[Re-Edited: 04-02-22]

Welcome back lovelies!

A little history and new arc set up, hopefully this chapter isn't too dull, much more action ahead.

~Onward!

10

-Past Demons-

Haru sprinted through streets darkened by ash and smoke, his muscles and lungs burning with the effort, his head whipped from side to side as he frantically searched. All around him buildings were in ruin, flames licked at the streets and plumes of smoke filled the sky, turning the sun a muted red. "Eira!" he screamed in desperation, "Eira, where are you! Please! EIRA!"

Haru jolted upright with a strangled gasp, the blankets tangled around his legs. He held a hand to his chest, trying to calm his heart rate, while the other fisted into his sheets. "Fuck," he cursed to the empty room. His heart continued to pound relentlessly in his chest as he took long deep breaths to anchor himself to reality again. 'Just a dream,' he reassured himself, 'a fucking flashback… again.'

Throwing back the blankets, Haru swung his feet onto the floor and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes trying to abate the tension headache blooming across his temples. He cursed again, and punched the wall beside his bed, frustrated with himself. "Damnit! I thought I was over this, what the hell is wrong with me?"

His eyes trail over to his bedroom window. Outside the skies were still washed in black and a quick glimpse at the clock confirmed it was barely past 4AM. Releasing another drawn out exhale, Haru got to his feet knowing he'd never get back to sleep now. He pulled on a pair of swim trunks and a warm sweater and slammed the door on the way out of the modest cabin he called home. He absently recognized that Natsu and Happy must have crashed with their blonde friend again last night, he hadn't noticed either of their scents present this morning.

The streetlights cast the deserted streets in a golden glow around him as he made his way through Magnolia. Most of the homes were still dark, the citizens still in the grip of slumber, as he should be... Navigating his way to the ocean shore on autopilot, Haru tried to keep his thoughts off the nightmare still vying for his attention.

He needed a swim.

Nothing helped put things in perspective quite like a swim, he was certain there was no better therapy than being submerged in the water. Haru crossed the sandy shore, peeling off his sweater and kicking off sandals as he went and came to a stop only when the water first touched the tips of his toes. He watched the water ebb and flow for a moment, mesmerized as the water came forward to cover his feet, only to draw back as if to invite him in. Haru sighed in relief and waded out until the water raised up to his thighs before diving in, revelling in the embrace of the ocean.

As usual, time became a low priority, ticking away without concern as he swam. There was a certain meditative quality to diving into the depths until his lungs demanded oxygen, and returning to the surface with a gasp. Or in simply floating on the waves and gazing at the sky as the first rays of sunlight broke through the darkness. Moody blues of night battled with hopeful pinks of dawn, like a direct reflection of his own warring emotions. Sighing, he rolled, and dove back down again, before finally swimming to shore.

. . .

Haru found himself in the street again, still soaking wet, his sweater dampening from the moisture that clung to his skin, but he didn't turn home.

He had a theory, and it drove him toward the guild without a second thought.

Pushing the doors open, Haru found the guild, unsurprisingly, empty, aside from Mira behind the bar preparing for the day. She waved at him as he entered with a curious look on her face and Haru returned the wave as he scanned the hall until his eyes landed on the half-naked ice mage. He made his way over to stand in front of him, not commenting on his state of undress. Haru wasn't really in a position to comment this time.

Gray's eyebrows knitted together as he looked him over, bangs plastered to his face and still dripping wet... Haru shifted uncomfortably under the scrutinizing gaze. It was common Guild knowledge that if he couldn't be found in the guildhall, training with Natsu, or on a mission, then he was likely in the ocean. But he'd never shown up still soaked through before. "Any particular reason you've decided to flood the guild hall?" Gray asked sarcastically.

"I need to talk to you."

The ice mage continued to look at him in confusion, "Oookay," he said flatly, lifting his coffee to down the last of the mug's contents. "Shoot."

Haru pressed his lips together, looking down at the growing puddle around his feet as if only noticing for the first time, that he was sopping wet. "Not here," he said as he turned his attention back to his friend, "I need a change of clothes... why don't you come over? I will make us a fresh pot of coffee," he suggested, gesturing to Gray's empty mug.

