Margaret Town lied west of the port city of Hargeon. Comparable to Magnolia in both population and overall scale, the town's main claim to fame was the many canals that ran through city. Each one was like a vein that ran through the middle of the city, splitting it into various sections. The train station was located in the eastern half of town, also known as the market district. It was a convenient tourist trap.

As the train slowed to a stop inside the station all the passengers readied themselves to disembark in an orderly manner. Among them included one Lyon Vastia, wizard of the Fairy Tail guild.

As he strolled through the streets ignoring the various vendors trying to hock their wares his way, Lyon couldn't stop thinking about the job he would embark on in less than eighteen hours. It sounded simple enough. Investigate old ruins and map them for future reference. Most other wizards wouldn't bat an eye to such a request, but Lyon was wary for two reasons. The first was that this job was given out by the magic council, a rarity in this day and age, and the second…

"Think for a moment. If something as strong and as frightening as the Lullaby flute was found in these ruins, then perhaps there is also something inside that holds the key to destroying Deliora."

"Deliora."

That was a name Lyon hadn't heard in years, or rather he didn't want to. He still had nightmares of the destruction that monster caused when it was still mobile. It's soul-crushing roar. The horrid stench of it's breath. It's daunting size and how it towered over the tallest of mountains. It was a demon in every sense of the word.

Taking one of the boats in the canal to the southern end of the city, Lyon walked roughly a mile more until he reached the guild hall of Lamia Scale, another one of Fairy Tail's rivals. The building itself was about the same size of Fairy Tail, though a bit more decorative in terms of both inward and outward appearance. One of the most notable features were the twin lamia statues placed before the front door. Beautiful flowers also lined the outer perimeter. If one were to compare the two guild based on guild halls alone, no doubt Lamia Scale would come out on top.

"Cheater! Start over!"

"Don't call it cheating because you weren't paying attention!"

"Would you two please stop fighting?! You're going to make a scene!"

Lyon heard a trio of voices coming from around the corner. He followed them, seeing three people playing cards in an alley next to the guild hall. Two men and one woman to be exact. He smiled.

"I see you three are as spirited as ever."

The trio looked to him with different expressions. The tallest of the trio smiled wide. The shortest grinned. The woman quickly fixed her hair and dress to look presentable.

"Lyon!"

The tall man hugged Lyon tightly and raised him in the air, whimpering like a dog whose master had finally returned home after a long absence – though that wasn't entirely inaccurate given his canine like ears, nose, and mouth.

"Ok. Ok. Toby. I'm happy to see you too. You can let me down now."

"Sorry." He let Lyon down.

"You always go overboard." Sighed the second man. He was much shorter than his friend, his spiked navy blue hair resembling a crown of sorts. "It is good to see you, Lyon."

"You as well, Yuka."

"H-hi, L-Lyon."

The lone girl of the group timidly made her way to the front. Her fingers anxiously running through her long magenta locks, she could hardly make eye contact with the ice wizard without blushing.

"Hello, Sherry. It's been a while."

His smile was enough to make her faint on the spot. Toby caught her before she hit the ground.

"Hey, Sherry, wake up! Don't die!"

"She's fine. Stop yelling." Yuka said. "So what brings you here, Lyon?"

"Is it not enough to simply visit?"

"As much as we'd appreciate it, 'simply visiting' really isn't your style. You need something. don't you."

"You make it sound much more sinister than it really is." Lyon chuckled. "Tell me, do the three of you know what happened in Clover a few weeks ago?"

"It's not hard not to." Yuka replied. "Sorcerer Weekly reported that a dark guild attempted an attack on the guild masters during their monthly get together. Obaba was furious. She ranted for two whole days about who she would have 'spun the lot of them' if she were there."

Obaba Babaasama was the elderly master of Lamia Scale. Despite her advanced age the woman still had plenty of fight left in her, using her special spinning magic to give various members of her guild vertigo for reasons both big and small. Her power was so great that even Precht was afraid of her. She was also the only person that he referred to as "Master".

"I can't go into much detail, but the magazine's retelling was false to say the least. The true story is a little more…involved than what was reported."

Yuka was intrigued now, as were Toby and Sherry.

"How involved?"

"Recently the council posted a job request to explore ruins located in the Alberg Sea. The secret of what happened in Clover lie in there. Myself and a few of my guildmates have already taken it on, but the job is open to every guild in the country with the limit being ten wizards max. If you three come with us that will bring our total number up to eight."

