Natsu had been lying earlier; he was just as bad at doing research now as he always was.

He wasn't sure how long it'd been since he and Levy headed straight for the dim library downstairs, leaving behind the bustle and light of the guild hall. The number of books that the guild managed to squirrel away still shocked Natsu, the walls of shelves and leather spines hardly diminished after all the years he'd been a member. How many times had the guild been destroyed? And yet the library remained untouched? It was either a miracle or some kind of magic.

Probably magic.

When he had walked into the library and sat down at the reading table, Natsu was ready; mind steeled for words he didn't understand and body ready for hours of doing nothing but sitting in a hard wooden chair - but when Levy placed his first stack of reading material in front of him, that motivation went straight out the window. Natsu was anything but a quitter, though, so he sucked it up and opened the first book. His progress was slow, and Natsu was reminded once again how much he hated doing research.

Taking a deep breath, Natsu sat back in his chair and moved the pair of wind reader glasses that Levy had lent him from his face to the top of his head. As the flow of words around his head died down, the dragon slayer looked around the small library once again. Somebody really needed to sort through all of these books. Three times now, Natsu had picked up a recipe book thinking that it was a historical tome. Within all of the clutter and chaos of the library, Natsu garnered a new found respect for Levy, who sat across from him with a pile of finished books that greatly dwarfed his own. To think that Levy willingly looked through all of these books every time a situation occurred was… astounding.

"You find something?" Levy asked without looking up.

Natsu sighed. "Not really, but did you know that Fiore used to be a bunch of separated fiefdoms before they were united into a kingdom?"

Levy peeked up at him, characters and words pausing for a moment, haloing her with knowledge. "Natsu, do you know what that means?"

"Nope," Natsu shrugged. "But I like the word 'fiefdom'. Kinda sounds like a tasty mushroom."

Levy chuckled, a pleasant sound in the empty lull of the library, but she diligently kept her head bent into her book. Happy fluttered past Natsu's head, scanning the spines as he went. The information they needed wasn't going to present itself, so despite his traitorous urge to get up and leave, he went back to reading. He almost wished that Zeref's spectre would reappear and finish giving him all the answers… almost. But the dark mage's image was nowhere to be seen among the shelves, so Natsu picked up his book and moved his glasses back to his face, the flow of words starting up once again.

It took him about twenty minutes to finish the last 300-pages of the book. Tears pooled in his eyes, reminding him to blink. As gratifying as it was to complete a book, close it, move it to his "done" pile, and know that he would never have to look at it again, the volume had offered no useful information. Nothing that sparked his memory or connected anything to what they already knew. It was frustrating, to put in so much effort for something and come up dry. He couldn't just beat the answers out of the book, like he was used to. That wasn't to say that maybe ripping one in half wouldn't help him feel better, though.

He picked up the next book, another almanac of weather with a miscellany of other information, and opened the front cover. The wind reader glasses buzzed behind his ears, the words lifting from the page and whirling around his head in a maelstrom of indexes and contents, passing in front of his eyes one by one. When he had put the glasses on for the first time, he wasn't prepared for the words that attacked his face. On reflex he'd yanked the glasses off and threw them across the room. They didn't break, luckily, but Levy sure wasn't pleased. She explained how they worked, and it turned out to be nothing like Natsu imagined: by presenting only one word at a time, eliminating a page full of other words to distract the eye, the wearer's reading speed could be tripled. Furthermore, Levy had said, since the brain doesn't actually read every single word, the glasses skipped over smaller words like "a", "the", "and", and "of", to increase reading speed further.

Natsu was admittedly a little disappointed—he had been hoping that the words would magically implant themselves into his brain without him actually having to read anything.

The book wasn't entirely to blame, though. Natsu's mind wandered as he read, his eyes glazing over the words before him without absorbing them. Several times now, he'd had to backtrack and reread sections. He couldn't help it. Natsu didn't know how much time had passed since he and Levy had come down here—it felt like forever—but if he had to guess, his friends were probably at the High Magic Prison by now. Lucy, Gray, and Juvia had left for the prison not long ago, a plan hastily thrown together, determined but wary to find answers. He was growing tired of being left behind, of being the one to have to rely on others to solve his problems. But he trusted Lucy to do what she needed to do, and to trust Gray and Juvia to keep her safe.

