It was very strange for Yukino. It wasn't everyday Lahar and Dorinbolt of the Council Guards to just show up at her house, and which it was a necessary show-up. After some time, Lucy and she finally had transferred over the rest of the ten Zodiac, to her. As much as Yukino pleaded and was torn inside, Lucy was stubborn and said it was only temporary.

She couldn't summon any of her friends, Lucy nearly cried. Porlyusica made it very clear for poor Lucy. Summoning any spirits could endanger her baby. Lucy made a very hard decision and gave up her keys (for a short while if that hadn't been so obvious because I've been saying for a while now).

Yukino placed the small tray of shiny porcelain in the center of the kitchen table, where the gentlemen had been sitting across from her, or they were now.

Okay, for a recap, remember the last chapter? Lucy's pregnancy was sped up by those weirdo bad guys? Yukino was the seemingly only witness who knows they somewhat look like since she saw their faces (masks) and power.

"Can you describe what they looked like?" Lahar began, having a sketch pad out with a pencil.

Yukino sat in the chair, her lips thinning into a line. "I...I can't say I can much. They wore cloaks with hoods, they had these white masks. Two of them were male, the one who used that spell on Lucy was a woman, I know for sure." She said.

"Masks?"

Yukino nodded, lacing her fingers together as she laid her hands and arms on the table's surface. The woman pointed at the sketch pad in Lahar's hands.

"May I?" She asked.

"Uh, of course." The man hesitantly handed the pad and pencil over.

Yukino immediately sketched the mask out, or from what she could remember. The symbol on the forehead was very distinctive, and would probably mean nothing to the council guards, but it was something. And a probable something could be a lead on something big.

Yukino, probably more than anyone, wanted to catch the people who did this to her friend. Twice they had attacked Lucy and her baby. The first time, they probably had no idea she was carrying.

Lahar nearly choked on his breath seeing the pencil markings on the sketch paper. This is...! Distraught sweat trickled down his temple, remembering the marking of the perilous group.

Yukino, watching Lahar's reaction, grew concerned. The usually calm and collected guard was rather disturbed. His eyes dilated and widened with each passing second leading to ten seconds which lead to thirty seconds which lead to a minute.

"Lahar? What's going on? You recognize it?" Dorinbolt questioned, also taking notice of his partner's strange behavior.

"I'm afraid I do...this is very grave." After another short minute, Lahar replied, staggering with his breath.

"Grave? Who are they?" Yukino eyed the man cautiously.

Lahar plopped the sketchpad on the table. It flopped loudly before the sheets settled down. The dark-haired man rubbed his temples with his gloved hands.

"Lahar?" Dorinbolt raised an eyebrow, urging the man to proceed.

"They are...they are occult."

Occult? Yukino chews her bottom lip numbly. Those people...they were from an occult? She knew how strong they were, even if she didn't exactly fight them. Suspicious people don't just waltz into a hospital without raising panic. An endless loop swarmed Yukino's mind. There were endless scenarios of what they wanted and why. Occults. She and her teammates sometimes have to put them down. Sometimes, those who practice it aren't a danger to their surroundings, but these people...they wanted something. Yukino had this great nagging within her belly.

They wanted the baby. That's why they sped up Lucy's pregnancy. She was sure they weren't aware of the magic it had, but she was only assumed.

"They are very minacious. The group itself has been around long since before the council was created, or even thought of." Lahar said, frowning deeply as he rubbed a hand over his mouth. "Somehow, someway, they kill what they want when they want for more power. And we can never truly catch them."

"So, what does this mean for Lucy?" Yukino stressed, her breath hitching in her throat. She didn't particularly like the sound of Lahar's short and threatening explanation.

"Nothing good."

"Hell, I could've figured that one out." Dorinbolt chortles ungracefully.

Lahar sent a glare at the man before looking back at Yukino with a much softer expression.

"I must ask this of you, Miss Agria, " Lahar began. "When you managed to escape the occult members, did you use any spirits?"

