Hello all! I have returned to writing! Things have been really busy with college for me since I was an engineer, but I have finally decided to redo this story. It was something that I felt had a lot of potential but was just too weak in the beginning and didn't set up enough for the rest of the story. Hopefully I can stay motivated to getting 4 chapters out a month but we shall see. Also please let me know in reviews if you'd want them to come weekly or monthly as a set.

X784

It was a beautiful day in the City of Era, not a cloud in the sky. The sun beamed down brightly on the city. Couples walked in the parks, street performers animatedly did their routines, and...

"Damn it!" An elderly man yelled in frustration. He slammed the portfolio of reports he was holding on to a long stone table. The wrinkles displayed on his face growing evermore creased as he furrowed his brows in anger, a powerful aura flaring slightly under his emotional tirade. "He's just one damn man-we are Magic Council! I don't understand how we haven't managed to gain one single piece of useful information about him!"

"G-Gran Doma! Please calm down!" One of the other councilors pleaded from their seat at the table.

The gray-haired man sighed as he ran a hand through cascading gray hair. His hand passing seamlessly under the pointed wizard's hat he wore on top of his head. "I'm sorry. I simply fear what is to come with the other dark wizards who will lose their fear of the Council. His notoriety is probably kingdom wide by now."

"Well if you ask me because of him this job has been more interesting than it has been in years. Honestly, it'd be a shame if no one were there to cause trouble." Another male voiced chimed in from across the table. Sitting his head in his hands, the outspoken man gave an indifferent huff as he tried to push his spiky blue bangs from in front of his tattoo clad face.

A roar of outrage overtook the other Councilors.

"Siegrain! You bastard!"

"People are dead!"

"Now, now Lord Siegrain has a good point. It's no fun playing the hero if there's no villain to be the opposition." A youthful woman chimed with an almost mockingly sultry tone. She fiddled idly with the small glass orb in her pale hands.

"By the gods! Ultear!" Another elderly council member voiced. "Seriously? How did these brats get on the Council in the first place?" He mumbled under his breath.

"That's simple. It's because we have a lot of magic power, old man." Siegrain countered and gave the man a devilish smirk.

"Siegrain-You!" Org, the second seat of the Council, shouted with irritation.

"ENOUGH!" Gran Doma roared as he forcefully slammed the butt of his staff into the smooth stonework at his feet. The cracks that webbed their way across the floor propagated a governing silence.

However, this didn't stop the entertained smirk from encroaching on Siegrain's visage.

"The vast world of magic is filled with many problems - it will always be! It is a dynamic thing… However, stopping this man and his guild takes prominence! We eliminate him and his guild is dealt a major blow…the people here need to see that the Council asserts its power in this kingdom of Fiore. Hopefully, this will reduce the likelihood that another dark mage of this ilk will rise to this type of notoriety again." Gran Doma ranted, his righteousness oozing out from his words.

"First, double the amount of the council's Reconnaissance squads, as well as the number of our spies to follow up leads on his whereabouts. Secondly, send out requests, at once, to all the major guilds. Place a 50,000,000 J S-Class bounty for his capture - alive. It would be problematic if we have vigilantes killing innocents under the pretense of this miscreant…. By the gods, if this continues to get out of hand, I will personally make a request that one of the Four Gods of Ishgar hunt him and his disgusting guild down." Gran Doma continued. "We must eliminate the one they call... Salamander!"

The smell of the sea hung heavy in the air. So much so, that the pink haired man guiding the horse drawn cart had to resist the urge to wrinkle his nose in disgust.

'What was Ardet thinking? Sending him and the little one off to do some bullshit that literally anyone else could have done – especially when he knew they couldn't ride in the damn cart!'

He let out a deep sigh and gave a feeble attempt at stretching. In truth, the cargo being transported was something they really did not want falling into the Council's hands. He could understand the extra security. Apparently, there was quite a handsome fee being paid by a light guild for its discrete and safe delivery. But, good ol' Salamander wasn't privy to all of his asshat master's dealings.

He relished the overbearing heat of the afternoon sun, at least to him it was pleasant, as he descended down the lush emerald hills into Hargeon. The warm, humid, wind breezing through his open vest provided the little comfort needed to make the weather perfect. His onyx eyes flickered over the "town" in question. Their sharp acuity picking up on the bustling activity of the seaside port. However, he couldn't escape from how heavy they felt. It's as if the bags under his eyes actually filled and were trying with all their might to pull them closed. At least it was a relief to not have transformation magic wearing him down as well for once...well besides what he used to cover up his guild mark. Ardet would probably get mad, but what are the odds someone actually sees through him? Probably Zero. Although, the extra comfort a transformation gave him was starting to become sorely missed.

