"Seriously, I don't know what you're talking about," Lucy said as she steadily stared at the important but dangerous wizard called Siegrain. He apprehended both her and Natsu and took them into one of the buildings in Magnolia the Magic Council was temporarily occupying.

Natsu was taken into another interrogation room and still yet had to get interrogated. Lucy, on the other hand, was a different story. She didn't know how long she was in the room with the other wizard and he didn't appear as weary as her. She knew what he planned. His intent was to make her feel discomfort until the point she broke down. Little did he know, she went through worse treatment in her training when she lived in the dark forest. Sometimes, she went on a couple of days without proper nourishment.

"Let's try this again," the low baritone broke her train of thought. He lifted both his boot clatter feet, put them on the polished wooden table and cross one over his ankle. He leaned back in his comfortably cushioned chair. The celestial wizard got the wooden chair. "You expect me to believe that you didn't know about Everlue being dead?"

The blond wanted to roll her eyes to the heavens. No matter how many times she repeated herself, he pretended he didn't hear her or he would find some other detail that led back to the old celestial wizard ending up dead. "I told you everything I know."

"Did you now?" he drawled out.

In actuality, she omitted information that was relevant such as her being a celestial wizard and she was a fugitive. But what he didn't know didn't hurt him.

"What about this book?" He pointed to the book next to his propped feet.

Her eyes darted to DayBreak. The book was a magical artifact. It was a powerful spell bounded to an item, meant to protect whoever possessed it. She glanced back at Siegrain and hoped he didn't know the significance of it. As if he read her mind, he calmly replied, "Perhaps, I should have the Archive Department look into it."

She flinched and he noted it. His lips twisted into a smirk. "Now that I think about it, I have a good idea."

It seemed like he had a big ego.

He put down his feet and made to grab the book, when she reacted first. Her hands landed on DayBreak. "You can't. It's for Mr. Melon. He requested for Fairy Tail to retrieve his book."

Siegrain's eyebrows rose. "Are you sure?"

Lucy frowned. Why would he ask her that particular question?

"You didn't read your job posting properly." Her brown eyes widened. "You remember now? You're to destroy the book and in return you're promised some money and a golden key." His large hand went into his pants pocket and he pulled out a golden key.

Her nails bit harshly into her palms, but the pain was a reminder of her suffering to get stronger. She couldn't give away her real identity just to get the golden key.

"And from your expression, you know what this is," he said as he raised the key into the air. The light from the ceiling glinted off on it. The golden piece was within her reach but at the same time it was untouchable. "I can only imagine what the celestial spirit must be feeling now that the owner is dead."

Lucy felt a tug in her heart. She didn't want others to die but one of the deadly costs to obtaining the golden keys was the original owner had to die. She bowed her head, unable to hold back the tears in her eyes.

"I hit a nerve."

She had enough. She pounded a hand down on the table while she burst out of the chair she occupied. "Don't you get it? Someone died!"

He raised his eyebrows, looking unaffected by her outburst.

"How can you sit there and act like nothing happened? Don't you have a heart?" she accused him. A tear leaked down her face. A person she didn't know died but it didn't change the fact that someone died. And the worse part about everything was it was only the beginning of the war. There were more deaths to come.

"Of course," he halted as he sat forward in his chair. His eyes, a dark green now that she got a closer view of them, turned grim. "That's why you're in here. You're being accused of murder."

Lucy's mouth fell open. Her knees buckled and she fell down onto the chair. It was a good thing the chair was sturdy.

He leaned back into his fancy chair once more, letting the information he shared digest into the blond's mind. "Why did you think you're here?"

"I..." she bit her bottom lip as another tear escaped her eye. "I thought you were questioning me."

He chuckled, causing her to stare at him in disbelief. "You must be naïve." Then he paused and stared at her intently, "Or you're good at acting."

Air froze in her lungs as her heart pumped harder in her chest. Did he see through her disguise?

She braced her hands on the armrests of her chair. "Whichever one it is, you were arrested for murder."

Furiously, she shook her head. "That can't be."

