Fairy x Adventure

by Magnafeana

In a new era after the Alvarez War, Lucy, Natsu, and the rest of Fairy Tail not only face new challenges but watch as their kids go on new journeys, learn new powers, and battle new enemies and old! Join Luna, Nashi, and the upcoming generation of Mages on Fairy Tail and more on their never-ending adventure!

38. Adventure 038

Disclaimer: I do not own Hiro Mashima's Fairy Tail nor any work professional associated with it. All original plots and characters are mine.

---

In a land far, far away lies the kingdom of Fiore, a small, peaceful nation of 17 million, and a place filled with Magic found in every home, bought and sold in every marketplace. For most, Magic is merely a tool, a mundane part of everyday life. For some, however, Magic is an art, and they've devoted their lives to its practice. These are the wizards. Banded together into magical guilds, they ply their skills in search of fame and fortune. Many such guilds dot the landscape of Fiore. But there is a certain guild in a certain town that soars high above the rest, one from which countless legends have been born. A guild that will no doubt continue to create legends well into the future. Its name...is Fairy Tail.

---

Last time, on Fairy Adventure, Gale and Luna caught up in time to match everyone else for Gale to give Luna a chance to make it to the shrine with Nayda's medium on the condition he stayed with Bluenote for another round of butt-kicking. Mary Jane got a visit from old versions of her we've never seen before. What exactly could this girl be hiding? Gray Jaguar met Lamia Scale and Fairy Tail in the woods to learn Cade and T'oree were in more danger than that thought. Ludvig and Eliza shared a heart-to-heart for Eliza to reveal her forbidden love for another woman! Right on, Aunt Liz! Luna and Icarus made it to the shrine, and, after a heartfelt reunion between siblings, Nashi, Luke, Gary, and Misty set off to help Gale while Luna helps Mary Jane find herself again. Mary Jane and Peter woke up from their comatose states to rejoin the land of the living only for a few physical changes to overcome them and a lot of mental changes too. Meira was under siege from vicious familiars (courtesy of Bluenote), but don't worry. A Heartfilia won't go down that easy! And it looks like she and Alarick have a plan to make sure Margaret Town doesn't as well! Gale's fight with Bluenote did not go in his favor at first…until he activated his hidden Iron Magic! Gary, Nashi, Luke, and Mystogan arrived to find Gale when they have to split up and search for clues. Misty broke them up with Nashi on his team, lumping… Luke and Gary on a team? Is he insane?! Gale's activated Iron Magic has its drawbacks as it made him block out all emotion—only for Bluenote to force him to feel pain again. Gale slipped unconscious to find himself meeting Sycaña and…is that Metalicana? Wow! Things really are getting insane! Gale was hit with some pretty heavy stuff to learn he has the potential to become a new-type Dragon Slayer, the first of his kind.

"You're right. Humans are weak. So, let's up the fucking ante."

Goodness, Gale is revving on full-throttle and he won't back down until he puts Bluenote in the ground! I just hope Gary can keep his hands off Nashi long enough for it…

---

Gale ended his roar in a rough pant, shoulders heaving. He looked down at his body in wonder. I've never felt like this before. I feel…more alive… He looked at the pendant and it winked at him. What is this, Sycaña?

He felt Sycaña's mind press only contentment and slight amusement into his own.

You will begin to feel the earth and nature around you in ways you have never dreamed of, little gem. Your Magic and blood only took you so far. Together, we will surpass your limitations.

Gale grinned and his clenched his fists. "All right then," he said aloud. "You've got me ready to kick some serious ass with this new power." At Bluenote, he mocked, "Come on, Mage Killer! You want me dead? You want the power Mama Dragon gave me?" He knocked his fists together as his eyes glowed ruby. "Then, let's get ready to rock, dickface!"

Bluenote growled as he looked at Gale. He could see the Magic Aura pulsing around Gale. It was thicker than before and had grown into a higher field. There was an underlying green to it rather than gold.

How could his aura become this powerful in just a few seconds? He was weak only a few moments ago.

His eyes slid to Gale's breast pocket.

And the flower is gone, but he received that pendant instead. With his Magic like this…

His eyes widened.

There's no way… He can't be one…

"Looks like someone's starting to get the hint," Gale called out in a taunt. "Don't go all soft now, Warlock, 'cause I sure as Hell ain't goin' soft on you."

Bluenote's face slid into his impassive expression. "Your arrogance proceeds you," he warned. "You may have this power, but you have no control over it." Unbeknownst to Gale, Bluenote's retrieved his pocket watch. "You are just a fledgling only beginning to fly. Experience triumphs power."

Gale bared his canines as a symbol of his aggression, his Teeth of War, and a snarl even more animalistic than his others ripped out from his throat. The Call of War. "Why the fuck are you talking like you've won?"

Bluenote remained poker-faced. "Because I have." He pressed the symbol on his pocket watch—

—and it clicked.

In the depths of Lamia Scale's Guild Hall where Spezi sat in his prison, his eyes cracked open.

In the shadows of Margaret Town, a pair of bloodshot eyes opened.

…and in the dank chambers of the underground ruins, Dimaria's entire body jolted.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

As I close my eyes

Nokosu ato naku kobosu oto naku iku ate mo naku

I know that this is what I want, this is what I need

Ima mo kurikaeshite zanzou

•

Kizutsuita kako no bokura wa

Ienai mama de

Sonna karamawari kawaranai hibi wa

Mou tozashite ikun da

•

So now

Kore wa boku ga nozonda

My Nevereverland

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Spezi did not seem to mind his imprisonment one bit. The basement was lightly guarded. His Royal Chimera still dozed off due to not being commanded. The Mages guarding the two of them were youthful ones who thought the world of their Magic and took to gossiping and trying to find reception. Spezi clipped a hand inside his pockets and pulled out his pocket watch. He checked the time. "Hmm… Guess it is about that time," he drawled. He snapped his pocket watch shut before giving a low whistle.

His Royal Chimera opened its eyes.

A Mage came downstairs with excitement in his eyes. "Guys, good news! The Lacrima towers and cable lines should be back up within the hour," he informed. "Master sent out Maroon and Opera help the electricians. We'll be back on the grid soon!"

Spezi's eyes narrowed.

A female Mage sighed in relief. "Thank God," she moaned. "We can finally contact the outside world!"

"I'm sure all the families at the center want to know what happened to our home," a male Mage said thoughtfully. "I hope it puts them at ease."

Spezi frowned.

We've got an hour window before this place is officially live. Which means we need to make our move now more than ever.

He glanced at his Royal Chimera which lifted its head for the next order. He signaled a peace sign with his thumb in-between the two fingers. The Royal Chimera got to its paws, shaking its mane. With hard eyes, it began to quietly growl.

Amateur Chimera Tamers can't keep their Chimeras under control, Spezi thought. Chimeras are naturally aggressive creatures. But a pro knows if you tame the nobility, the peasants are sure to follow.

The Royal Chimera nodded at Spezi and pawed the floor four times.

Spezi nodded back. He took out his cigarettes and got out one. To the Mages, he shouted, "Hey! Can I get a light over here?"

The Mages instantly sneered at him for such a request. "Not on your life, asshole," one of the brazen Mages snapped.

Spezi shrugged. "It's just a smoke," he reasoned. "C'mon, I go crazy if I don't have a smoke every now and then." He got up and went to his prison bars. "Besides, I'm stuck in here anyways. What's the harm in giving me a light?"

The Mages looked at each other as though conveying a silent message. One Mage got up—a male with illustrious hair—and stalked over to him with heavy reluctance in each footfall. With eyes hidden behind shades, Spezi could not tell if the boy's eyes were fearful or glaring. The boy sighed. "Hold it up."

Spezi did so.

The boy snapped his fingers.

Much to Spezi's surprise, a small explosion came off the end of the cigarette to ignite. He took a gracious drag and sighed the smoke. "Thanks, kid. I can rest a bit easier," he said.

"I didn't do it so you could 'rest a bit easier'," the boy snapped. "Cut the bullshit. We're not buying your 'nice guy' act." He turned around to stalk away.

Spezi took another drag and puffed it out through his nose. "Y'know, cigarettes are really unhealthy for the human body."

The boy gave Spezi one of those looks when you did not know where a conversation was going. "Yeah…? I know that," he said slowly.

Spezi puffed more smoke. "Many smokers think they only damage their health with cigarettes, but that's not the case," he continued. "Did you know cigarettes emit low levels of carbon monoxide? If a single person smokes…"—he took another drag—"smoke detectors can't pick it up. They weren't made to detect such low level of carbon monoxide."

Now the other Mages were becoming more and more confused about this. A female Mage piped up. "Okay, we get it. Smoking is bad. Maybe take your own advice next time."

Spezi closed his eyes, smirking. "I wasn't done speaking, little girl. Don't you know it's rude to interrupt your elders?"

The female Mage growled. "Just who do you—?!"

Her friend stopped her and held her back physically. He glared at Spezi. "Get to the point, Tamer."

Spezi snorted. "You say, 'Tamer' like it's an insult, but don't you have an S-Class Tamer in your ranks?" He took another hit. "Anyways, some cigarettes give off more carbon monoxide than others. It's not some conscious thing manufacturers pull unless you know the right people." He took another. "Now, kids, any facts you have about carbon monoxide?"

A male Mage raised a finger. "Well, it's toxic and potentially lethal, isn't it?" he remembered. "It's odorless and tasteless and colorless. It forms some sort of ground-level ozone."

Spezi puffed more smoke, flooding the room. "You would be correct, kid, except you're missing that it's a flammable gas."

The Mages now watched as Spezi took his next drag.

"It's a funny thing about Chimera," Spezi began, changing topics. "In the ancient Encan times, Chimera were rumored to be these wild beasts with powers uncontrollable. Nowadays, the normal Chimera can't do more than be aggressive and maybe you'll get that rarity that can do a little parlor trick. But, did you know Royal Chimera…"

The Royal Chimera bared a snarl.

Spezi's eyes glinted. "...breathe fire?"

The Royal Chimera roared and flames flooded out of its mouth. The second the flames hit the air—

—the entire room was overwhelmed in a raging fire.

"Tepid…Storm!"

In a matter of moments, storm clouds thundered and gathered under the roof of the basement. The clouds cracked as they poured out rain and howled wind. The wild flames stood no chance against a storm of such magnitude and withered and withered until the rowdiest of flames had died. Only a few resilient embers stayed alive, but that was it. The storm had completed its job and vanished. The Mages were found in a protective bubble of energy that burst when the coast was clear. The basement had suffered through scorch marks that would never leave. But what angered the Mages was seeing both cages empty of their charges.

One of the males cursed. "Goddammit!"

°•°•°•°

The gray clouds rumbled, clearly still agitated about something.

The gateway to the M. Renner Park was wide open and the park itself was full of darkness. Two Chimera peeked out of the shadows with their gleaming eyes and growls hanging off their maws. But, they did not need to step out of the shadows for this particular visitor. They would keep watch.

The clouds rumbled even louder.

Jacob Lessio stood in front of the gateway in his suit and blood shot eyes. He had a hand on his pocket watch. "I can practically smell the fighting," he muttered, "but that's not my job here." He opened his pocket watch to check the time. "We have an hour until we need to leave…"

TICK.

The clouds snarled and howled.

TOCK.

"…so, let's get to work."

The pocket watch snapped shut.

TICK.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Fairy Adventure 038

Last Stand

私たちはこの戦いを終わらせなければなりません！私たちの最後の立場は今ここです！

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

In the slums of the chambers, Dimaria began to physically vibrate. Her eyes were wide and blank as hurried mumbles tumbled out of her mouth. It looked like she was having a seizure like the one Mary Jane had been through, but there was something different about it this time. This was no seizure.

Laxus had put himself in front of his daughter as he watched Dimaria apprehensively. "What's wrong with her?" he demanded to know.

Andele was already on it as she put Dimaria's head in her lap. Her hand glowed as she touched Dimaria's temples. "There's a Curse buried deep inside her being," she admitted. "Time Magic is a Curse unto itself, but this is a different type of Curse. A Demon's Curse."

Luna and Mary Jane's eyes widened while Laxus had to know, "How could that be possible? Is she a Warlock?"

Andele shook her head. "No. She's only been tainted by a Curse like Misses Cheney," she described. "Her Curse is a forcible one. There was no consent whatsoever to it. She's only reacting like this as her body cannot respond to a Curse like this."

Igneel listened close to Dimaria's words. "I'm on my way," she mumbled quickly. "The plan is in motion. Yes, yes, that's it. Activate, activate. You will listen to Master."

"She sounds insane," Igneel admitted darkly. He still had not forgotten Dimaria's crimes. "What are we supposed to do?"

"I can keep her stable," Andele assured. "As long as her pulse is stable and I can keep a grip on her soul, I should be able to keep the Curse at bay."

"Did you ever think about doing Alkahestry straight onto the Curse?"

Everyone looked at Peter who suddenly became self-conscious that he had spoken.

Andele turned her ear in Peter's direction, frowning. "What do you mean?"

Peter's eyes flicked around nervously until they landed on Mary Jane's. She tipped her head and gave him a subtle nod. He let out a breath and tried to relax himself. "I mean wouldn't that make sense? Alkahestry is a direct reflection onto the soul. It helps heal it and stabilize it. You want to stabilize a Curse? Use Alkahestry directly onto it and you'll stable it and the soul. There might be some backlash, but…"

Andele looked surprised at that. "I hadn't thought of it like that." She smiled. "Thanks, Peter. I'll try that."

Mary Jane eyed Peter in surprise and unhidden wonder. "Wow, Peter… How did you know that?"

Peter tried to shrug like it was no big deal, but anyone could see the boy was preening under Mary Jane's attention. "I don't know," he admitted. "It just…felt natural, I guess."

Sparkles flittered around Mary Jane and in her eyes. "That's so cool!"

Igneel watched as Mary Jane doused Peter in endless questions to appease her fascination. His eyes softened and he looked away.

A whine.

Igneel blinked to see Lelantos and Actaeon were beside him, Lelantos holding the red scarf in his jaws. Igneel took the material away in a fluid motion and stared at it like it had answers he needed. He offered a weary smile to both hounds. "Thanks, guys," he murmured as he gave them each a scratch between their ears.

Icarus noticed Luna was not as impressed at Peter's knowledge and instead she stared deep into the medium like she was configuring a puzzle. He lapped her cheek before nuzzling it with his tongue out, panting.

What is wrong, Pup? I feel your agitation.

Luna frowned. I don't know, she admitted. I just… Something about this feels too wrong and too easy, doesn't it? I mean, yeah, the fighting stopped, but how come we didn't see Nayda or Erion? Where are they?

The medium dully glinted.

Icarus frowned as well, pulling in his tongue. You are right. We should be wary as of now. Until we see the Guardian Duo, we must assume they are unwell. But I must remind you of your exhaustion. You have faced more dangerous than you should have in these past couple of days. You need to rest and replenish your strength.

Luna closed her eyes as Icarus nosed her hair. "Yeah," she murmured aloud. "Maybe you're right." Her eyes opened back up to look at the medium.

But, still, she thought privately, I can't help but think we're missing something big.

---

The second Sheik stopped was the second everyone else did as well. The odd familiar bound up the nearest tree and disappeared into the branches without preamble. Everyone caught their breaths from the run as Zelda's eyes began to glow. Miss Pink looked confused at the action with her hands on her knees and pants falling out of her mouth. "What is she doing?" she wheezed.

Riza decided to educate the group. "The bond between person and familiar varies in strength. A strong bond between a familiar and their master means an organic link has been established. Their minds, their eyes, their hearts are in unison."

"They're sharing vision, essentially," Asuna pitched in as she began to set up camp with the rest of her teammates. "It's a nifty trick."

The glow in Zelda's eyes relieved itself and she began to talk rapidly. "If we move one more meter, every Mage will trip the silent alarm. In that time, the Hunters will abandon their haven. If I'm right, there are explosives underground connected to the silent alarm. The Hunters will have thirty seconds to move."

"And, everyone else will die," Naomi said sullenly.

Panther Lily placed an assuring hand on Naomi's shoulder. "Worry not, little warrior," he rumbled. "This is the exact reason why Gray Jaguar was a fully-operational team of Spiritless."

Jackson was already three-fourths the way putting on his gear. As he grunted in putting on his gloves, he spoke, "Huntress, what's the visual?"

Zelda's eyes began to glow once more and she vocalized what she saw—what Sheik saw. Sheik's night vision made the world tinted in green, but it gave them the advantage in the darkness. They were perched on a branch of the last tree at the border. From there came fields upon fields of tall grass. But the tall grass was nothing in comparison to the fenced plant they saw. There was no smoke or sign of movement from the outside, which was peculiar.

"We're near an abandoned power plant," Zelda mentioned. She narrowed her eyes as Sheik did to zoom in on the symbol and she saw embedded into one cooling stacks. She saw a rusty circle protecting the letter M and C with a leaf between them. "I see the symbol. There's an 'M' and a 'C'."

Leandro's eyes flashed in flat recognition. "You've gotta be shitting me."

Romeo turned to Leandro. "Sound familiar?"

Leandro took a hit of his vape. "Yeah," he grunted. "Maille and Cybele Generating Station. Bitch place to work at, but I was an engineer there straight out of high school and trade school and did a bit of repair work." He shook his head at the piss-poor memories. "God, I hated that shit hole."

Oswald had already set up a makeshift station of his Archive Lacrima. He was extracting all he could about the power plant and typed furiously. He came upon his first firewall and ran his programming for the password. "I can get the blueprints for the power plants for us to use," he informed. He was past the first defense mechanism and onto the second. The programming ran again. "It's rather unfortunate their security system uses the same power as their main power. I can't access any feed without having to reboot the entire system."

Asuna grinned as she knelt down with a backpack. "But it is rather fortunate we have my Spider's Nest collection." She carefully pulled out two drones from one bag, each with four black balls latched onto them. "Lifted these babies from the black market in Andüsa. The drones double as scanners while their babies can tap into the system."

"We're not stupid enough to think these Hunters are without power," Delgado muttered. He threw something up and the air before catching it. "Got some EMP grenades at the ready and an EMP shield packed up."

As Riza pulled out a strange gun, Alzack had to know. "What do ya got there, ma'am?"

Riza's gun pulsed an odd red color like it had veins. "This is an Ethenator," she claimed as her own eyes rimmed red to match her gun.

Romeo's eyes widened. "I thought those were illegal here?"

Miss Pink looked at Romeo in confusion. "What's an Ethenator?" she questioned.

Zelda explained: "It's a gun that has the ability to scan the amount of Ether or Ethernano a person possesses. If a person exceeds a certain amount, the gun will only stun them and send them into a temporary state of unconsciousness. But, if a person exceeds the levels tremendously, they'll be killed on spot. It works for Mages or Hunters since we both generate a massive amount of energy."

Naomi looked a bit disgruntled at such weapons as she watched Delgado and Jackson synch themselves with their own Ethenators. "How could technology like that even exist?"

Panther Lily fell grave at such a question. "You'd be surprised the amount of tech that exists in the world—in the universe—to this day. On some countries and planets, scanners exist to calculate a person's Ether Analysis. There are places where technology measures the probability of someone committing a crime. You think the Ethenators are horrifying?" He shook his head as something haunted flecked his eyes. "You haven't seen 'horrifying'."

"Lieutenant," Oswald called with a hint of warning. He switched out to his L-Pad and used his face to log in. At just the tap of a few buttons, he was able to control a drone and did a bit of test. "All right. Asuna, give Leandro the other L-Pad. He'll take control of the other drone."

Leandro's eyes went wide at that. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, let's hang on a sec," he tried to stop. He refused to take the L-Pad Asuna tried to offer him. "Why me?"

"You said you worked as an engineer and a repairman for this company," Oswald reminded. "From the schematics I have here, each plant is similar to the last. Besides myself, you are the only other one I trust to operate the second drone. My team will be busy infiltrating the power plant. Any and all knowledge you have will be valuable." He plucked something out of one of his bags and threw it underhanded at Leandro. "Here."

Leandro caught it just in time to see it was— "An ear piece?"

As Gray Jaguar was checking over their gear for the last time, Panther Lily explained, "You'll need to be in constant contact at all time if you need to say anything. Now. Is there anything you can think of that you should mention before they go on in?"

Leandro frowned. "If the plant was active, I'd say watch out for the Electromonsters, but I can't really say anything if it's abandoned. Not until we get a visual."

"Then, let's get to it," Zelda growled. "We don't have time to keep talking. We need to move."

Oswald looked at Panther Lily who nodded. He looked back at his L-Pad. "Leandro, start your drone," he commanded. As Leandro did so, Oswald said then, "Begin ascent."

Both drones rose into the air, one smooth and the other a bit shaky. They broke free from the canopy with the L-Pads capturing their drones' view every inch of the way.

Oswald adjusted his cap. "Begin infiltration."

Both drones zoomed out of the forest and onto the property of the power plant. They stayed high in the sky and scanned for any organic life deemed a threat. Nothing moved in the tall grass besides field mice who stayed pretty close to the boundaries and the occasional night owl that would fly across. When they approached the fence, it was then the scanners picked up heat signatures and movement. Oswald tapped his screen for his thermal scanner to move into night vision. He zoomed in to see beastly things prowling around to protect the borders.

"We've got visuals on five monsters, two sticking close and three off to the side," Oswald reported. He began to run analysis on one of the beasts to see a Mauthe popped up in his magizoology data bank. "Hellhounds."

Riza stepped in to look at the data analysis. "Mauthes," she said as though not surprised. She looked at Zelda. "Think they'll sniff us out?"

"They are Hellhounds," Zelda reminded. "They'll sniff our souls the second we're within boundaries. Luckily, you're talking to an S-Class Hunter. I know how to take them down."

"I've made it to the plant," Leandro announced. He switched his scanner to see through the layers of the plant. He could see human and Hellhound guards, but they were scattered and so few of them. "I've got a lock on at least five Hunters and their Hellhounds, but I've got nothing on the captured Mages."

"Must be underground then," Levy deduced. "Oswald, check the blue prints for anything deep underground."

Oswald was already checking through the power plant schematics and shook his head. "I'm not picking up anything. The lowest level is the water pump."

"Well, what about the hydro-chamber?"

Everyone turned to Leandro who raised an eyebrow. "What?" He glanced around. "Isn't that in there?"

"Is it the lowest level?" Lucy inquired.

Leandro nodded. "It's dank as Hell down there, but it's pretty low, almost like a cave. I just remember having to go down there to cover someone's shift and then vaping. Security is practically nonexistent and it was on the DL from a lot of people. You could do shit down there and it would never make its way to the surface."

"Then, they're down there," Romeo decided. "That's the only reasonable place."

"If it's not on the schematics, it's obvious that this hydro-chamber was made with the intentions no one found it," Asuna pointed out.

Leandro had to agree as he circled around the plant. "Like I said, it wasn't well-known to everyone. You had to use an abandoned maintenance elevator to get down there." Something struck him. "That might be where the Electromonsters are caged. If I think about it, there were never grounds to keep them. But, an unchartered place like the hydro-chamber would've been perfect to keep them insulated."

Alzack hummed. "Those EMP grenades might not be enough to knock 'em out, but it'll stun and confuse them."

Naomi was surprised. "You think the monsters are out?"

"How else are they gonna house Mages if the cages are taken?" Alzack pointed at.

Delgado cut in. "We need inside visuals. Vanderbilt, Leandro."

"Working on it," Oswald grunted. He let his drone travel low. With a careful press of buttons, the drone dispensed a laser to cut through the metal. Oswald and Leandro began to cut through the metal—Leandro had a shakier hand—until a sizable hole was made. They zoomed their drones inside to attach them to the inside of the wall. Like baby spiders would on their mother, the miniature spy drones skittered off the drone and took off in opposite directions.

Oswald tapped a blaring button that said RETURN HOME and set down his L-Pad to pull up the surveillance cameras. Everyone watched with bated breath until the first of the cameras were online and data was streamed. Smiles and sighs of relief were heard when they saw hallways, some empty and some not.

"Security is lookin' a bit lax," Alzack commented.

Miss Pink frowned. "Yeah. Why aren't there more of them?"

Zelda answered, "It's the Mauthes. A normal camera can't see a Mauthe, but I know they're there. They make excellent guard dogs." Her eyes narrowed as she saw a Hunter strolling down the hallway with big hair and cold attitude. "Faye," she snarled.

"You know her?" Natsu asked.

"She slept with my father, so you can say I did," Zelda commented with a sneer. "She's the biggest threat in that building. Lee and the Major must not be back yet." She clenched her fists. "I can take her easily."

"Where's this old maintenance elevator you were talking about?" Oswald asked Leandro.

Leandro came up to the screen as Oswald messed with it to make to a holographic 3-D schematic of the building with orange dots as the Hunters and violet as Hellhounds. Leandro tapped on the first level to enlarge it and spun it around until he was near the cooling towers. He zoomed in and pointed where two dots and two violet dots clung together.

"Here," he explained. "The old maintenance elevator was always by the cooling towers. Or I should say nearly in them."

"Looks like it's not heavily guarded," Lucy remarked. "It's a tactic. They won't keep it heavily guarded on the off-chance someone does break in. The most heavily guarded places are the ones everyone knows is the place you need to be."

Panther Lily nodded. "Can you find out where the control room is?" he asked Oswald. "We need to diffuse the barrier before anything."

Oswald tapped a room for it to blow up on the hologram. "It's this room right here. There is one Hunter and two Mauthes. From what the sensors dictate, there's a generator in here giving the Hunters power. Take it out and they'll have no choice but to let the Mages in."

Natsu slammed his flamed fist into an open palm, making his fire flare. He offered a fangy grin. "Then, let's quit chattin' and haul ass. I'm gettin' all fired-up."

°•°•°•°

Invisible paws paced back and forth in front of the abandoned gates of the generating plant. There was no noise, no breaths, no pants, but something was there and something was watching. In the fields of tall grass, humans and a familiar lay in wait. Special shades covered their eyes with masks covering their noses, faces, hair, and mouths. They were armed and ready for the war to come.

Delgado watched through his spectacles as two cold thermal readings of medium mass shifted back and forth in front of him. "Give me a head count," he commanded.

"The three aren't closing in," Oswald reported. "Two in front of you haven't moved. Whatever Huntress gave, worked."

Zelda kept her eyes on both Mauthes. "Mauthes are attacked to the soul, no human scent. I can eliminate our soul scents, but we have to renew it every six hours. But I think this dosage will do us just fine." She turned to the team. "Just remember what I said about the Mauthes and we'll have no problems."

Delgado rumbled, "Saturn, are we a go?"

Silence. Then… "Clear."

Delgado relaxed himself. "Firefox, Rogue, Ice Dancer, keep watch on mutts. Do not engage—only distract. Orion Major, Huntress, Lily, Sheik, you're with me on my count on my count in three…"

Jackson tensed.

"Two…"

Walt and Roy crouched low.

"One…"

Zelda narrowed her eyes.

"Move in," Delgado ordered.

Gray Jaguar was precise in each silent step. Only the wind and any rumbles of thunder could be heard. The Mauthes continued their prowl and lay in wait for the next soul they could collect, but none of them could sense what was to come. Roy, Walt, and Riza fanned out to ensure the Mauthes were corralled in the event they started to move further from the space. Delgado led the rest of his time wide right in slow, accurate movements.

°•°•°•°

Natsu watched the screen with a pout on his face. The dots indicated the team's movements and they were fast in approaching the fence. "Ah, this sucks," he complained. "I want to be out there! The gettin's good and I want to show off some new moves!"

"You'd be killed on spot if you were," Oswald said without feeling. "Mages may be strong against other Mages and Spiritless, but you stand no chance against even the weakest Hunter."

A tick park pounded against Natsu's head as he tried to hit Oswald only for Lucy to restrain him with his scarf. "What'chu say to me, you jerk?!"

"They're at the fence," Levy observed. Everyone crowded around the screen even more to see the four humans and one familiar had made it to the fence.

Oswald asked, "Broken Hawk, what's your situation?"

"We've set up a tent," Delgado answered. "Orion Major is cutting through the chain now. Status, Ice Dancer."

"Objectives have yet to move from space," Riza assured. "Still a-go."

Romeo crossed his arms. "Let's hope it stays that way."

°•°•°•°

Delgado watched as Asuna finished using her cutters to make a sizable hole for them to crawl in. Once the final one snapped, Asuna caught the cut-off piece in time. Delgado said to this team, "We're in. Ice Dancer, Firefox, Rogue, come quietly."

"Understood. Coming to you now."

Delgado looked at Asuna and nodded. Asuna shuffled aside for Jackson, Zelda, and Sheik to wriggle through. As Delgado and Asuna waited for the others, Asuna asked over the link, "Where is border patrol's position?"

"Two minutes away. You're still a-go."

Riza, Walt, and Roy came under the tent. After a nod to Delgado, Riza helped her dogs wriggle through before she went. Asuna was the last one to go before Delgado came through. As Asuna turned around to cover their tracks, Zelda began to speak. "From this point on, don't trust anything you see, hear, touch, or smell," she began. "These people aren't just Hunters, they are Huntsmen. They understand how to delude the senses. Only another Huntsman can get through their trickery. Establish radio silence. Use your gas masks and stick to the path routed for you."

"Well I feel great about this," Jackson muttered to Riza.

Delgado asked Zelda, "How else can we bypass these tricks?"

Zelda blew out a breath. "As a Spiritless, they shouldn't affect you as much as they would a Mage, but you'll feel a prickle or something off. If you do, then something really is." She looked at her familiar. "Sheik can easily lead you away from any traps or tricks. She'll make sure you all get to the others."

"And, you?" Asuna questioned.

Zelda's gaze darkened. "I'll deal with Faye."

"Don't make it personal," Riza warned.

Zelda rolled her shoulders. "I won't," she promised. "She's the head of the operations and a G-Rank. She's not just a Huntsman. She's a monstrosity beyond it." She locked her jaw. "A monstrosity I can beat." She turned to Asuna. "You'll come with me. Orion Major too. Lily will need defense just in case something goes wrong."

Asuna smirked. "With that voice in my head, nothing can go wrong."

"Right," Oswald sounded over the link. "Lieutenant?"

"Huntress," Panther Lily rumbled, "you give the word."

Zelda nodded and looked at Sheik. "Go."

Sheik began to stalk into the night with Delgado, Riza, Walt, and Roy on her tail. Delgado watched as Zelda silently led Jackson and Asuna in a different direction. He, then, turned tail and went off after his group and into the power plant.

°•°•°•°

He was trapped deep under water and he knew this, but he did not feel the need to come up for air. He felt like he was at peace as his mouth gave off bubbles. He could see a calm blue light at the surface. He could hear something so tranquil entice him in its song.

Two large eyes appeared. They did not hold fury. They held gentility and knowledge.

He reached out a hand. "Who are you?"

A snout approached his hand slowly.

The eyes turned into red slits as a mouth opened with fangs waiting for blood. "Your end!" The teeth snapped do—

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Silver gasped himself awake with the world a blurred mess.

"Silver?" came quiet, frantic whisper. "Is Silver awake?"

Silver doubled over as nausea claimed his stomach and threatened him. He saw his wrists and the cuffs he was given, but just barely. Everything was a blur to him. "Wha…?" He burped as he tried to keep the contents of his stomachs in. "What's happening?" He looked around to see colors and their shapes, but he could not see clearly. He began to panic. "My contacts—!"

"Shhh, kiddo, easy does it," came a soothing rumble.

Silver scooted a bit to the edge of his cage to see the blurred outline of—"Uncle Gajeel?" He squinted to see the Iron Dragon Slayer better.

Gajeel offered him a lopsided grin spelling his sadness. "Looks like they blinded you, kid."

Juvia was desperate to see her youngest, but the bars forbid her to do so. "Is Silver okay?" she had to know. "Can Silver hear Juvia?"

Silver perked at his mother's voice and his eyes watered. "Mom?" he whispered. "Mom, I'm okay! I'm right here!"

Tears of relief filled Juvia's eyes as she smiled. "Juvia's little wave," she cried. "Juvia is so happy Silver is okay!"

Silver sniffled, beaming. "I'm glad you're okay too." He looked around to see cages and people inside them. "But where are we?" Something hit him. "Oh, my God, Miss T'oree! And, Cade! They were taken!"

Gajeel snorted. "We were all taken, kiddo," he put in. "Welcome to our prison with the Hunters."

"'Hunters'?" Silver echoed.

"Magic Hunters," Gajeel explained. "They are like a Mage's opposite. They track down Magic for a living and these particular Hunters are the military's hunting dogs." He looked angry at the sentence. "And look what dogs do when they're off their leash."

Silver was about to touch the bars to get closer to his uncle. "But what about—?"

"Don't come closer!" Gajeel barked, startling the Prince of the Sea. "Those bars are Anti-Ethernano. One touch from you and they'll fry you."

Silver looked at the bars, alarmed. I didn't know things like this existed in the world…

"As for Alien Princess and the skateboarder," Gajeel rumbled, "we can't worry too much about them. We have to worry about getting us and everyone else out of here."

"But, how can we do that?" Silver wanted to know. "How can we if all around us is Anti-Ethernano?"

"Juvia knows we'll find a way," Juvia said firmly. "Silver is to not give up. Juvia will get her wave and her beloved and best friend out of here."

Silver's eyes widened. "Dad's here too?"

Juvia saddened. "Juvia knows her beloved is here, but she can't see him. Juvia knows she will find him again."

Gajeel agreed to that. "Don't worry, woman, we'll bust out the perv."

CLANG. CLANG.

A door was throttled open as heavy boots and paw steps marched down the hall. The Mages set in their cages scooted back like scared animals while some curved their spines in blatant aggression and hatred towards their keepers. Gajeel put a finger to his lip for Juvia and Silver and they both kept silent.

…until the boots stopped in front of Silver's cage.

Silver trembled and kept his eyes down.

A smirk. "Aw, look at the poor thing," came a coo. "He's so scared and all shaking and sweaty."

Silver swallowed.

Manicured nails slid through the bar. Silver jerked when they touched his face and he felt his skin burn from the contact. He whimpered a bit at the pain.

"Sh-sh-shhh," came soothe. "There, there, boy, nothing to be afraid of. I'm a friend here. I'm here to help you see your father."

Silver tensed and stopped shaking.

"Good boy," came praise. "We've always wondered… Did the Curse gene pass from the sire all the way down to his youngest spawn? We know your brother has the gene. It's in his blood. Your sister is barren, but you…" Nail raked through Silver's hair. "You could be another successor."

"He is not!" Juvia profusely shot down. "Silver has only Water Magic! He has no Curse! Juvia and her beloved made sure!"

"Then, you shouldn't be worried of us checking one last time, right?" came purr. Nails came down Silver's face until a finger caressed his lips. "Nothing to hide, nothing to fear, right, little boy?"

Silver swallowed again.

The finger came down until a hand caught his chin.

"Don't fret, little boy. I'm here to save you."

The hand forced Silver's head up and his eyes caught the woman who deemed herself his savior. He had never seen such eyes. She had a small dot for a pupil and a ring around it with three dots attached to it. Her skin did not seem…human. She carried herself with maroon skin with two orange strips on each arm. She had pointed ears, but not a hair on her head.

"In your language, my name is Caeryssa," she introduced, showing off her canines. "Believe me, little boy, we are going to have so much fun together."

⌜UNKNOWN

Name: Caeryssa

Age: N/A

Occupation: N/A

Likes: N/A Dislikes: N/A

Special Note: What exactly is Caeryssa? ⌟

Caeryssa gently let Silver go and retracted her hand. She strutted away without further word and the two male Hunters and their Mauthes followed her like dogs.

Silver began to breathe heavily only after the door was shut.

Gajeel glared down the hallway. "Who the fuck was that?"

Juvia glared too. "Juvia doesn't know, but Juvia refuses for Silver to be taken," she promised. She glanced down worried at Silver's cage. "Silver needs to breathe, okay? Breathe."

Silver found himself blinking rapidly as he tried to keep his shaking breathing steady. "M-Mom," he wheezed.

Juvia did not care about the burn of anti-Ethernano. She reached an arm through the bars to reach out to her son. She did not even flinch at the pain. It was worth it to feel Silver's cheek and caress it. "No one will hurt Silver, my wave," she promised in whisper, thumbing his skin. "Shhh. We'll be okay."

Gajeel watched as Juvia gave as much of a mother's love to her boy as she could through the pain of her prison bar. Ruby glinted with secondhand pain for his nephew as the prince whimpered and tried to keep breathing.

