21

Several hours had passed since the group collectively passed out on the train toward Akane. Unfortunately for Natsu, he'd woken up far before the others, mainly due to his current internal injuries, courtesy of the Kryden Trials.

Looking around the room, he couldn't help but grin at his passed-out friends, and the rather ridiculous looks they all currently sported.

Elise had shifted onto her front at some point. However, her right arm was currently wedged into the back of the compartment seat, likely being a rather difficult spot to end up under normal circumstances. Her hair had become rather messy, black strands obscuring his view of her face directly.

Looking over toward Gray, the fool had stripped once again, and was, for some reason, stuffed into the space the luggage was meant to go. He idly wondered if Erza had shoved him there at some point, or if Gray had somehow managed to get himself in there through a really complex form of sleepwalking.

He looked rather comfy though, so at least he had that much going for him.

Then there was Erza, who had taken up the vast majority of the seat he also sat on, laying on her side with drool escaping her lips. Natsu knew he'd have to rib her for that later, but for now, he had his own pain to worry about.

Hearing the compartment door slide open, the woman in charge of refreshments popped her head in, and gasped lightly in shock. Looking over toward Natsu, she placed a hand over her chest and sighed in relief.

"Apologies for the scare," Natsu said quietly, as he slowly got up, and stumbled toward the compartment door. "Best we talk outside."

The old lady nodded, and backed out, with Natsu exiting right behind her. Not even turning around, he gently slid the door shut, as the lady took up position behind her small cart.

"So sorry to barge in on you and your friends like that Sir, I assumed it would be alright since nothing was on the door-!"

"Its fine, the fault was ours for not doing so," Natsu replied gently. "You seemed shocked though? As a hostess aboard one of Fiore's trains, you'd see a lot of scenes like this, wouldn't you?"

"Oh, well yes I do young man," the old lady nodded, as Natsu browsed the cart. "I just wasn't expecting … whatever it was I just saw, is all."

"You can be honest with me," Natsu chuckled lightly, as he picked up a bottle of whiskey. "It was the guy wedged into the luggage compartment, wasn't it?"

"Was he drunk?"

"No. Just somehow capable of going from his seat, to joining storage, for the remainder of the trip."

"You seem rather relaxed about it, if you don't mind my saying so?"

"Not at all. I've seen quite a lot in my time, so this is more amusing for me than anything else."

"In your time," the old lady laughed in turn. "You might be rugged, but you're far from old enough to use that card!"

"Heh, I see. I wasn't aware there was an age bracket for life experience."

"Comes with the number," the old lady smiled, as she took the jewel Natsu handed over. "You using that to numb pain?"

"You can tell?"

"The way you're holding yourself right now," the old lady replied as she motioned to his current posture. "A strong and confident young one like yourself should be standing straight as an arrow, not hunched down like that."

"You know your stuff," Natsu grinned, as he opened the bottle and took a swig. "But yeah, I've got some internal injuries at the moment, so this'll help with that. My Magic doesn't allow me to get drunk though."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"So it is. Say, what's your name?"

"Who, me? Isn't it customary for the gentleman to give his name first?"

"Ah, my apologies," Natsu replied in a formal tone as he took a mock bow whilst still holding the bottle. "My name is Natsu Dragneel, Fairy Tail S Class Mage."

"Well I'll be, a living legend rides aboard this very train!"

"Living legend? Excuse me, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, come now dearie, everyone in Fiore knows your name! You're the Mage who stopped that power hungry Wizard Saint Jose from blowing Magnolia and all its people right off the map! Hell, people knew your name even before then when you took out one of the Demons Of Zeref at Clover!"

"I wasn't aware my deeds had spread so quickly," Natsu replied awkwardly, as the old lady patted him on the cheek.

"No need to be so embarrassed about it, you should be proud! You're one of Fiore's heroes now, a fine example of what a Mage should be!"

Natsu met the old lady's gaze, and couldn't help but slightly wince at just how honest she was being with him. He could tell by the glint in her eyes, the positioning of her mouth, and her current posture, that she was genuinely excited to meet him.

"Uh … I suppose you're right; I'm just not used to being the center of attention."

It was a lie, but it would serve its purpose. Judging by the understanding look in the eyes of the trolley lady, she'd fully believed him at face value.

"I told my Grand kids that you'd be a fine example to follow. And now, after meeting you, I stand by it! Not only do you try to protect the common folk, but you're humble about it too!"

"Um …"

"The world needs more Mages like you who actually fight for the people, and not for the damn Council and their greedy little schemes," the lady continued, as Natsu started to zone out and simply contemplate the fact that he was starting to become famous for his deeds.

He idly wondered what the average person in Magnolia thought of him, of what he had done since returning to Fiore. If some random trolley lady who rides the trains out in the boonies thought he was the apex of a Mage, what did they think?

And what would they think if they knew what he'd been doing before returning, would they like him then?

Snapping away from those thoughts, he caught the tail end of what the trolley lady was saying. Thankfully, it was just her asking if he wanted to order anything else. Making sure to be as natural as he could, he robotically picked one item out for the others and bid the lady goodbye, before entering the compartment.

Sitting back down, he pondered what kind of effect this fame would have on him, when he thought back to what Makarov had said earlier.

"Nah, there's no way they'd make me a damn Saint," he hissed as he took another swig from the bottle. "Too many others to choose from than someone like me."

