Clearing: Evening…

Six weeks in, and the clearing was a wreck as Kakashi pushed himself to his preconceived limits. He wanted to regain a semblance of the strength he had prior to Earth Land with Kuroma being a powerful motivator. As the days wore on, Kakashi did locate a waterfall.

There he could get rid of all the mud, dirt, and sweat he accumulated through training. Currently, he had just finished getting as clean as possible before cooking a dinner of fish and a stone bowl of vegetables. The vegetables came from what he found to be an abandoned farm nearby.

Besides the steady supply of vegetables, he almost always had meat; whether it was fish from the river or game hunted out in the woods. There were even a few times Kakashi brought down a bear. It's a great meal provided you know how to cook it.

As his meal was cooking, Kakashi looked at the night sky above. "At this point, I've gained everything I can from this training, so I should probably head on back to Magnolia tomorrow."

Magnolia: Kakashi's Apartment, Next Day…

The first thing Kakashi did upon returning to the city was fix his outfit situation. Six weeks of hard training did a number on his outfit, and he didn't want to go all the way through Magnolia in clothes that smelled like his did. A waterfall could only do so much.

Once he was in a clean, no sleeved black shirt with matching pants, he made the rest of the trip back to his apartment. Upon entering, he froze because it was trashed. There was food and rubbish everywhere, and the perpetrators were none other than Natsu, Romeo, and Happy.

"There you are Kakashi." Natsu smiled. "I was wondering when you'd be back."

"Yeah, we've been waiting for you." Romeo added. "Though, it wasn't that bad with how cool this place is."

"Aye!" Happy chirped in agreement.

Kakashi was in utter disbelief at the state of his apartment but was already thinking about what he needed to do. The Copy Mage moved through his place, without saying a word, as he confirmed he had clean clothes and that his bathroom was clean.

This gave Kakashi his current plan of action. "An actual shower first, get in contact with a cleaning crew, and deal with these three."

With that settled, the Copy Mage collected an outfit, entered the bathroom, and slammed the door shut.

Happy looked at Natsu. "What's his problem?"

"I don't know, but I'm starting to feel hungry again." Natsu smiled. "Want to go get some of our fish out of his fridge, buddy?"

"Aye!" Happy replied.

Fairy Tail Guildhall: Later…

Kakashi sat at the bar eating lunch while Natsu, Happy, and Romeo were tied up nearby staring at the food with drool coming from their mouths.

"Kakashi, I don't mean to pry, and it is good to see you again, but why are Happy, Natsu, and Romeo tied up?" Mira asked.

"I say we don't question it, Mira." Gray called out from a nearby table with a glass raised. "In my opinion, the fire clown needs to learn how to chill."

Natsu struggled against the rope as he rose to Gray's words. "You want to come over here and say that, you pervy flasher?"

Gray just smirked. "Nah, I think I'm cool being free over here."

"Maybe a little to free, Gray." Cana commented. "Where are your clothes?"

Gray freaked out upon realizing he was only in his boxers.

"These three were in my home upon my return, and they trashed the place." Kakashi closed his eyes. "Now, they're bound until I think they've learned their lesson."

"I see." Mira smiled and walked off. "Carry on then."

"Wait Mira!" Natsu continued to struggle until he fell to his stomach. "Please untie me."

"Honestly, I can see where he's coming from." Romeo admitted as he looked back on it. "We did leave quite the mess."

"Speak for yourselves!" Happy shouted. "I'm just an innocent cat in all of this!"

"Need I remind you that I saw fish bones scattered about?" Kakashi questioned. "If that's not enough, you were right there with Natsu and Romeo."

Happy just sighed. "This is cruel and unusual punishment."

"Believe you and I, Happy…" Kakashi gave the cat a menacing smile since he decided to forgo the mask. "…this is tame compared to the ways I could punish you." He was radiating magic. "I suggest you learn your lesson now."

Happy, Natsu, and Romeo all gulped at that and shook. If they didn't get the lesson before, they sure did now. Never ruin Kakashi's living space. The Mage knew they had finally learned, but before he could free them, Loke came running into the guildhall seeming panicked.

