Hello everybody! Happy late New Years! :D (For some of you, that is.) Thanks so much for your reviews/favorites/follows, your love is much appreciated! (I still don't understand why people like this wreck but I'm seriously happy you do.) Also, high school is evil. ;-; I present to you this super duper long chapter! x) (8,000 words without my notes, yee) I actually planned to get this to you right on the day of New Years, but my school's vacation extended a bit so I thought I'd spend more time on it. If I hadn't, it'd be less detailed and more than a thousand words shorter XDD And I'm SOMEWHAT on time... I mean, I said two or three months, and it's been a little after three ;W; Better than before, LOL. Also, I think my style changed a bit from last chapter, so I'm sorry if my writing seems foreign. XD Hope you like anyhow!

I do not own Fairy Tail, Mashima does! (Though I'm starting to question the manga lately... BTW, THE FAIRY TAIL ANIME CONTINUES THIS APRIL. CRYING.) Only OC's are mine. :3

"Hm…" The innkeeper stared at the complaints critically, occasionally writing down a few numbers before sifting through only more papers. Natsu and company stood rigidly in front of the short woman, trying to gulp down their nervousness as they awaited their verdict. They had caused a complete wreck to this place and they knew it. And not just the boys; predictably, Natsu had taken the fight over to the girls' side, who were forced to use magic to counter the Fire and Iron Dragon Slayers' furious attacks and protect themselves. (They were stark naked, after all.) Only when Erza erupted past the point where words ceased to describe her rage, did the bunch calm down enough to quietly brush their teeth and call it a day. But not before they obliterated nearly half the building.

And this was also a famous tourist spot. Undoubtedly, their funds were going to take a beating.

Heaving a sigh, the woman restacked the documents before stating the total repair fees. "Five hundred thousand jewels."

"WHAT?!" they screamed. Five hundred thousand?! On what planet would they be able to get that much money?!

Moreover, it sounds like a rip-off! a certain blonde fumed. Surely whatever they wrecked wasn't worth that much!

Despite Lucy's angry thoughts, her face paled when the woman said, "Actually, if I were to count every little thing you guys damaged, the cost would jump up to seven hundred fifty thousand. They may not look like it, but those 'plain decorations' cost us quite a bit. A few of the statues you wrecked were even antiques. You're only children, and I know you're travelling, but I can't bring this down any lower."

Shoved into a state of incredulity, the Celestial Spirit Mage screamed inwardly, 'She dropped the fee by two hundred fifty thousand?!' Idiots. Idiots! Why was it so difficult for men to keep their fists to themselves?! Well, being powerful and destructive certainly had their perks, but this wasn't the first time they were put into this kind of situation.

Right now, the dragons seemed quite far away.

"Ah, our bakery took a beating too…" she muttered to herself. "It's quite a shame, all the pastries were bought out yesterday."

Everyone glanced at a certain redhead, who had the guiltiest look on her face imaginable.

B-because of me, no one will be able to try those cakes… Erza thought to herself, quivering.

"I'll pay!" she said loudly, fire now raging in her eyes as she straightened her back. "Six hundred thousand!" Those were, after all, the best sweets she ever had in her life. She'd like to come here another time as a welcomed guest, and that possibility seemed rather bleak if they were two hundred fifty grand in debt.

"WHAT?!"

The woman's aged lips curved into a smile. "If you insist."

She didn't insist at all, they all thought.

Erza placed her palm over the counter, hovering it above the surface. With a small gust of wind, a large sum of money suddenly appeared, and everyone gave a surprised yelp.

"E-Erza-nee, that's how you keep your money?!" Romeo asked, head bandaged from last night's blast off. (He had to crawl back to the inn on his own.)

"Of course." The red head stared at him oddly, as if it were perfectly normal to keep your money in another freaking dimension. "Carrying around this much is dangerous. And I'm a travelling S-Class Mage; I haven't the time to run back and forth to a bank."

The very back of his mind thought things such as: such… ridiculous logic. Certainly, it made sense, but there were more than a few things that he could comment on. However, all he could think of at the moment was that it was extremely cool. After all, only a Fairy Tail mage could think of something like that and actually pull it off. And so, he hadn't the heart to argue her.

After thanking the innkeeper as well as Laury (it was a bit hard for her and Wendy to part ways) the group of eight left the hot springs, both relieved and regretful to leave so soon. It would have been nice to stay a bit longer, but alas, magical dragons and more heck awaited them.

"And besides," Erza said brightly. "I have several million jewels saved up. About half a million wouldn't hurt my funds too much."

For the most part, they could all only respond with mind-boggled stares, though Natsu and Gajeel yelled, "Get a mansion already!"

"What use would a mage have for a mansion?" she asked.

And I can barely pay my seventy thousand jewel rent, Lucy thought.

They slowly made their way back to town, where they settled beside a fountain. Levy pulled out the map, which was miraculously unscathed from the previous night's rumble. In terms of keeping things in good condition, the blue haired teen was easily more reliable than Lucy.