"Won't Fire Breath be home?"

"No, he and Happy are away," the water mage responded without elaborating.

Gray remained on edge by his odd behaviour but stood and began moving to the exit in silent agreement anyway. Haru followed, calling a farewell to the equally confused Mira before heading out. She'd probably worry, but he'd just have to make it up to her later. After a silent walk across town, the dense forest thinned and the midsized cabin came into view.

Gray had never been to Natsu's and Haru's place, so a new curiosity temporarily eclipsed his confusion. He looked around unabashedly as he entered, taking in the sparse furnishings and plain walls. Gray couldn't say he was surprised. The Twin Dragons spent most of their time at the guild or on missions, so decorating wouldn't be high on their priority list. Gray paused in front of a large board with an assortment of old job requests, thank-you notes, newspaper clippings and the odd knickknack pinned all over. When he caught Haru's eye he pointed at the board with a raised brow.

"Natsu's thing," Haru answered with a shrug of his shoulder as he ground some fresh coffee beans and set a kettle to boil. Haru disappeared into one of the two adjacent rooms and returned shortly after in dry clothes with a small towel draped around his shoulders.

Gray took one last passing look at the memory board before dropping himself into a chair at a simple wood dining table, propping his chin on his palm. "So," he prompted simply.

Haru glanced at him over his shoulder as he pressed the coffee and poured two mugs. but didn't answer. Joining him at the table, Haru passed him a mug of fresh coffee and wrapping his hands around his own mug. He stared into the liquid as he mused how he might introduce an uncomfortable subject... But he just ended up blurting, "How are the nightmares?"

His raven-haired friend just gaped at him, "What the hell man? Where did that come from?" Getting no response, Gray fidgeted under his gaze, "fine. I'm fine," he said sounding defensive.

"So you're at the guild at 5 in the morning for shits and giggles?"

"What about you? Who goes for a swim before 5?!"

"They've been bad..." Haru said quietly. Gray looked at him dumbfounded, having not expected that admission from someone as private as Haru. "I haven't had these nightmares for years, but Midnight…" he trailed off.

Gray found himself nodding absently, "But why are you talking to me about this, Natsu is your partner, right?"

Haru noted the use of Natsu's actual name; Gray was obviously cluing into the seriousness of the conversation. Honestly, he'd wondered himself why he couldn't go to Natsu with this as well, but that aside, he had a strong feeling the ice mage would be able to relate more closely to his experiences. So, without addressing the question, the water mage steeled himself to continue before his anxiety got the better of him. "You're from Isvan, aren't you? One of the small villages in the North of the country."

Though the first part came across as a question, the second was a flat statement, and Gray found himself gaping a second time.

"After Oceanus disappeared, I wandered alone for two years," Haru began.

"Geez Haru, you're going to give me mental whiplash! Just spit it out, what is this about?!" the ice mage interrupted, getting increasingly uneasy and frustrated with the seemingly unrelated topics.

"Just let me finish, I have to get this off my chest..." Haru replied, his tone less resolute then he'd have liked. Falling silent, Gray gestured for him to continue. "I stole food, and clothing when I could, slept in barns when I was lucky, the occasional cave… just trying to stay alive. One winter was particularly brutal, and I found myself hypothermic. I knew I wouldn't survive the night, but a kind old woman found me, and took me in. She gave me a home, taught me all sorts of things about the world that Oceanus didn't, or couldn't… She was actually a schoolteacher, and an amazing cook, made the best seafood dishes," Haru stopped, noticing the stunned look on Gray's face and realized he was digressing, avoiding the conversation. He released an audible sigh and adverted his gaze back to his coffee, staring at his reflection obscured in the brown liquid. "Deliora killed her, right in front of me," he finally settled on with a blunt finality.

Gray's pupils blew wide, Haru's words freezing him to the spot more than his ice ever could. His jaw worked soundlessly, struggling to formulate an appropriate response.

"I'm sorry to bring up painful memories," Haru said simply, "but I've had a feeling for awhile, that you and I share this pain."

