Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Fairy Tail—A Diary's Secret 2: A Fateful Journey

Chapter 7

With a hand clamped firmly on Natsu's shoulder, Brac led his new allies through the rocky halls of White Wing's secret base in the mountainside towards the tunnel he had spoken of earlier, per the request of Natsu and Mira. Every so often they would reach a point where the path branched off in several other directions, but Brac never once hesitated in his maneuvering. Upon entering the secret base originally, no one would be able to tell that such a labyrinth lay in wait deep within; which was more than likely the entire idea behind its design.

"This place is pretty impressive," Mira commented, her curious eyes scanning the torch lit walls and absorbing the impressive structure. "It must have taken a very long time to create all this."

Brac laughed loudly, his deep voice like a resounding bomb in the small area. "Why thank you, Miss Mira!" He placed his free hand on the steel of his ax. "My magic tool Stone Cleaver makes manipulating the earth all too easy a task! It did cost me quite a bit of magic fuel, but it was all worth it! Only members of White Wing can navigate around in here so if any Capital soldiers wander in, they'll be lost for sure! Ahahaha!"

Natsu laughed as well. "That would be pretty funny to watch them run around!"

"I didn't expect your tunnel to be connected to your base," Mira said.

"What better way to use it undetected?" Brac replied.

"How much further until we reach this tunnel that you're making?" Happy asked.

"It's not much further," Brac replied. "Just a couple more turns and presto!"

Natsu pumped his fist. "I'm so fired up! The sooner it's built the sooner we can kick some Faust ass!"

Further back down the tunnel, Lucius and Serafine were following to reach the tunnel. Serafine had decided to follow Lucius towards the tunnel and wasn't surprised at all to see her parents with Brac ahead of them going in the same direction.

"I guess your folks are excited to see the tunnel, huh?" Lucius chuckled. "Especially your father."

Serafine nodded. "Yeah, he can get pretty excitable. But we all want to get there and check it out. It could help us out with our goal."

"You know, I was surprised to see my father accept strangers so quickly. You three must have really left an impression on him."

Serafine's expression saddened. "Yeah, Mama and Papa are extremely strong. They can take your breath away."

Lucius looked at Serafine out of the corner of his eye. He could easily see the change in Serafine's mood, but he didn't pry into the cause in spite of his curiosity. After all, he had only just met this girl. What right did he have to ask such a personal question? He decided to try and change the subject. "We'll reach the tunnel soon."

"Great."

Lucius flinched slightly at her short answer and sighed to himself. 'Guess that didn't work. I must have really upset her. I'll have to be sure to apologize later when she's in a better mood.'

The two walked the rest of the way in silence, listening to Brac's boisterous laughter as he spoke with Natsu and Mira.

The group continued along until they could hear the faint sound of dull pinging.

"It sounds like digging," Happy noted.

"Yeah it does," Natsu said with a smirk. "We must be close."

"Right you are, my friends," Brac said. The sound continued to grow louder and more distinct. They turned around one final corner before stopping. Brac gestured ahead of him. "Welcome to the Tunnel of Hope!"

Before the Fairy Tail wizards stretched a deep, wide tunnel. Small torches were evenly spaced out all down the rough tunnel walls. At the farthest end were several men and women, their baggy clothes caked in mud and dust, metal pickaxes and shovels in their hands. They worked like machines as they drove into the tunnel walls and ceiling with their tools, showing no signs of fatigue. The workers never once stopped their task, even after hearing Brac's thunderous voice echoing behind them. They remained completely focused on digging.

"Quite a fitting title," Mira commented. "I never expected it to be so big, though."

Brac laughed, but it was softer now, more cautious. "Well we don't exactly want to be filing out one by one when we reach the end. It could end up being a march to slaughter that way. In this case, even if it's more work, bigger is better!"

"More work is right," Mira said. She couldn't believe how daunting this tunnel was. "How much longer until the tunnel is finished would you say?"

Brac scratched his scruffy chin. "Time, eh? Well if they work nonstop the digging won't take longer than half a day to complete, but I'm not interested in overworking my fellow freedom fighters. They'll need to eat and sleep and take breaks. That would push completion back to perhaps tomorrow late afternoon, maybe the evening."