Damn. Poor kid. He shouldn't have to go through this. None of them should.

His eyes hardened as they turned to his shackles.

I've gotta protect all of them from this. I won't let them go through the same thing as her.

---

"Dolly was one of the first of two-hundred and seventy-seven from the clone generation that was successfully born and grown into adulthood."

Cade did not even deign to write down the notes. His laptop might have been out and his hand was on the keyboard, but it had nothing to do with the genetics lecture. His headphones confined his ears into hearing the sounds of League of Legends. His Champion—Lux, the Lady of Luminosity—was facing against a Fiora player named xxXParfume23Xxx as his team tried to beat another that the matchmaker had set for them.

"Dammit, you bitch ass, stay out of it," Cade growled under his breath as one of his team members tried to assist him. "I have it under control."

A prod to his shoulder.

Cade froze. He slowly turned his head—

—and immediately wanted to shrivel up and die when he saw her.

His crush since freshman orientation.

Cade was quick to take off his headphones and offer her a sheepish grin. "Miss Cassie," he greeted a bit awkwardly. "Uh…" His eyes darted to his laptop and he was quick to close it, putting his elbow on it and propping his cheek on his fist. "What brings you all the way to the top, Miss TA?"

Cassie rolled her eyes—they were a light brown, but Cade would swear they had gold in them—and shook her thick hair of honeyed brunette. "Mister le Fay," she began in that strict tone, "while I understand genetics with Professor Morrison isn't the best way to spend your Friday evenings, please remember he does questions before, during, and after his lectures to ensure all his students are awake and at attention." She looked at his spread, and Cade's stomach dropped at the hardening disapproval when she saw he did not even have his PRS Clicker out. "But I guess it doesn't matter since you didn't even have the decency to take out your clicker."

Cade fumbled with his bag. "I have it!" He was visibly relieved when he felt his clicker in one of his pockets and pulled it out to show it to Cassie. "See? Better?"

Cassie looked revolted.

Cade frowned and looked at his clicker. His eyes widened when he saw a condom stuck on it. "That wasn't me," was his automatic response.

Cassie sighed. "I don't care what you do on your own free time, Mister le Fay," she assured him.

"It wasn't me," Cade insisted as he flicked off the condom. "Miss Cassie, I swear I didn't—!"

"I don't have time for your excuses," Cassie said, terse. "Please, quiet yourself." She turned back around to begin her descent. "And, I hope you come to the TA Session this Sunday. You'll need it."

Cade could not just watch her turn her back on him. Not now. Not when she was so close to him. It was impulse (he would swear on his great-grandfather's grave) that made him get out of his seat and latch onto the wrist of the teacher's assistant. He saw her whip around with a scold on her mouth, but her eyes melted into a surprise because…

Well, because he was kissing her.

Cade held a cheek of hers in one hand and cupped the back of her head with another. He could feel her hands wrap around him as she slowly reciprocated into the kiss.

'I've been waiting to kiss her since I saw her during orientation last year. Her lips… They're so warm…'

The kiss was forced to end when they both needed air. Cade smiled as he heard the girl of his dreams panting from their sweet kiss. "Never knew you had it in you, Miss Cassie," he purred. He opened his eyes—

—to see T'oree staring back at him.

Cade let out a noise of surprise as he flinched back. "Tor?" he gasped out. It was strange but suddenly there was a distance between them. He felt like they were oceans apart. In fact, if he really took a look at his surroundings, he would see his university campus had faded away to make room for an actual ocean.

T'oree floated above the water with her orange skin and mesmerizing eyes. "Lord Cadorius," she murmured. "You don't really want to go back to your world, do you?"

At that, Cade's face darkened. "Of course I want to go home, just like you," he snapped at her. "I can't just leave my family behind!"

"But you already did that."

Cade's eyes widened. He turned around and was transported somewhere else he had not been in a while. He was back on the countryside of Hadong, in South Korea. He could see the luscious fields of green tea leaves before him. He saw women gathering the tea leaves like always. A couple of men riding horses trotted by and sung their greetings to the women with abashed hope one of them would look up and smile at them.

"My Min-jae…"

Cade winced and looked back. He saw the family house. It was a traditional Korean house—a hanok—and it had not changed from the second he had left it with the flowers still in bloom and the bushes needing to be trimmed before they grew too high. But he ignored the little flaws he catalogued as he stared at the woman waiting for him. His hand went to the cap on his head and he took it off to show respect to her. To his…

"Eomma…"

Her beautiful eyes softened as she took in her son. She had not changed at all with her dark hair showing streaks of silver from the strain on her life. Her laugh lines at least showed she had lived in happiness. She smiled at him. "Adeul… My Min-jae…" She still had not moved from the steps. "Are you back to stay?" she said in Korean. "It's been so long since you've been home. We've all missed you."

Cade fidgeted at that. "Eomma… I've still been studying hard at Duke in America," he told her in fluent Korean. He perked and began to smile. "B-But I'll be home for—"

"You'll never return home."

Cade's eyes widened before they shimmered and looked to the right. "I know I've been away for a while, but I promise to come home," he vowed. "I'll make it back home to you, Eomma."

"If you meant that, then why did you steal the necklace?"

Cade looked up to see—

—a sword about to strike him down.

His eyes homed in on the blade as fear forced his body to shake and he heard a voice boom. "You will become fit for the title as the next King Art—!"

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Cade awoke to spluttering as water drenched his entire upper body. He felt like he could freeze if he were not careful, but he shivered regardless. Even if drowsiness was his enemy, he could feel his clothing had been stripped from him except for his boxer-briefs and his necklace. He sneezed and coughed, but he was given no time to adjust to his new state when he felt rough fingers grab his shoulders and haul him to his feet. He did not understand the language being snarled at him as he fell over and onto his knees. He was yanked up to his feet again and pushed.

That was when Cade felt something heavy on his hands and wrists.

His eyes struggled to stay open and keep everything focused, but he saw them. He saw the shackles and the chains.

Wha…? Wha happened to me…?

There was the sound of door slamming open and barking orders in this rough tongue full of squishy, wet snarls and grunts.

Cade grunted when he was shoved into a room too bright for his eyes and far too clinical for his nose. He fell again and curled into a ball. He was still freezing cold from being woken up and it was hard for him to move when everything felt so heavy and time felt slow.

"Sir," came angelic murmur, "I will be putting you in a hot bath to warm up."

Cade's teeth were shattering as he felt leather gloves grab his skin, but he tried to protest, "D-Don… D-D-Don-Don…touch…m-meh…m-m-m-m-me…"

A sigh. "Please, don't make this any more complicated than it is."

The next thing Cade knew, he was dropped in what he felt was scalding hot water. Harsh tingles shot up his body as heat cracked his cold and laid a burning hand on his body. He hissed, still trembling. He felt icy hot and it was not a good feeling.

A scrub lathered in soap tore into his skin.

Cade shut his eyes as his teeth chattered. Shame, humiliation, anger—they invaded his mind. "Stop it," he grunted. "Stop."

The scrub did not stop. "Sir, I have to get you cleaned up in time for your showcase."

Cade was about to open his eyes, but soap and water was dumped on his head. His nose burned and he was left spluttering and wheezing.

He heard a door open and footsteps enter. "Mistress, I had to sedate V-fourteen-zero-forty-one once again."

A heavy sigh. "That Sun Princess may be trouble, but she will bring in more money than she is worth."

Something struck Cade as he regained feeling in his arms enough to whip his bangs back.

T'oree… Oh, God, T'oree!

"Make sure she is prepped for her showcase and awake," this "Mistress" commanded.

"Of course, Mistress."

Footsteps left as the door shut.

Cade wiped his eyes to take in his surroundings. To him, he related it to a dressing room like they had for theater. He saw a closet of clothes, mirrors with lights, and various posters on the wall. Many of them did not look familiar to him for the language was strange.

"Where am I?" Cade panted. "Where's T'oree?" He looked up to glare at this alleged Mistress—

—and was completely taken back.

The woman looked human if it were not for her blue skin.

The Mistress offered him a look of contempt. "You find yourself on the star of the House of O," she explained in a monotone voice. "Now, I suggest you allow me to finish preparing you for your showcase, E-seventy-two-one-thirty-six. The better you look, the better chances you have to belong to a richer handler."

The Mistress began to wash Cade's hair as confusion hit him. "A 'showcase'… 'Handler'?" he repeated. "'Star' and 'House of O'? The Hell does that mean?"

The Mistress sprayed Cade's hair to get the conditioner out. "You will be auctioned off to the highest bidder," she said plainly. "If your showcase is masterful, perhaps a rich handler will—"

Cade turned horrified. "You're trying to sell me?!" he nearly shrieked. "That's not legal! You can't sell people!"

"Once you were deposited onto House Property, we have the right to sell you however we see fit," the Mistress told him, raking her hands through his hair to ensure she got everything out.

Cade gritted his teeth. "Oh, forget this!" he sneered. He began to feel for his Magic. "You can't—! Ah!" He felt a roll of pain electrify his body and make him freeze. His hand shot up to his neck where the pain was at its most, but he let out a cry when his fingers burned.

The Mistress did not even flinch. "The use of any Ether is hereby prohibited to all prospects," she droned. "Doing so will illicit punishment through your Anti-Ether collar. Shocking is just a warning."

Cade coughed and looked down. He could not see his collar, but what surprised him was—"My necklace," he whispered.

The Mistress eyed the pendant like it offended her. "For some reason, the necklace is attached to you. Each time someone attempted to take it off, it killed them."

Cade clasped the pendant and could feel the souls of the knights through it.

Thanks, you guys, for being there for me.

"Don't think it gives you an edge over your handlers," the Mistress said in subtle warning. "If comes to them commanding you remove it, you will remove it or will be subjected to punishment."

"What the Hell did I ever do to you people?" Cade demanded to know. He slapped her hand away and rose up from the water in his show of defiance. "I've never been arrested; I've never committed a felony; I've never—!"

"You are from Earth," the Mistress said flatly. "Yet, you immigrated to Earth Land illegally—"

"I didn't go willingly!" Cade snapped. "I was sucked into it—!"

"No matter the reason, you committed the act of illegal immigration," the Mistress said. She stood up and regarded him like she would a misbehaving child. "You and the Second War Princess of Vanhalla are in violation of inter-dimensional law. There is no record of you requesting citizenship on Earth Land—"

"The queen of fucking Fiore gave us permission!" Cade said, exasperated.

The Mistress did not even tick an eyebrow. "No papers, no permission."

Cade was quaking in anger. "Let T'oree and I go now!" he roared. "We don't deserve to be here!" He climbed out of the pool. "We don't—!" His words were cut off when he felt pain shocking him. He tripped over the side of the tub and fell onto his shoulder, hissing his pain.

The Mistress hovered over him. "Once you have been selected, there is no need to try and argue. All you need to fear is how your handler will treat you."

Cade snarled as he tried to gain his bearings. "I am Fairy Tail," he spat. "We don't believe in slavery."

"You thought you would get a master like a slave?" The Mistress yanked Cade up by his neck. She ignored his anger to hook a finger under his collar and drag him to his chair. "Masters imply servitude. No. You are an exotic animal. For that, you need a handler." She forced him onto the chair and turned his head to face the mirror.

Cade saw his image and wanted to cringe. It seemed he had put up a fight with his detainers—a fight he could not remember. There was a cut on his lip and marks on his arms and chest that were scarily close to claw marks and abusive bruises. He looked at his forearm to see someone had inked his identification number.

His hands tightened on the grips of the chair when the Mistress yanked his head up for his eyes to meet her orange ones.

"Do not worry, Earthling," she said. "When I am finished with you, you will be worth at least one-hundred thousand." She forced his head forward before placing her cold hands on his temples. "Now, relax…"

Cade broke into a panic when he felt something creeping into his mind. "Wait!" he pleaded. "No, wait! Please, don—!"

He was out like a light.

---

Creeping through the forest with dark cloud cover was not ideal, but it was doable. Luke had his nose and ears about him while Gary and his Devil resonated to heighten their combined senses and looked through the darkness. The creatures of the night seemed to have cleared out from the forest. They must have sensed the powerful auras coming inward and moved away from potential harm.

Gary scanned the forest with an edge to him.

Everything feels off. I can sense Bluenote and Gale, but there are larger presences I can't place. And, then…

Yes, his Devil rumbled and he fed the poisonous feeling of unease through their consciousness, I feel it too. We are being closely tracked. The Devil shifted their shared gaze to Luke and narrowed their eyes. Little monk must be protected. Little monk will not survive against Hunters.

Gary snorted as sarcasm flooded between them. I think we can both agree he'd rather fight a Hunter than have me defend him. I can feel his murderous intent towards us. He hates us.

Me, Human, not you, the Devil corrected as though trying hard to soothe his human half. He may hate us, but his hatred is rooted to your Curse which is me. I do not blame Little Monk. I have hurt our Angel. I hold responsibility for tainting our light.

They shared self-reproach and grief for their actions. Both of them felt flashes of those incriminating memories in front of their eyes. They would not shy away from their wrongdoings, but it would take some time to embrace them and overcome their flinches of guilt. They found their solace in the remembrance of Nashi's kind words, but it was hard to remember them over the memories of her tears and Luke's burning hatred.

Gary and the Devil stopped when they felt something.

Luke stopped when he noticed Gary did. He spoke not a word, but his heart slammed against his chest.

The wind whistled its lonesome tune and brushed past the trees just to add some backing vocals to its sad song.

Gary could feel his Devil crouch low in his mind as the words reverberated deep within their being.

He is here.

Before anything could strike, Gary was thankful he kept himself an arms' length within Luke's space for he swept him into his chest as a spell fell off his lips. "Ice-Make: Dome!"

In a burst of speedy Magic, Gary and Luke were surrounded in crystal clear ice freezing to the touch and too thick for anyone to shoot, punch, or force their way through. Luke roughly shoved Gary away in his anger.

"What the Hell was—?"

SLAM.

Luke jumped back when he saw a creature he had never seen before attack the barrier. It looked like a dog that had died in the pits of Hell and was resurrected. It was a—

"A Mauthe," Gary growled. He turned his head to see another Mauthe in the background, engaged with the shadows. "It's rare to see two of them without a handler."

A smirk. "Did you miss me?"

Gary grabbed Luke and jerked him back when Lee stepped out of the shadows with his violet swirls of eyes and his jaded smile. Luke did not fight Gary on his grip as he looked at Lee as though he had seen his night terror before him.

His vīrya is so dark and opposite, Luke breathed. He's a Magic Hunter.

Lee glanced down at Luke and interest sparked his stare. "Oh. Not the Dragneel I was expecting, but, nevertheless, he is one." He came right up to the glass and put a hand on it, reveling how Luke looked at him like fish do when a human got too close to their tank. "Hello, child. My name is Lee Gavrilo. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Luke let his trembling lip speak for him.

"I hear you have a bit of a mean streak," Lee continued nonchalantly. "Especially towards that mean Devil there." His eyes shifted to Gary. "Ice Devil, did you tell him how it all happened between you, me, and your slut? How you refused to give me what I wanted and you let her get hurt?"

Gary gritted his teeth and his Devil snarled loudly. "That isn't true!" he seethed. "I chose her—!"

"Yet, you still let her get hurt," Lee tsked, shaking his head. "Come now, Ice Devil, you think I don't understand the nature of your kind? You're all full of sin. It's your Nature. You don't love that girl—you don't even like her." His eyes glinted. "But I know how Devils get when their sex toys are taken away from them."

Gary let go of Luke to storm up to the dome walls and slam his fists against them. His Devil peeked out one eye while Gary retained the other, both present for this. "She is not a sex toy, you motherfucker," he thundered. "She's a human being! She has feelings and rights!"

Lee rolled his eyes. "Please. Now you're making it sound like I'm being a sexist pig," he groaned. "Let's be real here, Ice Devil. You don't have any real feelings. You're a monster fueled with sin."

"I'm a human!" Gary and his Devil argued. "I'm not a monster!"

Lee raised an eyebrow. "Funny because that Curse you have tells me you're not human," he pointed out. He leaned his forehead against the ice, violet clashing with ice blue and cerulean. "How do you do it?" he whispered. "How do you pretend to love her when all you want to do is screw her senseless and use her?"

Gary could feel his skin itch and his Devil demanding for his full form to be of use to kill Lee. "I've never pretended!" he boomed. "I love and respect her!"

Lee cackled. "You're a Devil! Devils have no feelings of love! You just enjoy the feeling of being inside her! You're fooling yourself if you think you actually love her! You're just trying to justify screwing her!"

"That's not true!" Gary howled, his voice holding both his and his Devil's fury. He shut his eyes. "I love her! I would never use her like that! She deserves to be loved and treasured! She's my Angel!"

Lee's smirk broadened. "Oh, Ice Devil, it's adorable when you get defensive. You sure you'd whistle the same tune if she spread her legs for me?"

Gary's eyes snapped open.

Silver swallowed his sclera to give way to burning blue to entertain his irises.

LUB-DUB.

He could feel it within him. He could feel the Curse seeping deeper into his soul. He could feel the black blood invading his veins as skin wanted to exchange for Curse.

Lee looked like a child on their birthday. "There he is! There's the Ice Devil I've been waiting—!"

CRASH.

The ice shattered. Shards flew everywhere in every direction and disappeared back into Ethernano.

A flutter of gold and black.

Lee's eyes widened.

Gary's eyes faded back into shocked cerulean.

For Luke had plunged through the ice with pitch-black hair and the Sword of Leonis was in his hands. He had driven the blade into Lee's side.

Time stood still.

Nobody moved.

Nobody reacted.

Nobody spoke.

Lee looked down at Luke like he sword was not in his side. He could care less. He almost looked approvingly at Luke. "You did a great job," he praised like a proud father. "Finally. Your latent powers are showing promising signs."

Luke looked up, glasses gone, with red eyes glowering up at his enemy.

Gary was shaken beyond belief. "Luke," he whispered. "Luke, get out of there."

Lee took to cradling Luke's chin. "Why should he?" he wondered. "Poor boy wants to know the truth about you and I can give it to him. Isn't that what you want, boy?"

Luke hesitated.

"Luke." Gary's voice rang sharp. "Get away from him. Everything he says is a lie!"

Lee grinned like he was waiting for Gary to say exactly that. "You know, this takes me back," he sighed. "Doesn't it take you back, Ice Devil? To when we first met? Remember? You certainly didn't think I was lying back then."

"You tricked me and I paid for being a stupid kid," Gary snarled at him. "I know better than to trust one of your kind!" His eyes went straight back to Luke and he held out a hand. "Luke, come here." It was not a question; it was a demand. "Don't listen to a word he says! He's going to tell you things that might sound true, but they're nothing but lies!"

"Oh, Luke," Lee hummed, "I bet you're tired of being told what to believe and what to do. Hm? I can tell you have a strong hatred for the Ice Devil. Is it because of what he did to your sister?"

Luke swallowed, but he did not answer.

"It's okay," Lee hushed. "It must hurt to see your own sister be close to the man who hurt her the most. You've seen it happen once. We don't want that to happen again, do we?"

Gary looked to see the Mauthes had cut him off from gaining ground. They circled him like predator to weak prey. "Luke!" he shouted. "Luke, don't listen to him!"

Luke's bottom lip trembled. "She's hurting," he croaked. "She's hurting so much and I can't help her."

Lee thumbed Luke's cheek. "Child, you can," he promised. "She's been through too much for you not to help her. Together, we can save her from that path." He turned Luke's head toward Gary. "All he's done to her is what is in his Nature. All Devils do is seduce their prey and use them as toys. They use their Curse to charm them and chain them and force mortals to think they need to be around their maker. And those creatures disgust me."

Luke began to snarl as the red glowed in his eyes.

"No longer will she be enslaved to his ways," Lee whispered just as the snake does to lure his human prey to eat the apple. "No longer will he seduce her and abuse her like this. Because we'll stop him."

"Luke!" Gary pleaded, careful of the Mauthes coming in low for his ankles. "Luke, please, don't listen to him! He's going to—!"

"How?" came Luke's hollow question.

Lee said his next words deliberately. "We're going to kill him."

Silence.

Gary watched Luke contemplate the offer made and his hope all but plummeted. We can't fight him and the Hunter at the same time. I have to protect him!

Little monk hears many things, but little monk knows what to hear for.

Gary was confused at that. What do you mean? He came out of his thoughts to see Luke remove his sword from Lee's side. No…

Luke kept his sword at his side as he turned to face Gary.

Lee chuckled, placing a hand on Luke's shoulder. "You've done well," he praised. "It is time for—!"

SHING.

Gary's eyes widened.

Lee's mouth opened for a silent scream.

A limp hand and half a wrist were on the ground with blood spitting out and bone cleanly sliced off. The skin instantly discolored with no hope of returning to what it once was.

Lee dropped to his knees at the raw pain when he processed his hand was gone and part of his wrist. Blood spurted out of the open wound. Without any gauze, he could potentially bleed out.

Luke flicked his blade and the blood came clean off.

Gary looked at the Mage in horror. "Luke…"

Luke turned around to face Lee on his knees. "People like you disgust me," he muttered. "You use other people to get what you want. Manipulation is everything to you. You were going to use me to do your dirty work." He pointed his blade at Lee and put the tip right under Lee's chin so the Hunter was forced to look into Luke's callous eyes. "I'm not your pet to control. I won't kill for you. I won't kill at all. I'm better than that. And, if the day comes that Gary needs to be put down, I will unsheathe my blade and do it alone."

Gary smiled twitchily as both he and his Devil gulped at the murderous aura surrounding Luke.

At least his heart is in the right place.

Luke let his sword revert back to a coin as his hair flared back to pink and his eyes went to their normal honeyed amber. He caught it and pocketed it before turning away from Lee and back to Gary. The Mauthes snapped at him, but Luke walked straight past them to get to Gary.

Gary tried to give Luke a little thumbs-up. "You did—!"

"Shut up," Luke whispered fiercely. "I didn't do it for you—I did it for me. I'm going to put you down under my terms if you ever use my sister like that. You'd do the same if Julia or Silver were used."

Gary sweatdropped. "You have a point."

"Besides—" Luke held his stomach as a hand came up to his hand, cheeks bloated. His face began to turn green and sweaty. "I feel so sick," he bemoaned. "I hate the smell of blood and just cutting off his hand made me want to throw up. I never want to do that again." He hunched over when his stomach threatened to give way.

Gary frowned. "I understand why you did what you did, but you need to be careful next time. Cutting off his hand isn't something I'd repeat. But…" He ruffled a hand through Luke's hair. "You did good." Sparkles soared off Gary. "I'm so proud of—!"

Luke shoved Gary away as he got down on all fours and vomited. He coughed the last of it and spat into the ground with his body shaking. "Don't touch me," he said in a weak moan. "I still don't like you and I don't want you to be proud of me. I just did what Sensei asked. And Nashi would kill me if I let you die."

Gary's happiness shriveled.

Why does he make it sound like he's the S-Class Mage here?

"Hmm-hmm."

Gary glared over at Lee. The Magic Hunter did not seem that perturbed at his lost limp. In fact, Lee looked giddier than he should have been. He covered his wound with his hand, uncaring of infections. He got up and his Mauthes came to his aid.

"You should've gone for my chest," Lee chortled. He let his wound bleed free. One of his Mauthes padded up to the wound and simply breathed on it. Without fail, the bleeding stopped. In rapid process, muscle and skin healed through fast covers of scabs that would fall and fresh skin left in its place. Lee patted his stub. "Better."

Gary shifted in front of Luke with his Devil in his eyes. He crouched low as his wings expanded and his Curse snapped onto his skin, dipping his hands and part of his arms in ice and darkness.

Lee chuckled. "Oh, Ice Devil… Acting like a guard dog? This should be fun."

The Devil paced in Gary's head, teeth bared and ready for blood. He will not touch maõ'bo shakta ka malã'ika. Malã'ika trusted us with Little Monk.

He's family, Gary told. We'll protect him no matter what. But…

Lee wasted no time raising his remaining hand and letting energy swirl around his flesh. "Come, Bateman." He blew on the swirl of energy and watched as it morphed and warped until the form of wolf. It swirled with energy and had the eyes of a purebred apex predator. The Mauthes stood shoulder to shoulder with their alpha, all baring their Teeth of War to the enemy.

Gary's eyes narrowed at the aggression in the air.

He's an incredibly strong Hunter. Magic won't work on him.

Cerulean pulsed and widened.

Which is why…

Gary grunted as he felt his Curse do something he had not felt in a long time. He could feel the black blood eat at his blood cells and consume him, yet not drown him. He could feel the freeze of his Ice Devil wrap and strangle his internal organs, merging cold with internal warmth. His ears pointed themselves as silvery-white streaks highlighted his hair. His eyes nearly popped a vessel as cerulean with a ring of icy-blue glowed with hints of silver in the whites. Canines sprouted from his gums and he could feel the strength of his Devil Form course through his human body.

Gary stood up.

The whispers spoke in the back of his head, but they were faint and almost unrecognizable. Because an image outshined the noise. An image of his Angel.

Lee licked his lips as he took in Gary.

Finally.

Luke hacked as he felt the arctic swirl around him and chill his blood. He breathed out frost.

Frost?

He wiped his mouth and turned his head.

He froze.

Is that…?

Claws clenched. "Hunter," came rumble, "you…"

Gary's wings extended as he lifted himself off the ground. But he was no longer Gary the Human nor had he crossed the line to a fully-realized Ice Devil. He was a mixture of the two with no battling for control. Their hearts beat as one. They breathed the same air and saw the same thing. He was a Devil and a Human—they were a Devil and a Human.

Their eyes flashed as they waited to sink their claws into the Hunter who brought them endless suffering. "…are mine!"

°•°•°•°

Nashi turned her head and froze, frowning. "Did you hear that?"

Mystogan did not seem at all amused as he continued to walk. "Nashi, Lance told me about how you tried to freak him out when we were in the mountains. We need to keep moving, not play your games."

Nashi turned to glare at Mystogan. "I wasn't making a stupid joke," she declared hotly. "I really thought I heard something!" At Mystogan's sigh, she raced to match his steps.

"You're probably paranoid and rightfully so," he explained. "We've been walking in the dark for a while now. I'm surprised you haven't tripped over anything."

Nashi hmphed. "I'm wearing the night-vision glasses you gave me. How could I trip?" She was right. While Mystogan kept his normal glasses, he offered Nashi actual goggles for night vision. She may have looked a bit odd wearing them and they sat funny on her nose, but she wore them nevertheless.

"Well, you've been falling all over Gary," Mystogan teased, tone cheeky, "so who's to say?"

Nashi groaned and facepalmed. "Walked right into that one," she guessed. "But, let's be real here: how are you not creeped out yet?" She stepped closer to Mystogan as she looked around the trees. She exhaled sharply at a pair of gleaming eyes only for a squirrel to emerge from a tree, exhausted. She sighed. "I mean can you imagine what we're about to be up against? My stomach is rolling just thinking about it."

"It comes with the territory of being an S-Class Mage," Mystogan educated.

Nashi scoffed and turned away pointedly. "Here we go again... Misty's Sensei Mode."

Mystogan raised a finger. "As an S-Class Mage, you can't afford to let the environment or circumstances invoke fear," he lectured. "You have to be prepared for any event and its outcome, even death." He stopped suddenly.

Nashi stopped too.

"You have to realize death is a big part of being an S-Class Mage, bigger than it is being just a Mage," Mystogan murmured like he was giving her advice in the back of the class. "We take on jobs that would kill a lesser Mage. We're forced to sign a waiver before each official S-Class mission and above under the pretense we could very well not come home. In fact, when you are first inducted, Master will have you write out your will."

That surprised Nashi. "Are you kidding me?" she asked, clearly not believing it. "That's like military-guard crap."

"We put our lives on the line too," Mystogan pointed out. "There's certain things you'll know when you become an S-Class Mage, but you should know this: you want to get to this rank, you have to understand the price." He lifted his chin and looked down at her from the corner of his eye. He saw the somber expression on Nashi's face. He sighed and put a hand on her head. "But, don't think about it yet. You've got some time before the exams, okay? You need to focus on self-reflection and growing stronger." He walked forward.

Nashi followed after him, head ducked down.

"We take on jobs that would kill a lesser Mage. We're forced to sign a waiver before each official S-Class mission and above under the pretense we could very well not come home. In fact, when you are first inducted, Master will have you write out your will."

That's crazy, Nashi thought. How could she make anyone do that? Everyone was so young when they made it to S-Class. What exactly happens when you get to that level? And what price do you pay?

Nashi remembered Gary's detached expression months ago when they were plotting for their saving of the children in Muru Town. She remembered Mystogan and Lance unfazed at them potentially being trapped in the mountainside.

I can't let myself think too hard on this. I'm going to become S-Class and become his equal no matter what.

Seraphim chuckled. Your feelings for the Devil are complicated on the surface, but the true feeling in your heart is simple, little one. Are you sure rivalry is all that is there?

Oh, shut it, you, Nashi angrily snapped. Just be supportive and help me with my goal.

Seraphim chuckled, but he said nothing.

Nashi and Mystogan continued their trek deeper in the woods. Nashi found herself tensing as she felt large auras pulsating to the east of her, but when she saw Mystogan unfazed, she tried to follow his lead. Still, she kept glancing to the east as her skin tingled.

It's so strong even I can feel it. What the heck is happening between Gale and Bluenote?

She stopped.

Her skin prickled.

She could feel the spirit of her Magic just barely escape her skin as a personal shield.

What is this? she whispered to her souls. I feel such…despair…

"Keep moving."

Nashi saw Mystogan had not even flinched and waded through the night like it was nothing. She ran to catch up with him. "But, Misty—!"

"Keep – moving," Mystogan growled under his breath in command.

Nashi closed her mouth bitterly at that and followed him along. She could not help how twitchy she felt as more negativity washed over her. She felt her Magic thrum even more to brush it away.

Seraphim, Nashi called, what's going on?

Take off those goggles.

Nashi was confused, but her souls never steered her wrong so she did so. But, then I can't—

Let me show you.

Nashi's mouth opened as pink covered her irises and pupils like she was possessed. The world to her was different. She could see the living essence within every tree and every blade of grass. She looked over at Mystogan to see him glowing in that same essence. She could see his emotions, his internal struggles, and there was a sweet temptation when she realized she could see into his past.

What's going on? Nashi fretted.

This is the Sight of an Angel, Seraphim explained. We have the power to understand life and death and see it. Look into the path before you and tell me what you see.

Nashi looked dead ahead. She saw something, but it got away from her. She squinted to focus—

—and her eyes widened when she saw it.

She could see despair and sin and the signs of a wayward Curse. She saw its trail. She saw the effect it had on the life around it. All had been tinged with despair but were trying to repair themselves from the blow. She could see that a life had been through here and walked down the same path.

A Curse? A Demon's here?

No, little one, for a Demon's appearance would kill innocent life. This is the sign of a Warlock.

Nashi had to think for a moment. Okay… Bluenote is fighting Gale. But there's that Jacob Lessio guy, right? He must've come through here. Her eyebrows slammed together. But, why?

To understand, you must feel the life around you and ask them for guidance, Seraphim advised. Breathe as they breathe and they will show you an answer. They will give you Sight.

At that, Nashi shook her head. My Soul Sight isn't that powerful, remember?

Use your souls to amplify your powers, Seraphim encouraged. We are here to help you see what you cannot see until you have grown stronger.

Nashi set her lips in a firm line. Okay. Aloud, she spoke, "Misty, give me a minute."

Mystogan stopped and whirled around with a question on his lips, but he stopped when he saw the glow in Nashi's eye. Rather than protest in the halt of their progress, he folded his arms. Interesting…

Nashi regarded her souls. What should I do?

Touch and you will See.

Nashi sighed loudly, exasperated. "What the Hell is that supposed to mean?"

Mystogan raised an eyebrow. "Problem?"

Nashi shook her head in frustration. "What does it mean to 'touch' and I will See?"

Mystogan understood the words as soon as they were spoken. "It's a lesson I've instilled in Luke," he realized. "Everything in life is connected. The grass, the air we breathe, our souls, the stars—we are all connected."

Nashi crossed her arms. "Sounds like some 'use the Force, young Padawan' bullshit that Igneel and Luke preach about," she said flippantly.

Mystogan breathed out a chuckle. "It basically is when you think about it," he had to admit. "But, at the same time, it's different." He adjusted his glasses. "It's different for Mages to feel connected to the world around us. For Luke, myself, and your mother, we meditate and can feel the bonds. I've heard of some Earth Mages being able to feel the vibrations in the earth to connect them to it. But, you… You have the souls of Angels. You must have a way to connect. 'Touch'…" His eyes were drawn to the trees and they lit up. "I see. Touch a tree."

Nashi blinked. "What?"

Mystogan gave her a look.

Nashi shot him a wary look, but she shuffled over to a tree. She closed her eyes and sighed. "This better work." Her hand landed on the thick root of the tree peeking up from the ground.

Can you feel the soul of the tree? Seraphim asked. Can you feel its life?

Nashi's eyebrows furrowed.

Don't overwork yourself, Seraphim was quick to correct. This is easy as breathing. No need to focus on the feeling. The feeling is already there.

Nashi relaxed her features and exhaled. To feel life beneath my fingertips… It's as easy as breathing. She inhaled. She exhaled. She inhaled.

Something tingled against her fingers.

She exhaled.

The tingling expanded into a sunning warmth.

She inhaled.

She could feel the subtle pulse of a breathing soul within the tree as her hand glowed pink.

She exhaled.

She felt fuzzy as she could feel the inner mechanisms of the tree. She could feel the tree take in carbon dioxide and could feel the process of turning carbon dioxide into oxygen.

She inhaled.

She no longer just felt the tree—she was the tree.

She exhaled.

Mystogan watched in awe as he saw Nashi's subtle glow. She looked like the moon in a way and carried a translucent light, one of early sunset when the magenta sky hit the water.

I can feel her Magic Power increase. Is this the work of a Divine Soul?

As Nashi breathed, Seraphim gave her instructions. Expand your connection. Touch and you will See.

Nashi inhaled…

She exhaled…

Then, her eyes snapped open as pink took over her eyes. She could feel herself—her soul—shoot through the roots of the tree, but it was something more than that. She was sifting through the connection.

Think of who you want to See, Seraphim urged.

Winter and frost came to mind and in an instant, Nashi found herself above ground once again. It was like she was watching Lacrima-Vision from the way everything was portrayed. She witnessed—

Hold on… Nashi whispered. Is that…Gary?

The man she saw before her was nothing like she had seen or at least it made her mind confused at the sense of déjà vu. She saw him with his dark hair with white-streaked highlights, his pointed ears, and fangs. She saw the look in his eyes of not a Devil or a man, but an amalgamation of the two. She watched him as he fought off not one but two Hellish canines and their alpha.

What…? What's happening? What are those things?

Those are Mauthes, Seraphim said. They are a special breed of Hellhound domesticated by Magic Hunters. They are invisible to the naked human eye, but one day, you will grow strong enough to see them without me. Their leader is a Familiar.

Alarm sprung. Is a Demon nearby?

Familiars were not always a demonic trait. A Familiar used to be a wizardly companion, an extension and physical representation of their Magic. Familiars can come in all forms. If you think about it this way, your mother's spirits serve as her Familiars.

Nashi's gaze was drawn to her younger brother who looked sick to his stomach. Luke… Oh, no!

Gary and his Devil made sure Luke was under no harm and kept the boy close. But Nashi found her gaze wandering from Gary and Luke to—

Anger and fear swept into Nashi. Lee… She saw the Magic Hunter watching from the sidelines with an amused look in his eye. But, the hungry gleam in his eye told her he was anything but in the mood to laugh. She noticed his arm. Just what—?

She shook her head. No. I can't focus on this. Misty and I have a duty to fulfill. She turned her attention elsewhere. I have to focus on the Curse I felt. I need to follow it.

Without even thinking, her soul shot through the connection and followed the trail the Curse gave her. She popped up onto the surface to see she found herself at an abandoned water fountain displaying the Guardian Duo. Her soul dove down beneath the fountain to follow the trail.

Wait… Where am I going?

She appeared below the surface, but she found herself in what appeared to be—

Wait. A warehouse?

Then, she gasped.

It was nothing illegal. She easily recognized it was a city warehouse due to the logos. She could see it harbored emergency supplies, a food pantry, and machinery. But that was not what surprised her.

