~*****~

I kept grumbling irritably as I walked through the dark caverns. "Glory hog, always eating up the battles. I coulda totally decimated that battle if the jerk let me use my dragon force. It's totally exhausting dealing with his attitude, why do I even like that freak?" My face flushes as I recall the many times he's showed me time and time again he's the toughest wizard around. "Oh... Oh yeah." I murmur. "I'm gonna make him regret doing that, but I'm gonna do it while he's doing that cute thing when I kiss him." My face flushes again and I grumble. I snort and shrug, my hand raising and my finger pointing upwards. "I guess I'll let it go. You're facing two tough opponents. Burn them up for hurting our friends." I hear a shrill squeal coming for me until something soft plops onto my head, shouting about dark and scary it is. "Ballad." I say lightly as she continues to wail and call out for me. I pluck her off of my head and hold her up. "You found me. Stop crying." I say irritably. She stops wailing and pops open her eyes before wailing harder.

"Oh, miss! I was so worried after Natsu sent you tumbling down this cavern! Don't worry, we'll get out of here and we'll get even!" She sobs.

I palm at my head as I release her. "I'm totally fine with it, Ballad. I'm gonna continue exploring this cavern, cause I smell something familiar. Just stay with me, got it?" Ballad nods with a sniffle before gluing herself to my front.

We only get a few hours in until Ballad begins whining that she's hungry and scared of the dark. I sigh delicately and palm at her head.

"Just a little longer. We're close to the familiar scent." I explain delicately. Ballad nods sullenly.

But what I find, almost sends me tumbling to my knees. My lip trembles as I stare at all the bones surrounding me. "M-Miss, are these-- these--" Ballad stammers.

"Dragon bones..." I murmur as I palm at one of them, shaking delicately. "It's a graveyard... I've got to tell the others. Hang on, Ballad!""

I set her on my shoulder and find the nearest hole I can fly out of. When I get back to the bar I would usually find everyone, I kick the doors open, my fury reignited with the first sounds of Natsu's voice.

"Oh, there you guys are. Why the hell did you run off during our fight!" Natsu asked as he whirled around.

I grasped him by his hair and slammed him into the ground before stomping on his back. "If you've forgotten," I say in a calm tone. "YOU PUSHED ME DOWN THERE!" I shout at him. "YOU'RE LUCKY I WANTED TO EXPLORE THAT CAVERN, OTHERWISE I'D FREEZE YOU TO A LIGHT POST BUTT NAKED!"

"Right--" Natsu groaned as I continued to kick him like a can on the street. "Sorry, ma'am," He whined.

I grasped at his hair and turned to Wendy and Gajeel who stared at us in both amusement and worry. "I've got something to show you guys." I say softly. "You, too, Natsu." I mention as I drag him along.

"At least let me walk, this is killing me!" Natsu whined as he tried prying my hand from his hair.

"No way, you totally upstaged me again! We decided to do things together and you pull this stunt? You're gonna be hurtin' for a long time because that's not what we agreed on!" I complain angrily.

I finally release Natsu and he sulks after me like a scolded child. "Oh, wait, I almost forgot somethin'," Natsu hummed as he started digging around in his pockets. My brow quirks in confusion as he tugs out a small red crystal and holds it out.

"Awe, how cute, Salamander found a shiny rock for ya," Gajeel teases as he stares down at it.

"I didn't find it!" Natsu barks at him. "I made it! Aria showed me how to do it!"

I snort as I hold it up, and it felt extremely warm between my fingers. "Wow, good job! I couldn't make something this big my first try."

"So, what, we can make crystals now?" Gajeel snorts.

"Technically, anyone with element typed magic can do it. Everest taught me how to make condensed forms of magic so I could consume them at a later date. It's not my magic, it's the natural magic from the element itself." I shrug. "Seriously, Natsu, this is good. You should keep it."

Natsu just grins, that adorable flush on his face. "No way, there's usually fire everywhere. I thought you might like it!"

I just smile and pocket it. "Thanks... I'll treasure it."

Gajeel groaned. "This sappy crap's gonna make me vomit."

"I think it's cute," Wendy hummed. "Can you teach me to make crystals, Aria?"

I ruffle her hair. "Sure thing, kid! But don't you dare teach Gajeel if he's gonna be a sourpuss about it."

"I AIN'T A SOUR PUSS NOW SHOW ME, TOO!" Gajeel barked at me.

~*****~

Wendy held my hand nervously as we ventured into the cavern I'd left earlier. "So, um, what did you find down here?" Wendy asks.

