Hey guys! Mystic Stars speaking! I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter! I apologize for the sporadic updates. The past couple of months have been hectic. You'll definitely be seeing more of me more often. I made this chapter a lot longer than usual. 11K...! This is definitely the longest chapter I've written for any story.

Anyways, I'll stop rambling and let you guys read the chapter. I hope you all enjoy it!

A huge thanks to MandDsGirl for beta-reading my story. Your assistance is highly appreciated!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Fairy Tail.

Last time...

Lucy stuttered over her breath before she managed to utter, "Um, who are you?"

Chapter VIII

Captured Part IV

In the early hours of the morning, Lucy found herself identifying three things. One, the morning air was a little too chilly to her liking. Two, the grass under her pale legs was slightly damp due to the dew resting on its leaves. And three, she was staring into a pair of bright hazel orbs that were widened due to shock and fear.

"Who are you?"

The boy did not speak. He only continued to stare. Lucy was surprised. The fact it was a little boy going through her stuff and not a raccoon, Lucy found herself calming down. The anger had disappeared and the only feeling that remained was curiosity. Correction, two feelings. Curiosity and concern. The horrid state of the young boy worried her to an extent that she was surprised. Not only was he dirty, but he looked famished. Starving. He was what one would call, all skin and bones. It worried her. Lucy realized that the type of concern she felt towards the boy was the motherly type. Lucy vaguely wondered why that was the case, but decided not to ponder on it any longer. Her concern outweighed her curiosity by eons.

Lucy got onto her knees and smiled at the small boy. "Hey there," she spoke in a gentle tone. The boy flinched violently, but remained where he was. Lucy's smile softened a little. "Hey, what about a deal? I'll make you some food if you promise to not take anything and tell me your name. How about it?" She spoke. The boy's brown eyes sparkled slightly at the prospect of food, then froze but nodded slowly after contemplation. Lucy sat patiently, waiting for his response. He turned to face Lucy properly before saying, "M-My...name i-is...Yuuki."

Lucy's smile widened. "Hi Yuuki. I'm Lucy."

Half an hour later, Lucy watched Yuuki as he stuffed his little mouth to the brim with brown bread, eggs, bacon and several cups of milk. Lucy had finished eating about twenty minutes ago, and she didn't really eat that much. But watching the way Yuuki devoured his meal, Lucy felt like she had devoured a whole mountain. When Yuuki finally finished eating several plates of food, he let out a loud burp and rubbed his stomach in happiness. He picked up his fifth glass of milk and downed its content in several, large gulps. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and lay on the ground in bliss. Lucy watched him, a little amused with his actions. He reminded her of a certain pink-haired fire dragon slayer back in Magnolia...

After a minute, Yuuki sat upright once again and smiled brightly yet shyly at Lucy. "Thanks a lot for this meal Lucy! It tasted great! Will you make some more later?" Yuuki asked. Lucy froze a little. Yuuki had a rather nice voice. It was kind of light. Not like a little girl's voice, but more of an in-between voice. Low enough to distinguish himself from a little girl, but not low enough from a boy's voice. Somewhere in the middle. Lucy shook herself from her reverie. "I'm glad you enjoyed it Yuuki. I'll make some for you later on. Alright?" She said. Yuuki's smile brightened a little more. Then he blushed a little and brought his index fingers together. "I'm sorry for bothering you like this. I really didn't want bother you at all. I just wanted to eat something."

Lucy shook her head. "Don't worry about it Yuuki. If you don't mind me asking, where did you come from? Were you going somewhere?" Yuuki sat still for a few moments. "I..." He swallowed deeply and looked Lucy into her eyes. "I ran away from my home."

Back in Magnolia, the tense atmosphere hadn't improved a bit. If anything, it had only gotten worse. The people of Magnolia were not sure what had happened, but they knew it had something to with Fairy Tail.

In the guild, the mood was sombre. Some people had a nervous look in their eyes and others had a grave stare as they gazed at Makarov, Mavis and Rogue. The severity of the situation had donned on them, and they were now trying find a solution to the madness that was the situation. Makarov and Mavis stared fiercely at the floor, deep in thought. After some time, The small man looked up and cleared his throat. It caught the attention of everyone in the guild. "We clearly have a dilemma on hands. There are too many questions, and very few answers. Levy, Freed. Please find any information you can about Natsu's strange behaviour. We need to know how this happened to know how to start fixing it." He spoke to them. The duo nodded, briskly standing from their benches and headed for the library. Their eyes were hard from determination and confidence. They would definitely find some answers to this madness.

Warren stood from his bench and looked at Makarov. "What will the rest of us do, Master?" He spoke with a voice full of pain and anger. Anger that someone had the audacity to harm his guild in such a manner. A small smile broke on Makarov's eldery face. There wasn't any time or place, even in another dimension, that Fairy Tail would sit down and do nothing. They all showed their defiance with their eyes. Their anger, their pain, their determination. Their willness to do anything and everything within their power to help a comrade. Their nakama. They would go to the ends of the Earthland to save their friends. Even if they died trying.

Makarov closed his eyes and took in two deep breaths. In, out. In, out. He opened his eyes and looked at his children. Makarov inwardly smirked. This was Fairy Tail.

"I will hand over to Erza to organize the teams and the strategy. Fairy Tail, someone has dared to hurt our family. If one comrade feels pain, we all feel it. If even one of our nakama are hurt, we obliterate anyone who harms our family!" Yells of determination and courage were echoed within the walls of Fairy Tail as the whole guild raised their arms in their signature Fairy Tail salute. In the rest of Magnolia, people heard the yells of indignation from the guild. Something within them calmed a little. Whatever was going on, Fairy Tail would keep Magnolia safe, because Magnolia was also their home.

Lucy looked at Yuuki in shock. Ran away from home? But why? Yuuki began to fiddle with his finger nails. He burned a stare into the ground, suddenly finding it very appealling. Lucy lightly shook her head and bowed her head slightly. "I'm sorry Yuuki. I didn't mean to make you nervous. But do you want to talk about it? What exactly happened?" Yuuki glanced at Lucy hesistantly, nodded slightly and cleared his throat. "It's ok. I...don't really want to talk about it, but I'll have to at some stage. It might as well be now." He spoke quietly. Lucy stared at him for a moment, then gave the young boy a soft smile. "I admire your bravery, Yuuki. To talk about something that happened recently and be strong enough to speak about it, is not something many people can do." Yuuki looked at Lucy a little more and smiled. Lucy's words gave him a little more courage. "This is how it started..."

