(A/N) Aaaaaand we're back! Again, thank you to all who reviewed. Both the words of encouragement and the critiques warm my heart. I take every single last one of them seriously.

While I prefer to let the story speak for itself, I can't deny that many of the issues that people have will not be answered for a good while yet. As such, I'll give a quick word on the two big ones, Natsu and Gray.

Natsu was never supposed to be stupider or smarter than he was in canon, and Gray was never supposed to be a dickish character that will be bashed on for the remainder of the story. Rather than OOC for no reason at all, my intention was to offer how I think their characters would be influenced by particular yet-to-be-revealed situations based on their actions in the actual Fairy Tail manga when subjected to similar circumstances. Unfortunately, I can't flat out state what parts of Mashima's work I referenced without giving away pivotal plot elements, because figuring everything out is a straight line from there.

Additionally, this 3rd person narration is limited. Anything shown to be the expressed thoughts of individuals is entirely subjective and is open to be misinterpreted by both the reader and other characters.

Hopefully, saying this now is enough to appease those that are bothered by this, at least until we get past the introductory arc. If by the time everything is out in the open, we've come to a consensus that I've "screwed the pooch", then I'll no joke rewrite the whole thing, and start considering different approaches. This story will continue to have random bouts of crack-y humour, but I don't want that to mean that I don't give weight to the credibility of my cast.

With all that babbling out of the way, please enjoy.:)

xxxxxxx

As they made their way back into town as quickly as they could, riding the magical vehicle they bullied the dark mages into relinquishing, Natsu tried to suppress the trepidation that swelled within him.

He didn't want to deal with them right now, especially if there was one of his brother's weapons about to be used. Unfortunately, the logical part of him –small as it was– told him that he might have to either way.

It was probably their fault, to begin with. If a "third party" was using a Death Magic tool to such lengths, it had to be them.

Tartaros.

He frowned. There wasn't so much as a peep from them in a long time. It was only right that they'd break their silence this way.

"Natsu."

He caught sight of Erza's worry in his peripheral vision. Come to think of it, she probably came to the same conclusion as he did, right?

It would only make sense. If she didn't at least suspect it, she wouldn't have bothered bringing him along, let alone Gray.

He tried his best to was her worries away with a bright smile. "We got this! Let's go kick that flute's ass!"

Lucy sweatdropped. "You mean Erigor's?"

"That's what I said!"

He laughed it off innocently.

But that was a fair point. Was it just a tool? Or was it a…

"There's the station!" Gray shouted.

xxxxxxx

People were running. People were screaming. People feared them.

People feared him.

Good.

Erigor chuckled as his borrowed army marched its way through Oshibana Train Station's security. There was nothing regular humans could do against these freaks of nature.

Still, it was annoying that they were stealing the spotlight. He should be the center of attention. He was supposed to take the credit here. Not them.

For now, he'd have to settle with the knowledge that all those that shunned him would repent.

"Hurry up!" he ordered. "We have places to be!"

This wasn't the objective, but merely a "pit stop"; a way to "sponsor" Eisenwald's endeavors. He didn't give a rat's ass about any of the civilians here –seeing them crumble at his feet would be a sure way to put a smile on his face, regardless– but there would be no sweeter joy than when he'd see the Guild Masters all wither and die before those that they had shunned.

The dark guilds had alliances of their own, but nothing so formal as what the Magic Council had formed. Somehow, they thought that their goals aligned with those of Eisenwald, but he wasn't stupid enough to ask what those were.

Not that it mattered. Things were going his way, for once… for the most part.

He frowned. Kageyama should've been back with the others by now. Was there a hold-up? At this rate, he would have to go through with the plan on his own.

Stewing in his own thoughts, he sedately made his way to the station's broadcasting hub flanked by a pair of his employer's goons as well as his own guild's new recruit. He pulled the flute out of his robes–

The whole building shook.

"Go see what that was," he commanded one of the two at his side. He didn't have time for distractions– definitely not when he was so close.

…The door was locked.

And the "hired help" kicked it down. That worked too, he supposed.

The building shook again.

This time, he was annoyed. "What in the hell–"

"You're Eisenwald's Erigor."

An armoured figure stood at the door. The soldier that he had sent out to investigate laid inanimate at its feet.

xxxxxxx

Lucy couldn't bring her jaw back up. The whole ground floor of the station…

It was frozen over.

It was like a switch in Gray was flipped. He saw the strangely-dressed men, and he turned the place into some sort of contained ice age replica without having thought twice.

No one else seemed to mind, though. Not Natsu, not Erza, and not Happy. The other woman had already run ahead, telling them to take care of any "stragglers", as she called them.

