Chapter 12: Target acquired

Previously::

"We are going to strike first." Natsu answered.

"But where will you start, there are over a hundred active dark guilds." Mira questioned.

"We aren't going to bother with those small fries." Natsu gave her a dark, menacing grin.

"We are going to take down their back bone first?" Laxus cracked his knuckles in excitement.

"So, Tortaros?" Loke supplied.

"Their on the list yeah." Wendy giggled.

"I doubt they'll be much trouble." Laxus pulled out a cantine from his bag.

"Lets just worry about confirming the numbers for now, Lucy and I will finalize the plans after that." Natsu held out his mug to Mira for a refill. "It won't be long before I take revenge on the bastards who slaughtered so many of my cousins." Natsu growled before draining his cup.

"We have an idea of where the Black dragon is too." Wendy put her pack down and pulled out a map spreading it out next to Erza. "He moves rather frequently, but I'm certain that he circles back to the same area every seven years or so."

Natsu had stayed in the guild hall with Erza and Laxus exchanging information for the majority of the night. It was close to two am when he finally shooed Wendy and Laxus out so that he could concentrate without their bickering over who was going to get to take the lead in the up coming mission. He worked tirelessly till just before dawn getting everything organized for the meeting that would follow later that day. Natsu, not feeling up to leaving only to come right back, propped himself on a table to catch some much needed sleep.

Slowly the mages of Fairy tail came back, grabbing food and talking amongst themselves trying to figure out what could possibly be thrown at them next. Natsu tired his best to ignore the stares of those who were still not completely comfortable with his change, he played like he didn't have a care in the world as he lounged in the corner of the bar, yawning frequently. It really was shocking to see Natsu calm and collected, working on strategy and planning, it left a lot of his guild mates to simply stare with their mouths hanging open. Even though he had calmed down a lot when Lucy and he had gotten married, no one had ever seen him so focused outside of the battle field.

Once the others in the family started to arrive, Natsu moved his base of operation to a table that was large enough to fit all of them. It would be easier to just go over everything all at once.

Lucy was the last of the main group to arrive, yawning as she pulled up a chair to the large table her friends and husband were going over the large map that had little notations written in red and orange. Natsu briefed her quickly using their link to show her every detail that might be relevant to the events they were about to set in motion.

"So you have everything you need now?" Natsu turned to Lucy with a calm expression, his eyes made contact with hers conveying how he knew the reports were different than she had received a while back.

"I think so, we have more man power than I anticipated, it will work in our favor that I didn't have these figures when we devised the original plan." Lucy took the stack of papers that were placed just beside the red head, quickly shuffling through them to adjust her internal map of who was going where.

"Next step is for everyone to know where they are going, and how many people they will be allowed to take with them." Natsu leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile on his face. It felt good to take care of the small details so that Lucy could handle the harder portions.

"I have that right here." Levy pulled out another stack of papers handing them over to Lucy with a smile.

"Thank you." Lucy looked the map over several times, pointing out the dark guild hide outs to herself.

"So we are splitting into teams then?" Erza asked as she watched Lucy observe the map.

"We need to take down as many targets as we can at one time to minimize their retaliation strength." Lucy explained. "Since these guilds are close to our allies I think it would be best to leave it in their hands. The ones that will cause us the most trouble will be the black dragon, Zeref and the council." Lucy pointed out the locations as she spoke.

"You're joking right? There is no way we can beat the council!" Gray choked as he saw how serious the look on both Lucy and Natsu's faces were.

"I don't intend to fight them, Gray." Lucy shook her head as she pulled out a few more pages.

"Then what are you planning?" The ice mage rubbed his neck nervously as he watched Natsu and Lucy look at each other for a few moments.

"I am going to fix the problem." Lucy shrugged with a small smile.

"They are allowing this world to fall into the darkness, we can't allow them to continue down this path." Natsu answered. "It's our duty to fix this corruption, not just in Fiore, but in all of Earthland. I swore an oath, and I don't care if that means I have to barge into Era by myself, I will do what is necessary. This is more serious than you realize Gray, you see, this only the beginning." Natsu patted the now younger man on the back with a bright grin.