A young boy with dark hair and mischievous hazel eyes ran through his small village with a big smile on his face while pushing a fairly large net, full of mackerel in a wagon. "Mama, dad! Look how much I caught today! It's even better than yesterday's!" A beautiful woman in her mid 30's stood from her stool, placing aside a bundle of cloth and a needle and thread. "Yuuki, welcome home. Oh my, that is a very large catch. It seems that Masaki is teaching you a lot." The woman walked towards Yuuki with her arms wide open. The young boy released his grip on the wagon and ran towards his mother eagerly. He jumped into her outstretched arms and hugged her tightly. She did the same to him. Yuuki nuzzled his head gently into his mother's chest, mindful of his mother's swollen stomach. A man in his late 30's, clearly surpassing six feet, opened the door to his home and saw his wife and son in an embrace. He smiled lovingly at the sight. "Yuuki." His husky voice that was filled with power and confidence called out. Yuuki lifted his head away from his mother to see his father a few feet away. His eyes flashed excitedly. "Dad!" His mother released him, and the boy ran to his father. He collided into his father's stomach and hugged him tightly. The man reached up with his hand and ruffled the boy's hair. "How was the fishing trip?" Yuuki's hazel brightened with happiness. "It was awesome! Masa-oji showed me a lot of tricks. He was amazing! He caught a full net of big mackerel and dorado! It was so cool! He even let me catch some fish on my own! Look at what I caught!" Yuuki seperated himself from his father's grip and ran to the large wagon filled with the large fish. Yuuki's father smile widened considerately. "That's a lot of fish you have. Well done, Yuuki." The tall man ruffled his son's dark hair once more. Said boy gleamed and blushed from his father's praise. "Yuuki," The gentle voice of his mother callled out to him. The boy looked at his mother. "I'm sure you're very hungry. Why don't I make your favourite meal, because you did so well?" Yuuki's mouth watered and his stomach grumbled loudly, declaring its state. Yuuki's parents laughed in amusement as he blushed once more, now from embarrassment. "Yes Mama." He took his mother's hand and walked into their small but well-kept cottage. Yuuki's father stared up at the cloudless skies and breathed in the fresh air around him. He opened his eyes, and followed his family into the cottage.

A few days later, Yuuki sat on the staircase of the cottage, carving a short spear from a thick piece of wood with a short dagger. He was so fully engrossed in his task, he didn't hear a tall and deeply tanned man who approached his cottage. The large man smiled a little at seeing the young boy fully focused on his activity. He stopped about two feet away Yuuki and crouched in front if him. "Am I really that invisible, little one?" His deep burly voice called out softly. Yuuki, hearing the voice but not really focusing on the words, looked up in curiousity. His hazel orbs met ocean blue, and lit up from surprise and excitement. "Masa-oji!" Yuuki placed his knife and not-so-formed spear beside him and leaped towards the man. He wrapped his arms around the man's neck. Masaki Aoi, the chief of the small village, or better known as Masa-oji to many children including Yuuki, placed his large and calloused hands on Yuuki's back. His smile deepened. "How are you, little one?"

Yuuki pulled back from the embrace and pouted childishly. "I'm not little Masa-oji. Look at what I caught yesterday! Can a little boy do that?" Masaki chuckled in amusement. He decided to humour the boy. "I suppose so Yuuki." The young boy smiled triumphantly. The older man ruffled the boy's already messy dark hair. "Are your parents home? I have something I need to discuss with them." Yuuki nodded. "They're inside. I'll take you to them!" The boy stood up quickly and grabbed the Chief's hand. "C'mon!" Yuuki hurried up the staircase, Masaki easily kept up with the boy's excitement. Yuuki opened the door, let go of the older man's hand, and ran inside.

"Mama! Dad! Masa-oji is here and he wants speak to you!" Yuuki's parents, Sakura and Hiroto Nishimura, were both in their small living room speaking in hushed tones to themselves. They stood as they heard Yuuki's announcements. Hiroto walked towards the entrance of the living room when Masaki walked through. "Chief." He said respectfully as they clasped each other's forearm. Sakura bowed her head slightly, showing her respect. Masaki repeated the action. The man looked down Yuuki and ruffled his hair once more. "Why don't continue playing outside? When I come back, we'll go into the village and we'll have some dango. Okay?" Masaki said. Yuuki hesistated a little. "But..." Sakura came to the young boy and crouched in front of him. "Don't worry Yuuki. Mama and Dad need to speak to Masa-oji about something important. Masa-oji will come out soon. We won't be long." Yuuki looked at his mother for a short moment, then nodded. Sakura smiled and kissed his forehead. "Good boy. Go on now." He gave here a small smile and ran out of the house. As soon as the door closed, Masaki's eyes became hard. "Do you have a secret room?" He asked. The couple looked at each other briefly before nodding. "This way, Chief." Hiroto led the way, his wife and the Chief on his heels. They left the living room and walked down the short hallway. Hiroto stopped at a wooden door that was painted a beautiful shade of cerulean. He opened the door and they walked in. The Chief looked around the room. "Yuuki's room?" He inquired, clearly bewildered. "Hold on." Hiroto said. He walked to Yuuki's single bed. He stood on its side and pushed it towards the right. Masaki realized what he was doing and came to help. With little effort, a trap door came into view. Masaki leaned back and stared at the trap door. He laughed in disbelief. "Something like this is in Yuuki's room?" Hiroto and Sakura chuckled nervously. "Unforunately, we didn't have a choice in the matter. Nature and fate took their own course." Masaki chuckled nervously. "Lead the way." Hiroto smiled a little as he crouched in front of the latch on the trap door. He pulled it, and it opened to reveal a wooden staircase that led into darkness. Hiroto was the first to walk down the stairs, followed by Sakura, then Masaki. They didn't see the wide hazel eyes watching as they ventured downwards.

A couple of minutes passed as the trio walked down the stairs in darkness. When they reached the bottom, torches that lined walls of man-made cave. The Chief raised a brow in question. "We're not completely sure how, but we think it has something to do with thermal detection." The Chief nodded slightly. Walking down the dimly lit corridor. Another door, this time metallic, stood right at the end of the corridor. Once they reached it, Hiroto placed his hand on the door, closed his eyes and chanted a spell in a lost language. The door groaned momentarily before opening with a loud creak. They all quickly entered the basement before the door closed, holding them in a nearly impenetrable safe haven.

Masaki quickly turned to the couple. "Did Takahiro tell you of what happened when we were in the boat?" Hiroto nodded slowly. "Yes he has. You were attacked by the dark shadows?" The Chief nodded. "We were ambushed. They took us completely by surprise. They are becoming bolder, attacking us in broad daylight. I'm afraid our pendants won't keep us safe for much longer. However, I'm concerned the barrier has weakened somewhere and we don't know where it is." Sakura looked at Masaki worriedly. "How is Yuuki still fine? We don't quite understand." She spoke, her eyes full of slight disbelief and shock. "Taka altered his memory, so we know that he won't remember it now." Masaki explained. Yuuki's mother nodded in understanding. Hiroto shook his head and sighed. Sakura put a supporting hand on his shoulder. Hiroto smiled weakly but gratefully. She looked at the Chief. "The gods must be angry with us. Why is this happening? All the tribes signed the peace treaty. We're not supposed to involve ourselves with each other, unless we are in trouble. But not with each other. Or did Kazuki-san fail to understand the conditions?" Masaki shook his head. "I don't think it's like that. Ever since the tribes signed the treaty, Kazuki calmed down a few degrees. Rather than being vengeful and dangerous, he's just become loud and harmless. At least to all the tribes. He's seemed to understand that we are not his enemies. No, I don't believe it is Kazuki. I think it is something darker and more dangerous than we think. And it definitely involves the brazen attacks of the dark shadows." Masaki nodded.

