"I'm fired up now," Natsu declared.

"Natsu, we're here to talk, okay?" Lucy warned.

"I've got a bad feeling about this guy," Mest stared wide-eyed at the wizard below.

"You don't say," I muttered, glaring at him from the corner of my eye.

I kept my guard up as Happy landed in the valley and we climbed off the exceed's back. I kept my eyes on August but continued to focus my attention on Mest. We all cautiously approached the wizard king with Brandish leading the pack. I stayed towards the back to keep an eye on everything from there.

For the first few minutes, it was simply a staredown between our group and August. I knew he was sizing us up, undoubtedly not intimidated by us, but curious nonetheless.

"Tell me. What is the meaning of this?" His voice was deep and filled with untold wisdom.

"I've come here to negotiate with you," Brandish answered softly in a non-threatening tone.

"I assume the enemies killed Jacob?"

"He's been defeated. However, instead of killing him, they've taken him prisoner. God Serena, where has he gone?"

August held a hand to the chest. "He's confined to our memory." The old man answered.

I overheard Natsu and Lucy talking about August's power compared to Brandish's. It's true, the two were like night vs day. August was on a whole other level compared to Brandish.

I turned to Mest who had a stress-stricken face. He was getting scared and I knew that wasn't good. They say fear makes people do crazy things. There's no telling what he would do out of paranoia.

"So then, what do you mean by 'negotiate'?" August asked with a lighter tone.

"I'd like you to walk away," Brandish stated simply.

"Hhmm," August hummed. "It doesn't appear to me that you've been tortured, which leads me to wonder... What's brought about this betrayal of our homeland?"

"I'm not betraying anyone," Brandish stepped forward. "I'm still devoted to Alvarez. However, I feel like there's no meaning to this war,"

August narrowed his eyes disapprovingly. "So you'd dare act in direct opposition to his Majesty's wishes. We've pledged our lives in service to the emperor. If you cannot comprehend why his Majesty wages this war, then you are among the enemy," He declared.

Everyone seemed to tense at his threatening tone. We wouldn't stand a chance if he decided to attack, but there's no way we would go down without a fight.

"Listen August," Brandish reasoned. "Emperor Spriggan is leading us down a path of pure evil. It's genocide, nothing more. No matter what name it goes by, you can't change what it is. This war isn't about some philosophical disagreement between two sides. It's plain slaughter. Of all the members of the 12, you hold the most wisdom. We're fighting for nothing, that's what's left at the end. Just emptiness,"

"His Majesty will make the final decision-"

"But think for yourself!" Brandish snapped.

I watched as Lucy took a slight step back and grabbed Natsu's arm to hold onto out of nervousness. I felt a small bead of sweat fall down my forehead at Brandish's small act of aggression. I could hear my heart beating out of my chest from my frantic nerves.

"I finally saw things as they are," Brandish continued. "The people of this land, they haven't done a thing to wrong us," She turned to us for August to inspect himself.

His stoic face narrowed his eyes as they landed on each of us. Finally, his gaze landed on Natsu, who apparently showed no fear of the old man.

"You," August glared.

Natsu growled and I readied myself for a fight, taking a step forward.

"Natsu," Lucy scolded. "Would you stop giving him the stink-eye?! Now!"

August's gaze then moved to me and my exceed partner flying at my side. We both gave him confident and brave faces, unwilling to fall for his intimidation tactic. He seemed impressed by our strong will.

"Please August," Brandish reasoned. "All I ask is that you at least try talking with them."

"Well," August determined. "If it means that much to you. But I'm only doing this because I value your companionship," He gave a tiny smile.

"Oh, thank you so much Grandpa!" Brandish beamed happily.

I couldn't help but feel a wave of relief wash over me as August agreed to hear us out. I sighed out the breath I had been unintentionally holding in.

"We're comrades, not blood relatives," August's smile grew a little bit bigger at Brandish's excitement. 

"Yeah, but you are like a grandfather to me," Brandish smiled and took a couple of steps back. "Grandpa I-"

Suddenly Brandish's mood shifted and her eyes turned dark. We all took notice of her sudden change in mood. There was a small pause between all parties. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge. 

Something's not right.

"Something wrong?" August questioned, breaking the silence.

Before anyone could process what was going on, Brandish grabbed her knife and plunged it into the Wizard King's torso, enlarging the blade and tearing the wound even larger. 

I took a step back in terror as I watched blood drip off the blade. 

August gasped and blood spewed out of his mouth, staining his beard red. I heard Lucy gasp in horror as Natsu pushed her back behind him. 

"What the hell?!" Natsu exclaimed.

I was shocked to see tears in Brandish's hate-filled eyes as she pulled the knife out. 