It was the fact that the Guardian Duo and a Dragon were trapped inside.

That has to be them! That has to be the two Guardians! But a Dragon?

She saw the two deities and the legendary creature had all been trapped in hovering cages that constantly shifted. Black lightning outlined in red would lash at them if they so much as breathed too heavily and distress rang out from the Guardian that looked like a cross between dinosaur and bird. Her cries angered the Guardian that was a cross between reptile and lion and he cared little for the lightning attacking him as he tried to get to his other half. The Dragon seemed to curl in on itself like a snake, eyes closed.

Nashi and Seraphim evaluated the situation. None of the creatures looked untouched. In fact, they looked like they had gone through heavy damage and were in desperate need of a Healer.

A Dragon, Seraphim! Nashi told her soul. But, that's not possible! All the Dragons are dead!

Not all Dragons are dead, Seraphim reminded. Purebred Dragons, yes, but you must remember that, in times of old, a Slayer turned into what they were to slay. A God Slayer turned God and—

Dragon Slayers turned into Dragons, Nashi finished. I know. But something just doesn't feel right… It doesn't feel like how it should feel…

STEP… STEP…

Nashi looked to see Jacob Lessio waltzing into the scene while on a Compact.

What's he doing here?

Jacob suddenly stopped.

Nashi watched, the anticipation speeding up her heart.

Jacob's head whipped up and stared blank at her—

—and the connection snapped.

Nashi came out of her trance like she was coughing up water. She heaved, eyes losing her glow, and tumbled forward. Her bones felt heavy and her skin even more so.

Mystogan rushed over with his hands aglow. "I've got you," he promised. He raised her jacket and the back of her shirt to expose her skin and began to rub her back in the form of a massage.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

« While this may look like a massage, make no mistake. This is called a Ether Transfer, different from a Magic Transfer. Any Mage is capable of giving their collected Ethernano to someone else. Skin-to-skin contact in the form of a massage is the most effective way to do it. »

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Nashi panted and could feel her strength gather once again. "Misty… I saw it…" she told him. "Up ahead is a fountain. It'll lead us to… It'll lead us to a warehouse underground."

Mystogan understood. "It's the city warehouse."

Nashi coughed. "Yeah, but Jacob, the Guardian Duo, and a Dragon are occupying it."

Mystogan's eyebrows shot up. "A Dragon?" He shook his head. "Never mind that. The Warlocks must be trapping all of them down there." Something came to him. "And, they deliberately trapped them in the city warehouse in which only those with badges can get in. Do you know how this will reflect on the city if the press learns the Guardian Duo and a Dragon were—?" His eyes darkened. "No. They know we wouldn't say anything because of the Dragon. If this is a living and breathing Dragon, we'll want to keep it a secret from the public eye."

Nashi sat up, waving off Mystogan's hands. "Look, all I know is all of them are hurting pretty bad. We need to get to them so I can heal them and fast."

Mystogan stood up and helped Nashi to her feet. "Right. You said Jacob was there? Did you see anyone else?"

Nashi shook her head, then grimaced. "No, but I think he knows we're here," she admitted. "He looked straight at me and the connection ended."

"Makes sense."

Nashi scrunched her nose. "How?"

"He's a Warlock, essentially a Cursed Celestial Spirit Mage without the keys. But, even before that, he was a powerful wizard. You're not experienced enough to cover your presence. It makes sense he sensed you."

"Oh." Nashi frowned. "I didn't think of it like that."

Mystogan looked out into the darkness. "The abandoned water fountain must be a secret way in. With Jacob knowing our presence, we'll have to assume he'll have us face obstacles. We won't face him directly. No, he'll want to stay with the Guardian Duo and Dragon to ensure their safety." He cursed. "Dammit. If only we had Penelope."

Nashi was curious of that. "Why her?"

"She's as close to a Shadow Charmer as we can get," Mystogan answered.

"A what now?"

"A Shadow Charmer," Mystogan repeated. "They're like Warlocks, but without the connection to a Demon. They aren't really evil at all. They just have a connection to darkness and can contract dark creatures. Penelope would've been great to have right now, but the two of us will even the playing field." He grinned at her. "A Heavenly Body and an Angel—we'll certainly decimate whoever crosses our paths."

Nashi was still frowning. "So, what should we do now if he's expecting us?"

"Transform here," Mystogan ordered, "because once we get to that fountain, I have a feeling we won't even have the time to breathe."

---

Mary Jane giggled as Peter paused in his storytelling. "And, then, what?"

Peter grinned like a pirate. "Well then, I…"

Luna sighed from her position at Icarus' side. "I'm so bored!" she groaned. She had taken to resting her head on Icarus' flank while the Canis Minor Spirit laid down for a snooze. She had finally tore herself out of her old clothes for a Libra-branded t-shirt and shorts and her hair into twin fishtail braids, her ribbon a headband. She looked over at Laxus who was doing his best to get some type of signal. "Uncle Laxus, can we go now?" she whined.

"No," Laxus huffed with an air of annoyance. "We aren't leaving until it's safe for us to be on the surface. The threat level is too high."

Luna turned on her side, pouting frustratedly. "Jerk," she muttered.

Laxus glanced at his niece, unimpressed. "I can still hear you."

Luna grumbled inaudibles under her breath and shifted herself. I should've stayed with Gale. I could be helpful out there. What about Auntie Meira or Gabriel? I wonder how they're all doing…

Knowing Meira, Icarus thought to Luna, she's gotten herself into a pup's worth of trouble. Heaven help her Male make a swift recovery.

Luna softened as she stared absently at her pack with the medium stashed inside. Mister Ludvig… I hope he's okay. Her eyes focused and looked beyond the pack to see Igneel with his beloved scarf in his hands and the Hound Spirits with their heads in his lap. Speaking of okay…

"Psssst!"

Igneel looked up to see his sister beckoning him to her. He crawled over to her—the Hound Spirits protested—and settled next to her with his head on Icarus' flank. "What?" he asked.

Luna was concerned at his tone. "What's wrong?" she fretted. "You seem tired."

Igneel's stare had already glazed over.

Luna furrowed her brow. "Igneel?"

He was silent.

"Igneel!"

Igneel blinked and his gaze refocused on his sister. "What?"

Luna sighed. "Iggy, what's the matter?" she pleaded to know. "You look tired and sad."

"I'm not tired and sad," Igneel murmured slowly, eyes dropping. "I'm just… It's just my meds." He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb. "Just not feelin' it right now."

A loud laugh. "That did not happen!"

Luna got to her elbows and twisted her head to see Mary Jane laughing behind her hand as Peter assured her whatever happened did happen. From the corner of her eye, she caught Laxus' happy gleam of approval of seeing his butterfly giggling. Even she had to smile herself.

Hearing Mary Jane laugh… It's such a nice feeling.

Luna settled back down, but she paused when she caught a foreign look in her brother's face that she had not seen before. It was gone before she could decipher it and Igneel shut his eyes and forced himself to loosen up. Still… "Igneel," Luna murmured, "are you sure you're okay? You've been acting…not like you and—"

"I'm fine," Igneel grumbled. "I'm just fine. I just want to go home, okay? I want to forget about this stupid trip."

Luna's frown deepened and she raised her head to glance at Mary Jane. "Iggy, I get it that you're angry with Mary Jane, but right now isn't the time for that."

Silence.

Luna turned back to her brother, but Igneel's stare had become subdued and unfocused. "Iggy?" she called.

He said nothing.

"Igneel," Luna snapped, a bit exasperated. "Are you even listening to me?"

Igneel glared at her. "I am," he snapped all of a sudden, angrily defensive. "Just because I don't answer two seconds afterwards doesn't mean I'm not listening! I'm not stupid!"

Luna was taken back at that. "I—"

"And, I'm not mad at her. I don't really care." Igneel turned his back on Luna. "I just want to go home."

Luna looked a tad hurt, but she was more confused than anything at Igneel's unusual depression. "Ignee—"

Let him be, Pup, Icarus chided. He smells of sorrow. Let him mourn in peace.

But, why is he so sad? Luna wanted to know, rolling onto her other side. I thought he'd be happy. I mean we'll finally be done with all this fighting and he got Mary Jane back. Shouldn't that be enough?

Icarus sighed through their link. You are young. You know little of matters of the heart and especially the heart of a beast.

Luna blinked. 'Heart of a beast'?

Lelantos and Actaeon, whom had relocated to being watchdogs at the entrance, tensed and growled.

Spirit flattened his ears and stood up with the clear intention of protecting his mistress.

Icarus's head popped up. Without warning, he got to his feet, leaving Luna to slam her head into the ground.

"Ow," she groaned. "What was that for?"

A low snarl.

Luna flinched and looked up. She saw her brother glare at the entrance with eyes made of feral emerald rather than his calming onyx. Flames gathered at his fingertips, his hair, his arms and calves. He postured himself with his Teeth of War.

Luna was wide-eyed. "Iggy?"

Laxus was on-guard as static rippled off him. "Butterfly," he growled, "I want you to take Peter, Andy, and Luna all the way to the back, you hear me?"

Mary Jane's own static was sparking off her in warning as she looked at her father in worry (even if she could not help but glance in Igneel's direction). "But, Daddy—!"

"Now." The Thunder God was in no mood for arguing.

Mary Jane swallowed and let her static die. She took Peter's hand (Igneel glanced over to notice such a detail) and beckoned Luna towards her. Andele was already getting to her feet with Spirit urging her in the opposite direction of trouble.

Icarus paced before the entrance. He sniffed Actaeon before growling to the hound. Actaeon dipped his head and disappeared into the darkness.

Laxus settled next to Igneel. "Keep your cool," he warned. "Don't do anything stupid."

Igneel's eyes darted to the unconscious Dimaria like he was suspicious. Like he wanted to rip her throat out.

Laxus felt Igneel's murderous intent and whipped lightning at him. "Calm down," he boomed like a storm.

Igneel's fingers began to move like they were rapidly playing piano. His eyes were locked on Dimaria's form now and his upper teeth curled to show deadly fang.

Laxus snarled and put a firm hand on Igneel's shoulder like a leash. "Boy," he snapped, "don't do anything—!"

Dimaria's eyes snapped open as a crazed smile drew onto her lips. "Time's up!" she sang. She rolled herself to her feet and her wild eyes looked even more dangerous. "Time to play!"

Igneel jerked out of Laxus' hold to dart to Dimaria.

Laxus groaned. "Son of a bitch!"

"Well, that's not nice to say about Misses Dragneel," came sly hiss.

Laxus turned to see a slick man of freckles and snake eyes waltzed in with a Royal Chimera and a few normal ones defending him. Actaeon was in the jaws of one of the Chimera. Icarus and Lelantos had backed up, tails straight, hackles raised, and their Teeth of War out. Lelantos looked at his brother, however, in worry.

Laxus's narrowed his eyes as his lightning charged him. "Tamer Spezi…"

Spezi raised an eyebrow. "The God of Thunder and Lightning Dragon Slayer, Laxus Dreyar… It's an honor to meet you in person."

Igneel roared as his flames poured out of his skin and made his feral eyes glow. Nature coursed through his veins. He should not have let his enemy live this long and he would let Nature give him strength for his retribution. He threw a fist as flames exploded out of his knuckles before doing a sweep kick and flames bursting from the sole of his feet.

Dimaria cackled as she dodged the attacks, charging at him. "You really have no idea what I'm capable of, do you, little prince?"

Spezi smirked. "Dimaria…?" he sang-sung. "Oh, and, let the Thunder God stay."

Dimaria smirked…

Mary Jane saw this and felt panic. She got up. "No!"

Luna and Peter tried to get her back. "Mary Jane!"

…and clicked her teeth.

Peter froze, terror for Mary Jane written on his face as he tried to face towards her. Luna kept moving, but when she saw Peter had stopped, she looked back. Her eyes widened at his frozen state. "Peter?" That was when she noticed Andele and Spirit were frozen too. "What…? What is going on?"

Laxus growled, glowering at Spezi. "Whatever game you're playing, Warlock, don't expect to win it."

Spezi stuck out his snake tongue. "Oh, I don't plan on fighting you." He patted his Royal Chimera. "Go."

The Royal Chimera dropped Actaeon and bunched his muscles before rushing into the chamber, the other Chimera following his lead without fail. Lelantos bounded for his brother while Icarus intercepted the Royal Chimera, growing with each paw-step. The two beasts met in a fury of claws and teeth with victory on their minds. The other Chimera fanned out against Laxus.

Laxus sneered as his lightning hissed around him. "Let's get this party started." His eyes lit up in static as scales itched against skin and he roared into battle.

Mary Jane watched in fret as Igneel put everything he had into this fight against the deranged Time Mage. She stayed back as flames consumed the air and earth, but she could not help but want to partake. She watched Igneel savagely fight.

Igneel… Why does this feel so wrong?

"Mary Jane!"

Mary Jane jerked back into reality when Luna grabbed her wrist. She looked at her frantically. "Mary Jane, we need to stay back," she insisted.

Mary Jane looked too conflicted. Her eyes went back to see Igneel taking a lethal blow to his shoulder, cutting deep. There was too much adrenaline, too much anger, for him to feel it and he countered the attack with a whip of flames.

This isn't right, she thought. Why do I feel like this? What is this?

A low growl.

Luna jumped and pushed closer to Mary Jane when the two found themselves prey to a Chimera. It was a combination of a tiger and a snake. It looked at them both, but its snake eyes strayed to Mary Jane. It bare venomous fang and circled around its prey.

Mary Jane held Luna close to her. Her mismatching eyes worried, darting from Igneel versus Dimaria to Laxus versing the Chimera to Peter.

What do I do? What do I do? I can't let them hurt Luna. But I can't be defenseless.

Mary Jane tried to feel any Magic as a spell tumbled out of her mouth. "D-D-Dark Tenuto!"

Nothing happened.

Distress blared in Mary Jane's eyes as she hid Luna behind her. She turned with each pace the Chimera made. She knew better than for her eyes to stray from the enemy. It was brave of her to keep Luna out of sight, but her heart pounded and she felt not-so-brave.

No, this can't be happening. I have to protect her. Why can't I feel my Magic?

A howl of pain.

Forgetting the lesson imbedded in her, Mary Jane looked over to see Igneel had taken an unmistakable blow to his back. The X in his back cut deep and nearly incapacitated him, but he got to his feet with his golden flames burning hotter than ever. Her eyes strayed to see her father effortless defending himself from a horde of Chimera. She saw Icarus match the Royal Chimera's claws with his own.

"Feeling a bit useless?"

Mary Jane's eyes darted to Spezi who looked amused. She felt Luna tense and had to put up a strong front. Her eyes sharpened, but she could not stop the race of her heart.

Spezi flicked his tongue. "Oh… Is the poor magical girl afraid to use Magic because she might lose control?" he mocked.

Luna snarled and peeked from Mary Jane's arm to glare at the Warlock. "Don't talk to Mary Jane that way!"

Spezi lazily let his gaze fall to Luna. "Bluenote was wrong about you. You do have a mouth on you."

"Luna," Mary Jane whispered scoldingly, "don't do anything stupid."

"We can't go running scared now," Luna hissed back at her. "We have to fight!"

Mary Jane flinched at the word like it physical hurt her. "No. No, we don't."

Luna was in disbelief at what she was hearing. "What happened to the Mary Jane who didn't care about the odds?" she pressed. "What happened to the girl who would fight no matter what?"

Mary Jane swallowed. Her throat felt too dry. The room was stuffy and the air was unbearable warm. She needed an exit. "This is different," she claimed. "I-I… I can't fight."

Luna pulled out of Mary Jane's hold to look at her with wide eyes. "What do you mean you can't? We have to fight!"

Mary Jane shook her head, glancing at the injured Igneel then Peter. "No," she said firmly. "I won't fight. I can't, Luna." She turned back to the maiden in desperation for her to understand. "I can't."

Luna gaped. "But—!"

"Oh, this is all touching and everything," Spezi cut in, "but I don't care that you can't." He beckoned a finger to Mary Jane. "Come here, girl."

Mary Jane squeaked when an invisible force grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her towards Spezi like a magnet. Luna tried to rush after her, but the Chimera got in her way and she cowered back at its warning snarl.

Spezi held Mary Jane, taking in her shuttering breaths and trembling body. He smirked as he played with her ponytail and fingered her ribbon. "Oh, Mary Jane… You're so docile now, so tame. Jacob had loads of fun with your feistiness. What changed?"

Mary Jane wetted her lips and kept her gaze on the ground.

"Too bad," Spezi sighed. "But I know—let's play a game. It's a game called Monster." His lips curled around Mary Jane's chin and forced her to look at Igneel. "You see him?"

Mary Jane jerkily nodded.

"He nearly killed for you," Spezi whispered. "Romantic, isn't it? He thinks your life is more important than anyone else's. Isn't that sweet?"

Mary Jane held back her whimper when Spezi's fingers trailed her neck. She closed her eyes. "Wha-What do you want from me?"

"What do I want? What a generous question," Spezi hissed softly. "There's so many things I want, Mary Jane. But what I want now is to see how far the little prince will go to save his girlfriend."

"But, I'm not his—"

"How far do you think we can really push him, Mary Jane? Do you think he'd kill, say…his own sister?"

Mary Jane's eyes snapped open. "No!" she croaked. "Don't you touch her! Don't you dare—!"

"Then, do exactly as I say and she lives." Spezi said such threatening words lightly.

Mary Jane closed her eyes as a tear shed. She gulped and nodded.

"Good girl," Spezi praised. He snapped his fingers twice.

Teeth clicked.

Laxus suddenly froze in place.

The Chimera lost interest in him to hound Igneel like rabid creatures. Igneel turned his attention to his new threats, but found himself corner, caged. He bared his Teeth of War as he crouched low, spine curved and eyes blazing. He postured himself for this challenge, at his battle to see who Nature favored. He dared the Chimera to fight the Prince of the Flame, predator versus predator. The Chimera did not move an inch closer in regard to his threat, but they showed their aggression at his stance.

Luna tried to get a peek at her brother. "Igneel!" she shouted in worry. "Igneel!"

A whimper.

Luna's gaze snapped to see Icarus had been thrown against the wall, resorting back to his normal form. He whimpered, hurt beyond belief. The Royal Chimera snapped his teeth at the spirit, but he quickly lost interest to stalk towards the human of fire.

Luna cared little about the Chimera blocking her from Mary Jane as she darted towards her spirit and the Chimera let her go without a growl. Lelantos and Actaeon had taken to safeguarding Icarus' body and moved aside for Luna to get close to him. Her eyes watered when she saw the gashes and scratches on the Canis Minor and her bottom lip trembled. She could see particles of him breaking off. It meant one thing.

He could no longer sustain his form in this world.

"Icarus…" Luna whispered. She cradled the head of the lesser dog. "Icarus, no…"

Icarus grunted, cracking open his eyes. Pup… I have failed you…

"Shhh-shh-shhh," Luna shushed him. She stroked his fur with unsteady hands. "You didn't fail me, Icarus. You were amazing."

Icarus coughed a dying cough. I… I am sorry I was not strong enough…to protect you…

"Don't say that," Luna argued. She felt the heat of her tears sting her cold cheeks. "Don't even try saying that, okay?"

Icarus' body gleamed like the stars. As his body became more and more translucent, you could see his constellation. Pup, you must not cry. You must help your brother. You must save yourselves from these monsters.

I can't without you, Luna sobbed into their link. I can't do this, Icarus!

I feel your doubt and your pain, Icarus murmured. I have felt it when I first connected with you. You doubt your strength. You desire a hand to lead you. Pup, you must be that hand. Lethargy washed over the link as Icarus' body was becoming frail and his constellation showed even more. I must…leave you now.

Luna shook her head furiously, trying to work her mouth. "Don't go!" she pleaded. "Don't go!"

I will return, Icarus promised as he faded and star-like particles drifted into the air. I will come back. Do not fear, Pup. Do not mourn. His eyes closed. I will come back… I will come back…

His body vanished.

Luna's eyes widened as she watched particles drift off into the air. Wordlessly, grievously, she tried to reach out and grab those particles. It was like she was trying to bring back the fallen Clifford. When she realized the particles were fading, reality set in. Reality stung her and bit her and tore her apart. A new wave of grief drowned her as her hand reached for the key she hid in her pocket. Crying eyes looked at the Silver Key that had dulled from too much use.

"Icarus…" Luna sniffled. She closed her eyes. "I'm so sor"—she hiccupped—"ry…" Her shoulders shook. A gut-wrenching shrill cry left her lips. "I'm so sorry!" she wept loudly. "I'm so sorry!"

Mary Jane let another tear shed as she watched Luna openly lament her spirit.

Luna…

Mary Jane glanced at her frozen father who looked furious and was about to unleash his emotions onto those who dared cross him if he had not been frozen in time.

Daddy…

Her eyes flashed over to the terrified Peter, to the calm Andele, to the worried Spirit…

My friends…

Her eyes lastly landed on Igneel. The Chimera were taking turns getting in their bites and scratches. They were showing their dominance over this unimpressive Male, showing him their rank in Nature. Igneel let his flames foam at the mouth and he hissed from their jabs and unfair game, but it was the will of Nature. Those who were strong would prevail. He lashed his arms to build a fence of fire, but exhaustion and bloodlust mingled in his stare. He would not last much longer.

Igneel…

"She looks like she wants to save them, doesn't she?"

Mary Jane's eyes snapped to her right to see Dimaria giggling, eyes wild and carefree.

Spezi sighed. "They always looks so pitiful, don't they?" He looked back at Mary Jane. "Now, sweetheart, if you don't want your dear daddy and boyfriend's sister to get hurt, you'll nod and prepare yourself for the next level of the game."

Mary Jane could not even hold her head up high and defy him. She lowered her head in a submissive act and nodded.

Spezi was satisfied. "Good." His hands went to her shoulder. "Come along, sweetheart."

Igneel's eyes darted even if they felt heavy. The loss of blood and use of his flames were slowly backfiring on him. A cloud appeared in his head to muddle the noise and let something pound at his skull. This was Nature's way of telling him he was too weak. This was Nature's way of telling him his claim for retribution was in vain.

My body… I can't… I can't…

The fence of flames died.

Igneel was left vulnerable.

The Chimera sprun—

A sharp three whistles.

The Chimeras turned passive as they turned tail.

Igneel found himself crashing on his side, withering in pain. He could feel the phantom pains of each claw mark and bite. His panting was unsteady and his eyes slightly unfocused, but his eyes went to the goddess of flaxen hair. He saw her under the arm of Spezi with her eyes downcast.

"M…" he wheezed. "J…"

Spezi smirked. "See you later, Igneel Dragneel. It's been fun, but we have places to be." He shoved Mary Jane towards the entrance. "Move."

Igneel watched in faded alarm as Mary Jane stumbled. Her eyes sought her father, then Peter, then Luna, then finally him. Before she crossed into the tunnel, their eyes met…

…and he saw her defeat.

MJ… No…

To Igneel, the world moved in a series of blurs. He sort of saw the Royal Chimera lead his subjects away. He sort of saw Dimaria giggle and bounce after everyone. He sort of saw his sister grieving. But, he knew he saw the pain in Mary Jane's mismatched eyes.

I can't…lose her… Not…again…

Igneel flinched and hissed as he got to his feet. His shirt was shredded, his hat was gone, and his shoes had melted off, but his scarf and pants remained. He used the wall for support as he near vomited from moving. He heavily relied on the chamber itself as he shuffled over to his sister.

Luna looked at Icarus' key through wet eyes.

I should've done more. I could've healed him. I could've fought by his side and now…

A warm presence bathed her as she sniffled and hiccuped.

"He's gone," Luna whispered into Igneel's embrace. "He's gone."

Igneel was quiet as he used warm fingers to dry Luna's cheeks. He pressed his nose against her temple and kissed her skin. His mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. "He'll be back," he promised in a hushed tone. "He'll come back."

Luna sniveled and leaned into Igneel's touch. "What are we going to do?" she murmured. "What's going to happen now? Uncle Laxus, Andele—we have no one, Iggy."

"That's not true." Igneel pulled away for his emerald-tinted onyx eyes to bore into his sister's gaze. "We still have each other and that's all we need. MJ has no one. We need to go get her."

Luna catalogued each wrongly-earned wound on her brother. "You're hurt," she pointed out. "Here." She wiped her eyes and brought her shirt up to wipe the snot off her nose. "Let me heal you—"

"Heal everything but my back."

Luna was bewildered and taken back at the intense look in her brother's eyes. "What? Why?"

"When Jacob whipped Mary Jane and I, Mary Jane had that time bitch restore me without a scar left," Igneel relayed. "She put me first when I knew she didn't have to."

"At least I'll have a story to tell Lance's kids when they get older." Sarcastic cerulean. "Maybe now everyone comparing me to my mom's beauty will stop when they see this."

"Don't – touch – me." Fury quaking within cerulean. "I deserve this."

She put me first without even knowing who I am, Igneel concluded. She put me first like always. Like it was an instinct.

"I deserve that scar," Igneel decided. "I deserve this."

"How do you 'deserve' it?" Luna demanded to know. "You haven't done anything wrong!"

Igneel flinched deeply internally and externally at that. Oh, the counter he could say to such a claim that would make his own sister turn her back on him. His hand came up to play with the thimble on his necklace. "I have," he murmured. "I've done more than enough to deserve it."

Luna reached out to her brother and touched his shoulder. "Iggy…"

"Heal me," Igneel rumbled. "We don't have any time to lose. They get farther away from us with every step. We can't waste time." His hands clutched the thimble.

"I gave you that choice to make it easier on you, but I see you cannot listen to reason. That choice still stands, but Time will not wait forever. Until she wakes up, until she makes that choice for you, you will never listen to reason." Gold eyes immersed in chocolate looked at him in hard veracity.

His flames revived themselves with a renewed resolve at their center. He could hear the grumble of Nature as his knuckles turned white.

I just got you back. No one will take you away from me.

We both know you will never leave her…which means she'll leave you."

Feral emerald swallowed his eyes, wild and Nature-driven.

No one.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Fairy Adventure

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

What's going on with Meira?

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The winds whipped around shivering bodies of the poor and the rich as they filed out of the tunnel. The nobles did not seem to care that they brushed coats with those of mediocre status; everyone just wanted to leave the tunnel and to the safety of the hill. Meira and a few of Celestial Spirits had left the fray to give a helping hand to civilian life.

"Keep moving!" Meira roared. She was drenched to the bone, but she could not have her teeth chatter like this. Not when others relied on her strength. She saw a woman holding her crying baby and went over to console her with a smile. "Nearly there," she reminded. "You can do this. I know you can."

The woman offered Meira a weary, yet brighter smile and kept trekking with the others.

Meira saw everyone look to the skies in horror and screams tore out of a few of them at the sound of thunderous flapping. Meira looked up to see Staralia coming in for a landing with humans riding her back, something she looked slightly displeased about. Meira jogged to greet her spirit as Staralia landed on her claws and lowered her body and her wing.

"You are lucky I consider you my nestmate," Staralia huffed as Jäger slid off her wing. "It is insulting to ask a Dragon of my caliber to become a lowly horse for humans of all things."

Meira laughed and patted the Dragoness' maw. "You will earn plenty of game for this favor, my dear sister," she promised. She went to approach Jäger who just caught Kiki as she slid down. Shouting over the storm, she greeted, "Good day, sir! My name is Meira Heartfilia and it is a pleasure to meet you!"

Jäger and Kiki both turned to Meira and Meira noticed something. Yes, they resembled each other a great deal, but there was a haunted look in their eye. They had that type of dark look of traumatization. They would forever remember the events before them.

"Lord Jäger McGarden the Second," Jäger introduced with a slight bow. He gestured to his sister who curtsied, shivering (whether it was in fear or from the cold, Meira could not decipher). "And, this is my sister, Lady Agatha McGarden."

"Pl-Please call me 'Kiki'," Kiki accidentally stuttered as Jäger went to help Eliza down. "It is an honor to meet a member of the Heartfilia Clan."

Meira softened at the sight of Kiki. "No need for formalities, Kiki," she soothed. "Not now. Not ever." She saw Eliza approach her and smiled. "And who might you be?"

Eliza curtsied as a principle. "I am Lisbeth McGarden, my Lady," she introduced. "If you would like, you may call me 'Eliza' as my family tends to as well as close friends."

"Then, call me 'Meira'," Meira insisted. "I am no more royalty than you or…" Her eyes caught onto Ludvig's figure sliding down Staralia's wing and she found herself focused on him.

"Meira?" Eliza prompted, though she understood where Meira's distraction lay and barely bit back her knowing grin.

Meira found herself locking eyes with Ludvig the moment he straightened himself on solid ground. "My apologies for my rudeness, but would you excuse me?" She did not even wait for Eliza's approval as she quickly moved to get to Ludvig.

Ludvig offered Meira his docile smile. "My Lady, I am happy you are all right," he told her right off the bat. "You had me completely worried for you—"

"You were worried about me?!" Meira scowled at him. "I was worried about you!"

Ludvig's eyes comically widened. "M-Mah… M-M-M-M-Me?" he squeaked.

Meira jabbed a finger to his chest. "Yes, you!" she cried. "You were shot, Ludvig! You irresponsible, stupid man! How dare you get shot when you have a fiancé who needs you! How dare you get injured before our partnership expires!"

Ludvig's eyes softened. "Oh, my Lady…"

"Don't you 'my Lady' me," Meira warned in a growl. Her eyes were stinging with tears, but she deflected it was hot rain. "You idiot man! How dare you worry a lady like me! I rely on you to not get into trouble and continuously be at my side and you… You… Oh, why are you looking at me like that, you stupid man?" Meira ended up crying.

Ludvig was looking at Meira with a look one could only describe as timeless adoration. He opened his arms and enveloped Meira into his chest. He held her even though both were soaked with rain and sweat and dirt. He held her even though he was chilling from the cold and she was shivering from her pain. He let her hide her sobs and tears into his jacket. "You can hide into my chest, my Lady, as you cry," he murmured to her. "You must remain strong for these people who walk such a weary path. But, for you, I want to see you at your weakest." He stroked her back. "I apologize for worrying you. You worried me too when that Warlock sent his familiars to kill you." He pulled away to let his forehead rest upon hers, both their eyes closed. "Gadzooks, do not worry me like that again, my Lady. My heart could not take it if you were taken from me."

"I could say the same to you too, you stupid noble," Meira shot back at him in a mutter. She held his cold cheeks in her hands and gave a shaky exhale. "Our time together is short. Let us not waste any more of it." She opened her eyes to see Ludvig was already watching her. But there was something different in his stare than his abashment or that dangerous longing. His dark stare was intense. She flushed under it, growing redder than what she was from the cold. She pulled away to cross her arms almost defensively. "Why are you staring?" she wanted to know.

Ludvig lipped his chapped lips as his eyes dipped to her mouth. "Meira," he rasped. "There is something that I—"

"Ludvig."

Ludvig froze when he saw Maria standing in the distance. Her guards had given her thick layers and an umbrella to keep her warm and out of the storm, but she was still damp. Her eyes did not look hurt as she looked at her soon-to-be ex-fiancé. Her eyes burned with something saying they needed to speak and she would like to do so now.

"Go."

Ludvig turned back to Meira who gave him a sad smile. "My Lady…"

"Go," Meira insisted. "I must return to the battle regardless. Be there for your fiancé." She took a step back and Ludvig felt as though they were a million worlds apart already. She looked away from him. "She needs you more than me."

"No, my Lady, please." Ludvig stepped closer to her, but Meira only backed away. "My Lady…"

Meira did not look at him as she darted over to Staralia. She ignored Gabriel trying to reach out to her in his confusion as she expertly mounted Staralia who anticipated her being her rider. The Dragoness of the Heavens lifted herself off the ground with one large flap and they were back into the storm with lightning hissing and thunder snarling. Meira did not have the stomach to look down and see Ludvig embrace Maria and console her fear. She kept her eyes on the destructive Guardian Duo as they tore up Margaret Town.

Staralia noticed Meira's emotions and felt the need to say something. "Sister—"

"We cannot let the Guardian Duo completely destroy this town," Meira interrupted in a cutthroat tone. "We need to stall the River Guardian enough to contain her and calm her anger."

Staralia flew to the right when lightning struck close-by. "Shall we summon him?"

"I will not break a key for this." Meira said those words fiercely. "There is another way to match their power…"

Staralia's eyes widened. "Sister, no," she snarled. "It is far too dangerous and unstable. After the last time—"

"I must do it," Meira insisted. "I trained vigorously with Mother and the others since then and it will only be for a short while to reign the Guardian Spirit." She stroked Staralia's neck. "I would feel much more comfortable with your approval," she admitted.

Staralia could not suppress her sigh. "I will approve, but I will not like it." She adjusted herself accordingly.

Meira closed her eyes and let her Magic fill her, flow around her, and love her. Her hand went to her keys and she clutched them like they were her lifeline. Have you all heard my thoughts?

We have heard you, Meira, Leo rumbled, but I wish you would reconsider.

I've made up my mind, Meira told him, firmly. She grip tightened on her keys. I ask the twelve of you now to come to my aid and give me your power.

From the grounds of Margaret Town, each Golden Zodiac began to flame with their Celestial Magic and burst into the air. They gravitated toward their mistress and could feel the pull of her Magic call out to their own as her spirits.

Staralia stopped moving forward, but her wings continued to propel her mid-air. She watched as the twelve Golden Zodiacs surrounded her and she hummed as she felt the radiance of their Magic flowing through her scales. She contributed her own Magic, even though she knew it was not necessary.

Meira expanded her Magic Aura. Gold showered her and extended to her Spirits. When she reached them, the connection between them increased. She could feel each and every one of their heart beats in sync with her own. She could feel their breathing. She could feel their admiration and love for her. She could feel their worry. She could feel their past strife. She felt all of their emotions through the bond they shared.

Capricorn was the first to speak as he reached out a hand to her. "I bestow to you the power of the Sea Goat!" The symbol of the Capricorn Constellation on his left side as a brown goat with silver lining baahed, leaving Capricorn's palm, and charged at Meira.

Meira felt a rush of Capricorn's power. She felt the stubborn ole goat's loyalty. She felt his pride. She felt his comfort and his love towards her like a father loving his daughter. If she breached even closer, she felt his masked pain mixed with love. She felt the sturdiness of his Eye Magic. She took every last drop of the power Capricorn offered her and felt her left side burn pleasantly when she acquired his symbol.

Virgo went next, reaching out her hand. "I bestow to you the power of the Maiden!" The symbol of the Virgo Constellation burned on her right shoulder as a woman of a greenish-brown left her palm to flood into Meira.

Meira nearly cried when she felt all of Virgo wrapped around her. She felt the emotions Virgo never once displayed on her impassive face. Love for other spirits; the yearning for the right punishment; eagerness to devote her life; adoration for the Heartfilia Clan. She accepted all Virgo had to offer as she acquired the symbol on her right shoulder.

Aries reached out her hand to Meira. "I bestow to you the power of the Ram!" The symbol of the Ram Constellation burned on her left shoulder as a ram of pure red galloped towards Meira.

Meira had always known Aries to be a fiery spirit, so feeling Aries' passion, her soul, her raw energy made her want to explode. It was red-hot and fierce. But, there was something lurking in the background. There was a deep-seated sorrow and it was somehow rooted to Leo. It was compartmentalized, but it was there. She had no time to dwell on it as the pleasurable burn of the symbol engraved on her left shoulder.

The following were just like that.

"I bestow to you the power of the Bull!"

Meira was hit with a forest-green bull and the symbol of Taurus was on her naval.

"I bestow to you the power of the Twins!"

Meira cried out when she was hit with a yellow set of male-female twins and the symbol of Gemini was on the inside of her thigh.

"I bestow to you the power of the Crab!"

Meira was shaking as she accepted the white and silver crab and the symbol of Cancer etched right below her left breast.

"I bestow to you the power of the Scales!"

Tears filtered out of Meira's eyes as she took on airy pink and light blue Scales of Justice and the symbol of Libra appeared on her right shoulder blade.

Staralia could not hide her worry when she felt Meira's shivering and heard her smothered sobs. "Meira," she tried to stop.

"Keep going," Meira got out through pants. "I can take this. Keep going."

And, so, they did.

Scorpio shared a glance with Aquarius. His half-white half-red hair was longer than in the present timeline, almost like his Eclipse Form. His ears were pierced, but he had no stinger. Instead, he had swords representing his stingers. He looked more like a samurai than a man always in paradise.

