Crimzon: Hey guys. As you may have noticed, it has been a while since I've updated. As I've mentioned before, my grandfather had suffered a stroke. He had recovered well. I helped a lot with his recuperation. Although he still didn't know who any of us were, I knew that he knew we loved him very much. In early January of last year, he had collapsed and the doctors had found that he had three masses in his stomach. He was then diagnosed with cancer. Even though the doctors said that he had months left, it was barely a couple of weeks. He passed away Jan, 11th. My grandfather was a strong and kind man and I miss him terribly. This past year has been difficult.

I still have trouble with the notion that he is gone, but I have come to believe that he is no longer in pain and is watching over me. I will always cherish the time I had spent with him and the memory of his bright smile is what gives me strength.

I have received some messages as well as reviews asking me to "update." And although telling someone to "please update" doesn't necessarily help push a chapter release more quickly, I know that there is no ill intention behind it. I understand you all have been very patient and you don't understand just how much I appreciate it. Thank you so much everyone and please enjoy this chapter.

Inanis stood with a nonchalant expression, watching the mages before her struggle with trying to figure out what her next move could be. Her eyes shifted from one person to the next, analyzing each closely. Her eyes slowly scanned over to Levy's tank and her smirk grew.

"I see the Script Mage is wide awake," she noticed Gajeel almost react. She wondered just what kind of reaction she could get out of him. "I was wondering if she was even going to last until the ceremony. Truth be told, I was a little concerned."

She took a few steps closer to the two consoles that control the tanks the spirits were kept in. With one finger, she gently brushed over the many switches and buttons. Pantherlily narrowed his eyes when he noticed her finger linger over one particular switch.

"Her light was fading so quickly, here I thought that maybe she was too weak to be able to sustain herself," she gingerly leaned over the console, resting her arms on either side of the mechanism. Her smile grew, "But after hearing about my sister's battle with the big brute over there, it all made sense," her eyes switched to the Dragon Slayer and tilted her head as if she were mocking him. "She was so close to death because of you."

The reaction she got was priceless. She saw Levy's form jerk in the tank at her words and she had looked down to Gajeel. Inanis saw the girl trying to speak while shaking her head. Probably trying to tell him that it wasn't his fault. It all obviously went unheard. Inanis decided to push her little game even further.

"She almost died because she used up so much energy in a fruitless attempt to protect you," she leaned back and walked around the console, her smile now a sneer, "If someone like her needs to protect you, then what does that say about your own strength?"

That did it. No one could react faster than Gajeel as he thrust forward his arm. The arm shifted and formed a long blade and was now inches away from Inanis' face. She hid her reaction, but she was truly taken aback. The blade nearly nicked the tip of her nose as she looked down towards the Dragon Slayer. She took note of the shocked expressions of the others as they stared in bewilderment at the man. He used his bandaged arm to support the sudden weight of his other while he stared her down with the deadliest glare she had ever seen. She had expected a reaction out of him, perhaps a scream, but not this. In fact, this was far from what she had expected because now he looked completely calm.

Gajeel adjusted his stance and brought back his arm, shifting it back to its normal appearance. The others watched in suspense, wondering what his next move would be.

"Someone like you doesn't have the right to judge the strength in others," he spoke, his tone almost calm. Inanis took a hesitant step back at the sudden change in the air around them.

"Oh? And what do you mean by that?"

"Libitina told us all about you and that other spirit. How the three of you were in Purgatory," he said. Inanis remained quiet, wondering where he was going with this, "She told us how you would each watch her back, but if anything, she protected you both a lot."

"She what?!" Inanis quickly caught herself when her tone got higher.

"Yeah, especially you. She had to constantly watch out for you because you seemed so, how did she put it?" he brought a hand to his chin as if he were in deep thought. She clenched her fists as she waited. She continued to remind herself that she needed to remain calm, that she needed to be in control of the situation.

