Gray Fullbuster sat at a table in the guildhall along with Lucy and Wendy, with Happy and Carla nearby. Today was the day they had agreed to leave on their journey to Bosco. Mystogan, as usual, was less sociable and was not with them. But he assured them he would join them later on when it was time to go. Gray couldn't wait to leave. But there was something he did have to wait for first.
Boudica had told them they would send someone over today, and Makarov had decided to go along with that. Gray wanted to be around when that happened, just in case they started something again. So, he waited there at the guild like everyone else. He had gotten there earlier than usual. He didn't know when these people were supposed to show up, so he made sure to arrive early to be safe. He had asked his companions to do likewise. So, they were all there shortly after sunrise. Wendy looked anxious, and lost in thought. Lucy just looked tired.
"Couldn't sleep?" Gray asked. Lucy's only response was a low groan, while she propped her head up with her hand as her elbow rested on the table. Gray just shrugged. "I wonder how long we're going to have to wait around for?" he said.
"Maybe they won't show up." Wendy said. "Maybe they changed their minds."
"I doubt it." Gray said.
"I need coffee." Lucy interjected. She got up and walked off, presumably to find something caffeinated. They spent another hour waiting around there, as other guild members gradually showed up. Makarov was never far the whole time, moving in and out of the main hall. But Gray and company mostly sat in silence. Finally, Wendy said, "At least it's a nice day out." It was in fact a bright, sunny day. Gray actually thought it was a little too bright. The annoyingly bright sun contradicted his anxious mood.
"Yeah, its always nice to see the sun." he said aloud. He didn't want to make Wendy feel bad just because he was on edge.
"Someone's coming." It was Alzack who said this, as he descended the stairs from a higher level. He and Bisca had been watching up there. "It's them." Bisca confirmed. "It doesn't look like there's a lot of them though." Everyone in the guild stopped what they were doing and got ready. Especially Makarov, who quickly made his way to the front.
"Keep your guns trained in case." He told both of them. "Be ready for anything." He said to everyone else.
"I'm ready." Gray said. The front door was opened, and they were prepared for another possible fight. This time, they wouldn't be caught off guard.
What they saw walking towards the guild was indeed a small number of people. It didn't look like an attack force. There were only half a dozen of them, and the majority just appeared to be Boudica's robed followers. This caused some in the guild to relax, feeling that maybe the other group really had come just to talk. Gray and Makarov were still on guard though. Bisca had her rifle ready just in case.
Aside from the followers, there were only two other people approaching the guild, both of whom were quickly recognized by Fairy Tail. At the front of the group was the young woman calling herself Angel. She was dressed in her usual white attire with feathers, and walked towards the guild with a confident and purposeful swagger. A little further back was a smaller, but still distinctive figure. It was Seraiisa, dressed in her own robe with symbols. This time, the symbols were not glowing, suggesting that Seraiisa had not prepared any magic.
Gray, Wendy, and Lucy had gathered at the entrance to the guild. Mirajane and Elfman joined them as soon as they heard what was happening. Alzack and Bisca stood at different windows, trying to stay hidden. They all waited there, uncertain how this would play out. The group led by Angel stopped a few yards away from Fairy Tail. Angel stood with her hands on her hips and looked the building over.
"So, this is what it looks like in the daytime." Angel said, referring to the guild hall. "It still looks ugly and tacky. A fitting home for Fairy Tail, actually."
"So, you're the envoy they sent?" Mirajane was the one who said this. Her tone was humorless. Angel noticed her for the first time, and looked a little startled. She remembered her previous encounter with Mirajane, just as Mirajane remembered her.
"Um, yes I am." Angel said, suddenly becoming less talkative. She avoided eye contact with Mirajane, and appeared to pout.
Mirajane then turned her attention to Seraiisa. "Its good to see you again Seraiisa." She said this sincerely, but with a note of sadness in her voice.
"Good to see you too, Mira." The little girl said. "You know, I specifically asked to come here today so I could see you. I'd like us to be friends again."
"Oh. Well, that would be nice." Mirajane said. Her voice was uncertain as she said it, and her expression was a little pained as well. Elfman noticed his sister's reactions to Seraiisa. He remembered that Seraiisa showing up used to make Mirajane happy, but now it only seemed to make her sad.
Makarov stepped outside to meet their "guests". "I am Fairy Tail's master, Makarov Dryer." He said. "Whatever it is you came to say, say it now."
Angel folded her arms. "Straight to the point. That's good. No time wasting. Boudica wants to meet with you, Master Makarov. In two days, at a town called Oshibana."