"According to this, we head east from here," the girl said, pointing at the predetermined route. "Then to Talon's Peak… where the gate should be." A large, semi-circle structure was drawn into the map, where the gate supposedly stood.

"Heck yeah! I'm all fired up!" Natsu roared. "Igneel, I'm comin' for ya'!"

"Metallicana, you're in for a hell of a lot of hurt." Gajeel grinned as he rolled his shoulder. If the iron lizard thinks he can just waltz away from his son and get away with it, he's got another thing coming.

"Grandeeney…" Wendy whispered softly, hand tightening around the strap of her bag. It contained the book the old dragoness had left her, and she couldn't bear to keep it out of her sight.

The others smiled, eyes bright with joy. If the three really got a chance to see their parents after so long… then they'll take that chance and make it happen, no matter what it takes. After all, that's what they were here for.

"Alright, we'll push on." Erza put her hand out, and shouted, "Let's go!"

Everyone else immediately followed suit, Happy and Charle contributing from below. "Hai!" they echoed, loud and clear.

Only did their voices die down did they notice the various mutters floating around them. The awkwardness between them and the public grew with every turned head and stare.

"Er…" Lucy gathered up all her friends and proceeded to push them from behind. "We'll be leaving now. Have a nice day!"

And on that happy note, they set off once more.

"Well, that's the gist of it." The blue haired mage pulled the hood over his head, turning towards the direction of the Magic Council. "Anyway, that magic is a dangerous one. If no one teaches Celestia how to control it, she might end up hurting herself."

Or the people around her, Jellal silently added. The little girl was an incredibly powerful mage, and that was quite clear when she somehow managed to performed magic on the council. Not only did it fully affect them, they didn't realize she had used magic at all. In all honesty, he was quite worried. She had a bright future ahead of her, and for her to go down the wrong path like he did… that's the absolute last thing he wanted. He cannot allow it to happen.

But what can someone like him do?

"Oy." A sudden, annoyed voice sounded behind him, and he turned only to have a finger poked into his cheek.

"You're degrading yourself again, aren't you?" Ultear asked, continuously jabbing her finger into his skin. "I already told you, what happened back then was completely my fault. It's not fair for me if you keep getting upset about it. Erza told you too, right?" The woman ceased her poking, and crossed her arms. "Move on. That's the first step to helping Celestia."

"…Right." It's not as if he'd forgiven himself completely—he doubted he ever will—but at times like this, he was glad that a perceptive woman like Ultear was around. For now, he'll push those thoughts aside, just as he had done whenever he faced a Dark Guild.

"Off to the Magic Council!" Meredy cheered, pulling on her cloak.

"Yep." Jellal smirked. "Let's go!"

He didn't know what he would do when he found her. He wouldn't know how to help her if he found her. But for now… to see her smiling, to see she was safe was enough.

"Juvia!"

"Yes Gray-sama!" Juvia screeched as she flailed in the air, the rocks beneath her feet giving way. The Ice Mage quickly yanked her back, wishing quite fervently to be able to perform Ice Magic, but the annoying relic in his left hand made it impossible. Well, perhaps not impossible, but he refused to use only one hand to perform magic.

This place was a total menace! Never in his life had Gray come upon such a frustrating puzzle. This whole temple, riddled with traps, tricks, and mind-fuckers galore made him want to absolute destroy it!

Unfortunately, the destroying would have to come after they got out… if they managed to get out. And even if they did, he doubted the place would hold up long enough for him to satisfy his unparalleled rage.

Shifting the relic to under his arm and keeping a tight hold on Juvia's wrist, he smacked away any flying objects that could potentially harm them and interfere with their escape, the Water Mage doing what she could from the back. He almost screamed for dear life when a volley of arrows charged straight at them from the far side of the wall, but Juvia was able to quickly put up a water shield to deflect the projectiles and pretty much save both their lives.

A small, circle of light suddenly appeared in front of him, growing larger by the second. "Almost there!" he shouted, squinting his eyes against the light.

Finally, the two broke out of darkness and into the clear sky, and time seemed to freeze as they floated in the air, both with huge smiles on their faces. They got one. They got one relic! Now, there were only two left…

He patiently waited for the bridge they had used to enter the place to make contact with his feet, until he had the thought to long down… and saw nothing but pitch black.

"…What the hell?!" Gray screamed as they began their descent, the rate at which they were falling only increasing by the second.

While politely averting his gaze from Juvia, who was struggling to keep her skirt down, he carefully let go of the relic, making sure it was right nearby as they fell.

Slapping his fist on his hand, he shouted over the wind, "Ice Make: Floors!" Careful to make each layer just slightly thicker, the Ice Mage created several dozen layers of ice right beneath them, the large, glittering sheet spreading from wall to wall of the valley, each helping to slow their fall as they plunged through, until Gray deemed it possible to land on solid ice without breaking their ankles.

Putting everything he had into it, the final floor was made, and they stood upon its surface. He caught the relic in his hand just a few seconds later, the wooden figure having obediently fell alongside them. Sweating, he leaned his head towards the sky and clucked his tongue. They fell annoyingly far. "Are you alright?" he asked his partner in the mission, turning towards her to double-check.

