Chapter Two

----------

"Nashi, come down for breakfast!" Lucy called to her room. Nashi groaned as she was getting up and out of bed. Ever since Natsu and Lucy got married, Lucy moved into Natsu and Happy's house and they had the whole place remodeled to be more fit for a family. Nashi gathered her clothes and went on down with the rest of her family.

"Happy, are you actually having fish for breakfast? Isn't that a little heavy? Nashi asked.

"No. Breakfast is suppose to be good for you and fish is." Happy said.

"Is fish really all you eat?" Nashi asked.

"You're one to talk, young lady. How often do you have sweets?" Natsu asked and that got Nashi to shut it.

"So do you have any plans for today, honey?" Lucy asked.

"Just taking another job with the others." Nashi said. "We're hoping to get a good one."

"That's my girl. You want a good one, try some where you kick some bandits." Natsu said.

"Natsu!" Lucy said as she sounded like she didn't approve.

"What? She can handle a few bandits." Natsu said.

"Says the guy who freaks out about the idea of me even going on a date with anyone." Nashi said.

"Are you dating someone?!" Natsu said as he was getting all in her face. He's always been such a protective father. "If any guy touches you, I'm going to burn him. I'll kill him. He better watch himself."

"Dad, calm down. I'm not dating anyone." Nashi said as she finished up her breakfast. One thing you can be sure about in Nashi's life, it's never boring.

…

Storm

Storm was at home with his family having some breakfast of his own. He told his mother, Juvia, that he plans on taking a big job where he gets to fight.

"Are you sure you want a job like that? It could be dangerous." Juvia said.

"I'll be fine, Mom." Storm said. "You don't have to worry about me. Besides, fighting is what happens in the guild. People say we should take it outside. Besides, who's going to get the better of me in a fight?" He got his answer as someone on the head.

"Does that answer your question?" The person behind him was a girl that was a couple years younger than him. She had blue hair in a ponytail and wore an indigo top with a loin cloth connected and had navy blue shorts. This is Storm's younger sister, Ul Fullbuster.

"Oh great. The sea princess woke up." Storm said with annoyance.

"What did you just call me?" Ul said. "Besides, I bet you just want to fight so you can show off your strength to your little girlfriend."

"Nashi is not my girlfriend." Storm said.

"Storm, I'm just worried you're going to get hurt." Juvia said.

"You're always so sensitive about what we do, Mom." Storm said. "Almost everyone in the guild gets into fighting. Why are you so concerned if me or Ul get in one? We've proven we can take care of ourselves."

"It's not that your mother doesn't believe in your strengths, Storm." Gray said as he came in the dining room with coffee and without a shirt. "She just wants you two to stay her little kids forever."

"Dad, I told you I don't like it when you're not wearing anything while we eat. It's disgusting." Ul said.

"I'm sure you're going to do fine with whatever jobs you take and if fighting comes along, so be it. Just show them why you don't mess with Fairy Tail." Gray said.

"Duh." Storm said with full confidence in his skills.

…

The Guild

Nashi and Storm arrived at the guild and the others of their team were at the request board and trying to decide on a job.

"There you two are." Gale said as the rest of them came by.

"Have you decided on a job yet?" Nashi asked.

"No. We're trying to find a good one, but it's a little hard to choose." Nova said.

"Sasha, which do you think we should take?" Simon asked.

"I don't really care. Just pick one and let's get going." Sasha said and she seemed to really not care.

"Let's see what we have to work with." Storm said as they took a look at the board. "Watch a few animals. Clean a polluted river. I don't really see anything."

"Hold on. This one sounds interesting and it looks like it pays a lot." Nashi said as she took a flyer. "Clear the mines."

"That does sound interesting. What do we have to do?" Gale asked.

"Whoa. Apparently there's some tyrant running a mine." Nashi said. "Some of the people that work in the mines aren't really heard from again."

"That sounds a little scary. I say we should take it." Nova said and the others seem to be in agreement. When they agreed on a job, they took the flyer over to Mirajane. "Hey, Mom. We'll be taking this job." Mira took it and took a look at the job.

"Oh my. This sounds like a big time job." Mirajane said. "Oh well. I'm sure you all are going to do just fine."

"We will be. Nothing's going to go wrong." Nashi said.

…

The Team

"I meant when we get there. Not on the way there." Nashi said. The only way to get to their destination was to by train. Not so good for Nashi, Gale, and Nova.

"I know it must be hard, but try to hang in there." Storm said.

"How pathetic. As powerful as they are, something like a train stops them." Sasha said.

"Just bear with it." Simon said.

"So if people who go to these mines are never heard from again, where's the client that sent the job request to begin with?" Storm said.

"The client is actually the owner of a rest area for travelers." Simon said. "The mines are in the mountains that aren't far from there. Just hang in there, guys. It's going to take some time for us to get there." Not something you like to hear if you're a dragon slayer on a train.

….

The Mines

The mines were in a mountain just as Simon said. Inside those mines, people were being forced to dig and excavate the place. People in black robes were monitoring the place.

