Chapter Sixteen

Into the Past

Mest let out a subtle groan as he ascended the steps for his morning shift at the station, his already sour mood plummeting even further when he caught sight of the governor's salmon haired brother leaning on the glass right next to the front door, his arms folded over his chest.

"Not you again," the detective grumbled to himself.

"I know that you said it was difficult for any form of law enforcement to investigate a religious group," Natsu started, lifting his gaze from the ground to pin the detective with a pointed stare, "But if it was your friend who was taken by a cult, would you still tell me sit still and do nothing?"

Mest pressed his lips into a grim line, shifting his weight between his feet. His opinion on the matter of Zentopia and the Heartfilia girl had been tested after meeting their so-called Spiritual Father and the blonde herself only yesterday, and although his thoughts were beginning to change, he still hadn't come to an exact conclusion on what to do with the new information he'd been given.

But, considering that he and the governor's brother might now share the same feelings towards Zentopia, he figured he could at least hear the Dragneel boy out this time, though he still sounded somewhat reluctant as he ground out, "What do you want, kid?"

The salmon haired boy clenched his jaw, "To be frank, after what you did to Gray and Lucy, I hate you, and I don't trust you one bit." His arms unfolded and fell back to his sides, his fists clenching as if it pained him to admit, "But I need your help."

Mest quirked a brow, having not expected the boy to ask for a such a thing after the way he'd treated the Fullbuster boy and the Heartfilia girl.

"When you went to Zentopia…did you meet Lucy?"

"How did you know that I went to Zentopia?"

"Doesn't matter." Natsu took a deep breath, his features hardening in determination as he endeavored to claim, "You know that whatever she told you while you were there wasn't true. Their using her mom as leverage to get her to do what they want. And I have information that I know you'd be interested in. You're investigating the case of that dead Mine girl, right? She used to argue with her father a lot because she asked for two thousand dollars in order to make it to paradise."

The detective's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "How do you know that?"

"Magnolia's a smaller town than you think. You found a dead body in the middle of the woods, so of course rumors are going to spread," the salmon haired boy stated evenly. "And you wanna know something else that's strange? In order for believers to become full-fledged members of Zentopia, they have to complete a three week basic spiritual training program." His voice dropped to emphasize his point as he ground out, "The training costs two thousand dollars."

Mest froze for a moment. Considering the body's proximity to the church and when information like that was taken account, Zentopia's connection to the girl's death was nearly irrefutable. His brows furrowed as he stared the salmon haired boy down, "How do you know so much about Zentopia?"

Natsu suddenly charged past the detective, his steps determined as he called over his shoulder on his way down the stairs, "I'll explain on the way."

"On the way to where, exactly?"

The salmon haired boy stopped at the bottom of the steps, turning back around to face the detective, "You're in, aren't you? I thought we were doing this."

Mest considered the options. He was in charge of the Mine girl's case, and his meeting with Lucy Heartfilia and the clergy of Zentopia undeniably had him intrigued. He was supposed to look into and investigate every lead he could get since a murder was definitely plausible, and if the salmon haired boy's claims about the church, or rather the cult, as he'd called it, were true, then much more heinous crimes than he'd originally anticipated upon transferring to Magnolia could be at play.

He let out a heavy sigh, "Fine. We'll do this together then, Dragneel." He grabbed the boy's elbow and steered him away from the motorcycle he'd been preparing to mount, his hands digging in his pockets for his keys as he hissed, "But I'm driving."

Lucy swallowed heavily, her eyes wide as she clenched her fingers around the glass Ultear had placed on the table in front of her. It was filled to the brim with a thick, brownish green liquid, and although the curious side of her brain was doing its best to determine what atrocities had been blended together to concoct such a horrid mixture, she really didn't want to know. It smelled putrid, and she was sure that it would taste even worse.

"It'll remove the toxins from your body," Ultear informed the blonde, her hands apathetically clasped behind her back and her features stone cold and lacking any sympathy as she stared at the horrified and disgusted blonde. "Remember, if you want your mother to get better, you must complete your training with faith. That means you have to drink all of it."

The blonde forcefully tore her gaze from the sludge and stared at the apostle instead, her hand quivering as she took a deep breath and raised the edge of the glass to her mouth. She had no idea what had been put into the putrid mixture, but she didn't care what it did to her. If it was for mother, she could do anything.

It tasted horrid and earthy, but at first, she figured that chugging it all down at once was the best option for getting it over with, her throat clenching as the liquid oozed down. Her stomach lurched involuntarily after the first few gulps, some of the liquid splattering across her cheeks, hair, and down the front of her pink dress as her body won the battle over her mind, her determination giving way at the taste and texture of the greenish brown sludge.

She slammed the still half-full glass back onto the table in front of her just as the second lurch wracked her frame, her body convulsing and sending her tumbling from her seat to the ground just as she lost her ability to hold her sickness back, vomit splattering across the floor.

