I suck at deadlines. To be honest, I probably suck at writing too, but hey, this is a passion project. It's just as much for me, than anyone who actually finds themselves enjoying this. Anyway, this chapter took me a long time, and I apologize for writer's block victims everywhere, but here it is. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters, nor the title, Fairy Tail. My only property in this story is Calem.

Natsu

"Something's wrong." Natsu voiced his thoughts, getting that feeling. That 'something is wrong' feeling. And usually when he got this feeling, Lucy was involved with it. And they were going to grab Lucy. Who was alone.

"Gee," Gray responded to his note as cold as the air constantly was around him, which wasn't appreciated, "what clued you off on that? The fact that a mysterious note claiming mass destruction suddenly appeared, or the giant, stone box over there?

Natsu scowled. He was just making conversation but the damn ice mage always had to have the final word. So Natsu did what he does best: start a fight.

"You wanna go, Ice Princess?"

"Anytime, Flame Breath."

The two clashed forehead-to-forehead, eyes locked and filled with extreme distaste, and Natsu only got angrier the longer the staring contest continued. So much so the air around the rivals began to heat at an astonishing rate, only cooled by Gray's rising temper. It was about to get ugly, and neither of them couldn't help but grin at the prospect of a brawl.

But life is never simple. Especially for them.

"Hey, Natsu?" Happy, Natsu noticed, looked pale and had a distressed look about him.

"What's the matter, Hap?" While he managed to keep his carefree tone, Natsu could still feel the same bad feeling gnawing at him, and no amount of sparring could shake it.

"Well, the weird stone box...it's placed around Lucy's apartment. So, ummm..." Happy trailed off, but the other two got the message, and all three symultaneosly turned toward it. Now it wasn't just a strange stone box, but a potentially dangerous stone box that was holding a friend.

In short, it was a threat. And Natsu could think of nothing he'd rather do than remove it. And when he looked over to Gray and Happy, the same mixed stare of anger and worry was also on apparent on their faces.

"Then what are we waiting for." Natsu smacked one fist against the oppisite palm, flashing his usual grin that showed his fangs, turning his attention away from the ice mage and soley on the impeading wall.

He noticed the eyeroll that Gray gave him, but Natsu decided it would be best to ignore him just this one time. There were things that needed to be destroyed. On purpose. Opportunities like this don't come everyday.

"Do you think at all? Even a little?" Natsu pouted as Gray insulted him out of his destructive daydreams. "This could be a trap."

"Yep, so let's not keep 'em waiting! Come on Happy!"

"Aye, sir!" And with that Natsu lept up high into the air, letting the winged blue exceed catch and propell him forward at a breakneck pace while leaving his suddenly shirtless compadre in the dust.

'Who says saving a friend from possible murderers can't be fun?' Natsu's smile waverred at the realization. Lucy was in danger. Serious danger, if that flier was to be trusted.

'Is it even possible? One guy killing an entire city?' He wanted a straight answer, but he couldn't believe one guy, with no help whatsoever, could cause that much devestation.

His imagination worked overtime as Happy tossed him forward at the wall. He envisioned massive beasts and magical cannons that dwarfed the Jupiter. Not exactly a nerve calmer.

Natsu shook himself out of his thoughts. Now wasn't the time for theories. Lucy could be in serious trouble. At the very least the box needed to go.

'Speaking off which...' Natsu finally registered the large stone wall his face would soon collide with if he didn't do something, and fast.

So Natsu caught his body on fire and lowered his head. Naturally.

"Fire Dragon: Sword Horn!" At the speed Natsu the Flaming Bullet was going, the stone wall easily fractured dramatically upon impact, with Natsu extinguishing his surrounding fire and skidding to a halt on the street.

Natsu took a moment to admire his handywork, which was a large, jagged hole in the wall seven feet off the ground, before turning on the company he found himself in.

There were three: a square-headed one in gray with his fingers interlocked, a biker looking fellow, and a thinner one wrapped in darkness. The three enclosed a small, bright sphere as well as sporting the same look on their faces: one of confusion and surprise.

Natsu stood at the ready, igniting his fists, not sure of his three fellow occupants' identities, but positive they weren't there to make casual conversation.

As Natsu prepared a one-liner, he remembered the sphere, so the dragon-slayer took the time to glance at the shiny object. Upon doing so, the blood drained from his face.