"Y-yes Gray-sama!" Juvia quickly responded. Predicting Gray's next move, she held out her hand and he tossed the relic to her, the woman catching it easily.

"You know you can just call me Gray, right?" he said as he prepared a set of stairs to take them up.

Juvia only pouted in response. "Hm… but Gray-sama is Gray-sama."

Unable to see any further up, he decided to ascend the stairs and just extend it as they went along. "But we're all friends. Saying I'm above you is kinda weird, especially since you're the S-Class."

And it seems like an unnecessary mouthful, he thought as he sighed. People should take advantage of short names, they were easier to say.

But then again, it wasn't really like him to be upset about these types of things. Nah, upset wasn't the right word. He rarely ever got upset at all, and that hadn't changed. But lately, every time she calls him 'Gray-sama,' his mind had subconsciously taken note of it and turned it into a strange, strange feeling, that the boy would prefer not to have.

However, Juvia showed no signs of budging. "Alright, if you say so," he sighed.

Jellal stared at the scene before him, eyes wide and trembling with uncertainty. "…What's going on here?!" Solder after soldier poured out of the Magic Council, the higher ups shouting orders to the bustling men. The Magic Council seemed to be in chaos.

Feeling that this was a bad time to make himself known, Jellal found a place in the tree near enough to hear a few conversations, Meredy and Ultear positioned around the building to do the same.

"Find out where she is immediately!" someone shouted. "They were last seen heading towards the forest!"

"Sir, would it not be easier to track her by her bracelet?" a soldier asked.

"Oh, that's right! We'll track her using the bracelet that is broken to pieces in the kitchen," the squad leader snapped, throwing in a cuff to the head. "Do you take us all for idiots?! Do your job!"

"Yes, sir!"

Jellal gave a dry laugh. "So this is how they act." In all honesty, he expected the lot to be an uptight bunch of robots.

But that's not the point now, is it? the blue haired teen asked himself. He knew that Celestia wore a bracelet just as he did within the walls of the council, the bracelet of criminals. With all the powerhouses they've arrested over the past century, it was refined to a point near indestructibility. Did she break it herself?

No, he decided. From what he's seen, she hasn't yet learned how to use her magic offensively. And such a thing was impossible unless someone were to teach her.

He shook his head, not wanting over-think himself so early in the morning. Shooting up a faint spark of his magic, he signaled for the three of them to meet up once again to go over the information.

Meredy went first, munching on a piece of bread. "The chef said something went on in the kitchen. I checked out the storage room myself, and there were these really weird letters written in blood." The girl made a face, then tossed her snack for the birds. Her appetite left her as quickly as it had come.

"Can you write one?" Ultear asked.

"I memorized them all, but this was the first one." Using one of her magic swords, she carved a small mark into the ground, as close as she could to the actual thing. Meredy found the deep curves in the character a bit difficult to draw.

The other two studied it thoughtfully, both with uncertain expressions on their face. "I don't know exactly what it means, but I don't like how it looks. It reminds me of Forbidden Magic," Ultear said, standing up.

"I feel the same," Jellal mused. He then glanced at the raven-haired woman, and said, "How about you? Were you able to get anything?"

"Not much," she replied. "But a couple women were talking about how the butler sprinted down the hall like his life depended on it a little while ago. He had the girl with him."

Jellal nodded. "I picked up from soldiers that her electrocution bracelet broke off, and that they ran into the woods."

"Then we can guess that they ran away from the council. They were fine the other day though, so something major must have happened," said Ultear.

Jellal could tell just by looking at the girl's butler, that he cared for her very much. The man had the eyes of someone who devoted their life to someone else, and gave off the air of a sensible, responsible person, that would make the best decisions with Celestia in mind. The council wasn't the best place to be, but it was undoubtedly safe. For him to make her leave that safety… something must have happened in there to endanger her.

"I don't think we'll be able to find them if we ran after them now. It sounds like they had a bit of a headstart," Jellal said calmly, looking around. "But if we can guess where they would go…"

"Is that even possible? For all we know, the butler could have acquaintances. He could be across the country by now, if someone outside provided him the magical means," Ultear argued.

The man blinked. "I have an idea." He whirled around, and dashed towards his new guild. If he remembered right, Cana Alberona had a kind of clairvoyance magic…

"We're going to Fairy Tail."

Keeping his head bowed low, he dashed through the woods, shielding the girl in his arms from obstructing branches and twigs. Luckily, she hadn't woken up yet.

Where can I go? Mearann asked himself, mind whirling as he ran. Right now, he was determined to run as far and fast as he needed to get away from his pursuers. But at the back of his mind, though he stubbornly denied such possibilities, that eventually his legs will give out, or they would catch up. He had only lived in this town for a few years, and spent most of the time inside the headquarters. Compared to the council, the amount he knew about the forest surrounding the building was trifle. As things are, he hadn't even slightest idea where he was headed. For all he knew he could be running in circles. But for Celestia's sake, he must not stop.