"That confirms it. I hope you're ready, Natsu," Gray asked his guildmate calmly– something the blonde hadn't expected.

Natsu pouted. "Yeah, yeah."

What? Were they expecting something more to happen?

"Say… things aren't looking too crowded, right? Outside, that is," the pinkette asked the room.

"You're right, as a matter of fact," remarked the ice wizard. "I'm guessing the civilians had already evacuated when these guys showed up– or hoping, at least."

Natsu sighed. "That's a relief. There would be a lot more trouble, otherwise."

The uniformed men that weren't frozen solid were few in number. Despite that, none seemed perturbed by the crippling blow to their forces.

Gray slammed his fist into the palm of his hand. "One last push!"

The ground trembled beneath them before he had a chance to act. He canceled his spell in order to maintain his footing, but their opponents weren't so lucky. Debris and rubble fell from the ceiling, crushing the goons.

"ROAAAAAAAR!"

xxxxxxx

"Titania of Fairy Tail," Erigor greeted her, though his tone was far from polite. "I do not have time for you, unfortunately. Were it any other occasion, I'd deal with you myself. As it stands–"

Erza had already driven her fist into his nose before he could finish speaking.

"Erigor!" the Eisenwald mage next to him cried in panic.

The remaining uniformed figure tried to attack her while she was distracted, but the armor-clad woman backhanded them cleanly in the side of the head. The figure crumpled to the floor.

"You bitch!"

Eisenwald's Ace wasn't going to be held down for long. He swung his scythe in wide arcs, bending the air around him and launching it as projectiles in a show of powerful wind magic. Regardless, Titania stood firm and took the assault unflinchingly. The armoured suit didn't even so much as rattle.

The dark mage growled. "Stop looking down on me! Acting all high and mighty… for what? To prove a point? To teach us a lesson?"

"…"

Erza's silence wasn't well-received.

"Fine then!" Erigor hobbled over to the broadcast console. He made a show of bringing Lullaby –an instrument of death– to his lips. "I didn't want to jump the gun, but I've had it up to here with you! Suffer in hell knowing the lives of all these innocent people are on your head, you worthless fly! You'll die, they'll die, and– grrk…!"

Erigor's chest exploded outwards. Splatters of blood landed on the Fairy Tail mage's feet as the now-corpse fell lifelessly in front of her.

The redhead, caught by surprise, quickly looked to the only possible perpetrator.

The unassuming dark mage that Erigor brought with him sighed heavily. One of his hands was smoking from the use of some sort of magic. "I didn't want to do that, Erigor, really I didn't, but if you kept dragging things out for the sake of theatrics we'd be here all day."

"You…" Erza choked out. "You killed him! He was your comrade!"

The mage shook his head with a sad smile. "No, he was just tool– albeit one that wasn't as useful as we had hoped. Regardless, he fulfilled his duties; I can't in good faith fault him for anything beyond that."

Seeing the traitorous man pointing his arm threateningly in her direction, the legal mage quickly raised her sword in a motion to defend herself. Her eyes widened immediately after noticing the sheer concentration of magical power gathering at his fingertips.

She changed strategies. Making full use of her requip magic, her steel plates were replaced by a set much more durable. As two halves of a shield were brought closed before her, she had on her shoulders a castle wall that put any of her other defenses to shame.

The attack landed, and Erza grit her teeth has her arms buckled behind her shield.

Who was this man? He was many times stronger than Erigor himself, so why follow him?

…No. He made it very clear that Eisenwald was nothing more than a means to an end.

She remembered the figures that accompanied them; she remembered how unnatural they seemed. Doubtlessly, Natsu and Gray had caught on too.

So that was it, then.

The onslaught came to an end, and the woman immediately dismissed her defensive garb in favour of a more combative one.

If her other armours made her out to be a hero, then this one was their complete opposite in that it would suit the most villainous of tyrants. Black, jagged plates were crowned with matching spikes that ran from shoulder to toe. The headpiece could barely be seen underneath her freed locks, but the little that protruded seemed to mock the idea that she was human, imitating some sort of beastly ear of horn.

The image was reinforced by the weapon she now carried. Was it a mace? A sword? To call it as such would be an insult to its wickedness. Despite being as tall as she was, it was carried easily in one hand.

She couldn't afford to play around anymore.

"Tartaros," she greeted, though it came out as more of an accusation. "Why bother infiltrating Eisenwald?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Lullaby seemingly materialised in his hand, causing her to panic.

"No!"

He didn't play it. An energy –as it would be wrong to call it magic– ran through the flute, causing the three eyes on its end to glow ominously.