Luxy was in there. Beaten, contained, and held captive, unconcious and unable to do anything more. Natsu felt the world around him begin to fade in obscurity and anonymity. All forms of thought were gone, only one thing mattered now: saving Lucy

Natsu twitched. The three noticed.

"What the hell do you want? We're a bit busy here." The biker spoke with arrogance and gusto, but those feelings wouldn't last. Natsu shot him a glare that sent obvious shivers down his spine, eyes glowering in rage, almost inhuman.

"Fire Dragon:," Natsu turned and reared back, gathering all his internal flame in his belly, and getting a subconcious eyebrow-raise from the biker, now his target, "ROAR!" A column of fire spewed from his mouth, engulfing, and scorching, his foe, who released a blood-curdling scream under the immense heat.

"Stone Make: Drill!" A gravelly voice from behind voiced his attack, and Natsu paniced for a moment. There wasn't enough time to jump, he would have to take the newly formed, albeit blocky-shaped, drill head on.

Natsu braced himself, crossing his arms in front of his face, therefore failing to see another body drop in front of him.

"Ice Make: Shield!" Natsu looked up, hiding his relief that Gray had dropped in with his trademark defense: solid snowflake-esque ice formation.

"Hey, who said I needed your help?!" Nastu couldn't help but smile at the scowl he received. Until he remembered why he started fighting to begin with. Then it was all business.

Gray understood the situation, nodding, no words needed.

Natsu strafed right, out of the ice-shield's coverage, listening to Gray's own movements, ready for his chance.

"Ice Make: Lance!"

'Bingo,' Natsu unveiled a devilish grin as Gray assaulted their foe with a wave of six sharpened ice spears, watching the stone maker mage jump backwards out of the way before he lept forward into the air, on the attack.

"Fire Dragon: Iron Fist!" Natsu landed on his toes, in prime position in front of the wizard. From that position, Natsu unleashed all the spring he had from his landing, driving his flaming fist home into the gut of their assailant with force any dragon would be proud of, forcing him back to and through the stone wall behind him.

The dust slowly cleared, and Natsu looked back at his two companions, still maintaining the glint of grim determination in his eyes. Gray shrugged as he peered back down to the wizard he was promptly standing on.

"This guy's out."

"A bit overkill, but who cares." Natsu grunted, uncaring. They hurt Lucy, a friend. They deserved all that they got.

"There's still one more."

"Yeah. Surprised he hasn't attacked us yet."

"He was probably in awe of me and my fire."

"Or maybe your ego is restraining him."

Natsu chose to ignore the last comment for Lucy's sake, making two he owed him.

The two stepped through the fresh hole in the wall, sizing up the third intruder instantly.

'He doesn't look the least bit worried." Natsu's caution finally broke through, recalling his unease from before. 'Why? Didn't he see what just happened?' However, rash anger splintered Natsu's mind before any rational conclusion could be made. Thoughts were stripped into basic emotions, one sticking out in particular.

'This guy will know what hurting a Fairy Tail wizard means, now. I'll make sure he never messes with us again.'

Calem

Calem held his ground, firmly standing on the stone street as the two intruding wizards easily despatched the other assailants, mind racing, letting the shadows he had created fade back into his body.

"These two stood no chance," Calem concluded, prodding the unconscious Allister with a gentle toe, "just who are these freaks?"

Calem then learned that those 'freaks' were looking at him, as if they could envision themselves breaking all of his bones. Instantly, Calem wished his cloak was on his back instead of 10 feet away.

'Did they hear...'

'Probably.'

'This is gonna get worse, won't it?'

He watched as the pink haired fire wizard rushed him with unimaginable speed, hopping over the dome which held Lucy in order to lift Calem by his collar, wearing a very threatening glare.

'Yes. Yes it will. Have I mentioned your people skills need work?'

'Not helping.' Calem blocked out his more annoying inner voice and peered into the demon stare of his holder, taking long, even breaths as to keep himself calm. Thinking he was prepared, Calem listened to what pinky had to say.

"Who were you and your pals, and why do you want Lucy?"

"Straight to the point? Most people start conversations with a 'hello' or maybe a name. At least, so I've heard."

"Just fix what you did to Lucy!" Calem rolled his eyes. The fools not getting it.

"You mean save her? Sorry, I don't think undoing that is smart." There was a low growl sounding, and it took a moment for Calem to realize the noise came from the one holding his collar. A single bead of sweat ran down his face. This guy meant business, no more time for jokes.

