Bambello, Bitches!

“What is it?” Juvia asked.

“No one has attacked us yet,” Levy said, looking around.

“That is weird,” Cana agreed. “This place should be swarming with men, right?”

“It should,” Lily nodded. “Even if most of Etherios’s followers had gone outside to fight, there is no way they would leave the inside unprotected like this.”

“That means they’re confident that whoever did stay inside can handle those of us who came in to rescue Gajeel.” Levy frowned worriedly.

“That works to our advantage,” Lily said.

“It works to our advantage that they left their strongest fighters inside?” Cana frowned.

Lily shook his head. “Their strongest fighters will be with Etherios, like I said. It works to our advantage that not many fighters other than them are still inside. Etherios is underestimating us.”

“Or he knows they can beat us,” Cana grumbled.

Lily came to a sudden halt, turning on her. “If you aren’t confident in this fight, you are going to die,” he said, bluntly, “and there is no place for you on this team. Head back outside to help the others.” Leaving them all stunned, he turned and continued running.

“Hey! Wait a damn minute!” Cana snapped. “I never said I wasn’t confident. I have been training since I was little, so I can kick anyone’s ass that comes at me!”

“Then act like it.”

Juvia grabbed her hand when she opened her mouth to retort. “He’s worried about us,” she told her. It didn’t take Wendy’s gift to know what he was thinking—if any of them hesitated for even an instant, they would end up dead, and it would be his fault for bringing them into the fight.

“He didn’t have to be such an ass about it,” she mumbled.

“He’s our leader, he has to be,” Juvia chuckled.

“I—”

“Get down!” Lily suddenly shouted, grabbing both her and Cana and throwing them to the ground. A loud boom sounded above them, followed by a bright light.

“It’s that electricity user!” Levy shouted, charging him from atop Baghira.

“Levy, stop!” Jellal shouted, grabbing her arm and pulling her off Baghira, just in time for the spirit to roar in pain.

“Baghira!!” She screamed.

“I’m fine, child,” Juvia heard his voice in her head again, knowing he was talking to the group. “I’ll be alright after a moment.”

“Don’t tell me you intended on fighting me inside a metal room,” the man snickered. “Etherios told us you were foolish, and I guess he was right.”

“I wouldn’t act so cocky, Jay,” Jellal snapped, getting to his feet after setting Levy gently on the floor. “Not once have you been able to beat me.”

“It’s been years since we’ve fought,” the man named Jay smirked, electricity coursing over his body. “I’m willing to bet I won’t lose this time.”

“Lily,” Jellal said, never turning away from Jay, “you four go on ahead. I’ll finish this quickly and join you later.”

“Don’t let your emotions get in the way of your fight,” Lily ordered, to which he nodded. “Throw them now!”

Jellal threw what looked like two bombs that exploded into light in front of Jay, temporarily blinding him long enough for their group to get safely passed him. Lily helped Levy onto Bahira’s back before leading their sprint down the hallway and away from their friend and his adversary.

“Will Jellal be alright, facing that man alone?” Juvia asked, glancing over her shoulder. He had been able to incapacitate their entire group and take Gajeel down, so he was strong. She couldn’t help but worry about him facing that man without any backup.

“He’ll be alright,” Lily reassured them. “Jay has killed Erza twice before, so Jellal needs to do this alone.”

“Twice?”

“Once when we captured Jellal while he was still working with Etherios, and a second time about three years ago during an attack on what was their current base.”

“That’s what you meant when you told him not to let his emotions get in the way,” Levy said.

“It is,” he nodded. “And the same goes for you three. I know you are angry about what happened in Italy, but don’t let it cloud your judgement. Staying clear-headed and focused is the only way to make it out of this alive.”

That’s right. We could very well die today. I may never make it back to Mother and Father. I may never return to France. I may never—

“Juv, you alright?” Cana asked, placing her hand on Juvia’s shoulder.

“Yes,” she nodded, letting out a long sigh. “Just nervous.”

“Me too,” Cana chuckled, “but I know you’ve got my back, and I’ve got yours.”

“Looks like Jay’s talk is bigger than his bite,” came a snort from ahead of them.

Lily slowed to a halt, cursing under is breath that they didn’t have time for more interruptions.

It was another familiar face, and Juvia had to suppress a shiver. That strange goo man, she thought, remembering how he had nearly killed Gajeel without any of them even realizing it was happening.

“I’m guessing this means we’re getting closer to Gajeel,” Lily murmured, looking around the man and faruther down the corridor.

“That doesn’t really matter,” the man snapped, throwing his hands out. Goo seemed to seep from the walls, quickly closing in on them.

“You guys have to keep going,” Cana said, a determined look on her face. “Jellal will come help me once he’s done with that lightening asshole.”

“Cana—” Before Juvia could finish, she was swallowed by shadows, when she reemerged, she was beside Levy and Lily, far away from Cana and the goo man.

“Juvia, where are you going?” Levy called after her, and she realized she was running.

“Cana will need help. You two keep going,” she said, never slowing down.

She heard Lily instruct Levy to keep going, so she urged her legs to go faster.

“Juvia!” Cana gasped, barely avoiding an attack. “What are you doing here?!”

“Helping,” she said, standing beside her friend and facing the goo man.

“No chance I can convince you to go back with Levy and Lily?” Cana asked with a small smirk.

Juvia mirrored the smirk, shaking her head. “I joined Lily so I could protect the people I love, so I’m exactly where I need to be.”

When she saw the brunette’s face turn scarlet, Juvia felt her own face heat up. “That’s not—I didn’t mean—let’s focus on defeating this man,” she stammered, pulling her paints from their tubes.

The ice wall crashes down on top of the woman, his own icy spikes spearing her to the ground. He's nearly sick at the sound, turning away as her scream of pain gurgles into nothing. 

It feels like an eternity has passed, and yet Lucy has not made it far from him as she runs through the battle, the earth rising up around her as she fights. Natsu is swept into another battle, this one with a set of twins with a set of sparking batons that seem to appear out of no where.

In the next instant one is beside him, the high powered electric baton slamming into his chest. He falls back with a pained cry, his muscles convulsing as he tries to right himself and stumbles back. The second twin is in front of him, and Natsu realizes that what they posses is incredible speed. He manages to dodge the second baton, kicking the man square in the chest as hard as he can. He stumbles back, slipping on the ice that is now beneath his feet.

The small area is now a ring of ice, and as one twin tries to approach, the ice causes him to over shoot. A blade of ice now in hand, Natsu counters the next attack with a devastating slash across the mans chest. He stumbles back, his twin yelling in anger before charging Natsu. Raising the ice blade in defense, it sinks into the mans stomach, and Natsu has to turn to let the man drop.

He turns back to the injured twin, only to see a man standing beside him. The twin grips the mans ankle, blood trickling out of his mouth. "Nathan... Help me..." The man begs, coughing slightly.

The man, Nathan, looks at him with disgust in his pale green eyes, kicking his foot free. "If you can't take care of a punk like him," he holds his hand palm down over the man.

"No... No Nathan please!!" The man tries to drag himself away as Nathan brings his hand into a fist. Blood gurgles out of his mouth as he jerks, falling face first onto the ice.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Jellal smirked. “And I’m not the only one here who prefers dragons.” He glanced over at his green-haired companion, chuckling.

“You’re the sorcerer Erza was talking about, right?” Levy asked.

“Freed.” He nodded. “I’m glad the essence of Caron seemed to have helped you.”

“I’m still pretty weak, but the pain is a lot less now, thank you.”