"Old fool," Brandish's voice was cold and sadistic. "I've been dreaming of this day. Die. Like I've always wanted." 

As the blood spread down his robes and splattered onto the wizard king's hands, Brandish finally took in the sight. She took a few steps back in confusion.

"Grandpa?" She questioned as if she had no idea of the horror she had just committed.

I quickly scanned my surroundings for something that could have caused Brandish to do this. My eyes landed on my original suspect who was now wearing a sinister smile that sent chills down my spine. Without warning, I snarled and tackled Mest, knocking him to the ground.

"What did you do?!" I screeched, pulling him up by the collar. His insane smile never left his face even as Natsu joined me at my side, equally as pissed off as I am.

"I implanted a memory inside her," He explained proudly. "Some feeling in the back of her mind that she needed to kill August!"

"Why?!" Natsu shouted, grabbing the wizard out of my grasp and growling in his face like an animal.

"Because I'm protecting the guild!" Mest argued.

"Do you know what you've done?! You just doomed us all!" Kali quickly shifted into her human form and we were able to see the anger and fear on her face. 

"What are you talking about?" Mest sneered. 

Just then there was a massive change in the energy surrounding us. I froze in my skin as the ground beneath us seemed to quake under the pressure of magic power. 

"There's no way the wizard king would go down that easily," Kali seethed.

"You didn't save anyone, all you did was sign our death sentence" I glared.

As if on cue, August stood to his full height as a dark scarlet aura surrounded the man's presence, making his robes whip and his hair stand on end. We watched in cautious horror as August's skin turned a maroon red with yellow lines down his face. His eyes snapped open, striking fear into our hearts.

"Now do you understand why we're here Brandish? They've finally revealed the true depravity of their character," August's voice was haunting.

"I'm sorry," Brandish whimpered. August held out his hand and the woman fell to the ground unconscious. 

"Brandish no!" Lucy called out. She began running to her side when August's attention turned to the blonde. Natsu and I both noticed, but Natsu was the first to react. 

"Lucy get back!" Natsu tackled the Celestial wizard just as the ground around us turned to hot lava rocks. 

"Melt Away," August cast his spell that erupted into an incredible explosion of fire. 

I shrieked at the heat that blasted me and my group a hundred feet into the air. The roars of the fire were so loud that I couldn't even hear my own screams as the intense heat scorched my body. That heat was the last thing I remembered before blacking out. 

- - - - - -

30 minutes later:

I awoke to an itching sensation coming from under my nose. My eyes pried open to reveal Kali lying on top of me, her long black ears twitching just underneath my nose. I groaned and pushed the human-cat-hybrid off of me. 

When I sat up and surveyed my surroundings, I realized we weren't where we were before I blacked out. We had been in a valley earlier, but now we were surrounded by tall and dense forest. How did we get here? Where is here?

"Kali wake up," I shook my partner, to which she responded by smacking her tail in my face. I grimaced and pulled on her tail, making her golden eyes snap open with a yowl of pain.

"What the hell?! That's just rude!" She yelled, tackling me back onto the ground. I shoved my left knee into her butt, knocking her forward. Then I wrapped my right leg over hers and turned us both over until I was on top with her pinned beneath me. 

"As much as I'd love to kick your butt in some sparring, we've got bigger concerns," I got off my exceed best friend and helped her to her feet. 

"Where are we?" She questioned. 

"The last thing I remember was August attacking us with that huge explosion," I recalled. "Wait, where are the others?" I scanned the surrounding trees for any signs of our group and sniffed at the air. I couldn't sense any signs of their presence nearby. 

"Natsu! Lucy!" Kali called out. There was no reply.

"Happy! Brandish!" I shouted. 

"What about Mest?" Kali asked. 

"I'm still mad at him," I pouted. We spent a few more minutes calling out for our group, but there was no response. "We can't stay here," I finally determined. 

"Maybe we can find some higher ground and search for them there," Kali offered. I nodded and we started walking in a random direction in hopes that it would be the right way. 

After several minutes of aimlessly walking, we came to the bottom of a small ravine. 

"Gimme a boost," I said. 

"Why do you get to be the first one up?" Kali rested her hands on her hips. 

"Fine," I laced my fingers together and squatted down. Kali put her foot in my hands and I lifted her up. She grabbed the ledge and pulled herself up. Then she reached her hand down and helped to pull me up. When I finally cleared the ledge, I scanned our new surroundings. Nothing but more trees and rocks.

"Hold on," I sniffed at the air. Kali gave me a strange look and she in turn also sniffed at the air. "Smell that?"

Kali's eyes went wide.

"I really hope that's who we think it is,"