"I have bad news!" Loke shouted. "It's Erza! She's back!"

Kakashi observed that this news made everyone in the guildhall freak out. Even Natsu and Gray. While he would have asked the master if he weren't at some Guild Master meeting, he did have the next best option in Mira who'd made her way over to him.

"People sure seem to take note of this Erza person." Kakashi commented before drinking down some water. "I've read about her, but I believe I'm missing something."

"Erza is the most powerful woman in Fairy Tail." Mira explained. "She's also one of seven S Ranked Wizards within the guild."

"Interesting." Kakashi commented.

Everyone heard a single set of metal boots gradually growing louder as they made their way towards the guild. As a result, they were all rather silent as even the air seemed to have silenced itself for her arrival. When she finally entered the guildhall, Kakashi was intrigued.

The person did not match the image he had conjured in his mind, but she was someone blessed with beauty. Although that wasn't as surprising as one may think considering the other female Wizards of the guild.

Regardless, Erza seemed rather normal if you didn't account for the rather large, decorated horn she carried single handedly. She was a young woman with long, scarlet hair, brown eyes, and a slender figure. Her attire was a set of armor, blue skirt, and black boots.

"I have returned." Erza had put the massive horn down. "Where is Master Makarov?"

"I'm sorry Erza, but the master is currently away at a conference." Mira explained.

"I see." Erza stated. "Then, my second question is where can I find one of our new Wizards, Kakashi Hatake?"

Kakashi stood. "That would be me."

"I see." Erza studied him before speaking. "Rumors have gotten out about you. Since they concern the guild, I want to hear the truth. Tell me, what happened to Macao?"

"It's rather unfortunate…" Kakashi related the entire tale from him, Natsu, Happy, and Lucy setting out to find the lost Mage to their run in with Kuroma. "…In my lifetime, I've only met a handful of people that could have inspired that level of fear in me."

"I see." Erza closed her eyes. "It is rather unfortunate. Macao was a Wizard with many problems, but he was Fairy Tail regardless. I suppose I will need to keep my ears open for anything on this Kuroma Tatsushiro."

To practically everyone, Erza seemed as calm as ever. Kakashi would admit that she could even fool 90% of the Shinobi back home, but that rare 10%, like Kakashi, could see that this girl was no stranger to sadness. Kakashi had just met her, so it wasn't his place to speak.

"Thanks, Erza." Romeo spoke up. "It means a lot that you'll be searching for my father."

"Well, it is only natural." Erza walked away from Kakashi. "Now then, I will not let Macao's disappearance stop me from doing what must be done. Beyond the rumors of one of our latest recruits, I heard about many of you." She looked at Cana who was drinking from a barrel.

"Cana, you need to start controlling your drinking." She then looked at a tall man, in Native American garb, at the Request Board. "Nab, I thought I'd find you in front of the Request Board. Just pick a job already. Now, are Natsu and Gray here?"

Gray stood up while shaking. "I'm right here and Natsu's been tied up over there."

Funny enough, she didn't comment on the ropes even once when she looked at Romeo, and Erza didn't say a word when she looked at Natsu either.

"Aye!" Natsu chirped like Happy.

"I am pleased that you two are both here." Erza stated. "It makes what I'm about to ask easy. Natsu, Gray, and Kakashi, I need you three to do me a favor." All three of them looked at her. "While traveling, I overheard something that has me worried.

Normally, I'd consult with the master before acting; however, he's not here, and this matter is of the upmost urgency. The three of you, if even half of what I heard about Kakashi is true, are the strongest Wizards here, so I could use your help. We'll meet at the train station tomorrow."

Natsu and Gray shared a look while Kakashi did the same with Romeo.

"Erza, Natsu, and Gray working together." Mira stated. "Throw in Kakashi's potential, and you may just have the strongest team in all of Fairy Tail!"

Magnolia Train Station, Next Day…

Kakashi, Romeo, and Happy all sat on a bench off to the side while Natsu and Gray were back to their usual thing.

"I hate this!" Natsu shouted angrily. "Teaming up with you is the worst thing ever."

