Chapter 38
Those Who Help

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's, and my Ideas

.:+:.

Gray and Juvia pressed up back to back, both tense and scanning the shadows surrounding them quickly, water flowing from the Rain Woman's fingertips and Frost circling the Ice Wizard.

"Alumina!" Gray called to the darkness, his voice echoed off the smooth stone walls.

"Juvia has a bad feeling..." Juvia murmured. "The air here feels wrong to Juvia, do you not feel it also, Gray?" She asked with a small glance at him,

"I feel it." He muttered, sweatdropping a little.

"Juvia fears something bad will happen to Alumina."

Gray sweatdropped a little, he thought the same but hearing the words spoken aloud only made their meaning hit harder. They were both worried for the blonde, because they had come to know Alumina the best first. It had been the first mission either of them had been on in a very longtime after Lucy... And it was Alumina they had shared that time with. They both cared for her deeply, one could say they were all very good friends.

They wanted nothing more than to get Alumina back safe and sound, nothing mattered more to them.

"Gray!" Juvia suddenly said as something streamed from the shadows to strike out at them. His eyes moved to the shadow, preparing to protect himself but a stream of water blocked the blow in an instant.

He shot a grateful look toward Juvia, but she wasn't looking his way, and instead was preoccupied with the flurry of Magic attacks suddenly streaming out toward them. And them he was occupied with it too, ice and water shot up in the dark to easily block the attacks.

Both Wizards narrowed their eyes, slightly confused as to what such weak attacks were being directed toward them, they seemed pointless...

"You think that guy is busy with someone else?" Gray asked suddenly, Juvia spared a quick glance his way,

"Juvia wonders that... Did he not say he could control everything within this place?" She replied and Gray nodded, eyes returning to the shield he had placed in front of himself.

"Its gotta make you wonder, if he's really paying any real attention to us." Gray muttered. "... If he was, these would probably be stronger attacks..."

"Juvia agrees." Juvia replied.

"I wonder which one of us he's going against..." Gray murmured under his breath, eyes narrowing and sweatdropping as a sense of worry fell upon him at the thought- that anywhere in this hell-hole one of their companions were being more brutally attacked than this...

.:+:.

"Alumina?" Erza questioned in a separate corridor, farther away from where Natsu was. Sword in hand and body tense she scanned the shadows warily, eyes narrowed and ready for anything, "... Hmm..." She mumbled; walking into the shadows and down the path slowly...

She was aware of small, faint noise bouncing off the smooth stone walls around her- only illuminated by the faint red light of very dim lamps hanging from the walls along the corridor. She couldn't make out what it was, and the way it traveled slowly through the air only made her wary.

After awhile it sounded like the whistling of the wind, instead of the tapping and clicking sound upon the wall. And then there was a deep silence that made her come to a halt, her grip upon her sword tightening as a sense of dread fell over her- and she expected an attack at any given moment.

And within the next instant, her suspicions were proven true as several different attacks sprung from the stone walls all at once- looking like golden flame and spears of the coldest, most fine stone- all of which launched her way in seconds.

She easily dodged many of them, and even sliced a sword through the spears thrown her way. She landed, the attacks didn't cease and she could only continue to runs won the corridor while simultaneously dodging the attacks with the utmost skill and precision.

The relentless projectiles thrown her way were no match for her experience and skill, so much so she continued on at the same pace she had been before with no difficulty.

A large boom echoed off the walls, but nothing new came her way- in fact she had to wonder if the source of the sound had come from somewhere else-?

"I see this is no trouble for you, Ms. Titania." A voice rang out around her suddenly, she stopped in her advancing and Requiped- producing her shield before her to block the blows expertly- and then the attacks ended.

"Indeed." She replied coldly, "Surely you do not hope to defeat me with such weak attacks?" She growled.