“Did Jellal say you’re married to one of the other dragons, too?” Cana asked from her seat beside Juvia. Levy noticed her wounds were close to healed as well, so she assumed Erza had used the essence on all of them.

“Both of them, actually,” he chuckled, looking slightly embarrassed. “Mira and Laxus are a handful, but I love those two idiots.”

“How you haven’t killed Laxus is beyond me,” Jellal snorted, smirking.

“If only it were that easy,” he snickered. “Mira’s come close a few times, especially when he attempts to cook. We’ve lost three houses in the last eight years.”

“Two dragons and a sorcerer, living together in a house. Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke,” Cana teased, causing everyone to laugh.

“Alright, everyone listen up,” Lily announced, silencing the loud group, “it’s time. In just a few moments, we’ll land on the coast. The weather is against those of us without increased stamina, so we will need to move quickly. We are in luck that it is early into the day, so we still have several hours before the sun begins to set and the temperature begins to drop significantly. The hike to Etherios’s bunker is about four miles, and thanks to the snow, I’m guessing it will take close to two hours to reach it. His supporters will intercept us on the way, I’m sure, so we must close as much distance as we can before that happens.

“Because of the remote location, he hasn’t bothered to conceal the bunker’s whereabouts, so it will be easy to see once we arrive. Getting inside is going to be a challenge, however. Etherios is sure to hide himself away inside with several of his strongest fighters. They are also holding captive one of our own: Gajeel Redfox. He is a skilled fighter that Etherios has targeted directly, so freeing him would greatly benefit our side of the battle.” Lily paused, looking around the room. Levy could tell he was taking in everyone’s faces, etching them into his memory.

“This is going to be a tough battle,” he went on, “I’m not going to sugar-coat it for you. You all knew what you were getting into when you agreed to join me, so I know you’re aware of the risks. Some of you won’t be going home with us when this is over; this plane will have more empty seats than I would ever like it to. But, this will hopefully be the last war of its kind. If we can put an end to Etherios, we can put an end to this needless violence.”

“Here’s to ending this,” Jellal said, smiling sadly.

“Here’s to ending this,” Lily nodded.

Levy watched as Jellal returned to the front of the plane where his sister was waiting to help him land it, and Lily went off to speak to different groups and give them specific instructions for when they landed. She sighed, wondering what types of powerful people they were about to face.

“Everything alright?” Lucy asked, touching her hand.

She smiled at her friend, nodding. “Just nervous. I want to get Gajeel back and for all of this to be over already,” she admitted.

Lucy smiled. “I know how you feel. I’m ready to head back home for a nice, long, vacation.”

Levy giggled. “It’s funny to think that that’s how all of this started. With a simple vacation to Australia to meet some internet friends.”

“Friends who turned out to have super-human abilities, ties to a secret crime-fighting organization, and who were hunted by an evil psycho hell-bent on taking over the world,” she grinned, causing Levy to laugh.

“And that.”

“How are your injuries?” Lucy asked, looking more serious as she glanced at Levy’s arms.

“A lot better,” she said, repeating what she’d told Freed, looking down at herself in surprise. She hadn’t really paid attention to them since she’d woken up, but she felt a lot better. “I’m still not one-hundred percent, but I’m definitely getting there. Maybe seventy-five. I can’t believe the blisters are gone already, they just look like scaly calluses, and my broken bones don’t feel quite as broken.”

“I still want you to take it easy out there,” Lucy told her.

She smiled, squeezing her hand, “you know I can’t do that. It’s Gajeel we’re going in there after.”

Lucy sighed, “I know. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try to get you to, though.”

She chuckled. “Once this is over, then I can take it easy.”

“Once this is over, we’re all going to finish up our vacation and enjoy lounging on the beach for two weeks,” Lucy agreed.

“Juvia and Cana, you two will make up the reconicence team with Jellal and me. Once we find Gajeel and have made sure he’s alright, you will bring him back here—unless he’s able to fight, then you will all join everyone else outside the bunker. Jellal and I will handle Etherios.”

“What about me?” Levy asked, frowning. “There is no way I’m staying behind! I came all the way here with everyone, so I’m going to help!”

Lily sighed. “Fine, you will join the reconicence team. But, once Gajeel is recovered, you will come back to the plane—Juvia, you will make sure she gets here.”

Juvia nodded. “Oui!”

“I’ll be going with them too, then,” her Papa said.

Levy frowned at him. “Papa, you have to—”

“I already told you, didn’t I? It doesn’t take legs to shoot,” he chuckled, holding her hand gently.

“I need you to stay with Arina,” Lily told him. “She is another of our snipers, so I need you two off the ground to watch the main group’s backs as they fight outside.”

“You can protect everyone with Arina,” Levy smiled, patting the hand he held onto her with. “As good as you are, everyone else will need you more out there.”

“Keep Baghira with you at all times,” he warned.

She nodded. “I will, Papa. He won’t leave my side.”

“And there’s no way I’m staying behind, either,” Natsu snapped. “Gajeel is my cousin, so I should get to be on the team that goes after him.”

“How well can you bend metal?” Lily asked, flatly. “I need you outside—where there is plenty of snow, AKA, water—to help our main forces. You and Lucy have powers strengthened by the outside, so that’s where I want you, not inside of a metal building where your abilities are limited. That’s why I chose Cana and Juvia to assist inside—their abilities will be more beneficial to helong Gajeel escape.”

Natsu cursed, but he didn’t argue any more. They all knew Lily was right. Honestly, Levy was surpsied at how thoroughly Lily had thought things through in such a short amount of time. He is the leader for a reason, so I should have expected as much.

“Now that that’s settled—”

“Our flyers have engaged,” Jellal announced, cutting Lily off. “Erza just reported through her headset. They’re outside of the bunker, and the enemy has engaged. They’ll be sending people after us shortly. We need to move fast.”

“Anyone who can withstand a jump,” Lily said, turning to the group, “to the back. Jellal will be letting you out here now that we’re lower. You will go ahead of us to join the flyers.”

Nearly half of the group went to the back, including Cana’s father and brothers. Levy watched as she hugged them, wiping at her teary eyes once they had gone out the now-opened hatch.

“Cana’s family will be fine,” Juvia reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Cana grabbed it, sighing. “I hope you’re right.”

Levy could feel the plane touch ground, and she had no more time to think about anything else. Everything was happening too quickly for that. The plane barely had time to come to a complete stop before the hatch was pulled for the final time and the remainder of the group rushed out. Levy summoned Baghira after hugging her father goodbye, climbing onto her spirit’s back so that she could keep up with the rest of the quick group.

“This will be difficult,” Baghira spoke into her mind as he ran.

She scratched his ear. “I know, but it will be over soon. And then we can all go home.”

“I promise to ensure that you do.” She could feel her spirit’s smile, and her own worry lifted slightly. Yes. They were going to make it through this and go home together.

"Erza! Here!" she turned to the sound of the voice, seeing an arm waving over several heads.

She made her way to him, smiling when she reached him. "Freed, so glad ya made it."

"Like I'd miss the big fight, or keep Laxus away for that matter. " Freed was a tall man, a sorcerer with a thick British accent lacing his words. His long green hair was braided back from his face and his eyes a soft blue. He wore a sleeveless coat that stretched to his thick black boots, showing ancient writings tattooed onto his arms. A rapier rested at his hip, usefuly when the had to get up close with an enemy. "Besides, I had to deliver this to you didn't I?"

Erza easily caught the small red jar Freed tossed her way, tucking it into her jacket. "Your a dear lad."

"Not many people need essence of Caron anymore, especially since there's only one tree left."

