Attendance was mandatory. Though Natsu Dragneel had been spirited away from home by the clutches of Gouma Konishi, those with enough smarts and leadership skills matching his own had taken the helm for this important meeting. Every toy in Ken's room congregated at the center, some watching from the shelves and nightstand, to discuss Natsu's kidnapping and the identity of the one responsible.

Reedus Jonah, the fat toy artist, drew a composite sketch of the pull-string Dragon Slayer doll with the words labeled Exhibit A, the first scenario of the crime scene. Erza Scarlet stood on the podium comprised of two books stacked together, and projected over the crowd. She said, "Let's review the situation one more time. As you are well aware, our leader and friend, Natsu Dragneel, boldly swept into the yard sale and rescued Mavis from being sold. Until at precisely 8:32 A.M., he was toy-napped for reasons unknown. Exhibit B..." In response, Reedus etched another sketch depicting Gouma Konishi with Natsu in his hand and a long beard. "Behold the sketch of the kidnapper based on eye-witness subscriptions."

Mirajane shook her head, "That doesn't look anything like him."

Lisanna agreed, "He didn't have a beard like that."

Erza confirmed, "Fine, then. Reedus, give him a shave."

"Oui," Reedus quickly erased the sketch and redrew Konishi, this time without a beard. "What do you think?"

Happy guessed, "I'm pretty sure the kidnapper's bigger and super-scary than that."

Erza sighed, "Oh, dear. Why do some people have to be so picky?"

"Let's just go straight to Exhibit F: the kidnapper's vehicle," Gajeel interjected. He looked down at a toy car, which had a small Goblin in the driver's seat, "Now, the vehicle fled the scene in this direction." He pointed with a pencil, compelling the car to drive straight ahead in a street model made of Lego blocks constructed by Gajeel and Cana.

Cana scoffed, "Your eyes are in backwards, Metal Breath. It went the other way." The toy car turned the other direction.

Gajeel snapped, "Hey, put a sock in it, booze girl."

Wendy walked over with another sheet of paper, not paying attention to where she was going. She accidentally disrupted the crime scene reenactment by knocking over the Lego blocks, much to the toys' displeasure. She announced, "I've got an idea! We should call the police!"

Gajeel yelled angrily, "You ruined my crime scene! Why don't ya watch where you're goin', ya klutz?!"

Cana snapped, "Don't yell at her, Tin Can! She's a kid toy!"

Gajeel argued, "Lady, I can yell at anyone whenever I want!"

Erza interjected, "Stop it, both of you! This is not the time to argue!"

Wendy said embarrassingly, "I'm sorry, everyone. I wasn't watching where I was going."

Erza smiled appreciatively, "It's alright, Wendy. You were just trying to help."

Carla agreed, "You contributed clues to the mystery, Wendy."

Wendy giggled, "Thank you, Erza. You too, Carla."

Carla smiled, "Anytime."

"Hey, excuse me, guys?" Lucy called out from behind Ken's bed. "Gray and I need to focus. A little quiet, please? Thanks." With that said, she retreated back.

"Huh?" Cana looked at Gajeel, who just shrugged. The other toys decided to look over where Lucy and Gray were, interested in what they were doing. True enough, they saw the Space Hero action figure looking over the discarded fish scale, while the Celestial Treasure Hunter doll typed the alphabetical buttons on Levy's keyboard, the building blocks assembled to form the name of the same license plate from Konishi's car.

"Kanasta Toy Disc Jockey," Levy spoke, the sentence typed by Lucy displaying the exact words on her screen. "Kalamity Try Distant Jelly."

"What are you guys doing?" Wendy asked.

"There's some sort of message encoded on that vehicle's license plate," Lucy explained. "If we could decipher it, we could figure out who's the toy-napper."

Gray added, "The car left behind a couple of fish scales on the way out. I bet the scales and the plate are connected somehow."

Erza asked, "What is the plate number?"

Lucy answered, "KNSH-TY-DJ."

"Have you used the Internet to run the plate?" Mirajane asked.

"We tried," Gray responded. "You can only run a license plate at the DMV."

"Konstantin Try Dumb Jerk," was the next inputted sentence in Levy's screen.