Water started to leak down her pale cheeks. She appeared disheveled with messy blond hair and unkept clothing. Then, she looked at him, her expression completely unguarded. "Then Natsu is also arrested for murder?"

Siegrain's lip tugged upward in a half-smile while he clasped both hands behind his head. He looked relaxed as he calmly regarded her. "He's a different matter."

"How?"

"Well..." His lips fully blossomed into a deadly smile. His voice was like velvet over a sharp blade. "He is under magical protection and he is registered in the Council Archive. You're not."

"But I'm applying for a position in Fairy Tail, doesn't that count?" Lucy sounded like she was pleading, but she was in a dire situation and if she didn't try to talk her way out of it, then she was going to be in Magic Council's clutches.

"As the regulation goes, you're not protected if you're not part of a magical guild."

Her eyelashes drifted downward. "Can't I just complete my job and see if I've been accepted in Fairy Tail?"

He chuckled again, his broad chest shaking slightly. Siegrain was truly handsome, except Lucy didn't like him. He was taking away her freedom she worked so hard to earn. "Even if you were accepted, it's still not enough to protect you. Your mission ended in complete failure."

And right before the Council member, her expression crumbled. Tears spilled freely from her eyes. The celestial wizard didn't glance up at him as dejection swamped her. Despite being physically stronger, not much changed the past two years. She still needed someone's help, but this time help wasn't coming.

She bowed her head in defeat.

"How about we start over?" he questioned, his tone remaining placid.

Lucy had no choice. Slowly, she nodded her head.

"Good girl," he complimented. "Now, is your real name Celestia Moonright?"

She moved her head side-to-side.

A smile of triumph spread across Siegrain's lips. He had her right where he wanted her. "Very good. You see, telling the truth isn't a hard thing to do."

He leaned closer, as far as to briefly touch her face. The slight brush of his rough fingertips on her cheek caused her to look at him with rounded eyes.

"What is your real name?" he questioned her softly.

"Lu...Lucy." She closed her eyes while more tears stained her chalky white cheeks. "Lucy Heartfilia."

Natsu wasn't aware of how many hours had gone by. He was left alone in a room with a polished table and two chairs. One chair was cushioned and it had wheels, the other one was wooden. On the walls, there were mirrors. He was aware that people were watching on the other side, however, no one appeared in the room to question him.

At first, he toyed around with the cushioned chair. While sitting on it, he went back and forth in the room numerous times. Even twirled around in circles. At times, he hit the walls. But he grew bored and decided to sit on the table. He went as far as standing on the table and touching the ceiling with his fingers.

Still no one entered the room.

Then, he began to kick the walls all around the room.

"Come on, someone should be in here by now," he talked to the glass, only his reflection kept him company. "How long are you going to keep me in here?"

Still there was no response.

Tired of waiting, he flickered fire in between his fingers. "I wonder what will happen if I decide to touch the walls with this."

He hovered a flame by the table. "Or maybe I should light the chair or table on fire. Do you think someone will come by?" He moved the flame closer to the cushioned chair, despising it because the interrogator got the better chair.

Suddenly, the door opened and a red head peered through the edge of it. Brown eyes narrowed on him. "What do you think you're doing?" a familiar voice asked him.

His eyes widened. Momentarily forgetting the fire crackling between his fingers, he questioned the person. "Erza?"

The person gave him a stern look. "Seriously, if you burn this place down, Fairy Tail will be more in trouble than it already is and I will leave your sorry ass to rot in the Magic Council Prison."

Realizing that he didn't put out his fire, he quickly brought his hand to his mouth and blew it out. Then his form blurred as he hugged the woman. Startled, she lost her balance and Natsu toppled over her. Being locked up in a room with only a mirror for company could change a person.

"You're a sight for sour eyes."

"How long did they have you in this room?" She pushed him back and rose to her feet. She dusted the invisible dust off her armor and clothes.

"I don't know," he answered while standing up.

Her eyebrows tugged together on her forehead. "So you weren't aware that you were alone?"

"What?" He was astonished. He thought there were people watching him from the other side of the mirror.