Yuka stroked his chin. The offer was a tempting one, but he was having trouble committing.

"That sounds kinda boring." Toby spoke up. "I don't wanna walk around in a nasty cave."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with him. There isn't much incentive for us to get involved."

"I wish I could go, Lyon, but cave air is really bad for my hair." Sherry said as she tugged on her twintails.

"I assumed you'd say that, but I have it on good authority that these ruins house very valuable treasures. Just one sold at the right price and you could live like royalty."

"Royalty?!" Sherry's eyes bright at the prospect of jewels and gold. "Are you sure?! There's really treasure in there?!"

"I guarantee it." Lyon nodded.

"We're in!" the trio suddenly agreed. Even Lyon was surprised at how quickly they had turned around.

"Good. Make sure you register as soon as possible. We leave in the morning."

As Lyon took his leave of the group, he remained oblivious to Zalty watching him from atop the Lamia Scale guild hall. The man's malicious grin oozed from beneath his mask.

"Be sure not to disappoint me, Lyon."

Yukino stood on Hargeon Harbor amazed at the sight of the ship before her. She had never seen a vessel so massive before. It was easily twice the size of the Fairy Tail guild hall, possibly even bigger. She watched as person after person dressed in fancy clothing entered the ship through a ramp leading to a hatch door. on the side It was like being among royalty.

"Where is Lyon?" Levy wondered aloud. "He was supposed to meet us an hour ago."

Levy looked to her watch for what would be the fifth time in ten minutes. It took some doing to get enough tickets for eight people and she preferred to not miss the boat leaving. The Juliet Rose was one of the most prestigious cruise liners in the entire continent. Simply being considered for a spot on the ship was itself a three year wait. Thankfully Lucy was able to secure them spots at the last minute, but that would mean nothing if they didn't get on the boat before it set sail.

"If he doesn't show up in the next ten minutes I say we leave him behind." Carla irritably suggested.

"We might have to." Levy accepted with a resigned sigh.

"Or we could skip the job altogether."

Natsu's harsh interjection earned him eye rolls from both Levy and Carla. He was sitting on the ground, his back facing the boat as if it wasn't even there.

"You agreed to come, Natsu." Levy reminded. "You can't back out now."

"I wouldn't have come at all if I knew we were going on a stupid boat." he grumbled.

"How else did you think we were getting to get there?" Carla inquired. "Surely you didn't think I was going to fly you there."

Natsu fell silent.

"You really did!"

Yukino listened to Natsu and Carla argue. Apparently Natsu's disapproval of the boat - and vehicles in general - was due to him suffering from extreme motion sickness. In a way Yukino felt for him. She suffered from minor motion sickness when she was younger – she would start to feel ill when riding in her father's wagon to town – but she eventually grew out of it.

"Hey!"

The group heard someone yelling at them from further down the docks. It was Lyon. Along with three people they had never seen before.

"Bout time you showed up." Natsu muttered.

"I'm sorry. I had to pack a few more things before we set off."

"Are these the friends you were talking about?" Levy asked, looking to the three strangers.

"Yes. Allow me to introduce Sherry Blendy, Yuka Suzuki, and Toby Horhorta. They're friends of mine from Lamia Scale. Everyone, this is Levy McGarden, Natsu Dragneel, Yukino Aguria, and Carla."

"H-hello." Yukino greeted with a slight bow of her head.

"It's nice to meet all of you." Levy smiled.

"Likewise." Yuka returned.

"Yeah! What's up?!" shouted Toby.

"Why are you yelling?"

"I must admit I'm surprised Lyon has friends in other guilds." Carla said. "I always though him as something of a loner."

"That cat just talked!" Toby screamed.

"That's ironic coming from you." she retorted.

Toby growled in confusion. "What do you mean? I'm not ironing anything."

Yuka facepalmed.

Sherry glared at Levy from over Lyon's shoulder.

"I-is everything ok?" the scribe asked nervously. She could practically feel the daggers from the girl's stare inching closer to her neck.

"I'm watching you." she growled.

"Ok then…" Levy tried to laugh it off, but that only made her even more nervous.

The whistle on the boat blew. It was almost time to leave.

"We should get on now." Yukino suggested.

"You're right!" Levy said, quickly trying to forget about Sherry's threat. "We can talk more on the boat."

