Chapter 8

A gentle breeze rattled the window of the Monica Inn. Natsu stared out the window blankly, lost in his own thoughts. Gray watched the Dragon Slayer sadly from the table he sat at.

The tavern wasn't much, but it had a very quaint feeling to it. No one else was in the dining area but the mages of Fairy Tail. The rest of the team sat around the table as well in complete silence. Nobody knew exactly what to say. A sense of defeat filled the room as they reminisced about what happened just an hour ago.

"Well now what?" asked Gray, running a hand through his raven locks, "what's the plan?"

"What plan?" Laxus scoffed, hitting his hand on the back of the chair since he was sitting on it backwards, "Our plan was to get the children before they got to Tiar, but we screwed up." Erza looked down at the wooden floorboards beneath her feet. She felt awful not doing anything to stop Finola and it was eating away at her.

"Levy, when is the next ship to Tiar?" the Titania asked softly.

"The earliest is tomorrow at 7 o'clock. It takes five hours to get there by airship."

"So they'll be long gone by the time we get there," finished Elfman, taking a sip of his drink.

"I told you all this was a lost cause," muttered Laxus from his seat. Gray gave the man a hard glare.

"How can you say that so carelessly?"

Laxus shrugged, "I'm trying to be realistic."

"Six children are out in the wilderness with a bunch of criminals, don't you care at all?" Gray asked, standing from his chair, knocking it to the ground.

"Of course I care Gray," responded Laxus, "but sometimes you just have to face facts. How are we supposed to get them now? I don't suppose you have an idea?"

Gray's eyes fell on the floor. He gritted his teeth in frustration.

"I didn't think so."

"Levy has seen maps of Tiar doesn't she?" asked Elfman. Levy shook her head somberly.

"They only contained so much data. In truth, I was hoping we wouldn't need to go to Tiar to find the children, so we wouldn't need the maps."

"So what do we do now?" grumbled Gajeel arms folded over his chest, "do we just head home, give up?"

"No." Erza stood from her seat, eyeing everyone at the table, "Those children are members of our guild, and I refuse to just abandon them in their hour of need. Whether any of you like it or not, we are going to Tiar to get them back." Erza glanced at Natsu who was still staring out the window blankly, "and we will not rest until we do so."

"But how?" asked Laxus. He stood from his chair, hands firmly grasping the back, "I've already explained what kind of place Tiar is. It's rocky, hot, and full of dangers."

"It can't be that bad," said Gray.

"But it is. We'd be wandering around for days trying to track them down."

"What about a guide?" questioned Levy, "Maybe we could find someone who knows the layout of the land."

"Like who? You said so yourself, those maps aren't any good because nobody has gotten passed the natives to improve them."

The group of mages continued to bicker about ways to locate the lost children, all the while Natsu remained silent. He evaluated the situation to himself, wondering if there was another way. Levy's idea to get a guide was pretty good, though Natsu would rather do the tracking himself. But Laxus made a good point, who would know the land well enough with all those natives attacking?

The natives.

"The natives!" Natsu cheered, turning around to face his team. They all cast him questioning looks.

"What are you going off about Salamander?" asked Gajeel. Natsu strolled up to his team, a large smile on his face.

"Who else knows the land better than it's native inhabitants?"

"Of course!" Levy exclaimed, "Maybe one of the native tribes would be willing to help us."

"But why would they?" asked Laxus, "The port town in Tiar is surrounded by runes to keep natives from getting in. If we left then they would just attack us."

"Then we'll fight back!" said Natsu, "You really think those guys can handle us?"

"He's right," smiled Erza, "we should be able to handle them no problem."

"Is that the best idea though?" asked Gray, "I mean, sure I wouldn't have a problem busting a few heads if I needed to, but we need their help, we can't just go beating up people."

"I have to agree with Gray. I think we should try to reason with them first," said Levy. Gajeel rubbed the back of his head. Elfman whistled to himself. Natsu ran a hand through his hair.

This was going to be difficult.

"I'm telling you, this isn't going to end well," said Laxus, shaking his head. Natsu ignored him, smiling like a maniac. He didn't think he could feel this good after just being outsmarted by Krugger, but he couldn't help but feel great. Things were going to turn around; he could feel it.

He cast his eyes toward the window he had been staring so sadly at before, but now he felt a new hope rising in him as he looked into the dark sky.

Just a little longer Nashi, I'm not giving up just yet.

FAIRY TAIL

Nashi groggily opened her eyes as the area around her shifted. A sense of déjà vu washed over her. She looked around the small space she was trapped in. Before arriving in Monica, Krugger had her and the other children shoved into crates so they could smuggle them into the airship. The box wasn't very large, she was stuck in the fetal position the whole time.

Nashi was pretty nervous at the time. She couldn't see anything and she felt all alone, cut off from everyone else.

That is, until she heard her father's voice.

She wasn't sure if it was really there, it was very quiet, but with her Dragon Slayer hearing she could have sworn she heard him calling to her. She may have imagined it, but it gave her hope, and that was all she needed.

The crate started shifting once again and Nashi grumbled.

What the heck is going on?

It was incredibly dark inside so she assumed it was nighttime. Nashi ran her hand against the crate until she felt a hole. She leaned in close and tried to see what was going on outside.