Leaning back in the chair with a sigh, he noticed Akane Resort in the distance, and realized that they'd arrive fairly soon. Shaking his head, he placed his free hand on Erza's leg and started to shake it whilst using his own to nudge Elise across from him.

"N-wha-!?"

"Hey Erza, welcome back to the land of the living," Natsu smiled softly, which she returned with a warm smile of her own.

"Drinking already?"

"For my insides, they still hurt."

"Ah, I get it," Erza mumbled as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes whilst sitting up. "Where's Gray?"

Natsu motioned up above them, with Erza gaping in shock at Gray being wedged into their luggage compartment. Looking back to Natsu with a frown, he raised his hands up defensively.

"Hey, he was like that when I woke up!"

"Sure he was… And Laxus is the Guild Master."

"I'm serious!"

"Who's serious," Elise mumbled, as Natsu poked her cheek with his boot. "You keep doing that, and I'll slice them off."

"You'd have to catch me first, sleepyhead."

"Funny," Elise grumbled, as she went to sit up, only to find herself stuck. "What the hell!?"

"You must have got it wedged in there when you were asleep." Natsu said, as she tried pulling it out gently, without breaking anything. "I thought it was pretty funny."

"Of course you would," Elise growled, as she finally yanked her hand free. "Where's Gray at?"

"Look above us," was Natsu's immediate response, as Elise did as instructed, only to collapse into a fit of laughter.

"Oh my-OWOWOWOWOW, my ribs but-HAHAHAHAHA!"

"The hell's goin on," Gray muttered only to find himself unable to move, snapping him awake. "The hell!? Have I been captured!?"

"Settle down ice pop," Natsu cut in quickly, as he stood up. "I don't know how the hell you managed it, but you somehow got yourself stuck in there when we were all asleep."

"Who cares how I got in here, GET ME OUT," Gray snapped, as Natsu dragged him out and tossed him onto the floor.

"Seriously Gray," Erza sighed.

"Nice one perv," Elise added, as both of them looked away from Gray in disgust.

"What?"

"Your clothes," Natsu replied neutrally, as he held them up for him. "Try to keep them on at the resort, or, our stay will be a short one."

"Ah shit," Gray cried, as he quickly scrambled to get his clothes on, right as the train pulled into the station.

"Alright guys, looks like we're here," Natsu said as he started grabbing what little luggage they had. "Get ready to move out."

"So Natsu, who's paying for us staying at the resort," Erza asked as she helped get the bags out of the luggage compartments.

"Well, I just so happen to have a whole heap of these VIP passes Jessabelle palmed off on me," Natsu grinned, as he summoned four of them from his Requip Space. "All expenses paid, save for dumb shit like breaking stuff."

"You really just had those lying around," Elise muttered in disbelief. "How!?"

"I'm awesome," was the grinning response all three were met with as they looked between one another.

"Let's just chalk it up to another Natsu thing and leave it at that," Erza sighed, the other two nodding in agreement.

"Great! Now that we've sorted that out, let's get going," Natsu grinned, as he exited the compartment. "Come on guys!"

The others all rolled their eyes at his antics, knowing full well once they got there, he'd likely just sit around and do nothing for the entire duration anyway. To be fair though, they planned on the same thing.

***POTD***

"Ah Erza… Finally, back in the world of the living, are we," a familiar blue haired figure hummed, as he glanced at a live image of Erza and her friends disembarking the train. "Now we can proceed with the final phase of the plan."

"Indeed Jellal," another feminine voice hummed in agreement as she loomed over the opposite end of the image. "Once we acquire Erza Scarlett, all the pieces for his revival will be in place!"

"We have one problem though," the blue haired man continued, as his grin slowly morphed into a frown. "Her friends are with her, though more specifically … Natsu."

"Leave it to me," the woman replied confidently, a smirk on her beautiful face. "I have a plan to keep Natsu well away from Erza, so that your team can capture her with little issue."

"Very well, I leave Natsu to you," the blue haired man nodded. "Make sure Natsu Dragneel does not leave Akane Resort alive!"

"Of course, it shall be done," the woman replied darkly, as she disappeared into the shadows.

"The time has come my friends," the blue haired man called out, as several more figures emerged from the shadows. "Embark to Akane, capture Erza, and bring her back to me!"

"And if the other two should intervene," a deep male voice asked, eliciting a cruel smirk from the blue haired man.

"You know what to do. Silence them."

"Of course, it shall be done," the man nodded as they slowly receded back into the shadows, leaving the blue haired man alone.

Leaning forward in his chair, he dispelled the image of Erza, to reveal a chessboard. Moving one of his bishop pieces, he'd surrounded the sole remaining knight on the opposing colors side.

"Time to see how well you can truly play the game, Natsu," the man smirked as he leaned back and closed his eyes. "I've made my play; what will you do in response, I wonder?"

***POTD***

The group arrived at the hotel to the resort after some light sightseeing to scrape together some idea of what they'd do first. It was clear they'd need to discuss it since there was just way too many things to choose from though it would have to wait until after they'd secured the rooms.

"All right guys, I'll go get us these rooms," Natsu said as he summoned the four VIP passes from his Requip Space. "Go on ahead for a bit."

"We'll be over at the casino then Natsu," Erza replied. "Come on, let's go try our luck at the tables."

"Bye-bye money," Elise sighed, whilst shaking her head, knowing full well Erza was just going to blow all of their holiday money.

"Let's just get this over with," Gray agreed tiredly, as the trio left the hotel.