Yukino nodded, remembering Libra's quick thinking that saved her life. "I...well, Libra did. May I ask why you're, well, asking?"

"Well, Miss Agria, " Dorinbolt beat Lahar to it. "The Zodiacs are as old as time itself. They may know something."

That's right! They were, although Yukino had no idea how old her spirits were. For all she knew, they could over thousands of years old. She never really asked about their ages, she had been curious for a while, but then her mind got distracted.

"About the occult after Lucy?" Yukino's eyebrows shot up.

"Correct."

"Right, then..." Yukino brought out her key ring, overflown with golden keys, and an occasional silver key here and there. "Should I summon Leo now?"

"Leo?"

"Y-yes...he's the Lion spirit, Prince of the Zodiac." Yukino fiddling with the said spirit's key.

"Very well, if he could be of use to us, then please." Lahar waved a hand at Yukino, almost as if giving her the permission she wasn't looking for.

"Open! Gate of the Lion! Leo!"

~

~

Tense. That's the best way I can describe it within 8-Island. Even other customers felt uneasy by the lengthy waves of intensity.

Even with the group eating with their heart's content, there was an unsaid deity lingering over their heads in a black, gloomy cast. Lisanna sat away from Natsu. Like at the other side of the table, just to where if he tried anything, Gray and Erza would beat him to it before he could reach her and Wendy and Carla.

Since the ex-couple trampled inside, Lisanna decided to not saying anything about breaking off the wedding until they hit the Fairy Tail guild. And only then will Natsu be forced to spill his darkest and most vile secret. Chills sent down her spine just by thinking it. She didn't want to imagine what kind of pain Lucy went through that night.

It was just too cruel and evil to do to someone. It's like taking a life, but in exchange for their life, they take something else that is most precious and sacred.

Lisanna scooped up some of the dirty rice-chicken porridge and slipped the spoon into her mouth. Her eyes shot to Natsu for a split second. His eyes were on her. She resists the urge to yelp and scatter, but every bone, every cell, and molecule screamed at her to scamper far away. Hide in a hole, if it helped.

Instead, with the shakiest voice that she couldn't really control, "C-c-can I help you, Natsu? You've been staring at me." In truth, she was very scared. She was uncomfortably itchy. She didn't want to be anywhere near Natsu...not after learning of what he did.

Natsu didn't look away, his stare only intensified.

"Oi, what's gotten into you?" Grey growled lowly, noticing the menacing the stare Natsu gave off. "She asked you a question!"

"Indeed, Natsu. It's rather rude." Erza sipped her drink.

"Hn." Natsu gruntled.

Wendy sits back in her seat, suddenly realizing the uncomfortable atmosphere. Well, I mean, she's noticed it since the beginning, but she didn't want to start an uproar between her friends by mentioning it, especially after Lisanna came in so upset after that talk with Natsu.

It was only last night did Lisanna tell them what she saw go on between Lucy and Natsu. Even Carla's vision shook them to the core, although Grey didn't know just yet. Not about Lisanna witnessing what went down or the vision. Lisanna pleaded for them to not tell anyone until they got back to Fairy Tail, that way she could spill to Master and then he'll deal with Natsu.

"You can have the ring back. I made it for you, after all..." Natsu tossed the silver engagement band Lisanna's way. It hit the table, bouncing with a jingle once or twice before it landed in Lisanna's porridge.

The metal ring sunk slightly into the rice, creating just a circle.

"Is that...?" Erza squinted at the circle, eyes narrowing as she realized what the object was.

"What--? That's your ring!" Wendy gaped, eyes widening in shock.

"I'd say so! What happened between you guys?" Grey immediately questioned, his eyes scanning both a guilt-stricken Lisanna and an unexpressive Natsu.

"The wedding between us is off, " Lisanna began coldly. She didn't bother hiding the grim in her voice. "My reasoning is unimportant right now. I just want to eat and go home. I have a lot of packing to do."

"Packing? What? Lisanna, what's wrong?" Grey asked the trembling Strauss. "Someone ought to say something! I'm so frickin' confused!"