"Just pipe down and keep close." Gajeel snaps. "She's got a reason for leadin' us down here."

"Why'd you only bring us?" Natsu asked.

"I wonder if she found something that has to do with Dragon Slayer Magic," Happy hummed.

"Possibly," Pantherlily hummed.

"So, then... Why did the gawkers tag along?" Carla asked.

"Excuse us for being gawkers," Gray complained.

"We can't help being curious!" Lucy chirped.

My stomach clenches again as I release Wendy and venture forward. "This is it." I murmur as I stare at the old bones.

"What is this?" Gray asked.

"They look like... giant bones..." Lucy stammered.

"Those aren't just any bones. These are all dragon remains." Natsu murmured.

"All these used to be dragons?!" Happy gasped.

"There are so many--" Carla stammered.

"If you ever wanted proof that they existed, here it is," Pantherlily hummed.

"But what are they doin' here?" Gray asked.

"Who knows," Gajeel huffed.

"Well I'd like to, that's for sure," Natsu grunted. "Why would there be piles and piles of them like this?"

"S-Something bad happened here," Ballad stammered.

"Who knows, maybe we'll find Igneel somewhere," Happy mentioned.

"Happy!" Carla hisses.

"My bad--" Happy stammered.

"No, he ain't here," Natsu said firmly.

"Yeah, it's only been fourteen years since our dragons disappeared," I mention. "These guys have been dead a lot longer than that."

Wendy gives a soft gasp. "That might work!" She hums.

"What was that, Wendy?" Lucy asks.

"The Milky Way spell... It's one of the new Dragon Slayer secret arts that Grandina had passed down to me. Hear the voices of the dragon spirits that lead to the River of Heaven." Wendy recited. "When I was first learning it, I assumed it was some kind of attack. But I just had a thought. What if its something else entirely? It's possible that the spell allows us to hear the voices of dragons who have passed on."

"You think?" Gajeel asked.

"Seriously?" Natsu hummed.

"If we can somehow commune with the spirits of these dragons... then one of them might be able to tell us what happened here. And we might finally be able to find out why our dragons vanished." Wendy explained.

I rub at my head and hum. "It's worth a shot."

Wendy beamed. She began etching out the magic circle in the ground as we all sat around waiting. "As I thought... I got these characters wrong before because I assumed that they were used for an attack spell."

"A magic circle?" Lucy hummed.

"Yeah, what are you trying to do?" Natsu asked.

"If you'd been paying attention, you would know that." Carla commented.

"She's casting the Milky Way!" Happy chirped.

"There we go..." Wendy sighed. "I need everyone to stand away from the circle." She gave a soft sigh. "Oh wandering spirits of dragons long past-- reveal yourself, and share your wisdom with me. Milky Way!" The magic circle lit up, casting a delicate glow upon the room.

"It's working!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Beautiful," Lucy sighed.

I peered at Wendy and couldn't help but smile. Even despite it being such a difficult spell, she managed it almost perfectly. "Such a kind heart. No one else could've pulled off this spell," I murmur to myself.

"Did you say somethin'?" Gray asked.

The ground started shaking. "The bones!" Lucy whimpered.

"Talk to us, Wendy!" Gray exclaimed. "What's happening?"

"I'm trying to contact a dragon spirit. But the residual thought energy lingering down here is weak... It's incredibly old, and it's fading." Her eyes snapped open. "I found one!" She immediately chirped.

"Are you sure that's a dragon spirit?!" Pantherlily exclaimed.

"Wendy?" Ballad squeaked.

"Quiet, she's concentrating!" Carla admonished.

From the light, appeared a large, ghostly dragon form. "Whoa--" I stammer loudly. "That's a dragon--"

The great beast laughed hysterically as he roared. "Even in death, scaring the pants off of humans is hilarious! My name is Zirconis. They call me the Jade Dragon back in my day. I'm impressed you were able to conjure my spirit... Seems like the handy-work of the Sky Dragon Grandina. Which one of you was it?" Zironcis hummed as he peered around until he zeroed in on Wendy. "Oh, how adorable! So it was this tiny Dragon Slayer who woke me, eh?"

"Back off, creep! Don't even think of touchin' her!" Natsu barked.

"Then I'll eat her--" Zirconis sneered. "And she's just the appetizer!"

"I won't let you!" Natsu barked as he got in Zirconis' face.

"Jeez, lighten up, dummy." Zironis snorted. "Did you honestly think I could eat any of you?" He stuck his finger through Natsu's torso, showing him that he couldn't even touch him. "That'd be pretty hard to pull off when I can't even touch you."

