[Re-edited 05-17-23]

This Chapter is HUGE, basically, two chapters in one, clocking in at just under 10k words and has plenty of present and flashback action.

So I'm super curious to know how the flow feels with switching back and forth between the two storylines. Turns out it's rather challenging balancing what is essentially two separate, (though related), story arcs in one haha.

Let me know what you think!

~Onward!

37

-The Mission-

"Well Natsu? Was it Anna that warned you about Acnologia?" Lucy asked when Natsu paused in the story. Haru watched the fire mage's eyes widen a bit at the question, his mind only just catching up with his own story telling and what he'd just unwittingly spotlighted.

"Are you going to tell—"

"No." Natsu interrupted, onyx gaze snapping over to meet blue, Haru dropped his chin on to the back of his hand and kept his expression carefully neutral. Up to this recent slip, Natsu had been doing a solid job of summarizing their rocky arrival in X376. He'd stuck mostly to the details of being taken before the Queen, the council dragons they'd interacted with, how Anna had found and snuck them out of the castle to safety, and of course, the history pertaining to the Dragon Wars and the origins of Dragon Slaying Magic.

"It's not vital information for this mission," he elaborated.

Haru caught the suspicious look on Lucy's face out of the corner of his eye. She had been staring at the bandages that currently hid the markings on Natsu's right arm, the ones he'd deflected explaining yesterday when she'd asked why he hid the tattoos, if they were as simple as that. Patient as ever when it came to her boyfriend, Lucy had let the topic drop at the time but clearly, she was suspicious of a connection between the marks and Natsu's cagey behaviour.

Lucy knew Natsu better than he knew himself half the time. Hell, Haru was pretty sure she knew him better than anyone in the guild as well, save Natsu and Mira. The way she was considering the two of them now, made him feel like she was reading his thoughts.

"Hey, you don't need to explain yourself to me, I'm with you, whatever you decide," Haru assured.

"I know what your telepathy looks like Haru… What are you two keeping from us?" Erza questioned dryly. She fixed them both with an expressionless look, though her displeasure was notable in her voice.

Haru didn't miss the gratitude that had flitted over Natsu's expression at his support before he stole his attention back to take in the group as a collective again. Adopting his toothy smile to ease the confusion settling over the table, he announced, "Don't get in a tizzy, Red, it's nothing related to the mission!" Clearly aiming to distract through teasing. It worked though, on Erza anyway, she looked like she was trying to decide whether to smack him or not. Lucy still looked entirely unconvinced, the Fire Slayer turned that toothy grin to her alone. "Yeah Luce, it was Anna's voice, the simplest explanation is usually correct, I guess!"

He gave a hearty bout of laughter, and if Haru didn't know him as well as he did, it would have been convincing. He highly doubted Lucy was buying his shit either. Though, he noted with an internal smirk, that Natsu hadn't technically lied. As they'd confirmed, it had been Anna's voice, just manifested by Natsu's own mind seeking comfort…

It suddenly dawned on Haru that he was still watching Natsu a little too curiously, he sighed and dropped back against the lounge, trailing his eyes up to the ceiling as he let his mind wander.

Flashback

Year X376

"What the hell happened?!"

"I don't know! Shut up and let me think!"

Haru hovered anxiously next to his partner. Natsu's eyes were screwed shut tightly with a cold sheen of sweat suddenly coating his forehead, though his body temperature seemed to spike higher than normal simultaneously. Anna seemed to be at as much a loss as Haru, and it was not helping to ease his nerves as he tried to keep himself still and calm.

"If only Grandeeney was here—"

"Wendy's dragon?! I will get her, just tell me where—"

"That's not possible!" Anna snapped back.

Natsu rolled to his side and pressed a palm to his temple, mumbling feverishly. Dazed and in a half-conscious state, he didn't appear to even be aware of them, as far as Haru could tell. Anna's brown eyes were darting over his form, seeking answers to the Fire Slayer's abrupt collapse. Her hands twitched above his form as though wanting to physically assess her former student, but the heat kept her at bay. Haru periodically shifted his attention between his partner and the blonde, wishing he knew how to help.

Anna's expression changed suddenly, her eyes remained sharply focused but the tension in her muscles slowly drained from her. It gave Haru hope that the change meant she'd figured out how to help Natsu. Eyebrows knitting together, he looked at her expectantly, but she just continued to observe Natsu as she eased her weight back in a more relaxed kneel and pursed her lips in thought. "What?!" Haru asked harshly, irritated with her silence, "you figured something out, what is it?!"

Anna's eyes met his, but she appeared hesitant, "I-I don't think he's in any danger for now, he should be fine if this is… um—Well, if I'm right, it's complicated… And maybe not really my place to explain, but you'll find out soon enough."

"Don't give me that shit. My best friend collapses in pain without warning or reason, and you know something. Start sharing."

She studied him again. Haru knew his authoritative demand would be hard to connect to the passive, non-confrontative boy he had been growing up. The only one she was familiar with. Whatever thoughts had run through her head though, in the end, Anna caved. "There are eight children in my care that are being raised by an elemental dragon. They spend some of their time here for more mundane lessons, and the rest of it with their respective dragons to be trained as Slayers. Some of you had a more innate affinity toward wielding dragon magic than others, and so your potentials differed greatly. You, Haru, had one of the greatest potentials among the children we considered for the project. Though you weren't the first."

Haru deadpanned, further frustrated by the tangent and wondering where she was going with the new information. "Be patient Haru, this is important," she murmured, noticing his impatience. "As a King, Igneel's power proved too overwhelming for a human's magic container to absorb safely… And so, aware of the risks, Igneel chose to adopt Natsu to become the first true Dragon Slayer."

"You have a really round about way of explaining things, Anna," he grumbled. "You just said a human's magic container didn't have the capacity to bear a Dragon King's power. So what are you saying? That Natsu is a magic prodigy? —I still don't see what any of this has to do with his state now!"

The aforementioned mage groaned and rolled to his back again. His hand fell away from his head and tangled into the knot of his scarf at his throat. They both watched him until Anna took a deep breath and met Haru's gaze again. "There were two reasons Igneel chose Natsu specifically. The first was that Natsu alone, had the enhancements necessary to be a vessel for Igneel's magic. The second was Igneel alone, had the ability to seal the potentially destructive power dormant within Natsu. If I'm right, travelling back to X376 and literally exposing yourselves to your pasts, is breaking down the memory alteration spells placed on all of you Dragon Slayers, which in turn, may be eroding the enchantments placed on Natsu."

"Still not following... What enchantments? What power?"

