~*****~

I followed after much slower, groaning irritably at their enthusiasm. When I arrive to the fight, it would seem that these bozos are givin' them a run for their money. "So these guys are tougher than they look, huh," I mention lightly, my hand snatching upwards to snag the bullet from the air.

"Wow, miss, that was fast," Ballad chirped.

"No kidding," Lucy panted. "What's with the sniper, anyway?"

"You're quicker than I expected--" I hear the silver haired man's voice. "But don't worry! The next shot will find it's mark for sure!"

"His voice is coming from all over! Where's he hiding?" Carla exclaimed.

"My seventy-four's been aching to meet her kill quota." I could vaguely hear his voice somewhere above us. My eyes flick upwards.

"Found him." I chirp.

"Good eye, as always!" Lucy cheers. "I'll handle him! Open! Gate of the Archer! Sagittarius!" With a loud chime, the horse man appeared.

"Leave the sharpshooting to me, my lady!" Sagittarius hummed, and let loose an arrow.

The arrow shattered in the air. "What happened?!" Wendy cried.

"Things just got a lot harder, that's for sure," Lucy whined.

"Such skill," Sagittarius cooed.

"Sorry, but once I've got you in my sights, you're done for," The silver haired man hums.

Another shot rings out. "On my honor as a spirit, I shall not fail on this task!" Sagittarius exclaims. Sagittarius manages to destroy all three bullets flying towards us. I hum lightly, pinching my chin in thought.

"Man, these guys are tough, especially for bein' non-magic users." I mention.

"Who needs it, babe? We're the best treasure hunters in Fiore!" The middleman exclaims. "That means we always end up with the best treasure, plus, some totally ridiculous gear. Needless to say, we're the best! We've got a trophy to prove it! Sylph Labyrinth won the gold at last years Grand Treasure Games!"

"Ya dig!" The big man barks.

"Wait, is that seriously a thing?" Natsu asked eagerly.

"Yeah, and it was won by Hiroshi, the sword!" Hiroshi barked.

"And Rala, the hammer!" Rala exclaims.

"As well as Drake, the Sniper!" Drake states.

"We're the only three members of the Sylph Labyrinth Guild!" Hiroshi states. "And we kick more butt than you pansies ever could!"

"So, treasure hunters have a tournament, too?" Wendy asked. "I wonder what kind of contests they have to compete in."

"Congratulations, guys." Lucy sighed.

"You're frickin' amazing!" Natsu chirped.

"Now he's gonna obsess with it for days, thanks a lot," I comment dryly.

"Now that you know who you're dealin' with, piss off!" Drake barks. "Regular ol' wizards don't stand a chance against Sylph Labyrinth!"

"Well, then it's too bad for you that we're not regular wizards," I retort. Ballad plops onto my head, brandishing the bottle of moon drip.

"WHAT THE--" Hiroshi cries.

"She's got our moon drip!" Rala exclaims.

"I'm super small, and I've had loads of practice reclaiming stolen property for our guild's job request board!" Ballad chirps.

I pat at her head. "You should totally pay attention to everything around you. One slip up is all it takes."

"Give it back, man!" Rala cried.

"Nobody steals treasure from a treasure hunter!" Hiroshi complained. "Hey, Drake! Blow 'em away!"

"On it!" Drake snapped.

"Sagittarius!" Lucy barked.

"Okily Dokily!" Sagittarius hummed as he fired an arrow, stopping the bullet.

"No way!" Drake exclaimed.

"You seem a bit disconcerted," Sagittarius mentioned. "It's like you've never seen an arrow stop a moving bullet."

"Punks! Give it back!" Hiroshi cried.

"Sorry, but no can do," Gray retorts. "It's going to a better cause!"

It was like a game of hot potato between all of us, until Carla threw it to Happy and he totally did not catch it. It shattered behind him, spilling the contents. Everyone was staring, mouth agape and I can't help but laugh hysterically.