"How?" the word came out in a raspy breath.

"The first time I heard you mention Isvan, I considered the possibility," Haru admitted, "but I became more certain over the years. Your reactions, any time the Black Wizard or his demons came up, made it apparent to me, that you had history directly impacted by Zeref."

Gray continued to stare at him numbly, but it seemed he was looking right through him now, his mind somewhere else. Haru didn't push, he would let Gray process the revelations he'd sprung on him, there was no rush today.

The ice mage's hands clenched around his mug, his knuckles turning white under the pressure, coffee forgotten. "My master, Ur, took me on as a student after Deliora killed my parents." Gray's voice came out robotically, completely detached as he distanced himself from the emotions surging beneath the surface. He continued after a long moment, still avoiding eye contact, "I was a stupid kid, bent on revenge, rather ungrateful too..."

"Ur put everything she had into caring for Lyon and I, and teaching us her magic, Ice Make. But even after months of training with her, I couldn't let go, I just couldn't move on and when we came across another village that had been devastated by Deliora…" Gray's facade snapped with those words, and a broken sob passed his lips. He angrily rubbed away the tears forming in his eyes, "I needed revenge, and I managed to drag Lyon into it with me, convinced we could take down Deliora if we worked together. Ur ended up sacrificing herself to save us, pouring her life essence into a powerful spell to seal Deliora in ice."

Haru reached across the table, placing a steady hand on his friend's forearm. He honestly wasn't sure how to feel at that moment. On one hand, there was relief that he'd been right about Gray, on the other, devastation that a close friend had endured the same trauma he had.

After a long silence where the two Fairy Tail mages just shared in silent support and worked through their own turbulent emotions, Gray admitted, "I haven't stopped looking, you know." Haru cocked his head to the side in response, "I take solo missions, around the northern boarders in hopes of hearing any rumours about where Deliora ended up. But I never hear anything useful."

Haru laughed then, a dry and bitter sound, "Yeah, same." He looked at the ice mage thoughtfully, "Gray, I don't think I will ever be able to move forward completely, until I've seen Deliora's end with my own eyes."

Catching his fellow mage's train of thought, Gray finally met his eyes, some determination replacing the anguish. "I'm in. But where would we even begin?"

"We ask Levy for help. She's loyal to a fault and wouldn't pry. I think she'd help, and we could count on her to not say anything to the others."

A Few Weeks Later

The next few weeks went by with relative normality; Levy had agreed to help without much convincing, albeit expressing concern for what the two were up to. They'd assured her that they just wanted to know if there was any information out there on the demon that had ravaged the country that they both happened to hail from. Neither offered in depth reasoning for their mutual interest in tracking down the beast, especially considering no information had surfaced on it in over a decade. The trio would occasionally meet up to discuss how Levy's research was coming along, but so far, she hadn't had much more luck than the boys had had, over the years.

Haru continued to take jobs with Natsu and Lucy, and Gray took short solo missions or teamed up with Cana or Elfman. They continued on like normal, and the nightmares continued relentlessly as well. The two raven-haired mages found themselves at a table in the guildhall before daybreak more times than either would like to admit.

. . .

One morning when Haru peeled himself out of bed around 5AM, he padded into the kitchen to find Natsu pouring a couple mugs of coffee. His partner slid one across to him without a word, and pointed to the water mage's swim trunks, "Another early morning swim?" he asked casually.

"Yeah… I guess it just helps me wake up for the day."

"It's storming outside."

Haru had noticed the downpour and the lightning streaking through the skies, it was hard to miss... but he was still aching to get into the ocean. He only grunted in response. "Why are you up so early? That's unusual for you," he asked, deflecting Natsu's comment.

"You think you're the only one struggling with nightmares, Haru?" Their eyes met for a moment, Natsu clicked his tongue in annoyance, and tipped his mug back, taking a long sip of his coffee. "I know you're not much for talking about your emotions, but I am here for you. You know that, don't you?"

The Water Slayer stopped then, facing and really seeing Natsu for the first time in a week. He sighed, and pulled back a chair, taking a seat at the table with his best friend. "Are you okay, Natsu?" The fire mage cast a considering look at him. Natsu had this uncanny ability to look like he was peering into his soul and Haru shifted under the intense stare.

