All rights to Hiro Mashima

~ Eighteenth ~

-Lucy-

Well, this was unexpected. And I can see this situation going downhill pretty fast. Gildarts is not known for his 'child rearing skills' even though he partially raised Natsu when he was around in Magnolia, and we all know how that turned out. His experience with his own kid had only come around recently and you can sometimes see a dumbfounded look cross his features when he looks at Cana, like he was still unsure of whether or not she truly was his daughter.

Gildarts squatted down near the small child that looked no older than five years old. "Hello Sweetie! Is your daddy home?" He gives her a true genuine smile and the child giggles a little and nods her head, one hand still on the door knob, the other clutching a small stuffed animal.

Can I just say that I am completely blown away? Who knew the philandering, drunk, half-alive mage was actually good with kids?

What a mysterious guy. I always assumed that he was terrible at it seeing how Natsu turned out. I guess it's just Natsu's weirdness shining though, as always.

A voice sounded from within the quaint house. "Celia! How many times have I told you not to open the door for strangers? Go play in your room sweetie." I know that voice! I look over at Erza and Gray for confirmation and I can see recognition shining in their eyes.

Kageyama turned towards Gildarts. "What can I help you with?"

Erza then stepped around Gildarts' impressively large body and stood to the right of the door. "Kageyama."

The man's face completely drained of blood as his eyes went wide and sweat started to bead on his upper lip. Kageyama hadn't changed much, though he had a small beard and the malicious glint in his eyes had disappeared completely.

It looked like what Captain stick-up-his-ass said was true. He turned his life around.

"T-titania! What are you doing here!?" Kageyama stuttered out. He looked terrified, like a deer that was caught mid stride and about to bolt as fast as he can. I need to diffuse the situation.

Everything has changed, there is a child involved now.

Quickly striding up to the panicking shadow wizard I say in a low voice, "Kage, I know the last time we met was under difficult circumstances, but we are here to ask for your help. We have the place surrounded, mages at every exit, please, for the sake of your daughter if nothing else let us ask you our question, then we will leave you alone."

At the mention of his daughter, his gaze hardened in determination and he gave a quick nod. "How many people did you bring with you? My house isn't exactly large…"

I gesture at Erza. "It will just be the original team and two more who will be able to ask the most pertinent questions." Erza nods and goes to drag Gray off the roof, seeing as Natsu had stuck to my side like glue when I moved from my post, right hand barely brushing my back as if to steady me and reassure himself that I was still there beside him.

I yell at her retreating back, "Get Levy and Freed. Tell them to bring it with them."

-Natsu-

I scrutinize the man seated at the head of the long table we are all sitting at in his dining room. "So you're Kageyama then eh?"

He gives me a quizzical look. "I know that we only me once nine years ago, but I thought that I would make more of an impression than that. We did fight twice you know…"

"Oh, you did. Natsu is just terribly forgetful most of the time. A bit of an air head rea-." I slap my hand over Happy's mouth to shut him up. He's sitting on the table in front of me, tail curling in annoyance at the man handling.

"Shaddup Happy! It's not my fault I forgot this time." I remove my hand and he just shrugs his blue shoulders and produces a mackerel from out of nowhere and takes a small nibble. "I was just telling the truth…"

I roll my eyes and the stupid puff ball. "Whatever."

Lucy's voice cuts our squabble short and points at me with the hand that isn't currently trapped within my own under the table. I could tell she was agitated when we all sat down. I don't like seeing her in any sort of pain, so I went with my gut instinct and grabbed her hand, rubbing smooth circles over her guild mark. "This is our problem Kageyama…Natsu had his magic removed almost two weeks ago. When that happened his memories went with it by accident."

I can hear pain in her voice. I know this isn't easy for her. At least I don't remember anything from before. What if she has to live with a person who isn't truly her best friend after all this is over? What if the spell that Levy and Freed have been working on doesn't pan out? Would she resent me?