She was doing everything she could to find a solution. It was only fair that he did the same… even if that meant filling his reading quota for the rest of his life.

Another hour passed. Natsu's concentration strained against each word he forced his eyes to read—but, against all odds, he managed to finish another book. Slapping the text on top of his "done" pile, Natsu sat back in his chair, sighing his relief and mirth. It was strange; even though he hadn't done anything physically tiring all day, he felt exhausted. Brain-strain was no joke. He reached for the next book in his reading list, swallowing a groan in his throat. Before he could open the cover, Happy slapped a small stack of books down in front of him.

"When you're done, you should read those, too," he said, fluttering behind Natsu's shoulders.

Natsu glanced at the title of the first book in Happy's curriculum and frowned. "And how exactly is A Complete Guide to Fiore's Freshwater Fish Species supposed to help us?"

"I never said they would help you, did I?" Happy snickered behind his paws. Natsu lunged for the cat. Happy spun away, flitting out of his reach. He laughed, petulant chortles taunting Natsu as he retreated into the depth of the book shelves.

Levy chuckled from across the table. Closing her book, she moved her own glasses to her head and rubbed her eyes. Her fingers were dry and cracked, so many pages wicking the moisture from her skin.

"It probably wouldn't hurt to take a little break," Levy suggested. "We have been at it for a while."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Natsu stood from his chair, stretching his arms over his head, feeling small pops in his back and neck. It felt good to stand, shaking the atrophy from his muscles. Natsu almost suggested that he and Levy take a walk outside. But he knew that if he left the library for any reason, then he would not be coming back.

"Natsu," Levy spoke up. Her voice was small and light, like a dandelion seed on the wind. "Can I ask you something?"

Natsu let his body settle, flashing her an inviting smile. He and Levy had never spent much time alone. Of course, in situations like these, Natsu was usually out in the field, brawling and fighting for the sake of survival. She was always… well, here, in the library, working behind the scenes. Each role important in their own right—but separated, unaffiliated like a peasant and his king. Natsu considered Levy a close, reliable friend. But sometimes, he found her hard to read, like the books she surrounded herself with. This was a good time to remedy that.

"Sure, I'm an open book." Natsu paused, looking around himself. "So to speak."

Levy huffed a small laugh. She was stiff, though, closed-off and uncertain. She wiped her face. Her fingers fiddled with the piercing in her eyebrow, tugging and twirling it in a nervous habit.

"I was just wondering—and you don't have to answer if you don't want to," she started, then hesitated for a moment. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin and looked Natsu in the eye. "Did something happen between you and Lucy before the wedding?"

Natsu's stomach dropped, pitless and abysmal. He wanted to glance down to his arm, where the sleeve of his coat hid the bandaged knife wound, a nervous instinct sparking in the back of his mind. His eyes remained firmly on her, thankfully一but his face must have responded in kind . She paled, her dark eyes kindling regret. She waved her hands through the air, trying to fan off the unease between them.

"No, I shouldn't have asked," she said hastily. "It's none of my business in the first place."

"It's okay, Levy," Natsu said. His voice came out softer than he intended it to be. From across the library, Happy had perked his ears to their conversation. "But… why would you think something like that?"

Levy bit her lip, her gaze falling to the side, remembering.

"It's just… before you two made the announcement, Lucy came to the guild and said something about calling the whole thing off. But she was only thinking about it, so I guess it doesn't matter anymore since she clearly changed her… mind?"

Something churned in his chest, abrasive and acidic. Levy called his name, expression writhe with concern. His ears were deaf to her voice. Had Lucy truly been considering that? Had things really gotten that bad? Natsu didn't remember much from his apathetic state—flashes of gray days and stagnant time—but he knew that he hadn't harmed Lucy or Happy in any way. Even so, after all that they had been through, Natsu had come to believe that nothing could come between them, not even death itself. But now he had to wonder; did Lucy only marry him because she felt bad for him?

