Well, after reading the latest chapter, I wonder if there will be 7 dragon slayers VS 7 dragons + extra. If only the manga chapter can be longer. Looking forward to the next one.

Thanks ahuna67 for beta, sereneskydragonslayer for the review as usual and those who pm-ed me. I appreciate these as a motivation to keep writing.

Chapter 10: The Secret of Zeref

Tsuna was packing his stuff in a huff. Could what Gray told him really gotten on his nerves? He was feeling really frustrated. Even Happy could sense something was wrong.

"What wrong with you, Tsuna?" Happy asked in wary.

"We need to go somewhere." Tsuna replied in a low and serious tone.

Tsuna was dragging his feet as he walked down the street while Happy was flying following closely. Happy did not dare to approach him. He could tell that he was not in a good mood.

"Brother-in-law…" Someone called out to Tsuna who was too engrossed in his thought to even notice her presence. It was Lucy who was standing right in front of them. Happy heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Lucy.

"Brother-in-law!"

"Yes?" Tsuna's line of thought was broken by her voice. If it wasn't because she called him brother-in-law, he might have peed his pants.

"Can you please don't scare me? I have had enough for the day." Tsuna groaned as he hunched his back continuing on his way.

"Where are you going?" Lucy asked walking by his side.

"None of your business. Stop following me."

"Fine, I will just tell my sister."

Tsuna sighed "Ok, I'll tell you. I'm going to the Magic Council."

"Why at this time? You won't make it in time for dinner. Why can't I go with you?"

"You are not allowed to enter the council since you are not an S Class, you know it. Don't worry I will be back on time."

"But…"

"Fine! You can come with me. I'm looking for a book and I think a bookworm like you can help me but don't get me into trouble with the council and…"

"and?"

"Ciel obviously."

"I think you are really smart." Lucy sweat dropped as Tsuna revealed his four-wheeler.

"Of course I'm going with my darling. If not, I won't make it in time for dinner and my other darling will… " Tsuna hugged his shoulder crouching in fear. "AS IF!" Lucy jumped up in fright at his sudden change of expression.

"What's wrong with you today?" Lucy asked while trembling. Happy smiled apologetically.

"This is great! It had been a while since I last drove this. All we are riding are trains and carriage which is no kick at all compared to my darling four-wheeler." Tsuna wore his goggle over his eyes and commented. The trio took off to their destination.

Lucy noticed that Tsuna was beaming in confidence on his four-wheeler. She had been wondering why he didn't drive during their missions but she didn't know if she should be mad at his answer.

"Lucy, you should know by now how the strongest team is like. There is one member with a mountain load of luggage, my darling would have been flattened if I couriered them along. And there is another one, who rather rides on the roof of my four-wheeler yelling all the way than sitting comfortably in the backseat".

"So he knew it was Gray who rode on the roof that day." Lucy looked away from him and looked out from the window recalling that day that mission which they almost lost Natsu.

"Natsu…" Lucy remembered how frail looking Natsu had become lying in the hospital in coma breathing from his oxygen mask. Lucy brushed locks of pink hair from his closed eyes and caressed his face. She had confidence that he would be fine considering that his fate had changed. Things would get better. By right, it should be that way.

"Lucy…" Lucy was too distracted on her thought to notice that they had reached their destination to see Tsuna knocking on the window asking her to get off his four-wheeler. They walked down the street when suddenly Happy's stomach growled. And Tsuna's ears didn't let it pass by.

"Let's grab a bite first." Tsuna suggested.

"No, you guys go ahead. I have something I need to do." Lucy walked away. "I have to do some preparation after all. I'm not an S Class mage, they won't let me in easily."

Tsuna and Happy's jaw dropped when Lucy appeared in front of them in maid costume.

"How do I look?" Lucy asked while posing. Tsuna stopped eating. He could not believe his eyes he would be able to see Lucy in a maid costume. Ciel would just not wear that for a performance in their school festival back in their school days. If he was to ask her to wear that now, he would be killed.

"I say, Lucy… you don't need to wear that. I didn't say we are going by the main entrance." Tsuna was up to something.

