Chapter 39: When I say Hello, You Say Goodbye

A/N: Hello people! We have hit the thirty followers mark (Pops the confetti and turns up the celcbration music)! Welcome saracresp to our family of followers and I also thank you for your review, as well as a welcome and shout out to tigress808. And to sashaXmafuyuFOREVER, a devoted reader, thanks for you review and yes you are correct Natsu is a horn dog. Enjoy the chapter my friends/acquaintances/strangers/awesome readers.

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Same Day (POV Change to Natsu)

"There it is, Inpei. The city with the highest concentration of criminals in all of Fiore. It's ugly as shit." I said as we neared the city, it was a dull gray, the entire place wass gray anywhere you looked, it's like looking at a wall in a jail cell. But it also was my home for a year when I was hiding from everyone, and it's where Lucy found me so it holds special place in my heart. As we landed, Lucy and I hopped off of Igneel's back, while Rai and Gōsuto appeared from the latter's shadow dimension. "Ok everyone, get close to me so I can go over the plan." I said and they did as instructed, "Right, Luce you get underneath me while I…"

I was smacked on the head as Lucy blushed and yelled, "THE BATTLE PLAN BAKA!"

"Oh yeah. Sorry…" I said scratching my head as everyone sweat dropped, "Right, Rai and Gōsuto, you two will go and secure the city and do some recon to see if anyone else is here looking for him. You see any demons; you kill them no questions asked. And no, Gōsuto does not count. Igneel you do a fly over of the city and make sure there is no massive magical enforcement force coming. You see anything like that and you light the signal, Gōsuto if you or Rai see that signal you let me know via lacrima. Luce you're with me, we need to find Karr quickly and then find Mern. Once we do, we get out of here, I'll light the signal and Igneel, you come straight to us, Gōsuto and Rai you too I don't to waste any time here. Got it? Good let's go."

We all split into our groups like the professionals we were and headed off to do our jobs. Lucy followed my lead as I knew the city very well and Karr had given us his location before we landed, some three hours ago. We walk quickly and boldly, knowing our cloaks bought us secrecy and fear as everyone knew the cloak of the Ronin by now. We walked and people would move, terrified by the renown the cloaks brought, and the understanding of what that meant. Shit was going down, and it was best just to get out of the way.

We arrived at Karr's location and saw him waiting for us outside, "Mern is in here. Hurry I'm hearing something is coming, and it's a lot of somethings apparently."

"Zeref's demons?" I asked as I looked at him and then at Lucy, "Or Magic enforcement?"

"No clue, just got word of it, my sources are working on giving me the rest of the information. We better hurry." Karr said and I nodded and opened the door to the building.

I enter and look around and see the stairs, "Which floor?"

"Third." Karr said and I ran up the stairs as fast as I could with Lucy hot on my tail, Karr a bit further back but still right with us.

We made it to the third floor and I asked, "Room number?"

"B-52. It's on the left, three doors from the end." Karr said and I was at the door in a moment, Lucy there just after me and Karr a second later.

I looked at them and nodded, they all nodded and Lucy grabbed her whip while Karr built up some magic. I held up my hand and counted down to three with my fingers and when I reached zero, I busted the door open. I look and saw Mern who was up now and ready to fight, but I held up my hand and said, "Wait. You are in trouble as far as I know. We are willing to help, but we need you to come with us and help us out as well."

"Why should I believe you guys? You guys got me into this mess, and now you want to help? How do I know you won't just stab me in the back when I'm not looking?" Mern said and looked at us, knowing just exactly who we were.

"Because you don't want to have Zeref find you, and because I can promise you safety and a chance at revenge. He used you like a tool then threw you away when you failed just once, that would make any man angry and thirsty for revenge. Am I right, or no? I'm right huh?" I said and looked at him as he pondered my logic.

He finished his reverie and looked at me, "Alright, yeah you are right. I'll trust you on this one, but don't expect it to be easy to get me out of here. Zeref knows how much I know and wants me dead… when he wants someone dead they usually end up dead."

"Don't worry, we won't let that happen. I already have my men combing the city for anyone suspicious or for any demons, so if they are here we will kill them. Now let's get going so we can leave." I said and Mern nodded, so we all filed out of the room quickly and booked it out of there. We got outside and looked around and saw Igneel flying up, giving us the signal that magic enforcement was here. "Shit. There here, quick Gōsuto! I know your nearby now, what the situation look like?"

Gōsuto popped out of the shadows and said, "Igneel can't reach us, they set up runes and he can't get to us. We'll have to fight our way out."