"Oh yeah, vulnerable," Inanis felt something within her almost snap, "Compared to the other spirit, you were the one she constantly worried over in Purgatory. Always clinging to her like a 'frightened newborn' is how she told us," he then looked up at her with those deep red eyes.

"Now, what does that say about your strength?"

Inanis yelled in frustration as she charged forward as water formed around her arms. Gajeel had guessed she'd have that reaction and he summoned his shadows as he ran towards her. He appeared right in front of her, halting her assault. In, what felt like seconds, he grasped onto her shoulders and surrounded them both in a massive shadow.

"Gray, stay here and protect the girls," Gajeel shouted, "I'll keep this one busy." Suddenly, the shadow seeped through the floor and both were gone.

Natsu and company continued along the hallway all while hearing the distant sounds of battle from outside.

"Sounds like your armored friend is still fighting," commented Scintilla. "I'll say, she's one hell of a warrior." She expected some sort of response from the Dragon Slayer running beside her, but he seemed hyper focused on their current mission. She couldn't help but feel guilty at the mess they were in because of her.

"Erza-san is super strong," Wendy huffed, "So there's no need to worry, Scintilla-san!"

The young Dragon Slayer's smile was so full of enthusiasm that Scintilla had a hard time holding back a smile of her own. She guessed that in a way, she was worried. Although she was aware of the woman's strength in combat and that she can fare just fine on her own against Libitina, but there was still that nagging feeling that there was something wrong. Her eyes scanned the corridor and it had hit her. They hadn't run into any more traps and aside from the fight outside, it was eerily quiet.

Her run soon slowed to a walk making the two Dragon Slayers stop with her.

"What's up?" Natsu questioned.

"Something isn't right . . . this feels easy," she bit her lip in a fruitless attempt to keep herself calm. She scanned the walls and floor, looking for trip wires or anything that would signify some sort of trap. Even the ceiling was bared of anything suspicious.

Then, almost instantly, she felt a static in the air and she felt the hair on her arms stand on end. Out of reflex, she turned to look at the Dragon Slayer next to her but he didn't return her gaze. Even in the dim lighting, Scintilla could see the sharpness in his eyes as he was completely alert.

"Scintilla-san, get behind us," Wendy said. The small mage had placed herself in front of her along with Natsu. Natsu had hunched his shoulders and clenched his fists, readying himself for a fight. Wendy had her arms up and she could see a small amount of wind magic forming around her hands.

It was then that Scintilla could hear it. It was low at first, barely audible. But soon, it was a sound she couldn't mistake. The sound of footsteps against the marble flooring and the sound of creaking metal. She knew without a doubt who it was they had run into.

"It's him . . ." she gasped.

The sound got louder and from the shadows walked out the man she was forced to call Father. His lab coat was stained in fresh blood and she realized that he must have been working on his robotic arm. She could tell it must have been one of his newer inventions. She could see that around metal frame, there were copper wires wrapped around the arm and three thin pipes lining the top of the shoulder area.

"My, my," his raspy voice echoed in the tense silence, "My favorite child returns," as he speaks, he breaths deeply and what looked like steam was exhausted from the pipes on his shoulder.

"Don't call me your child," she snapped.

"I gave you life, didn't I?" he spoke without missing a beat. In fact, he tucked his hands into his pockets and relaxed his posture.

"You gave me pain!"

"Scintilla . . ."

She hadn't expected to hear Natsu's voice in that moment. She turned to see he had moved closer to her side and his hand was on her shoulder. It was almost like he was trying to keep her from losing her composure. He didn't say another word, but he nodded his head before pushing her further behind him.