It was dropped to the ground. Its wooden body grew into roots that slowly spread outwards.

The impostor sighed once again. "It would seem that my job is done, shameful as it is to bring our play to its climax this soon. Were Erigor a little more competent, we might have been able to do more damage."

He motioned to leave, but he was forced to dodge an overhead swing.

"Stay right where you are, you fiend!"

He smiled, unnerving her.

The ground –everything– trembled. Another strike was abandoned in favour of using the weapon as a crutch to hold herself upright once she realized her feet couldn't keep her steady.

"ROAAAAAAAR!"

It was growing too quickly. What was once a dangerous weapon was now an even more dangerous and sentient being. Its head had already pierced the ceiling, and its weight would do the same to the floor shortly.

"You have other worries, Titania," the mysterious man informed her. "It was a little difficult, but I made sure not to damage his body when we retrieved him. If you don't do something soon, Fiore might be short a couple of cities by the end of the day."

She glared at him murderously, though his laugh did well to show how little he thought of her ire.

"One more thing before I leave…"

In an instant, he appeared near the hole the creature had made. He tilted his head in order to look her in the eye. His easygoing expression fell and was replaced by a somber one.

"Tell Dragneel to come home, would you?"

When the redhead's frown became a snarl, he regained his good mood. His smile was the last thing she saw before he jumped out of sight.

"Tch. Bastard."

She couldn't chase him, and he knew it. As an S-class mage, she had to prioritize the greater threat to the people of this town.

The giant monster grew too larger for the train station to contain. It fell through one of the walls, crashing into the series of buildings next to it.

Slowly, it got to its feet.

"Haaah… It feels nice to stretch my legs, every now and then."

Its lethargic movements were unexpectedly abandoned as a wide-swinging wooden fist came to swipe the top half of the station clean off. Empowered by her armour, Erza met the attack with her weapon in a successful attempt to prevent that reality.

Unfortunately, the blow put great strain on her body. While the creature tripped and fell onto its back due to the unexpected loss of momentum, the S-class mage was forced to take a knee once more as her legs started to tremble.

This was bad. Lullaby was a problem of epic proportions onto its own. Now knowing that there were 'others' involved? 'Others' she couldn't see?

They would need Master Makarov's help. He was the only person they could trust right now.

She took a deep breath.

"NATSUUU! GO!"

From the level beneath her, an inferno shot out towards Lullaby.

xxxxxxx

They stared blankly at the gargantuan wooden mass that fell through the side of the building.

"What… is that?" Lucy squeaked.

Neither Gray, Happy nor Natsu answered, as they were caught off guard the same as her. What happened to the dark wizard she was hunting down? What the hell was this thing?

When it got to its feet and prepared to cuff the train station as a whole, they had little time to do anything other than brace themselves.

Happy flew over to Lucy and grabbed her, then moved behind the other two.

Gray shouted over his shoulder, "Get ready!"

But nothing came.

The monster seemed to have lost its footing and fell once more.

"NATSUUU! GO!"

Erza's shout came from upstairs.

Natsu's eyes widened.

Gray pushed him in the back. "Go, idiot! We don't have time to waste!"

He didn't have to be told twice.

The pink-haired man ran ahead. Once he felt he had put a reasonable amount of distance between himself and the others, his body was enveloped by a storm of flames.

A gust of hot wind shot back into their faces, and Lucy had to cover her eyes with an arm. Though deprived of her vision, she could hear some sort of muted clap.

Once she lowered her arm, Natsu was already gone.

"Lucy!"

Erza had come back down the stairs panting heavily. She was in her regular armour, though her helmet was held underarm– it was probably difficult to breathe with it on.

"Come with me. We need to get to Clover Town as quickly as we can."

"Wha–"

"There's no time! I'll explain on the way; go to the magical vehicle."

Lucy nodded with a gulp. She ran off with one last worried glance behind her.

Erza wasn't long to follow, though she addressed Gray before she did. "You know what you need to do. Run damage control until we get back."

He nodded silently.

xxxxxxx

The automotive was being pushed to its limits. Erza paid no mind to the stress she was putting on her own body, merely wiping away the beads of sweat from her forehead when too much accumulated above her brow.

"Erza…" muttered Lucy worriedly.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine," assuaged the armoured woman, though her sights were planted firmly ahead of her. "I must apologize, however. I did not think this would happen on such a simple mission."

Lucy fought every urge in her body telling her to ask which part of the mission was supposed to be simple. Instead, she focused on another important topic at hand. "What was that thing?"