Levy rushed to her fallen form from where she'd been standing quietly to the side, her brows pinched in worry as her hands floundered for something to do that would ease the blonde's suffering. But the vomit just kept coming, and the blunette settled for holding back the blonde's hair as she wretched, even though a few of the golden strands had already been soiled with the green sludge.

Heels clacked against the marble floor as Ultear slowly made her way around the table, crouching down at Lucy's side and placing a light hand on her back, "That's the rotten mass of sin that's been festering inside you. Purge all of it."

Lucy was only dry heaving now, and as she returned to her senses she realized that there were warm tears streaming down her cheeks. She also became aware of the cold touch on her back, her frame still wracked with chills, but her features set in a glare as she turned her head towards the dark haired apostle.

Ultear only apathetically stared back, holding out a cup of water that she'd retrieved from the table, "Here. This is Living Water that Spiritual Father blessed especially for you. It will help you recover enough to finish the glass."

The blonde reached out with a quivering hand, firmly holding the apostle's gaze as she took the glass and drank all of the water, chugging it 'til the very last drop.

Mest let out a heavy sigh and clenched his hands tighter around his steering wheel as he listened to the Dragneel boy argue with one of his friends over the phone, the purpose of their conversation completely lost on him. Driving two hours to Hargeon with the governor's brother wasn't how he'd imagined his day would go, and he'd tuned the salmon haired boy out through the majority of the journey, just like he was now, only listening to the information he deemed worthwhile, like the fact that the Dragneel boy had a friend who'd snuck into Zentopia.

"Thanks, Juvia," Natsu grumbled out before he hung up and tucked his phone in his pocket before he pointed west of where they were parked, "There'll be a real estate agency if we turn left at that intersection. The church should be around there somewhere." When the detective made no move to start the car, he turned to give him a questioning look, "What are you waiting for? Aren't you gonna go?"

Mest let out his second heavy sigh of the last three minutes as he turned to face the boy, "Do you wanna become a detective, kid?"

Natsu's eyes widened and he furrowed his brows in appalation, "Hell no."

"What then?"

His lips pursed as he thought over the question for a moment before he mumbled, "A prosecutor…maybe. You and your people are giving me second thoughts about doing anything related to law."

The detective drew back a bit in surprise before he dismissed the new information with a roll of his eyes, turning his keys in the ignition as he hissed, "Just put your damn seatbelt on, you brat."

While Natsu had been eager to finally contact someone who could give them information that held the potential to save Lucy, Warrod Sequen hadn't been what he'd expected. He'd thought anyone who was a past associate of Precht's would've been just as sinister and twisted, but the man before him was incredibly jolly. The pastor's skin was wrinkled and sun damaged beyond belief, but his hair was still incredibly healthy, growing out of his head at every direction in green bunches.

Natsu carefully pulled his phone out of his pocket and slid it onto the table between them, "Is it okay if I record our conversation?"

The old man gave him a nod, "Of course."

Mest cast the salmon haired boy a sideways glance before getting down to business, "It's true that Precht Gaebolg used to work here as a pastor, correct?"

"Yes," Warrod admitted reluctantly, shaking his head as if in shame, "Recalling those times gives me an unpleasant feeling."

The detective pulled out his own notebook to jot things down, "Did he do anything else other than embezzle the church's money?"

"After some investigation, my brethren and I discovered that his certificate of ordination was fake. He was such an eloquent speaker, that we never even considered he might be fooling us."

Natsu nodded his head, having paid witness to the preacher's unparalleled way with words. He swallowed heavily before clearing his throat, hesitantly asking, "Did…did he ever act strange towards any of your female believers?"

The pastor thought long and hard for a moment before he started, "Well…there was one woman who was particularly close with him, but there didn't seem to be anything romantic between the two of them. He seemed to be more like her father. She worked as a nurse before coming here with her foster daughter, you see, and they must've grown close as he listened to her hardships and prayed on her behalf."

Mest leaned across the table, his brows furrowed as he inquired, "Do you remember her name?"

"I just remember her as Apostle Milkovich, though her first name escapes me."

The detective clenched his jaw at the familiar name, "Then…what about a man with red eyes and long blonde hair?"

"Ah, you must be talking about Zancrow. He accompanied Precht and attended to him the entire time he served here. And there was this other big guy, too. I believe he was Zancrow's stepbrother. All I remember is that he was mute."

Mest and Natsu shared a look, as the preacher continued, "After Precht and his apostles left, I discovered that our church had somehow gone into the debt. All of our members' donations, and all of our other funding for our service projects was just…gone. Vanished without a trace."

Lucy whimpered as Levy helped her lay down on her bed, her head and chest aching with what she'd been forced to endure earlier. She'd finished the rest of the green liquid, but not without paying the price, her throat still burning from the bile and the horrid taste etched into her mouth.