"Ah, I see . . . You are that Fairy Tail mage, yes?" Natsu stared at Father, "You know, I saw your match at the Grand Magic Games. Impressive," he grinned and clapped his hands together. The sound of the clap echoed and Scintilla realized where they were. They had reached the end of the hall and to affirm her suspicions, the clapping had activated the sensor that turned on the lights. It took the trio a moment for their eyes to adjust to the sudden change in setting. They were taken aback once they saw the room they were in. It was a large, square room. In the very center was a large magic circle that was drawn in white chalk. A somewhat larger triangle was drawn inside the circle and at all three points were smaller circles. Several magic symbols outlined the drawing and spiraled towards the center of the circle. Scintilla started to visibly shake when she saw what looked like a bull's skull with more magic lettering carved into it. It was set on a podium near the magic circle with the book of dark magic.

"You know, I really must thank you for returning my wayward daughter," his voice was chilling as he spoke.

"That's the spell that's meant to send us back to Purgatory," Scintilla muttered to Natsu. He seemed to stiffen for a moment before taking another step further, flames sparking at his fists.

"My, my," smiled Father, "I see someone is fired up."

Natsu charged then, a raised flaming fist ready to make contact with Father's face. He only continued to smile that sinister smile. Scintilla's eyes widened at the realization of what was about to happen.

"Natsu wait!" her shout of warning didn't come soon enough.

Gajeel had sunk through the floor along with Inanis falling into a dark, unused room. The musty smell hit the Dragon Slayer's nose and he almost gagged. Inanis didn't miss a beat as she thrust an arm causing a jet of water to rush towards Gajeel. He quickly ducked and charged, ready to tackle Inanis. With a glare, she jumped upward and threw another jet at him. This one caught him and slammed him into the concrete below.

"Is this the weakness you spoke of?" she snapped, sending down another torrent. It felt like he had the wind knocked out of him. He gagged as water rushed into his open mouth.

He thought he'd be used to this kind of thing considering Juvia's temper. He couldn't count how many times she would flood the guild in response to something stupid that Gray did or said. But this was different. So much different. Unlike Juvia's water, this spirit was filled with negativity. He could feel her emotions pouring from the rushing water. Scintilla was right. Although her sisters have done some awful things, they still used to be human. He couldn't speak for Libitina, frankly his opinion of her would never change, no matter the situation, but Inanis . . . he could feel her doubt. With each attack, he could feel her sorrow and pain. She knew this was wrong and questioned every moment since she was brought back to life.

"Do I deserve this life?"

"Is this right?"

"Was there no other way?"

"Haven't I suffered enough . . ."

Gajeel could hear her thoughts, both past and present. He almost felt sympathetic. Almost.

With a shout, Gajeel's armor spread over his skin and his magic energy surged. Inanis gasped at the sudden change in pressure and found herself almost trembling. She clenched her jaw in frustration, but her eyes had shown fear.

"Why? Why won't he stay down?!" Her thoughts could be heard through the water. Gajeel realized that she didn't even know she was projecting her emotions the way she was.

"She's unstable. There's no way she can keep going, attacking me the way she is, without exhausting herself."

Gajeel could feel the attacks weren't as strong as before. He wondered if he had the time to let her exhaust herself or if he should end it now. He didn't want to cause too much damage to Juvia's body. He could see that although she was throwing attack after attack, she was out of breath.

"If only I had Laxus' lightning. That would put her out for sure," he murmured. And it would do the least amount of damage. A sudden image of Levy's script magic flashed in his mind. He could see her delicate fingers write the letters to her spell in the air. He could almost feel the bond from earlier sparking within him.

His armor kept him rooted to the ground while the harsh water attempted to push him back. He had tuned out Inanis' screams of frustration. Without another thought, he kept the image of Levy's script magic in his mind as he mimicked her hand movements. It wasn't as fluid and when he saw the words appear in the air, it didn't surprise him that the lettering was sloppy, but it still caused him to grin.

"What the hell?!" Inanis gasped, her attack faltering.

"It's over," Gajeel didn't have a snide remark. He was done. Without another word, he released the spell and the word 'lightning' shot through the water until it hit its target. With a shrill scream, Inanis dropped to her knees, barely keeping consciousness. He stared at her broken form, the sympathy he had felt for the spirit was slowly returning. Gajeel had walked closer and noticed tears streaming down her face.