"Tell me about it." Gray stated. "Erza made a huge mistake asking you to come along."

"You know, those two may act like Naruto and Sasuke, but it's nice to see Gray actually fight with Natsu rather than mostly ignore him." Kakashi nodded content. "I think that's another good sign their bond is strong."

"Hey Kakashi, are you sure I should be here?" Romeo asked while scratching his face. "I know I've grown stronger, but I think there are others superior to me. In fact, do you even need me at all? Erza didn't invite me."

"You shouldn't think that way." Kakashi stated nonchalantly. "From what I've heard, you trained with Natsu these past weeks, so that should make you strong enough. Plus, training only gets one so far without experience behind it."

"Aye." Happy agreed. "Plus, Natsu wants you here as well."

"Thanks guys." Romeo nodded. "I promise I won't let you down."

"Sorry I'm late." Erza announced as she arrived. "Have you been waiting long?"

Everyone turned to see that Erza had brought a rather large cart full of luggage with her.

"That seems a little excessive." Kakashi shrugged. "Then again, this is a job and not a mission."

Suddenly, Natsu and Gray were acting like good friends.

"It's time to go good buddy." Gray announced.

"Aye." Natsu chirped.

"Good, I love to see the two of you getting along." Erza then turned to the bench and focused on Romeo. "Oh Romeo, you wish to come along?"

"That's right." Romeo gulped. "My dad is still out there, and I want to be ready to rescue him when the time comes. That's why I'm glad Kakashi invited me because I need more experience as a true Wizard. I want the mark I wear to mean something."

"I see." Erza nodded. "I have heard you've learned a Lost Magic known as Earth God Slayer Magic. If you are careful, I see no problem with bringing you along. Just make sure to heed the words of your elders."

"You won't hear me complaining ma'am." Romeo was glad she wasn't turning him away. "I promise I'll listen to any orders you all give me."

"Hey Erza." Natsu decided to speak up. "I'll come with but under one condition."

Gray put a hand on his shoulder. "Shut up."

Erza turned to him. "Oh, well let's hear it."

"I want a rematch when we get back to Fairy Tail." Natsu stated firmly. "I'm a lot stronger than the last time we fought, so this time will be different because I will win."

"I can tell you've improved." Erza stated. "As to whether you can beat me… I suppose we'll have to see. I accept your challenge."

Natsu was excited. "Oh yeah, I'm fired up!"

Onboard the Train

The group was underway, and Natsu was suffering from motion sickness.

Erza decided to 'help' the Dragon Slayer by knocking him out. "That should make the journey easier on him." She simply nodded. "With his inconvenience taken care of, I believe it's time I speak about why I've asked you to accompany me on this job."

"Considering you are one of the Wizards of the highest rank within Fairy Tail, I assumed it was a job of note." Kakashi stated.

"It may just be." Erza stated. "I have reason to believe that Eisenwald and Sound's Desire are planning something big."

"Sound's Desire?" Kakashi questioned.

Erza asked, "Does that name strike a chord with you, Kakashi?"

"It might." Kakashi replied. "Back in my world, there was a Village Hidden in the Sound, and it was created by a rogue Leaf Shinobi, Orochimaru of the Sanin. He was one of three powerful Shinobi, during my time, from our village."

"You suspect he may have something to do with Sound's Desire?" Erza questioned.

"Given the state of the world, it is a possibility I am unwilling to ignore." Kakashi shook his head. "In the end, we have no information to prove or disprove this point."

"It is true that a guild by that name is rather mysterious." Erza stated. "At this point, all anyone knows for certain is that they are a Dark Guild that seems to have allied themselves with Eisenwald for the time being. What's more, I overheard 'Lullaby' and 'Hephaestus'."

"Lullaby?" Romeo questioned.

"Hephaestus?" Gray asked.

Eisenwald

In a cloud covered, desolate forest there sat a stone wall surrounding a stone guildhall with blue roofing. Three men of varying ages currently stood in the courtyard of the guildhall with each bearing a head band with the sound note mark engraved on it.