Natsu smirked and punched his palm, small embers floating into the air. "And then we crash the joint and tear Faust from the throne!"

Brac crossed his arms. "While I love your enthusiasm, Natsu, it won't be that simple. While the tunnel will be done tomorrow for sure, we won't be going through with the plan until the following morning. We'll need to complete supply preparations and solidify the entry plan for the most difficult revolution in Edolas history." Brac's eyes, which usually shone with joyous determination, glazed over with seriousness. "There can be no mistakes here. One slip up and we could all be looking at life in prison or worse; execution."

Serafine gulped. "Execution?" she asked timidly.

Brac nodded. "By not disbanding when it was ordered, that was our first offense. By actively fighting back, that's our second offense. Which means…"

"You're out of chances," Mira inferred, earning a silent nod from Brac.

"But execution?" Serafine repeated.

"All of us in White Wing know the risks," Lucius said. "We know yet we will continue to fight for the betterment of this world."

She looked at Lucius's solemn expression. He seemed calm in spite of it all. 'The risk is so high and yet he doesn't seem nervous at all. He's so strong.' She clenched her fists. 'I need to be that strong, yet my heart won't stop pounding at just the thought of dying.'

Lucius smiled softly. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."

"My boy is right," Brac said, instantly cheering up again. "We've planned and planned. We know what we're doing here." He winked at Serafine. "We don't plan on this being a suicide mission, little miss. We'll dethrone Faust with no casualties. And that's a promise."

Serafine smiled, but her chest still felt tight. "Right." She glanced over at Lucius. The boy was smiling at her and looking at her with kindness. Her chest started to feel even tighter somehow. She put a hand to her chest and breathed deeply to try and calm herself down.

Mira put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "We'll be right beside you always."

"Thanks, Mama."

"So I have a question," Happy said while lifting a paw. "How are we going to free the wizards?"

"That's the tricky part," Brac admitted. "They'll be heavily guarded, so it will require our full strength. Of course, simply having them by our side will aid our forces, so it will only put us at a disadvantage for a brief period." He lifted a thick finger into the air. "Here's the plan as it currently stands. As soon as we enter the surface, we'll have a distraction prepared to draw attention. While a small group remains behind to ensure the guards don't give chase, the rest will go to save the others that are imprisoned. Once that's been accomplished, we'll signal the others and regroup. That's when we march on Faust."

"Sounds like you have the details worked out," Natsu said while crossing his arms, "but you said you still had to solidify the plan. What gives?"

"We have new members, ya know," Brac said with a smile. "We have to readjust to make sure we use you three to the fullest!"

Natsu snickered. "I don't mind that answer as long as it means I'll be on the frontlines for saving the other wizards and shoving some fire down Faust's throat!"

"Oh don't you worry. I have no intention of leaving you or your beautiful wife in reserve. You and Mira will definitely be on the frontlines."

"Wait, what about me?" Serafine asked.

Brac gave an embarrassed smile. "Sorry Serafine, but I haven't seen what you're capable of yet. But if you'd be willing to show me, I'd be more than happy to bring you along with us for the rescue mission!"

Serafine's mouth opened, but nothing came out. After all, what could she say? 'I don't have any strong magic power yet. All I can do is fight with close combat. There's no way he'll take me along if he knows that! I'm so pathetic!"

However, Natsu spoke up to break the silence. "Serafine's with us no matter what."

Serafine looked at her father with wide eyes. "Papa…"

"That's right," Mira said with a straight face. "We're family. We refuse to leave her behind."

Brac said nothing for quite some time. He then sighed and closed his eyes. "It will be extremely dangerous. I'm not trying to be rude, but if she can't protect herself she may just end up getting hurt."

"Don't you worry about my daughter," Natsu said while ruffling Serafine's hair. "She's as tough as they come. She can take care of herself. Count on it!"

Mira nodded her agreement.