Sakura cleared her throat. "In any case, I think an impromptu Tribes' Gathering needs to be held. We need to know what is happening with the Eastern and Western Tribes. Maybe they will also know something." She said. The Chief nodded. "Yes, at this stage in time, it has become more than necessary for the Gathering. I will send the messenger hawks to the other Tribes. The Tribes' Gathering will be held in four days."

As he had promised, the Chief of the Southern Tribe sent the messenger hawks to the other Tribes. In a few hours, the Eastern and Western Tribes sent their letter of confirmation. However, Masaki was still worried. Even though the Northen Tribe were much further away from his Tribe, there hadn't been any reply. The lack of communication confirmed his suspicions that something had indeed happened within the Northern Tribe. That made the Tribes' Gathering all the more important. Questions needed to be answered. The large man knew that something ominous was coming, and they needed to be ready for it. Whatever it was.

Lucy stared at Yuuki in shock. "How long ago was this?" She asked. Yuuki bit his lower lip. "About two years ago, give or take. I'm not sure of the exact time. My sense of time has become a little hazy." Lucy frowned at the ground in thought. "Other than the surrounding Tribes, wasn't there anyone else who could've helped you?" Yuuki shook his head. "Our area was very remote and secluded, mainly because the Tribes weren't fond of outsiders. The area around the Tribes was magically enchanted to look like no one lived there." He explained. The blonde pursed her lips in thought. "That makes sense. Every village does have the choice to make themselves hidden. It's understandable that not every village wants to make itself known." The young boy nodded in agreement. "Because of our secrecy, we didn't really worry about stolen goods and other things. The heads of the Tribes, the Chiefs, were always aware of who came near the barrier unknowningly. I don't really get how it works, but anyone who wasn't a member of any Tribe would be led away subconsciously. Only members of the Tribes could enter and leave it." He elaborated.

Lucy hummed. "So what happened after the messages were sent?"

Yuuki took in a deep breath before he continued.

Four days later, three Tribes gathered in a clearing that was right in center of area surrounded by the Tribes' territories. The large clearing had been divided into four sections, one for each Tribe. Each Tribe brought a small, but strong and effective team. Each team consisted of the Chiefs, their advisors, and their strongest warriors. It was apt for the dire situation. The warriors of the Tribes quickly set up camp, before they prepared for the Gathering. Soon, all of the Tribes were ready to start the Gathering.

Masaki stood while clearing his throat. "Chiefs, I greet you." The Chiefs nodded their heads in acknowledgement. "I've called for this meeting because some strange occurences have happened amongst my Tribe. For the past month, my Tribe has been attacked more aggressively by the dark shadows. In the past, the shadows only attacked the Tribes during the night. But that was only before we formed the barrier. But before I elaborate more, I will like to hear your opinions on the matter."

A woman in her mid 50s stood up. She was fairly tall, dark brown tresses that were streaked with silver from age, and had a proud and almost demanding look in her emerald eyes. She had an air of confidence and superiority around her, an aura that was obtained humbly and confidently over her years even before her title as the Chief of the East. "My Chiefs, I greet you." They nodded their heads once more. "Chief of the South," She turned her gaze to said Chief. "I have heard your side of the story and further will confirm your occurences. For the past month, my village has been attacked continously by the dark shadows. In one instance, we almost lost a child from my village. The child was nowhere near the barrier, but the shadow still managed to break through and almost corrupted the child in cold blood. If it had not been for my strongest warrior, Kougori, that child would have been dead a long time ago." Said warrior tilted his head from the acknowledgement. "It is true that the shadows usually come out during the night, but over the past few weeks, and only when the barrier is weak. But that cannot be true. I personally with my best rune mage performed the spell on the barrier. But even now, they have become more brazen with their attacks. Attacking my villagers in broad daylight, when we all thought the dark shadows couldn't come in the sunlight. These occurences just prove that we thought wrong."

Masaki rubbed his chin in thought. "Thank you Chief Mari. Your words have proved that something strange is indeed happening amongst us." Mari Kasai nodded and took her seat. This time, a young man took to his position. He was quite young for his title of Chief of the West, him only being in his late 20s. But he earned his title through diligent comittment to his Tribe, and was well respected amongst his village and the other Tribes. Like the other Tribes, he fought with his own when the time came to defend his Tribe. "My Chiefs, I greet you. I, too, can confirm the strange occurences within my Tribe. On several occasions, members of my Tribe have been attacked randomly for the past month. We almost lost several lives, but thankfully my warriors were presented in all of those attacks, so very few were harmed gravely." The Chief of the West, otherwise known as Kai Mizuzawa, elaborated to his fellow Chief members. He spoke with a serious face, but his jade eyes were bright from determination and readiness to protect his Tribe. The wind blew softly around them, rustling his blonde hair softly.

Masaki nodded his head to Kai. "Thank you Chief Kai. Now that we have all shared our sides of the story, we need to form a plan of action. The absence of the Northern Tribe worries me." Chief Mari nodded as well. "I believe that something has happened within Chief Kazuki's Tribe. Something dark and terrifying. " She said. Kai shook his head. "What if all of this is his doing? I wouldn't be surprised, given his past." He crossed his arms across his chest and frowned. He felt very distrustful towards the Northern Chief. He wasn't wrong to not trust the man. He had given the other Tribes more than enough trouble in the past. Masaki rubbed his chin in thought. His silence caught the attention of the Kai. "Chief Masaki, what is it that you have in mind?" He asked. The aforementioned Chief scratched his head thoughtfully. "I don't think Kazuki has an deliberate role in this ordeal. He might be in trouble. Chief Kai, your reasoning is completely justified. Kazuki...hasn't had the best history with our Tribes. However, he has changed for the better. After losing Asa in the last war...he came to realize that everything he'd done led to naught." The Western Chief nodded reluctantly. After Asa's death, Kazuki would never be the same. He was a broken old man.

Mari sighed deeply. "Chief Masaki, what do you propose we should do? I, too, believe that the Northern Tribe may be in trouble. I propose that we should gather our strongest and pay the Northern Tribe a visit." The Southern Chief nodded in affirmation. "I agree with that plan of action. We need to see what has happened to the Northern Tribe. Are we all in agreement?" The two Chiefs looked over to Kai. The man sighed. "It's not like I have much of a choice, now do I?" Masaki smiled with mirth in his eyes. "I suppose not, not if you want to be left behind." The younger man laughed. "Yes, we are all in agreement."