Natsu turned on his heel and strolled up toward the front desk, brandishing the four VIP tickets which had the receptionist sitting up far straighter than before.

"Good afternoon, Sir," the receptionist greeted him kindly, as she took the four tickets. "I see, four luxury suites-."

"Just the one suite," Natsu cut in quickly as the receptionist's eyes widened in shock. "We're Mages from a Guild, so sharing isn't much of an issue."

"A-Are you sure!?"

"Yeah, positive."

"M-My apologies Sir," the receptionist stuttered, as she started fishing through the draws, looking for the keys to the suites. "I've never seen nor heard of someone sharing their VIP room before!"

"That's all right, no harm done," Natsu smiled as he handed over the tickets. "By the way, know any … romantic spots around here?"

"Well, that depends on who you're looking to take there," the receptionist replied slowly. "And is this a first date, or…?"

"It would be a first date … yeah," Natsu replied, blushing slightly, which seemed to amuse the receptionist.

"Can I assume that you're looking to take out the girl with the scarlet hair?"

"Yeah," came Natsu's curt response.

"If its her, then might I suggest Akane Battle Palace," the receptionist replied instantly. "It's a fighting restaurant where you can watch a unique performance, where chefs battle each other, and cook at the same time."

"And why do you suggest we go there?"

"The girl you wanna take out," the receptionist whispered as she looked around, before leaning in close. "She's Erza Scarlett, right?"

"Yeah …"

"They have an item on the menu called Strawberry Cake Showdown," the receptionist giggled lightly, eliciting a small chuckle from Natsu.

"Seriously?"

"Oh yes, I'm completely serious. Everyone across Fiore knows of Miss Scarlett's love for strawberry cake, so I'm sure she would be delighted to see her favorite treat crafted in such a manner, no?"

"You know, I think she would," Natsu grinned. "Thanks for that!"

"My pleasure Sir! Anyway, how long will the three of you be staying, just so I can get everything squared away?"

"For a week," Natsu replied, as the receptionist started writing something down, before pulling out the key to their new room from her desk.

"Here you are sir, the key to your room! Thank you for choosing Akane Reso-!"

The roof above the receptionist burst open, as a large creature came crashing through. Natsu had already moved, tackling the receptionist out of the way, as the large creature crushed the space she'd been standing only moments prior.

"What the hell," Natsu hissed as he pulled the shocked receptionist back behind him.

"Oh my goodness," the receptionist gasped as she clung onto his arm tightly. "I-If you hadn't moved as fast as you did … I'd have died!?"

Natsu didn't respond to the poor, trembling receptionist, aside from continuing to gently push her back as he too slowly stepped away from the large creature.

"Well, is this the one," a voice cackled as a second creature leapt through the hole in the roof, landing on the desk, shattering it instantly. "He doesn't look so tough! Grimoire must be getting soft!"

"Silence," growled another voice, as the first one shook his head. "We already knew Grimore Heart were weak, since they're Humans anyway. Let's just kill this idiot and get out of here!"

"Judging by the smell, and lack of magical presence, you two must be Demons," Natsu replied slowly, as he motioned for the receptionist to run, which she immediately did. "All right then, which ones are you?"

"The hell are you talking about, small fry," the smaller of the two Demon snapped back, clearly both amused, yet annoyed at being addressed by him.

"Which Demons Of Zeref are you? I want to know your names so I can add them to the ones I've already fought."

"Seems the little Fairy wants to fight," the Demon laughed. "But since you're about to die, suppose we can tell you!"

One Of The Nine Demon Gates Of Tartaros

Overseer Of The Seventh Circle

The Gate Of Violence

SSS Rank Dark Mage

The Massacring Lycanthrope

Jackal

"And what about you," Natsu asked, the much larger Demon, who merely sneered down at him, clearly uninterested in the entire conversation.

"I suppose since you're about to suffer a truly painful death at our hands, I can tell you this one thing..."

One Of The Nine Demon Gates Of Tartaros

Overseer Of The Fifth Circle

The Gate Of Wrath

SSS Rank Dark Mage

The Immortal Calamity

Tempester

"Etherious Aura: Curse – Calamity Impact!"

The one called Tempester vanished, instantly reappearing right in front of Natsu, whilst making a hand gesture. The next thing Natsu knew, a powerful shock-wave had blasted through his body, sending him flying through several walls, before coming rolling to a stop in a nearby hallway.

"Damn, my insides! These bastards mean business," Natsu growled, as he swiftly got back onto his feet just in time to see the one called Jackal come charging through the hole in the wall.

"Course we mean business, we're Tartaros, you idiot," Jackal laughed mockingly, as he threw a punch at Natsu, only for it to be blocked by his forearm. "HAHAHA!"

Natsu quickly realized that the blow had left a seal on him. However, before he could react, the seal detonated.

"Not so cocky now are ya!? Maybe they only needed to send one of us to take this guy out Temp, that was pathetic!"

"No Jackal, look," Tempester replied sharply, as the fire throughout the building started traveling toward the explosion. "This fight is only getting started..."

Through the smoke, a sphere of fire surrounded Natsu before dying away, revealing Natsu in his Dragon Force state. The two Demons seemed genuinely surprised, but didn't back down, even as Natsu started charging an attack.

"You two sure hit hard, but I'm done screwing around," Natsu growled, vanishing, and reappearing several meters before the two now shocked Demons. "Fire Dragon King's Quaking Demolition Fist!"

