Readers,

I am going to post this chapter and the next at least, this evening. Some of you informed me that leaving you at the end of the depressing bit was just a bit cruel, so I promise, I'll get to at least some happy before I retire for the evening!

Enjoy!

"Happy, I'm going training. Might be gone for a while. Did you want to come with me?"

The blue feline eyed his partner carefully, still upset that his friend for years had betrayed him and run off. And mad at himself because for some reason, he still missed her. And that small, hug-like squeeze she'd given him before she left just confused him, because he'd felt like she cared for him again, just for that one little moment before she'd pushed him away again. Man, I just need to eat fish for days. Thinking this hard about it sucks.

"...Will we be able to fish?"

Natsu broke into a toothy smile for the first time in days, "Yeah, Happy," he laughed, "We can get some fish for ya, buddy".

And so, after touching base with Master, Erza, Gray and Jellal, Natsu left the guild for an 'indefinite' amount of time, to train. He promised to keep in contact at least once a month and he and Happy left the next morning.

Erza and Jellal had spent the morning at Jellal's house, trying and failing at focusing on anything but Lucy's exile from the guild. They'd decided not to go see her mark being removed with the rest of the guild. It was just to painful for Erza, she felt like she was losing a sibling, and with everything she's lost in life, she wasn't sure she handle it.

Jellal wanted to see her off. Wanted to search her eyes for some kind of sign that it wasn't real, that there was more to it. But he couldn't bring himself to leave Erza alone. He'd search for answers elsewhere. Even if something were going on, it wouldn't be likely he'd discover it by speaking with her regardless. I have to reach out to Meredy. Maybe the rest of the old team has some idea about this enemy guild she'd apparently been working for. Oh, how useful it would be to have Cobra around for this… his thoughts turned to his old guild, Crime Sorciere. He'd start there for answers. Tomorrow. Right now, Erza needed him.

"Erza, let's go find a mission. Something to take us away for a while. I don't know about you, but I could really use the chance to throw some magic around," Jellal said suddenly.

Erza's eyes sparkled in anticipation, "Finding an enemy to vanquish is an excellent idea, love. I wonder if there is an S-Class Quest near Rose Garden? There is an armory there I've been meaning to visit."

Jellal smiled at her briefly, "We can go into the guild this evening to pick one up. And we don't have to get a job near there for us to visit, Erza. We can go to Rose Garden after if you want, there is no reason for me to object to you getting stronger weapons to keep you safe and help you get stronger."

This is why I love you… Erza thought to herself.

And so, after talking with master that evening, and Natsu and Gray, the two mages headed out to eastern Fiore to deal with a dark guild that had gained strength since the fall of the Baram Alliance. Whispers of Zeref's demons seemed to follow rumors surrounding that guild, but they were certain all of the gates of Tartaros were gone, so concluded there were mages once again after artifacts that would bring death and destruction to Fiore. They too, made a promise to stay in contact with the guild before they left, most likely to return within the next two months.

Gray couldn't face the guild knowing that it was all a lie, and knowing Lucy was in tremendous pain having to lie to keep everyone safe. He didn't know the details, but he decided he was not going to find out. She'd asked him to trust her, so he would.

That didn't mean he was going to sit around the guild, waiting for news. He was going to train. That way, maybe next time she'd think he was strong enough that she could take him with her.

It stung a little, knowing he couldn't be of use to her right now. And he vowed he'd find a way to be more helpful to her in the future. She was strong, incredibly so, but he wanted to protect her. So he would find a way to get stronger for her. After he lost his father, again, he'd awakened Devil Slayer Magic, something he has yet to figure out how to control. And he knew, if he didn't figure it out soon it would consume him, and that would cause her pain. And he would never allow himself to be the cause of more pain for the woman who had been through so much already.

"Juvia," he said to seemingly no one, as he was 'alone' walking around Magnolia Park.

"Yes, my darling Gray?" Juvia answered excitedly from her place behind a tree. Gray, though he just knew she'd been stalking him again, rolled his eyes at her antics. He loved her, dammit, but he couldn't handle the hero worship. She didn't value herself enough for him to even entertain the idea of something with her before she figured it out.

Still though, she was a strong mage. Had achieved a lot, and when she was focused, was a damn formidable opponent. And maybe she'd learn her value if she took some time away from everything else.

"I'm going to train my dad's magic. And I could really use your help," he began, "but I won't pressure you to go. I'm going to be away from the guild for a while to get a handle on it, so if you can't afford the time away or you don't want to go, don't feel like you have to. But I'd like to invite you along if you want to train with me?"

Juvia nearly passed out from the invitation from her beloved.

She sat stunned for several minutes while he just stood there, shirtless - of course - and raised an eyebrow at her dazed expression.

"Oi! Juvia!" Gray snapped, irritated at her ten-minute-long silence.

"OH! Juvia is sorry, Gray my love. She was sure she'd been dreaming when you asked her to come along with you. Juvia would love to come!" she squealed excitedly.

Gray sighed and turned around, walking towards the guild to make arrangements with his friends and the master, "Sounds good, Juvia. And thanks. We leave tomorrow."