"Assuredly not." The voice returned cooly, though there seemed to be an air of amusement behind it- or even happiness as if the owner of the voice had indulged in some pleasure not long before. "I have to wonder... Will that armor of yours hold up against everything I throw at it?"

Erza's body went rigid as either end of the corridor suddenly slammed shut with a huge, thick slab of stone- clearly meant to keep her from moving farther.

"I propose a small experiment." The voice continued, "I bet one of these will break the metal that protects you- and tear apart your skin like no other thing on this world."

The lamps died, Erza growled.

"Lets see, shall we?"

.:+:.

"Where are we, do you think?" Wendy asked lowly, voice trembling slightly. She glanced up at Carla beside her; hand held out and glowing with Magic faintly. Her eyes wide end to see the stricken look across her Exceed Partner's face, the look of fear. "Carla?" Wendy questioned anxiously,

Carla shook her head fiercely to shake off the lingering wisps of the vision she had just received, and looked to Wendy slowly. "I..." The Exceed stammered at first, "I can't see Alumina's Future..."

Wendy went very still at the chilling words her Exceed Partner uttered, finding it very unlikely that Carla wouldn't be able to... Unless...

Tears began to creep up on the edge of her eyes and she held a hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp, her small frame beginning to tremble along with Carla's.

"You... You don't mean... Alumina...?" Wendy stuttered fearfully and Carla's head bowed,

".. I believe so..." Carla said very quietly,

"But... That can't be!" Wendy said, her terror and fear melting away to be replaced with a sense of urgency and determination. "No, no!" She said as her fists clenched and Carla's head snapped up at the sudden change in the small Dragon Slayer. "We must find her, she's coming home! We promised Master, and I intend to stick to that promise!" Wendy said firmly, her eyes hard.

Carla regarded the sudden change in her Partner for a moment in silence, eyes wide and still. For however unlikely it seemed, Wendy had managed to flip from her sense of fear and dread... To a spirit of determination and fire she had hardly ever seen in someone so gentle.

Carla smiled slightly, and nodded- the two began off down the dark hallway they had found themselves in.

.:+:.

"Nothing's stopping us!" Ursa snapped, her fingers slicing down at a terrifying speed upon the stone pillar that had shot out in front of them- an attempt it would seem, to slow them down or rather keep them from advancing.

The stone was cut clean through and fell to the floor in half, Ursa landed on her feet and kept running, Loke following closely with the light from his Ring growing ever brighter.

His eyes fell on Ursa a moment, noticing how very angry she was slowly becoming- she seemed desperate to get to Alumina, but she had lost her earlier sense of fear and dread, and now she was only becoming fiercer.

The attempts to stop their progress did nothing but kindle the flame that continually grew inside his fellow spirit, and he found himself thinking of how long it had been since he had seen Ursa so dead-set on anything.

Three more pillars shot from the walls before them, Ursa was upon them with a speed that could outmatch the wind itself, and Loke swung out toward the one she did not attempt to break- his attack sent the stone crumbling to the ground in an array of noise the bounced all around them.

In the hearts of both Spirits, they held an inward instinct- a sense that they were getting closer to what they sought after. They were getting closer to Alumina, and the feeling only added energy to their limbs.

The path that Ursa lead him inward had continually lead farther and farther down- what must have been even farther than the great drop they had been sent down in the beginning of all this. Ursa said that Alumina's scent was getting stronger, and at the same was the scent of blood. She even remarked that the disgusting scent of he who had taken their KeyHolder had grown stronger too, a sure indication that they were on the right track.

But with this in mind, Loke thought it strange that only such weak defenses were to pop up to try and stop them. It would have made more sense for the traps to hinder them be ten times more dangerous and effective than the ones they were seeing... Unless the man wanted them to find him.

Loke's lips pulled into a frown and his eyes narrowed at the thought, because it was very possible they were walking into a trap- a trap that could very well prove more dangerous than they were ready for.

He figured Ursa thought as much, just as he did, but he also felt that nothing was going to stop her now. All he could do was stick close and fight alongside her to the best of his ability.