"What?!"

Lucy landed on the balcony with Happy. "I don't think you need to do that for me. You are an S Class mage, you don't have to sneak in here". She commented.

"We are here to be a ninja! Nin! Nin!"

"Nin! Nin!" Happy mirrored Tsuna's action.

"Since when did you become so playful?"

Tsuna decided to be honest to her. "Why do you think I have Happy who is not an S Class to come along with me? I'm looking for a book which can't be borrowed so we are..."

"What?!"

"Shh! Don't raise your voice." Tsuna covered her mouth frantically. It was a book by his late mother. He wanted to take it back.

"Daybreak right? Leave it to me." Lucy gave Tsuna her thumb up after Tsuna whispered the title to her.

As expected from the library of the Magic Council, there were just too many books. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Lucy looked down at Tsuna who was looking intently for the book. She recalled the request from someone who disappeared right after the mission of Nirvana. She almost reported him to Erza but he had something important to ask of her.

*Flashback*

"Tsuna will certainly find that book. I'm hoping you can get a good look of the content before he gets his hand on it."

*End Flashback*

"I found it!" Tsuna grinned and showed Lucy and Happy the book. Lucy blinked. "Oh great!" Seemed that she failed her mission.

"What are you doing here! This area is restricted." The trio turned their heads to the direction the voice came from. There was a short ugly man together with a pair of brothers who were the opposite of their heights. They were the guards of the library.

"Lucy and Happy take the book and leave! I will catch up with you shortly". Tsuna cracked his knuckles. He was prepared to take them on and make it a quick one.

"To think luck is on my side." Lucy ran with Happy flying by her side as they headed to somewhere safe where Lucy could read the book.

"Happy, meet up with Tsuna and lead him here once he is done. I will be fine on my own."

"Alright. Be careful."With that, Happy took off.

Lucy sat down and put on her Gale-Force Reading Glasses. She flipped through the book.

"This is? Zeref? What is this? Jellal is right. This is completely different from what was rumoured."

*Flashback*

Lucy actually met up with Jellal who came back to Magnolia abruptly to her surprise. He came to look for her specially.

"I realise I had been underestimating Tsuna. He is not that simple. I don't know how much he knows about Zeref, I don't know what his next step will be once he gets to the truth. Before that happens, I will need your help to keep a look out for him and keep me posted".

*End Flashback*

"What are you planning Tsuna?"

Jellal was walking down the rowdy street deep in his thought. He was shocked at how much he had been underestimating the Dragion twins by taking them in as his disciples. If it was not that he had overheard the conversation between Makarov and the pink-haired healer, Porlyusica while picking up his apples supply, he would not have known that Natsu and Tsuna were the offspring of one of the three famous Clan of mages, which were wiped out nine years ago, the Dragneel Clan. His apple dropped when Makarov revealed the fact what Zeref actually was.

Jellal waited until Makarov left. The old healer was surprised that he was outside all along, and scolded him for coming without informing her. Jellal decided to confront the old lady to confirm what he had heard.

*Flashback*

"You heard us. This was supposed to be a secret between me, Makarov and the kid, Tsuna. I guessed I'm not able to take this secret to the grave after all. Zeref is not a person's name. It was a name of a kind of lost magic which has its own consciousness. If the user is unable to control it, he will end up under the control of the magic instead." Porlyusica looked down on the ground as she continued. "Vessel is just a term to address the user. It must be fated that that kid Natsu came in contact with this magic twice".

*End Flashback*

"And so Tsuna in order to protect themselves, he changed their family name". Jellal took a bite out of an apple. All these linked up to why he was targeted and cloned. Cloning him was just a stepping stone to clone the Zeref, which was in turn being transplanted in a body of a mage with zero magic power, where Natsu came into the picture.

*Flashback*

Jellal listened attentively to Porlyusica. "Not everyone can handle the immense power of the magic. Natsu is Elie Dragneel's son and naturally he is able to take it and more importantly…"

*End Flashback*

"Zeref is a dark magic the Dragneel Clan was responsible to seal and guard." Lucy read out.