Was… was Lucy falling out of love with him?

"Natsu…?" Levy's voice quivered, small and alarmed and afraid.

He sat down in his chair, the seat of the wood protesting against his weight. Swallowing past the lump of thorns in his throat, Natsu hardened his face into a mask of indifference and, hopefully, forgiveness for Levy's sake.

"It's okay, Levy. I'm glad you told me." He left it at that. His heart wouldn't let him say anymore words that weren't unkind. Levy didn't deserve that.

Levy nodded numbly. "Yeah, sure. Totally."

He would have reassured her, tried to tell her that everything was fine and she had nothing to worry about—but Natsu's mind had already retreated within the recesses of itself. Propping his book up on its end to create a barrier between him and Levy, his eyes stared vacantly down at the wedding ring on his finger. Perhaps he couldn't really blame Lucy. Natsu was very aware of the fact that he didn't lead a typical life; shit was always happening around him or to him, and Lucy had never asked for any of it. But not all of it had been bad, right? There had been plenty of good times, ages of light and peace and laughter to round out their days. They were older now, though. Things weren't the same as they had been three years ago, much less when they had met. Maybe Lucy was growing tired of it. Maybe she was growing tired of Natsu, too.

Natsu sneered at his wedding ring, watching his hand clench into a fist. He hadn't asked for any of this, either. It wasn't his fault that danger always seemed to make its way to him. It wasn't his fault that he was like this.

His scalp tingled, the black hairs that stained his head igniting at the follicles.

A pair of soft paws and fuzzy arms wrapped around his leg, gentle and caring. Natsu jumped, shaken from his whirlpool of bitterness and resentment. The warm touch was soothing, ebbing the tension from his bones. Sighing, Natsu huffed out a small laugh and reached an arm down to pet Happy, scratching the soft fur of his ears. It was wrong to get angry, Natsu knew that. What happened, happened, he told himself. All he could do was look to the future. Lucy had trusted him with her heart, for better or for worse. As much as Natsu didn't want to admit it, he hadn't exactly made it easy for her to love him. But he was a fool to even think that she might have given up on them. It was up to him to be worthy of Lucy's love, something he would strive for the rest of his life.

"You two look like you could use a distraction."

Natsu and Levy looked up. Erza and Gajeel crowded the stairwell, standing at the entrance to the library. They carried plates of food and tankards of light ale. Only now, with the smell of freshly cooked meat and potatoes wafting through the air, did Natsu realize how hungry he was. It was difficult to keep track of time in the basement with no windows or clocks.

"You guys have been down here for a few hours," Gajeel said, setting his plate and cup in front of Levy while Erza gave hers to Natsu. "You come up with a plan B yet?"

Levy sighed, disheartened. "Plan B would be a lot easier to come up with if we had a better plan A. I'm not gonna complain, but it would be nice if we had a concrete idea of what exactly it is we're looking for—I feel like I'm on a wild goose chase."

"All we know about Zeref's library is that the dark guilds know about it and that it's booby trapped," Erza stated, seating herself beside Natsu. "But let us all collaborate on this later when Lucy and the others return."

"Yeah, okay," Levy relented, clearing her desk of books and pulling her plate close.

"I still can't believe they left for the prison without me." Gajeel crossed his arms, the iron and brass facets on his face gleaming. "I could have beaten the answers out of that asshole and gotten the job done."

"I would be lying if I said that I didn't feel the same," Erza said. She crossed her arms, her armor clanking quietly. "But I trust Lucy's decision, and I have no doubt that our friends will succeed."

Natsu sipped from his tankard of beer, relishing the taste of something other than book glue and dust on his tongue. His eyes drifted over Erza's face, hovering on a small red bruise on Erza's neck that had definitely not been there the day before. It looked like a-

Oh.

"You got in pretty late this morning, Erza," Natsu poked at her. "What were you doing all night?"

"The real question is who was she doing, am I right?" Gajeel snickered between his teeth, playfully elbowing Erza in the ribs.