"What does that have to do with me? I don't know anything about memory spells…"

Levy puts down her massive book on the table in front of her, carefully marking the page with a deep green bookmark. "We know you don't." She then reaches into her pocket and produces the purple bag that I know houses the lacrima that holds my magic.

"We need your help dispelling the magical seal that keeps us from accessing the magic in this lacrima." She reveals the bright red sphere, swirling with bright oranges and gold sparks, like a live flame was trapped in glass.

"This lacrima holds Natsu's magic, but it was sealed away by someone within a dark guild. The way that Natsu's abilities work, it also indirectly holds his memories. We have four days left before everything inside starts to break down." Levy places the lacrima on the table and folds her hands under her chin.

Kageyama looks puzzled. "How did this even happen? I have never heard about a spell like that before."

Freed shuffles his notes around and hands one page to Levy to read off of. "It's a very ancient spell and needs an incredible amount of magic to pull off. That's why we have Gildarts here, he has an incredible amount of power and will be able to cast the reversal spell with minimal effort. The original spell, named 'detach', is horrific. It takes many short cuts within its structure, basically a 'quick and dirty' version of a different spell. It's a bastardized version of the incantation that was once used to make Dragon Lacrimas, like the one that Laxus was implanted with."

Well, that's new information, at least to me.

"What we're saying is, we know there is a seal on this lacrima, will you get rid of it for us? Please?" Lucy all but pleads with Kageyama.

I squeeze her hand more, it's not much comfort right now, but hopefully it's something.

Without any hesitation he answers. "Of course I will. Because of you guys and your Master, I turned my life around. I was given a second chance."

All around the room I hear happy little exclamations. I breathe out, not realizing that I had been holding my breath in anticipation. 'He will help us. Thank Mavis.'

Lucy just smiles. "Thank you so much! You have no idea what this means to us. I am so glad that Erza didn't have to smack you!" She gives a happy grin towards the apprehensive man.

We all bow our heads low in thanks to the man who could quite literally save me.

Levy then pushes the lacrima towards Kageyama who just waves away the praise. "It's not a problem. Let's see what I am working with here."

-Sting-

"Where the hell did these guys come from? Yukino! Get behind Rogue and I. Lector, keep her safe you hear me?" Charging up my Roar, I let the laser beam pulse out of my mouth, striking a poison wielding mage coming at me from my left in the face. He doesn't get back up.

This was supposed to be an easy mission. We were just looking into the deaths of the all the natural inhabitants of the forest – monsters and animals alike - to the east of Crocus. Just our luck that we would stumble upon the apparent 'secret dark guild' that has been hiding their base within the dense woodland.

I hear a rustling behind me and I'm too slow to deflect the attack from yet another mage. She strikes me at the bottom of my spine with her boot clad foot, snapping me back into the bushes behind me.

Good thing I am more resilient than most people. That kick hurt. She must use momentum to power her magic. Only explanation on how she could force me off my feet. I am a Dragon Slayer after all.

Getting up again, I blink to try to clear my vision quickly, wary of more surprise attacks.

But none come my way. It seems that the three attackers left are being held down by an invisible force, crushing them into the dirt and rocks littering the hard packed ground where we had been trading blows.

I grin at Yukino who has a golden key outstretched in her hand being flanked by Libra, the Divine Scale spirit.

"Thanks for the save Yuki!" I wink at her and she offers a small smile in return. That girl really has come a long way from the timid push over we knew a couple months ago, the one who was booted out from Sabertooth. He self-respect and confidence have sky rocketed exponentially. When I asked her about it she just mentions Natsu and Lucy from Fairy Tail.

We really do have a lot to thank that guild for.

In quick succession Rogue and I dispatch all but one of the downed men and women groaning on the ground. We tie them up with rope and prop the only conscious mage up so that I am looking into his eyes.

"Thank you Libra that will be all." Yukino bows to her spirit who just nods back and disappears in a shimmer of gold.