Makarov knew that town. It was where he and other Fairy Tail members had traveled to deal with the dark guild Eisenwald. It wasn't too far from Magnolia. While they had been there before, no one at Fairy Tail was overly familiar with the town since they were busy dealing with a crisis at the time, and didn't get a chance to go sight-seeing. Makarov doubted that this time would be much different.
"And where exactly in Oshibana are we supposed to meet?" Makarov asked.
"At a church near the center of town. You can follow these directions." Angel said. She pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to the master. He looked it over, and nodded slowly.
"I see." Was all he said. For a moment there was silence.
"Well, do you agree or not?" Angel said with some impatience. Makarov put the paper away.
"First, I want to know how many people we should bring, and how many you'll be bringing." He said.
"Bring as many as you want." She said, waving her hand. Makarov was surprised by this. He was about to respond when he heard a hushed voice near him.
"Hey gramps, check out two o' clock." It was Bisca who said this. She was standing behind a wall, just out of sight of the other side. But Makarov could hear her. Makarov took a step back to get closer to her, and then looked in the direction she said.
"I don't see anything." He said in a low voice.
"Look closely, it can be hard to spot." She said. He did look closer, at a nearby building. After looking a moment, he saw something on the roof. It was small and metallic, and blended in with the color of the building. It was some kind of insect-like machine. It wasn't doing much, but it seemed to be observing them somehow. Makarov had thought it was strange that the "guests" had brought so few people, and guessed that they must have backup nearby somewhere. This seemed to confirm it.
"What's going on?" Angel said. "What are you muttering?"
"Nothing." Makarov said. "We'll meet in two days. I won't bring the whole guild though."
Angel looked at the group assembled. She glanced at Mirajane. "I assume the demon is coming?" she remarked.
"Yes, she is." Mirajane said. "I'll look forward to seeing you there." Angel looked nonplussed at this.
"I'm coming too." Elfman added.
"Great." Angel said sarcastically. Wendy then stepped forward.
"I'll be there too, right?" she said. Mirajane nodded and smiled.
"Hey, I never saw you before." Seraiisa suddenly said, speaking to Wendy. Seraiisa stepped forward to get a better look at her, which caused Wendy to take a step back. "I didn't know you guys had someone my age here. I didn't see her here before."
"Wendy is a new member." Mirajane said. Seraiisa seemed intrigued by this.
"I'm looking forward to seeing you there, Wendy." Seraiisa said. "You too, Mira." She didn't acknowledge Elfman.
"Enough of this. Its time to go." Angel said. Angel turned on her heel and started walking away, followed by the robes. Seraiisa looked slightly reluctant, but joined them. Fairy Tail watched as they departed, turning a corner out of their sight.
"That went better than I thought it might." Mirajane said.
"It's got to be a trap." Gray said.
"There's a good chance of that." Makarov said. "We'll just have to be extra careful, and be prepared for all eventualities." Gray seemed dissatisfied with this response.
Bisca stepped outside to join them. "You should know, I spotted a few more of those metal critters around. Don't know what they were for, but I don't like 'em. They're gone now though."
"You've got good eyes." Gray said.
"I better, since I need them for shooting." She said. Interrupting their conversation, someone else came walking towards the guild. It was not the same group as before. Instead, it was Lahar and his rune knights. They quickly walked up to the guild purposefully.
"I am Lahar, sent by the magic council." He said loudly, to make it instantly clear who he was. He quickly noted his title, and his purpose for being there. "I told Miss Heartfilia I would be coming today. She told you that, didn't she?" Lucy, standing further in the back, didn't respond, but just looked annoyed.
"She did." Makarov replied. "You wanted to see me? Here I am. I seem to be pretty popular today."
"You're supposed to meet with the Bosco invaders today, correct?" he said.
"I was, and I did." Makarov responded. "You just missed them."
"Oh, really?" Lahar said skeptically. "Then you won't mind if I wait around here for them?"
"I don't, but you'll be wasting your time." Makarov said. Before Lahar could answer, a sound was heard not too far. It was something loud, that carried through the air. As they all turned to look, an airship could be seen lifting into the air and taking off.
"That should be them." Makarov said. "Maybe you can still catch them."
Lahar frowned, and turned back to Makarov. "So, you spoke with them?" he said. "Even after they attacked your guild? Don't tell me you agreed to ally with them."
Makarov's face darkened. "I did no such thing. I had my reasons for agreeing to meet them."