Levy's brows were furrowed with concern as she pulled the blanket over her friend, her voice gentle as she informed the blonde, "I checked with my colleagues, and that they pill they were giving your mom is definitely a psychotropic drug. We just need proof that they've been giving it to her and the other patients, and then the police and prosecution won't be able to stay silent anymore." She placed her hand on top of the blonde's own, "So hang in there for just a bit longer, Lu." She let out a heavy sigh as she turned towards the door, "I have to go. Ultear said she wanted to meet with me."

"Wait, Lev. I have one more favor to ask of you," Lucy croaked out, her throat sore from her heaving. She reached beneath her pillow, slowly withdrawing a folded paper, "Please give this to Gray."

Levy carefully took it from her grasp, tucking it gently into one of her pockets, giving the blonde one last soft grin, "Stay strong, Lu. We'll get you out of here soon."

Layla wiggled her toes in her slippers, yearning to stand from the wheelchair Jude was pushing her around in and run through the gardens on her own two feet. But she hadn't fully regained her strength yet, and she had to keep up her act if she didn't want to be given the tranquilizer again.

She'd promised Sting that she would save Lucy, so she wasn't about to screw it all up by being impulsive.

"Dear…about Lucy…" she started softly, purposefully slurring some of her words to match how she supposed someone on the drugs she'd been given for the last three years might sound.

Jude slowly brought the wheelchair to a halt, leaning down to happily hum into her ear, "You needn't worry, honey. Lucy will be wed to Spiritual Father soon, and then we'll all be saved."

Her eyes swam with tears at her own husband's gullibility and his willingness to sell off their daughter, her voice quiet and fearful as she called, "Jude…"

He misinterpreted the tears in her eyes and the horror in her tone, crouching down in front of her with a warm grin on his features as he reached to take one of her hands between both of his own, "The Almighty guided our family here so that we could witness a miracle. Everything that's happened to us happened because he wanted to bestow blessings on Lucy and our family, and now she has been called to become our Spiritual Mother. Isn't it wonderful, dear?"

Layla only stared back at her husband blankly, tears numbly streaming down her cheeks, which he wiped away with a gentle thumb. The man before her bore no resemblance to the man she'd fallen in love with. He'd become something unrecognizable, something she was afraid of, and she didn't want to be by his side for a moment longer.

"Did you give Spiritual Mother the Living Water like I asked?"

Levy bobbed her head in a single nod, a bright smile on her features, "Yes, Apostle Milkovich."

Ultear tilted her head to the side a fraction, her eyes piercing as she examined the blue haired girl, "And are you happy with your current calling?"

"Of course!" Levy brightly professed, "Being able to serve our Spiritual Mother is a great blessing. I'm very grateful towards the Almighty."

The apostle nodded her head, her eyes shifting to the side for a moment before she fixed her stare back on the girl, "Sister McGarden…what did you say your job was before you came to Zentopia?"

The blue haired girl's bright smile faded a small fraction, "I was getting ready to go to college, but then I met our Almighty and realized that I wasn't on the right path. That's why I chose to come to Zentopia."

"I see," Ultear's lips quirked in the smallest of smiles. "You can return to your work."

The blue haired girl gave the apostle one last nod in farewell before she turned to go back to Lucy, her nerves tingling with anxiety. She'd been at her act for over three months now, and had spoken with Ultear countless times. But something about that conversation had felt different, though she couldn't put her finger on it, an unexplainable, foreboding feeling settled heavily on her chest.

Erza's smile faded as she stepped through the front door of her mother's home, her eyes widening and her hand slipping from her fiancé's as she charged forward, her body tense with terror.

All of the furniture inside was flipped upside down, papers, envelopes, and books scattered across the floor and new gashes tearing their way through the walls. One of the legs on the kitchen table had been broken, and the glass of the frames on the wall of the entry had been shattered, their pieces coating the hardwood floor in a dangerous layer.

"What happened?" Jellal asked quietly, taking a hesitant step to stand at her side as his eyes scanned over the wreckage.

The redhead didn't answer, inhaling deeply as she desperately called, "Mom!"

Her eyes had found Eileen tucked into the far corner of the kitchen, her head hung and her frame trembling with sobs.

Erza charged forward and collapsed by her side, her hands gripping her mother's forearms, "Mom! What happened?"

The scarlet hair woman lifted her head, tears streaming down her cheeks, "They took it all, Erza. It's all gone!"

Jellal crouched down to pluck a clump of light brown envelopes from the floor, his brows furrowing as he read over the word 'tithing,' his eyes scanning over the scribbled writing on each.

'Please help my daughter stay healthy.'

'Please help my daughter be happy.'

'Please help me and my daughter board the Ship of Salvation.'

