Jellal's POV

We were shrouded by the night, hiding among the trees just outside the manor. For most of the night, it was unusually quiet, and a strange feeling had been growing inside me most the night. Despite our careful planning, I had my doubts that this night was going to run as smooth as we thought.

"Would you stop pacing?" Laxus demanded, crossing his arms tight around his chest as he leaned against the tree. "It's annoying."

I hadn't realized that as I was lost in my thoughts, my feet started to move. With a heavy sigh that did nothing to mask my worry, I sat down on the pine needle floor beneath us. I was tense from this nagging emotion in the back of my mind. "Something doesn't feel right," I told him.

A sharp ring sang from Laxus pocket, and I cocked my head as he pulled out the lacrima that the guild had given us to keep in touch. I bolted to my feet as soon as he touched its surface to answer. Mira's face popped into view, an excited smile on her face. My muscles relaxed a little, knowing that she bared good news.

"The other team has already returned," she informed us. "They were a little roughened up, but they survived and found the key. Jane and Erza have been sent to the infirmary where they're getting bandaged up. They took the worst of it from what the others told me."

Laxus and I exchanged a long glance, before he turned back to Mira. "Was it the treasure hunters?"

She shook her head. "No. Cana said it was something worse, but no one wants to talk about it just yet." She suddenly realized I was there, and her smile—if possible—brightened more. "Scarlet is sitting by Erza's side and helping her out."

"What?" I asked in astonishment. Memories of our first cold encounter echoed through my head. She despised both of us, but I didn't understand why. Now she was suddenly beside Erza? What had happened there?

Before I got the chance to ask, Laxus said, "We should be wrapping up here soon. We've been able to get some information from the idiots, but nothing noteworthy. I guess Gray and Juvia were a waste of time."

Mira laughed. "No, I'm sure it must have been difficult to get much information out of them. Their job was only our secondary objective. Natsu and Lucy remain our primary. Do you know how everything is going with them?"

"Natsu is making a lot of headway with his new woman," I jested, remembering his rant he blared at us through our connection. "As for Lucy…we haven't heard much. Juvia says she walked off with Thomas, but that was some time ago." Why hadn't she been communicating with us much since then? "I'm sure she can handle herself, but…"

"We'll send Natsu to find her," Laxus added, and I nodded in agreement.

Mira waved and sent a kiss to Laxus before the lacrima went blank. He placed it back in his pocket and crossed his arms again. "See?" he began. "Your worries were for nothing. Perhaps you just sensed that Erza was in trouble, but everything is better now."

I shook my head, the bad feeling even more intense now. "No. Something is definitely wrong…" I trailed off. A sudden thought blared across my mind, and I gasped in realization. "I know what it is."

Laxus looked at me curiously, and I pulled out the lacrima in my pocket. When we first arrived, we placed small hidden lacrimas around the perimeter so that we could trace any movement going in and out of estate. I flipped through the different screens and cursed when I realized my suspicions had been right. Anger surged in me, and I chunked the lacrima into a nearby tree and watched it shatter.

"What the hell—" Laxus started, but I interrupted him.

"The screens haven't changed since the beginning. They've been tampered with," I told him and started running towards the large house. "If the treasure hunters weren't at the other location that means that they went to a different place. Here."

Lucy's POV

Thomas's hands were annoying the most. It was the strangest thing. It wasn't the way he kept backhandedly insulting me, or the way he kept staring my breasts whenever we walked. But it was his hands. They kept roaming every inch of my body whenever they could. He'd "accidentally" stumble into me and "accidentally" catch himself by grabbing onto some new part of me. His hand this time slapped against my butt when he fell behind me and claimed he couldn't control where they went.

Pervert. This night better end soon. I was tired of being harassed by a pompous little brat that kept trying to fondle me. Could this night possibly get any worse?

"And this is the library," he said, drawing my attention to a large and familiar door.

I tensed and feigned a nervous laugh. "You don't intend on locking me up in there again do you?"

"So you still remember that?" Thomas asked, scratching the back of his neck. That was another annoying habit of his. I was starting to believe there wasn't anything he did that didn't irk me somehow. "I'm sorry about all of that. We were kids after all, and kids are stupid."

"Yes, but adults can be just as childish," I mumbled as he started to shut the library doors.