The first of these men was the oldest with medium long, light purple hair in a ponytail and large light blue irises. He wore a pair of white pants, long sleeved light blue shirt, and a sleeveless dark purple waist coat with combat sandals. His headband was on his right arm.

The second was in his late 20's with medium length green hair and dark blue irises. He wore a one-piece, sleeveless attire which was dark blue and gray. An umbrella was on his back, the handle of a sword sat on a belt around his waist, and he wore his headband around his left leg.

The last of them was the youngest in his mid 20's with white shoulder-length hair and green eyes. His build was much more muscular and well defined than his companions. He wore a grey tunic with matching pants, was barefoot, and had his head band on his forehead.

"I don't know what Lord Orochimaru is thinking by working with these amateurs." The green haired guy stated. "In my opinion, he already has all the power he needs."

"That is where you are misguided Aoi." The oldest retorted. "After your loss to two Genin in your last life, I'm sure you can understand the importance of teamwork. At the very least, understand that cooperation is better than war."

"You're one to talk Akahoshi." Aoi grumbled. "I seem to recall you met a similar end to mine."

"Perhaps we did die in a similar way." Akahoshi showed his comrade a maniacal smile. "Do not think us equals in this life. Thanks to Lord Orochimaru, I have the strength I craved." His chest glowed purple. "That strength is why I rank above you."

"You want to try me, old man?" Aoi put his hand on the blade at his side and the other on his umbrella. "I learned my lesson from my death, and my strength is at an all-time high. Do not think me one to shy away from you like the grunts."

The last of the three stepped between them holding out his hands. "I outrank the both of you and was put in charge of this mission for a reason. If you insist on continuing this incessant bickering, I will exercise my right to leave you both dead in a ditch. Am I clear?"

Akahoshi's chest stopped glowing and Aoi removed his hands from his weapons before both men stepped back. "Understood Mizuki."

"You three don't appear to be on the same page." A new voice stated. "Hopefully, I am not making a mistake by allying our guilds."

The new guy was an extremely tall, mildly muscular man with silver hair pointing upwards in spiky strands. His eyes are dark, he has an elongated face with sharp features, and somewhat pointed ears. This man was bare-chested with all his tattoos visible.

His lower body was covered by a long, worn skirt below a darker, shorter cloth held up by a belt. He has a black scarf wrapped around his thin neck with its edges hanging on his back and traditional geta sandals on his feet. He carried a scythe with his black glove covered hands.

Mizuki held up his hand to silence his comrades as he stepped forward. "My associates leave much to be desired in terms of personality, but they will not slow us down."

"I would hope not." The new figure stated as more members of his guild came out to the courtyard. "It took much convincing from your guild leader that we even need the power of a god when we will already have a demon."

"The legends of Lullaby aren't being underestimated, but to only have that won't be enough." Mizuki stated. "With the powers of a god, no one will stop us."

"We shall see." The new man stated. "Just remember, your plan needs to go off before the end of the guild masters' meeting in Clover Town." He turned and walked past his guildmates. "We will not miss the chance to end them."

Train

"The names Lullaby and Hephaestus." Kakashi shook his head. "I am unfamiliar with those names even through the countless books I've already read. What do you think this means Erza?"

"I am uncertain, but at least allow me to explain from the beginning." Erza stated. "I was coming home from my latest job and decided to stop in Onibus. There's a particular pub there that I knew was a popular place for Wizards."

Erza's Flashback: Onibus Pub

Erza was sitting at the bar when she overheard a Wizard at another table. "Come on, hurry it up bar tender!"

"Hey, relax a little." Another voice stated.

Erza glanced at the table to see a group of Wizards. While most of them were rather unimpressive, two of them caught her attention. The first was a young man with bandages covering most of his face leaving only his left eye uncovered.

He wore a large poncho with long sleeves, a snake patterned scarf around his neck, a straw raincoat protruding from the back of his scarf, and large amplifiers on his arms. He seemed to have hunched himself to mask his true height.

The second was a young man of average height and weight with black eyes and hair which he ties in a short, spiky ponytail. He wore a white shirt with a high collar, a dark red undershirt, pair of aquamarine pants, black shoes, and small black earrings in each ear.

