That last sentence threw them for a loop. Even Laxus looked confused. "What do you mean, old man?" he asked, stepping forward.

"What I mean is I understand why you'd hide you 'powers' from others, since I am in the same boat." he said, shocking them all.

"Let me explain. About ten years ago, the man named Zeref, approached me as a teenager here with research that blew my mind. It had drawn attention from multiple universities and corporations, but the risks that it involved were drastic. He claimed on being able to make a serum that could alter the DNA of a subject to give them power beyond what we could ever hope to achieve." he explained. "I, being the fool I was, agreed to let myself be one of his subjects. Little did I know he'd already had plenty. When I saw what he was doing, I threatened to shut him down, but he was one step ahead of me. He knocked me out, injected me with a serum, and disappeared. I haven;t heard a word about him in all this time until now." he frowned.

All of them were shocked. This man was kidnapping people, just for the sake of his research. This was inhumane and against the law, so how was he funding it?

"I want to help you kids." he said. "I will do so on one condition, that you will use these powers responsibly. Understood?"

They all nodded. "With that settled, I want you all to stay after school, so we may discuss this topic more." he said looking at his watch. "Run along to class now, don't want to be late, do you?"

With that, they all dashed down the stairs to their classes, hearing the end of lunch bell ring. Principal Dreyer stood alone until a boy appeared from behind the stairwell.

"Well Gramps, what did you want me to see in all that?" he grumbled.

"I wanted you to see the fact that they are all willing to help each other, like you should be willing to help them." he replied. "I'm sure they'd do the same for you."

Gray smirked. "What makes you say that?"

The elder man sighed. "I've watched you grow into the young man you are today, as well as the others, and I still don't understand why you turned your back on them. Especially Natsu."

"I didn't turn my back on him!" growled the noirette. "You know what he did!"

"I know nothing of the sort!" yelled the older man, tired of the bickering. Gray just huffed. "Gray, you know she decide to get on that bus, and that crash had nothing to do with him! And besides, do you really think he didn't suffer as well?"

Gray kept silent.

When he finally spoke, it was short and curt. "I don't care. I'm done here." he said, heading down the stairs.

The old man sighed. "You really are a stubborn one, especially when you're wrong. Don't you agree, Igneel?" he said.

A red haired man popped out from the tree. His black, leather jacket shining in the sun. "Just like his father was." he sighed. "Even when he's wrong, he's gotta be right."

"So then why don't you reveal yourself to Natsu?"

"You know why Makarov." he said, narrowing his eyes. "I can't show back up just yet. I know he waits for me every day, and it's painful to know, let alone watch." he grimaced.

"I just hope you succeed, before they get too involved."

"I think it'll build character!"

"You're an idiot, you know that?" sighed Makarov, causing the redhead to laugh.

"And you still worry too much! I'll get my job done, and soon everything will be as it should." His smile faded into a scowl. "But if that bastard, Zeref, harms him, he's going to die." growled the man as dark red scales grew on his arm.

"Do you think what happened to you will happen to him?" asked Makarov.

"Not if I can help it." replied Igneel. "I already made the antibody serum. An old friend of yours helped out." he said.

"Just don't let him see you."

"You just contradicted yourself, you know?" smirked the redhead.

"Shut up."


Sure enough, after school, the group of friends stayed behind like Principal Dreyar had asked. Lucy's father was concerned at first to hear this news, but Lucy assured him that nothing was wrong, which he was relieved to hear. She didn't like lying to her parents about this, but she couldn't just tell them that she and some of her friends were kidnapped by a man to use as laboratory experiments, giving them powers.

They found Principal Dreyar waiting for them in the cafeteria.

"So, what are we doing here exactly?" asked Natsu, curious to what the man wanted.

"So you can all show me your abilities."

"I hate to break it to you, but not all of 'us' are here." Natsu huffed. Lucy figured he meant Gray. Honestly, she hated seeing the two go at it, especially since they had been good friends before.

"Actually, that's where you're wrong, flame brain." came a voice from the hallway. They all turned around to see Gray, who was walking in with Loke.

"Oh great." muttered Natsu.

"You are all going to cooperate, whether you like it or not." growled Makarov. The two boys just glared at each other until Erza stepped between them, giving them both her own glare.

"Now, why don't we start with you, Natsu."

"Huh, why me?" he asked confused.

"Just step forward."

Doing as he was told, he stood before the short man, not sure of what to do. To their surprise, Makarov threw a punch at him. It wasn't just the action that shocked them though, it was the size. Makarov's fist had grown to the size of a small car, which Natsu narrowly managed to dodge.

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed, as his scales appeared. His now red eyes narrowed at the older man as he withdrew his hand and it shrunk to it's proper size. Makarov gaze over Natsu's form, nodding and humming in agreement with something. "I see." he said.

"And I don't fucking see! What the hell was that!?"

"That, Natsu, is my ability. It has been appropriately named: Giant." he said. "The one you possess, is actually similar to someone you know."

Natsu's, as well as the others' eyes widened. "Who?" he asked, curious.

