Notes: I started writing this story two years ago as of this writing. It's taking long because I decided to make this an ensemble that focuses on a large group. I also wanted to give more focus to some characters that I felt were underutilized in canon, like Flare, Mystogan, and Lisanna. If I had chosen to focus on a small group of characters instead, then I probably could have been finished writing this by now.

As for when I will be finished; I'm guessing that the story will probably be done around the 300,000 word mark, give or take. That is just a guess though. It could end up being shorter than that, or longer. There are also other stories (not Fairy Tail related) I want to write as well. I might start working on another story soon. I'll still continue to work on this one though. I guess I would have to work on them at the same time.


Natsu unleashed a swath of flames at the group in front of him. They were blown back several feet, and cried out as they were burned. He then quickly let loose several blasts to one side, then the other, with similar results. He was doing good, but they were many, and he was one. Or rather two, with Lisanna nearby.

The two of them were at the border to Fiore, having managed to make it that far without major incidents. However, once they got to the border, they found that there was a surprisingly large number of border guards, and even some rune knights. It wasn't clear if they were simply guarding the border or preparing some kind of military invasion. Either way, that wasn't what Natsu and Lisanna were concerned about right then. They wanted to get back into Fiore, and back to Fairy Tail. The guards were in their way. They decided to try flying over with Lisanna's bat form again, which seemed sensible enough. Unfortunately, the guards had taken precaution against even ariel entry. The guards had magic weapons that could fire into the air. There was also something in the sky that the two ran into. It was some kind of magical floating weapon. They couldn't tell if it was manned, and they didn't have time to figure it out. They were fired upon, Lisanna's wing was injured, and they fell, luckily landing in the tree branches.

Now, they were on the ground, surrounded by guards, fighting for their lives. They didn't know if the guards and knights actually wanted to kill them, or simply wanted to capture them. It didn't matter, since they both felt they had come too far to let either happen.

Lisanna, in her cat form, was facing a group in the opposite direction from Natsu. The guards were mostly using swords and crossbows. The rune knights had magic weapons, and blasted electricity and ice at them. All told, Lisanna faced about eight of them. Fewer than Natsu was facing, but she still felt a little scared. But she was also fueled by adrenaline, so the fear was pushed into the background. As they fired arrows and magic blasts at her, she dodged them with her cat-like agility. She pounced to the side, and then went for one of the guards, leaping at him. She landed on him, knocking him backwards into the ground. It was only at the last second that she recalled what happened the last time she did that, and put out a hand/claw towards the ground so that her entire weight wouldn't come down on him. She quickly leapt off of him, only glancing back. She didn't see him moving, and hoped he was just unconscious. She knew that there might come a point where it was necessary to kill. But the last time she did it she felt horrible. She wanted to avoid it if possible.

Two men with swords rushed at her, one of them screaming. They both swung their swords at the same time, although they probably hadn't planned it. Lisanna ducked, and their swords clanged against each other, knocking both men back. Lisanna took advantage of this by shoving her open claw hard into one man's knee, eliciting a popping sound, fallowed by a scream. She then quickly turned and raked her claws across the other man's face. He didn't scream, but dropped his sword and covered his bloody face with his hands. Lisanna didn't enjoy hurting them like that, but it was better than killing them.

The man with the now inverted knee was no loner a threat, so she ignored him. She grabbed the other man, face still in hands, and threw him against the rune knights. They were momentarily distracted, and Lisanna ran up and dropkicked one of the knights in the face, sending him tumbling several feet. She then quickly evaded who was left and regrouped beside Natsu. He half turned to her, still keeping an eye on the enemies around.

"How are you doing, Lisanna?" he said.

"I'm still alive." She said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm great." He said. He sounded completely sincere when he said it, and even grinned.

"That's nice." Lisanna said, less sincerely. She knew Natsu had always enjoyed fighting. But she also suspected that he was enjoying being able to finally let out his frustrations on someone, after having to hold it in for so long. "Just remember they're not evil." She said.

"Yeah, sure." he said. "As long as they keep attacking, they're going to keep getting hurt." As he said that, three armed guards with various bladed weaponry rushed them. Natsu ignited his fists, and punched one in the stomach, and elbowed him in the back of the head, putting him down. Seconds later one of the other guards thrust a halberd at Natsu. Natsu caught it, and set it on fire, causing the other man to drop it. Natsu then took a step forward and punched him in the face. The man did not fall, but simply staggered. He then swung a fist of his own, hitting Natsu in the face. Natsu didn't move.

"Not bad." Natsu grinned. He then hurled a series of fists at the man's ribs, and headbutted him. The man finally fell. "But not good enough."

Lisanna dealt with the last man. He reached up with the club he was holding. Before he brought it down, she ducked beneath his legs, turned to his back, and then clawed his back and legs. The man screamed, and fell to his knees. He turned his head back to her, at which point she kicked him in the face. He was now out.

"Is that all you've got, you wimps?" Natsu shouted. As if in response, a fresh wave of reinforcements appeared in the distance. On either side, there were dozens more guards and rune knights. Lisanna and Natsu had gone from being outnumbered, to heavily outnumbered.

"Natsu… I think we're in trouble." Lisanna said. "I can feel my power running low, and there's still a lot of them."

Natsu looked around. "I guess I could use a recharge too." He said, sounding annoyed at admitting it. The border guards were forming a wide circle around them, surrounding them. The knights were powering their weapons, and the guards were readying theirs as well. Natsu made a stance and balled his fists, signaling he was ready to continue the fight. Lisanna watched him with concern.

"Natsu, there's a small army here. And for all we know there could be even more on the way. We can't win."

Natsu half turned to her. "I don't think they're going to just let us through. And I'm not going down without a fight."

"I know, but I… I might have an idea." She said. Their enemies were slowly advancing on them as they spoke. Lisanna wasn't sure why they didn't just rush at them. She could only guess that they were showing some caution because of the way she and Natsu had dealt with the earlier soldiers. But they were still going to attack very soon, so she knew she had to be quick.

"Listen, I think I still have enough power for one more change." She said, talking fast. "I know you won't like it, but I could try one thing." Natsu listened to her hasty suggestion, and frowned.

"You're right, I don't like it." He said.

"I know, but… Natsu, I just want to get home." She said with some weariness. "I don't want to be killed or captured, do you?"

The soldiers were just a few yards away, and were about to attack. There was no time to debate it. Natsu put his hands on Lisanna's shoulders.

"Just do it." He said. And she did. A blast of magical energy blew back the line a little. Many of them only staggered, rather than fell. It still bought extra seconds.

The soldiers saw before them not Lisanna, but a large scary looking beast, or monster. A demonic rabbit, to be exact. Natsu was on top of it, holding onto its back. Before anyone could react, it began moving. It leapt over the line, and landed with a loud thud on the other side, shaking the earth a little. The monster, that is to say Lisanna, began running.