"We should be in Shika territory by morning. We'll let the kids out after we get there," she heard Breccan mutter up ahead. Her crate was facing the back of Breccan's wagon, so she could see two people trailing behind it. One of them was Cashel; the other was something that made Nashi's heart stop beating and fear build up inside her.

It was some form of bat creature. It took the form of a woman, but it was covered in fur, had large bat ears, and instead of arms it had large bat wings. While the creature was scary and disturbing to behold, Nashi recognized the clothing and crimson eyes.

"You going to turn back soon Finny?" Cashel asked the creature. Finola smirked wickedly at him, her sharp fangs larger than when Nashi first saw them.

"You're kidding right Cashel? I can only take this form when the sun isn't out. I'm going to relish it while it lasts."

Cashel shrugged, "Whatever, just don't forget a hat."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I'd like to know what compelled you to transform in the first place Finola," said a voice up ahead that Nashi recognized as Krugger. Nashi noticed Finola and Cashel grow uneasy.

"Well?"

"W-Well, the thing is Krugger," Cashel started, rubbing his head nervously, "we may have run into a little bump in the road so to speak."

Nashi couldn't see him, but she could feel the frustration coming off of Krugger from where she was, "What do you mean by that?" he said lowly.

"We um… we have company," said Finola.

The two wagons stopped as Nashi was launched in her spot. She scooted back to her place beside the hole to see what was happening. She heard the sound of someone landing on the ground. She assumed it was Krugger because Cashel and Finola grew more and more nervous as footsteps neared them and the jingling of the chains around his wrists were heard.

"Company? What company?" he growled. Nashi could finally see his hooded figure through the hole in the crate.

"Fairy Tail," responded Breccan from his wagon. A smile appeared on Nashi's face. This had been the best news she had heard all day. Her family really was coming. Krugger glanced back at Breccan; Nashi could see the anger in his eyes.

"Fairy Tail? How many?" he demanded. Nashi listened closely to his lackeys as they answered him.

"Laxus for one," said Breccan, "I also saw Black Steele Gajeel and his wife in one of the buildings in Monica."

Uncle Laxus, Auntie Levy, and Uncle Gajeel, Nashi listed, Did Daddy come?

"Titania is here too, along with that one wizard, Elfman Strauss I think he was called," Finola said.

"And Gray Fullbuster."

"Was that all?" Krugger asked. Cashel and Finola shifted apprehensively. Krugger was growing impatient with them. Nashi leaned her ear closer.

"There was one more person. The Salamander."

Daddy? So I did hear him! I knew it! Nashi thought excitedly. Krugger on the other hand was not as enthusiastic. Krugger pulled a hand out in front of Cashel. From under his cloak came out tons of chains like the ones around his wrists. Nashi gasped as they wrapped around his neck and started choking the life out of him. She had yet to see Krugger's magic, but she didn't imagine him to use it so freely against one of his nakama.

"Seven people? There are seven people on our trail? How did they escape Ward?!" Cashel could not answer and Finola was too frightened to move.

"If I may interject," Nashi heard Breccan say softly, "I have a pretty good idea what happened."

Kruger remained frozen for a couple seconds, but to Nashi's relief, he soon released Cashel, the chains snaking back under his cloak. Cashel fell on the color, coughing and breathing like his life depended on it. Finola finally acted and rushed to his side.

"Speak," Krugger commanded Breccan.

"Under normal circumstances, we kidnap children from smaller villages so that by the time the parents awake, Ward's runes would have been activated correct?" Krugger said nothing.

"Magnolia is much larger than any city we have ever raided, so it's safe to assume that by the time Ward was done with his runes, the mages had woken up and left to find us."

Krugger grumbled, "This certainly does change things. When I get the chance, I'll have to speak with Ward about his little slip up."

"They know we're here," said Finola, helping Cashel to his feet, "what will we do now Krugger?"

"The next airship doesn't leave until morning. We can still get further ahead of them. They won't be able to find us, and even if they miraculously do, The Shika, Okami, and Fukurō will keep them occupied," said Krugger. He looked up into the sky, determining how much more time they had.

"Let's move!" he yelled, rushing back to his wagon and out of Nashi's view. The wagons started up again but it didn't bother her that they were on the move again. She thought about everything that had transpired between the gang and couldn't help but feel giddy. Natsu was coming for her and her friends! She knew that rune wall was no match for Fairy Tail.

Nashi blinked in realization. Her father would have a hard time tracking her through the desert according to Krugger. He needed help.

Hastily, Nashi brought her bound hands up to her hair. She fiddled with the ribbon in her hair, trying to untie it with her hands currently bound.

"Come on," she muttered, working out the knot. She grinned in accomplishment when she finally freed it and the strands of hair it held tumbled to the side of her face. She checked the hole to see if Finola or Cashel were nearby. When she didn't see either of them, she lightly shoved the ribbon through the hole in the crate. Nashi watched as the gentle breeze carried it away slowly. Her father would soon find it, and with its scent still fresh, he should be able to track them easier.

The weight of today's activities began to take its toll on the pink haired girl as sleep began to overpower her. Nashi used whatever space she had to lay down and try to sleep. It was all so much to handle for the small child and her friends, but she didn't seem to mind at the moment. She had hope that everything was going to be all right. That her and her friends were going to see Magnolia again, and that they would soon be with their families.

And Nashi would hold onto that hope until the very end.

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