"I saw you die," Natsu stated harshly. "You, and Erza, Lucy, Lisanna… I wasn't strong enough to save any of you. I was abandoned by Igneel. I saw Fairy Tail burn at the hands of a black dragon." He looked at his fellow slayer with a cold stare, "you think you're the only one struggling? Just talk to me, please."

Haru was frozen to his spot, guilt washed over him, he'd been so wrapped up in his own anguish that he hadn't noticed his partner fighting against his own demons as well. Natsu was always so strong, looking out for everyone else's wellbeing and happiness. It was hard to see when he was in pain, even considering he wore his heart on his sleeve. Haru whispered an apology, and Natsu just exhaled audibly. "Look Haru, we are a team. Don't forget that. I will be here and ready to listen, whenever you're ready."

The fire mage stood from the table and dropped his mug in the sink. "I am going to head to the guild, do what you want, but I'd recommend skipping the ocean this morning."

"Give me a minute to change?"

Natsu turned to regard him, he let a smile pull at his face, and stopped in the door to wait.

It had been a few days since Natsu had confronted Haru, and he'd gone home each night since, rather than crashing at the blonde's. He wanted to be close by, should his partner want to talk. Haru seemed to be making an effort at least. He'd opened up a bit and told Natsu some of what he'd seen in his void: similarly, Oceanus abandoning him, being the only survivor of a devastating attack by a demon, and losing the bonds he'd formed at Fairy Tail.

Natsu was certain his partner was holding some major details back still, but he refused to pry. He decided to let time do the work as he and Haru walked through Magnolia. Happy had been flying in lazy loops over their heads before getting impatient and zipping ahead to see if Carla was at the guild yet. The boys found him moping at their usual table when they caught up, Wendy and Carla nowhere to be seen yet.

Natsu ruffled Happy's fur as he chuckled. "How about a fish buddy? My treat," he offered, attempting to cheer him up.

"Really?" the blue cat asked, eyes sparkling. Haru sat down, straddling the bench and leaned onto an elbow, watching the exchange.

"You want anything Haru?" Natsu asked as he turned toward the bar. The water mage just shook his head in the negative, a content smile on his face.

Before Natsu returned with a fish and some food for himself, Happy leaped into the air excitedly and was flying toward the door not a full second after. Haru laughed as he watched the cat come to a stop, hovering above the Sky Slayer and the his crush, who hadn't even made it through the door yet. The young girl chirped a good morning to Happy and moved toward the bar, the two cats trailed after her.

"Hey." Haru had been so distracted he didn't notice Gray's approach until the pressure of a cold hand on his shoulder drew his attention, "Levy found something."

Eyes widening, Haru looked over Gray's shoulder toward the fire mage still waiting for his order. "Natsu," he called, "I'm not really hungry, I'm going to head out for a bit, I will catch you after lunch okay?" Natsu waved in acknowledgement and continued chatting with Wendy and Mira while he waited for his order.

. . .

"Okay, so what should we do? I doubt Gramps will approve this mission without an S Class along," Gray pointed. Haru barely registered the words, staring out over the choppy ocean. It was the lead they'd been hoping for, the lead they'd each been searching for separately, for years. He and Gray had wandered aimlessly for a bit before parking their butts on the shore, gazing out over the water while they processed Levy's information.

They finally had a lead. Now they needed some semblance of a plan.

Haru peeled his eyes off the horizon, and faced the ice mage properly. "I know you aren't going to want to hear it, but Natsu would go with us."

"No way Man! I'd never live it down if I had to ask for his help! Bad enough he got S Class before me, he'd be sure to hold this over my head." Gray huffed and offered a counter proposal, "what about Erza?"

Haru leaned back on his hands, his gaze landing back on the ocean again. "We could go alone," he suggested, barely above a whisper. He could feel Gray's stunned eyes on him immediately. Haru never went on a mission longer than a day or two without his fire breathing other half, and it was likely the ice mage had expected him to put up a fight about taking Natsu with them.

