Chapter 2

The relationship between the First Master and the Third Master of Fairy Tail was complicated at best; and although having been born in that guild hall, it was not until much later in his life that Makarov Dreyer would come to know about the presence of Mavis' body within its depths and the power it still possessed.

Makarov had grown up hearing stories from his father's friends about their treasure-hunting days, but his favorite were the ones about Mavis and the adventures they had together: how they first met Mavis, how she befriended them, how they learned to use magic, about the start of Fairy Tail, and how the spirit of the First Master lived on and watched over each of its members.

But more importantly Makarov felt a special bond with the First Master because of the story of his birth: how his mother had given birth to him in the guild hall, how Mavis had been there to give him his name, and how his mother had passed just as quickly afterward from the strain of her labor. It had been a bittersweet time in his father's life, one that he never fully recovered from, and as a result died a broken man. The event affected Mavis greatly as well, and what caused a grief-stricken Mavis to run away and ultimately meet up with Zeref once more.

Erza stood before Makarov, stunned and confused. "I don't understand," she began, "why would Zeref come here looking for the First? Her grave is on Tenrou Island. And what good is a dead body to Zeref?"

Makarov paused for a long moment before answering. "It's true that Mavis' grave is on Tenrou Island, but that's not where her body is kept."

Erza's eyes again grew wide.

"The main duty of Guildmaster of Fairy Tail is to protect the location of the First Master's body until a time when she can be revived."

"R-revived?!"

Makarov nodded. He paused, then added, "Thank you for your report, Erza. It's time you rested also."

"Yes, Master," she answered, turning to open the door and walked downstairs to the bar for a slice of something sweet.

When the door closed softly behind her, Makarov sighed and turned his attention to a door in the corner of the room. He followed his feet through the unassuming doorway, down a winding staircase, through a set of ornate doors, until he finally stood before the crystal tomb of the First Master. He paused to gaze up at her and sighed, an eternally peaceful expression on her face.

It was at that moment that a thought occurred to him, and he rushed out of the room and up the stairs as fast as his elderly frame would allow.

"I swear to you Mavis," he said quietly, "whatever Zeref has planned, I will protect you and this guild with my life."

Lucy had to squint her eyes for a few moments until she could adjust to the lighting of what she realized was, once again, the infirmary. Slowly she fully opened her eyes, and scanned the room from where she lay: her wrists on both sides were wrapped as a safety measure, and her shoulder where she had been wounded was bandaged and her arm put in a sling to minimize movement; Happy was curled up at her feet, purring softly and occasionally mumbling in his sleep, and off to her side in an old wooden chair sat Natsu, arms crossed across his chest and snoring as his head leaned back. Her keys were laying on the nightstand next to the bed, safely tucked away in their leather pouch, and a glass of water was within reach, ready to go. The window was closed, although the curtains were open to let the natural light flood the room.

It was the same bed she used the last time she visited.

Great, I must have a standing reservation now, she thought to herself as she tried to slowly sit up, only to find her shoulder protested the sudden motion. Lucy let out a quiet hiss of discomfort as her hand instantly reached up to grab her shoulder, trying to will away the dull throbbing that now radiated from the area. Her gaze wandering to the nightstand, she grabbed her pouch and held it to her chest, thankful for their safety. She then turned to the window, and as she gazed out at the open water beyond it, her thoughts took her back to that little room in the mountain: Seeing Aquarius again, finally learning the truth about Grammi's death and vindicating her mother in the process, Brandish's chilling words and the depth of corruption her dark soul revealed...The danger in which she put Natsu and her friends.

The danger that had still to descend upon them.

It was then that Lucy realized she was being watched. Without turning away from the window, she replied softly, "I seem to be making this a habit lately, huh?"

"No more than me and Gray."

Judging from the pause that followed, she guessed that he was thinking about the same thing she was: the impending battle that was quickly bearing down on them and the sleepy town she had grown to love. "It doesn't look good for us, does it?" she asked softly.

She didn't have to wait long as an equally soft voice hummed in response.

"I still believe in you," Lucy said, as she turned to look back at him. "You know that, right?"

A slight blush warmed Natsu's cheeks at the unexpected praise. "Yeah, sure," he stammered awkwardly.

"Good, because I have my own score to settle," Lucy said, letting a small smile slip across her lips, although it didn't extinguish the fire burning in her eyes.

Natsu returned it. "Yep, no one messes with Fairy Tail and gets away with it." Standing from his seat, he held out his hand. "Come on, let's go get some food. I'm starving!"

Lucy rolled her eyes at him, but this time the smile reached them. "All right, but you're buying this time. You owe me at least one meal."

"Deal," he said grinning, grabbing her hand and gently pulling her out of the bed. Then, he grabbed a handful of blanket and gave it a hard tug, sending Happy falling to the floor in a heap of bedding. "Come on Happy, I'm buying lunch!"

Putting on her belt and returning her precious keys to their rightful place, Lucy turned to the mound on the floor as well. "I'm sure Carla and the others want to see you too, you know."

At that prompting, the pile of blankets on the floor shot straight up in the air, and with a flick of his wings Happy shed his covering and was at the door. "Aye sir! Don't want Lucy to clean out the kitchen either."

"Seriously!"