"I didn't mean to, I'm sorry..." Happy sniffled after he got yelled at by Hiroshi and Rala.

I pat at his head. "Don't worry about it, buddy," I hum. "Everyone makes mistakes."

"Hey, look where it spilled!" Lucy hummed. "If that's all the ice the moon drip could melt, then..."

"We couldn't have used it for much," I shrug. "There wasn't near enough to save a single giant. Let alone the entire village."

"No way! That means our master plan was totally doomed from the start!" Hiroshi cried.

"We were positive we had enough to melt that stupid flame!" Rala complained.

"Our master plan sucked so we gotta change it, ya dig?" Hiroshi snapped.

"Yeah, we totally do, don't we?!" Rala agrees.

"Did you switch catch phrases?" Wendy asked.

I lean down to the bottle, humming curiously. There's a subtle noise echoing from the spot, and it's making my ears twitch. "Anyone else hearin' that?" I ask curiously.

Natsu approached and stooped down, pressing his ear to the spot where the ice had been melted. "Yeah, I do. I can't quite make out what it's saying, but it is definitely there." Natsu states. "It's calling out."

"Like, calling for help?" Happy asked, still teary eyed.

"Maybe." Natsu grunts as he sits up.

Happy approaches the spot and presses his ear to it. "Are you sure, cause I'm not hearin' anything."

"This way!" Natsu barks, grasping my wrist and tugging me along.

"Warning! Remember you have to warn me!" I bellow as I flail uselessly behind.

"I know that voice! I've heard it before, but where was I?!" Natsu barked, disregarding my complaints.

"Hold up, man! We're coming!" Gray shouted.

I struggle to get my footing and when I finally do, I listen hard to the voice echoing from the hills. And he's right. I recognize it too, but as to where, I only draw blanks. We venture back into the city. "It was this way, I'm sure of it. But who's voice was it?" Natsu asks irritably.

"Wait, stop--" I snap as I grasp his wrist and tug. A man approaches us, and I didn't like the feel of his magic.

"Hey, I thought you were a trio? I guess thieves lie," Natsu mentioned.

"Yeah, but I'm not a thief," The man retorts calmly. "Now then, wizards of Fairy Tail. Regress: Become a shadow of the days of your past!"

I hum in confusion as a strange magic washes over me. "What the heck?! What are you doing?" Natsu barks.

For some reason, this guy starts getting taller. Was it just me? Or did my shoes feel a bit too big. "Why do I feel so tiny?" I ask and cringe at the sound of my voice.

"Hey! What the hell did you do to us?!" Natsu barked in a childlike tone.

My gaze swung over and I paled. "Please tell me we did not shrink to being kids again!"

"Children are much easier to assassinate than adults." The man snorted.

"Who says that kinda crap?" I bark irritably. I tumble out of my boots, kicking violently at the longer pants I desperately try to keep upwards. Not to mention my top was too loose to cover anything, so I had to button up my jacket. Although, it did remind me of when I first got my original overcoat from Everest. "Wait, wait-- I know that sigil!"

"Who cares about the stupid sigil! What the heck did he do to us?!" Natsu complained. "Why do we look like eight year olds?! Hey, ugly! Turn us back right now before I have to get rough!"

"Shut up and listen. The name's Doriate." The man retorted. "I'm a member of a dark guild called Succubus Eye."

"So your little band of thieves have got a wizard after all, huh?" Natsu exclaimed as he kicked off his sandals.

"I already told you, I'm not a thief," Doriate retorted irritably. "You talk too much! It's time I shut you up for good!"

There was one thing my small size as a kid was good for, and that was running. I slid underneath Doriate and started running towards the forest. "Don't bother fighting him!" I shout over my shoulder. "Your magic power has been suppressed! It doesn't matter if you had power as a child!"

"I can take 'im!" I hear Natsu exclaim before he shouts out in pain. I skid to a halt and stare back, clasping my overcoat tightly. "What the heck was that, man?! You got rocket fists?!"