But that didn't change the fact that he couldn't keep this up forever. He had to have some sort of destination. This wasn't enough to protect her. But who could help him? Who can he trust?

Suddenly, he remembered that lone night in the building, when he encountered a blonde mage after the trial. She had witnessed one of Celestia's breakdowns.

"I understand. But please, if you ever need anything, come to my guild."

Those were her exact words. Fairy Tail… he thought. He sensed that the girl wasn't lying back then. She truly wanted to help. But would her guild feel the same way? Could he truly ask a house of strangers for help and expect anything?

Questions like these and more stormed through his mind. However, they were quickly cut short when he heard footsteps right behind him. Forcing his legs to run even faster, he wiped his mind blank of all distractions, anything to keep him going, but it was to no avail. His heart stopped as a figure suddenly appeared before him, shadowed over by the overhanging trees, but unmistakably there.

Teleportation magic. "…Doranbolt," he whispered. Out of the entire staff residing in the Headquarters, this man was the one whom Mearann trusted most. Besides the blonde, Doranbolt was the one other person who knew of Celestia's condition. Not only did he keep it a secret, despite working so closely with the higher-ups, he treated the girl as if she were his own daughter. Almost all the playthings Celestia had came from this man, who loved Doranbolt back. Whenever the mage found free time in his busy schedule, he would stop by and visit, playing along with her silly antics.

Yet here he was right in front of him, included in the chase to capture Celestia because of his abilities.

No matter. I'll stop any threat to Celestia… even if it is Doranbolt. Behind him, Mearann's hand clenched into a fist, slowly drawing out the magic power he hadn't used for almost two decades.

"It's that again, right?" Doranbolt's sudden question broke his concentration, causing his magic to dissipate. He cursed himself under his breath. The person in front of him sent him a calculating stare, and even at this distance, he can see his own, resolved expression reflected in Doranbolt's eyes. Slowly, the man drew out a blade, small, but unmistakably sharp.

He… plans to use it? Mearann thought, horrified and almost sick to his stomach. He would point a knife at this girl?

A small, sad smile slowly spread over his face, eyes still shadowed over. "You stabbed me," Doranbolt said simply. Before the butler had any time to contemplate just what those words meant, he quickly turned the knife so the pointed end faced him, and plunged it into his own abdomen. Knees first, the council member fell to the ground.

"Doranbolt?!" he gasped, wondering what on Earth he was doing.

"I fell," he continued, not meeting his eyes. "And… you ran past me."

I see…, he thought, finally realizing his intentions. You never wanted to hurt her, did you?

Doranbolt smirked. "I couldn't keep up."

Mearann ran ahead, time slowing as he passed him. For that one moment, their eyes met, and Doranbolt broke into a grin. "And you escaped."

His feet slammed into the ground as he moved onward, tears welling up in his eyes. Faster and faster he ran, without once looking back.

Shortly, as he expected to happen sooner or later, Celestia awoke, rubbing at her eyes.

"Oh, Mearann?" she asked, trying to peer around him. "Why are we running?"

In response, he hugged her tighter, and said, "We're going to visit someone."

She looked up at him, knowing something was wrong, but feeling that now wasn't the right time to ask. "Who?"

There was only one option. "Fairy Tail."

…

Doranbolt stared up at the sky, lying flat on his back, the blade still protruding from his middle. He knew better than to take it out; if he did, he'd probably die of blood loss. He didn't mind doing this for them, but… perhaps who stuck it in a bit too far.

Hm… the sky is quite gorgeous today, he thought, smiling. Ever since he came back from Tenrou, his life had been running from one place to the next. It's been a while since he got a chance to look at the scenery.

Ironically, if no one found him, it would probably be his last. He almost wanted to laugh. He closed his eyes, now feeling the sunlight a bit much for him. Leaves crunched nearby, and several moments later, he opened his eyes again to see Lahar.

"Doranbolt," the man said. From what he could see from here, he didn't look exactly happy.

His mouth quirked into a smile. "Lahar. Nice to see you."

"You're a fool," he sighed, carefully pulling him up and slinging his arm across his shoulders.

"I know," he replied. "I've always been."

Careful not to touch the knife, he helped Doranbolt tread through the forest, supporting him the whole while. "You do realize you're probably going to be punished, correct?"

His smile only widened. "I do."

"I'll try to help your case, but your sentence will be at least a couple months off duty."

"No, just do what you need to. Don't trouble yourself so much with me," Doranbolt said, concentrating on keeping most his weight off Lahar.

The other man suddenly jostled him, forcing him to lean a bit more on the taller man. "I will. I always have been."

…Stubborn, he thought amusedly. Not for the first time, he was glad someone like Lahar was around.

Doranbolt didn't regret helping them. For them, he'll withstand anything the council throws at him. Not just for Celestia, though God only knows how much he loves her. But for her as well. For her, he will gladly be called a fool as many times as it took.

