***Warning for those who are not caught up to the 2014 releases of the anime thus far; this story may contain spoilers from the end of the grand magic games. Also, a lot of details that were never revealed by Mashima I have made up for purpose of plot. ***

"It's been forever! Is this guy ever going to show?!" Natsu complained loudly trudging through the brush.

"Shut up flame head before he hears you." Gray argued hitting Natsu in the head. The fire mage grunted loudly at the abuse before retaliating with a punch in Gray's jaw.

"Will you two clam it." Erza ordered feeling exasperated by the two. She shot them a glare before returning her concentration on finding their target.

"Natsu can't you just sniff him out? She asks." Horologium said walking behind the group containing Lucy.

"His scent is literally everywhere. If I was able to pinpoint him I would have done it by now!" Natsu stopped to yell at Lucy through her clock spirit. This caused the rest of the group to also stop. "You're no help in there why don't you just walk like the rest of us?" He wondered.

"Lucy's so lazyyyy." Happy said perched on top of the clock.

"The mosquitos in this jungle are horrendous! She exclaimed." Horologium explained to the group.

"You're missing the wonders of the great outdoors Lucy. You should consider joining us on foot." Erza said stretching her arms above her head.

"I kind of don't blame her this time." Gray said swatting at a buzzing pest near his ear.

"Maybe if you weren't naked you wouldn't have problems with mosquitos." Natsu snidely pointed out to the ice mage.

"When did I even take them off?!" Gray said twirling around looking for his lost shirt.

"Anyone is welcome to join me in here! And you're one to talk Happy, using Horologium as transportation! She says." The clock said.

"Isn't that what you're doing?" Happy smirked atop her spirit.

"Let's just keep going and find this weirdo who's terrorizing the village." Natsu said turning away from his friends and walking forward. Erza nodded in agreement before following.

"Didn't the villagers say something about a temple somewhere? She asks." The spirit said.

"It shouldn't be far if their directions are correct." Erza confirmed whacking away an intrusive vine with a sword.

"Well if he's a witch doctor like they said that's where we should find him." Gray said.

"He probably cast some kind of spell so tracking him will be impossible. That's the only thing that could explain why I can't smell him out." Natsu said angrily burning away a couple of spider webs in their way.

"I think I see it!" Happy shouted pointing in the distance. Soon enough the large temple covered in moss and vines came into view. A skull symbol sat above its entrance.

"My time is up here!" Horologium called before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"At least we made it to some shelter." Lucy said relieved as they made their way into the stone monument. The entrance towered over them when they walked through. The team found themselves in a massive room that was alight with torches. At its center sat a shrine covered in different sized skulls.

"The scent is strongest at the center." Natsu said with a sniff to the air.

"At that creepy shrine?" Lucy asked uneager to go anywhere near it. They suddenly heard laughter that seemed to bounce about the room.

"Come out here and fight us!" Gray yelled positioning himself to use his ice make magic.

"Pretty mages found Zulu." The voice chuckled from all around them.

"Anyone else ready to leave the creepy temple?" Lucy asked the group raising one hand and grabbing her keys with the other.

"Aye!" Happy agreed from her feet also raising his paw.

"Pretty mages cannot leave yet." It said from above them. Everyone quickly looked to the ceiling, but not before a soft sound came from behind them. It was almost like something whizzing through the air very fast.

"What was that?" Lucy wondered as she felt the back of her neck for the mosquito that had just bit her. What she felt was not a bite however, but a fuzzy dart that had been shot at the back of her neck. She looked around at the faces of her shocked friends. Gray had an ice shield in front of him with a dart lying on the floor at his feet, obviously blocked by his magic. Erza too had cut her dart in half with her sword letting its poison leak onto the ground.

"Natsu are you okay?" Happy asked flying down to his friend. Lucy turned to Natsu who was just about as lucky as she was. He pulled his dart from his shoulder and stared at it before looking up at Lucy. She dropped her dart quickly meeting his panicked gaze as her vision blurred.

"Really…Sleepy…" She said weakly hearing her friends rush to her as her body slumped to the ground.

"Lucy hang in there! Lucy!" She heard Erza shout before her vision slipped into darkness.

Why is it so cold? Lucy thought to herself looking around the now abandoned temple. Mist was rising up around her ankles making her shiver.

"Gray, are you making it cold?!" She called into the emptiness.

"Where did everybody go?!" She heard Natsu's voice call from far away.

"Natsu?!" Lucy hollered as she walked toward his voice. The fog began to grow thicker around her until she could no longer see an inch in front of her.

"Lucy!" She heard him call out from even farther away.

"I'm over here!" She yelled trying to direct him to her. She continued to walk, slicing the air with her arms barely unsettling the mist.

"Lucy, you're getting farther away follow my voice!" He called again, his voice seeming even further. Lucy thought it was strange since she had now stopped walking and was getting no further from his voice. The mist feeling almost like an entity wrapped around her tightly making her cough.

"Natsu this mist!" She called getting no reply. She felt her throat constrict as the mist pressed against her chest. Her vision blurring before she collapsed to the ground.

The slow movement beneath her was almost startling. She felt the sweltering heat of the jungle all around her. The cool mist had disappeared, and when she opened her eyes she found that she was now being carried.

"Lucy, are you feeling okay?" Gray asked in relief at her eyes opening.

"Gray? Why are you carrying me?" She asked groggily, her arms limp over his shoulders. His hands kept her up by her legs piggyback style.

"You don't remember?" He questioned timidly.

"I only remember getting stabbed in the neck by a dart." She recalled.

"Yeah, right after you and Natsu passed out Erza went on a rampage." He said to her gesturing toward the mage walking next to him through the forest. The red head remained silently brooding as she carried a small form over her shoulder.