"That's why we need Levy's help to translate the plate. She's the best in solving super-hard problems when the Internet can't," Lucy explained.

"The pleasure is all mine," Levy responded.

Gajeel shrugged, "Why do you care about a license plate? It's just a jumble of letters we can't make heads or tails of."

Laxus pointed out, "Yeah, and there are about 79.43 million registered cars in Japan alone."

"Koolshot's Tight Dan Jamaica," was Levy's next sentence.

"Nope, that's not what we're going for," Gray shook his head.

"We have to keep trying," Lucy said adamantly. "It's the only way we can save Natsu."

Gajeel rolled his eyes, "Oh, this can't help. Let's leave those two to play with their toys."

"Um, I may be a toy, but I also have feelings like the rest of you, hothead," Levy responded with some form of an attitude.

Gray remarked, "Whoa. She's got moxie."

"Hey!" Gajeel shouted, insulted by the Speak & Spell toy's remark. "Who're you callin' hothead, piece a' tin-computer?!"

"I'm not afraid of you!" Levy scoffed. "I'm more than just a Speak & Spell toy, so bring it on, Black Steel Gajeel!"

"Gladly!" Gajeel smirked.

"Alright, that's enough out of you!" Erza demanded, breaking up the fight by pushing the two apart. "We're supposed to solve the mystery, not fight each other!"

Gajeel growled, "Well, talk to the Speak & Spell toy! She started it!"

"I don't care," Erza denied. "Levy is one of Ken's toys, a dependable ally and one of our friends. We're more than just a collection of toys; we're a family. Family is supposed to care and help one another, not fight each other." She crossed her arms, "You should know better than to insult Levy when she was doing her best to help. I want you to apologize to her, Gajeel."

The Iron Dragon Slayer action figure sighed heavily, and mustered enough dignity to give an apology, "If that's what you want, fine. I apologize, Levy."

"It's alright," Levy giggled. "But if I were to have a body, I'd show you and those other bullies a thing or two."

Gajeel chuckled weakly, "Sure, I'd like to see that."

"Toy…"

Everyone paused and glanced to Lucy, who whispered the word softly.

"Toy?" Gray, Erza, and Gajeel raised their eyebrows.

"Toy…" Lucy repeated, the gears beginning to turn in her head. "Toy… Toy! TOY!" She beamed, "Hold on!" She typed on Levy's keyboard as quick as a flash, and by the time she pressed the 'ENTER' button, the new sentence was displayed in Levy's screen.

"Konishi's Toy Dojo."

"Konishi's Toy Dojo?!" the other toys repeated the sentence in surprise. Why would the kidnapper's license plate relate to a toy store?

"So, if the license plate means Konishi's Toy Dojo, then that means…" Gray rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and he stared at the fish scale in his hand. And just like that, with the connection between the scale and the license more obvious, he finally figured it out. He turned to Reedus and pointed with the scale, "Reedus, draw that man in the fish suit!"

"Oui!" As fast as lightning, Reedus sketched a new Exhibit B picture of Gouma Konishi wearing a sushi costume with Natsu in his hand. Everyone reacted with a gasp as the truth suddenly hit them.

"It's the sushi man!" Wendy recognized. "The one in the commercial!"

"That's our guy," Gray confirmed. "Gouma Konishi, the owner of Konishi's Toy Dojo."

Carla stated, "I heard Gouma Konishi is a renowned toy collector who travelled the country in search of rare toys to add to his collection. Could it be…?"

Erza realized, "Of course! He came to the yard sale and stole Natsu, thinking he's a part of his collection! How crude!"

Cana crossed her arms, "Now that's something you don't expect from a villain."

Laxus growled, "He's got some nerve, thinkin' Natsu's a rare toy. He's already rare. Rare to our toy family, and rare to Ken."

Happy agreed, "We can't let him get away with this! Natsu's our friend, and we have to save him!"

Gajeel frowned, "I knew there was somethin' I didn't like about that talking sushi."

Lucy stood alone at the edge of the bed, away from the crowd of toys, processing every word from the result of the solved mystery. Her eyes stared at the floor, refusing to shift. It all made sense; her boyfriend was stolen by Gouma Konishi for the purpose of adding him to his collection— the collection of rare toys he had obscured countrywide— to satisfy his greedy and selfish ends. The revelation blended into her sorrow, and the two quickly fermented into a spark. Lucy's body vibrated with anger, fueled with the intent of exacting revenge on the toy collector.