"Such as?" Lahar said. Makarov paused.
"I can't tell you that." He said. Lahar put his hand to his head and closed his eyes. He was becoming visibly annoyed.
"Listen here. These people are considered enemies of Fiore. If the council feels that you're colluding with them, then that will be taken very seriously. Just the fact that you spoke with them today…"
"Hey, you listen." Gray interjected. "Fairy tail has helped out the magic council before, and plenty of other people too. Remember Eisenwald? The Tower of Heaven? The Oracion Seis? We've helped out plenty." Gray might not have agreed with some of Makarov's decisions, but he still felt obligated to stand up for his master and his guild.
Lahar gave Gray a withering glance. "Yes, I know." He said. "And that's the only reason why we're not arresting you right now. You have caused problems in the past, but your guild has also done its share of good. However, if you continue to meet with these invaders, then you can expect no help from the council in the future. If you meet with them again, and things go badly for you, then you're on your own. And if you ally with them, then you will be our enemy, and we will come after you. Is that clear?"
Makarov gazed at him, matching his glare. "Crystal." He replied.
"Good." Lahar said. "I hope you'll make the right choice, or the next time we meet it will be as enemies. Good day." Lahar then turned and marched off, followed closely by his knights.
For the first time in quite a while, Lisanna found herself in the garden outside the grey building. It was peaceful there, and picturesque, and nature was on full display. And yet, she found herself uncomfortable there now. She hadn't intended on coming back there. The only reason she did was because someone had asked her to. No, not just someone. Natsu. He had asked her to come. At least, that's what she had heard him say.
Earlier that day, she had been walking around inside the main building. She had been observing Boudica's followers, watching them. She was trying to get a better understanding of their beliefs, and their lives. She was wandering around looking at their activities (prayers, conversations) when she suddenly saw Natsu walking towards her. This caught her off guard. She hadn't spoken to him since the night they kissed.
"Natsu…" she said, unsure of how to start a conversation with him. But he kept walking. However, as he passed her, he said one thing in a low voice: "Be in the garden in a few hours, we'll talk there." This is what she heard him say. Although, he said it quickly and quietly so she couldn't be completely sure. He then walked by without saying another word, leaving her confused.
Now, Lisanna found herself waiting in the garden for him. It had been almost an hour by that point. She was starting to worry that she had misheard him. Which would mean that not only was she wasting her time there, but it also meant that she wouldn't get to talk to him.
I guess its not the end of the world, she thought. I'm sure I'll have other chances to talk to him. And I do have other things to worry about. Like, whether I want to stay here or go back to Fairy Tail. I told Boudica I would help her, but is that really the right thing to do? And what about my sister? And…
She was about to think of Elfman. But every time she thought about him, she was reminded of how he killed her. Boudica had also reminded her of that on several occasions. She sighed. This is all so hard to figure out.
Lisanna decided that she would wait for Natsu a while longer. If he didn't show up, she would go back to trying to learn about the people here. And maybe learn more about Boudica in the process. But there was still a part of her mind that was preoccupied with Natsu. She knew she cared about him. Maybe even loved him Am I in love with him? A difficult question to answer for someone who had never been in love before.
"Hey, Lisanna." She heard a voice say behind her. She quickly turned to face the entrance. It was Natsu. Upon seeing him, Lisanna felt her heart skip a beat again. She tried not to let it show though. He stood at the entrance for a moment, looked behind him, and then quickly walked into the garden with her.
"Kept you waiting?" he said. He smiled lightly at her. He seemed glad to see her, which she wasn't necessarily expecting. After how they left last time, she wasn't sure what he was thinking.
"A little." She replied.
Natsu stood there for a moment, and the smile left his face. "I'm sorry." He said.
"Its not that big a deal, I wasn't waiting that long." Lisanna said. She didn't want to admit that she had waited for at least an hour, and had been prepared to wait even longer for him. Somehow, she felt it was a little embarrassing to admit that.
"No." Natsu answered. "I mean, I'm sorry for the other night. Walking out on you like that. Lisanna…" Without warning, Natsu wrapped his arms around Lisanna. She was not expecting that at all. He hugged her. Lisanna blushed a little, and instinctually put her hands up, not sure how to react. They stayed like that for several seconds, and then Lisanna slowly put her arms around him too. She decided this felt nice, their bodies pressed together. It was warm, and comforting.
"Everything's just been so complicated." Natsu continued after a minute. "I don't know what to do. If it was just a matter of kicking someone's ass, I could take care of that right now. But it's not that simple."