He raised his hand to Meira. "I bestow to you the power of the Scorpion!" A black scorpion jetted out of his palm as his hair flared up and the symbol of the Scorpio Constellation burned on his forehead.

"I bestow to you the power of the Archer!"

Meira shook as she accepted the violet centaur and the symbol of Sagittarius formed on higher on her left shoulder than the ram.

"I bestow to you the power of the Water Bearer!"

Meira's knuckles turned white as she welcomed the cerulean mermaid and the burn of the symbol of Aquarius on her collarbone.

"I bestow to you the power of the Fish!"

Meira gasped out loud as the light green fish swam into her and she was imprinted with the symbol of Pisces in the middle of her spine.

Leo was the last one and he watched Meira shake and sob in conflict. He was impressed at her strength, but that was not enough to snap him out of his fretting. He made her look him in the eye, really look at him, and he studied her.

Meira blinked at him before nodding.

Leo closed his eyes as his hand reached out to her. "And, as the leader of the Golden Zodiacs," he chanted, "I bestow to you the power…of the Lion!" A blazing lion of pure gold came out of his hand with a roar as the symbol of the Leo Constellation burned on his right pectoral.

Meira felt Leo. She felt his bravery and honor. She felt how noble the Lion Spirit was, but she felt his underlying sadness towards something. Not something—someone. The feeling was buried, however, under the countless times when Leo was jovial and felt loved and in-love. She felt his brotherly affection for her and her deceased sister. She felt how he had molded himself into the lion before her, from his training and the strife to perfecting his own techniques.

The twelve closed their eyes as their symbols light up in their own colors. "We bestow upon you the power of the Twelve!" they chanted in unison. "Accept us!"

Meira through her head back and her eyes and mouth snapped open—

—glowing in gold.

°•°•°•°

A little boy on the hill pointed in the sky. "What's that?" he cried aloud.

Not many had heard him over the raging storm, but the ones who did followed his finger. Their eyes were wide. Others noticed people stared. Gasps and murmurs floated through the evacuated crowd as they asked questions on what they saw and if anyone knew what it could possibly be.

Word spread to Alarick and Gabriel as they helped forge shelter for civilian life. They stopped casting their spells to look up at the sky. Their eyes went wide as Gabriel gasped, "What is that?"

A golden light had been born into the thunderous sky like the sun.

Ludvig, Maria, and the McGarden's basked upon the light like it held all the answers in the world.

"That's her, isn't it?"

Ludvig looked down at Maria, but she was still staring at the light in listless wonder. "That's Meira." Maria finally turned to Ludvig and he saw understanding in her gaze. "That's her."

Ludvig could not look at Maria anymore and settled back on the gleaming light in the distance. "Aye," he confirmed softly. "That is my Lady."

"She's beautiful," Kiki whispered, entranced. "I can feel her Magic from here."

"Extraordinary," Eliza breathed.

Ludvig had a smile on his face as he watched the light head back to the battle between spirits. "Yes. Yes, she is."

°•°•°•°

Staralia touched down within the town that was falling apart. She looked at the chaos only spirits could make. Nothing in this town would be repairable by the time the battle was over and Staralia knew that. She listened closely to hear the battle shift towards the east.

"We will be safe here," Staralia assured. She lay on the ground and put down her head.

Boots landed on the ground.

"Thank you, Staralia."

Staralia lifted her head, but she watched Meira like a hawk. "Who is your steed into a battle?"

A smile. "I would ask you, but it is considered high offence to ask a Dragon such a thing. Especially one of your caliber." Innocent teasing.

Staralia snorted. "You are my sister-in-stars," she said with a dismissive tail flick. "I would be honored to have you as my rider."

CR-CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

An explosion sounded in the distance coupled with Erion's roar of pain.

The smile turned into a frown. "We have our work cut out for us, don't we?" Keys jingled at the hip as Meira cocked a hip. She bare a Star Dress that was different than any Star Dress of a Golden Zodiac. Armor and leather cloaked her body. The armor was forged of stars with Ancient Language of the Stars (Astraelan). The power of the Heavens rolled off her and made her armor gleam like the moon. The leather given to her was white with embroidered gold and silver. Her hair was in a warrior's braid and a headdress was on her frame. A tattered cloak hung off her shoulders, black with galaxies as its inside.

This was not a simple Star Dress.

She did not simply look like a Celestial Spirit…

…she looked like the Celestial Spirit Queen.

Meira closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Keep watch over me, my King," she prayed. "Let this battle not continue for any longer."

And Nayda's roar of defiance vibrated the air.

---

The hallway had not a trace of light touching it. Nothing could be seen, only heard. A vent lowest to the ground rippled and rumbled before it stopped. The first screw popped off. Then, the second. Then, the other two before a gloved hand stopped the vent from falling forward. The vent was strategically placed on the ground for Zelda to crawl silently out first. She was on the lookout as Asuna crawled afterwards and Jackson swiftly followed afterwards. As Asuna screwed the vent back on, Jackson and Zelda looked through their night-vision shades. They nodded to each other and put on their gas masks as a route appeared on their shades. Asuna as quick to join them as she pulled on her own gas mask. With a nod to Zelda, they sprinted down the hall without a sound.

Zelda led them with the path routed on her shades. She took a left where needed and ducked into a small hall for an alternative route. It was when she got to a larger hall and an alert went off on her shades did she stop the company. The alert read an unnatural amount of Anti-Ethernano and electricity was just within range. She stuck her head out into the hallway and tapped her shades for a free-range scan. To a normal human being, there was nothing unusual about this hallway. But Zelda's eyes caught more. She caught two monkeys with the same type of glow in their eyes as Sheik. They milled about, looking fairly bored, through the invisible mists they created.

Zelda turned around and signed to Jackson and Asuna in Fioren Sign Language, Two familiars. I will handle them. Stay back. When Asuna and Jackson nodded, Zelda turned around. Her hand dipped into one of her many pockets to reveal a rounded black ball the size of a baseball. She crouched low to the ground and let the ball roll into the mists. As the ball rolled, its own mist exhaled from its core.

The monkeys were instantly attracted to movement in their domain and loped over to investigate. However, the more mist ball gave off, the more sluggish their movements were. Before either one could get to the ball, they fell to the floor, unconscious.

Zelda signaled for Asuna and Jackson to move and they did. With the mists of the familiars gone, it was safe for them to travel down the hallway. Jackson was about to pull his Ethenator on the familiars when Zelda stopped him with a firm shake of her head. He scowled—something no one could see from his mask—and followed after her and Asuna. They sped down their new route for a while before another alert came. Asuna tapped on it to see Mauthes were traveling this way on their rounds. She held Zelda and Jackson from going as she took center stage. Her arm jerked for a palm size button and she pressed it. She rolled to the ground as the button pulsed and slid it into the opposite direction. The button stopped pulsing to fully light up.

The Mauthes began to incessantly whine as they pawed at their ears and squirmed on the ground.

Zelda came forward and kept both agents close to her as they moved down the hallway. The route had gone to an alternative route several times, but never failed to ensure they had no more run-ins. The destination was in sight, but there was no one to guard the door, just a lock needing an access card. Asuna took the lead as she brought out a copied access card. She held it to the scanner and instantly the door unlocked.

Asuna looked up at Jackson and Zelda for the play.

Zelda nodded.

Asuna opened the door—

BANG.

Jackson caught Asuna when she stumbled back from the bullet. Her vest had protected her, but that did not mean she did not feel pain. Zelda took point and kicked open the door, drawing out her Ethenator—

—and came face to face with Faye.

Zelda snarled. "You no-good bitch."

Faye smirked as her Mauthes growled at the intruder. "Aw. Is my stepdaughter feeling jealous I spend more time with her daddy than she does?" she cooed.

"Where is he?" Zelda demanded. "Where the Hell did that bastard disappear to?

Faye barked a short laugh. "Temper, temper, Zelda. Wouldn't want to lose your cool when I could very, very easily"—she revealed a remote in her hand—"lose mine."

Zelda narrowed her eyes. "You're suicidal."

Faye lifted her chin. "A Huntsman isn't afraid of death," she reminded. "We kill our own allies if it means we make our mark—or did you forget, rogue dog?"

Zelda let her Ethenator pulse with her energy. "I'm not a dog of the military like you, bitch!"

"That's right. You're a solo Hunter." Faye seemed amused saying such a thing. "Something I find ironic since you're working with government agents. And here I thought Daddy raised you better." When Zelda threatened to pull the trigger, Faye raised the the remote higher. "Ah-ah-ah… You care about the lives of your allies, don't you?"

She had Zelda beat. Zelda lowered her gun but made sure that she was ready to shoot.

Faye smirked. "Good girl," she mocked. "Say, since I'm being generous and all, how about we take our little mother-daughter talk outside?"

"You are not my—!"

"You want to know more about your father's whereabouts, don't you?"

Zelda gritted her teeth. With a frustrated growl, she turned back to the special agents. Asuna was regaining her breath while Jackson held onto her. He glared at Zelda like he knew it was all her fault. "You're gonna listen to that bitch and leave us high and dry?" He guffawed sarcastically. "I should've known. Once a Hunter, always a Hunter."

"I don't give a damn what you feel towards me," Zelda hissed at him. Her eyes went to Asuna. "You have what it takes to bring down the barrier. Do it and radio him. Keep the Mages quiet." She cast a glower over her shoulder at a smug Faye. "I know these Hunters. They play dirty." Her eyes went back to Asuna. "You won't be able to disable any Hunter traps. Warn them of that."

Asuna shook her head. "You can't be seriously considering—?"

"I have to know where my father is." Zelda turned her back on them. "I may hate her and I wouldn't mind being the one to kill her, but she's all I have left of knowing where he is." Her hand gripped her Ethenator. "Trap or not, game or not, I'm going to get whatever information I can because I'm"—her eyes darkened—"the one who will put him down like the hunting dog he is."

Faye lazily smirked. "For being the blood of the man who established Hunters as legal citizens, your murderous intent against him is powerful."

Zelda merely glared at her.

Faye shrugged, sighing. She walked forward with her hounds of Hell trailing closely. "I keep my word, Zelda. You should know that by now. If I wanted you dead, I would do it already. But I owe your daddy enough and killing you wouldn't get me in his good graces." Her eyes glinted. "And back in his bed."

Zelda's jaw ticked as she let Faye and her Hellhounds pass her. She closed her eyes and took a moment to breathe. "Report whatever the Hell you want to, Summers," she muttered under her breath. "Say I went AWOL, I'm a deserter, a traitor—I don't care." She looked over her shoulder to sear Jackson with the cold look of a killer. "Just don't stand in my way." She followed Faye and brushed past Jackson—

—and he did not a thing to stop her.

Asuna looked up to see Jackson keeping control through the grit of his teeth. "Jack-Jack…"

Jackson growled and helped Asuna move into the control room. "Forget her. We need you to get a move on removing the barrier. I'm assuming the second we do it, a silent alarm will trigger. Do whatever you can to slow down the enemy, got it?"

Asuna was seated at the controls and ripped off her gas mask and the mask covering her hair. Taking off her gloves, she set straight to work. She took out a cube with a USB attached to it and plugged it into the interface. She gave the cube her thumb print. Her eyes glowed with information as the cube activated, screens appearing and a holographic keyboard. Gaining access to the system was easy enough, but the Hunter program proved a bit of a challenge. The system had locked her out with a numeric code scrolled for her. Asuna pushed the rolling chair to find paper and a pen and immediately began to figure out the code.

Jackson watched as Asuna worked, but half his mind was elsewhere.

"Say I went AWOL, I'm a deserter, a traitor—I don't care. Just don't stand in my way."

Damn hunting dog. We should've known better than to trust her. They'll do anything for personal gain. Same old story.

"I'm in."

Jackson snapped out of his thoughts to see Asuna cracking into the system. She cracked her fingers as she skimmed through a series of code and began to change what she could. "Looks like the barrier I can take down and I can kill the silent alarm, but the bombs are a different issue," Asuna reported. "The remote Faye had was most likely the same remote to control the detonation."

Jackson cursed. "We shouldn't have let her walk away!"

Asuna hummed as she pulled up information on the bombs. "Looks like the bombs are RCIED," she noted. "It may not be the remote control at all from what I'm seeing on them."

"Nuclear?" Jackson feared. "Hydrogen?"

Asuna shook her head and grimaced. "Looks like we have the surrounding area as pipe bombs, but two thermometric are underneath the facility."

Jackson cursed again. "Good news. Always good news," he mentioned sarcastically. "Any news on the barrier?"

Asuna watched as her program loaded and completed. She ran the program. "Jammer should be in place…"—she clicked when a pop up asked if she wanted to open her software—"now."

°•°•°•°

Oswald watched as the wireless signals that had been sparking his screen died and everyone heard Asuna's voice as she said: "Barrier is down. You're a go."

The Mages looked different than before. Lucy had traded her regular attire for her Star Dress: Taurus with her whip at the ready. Levy had cast a spell on them all with darkness and shadows wrapping around their bodies. Alzack had requipped for a handgun. Natsu had covered his hair with his scarf.

The Mages were ready to take on the Hunters.

Panther Lily sheathed his sword as he adjusted his earpiece. "Right. Alzack, Naomi, you're to stay here and protect Oswald from danger," he commanded with that same authority of a lieutenant colonel. "Lily, what's your status? Have you defused the bombs?"

"Negative. But I'm working on it," Asuna assured. "What happened to Team B?"

Oswald watched the location of his fellow agents. "They made it to the rendezvous point and haven't encountered any enemies. They're ready and waiting."

Panther Lily nodded. "Leandro, you have the map memorized," he acknowledged. "You'll guide us for however far you can with Vanderbilt watching over us. When we get down there"—his eyes went to Lucy—"Lucy and Miss Pink will give us cover. Our main priority is to ensure the safety of those of the innocent. Fighting in a hydro-chamber isn't ideal. It's safe to assume it will be tight and cramped. We'll need a rescue teal and a baiter team. Natsu, I want you as my main baiter. Alzack and Levy, you're with him. Make sure to keep them busy."

"I can help with that too," Asuna said, sounding scarily pleased. "I've got a way to shake things up."

Panther Lily donned a mask to hide his white muzzle. "Stay together," he warned everyone. "Mauthes are everywhere." He looked at Oswald as he put on his issued shades. "Am I synced?"

"Completely," Oswald verified. "I've routed the best path for you in relevance to the Hellhounds and the bomb map out Asuna sent over."

Panther Lily tapped his shades and as information scoured over them, he turned to his team. "When we come out, we'll have our friends with us," he promised. He turned to the darkness. "Let's move!"

Swiftness was key as the Mages crept amongst the grass. There was no hesitancy as they stepped onto the facility property. With Natsu's ears and nose, Lucy's Earth Magic feeling vibrations, and Panther Lily's shades, avoiding oncoming predators was child's play. They got to the fence where Miss Pink took the lead. She put a finger on the fence and made an archway that burned and rotted under her tooth. With two kicks, they were given an in. Miss Pink crawled in first while Panther Lily took watch to make sure everyone was in. When he came through, a route was prepared and he saw faint dots identifying the rest of his team. He nodded at everyone else to follow him as they crept along the tall-grass.

Getting to the same place Sheik had led the rest of Gray Jaguar took some time. One of the Hellhounds had sporadic movement as it wanted to play with an older one. The Mages waited, anticipating, until the older Hellhound forced the younger one into quiet submission.

They kept moving.

Delgado met them close enough and beckoned them to follow his lead. They ended up in a broken parking lot with Riza holding open a door for them. The team squeezed inside to find themselves luckily in a deserted break room where they had set up shop. The door was slowly closed as Delgado explained the situation.

"Those spiders Asuna sent out are Godsent," he rumbled. "We've been streaming in data from the plant. The security isn't cooperating."

"Working on it," Asuna grunted. "It's more complex than I thought."

"Let me take control," Oswald ordered. "Knowing you, you probably aren't doing it right. You never pay attention when I try to teach you."

Asuna snorted. "Because you're old and boring."

Riza sighed. "Anyways, Leandro"—she turned to him—"Sheik can only lead us so far. We'll need your help getting to the maintenance elevator." She slipped out an access card to him. "You'll be the one to slip down there. Without any coverage of the hydro-chamber, you'll be our guide."

Leandro swallowed roughly as he took the card. "Right."

"Don't worry, Leandro," came Oswald's unexpected soothe even if it was toneless. "You'll be fine."

"Yeah," Asuna agreed. "You'll have Oz and I watching over you. Plus, once I shake things up a little beat, the heat should be off you guys enough to rescue everyone and save the day."

"We just better hurry it up," Natsu growled. "I'm gettin' all fired up thinkin' about bashin' some heads." His eyes went to the floor. "Also… Somethin' ain't right. It's like I can feel something weird down there… It feels so…evil…"

°•°•°•°

Gray's nose twitched. Getting up was something he did with heavy shoulders and a groan falling off his lips. He could hear the mutters of frustration and whispers of gossip, but nothing felt more right to his ears than to hear his wife's voice.

"—do that?! Silver has no Devil Slayer Magic!" she hissed. "Juvia's beloved Gray thoroughly checked!"

A ragged sigh. "I dunno, Rain Woman." So Gajeel was here too? "Its obvious they want a Devil on their side. Your oldest is a real bitch to tame. His Devil is way too sentient and wouldn't break without an outside source. Too many variables; too many risks. But, with Silver, if they find even a hint he inherited black blood, they'll train him to be the dog of hunting dogs—a Hellhound with a loyalty to them."

Gray grunted as he sat up, rubbing his head. "The Hell you talkin' 'bout?" he slurred.

"Gray!" Juvia cheered, all traces of anguish out of her tone. "How does Gray feel? Is Juvia's beloved hurt badly?"

Gray shook his head and finally looked at his surroundings. Like a wild animal, he was trapped within a cage. To make matters worse, he found his ankles anchored to the floor with a chain. Impressive cuffs were around his wrist as well and the winter swirling inside him had diminished to that fall temperate on the cusp of the bitter cold. He hated feeling so warm. "I'm okay," he promised, then winced. "Couple of burn marks, but nothing that won't heal."

"Glad to see you're alive, stripper," Gajeel rumbled. He may have been sarcastic, but there was that gratefulness for pulling through.

Gray stretched and cracked his limbs. "I have a family to love and protect," he reminded the Dragon Slayer. "Can't die here and now." He shuffled closer to the bars of his cage and, from his limited vision, caught the endless hall of caged Mages and monsters. "So they took us back to their secret base," he figured. "Lance?"

"I'm here!" Though, Lance sounded faraway. "Don't worry! I'm okay!"

Gray hummed. "What's this I'm hearing about Silver, Juvia?" he demanded to know. "What happened to him? Why is he even in here?"

Juvia sighed pitifully. "Gajeel explained to Juvia the Hunters want to teat Silver for any Demon blood like Gary has and Gray has."

"But he doesn't," Gray remembered harshly. "He's clean. We made sure all them were tested." His dark eyes narrowed as something crossed his mind.

What Briar told Gajeel and I all those years ago… And Mercuphobia…

"We need to get him out of there," Gray snarled. "He doesn't have any Demon blood in him, but if they find out what he does have, we're screwed and we won't ever see our son again, Juvia." He gritted his fists. "We're just lucky none of it has come true yet."

Gajeel tensed. "That's the thing, Fullbuster—it has."

Gray felt his temperature rise. "What?" He refused to believe it. "But… No, that's not possible. You told us they—!"

"Don't act stupid now, stripper," Gajeel snapped at him. "Doesn't suit you. We were wrong, but I saw the signs training my pipsqueak." He threw himself against the back of his cage. "I wasn't prepared for this," he admitted in mutter. "None of us were prepared."

BANG.

Gray punched the floor of his cage. Teeth gritted, shoulders shaking, his eyes may have been dark but they were as called as the Arctic Circle. "Dammit," he cursed. "Why now? They're too young for this…" He could feel his Curse spiraling around his ice and felt them melt and reform into something ugly. "We need to get to Silver! We have to find a way to warn the others! Igneel—!"

"Probably got baited," Gajeel drawled. "Lance has been trying to shoot out a spark, but there's no luck. His lightning could travel through the lines, but these bars are Anti-Ethernano and cast with a Hunter's Mark. Nothing magically is getting out of these cages. Believe me; we've tried."

"We have to try harder!" Gray surged. "We can't just give up!"

"Gray," Juvia pleaded. "We aren't giving up, Juvia's beloved. Gajeel has a plan."

Gajeel lets his lips twitch. "And, if everything is going according to plan, we'll find ourselves homeward bound in no time."

°•°•°•°

"So… The silent treatment, huh?"

Silver knew better than to talk. He had little of an idea of where he was. There was no sun, just shoddy lighting. He recognized this type of setup from the movies he watched. The pit he was in was used for underground fighting. Crests of blood sunk into the concrete with dusty and broken bottles and molded food. He could see the decay and dust in the air. Caeryssa was having a field day as she sat on her chair with a Hellhound cozying up to her. The Hunters with her were few and silent. One was the same old man Silver recognized from his capture sans his niece. Another was a hulking man who had seen war and secrets through his dark eyes and they were embedded into his dark flesh. A man and a woman—they were quite the set of twins, both blind, yet agile—had taken to flanking Silver as he was held up by the chains on his wrist.

Silver tried not to lock his jaw. Cuts and bruises littered his body with a busted jaw and cut lip, he did not want to aggravate himself.

Caeryssa looked amused at his little display of defiance. "They told me you were the weak link in your family line," she told him. "Your brother has his own Ice Devil. Your sister has all the fine making of a Hunter. And then…" She leaned forward. "And then there's you, Silver Fullbuster." She tipped her head as she stroked the nose of her Hellhound. "I'm trying to understand where exactly you fit in all of this. Are you a Hunter or a Devil? Either way, you'll make a fine asset to us."

Silver narrowed his eyes and his lip trembled from his silence.

Caeryssa sighed and sat back.

Silver's eyes widened when he felt punches to his gut and something stepped on his ankle, making it crack. With no shame, he screamed and tears flooded out of his eyes. He could feel himself numbing from the pain, but those punches and the shatter of his ankle brought it all back tenfold.

Caeryssa crossed her legs in one fluid manner. "You're, what, thirteen-fourteen? This is the prime time for any young witch or wizard to show their powers," she relayed. "Your emotions and hormones are out of balance and your Magic reflects that." Her foot bounced. "You see, I was promised something. That I would get my pound of flesh to mold and make my personal hound." She booped the nose of her Hellhound. "Not that I don't enjoy having these adorable little Soul Eaters at my disposal, but I need something more…human." Her eyes narrowed on Silver. "And you fit the bill."

"I'm not…a Devil," Silver gasped out, breaking his silence. "Not…my brother…"

"Oh, I actually believe you on that."

Silver's eyes widened.

Caeryssa smirked. "I knew all along you wouldn't have any Demon blood in you," she purred. "No, you don't seem like the type. But I feel something more with you that's not coming out. Those stupid Warlocks had the right idea to push their little dogs to the limits." She snapped her fingers. "But, you see, I'm not like them. As much as it doesn't seem like it, I don't really care for beating up children." She rolled her eyes at Silver's glare. "I'm a Cowboy, but I'm not all for child abuse. The Hunters thought beating you into submission would help, but obviously it didn't. That's why I have a better solution."

STEP… STEP…

"I'm just going to speed up whatever the Hell's inside you to come out a lot sooner than planned," Caeryssa said like it was no big deal.

Silver growled and even that hurt. "And how are you doing to do that?"

STEP… STEP…

"It's quite rare for fully-realized Time Mages to be born considering the logistics of the Magic," Caeryssa told her. "But there are rare Mages out there who have applied what little time Magic into other outlets. Seasonal Magic, Growth Magic…"

STEP… STEP…

Cold, hazel eyes.

Caeryssa's smirk widened. "Egg Knock…"

Silver's eyes were taken off the strange alien to confront this new woman added to the arena. Her eyes looked cold like she had seen much in her lifetime and never looked back. Her hair was a tamed mess of light brown, but there was a jagged scar running through her face. It did not look like the type of scar you earned fairly in a fight. It looked like the type of scar branded onto you in the cruelest way possible. She stood by Caeryssa's side not as an ally but as a servant.

"What is it you wish, Caeryssa?" this woman asked in a cool tone.

"Introductions first, my pet, don't forget your Earth Land manners just because we've been in space for so long," Caeryssa tutted. "Nano Leaf, meet one of the sons of the devilishly-charming man who saved you all those years ago. That same man who destroyed Chronos Noise and thought that was it. That same man who left you and your family under the torture of those Warlocks who had captured you time and time again."

Nano Leaf's eyes hardened as she studied Silver. "This is his son?"

"My dad would never abandon people!" Silver shouted. "You're wrong! My dad—!"

"Abandoned his own wife to join a treacherous cult called the Avatars," Caeryssa cut off with a cackle. "Same man who tried to kill your best friend's father simply because of who he is." She jerked a thumb at Nano. "He thought stepping into Leaf's business was the best thing he could've done. But he was wrong. He left her and her family to die at the hands of those Warlocks."

"No!" Silver yelled. "That's not true!"

They're telling lies! My dad wouldn't do that! And what's a 'Warlock' anyways?

Caeryssa sighed. "So, you're one of those stupid ones who don't question anything and blindly accept the world around you." She shook her head. "How sad. You humans don't make any sense to me. You think yourselves to be powerful enough to stop anything with friendship and love." She turned to Nano. "Did your love for your family make the Warlocks stop from torturing your parents?"

Silver gulped at the steely glint in Nano's eye.

"No," her voice cut. "It didn't."

She took a step forward.

Silver suddenly felt cold.

"I remember your father talk to me about hope and becoming stronger," Nano reminisced spitefully. "Love and friendship and hope—none of them stop war. None of them stop the torture. None of them stop the pain." She stopped in front of Silver. "You have to be the one to stop it with your own power. No one can save you except yourself." She knelt before him and made sure he would not leave her eyes. "Your father saved me once. I'll honor that moment in making sure you feel less pain than normal."

Her Magic Circle bloomed before her. It had that same basis like all Time Magic—three squares overlapping each other to make a star. But, her core was a sapling that expanded itself into a tree. She was a Time Mage who represented growth, change, and their phenomenon.

Her hands clasped in prayer. "Stay still, Silver," she hissed softly and her Magic resonated with her body. Her eyes dulled as her Magic Spell took over.

…Silver let out a piercing shriek.

°•°•°•°

Just because Zelda followed Faye and her Hounds of Hell did not mean she trusted her. Her trust was even shorter than her trust in her father which was none at all. Her hand itched to shoot Faye in the back and make this all go away, but she had that honor about her, that stupid accursed honor. And if Faye was dead at her hand, not only would she constantly be on the run from amateur Hunters…

…she would never know where her father hid himself.

Faye led her outside to the power lines and gravel. Her Hellhounds trotted away, but Zelda knew better. They were giving their mistress a wide berth and protecting the area from anyone who interfered. Zelda kept a safe distance away as Faye kept walking.

"Why are you doing this?" Zelda had to ask. "I didn't think one of my dad's sluts and his right hand man would want to be dogs of the military?"

Faye barked a laugh. "Baby, you think we're dogs of the military? Hunting dogs like those bodyguard Hunters?" She shook her head and it pissed Zelda off. "The government pay is good money, but our contracts with them aren't anything special. We aren't bound to them one bit unless we're on a job, same as anyone else who contracts us." She shot Zelda a saucy smirk over her shoulder. "But I like being bound when your daddy does it."

The amount of self control Zelda had was astonishing. She kept her cool. She could see Faye wanted a reaction and she refused to give her more ammunition. She halted in her tracks and asked, "You said we'd talk about the bastard. Talk, slut."

Faye sighed and spun on her heel to face Zelda, arms crossed under her bosom and hip cocked. "Oh, Zelda, c'mon. We used to be close." Her smile was mocking. "Besties, remember? I was like the sister you never had since your mother miscarried."

Zelda did not even flinch. "We were allies until I walked in on you and that man screwing like rabbits," she countered. "Never friends. Never close."

"We did jobs together," Faye pointed out. She sighed and tipped back her head. "Our first job with that little prostitute really struck you, didn't it?" She tutted. "My, my, you really were—"

CLICK.

Zelda held her Ethenator out to Faye. Her eyes flashed red for a mere moment and her guns' technological veins pulsed. She allowed her gun to focus on Faye and energy warmed the entire gun.

Low growling.

Zelda did not have to look to see Faye's familiar was close by. She knew better than to assume Faye never summoned her familiar. The creature was everything that Faye represented: cunning, agile, powerful—a snake. The creature had slithered down from its perch on one of the poles with pinned eyes on Zelda.

Faye cocked her head. "Look, Zelda, whether you like it or not, you are his daughter. Killing you would be signing my own death warrant. I may be one of his sluts, but you're his flesh and blood. You take priority."

"Good." Zelda's trigger finger twitched. "That means I can kill you without the consequences."

"Oh, but where would the fun in that be?" Faye mused. "I'm the only one here who last saw your father."

"Then, start talking!" Zelda practically screamed. She was tired of endless conversational circles.

Faye's eyes narrowed. "I will, if you tell me what you plan to do with my information."

"Hunt him down and kill him," Zelda said matter-of-factly.

Faye frowned and her nose dipped down. "You'll never kill him. You might be a G-rank Huntsman, but he's on another level. Your father is called a Hellhound because he is one. He'll never kill his own flesh, but if you challenge him, he will make sure you know where your place is."

"He was my father, not yours," Zelda spat. "I know what he is—how he is. Anyone who thought they could kill the Hellhound Hunter were idiots. They don't have what it takes to put down a hound. I do." She jerked her gun. "So tell me where he is."

Faye's mask slipped into something calculating. "Oh, Zelda… I can't have you killing your daddy," she tsked as she backed up. Her snake familiar had made it to the ground and happily coiled in front of its mistress.

Zelda's smirk was humorless. "I knew your word was shit."

Faye took another step back. "Oh, Zelda… Haven't you heard? Hunting dogs are only loyal to one master."

The snake familiar hissed and launched itself at Zelda with fangs bared just as Zelda hit the trigger.

°•°•°•°

Sheik stopped scampering as her tail flicked and ear twitched. The group did not stop, however, as Sheik moved in the opposite direction and bounded off. Panther Lily kept everyone focused on the mission at hand with Delgado at his side and Riza and her dogs taking the vanguard.

Panther Lily stopped them and signed something to Delgado who nodded back. Delgado made a signal for the Mages to stay back and slipped a hand into his thigh pocket. Natsu sniffed the air and instantly had to hold back a growl. He smelled electrify and the Wild of a beast. He discreetly shifted in front of Lucy as Delgado took out an EMP grenade and shield. He crouched low to activate the shield and the Mages could feel a thrum of energy engulf them. Delgado hit the trigger on the EMP grenade and threw it down the hallway.

Three.

Two.

One.

A wave crashed down the hall and the sounds of whining, wailing, and electrocution hit their ears until everything was quiet once again.

Delgado checked down the hall. The electro monsters were out of commission and had only minutes until they would wake up. He gestured for everyone to follow him on their assigned route and they gunned it down the hall.

Oswald watched all this from the live feed he streamed from Delgado and Panther Lily's shades. With him and Asuna sharing screens, he was busy typing away as he decrypted what was left of the system.

Levy had built a fortress around them with words, but she still looked tense. She paced behind Oswald. "Are they getting close?"

"You can see them as much as I can, so not yet," Oswald muttered not unkindly. An alert for sporadic movement had Oswald going back to watching the generation station field he was given. "Looks like all of you have Hunters coming your way," he warned everyone. "The security system is a lot more complex than it should be, so I'm blind as to how many. Sensors picked up a lot of movement."

"Oh, don't worry." Asuna sounded alarmingly smug. "I've got the distraction. Took me a while to boot it up, but—"

The sensors kept blinking at Oswald and he cut in, "Whatever it is, hurry."

°•°•°•°

Asuna huffed as she kept typing. When she was finished, a red button appeared with an arrow highlighting itself to tap it. She grinned. "I hope these Hunters aren't noturnal."

She slammed her fingers on the button.

°•°•°•°

The lights had come on in a blunder. Everything was rebooting. The entire factory was back on power with the generators working once again. The vents pumped cool hair and the hum of machinery filled the air once again. Everything down to the microwave in the break rooms had power back and reset back to what they were in the beginning.

Caeryssa looked up in surprise when she heard the machines start back up again, ignoring Silver's screams and pleads. "Hmm… Looks like we aren't alone." She stood up to take out an oval-shaped device. She tapped it once for a holographic image of a man to appear. Foreign words dripped out of her mouth and the man reciprocated before contact was cut off. She clutched the communication device.

These humans are more trouble than I thought…

In the hall filled with cages, Lance perked. "Does anyone else feel that? I can feel high-powered electricity above us!"

"The building is back on power?" Juvia questioned. "Why?"

"Asuna," Gajeel answered. "She's givin' the calvary some cover."

°•°•°•°

Jackson turned on his thermal scanner as he guarded the room and cursed. "Looks like we've got company. We need to get moving and regroup."

Asuna gritted her teeth as she downloaded one last part. "I'm almost there," she promised.

"Asuna, you need to leave," Oswald urged, forgoing her codename. "There's too many of them for you and Jackson alone and you can't afford to kill any Hunters without getting on their blacklist."

"I know, but I'm so close!" Asuna shouted as she kept typing.

Jackson caught shadows moving down the hall and his grip on his handgun tightened. "Asuna!" he shouted and his safety was off his gun.

"Asuna," Oswald called. His tone sounded stern, but anyone who knew him knew he was pleading with her to leave. "Leave now. Don't play 'hero'."

Jackson spotted the first of many electromonsters and Hellhounds. He brought out of other handgun and shot blindly at the enemy. His bullets pierced only a handful, but the beasts had no issue trampling their fallen comrades if it meant they got to tear into flesh. Jackson gritted his teeth as he threw down his gun for an impact grenade. "Dammit, Asuna, we don't have time for this!"

"Asuna!" Oswald had raised his voice. "Get out! Now!"

Asuna's face fell into relief when she saw COMPLETE on her screen. She unplugged her device and pushed herself out of the seat. "Okay, I'm done, let's go!"

Jackson let her go ahead of him to sprint down the hall. He unpinned the grenade and launched it down the hall before turning tail and dashing away. The beasts chasing their prey did not care about a simple grena—

BOOM.

Jackson shoved Asuna into the next gap in the hallway that was not so much as it only allowed five steps before a door blocked them. He covered her with his body as the throttling of flames and smoke overtook and destroyed everything in its path.

°•°•°•°

Oswald abruptly stood up with sharp eyes on the screen and a hand to his earpiece. "Summers, Asuna, do you copy?" he pressed. Even if his voice was slightly raised, he was yelling at them in his own way. When he received static, he kept calling. "Summer, Asuna—do you copy?"

Only static.

Oswald's hands shook. "I need to go."

Levy immediately jumped into action. "Oswald, no!"

"I can… I can't…" Oswald's eyes were wide and unmoving, but his hands violently shook. "Asuna… I can't…"

A low cough. "Glad to…see you care," came weak tease.

Alzack visibly relaxed, Levy's eyes glistened, and Oswald dropped into his chair like the air got knocked out of him. He was not smiling, but his eyes were as he held a hand to his earpiece. "Asuna?"

"I'm here too," came Jackson's annoyed grumble. "We're fine. Just a lot of smoke and debris."

Levy furrowed her brow as she looked at the screen. "But, then… We should be hearing fire alarms," she pointed out. "The smoke, at least, should've sent a silent trigger."

"That's what I was doing," Asuna wheezed. "Stupid smoke. My spiders were working on rerouting the fire system so we would have sole control over it and any lockdowns. The control room was heavily fortified with bombproof metal and the emergency system was via app which struck me. The designers must've known there was something shoddy with the materials used and heavily fortified the control room to make sure the person in control of the main power and emergency system would still have access. And, if anything went wrong, the system could be transferred to another computer as a failsafe."

"You triggered the system's failsafe and downloaded the entire program." Oswald sounded surprised and, dare say, impressed at Asuna's bold move.

"Yup! Right now, I'm the only one in control of the plant and the emergency services," Asuna boasted. "And you all wanted me to leave."

"Damn right we did, kid!" Jackson coughed again. "Jesus! Oswald, teach her some better pull out game!"

Levy laughed, Alzack blushed, and Oswald remained stoic. "Asuna," he rumbled.