"How am I supposed to do that?" One of the mages asked. "We finally found where Lullaby is and Hephaestus sleeps; however, we can't do anything about either. One because of some seal and the other because of some test."

"Keep it down man." Another mage stated.

"Don't worry about Hephaestus." The hunched over guy stated. "I will extract his statue myself."

"As for Lullaby, don't sweat it guys." The black-haired Wizard stood. "I can handle it. The rest of you just need to head back to the guild."

"Are you sure you two wouldn't like more back up?"

"Don't worry." Black hair stated. "I'll be back with Lullaby in three days. Just let Erigor know."

"I shall match that to join up with him." The hunched individual added. "When together, we should be enough."

Train: Present

"That description you gave matches a Shinobi who once worked for Orochimaru." Kakashi stated. "Dosu Kinuta. I didn't see him in action myself at the time, but my team told me of their run in with him."

"Really?" Romeo asked. "What was he like?"

"His powers then paled in comparison to most of the Jonin in the Leaf, but don't let that lull you into a false sense of security. I did only mention most as I believe, given what I've heard, he could have bested some of our lower Jonin if push came to shove." Kakashi explained.

"If Orochimaru is his leader again, and he's retained his memories like Minato, I doubt he'd let this Dosu rest on his previous power." Gray stated. "Even if he may not be the same Dosu from before."

"That's only the beginning of our problems." Erza informed. "I was a fool that day for not recognizing the name they spoke. Erigor is the ace of Eisnwald. He only accepts assassination requests which is why he's gained the tittle 'The Reaper'."

"This guy kills for money?" Romeo questioned.

"When the council outlawed assassination, Eisenwald determined that money was more important than the council's ruling. As a result, they were kicked out of the Wizard leagues six years ago and ordered to disband, but they defied those orders and have remained active."

All this talk of powerful Wizards with so much history behind them was really starting to get to Romeo. Why wouldn't it? He was just a few months into his 12th year of life, and only really saw boons in his magic in the past month and a half.

"Maybe I shouldn't have come…" Romeo began to think.

"Eww, Romeo's all slimy." Happy commented.

"Slimy?" Romeo realized he had started to sweat. "No. No! NO! This isn't how a Fairy Tail Wizard thinks. It's not how Natsu thinks, and it's not how my dad would have thought. I want to become a stronger Wizard, and I can't do that with training alone.

I need experiences like this, or I'll never be strong enough to help rescue my dad. If I chicken out, I might as well give up now. Bottom line, I can't let my fear overcome me. I can't lose myself. If I can't face these guys, there's no way I could face Kuroma Tatsushiro."

Erza ended up hitting her fist against Natsu head as she seemed distressed. "How could I have been so careless? If only I had recognized Erigor's name that day, I could have forced them to reveal their scheme to me."

"You may have made a mistake, but it was an unintentional one." Kakashi stated. "You weren't on a quest to dig this information up, and you managed to bring it back to the guild. If you were a Shinobi, you'd receive a good amount of praise for your actions."

"Is that really how it'd work?" Gray asked.

"I can say with confidence that it would work like that in the Leaf Village, but it may not fly elsewhere." Kakashi stated. "Still, intel cannot be underestimated. While it would be nice to know what they're up to, it's not too late to find out."

"I suppose what you say does make sense." Erza bowed her head. "I may have acted a little to rashly, so please hit me for not controlling my emotions better."

"I'm not going to hit you." Kakashi shook his head. "If I hit a teammate for every mistake they made, I'm certain Naruto would have been in the hospital. Mistakes are something everyone makes."

"Mistakes are something everyone makes, huh?" Erza thought on that line.

Kakashi pulled out one of his Icha Icha books. "Anyways, I believe it's high time I get some reading done."

Happy took great interest in this and climbed onto the Copy Mage trying to get a look at it. "Kakashi, what are you reading?"

"It's literature not really meant for the young." Kakashi nonchalantly replied.