"Did you say something?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, I was just admiring this place," I played off perfectly. I spun around in the hall with my arms opened wide. "It reminds me of my home, but I bet it can't possibly be filled with as many secrets."

"What do you mean?" he inquired quizzically.

I shrugged and started to name off some of the places around our estate where there were trap doors or hidden treasures. All of it was a goad to see if he would spill about some of their places. "Of course, my home was much smaller, but we still had a lot of things stashed away. There's a rumor that Father used to hide random valuable objects beneath a loose brick by the fountain just in case we ever lost our money we could sell it for cash."

Thomas gave this some thought. "Hmm…well there is this one place that mother always goes to in the gardens. She always warns me not to go back there. Do you suppose we could sneak away for a bit longer to see what she might be hiding?"

I smiled brightly at him, delighted that he had taken the bait. My hands hooked around his arm, and we laughed as we started walking towards the gardens.

Nashi's POV

"The stars are so bright out tonight," I sighed. I leaned back against the roof, one arm folded behind my head. My other hand traced the outlines of a couple constellations, admiring their beauty and wondering what it would be like to actual touch them. A shooting star blazed across the night, and I gasped in delight.

"Your mother used to be like this," Loke said beside me, chuckling. "I used to catch her outside her apartment at night or on missions, sketching the sky with her fingertips."

"She's the one who taught me what each one was, but you were the one who told me that if I drew them in the sky then they'd fall down and join me."

A few moments ago, I gave Papa one last glance before I disappeared. He was still with that bulging Lilith woman. I didn't like her much. She was fat, stupid, and mean. The way she talked about mages ruined my mood, and so I went in search of Loke. I knew he'd be on the roof, because he once told me that when he was upset, he'd watch the stars so that he could smile again.

Before, I used to sit up high on whatever I could whether it is a roof or a tree, and I'd look at the stars and try to smile as bright to them as they did at me. Loke would always find me like that—smiling and tracing constellations. I was never able to use celestial magic. Everyone else could wield dual magic, except for me. It was always infuriating because I felt as if I wasn't complete. I could only use my father's magic, and it felt like I had nothing to remember my mother by. That's when Loke would visit me. He was the spirit that missed Mama the most, and he saw something in me of her that no one else could.

He'd tell me stories about their brave adventures and mishaps together, and he never failed to make me laugh. He was the perfect big brother to me, and I loved him in every way for it. "Loke, does it ever get lonely knowing you have to live forever?" I asked suddenly.

I felt him tense beside me, but he fell eerily quiet. It was something I had always wanted to ask him, and I didn't mind waiting for him to answer. We sat in a comfortable silence for a while, and for a second, I thought we were back to before. However, after some time, he breathed heavily and said, "Yes. I always feel sad because of it, but I do not worry about it. I'd rather be here with my friends and enjoying the time I have than constantly worrying what will happen fifty years from now."

I smiled. "Good answer," I said back to him. "But you won't have to worry, because I will live forever."

He jerked up quickly and searched my eyes for a lie. My smile brightened when he didn't find one. "Don't tell me the rumors are true…"

"You told me yourself what the rumors are," I informed him. "They are."

"But how—"

I bolted upright, a cold sweat breaking out on my skin. My hands gripped my head, and I started to silently scream. Loke was upon me in a second, bombarding me with questions and trying to comfort me. I pushed him off as best as I could and waited for the splitting headache to subside.

"Nashi!" he called to me. "Speak to me. What's going on?"

And just as suddenly as it happened, it vanished; leaving me drenched in sweat and out of breath. I looked wildly into the night and searched the stars for answers. "Oh no!" I whimpered, clambering to my feet.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Loke asked concernedly.

I gripped his shirt and looked into his blue, sparkling eyes. "Do you trust me?"

"W-what?" he gaped. "What are you talking about?"

I shook my head. "We need to get to the bathroom."

"What?" Loke shot back.

I sighed irritably. Lion-man in the future didn't ask so many questions. "Listen," I explained, pointing to the stars. "Sometimes I speak to the heavens, and sometimes they speak back."

He was blatantly confused. He cocked a golden eyebrow and asked, "Did you hit your head hard against something in the future?"

Rolling my eyes, I pulled out of his arms and started making my way to the rooftop. "Listen, I know I can't explain everything to you right now, but you'll have to follow me."