"Hm?"

"Don't go doing anything rash," Oswald admonished her. "Bailey would miss you too much if you died."

Silence.

"I'd miss Bailey too," Asuna said softly.

"And I'd miss the bar down the street from my firm if we don't make it out alive!"

Asuna's chuckle and Oswald's relaxation at Jackson proclamation cooled the air and broke the moment. Oswald began typing once more. "Asuna, make it to a computer as soon as you can and send me everything. I'll need control over the security footage and the emergency systems."

Levy cocked an eyebrow. "What are you planning?"

Oswald kept typing. "Based on the statistical predictions, battle history, and psychological scan, Natsu will make the first offensive move and it will be an explosive one. The baiters will be overrun with Hunters and monsters and we'll need to make sure everyone gets out." A firewall came up and he began to decrypt the code. "I just need to make sure we have that distraction up and running before Natsu gives the first blow."

°•°•°•°

Panther Lily peered down the hall. He saw two Hunters standing guard with their Hellhounds, not a familiar in sight. Like all Hunters, their stances were rigid and their weapons were hidden underneath closing. The pair of them were skinny, but people who controlled Ethernano, whether positive or negative, always had more strength than their bodies let on.

He turned back to Delgado and Riza who nodded. Delgado opened a pocket to reveal a gas grenade while Riza passed out cloths to the Mages and helped her dogs cover their noses and eyes with bandanas. When everyone had their noses and mouths covered, Delgado pulled the pin and let the grenade roll, smoke pouring out of it. The agents watched as the Hellhounds smelled something off and growled, but it was too late. The gas was spreading and thickening among them.

Seconds within hitting them, the Hellhounds fell over themselves hacking and whining, pawing at their muzzles. The Hunters were not fazed by simple tear gas, but they went on the defensive in an instant. Their sharp eyes skimmed the mist—

—but they did it too late.

Walt and Roy popped up with their teeth bared and latched onto the arms of the Hunters.

The Hunters threw off the dogs easily, but they felt a prick on their necks. Delgado and Riza had sprung up with tranquilizers that were quickly ripped off and thrown. Where Delgado had mass, the Hunter he faced had a fierce agility. Riza combated against her Hunter with precise strikes that relied on recoil and reaction. The Hunter met each one of her blows with ease and did not even seem troubled.

Natsu growled as he watched the fight and moved to intervene, but Lucy stopped him with a firm grip on his hand.

The only reason Riza and Delgado won the fight was four minutes in and the Hunter staggered and nearly fell to the ground. Riza and Delgado caught them before they could fall and dragged them off. While they tied them up, Panther Lily called, "Lucy!"

Lucy nodded, even if blinded, and wordlessly called upon her Star Dress: Scorpio. She stood up and hands groped the wall until she found Panther Lily's paw. He faced her in the wanted direction before tapping her shoulder. Lucy nodded and chanted: "Sand Buster!"

A tornado of sand whirled through the hallway, brushing harmlessly against the steel. The attack lasted until Panther Lily tapped her shoulder again and removed her blindfold. As Lucy took off the bandana around her face, Lily called to everyone, "We're clear."

Blindfolds and bandanas were removed as Delgado, Riza, and the dogs came back into the hallway. Leandro came to the forefront and put a hand on the part of the wall the Hunters protected.

"This is how we get to the hydro-chamber?" Miss Pink asked, unconvinced.

Leandro shook his head. "One part of it," he corrected. "It wasn't supposed to be easy getting down here, but for those who knew how…"—he knocked on the wall in a pattern and an outline of a door came to life—"it was pretty simple."

The new door fell inward and slid to the right. A bridge waited for them with the maintenance elevator on the other side. Leandro got them through with his access card and, soon, the entire team was going down in a rickety elevator.

"We should expect monsters to be waiting for us," Panther Lily told them. "Natsu, that's where you come in. Make as much noise as you want. Delgado, you two. I want guns blazing."

Natsu grinned. "Now you're talkin' my language!"

DING.

The elevator opened—

—and Natsu immediately jumped out with his fire gathering. "Fire Dragon's…Rooooooooooooooooar!"

°•°•°•°

Gajeel jolted when he heard that and felt a familiar presence. "Salamander's here," he announced. "Same with Bunny Girl and Lily."

Juvia could cry at how relieved she was. "They are here… They made it!"

Other Mages and beasts sensed Magic in the air and excitement rippled through the crowded cells. Were they being rescued? Who had come to break them out? The sounds of guns shot off, startling some, and the cages vibrated when powerful Magic lashed back. Exclamations of chants were coming closer and closer. There was pleading, a beg to be let go, a plea of not being a Hunter, of being a hired associate with a gun. The cries were cut off with a gunshot.

The door bashed open.

Lucy was the first one in, breathing heavily. Riza followed after her with Leandro, Lily, and the dogs. Cries of relief and praise flooded the hall as Riza set them all free with the press of a button. Mages and beasts poured out of their cages with their shackles gone and only faint pain on their wrists and ankles a reminder of their time spent as prisoners. Most were weak, but the strong helped them stand. Everyone would need to help each other if it meant survival.

Lucy and Lily rushed for Gray and Gajeel respectively. Lucy knelt down with worried eyes as she helped Gray out of his cage. "And you tell me not to get into trouble," she tried to joke.

Gray smiled and got to his feet. "Yeah. Because you're married to an idiot who can blow up a whole county," he teased back. He walked across the short aisle to help Juvia down. "We need to get out of here. Some alien has Silver. They're trying to see if he inherited any of my Slayer Magic."

Panther Lily found Leandro helping up an older Mage and shouted, "Hey, Leandro! What other rooms are down here?"

Leandro was puzzled. "Rooms? There's just one."

°•°•°•°

Silver vomited again, a mixture of blood and the last bit of food in his stomach. He hung from his chains with his skin during a palish gray and his once bright blue eyes dull and haunted. No part of his skin was untouched and he could not bring himself to care about the bits of nausea running down his mouth nor that he wet himself. Throat dry, he could not scream or cry. His tears were all dried up. His body was numb.

He could only sit there and take it.

With one eye nearly closed shut from how bruised it was, Silver felt his mind wander from the pain.

Mom… Mom… Mom…

He vaguely remembered the coolness of his dream and the feel of the ocean slipping around his skin like it was meant to be.

Mom… Mom… Mom…

He vaguely remembered those eyes staring him down.

Mom… Mom… Mom…

And now, he vaguely remembered anything.

BOOM!

"Ice-Make: Floor!"

"Water Lock!"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Sand Buster!"

Silver could not even feel the temperature drop. He only felt someone near him. He felt his chains rattled before his wrists broke free. Someone caught him and he whimpered at being jostled. Everything hurt.

"Silver…"

Silver could barely move his mouth without gurgling blood as he was overturned and brought into the arms of someone. Cold seeped through his skin and iced his bruises, numbing him in a good way. His good eye looked up to see his parents staring down at him, eyes filled with something he could not figure out.

He was…so tired.

So, so tired…

As his good eye closed, he felt his mother's watery touch glide against his forehead. "Sleep, Silver. Juvia will make sure when Silver wakes up, he'll be in a better place."

Sleep…

Sleep sounded good.

Silver sighed, blood tripping from the corner of his mouth, and fell into the state of unconscious.

°•°•°•°

Levy paced back and forth before stopping and staring at the screen. She could continue to do this routine with Alzack on watch and Oswald typing. At one point, he commented, "You'll dig a trench."

"I'm just nervous," Levy snapped. "How could I not be? Everyone is deep in Hunter-territory."

"We're all clear," Panther Lily rumbled. "Fraser, Summers, take it outside and clear a path. We've got incoming."

"Copy that."

"Not anymore," Oswald assured Levy. "Looks like everyone is coming out safe and sound."

Levy came over to him and held out an impatient hand. "I need to speak to my husband," she seethed. The moment Oswald turned his mic to her, Levy was already growling, "Gajeel, you idiot, you had me worried sick!"

Gajeel's chuckle came through the line. "Missed you too, Shrimp."

"Don't start acting sweet with me now," Levy hissed at him. "You and Gale are in big trouble! Worrying me like this—it's bad for my health!"

"So is all that junk-food you stash in the house, but you don't complain about that."

Levy blushed angrily at that. "Don't expect anything from me tonight!" she tried to say as the last word and grinned smugly as the other agents laughed over line.

Gajeel breezily said, "You can't threaten me with that, Shrimp, when I'm the one with the handcuffs."

Levy turned bright red and even Oswald was amused as she abandoned the headset with curses falling off her lips. With Oswald back in control, he kept at it with security cameras watching the halls and rooms. "All right. I have control over the main power, back-up power, and emergency generators," he told everyone. "Looks like the Hunters are all swarming with a bunch of monsters, so you'll be taking the back exit. It's less guarded. Asuna, Summers, I'd stick around in case."

"Roger!"

"Copy that."

Levy slapped her cheeks to gain control of herself. "So? What do we do now?"

"We wait until everyone is evacuated," Oswald explained. "After that, I make sure we can't be followed." He got up and began to pack. "Start packing. We'll need to move quickly. It won't be long until everyone is out."

Levy nodded and got to work.

°•°•°•°

Riza and Panther Lily took the rear as the last of the Mages stumbled outside and off the plant property. The beasts of Magic had scattered at first sign of outside and no one could blame them. Now, it left a haunting march of Mages to herd back to the city. Lights were scarce with only flashlights and Natsu took to lighting the torches Delgado brought with him. Riza smiled a little when her dogs helped cheer up a little girl stolen from her home with their whines and giddy licks and vying for attention.

"It looks like we'll be free from this mess," Riza supposed.

"I'm sorry you all got involved," Panther Lily apologized. "The pager was completely unexpected."

"But necessary," Riza assured. "Mages can't take on Hunters alone. The team assembling was needed."

Panther Lily herded Riza through the opening through the fence before making his way out. As they hit the trees, he told her, "I guess so. It still troubles me why the government and the Magic Council agreed to let Hunters out. What was their motive? Was it a test?"

"The minister and chairman are cunning men," Riza had to admit. "It makes them dangerous, even if they are on our side. I'm sure the government will get lash-back from plenty of Mages and maybe even a petition. I can already imagine the fire the Council is under."

Panther Lily hummed. "Gajeel and I will make sure your names stay out of the papers. We don't want any of you arrested, especially now."

Riza tipped her head as something funny came to her. "Not like we haven't been imprisoned before."

Panther Lily tossed her a sad look. "You're too young for jail."

Riza groaned. "Enough with the 'too young' thing," she pleaded. "I have a partner, I am a successful woman, I have my masters degree—!"

"And you're still my kit." Panther Lily's rumble was affectionate. "I've lived a lot longer than any of you. You're all kittens to me."

Riza could not bite back a smile. "Go have kittens on your own," she encouraged. "I still can't believe after all this time, you never got married or even had a girlfriend."

Panther Lily grimaced at that. "Back in my home country, it was rare for a warrior to have mate unless the elders granted you permission and made the pairing themselves. A mated warrior would leave his ward if the country encountered any sort of trouble to be with his mate."

"That doesn't explain right now," Riza pointed out. "Your country is here and with new customs. Besides, you're not a warrior anymore."

"I'm not interested in seeing anyone," Panther Lily put out there, blunt.

Riza respected that. "I get it. Sorry for prying. I should be the last person preaching the whole 'everybody needs somebody'."

Panther Lily's smile did not reach his eyes. "It's okay, Riza. I'm just happy with myself and that's all that matters." As Riza nodded in approval, Panther Lily wished the gentle ache in his heart went away.

It's been centuries… So why do I still feel that now?

°•°•°•°

Oswald, Levy, and Alzack were trekking in the forest when Oswald heard Delgado rumbled, "We're clear."

"Fraser and I are near-by," Jackson told.

Oswald stopped to bring out his tablet. He unlocked it to get to the emergency services part of his programming. There were options all around him. He could choose from so many services. But he swiped one button.

The button that alerted all of them.

°•°•°•°

Zelda, sweaty, fought off a Hellhound when another bit her shoulder. Sheik had joined the battle as familiar versed familiar for the honor of their respective mistress. And Faye watched it all comfortably as she leaned against the base of a line tower.

Zelda threw both Hellhounds off her to take out her Ethenator. She got a lock on one Mauthe and took the shot. Energy blasted out of the gun and struck the Mauthe on the chest—through the chest. The creature laid dead while the other leapt on Zelda's back and tried to bite down on her neck. Zelda dropped her Ethenator to get out her handgun and shoot the beast between the eyes. The Mauthe fell off her instantly, dead.

Faye feigned pouting. "Aw… They were gifts from your daddy, Zelda."

Zelda spat out blood to glare at Faye. "Tell me where he is!" she shouted. "Stop playing games with me!"

DING DING DING DING DING DING!

Zelda and Faye both looked behind them ad the fire alarms went off and could hear the spray of water. An announcement was made.

"Please evacuate the premises following the glowing arrows marked on the ground. We repeat please evacuate the premises following the glowing arrows marked on the ground. The fire alarm has been pulled. The proper authorities have been contacted and have responded to our request…"

Faye did not have time to even react when Zelda tackled Faye to the ground with her Ethenator at Faye's throat. Faye looked perfectly calm while Zelda looked like she could kill a man by blinking.

Sheik had pounced on the snake familiar and made sure it could not wriggle to help its master.

"You've pissed me off another, you whore," Zelda hissed. "You were nothing more to my father than a hole he could stick his dick into. God knows why he kept you warming his bed after he used you once."

"I'm gladly a toy for your father," Faye purred. "You calling me names doesn't bother me. Your father only loves you. He loved—"

Zelda pressed the barrel into Faye's throat. "Don't you say her name."

Faye wisely listened. "When the Hellhound of the Hunters wants to use anyone of us, we gladly let him do so," she educated Zelda. "We all owe him our lives. Mages are born, but Hunters were all made except you." Her eyes lightened. "You were born a Hunter. You're your father's proudest creation."

"I am an experiment to him," Zelda snapped back. "My life was Hell living with him. You don't know half the shit that went on in that satanic cult of a house." Her trigger finger twitched to end Faye. "You don't know shit."

"But I know so much," Faye whispered. "I know about your mother. I know what he did to her. I know what he made you do. I know what he made you do when he adopted your sister."

Zelda did not let up. "If you think reminding me I killed her to survive would make me hesitate in killing you, you're dead wrong. I know I'm a monster. I know what I did." She lowered her head so her nose nearly touched Faye's. "Stop talking around it, bitch. Where – is – my father?"

Faye's smile was eerie. "He loved your mother more than life itself. So, he's back in the city where he first screwed the whore."

At that, Zelda's eyes widened.

CLICK.

BOOM.

°•°•°•°

The trail of Mages stumbled to a stop at the sound of an earth-shattering explosion. In the distance, they could see fire and smoke mushroom themselves to show everyone an atrocity happened. The darkness could not even hide that type of explosion.

Gajeel frowned. "Thank God we got out of there and put some good distance between us."

Lucy had to agree. "If we had been any later—"

Natsu shushed her with a kiss to the forehead. "But we made it and we're safe." As Lucy nodded into him, Natsu's eyes strayed to Gray. He was silent as he carried his son, his broken and battered son.

There's no way the Hunters actually thought he was like Gray or Gary. So, then, what were they actually looking for?

---

It was cheering that made T'oree stir. It was muffled and foreign and many voices spoke at once, but there was one voice louder than the others. Was it speaking prices? An uproar of strange noises doused her ears from grows to squelches. She really did not care. Her body felt heavier than the mountains on Vanhalla.

Her mouth pressed into a thin line as she willed her eyes to open. Her throat felt swollen and her tongue fat, but her eyes cracked open, by far the hardest thing she had done. Brightness stung her and she refrained from giving into the need of closing her eyes.

The noises became louder.

T'oree let her eyes adjusted to the small amount of light that stung her before even trying to open her eyes fully. Noises hurt her, but this burning light hurt her more. The first thing she realized was that she was on solid ground. It felt wooden, but one could never be too sure. Her head shifted so her temple pressed onto the ground. Her eyes caught onto the fact she saw prison bars. They looked like shining beams of light rather than steady metal like they had on Earth Land. To be frank, their intensity hurt T'oree's eyes and made her body feel even heavier. She kept pushing herself. She looked beyond the bars to see things she had never thing, things that made her think she was having a nightmare. Some she recognized. A couple of Ajatars were in the ground with their cunning smirks, eyes sewn shut, and their hands on the arms of someone else. It was unsurprising to see a dwarf, an imp, or two. She even saw humans dressed into the nines with their flutes of champagne and jewelry glinting in this light. But, many of these creatures had no names she recognized from their slimy skin to their fur to their sleek bodies. All she knew was the inhuman noises they made as they pounded their fists and raised signs with symbols she did not recognize.

T'oree groaned and heard something rattle. She could feel something burn into her neck and skin and it made her that much more curious. Her eyes looked down. She could see she had been stripped of her clothing and only given a lengthy loincloth to wear. She witnessed cuffs on her wrists and ankles and the burning intensified that much more.

Where…? What happened…? What is going on…?

There was a strange slurping noise that made her body gain goosebumps. Waddling thundered up to her cage and she heard the rattling of something fierce.

SHING!

T'oree did not have it in her to keep herself from screaming when she felt her wrist chains lift her off the ground. It was like being crucified as the tips of her feet barely brushed the ground. Pain tried to make her unconscious, but she fought against its aggressive attack. Her head fell onto her shoulder and she hissed her skin hit something metallic and with a vengeance. A curse in her native tongue slipped past her lips.

Cheers erupted just beyond her cage with the sound of a strange horn ringing.

T'oree's eyes vaguely opened when she felt a presence step into her cage. The creature looked like a golem with a hole in its chest and eyes that saw all the way around. Its smooth hands lifted her head to press something on her neck. She tried to growl at it, but everything felt so sluggish to her.

The bars of light dropped, and so was she.

T'oree groaned when she hit the ground. She could feel her body being passed off from golem to the uncomfortably itchiness of some sort of cloth. Cheering hurt her ears and a gavel was being smashed to get order back into this strange court. She did not get to witness any of the next part when the light that previously had cursed her was exchanged for darkness. Her eyes opened a little more to see she was in the presence of something that cloaked itself with a pointed mask that showed its dark eyes of a human man.

T'oree owlishly blinked and she vaguely remembered enough Fioren to ask, "Who…you?"

The man muttered something harsh to her in a tongue she did not understand. He continued to carry her until he barged into a private dressing her. His first priority was laying her on the nearest couch. As T'oree groaned and panted, he whipped out a set of keys. He issued some sort of warning to her in his tongue as he began to unlock her cuffs.

T'oree could feel the warmth of the sun beneath her skin. She could feel the powers of her Triple Goddesses rushing back into her when another cuff came off and then another. She stayed perfectly still, however, and kept her eyes half-lidded as she watched the man come to her neck and tinker with whatever collared her. Expletives murmured, he managed to get her collar off her.

And T'oree struck.

Her eyes glowed pure energy as she shot bolts from her eyes and onto her kidnapper. As the man was hit, T'oree forced herself to role to the ground. It was a struggle to get to her feet, but she did it. The power she had was not much, but she had enough to get out of this place and find help. She staggered over to the door and nearly fell out of it. Her eyes caught onto the shadows coming around one corner of the hall, so she began to fly eerily slow down the other end. Her teeth gritted as her powers wavered and she could feel the physical strain it took from flying, but she needed to leave.

Find…Cadorius… Silver… Where…

LUB-DUB.

T'oree gasped out pain as she fell to the ground on all-fours. She panted relentlessly as she felt her powers wan.

Keep…going…

A garbled shout.

T'oree sluggishly looked up to see two tentacled monsters slithering her way. Their eyes held their hostility and they increased their pace upon seeing her features, tentacles extending. T'oree's eyes gleamed as she tried to hit them with her solar bolts. Both easily evaded such un-strategized attacks as they snaked themselves onto the walls. Their mouths opened to show rows and rows of sharp teeth, obviously aggravated at her lame attempts to put them down.

BANG. BANG.

T'oree fell over, but she felt something goopy land on her cheek and hair. Her eyes looked up to see the tentacle monsters had been splattered all across the hall. She groaned and tried to get back to her feet.

Get…way… Find…Cadorius…

Before she could even walk, something was jammed into her mouth. Her eyes shot open when she accidentally swallowed and felt something go down, two things. Was it poison? Had she been drugged?

"Dammit, Princess," came fierce mutter. "I get you're hot and all, but you can't keep running like this!"

T'oree felt weighted hands scoop her arm onto broad shoulders. Her eyes lifted to see her new kidnapper only to realize it was her previous on. Her eyes narrowed as they began to glow.

"Wait, Wait, don't shoot!" he pleaded. A gloved hand came up to ripe off the mask. A man was before her, definitely human, with blonde hair tied back into bun and his facial hair neatly trimmed. He tried to dazzle her with a grin. "See? I'm human! I'm on your side, Princess!"

T'oree stopped herself from shooting him, but she did not hold back with mistrust in her eyes. "Who are you?" Her eyes widened when she heard herself. "This is not Fioren," she whispered. "And I feel…better?"

The man looked mighty proud of himself. "You're right, Princess! You happened to take one of my Ether Pills made for language barriers. Now, we can speak and hear my language. The second pill you swallowed should've helped with any lag you felt. Those photon bars are a bitch," he told her. "Name's Weisz, by the way, Weisz Steiner. I'm your rescue party." He tried to get her to move forward. "Now, we gotta go. It won't take them long to realize I didn't deliver you to your new handler."

T'oree did not understand therefore she refused to move. "Where am I?" she barked at him. "What am I doing here? I must find Lord Cadorius!"

Weisz frowned and knew she would not budge without a few answers. "Cade le Fay is safe and sound," he soothed. "I'll tell you more on the way, but you have to trust me and get moving. We can't risk them capturing both of us." At T'oree's mistrust, he threw in, "Don't you want to know if fairies have tails?"

T'oree's eyes widened.

Weisz smirked. "See? Told ya you could trust me."

Angry muffles came from another hall adjacent to theirs.

Weisz dropped his smirk to a serious expression. "Now, we need to move!" A hand rummaged in a pocket to bring out a cube. He threw it before them for the entire cub to glow and expand into some sort of hover board with a hand to control its movements and a small engine on its back. Weisz got onto the board like he had done it many times before, then helped T'oree onto the back as he took control, he growled, "Hang on!"

And they shot forward.

T'oree grabbed Weisz's shoulders to gather bearings as the hallway flew by them. She asked him, "How do you know of Fairy Tail? Who sent you? Where is Lord Cadorius?"

"I know Fairy Tail because my shipmates have some friends there!" Weisz told her. He saw a door opened and veered into another hallway. "My captains sent me in here to rescue you. I just barely made it to get to you. A minute later and you would have been sold off to your new handler. And, your friend, Cade? He should be on the ship by now."

"Where are we?" T'oree asked him. She clutched on for dear life when Weisz steered them into another hallway filled with props.

"We're inside the House of O," Weisz told her. "It's one of the worse intergalactic black-markets. Lucky for us, one of the Adventurers on reconnaissance got us an in and we were able to snag you and your friend no problem." He halted the board within the shadows of the hallway and behind two crates as insect-like creatures chirped to each other as they went down the hall. When the coast was clear, Weisz peered down the hall and turned them the opposite direction. He tapped his gloved arm for a holographic map to appear, showing the maze of hallways and rooms and their correspondence to it. "Dammit. We're really pushing it. If we don't hurry soon, that idiot Shiki is going to be barging on the gates of Hell and destroying this place. I don't think Bex will be enough to stop him."

T'oree tried to ignore her curiosity, a burden she always had. "How did I end up in such a realm? My last memory is of saving Lord Silver."

Weisz grimaced. "From what we gathered, Magic Hunters on Earth Land captured you and your friend. Looks like some sort of bounty was placed on your head while your friend was simply roped in for the sake of making a quick buck."

"A 'bounty'?" T'oree repeated stupidly. "That cannot be. I am the Sun Princess of Vanhalla. Who would place a bounty on my head?"

Weisz shrugged. "If you're a princess, I'm sure you've got some enemies. Take a good look at them and see if any one of them would be crazy enough to do something like that," he told her as he watched the map and the hallway ahead. He halted them both at a small closet. "Okay, we're here."

T'oree got off, but she looked at the door hesitantly. "We will escape…here?"

Weisz leapt off his board and collected it back into its cube without blinking. "Well, I couldn't exactly come through the front door to save you without getting myself killed, lady," he deadpanned. He opened the door and turned on the light to usher T'oree in.

T'oree heard the door close behind her as she observed the room. It was nothing more than a broom closet with old clothes and broken cages, nothing special. Distrust seeped through her. "Where is our escape then?" she tested. She whirled around on Weisz as her hair fired with the three suns of Vanhalla. "If this is nothing more than mere game—"

Weisz did not even panic at her display and chuckled. "Relax, Princess, I'm the good guy," he soothed. He brought out another cube and tossed it on the ground. "We couldn't dock the ship here without drawing a scene and that's the last thing Bex wants to do," he explained as he watched his cube grow into its own metal locker. "So, we'll be jetting out of here in my cruiser and meeting with the rest of my team." He opened the locker to reveal a tailored-made space suit with an insignia T'oree did not recognize. He scrambled to put it on while T'oree thought to herself.

I do not know this human, but he said the words Master Erza taught me only an ally would say. I shall trust him to lead me to Lord Cadorius, but if he should betray, I will not hesitate to use the power of the three suns on him.

"You ready, Princess?"

T'oree blinked to see Weisz dressed in his space suit and his metal locker gone. He put on his helmet and locked it in place before beckoning T'oree to follow him. As he led her to a wall, he said, "We were told Vanhallan royalty doesn't need space suits or oxygen to travel in the universe."

T'oree nodded and curiously watched as Weiss brought out four metal-like marbles. "This is true. My sister nor my father nor myself need such things as the goddesses blessed us so."

Weisz approached the wall and began to stick one marble after the other in a square formation. "Good. It's only a short distance to my cruiser," he promised. When he attached the last marble to the square, something electrified and a square of radiant blue energy was born. Much to T'oree's surprise, she caught a blue-lit glimpse of the universe on the other side of the wall. Weisz caught her wonder and grinned. "Surprised, Princess?"

"You humans continue to intrigue me," T'oree told him honestly. "Your technology is vast. My people could learn more from yours."

Weisz barked a laugh. "It's just Ether, just like you use," he assured. He prepared himself to leap through the shield of Ether. "Let's get out of here before both of us our killed." With a jump, he was out in space.

T'oree allowed the powers of the three suns to course through her body. Her entire being transcended from woman to the sun crafted in the shape of a woman. Without another look back, she flew straight through the shield of Ether and into the vast expanse of space. The universe before her did not surprise her. She was used to faraway stars and her solar energy constantly kept her warm from the bitter cold of space. What shocked her was seeing what she had been trapped on. She was not trapped on mere planet; she was trapped on a vast station with a core filled with inviting bright lights. Spaceships of all kinds had docked for an indefinite amount of time to see what the House of O would present.

"This is the House of O?" T'oree questioned.

Weisz rocketed over to her with the shield of Ether gone from the side of the station. He looked over the House of O in quiet disdain. "Yeah. It's used for buying, selling, and gambling, sort of like a cross between an auction house and a casino. Creatures come from all over to take a look at what the Auctioneer and their lackeys brought in. It's rare for humans to get invited considering a lot of species see us as weak and primitive, but with enough money and funding into the house, they get invited. Some people think they can con the Auctioneer into getting more than their betting, but they should know the house always wins." He turned his back on the House of O to rocket himself farther into space. "Come on. We need to make it to the rendezvous point."

T'oree gathered on last look at the House of O before turning away and catching up with Weisz. She questioned, "This 'Auctioneer'… Has no one imprisoned them yet? How can this 'house' survive?"

"You should know while the IUA catches a lot of interstellar criminals, houses like this one are impossible to catch," Weisz answered. "On the current list of houses, there's the Citadel, the House of O, Magnum, and Gran Nero. All of them have some sort of connection for evading the IUA. They screen every single guest, but they have a lot of preemptive measures to make sure there are no spies. A lot of good Adventurers and Cowboys were killed for trying to investigate into these black-markets."

"Cowboys? Space Hunters?" When Weisz gave her a nod, T'oree then said, "If it is almost impossible to capture these criminals, how did you manage to get in? And why are we not stopping them now?"

Weisz gritted his teeth and there was a flash of pain in his eyes. "My orders were to get you back home safe and sound, Princess. We don't have the man-power to obliterate the black-market, no matter how much we want to." His fists clenched. "The Adventurer inside now has been risking a lot just to catch the true names of some of these attendants, but everything is top secret. Fake IDs and codenames—we just can't crack at it no matter how hard we try. But, the second we do, you better believe we're storming every single house." He turned his head to wink at her. "I swear to Mother, Princess."

T'oree blinked, then she offered a smile. "I will hold you to such a vow."

Weisz nodded. "Wouldn't have it any other way." He looked back into space and muttered: "Reveal."

T'oree stopped flying when the space in front of her warped to reveal a spaceship that looked smaller than she anticipated. It resembled a fish in a way with a large dorsal fin and there was that same insignia T'oree could not place. It bobbed up and down as it kept itself stationary and it already lowered its main door for Weisz and T'oree. She quickly followed after Weisz into the ship and turned back into her mortal form as the ship's doors closed after her. The interior of this part of the ship looked like it kept other spacesuits, oxygen equipment, and other gear she was unfamiliar with. Weiss floated over to a screen and typed in a passcode before pressing a series of numbers.

EEEEEEEEN.

A hiss filled with air and the weight of gravity pushed down on T'oree and weighted Weiss back down the floor. The wall opened its jaws to reveal the main part of the ship as Weisz took off his helmet and threw it onto a bench. He nodded for her to follow and T'oree did so, even if she took her time. This ship had its charm to it. She could heat the hum of technology work around her and knew it was the power of Ether rather than the power of Lacrima. She passed doors of a bedroom and bathroom and was amazed as the screens she saw were cataloguing and downloading something new every other second. She made it to the cockpit—a comfortable two-seater which meant this was obviously a ship for smaller mission—where Weiss was already fiddling with the controls and preparing for their launch. T'oree ignored his pre-launch ramblings as she looked at the other chair. There she saw a jacket tailored with the same insignia as the ship and Weiss' suit.

"That's yours, by the way," Weisz told her, not even glancing. "It's to cover you up. Figured you might need one to cover up." He did pause this time to give her a once-over, deliberately slow. "But, if you want to be like that, I'm not complaining," he jested in good fun.

For the first time since her departure on Earth Land, T'oree smiled. "My partial nudity is something I am not ashamed of," she assured. "However, I believe you would get distracted like most mortal men do, so I will happily take your jacket." As she slipped it on the proffered item, she could hear Weiss' fake pout.

"You make a hot distraction," Weiss complimented in a chuckle. "Nah, Homura would literally kill me if I didn't have you dressed. Take a seat and buckle up. The ship is just a couple jumps away."

T'oree took her seat and did as instructed. "Your vessel is quite charming," she complimented.

Weisz snorted. "I wouldn't call it 'charming', but thanks, Princess," he acknowledged. "Her first couple of models were wrecked a while back. At the time, I claimed Aqua Wing as my own ship from the captain. Good thing she let me keep it after all this time. My baby became a cruiser before long, but she runs smoother than the Milky Way." He patted his ship lovingly. "Best creation I've ever built."

T'oree softly smiled at that when something sharp prodded her. "Sir Weisz," she rumbled, "I believe we may be encountering companies soon."

EEEN. EEEN. EEEN.

Weisz scowled at his scanner to see a fleet of ships were close at hand. "Yeah. And they aren't friendly," he growled. He pulled a lever and the entire ship jerked as power coursed through the system. "Hold on. This is going to get a little bumpy." He took hold of the controllers and placed his hand on a pad made of Ether. A monitor came up and he cranked the virtual dial—

—and they were off.

T'oree held onto the arms of her chair as the Aqua Wing jetted into space. Her eyes darted onto the screen to see the ships were not relenting and would follow them no matter their speed. "Are you a worthy flier, Sir Weisz?" she prayed.

Weisz only smirked. "Best damn pilot in the universe, Princess." He veered the handle so they Aqua Wing rocketed into an upwards spiral. With one hand on the wheel, another hand began to frantically push buttons and flick levers. "If these guys want a show, we'll give them a show. Looks like our ship will have to wait a sec, so sit tight, Princess, and let a mortal show you how its down." He pressed a button only to hear a negative hum from the system. His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to press the button again and was denied. He pressed it a third time for a screen to flare up, quickly typing out words for him. "Dammit!" he cursed, stomping his foot.

Now T'oree was on edge. "What is it?"

BANG. BANG. BANG.

Weisz expertly avoided the blasts pelting at the Aqua Wing without a hitch. The ship did not jerk or stutter or even disobey his quick decisions; it fluidly handled each sharp turn like a fish in the sea. "Damn house is on lockdown," he growled to T'oree. "They must be using a one-way driveway jammer. We can get in, but we can't get out without permission." He had the ship spiral to avoid three more blasts that promptly blew up. The ship rumbled, but she did not falter. "We have to get back to Eden's Zero and fast. I promised the captains I'd have you back before Happy's timer went off. If we're not back, those idiots are going to warp in here and the plan will be ruined."

T'oree tried to think on her feet as the sounds of war were just outside the ship. "We need a Stargate," she realized. She turned to Weisz. "Does this house have a Stargate?"

Weisz grimaced. "There's one, but it's close to the center of the house to make sure they're the ones controlling who goes in and out. Only problem is we'll need someone to open the Stargate. And, even once we're inside, we can't guarantee we'll jump somewhere viable. We'd need someone to type in the coordinates and make sure the gate is closed after us so we're not followed which is impossible for a two-man team."

"I will do it."

Weisz looked up at T'oree who had a hardened expression of determination on her face. "I just said we can't do this with a two-man team," he reminded her.

"I am the Sun Princess of Vanhalla," T'oree refuted. "I am no 'man'." She unbuckled herself and began to float the second Weisz was forced to spiral the ship. "The technology on this ship is quite advanced. Can you use your machines to input new coordinates?"

"You mean hacking the system?" Weisz barked a short laugh. "The mechanics around hacking don't just take seconds, y'know, especially with an illegal house like this. I'd need time or—" His eyes lit up. "I may have just the thing. Go the back and check the left wall for something that looks like an egg."

T'oree dutifully nodded and flew to the back. She checked through the shelves of equipment, knocking a few over, to find an egg-shaped device fueled with Ether. "I have found it!"

"Good!" Weisz shouted back before grunting as he forced the ship to dive down. "That right there is one of my prototype viruses," he explained. "It's a logic bomb and acts like a virtual baby. It hatches and learns from its environment. I discussed it under an update for pretty standard tech. It'll run the update and simultaneously delete files and replace them with jumbled code."

T'oree flew to the cockpit. "Will it certainly work?"

"On the house's network?" Weisz hissed when a blast came too close to the ship's fin. "I'm honestly not sure. I haven't been able to test it on a private network this large. The best it'll do is give you a ten second window in a small section of the house before someone reboots the system when they see something going wrong."

"Then, you will use those ten seconds wisely." T'oree put a hand on Weisz's shoulder. "Sir Weiss, keep them stalled for as long as you can. I will make sure your virus goes to the controls of the Stargate."

"You can't!" Weisz told her. "Who is going to close the gate after us?" An idea came to him. "But maybe we don't have to close the gate…" His infamous smirk curved on his mouth. "Hey, Princess! How do you feel with messin' with the Auctioneer and lettin' them know we're not one to be taken as fools?"

T'oree grinned as she steadied herself for the next attack. "Aye, sir."

°•°•°•°

That feeling of drinking too much when you were a freshman at a frat party and waking up the next morning with your mouth dry, your stomach urging to empty itself, and the really desperate need to pee?

Cade felt all of that times two.

The moment Cade was aware of his own waking before he could open his eyes, he vaguely heard an excited gasp and whispers. There was a hiss of a door sliding open and close and multiple shuffles. He ignored them all in favor of trying to open his eyes and figuring out how to move his body again.

Where…am I?

A hiss of a door opening and closing.

Subtle steps.

"Cade le Fay," came warm acknowledgement. "Welcome back."