Erza's face turned about as red as her hair. "Nothing! And no one! Can't a girl just enjoy sleeping in every once in a while?"

Running a hand through her hair, Erza quickly covered up the hickey, changing the topic to less invasive subjects. Natsu bit the pity from the tip of his tongue. Erza didn't want it nor need it. Natsu thought she deserved more, was all. Even after all these years, she still couldn't risk publicly acknowledging her connection to a wanted man. He had been pardoned, yes, but there were entities outside of the Royal family that would do anything to see Jellal in chains… or worse. To keep each other safe, they had agreed to only see each other once or twice in a year for a single night. For all other days, he was just another criminal on the run from the law, and she was another member of Fairy Tail—they pretended like the other didn't exist. It was rough for both of them, but they made it work. It was better than nothing, Natsu supposed.

It didn't take him long to finish his meal, his mouth working faster than his stomach. Natsu sat back in his chair with a satisfied sigh, nursing his beer and relishing the comfort of a full belly and the presence of his friends. A conversation was struck up about those who had gone to the prison, and what they could possibly be up to at that very moment, but his mind was elsewhere. Zeref's words wouldn't get out of his head, cracked and jumbled as they were. Releasing one hand from around his mug, Natsu stared at his palm and wondered what exactly he was going to do about his magic. If he was going to be of any use in the future, he knew that he had to learn how to control it. The problem with that was figuring out where to start. Seeing Erza had given him an idea.

"I believe we've kept you from your research long enough," Erza said as she stood from her chair. "Laxus asked that Gajeel and I be part of an escort party for some of the wedding guests. With Ruby Manticore still on the loose, it isn't safe for mages to travel without protection anymore. We'll be back by this afternoon."

"First we're wedding hosts, and now we're babysitters," Gajeel huffed, scratching a hand through his short black hair. "My repertoire of talents just keeps getting longer."

"Be careful, both of you." Levy gazed up at the iron dragon slayer, her eyes steely and serious. "I don't want a repeat of what happened in Juniper Hills."

"I promise we will exercise every precaution."

As the two bade them farewell and began to make their way up the stairs, Natsu called out to Erza one last time.

"I need a favor from you," he said. Erza cocked an eyebrow. "Do you think you could send a message to him for me?"

"Send a message to who?" Erza read the answer on Natsu's face, her puzzlement vanishing. "Oh… I believe so, yes. Why? What are you up to?"

Natsu sighed through his nose as his eyes dropped to his palm. "Let's just call it plan C."

Though the Grand Magic Council building had been destroyed long ago, reduced to rubble beneath Tartaros' hungry fist, the prison that was housed beneath it remained a stronghold for the cruel and wicked. Although she had never been inside the prison, Lucy had heard plenty of ghastly tales about the inmates that were housed there; Shang Kah, the warlord who destroyed entire villages before he was finally caught. Iros, who stole the strength and lifeforce from young men. Not to mention, there was Harvanna, the last known witch from the cult of the Golden Eye, an organization that preceded the first dark guilds and Fiore itself. Some said that the only reason Harvanna was kept locked up was because the powers that be simply hadn't found a way to kill her.

This, among many other whispered rumors, was why the institution had come to be known as Helheim. Fitting to its name, the entrance was nothing more than a gated hole in the side of the hill where the Grand Magic Council building used to stand, descending down into cold darkness. If she listened carefully, Lucy could almost hear a moan drifting up through the bars.

"I heard that they don't feed the inmates in Helheim," Gray said in a hushed whisper as they approached the gates. "Because the cells are specially designed to keep them in stasis."

"Really?" Lucy turned to Gray. She couldn't tell if he was joking. "That's so cruel."

"Prisons aren't supposed to be kind, Lucy," Juvia spoke idly. Gray and Lucy tilted their heads to her, any attempt at easing the tension on their shoulders pushed aside by dim worry.