The group made their way to the ramp, but Natsu stayed behind.

"Natsu, come on!"

The dragon slayer grumbled at Levy's shout as got up and dragged his feet to the boat.

"Stay close, Yukino. You don't want to get lost."

"R-right!"

Yukino hurried to Levy's side as they navigated the dining hall of the cruise liner. All around them wealthy people in expensive clothing ate even more expensive food. The sight was more than a little overwhelming for the farm girl. Up until this point the richest person she had ever met was a local pig farmer that owned land near her family. Being around all of these socialites made her self-conscious.

"What's wrong? Are you hungry?" asked Levy.

"No…it's just…"

"You feel like you don't belong?"

Yukino was shocked. Levy had captured her mood perfectly. She nodded in response.

"I feel the same way." the scribe smiled ruefully. "I tried to tell Lu that this wasn't necessary and we'd find our own boat to the island, but she insisted we take the tickets anyway. I guess she wanted to thank us for the Everlue job."

Levy grabbed an hors d'oeuvre from one of the waiters passing by. It was simple fried shrimp, but she could practically feel the jewel floating away from her change purse the moment she touched it. She tasted it. It wasn't repulsive, but she'd tasted better at the guild.

"I guess Natsu would like this." She said unsure. She found another waiter and placed a couple of the shrimp on the plate she was holding. It was already filled with various meats and vegetables from the other tables.

"Is Natsu going to be ok?" Yukino worried.

The dragon slayer in question was currently passed out in one of the cabins, his sickly body being watched over by Carla.

"Oh don't worry about him." Smiled Levy as she wrapped the plate in plastic she'd created using her magic. "He'll be fine once the boat stops moving. Can you take this to him? I'll wait for you right here."

"O-ok."

Yukino scurried off through the crowd while Levy found her own food. The young girl navigated as she best she could through the crowd, trying not to bump into anyone or drop the plate. Once free of the horde she found herself in the hall housing the ship's luxury suites. Natsu's room was located near the end of the hall.

Upon entering she saw the dragon slayer still lying in bed, as well as a transformed Carla reading a book in the chair next to him.

"How is he doing?" Yukino asked worriedly.

Natsu groaned in response.

"Still miserable." Carla replied as she turned the page of her book. "But he'll be fine once we dock. You brought food?"

"Y-yes." Yukino placed the plate on the nightstand. "Levy made it. She said she wasn't sure what Natsu would like so she put a bit of everything on the plate."

Carla grinned. "Smart girl. I'm sure Natsu will no doubt devour the plate once he feels better. Thank you, Yukino."

"You're welcome." She smiled. "I hope you feel better, Natsu."

Natsu groaned again, but managed to wave weakly as Yukino left the room. She met up with Levy soon after.

"How is he?"

"Still sick, but not as bad as before."

"That's good. Let's look for Lyon."

"Ok."

After a few minutes of searching, the pair found the ice wizard lounging by the edge of the pool on the upper deck. Sherry was there as well. Her arm tightly wrapped around his.

"So this is where you were." Levy said, trying her best to once again ignore Sherry's death glare.

"To be honest I preferred to stay in my room until we reached the harbor," Lyon admitted. "But Sherry insisted I come to the pool and 'get some sun'."

"It won't do you any good to be gloomy all the time." She said cutely. "It's not every day we get to be on a fancy boat like this."

She nuzzled closer to him, her chest pressed firmly against his bicep. Levy quickly deduced the only reason Sherry invited Lyon to the pool was because she wanted to show off her swimsuit. A black cross strapped one piece that zipped in the back – it reminded Levy of something Jenny would wear in one of her photoshoots. It also didn't help that Sherry actually looked good in it.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Sherry interrogated Levy. "It can't be to swim. Though I suppose you would be pretty fast in the water."

Levy noticed Sherry staring at her chest and quickly covered up. "We came to see how Lyon was doing."

"Well as you can see he's just fine so you can go now." Sherry waved the pair off. "Don't you have a boyfriend of your own to be spending time with?"

This question confused Levy. "What are you talking about?"

"That pink-haired guy. It's obvious you two are an item."

"Natsu is not my boyfriend!" Levy denied. Yukino noticed the light blush on the scribe's face, but chose to remain silent.

Sherry grinned, clearly she had pressed a button. "Sure he's not."