Lisanna, with Natsu on her back, ran through the forest, passing the border, scattering guards along the way. She ran past a border outpost, cracked fallen logs, kicked up dirt. As she was running some of the rune knights nearby fired magical blasts at her. They hurt, but not enough to stop her. She ran ahead along a field, her heart beating fast. She came to a small cliff and leapt without thinking. She landed on the ground below with a loud crash, hurting her legs a little. It didn't matter. She almost immediately started running again. She ran as if their lives depended on it, which they did.

She covered a fairly large distance in a short time, thanks to her size. They entered another forest, this time within the borders of Fiore. She weaved through the trees with some difficulty due to her size. Lisanna was almost out of magic though, and would need to change back. Besides, it would be easier for them to hide in the woods if she weren't so big. After walking a little further, she returned to her normal self, her power spent.

"I hope that's far enough." She said, catching her breath. She turned to look at Natsu. "Natsu?" She saw him on the ground, on hands and knees. He didn't look good.

"Are you okay?" she said, reaching a hand out to him. As she got close, he began to vomit on the ground. Lisanna retracted her hand. Then, thinking better of it, she reached her hand out again and gently patted his shoulder. "We made it."

Natsu panted a little on the ground, and then looked up. "Yeah, but listen. Pick a different form next time. Or next time, either we stay and fight, or I'm carrying you out. I don't care how many of them there are."

"Okay." Said Lisanna.


It was daylight again. The sun shone down on everything, bright and pretty. Lisanna held her hand over her eyes for shade. She smiled. She knew that today was going to be a good day.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked Natsu. He turned to her. He had been dour lately, but she thought she saw a faint smile on his face. Perhaps because they were finally going back to Fairy Tail.

"Hell yeah. Let's get out of here." He said.

"I'm ready too." Alrace said nearby. Lisanna turned to look at him. He looked out of breath.

"I'm glad you made it." She said.

Alrace nodded. "Me too."

Natsu turned to look at Alrace, and grinned mischievously. "If you didn't show up in time, we would have had to leave you behind."

Lisanna glanced at Natsu. "Ha ha, what?" she laughed nervously. "That's not funny."

"Yeah, I know." He said distantly. He looked upwards, to the empty sky where moments before the barrier was. "Nothing stopping us now."

Lisanna followed his gaze. She clapped her hands and licked her lips in anticipation. "You guys ready?" She turned to Alrace. She held out a hand. "Come on."

He looked at her, but didn't move. Lisanna repeated herself. Still he didn't come.

"Alrace?" She said.

"I thought… we were friends." Alrace said.

"What?" Lisanna said. She turned to Natsu, but he was still looking up at the sky, not her. She turned back to Alrace. His eyes were closed, and his head bowed.

"Alrace…" she held out her hand. He didn't move. She took a step forward. suddenly, there was something towering over head. Startled, she took a step back. It was two of the keepers, standing in front of Alrace. The keepers grabbed Alrace, and began dragging him away.

"Wait!" she said, but somehow she was unable to follow. She turned to Natsu, but he was gone. There were dead bodies around. She was being attacked. People swinging at her, slashing with swords. She swung her claws at them. She hurt them, before they could hurt her. She slashed, and clawed. Someone came up from behind. She spun and grabbed him by the neck, lifting him with her strength. Without thinking, she broke his neck. She held him in her hand. She recognized him. It was the young shield mage, Luchuck. She dropped him. His corpse lay on the dirt, mangled and broken. She just stood there, not moving.

Someone was watching her. She turned. Arnok, covered in blood. He looked at her through his animal skull, only his eyes visible beneath. After gazing at her a moment, he nodded at her, seemingly in approval. And then she woke up.


Lisanna opened her eyes, and quickly sat up. The weather wasn't hot yet, but she was covered in sweat. She looked around. She was in the forest. It was still dark out. They were camped in a small clearing, but the tall trees surrounding them made it feel slightly oppressive to Lisanna. The trees and canopy were large enough that even in the day time they would still be covered in shadow. She turned her head. Natsu was sitting nearby at a small campfire. And Alrace was still back in the valley. Lisanna quickly gathered these thoughts in her mind, and then wiped the sweat from her face. She sighed deeply.

Natsu turned, noticing she had woken. "Hey, Lisanna. Its not time for your shift yet, you can get back to sleep." They had agreed to take turns sleeping during the night, just in case something or someone decided to sneak up on them. A lot of people were upset with them right then.

"I… don't want to sleep right now." She said.

"Its fine, I've got you covered. I know you're tired after everything that happened."

"Natsu, I really don't want to sleep right now." There was a subtle tension in her voice.

Natsu looked at her, seemingly just noticing her appearance. "Nightmares?" he asked.

Lisanna nodded. "Yeah." She pulled her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around her legs. For a minute there was silence between them. The sound of the crackling fire could be heard, along with crickets somewhere nearby.

"Do you…" Natsu said. Lisanna lifted her head to look at him. She thought he looked uncertain, like he wasn't sure if he wanted to say something.

"Do I what?" she said.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he said. He avoided her gaze as he said it. Lisanna was a little surprised, since Natsu didn't normally like to talk about feelings and such. She appreciated the gesture, but…

"Thanks, but no. I don't want to." She said. Natsu nodded. She thought he also looked slightly relieved. At that point, Lisanna stood up and started stretching. It was too dark for them to head out yet. She also didn't bring any books to read. She started walking around the camp site, with nothing in particular to do. She looked at Natsu, still just sitting there.

"Since I'm awake, you can sleep now." She said.

"Not yet." Was all he said. Lisanna shrugged. Half an hour went by like that. Lisanna was pacing, unusually restless. She didn't want to think about Alrace, or that other stuff from her dream, but it was all she could think of right then.

"Natsu… when we get back to Fairy Tail, we'll eventually come back and rescue Alrace, right?" she said.

Natsu looked over at her. "We could go back and rescue him right now." That wasn't the response Lisanna had hoped for.

"That… wouldn't be wise. There are so many of them, and they'd be on guard, and there's all those other guards at the border. I'm sure they'll be watching for us right now."

Natsu sat there a moment, watching the fire. "Yeah, I guess that wouldn't be too smart. Maybe I don't think things through enough. Maybe I should stop trying to save people."

Lisanna wasn't sure how to respond to that. She followed Natsu's gaze into the fire. "Do you think we should have stayed? And tried to rescue Alrace? Even if it meant being trapped there?" She looked at him expectantly, but he didn't say anything. "Natsu?" she said.

"It wasn't my choice." He said. "It was your choice, and here we are."

Lisanna looked down at the ground. His words stung her a little. She wasn't mad at him for what he said. After all, she had been thinking the same thing herself. She knew he had wanted to stay and fight. She had encouraged him to leave with her. She thought it was the right thing at the time, but now she was less sure of that. She walked past the fire, over to the edge of the light. She tried to peer out into the darkness. She wondered what was out there. Everything is so different in the dark of night, hiding everything, as opposed to the day, exposing everything. For a few minutes, she just stood there, listening to the animals and insects in the forest.