So Calem held his hands up, 'surrendering' without a ghost of an intention to actually do so.

"Fine. The shield is sturdy, but not invincible. The longer it stays, the weaker it gets. With the amount of time its been, it should shatter from any decent hit." Calem watched the two wizards, and their flying feline friend, share looks. "Does that solution work for you?"

The second wizard, who was for some reason shirtless, smacked the side of his fist into an open palm. "Ice Make: Hammer!" A sledgehammer of ice formed and struck with a heavy blow from above, shattering the weakening cage.

Calem waved and turned in one motion, trying his best to hide his discomfort, retrieving his fallen cloak as the other three tended to their comrade.

"If that's all, then it would be best for everyone that I leave immeadiatly." Calem refitted his cloak around his neck before turning back towards the reachable hole in the wall, striding right past his company as quickly as he could manage without seeming paniced. Unfortunately, he walked straight into a set of ice bars, which rapidly grew into an entire ice cage.

"Ice Make: Prison." Calem clenched his fists, holding back all of his pempted up negativity that he held within, trying to stay calm and in control.

'They stopped me.'

'Deep breaths.'

'Why did they do that?'

'Deep breaths.'

'Do they not realize the longer I stay, the greater chance everyone is killed?!'

'Obviously not. But if you keep together, unhostile, then you might be able to leave faster, if that is really what you wish.'

Calem had several questions about that last response alone, but he would never get the chance. His newfound captor unwittingly saw to that.

"Who are you?" The shirtless ice mage kept his voice even, face straight, but there was plenty of fight in his soul. Calem saw it in his eyes, so he turned with his palms out, breathing slightly deeper himself.

"You first. I know that the girl is known as Lucy, pinky there is probably Natsu, if memory serves. But you and," he paused in his dry response, pointing now at the blue cat, but it wasn't a cat as it was blue and flying, "your hovering companion and unknowns. So if you would please, then I'll tell you everything that wouldn't hurt you."

He seemed to think about the deal, what information he could possibly get.

"Deal. The name's Gray," he then jerked a thumb behind him, "and that's Happy, who is technically called an exceed, but is effectively a talking, winged cat." Calem nodded, getting over the shock of a talking cat, assuming the rest of the details in his head, which he regarded with approximately 40% accuracy due to the lengthly list of unknowns he found within his situation.

"Alright, shoot." Gray didn't waste any time.

"Who are you?"

"That's potentially dangerous, if he keeps sending guys for me."

"Who is 'he'?"

"Definitely dangerous, so no."

"What was that darkness that covered you?"

"That's personal. I'm not telling you that." Natsu lept from his position beside Lucy at the last comment, sending a flaming fist into the street before reaching the other hand between the ice bars, grabbing Calem by his collar once again.

"What can you tell us then?"

"I can tell you any information that wouldn't hurt you. That was the deal, so all i can really say is this: I need to leave this place as soon as possible. The longer I stay, the larger the chance something bad will happen." Calem shook his head after the psuedo-warning, ponderring what it was that kept him from just leaving.

"Does it have anything to do with that apocolypse warning we got this earlier this morning?" The cat, Happy, spoke up for the first time of the interrogation, and Calem eyed the blue-furred feline, who fluttered behind Natsu, with a mix of intrigue and stress. He shrugged off the loose grip on his collar and cocked an eyebrow.

"Apocolypse warning? Who sent it? From where? All the details, please."

"Why should we tell you all that when we don't even get a name?" It was Gray this time, but Calem noticed the others silently agree. Except for Lucy. She was just silent.

"You should share, because," Calem tried to be patient, he really did, "if this place is in danger, then there is knowledge to be gained."

He took in the glares of distrust the three held on him unmoving, unrelenting. There was a possible lead. A chance.

'A chance for revenge.'

'Aren't you forgetting something.' The voice lost its carefree tone in exchange for a harsher, more disciplinary one.

'What?'

'PEOPLE! The people in this town could be seriously hurt. Or worse. Would you seriously just leave them to fall in your pursuit of knowledge and vengence? Didn't you learn anything at all?' It took all of Calem's multitasking ability to hold his stare and argue with himself.

'Their safety would be a bi-product of my task. Everyone would win.'

'The answer is no: you didn't. You hold the power, the control, but you lack the complete focus. We WILL talk about this.'

