Hello everyone!

Here is chapter 24! Long hiatus, I'm so sorry. It's because school has started and lots of problem appeared before me. And . . . computer broke (which is the main issue because all the files I've saved for this are gone now).

Well, with all that. . .

Enjoy!

Twenty-Fourth Wish:
Help (1)

Upon arriving at the scene of crime, only smoke and wreckage had greeted them. Inside the abandoned inn was a broken wall.

Seeing such a scene, it is normal for the three of them to panic.

Loki, quickly tried to call and locate her using the jade bracelet he had given her before but it was to no avail. For some reason, it had been broken! The scattered beads lay on the floor and using his powers, he gathered them on the palm of his hands.

"What's that?"

Happy curiously looked at him, a sweat on his forehead.

"It's the bracelet I gave her to contact me in case of emergency. . ." Even if she didn't use it to call him, he could use this to locate her. He had never expected that this bracelet would have ended up being broken at such an emergency!

Upon gathering them together, they begin to glow with faint light; a small and transparent image begun to form like a miniature figurine.

"Lucy!" Natsu immediately called out, recognizing the figure.

However, the small person doesn't seem to hear him. Rather, she was looking up, her arms flailing around as if in panic.

Loki sighed. "Don't get too excited, this is just an after-image of her before the bead exploded. . . I noticed there was a spirit message that was not sent to me for some reason. . ."

Lucy looked comically funny as she flailed around in panic.

"Uwaaah! How do I use this? I remember I can send messages using this . . . Umm . . . How do I start with this thing!?"

The words were faint, as if the power used was unstable, but they can clearly hear and understand the words that she said. Upon hearing her words, the three of them couldn't help but sweat drop.

Doesn't she realize that she's already creating a message?

"Umm . . . Do I activate this by putting some energy?" she scratched her head. But her confused sooner turned to frustration and she stomped her feet. "Maaaannnnnnnnn! I thought I could test this thing and give it a try! It looks so easy when Loki and Virgo are using this!"

They looked incredulously at the pouting figure.

"Hmmm. . . maybe if I just say my message while using force. . ." at that, her eyes held a strange sight as she looked seriously at her hands. With concentration, a ball of light begin to form at her palms, slowly becoming bigger and bigger with each seconds. A buzzing sound, as if an electric current began to be heard almost covering the voice that called out with it.

"Natsu! Loki! Let's meet at the mountain road to Romeo's village!"

She yelled, her image growing brighter and hazy. Then suddenly, an explosion could be heard as the image vanished with a strong burst of light, making the beads shoot out and scatter on the ground.

Before the last light dissolve, a faint voice could be last heard as if an echo.

"Uwaaah! It broke! Loki's gonna kill me!"

And with that, the message ended with still silence.

The atmosphere in the room turned cold and eerily quiet.

Loki sweated bullets as the two people in the room looked at him with unimpressed expression.

"Really? You gave her an item without even telling her how to use it?" Natsu finally said.

"I didn't know she had no idea how to use it! That's common sense!" the celestial explained defensively.

"Oh really? Why didn't she know then?" Happy chirped in. His eyes were like dead fish that looked at the man. He clearly has no faith in his words.

"That's . . ." Loki looked away.

Now that he thought about it, no one would have told her how.

This was a device that was only used in the mortal world for the immortals to use. Space travel was not much a problem in the spirit world compared to the mortal realm that doesn't normally permit it. This was why they use such devices to communicate in the material world.

Lucy, having not really leaving the Spirit World had pretty much no reason to use the device. She could freely fly and search for the people she wanted to talk with. She had never really need to use this as she prefer to talk with people face to face and even if she needed to call someone, she could just call out loud and her voice would be transmitted to them immediately via the Flow of Spirits.

Simply to say, she was awfully ignorant on the ways of the material world.

Natsu, noticing Loki's hesitation, immediately knew something was up. However, he saw something.

Upon the floor, there were scattered pieces of paper. The pieces were torn to bits that the writing were no longer decipherable but one could still recognize the black inks on its corners. Noticing it, he felt a strange chill behind his back.

"Well . . . this means that Lucy is alright, right?" Happy asked.

Loki also relaxed. It seemed the power fluctuation they felt was simply due to Lucy's mistake and not because she was really in danger.

However, Natsu thought differently.

He doesn't really understand. Why was he so wary of mere pieces of paper? However, he felt bad premonition and he quickly left the place without saying a word.

". . . Natsu?"

He ignored Happy's call and Loki's questioning looks. Quickly, he ran to the place Lucy had last stated in her message.

Meanwhile, in the Palace. . .

Clouds gathered as if threatening to make a downpour.

Seeing this, Gray was slightly glad that they were mostly done with their daily training and had called his troops to take a rest for a while. He was just returning to rest at the barracks when he saw Erza on the way. She had just finished seeing off the second princess and was returning to report at her highness Mirajane.