Lisanna heard branches snap behind her. She turned. It was Natsu, standing behind her. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, look…" he said.

"Its okay." She said. "You're right. I mean, it was my choice, so I have to live with it." Natsu stood there a moment. He looked like he wanted to say something, but wasn't sure how to say it. He settled for something else.

"I'll get you home, Lisanna. I promise. I can do that at least."

She turned to face him. "I know you can." She said. The glow of the firelight faintly colored their faces as they stood there.

"I got us this far, didn't I?" he said. His tone lightened a little.

Lisanna smiled slightly. All the bad things were still in the back of her mind, but for a moment she almost forgot about it. "I'd say it was a team effort." She said. "I was the one who flew us out of the valley. And I turned into the rabbit and got us through the border." She touched his arm a little.

"Yeah, you did." He said. "But I took out dozens of those guards and rune knights."

"Yeah, that was pretty impressive." She said.

"Plus, I started that fire." He said. Lisanna's smile widened.

"Well, I guess you win then." She said. They stood there for several minutes, not saying anything. The fire still crackled.

"I guess I'll gather some more wood for the fire, and then maybe get some sleep, since you're awake." He said.

"I'll help." She said. "With the firewood I mean, not sleeping."

"Sure. Just wake me up if you're going to sleep."

"Of course." She said.

Natsu started to turn. "Hey, Lisanna." He paused a moment. Again, it looked like he wanted to say something, but again changed his mind. "Nothing."


Lyon stood at a window, looking out of the Lamia Scale guild hall. The window did not yet have glass in it, since the hall was still under construction. It was currently in the process of being rebuilt after the destruction of the previous hall months earlier.

"What are you looking at?" Sherry said behind him. Lyon turned to look at her. She was wearing her usual sort of girly pink dress. Yuka Suzuki was also leaning against a wall nearby. Sherry was illuminated by sun, while Yuka was in the dimmer light of the guild, due to the roof being half finished. Parts of it were only rafters.

"Just seeing if they've arrived yet." Lyon said. "I don't know why we agreed to meet them in the first place."

"Because we need their help?" Sherry suggested.

"More like they need our help." Yuka said. "What do they have that we don't?"

"They do have dragon slayers…" Sherry said.

"And we have the wizard saint Jura." Yuka said.

"I don't care what Fairy Tail has." Lyon said. "I'm only doing this because the master agreed to it, for some reason. As far as I'm concerned, they can just-" Lyon suddenly stopped talking. Voices could be heard outside the guild.

"Sounds like they're here." Yuka said without enthusiasm. Lyon quickly walked over to the entrance. Sherry and Yuka followed behind. They found several mages standing at the door. Gray, Lucy, Wendy, Carla, and Happy. They were seemingly in the middle of a conversation.

"Took you long enough." Lyon said. "So, you've come crawling back for our help."

"Hey, this wasn't my idea, pal." Gray said.

"Mine neither. Our masters seem to think it would be in our best interests."

"I think this is a waste of time." Gray said.

"For once, we can agree." Lyon said.

"Excuse me." Lucy said. She stepped forward. "I hate to interrupt, but can we come in, or are we just going to stand at the door while you guys argue?"

"I suppose it is rude to keep you out there." Sherry said. "For the sake of love, come into our guild. Just keep in mind its not finished being repaired, so no cracks."

The Fairy Tail team stepped inside, and look around at the half finished guild hall. There were a few chairs and tables, and the walls were mostly finished. It was semi livable, but still needed a lot of work. "It sort of reminds me of when our guild was destroyed, and we had to rebuild." Lucy said.

"Yeah, except it didn't take this long for us." Gray said.

"That's because we don't have as many…" Lyon said, but stopped himself.

"You don't have as many members?" Gray said, grinning. "We've lost a bunch, but still have more than you."

"Its quality, not quantity." Lyon said. Before Gray could make another retort, Wendy spoke up.

"Hey, guys? Maybe we should talk about the alliance. I think the master will be mad if we don't."

"She's right." Carla said. "The master feels this is important. He thinks we can help each other."

"If its so important, why didn't your master come here himself?" Yuka asked.

Gray shrugged his shoulders. "He said he didn't want to come all the way here just to be told no."

"So, he had us do it instead…" Lucy said.

"That makes sense." Lyon said. "But what does he want from us? And don't just say 'help'. Be a little more specific."

"Okay." Gray said. He walked over to a table, pulled out a chair, and sat down. "I'll tell you."

"Please, have a seat." Lyon said sarcastically.

"Look, right now the magic council is really up our ass. We have a hard time moving around because of the restrictions. Legal magic guilds are supposed to have an easier time of it so they can still do jobs. But our guild has been getting a hard time when we try to go anywhere. And forget trying to cross the border to Bosco. So, that's where you can help."

"And you want us to invade Bosco for you?"

"No, just scout around, mostly. Tell us what's going on there right now. And maybe help find an easier way into Bosco for us. Some way that the council won't be looking for. That way, maybe we can finally finish this."

Lyon and Sherry exchanged a glance. Then, Lyon walked over to a table (not the same one Gray sat at) and pulled out a chair to sit down. He folded his arms. "Okay. And what do we get out of this?"

"These guys are a threat to you too." Gray said.

"And?" Lyon said.

"It'll be easier to take them down if we work together." Gray sat up straight in the chair, and looked seriously at Lyon. "Besides, they wrecked your guild hall. You want to get some payback, right? We can help with that. You help us, and we'll help you. And then, we'll take them down together."

At this point, Lyon glanced at Sherry and Yuka. None of them said anything, but they seemed to be able to know what the others were thinking. Lyon looked back at Gray. "I was never really the vengeful type. But I do have my pride. They attacked my guild, and my comrades. I take that personally. So, I'm willing to make an alliance, for now. There is a lot of ground to cover, and extra hands would help. But of course, the final decision rests with our guild master."

"Of course." Gray said. "So, if you agree, then you talk to your master, and we'll talk to ours, and maybe we can make this official."

"Fine. Just so long as I don't have to come over to your guild." Lyon replied.

"What's wrong with our-" Gray started to say, before being cut off by Lucy.

"Hey Gray, there might be a problem." She said, walking up to them, looking unsure.

"What is it?" Gray said.

"Wendy and Carla spotted something, and I think you should come look too."


While Gray was starting his talk with Lyon, Wendy stood at the window of the hall where Lyon had stood a short time earlier. She wasn't looking at anything in particular. She didn't know where Carla was at that moment. She must have wandered off, Wendy thought. She glanced back at Gray. Gray had offered her friendship, and Wendy appreciated that. She liked her guildmates, and wanted to be friends with them. But somehow, she still felt lonely sometimes. More often, she felt like a third wheel that no one really needed. Not because they disliked her, but…

"Maybe there's something wrong with me." She whispered. She stopped looking at Gray, and turned back to the window. A cool breeze blew in. It was a fairly nice day, but the scene outside didn't look very reassuring. Maybe it looked nice once, but the damage from the attack was still visible. There were holes in the ground, and trees damaged. There were still patches of grass, albeit some of it was brown. It was actually a little depressing.