Anna waved her hand, acknowledging his questions and continued. "When I first met Natsu and took him in at the orphanage, he came to me from Zeref. He callously referred to Natsu as his most successful experiment, and on a child no less" she spat in disgust. Haru shuddered involuntarily at the steel and fire in Anna's brown eyes.

"Natsu is human—" she stated bluntly. Haru could already feel the cold dread washing over him, feeling for the first time since she'd started speaking, that he knew exactly what she was going to say next. "—But he is also Etherious."

. . .

"Haru?" Haru blinked at the ceiling, pulling himself from his memories and lulled his head to the side to find Mira watching him curiously. She gave a small smile, "hey, welcome back," she mocked with a giggle, "where'd you go just now?"

Reaching up to draw a section of stray hair out of her eyes, Haru let his hand trace down her jaw before dropping it on top of her hand and returned her smile. "400 years into the past," he joked lightly.

She rolled her eyes, "Well pay attention, would you? Natsu was just about to tell us the mission, you know, the mission you two are proposing," she added facetiously. Haru smirked back at her teasing tone as he threaded his fingers between hers and refocused on the team. Natsu was finally sliding into the booth looking a little distracted but otherwise good.

"I think it's your turn to do some talking, partner," Natsu said, emphasizing their partnership.

Their comrades' heads swivelled toward him in unison, and Haru arched a brow at their eagerness. "Okay then," he said, looking around the table, "first thing's first, this is an S Class mission, as cleared by Master, but it needs to stay secret from the Council, so it is also a rogue mission. We had you two join us—" Haru motioned between Gajeel and Wendy who both tensed a little subconsciously, "because you deserved to know what we learned about our origins as true Dragon Slayers but understand there is absolutely no pressure to join us on this mission. –And that goes for everyone else here too of course... but we could really use your help. Natsu and I are heading out tomorrow reg—"

Mira smacked him, harder than he would have expected, and he realized all at once that various versions of, "Of course we're coming, idiots," were raising from each of their friends around the table. Gray and Gajeel were already arguing back and forth at each other and making digs about how the Twin Dragons needed some real muscle behind them, and so the other clearly wouldn't be needed. Wendy, who'd been curled into Erza's side since hearing the unnerving revelations about their personal history, shed the supportive arm around her shoulders and sat up determinedly. Carla just rolled her eyes, having long since given up trying to deter the girl from dangerous missions. Erza, Mira and Lucy just smiled at the unique displays of undaunted support of their guildmates and laughed amongst themselves.

The Twin Dragons exchanged an amused look and Natsu chuckled as he looped his arm around Lucy's shoulders, finally allowing himself to relax a bit. It wasn't like they'd expected any less from this team. They'd gathered the most stubborn in Fairy Tail by far after all, and that was saying something, given the entire guild was known for its stubborn tendencies. "Just tell us the mission already!" Gray ordered with a grin.

Haru grinned back at the ice mage, "The mission is in Crocus—"

"—So, we do get to meet the princess?!"

This time it was Lucy who shot a burst of Star Reform into Gray's chest. He slapped his hands over the spot with a yelp and fell silent again after falling victim to the blonde's sharp warning look.

"What is with your prefixation on Hisui? Juvia doesn't need another perceived love rival to flood our guild over," Natsu drawled. Gray just scratched at his hair sheepishly, paling as he seemingly pictured the jealous rampage.

"Moving on... Jellal contacted us recently—"

"WAIT, hold up, you're telling me Jellal's been in communication with you, and he didn't tell the Master during their meetings?!" Erza barked angrily.

Rolling his eyes up to the ceiling, Haru sighed. "Are the interruptions out of all of your systems yet?" he asked, and Erza flushed a bright red. "To answer your question, no, Jellal is no more aware than the rest of the world is, that we didn't disappear with the rest of you. Our paths inevitably crossed with the Magic Council and Jellal over the years due to similar goals in hunting the Etherious, but as I am sure you all figured out, Natsu and I never took missions or passed through cities without taking precautions to keep our identities hidden."

"Anyway…we struck a deal at some point to exchange any pertinent information we came across regarding Zeref or his demons during our respective missions. A few days into our travels home, we got a message from Jellal asking for our aid. But having just learned you all were home and knowing the scale of the mission, we continued home first. Jellal infiltrated Grimoire Heart last year, through our old friend Ultear, following a rumour that Zeref was taking refuge with them." Haru paused and glanced around the table at the stunned expressions on the others, it would be the first time they'd heard convincing evidence that Zeref was, in fact, walking their world again. It wasn't an easy pill to swallow. "Grimoire Heart has taken Mercurius under siege, under the noses of the people of Crocus, and with the Grand Magic Games just a couple months away, the city is as busy as ever preparing. We need to ensure their safety as well as those within Mercurius."

Natsu interjected, "Unfortunately, we go in pretty blind. We don't know what their plans are exactly, but Jellal believes their elite, the Seven Kin of Purgatory, intend to use the Eclipse Gate to break the enchantments that Irene and members of Igneel's advisors imposed to seal Zeref's full magic centuries ago. Zeref was awakened during the events of the Tower, but it appears that he doesn't wield even close to his past potential in black magic, yet."

"So, then the mission is—" Erza began.

"Liberate Mercurius. Take down Grimoire Heart. Stop Zeref's full awakening," Natsu summarized with a smile, canines glinting dangerously.

The Next Morning

The Fairy Tail mages met up in the early morning, and were currently standing around in a loose circle waiting for their last straggler to get his ticket so they could board the train together. Natsu stood with his fingers laced behind his head lazily as he chatted with Erza, and Haru and Mira seemed equally relaxed having grabbed a coffee each from the station's cafe, but Lucy couldn't help the anxiety that was settling in the pit of her stomach. She should have known their team wouldn't be reunited for very long, before they went running off after a top tier dark guild. One that wielded the power capable of taking the Capital hostage without so much as rousing the nation's attention. Lucy's eyes swept over the rest of her comrades, Gajeel just looked pissed off as usual. He was glaring at Gray who was still standing in line to get his ticket, having arrived late. And Wendy appeared to be putting on a brave face, though her nerves had her a little tenser than normal.

"Yo, Popsicle, can ya hurry the fuck up?!"

Gray glared over his shoulder as he accepted his ticket from the usher. "You that excited to get on a train, Trash Can?!" he retorted.

Flinching slightly, Gajeel didn't back down as Gray approached them with narrowed eyes, attention fully on the Iron Slayer. "Just 'cause we call ya Ice Princess doesn't mean the rest of us are here to wait on your pampered ass!"

