"Hey," Natsu blinked, Lucy's voice pulling him from his thoughts. The blonde looked at him, concerned.

"Are you okay? You seem really-" She stopped, not really knowing how to describe it. She could just kind of tell something was up.

Natsu laced his fingers behind his head as they walked to the meeting point, Erza, Gray, and Happy a few feet in front of them. "What Gramps said, about that guy- Cobra. I've been thinking about it,"

{Flashback}

"There's something else," Makarov said to the group. The Master had just briefed Team Natsu on what they would be doing to take down Oracion Seis. "Considering how powerful and secretive they are, you're probably wondering how we got word of this. The Magic Council has a spy on the inside of Oracion Seis- he goes by the codename Cobra. The young man says that he's been forced into helping the dark wizards because they have a third party held captive, one he is partial to,"

"What's his magic?" Gray asked, interested.

"Poison," Makarov said, and Natsu tensed up. There was no way…

{Flashback End}

"What do you know about me and the other slayers?" Natsu asked her suddenly. Lucy blinked.

"I've never really thought about it. Not really my business, and everyone says you're all very private about stuff like that. But from what I hear, you guys are close,"

Natsu nodded. "Mmm. Seven of us were raised together by our dragons. Laxus, Gajeel, Me, Rogue, Sting, and two others. We're family. One of my older brothers- Erik. He's the Poison Dragon Slayer. And if I'm right…"

"Then Cobra is Erik," Lucy finished, mouth set in a thin line. Natsu nodded grimly.

"Yeah. He, Gajeel, and our sister all went off on their own seven years ago. But if Erik's not doing this willingly, there's only one way. Cubellios,"

"Cubellios?" Lucy asked, her interest piqued. She didn't know much about Natsu's past- he didn't like to talk about it. It made something inside her feel fuzzy that he was willing to talk about this with her, of all people.

"His snake. Erik's got this weird magic- He can hear souls. Kinda like mind reading, but it doesn't really allow him to read thoughts so much as just hear them. Like, he's not actively seeking to read people's minds. So, he could talk to this huge snake he befriended, that he named Cubellios. Apparently she was actually a human that had been cursed and turned into a snake- we still haven't figured out what her real name is, her memories are all wonky. Only thing I can think of is that he found a way to reverse her curse- and they're mates,"

Lucy nodded. She understood the concept of mates- Mirajane talked to her about it (why- she didn't know).

o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o

"What about Cait Shelter?" Gray asked right as Natsu snapped his head towards the door of the meeting point, eyes wide.

So far, the delegates from Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, and Fairy Tail had arrived. Which, of course, involved some (rather crude) slightly strange interactions- as well as Gray and Leon meeting up again.

"-stupidly powerful person?!" Lucy was saying when Natsu grinned widely, Happy following his friends gaze with a grin of his own.

"Wendy! Charla!" He grinned down at the twelve year old. The blue haired girl stopped in her tracks, staring at her older brother with wide eyes before she beamed at him.

"Hi Natsu-nii! Hi Happy!" She exclaimed.

"Uh- Who are you?" Sherry blinked at the little girl and her white flying cat. The cat humphed while Wendy grinned- showing off her fangs.

"The delegate from Cait Shelter! Wendy Marvell, Sky Dragon Slayer!" She introduced herself.

"OW!"

"How many of you are there Jesus fuck!" Erza exclaimed, punching Natsu in the head. Hard.

"Can you smell him?" Natsu asked his baby sister softly as they ran quickly through the woods- well, Wendy was flying.

"Yes. But- I don't smell Cubellios," Wendy frowned. Charla crossed her arms, flying beside Wendy.

"Impossible. Erik never goes anywhere without her,"

"Not if I'm right," Natsu murmured, ear twitching as he focused on the sounds coming from the forest.

"You have a theory?" Wendy asked her older brother.

"When doesn't he? Natsu's a nerd," Happy grinned.

"I am not! But yeah, I've got a theory,"

Wendy nodded, jumping high up into the trees. She easily jumped from branch to branch, eyes alert.

Erza moved to yell at Natsu for letting Wendy do something so dangerous, when she stopped. The young girl smiled, seeming at peace with where she was, high in the skies.

"Have you talked to the others?" Wendy asked curiously, glancing at Natsu.

"Well, so far you and Erik are the only ones not in Fairy Tail. Laxus found his mate- They've been together for a while, got married about a year and a half ago- Even expecting a hatchling, though Mirajane says Laxus doesn't know yet which will be hilarious for him to find out. And the nest grew- Levy and Juvia are Earth and Water dragons, sisters raised together,"

"What's Laxus's mate like?" Wendy frowned, flipping back down to run beside him. Natsu grinned- she was always very worried and protective over her brothers.

"Mirajane. Perfect match, really," He said. "You know, Sting and Rogue miss you," Wendy beamed at that.

"It's still weird, only seeing two at a time instead of three," Natsu shook his head. "Least we know you're okay, now,"

The two dragon slayers stopped when a shadow appeared over head.

"It's the Christina!" Hibiki exclaimed, everyone turning to look up at the ship-

Right as it blew into pieces.

o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o

"You're thinking was way too predictable," The woman, Angel, said. "we've already taken down Jura and Ichiya,"

"What?!"

"No way!"

Wendy and Natsu, side by side, stared at the Oracion Seis as everyone else threw words back in forth. In particular, they stared at the maroon haired man with a snake on his shoulders.

Their brother, Erik.