Happy persisted and eventually got a good look at one of the pages making his eyes go wide and white. "Ahhh!" He fell back onto the seat. "Kakashi's reading a dirty novel!"

Gray slightly blushed from embarrassment, Romeo recoiled, and Erza stared from Kakashi to the book in his hands.

"I tend to prefer the term adult novel." Kakashi retorted.

"How can you read something like that in public?" Gray asked shocked.

"Hm, does this bother you?" Kakashi questioned. "I thought you would be the most accepting considering your habit."

The Ice Make Mage looked to Erza since she was usually the voice of reason around the guild and punished those with habits like this. Surely, she'd do something. While she would do something, it was what no one there expected.

Erza eventually leaned forward and spoke with a rather surprising amount of tenderness. "Excuse me Kakashi but may I see that book?" The Copy Mage glanced up at her with a rather dubious expression. "I promise I'm not going to destroy it."

That had been Kakashi's initial thought considering what he knew about her, but the amor wearing fairy was conveying, in every way possible, that she had no intention of doing that.

This left Kakashi with only one possibility which made him smile. "You read these kinds of books as well, don't you?"

"N-no!" Erza legitimately blushed completely blowing the minds of Happy, Gray, and Romeo. "Of course, I do not! I simply… want something to pass the time."

Kakashi was glad to have found someone who was into books like this without being too perverse about it. Other than her denying it, Erza seemed rather normal as well. That was a step up from most readers.

"I'm not against sharing my books as long as you take good care of them." He pulled out another book which had an orange cover. "This is the first one in the series." He passed it to Erza. "I leave it in your hands. Enjoy."

"How many of those books do you have?" Romeo asked.

"On me?" Kakashi questioned. "Just the first three. Would you like to read one? I'll admit you're a little young, but…"

"No thanks!" Romeo quickly shouted. "I'm perfectly content never laying my eyes on them beyond the cover."

Gray glanced at Erza. "I can't believe she likes that genre."

Train

The train came to a stop and most of the group moved to exit. In their rush to start the search, they had forgotten Natsu who was still passed out on the seat. As Kakashi pulled up the rear, he noticed a seemingly familiar person in the next train car.

This person looked exactly as Erza described which immediately made the Copy Mage think of a Nara Clan member. The figure was watching him before walking the other away. Kakashi noticed his current team was out of sight as the door closed.

"Sorry guys." The train started to move. "Looks like I haven't reached the end of the line."

Onibus Station

Erza, Gray, Romeo, and Happy, sitting on Erza's luggage as she pulled it, walked along the station platform.

Gray looked at Erza. "So, you think Sound's Desire or Eisenwald will still be in town?"

"I have no idea." Erza stated. "That's what we're here to find out."

"If they are here, we'll put a stop to whatever illegal activities they're getting up to." Romeo declared with determination.

"Hold on." Happy spoke up. "Where's Natsu and Kakashi?" He got off the luggage and looked back at the train. "Oh, I guess they're already gone."

"Oh no, I got to invested in that book of Kakashi's." Erza clenched her fist. "I hadn't noticed that Natsu was left on the train."

"Kakashi probably noticed we left him behind, went back to get him, and ended up catching a ride himself." Romeo added.

"This is all my fault." Erza stated. "One of you must hit me for my penance."

"I think that might be a little too much." Gray stated. "Remember what Kakashi said? Everyone makes mistakes."

Train

Natsu was indeed still sat in the seat of the train, feeling utterly miserable, as the black-haired guy and hunched guy from Erza's story walked into the train car.

"Look at what we have here Dosu?" The black-haired guy replied. "It's a Fairy Tail Wizard."

Dosu noticed that the Eisenwald Wizard was going to approach him, so he grabbed the guy's sleeve. "Remember the end goal Kageyama. We need him alive."

"Relax, I know my limits." Kageyama smiled as he pulled away and approached Natsu. "Hey, how has guild life been treating you these days? Is it worth sticking around?"

"What?" Natsu questioned.

He was met with Kageyama's shoe to the face. "Don't go acting all high and mighty just because you're in a legal guild, Mr. Fairy." His face had lost all politeness. "You guys just blindly follow the Magic Council."