"What'd you call me?" Natsu growled.

I sighed. "Honestly, out of all these dragons, we get the jokester." I sigh again and palm at my head. "Listen, we wanted to ask you what happened here. Y'know, since there's a bunch of bones laying around."

"I have no interest in talking with you humans!" Zironis scoffed.

"Okay, what about cats?" Happy chirped.

"Let's see..." Zirconis immediately gave in. "It must've been over four hundred years ago..."

"Guess he's got no problem talkin' to cats." Gray commented.

"Dragon kind once ruled over every corner of the globe. We soared through the skies, raced over the land and swam the great oceans. Everything in the world belonged to dragon kind. Including humans. Your race was plentiful. And an excellent source of protein. But, there was one dragon who felt our reign was unjust... What a fool. It zealously spread the idea of a world in which we coexisted with humans. Well, as with any fanatic idea, there were some who fully agreed and some who opposed it outright. It wasn't long before war broke out. I, myself, fought against the fanatics."

Lucy hummed in shock. "So does that mean... you're against humans?" She stammered.

"True, I am not fond of your kind... unless you've been properly cooked, medium rare of course." Zirconis explained.

Natsu giggled and covered his mouth. "Didn't your parents ever tell you not to talk to your food?" Natsu giggled again.

"HEY! Show some respect to the dead!" Zirconis barked.

"Anyway... you were starting to tell us about your civil war?" Carla sighed.

Zirconis hummed. "Both sides were fairly evenly-matched... The fighting was so brutal that entire continents were left barren and scarred. Until finally the dragons supporting coexistence came up with a plan that doomed us all. They granted humans what would come to be known as Dragon Slaying magic. And with this new power in hand, mankind joined the war."

"So the first Dragon Slayers were some kind of ancient warriors?" Happy asked.

Zirconis nodded. "The Dragon Slayers' immeasurable power quickly turned the tide of war. We were so overwhelmed that victory seemed certain for the dragons on the other side. But no one predicted the travesty that would come to pass. The Dragon Slayers became so powerful they eventually turned on the very dragons that had given them their strength. It was a massacre. There was one man whose power was so terrible, he bathed the countryside in the blood of my kin. The very mention of his name still scares me. This man slayed countless dragons and soaked in their blood. He used his power so often that his skin turned to scales, his teeth sharpened into fangs, and he stopped being human altogether."

"Are you saying..." Lucy stammered. "That he turned into a dragon?"

"That is the fate that awaits all who practice Dragon Slayer magic. All the bones you see here belong to the victims of that monster. Despite his human origins, he became the King of all dragon kind. And the war that he gave rise to, came to be known as the Dragon King Festival. His name... was Acnologia. Once a human being, now a dragon, cloaked in wings of darkness."

"That monster used to be human?!" I bark.

"Impossible!" Gajeel snapped.

"Most of my race now rots in the ground thanks to Acnologia. All of this happened in the distance past. But you and I have already--" Zirconis disappeared in a soft flush of stars.

"What happened?!" Natsu barked.

My body suddenly felt flushed with the overuse of magic. I rubbed at my eyes, willing the burning to stop for a moment, vaguely wondering if I'd used more magic during the fight with Sting and Rogue than I originally thought. "Looks like we got ourselves into another situation." I hear Gray mention when I finally stop rubbing my eyes.

"Let's pretend we didn't hear anything!" Lucy stammered.

"There's only one thing I wanna know... Does this mean we're gonna turn into dragons, too?!" Natsu whined.

I swat him upside the head. "Most of us have been using Dragon Slayer magic for nearly two decades, don't you think we woulda sprouted wings and tails with out dragon force?" I ask irritably.

"But you sprout tails and wings, I don't wanna be a dragon!" Wendy cried.

"That's not very likely," We all flinch at the sound of someone else.

"Who's there?" Wendy chirped.

"I took the liberty of eavesdropping... It would appear our research is in line with historical fact after all." We all gaze at the man in armor standing on the ledge above us. "Tell me... have you heard of the demons of the Book of Zeref? Acnologia is similar to them... For it was Zeref himself who turned the Dragon Slayer into that creature of death."

"Really?" Ballad squeaked.

"That means... if you wish to conquer the black dragon... you must first find a way to subdue the Black Wizard, Zeref." The man explained.

"Who are you?!" Gajeel barked.

"How do we beat Zeref?" Natsu asked.

"Yukino?" Lucy exclaims. "Is that you?"

