"What were you telling them?" Adie asked, her hand shaking as she held the wooden container that Barsky had asked her to retrieve.

"Me?" he looked confused. "I didn't say anything. Better ask the girl!" he pointed in Lucy's direction.

"Hey!" Lucy snapped, glaring angrily at the old man.

"Lucy, what is going on here?" Adie repeated, watching Lucy carefully and awaiting an answer.

Lucy's face paled as she realized she would have to confess her nosiness. "W-well, uh..you s-s-see," her teeth chattered as the icy pale eyes bored into her. "He did it! He told us about your sister!" Lucy blurted, pointing toward Barsky.

In two strides, the blacksmith was at Barsky's side, slamming the box onto the end table with one hand. The table creaked from the force. "Just what did you tell them?" she hissed.

"Oh? Well, Lucy-chan was asking about your sister," he waved a hand, as if dismissing Adie's anger. "It was harmless, really."

"Oh really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and pointing furiously at Gray. "Then why does he look so pissed off?"

The ice mage said nothing as he stared at Adie in silent contemplation. Barsky leaned over to look past Adie, glancing at Gray. "Him? He's just testy!"

"And why is that?" she snapped, obviously not allow the old man to trivialize the situation. "People don't just start making promises like that without having a good reason!"

Barsky said nothing, reaching for his cup of cold tea. Adie grabbed the cup as he pursed his lips to sip the liquid, "Answers. Now." She glanced at both Lucy and Barsky.

Lucy looked at her feet, as she wrung her hands nervously. "You better tell her," she quickly shot the old man an ashamed look.

"Yes, listen to Lucy," Adie commanded. "You are up to no good, and I want you to stop interfering in matters that do not concern you."

"Concern me?" he asked softly, looking up at Adie. He pulled his cup from her grip, slowly setting it onto the table. He reached for the ivory etched wooden box, pulling it softly into his lap. "Of course it concerns me."

Adie's brows furrowed in confusion as she took a step back. Barsky chuckled lightly, "You are my daughter, even if you are adopted against your will."

"Now is not the time to pull the 'you're my daughter' crap," she mumbled. "What about Lilith?"

"I knew you looked familiar," Gray interrupted. Lucy gasped at his interjection as Natsu and Happy silently watched the scene unfold. They had managed to take a few steps back, in case things got out-of-hand.

"I'm sorry?" Adassandra replied softly, confusion evident on her face. "I look familiar to you?"

"That day, when Deliora was frozen by my master—Ur," his voice was ragged, as he recounted the difficult memory. At the mention of the demon beast, Adie's eyes widened.

Gray continued, closing his eyes,"I knew I had seen you somewhere before. I-I just couldn't remember where." When he opened them, they were shining with his repressed emotions. "You were in the village that day. You were there to stop it, weren't you?"

Lucy's mouth fell open: how had Gray presumed that so easily? No wonder he seemed preoccupied with the mysterious woman after her appearance at Fairy Tail--he had thought he knew her! She looked at Adie, wondering if she understood what Gray was telling her.

It was apparent she did. Her face was drained of all color, as her mouth opened and closed repeatedly. Each time she tried to speak, her words failed her. She took a few steps back, until she was against the tall counter that separated the store from the back workstation. She slowly slid along the length of the counter, until she was sitting on the floor, slumped against it.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Do you remember me?" he asked. "There were two of us with my Master. Leon—the blonde, and me. My Master had been the one to stop the monster, sacrificing her life to seal it in ice."

She nodded, licking her lips. She looked as if she were going to vomit. Barsky spoke softly, "Cleaning up your sister's mess, once again." He shook his head sadly.

"Lilith wouldn't have willingly let that monster out, and you know that! It was that girl..." she trailed off, staring at her hands as they rested on her knees.

Lucy's voice was gentle as she prodded the issue, "What happened?"

Adie didn't speak for a few moments. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wooden surface behind her. "She was being controlled. I'm not sure who that girl was, but she had managed to gain Lilith's trust—somehow using her key."

"Once that key is in the wrong hands, all hell breaks loose!" Barsky sighed, a grim smile on his face.

"But I thought you two were against mishandling of Stellar Spirit keys?" Lucy asked, confused as to how Adie's sister had so easily succumbed to her mysterious friend.

"She said that she wasn't....er...herself," Adie whispered.

"And you believed her?" Gray asked, his fists shaking. "She killed thousands of people--"

"She didn't," Adie interrupted.

"You lied to me," Lucy replied flatly. "Those keys do have some significance." Adie said nothing, bowing her head in shame.

"What keys? What are you talking about, Luce?" Natsu asked. She hadn't entirely filled them in on this whole 'key' issue.

Adie's eyes were unfocused when she opened them. "As I told Lucy earlier, my mother was a Stellar Spirit. My father was a human."

"So you're a half-breed?" Natsu asked, finally grasping some of the back story.