'Damn, you...I...sound like Dad." Calem felt his mind fade, his gaze with the others break. The idea of his father forcing his mind into the emotionally fractured pieces they were. He knew what he was doing, it was what needed to be done.

Right?

Calem wouldn't give himself, nor be given, much time to think about his emotional and mental state. That was for later. Now, he had a lead. A chance to avenge his family and berid of a threat. Certainly this was what they would want him to do.

Right?

'Stoppit, brain. We have to focus, there are questions to answer.' Calem looked back up to face the gaze of his interrogaters, but immeadiatly noticed the slouched, robed elder clamber through the hole in the wall. A stroke of luck.

"Why," the aged man stated, seemingly having no trouble of speaking or walking, despite his look and cane, "do you three have the soul mage locked up?"

Calem felt his eyebrows shoot up. This man knew stuff. What he knew, and how much, had yet to be seen. But he was jeopardizing Calem's anonymity, so the time for patience was over. Calem lifted his hands above his head, palms out, and he felt the inky blackness come surging through his arms, even if it wasn't visible

'Shadow Magic:...'

'This isn't a good idea. They will get suspicious if you strike.'

'I've already blown my cover, and they are only seeing, not understanding. Besides, I'm out of time in this place.' With that, his focus resumed, and a magic circle as dark as his cloak grew from his outstretched palms.

"Pillar!" From the circle materialized a solid black pillar, growing at an exponential rate. It smashed through the ceiling of the ice cage after a moment of contact, and Calem willed the column of shade to curve and slam into the street, taking everyone aback as he lept out of his chilled prison.

Calem knew what would happen next as he landed between the elder and the guild wizards. The mages would strike as soon as they saw him, the miniscule amount of trust they shared gone now, while the old man stayed away. But it didn't bother him. It was better this way.

He was right. Gray and Natsu came at him full force, leaping high into the air to give themselves time for harder strikes.

"Fire Dragon...!"

"Ice Make:...!"

Calem's mind began to clear, getting into the groove, losing all of the sadness, anger, and worries he held onto. As Calem closed his eyes, the darkness from the pillar dematerialized and rushed to his side and floated around him, as that was his will.

"Cannon!"

"Brilliant Flame!"

Even with his eyes closed, Calem knew the attacks were coming. His body knew what to do before his mind did, sweeping his hands in front of his a touch more flamboyant than needed.

"Shadow Magic: Barrier." The freeflowing darkness solidified once more into an irregularly shaped wall, which held against both powerful strikes, despite more than a few large cracks and dents. But Calem wasn't done, instantly despelling the freeform wall and summoning his control of the shade once more.

"Shadow Magic: Chains." As two circles appeared above his open palms, chains grew out from the dark mist surrounding them, lengthening with every second to where they eventually curled around Natsu and Gray like snakes, tieing the two together.

"What's the big idea, attacking us like that?! I have half the mind to freeze you where you stand!" Calem peered through his peripherals at the pickle he had just put his almost comrades in. It was almost cartoonish, them struggling against their newfound wieghts.

'Don't think about the almost. I'm me. It wouldn't have turned out well.'

'But you might've been happy for the first time since, like, ever.' Came had to take a breath, blinking slowly to refresh his resolve and ponder why this voice always seemed to be both optimistic and doubting, and how that was possible in the first place.

'Happiness isn't my path. It can't be. Not as long as he is still out there.'

With that, Calem focused, or tried to. It was hard with two bezerking wizards struggling behind him.

"Now," he crouched next to the elder, who had fallen during the ordeal, "how much do you think you know?"

The man seemed to tremble slightly, pupils dialating the longer the eye contact was held. Calem watched chest's rise and fall speed up slightly, waiting patiently for an answer. He expected a fold and confession of knowledge, an assumption based on appearance alone.

Instead, he just coughed, regaining a strict composure and straightening his robes before remeeting Calem's stare with one just as cool, obviously not intimidated once calmed, and a tap on the shoulder.

"Watch your back." Calem was knocked straight out of his intimidating facade, forced into overanalyzation of the comment.

'Was that a threat? A warning? Is he trying to psych me out?' Calem paused in his crouching stance, staring off into space while his mind worked double time. It wasn't until his second personality pointed out the obvious meaning that action was taken.

'Maybe, I dunno, he meant it literally. That's possible, right?'

'No way. I didn't hear anything.'