Out of the corner of her eye, Wendy noticed something. It was Carla. She was standing outside, behind a tree, and was looking at something. Carla noticed Wendy as well. Wendy opened her mouth to say something, but Carla put a paw to her mouth, indicating silence. Wendy felt confused. She walked away from the window over to the entrance. She stepped outside to find Carla. She walked around the corner of the building to find her friend. Wendy saw her at the same place, still watching. Wendy started to walk over, but Carla motioned with her arm. Wendy understood Carla wanted her to crouch down, though she wasn't sure why. Wendy crouched, and slowly moved towards Carla.

After several moments, Wendy was beside Carla. "What's going on?" Wendy asked in a hushed voice. Carla pointed at something. There was a row of large tress at the edge of the property, along a wall. At first Wendy saw nothing unusual. She looked around, and wondered if maybe Carla had suddenly developed an interest in trees. She felt Carla put her paw on her cheek, and guide her gaze slightly. Wendy looked where Carla indicated, and saw something in the trees. It wasn't an animal, or a bird. It was something unnatural. Wendy squinted. The thing in the tress moved a little, revealed a small part more of itself. It was bronze colored, and moved unnaturally.

"A machine." Wendy whispered.

"Yes. It's been there for at least a few minutes." Carla said. They both watched as it moved slightly closer. Something extended out of it. Some sort of lens. It appeared to be looking through the window to the guild. Wendy wasn't sure if it could see all the way in from that angle.

"We should go back and tell the others." Carla said.

"I'll do it. You stay here in case it moves." Wendy said. She started back towards the guild. Carla tried to call after her, but couldn't raise her voice. After a minute, Wendy was back inside the guild. She found Lucy standing near the entrance.

"Hey, there you are." Lucy said. "I think they've just about worked something out."

"Lucy, there's something I need to tell you. "Carla and I were outside…" Wendy quickly explained the situation to Lucy. Lucy looked concerned, but nodded and walked over towards Gray.


"They saw what?" Gray said. He quickly got up from the chair.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Lyon said.

"Wendy wouldn't joke about this." Lucy said. Lyon stood up too, and stepped past Lucy.

"If there's something out there, then I'll deal with it." He said.

"Hey, we saw something like that before, and it got away." Gray said. "Maybe we should try coming up with a plan."

"I wasn't trying to take it out before." Lyon said. "Do what you want, but I'll deal with it." Lyon walked out of the guild. Wendy followed behind him. Carla was still waiting for her out there. Gray turned to Lucy.

"Alright, he's not going to wait, so neither am I. Coming?" He didn't wait for Lucy to answer, and left as well. Gray left out the entrance, trying to catch up with Lyon. He heard sounds nearby. Lyon really didn't want to wait.

Gray turned a corner and saw Wendy and Carla by a tree. A little further, was Lyon standing out in the open. He was firing ice at something in the trees nearby. It was dodging the attacks, although not very gracefully. Gray walked over beside Lyon.

"I can handle this." Lyon said.

"Sure." Gray said. He froze a section to the side, cutting off one way for the thing to go. But it climbed up a tree, and looked as though it was preparing to jump.

"Now look what you did." Lyon said. "I might only have one more chance before it escapes." He prepared an attack. He aimed. The thing jumped, hurtling towards the street below. But it suddenly violently shifted to a different direction, falling back inside the wall, and hitting the ground. Gray turned his head to the side.

"Sorry." Wendy said. "It was going to escape. I used a wind attack. Was that bad?" The machine could now be seen clearly. It vaguely resembled a grasshopper. It wasn't very big, and didn't look threatening. But it was agile. It appeared to be damaged, and had what appeared to be a broken wing. It managed to right itself. And started to move. It took three steps before being frozen solid. Lyon took the shot.

"I'd say you were more helpful than Gray." Lyon said to Wendy. Gray didn't respond. They all just stood and stared at the thing.

"What are we looking at?" A voice said. Everyone turned. It was Happy.

"Where have you been?" Carla said.

"Well, I got bored, so I sat down somewhere, and I guess I dozed off for a few minutes." Happy said.

"You mean you were taking a cat nap?" Lucy said.

"No, I was taking a regular nap. How would you like it if I start making dumb blonde jokes?"

"You do." Lucy said.

"Hey guys, knock it off." Gray said. "What are we going to do with this thing?"

"Destroy it, obviously." Lyon said. He walked towards the frozen machine, lightly kicking the ice. It was still unresponsive.

"Maybe we should consider studying it instead." Carla said. She walked around the ice block, looking at the machine that wasn't much bigger than her. "We could bring it back to Fairy Tail to study."

"And who's going to do that?" Lyon said. "You, and the little girl?"

"Well no, but-"

"Besides…" Lyon continued. "Why should we let you take it back to Fairy Tail? Its on Lamia Scale property."

"But you just want to destroy it." Wendy said. "Maybe Carla's right. Maybe we could learn something from it."

"Look, I think bringing it back is risky." Gray said. "But at this point, we should probably take a few more risks. So, I say let's do it."

Lyon sighed. He then shrugged and turned around. "Do what you want. Just get it out of here quickly."

"Okay. How are we going to carry it?" Gray said. Lucy walked over to look at it. She stood near the trees, looking at the machine.

"Maybe we could get a cart, or-" she started. Then something moved in the trees next to her. "Oh shit!" She jumped. It was another machine. It quickly slithered up the trees to the top of the wall.

"Damnit, another one." Gray said. He fired ice at it, but missed. Instead of jumping, this machine just dropped off the wall to the ground. It could be heard rapidly retreating, and then flew away quickly.

"Looks like you've got an infestation." Gray said.

"This is our problem." Lyon said. "I'll tell the master, just go."

"Maybe we should…" Wendy said.

"Hey, I don't have to be told twice." Gray said. "Let's go report back." Gray picked up a large part of the machine himself with both hands, and then started leaving without another word.

"Can we at least stop somewhere to eat on the way?" Happy said, following behind.

"I guess we're done here." Lucy said.

"Yeah, I guess so." Wendy added.


Far away in Bosco, past the border, past the valley, near the center of the country, lay the capitol city of Roveto. It was the largest city in Bosco, and was quite different from the small towns and villages found near the border. It was grand, and expansive, and not to mention colorful. Green was a common color, of course. But there were also blues, and reds, and golds as well. And though it was a city, nature was ever present. Much of the architecture incorporated trees, and other large plants. Vines and bushes were common. Not that the city was unmanaged.

Much of the city had been carefully planned and constructed. The residential areas were functional, but also built with aesthetics in mind. Many of the houses were at least partially made of wood, and were oval shaped with thatched roofs. The bigger ones had more complex designs, of course. Many of the roads were stone roads, and could be surprisingly intricate.