"He's not." Levy repeated sternly.

"That's a shame." Lyon commented. "I thought you two would make an...interesting couple."

"Don't you start. You didn't even tell us you had a girlfriend."

Now it was Lyon's turn to be confused. "What girlfriend?"

Levy pointed to Sherry. Lyon turned to her. Sherry smiled lovingly. Lyon looked back to Levy.

"Well that's clearly not true." he deadpanned.

Oddly enough, Sherry swooned at this denial. "Oh, Lyon! You're such a tease!"

Lyon ignored her and continued talking to Levy. "Speaking of Natsu, where is he?"

"He's still in his room." Yukino answered. "He doesn't feel well."

"Ah yes. I almost forgot about his motion sickness. How can someone so strong let something as banal as motion sickness stop him? He really hasn't changed."

Levy looked around the pool, noticing that Toby and Yuka were nowhere to be found. "Where are the other two guys that were with you?"

"Probably stuffing their faces in the dining hall. Those two can't say no to a free meal."

"Are you going to try and flirt with them next?" Sherry accused.

"I'm not flirting with anyone."

"Calm down, Sherry. Levy is a friend. Don't be rude to her." Lyon mildly scolded.

Sherry lovingly leaned her head on his shoulder. "Whatever you say, Lyon!"

"I'm going to check on Yuka and Toby. You two play nice." Lyon stood up from his chair, his arm sliding free from a distraught Sherry's grip.

"Lyon said you three are from the Lamia Scale guild, right?" Levy asked as she and Yukino took the seat next to a now irritated Sherry.

"Yeah and?" the Lamia wizard curtly replied. She was in no mood for conversation without Lyon around. Nonetheless Levy persevered.

"I was just wondering how you know Lyon. He really doesn't talk much about his life before joining Fairy Tail."

Sherry looked at Levy over the rim of her sunglasses and sighed. It was clear that she wasn't leaving anytime soon. She sat under the umbrella leaning over her chair, crossing one leg over the other to look as superior as possible.

"Not that it's any of your business," she began. "But we all met at an orphanage when we were kids. Yuka, Toby, and I had been abandoned from various places around Fiore, but Lyon came all the way from Iceberg. He was brought to us by a missionary that found him stranded in the cold."

Yukino's eyes widened as Sherry told her tale. They were just like her. She scooted up a little to better hear.

"Our orphanage wasn't the best, but we were still treated well." Sherry continued. "At first Lyon didn't talk to anyone and kept to himself. Every time we invited him to play he would simply get up and walk away. It was sad. He must have been through a lot before we met."

"You don't know how he became an orphan?" Levy asked.

Sherry shook her head. "To this day I don't anything about Lyon's life before I met him. It was a rule we had to never ask why anyone showed up unless they told us. It made things easier. If didn't want to talk, I wasn't going to pry."

"You must really care about him." Levy empathized.

"Of course I do! I love Lyon more than anything in this world, and no one is going to take him away from me." Her eyes narrowed. "Got that?"

"Ok. Ok." Levy backed off. "I got it."

"Good."

"Were any of you adopted?" Yukino suddenly asked.

"Yuka, Toby, and I weren't, but Lyon was adopted by Master Ur about two years after he showed up."

"Master Ur?" Yukino turned to Levy for an explanation.

"She's a very powerful ice wizard." she answered. "I've heard Lyon talk about her a few times. Apparently she was so powerful that she slayed the demon Deliora ten years ago. That's how she became a Wizard Saint."

"Really?"

Yukino had heard many tales of Deliora from her parents when they would go into town. It was a terrifying demon that would appear seemingly out of nowhere and destroy entire towns. It had killed hundreds before it was eventually stopped.

"Master Ur would sometimes visit to play with us and give us food." Sherry explained. "I don't how, but she was always able to get Lyon to come out of his shell. Every time she came around his face would light up. She would also try to teach us a little bit of the Ice Make magic she knew, but Lyon was the only one who picked it up. Perhaps that's why she adopted him."

"What happened to the rest of you?" Levy asked.

"Well like I said, if you were listening, the boys and I weren't adopted. At fifteen we were old enough to leave orphanage on our own. Lyon and Master Ur came around once awhile, but that stopped after she adopted Gray."

"Gray? Who is that?"

Sherry quickly realized her slip of the tongue and backpedaled. "N-no one! He was another orphan! That's all!"

