Chapter 115

Blackheart

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Magic"

Flashback

Location / Date / Time Skip

Natsu finally stopped running and let the group rest in a forest. "What's this Avatar thing Rogue was supposed to go after?" Happy asked looking at the paper.

"Dunno." Natsu replied. "Any ideas, Laki?"

"Can't say I've heard of them." She answered.

"Apparently it's a cult filled with Zeref followers that has been on the rise since the fall of the Baram Alliance." Lucy spoke up, catching their attention. "I don't know if he has anything to do with them, but they all worship him like a god."

"Zeref's underlings, huh?" Natsu chuckled. "I'm all fired up."

"That aside, how'd Rogue's job have anything to do with where Gray is?" The blonde asked.

"Yeah, I don't get it either." Laki added.

Natsu hung his head before turning to a tree. "He's using his brains for a change…" Happy mumbled.

"Alright… I think I'll tell you." Natsu said, looking at the ground. "Future Rogue told me this. A year after the Grand Magic Games, so about now, we'll be meeting Gray again, but as an enemy."

"An enemy?" Lucy repeated in shock.

"Long story short, apparently Gray is the reason he snapped." Natsu added. "I didn't think that was possible, but when Juvia mentioned those marks on him… he had those same marks when we were battling Mard Geer. Maybe he wanted to learn Devil Slayer magic as fast as possible. Maybe he let some of that evil stuff into him."

"No way…" Laki mumbled.

"Don't worry." Natsu declared, rubbing her head. "Gray is still our friend, no matter what…"

"Yeah." Lucy nodded.

Mikage Forest

Crossing a stone bridge, the four found themselves staring at a broken building. "Looks like an old abandoned church." Lucy stated.

"What do we do, Natsu?" Happy asked.

"Attack, of course!" The Dragon Slayer declared.

A platoon of council soldiers stood over a cliff as one stepped forward. "Captain, we'll be reaching the edge of Mikage Forest soon. Avatar's main base is there. However, we do have word that Gray Fullbuster is currently in the cult as well."

"Gray?" A smile appeared on Gajeel's face as he crossed his arms. "Like I give a damn. We'll arrest them all! That's what we do don't we? As the council's detention enforcement unit."

Mikage Forest

"ATTACK!" Natsu shouted as he and Happy raced forward.

"Stop!" Laki grabbed his scarf and pulled them both down to the ground.

"What the hell, Laki!?" He snapped back.

"We don't even know who we're up against this time." Lucy pointed out. "We can't just barge in like normal."

"But Gray might be in there…" Happy said.

"That's why we need a plan." The blonde replied, pulling out a key. "We've got to prepare ourselves. We'll sneak in from under them with Virgo's help." Natsu nodded at the plan as she held up the summoning devise. "Open, Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!"

The spirit suddenly appeared on the ground, tied up in ropes. Laki slowly turned her head and looked at Lucy. "When did you become a raging pervert, Lucy?"

"I DIDN'T DO THIS!" She snapped back.

"Don't mind me." The spirit spoke up, the rope vanishing off of her. "I had some free rime so I decided to punish myself."

"What's… wrong with you?" Lucy asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"It's been a long time, Master Natsu, Lady Laki." The spirit said to the couple with a smile. "Is the wedding still in effect? Big brother Leo was hoping to attend."

"We can worry about that later." Lucy spoke up. "Right now, we need you to dig a tunnel into the basement of that old church."

"Of course, princess." Virgo nodded before activating her magic.

A hole appeared in the basement before Virgo popped up. "We have reached the basement." She said as Lucy climbed out of the hole.

"Lucy, move your butt!" Laki requested before the two males got out of the ground. "Okay, we need to find out more about Gray while we stay out of sight."

Natsu stood up and with one breath ruined that entire plan. "GRAY! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE! COME OUT WHERE EVERY YOU ARE!"

"Why did you do that!? Don't you understand that we're supposed to be sneaking in!?" Lucy asked, pulling on his face.

"There's no point." Laki said, catching the blonde off guard. "Me and Natsu can both smell Gray here."

"Hey, what are you doing in our base?" A small child asked from above, holding an all too familiar doll. He jumped down to the ground, only for Natsu to deliver a flaming chop down on his head, instantly knocking him out.

"I'm not here for you. Only Gray." Natsu stated.

A bald man raced into the room before telepathy launched various torture items at Natsu. A wooden horse suddenly launched forward, only for Laki to instantly eat the whole thing. The man smirked before an iron maiden clamped around Natsu, only for it suddenly melt into slag.

A single punch knocked the stunned man out before Laki kicked a giant masked figure into a wall, knocking him out. "Im-impossible…" The masked man groaned out. "We're all powerful dark wizards… how could two brats…"

"They aren't people that can be beaten by the likes of you…" All four turned their heads to a door and stared up at Gray. "I'll deal with them myself."

"Yo. You been doing well?" Natsu asked the glaring Gray.

Instantly, the two launched themselves at each other, each throwing a punch clad in their respective elements. Both slid back as Natsu smirked while Gray just glared. "Stop it, both of you!" Lucy begged from the side.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" Gray asked, throwing another punch.

"Right back at ya!" Natsu blocked the fist before delivering a flaming kick. "Juvia's waiting for you, ya bastard! And we need you to bring back Fairy Tail!"