"Needless to say, your defenses have weakened!" Doriate barked.

"On the plus side, things couldn't get worse." Natsu grumbled. Doriate started running towards him and I started waving my arms frantically, mouthing for him to fake something and run. Natsu perked up. "Oh, man! Things just got way worse!" He bellowed as he peered up at the sky. Doriate took the bait and glanced upwards, giving Natsu the opportunity to run. We met up on the other side of the wall, running as fast as we could with our large clothing. "Works every time! Sure, we can't fight, but we can always run and hide!" Natsu giggles. "This really takes me back! You're almost as gullible as old Gildarts was! Gotta voice to find! I'll deal with you when I'm big again!"

"How can you be so carefree in a situation like this?" I snap angrily.

"You sound silly!" Natsu giggles again. "It's super cute!"

"I'll kick your ass!" I bark before I trip and fall face fist into the snow. I grumble angrily, slapping my fists into the ground and kick my legs around. "I CAN'T BELIEVE I GOTTA DEAL WITH THESE STUMPY LEGS AGAIN!"

Natsu kneeled down to me, holding his head up on his hands. "Wanna piggyback ride?" Natsu asked.

"What I want is to have my old body again." I complain.

"I'm sure it'll come back! Now climb on!" Natsu chirped as he turned around and beckoned me with his hands. I sighed loudly and flopped onto his back, my tiny arms dangling over his shoulders. "Now I just gotta try to remember where I heard that voice," Natsu hummed as he started running forward.

I fold my arms on top of Natsu's head and hum. "I can't remember where I heard it, either," I mention. "But I totally know it. Too much has happened lately."

"No kidding," Natsu grunts.

~*****~

"Where was that voice?!" Natsu barks angrily. "I know it's somewhere near here, but it's too quite to make out--" We both give a startled cry as Natsu trips and sends us flying forward. I get another face full of snow. "I feel like I've completely forgotten how to run, dang it! This sucks! Wonder how long it'll be before the spell wears off. What if it won't end until I beat him? This is such a hassle!"

"We don't have time for this crap!" I complain as I swat at the snow on my face. "Let's go already!" I roll up my pants and tie them off before taking two steps forward and face planting again. "I HATE THIS!" I bark as I get up again and make exaggerated steps just to run properly.

"Why can't this stupid voice meet us halfway?!" Natsu complains as we continue run through the forest.

"You know--" I pant wildly. "I think that voice came from somewhere in the mountain!"

"Why d'you say that!?" Natsu asks breathlessly.

"Cause we haven't checked there yet!" I retort.

It was like a light bulb went off in his head. "Oh! Yeah! It's gotta be there, then! C'mon! Let's go, full speed!" Natsu exclaims as he starts running faster.

"SMALLER LEGS! WAIT!" I exclaim as I try to keep up.

A strange feeling washes up me and I heave forward as I feel my body return to normal. Natsu sails across the ground, his body returned to normal, and unfortunately trips me. I hit the ground hard, pain crashing up my chest as my breasts return to their normal size. "Man, I'm big again!" Natsu exclaims. "I was just startin' to get the hang of bein' a kid! What the heck's goin' on around here?"

"Are you seriously complaining that much?" I gripe as I hold my chest tenderly. "We're not little brats anymore, so we can fight to our full potential. Not to mention, I'd hate to be stuck like that." I whine and readjust my top. "That totally hurt, my chest feels like I slammed against a brick wall..."

"What d'you think happened?" Natsu asked.

I shrug. "Someone probably kicked that guys ass. I don't know, let's just keep going." I exclaim irritably. Just as we take a step forward, we trip and land on our faces again.

"This is getting old!" Natsu complains as I sit up and glare at my smaller body. And just as quick as we shrunk, we grew again. "What the heck is goin' on?!" Natsu complained loudly. He gets up and swats at his pants irritably before holding his hand out to help me up. "Maybe I should've taken old tusk face down. All this changing back and forth crap is getting really annoying."