"The three Tribes left for the Northern Tribe two days after that. The villages of the Tribes weren't very close to each other, each village being at least three days apart from each other, except the Northern Tribe. It took two days more to reach the Northern Tribe. Each Tribe wanted its own 'privacy' amongst the other Tribes, so that's how the distance was decided. Because the situation was so serious, the Tribes left for the Northern Tribes rather quickly. They arrived at the Northern Tribe within two days, if they cut out most of the breaks they take. That is what I was told." Yuuki explained.

Lucy nodded. "What happened next?"

Yuuki took in a deep breath. "This is where things went downhill."

All the Tribes arrived at the Northern Tribe within Yuuki's aforementioned time limit. As they rode to the Chief Kazuki's hut, the large group noticed the blaringly obvious evidence of chaos presented. Numerous huts were destroyed. Only debris of mud, rock and thatch roofs scattered the ground of the Northern Tribe. Countless corpses were spread randomly around the village. Blood painted the ground and the broken skeletons of huts in bright red, giving the village a haunted and grotesque appearance. Some members of the different Tribes looked away from horror and misery, praying to the stars above to give the fallen Tribe peace.

Chief Mari stared at the carnage that filled every angle of her sight in shock. She wondered how such a lively and powerful Tribe was brought down to its knees in such a manner. The Northern Tribe was a powerful Tribe, even stronger than the rest. The Northern Tribe was known for its vast weaponry, even if it was larger than the other villages. Masaki also took a moment to come to terms with the fate of the Tribe, before shaking his head and clearing his throat. "We must continue forward," he spoke with a deep and commanding voice. The other Chiefs straightened up and nodded. They couldn't lose hope yet. They didn't know the fate of the Northern Tribe Chief.

Their horses trotted past of the destruction around them, calm despite the sight of the slaughter. It wasn't long until the Tribes found the crumbled remains of the Chief's hut. "Kazuki!" Masaki yelled as he jumped off his horse. "Kazuki!" He ran around the debris, before stopping at a particularly large heap of rubble. Underneath it, was the Chief of the Northern Tribe, Kazuki Moriyama. "Kazuki! He's over here!" Masaki yelled over to the rest of the group. Everyone except Chief Mari jumped off their horses and quickly ran to Masaki and the injured man. Together, they were able to remove the rubble from the Northern Chief. Masaki quickly put his index and middle fingers on Kazuki's throat to check for a pulse. The man sighed in relief when he felt a weak, but nonetheless present, pulse. But he couldn't celebrate just yet. Even if Kazuki was alive now, it was very possible that he wouldn't be for long. So they weren't out of the woods just yet. Kazuki was a very large and tall man, easily surpassing the six feet mark. It certainly didn't help that the man was all muscle in many places. So Masaki and Kai carried the burly man together, with Masaki holding the upper half of Kazuki's body, and Kai holding to the lower half. Briskly but scrupulously, they mounted the large man unto Masaki's white and gray stallion. The horse snorted and shifted a little, but he didn't complain. Masaki looked at Kai. "Chief Kai, I think it would be best if we checked the area if there any more survivors." Said man nodded. And they did just that. The three Chiefs and their guards spread around the large village to check for any possible survivors. They walked around the village with their horses near them. Within an hour, they returned the Kazuki's demolished hut. "Did you find anything?" Masaki asked. The other Chiefs shook their heads mournfully. "No one else survived in our section," Chief Mari reported first. Chief Kai nodded his head. "We didn't find anyone alive in our section as well." He supplied. Masaki released a sigh that full of sadness and indignation. It wasn't fair that the Northern Tribe met such a fate. While its ruler wasn't the kindest ruler around, he also hadn't been overly cruel. While he did keep a good portion of the Tribe's wealth for himself, he also didn't let his village go down to ruins. The village suffered a little, but they were able to make do with what they had. And after the man had seen the errors of his ways, he spent every waking moment making sure his Tribe wouldn't suffer even for second. His efforts didn't go vain, as the Tribe flourished into the one of the largest villages the other Tribes had ever seen. Even bigger than several villages outside the barrier.

"We've found Chief Kazuki, so we should heading back. Chief Mari, we will require your healers to assist us. Is that alright?" Masaki asked. The middle-aged woman nodded her head. "Of course, Chief Masaki. The situation has become dire. Chief Kazuki's life is in danger. We should start moving now." Masaki nodded. The man mounted his white and gray stallion and the rest followed his action. "Ha!" He whipped the reins and his horse started into a light trot, eventually he was almost soaring. The stallion's hooves were barely touching the ground. The other Chiefs were right behind him. Masaki noted that his horse was slightly slower than normal, but knew that was due to the large man on top. Masaki smiled a little. He was proud of his strong stallion. The horse had been with him through most of his time as a Chief, since he was only a young and inexperienced teenager. He definitely loved his horse.

Soon enough, the group arrived at the Eastern Chief's village. They rode straight to the healers' hut that was beside Mari's own. The head healer, Aisaka, walked out of the hut. Her long, azure hair was in a loose braid that had been placed on her right shoulder. Her fierce but gentle violet eyes were filled with alarm as she approached the group. "Welcome back my Chief," Aisaka inclined her head slightly in respect. Chief Mari nodded. "Chiefs of the Southern and Western Tribes, I welcome you." Masaki and Kai inclined their heads to the healer. "My Chief, I received word that the Northern Tribe was attacked. Is this true?" Aisaka inquired Chief Mari. Said woman nodded. "It is true, Aisaka. Only the Northern Chief survived. But he is in need of our help. His body grows weaker by the second." The head healer was shocked to say the least, but if his health was deteriorating, then she couldn't waste any more time. "I understand." She spoke. She rushed back in the hut, and a moment later she came out with some more healers that were holding a handmade stretcher. The handles of the stretcher were made from a very durable and sturdy piece of wood. The fabric attached to the handles was also very durable. It was strong, but flexible and light. It could withstand the heaviest of weights. Chief Kazuki was carefully placed unto the stretcher and was taken into the healers' hut. The Chiefs followed them, but they denied entry by Aisaka except Chief Mari. "I apologize Chiefs, but I can only allow Chief Mari inside. There won't be much space inside for everyone. Please excuse me." With that, she and Chief Mari entered the hut. The other Chiefs waited outside impatiently. Masaki paced the ground in worry and anticipation. Kai leaned his back on the hut as he nibbled at his fingernails. For a full thirty minute, the men waited in tense silence. Soon after, Chief Mari emerged from the hut. The men hastily walked towards her. "How is he?" Masaki asked, his throat feeling tight. Mari was silent for a moment, and Masaki was about ready to snap when she answered.