She had been quiet during the trip, staring out the window as she sat next to Gray and holding his hand without speaking a word. Her eyes, dark and distant, held uncertainty. Lucy hoped that she didn't regret coming. This wasn't going to be easy. For Juvia, this was about more than getting answers. But she had been determined, and Lucy knew first hand how scary and strong she could be. So she didn't say anything, letting Juvia build her courage.

The small party was greeted at the gates to the prison by an equally small consort of guards. Eyes hidden behind visored-helmets, they carried what appeared to be double-ended staffs, if they could be called that; one end was fixed with a giant red lacrima, the other expanded out, hollow like a bell. Two of the guards—one tall and portly and the other a more lean build—snapped to attention as the Fairy Tail mages approached. They rushed out of the small abode that had been built off to the side of the gate. Lucy spied a board game, probably Guilds & Golems, lying on the desk inside. The third guard, sitting in a chair just outside, was fast asleep—his arms crossed over his chest, his mouth loosely open as he snored.

"Halt!"

The stocky guard rushed them, his voice nasally and frantic. He hefted the strange weapon in his hand with the bell pointed towards the mages. "Or I won't hesitate!"

Lucy gaped at the guard, instinctively raising her hands in surrender. Gray and Juvia just stared at him, uninterested and unimpressed. The guard shifted the strange weapon between all three of them, his hands shakier than Plue on a cold day.

"Woah, okay, hold up." The other guard, tall and confident, clapped a hand on his companion's shoulder. "Love the energy, really, keep that up. But we must always follow protocol, yes? And part of the protocol is…?"

The first guard hesitated. He was either thinking really hard or not at all.

"We… defend the gate?"

The second guard sighed, patted his friend's shoulder and shook his head. "We welcome visitors, yes? Especially beautiful ones such as these."

The guard flashed Lucy and Juvia a smile, ignoring Gray all together. Lucy repressed the urge to gag and coyly giggled in return, laying a hand on her cheek and hoping her wedding ring was obvious enough.

"You'll get the hang of it, Hamlet, but for now, why don't you go and check on Guildenstern?"

Hamlet nodded, holstering his strange staff as he turned away. His friend shrugged.

"Sorry about him, it's been a bit dull around here." The guard turned his head, watching Hamlet kick Guildenstern on the shin. The sleeping guard jumped awake, fumbling for his staff with clumsy hands. The weapon fell to the ground, the bell ringing dissonantly. A small tide of nausea washed over Lucy, receding just as the sound did.

"Officer Rosencrantz, at your service." The guard slammed a fist against his breastplate in salute. "What business do you have here?"

"We helped capture a prisoner a couple weeks ago that's being held here," Gray spoke, lacing authority into his tone. "There are some questions we need to ask him."

Officer Rosencrantz frowned at Gray, bored. "Right, then. I'll need to see your permits."

Gray rolled his eyes, yanking his shirt collar down. The Fairy Tail insignia on his chest blazoned like a dark scar on his skin. Lucy and Juvia likewise presented their marks. Officer Rosencrantz was silent for a moment, waiting.

"Those are nice and all," he said. "But I'm talking about your Civilian Interview Permits."

Gray stared. "Our what?"

"Interview Permits?" He said it slowly, enunciating each syllable. "Your guild master would have had to issue them to you through the Office of Guild Investigative Affairs."

"Lots of paperwork," Guildenstern piped up from behind Rosencrantz.

"Long wait list," Hamlet stated.

They stood stunned before the guards. None of them had ever heard of "Interview Permits". It hadn't occurred to any of them until now that they couldn't just waltz into the High Magic Prison and talk to whoever they wanted. Gray looked to Lucy. He was at a loss for what to do, and honestly, so was she. Lucy bit her lip, thinking through possible loopholes or evasive strategies and coming up empty. They didn't have time for paperwork and wait lists—Natsu didn't have time.

There was… one thing that might work. But she didn't like it. These men were simple, basic wants and desires that she could exploit. Lucy had hated doing it back then, and she still hated it now. There was no denying results, though, so she relented, scraped and bitter against falling back on the lewd tactics from her youth, no longer acceptable now that she was married. But, if they could find something—anything—to help Natsu, then she would seduce whoever it took.