Brac smiled. "Well alright. I'll trust the words of her parents. When we fine tune the plan to include you three, I'll make sure to have you in the infiltration unit as opposed to the distraction unit." He turned to look at the tunnel for a brief moment. "We're so close to the biggest moment in our history. This is make or break time."

"We'll succeed for sure," Natsu said.

Brac turned back around and laughed. "I love the confidence!" He clapped Natsu on the shoulder again. "What do you say? Shall we get some sleep? Tomorrow we'll fine tune the plan while the tunnel is being finished. Once it's done we'll get our supplies in order and prepare for action the following morning!"

Natsu looked at Mira and the two nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."

"Excellent! I'll show you three to your room!" Brac cheered. He led the group back through the intricate tunnel system.

While they all walked, Serafine's gaze was on her parents' backs. 'Mama and Papa…they could have insisted I stay behind where it's safe, but instead they fought for me to be with them. They're showing such faith in me.' She looked down at her hands; hands that had yet to produce any flame worth being proud of. 'It made me happy, but…will I only end up getting in their way?' She shook her head vigorously and lifted her face. 'No! I can't think like that anymore! I'm a Dragneel! I'll make Mama and Papa proud!'

Lucius looked at Serafine out of the corner of his eye in complete silence.

The room that Brac had provided the Dragneels was nothing too spectacular. The room was carved into the mountain, so the walls were rough and rounded. There was a small "washroom" attached with a filthy dark red curtain as the only form of privacy for bathing. On the dirt floor was a large blue oval rug with frayed edges. The furniture was simple; a bed large enough for two adults and a tiny dresser in the adjacent corner. A small torch was the only form of light, casting long shadows around the room.

Natsu lay on the bed with Mira, his eyes closed. "I wish tomorrow would come sooner."

Mira smiled softly. "I know. It's exciting, isn't it?"

"Exciting? That's a bit of an understatement. We could see Lisanna soon!"

Mira took a deep breath. "I'm trying to not get my hopes up, but you're right. Words can't express how I feel."

Natsu rolled over to look at his beautiful wife. She was on her back as she stared at the naked, rocky ceiling. A heartwarming smile split her face. Small tears formed in the corners of her eyes. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Yeah, that's the best way to put it."

She rolled onto her side and looked into Natsu's eyes. "I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight."

"Me either."

Mira looked over her shoulder. "By the way, where are Serafine and Happy?"

"Happy's looking for fish to eat. As for Serafine, that Lucius kid asked to show her something when we got to the room so she's with him."

Mira blinked in surprise. "She went with him?"

Natsu nodded. "Yup."

She giggled. "I guess she is that age."

He raised an eyebrow. "What age? What are you talking about?"

"Oh c'mon, Natsu. She's thirteen now. She's not small anymore."

"Yeah I know that. What are you getting at?"

"Well she's bound to be interested in boys now."

Natsu shot up. "Wait, WHAT?!"

Mira sat up calmly. "Why are you getting so worked up?"

"She is NOT old enough for that!"

"Oh don't be like that." She put a hand to his face and smiled. "After all, I was that age when I fell for you."

"That's not the same thing!"

"How so?"

"She's my little girl!"

"You're being silly."

Natsu started to stand up. "Where'd they go?"

Like a cat catching a mouse, Mira shot her hand out, pulled Natsu down, and sprang on top of him. She held down his arms with her hands. "Natsu, calm down."

"To hell with calm! If that kid thinks I'm just gonna hand my little girl over to him, he's got another thing coming!"

"Oh you're being ridiculous. We don't even know if Lucius likes Serafine that way, let alone if Serafine has any feelings for him. They just met. Now calm down!"

Natsu continued to struggle. "Let me go! Serafine, Papa's coming!"

Mira sighed heavily. 'Time for a different tactic.' She leaned forward and kissed Natsu's lips. His body immediately froze. She stopped for only a moment to whisper teasingly, "Hey Natsu. I think I'll have too much trouble sleeping tonight. But maybe if you tired me out a bit…" She softly planted kisses on his cheek, his chin, and his jaw. "I could sleep more soundly."

Natsu's body shuddered. Mira's soft lips and warm breath were blurring his thoughts. His senses were beginning to focus on her touch, her smell, her scent. "That's not…that's not fair, Mira. You know I can't resist you."