"Zeref on the other hand will be complicated. No matter what research I have done, predicting where he will show up next looks like it might be near impossible. We are just going to have to play it by ear where he is concerned." Lucy took out a hand full of colored tokens marking the locations of the different targets to match the teams that would be assigned to wiping them out.

"We can save him for later, I don't think he will interfere with the plan." Natsu stretched lazily.

"I think so too. Well then I guess it would be best to if Erza could be in charge of taking on the remaining heads of the Dark Guild's alliance, she is one of the most accomplished fighters we have." Lucy looked over to the red head who nodded in acknowledgment. "Gray I want you to handle Raven tail. And since Laxus has a score to settle he will be accompanying you." the two men gave her a nod, neither having a complaint. "Levy will stick with me, we will head to Era to handle the council. As for Natsu and Gajeel they will be taking a team to face off with the black dragon." Lucy looked around to her friends who all nodded.

"Remember to play it safe out there, we still have some unknown factors concerning an enemy who is trying to get his hands on a very powerful lost magic. If you find yourself in a dark cave where you can't use your magic, make sure you stay away from the large lead doors that have this type of writing on them." Natsu pulled out a scaled down version of the Door of the Damned.

"There is no guarantee that we will be able to save you if you get taken into that place so please be extra cautious. Watch each others backs carefully." Levy added.

"Juvia and Cana, I will have you be the messengers to Lamia and Blue Pegasus. Take these documents with you so that they can portion themselves out wisely. I expect you both to handle the major targets on your own lists." Lucy handed two separate stacks of papers over to the younger women.

"Do you still intend to leave me behind?" Wendy asked with a frown.

"No Wendy, I have a very special job that I want you and Romeo to take care of for me." Wendy's eyes grew wide for a few moments as Lucy whispered in her ear. Lucy pulled back with a sad smile on her face. "I want Charle and Happy to stick close to you both is that clear?" Wendy regained her composure and smiled brightly at the woman who she respected so much.

"Do you really think that is a good idea?" Natsu crossed his arms across his chest with a deep frown.

"Happy will make sure she is well protected, won't you Happy?" Lucy smiled over at the three exceeds who weren't far from the blonde.

"Fairy Tail mages can take care of themselves, but we will be there to back them up." Happy answered in a way that was unlike his normal cheerful banter.

"Now, now. Enough of this." Lucy placed her hand on his head comfortingly. "I'm not sending you out of the way of the battle, I just have a sensitive matter that needs to be dealt with, Wendy will need you as well as Romeo and Charle to back her up. This is a very big mission she is taking on." Lucy let her hand fall away as she felt the room grow still.

"Back to business." Natsu cleared his throat pointing to the map once again.

"So do we get to choose our teams?" Gray asked with his arms folder over his chest.

"Erza will be in charge of assigning her teams out. Gray you and Laxus will be taking Loke and one more member of you're choosing, just remember that my uncle isn't going to back down easily." Lucy smiled at her cousin who was already cracking his knuckles.

"One last thing, we need someone who will stay behind to protect the guild, and Gramps." Natsu turned around leaning against the table casually. "Would anyone like to volunteer themselves for the task?" The room was silent for a short while before someone cough.

"Since we will only slow you guys down the veterans can manage the home front." Macao stated with a smile.

"We'll let the young people do the hard work." Someone from the back called out.

"Right then, I'll leave you all to sort out what needs to be done. In case we don't see each other till this whole affair is over, I wish each and everyone of you good luck." Lucy smiled brightly making her way back out of the guild hall.

"Well I'm off then." Cana set her untouched mug on the counter with a smile to Mira before shouldering her traveling pack.

"Juvia will be going as well." The water mage timidly waved as she headed to catch up with the brunette.