"Why?" he asked, running to catch up.

"Because, I can't use my magic, and I'm going to need some fire power."

"You know the magic on this land is only bound to humans. I can still use it if need be, but will I have to?"

I turned on him, and he nearly ran into me. My brown eyes stared hard back into him, and I pointed a finger at his chest and tried to sound threatening. "Okay, little lion-man. You can use magic. That's great, except we're going to need more than just you to help. I can foresee the future, and I know that something is about to happen. I don't know what yet, but we need to get to the bathroom and quick."

"Why the bathroom?"

I shot him a mischievous grin, one that would even rival Papa's. Loke must have known the look meant trouble and started cursing as we jumped off the roof and rushed to the lady's room.

Lucy's POV

The familiar fountain came into view with its cobblestones wrapped into a star around a beautiful mermaid that rivaled even Aquarius. The woman was reaching towards the stars with her hands cupped upwards. Water spewed into the air out of her palms, and she held a perpetual laugh as she constantly offered her gift of water to the heavens. Even as a young girl, I thought the statue was odd for such a family who despised mages to flaunt the mermaid. The family must not have known the legacy behind it. That mermaid was offering the magic she discovered to the gods since they had granted her this power.

Thomas sat me down on the thick stones, and he started a long story about how we had first met ten years ago. He spun the story like Happy and his fish tales. You would think that we were a prince and princess destined to be together, but fate had torn us apart only to bring us together again tonight. It was romantic, but I was not in love with this prince charming. If Mama were here, I'd beg her to tell me the story again of how the dragon loved the princess and came to rescue her.

Bitter laughter escaped before I realized it, and Thomas shot me a quizzical glance. I shook my head. "I'm sorry," I said quickly, getting to my feet. It wasn't his fault my mood suddenly soured. I was thinking of Natsu again, and how much I wish he would love me as much as I loved him. I knew it was only in my dreams that he would kiss me, and it made my heart ache. I shook my head again and tried to distract my thoughts. "So, where is this secret place again?"

Thomas smiled devilishly and took my hand in his. He jerked me closer and wrapped his steel arms around me. His cold breath washed down my neck, and a shiver of disgust ran down my spine. I tried to pull out of his sudden embrace, but he chuckled and squeezed me closer. His face was only a few inches from mine, and I could feel the heat on my cheeks. "Why don't I set you down somewhere and explore all of your secret places?"

I released a shriek and doubled my efforts to escape him. "Let me go!" I cried, turning my face away from his. When his lips touched my jaw, I opened my mouth to scream, but a sturdy hand clamped down on my mouth. He walked me backwards toward the hedges and pinned me against the thorns. I stopped struggling as much when they started to cut into my back. Tears were hot in my eyes, and I started to whimper as his other hand started trying to lift the hem of my dress.

A free hand shot out and struck against his cheek, but it only made the desire in his eyes burn wilder. "I like them feisty," he hissed. He removed a silver bangle from his coat and placed the cold metal against my wrists. As soon as it touched my skin, it shot out like a snake and bound my wrists together, and then lifted me into the air until my feet were unable to touch the ground. I kicked at him, but he pulled out another bangle, and it bound my ankles.

I started to wail, but Thomas covered my mouth again. "Shh," he purred sadistically. His hands reached up to my silver bracelet that Warren and Reedus had made. "I see you're not the only one that figured out how to use magic items here." He snatched it off and tossed it into the fountain. How did he know about the charm? Fear turned my blood to ice, and my body started to shake as tears rolled down my cheeks. "Now…let's see just what else you're hiding…"

"Me," an angered voice snarled behind him. Thomas turned to look but was met with a punch across the face. He flew sideways, releasing me, and I stared in wonder. Natsu wouldn't meet my eyes, but I knew he felt me watching him. His sharp eyes were targeted on the man trying to rape me a few seconds ago. Thomas cursed and rubbed his cheek. He tried to yell at Natsu, but the dragon slayer picked him up by the shirt and lifted him as high as I was. "You tried to hurt, Lucy, and I will never forgive you for that." Another fist slammed into his face, and Thomas landed in the fountain with a giant splash. Satisfied that the brute wouldn't be moving much longer, he finally turned to me.