The two leapt down to us. "I am Colonel Arcadios. Leader of the Sacred Cherry Blossom Knights... The Crocus garrison force of the Royal Fiore Army."

"And I am Yukino Aguria, acting-Sergeant in the Cherry Blossom Knights." Yukino hummed.

"So what business does the military have down here anyway?" Gray asked.

"I don't get it. You're in the army?" Lucy hummed.

"But you were with the Sabertooth guild just a couple of days ago." Pantherlily stated.

"Did you join the army after those guys kicked you out?" Happy asked.

"Yes, in a manner of speaking." Yukino hummed.

"Please allow me to clarify... For the past several years I have been working on a highly classified project... But its success required the power of a Celestial Wizard, and a Seer of Souls can provide. Luckily, Sergeant Yukino is able to lend her assistance in this undertaking." Arcadios hummed.

"A Celestial Wizard? Seer of Souls?" Lucy echoed.

"Excuse me. So you specifically needed two types of magic power... To do what, though?" Wendy asked.

"Get to the point, would ya?!" Natsu barked. "I'm runnin' really low on patience! So skip the formal crap and tell us what you're doing down here!"

"The one and only Natsu Dragneel," Arcadios smirked. "It's an honor to make your acquaintance... I applaud your recent victory in battle."

My brows quirk for a moment as Natsu gets into Arcadios' face. "I said skip the formal crap and tell me what you're doing! While you're at it, tell me why the hell you were trying hands on a Celestial Wizard! And when I ask somebody a question... I expect an answer right away!"

"Calm down," Lucy pleaded.

"Idiot," Gray huffed.

"This should probably go without saying... but he's kind of an important dude." Happy mentions.

"I don't really think that calling him dude is a very good idea, either," Pantherlily adds.

Arcadios didn't answer. He simply turned on his heel with a hum. "Follow me, please." He orders.

"Hold on a minute!" Natsu barked at him. "Don't just walk away!"

"You, too, Lucy, you should come along with us." Yukino hummed. "If our plan is indeed successful.... Both Zeref... and Acnologia will be defeated as a result."

"Do you really think you can do that?" Wendy asks.

Yukino simply turns on her heel and strides off after Arcadios.

~*****~

"Holy cow!" Natsu barks loudly as we stare up at the large building fit for a literal king.

"Whoa, this place is huge," Gray comments.

"It's Mercurius, the luminaria palace!" Wendy cooed in awe.

"This is his majesty's home," Arcadios explained.

"It certainly is fit for a king," Pantherlily mentioned.

"Are you really sure it's okay for us to go inside?" Happy asked.

Arcadios didn't turn to us. "Yes, but before we do... I'd like to give Miss Aria my most humble apology."

"Me?" I pipe up irritably. "Why me?"

Arcadios hummed. "My misguided actions put you directly in harm's way."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Natsu asked.

"Wait a minute... are you talking about that bunch of goons that accidentally kidnapped Wendy and I?" Carla snapped.

"You were the one who sent those jerk wads?" I snap. "Why the hell do you have to apologize to me? It's Lucy you sent them after, wasn't it?"

"I was far too aggressive with my orders. If we could obtain a seer of souls, then perhaps obtaining a celestial wizard wouldn't be much harder." Arcadios explained. I try to voice my complaints, but it goes unheard. "It was a lapse of judgement. I ask your forgiveness." Natsu grasped my arm and subtly tugged me closer to him as if he were warning someone. "In truth, the Grand Magic Games is a ruse. Or rather a mechanism for siphoning magic power from the participants."

"So you've been stealing power from wizards for years now?" Gray snapped.

"It's all a big cover up?!" Happy shouted.

"How deplorable!" Carla admonished.

"That's messed-up," Gajeel growled.

"You can say that again." Pantherlily hummed.

"You're certainly entitled to your opinions on the matter, but I firmly believe that the end justifies the means in this case." Arcadios explains as we stop at a large, unfamiliar structure.

"What's that?" Ballad stammered.

"Eclipse... The door that will change the world... Without massive amounts of magic power, it never could've been constructed." Arcadios continues.

"It's a door?" Lucy asks.

"To where?" I pipe up.

"When the sun and moon intersect... We will then use the Celestial Zodiac Keys along with the power of the Seer to open this door. What lies beyond it is time itself... It will allow us to travel four hundred years into the past and slay Zeref before he gains the power of immortality." Arcadios explains. "His destruction is our ultimate goal."

"But, how's that even possible?" Lucy stammered.

"Tell me something..." Yukino hums. "Is it true that time flows differently in the Celestial World than it does it ours?"