Tempester and Jackal took the blow head on, the attack blasting away an entire quarter of the hotel, and knocking both Demons outside. Gritting his teeth, Natsu leapt outside to see thousands of shocked onlookers looking at the two Demons in fear.

"This one's strong for sure, no doubt about it," Tempester grumbled, as he got back onto his feet. "This is definitely the one interfering with the Bharam Alliance's plans."

"He'll still die, just like the rest," Jackal scoffed, as he rolled onto his front and leapt to his feet. "After all, he's just a human."

"Agreed. But we'd better not hold back, just to be sure."

The two slowly began to morph into even bigger forms as Natsu watched on with a mixture of concern and intrigue. This was, however, all the signal the massive crowd needed to start fleeing in terror.

"So, this is what the Demons Of Tartaros are like," Natsu muttered to himself. "Where the hell are Erza, Elise and Gray?"

Little did he know however that all of this was merely a distraction, one created solely for him.

***POTD***

"And the young lady is on a hot streak!"

"Dang it, I'm out!"

"I'll go another round; I feel my lucks about to change."

Erza and Elise had decided to play some games at one of the tables, whilst Gray chose to head straight for the bar. Currently, Erza was cleaning the place out, with all her opponents losing tens of thousands of Jewel by the bucket-load.

"You're a natural at this Erza," Elise said in genuine surprise, as she watched Erza increase the massive pile of chips next to her.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far Elise. I'm pretty good at this, but I'm sure it's just my luck tonight?"

"Yeah, that must be it," Elise giggled in response. "After all, no one can be this luck-!"

Everyone froze as they all heard a massive explosion go off, the entire area being shaken violently right as the doors to the casino were kicked open, and a horrified looking man staggered inside.

"Everyone, get the hell out of here now," he cried whilst trying to catch his breath. "There are three monsters tearing up the hotel, and they're insanely powerful!"

Erza and Elise looked toward one another and nodded, before rushing over to the man. Gray, having the same idea as well, joined them. All three crowded around the man, who was shaking like a leaf.

"Sir, we're Mages from the Fairy Tail Guild," Erza declared sharply, as another explosion went off. "What's the situation!?"

"There's three monsters that just started duking it out at the hotel," the man whimpered quietly. "They looked like regular people one minute, and the next, one of em's on fire, another's blowing things up with his fingers, and another guys causing earthquakes!"

"Sounds like Natsu's fighting whatever the other two monsters are," Elise noted, as she looked to Erza. "We need to help him."

"Yeah, let's start getting these people out of here and then go help," Erza replied, as Elise cleared her throat.

"All right attention everyone! There is a major threat outside, evacuate immediately and avoid the combat area at all costs! One of our fellow Guild members is currently fighting the monsters, so make sure not to get in his way!"

At Elise's words, many of the patrons started trying to escape through back exits, as Gray placed a hand on Erza's shoulder.

"Erza, I'm gonna run on ahead and help Natsu!"

"Go Gray, we'll be right behind you!"

Gray rushed through the double doors, and reached the entrance, before he narrowly avoided a gunshot from behind him. Skidding to a stop, he spun around already prepared to attack, only to narrowly avoid being shot again.

"Damn, I ain't ever missed before. "Must really be out of practice ..."

"You missed him? Seriously? Come on Wally, seems you should try starting over from tin cans…"

"Hey, that ain't nice!"

"Enough you two, we have a job to do," another voice growled, as three figures emerged from the shadows. "The two outside are being pushed back by Dragneel, so we need to hurry!"

"You're such a buzz kill Simon!"

"Who the hell are you people," Gray snapped, as he prepared to attack the trio. "Are you with the monsters outside!?"

"That's on a need-to-know basis, and you don't need to know."

"Gray what's going on," Elise asked as she arrived, only to find Gray being held up by the strange trio of Mages. "Who are they?"

"Elise, we've got more trouble!"

"More than you'd think. This guy called Sho just used some sort of Card Magic and pulled Erza into it, and he's getting away!"

"Then what are we standing around talking to these clowns for," Gray snapped back, as he took off his shirt. "You think you can just take one of our friends and get away with it, you're going down!"

"War God's Oni Twinblade," Elise shouted as she summoned a double-bladed weapon. One blade was on fire, whilst the other was surrounded in darkness.

"Ice Make Cold Excalibur," Gray snapped as he summoned one of his ice blades and pointed it at the guy who shot him.

"We don't have much time to screw around with these guys, they could escape with Erza any minute!"

"You're right we just have to-!"

"Dark Moment!"

"Shit, I can't see a thing! what the hell is going on," Gray growled as his vision vanished entirely.

"War God's Sight Of Midnight!"

Magic Circles surrounded Gray and Elise as they were granted night vision, and saw their would-be attackers fleeing out the doors. Following them outside, they saw them sprinting toward the nearby pier.

"Let's go Gray, before they get away," Elise growled, as their vision started to return to normal. "That guy used a vision impairment spell!"

"Who cares about that right now Elise, we've gotta worry about saving Erza," Gray snapped in response, as the pair chased after the kidnappers.

***POTD***

"Fire Dragon King's Quaking Sword Horn!"

"Have you learned nothing, you stupid human," Jackal snapped, as he was smashed in the chest by Natsu's attack, coughing up blood. "Touch my body and you will go boom!"

"That may be the case, but your explosions aren't enough to damage me as I am now," Natsu snapped back, as he slugged Jackal across the face, sending him crashing through a nearby building.