"Gramps would never agree."

"I didn't suggest we tell him."

"What's with you man? This isn't like you."

Haru met his comrade's eyes with determination, "We both know we are S Class in all but title, right? Two birds, one stone. We prove ourselves and put our pasts behind us."

Gray's mouth worked, his brain nagged that he should be the voice of reason, but if someone as rational as Haru was willing to take this chance...

He shrugged, "Okay," he said simply. "If we're going to do this, we leave tomorrow, before sun-up, before anyone knows." Haru found himself smirking back at his friend, "and—" Gray added hastily, "we grab Lyon, he should have the option to be a part of this."

1 Week Later

Mira flipped through the mission record book, absently chewing her lip as her anxiety built. "Like I thought, I don't have any records of them formally accepting a mission."

The elderly guild master drummed his fingers across the bar top in nervous energy. "Where could those idiots have gone?" he mumbled indiscriminately. "Natsu," he said, addressing the dragon slayer standing a few feet away. Natsu stood with his arms crossed; glaring at the book they were all crowded around. "You don't remember Haru saying anything recently?"

"Nothing," Natsu scoffed. Lucy placed a hand on his shoulder, murmuring a generic reassurance and he lent her his attention for a moment. Her warm brown eyes were filled with concern, his own concern was slowly melting the irritation that had been dominating his mind. "They've been gone a week, with no word... Me an' Haru have rarely left Magnolia apart since he joined the guild. And to leave without saying anything to me? I don't like this one bit."

Sitting a couple barstools away, Erza's body language mirrored the groups' mutual tension as she turned back to Mira. "What about unapproved or denied requests? Maybe they disagreed with the Guild's decision and decided to take one of those missions?"

"It wouldn't be like Haru to do that," Natsu interjected. He paused, thinking, 'though, he's been going a lot of shit lately, how much do I really know?' The slayer pressed his lips together, frustrated, "unless it was personal. Maybe."

The small group continued their discussion, until they heard someone meekly interrupt them. They turned as a unit to find the short script mage standing to Lucy's side with her eyes downcast.

The blonde stepped toward her friend, "What is it Levy, everything okay?"

They were all startled when Levy's eyes shifted over each of them, brimming with unshed tears.

"I, um, I think I've made a terrible mistake." Tears cascaded down her cheeks and Lucy pulled her into her arms, encouraging her to take a couple deep breaths to calm down. Erza coaxed her onto a stool as Mira handed her a fresh mug of tea.

"What is it child? What do you know?" Makarov prodded gently.

With the tea warming her hands, Levy breathed out slowly, visibly trying to rein in the fears that she'd inadvertently sent her friends off to their deaths. "Gray and Haru approached me a few weeks ago about tracking down a demon called Deliora."

"The ice demon from the book of Zeref?!" Lucy exclaimed.

Natsu fixed the stellar mage with an impressed look and she glanced around at the collective surprise her comrades had settled on her. "I've read about the Black Mage in some magic history books," she elaborated. They all stared back blankly. "WHAT? You should all be thankful I read so much…" the blonde barked, crossing her arms under her chest defensively.

Natsu had gone silent as he processed the new information. "Haru told me his village had been devastated by a demon when he was just a boy." He looked at Makarov, "you don't think…"

"I do think." The guild master replied, sternly, "Levy, give us all the information you found."

Levy proceeded to provide the group a quick recap of the last few weeks, leading up to the discovery of a rumour in an obscure paper out of the country of Seven, to the North or Fiore. She reiterated that it was an unconfirmed source cited in the article, but at the very least, it seemed likely that would be where the boys had headed off to. According to the paper, a pair of dark mages, leading a large group of Zeref cultists had been attempting to release the demon from its icy prison. The author had theorized that they'd meant to bind it to them with powerful link magic to carry out who knows what malicious intentions.

Surprisngly, the unknown dark mages had apparently succeeded in breaking the spell encasing Deliora. But they'd quickly lost control of the demon and unwittingly released it to go on a rampage, wiping out the majority of the cult in mere minutes. The whereabouts of the dark mages responsible for manipulating the cult remained unknown, but the beast had last been seen moving West after devastating a quarter of a medium sized town called Verona.