Lucy watched them derisively and noticed the rest of the team had also paused in their conversations to observe with expressions ranging from amusement to exacerbation.

"Juvia locked herself onto my ankles when I tried to leave! Then she threw a temper tantrum and flooded half the guild hall! Gramps woulda killed me if I left without calming her down!"

"Rain-Drops is a perfectly nice girl, cooler than the lot of you—" Gajeel announced, swiping his finger around the group, stopping once he had it aimed at Gray's nose, "and she is way too good for you!"

"What was that?!"

The men threw themselves forward, taking up each other's shirts in fists as their altercation increased until a pair of fists dropped heavily onto the tops of both of their heads. "Oi! Now isn't the time for that, get your asses on the train!"

Erza blinked owlishly, her fists raised in the air and twitching with the anticipation of striking something deserving, stunned that Natsu had beaten her to it. She watched as the previously squabbling pair trailed behind Natsu, Lucy and Wendy toward the train, albeit grumbling under their breaths. Appearing to be in their own world, Haru and Mira were already on their heels as well. So with a sigh, Erza finally let her arms drop limp to her sides and moved to catch up as her mind continued to process the surprising change of roles.

Natsu of all people, reinforcing good behaviour? Unfathomable.

The eight mages each settled themselves onto the four benches on either side of the aisle, getting comfortable for the trip. Erza slid into the vacant seat next to Wendy and across from Lucy and Natsu before taking point on the rest of their team on the adjacent side. Part of her would always take pride in being responsible for upholding her comrades' respectful behaviour on missions. Plus, she'd been doing it for so long, it was just automatic. She eyed Gray and Gajeel who were actively avoiding looking at each other, each with arms crossed over their chests. Haru sat across from Gajeel on the window side, reading a newspaper he had in his lap while Mira hummed contently and sipped her coffee. With everyone content now, Erza let herself relax as well.

The conductor announced the train's departure shortly later and Gajeel's comical reaction prompted the ice mage to burst out laughing at his expense. Gajeel tried to retort back but the cars lurched forward before settling into a smoother motion, sending Gajeel keeling forward immediately. That only succeeded in escalating Gray's fit of laughter. Glaring first at Gray, despite the green tint already colouring his skin, Gajeel slowly shifted his attention to Haru who was still reading peacefully. "What the hell, how are you fine?!"

Without looking up from the paper in his hands, Haru said dryly, "Months of daily exposure to your weakness tends to have that affect." He flipped the page nonchalantly and leaned into the window, crossing his legs at the knee, "though, I wouldn't say we're over it, just not entirely incapacitated… If it weren't for the necessity of convenience, I'd still never set foot on transport again."

Gajeel picked out the 'we're,' and slumped further into his seat as he tilted his head to look across the aisle to where Natsu was chatting happily with the girls. The Fire Slayer looked entirely comfortable as well, with his feet kicked up onto the seat next to Erza and his fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on Lucy's knee. When Natsu did notice the staring, his mouth quirked in amusement, "All you gotta do is swallow your pride and ask Wendy for help ya know?"

Gajeel groaned loudly at the prospect, as if it hurt him almost as much as the motion did, but that at least, succeeded in pulling Wendy's attention over to him.

"Oh, my goodness," she shouted, slapping her hands over her mouth, "Gajeel, I'm so sorry I didn't think to cast Troia when Natsu seemed fine!" The teen darted over with the soft green light of her magic already fluctuating around her and took his temples between her hands. She'd never cast Troia on him before and he looked positively shocked when she removed her fingertips at the completion of her spell.

He sat up straight, all nausea at bay, "Uhhh," he floundered.

"The words you're looking for, is 'thank you Wendy, for fixing my tummy,'" Gray supplied sarcastically.

. . .

Despite Jellal's intel alerting them that Grimoire Heart had infiltrated the palace without the people of Crocus being any wiser, it still felt odd walking through the bustling capital as though it were any other day. The Fairy Tail mages' heads swivelled back and forth taking in the vibrant eye-catching graphics that advertised the upcoming second annual Grand Magic Games, just mere months away now. Souvenir stands already punctuated nearly every street corner with guild-emblemed memorabilia of this year's participating guilds. Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus and Mermaid Heel merchandise being notably popular.

"Who in the fuck are Sabertooth?" Gajeel barked. He glared sideways at the third or fourth stand they'd passed that displayed bold signs alerting patrons to the shortage of Sabertooth products and offering pre-orders for the restocks.

Natsu grumbled lowly but kept his eyes on the spires of Mercurius dwarfing the cityscape in the distance ahead of them. "You haven't seen the stories yet?" Erza asked, "they're practically in every paper... They hold the title of Fiore's strongest guild after dominating the Games last year."

"I thought we were the strongest," Gajeel squawked indignantly. He liked to pretend that he'd only joined them after Edolas due to the Guild's number one status, and the undisputed power they boasted. Despite that, everyone knew he was as dedicated to the family ties now as any other member.

"All our strongest members vanishing without a trace for over two years did some hefty damage to public confidence in us, and thus our standings," Haru supplied, carefully keeping the emotion from his tone. None of them were pleased with Fairy Tail's reputation taking such a huge hit, but they could build it up again, the important part was they were all back together again. Let Fiore say whatever they would.

"So, we enter the Games and kick all their asses, take our status back by force!"

"Seriously? It's just a glorified popularity contest and an excuse to parade mages around like ponies for the people's entertainment," Haru stated flatly, "Fairy Tail has nothing to prove to anyone."

Mira giggled and threaded her fingers through his, he glanced down at her with a quirked brow. "You really aren't interested in seeing how you stack up against the best guilds and the most powerful mages in Fiore, Haru?"

Shrugging a shoulder nonchalantly, Haru countered, "I just think we have more pressing matters, let the other guilds vie for attention, we're the ones actually protecting Fiore."

"That wasn't a no…" Natsu announced with a bark of laughter, receiving the girls' shared giggles and the Water Slayer's pointed look of annoyance.

Once they'd reached Mercurius, the fairies split into two teams at Haru's instructions. Natsu would lead Erza, Lucy and Gajeel, and Haru would lead Mira, Gray and Wendy, balancing the teams with one Eclipse Team leader each, two S Class each, and two Dragon Slayers each.

Natsu's group, being the more destructive, by far, would burst right in through the front gates and take the place by storm. They would blast away any minor forces and with a little luck, the ruckus would draw some of the Seven Kin into battle with them. This would also create a solid distraction for Haru's team, which would split off and sneak in through the hidden passages of the palace as they sought out the King and Princess. Their primary objective would be to secure the Gate though, and be available for a back-up ambush, should Natsu's team get pinned down.