"My name is Sting, from the guild Sabertooth, what are you and your guild mates doing out here in the forest?" I look down to see a purple guild mark on his left shoulder. A crescent shape over a six pointed star. "What guild are you even from?" I have never seen this mark before, they must be relatively new.

The kid I'm holding up by the front of his shirt can't be more than sixteen years old. He is definitely scared, I can tell by his trembling. "We are called Rising Moon, and we haven't been around all that long. Only three months or so. I joined last week."

Yah. He's as green as they get. "Kid. Tell us what you are doing out here and we can ask for leniency when we turn you over to the Rune Knights."

The teenager in my hands shakes his head quickly. "NO! I can't tell anyone. He'll find out. He'll find me and my sister. I can't tell you anything. Master Ivan will kill us all. Please…you have to understand…I can't reveal anything at all. I have people depending on me." His panicking pleas seem to strike a chord with Rogue and me, if my partner's normally impassive face is anything to go by.

Rogue is slightly frowning.

That's more than enough for me to keep listening to the kid at least.

"We're sorry, but we must take you to the proper authorities. Please understand, you are from a dark guild and must be dealt with accordingly. We will be taking all of you mages in." Rogue doesn't have the best bed side matter, but he doesn't mince words.

The boys mouth trembles, keeping his obvious tears at bay, and he gives a jerky nod. "I know. Do what you need to do. I did the same…and I understand."

"Please, tell us your name, and your sisters as well. Maybe we can help." Yukino steps up to our level and lays a cool hand on my shoulder.

"My name is Jackson…and my sister's name is Aurora. Her magic is very rare and highly sought after. It's called Serenity. If you can help…please. I know I am too far gone, but she's innocent. I've tried my hardest to keep her from all this."

My eyes soften and I know our group can sympathize with this boy. Hard guild masters and the will to protect the people closest to us are not unknown to us. Those memories will be engrained in our minds for years to come.

I look down at the kid. "I'm sorry Jackson. If we come across Aurora, we will bring her with us to Sabertooth. When you get out of jail…come to us first, just in case."

A small smile passes over his tired features. "Thank you."

He slumps to the ground unconscious, his emotional and magical stamina depleted.

I look to my companions. "So this was a branch of the guild that Ivan created eh? Not a very powerful one, there must have been some reason that they were here in this forest specifically."

"Sting…I think it is high time that we make a journey to Fairy Tail. Obviously there are many things that they might know that will come in handy with the searches. And they might tell us why these small dark guilds are popping out of now where all of a sudden." Rogue bends down and grasps a couple dark mages under the armpits and heft them over his shoulders. I do the same with the last two, making sure that at least Jackson is somewhat comfortable.

"What about the rest of the guild? I know this was only a scouting party."

"We will tell the Rune Knights about the guild and its location. We have more important things to worry about at the moment." I nod at Rogue's suggestion, even though he can't see me.

What a shitty life, looking after your sister, trying to keep her pure only to wind up in a dark guild to make ends meet. Hopefully we can do something for him and his sister, if we ever find her in our travels.

"Sting…" I look over at Yuki. "I believe that people will start to come after me. You remember the warning that Master Markarov gave us a couple days ago?"

I grimace as I watch her turn and follow Rogue out of the dense trees, Froshe and Lector in her arms, platinum hair shifting in the slight breeze. "Yah, Yuki, I remember. I think that's one of the biggest reasons we should go to Fairy Tail. If you and Lucy are together with a bunch of big bad Dragon Slayers around, hopefully we can sniff out anything bad before it happens."

I smirk a bit at the thought of going to the Fairies guild hall. "You know…I wouldn't mind having a rematch with Natsu and Gajeel too. I know Rogue would be up for it."

I can almost hear the pout on her face. "Of course you would Sting. Let's get going, it's a long train ride to Magnolia. Hopefully you and Rogue can survive it."