Upon seeing each other, they gave their respective salute and courtesies worthy of their rank. Gray was promoted from Captain of the City guards to Captain of the Imperial Guards a few days ago. While most people would be happy about it, there was a little dissatisfaction from Gray's side as he felt he wasn't able to completely fulfil his duty because there was still a certain thief he was not able to catch after all this time. Nonetheless, he was still promoted due to a stroke of luck where he accidentally helped a noble lady from being harassed during the betrothal announcement.

The next day, he received a message that he was going to be an imperial guard. Upon receiving the order, he unexpectedly met with a childhood friend.

Yes, her name was Erza Scarlet. The current General of the Vermillion Army.

They met when he was a child after the incident known as The Celestial's Blessing. She was among the survivors. They used to be playmates from the temporary camp for the survivors, but they were taken in by other people as disciples. Gray was taken in by a woman soldier while Erza was taken in by an old man to train. Since then, they haven't met again.

Until now. . .

With their sharp sense and memory, they immediately recognized each other. And because of familiarity and friendship between them, they regard each other without care for ranks and such. Of course, proper courtesies were still needed for public show but it was nothing more than salute and such.

By this time, suddenly a hysterical woman came running to them.

Erza immediately had her hand on her sword, ready to draw it out in case the woman did anything suspicious. Gray, however, was perplexed. Seeing the woman crying in front of him, there was a strange knot in his heart.

Why does she look familiar?

"Gray-sama. . ."

Juvia was running towards them. But upon reaching them, she stopped on her tracks. Tears poured down her face and she was about to break down. Seeing him again, she doesn't know how to face him exactly. Does she still have the right to approach him? After all she had done? She bent down, clutching at the necklace on her chest.

At that time, the guards chasing her had caught up and immediately seized her arms.

Upon seeing the two officers, they paled and quickly bowed down in apology while greeting them respectfully. Erza glared at them, her eyes telling them to explain the situation.

"Apologies to the General and Captain, this woman had sneaked through after causing a commotion in the kitchen . . ." the guard beside kneeled down and explained.

After hearing that, Erza was angry. She scolded them sternly.

"And since when did the Imperial Guards turned to become so incompetent that they can't even guard against one common woman!? Hurry and take her away! When I return, I better see your troops to run around the palace grounds for a hundred and fifty laps! Let's see if you dare slack off again and commit the same mistake!" If the one who sneaked in was an assassin instead of a commoner, heaven knows how devastating the results would be!

"Wait!"

The woman immediately screamed, regaining her senses after hearing her words. "You . . . you can't come to the barracks . . ." she looked desperately at the two of them, especially at the captain with raven hair.

The guard holding her was already scared stiff from Erza's scolding. He was infuriated at the woman who seemed to want to cause him further misery. Not only does she dare not to bow down to them, she even spoke to them with such a commanding tone as if there was no room for negotiations and they have to obey. He was about to scold and hit her when Gray raised a hand to stop him.

"Woman, speak your thoughts . . ."

He spoke coldly.

At that, the woman cried. "Gray-sama. . . you can't go to the barracks it's too dangerous there. . ."

Everyone frowned at hearing her words.

"What do you mean?" Gray asked. The woman was choking in her tears.

"In the barracks . . . in the barracks . . . there were a set of explosives . . . afraid that. . . afraid that you would be caught in the explosion . . ."

At that, their eyes widen in shock.

"Woman, do you speak the truth!? You better not be joking because the consequences will be lethal for you!"

The guard threatened against her.

Juvia shook her head. "It's no lie. . . It's no lie . . ."

Gray was about to curse. They had just received a bunch of gun powder to use for explosives and cannons. It had been stored it in the armory near the barracks. If a fire started and managed to reach those gun powders, the consequences would be terribly bad!

Not to mention, that was the place where they mainly train their soldiers and kept most of their weapons. Currently, majority of their soldiers were training there. If something bad happen to that place, it will be a huge blow to their military power!

Meanwhile, Erza's worries were much bigger.

It was supposed to be a secret but today was the time the first princess, Mirajane, decided to inspect the army! Currently, she was at the fields with the soldiers. If an accident occurred, they cannot guarantee the life of the princess!

"Hurry! Inform the people to retreat from that place!"

Erza quickly ordered. "Send the fastest messenger birds and inform them! Gray! You come with me and secure the princess Mirajane safety! You over there, give the woman a comfortable place to stay and ask her for the details of this case! Make sure to immediately send to me whatever information you get from her!"

All of them immediately saluted and received the order.

"Wait! You can't! The fire in the barracks is only a diversion!"

The woman quickly told them.

Everyone was shocked to hear that. Such a large attack against the army was only a diversion!?

"The real target is not the barracks but the princess! They plan to kidnap the princess!"

. . . * . . .

End of Chapter

Lucy is missing (again!) while the princess is in danger! Who will come and rescue the princess in distress!? Find out in next chapter!

Thank you for everyone who favorite and followed this story!

For those who reviewed, thank you! I'll try my best!