After all, Adelais… he thought, watching quietly as the birds above soared by. …you're the only woman I've ever loved.

For Natsu and crew, the day passed by quite quickly. And although none were spared from the evil clutches of mud, dirt, and more mud (they had to tread through a swamp, with the exception of the Exceeds) they were in rather good spirits. Levy had informed them that they had covered the seemingly vast distance much more quickly than she expected, meaning they will reach the gate on their third day.

Gathered around a blazing fire, they laughed and talked as they ate, feasting the night away. As the saying goes, you can take a Fairy Tail mage out of Fairy Tail, but you can't take the Fairy Tail out of a mage. No matter where they went, someone will undoubtedly find something to celebrate. This night was no exception. After all, they were about to meet dragons, creatures that haven't been so much as glanced at by the human eye since X777. Before recently, they could only dream of such a thing happening, yet a mere day from now, they will come face to face with the elusive beats themselves.

But, although looking forward to the meeting, they still braced themselves for the worst. For the most part, anyhow. Natsu, as one could expect, was seemingly fixed on seeing Igneel tomorrow. The possibility that something could prevent that from happening was clear out of his mind's range. Gajeel was quite hopeful as well, but a small part of him held onto the fact that he may be disappointed, so should that happen, he'll be prepared to put on a brave face. Wendy, though probably the most overjoyed, was also the most doubtful. The girl was incredibly happy that a chance like this had come, but also boundlessly worried that her old mother may not be there. After all, it's been almost fifteen years. Plenty of things could have happened, and the more logical part of her mind knew this well.

After they finished eating, and the fire dimmed considerably, Levy suddenly lowered her voice, and said, "Wanna hear a scary story?"

"KYA! No! I refuse! I absolutely refuse!" Lucy shrieked. Although the short, blue-haired teen didn't look the part, she was a genius at telling scaring stories. She used her magic effectively to bring out visual spooky effects at the right moments, giving her the air of a pro. After hearing Levy McGarden tell a single scary story, Lucy vowed: never again. The blonde didn't think she slept well for a month.

"Aw, Lu-chan. It's fun!" Levy said teasingly, remembering all too well her reaction.

But Lucy had already summoned her Clock Spirit, hiding inside the structure with her back facing against them. Though the rest couldn't hear a thing she was saying, everyone guessed she was only muttering more protests.

Erza was there that day as well, and she admitted being frightened. "I'd like to hear another one. It was bloodcurdling, but I found it enjoyable nonetheless."

"Y-you tried to kill me after," Levy said nervously. Right after the red-head regained her bearings, she threw herself on her in a fit raging of tears, hacking at her with a sword… and shortly passed out afterwards, with no memory of what happened whatsoever.

Erza blinked. "Did I?"

"As if Shrimp telling a story could scare me," Gajeel snorted absently, throwing twigs into the fire.

Levy's eyebrow twitched, as she retorted, "Don't count your dragons before they hatch! I will definitely scare you! That's the promise of a mage!"

"Oh, really now?" He grinned. "You shouldn't throw around those words so easily. If you mess up, you won't be able to call yourself a mage anymore."

"'Fail' isn't in my vocabulary," she said confidently, standing up and settling in a position to face everyone. "I'll scare the absolute crap out of you. And when I do, you buy me a smoothie when we get back."

"What's a smoothie have to do with scaring the crap out of me?"

"Cravings."

Gajeel made a bored face. "I still don't get it, but whatever."

In response, she cleared her throat. "Once upon a time, on the night of a full moon…"

Everyone listened intently as she told her story, with the exception of Natsu, who had fallen asleep right after eating, and Lucy, who was still cooped up in the grandfather clock, though she snuck glances over her shoulder every now and then. Just as Lucy had described, Levy strategically used her versatile magic to deepen the mood of the story, creating cold breezes, white wisps of smoke, and even once a swarm of bats, which swooped past them before disappearing into the sky.

Romeo shuddered; he didn't know how much longer he can keep his scream in.

"Scaredy-cat," Happy teased.

"Who's the cat?"

Wendy's head bobbed as she tried to stay awake. The story was very much scaring her, but it was well past the hour she usually slept at. Charle, who usually goes to sleep even earlier, was already snoring away in Wendy's lap.

Levy, who noticed all this, thought, Hm… Better wrap this up. Though she refused to stare at him directly, from the corner of her eye she saw the Iron Dragon Slayer's bravado wavering. Unfortunately, she couldn't get much more than that out of him—it was now or never. And frankly, unless there were benefits, she liked to get things over with.

Levy lowered her voice to almost an inaudible whisper. "And then she said…"

"I'm sorry Lucy-sama, my time has expired. Good night to you," said Horologium, who vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a petrified Celestial Spirit Mage.

"KYA! No, an extension! I request an extension!" This was not happening. This was so not happening! Levy wasn't done yet!

There is absolutely no way I'm going to—

Before she could cover her ears, however, Levy suddenly ramped up from her quiet tone, creating a humongous shadow behind her, and screeched, "YOUR HEAD IS MINE!"