The guys had spent a year using Mercurius as a home base for their operations before, during, and after every successful Gate mission. Seeing as none of the guards, advisors and staff outside the Eclipse Team itself couldn't know they were there, Natsu and Haru had gotten really, really good at moving about the palace unseen. That knowledge would be invaluable with this mission.

Grimoire Heart would have no idea they were fighting on the Twin Dragons' home turf.

The two teams formed a circle, pausing briefly before departing to their respective tasks for one last talk. Having vastly improved his telepathy over the past few years, Haru was more than capable of connecting both groups through himself and Natsu now. It would mean both their teams would be able to communicate independently, while he and Natsu acted as connection between the teams simultaneously. "Alright, everyone hearing me loud and clear?" Haru asked, testing their connections for the first time on a group of this size, they all nodded.

"Perfect, Red Team, you got me too?" Natsu added. Again, a round of confirmations. Natsu flashed his partner a thumbs up when his team's responses echoed in his head as well. Being able to communicate freely without Haru having to act as a relay between them all, was a huge advantage and would make splitting their teams far more effective. Growing grins of confidence began pulling at everyone's lips, even as some fidgeted in nervous anticipation.

"Awesome—" Natsu cheered with a dangerous smirk crossing his face, "I'm all fired up, let's go kick ass, team!"

Red -Assault- Team

With a round of departing good-lucks between them and a quick high five, Natsu and Haru spun in opposite directions and took off toward their destinations with their respective teams on their heels.

Natsu quickly led his team through the gardens at a gentle jog so as to not draw too much attention. The castle grounds hosted occasional groups of locals and tourists who'd taken the day to enjoy the immaculately tended gardens that were open to the public. The gardens gave way to a large courtyard with a giant fountain marking its center, and between the courtyard and the main doors to the palace, iron gates, deceptively decorative in their design, barred anyone without royal invitation from entering.

Arranged along the gates, a small knot of Royal Soldiers stood in guard of Mercurius.

Natsu smirked, one canine glinting. "Imposters, take 'em down," he alerted the group.

Next to him, Gajeel guffawed at the information, and his right arm morphed into an iron club to bowl down the guards like dominos. None of the team slowed as the iron mage cleared their path effortlessly. Utilizing various bursts of magic, they all propelled themselves clear over the gates and advanced upon the main entrance, which was identified by the circular stained-glass window that took up most of the imposing arch topping it.

"We go in hot—" Natsu instructed, fire bursting up around him, "—Gajeel!"

"Don't forget, I don't take orders, Salamander," Gajeel retorted, though his grin belied the thrill he was actually feeling as he followed the prompt without any real protest.

"Iron Dragon's hard fist!"

"Fire Dragon's iron fist!"

The Dragon Slayers charged forward, slamming magic enhanced fists into each of the double doors, sending them exploding inward and wide open. The girls burst through the new opening right behind without allowing enough time to warn of their arrival. Red Team slid to a stop on the smooth marble floors, spreading out in a half circle to scan the area. The palace opened into a pristine foyer, naturally lit with a rainbow of colours from the sunlight passing through the flower window above.

Stunned gasps raised from the few sporadic people in the entryway as they jumped up from the spots they lounged in, clad in robes emblazoned with Zeref's mark. Not one made a move against them yet, seemingly bewildered by their sudden bold invasion.

Standing next to Gajeel with Lucy and Erza just a short distance behind, Natsu's eyes raked over the potential opposition currently facing them. It was minimal for now, but he knew it wouldn't be long before bigger threats would appear with their explosive entrance. "Guess we shoulda assumed Grimoire would recruit the cultists…" Natsu said dryly to his team. He took a quick second to alert Haru of the cult's presence as well.

"What a lovely trip down memory lane, it's like Dragon Soul's first mission in Seven all over again..." Lucy sang sarcastically.

"Yeah, not a flashback I care to relive," Erza replied.

A familiar scent met Natsu's nose and he snapped his head back, sniffing the air intently. "Speaking of unwelcome flashbacks…" he grumbled aloud.

Natsu peeked over his shoulder in time to watch the fractured doors to Mercurius miraculously repair themselves and left Gajeel's indignant outbursts about the phenomena, unanswered. Space warped, obscuring the view behind it into a shifting pearlescence before Ultear appeared directly in front of him. She tilted her head to the side as she looked up at him with an amused smile at his unimpressed look. "It's been far too long and you've gone and gotten even sexier, my little dragon," Ultear cooed. She reached a hand up to trace a fingernail along the angle of his jaw, causing his eyes to narrow in further irritation.

"Your what?!" Lucy barked, rounding on her. Curiosity briefly bloomed in Ultear's expression as her attention shifted away from him for a second to appreciate the fiery temper of the blonde that Natsu knew was standing just a couple steps away.

The time mage didn't engage Lucy though, turning right back to him, allowing only a moment of distraction. "I just knew you were still out there waiting to cause me trouble again."

"Well, if you'd stop being so bat-shit crazy, I wouldn't have to. Clearly, I will have to pick up the lesson where Haru left off."

Ultear smiled and stepped forward to press herself against his chest, "Ooo are both my little dragons running around here?" Natsu let out an exacerbated sound, he was certain she was being even more boldly flirtatious than normal, just to determine what he meant to Lucy. Ultear continued right on, in a particularly sultry tone, "a lesson does sound intriguing though, what kind of lessons would you impart on a bad—"

A streak of gold slammed into Ultear's cheekbone sending her sailing to the side. Lucy retracted her glowing fist and held it ready in front of her as she declared through bared teeth, "She's mine."

Natsu eyed her for a second, before shifting the gaze over to Erza who was standing behind the blonde and merely shrugged a shoulder in response. Without waiting for their input, Lucy launched forward to collide with the recovering time mage. "I still owe her one for blindsiding me with my father back in the tower…" Lucy's voice seethed through his head. She spun a kick into the other woman's unprotected ribs, "and how dare she call you HER dragon."

"Jealous Lucy is hot…" Natsu goaded her and was verbally assaulted with Gajeel immediately bitching at him about keeping his thoughts to himself. Chuckling at the Iron Slayer, Natsu announced, "Alright Red Team, we split up here then. Locate the Seven Kin, and burn 'em up!"

Blue -Stealth- Team

The sounds of their foot falls on stone was the only sound to be heard in the deadly silent network of passages under the palace. Mira kept her attention trained straight ahead as their team progressed through the unmarked halls, Haru had warned them to stay close as they'd entered the webbing of passes. Every hall seemed to be crossed with another, and each path almost always ended with multiple choices to travel. It was incredibly easy to get lost in the twisting corridors without a guide, but Haru and Natsu had spent months utilizing the underground system to move freely because no palace associate ever entered the passages. Decades ago, it had been part of Mercurius' dungeon system. Rumour had it, truly deserving criminals were still sentenced to the labyrinth hidden been the castle to wander lost with only their regrets to keep them company.

