I AM SO SORRY FOR THAT LONG HIATUS, SCHOOL IS WEIGHING ME DOWN HARDER THAN A HYDRAULIC PRESS. I HAVE TRIED AND TRIED OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND A STRING OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS ALWAYS KNOCKS ME BACK DOWN. I HAVE HAD POWER OUTAGES MID-WRITING DUE TO WINTER, EXAMS HITTING ME FROM ALL ANGLES AND EVEN NOW, I'VE COME DOWN WITH A COLD. IM AM SO SORRY, BUT DON'T WORRY, I WILL NOT REST UNTIL I END THIS STORY. I WILL NOT FAIL YOU LIKE MOST WRITERS ON THIS SITE DO. SO REST ASSURED, I AM HERE TO STAY!

-THE MYSTERIOUS BANANA

''Is everything alright?'' asked Sting, as he noticed Natsumi tearing up, somehow not noticing Gray yelling blood.

''Yeah, It must just been something in my eye.'' said Natsumi.

''Then let's get going, all of the guards are distracted, we can make it to the second level unnoticed.'' said Rogue.

As the three walked towards the escalators, Natsumi turned back. Whatever she heard earlier has been suppressed. While she keeps on telling herself that she's just hearing things, it was as if her and Gray were mentally connected. A throbbing pain was traversing her body as they, dressed in guard's uniform, made their way to the escalators and took the way down.

As they traversed the multiple levels, they were hit with disgust that the horrid scene they witnessed pass the lenses of the escalators one-way glass. From Crimson red forests of blades with prisoners in pain running through them to beast ridden halls, with monsters slamming onto the cells, trying to get the inmates within, to a desert of bones of corpses and then to a boiling pot with inmates getting scorched alive.

''What kind of prison would do this?'' Natsumi asked in horror.

''This is unreal, such a cruel prison would have been shut down the day it opens back in Magnolia.'' said Happy.

Sting gives Natsumi a nudge on the shoulder.

''Hey, look at the bright side, at least we didn't have to go through this hell right? I mean, there's no way anyone could have made it through here or have been dumb enough to attempt it.'' he said.

Somewhere in the Grand Line...

''AH-CHOU! The hell? why did I suddenly sneeze?'' Asked Luffy mid training, before getting hit in the face by Rayleigh.

Back in Impel Down...

Sting was obviously trying to be optimistic, but everyone in the escalator knew that he was equally as uncomfortable watching the horror unfold before his eyes. He was just better at hiding it. Just then, he turned towards Natsumi.

''If you don't want to look, you can hide yourself within my embrace.'' Sting said enthusiastically, only to get kneed to the stomach, ''Well. can't blame a guy for trying.''

Making it to the fourth fifth level, they reached a door with several heavy winter coats hanging by.

''Why would we want to dress up like Eskimos after the two previous levels who were scorching hot?'' asked Sting,

''Do we risk going in without the coats?'' asked Lector.

Natsumi opened the heavy iron door and poked her head inside, then came back with her hair and eyebrows completely covered in a ice and snow.

''We DEFINITELY need the coats.'' Said Natsumi.

While entering the cell block, they realized that a rather large portion of the place was a forest. With the heavy snow storm, probably artificially generated, they wondered if the security cameras could even see through this thick white wall.

''Alright, the quicker we find Bon Clay and bust him out, the quicker I can get back to normal.'' Said Natsumi to herself.

''So you're here to break someone out?'' asked one of the prisoners in the back cell they investigated, ''Incredible, and here I thought that Strawhat was the only guy with enough balls to attempt such a task.''

''Unless you have something to add, I suggest you shut up.'' said Sting.

''Well, fill me in, I'd like to watch another riot happen before I pass on the the afterlife.'' said the prisoner.

''Bon Clay, weird looking guy, you know him?'' asked Rogue.

''Wait, you mean that Okama? You people really ARE trying to repeat the Impel Down Failure incident, this is just amazing!'' said the prisoner.

''The Failure? Someone actually managed to escape this place?'' asked Natsumi.

''Hey! I've only got 1? 5? 5 minutes left to live at most. Do you really think I'm gonna waste it on stories? I might as well tell you my life story if that's what you came for.'' said the prisoner.

''OK! Fine! We got it, just tell us where he is.'' said Natsumi.

The prisoner pointed towards the east of the cell block, where pine trees coupled with the strong wind made it seem more like a forest than a prison. While the group made their way towards their destination, Natsumi turned back to the prisoner.

''Do you have any flammable fabric?'' asked Natsumi.

''Nothing besides my clothes, but you see how effective it is at keeping me warm.'' he said sarcastically.

''Take them off.'' said Natsumi.

''I usually don't take orders from chicks, but I'm gonna die anyways so what the hay.'' the prisoner said as he stripped down to bare chest, handing Natsumi the uniform.

Natsumi removed one of her gloves, and with a spark of flame, ignited the whole uniform, before putting it near the cell.

''Here, it will last you another few minutes.'' said Natsumi.

The prisoner smiled.

''You mages are such a sight to behold.'' he said, watching her take off, ''If only I could have gotten to Ishgar and seen them in action.''

''Any luck?'' asked Natsumi, catching up with the group.

''Nothing, just packs after packs of wolves.'' said Sting, holding a vicious pack leader by the neck.

''It's times like this when We would be useful, but like hell we would last a second in this cold.'' said Happy.

Suddenly, Natsumi stuffed Happy back into the rifle holster along with the rest of the Exceeds.

''NATSU! WHAT's THE MATTER WITH YOU?'' Happy yelled back confusingly.

Natsumi didn't respond, neither did any of her fellow Dragon Slayer Allies.

''You smell that?'' asked Sting.

''Yeah!'' responded Natsumi, ''Someones coming.''

''Guards maybe?'' asked Rogue.

''No, they smell completely different, yet, somehow familiar.'' said Natsumi.

''Familiar? I've never smelled anything like this.'' said Sting.

''No... It can't be...'' Natsumi suddenly uttered in a panicked tone, ''Why is he here? How is he here?''

''Who?'' asked Sting.

Suddenly, out of the snow emerged a dark figure.

''WHAT THE... WHERE DID HE COME FROM?!'' Rogue yelled out in confusion.

''IT'S A TRAP!'' Sting cried out, before multiple bombs exploded around them, releasing thick purple gas.

''Magellan? it can't be!'' Sting yelled out, blinded by the gas, with Nausea setting in.

the stranger chuckled.

''Not quite.'' He said, Squatting down to Natsumi.

''You...'' She said with fleeting consciousness.

''Hello, Natsu.''

TO BE CONTINUED...