Wendy, who was unfortunately caught off guard while yawning, let out a strangled, choking scream. Erza's jaw dropped as she paled considerably, shaking while croaking out unintelligible words. Meanwhile, Lucy's, Happy's and Romeo's screams filled the night sky, combining into a song of sheer terror.

However Gajeel, who was the Script Mage's main target, was soundly passed out, white as a bone with a lingering spirit floating from his hung open jaw.

…Did I overdo it? she thought. She wanted to scare him, but there was no way she could get her smoothie without audible proof she did.

Sensing an ominous presence on the right, Levy then turned, and jumped in surprise.

"Levy…" Erza growled, eyes white with anger while tears streamed profusely. "I will destroy you!"

"W-w-w-wait! No!" Levy shrieked as she dodged the Requip Mage, who was blindly swinging her blade. Surely, a girl could tell a horror story without risking her life!

For crying out loud, why?!

"Er… this one?" Jellal pointed at the card on the bottom right, which Cana turned over.

"Geez, Jellal…" Meredy yawned from the side. "You were so hyped up about finding her before, but here you are playing cards with Cana-chan."

His eye twitched. "I told you, we're using this to track her down."

"But will a couple cards really help us find her?" the girl asked skeptically, watching as the Card Mage analyzed them.

"Don't doubt me, girly. This worked before," she said, taking another sip of her drink.

"But not all the time, I presume?" Ultear asked.

"Nope. But it's not like it gives wrong results. Either it shows or it doesn't." the brown-haired woman explained. "Take another one."

Jellal reached for one in the middle when the door suddenly slammed open, and table shook, shifting the cards all over the place, to which Cana clucked her tongue.

They all turned towards the doorway, surprised to see a figure drenched with rain. The person looked up, a pleading look on his place, and a familiar girl in his arms. Jellal's eyes widened. Could it be…?

"I don't care what you do to me," the butler breathed heavily. "But please, help her." He set the girl down on her feet, and collapsed on the floor. The guild broke into murmurs, and crowded around the scene.

"Celestia!" Jellal jumped up from his seat, jostling the cards even more.

"Oh, you're that man!" she called, pointing at him.

"Dear, you're bleeding!" Mirajane cried as she rushed to get a bandage for Celestia's still-bleeding finger.

Makarov nodded at Mearann, and said, "You can rest easy, we'll take over from here." Turning, he asked Meredy, "Would you take him to our medical room?"

"N-no!" Mearann said quickly. "I'd like to explain what's going on first. Barging in and taking advantage of your hospitality… it doesn't sit well with me. The very least I can do is inform you of a few things."

"But you look exhausted!" Mirajane protested. "Please rest for now, we can—"

"No, it's fine," Makarov cut in. He would agree that this young man looked about ready to drop, but he didn't want him to be uncomfortable. If this was what it took to make him more settled in, so be it. "Please, say your thoughts. But before that, may I ask your name?"

"Of course." He took a deep breath, then cleared his throat. "I'm Mearann, and I'm this young lady's butler. I believe you know of her already, but her name is Celestia, and she's the Teller you saw at Jellal Fernandez's trial the other day. Pleased to make your acquaintance." He then bowed, and without being told, Celestia did the same.

"Th-thank you!" she said. She hadn't the slightest idea what was going on, but even she could tell that they were helping her somehow.

"Rise," Makarov said firmly. "Within these walls we're comrades. Such formality is not necessary." The two did as he said, and he jumped down from his previous spot on the counter. "I am Makarov Dreyar, the third, sixth and current master of this guild, as well as one of the Ten Wizard Saints. My children and I welcome you."

Relieved, he sighed, "Thank you very much. You have my gratitude."

"It's no problem," the man replied, waving it off. "Thanks to you and that girl, our family gained three strong members. You have our thanks as well. Kinana, would you take Celestia for a bit?"

"Of course master," the indigo-haired girl responded. Taking the little girl's hand, she led her up the stairs, being surprisingly cooperative.

After the two were out of sight, Makarov adorned a serious expression, and asked, "Now… what is it you'd like to say?"

"I humbly ask that you shelter us for the time being. Celestia is having some trouble controlling her magic right now and caused a bit of an uproar at Headquarters. I feared the worst if we stayed there."

"Hm… I suspected as much," Makarov mused. "That spell she cast the other day was certainly impressive. It affected the majority of the Saints. However, she's simply too young. It's too much to hope she wouldn't be affected in some manner after going through something like that."

Jellal blinked as the old man turned towards him. "You foresaw this as well, did you not, Jellal?"

"Yes," he replied. "She has to learn how to control that magic as soon as possible. I was actually looking for you two in order to ask you about it."

The man suddenly grinned, and Jellal edged backwards in response. "And your magic is similar, correct?"

"Yes," he repeated, trying to keep his composure. Just what is Makarov planning?

"Very well then." Makarov turned back to Mearann, looking as though everything is solved. "Jellal Fernandez shall teach Celestia how to properly use her magic."

The said mage gaped. "What?!"