But Haru assured them it was a simple task to navigate the maze when aided by a dragon's senses.

As such, Haru's own attention never split from the task at hand, attempting to lock on to the royal family's scents or any of the Eclipse Team members who should all be in the palace somewhere, save Yukino who would likely be at her guild with no active missions.

"Natsu's team is in, they were confronted by Ultear and are splitting up…" Haru relayed suddenly. Mira assumed that meant Natsu had checked in telepathically to update their team. Haru didn't elaborate further, and the four didn't slow their progress.

"Is that a good idea with the Seven Kin and who knows what other mages under Grimoire's employ running around?" Gray asked flatly.

Haru spared a brief glance toward the ice mage on his heels, and Wendy next to him who looked equally concerned for their comrades. With his expression remaining neutral, he replied, "I trust Natsu's decisions. He'll be checking in with them periodically I'm sure. And besides, those four tend to be unbelievably destructive… Even Lucy on occasion. We'll all be able to find them fairly easily if they should need back up."

Not long after, a low rumble from somewhere above rocked the walls around them and all four paused in their advances and glanced upward at the stone ceiling. An explosion shattered the quiet and Haru's team scattered reflexively, leaping away as the ceiling imploded under an unknown force. Mira turned and brought an arm up to shield her face against the resulting shower of debris and dust that blew outward to encompass the passage.

"Gajeel…" she heard Haru deadpan from somewhere nearby, though all her companions were presently obscured by the curtain of dust floating through the air. "Good of you to prove my point," the Water Slayer added sarcastically. Mira let her arm drop as the cloud of dirt began to settle and the light from the upper floors began to filter through. Sure enough, she laid eyes on Gajeel with his Iron Club buried in the face of a large heavy-set, unconscious man.

The Dragon Slayer straightened with a sadistic smile as his arm returned to normal, tossing and catching a strange doll repeatedly. "That's one of the Seven down. Told you we didn't need you, Frosty, this guy was barely worth the effort!" Gajeel declared smugly.

Gray's eye twitched at the insult, and he stomped forward as Gajeel did the same only to find themselves abruptly immobilized by a thick layer of ice securing their feet to the ground. "What the hell?! Fight me like a man, damn Ice Princess!" Gajeel snapped.

"Idiot! Do you think I'd freeze MYSELF? What the hell is this?!" Gray gawked at the ice encasing him to the middle of his calves.

Mira giggled, having figured it out after noticing Haru's slowly waning patience. He stood next to Wendy, watching the squabbling pair with a derisive look and arms crossed over his chest. Subtle trails of ice glistened over the stone floor, starting at each of his own feet. "Do you really think this is the time to fight?" he asked in a flat voice that barely conveyed his irritation, "if you two really want to indulge in a pissing match, I suggest you go hunt down more of the remaining Kin together."

Still fascinated by the fact that he'd been frozen to the spot, Gray just stared back at Haru awe. Clearly, he'd managed to connect the Water Slayer to the spell as well, but he was rightfully confused by the development. Haru had never been able to use ice independently from his water magic prior to their stasis.

Mira was curious as well, but it didn't appear Haru was stopping long enough for questions. He pressed his lips together in a thin line, eyes shifting between the other two men. "Do you two think you can keep from killing each other, while we keep scouting for everyone in Mercurius?" he questioned as he gestured to the girls. "I think I've got Tomie's scent," he added as an afterthought, even as Gray and Gajeel looked at each other sideways.

"Fine, I'll take the Snow Cone with me, just so he can see how much stronger I am."

"Excuse me? It's your privilege to join me, Junk Heap, but don't expect me to bail your ass out when you get in trouble. Just stay out of my way."

"Care for a wager?" Gajeel goaded, "whoever takes down the next Kin writes a song about the other's awesomeness!"

"What is with you and songs?!"

Mira rolled her eyes, ignoring the rivalry in favour of repeating, "Tomie?"

"Natsu started calling the King that awhile back, it kinda stuck, much to the King's displeasure," Haru elaborated. He could still remember the look on the short royal's face clearly. 'What a way to address a King…' he'd expressed dryly in response to Natsu's casual disrespect.

Blinking in surprise a couple times, Mira eventually just shook her head, "How that man hasn't ended up in more trouble for the tactless comments he makes, I will never know."

"Well, that's easy, I'm the how…" Haru announced only half jokingly. He turned back to Gray, "alright, enough standing around… happy hunting guys, contact us if you get in a jam."

Gray gave a cocky smile that mirrored the one on the iron mage. "Like that'll happen," they both stated in unison, heads whipping toward one another at the echoed sentiment. But their grins only widened; the two bumped fists and leapt up through the hole that Gajeel created earlier, shouting words of luck back to the remaining members of the Stealth Team.

Glancing back at the two Dragon Slayers, Mira giggled at the retreating pair's overconfidence. "So, bets on how long we have before we have to go bail them out?" she asked as the trio followed the same route to escape the underground maze.

Natsu

Natsu darted agilely through Mercurius, heading straight for the chamber the Eclipse Team utilized for meetings and relaxing between missions. The room was tucked back in one of the outer rings of the palace, and was therefore easier to use without drawing the attention of the multitude of staff and guards employed within the walls. If he didn't find any of the Eclipse Team there, he'd go back to hunting down Grimoire Heart. He'd be willing to bet Haru would be leading his team to the underground chamber that housed the Eclipse Gate, unless he happened to sniff out either of the Royals first.

Spinning around a corner Natsu ran into a squad of Zeref's cultists, their figures hidden beneath the usual billowy black robes. Without slowing, Natsu flared his magic and launched straight down the center, sending the grunts flying with pained screams in waves of fire. Sliding to a stop on one knee with a hand braced on the floor, he eyed the only person that managed to dodge the attack unscathed. Natsu drew an elbow back as flames wrapped around the length of his arm again.

The remaining cultist quickly threw one hand up in surrender and brought the other up to draw his hood back, revealing a shock of bright blue hair and red markings over half his face. It was only then that Natsu realized the cloak on the man in front of him didn't have Zeref's emblems, but Grimoire's. He let his flames extinguish and straightened, absently cracking his knuckles. "So this is where you've been hiding... Jelly," he added with a smirk.

Jellal dropped his hands back to his sides, his lips still parting with slight confusion, "Natsu, what are you doing here?"