His eyes roamed my body, checking for injuries. He started at my feet, but when his gaze finally met mine, I felt pain twinge in my heart. I had seen Natsu in many ways: happy, teasing, evil, fired up, and ect… but what I saw in his eyes made me want to hold him against me and never let go. He was afraid, and it terrified me to see him like this.

His fists quivered at his sides at his sides as he approached, and I gasped when he reached under my dress and pulled the binding off. He reached above my head with one arm while the other encircled my waist. When he broke the binding on my wrists, I fell against him, but his arms were there to catch me. Without hesitation, he buried his face in my shoulder and pulled me into a tight embrace as he continued to shake.

"I'm sorry, Luce," he whispered against my soft skin. "I should have gotten here quicker. I knew that guy was a creep…but I never thought—"

A sudden laugh left my lungs, and Natsu pulled away to look at me. I covered my mouth to stifle my laughter, but it was no good. "S-stop," I giggled. "This serious voice of yours, it's…it's not you, Natsu."

His lips twitched into a lopsided grin. He scratched the back of his head, a faint red glow growing on his cheeks. "Yeah," he said. "I suppose you're right."

Acting on impulse, I reached up for his head and pulled it down until my lips touched his forehead. His eyes went wide in surprise, and I hugged him before he could say anything else. A second later, he had his arms wrapped around me again. "Thank you," I hummed. "For always protecting me."

"You're my Lucy," he stated as simply as inhaling a breath of air. "I'll always protect you." I closed my eyes and smiled. It was a far better response than I thought he would give. His fingers cupped my chin suddenly, and he lifted my face until I was staring back at him. "There's something I've wanted to tell you…"

"Yes?" I pondered, my heart suddenly pounding erratically in my chest. His eyes flickered to my lips, and his breath was hot on my cheeks as he slowly began to descend towards me. I closed my eyes, and my body suddenly felt lighter than air, as I reached closer to him, desperate to reach him. For the past few days, we were always so close, and I wasn't about to let him escape this time. Wait…we have been trying to kiss each other! Duh, Lucy! It was obvious. I parted my lips as I smiled. He loved me!

"Mama, why does the dragon always guard the princess?"

"Because he loves her."

"Well, if it isn't that bitch and her pathetic dog," a groveling voice growled. Natsu jumped away from me, his fists instantly balled and ready for a fight. Are you kidding me? It never failed that something was always coming between our perfect moment! I glowered towards the voice and opened my mouth to start spewing curses, but they landed on a familiar figure, I squealed and shut it. "Hello again, princess."

It was the man that attacked us at the festival the night we had first met Nashi! My eyes darted around him, and at the swarm of burly men caring heavy weapons and snarling expressions. "Natsu!" I whined. "It's the men from back then!"

"I know," he said evenly. His calm voice sent chills through me, and I knew he was being serious. He took a step in front of me, and I knew he was using himself as a shield to protect me. "Even though I was sick, I remember. We never had the pleasure of fighting, but now I'm all fired up!"

The lead man laughed at the dragon slayer. "Tough talk, kid. We were here simply just to acquire a key, but it looks like we can kill two birds with one stone and take Jude's precious little daughter with us."

"A key?" I gasped. "Then that means you guys are—"

"We're treasure hunters," Thomas answered as he slugged out of the fountain. He rubbed his back and lifted a small golden key out of his pocket. "Mother thought she was being clever trying to hide it from me, but I made an exchange with her. This ball was a setup you see. I made and exchange with her. If she handed over the key finally, I would give it to someone that I chose as my bride. It made her too excited, and she overlooked my father's law."

"Your father's law?" Natsu asked, cocking a pink eyebrow.

Thomas nodded. "My father entrusted my mother with the key before she died, but he made her promise to never allow me to have it. When I swore to my mother, that I would give it to someone by the end of the night, she gave it to me." Thomas handed over the key to the man, and he clenched a giant fist around it and laughed. "You're my witness that I gave it away."

"Why are you working with these men?" I exclaimed.

"Working with them?" He and the men around him exchanged a knowing glance, and they all broke into fits of laughter. "Lucy, I don't work for them. I'm their master."

I gasped at his words and stepped back. Why would he? After everything his father went through to hide the key, and after the promise he made to his mother, he would go against everything. But, why? "Do you even know what that key is for?" I blurted. The men went quiet and stared at me. "If you use it to open the door Master said you found, you're not going to find treasure. You'll open the world to evil—"

"Do you honestly think I don't know what this actually unlocks?" he asked, his lips twisted into an evil grin. "I fed a couple guilds a fake story just so they wouldn't go snooping into our business."