"Beat me and show me your power. Then I might tell you." smirked the older man. Natsu cracked his knuckles, grinning. "Ha! Be ready to squawk-" It only took a second before another large punch was thrown his way, sending him flying into Laxus and Gajeel. The three toppled to the floor, with the projectile of them, groaning in pain.

"With that done, you're up next, Gajeel." Makarov announced, causing said person to gulp. "Fine." he grumbled as he got the pinkette off him, and walked toward the principal.

"Just relax and concentrate." said the man, throwing another one of his giant fists at the noirette. In a flash, the fist came into contact with the boy, yet he didn't move. Gajeel was now covered seemingly head to toe, in steel-like scales, unlike Natsu who had skin showing. His eyes were now an emerald green, instead of red. Like Natsu, if they hadn't seen him transform, they;d never have guessed it was him.

"Gihi!" chuckled the boy as Makarov nodded, impressed. "I came prepared for that." he said, lifting his feet, revealing spikes that allowed him to stay put.

"Very good, Gajeel. I see you also possess an ability similar to Natsu."

Laxus went up next, displaying a similar ability. His grey eyes turning yellow, and yellow scales appearing along his body, similar to Natsu, rather than his whole body like Gajeel. He was also able to manipulate electricity. Like Gajeel, he'd planned his strategy based on what he'd seen, but he disappeared in a flash, appearing behind his grandfather.

"I see you've had practice as well, Laxus." smiled Makarov. The blond only nodded, turning his skin back to normal and joining the others. Erza stepped up, staring the principal dead in the eyes.

"As menacing as ever, I see."

"Shall we?" said the redhead, as she got into a stance, as if she had a sword sheathed on her hip. As soon as Makarov nodded, Erza spoke. "Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor!" Her body was engulfed in light, until it died down revealing plated armor covering her chest, with a large metal flower over it. She was wearing a large billowing skirt that had metal plating in the upper area. Her stomach and neck were uncovered, and she had large metal wings that appear to be made of individual blades, as well as a wing-like headpiece. Her chocolate brown eyes had also changed to a golden color. In essence, she seemed like a warrior-like angel.

Makarov looked impressed with her ability, but nonetheless took that moment to launch his attack, this time sending both fists. Two swords appeared in her hands, which she crossed in front of her, effectively blocking his attack. When the man pulled his arms back, her armor began to glow and she returned to normal. She walked over to the group patting Jellal on the shoulder, who had been staring at her in awe.

"You're up." she said with a smile, snapping him out of his daze.

"R-Right." he said, stepping up. The others could tell he was nervous.

"Well? You gonna just stand there?" grumbled Gray. Natsu would have pounced on him if not for Laxus, Gajeel, and Elfman holding him back.

"Natsu, relax." said Jellal, looking at his friend. Natsu grunted, but backed off causing Gray to smirk.

"Gray." Makarov warned, before turning back to the bluenette in front of them. He knelt to the ground, confusing the elder man until a strange design appeared on the floor. It seemed to be a complexly designed circle. His eyes had completely changed to be entirely glowing yellow. A red tattoo-ish mark started to form down from the right side of his forehead, over his eye and midway to his cheek.

His words were spoken softly as a breeze swept through. "Meteor."

A bright aura surrounded him as he began to hover, then proceed to bolt around the room. Their principal watched his movements, then thrust his arm out, causing the bluenette to smash right into it, ending the amazing display. By the time he hit the floor, he'd turned back to normal, except for his now green face.

"Urgh…" was all that came out of his mouth before Gray burst out laughing. The others, except Loke, glared at him as he began walking up to Principal Dreyar. "It's been fun watching all of your attempts to control what that scientist gave you, but I think it's about time I end this little get-together." He strode towards the now annoyed Makarov, who prepared to attack, when the air temperature suddenly dropped. Lucy could see her breath immediately, as well as the others.

Is this Gray's doing? She wondered.

"I've done my homework on my powers already, giving me an advantage." he said, shedding his shirt, causing some to question what he was doing. His hair, previously tamed, seemed stick up giving it a much wilder look, except for two short strands that hung over the right side of his face. On his right arm forearm, black markings appeared, that slowly began to expand and cover it completely, seeping up his whole arm and beginning to cover his right side of his body. Some of this marking even seeped up his neck, creating a scar-like appearance over his right eye. His previously bluish-grey eyes were now glowing an icy blue. A strange feeling came over the others as he stepped closer to their principal as he attacked the boy.

The noirette smirked. Raising his blackened hand, he spoke. "Ice Devil's Zeroth Destruction Fist!" he growled as a purplish ice formed around his forearm into a gauntlet. His fist met Makarov's, stopping it in its tracks. But a couple seconds began to form around the the principles fist, causing him to pull away and shrink his hand. He shook it as Gray returned to normal. All the others were in shock, considering none over them had really done any damage to the older man, except for Gray. The subject of their shock began to put his shirt back on, and walked out of the cafeteria with Loke. Not before saying one final insult.

"With that, don't come back asking me to join some little club or whatever. I could care less."