"You requested our help. We came, "Natsu pointed out blandly, though he was fully aware that Jellal couldn't have known it had been him and Haru that he'd been interacting with over the past year. "Sorry we couldn't be here sooner."

"I didn't—wait."

Natsu chuckled as Jellal connected the dots. "You got it, me an' Haru are the team that the Council dubbed Ghost." He blew out a breath as he rolled his eyes, "we are attracting too many aliases."

A bark of laughter peeled out of the blue-haired man as he ran a hand back through his hair before dropping it on his hip. "No way, all this time…" he said, turning a smile back on the Fire Slayer. "You two are a giant thorn in the Council's side, ya know? They'd be putting all their efforts into hunting you down, if you weren't so useful in eliminating so much demon activity. Plus your anonymity, much as it pisses Lehar off to no end, allows the Council to take credit…"

"Yes, well, we'd appreciate you keeping our identities under wraps from the Council still," Natsu said. "Though I'm not sure how much longer we'll be able to stay anonymous anyway. Our missions seem to be getting a little higher profile lately…"

Jellal nodded in agreement, though his amusement at the new information hadn't diminished. "Lehar and Rohan spend so much time debating how many mages make up Ghost," he continued through bouts of laughter, "and its just you two?! Amazing!"

Natsu watched his former enemy, turned future guildmate, with a small lopsided smile as the other got all his amusement out at the expense of the NMC team he'd been working with over the year. But he was distracted from their reunion when Erza reached out telepathically.

"Natsu? Can you hear me?"

"Erza, what's up, everything okay?"

"I've—shit!" Natsu frowned, eyes flickering over to Jellal who had picked up on the change in energy and was now watching him intently. "I've engaged two of the Kin in battle, both earth users—" Even with the relatively stoic delivery of her situation, Natsu could hear the strain in the scarlet knight's tone as her words filtered through the telepathic connection.

"Do you know where you are Erza?"

A long pause went by, presumably as she fought off dual attacks, and Natsu started sniffing at the air trying to see if he could catch her scent. "East wing," she answered, "Natsu, one of these Kin is a Dragon Slayer."

Natsu's jaw clenched a bit, the Earth Dragon Slayer… Terrine's Daughter.

This is where she'd ended up?!

Natsu ran by Jellal, heading for the east wing and gestured for the other to follow without explanation.

"We're on our way to you, hold on Erza."

- Flash Back -

Year X376

Natsu woke with a start, eyes flying open as he bolted upright and began scanning his surroundings in a panic. Haru was at his side instantly with a hand on his forearm and worried eyes searching to catch his attention. The water mage said something, but whatever it had been was lost in a muddled confusion. Natsu forced himself to calm and focus on his fellow Dragon Slayer. "Haru, I'm sorry," he apologized in voice that sounded broken to his own ears.

Eyebrows knitting together and barely shaking his head dismissively, Haru asked, "What would you possibly have to be sorry for? I'm just relieved that you're okay."

Natsu stared back blankly, he really wasn't sure what to make of the last few hours, what had been figments of delirium and what he'd actually heard. He hadn't been unconscious in the beginning, though all he really remembered was dissembled bits of conversation, and the pain of course. But what his mind wouldn't stop replaying, was Anna calling him Etherious. It was that, that compelled him to apologize to his friend the moment he laid eyes on him, without any real justification. This had to be some sick joke. Hell, he and Haru had been committed to hunting down each of Zeref's Etherious Demons for nearly a year; longer, if the vow they made back at the Tower of Heaven could be considered.

"Natsu, I told Anna I'd get her when you woke up," Haru told him. Natsu glanced back at him, he wanted to ask if what he'd heard was real or not but couldn't find the words. He just nodded numbly.

Haru shifted to get up but paused midway, turning back to Natsu and really seeming to take in his inner turmoil for a moment. He knelt back down next to mattress pad and fixed him with a confident look. "You are Natsu. Nothing more, nothing less."

Natsu felt his jaw drop. How had Haru figured out what was bothering him? Natsu had always been the one who could get into Haru's head, not the other way around. "Thanks, Haru," he said genuinely.

The water mage nodded, and then disappeared into the next room to retrieve Anna. Natsu was sitting cross legged on the mattress pad, trying to work some of the stiffness out of his shoulders and neck when they rejoined him not long after. Both lowered themselves down to a second mattress pad to sit opposite him.

"How are you feeling now, Natsu?" Anna asked him, her head cocked to the side as her eyes glanced over him appraisingly. He assumed she was searching for any sign he wasn't himself, but that could just be a perception of his own insecurity.

Shrugging a shoulder, he assured, "I feel fine now, but I'm sure you're going to tell me different?"

Anna exchanged a look with the Water Slayer, and Haru informed nonchalantly, "Natsu knows too," before meeting his eyes, "though I'm not sure how, exactly?"

"I could hear bits and pieces of your conversation, if just seemed far away? Maybe? I don't really know how to explain it." Natsu looked at the blonde, "but I know I heard you say I am Etherious…" he trailed off uncomfortably.

"Yes, well," Anna replied absently, and even having come to that conclusion on his own, it still stung to hear Anna confirm it. Natsu released a shaky breath, not knowing what to believe anymore. The hits just kept coming.

Haru leaned forward, dropping directly into his line of vision, with an irate look on his face, and Natsu's eyes widened at the sudden invasion of his personal space. "H-Haru? What is—" His question was cut off when Haru wound up and punched him straight in the jaw without provocation. Natsu sailed to the side with a curse as Anna yelped out her own shock. Pushing himself up with his free hand while the other cupped his jaw, Natsu snapped, "What the fuck was that man?!"

In the entire time they'd known each other, Haru had never punched him outside a sparring match, hell, even their disagreements rarely became heated. Natsu was dumbfounded to say the least.

He watched as his long-time partner visibly collected himself with a steadying breath before following with an uncharacteristic outburst. "Get over it Natsu!" he yelled, "since when do you let anyone tell you who you are? I already told you, you're JUST Natsu. Regardless of anything else you might be, you're still Fairy Tail's resident Hot-Head, most reckless jump-first, think-later person I've ever met, and my best friend. Whatever Etherious shit you got in your blood, YOU are no demon. So get your head out of your damn ass because we don't have the time for you to mope!"

With an audible click of his tongue, Haru dropped back onto his butt and crossed his arms in front of his chest, averting his eyes from Natsu as he did so. Natsu sat stunned into silence, mouth agape with his hand still absently massaging his jaw as he noted the air of exacerbation still hanging over his partner. Then he burst out laughing, increasing Haru's irritation tenfold.