"Gajeel and I will be going after the dragon, is there anyone who wants a little pay back for what happened on the island?" Natsu looked around to see who might be interested.

"I want to go." Elfman stepped forward, his expression lacking any emotions. "You may not need me, but it's a man's duty to repay those who injure his family." Natsu patted him roughly on the back with a broad smile.

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

"So Gray who are you taking with you?" Erza raised a brow.

"If Mira is feeling up to it I'd like to have her with us." Gray shrugged.

"You can count on me!" Mira grinned balling her hands into fists.

Separation was hard for all the members of the Dragon colony, especially since they had only just gotten back together recently. Levy and Lucy knew that it must have been just as hard for their male counter parts, who felt the same pain during their previous periods of separation. Lucy had the advantage of her link to keep her from missing her husband to much, and Levy could communicate through Lucy to get to her husband if need be, even if that sounded strange to someone who was unfamiliar with the family dynamic, it was second nature to Lucy and Natsu to be a sort of communication device for their closest friends.

The plan was finally underway, and everyone in Fairy Tail had gone off to take care of their own duties. Wendy had left first, excited by the fact that she was given such a precious chance to prove herself to her elders. Levy smiled to herself as she thought of how Wendy had looked dragging Romeo out the guild doors shouting happily like her older brothers were known for. It was really amusing to see the refined little Wendy they had all known melt away into this confident and spunky young woman. Levy felt proud of her younger siblings transformation, and deep down she knew that Wendy was just as happy with how she had grown.

Lucy and Levy stood at the base of the hill looking up at the massive building that housed the Foire branch of the Magic council. It had taken two days to hike from the capitol city to this point, and for Levy the nerves of such an important mission were bubbling around like little butterflies in the pit of her stomach.

"We should have brought more people, don't you think?" Levy sighed as she saw a unit of Rune Knights march past the main gate.

"We will be enough." Lucy laughed as she put a hand on her friends shoulder. Levy wasn't sure what it was that her best friend had planned from this point on, but she knew that they were going to be vastly out numbered if a fight broke out. It would be unfortunate to have to show them the extent of their powers this early on, but if it could be help she and Lucy would try to reason with the members of the council to come to a peaceful solution.

Levy sighed as she watched the guards change over to the next shift, they were keeping a fifteen man squad at all times it seemed. The fact that security was beefed up didn't escape either female as they counted out the rune knights that were stationed in intervals around the perimeter of the massive building. Lucy seeming satisfied with her observations after about half an hour, as she turned her back to the council building and started to walk off. Levy turned to follow Lucy who was obviously headed back down the hill to check into a hotel in the town that lay in the small valley.

The women whiled away the next day in the hot springs of a luxurious bath house that they were super lucky to find. It was expensive, but neither girl complained since it was something they both felt was a well deserved treat for the hard work they had been putting in. It gave them time to recharge, and get their heads straight before they implemented the plan.

"So lets go over this one more time, we are just going to walk into the council room and demand all of their resignations?" Levy still wasn't sure how Lucy intended that conversation to go, and the fact that Lucy could nod her head with a bright smile scared Levy a little bit.

They had requested an audience with the council members under Lucy's new statue as Celestial Royalty, and that had apparently been enough for their request to be granted. It was all happening in a matter of hours, Lucy and Levy would head up to Era and stand before the whole council with their usual bright smiles and demand something preposterous. Levy could imagine two out comes to this demand, the first was laughter, surely the council would think it was all a prank, or some horrible joke gone array. The second and less favorable of outcomes could be the council arresting them and throwing them into prison. Levy didn't care for either option at the moment, but Lucy had assured her that there was nothing to worry about.

"Think of us as the decoy." Lucy smirked as she laid across her bed facing the ceiling. "While the Council is busy dealing with us the others will be able to do their jobs without interference from the rune knights."

"You really think they're going to call back their forces because you are showing up?" Levy raised a skeptical brow in her friends direction.

"The already have, everything is going exactly as we planned." For a moment Levy felt a small shiver run up her spine at the evil grin Lucy had plastered to her face.