Erza smiled, a bit sadly. "Those trees used to be all over the highlands, we used to tend to them. One of the young ones was injured badly in the Italy attack, she'll be needing all the help she can get. Any left over I'll use on the others."

Freed nodded as he turned to finish helping loading things into the plane, "Let me know if you need anymore. There's still time to harvest before it hibernates for the winter."

Erza nodded her thanks before turning back to the others. It took her a bit longer to reach them, there were more people on the plane than before, but soon she was kneeling in front of Levy. She was glad the girl had yet to put her jacket on, leaving her poor arms exposed.

Levy cracked her eyes open as Erza uncorked the jar, breathing in the sweet Caron perfume. "What is that?" she asked, her voice only slightly less strained.

"This is essence of the Caron tree. It is an ancient tree once cared for by us dragons," she informed her as she dipped her index finger into the paste. "There is only one tree left in existence, and it is in the hands of a trusted sorcerer. This is made with its sap, and has unique qualities." She gently dragged her finger against Levys skin.

The woman tensed and hissed in a breath, before sighing in relief and going boneless.

"What does that do?" Cana asked as she knelt beside Erza to watch.

"It helps ease pain, the scent alone does that, and helps increase ones healing rate."

"So, what, it's a magical healing potion?" Natsu asked.

Erza chuckled lightly as she continued to put the cream on Levys arm, writing in ancient Dragonic. "Not quite. Human bodies aren't meant for quick healing, yer cells and metabolism can't keep up. Unlike mine, which is made for that. The cream, along with the spell I'm writing, will start mending the major damage. The burns will lessen but wont go away all together yet, bones will begin to knit, as well as deep skin tissue. There is still a chance of scaring, but she will be in much better shape to fight. I'll use the left overs on those of ya who have more troublesome injuries."

By the time she was finished explaining the spell was written on both of Levys arms, and the girl was beginning to doze off. Erza set the jar down and took Levys hands in each of hers. Erza took a deep breath, and as she exhaled smoke drifted from her nose, and warmth spread from her to Levy. The cream on her arms glowed a warm honey gold before slowly dimming, and she released their hands.

Levy cracked open her eyes and smiled tiredly. "Thank you Erza."

"Not a problem lass. You should sleep the whole flight, it will help with the healing."

Levy nodded slightly and closed her eyes, falling fast asleep. Erza had everyone settle into their seats and began using the rest of the cream on Natsu and Cana. When she was finished the doors of the plane were closing, a hush falling over the overfull plane.

Erza stood, pocketing the jar as she did. "Get some sleep, it will be the last you'll have in awhile."

She turned and headed for the front of the plane, where she knew Jellal was preparing to take them into the air. As she made her way into the cockpit, she caught sight of his copilot, a slightly younger woman who was nearly Jellals twin, her long blue hair braided back from her face much like Freeds.

"Arina! I didn't think you'd make it lass!" Erza grinned as she sat opposite of her husband.

The woman grinned as she pulled on a headset. "You really didn't think I'd let you and my brother of all the fun again did you?"

"Are we ready to take off?" Came Lilys voice as he entered the cockpit.

"Say the word boss," was Jellals answer, the engines roaring to life to warm up."

"By your leave Fernandez."

With that, Jellal and Arina piloted the plane down the private runway in Denmark, taking off for the Siberian wilderness. In all actuality, they headed for a small island just off the Northern Russian shore between the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea called the New Siberian Islands. The plane would fly over the main island, delivering the first attack before landing on the Eastern coast of the island and unloading their army.

Once the plane was at its elevation, Jellal gently took Erzas hand and kissed her palm. "Get some sleep dragonfly, it will be the last you have in awhile," he said, echoing her earlier words.

Erza snorted lightly at the usual nickname but did recline in her seat, never releasing Jellals hand as she dozed off.

She was awoken several hours later to Lily called silence to the crowded plane. She stood, pausing when Jellal tugged on her hand. "Be safe love," he told her sternly.

Erza smiled and leaned down to press a tender kiss to his lips, one that soon grew hot and almost desperate. She reluctantly pulled back and squeezed his hand. "I don't do gallows kisses sweetheart."

Jellal smiled a bit guiltily, "Then be safe like I told you." He gave her another swift kiss before finally releasing her hand.

Erza made her way into the belly of the plane where Lily was informing everyone once again on the landing plan, finishing with "Flyers to the rear." She made her way to the back of the plane, along with about two dozen others. There were witches and shifters, as well as two of her dragon kin.

"Glad to see you made it Mirajane, Laxus." She greeted them.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world!" Mirajane said with her usual bright smile, her Scottish accent matching her own. She was a beautiful woman, tall with long snow white hair that was currently tied into a bun at the back of her head. Her eyes were a deep gray, with a fire burning in their depths that her cheery smile hid well.

"Like I would miss fighting beside you again," Laxus said with a small grin of his own, his brogue rumbling in his chest. His short golden hair was spiked in a Mohawk, a jagged scar went over his right eye. He was a large man, even larger than Gajeel and was stacked with muscles.

"It'll be nice to spread our wings again," Mira said excitedly as she stretched.

Pleasantries were abruptly ended as, with a loud groaning, the back hatch of the plane began to open, revealing the barren land below them. There were commands for non flyers to stay strapped in so as not to get sucked out of the craft, having to shout over the rushing wind.

There were whoops of excitement as shifters and witches ran for the abyss, jumping out into the ether. The three shared a sharped tooth grin before following after the others, leading from the platform.

Etherios sighed, leaning against the wall as if they were having an average conversation. “Such a cliché question. You couldn’t be a little more creative?” Gajeel’s native Russian rolled off Etherios’s tongue as if he had spoken it his entire life.

“You wanna talk about cliché?” He scoffed. “Try getting kidnapped by a damn lunatic villain, and waking up chained to a wall in some creepy-ass dungeon.”

Etherios clicked his tongue, visibly annoyed. “I’m no villain, Gajeel. I am doing the world a favor by purging it of those weak humans. You are either one of the strong, or it is only right that evolution picks you off. We are the next generation, my friend, so it is time to take our rightful place on top.”

“Lunatic villain,” Gajeel frowned. This guy is crazier than I thought. Talk about watching too many damned X-Men movies…

“I am not a villain!” He snapped, annoyance slowly turning to anger. His green eyes flashed with fury for an instant before he took a deep breath and smiled. “You will soon see that I’m in the right here, Gajeel. You’ll join me in time.”

“Like hell.” Gajeel growled. “I refuse to help you hurt any more of the people I care about.”

“Those people will turn on you eventually. The more powerful you grow, the more they will fear you.”

“They won’t—”

“Do you think that pretty blue-haired summoner will stay with you forever?” Etherios scoffed, amused. “Gajeel, she will be the first to leave you. She may even be more powerful than you are.” He paused a moment, then smiled. “Perhaps I’ll recruit her next. I was going to kill her with the others, but she managed to take down quite a few of my men. I may have use for her.”

“You leave Levy out of this!” Gajeel snarled, pulling against the chains. The metal screeched as he pulled against it, but it never budged.

Etherios laughed, crouching down so they were eye-level, that damned smile still on his face. “Perhaps, if you cooperate, I’ll give her a place in my ranks beside you. Wouldn’t that be nice? You could have your power and your woman.”

“If it’s coming from you, I don’t want it,” Gajeel spat in English.

“We’ll just see what she has to say, then,” He sighed, getting to his feet. “She may be more willing to join me. That is, if she’s still alive.”

Gajeel felt the blood rush from his face. “What do you mean?”