The ruler of this city had a role equivalent to a governor. Although, a peculiarity of Roveto was that there were actually two governors, who technically co-ruled together. One resided in the south part of the city, and the other in the north part. The reason for this was a very old political dispute which many can't even remember the details of. The governor of the south had an office in a large building near the center of the city. This was where he governed, and where he also met with other politicians, and rulers, and delegates. On this day, he was meeting with someone on unusually short notice. It normally took weeks or months to set up an appointment with this office, but the governor made an exception this once.

The south governor of Roveto sat in his large office, in his large, comfortable chair. The office had many modern comforts, but still had a somewhat rustic aesthetic to it. It felt homey, but without being primitive. The governor himself looked across at the other party, sitting in an equally large and comfortable chair.

"I know your name, but how exactly would you like me to address you?" he asked, sitting cross legged.

"Please, call me Boudica." She said. "Most people do. I don't care about titles or formalities. But I will call you governor, as you like." Boudica wore a similar outfit to the stylized one she wore when she met with Fairy Tail. This time, the dress was somewhat longer, and she even wore a white cape. As for the governor, he was a middle aged and gaunt man wearing a suit, albeit with colorful flourishes and accessories unique to Bosco fashion. There was a weariness to him, but also something more excitable that he was trying to hide. He regarded Boudica curiously.

Boudica and several followers, along with Seraiisa and Angel, had first come to the city not long before. At first, they weren't given much notice. But people began to recognize them before long. Guards were called, a crowd formed. The guards wanted to arrest them, and take them away. Boudica and the others refused to comply. The guards were quickly driven off with nonviolent displays of magic. Even though no one was harmed, the magic used was grand enough to give the guards pause. There was talk of calling in elite units to deal with this. Boudica requested an audience with the governor though. The guards refused. The elite units arrived, and it seemed like things would get very ugly. To the surprise of everyone, the governor actually appeared, having heard about Boudica's request. Against the advice of the guards, he agreed to speak to Boudica. Amidst an audience of much of the town, the two walked into the center and spoke. They spoke for almost twenty minutes, though no one else could hear what was being said. After those twenty minutes, the governor walked back and informed everyone that he wanted to see the newcomers at his office. He said they were to be treated as guests, and the meeting would take place the following day. The townspeople had a very mixed reaction to this. In the outer part of the country, Boudica and the other Shadow Kings were commonly regarded as a threat. In Roveto though, many people had thought their existence to be more myth and superstition than anything. Actually seeing them in the flesh was cause for excitement and wonder for many, although there were still those who were wary of them.

Boudica and her group were allowed to stay in guest quarters. The next day, the governor met with her. The guards insisted that Boudica's followers and Angel stay out. They made the concession of allowing Seraiisa into the room, at Boudica's request. And now, they were talking, while Seraiisa sat nearby.

"Your outfit looks lovely." The governor said. "You're a very striking woman, if I may say so."

Boudica wore a charming but neutral expression. "Thank you. And your… office is quite remarkable. Large, and well decorated. You have expensive tastes."

The governor nodded while looking at her. "Yes. You really are beautiful."

"When are we going to talk about your dead son?" Seraiisa suddenly said. The governor jerked his head at her, and Boudica closed her eyes. The governor tilted his head a little, and then nodded.

"Yes, that is why we're here. That is the most important thing." The governor looked over at the other side of the room. There was a table with something large on it, covered by a sheet. "I'll go and fetch him, if you're ready.

Boudica nodded. "Yes. Although, helping him may not be an easy process."

"I understand. But if there's any chance… I'll, I'll go and fetch him." The governor got up and awkwardly walked over to the other end of the room, just out of earshot. Boudica and Seraiisa waited.

"Seraiisa, you need to learn to be more tactful when talking to people." Boudica said.

"He was flirting with you. It was gross." Seraiisa said. "Oh Boudica, you're so pretty." She added in a mocking tone.

Boudica side eyed her daughter. "Sometimes we need to put up with things like that to get what we need."

"Even you?"

"For now."

After a minute, the governor wheeled the table over to them. Boudica stood up. The governor looked at Boudica, and then at Seraiisa.

"Probably not something a child should see." He said.

"Hmph." Seraiisa said as she folded her arms.

"She may be young, but she's seen a lot already." Boudica said.

"I see…" the governor said. He sounded unsure, but reached for the sheet all the same. He wiped sweat from his brow with his other hand. He seemed focused only on the sheet now. He removed it, revealing a crib containing his son. It was an infant's corpse, slightly decayed, and partially frozen.

"How long ago did he die?" Boudica asked.

"A couple months." The governor said. "I froze him to preserve him, as best I could."

"You couldn't have known we were coming that long ago." She said.

"No. I just… I don't know why. I just felt compelled. It doesn't matter. Can you help?" He didn't sound like a shrewd politician. He sounded tired and a little desperate. Boudica considered the baby for a moment.

"Normally, bringing someone back after they've been dead that long would take a lot of effort. But the freezing may help. And since he's an infant, it should be easy to find and retrieve him."

"Find and retrieve?"

"Don't concern yourself with that. Just leave it all to me."

The governor simply nodded absently, and then started to walk away. "I'll… leave you to it then. I think I need to lie down." After that, he quietly left the room, leaving Boudica and Seraiisa alone.

"Well, that guy has some issues." Seraiisa said.

"Fortunate for us, or we wouldn't be here." Boudica said. Now we get to perform a miracle."

"Don't we need dad and Torq for this? They usually help with this sort of thing."

Boudica ran a hand across the semi frozen corpse. "Normally. In this case, I think you and I can handle this alone. Start preparing."

Seraiisa did as she was told, and they began preparing.


The following day, mid-morning, people walked to and fro on the streets. It was an overcast day, with rain expected later. Many people were still talking about the events of the previous day, and what they might mean. Some even decided to camp outside of the government building in protest. A few people might have even had violent intentions. More guards than usual were stationed outside, observing the citizens, waiting to see if anyone would cross the proverbial line.

Many people just wanted to go about their lives like normal. But there was an undercurrent of unease, and anxiety. Some people were saying the south governor had gone insane for meeting with these people who were considered dangerous and hostile. While others felt more curiosity and excitement. After all, these people hadn't done any harm to Roveto, or any of the other large cities so far. Only smaller, poorer areas along the outskirts of Bosco.

And then, the doors opened. The campers quickly noticed. Four guards stepped out. By this point, people passing by were stopping to look. Then, the governor himself stepped out. He was holding a baby. A living, breathing baby. Its cries were loud and healthy. Now, a larger number of people were stopping to stare. A few were muttering, but many were silent. The governor raised the baby, so the crowd could see. His child had been brought back from the dead.

Before the crowd could fully react to this, several more people stepped out of the door; Boudica, followed by Seraiisa and Angel. The muttering in the crowd grew louder. Boudica stepped to the side of the governor. She looked down at the baby, and smiled. The governor looked at her, but differently than the previous night. His current look was one of reverence.