"Those IDIOTS took an S Class level mission without even consulting me?!" Makarov yelled. His face was red in anger, but all those present could tell he was only masking his fear for their comrades' safety. He whirled around, jabbing a finger at Natsu and demanded he and Erza head out immediately for Verona to drag them home by their ears. "Those two are going to face the punishment of all punishments when I get my hands on them!" he added. The Fairy Tail mages all paled at the Master's terrifyingly vindictive expression.

"Master," Lucy piped up, drawing the elderly man out of his punishment planning, "please let me accompany them."

Makarov studied the stellar mage in front of him with an apologetic smile. "I don't know if that's a good idea Lucy. Despite having a couple years of experience as an Independent mage, I don't believe you're ready for an S class mission. If, heaven forbid, you all are drawn into battle with Deliora—"

"Haru and Gray both risked their lives to help bring me home; and thwart the Oración Seis' assault on our magical world," Lucy countered. She stood with her marked fist over her heart and determination blazing in her eyes, "all I ask is you grant me the opportunity to return the favour." Natsu smiled fondly, his eyes flicking over to the small Master as he shrugged amusedly.

Makarov sighed and glanced at both his S Class with an inquisitive look. Erza smiled, "Lucy is a powerful mage, with a sharp mind for battle tactics and more knowledge on the history that may end up being crucial for this mission. We would be lucky to have her. Besides, she'll be with me and Natsu." Lucy turned wide eyes on her red-haired friend. Such high praise from Titania, threatened to melt her where she stood.

Natsu just linked his hands behind his head, "Luce is stronger than you know gramps, she'll be fine." The confident aura he exuded seemed like he was flat out telling the master he was ridiculous to be concerned.

"Well, okay then. Get going you three, bring our idiots home."

As the doors closed behind the trio, Makarov stretched his legs out on the bar-top and leaned back on his hands. He let out a long exhale as Mira leaned forward on her elbows next to him. "Two dangerous rescue missions in just a few short months…" he muttered, reaching back to the beer tap and refilling his drink. "I am too old for this, these brats are going to be the death of me. Maybe it's time for Laxus to take over."

Mira laughed lightly, despite her nerves. "Yeah, good luck convincing him of that."

Verona

The trio wandered sullenly through the hull of the formerly vibrant northwest quadrant of the city, all around them buildings lay in ruin. The occasional homemade memorial would dot the deserted streets, the wilting flowers placed before them offering the only colour to a bleak scene. Lucy walked between her comrades with a trembling hand covering her mouth. "How horrible," she whispered when her eyes landed on a small memorial featuring a dirty teddybear tied to a cross, a few stray tears streaked down her cheeks. Natsu reached out and absently took her other hand, threading his fingers with hers. She wasn't sure if he was even consciously aware of his supportive gesture, but she was thankful for it regardless.

Erza stopped, and abruptly turned back toward the inner city. The tight line of her jaw hinted to the same emotions Lucy was feeling. Without discussion they seemed to agree that they'd seen enough of the destruction and pain Seven was facing. The remnants of the power their comrades could be facing before long, weighed heavily on them as well. They could only hope they'd catch up before the boys caught up to Deliora... Natsu and Lucy trailed after Erza without a word until they found themselves back among the city's people. Lucy and the others began questioning some of the people along the street on their way to the city hall at the center of Verona. No one provided any particularly useful information though. Anything that may have been helpful was buried deep under a layer of trauma. Despondently, the only thing the citizens agreed upon, was the attack had been about eight months ago and they simply couldn't bring themselves to rebuild.

The Mayor explained in obvious irritation, that their city had become host to shady types and Zeref worshippers chasing stories of anything related to the Black Mage, and that he certainly didn't have time to babysit more people stupid enough to seek out the demon. Erza had apologized for the intrusion and asked if he might just point them in the direction of the Seven Star paper, passing him a scanned copy of the original article Levy had found.

. . .

"And what brings Fairy Tail to my humble paper?" a tall lanky man asked, splaying his fingers across a shabby looking desk.