"Gouma Konishi… He did this!" Lucy snarled, banging her fist against the wood. Her temper picked up the anger and caressed, fed it, let it grow into an inferno. "He's the one who kidnapped Natsu! I'll never forgive him for this… I'll make him pay for what he's done!"

"Lucy?"

Levy's voice snapped her out of her tantrum. She turned to the Speak & Spell toy, "Yeah? What is it?"

"There's something I want to talk to you about," Levy replied, a strong hint of conviction belling her voice within her small computer-like figure. The Celestial Treasure Hunter doll sucked in her breath and decided to hear the discussion.

"I'm listening."

Meanwhile, at Gouma Konishi's Apartment…

The toy collector was dressed in his sushi costume, speaking to his cellphone in an urgent manner. "Quit whining, you hippie! I'll be right there! We've got to do this commercial in one take, do you hear me, because I'm currently in the middle of something really important." Turning off the phone, he walked over to Natsu, who had been put inside a display glass case. Pressing his face against the glass, he laughed gleefully, "At last, I found the final piece of the puzzle. The main star of Natsu's Roundup, the most popular fantasy anime in the 90's… Natsu Dragneel! I've searched every store in Japan, finding anything that looks like a Natsu Dragneel hand-me-down doll, and they've all sold out. I should've travelled overseas, sure, but it costs a lot of money. I believe this toy was the last Natsu Dragneel ever purchased in the country. And it's all mine." The green in his eyes began to shine, "Just you wait, my little Dragon Slayer friend. You and your Roundup Gang are going to make me a fortune!" Konishi let out another roar of laughter and turned to leave for the door.

Once the toy collector had left, Natsu sprang back to life and tried to get out of the glass case. Pushing it open with his good arm, he jumped out and landed on the floor, and dashed for the door. He tried to jump for the handle, and after finding that he was unable to reach it, he ran for the window. Hopping up on the chair, Natsu peered through the blinds, and gasped. He realized that he was nowhere NEAR home. The pull-string Dragon Slayer doll had been taken to the big city, and the highest floor in the apartment. Surviving a fall this height would be impossible for a toy to endure.

"Ken…"

Outside the apartment…

Konishi got back into his car and turned on the engine. He complained, "I can't believe I have to drive all the way to work on a Saturday… all the way to work!" He started the drive to his place of business, Konishi's Toy Dojo, which was right across the street. Apparently, he was too lazy to use the crosswalk.

Back inside…

Noticing a nearby air vent, Natsu jumped off the chair and sped towards it, believing it to be his last option of escape. He tried to pull it off, but it didn't do much good, both because of the screws sealing the vent tight and him only having one good arm. He attempted to get a screw loose, but to no avail. But Natsu refused to give up; he was considering using all his plastic dexterity to unlock the vent.

Just then, a noise erupted behind him, compelling him to stop. He turned around to see an open cardboard box packing Styrofoam peanuts scattered on the floor like petals, a few of them even leading to a trail to him.

"What the…?" Natsu wondered. "WHOA!" he suddenly cried out, as he was lifted into the air on something's back. That 'something' turned out to be a large black plump-shaped stuffed animal toy with black-colored fur, a green-colored face with round black eyes, two antennas on his head, and a pair of bird-like feet. His name was Kemo-Kemo. Jumping excitedly, the black-furred stuffed animal bounced around the room with Natsu, causing him to scream hysterically.

"HEY, STOP! HORSEY, STOP!" Natsu yelled. "STOP! SIT, BOY! STOP IT!" None of his protests made a dent in Kemo-Kemo's hyper-activeness; he still bounced on. Natsu had to duck to avoid hitting his head on a table they passed over. "SIT, I SAID! WHOOOOOOAAAAA!" That seemed to do the trick as Kemo-Kemo skidded to a halt, sending the salmon-haired toy flying off, landing head-first into the ground.