Juvia beat her to the punch.

She stepped forward, Gray and Lucy watching as she pouted her lips. She sidled up to Officer Rosencrantz with an extra sway in her hips, too close for formality. Her eyes swam with light and innocence, a sparkling ocean of calm and beauty.

"The thing is, Officer," she started, her voice low, subtly sultry. "Our guild master doesn't know we're here. So we don't have any… what were they called again?"

Rosencrantz sputtered, words lost in her proximity. His Adam's apple bobbed as he gulped uncertainty.

"I-Interview Permits?"

"Yes! Those! You're so smart." Juvia giggled—an actual giggle, high and twittery. "All we want to do is have a little talk with a prisoner, that's all. He's a nobody, hardly worth your time. Surely that isn't asking too much. Isn't there… anything you can do to help us?"

Oh, she was good.

But Juvia didn't do this. Not once in all the years Lucy had known her did the Rain Woman ever use her feminine wiles to take advantage of weaker minds. Not on purpose, at least. Gray said nothing, watching her bat her lashes at this veritable stranger, eyes shining with something reserved solely for him in their most private moments. What had changed?

The trio of guards stared at her, stunned and silent beneath her abysmal gaze. They were starting to think, which was never a good thing. Juvia's charm, although impressive, wasn't enough. Stepping up beside her, Lucy clasped her hands below her chin, pushing her elbows against her sides. Gray slapped a hand over his eyes, his cheeks flushing pink.

"We would be ever so grateful." The husky tone that naturally crept into Lucy's voice felt like an old habit that she hadn't used in a long time. Just to be sure, she gave the officers a promising wink. A nice cherry on top.

It was good that Natsu wasn't here. His green-eyed tendencies would have been trouble.

"Hamlet! Guildenstern!" Rosencrantz squeaked. "Open the gates for these lovely ladies!"

Hamlet and Guildenstern blubbered as they stumbled over each other. One officer disappeared into the guard house while the other cranked a large lever. A loud clang cracked through the air, the mashing of gears and chains squealing and straining. The gates to Helheim slowly swung open. Hamlet reappeared from the guardhouse, three medallions fastened to leather cords dangling from his knuckles. Rosencrantz snatched the medallions from him, plastering a toothy smile to his face as he bent into a flourished bow. As the gates stopped, the crack of mechanisms locking into place echoed down into the darkness. The hole in the earth rang hollowly, swallowing the light above in its pitch.

Officer Rosencrantz waited, another few small moments of mystique and quiescence passing by into eternity. Lucy dropped her hands, shaking her head as her eardrums thrummed deep within her skull. A sound she couldn't hear tickled her brain, like a sonic warning to stay away. Gray squinted, Juvia worked her jaw; they could feel it, too. There was strong magic down there.

"Right this way, if you will," Rosencrantz said, spinning on his heel and descending into the depths without a care in the world.

"Juvia," Lucy said, resting her hand on her shoulder. "Thank you for that, really."

A ghost of a smirk hid in her lips. "I don't know what you're thanking me for."

She stepped away, following the soldier through the gates. Lucy stared after her, confused until Gray chuckled beside her.

"Juvia's always been ruthless," he said, his smile knowing and remembering. "In more ways than one. We're lucky she's here."

Gray followed. Lucy was close behind, letting them have their secrets.

The first thing to hit Lucy was the cold that drenched her hair and shoulder after that first step into the dark, away from the light of day. Officer Rosencrantz led them through the gloomy corridor, dimly lit by intermittent lacrima. The moan Lucy had thought might be a trick of her ears escalated into a whine, wavering against the jagged surface of the carved tunnel. The coolness of the dark raised goosebumps on her skin. Something pricked her temples, an instinctive urge to flee, to leave the deep earth before it swallowed her.

"Sure hope I don't end up here someday," Gray mumbled. The tension in his voice betrayed his discomfort. Juvia was quiet, eyes locked straight ahead.