Adie smirked, her eyes still unfocused. "I suppose that's what I am. As such, the Royal Family is born with their own key. Other spirits' keys are released into your world upon their creation."

"Royal?" Gray repeated. This woman is a noble?

"Lucy can fill you in on that, she seems to know quite a bit about the inner workings of Spirits," Adie lightly banged her head against the wood.

"How did you learn so much, Lucy?" Natsu asked, his voice holding the hurt that he wouldn't outwardly admit.

Ever since the night of the gala, he felt that Lucy was keeping things from him. Part of him felt angry at her for this, the other part felt as if they were growing apart. As a team, he told himself, they were growing apart as a team. There was nothing else between them to grow apart from, was there?

"I've done extensive reading on the subject. I do try to keep up with Stellar Spirit news and history if I'm going to be a mage, stupid!"

"Oh."

"I read," she barked, realizing he didn't understand.

"Books?"

"Yes, books," she roared. "Idiot! Do you think I carry books around just to look smart."

"I dunno," he shrugged his uncertainty. "I, uh, it..uh.."

"I told you those she wrote that stuff you were reading in her room," Happy replied matter-of-factly, looking satisfied with himself.

"You read what I was writing? Without my knowing?" she hissed, her face reddening.

"I didn't know you wrote it at the time--"

"My name was on it, you moron!" She was glaring angrily at him. Not only did he break into her apartment on a regular basis—often sleeping in her bed--but he also read her stuff? She had a difficult time allowing Levy to read it, much less the knuckle-headed dragon slayer!

"It's actually really good, Luce," he scratched his head. "Why didn't you tell us you were writing a book?"

"I did--" her eyes were bulging as she waved her arms frantically. "Wait. That has nothing to do with any of this," she shook her head. "Let's stay on subject."

"Good, that was getting pretty heated. Are you two at least engaged?" Barsky asked calmly.

"What?" both Lucy and Natsu roared in unison.

The old man chuckled, "It sure is easy to get a reaction out of both of you."

"Explain to me how your sister is not at fault for releasing Deliora," Gray whispered, attempting to pull the conversation back to the matter-at-hand.

"I never said she wasn't responsible for releasing it. She most definitely called it through the gate. But, someone has to command her to let such a creature loose into this world," Adie explained as she watched Gray through heavy lids.

"There is a gate for these creatures? Is that how those monsters from earlier were unleashed?" he grimaced. He could still smell the stench of rotting flesh. Would it ever leave his nostrils?

"That is exactly how they are released," she admitted. "I was there to stop the monster, and to find my sister. I eventually did find her, far removed form the demon's wrath. She was no longer with the girl she had been traveling with earlier. Instead, she was with some sad excuse for a mage. I easily overpowered him, returning Lilith's key."

"And that's when the Kingy got a whiff of the situation, and came here to yell at her!" Barsky whistled, shaking his head.

"So she was banished from the Celestial Spirit World, but was that such a good idea?" Lucy asked. "I mean, if she has such a powerful key."

"What choice did he have? It was the worst punishment he could deal. He couldn't execute his own niece—even if she did violate one of the Sacred Laws."

"Sacred Laws?" It was Natsu's turn to ask questions.

"Spirits are here to protect humanity," Lucy answered. "Not harm their masters, uphold the greater good...that sort of stuff."

"But you use them to fight," Natsu pointed out. "Isn't that harming other people?"

Lucy chewed her lip. "I think that's where 'greater good' comes in. I couldn't just go around, having my spirits kill innocent people."

"Oh. I see," Nastu grunted. He really didn't. It didn't seem as dichotomous as Lucy had made it out to be.

"So, you see, Gray," Adie replied softly, "my sister is only partly to blame. Yes, she controls those monsters, but she is helpless under the key holders command. It's against our Laws to go against our masters, no matter their agendas."

Gray said nothing, and Lucy shuddered, remembering how Angel used her Stellar Spirits for her own evil deeds and the deeds of Oracion Seis. Spirits used for that purpose were formidable opponents. Suddenly, a thought came to her.

"Adie....those Stellar Spirit mages, that, uh, were, er, harmed," she stumbled through the question. "Do you think their Stellar Spirits have something to do with your sister?"

Adassandra said nothing, staring at the floor. Lucy had a sinking feeling that this entire situation was about to go to a whole new level.

"Of course she does!" Barsky croaked. "She's been ponderin' that idea for some time, she was just in denial. I told you that this would happen if you ignored it!" He shook his head, clucking his disappointment.

"And what was I supposed to do?" Adie's shot back. "Go start a war on an unknown opponent? Lilith was almost killed last time I had to retrieve her key--"

"You had to fight her, didn't you?" Lucy's eyes were wide with realization. Pitting sister against sister—it must have been horrible for her! Of course a mage wouldn't easily give up a key, he or she would use their spirit to fight. She remembered Aries and Leo in her fight with Angel.....

Adie nodded as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Lilith was much more careful after Deliora," she glanced at Gray. "But, at least one person still knew about her power."