"Are there any problems?" he asked the butler.

He gave a small smile. "Not at all. Celestia had already taken a liking to you."

Jellal waved his hands frantically in protest. "W-w-w-wait a second, I got out of jail last week, and you want me to be a teacher?! I worked in an independent guild for almost seven years! I was used as a vessel for the most evil being on Earthland! I'm still trying to get used to the 'wreak havoc and run' thing—"

"What stripper told you that?" Cana called, trying to hold in her laughter.

"The only stripper!" he responded hastily.

"Mouu, Jellal can't wreck havoc. He's too nice," Meredy said to Ultear, sipping at a glass of water.

"Indeed. He's the kind of guy who can't stand leaving a debt," the raven-haired woman agreed.

"He's a neat freak too." The pink-haired mage echoed, recalling how he nagged them to keep their hideout clean constantly.

"Definitely."

"Is that really what you think of me?!" he half-screeched.

Now reverting to loud whispers, Meredy concluded, "He'd make a nice maid."

A tick mark appeared on his forehead. "I can still—" He then paused and whirled around to see Mearann heading up the stairs, following Mira, and Makarov returned to his usual place on the counter. "Wait a second, don't make this official! I can't teach to save a life!"

"Come on Jellal, you said yourself her magic is rare, right? If you don't teach her, who will?" Ultear said. Jellal's face darkened as he struggled for an answer. "Besides, she saved your life. You can think of this as repaying her… as the guy who can't stand leaving debts."

"Stop calling me the guy who can't stand leaving debts! And—and…" he trailed off, only to mumble, "Fine." He had decided that she couldn't walk his path. What better way to ensure that then preventing it himself?

Plenty, he thought drily. He's a man of many traits, but he didn't consider reliability to be one of them.

Muttering half-assed insults about the two women he spent more than half a decade with, he stalked out of the guild and towards the boys' dorms. (He had recently rented a room for himself there.)

Quickly enough, he disappeared from their sights. "Hey, can he really do it?" Cana asked the girls. "Not to insult or anything, but he looks somewhat weak-willed."

"He will," Meredy said immediately. "He's not all that confident, but if he says he'll do something, he will do it. Though it is hard to get him to agree to something, he's a man of his word. That's the kinda guy he is," the pinkette laughed.

Cana smiled, and took another drink. "Interesting."

"Just one more mountain to climb!" Natsu shouted gleefully, tilting his head to look at the mountain.

This was it; Talon's Peak. After they climbed this thing, they'll find the Gate. Unfortunately, there was one small problem…

"What kind of cliff goes straight up like that?! Huh?!" Lucy screeched, practically crying. That thing looked impossibly high! There were no footholds or anything! Climbing it was most definitely impossible!

And after we came so far… she sobbed silently. Sure, she had her doubts coming here, but after all the walking they did, walking back without having done what they came for sounded awful.

"Who cares if it's flat or whatever? I'm climbing it!" The Fire Dragon Slayer said, already hustling up the stone wall. Needless to say, he slid back down after going fifteen or so feet.

…Idiot, they all thought, a slow breeze passing by.

"Hm…" He rubbed at his chin, staring at it critically. "Why don't we just try this then?" Without further ado, a long, ropelike flame extended from his fingertips, burying themselves into the rock. Using his fire, he swung himself up, shooting even more flames out as he went along, steadily making his way up. After that incident with Erigor, he had mastered using his flame for climbing.

"Woah…" a certain blonde breathed. Can he actually make it up like that?

Such thoughts were immediately erased, however, as Natsu shortly came plunging back to earth.

After removing his head from the ground, Natsu raged, "What happened?! My flames just disappeared all of a sudden!'

"The altitude must have been too high," Gajeel commented. "Doesn't matter even if it's you, Salamander. If there ain't oxygen, your flames won't burn."

This simple explanation completely went over the pink-haired teen's head, and he protested, "What are you trying to do, using big-ass words I don't understand! I thought you were an idiot!"

"Shaddap! You know how many times that metal ass made me go over the periodic table?! You should be lucky, not having to learn all your elements and crap!" For some reason, Metallicana had thought it important he not only learn the properties of metal, but of the whole world known to mankind. Not to say it didn't come in handy at times, but it took more than once of recitations to memorize every single one. (Not to mention the dragon didn't allow him to eat until he did.)

As the two squabbled, Erza requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor, curious as to whether flying would work.

"Here I go," she stated, before zipping off into the air. Everyone squinted to look at her, the sun finally deciding to come out.

Moments later, she came clumsily sliding down the cliff, blade firmly lodged to slow her fall.

"For some reason, my armor disappeared while I was up there…" she explained, wiping at her brow.

"You were too high up," Levy responded taking initiative. "The higher into the atmosphere you go, the less Ethernanos there is. To balance out the Ethernanos in the air and in your body, the amount of magic you use is greatly increased."

"So that's how it is," Erza mused.

"Then… how are we supposed to get up there?" Lucy asked tremulously.

