"Mavis Vermillion? The Mavis Vermillion? And she was writing to you?" Lucy stared down at the book lying on the bed, so many feelings crashing around inside her.

It had just been pure chance that she and Natsu had been walking along the Edge when Levy had appeared, eyes filled with a look so startling Lucy hadn't known what to think. When she'd explained everything that had happened, in all honesty Lucy hadn't believed her, couldn't believe her. But now the bare proof was sitting before her in all its terrifying ferocity, and her eyes had read every word of it.

"I know it sounds crazy and I don't want to believe it either," Levy started, her speech quick as she paced around the room, "B-but what she described about Hades, I've seen it myself. Right before Lily found the book, I'd been in the library when I heard Gajeel screaming. I ran in and it was on his arm, the black blood that she was talking about. It turned the veins on his arms."

"Levy, what are you going to do?" Lucy hugged herself tightly, feeling almost numb to the words that were being spoken to her.

"I… I don't know!" Levy laced her fingers into her blue locks and pulled at them frantically as if the act would somehow bring an answer into her mind. But nothing came and she let out a frustrated whimper as she sank to the ground, tucking her head into her knees and rubbing her knuckles into her temples.

Lucy looked at her friend, her heart breaking before she even spoke the words, "Levy, if this is all true, you know he can't be allowed to live,"

Levy looked at her friend with horror striking her face and a tense silence fell on the three sitting in the room. Natsu sucked in a breath, his hands – which until that time had been nervously fidgeting with his lighter – stilled as he looked up at the blonde. His eyes cut away from her, refusing to agree but finding no other solution. The evil that was being contained within Gajeel had been the force that had divided the world once, if it were to be allowed to run rampant on the world again, there was a great possibility their world would no longer exist.

"No…" Levy whispered, tears brimming her eyes, "Th-there has to be another way! There has to be a way we can save him!"

"We can't let the Shadow reclaim its full strength, Levy. Do you understand the bloodshed it will bring to this world? And do you honestly think he'll remember you once he's been consumed? You read what Mavis wrote. Once the Shadow claims its victim it completely destroys the soul inside. Who's to even say he's still in there?"

"I know he is!" Levy stood, her tiny fists balling in frustration as tears began to stray down her cheeks, "I've seen him! He's still there! You can't expect me to kill the man I love!"

"He isn't the man you fell in love with!" Lucy snapped, "He never was! All he's ever been is a monster!"

"Like I am now?" the words were quiet but cut into Lucy like the sharpest blade and she fell silent. The little bluenette that stood before her, eyes filled with tears and face filled with grim determination, stared at her with a hurt Lucy couldn't begin to fathom.

"Levy… you're not a monster…"

"But he is?" her voice was accusing and it silenced Lucy with its ferocity, "I can save him. I can reverse this somehow…"

"How?" Lucy sighed, knowing the resolve in her friend's voice well enough to know there was no changing her mind.

"I… I don't know," Levy looked down at her feet.

"I think the answer is pretty obvious," Natsu suddenly piped up, surprising the girls and gaining their attention, "Mavis' soul was put into a book right? Why can't we just do the same to this Shadow. Trap it in a book and then burn it to ashes, killing the bastard forever,"

"It's not that simple," Levy rubbed her hand across her face, the stress making her want to just curl into a ball and go back to sleep, "There's a ritual you have to do in order to create the book. Even if I had a book I could bind his soul into – and I don't, mind you – I have no idea what the ritual is or even how to find out what it is. It's been banned from Fiore since the Edge was created and I only happened onto this because Lily found it."

"Maybe if we go to where he found the book we'd be able to find out,"

"We don't have that kind of time," Lucy interjected, grinding her teeth, "We need to stop him now, before he takes any more innocent lives."

"But, Lucy, we have to know more," Levy piped, her eyes pleading.

"I couldn't find him," Lily's gruff voice made them all jump as he stalked into the room. His face was weary and his tail slashed back and forth angrily, "The bastard's covered his tracks,"

"He doesn't want to be found," Lucy murmured, "It might already be too late,"

"I just don't understand!" Levy slid to the floor, her hands yanking her hair in frustration, "Why would he do this? What would make him think his only option would be to make a deal with some demon in order to get out?"

"You can't be serious," Natsu's brows raised and once again all attention was turned to him, "You mean you really can't see it?"

Levy just stared at the pink-haired boy, not knowing how to react. Natsu had always been different. He'd always been stronger and brasher than other kids growing up, but as long as Levy had known him he'd always seemed two steps ahead of everyone. It was like he had a sixth sense. Things didn't need to be played out for him to understand, he just knew, and that knowledge always seemed to serve his happy-go-lucky personality. She just didn't understand why she was still surprised.

"He loves you, Levy, more than either of you realize. That day when we saved you from Jose, that trick he did wasn't just from an adrenaline rush or because he was angry. He literally changed. Something dark came to him in his time of need and helped him save you. That something was the Shadow,"

"But why now? What more could he need now that I'm safe?" even as she spoke the words the answer donned on her.

"I'll find a way to change you back… I will, if it kills me,"

"He wants to make me human again," she gasped, her hands coming to her mouth in dismay as the words fell from her lips, "H-he thinks he ruined my life when he changed me and he wants to turn be back…"

"Levy, please tell me you're kidding," Lily suddenly grabbed her arm harshly, pulling her around to face him, "You're not serious,"

"W-why? What do you know?"

"I know where he is… or where he's going," Lily suddenly rushed out of the room towards the library and the three trailed after him, listening to the sounds of him throwing things around in his haste to find something. He emerged only moments later with a satchel in his arms, "Tonight's a new moon, which means it'll be tonight,"

"What's tonight, Lily? Talk to us!" Levy stood in his way, her eyes pleading for information.

"It's only a long shot, but with everything that's happened I'd be willing to bet on just about anything right now,"

"Lily! Please!"

"It's called the Ritual of Rebirth," he stated, walking past them with long strides, "And if we're going to stop him, we need to leave now. Because it can only by completed in one place: Hades' Castle."