Lucy and Natsu exchanged a pointed look as Erza stood in front of the desk with her arms crossed. This guy had a seedy presence about him that put them all on edge. The journalist confirmed that yes, he'd had visitors come inquiring after the same article, about a week prior. The man jabbed a finger in Natsu's direction, even as he addressed Erza, "Them boys were all about his height and build, two dark hair and one silver. They were wearing travel cloaks and didn't say they were affiliated with a guild, so I don't have any other information for ya."

Erza glanced back over her shoulder at her comrades, a inquisitive look on her face as she mentally analyzed the presence of a third person. "Lyon, possibly?" Natsu suggested, guessing Erza's silent question, "he was pretty messed up from the spell we were all under, and he and Gray grew up together…"

Natsu trailed off as Erza accepted his plausible explanation and turned her attention back to the reporter. "What can you tell us about the Ice Demon?" she pushed his article across the desk to him, "and the dark mages involved?"

The journalist peered at the paper in front of him, before looking up at Erza from under his eyebrows. "Tell you what, I'll tell ya everything I told the other three," he started before a sleazy grin split his his face, "for a price, of course." Not even balking at the extortion, Erza requipped a pouch of jewel, allowing it to drop on the desktop. The man reached out and loosened the string, peering inside.

"You'll get double that, if I deem your information worth our time," Erza stated.

"I don't know about that, I get the feeling those boys are important to ya. I think this information is worth more than what yer puttin' up."

Erza held a hand out nonchalantly. A second magical glow manifested around her palm and the man smirked, waiting for the additional pouch. But instead, Erza pulled a sword from her requip space, spun the blade in her grip and slammed the point into his desktop. The reporter fell off his chair with a yelp of fear and peaked up at the angry redhead from his new spot on the floor. "Do NOT mistake my generosity for gullibility. You can accept my donation," she cocked her head at the pouch she'd offered, "OR, we can do this the hard way."

The reporter cautiously righted himself and his toppled chair, and took a seat again, though he now kept a significant distance between himself and the Fairy Tail mages. "Now, start singing, or I'm going to let my friend here," Erza gestured to Natsu, "start burning up your transcripts."

The fire mage leaned toward the lanky man with a demonic look on his face and fire flickering off the fingers he held over a stack of papers.

The corner of the man's mouth twitched into a shocked smile. "As I was sayin', I will tell ya everything I told yer friends…" he said, nervously observing the mages before him to see if his cooperation appeased them at all. When Natsu didn't extinguish his fire, he hastily continued, "this article wasn't the story in its entirety. The truth is, I don't believe the mages behind the Zeref cultists, were actually dark mages per se."

"Explain."

"I didn't learn until weeks after Deliora's attack what the demon actually was, or the events leading to its release. One of the surviving cult members dropped all those details for me. What tipped me off on the story, even before the attack, was crossing paths with two people stumbling through the city with visibly grave injuries. Strangely, according to the doctor who saved 'em, they both bolted as soon as he had them barely patched up and standing. What ya might find of interest, is one of the women—" he paused to take in the stunned looks dawning on the Fairy's faces. The temporary awe was appropriate, considering the revelation that both the dark mages masterminding Deliora's release were women.

"Yes, your friends gave me the same look," he laughed. "But more to the point, the woman in question, was that sexy black-haired woman from Fiore's own Magic Council branch. Yes, yes, more of the same looks."

"Ultear?" Erza burst out, "what would magic council members want with a demon from the book of Zeref?"

The reporter raised his hands in a shrug, "That remains to be seen," he said. "But you understand why the people of Seven, would label such an act as dark mage activity, yes? I would hate to think that Fiore could be undermining the National Magic Council by ordering a mission that involved invading another sovereign nation... That would after all, be an act of war between our two nations, yes?"

He left the word 'war' hanging heavy in the air between them.

A/N. It always seemed strange to me that Lyon and crew somehow managed to move a giant block of demon popsicle to a tiny tropical island… or that it had already ended up there and they just somehow stumbled on to its' location.

'Till next time.

R&R

xx LokaMuse