DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail, the honor belongs solely to Hiro Mashima-sama.

A/N: I'm so sorry for the late update! There were unexpected events that occurred.

By the way, the names main antagonists are from "Atlas of Microscopy of medicinal plants, culinary herbs and spices by Betty P. Jackson and Derek W. Snowdown". Their names are from plants that have a bitter taste and numbing effects.

Sieg Hart of Rave is the original cool-silent type in my eyes when I first got addicted to fantasy animes.

And in other news I've managed to mimic Aquarius' voice when Scorpio came.

Chapter Eleven

Autumn Goddess

By the Dark Cove inn just outside the forest were the test of courage was held, the rest of the Fairy Tail mages were all busily rechecking and fixing the projection screen. All of a sudden, they heard trees being destroyed their way. The once chatting audience all became quiet and stared at the destruction that was eerily making its way to them. As the grown-ups were already pinpointing the best way to flee, the teenagers and kids were all excited to see who could be doing it.

Out from the darkness of the trees came Gildarts, Droy and Jet with what appeared to be four walking bushes of flowers. The audience stared curiously at the bushes, as Gildarts steadily apologized for the destroyed trees. Relieved that it was just the mage creating the racket the older members of the audience readily accepted his apologizes.

They looked on as a smiling Mirajane came up to the slightly embarrassed Gildarts. "So you were the one who deactivated those recording bats, didn't you?"

Now even more embarrassed the mage scratched his head and bowed saying, "Yeah, I ended up destroying the tw-"

"Hai. Hai." Mirajane interrupted. "You can explain it all to Master who is at the back of the inn."

Taking hold of Gildarts, she then continued on saying, "Droy and Jet you're coming too. Everyone else please get back into your seats, we will just launch new recording bats, the show must go on."

Chuckling and chatting once again the audience went back to their seats as the four Fairy Tail mages quietly made their way to the back of the inn. They look in interest as Mirajane carefully led the famous Gildarts around the inn.

~0~X~0~X~0~

"Honestly, what in the world possessed Evergreen to lock in giant spiders inside easily breakable statues?" An exhausted Charle groans out while leaning on a tree.

As an equally exhausted Freed sits down beside the complaining Exceed, he explains his assumptions as to why Evergreen might have done such a thing. "I don't think she meant to harm you and Wendy. I bet she must've seen me and saw it as an opportunity to get even."

At this Charle gave out some well-chosen words to describe such pettiness. Wendy on the other hand was trying to revive Happy who had fainted mid-way their run. When suddenly they heard Levy's voice come out from their bracelets.

"Guys are you okay?"

At this Charle spoke to the bracelet with a terse, "For now."

As Lucy's voice joins in saying, "Ahm… Gray, Natsu and I are alright. Juvia is still trying to get back to human form."

They heard Natsu whine out, "I can't believe you hit me, Lucy. It was an accident you know."

Lucy's voice growls out, "I don't wanna talk about it Natsu."

Everybody laughs at the quarrelling voices. Just then they heard Levy and Bisca give out a pair of spine tingling screams and Pantherlily calling out to them to calm down.

"What's going on?"

"Levy-chan!"

"Levy, Bisca are you guys alright?"

As they asked one after the other, questions blending together in confusion. They heard a familiar bossy tone say, "Honestly, it's not a real head! Reedus made it."

"Wait, it wasn't real?" They heard Gray and Natsu scream out.

At this Erza's voice once more butts in, "That isn't important right now. Who was the one who tried contacting us?"

"Juvia was the one who did it, Erza-san." Juvia answers out, clearly back to human form.

At this Gray quickly apologizes to which they could hear Juvia reassuring him that she was quite alright despite falling into the lake. Everyone who heard this couldn't help but sweat drop imagining the girl would forgive Gray even if he ends up pushing the girl into the sea.

Once more Lucy's voice comes out explaining, "Everyone, there's a path from the lake to the beach."

"Really?" They heard an interested Levy say out, only to be shushed by two other female voices.

"Yup. You follow the path and look for the cliff steps."

Everyone echoes out "Cliff steps?"

"Yeah-it's KYAAAAAAAAAA"

At Lucy's high pitch scream, the two Exceeds covered their ears as Happy miraculously wakes up at that moment.

They listened on as they heard Gray shout out "Ice make-arrows". Lucy was calling out Taurus while the other two were clearly trying to evade from whatever it was. All of a sudden the connection faltered.

Gulping Wendy, motioned to the other three to concentrate and contact the others. Tears in her eyes, Wendy chokes out "Can anyone hear me?"

At this they heard Erza, Pantherlily, Bisca and Levy answer out. Confused, Charle asked, "Where's Gajeel and Alzack? If Pantherlily is with you shouldn't the two boys be there as well?"

"Well..uhm..their ahm resting?" Levy said hesitantly.

"Nevermind that. It seems our connection with Lucy has been disconnected, this might be because their all using their magic right now to fight something. Everyone, let's meet out by the lake." Erza butts in again.

At this Charle points out something, "We don't know where that is."

Erza answers, "Grab your recording bat. A map has been inputted into their memory in case of emergencies."

"Right. Ahm I think our bat is lost." Wendy hesitantly points out.

"….. Then just grab anyone else's bat!" Erza answers back authoritatively. "We'll try contacting you once we get to the lake."

At this Freed and Wendy looked at the two Exceeds meaningfully.