The water mage's eyes snapped back to his, "What is your problem now?!"

"Nothing, nothing," Natsu said with a lopsided grin. Haru glared incredulously, so Natsu continued, "it's just… You remember years ago, when we met? I said I was gonna light a fire under you—" he broke off laughing again and Anna was watching them both with a mix of curiosity and affection now as well. "—Well, if that wasn't a fire in your belly, then I'm an ice mage."

With a blush crawling over his cheeks, Haru grumbled under his breath as Anna broke out in a fit of laughter at their interaction as well, drawing both their attentions. "You know, I'd never have guessed, out of all the children I had in my care, that you two would end up being so close. You were always polar opposites, but, the more I see you two interact, the more it makes sense."

"Yeah, we get that a lot," both said dryly and in unison.

The blonde shook her head slightly, her smile fading gradually. She released a breath as she seemed to remember the seriousness of their situation, and the mood suddenly sobered. "Natsu, do you still have the package I gave you in Edolas?"

Natsu's lips parted a little at her question. Between the final battles in Edolas and diving right into the preparations for the S Class exams as soon as they'd returned home... He'd completely forgotten about the package she'd entrusted to him to keep safe. Of course, he still had it though. The space around his up-turned palm glowed and it dropped into his hand, he held it up before her with a quirked brow.

Anna reached to take it from him with an anxious air and brushed her fingertips over the broken seal that held the ties enclosing the package. Noticing the damage, Natsu waved his hands in front of him in a quick denial, "It wasn't me, I didn't open it! I swear!"

Shaking her head, Anna sighed, "No, it wasn't you Natsu. Just another of the seals breaking down, but I expected that." The Dragon Slayers glanced at one another, mirroring the same confused expression, before watching her remove the packaging to reveal a worn leather-bound book.

Natsu's eyes raked over the letters embossed on the cover and looked back at Haru, pointing a finger at the book. "We heard some stuff about 'the end' during some of our recon, didn't we?"

Humming in consideration, Haru caught Anna's eyes again. "We never learned much about it, but we thought it might be reference to a ritual or even a prophecy. Like an outcome Zeref's followers believed would happen if the Etherious were ever all gathered and Zeref fully awakened."

"Not quite, it isn't 'the end,' but E.N.D.," she clarified, handing the book back to Natsu. His eyes widened in fascination when he felt distinct heat emanating from the book, a pull as familiar as his magic. "This is your book, Etherious Natsu Dragneel."

"Eh?! I have a fucking book?!"

"You must keep that book safe, whatever else you do, Natsu. I don't know what would happen if it came to harm." She paused, "and don't open it, some things are just better left unknown. Better to seal it again—and speaking of, your seals breaking down is a graver situation than it seems as well. You will need to learn how to integrate your Etherial and Dragon Slaying powers or the imbalance could rupture your magic container. For the time being, it is critical to get that power re-sealed as soon as possible for your protection, and those around you. With Etherious sealed, you can begin to slowly draw on the powers and adapt to the combination over time, without fear of losing control of it." Natsu's eyes raked over the book in his hands again, the gold letters of END dominating his attention, he swallowed thickly and requipped the book away for now.

"In addition," Anna added, "you both need some focused training to master full control over Dragon Force if you think to take on Acnologia again. What I saw back at the castle was just a flicker of that power."

"That was Drive," Natsu informed but she shrugged a shoulder dismissively, so he asked instead, "who can train us? One of the dragons on the council?"

"That's correct, but not one presently in the Kingdom of Dragnof, I'm sending you two west."

- Present -

Erza

A series of explosions tore a scream from Erza's lungs and sent her soaring for the umpteenth time. Flipping in the air Erza drove the end of her heavy spiked blade into the ground, digging a line through the marble floors. With a white-knuckled grip on the hilt of her mace and the other hand on her knee, she panted, trying to recover from all the hits. She remained in her crouch as her eyes snapped around the room, attempting to catch site of her opponents.

The large space was more forest than dining hall now with all the trees the male kept summoning to erupt from the stone floor out of nothingness. Their new surroundings lent a huge advantage to the Grimoire mages, and their teamwork was surprisingly seamless. Erza had realized too late that Azuma was able to merge with the trees he conjured, in addition to wielding the dangerous ability of manipulating the blossoms and fruit of his trees to explode in unpredictable patterns. But more problematic was the petit Dragon Slayer, who possessed incredible speeds and enjoyed randomly snacking on the trees that now surrounded them to continue to bolster her power.

A flicker of movement caught Erza's eye just a moment too late to react as the Earth Slayer appeared above her. "Earth Dragon's restraining vines!" Long sandy brown hair fanned out around the girl as vines sprouted from her arms, extending like a wave toward Erza. The vines had her completely entangled before her enemy had even landed. Erza struggled against the bindings, attempting to break out of them with brute strength, but it was no use with the sheer number of vines that currently encircled her. The Dragon Slayer lengthened her stance to increase her stability as Erza fought back with everything she had. Then Azuma was materializing out of the tree to her left, his arms spread wide and a storm of explosive blossoms filled the air all around him.

Erza cursed and threw her weight toward the other girl, hoping Azuma would pull the attack if it put his comrade in harm's way as well, but the Earth Slayer reacted instantly, leaping over her head to trade positions with her. Clumsy, due to the vines restricting her natural movement, Erza stumbled forward right into a curtain of the flowery bombs all around her and set to detonate. She braced for the attack with no moves left to make in her defence.

Then in the air overhead, seven gold magic circles appeared.

"Grand Chariot!"

The spell preceded a pair of orange-gold streaks cutting across the space at untraceable speeds. The first bursting with fire, scorched the vines trapping her and the second whisked her out of the way just before the meteor spell devastated the ground she'd just been occupying, and overwhelmed the two Kin. The flames flickered out revealing Natsu already colliding with Azuma who'd skipped back from Jellal's attack, a knee coated in fire finding the man's gut. The Tree Arc mage coughed out a lung of air when his back crashed into the tree behind them.

"Are you okay Erza?"

Erza's gaze flicked up to meet Jellal's, he held her form still tangled with vines, and she merely nodded wordlessly. Even being aware that the blue-haired man was about to be a probationary member of Fairy Tail, it was still incredibly strange to see Natsu cooperating with him after the Tower incidents. Jellal set her back on her feet just as Natsu flipped back, dodging a series of explosions and landed next to them. Without taking his eyes from the enemy, he threw a golden-flamed hand against the vines securing her and they fell away in ash. Then his head was whipping to the side, roaring out a torrent of fire to counter the spinning vortex of earthy debris that was suddenly barrelling down on them.