They had one goal, and one goal only.

.:+:.

Erza fell to her knees, blood dripping from the edge of her mouth as she gasped for air, broken swords spread around the floor around her.

It would seem, that even for the great Titania- attacks such as these were nearly too much. Her skin was torn in many places, her clothes destroyed, all of her armors had been beaten back until she was left with no protection, and now it was time for her body to break as her armors had.

She had tried, and she had failed... Failed to stay strong against this next test... And she was reminded that not even she could stand against anything. This man.. His attacks... These were some of the few things that could break her, and breaking her was his only purpose.

He wanted to break her, and then he wanted to kill her. To kill Titania... Well that would be an honor! A great achievement unlike any other, for she was revered by everyone around Fiore, around the world!

"The test is almost complete," he said with obvious glee. "I will see you fall, Titania... Your soul is mine!"

Erza fell all the way to the floor as the final attack streamed from every side out toward her, a lethal attack of the brightest light, an attack of such immeasurable power and force it could very well be said no other Mage in the word could create such a thing.

And Erza couldn't stand to meet it. She was done, she was...

"This is the end, Titania!"

.:+:.

The sound that followed out from the impact of this attack couldn't be compared to anything that had happened within the mansion, not even the force that had taken Natsu...

Tucked away in his chamber with the still form of Alumina behind him, the man turned from the vision of Titania and looked to that of those who still fought- he knew Titania was done, and he had no need to watch anymore- the screen depicting the red-head turned off- just as the ones depicting Natsu, Happy, Gajeel, Lily and Levy had gone black once they were taken down.

Now the man stood in silence as he watched the last of them proceed, watched with interest at the careful defense of the Ice and Water Mages, and the quick footsteps of that determined looking little girl followed by her cat.

His expression of amusement turned to some of wonder when he looked upon the last screen- the one with the bear and the lion charging through the corridors, seemingly unhindered by anything coming toward them.

He looked upon the expressions these two wore, and scowled. These were not the expressions he wished to see, these weren't the expressions of worry, or fear... No, no... These were expressions that instilled a deep set rage inside of him. A flame that sparked and burned more and more as he watched their progress.

These two, those two were the ones he needed to focus on- he was sure. And so he set to work, leaving the last four to remain as they were- lost in his maze like rats, never to find their prize no matter how hard he tried.

But for the lion and the bear, two magnificent creatures of strength and power... They were closing in on their prey, and the Man felt a twinge of fear strike out at his soul.

He couldn't allow them near, they needed to be stopped, nothing else mattered.

.:+:.

Erza's eyes lift from the floor as the light from the explosion ceased, and she saw four paws straddling her body in a protective manner,

She had been left untouched by the attack, and she stared in shock at the very creature she would have least expected here.

"You..." Erza murmured, eyes wide.

"Are you alright?" The creature asked, stepping away to lower his great head to her level, eyes sparking with worry. She looked into his green eyes, the green eyes of the Chimera; Moldy. The same Chimera she had fought against, the same one she had thought she hated... The same one that had just saved her life by some unforeseen miracle.

"Why... Why are you here..?" She whispered and Moldy blinked.

"Mistress sensed the blonde was in trouble." He explained. "Mistress and Moldy followed you Fairy Tailers here, and we searched for you. Hoping to help." He lowered himself on to his haunches and gave her a worried look, "You do not look good, Titania..."

Erza remained silent at the words, finding this another unexpected development... One she truly felt she liked at the moment. Whatever may have happened between herself and Moldy, or his mistress... That all melted way now and they were left with this. The genuine want to help, and she smiled slightly.

"I'm alright now..." She murmured, "... Thank you, Moldy."

.:+:.

"Wendy!"

Wendy and Carla whipped around at the voice that had called the young Dragon Slayer's name. They immediately recognized it as Gray, and they saw the forms of the two Mages running toward them with a different woman beside them.