"Etherious Aura: Curse – Calamity Impact!"

Natsu barely dodged the attack, spinning around and landing a swift kick to Tempester's face before blocking another punch from Jackal The explosive Demon then vanished right as Tempester landed on the ground and made a series of hand signs.

"Etherious Aura: Curse – Calamity Cyclone!"

A powerful cyclone whipped up, sucking Natsu into it, before shooting him high into the air. Once he was above Tempester's attack, all the spots Jackal had struck him detonated at once, knocking him even higher as he struggled to regain his bearings.

"This is getting far too dangerous for the civilians," Natsu hissed as his height allowed him to see the level of destruction brought to Akane Resort. "I have to end this now, before more people get hurt!"

Natsu cupped his hands and formed a condensed sphere of Fire and Crash Magic, gritting his teeth as the sphere rapidly expanded until it was a giant raging inferno. Tempester and Jackal stood next to one another, watching the formation of the attack contemplatively.

"Jackal, this attack will most likely end these bodies," Tempester muttered softly. You know what to do."

"Right." Jackal replied as his body start to twitch rapidly, just as Natsu prepared to fire the attack.

"I won't let you Demons kill anyone else," Natsu roared as he launched his attack down at the pair. "Fire Dragon King's Reverberating Nova!"

Natsu's attack descended upon the entire hotel district right as Jackal's body rapidly started to expand to comical proportions. The two Demons were quickly engulfed by the attack as Tempester looked through the raging flames of the Nova, and into Natsu's own eyes.

"The Bharam Alliance will be seeing you very soon, Natsu Dragneel," Tempester growled, as Jackal's body exploded, releasing a powerful mist that was torn to shreds by the Crash Magic. "This … is not … a victory!"

Tempester's body was ripped apart, what remained being melted down, leaving no trace of the Demon behind, as Natsu crashed into one of the still standing buildings. Rolling onto his front, he got to his feet and leapt off of the roof and hit the ground.

Exiting the Dragon Force, he dropped to one knee and coughed up some blood whilst clutching his stomach in pain, his internal injuries from Kryden still ailing him greatly.

"Damn, my body didn't like that one bit," Natsu panted as he looked up only to see Gray and Elise chasing another group of people. "What are those two doing?"

Slowly managing to rise to his feet, Natsu clenched his fists and forced the pain out of his senses, focusing entirely on catching up to the others as he started running along the destroyed beachfront.

"Hopefully whatever they got caught up in wasn't as bad as what I just dealt with …"

***POTD***

"Crap, the monsters were defeated; Salamander could be here any minute!"

The group jumped onto a boat, which immediately began to set sail. Elise was about to jump on board when she blocked a strike from a woman with pink hair that wore a kimono.

"I'm afraid this boat is already full," the woman smirked as she pushed Elise backward, before sheathing her blade. "Perhaps try somewhere else?"

The two separated, as Elise landed back on the dock, whilst the woman landed on the ship, smirking at her until it was out of sight.

"Who the hell was that?"

"I don't know, but she's really good," Elise muttered in reply. "That one strike had serious speed and power behind it, and I barely managed to block it in time."

"God dammit, they're getting away!"

"Hey, guys are you okay," Natsu asked, as he caught up to them.

"I'm afraid not Natsu, the bastards caught Erza and are taking her somewhere," Elise replied, clearly angry that she couldn't save her friend. "I'm sorry …"

Natsu's mind went blank at Elise's words. These people had taken Erza during all of this, but why? Why would they take Erza, what for?

"Please tell me this isn't a joke?"

"I'm afraid so Natsu. Erza and I were getting people to safety, when this guy snuck up behind us. One minute, Erza was there, and the next, she was inside this card. I chased after the guy, but he disappeared," Elise sighed as she kicked a rock away. "Damn it!"

"Alright," Natsu sighed, as he ran a hand through his hair. "First off, I don't want either of you blaming yourselves for this mess. Erza was clearly taken for a specific purpose if they were willing to go through all this trouble, and I know you guys wouldn't have let her go if you had a choice. Second, who are you, and why are you following us?"

Gray and Elise looked between one another, clearly confused, until they saw where Natsu's line of sight was, and trailed it back to see someone just barely visible from behind a pole. The figure quickly emerged from behind the poll, revealing it to be Juvia.

"Juvia," Gray said as the blue haired girl came toward them. "What are you doing here?"

"Aren't you the one who was talking to gramps about joining the guild," Natsu asked prompting Juvia to nod.

"Master Makarov accepted me as a member of the Guild, thankfully, so now I'm officially a member," Juvia replied, as she revealed her mark atop her left thigh.

"Well then, if you are a member of the Guild then as an S Class Mage, I'm requesting your help on official Guild business."

"In regards to Erza being kidnapped, right?"

"Yeah. She's being taken somewhere by boat, and we need to find one quickly before I lose the scent," Natsu replied as Juvia narrowed her eyes in thought.

"Well, I saw a boat underneath the pier earlier. It isn't really very big, but it should get us where we need to go," Juvia suggested. "Would that suffice?"

"Hey, I'll take what I can get at the moment Juvia, thank you," Natsu replied with a smile. "Alright everyone, we're going after these bastards so let's go get to this boat! Juvia, lead the way!"

The group made their way down to the area Juvia mentioned and found the small boat tied to a post. It had clearly seen better days but was fortunately still seaworthy. The group jumped on board as Natsu cut the rope.