Fury shadowed Erza's features in response to her mother's words, "It was the lone sharks, wasn't it? What have I told you?! I told you to come to me if you needed money! There's no way you can keep living like this!"

"But there is a way, Erza!" Eileen pressed, her hands shooting to her daughter's forearms and gripping her tightly, "It's Zentopia! I've given them everything I have, so I know we'll be saved! They'll help us!"

Erza inhaled sharply at the mention of the church, her thoughts turning back to a terrified blonde and a group of four boys that had sat in her apartment not even a week before, tales of the cult in the forest passing between them. Her features burned with anger, "Are you insane?! That's who you've been giving all your money to?!"

"Money means nothing! It will only make our souls suffer!" She suddenly pitched forward, wincing as she clutched at her middle.

Erza's eyes widened, her anger snapping away as her worry for her mother took over, "What's wrong?!"

"It's nothing. I'm fine," Eileen insisted, though her teeth were still clenched in pain.

The scarlet haired girl dove forward, grasping onto the hem of her mother's shirt and yanking it upwards before the woman could stop her. Jellal gasped and her eyes filled with tears as she caught sight of the horrid purple and red bruises that coated her mother's entire stomach, her quivering hands losing their grip on the shirt as she choked out, "Mom?...What the hell happened?"

"It's nothing," Eileen finally managed to get her pain under control, gripping both of her daughter's hands in a failed attempt at reassurance.

"Did…did someone hurt you? Was it those loan sharks?"

"No, it wasn't them," the woman hurriedly huffed out, "I didn't get these bruises because someone hit me. I got them from the fire prayers." She took a deep breath, devotedly continuing on with her explanation despite the horror on her daughter's and future son-in-law's faces, "And they're not bruises. They're the manifestations of sin." Her voice grew choked, "I've committed so many sins, Erza…so many…I deserve to feel the pain…"

The woman broke out into full on sobs as she collapsed forward into her daughter's chest, the scarlet haired girl hugging her tight as her own tears slid down her cheeks.

Jellal watched his fiancé and future mother-in-law in silence, his hands clenching into fists at his sides in fury.

Zentopia.

They'd hurt Eileen, and by doing so, they'd made Erza cry. For that, he would make them pay.

"Where are you, man?"

"On my way to meet an informant," Loke grumbled out, shoving his hands further into the pockets of his green sweatshirt in a feeble attempt at keeping warm in the cold night.

"I thought we agreed to meet up tonight?" Natsu's voice carried through the speaker of his phone, sounding weirdly excited, which was an unusual emotion for the salmon haired boy as of late, "I just got back from Hargeon with some big news."

The orange haired boy wasn't in the mood for another group meeting, nor did he really want to talk to Natsu at all for the moment, "Do you want me to get more information on Zentopia or not? Remember, I'm doing this because you're the one that wanted to save Lucy. You can't get mad at me for doing my part."

There was a moment of silence before a heavy breath carried through the speaker of his phone, "Fine. See you tomorrow then?"

"Whatever," Loke ground out before he hung up and shoved his phone in his pocket, his gaze on the ground as he trudged to the street corner where he and his informant had agreed to meet. He knew better than to take his frustration out on his friends, but it was hard to act normal and go about life as usual when he felt like that life had just been turned upside down, because Laxus, his own fucking brother, was working with Zentopia.

He wasn't sure he could ever face his friends again after making such a discovery, and the amount of shame, anger, and shock that he felt had all melded together in a vicious ball of turmoil inside him. His brain was muddled with all the possibilities of what he should and shouldn't do now that he knew, and all of the thoughts raging inside of his head kept him from thinking clearly. One thing that was clear to him though was that the race to take down Zentopia had just become much more dire.

He would take down the church no matter what it took, not just for Lucy's sake, but for his brother's, too. He wouldn't let Laxus be entangled with something as corrupt as bribery, and he'd drag him out of the horrid mess he'd gotten himself into even if it killed him.

With that determination driving him, he charged forward to the corner where he'd planned to meet his informant, fully intent on doing everything he possibly could to gather the information needed to take down Zentopia.

As he was crossing the street towards the corner, a car suddenly revved to life in the adjacent alley, its headlights momentarily blinding him. Before he could move so much as an inch, the engine roared closer, the front of the car slamming into him and sending him flying out into the middle of the road.

He felt his body hit the pavement and heard his glasses shatter as they were thrown from his face, and then the world went white.

Gray tucked himself into his usual bathroom stall, taking Loke's glasses from his face before settling on top of the toilet and pulling the note Levy had quietly handed to him from his pocket.

They've been giving my mom some really strange drug, but Levy helped her get off of it, so her mind's slowly recovering. If we can find more evidence about the drugs they've been giving their patients, Levy will take it back to Magnolia Daily and they'll make it public knowledge.