"Yeah, it does, actually," Lucy nodded.

"We'd like to utilize the unique dimensional properties their world possesses... Therefore, to open up this door... We need Celestial magic that's been enhanced with the Seer of Souls." Yukino explains.

"Since Celestial Wizards and Seer's are scarce these days, we thought we'd have to resort a substitute source of power... But now that we've located the three of you and all twelve Zodiac Keys... The plan can proceed as it was intended--"

"You keep mentioning me, I just don't get what the hell you're getting at! Seer magic is old and no longer around. What makes you think I've got it?" I snap at Arcadios.

"Seer's have a very unique magic energy to them. It's said to be the purest form of magic there is. Something akin to what some believe to be Primordial Magic." Arcadios explained. "And yours fits the bill." I shake my head and turn my gaze onto the ground. "The time for action is almost upon us. When the sun and moon intersect. This will occur three days from now, on July Seventh... We ask for your help, Miss Lucy, Miss Aria."

"The seventh of July?" Natsu echoed.

"That's the same day that all of our dragons disappeared," Wendy mentioned.

"Pretty major coincidence," Gajeel scoffed.

"This door's supposed to open when the sun and moon intersect..."  Gray starts, but he's cut off by an older voice.

The hairs on my neck stand on end as we're suddenly surrounded. "You there!" A solider from the royal army shouts. "Stay right where you are!"

"Royal soldiers?!" Ballad cried.

"We're doing nothing wrong!" Carla exclaimed.

"Is there a problem?" Natsu asked.

"What's going on?" Lucy stammered.

"Did you come here looking for a fight?!" Gray barked.

"It would be wise of you to surrender quietly," An old voice commented from the crowd. "Before things get messy, Colonel Arcadios."

Arcadios turns his head in shock. "Defense Minister Darton!" He barks. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"It's you who should be answering that question. Why are you here?" Darton asks. "You are aware that revealing state secrets to outsiders is treason!"

"You're making a mistake!" Arcadios exclaimed. "These people are not outsiders! They are an essential component to the Eclipse Project!"

"You do not have the authority to make such reckless decisions on your own, Colonel." Darton admonishes.

"I won't allow your opposition to jeopardize the safety of the kingdom! Call off your men and end this ridiculous farce immediately!" Arcadios snapped.

"YOU ARE WAY OUT OF LINE HERE!" Darton shouts. "This plan of yours will alter history! Don't you realize you're putting our entire civilization at risk?! Now stand down!"

"What in the heck are they talkin' about?" Natsu whispered.

"Sounds like not everyone's on board with this plan," I retort.

"I'll say," Gray snorts.

"They're gonna change history?" Wendy asked.

"But if they go back and change the past..." Happy trails off.

"The present and future will change as well!" Carla explains.

"Quite a disturbing concept." Pantherlily hums.

"You ever hear that theory? If you kill a butterfly in the past, it'll kill someone in the future? This is starting to feel similar," I mention lightly.

"Not sure that's how that goes," Lucy murmurs.

"Colonel Arcadios, you are under arrest for treason against the Kingdom of Fiore!" Darton shouts. "Take the Celestial Wizards and the Seer into custody as well! They are accessories to this crime! Remove the others at once!"

"Yes sir!"

"Say what?!" Gray snaps.

"But I haven't committed any crime!" Lucy cries.

"Yeah, we didn't ask to be taken here, you know!" I shout.

"I'm warning you!" Natsu shouts, his hands lighting up with bright flames. "If you want either of them, you gotta go through me!"

"No, stop! You can't use magic here!" Arcadios warned.

Natsu stopped and gazed at him in confusion. My head starts ringing at the new, unexplainable surge of power rushing through the room. "Natsu!" I yelp, but I'm suddenly being held down by the soldiers behind me.

"Oh, did Colonel not inform you? The Games are just a way of stealing magic power to feed the Eclipse. It is an extremely effective tool... In fact, if a wizard were to activate a spell this close to the device... The Eclipse would completely drain all of their magic power!" I struggle against the solider holding me down as Natsu collapses. "I hope you won't cause any more trouble... After all, a wizard incapable of using magic is hardly a threat to a group of royal soldiers."

"Will you get your hands off of me?!" I bark as I lash my legs around, kicking the legs out from anyone behind me. I start cursing loudly as I feel them pressing their knees to my legs, pressing them into the ground to try and stop me. My teeth latch onto the hand gripping my head to stop me from thrashing. The armor shatters and I taste blood for a moment before I'm struck with something hard. My head keeps ringing violently before I'm restrained enough to be dragged off.