"Ok..." Levy said with a raised eyebrow. "Why did the rest of you join Lamia Scale after leaving the orphanage?"

"We heard rumors that Wizard Saint had joined the guild so we went there thinking he could help us find Lyon."

"You mean Iron Rock Jura?"

Sherry nodded.

Yukino remembered hearing about Wizard Saints during Lisanna's "orientation". They were an elite group; comprised of ten of the strongest wizards in the entire continent of Ishgal. Sainthood could only be granted by the magic council. The method of choosing a wizard saint was based on a certain level of accomplishment that was not well defined, but easy enough to see. The ranks of the Saints included wizards from all walks a life regardless of title, or even age in some cases. For example, Master Precht was a Wizard Saint.

Some - like Precht -were guild masters, others regular guild members, and there were even those who weren't affiliated with a guild at all and were members of the council. It was truly an eclectic group of individuals.

"Where is Jura now?" Levy asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Sherry demanded, sitting up from her chair. "We not good enough for you or something?"

"No. No. Not at all. I was just thinking that it would be a good learning experience to work with a Wizard Saint."

"Well too bad for you. He's on another job right now."

"Attention, all passengers we will be reaching Oleander port within the hour. Those disembarking please get ready."

"Guess that's our cue." Levy said. "Let's go, Yukino."

"Ok."

"It was nice talking to you, Sherry."

"Whatever." She dismissed.

Yukino bowed before her and followed after Levy. Soon after Yuka and Toby showed up.

"What was that about?" Toby asked.

"Nothing." Sherry curtly replied. "Just gnats being nosey. Where's Lyon?"

"He went to prepare for the boat docking." Yuka told her.

Sherry pouted.

"Don't make that face. We come bearing gifts."

"Yeah!" Toby exclaimed. "We got some really good stuff!"

"Keep it down, idiot."

"Let me see."

Yuka opening the pack he was carrying on his back large enough for Sherry to see inside. There numerous expensive looking plates, glasses, as well as a few pieces of jewelry he had managed to swipe from some of the passengers. Sherry smirked evilly as she looked at the haul.

"I bet those ruins have even more valuable stuff."

Yuka closed the bag, his smirk matching Sherry's. "I'm sure they do." he nodded.

"We're gonna be rich!" shouted Toby.

"What did I say about keeping it down?"

"It's finally over!"

Natsu stretched his arms as high in the air as he could, fire spewing from his mouth like an erupted volcano as he screamed to the heavens above. He had been trapped on that cruise ship for over half a day, and he was more than ready to be on solid ground.

"Yes. Yes. I'm glad you're feeling better as well," said Carla. "But must you yell so loudly? People are staring at us."

Sure enough the wealthy socialites that had also left the ship were whispering about the elated dragon slayer. Natsu didn't mind though. The last thing he was worried about was the opinion of snobbish rich people. He was cured of his sickness and that was all that mattered.

"Where are the ruins?" asked Lyon.

"On the outskirts of town, past the beach on the edge of the island." Levy answered. "We can head there tomorrow morning."

"Why not just go now while it's still daylight?"

"I…kinda have a promise to keep."

"Alright, Levy!" Natsu shouted, his mouth watering. "Where's all that seafood you were talking about back at the guild?!"

"I'll take you to the restaurant I saw in the magazine. Just calm down, ok?"

"I understand now." Nodded the Ice wizard. "You all have fun with that. We'll secure an inn for the night."

"Thanks so much, Lyon. I owe you one."

"It's no problem. Have fun."

Yukino watched in astonishment as Natsu inhaled plate after plate of fish. They had barely been at the restaurant an hour, and he had already stacked a pile of dirty dishes as high as his head. She had seen him eat similarly to this at the guild hall, but it was never of this magnitude. It was like his stomach was a black hole that would never be filled.

"They say if you stare at the abyss long enough, it stares back at you." Carla whispered.

Yukino quickly put her eyes back on her own plate. She was so caught up in Natsu's eating habits that she had yet to touch her own food. It had no doubt gone cold by now. Next to her Levy stared out the window of the restaurant, half-heartedly watching people as they passed by on the street.

Oleander was a quaint seaside town on the edge of Fiore. Not the quite the scale of Hargeon, but just exotic enough to be a tourist attraction in its own right. Aside from the food and fishing their main claim to fame was the ruins that they were sent to investigate.