"You want to know, Grey?" Lisanna abruptly stood up, causing Natsu's eyes to turn into dangerous animalistic slits. "Fine. Natsu is--" The white-haired woman choked on a horrid sob. "It's just over, okay?! I can't handle it anymore!"

And with that, the woman left the table.

"Lis--oof!" Wendy went to get up but hit the corner of the table with her elbow.

"Careful, Child!" Carla sternly said, hovering near her person's head.

"Lisanna!" Wendy soon left after the youngest Strauss.

This left three people. Two of the three were suddenly engulfed with these ominous, dark-illuminated glares that were sent directly at Natsu. The pink-haired man gulped nervously.

"Natsu..." Said person flinched harshly at the cold stone glower of Erza's while she darkly verbalized her anger and disbelief. "I was willing to consider that you were innocent....but..."

Erza stood, summoning a sword from Heaven's Wheel. She thrust the point at Natsu, even from across the end table, Natsu was sweating profusely.

"You. Will. Tell. Me. Everything."

~

"You've done what I've asked of you, Dear Daughter?"

Evanora, modeling in front of a full-body mirror, dressed in a sheer nightdress. What was underneath wasn't the most important. The older woman fluffed her long lilac locks over her shoulders.

"I...Yes, Mother." Ivory took her burnt hood off, frowning past at her worn reflection.

"Oh? Do I hear hesitation?" Evanora's eyes flicker darkly, the crimson orbs narrow in near disappointment.

"Mother, I've miscalculated." Ivory admitted grimly, bowing her head in shame.

"Miscalculated? Have you failed in advancing with the long-thought and well-constructed objective, Dear Ivory?"

"No, Mother."

"Then must you worry? You've completed---"

"The child has more power than I foresaw!" Ivory cut her mother off, even remembering how much power she was hit with, it made her flush of any pigment within her very body. "I can't explain the surging inferno quite enough!" Her vocals shook lightly.

"More power will feed it, I want it to be fed graciously. It will not able to feast on Celestial beings as it did five centuries ago, " Evanora darkly concluded before returning to her pampering. "I sense this child will just be its banquet."

Ivory suddenly looked at Evanora, her eyes blinking in the narrow sets. "You don't mean..."

"I believe Earthland is nearing its end. Tell me, Daughter, " Evanora's eyes flickered to Ivory's reflection. "How well did the scroll do its craft?" Her lips in a tight smirk.

"I couldn't say more than mid-trimester, Mother." Ivory hung her head again.

"I see." Evanora acutely turned to Ivory. "You, Taft, and Grimm will return to complete the task at hand tomorrow."

"I can't, Mother."

"Rebelling against me is futile, Ivory. Do not think for a second that I will not punish this disobedience." Evanora was harsh with her tone.

If Ivory hadn't grown up around her mother, she would've cowered just by being glared at. Of course, Ivory had fear of Evanora. She had great power and Ivory could be wiped of existence just as quickly as she blinks.

"I meant the scroll. It...It was destroyed by the magic of the child. The building didn't fare well against the flames either."

"Pardon me?"

"The flames were gold, Mother. Gold! I've never seen anything like it. The heat was equally powerful."

"Gold? Hmph." Evanora scoffed at the thought of flames being the shining brilliance. Then she thought for a moment. The flames. The flames were obviously passed down from the father of the child. The newest Heartfilia has most likely inherited the golden magic from its life-giver.

"Mother?" Ivory noticed the woman's long sullen silence.

"Prepare the tapestry, Ivory."

"Tapestry? We do not have--"

"Then build one! And be sure to make it indestructible." Evanora roared. "Leave me! I need my rest!"

Ivory scampered from the bedchambers with a pounding heart.

Now that was rather...terrifying.

Her mother was sure damn leaking evil magic. Even for Ivory, who had the same magi running through her veins, has never felt anything so evil and dark before.

Shaking her head, Ivory recomposed herself, walking down the cobblestone corridor to begin the new constructions her mother ordered.