Lisanna took a step back from Natsu. As much as she enjoyed being close to him, she felt it was important to look him in the eye right then. "Is there any way we can uncomplicate it? Make it simple? Maybe if you talk to me, we can figure it out together. You can trust me, Natsu."
Natsu nodded, but looked down at the ground. "I know. I've wanted to talk to you. I've wanted to tell you so much. But I can't."
"You can." Lisanna urged. "Right now."
"I'm being watched." He replied. "All the time. They're watching me. The robes. And others too. They don't want me telling you things."
"They don't?" she said.
Natsu looked her in the eye, and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Boudica doesn't." Lisanna stared for a moment. Lisanna had come to have conflicted feelings about Boudica lately. But she still had a hard time conceiving why Boudica wouldn't want her and Natsu talking. However, she also trusted Natsu implicitly. If Natsu said he's being watched to keep him from talking, then she believed him.
"Okay." She said. "Why doesn't she want you to tell me anything? We're alone here, you can speak."
"What's going on here?" another voice said. Natsu and Lisanna both turned. There was a man in the doorway. He had spikey hair, a white jacket, and a cocky grin. It was Cobra.
"You." Natsu said, stepping away from Lisanna.
"Me." Cobra said. "And you two. What are you doing?"
"None of your damn business." Natsu spat.
Lisanna stood by, a little confused. "Uh, who is this guy?"
Cobra turned to look at her, still grinning. "Name's Cobra. At least, that's what I've been going by." He sounded a little uncomfortable as he said this last part. "And what was your name again?"
"You don't have to answer him." Natsu said.
"I'm Lisanna." She said, despite Natsu. "Just so you know, we were having a private conversation, and you're bothering us. Could you please leave?"
Cobra laughed and shook his head. "No can do, little miss. I've got a job to do."
"Its your job to bother us?" Lisanna said.
"Listen girly…" Cobra began.
"Her name is Lisanna." Natsu growled. Cobra rolled his eyes.
"Okay Lisanna. Maybe you don't realize this, but Natsu here is dangerous. You've seen him acting strangely, and having those weird eyes. There's something not right with him. He could hurt you if you're not careful."
"That's bullshit and you know it." Natsu said angrily, stepping closer to Cobra. They were only a foot apart now. "If you've got a problem, we can settle this like men, here and now."
Cobra didn't flinch. He looked Natsu square in the eye. "If we fight, then that's going to end in one of two ways. One: I kick your ass, and embarrass you in front of your girlfriend. Two: you somehow manage to beat me, which ain't gonna happen by the way. But if it did, then you-know-who would hear about it, and you can forget about seeing your friend Erza again. From what I'm told, you're on thin ice as it is."
Natsu grit his teeth, but said nothing. Lisanna narrowed her eyes at Cobra's statement. "What you said about Erza, what's that supposed to mean?" she said. "Is Boudica threatening Natsu?"
Cobra continued eying Natsu, but answered her. "Now, I didn't say that. Natsu just needs to learn to behave himself, that's all. I mean, if he's not stable, then he's not ready to bring anyone back. That's what I hear, anyway. But hey, if he wants to fight, here I am." Natsu stood there, visibly seething. His fists were clenched.
"Natsu…" Lisanna said.
He turned his head to her. "Sorry Lisanna, but I need to get the hell out of here. Right now." Without saying another word, he quickly moved past Cobra and left the garden. Cobra watched him go, and shrugged. Lisanna stood there and said nothing. Internally, she decided she didn't like Cobra.
"By the way." The dragon slayer said. "Boudica wants to talk to you, asap."
"Why?" Lisanna said cautiously.
"I'm sure she'll fill you in on all the details herself." He said. "All I know is, she wants you to go on a trip with her."
"A trip?" Lisanna repeated. She had no idea what that meant. She would soon find out though.
Later that day, at Fairy Tail; Gray, Lucy, Happy, and Mystogan were all preparing to leave for Bosco. They had told people that they had taken a job together, and would be gone a while. People around the guild seemed to accept this. Boudica had made it clear she didn't want Gray at the meeting, so it was understandable why he wouldn't be there. Nobody expected Mystogan to openly attend something like that either, given his nature. And Lucy was Gray's friend and often teammate. So, there it was.
Even though Wendy wasn't going, she was there to see them off. They were all gathered in the main hall. The group had just finished packing supplies they might need, and Wendy stood there in front of them with arms folded behind her back. Carla stood beside her.