"This is degrading." Charle mutters as Happy whines out an "Aye."

~0~X~0~X~0~

(Lucy's POV)

What in the world is that?

I stared in horror at what appeared to be a human walking on all fours. Judging from the long hair that was hanging down what appeared to be a head; I figured it would be a woman. It had on some kind of a ragged smock.

"Lucy, nice body! The moonlight really let's out your beauty!" Taurus says to me, hearts obvious on his face.

I sweat drop at this and just as I was going to scream at him to shut up. We heard a strange hissing sound from the woman. Gulping, I quickly took a step back. The woman had managed to avoid Gray's arrows. What's more it was able to quickly make its way to Natsu and Juvia just a while ago.

I heard Natsu growl out, "What the hell is that?"

"How would I know, ash-brain?"

Suddenly I felt someone grip my arm. I jumped back in surprise only to see a terrified Juvia, beside me. She had on an object look of terror on her face and was muttering "this is a dream, this is a dream".

"Ano, Juvia. This isn't a dream. It's more of a nightmare actually." I told the shivering girl. Juvia was now shaking her head back and forth, she was also pointing at the woman.

I looked on now worried. All of a sudden we heard the woman gave out a loud clacking voice and was slowly making its way to us.

"Taurus! Strike her down!" I ordered to Taurus. But the stupid cow didn't do anything, confused I looked to my other side only to see Taurus had fainted when the woman laugh.

"You have got to be kidding me! Close the gate of the bull!"

Now crouching beside Juvia, I quickly surveyed the area where we can possibly hide or run to. Just then, we heard a creaking sound. The four of us stared aghast at what appeared to be a rotating head. Our mouths all drop down to the ground, seeing that the figure didn't have a face at all.

"Oi…Lu-lucy, it doesn't have a-a f-face s-so h-how come she w-was able to la-laugh?" Natsu asked while Gray was nodding beside him.

I screamed at them, "Why are you asking me?"

I gasped as Juvia screamed right by my ear; we looked back at the woman only to see her crawling at an amazing speed with her head rotating along.

We all scrambled and ran for our lives. We ran straight to the first path we saw, as we ran blindingly I could almost remember there was something about this path. Just as the memory came, we fell off the cliff.

Great, of all the paths to run off to.

~0~X~0~X~0~

"What's going on Mirajane? I only broke about two recording bats." Gildarts said in confusion at the number of new bats that had just flown off.

"Well you see…" Mirajane started while watching Master Makarov gulp down a whole tankard of beer.

Master Makarov gave a puff and continued the interrupted explanation, "It seems there are treasure-seeking mages from some dark guilds around the place as well. I bet these four are a part of them."

As the mages stared pityingly at the four troublemakers who were currently being used as Master Makarov's sitting stool. Jet wondered out loud, "How are we gonna protect the civilians from those guys? They look as if they won't mind harassing the people of Dark Cove if it means they'll get what they want."

They stared back at Master Makarov, "Well then we'll just have to make them join in on the fun."

Everyone smiled in agreement glad to know that they would have some new victims.

~0~X~0~X~0~

Meanwhile in the dark forest, by the lake were Lucy and the others were in a while ago. Cana Alberona was staring up a tree to see Laki grinning at the success of her prop. The prop was the very figure that had chase the others off the cliff.

Sweat dropping, she shouted up at Laki, "I just heard from Mirajane. There are some new people who will join in on the fun."

"U-wah! That's great Cana! We're gonna win for sure with those additional numbers! My lady who has found love, truly is the best masterpiece!"

"You know I still don't get it why you call it that."

Shaking her head, Cana stared down at the three cards in her hand. "The judge that watches over the distance, a kind lightning that guards the garden of the fallen king. It just gets weirder and weirder."

~0~X~0~X~0~

(Levy's POV)

"Wake up, Gajeel!" I said while shaking the iron dragon-slayer by his shoulder. Just then I saw a strange light emanating from the small bag beside Erza.

"Ano Erza there seems to be a strange light from your bag." I said to the red-headed woman who was staring at the map on the recording bat.

The re-quip mage pulled out the mysterious diary that was now glowing a pale yellow light. We all looked at each other, then motioned for Erza to open it. We stared in amazement upon seeing the newly created page.

Pantherlily broke the silence, saying "She's very beautiful. It's my first time seeing a house like that though. It looks as if it's coming out of the mountain itself."

There on the page was not a diary entry but a sketch that spanned two pages. On the right, was a detailed sketch of a house by the beach and just as Pantherlily had said it indeed appeared to come out from the mountain itself. On the left, was a sketch of a beautiful woman playing by the sea, she was holding out her dress from the waves.

"I think this is Lia." I said to the others. They all nodded in agreement. We stared again at the picture. When all of a sudden, Pantherlily pointed out something. "Look at her hands, there is something on them."

Pantherlily was right, there was something on the woman's hands.

Bisca gave out a gasp, "It looks like the tattoo Natsu had mentioned when he was telling us about that woman in his dream, remember?"

"What is the meaning of this?" Erza asked out loud while staring at the woman's hands with suspicion.

Crap, I got a cold. Sigh. Wasn't able to write at all in two days' time since the computer wasn't hooked up at all. Dang, I should just learn how to put up the wires. That and i was stuck putting in accounts on the ledger. hate accounting! sorry for the late update. *sniff* not feeling well.