'Exactly! Now turn around, dipshit, or we won't survive long enough to get off this topic!'

Calem, ever the skeptic, turned around with arrogant eyes, only for his gaze to be met by Natsu and Gray, the wizard he had chained together. So he rose slowly, recollecting his thoughts for the umpteenth time that day, and it was barely noon.

"Soooooo..." Calem said with an edge of caution and a shrug, "truce?" A long shot, and he knew it, but a shot worth taking nevertheless. The surrounding area instantly overheated at an insane pace for his attempt.

"You wish, bastard." The world then cooled just as quick.

"I hope you enjoy popsicles." Calem cringed, despite the imminent danger, and slowly started backing away.

'Can't I ever do something right? Just once, I would prefer if there weren't any repercussions. Is that too much for me to ask?'

'I tried to stop you, but nooooo, you just had to get answers right then and there. Always rushing into things. No focus. No clarity. No patience. It'll get us killed.'

'What does that mean? What are you talking about?' There was no response to his queries, though. Just silence amongst the sporadic climate and the overwhelming magical pressure pulsing in the air. Whoever these two, this Natsu and Gray, were, they were talented and experienced. Definitely not pushovers.

So Calem prepared himself for a fight. What else could he do?

As it happened, he didn't need, nor could he, to do anything. As all three wizards steeled themselves for the fight, Calem heard the distinct sound of wood knocking on stone, though he couldn't place where it was coming from. The noise seemed to be all around them, encircling them, growing louder and echoing chaotically, but never stopping for more than a second.

'What the hell is going on?' He wouldn't ever get a chance to answer his question, as Calem felt his brain start to ache. The longer the noise went, the more he felt like ripping his ears off, and he could see it had the same effect on Natsu, Gray, and even Happy, all four pressing their hands against their ears and writhing in pain.

Not Lucy. She was still out of it. Poor girl.

Calem had reached his limit, contemplating the most effective way to remove an ear, when the chaotic noise finally died down.

"Now, will you all calm down? There are many more important things to do than a simple grudge match." The old man stood above his victims like an emperor does his people, but Natsu was not impressed.

"Was that you who made that awful noise just then? Damn, gramps, what a way to get attention. I mean, who the-" Natsu's voice lost all ability to form words when the same walking stick responsible for his recent ear-rape was driven into his stomach.

"Respect your elders, boy! If you're the Fairy Tail wizards I hired, then I am severely underwhelmed." His face was livid, more with annoyance than actual rage, but his words caught them off-guard to say the least.

"YOU were the one who put that apocalypse warning?! Wh-" Gray stood to confirm what he had heard, but was quickly brought back to his knees by another cross-check with the wooden cane.

"Of course I was the one who put the warning! Why else would I come here to meet who I'm spending my money on!"

"Hey, old timer," Happy, hovering tentatively, spoke up to the elder he was starting to fear, "what is with the warning? And why did you hire the entire guild to protect Magnolia on a hunch?" Calem watched the man raise his cane to the direction of the voice, but stop when he saw where it came from, then put his cane back down and chuckle, as if he knew something they didn't. Something hilarious.

'I've don't really like this guy. Something fishy about him.' Calem kept his concerns to himself. Acting rash would get him in serious trouble. Or rather, more than he was already in.

"I like you, cat. You ask the important questions, and keep things simple." Happy grinned at the complement and Natsu and Gray's gapping expressions. "The name's Romulus, and it would help me greatly if you would keep an eye on those slackers you came with. My old eyes can't see everything nowadays." At the request, Happy eagerly saluted to Romulus.

"Aye, sir!"

Romulus peered around at the disastrous battleground, taking it all in before turning back whence he came.

"All right, I guess you are the messenger squad, then? Gather yourselves and the girl and follow me. And shut your mouths before birds nest in them." Calem stood to walk away as Natsu and Gray did what they were told, but was abruptly stopped by Romulus's now commanding voice. "You too, soul mage," he said, "I'll answer your questions after a little brunch. I'm famished."

You know what is especially hard about the way I'm writing this? I'm trying to organize and word it like it's an arc from the actual anime/manga/canon. So that means I can't put my own twist on fan-favorite characters, nor change any events in the official storyline. I've gotta be by the book with the roster of characters, except my own and all the new extras and such. That's kinda hard. But enough of my bitching. The next chapter is called Visions, and as a teaser: pay attention to the descriptions. You never know what could be important in works of literature.