Also, I found out that this isn't the first time Precht has tried to make someone Spiritual Mother. He didn't state it clearly, but I'm fairly certain that he raped her, and she killed herself because of it. If we look into his past before he came to Magnolia, I'm sure that we'll find something else we can use against him.

Precht's decided that the wedding will take place in thirty days, but I have confidence that we'll take this place down before then. So please, be careful until then.

-Lucy

He let out a heavy sigh at the new information on Precht, not at all surprised but still disgusted as he twisted around to remove the cover of the vent that spanned the ledge behind the toilet. Natsu had lent him Wendy's old phone before he'd moved to the church for three weeks to complete their training, along with the two thousand dollars needed to enter the program. Gray wasn't sure how his salmon haired friend had gotten his hands on such a hefty sum of cash, though he was sure that theft and Zeref had something to do with it.

Figuring that carrying around a phone would pose a risk, he'd found a decent hiding spot for it in one of the men's bathrooms, and thus far, everything had worked without a hitch. No one seemed to suspect him of being anything other than the clumsy, good natured college student he'd made himself out to be.

He snapped a picture of Lucy's note, making sure the text was clear before sending it on to his salmon haired rival.

Natsu texted back almost immediately, 'I'll look into him some more, but I went to Hargeon with that detective today like I said I would. We went to the church he used to work at, and found out that he embezzled money and bought his ordination certificate. It seems like he had a few problems with some girl while he was there too. We should be able to take them down soon, so we'll start working on your guys' escape plan.'

'Got it.'

Gray didn't bother sending more than those two words in response, knowing that he couldn't sit in the stall for forever without risking someone coming in and possibly finding out about his hide out, triple-checking that the phone was on silent as he tucked it back into the vent.

He slid Loke's glasses back onto his face as he exited the bathroom, wiping the cold look from his face as he ventured back out into the main hallway, which he found to be empty of any presence other than the two men hurriedly charging away from where he stood. The raven haired boy's brows furrowed as he recognized Zancrow and Kain from behind, his eyes widening as he realized that one of Kain's hands was coated with blood, a single drop of the red liquid pattering onto the white marble floor.

Loke panicked into awareness when he tried to cough up the liquid clinging to the inside of his throat, something wet and musty blocking his mouth and preventing him from clearing his airways. He spluttered as he instinctively shot into a sitting position in an attempt to breathe better, a groan tumbling from his mouth as his body screamed at the movement. He made to press a hand against his abdomen, but he found that his hands were restrained behind him, his shoulders aching with how long his limbs had been contorted in the natural pose. It was then that he realized the thing blocking his mouth was a cloth gag, and as his vision cleared, he finally began to understand what had happened and why he'd woken up in the situation he had. He didn't have his glasses, but he could clearly tell that he was lying on a dirty, cold cement ground, steel walls surrounding him on all sides.

The informant had been a fake, and he'd been so fucking stupid for agreeing to meet up with someone he didn't know. Weren't all children nowadays taught not to trust strangers they'd met online? He'd been too confident in his own judgement and too caught up in what had happened with Laxus to think clearly, and now it had cost him dearly.

The steel door in the corner of the room creaked raucously as it was shoved open, his suspicions confirmed when two men charged inside, the blond at the head of the pair storming up to him to fist a hand in the front of his collar, tugging him to his feet and slamming him against the wall as he hissed, "Do you realize who you're messing with now?"

Loke heaved for air through his gag, blood spurting onto the cloth with his exhale.

He'd been taken to Zentopia, and it seemed they weren't ready to forgive him for what he and his friends had done to their apostles when they'd rescued Lucy, Zancrow tugging him away from the wall only to shove him back against it as he ground out, "Who are they?"

The orange haired boy gasped for air as the gag was tugged from his mouth, his head spinning as he mumbled, "What…what are you…talking about?"

"Those other two little rats that have been snooping around with you," the blond apostle seethed.

"I work alone," Loke ground out through his pain and the blood in his mouth. He'd never sell out his friends like that, not even if they tortured him.

Zancrow's fist met his jaw in a powerful blow, the orange haired boy's vision blacking out as his head slammed against the floor, the bindings on his wrists preventing him from catching himself.

The blonde apostle crouched down to retie the gag in his mouth while Loke was still disoriented, chuckling cruelly to himself as he stood and gave his grim promise, "I'll be back to play with you later."

Lucy clasped her hands reverently in front of herself as she watched her father kneel before her, Jude facing the red cross that spanned the back of the chapel. He pressed his hands together in front of his chest and bowed his head, his voice soft as he began, "Lucy, you're completing your training faithfully, right? Your wedding with Spiritual Father is just around the corner, so you should clear your mind of all negative thoughts. You should become like a blank slate in order to accept the Almighty and Spiritual Father with all of your heart on that day."