Normally there would be tours of the outside of the structure, but never the inside. It had been deemed too dangerous by the city's mayor. Because of the lack of security it was no wonder that Eisenwald managed to infiltrate it so easily. But what else was in there besides the Lullaby flute, and how did Eisenwald know where to find it in the first place? That was exactly what they had come to find out.

"Mmhffhsmf."

"What?"

Levy turned to Natsu. He was speaking to her through a mouth full of fish and bread. As expected it was impossible to understand what he was trying to say.

"Why must I always tell you to swallow before you speak?" Carla scolded. "You're getting bread crumbs everywhere!"

Natsu swallowed his meal. "I was saying that Lyon was acting weird earlier."

"You said all of that?" Levy questioned. "Never mind. What do you mean by 'weird'?"

"You can't tell? He's acting all nice and stuff. It's freaking me out."

The girls looked at one another quizzically.

"He's always been nice to me." Yukino stated innocently.

"Yeah I don't find anything strange with his behavior either." Added Levy.

"Only you would find someone being a decent person odd." Carla sighed.

"I'm being serious!" Natsu argued. "Normally he's grinning a lot and looking down his nose at people like he's better than everyone. But now he's smiling and being all polite. He hasn't tried to start a fight with me one time since we got on the boat."

"Well you were sick." Carla reminded. "Perhaps the opportunity didn't present itself. Or he's simply grown up. I suggest you take the hint."

"Also if I remember correctly you were always the one that started fights with him and Kagura when we were kids." Levy added with a grin.

The dragon slayer rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm telling you something's up with him. I can smell it." He went back to eating.

Levy thought on Lyon's recent behavior. While she didn't completely agree with Natsu's assessment, she did feel that something was at least a little bit off with Lyon. The first sign was when he willingly wanted to go on this job despite Natsu being on it. The pair didn't hate each other – she thought – but they preferred to keep their distance from another when necessary. That fact hadn't changed since Natsu returned. The other surprise was him bringing along the wizards from Lamia Scale without telling anyone. Even if it was a last minute decision, Lyon still made it a point to let others know when he did things like this. That's just the type of person he was.

"Maybe…"

"Levy?"

The scribe looked to Yukino.

"Is something wrong?"

Levy smiled. "It's nothing. I'm just overthinking stuff again."

"Another!" Natsu shouted as he held in the air what would be his 37th empty plate.

Levy sighed. "I guess we'll be here awhile."

The next morning the group of wizards travelled to the far end of Oleander beach. When they reached the crest of the cove they stopped. Before them was a cave that looked like the mouth of a giant serpent.

"Are these the ruins?" asked Lyon.

Levy held up the job posting she had been keeping in her satchel. The ruins matched the sketch on the paper. "Looks like it."

Sherry clung tightly to Lyon. "Maybe we should turn back. I don't like the look of this."

"There's nothing to worry about. Look!"

Somehow Toby had made his way into the cave without anyone noticing.

"Get out of there, you fool!" Yuka shouted. "We don't know what could be in there!"

"It's fine! I just gotta-" Suddenly Toby slipped and tumbled into the cave, his screams echoing the further down he went.

"Toby!"

Everyone ran after him and saw that the opening of the cave actually went down vertically. Similar to the neck of a serpent.

"That's odd." Carla noted.

"Are you alright, Toby?!" Lyon called.

"I'm ok…" Toby weakly answered.

Sherry sighed in relief. "Thank goodness."

SOLID SCRIPT: ROPE

Levy created seven ropes that trailed down the ledge leading into the cave.

"We can use these to get down. Natsu?"

"On it."

Natsu ignited his hand with his fire magic, creating a light for them all to use. They regrouped with Toby upon descending into the shaft. With Natsu still lighting the way, Levy lead the group further into the cave. She could hardly contain her excitement as she looked around at the cave walls. She never fancied herself an archaeologist, but she never passed up an opportunity to learn more about the world around her. It was something her parents instilled in her at a young age.

"I read that the people of Oleander believed this cave to be some kind of holy site." She explained to the others.

"What kind of 'Holy Site' looks like a giant snake's mouth?" Sherry asked. She was so close to Lyon at this point that they might as well have been fused together.

"According to the book I found, this used to be the body of a large creature that protected the town from invaders during the Second Trade War. Look." Levy pointed to the stones that lined the hall and path they were walking. They shined with a faint blue luster and had what appeared to be ancient markings on them. "That's sea stone. I bet this entire cave is lined with it."