"Ladies and gentlemen." The governor said. "This is my son, brought back by a miracle." He said this almost as though he couldn't quite believe it himself, while holding the child in his arms. "And this, is Boudica. Our honored guest in this city." He looked again to the woman at his side. Boudica took a step forward.

"She's a monster!" someone said. One of the campers. Several of them started throwing things at Boudica. Her magical shield deflected them all as she stood impassively. A couple of them even decided to run up the stairs towards her. Boudica didn't move, but a few of the guards did, and restrained the attackers. The crowd watched this play out, talking amongst themselves.

As the men were hauled away, Boudica took a step forward. "There's no need for violence." She said. "We come here as friends. We are all sisters and brothers of Bosco." The crowd seemed unsure how to react. Seraissa tugged on Boudica's arm, and whispered something. Boudica nodded. Seraiisa stepped forward.

"Hi everyone." She said. "I'm Seraiisa. This is my mom, Boudica. She helps people. She helped the governor. She helped bring other people back. She helped free the slaves in Catena too. And she wants to help all of you. We all do."

The mention of freeing the slaves provoked a divided reaction among the crowd. Some cheered in approval, while others reacted more negatively. Conflict, mostly verbal but some physical, broke out among the crowd.

"Who would have thought that slavery would be such a divisive issue." Angel said quietly. She said this without humor, being a former slave herself. Boudica took a few more steps forward. Golden wings grew from her back. She stepped to the edge of the steps, and then walked over them onto air. She walked/hovered off the ground, as the people below watched. She spread her arms wide, and lifted her head. As she looked to the sky, the clouds began to part, and the sun gradually came through. In just a minute, the sky that was full of clouds, was now blue and spotless, with the golden rays of the sun shining down on everyone. For some of the people in the crowd, this spectacle was enough to scare them and cause them to run off. Others stood staring in awe. Some began to kneel on the ground. Despite the dissent, the majority of those gathered were enraptured.

"We are your friends." Boudica repeated, her eyes beginning to glow. Her voice had taken on an ethereal quality. As more people kneeled, A warm, golden light began to radiate from her. The crowd was bathed in the light, and a few began to cry.

"Together, we can save the world." Boudica said.


"Here we are, finally." Gajeel said.

"I hope this is worth all the trouble." Juvia added.

"We're going to make this quick, right?" Flare said. "Get in, get out?"

They had arrived at Berk after a few days of planning and travelling. They weren't entirely sure what they would be walking into here. They only knew that the town was occupied by Yoshimoto's forces. The town itself was a little bigger and a little cleaner than the last place they went to, but was still a far cry from a big city. They entered without seeing any obvious signs telling them about the place. The town was fairly generic as far as it goes. It just looked like an ordinary town. And yet…

"Where is everyone?" Juvia said.

"The last place looked kind of deserted at first too." Gajeel said.

"Yes, but this seems… different." Juvia stopped and looked around the intersecting streets. No one else was in sight, but something could be heard in the distance. Some voices, and what sounded like clanking metal as well.

"Sounds like someone's fighting." Gajeel said. "And I smell iron too."

"Maybe the citizens decided to fight back." Juvia said.

"Does this mean we can't be sneaky?" Flare said.

"We still have to find Yoshimoto right?" Juvia said. "Which direction do we go?" Juvia looked back and forth. There were a few different directions the noise was coming from.

"Ah screw it." Gajeel said. "Let's just split up. Better chance of finding him, and if he's already fighting maybe it won't even take long."

"Wouldn't we stand a better chance if we stick together?" Juvia said.

"It'll be fine. But I'll tell you what, we can meet up again over there at that pole." He pointed to a large flagpole visible some distance off, near the center. Juvia looked at the area he was pointing, and nodded.

"Okay." She said.

"I call that direction." Flare pointed to a market area not far off. There was a billow of smoke coming from it. She ran off quickly before the others could respond.

"How does she run that fast in heels?" Juvia said.

"I don't know. How do you not get hot in that outfit?" Gajeel said.

"I'm a water wizard. It's easy for me to stay hydrated."

"Hah, okay fine. Anyway, I'm going that way." He pointed directly ahead of them, close to the pole.

"Fine with me." Juvia said. She started quickly walking in the last remaining direction, almost opposite of where Flare ran off to.

"Just remember the pole." Gajeel said. He then ran off himself, not wanting to wait around any longer. "I wonder what their swords taste like." He said to himself, as he ran towards a fight.


Flare ran towards her destination, even if she wasn't sure what she was going to find. Part of her was hoping to find Yoshimoto, and maybe get revenge for before. But there was also a part of her that hoped she wouldn't find him. Her previous encounter was a little traumatic.

She ran through the streets, finally encountering some people. At first it was just ordinary looking people. Some looked hurt and confused. Some were bleeding. She slowed down momentarily to look at them, but knew she shouldn't linger. The streets were wide enough that she could avoid bumping into people. The smoke plume was getting closer.

After a few minutes, she ran into her first samurai. His armor was half covered in blood, and he was running. He actually ran past her. For a split second Flare was unsure if she should just let him go, but then reached out with her hair and tripped him. She held onto his legs with her hair. The fallen samurai put his hand down to his side, seemingly reaching for his sword. It wasn't there, perhaps having been dropped at some point. She lifted him off the ground, holding him upside down in front of her. His helmet fell off, revealing a man in his thirties, appearing agitated, but defiant.

"Let me go, you wench!" he spat at her in a thick accent. He tried swinging at her, but she simply dodged by bobbing her head, while holding him in place.

"Wench? That's not nice." She said. "Where's your master?"

"I'll tell you nothing. Let me go!" He sounded angry. Flare used her hair to slam him into a wall. He now had some additional cuts and bruises. "Let me go!" he kept repeating.

"Oh, shut up." She said. Flare then heard something behind her. She turned her head to look, and saw two more samurai standing at the end of the corner. They started shouting at her. She didn't understand what they were saying, and shrugged. They drew swords. She then violently jerked her long hair, tossing the man she held at his comrades, knocking them all down. Before they could recover, she ignited her hair and launched it at them like flaming spikes. They fell back and were knocked out. Flare approached them. "That was easy." She said. Getting closer, she noticed that their armor was broken in parts, and they had some blood on them. Not all of that was caused by her. They must have been fighting before they found her. She tilted her head. She then turned around the corner, and found something else.

Flare saw bodies on the street. They appeared to be civilians. Some were just badly injured, but some of them were already dead. There were at least a dozen of them. And standing among them all was one man. Flare looked at him, and he looked back at her. Flare knew she was going to have to fight him. She ignited her hair again, and the man watched.

"So, you want to fight too, huh?" he said. He stood several feet away from her in the street. They locked eyes. Flare noted his scarf, and pink hair. Flames came from his fists. He was Natsu Dragneel, although Flare didn't know it. She had heard of Natsu, of course. When she was with Raven Tail she knew that Natsu was one of the more powerful mages in Fairy Tail. She was also aware that Natsu had left sometime before she came to stay with Fairy Tail. But she had never seen him in person before, and was only vaguely aware of what he looked like. Besides, she certainly wasn't expecting to encounter him in a random town like this, so the idea that this man might be Natsu didn't enter her mind. She knew he looked dangerous though.