"Gray! Juvia!" Wendy said in relief, before her eyes landed upon the woman with the orange eyes beside them. "... Wait, what are you doing here...?" She asked warily,

"Narina," Juvia explained with a nod at the woman. "She came to help."

"Why should we trust her?" Carla asked with a flat stare and Narina blinked.

"She helped us," Gray explained. "We trust her."

"Please, Ms. Wendy." Narina said softly with a calm look but her eyes betrayed the worry she felt. Wendy looked to her nervously, not sure why she was being called upon directly.

"It's the Salamander and his Partner... They're hurt badly..."

.:+:.

Levy let out small hiss, her eyes scrunching closed a little harder before she slowly opened them and tried hard to focus on the face above her own, finding it was Gajeel looking down at her in worry.

"Gajeel...?" She whispered and the Iron Dragon Slayer sighed a little.

"Hey Shrimp." He mumbled back,

"What... What happened...?" She asked, Gajeel helping her to sit up slowly as she leaned against him. The room was still dark, but it was empty apart from herself, Gajeel, Lily and Uza- the last two sitting next to them, Uza's hands resting over Lily's bitten tail as they glowed with gray and golden light.

"I'm glad to see you're ok, Levy." Lily smiled, she blinked. She faintly remembered... Uza taking down all of the dogs that had been attacking them, but she couldn't recall anything after that.

"You passed out from the wound." Gajeel explained, tapping a finger to her shoulder lightly- where there wasn't a wound anymore. "The bear healed you."

"Uza?" Levy murmured, looking to the Spirit in surprise. Uza didn't look her way but his ears did twitch a little. "Oh, umm.. Thank you." She said with a small embarrassed smile.

"Don't worry about it, its my job." Uza replied lowly, concentrating on what he was doing before pulling his hands away from Lily's Tail- leaving it good as new. His eyes turned to Gajeel, looking a little annoyed. "Will you let me heal your arm now?" He sighed and Levy blinked, immediately looking to Gajeel to see his left arm torn and bloody all over.

"Tch... Fine..." Gajeel muttered and Uza moved over to start,

"Idiot wouldn't let me do it until you woke up." Uza said to Levy, and she blushed along with Gajeel. "... Stupid. Just stupid... Whatever." Levy and Gajeel exchanged quick looks before blushing some more and looking away, Lily smirked.

The area around Uza and Gajeel began to glow with gold and grey, the Spirit's hand resting over the arm as he began to heal it- the skin knit back together painlessly after a few minutes, leaving only dried blood. The healing ability that Uza possessed, only because it was his duty to protect those he had been sworn service to. In this case, it was Levy as his temporary KeyHolder, and any she traveled with.

Uza pulled away when he finished and let out a long sigh, eyes closing and sweatdropping. "Alright then..." He paused and looked sideways. "You can come out, as long as you don't try anything." He called into the dark air, earning looks of surprise from everyone else.

"Who-?"

A small white dog walked out from the shadows slowly, looking nervous. It approached cautiously, everyone besides Uza stared- since when was that dog there?!

Uza fell back onto his back with a long sigh, arms falling out on either side of him. "Geez... This is all such a pain..." He mumbled. The dog sniffed at the Spirit from where he lay, trying to catch his breath. Whether or not he would admit it, everything he had done did take more of a toll than he would like, especially going... Over the top with destroying the pack, and healing everyone as well. He was rather drained, but wasn't inclined to let it show too much.

"What are we gonna do now?" Levy asked, holding a hand out toward the dog and trying to get it to come closer. It sniffed at her hand and walked up slowly, she patted it gently on the head, smiling softly. Gajeel and Lily just stared at the little white creature suspiciously,

"We should keep moving." Lily suggested, Gajeel nodded.

"We shouldn't stay here, no tellin' what will come after us next." He said this with a worried glance at a Levy who now had the dog in her lap, smiling at it.