“From what Darryl told me, he left her practically smoldering on the ground.” He chuckled. “All of your little friends got a little shock when what remained of my men left them. I wonder how many are still alive? We’ll find out when they arrive, I suppose. It has been nearly two days since our last visit to Italy, so they should be arriving within the next couple of days. Pantherlily will be with them, I’m sure. I’ll take great pleasure in watching that bastard finally die.”

“Lily’s organization will stop you,” Gajeel said.

“He has been trying for several years, unsuccessfully. Do you honestly think your friends will be of assistance to him in the war that is about to happen? His men have been training for years, honing their skills and learning how to fight against others with powers. You and your friends are practically children, with no experience in battle, and with barely an understanding of the limits and true extent of each of your powers. You will be killed before the real fighting even begins.”

“We held our own against your men in Italy,” Gajeel snapped.

“Yes, but we see how that ended, don’t we?” He smiled, looking pointedly at the chains on my arms. “Next time, there won’t be chains awaiting the losers, Gajeel. Remember that.” He left before Gajeel could reply—if he’d even been able to reply. He knew Etherios was right. There would be no mercy in the next fight. Etherios’s men wouldn’t be trying to capture and leave. No. They’d be there to kill.

Gajeel pulled again at the chains on his arms, again to no avail. They creaked, but they never gave way. He sighed in frustration. He should have expected Etherios to be prepared with chains that could hold him—he knew exactly what his powers were, after all. But that still didn’t stop him from trying. When he thought his arms might pull from their sockets from the force of his struggling, the door to his cell opened.

“Those chains aren’t going to budge, no matter how hard you pull on them,” a woman said, smugly. She flipped a long orange curl over her shoulder, glaring at him with golden eyes. “They were designed by master Etherios himself. Not even he could break them.”

“What the hell do you want?” He growled, glaring back at her.

She smiled, sauntering over to him as if he should be impressed. “I came to bring you dinner and take you to the little boys’ room. After a couple days knocked out, you probably need it, right?”

“And you’re taking me?” Gajeel scoffed, wondering if Etherios really was a lunatic, sending such a small woman to guard him, especially knowing his strength.

“Don’t act so shocked,” she said, sounding bored as she unhooked his chains from the wall and clasped them together behind his back. “Obviously I can handle myself. Why else would master send me?”

Not wasting any time, he attempted to pull free, and immediately felt a strong zap through the chains that sent him to his knees.

“Metal is a very strong conductor of electricity,” she said, casually. “My twin brother brought you down to bring you in, so I can handle keeping you in check long enough for you to do whatever you need to.”

“Damn,” he grumbled. So, she’s that bastard’s sister. She walked them down a hallway, stopping in front of a large door. With surprising speed, she undid his chains, clasping them together in front of him.

“You have exactly four minutes,” she told him, opening the door to what he saw was a bathroom.

“How do you know I won’t break through the wall on the other side and escape,” he frowned.

She laughed, the shrill sound grating every nerve in him. “Go ahead and try, but if you do, you’ll get a nice little zap. This room is made of metal.” And he knew what that meant with her lightning ability.

Cursing, he went inside the room and slammed the door behind him. Ok. I need a plan. He inspected the room, looking for any possible way out. There was none. That bastard Etherios thought of everything, didn’t he? And I don’t even have a phone to contact the others with. He suspected he was in another country entirely, so he doubted he could reach his friends in Italy, anyways.

Levy. The thought suddenly assaulted him, now that he had a moment alone. Etherios had hinted that she’d been badly injured before they’d taken him away. Lightning was dangerous—and that man hadn’t used just regular lightning. It was strong enough to bring him down, so it was powerful. He couldn’t imagine how that might affect someone without his stamina. Damn it! How the hell am I supposed to protect her if I’m stuck in God-knows-where with no plan, and no idea how the hell to escape?!

It hadn’t even been a week since he’d told Levy his feelings, and he’d already managed to fuck up by getting captured by Etherios. What an idiot. Levy’s never going to take me seriously if I’m a god-damned damsel in distress!

“Thirty seconds,” came that annoying woman’s voice from outside the door.

“I’m comin’ damn it,” he snarled, opening the door and going into the hallway.

She didn’t bother adjusting his chains behind him, she just grabbed one of his arms and pushed him forward. She was pretty strong for such a small woman. The idea for an escape suddenly hit him, and he almost felt like an idiot for taking so long to think of it.

Wendy.

Why he couldn’t get out, he could help the others get in. Or at least tell them where he was. Etherios had said they could be arriving soon, meaning they had a general idea where the Etherios’s hideout was. And I can lead them to me.

He paused, frowning. No, that won’t work. She’ll be staying back in Italy because this mission is too dangerous. If Lily knew what was good for him, Wendy had better be made to stay in Italy where it was safe.

Shit, there goes that plan. What else?

“Eat,” the woman instructed, locking his cell behind her as they entered it. She didn’t tie him back to the wall, but instead handed him a plate of food.

“What if I’m not hungry?” He snapped.

She rolled her eyes. “Eat the damned food.” When he hesitated, she grabbed one of the rolls off the plate and took a bite of it. “It’s not poisoned, you idiot. Master need you alive, otherwise you’d already be dead.”

“Why do you follow that bastard?” Gajeel asked, stuffing his face. He was hungry, whether he wanted to admit it or not, and the food was decent.

“Master Etherios is a revolutionary,” she said, a look of wonder coming over her face. “He has big plans for this world, and I want to be a part of that.”

“What kind of plans?”

“He already told you, I’m sure,” she sighed. “He wants to get rid of all the weaklings, and pave the way for the strong. Those without gifts could never truly accept us, even if they pretend to at first. There will always be a part of them that fears us, and eventually that fear will win out, causing them to turn on us. So it is up to us to strike first. Eliminate them before they eliminate us.”

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” he scoffed. “You can’t just go around killing people because they don’t like you. That isn’t a good enough reason.”

“What if they try to kill you first?” She asked, angrily.

He smirked. “You think someone without powers could kill me?”

“They will develop ways,” she said, a dark look coming over her. “If the fear is great enough, they will find a way to hurt you, even if you have done nothing wrong.”

“And who hurt you?” he asked, handing her his empty plate.

She looked startled. “Who says someone hurt me?”

“Listen,” he sighed, “just because you met one bad person, it doesn’t mean everyone without powers is evil. My dad has no powers, but my mom and I do, and he loves us just as much as any other husband and father would.”

“And what about the children born of regular parents?” She snapped. “Not everyone is understanding.”

“Maybe not, but like I said, not everyone is as fearful as you claim they are. Some are accepting. If we don’t give them a reason to fight, they won’t. If we live our lives, most people won’t even know about us—”

“Why should we have to stay hidden?!” She dropped the plate to the ground, stepping towards me. “Just because they might fear our power, why should we have to hide? We didn’t choose to be this way! We didn’t choose these gifts! So why should we be punished for them?!”

“And why should those without gifts be punished?”

She stopped abruptly, her golden eyes wide. “I—”

“May.” They both turned towards the door of the cell when a man spoke. That lighting bastard—her twin brother—stood in the doorway, his arms crossed and his eyes hard.

“Jay,” she said, straightening, “why are you—”

“Master Etherios requests our presence in the council room. Chain up the prisoner and come. Now.”

She nodded, quickly doing as he said. Before leaving, she met Gajeel’s eyes, conflict obvious on her face. At another command from her brother, she rushed out, leaving him alone once again.

Sighing, he leaned his head against the wall. Maybe I can convince her to help Lily and the others when they get here. She was strong, and he could tell she didn’t really want to fight, it was more because she felt she had been wronged. However, before she’d left, she looked like she might have agreed with what he said.

Natsu was stunned at that, we aren't going with them? Though Levy just looked angry. 