"YOOOOSSSHHH! I'm all fired up! Remember the last time we had to fight them Luce? That was a lot of fun!" I said and chuckled, as did Lucy.

"Yeah, that was the last time I had to go all out, so this should be fun!" She said and Mern and Karr sweat dropped.

"Hey, we're here too you know! There will be no need to go all out, heck Rai and me would be enough." Gōsuto said as Rai nodded.

"I may not know you guys very well, but Kurayami does and said to trust you guys, so I will. You can count on me." Karr said and we nodded at him.

"I'll fight as well, I know I need a good work out." Mern said and we nodded at him as well.

"Ok, where are they?" I asked Gōsuto and looked around.

"Oh they surrounded us while we were talking, they're everywhere." Gōsuto said and we all deadpanned at him.

"WELL THEN WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING?!" We all yelled and he shrugged, I sighed and said, "Whatever, just kick their asses so we can go home. Charge!"

We all cheered and went off in six directions, beginning our attack. I arrived at my group, fists ablaze and I immediately launch my attack, "Fire Dragon's Roar!" My roar shoots out flames and several of them are blown away by the force of the attack and others are crushed by those who were sent flying. I then get close to some more and I yell, "Fire Dragon's Fire Wave!" A massive wall of flame shoots out from my hand and engulf the enemy, setting them ablaze with fire that, while hot, will not burn them alive. I point my hands like pistols at another cluster of them and yell, "Fire Dragon's Machine Gun!" Flames start shooting out of my fingers at lightning speed, hitting that side of the group I had taken and that side was soon almost completely gone. I blew my fingers out like I would a gun after firing it.

Then I sensed a few try and sneak up on me and I spin on them and yell, "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist." It sent them flying, and they crash into some other of their fellow soldiers that were about to charge. I jump to the side and evade a projectile of sorts and it crashes into some other soldiers knocking them back a bit. I turn and see the culprit and charge at that general area and hold out my fists again, "Fire Dragon's Cannon!" A large ball of fire shoots out of my hands and like a cannonball hit the target and explodes, sending them all flying. I look over my shoulder and see that there is only a handful left so I yell at them, "Surrender and I won't hurt you!"

They looked at each other and threw down their weapons and laid down on their stomachs, hands on their heads. I looked around and saw that everyone else was finishing up as well, no one really hurt or even tired. "Natsu Dragneel, we meet again." I heard someone say and I look around, and saw Lahar standing there.

"Ah, Lahar. Man you look like shit, what just wake up or something? Tell me when did they let you out of the hospital? I heard you were still in there as of last week, and we fought over three years ago." I said mockingly as Lucy soon joined me a moment later. Then the other four all arrived and I looked around saw no one else standing. "Looks like it's just you Lahar, so you gonna fight or just give up? I would suggest the latter, seeing as we defeated your entire force in less than… Fifteen minutes."

"I will never surrender! I was in that hospital ever since then, now I will fight…" He never finished his defiance as I simply released all my magical power and suffocated him until he was unconscious.

"Pathetic, all I did was show him the gap between us, come on. Let's go, I'm bored now." I said and saw as everyone but Lucy was a bit shocked by my power, trying to comprehend just how big the gap was for them. Lucy didn't have a reaction, as she was close to me in power, not quite the same but close. Closest I have ever seen.

They regained their composure and nodded, Mern saying, "Yeah you could fight Zeref if necessary. When the time comes, I mean. Yeah, you will fight with him, he won't just let you do as you please for much longer. But that is what you want, right?"

"Yeah, yeah it is. Now come on, we have shit to do. Karr, you're welcome to join us if you want, we could always use trackers in our line of work." I said and looked at Karr as I saw Igneel coming down as the runes were gone now.

"Well I can't go back now, they will know I helped you guys so I have nothing else to do. I may be older but I still got some kick in me." Karr said and I nodded as Igneel landed.

"Well then, Mern and Karr, welcome to the Ronin!" I said and welcomed them, saying hello once more to some new members.

(Gray POV)

I wake up again and my head feels like a train hit it, repeatedly. 'Goddamn Erza. She is a fucking monster. Ow.' I look around and see no else in the room and the only thing I see is… 'Juvia…' Juvia's hat is next to me and I reach over and grab it, pulling it close to myself and my chest. I clutch it tightly and begin crying, which soon there after turn into full blown sobbing on my part.

"Gray…" I heard a gruff and angry sounding voice and I already know who it is.