"He'll live. We were very lucky. Had we been a moment sooner, Kazuki would have surely died." She told the pair. Masaki stared at her blankly for a moment, before releasing a loud and deep sigh as he sunk to his knees. "Thank the gods," He rasped out, his body suddenly feeling very light. He ran his lightly scarred hands through his black and gray hair. Kai released a deep breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "That's splendid news." He breathed out. Kai pinched the bridge of his nose to elevate his tension. Aisaka came out as well. "Chief Kazuki just barely made it. His condition is still critical, but he will be fine. He is in a comatose state currently, so we're not sure when he'll wake up. We will have to wait."

"Chief Kazuki woke up three weeks after that. While he was asleep, the other Chiefs tried to figure out what and why all of it happened, but they came short. They had no choice but to wait until Chief Kazuki awoke. Once he did, he explained his side of the story to the Chiefs."

The four Chiefs sat in Mari's large hut, all having a grave look on their features. Kazuki, the Chief of the Northern Tribe, was burly and tanned man who stood at 6"7. His size was imposing, and he had shaggy maroon hair that fell into his eyes, though they did nothing to hide the carefully controlled rage in his stormy gray orbs. "My Chiefs, I greet you." The three Chiefs nodded. "I am pleased to see that you are all well and healthy. It relieves me that your Tribes weren't attacked like mine was. It pains me however, to know that no one else of my Tribe survived..." He paused for a moment, then cleared his throat. Masaki look Kazuki straight in the eyes. It pained him to see his dear friend mourning over his Tribe. He couldn't imagine how it felt to lose an entire Tribe. Momentarily forgetting the usual formalities, he spoke, "Kazuki, I cannot imagine the pain you are feeling. We are all mourning with you. You aren't alone." Kazuki stared at Masaki in surprise, then smiled, his eyes full with gratitude to his friend. "Thank you Masaki. Mari and Kai as well." The latter nodded with small smiles on their faces, but Masaki gave the older man a playful smirk.

Kazuki snorted quietly. That man would never change, and Kazuki wished he never would, despite his teasing and annoying character. "Alright, back to the issue at hand," he gave Masaki a well-hidden smirk of his own. They would talk later. "I presume you have all seen the dark shadows?" He inquired. The three individuals nodded. "Yes, we have all seen the dark shadows around our Tribes. On several occasions we have been attacked, but we have been able to fend them off. Though, sometimes the shadows came a little too close for comfort." Kai's masculine voice came off calmly, but firm. "Yes," Mari's voice sounded experienced and calm. "But we need to how your Tribe was attacked, Chief Kazuki. Can you recall the events?"

Kazuki's gaze immediately became guarded. "Yes I can. It...It started about two months prior to the last attack. Some of my villagers' children had ventured off into the woods. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem. But two of the three children came back into the village, and they were in tears. They explained what had happened, albeit they were terrified. They told me that their friend had suddenly disappeared around the lake. They looked around for her, but they were unsuccessful. When I learnt the news, I quickly went into the woods with some of my best warriors. The children lead us there. After we found the place, I told the children to go back to the village, and they heeded my instruction. We all searched around the area of the lake until we heard an anguished scream. We rushed over, and found the little girl that went missing. However...the child had been corrupted."

"Corrupted? You mentioned that before. Does that mean the girl was possessed?"

Yuuki nodded. "When someone has been corrupted by a dark shadow, it means that they've been possessed. In other words, the corrupted will become a dark shadow. That would've happened to that girl unless..." Lucy tilted her head. "...Unless she was killed." Lucy froze. Killed?

The other three Chiefs stared at Kazuki in shock. A child corrupted? And the child, no less, was female. The Tribes learned the hard way that female dark shadows tended to be stronger, even if they were smaller than male dark shadows. And children that became dark shadows were even more dangerous, because their minds could be manipulated easily and they were erratic due to the amount of power they potentially held.

"Unforunately, we had to kill the child. She was too far gone in the transformation. If we had only gotting to her sooner..." There was a silence so loud, Kazuki swore he could hear his blood flowing through his veins. "A child..." Chief Mari breathed out with sorrow in her green orbs. She shook her head slightly. "What happened next, Chief Kazuki?"

The man took in a deep breath, and continued. "After we had buried the child's body, I decided to conduct a search around my village. Fortunately, there were no more signs of the dark shadows. But the peace was limited. Three days after, the village was attacked again. This time, the dark shadows were more brazen. They attacked some of my farmers. We were lucky enough that no one was hurt that day. I had my warriors patrol the village at regular intervals of the day. The farmers had been startled, and we lost some of the harvest, but nothing else happened. I was shocked...dark shadows attacking in bold daylight? How did they even pass through the barrier?! Impossible!"

Masaki nodded. "That is what we all thought Kazuki-san. However, we have realized that something strange has happened. On a normal day, dark shadows would never consider attacking in the daylight." Chief Kai nodded in agreement. "The dark shadows have never acted so brazenly. But why is all of this happening? Surely, there must be a logical explanation for all of this!" Chief Mari sighed heavily. "I think there is something we are not considering." Masaki turned his gaze to the woman. "What is your proposition, Chief Mari?" The Chief looked at Masaki. "Chief Masaki, do we even know where the dark shadows come from?" The male Chiefs froze at Mari's words. "No...no we do not." The woman frowned in worry. "Exactly that. We do not from where the dark shadows originate or how they exist. Or how they are managing to weaken the barrier. The only reason why we built the barrier was because the we could not find a permanent means to eradicate them. But they seem to have become stronger, because some of them are passing through the barrier. What if...what if something is changing them? We were not able to defeat them before, so how can we defeat them now if they are becoming stronger? Something...omnious is happening, and I fear that if we do not find a permanent solution, then the remaining three Tribes will meet the same fate."

"That was an unavoidable fate. Because we didn't know where the dark shadows came from, or what they even were, other than containing a weird magic, the Tribes didn't have a proper way to defeat the shadows. But there was something the Chiefs never noticed." The blonde looked at Yuuki in question. "What was it?" She asked. "There was a time I wandered near the barrier. I know I shouldn't have, but I did it anyways. I ran to a hidden part of the woods, I found a large tear in the barrier. Then it clicked. That area was very secluded and hidden, which meant that the Chiefs often forgot about it. The barrier needed to be re-done occasionally, and because that area was hidden, the Chiefs must've somehow forgotten about it. Which meant that area became weak, weak enough for shadows to pass through." Lucy nodded in amazment and understanding. Clearly, Yuuki was very smart to have figured that out on his own.

Lucy pondered for a moment. "When you say weird magic, do you mean dark magic?" Yuuki nodded at the blonde in affirmation. "Yeah. Now that you say it, that's probably what the magic was called. No one really explained it to me, but I saw enough to realize that that type of magic wasn't normal. " Lucy nodded. "What happened after that?"

