Last Chapter:

"Today would be good, Tall, Blonde and Arrogant!" Lucy countered, matching the grin of her savior and laughed along her trusted spirit. At this, Laxus scowled and turned his head away, hiding the blush that is threatening to creep along his face.

Back at Fiore…

Hours have passed and in that time of searching, all search units have come up with the same conclusion. The trail that has been missing the whole three months must be veiled using magic because her scent is as fresh as the day she left. There's something grander than they can imagine. And what makes it more suspicious is that from all the four corners of Fiore, the scent all leads to the same place.

"Oi, Dragneel, the scent leads to port of Hargeon!" Gajeel shouted through Warren's telepathy.

"Natsu-san, the same goes with my group. We will be there shortly." Wendy said.

"I'll be following you there, brats!" Makarov added before the communication went blank.

That was the answer Natsu has been looking for to prove to himself that he was not hallucinating after all. He then turned to his group of search team.

"Yosh! It's confirmed! The trail ends here!" Natsu cheered along with his companions.

"Natsu, does this mean Lucy will be found?" Happy asked in a fit of tears of joy. In reality, the Exceed truly knows that with the new lead they have, there is definitely a chance that their missing Celestial Spirit mage will be found. But it wouldn't hurt to ask and he really wanted someone to assure him.

"Gray! Natsu! Happy!..." Erza's scary tone managed to creep along the two boys' spine but before they could actually hug each other like long lost best friends and utter the most famous catchphrase ever invented in the history of Fairy Tail, 'Aye', the scarlet-haired beauty hugged both of them in her moment of extreme emotions and let out a sob everyone can comprehend. "…finally, we're gonna find her!"

Of course, this display affection earned Team Natsu "Aaaaawwwws". After all, it's not every day someone like the most powerful team do something as private and sensitive as this.

"Hey, Natsu, you didn't answer my question." Happy pouted. And if Happy could be even more as cute as the day he hatched, the pouting sealed the deal.

"Yes, Happy. Yes." Natsu hugged his blue Exceed.

"Oi, Dragneel! Quit your yapping! We're here!" Gajeel shouted on the top of his lungs. Now Gajeel was one of the most bothered by the blond's disappearance. He just didn't want anyone to see it but it's all written in his grin that he too was excited to perform another song with Lucy. And of course, hot-headed as he is, Natsu countered.

"Iron Freak!"

"Charcoa!l"

"Metal Head!"

"Fire Breath!"

"Metallic Bastard"

"Silence!" Apparently, Master Makarov was already there, voice booming in his giant form.

"AYE!" Squeaked the whole guild, in which the catchphrase's real progenitor, Happy, sweardropped.

"If the trail ends here, there's a huge possibility that Lucy is in Tenrou Island" Master explained, shrinking back to his original form.

"What are we waiting for, Master? Lucy-san is waiting for us." Mirajane who is quietly listening the whole time, spoke up.

"Not now, brats, let's wait for a day." Makarov announced, deeply thinking.

"Why, master?" It was Erza.

"Yeah, why, Gramps? It's here. She's close!" Natsu barked.

"S-She could be in danger, Master!" Gray spoke worriedly.

"Brats, think harder. She's been missing for three months…"

"That's it, Gramps. That's exactly why we must hurry up and save her!" Natsu cried, tears forming in his eyes.

"…in those three months, why must be her scent suddenly appear now?" Makarov ignored Natsu's protests and looked at his children, suspicion and curiosity oozing from them. "We need to think first. This could be a trap and if we go rushing there, with only a guess and no plan, we might find ourselves in a situation that could cause unwanted consequences. We might be the cause of her death. Do you think you all could live with that? Three months she's missing and you're all a mess. I don't even handle paper works anymore. It's too quiet for my liking. I want her alive and in one piece. And that's the only way I want it to be!" There it was, all the emotion bottled up by their fatherly figure. He's been holding it all in for a long time, trying to be strong for his children. He glanced at his family, wisdom and understanding masking their faces, especially Natsu. 'You've matured quite well, child.'

"Then what are we going to do?" Thank Mirajane for breaking the silence. The awkward moment was too much.

Master thought for a while and an idea hatched in his mind and in a split second, it morphed into a sure-fire plan that made him smile.

"Master, you're not seriously doing that are you?" Erza, with her quick thinking, apparently can keep up with Makarov.

"Yes. We must call The First."

A/N: Hey guys! I might not be able to update tomorrow but I'll try today. Thanks! :D