"Well, whoever owned this probably won't be too happy," Gray said, as they sailed out toward the sea. "Any idea where to go from here Natsu?"

"I've just gotta catch their scent Gray," Natsu replied as he started sniffing the air. "There! I've got them!"

"I'll steer the ship Natsu, you just tell me which way to go," Elise said as she took the helm.

"Thanks Elise, and thank you Juvia for helping," Natsu replied as he turned to face the blue haired girl. "Sorry for being a bit of a dick back there, but I'm really worried about Erza."

"It's alright, I understand," Juvia replied gently. "This entire scenario is certainly puzzling, and Erza's capture is certainly both unexpected and worrying. I'm just glad nothing happened to my darling Gray throughout all of this..."

"…What?"

"I just know we'll find Erza," Juvia continued, completely unaware that both Natsu and Elise were smirking at Gray who was currently beet red and thoroughly embarrassed. "The power of love knows no bounds!"

"You're right Juvia, love is certainly the most powerful form of Magic, right Gray," Elise snickered, as Gray grit his teeth.

"Shut up Elise!"

As they sailed, Natsu's mind slowly returned to Eliza's words back on Kryden. He knew that whatever was waiting for them where Erza was no doubt going to be held captive, they would have to fight tooth and nail to get her back.

If push came to shove, he would do whatever he had to in order to save her. If anyone hurt her, he would crush them.

There would be no doubts, he could feel the Dragon within himself roaring in anger at Erza being taken. He wouldn't allow it; he would get her back at all costs.

***POTD***

The team had spent the last three hours tracking the kidnappers across the sea, only Natsu's trusty nose to guide them. A thick fog had rolled in overnight, making navigation somewhat of a challenge. Despite this, with Natsu's nose, and Elise's skill at the helm of their boat, the group managed to arrive at a small island.

The group slowly disembarked, noticing the abundance of Dark Guild flags strewn about the place, and the lack of members to go along with them. In addition to this, the tower at the center of the island was crudely constructed, and reeked of Dark Magic.

"Look at the size of this thing," Gray muttered, as they stopped a good distance away from the tower to observe it. "This has to be where they took Erza, this has Dark Guild written all over it!"

"You're right about that Gray, this is definitely the work of a Dark Guild," Natsu replied quietly, as he sniffed the air several more times. "Erza's here, I can still catch her scent."

"I don't like the fact that there aren't any guards here," Elise noted, as the eerie silence found itself interrupted by naught but the wind. "Come to think of it though, I don't even recognize this mark?"

"Could be small time," Gray suggested only for Elise to shake her head.

"As a former Captain of the Dark Guild Subjugation Squad, I'd still know who they were. The Council might be useless for the most part, but they do their homework on the Dark Guilds, this one must be either really old and managed to stay off the radar or relatively new."

"Wait a minute," Natsu said as he stepped closer to one of the worn flags emblazoned on a nearby rock face. "There are words written here …"

"Let me have a look Natsu," Elise said as she knelt down and examined the faded wording beneath the insignia for the Dark Guild. "This is in Boscian!"

"The hell does Bosco have to do with all of this," Gray wondered aloud, as all four Mages crowded around the flag. "An old outpost of theirs, maybe?"

"No, this is definitely a Dark Guild Gray," Elise muttered darkly, as she rose back to her full height. "It says 'Cult Of Zeref' in the Boscian language, meaning that these Mages are, or were, comprised of Mages from that region."

"So, this place is, or was, run by a bunch of Zeref's loyal worshipers," Natsu mused, as he began to pace back and forth. "But what does Erza have to do with all of this?"

"Hey Natsu," Gray asked suddenly, as he looked between the Dragon Slayer, Elise and Juvia in a rather nervous manner. "You don't think that this might have something to do with … well … y'know …?"

Natsu narrowed his eyes at the Ice Make Mage, wondering what he was on about, until his brain managed to dredge up the knowledge from just over a decade ago. His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, as he fully comprehended what Gray had just said, spinning around and looking up at the tower in horror.

"No …"

"It would fit, wouldn't it?"

"What are you two on about," Elise asked, clearly confused, as both men shared a look before nodding.

"A long time ago, back when we were kids, Erza showed up at our Guild Hall one day," Gray began slowly. "She had nothing but rags and was missing an eye. She asked to speak to gramps alone. And, after a good hour or so in his office, she was officially a member of the Guild."

"What does this have to do with this place and Erza though?"

"Before Erza joined Fairy Tail," Natsu said as he looked like he was swallowing a lemon. "She was … a slave."

"What!?"

"She eventually told us, once we managed to break down the shell that she'd crafted around herself. She told us that she'd kill us if we told anyone else," Gray replied solemnly as he looked toward Natsu. "But considering how this all looks; I think it would be in all of our interests to get you two up to speed on exactly what we're dealing with here."

"Erza was once … a slave," Elise mumbled, unable to process such a bizarre statement. "Unbelievable!"

"If I'm right, we're dealing with a man who betrayed Erza a long time ago," Natsu said darkly as he looked back up toward the top of the tower. "A man who just so happens to have a twin that currently sits upon the Magic Council AND is one of the Ten Wizard Saints-."

"You're talking about Seigrain," Elise gasped. "But then that means-!?"

"We're dealing with him, the SSS Rank Criminal, Jellal, Seigrain's twin Brother," Natsu replied darkly, as they all looked up toward the top of the tower.