"I kinda wish I was going with you guys." Wendy said. "But Master Makarov thought it was important for me to go to Oshibana with him and the others. I know it is important. Its still bad timing though."
"Yeah, but the timing is kind of the whole point." Gray said. "We need to head to Bosco while everyone is distracted with this so-called meeting. Hopefully, they won't be expecting us to show up there and their guard will be down."
"Yeah, that makes sense." Wendy said, but still with a little regret.
"You can come with us next time, Wendy." Lucy said. "I'm sure there will be more chances in the future."
"Thanks." Wendy replied.
"This is all well and good, but are you sure you want me to go with them, Wendy?" Carla decided to speak up.
"Yeah, I think you could help them." Wendy said.
"What if you need help?" Carla said.
"I think I'll be fine without you, just this once."
"I hope you're right. I'm still a little uneasy with this arrangement, but it's your decision."
At that point, Gray put on a backpack he had brought, and the others readied their own supplies. "Everyone ready?" he asked.
"I'm not." Someone said. The group turned. Standing several feet away was Master Makarov. He looked unhappy.
"Hey master, we were just getting ready to leave on this job, so…" Gray said.
"Gray, I'd like to have a word with you. In private." Makarov replied. The group exchanged concerned glances. Gray reluctantly took off his backpack and said, "Fine. But it has to be quick, we have a train to catch."
"I'll try not to keep you." The master said facetiously. Makarov walked towards a nearby room with a door, and Gray followed behind. Once inside, the door was shut behind them to give them privacy.
"Okay, what's wrong?" Gray said. Gray stood there, slightly impatient, but also a little nervous. He had a bad feeling about the master calling him in here like this right as they were about to leave. And that bad feeling was immediately justified.
"I know about the trip to Bosco you're planning Gray." Makarov said. Unlike Gray, Makarov had chosen to sit down for this talk. He appeared to be collecting his thoughts.
Gray didn't know how to respond to what Makarov had just said. He knew there was a chance Makarov would find out, but the suddenness of this still unbalanced him. "Uh, well. Look master…" Makarov held up a hand.
"I don't like being lied to, Gray. As the master of this guild, I want to know what's going on around here. Like, several of the guild members travelling to a foreign country to invade an enemy base at the same time I'm supposed to be meeting with their leaders. That's not something I like to be surprised with."
Gray looked down at the ground. He was starting to regret not just going sooner. "Are you going to forbid us from going?"
Makarov tented his fingers. "No, I won't do that. Believe it or not, I'm fine with you going. I actually think it's a good idea to engage the enemy on multiple fronts, instead of putting all of our eggs into one basket. I just didn't like being lied to. You should have talked to me about it first."
Gray looked up at the master warily. He wasn't expecting that response, and still had a hard time believing it. "I… thought that if I talked to you about it, you'd probably say no."
"If I did say no then I would have a good reason for doing so, and you should listen to me. I didn't get to be guild master for nothing you know. I've been doing this for a long time, Gray."
"I know that." Gray said. "Its just, everything has felt so off for a while. I guess I'm finding it harder to trust other people. But I'll keep you in the loop from now on."
"You better." Makarov said. He then stood up, and put his hands behind his back. His expression became serious again. "There's just one more thing I want to talk to you about. But it has to stay between us, at least for now. You can't tell anyone else, not even Lucy or Mystogan when you're gone."
Gray wasn't sure where this was heading. He felt uncomfortable keeping secrets from his team, but as the master said, he wouldn't ask it if he didn't have a good reason for it. "Okay, I won't tell anyone." He said slowly. "So, what is it?"
Makarov turned and looked out a window. He sighed. He stood there for several moments saying nothing. Gray was starting to wonder of he had gotten lost in thought about something. Gray was about to ask the question a second time when Makarov spoke.
"Gray… do you ever think about Natsu?" the master said.
"…Natsu?" Gray said. He wasn't sure why the master was bringing Natsu up now. "What about him?"
"Do you ever wonder what happened to him?" Makarov said. "Where he went after he left the guild?"
"I mean, I've thought about it a few times, sure. But at the end of the day, he abandoned us. Walked out, without saying a word. As far as I'm concerned, he can go to hell."
"Hmm." Makarov said. He turned to face Gray. "Several months ago, Natsu and I had a conversation. This was shortly after we had lost Erza. Natsu had made it clear that he was unable to accept her death."
"Yeah, I remember him saying stuff like that." Gray said. He remembered Natsu trashing Erza's funeral, which still made him angry to think about.
