Sorry this took longer than usual guys, I've been having trouble sleeping and I'm finding it hard to write :/

But here it is all the same :) Sorry if it's not as good as normal, my brain isn't fully functioning lately :L

Well enjoy x :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail (It's magic is credit to the amazing Hiro Mashima), only the my ideas and love for the show.

Chapter 15

The Spirits

Natsu P.O.V

"Lucy, come on," I encourage her, wrapping my arm around her waist and lifting her up. She gasps and her ankle gives way again, causing her to fall into me. I brace myself and take weight, before pulling her closer and grabbing her arm, swinging it over my kneck. "Lisanna, are we almost there? Lucy can't take much more of this."

We've been in the forest for almost three hours now, continuously walking. A while back, Lucy tripped and twisted her ankle. She said she was fine, but wor the rest of the journey I could see the pain flash across her face. When she feel a few minutes ago, I knew she had definitly been lying. Lisanna turns to us and makes a face.

"Yes, calm down, Natsu," she says, hands on hips. "I'm doing my best. I ran to you in a panic so I didn't exactly get an idea a bout where I was going."

"Okay, okay," I say, grimacing. "Just hurry up before Lucy collapses." I only get a turned back and a grumble in return.

"I'll be fine, Natsu," Lucy whispers, her head on my shoulder. She leans heavily against me and I can feel her breathing in heavily. "Lets just keep moving."

"Okay, just tell me when you need a rest," I say, beginning to walk, towing her with me. She nods and focuses on walking. The forests closes around us once again.

Erza P.O.V

"What do you mean Lisanna sent you?" Jellal asks, staring at Gray in confusion. Juvia hovers behind him, her blue eyes scared.

"Exactly that, Jellal," Gray answers, looking worried. "Lisanna came bursting into the clearing we where in, shouting about how I had to go help Erza, along with Juvia. Then she told Natsu and Lucy to follow her. She looked pretty paniced so I didn't say anything. I just grabbed Juvia and ran for you guys."

"Something not right," Juvia whispers, turning towards the forest. We all look at her. She was always known for feeling things when something would happen. "Juvia thinks the air doesn't feel right and have you noticed, there are no animals about?"

"I didn't," Gray says, going to stand next to her. She blinks up at him and then turns to us.

"We have to go," she says, eyes wide and staring. "Juvia thinks something is wrong with Lisanna."

"We need to find Levy and Gajeel first. She was meant to be with them." We all nod at Jellal and head out, ducking under the low branches of the trees. No that Juvia pointed it out, I begin to noitice that the forest is too quiet. Not one animal scuttles about. Not even a wolf or a bear. We are utterly alone.

"Juvia is scared," the bluenette whispers, wrapping her arms around her torso. Gray slips his arm around her shoulder and she leans into him.

"Everything will be okay, Juvia," he says, running a hand over her head. "We'll fine them."

Juvia nods and smiles slightly, though her eyes are still clouded with worry. I feel Jellal come up beside me and I look at him, my eyes wide. He smiles and puts a hand on my shoulder.

"Gray's right, Erza," he whispers, for only me to hear. "No matter what, we have to keep positive. Our friends loves depend on it I think. Juvia seems to think so anyway."

"Your right," I say. On impulse I grab his hand and he doesn't pull it away. "We'll protect them. No matter what."

We continue on into the forest, it's dark interior swallowing us up.

Levy P.O.V

"Great, we're lost again," I pout, turning in a full circle. Gajeel places his hands on my shoulder to stop me spinning and I freeze, glancing back at him.

"Calm down, Shrimp," he says. I glare at the nickname. "We need to work out a plan. We have to find the other and tell them about Lisanna. I knew there was something up with that girl. I just wasn't sure what."

"Okay. Yeah, you're right," I say, looking down and breathing in deeply.

"Good," Gajeel says, smiling down at me. "Just stay calm and give me your compass."

"I thought you said it was useless," I giggle, pulling it from my pack and placing it in his hand. He shurgs and squints at the small, circular object.

"I'll give it a chance this once." Gajeel looks at the compass for anothe rminutes before glancing up and pointing left. "That way. They should be in that direction."

"Or they could be here," a voice says from the direction Gajeel is pointing. Gray steps from the gloom, his arm around Juvia. Behind them is Erza and Jellal, with Elfman following.

"You should see you faces," Elfman says. "It's a man!" I squint at him and tilt my head. I'll never get over his weird habits.

"Where's Lisanna?" Erza asks. From her face, I know she's scared of the answer.

"She disappeared a while back," I answer. "We don't know where she went. We've been trying to find you."

"I was afraid of that," the red head reply's. "We need to find her. Something isn't right."

"I thought that!" Gajeel says, eyes wide. "I thought I was just going crazy."