'Maybe I should actually try and get some rest later…'

He lightly spurred the horse on to keep it on pace. After a quarter hour or so, he spotted his partner drifting back towards him.

"Natsuuuu! You won't believe it! Oooooooi!" The boy shouted repeatedly with excitement at the edge of his auditory range, and somewhere inside him the pink haired man knew this meant something taxing. The potential thrill of being driven on the run would help distract him from his fatigue though. After several minutes of the boy flying closer with the help of his trusty flying feline, Lector, he decided to humor him.

"What? Out with it Sting! Can't you see that I'm bursting to know over here?" He shouted as his annoyance over the repeated calls grew.

"There's this guy doing sketchy stuff over by the port!" Sting beamed with pride as the duo landed gracefully in step with him. Lector released his magic and dropped onto the blonde's shoulder.

"Really? Sting I sent you days ahead to scout for Rune Knights, bounty hunters, and prying eyes. Not the bastards running the underground or whatever."

"Hey! I checked this time Natsu!" Sting pouted, "I didn't sniff anything out. So long as we don't make a mess when we leave with the parts, we'll be fine!"

Natsu shuddered slightly at the memory of a close call in the outskirts of Crocus due to Sting's carelessness.

"But you'll love to hear this Natsu." Lector chimed in.

"Yeah, that guy I noticed is the guy that we've been hearing about!"

"The guy pretending to be you!" Lector beamed, basking in the pride of their "achievement".

"Huh? The guy using my nickname?" Natsu questioned, "How's he getting away with that? Feel like any rumor regarding me would get pounced on quickly."

"I dunno," the boy replied idly. "But, by the way the couple of girls he had with him were fawning over him you'd figure he was just some celebrity."

Sting shifted his hands up and behind the back of his head, thinking.

"Plus, they were being pretty quiet about it. If it weren't for our hearing, I doubt I would've even noticed really."

"Hmm." The elder slayer mused. "…Whispers still have an odd way of traveling. Something smells fishy."

"That's just the fisheries, Silly Natsu." Lector prodded.

"You know what I meant dammit! Let's get into Hargeon and finish the deal. Then, we'll see if there's time to teach that guy a lesson."

Shortly after the sun began to wane over the horizon, Natsu, Sting, and Lector shadowed the imposter into the restaurant Sting tracked him to earlier. After being seated themselves and ordering some food, Natsu found himself accidentally making lingering eye contact with one of the fake's groupies. The blonde's chocolate brown orbs were simply magnetizing, and they have stuck with him since they parted ways. He couldn't bring himself to look away. However, the way her visage quickly warped into distress shook him a little bit. Like a sudden realization hit her.

'I wonder if somehow she saw through me…like the fake I am. Well, I do have a scary face right now, haha.'

Gazing down into a puddle, he examined the disguise he had donned. The anxiety that plagued him all afternoon wouldn't settle until he did. A scar marred the left side of his visage, and his hair was now as black as tar. A simple disguise that wouldn't drain too much magic, and it served to settle his nerves enough to follow through with his plan to make sure his imposter got the ass whopping he deserved.

After all was said and done, they tracked the imposter's boat roughly 5 miles by shore to a recessed grove in a hillside. They were most likely heading west towards Bosco. His suspicions of slave trading seemed to be confirmed as they watched the imposter's crew lackadaisically transporting dozens of sleeping women into the cavern that served as the shelter for the outpost. Although they weren't being that quiet, the crew worked well under the veil of darkness. Dim fluorescent lachrima guided their footing along the shoddily constructed dock and into the cavern. Natsu had a very hard time believing the conditions inside for the women were very uncomfortable.

'Well, it's not like I love the people of this Kingdom anyway…'

"Alright", he spoke with a breath, "Sting and Lector do you guys remember the plan we talked about on the way over here or do you need to hear it one more time?"

"Uhhhhh…. I think I remember?" Sting said.

"Mhm mhm! Sting remembers!" Lector reaffirmed with nods, completely ignoring the question was directed at him as well.

Natsu deadpanned and gave a sigh.

"No matter what happens meet back at the supplies." Natsu said, "Lector, you're gonna go tip off the guards in Hargeon about the slaver's cove. I'm sure they've gotten plenty of reports about missing people tonight so I'm sure they'll want to act fast. If we're lucky we'll have about two hours total before they get here…."