Cade tried to part his lips, but everything felt to crisp and dry. His eyes squeezed shut before trying to open. He found something cold pressed against his lips to realize this person was giving him water. He greedily drank it as he forced his eyes to crack open. He did not recognize the person helping him drink. Their hair was a dusty blonde and he saw the kind blue in her eyes, but he had never seen this woman before. He closed his lips when he felt sated and she took away the paper cup. With a wave of her hand, a screen appeared with an outline to a hospital bed. She hit a button and Cade was pleasantly started when he felt himself being sat up. He got a good view of his new room. It was obvious he was in a hospital room with his vitals on display, an IV connected to his wrist, electrodes attached to his chest, and the gown he wore. What amazed him was how advance this room was. Rather than a Lacrima-Vision displaying a channel, a three-dimensional interface was screening a comedy skit that reminded him a lot of America's Saturday Night Live. He saw his skateboard propped up against a wall and his cross necklace cooped up on his nightstand.

Cade coughed. "Where am I?" he rasped.

The woman sighed. She looked regal for her young age with her hair pinned up and a star dangling from her ear. She checked his vitals as she said to him, "You're on the Eden's Zero, one of the four Starshines in the universe." She made sure his IV was secure, but her eyes lingered over the unwanted tattoo on his skin. "Now. I have a series of questions for you, Mister le Fay? Can you tell me how old you are? Your birthday?"

Cade licked his lips. He was internally surprised they were smooth. Lip balm, maybe? "I just turned twenty-one on November sixth," he answered correctly.

She nodded. "Good, good… Can you tell me your original world?"

"I'm from Earth," Cade answered. In further elaboration, he blurted, "I'm actually from South Korea. I moved to America to go to Duke and go into biochemistry."

She nodded again and settled herself on their chair beside him. "But that wasn't the real reason you went to America." She stated it matter-of-factly.

Cade's eyelids drooped as guilt and shame ate him from the inside. "No," he mumbled. His eyes glanced to the nightstand to see his necklace. He could feel the pull of the knight souls. "I went to get answers from my dad."

She nodded like she was confirming his statement. "In the present-day, where are you now? Do you know where you live and what you do?"

"Yeah." Cade coughed. "I'm a Mage of Fairy Tail in a country called Fiore on a world called Earth Land."

"Since you're from Earth, how could you get to Earth Land?"

Cade felt a tightness in his chest and his eyes went to his lap. "I stole my dad's old necklace from my mom," he confessed. "I didn't really know what came over me to do it. It was like I was supposed to have the necklace and…" His eyes flicked up to the woman and he scarcely blushed. "Sorry. You said you had questions, Miss?"

The woman chuckled. "You can just call me 'Rebecca', Mister le Fay, no need for any formalities." She crossed her legs. "I can already guess your questions, so I'll answer them as best I can. Your guild-mate Lucy Heartfilia sent us a distress following your and Miss Denvers' disappearance. From there, we learned your location would be at the House of O." She nodded at him with a frown. "I do have to apologize. We've done all we can with your cuts and bruises, but it looks like you put up quite a fight before hand." At Cade's confusion, Rebecca touched her eye.

Cade let a hand together the skin around his right eye and winced. Phantom pains stung his skin. "I don't even remember…"

Rebecca sighed. "We assumed as much. Retrieving you was harder than Miss Denvers. You had continuously aggravated your guards." An amused shake of the head. "Honestly, Shiki was impressed. Though, the moment you saw one of our shipmates, you passed out on us."

Cade frowned deeply at that. How could I fight when I don't even remember it? Did I get a concussion?

BEE-BEE-BEEP.

Cade looked up to see Rebecca pressing a button on her watch. A holographic mini-screen appeared with the image of a roguish man with goggles and dark eyes. She rolled her eyes. "I'm still in the sick bay, Shiki," she droned.

"Well, hurry up and get back here," came deep whine. "We never finished our game!"

Rebecca sighed and ended the call with a flick of her wrist. With a stretch, she got to her feet. "My co-captain calls," she grumbled. "Honestly. You'd think after decades he'd somewhat mature."

Something resonated with Cade and he could see the same expression of annoyance mixed with affection on Lucy's face.

"Anyways," Rebecca said, smiling again, "welcome to the Eden's Zero, Cadorius le Fay. Enjoy your stay. Sister will make sure all your needs are met. We should be back in the Milky Way Galaxy—"

"Wait… I'm going…back to Earth?"

Rebecca paused to examine the look on Cade's face. He did not look happy, but he did not look upset. She slowly nodded. "Don't you want to go home? I know you vanished from your life in America without a trace. I'd expect you to take the first chance of getting home."

Cade looked down at that. His eyes shifted to the tattoo on his arm and a hand covered her tight. "I… I mean, if it's cool and all, I'd like to go back to Earth Land. Please," he added hastily.

Rebecca tipped her head. "Are you sure about this, Cade?" she pressed. "You can go back to your life. You can go back to your studies and make amends with your mother. This may be the only opportunity you get to go home."

"That's the thing." Cade grunted as he flexed an arm. "I mean, yeah, I lived on Earth and my family is there, but… It's like I was meant to be in Fairy Tail, y'know? It's my home—my true home. It sounds cheesy, but I feel like I belong there."

When Cade looked up, he saw approval clear in Rebecca's eyes. "I offered the same thing to your friend. She was adamant she return to Earth Land rather than Vanhalla." She began to exit the room. "Fairy Tail was always one to impress me." The door hissed open and she murmured, "You can see him now."

As Rebecca left, T'oree flew into the room without a scratch on her and her battle armor sleek against her. Her eyes lit up when she saw Cade. "Lord Cadorius, you are here!"

Cade laughed when T'oree hovered near his bed. "Hey, Tor. Damn. Looks like I'm the one who got the short end of the stick."

T'oree frowned over Cade's injuries. "You should take proper care of yourself when battling," she scolded. "I can show you some Vanhallan techniques you can adopt into your fighting style."

Cade could already see the pain T'oree would inadvertently cause him and nervously laughed. "Thanks, but I'm good," he appreciated. "How did you get out without a scratch? What happened to you?"

The rush of battle gleamed in T'oree's smile and eyes. She crisscrossed her legs in mid-air as she began her wild tale of her excursions with Weisz. Rebecca chuckled as she let the door close and walked down the hall.

You've got a good pair of fairies, Lucy, Natsu.

She touched the star earring and it glinted in the light.

Did you ever find out if fairies have tails?

---

The ground was ripped up as Gale manipulated the earth to curl around Bluenote.

Bluenote was not fooled as he flapped his wings to get out of his earthly cage. He focused on the ground around Gale and lowered gravity to the point of a sink hole opening up and quickly draining everything it could. Gale nearly lost his footing, but he regained it as he shot an amethyst grappling hook from his hand and onto the branch of a tree. He pulled himself out of range from the sink hole before letting go and slamming down onto the earth. He punched the ground on his descent for the earth to rumble and quake, a crack zipping towards Bluenote. Bluenote tried to fly away when a root sprung up and latched onto his ankle. He hissed and desperately thrashed to get out of it, using his gravity to weigh down the root, but the root only pulled him with it.

Gale crossed his hands in an X in front of him and ripped them upwards. The ground snarled as steaming hot lava appeared, angered at their awakening. The lava bubbled underneath Bluenote and his eyes widened when he felt the root dragging him closer and closer to the pool of lava.

Gale leaned to the side as his arms moved in different rotations in front of him like they were stirring a cauldron. The lava moved with his movements until a whirlpool was created. He stopped his rotation for his hands to jerkily move up. His teeth ground together and sweat beaded down his forehead as he worked against a mysterious force to raise the whirlpool. His eyes shut and his legs nearly gave out from the force he exerted…

…only for his hard work to pay off.

The whirlpool of lava began to build ground. It rose in the air like an upside-down tornado. It was slowly paced, but it was still moving and that counted for something. Gale let out an unceremonious grunt to continue his manipulation towards his goal. He would engulf Bluenote in lava.

Bluenote found himself sweating profusely from the heat of the molten lava. His eyes widened and his Curse snapped when he could practically feel his skin blistering from such intense heat.

Gale tried to close the gap between the lava and Bluenote.

Come…on… Just a little…further…

Bluenote shut his eyes. "ENOUGH!"

The lava slammed down with a thick splash. The root was shaken off and crashed into the ground with a boom thud. Gale's legs could not support him and he fell onto his back with a hiss. He tried to move his arms, he tried to fight against gravity, but nothing he did would work.

What's going on? I had him!

Bluenote sank back to the ground and shed his demonic skin for human. He waltzed over to Gale with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "Oh, fledgling… Did you really think you improved so much that you could stop me?" he taunted.

Gale openly snarled at Bluenote. "I had you!"

"I was indulging you," Bluenote said simply. "You really thought you could kill me? You don't have the stomach to commit. You're a spineless Mage with more arrogance than your predecessor if you think you have what it takes to be equal to me." His eyes fell onto Gale's pendant and burned in curiosity. "But, that pretty charm of yours…"

Gale panicked when Bluenote's hand went for the Heart of Hearts on his necklace. "Don't touch that!" he snapped. "Don't touch me! Don't touch me!"

Bluenote was just a breads width away from smoothing the pendant in his hands—

ZAP.

Bluenote retracted his hands in a hiss. He looked at them to see his skin had been burned. He glared at the pendant. "What is the meaning of this?" he spat.

Sycaña spoke to Gale, Worry not, little gem. He will not separate me from my Slayer.

Gale was in awe at the motherly protection threading in their link. Sycaña…

Bluenote withheld his fury for mild disdain. He straightened his attire. "No matter," he said smoothly like the hindrance did not bother him. "You having that is all I need to know." His silver eyes gleamed. "You are the birth of a new Slayer."

Gale would spit at him if he could angle his head. "What's it to you?"

"The first-generation Slayers were raised and tutored by the Great Ones," Bluenote named. "The second generation stole their abilities by consummation or absorption of the soul and spirit of a Great One. The third had both. The fourth are purely artificial and mindless—"

Gale rolled his eyes. "Dude, I know the generations of the Dragon—"

"And the fifth ate the Great One in a physical sense."

Gale blanked. "What."

Bluenote raised an eyebrow. "Oh. So they failed to tell you about the fifth generation?"

"'Failed' to tell me?" Gale snorted. "That shit sounds straight-up fanfiction worthy."

Bluenote tried not to grind his teeth and kept up his cool façade. "I assure you, fledgling, that the Eater Generation—"

"'Eater Generation'?" Gale busted a gut laughing at that. "Oh, my G-O-S-H! Dude, do you even hear yourself? You want me to believe there's a generation that actually ate Gods and Demons and monsters and Dragons? Is that right?"

Bluenote's jaw locked. "It's the truth," he sniffed. "This is not a myth. They exist."

"But that makes no logical sense!" Gale countered, still in the midst of his chortling. "Okay, okay, think about what you're saying for just five seconds, okay? Gods and Dragons are unbeatable by normal human standards, 'kay? Unless you are a god or a Dragon or they taught you their Magic, you can't kill them. So, you expect me to go along with this plot hole of a generation that somehow eats these seemingly indestructible fuckin' forces of nature by killing them with their bare hands?" He shook his head in his mirth. "Y'know what? You should go into comedy because that is hilarious, emphasis on the hilarious."

Bluenote's eye twitched, irritated. "Do not laugh at me, fledgling!"

Gale's laughter choked when the force of gravity threatened to sink him into the earth six-feet under.

Bluenote cleared his throat. "Now. You know the generation of Slayers, but how much do you really know about them?" His gaze darkened. "How much do you—?"

Gale groaned loudly. "Please don't tell me I've got you evil monologuing like Syndrome does to Mister I. Please, God, no, just don't fucking do it. I know my old man is from the past and same to a lot of the Dragon Slayers, m'kay? My head is killing me and your upcoming monologuing ain't gonna help."

Bluenote's eyebrow twitched. He coughed to keep his composure. "Yes, you may know all that, but…" His eyes flashed. "How much of it do you know that relates to her?"

Gale was deadly calm. "What are you talking about?"

Bluenote's eyes narrowed in satisfaction.

There it is…

"You think you know everything about the Slayers?" Bluenote stooped down to look mockingly into Gale's eyes. "Well, you're wrong. There's a lot more to these Slayers than you think. And, it all traces back to her."

Gale ground his teeth. "And what the Hell is that supposed to mean?" he wanted to know. "What does she have to do with this?"

Bluenote would have smirked, but he kept his even gaze. "She—"

A low growl.

Bluenote looked up to see a Chimera peeking out of the shadows with an urgent look about it. He sighed and got up. "Another time, then," he supposed. He waved a hand over Gale's body for chains to spring from the ground filled to the brim with Curse Power. They came together over his midsection with an obnoxious lock keeping them bound and no key. Bluenote followed after the Chimera.

Gale snarled. "Get back here, you coward! Tell me what you know!"

Bluenote paused. "My testing is over with. I've entertained you with a glimpse of knowledge. Use that." He disappeared into the shadows.

Gale grunted. "Screw you!" he shouted. "Yeah, that's right! I said it! Screw you! Screw all of this!" He struggled against his chains, but the gravity mixed in with the Curse kept him firmly on the ground and caged his Magic. He exhaled loudly as his head fell back onto the terrain floor. "I'm going to fucking murder him," he muttered. "And I really had to pee too." He closed his eyes. "Fuck."

---

Mary Jane did not lift her eyes the entire time. Spezi had her wrists bound behind her back and she did not look up at him. She did not look up when he forced her onto the back of a Chimera. She did not look up during the entire ride back into the city and through it.

Emerald eyes blazing in righteous fury and glinting in flames.

Soft golden eyes glazed in secondhand terror.

The God of Thunder, the Dragon of Lightning, frozen in time.

A flaxen-hair maiden grieving.

Mary Jane's eyes glistened. Why? Why couldn't I…?

Dirtied whip marks.

Bruises and cuts on pale skin.

Mary Jane shut her eyes. I hurt too many people. I don't deserve Magic for everything I've done. I was cruel to my own family, to people who wanted to become my friends. I won't make that same—

"We're here."

Mary Jane's eyes opened. She did not even realize the Chimera had stopped. Spezi was not gentle in getting her down and held her neck lightly to keep her close and as a reminder he could kill her. She did not wrestle him for control. Her eyes looked up to see an eclectic building of old. The destruction to Margaret Town had touched this building with the clock tower partially decimated, window shattered from debris, and smaller things.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

« This is Margaret Town's City Hall. »

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Mary Jane had no time to be confused when Spezi was shoving her forward. Much to her surprise, she saw other Chimera guarding the city hall with ugly familiars as their temporary handlers. Spezi said not a word to them, but the familiars opened the door for him and his entourage. Spezi led Mary Jane like he owned the place, bypassing an intact reception area and heading straight into it.

Mary Jane's eyes darted at her surroundings in burning curiosity.

Why here? Why would we come here? There's nothing left here.

Spezi steered them straight to an elevator, but Mary Jane could not see the sense of going to one when the power was down. He let go of her only for Dimaria to keep her trapped with her hands on her shoulders. Mary Jane stiffened when Dimaria's warm breath fanned an ear.

"Should I stop time around your heart? Or maybe your lungs? Wouldn't that be fun?"

Mary Jane swallowed. "Why are you doing this?" she whimpered. "What did I do?"

DING!

The elevator opened, ready for use.

Dimaria's last words hit her. "Because you're the key to making him break."

And she was shoved forward.

Mary Jane stumbled into the elevator and nearly lost her balance. Spezi and Dimaria came inside and the Royal Chimera took up the last of the space. Spezi went to the key card and swiped it.

The elevator doors shut and they went down.

Mary Jane's eyes were still reeling from what Dimaria said. Making who 'break'? Daddy? Lance? Grandaddy?

Blazing emerald eyes.

Mary Jane disregarded him. No. Not him.

Her eyes went to watch as they passed the second basement and were about to pass the garages. Her concern grew more and more when she came to realize no buttons had been pressed for them to get off. Once they passed the last garage, the elevator continued to go down.

Mary Jane tentatively asked, "Where are we going?"

The elevator's light fluctuated and the structure itself rattled before re-steadying itself.

Then, it stopped.

The doors opened.

"To meet with some friends," Spezi offered as a reply. He grabbed Mary Jane's shoulder and forced her out of the elevator. She stumbled and threatened to trip, but she kept her pace. She was walking along a metal runway and looked over the railing.

Her heart stopped.

What she saw looked like a warehouse housing emergency supplies. There were pantries and machinery, namely generators and fans and radios, but some were lifting equipment. It looked like there were bunks built in on the off-chance of turning the facility into an evacuation center.

But Mary Jane's eyes strayed onto the three deities trapped inside floating cages.

Spezi noticed Mary Jane's stare and smirked, flicking his tongue. "Aw, sweetheart, don't get awestruck now. The fun hasn't even started."

"That…" Mary Jane's eyes rested on the curled creature of scales and whiskers and fur. "That's a…"

"A Dragon," Spezi finished with a note of pride.

"No way." Mary Jane was not having it. "Dragons are dead. They've been gone for over four-hundred years!"

Spezi snorted. "Oh, is that what they've been telling you?" He shook his head as he guided her to a maintenance lift where Chimera awaited. They backed away for a familiar to open the elevator for them. "I thought Fairy Tail would be boasting their asses off about the five Dragon Gods they sealed away thirty years ago."

When everyone was in the lift, Spezi pulled the lever to take them down.

"'Dragon Gods'?" Mary Jane echoed in whisper. "But… That can't be…" She shook her head. "No, the Dragons are dead! There are only Dragon Slayers left and all five of them are in Fiore!"

At Spezi's look, Mary Jane paled. He looked like he reveled in secret knowledge. "Who's to say Slayers aren't their prey?"

The lift stopped.

The gates were opened by two other familiars and Spezi forced Mary Jane off the lift with Dimaria giggling and following and the Royal Chimera stalking at the tail end. Mary Jane could not take her eyes off the great deities. She saw one of the creatures crossed between plesiosaur and phoenix caw as it struggled in its cage. It was badly hurt from the battle and from the black lightning nipping at its feathers and fur.

That must be the River Guardian…

Her eyes shifted to the leonid-reptilian deity of messy mane and distressed eyes. It did growl like a thunderstorm, but somehow, Mary Jane could tell it was upset at something.

And that's the Sky Guardian…

Her eyes befell onto the Dragon. It was a beautiful thing with scales of the ocean deep, a watery beard was on its maw, and well-grown antlers. It had a winding body, but she could see its legs and claws. Its whiskers flowed like a stream, never ending in the push and pull.

A real Dragon… A real live Dragon after all this time…

The Dragon opened an emerald eye. If Mary Jane did not know any better, she would saw it looked directly at her.

Her ring finger felt oddly cool.

Mary Jane looked down—

—and her eyes noticeably widened.

On her ring finger sat a silver ring with gemstones the same blue color as the scales on the great deity trapped in a cage. It felt like she had a ring of water on. And, much to her disbelief, it pulsed.

How…? That ring was in my trash can, but how…?

Mary Jane's eyes darted to the great beast. The Dragon eyed her for another moment before snorting softly and shutting its eye to drift off.

Mary Jane's mind was reeling.

Was this…? No, there's no way… I got that ring all the way back at the Harvest Festival. I thought Igneel had left it for me, so I threw it away—she cringed internally at her meanness towards an at-the-time kind gesture—so how could it…?

"I see you took your time."

Mary Jane looked up and paled. Jacob approached the group with a dark familiar sharing semblance to a pigeon with multiple eyes perched on his shoulder and two Wraiths accompanying him. When his bloodshot stare caught her own, she dropped her gaze to the floor and shuffled back.

"I was busy," Spezi drawled. "I lifted a prize from my game. Ain't she cute?"

Mary Jane could feel Jacob's eyes uncomfortably on her. "She's so much more ladylike when she's submissive and scared," he mused. "Looks like her lash marks are gone. Good. I'll beat her in front of the prince again." His eyes went to Spezi. "What was he like?"

"Like everything we could've hoped," Spezi told him. "From what I heard, same to the other one."

"He's not our concern. Let the General handle him," Jacob dismissed. He stepped forward and his hand went up.

Mary Jane flinched and gasped quietly when she felt the betraying touch of a whip's tail caress her cheek. Memories flooded back with the burning sounds of the crack and Igneel's words haunting her. His protection, her rejection, the pain, the blood—it made her physically shake.

"She's got less bite," Jacob noted. "Good. The weaker she looks, the more he'll come out."

"How do you know he'll come?" Spezi had to know.

"He's just like the king," Jacob answered easily. "Mess with their ultimate treasure and you have an angered beast ready to slaughter a nation in exchange for their things." The invisible whip trailed down Mary Jane's neck as a sadistic tease and the natural saliva in Mary Jane's throat was gone. "There, there, Mary Jane. I'm a gentleman after all. I won't touch you without him present. I can wait to hear your pain when he arrives." He retracted his whip and righted himself to look at Spezi. "Any word on the Hunters?"

Spezi shrugged as he led Mary Jane to a pole. "Nah. Let 'em do what they want. Only report we need is when the big guy comes to collect."

Mary Jane did not even fight it when Spezi sank her down to her knees. She let him restrain her to the pole.

"He should be here soon to collect," Jacob assured. "From what I heard from the nearby shadows, his daughter is with that task force and they're storming the power plant as we speak."

Spezi finished tying up Mary Jane to take out a cigarette. "Interesting," he grunted. "Where the Hell is Bluenote?" He looked for his lighter. "Don't tell me he's still obsessing over the next successor."

Jacob took out a lighter and lit Spezi's smoke. "He'll be down soon. I sent one your pets to fetch him. He's done enough playing tonight. He needs to focus."

The Chimera were all growling at the term pet and Spezi sighed, taking a drag. "Don't call them 'pets'. They hate that." He made a signal of three fingers and flooded them down in the air.

The growls left and the Chimera calmed down in seconds.

Jacob frowned, but he carried on as he walked over to the three deities. "The River Guardian may be a problem, but we can make up for its rather uncouth behavior with the presentation of the Dragon. In regards to…"

Mary Jane found herself spacing out as wide eyes set on the metallic floor.

What do I do? What can I do? I can't let them take away the Guardians or that Dragon, but…

Memories of a bruised and battered Elvin, of a bleeding Igneel, of her sobbing mother—they all made her cringe. She looked down at her necklace with her acorn button charm hidden inside her dress. She remembered the golden grass and the tree and the other swing.

Please, she begged in her mind. Please, if you're out there…help me.

The only answer she got as the glint of the acorn button.

°•°•°•°

Nashi and Mystogan peeked from the bushes to see the abandoned water fountain of the Guardian Duo. It was obvious no one really ventured to this part with the lack of trail to it, the rusty benches, and the vines on the base of the water fountains. But that did not mean no one occupied it. Three Ghouls took watch while familiar with a semblance of female rotting corpse and raven wings perched on the fountain to watch for invaders.

Mystogan and Nashi ducked down, Mystogan already plotting while Nashi looked at him for guidance. She had transformed into her Divine Soul. "What are those things?" she asked.

"Ghouls," Mystogan answered. "They're dark creatures, if a little dumb. They're greedy and grave robbers with a lust for blood and wealth, but they are harmless without a master. The familiar must be in charge of them."

Nashi still looked confused, but she nodded along anyways. "Okay. Well, then, how do you defeat them?"

Mystogan sighed. "Bad thing is these are dark creatures. They're practically invincible at night. Ghouls may be stupid, but they're incredibly powerful." He grinned. "Luckily, with the nature of our Magic, we're a match for them."

Nashi grinned back. "Okay. So what's the plan?"

Mystogan's grin showed teeth.

°•°•°•°

The female familiar scouted her domain vigilantly through fiery red eyes. The Ghouls would be stagnate until she cawed, but she picked up not a rustle or a breath or a—

"Meteor!"

The familiar's eyes widened as a blinding light of gold rushed towards her and effectively blew her back onto the ground. Hands smothered her mouth to keep her from cawing and her fiery eyes glared into the very human eyes of Mystogan. He carried her farther and farther from the fountain and cried, "Nashi!"

Nashi sprung from her place with her God's Hammer in her hands. She growled as she swung the great hammer at the first Ghoul. It staggered, but it did not fight her back. She hit it with Ghoul again with a deadly blow to the head before twirling and slamming her hammer onto the knees of the next Ghoul. The Ghoul staggered and fell to the ground without so much of a shout. The third Ghoul was just as easy to take out.

Nashi panted as she let her hammer disintegrate. "Man, that was…" She wiped her forehead. "That was way too easy." She sniffed and coughed as she looked at the water fountain. She circled it curiously.

Somehow, Jacob got in… But, how?

That was when Nashi noticed something when her eyes squinted. She saw necessary divots in the chests of the Guardian Duo. Spheres were supposed to be there.

What the…? Holes?

Nashi got into the empty fountain to feel the crevices for herself.

Something must've been here before.

Her mind flashed back to the River Guardian's medium and realization hit her.

The mediums… They're missing.

She wildly looked around for them.

They have to be somewhere. But where are they?

Mystogan, on the other hand, had an easy time keeping his enemy under his thumb. He had long-since stopped putting distance between Nashi and himself and made sure she was within his sight. He saw her look around. "What's wrong? What's going on?"

"We need a key to get in!" Nashi shouted. "The mediums! We need little mediums of the Guardian Duo, but I can't find them!"

Mystogan's eyes widened. "What?"

And that distraction was all it took.

The familiar wrangled her mouth from Mystogan's hands—

—and let loose a shrill caw.

Nashi's eyes widened when all three Ghouls sprung from their fallen positions with ravenous eyes and greedy claws. They smelled fresh blood and would drink it. Nothing stood in the way of their pray.

Nashi rightfully screamed and held her hands out for her Holy Shield to protect her. She landed back on her behind as the Ghouls relentlessly pounded their way through her shield with salivating mouths.

"Nashi!" Mystogan glared down at the smug familiar. "You don't deserve to live!" He extended his hand. "Come, Malachi!" The great sword built itself into Mystogan's hand and he was quick to pierce the familiar's heart.

As the familiar disappeared, she chuckled, "Are you willing to sacrifice to get what you want?"

"For Fairy Tail?" Mystogan twisted the blade and satisfaction glinted in his eyes as the process went faster. "Without question."

The familiar was on her last moments, but she needed the last word in. "But a fairy will never sacrifice another fairy."

And she vanished.

Nashi's head whipped around to keep up with the monstrous Ghouls trying to tear through her barrier. She cringed as she felt their weight. Fear rooted itself within her as her shield weakened.

Cael, Nashi pleaded to her Divine Soul, if any time was a good time to talk, now would be the time to do it!

Nothing.

Nashi swallowed and cast a spell. "Freedom Bow!" In her hands rested her Freedom Bow and it hummed to her touch. She shakily got up and plucked her string. She tried to pinpoint her target, but the Ghouls continuously kept moving.

I can't be afraid. I have to be brave. Gary would be brave right now. I'm going to be his equal.

That did not stop Nashi's shaking.

Stop shaking, dammit. Stop being so scared of them. I've faced a Demon before and familiars!

Her eyes glazed over.

But then again…

Nashi's eyes glowed as she dipped into her Soul Sight. She could see the undead lives of these Ghouls dripping in mindless malice and needed bloodlust and despair. It seeped out of their skin like gushing geysers and practically choked the Holy Shield.

They have so much despair. My Magic isn't strong enough for that.

"Bái Hǔ!"

Nashi watched as a roaring tiger of gleaming white came to her rescue as it batted away on of the ghouls. It shined like a thousand stars and was as vicious as they come, but she noted the grace in its fighting. It was a regal tiger.

"Pegasus Stampede!"

Gold Pegasi rushed onto the next Ghoul and forced it off the shield. They neighed as they trampled over the dark creature relentlessly.

"Hiyah!"

A sword swirling with the power of a nebula impaled the last Ghoul. The Ghoul roared and turned its attention from Nashi onto the swordsman.

Mystogan.

Unafraid, Mystogan swung his sword at the leg of the Ghoul and his sword went surprisingly deep into its thigh. The Ghoul howled before getting on the knuckles of its hands and trying to bite off Mystogan's head. Mystogan yanked out his sword and used Flight Magic to gain distance. The Ghoul took the bait and loped after him.

Nashi let out a shaking gasp. Her heart hurt against her chest, pounding senselessly. "Oh, my God," she breathed. "Oh, my god…" Her bow dissolved as she sunk to her knees and hugged herself. How am I this weak? Misty rushed into battle without even hesitating and I just froze. What type of Mage am I?

Seraphim came to her comfort. A growing one, little one. There is much for you to learn and understand about yourself.

Seraphim, Nashi whimpered.

Seraphim hushed. Let us See.

Nashi found her irises consumed in pink and the world came to her in life and in death. She could see death off the Ghouls.

I need to find the keys, Nashi thought. But, how can I do that?

Touch and you will See.

Nashi looked at her hands. I have to touch? She closed her eyes as her hands threaded through the grass. Touch and I'll See…

Her eyes snapped open as pink over took them.

The connection she felt zipped her through. She found herself drawn to one Ghoul made of darkness. But, at its core, at its heart, lay a glowing marble of cerulean. Nashi found her memory of the River Guardian medium flashing forward.

That must be the River Guardian key…

The connection surged to another Ghoul with a glowing marble of milky white and sky blue meshed together.

And this must be the Sky Guardian…

Nashi found horror overtaking her.

They're inside the Ghouls? But, how are we supposed to get them?

Seraphim answered her. Dark creatures like Ghouls may be mindless, but weak and easy prey attracts them. They are predators who don't enjoy the chase. They prey little on Mages due to the struggle.

Nashi felt confused. What are you saying?

There is a way you can draw them to you and give Mystogan enough time get to the stones. Don't worry, little one. Cael and I will still protect you.

Nashi swallowed and visibly hardened herself. What do we need to do?

°•°•°•°

Mystogan brought up his shield and braced himself as the Ghoul went for his throat. He gritted his teeth and found himself moving back under the force of the dark creature. I can't afford to use flashy attacks and draw attention to us. Melee is all I'm capable of.

Something pressed against his mind, tentative and weak. Mi… Misty…?

Mystogan's shock costed his firm stance. The Ghoul took advantage of it and slammed down the shield to grab onto Mystogan's throat. Mystogan ground his teeth and grunted when he fell on his back to avoid his death, even if his shoulder was cut in the process. He let go of Malachi for his arms to whirl around until his palms were up and air gusted out of them. The Ghoul roared at the strong winds, but it fought hard to get back to its prey.

Nashi? Mystogan called. Nashi, is that you?

The presence he felt against his mind was of forceful divinity and trepidation. Yes… It's me… Seraphim is making a connection for us.

When the Ghoul had been blown a distance away, Mystogan stopped his Wind Magic to force himself onto his feet. His hands gathered themselves in front of his mouth as he inhaled. He pushed them in front of him as he blew out a torrid stream of wintry air.

The Ghoul rushed at Mystogan like an aggressive hound and jumped at Mystogan only for ice to cake itself onto its skin. Its legs were frozen and it fell onto the ground.

That's why your thoughts are forced, Mystogan realized. What happened? Are you okay? Disgust coiled through him as he watched the Ghoul claw at its frozen limps to tear them off its body. He gathered Malachi again.

I'm fine. We…found a way… We found…the keys…

Mystogan rushed at the Ghoul with his sword for two fingers to press on the blade. "Orion Nebula!"

Malachi turned from a blade of Heavenly silver to a swirl of oranges and dusty brown-reds bespeckled in stars.

Where are they? Mystogan asked. He grunted as he landed on the Ghoul's back and plunged his Heavenly blade into its spine.

Inside…Ghouls… In their…hearts…

Mystogan's eyes widened. "What?" He lost his balance when the Ghoul roared and reared itself. He expelled Malachi from its spine and rolled to his feet.

'In their hearts'? Mystogan repeated. His hand went to his glasses and he tapped on the frame. His vision switched from night vision to Etheral Vision. He could see a mass of darkness gnawing off its own legs, but nothing more. His stare switched to the other two. Within their mass of darkness, a marble of light remained placed in their hearts.

I see them. We'll have to corner them and—

No, Misty. I…have a plan.

Mystogan tapped back to night vision when the Ghoul ripped off its first leg. Okay. Let's hear it.

Silence.

You'll have to…trust me.

Mystogan was confused at the statement and ready for the next round of battling as the Ghoul ripped off its other frozen leg. I always have and always will.

Then, I'm sorry.

The genuine apology and regret laced in that last coherent thought made Mystogan almost turn to the Angel of Fairy Tail in concern. What are you—?

Then, he felt it—

—and he completely froze.

Mystogan's head shakily turned towards where Nashi was defending herself.

No…

His vision caught Nashi standing plain as day with her night vision goggles on. Something dripped from her nose. Blood. It was blood.

Her Magic…

Mystogan's eyes slowly widened.

It's… It's gone!

A feral roar.

Mystogan felt himself move slow as everything else moved so fast. The Ghouls caught onto the scent of blood from a Spiritless no less and their hunger upped tenfold. They scrambled with tongues hanging out for their next meal. They shoved aside whatever they had to to get to their prey.

And Nashi stayed still.

Mystogan found himself trying to bolt for her, but his limbs and time felt like molasses.

And Nashi stayed still.

Run, Mystogan urged. What are you doing? Run, Nashi! Get out of there! Use your Magic! Anything!

Nashi was silent.

Mystogan's eyes glinted, then they steeled over. He felt his Magic swarm around as he took faster and faster steps.

"Meteor!"

Mystogan cut through the air like a star himself and raced for the ravenous Ghouls with his sword of the Heavens.

"Are you willing to sacrifice to get what you want?"

Mystogan gritted his teeth.

I won't let you sacrifice yourself, Nashi! You won't die here!

Malachi became a blade of wine red and relaxed violets dotted in stars.

The Ghouls sprung upon their weak prey.

Mystogan readied his sword as the spell came naturally to him. "Eta Carinae…"

Malachi began to hum and vibrate under Mystogan's touch as the stellar system within the blade moved and shone even brighter than ever.

"…Slicer!"

SHING!

Nashi felt a vibrant explosion has happened before her in the warmest of colors before it faded just as fast. She opened her eyes to see the Ghouls were right on top of her—

—then they fell.

Much to her astonishment and disgust, the dark creatures corroded into themselves, rotting away like corpses back to the world of which they came.

That's so gross.

That is the way of the dark creatures.

Nashi brightened when she felt her faithful souls curl around her own and thrum under her skin. Seraphim! We did it!

Seraphim chuckled. We did. You were strong enough to handle the loss of your Magic, little one. His voice had sounded far away, but now it sounded stronger and clearer in her head. Well done.

Nashi wiped the blood off her nose as she carefully stepped over the rotting Ghouls to reclaim one of the marble-like keys. Yeah, well, let's not do it again. I thought I would breakdown from the loneliness.

As she plucked the cerulean key and dusted Ghoul off it, Seraphim said, It is not a move Cael or I wish to do again. Overuse of it and we may not be able to resonate with your soul.

Nashi grimaced. Yeah. This was a one-and-done deal.

"Nashi!"

She looked up to se Mystogan jogging towards her with the other key in hand and beamed. "Misty! You did it! Thank you!"

Mystogan did not seem all that pleased. "You're lucky to still have your life after that move!" he scolded. "What were you thinking? You really thought to sacrifice your own life for the good of this? What if I hadn't gotten to you in time? What if the Ghouls had been faster?"

Nashi was uncomfortable at the implication, but she pursed her lips. "Well, you did!" she lamely pointed out. "You made it, so no need to get all pissy with me!"

"Your life is not a sacrifice for the good of the mission!" Mystogan shouted at her. He never shouted. "You don't need to be doing stunts like that! We could've found a better solution!"

"There was no time!"

"There's always time!"

Cheeks flushed, Nashi shouted, "You just told me S-Class Mages sign a liability waiver before their missions! That's sacrificing yourself for the mission!"

"And you don't even understand what that means!" Mystogan thundered. "You are talking about things you clearly don't understand and clearly aren't ready for!" He noted Nashi's shaking knees. "You're shaking, Nashi! You're terrified! You can't even fathom what it takes to make that call on your own life and here you are, insulting us who understand the implications and accept them!" He let Malachi disappear to stalk closer to her. "You aren't ready to make that call. You aren't ready to give yourself to a mission. You aren't ready."

Mystogan stopped before Nashi and was all set to lay into her when she flinched. His scowl softened and he sighed. "I didn't mean to shout," he apologized. "I'm sorry, but please, just… Just please, don't do something like that again, okay?"

Nashi bowed her head. "Okay." Her voice had gotten small like a chastised child not wanting to provoke their parent.