"Dad," the blonde took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving the cross, "There's something I want to ask you."

"Of course, dear. What is it?"

"After the wedding, will I…will I have to sleep with Spiritual Father?" Her hunch told her that such was the case, but she wanted to hear it clearly from someone who knew exactly what a Spiritual Wedding entailed. Her father had become close to Precht over the last three years, almost as close as Ultear, Zancrow, and Kain were to the preacher, so she was sure that he knew exactly what was going to happen to her in thirty days' time. Ultear had been incredibly vague when explaining the process of the wedding to her, so she wanted to know; wanted to hear someone clearly state whether or not sex with the old man was inevitable.

There was silence for a few moments as her father stood, his voice lacking all of its former pleasantness, though he still spoke softly as he turned to face her, "Lucy, that isn't what the wedding is about. That's how he'll baptize you, and turn you fully into his wife so that your journey to becoming Spiritual Mother will be complete. We'll all finally find salvation, so you don't have to worry about a thing."

The blonde still hadn't bothered to tear her focus away from the cross so she could look at him as she spoke, her voice lacking any tangible emotion, "What if I refuse to be 'baptized?' What will happen to me?"

He stepped in front of her, finally cutting the cross off from her line of sight. He reached down to gently grasp both of her hands, his voice heavy as he inquired, "Lucy, why would you even think about such things? Just focus on praying faithfully and you'll do well."

"So in the end," she lowered her gaze to the floor as she grimly stated, "I have to give him my everything. That's the only way this can all be over."

Her father's response was lost on her ears as the doors to the chapel slammed open, and with the way her father's face paled, she knew right away that the new entry wasn't someone good, at least not in his opinion.

She whipped around to see who it was just as her father shoved her protectively behind him, her brown eyes widening as she caught sight of the stranger, with his blue hair and maroon tattoo. The man was kneeling down as he unscrewed the lid of a large gas can he'd brought inside with him, a twin can resting on his other side.

"Who are you?" Jude ground out, taking slow, cautious steps towards the man, "How did you get in here?"

"You fuckers made my fiancée cry and hurt her mom," he hissed out as he stood, clutching the opened can of gas in one of his hands as he stood and charged towards the stand, "You need to pay for what you did!"

Jude tried to stop his charge, but ended up getting tossed aside like it was nothing, the blue haired boy shoving him away with only one arm and storming past the blonde girl and onto the stand.

Lucy was frozen in place as she watched the blue haired man slosh the gasoline all over the pulpit and the books of holy Zentopia scripture that rest atop it with wide eyes, torn between trying to stop him to keep up her act of being faithful and letting him destroy the chapel so that she could watch the church burn. Her indecisiveness kept her glued to the spot, her fingers woven through the tresses of her pink skirt in anxiety.

Her father finally recovered from his tumble, shooting to his feet and screeching, "Stop!"

The blue haired man successfully stopped Jude's approach once more, his eyes narrowed in a threat as he held a lighter precariously above the pulpit he'd just doused with gasoline, his voice low as he hissed, "Take one step closer, and I'll set this whole place ablaze."

Gray's brows furrowed as he heard shouting emanating through the door that led onto the stand of the chapel from behind, stepping quietly across the marble floor of the hallway to press his ear against the crack between the door and the wall.

"Lucy! Get out of here now!"

His eyes widened. Lucy was in danger, and that sure as hell seemed like good enough of a reason for him to go inside.

His eyes widened even further if possible at what greeted his gaze, never having expected to find Jellal towering over the pulpit before the two Heartfilias, a lit lighter in his grasp.

He had no idea how such a situation had occurred, but one thing that was certain was that Lucy looked terrified, and to set her fears at ease, he'd do everything he could, even if it meant attacking one of his friends.

He charged across the stand with a battle cry, his hands shooting to clench on top of Jellal's own, a wrestle beginning between the two and the raven haired boy restraining a curse as the small flame briefly seared across his skin before being snuffed out. He kept struggling against Jellal's strength as he turned to scream over his shoulder at Jude, "Get out of here! Take Spiritual Mother and go!"

Trusting that Lucy's father would follow through his command, he focused back on his fight, turning to find Jellal staring at him with wide eyes, "What? Why are you here?" His features contorted with blind rage, his fist shooting out and slamming against Gray's jaw, sending Loke's glasses flying from his face, "You're one of them?!"

The raven haired boy caught himself as he was sent tumbling to the floor, looking up just in time to make eye contact with Lucy as her father drug her from the room by her wrist. Her eyes were wide with worry as she stared back him, obviously resisting her father's tug out of concern for him.

Gray gave her a small nod of his head, just barely managing to get his message across before Jellal reached down to snatch his elbow, yanking him back to his feet.