"Wait isn't that like a super bad idea Natsu?" Sting said flatly, obviously trying to wrap his head around such a ridiculous notion.

The Salamander felt the tick forming in his forehead.

"These guys really didn't listen earlier," Natsu thought, and involuntarily shuddered at the recollection of an earlier memory. "I won't use the method Ardet used on me to beat that out of them though."

"Like I said earlier," Natsu stressed causing the young duo to recoil slightly, "The distraction should make it easier to track back and retrieve those parts without hitting patrols on the way back north out of Hargeon since a lot of resources will be tied up treating and detaining people. Plus, if anyone notices us who's going to think these "heroes" are who we are?"

"Plus, I don't need my name linked to slave trading of all things…don't need my bounty going up any higher. I was lucky to be able to snuff this out today."

He paused and looked at the cat. "Got that Lector? Make sure you don't get noticed when you leave the tip. I dunno steal a pencil and a piece of paper or something…You guys know I'm not that good at this discrete stuff…."

The cat nodded and jumped up in to the air. With a dim flash wings sprouted out from behind him and Lector was on his way before Natsu could get another word in. "You got it Salamander! Good luck Sting! I'll be back in a flash."

Natsu shot the cat a glare as it flew off snickering. He knew he hated being called that out loud. Afterall it was a moniker of his boss's devise.

"Just go wait at the stash." Natsu called out into the darkness, unsure if the cat even heard him. Sting's chuckle garnered the older Slayer's attention.

"Alright, your turn Sting - get in there." He said with a toothy smile. "Find the holding cell's keys and any important info they have. I'll give you fifteen minutes…. or until it sounds like they're beating the pulp out of you, and then bust the scene!"

"Hey!" The young Dragon Slayer said with indignation. "They're a bunch of scrubs, I bet I could take them with one arm!"

He gave a light chuckle. "Sureeeeee you could. Treat this as practice for a solo mission. You're getting close!"

Sting beamed with pride, "Seriously?! You think Ardet will - "

The pink haired man then proceeded to boot his loyal disciple off of the cliffside. He could barely contain his laughter as he watched the boy's mind process what had just occurred.

However, containing his terror and embarrassment the younger Slayer lithely shifted and dove into the water below.

"He's definitely getting better." Natsu thought with mirth.

A strong gust blew southward towards the sea, and something carrying on it gained his attention. He instinctively readied himself in a defensive posture. As the overbearing smell of brine was taken out to sea, another scent shocked Natsu's senses as a strange metallic musk wafted among those belonging to the oak, pine, and wildlife.

"Is someone out there….?" His pulse, although settling, thundered briefly in his ears from the sudden spike in blood pressure. "Even if that strange scent was human…it's not too close. Best to settle this quickly though.

Natsu, albeit reluctantly, let his guard drop.

"I'm really hoping Ardet makes our move soon… ever since they upped my bounty I've been on edge. Afterall, that smell could be any number of things out here…"

However, no matter how hard he tried, Natsu couldn't shake his unsettlement.

Lucy Heartfilia sat staring at the ceiling as she found herself in a cold, dark cell. The figures of two or three other women could be made out in the darkness if one were to squint hard enough, but none of them had awaken yet. She had no idea how long they had been out cold. Hours, days, it was anyone's guess. The darkness that permeated through the space around her gave her little idea to the time of day either. Her gaze was attracted to the flickering lantern light that wandered its way under the thick wooden door. Although rotten, the door still stood firm, and despite her best efforts she stood little chance of busting that door down without her keys.

Tears of frustration had built up in her eyes at the thought of losing her keys. "I was so stupid not to try and get help, what was I thinking. I barely have any experience as a wizard under my belt. How could I have beaten Salamander…"

Despite how negative the thoughts were Lucy also couldn't ignore that she may have sold every single one of these girls into unimaginable horrors by trying to play hero. She buried her tears in the crook of her armpit. The stinging pains of light burns from her endeavor's rand through her body as she did so. "No, don't falter! You did your best…think Lucy! Your best asset was always your head! Everybody panics sometimes." Lucy barely had any time between the point the charm was broken to when they were on the ship for the "party" and sailing away. It seemed as though her group was the last one. She had maybe 10 minutes at most to work with after the charm was broken. The pressure of the situation had gotten the best of her.

"…Ugh Aquarius is going to kill me if I ever get those keys back."