"How the hell do you think I feel?!" I snap at him.

"Natsu, Aria," Lucy's voice rings out in annoyance.

"What a relief! I thought we'd lost you guys!" Wendy sighed.

"We wouldn't have if they'd just stayed with the rest of us," Lucy scolded.

"I didn't have a choice in the matter!" I snap irritably.

"Long time no see," Flare hums as she peeks out from behind Lucy.

"It's you!" Natsu exclaims.

"Cool it! She's not the enemy." Lucy warned. "Flare is from this village and she wants to help us out."

"So, what you're telling me is she's a giant?" I ask.

"No, silly." Wendy giggled. "The giants just raised her."

I rub at my hair irritably. "I don't like it. Not only did she try to straight up murder you, she went after Asca." I cross my arms. "But then again, this is your home, and it must be hard for you to see you friends and family like this."

Natsu nods in agreement. "I swear on our guild's name. We'll bring back this village and everybody in it."

"We think the Eternal Flame might be able to turn everything back to normal," Wendy mentioned softly.

"Flare was just showing us the way when we ran into you guys," Lucy mentioned.

"I see... We're still chasing that voice from before," Natsu hummed. "I thought I heard it coming from this mountain."

"This isn't a mountain," Flare retorted. We glance at her curiously. "It's the village deity. Our great protector."

"You're tellin' me this entire thing-- is the Eternal Flame?" I exclaim.

"Yes, that is correct," Flare nods.

"What?!" Natsu exclaims loudly. "There's no way that's a flame!"

"Sir Warrod did mention the flame was frozen," Lucy mentioned. "But he didn't say it was huge!"

"If I didn't see it, I wouldn't believe it," Wendy hummed.

"If this bad boy has the power to restore the village, we should focus all our efforts on thawing it out," Lucy stated. "Now we just have to figure out how to do that."

A faint rumbling echoed out from the hills. "Hey, I think something's coming," I mention lightly. I cup my ears as a high pitched scream starts echoing out.

"Gray?!" Natsu exclaims. My eyes slip open a fraction to see Gray, Happy, Carla, and Ballad all running for their lives.

"Happy?" Lucy wonders.

"Carla?" Wendy hums.

"Ballad, quit screaming!" I exclaim loudly.

"Run for it! It's got an appetite!" Gray bellows.

"What does-- HOLY SHIT--" I bellow in response as a huge monster crests the hill after them. "WHAT IS THAT?!"

"I dunno, but it's hungry and we're the next dish on the menu!" Happy sobs loudly.

"Someone throw a spell already!" Carla cried.

"TURN AROUND AND ICE IT, GRAY!" Natsu shouts.

"I can't afford to waste magic power right now!" Gray shouts back.

"Why?!" Natsu barks.

"Because I think I found a way to unfreeze the village and get things back to normal!" Gray explains rapidly. "Gonna need your help, Aria!" I grunt irritably and act as if he's asked me to fight. "Raven Tail? What is she doing here?!"

"Don't' worry about her!" I retort loudly.

"Yeah! You really think you can melt this ice?!" Natsu asks.

"I'm not a hundred percent certain! But I'm sure as hell gonna try to!" Gray exclaims.

"All right, then!" Natsu barks. "I can deal with this ugly bird while you and Aria melt that mountain! Do that and we might have a chance!"

"WHAT?!" Gray barked.

"That's the Eternal Flame! Can you guys do it?!" Natsu asked.

"Watch us!" Gray grinned.

"I'm countin' on ya! Go!" They both exclaim as they pass, clasping their hands together for a brief moment.

Gray grasps onto my arm and hauls me along.

~*****~

"We're gonna what?!" I bark at Gray after he explains his plan. I scrub at my hair violently. "I'm so gonna feel this one for weeks, but whatever! I can eat any ice in the world, what's takin' in some cursed ice gonna do?!" We slam our hands onto the mountainside.