Yuuki breathed out slowly. "The warriors were in control for a while, but it wasn't enough. They somehow weakened the barrier enough for a whole swarm. It was horrible..."

The small village of the Southern Tribe was in flames. As was the Eastern and Western Tribes. The dark shadows attacked the Western Tribe first. They had defeated a good portion of the shadows, but they'd somehow been outnumbered. "There's no end to them! We have to retreat Chief! There's no way we'll survive without more assistance!" One of the warriors, Miku, yelled. Chief Kai frowned and nodded to his head warrior as he slashed through a dark shadow with a magic-imbued sword. "Damn it..." He muttered under his breath. "Retreat! We head for the Eastern Tribe!" Immediately, his remaining warriors and some of the villagers who were given weapons began to head for the Eastern Tribe. There was no time to retrieve their horses. The horses had been scared off when the fight began, running off for safety. Kai gritted his teeth as he hastily leaded what remained of his Tribe to 'safety'. It really wasn't safety. He didn't believe that a permanent sense of it was attainable. Not this time. Kai looked around and saw red. Blood and wreckage spread as far as her could see. Kai had a feeling that the battle wouldn't end in their favour. He tried to motivate himself, but something deep inside him knew that he wouldn't get out of this alive.

As the Western Tribe finally entered the Eastern Tribe's village, they quickly learned the situation wasn't favourable much here either. Massacre was suitable for what he witnessed. Men, women and children were slaughtered before his very eyes. Daringly, Kai closed his eyes for a moment and wished for all the suffering to end. He wished for a moment of peace. Just a moment...

"Chief Kai!"

He opened his eyes to find a dark shadow racing towards him at a frightening speed. He unsheathed his sword and slashed through the shadow at just the right moment. The shadow screamed deafeningly into the air as it exploded into tiny wisps of shadows. Vaguely, Kai thought he saw the spirit of a young man in his early twenties before he faded into nothing. That dark shadow was a man he'd never know. Only a vague and faint glimpse and Kai knew he'd remember the man, no matter what. Even in death he'd remember him. "Chief Kai!" The man looked up to see Chief Mari looking far older than she actually was approach him with her head healer by her side. The healer looked tired as well. He could only emphathize her. Kai could only imagine what she had to deal with. "Are you alright, Chief Kai?" Aisaka questioned as she hastily attended to his wounds. She reached into a messenger bag she carried and pulled out a wooden container. The healer removed the lid, which revealed a light green paste that smelled heavily of herbs. She took Kai's right arm, took a bit of the paste, and spreaded it over a burn he had gotten when a dark shadow burned him with black fire. The slight chill of the paste was soothing, and Kai watched as Aisaka spread it evenly over the burn. He watched her work with a fondness that he'd be able to identify if the situation wasn't so dire. He couldn't even spare it a thought if he wanted to. "I'm afraid we will have to retreat to the Southern Tribe. There's not much for us here." Chief Mari spoke with a voice that was filled with so much pain and sorrow. Kai inclined his head at Mari with a sense of respect and slight empathy. He knew the pain of losing most of his Tribe, but he couldn't imagine how painful it was for Chief Mari, who had cared for hers far longer than he had. "Alright Chief Mari. We must move with haste. We need all the help we can get."

The Southern Tribe didn't have much luck either. It helped the Kazuki's magical weapons were quite powerful, and most people in the Southern Tribe were also fighting, but for every one shadow killed, three more popped from seemingly nowhere. It became evident to Masaki that they were fighting a quickly losing battle. The Eastern and Western Tribes had now joined, and it seemed that they were starting to get somewhere. Masaki found a slight glimmer of hope that made him fight even harder, which was proven when the number of dark shadows seemed to dwindle out. But they were suddenly hit by a new force of dark shadows that made that tiny glimmer of hope fade a bit. Masaki heard a loud scream of terror behind him and he ran to where he heard it. Running through the rubble that was his village, he found the last person he wanted to see outside at all. "Yuuki!" He yelled in terror and rage. The young boy had been trapped under a pile of broken wood and large stones as a shadow tried to grab the boy through a small gap. The boy screamed for his life, because never had he seen a dark shadow so close to his face. Masaki gritted his teeth and charged towards the shadow as he raised the magical sword in his two hands. He released a war cry as he ran at the shadow. His yelling caught the attention of the shadow and it charged at him. The medium-sized man easily pierced his sword through the shadow and it screeched as it exploded into wisps of shadows. This time, a faint image of a fairly young woman appeared, her long red tresses surrounding her for a moment before she disappeared.

Masaki panted from the exhaustion he could feel steadily creeping into his bones. He walked over to where Yuuki was hiding and began removing the rumble around him. "You alright, little one?" He asked. The boy gave him a feeble and teary nod. The moment there was enough space for Yuuki to crawl through, the boy crawled out with a speed that impressed Masaki despite his current state. Yuuki leaped into Masaki the moment he was within reach. "Masa-oji!" He cried out. The older man shushed the boy softly as he ran his slightly scarred hands through Yuuki's dark hair. Yuuki cried out of terror in his adoptive uncle's arms for several minutes before slowly calming down. "Are ya good now, boy?" Yuuki sniffled a little before rubbing his eyes and nodding softly. "That's 'm boy. C'mon, stand up straight. I need ya to do something for me, ok?" The dark-haired boy took a deep breath before he nodded once more.

He pointed to Yuuki's mostly destroyed home. "I need you to find something for me. It's hidden, so you'll have to look real good. When you find it, follow it. It'll take you somewhere that not a lot of people have been. Don't come back here boy. Do yer old man this favour." Yuuki's dark eyes widened slightly. "Don't come back? But Masa-oji, will you come with me? W-Will you?" He asked frantically. The older man gave Yuuki a smile he didn't trust fully."I'll be right behind you Yuuki. Don't worry about me. You just go 'nd find that thing. Alright?" Yuuki stiffened. The boy was torn. He want to follow his uncle's instruction, but at the same time he didn't. Something told him that his adoptive uncle wouldn't be right behind him. However, that part of him was very small compared to the part that told him to obey Masaki's instruction. So, he swallowed the lump that was in his throat and he shakily stood up. "Masa-oji, you promise?" Yuuki insisted. He was scared. Terrified. He didn't want to obey Masaki's instruction. He wanted to stay with him and help him. But there was a look in Masaki's bright but stern eyes that would not take no for an answer. So he would listen.