"That was a demon… the product of one of the dark wizard Zeref's final infractions on this earth. That was Lullaby's true form."

The blonde's mouth flapped uselessly for a while, before she managed to get out, "An actual demon, seriously? Is it alright to leave Gray and Natsu alone? Where are we going?"

Erza's teeth ground together. It was clear that she didn't like the current situation any more than her guildmate. "Demons aren't like regular beasts or monsters. We'll need backup, and unfortunately, there are no guilds in Oshibana. The closest group of wizards are the Guild Masters in Clover Town."

Lucy nodded somberly. "I see."

The redhead didn't return the gesture. If Lucy had bothered to pay it any mind, she might have wondered if there was another reason that the woman wouldn't look her in the eye.

xxxxxxx

Despite its monstrous visage, Lullaby's expression conveyed a clear fascination with the tiny wizard glaring at it from below.

"Hmm… a disguise, maybe? I didn't realize there was another one so close to me."

The fire surrounding Natsu dispersed, though some flames remained in the shape of wings and horns.

"Fire Dragon's…"

A magic circle appeared in front of him. Fingers wrapped over his lips, he filled his lungs with as much air as he could.

"Roar!"

The spell acted in a similar fashion to a flamethrower, though on a much larger scale. Lullaby crossed its arms protectively in front of its body, avoiding any serious damage.

It laughed. "Is that all, youngling? You'll have to try a little harder than that."

Natsu clicked his tongue in annoyance. They were probably after him in the first place, so this was his problem to deal with, right? Still…

He looked around and winced. They've already ruined a good part of the town…

It would be too dangerous to go all-out here.

"Natsu!"

He looked over his shoulder. Gray stared back at him.

Despite himself, the pinkette smirked. It was good to know that the bastard still had his priorities straight.

"How shameful. As a parting gift, I'll show you what a real demon can do."

Lullaby's pores vibrated as its curse seeped out of it. If the rumours were to be believed, then any living creature would die upon contact.

With a motion of the hand, Natsu sent a wave of fire in return. The giant's three eyes widened as the flames seemed to eat its attack.

That couldn't be right, could it?

They weren't the same ones as before. It was clear that the boy was no longer using "magic".

"So this is your curse, then."

The flames didn't stop there. Like a ravenous beast, they endeavoured to consume everything around them.

They were stopped by towering walls of ice.

Natsu sent Gray a thumbs-up. He got an annoyed huff in return.

"Get ready, big guy! You're about to get your shit stomped!"

xxxxxxx

Lucy panicked as a large building came into sight. It was getting closer, and closer, and closer…

"Uhm, Erza? Maybe you should–"

"Take the wheel, Lucy."

"EEEP!"

The blonde panicked and took the controls of the speeding vehicle. The other woman had already let go and jumped out the side.

The spirit mage pumped the brakes and swiveled the steering wheel in a desperate attempt to slow down. Luckily, all of the momentum was lost a few meters away from the front entrance.

"I'm alive…" she droned. A waterfall of sweat rolled down her brow.

Erza was already gone. Seeing as how the door was kicked down, one could probably guess where she went.

Various voices could be heard from inside.

"What in the…"

"Mind yourself, girl!"

"Master, come quick!"

"Who do you think you are?"

"Erza, is that you?"

"What a bother…"

"Is the meeting over yet?"

"Guess so."

Lucy buried her face in her hands and sobbed, lamenting her decision to trust anyone from her guild to sport a modicum of common sense or survival instinct.

Moments later, Erza came back out with Master Makarov. He was straight-faced, though there was a tension in his brow.

He nodded her way.

"Let us make haste."

It was difficult for Lucy to associate the perverted-yet-easygoing old man with the serious one in front of her.

He motioned for her to move over. Makarov hooked the magic strap to his arm and sat behind the wheel.

"Hold on tight," he told her.

Before she could ask what he meant, Erza had jumped into the back seat. In the same moment, Fairy Tail's Guild Master floored it.

The blonde held onto the door handle for her dear life.

Barely a minute later, the magical vehicle swerved, barely avoiding being cratered along with the earth they had just occupied. While the machine crashed against a tree, Makarov's arms enlarged themselves to pull Lucy and a recovering Erza out of harm's way before they met the same fate.

Lucy wasn't able to process the rapid sequence before it had already happened.

From further ahead in the forest, a tall, cloaked man emerged.

"Who are you!" demanded the younger woman.

"…You didn't actually think we'd let you interfere, did you?" was his only response.

The moustache of Fairy Tail's eldest twitched as he pursed his lips. Rather than address their aggressor, he muttered under his breath, "You were right, Erza. If there are more of them, we can't let them corner Natsu."