"Do they know, that you weren't taking them?" She asked quietly. Aunt Regin took a deep breath as shouts broke out. "I'll take that as a no." She limped up to the table and placed her bandaged hands on it. Baghira had materialized and she leaned against him for support now. "I don't know if you were aware, but I took lives yesterday. I did not wield my weapon with mercy.

"There was a stunned silence as everyone looked at her. Her parents looked at her with a mix of pride and pain as she stood her ground in front of the equally furious woman.

"These people attacked my friends, attacked my kuṭumbaṁ. They got no mercy from me. They drew our blood, and so I returned the favor. I don't know why they took Gaj, and I don't quite care. All I care about is bringing him home alive. I love him Regin, I'm not about to let the devil sink his claws in to him."

Aunt Regin was quiet before stomping over to the woman, Natsu wasn't sure what she planned to do. Probably carry Levys charred ass back upstairs.

Of course she surprised him by pulling the tiny woman into a hug, speaking quietly to her. "I know if anyone could bring my boy back, I'd be you. I don't want you hurt anymore.

"Though it obviously pained her, Levy wrapped her arms around Regin. "He's worth any pain I've endured and then some."

There was a quiet after that, a quiet that seemed to give them strength, fortifying them. Regin pulled away and returned to her gun bag while Levy looked over the map. "So what's the plan?"

"We are sure they have taken him out of Europe and to their base in Siberia." Erza said as she made her way into the room. "Our mole was captured and after some... Persuasion... told us where the base is. Gajeel is safe for now, Etherios is bound and determined to get him to join. He may even try to come after you Levy, after you proved your skill in battle Levy."

Levy snorted, "Yeah I'm sure, let them try. I'm just pissed now."

"As Regin said, for those of you who didn't catch it, we are not playing anymore. You may have ta take lives ta save your own. For that reason, Wendy-"

"I'll stay here. I wont fight you on this one."

Erza nodded, "Is there anyone else that will voluntarily stay?" Silence followed her."Good. Cornellia will stay with Wendy, Michelle and the younger boys. Mrs. McGarden and Mrs. Marvelle will stay as well as Mr. McGar-"

"I'm going too," Ramal cut in. "I understand the non-gifted parents staying. I'm going as well."

"Papa, you've only got one leg," Levy pointed out, like she did this often.

"You don't need legs to shoot dove," he ruffled her hair gently as she snorted. "I used to be a sniper, and though I no longer have a permanent companion beast, I can still summon. You won't have to worry about me getting in your way."

"Very well," Erza conceded, smoothing out a new map. "Now, their base is here in Northern Siberia. It's late August, but the temperatures havn't started dropping yet, so we should be able ta travel light. Natsu, there isn't much water up there, will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine, me and Lu have a plan." Natsu grinned, sharing a fist bump with Lucy.

"Good, Juvia?"

"Juvia and Cana have been making, how you say, paint bombs. They will help much as well as the paint father is supplying."

"Excellent. This will be a full out battle. Many from our organization will be meeting us there, you'll have the chance to meet many more gifted people. They will have your back, and you must have theirs. They are now your team, your comrades in arms." There was an air of finality with her words.