She let go of his arms and caressed his face while continuing to kiss him. "Then don't. Don't resist."

"If someone walks in I can't be held responsible."

"We can still have fun without having sex." She sat up and pulled off her light blue tank top, exposing her creamy white skin to the warm air. "If memory serves, you're incredible at foreplay."

Natsu sat up, sliding Mira back into his lap. He expertly and swiftly removed her pink lace bra before immediately cupping her large breasts. She let out a soft moan at feeling his calloused hands massage her flesh in a manner that was somewhere between rough and tender. "I'm still worried about Serafine, you know."

Mira kissed him deeply. "I know, Natsu."

He pinched her stiff, pink nipples. She had to stifle a cry by biting her bottom lip. He gently rolled them between his two fingers and her body began to shake. With a grin he flipped her over onto the bed, watching her breasts bounce before hungrily taking one into his mouth.

"Oh, Natsu," Mira moaned. His abnormally hot mouth shot a familiar warmth throughout her body. It was amazing how badly she was beginning to need him after barely a minute.

Slowly Natsu slid down her body, blazing kisses along her stomach. When he reached her waist he hooked his fingers around the waistband of both her black pants and her panties and immediately pulled them down, tossing them across the room without a second thought. Mira offered no resistance. He continued his path all the way to her pussy, which was already glistening with arousal. With no word of warning he drove his tongue inside of her and licked her walls.

The feeling of his rough tongue inside of her was enough to send her into spasms. She couldn't hold back her screams as her entire body shook violently. "OH GOD, NATSU!"

His hand shot up at her loud word and immediately clamped onto her breast. He paused for a moment, but didn't move. He only gave her a look; a look that said 'If you're loud, someone might come and I'll have to stop.'

Mira, breathing heavily from her near release, nodded her understanding. She reached up over her head and grabbed the pillow that lay against the headboard. She pressed it over her mouth.

As soon as she did, Natsu continued his actions. Faster and faster. Rougher and rougher. His right hand, which had a firm grip on Mira's left breast, was roughly kneading the soft flesh within its grip. His free hand ventured to her pussy and he inserted two fingers alongside his tongue.

As for Mira, there was simply too much stimuli. Her breast was being squeezed, Natsu's rough palms rubbing her sensitive nipple. Her pussy was overwhelmed by the rough thrusting of Natsu's tongue and fingers. She couldn't hold back. She snapped as she screamed her release into the pillow.

Natsu withdrew from inside Mira, licking his lips and then his two fingers. "Feeling better?"

Mira panted heavily and rapidly, the pillow resting over her face. She nodded as she gazed at him with passion. "So…much…that…that was…incredible."

Natsu moved and lay beside her. He ran his fingers through her silky, white hair, admiring the shine on her face from how worked up she had gotten. He kissed her forehead. "I'm glad." He adjusted himself to wrap his arms tightly around her stomach and closed his eyes. "You realize when we get back home we're gonna have to do it for hours, right?"

Mira giggled as she moved the pillow off of her face. She turned so that her back could be pulled right up against his warm chest. "Bring it on." The two were about to fall asleep until Mira said softly, "Natsu."

"Mm?"

"My clothes?"

Serafine stared at Lucius's back as he led her through the tunnels. 'What is this all about?'

MINUTES EARLIER

"Umm…Serafine?"

Serafine stopped at the doorway and turned towards Lucius. Her father and Happy had already flung themselves on the bed and her mother was looking around the room. "Yeah?"

Lucius scratched his head. "Would you like to come with me for a bit? There's something I'd like to show you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Right now?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Trust me it's worth seeing. I think you'll really like it."

Serafine sighed. 'He really wanted me to go. I felt bad turning him down. But why does he want to show me this so badly?'

"We're here," Lucius said, interrupting Serafine's thoughts.

She blinked and looked around. The tunnel had ended with no way to go but back the way they had come. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. She felt a strange wave of disappointment. Had she been excited? "Sooooo you wanted to show me a dead end?"