He didn't have much time to relax, however, as two pairs of feet landed in front of him. The first one was a 17-year old female toy with navy blue hair, wearing a navy blue coat with a fur shawl attached to it, black boots, and a Russian Cossack hat. Her name was Juvia Lockser. The other was a 13-year old boy toy with short dark hair, wearing a sleeveless open jacket, green shorts, black boots, a light sash tied to his left hip, and a yellow scarf tied around his neck. His name was Romeo Conbolt. Their faces bent down to stare at Natsu's, each with excited expressions.

"YOU!"

"YEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAWWW!"

"Wha…?!"

The new toys picked Natsu up, attacking him with an onslaught of hugs, kisses, jumps, pats squeezes, and noogies.

Romeo squealed, "NATSU DRAGNEEL! NATSU! NATSU! NATSU! He's back! He's back! Natsu's back! My bro's back! My big brother's back! The Roundup Gang is back! The gang's all here! We're all here!"

Amidst the torturous hugs and kisses, Natsu stammered, "Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You know w-w-w-w-w-w-w-who I am?!"

Romeo laughed, "Duh! Of course we know you who are! You're Natsu Dragneel, the main star of the show! You're the best Dragon Slayer in the biz!"

"I can't believe it!" Juvia cheered wildly, pulling Natsu in a tight hug, the tightest she could ever give to the pull-string Dragon Slayer doll. "It's you! It's you! It's you, it's you, it's you!" She added more restraint, squeezing his breath out, "It's REALLY you!"

"What's… me…?" Natsu wheezed. Juvia ignored him and tossed him out by his string, then pulled him back and listened to the voice box in his chest. "I've got a fire in my belly!"

"Ha!" Juvia confirmed. "It is you!"

"Yep!" Romeo nodded. "The voice box confirms it!"

"Please stop saying that," Natsu begged, pressured by the newcomers' antics.

Romeo smiled, "Aw, c'mon. Are you teasing us like you don't know us? I'm Romeo Conbolt the Young Prospector! I'm the youngest member in the Roundup Gang and a master of Rainbow Fire!" He added with an awkward chuckle, "I'm also the comedic sidekick."

Juvia added, "And I'm Juvia Lockser the Rain Woman. I'm the only female member in the Roundup Gang. I have the power to manipulate and transform into water at all. Drip-drip-drop."

"The critter you met is Kemo-Kemo," Romeo gestured to Kemo-Kemo, who jumped happily. "He's your noble steed. He doesn't talk much, but he's a loyal companion and as strong as an ox."

"Wait, what?" Natsu was utterly confused. "Roundup Gang? Juvia? Romeo? Kemo-Kemo?"

Romeo chuckled, "I know you're confused and you're just a newcomer, but don't worry! We're gonna clear it up for you. We'll take you back to your roots and remind you of who you are and what you used to be." He then shook with glee, "Can you imagine how excited we are to meet you?"

Natsu asked incredulously, "Meet me?"

Juvia nodded, "Yes. Brain knew you would come someday. You are the missing link, the one filling the hole in our hearts."

Romeo gasped in realization, "Sweet mother of Haru Glory, Brain! He'll want to meet ya!" He whistled, and Kemo-Kemo ran to the cardboard box, jumping inside. A second later, another small box came flying out. It was brightly colored, and had an anime-styled picture of an elderly man with dark brown skin, long white hair, and lines drawn all over his face connecting to a demonic symbol in his chest. He wore a long-sleeved open coat with a furry collar, and he held a staff with a skull on top, its teeth gnawing a crystal ball.

"Say hello to the main villain of the show, the leader of the dirtiest criminals in town, the Oración Seis, the Roundup Gang's archenemy… Dirty Brain!" Romeo introduced, with Kemo-Kemo bringing the box over to them.

Natsu looked at it in disbelief. He deadpanned, "It's a box."

Juvia explained, "He's mint in the box. Never been opened."

"Turn me around, Kemo-Kemo, so I can see," a voice came from inside the box. Kemo-Kemo complied, turning it around to reveal a toy version of the man. He gasped happily as he saw Natsu, clasping his hands together. "Why, the prodigal son has returned."

"YEE-HAW!" Romeo cheered. "It's you! It's you! You're here!"

"I can't believe it's you!" Juvia squealed. "It's you, it's you, it's you!" She moved to hug Natsu, but he stepped back.