He dodged the blue haired man's next punch, ducking beneath his swinging arm, his own hands shooting back up to fist in the collar of the other man's shirt. He shoved Jellal backwards, pressing his forearm against the blue haired man's neck as he pinned him against the back wall of the stand, just beside the red cross. His features hardened as he hissed through clenched teeth, "Listen to me carefully, Jellal. I'm not one of them. I want to kill them all just as much as you do."

Jellal's legs kicked at Gray's shins in fury, but to no avail, his features wild with anger, "Then why are you stopping me?!"

"Didn't you once tell me that you want to make a lot of money so you can live with your fiancée in a nice place?!" Gray spat back, keeping the man pinned tightly against the wall despite the way the rage faded from Jellal's features, "Going to jail for murder is gonna destroy any chance you had at achieving that dream." He finally withdrew his arm and stepped back, the blue haired man staying numbly stuck against the wall, "I'm gonna destroy this place no matter what. So please, just trust me and leave."

"Where is he?"

"In the chapel!"

Gray panicked as voices began to sound from the other side of the chapel doors, his hands returning to his friend's collar in an attempt to pull him out of his daze as he hissed, "Jellal, punch me, then get the fuck out of here!"

The blue haired man only blinked blankly as he fought to get a hold of himself once more, "I…what?"

"Punch me!" the raven haired boy clenched his jaw as he desperatedly begged, "Punch me!"

The chapel doors flew open, and a small crowd of Zentopia's believers rushed inside just in time to see Jellal plant his fist in Gray's jaw, the raven haired boy tumbling down the steps of the stand and landing heavily on the marble floor at the bottom.

The majority of the group charged after the blue haired man as he shot through the door Gray had entered through, but a pair of younger men stayed to check on Gray, gently helping him stand as they worried, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," the raven haired boy politely brushed them off once he was on his feet, clutching his jaw as he reached down to pluck Loke's glasses from where they'd been sent flying. He thanked God they weren't broken, knowing his orange haired friend probably would've killed him for ruining his spare pair. He slid them back onto his nose before clutching at his jaw once more. Jellal definitely hadn't held back either time he'd punched him, and he was sure that his face was going to be sporting a nasty bruise tomorrow.

The two male believers still stood at his sides as he turned around, and their grasps returned to his elbows when he stumbled upon taking his first step, helping him walk towards the pair that stood waiting for him at the chapel doors even though he didn't really need their help. He milked every minute of their aid while he could though, figuring it might add to his act of still being the clumsy, helpless college kid, leaning heavily on them as he came face to face with Precht and Zancrow.

The blond apostle smirked as he looked his frame up and down, "I thought you were slow-witted, but it seems you've got some guts after all."

Gray sniffled as he wiped his hand beneath his nose, throwing in a half-hearted, clumsy smile as he professed, "I was just trying to protect Spiritual Mother."

Precht quirked a brow as if intrigued, "And why would you feel like you had to do such a thing."

The raven haired boy shrugged, "I was told that she'll cleanse us of our original sin." He feigned uncertainty and self-doubt, "Is...is that wrong?"

"You have such a pure heart," the preacher hummed happily, his lips quirking in the slightest of grins. "The Almighty will make great use of you."

Natsu eagerly shifted in his seat as his unofficial 'partner' took a seat across from him, the two seated in the salmon haired boy's normal booth at the Fairy Tail bar, "So, what did the chief of police say?"

Mest took a deep breath, his focus dropping to the half-drunken beer in front the salmon haired boy before he shot forward to wrap his hand around the handle, "Let me have some of this before I start."

Natsu lifted his brows as the detective chugged the rest of beer before slamming it back on the table and letting out a hearty, heavy sigh, "The police force is an organization, and I'm a part of it."

The salmon haired boy narrowed his eyes as he ground out, "So you did you call me here just to tell me that you can't investigate?"

"You know that we have nothing concrete. All we have is rumors and a few iffy testimonies. My superior isn't going to allow us to start an investigation based on evidence that we discovered by word-of-mouth alone. We need proof."

"Proof?" Natsu repeated, his brows furrowed in anger, "How is that preacher's testimony not enough for them? We'll find the account books and his fake certificate soon enough. That's forgery, fraud, embezzlement, and sexual assault."

Mest didn't respond, only silently plucking a peanut from the platter in the center of their table and tossing it into his mouth.

Natsu's jaw clenched in annoyance and frustration, "Ya know, when you first transferred here, people would say you were a competent detective from Crocus who was going change Magnolia for the better. But I can clearly see that that's not the case. You've been here for six years, and you haven't done shit."

Mest's lips twitched in indignation and he chucked a peanut at the Dragneel boy, which he easily dodged, "You wanted my help, didn't you? I know you're the governor's spoiled brat of a little brother, so you've always had things go your way, but I would've thought that growing up would teach you a few things about the way the world works." He ignored the glare the salmon haired boy shot his way at the mention of his brother, popping another peanut into his mouth before he grumbled, "Now, who's this friend of yours that snuck into Zentopia?"