"Who's that?" Lucy wondered.

"That stupid Zulu guy, she knocked him right out the second he showed himself." He said adjusting his hold on the sleepy blonde. Lucy noticed he seemed to be an older man. He wore mostly large leaves into makeshift clothing. A necklace of teeth was around his slender neck and a mask made of bone across his face. Feathers stuck out from his matted hair. He was a wild person if Lucy ever saw one, and so obviously a native ancient man.

"Where's Natsu?" She asked looking around.

"With Happy." Gray answered pointing to the sky. With some effort Lucy looked up to find the blue cat carrying an unconscious dragon slayer. Natsu's head hung to the side snoring loudly. She thought how peaceful he looked in his sleep. Lucy remembered her dream and his panicked voice in the mist. She wasn't sure what was in that dart, but it gave her some weird dreams.

"When we get to the village we can have you and Natsu looked at. I don't know what was in that dart, but it is worrisome." Erza told Lucy in a serious tone as if reading her mind.

"Thanks guys, sorry I couldn't help any." Lucy said slouching against Gray's shoulder feeling her unconscious tugging at her tired eyes.

"The villagers said nothing about poisonous darts. It's not your fault." Erza stared off into the distance. Her expression displayed her seething mood.

"I feel like the village people had no idea what he could do. You saw the way he moved Erza. He was really quick, so don't be mad at them just yet." Gray said trying to sooth the savage red head.

"They put my family in danger Gray." She said simply. The group went back into silence. Lucy tried to go back to sleep, but even as she felt herself drifting off her body would not allow it.

"Ice bastard!" She heard Natsu scream loudly above them. He had startled himself awake making everyone but Gray laugh a little.

"Shut up flame asshole." Gray mumbled.

"Why am I flying? Where did that stupid Zoo guy go?!" Natsu protested in Happy's grasp.

"His name was Zulu." Lucy pointed out weakly. Natsu silently looked down at her feeble form presently being carried by Gray.

"Whatever his name is I'll kill him! Happy put me down." Natsu said to his friend.

"Aye." Happy said wearing a worried expression. The group stopped as Natsu found his footing.

"You sure you can walk?" Erza asked.

"I'm fine. Gray, let me carry Lucy you look tired." Natsu said walking toward them.

"I can handle it ash breath. You're the one who looks tired." Gray said adjusting his hold on the blonde.

"Just let me carry her I'm fine!" The flame mage protested holding out his arms to take her.

"Shut up we don't know what happened to you two. It's better if I carry her." Gray said raising one brow.

"Like hell it is." Natsu stepped closer only to be tugged back by a fearsome Titania.

"You both stop arguing! Natsu, let Gray carry her. You still look fatigued." She commanded.

"Fine, but I'm walking." Natsu pouted shooting Gray a dirty look before walking forward.

"What's his problem?" Gray asked Erza.

"The mist made him angry…" Lucy said softly making the two look at her sleepy face.

"I think that dart got to you Lucy." Gray chuckled at his delusional friend.

They had finally made it to the village when Lucy regained enough strength to walk around. She and Natsu were quickly checked out by the local medical team before being let go with a clean bill of health.

"I wonder what was in those darts." Lucy groaned rubbing her temples.

"Maybe a sleeping potion?" Natsu thought aloud as they walked toward the village main house. "I didn't have time to really smell it, so who knows."

The village main house was packed with people. They walked through the crowd getting pats on the back and praise for their capture of the witch doctor. The man was promptly put into a cell when they arrived and when they finally found Gray and Erza the mayor was handing them a bag full of jewels.

"I added an extra zero to your reward since we were unable to inform you thoroughly about this criminal's abilities." The mayor said sadly looking over at Natsu and Lucy. We must really look like shit. Natsu thought looking around at the town's people's ashamed expressions. Adding another zero?! Lucy thought to herself, her face and demeanor brightening quickly. After a major feast and celebration the team made their way into their very own building to rest.

"Look at the view! I can see the whole jungle from here!" Lucy said bouncing around the room excitedly.

"You seem to be feeling better." Erza said cautiously putting a hand against Lucy's forehead.

"Yupp, an extra zero!" Lucy exclaimed plopping down on her twin bed. There were four beds in the room and the biggest bathroom Lucy had ever laid eyes on. Everyone was crawling into bed as she sang the reward amount to herself.

"Nothing like money to make Lucy feel better." Gray teased rolling over to his side to go to sleep. Everyone seemed to drift to sleep without any problems.

Lucy thought this dream was similar but much weirder than the first. She was trapped in the temple once more, but this time there was no mist. She had the urgent feeling like someone had been following her. Lucy began to sprint down a passageway looking behind her every so often.

"Lucy!" She heard Natsu call once more.

"Natsu, where are you?!" She called to him.

"Someone's after me!" She heard him again from a nearby corridor. She stopped abruptly changing direction heading toward his voice.

"Natsu!" She cried feeling an ominous presence nearing her.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled loudly before realizing they were about to crash right into each other. Lucy closed her eyes waiting for the impact, but it never came.

She opened her eyes staggering awake. She sat up quickly feeling her heart pound against her chest. Her body was covered in sweat and her breathing was erratic. She clutched her heart realizing it was just a dream. From across the room she could hear someone else's raspy breathing. She looked up only to lock eyes with Natsu. He was also sitting up in bed looking as if he had just run a marathon.

What the hell was in those darts?! They thought.

Hello Lovelies! There wasn't quite a lot of nalu just yet. Had to get the plot going first! Some crazy stuff is coming your way. Let me know your thoughts.