Makarov continued. "He told me that he wanted to bring Erza back. And that, somehow, he had heard of a way for that to happen. It seemed like he knew someone who could help him. I asked him to elaborate, but he wouldn't. I didn't get a chance to speak further with him on that subject. But I knew that the only way Natsu could possibly accomplish this was through dark magic. I warned him about the dangers of that, but he didn't want to listen." The master paused briefly, becoming a little emotional. He then continued again.
"On the night Natsu left, he spoke with Lucy. He told her that he intended to leave that night. Erza played a part in that decision. He said that he was going to make things better. He had asked Lucy not to tell anyone about this immediately, and she complied. She waited. Sometime after, she told me, and I asked her to keep this to herself for the time being."
"Then, this mysterious group shows up. They came from Bosco, and were performing experiments to raise the dead. Including humans. Initially, I thought this was probably just a coincidence. I had a hard time believing that this was in any way connected to Natsu. But then, Mystogan told us that he saw Lisanna. Lisanna, who had been dead for quite a while. He saw her in Bosco, with this same force that had been antagonizing us. Now, this doesn't necessarily prove that Natsu is involved, but it seems like too big a coincidence to discount it. So now, you and Lucy and Mystogan, along with Happy and Carla, are going to Bosco. And I can't say who or what you may find there. You may find Natsu. You may even find Erza. I'm not sure if I'm hoping you don't find them there, or if I'm hoping you do." Makarov stopped talking, and just stood there silently. He bowed his head. "Well, there you have it." He finished. He stood waiting for a response from Gray.
Gray also stood silent. He listened to most of Makarov's explanation without saying a word. It was a lot to take in all at once. Several questions had possibly just been answered for gray, although it also brought up more questions. He didn't know what to believe.
"I'm sorry to spring all of this on you at the last minute." Makarov said. "But since you decided to go to Bosco, I felt you should know. Remember, we still don't know for sure if Natsu is involved in this. And if he is, he might not be a willing participant."
"I… don't know what to think." Gray spoke. "People have died because of all this. The kingdom has been turned upside down. If Natsu had anything to do with this…" Gray let that thought hang.
"Gray, I want you to remember one thing." Makarov said. "Fairy Tail is a family. We all have a bond with each other. I don't believe that Natsu would ever deliberately do anything to hurt Fairy Tail. Whatever you find in Bosco, just remember that. We're a family."
Gray listened to the master's words, but his head was still spinning from these revelations. "I… I'm going to need some time to think about this. Sort this through."
Makarov nodded. "I'm sure you do. Unfortunately, you have a train to catch. So, you're going to have to sort it through on the way to Bosco. Unless of course you want to cancel this mission. I'll understand if you do, but there's no telling if we'll get another chance for this." It only took Gray a few seconds to decide.
"No. I'm still going. I'll just deal with it. But are you sure I can't tell Lucy or Happy? I think they'd want to know."
"I know that." Makarov said. "However, if they know then they would likely be focused exclusively on finding Natsu, and prioritizing that. I still don't know for sure if Natsu is actually there. Or if he's still alive. Or if he's still in his right mind if he is. I don't know any of that. So, until we do know, just keep this close to the vest. If you do find him there, then you can decide how to handle that when it happens."
Gray took a deep breath. "Okay. Fine. Is there anything else?" Makarov shook his head.
"No, that's it. Except… good luck. To all of you."
Gray nodded, and opened the door. He left the room, and rejoined his team. A few minutes later, they all left for the train station.
Several hours later, Gray and the others sat on a train heading for the edge of Fiore. Mystogan accompanied them to the station, but then parted ways with them as he said he would. He promised to meet them at their destination. Gray, Happy, and Lucy were all sitting in a booth together, while Carla was resting elsewhere.
The group talked a little, but for the most part Gray was relatively quiet. He was preoccupied with thoughts of what the master had told him. He had never been overly fond of Natsu, but he still found it a little hard to believe that Natsu would be involved in what was going on. The thought of it seemed like a stretch to him. And yet, there was Lisanna…
He didn't know what to make of it. He felt that if he did find Natsu there, then things would probably go south fast. There was nothing to be done about it at that point, so he decided he would just cross whatever bridge he came across when he got to it. In the meantime, he just looked out the window watching the scenery speed by as they moved further from Magnolia and closer to Bosco, and whatever awaited them there.
Endnotes: I'll try to have the next chapter out a little sooner. Although, it's going to be a big one, so it will likely take some time. I might even need to split it into two chapters again.