Lucy quirked her brow, but decided she would have to bring it up later. If this man really was here to sabotage one of her guildmates, then they would have to deal with him first.

"Gate of–"

A titanic man –she would only realize it was the Master after the fact– threw an enlarged fist right at the cloaked figure. In response, the ambusher manifested a tornado around himself that forced the titan to back off lest he have his arm shredded.

"Don't start thinking that you'll be able to beat me, brat."

The tornado dissipated, revealing the hooded figure unharmed. Though his face remained hidden, his lips quirked into a smile under his beard. "Of course not, Master of Fairy Tail, but keeping you here for a little while longer will be enough."

Lucy shivered. She couldn't keep up. She wouldn't be of any help here.

It was a prospect as discouraging as it was frightening.

Weapons of all sorts flew at the bearded man. He was forced to shield himself with another tornado to avoid damage.

Erza's irises were nearly glowing, so high were her levels of exerted magical energy. They locked onto her target unflinchingly.

"Master. Lucy. You two go on ahead. I won't let this one interfere any longer."

"You're already hurt!" rebuked Fairy Tail's newest member. "You shouldn't–"

"Go!" yelled the older woman. She squared her back and prepared to engage the enemy.

"Listen to her, girl," spoke Makarov softly. "We can't waste this opportunity."

Startling her, Makarov lifted Lucy over his shoulder and took off running. A lightning bolt came crashing down on them, but it was redirected by a large, metal shield that materialized overhead.

Erza, dressed once more in her blackened armour, swung her vicious-looking weapon across her body. The amount of force she generated tore the earth in a path towards the bearded man, forcing him to step away from the retreating mages.

She grinned, though it wasn't a pretty sight. It was toothy and vindictive. "You don't have the luxury to mind anyone other than yourself… demon."

xxxxxxx

Despite the discomfort she felt being draped over the enlarged shoulder of the elderly Guild Master, Lucy was quietly lost in thought. The only sounds were the rustles of bushes as Makarov's hulking frame pushed his way through the forest at superhuman speeds.

Up until now, she was fine with Natsu and the rest keeping their secrets. As annoying as it was to deal with their bickering, she at least respected that it was their own business. It was a private affair that had nothing to do with her.

But it wasn't fair anymore.

She was stuck in the middle of it, and she didn't have a clue what was going on or why. Her life had been put at risk today, but she hadn't even been given the courtesy of an excuse, let alone an explanation.

"…Master," she spoke timidly. Luckily, she could be heard thanks to their proximity. "Please. Tell me what's going on."

He didn't answer for a moment. The only indication that he acknowledged her words was a sharp exhale.

"You remember why I said Natsu has a tighter leash than most, right?"

She thought about it. "I… think so. It was something about being too destructive when he loses his temper… I think. Does it have something to do with that one quest that no one wants to talk about?"

"…Yes. Though to say the reason is because of Natsu's… dispositions would only be a half-truth."

Her eyes widened.

"Does Natsu need to be kept in line? Most would say yes, though it isn't something I would normally enforce, were it any other circumstance."

Lucy shook her head, trying to clear it of any cobwebs in a futile attempt to better understand what she was hearing. "But you said–"

"There are people hunting that boy. Dangerous people. Whenever they manage to find him, disaster is inevitable."

A gasp. "There are people after him? Then that means… All of this…?"

"Correct. You must not tell anyone what I have just revealed to you. Do you understand, Lucy? Not even the guild."

Her shock made way for indignation on behalf of someone she was beginning to consider a friend. "How is that fair to Natsu! Because of this, he's lost face with people he considers family! He's–"

"It isn't."

The interruption caught her off guard. The wind was taken from her sails.

"It isn't fair to Natsu," he continued, "and yet these measures are necessary to maintain peace. The dark guild –Tartaros, they're called– aren't to be taken lightly. If it became public knowledge that such an entity was after a Fairy Tail mage, the Magic Council would get involved. Were that to happen, nothing good would come of it. For anyone."

"…Why Natsu? What do they want from him?"

"I don't know."

"Master–"

"I don't know, Lucy. The only people that know the details are Erza, Mirajane, Gray, and Natsu himself. They won't tell anyone, no matter how much they're asked. "

"…I see."

She still didn't have the full picture –or even that big a part of it, really– but it was a start. If nothing else, she could make a little more sense of the situation they were in at the very moment.

Their conversation was cut short as explosions went off one after the other in the distance.

"We're almost there. Are you ready, Lucy?"

All of her doubts needed to be buried for now. All that could remain was determination.

"Yes, Master!"