It wasn't long before the tunnel ended, giving to a stairway as they continued to descend. For a moment, Lucy almost believed that they really were walking straight into hell. Their footsteps echoed quietly down the stairs, an endless void ahead of them with no end in sight. The thrumming in Lucy's ears increased, a vibrato of concealed power calling, waiting to be found.

The stairs ended, opening to a long corridor of reinforced doors. Wards inscribed within the frames sealed them shut, and with each door they passed, those wards became more intricate and complex. Powerful wards to contain powerful prisoners? It made sense, Lucy thought, but there was only so much even the most potent wards could do against raw magic.

"Who is the prisoner that you are wishing to interview?" Officer Rosencrantz asked.

"We're looking for Marlow the Mercenary," Gray answered, eying the doors warily.

Officer Rosencrantz stilled, the medallions in his hand clinking. "Marlow the Mercenary? You said this prisoner was a nobody."

"Is there a problem?" Juvia asked coldly, all flirting and showcasing completely forgotten.

"I would say so, my dear," Officer Rosencrantz sniffed. "He's being held in one of the more secure areas of the institution. There's a very special clearance that needs to be given to anyone wishing to-"

"Officer, I'm really sorry, but we simply don't have time to go through the proper channels," Lucy stated, turning toward the guard. They were so close. "I know you're only trying to do your job, but you must believe me when I tell you that our business here is a matter of life and death. Marlow has information that we need, and we need it now."

"Be that as it may, Miss, I have a duty to uphold a standard of regulation for all who go in and out of this prison." Rosencrantz placed a hand on his staff, an obvious threat. "I've already compromised that by letting you all come this far. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you all to leave now."

Gray stepped forward, a storm looming on his brow and his posture lowered. "Look man, we're not going anywhere until-"

His words halted, cut off as Lucy raised her hand and stepped between them. This soldier wasn't their enemy. He didn't know what to think about Lucy and her companions, or their elaborate escapade. He had probably never encountered anybody that would go to such lengths as to break into a prison. But Officer Rosencrantz hadn't been through what they had, didn't realize the stakes they were in. She had to make him understand.

"You have a job to do, Officer, I get that." Her voice came out softer than she intended it to be, mind too distracted as she looked down to the ring on her finger. In the dim light of the dungeon's lacrima, the white gold still managed to shine brightly, a star within the depths of the earth. She wondered what Natsu was doing at this very moment—researching, probably, and hating every second of it. Searching for an answer nonetheless, before time ran out. Lucy watched her hand clench into a fist, gripping a future she deserved. It scared her, the thought that she and Natsu might not get to watch each other grow old. Her throat tightened, a choker of thorns aching something fierce. "But I made a vow to the man that I love that I would keep him safe, that I would do whatever it took to see him through to the end of his days."

Looking up, Lucy swallowed past the desperation and despair. "He's being taken from me, and I won't sit by and let that happen. There is nothing I will not do for him. Do you know what that's like?"

Her words hung heavily in the air. Officer Rosencrantz's silence answered her with nothing. Juvia and Gray watched silently, and for a few tense moments, nobody moved an inch.

"No, I don't," Officer Rosencrantz finally said. Lucy felt her stomach drop as he took a step towards her. "I don't have somebody who is special to me like that. I guard this prison—I don't have time for love."

Lucy's hand reflexively snapped up to her key pouch. But Officer Rosencrantz moved past her, past Gray and Juvia, and silently continued down the corridor of warded doors.

"Officer?" She called after him.

"I may not know what it's like," he said, voice fading down the hall, "but that doesn't mean I don't understand. Come along, now."

Lucy turned to Gray, who only shrugged.

It wasn't long before the end of the hallway emerged from the darkness ahead of them. The doors that closed off the rest of the prison were the biggest, most heavily warded thus far. And even then, Lucy could still sense an ancient, dark, malevolent aura leaking through the cracks. All the stories she had heard about notorious inmates were starting to become more believable. Officer Rosencrantz, however, stopped at a different entrance to a cell block like all the rest they had already passed. Turning to the mages, the soldier handed each of them one of the medallions.