At that moment, Kakashi Body Flickered to Natsu's side and grabbed Kageyama's leg with his left hand applying a rather substantial amount of pressure. At first, the Eisenwald Mage had been shocked, but he was soon yelling in pain.

"According to the real Dosu, that's Kakashi Hatake." Dosu stepped back. "Of all Shinobi I pictured running into, I didn't think he'd be a Fairy Tail Wizard."

Natsu had been about to move before another bout of sickness washed over him. "I was just about to show this guy what for, but you can handle it Kakashi."

"Just who are you pal?" Kageyama winced and grunted under Kakashi's hold. "I don't recall hearing much on a silver haired mage of Fairy Tail."

"I am Kakashi Hatake, and you are someone who had their foot on my guildmate." He shoved Kageyama's leg sending him crashing to Dosu's feet. "I also know who you two are, so you're about to answer my questions."

"Really, wise guy?" Kageyama stood. "You may have gotten the jump on me, but I don't have to do anything you say."

"Kageyama, this guy isn't a common threat." Dosu informed. "Keep your emotions in check."

Suddenly, the train came to a screeching halt sending everyone to the ground. As a result, Kakashi and Natsu saw two objects fall out of Kageyama and Dosu's clothing. A wooden, demonic looking flute and a red stone carving of a muscular man with a large hammer.

"The train stopped." Natsu declared happily.

"Are those the items related to Lullaby and Hephaestus?" Kakashi pondered. "Regardless, I should move to recover them."

"You saw them." Kageyama declared.

"That's enough." Natsu banged his fist together. "Now that I can move, it's payback time."

He launched forward with fire covered fist while Dosu moved to meet him causing the metal on his arm to acquire a purple magic circle. Sound met fire in an impressive explosion pushing Kakashi and Kageyama back. It even managed to destroy a large portion of the train car.

In the end, both pairs ended up on opposite ends of the train car as a voice came over the speaker. "Attention passengers, our emergency stop was a false alarm. We will be underway shortly."

"Oh crap, we got to go Kakashi!" Natsu shouted as he moved to collect his bag.

"Hold it right there!" Kageyama shouted. "I'm not letting…"

"They're leaving, so let them go." Dosu whispered. "We have our jobs to complete."

The train was just starting to move prompting Natsu to grab Kakashi by the wrist.

"Natsu, wait!" Kakashi tried.

The slayer was far too concerned with his oncoming motion sickness to listen, so he jumped out the window with Kakashi. Fortunately, the rest of their team were driving a magic mobile. Unfortunately for Gray, he was on the roof resulting in Kakashi and Natsu crashing into him.

Erza stopped the car allowing the three male Wizards to fall off. "Natsu and Kakashi, are you both alright?"

"Aye!" Natsu answered.

Kakashi was seeing stars. "I've been better."

Side of the Tracks

The male Wizards eventually recovered.

"That really hurt you two!" Gray wasn't pleased. "I'm betting it was your dumb idea to jump out like that, right fire breath?"

"Shut up, icy freak!" Natsu yelled angrily. "You four left me on that train with only Kakashi actually coming back for me."

That wasn't exactly what happened, but Kakashi wasn't going to correct him on this one.

"I'm just glad you weren't both badly injured." Erza stated. "I apologize for leaving you behind."

"We're alright, but even if we weren't, that's not the main concern." Kakashi stated. "As we speak, those Wizards Erza mentioned are getting away. I'm not certain, but Natsu and I saw two objects fall from their person when the train stopped."

"You think they may have something to do with Lullaby and Hephaestus?" Erza immediately looked at him. "Why didn't you take them?"

"I was trying to, but a lot happen all at once." Kakashi stated. "Bottom line, we need to follow these tracks and catch up with them immediately. I'm certain those objects either are or have something to do with what those guilds are after."

Practically everyone ran to the magic mobile, but Natsu was lost. "Guys, what are you talking about?"

"I'll explain everything on the way Natsu, but we got to get moving." Romeo started pushing the Dragon Slayer to the car. "We can't let them get away."