"That grimy little girl from before," Barsky interrupted. "Something wasn't right about that girl."

"I agree," Adie conceded.

"You think that this girl—or woman, is now using your sister?" Gray asked suspiciously.

"I have no other option than to believe that," the blacksmith answered.

"Yeah, but you also think the stolen Stellar Spirits are somehow linked to that," Barsky added.

"Can you not do that?" Adie glowered. "I would really appreciate if it you could make this less convoluted, old man!"

"Sorry," he grumbled.

"OK, wait!" Natsu shook his head. "I get pretty much all of what you are talking about. Your poor sister, blah, blah, blah! But what about these keys? Your key? What do they do? I mean, your sister's obviously opens some sort of evil gate..." he waved his hands emphatically at the last part of his statement.

"This is not a joke, Natsu," Lucy spoke quietly.

"No, it's not." Adie murmured. "Lilith is the Demon Gate's Keeper."

"Demon Gate? Sounds bad," Natsu muttered casually.

"It is. What you saw today? That's nothing compared to what she can summon. And if someone who holds the key knows what's on the other side of the gate, there's no way to know what will soon be roaming this earth," she shared the information she had been keeping to herself. Part of her felt a sense of relief that someone other than her and Barsky now knew of Lilith's power.

"So they key holder can only call forth what they want? Like, they have to know what they want?" he continued, confusion in his voice.

"Pretty much. It's user dependent."

"And she can't tell her master 'no'?" his tone was suspicious.

"A spirit does not defy his or her master without serious ramifications," Adie answered coolly.

"Your key," Gray interrupted. "What does your key do?"

Lucy glanced at Barsky, who's face told her nothing. Her eyes fell on Adie as the woman avoided everyone's expectant gaze.

"I..I don't know." Her cheeks were red.

"What does that mean?" Natsu scoffed.

"That's simple." Lucy cleared her throat. "It means that she has never used it. Other than for recognition." Adie's eyes fell to the floor, completely understanding Lucy's insinuation.

"But, if I had to speculate," Lucy continued, her eyes on Adie. "I would say that hers would do the opposite of her sister's."

"Woohoo, a smart one!" Barsky whistled under his breath.

Adie pushed herself off of the floor. "It doesn't matter what mine does!" she concluded. "I won't ever let anyone use it! That would only leave me open to being controlled and manipulated. And that is not a future I want for myself!" Thousand of lives depend on it!

Before anyone could respond, Erza reappeared, her face flushed and her eyes shining with excitement. "Is this what I think it is?" she held up an enormous sword. "Thunderbolt Iron? I thought it was only a myth!"

Adassandra said nothing as Erza examined the blade closely. "It can supposedly cut through anything," she murmured in admiration.

"Oh, it can," Barsky tsk-ed. "Have Dee tell you about the time first put her hands on that sword!"

"Not the time for that!" Adie hissed from the corner of her mouth.

"Says you," Barsky grumbled, a half-smile still upon his face as the memory danced on his tongue.

The over-sized black blade glistened in the dim light. A crease formed in Erza's brow as she held the sword in her hands. "But why would you leave such a sword just lying around?"

Adie chewed the inside of her cheek, debating on how much of an answer she was going to give. Finally, she decided that she had been honest thus far, "Because I'm taking it with me."

"Finally," the old man murmured, his eyes closed. Lucy watched his expression: he looked as if a ton of bricks had just been removed from his chest.

She heard Erza rapidly fired questions at Adie, who was apparently able to answer each and every one. Lucy had never seen Erza so excited about anything. She watched Erza remove her Heart Kreuz armor, handing it to Adie, as the blacksmith examined it. She pointed to a few areas, and Erza examined them as well.

"I don't know what's happening over there, but I'm a little scared," Natsu whispered to Lucy as he watched the exchange with equal confusion.

Gray remained silent as he stared blankly at the floor. Lucy knew that he still had questions he wanted answered--as he had just faced a huge revelation. She felt sorry for the ice mage, as no one could understand how he felt right now. His life has just been turned upside down, and none of his friends could help him.

"Looks like those two are goin' to get along," Barsky hummed, nodding his head in the two women's direction.

Erza pointed to something in the back room, and the two women disappeared. Their voices no longer carried out into the main room. Natsu decided to follow them, wanting to see what the excitement was about. Happy slowly trailed behind, patting Gray on the leg as he walked past. Lucy and Barsky were left alone in the two, worn chairs.

"You know what that sword means?" Barsky spoke quietly to Lucy. She shook her head, following his gaze to the box that he held in his lap.

"It means," Barsky's eyes shone with fatherly pride, "she finally means business. She's going to what she should have done a year ago."

"What's that?" Lucy asked, half-distracted by the intricate design on the box.

"She's gonna find Lilith."

I know, I know, a bit boring, but I wanted to get the information out there!

More action will be coming, I promise.

Thanks for reading/reviewing, as always. Everyone = pure awesome.

Enjoy!