Lucius laughed, pressing his palm against the cool stone wall. "Not exactly." With a small push, the rock gave way and rolled to the side to reveal a new path. This path was lit with a pale light as opposed to the light from the fires that illuminated the rest of the tunnel system. It was also vertical, curving gently before shooting straight upwards.

"Okay, you have a secret door?" Serafine asked.

Lucius walked forward. "Something like that, yeah. I built it myself. Not sure anyone knows about it, even my father." He looked up the path, his face seeming to glow from the pale light. "This is what I wanted to show you."

"Well building a secret door is impressive, but I'm not sure why you wanted to show it to me. What, you felt like showing off to a girl?"

Lucius smiled, but didn't reply. He reached up and began to climb up the path, quickly disappearing above.

Serafine felt curious, so she walked forward, stepping into the pale light as well. "Where are you going?" She looked up where Lucius had gone and found him smiling down at her—from outside. She could see grass bending on the outskirts of the entrance and the canopy of the trees. She could hear wind blowing above her and she could smell fresh air.

He reached down, offering his hand. "You coming?"

Without thinking, Serafine reached for his hand. With his help, she was soon out of the tunnels, the crisp night air brushing against her skin. "Where are we?"

Lucius lay down in the grass, putting his arms behind his head. "Above the White Wing base."

Serafine breathed deeply. The air felt good in her lungs. "Pretty cool, I'll admit."

"Lie down," he said softly.

Serafine looked at him, but saw that he wasn't looking at her. He was looking up at the sky. She obliged his request and lay down—and immediately gasped.

The entire sky was covered in stars like a treasure chest filled with sparkling diamonds. Waves of purple and blue colors flowed like rivers, wrapping around the floating masses. Darting past every now and then were small meteors, leaving trails of sparkling dust in their wake. It was as if the sky were a canvas covered with intricate detail, captivating anyone who glanced at it and preventing them from tearing their eyes away.

Serafine's eyes shone with amazement as she tried to absorb every inch of this otherworldly sky. "Beautiful…," she breathed.

"This is what I wanted to show you," Lucius said.

"I don't know what to say. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"But why show me this?"

He closed his eyes. "I was hoping if I showed you this, you would forgive me."

Serafine turned her head to look at Lucius. "Forgive you? For what?"

"I'm afraid I upset you earlier. You know, when we were headed to the Tunnel of Hope. If I said anything insensitive I really am sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

"You don't have to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong."

He opened his eyes and met her gaze. "You did look sad, though. It's kind of the other reason why I wanted to show you this spot. Whenever I feel frustrated or sad, I like to come here at this time. The sky always seems to calm me down and make me forget my troubles. If it's not too personal, can I ask what's wrong?"

Serafine looked back to the sky. "I'd rather not talk about it. Sorry."

Lucius looked back to the sky as well. "It's alright. You have the right to your privacy. I just thought it didn't hurt to at least ask."

The two stared at the sky in silence, watching meteors dance across the night. The only sound was the peaceful chirping of insects and the gentle rustle of leaves as the breeze blew through the trees.

After some time had passed, Serafine stole a glance at Lucius. The boy was watching the sky intently like he was studying a map. She could see his eyes dart slightly from place to place and she couldn't help but smile. "Mind if I ask a question? You know, as long as it's not too personal?"

Lucius tore his eyes away from the sky and smiled gently. He nodded.

"Did your dad create White Wing?"

"He did." He chuckled. "That wasn't personal at all."

Serafine snickered and stuck out her tongue. "I know. I was mocking you."

Lucius laughed. "I like it when you smile a lot more. It's really cute."

Serafine blushed and looked away quickly. "What kind of stupid stuff are you saying? Geez."

Lucius chuckled again. "When I was little, my parents and I were in a wizard guild."

"Isn't White Wing a wizard guild?"

"Not really. It's more of a resistance group. Not everyone in it uses magic. This was a guild like they used to be; freedom to use magic, taking jobs for citizens, etc."

"And then it got disbanded right when King Faust passed the law, right?"

Lucius shook his head. "Not exactly. Our guild resisted."

"Your guild got imprisoned, huh? Like Fairy Tail."