Though try as she may to find a solution, her thoughts and mind felt hazy. Lucy's fatigued mind couldn't help but remember the scary looking man who'd broken her out of the charm spell in the first place. "Maybe I should've signaled to him for help… I'd bet he was a wizard in Hargeon hunting Salamander. He seemed awfully interested in our little group." Afterall, his burning gaze had exuded such power and confidence that it was hard to imagine that man being anything other than powerful.

A sudden flash of light from under the door accompanied by a muffled grunt and thud, likened to a body hitting the ground nearby, brought Lucy out of her stupor. She hesitantly crawled closer to the door and pressed an ear to it. She could hear the jingle of keys as someone picked through them. Although unintelligible, Lucy could also swear she heard someone quickly talking to themselves. A pang of panic ran through Lucy. She thought it was a drunken crew member with malicious intent, but then a shout rang out.

"Oi! I found him- he ran down this way!"

"Ohhhhh no. Not good." Remarked a childish voice.

Several more shouts and flashes happened as the sounds of fighting filled the corridor outside her cell. Hope was beginning to swell inside her. "Someone is here!"

However, that feeling quickly returned to panic as the unknown savior was testing keys to enter her cell. She recoiled away from her listening spot. "W-wait a second!"

The mystery-man found his way in as the lock turned and the door flew open. More shouts reverberated down the dimly lit stone corridor. The torchlight briefly revealed a young blonde-haired teen as the door whipped open and shut just as quickly. "It's just a kid."

The young man slumped to the floor and let out a sigh as his panting calmed.

Lucy marveled slightly as light enveloped his hand and he surveyed the small cell. "Welp, that didn't go as planned." He threw a portfolio of papers and the guard's keys on the stone flooring in a pout. He looked towards Lucy. "Whatcha looking at blondie?"

Realization struck her now that she had gotten a better view of the boy, but indignation got the better of her briefly. "Hey! You little twerp, you're a blonde too!" The boy seemed slightly taken aback but she calmed herself. "I think I recognize you actually, you were at the restaurant with the scary looking dude with the scar on his face, right?"

"Huh?" The boy questioned with apparent confusion and defensively questioned, "So what if I was? How do you know that?"

"Man, this kid." Lucy deadpanned.

"No worries, I'm just glad you guys are here! Your friend seemed really strong. OH! My name is Lucy by the way. It's crazy to think that you're a wizard at so young." She held out a hand in greeting. The younger male just stared at it awkwardly as he replied.

"I wonder what kind of magic that is. I've never seen anything like it…" Lucy wondered.

"I know right, I'm pretty amazing!" The young boy beamed, pumping his glowing fist in the air. "And yeah that other guy isn't my idol for no reason! Super strong. We can just wait here a few minutes until he comes down and makes some noise. I can't wait to see him beat the crap out of that fake Bahahaha."

Lucy retracted her hand and grumbled, "Rude brat, can't even introduce him-" The realization struck her for the second time.

"Wait, fake? What do you mean?" The older blonde questioned, and watch the boy's visage quickly shift from mirth to slight panic to discontent.

"Obviously, that weakling that kidnapped you is a fake." He scoffed as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

However, before she could even reply the whole cavern system shook with a thunderous explosion. The other women in the cell stirred slightly in their magic addled sleep and Lucy couldn't help but let out a yelp. However, the young boy whooped with excitement and scooped the portfolio he had dumped onto the floor, leaving the keys, and bolted out the door much faster than Lucy thought was possible for a kid. However, Lucy zeroed back in on the keys and steeled her resolve again.

"As much as I would love to help out with what's going on up above…I need to get these other women freed first!"

With the sounds of alarm echoing down the stone corridors of what Lucy judged to be a hand dug cavern, she hurriedly started unlocking the cells on this level one by one. It took a little bit of time to figure out which key belong to which cell, around 20 in all, and by the time she had unlocked all the cells, and warned the few whom were awake to remain put until things were safe, the sounds of conflict had died down.

Curiosity besting her, the Celestial Spirit Mage wandered towards the wood planked stairwell that lead up to fresh air….at least more fresh air than what she'd been subjected to in that cell for gods know how long. She was careful not to step on any of the slavers the mysterious young blonde was able to incapacitate lest she wake them. Shaking those thoughts aside, she tentatively pressed upwards past numerous large dugouts for bunks, and what appeared to be a mess hall, and peaked into the main cavern.