"No, Juvia noitced it too," Juvia says, leaning her head on Gray's shoulder. To my surprise, Gray doesn't pull away. "Juvia regrets not saying something sooner. Juvia is sorry."

"It's okay, Juvia," Gray says, looking down at her. "We all shoulder have noticed. It's no ones fault, okay?" Juvia nods her head and looks down.

"How are we meant to find them?" I ask. At this, ever face falls.

"Ah, that will be a problem," Gajeel says, frowning. I place a hand on his arm and he looks at me, so I smile.

"We'll find them," I say, then turn to the others. "We have to."

"I can help with that," a soft voice chirps. I spin around and stare at the branches of the tree in front of me. A girl, dressed in a short red dress sit's on a branch, her tanned legs swining. Across her cheeks and around her writes, flame like tattoo's twist and turn, glinting in the half-light filtering through the trees. She looks about my age, with long black hair and bangs that cover her forhead, stopping just above her glowing amber eyes. She jumps from her perch and lands lightly in front of us.

"Who are you?" Erza asks, stunned. The girl giggles.

"I am Aine," she says simple, doing a half bow towards us. "I am one of the four guardians of the forest and you happen to have stumblesd into my territory."

"Guardians? As in spirits?" I ask, taking a step towards her and ingnoring Gajeel's warning hand on my arm.

The girl looks at me, eyes wide, head tilted. Her glowing eyes flick over my body, stopping at my bag. Or to be more precise, the mark on the bag. The McGarden crest. A quill perched on a book, ready to write. Her eyes widen slightly.

"A McGarden?" she says, staring at me finally. I nod and she grins. "You family is well known among the Guardians. Especially those of the elements like me. Yes, to answer you question, we are spirits, born of an element, memory or even a spell. I am the fire Guardian of this forest." She swirls then, her dress sending sparks cascading down to her feet.

"Fire? So, like, you can control it?" Gajeel asks, stepping up beside me.

"Yes. I can control it, manipulate it, create it and nurture it," she says. "It's my job to protect fire and anything related to it in the forest."

"Anything related? Like what?" Jellal asks, sounding interested. I turn and see Erza shake her head at him, her eyes soft and amused. Jellal is almost as curious about things as me.

"Like the lava in that mountain," Aine sates, pointing to the ominous mountain just beside us. "It's a dormant volcano and is actually filled with Lava. I'm the only thing stopping it becoming active again."

"So," Gray says," what did you mean you could help us?"

"Well I can help you find your friends," she answers, clutching her dress. " My sister, Anila the air guardian, is tracking them right now. I can find them through her."

"Through her?" Juvia asks.

"My sister and I share a bond which allows our minds to be linked," Aine says, bowing her head. " My sister lost the ability to speak years ago, that's when the bond formed. It allows me to speak for her."

"That's a good thing, you doing for you sister," Gajeel says, surprising me. I stare up at him in shock. "You sister is lucky to have you."

"No, I'm lucky to have her," is the response he gets. Aine's voice dips into sorrow. "She sacrificed her voice to save my life." I stifle as gasp and stare, wide eyes at the black hair girl.

"You both lucky to have each other, Juvia thinks," my blue hair friend says. I nod and Aine smiles slightly looking up. Her amber eyes shine with unshed tears and she bites her lower lip. "Help is find our friend. Juvia is worried about them." Aine nods and motions.

"This way," she says, turning and running into the forest. We break into a run behind her and delve into the trees.

Lucy P.O.V

I clutch Natsu's shoulders, my legs wrapped tightly around his waist. My ankle gave in a while back and now, sadly, I'm being carried on his back. I can't help but relax though. He's so warm.

"How long have we been walking?" I whisper into his ear. He shrugs.

"I have no idea," he reply's quietly, staring at Lisanna who walks a head of us. "Something doesn't feel right though."

I nod and start to answer when Lisanna stop just a head. She turn to us and point to the side of the mountain. I look over and see a cave, gulping at its dark interior.

"In there," she says, her voice holding no emotion. Her hand twitches up to hold her head and I frown.

"Lisanna, are you okay?"

"Yes, I am fine Princess" she answers in the same emotionless tone. "All is well." I am not convinced.

"Are you sure about that?" A soft voice says. I jerk my head up from Natsu's shoulder and stare. A boy, maybe a year older than me, leans against a tree not far from where we stand. His hair is a mop of dirty blond, the tips stained green. His lumionus gold eyes survey us with contempt, his muscled arms folding over his chest as he stands straighter.

"Who are you?" Natsu asks, putting himself between me and the boy. I peer around his head, brushing his pink hair away as I stare at the boy who begins to walk closer. He's shirtless, his tanned chest bared to the world, wearing only a pair of brown cut-offs. All down his right side, disappearing down the waist band of his cut-off' s are tattoo's. The twist and turn like vines.