Flare extended her hair and lit it again. She normally used the flames to her advantage, but the other mage in this situation was also a fire mage like her. She tried to think of a strategy.

"What are you guys doing in this town?" Natsu said. It was not a conversational tone. "What did you come here for?"

Flare blinked. She wasn't sure how to answer, or if she even should answer. Should she lie? "We want your master." She said. "Just tell me where he is."

Natsu frowned. "My master? Even if I knew that I wouldn't tell you. You want him, you'll have to get through me first." Natsu's flames grew hotter.

"Shit." Flare muttered to herself. She decided to strike first, lashing her hair out at him, raking it across his body. He put an arm up to block it. The attack connected, but didn't appear to do much damage. Flare whipped another wave of flame at him. He actually absorbed the flames.

"Shit." She said a second time.

"My turn." He said. Fire erupted around him, and spread out in a circle, pushing Flare back. She had a certain amount of resistance to fire due to her magic, but Natsu's magic seemed to be stronger than hers. She took a step back, and tried to think of another tactic. She was starting to wonder if she should have gone another way.


Juvia walked through the streets towards sounds of fighting. Some people were running past her, away from the danger. But there were a few who actually dared to run towards it. There was a general feeling of chaos and confusion. Maybe we should have arrived sooner, she thought. She walked on, coming to a scene of citizens and guards battling with samurai, and what appeared to be a couple of mages. The mages didn't look like anyone Juvia recognized, maybe mercenaries. The fighting took place in an open area under some kind of large monument that was surrounded by trees. Naturally, Juvia decided to help the townspeople, and began throwing water slicers at the samurai. A few of them were knocked over. One quickly rushed at her and slashed at her with his sword. Rather than dodge or block it, Juvia just stood there, allowing the sword to pass through her now watery form. The samurai stood confused for a moment, before Juvia erupted a gush of water from the ground, throwing him into the air before he landed back on the ground with a thud. He wouldn't get up anytime soon.

Seeing Juvia show up, and her use of magic, seemed to cause some of the invaders to hesitate. The civilians took advantage of this by rushing them using makeshift weapons. They began battling away from the monument. Juvia wondered if she should continue to help them, or search for Yoshimoto instead. Suddenly, Juvia realized she was being watched. She turned, and saw someone standing under the shadow of a tree. It was someone in some kind of hooded robe. Juvia readied herself. "Who are you?" Juvia said. It came out more like a demand than a question. The figure put up its hands, and stepped forward slowly. After taking a few steps, it put its hand to its hood, and pulled it down. The face underneath was that of a teenage girl.

"We don't have to fight." Lisanna said. Juvia was meeting her for the first time. As Flare didn't know Natsu, Juvia didn't know Lisanna either. However, Juvia did get the impression that there was something familiar about her. The girl took another step forward, but Juvia brought up a blast of water from the ground in front of her. Lisanna stopped.

"Identify yourself." Juvia said. Lisanna didn't immediately respond, appearing to hesitate.

"Can I trust you?" Lisanna said.

As the light shifted, Juvia could see Lisanna more clearly. Her black and red eye. Her hands, which looked inhuman. Like the undead monsters they had encountered before. "The better question is, can I trust you?" Juvia's guard was up. There were still enemies around, and this girl might be an enemy too.

Lisanna put her hands up again. "Okay, look. Natsu and I only got here a day ago…"

Natsu? Natsu Dragneel? Juvia was aware, as were most people in the guild, that Natsu had been staying in Bosco with their enemies, and had apparently been helping them. Which means this girl must be…

"I'm going to have to ask you to surrender, and lie down on the ground. I have to restrain you now, as a precaution." Juvia wasn't sure how she was going to restrain Lisanna while still searching around, but she was trying to think on her feet.

"I'm not your enemy." Lisanna said.

"We'll see about that." Juvia said. "Just do as I say, and you won't be harmed." Juvia prepared another attack, just in case. Lisanna's expression was initially one of surprise, then understanding, and finally resolve.

"So that's how it is." Lisanna said. Juvia stood, waiting to see what Lisanna did next. Lisanna once again raised her hands in the air. She stood there, not moving. Juvia took a small step forward. Suddenly, something changed. Lisanna transformed in front of Juvia. Juvia fired off a double water slicer, but was a split second too late. Lisanna leapt to the side, avoiding the attack. She had changed into her cat form. Juvia fired two more water slicers and missed. On all fours, Lisanna rapidly ran around, avoiding Juvia. Juvia became annoyed, and summoned a water cane, which is like a long whip made of water. Juvia tried aiming it and striking Lisanna down, only to fail repeatedly as Lisanna dodged with her feline agility.

Then, Lisanna pivoted and pounced straight at Juvia. Juvia put up her arms. Lisanna jumped straight through Juvia, getting wet in the process. Juvia had barely enough time to activate her water form. Juvia turned to face her again. Lisanna was crouched on the ground in a tense position. So far, neither of them had been able to hurt the other. Juvia began slowly moving to the side. Lisanna began moving in the other direction, and they circled around. Juvia decided to attack first, using her water claw to throw a large wave at her opponent. Lisanna jumped high to avoid it. This time, she didn't come down. Juvia looked up. Lisanna was in the trees somewhere.

Juvia stepped back, and looked around, up at the trees. She tried to think of a spell that would be helpful in this situation. She did have some powerful spells, but she didn't want to wreck the town. She briefly wondered if her team mates would have that same concern. She saw one of the branches move. Her guard was up. It was starting to feel like this fight wasn't going to be resolved unless one of them tried something clever. Juvia did have an idea, but she would have to time it right. She stood still and looked around, while covertly working up a spell. She drew a breath. Before she could exhale, something launched out of the trees. It startled Juvia, causing her to fall back on her butt. She launched the spell while Lisanna was in midair. Lisanna stopped, still in midair. The spell was water lock, and it had worked. Juvia exhaled.

She got back to her feet, regarding Lisanna. Lisanna was now trapped in a magic sphere full of water. It was a virtually inescapable spell. Lisanna, still in her cat form, gazed down at Juvia.

"There's no way out." Juvia said. "Soon you'll pass out, and then I'll tie you up. And then I'll find Natsu and deal with him. We'll decide what to do with you later." Juvia watched, waiting for Lisanna to lose consciousness. But suddenly, Lisanna transformed again. She was no longer humanoid, but was now in the form of a large fish. It appeared similar to a barracuda. Juvia was a little taken aback by this, as Lisanna began swimming in the sphere.

"Okay, fine." Juvia said. "You can breathe water. But you still can't escape."

Lisanna looked at Juvia, her expression hard to read in her new form. "How long can you keep this spell up?"