"And you still want to open it?" Natsu demanded.

"Of course," Thomas replied. "I plan on unleashing Morgania."

"Why?" I cried. "Why would you do that?"

He laughed once and folded his arms. "You heard our little conversation inside, Lucy. It was all for your benefit really. It was glorious to see the angered looks on Fairy Tail's wizards."

He knew about us? Shit! Who was this guy?

"What?" he barked. "Are you surprised that I knew who you were?" He glared at Natsu. "Salamander, fire dragon slayer, and Lucy Heartfilia, celestial spirit wizard." Natsu took a sharp intake of breath, and I placed a hand on his back to comfort him. His skin felt cold, and I remembered that we couldn't use magic here. "I'm sick of wizards thinking they can take over and destroy this world…so I'll kill them all. Of course, I have to get another wizard to do it, and I'll have to kill her too once she's done, but at least this world will once again be free of mages!"

"Bastard!" Natsu rushed him and punched him again, sending him back into his companions.

They helped him to his feet, and Thomas stood, ready to issue commands when there was more commotion behind him. Gray held a tray a waiter was carrying around earlier and smacked a man in the side of the head. The man cried out and fell to the ground unconscious. Following him was Jay, throwing stones at every target closest to him. One man dodged his assaults and backhanded Jay. The kid stumbled backwards, and the man lifted his fist to punch him when a long spray of water met him in the face.

"Don't mess with Jay or Gray-sama!" Juvia shouted with a water hose in her hand.

The man I recognized from the festival yelled for everyone to attack, and a giant foot met him across the face. I'm sure he was knocked out before he hit the ground. Laxus stood over the slumping body laughing. Jellal was behind him, fighting vigilantly. A bright light erupted, and I knew the source and started smiling as Loke shot through the doors of the house and started his attack.

Nashi was following him, a smug smile on her lips. A man suddenly cut her off, and he started making fun of how small she was. That was a terrible mistake. "Fire dragon—" she started to scream.

"She can use magic here?" I shouted in shock.

"Torch!" she screamed and held up a lighter. Seriosuly? That was anticlimactic. I sweat drop formed on my head as I stared at the bizarre little girl. She was definitely Natsu's kid.

"Bahaha!" the man shouted. "You think something as puny as that is going to hurt me?"

"No," Nashi sung and whipped around a can of hair spray from her back. "But this will!"

Her finger mashed down on the spray can, and when the container's chemicals hit the open flame, a huge stream of fire shot out and lit the man on fire. He started screaming and raw towards the fountain with his ass still burning. Nashi laughed evilly, and another sweat drop formed. There was no denying that Natsu genes were running through her. She looked at Loke and yelled, "Told you the bathroom was perfect!" The celestial spirit just shot her a dubious look before returning to his fight, and Nashi ran off to burn more men.

Rough hands reached from behind me, grabbing onto my waist. "Hey bitch, let's play."

I growled at him, and replied, "Okay, but I don't play nice with others." I scooped up a vase that was conveniently beside my foot and smashed against his skull. He staggered back, and I finished him off with one of my famous "Lucy kicks". I laughed down at his pathetic state. "Luck is totally with me tonight!" With our team members fighting as hard as they could, there was no way we could lose.

"That's enough!" Thomas's voice broke through the fighting. "Do it now!"

I swiveled around as the bushes beside us started to rustle. Camouflaged men started to appear, holding blow guns to their lips. The closest one to me suddenly shot something at me, and I was too stunned to move when it hit my neck. A soft whimper came out my lips, and I pulled the object away. My vision started to blur, but I could just make out what it was. "A tranquilizer?"

My body grew heavy, and I couldn't stop myself when I collapsed against the ground. "Lucy!" Natsu shouted somewhere. "Luuucy!" I felt his name on my lips, but I didn't know if I actually said it before I was engulfed by the growing darkness.

Soooo... what did you think?

What's going to happen next? Will Fairy Tail be able to over power these treasure hunters, or will they lose everything? And why does everyone keep interrupting Natsu and Lucy before they kiss?

Let me know what you think will happen next!