Mystogan tipped Nashi's chin up so their eyes met and smiled. There was softness and apology in his smile. "Besides, I don't want to have to explain to Gary what happened to his future girlfriend," he teased. "And facing your father might actually be the death of me."

Nashi smiled at that. "Yeah, Papa might roast your ass," she agreed jokingly.

Mystogan chuckled, shoulders shaking, when he hissed in pain. It was then Nashi realized the claw marks in his shoulder and paled. "Misty, I need to heal you," she insisted.

Mystogan waved her away and brushed past her. "Not now," he said, terse. "We need to get to Jacob and the Guardians."

Nashi scowled, but she followed after him.

It was easy for them to put in the keys to their matching Guardian. The effect was not as instant as they thought. It took a moment before the eyes of the Guardians to glow. The bottom of found crumbled to give way to a spiral staircase with work lights there to guide the way. After a shared glance, Mystogan went forward with Nashi following close behind.

The two Mages climbed down the steps, but when they were sufficiently underneath the fountain, that was when the bottom of the fountain recreated itself and locked them in.

Nashi found herself panicking. "How are we supposed to get out now?"

Mystogan only looked at their winding road ahead of them. "By going down." And, he kept walking.

Nashi swallowed and followed after him.

The trip down the winding staircase was in silence, save for the clatter of shoes hitting metal. Mystogan kept his eyes front, ears open, but Nashi was having a hard time being alert when her thoughts were drowning her. She could see Gary and his Devil in their combined form facing off against Lee. She could see the anguish of the Ice Devil in his Human and fully-realized form. She could see the torment in Gary's eyes.

Gary… Will you be okay?

Seraphim's amusement pressed against her mind. It is ironic that one holding divinity would care so much for a forsaken creature.

I don't care about him! Nashi snapped in abashed defensiveness. But, he's my partner and my guild mate. He saved me so many times…

"Wow… The fact you can still support him after he nearly kills your partner goes to show how much you really care about Gary."

Nashi could remember the darkness in Dazzler's eyes and the sarcastic-laced venom in each word.

"Oh, wait, you two just screw when it's convenient for you."

Nashi folded her arms and hunched over, brow pinched. She's right, she realized sadly. She was right about me. I'm just messing with his feelings. I'm a horrible person.

Little one, you and I both know that isn't true, Seraphim hushed. Why do you deny yourself?

Because, Nashi whispered, it's not denying yourself when there's nothing there. There's nothing for me to give anyone. I'm just a big bowl of nothing. She remembered seeing such unadulterated love in cerulean eyes. He deserves a something, not a nothing, Nashi said, a note of sadness lingering in her voice. You can't make something out of nothing.

Seraphim's voice was fading away as he said, You can…with a touch of Magic.

Nashi slowed down as Mystogan did when they were approaching a door that looked like it hadn't been used in quite some time. Mystogan went up to the door and pressed a hand onto it.

"So, this is the way in?" Nashi checked.

"Yeah, but from the feel of it, it's blast proof and heavily secured," Mystogan admitted. He slid away from the door to sit on the ground crisscrossed. "Don't worry. I can get past it." He closed his eyes with his hands in a triangle formation.

Nashi watched in fascination as Mystogan's Magic Circle pulsed beneath him once before bright gold outlined his body, lifting him slightly off the ground.

Beyond the blast proof door, something glitched to life. After one or two glitches, a golden form of Mystogan appeared without his glasses. Rather than walking on the ground, he drifted. It was rather appropriate with his ghostlike appearance.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

« This Caster Spell is called Astral Projection, similar to Thought Projection. The Mage willingly separates their consciousness from their bodies. Unlike a Thought Projection, these projections are reflections of the Mage's consciousness and cannot be altered as well as invisible to the naked eye as they are on the Astral Plane and can travel to different realms. How far an Astral Projection can go depends on the strength of the Mage. »

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Astral-Mystogan took in his new surroundings carefully. Office chairs had fallen back in shock. Flutters of papers lay abandoned on desks and on the floor, some with stains that came from mugs hurtfully tipped over. He had landed in some overhead observatory that had been hurriedly abandoned. He drifted over to look out the window. He saw the warehouse storing emergency supplies and equipment, but his gaze was drawn to the the creatures trapped in their floating cages.

Those must be the Guardians and the Dragon…

Astral-Mystogan disappeared before reappearing on the lower level of the warehouse to get a better look at the trapped deities. He witnessed the River Guardian thrash under her capture while the Sky Guardian was desperate to calm her down.

Amazing… I can sense so much energy from them…

His gaze swung to the Dragon.

And a reallive Dragon… Could it be…?

The Dragon lazily opened an eye.

Astral-Mystogan froze.

It—… It couldn't be looking at me, could it?

The Dragon rumbled something and jerked its snout to the side. It continuously and subtly did so until Astral-Mystogan looked in that direction. His eyes widened when he saw a broken girl of sun-bleached hair.

"Mary Jane."

From Nashi's stance, when she heard the name, her heart dropped. "What?" she nearly gasped. "Do you see her?"

Mystogan continued bobbing up and down as he struggled to say, "I…see her. Trapped. Tied up. Guardians too. And...Dragon."

Nashi crouched and brushed back a stray lock of hair. "What else do you see?"

Astral-Mystogan looked around. He drifted more when he heard subtle chatter. His eyes found the source.

Mystogan spoke to Nashi, "Two Warlocks… Chimera… Familiars… Others…"

Nashi's eyes narrowed. "Jacob and that other guy are here then. Bluenote must still be with Gale." She got up and put her head in her hands. "Oh, what are we going to do?"

Astral-Mystogan found himself about to reunite with his body when a flash of gold stopped him. He transported up to the rafters of the warehouse to see something he did not expect. It shocked him enough to reunite him with his body. Mystogan gasped as his mind and body reunited with each other. Nashi rushed to him and rubbed his back to help him breathe. She began to ask a question when Mystogan panted, "Igneel and Luna are here."

Nashi's eyebrows shot up. "What?!"

"I saw them. They're hiding in the rafters," Mystogan reported.

Nashi growled. "Oh, just freaking great! Just what I need! Not only do we need to save the Guardians, a Dragon, and Mary Jane from two Warlocks, but now we need to bust out my siblings?" She shook her head. "Today just isn't anyone's day."

Mystogan got up and brushed himself off. "We need to grab and secure them to safety." His hand went back to the door. "This may be blast proof, but it's not Magic proof." His eyes closed as his hand slid over the door.

From the other side, you could not hear anything until a faint click resonate. The door did not creak open and Nashi and Mystogan were careful not to make a sound. They snuck into the observatory in a low crouch. They made it to the counters and peeked over to catch the view outside the windows.

Nashi immediately saw Mary Jane and her hunched shoulders. "Mary Jane…"

"There they are!"

Nashi looked up and soon spotted her two siblings sneaking their way through the rafters. Luna was unsure of herself, but Igneel was helping her every step of the way with Purple Flare keeping them together. Nashi glowered. "I'm going to kill them."

"You won't have to if the Warlocks see them first," Mystogan warned. He crouched towards the side exit of the observatory. "C'mon. I can get us up there, but we need to keep our Magic low."

Nashi growled, but she followed after him.

°•°•°•°

Luna wobbled a bit as she tried balancing herself on the rafter. A loud gasp threatened an outbreak when Igneel came to her rescue and straightened her. A smile of gratitude aimed for Igneel touched her lips and Igneel nodded back before they were on the move again. Igneel found a walkway a little ways away. A thread of Purple Flare shot from his wrist like a spider to latch onto a beam right in-between them and the walkway. His hand grabbed the thread while his arm wrapped around his sister's waist. Once Luna secured herself, they jumped.

Luna clung to Igneel as the wind whipped around them. When they made it close enough to the walkway, Igneel dispelled the thread and shot a new one right above the walkway. Once over it, Igneel tightened his grip on the thread to stop them. They swung for a moment before Igneel gently lowered them to the ground. Luna let go of him to tiptoe to the side of the railing.

Her eyes saddened when she caught sight of the distressed Guardian Duo and the badly injured Shenlong.

Don't worry. We'll get you guys out.

A light tapping on her shoulder made Luna turn to her brother. She followed him to the other side and her eyes widened. She did not need him to point for her to see what he was staring intently at.

Mary Jane…

There she was, hunched over and tied around a pole like a sacrifice. Chimera guarded her with a Wraith circling loosely every now and then. Mary Jane did not pick her head up. She kept her head down and defeated. Luna looked at her brother to see the emerald in his eyes intensified as he watched Mary Jane. His knuckles were turning white. Luna accidentally let out a sharp hiss of pain and her hands quickly let go of the railing. Her eyes went to see the railing underneath Igneel's grip was melting and steam poured off his knuckles, threatening to turn into flame. She was about to comfort him when she noticed something.

Something that was not there before.

Why is he wearing his ring?

Luna noticed the silver and blue ring on Igneel's ring finger when she looked down at her own wrist. The bracelet she had removed out of fear of it jingling was back on her wrist. Her eyes widened.

Wait what? But how…?

Her eyes zipped to the sleeping Shenlong.

Shenlong…

Her thoughts were interrupted when Igneel tensed and a hand grabbed her shoulder. Luna panicked and her instincts made her freeze when she was whirled around—

—to face her sister's pissed off scowl and Mystogan's cold look.

Luna smiled nervously. "Oh, um… Hi?" she whispered sheepishly.

"'Hi'?"

Luna flinched. Oh, her sister was definitely mad.

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" Nashi whispered loudly. "Are you serious?! You're not supposed to be here! You're supposed to be back in the chamber with Uncle Laxus and Andy! What were you thinking?!"

"That Mary Jane need to be saved," Luna tried to rapidly justify. "Sh-She was taken! We couldn't just let her—!"

"I don't care what your reasoning was!" Nashi's voice broke into a heated murmur. "You should've stayed behind! Now you're involved and we have to protect you both!"

Igneel bristled at that. "I don't need your protection," he spat. "I came here for MJ and I'm not leaving without her."

"You're leaving," Nashi commanded, tone acidic.

Igneel defiantly lifted his chin. "We're staying."

Luna quickly interjected, "Yeah and we have a plan so—!"

"I don't care if you have a plan that could fly me to Jupiter." Nashi grabbed both her siblings' wrists. "You're coming with me and staying out of the way. I'm keeping you safe."

A sly smirk. "Ironic of you to say that when you're the one always stubbornly staying to fight."

Nashi whipped her head towards Mystogan to tell him to butt out when her jaw dropped.

"What are you doing here?"

°•°•°•°

Jacob and Spezi were in the middle of a conversation when they heard the beeping of the maintenance lift. They turned their heads to see Bluenote stepping off the lift with an agitated expression and a Chimera behind him.

Spezi smirked. "Oh, does His Majesty feel annoyed he didn't finish his play session?"

"Of course not," Bluenote snapped. "But I didn't get my hands on the Heart of Hearts."

Jacob shrugged. "Our objective was examination and distraction, not extraction. There will be other times."

Bluenote growled. "I suppose." His cold eyes went to Mary Jane and heightened in interest. "That the girl?"

Spezi took another drag. "Yup." He popped the p of the single syllable word. "She's cute, right? Hasn't really said that much, but who could blame her? She's virtually powerless."

Bluenote's interest was lost at that and he strolled over to the other Warlocks. "The sooner he gets here, the sooner we can leave this backwater town." He scowled as he remembered something. "The medium was lost. Where's Dimaria?"

Jacob pointed at the withering Time Mage who sat against crates with a lost look in her eye. "The drugs have been wearing off and the Curse is consuming her. I give her a couple of hours before she dies."

"All the better," Bluenote sniffed. "She's outgrown her usefulness."

Mary Jane listened to the Warlocks speak in little interest and lots of self-pity. She looked down at her lap with a prayer in her mind.

Someone, please, help us. Don't let them take away those creatures.

As if someone heard her prayers, the Chimera to her right found itself turning into ice. It nearly hit the floor when an invisible force halted its tracks. Mary Jane chanced a look to see a card was underneath it.

Wait… I recognize that card…

The Chimera on her left disappeared altogether and what was left of it was a card.

But… No, it couldn't be…

She smelt something burning and she thrashed a bit to get a look at her saviors. She did not have to wait that long when she saw Cane's infamous smirk as he came to collect his card. He knelt in front of her, untouched by battle.

Mary Jane's eyes widened. "Ca—!"

Cane put a finger to his lips. When the ropes around Mary Jane broke, he quickly helped her out of them and to her feet. He guided her away from the poll and into the darkness of the hallway where an impatient Igneel, Penelope with the Wraith that was supposed to keep an eye on Mary Jane at her side, and Linus in his Ice Form.

Mary Jane looked at them all in confusion and fear for their safety. "What are you all doing here?" she frantically whispered.

"Saving you," Igneel said point-blank. He moved towards her and brought her into an unexpected hug. "You scared me, MJ," he breathed in her hair. "Don't leave me."

Mary Jane found herself stunned at Igneel's forwardness, but she reasoned he had always been this forward and touchy. She softened and, for once, her hand came up to rub his back. "I won't," she promised him. She had a feeling he needed to hear that. "But, where's Luna and my dad? Where's Andy and Peter?"

Igneel retracted from her touch and she saw something flicker in his eyes. She could not decipher it when Cane took the lead. "Look, you have a lot of questions and we have a lot of answers, but we need to get you to safety before phase three."

"Phase what?" Mary Jane shook her head. "Cane, what's going on? Where have you been for the past couple of episodes?"

Cane chuckled and gently grabbed her wrist. "Later, Virgin Mary, later. It's nice to have a name now." He winked at her. "Love your eyes."

Mary Jane just realized her mismatching eyes were on display and covered them.

"No, don't." Penelope said this. "Your eyes are beautiful, Mary Jane. There's no need to hide them."

Mary Jane hesitantly lowered her hand to let everyone see her heterochromic eyes.

Cane began to tug her town the hallway. "C'mon. We need to go now!"

Mary Jane began to follow when she noticed Linus, Penelope, nor Igneel followed. She stopped and turned to them. "Guys?"

"Get somewhere safe," Igneel rumbled. "I have a score to settle." His knuckles turned white as flames danced out of them.

Cane gently brought Mary Jane down the hallway. She could not help but glance over her shoulder to see Igneel's back to her. He was shirtless and she saw the grotesque sight of his jagged X scar on his back. Something in her mourned at the scar.

Igneel…

Cane led her into another hallway. He went to the first door and brought out a card, flinging on. The card stuck and cackled lightning before the door slid open. Cane pushed Mary Jane in first and lights flickered on as the door shut. It seemed to be a bunker with uncomfortable bunk beds and little room for privacy. Still, he made Mary Jane sit on the bed before going to the door. He slapped on another card and pressed his palm onto it. The card pulsed once.

Cane sighed and dropped himself into a nearby office chair. His eyes were Heavenward and his body drooped. "What a vacation," he mumbled.

Mary Jane stared at Cane like he was on fire. "What's going on?" she demanded to know. "What are you doing here?"

Cane sighed again and combed his hair. "Here come the questions," he supposed. "And, we have…"—he checked his watch—"T-minus two minutes until phase three." He thrust himself upwards to sit up in his chair. He nodded at Mary Jane. "So, lets answer some questions. Where was I? Well, that's kind of difficult for me to say." He crossed his arms, slouching in his seat. "You remember anything from that party we went to?"

Mary Jane wracked her brain, frowning. "Besides leaving early because someone said something to me and Igneel chasing after me? No."

Cane blew out a breath. "Okay, so listen. Shit went down a lot more than I had hoped. I was trying to hook up with this girl when I felt something strange happen outside of the house. I left to go check it out. Long story short: I got found out by a Chimera."

Mary Jane's eyes widened. "How—?"

"Am I still here?" Cane finished the inquiry. "It wasn't a pleasant fight, but I froze the little shit and went to see where it came from. I saw when that Tamer came into Margaret Town with Bluenote and Jacob. I was there."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Mary Jane blurted. "Why didn't you come and get someone?"

Cane grimaced. "It's not as simple as you'd think. I had seen Dimaria and heard about their plans to use her as a time machine. Because she is a direct vessel of Chronos, she wouldn't die immediately from the effects, but she wouldn't live long either. I mean you saw her. She barely has hours to live from overuse of her Magic."

Mary Jane played with her necklace. "So then what?"

"I had called Master Erza in secret and told her about what I saw." Cane shook his head. "She had me work as a spy for her."

"A spy?"

Cane nodded. "I was glad to do it." He smirked. "But I needed some outside help to make it seem like I wasn't missing. I asked Missy to sleep in my hotel room and keep my phone. Gave her the rundown of who to text and shit."

Mary Jane wrinkled her nose. "I heard some girl left your room the next morning. Good thinking," she guessed.

Cane shrugged like it was not a big deal, but he was smug at the praise. "I know, right? Anyways, I did some recon, but I wasn't allowed to interfere. I was just to keep an eye out and report. Well"—he waved a hand—"until now."

Mary Jane cocked an eyebrow. "Well, what happens—?"

BOOM.

Mary Jane's eyes widened as the entire room shook and she fell off the bed.

BOOM.

BOOM.

BOOM.

Cane grinned. "Now, phase three happens."

Mary Jane tried to steady herself. "What did you do?"

"Who, me?" Cane shook his head and waved a hand. "Don't look at me. This was all Luna and Igneel's idea."

Mary Jane's eyes widened. "What? What did they do?"

Cane brought out a card that had the words CALL LUNA CARD on it with a chibi-Luna sticking out her tongue staining the card. "Beautiful called me and told me about your capture and the Guardians. I called the master and she rallied those with clearance to come for phase three."

"But, what is 'phase three'?" Mary Jane asked, tentative.

Cane laughed. "Oh, sweetheart. Phase three is when we kick ass and take names."

°•°•°•°

It was impossible for the Warlocks to defeat this many Mages and they knew that. You could physically see the stress etched on their faces as they pushed their Curses to the limit to gain some sort of ground. Spezi looked grotesque in his acquired Demon Form, looking like a Chimera combination of snake and human. His Royal Chimera proudly fought alongside him, roaring fire at Mages who would not get away. Erza did not hesitate to confront Jacob Lessio who used his shadows and Wraiths and Ghouls to slow her down. She countered their movements in her armor that was darker than black with swirls of deep-seated violet in them. It was rather godly armor, crowning her with a raven-like headdress and a translucent veil. To be frank, she looked like one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in her armor.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

« This armor is called Erebus Shadow Armor, a rare set of armor with comparable power to that of a Shadow Charmer. It allows any Mage who wears it to see dark creatures and have a bit of control over them as well as lessens the effects of Curses and Black Magic. »

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Bluenote hissed as he was driven back. He used his gravity around him to try and falter the Mages, but many of them were still able to stagger towards him and cast Magic Spells. The Chimera, familiars, and dark creatures were too heavily under fire to aid their masters. One by one, the familiars would vanish and the dark creatures would find themselves corroding back into their realm. The Chimera were slaughtered and their bodies lay on the ground, their blood dipping into the drains.

Nashi had long transformed into her Divine Soul armor with her Freedom Bow assisting her and battling against dark creatures and Chimera. She fired arrow after arrow. The dark creatures hit with her arrows would leave this realm with burning ashes left behind. The Chimera would falter back and some could not take the overwhelming divinity filing their bodies and would die upon contact. She whipped around and fired three arrows to hit three targets when she felt a shadow overtake her. She turned arou—

"Ice Devil's Nisse Arrow!"

Nashi found the enemies surrounding her had frozen and exploded into crystals of ice and snow. She got up to see Gary in his combined Human-Devil Form.

Devil-Gary offered her a fanged grin with his icy bow in his clawed hands. "Still mad at me?" he asked in both his Human and Devil voice. Without taking his eyes off her, he brought his bow up and plucked his string, firing off another arrow at a Ghoul. The Ghoul crumbled into ice and snow.

Nashi whirled around with a roundhouse kick to a humanoid familiar. She punched its face with her bow and stepped on its foot. As it yowled, she pinned back her string and fired an arrow right into its chest. She huffed and looked over her shoulder at Devil-Gary who could not help but be impressed at her. "Hell yeah I'm pissed at you!" she growled at him. She spun onto her knee and fired an arrow at a Chimera that tried to sneak up on the two of them. "We're freaking talking later, you asshole!"

Devil-Gary licked his lips. While the human half had restraint on his lust, the Devil had made no such promises and openly admired his Angel. He licked his lips as his clawed hand grabbed the throat of a familiar and easily crushed it. "We'll do more than just 'talk', Malã'ika,"he assured in breathless promise. He let his bow disappear to crouch on the ground like a wolf. He bunched his muscles and jumped near Nashi.

Nashi ducked to see the Devil-Human was eagerly tearing into a Ghoul. She rolled her eyes to the Heavens above. "You better rinse your damn mouth before you even think about kissing me, dog." She raised her bow behind her and launched an arrow that pierced into another Wraith.

Luna kept to the sidelines of the fray with her bag secured on her shoulders and Igneel at her side. He looked on edge. He wanted to fight with the gift Nature had given him and fix this unsettlement weighing down in his chest. His eyes were pinned on Jacob. He had a score to settle with the Warlock and flames seeped through his hands at just the thought of burning the bastard alive for the treatment of him and Mary Jane. Luna, however, kept Igneel focused on getting closer to the trapped creatures when something darted out of a nearby hallway.

Luna gasped and Igneel was quick to throttle his flames.

The figure stopped, wide-eyed. "Hey, wait! It's me!"

Igneel's eyes went wide. "Bro?" He quickly sent a blast of his freezing flames to counteract the heat of his red ones. Smoke exploded in front of the figure causing heavy coughing.

Luna had heard Igneel's gasp. "Wait. It's Luke?"

The smoke cleared away and stepping through the remains was the heavily coughing Luke. He looked a bit battered and pale as he openly coughed, eyes watering. "Oh, God," he bemoaned. "What did I do to deserve an attack like that?"

Luna squealed her excitement and rushed up to her other brother, catching him in surprise at her embrace. "Ah! Luke, it is you!"

Luke went between smiling and coughing like a maniac. He hugged back his sister through watery eyes. "Good to"—he coughed again—"see you too, Lu." He let her go to look up at his twin. "Igneel…"

Igneel only nodded at his twin.

Luke looked back down at Luna like he was about to scold her. "What are you doing here?" he snapped. "Don't you know how dangerous it is for you to be here?"

Luna scowled and batted Luke's hands from her shoulders. "As a matter of fact, I do," she retorted. "But I have the medium in my bag. I need to free the Guardians and Shenlong!"

Luke pinched the bridge of his nose, adjusting his glasses. "Okay, fine," he resigned, not even putting up a fight. "Fine, fine, let's go. We've got to hurry."

Luna flashed her brother a smile and the three siblings took off to get closer to the caged Guardians and Dragon. They paused every so often when Magic and Curse got too close for comfort. At times, the lash back would have Igneel and Luke fighting to protect their little sister. Igneel easily batted away debris with his whip of flames and fists of fury while Luke would shield them all from an ether feedback. With a little more effort and pushing, they found themselves standing off to the side where the deities were kept.

Luke was trying hard not to look struck at the sight of the Dragon, but he could not help it. "A real, living Dragon…" he breathed. "This is the Dragon that helped you during the Harvest Festival?"

"Shenlong," Luna named. Her eyes were glazed in grief as she looked over each creature. "He's badly hurt and same with the others. We have to help them escape."

Luke warily looked at the thrashing River Guardian. "Nayda doesn't look like she's calmed down."

"And those cages are powered with Cursed lightning," Igneel noted, watching the red-black static crackling from the metal.

Luna growled her frustration. "I don't care," she snapped. "We have to help them!"

"We will, Lu," Luke was quick to appease his sister, "but it's not going to be as easy as you think. We have to deactivate cages run off Curse Power." He scratched his cheek. "We'd need Dad here to make this possible. Or Uncle Gray or, and I hate to say it, Gary.

Igneel gazed at his brother knowingly. "Or, maybe, we just need you."

Luke blinked in disbelief. "Me?" he echoed. "What am I supposed to do with"—he gestured at the cages—"that?"

Igneel turned to Luke and put his hands on his shoulders. "Dude. Who was the one who got rid of the Curse on the Guardian's whatever?"

"Medium," Luke tried to correct through mumble. "It's called a 'medium'."

Luna looked at Luke in shock as she freed the medium from being inside the back and cradled it. "That was you?" she whispered, awe. "You freed Nayda's medium?"

Luke swallowed nervously. "Y-Yeah, but only because Mom helped," he reasoned. He looked back at Igneel and shook his head, taking his brother's hands off his shoulders. "I'm sorry, but I can't do it. That was just a one-time thing and I didn't even know how I did it."

"Then, make it a two-time thing!" Luna exclaimed. "Luke, they need our help!"

"I would if I could, but I can't!" Luke cried. "I don't even know how I did it! I literally just went with the flow! That's not a strategy! Tha-That's complete madness!"

Igneel groaned. "Bro, you can't keep fricken living with all these screwed-up rules and structure and logic!" he tried to scold. "Going with the flow? That's how it should be!"

"For you!" Luke shot back. "It's different for me!"

Igneel flashed fang as a ticked-off look entered his eyes. "How is it 'different' for you, huh? How? What, just because you like to read and study and be 'smart', everything is 'different' for Luke?" He shoved his brother's chest. "Get over yourself, man!"

Now Luna was worried. "Igneel," she tried to stop.

"Get over myself?" Luke snarled. "Take your own freaking advice for a change! Everything comes so easy for you because you never even think about the consequences!"

Feral entered with emerald. "You think I don't think about consequences?" Igneel asked in a deadly murmur. "You think I don't stay up every fucking night thinking about the costs of my actions?"

At that, Luke had the sense to stand down. "I didn't mean it like that," he assured in quiet apology. "But, listen, Igneel, what you're asking… I can't do it." He turned his back on his brother, on his sister, on them. "I just can't."

The harden edge in Igneel's eyes faded as he glided over to comfort his twin brother. "You know what Pops would say if he saw you giving up like this," he chided, tone light. "And you know we're both right on this. 'Can't' is just a word thrown around when people want to take the easy road. 'Can't' is for the ones who quit instead of pushing forward to the future. It's when you think you can't that you should push harder than ever."

Luke smiled a little. "Wow. You actually listen during Dad's lessons," he teased.

Igneel grinned a bit. "Yeah. And I thought you did too." He gently shoved Luke's shoulder. "Dude, you're supposed to be the brains, 'member? The 'Smart Dragneel' with all your stupid studying and falling asleep in the middle of the day."

"'Meditating', Igneel, it's called 'meditating'," Luke sighed, half-exasperated half-exhausted. "I don't just fall asleep during the day because I want to. It's training."

Igneel rolled his eyes, skeptical. "Yeah, sure, we'll go with that." He wrapped an arm around Luke's shoulder and pointed at the caged creatures. "See them? They could really use some help from us tiny humans. Dude, don't you know how awesome of a story this is going to be? How we, the Dragneel brothers, helped out an actual Dragon?" He hooted his glee. "Damn, it's got my fire goin' just thinkin' about how jealous Haku's gonna be! Awesome!"

"Hey! What about me?"

The twins tilted their head down to see the scowl of their little sister. "What am I, invisible?"

Igneel surprised Luna when his arm came around and he tucked her into it. Laughter could not resist itself with her when Igneel peppered kisses all over her face. "Next to me, you probably are since I'm the awesomest Dragneel," he boasted.

Luke snorted, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Please. What's so 'awesome' about having a porn collection about women with big boobs?"

Red consumed Igneel from the neck up and wordless splutters sounded from his twitching mouth as Luna looked confused. "What's 'porn'?" she asked, innocently curious.

Igneel was frantically waving his arms in front of Luna. "W-W-Wait! It's nothing! Nothing! Ha-ha, absolutely nothing and it is not a 'porn collection'; it's a comic book and manga collection and it is art!" he hissed viciously at Luke.

Luna seemed placated at that. "Oh… He's talking about those books? That otaku-nerd stuff?"

Lightning struck Igneel as he comically sobbed.

You're so heartless, Luna!

Brushing aside the betrayal, Igneel nodded eagerly at Luna as the essence of purity comically surrounded him. "Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm, that's right! It's all art! Nothing but art, little sis!"

Luke snorted behind a fist. "Yeah, 'art'. If you call hentai 'art'."

Igneel was practically breathing smoke and fire out of his nose as shaky hands tried to strangle Luke. "You are such a little—!"

"What's 'hentai'?" Luna questioned out of her own curiosity. "And, I still don't know what 'porn' means."

Igneel was back to being the pinnacle of purity. "It's nothing, Lu!" he laughed. "Absolutely nothing for you to worry about, m'kay? Let's just forget all about this and focus on the plan, yeah?"

Luna looked rightfully suspicious when she saw her brother comically sweating bullets. "Then, why are you acting so nervous?"

Igneel laughed shrilly as the purity aura about him began to rot into anxiety. "'N-Nervous'? Why would I be nervous? Do I look nervous? No…! No, no, no, I'm not nervous!" He whispered to Luna into her ear, "But, between you and me, let's just keep this little chat between us, okay? No need for Ma and Pops to know about this, right?"

Luna was not having it. "Something is telling me these words are dirty…"

Igneel felt like lightning strike him. "They aren't 'dirty' words!" he hissed. "C'mon, Lu, do your fav bro a solid and just—!"

"Your hair is on fire and it's pink," Luna said dryly. She watched Igneel frantically try to put out the flames and hummed, distrustful. "So, if you're getting this flustered, those words have to mean something dirty… Maybe Nashi knows—"

"No, don't ask her jackshit!" Igneel cried. "Please, that evil bitch will kill me!"

Luke chuckled behind a fist. "He'll never change," he supposed. His eyes fell upon the cages housing such magnificent beasts. Can I really do it? I mean really?

A feathery touch caressed his shoulder and wisps of words touched his ears. "You never know unless you try."

Luke looked to his right, but there was no one there. I could've sworn… His lips set in a small smile. Thank you.

As Igneel tried to persuade Luna not to mention to their parents she knew the word porn and Luna adamantly asked for a definition, they overheard Luke's words.

"I can do it."

Both siblings looked over to see Luke shedding his glasses. He stared determinedly at the ever-shifting cages. He watched the black lightning hiss and nip at their charges. I can do this. I won't know if I don't try.

A warm hand clasped his shoulder and he looked over to see Igneel giving him a fanged grin. "We're with you, buddy."

"Yeah!" Luna held Luke's other shoulder. "You have us right beside you!"

Luke's eyes softened. "Thanks, guys." His eyes went back to the cages.

Just go with it.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He raised his hands.

C'mon. Reach for that same power. It was there. It still is.

He could feel the tranquility of his Zen Magic. He could feel the pull of his inner yang. But, to complete the balance, he would need to feel the push of yin. He gritted his teeth as his Magic Circle tried to sprout beneath him.

Look deeper. Feel deeper.

It was subtle, but for just a moment, he felt the push of that same power. A trace of a whisper lingered in the back of his head.

There it is! Expand it…

He visualized a crack before him with his hands trying to widen it. With effort, he widened the crack into a gap. And then, that gap widened into a small hole. He could feel the edges crumble and threaten to give way. On the outside, black static crackled around him as his pink hair threatened to turn a dark shade. He could feel more whispers crowd his head, but to him, it was not important. He just need to feel that power without anger coursing through him.

Just a little further and…

The small hole gave way to a vast abyss churning with the push of yin clashing with the pull of yang.

Luke's Magic Circle sprouted beneath him, but it was not the golden circle of Zen. It was consumed in this darkness, this imbalance. A five-pointed star with him at the center, with foreign lettering edging at the circle with an upside-down triangle overlapping it. Howls and gurgles bombarded his mind, but he did not care. The golden light that outlined him darkened into something blacker than black. His canines sharpened as his teeth ground together. Pink hair was swallowed into black. His hands shook as they raised into the air.

The black and red lightning whipping around the cages grew agitated and crackled even louder.

Luke put his palms to the cages and let loose a cry.

The lightning sparked once then twice. Then, in a force, lightning gushed from the cages and struck Luke's palms. He held back a fierce shout of surprise when he felt something hit him and physically shoved him back.

Shenlong opened his eyes and raised his head to watch the little human take on the Curse surrounding him.

Luke gritted his teeth as he absorbed as much of the Curse, of the darkness, as he could. He could feel those giggles and gurgles try to take over his mind.

Devil close, came hiss. Kill Devil. Kill Devil!

You should die for your sins! came vile laughter. You should die for trying to play God!

You never protected her like you promised, came low snarl. You were never there for her. You are even worst than him!

Luke staggered under the pressure sending his mind into a tizzy. He bit down on his bottom lip for the pain to distract him, but it did not work. The voices turned into a migraine that would not go away. With every second passing by, he could feel the madness encroach upon him. The balance was slipping into imbalance. The chaos was outweighing the order inside him. He could see the light of his Zen Magic being eaten away by this new power.

I can't…hold it any longer, Luke gritted out. It's…too much…

Something warm and clear touched his mind and his back. That's why we're here.

Nashi stood behind her brother clad in her Divine Soul armor. Her Magic swirled around her as she kept a hand on Luke's back as though physically supporting his endeavor.

Luke's eyes cracked open at feeling his older sister. Nashi…

Fiery passion came from Luke's left. Igneel gripped tighter on Luke's shoulder as his red flames plowed through his skin and covered his body. We're here too, buddy. Don't think you have to do this alone.

Luna shut her eyes tight as she tried to facilitate her Magic around her body. We're with you, Luke. Just hold on a little longer.

Luke softened a bit in gratitude. Igneel, Luna…

A feral growl.

Luke's eyes opened a little more and he turned his head to see Devil-Gary reaching out and greedily eating the Curse like it was his suppertime.

And him…

Luke could hear the sounds of battle and chaos erupt behind him. He knew if he turned around, he would see Mages fighting against dark creatures, against Chimera, against Warlocks.

Everyone is doing their part. And, I have to do mine!

Luke shut his eyes and grunted as he pushed himself. Thoughts of death and blood roared in his head, but he pushed them aside as he clung to the last bit of Zen within him.

I have to free them! I won't fail anymore!

His eyes shot open a glowing gold and he let loose a feral roar.

Too many things happened at once.

All three Warlocks suddenly stilled at the noise like soldiers greeting their superior and it let the Mages land hits they had been waiting for. The cages were sapped of their Curse Power and fell to the ground in a clatter that would have killed the Dragneel siblings and Devil-Gary if Devil-Gary had not reacted quickly and shielded them all with his forsaken ice. The second the River Guardian broke free, even more Hell broke loose. Nayda cawed, flapping her wings and creating a gust of wind that knocked over nearly everything. She tried to regain her balance, shaking her head. Erion fell to the ground, wounded, and crushed unsuspecting supplies and machinery with Shenlong falling as well.

Nayda, in her state of confusion, roared water that sprayed everywhere and threatened a flood. Screams of terror and commands filled the air as water quickly filled the warehouse. Devil-Gary waved a hand for a raft of ice to be made for him and the siblings while others did their best to get to safety. Nayda stopped her roaring as her staggering flight led her to crash into the wall. Her head hit the ceiling and chunks of rafters and supplies began to crash down below. Some were lucky enough to avoid being hit with their Magic while others succumbed to their fate.

Luna found herself holding onto a weak Luke on the raft, wet from the spray of the water and physically shook from such fast events. Nashi and Gary were shielding them from incoming debris while Igneel was using his Purple Flare to grab onto anyone floating haphazardly in the water.

What's…going on? Luna wondered, thoughts so slow as time moved on. What's happening? She looked at her brother gathered in her arms. Luke's breathing was labored, but his hair was slowly returning to normal.

Luke…

CRASH.

Luna flinched and looked up to see Nayda soaring through a gaping hole she created at the ceiling. Her caws were quickly growing distant and Luna was finally catching up to her surroundings.

Oh, no… Nayda!

Her eyes searched for her bag to see it teetering on the edge of the raft. She set Luke down to get it when a wave caught the raft off-balance and her bag fell.

Luna's eyes widened. "No!" She rushed over to the edge of the raft, ignoring Nashi's cry of alarm, and jumped into the water. Muffled noise was all around her as the water tossed and turned, but she did her best to keep her eyes open. She could see Nayda's medium glowing in the depths of the water and began to swim for it. But, it was the falling debris that would stop her. As she dodged another fallen beam, her eyes fell onto the distant medium.