Juvia looked slightly annoyed, but said, "how long can you stay in that form?"

For a minute, neither of them said anything. They just stayed there watching each other. There was still fighting going on around them, and it threatened to come back over to them at any time. Juvia wasn't sure what she would do if that happened. However, Lisanna spoke up first.

"You're not with them, are you? Yoshimoto and his samurai."

Juvia stiffened a little. "Of course not. And what about you? You and Natsu are with them, right?"

"Wrong. We escaped from Bosco… several days ago. I'm not sure exactly how many days it's been. We've been on the road much of the time. We only got here yesterday, but they were already here. I thought about just sneaking out, but Natsu was dead set on fighting them. I wasn't able to talk him out of it this time. But I also wasn't going to let him fight alone. So, we ended up getting into it with them, and then the townspeople got involved too. Then you showed up, and now I'm a fish in a water balloon."

"I see." Juvia said. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"I can only give you my word, I guess." Lisanna said.

Juvia stood and thought. She wanted to believe her, but she wasn't sure. She didn't know this woman, and they were fighting shortly before. She wished her team mates were there to consult with. Or rather, she wished Gajeel were there, since Juvia didn't have a high opinion of Flare's thoughts. What she did know, was that Lisanna and Natsu had both been a part of Fairy Tail. Lisanna was the younger sister of Mirajane and Elfman. And Juvia herself had fought alongside Natsu. But there were still the awful things that had happened. Juvia sighed.

Her intuition told her that Lisanna was being honest. And she did need to make a choice. She looked up. "I've decided to trust you, for now. Don't make me regret this." Juvia released the water lock. Lisanna fell, and transformed back into her normal form as she hit the ground. It wasn't far, so she wasn't hurt by it. Lisanna stood, and looked at Juvia.

"You won't regret it." She said. She held out a hand. "I'm Lisanna Strauss."

Juvia looked at Lisanna's hand. She was still somewhat wary, but held out her own hand. She clasped Lisanna's hand, and they shook. "Juvia Lockser, from Fairy Tail."


Flare stumbled a little, and fell to the ground as Natsu approached her. He fired flame blasts at her. She tried to dodge, but a few connected. She stumbled again. Natsu moved closer. Flare held up a hand.

"No, stop, I give up." She said. Flames again emanated from Natsu. He clenched his fists.

"Stop? I don't think so. Maybe I should just end you here and now." His face showed no mercy, and his eyes seemed like they faintly glowed.

"No, someone help!" Flare said. Natsu took a step closer. He raised his fist, and prepared to charge. She flinched. As Natsu tensed, something struck him in the side of his face. Something big and hard. Natsu stumbled to the side, and fell to one knee. He looked up, and saw Gajeel.

"You!" Natsu snarled.

"So, Salamander. Looks like the rumors were true." Gajeel said. "You really are working with the enemy." Gajeel relaxed his arm, which he had turned into an iron club. Natsu got to his feet and faced Gajeel.

"Shut up, what do you know?" Natsu said. He again began charging his magic.

"Let me handle this, Flare." Gajeel said. "I've got unfinished business with Natsu here." Flare didn't say anything, just watched as the two dragon slayers prepared to fight. Natsu charged at Gajeel. Instead of trying to dodge or block, Gajeel charged as well. They clashed, and exchanged blows. Natsu hit Gajeel's jaw with an uppercut, and followed it up with a punch to the ribs. Natsu reared back for a punch, but was surprised by a headbutt from Gajeel. Gajeel took this opportunity to change his arm into a chainsaw, and thrust it at Natsu. Natsu caught it between his hands, trying not to let it connect. Gajeel pushed forward, but finally Natsu shot a breath of flame at the other man, knocking him back. Gajeel's face was burned from the flame, and he took a few steps back.

Natsu started firing a barrage of fireballs at Gajeel. Gajeel grew metal scales on his arms, which helped mitigate the blasts. Gajeel took a couple more steps back, and held his guard. After a moment, there was no attack. He lowered his arms slightly, and saw Natsu powering up something new: a fire dragon roar. Gajeel raised his arms again, and Natsu fired. The powerful blast radiated around Gajeel, and his scales gave out. He staggered, but didn't quite fall. Across from him, Natsu breathed heavily, and his eyes were glowing brightly. He began grunting, and flame burst from his body seemingly at random. Gajeel was so taken aback by this that for a moment he just stood there watching. Then, Natsu began screaming, and charged at Gajeel with a murderous look on his face. Gajeel tried to mount another defense, but Natsu came at him quickly. As Natsu was inches away, something stopped him. It was Flare. She had wrapped her hair around his neck and arms, holding him in place. Natsu's flames burned, but Flare's hair was immune to fire.

"I had it under control." Gajeel said.

Flare didn't say anything, but just raised her eyebrows at him. Meanwhile, Natsu struggled furiously. He might not have been able to burn her hair, but he was still stronger than her and she couldn't hold him for long.

"Better let go." Gajeel said to Flare, after stepping away from Natsu. She didn't need to be told twice, and released Natsu, who struggled so hard that he ended up running several feet before stopping and looking around. He growled. He seemed blind with rage. His eyes looked inhuman, and his head twitched.

"I think he's gone nuts." Gajeel said, becoming aware that he was running low on magic. He quickly glanced around, wondering if he had time to eat something metal for fuel. As for Natsu, he appeared to be not entirely in control, either mentally or magically. However, he did finally notice Gajeel, and started approaching. Gajeel again assumed a fighting stance, trying to think of a quick way to end it.

"Natsu, stop." Someone said, putting a hand on Natsu's shoulder. Natsu spun and, without thinking, reared back a fist, and swung towards Lisanna. As his fist moved towards her, Lisanna's expression changed to one of surprise. At the last second Lisanna was pulled back, narrowly avoiding the blow. Juvia had grabbed Lisanna in time. Natsu stood there, staring at Lisanna. His eyes flickered.

"L..Lisanna?" he said. He panted, and his eyes gradually returned to normal. All of the mages stood in place, not moving for several long moments.

"Natsu, that's enough." Lisanna said quietly. "They're not our enemies."

"Lisanna, I'm sorry." Natsu said. "I didn't mean to…"

"I know." She said. "Its okay, just calm down."

Natsu's eyes were completely normal now. He looked down at the ground, and then slowly looked up at Lisanna. Juvia stepped forward, standing beside Lisanna.

"If we're all done fighting, then I think we have a lot to talk about." Said Juvia.


End Notes: I can sometimes get confused about character names, and other names. Like Sherry for example. This is partly due to the L/R switching thing that Japan does. It doesn't help that Sherry (not Shelly?) has a similarly named cousin. I also had difficulty deciding how to spell Balam alliance earlier. Is it supposed to be spelled with an L or an R? I may also sometimes forget the name of a spell. There are a lot of spells, and its hard to remember them all.

Roveto is the Italian word for briar grove. I chose this for consistency with the canon, since Bosco is Italian for forest, and Fiore is Italian for flower.