Before Natsu had the chance to go after him, Makarov grunted. He seemed concerned, but dismissed it. "Now that I have an idea on what you six can do," he grumbled, "I think it's time to call it a night. Go home and rest up."


The rest of that week, they stayed after school, which caused Lucy's father to be a little worried about the reason why. She assured him she wasn't in trouble, telling him that she and her friends were just spending time together, thinking of coming up with a club. With Natsu to back her up, he relaxed, though Wendy seemed to be a little worried no matter what she said. Gray and Loke never showed up, but that was to be expected. She wondered why Gray felt the need to blame Natsu for Lisanna's death, though she remembered Natsu saying he liked the girl, meaning part of it was jealousy.

Time flew by, and soon enough, it was the day before Halloween. It seemed that she and her friends had gotten much closer, almost like a family away from home. But something in Gray also changed. Although he still seemed hostile towards Natsu, he began interacting with the other members of their group, especially her. She didn't understand why, but he actually seemed to be acting like himself. She could tell he wasn't faking it, by the expressions he held. It was kind of nice to see him like that, though as soon as she mentioned anything even remotely related to Natsu, he'd seem to get antsy and annoyed, though he tried to hide it.

He wasn't the only one though. The pinkette she lived with, seemed to be more cheerful when around his friends. He'd originally been happy to have them, but hadn't completely let them into his life, despite sharing their days together and basically spilling all his troubles to them when he'd initially told Lucy. The teachers were even surprised. She was glad to see him like this. The only thing that didn't change was when Gray was around. His face would instantly go from a joyful to one of annoyance. Why couldn't they just try to get along? Something that caught her eye about his behavior in regards to the noirette, was when Gray was around her. He seemed displeased, even downright angry. When she'd turn his way fully, he just acted like there was nothing wrong, but she knew otherwise.

The Thursday on which Halloween began, Lucy, Natsu, and her family were decorating the house. Wendy was upset considering she couldn't go trick-or-treating with the older kids, because their little group decided to go to a haunted maze. The blonde was skeptical at first, considering she didn't handle scares too well, but Natsu finally convinced her to join them. Her mother offered to drive them there and pick them up. After their little group field trip to the maze, they planned on all coming over to her house to hang out for the rest of the evening.

When Claire dropped them off, they saw their group of friends waiting for them. She swore that Laxus and Mira were standing quite close, as well as Erza and Jellal. Levy seemed to be arguing with Gajeel, who was laughing at her temper. Juvia, out of all of them, seemed slightly depressed. Lucy felt bad, since she knew the bluenette wanted Gray to be there. When a black Ford Mustang pulled into the parking lot, she was confused, but her jaw dropped when she saw who got out of the driver's side.

If you speak of the devil, he shall appear. She thought, sweat dropping.

Gray walked out, locking the vehicle, and strode over to them, wearing a black leather jacket, with a dark pair of blue jeans. He waved at them with a neutral face, in which she waved back, not knowing how to respond. Natsu's head whipped around when Juvia shouted his name, welcoming him.

"What are you doing here?"asked the pinkette, slightly hostile.

"What else would I be doing here, Natsu?" he said, causing everyone to gasp.

Natsu, being the most surprised, looked like he'd seen a ghost. "Did yo-"

"Just take it or leave it." sighed the noirette, heading over to Lucy. She was surprised at his choice of words. Normally, he'd always call the pinkette some nickname that was meant to start a fight, never really calling him by his first name. When said boy recovered from his shock, he joined them, but hesitated to accept the boy's greeting. When they went to pay, they were told to pair off, so they drew straws.

The pairs were as follows:

Mira and Erza.

Jellal and Gajeel.

Levy and Laxus.

Juvia and Lucy.

Elfman and Cana.

And finally, Gray and Natsu. On that note, they decided to redraw, considering the unhappy faces the boys shared. In the end, Lucy was paired up with the noirette. She glanced out of the corner of her eye, seeing Natsu was even more unhappy with the decision, causing him to wonder why. His new partner was Levy, who in honesty was a much better partner for him than Gray, so why was he upset. She was worried, but dismissed it when they entered. For now, she'd have to try and stay composed when walking through the maze on this night.

Why do I have a bad feeling about tonight? She wondered as she and the noirette entered.


That's a wrap! I really hope you enjoyed and sorry if it came out weird!

Again, I was having a hard time on how this part of the story will play out, but I decided to give it a little time skip at the end. :3

Now what's up with the change in attitude from Natsu and Gray? What's this bad feeling Lucy has about this night? Halloween is quite the holiday in which anything could happen! Also, for those who can see shipping teasers here, I kind of hate myself for it. HOWEVER! This will relate to the plot. The next chapter will continue right where we left off, so stay tuned to find out what happens! :D

Song(s) in this chapter:

- None this Chapter! :P

New character's ages in this chapter:

- Makarov: 81

- Igneel: 58

FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A REVIEW OR A QUESTION IN EITHER THE REVIEW SECTION OR IN A PM, AND THANKS FOR READING! :D