I have to get to it. It's my only chance with—!

Luna's thought was disrupted when debris crashed right next to her. Her whole world swirled as bubbles of oxygen gasped out of her mouth and nausea hit her. She could feel another piece of debris crash next to her and her body rolled with the unruly current. She could not keep her eyes open and her nose stung.

No… Have to…get to…medium…

Luna's fight to survive instinct was fading quickly. She found herself growing lightheaded from all the twirling and loss of oxygen. She would be another one of water's victims.

No… Nayda… No…

The bracelet pulsed.

Luna's eyes shut tighter before they cracked open. She blinked, groggy, before her eyes widened. She looked around to see she was surrounded inside her own bubble of water.

I can… I can breathe?

A glint caught Luna's eyes and she saw the medium hitting the ground of the warehouse. Without hesitation, she found herself jetting towards the medium without even having to kick—it was all on her resolve to get to the medium. Her hands reached for it.

I have you now!

Luna scooped up the medium and hugged it to her chest. She could feel the raw power of Nayda through the contact and shivered in triumph.

I'm coming for you, Nayda! I'm coming!

A familiar rumble entered her mind. Let me help you on your quest.

Without warning, Luna found herself on the back of something and being swiftly jetted to the top of the flood. She curled in on herself and held the medium tightly as she braced for impact. The water whipped off her in trade for bitterly cold air. Once Luna was certain she was away from the flood, she cracked open her eyes. When she saw her predicament, she gasped in happiness and her eyes shined. "Shenlong!"

The great Sea King flew through the air like it was nothing at all. He did not turn his head to greet her, but she could feel his amusement and fatherly affection. Greetings, Veḷ'ḷae Lefela.

Luna stroked Shenlong's scales. I've missed you.

And I you, Shenlong assured warmly. But we may catch up later. We must focus on Nayda. She is confused and scared. She must be calmed before—

Luna looked up and frowned at the snarling sky that threatened lightning and promised rain. Then, let's do it! How can we calm her down?

Shenlong zipped through the wind like he was snaking his way through the water. Like a Spirit, her medium is a connection to her. Connect with her medium.

Luna looked down at the medium in her hand. Apprehension locked onto her eyes. But… But the only time I did that was when I had Icarus with me, she protested. I can't do it by myself.

You are never by yourself, Pup.

Luna gasped, pleasantly surprised. Icarus! She could feel the Canis Minor's presence surround her as she took out his key. It glinted, but it was still dull. She felt his growing love and his care for her already.

I may not be with you physically in your realm, but I will always be here beside you in your heart and mind, Icarus promised. Do as I taught you. Feel the presence of the River Guardian. Feel her and let your feelings flow.

Luna steeled herself over and hugged the medium close to her heart. She could feel the watery coolness of the medium. I have to feel her… She cleared her mind of everything. Of the battle, of the chaos, of her family, of her friends, of the past and the present—she focused on nothing but the medium close to her. Focus… Focus… She could scarcely feel her own worries or fears. She could not even feel the scales beneath her or the cold winds nipping at her cheeks. The only thing she felt right now was the medium.

I…feel something, Luna realized. I feel her… She's… She's scared and confused and hurt. Nothing makes sense to her. This isn't the same time where her mother was. If I listen closer, maybe… Her brow pinched as she concentrated.

Mother… It was an echo, a faint echo in the distance. Where is Mother? Mother stays… Mother… Mother stays!

Luna's eyes snapped open—

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

—and she was no longer in the sky.

Luna found herself in a realm filled with hues of golds and blues and greens. She could feel the peace of this place embracing her, warming her body. It was almost like this place was tranquility itself. There was no Shenlong there for her to ride or ground for her to stand. The medium was gone from her hands. She stood alone in this realm of peace.

'Where am I? What is this place?'

Something answered for her. 'You have connected with their hearts.'

Luna looked to see the white star drift down towards her and smiled. 'It's you! I've missed hearing you!' She held out her hands to catch the white starlight in her hands and feel its coolness.

There was a hearty chuckle. 'This place is a place you and Luke will come to know very well, Luna.'

Luna's lips dipped into a frown. 'Luke? And, what is this place exactly? You said I've connected to their hearts, but…'

'Mother!' The wail returned. 'Mother! Where is Mother?'

Luna turned around to see Nayda. The River Guardian was not surrounded in this tranquility. She was surrounding in blaring reds and blacks and whites that flamed hatred and anger and spelled fear. She was not thrashing as she was in the physical world, but Luna could feel the Guardian was disgruntled and upsettingly so. Her eyes glowed a sickeningly sanguine as she stood poised with her wings tucked in.

'Nayda…' Luna whispered.

'Mother!' Nayda cried. 'Where is Mother?'

'Faven,' Luna realized. 'She needs Faven! But, Faven's…'

'Mother!' Nayda roared. The red around her seeped through the tranquility and pushed back Luna from its rage. 'MOTHER!'

Luna shielded herself from the raw anguish she felt waving off the River Guardian. "Nayda!" she called, voice echoing. "Nayda, it's going to be okay! We're here for you! Faven, she's—… She's not with you anymore!"

Nayda opened her mouth and let out an ear-bleeding shriek.

Luna let go of the white starlight and shield herself from the blast. She could feel consciousness near waking and the realm of peace disintegrating from her. She steadied herself and put a foot forward—

—and swam towards the River Guardian.

Luna felt the heat of hatred sting her skin and singe her hair, but she ignored all possible pain to get to her. "Nayda!" she shouted over the roars of fear and of anguish. "Nayda, it's okay! You aren't alone! You are never alone! I'm not the enemy!"

Nayda growled and let out a low screech.

Luna was forced back, but she persevered regardless. "I'm not giving up!" she said hotly. "I'm not leaving without you! I know—!" She held back a grunt of pain when she felt blistering. "I know about what happened, okay? I know humans killed your mama! I know they hurt you! And, I know…" She felt her eyes sting with hot tears. Her eyes watered for the raw torment she felt through Nayda, for the grief of an ancestor's wrongful life. "I know your mother was hurt by humans! I know they tried to take her away from you! Nayda, I know! I know you feel angry and upset and hurt about being sealed away when you wanted to fight! I know how that feels!" She rubbed out the tears leaking down her cheeks, shutting her eyes. "But, you…!" She sniffled. "Nayda, you can't let that take away from the here and now! You're alive because your mother wanted you and your brother to live! She wanted you to see a better future, one without death! She wanted you to help good people and them to help you! She wanted you safe! She wanted you to live!"

Bright white emitted around Luna's body in the realm of peace.

"So I get it!" Luna shouted. "I get how you feel! I get being angry, but you know what? You have a brother who loves you and cares about you! You have Shenlong that wants to teach you! And, you…! You have me! You have me too and all of Fairy Tail! Please, let that be enough for you!" She reached out a hand. "Let that be—!"

Her hand hit fur.

Luna's eyes opened.

The searing red that threatened to burn her alive to the sins of anger and hatred was replaced by the blues of peace and the greens of serenity. Her eyes looked up to see Nayda' eyes—her real eyes—staring down at the little human who dared calm her down. Luna could feel none of Nayda's confusion and heavy loss. The grief was thrumming in the background, but there was love and there was hope and there was the future.

"Nayda," Luna breathed. "You heard me."

Nayda gave a low rumble at the small human in acknowledgement.

Luna smiled and wiped off a tear. "I'm so glad that you did," she sniffled. "You showed me your history, you and your mama. She really loved you, Nayda. She still does."

Nayda's eyes saddened. 'I miss Mother,' came her thought, grave. 'But I will remember Mother…forever.'

'And, I've missed you, Sister.'

Nayda perked while Luna turned around to see Erion in his luscious fur and scale and clouds standing before them both. His eyes held so much love for his other half, so much patient love and understanding.

"Erion," Luna whispered, awed.

'Brother,' Nayda acknowledged. Her head lowered in her shame. 'I have wronged you and fought you. I am…sorry.'

Erion shook his head, taking a paw-step forward. 'Nay, Sister, it is I who is sorry. You grieved heavily and I was not there to give you comfort when you needed it.' His own shame and mourning made him lower his eyes. 'I take responsibility for letting your emotions grow. I apologize for not being there in your time of need.'

"But you couldn't help it!" Luna faintly blushed when both Guardians looked down at her. "Faven sealed you both away in your own dimensions, right? You couldn't help not being there for your sister, so don't blame yourself. You did the best you could." She brightened. "And, now, you two are free to be together!"

Erion bent his head down to Luna's level. 'The little one is right,' he supposed. He sniffed her curiously. 'You smell like Mother. Are you Mother's family?'

"I'm her descendant, yeah," Luna responded. "My mama and I look just like her. Weird, huh?"

Nayda chuckled. It sounded musical and soft like a babbling brook in the summertime. 'It is indeed 'weird',' she supposed. 'If it were not for the one of Zen, I would have been under the spell of the wretched human. And, if it were not for you, I would have been imprisoned in my own despair.' She leaned down to nuzzle Luna's cheek. 'I thank you, little Mother, and your brother for taking care of me.'

Luna giggled as her hands went to Nayda's maw to scratch it. "You should thank Shenlong too. He helped you."

Nayda suddenly retracted her head as though remembering. 'The King of the Sea has seen me in my most shameful hour,' she whispered. She looked at Erion in horror. 'He will banish me back to that realm! We will never see each other again!'

Erion purred his amusement—it surprised Luna how feline he really was—and craned his neck to lap at Nayda's forehead. 'Peace, Sister of the Sea, he will do no such thing. His Majesty is gracious and saw the Curse that wretched human placed on you. He holds no ill-will for your crimes.' Teasing rolled off him in waves. 'But he may send you to the Tempest for a few hundred human years as punishment.'

Nayda hung her head. 'I do not like the Tempest,' she complained like a child. 'It is most dark there and boring. No good fish to eat.'

Erion raised a clouded paw and cuffed his sister's ear. 'You should be lucky if he is most gracious to send you to the Tempest,' he scolded. 'If it were Aquarius' way, you would be ferrying the boat for half a millennium.'

Nayda trembled at the name of Aquarius and it amused Luna that she tried to cower behind a human. 'I do not want to see Aquarius,' she whined. 'She is most mean and will make me eat that awful land food.'

Luna giggled but then broke into a yawn.

'It appears the little Mother has used most her strength taking care of you,' Erion mused, shooting a good-natured jab at Nayda. To Luna, he thought softly, 'Rest easy in the physical world, little Mother. Your work here is done. You have quite a bit of journey left.' His eyes became gentle. 'Stop us in the past. I do not wish to have the memories of our first wake be one of fighting with my sister. Make it right again.'

Luna yawned again and felt her eyes grow heavy. "I will," she promised lethargically. "You guys take care too."

'We will,' Nayda assured. 'Good-bye, little Mother. We will see you when your journey is over.'

And the realm of peace dissolved into white.

---

The Aqua Wing had landed in a clearing far off from Margaret Town, a couple miles or so. It was essentially farm country, but the animals had been fed and tucked back into their stalls for the night and the farmers would not dare come out at this time of night unless it was to their porches. A near-by coyote howled to his pack as Weiss lowered the door. T'oree helped Cade down the ramp as he clutched his skateboard. Both of them wore their new clothes—courtesy of Miss Witch—with the same emblem plastered on their cruiser and Weiss' back and shoulder. Weisz followed them down and settled onto the grass, but he did not dare move farther away.

"Margaret is around four miles from here," Weisz explained. "We're in Brimeura Station, practically farm country according to the map, and right outside the range of the military stationed in Margaret and Shenzhen. He nodded towards Cade's skateboard. "Did a quick scan of the board. She's fine, not tampered with or any trackers."

Cade found himself lamely nodding his gratitude as he set down his skateboard. His hand came to his sword necklace and it felt good to feel Magic hum within him. Llamrei responded to his call as she turned from skateboard to full-grown armored mare before his eyes. She snorted and whinnied as she pranced over to Cade. She putted his hand and made a noise that was deemed impatient.

Cade snickered as he stroked her muzzle. "Sorry, girl. You'll be lapping it up in sugar cubes and apples soon enough," he promised. He turned to look at Weisz. "So, this is it?"

Weisz shrugged. "Unless you both plan to be stupid and get thrown back into a house, I'd say we're done here," he confirmed. "You're both pretty lucky to have a guild like that to look out for you. Everyone's selfish, me included. So, seeing people who would risk stellar communication and knew the government could tap into their broadcast just to save you both is incredible."

"It is incredible you and your ship saved us when you did," T'oree put in. Her abnormal eyes softened. "I extend my deepest gratitude towards your entire crew, Sir Weiss. For, without any of you, Lord Cadorius and I would have been trapped at the hands of beasts who would gladly make us their entertainment."

Weisz chuckled. "Like I said. Don't get yourself thrown into another house and you're golden. And, seriously, no need to thank us. The captain and the B-Cuber really owed it to that Dragneel guy and Lucy." An interested glint entered Weiss' eye. "How's Miss Heartfilia doing anyways? Still hot?"

"Married," Cade said pointedly. "She's married."

"Doesn't answer my question," Weisz clapped back, though he caught the small blush on Cade's face. "Oh. Cap asked me to give you this." He rummaged in his pocket and approached T'oree. He took her hand and held it out as he dropped a cube into her palm.

T'oree examined the old cube like it had the answer to the universe. "What is this?"

Weisz shrugged as he waltzed back onto his cruiser. "Not sure. Cap said the loving couple would understand." He waved a hand. "I gotta jet before the government starts investigating what entered your atmosphere and figure out the trajectory. I'd get a move on before they sniff you to out. And, no offense…"—he paused to send them a grin over his shoulder—"but let's not meet again and make this a habit of me saving you." He carried on in his path.

T'oree and Cade waved as the door to the ship shut and, within minutes, the shuttle prepared itself to launch. The Aqua Wing slowly retracted its landed gear to hover in the air. The thrust was gentle as the cruiser went forward before the engines were throttled and the ship took off to become a speck in the sky. Their hands came down and they took in the quiet of Brimeura Station. It was just them and the vast expansion of grass, nothing more.

Cade sighed. "Well, he's right. The government will figure out we're here if we stick around," he had to admit. He mounted Llamrei with a series of winces and grunts before holding a hand out to T'oree. He noticed her staring up at the sky with an odd look and his eyebrows slammed together. "Tor?"

"They offered us a way home…yet you didn't take it."

Cade frowned. "You didn't either," he mentioned.

T'oree shook her head. "I may have fallen onto this planet after battle, but leaving is still an option for me," she confessed. "As Vanhallan royalty, I have the power to fly through space. I need no oxygen and the three suns within me keep my warm." She turned to look at Cade, curious. "So, why did you not take the offer?"

Cade deflected the question back to her. "Why haven't you left yet?"

T'oree's smile was soft and honest. "My mother had told me I was too obsessed with the affairs of our country and grew saddened by the day that I had turned into a war machine. She had often hoped I would explore the universe and find myself, not the self I was back on Vanhalla. When the battle knocked me out of space and into Earth Land, I was angry. My powers were not working and I could not go back to Vanhalla. But, the more I familiarized myself with this planet, the more I learned there is more to life than constant war and death and breeding only for the sake of strong spawns—there is peace and love and birth." She held a hand close to her heart. "I aspire to learn more from the planet to make me a better ruler for my country."

Cade sighed and adjusted himself on Llamrei's saddle. "I want to stay here because life back on Earth didn't really fit me," he confided. "I love South Korea. I miss my eomma and my halmoni and my brothers and sisters. America was great. Being at Duke was great, but…" His smile was half-hearted. "I don't know. I never felt like home. I didn't really have a lot of friends. I mean, sure, I had my gaming friends I'd chat with online, but I had maybe one or two friends I'd actually see in person. I wasn't all that social and had it rough with my dad. I was shit to my last girlfriend because of that." His hand went to his necklace. "But, when I found my dad's old necklace, it was like…I was being called or something. Coming here, learning about Magic, being in Fairy Tail… It felt like it was meant to be or something." He looked down at the sword necklace and it shined at him. "This necklace and Earth Land are the two things that connect me to my dad. Somehow, I know he's here and he'll give me the answers for being sent here."

"And then…will you leave once you find your father, Cadorius?"

That questioned made Cade's eyes drop. "I don't know." It came out as a lame mumble, but it was all he could give.

T'oree seemed to understand that as she flew into the air and settled gracefully behind Cade. She wrapped a hand around his waist and shared her warmth. "We best get going," she spurred him. "We have a little way to go until we get back to Margaret."

Cade nodded and his hands took the reins. "Back to Margaret."

A flash of Fairy Tail came to him.

Back to my home.

With a yell and kick to her sides, Llamrei took off in a steady gallop.

---

Gale found being out in the woods chained to the ground for the inevitable to be quite the most boring thing.

And he had a lesson on the different types of rocks.

"I wonder if a new vlog came out," Gale mumbled to himself. "I'll have to watch when I get out of here." He sighed as he kept his sights on the sky when something caught his attention. "Wait… Was the sky…always this clear?" It was true. The sky had gone from a murky, cloudy gray, to a clear dark sky. Without any electricity, the stars were out tonight and happily gleamed.

Something occurred to him.

If the storm is gone and the sky's clear then…

Gale's eyes closed as a weight was off his chest.

You did it, Blondie. That's my girl.

A vicious gush of wind stirred Gale out of his victorious silence and his eyes shot open. He saw a rather large shadow circle overhead like it found its prey and his eyes widened even more. "Oh, shit…"

The shadow dove down right – for – him.

Alarm bells went off in Gale's head as he struggled to move. "Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit! OH HELL NO!" A very unmanly scream ripped out of his mouth as he closed his eyes and braced himself for the worst. Wind swirled around him, rattling his hair and his clothes and his pendant. He felt something powerful surround him on all sides and heavy breathing fanned his face. He shakily cracked open and eye—

—only to see large teeth come straight for him!

Gale screamed. "Oh, no, please, don't eat me, I have so much to leave for!"

CRACK.

Gale opened an eye and looked down. His chains and the padlock had evaporated back into the thin air. He sat up and stretched his hands to see his shackles were really gone. He was free from his damnation. "Whoa… Sweetness," he whistled. He rubbed his wrist. "Hey, thanks—" He looked up.

"No – freaking – way…"

A slow grin wound onto Gale's face when he saw the being that had freed him. He recognized that beard, those antlers, and those sea green eyes. "Shenlong?" he asked.

Shenlong's eyes glinted in amusement. It has not even been six months and I am forced to rescue you humans once again.

Gale breathed a laugh as he got to his feet. "Sweet Jesus, you won't believe how happy I am to see your ugly mug!" he cheered. He rubbed the Sea King Dragon on his snout. "Dude, how ya been, buddy?"

Shenlong snorted mist. 'Buddy', he echoed sarcastically. You are getting too friendly for your own good, Metalicanason.

Gale instantly retracted his hands and stood a distance away. "I-I mean… Greetings, Your Majesty?"

Shenlong huffed, but his eyes fell onto Gale's pendant. Surprise overtook him for a moment before a look of grief and understanding passed. She has picked a worthy human to become a Slayer. He dipped his head to Gale as a symbol of respect.

Gale smiled as his eyes flashed down to the pendant. He lifted the charm with his hand. "Yeah," he breathed. "At least, I hope she did. I hope I make her proud."

The pendant winked at him.

Shenlong shifted himself to reveal what he had in his claws. It was a sizable sphere of water trapping two individuals. Luna floated in the water sphere with her chest heaving air and the medium and Icarus' key close to her. Dimaria was the second human, her skin clinging to her bones and her white hair thinning. I have brought to you what you need.

Gale rushed forward to Luna and put a hand on the sphere. He watched Luna unconscious and swaying in the water. "Blondie…" His eyes went to Dimaria and turned confused. "But, her? We need her?"

Shenlong nodded. Yes. He breathed on the sphere. The water sphere dissolved back into Ethernano particles and released everyone and everything within. Gale was quick to catch Luna before she fell and settled onto the ground. She was drenched, but she was not cold. She was warm and still breathing.

"What happened?" Gale wanted to know.

She accomplished a task her body was not ready for, Shenlong admitted, making sure Dimaria rested easy. She fell unconscious on my back and fell. I rescued her before turning back and plucking the Time Priestess.

Gale glanced at the medium and understood. "But, why get Dimaria?" He looked up at Shenlong. "What's she have to do with anything?"

You have a duty to right the wrongs of the past, Shenlong acknowledged. I know this because I have to. She is your last hope in returning to the past.

"The Dragon is right."

Gale's eyes darted to see Dimaria struggling to get to sit up. She coughed and wheezed like she was dying and Shenlong pressed his snout along her back to help her sit up. Her once-wild eyes were fading with life. She was succumbing to death. She was succumbing to the fate of all mortals. She looked at Gale and the amount of wisdom in her eyes was unfathomable. "I'm still unsure as to what happened," she admitted, throat scratchy and quiet. "There's very little I remember but being in that water cleared me from the Curse and toxins in my body." She looked at Luna in remorse. "I remember the horrible things I have done to your friends and the guilds. I know I may not be able to rectify the sins I committed, but, perhaps, I can at least do one more good deed for death."

Gale hardened. "No," he refused. "We're not using your life force to get the job done. Uh-uh. Fairy Tail doesn't role like that."

Dimaria smiled mirthlessly. "I once came from a utilitarian country, or so I thought. The needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. Mages risk their own lives to protect a city, a nation, a world. What I am doing is no different." Her smile fell and her eyes turned somber. "You don't have a choice but to except my help. A Time Mage can sense Time Magic and the spell casted on you has long-since faded. You don't have any other option."

"Syra," Gale reminded. "Syra can—!"

The ikenga is gone, Metalicanason, most likely too exhausted to maintain her appearance in your realm, Shenlong rumbled. This elder here is your last chance to right the wrongs of the past and restore peace. She offers her life as a small price to pay and you should honor that.

"'Honor that'? Gale spat in repeat. "No! I'm not letting her die for us to do our jobs! That's bullshit! This is our problem, not hers!"

The future is the problem of the creatures living in this realm, Shenlong growled. He raised his head and stared down at the young Slayer. His Nature had his teeth bared in a declaration of challenge from which Gale had to avert his eyes. You must go to the past. You must do this because you have to. You do not have the luxury to argue.

Gale gritted his teeth, biting his tongue from a retort.

There has to be another way… I can't let this woman die for this.

"Young Slayer."

Gale's eyes snapped to Dimaria.

"I know it's my time to go," Dimaria said softly. "My time has been coming since I was forced to create a Time Ripple. My life force is nearly gone and my Magic barely hangs on. Chronos no longer speaks to me, only Time. They shared their visions of the future with me and it is good. I have nothing more to offer this world." Her eyes tinged with grief. "My sole regret is I didn't let Igneel give me the punishment I deserve for hurting Mary Jane. That is my only regret."

"I can't let you die for this," Gale whispered. His voice cracked. "I can't. You have to understand that."

"And, you have to understand you have no choice in how I live my life," Dimaria told him. "I will have only minutes left after I create the Time Ripple. I cannot guarantee you a way back into this present, only a portal into the past."

Gale's eyes glimmered. "Then…"

That is right, Metalicanason, Shenlong rumbled. You will be stuck in the past until a way to the future is made present to you.

Gale's hand went to his face. His breathing became erratic and his pulse jumped. "Shit, this is too much," he whimpered. "God, things are getting too crazy. Warlocks and Demons and Slayers and now this?"

How can I make a choice like this? We go to the past and we never return? Dimaria dies? Why do I have to make this choice? I can't…

"Hey…"

Gale quite literally jumped at the croak. He looked down to see a weak Luna smiling up at him with as much strength as she could muster. "Blondie…" He shook his head. "You should be resting," he scolded firmly. "Don't do anything stupid. I know you already did."

"We'll come back."

Gale froze.

Luna's eyes sparkled. Warm chocolate clashed with frozen ruby. "We'll come back," she promised, feeble. "I know we will. It's us, y'know?"

Gale began to shake his head, exasperated. "Blondie—"

"No, shhh, let me finish," Luna chided, mocking him slightly for when he told her that same line. "When I tell you we can do something, trust and believe we can. We won't know unless we try"—she gave a closed-eyes-no-teeth smile—"right?"

Gale blinked. Then, he chuckled. "Using my own damn words against me, huh? I really am a bad influence on you." He stroked her hair. "Dumb blonde princess," he teased with affection.

Luna laughed quietly. "Idiot jerk of a Dragon."

Gale tucked stray locks behind Luna's ears. "I want you to be sure of this," he told her truthfully. "I don't want you to have any regrets on this."

Luna shook her head as best she could. "I don't have any. I know we'll be back soon." Her eyes went to Dimaria. "I don't blame you for what you did, Miss Yesta," she said. It was like she was giving forgiveness when there was none to give. "Please, don't blame yourself, okay? Iggy's mad, but he'll get over it when he knows what you've done."

Dimaria's eyes watered at that. "I wish I could forgive myself for my sins," she whispered. "With time, I hope to accept what I've done."

Luna nodded and shifted her eyes to Shenlong. She reached out a hand. Shenlong willingly pressed his snout against it and let her stroke his nose. "Will you stay with her?"

Until her last breath, Veḷ'ḷae Lefela, Shenlong promised.

Luna smiled, closing her eyes. A tear slipped out. "Thanks for everything, Shenlong. I'm so happy we met."

And we will meet again, Shenlong vowed. I know this because Fate wills it so.

Luna let her hand come back to her stomach. The other hand gathered the medium and her Silver Key. She looked at the key to see it wink at her. "I'm ready." She tilted her head up to look at Gale.

Gale nodded back, eyes softening. "I told you we'd be going on wild adventures, didn't I?"

"It won't be our last one," Luna told him.

"No," Gale agreed in quiet exhale. "No, it won't." He had to believe that. He had to believe that little truth and not perceive it as a lie. His eyes fell onto Dimaria and he nodded.

Dimaria nodded back. Her eyes closed as she tried to summon her Magic one final time. She could see Chronos work through her. She could feel Time lend her their power. She could feel it swirl around them all. She breathed in. She breathed out. It was a rhythm as old as time. Her Magic expanded across her skin and warmed her being. Her Magic Circle blossomed underneath her, but it did not come alone. A Magic Circle blossomed beneath Gale and Luna. Dimaria felt her life force sapping with the strength it took to summon this much Magic. Her body began to glow as static glitched around her. She gritted her teeth at the mortal pain and carried on. Her chant came out in a dying murmur:

"Vas skáfos tou chróntem, sas parakaló, Chrónos. Adiuérchrium sti voítheiá. Sfyrilatíste…chronikí kymáor!"

Sparkles of jades and emeralds and ceruleans and sapphires and golds rained down upon Gale and Luna stuck inside a Magic Circle. The sparkles began to spin themselves into trundles, into strings, into the lines of Time that connected the past, the present, and the future. It was slow, but the web of Time circled the pair of Mages until it was a whirlpool of ancient Magic. The web latched onto Gale and Luna and thrusted them into the ripple made in Time. Shenlong watched as the humans disappeared from his sight in a burst of color. The ancient Magic Circle imploded on itself before becoming a mere ripple. The breeze ruffled his beard and his scales, but his eyes remained on the spot the two humans had disappeared from.

They are gone, Shenlong thought. They have returned to right the past. He looked up into the stars. Fare thee well. May the sea's currents flow in your favor and its breeze guide you.

A grunt.

Shenlong's attention went to Dimaria and he curled around her protectively. No predator would attempt to approach a Sea King Dragon, even if there was weak prey around. He watched as pigment faded from Dimaria's frail body and her eyes were hollowing themselves.

Dimaria let her eyes stay on the stars. "You must have seen a lot in your lifetime," she figured. "Tell me… What is it like?"

Shenlong hummed. It is a paradise and everything you could hope for. Your questions will be answered and your guilt erased. But you will still be able to watch the ones you love and guide them.

Her body was becoming translucent. "So, I can expect to find happiness? Will I be punished?"

A god blessed you, Shenlong reminded. You will have high favor, but your sins will be weighed. Your journey will not be easy, but I wish for it to be.

DRIP.

A tear slipped from Dimaria's cheek only to disperse into Ethernano before it touched the grass.

DROP.

Dimaria's cheeks were covered in tears as she sparkled. A smile adorned her face at her fate. "Thank you for staying with me when I deserve a less-than-kind end."

Shenlong softened. Go in peace, human. May the sea's current flow in your favor and its breeze guide you.

Dimaria's body faded into particles of Ethernano. The particles ascended into the sky and Shenlong craned his head to watch the particles move with the breeze and into the night sky. The particles drifted over Margaret Town. From below, all could be seen. Commander Thaddeus' station had become more popular than ever with the dead and wounded. He was talking to the other commanders as medics helped as many of the ill and injured at they could and additional help was arriving from the Council as a Sky Boat circled the area and looked for a formidable roof to land on. Saudade remained unconscious from her blood transfusion with Majime looking after his girlfriend. He blinked and lifted his head to the sky in confusion.

The Lamia Guild Hall was not so much filled with the injured as it had before. Many that had been injured were taken care of and were now talking alongside other Mages, sharing battle stories. With their connection the outside world restored, many had taken to their Compacts. A group of young Mages were live-chatting the experience with thousands of live viewers and comments. Ooba had taken a conference call with the commissioner in her office to speak with the mayor and the Council. Justin FaceCalled his adoptive father who was beyond relieved at his safety. Orochi was keeping booze away from Galileo who craved a drink while Honey laughed at them. Wendy was making her rounds when she felt something and looked up.

Within the chamber, Peter unfroze and found himself rushing when he stopped. There was no Mary Jane in sight. Laxus was about to unleash a power spell when he realized the enemy had abandoned them. There was no Mary Jane, no Igneel, no Luna, and no enemy. Laxus was already cursing and plotting when Andele and Peter looked at the two orbs rotating around each other.

Within the warehouse, everyone was picking themselves up and on some sort of dryland, but the Warlocks had disappeared. Erza was giving directions to help the wounded and round up any leftover Chimera while Penelope gathered remaining dark creatures. Luke was lying on the ground with Igneel's jacket on him and his scarf to comfort his head. Igneel looked around. He could see Nashi dishing out angry words to a fully-human Gary who tried to calm her down. He could see Linus and Finnegan working together to cage the Chimera. His eyes fell onto Mary Jane who had Cane's long jacket wrapped around her shoulders and stayed huddled beneath Cane's arm. Igneel blinked before his eyes were drawn to the night sky seen from the abrasive hole in the ceiling.

Cade and T'oree stumbled through the forest until they breached it. They found themselves on top of a hill with Margaret Town in the distance. Cade set down his skateboard for it to turn into his trusty mare he would ride into battle. He mounted Llamrei before holding out a hand for T'oree. T'oree took his hand and successfully mounted the mare before Cade kicked Llamrei's sides and broke them into a gallop. T'oree had one arm wrapped around Cade's midsection while her other hand curled onto the object. She opened her palm to look down at the die that only had hearts engraved onto it.

Gray Jaguar and the rescued Mages were on their way back from the blown-up power plant. Words of gratitude and pleasant conversation were exchanged for such a brave turn of events. Gajeel was close to punching Jackson for hitting on his wife and Levy tried to calm her husband down. Gray valiantly carried his son. Zelda watched as Oswald caught up with Asuna who was chatting to a technician of Lamia Scale and swung her into a conversation about their gear. The Hunter smiled as Asuna and Oswald's knuckles brushed. Leandro found himself growing more and more annoyed with Miss Pink's antics while Naomi caught Lance up to speed on what happened in Margaret Town. Natsu was holding Lucy's hand and teasing Gajeel at the same time when he suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky.

Lucy stopped with him, concerned. "Natsu?" she murmured. "Are you okay?"

Natsu blinked and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I am." He looked back at Lucy. He saw his partner, his best friend, his wife, his mate, his queen, his future. "I love you, Lucy."

Lucy blushed at the sudden declaration. "I-I love you too, Natsu," she said back, confused and abashed. "Natsu, what's going on?"

Natsu's bangs hid his eyes as he grinned. "It's nothing. I just wanted you to know that." He suddenly tugged her forward into a run. "Now, c'mon, you slowpoke, we're falling behind!"

A tick mark pounded against Lucy's skull. "Well, whose fault is that, ya flame brain?!"

Determination glinted in onyx eyes.

I don't know what the Hell happened, but I sure as Hell know those kids pulled off something incredible. They're the future and they can't keep holding onto the past…

Nashi was surprised when Gary suddenly closed the distance between them. He placed his hands on her cheeks and tipped her head up to sink her into a sweet kiss she reciprocated with ease. Igneel jumped onto Mary Jane and Cane's side to walk towards Mary Jane. Her eyes met his and a bright beam was waiting for him, welcoming him. And, he grinned back. Galileo snagged the mug of ale and chugged it down while Olivia scolded him for such foolishness. Justin saw the texts from Ace pop up and a smile adorned his face. Ellie cried into her father's chest and Elfman softly reassured her. Orochi found himself cringing at Kinana yelled at him through Compact Call over how reckless she thought he was.

We can never look back, Natsu thought. We can only move forward. And, so should you…

Lucy let out a squeak of surprise when Natsu suddenly scooped her up into his arms. Her arms automatically were thrown onto his neck and she curled into him. "Natsu!" she cried, laughing in the process. "What are you doing?"

"I'm running towards our future!" Natsu told her. "And I'm getting all fired up!"

Floating in the air were the last particles of Dimaria Yesta. They floated farther and higher into the night sky.

Thank you… Thank you…

…the particles dissolved into nothing.

---

Love you Love you Love you

himitsu no I love you

naisho no kisu wa imitation?

toke nai mahō mitai ni torawarete so crazy for you

•

kimi wa marude illusion

shibireru love session

aimai na sono motion

sō sa konya wa fiction

kimi wa marude illusion

tame rau love session

gōin na sono motion

Unbreakable magic

---

TO BE CONTINUED…

So Dimaria's really gone, huh? I hope she finds her happiness. To find out if Gale and Luna have what it takes to save the past to secure their future, join us on the next Fairy Adventure!

---

Chibi-Nashi is the one to greet the class today with her sunny beam. "Hi, class! I'll be taking over for Luna today and be in your care!"

The class bows to Chibi-Nashi. "Hello, Miss Nashi! What's our Fairy Lesson today?"

Chibi-Nashi clears her throat. "Today, we'll be talking about the nature of Curses!" She pulls out several charts and pictures to display. Some of them are statistics of Curses in the world. Others are diagrams showing the comparison and contrasts between Curses, Black Magic, and White Magic. "Curses are not associated with Magic. It's a negative power that cultivates off negative emotions, the seven sings, despair, and blood. Demons are the most well-known to use Curses, but Gods can issue Curses onto people too." She points at a reading. "For Curses to be handed onto people, there are several ways to do it. A God can issue a Curse onto a being. If you are around a Demon long enough, you will be Cursed. By eating a Demon, you will be Cursed. But, the most common ways come from birth or inheritance or a bad encounter with a Demon."

Chibi-Nashi addresses the chart lists the different types of Curses. "Curses often drive the individual mad and push the seven sins and bloodlust onto their mind. That's why so many Cursed beings have a high suicide rate—they can't take the madness. For those who do survive, they have the option to use that power given to them if they can control it and manifest it into something else. For example, Gray Fullbuster's inherited Curse took the form of his Devil. Sometimes, a Curse will manifest in a tattoo, a side personality, a birth mark, or something that is physical."

A student's hand goes up. "Miss Nashi. How can you be born Cursed?"

"Only through inheritance," Chibi-Nashi assures. "Even that is rare. If a Cursed and non-Cursed person have children, it's rare for that mutant Curse gene to be passed on. Even if it is, it is even rarer if it activates. Gary is on of those rare cases."

"Flattery gets you everywhere, Angel."

Chibi-Nashi gasps when Chibi-Gary hands at the doorway with a lazy smile. "Y-You're not supposed to be here!"

Chibi-Gary waltzes in. "Angel thinks I'm rare. I'm honored. Does that mean you'll need to keep me locked away so no one else can get to me?"

Chibi-Nashi heavily blushes and scrambles to say, "Next time, on Fairy Adventure: THE FAIRIES WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME!" She quickly bows to the class. "Class dismissed! Bye now!" She eludes Chibi-Gary's outstretched arms and makes a break for it out of the room.

Chibi-Gary sighs after her. "I'm going to marry that woman…"

One student has a tick mark when he sees Chibi-Gary is stripped to his underwear and the girls are blushing like fools. "Put some clothes on, you pervert!"