"This will be the first full on war Etherios has waged, and hopefully, it will be the last." 

~~~ {Sorry this chapter was so short, not only did I hit a block, it is also no where what we originally planned.Translations: jasṟṟ śramikkuka enne nirttān! : Just try and stop me!ñān Gajeel nam'me āvaśyamāṇ cuṟṟiluṁ iṭuvān kuṟicc pēṭiyilla. ñān pēākunnu! : I'm not about to lay around when Gajeel needs us. I'm going!kuṭumbaṁ : family}

“Levy!” Cana’s eyes moved in the direction Wendy’s voice had come from. She was sitting on her knees on the ground beside an unconscious Levy. The woman’s blue hair was singed, and her entire right side was pretty badly burned.

“Go get your mom and Rasha,” Cana told he girl, kneeling down beside her next to Levy.

She nodded, running into the house. Everyone else was beginning to stir then, and Cana let out a breath of relief. They hadn’t lost anyone. For a while there, she had been afraid they might. The group that had attacked them was strong, way stronger than she had ever imagined they would be. One thing was for sure, it had been one hell of a wake-up call.

“What the hell happened?” Jellal gaped as he and Erza ran towards them. Erza’s sword was drawn, and Jellal held his gun at the ready, which almost made Cana laugh. If they had been there—

“You son of a bitch!” Natsu’s fist met Jellal’s face before any of them could react. “If you had been here, they wouldn’t have gotten Gajeel! And Levy wouldn’t be so badly injured! Where the hell have you been?!”

“Natsu, calm d—” Before he could finish, Natsu punched him again. He seemed like he was going to a third time, but Erza clamped her hand down on his shoulder, fixing him with a hard look.

Natsu took several deep breaths, but Cana could still feel the fury practically radiating from him. She could understand his anger. None of them were trained to fight. Sure, she’d had training with her father and brothers, and they had been working on training for a little over a week, but none of that had ever been real. Their lives had never actually been on the line. And the two people who were trained, who could have helped them more than anyone else, had been gone for the entire battle. And now Levy was seriously injured, and Gajeel had been taken.

“Tell us what happened,” Jellal said. “What about Gajeel being taken?”

“A group of Etherios’s followers attacked us. They dropped out of the sky from nowhere, and then kicked the hell out of all of us. Levy is down for at least a couple of weeks with her injuries, and Gajeel was taken by Etherios’s followers when they left. Right before you two showed up.”

“They’ve been scanin’ the area,” Erza said, frowning. “They attacked as soon as Jellal and I were out o’ earshot, an’ then they retreated as soon as we made our way back. This was planned.”

“Then they must have known Lily was gone, too,” Cana spoke up.

Jellal nodded. “They’ve been watching us from somewhere nearby. Whoever is doing it is good, too. Erza and I patrol every day, and we haven’t sensed anyone.”

“Damn it,” Natsu fumed, pacing around the yard. “What are we going to do about Gajeel? It’s not like we’re in any shape to go after them. And even if we were, how the hell are we supposed to know where they even took him?”

“Lily should be returning this evening,” Erza sighed, “so we’ll plan our next course o’ action then. Until he arrives, we need ta get everyone patched up.”

As if on cue, Wendy, her mother, and Levy’s mother came running from the house then. The women both went straight to work on Levy, while Wendy carried around a first aid kit to check on the rest of their friends.

Juvia had cuts on her face and arms, so Wendy tended to those first. Natsu was next, needing a bit more bandaging than Juvia with gashes on his stomach, sides, and back. She wrapped his right hand completely in bandages too, hugging him tightly when she finished. Cana’s brothers were also looked over, but their injuries didn’t look too serious—much to Cana’s relief.

Cana smiled as the girl walked over to her. “I’m fine,” she tried to reassure her, but she insisted on checking her wounds anyways. Her left foot needed wrapped, since the top of it had been sliced open; she needed bandages on her right shoulder and arm, and more around her head where it had been busted from rolling across the ground. When Wendy felt her ribs and she cursed under her breath, the girl excused herself to go get her mother who was just finishing up with Levy.

“Bruised,” Grandine said, feeling Cana’s tender ribs with her fingers. “You’ll need to take it easy for a while, and it’s going to hurt as they heal. Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do for them, other than wrap them for you, while they heal.”

“That’s fine,” Cana said, offering her a smile, “thank you.”

“Cana!” Her father practically tackled her as he ran from the house, followed by everyone else’s parents. “Are you alright? When it got silent, and Wendy came and got Grandine, we were all worried. I couldn’t wait any longer, so I came to see if you were alright.”

“I’m fine, dad,” Cana chuckled, hugging her father back and trying not to show him how she winced as he hugged her. “Everyone is going to be just fine.”

“Wendy said Levy was injured,” her mother said, joining her father in squeezing her too tightly.

“She’ll be alright, too. Grandine bandaged her up and gave her some pain medicine, so she’s sleeping. Jellal is moving her to a bed now so she can rest.”

Both of her parents sighed in relief. “And your brothers?” Her mother asked, releasing her to look around for them. The boys were already bounding over to them, hugging their mother tightly as she pulled them into her arms.

“You’re never allowed to do that again,” her father said, frowning. “You could have been seriously hurt. Someone could have—“

“I know, Papa,” she sighed, “but we have to. They took Gajeel.”

He cursed, pulling her back into a hug. “Then I’ll be fighting with you next time. Your mother and the rest of the parents without powers will be fine here while we go to get Gajeel.”

“But you need to—”

“We won’t need protecting,” her mother smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Etherios has already moved passed trying to harm us, especially now that he has Gajeel. Besides, do you really think Gildarts will stay here while you go into battle again?”

I sighed. “Alright. But we have to talk it over with Lily first.”

“As soon as he gets back,” he agreed, smiling and kissing her forehead under the bandages.

“Let’s all head inside for now,” Jellal announced to the group. “Everyone needs to rest while we await Lily’s return.”

As soon as they were all inside, the shouting began, starting with Levy’s father.

“How did this happen?” He shot at Jellal, fury burning in his eyes. “Lily assured us we would be safe here—that our children would be safe here! How did they find us so quickly?!”

“We believe they have someone watching us,” Jellal answered, calmly. This seemed to only make the old veteran angrier, because he got to his feet—foot—and started towards Jellal. When Rasha put a gentle hand on her husband’s shoulder, he seemed to calm slightly, but still glared at Jellal.

“Why haven’t you sensed them on those patrols you two go on every day?” Metalicana snapped. “What the hell are they for if you can’t even sense one spy?!”

“Wait,” Natsu said, getting to his feet. “Lily is out of town meeting with an informant, right?”

Erza nodded. “Aye.”

“And you two go on patrol at the same time every day,” Natsu continued, to which Erza nodded once again in agreement. “So, what if there isn’t someone in the city watching us.”

“What do ya mean?” Regin asked.

“What if the informant is a spy, but not for us, for Etherios. He would know from reporting to Lily that you two go out at the same time to patrol, and he would also be able to ensure that Lily would be away from us for a few days.”

“Khara,” Jellal cursed under his breath, leaving the room as he pulled out his cellphone.

“What will be our next move?” Juvia asked, coming to stand beside Cana. She hated the fact that she had gotten so hurt during the battle. She had started off fighting alongside the pain manipulator, but they had gotten separated in the battle. And then she got hurt like that. Cana sighed, and she felt Juvia squeeze her hand reassuringly.

“We’ll wait for Lily,” Erza told them. “Rest until we hear back from him. I’m sure Jellal is talkin’ to him now. Even if our informant was a spy for Etherios, Lily can handle himself. He isn’t our leader for nothin’.”

Nodding, everyone slowly began making their way to different parts of the house. Juvia’s parent, along with her own, went to the kitchen to start making brunch, since they had all missed breakfast thanks to the attack. Levy’s parents rushed upstairs to where Cana was sure Jellal had placed her in one of the beds, and Gajeel’s parents with them. Lucy and Natsu’s families went into the kitchen to offer help to the others as well.

With a heavy sigh, Cana sat on the sofa. “This was one hell of a disaster,” she grumbled.

“Juvia doesn’t know what you said, but she’s sure everything will be alright.” Juvia sat beside her, placing her hand over hers on her knee and smiling.

“I was just saying what a disaster all of this was,” she chuckled, turning her hand over to lace her fingers with that of Juvia’s. “But I’m glad you’re alright.”

Juvia blushed, her blue eyes bright as they met Cana’s. “Juvia is glad you’re alright as well.”

“When this is all over, I’m going to kiss you right on the mouth,” Cana smiled before kissing Juvia’s hand. “I’ve got to have something to look forward to at the end of this.”

“What did Cana say?” Juvia asked, curiously, her blush darkening from Cana’s kiss on the hand.

“Not yet,” she grinned, getting to her feet. “How about seeing if Mama and Papa need help in the kitchen?”

Juvia nodded, and with a smile, followed her.

Her eyes were drawn to Gajeel, who was taking on three at once. One of them was the goo manipulator from the airport, one a woman who's body was covered in now dented metal. One was a shapeshifter that switched between her friends faces, trying to throw him off his game. He had no problem taking out Natsu's likeness or Canas. Though his eyes widened and he stumbled back slightly at her own likeness, and the shifter smirked, attacked with an ax of her own.