Masaki smiled. He was proud of the boy he called his nephew, even if they weren't blood-related. He was aware of how smart Yuuki was. The boy was able to figure out things other children couldn't. He could find interesting ways to solve problems, things Masaki couldn't understand sometimes. 'He'll be fine,' Masaki told himself. Even if he was scared for the boy. A large part of him didn't want to let the boy go. He wanted to wrap his strong arms around Yuuki and keep him safe from all harm. But that wasn't possible. The boy will need to fall and stumble a couple of times before getting up and learn how to fight on his own. He needed to if he were become a strong and independent man. But Masaki wanted to be there with him when he did. To give him advice when he would need it. To hold him when things became too much for him. But he couldn't be there. Somehow, he knew he wouldn't make it out alive to do so. But...he could be with Yuuki in spirit. "Yuuki," He called out in a raspy voice. He couldn't breathe. The boy perked up immediately, hearing his name being called. Masaki looked down at the traditional necklace he wore around his neck. It was the Southern Tribe's own relic. It had been passed down from Chief to Chief. The person who would lead the Southern Tribe. Any and every person had worn the piece was well-respected not only in their native Tribe, but the other Tribes as well. The relic was passed down to a person who earned it because they displayed a character of respect, humility, strength and kindess. And Masaki knew without a doubt that Yuuki had those qualities within him. He was worthy of all the respect Masaki had for him. So he would be fine.

He unlatched the clasp of the necklace and removed it from his neck, then placed it on Yuuki's neck. Masaki made sure the necklace was latched properly before leaning back to look at the boy. It was a little big for him, the relic resting on his stomach, but that was fine. The boy would grow into it. "Masa-oji, why are you giving this to me? It's yours, right?" Yuuki questioned, feeling confused. The Chiefs' relic was only meant to be passed down when the time for a Chief to take over was near. Why was Masa-oji giving to him, much less at this stage? Masaki gave Yuuki a genuine smile this time. "I want ya to keep this safe for me, alright? I worried I might lose it, so I'd rather have ya take care of it for me. Can you do that, Yuuki?" Masaki's voice rumbled deeply in his chest as he spoke. Yuuki snorted, but his eyes brightened a little. "I can! And I will Masa-oji." The older man smiled in relief and closed his eyes. He loved this boy. Masaki opened his eyes and kissed Yuuki's forehead. "Alright boy. Now get on with it. You don't have much time." Masaki told him. For a moment, Yuuki looked at Masaki, not with a slight calcuating gleam in his eyes, but with the innocence of a child. A child that had an unexplainable amount of love for his uncle in his big and wide eyes. The sight almost broke the man, but he swallowed the lump in his throat and willed back the tears in his eyes to appear strong for the boy. Because damn it all if he couldn't at least give his nephew his last strong look. The pride and confidence of a man. "Ok Masa-oji!" Yuuki smiled brightly at his uncle, then turned around and ran into the mostly destroyed house. That house represented how he felt. A broken man on the inside. Knowing Yuuki wouldn't be able to hear him, Masaki released the sob he'd been holding back. He cried and prayed to the stars above that they would protect Yuuki now. And to let him protect Yuuki even when he wasn't there physically.

Yuuki entered his demolished house. He remember what Masa-oji said. He was looking for something that was well-hidden. He needed to look for it very carefully. The kitchen and living room were destroyed, covered in rumble that his small body couldn't lift or even budge. He checked his room next. He looked around it carefully but didn't find anything, so he went to his parents' room. He checked that room thoroughly but he didn't find anything that matched his uncle's description. 'Something that's well-hidden...a thing that not many people have seen or gone through.' Yuuki frowned as he sat on the ground and rubbed his chin in contemplation. What fit that description? He didn't know of anything that many people hadn't been. He closed his eyes and thought harder. He sat in thought for while before a light bulb in his head went off. 'That's it...! It has to be that!' He stood up quickly before sprinting back to his room. He remembered that time when he and Masaki returned from their fishing trip and he had spoken to his parents. Yuuki knew he was too curious for his good, but that thought hadn't stopped him from eavesdropping on his parents' and Masaki's conversation. When Yuuki was a little younger, he discovered a weak spot in the wall in the living room. It was weird, a specific area near one of the corners by the window was hollow for some odd reason. He was able to hear voices quite clearly, it was almost like thin paper between him and the room. He heard bits and pieces of their conversation, but they'd made it really difficult for him comprehend because they had spoken so softly. But then he heard moving away from the living room to somewhere else. He'd quickly but softly followed their movements. Yuuki frowned when he heard them enter his room. He peaked over the window sill. Why was the secret place his room? He heard Masaki ask the same room. Until his dad and Masaki pushed his bed. He couldn't believe what he saw next. Was that a trap door? When had it gotten there? He'd never seen or felt it. Or maybe he never checked properly. His dad pulled on the latched on the trap door and Yuuki got a glimpse of stairs. But he couldn't see anything else. He watched until his parents and Masaki entered and closed the trap door.

Yuuki remembered how surprised he had felt that day. He had decided that when he was alone, he'd check out where the stairs under the door led to. Though, he hadn't gotten that chance for weeks as either one of his parents were always in the house, or he was out helping Masaki with some chores. That was, until today. Yuuki entered his room and stared gleefully at his damaged bed. Somehow, three of the four legs of his bed had broken off, allowing most of the bed to rest on the dirty floor. Yuuki decided to use the last leg to his advantage. He placed his small hands under the bed and tried to lift it. It didn't work, the bed was too heavy and he was couldn't lift and move at the same time. That sparked an idea in his mind. He stood at the end of the bed opposite the wall and pulled it to the right. It worked for a little, the weight of the bed made it difficult to move it. But he continued anyways. After a tiring fifteen minutes, Yuuki succeeded in moving the bed enough to expose the trap door. He rested his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. The mini explosions and tremors from the attacks outside made him stumble a couple of times. After a minute, he walked to the trap door and took hold of the thick piece of cloth that had been tightened on a metal hoop on the door. He stood behind the cloth, then pulled with all his strength. The trap door was also a little heavy for Yuuki, but he didn't stop. He pulled harder, and the trap door slowly but surely opened. When the door passed a certain point, Yuuki released the cloth and the door fell forward, banging on the floor as it collided with it. He slowly walked to the open entrance of the trap door. He saw the wooden staircase lead downwards until it was all black. Yuuki swallowed the lump in throat and took in a deep breath. He gathered his courage and walked down the stairs.

"I walked down the staircase, feeling terrified. I'd asked myself if it was a good idea to continue. Although, before I could change my mind, I heard a loud explosion and the entrance was suddenly blocked by what looked like my wall and the floor. After that, I knew I was trapped. So I could only move forward." Yuuki explained to Lucy. She nodded, listening with intent. Yuuki continued. "I continued down the stairs, leaning against the wall as I walked because it was still dark. When I felt I reached the bottom, torches lit up immediately."

Yuuki glanced down the pathway warily as the man-made torches lit up one by one. He tightened his small fists and slowly, walked down the path until he reached the large metallic door. He stared at the door blankly for a minute, not sure what he was supposed to do. Yuuki then felt a strange urge. He decided to follow it, not having another option. He placed his hand on the door, feeling the area warm up slightly. He closed his eyes, and felt strange words appeared in his mind, and he spoke with a speed he wasn't used to. As quickly as the words came, they left him as the metallic door opened. Yuuki opened his eyes, and stared into a rather bare room, save for a tall stone stand in the center of the room. Yuuki could see an object resting on it. He quickly walked to the stand, his excitement and curiousity winning him over easily. He stopped for a moment when he heard the door close on its own. Yuuki blinked, but didn't question it. It somehow didn't surprise him.