"Ugh, enough of this!" Natsu yelled. "If we can't use magic on the top, then use it on the bottom!"

Everyone blinked. "Eh?"

The mage then turned and ferociously punched at the cliff, fist alight with flames, and a loud thud resounded in the boulder. Almost instantaneously, a large portion of the bottom of the cliff broke away, the others above falling to the ground to replace them. Dust stirred to reveal Natsu, standing with a smirk on his face.

"See?" he snorted.

"You are insane, Salamander… but I like it. It's simple." Gajeel said, rolling his shoulder as he prepared to jump in.

"Allow me." Erza smirked, and requipped once more, this time into her Purgatory Armor.

"Man, you guys are crazy!" Lucy whined, all the while summoning Scorpio, Taurus, and Gemini, who voluntarily took Natsu's form, to help.

Wendy, Romeo, and Levy prepared their attacks, ready to fling their spells at the obstacle at a moment's notice.

In sync with Gemini, Natsu aimed at the cliff and roared, "Fist of the Fire Dragon!" An onslaught of attacks from the others quickly followed, the air filled with battle cries, as the structure completely collapsed.

And in this way, they managed to turn the incredibly steep cliff to a manageable slope. Though quite rocky and uneven, it was, at least, possible to ascend on foot.

"Let's go!" shouted the pink-haired teen as he dashed up the rocks.

Happy grinned, and flew after him. "Aye!" Without any further discussion, and all grinning without fail, they hastily followed, hearts racing as they sprinted upwards.

In a mere hour, they made it to the top. Everyone, now somewhat tired from the running and use of magic, tried to catch their breath. They peered around, surprised to see nothing about them but a large, perfectly round clearing, lined with large stones and an even larger pair in the middle.

"What's… this?" Wendy asked, feeling slightly on edge. She couldn't place it… but this place somehow felt powerful. Like something with great power walked upon this land, once upon a time.

"It's here," Levy said, walking over to the middle. The two rocks were distanced a couple dozen meters apart, each etched with strange markings. Grinning, the blue haired teen whipped out a large scroll, pushing wind-reading glasses on her nose. "The carvings back in the cave described this part too. Leave this to me!" She pushed on a silver bracelet, a magic tool that she steadily stored magic power in for purposes like these. With the lack of magic power up here, she'll need it.

She focused her magic power on the air in front of her, and the markings on the rocks glowed in response. Intensifying it, letters appeared in the air between the stones, and she rapidly began rewriting it. She was prepared for this: these letters were the exact same thing as back there. She wrote every single letter down in this scroll, to use as a reference for now. With the aid of her glasses, she quickly read through the letters, using that of the scrolls to translate them right in her mind and cancel them out on the spot. She wasn't sure how she was doing this, nor why. All she knew, was the adrenaline rushing in her blood and the passion in her heart, giving her all the strength she needed to open this gate.

All things were going smoothly for Levy… until suddenly, she came upon a block. A letter she hadn't seen before, right at the end.

I… I don't know this letter, she thought, eyes wide as she sank to her knees. They were so close! If she failed now… if she failed…

"Levy?!" Lucy asked, rushing over. What's wrong?! She was so amazing just seconds ago!

"I-I'm sorry, Lu-chan. I'm sorry everyone… I'm stuck here. This one letter, I have no idea what it is! I don't have the materials I need to figure it out!" she choked, trying to pull back tears.

"Ignite." A calm voice suddenly sounded from behind them, and they turned to see Natsu, who thoughtfully looked at the letter. "Igneel never taught me these words. But I asked him one day how he got his name. He showed me this." Natsu pointed carefully at the character Levy's pen hovered over. "Ignite: to spark a flame," he echoed, remembering the exact words the Fire Dragon had told him back then. "That's what it means."

"Ignite?..." Levy looked at him, then broke into a grin. Wiping her tears, she shot up, placing the last piece of the puzzle. "Got it!"

The letters whited out, and light seemed to explode. They squinted against it, trying to see what was going on as they were being pushed back. Doors larger than life appeared before them, slowly widening to release its rays. Straightening up, they gazed at the doorway in awe, their minds blank as they stood silently in lack of words. They had done it.

The Gate… was open.

And from that moment, the gears of fate began to turn.

Gajeel Redfox learning the periodic table. I have no idea why I find this so funny, I just do. :') Next chapter, they meet the dragons! I already got their personalities down, and Metallicana is one crazy guy. O.o I'm not a scientist or mathematician or whatever, and I'm just taking information I remember from Fairy Tail (plus I'm pretty tired) so I'm sorry if I got something weird in here. If there is, kindly tell me so I can fix it, thanks. :D Hnnnn I haven't wrote NaLu fluff in a while. =m= I'm not sure why, but I kind of lost my touch for it. I'll make sure to get it back eventually though, orz. (I am so sorry if this seemed rushed, I just wanted to move the plot along ;_;) Also, I think I made some terrible plot mistakes in past chapters. ._. Oh well, it's my first fanfic.

Thanks so much for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please leave a review! They make me really happy x)

Until next time!