"O-Of course, Gray dear!"

Juvia watched him walk away, and for once didn't follow. She had to pack. But she did have one more thing to mention, "Gray, my love!" she shouted after his retreating figure, "You're clothes!"

"Damn it!"

"Bacchus! Drink with me!"

Bacchus turned around at the unexpected voice he heard behind him. After all, there weren't women in Quatro Cerberus (Quatro Puppy, damn, he had to admit it, that was funny as hell), and he was at the guild bar. The rest of his guild was being… wild, but he'd not started yet, so he couldn't be imagining it in a drunken stupor. That had to mean…

"Cana!" he shouted as he turned around in his barstool, "My favorite Fairy come to party!"

"Something like that," she said as she approached him, looking haggard and depressed.

Bachhus was concerned for her, drinking when she was obviously sad wasn't necessarily, uh… good or healthy. But he'd let it go for tonight, party, and then tomorrow he'd pry for details and make her face her shit. She'd be too hungover to argue much.

"Kaleb, something's fucked up here. I don't know what, but I've fucking seen Cosplayer's soul. There's no way this story checks out, her aura's like the purest mix of gold and bright white I've ever seen, and her doing something that evil and twisted shouldn't even be possible. But she's been fucking exiled already and I don't know what the hell to do. I'm worried about her, man. And I don't know what to think about all this bullshit, because Master and Laxus are stand-up guys, and I trust them with everything, and they don't usually get shit like this wrong, and she admitted it, to her closest friends, more than once, and fuck I just wish I had your goddamn magical abilities right now because I need to know what's going on with the only person who fucking gets my crazy ass and accepts my fucked up version of friendship, besides my team-"

"Bix," Kaleb said over the com lacrima, watching as his adoptive brother basically pulled his hair out in obvious distress over the celestial mage friend he's always bragging about in his letters.

"-and even they took years to warm up to me and my magic when she just accepted me, right after I literally tried to hurt her, and the rest of our family, with said magic. Fuck, she's too damn good for this shit-"

"Bix…"

"-and I have to help her but I can't fucking figure out how. Is she possessed? Damn it, I should have checked when she came in injured-"

"BICKSLOW!"

Startled red eyes locked with pale lavender over the com.

"Breathe, slow the fuck down."

"... Right. Right."

Kaleb watched his brother calm down slowly before speaking again, "Bix, why don't you come home? She's a celestial wizard, right?"

"Uh… Yeah. Why?"

"Mom was one, too, remember? Maybe it's related to her magic and something is going on in the celestial realm. Dad might know. Besides, you could use a break, clearly. Come home."

"... Yeah. Okay. Let me tell Laxus and Master I'll be taking some time. I'll be there next week? You'll come up to Palerno to meet me?"

"Of course. I'll see if Thane can cover things in White Sea Proper. It's been a while and I'd like to see you anyway."

"Yeah. You too. Thanks, Kaleb. I was getting a little frantic there."

Kaleb snorted at that. "A little," he said sarcastically, "see you soon, baby brother."

"I'm going to Bosco for a while. You think the team will be okay without me?"

Laxus regarded his friend, studying his face carefully, "Bix. You know the team doesn't go anywhere when you're not around. But we've all got plenty of savings so we'll survive. Go see your family." He studied the seith mage for a moment longer, "Are you alright?"

Bickslow sighed, but answered his leader a few moments later, "Yeah, man. Just this shit with Cosplayer is all fucked up and it's getting to me a bit, ya know? I don't know what to think, so I figure I can go home and try to stop thinking for a while. Maybe get some perspective from my family and relax."

Laxus nodded slowly, unwilling to let anything slip about Lucy's situation, but hating that his friend is so messed up about it. He was just glad Lucy hadn't seen how upset he was - she'd hate herself even more.

"How are you doing, Boss? I know you and Cosplayer had that freaky dragon-sibling soul shit going on. Are you alright?"

Laxus looked up once again from the paperwork stacked on his desk, surprised that Bix knew about Dragon Kin. Hell, he only knew because he'd done extensive research on his magic after his piece of shit dad forced it on him.

"You knew about that?"

Bickslow patted his visor, "Just because I don't take control of your soul on a regular basis doesn't mean I don't see it frequently. That shit is soul-deep, and actually pretty fucking interesting, but that's not really the point. The point is that you're probably hurting more than the rest of us, and you avoided my question."

"Yeah, Bix, I'm fine. Go see your family and stop looking at my soul before I zap you into next week."

Bickslow grinned with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, "Got it, boss!"

"Mira, I'm glad you're back! How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Lisanna. I'll take over here," she said, taking the rag from her sisters hand and cleaning the bar top carefully. She seemed to be in good health but she wouldn't really look at anyone.

Lisanna looked sadly on at her sister, wondering why she was so upset. Obviously the whole thing with Lucy was a shock to everyone, but she didn't realize she and Lucy were close, and honestly it upset her a bit that they were. She was sure Mirajane would get over it soon though.

Lisanna would be there all the time with Natsu and all the others to make sure her sister was happy, even without Lucy being around.