Gray punched him in the face, cutting off the rant. "This is stupid. Fairy Tail is no more!" A mass of purple ice erupted in front of Natsu.

Instantly, Natsu swung his arm and melted the wall. "That's what they all say. But the memories and bonds we shared are still there." As the mist cleared, Natsu placed his hand over his heart. "Fairy Tail is right here. Has been and always will be."

Standing up, Gray merely ignored the plea of his one time ally. "If it's as you say, then you have no need for me. So leave me alone. I'll go my way, you go yours. Fairy Tail is no longer a part of me. So could you drop the whole BFF act with me?"

Laki suddenly stepped in front of him before slapping him in the face. "Act!? It wasn't an act! We're friends till the end! Stop talking like-" A sudden pain gripped her stomach and she fell over, holding her stomach.

"Mary?" Gray asked the girl behind him.

"Who are you people?" The small girl asked with a sick smile. "Gray's friends from before? From that guild that no longer exists?"

In his anger, Natsu missed the anti-magic cuffs that wrapped around his hands. "The hell!?" Virgo and Laki found themselves bound in similar chains, much to her surprise. Happy rushed over to help, only to be bound by the cursed dolls effect.

"You weaklings shouldn't have gotten in the first place." Mary chuckled, leaning over the blonde. "Does it hurt? My virus magic?"

"GRAY!" Natsu charged forward, forcing the telekinetic to physically hold onto the chain.

"Even with his magic sealed, how is he so strong?" Goemon asked.

A black sword was suddenly placed on Laki's neck, forcing Natsu to stop his charge. "Move again, and she dies." Jerome declared.

"This is what you get for sticking your nose into other people's business, Natsu." Gray said, removing his shirt. "This is the proof that I destroyed that 'bond' on my own. I'm with Avatar now…"

"Gray…" Natsu growled in anger.

A cell door slammed shut as Natsu, now in cuffs of his own, rushed over to his fiancé. "You okay, Laki?"

"I'm good." She replied.

"You okay, Lucy?" Happy asked, his body in a single cuff.

"Yeah, I'm good." She nodded. "Virgo went back to the Celestial World because of these cuffs. Guess they probably forced her gate close."

"Gray is such a jerk…" Natsu huffed in annoyance. "What the hell is wrong with him?"

"There has to be a reason for this." Lucy surmised. "He could have been possessed, or maybe he's under someone's control…"

"Yeah, Gray wouldn't do something like this…" Happy added.

Footsteps caught their attention as the monk walked into view before suddenly bowing at the empty hall. "WHERE'S GRAY!?" Natsu slammed into the cell door. "Bring him down here!"

"Gray, along with everyone else, had to leave." Gomon declared. "They've all gone to prepare the purification plan. And I've stayed behind to get some information from you, by any means necessary."

"Purification plan?" Happy repeated in confusion.

"Only one thing will bring our dark god Zeref closer to us." The monk explained. "A cleansing of the body and soul of the innocent masses."

"Like hell Gray would go along with something as insane as that!" Laki shouted, only for her chains to fly up and latch onto a hook, hanging her from the wrists.

"Let her go!" Natsu shouted, only for him and Happy to be pinned to the wall. Lucy found her cuffs pulled away and hung next to Laki.

"Now, let's begin my torture show." Gomon said, pulling off a sheet to reveal tools. "Now… a whip? Perhaps some candle-wax and a rope? I know… how about water torture?"

"You're sick in the head, you know that?!" Laki shouted.

"We can avoid all of that if you just tell me who sent you here." The robed man said.

"I told you everything already! We're just here to take Gray back!" Natsu shouted.

"Don't tell me the same lie again, boy!" The monk shouted, tying Lucy in place. "Gray is one of us now!"

"No, he's our friend." The Dragon Slayer declared. "No matter what he might be saying now, that will never change!"

"SHUT UP!" Lucy was suddenly pulled off the stand and her arms and legs held taught. "Forget goats and whips! I'll just split this one in half right now!" Gomon shouted, holding an axe over his head.

"STOP!" Natsu pulled on the wall, but the chains held him in place.

"You might believe in Gray, but he won't be coming to save you!" He brought his blade down and Lucy flinched, only to find the dark mage frozen solid.

Confused as their cuffs froze and shattered, they turned to the cell door as Gray walked in the cell. "So typical! How can you guys always ruin everything!?" He growled in annoyance as he reached into his pocket. Pulling out a device, he tapped it and placed it to his ear.

"Listen up, it's Code Blue. Major snag just happened." He said, the marks on his body fading away. "No, not that kind. The hell of I know. Ask them yourself." He tossed it over to Natsu, who fumbled to catch it. "Put it to your ear."

"What's it supposed to do?" Natsu followed his instructions and placed it near his head.

"Natsu? This is you, right?" The voice on the other end of the device made his eyes go wide, partly in shock, partly in fear. "Congratulations. Your antics blew Gray's covert operation."

"Erza…" He mumbled, surprising the other break-ins.

This twist could have been a lot better… if I actually believed Gray was on Avatar's side. Had they stretched this put longer, maybe show him DOING horrible stuff, I could have bought it better. Still weird to see smart phones in FT, see ya'll next time.

Beta read by General Feng Xiang