"Okay, I'm officially freaked out now," Natsu said nervously.

"Oh, how we've waited countless years for this day!" Brain exclaimed, with Kemo-Kemo pushing his box forward. "It's good to see you, Natsu."

"Listen, I don't know why—" Natsu began, but he paused. "Hey, how did you know my name?"

Romeo grinned teasingly, "Everyone knows your name, Natsu."

Juvia explained, "You're the star of Natsu's Roundup, a phenomenal fantasy anime that debuted in 1995. Dirty Brain, Romeo, Kemo-Kemo, and I are also stars. The anime has become so popular that companies from Japan and around the world designed and made merchandise and toys based on us, including you." She sighed affectionately, "Isn't it great? We've waited a very long time for the main character to come, and lo and behold, you have."

Natsu was at a loss for words. He didn't know what to say.

"Hmm, perhaps you need a little something to refresh your memory," Brain realized. He turned to Kemo-Kemo, "Kemo-Kemo?" The black-furred stuffed animal rode over to a desk and hopped onto it, before switching on a light.

By the time Natsu turned to where the light shone, he gasped in complete surprise at what he saw. In front of the salmon-haired toy stood a wide variety of merchandise; lunchboxes, posters, games, knick-knacks, and all kinds of memorabilia dedicated to Natsu Dragneel the Salamander. "That's me," he breathed. And it wasn't just Natsu; there was some merchandise that depicted him with Juvia, Romeo, and Kemo-Kemo, him riding the trusty steed, decorative plates of all four of them, the Roundup Gang in battle with the Oración Seis…

Natsu backed up and bumped into something behind him. He turned to see a giant fold-out cardboard standee of himself posing with a daring smile. "Wow…" He looked down at his feet, where he had stepped on a Time magazine that showed him riding Kemo-Kemo. "Saturday's Favorite Anime Hero: Natsu Dragneel," the magazine raved. "Holy cow…" Natsu's eyes were wide.

Kemo-Kemo took this moment to slip a video into a VCR. Romeo turned the TV on, and an anime theme song, titled Snow Fairy performed by Funkist, began to play.

FAIRY, WHERE ARE YOU GOING
hikari zenbu atsumete
kimi no ashita terasu yo

The TV announcer declared, "Dragon Crunchies, the only cereal that sugar-frosted and dipped in chocolate, proudly presents… Natsu's Roundup! Starring Natsu Dragneel the Salamander, the one-of-a-kind Fire Dragon Slayer, and his trusty friends Kemo-Kemo, Juvia Lockser the Rain Woman, and Romeo Conbolt the Young Prospector!"

OH YEAH kikoeten no kako no koe wa?
OH YEAH karetatte sakebu kara
OH YEAH kikoeru made kimi no kokoro ga
OH YEAH OH YEAH

Natsu walked over to the TV, staring in complete amazement as he saw an animated version of Juvia decimating bad guys with her Water Magic.

"Look, look! See? That's me!" Juvia called, looking rather proud of herself.

tsuki to taiyou no haitacchi
wasuremono wanai desuka?
okashii na kimi ga inai to
hoshii mono sae mitsukaranai

Kemo-Kemo and Romeo then appeared on the TV, followed by images of Brain and the Oración Seis, and the intense battles they've shared.

SNOWING sunao ni
egao ni nareta no wa
futari yorisoi
kasane atta "jikan" ga aru kara
FAIRY, WHERE ARE YOU GOING
hikari zenbu atsumete
kimi no ashita terasu yo

Natsu had his own popular children's TV show? He was famous? It blew his mind; he couldn't help but be impressed.

DON'T SAY GOODBYE

Finally, an animated version of Natsu himself leaped onto the screen. He used various Fire Dragon Slayer Magic spells to defeat some villains before leaping onto Kemo-Kemo, Juvia and Romeo standing on either side of him, all of them looking brave and heroic.

Natsu's smile grew. He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. Being dubbed the favorite toy of a kid was one thing, but being the star of a famous TV anime was a different story. Bursting with anticipation, he decided to sit down and watch the rest of the show with his new friends, the toy versions of the Roundup Gang. The pull-string Dragon Slayer doll didn't need to go home right away; he would have to relax and enjoy for a while.