"The names Adan," the boys says, shaking his blond hair away from his eyes. "I am the earth guardian of the forest. Welcome to my humble home." His voice is mocking, as he half bows, grinning like a mad man. Natsu takes a step back. I glance over at Lisanna, shocked to see she isn't there.

"Natsu! Where did Lisanna go?" I yelp, jumping off his back. I gasp as pain laced through my ankle and stumble, crashing against his side.

"Lucy, be careful," he grumbles, looping an arm around me. "I don't know, she was here a second go."

"She just following orders," another voice says. I spin around and come face to face with another boy, though he looks nothing like Adan. His hair his a shock of bright blue and his eyes are a sparkling aqua colour. He's dressed in a white shirt and blue shorts. Along his arms, tattoo's of waved wind their way towards his collar bone, where the peak out from under the neck of his shirt.

"Orders?" I ask, tilting my head in confusion. His eyes scan my face and he grins.

"It's an honor Princess," he says, bowing. "We shall have to talk when we get the chance but for now, we must get back on topic. You white haired friend -Lisanna was it?- well she's possessed By Zeref no less. She's been told to take you to the cave. We have a few friends waiting to grab her in there. She will come to no harm, do not worry. Now, we must return you to you other friends."

"The others!" I yelp. "They must be worried sick about us, Natsu! But what about Lisanna? What will they say if we return without her?"

"Man, you talk a lot," Adan grumbles. "Here she comes now." He points to the cave. I turn to see Lisanna being lead out by a girl about my age and a man. Who looks like a scorpion. This day is just getting weirder.

"Anila. Scorpio. Good, you got her," the blue hair one says. The man- Scorpio- grins.

"Of course we did Kairav," he booms. "Did you doubt us?"

"Oh course not." The blue hair boy, who I guess is Kairav, smirks and then turn to the girl. Her hair is cropped to her shoulders and white-blonde, choppy bangs hanging in her silvery eyes. Her dress, a white waterfall of silk, ends just above her knees. Like the boys, she has tattoo's; her are apparent on her throat and shoulders, shaped like gusts of wind might be.

"That's Anilia," Adan says, coming to stand beside me. "She's the air guardian and my brother there is Kairav, the water guardian. Though you can call him Kai I guess."

I nod and watch Anila. She smiles at Kairav, tilting her head as he talks to her. Her hands flutter about, as if she is about to answer but her mouth remains closed and she does not speak a word.

"She can't talk," Adan says, as if reading my mind. "She sacrificed her voice to save her sister, Aine; the fire guardian. That when those tattoo's appeared on her. We get them due to sacrifice. Sadly, we all have them."

"Her sister is lucky to have her," I whisper, taking Natsu's hand almost without thought.

"She is," Adan says. "They are both lucky to have each other. Anyway, enough chit chat. Time to get your friends. Aine should have them now. Virgo, Capricorn! Get you butts down here."

There is a popping sound and suddenly two figures stand before us. The first is a young girl, her hair cropped short and bright pink. What striked me is the maid outfit she is wearing and the shackles on her wrists. Next to her is...well a goat in a suit really. I blink at him, shocked, when he opens his mouth and begins speaking.

"You really don't need to be so rude, Adan," he grunts, pushing the sunglasses he wears up his- snout? nose? I have no clue.

"Tch, yeah, yeah, Caprico," Adan smirks.

"Time for punishment, Master," Virgo says, bowing. Adana grunts and rubs his temples with hsi right hand.

"No, Virgo, and it never will be." He sounds like her gets this a lot. "Just secure the white hair girl will you." Virgo and the goat-man nod, heading towards Lisanna. Adana turns to me and grimaces.

"They seem interesting," I giggle.

"You get used to them," he says, smiling. I laugh and look towards them. Then something strikes me.

"Wait...Scorpio? Virgo? Capricorn?" I murmur and Adan looks down at me. "As in the zodiac spirits?"

"You know of them?" I nod and he smiles again. "Yeah, they are the zodiac's. You should meet the rest sometime. Each of us -that is the four elemental spirits or guardians as we prefer- have there under our command. Though we treat them more as friends, not tools."

"Good, I hate to see people being abused," I say, smiling at the group in front of me.

"Well, time to go," Kiarav says, before grinning. "By the way, call me Kai." We nod and follow him through the densely packed tree, my hand still clamped in Natsu's.

And there we go :) As for how to pronounce the names of my OC's:

Kairav - KAI rahv

Aine - AAN-YAA

Anila - ah NEE lah

Adan - ah DAHN

Well, till next time :)