Lucy was stunned at the devastation that surrounded her, freshly illuminated by the bonfire that was now the slaving crew's ship. Nearly all the supplies that had been stowed here in this open space were either torched or strewn about. Bodies, unconscious or dead, as Lucy had no way to tell, were scattered about. Some of them were groaning in pain at least. Unsurprising to Lucy, in the center of it all were two familiar figures. She slowly walked over towards them. As they were distracted talking to each other, and they hadn't seemed to have noticed her as she entered audible range.

"Natsuuuuu, that was amazing!" The young blonde yet again beamed as he jumped excitedly in front of the older mage.

"Natsu" chuckled in reply, "You weren't too bad yourself there, Sting." With a flaming finger he was reading through something in the portfolio.

However, the rest of their conversation was lost on her as movement in the corner of her eye drew her attention. A defeated and bloodied "Salamander" had crawled out from a man-sized crater in the floor, and his eyes bore nothing but pure hatred towards his assailants. He reached out his hand and she had to foresight to see the magic circle before it began to flare into existence.

"Look out!" Lucy screamed as she sprinted the remaining distance between herself and the odd duo. She made a split-second decision, albeit not a very hard one, and protected the kid. Much to the surprise of her fellow mages.

"Hey! who the fuck-" She saw the scarred mage's eyes widen as he focused in on what was happening behind her. "Shit!"

"Prominence Typhoon!"

Lucy pressed her eyes shut as she braced for the spell to hit. Searing pain raced across her back as they were engulfed in flames. Her mind turned blank and the heat ripped her breath away. All of her senses seem to flare to their max. She managed to stay on her feet long enough for a strange gulping sound to take away the pain after several agonizing seconds.

"Wait, that doesn't make any sense." Lucy thought as she collapsed sideways to the ground clutching her younger emancipator. A shocked "Sting" looking back into her eyes. They conveyed such an intense and utterly confused emotion that her brain couldn't process at all as her body started to shut down. Her eyes felt so very heavy and her vision swam.

"H-hey!" The boy shouted in distress, as he shook her slightly. The action gave her a little clarity but it was fading fast. "Open your eyes. Oi!"

She smiled as pain and relief fueled tears entered her eyes. "I'm so glad. He looks okay…"

As consciousness began to finally escape her, she managed to look up and meet the flat expression of Natsu. His mouth was moving but his words fell on deaf ears. Somehow, something in her head told her everything about him just screamed "Why?" amidst his own self-evident confusion. Lucy's failing mind could barely comprehend that the mysterious man burped up flames. She faded to black, watching, as unreadable onyx orbs burned holes through her own windows to the soul…trying desperately to convey something he didn't quite understand himself.

"Undoubtedly, this man is…"

Terror drove Bora the Prominence to his feet. He couldn't even scratch this guy by catching him off guard. The best he could say he did was having singed his clothes slightly. "W-what the h-hell are y-y-you." The blue haired man stuttered as he peered in unabated shock at the man who'd eaten his flames as if they were some sort of treat. The black-haired mage seemed to ignore him as he stared down the would-be slave who'd jumped in front of them. He said something to her Bora couldn't hear. The young one trying to rouse her from unconsciousness. The black-haired mage turned towards him as his visage soured. "Me?" He said gesturing to himself, "I'm just your everyday mage."

This man had single handedly taken out his entire crew, and Bora was no pushover of a mage by any standard. He was no everyday mage. He gazed around him at the carnage. His men lay dying or unconscious as they were easily rebuffed and launched away by the monstrous strength of the man before him.

"HUH?! Bullshit! Normal people can't eat fire!" The blue haired man yelled out of exasperation and none too little in fear as he questions his suspicions. "You-You're him, aren't you?"

The dark-haired mage again whispered something to the boy. The man took off his red vest and burned something with a flaming finger and placed it on the girl. somehow the young mage had the strength to gingerly lift the unconscious girl. The terror of a man waited until they disappeared back down the stairs towards the hold area and took a single step towards him, leveling a glare. Bora stumbled backwards.

"P-please, I beg you. I-I'm a slaver I can give you anything you want! Money! Girls! You like that right?" He tried to grovel as he retreated. Bora felt the rough, cool stone of the cavern wall and he knew there'd be no escape. He collapsed into a heap; knees pressed against his chest as Salamander approached him. He began to sob. "P-please I'm… begging you I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I shouldn't have used your name!"