"Gajeel." I say and look to the door seeing the man who, while he sounded angry looked more sad than anything. I wipe my eyes, or at least try to but that would mean losing my vice grip on Juvia's hat and that wasn't happening. "What do you want?"

He sighed and closed the door and sat down in a chair he pulled up, "I'm not here to yell or fight you. I'm here to talk to you, man to man." I looked at him in disbelief and he noticed, "What don't believe me? Well fuck you. I came here of my own decision, Levy didn't send me here, nor did master, er Laxus."

I was confused but answered, "Ok… what do you want?"

"First, put down the hat man, you look absolutely pathetic like this." He said and I clutched the hat even tighter, and shook my head furiously not wanting to lose the comfort it gave me. "Ok, never mind. Too early for that I guess. But Gray, you do need to at least tell me, what are you going to do about this entire situation."

I looked at him now thoroughly and utterly shocked, 'Why does he even care? He usually says something to me and then we start fighting each other, we don't have serious, adult level conversations like this. Ever.' I kept looking at him and then realize, 'But he does have a point. I mat have been unconscious for a while, but I should have been able to figure out what I plan to do just from thinking about it, right?'

"I'll take your silence as you haven't figured it out yet. Well when you do let me know. What you should know is how everyone else faired, in their fights I mean." He said and I nodded suddenly interested and hoping that only we lost, wishful thinking. "We were crushed, totally and completely crushed. Every battle ended in defeat for us, Erza and Jellal lost to that shadow creep, the one who hurt Wendy and has now officially broken her mind. She is now scared of shadows and yells at them whenever she sees one. Jura and Lyon lost, but perhaps Jura was the closest to winning, other than maybe Warrod. Jura had his back broken in a few places but he's fine now, but Lyon is not. He was hit by lava created by the enemy, it hit him in the face and did some serious damage. His face is now ugly as fuck, scarred and charred, he looks like a mummy or something, scares the shit out of everyone." When he told me about Lyon my heart nearly broke again, but couldn't as it was already broken. "Warrod… he didn't make it. He was killed by his ex pupil as he attempted to kill him himself, according to him at least. He is now able to appear as a ghost like Mavis, and… well and Master Makarov. Yes, unfortunately Natsu was too much for us. He had us on the ropes and master was forced to try and use Fairy Law. Natsu knew if he let master use it he would die and so was forced to kill him, or lose the battle. Laxus is officially the master now, seeing as you and you're attempted escape woke him up…"

I realized he had stopped because I had begun crying again, and felt my heart completely in shambles now. He sighed and continued, "Ok, I'll be quick now. Mira, Elfman, Richard, and Cobra came out unscathed, but Cana had her arm completely destroyed and has been forced to retire as a mage. At least from fighting." He said and looked at me, as I had stopped crying more or less now as I attempted to not totally lose my pride. He stood up and put a hand on my shoulder, "I'll leave you now, just know this. I was angry at you before, but I got over it as I remembered just how close to family Juvia was, meaning that by default, so are you now. I forgive you, now forgive yourself."

He left and closed the door leaving me to think about all that he said. 'So much happened… Master is dead as is Warrod, both people that I respected, but master is a shocker. I knew Natsu wasn't afraid of killing people anymore, not after Lisanna. But to kill the man who helped raise him? I never thought I would hear myself say this, but Natsu Dragneel is a serious threat to Fairy Tail. So is Lucy now, man this whole thing is fucked up. Not even a week ago and I still considered Lucy a nakama, a sister, someone I can trust and confide in. But now, now I truly do believe she is an enemy and if I fought with her again, I would actually kill her… Yes, that's what I'm going to do, but I can't let anyone know, they wouldn't let me fight her if they knew. But yes that is what I will do, I WILL KILL LUCY HEARTIPHILIA.' I sat up after a while and then stood up slowly, putting on some clothes as I had somehow stripped and left the clothes under the sheets. I walked to the door and looked at the one piece of clothing I had not discarded and knew I never would, Juvia's hat. I gripped it tightly and opened the door and walked outside, looking for Gajeel so we could talk again, the answer to his question ready, 'Time to say goodbye Lucy.'

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A/N: AND FIN! For today at least. Well that was fun! I loved how Natsu just made an entire battalion of hardened warriors look like they were just practice dummies, Lol. And Gray is definitely now the same anymore, he's a lot darker now. I LOVE IT! AHHHH! I hope you liked it and remember, READ AND REVIEW! ADIOS!