Hey guys! I'm back from my trip! Hope you'll enjoy this chapter :) Also, expect more than one chapter this week! ;)

Love you all! Lily xxx

As fast as they could while not neglecting to stay discreet, Elfman and Evergreen had pulled every member of Fairy Tail from their slumber, deciding to meet at the rallying point they chose if something would happen.

"I think that was the last tent" said Evergreen after scanning the horizon with her Nocturne sight.

"Perfect then. Now let's get the hell out of here!" Exclaimed the man by her side, tugging at her by her wrist.

"How dare you dragging me like that!" Complained the young woman who hated being rushed that way.

She was however soon gagged by Elfman's large hand who stopped abruptly.

"Shush," he told her. "I'm hearing something".

The envy Evergreen had to show Elfman how she hated when he acted like a ruffian died as she realized they were probably not alone. Listening carefully, she tried to identify the origin of the sound, hoping it was coming from an ally rather an enemy. She emitted a sigh of relief in Elfman's hand, still on her mouth, when she recognized Gajeel and Levy.

Indicating to Elfman that everything was fine, she got out of his grip and walked to the couple she had spotted. As for the young man, having also identified the voices after a moment, he simply followed Evergreen, trusting her eyes particularly adapted for the situation.

"Lu's out there" they heard Levy insist.

"There is no way you're heading the same way as those soldiers !"

"She's my best friend, Gajeel!"

"Tch." Answered the young man without however let go of his idea.

"What's Happening?" Asked Elfman when they were next to them.

"Lucy went walking by the river tonight and I haven't seen her since."

"And she is probably just fine" insisted Gajeel. "Knowing Salamander, if the soldier you saw found them, he is probably already K.O."

"How can you tell Natsu's with her?" Said Levy surprised.

Gajeel rose his eyes to his so brilliant but sometimes so naïve girlfriend.

"He follows her practically everywhere".

"It doesn't matter, I want at least to make sure they know about the menace" said the stubborn blue haired girl, worry obviously showing in her eyes.

As for the young man, he was also worried. In his case, however, that fear was related to his girlfriend who insisted on putting herself in danger.

"I'll go too" announced the young Strauss. " Natsu risked a lot to save us from the wall and a real man owes him at least that.

Then, before starting to follow Levy and Gajeel, the latter following Levy wherever she'd go even if it was against his decision, Elfman turned to Evergreen.

"Will to be fine getting to the others by your self?" He said, hating to know she would be alone even though the path she'll go on will probably be the safest.

To that question, he was gratified with the usual hit behind his head she gave him when he told the word 'man' a little too often.

"What's wrong with you?" He exclaimed, annoyed by the irritating and quite painful, he had to admit, habit.

"Do you really think I'll quietly go to the meeting point?"

"You saw it just like me! The soldiers are heading towards Lucy and Natsu's location. It might be very dangerous" he argued.

"I don't care about that!" she exclaimed, not ready to run to a safe place while he was risking so much. "What happened to your idiotic speeches about being partners?" She added, a glimpse of sadness in her voice.

Her last words had the effect of drawing a large smile in Elfman's face who was looking at her with such intensity she couldn't help but blush.

"You're right Ever" he said. "Come on, we'll lose Gajeel and Levy's track."

To that, he took her hand and dragged her behind him while looking for the other two. The young woman didn't try to get away, at least not for the moment, and let herself be guided until she realized he was making random steps in the night. Once that was noticed, she sighed and took the lead. It was her turn to drag him around but this time, she knew where she was walking. Because of her power, it only took them a few minutes to notice the couple, crouching behind a series of small trees.

"About time" grumbled Gajeel who didn't count patience among his main qualities.

Evergreen was about to retort to his rude comment when Levy got their attention.

"The soldiers are just there" she whispered.

"Any sign of Natsu and Lucy?" Evergreen asked in a barely audible way.

"Not yet..."

She didn't even have time to finish her sentence before being contradicted by fighting noises. It only took another instant to understand that someone had single-handedly initiated a combat against the four present soldiers.

"That idiot's got to be kidding me" grumbled Gajeel before Natsu's stupidity before himself stepping in the help the young man who didn't seem to have a clue about the severity of the situation, a sword sunk in his tight while he was running as if the blade wasn't even there.

The others quickly joined and it took them only a few minutes to vanquish all of their foes. Happily for them, none of the enemies were fallens.

"I saw them first, metal head!" complained Natsu, realizing that all the opponents where K.O. before he got the chance of fighting all out.

"You idiot" cut him off Lucy, pulling out the sword from his flesh as if it was nothing. "Can someone explain to me why I still stick with you?"

"Because you and I are a team!" He sincerely answered to the question as she tore a piece of his already ruined pants to stop the hemorrhage he probably hasn't even noticed yet.

The blond young woman sighed in exasperation.

"We don't have time for your foolishness, Salamander! We have to get back to the meeting point" intervened Gajeel.

"From our location, the quickest path would be to take the suspended bridge" added Levy.

"You really want us to walk on one of those old things?" Worried Evergreen.

Giving them another reason to walk the way indicated by Levy, steps could be heard behind them, accelerating their pulses. If they were right, there were more than only a handful of soldiers this time.

"Ever, run!" he rushed her.

"Don't call me that..."

The young woman stopped talking, pushing Elfman out of reach from a dagger that almost bit the young man's flesh. Only the surprise effect allowed her to move somebody this large and it was with a sigh of relief that she noticed neither of them was injured.

"Look around you!" she scolded him.

He nodded then helped her to get back on her feet. With a quick glance, he could see the Natsu and Lucy had also barely dodged the projectiles while Gajeel was covering Levy with his own body due to his thick skin.

"Everybody's all right?" Asked the blue haired girl who knew very well not everyone was getting the same protection as her.

"Yes, but we have to get out of here fast!" Lucy said.

To that, they ran to the suspended bridge which was their best chance to get out of this situation alive. With a little luck, they will manage to break it once they were all safe on the other side, preventing their enemies from getting to them.

The soldiers were getting closer and closer but by some miracle, they managed to keep a considerable distance from them. However, a simple glimpse of the bridge was enough for everyone, except maybe Natsu, to notice his pitiful state. It only took Levy an instant to evaluate its solidity.

"Not more than two or three persons at the time on it or it will risk to shatter" she said, a hand on her chin.

"In that case, cross it, now" said Gajeel not wasting a second.

"What? There's no way I'll leave you behind!"

"The powers of Elfman, Natsu and mine are way more adapted to physical combat than yours!"

"But..."

"No!" He cut her out with force. "We don't have time to argue and you know damn well I'm right. Use your brain for yourself and not only for others for once!"

Clenching her teeth, the young woman finally agreed, nodding, briefly hugging her boyfriend before running to the bridge.

"Same thing for you" said Elfman to Evergreen.

"I can fend for myself in a combat just well!" she complained, not at ease herself with the idea of leaving the one who became important to her behind.

"That I know!" he softly laughed. "You're one hell of a woman".

This time, she truly felt her cheeks on fire despite her trying to act as if was nothing. But no matter how much she wanted to refuse once more, the young woman knew very well that Elfman's proposition was, surprisingly, the most logical one: they had to get to the other side one way or another and leaving the strongest fighters behind would give them their best chance if needed. Not wasting any more time, and seeing that the two other girls had also come to reason, she returned his stare.

"Don't you even dare to die" she simply said before turning.

"Same thing for you" he said in her back while she initiated crossing the bridge.