"I don't care what we do either way." Uza mumbled. "As long as-" he cut himself off and everyone glanced his way,

"What is it?" Levy asked, Uza's eyes had opened to look at the ceiling.

"The red-head." Uza mumbled, he suddenly sat up. "And another... Dog?"

.:+:.

Gray and Juvia stood rooted to the spot in utter horror at the sight before them, having come upon Happy and Natsu at Narina's direction with Wendy and Carla in tow.

They couldn't remember the last time they had seen anyone in the Guild so beaten and hurt... Not even the number Natsu had done on Alumina could compare to this, and the fact that it was the motionless forms of Happy and Natsu they looked to didn't make it any better.

Wendy rushed forward without stopping, but let a horrified gasp escape her lips as she started her work on Happy- judging the blue Exceed to be in worst condition though Natsu didn't fare much better. Both of them were bloody, both seemed to be broken... One had to wonder if they were even alive.

Narina held back behind Gray and Juvia, her eyes riveted on the wounded Mages but her attention focused elsewhere.

"What on earth could have happened to them...?" Carla whispered.

"The man who owns this place." Gray hissed, fists clenching at his sides. "He did this." Juvia nodded slightly.

"These wounds are... Horrible..." Wendy whispered under her breath, hands trembling, her eyes lingered on Happy before going to Natsu. "I don't know... If I..."

"Don't worry about trying to heal them both," Narina said suddenly. She looked to Wendy calmly and nodded a head toward her, "I can start to heal Salamander, if you'd like.."

Wendy nodded quickly, "Yes, if you could." Her eyes went back to Happy. "Please, I would love your help."

"You know Healing Magic?" Juvia asked, looking surprised. Narina stepped forward with a small nod,

"Yes, but not in the same sense as Wendy." The woman answered lowly. She stopped before Natsu and flicked her hands a few times, enough so a box of her Magic enclosed Natsu.

Half a dozen small, fluffy creatures of a pale yellow color appeared and began to move around the unconscious Dragon Slayer, their small paws glowing with yellow light as they set to work. They sported long, drooping ears, and long fluffy tails- their yellow fur dotted with pale white spots here and there.

"I can't heal people on my own." Narina murmured. "But I can create the means to." She gestured to the small creatures.

"So cute..." Carla murmured as she looked to the things, Narina smiled a little, even despite the situation.

.:+:.

"Yo, red-head!"

Uza's voice rang down the silent corridor loudly, causing those who surrounded him to wince slightly. Their eyes landed upon the figure of Erza, who they could see sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall, bleeding and beaten to no end, while the figure of a large creature stood beside her as a silent sentinel. She was illuminated slightly by the soft yellow glow of some foreign, unknown creature resting in her lap.

Erza's attention snapped up at the voice, as she immediately spotted Uza and the group of Levy, Gajeel, Lily and a small white dog following along behind him- all looking beat up, but much better now since Uza had healed them.

The small Bear Spirit lead the way toward her steadily, seemingly undisturbed by the presence next to Erza, and more focused on the tiny creature of yellow she held in her hands.

"All of you..." Erza murmured in surprise, Uza crouched down next to her and tilted his head, but Erza's eyes stayed from him and went to Gajeel, Levy and Lily. "Are you alright?" She asked immediately.

"We should be asking the same of you." Levy replied with a look of worry and Erza blinked.

"You look like shit, Titania." Gajeel grumbled.

"We are alright though..." Lily intoned quietly,

"What happened to you?" Levy questioned, her eyes moving suddenly from Erza to the large creature beside her, as it shifted and she finally caught full notice of it. Gajeel and Lily also visibly tensed at the movement,

"Its alright." Erza calmed them quickly, "This is Moldy, he's a friend." She promised, flicking her head at the Chimera. "He's with the woman from the Harvest Festival, they came to help."