"We need to get moving, before they get Erza to Jellal, if they haven't already," Gray growled, with Natsu nodding stiffly in agreement. "But how do we get in?"

"I don't know if it will be a solid lead, but upon our approach, I noticed there was a means of entering the tower through a small underwater network," Juvia chimed in nervously, prompting all three to look at her with confused looks.

"You all right Juvia," Gray asked as the Water Mage took a step backward. "You scared?"

"N-No, nothing like that," Juvia replied quickly. "It's just, I feel like I shouldn't have heard all of those things you all discussed and-!"

"Juvia!"

The Water woman was silenced by Gray, as the Ice Mage placed a gentle hand on her left shoulder, eliciting a fierce blush in turn.

"You don't need to be worried about hearing that, you're one of us now," Gray said with a small smile. "Sure, Erza might have wanted to keep this a secret, but let's be real here, this is info you actually need to know."

"And besides," Natsu grinned as he walked past her and toward the water's edge. "Like Gray said, you're one of us, so you're as good as family!"

Juvia was blown away by the words of the two, as Gray lead her toward the water, Elise simply snickering knowingly, having basically gone through the same thing earlier in the year when she joined.

"Kind of nice to not be the newbie anymore," she grinned, as she wrapped an arm around Juvia. "Good find by the way! Thanks Juvia!"

"I-I-I'm glad I could help!"

"Now, we've just gotta get in there," Natsu sighed, as he looked at where the entrance to the small cave was. "Hope you guys can all hold your breath-?"

"I can create pockets of air for all of us," Juvia squeaked, covering her mouth in embarrassment. "I-If you would like me to, that is!?"

"You can help us breathe underwater, that's impressive," Gray grinned, as he placed a hand on Juvia's shoulder again, unaware that each touch was turning her into a complete mess.

"Alright Juvia, coat us up so we can get in there," Natsu agreed, only for Juvia to stutter, unable to speak. "Juvia?"

"She's got it bad," Elise snorted in amusement. "She looooves him!"

"Shut up Elise," Gray snapped, as he shook Juvia rather forcefully. "Oi, Juvia! Snap out of it, Juvia!"

"Eh … I'm on it," the completely frazzled woman stuttered out, as she somehow managed to form solid bubbles over their heads.

With a nod, Natsu was the first to jump into the water, sinking beneath the murky depths, with the others following suit moments later as they prepared to infiltrate the tower.

***POTD***

As Natsu and his team began their infiltration of the tower, the familiar blue haired man sat upon the top floor of it, waiting eagerly.

He watched with a grin, as three individuals walked in. The woman wearing a kimono entered first, dragging a resisting Erza alongside her. The moment Erza saw the man however, her struggling immediately ceased.

"No …"

"Oh yes," the man grinned as he leaned forward on his throne. "Long time no see, Erza…"

"When I saw the others, I didn't want to believe that you were behind this," Erza muttered, as she was unceremoniously tossed onto the floor before the man.

"How many years has it been since we last spoke Erza? How many years since we last saw each other?"

"Not long enough," Erza replied through grit teeth, as she glared up at the man. "You're just as insane as the last time we spoke, Jellal!"

Guild Master Of R-Genesis

Ally Of The Bharam Alliance

A Man Seeking Utopia

SSS Rank Dark Mage

Jellal Fernandes

"Insane is a matter of perception, Erza," Jellal smirked, as he looked over toward the three standing behind her. "Did all go well in the retrieval mission?"

"No," the pink haired woman replied bluntly, as Jellal's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Natsu Dragneel obliterated Tempester and Jackal, and knows we took Erza Scarlett. Not only that, Elise Faulkner and Gray Fullbuster almost caught your underlings, and I was forced to intervene in order for us to make an escape."

"Meaning that it is highly likely Dragneel has tracked you all back to the tower," Jellal hummed, leaning back into his throne. "To be honest, this is within my calculations."

"Really? You predicted Dragneel and the others would track us down to the tower?"

"Oh yes," Jellal grinned, as he looked back down to Erza with a cruel smirk. "Dragneel has proven to be a thorn in the Bharam Alliance's side on numerous occasions. He's not a man to be underestimated, not after overpowering Jose Porla as he did."

"Hoo! Jose was a fool, a pathetic Mage with an ego the size of the sea, HOO," a strange, owl-like humanoid cooed, eliciting a chuckle from Jellal.

"On the contrary… Jose Porla was one of the most powerful Mages in the country. Sure, he had a massive ego, but his actual power and skill cannot be denied. Despite how pathetic the Magic Council is, they don't half-ass the appointment of Wizard Saints."

"Returning to the matter of Dragneel and his friends, what should we do," the pink-haired woman asked curiously, as Jellal looked back down at Erza once again.

"I know exactly how to deal with them," the Dark Mage grinned as another figure stepped out of the shadows. "Isn't that right?"

"Oh yes, the deaths of those three will go a long way to serving the interests of the Bharam Alliance."

Standing at Jellal's side was a man clad in a black leather bodysuit that was covered with belts, pouches and other assortments. A black cloak was wrapped around his shoulders that fell just past his back, with the pommel of a sword sticking out of the top end.

"No way," Erza gasped as the older looking man tucked a strand of grey hair behind his ear and shot her a toothy smirk. "It can't be!?"

Guild Master Of Death's Head Caucus

Right Hand Of The Oracion Seis' Master

Fiore's Top Assassin

SSS Rank Dark Mage

Kidomaru

"Surprised to see me, little Fairy," Kidomaru grinned, as he knelt down to her level. "To think that even the mighty Titania would turn white as a sheet within my presence, truly fascinating."