"Baghira!" But the spirit was already dashing through the battle. He lept forward, landing hard on a sand user that had been sneaking up on Juvia. Baghira lept away for Juvia to finish him, sprinting back through the fray.

Levy took her ax across the back of a monster of a man who was towering over Natsu. He bellowed with pain, giving Natsu a chance to scramble away and get his feet back under him. He raised his hands and a small wave rose behind him, and that was when Levy noticed the ground was soaked around them. She could see water running down from the house, where hoses were on full blast and Alana was even tossing buckets full towards her son.

"Lev I've got this! Go help Gajeel!" Natsu shouted, sending the wave crashing on to the man.

Levy nodded and Baghira was off again.

Gajeel was being backed into a corner, he couldn't bring himself to fight the Levy double, only blocking as best he could. Levy felt her blood boil and both hands gripped her ax tightly as she pulled it back to swing.

Gajeel couldn't take her out, but she sure as hell would.

Baghira didn't slow as Levy brought the ax into her doubles side, both she and Gajeel watched Levy wide eyed as she flung her across the small area. Her victory was short lived as the metal woman clotheslined her off of Baghira, Levy doubling over her metal covered arm with a pained gasp. The woman tossed her aside like a rag doll, sending her skidding into the dirt as she gasped for air. She faintly heard Gajeel yell her name as she watched the woman approach her.

Baghira let out a furious roar and tackled the woman, giving Levy a moment to try and get to her feet. A familiar calloused hand gripped her arm and lifted her easily, tucking her into his side. "Are you crazy?!" Gajeel yelled.

"Better get used to it," she gave him a pained grin before kicking with her good leg and sending them tumbling. A wave of goo crashed into where they had just been standing, and Gajeel pulled them back to their feet. "Gajeel now is not the time, you can yell at me later."

Gajeel grumbled but nodded, stepping in front of her. "Count on it." He reached back and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, "Thanks for the save Lev."

Levy smiled and returned his squeeze. "Always Gaj."

He chuckled and shook his head, she had picked up his mothers nickname for him. "I've got it from here, go help Lu and Wendy. Yeah, I saw her. I'm pissed too."

Levy snorted as Baghira reached them and she climbed back on to his back, "Be safe Gajeel." When he gave her a nod Baghira took of towards the two girls, who were also out numbered. The beast lept over a jagged piece of earth created by Lucy, landing beside the girl and letting Levy slide from his back. "Need a hand?"

Lucy grinned as she clasped her hands together in front of her chest, causing the earth to rise up and clamp around one of the men in front of them. "An extra pair of hands is always welcome!"

Lucy and Levy fought side by side, keeping Wendy behind them, while the young girl protected their blind spots. Baghira stalked the circle, fading in and out as he attacked any that would join the fray. After what felt like hours, the battle seemed to be thinning out, and Levy began to feel hopeful.

Until she heard him.

Levy whipped around as Gajeel bellowed in pain, her heart stopping in her chest. He was collapsed on the ground, unmoving. Over him was the goo wielder, who looked like he could hardly stand, and a new man with short brown hair. Electricity coursed around him, fading away as he hefted Gajeel over his shoulder like he weighed nothing.

“Fine,” Jellal nodded, leaving his spot on the wall and approaching Natsu. “You’re awake early. It’s barely six.”

“I was going to go out for an early run,” he answered. “We’ve been here a week, and I’m starting to get stir crazy.”

“We shouldn’t go out unless in pairs,” Erza said, ceasing her pacing. “Etherios’s men could be in the city.”

“There’s an entire world, Erza. Do you think they’d find us here already?”

“Etherios knows that the Alberona-Clive home would be the safest place for a large group of people on short notice. So yes, I do think they would be able to find us here already,” Erza snapped.

“Would it make you feel better if you and I went on patrol?” Jellal asked her, taking her hand. “We can do a once-over of the city and surrounding areas. Any sign of Etherios’s men, and we can report it to Lily.”

She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. Opening them, she nodded. “I would feel better just knowing we had done a patrol. There hasn’t been one since we arrived with everyone’s families. It would be foolish to let our guard down.”

“Want me to come along to help?” I asked the two of them, who had seemed to have forgotten about me completely.

“We can handle a simple patrol,” Jellal said. “It would be best to postpone your run until we get back, unless you can find someone to go with you.”

Natsu cursed under his breath as the two of them left, and he sank onto the sofa with a sigh. “I’m still stuck here.”

“You make that sound like a bad thing,” came a giggle from the doorway.

“Lucy.” He immediately perked up. “Why’re you awake so early?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” she shrugged, sitting beside him on the sofa and snuggling against his side. He loved the feel of her, the way her small form fit next to his so comfortably, and how her hair smelled like flowers and grass. “What were you grumbling about when I got in here?”

“I was gonna go on a jog, but Jellal and Erza told me to stay put until they got back from their patrol unless I could find someone to go with me.”

“Why didn’t you say so?” Lucy smiled, jumping off the sofa and smiling down at him. “I haven’t been on a run since we all met up in Australia, so I’m itching to go on one!”

“Think you can keep up?” He smirked, leading her outside and watching as she pulled her blonde hair up into a ponytail.

“Tch,” she snorted. “You may be good in the water, but the ground is my turf, pinky.” With that, she took off running, laughing as he followed after her.

It felt good to get away from the house for a little while. Although he enjoyed being with everyone, and Cana’s family had been incredibly hospitable to them all, Natsu was used to being out and about. Not stuck in and around one house for an entire week.

He also hadn’t been in the water in over a week, and he was growing anxious. It always got like that when he couldn’t swim or surf. His skin felt too hot, and his body incredibly heavy. He felt constricted, like he couldn’t really move if he wasn’t in the water.

“You ok, Natsu?” Lucy asked, and he realized he had stopped running. She was frowning at him and looked concerned. “You’re sweating a lot, and you don’t look too hot.”

“I’m good,” he told her. “Just feeling a little dried up, I guess.”

She chuckled, grabbing his hand and pulling him along as she continued running. “Then you’ll really like the surprise I have for you!”

“Surprise?” He asked.

“Cana showed it to me a few days ago, and I’ve been wanting to bring you here with me, but we all started training and got busy. Now that we have a little bit before everyone wakes up, I figure we can take a little break.”

He was still confused about what she was talking about, but followed her anyways. Wherever, it was, if she was that excited to show it to him, he knew he’d like it. When she turned off the main road and away from the main housing area, he frowned again, wondering where exactly she could be taking him. After about half a mile, he knew what she was going to show him. His skin was practically crawling with anticipation, telling him exactly what was up ahead.

He didn’t even give Lucy time to shout “surprise!” before he was jumping into the cool spring water. As it surrounded him, enveloping him in that sense of home he hadn’t really felt since being out of the water, he felt more at ease than he had since everything with Etherios had started. The water washed away all of the pent up nerves and fear he had been clinging onto, clearing his head completely.

When he finally came up for air, Lucy was smiling at him from the edge of the water. “You could have let me at least say surprise,” she giggled.

“Sorry,” he chuckled. “It’s been a while.”

She nodded, crouching down. “I figured you’d be getting anxious. I went on a cruise with Michelle a few years ago that lasted two weeks, and I thought I was going to go completely nuts being away from land that long. I laid down right there on the beach as soon as our boat docked; poor Michelle was too embarrassed to even speak as the other passengers looked at me like I was crazy.” She smiled fondly at the memory, and Natsu’s heart skipped a beat. As much as that smile made it do that, he figured he’d be used to it. But he wasn’t. It was always just as stunning as the last time he’d seen it.

“What?” She asked, a blush coming over her face as she looked at him.

“I love you,” he said, the words coming out before he could really stop them.

Her blush deepened, and her brown eyes grew wide. When her initial start wore off a little, she smirked at him. “It’s just a spring, Natsu. No need to be so dramatic.”

He laughed, splashing water at her, causing her to jump to her feet with a shriek. “Hey! No fair!”

He pulled himself out of the spring and stood in front of her, cupping her face in his wet hands. “I mean it, Luce. I know I haven’t had time to show it since we got back, but once this mess is over, I promise I will. I’ll take you out on a nice date, and try my best not to blow it, even though I don’t think I have a romantic bone in my body. But I’ll try. And I’ll make myself worth your—”

“Stop right there,” Lucy frowned, cutting him off. “You already are worth it.”

He smiled, kissing her. The kiss was brief, however, cut off by the sound of an explosion.

“That sounded like it came from Cana’s,” Lucy gasped, looking at the cloud of black smoke beginning to rise into the sky. Exchanging a fearful glance, they took off running back towards the villa. Damn it! Jellal and Erza are probably still out on patrol, and if they’re out of the city already, they wouldn’t have heard the explosion! And Lily left yesterday to meet with an informant, so he’s out of town too! Natsu cursed at himself for leaving. He hadn’t expected an attack. No one had. So he hadn’t thought it would matter if he and Lucy left for just a couple of hours.