Lucius's smile faded slightly. "Well, most of us. My father and I managed to escape the soldiers that Faust had sent. But my mother…"

Serafine looked back at Lucius after hearing his voice trail off. "What about her?"

Lucius looked back into the starry sky. "The soldiers burned down our guild hall. She got trapped under some wreckage trying to escape with us. My father tried to pull her out, but by the time he managed to move all of the burning debris, it was too late. She was already gone. That's when my father started White Wing. He doesn't want there to be anymore suffering so he is determined to find a way to tear Faust from his corrupted throne."

"I'm so sorry about your mother, Lucius."

"I appreciate it, but it was a long time ago."

Serafine rolled over on her side. "I shouldn't have asked something like that. What can I do to make it up to you?"

"I didn't tell you to get something back, Serafine."

"Then why? Why tell me something so personal? You didn't have to, you know. You could have told me you didn't want to talk about it like I did. I mean, we barely know each other. We just met today."

"I know, but sometimes talking about things with other people can help." He looked back at her and gave her a big grin. "It can really make you feel better. Like a weight has been lifted. Besides, even though we just met I feel like you're someone I can trust."

"Lucius…," she whispered. She took a deep breath. "Can…Can I tell you a secret? Something I haven't even told my Mama or Papa?"

He nodded. "If you want to share, I'll listen."

Serafine took another deep breath. "I truly believe with every fiber of my being that I'm useless and pathetic and will never grow."

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "What? Why would you think that?"

"Because it's true!" she exclaimed. "I'm trying to believe in the faith they have in me, but no matter how hard I try I can't completely convince myself that I won't just get in the way when I'm with them. My Mama and Papa are incredibly strong wizards with power like you wouldn't believe. No one can even come close to them. They're like gods in my eyes; divine, unstoppable beings that I can never hope to reach even in my wildest dreams. All I want is for my magic to grow and be useful so that they'll be proud of me, but right now I'm nothing but a liability in a fight. I want to be strong like them. Like you."

Lucius blinked. "Like me?"

"Yeah. I mean, you're so brave. The thought of death on this mission doesn't even faze you. I want to be that strong."

Lucius smiled. "Serafine, do you actually think I'm not afraid?"

"Well yeah. You were so calm before when you were talking about the risks of this mission."

"Truth is I'm terrified."

Her eyes widened. "You are?"

"Who wouldn't be? Death is scary and sad. The very thought of it makes my heart pound in my chest."

"Me too," she said softly.

"Give yourself more credit. I bet you're a lot stronger than you think. Your parents think so, too. Why else would they want you on the frontlines?"

"They were just being nice. I have barely any magic power." Serafine sat up and held out her hand. She focused entirely on her palm for several seconds before a tiny ember sprung to life. "See? Pathetic. I'm a loser."

Lucius's eyes widened. He bolted upright and crawled closer to Serafine, his eyes fixed on her hand. "H…How did you do that?"

"What? This stupid, tiny, worthless flame? This is my magic. Go ahead and laugh."

"Laugh? How could I laugh? This is incredible!"

She looked away. "You're just saying that to be nice."

"I'm not! You're amazing, Serafine! You can do something like this without a magic tool?! I can't believe how talented you are!"

Serafine could feel a strange feeling in her chest. It was like a strange warmth building up inside of her. "Th…Thanks I guess."

Lucius gently touched the back of her hand as he continued to marvel at her flame. "Thank you for showing me this, Serafine. It's absolutely breathtaking."

Serafine blushed heavily. "Thank you, Lucius." She was suddenly feeling a lot better, like a large weight she didn't know was there had been lifted. She looked at him. "I'm glad I talked to you about this."

Lucius managed to tear his eyes away from the small flame and looked into her eyes. "You're welcome." He tilted his head slightly. "You know, I never noticed before how blue your eyes are. With your beautiful fire they kind of look like the majestic starry sky above us."

Serafine quickly tore her hand away, putting out the fire in the process. She buried her hands in her lap and hung her head, her long pink locks hiding her face and the intense redness of her cheeks. "Why do you have to say weird stuff like that? Geez."