"Though not surprising," Jellal laughed, as Kidomaru rose back to his full height, and returned to Jellal's side. "Given your reputation."

"Just what would the Death's Head Caucus want with all of this … Why would the Guild Master be here!?"

"Come now Erza, surely you aren't that stupid," Jellal scoffed, as he stood up and gestured to the area they were in. "I've done it, completed what we all worked tirelessly for all those years ago! Today, the R System shall finally be activated!"

"This has been an important project for the Bharam Alliance, and significant funding was put into seeing the construction of this tower through," Kidomaru added. "As the right-hand man for the Guild Master of the Oracion Seis, I was dispatched to personally oversee the final arrangements for the tower's activation."

"You won't get away with this," Erza growled, as she slowly got to her feet. "Natsu, Elise and Gray are coming… and they'll tear this place to the ground!"

"I doubt the three of them will be enough to stop the R System," Kidomaru replied dismissively, as he walked toward a nearby window. "Besides, even if they did come, they're already far too late to accomplish their original objective."

"What are you talking about!?"

"I'm referring to you, Erza Scarlett," Kidomaru chuckled darkly, as Erza looked back to Jellal, who seemed rather amused at her confusion.

"Remember how I let you go all those years ago during the prison break," Jellal asked, as Erza nodded slowly in response. "Consider this me … collecting on an investment."

"What …?"

"The R System will require the core of a powerful Mage in order to be activated successfully," Kidomaru continued, as he turned around and pointed at Erza with a dagger that fell easily from one of his sleeves. "That core shall come from you, Titania!"

"So, all of this time, all of the years I've been with Fairy Tail …"

"You've just been operating within the confines of the cage I'd carefully crafted for you," Jellal smirked, as Erza felt everything within her slowly drain away. "You were never free Erza, forever attached to the leash I placed upon you."

"Damn you Jellal … DAMN YOU!"

"Get as angry as you want Erza, it makes no difference to me," Jellal sniffed, as he returned to his throne, and sat back down. "Right now, all that matters is ensuring my long-awaited plan finally comes to fruition."

"Which means we must prepare for the arrival of those other Fairies," Kidomaru agreed, as he turned toward the other three in the room. "You all know what to do."

"Yes Master," the three said with a bow, before vanishing in a burst of speed.

"I trust you'll spend your final hours lamenting just how pointless your entire life has been up until this moment, so I shall give you the dignity to cry alone in the privacy of a cell," Jellal said. Snapping his fingers, another figure appeared at his left in an instant. "Simon, take Erza to her cell."

"At once Jellal," the rather large and burly man replied, as he walked over and grabbed Erza's arm, motioning for her to follow. "Come on Erza…"

"You won't win Jellal," Erza hissed, as she was forcefully dragged away. "Natsu will destroy you for this!"

"Oh, I sincerely doubt that," the Dark Mage replied, as his insane grin only widened. "He might be powerful enough to defeat Jose, but he's not at my level."

Erza had no chance to respond as she was dragged out of the room, leaving Jellal and Kidomaru alone. The two Guild Masters were silent for a moment until Kidomaru turned around and spoke.

"I figured I should probably let you know that Master Brain is pleased with your progress, and wished to express that teaching you was, in his words, a pleasure."

"I see, I'm glad."

"No you aren't," Kidomaru smirked in reply, with Jellal mimicking it moments after.

"True, I hate the bastard," Jellal laughed as he held out his hands in front of him. "But he gave me power, so I have to return that favour."

"Indeed, such is the way of a Dark Mage."

"And what about you, Kido? Just what do you get out of serving Brain," Jellal asked, as the Guild Master sat down on the nearby windowsill. "Considering who you are, and what you've done, I'm shocked you're even willing to serve under him?"

"Heh, a good question," the older man chuckled in reply. "But in asking it, the question only proves just how little you truly know…"

"Is that right? And just what don't I know?"

"If you knew Brain as I do, you'd know exactly why I rightfully serve under him, as well as the other two Lords of the Bharam Alliance," Kidomaru replied softly, as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it with the tip of his finger. "I might be able to assassinate just about anyone you can point me at, but those three are some of the few beings I cannot even consider trying to kill. They are simply far too powerful."

"Surely you're joking? They can't be so far beyond us like you're saying," Jellal scoffed in response. "Otherwise, they'd have taken over already?"

"The only thing that keeps them in check are the Ishgar Four," Kidomaru replied darkly, as he took a drag from his cigarette, and released a small puff of smoke in the shape of a skull. "They told us that freely, said it was an important thing to note."

"Interesting," Jellal mused, as Kidomaru continued to speak.

"But, if they manage to succeed in their plans, such as the R System, then they would have the means to challenge the Ishgar Four."

"And then?"

"What do you think," Kidomaru smirked, as he looked out of the window and chuckled. "Seems our guests have arrived … There's an abandoned boat on the shore."

"Then it's time to make the final preparations," Jellal said, as he rose from his seat, and walked toward the exit. "I expect Dragneel to storm right up here, so I shall do my part now and distract him, and have you oversee the direct activation of the R System itself."

"A wise choice," Kidomaru nodded in response, as he hopped off of the windowsill and moved to join him. "I wonder how long it will take for him to reach us?"

"Only time will tell," Jellal smirked as they descended the stairs. "Let the games begin