"Dig! Dig! Dig, insects!" A bald man with tan skin and wore grey clothes kept lashing a whip to force them all to dig. "The boss wants his crystals and you're going to find them for him." While he was lashing at people, one man stayed hidden in the shadows. He waited for the right moment and shoved a cart of rocks and dust down on the man and he made a run for it.

"Runner!"

"We've got a runner!" The bald man dug his way out of the rocks.

"Don't just stand there and watch you fools. Go and get him." The man said. The slave ran as fast as he could for all he wanted was to get out of there. He was able to make it outside, but there a couple people in the black robes out there.

"You can't escape." That didn't stop the slave as he kept pushing to obtain some freedom.

….

The Team

Nashi and the others finally got off the boat and were heading the rest of the way on foot. Their first stop was to meet with this client.

"Are you sure the place is a rest stop. My stomach needs some relaxing." Nashi said.

"Don't worry. We should be almost there." Simon said. "Look just up ahead." All of them looked and saw the place they were heading. They went inside and saw the place was a vacant restaurant.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" Gale called out.

"I'll be right with you." The owner of the place came out and he was middle-aged man dressed like a chef carrying a pot of curry. "May I help you?"

"We've come from Fairy Tail." Simon said.

"Were here about a job request that was posted. Are you the one who wants these mines cleared out?" Storm asked.

"Wait." The owner said as he looked very surprise. "You're here for that job and you're from Fairy Tail?" All of them shook their heads. When he heard that news, he dropped the pot and fell to his knees in tears. "Oh thank goodness you're here!"

"Sir! Are you okay?" Nova asked. All of them hurried over to him and tried to calm him down. When the man settled down, he helped them all to a free meal.

"I'm so glad you're here."

"Please stay calm. Could you please tell us more about this job?" Sasha said.

"I'll try. First, my name is Harvey."

"Nice to meet you, Harvey. So please tell us what's been going on." Nashi asked.

"Of course. It all started about a few weeks ago." Harvey said. "One day, these strange group of people in black came by and were heading to the mines in the mountain that isn't so far from here."

"Is there gold or something in those mines?" Gale asked.

"No, but there are some valuable crystals." Harvey said. "These strange people took over the mines and took anyone who comes by the mountain and throws them in the mines and forces them to dig."

"Enslavement." Simon said.

"And you say that people that are taken in don't come back? They're trapped?" Storm said.

"Yes. In fact, one of those people was actually my son." Harvey said as he was on the verge of tears again.

"How awful." Nova said.

"So you need us to shut down the mines and free all those people, including your son." Simon said. "This does sound serious."

"No joke. I'm surprised no one has done something sooner." Nashi said.

"A few have tried, but those people have magic on their side." Harvey said. "Of course, since you're from Fairy Tail, the greatest guild there is, you must be able to do something."

"We'll certainly do everything we can." Simon said and everyone agreed to that.

"Help!" All of them heard someone screaming. They all ran out and saw the slave trying to get away, but the people in black were able to catch him and tried to take him back. "No! I don't want to go back to that pothole!"

"You will."

"Hey!" Nashi called out as they all rushed to help him. "Let him go!"

"Don't be a hero. Just run along."

"I don't think so." Nashi said as she had some fire enveloped around her fist. Nashi leaped at the group and slammed her fist against one and knocked him right down.

"What?!"

"How did she do that?"

"Iron Dragon Club!" Gale stretched out his arm as it turned to a club and a knocked another down. "Scram before I really get mad." The rest of them did what he said as they gathered their friends and left the slave. "Yeah! You better run!" When the slave was safe, they took him inside and gave him some food that he savored.

"Are you doing okay?" Nova asked.

"Yes. Thank you so much for your help." The slave said.

"Those were the same people in black. You're one of the slaves that works in the mines." Harvey said.

"I was, but I managed to escape." The slave said. "If you all didn't show up when you did, I would have been taken back to that hell and Raeka."

"Raeka? Who's Raeka?" Simon asked.

"Raeka is the man who runs the mines. He throws everyone who comes by inside and it's horrible. He has us working almost all the time. Trying to run from him is dangerous because the skies roar for him."

"Sounds like he uses lightning magic." Storm said.

"Yes. That's exactly it."

"But you managed to escape." Sasha said.

"I'm the lucky one." The slave said and was getting depressed. "Many have tried to escape, but the punishment for escape is severe."

""Punishment"? What punishment?" Nashi questioned, but the slave seemed scared to answer.

….

The Mines

The bald man who forced people to work was reporting to someone as this person stood near the edge of a cliff and let the wind blow in his face.

"Why are you disturbing me, Fred?"

"Sorry, Raeka, but we have a problem. One has escaped and some wizards have helped him." Fred said.

"Is that so?" Raeka said as he turned to him. Raeka wore black top and pants with a white shirt underneath and he had flowing mossy green hair. "It seems we'll have to dig a few graves."

----------