Salamander stood above him as tears involuntarily leaked out of Bora's eyes. His newfound proximity allowed Bora to really feel the heat that rolled off the man. "Pl-" Bora hardly had time to register as the flaming kick slammed into the side of him head. He could feel the hinged bone of his jaw easily break under the weight of it. He was launched feet into the air like a ragdoll, and he grunted in pain as his back scraped harshly on an uneven section of the cavern wall he ricocheted off of. Some of his ailing bones cracked as friction ground him to a bitter halt. He turned himself to weakly gaze at his assailant. That kick had hurt like hell. Bora's vision swam and he felt nauseous he couldn't believe it was possible for someone to actually hit that hard. Unable and unwilling to do anything to defend himself in his current state, he quivered in fear as the psychotic man approached him. Natsu stopped as he stood over the man still glaring down harshly. However, to Bora's surprise his glare fell, leveling off into impassiveness.

"You committed two sins here today bluey." The man said plainly. "You hurt my little brother and you used my name…." A heavy silence filled the void between them and the dark mage lifted his head towards the ceiling in thought. "Y'know. Contrary to popular opinion, I don't actually enjoy killing people, but you're making a really good case for yourself." He began to pace a small circle around the spot Bora laid on the ground. The blue haired mage tried to move his jaw but even the slightest of movements hurt like crazy. His breathing was already erratic.

"I can't even talk my way out of this one." Fear was beginning to make his whole being quake. Or maybe that was just the shock setting in. He couldn't really tell at this point.

"I really should kill you at this point though. I feel like you've seen too much. Probably heard too much too…" He directed his gaze back to Bora. He clenched his fist and they lit ablaze. "I'll leave it up to chance then. If you live, you live. Don't get any funny ideas about telling the council anything either if you make it…don't think I won't break into prison to finish you off." He rose his hands to either side of him, muttering something about a flame in the left and flame in the right.

"This is the end! I'm dead. I'm dead!"

Bora lost consciousness.

"Salamander!" Lucy gasped suddenly, snapping to an upright position only to regret it moments later as her skin of her back screamed in protest. She kept having these same horrible dreams every night ever since she saw him and experienced the ironically controlled madness that he exuded. She let the unsettling memories of Salamander's presence recede into the depths of her memory as she took in the seemingly tame nature of her white walled environment. It had already been a few days since their rescue from the slaver's cove.

"Y'know its rather muggy in here. Maybe that's what keeps giving me these fiery dreams with that crazy guy. I'll have to ask Patricia to open the window next time she stops by." She glanced at the clock: 9:00 . " ….. Innnnn an hour and a half"

She pouted as she flicked some hair sticking to her sweat streaked brow back behind her ear.

"I really do need to go look for my keys…" She thought solemnly with a frown. She fiddled idly with one of her nails, trying to distract herself from her worries. Despite asking, no one in the hospital she had heard anything of them. A few people suggested that they'd ask around, but the gods only know if they did or not. The company of her spirits in here would also make things a lot more bearable. She always found hospitals so…. miserable? "I wish the beds could at least make it seem like I wasn't in a hospital too." She thought grudgingly as she eased herself back down into a comfortable position. The skin on her back was making a real recovery. They had some nice healing salves that took care of the blistering, and did wonders for the pain. The only downside was that the bandages needed to be changed every several hours or she risked infection.

However, Lucy couldn't really complain too much about her treatment in Hargeon so far though. She has been treated as a hero of sorts for both fighting on the other's behalf and for freeing them from their cells. Even the port's governor was going as far as to cover her medical expenses.

"Thank god too because I certainly don't have the Jewels to cover this kind of medical expense…"

The door clicked open.

"Kyaaaaaaa!" Lucy squealed in surprise, shooting back upright. She hadn't been expecting anyone this earlier. Without a knock at that. However, that squeal quickly turned from that of shock into fandom as she saw the woman who entered the room. "Y-you're - You're-!"

"Hello Lucy." A knightly woman with blood red hair and a sword strapped at her hip stated as she entered the room. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

However, her words were lost on stunned ears. The blonde's mouth hung agape, star-stricken. The red headed woman sighed with a chuckle as she grabbed the wooden guest chair from the corner and placed it by her bedside.

"Yes, Erza Scarlet. Fairy Tail mage. May I?" Erza spoke as she gestured to the chair.

"O-of course! But o-oh my God! I love your guild so much and it's always been my dream to join it! Do you think-"

The knight lifted a hand to quiet her rambling.

"We can handle pleasantries later; I would love to have you at our guild because all of the people here have nothing but wonderful things about you, but we have more concerning issues right now."

Just like that the atmosphere of the room changed. The blonde nodded in agreement and steeled her fraying nerves. "Professional! Lucy, you can be professional."