"Wait? Where is the other girl who was with you?"

"They took her into another room," he confessed while it was his turn to frown at the weird situation they were in.

"Damn it!" she swore. Her fist hit a wall hard enough to cause cracks.

He blinked his eyes at her. "What's wrong?"

"You're aware that she's not who she says she is?"

He nodded his head. "I shared my suspicions with the old man."

She inhaled a deep breath while putting a hand to her forehead. "You mean Master Makarov."

He smirked at her. "I won't call him that."

"That's because you lack manners."

"Aww, now you sound like Celestia."

Her hand went to his face to stop him from saying anything else. "We have to find her and I need you to scent her out."

"Why?"

"She's in grave danger."

That changed Natsu's mind. If she was the one he was thinking; the same girl he met two years ago then he had to save her. Originally, he wanted her to join Fairy Tail so she could be better protected but she insisted of traveling on her own.

Now, was the time he could prove her wrong. "All right," he agreed. He shut his eyes and tilted his head back. His nostrils flared as he looked for her signature scent that set her apart from the rest of wizards. She smelled like the sunshine.

Getting a whiff of bright energy, he opened his eyes and began to move in the direction toward the bright energy. There were guards standing in the hallway. Erza placed a hand Natsu's shoulder, stilling him. His hands had clenched into fists at his sides, ready to attack the guards.

She gave him the eye, warning him to let her handle the situation. He stepped back and let her take lead. She walked by the guards when a spear blocked her.

"Halt. State who you are and your reason for being here," one guard demanded.

Erza procured a document from thin air. "This is a document signed by Master Makarov from Fairy Tail to release the two members you have in your custody."

The man's eyes widened. "You may pass."

He went back to his post while Erza and Natsu past him and the other guards. She kept out the document in question and showed it to any other guard who asked for it.

However, as the fire dragon slayer got closer to the person they were searching for, he noticed the smell of the sunlight was being dampened by another stronger magical aura. He didn't like it. "We better hurry."

"What's wrong?"

"Her scent is changing."

The red headed woman nodded her head and quickened her footsteps, getting the fact that the girl was in danger.

There was a polished wooden door with a golden knob ahead of them. Two guards stood on each side. Their forms stiffened when they observed the way Erza strode to them. She raised the document in the air with one hand before they could ask her questions. Her other hand went to the door knob but the man on her right stopped her.

"Who sent you?" he questioned the red head skeptically.

"I have approval from Master Makarov in Fairy Tail."

The guard's face contorted with suspicion. "Did you get approval from anyone here?"

"As a matter of fact Master Makarov's approval is all I need since he is one of the wizard saints."

Natsu, who remained quiet on the sidelines, was astonished. The way their Master acted in Fairy Tail, one would forget how powerful he really was.

The man began to sputter nonsense, as a means to prevent them from getting to their goal, when the fire dragon slayer felt girl's magical power dimmed to a potentially low rate. Whoever was in the room with her was treacherous.

"We don't have time for this," Natsu growled. With ease, he overtook Erza and with a tremendous kick the door careened to the floor in pieces. He heard someone cry out but couldn't make out the girl's form in the scattered dust. The moment the smoke cleared he was greeted with a sight he would never forget.

On one side, there was a blond-haired girl on her knees. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes rumpled. Tears stained her face as she looked at him with lost eyes. On the other side of the room, a blue-haired man sat on his chair looking relaxed by the mess in the room. One long leg crossed another while his hands clasped casually behind his head. There was an eerie smile on his face.

"Welcome." A low, masculine baritone echoed in the room.

The red headed female passed the fire dragon slayer, her facial expression appeared disturbed. "Erza," he whispered.

"Jellal," a name left her lips.

"It's good to see you again, Erza Scarlet," the man, who Natsu knew as Siegrain, replied to her.

Sorry, it's been a long time since our last update, a whole year to be exact. Life happens but my sister and me will try our best to update when we can. We have plans written out for each chapter of this book, so it's the writing process we're working on. We hope you enjoy the chapter and please do let us know what you think so far or if you liked reading this chapter. Have a good day! And thanks!