"You really are related to Laxus..." She breathed to herself.

"Natsu and Gajeel aren't working in our time frame so we don't have to worry that they haven't tracked down the dragon yet, but it seems that all my other pieces are in place." Lucy pushed herself off the bed. "Time to get ready."

The two women stood at the podium in the center of the main conference room waiting for the noise to calm back down. "So it is true then, that the children of the sky have finally come." One of the eldest mages called down.

"I am standing right before you now." Lucy held herself with dignity. "My counter part is taking care of some business for the current King so I come to you with my adviser instead." Lucy made a gesture to Levy who gave a respectful bow to her superiors.

"What business has brought you here, your Highness?" Lucy turned to a younger rough looking mage who grinned in her directing. His whole being emitted a sense of superiority, and she found his thoughts repulsive. It truly was a waste to have such a handsome man who was completely corrupted by the power of his title and statue. Surely if he wasn't so ugly on the inside, she would want to introduce him to Cana later on, he looked to be her type.

"I have come to do my duties as the governing body of the Celestial Realm. It is my demand that you off me all of your resignations." Lucy didn't bate an eye as she spoke fiercely.

"And what if your demands are refused?" An elderly female mage asked with concerned eyes.

"Than I shall have no choice but to make you." This statement put the hall in an up roar once more.

"What makes a little girl like you think she is capable of making us do anything?" The smug mage sneered, his niceties had all but washed away at her threat. It was apparent that this man would be her biggest challenge.

"I will give you this one opportunity to comply with the wishes of both the Celestial Royal decree, and the decision of the Dragon Court. If you still refuse to lay down your titles I will take them by force." Levy's palms started to sweat she she watched the older, more experienced mages of the council burn with anger at the demands of the two women, who were no more than toddlers in their eyes.

"Hand over your written resignations within the next thirty minutes or we will be forced to take drastic measures." Levy used her most authoritative voice to drive the point home. Lucy kept her eyes fixed on the man she knew was going to cause the most trouble, she saw the way his mind worked, and knew he was going to fight to the bitter end.

Erza sent the signal through the small travel lycrima once Levy had sent her word that they were heading up to Era for their audiance with the council. The adrenaline filled her veins as she silently counted down.

five

four

three

two

She gave the hand signal, and kicked in the door to the guild hall. To her great joy it was packed full of powerful looking mages, she re-quiped into her Knights armor and began slicing through her enemies as though they were mere toys that she used for practice. Not far behind Bisca covered her back shooting down any one that Erza may have missed. For all the talk about Tortaros being the third corner of the dark guilds alliance they seemed to go down pretty easy.

Erza concentrated as she felt out the presence of the stronger mages, hoping one of them might be an actual challenge for her. The pressure hit her like a ton of bricks when she finally found him, the ace of the guild. A nameless assassin who came in the dead of night to avoid witnesses, Erza had heard stories about the bloody carnage the man had often left behind. The Shinigami of Eisenwald was a saint compared to this man who stood amongst the shadows.

Nothing was known about his magic, or how he managed to evade detection every time, but one thing was certain in the mind of the Titania, she wanted to be the one to take him down. "Bisca I'm going ahead, clean up the rest of this rif raf." Bisca gave a half salute and a smile before she turned back to take out the three targets that were charging towards her.

Erza let an excited smile creep onto her face as she neared her prey. It was rather amusing that he wasn't even trying to flee, quite the contrary, he let out a high pitched laugh that would have sent any other opponent running for their lives.

"So we finally meet, Titania." He took a step forward revealing his piercing blue eyes which were fixed on Erza. A cocky smirk lifted the edge of his lips distorting his otherwise handsome face.

And so the battle begins! Sorry this is a few days late... and the next chapter will most likely be even later, my brother comes in tomorrow afternoon, and I'm excited to spend some quality time with him. Happy Valentine's day to everyone, I wish you all can have a very special, sweet and romantic night with that special someone!