"Yeah, once it's inside of our bodies, we should be able to diffuse it," Gray nods.

"That's amazing, but are you sure you can do it?" Flare asks worriedly.

"Won't know for sure until we try," Gray retorts. "That's why I'm not usin' this on the giants yet! Step one is tryin' to suck the ice outta this mountain. I'm gonna give that giant flame some room to breathe! I'm not sure how this'll play out. So get back!"

Once again, I'm assaulted by that awful taste in my mouth as I absorb the ice with Gray, my tongue sticking out as I try to get rid of it. There's a large boom from the ice as it cracks open, but there's no flame anywhere in sight.

"What happened?" Ballad asked.

"Is there nothing left of it?" Carla stammered.

"I totally believed we had this..." Lucy murmured.

"I-- I didn't mean to--" Gray stammers.

I hear a thump behind me. "It's not real--" Flare whimpers.

I shush everyone violently. "D'you feel that?" I ask in a soft whisper. They try talking again and I shush harder. I take off, directly into the shattered mountain where an alter sits. "It's still here!" I shout. "It's lost a lot of weight, but it's still here!" I glance around worriedly. "That's why Warrod asked for the both of you! So you could melt the ice and Natsu could restore the flame!" I shout.

"You're right!" Gray gasped, the dull look in his eye clearing.

"Did he beat that monster yet?" Flare asked hopefully.

We all turn our gazes over quickly. He's up in the air, kicking and punching the monster wildly. "Natsu! Hurry!" Lucy shouts.

"Yeah, yeah! This shouldn't take too long!" Natsu shouts back at us. They fight together violently until Natsu slams him onto the pedestal, barraging him with a violent onslaught of attacks, completely destroying the beast and the pedestal.

We all stare in shock as the flame roars higher and higher. "Whoa--" I stammer.

"Yo, Happy, I wanna get to the top of this thing, mind givin' me a lift?" Natsu asks the small cat as he lands onto the ground.

"Do I have to?! It's scary!" Happy whined, but flew him up nonetheless.

"This is where that voice came from," Natsu hummed.

"The voice and the thought energy are one and the same!" Wendy mentioned. She clasps her hands together. "That settles it..."

"The flame's been here for centuries. Could it really be..." Gray murmured.

"Atlus Flame," I hum delicately.

"Hey, there Uncle, how you been?" Natsu grinned.

A face appeared in the flames. "Well met, son of Igneel. Aside from being imprisoned in ice? I've been good." Atlus' face peers around curiously before it settles onto me. "I see you've brought your mate with you again, that's good."

"Who said anything about mates?!" I exclaim irritably. Natsu just grins and rubs his nose.

"Wasn't the Eclipse Gate destroyed? He shouldn't be here, Miss," Ballad murmured.

"That's correct." Atlus Flame hums. "It sent us four hundred years into your past. And all that time, I've burned on."

"Didn't know you were still alive! You must be ancient!" Natsu chirped.

"Yet you look so youthful," Happy stammered.

"Ancient, yes. But alive? No, far from it." Atlus hummed.

"Atlus Flame has been dead for centuries," Wendy mentioned softly. "I used my Milky Way spell to get form to what remained of him."

"What?" Carla gasped.

"I thought as much. I don't recall dying, but I do remember life. And this isn't what it felt like!" Atlus snapped.

"So... are you not all there, or what?" Gray asked.

"I don't have the perspective to say," Atlus retorted. "But my memories are clouded, muddled. Who am I? What place is this?"

"I'd be forgetful too at your age, relax!" Natsu chirped.

"You're forgetful already," I retort.

"You'd be dirt at my age, son of Igneel," Atlus retorted.

"Something seems off. Zirconis came from the same era, but his memory was fine." Carla hummed.

"It might have to do with the ice," I mention. "You've gotta be powerful to leave behind strong residual thought energy, but the magic power to it is pretty weak. And since the ice magic was considerably tougher than anything I'd ever seen, it doesn't surprise me that his memories are damaged."