“Michelle!” Lucy called as soon as they were within earshot of the villa. There was a large, charred black crater in the front yard, still smoking from whatever had crashed into it. Gajeel and his parents were already outside, as were Cana and her family.

“She’s inside with the little ones, and getting everyone without powers to the cellar,” Cana answered, reassuring Lucy as she looked around worriedly for her sister.

“What happened?” Natsu asked as Lucy rushed inside to find her sister, and the rest of his friends rushed outside to join them.

“No clue,” Gajeel growled. “We were heading downstairs for breakfast when all of a sudden it sounded like a damned bomb went off in the front yard.”

“There’s another one!” Levy shouted, pointing up into the sky. Natsu could just barely see the black spot as it hurtled towards them.

“Shit!” Gajeel cursed.

“I’ve got it!” Regin proclaimed, picking up of the cinderblocks they had been using for practice and throwing it into the sky. The two objects met, setting off an explosion like that of the first one.

“Who the hell is dropping bombs on us?!” Cana asked, looking around for any sign of an enemy. Natsu had done the same when he’d arrived, but hadn’t been able to see or sense anyone.

“It’s about time we found you weaklings!” Came a voice from directly behind him.

Before Natsu could react, another explosion went off, sending them all flying. “Damn,” he growled, getting to his feet, his ears ringing from the blast. He could feel a gash on his arm, and he knew there were mild burns on his legs.

A familiar black goo appeared in one of the craters, and Natsu noticed the way Gajeel stiffened at the sight of it. Several people also stepped forward through the smoke the last explosion had caused. One of them had goo dripping from his fingertips, so Natsu assumed he was the one controlling it. Another held a large bazooka-looking gun, and he could smell the fresh powder from a recent shot—meaning she was the one dropping explosions on them. Three others with unidentifiable powers rushed towards them, taking no time in attacking.

A man the size of Gajeel ran straight for Juvia and Wendy, and Natsu barely had time to react before the woman was hitting him with paint hard enough to send him flying. He watched in amazement as she did the same to about three others, using the paint like whips to snake around legs and pull people off balance, or to send them flying, or to temporarily blind them so that someone else could attack. It was incredible how much she had improved in just a week.

“Wendy, get to the cellar with everyone else,” Natsu instructed, moving to guard his cousin as Juvia made her way further into the battle.

“No,” she said, stubbornly. “I’m not running away! I can help!”

“Wendy—”

“Duck!” She snapped, tugging on Natsu’s shirt to pull him down as another explosion was fired towards them. It went off behind them, the shock sending them tumbling on their faces into the dirt.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you that it’s rude to read minds?” The girl with the bazooka questioned, frowning at them as she approached. “Besides, it won’t really help you, anyways, as long as I can get my babies close enough to hit you.”

“Wendy, run!” Natsu commanded, standing in front of her as the girl raised her gun again. There was no way he’d be able to get them both away from the blast in time. And water can’t do much against an explosion of this size—not from this close. I could set her off balance, but then the blast might hit someone else. Damn.

He shouted for Wendy to run again as the girl pulled the trigger. When she instead jumped in front of him, he felt time come to almost a halt. He couldn’t move. There was no way he could get her out of the way in time, even if he tried. As the explosion made its way closer to them, his heart pounded loudly in his chest.

Wendy suddenly threw her arms in front of her, and almost too fast for Natsu to follow the movement, the explosion reversed its course, soaring back towards the girl who had fired it. She screamed when it hit her, falling to the charred ground and laying still, unconscious but still alive.

When she turned back to him, smiling sheepishly, he thought his chest was going to burst completely. He pulled her into a hug. “Don’t ever do that again!” He snapped, though he was proud of his tiny cousin and her new skill.

“I can help,” she said, pulling away and smiling. “I’ll stay away from the main fighting, but let me help!”

Groaning, but knowing he had no choice, he nodded. “If Gajeel sees you—”

“I’ll be too busy saving his butt for him to get mad,” she said, looking determined.

He smiled, patting her on the head. “Stay safe, Wen.”

She nodded, running off to help the others as he faced another one of Etherios’s men. They were outnumbered five to one, and Etherios’s followers looked incredibly powerful. They were even giving Gajeel a run for his money as he went up against three of them at once.

It always startled Wendy when the spirit spoke directly into her mind, she nearly dropped her glass. She sighed and set it aside, leaning her back against the table. "I don't have any useful powers. And even if I did, no one will let me help. They keep treating me like a child."

"But you are a child." Baghira got up and trotted closer to her, sitting beside her feet.

"I'm almost sixteen, that's not a child," she muttered to herself.

Baghira chuckled deep in his chest as he looked out over the field. "Yes, it is small one. Even my Levy is still a child, and my Ramal. Truly, everyone is a child at heart. No one should have to fight in the battles that are to come."

They sat quietly for long moments, Wendy running her fingers through his strange ghostly fur. He was warm and solid, yet fog lifted where her fingers traveled. "You called Ramal yours, like Levy. Were you his spirit too?"

Baghira was quiet, Wendy began to think she had upset him before he finally spoke up. "I was not his spirit, but my mate was. My Katreesh."

"Can... Can I ask what happened to her?"

He gave a small nod. "She was always at Ramals side, especially when he went to war. He never called for her, but she was always there to save him. It was thanks to her, in his last battle, that he only lost his leg. She gave her life for his."

Wendy stared at him wide eyed and had to blink back tears. "But, she's a spirit. You... You can die?"

He looked up at her, a small sad smile seemed to appear on his muzzle. "When we are summoned, we are given physical forms. Those physical forms can die just like any other, and the soul moves on. Nothing is eternal, not even the dragon." 

Wendy was hugging him before she knew it, burying her face into his furry neck as she sniffed. A low purr rumbled through her as Baghira rubbed his face against her. She stayed like that for a long moment before sitting up and wiping her eyes.

"Stay a child for as long as you can Wendy, it can be taken from you before you know it." With that, Baghira trotted off towards Levy, who was heading towards them. Some time during her talk, Regin had come outside, and was now sparing with Gajeel.

Wendy had enough time to compose herself before Levy reached her. "Heya Wen!"

"Hi Levy, get a good workout?" Wendy asked with a grin.

Levy let out a tired groan as she slumped onto the bench beside her. "I'm thinking I should have rested like dad said, I'm dead on my feet." She worked a kink out of her neck before stretching. "But I don't have much of a choice do I? We don't know when Etherios is going to strike, we have to be ready for anything."

Wendy nodded as she listened to Levy go on about what Gajeel had taught her. Not only had she watched, but he had started teaching Wendy much of the same when she turned fourteen. "No cousin of mine is going to go without knowing a little self-defense." He had said. She could give Natsu a run for his money when she wanted.

At the mention of Etherios, as usual, Wendy became angry. Because of that man, Erza had died trying to protect them, and who knew how many times before that. Michelle had been attacked as well as Wendy herself, the cut on her neck itched even now. Then there was Gajeel, who was almost drowned in some bizarre goo. Gajeel, who wouldn't have come back if it wasn't for Jellal and Erzas quick thinking. Gajeel, who she had nightmares of never waking up again.

Wendy was a kind gentle soul, and she never hated anyone as much as she hated Etherios. She vaguely heard her glass on the picnic table move, the glass clinking. It wasn't until Levy stopped talking that Wendy turned to look at the glass, that was shakily hovering and inch above the wood. She gasped and the glass dropped, tumbling over and rolling off the table. She shared a glance with Levy as she swallowed nervously before leaning over and picking up the glass.

They were quiet for a moment before Levy spoke up. "Well, if you didn't want to listen to me talking about getting achey and sweaty you could have just said so."

It was not what Wendy was expecting, which is why she let out a startled laugh, slapping her hand over her mouth.

"No having fun over there!" Regin called from where she had Gajeel pinned to the ground, pulling his leg back hard and causing his back to bow.

"For the love of god woman I'm tapping I'm tapping!" Gajeel called as he slapped the dirt. Regin laughed before releasing him and standing, though Wendys attention was back on Levy.

"So, have you done that before?" she asked quietly.

Wendy shook her head. "No, never. I was just thinking about, how much I hate Etherios, and I don't hate anyone. I was remembering everything we've been through and I just... I don't know."

Levy smiled gently. "I'v heard strong emotions can unleash hidden powers, maybe you've had telekinesis all along and have just never had access to it until now."

Wendy nodded before starting to smile. "Hey, maybe I can be helpful now! This is something I can do!" She heard Levys thoughts before she had a chance to voice them. "No no, listen. This is a distance thing! I can still be out of the way, and help from a distance!"

Wendy waited with bated breath as she listened to Levy think. After several long moments, Levy smiled and propped her head up on her hand. You're something else. "You realize the Wendy brigade isn't going to be happy with that." She jerked a thumb to a suddenly soaked Gajeel and Regin, who were both running after Natsu.

Wendy giggled and Levy ran a hand through her short hair. "Good thing for you, I enjoy breaking the rules."

"You, the would be lawyer?"