"I would really like to get your account on what happened at the human trafficking cove several miles east of here." She said sternly with a placid look on her face, but her eyes told of her real impatience. "As much as I would like to spend more time on information gathering, I'm already a day or two behind the prey I need to catch."

Lucy nodded and began thinking back to several days before when she had met her would be captor.

"...First there was this one odd guy who was calling himself Salamander. A rather bold move in retrospect. Really, he was a fake using the name to attract crowds of onlookers - particularly women, and then he was ensnaring them with a love charm..." Lucy fell silent as she remembered the uncertainty of facing that disgusting man on that boat.

"Could you describe him?"

"Blue Hair. Tattoo above the right eye. A real sick asshole overall." Lucy said bluntly.

"Ah, I see. That man was Bora the Prominent, once a member of the guild Titan Nose but was thrown out a couple years ago after running into trouble repeatedly with the Magic Council." Erza said, her gaze downcast in thought. "He was found in the rubble of the hidden cove in a severe medical condition. Although they've stabilized him, he's apparently slipped into a coma. Therefore, unable to answer any of my questions. However, based on what you've said my theory has more or less lined up. My real question is- Do you know who attacked the hideout?"

"Well…" Lucy could say she didn't really know for herself, but her gut was telling her it was the real deal. "I'm not certain, but my guess would be the real Salamander. It was another fire mage at least."

The older girl smiled softly and nodded, as if her own thoughts were confirmed. "This was found with you…. is this yours?" The red head questioned as a flash of gold filled the room and a red jacket popped into her hand.

"No, I don't own a jacket…well, vest, like that." Lucy said as she tilted her head to the side in confusion. However, as she studied the jacket, she remembered that it was the one belonging to Salamander. An unnaturally marred spot caught her attention. "Let me see that for a second." Complying, Erza handed it to her. She unfolded it and stared at the burns in question.

'IOU1' was crudely burned into the red fabric.

"Huh, apparently Salamander thinks he owes me a favor." Lucy stated more like a question than a statement. "But Wh-"

"Sting, go take her downstairs with the others. I'm going to torch this guy."

"Wait! There was another little blonde boy!" Lucy exclaimed as the sudden memory came back to her. The outburst piqued Erza's interest and slight surprise. "His name was Sting, and they could both use this strange elemental magic that was like it was fused into their body."

"I can't remember what he ended up calling Salamander though."

"Really? He was traveling with somebody? A young boy at that? That doesn't seem like something Salamander would do..." Erza said, and crossed her legs. A gauntleted hand now propped under her chin. "Well, on second thought given his case files maybe it's not that far of a stretch. He seems to have a soft spot for children. If it really was anyone other than Salamander still wondering why the other two wouldn't want to come forwards for credit otherwise."

"Yeah, that makes sense…" There was a pregnant pause that Lucy left to out there to stew as she thought of how to drop what she was about to say. "I'm not quite sure why given that his presence has given me nightmares, but the kid said Salamander's name but I just can't remember it right now. Everything is a little too hazy. I'm really sorry."

The Fairy Tail mage took it much better than Lucy had expected. The buxom knight even smiled at her. The atmosphere in the room changed back to how it was when she walked in and it took some weight off of her.

"Haha, that's fine Lucy. What you've given me so far is far more than what any other lead has ever given me." Rich brown eyes met Lucy's own. "Sorry, you'll have to forgive me. I found it a little strange that Salamander let you live, and I even noticed the 'I owe you one'…. Another woman even spotted the boy that brought you back down to your cell. But, someone in the works with them wouldn't offer that information on their own."

"Huh?" Lucy questioned a small frown. "You thought I was working with them?"

"I'm sorry it was just a precaution. Especially before I gave you these back after all." The Knight once again held out her hand and a golden light flashed. "I believe these are yours as well, no?"

Lucy quickly discarded Salamander's vest and snatched the key ring out of the red head's hand. She clutched them dearly to her chest. "H-how did you possible find them? Bora threw them into the ocean." Tears stung lovingly in Lucy's eyes. Although she could feel Aquarius' key burning with rage. Thankfully there was no source of water in the room at the moment.

"After talking to the others who witnessed you fight Bora on this ship, I ended up finding these being held by a shipwright after one of his workers found them beached on a job. It took a little but I did have a few days to ask around about things while you recovered. You'll have plenty of time to remember everything else at Fairy Tail."

"Thank you so much, Erza."