Yuuki turned his attention back to the object on the centerpiece. Close now, he realized the object was actually a small sundial. It was made of black granite, smooth and cool to the touch with a few specks of silver embedded in it. Its circumference was embellished with a thin delicate golden line. He picked it up and held it with care, afraid it would break if he dropped it if even though it was made granite. He looked around, and frowned. What was he supposed to do with it when there was no sun? He looked around again, then noticed a thin ray of sunlight in a corner of the room. "When did that get there...?" He frowned. Yuuki looked at the sundial, then looked at the ray of light once more. He felt the sudden urge to move towards the ray of light. So, he did. As he approached the ray, Yuuki turned the sundial's tip towards the light. The moment the tip touched the sunlight, it began to glimmer. The more Yuuki moved the dial into the light, the more of it began to shine. The silver specks caught the light and they formed a pattern. Yuuki noticed and followed it. 'Twelve...three...six...nine...twelve. Ok, but what does that mean?' Yuuki noticed that the silver specks were present on every quarter of the sundial. The specks glittered even brighter and they released a thin beam of light that hit the ceiling. Now Yuuki could see four tiny stars on the ceiling of the room. A line, starting from the 12 'o clock mark, travelled around the circle and meeting the other stars, before stopping at its starting point. The young boy stared at it in awe and wonder. He only had a moment to capture a mental image of the circle before it flashed brightly and Yuuki was blinded from the light.

"I woke outside, far away from the village. I wanted to go back to the village, but something told me not to. If I went back, me escaping safely would've been for nothing. So I wandered through the woods for a couple of weeks before I found another village. By that time, I was tired and hungry. I felt really weak and I collapsed because I wasn't able to find a lot of food all the time. Sometimes I would find a really good catch, a small deer or a couple of rabbits or squirrels but it didn't happen everyday and I became weak. Someone from the village found me and took care of me until I was able to continue. But after that, I wasn't so lucky. Most of the villages I found pushed me away because they didn't want to deal with me. Later on, I had to rely on stealing or I wouldn't have survived." Yuuki explained. He licked his lips and swallowed, his throat feeling dry from talking for so long. Lucy immediately pulled out her canteen of water and gave it to him. Yuuki drank most of its content before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Thank you Lucy." He said. Lucy smiled and nodded. "But this is definitely a lot to take in. But you definitely don't need to go hungry anymore." She said. The young boy looked at her in shock. "Y-You mean... I can stay with you?" The blonde nodded again. "I'm not going to leave you to wander about. Especially since you have nowhere to go. I'm on my own journey...but that doesn't mean I'll leave someone in need. So, if you want to, you can come with me." Lucy told him. Yuuki's hazel eyes widened and tears formed in the corners of his eyes. He leaped towards Lucy and hugged her tightly. "Thanks Lucy! I promise I won't give you trouble!" The stellar mage laughed as she hugged Yuuki tightly as well. "We'll rest here until the afternoon and head out around noon. Sound good?" He nodded. "Yup!"

The pair spent the most of the morning relaxing on the grass. Lucy then took Yuuki to the small lake so he could take a bath. The boy blushed furiously before asking if he could wash himself. The blonde laughed before nodding. While he bathed, Lucy packed her things and gave most of them to Virgo for safekeeping until their next stop. Lucy held onto her backpack filled with some snacks for their travels. When Yuuki had finished, he had the fright of his life when he found a pink-haired woman standing a few metres away from the lake. He self-consciously pulled the white towel he had tighter to his body. "W-Who are you?!" He yelled. Virgo looked at him with blank eyes. "Princess requested me to give Yuuki-san some clothes to wear. I hope you'll find these suitable." The boy took the clothes with an unbelievable speed. "Y-Yes, they're just fine! Please leave now!" Virgo nodded. "As you wish." The spirit then vanished with a golden flash. Yuuki stared at the space Virgo had occupied before falling to his knees and released a loud sigh. "What was that...?" Lucy laughed at the poor boy when he returned and told her what happened. Yuuki just pouted and sulked for a little before joining Lucy in her laughter.

When noon hit, they were on their way back into the town. Yuuki followed Lucy enthusiastically as they walked. "So where are we going?" He asked. Lucy looked at him and smiled. "We'll be going to a large town called Crocus. But first, we need to get you some clothes. Then we'll head to the train station and catch a train that'll take us to our destination. Sound good?" The boy smiled. "Yup!" And that's they did. Lucy entered the first clothing store she found and bought Yuuki a couple of shirts, pants, shoes and underwear. Well, Yuuki picked out his underwear. There was definitely no way he was going let Lucy choose it for him. Lucy purchased the items and the pair headed out of the store. They quickly found the train station, and Lucy bought their tickets. Soon, they were on the train of Crocus. The duo were lucky enough to find an empty cubicle. Some minutes into the train ride, Yuuki fell asleep. Lucy smiled as she brushed his dark hair away from his face that was resting on her shoulder. Lucy looked out of the window and was met with the image of moving fields and trees. 'I'm relieved that we didn't run in to Kai. For somehow reason, that man makes me nervous. I'm not sure why though...' Lucy's trail of thought ended as she slowly succumbed to sleep. Little did Lucy know, her suspicions were far from wrong.

Somewhere in Krása City, Kai stood in an alleyway with two men. One of the unidentifed men leaned against the grimy wall, taking a slow drag from his cigarette before throwing it to the ground and grinded it to pit out the cigarette. The lanky man stared into space, not really thinking about anything but not paying attention to his surroundings either. The other man stood tall against the wall, his burly stature intimidating Kai as his gaze fixed on him. "So, you found one eh? But she slipped through your hands?" His deep and masculine voice spoke out softly. Kai swallowed the lump in his throat before speaking. "Y-Yes, but I do know where she's headed. Crocus." The large man's dark eyes were hidden by the black fedora he wore. "Then make sure she doesn't get away this time. Otherwise...you know who you'll answer to. Are we clear?" A violet orb peeked from beneath his fedora. Kai scowled and raised his head. "It won't happen again." The burly man smirked in reply before walking deeper into the alley. The lanky man pushed himself from the wall and followed the other man. "Don't forget. You're standing on very thin ice." He flashed Kai a large and creepy grin before letting out a bone-chilling laugh.

"Good luck."

And that's it for now! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please stay tuned for the oncoming chapters! Thank you to all the people who reviewed, favourited and followed this story. All your contributions are highly appreciated and please continue to follow me as the story progresses. See you next time!

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