"You don't need to know that," Natsu spat, his hands clenched into fists atop the table.

"What?" the detective let out a single, insincere laugh, "You think me knowing would mess up your plans?"

"I don't want to put them in danger, regardless of the fact you're on our side now."

Mest huffed out a heavy breath, "Fine, kid. Have it your way."

"You should return to your room for the night, Gray, and get some rest after the day you've had."

"Thank you," the raven haired boy gave Ultear a soft grin and a polite nod of his head before he started off down the hallway in the other direction and rounded the corner that lead out of the church and towards the boarding building, heading back to his room to crash like she'd advised. She'd given him some pain meds for his jaw, but he knew there was no way in hell he'd be taking them, not after what he'd heard about Lucy's mom.

"Well, you seem to be working hard, as always."

He froze in his steps as he heard the voice, spinning to press his back against the wall and scooting further down the wall to eavesdrop when he realized that Zancrow must've come to find Ultear, and was now conversing with the dark haired apostle just around the corner.

"We're getting fewer and fewer offerings these days," Zancrow stated, obviously faking his pleasant tone. "If we run out of funds, we'll have to send all of our believers back to evil world outside. So please, try a little harder Apostle Milkovich."

"What are you suggesting I should do?"

Gray's brows furrowed at the spite in the woman's tone. Never had he heard Ultear sound so sharp, so venomous.

"A revival service should suffice."

The raven haired boy heard Ultear scoff, "You think we can have a revival service whenever we please? And with the Spiritual Wedding fast approaching, when would I have the time to prepare for such a thing?"

"Don't be so fussy."

"It was your greed for money that made that detective come here," the dark haired apostle spat.

"You're accusing an innocent man," Zancrow heartily chuckled, a pompous lilt to his tone, "I was saved by the Almighty too, so don't pretend like you're all high and mighty."

"You didn't come here seeking salvation," Ultear sharply jabbed, "You came here for money. You really think that Spiritual Father and I don't know that? You've taken your fair share of our donations, so please just leave and never come back. Spiritual Father and I don't need you to keep Zentopia going."

The blond apostle let out a dark chuckle before he cruelly purred, "Ultear…you're biting the hand that feeds you. It seems you've forgotten," his voice dropped, "But I will never forget."

"Stop bringing back the demons of the past and leave this-"

Gray's eyes widened when the woman's voice cut off all at once, a slam echoing through the hallway followed by a gasp for air and a choking sound. His brows furrowed. Was Zancrow…strangling Ultear?

Zancrow's voice soon sounded out in a dangerous snarl, "Your husband…the man you murdered for abusing you and your foster daughter…Let's not forget who it was that pulled the strings to keep you from going to prison. And now, you're telling the man that saved you to leave?"

Another choking noise sounded out before Ultear strained, "It wasn't you who saved me! It was the Almighty! He merely used you for his plan!"

"I saved you, and now you're saying that it wasn't me?" the blonde apostle let out another dark, bitter chuckle, "Now I understand why you've held your head so high all this time. Do you know why I've stuck around? Why I've kept your good favor? Do you think it's because I'm threatened by you and Precht?" His voice grew darker, "It's because you and Precht are nothing more than a cash cow to me. I humor you just because it keeps you oblivious and happy."

Gray clenched his fists as he heard the information, fighting to remember every word.

"Let go of me, you demon! Let go!"

The raven haired boy heard a gasp and the sound of something sliding against the wall, shortly followed by the sound of something collapsing to the floor.

The dark haired apostle continued to hack as she desperately sucked in air, Zancrow lowly speaking over the sound of her heaving, "Do you get it now, Ultear? Do you see who really holds power around here?"

Gray pressed himself harder against the wall as Zancrow stalked past the hallway he was hiding in, but the blond apostle didn't even glance his way.

From what he could hear, Ultear was still gasping for air on the floor, so he quietly snuck down the hallway and out the door before she could stand and discover him there.

He never would've thought he'd hear such a conversation take place between the two apostles, though, in retrospect, the idea of any form of comradery existing in Zentopia was absolutely absurd. All of the people here were twisted and evil, and for them to care about anyone except themselves would've been a miracle.

AN

Whew...lots happened this chapter. Did you like the partnership of Mest and Natsu? And was it cool to see Jellal and Erza come back in, and they're engaged no less? They'll be back later, too :) Plus, we got some more information on Zentopia's past...and poor Loke...

Also, shameless plug: If you haven't checked out my Christmas fic, A Tale of 25 Decembers, the first seven chapters have been posted ;)

Anyways, thanks for reading! I think we may have only about five or six chapters left, but I'll let you know as we get closer!

See ya next Friday!