Uza sniffed at the yellow creature around Erza, it having moved to sit on her shoulder. As he did so, Moldy stuck his muzzle near the head of the Bear Spirit and let out a low growl, nothing threatening but enough to earn a scowl from Uza and a growl back.

This small exchange was ignored and everyone else settled down, discussing what had happened as Uza and Moldy continued to growl and stare at one another, while the small yellow creature continued to move over Erza and cast its yellow glow about her, slowly healing her wounds.

"Lucky we were so close to one another." Levy murmured. "We had no telling how far we were separated from the beginning."

"We must wonder where everyone else is though." Lily murmured with a sigh. "And wonder if they are alright."

"Moldy said that Gray, Juvia, Wendy, Carla are all together with his mistress." Erza murmured. "And that they came across Natsu and Happy..." She paused and the way her face darkened made everyone sweatdrop. "... And that they're are in very bad shape."

"The Salamander?" Gajeel asked in surprise, Erza nodded gravely. Levy frowned worriedly, hands clutching to her chest.

"But they'll be ok, right?" She asked. "Surely with Wendy there..."

"I don't know." Erza murmured. "Wendy will do as she can, and so will... Narina, was it?" Erza's attention turned to Moldy, of whom she asked the question.

The growling match between Uza and the Chimera was interrupted so Moldy could answer with a small, slow nod. "Yes, Mistress can heal others through use of these little ones." Moldy pointed a claw to the glowing, furry bundle of yellow in the dim with them. "Whatever she can do for your friends, she will."

They nodded and the growling began anew, this time the small white dog Levy had taken into her arms moved over to sit in the space between the large Chimera, and the small yet surprisingly daunting Bear Spirit as they continued to growl at one another but do nothing more, its head tilted and ears perked.

"But we don't know where Loke and Ursa are?" Levy asked, Erza shook her head. "I hope they're all right..."

"We should regroup." Erza said suddenly, pushing herself to her feet stiffly, but with more energy than she had had ten minutes prior. Everyone blinked, "We have more strength in numbers, and if we can- staying together is our best option."

Everyone nodded and the growling match between Uza and Moldy ceased, Levy picked up the white dog and Erza looked to Moldy- the 'little one' on her shoulder.

"Can you take us all to Narina?" She asked and Moldy dipped his head.

"It can be done."

.:+:.

Loke and Ursa came to a quick and sudden stop, the hallway had opened up in way of a grand stone archway- and now they stood at the end of a great hall the remained in deep darkness for most of the way, besides the small, pale spot of light at the far end. They were both breathing hard from all the running and quick exhaustion of their Magic and their energy.

The hall didn't seem to lead anywhere, and yet they couldn't see anything expect that small patch of light at the end. They cast small glances at one another, before walking in slowly.

"No, no!" The sudden shouting caught their attention and they tensed, the voice bouncing off the walls and making it impossible to pinpoint where it came from. "This isn't right... Not at all!"

"What in the hell...?" Ursa hissed under her breath.

"I can't see them! I can't see them! What is this?!" The voice continued to rant and they moved forward more, slowly, quietly.

"What is blocking my screens?! DAMN IT!?"

They took up a place behind a pillar and tired to get their eyes to adjust and penetrate the darkness. Loke had let the light of his ring die just as they entered the hall, so they didn't draw attention until they could find their target. Ursa sniffed at the cold air, muttering a few curses under her breath. She couldn't distinguish the man by smell, the entire hall reeked of filth and made it impossible for her to find his position.

"... Damn it all! Now Blondie, do you see what's happening?!" Suddenly the voice was laughing hysterically and the two Spirit's hearts raced at the words. "See what I did to your fiends before the screens went dark?! HUH?!"

They moved forward immediately, now they knew Alumina was in this room, this was their chance to find her, to save her, now-

The laughing died instantly, and they paused at the sound of shock, disappointment and dark confusion in the voice next, their hearts sank.

"...Hey... Blondie..?"