"I-I'm sorry . . . I don't want this . . . no more."

Gajeel merely knelt next to her, not knowing what to do or say. All he could do was pick up her paralyzed body and made his way back to the main floor.

She didn't fight.

Natsu didn't expect such a frail looking man to be able to take his punch. His eyes were wide in astonishment as he saw the man called Father had used his robotic arm to take the impact of the attack. Steam was exhausted from the pipes on the shoulder and gears seemed to rotate faster.

"Is that all?" he questioned, a manic smile spread on his lips. Natsu growled and poured more fire into his fist, causing the metal to turn red.

"Not even close ya freak!" electricity started to spark within the raging flames causing a surge. With another push, Natsu managed to punch through the metal hand, causing a small explosion. Father was thrown backward into a nearby wall, web-like cracks formed from the impact. Natsu remained where he stood, eyes wide in anger as he waited for Father's next move. He was surprised at how weak the man was. After all that talk, he had expected more, but he knew from past experience that he couldn't let his guard down just yet.

"Ugh . . ." the man groaned as he stumbled from the rubble of the collapsing wall, "You do pack a punch, Dragon Slayer."

He continued to smile even though there was blood dripping from the corners of his mouth.

"You know, this concept of family always eluded me," he started, "Even after watching your performance from the Grand Magic Games, I still don't quite get it."

Father looked to Scintilla and raised an eyebrow, "I called you my children and yet . . . I feel nothing. What is a family? Why do we feel these complicated emotions for them?"

"You don't get it?" Natsu growled, "First let me ask, why do any of this? Why do you want them to live again?" he gestured toward Scintilla.

"Why? Well curiosity, for one thing."

"And the other?"

"I guess . . . I want what's best for them."

The room fell silent at the man's final comment. Unfortunately it distracted them long enough for him to reach the podium with the book of dark magic.

"Is that what you wanted me to say?" His voice had an edge and before anyone could react, his hands were on the book, "I just wanted to see if I could do it!" He opened the book and a sudden cold air filled the room. Dark, ghostly arms sprung from the center of the magic circle, one of which was headed toward Scintilla. Trying to catch the arm before it could touch her, Natsu tried to jump in the way. He didn't expect the arm to move out of the way and grab the girl from behind while simultaneously shoving Wendy to the side.

"Wendy!" Scintilla shouted, but she didn't have time to be concerned as the arm dragged her to the magic circle and placing her within one of the smaller circles. The sudden rush of dark magic in the air caused Natsu and Wendy to stumble to the floor, their heightened senses making it difficult for them to discern what was happening. There was so much noise and the smell was putrid.

"I brought the dead back to life! Why? Because I could. People say I was playing God," the man shouted with glee into the air and raised both arms, the robotic one completely mangled from Natsu's earlier attack. "But don't you see? How can one play at being a God when they're clearly a God! I am a God!"

"You're a monster," Natsu struggled to say through the dense pressure growing in the room. With what was happening, it took him a moment to notice that the other arms had disappeared from the room and returned with the other two spirits, placing them in the other two small circles. Libitina looked like she was putting up a fight, unsure of what was happening. Inanis, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. She was limp with an empty look in her eyes. Dark pillars of light appeared and surrounded the girls, as if trapping them.

"With this, the final piece, I can complete my greatest creations."

Natsu clenched his fists and slammed it into the ground with only one thought in his mind.

"Lucy."

Crimzon: Im sorry again that it's taken me so long to update this. I want to thank all those that have stuck to it and your patience has been rewarded. This fic is close to ending. Just two more chapter to go after this and hopefully I'll be able to get those started this week. I am still planning on writing up a quick short fanfic along with another long one I've mentioned before, Leviathan's Pearl. Look forward to it!