"These will protect you from the effects of the stasis magic and allow you to pass through the wards," he said. "Don't approach any of the cells, and don't look the inmates in the eye. You got that?"

Wordlessly, they nodded and slipped the necklaces over their heads. Officer Rosencrantz approached the door and unholstered his strange staff. He tapped the red lacrima against the metal, wards glowing at the touch. The reverberating clang that echoed down the hall was shockingly loud, but to the mages' trained ears, they knew a seal had been lifted. The door swung open even as the wards stayed in place, shimmering in the doorway like spectral afterimages. Without hesitating, Officer Rosencrantz stepped through and into the cellblock.

Stepping through the wards and into the cell block was like passing through a curtain of mist. A brief flash of chill washed over Lucy's skin and followed her through into the dark corridor. A tingling sensation covered her, a second skin protecting her from the malevolent magic in the air. It was unsettling, like a ghost was hovering over her.

"Ugh, I hate wards," Gray grumbled, brushing off his clothes. "Too clingy."

"This way, please."

Officer Rosencrantz didn't wait for them to adjust. They hurried after him before his back could disappear down the cellblock.

The cellblock was dark, but loud. A dull roar wavered in the atmosphere, not deafening, but too prominent to be white noise. It was like they were in Helheim's chest, listening to it breathe. As Officer Rosencrantz walked past the cells, the inmates sneered and jibbed at the guard crudely. They called out to Lucy and her friends, too; crass calls so imaginative, even stoic Laxus would have blushed. Lucy tried her best to ignore them, arms crossed and head down. The dimness hid the figures inside the cells. She was glad they were in there and she was not.

A small eternity passed. The chill in the air settled into Lucy's flesh, uncomfortable in its weight. Gray and Juvia didn't seem to mind, their breaths huffing before them in small clouds. The thought that these inmates had to live with this kind of atmosphere day in and day out sent a shiver down Lucy's spine. She hoped she would never find herself on the other side of these bars. Lost in her thoughts, Lucy almost bumped into Officer Rosencrantz. The man turned to them. Lucy's heart jumped as the man hefted his staff, the bell reverberating with magic.

"You are not to approach the bars," Officer Rosencrantz said quickly and quietly. "You three have ten minutes to get what you came for. No more, or I will be expected to uphold my duty."

Lucy bit her tongue. Ten minutes was not a long time. They would have to work fast, but Marlow had proved to be patient and cunning. Officer Rosencrantz stepped aside, pointing to the cell just ahead.

A part of Lucy wanted to turn back, to leave this dark place and return to the guild—return to Natsu. There had to be another way to find the library, another way to save him. Levy would find something in her research that would help them. There just… had to be a better way than this.

But she knew, had known since they had left the guild that same morning, that this was their best bet. This was their only bet, if she was being honest. So, steeling her nerves, Lucy stepped forward and approached the cell. The warm presence of Gray and Juvia as they followed close behind was comforting, giving her strength. She stopped before the cell, carrying that strength as conviction in her shoulders.

The cell was dark just like all the others—but the hunched figure sitting against the far wall was unmistakable, and so was the scorpion tail tattoo on his bare torso.

Marlow sat up, pinpoints of light reflecting from the watery depth of his shadowed face. From within the darkness, Lucy could feel the Ruby Manticore mercenary grinning at them.

"It was only a matter of time," he spoke slowly as he stood. His words slurred into each other, almost lilted in a chant. Marlow stepped up to the bars of his cage, out of the shadows and into the light. Lucy's stomach turned as Marlow's hard, rugged face loomed above her, smiling wickedly at her and her friends.

"I knew you would come for me."

A/N: There's really no excuse for the prolonged absence that I took from this story. It remains my most popular fic and I am determined to see it to the end. Thank you to everyone who posted encouraging reviews and messaged me with words of reassurance to keep going. I have no idea when the next chapter will be up, but just know that I have not left this story. I am also working on rewriting the beginning chapters, to keep up with evolving writing styles.

EDIT: This chapter has been rewritten for content and style 1/2022.

As always, read, review, and enjoy!