"Ice, yes. All around me," Atlus hummed. "I didn't know what cold was till then."

"About that. Could ya tell us how everything got like this?" Natsu asked.

"Please, sir, I really need to know," Flare pleaded. "You see, I used to live here."

Atlus grumbled a bit before speaking. "His intentions were not evil, but he mistook me for something I am not."

"Did you say he?" Lucy asked.

"Yes," Atlus nodded. "A single human being transformed this entire town into a tundra."

"All this was done by one ice wizard?" I exclaim.

"I'd understand if it were a guild, or a monster, but not a lone wizard!" Lucy added.

"So... what did he think you were?" Flare asked meekly.

"He mistook me for a demon. Not the first time that mistake's been made. But this man froze an entire village just to get at me." Atlus explained. "He was a demon slayer. And a ruthless one at that."

"A Demon Slayer?" I echo.

"First there were Dragon Slayers, and then God Slayers. Just how many kinds are there?" Lucy whimpered.

"Demon Slayer magic is rare," I retort lightly. "I mean, so is Dragon and God, but you never see Demon Slayers around."

"But to the best of my knowledge, it's never been written about," Carla comments.

I nod. "You're right. I've only heard rumors of them." I shake my head sullenly.

Atlus' head lowered. "Everything's fading. I can't remember. Who am I?" Atlus groaned.

"Our deity! You're the guardian of this village!" Flare exclaimed. "Atlus, Flame of the Titans!" Flare sunk to the ground, pressing her head against the ground. "Hear my plea, I beg of you! Warm this village with your light! Banish the ice! Be the guardian you always were!" I stared down at her before flickering my gaze up to Atlus again. "I've no right to ask this. Please save my family."

"Guardian, you said. Yes. I was a dragon once, but I died, and become the Flame of the Titans. I created this village." Atlus hummed.

"You did? Nice!" Natsu chirped. "Glad it's comin' back to ya!"

"It pains me to see it suffer so. If I had a single drop of moisture in me, it would leak from my eyes. With that strength of spirit I have left, and the fire I received from the son of Igneel, I will burn this ice away!" Atlus declared. "For I am more than Atlus Flame, the fire dragon. I am also Atlus, Flame of the Titans!"

I sigh delicately. "What a warm breeze," I coo.

"Igneel. The Dragon King Festival. Acnologia. And Zeref. I remember now. I remember everything!" Atlus barked. "Four hundred years ago, your father fought the strongest, most vile demon in the Book of Zeref. That monster's name is E.N.D. And not even Igneel had the strength to slay it." My brain stopped for a moment, and an influx of jumbled and messy memories threatened to burst forth. I couldn't make any sense of it.

The flame grew brighter and brighter until the entire valley was thawed. "The village!" I gasp.

"Do the giants seem bigger to you?" Wendy stammered.

"Yes." Carla nods.

"Where's my uncle?" Natsu asked sullenly.

"Thank you... for sharing your warmth..." Flare murmured.

"There's no trace left of Atlus Flame. He gave everything to save this village." Wendy said softly.

"To think that just a fragment of his spirit could be so powerful." Lucy hummed. "He even created a brand-new Eternal Flame."

Natsu landed besides me, his arms crossing over his chest. "So, Igneel was tryin' to take out a demon called E.N.D?" Natsu asked. "Never heard of it. I wonder what made Atlus Flame think of that?"

I shrug. "It... for some reason it... it made me stop and think." I purse my lips tightly together as I clasp my head tightly. "Maybe it was a rumor I heard? Or read something in an old book?" I sigh delicately before shrugging again. "I'll remember eventually." I peer at the fire a moment longer before turning my gaze onto Natsu. "I think Altus liked seeing you again before he parted." I mention delicately.

Natsu grinned again and rubbed his nose. "You think?" He asked eagerly.