"Is that why we haven't drowned despite being so far under water?" Yuka asked.

Levy nodded. "Packed together like this, the stones prevent any water from seeping inside. They also never erode from water. Whoever made this really knew what they were doing."

"Someone built this place?" Yukino gasped.

"Of course they did." Yuka answered curtly. "Surely you didn't believe it was the result of nature did you?"

Yukino shrunk back a bit in embarrassment.

"I think I see something."

Natsu pointed to a light at the end of the tunnel. The group found themselves in a large room with long sets of stairs that lead up as far as the eye could see. There were also multiple doors layered above one another on various floors.

"This must be the cave's interior." Carla said.

"How many rooms are there?!" Toby shouted. "They go on forever!"

"I think it's around twenty." Yukino surmised.

"Looks like we'll have to split up and search each one." Levy said. "One of these rooms is probably where Eisenwald found the Lullaby flute."

As the Fairy Tail wizards discussed how to begin their search, the Lamia trio had stepped away. Huddled together, they made their own plans.

"A place this old is bound to have some really valuable things lying around." Whispered Sherry.

"Indeed." Nodded Yuka. "Valuables that would fetch a really high price if we sold them to the right people."

"There's probably some really powerful weapons here too!" Toby shouted.

"Be quiet, you idiot." Yuka hissed. "Do you want them to hear us?"

"While those dopes are looking for whatever they came here for, we'll make off with the treasure." Sherry giggled. "We'll be rich, but I'm worried about Lyon. I don't want him to get in trouble with his guild."

"We can worry about that later." Yuka waved off. "Right now we-"

"What you guys talking about over here?"

Natsu's question caught the would-be thieves off-guard. They immediately broke the huddle and smiled wide at the dragon slayer.

"N-nothing at all!" Sherry nervously laughed.

"We were just discussing what rooms we were going to check." Yuka said quickly.

"Yeah! We weren't talking about treasure hunting at all!" Toby added.

"Would you shut up?!" shouted his comrades.

"Is everybody ready?" Levy asked.

Lamia Scale quickly regrouped with the others and began preparations for the search.

"We'll meet back here in a couple of hours. If you find anything just shout."

Everyone agreed and began to split up. Carla transformed and flew Natsu to the highest floor, Levy took the stairs to the middle levels, Lyon remained on the ground, Yukino summoned Polaris and headed to the level below Natsu, and the Lamia trio took the set of rooms just above Lyon.

Yukino and Polaris reached the first room on the fourth floor. From the outside it looked pretty barren, but upon stepping inside Yukino could see odd markings painted on the back wall. Polaris tried to follow, but the spirit quickly found out it was too wide to make it through the doorway.

"It's ok." Yukino pet the sullen spirit's head with a warm smile. "I'll come right back. Keep watch out here ok?"

Polaris sat down and Yukino proceeded towards the marking. Upon closer inspection it was some sort of magic circle, but it was unlike any kind she had seen before. While there were various forms of magic in the world, most magic circles followed the same design - with a few alterations here and there depending on the wizard. This circle however was completely different from any Yukino was familiar with. It felt...older.

"I wonder who drew this."

When she touched the circle it glowed with a pale red light. The room started to shake, and wall of stone erected from the ground, closing the doorway to the outisde.

"Polaris!"

Yukino ran to the door and began pounding as hard as she could. Polaris did the same on the other side, but not even hi mighty paws could break the wall.

"Find one of the others! Maybe they can break this!" she ordered.

As Polaris ran off to find help, Yukino sulked and slid down to the floor in disappointment. "I can't believe I feel for such an obvious trap. Now the others will waste their time helping me instead of searching."

As her guilt and shame started to mound, Yukino could hear a faint trickling coming from the wall.

"What is that?"

She felt a wetness and looked down. Somehow there was water moving towards her. In a panic she stood up, finally realizing what the trickling sound was. Water was pouring into the room from the center of the magic circle. The leak grew more and more forceful, before a huge wave burst in and flooded the room with Yukino inside.

New chapter! The Alberg Arc continues as Natsu and the others enter the ruins. Yukino's been lured into a trap, but what will the others find? You'll just have to wait and find out.

As always leave a comment/review letting me know what you think. Thanks for reading! :)