Natsu walked down the dimly lit halls of their Hallow's corridors. The only ambient light being the torches placed ever so often along the length of the root knotted hall. A banner of the guilds crest could be seen adorning the walls every so often. A green flaming crown of sorts emerging underneath a raised castle gate on a field of white. Spriggan's Gate.

"Natsu why does this place have to be so creepy?" Sting asked quietly as he hovered close to the elder Dragon Slayer.

"Eh blame Azuma he made the place after all." Natsu drawled, obviously not affected by the atmosphere the two wandered in at the moment. "I dunno, maybe it's just a dark guild thing."

"Huh? That weird tree guy made all of this?" Sting asked in confusion. "I never would've guessed he was that strong."

Natsu laughed and then he ruffled the younger Slayer's hair, "I guess that's a lesson for you Sting. Don't underestimate the Seven Kin."

"If they're strong how come you're not one of them Natsu?" Sting asked with a smirk.

"Oi. Oi. Don't be getting cheeky with me." Natsu snipped. "I probably could be. The only ones I probably couldn't win against are Bluenote, Ardet, and maybe Ultear."'

"Yeaaaaaaaaaah sure, Natsu. Keep telling yourself that." Sting joked, and gave Natsu a light jab. He almost accidentally dropped Lector though, much to the pink hair slayer's enjoyment, and the Exceed gave him an unappreciative look.

The two walked along the path for several another minute in comfortable silence until they stood in front of two large double oak doors. Natsu proceeded to kick the massive doors open with little effort to reveal a large study Illuminated by a single fire place at the far end. A lone figure stood in front of it casting a long shadow towards the duo.

"Yo Ardet, we're back." Natsu called out, however it was followed by a few moments of silence.

"What were you thinking, Natsu?" The middle-aged man's voice, although soft, commandingly carried throughout the room. " Making such a ruckus."

Natsu sighed. "Come on old man, sure people might've known it was me but I don't want our name being dragged through the mud with rumors of slave trading."

The figure behind the fire turned around and leaned over the chair behind his desk. Natsu and sting came to a stop 5 feet away. The flames revealed a man maybe in his mid-forties. He had a strong jaw and clean crew cut brown hair that extended into a light beard. He wore a cloak with the emblem of Grimoire Heart emblazoned on the back along with simple trousers and a long-sleeved white shirt. Green eyes met onyx. "Natsu we're a dark guild. Who cares what people think? You didn't want your name being linked with that."

Natsu felt himself stiffen, feeling the weight of his master's words sink in. Examining them for the potential truth that they held. "Did I…?"

The Spriggan's Gate Master sighed. "Natsu, I'm worried about you. Ever since the Longest Night-"

Natsu unconsciously and suddenly flared his magic as anger bubbled up uncontrollably. Heat filled the room. Memories accelerating his internal blaze. "I'm fine Ardet! Let's not talk about this right now while the little one is here."

Ardet, seemingly wanting to defuse the situation, sighed and waved his hands in frustration. He smiled sadly at Sting as if to apologize. "If you say so Natsu but we will talk about this soon. I just don't want you getting yourself captured, or even killed over something so…unnecessary."

Natsu nodded in unthinking agreement, as he still thought over his master's words. "Well, I'm definitely not telling him about that blonde chick. He'll blow a fuse."

"How was your first job Sting?" Ardet asked pleasantly as he finally sat himself down trying to ease the tension in the room.

"I-it was good. It was good getting to spend some time with Natsu, and he even gave me some light responsibilities."

"That's good!" Ardet beamed. "I'm sure I'll be able to send you on another assignment soon. I have a few waiting as it is."

"I'm guessing one is for me then?" Salamander asked.

"You would be correct to assume that. However, the terms of the contract will change since they're doing something incredibly stupid that would serve to only hinder us for our plans in the short term. I have received a request from one of our satellite guilds Eisenwald. They'll pay you to help protect them while they kill the guild masters with Lullaby."

"Are they stupid?"

"Hahaha aren't you one to ask? They've already made a scene to the council though by busting the flute out, just snuff them out already. Maybe it'll make the council seem like we're policing our own or something. The only one that should give you any trouble is Shinigami Erigor."

"The wind guy? He's pretty strong ain't he?"

"Yeah, it would seem that way. I've gotten a file for you about him written up for you. Be sure to look over it before you leave."

"Alright! I'm all fired up then!"

There it is chapter 1 of Spriggan's Gate is complete! Please Read, Review, and follow I'm really looking forward to some feedback here :D.