"Sienna! What do you think Terrine would think of you aligning yourself with a dark guild and ZEREF?!" Natsu spat the last words like poison.

Silence fell heavy on the room, and for a long moment none of the five mages moved. Then Sienna appeared in a blink a few meters from Natsu, leaves fluttering around her. She postured and stared him down defiantly with angry copper eyes, her lips pinched together as she studied the Fire Slayer. Erza couldn't decide what to make of the standoff either. Did Natsu know this other Dragon Slayer? He certainly seemed to speak to her with a level of familiarity, but he'd never mentioned her before. That seemed odd, given the incredibly small number of mages that were capable of wielding the lost magic.

"How dare you?" she spat finally, "she died at the hands of the same people she tried to help."

Sienna launched herself back at him, a fist cocked for attack and swirling with a visible green aura. With his face scrunched in thought, Natsu dropped into a defensive stance, clearly pondering her words idly as he caught her attack in a bare hand. He drove the toe edge of his boot into the ground behind him to slow their momentum, keeping his eyes locked on hers. "Terrine is alive!" he barked back as he reached out to grip her wrist with his other hand.

A flicker of desperate want crossed her eyes, momentarily distracting her and he pivoted to throw her back harshly. Shooting forward in a blaze of fire, he launched a Talon attack into her gut just below her ribs, folding her in half. Sienna went flying clear across the room as a score of Azuma's blossoms floated into the air around Natsu.

Erza cried out warningly as they exploded into a thick smoke, and ran toward the Fire Slayer. She'd apparently forgotten about the other earth user due to the bewildering interaction between her comrade and Sienna. Azuma had morphed with his trees again, returning once more to lay in wait for an opportune moment to attack. He seemed to approach their battle with an almost detached focus. When the black cloud dissipated Natsu wasn't there, Erza's head whipped around in panic, searching for him.

To her surprise, she found him on the other side of the room, with Sienna in a head lock and an index finger at his temple, apparently focusing Haru's telepathic powers. He looked pissed, if the set of his expression was even a sliver of what he was feeling. He seemed barely aware of his fellow Dragon Slayer still struggling in his ironclad grip.

He released a string of curses as soon as he dropped his arm back down. Then he swung around in a torrent of fire and nailed the back of his heel into Azuma's side when the other man sprung from a nearby tree. "Dammit, what else could go wrong?!" Natsu bit out through clenched teeth before roughly tossing Sienna to the ground. "This conversation isn't over," he growled down at her.

Erza shook herself from the stupor she'd found herself in when she realized Natsu had called her name. She looked up to lock eyes with him, the muscles of his shoulders were strained with the weight of whatever news had just been relayed to him. He appeared in front of her and Jellal where they'd been watching the one-sided fight between the Dragon Slayers in stunned silence.

'Just how strong has Natsu gotten over the past two years?' Erza wondered.

"I've gotta go."

She snapped out of her pondering again, vaguely aware of Azuma helping Sienna back to her feet and summoning earth-based magic to replenish her. This battle was far from over. "What happened?" she asked.

Natsu glanced back at the two Grimoire mages, "Haru found Tomie, but—"

A burst of gold seals erupted behind Natsu where Jellal countered a destructive Unison Raid of earth magic, and the fire mage cut off his explanation. There just wasn't enough time to explain. "Jellal," he called instead, the blue-haired man looked over without retracting the arms he had extended in his offensive stance. "As far as I'm concerned, you still have a lot of retribution ahead of you for all the people you hurt, demon possession or not. You made Erza cry… You start making up for that today, show us you know what it means to be a Fairy Tail mage!"

Jellal gave a single curt nod, "I will protect Erza with my life," their former enemy vowed.

With an unreadable expression, Erza tore her attention back from Jellal and met Natsu's eyes again, "Go then, we got this covered."

"I know," Natsu stated with a half-smile, "see you soon," and then he vanished in a burst of fire.

. . .

Natsu shot through the castle's corridors in streaks of fire at break-neck speeds, driven by Haru's pleas and was skidding to a stop in the midst of a chaotic scene mere minutes later. He found himself walking into a more precariously dangerous situation than he'd predicted. The occupants of the room were locked in an intense standoff, the room was still and seemed to literally vibrate with dense magical power. It immediately put him on further guard.

Ahead of him, the hulking form of the Eclipse Gate resonated with the golden glow of celestial magic imbued within it, and a sliver of the pure white void beyond was visible between the doors that were slowly peeling open. Ultear stood to one side of the gate with an orb balancing on her forearm and another held lazily between her free hand and a hip cocked in an arrogant stance. Opposite her, a male with long unruly blonde hair stood laughing maniacally, at what, Natsu was still trying to decide.

Lucy was on her knees with her back to him, keeping herself between the dark mages and Hisui who was sprawled on her back. Both women appeared injured. Natsu dissolved into an arch of fire and materialized next to the blonde in a crouch, angled toward the unconscious princess, his eyes scanning over her form as he placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder.

"Are you okay Lucy?" he asked, he hadn't expected to find her here, and internally berated himself for not checking in with her or Gajeel after getting Erza's call for backup.

Lucy turned to him, her brown eyes shining with unshed tears, "Natsu, I-I'm sorry, I had n-no choice," she said through a shaky voice.

Determining Hisui was alive, though injured, Natsu shifted his full attention back to his girlfriend. Her clothing was torn from battle and bruising marked her left shoulder and spread over the length of her collarbone. He didn't get the chance to ask her to clarify what had her so upset. "Natsu...?" a new voice rang with a questioning tone, as though wondering at Lucy's words.

Looking over his shoulder, Natsu only just noticed the presence of a third person standing with his back to them and gazing into the abyss of the gate. The figure was drowned out by the blinding white behind. Natsu got to his feet but stayed by Lucy's side as she crawled back to ease Hisui into her arms when the princess began stirring. The unknown person faced him, turning in a slow motion to reveal a youthful man, appearing younger than himself with a mop of jet-black hair.

With sullen eyes and the faintest smile, the male said softly, "So we finally meet again, Natsu."

Understanding bloomed immediately in Natsu's mind.

"Zeref."

A/N. This arc is hella fun to write! I've also begun to mess around with GMG so it'll be a solid departure from canon as well.

*Any predictions on who will train the boys?

Eternal love to Goku275, Valerioux, FireShifter, Joker D. Zero, EternalFlame and Guests for reviewing 36 and taking a moment to make my day! Also a big thanks to all you FTTD readers, I appreciate every single one of you!

'Till next week,

R&R

~LokaMuse